The weather forecast for this weekend is supposed to be good. Partly cloudy, mid 60�s to 70 degrees. Which is great, because on Saturday we�re going to a picnic sponsored by P�s employer. Well, since the weather is supposed to be so nice � and I say supposed to be nice, because you wouldn�t know it by what it�s doing outside right now � we decided to tempt fate and turn our little Saturday outing into an overnight thing by renting a yurt! Looks to me like a round sort of teepee, but with beds and a heater. If the weather turns around, this should be fun.
********************Clearly, if we are to be a part of the solution to this problem, then we have to do our part, right? To that end, and at P�s fervent urging, we have decided to arrange for K to have some private swimming lessons. The kid needs to learn to swim. She�s not going to learn on her own, and since it�s a physical activity, it is not a priority to her mother. She�d never commit to taking her to the pool twice a week. It might interfere with choir practice or something. Anyway. We can arrange for a swim instructor to teach K to swim privately, on our schedule (if it fits in with the instructor�s schedule too.) So, every other Saturday when K is with us, she�s going to the pool (hopefully). Or maybe on Friday nights. But she will be going. It�s expensive as hell ($22.50 per half-hour lesson), but we think it�s necessary. The child has no confidence in her abilities, and it doesn�t matter how much we encourage her, or try to teach her, or tell her that she can do it, she�s great, and capable, and strong enough, we think if she gets it from someone we�re paying an enormous amount of money to, then it might sink in. The goal in all this is to get her to a point where if she has to swim to save herself, she can do it. If she falls off the boat, or in some other way finds herself in deep water, then she�ll know what to do, and have the confidence to do it. And also, when she goes to the pool with us as a family, she�ll be able to swim and play with the older kids in the deep end, like I know she wishes she could. And maybe jump off the diving board! And just have a good time in the water, like kids her age should. Not. Be. Afraid.
And who knows? Maybe, just maybe, mastering this one thing will be a springboard to other things she (says) she has no interest in now. Like soccer, or volley ball, or anything that would challenge her physically. Personally, I think the kid�s afraid of failure. Her mother has her convinced that she�s frail and vulnerable because of her seizures. Which has made it mighty convenient to be lazy. Not in my house, kiddo! You�ve got a little sister to keep up with, and she doesn�t take no for answer!
It�s a start. She has to start somewhere, right? We just love her so much, and we want her to be a regular, active kid!
********************To make things a tad more challenging, K has reached puberty early. She�s only 10 and a half, but she just started her period. We could see this coming for the past year or so. The onset of puberty is what triggers the particular type of seizures she has. The good side to it is that her seizures should end now. But it must be awfully hard for a 5th grader � probably the only girl in her class so far � to have to deal with periods. She�s only had one so far, but there�s no turning back now. This is the life of a female for the next 40 years or so. I wish she didn�t have to deal with it at such a young age. I wish we didn�t have to deal with it yet. And I hope it doesn�t become yet another excuse for not doing things.
********************I�m off work today, but will be very busy. I�ve got to get our stuff ready to go for our adventure tomorrow, do some more laundry, do the shopping. And I�ve started on my great-niece�s baby blanket. I went to visit my niece last weekend, and oh my gosh, she looks so cute. She�s 6 months pregnant (hard to believe how fast it�s going). She�s got that round basketball tummy thing going, and it�s just so cute. We went shopping and bought her a bunch of maternity clothes for fall and winter, including bras and underwear. I hope she�s set up now. I also took with me much baby clothing and gear, which she was grateful to receive. So baby is getting a special blanket from Auntie. It�s going to be super cute.
That�s it for now!
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