First Grade Conference

First grade has been... well, an adjustment.  Georgia is a rule follower, she likes to do her best, always, and in first grade that has meant working hard.
Even I have been surprised and how much less play time and more structured learning time there is.  Those spelling tests that she was looking forward to have now become something we have to do.
Georgia is doing well in school, her biggest complaint, there isn't enough time to play.
In mid October I had my first conference with Georgia's teacher.  I went in feeling confident that she is doing well and achieving as she should be.
Her teacher started off by saying that Georgia is kind, helpful, respectful, friendly.. she went on to say that she has beautiful handwriting and likes writing.  She is also doing really well grasping math concepts (aka decoding story problems).  Then she said, Georgia takes her time on her work, more time than most of the other students.
This is when panic set in, flashing back to last year when her doctors wanted to test her for "chemo brain".  They explained that sometimes the effects of chemo can create a situation where kids need just 5-10 more minutes to complete the same tasks as their peers.  It was decided after her clinic appointment that the test wasn't necessary but now sitting in her first grade conference I wondered if maybe there was cause for concern.
I don't know Georgia's teacher very well, and the only thing she knows of her health history is what I wrote on the three lines that were given on the, 'What else should I know about your child section' at the beginning of the year.
I tried to take a deep breath, knowing I had to ask her if she thought Georgia was struggling.. I tried to ask and all that came out was me fumbling over my words as tears streamed down my face.  Her teacher was very kind, got me a box of Kleenex and listened to my concern.  She said she would certainly watch for things but she did not have any concerns.  She smiled and said, Georgia is just very meticulous in her work.
I'm so proud of Georgia, who she is both in and out of school.  She's just where she should be and that feels pretty miraculous.
I walked out of the school trying to hide my red eyes and regain my composure.  Once I was outside I looked up, and saw the most beautiful rainbow.  My eyes welled up again, it felt like a sign, reassuring me that it's all going to be okay.