Can I tell you that it has been such a long road to get to this place.
A few weeks ago, I had the boys evaluated. They have been home with me for the past year and we have been muddling through the homeschool process.
I have a great network of wonderful people in my life. My parents, as crazy as they are, love my kids and step to the plate to help me whenever they can. I have my good friend Debbie who has been an invaluable source of inspiration. She has really helped me to navigate through this maze of Speciality Needs.
This may sound crazy, but when the boys were home with me and I knew that something was just not right, I was OK with it just not being right and working through the transitions. Once you have it written down in black and white by a professional it takes on a whole new meaning.
You have your few minutes on the ride home from the office to sit with the fact that there is a problem that needs to be fixed. It is not as bad or as hopeless as you had though. There is a name for the elephant in the room -- ADHD, and that is not bad.
After my first set of tears, I realize that all hope is not lost. I just have my work cut out for me as a mother. I must advocate to make sure that they get all that need and all that is available.
I wipe my tears with my Super Mom cape and reach down to tie my boot straps. I am one of the lucky people who has boot straps.
I have a few numbers to start the dialing journey looking for help, asking for help, finding out what I need to do next. And in this process, I found an agency called Parent to Parent of Georgia.
I spoke to a woman named Laurie. She let me tell her my fears, my hopes and my BIG plans for the boys. She let me embrace all of my apprehensions and she took me by the hand and said all is good you are in the right place.
Y'all, I have been to the mountain top and it is just beautiful.
Parent to Parent USA (P2PUSA) is a national non-profit organization committed to promoting access, quality and leadership in parent to parent support across the country. This site highlights alliance member statewide organizations that have parent to parent support as a core program and a commitment to implementing parent to parent evidence-based practices. Parent to Parent programs provide emotional and informational support to families of children who have special needs most notably by matching parents seeking support with an experienced, trained 'Support Parent'.
The website has a database online for services if you want to search on your own or you can call and they will search the database for you.
I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to have someone say to me you will need this and this and this and this and oh, we have this that may be helpful. She left no stone unturned. When I hung up the phone, I had everything I needed and more sent to my email.
And they even told me that I could call back. Oh I did this morning, I called back and within minutes, I had another print out sent to my email of all the summer camps that are available in my area.
I know that my cup runneth over.
I know that I am blessed.
I know that this new road we are on is going to have its challenges.
I am going to keep my eyes open.
I am meeting some of the most extraordinarily special people along the way.
until we meet again,

