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say goodbye and mean it

 

 

Kindergarten.

 

 

My stars…how did it fly by so quickly?

 

 

These past five years.

 

 

He’s FIVE!

 

 

When did he get so big?

 

 

My baby.  My sweet baby.  He has lived a lifetime already.  At times the days seem to creep by.  Drip drip dripping along.  Inch-stoning our way forward.  Then suddenly, I’m sitting in an IEP meeting and we’re planning for…

 

 

Kindergarten!

 

 

Nuts.

 

 

I don’t know about you…but I often hear negativity swirling around special ed services.  Therapists.  Teachers.  Aides.  Some of it very valid.  I carry a chip or two with specific names on my shoulders as well.  But the thing is…

 

 

each of these people have played a role in Trevy’s life these past two years.  Each of them has left a little mark in his life.  One or two has helped me grow into a better advocate.  Personality conflicts aside, I do believe everyone in Trevy’s life cares about him.  In their own way. 

 

 

I don’t usually get all crafty with the gifting.  A)  I just don’t have the energy.  B)  We just don’t have the mulah.  C) I’m just really not that crafty.  I want to be.  I’m in awe of the girls who are.  But my go-to gift is a couple lotto tickets shoved hastily into a Christmas card.  It’s affordable and fun. 

 

 

But this is different.

 

 

This is Kindergarten.

 

 

And I genuinely wanted to say goodbye.  And mean it.  With the help of some friends, here’s what I came up with…

 

 

   

 

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A purple (for epilepsy) flower ($1.50 each at Home Depot).  I wanted a perennial that would grow back year after year and forever remind the recipients of Trevy.  But these annuals were just too perfect.  Hopefully, they’ll still think about him without the garden reminder.

 

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The plan was to add a Trevy hand or foot print thank you note with each flower.

 

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He had fun helping me squeeze the paint out.  I let him choose the color.  How funny that he choose purple (for epilepsy)!

 

 

I already had the construction paper and the finger paints.

 

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He enjoyed the first foot print.

 

 

But that was where the joy ended. 

 

 

After that, it got a little primal.  No joke, it was like wrestling a greased pig!  He wanted none of it!  There were little purple running away foot prints all over the yard!  We live on the coast with perpetual wind.  Just when I’d have him headlocked and lathered with paint again…along came a breeze to wisk away the construction paper.  Stress buckets.  I was sweating and he was shouting his protests at me!  I think he was trying to tell me that he wasn’t in the mood for sensory input!

 

 

:: grin ::

 

 

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To bad so sad, I said.

 

 

We needed to get these &$^# goodbye gifts done, by golly!  And we needed to mean it!

 

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I succeeded at last!

 

 

I do outweigh him.

 

 

Although the hand prints didn’t come out quite as nice.  He’s very good at the quick angry slap.

 

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Can you believe I rewarded the little stinker pot with a popsicle?

 

:: wink ::

 

1-trevy's teachers gift 001

 

After the prints had dried.  And he was snug as a bug in bed.  I cut out all the prints that were salvageable. 

 

2-trevy's teachers gift 002

 

Added little heart felt thank you notes. Taped them on a clothspin. And clipped them to the pots.

 

3-trevy's teachers gift 003

 

Good bye, Preschool…

 

 

Hello, Kindergarten!

 

 

Don’t mind me, I’m just over here letting my sappy leak all over the place…

 

 

…danielle

Comments

Anonymous said…
Want a purple perennial? Order purple hyacinth bulbs (such as Peter Stuyvesant or Atlantic or Purple Sensation) to give as gifts to plant in the fall, and they'll flower next spring, when Kindergarten will be almost done!
Danielle said…
I LOVE that idea and am SO glad you shared it!

A x and an o for you...because you have my Italian gushing!

...danielle
joanne foltz said…
I laughed out loud thinking about your "struggle" with Trevor!!! These are so cute and congrats on the graduate!!! Love and hugs, Mom
Danielle said…
It was definitely funny after the fact! I can't wait for you to see him again...he's just talking SO much and his personality is blossoming! Oh...and how funny is this...can you believe that he remembers you went with us to Dream Night last year? I even have this picture with you holding one hand and Kerrie the other...and he knows which hand is yours and which is Kerrie's!

...d
Anonymous said…
Danielle,

This brought tears to my eyes when Trevor delivered it to my office. Thank you so much for the thoughtful gift - I have laminated his footprint and will keep it forever. I loved hearing Trevor describe how you made it together. I feel truly blessed to have had Trevor in my life, if only for a short period of time. Best of luck in the future!

Thanks again,

Stephanie (SLP)

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