We are in the midst of a wonderful in-person, unmasked visit with Grammy and Granddad! This is the first time we have seen them in person since Christmas 2019!!! I am already sad about the visit being over even though it isn’t quite over yet.
Yesterday we completed a jigsaw puzzle with many cats, with Amy participating much more than usual. We went for a walk and I was stunned that Sarah easily, even eagerly, consented to do so. Grammy figured out how to make the Goodnight Moon game riotously funny and competitive, which is not the usual scenario for the easy game. We also played multiple rounds of Zombie Kids, Amy’s favorite board game. I highly recommend it. The kid characters work together to eliminate zombies from their school. It has evolving levels of difficulty that require mental gymnastics and a good memory, but it can also stay at an easy Sarah level. This morning Amy dressed as one of the kid characters, with a staff and cape.
Earlier in the week, Amy got to have an in-person outdoor visit with M. The last time they saw each other, Amy was 8 (she is now 10) and was 4 inches shorter than she is now. M is our SR volunteer who has been Amy’s person for the past several years so that I could have SR time with Sarah. M feels like a fairy godmother or bonus grandmother. Upon learning that she would get to see M, Amy’s joy filled her being. We have so many amazingly supportive and wonderful people in our lives, but M is the only grown-up that Amy doesn’t have to share with Sarah. To have someone give Amy an hour of undivided, enthusiastic attention is deeply meaningful.
Sarah has started singing the words to the book Goodnight Moon. It is so sweet and earnest.
Sarah finished reading an easy chapter book she borrowed from Amy. It is a Dr. Kitty Cat book called Clover the Bunny. Inspired by Amy’s school writing assignment and with Anna’s help, Sarah wrote a paragraph about the book! Anna prompted Sarah with questions and helped with making complete sentences, but really this was driven by Sarah. She wrote, “I liked reading clover the bunny. At the beginning the animals had paw pox! Paw pox maks you paws itchy. The cik [sick] animals had to miss the camping trip.” Sarah even looked in the book, unprompted, to learn how to spell paw pox!! I continue to be floored by how Sarah’s mind functions when she is with Anna, with academic ability that I didn’t know she had.
Anna made a blank doctor’s form for Sarah to complete because Sarah loves pretending to go to the doctor. Sarah’s answers were adorable and point out how often she copies text to practice her writing. Where the form said “Name” Sarah wrote “Sarah” but for “Address” Sarah wrote “Address.” For “phone number” she wrote “phone number.” She wrote her date of birth as a math equation that isn’t at all her birthday but is an adorable answer, “3+3=2017.” Her “reason for visit” was “reason for visit.” I cannot stand the adorableness!
I have had two tiny miraculous moments of starting to beat up on myself mentally/emotionally for not handling something better, but then stopping myself! I affirmed that actually I couldn’t have known how things would go so there is no need to feel bad. It was amazing to feel the physical pull into woe and reverse it mid-droop.
May you experience delighted focused attention that helps you reach your fullest potential. (And remember, shh, that that attention could be provided by yourself.)
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