A star

This afternoon I went to a meeting with the "team" that works with Emma at school.  The team includes her teacher, principle, guidance counsellor, physical therapist, and now the psychologist and gifted teacher!

Qualifying for the gifted educational enrichment program disqualifies her from the special education need that PT comes under!  Thankfully there's a workaround so she can still get PT.  That said, her therapist says she is doing so well at everything there are only two areas she wants to work on further, to see if they are nerve issues or can be developed.

The first is "vestibular" which I believe means inner ear and impacts her balance.  Since she needed tubes as a child we know she has some inner ear differences, and this could impact her balance.  She is doing well with balance, except when she closes her eyes and tries to balance, suggesting it's systemic and she compensates with her eyes.

The other relates to eye movement.  She can catch larger balls, and she can catch close thrown balls. If you vary one of them she struggles. But this may have to do with lateral eye movement, so they may not be able to change it.  

That said, it's great to hear that she's improved so much - we struggle to see change since we see her daily.  Just as when your kids grow you don't notice until you see a picture or something!

The other part of the meeting focuses on her joining the enrichment program.  I met her teacher for the first time and heard about what she will be doing, twice a week for an hour.  Sounds right up Emma's alley!

When the teacher was done I asked her if she'd met Emma, which she hadn't.  Glad I asked!  I explained some of the differences she might find, how to address them with Emma and also some of the positives she will find.  I will also send her the letter we gave the parents and other teachers.

By the end of the meeting she was excited to meet Emma as the rest of us commented on her vibrant personality and the comments her teacher provided were glowing.  

After school Emma had brought home a book the teacher makes for every child after their week as class star (last week was Emma's.). In it were these pictures from her classmates.  They have some common threads....

Draw like an author?!  Emma said "I don't think they realize the illustrator draws the pictures!"

Draws like a master, lol!

Important time

On Friday afternoon, into Saturday morning, I attended the annual Women of Purpose conference.  One of the speakers shared the following thought, which stayed with me as I put a sleeping Toby to bed.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:16-17 NIV

I look at my only son and could not imagine giving him up for anyone.  Even the thought brings me to tears, so imagine sending your treasured son to earth specifically to endure the most undeserved and brutal death.

But that is why God deserves glory and honor.  He is not a distant, man-made God that exists to serve our needs, or requires us to strive to uphold a complex set of rules to appease his wrath.

Often people refer to the Ten Commandments or Old Testament laws as something God requires of us, but the truth is that while that IS his holy standard, he knew we would never be able to satisfy the law.  Revealing his standard was to allow us to see how far we fall short AND become aware of our need for salvation, which he himself always intended to supply.

Because God is perfectly just, he requires that the penalty of our sin and disobedience be settled.  However, because he is also perfectly loving and merciful, he himself provided the substitute for us.  The One who did not sin, but became sin for us.

Through his resurrection, Christ overcame death and therefore can offer eternal life.  We are not required to be "good" (Christ himself says that "no one is good, only God is good" anyway) - we are only required to believe, receive and relieve ourselves of the burden to be good.  We are instead to be obedient!

What does God ask us to do?  He wants us to love God with all our heart, body and mind, and love our neighbors as ourselves.

He gave his only Son over to death so that you and I, and ALL PEOPLE of every race, gender, economic group and language, could have abundant and eternal life.  THAT is the truth of the Bible. That is the truth the world needs. That is the LOVE that overcomes evil.

We can no longer pretend that "religion" does not matter.  It's not enough to bank on the good deeds in your life outweighing the bad (that is not biblical by the way, and nor is it logical!) - if there is a heaven, there is a god.  It's not plausible that all religions are true, in fact the God of the Bible is very clear that he will not tolerate our allegiance to other gods, including the god of wealth, the god of a quiet life or the god of others' approval.  

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua 24:15

Birthday celebration

On Thursday we gave Emma a little surprise party with Scott's parents and sisters, and Emma's cousins.  She had no idea about it, until she walked in!

She was very pleased and it took her a while to take it all in.  First we ate pizza and cheese fries, her favorites.  But after only one slice of pizza she was ready to move on to gifts!  Since it was late in the day my family couldn't Skype in, so I videoed her opening their gifts!

From my parents:

I don't think she is familiar with EasyBake ovens, but Toby has been bugging her to get it out and bake!  

From my grandparents (Emma's great grandparents):

From my sister and her family:

Rocco the Raccoon has been sleeping with her ever since!!

Em wanted "an Ariel cake" but she's not a huge fan of standard birthday cakes, so I got her favorite chocolate fudge cake from the diner and some Ariel toys!

 She loved it, and looked beautiful in the Tiana gown that Aunt Julie got her!

We also received a package from a friend of ours who works for Scholastic publishers in New York, who I had enquired with about "some books" for the kids!

I can't even calculate the value of the books that we received, including about 8 new Peppa Pig books, and the one I've been wanting to read - "Wonder", about a kid with facial disfigurement.  We truly have some amazing people in our lives!

Before school on Friday I got some great pictures of the kids!

Birthday Girl

8 short years ago we met Emma Hope Morton for the first time.  Even before her birth she had already taught us so much about hope, perseverance, love and God's grace.  Despite having to wear an oxygen mask and lay on my one side for the entire labor I felt no fear or worry.  Her birth day was nothing like the straight forward natural births you imagine having!  I didn't get to hold her, or nurse her.  She was taken to a different hospital right after this first picture.

There is a lot to learn from becoming a parent, but for me, there is even more to learn from watching my daughter grow and see that despite it all, or maybe because of it all, she has the character and heart that I would dream of for my child.

We reminisce those tough early days with joy and wonder because they were the hardest we've ever experienced, the most powerlessness we've ever felt, but God's glory shone through and has continued to shine in Emma's life.  

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

She continues to inspire, encourage, and reflect the heart of our God, who loves every person he creates and has purpose for all of our trials.

Every birthday is special, every child is a miracle, whether a parent feels capable or completely overwhelmed, each person is a part of God's plan.

What a young lady we see before us today.  Even the lady in the school reception told me today what a polite and helpful girl she is.  I couldn't be more proud, or thankful that I have the privilege of calling miss Emma my daughter.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Hard lesson

A few weeks ago Emma lost her jacket at school.  When she told me I lost it.  Whether it is reasonable to expect a 7 year old to be mindful of their stuff all the time, or not, or if I was tired etc, it was not a good reaction.  The words we say, and how we say them can never be taken back, and can wound the heart deeply.

So I was not surprised when she came out today and burst into a flood of tears as she told me she lost if again.

My heart broke for two reasons: firstly because I hate to see my baby girl so upset, but secondly because it was my fault.  I was the one who set the expectation in her mind that this was a huge offence.

It took her a couple of minutes of my softest, mommiest voice to tell her it was okay and to look at me to see I was not mad.  And once she did the sobs slowed down and finally stopped.

I made sure I apologised again for my response last time, and asked her to forgive me.  I need her to know that it's not okay for her to be yelled at and its not because she's not good, but because I lack patience and perspective.

I can't say I don't yell anymore, I still do, but since reading Lets Do Family Together by Gary Smalley with our church group I realize how much my tone and attitude can hurt my kids, even when my words are PG.

Bubbles

On Saturday we had some great fun trying out bubble football with our church youth group!

Of course we didn't actually play football - we bumped into each other, and I rolled Emma around the field!!

Yes, that's me on the right! My friend knocked me to the ground!  

Em loved hanging upside down.

Birthday party

This year I coined the phrase "one buddy birthday party" for the kids getting to do something special with one friend instead of a much crazier (and more expensive) party!  Toby had his fun time at the indoor playground, Emma opted to go painting.

Once Emma picked the friend she wanted to bring, we had to find a painting that they could do.  It turned out to be Opulent Elephant!

For their snack/dinner we brought along a pizza!  Which they nibbled on as parts of the painting dried.

It was a very quiet lesson,

They did great, and while the control freak in me struggled with Emma's personal interpretations and changes, I was impressed with how well she followed the directions!

This is one activity that both Emma and I really enjoy.  If only doing it together wouldn't mean two of every picture!

Mighty Em!

Em started writing "The Story of My Life" autobiography today, asks me if I think it will get published when she is 8 or 9!  

"...tell you about me when I was a baby and beyond. Ok, let's start the story.  When I was a little baby girl, I had to stay in the hospital for 3 and a half months, isn't that crazy"

If she somehow manages to retain this sense of being able to conquer the world, I believe she just might!

Falling

This afternoon I attempted to up my fun rating with the kids by indulging their passion for jumping into decaying fauna!

Our maple trees are so beautiful in autumn, but they drop SO MANY LEAVES!  I thought I'd have a go at getting them piled up!  Looks easier than it is.

I spent two hours blowing millions of leaves into two piles to capture these "memories" and aggravating my carpel tunnel (RSI)!!

What these pictures don't show (as is so often the case with social media) is I wouldn't let the kids near the leaves until my pile was "perfect" and they were so bored they took to taking selfie's on my phone!

 

I'm pretty sure they'd have had more fun if I gave them the leaf blower and went back inside!  Oh well, I tried.

Living life

What else do you do on a Monday evening in October?

Just like Daddy

I woke up in the night to find the guys sleeping in exactly the same position!!

Too funny!  (And yes, I asked before I posted this!!)

Book worm

A few weeks ago I handed emma The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and said I would read it to her.  Before I got chance she was reading it on her own at school during personal reading time.

She came home this evening with 4 chapters left and has been reading for two hours so she can finish it!!

She's very motivated because once she's read the book I'll let her watch the movie!!  Win win!

I think I'll have to do that with Star Wars too!!

I'm most excited because I loved to read as a kid and it's so hard to compete with the technology that they have access to. Books will give her a world of creativity and adventure as well as education and information!

Just Beaming

Of course the week I don't take Emma to gymnastics, she gets up on the beam!!  Thankfully Kim took this, and it really shows how confident she's getting, thanks to her one-on-one sessions with Kylie.

https://youtu.be/RkOuKm0bl-Y



Its such a blessing to be able to let her do this and that she enjoys it so much!

Teachable moment

Emma: I have to give something to Danny tomorrow.

Me: what?

Emma: I don't know, I have to think of something.

Me: why?

Emma: because I told him I'd give him something if he put my stuff away for me while I tied my shoes.

Me: did he offer or did you ask?

Emma:  I asked.

Life lesson: Do not put yourself in debt!!

Scott: how about you offer to do the same for him and call it even!

Growing up!

Working on growing her fringe out!!

I can't believe she's going to be 8 in a few weeks!!  She still seems this little to me!!

This week we got the report on her assessment for the gifted program.  They put her IQ at 127, with "superior" reading comprehension and math problems.  We kind of suspected when she picked up sign language so quick - or maybe that helped?!  It's particularly impressive how well she understands money lol!

We are very proud, though I'm more just awed by how our prayers were answered  and how far she has come.