I am Only One

I guess my title says it all. 

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed today. So much to do and plan for Roa.  So many goals and activities to work on.  So many things he can do now that he couldn't before, yet SO VERY MANY things to work towards.
This week is a busy one.  Besides our regular therapy routine, we have a our speech evaluation at Functional Kids Therapy Center tomorrow and, to end the week, Roa's team meeting to talk about his transition into school.

I can't believe it, but Roa will be heading to preschool in the fall! We are now in the deciding stage of where we will be sending Roa.  Before we knew Roa had delays, we planned on sending him to St. Jude of the Lake, our church's school.  Now that we have therapists...goals...equipment.... we are not sure we can make that dream happen. I chatted with one of the staff members of St. Jude's and she said that they are not completely handicap accessable.  She also didn't know how much one on one support Roa could get. Tonight is St. Jude's Open House and we will be attending to discuss with them the possibilities.

Laurie, Roa's OT is so great!  Today, she eased my mind a bit and said there is no reason why we couldn't do a combination of Special Needs preschool and St. Jude's.  We all just want what is best for Roa. We will make it work.

Laurie has been focusing her sessions with Roa on firming up his communication of his knowledge of things.  Roa knows so much, but communicating what he knows is difficult given his motor control and speech limitations.  Soon, Roa will be tested for school to determine goals and areas of need.  I feel, at times, that we have focused so much on motor control, that Roa has had too much "free play"  and not enough time following commands.
  Like any parent, I want Roa to prove to be on top of his game and cognitively "ready".   Like any teacher, I have been exposing Roa to colors, letters, numbers since birth.  I have used sign language, pictures, and gestures to help him communicate.  I have read hims books daily and played matching games.  We have painted, cut, colored, and glued. 

Like any parent, I tried to focus on the fun of these activities.
 Like any teacher, I focused on skill development during these activities.
Like any parent of "Special Needs"  I feel the pressure to Hurry, Hurry, Do More, Improve and Grow, be on top of it all....

(SIGH)  I just want to enjoy Roa's childhood without such planning, striving,  researching, teaming, organizing,.....

I read this quote today on a Speech Therapy site.  It really says it all and is my new Mantra:
“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.”
~ Edward Everett Hale