There is no limit to the sky.
Weekly Review November 7 – November 13, 2010
The only limits are, as always, those of vision. – James Broughton
When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another. – Helen Keller
Sunday-Tuesday
Unfortunately I didn’t make a note of anything for these days so I’m drawing a blank as to what we did. The boys go to speech therapy on Tuesday as usual.
Wednesday
Vic leaves for a business trip today so it’s just me and the kids all day today and tomorrow. I make the mistake of falling asleep for a few minutes at the occupational therapists’ office while I’m waiting for the kids. This leads to a conversation with Tremendo’s OT about applying for MassHealth to see if I could get some help from them. She basically tells me that she’s just trying to find ways for the boys to “get everything they need.” I replied with a pensive tone, “Yes, that’s a good question. How can they get everything they need?” I said nothing more because I was actually offended by such an implication. What does “what they need” even mean? According to whose standards are they not getting what they need? She tried framing her comments in terms of me being able to get a break but unless MassHealth pays for someone to clean my house and cook our dinner then I really don’t see what they can do for me and I don’t have the time for all the hoops and paperwork if they’re not going to do what I would like to delegate.
I honestly doubt myself and what I’m doing with my kids for an hour or so. Then I realize that there is nothing I can do to change her limiting beliefs. She simply doesn’t believe that my kids are getting what they need with the situation I have set up. Well, my beliefs win. Thanks.
I remember that every time you do something unconventional there are always people who think you’re crazy, overdoing it, and that you will fail. It happened when I decided to be a vegetarian and then again when I went back to being an omnivore. It also happened when I decided to have an unassisted childbirth. In the end, I was right. I go to bed at 1:00am.
Thursday
We have a great school day today. Everyone is very focused. Kamikaze is reading Alien Clones From Outer Space: Two Heads Are Better Than One by H.B. Homzie. He finds the book hilarious. I like that the humor isn’t crass and the book has some sophisticated language.
After school is done I take some time to exercise. While I’m doing that Tremendo and Sweet Coco get their hands on the whole wheat bread and eat quite a few slices which basically ruins their dinner. Vic arrives from his trip after all the kids are asleep. Sweet Coco wakes at 1:00am crying but eventually falls asleep.
Friday
We have a very difficult start to the day today. Sweet Coco awakes at 5:30am and whines about various things. He’s up for the day and I decide that so am I, despite only having had 4.5 hours of sleep. We start school a little late so the crafts I had planned for today don’t get done. Sweet Coco is extremely cranky and loud for most of the day. When school ends at 4:00pm he and I take an hour nap.
Saturday
We leave the house at 3:30pm to go on a hike. We stop midway through the hike to eat sandwiches that I brought from home. There is a big tower that the kids like to climb up to and enjoy the view. It is a unique experience because we usually go hiking before the sun starts setting. Kamikaze, his friend, and Vic make spooky sounds that echo in the tower.
The kids like the lights coming from the city. We see the planet Venus. On our way down a very steep hill Tremendo keeps pointing at the lights. At one point it seems like he wants to sit down and enjoy the view. We can’t indulge him though because the darkness is approaching rapidly and we have no flashlights. I foresee another dusk hike in our future where everyone has their own flashlight.
So sweet!
My son, Nick Wonham, a Special Needs Teacher, including Autism, designs programmes to help them, which you can visit for free at http://www.whiteboardroom.org.uk
Programmes by other educators of Special Needs in the UK are also included.