So we've all been a little crazy with the restrictions imposed on us by this pandemic. I will let you in on a secret: it hasn't bothered me that much! Since I'm a homebody and an introvert, it's been just a small inconvenience. The only thing to really bother me is not having full access to the craft store. The selection of yarn posted online is just not consistent and colors I bought FROM the store say they aren't sold in stores...makes absolutely no sense. I have finished two afghans and am working on a third and made my daughter's friend a bunny outfit for her impending arrival. Just gotta get buttons, which brings me back full circle to needing the craft store. Don't get me wrong, I can go. I just have to wait in line outside the store until I can go in. It's hot and I turn into a big baby in the heat as my internal temperature, according to my dear husband, is 900 degrees. Not ideal, but I'll face that discomfort soon. Good news is my client wants to go to a craft store pretty badly, so I'll at least have company.
The dogs have really gotten the most out of this nonsense as they've gotten to go out with me more than usual since there's not much else to do. We enjoy taking a picnic lunch to a local field or enclosed playground where they can play with a "special" ball. This ball is 10" around and hard plastic (Indestructible Ball). It's a toy a dog pushes around with its feet or snout. Copper absolutely loves it. He is half dead from exhaustion when I take it away from him and he still wants to play. At home he just pushes it straight into the woods and it's way too loud and hard to play with inside the house. Until a couple of trips ago, Steel ignored that ball and would very happily fetch a tennis ball but now he has figured out that the ball is fun and it's more fun for them to play with it together anyway. I took them to Hunting Creek and let them run pretty freely. Steel is hilarious. We'd walked down a trail to the end and turned around to go back, so the boys wandered off the path a bit. Steel was getting a little too far away from me so I called for him to come and he took off like a shot. In the wrong direction. Just picture me yelling and clapping for the dog over the noise of the creek and he is still running as fast as he can to the end of the trail where we just left. Eventually I walked back down there to get him as he's a little stupid and I couldn't assume he'd figure out how to find me. Insert eye roll. Later that same trip Steel very happily started chewing on a rock I was examining for a potential painting, because he thought I was holding it out for him to play with. So sweet; so dumb.
Other changes have been made. My client has not been going to day support and for eight weeks spent MWF with her mom but that crashed and burned, so now she's with me 24\7. I'm feeling a little burn out as I've had 7 hours of reprieve since May 19th, but she's pretty understanding when I need some "me time". We've experienced some very high and pretty consistent negativity from her mom, so we made some new plans today that should help, and it includes less communication and focusing on being proud of our accomplishments and encouraging each other. We've started walking each day, and most recently have been going after dark once it cools down and we even lengthened our route. The dogs go with us and so sometimes even when we don't want to go, we know the dogs need it since they've gotten used to a higher level of activity. We sleep better and feel better too.
I sold my car, or rather, Greg did. He traded it in and got a new work truck, so now I've been driving the Jeep. I love the wind in my hair and so does my client, so it's been really fun. Sometimes hot. The dogs can't go in the Jeep because I can't get them up in it and it's Greg's baby so he won't tolerate the dog hair. BUT, since Nadia just bought her very own brand new car, I can drive her old one and the dogs can ride!
Greg's business just keeps growing and shows no signs of slowing down, so that has been wonderful. I do hate the plague of the business owner--never really having time off. There's always something to do, so he never feels like he can just drop everything. I told him my job is like that too, but I just don't have so many things to juggle like invoices and schedules.
Now that the state has opened back up a bit, I think things will start to feel a bit more normal. My client will start going back to day support for a couple of days a week and we sat down, completely at her request, to write out schedules for day support days and regular days. We have a pretty normal after-dinner schedule where she reads to me (We've started the Little House series which I LOVE) and has time on the computer or phone, then we walk and have our hygiene time. Since we scheduled a block of learning time, she also found some worksheets online to print off for math and is currently working on those. I told her I'd like to take her to the local teacher resource store and find workbooks. We are on fire!
I've been struggling a little with my anxiety and depression, mostly where work is concerned, and mostly because of the negative feedback I get from a controlling guardian. I'm working on a better balance there as she doesn't deal well with the control or negativity either. I actually looked up stress relievers and that's what brought me to my blog today as one of the suggestions was to write. I forgot how therapeutic writing can be and it doesn't even matter if anyone reads it. I hope to continue.
