Field Trip

I went with Miss Roo on her first field trip at her new school yesterday.  And, since it's October, of course, it was to a pumpkin patch.  I had offered to be a chaperone and her teacher accepted even though they usually do not take parents on this annual field trip with the 1st and 2nd graders.  I'm so glad I went, though.  The day was gorgeous and I got the opportunity to see Marisa interact with the kids in her class and with other kids from her school.  It is not perfect, believe me, and my heart mourns at times for her inability to relate to the kids the same way as they naturally do with others; but I still saw some very lovely things happen during the trip.  There is a girl in her class she seems to be a bit obsessed with, and I think it's because this girl's locker is beside Marisa's and because at the beginning of the year the girl was helping Marisa quite a bit with her work during the day.  I could tell during the field trip that this little girl doesn't feel the same way about Marisa as Marisa does about her and I may need to intervene at some point or at least talk to her teacher about it.  The other girl wasn't mean to Marisa, but she obviously didn't want to hang out with her either.  That being said, there were plenty of other kids in her class who did want to hang out with her, and I was thrilled to see that.  

A funny and touching thing happened after Marisa ran into the hay pyramid at the pumpkin patch.   We've gone as a family to this farm to get a pumpkin the past couple of years and every time Marisa made a beeline into the hay pyramid.  She loves that dark, cramped, to me completely oppressive, space for some reason.  So, I had a hunch she would do that during the field trip.  I was right.  She ran in, as did most of the other kids, and after a while I asked one of the boys to go get her.   Soon, a contingent of 1st and 2nd graders were on a mission to find Marisa and bring her out safely.   At no time did I feel they were poking fun at her or put out by trying to find her.  They joined together to help her out.  One of her classmates brought her out with him and then he said very sweetly, "We found you Marisa," and gave her a hug.   Later she climbed to the top of the structure and a girl from her class ran up so she could help Marisa come back down.  Marisa has very good gross motor skills and would have had no trouble coming down from the top but it was still very sweet of this other girl to want to help her out.   The classroom aide told me she was glad I came because she wanted me to see that there are some really great kids in the class who are supportive of my child and for me to witness some of the good things that happen with their interactions.  She said she knew that I mostly had to hear bad news, and she wanted me to be sure to know there was lots of good news too.  Thank God for that!  

I also got to spend time with Marisa's new one on one aide and she seems really great.  I was so happy after this experience that I even went out and bought Marisa a beautiful dress (but thankfully not expensive!) for the school's Christmas music program a couple of months from now.   I'm finally at the point of accepting that we just might be able to make a go of being back in the classroom.   I can't even express how wonderful it will be if she can learn to be a part of a broader community and get along with lots of different people, while making gains academically.   That will be an overwhelming answer to prayer.   So, that thought, coupled with a beautiful fall day in a favorite pumpkin patch, makes life worth living!