My Dude

All Moms believe that their kids are the best, the most special, most wonderful kids ever. And I am no different. I think Lucas is pretty amazing, pretty awesome. But I also know that he has had his share of struggles, and that there will always be things that he has a really hard time with. And that I will have to be the best cheerleader and the best support system for him. I need to be able to give him a push and as much help as I can, but to also let him struggle and fight and overcome.

Lucas really (really) struggled with his printing last year. He scored below a Kindergarten level for most of the first semester, and every time he was asked to print he would get very anxious, upset and be unable to complete even the simplest printing tasks and assignments. We went through a whole rigmarole to get him diagnosed, and to get him the help he needed in school. We saw a doctor - that I mostly just wanted to punch in the face - and really nothing came of it. Thank goodness Lucas has an amazing teacher! She recommended we bring in an Occupational Therapist to see if that would be any help for Lucas.

So I filled out all the forms, and the OT came out for an assessment. And she said it would be a good plan to come weekly and give Lucas some tips and pointers, and extra help to get him up to speed.

He had special homework to complete, and we worked on his cutting and printing at home whenever we could. He got less anxious about what we were asking of him, and more confident in his abilities.

And now, he has no hesitation. His control, and penmanship has improved ten-fold. His confidence is beautiful to see, and his teachers have noticed the change! We are so proud of him, and so happy that we got him the help he so obviously needed. And I am even more happy that I ignored everything that doctor told me, and went with my gut and listened to his teachers and the people that interact with him on a daily basis. He is a beautiful, wonderful boy, and it was so hard to see him break down over this everyday.

Now, we start working on our Track & Field events so we're ready for next year!!

Layout Deets: More new Studio Calico stuff. I am loving that minty green spray! And there are some really cute and clever die cuts in the bunch.

The photos are both Instagrams. I wanted to show the difference between Lucas' printing at the beginning of the school year and now, but I didn't want to include any originals, and I didn't want the hassle of scanning and shrinking anything. The photos were quick, easy to print off, and I was able to make them look the same using the Instagram filters.

later loves