Directionally Challenged

Kate and I were shopping over the weekend and ended up on the far west side of Mesa. As I pulled out of the parking lot I mentioned that I wasn't sure how to get home.

Kate then proceeded to tell me to turn on Google maps.  She calls the map on the dash Google Maps because the lady that tells me where to go sounds a lot like our Google Home lady that she discusses the weather with daily. I personally think the Google Home lady is much kinder.

You can't add an address while moving, so I was trying to read the map and figure out which way to go. We were at a stop light and she says she knows how to get home and starts telling me where to go. I was as confused as she was when she point to the left with her right hand and says go right and then pointed to the right with her left hand and said maybe left. 

Which way should I go Kate? She looked up and, "Oh Mom, just go to the mountain!"

Good call Kate, good call.

17 of 32

At 18 months we were told Kate may never walk or talk. Since she started talking, around 3 - she has never stopped.  Even in her sleep she carries on conversations.

She may talk a lot, but often she is very hard to understand. I am often repeating (translating) what she says to people, especially friends she just met (strangers she starts a conversation with). After all, she only has 17 teeth. A normal adult mouth has 32 teeth, which (except for wisdom teeth) have erupted by about age 13. In fact some of the teeth she still has are her baby teeth, there are no adult teeth to erupt, and most missing teeth are in the lower front, so tongue placement is difficult.

Recently at the pool, a couple of life guards were walking past us with a bucket full of rubber ducks. Kate saw them and said, "Hey girls,what's that?" They looked at each other puzzled as Kate started counting the rubber ducks, so I walked up to them and said, "This is why she could never be a greeter at Walmart, you would never get out of the store."

This weekend she was telling me about a Grand Finale. I was really struggling to understand what she was telling me. Pet Smart was involved in this story and so was Walmart. We have taught her that sometimes we don't "get it" when she is trying to tell us something and to tell us in different words what she is trying to say.

This was one of those times. I could see she was struggling to come up with the words to tell me, her lips would move but no words would come out. Finally she said new store.  Ding Ding Ding, not Grand Finale, Grand Opening!  There was a new store opening in Mesa... Old Navy!  Since we didn't have an Old Navy in town before this, when she was saying the name Old Navy, I had no idea what she was talking about. 

Sometimes she gets phrases or titles mixed up. Like the time I told her my shoulder was really sore and she told me to see a psychiatrist when in fact she meant chiropractor, at least that is what I hope she meant!

After all that of course we had to attend the Grand Opening of the new Old Navy smack dab between Pet Smart and Walmart. Three guesses what color shirt she bought herself.  

Remember, Share the Joy!

Empty-Nesters

        

As the parents of disabled adults, the fear is always where will my child live when I am no longer able to care for them. 

Eventually we will have to make the decision on where Kate will live when she no longer lives with us. Two viable options are a Group Home or a Adult Developmental Home—adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities live in private family homes with dedicated caregivers. We aren’t quite there yet but will be soon.

On Saturday afternoons Kate usually goes out with her caregiver, Cherie. They meet up with other caregivers and adults with disabilities and they attend an event together. Some days it is a movie and dinner, others  a live concert, shopping, a play, bowling, or mini golf. There really are so many options in Arizona. So Kate gets more social time with friends and Art and I can have some quiet time together... win win.

Art and I wanted to stay overnight out of town, so I asked Cherie if she ever had the clients spend the night. She said she would love for Kate to spend the night with her. So on Thursday night I started packing Kate's overnight bag and on Friday morning I broke the news to her. Of course I was apprehensive on her reaction to us leaving town for a day and her sleeping as Cherie’s. She has never “slept over” at anyone’s house except her family… like ever!

Well you would have thought she won the lottery!  I got a Woo Hoo and fist pump when I told her we were going out of town and she was going to spend the night with Cherie!!  Really Kate, not even a I’m going to miss you guys?

I guess I should have been happy that she was comfortable going without us, but to be honest my feelings were a little hurt.

So off she went on Friday to her day program with a back pack on her back, her overnight bag in her hand and a huge smile on her face.  She spent the night with Cherie on Friday and we were home by 6 pm on Saturday.

When Cherie dropped her off she said Kate was a great house guest. Cherie was concerned that Kate would be apprehensive (yeah right) but she was fine. Very polite, used her good words “please and thank you” and she was welcome back anytime. Kate also said she had fun at Cherie and Jim’s house. She slept in the guest room and watched her iPad.  She had fun Friday night, Cherie took her and another girl to the movies and then on Saturday they went out to lunch and another movie. It is hot here, so they try hard to keep the clients inside for health reasons.

We said our goodbyes and Kate went to play in her room. About an hour later I checked on her and there she was, packing her overnight bag again. I guess I really shouldn’t be overly concerned about becoming an empty-nester.  Kate is ready to fly the coop.