Working against the tide
I've been really letting the blog lapse and that's mostly due to mounting parental duties. Our oldest is in need of special education services, so for the better part of my sabbatical, I've been the one to shuttle back and forth between these engagements. And I think engagement is the chief word that I've lived with in my brain. I've vowed to be as engaged a parent as I possibly can be, particularly because my eldest son needs his parents to be present, and I mean really present.
My son was recently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and because it's such a wide spectrum, Meredith and I have been applying for services as aggressively as we can. Unfortunately, because my son's such a high–functioning autism case, it's difficult to find any services or grants to support his needs. While I was at AWP, I was fielding calls with the Opportunity Resource Council and Developmental Disabilities Services. All this is to say that the blog and the writing has been set aside. My son's my priority.
Now, however, I'm finding my way back to a balanced life. Although our daycare situation is a mess, I'm grateful for my parents for 1) living in town nearby and 2) agreeing to help with the care of the youngest and the oldest. (The middle kid's peachy, though I feel at times I neglect him because of the other two). Additionally, come back to the classroom has forced me to go back into books and poetry, and for that, I'm also grateful.
So much gratitude for my complicated life. I'm glad to be back on campus. Hopefully my return translates to a return to my writing.
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Sickened by this story:
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Spent the weekend with all three boys while Meredith went down to Seattle for an SLP conference. While she was down there, she met up with these guys. She's friends with the bassist. Good to know people, eh?