This past week I did more reading than working. As my stress levels rise, my need for escapism increases proportionately. So I’ve devoured four books in under a week. I keep finding their stories seeping into my conscious thought, though their worlds are getting sorta jumbled up in my head. Each book was a treat and a treasure in its own way (four books and four different genres)…with three out of the four jumping to the top of my all time favorites list. But I’m going to need to snap out of it. And force myself to be more present in my world. We’ve reached a milestone with the little man. Thursday morning brought an answer I’d been seeking for a long time, but now that we’ve got it, it marks a new beginning more than anything else. The results of his neuropsych assessment gave me more questions (for the long-term) than answers. The diagnosis wasn’t surprising, but it is a mouthful: Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). I wasn’t looking for a label for my son as much as trying to find a starting point. Now that we have a better idea what’s going on with him we can play to his strengths, and address his weaknesses with specific “interventions” - like one-on-one occupational and speech therapy. In a perfect world, anyhow. In the real world, no one wants to cough up the money to cover these services, even with a diagnosis, and the law, on our side. This means more battles to come with the insurance company, and more standoffs with the school district. If it turns out to be more than I can bear, I might have to turn to Pacer (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights) for help. Only time will tell.
Bonus: I’ve been meaning to post this for months. Paper Faces, Paper Cities, an interview with the street artist known as Swoon (includes a gallery of her work).
Plus: In the nearly six years I’ve lived in my house I’ve often daydreamed about renovating the kitchen, and erasing the last vestiges of the last renovation, in all its mauveness. But I could never quite figure out what sort of flooring I’d want. At long last, I’ve found it. The linoleum of my dreams. Now I just need to actually, you know, find it.
