Carpenters Est. 2005: Milestones

Lots of changes for Penny this year. She started Kindergarten!!!!

It was really scary for me. I had a hard time letting her that first day, but she loves it!!!! It has been a learning curve for her and the teachers but I think everyone is finally getting used to it.

She is making lots of friends and when I drop her off I often here the other kids yelling hi to her and she walks/runs up. It makes me so happy to know that she has friends. The teacher often comments about how the other kids look out for her and help her throughout the day.

School has been really good for Penny. Her speech is improving a lot and I know it is because she is around other children who are talking all the time. She is also learning to sound out words. She can almost count to 20 with out help, she gets a little stuck sometimes but once I tell her the next number she can figure it out. I am so proud of how well she is doing and can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings her!

Once we started school we quickly learned that she just had way to much going on with Therapy and School together. We were always rushing from one to the other. Making her eat lunch in the car and then getting to school just barely in time. I felt bad for her and she was always exhausted. So after much discussion we decided it was best if something was dropped.

We decided to be done with her daily therapy and to focus on school for a few months. We do plan on getting her back into therapy, probably beginning of next year, but it will only be once a week for one hour as opposed to 4 days for 3 hours.

It was a great decision. I was skeptical and worried she would relapse in her progress with some skills. But so far she hasn't and it doing really well. In fact I am seeing some good improvements. It was hard to say good bye to all the therapists she worked with. She had been there for about 3 years. She had a little graduation party. She led everyone in songs and a parade. Then they all sang the good bye song one last time. It was pretty sweet. They gave her a book of pictures of all the activities she ahs done with them and pictures of all her friends. I am glad to have that to remember and look back on.