We began today with an Easter egg hunt. Since there aren’t pre-made candy items that Sarah can have, the chocolate that I make can’t be out of the fridge too long or it might melt, and Sarah can’t have eggs, I hid plastic eggs (as I have in years past). This year I put slips of paper in the eggs as vouchers that the girls could use to get an extra episode of a tv show, an extra book reading, an extra snuggle, an extra chocolate shape, and extra kisses. In their baskets they also received store-bought applesauce pouches and fruit leather. Both items were consumed immediately. Then they began their day with chocolate shapes (as they begin most days with their chocolate treat so that it is out of their system by bedtime.) As with past Easters, Amy is the primary egg finder and Sarah finds a few. The vouchers had names so that each girl got the same things. Overall it was a success.
Instead of dying Easter eggs, this year I gave them fruit and veggie materials and they created food art. I cut apple slices to be vaguely egg-shaped and they had mashed avocado to paint with or use as glue. Sarah promptly said she was making an apple bagel with avocado cream cheese. I love her flexible creativity and pretending around foods she can’t have. Amy pretended it was apple toast. I made a bunny. Amy made a self-portrait. It was awesome. We have done the activity two days in a row and while no one has really tried new foods because of it, it is still a fun way to interact with food and then I don’t have to store the art!
When G. arrived on Friday we had a present to give him and Sarah had helped to wrap it. She gave it to him with no prompting from me and said, “for you.” This was significant because often she wants to open any present there is. Also with G., during their SR time she did some writing on the Boogie Board (electronic slate). She chose to write “BIG” and he asked if she wanted to write “little.” She wrote “LTTE” with no prompting of how the word was spelled. Wow.
Perhaps the most exciting thing for me this week was seeing a specialist in neuromuscular (trigger point) therapy and myofascial release. These are modalities that I do too but it is hard to work as effectively on myself, and this person knows many more specifics than I do. I think this is exactly the combination of work that I need. I have tried for years to use various kinds of bodywork to get to the bottom of my cluster headaches. I am super hopeful about combining this with my increased Alexander Technique self-work. Not only is the AT work increasing my awareness a ton so I catch myself more often when I tighten my muscles, especially around my head, but it is improving my AT teaching noticeably. My tiny whispers of headaches have been shorter and less frequent this week compared to last week (my goal is to be free of any traces of headaches for a whole month so I can come off the medications). I think my tension has been accumulating for years. The trigger point and myofascial work can help undo the now-ingrained tightness; the AT work can help me not create more tightness. (Caveat: I have been super hopeful about possible solutions in the past and none have been the answer so it is possible this isn’t quite it either. I do believe though that there is an answer out there and I will keep trying things until I am free of the beast. Hope does not hurt and this is my newest hope that I will pursue with full enthusiasm.) Yesterday I was resting (diligently un-working) and then Carl realized that when Sarah was in our enclosed back yard she had opened the gate and left the yard into the alley. She hadn’t gone anywhere but we still need to find a way to lock the gate so she can’t repeat such a move. What was most interesting was to feel my head go from totally at ease to being clamped in a vise grip as my thoughts went to fearful scenarios. Ah. Thus we see how I have been clamping my muscles around my head as my thoughts whirr. Time to breathe and let go. Perhaps a gift of these headaches will be to help me learn to be more present, as I notice it is to my detriment to be elsewhere.
May you all have delicious food creations, extra snuggles, and joyful hope.
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