God's Ears & Arms

I've been asked now for a few updates. I have to say even as I begin to type, that I am humbled by the amount of people who not only read my blog, (I know many of you who are afraid to leave comments because you don't want to join, but you are out there and you are faithful readers.) It blesses me when someone asks me a question about something I have written. Someone recently asked about my husband's job, and today I got a phone call from a relative asking about my meeting with Kyle's school. Well, I am just so touched that so many people care. Thank you all for your encouragement and prayers. Now about God's ears and arms....

I can say this....He hears everything and His arms are not too short! Let me start by saying, my husband's job is going well. He has been in intense training for the past 3 weeks, he hasn't made it "on the road" yet, but he feels like he is being trained properly and very well! He is getting itchy to make his first "sale", but the company requires him to make something like 35 appointments before he actually goes out on his own. Once again, it's baby steps, but good training. All that to say that he is really enjoying himself. Thank you for praying for him!

The car situation has not really changed. Mike's new boss gave him his car to ride around until we can get a van for me. I now drive in Mike's old car. However, now someone else needs the car at his job, so.....here is how God worked that out. We live with our 90 year old grandfather. He has just surrendered the keys to his car (that was a long and heart wrenching process let me tell you)! Pop has been lost one too many times and his mind is very forgetful, this needed to be done, but it was not without a fight! Needless to say, I believe Mike will now be able to drive Pop's old car, while I drive Mike's old car and we have wheels once again. Mind you, it is not easy to have 2 seven year olds and a 5 year old in the back seat. We will not be taking any long (45 minute plus) drives in the very near future....unless I can borrow someone's Ipod for the trip. One can only take so much of this: "Stop touching me! OUCH! OH you stink, you forgot your 'oderant'" all the while playing with the windows!!!! Mom, are we there yet? ::crying:: He hit me in the head! That was my foot OUCH! Your magna doodle is touching mine.....OH NO NOW I HAVE GERMS........." Stop breathing!!!" I could go on and on! Yea, I miss my van! But thank you Lord for transportation!!!

We were trusting the Lord to stand by his word and you have read that he miraculously provided for us. Well, he did that 3 more times. In the form of friends who just picked some stuff up at the store, or who provided a gift card for me to get my hair cut and colored, or treated us to dairy queen, or gave us a gift card just because I introduced her to Jesus! HELLO! When we are faithful, friends, God is even more so! He has heard our prayers and every morning I dedicate my tithe to Him and I praise Him for all that he has done. I'm trying very hard in my prayers to be very specific in my praise! Gratitude! (I need to update that too!)

Finally what happened with Kyle. This was amazing. I stood in the shower that morning of October 31st, my meeting with Kyle's child study team. I had laid my fleece before the Lord and was confident it was out of my hands and into the Hands of my Father! As the water hit my face, I reminded the Lord that I was a little nervous, that I needed his strength especially because I didn't have Mike with me. If you've not ever been to an IEP meeting, it can be intimidating. Now, I taught public high school for 9 years and have been in the seats those team members are in...we have an agenda...it is what we as the staff feel is best for the child. That is all well and good, but what do the parents feel is the best? That doesn't always carry the weight it should. With that said, I must say the staff I met with really do love my boy. They had to read their reports about Kyle, each who dealt with Kyle in a different scenario. Speech therapy, school psychologist, occupational therapy, regular ed teacher, resource/special teacher, guidance counselor, child advocate (who wasn't there this time), principal and a special guest, the special education teacher (who hadn't worked with Kyle before)...I think that covers it.

Hearing what they all had to say was very difficult for me. I lost it a few times. It is one thing to know your child has issues, and know that your doing the best you know how, but then a whole other thing to hear some of those issues come out of someone else's mouth. "Kyle is extremely learning disabled, Kyle says things like "I want to die, I hate myself, I am so stupid". Ouch....that make me cringe even typing that out. He doesn't say these things a lot, but the fact that my sweet 7 year old boy says things like that breaks my heart into a million pieces. He says those things because he feels so trapped in his little body and brain. Anyway, then you hear things that make you feel like you are too coddling as a parent. He is much more independent at school than he is at home. Tsk tsk Mom (no finger shaking, but definite eyes rolling at each other) YUCK....didn't like that feeling. Again, they forget that I sat in their seats for many years. I shed a few more tears, and we moved on.

So you don't fall asleep reading all of this, in a nutshell, this is what I felt was needed in order for me to allow Kyle to stay in the school: Special education teacher teaching him reading and writing and math, regular ed teacher teaching him social studies, science, art, music etc. I did not want my boy in a special education class exclusively. It is not for Kyle. Here are the results: Special education teacher teaching him reading and writing, math being taught by a resource teacher, regular ed teacher everything else. It really couldn't have gone any better. They seemed to be on my side. I didn't get a curbside bus for Kyle, but that is ok...we will drive him to school. I felt a tremendous weight lifted and I was confident that the Lord heard my prayer and He feels Kyle should be where he is for now. Kyle loves his new teacher too! So all is well in Engeland!