Summer....

....is winding down for us. It has been a great summer and i truly don't want it to end. It's not that i am a fan of hot, humid, miserable weather because nothing could be farther from the truth! The end of this summer starts a whole new journey for Emma and i....she will be a kindergartner. Yep, you've read that correctly, my little daughter will be starting school.

While she did attend pre-k last year, we didn't get accepted to the program till early January and it wasn't a full day program. Emma had a lot of challenges in pre-k....i affectionately referred to her as the "pre-k rebel". We were blessed to have a wonderful first year teacher that i can't say enough about. Ms. Kelly was amazing through the many issues that we (okay, 'she') had with Emma. It was obvious that there were somethings going on with Emma that we have had to address....and once i was finally able to figure out some of those issues, my daughter's personality and traits fell into place where i could understand them and understand why Emma was, well, Emma. I finally understood that all of the odd traits that Emma had weren't just 'traits' that made Emma the little girl that she is.

My little girl has SPD.

Sensory Processing Disorder.

Suddenly, everything made sense. I understood the reasons why Emma covered her ears when there were certain loud noises. I understood the reasons why she tasted and smelled e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. I understood the reasons why she throws herself on the floor. I understood the reasons why she jumped and bounced all of the time. I understood the reasons why she colors and writes her letters the way she does. I understood the reasons why things were just too much for her, she would act the way she did.

I finally understood.

I finally got it.

Understanding and fixing are two different things. SPD therapy helps to teach Emma how to deal with issues through play. You can't really 'fix' SPD; you just learn to deal with it better. At Emma's age, she just deals with these issues the best way she can. A good example is if we are in an area where there are loud noises, she will clamp her hands over her ears and stomp her feet as she walks. That's her way of dealing with the noise....some how, the stomping of her feet soothes her.

SPD therapy is helping. I will be the first to admit that when i saw what she would be doing in therapy, well, lets just say i didn't get get it. Jumping on a mini-trampoline and landing on foamy things? Going through sock tunnels? Digging out little items that were stuck inside some kind of stuff that looked like play-doh? Picking out mini-dinosaurs with tongs out of a container of beans? Swinging on a large swing in it's own room while laying on her stomach?!? Really? This would help??

Yep.

These things are helping.

And i am grateful.

I have to say that i am in total love with our school district. The teachers that i have met and the people that they have in place to help children are amazing. They truly care for the students in their care. These teachers want your child to have the best possible experience in school that they can have. These teachers want your child to love school and learning. They are amazing...

So, in a week, Emma will have her first full day of kindergarten. Please keep her in your prayers that she loves school and that i also adjust to her being in school. I'm afraid that kindergarten has sneaked up on me and i'm a bit sad that this time with Emma is coming to an end. I'm excited for her, though...she will meet new friends and she will learn so very much. Emma loves being around other children, so i'm keeping my fingers crossed that all will be well and that any issues with her SPD will be something that we can successfully deal with.

sigh...It's time for my little one to take another step towards growing up into a big girl, isn't it?

We've adopted......

.....a SAILOR!
Yep, we have "adopted" a sailor who is currently deployed at sea! I found out about a ministry that a friend of mine has started where she finds folks to 'adopt' a new sailor on their first deployment. I was so excited when i found out that she matched us with a sailor! We get to send cards, care boxes and pray for our sailors. I've been trying to find something that i could include Emma in on and this is perfect. It's a bit hard sometimes to figure out how to 'serve' as a Mama with a five year old....Emma has drawn pictures for our sailor and she's done crafts. I love how she wants to 'pway for our sailwor'! Above are a few pics of our first care package to her...so much fun to put together!

Our sailor is very young; she is 20 years old and this is her first deployment. I can tell how homesick she is. It must be difficult to be on a ship that is in dangerous waters. I sometimes am shocked at how young she looks when i see her photo. I can't imagine how her Mama must feel...

One of the reasons i wanted to do this was for us, as a family, to honor Matt. I think that he would have thought us doing this was neat...a few days ago, it was a year that Matt was lost at sea in the Gulf of Aden. I spend a lot of time wondering what might have been if Matt had never been lost; perhaps it's better to celebrate Matt's life and do acts of service in his name. I can't imagine the pain that his parents, sister and grandparents feel at his loss. I do know that they are very proud of him as he comes from a long line of Navy Men.


Matt

You aren't forgotten, Matt....you never will be. You will forever be in our minds and hearts and we will continue to pray for your Dad, Mama, sister and grandparents.

A day at the Nashville Zoo

Best. Day. Ever.