Gosh, its been two years since I wrote anything? Time is really slipping by fast.
I am writing this at the Rady's facility for physical therapy. This all stems from Coco wanting to get out of gym at school by saying her back hurt.
[the mother sitting next to me just signed something to her child; I think the blonde doing leg excercises on the machine. I don't know if its because parent and/or child are deaf, or because parents are strictly forbidden from talking while in the sitting area here -- I rule I earlier forgot about]
Anyways, Coco kept asking me for notes saying her back hurt so could she get out of sixth grade gym. After several such notes, the school said a doctor's note (not a parents) was necessary. Eventually we got her to a specialist, who noted that one leg was a centimeter longer than the other one.
The prescription was physical therapy, excercists, and eventually yoga or pilates. She needs to strenghen her "core."
The therapist has a couple other people, giving little attention to Coco. He tells her to do the excercists, and she is lying on the floor doing them. Simple excercises....stretch your legs to your chest here, lift your butt of the ground here....mostly just stretching. Coco is doing them quietly without complaint.
Which is very different whenever we try to do them at home. Coco's campaign of resisting doing anything is full blown. Vera was finally able to get a set in yesterday; it took over an hour and basicially exhausted her (Vera, not Coco). Coco complaining loudly,....
I am afraid the Coco's resistance campaign is more successful with me, as I generally give up trying after a while. This has been a general pattern in our relationship, one that does not give me pride or pleasure.
Coco with other adults is generally quiet, deferential, trying to do what is asked. She exudes a certain quiet shyness. Coco at home never exudes a quiet shyness.
Here's something else that seldom happens at home. Coco smiles at me and I give her a thumbs up. She is in a middle of a new exercise. Standing on one foot on a blue soft log-thing (about the width of a food), throwing a medium-small rubber ball with one hand off a bouncy angled surface and cathing it. She is supposed to throw and catch the ball 45 times. I would be keeping count except I am writing this.
[sweet blonde girl, alyssa's age?, is coming out to meet her mom who was signing to her earlier. She seems "special" though I have no real idea]
Coco did a similar exercise last time with a basketball. We have a basketball at home as well as a tiny trampoline Vera made me pick up from the curb a house down the hill, in order for her to perhaps do similar exercises at home. She has not. The trampoline has been put to use by the turtles (who rest under it in the shade) and the collie (who lies on it).
Coco is now lying on the table doing the "stretch your legs that have been tied together with ribbon" exercise. ....Now he is on hands and knees, stretching out opposite-side arm and leg front and back, alternating....
