February 3

This week we got 38 hours. A testament to how our program has increased in hours is that now having an outreach and getting feedback for several SR team members meant that we got fewer hours than we otherwise would have. In the past that wasn't the case; we always got more hours during an outreach. I'm so pleased with the number of hours we are getting. As always, the Outreach with M. (a Son-Rise specialist) was awesome and incredibly helpful towards helping take our program to the next level of effectiveness.

M. was last here in October and she noticed big changes in Sarah since then: an increase in both how much Sarah says and how clear it is; an increase in Sarah's directing play and requesting things; an increase in her imaginitive play, and an increase in connection for greetings and farewells. Once again, I love noticing that I start taking little things for granted and forgetting where we were before. I also love how with each Son-Rise training and with each Outreach I peel away more layers of my limiting beliefs. On the one hand I am believing Sarah can go all the way (typical, Swarthmore-bound, genius), and on the other hand I still do things for her like turn off the water while she is brushing her teeth. Hmm. To teach her independence requires letting her be independent. We get to the big future picture by addressing the present picture in front of us.

While I used to be amazed daily by Sarah's language (and I still am), I am now giving daily chuckling prayers of gratitude over how well she is eating. I can't believe that my kids are eating so healthily and that this morning Sarah threw a mini tantrum because I didn't have any stock defrosted! I can't believe that I am now cooking one family dinner and that at least half the time the girls will eat some of it. Starting tomorrow morning, things will get both simpler and possibly harder. We start the GAPS intro for Sarah tomorrow. This means chicken soup for every meal and just water to drink. She can have as much as she wants but that is the only option. Then the next day we add one tiny change and see how she responds. It is possible she will move through the stages quickly and easily and it is possible we will hang out in some stages longer. I'm working with a consultant with whom I will email daily and she will help guide me in what to give Sarah. While I'm not making all of us do the intro, I am making us eat what Sarah eats (and only that) at shared meals. It is too hard to have things on the table that she wants and can't have. Luckily, Amy loves chicken soup too. And isn't it wonderful that the things Sarah will probably ask for and miss are frozen avocado pudding, prunes, dried peas, scrambled eggs, and pumpkin seeds? Luckily avocados are one of the first foods to come back in (though I don't yet know if pureed and frozen is ok)

Yesterday for our group SR meeting we had our sitter watching the girls. On Friday Carl was explaining to Sarah that the babysitter would be coming. Sarah responded "Sarah sitter." I love that she can understand some things so much as to make jokes or new phrases.

Our group meeting yesterday was wonderful for multiple reasons. It is super awesome to have M. helping us think through our program. It is super awesome that Sarah is ready for us to challenge her more and help her more with friendship skills and boundaries. It is super awesome that I have such creative and loving people as our team members. Sometimes the enormity of  the love pouring towards us can almost knock me over internally and sometimes it is hard to fully accept the love and help without feeling guilty about it or guilty about possibly wanting to ask for more help with varying things. Really, if anyone needs any proof of the beauty of humanity and of people, they need look no farther than our Sarah-Rise program or any Son-Rise program for that matter. It is such a beautiful thing to meet for two hours discussing one amazing little girl and how much we love her and want to help her succeed. And she is flourishing so powerfully. The further beauty is that we are all growing and changing too.

For Sarah's second birthday celebration (on the actual day she turns 6 is 1/31), we sang her the alternate birthday song that is a tradition in my family. She was very attentive, looking right at both of us and really listening. (Lyrics: Happy birthday, happy birthday, just for you. Happy birthday and may all your dreams come true. When you blow out the candle, one light stays aglow. That's the love light in your eyes where'er you go). Then she got to open presents. This was the most attentive and aware of the whole process she has ever been. She opened all of her presents and since it was close to bedtime we kept a slightly speedy pace. Even as she was interested in something she had just opened, when I said there was another present, she turned to the new present. She didn't try to rewrap things! Amy had a bit of a hard time with being jealous, which was a new experience for all of us to deal with. I expect we will have more such new experiences when it is Amy's birthday. I hope so. That would be so typical!

For the birthday celebration with some of her volunteers, Sarah was the one to start singing "happy birthday."

For one of Sarah's presents, Carl's mom made Sarah a pair of white pants with black seams. As some of you may know, this has been a fixation of Sarah's for a long time. She has said the phrase maybe a thousand times (or at least it felt that way). So I mentioned this to N. and a few days later a package arrived with said pants. I had been uncertain if whatever it was that Sarah visualized could be realized. It was! She is thrilled with her pants. Yay for N. making a dream come true!

I hope you are all wearing your dream pants.