Day Two - Grand Rapids

Day Two went better during the school part, afterwards its mom that has the mental break downs and while Daniel is napping, I am crying (more like sobbing) quietly so no one who might walk down the hall will hear me!

This whole process is very overwhelming, nothing that I ever imagined. It is hard for Daniel but he seems to be handling it fairly well. He is happy to be in the class with Maeve and Gramm. It is me, who is having the problems. Daniel seems to do ok but I really think he misses people. I would say "Lets call Daddy, and he would be all bouncy and happy." and when we go to bed he is constantly looking around for Lonnie.

I love the classes, the whole thing so far. I can't stand being away and by myself with no one to share the little accomplishments, and no shoulder to cry on. And whether I am just super emotional, or whatever. I am losing it. I will try to explain. I guess all the way along I knew in my head that Daniel would be "different" have some issues. Ok, well when you're at home, in an area you're familar with, you can kind of just forget that he is different, that he'll need help. Here........it seems like its just all shoved in your face. EVERYONE here is handicapped. I don't like that, not that handicapped people bother me, not at all, its just the overwhelming (I keep using that word because I can't think of another one to use that expresses the feeling) sadness, or sudden acceptance (not really accepting) that HEY YOU DIPCHIT, get with the program, your child is ALWAYS going to be treated differently. I'm not, or can't explain it. Like at nights at the house........(now mind you I LIKE the house, it is wonderful and I will go more into the house in a later post) its the fact that the parents are all sitting around talking about their child like they are some "thing" and not a child. One mother was sitting there saying what a pain in the butt it was to do this or that and how heavy this child was getting, how she isn't able to do anything like she wants anymore because she has "X" and the child was SITTING RIGHT THERE!! Come on man.....I wanted to tell her to shut up, fine if you want to talk like that when he isn't around but he is listening to you. He can hear you, his hearing is fine he has CP.....he's not dumb and he's not deaf.
SHUT UP!!
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SCHOOL:

Now, about the school. Wonderful, wonderful conductors there, the people who are working there are wonderful. They treat us great Part of the class so far is first the standing portion, the stretching. Here are a couple of pictures with Daniel (SITTING BY HIMSELF) at the table with no support from anyone.



Then we also have Daniel learning to balance on the potty chair. Not necessarily to potty train him but just to get him to balance and hold on. He even went POTTY!! Yipee for Daniel.

There is such a look of joy on his face when he does something that they are teaching him. He's like "Hey, hey, hey, look over here....did you see that?? I DID IT!!"

There is still the fear that he has of laying on his back on the slatted table top. This is the only part of the program so far that he will cry at. I don't know if he gets the sense that he is going to fall off, or if he thinks he is at the doctors office or what.... lay him on his back on that table and plug your ears.... he DOES NOT like that, and it takes about 5 minutes for the boo-boo lip to go away. Now on his tummy he doesn't care.. here is a picture of Daniel and Maeve stretching their arms and using head control. (Maeve has the exact same thing as Daniel, but without seizures)











And this is Daniel within minutes of leaving school.