Guardian Angels

Much has changed in our world since The Princess started school. She's gone for a few hours a day, spending time with people we don't know, but she comes home happy. She's excited to get on that bus in the morning - well, most mornings, anyway - and the notes from her teacher always seem to reflect the princess having a good time.

Though she seems to be coping well with the new way of doing things, we just couldn't bring ourselves to terminate all other services.  Sakina and Bear had been so helpful in The Princess's last few months in the EI program, but we lost the coverage when she turned three.  If you've been around here for a while, you're aware of my fight to get insurance for her through the state, as well as the fact that - though they finally approved it - the application took approximately three times as long as it should have to be processed, leaving The Princess with three weeks between her birthday and the coverage.  Three weeks of no services.  Three weeks to forget the person and the horse who have helped her make such leaps and bounds since Christmas.

Enter our guardian angels: the sweet, wonderful people who want so badly to help, and who always have impeccable timing.  Thanks to them, The Princess has been able to continue attending the sensory portion of her hippotherapy sessions once a week.  She won't forget.  She won't be afraid in May when she goes back, because there won't have been a break.

Since her schedule has changed, Bear doesn't seem to be available for her to ride.  At first, I thought this would be a problem, but she seems to have acclimated nicely.  Last week, we saw Teddy, a beautiful honey-colored sweetheart.

Yesterday, Teddy was reserved for a first-timer, a little girl who was terrified of horses.  The poor sweetie howled and yowled for the first ten to fifteen minutes, and then calmed down.  Teddy was a champ.

It seems as though The Princess is the bounce-around kid these days.  She's dealing with changes, expected and unexpected, better than she ever has before.  Yesterday, her riding partner was Twister:

They got along famously, The Princess telling jokes (okay, not really), Twister laughing heartily (well...):

Now, all we need to worry about is how she'll take to returning to Sakina's center after a few weeks off.  My guess is that we'll walk in, she'll see the slide and the ball pit, and all will be well with the world.

*****

To our guardian angels:

Thank you so much for your help, your compassion, your understanding.  I don't know that there are words to describe how much we appreciate this, how much we appreciate you.  It truly is a blessing to have been touched by such wonderful people as yourselves.

You know who you are, and we're sending lots of big hugs your way.