A milestone for Miss Z .....

So,you know those pesky IEP's and the goals that we must painstakingly put into place,or rather the therapists put into place and we,or maybe it is just me,nod our heads in passive agreement?The truth be told and cover your eyes my therapists friends reading this:I don't much care for goal setting.Never have.Cannot exactly articulate what I don't like about them but I just don't like them."Zoey will purposefully put her hands together and place them under water and wash her hands 3 out of 5 times upon attempting." Okay,I totally just made that one up but those of you who have sat round table during IEP's know exactly what I am talking about,don't you?And,if you have a child like mine,who is delayed in multiple areas,setting goals becomes an over whelming task.I want to sometimes just blurt out,"Hey,how about the fact she is here,alive and smiling,for a big enough goal mastered already."

We just recently had our CCS major pow-wow.A room filled to overflowing with about 10 doctor's,therapists and staff personnel.All butting,oh did I just say that?I mean putting their heads together trying to figure out what will be the next plan of attack.I agreed with some.Absolutely disagreed with others.Please people,can we cross off mastering "assisting with dressing and undressing"?I know this is a "life skill" and all but how about,just for kicks,everyone who thinks we should start with that goal .... plop yourself down on your bottom,tie your one hand behind your back and for that matter,restrict the corresponding leg,add vision loss in both eyes, no pincer grasp whatsoever and finally,try operating under some cognitive impairment and lets see how realistic that goal is.I'm just saying.

One goal that we have added and added and added,over and over and over again,is:Working with Zoey to place,not hurl across the room,an object,in conjunction with handing said object, opposed to flinging said object, wildly at you,necessitating in you having to do a quick duck and cover move.

We have been out of Early intervention since March and on the down low,I have not been particularly great about working on "stuff" with Zoey.Forget about daily,how about weekly.Reminiscent of by gone therapy sessions days, where your therapist leaves,she gives you homework,you swear you will diligently follow through,only to have her back the next week, she takes one look at your child and so knows you did diddly squat,all week.So as you can imagine, having been cut loose from IE,I have just honestly cherished the time with my girl.I recently had a good friend say that I was doing my little love a disservice by not pursuing some of the therapies that I really,in my heart of heart know she needs.Desperately probably.And you know,she is right but honestly,I just have not had it in me.I mentioned to her new PT,that I have had to watch her work and work and work, for so long,practically all of her little life and I hate,in some moments,to have her work any harder.Period.I hate to see her frustrated and cry and be sad and look at me as if to say,"save me".So I'd rather take her to Target and Starbuck's and Trader Joe's and out for walks,watch her favorite shows and let that be that.But I won't,at least not for much longer, because Zoey needs more and tells us,in her own way,that she wants more.All this is an on going saga,more to follow at another time but back to the milestone.The IEP goal that had proven elusive,when all of the sudden,out of the blue, one morning,I asked her for a block and she handed it to me.Then I asked her to put it in the jar and she did it.Over and over.And I cried.

*pause the blog music at the bottom of the page if you are going to watch.And,my absolute favorite part of the video is when Zoey takes a swipe at Jake when he tries to look in the cookie jar.I know I shouldn't laugh but I can't help it.That is my feisty, attitude filled girl and you gotta love her!