Two mornings a week I drop the children off at a very nice local daycare at 7:30 in the morning. They feed the children breakfast, alternate indoor activities with outdoor ones (weather permitting), and feed them lunch. I pick the children up at 12:30 pm. I get five blessed hours of time to myself. During that time I schedule appointments when necessary, but mostly I just work on independent pursuits. I work on this blog, or the book. I love those ten child-free hours a week. They keep me balanced.
This is Michael's last week at daycare. This fall he is eligible to enter our local school district's preschool program and the first day is next Tuesday. We're still sending him two mornings a week, but now the program is from 8:30-11:00 am. Breakfast and lunch are not served.
As of next week, I will have to serve one child, but not the other, breakfast and lunch. I have to drop children off and pick them up in different places at different times. And let's not forget that the wonderful 10 hours of keep-me-balanced time to myself will suddenly be cut in half. Now, I'm not complaining exactly (Ok. Fine. I am complaining a little.) I know that we are lucky to be able to send the children to school two mornings a week. I know that we are lucky to have multiple programs that are high quality and have openings for the children part time. I know that even five hours a week is more alone time than many moms get. I know that many moms are doing multiple drop-offs and pick-ups a day. However, it is still a transition for me right now and I'm allowed to point out the changes.
Michael is excited I think. And I actually believe that a shorter school day might be better for him. He hasn't been as excited about school since he was moved to a different room with new teachers and a slightly different mix of children. I am hoping that the shorter school day will be good for him. Also, his friend from up the street will be going too on the same days.
Also, my recently retired mother (who lives only about 5 minutes away from us) has offered to pick Michael up from school and watch him and feed him lunch so that I don't have to coordinate two children in the afternoon. I am so grateful for the offer and I think it is a win for everyone involved. My mom and Michael get some special bonding time and I get a little extra quiet time myself.
And so that transition is right around the corner for all of us. Let the schooling years begin.
A Speech Pathologist Mother and Her Daughter Diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Hurry Up and Wait
Our OT evaluation yesterday was something of a mixed bag. It took two hours. The vast majority of that was mostly the OT asking questions and listening to my answers. We filled out one test instrument that was a parent questionnaire designed to give a "sensory profile".
We did very little hands-on work with Ava. She did teach me how to test Ava's gag reflex. That went startlingly well actually. As it turns out, Ava's gag reflex is not overly sensitive. Ava was very, very anti-social. Perhaps if Ava had been more receptive, the evaluation would have been more hands-on.
The OT observed me giving Ava lunch. She requested that I serve Ava one thing I know she likes (grapes) and one thing that she doesn't love, but she might occasionally eat (egg). Now, Ava used to eat egg when she was littler. I haven't gotten her to eat it in months. Today, she ate it with very little prompting. Why do they always do that?
And now I just wait for the results of the evaluation. It feels odd. I think somehow I thought this evaluation would provide a lot of answers and I hadn't stopped to think about the fact that I wouldn't get them right away. Silly of me. I used to do nothing but speech evaluations and so I know that tests have to be scored before the results are given. And so the next wait begins.
_______________________
In other news, we're now trying liquid oral antibiotics for the mystery ailment that's been upsetting the kittens' tummies for over three weeks now. I will be trying the first doses tonight (two different kinds). Somehow I'm not expecting this to go well at all.
We did very little hands-on work with Ava. She did teach me how to test Ava's gag reflex. That went startlingly well actually. As it turns out, Ava's gag reflex is not overly sensitive. Ava was very, very anti-social. Perhaps if Ava had been more receptive, the evaluation would have been more hands-on.
The OT observed me giving Ava lunch. She requested that I serve Ava one thing I know she likes (grapes) and one thing that she doesn't love, but she might occasionally eat (egg). Now, Ava used to eat egg when she was littler. I haven't gotten her to eat it in months. Today, she ate it with very little prompting. Why do they always do that?
And now I just wait for the results of the evaluation. It feels odd. I think somehow I thought this evaluation would provide a lot of answers and I hadn't stopped to think about the fact that I wouldn't get them right away. Silly of me. I used to do nothing but speech evaluations and so I know that tests have to be scored before the results are given. And so the next wait begins.
_______________________
In other news, we're now trying liquid oral antibiotics for the mystery ailment that's been upsetting the kittens' tummies for over three weeks now. I will be trying the first doses tonight (two different kinds). Somehow I'm not expecting this to go well at all.
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Monday, August 8, 2011
All Set for OT Evaluation
Our OT evaluation is scheduled for today. My mom (who just retired last week - Congratulations Mom!) is going to watch Michael. As much as I love Michael, he is a rather overwhelming presence when around. I need to be able to focus on Ava and the occupational therapist and on answering her questions rather than on trying to keep Michael quiet and out of the way.
In one way, I am excited. I know speech pathology. I know Apraxia. Those areas are familiar and comfortable. I know very little about occupational therapy and I am excited professionally about getting to watch an occupational therapist at work. Even as a mother I am excited. Ava will finally be getting an assessment and hopefully some help to address some of her other needs. I always had some idea of how to address her speech issues, but I don't know how to help her with her sensory ones. So I am excited to be getting some help for her in that area.
When the OT called to set up a time for her evaluation we chatted for a few minutes. One of the things she asked me was if I thought Ava had a particularly sensitive gag reflex. (She asked the question in the context of her food pickiness.) I told her I hadn't really observed Ava gagging while eating because she won't even try things she thinks she won't like. So, the OT said, "Do you think she'll let me check her gag reflex?" Hahahahahahaha. Oh my. What I said, very politely, was, "We can try." What I thought was, "Hell, no!" So, I think we'll be looking at a very... interesting hour later today.
In one way, I am excited. I know speech pathology. I know Apraxia. Those areas are familiar and comfortable. I know very little about occupational therapy and I am excited professionally about getting to watch an occupational therapist at work. Even as a mother I am excited. Ava will finally be getting an assessment and hopefully some help to address some of her other needs. I always had some idea of how to address her speech issues, but I don't know how to help her with her sensory ones. So I am excited to be getting some help for her in that area.
When the OT called to set up a time for her evaluation we chatted for a few minutes. One of the things she asked me was if I thought Ava had a particularly sensitive gag reflex. (She asked the question in the context of her food pickiness.) I told her I hadn't really observed Ava gagging while eating because she won't even try things she thinks she won't like. So, the OT said, "Do you think she'll let me check her gag reflex?" Hahahahahahaha. Oh my. What I said, very politely, was, "We can try." What I thought was, "Hell, no!" So, I think we'll be looking at a very... interesting hour later today.
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