It is amazing to me how clearly I know I can continue to benefit from Alexander Technique lessons forever and yet somehow I had put the brakes on my Son-Rise continuing education and support. I know that after years of running Sarah-Rise I felt tired and done. The past few years I haven’t really put much energy into my short weekly SR time, which I wouldn’t even really call SR time. It was time that I was with Sarah and hoping we could get along ok but feeling relieved when she wanted to be on her own for a nap so I could fold laundry. This isn’t to say that I haven’t been thinking about how to support her further or that I haven’t continued to be amazed by her in varying ways. I just felt stuck and forgot just how helpful help could be. This past Monday I had another amazingly helpful consultation with Samahria. I felt re-energized and suddenly it was so clear that I wanted to retrain in the Son-Rise Program and to reread Raun Kaufman’s book Autism Breakthrough. Raun is THE son of Son-Rise. I have almost finished reading it and I have just started the online training program. My training the first time around was in person but now it is perfect to have an online option where I can go at my own pace. I have already remembered so many little things that I had forgotten and I am already seeing ripples through to how I am with Sarah and how she is with me. This isn’t to say we don’t have our tough moments, but I’m even holding those more gently. Just because I fall off my bike of how I want to be doesn’t mean I can’t climb right back on. I feel as if I started a marathon strong, ran a powerful first half, got tired and started walking, somehow thought the race was done, and now I have suddenly realized there is more of the course to traverse and that I can get as much help as I need. I absolutely think we can help Sarah more with her social interactions, language clarity, and stress reduction. I also think we can make math really fun. I think we can get past the yelling, screaming, banging, spitting, fake laughing and we can do so in a way that is loving and more fun for all of us.
Yesterday was a perfect day and that was even with some moments when Sarah and I weren’t having a good time together. I didn’t let those moments overshadow the day. I spent some time whenI felt like I was really in my SR energy and creativity in a way that I haven’t been in ages. I had forgotten what that could feel like and that it could be easy and fun and that I am good at playing. Really playing and working on goals through the play. It felt like turning on a light switch inside and everything I thought was out of stock was ready and waiting. Sarah wanted to do more electronics and I said no. She was very upset. I was truly calm. She got past her upset and I helped her set up for Ms. Sarah reads. This meant moving a chair in front of a door and draping a blanket over the door to be her backdrop. It was a plain blanket but she imagined stripes. As she read when she rushed and garbled her words I raised my hand like an eager student. When she called on me I said I hadn’t understood and asked her to read the words again slowly so I could get it. She did. I celebrated. We also did some “mouse mouse mouse” snuggle/tickle time, which has now morphed into “mice mice mice” and also involves me asking her how many rounds we will do, prefaced with an equation for her to solve. She does so with delight and a gleam in her eye. She doesn’t always get the right answer but that doesn’t matter! What matters is that we can have math be part of fun, connected play time.
Both Sarah and Amy practiced biking on rough terrain. Sarah is using the bike as a balance bike and is getting pretty good at it. On a side note, Sarah has traveled the length of California on her Zwift stationary bike. Amy is practicing hills and turns. Amy also helped her doll Ella learn to ride. Carl did a long mountain biking ride and I went for a long walk. Then we all (mostly Carl) worked on building a fire pit and enjoyed hot dots and s’mores. The weather was ideal. It was just a perfect day at which to marvel and in which to revel, which we did.
Earlier in the week the girls had wonderful two hour SR/babysitting sessions with two of our amazing people. With Sc there was a time when Amy was playing the ukulele and Sarah was singing into a plastic ice cream scoop microphone. The song was “Shake, shake, shake my piggie bank.” I don’t know who made it up or if it comes from a show. With A. the girls got set up with the sprinkler in the back yard. A. got in their swimsuit too and Carl served as A’s arms to turn on the water. I will always marvel at these amazing people in our lives and how much love and creativity flows into our house, continuing in an unexpectedly effective way during this pandemic quarantine phase.
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