It feels as though things have been in flux for quite a while since this shift in pace. Now our family is at a point where new things are beginning to appear on the horizon. And it is exciting. The new things that are happening are many, so I will try to be brief and dedicate more detailed posts in the future to some of the things I am about to mention.
First, our whole family is starting to get into a reasonable routine. We are spending more quality time together, eating more meals at the table, doing things that could be easily taken for granted. Wednesday night is now game night at our house. I think Operation has been the most fun yet. Friday night is movie night, usually Star Wars and popcorn, with Donnie wielding his well-earned light saber and David taking in all the theatrics. We have been able to get our family to church more and more, and even though we may not make it through an entire mass, I am grateful that we can all be there together.
Donnie's time has become more structured, with a sticker chart/monthly calendar, daily schedule, weekly gymnastics and this fall, twice a week preschool. He is all potty trained now and becoming even more independent. He is full of personality and creativity. Lately his favorite thing to do is take his toy guns with him and "shoot hogs" from the car. Donnie also told us he wants to be a chef. The kid can already scramble eggs and sauté!
David has been getting more rest and play and time to just be David. He gets to have outside time and we take in all the details...sights, sounds, tastes, textures and smells. I still use a simple form of facilitated communication with him and he can tell me his likes, dislikes, wants and needs. This is great, but what is even better is that he is expressing himself facially and with his voice. Last I updated, David would occasionally smile, but now they are more frequent and he can LAUGH! It is the best to see him laugh. Right now I am focusing on helping him bring an awareness to his own body, after reading "Kids Beyond Limits" by Anat Baniel.
David now has an OTC carseat and stroller (because we are still waiiiiitingggg on the medical grade equipment). He can now ride in his carseat easily. In fact, David and I went on our first solo drive together last week. This has been hugely liberating, as it frees us to get out of the house more. Now I can take both boys with me by myself instead of planning in advance for someone to help man the backseat. If an emergency should occur and I am alone with the boys, I have peace of mind knowing I can get out of the house with them safely. I should dedicate an entire post to how um, did I mention, just LIBERATING, it is?
We have found our third nanny, Myrian, and she is great. She lives here in Katy with her husband and two lovely teenage daughters. The boys just love her and it is easy to see why. She is gentle and understanding with them and plays with them. I cannot stress enough the importance of play. Play is learning for all of us, not to mention it is just plain fun. And our family needs lots of fun.
As for me, I have time to shower and eat regularly. The boys help me cook and garden. I have gotten more time in my studio. In January I painted a commissioned portrait of 36 students for a local school charity. Jeremy and I are going on a weekly date and we have started jogging together out on the bayou. Jeremy is happy that I am supporting him in his decision to begin law school this fall too. This June, we will take David to California to have sessions with Anat Baniel and her associates. Later that month we are planning on going on our first vacation as a grown-up married couple in four years. We are heading to Jamaica. Doesn't seem real yet!
Sometimes I feel like I should have had time since all this to feel more rested, but the irony is, I feel more tired sometimes. I'm not in the mode of pushing myself hardcore until crazy hours of the night, oblivious to everything except checkmarks on a dry-erase board. There is time to recognize just how much stuff is going on at once and there is also time for emotions to creep in that need recognition. Processing everything that has happened and then sometimes unnecessary guilt for not going a million miles an hour constantly...again, a whole other post.
As our family gets into a groove, I am ready (I think) to get back to updating the Jones Family Blog. That is all for now. :)
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