Excuse me while I gush with pride. I’m sure you’ll understand–my daughter is absolutely fabulous, darling!

If you know me, you probably know that my Kay is Fancy Nancy incarnate.  High heels, fancy clothes, if it glitters or sparkles or has feathers–it is for her!  She wants to be a rock star and has the chops to do it.  (And no, Hannah Montana is not at all involved in her life goal.  “Hannah Montana is for babies.  I’m a rock star.”  Those are her own words!)  She is giggly and pink and strong and feisty and sassy and fashionable and well–fabulous!

Still, the past few months have been a bit hard for us.  We knew she had some minor delays, but in early November we discovered they were more than just minor–she was at least one grade level behind where she should be.  This is even with three years of preschooling, daily tutoring and a home full of educational toys, products, learning tools and regular discussions.  She was finally diagnosed with inattentive ADD, and dyslexia.  We are also investigating something called convergence insufficiency–which I have.  (I also have the inattentive ADD.)

My oldest is on the autism spectrum, so her diagnoses were not new to me.  They weren’t by far the worst news I’ve ever heard.  Yet like I have felt with every diagnosis of my son’s, there was a bit of mourning for her, for the struggles she will face.  Having some of the same issues myself, I know what they can do to you, and how even today I battle them daily.  For anyone keeping count, we have four people in our home.  Three have ADHD.  Two have OCD.  Oh yes, it’s a lot of fun around here sometimes!

So excuse me while I crow and preen a bit about how impressed I am with her!

So yesterday morning she comes down for school, with money in her hand.  She’s gotten $2 out of her bank, and is asking me to take it to school.  It seems the class was fundraising to buy a goat for a child in Africa.  She wanted my permission to take her money to give to that.  She didn’t ask me for money–she simply went and got her own, to give to a child she will likely never meet.  <happy sigh> Something is getting through!  I promptly went and got my wallet and gave her $2–we told her that whatever she gave we would match the amount.  She was really happy to take in $4 for the goat.  You see, my husband went on a mission trip to Zimbabwe in October, so Kay was already familiar with children in Africa, and how hard life is there.  Something not only sunk in, but she was using her own money to help out–not ours!

Then later in the day as we’re in her room, she tells me we need to gather up some of her old toys and take them to kids who need them.  She doesn’t need them any more, so we should give them away, she says.  This is the antithesis of her older brother, who has OCD and hoarding issues.  I did a little happy dance in her room when I heard her say that she not only wanted to get rid of toys she doesn’t play with anymore, but to give them to kids who need toys.  YES!

The third piece was around bedtime.  I was in my room laying down from a major headache that just wouldn’t go away.  She came in to ask me to pray with her at bedtime, and heard about my headache.  “No mommy, you don’t pray for me.  I’ll pray for you!”  Out went her hand, and that sweet, gorgeous little voice began asking God to take away all my headache, and to make whatever was making me sick to go far away.  Lord, thank you for such an amazing little girl!

Then today, the final moment of pride.  It was a small play/reading in her classroom, and the kids all took turns reading stories they’d written.  It was at the last reading in October that we’d discovered just how far behind she was, as her pages were nothing but scribbled lines–no actual words.  She was struggling to read.  Well, today she got up and not only read pages she’d WRITTEN, but the teacher was so proud of her that she had her read a second time!  You could see Kay beaming with pride at her hard work!  I did all I could not to jump up and down and cry and cheer at the same time.  Imagine–in November she was a full grade level behind.  Now she’s only about three months behind her peers.  Medicine has played a role–absolutely.  She began Focalin in early December, and the teachers have been astounded at how quickly she has began absorbing the information.  But I can also see God there, beaming with pride, smiling because he’s worked some pretty big miracles in Kay’s life.  In October she would tell us she was never going to college because she’d never learn, and she wasn’t smart enough.  (Rubbish! we’d reply.) It broke our hearts that she had that self-image–especially since we don’t push college or those kinds of things.  She had that self image on her own.  Now?  Now she proudly tells us all how big her brain is, how smart she is and how she wants to be a mystery detective or an astronaut.  LOL!!

So tonight, I’m a proud momma.  My baby is growing up, and God is showing his hand all over her.  Thank you God!!!