An Update on Dovi's School

Today I went with Dovi to School C for some intake evals. I have to say that I did a 180 on my impressions of the school. Somehow, seeing how happy Dovi was in the loving, warm environment, and how much everyone already adored him, melted my heart. The clinicians were able to engage him, and they all really knew what they were talking about. It was good that I took along Dovi's TABAC therapist who was able to talk to the educational/behavior director about Dovi's specifics and progress. I left a lot happier with our decision. School A is a distant memory; I think Dovi will fit right in there and will thrive nicely, with G-d's help.

It will still cost us, but only about a quarter of School A. Hopefully we'll be able to swing it financially (they're a lot more laid back about the money and don't hunt you down like School A does).

I'm happier than I've been in a long time; I'm so glad the tension-filled decision has been made a month ago and that I feel so much better about it.

Summertime, and the Livin' Ain't Easy, Take 3

You may be wondering if I have a photographic memory, churning up these posts about past years and months down to the last detail. But in truth, I spend hours combing my Facebook archives for my old status updates in order to formulate the entries on this blog. Of course, I also remember these events in vivid detail, but I do need to reread my old posts to firm them up. Whenever I do this, I am stunned just at how much I managed to undertake, implement, execute, and survive. Where did I take strength to do all this? I marvel. I don't know. Seriously.

Reading just how much energy, effort, and sheer action I had to put in during the seven weeks we spent at "Kiamesha Hills" leaves me breathless and exhausted, and I'm sitting down while reading this. I honestly do not know how on earth I undertook such a daunting, strenuous, overwhelming task as this. And I am just as honestly admitting that I probably do not have what it takes to do it again. I'm afraid that by and large our 'country days' are probably over, unless Dovi ends up being able to go to summer camp, or staying with a respite family in the city for a couple of weeks. Doing what I did last summer - being there full time with Dovi without our usual roster of respite helpers - is not something I think I can do again.

It was that hard.