Amy is officially a rising sophomore! Freedom! She worked extra hard in the last couple weeks, as with every trimester finale with projects, papers, and presentations galore. She loves her school, but she is excited to have time to catch up on sleep and read books for fun.
Sarah completed her first week of camp through the St. Anthony Program with the other students attending the Duquesne program in the fall. She and I took the city bus to and from camp, noticing how every part of Pittsburgh seems to be under construction. She did have one meltdown that resulted in a call and email home, so Team Sarah is working hard to figure out how to support her such that she doesn’t have meltdowns at camp or school. That’s a big challenge, and yet she continues to expand her independent abilities so if anyone can figure this out it’s her and her team. (A team with a mama who sometimes feels very stressed about this big need that is not fully under mama’s control). What truly has impressed me about Sarah in the last couple of months is how she figured out her own antidote to the stress she feels when Amy uses the bathroom. While she used to yell and pound on the door, she now goes to the basement to vacuum or shred papers or take a shower. So, Team Sarah is brainstorming and talking with Sarah about the things she can do when stressed at school or camp. Anna made Sarah a pocket-sized booklet of pictures of Granddad, Tom, Daniel Tiger breathing through his anger, and various other pages to help Sarah regain her equilibrium. Sarah LOVES the booklet. She didn’t have it with her on the day of the meltdown, but it has traveled with her ever since, and her counselors know she has it so they can help her get it if need be.
Speaking of shredding paper, one night Sarah went down to the basement to do some shredding. We did not check on her as she had been managing well enough with emptying the full bin. We were surprised when she came upstairs with the bathroom trash can filled with shreds. She was going to dump it in the kitchen trash can. We went downstairs to discover a basement floor snowed in by shredded paper! Somehow she hadn’t seen or used the large black trash bag that was down there near her shredding station so she put shreds everywhere else. To her credit, later in the week she started vacuuming the shreds with our small vacuum. Carl got her set up to use the shop-vac and the basement floor is cleaner than before she started shredding!
After camp and school on Friday, we drove to Philly. On Saturday there was a memorial service for my stepfather, and it was really beautiful to honor and remember him in that way. I was able to appreciate him more fully than I had when he was alive. It was wonderful being with lots of family, including my brother (through the other half of my parents) who came to be extra support for Sarah if she needed it.
Sarah and Amy are very good at giving vitamin S and vitamin A to Mom-Mom to support her during this time, and always.
Recently my mom has had an adorable fawn hanging out in her yard some days. Yesterday we really wanted to see it, but it didn’t come to visit. Luckily, we did see a different kind of adorable young animal.
And this morning I got to see the fawn itself!
Wishing you whatever adorable support you need.
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