Going to School

It is hard to believe but the big girls have been in school for almost 3 weeks. Yes, I realize the fact makes this post a little outdated, but I promise this post has been waiting to be written because of its significance.

For starters. Ellie did not want a picture of her first day of school. Her only reason and complain was that "It is not my first day of school, I have been to school before." So I had to settle for a picture at school once the girls were settled in their class.

Ellie loves preschool and so far loves homeschooling as well.

Nina, unfortunately, did not get a special first day of school picture. I still might try to get one though. Sure it is only preschool, but that day signified so much more.
I dropped the girls off. I was very anxious about Nina and how she would handle school and the other kids. Fortunately she is in the same class as Ellie and they are in the same small group. It just happened that their group was assigned to the play-doh station. And wouldn't you know it, Nina loves play-doh!

Ellie and Nina's teachers are the teachers every parent wishes they had. I left preschool that day with the words from one of her teachers dancing in my heart, "I am not worried, I have great expectations for Nina, she has great potential."

As I walked back to the car, with the teacher's words still echoing, I allowed some tears to express the enormity of the moment. In the preschool room of a small town, a once-orphan girl was given the opportunity to learn. A fact, that would have never been possible had she stayed in Ukraine. Rather than a preschool room, she would be in the cold and stale room of an institution. This, because she has Cerebral Palsy, and therefore deemed as someone with no potential.

It might be "just" preschool, but for Nina, it was so much more. It was the promise of a future where the world will not close her up and leave her to die. But rather a world that says to her, just like her teacher did, "I have great expectations for you Nina, you have great potential."

And in her school she plays, she learns, she grows. She shows everyone that she indeed has great potential and our expectations grow and grow!