Watering the Garden

After a discouraging day the other day, Corbett and my mom reminded me what a miracle Whit is. In fact, in an email, my mom said - God is in this...it is a MINOR issue...we have WHIT!!! WOOHOO!!!!! In fact, I just received an email of a devotional from her as I was typing this post. It is titled, A Patient Parent, by Proverbs 31 Ministries. In her own notes on the email, my Mom wrote... "You seem to have this well in hand!"

It doesn't always feel like it - especially on discouraging days. The devotional compares children with seeds and gardens, and parents as the farmer - sometimes having to weed failure and dissapointment, but still giving sunshine and water to the plant. It states, "With tender care, perseverance and self-discipline, children will grow and develop. Then in time, our children will produce a harvest of confidence.

I recently visited with one of Whit's therapists; Corbett and I prayed about it; discussed it; listed the pros and cons; so on and so forth. We had come to the decision to allow Whit to maintain his position in his Mother's Day Out program. There are some that do not agree with this decision, and balk at our choice, nor do they understand it. However, Corbett and I saw no cons - our pro list was long - and we felt it the best decision for Whit's development and maturity.

I became excited about the idea. Ready to see a difference.

Then, I talked with the Mother's Day Out director one morning this week. She was very wishy-washy and non-commital about Whit's needs and our inclination to place him there. She gave me excuses that seemed to have no merit, and I lost a little respect for her knowledge and experiences with child development. However, I maintained composure and although I didn't agree with her - she is the director - I am the Mom. So, it stands - Whit is not allowed to stay in the Mother's Day Out class.

I did find out that there are two teachers for the next level that Chap would go into. So, we will still be able to separate the boys - allowing Chap social confidence, and removing Whit's crutch and leader. We will reassess the situation after next year, and go forward from there. My biggest concern right now is the potty training issue. In order to move forward - Whit must be potty trained. While it is 6 months until the next school year, that is not much time when considering potty training. He is showing an interest in pull ups, but that's as far as it goes. There is quite a developmental gap for this milestone, so my prayer is that he will blossom through that development over the summer or his new teacher will have some compassion for this miracle toddler boy!

So, as my mom stated in her email, - We have WHIT! WOOHOO! What a joy he is - and what a miracle that he is developing and progressing so amazingly. I find my self just watching him and smiling at his antics, language, and reactions.

This miracle child is set with all of his new gear....

He is going strong in his boots. His physical therapist noticed more weaknesses in his task coordination and strength that the boots bring out - (that they are supposed to). Examples include his trunk rotation, his shoulder strength, his leg strength, etc. He'd compensated and built up hypertone in the muscles he uses without the boots. The SMOs require him to use those muscles appropriately, exhibiting weaknesses. She said she'll be busy with him for the next few weeks -

His "big boy" carseat is in! He seems to enjoy it, and all of it's redness. It has the "head wings" like Chap's, but still has the 5-point harness. It sits up straighter, and he sits up higher... ready to ride and see the world around him.

Like my mom's confidence and gardening in me, may I continue to be a gardener who doesn't give up until the harvest. I can see his growth being beautiful, and I'm enjoying watering it!