Kathy

Katie has a new favorite activity. She has discovered that my name is Amy, and she insists on using my given name all the time. She even calls me "Aim." When, thoroughly irritated, I ask her what my real name is, she smiles as she says, "Mom." She knows full well just how cranky I am that she uses my first name, and she thinks it's funny. Grrr...

My own mom tells me that my brother insisted on calling her Kathy for a long time. She finally broke him of the habit by explaining that we were the only two people who would ever call her "Mom" and that being our Mom made her very happy. I diligently tried this strategy out on Katie, of course, and she gave me a big hug: "I love you, Aim." Hmmm... For the record, my brother gave up calling my mother by her given name for many years while he was a kid, but he insists, now, on calling her Kathy.

Poor Kathy is probably going to disown the Barton branch of the Hessler family by the time we get Katie back to daycare. She goes above and beyond the call of duty every week. She gives up her own quiet house to live in the midst of chaos. She exchanges her own comfortable bed for Katie's twin (and the Dora sheets!). She cooks for us. She empties the dishwasher. She even folds the laundry. (Way above and beyond...) I am so grateful. We would be sliding so much further behind without all her help. The sacrifices she makes render it possible for us to go off to work together in the mornings. I am free to worry about teaching every day because I know that Katie is safe and happy at home. I cannot tell you how much easier it is to walk out the door when our parents (Rick's too!) are here to supervise.

My mom does report that Katie spends some of each morning in a funk. She wants to go out into the world, too. She wants to engage with people and to play with other kids. She wants to return to her normal activities. She wants work to do and lessons to learn. Those will come. Isolation takes its toll. Aside from some trouble with reflux, she appears to feel well. Her health is improving. Once she gets going every day, she is content to draw, to paint or to play with blocks. We are making progress. As strange as it sounds, I look forward to the day that she can return to day care; Katie will be very happy to see her friends, she will learn that other people need to share the world's attention on occasion, at least, and I will know that she is truly on the road to recovery. In the meantime, many thanks to Grandma Kathy and to Rick and Jean for all their help. Our current schedule would simply not be possible without all they do to support us.