Sick sick sick

By the way - before I start this post - most of the pictures are from Saturday softball practice, and our rooting for our favorite basketball team - West Virginia.

Arlington is not well. She has been sick since Sunday. We couldn't figure out why she was whining so much on Sunday and fussing. And it was because she just wasn't feeling well.


She woke up in the middle of the night Sunday into Monday saying she couldn't breathe. Her tonsils are very swollen and she was really warm. She was up from 4:30-6am just tossing and turning and then finally fell back to sleep.

She didn't have school on Monday anyway (teacher inservice) so it worked out well. Mat stayed home with her in the morning and then I in the afternoon. Her fever hit 102.3 as a high yesterday afternoon. She never moved from the couch for about 10 hours. She hardly ate or drank anything. As soon as the medication wore off, the fever would be back.

So today - she is home. She woke up fever free this morning, but her tonsils are the same size. I was thinking it is just a virus, but decided to take her to the doctor anyway just to play it safe. She has a headache and a stomach ache and a sore throat - classic signs of strep. But also classic signs of the flu as well. But since her fever is gone today, I wanted to make sure she isn't going to infect all of her friends if she goes back to school tomorrow. Aren't I nice?

I took her in, and in about 2 minutes the nurse turned around and said "her strep test is positive"


Of course it is. Of course.


The doctor looked her over - nothing else seems to be wrong. So at least we get antibiotics out of the deal. BUT - the kicker? She wants her to stay home the rest of the week. She said it looks like a bad case and it may take a while for the antibiotics to kick in.


Wonderful. Uh, I'm sorry - Mat is supposed to be leaving on a business trip? Yeah.....about that. I cannot miss a week of work.

Mat has decided to cancel his trip. I am happy about that part on many levels. But I will be home again with Arlington again tomorrow, and then he will take over for the last two days.

So, no Daisy Scouts for her tonight. We are just hanging out, relaxing again today. I am antsy in the house. The house keeper was just here Friday, so thankfully I don't have house work. But I don't have much else! It is raining hard, so we are just cooped up inside. I may actually have to start on a project.

Gasp.

And Finley has a fever tonight as well. And complaining that something is stuck in her throat. And she threw up.

Really people? Really?

(she looks like a deranged Easter Bunny)

I told Cainan he better start holding his breath. He just looked at me.

Today Gail, Finley's vision teacher, came to show us the Brailler. I had been looking forward to this day just because I was curious about it and how we are going to learn this skill, and teach it to Finley.

So here is our new friend.

Yes, it looks like it came from the 1940s. It works like an old type writer as well. Very old fashioned.

We had a chance to sit and learn how to use it - load the paper, work the keys.....basic stuff. Finley had a chance to use it and we talked about teaching her proper hand technique on the keys right from the beginning.


No. Bad. Habits.

Bad habits? My kids? No way.

Gail spent about 1 1/2 hours with us. We talked a lot about the Brailler, and what would be coming in the next year. We talked about what she expected Mat and I to learn with it (how to actually type with it) and what Finley should learn this year (how to play with it and make it work).

She also brought Finley this paper.

It is dark, and large, and raised. The lines are perfect to teach her how to write between the lines.

And she also brought us this paper.

If you put water on it, it raises up. Pretty cool!

We are getting all kinds of neat stuff to work with. Finley is really set. Friday the Brailler will go to school and Gail will work with her and the teachers on it there. Then, Finley will be expected to "play" on it during each of her school days to get used to the push of the keys. You don't have to push extremely hard, but you do have to give it some strength.

And we will get a second Brailler at home. I am excited about learning how to use it well. New skill. Very cool.

This cool yellow thing:

It is a copy of the keys on the Brailler. It also folds together to make a large Braille cell. It shows us how to make the letters in braille, then it opens up like this to reveal where it would fall on the Brailler.

Oh! And she brought her these.

This will help her strengthen her hands to use the Brailler. She will have to learn to clip them on things by just using her fingers.

And Gail said the orientation and movement specialist will start with her soon. She will work on balance, left and right, difference in "feeling" different shapes, textures in her hands- instead of using her eyes. She will check her safety in the house and in her school. She will work with the public school on how she will get around in a few years.

Progress. We are really lucky about where we live. Connecticut has a lot of services and products that are available to us courtesy of state funding. We are lucky that we can have an expensive Brailler free of charge. It really does make this all a little easier.

Just a little.

Tomorrow I will have both girls home with me. That should be a blast and a half. I wish there was a type face for sarcasm. I would use it right now.

That is it! I will see you all on Saturday.