03-29-2011 update

03-29-2011 update

We visited Tessa Saturday night.

In what may be the understatement of the year, I'll say that it was great to see her again.

We hung out in her room with her. She had managed to "hide" all her videos on her computer, so I got those restored. Compulsive clicker she is, and she keeps clicking until she messes something up. Anyway, she popped right up when I got the videos playing, like she had been without them for a while. I left a note for the staff on how to restore the vids next time she wreaks her havoc, because God knows she will, the little shyster!

We all had a great time bonding with her. She was hugging and kissing us like crazy, not in a desperate way, in more of a playful way. The good part was that she did NOT bolt for the door when we arrived, like she wanted us to take her home.

By the time we got there it was close to bed time, so we stayed a while and Julie gave her her medicine. We stayed while she fell asleep, then we left.

We all are still struggling with it. Austin lost it a couple times after we left. We had caught him a couple times just standing in Tessa's room at home, evidently contemplating his loss. It has hit him really hard.

But I think it's getting better. We got a good report yesterday. Evidently she's expanding her horizons, liquid-wise. She drank iced tea yesterday (!?). The agency is recommending that we don't bring her home until the weekend of April 16th, and we intend to comply with that request as they should know best. This week she's on spring break so she's going to the agency's workshop instead of going to school, and that seems to be going fine. Next week she'll be back in school.

The agency also thinks that we should leave her in school NEXT school year.

We're going to visit her again tonight. Julie thinks if we go just before bedtime it won't really occur to her that we're leaving.

One day at a time, one foot in front of the other, and hopefully it gets easier as time goes on.

Thanks for checking. Have a great day!