Trick-or-treating went well. It wasn’t too cold and the sun was even shining when the girls started out. Amy went with some friends of hers and Sarah went with Anna. Carl and I stayed at home to hand out candy, realizing how little we were needed as parents at that moment.
Everyone was well all week! We are still well! In theory, I know we are all well most of the time, but given the previous week with Sarah this still felt notable. Sarah didn’t have school on Monday so after 4 days at home she was in the groove of being home and did not want to go to school on Tuesday. It didn’t help that Amy had Tuesday off because her school is a polling place so it is always closed on Election Day. When Sarah protests largely in the morning it is easy for me to feel tense and anxious. Tuesday Sarah was full of screams and resistance. Carl was patient, creative, and loving as he encouraged Sarah through every step of getting ready for school. He didn’t panic about the time ticking away, but focused on keeping Sarah in good spirits even if there were detours from her normal morning preparations. He encouraged her to put on a bathrobe and slippers so the two of them could match for coming down to breakfast. They talked about lightbulbs and ceiling fans, specifically the one in the master bedroom. After breakfast they detoured to the basement to get a new lightbulb to replace one that had burned out. Thanks to Carl’s brilliance, Sarah was happily ready for the bus. I will give myself credit for not interfering. That took serious effort too!
Sarah and I met with her neurologist on Wednesday. I asked about giving her CBD since her night-time startle seizures still happen despite increasing her anti-seizure meds. The doctor said actually, given the type of seizure he thinks she is having, he would not recommend CBD at all because in some cases it makes things worse. I’m so glad I asked! He did order bloodwork and will see us again in three months. Sarah handled the bloodwork like a champ as she always does. I told the nurse that the last time she had bloodwork done they needed to use a vein in her hand. This nurse felt confident she could find one in the front of Sarah’s elbow. After an attempt that involved moving the needle all around in vain (ahem), the nurse switched to Sarah’s hand. Next time I will be more forceful in saying to use Sarah’s hand and not attempt another location.
Amy got the first dose of the covid vaccine!! Her school held a clinic, which was great in terms of location. What wasn’t quite ideal was that one nurse didn’t show up so they were short-staffed. The line was looooong and slooooooow despite having an appointment. Luckily half way through our hour-long wait to get the shot, we realized that Amy could sit at a cafeteria table and do some of her homework. I was able to get my booster at the same time, so that was great too. Still, the whole process took 90 minutes by the time all was said and done and we were home.
We had been waiting until Amy got her vaccine to tell the girls about our plans for December. We will be going to Florida and spending a couple of masked days at the Harry Potter World in Orlando before we go to a rental house by a beach. They were both super excited, but Amy was bursting at the seams with joy given that she is the one most into witches and HP.
My hip is in much better shape now. A fellow Alexander Technique teacher suggested a way of resting a few minutes each day that takes all of the pressure off of my hip, and that definitely helps. The most strikingly impactful thing, though, was when I did my Alexander teaching. When I was in that mode it was almost as if I had never had a hip issue at all. How I held myself and moved changed to be clearer, more fluid, and less jammed down on my legs. Giving massages also helped me use myself in this good way. So it seems that all I have to do to recover is keep working and teaching.
Carl had an exciting week that included a trip to New York City. He was in Times Square when Aurora, the company he works for, went public. Aurora develops self-driving technology for cars and trucks.
I hope you are all well.
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