Wink from Heaven: Preschool

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Preschool

Caleb started receiving preschool services at our home this week! He qualifies to attend the special needs preschool at our local elementary school, but he is too medically fragile to attend. So, we've recently been able to arrange for a preschool teacher to come to our home twice a week to do preschool with him. We are truly blessed to have a wonderful vision therapist and preschool teacher who take the time to love and teach our sweet boy.

9 comments:

Becky said...: I'm SO happy for you guys! :) I hope he gets to do lots of fun stuff. Sending love!!!; March 2, 2010 at 8:33 AM
Tara Bennett said...: I'm SO happy for Caleb! Every child loves preschool. I'm sure this will help him thrive! Yay for Caleb (and Mom)!!!!; March 2, 2010 at 9:37 AM
Anonymous said...: Fantastic Caleb can still receive Preschool services at home as he deserves. xx; March 2, 2010 at 2:32 PM
arianne said...: Fun!; March 2, 2010 at 6:02 PM
Lacey said...: Jax is homeschooled, but they only come like once a month. I think they take advantage of him not going to the school. I don't care though because he has private OT and PT and thats what he needs most right now.; March 2, 2010 at 7:02 PM
April said...: Lacey, our PT and OT only have time to come out a couple of times a year so my schedule was open enough to plan some preschool days. I'm hoping we can overlap some PT/OT type activities into his preschool time! Any tips?; March 2, 2010 at 7:18 PM
Devon said...: Awesome! I'm so glad they're working with you and she is so great!; March 3, 2010 at 4:31 AM
Lisa Christine said...: That is fabulous! I can't wait to hear about all the things they do with him :); March 4, 2010 at 7:10 AM
Barb said...: I'm glad Miss Lindsey had started! Other good news: The swing has arrived. I'll cal you next week and find a time to bring it out....probably Thursday.
Barb; March 4, 2010 at 9:10 PM

Prayer for Caleb

(written by Caleb's Grandma in her weekly column -2008-)

In my family we have a secret code to communicate our love for each other when we are out in public. We wink. When one of us is about to perform or speak, we look for a family member’s face in the crowd. Then we wink at each other. Closing one eye and winking is our secret code for saying, “I love you. You can do it. You’re wonderful.”

About three years ago, my grandson Caleb was born into our family. He must have known before birth that he would never be able to speak to us because he was born with one eyelid permanently closed. So, he is always “winking” at us, always communicating, “I love you. You can do it. You’re wonderful.”

Caleb has one eye lid permanently closed because he is missing one of his eyes . . . and he is also missing his brain. All the doctors said he would die soon after birth. They were wrong. Caleb is three years old. He is a medical miracle. The doctors say he can’t see, hear, speak, think or move. Those who know and love Caleb understand he has his own unique way of experiencing the world and communicating his love to those around him.

After Caleb was born the hospice people told us to buy a burial plot and continually warned us of his imminent death. We soon learned you can not live well in a state of fear and sadness. We decided we could spend Caleb’s entire life anxious and scared he might die at any moment, or we could celebrate each day we were blessed to have him with us. In the beginning, my daughter April celebrated Caleb’s birthday every week instead of every year with balloons and cupcakes because we simply did not know how long we would have him with us. We stopped the cupcakes after we gained ten pounds, but the celebrating goes on.

We all prayed for a miracle when we first learned about Caleb’s condition. We got one. Caleb’s birth, life and mission have had a deep and lasting impact on our lives. His spirit, eternal identity and most of all the loving, individual relationship he has with each of us is truly a miracle. Because of Caleb we know that each of us has a divine purpose and that the physical body is a sacred gift we should never take for granted. We better understand the worth of a soul and the resiliency of the human spirit.

Caleb’s five year old brother Matthew said, “Grandma. The doctors said Caleb was going to die, but he didn’t. That’s the first miracle I ever saw!”

Sometimes Caleb’s baby brother Mitchell pulls out his feeding tube while they hold hands riding together in their double stroller. Sometimes the only intervention that can get Caleb’s heart rate up is when his older brothers Josh and Matty crawl in his crib, hug him and sing, “I am a Child of God.” ...If you have a moment please offer a prayer for the little boy who has never been able to utter a single word and yet has taught everyone who knows and loves him – all the secrets of a rich and meaningful life.