I love to listen to Elizabeth read with her new reading tutor. I love listening to the cadence of her reading and the way she is happy to read.
I especially love the last part because for the vast majority of her reading career, she has not loved it. She would read but it was always quite the effort for her and resulted in tears on her part and frustration on mine.
We have been blessed to find this reading tutor who started out in our world as Elizabeth’s driver to work.
Yep! Elizabeth has a driver who takes her to work and home on Friday and Saturday which are the days that she works at her catering job. It was not my idea to do this but rather our beloved therapist, Mary’s plan. Mary told me that with Elizabeth’s age, being with another person instead of mom to go to work is a good thing, a growth thing.
This beautiful person expressed an interest in driving Elizabeth. We knew her from some volunteering that Elizabeth had done. The thing I did not know was that she was a retired teacher. I started to suspect it when she told me that “I enjoyed talking with Elizabeth on the way to work today. She used great language to day and asked me some great questions too.”
Yep again! So I asked her if she might be interested in working on the reading goal we have for Elizabeth.
And there you have it. Our story. And the reason that this is such a big goal is that working those eye muscles in a functional way, goes hand in hand with the eye therapy work that she has been doing. It is like she trains her eyes with the therapy and then put them to functional work with the reading.
So that is why I love the sound of her reading and how much better she comprehends what she is reading.
Due a sick family member, we were unable to get to the appointment we had for her vision therapy this month and have moved it to mid February, but we are still doing the work at home just like always.
Elizabeth is still “on hold” for job in the dietary area at the nursing home in town. So as much as she wants to go for more training, we have to wait until the end of the month.
Something else that is pretty great to see is how much Elizabeth is enjoying going to see and help my mom who is in a nursing home in town. Elizabeth has been going one day a week and being there with my mom’s care person. I know how much it makes her feel good to be there.
I am proud of all she does and that she is proud of herself. Her brother spent the day with her and they had a blast. It was Michael’s words about his sister that really hit the mark. He said, Elizabeth is so easy and fun to be with… She steps over all the things we worry about and she is great with who she is.
I will take it.
I wish everyone a peaceful month.
Michele Gianetti