Mini Getaway

 Our caregiver took a week off so to ease the balance of taking care of the girls while working, we took two days of the week off and headed to my parents for an escape to the woods and river. 

We took a trip into downtown Tipp City, which I’m not sure I’d been to since maybe my 20s? We enjoyed seeing a few shops and played in the town playground. 

The second day we got on the river for the 3rd year in a row. This year Nora and I shared a double kayak. Nora did a great job helping paddle - soon she’ll be able to maneuver on her own! 

The Parents Are All Stressed

For those who don’t have children in school, it’s the only subject any parents can talk about for the past month. 

It’s been very stressful - more so with a child who has interventions / IEP.

Our district decided on offering 5 days in person or all remote learning. We decided on remote for various reasons:

• health
• stability/consistency (with infections and symptoms, people will be in and out and the school could shut down quickly)
• we stay “clean” to continue seeing grandparents and extended family
• we stay “clean” to play with other kids who are doing remote in the neighborhood

However. Spring remote therapies was a bust. I had to schedule them into my already busy work schedule and small kids just can’t hang. PT was okay. Speech was fairly okay. But OT just isn’t possible remotely - that was all on us to facilitate. 

Our district netted about about 80% going back in person 5 days a week, 20% remote. 

Leading up, there has been a lot of complaining, impatience, emails, etc. - all from parents of course. 

Our entire district learned at 2pm last Friday that school is being delayed a week. Teachers were not prepared - they have been learning updates the same time parents have - ! They have been told they are teaching remotely right before the deadline hit, people are already switching over to remote learning before in-person started - it’s already been a mess. Frankly, I feel more time and planning has been spent on getting kids in school versus a solid remote plan. And why not, right? Schools get state funding by how many are enrolled :: sigh ::

We did learn a few weeks ago that our summer caregiver is taking the year off from her Early Education major - it was supposed to be a student teaching year. SO - that’s good news - she will be sticking with us to manage Hannah’s remote learning and transporting her to and from therapies. Although this wasn’t in our budget, and we’ll have to tighten up, it will be worth our sanity. 

Nora will be setting up shop with Tim and I in our bedroom “office.” Whenever this pandemic is under control and we get to leave this bedroom, I’m giving it a full makeover so it feels fresh and wash memories of working from home here. 

We received their schedules on the Friday before remote learning starts. Hannah’s therapies are all scheduled. Chromebooks are set up. Let’s roll. 

Wish all parents good luck and be gentle with us - emotions will be high! 

New Dentist, Same Result

I tried out a new pediatric dentist last week, a little farther away - it’s a larger practice with more rooms, even a “sensory” room. Our visit was merely an exam, not a cleaning. 

I had my phone ready with Hannah’s favorite show, but we still went through the same sh*t. 

Let me go over what we’ve tried practicing with Hannah:

• Electric toothbrush against her skin
• OT exercises to get her comfortable with hands in her mouth
• Laying down and counting her teeth
• Dentist visit books
• Dentist visit videos

Hannah was cooperative at first... we hung out in the parking lot until a staff member escorted us in. They took our temps and we walked through the office. We came to a room and Hannah immediately was reluctant to even get up in the chair. 

I got her up in the chair and she FOUGHT to lay back. 

The dentist, myself and the hygienist tried out best to no avail. The dentist said Hannah needs to first practice just laying down in the chair - which is the most vulnerable position which is probably why Hannah fights it so much. AHA! No one has ever explained that to me. 

Tim took Hannah to a 2nd “Happy Visit” and she did a bit better, but did lay back for a second and let the hygienist show her the tools and look in her mouth a bit. 

I want to continue regular Happy Visits. A gal at the front desk made some comment about “Oh after one Happy Visit, kids are usually good.” I wanted to give her the biggest eyeroll. It’s not that simple, lady. 

I’m hoping with monthly Happy Visits, we can get to an actual cleaning in January.

Hannah's Cardiology Appt 2020

We originally had Hannah’s annual Cardiology appt in mid-April but clearly was rescheduled for last week. 

We tried practicing our masks with her, but when we arrived at Children’s, she was not having it. 

Foot traffic was diverted to multiple screening lanes. We had to wipe out hands down with antibac gel, grab a disposable mask if you did not have your own, then have our temps taken. Thankfully the staff understands small children (and those who may have sensory issues or developmental delays) can’t tolerate masks. 

Hannah’s echo always takes the longest - close to 30-40 minutes. There were twinkle lights on the ceiling and Paw Patrol on the TV. So between that and constant song-singing, she did great. 

Her EKG was fast then Dr. Hanke came in by himself - typically the Cardiologists have 1-2 fellows with them. Dr. Hanke said Hannah’s valve leakage is a touch more and her left ventricle has very slight narrowing. Not super news, but nothing to be alarmed. If these trends continue, she could (!!) need another repair - heaven help us. 

I messaged Dr. Hanke later after mulling over the appointment. he reassured me that the odds of Hannah needing another repair are extremely low and that these regurgitations tend to ease over time.

As A Working Parent During A Pandemic

This article about being a working parent during this time really made me feel seen. 

“Let me say the quiet part loud: In the Covid-19 economy, you’re allowed only a kid or a job.”

Vacation Week 2020

Well, we were supposed to have four days last week at the Dreamore Resort and check out Dollywood. I cancelled that early on during the pandemic 😢

And you know what you do for vacation during a pandemic with two kids? Not much. 

Monday morning last week we hit the Cincinnati Nature Center down the road. It was beautiful and in the upper 60s. Tim, Nora and I wore our masks and pulled them up whenever passing someone on the trail. Hannah has a mask, but we haven’t practiced with her yet. 

Finally lost some more! Two in three days.

I got my haircut for the first time in 3 months. Those with short hair understand how long that is. I typically get it cut on average every 7/8 weeks. It was amazing taking a drive and being on my own for about an hour or so. The salon was taking all precautions and I everyone wears a mask at all time. No hairwashing and very little blowdrying. The hardest part were the hair clippings that were stuck in my mask. It does feel great to have a fresh cut again. 

We met up with another pandemic-conservative family at a park and creek-stomped with them. 

We visited both Grandparents and did enter homes - it has just become too hot. 

We also spent a lot of time outdoors - we are now the owners of four - yes four - blow up pools and one large splashpad. Hannah now stays pretty occupied with the water table and pool by simple transferring water from Point A to Point B. And Tim and I can sit! That’s pretty nice. 

We accomplished a LOT of painting; the entryway had been a “Tuscan Gold” and we went medium gray from the entry, up the stairwell, and into the 2nd floor hall. We still have enough paint to do the stairwell to the 3rd floor! 

We bought paint from Sherwin Williams because I refuse to go into Lowes - too crowded and too many people flexing their “freedom” to not wear a mask. I knew we would pay more for the paint, but it was worth being the only person in the shop. 

I had a friend over whose son has DS - we had a drink on the back deck. It was so nice to see a friend face-to-face.  

My friend made a good point - with a pandemic in place and many vacations cancelled, there’s nothing to look forward to! I’m already looking at cabins for Fall Break (in October) just to have some sort of getaway this year. 

Law Enforcement & Disabilities

One third to a half of those who die at the hands of law enforcement have some type of disability (Runderman Foundation, 2016).

Ethan Saylor was a 26 year old man with Down syndrome who died by asphyxiation after an encounter with law enforcement in 2013. His mother, Patti, still fights to change the way law enforcement personnel are trained when encountering people like Ethan.

Law enforcement often encounters people with developmental disabilities - like autism or Down syndrome - in high-stress situations, with little or no training at all. 

Police training programs nationwide spend, on average, 168 hours teaching officers about use of force, weapons and defensive tactics, according to the most recent statistics from the Justice Department. That compares with only 10 hours spent on mental illness, for example.

People with intellectual disabilities may have trouble processing orders. They may struggle to follow directions or manage emotions. I should know, I’m raising a child with Ds who is extremely stubborn and doesn’t always want to follow directions.

“It's not always noncompliance. It's not always resistance. Sometimes it's inability. The officer very often will perceive that inability as a refusal.”

My local Miami Township Police take part in a program called Take Me Home - residents registered their loved on who has a developmental or cognitive disability. While this program is mainly to help those who may be lost or in an emergency situation, I have goals to follow up to see what steps are being taken locally to train officers in mental health & disability encounters.

One Mother’s Battle to Change Police Training on Disabilities

Half of people Killed Police Have A Disability

Distant Memorial Day Weekend

While we are still taking Covid-19 seriously, we did finally step away from our home and into some backyards this Memorial Day weekend. It felt nice and “normal” while still keeping our distance and outdoors where the risk is lower.

Saturday afternoon we spent a little time in my in-law’s back yard. The girls played and swung while we all sat/stood around for about an hour or so. It was the first place our girls have been since school closed on March 16th. 

On Sunday we made a reservation at the Cincinnati Nature Center - it’s open to members only at this time and it was really great - very few people and since the Playscape and center are closed, we finally walked on a trail 😆

We had a little kiddie pool time in the yard, then cleaned up for Tim’s nephew’s graduation “party.” My SIL was very creative and among the few people invited, we signed up for time slots to avoid a crowd - which I know I appreciated. The gathering stayed outdoors. Nora probably talked nonstop since, again, she’s seen no one for so long, she was so excited. 

Afterwards, we picked up some Dewey’s curbside carryout, then had a group friend Zoom chat that evening. 

Monday we had more kiddie pool time and took it easy. 

It was a good weekend that felt partially social but in a safe manner. 

Quarantine Week 8/9 + Mother's Day

Nothing major of note for week 8 of quarantine. 

We had Hannah’s IEP/Kinder transition meeting via Zoom on back in the first week of May. It was fairly straightforward and I’m just a mix of emotions about it. I was already nervous because Hannah is leaving our beloved preschool, but we didn’t make the lottery for full day at our “home” elementary and were offered a full day place at another district elementary, which we took. 

The new specialists, principal, and teacher were incredibly nice. I just wonder if Hannah will even step foot in a school for her Kinder year. There’s no way kids are going back to full time school in the fall with nearly all scientists watching for a 2nd wave of C-19 to come. 

So if Hannah doesn’t even walk into the elementary for the 20-21 school year, it’s almost as if we could have attended our own “home” elementary... if that makes any sense. 

Also - I better not pay for full day Kinder with this coronavirus around! Ha! 

Mother’s Day weekend was lovely. I got to plant flowers and spread mulch. 

Quarantine Weeks 6 & 7

Week 6 and 7 were much better than Week 5. No emergency vet trips, coworkers are a bit more understanding of parents’ situations, so we were in a better place. 

Nora still hates doing her schoolwork at home. It’s a struggle to get her to do one hour - which is all it takes. And she’s smart - she can do it all, she just doesn’t want to. 

The weather has been mostly good which is helpful - lots of sun-filled walks and runs. I’m grateful for a grassy, wooded lot for exploration. We found four new trees growing in our yard! 

This past Saturday was amazing - high of nearly 80. I was able to call in a flower order at our local greenhouse, pay over the phone and pick up. Spent all day outside. We had deliveries from two local breweries 😄Saturday we picked up food from a 3rd brewery. 

Unfortunately all Saturday while driving to our food, people just don’t seem to care about public health. Lack of distancing, nearly zero masks anywhere. The general attitude is selfish and “personal freedom” trumps public health teamwork. It just makes me sad and scared. I truly think there will be a rise in infections by mid-May. I understand it’s hard, especially when the weather becomes nicer, but Ohio’s shelter-in-place is still in effect. 

For God’s sake, people.

That’s not 6' apart.

My office is slowly getting people back in this week (voluntary)... of twenty employees only about five have said they’ll go back. Our desks have to move further apart. We can’t even have meetings anymore, nor sit in the kitchen space. It’s nearly pointless. 

Our school-offered summer camp has been cancelled. One of the college girls who worked there has babysat for our girls and I jumped weeks ago to see if she’d be available to help us this summer and she is. She has been in quarantine this entire time and we trust her. It’s not ideal, but it will be a massive help to Tim and I with our workloads. We can only afford to have her about 6hrs a day, so Tim and I will have to stagger our schedules a bit. Our employers are fairly understanding that parents have a lot of hard logistics during this pandemic. 

Trying to keep my eyes ahead; we have two great jobs, our health, food on the table and a roof over our head. We are doing well, and trying to keep balanced.