Tomorrow, Seth starts Summer Enrichment Camp. He has had one week off and is bored. He started at Capitol School of Austin (group therapy) in mid February and is a very different child with confidence and much more speech.
For those of you that don't know, Seth was avoiding speech and spiraling into a world of tantrums and anger. I was getting extremely sick from being worn down and I gained 30 lbs. I simply couldn't focus enough to accomplish any tasks, much less find help.
Every single day, I was searching the internet for answers- Asperger's, PDD-NOS... all over the spectrum. It was about to be too late. I couldn't have my son- my kind-hearted, gentle, intelligent son- turn out to be violent and angry and defensive.
GOD did that crazy thing HE does when HE throws something in your face and you aren't even sure how it happened. Searching for summer camps last year, for children with autism, I happened upon the summer camp web page for Capitol School. I couldn't even focus on what it was about as I had been researching for hours already and it was nearing 3am. Since it wasn't making sense, I decided to go straight to the testimonies page and I read stories so similar to mine, Will's & Seth's.
I read every story on there and just cried and cried and cried. Here were stories about real children, real mommies and daddies crying out about their babies and how well they were doing and what a blessing it was. I had been crying for months, but these tears were different. They were filled with hope. I always had faith but I had felt this was all slipping away and taking my son with it. Now my grip on finding an answer became strong again.
I looked at the tuition costs. $25,000 for 2 semesters?!? How is that even possible? I don't work. My husband is already working full time. Austin is so expensive. So many thoughts flooded my mind. I HAD TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. I didn't know how, but if I didn't ask- Shame on me!
The very next day, I started making calls. They were out for the summer. No admins were present so I started emailing. Several days passed and I finally got some info and set an appointment to visit the school. The whole time, I'm thinking, "There isn't any possible way I can do this, but my GOD can! HE is in charge of all the money in the world and HE can channel it wherever HE wants." That was all I had to hold on to.
I have to preface this by telling you a little bit about the way my wedding and honeymoon went. We weren't broke, but I was already extremely frugal. I had just retired from theatre/film/production and was working a simple little job behind a jewelry counter not getting paid very much but with top notch benefits. I rode my bike to work and rode the city bus and walked everywhere. I LOVED IT! I felt so much freedom and the pace was so much slower.
I started singing again & writing music. During this time, I was invited to help a gentleman & his partner tighten up some music they were working on and that is how I met Will. (That is another great story!) Long story short, we got engaged a year later and married at Bannockburn. With my frugal nature, I found a beautiful dress for $34. I was so proud not to waste anything for a single day.
My something borrowed was a gorgeous tiara from my sweet friend and bridesmaid, Brenda Hannan Hughes. Yes, this is the same Brenda whose daughter was tragically killed last weekend. She also provided my beautiful bouquet she made from her garden.
For our honeymoon, I desperately wanted to go back to Puerto Vallarta, but GOD kept saying we were going to The Tourists Trap. "Cancun it is." We were not excited about it, but we were excited to run away and do something different. Not 3 days into our 9 day trip, we were out of money. What?!?! How does that happen? We hadn't spent any except my frugal butt made us go to Sam's Club for groceries. That's it! Where did it go? It seemed impossible and was. At that moment, GOD said, "Trust me." What choice did we have?
Long story short, the money came from here and there in very unexpected ways. That is a story for another day. But during those days, GOD was very clear with us that HE was always going to provide and our marriage was going to be about this dependence to HIM. HE got us through those days and got us home safely.
So... I get the date wrong for the tour to Capitol School. I'm a month early. I'm walking up the walkway and remembering GOD's promise. If it is HIS will, HE will provide. I start getting excited and nervous because what I am doing is so contrary to how we normally make decisions. I don't have $25,000.
I get inside and a teacher is working with a student in the motor room. It's summer enrichment camp and I watched for about 20 minutes fighting back tears as I know Seth would thrive in that environment. We realize I have the date wrong and I leave. I sit in the car crying & asking GOD why HE allowed me to go in and watch that and read the testimonies on the wall and read about the teachers. It doesn't make sense. My heart is so filled with faith that I feel like I'm going to burst.
Fast forward- I tour the school and find out they have financial assistance and I start my extremely long fight for assistance.
Many of you know how that played out as I was so engulfed in it that it was every word I spoke and it just oozed out of every pore. I lived and breathed getting Seth in to this school. I had exhausted options, but GOD did not show me Capitol School until I had no other place to turn.
It has been almost a year since I walked in to the school that day- so tired and emotional. I was a wreck. Seth is on a road to growth!
With your prayers, your donations, your love and support, your purchase of products along with the financial assistance provided by the school, not to mention our tax return, we paid the last 3 months of the 2010-11 school year up front. We cracked the seal! He was in!
Since he started in mid-February, he has moved up 3 levels and is speaking in complete sentences. Tantrums have decreased dramatically and I will be able to start working my jobby-job this coming year.
This was not going to be a long note. I appreciate you hearing me out.
This is just an example of how each of you has played a huge role in our lives and I wanted to express that before I got super busy again.
We love you, All! THANK YOU!
If you are looking for the free patterns, please go to the left margin and search for them. They are absolutely free but I do accept donations for Seth's therapies with a single click through Paypal in the right margin.
