Swimming Was Washed Out! · Tuesday May 15, 2007 by Abbie
I was expecting to go to the disabled swimming session today, but when Ram woke up he wasn’t very happy when I told him it was swimming day. So I said that we didn’t have to go if he really didn’t want to, but I would like to go to the greengrocers later on. He agreed to that as long as he got to choose some extra sweets. He has been wanting a 50 g bag of sour apples for ages now!
We read for a bit and then went into the bathroom where we have the big chart on the wall telling us what we do each day. He again explained that he didn’t feel up to swimming and I gently started to try to get him to tell me why. He was close to tears when he said that it was too close to the day that dad came!
We talked at length about what to do. Dxh prefers to come over as close to the weekend as possible for the respite day as otherwise he finds that it breaks up his week too much. But Ram finds that being with Dad on Saturday for the family day, and then again on Monday for the respite day, leaves him without enough energy to cope with swimming on the Tuesday.
Some weeks it will be better as we can go swimming on a Wednesday when there isn’t a home ed meeting. But I am not sure how we are going to sort this out. My two boys have opposing needs, and I will be caught in the middle trying to keep both of them happy.
Ram decided that watching TV would be a good idea, so we sat down on the new sofa and settled in. I got out my weavette loom to do a little weaving while watching TV so Ram got out the potholder loom. Ram finds doing weaving like this really calms him down, and it was just what he needed this morning.
Although the day started rainy, by 11 it was sunny, so I gently started to suggest that we go out to the greengrocers. He kept putting it off. In the end we had lunch and then I went up to my nap. When I came down he was still watching something, so I waited. I didn’t really want to push him too hard as I knew that when he is in this fragile state he can get so upset that we wouldn’t be able to get out at all.
Finally at three he was ready to go. He cheerfully got into the car and as we drove to town, I could see the clouds getting blacker. Then the heavy spots of rain started. By the time we got to town and parked it was absolutely chucking it down!
We decided to sit in the car a bit, and wait to see if it stopped or at least got lighter. I told Ram I was really angry with myself for not putting my foot down and making him come out earlier while it was still sunny. He sighed, and then said: “Ah, the beautiful gift of hindsight. If only it were more useful!”
We laughed and I banged my head repeated against the steering wheel! How can a child who can’t even get himself dressed in the morning come up with such grown up and philosophical sayings!
Eventually we got brave enough to get out of the car and start shopping. Ram was in his buggy with one of my large rain jackets on, trying to hold a big golf umbrella up over both of us, which me pushing but having to stoop down to get under the umbrella. We must have looked quite a sight!
We got back just in time to watch The Roman Mysteries, and then Blue Ram. After supper and some computer games we did some more weaving while watching a bit of TV. Ram wove three pot holders. One for me and two for his Dad. He was very proud of them. But we will have to remember when we have put them as the Dxh has had to fly to Uganda for business. I hope that he brings us something educational back!
While we were getting ready for bed Ram told me that he didn’t regret not going swimming today. He said that he made the right decision at the time and still felt that it was the right decision. I am glad that he is learning to make decisions and also learning to feel comfortable with his decisions.
Now, if only I could get him to decide what it is that he wants to eat at meals!
