Time to catch up and get back on track

I am starting to feel like half a human after last weekend's race, so it is time to get back into a normal routine.  The house is starting to look like our house pre-race, again, and we are gearing up for school next week.  This week I am trying to let the kids do whatever they want (to an extent) since this is their last week of freedom.  I think we are going to have a challenging year ahead, so maybe the week of "whatever" is kind of for me too.

Monday morning, bright and early, I met with Finley's teacher, braille teacher, and special education teacher just to give them a little synopsis of Finley and her needs.  The three teachers had met together last week and Finley's braille teacher (who I am grateful every day) filled them in on Finley's needs and gave them the low down.  All I had to do was give them my concerns about Finley's personality and my worries about this coming year.  The teacher was supportive and sweet, and I think she is going to be a good fit for Finley. 

My concerns for this year is that first grade is a lot of work.  There is a lot of reading, a lot of class work, and not much down time.  For a kid who is still using her "not so great" eyes to do class work, she tires quickly.  She rubs her eyes, she quits, she puts her head down.  She is going to be exhausted by the end of the day visually, and she isn't going to have much left for any homework.  As the print in the books gets smaller, more and more accomodations are going to be put in place.  Our braille teacher doesn't really love making everything large print because it isn't practical, and I do agree with her.  The Ipad will come into play a lot.  The school has hers, and her braille teacher has ordered a cool stand for it, so she can rotate it around and use it as a camera to enlarge what is going on in the class.

But the board has a glare when the teacher turns on the overhead. Finley can't even read the print from her seat right in front of the board.  They had to put bright neon tape on the edges of cabinet doors that don't always close tight, and the three doors in the classroom that she could run into.  The bathroom is down the hall and she has to remember which one is girl's and which one is boys.

I am terrified.  I know she will be fine, but right now, I think she is going to be overwhelmed.  The work, the kids, the new class, the new routine.  And she moves slowly and the teacher stated "we have to move quickly in the morning to get to work".  What do I say to that?  She can't move quickly - she has to search with what little vision she has to unpack her back pack. 

I want her to keep up with the world.  I want her to be held accountable.  But I also want her to be treated fairly.  I don't want people getting upset with her if she needs to go a little slower.  Or has more questions.  Or is unsure.

I worry for nothing, I am sure.  But I am her mom, and I can't help it.  I worry just as much about Cainan and Arlington, but in different ways.  Monday was my day to worry about Finley.