From here to there

Today Larkin graduated from Champaign Early Childhood Center.

She started school here when she turned 3 and aged out of Early Intervention.  We left behind beloved therapists who had come into our home since she was born and a playgroup where we felt safe and welcome.

We entered the world of our school district Unit 4 and Larkin began going to school every day for 2.5 hours.  This is quite a feat for a little girl who couldn’t walk, communicate, make eye contact, rarely smiled, taking a lot of medications, on a diet treatment for seizures, and had never left our controlled environment.  Her health was precarious but this was the very best course for our little girl so we took a deep breath and jumped off the edge.

Today we watched as she accepted her diploma and well wishes from her team as she moves from here to there.

There being Kindergarten, new team, new friends, and jumping off another edge.

I was in tears this morning thinking of how far this little one has come.  How much she has taught me, her family, friends, and the community.  The best way to see the journey from my mind’s eye is to show the pictures along the way.

From Here: Daddy carrying her into school ~ to using her walker ~ to walking with help and riding the bus which caused us great angst ~ to making fast friends with our bus driver and aide ~ to walking up the bus stairs all by herself ~ to making friends at school ~ to a great team ~ to a beautiful stable health little girl.



To There: Oh The Places You’ll Go ~ Dr. Seuss:

It’s opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And then things start to happen,
don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.

Slow and steady wins the race.

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8 Responses to From here to there

  1. Congratulations to all of you. This? Made me cry.

  2. raeann collins says:

    ***doing the happy dance*** slow and steady does indeed with the race 🙂

  3. Brooke Hawkins says:

    YES, she can!! Beautiful pictures. I remember her at CCC always swimming away.

  4. Lorna E says:

    Amy, Thank you so much for sharing this journey with us. So wonderful to see progress & know that your love & care helped get her there as well.
    Continued blessings.

  5. Julie says:

    Wow. Just so wonderful. And that school picture? Does she have your look or what? 🙂 Congrats!

  6. Carrie Garner says:

    This made me a little teary. Especially the picture of her standing with the backpack on, looking so proud!

  7. Tara Wilson says:

    There are a lot of edges aren’t there..? But, they are also all worth it! Larkin is so beautiful! She is such a strong little girl and a fighter! I hope that she enjoys this new page in her story and I hope that you do too!

  8. Jamie Beck says:

    You forgot her first boyfriend, Aidyn Beck!!! I’m so happy I found your blog (while looking at info and prices for the new Y, I decided to click on “Larkin’s Place” not knowing exactly what it was, but in hopes that it would lead me here!!). Aidyn still talks about Larkin from time to time and actually saw Ms. Ellen at his school a few months ago. He jumped in the car after school and with so much excitement I couldn’t understand what he was saying when he told me who he saw and that he knows where Larkin goes to school. It made my heart smile that he was so excited about it! I continue to hope that our paths will cross again so they can see each other … such a sweet little pair!

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