Life changes and my baby girl!!!!

I have been struggling for a while know with a lot of changes in our lives. I left teaching and I am still trying to find the right path for me. I am currently working three jobs to try and help us make ends meet. Even with the struggles financially though I have never been happier in my life. I do miss my students though. They were my motivation and miss seeing them everyday and watching them reach the goals and dreams. On a more personal front we knew at the end of last year that my baby girl was struggling in school. I have known for a while that she struggled to read. Having twins it is way too easy to compare there. Baby girl though has been behind consistently for a while. At the end of last year we have started discussing testing and maybe she has a learning difference. So true to my fashion I hoped on the internet to research what was going on. There has always been one learning difference that has been on the forefront of my mind and that is dyslexia. I have a cousin who has it and I know that it is genetic. So I was doing research but sometimes just looking on the internet is not a great research, talk about too much information. My hubby was also doing the same thing and independent of each other we both reached the same conclusion that we think this is how she learns. A lot of things make sense for her. The problem for us it that in this great state of Michigan some politicians passed a law stating that Dyslexia is not a learning disability but a medical condition. So schools no longer have to test for dyslexia. Really!!!! Don't get me started on that rant I will never get off of it. So we are going to have to pay to have her tested. Granted I can write to the school and say I want her tested for a reading issues. They would come into her classroom observe her look at her grades and the standardized tests and guess what will not qualify for help or services because she is performing at grade level never mind that she works three times as long as most students in her class just to make sure she has it. So I really don't want to waste the few resources the school has and she wouldn't get any help anyways. So now back to trying to find the right person to diagnosis my girlie. Lots of research and finding that there are really very few people who do this. It surprises me since many stats say that 1 in 5 people have dyslexia. I keep hearing that stat over and over and over. Why is there so little out there to help people. In this process of research my fearless leader at temple where I teach Sunday School told me about a showing of the movie "The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia." I decided I wanted to go and see it. Now this is a documentary that I really believe everyone should see whether or not you know someone with dyslexia and believe me you most likely do. I have been very down lately seeing I am not sure how we are going to afford the testing and then all the tutoring and help that comes after being diagnosed but seeing the movie I walked away feeling better and more motivated to make sure baby girl gets the testing done and if that means no more new clothes for me for another year or staying with a cell phone that does not have data and minimal minutes and texts, than that is what I will do to make sure she gets what she needs. I want to say a big Thank you to James Redford (not that I think he would read this) for making this documentary. I really want baby girl and our family to see it. It makes me believe what I have always thought that she can do anything she wants. It might just take a little longer for her to get there. I have to say that I am so proud of all the hard work my baby has done to keep herself up where she belongs but I know something is going on and if we don't nip it in the bud now she will get frustrated more and more as school goes on. I am hoping very soon to start the process of testing for her and make sure she gets everything she needs to be successful. I hate that we live in a world where parents have to figure out where they will find money to get their kids tested so that they can be successful in life. I also feel awful for all those parents that just can't do it for their kids and they struggle in school and get discouraged and feel a lack of self worth all because something could easily have been diagnosed and addressed. It is not a disability but a difference. I also feel awful for how unprepared I was for this. I am teacher with a Master's degree in Education and yet I am at a loss right now for how to help my daughter. That is really sad. Why is it we left politicians decide what testing the schools can do and what parents have to pay for out of pocket? For many families in Michigan they just don't have the money. I know we will figure it out. It is just a matter of time to figure where they money will come from. I will not allow my child to fall behind because I am not working a full time job at the moment. My hope that will change soon but right now I can only plan on what I have at the moment, which is three very part time jobs. Hopefully soon I will be able to post all the awesome things that my girls are doing and how baby girl is soaring to new heights but I am sure it will come with many battles I am going to have to fight to make sure she is being allowed to reach her full potential. The one thing I know for sure is that I am truly blessed with two wonderful girls and I am thankful for them everyday of my life.