The Dance of Joy

We are here; we are fine.

It has just been crazy busy around here.

Maggie went back to school today after a week of Spring break. Spring break here does not mean a trip to Disneyland of any other fun outing. It means mom has to fill the eight hours a day that the school generally does. Every day Maggie is home means probably thirty more transfers for me – thirty more times each day that I lift her from the floor to the wheel chair, or the wheelchair to the bed or whatever. I. am. Exhausted.

In addition to the physical strain, it is my job to make her time at home fun. This for a child who does not watch movies or TV. Fortunately, Maggie is the easiest person to please in the entire world. The iPod was playing the Maggie Mix all week. My friend Rose and I did the YMCA dance for her (not pretty) and I thought she would stop breathing from laughing so hard. A trip to Target is huge entertainment. Couple that with a trip to the assisted living center that my aunt just moved to and you have hit the jackpot. We had her friend over, we went to the park, we went shopping, and we did a power chair trip or two. We hit a couple of therapy appointments and filled the week nicely. She had fun.

I have a news flash. Mothers of disabled children welcome the first day back to school just as much as (if not more than) mothers of typically developing children. I was very happy to see that school bus this morning. When I closed the wheelchair door on the bus, I did the dance of joy – a secret dance that only parents of school age children know. Every parent does his or her own version. Personally I prefer to wait until the garage door closes and just go for the junior high cheer leader routine (a la Molly Shannon in “Superstar”)

The last few days have been particularly busy. Dealing with my lovely aunt as she adjusts to her assisted living arrangement, cooking for in-laws, taking Maggie to a crowded Easter Mass, making a ridiculous over amount of food for the Easter potluck, breaking my toe in a middle of the night encounter with the blanket chest, etc etc etc.

In addition, my sister’s dog Darby arrived to stay with us for a week. Darby is zero trouble. She spent the first day staring out the front door wondering when her “dad” was returning. We took her to Golden Gate Park a couple of times but she was nonplussed. After a walk at Crissy field today she decided we were “ok” and totally forgot about that other family that abandoned her for a week of fun and frolic sans canines. We sent this picture to my sister telling her Darby was on vacation too and who needs them anyway?

Of course, there’s no break yet. Today I finally tended to the things I ignored last week. I have meetings and appointments all week. There might be a few free minutes on Friday.

Don’t tell anyone.