Summer Waiver

This week, like most weeks, has simply flown by.  Yesterday, I googled Hippotherapy services around us, and left message at a place not too far away.  Today, I received the call back.  In speaking with the therapist, she suggested we apply for the Katie Beckett Waiver which is available to us here in Georgia.  "uhm, the what?!" I think was my reply.  In Oregon, we didn't qualify for any sort of assistance because of our income level. While I understand that, I've never understood why a child with ongoing need for multiple therapies isn't given assistance -- that the parents should have to cough up the equivalent of a car payment just so their kid could go to therapy once a month.  Yeah, once a month.  The idea of getting help to send Andi to therapy more often just fills me full of joy!  I can only imagine how fast she'll blossom with additional hands-in to help!  So after I sent the Hippotherapist our insurance information, to see if we could bill the insurance company for their services, I googled the waiver.  I googled, and I googled, and I googled some more.  Basically, I have to jump through a series of flaming hoops, and it's an extremely complex process -- for example, applying again for SSI so I have a fresh rejection letter. (...cuz that makes sense!)  So, I'll talk it over with Daddy Bean and if he agrees, I'll tackle that project in all my copious free time!  (silently laughing because I'm sitting here laughing at the massive list of things I have to do and simply run out of time!) 

This week I tried to research a few options for summer programs that might help Andi.  The only seemingly affordable, appropriate one I found was a music camp.  Five weeks, one day a week for 45 whole minutes.  That ran about $20. a session.  Andi loves music, but she's very opinionated as to what she wants to hear and when. She'll meet someone and she'll start rattling off her list of favorites, "Billy Joel, Queen, Pet Shop Boys!" and the person receiving this list just looks at me to ask 'what is she saying?' Might be a good class, might not.

I found that Atlanta Speech School would be a great summer program.  It's speech, plus OT, and all those other things combined.  Oh, for only $10,000. or so.  (...coughing!) Oh, but 25% of the people there get some sort of financial aid.  (...laughing!)  I wish!!!  Even when I find FT employment and get us into a new routine that will include some after-school care of some sort... there's no way we could cough up that kind of additional coin.  I've got a 14 year old truck with 160,000 miles on it that wants some new part or he isn't going to play nice with others!  I have parts of that truck engine that are still factory parts that need to be swapped out.  But anyway... maybe down the road.  We all want what's best for our children.  We're both educated, working people and we want to give Andi Bean the best possible foot forward. She's already had an uphill climb, more so than most kids. She should be given every opportunity available to her!

Daddy Bean and I are in cahoots to hire us a babysitter tomorrow night.  We're talking about going out on a date night. I think what frightens me more than inviting a stranger into our home and hang out while our kid sleeps, is the realization that I'll really have to kick it into high gear to stay awake, and try to enjoy the break!  Our schedule has been so early every day that when 10 p.m. rolls around, I turn into a big ol' pumpkin. 

Andi's standing here at the desk and just saw her name. She said, 'Andi ... that's me!'  'yes, this is your blog!  This is all about you!'  Then she stood here for several minutes, probably trying to memorize all the different words before her.  She's so dang funny, and smart.

Today, I got on video her singing Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' with her headphones on.  I don't think she could hear herself well, because usually, she does better than this performance.  But it was pretty fun to watch her.

Andi has one week left of school. I've noticed being in this school, she's relying on signing again a lot.  I think it's because there is an interpreter in the classroom at all times.  I want her to keep up with her signing, but I also want her to focus on her enunciation, speech, sentence structure. I should probably structure her summer days to something similar to school.  Coloring-time, story-time, play-dough time, music.  Set her up with some sort of projects.  Only problem is her short attention span.  I have to strap a saddle to her and ride her like Seabiscuit to get her to stay on-task.  I think my list of things to do will only continue to grow!  Maybe I like Portland's sort of year-round school a bit more.  We shall see!