Memories and where did the time go. Ariel is currently in Grade 3 at Elmer S. Gish School in St. Albert. GRIT played such a role in Ariel’s life that she has blossomed and improved with what she has learned. The first year in GRIT was spent doing in the home learning with side trips to practice her skills. The second was in a preschool where she met lots of friends and had some input from a program with caring teachers. We still try to visit the preschool during the year to keep Ariel in contact with the teachers plus new students. The third year has taken us to where she is presently. She even asks to go to school on the weekend. The school is awesome as they have since day one taken Ariel under their wing. She is using her walking skills plus orientation and mobility advice to make her way around the school. When I take her to school on Wednesdays, she is greeted constantly while we make our way to her classroom by students, teachers and support staff. Her favorite person is her aide Mrs. G whom she asks to do Engine, Engine Number 9. Ariel’s second favorite person is the music teacher. She spends time in his music classes and you can tell as she counts like him now plus she can identify pieces of music. One person we can’t forget is Mr. Knoll, Ariel’s principal. On Valentines Day she took a Valentine Card for him to the office. He asked her what she had for him and she told him she had a kiss for him. Mr. Knoll and Ariel do one on one singing in his office with help from her aide. Ariel’s community activities include gymnastics, music, horseback riding and she is also a second year brownie. She has been doing gymnastics since the first year of GRIT and is much more confident. Her favorites are the beam, trampoline, and the bars. She has been doing music for about the same time. We believe the music classes have improved Ariel’s speech plus she definitely knows her instruments and which ones go with each song. Her music teacher has to negotiate with Ariel as Ariel constantly throws out songs while still singing ones. Her teacher can not believe Ariel’s memory as she can pick songs from a couple of years ago from her memory and request them. She is going into her third year of horseback riding through Little Bits. Ariel knows her horses name and some of the commands. She has good posture while in the saddle but last year they had to try a new horse a few times because she fell asleep on the other horse because of its even gait. Ariel has done two years of Sparks and is working right now on her second year of Brownies. She participates with an aide as I am Tawny Owl with her group. Ariel loves the grand howl and just loves it when they are “howling”. The Brownies in Ariel’s circle help her with her dues and they sign the attendance book for her. All this community participation keeps Ariel busy as well as us too while getting her world to grow bigger. Ariel’s vision statement is what keeps us focused on what her goals are. We created a CD of songs and pictures to represent the best times of her little life. We still use the CD to do presentations in the community as well as the government. Who knew just having a clear vision of the possibilities would make such a powerful statement.