News

EXCITEMENT

MARK MADE ME A COMP. TRAY & A WAY TO TURN ON/OFF THE COMP. SO I CAN BE MORE INDEPENDENT & USE THE COMP. ALONE. A WHILE AGO, I ASKED FOR A STICK-I ABSOLUTELY HATE RINGING MY BELL WHEN I ONLY NEED A FINGER TO UNFREEZE MY COMP.! IF ONLY I COULD REACH…& IT IS ANNOYING TO NOT DO IT MYSELF & HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT AGAIN & AGAIN TO NEW PEOPLE WHO HELP! MARK DID MORE THAN A STICK! I CAN DRIVE UNDER & UP TO MY TRAY, WHICH IS MOUNTED UNDER MY TV. HARD TO EXPLAIN, BUT VERY COOL & CREATIVE! NOW I ONLY HAVE TO RING IF I DROP MY STICK TO TURN ON THE COMP., & EVEN THEN I CAN REACH THE REMOTE & WATCH TV IF SOME1 IS BUSY-SO I DON’T HAVE TO STARE AT A COMP. SCREEN OR CLOCK! I THINK IT WILL BE LIKE MY KEYGUARD-ANOTHER HUGE CHANGE IN MY LIFE THAT I COULD NEVER HAVE DONE FOR MARK, & WILL BE WELL USED!

ALSO, LAST NIGHT I THOUGHT, “I DON’T WANT…U TO HAVE TO CARRY ME WHEN U R TIRED!” I ACTUALLY SAID, GARBLED, THE 1ST 3 WORDS, THEN MARK REPEATED IT & SAID, “GO ON…” & I COULDN’T. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE-LIKE IT WAS LOCKED. MARK WAS EXCITED I DID NOT MAKE MY “CRY” FACE-I NEVER DO WHEN WORDS JUST “POP” OUT. I WAS THRILLED HE UNDERSTOOD! I HAVE “TALKED” BEFORE, BUT NEVER BEEN UNDERSTOOD!

EYES

IN ORDER TO DO MY ‘EYESIGHT GOAL’ I HAVE TO BE VERY PATIENT. MY EYES DON’T LINE UP & BOUNCE, WHICH MAKES READING HARD-SO I READ 24 FONT E-MAILS & SIT CLOSE TO MY HUGE-44 IN.-TV TO HELP ME FOCUS & THEN WHEN AN EYE BOUNCES, I DO NOT LOSE MY PLACE. UP CLOSE I CAN SEE SMALLER FONT, BUT I RE-READ A LOT. IT TAKES LONG.

YESTERDAY I SAW THE HYMN #S AT CHURCH REPLACED, SO I STARED LONG AT THE #S-THE GOAL IS TO FOCUS LONGER-& HAD MY GUESSES. AS EA. # WAS SAID AT THE PULPIT, I WAS RIGHT! THERE R 3 SONGS, & USUALLY THE MIDDLE IS HARDEST-BUT YESTERDAY I FINALLY DID ALL 3! I SHOULD TYPE MY GOALS MORE OFTEN!

GOALS

BTW, I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT I RAISED MY LEFT LEG IN THE SHOWER TO TOUCH A WALL 3X TODAY. IT HAS BEEN MY GOAL FOR SEVERAL DAYS NOW & FOR SOME REASON, I HAVE A BETTER CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO DO IT AFTER MY SHOWER, WHEN I SIT ALONE. I?VE DONE IT BEFORE, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUKE. MARK CAUGHT ME TRYING TO DO MY 2ND TODAY TO BE SURE IT WAS REAL. HE ASKED FOR A 3RD. I ALSO HAVE HAD AN EYESIGHT GOAL FOR MONTHS NOW-AT CHURCH, THEY PUT THE #?S TO HYMNS ON A FRONT WALL. I SIT AT THE BACK, BUT MY GOAL IS TO FOCUS & READ THOSE #?S! I HAVE COME CLOSE, BUT THERE R SUPER BAD DAYS.?

CLOCK

LAST NIGHT MARK GAVE ME, AT MY REQUEST, A CLOCK W/ BIG, RED NUMBERS, ON MY NIGHTSTAND. IT WAS A PLEASANT SURPRISE THAT MADE ME HAPPIER THAN I EXPECTED. I KNEW IT WOULD HELP ME KNOW HOW LONG I WAS AWAKE AT NIGHT (IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR ME TO STARE AT A WALL & JUST THINK AFTER I AM TURNED-IT SEEMS LIKE 1-2 HOURS), I DREAMED OF BEING ABLE TO HELP MARK W/THE BURDEN OF WAKING UP TO GET KIDS OFF TO SCHOOL, & NOW I WOULD KNOW WHAT TIME I WOKE UP (I USUALLY ATE & GOT READY TO START MY DAY BEFORE I SAW WHAT TIME IT WAS). SUCH A SMALL THING MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE! BEING AWAKE AT NIGHT WAS MORE BEARABLE, ETC.

I AM SHOCKED AT HOW HAPPY THIS MAKES ME. WHAT IS MORE, IS I KNOW THINGS HAVE BEEN HARD ON MARK LATELY-NO THANKS TO EMOTIONAL ME-BUT HE STILL DID THIS FOR ME!

Sept 25, 2005

Not much seems to be going on, but I wanted to update the fact that Jenny still has the movements on her left side with some slight improvements. She may have posted the fact that she finally has a new calling at church to be an activity days leader with the primary age girls. I was excited to see that she was put someplace where her talents could be utilized. On the other hand it was kind of surprising. I was called as a clerk, which I have really liked, but I find that my time is spent on a computer (the thing that could be said is Jenny’s only truely independent activity in her life right now). Jennys church calling is working in an interactive situation with youth (which is my background and training as a child therapist). However, I know we are in the right place for each of us right now.