On Monday I dropped Molly and Jackie at Basketball practice and then off to 4 different school conferences.  Our four special needs kiddos go to public school.  Something I swore would not ever happen in our family.  I deplore the public school habit of glorifying halloween. I abhor this institution turning the absolute miracle of God becoming man into a santa fest.  (Did I mention that last year a teacher took me aside and asked me to have Matt STOP telling kids there was no santa?  Said he was ruining it for the rest of the kids and she had some mad parents!!  Yeah?!  Well, how about the simple fact that santa is a fat lie and you are having my kid participate in that by coloring pictures of this lie, bringing a dressed up version of this lie to the classroom, telling my kid that his parents are wrong... there IS a santa and he is NOT ALLOWED to say that CHRISTmas is the celebration of our Lord's birth??!!!  The HECK?!)  I destest the paying homage to a bunny (??!!) when the almighty God has shed His blood to save us and then rose from the dead!! making a way for us to live forever! (Now I ask you... is that not amazing enough??  We need to dress that up a little with a bunny delivering candy??)
Ok... where was I??  Yes, well in spite of the fact that my heart longs  for a Lutheran school and that would probably be the one thing in the world that might induce me to leave my loghome up north, I love my kids teachers.  I love our special ed people.  I am probably one of the few people who think the IEP meetings are great and my kids' team members a fantastic, caring and professional group of people.  We are so blessed in that way.  And our special needs kids NEED the structure the day in an institutional school setting gives.  They thrive on it.  They LOVE school and their teachers. These teachers have really gone the extra mile to understand Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Frontal Lobe Damage and Reactive Attachment Disorder.  And the conferences have shown how wonderfully it is all paying off. 
Melissa continues to improve in reading comprehension.  She works hard and her teachers had nothing but praise for her efforts.
Matt, though he is a magnet for mischief, readily admits when he has done something wrong.  He is also doing well in his reading and is well liked by kids and teachers.
Mary, well despite her RAD/FAS, she is astounding her teachers (and us!) in the area of academics.  She is head and shoulders above her class in reading, math and all things school (say what??!)  They are moving her in to more difficult reading things and I fully expect she will impress us all.
Jaime... oh how happy my heart is to see how well she is doing.  She is slow, that is sure.  But when allowed to take her time (and write in giant, not very clear letters/numbers) she is performing about 1 grade level below her current grade.  I am so very thankful.  It was not two years ago that I wondered whether she would ever progress beyond writing her first name and a few simple spelling words.  Here she is reading all the time.  Doing map studies, science, language and spelling.  And she is in the regular classroom much of the time.  I am thankful beyond measure that kids are nice to her (they have all known her for many years for the most part... small town, doncha know).
Oh Lord... I was/am/have been so stressed over this huge thing of sending my kids to public school.  Thank you, Lord for these terrific teachers and for being there with my kids.  Thank you for the ladies who meet every month and pray for all the kids in public school.  Thank you, thank you for the progress our kids are making there.  Bless our efforts to combat the world's attempt to undermine our children's faith in your saving grace. Help us to bring You back into the public realm wherever/whenever we are able. In the name of Jesus our RISEN LORD I pray!