This update is brought to you by the letter C. C for Covid. C for construction. C for car. C for cuttin’ a rug.
Sarah didn’t have school on Monday because of President’s day, but she did have the sniffles so I tested her for Covid and that is what she had. Before testing her I had napped with her, our foreheads touching! And yet, miraculously, I continue to test negative. Sarah was quarantined through Friday and we all masked. Luckily her only symptoms were congestion and a bit of a cough in response to the congestion. She was heartbroken to miss school, especially her bus rides, but otherwise she handled the week well and enjoyed multiple naps per day.
There has been a ton of construction going on in our neighborhood lately as the city replaces lead water pipes. Wednesday night when I got home from seeing a client (masked of course), there was hardly anywhere to park because of all the cones and people from other streets parking on my street. I thought it would be a great idea to save the few remaining spots for other people while I parked in our backyard and charged my car. I didn’t realize that the next morning before I needed to leave for teaching, our street and alley would be packed with construction vehicles so that asking them to move so I could retrieve my car really didn’t make sense. No problem, I thought, I’ll just walk a few blocks away and get an uber. I wasn’t thinking about how my phone only seemed to have SOS mode, so that when I tried to summon an Uber, I couldn’t. As I quickly retraced my steps to take Carl’s car and make him bus to his destination, I saw a neighbor friend and called a hello to her. She asked how I was and I ranted about my situation. I wasn’t expecting a solution, but she offered that I could take her car! As I have noted many other times in my life, it really works out well in surprising ways to share the details of my problems with others.
Sarah’s school allowed her to attend the semi-formal dance last night even though she had missed school on Friday. I know some schools have rules about such things so I was relieved she could attend because she was really looking forward to it. The flyer for the dance gave specific rules about how to dress, including that girls must wear dresses (not too short or tight or with holes). They said we could submit a picture if we weren’t sure something would be ok. I sent a picture of Sarah wearing a brushed velvet long-sleeved white shirt with black dress pants. I explained that she is really not a dress-wearing kid. They said her pants and top would be fine. Looking back on that, I imagine the person I emailed must have wanted to laugh at my concern because clearly she was presentable and nothing was too tight or too short. They also clearly weren’t enforcing any of the rules. I attended the dance because I knew Sarah might want to leave early and to be her support person if needed. I was that old fuddy-duddy mom being shocked at kids these days!. The tightness! The shortness! The sunglasses in a room so dim I could barely get a good picture! The music that was too loud and un-danceable!
Before the dance Sarah and her friends met at one friend’s house for pizza and extra dancing and pictures while the parents enjoyed hanging out too. I feel so lucky to be part of this group. Sarah now has a group of friends! She really belongs! In a way I didn’t know was missing until we had it. Seeing her at a table with her friends at the dance warmed my heart to no end. And seeing them all greet each other and enjoy being together is beyond compare. I also now feel like I have a parent group pertaining to Sarah that I haven’t really had before. As I was the only parent at the dance, it was fun to text the others updates about what was happening. Our girls were the first on the dance floor! And there were times they held hands to dance in pairs or a circle. This is so much a dream come true. A dream that I didn’t let myself even notice because it truly would have been ok if it didn’t happen. But oh how wonderful to feel like maybe Sarah has a group that could be her group for the next few years and maybe beyond.
Yesterday was a big day because before the dance we went to Chuck E. Cheese to meet the local Higgy friends so Amy could hang out with other kids with scoliosis. Amy had a great time and even got to see her Schroth therapist who showed up as a surprise for all of them, having worked with most of the kids. Sarah had a great time too, mostly watching other kids and games. There is so much flashing sensory input I always feel a tiny bit worried about her having a seizure in the evening, which I also worried about given the lights at the dance, but thankfully all was well. I enjoyed talking with the other parents, one of whom I hadn’t met before but we realized that Amy and I were always leaving Schroth appointments as she and her son were arriving! Carl is away on a skiing trip with friends so he was not part of our big day, but was having a beautiful day of his own. Since he is away, Amy went to friend's house for a sleepover last night because Sarah and I were out late. The sleepover had a theme of Hunger Games and a good time was had by all.
A week ago I deleted my massage website. I had a tiny pang, as I do with many moments of realizing that chapter is over, but it’s not a pang of wanting to continue. It’s more a pang of farewell to a thing that used to be more meaningful for me, but isn’t my thing anymore. The timing was notable, without my even intending it to be so. Two days after I deleted my massage website, Websy Daisy began creating my website for Watching Sarah Rise. Eventually it will have links for pre-ordering the book, but I don’t have those yet. I do however have a finalized cover! And you can see that on the website. I absolutely love my cover. It is a picture we took of Sarah, but the publisher tweaked the lighting.
Love and health to all of you.
https://www.watchingsarahrise.com
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