Respite Care Begins & Christmas Cookies

Respite Care began this week. We are blessed to have Kate and Hollea working with Maizie. They work with Maizie to learn self care skills like steps to showering, tooth brushing and cooking. I can't wait to see the progress Maizie will make with their help.

On their first few visits I hung around the house while they got to know Maizie and started working on a routine. Thursday night I went to see the movie A Serious Man. I had just arrived in the parking lot when Kate texted that Maizie was having a CVS spell. Typically I would have went right back home. I waited to see how Maizie would recover. Once Kate gave me the okay to see the movie I was relieved. Until then, I was a nervous wreck worrying about Maizie and wondering if I should risk spending the money on a movie ticket. The movie was awesome and Kate did a great job helping Maizie recover.

On Saturday Kate helped us frost Christmas cookies. Mimi and Maizie made the frosting with Kate.Mimi and Maizie's favorite part was licking the frosting off the spoons.Frosting cookies is a good exercise in fine motor skills. I frosted and promptly ate at least four cookies. They were so good.

Mimi had a hard time controlling herself with the sugar sprinkles. This is no surprise considering how much sugar she requests on her Cheerios in the morning. Mmmmmm....sugary.Sally made a cute, kissy snowman. Decorating cookies is lots of fun. A big ol' mess but it is worth it.

On A Medicaid Paperwork Phone Calling Binge

Or something like that! I have been working hard the last few days to get Maizie's Medicaid Waiver stuff from hell finished (if there is such a thing as being finished), Respite Care Provider has been chosen and will be met with soon and Maizie was squeezed in for a last minute psychiatry appointment. Whew! I have been working on these seemingly simple tasks for weeks...no...months.

I signed and mailed my divorce settlement papers today. I will be divorced in a few weeks! Wahoo! Writing this settlement has taken months. It is well written and takes Maizie's long term needs into account. J is pleased with it and I am as well. Big sigh of relief!

Everything seems to be falling into place. I'm walking on air.

It is amazing how ongoing processes like this can weigh a mom down and cause ongoing burn out. I feel like a new person. This will be the first time that Maizie has qualified for services.

So how did I finally get these services for Maizie?

Lets see...my husband had to take off with another woman (divorce encouraged me to move on a new path with better options), Maizie went through testing to be diagnosed as mentally retarded which qualified her for the mental retardation waiver since child support caused her income to be too high (ridiculous) for services. (Yes, I do hate those words and that diagnosis but I can't change the state's requirements and the terms they use.) Moving to a different state where there are better benefits has been the high light. Ah, what a wonderful process. Sigh.

For the moment the planets are aligning. I feel happy and positive.

Knock on wood.