Waiting Room

We shared the waiting room at the pediatric hearing clinic Tuesday with some lovely families & precious children!

A couple walked in with two brothers. (The couple are not related to the boys, and didn't know Mom's phone number.) They had come from 30 miles away. Big brother looked 8 or 9, and he could not hear the receptionist to answer her questions, but she joyfully assured him that he would be getting hearing aids that day!! Little brother told me that his brother had had them previously but they had broken.  Thank God for the couple who served them that day by bringing them to the appointment.  

Mom and grandma came with a 25 day old baby for hearing test. So precious! And can we just thank God for the technology He has allowed audiologists to understand?!

A mom & dad came in with a toddler and a baby in an infant seat set in a stroller. It was an exciting day, as the baby was there to get hearing aids that day!

Every day in our nation (& around the world, though sadly they may not have access to these services) babies are born with hearing loss. Thank the Lord for newborn hearing screening, audiologists, ENTs, aural rehab therapists, early intervention, hearing aid & cochlear implant companies (that continue to improve their equipment), speech therapists, and schools for deaf & hard of hearing kiddos! 

Meeting other friends with "ears"

Today is hearing clinic day, so it's only appropriate I tell a relative story from a few weeks ago. 

I was at a swim meet on a Saturday morning, standing behind a table, working medals with a few other moms.  A lady walked in with her son who was pushing a stroller with her grandson in it. The lady stopped to talk with one of the other moms working medals. 

And as they talked, my eyes were drawn to the baby. Such an adorable 8 month old! And I noticed that the baby has a BAHA (bone anchored hearing aid), so I mentioned it to Grandma and Dad. "Oh! He has a BAHA! That's wonderful!" 

Grandma was full of questions, and our conversation was up and running.  We discussed Early Intervention, cochlear implants, all the therapies available, LING sound testing, early childhood education options, the difference (& political nature - & divisiveness) between ASL (American Sign Language) & LSL (Listening & Spoken Language). And we exchanged phone numbers. Since then, I continue to pass on resources for their family that might best help them in their journey of helping this precious little one learn to listen and speak. 

As they continued in to the pool area to watch a family member swim, I said in parting, "Expect typical listening & speaking!" Grandma was a little taken aback, but also showed glimmers of hope!

Once your child has hearing aids, you become a de facto ambassador for all things hearing! 

Posts that back that up: 

My tribe

Our tribe

Waiting room tribe

Once and done

I often think of the adoption information meeting I attended one Saturday afternoon years ago in a city near us.  I mistakenly thought it was about adoption in general, but it was about adopting from China. I decided to stay, since I had driven all the way there, especially since there was only one other couple in attendance.  And I figured I would probably learn something.   

The presenter explained the definition of special needs adoption as being on a spectrum from medically fragile to hearing loss, and added, "If the child has hearing loss, you get hearing aids, and it's once and done." 

I am here to say respectfully that there is nothing once and done about it.  Infants require new molds to be made frequently for new ear molds. (And then when the mold is returned from the factory, it requires an appointment with audiology to fit the mold to the hearing aids.) The mold tubing can break.  The child's hearing can change, so there are frequent hearing tests to stay on top of that.  

BK was always good at letting us know when a battery died, and by the time he was 3 1/2, he was changing his own batteries (with supervision). 

He graduated to rechargeable hearing aids just after he turned 6, and started keeping them in his room, putting them in his charger at night and in his ears in the morning. 

(He also had 6 or 7 years of speech therapy and he - and we - had 3 years of commuting 70 miles to school.)

At 9 he graduated to hearing aids with domes instead of molds (this is the more invisible type).  But with technology comes technological glitches. 

When we travel, I take a hearing aid troubleshooting bag along with our first aid bag. 

I cannot count the number of times I have shipped a hearing aid to the pediatric audiology clinic to be repaired or (more frequently) to be shipped back to the manufacturer for repair or replacement.

One was in for repairs for a few weeks, and then we were gone 10 days.  When we got it back, we discovered it needs to be reprogrammed. We attempted a remote programming appointment, but the app wasn't working.  That required a 70 mile (one-way) trip for an appointment in-person.  

Hearing loss is not once and done. It's a lifetime of appointments, strategies, and potentially anxiety.  One morning in church, BK said he wished there were a laser pointer so he would know what words the congregation is singing at that moment. :( 

Last Long Weekend of 25-26 School Year

Monday was our last day off school in the 25-26 school year. I can't even count how many long weekends we had. A LOT! 

LM slept until 10.30, so I had a good chunk of time to work on my to-do list without being interrupted (or ignoring her). 

I had a long boring to-do list with the stuff of life:

• sweep kitchen 
• change the battery for my van fob
• change the battery for an air tag
• update a medical provider
• call the pharmacy to renew a prescription
• answer an email re my mom
• mail a birthday card
• call the bank
• email someone else
• cancel a Subscribe & Save order I had for my mom

It felt good to get things done, and to pack a lunch for BK (who spent the day working at Grandpa's and on the farm). 

Around 2, LM & I set out on our errands ... post office, library, drive to town, pick up eyeglasses, speech clinic, Aldi. We were home by 5.15, and I was tired. 

Did I feed my family well today? Not really. 

Did I do laundry? No.

Did I do dishes? Yes.  

Did I love God & the people in my life? I hope so. 

Schedule Adjustments

Second shift on Monday only involved four hours of being on the road (2-6 PM, but it felt long. It was pretty tame, compared to many second shifts I have known, but I am out of practice (which is a good thing). 

• Pick LM up from school 20 minutes early. 
• Go to the university speech clinic. 
• Do a really quick Aldi run on our way home. 
• Stop by home & put the food in the fridge and freezer.  
• Continue on to the grandparents'. 
• Leave LM there. 
• Take BK to his haircut. 
• Go back to the grandparents'. 

And then:

• Collapse in an easy chair. 
• I was ready for bed.  

But ... onward, ho! Home. Supper. Get LM in bed. 

And this is where the schedule changed from A Farmer in Winter to #Plant26.  Jim actually didn't start planting until Tuesday, but he worked late (until long after I was in bed) on Monday.

Now it's time for story time. Back in the day, I spent a summer or two as a camp counselor. (I worked at camps many summers, but was only a camp counselor on rare occasions.) Why did I not like being a camp counselor? Because I had to stay awake until everyone in my cabin was asleep. 

Why do I not like #Plant26? For the same reason.  I cannot in good conscience go to sleep before the children are in bed. (I also miss Jim tremendously.) 

My mother-in-law called today to see if I got any rest. In spurts! I am definitely still not over pneumonia.

• Take the kids to school.
• Lie down. 
• Pick up LM, drive 30 minutes to orthodontist, appointment, drive back.
• Lie down.
• Take lunch to Jim in the field (#Plant26!)
• Lie down. 
• Pick LM up from school.
• Lie down. 
• Pick BK up from school. 
• Lie down. 
• Cook supper. 

What will Wednesday hold? Only the Lord knows. Thankfully He is also holding me!

Monday after spring break

I am a morning person, so by 9.45 AM, not only had I taken the children to school, but I had done two loads of laundry, unloaded & loaded the dishwasher, gone to the post office to pick up a week's worth of mail, placed a Walmart pickup order, and called the pharmacy to order 9 refills. 

And then I went to bed!!!

An hour later, I went to the pharmacy, so I could pick up lunch there at the hospital cafeteria when it opened at 11.  Delicious!! And a great timesaver on the first day after spring break when I didn't have my grocery order yet. 

After eating, I picked LM up at 12.20 for her orthodontist consultation. Our orthodontist likes a baseline visit at 8 or 9 years old to take a 360* x-ray, etc. In BK's case, he returns once a year.  In LM's case, I now have four appointments for her top expander.  Surprise! 

From there, we had a little time, so we got a snack, drove through a car wash, and checked out a shop next door which I had heard about.

Next up was speech therapy at the university. Then a Walmart pickup order. Gas for $3.85. Home. Put away groceries. Cook taco meat. 

Collapse into bed! My body is in shock from all the activity today ... after a week of forced rest as I followed doctor's orders.  

Tuesday will be a day of rest. Amen!

Bus Line

At 3 PM on Mondays this semester, you can find LM & me at the university speech clinic.  The building is also the lab school. And the entrance to the speech clinic is also the entrance (& exit) to the preschool wing for kiddos with hearing &/or vision loss.  

The preschool serves over 30 school districts in 4+ counties.

As we arrive to enter the speech clinic parking lot, we have to pass the long line of moms in car line, as school is about to be dismissed.  I'm thankful for the little pink parking tag I have that gets me into a coveted parking spot on the university campus! 

We must have been a few minutes early one day, because the bus lane was full!  I saw four school districts represented on the buses that were there at that moment.  

My heart was full of emotion!! I remembered the day BK & I toured that preschool and realized it wouldn't meet his needs. I was overwhelmed (yet again) with thanksgiving that he was able to attend the private preschool for deaf & hard of hearing kiddos.  I prayed that the kiddos going there now will have their needs met.  I remembered sitting in car line at his preschool, and was filled with thankfulness again that my friend drove carpool most days. 

Side note: Whenever I get in our van, and push "Maps," the first option that comes up for me is the gas station 28 miles away where we met for carpool!!  And the second option that comes up is the school he attended 68 miles away starting at 3 1/2 years old!! All these years later, those are still my phone's top two default destinations!

Our Week

We woke up Sunday in Terre Haute, IN, after spending most of Friday in Indianapolis and most of Saturday at a swim meet in Terre Haute. 

We worshiped at a Southern Baptist church. The Lord met us in the singing time, the solid sermon (intro to Revelation), and Lord's Supper.  

January started with us in Tennessee, and also held a day trip to Chicago for my doctor, two long weekends (one in Chicago & one in Indiana), two e-learning days, one snow day, and I. Am. Tired. 

It doesn't help that I haven't had my (every-4-weeks) infusion since December 26. (Thank you, American Healthcare System or lack thereof.) Without it, my body cannot fight the common cold.  Thank you, Jesus, that I haven't had a cold, although by Wednesday night this week, my body hit the proverbial wall, and I spent 18 of the next 24 hours in bed. 

Plus it has been a F*R*I*G*I*D winter.

And there are other things going on that take a lot out of me. Jim and I are both losing weight from stress.

Monday afternoon was speech at the university clinic + an eyeglass repair + swim practice. 

Tuesday afternoon was LM's annual physical + a visitation. 

Wednesday afternoon LM had tutoring & BK had a friend over (whom I fed). [I did not go to church. I went to bed.]

Thursday Walmart delivered groceries. (God bless whomever invented that!) Thursday evening Jim took BK to an appointment. I was going to take LM to swim practice until I realized Jim had the van, and had left me ... the farm truck hauling a grain wagon. Um, no! Thankfully a friend took LM.

Friday neither my prayer date friend nor the housecleaner came.  And I did not go to the pharmacy; I had our prescriptions delivered. While I missed them both, that meant more time for me to rest.

Friday evening we watched the Olympic Opening Ceremonies! 

Saturday evening we have a family birthday party!

And Sunday evening we are all excited about the snacks I will make for our "Super Bowl party," aka appetizer fest. :) (Cowboy Caviar with tortilla chips, Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip with peppers, carrots, & celery, chicken nuggets, cheese + crackers, air fryer zucchini, and sparkling grape juice.

I finished reading An Open Door: A True Story of Courage in Congo, didn't make any progress in Sunday Evenings with Joni, started At the Foot of the Snows, and continued listening to The Outsider: Ruth - A Retelling (on Dwell), and was delighted to discover Call the Nurse in my Kindle library (Amazon says I purchased it in 2014).

I was thrilled to learn that Walmart+ comes with Peacock, so Happy Olympic Watching to us! 

And an item we had been looking for at the thrift store for months popped up this week! 

A! Full! Week!

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #79

762.  six year anniversary of LM's speech journey

763.  completing all her articulation goals!! & now moving on exclusively to language goals

763.  the professor at the university speech clinic who oversees her graduate student speech therapist each semester is a literacy specialist!

764.  great collaboration between her and the school

765.  resuming tutoring after an unplanned 6-week absence due to Christmas & then a cough

766.  nearing the end of LM's first season of fall/winter swim team!

767.  friends to take her to practice when Jim has the van in town (& all I have is the F-350 towing a grain wagon!) or to take BK when LM fell asleep & Jim was gone

768.  our wonderful pediatrician noticing that I'm doing better physically (we only see her once a year)

769.  our wonderful pediatrician congratulating me on all I do behind the scenes advocating for LM so that she is doing so well

770.  the Lord who answers prayer!

The Storm

How did you fare in the storm that was predicted to affect 40 states and 200 million people last weekend?

On Thursday:

• Jim picked up the proverbial bread, milk, and eggs, not because of the storm, but because we were out. :) I also asked him to pick up snacks.
• I filled the van up with gas. 
• I just so happened to catch up on laundry, and even wash our sheets.  There is nothing like getting into bed with clean sheets!
• I washed my hair. I didn't expect our power would go out, but one never knows.  It just felt good to be up to date on all the things before the storm.  
• We asked that BK bring his Chromebook home from school.

A week or so earlier, I had run across one of our battery-operated lanterns, and both Jim and BK received headlight beanies for Christmas, so I felt like we were prepared as far as lights go.  (Multiple rooms of our house also have plug-in flashlights that turn on if the power goes off.)

Thursday afternoon the superintendent announced that Friday would be an e-learning day due to expected dangerously low windchills.  (I saw a great reel online in which a mom said she didn't mention it to say she doesn't enjoy her children; she mentioned it because it was a sudden change in routine for each family member. Changes in routine can be hard.)

Jim and I were already expecting that and had made a list on the fridge whiteboard: 

• puzzle or game
• chore
• shower or bath
• read for 30 minutes

... to be completed after e-learning and before fun or screentime.  

On Friday I was happy that I had cooked a big lunch on Thursday. Leftovers it was! 

Friday at 1 PM Jim had his tax appointment, putting an end to his weeks and weeks of bookwork.  Friday afternoon Jim & BK worked at the farm.  Saturday morning  Jim & BK went to the gym so BK could swim laps to practice for the upcoming meet. In the afternoon they ran errands, among other things trying to find farm boots that fit BK.

Both Friday & Saturday, people came to our house to buy things I had listed on FB Marketplace. Now that Jim's bookwork is behind him, he is moving on to other things on his winter list (replacing a toilet, small house repairs, big house projects). This winter the project is: make the basement usable (especially for pre-teen/ teen boys).  I foresee many trips to the thrift store in our near future. :) 

Sunday morning we woke up to a couple inches of snow. Our church (30 miles away) received more, and was canceled for the first time in our tenure there. (No livestream even.) We went to a church in the opposite direction (read: less snow) and with a later start time. We know many people there, and they always have lunch afterwards, so this introvert was EXHAUSTED when we got home. :)

For supper, we ordered gas station pizza & took our leftover tossed salad, went to Grandpa & Grandma's, took their tree down, worked on their puzzle, watched their TV, etc. 

And, surprise! Monday was a traditional snow day! (Due to extreme cold wind chills that are forecasted for Monday morning and the high likelihood of blowing and drifting snow Sunday night.)

House projects in the morning. Errands & speech therapy for LM & me in the afternoon. Farm & haircut for Jim & BK in the afternoon. Swim practice 6-7.30 PM.

And then! Then we received word that the pipes had burst at the middle school & high school. So on Tuesday LM delightedly said, "I get to go to school!" and BK was thrilled he got to sleep in and roll out of bed and log in to his classes at 8.30 AM for another day of e-learning!

Everyone was back to school on Wednesday ... just in time to hear of the next storm coming Sunday night. :-/

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #75

731.  a good start to 2026

732.  good health

733.  much progress on decluttering

734.  better work/rest balance

735.  deep connections with a few people in our church

736.  more time with Jim 

737.  margin to do things like make cookies

738.  keeping up (so far) with our church's Bible reading plan

739.  a slow start to extracurriculars

740.  time to read

I have a dream and a prayer ~

I have a dream and a prayer … of a Special Ed Christian school in Central Illinois. 

I don’t know how the Lord might answer that prayer, but I’m asking others to pray about what God’s desire is for Central Illinois.

Promise Christian Academy in St. Louis (https://www.promisestl.org/) is a state-of-the-art special ed Christian school that strives to provide an on-ramp for life for individuals with special needs.

Promise began with one person recognizing the need to make a difference for the "sake of our Jesus" and asking others to pray about what God's desire was for the St. Louis area.  This became the first board of Promise. It was seven years later that Promise opened its doors to two students in a half-day program, and the rest is His Story.

 
Will you join me in praying about what God’s desire is for Central Illinois? And/or in sharing this request with others who might want to pray? 

Carpool Daze

 My FB memory from Dec. 7, 2018:

Does anyone have a carseat your child or grandchild has outgrown? We are looking for another seat (5-point harness) to make carpool smoother. Doing the carseat shuffle back and forth between vans in 15* weather is one way to speed up my sanctification, but I think even with an extra car seat, I’ll still have opportunities for that.

 

Seven years is a long time ... almost long enough to forget those days of carpooling 42 miles one way on the interstate, so our boys could go to a private special ed school for deaf & hard of hearing kiddos. 

But it's good to look back and to remember the Lord's faithfulness, goodness, and presence.  He sustained us! 

Second Shift, part 7,385

Well, this may turn into a second shift contest. 

Tuesday October 14

2.20 - pick up LM

2.40 - arrive home

deal with the window guys (a full crew was here that day and boy, were they talkative!)

3.10 - leave for the city

drop off materials in the library drop box

drive to the university speech clinic

4-5 PM - speech therapy (I read and did some business)

It was 5.10 before we pulled out of the parking lot

head to Grandpa's to pick up BK

En route, field (see what I did there) a phone call from Jim that we need to pick him up first in a distant field

Pick Jim up

Backtrack to Grandpa's, arriving around 6.20, to pick BK up

Drop Jim off at the farm to pick up his car

home (Jim followed in his car)

6.45 PM - I left for parent teacher conference

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #67

651.  beautiful fall weather, beautiful fall skies, and beautiful fall fields!

652.  a Sunday afternoon picnic with new friends and a short hike in the woods

653.  running into a friend at swim practice and walking with her for 30 minutes or so

654.  nearing the finish line of harvest

655.  good communication with medical professionals via portal messages

656.  a warm house, warm clothing, etc.

657.  grace to forgive

658.  grace to be forgiven

659.  thoughtful questions

660.  collaboration with speech therapists

IEP team

I had an IEP meeting this week.  Since attending my first one nine years ago, I estimate I have sat around the conference table at least a dozen times (and at least once on Google Meets), usually with quite a large number of professionals.  

Several meetings I have cried. At a couple meetings I have been on the receiving end of unkind and unprofessional comments. The first meeting was completely botched, and despite BK's diagnosis of hearing loss (which is an automatic IEP), the speech therapist was reticent to find him eligible. (She resorted to using his frequent drooling [as a 2 year old] as one of three supposed reasons she needed.) One meeting was handled very unprofessionally ("the worst one I've ever seen," according to an adjunct faculty member who teaches IEP prep at the university level & was my parent advocate at that meeting). For three meetings I have had parent advocates attend.  Very few meetings have been cut & dry. 

I try my best to look professional.  Well-groomed & well-dressed. Makeup & nails done. And jewelry. Those things don't affect the IEP, but they affect me, and I like to think it helps the team see me as competent. (This special ed advocate agrees.)

My Nozomi necklace (made from broken pottery from the Japanese tsunami). ♥️

The OT was on Google Meets and had another meeting at the same time, so she went first.  I was impressed that she had read the eye doctor's letter with suggested accommodations, and she deferred to the team, but said she agrees with the suggestion of using cursive writing (not just learning it, but incorporating it in schoolwork). Kudos to her!

The educational audiologist had another meeting to go to, so she went next. Her main concern had to do with behaviors in the past. Everyone sitting around the table was aware of them, and we all laughed (now) at the bad memories.  Thank the Lord things have changed, so it's a go for her recommendations. 

Then we got into the nitty-gritty. The team appreciated the fact that I had read all 31 pages of evaluations & suggestions which they had emailed me in advance. I assured them they did not need to read every word out loud in our meeting! 

The rest of the meeting was perfunctory.  And thankfully I was in agreement, and only had a few clarifying questions to ask.  The evaluations in all these areas show x, the suggested goals are y, the recommended accommodations are z, the new primary eligibility is abc, everyone please sign on these three lines.  The ELA teacher left for lunch. 

And then, as we were signing in triplicate, we had conversation.  I see these people more than I go to family reunions! So we chatted. :)

I asked about a different accommodation which we don't currently need but is on my radar. It turns out there is a simple solution which doesn't even involve an IEP. I enjoyed hearing the principal's report of daily interactions with our child. I told of my recent participation in a research project for parents of a child with an IEP. The team was impressed by the research & proposed project. We talked about how every parent is different. Some come in begging for an IEP for their child who does not need one. Others refuse an IEP for their child who needs one.  

I expressed my appreciation for all they do, and mentioned that I feel like I ask a lot. They assured me that I am advocating for my children, and that's my job. Amen! Jim and I are not young, and our children, who face extra challenges, need to be equipped to live in the real world.  May the Lord be pleased to use their FAPE (Free & Appropriate Public Education) to help them thrive to the best of their God-given ability in this life.

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #66

641.  beautiful October scenery - blue skies, bright sunshine, and golden stubble as fields are emptied

642.  two Saturdays in a row at swim meets - a combined 24 seconds dropped by BK & LM in four events

643.  answered prayer in so many areas that are not mine to share publicly

644.  a church that believes in prayer & lives as if we do

645.  Scripture journals (Seriously, check them out as a Christmas gift for that hard-to-buy-for person in your life.) Link to ChristianBook.com (The full set is 54% off for $125.)

646.  completing some home projects 

Still waiting on one item to be framed.  I was so happy to find the bamboo frame at Hobby Lobby!
I love reading Scripture in Japanese on my walls!

 

A variety ... our home states, a barn Jim's aunt painted, and one of my dad's barns that someone painted. A fort my great-great-something-grandfather built or lived at, and some photos taken by Jim's cousin.

647.  parent-teacher conferences

648.  opportunities to serve (albeit food; not classroom volunteering) in our children's schools

649.  an after-school club for BK

650.  options for so many services our children need; I keep thinking of the desolate places we drove through in Wyoming this summer, and while I know the Lord would provide, I'm thankful I only have to drive 30 minutes for services :) 

Last Week

Friday afternoons are HARD transitions around here. I knew we were facing a 3-day weekend (our district has ten - count them - ten 3-day weekends this school year + Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break!!). 

So, I came up with a Saturday plan. First, we used free Chick-fil-A breakfast cards that were handed out at a local parade a few weeks back. We went next door to Target to make a return and get 3 items.  We went next door to Aldi. While I shopped, the children had a cart, a budget, and a print-out from the rescue mission's website of most needed groceries.  They were 98 cents over budget!! Then we drove a few blocks to the back door of the rescue mission, rang the bell, and waited for a staff member to come out with a grocery cart.  

The children and I do that once or twice a year as something tangible they can participate in in our giving.  It has been eye-opening for them, and they both have a tender heart for homeless people.  

LM rode in the combine a few hours.  Jim worked until almost 11 PM. 

Sunday was normal ... Sunday school, church, lunch, rest, play or nap, and then the children enjoyed 3.5 hours with their aunt, uncle, and cousin while we went to small group. 

Monday was another long day looming ahead of us.  We met friends at a local pumpkin patch from 9.45 - 2.15.  It was 90*F, and we stayed about an hour too long. BK spent a couple hours on the farm.  Monday night was swim practice. 

Tuesday I had an appointment in the city west of us with my rheumatologist, and did a little shopping.  BK rode the bus to Grandpa's while I took LM to the city east of us for speech therapy at the university clinic. There was a make-up swim practice since Thursday's was cancelled due to a home meet for the high school team.  I felt like I drove a million miles and wasn't home all day.

Wednesday I had an appointment in the city west of us with a new specialist.  

Wednesday was kitchen day. Before school I put a roast in the crockpot & made a pitcher of iced tea.  After my appointment I did a trial run of pumpkin dump cake (which I have signed up to take to the teachers in a few weeks) and made a pan of hash brown casserole and made a salad. (Recipe here.)

In the afternoon LM had tutoring before we went to Awana & prayer meeting. 

Thursday I had a hair appointment, and the children had an appointment in the city east of us. Swim practice was cancelled due to a home meet for the high school team. 

Friday my infusion meds arrived.  

The window guys were in and out (mostly out) at unannounced times. Jim was working late 6 days a week and nursing a combine engine that repeatedly caught on fire (smoldering not flames, but still!). And I'm behind on all my big projects plus things I need to do for my mom.  

And now it's time for another weekend.

How much gas did I use this week?

And in this week’s episode of “How much gas did I use?” the answer is, as always, “A lot!”

Monday I drove to the city (20 - 23 miles; 30 minutes) to pick up my home sleep study.  

Tuesday I drove back to return it by 10 AM. 

Tuesday afternoon I took LM to the university Speech Clinic. 

Wednesday evening I drove back for Awana. 

Thursday I drove to an appointment in the city. 

Friday I drove the opposite direction (37 miles) to my immunologist.

Saturday BK has a 6-mile paddling trip with Trail Life.  

That doesn’t count two tutoring sessions and two swim practices [we skipped one; see "Full Schedule"] that are more local (6+ miles).  And the Friday night football game where LM cheered with the elementary girls.  And the telehealth appointments in my dining room (zero gas needed!).

All the while the "window guys" were working at our house.  (That's a story for another day!!)  When it was going to be a 2-day job, we made sure I was home while they worked. Once it moved to a 2-week (??) job, I have to keep going. :) 

School

My mind is turning toward school. 

In keeping with my just-in-time parenting reality this summer, school shopping will probably take place on our way to back-to-school night. Oh, well! I can't even get it together to look at the lists and make an online Walmart order. 

I've scheduled the necessary appointments for BK to get a new pair of hearing aids (and thought ahead to what it would entail for the university hearing itinerant services to switch the teacher's microphone receiver) ... only to find out that our insurance policy changed from covering a new pair every 2 years to every 3 years.  (Obviously, we would sacrifice & pay out of pocket if he absolutely needed new hearing aids, but I'm confirming with the audiologist that his are still sufficient.)

I'm looking forward to Moms in Prayer and beginning to "advertise" on Facebook, in hopes of finding more moms who want to pray. 

I met with an educational tester and consultant, and determined that having LM tested for dyslexia would not help in our situation. Instead, she gave me some questions to ask the school and some action points to consider in hopes of helping her get the interventions that would be most helpful. 

I have phone calls in to three different offices at the state university. (Do other moms have the numbers for these offices saved?) Can we get LM back in the speech clinic, even if it means taking her out of school to do so? Would low-gain hearing aids & a teacher's microphone help with her auditory processing disorder? Could their testing center test for dyslexia and would that be helpful in the long run? 

Lots of questions. Lots of prayer. No clue what the best answer is in any of these situations. I'm not an expert. But I keep learning. And I'm sure the Lord will guide us.