Happy Spring to everyone!
We, in Ohio, are struggling to get the temperature up and into the spring like range for more than a day or two and it has made us feel like winter is back…again and again. This has made us be in a bit more than we would like which is not great but, in a way, has allowed us to keep our routines about the same.
Because we all know that the change in seasons, brings changes in routines and schedules especially the big one which is the transition from school year schedules to summer.
The glorious word…SUMMER!
For our kids it is such a shiny, beautiful word, to them it is all about not being in school, no work, playing and relaxing.
For us adults, it means a total switch of life. I have to say, I absolutely love summer. I love my kids home and I am the weird adult who gets teary eyed when they head back to school.
Now with that being said:
Does the switch to summer make me a bit nervous…YES!
Does the switch to summer create planning work prior…. YES!
Does the switch to summer require organization….. YES, YES, YES!
And I have learned that all the above questions are multiplied when you are doing this for a child who has special needs.
I have learned that the earlier that you plan things the better. I know that there were times I thought There…. I picked the camp Elizabeth was going to go to, I feel great. Only to find out that I called too late, and they were filled up. So earlier calling is way better.
I also learned that you need to have a Plan B, C D and E – I learned this the hard way, that you really should have a plan for when your plan doesn’t work or is changed. Because summer vacations for therapists, caregivers, companions and even camps that change schedules mid-way can absolutely throw your plans into a tizzy. So, finding those other plans to fit the changes, makes me feel like I have options when I need them.
To the point above I learned to ask everyone about their vacations early – I would ask our therapists and companions if they knew when they were going out of town or taking time off, so that I could better prepare Elizabeth and her schedule. Knowing this as early as possible helps so much.
With all this being said, I just flipped the calendar into May last night. I organized the new month because I always tuck in notes and appointment cards into each month so that flipping the calendar is an act of catching small bits of papers that fly out and organizing the month based on what those little bits of paper tell me we are doing. Anyway, as I did this, I realized it is MAY!!!! and that I am running a bit late on my own summer organization advice!
Elizabeth and I will be needing to talk about how she wants to do her summer, does she want tutored (always a work in progress), does she want to add a day at her one job? Does she know that her other job will be on hiatus for 2 weeks?
Yep! We have some work to do. I love that she can talk it through with me and make her own choices, but it is something that we need to do and according to my own advice, something I need to do, well NOW!
So guess what we will be doing this week?
And on the eye therapy front? She is still LOVING the eye exercises, but I can see that some are such work that she asks the infamous words “Can I be done?” To which I say “Your have 3 more or 2 more to go”
I am intrigued about this particular one that is creating this response but maybe it is doing good work for her. We head there in late May for our next appointment, and I will let you know how it goes.
I wish everyone a peaceful month and good luck planning.
Michele Gianetti