I am always under stress lately. I mean, I know motherhood is one giant worry, but this is pretty bad.
Bede. We have an evaluation scheduled in April, as many of you know, and as it draws nearer I am recalling his life and his habits, to prepare for the history Dr. Mobley will be asking us about. In retrospect it is blindingly obvious that Bede is on the autism spectrum. Lining toys, spinning, no language and then/now gestalt language and echolalia, little to no referencing of other people for cues, stereotypical hand motions… and that doesn’t even begin to cover it. At all. It’s all very heavy to consider. Not crushing, and not tragic, but heavy. Heave a sigh heavy.
I have been trying to implement Floortime with Bede. To that end I have gotten a copy of the first RDI book, and it meshes nicely with what we are doing already. It has a very ‘cookbooky’ feel to it, and I think it will let Sean become more involved. They play together a lot and engage, but it’s mostly physical stuff. Which is great! but if Sean wants to do more, this isn’t as open-ended as the DIR/Floortime model and can be more readily picked up. (Are all the acronyms confusing enough?)
It is exhausting to consider. It is even more exhausting to implement. But implement it I will, because I think it is the best thing for my son.
And there are these other four children who need me. Right now I have fended off the youngest three with a Signing Time DVD (Candace I will mail yours this week, I am sorry!) and Faith and Abby are drawing in their room. This is a rare moment of no child need.
(Speaking of drawing, Faith and Abby are so good at it! I really need to scan in some of their art and show it off a bit.)
OK, moving on to the non-people front. Last night I happened to notice, with great indrawing of breath, that my basement is leaking. GASP. on my BOOKS.
I freaked out. I was wringing my hands. Sean fixed everything so it won’t get leaked on. Exhale.
It’s OK now.
And I really want to garden this year. Last year’s half-baked three plant garden was pitiful, truly. So I got All New Square Foot Gardening (great) and The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It (also great.)
Yeah.
I’m going to have time to build a homestead. And work a few hours a day with my autistic son. And tend to the other four. And keep the house clean and the mouths fed.
Yep. I’m considering giving up sleeping and eating to save time.
I’ll get back to you on that.