Some things don't change

Guess what I did this afternoon!

I FINALLY finished unpacking!!!  One month ago from today I returned to Ohio after having spent ten glorious days with Adam, his family, and other friends who had met us out in California.  I remember all too well the feeling of sadness as I left my Aunt and Uncle's house in PA and made the 45 minute drive to Ohio.  For I knew that by driving west out of the best state ever to my new home that the summer was officially over for me.  I was closing the door to the summer of graduating and moving from NC, to the summer of planning for next year's wedding, to the days of staying with my parents at their home, and to the quick visits I had managed to squeeze in with some friends while staying at home.

I have made a career out of first days of school.  I had eight first days of school as a teacher before I moved down to NC for my PhD program.  August 2010 brought a whole new kind of first day of school.  I will never forget coming home from my first official day as a UNCG student and my brother and sister-in-law running to the door asking, "Well, how was it?!"  Their excitement and curiosity about my first day as a PhD student and as a graduate assistant were contagious and the two children at that time, Mason and Clark, could sense something was different.  The next three years added more responsibilities, research, and more children to the mix.  By August 2013, when I crossed that threshold down in High Point, the noise levels were a bit higher but so was the amount of love.  Oh how I miss my sweet NC niece and nephews and seeing them when I would come home from school.  Check out this picture from one of their first days of school my sister-in-law posted the other week.

  I love how you can pick up on their personalities even with their backs to the camera.  I wasn't there for this photo but I imagine that Mason is gently guiding Clark to stay turned around who is giggling with glee and wanting to turn around to his left to look at the camera.  Braden was startled by little Nick who couldn't resist reaching out to him as he stood with the "big kids".  Braden, the ever trying to keep up with his two older siblings seems irritated or surprised by this sudden gesture.  Anyhow, I just love these four little ones and miss seeing them and hearing all about their days on a daily basis.  I also can't forget my adorable PA nephews.  They, too, are enjoying their days that seem to be filled with adventures and fun!

Looks like Thomas and Ben are trying to be another set of twins.  They have twins on both their Mom's and Dad's sides of the family.  :)

So, these days, I don't have children who serve as a break or distraction from my schoolwork.  I now have the quiet days I used to long for but my lap and arms are empty.  I no longer have sticky fingerprints on my laptop or screen from where they would point to the "movies" I would show them.  However, I hear their voices and laughs in the "movies" of them that I show while teaching.  We even got to skype the other night when my parents were babysitting in NC where I got to talk with each of the four NC kiddos.  I also look forward to staying with the PA boys in a little over a month when Adam and I spend the night in Carlisle!  I also think Dusty Shamrock is thoroughly enjoying being the only "kid" in my life right now too as he gets all the attention of not only me but also my two housemates and any company we receive.  He has been quite the popular pup on our daily walks as the children on the street greet him and ask to pet him.

So, yes, in spite of missing the children in my family (and their parents and other relatives of mine) as I move forward with this semester, I have been enjoying getting to know my neighbors and housemates.  In fact, this morning, as I waited at the back of the church I think I may join for a colleague and her family, who walked in but one of my housemates?!  To think that one of my concerns about moving to Ohio after a summer at home with my parents and the last four years with my brother and his family that I was concerned I would have to go back to attending church alone as I did for so many years when living in Harrisburg and York!!  Of all the weekends I've been living here in Ohio, I have yet to attend mass by myself.  I also look forward to, in the future, attending mass with Adam at my side.

After attending mass this morning, I returned to the house to finish the LAST of the unpacking by going through the two boxes that for some reason I just couldn't unpack for the longest time.  In the one, I came across a bright blue binder.  Thinking it was left over from one of my undergraduate classes from eons ago, I flipped it open  to find my schedule of classes from my junior year.  That was the year I lived in an apartment on "Frat Row" with Ashley, Tracy, Amanda, and Monika and the year we all turned 21/22.  I remember this schedule hanging on my bedroom door and cracked a smile when I saw the butterflies, glittery heart stickers, pictures, and rainbow colored font.  Yeah, some things don't change. 

What was under the schedule though was something that stopped me in my tracks.  My eyes had landed on an Evaluation Team Report dated 10/30/84 that had been conducted right here in OHIO.  An educational vision consultant, audiologist, occupational therapist, education specialist, and school psychologist had completed this report that was divided into several sections.  These last few weeks, in one of my classes, we have been talking about assessment and the referral process for special education eligibility.  It was so surreal to be reading these reports after having taught up and coming teachers about these and also thinking back to my eight years of being a case manager of these reports for my students when teaching.  The report had been typed on a typewriter and the following phrases jumped out at me,

• non-verbal cognitive functioning at least in the average range with some skills substantially above age level
• vision and perception appear to be areas of strength
• information available indicated age equivalent functioning at 5.4 years which is approximately one year above expectations for chronological age

Then, I skimmed over the audiological report from 10/03/84.  In it was such jargon like,

• Certainly, student seems to be progressing extremely well and prognosis looks extremely good for future progress (well, that's a relief!)

My personal favorite write-up came from the Low Vision Report though.

•  Megan presents a picture of a fantastic little lady (I was 4 1/2) who has vision and perceptual skills more than adequate for the educational setting (nice to know I was a fantastic little lady as a kid).

The Psychological Report, dated 09/21/84, was the most interesting for me to read.  I can only imagine what all of this testing and talking with all these folks must have been like for my parents.  I've done it so many times from the other side of the table as one of the so-called experts.  I have been working very hard with my current students to help them realize that early intervention is rooted in family-centered practices and to be diligent of working with the parents and families as collaborators rather than working with them as the experts imparting their worldly knowledge in an effort to help their children.  It is reassuring to read that the method of assessment in the early 80's consisted of a variety of measures as I had just lectured last week!  Some interesting statements from this particular report included,

• Megan presented as a very attractive, pleasant, and socially self-assured child (hopefully I still am as an adult..ha!).  She separated well from her father to accompany this examiner into the evaluation room.

The weaknesses on all the paperwork related to articulation in some areas and (this was a surprise) slightly low muscle tone in both upper extremities (my arms?) and through the trunk.  Perhaps this was why I went into baton as an extracurricular activity?  Haha.  I also was unable to recite the alphabet (for shame!) but was cited as "a hearing impaired (eeeeek, that phrase is like nails scratching on a chalkboard for me) who was a delight to work with!" in the education specialist's report so that was nice.

Behind all the official looking reports and documents, I saw the familiar handwriting of my mother.  She had kept a log of all the contacts and phone conversations she had had with various specialists and staff.  What dedication and hard work raising me must have been especially with three other little ones to consider.  I'm thankful for the long hours and hard work on the part of both my mom and dad because I can honestly say I wouldn't be where I am today if not for them.  At the end of the binder were old worksheets and manipulatives we used when "playing school"...see, I was destined to be an educator from the start but what delighted me the most in these old papers was seeing letters from the John Tracy Clinic out in Los Angeles, CA.  My parents had enrolled in correspondence education and received materials/letters/advice/suggestions from this institution.  Who would have thought 30 years later this little girl in Ohio they all worked with would be in Ohio (again) and marrying a boy from CA soon.  Again, God's plans astound me to the point of just sitting here and shaking my head.

Something else that blew me away were all the references to my father in this paperwork.  My Dad was the one who usually accompanied me on such "visits".  I have so many childhood memories of riding with him to the ear doctor and audiological appointments during the school day and if we were lucky, we would go through the drive-thru of McDonald's on the way back to school..hehe.  As a professional, I can probably count on one hand the number of times fathers were present at my evaluations/meetings/conferences.  This makes me think of the research my colleague and friend, Margo, is doing with fathers.

 I initially posted this on Facebook last night but this evening, after my unexpected find in my last box as I completed my unpacking, this meme takes on a whole new meaning.  I'm so blessed to have been born into the family I was with all their support and love.  The outcome might have been very different otherwise.  Perhaps the report from Delaware that is tucked away elsewhere that says I was an "uneducably retarded child" might have been a self-fulfilling prophecy had the circumstances and familial environment been different.  One will never know but these experiences just further reaffirm my belief that we all must work together to improve as a society for our children.  As so many of my current students state through their work and responses, we must work to raise each other up to be the best versions of themselves they can be whether it be as a teacher, a parent, a sibling, an aunt or uncle, or just a kind smiling face as we partake in our daily walks around the neighborhood.  That was how I met a new neighbor friend who happens to be a mother of an autistic teenager.  I can't wait to see what else I find as I unpack these figurative boxes in life.