Wanted to add a new post as it seems I have been sharing Mollie's blog a little bit more these days. I feel so good that I have been able to be of help to other Mom's in regards to having a child who is deaf and been implanted. There is so much that has happened in the last 6 1/2 years with this little girl and well with all of us really.
Now that I have had some time to reflect about the past few years, I feel I have a different perspective...
We are now at the second 1/2 of our 2nd round of Kindergarten and wow has this little girl grown up. As you can see by her big girl looks and her missing tooth. She is well into her 6th year of life. I feel as if all the hard work of the past is really starting to show up this past year. First, we have a great Kindergarten teacher at Siegel Elementary, Ms. Newman. Secondly, the school has provided for a Red Cats system and an FM system for Mollie. These items provide surround sound for Mollie as well as for the children in her class. Oh, I forgot to mention - she is in a typical general ed. class. The FM system clips into her new ears - Cochlear Nucleus 5's and allows her to use the computer and to hear all over the building better vs. just the classroom. For example in music, library, gym, etc. she can hear so much more. Finally, she has a great speech teacher (Tracy Harris) and a deaf educator (Debbie Lock) who work with her almost everyday to make sure she is getting all that she needs.
So with all this, Mollie scored top in her class as well as in the 96% percentile for the state AIMS test - which is comparing her to her peers. How about that!!! All this thanks goes to her, Mama Lere folks, her special speech therapist and well me too.
What I have discovered now that she is in Kindergarten and away from me all day now, is that I am not so involved in her learning or her day anymore. My arm does not reach all the way to school once she walks out the door. So, in a sense, I am redefining myself and my role as well as she is.
I told another Mom the other day this fact. Since Mollie has done so well, and the fact that she wears her hair over her ears (so that you do not see her external devices)and she speaks so well, I am no longer in a position of having to explain her handicap anymore. Of course I still fret about her on the playground and damaging her devices or losing one. But the fact is ... she is so attached to them, she has really become one with them and responsible for them. We even let her keep her charging system in her room now, she brings them down and puts them together in the morning and puts them on herself.
We are still struggling with the social aspect - she still has not made a good friend, friendship at school in which we can swap playdates etc. We do have a friend in the neighborhood who we have only seen a couple of times. But she has not yet developed a friendship here in Murfreesboro in which she just cannot bear to be without. It seems to me that Madison (our oldest) had a very best friend at the age of 6. So for this I am sad, but not for lack of trying on our part.
This past Fall we enrolled Mollie in Cindy's Cinderellas an after school program with baton, dance etc. She did very well, it was just Mommy who wasn't very happy with the set up of the organization. So we will keep working on it. I am thinking about the swim team for her, as she loves the water so. Her brother Nate has started basketball, but due to the twin aspect we decided not to put her in with him because they each need there own sense of identity.
So, that is my post for now. Thanks for reading and I will post more at a later date.
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