Day of Fun

Today, Tabitha spent the day with a lovely lady who she has known for a long time. This lady was her carer at the Special Needs Playgroup (before the Council made the unbelievable decision to close this valuable resource down...don't get me started on that one!!), and since leaving there, she has become a part time respite carer, and we are lucky enough to have her services. Leaving a child who is non-verbal and has medical needs with anyone is extremely difficult, and I count myself very lucky to have Jo that I can call on. Anyway, today was one of our respite days, so Tabitha got picked up this morning, and Ellie and I had the day to ourselves.

Usually, we do things together at these times, that we can't do with Tabitha around. We have visited the local caves and climbed the hills before, and we have gone ice-skating, things you just can't do with a large and heavy special needs buggy. But today, funds are a little short (that's the school holidays for you!), so we didn't make big plans. I took Ellie for her morning swimming lesson (she's going every morning this week), then came home, and got the face paints out. I was pleased with the rabbit I painted on Ellie's face. She drew a butterfly on mine. I know I am going to regret this, but here we are, all painted up.

After this, we ate lunch, then went to a family fun swimming session, with another child that my Mum fosters and who Ellie just loves to pieces. It was great fun, jumping about, chasing them around and tipping them off floats. Then we came home, and Ellie made a card for the person who has been running the morning swimming lessons for years. This week is his final course, and she is sorry he is leaving. Ellie has been going to these week long courses now for 4 years, and was a total non-swimmer when she started (at 3!). Now she is an extremely accomplished swimmer for her age, and she still loves it. We have a lot to thank him for.

Tabitha displayed great understanding this evening. She was using her switches on the computer, and constantly demanding the program was reset when it had finished. I went to do it one more time, but told her (and signed) that this was the last time, and then it was finished. When the program got to the end, she jumped down off the chair, and headed up the corridor to bed!!! She can demonstrate such great understanding at times, it makes things all the more frustrating when she's being stubborn and digging her heels in. Even her speech therapist once said the thing that holds her back the most, is her own personality. If only we could get her to understand that....