eating

This morning Rachel sat up when I went in her room, but her hair was completely covering her face. As long as her hair is, it is surprising that it usually stays back and off her face while she's sleeping. I carefully parted her hair and pulled it back out of the way and was surprised to see a smiling girl underneath it. She happily and quietly said "there's a baby on it" while she climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. Only then did I notice the magazine sitting on her bed. It definitely wasn't there when I tucked her in bed, so I don't know if she got up and got it before she went to sleep, or if she woke up a bit early and got it, or if she was up and playing half the night. If I had to guess, I would guess that it wasn't this morning, because she would have gotten her hair out of her face. She didn't seem overly tired, so I doubt she was up too long, but I guess we'll see how exhausted she is this evening. The morning went just fine, with a little issue of her getting stuck in "readjusting" mode. She kept pulling up her pants for about 3-4 minutes, and for awhile she pushed her hair to one side, and then the other, and then back, over and over. Both times I stopped her, and then she moved on and was fine.

Last night was kind of fun. Daddy and the boys were all gone for different things, so it was just Rachel and I. We had a meeting to go to at her school, so I sat her down to eat a quick dinner before we left. She didn't really eat, but the reason she didn't eat was because she couldn't quit laughing. I have absolutely no idea what was so funny, and she wasn't giving me any clues, but she was laughing so hard she couldn't really chew or swallow or anything. I finally decided that she could always eat when we got home. At her school after a brief explanation they dismissed us to go on a tour or to talk to people about our specific, individual needs, and they had refreshments. They served chicken salad sandwiches, and so I got Rachel settled eating one. It was a little messy, so maybe she was afraid to put it down, but it's been a long time since I've seen her so focused on eating quickly. With all the issues we've had with eating just lately, it was awesome to see her really eat. I was able to get some important information, and had a great time talking with people who understood what our life is like. It was awesome to again reaffirm that we are not alone, and that there is help. Rachel is so much easier to care for than a lot of other disabled kids, but sometimes it's still hard. It's so great to be able to open up to people and know they understand me. I am truly surrounded by a lot of amazing people.