Thursday, April 22, 2010

Endings and Beginnings

We said goodbye (really, see you later- isn't Facebook grand?!) to Chase's last therapist this afternoon.  Our caseworker also came by to "close him out."

We have been so fortunate to have therapists and a caseworker that we have loved so much and have always kept Chase's best interests at heart.  So, it has been 3 whole years with this team...and when it began 3 years sounded like such a long time.

Now, give or take 150 visits later, this chapter is ending, and instead of a sweet (albeit floppy) little baby, I have a flexy-bendy boy.  Can you believe it?  I can't.

I went through all Chase's photos and made small scrapbooks for each of his therapists, and a framed photo for our caseworker.  As I looked through all of them, it almost seemed like someone else's life.  Did that all really happen?  Was I there?  Where did that kid go?  How did we get through all that?

(I'm really proud of the photo books that I made, so I took pictures of the one that I made for our PT so I could show it off.  I tried to find pictures of Chase demonstrating the different skills each one worked with him on.)  Enjoy :)
















Chase's transition to pre-K is almost the same as Ian's to K.  But Chase has been through so much more and worked so much harder in less time than Ian has.  Not to downplay any of Ian's accomplishments...but still.  Everything that Chase has done, he has worked for, and worked HARD.  And he's had a team of people behind him cheering him on.

And although I am a little anxious and a tiny teary-eyed about Ian going to Kindergarten, all day, to live his life without the umbilical cord attached to me anymore, I am more ready for that.  He will do great at school.  And if he doesn't, he will tell me.

Chase, sweet Chase, can't yet.  To think that his days will be filled with someone other than me is just, well, sad to me (and a little scary, honestly).  I gotta say, I have a teeny feeling of displacement right now.

On the upside, I am kind of looking forward to this summer-- no daycare kids, no appointments...just the kids and I and a BUNCH of open time.  The projects I have planned!  The places we will go!!  Trips to the library, to the parks, to the greenways!  It will be glorious.  Glorious, I tell you!  :)

4 comments:

Jennie said...

Laurie, this is a wonderful post. I'm so impressed by your scrapbooks. It makes me sad that we had to move Micah 1/2 way through his EI time so he did not have the consistency of therapists. What a blessing that you did. Chase is going to do great!

Mandi said...

<3 I love this post. I love you and you're boys!!

AND i think the scrap book is awesome :)

PS My WV is hoorcies (HA!)

Cate said...

oh wow. nice books! I did nothing for our therapists.

isn't it weird how time drags and flies, all at once? How are they not tiny babies?

carydip said...

Laurie, you're so talented and such a loving Mom. I absolutely adore the book you made and I'll bet they meant the world to the therapists. I can't believe how wonderfully Chase has done. It's not just the therapists you know, you & Bryan have given Chase so much time, attention and love-he couldn't help but prosper. I love you all~Mom