November 15: Magic Academy, Waiting, and Progress

Each weekday morning Amy got ready for Magic Academy and some days Sarah joined her for the bus ride on our porch swing or for the walk (fly?) around the block to get to school. Each weekday morning Sarah also spent some time whining, screaming, and crying for Anna to arrive. Sometimes I handled it calmly and supportively. Other times I didn't. We have made an adjustment to the Thursday timing which used to be 10-6. From now on, until I finish teaching my Thursday afternoon class, it will be 9-5. Waiting until 10 was just interminable, but waiting until 9 will match the other days, and at the end of the day Sarah doesn’t seem to mind saying goodbye to Anna and finding other things to do.

Yesterday the kids had a zoom with Mom-Mom, who commented to me afterward that Sarah’s attention and clarity of speech were notably improved. I have also noticed her clarity and communication are clearer for portions of a weekly family zoom with Grammy and Granddad. Sometimes it is hard to come to terms with how much her progress now isn’t due to anything I’m doing. I remind myself that just as I would happily refer a massage client out if I thought someone else could do more effective work, I am referring out to Anna as someone who can do more effective work. I also know that once I do things regularly or know things regularly then they become invisible to my own assessment. So short daily sessions of “tiny tiny” and “tick tock” may seem like nothing but may be important in the big picture of Sarah’s progress. 

Sarah’s “tick tock goes the very big clock” has become hilarious when she is on my bed swinging her legs back and forth with such velocity we both say “whoa!” as she nearly falls off the bed. Then she moves her arms and legs rapidly like a bug on its back when she is going “ticky ticky ticky ticky ticky ticky tock” as the small clock. Mostly I am the one to say the words, at her request, while she moves herself. 

Sarah’s newest love is the smoosh her nose into Anna’s nose or Carl’s. She would also like to smoosh into my nose but I don’t like it at all. I will happily accept her chin presses into my head forever because they feel amazing to me, whereas Carl doesn’t like chin presses at all. It’s a good thing we all have different preferences and skill sets.