14 March 2011

Julia report: Julia had a very abbreviated school day. She was home by 11 a.m. Although she wanted to get right to the wii to play Super Mario Brothers, we sat down to write a schedule. Julia took over writing and put the date at the top of the board and then wrote numbers down one side. When I asked what she wanted to do, she wrote "game" beside number 1, and "Sweet Valley" beside number 2. Julia wrote those words! With no prompting from me!

Now, not to be carried away. Her at home therapists and I use the same white board to write her schedules every day. Her teachers and aide have used schedules at school and her OT and Speech therapist have done the same. We have all encouraged her to draw her own schedule, and her at home therapists have encouraged her to write it, but she has never of her own volition done what she did today.

Big steps.

At both OT and Speech Julia worked very hard. She played a matching/mystery game with Annie and was quite patient and rule-obeying. For speech, she went through a number of exercises, some better than others, but at the end she and Linda worked on a number of pages filled with faces. Julia had to identify the emotions of the people from a small list. Julia was able to identify all of the correct emotions and was also able to come up with alternatives that the people might be feeling. Julia is still far from using this ability in face-to-face interactions -- she does not study people enough. But she could not do what she did today a year ago.

Again, steps.

Today, I met with a kitchen designer who is bidding on cabinets and countertops. I liked what he did, but nothing incredible. I don't know whether I need incredible. I am falling for the "more expensive" cabinet line. Of course! But keeping an open mind. I have another bid coming in but it is with a designer who disappointed me last time around. The second designer often works with my contractor and I can get a "good deal" with his company, however, he has not been responsive to what I want, and is slow, slow, slow. Wondering what I should be doing? Talking to more designers?

On other fronts, there is a good possibility that a door that seemed to be a crack open will be slamming shut. I promised myself to trust the Universe on this one. And trust is not easy when I am getting an answer that I did not want.

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