The Best Compliment

Sophie has been in First Steps Early Intervention since she was two years old.  I have been so pleased with this program.  We have used Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and Play Therapy.  Each one has helped Sophie so much and I have been so grateful for each therapist and our coordinator.  Because Sophie will be turning three in two weeks she is aging out of the program.   The only issue we still have is a "mild" speech delay.   I chose to have Sophie reevaluted and if Jefferson County feels she still has a need for speech therapy I can take her to a public school once a week and receive this service.  This morning we got up early and headed downtown at 8 a.m for the testing.  We went into a very small room that had lots of fun toys lined against the walls.  Unfortunatley, these toys were not for us.  Sophie was expected to sit at the table and go through this boring book of picutres with some lady who had the personality of a rock.  After 20 minutes of Sophie cooperating I saw" the look".   This is a look that each of our therapist have seen at one time or another.  The look of , "we are going to do it my way now".  My daughter had had enough.  She crossed her arms, looked that woman in the eye and didn't do another thing she was asked to do.   In fact when the woman would ask her to do something, Sophie would do the exact opposite just to show the nice lady who was boss.  After an hour of this I told the lady we were done and left  frustrated.  Frustrated because it was an unfair evaluation.  Who expects an almost 3 year old to sit in a room full of toys and only look at a 1980's book of pictures and say what the words are or color of the boys shirt is.  Frustrated because I know Sophie  would not cooperate and as her mother I felt I was supposed to make her even though I knew the test was stupid.
When we got in the car I called Sally, our wonderful speech therapist, and told her about my frustration.  She was so sweet.  Sally really loves Sophie and told me not to worry.  Then she gave Sophie a wonderful compliment, "Sophie is not a people pleaser, she has a mind of her own and that is a good thing."   Sally was so right.  Sophie is sweet and fun.  She is a good girl.  She is happy and silly and beautiful.  However what she is not, is a "people pleaser."