Hammock

We are gradually acquiring occupational therapy equipment for Anna at home. One thing that I was on the lookout for was a hammock. Being wrapped up as it, like a cocoon, calms her down. Being turned in it at the beginning of her o.t. sessions helps with any residual car sickness from the car ride.

Because texture and sameness matter to Anna, I tracked one down that was as similar as possible to the one used in her sessions. The colors are blue, turquoise, and green. Scott got advice on how to install the hooks in the cement ceiling, and we borrowed a heavy duty drill a couple days ago. Installation is set for next week, when Scott is back from his GBU weekend.

I was explaining to a friend in French about the hammock while Justin was nearby Sunday. I said that we were going to install it in her room and explained how it helps calm her. Justin immediately jumped in and asked how it could calm her and why it was going to be in her room. I explained and said he could use it if he wanted and that I didn't really want a hammock hanging in the middle of living room. (her large gym ball and exercise mat that have taken up residence there are necessary for now, but a hammock...) Justin expressed increasing bewilderment and frustration, and said there was no way that Anna would let him in her room to use it.

I didn't really get all the drama over a hammock...until...

Said quickly, hamac in French sounds a little like un Mac. As in...

My poor son thought that we were buying a new Mac for Anna, putting it in her room, with the hope that it would somehow, "help her calm down." Given the sibling relations this month, he wouldn't have had much access.

I still laugh every time I think of it.

He is totally fine with a hammock being in Anna's room. And if he wants one in his, we'll be sure to do that.

Forgotten in Puget sur Argens...

Since I last wrote about our weekly trip to Puget sur Argens, we had a couple easy trips and then others that have been borderline disastrous.

Two weeks ago, Scott went alone with Anna. I had parent teacher conferences with Justin's teachers that afternoon/evening. It had been a stormy week, with dangerous flooding in some areas, but there was no rain in Nice when they left. As they arrived in Puget sur Argens, they saw fewer cars on the road than usual, and there was no one at the office.

Turns out that there was a weather warning, and no one was to be on the roads. Our OT had lost her car in the flooding and was a little frazzled. So, Scott turned back towards Nice. Unfortunately, the promenade, which is the main road that runs alongside the sea, had closed because of enormous waves washing up from the beach. This backed up traffic so much that it took two and a half hours for them to get back.

The high point of their adventure was when they had to stop for a "bathroom" break for Anna along the promenade (before the part that was closed). There are three lanes of traffic, then a lane for parking, then the median, and then the traffic on the other side going in the other direction. So, they parked, Anna did her business, and they saw pebbles from the beach that had washed all the way onto the median--so over the beach front, the wide sidewalk, and the four lanes. Impressive. They collected a few as a souvenir.

Last week, the session was really difficult.  Anna was unable to do a new activity, and the rest of the session was a not too productive (I could write a whole post describing the whole thing, and 'not too productive' is an understatement). At least it was free because of the week before.

This week felt precarious. Anna was hesitant to go (Another understatement. Anna said she did not want to go, which was a vast improvement from a week ago when she said she was never, ever going back. Trying to be honest here...), but eventually all was well.

Until we got home. Scott was late to a church meeting because it had taken us an hour and a half to get back. So, I was trying to get Anna and all our stuff out of the car as fast as possible, and discovered that I did not have my purse. I had left it in the office.

I had the important things and light things sent, but my camera, which I almost always have with me, is taking a vacation in Puget sur Argens, as is my cell phone. And we don't have a session this week, so I have to wait till December to take pictures again.

Oh, and the basketball score for today--41 to 31, I think. They still lost, but did really well. It's improvement.

Tuesdays

Every week we will be taking Anna for an occupational therapy session from 4:30 to 5:30pm on Tuesdays.

Here's how it went yesterday.

Preparations: Sunday morning I realized that the car we usually borrow from friends at church wouldn't be available this Tuesday. Anna was still recovering from a bad cold, so she and I were not at church.   I called Scott after the end of the service to ask him to talk to the other friends who had offered their car for these appointments. He talked to them and made arrangements to pick up their car Tuesday afternoon.

Monday night, Scott put ice packs in the freezer in preparation for cold drinks in the car for the trip.

Tuesday morning, I wrote a note telling Anna's teacher that we would pick her up at 3:20. We had our first appointment two weeks ago, then the occupational therapist (OT) was in Paris last week. So, none of us is used to the schedule yet.

I forgot to get the note into Anna's backpack and had to call Scott since he took Anna to school Tuesday morning (they rode scooters) to ask him to tell the teacher. She said no problem.

Tuesday afternoon, we got out the cooler and bought store brand Orangina and store brand Pringles to help Anna get through the hour long car ride. Her last appointment didn't go well, and in addition to communicating some suggestions to the OT, we tried to think of ways to make the trip more pleasant. We packed up a bag with magazines, a notebook to draw in, and Justin's DS (cannot locate hers).

I put this drawing in to represent Anna's drink in the car. I like her choice of color for the drink and how small and cute the lemon is and how the ice cubes are all lined up.

We walked over to the church to get the car and found that the garage was blocked by another car. There is a mechanic next door who sometimes parks cars in front of our door, so Scott popped in to ask them to move the car while we pulled out. Unfortunately, it wasn't their car.

Fortunately, the driver of the car blocking us had not locked the door of his/her car, so Scott got in, put it in neutral, and with the help of two men at church, we pushed it out of the way. The guys put it back after we got out. Craziness. We drove over towards the school.

Here's a corner view of the church. The garage is way over to the right.

Here's a close-up of the door of the garage with the do not park in front sign clearly marked.

While Scott was stopped at a red light up the street, I ran in to the school to pick up Anna, still mostly on schedule. We wanted to get to the appointment early to allow Anna a little time to recover from the car trip. Unfortunately, Anna wasn't waiting in the office. Someone eventually went up to get her.

While I was waiting, the physical education teacher and the director of the school were talking in the hallway. The p.e. teacher told me about an incident with Anna involving her unwillingness to play American football (which I think is clever on her part; she tried to change places in line so she could play defense instead of offense). If she does it again, she'll miss five minutes of recess. I probably need to have the OT talk with him. The director confirmed a meeting that we have with her Friday afternoon. Finally, Anna came down. She had been painting a pebble after studying prehistoric cave art and had to clean up. Her pebble fell down and broke when she was cleaning up.

We had a few mishaps getting into the car--spilled drink, accidental wack in the head, store-brand Pringles not meeting expecations, and I think someone yelling at us for not moving the car off fast enough (Scott had circled the block several times while waiting; there is no place to park in front). But in the end, we drove off with relatively little drama given what we had all experienced up to this point.

The trip took exactly one hour. There are a few stops for tolls, but otherwise no stops once we are out of Nice. We rang the bell at the office at  4:30, which felt like a small miracle.

This represent all the dangers and barriers on the way to the OT appointment yesterday.

And there was no answer. This was the first time we had traveled without the phone number of the OT with us, so Scott went over to the pharmacy to get the number from a phone book.

While Anna and I waited outside, the OT drove up. She had been meeting with teachers at a nearby school and had gotten stuck in traffic.

The appointment itself went very well. Anna started by showing off her violin and what she learned during her group violin class at school earlier in the day. She was super cooperative; the activities were game-like, so she persisted even when fatigued. 

We discussed the weighted blanket. The jury's still out on how much it's helping, so we will pursue melatonin. It's difficult to get it here, but it works for lots of kids with sensory processing disorder. 

I had to rotate this photo as I took it upside down, then noticed the hearts.

Anna read and then fell asleep in the car on the way home. Scott dropped us off at seven, filled the car with gas, picked up Justin from basketball, and dropped the car off at church.

We are on a waiting list for an OT in a town closer to us; she said maybe in six months. Depending on where her office is located, we could take the bus or train. There is no one doing treatment for sensory processing disorder in Nice, so our Tuesdays will look like this (hopefully minus a few mishaps) for a while.

I think it feels especially crazy because we have lived without a car and have made an effort to keep kids' activities close by--as in walking distance--until now. This drive feels like we're going to the end of the world.