I went back to the beginning ...

I had a meeting today at the miracle child's school and while I will talk about that soon, it inspired me to look back at this blog to maybe glean wisdom from what I saw after the second time I met my son.  I may talk about that too.  What I found was my words from before I was officially the mother of my son.  I said:

The child I hope to be a mother to is the most amazing child.

Now that I am back home I often tell people this is a child that

has something really special to give to the world.

 

 

I was right.  He is the most amazing child.  He has already survived so much.  He continues to overcome the difficulties of being a severely handicapped child with a grace of humanity that is awe inspiring. The miracle child continues to face difficult surgeries with courage and calmness that even adults can barely tolerate to discuss.  He has something really special to give the world.  I remain convinced that the miracle child will one day make a truely important contribution to humanity.  He already deeply touches the lives of all who know him.

 

Today I met with a room full of very educated and experienced people concerning special education and inclusion in the schoolroom setting.  Alex had a hard week at school last, week and the teachers and staff at the school were unprepared.  They were told nothing - not about the bullying - nothing about how to talk to this kid. 

 

He came home, people were given some space and we all reconvened.  There were so many of the mental health/behavioral people there.  Legal counsel for the school district was there.  A vice principal that is still freaked out about a stunt Alex pulled was there.  Fortunately, the principal was a little calmer about it all.  We had quorum to talk about what to do.

 

We talked.  Everyone was heard.  I heard their concerns.  I heard what they had done to learn more.  I told them a few things - like about the bullying.  I told them they had no ability to connect with him until he felt they were safe.  And then told them how to make him understand they were safe people.

 

We made a plan.  I will also go to school with Alex tomorrow.  And then all these very talented people will pick up the cues and help him normalize. 

 

Alex still remains an almost ten-year-old little boy with all the normal difficulty that can entail.  Buggers and stinkers are simply fall down funny. Yuck.  They totally drive all his peers into hysterics.  His jokes and antics are so contrived and yet so calculated to include an element of gross, he makes me remember being 10.  He has the bald humor of a boy this age I hope he outgrows (many guys do not).  He remains the jokester, simply refining his humor.  His humor is also his way of being with everyone else despite his disfigurement.

He has that boundary testing urge that is so indicative of this age for boys.   He is also amazingly picking up on subtle social cues about correct behavior and boundary issues.  In so many respects he is just a boy.  Soon to be a really, really cute "guy."   

 

I thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.  I believe without those prayers the miracle child would not be back with us.  May god bless you.  Thank you.  I pray too.  He is the miracle I found in Russia and I pray in thanksgiving everyday to be his mom.