The schedule......

For a typical child the age of 2... their week consist of play dates, parks, grocery shopping, naps, and meal times. 
They play with their peers and run around the park falling and climbing everything.  If they have a "weekly" appointment it's usually a play date with some other friends. The occasional pediatric visit for "well-baby" checks, maybe a run to the doctor when cold season starts.

As a parent of any 2 year old you feel overwhelmed, unable to keep up with the toys and laundry.  Your child has so much energy and seems to "undo" all your "dones" but it's okay and it's fun.

For Chloe, she LOVES life. You will not meet a happier two year old. She hardly has tantrums and is easy going for the most part... aside from some typical two year old not wanting to share with her sister ahhhh That's my TOY STUFF.

(I know I am very very blessed for this)

But when you have a child that is hearing impaired you add therapies, when you have a premature infant, you may add therapies, when you have a child with any neurological condition, you add therapies.

Here is our "typical" week or just therapies/school. 

• Monday : As of right now this is the day I reserve for appointments/specialist as much as possible.
• Tuesday: school from 9am-1130am Parent speech session follows.
• Wednesday:  Speech and feeding therapy. /  Developmental Therapy
• Thursday school again 9a-1130a  / teacher of the deaf/HOH in the afternoon
• Friday: Physical therapy in the AM.
• Saturday: "fun" day and we go to gymnastics.
• Sunday: church/at home day.

This coming week we have an audiology appt., a meeting with our service coordinator and a specialist appt. to get fitted for shoe inserts. I also have some insurance paper work to get done/send out. yuk ( I hate paper work ).

 Chloe's school is a toddler preschool that focuses on speech/oral for communication disorders. the other children in her class are either implanted or wear hearing aids. It's an amazing program and we LOVE it. (she thinks it's the best thing ever).

You may look at this schedule and think we are "pushing" our child too much... but in all reality we are not. She looks forward to everything (except PT) and sometimes would rather run around during feeding. But "therapies" are fun, and I am SO thankful to all of our team that my child enjoys learning and "working" on things. They have made it fun and enjoyable. Arya (my 9month old) even seems to like them. As she gets to be a spectator and absorb all the extra language.

The hard thing as a parents is trying to get things done. Trying to keep up with laundry and dishes and dinner. We eat on the go more then we want/and can afford. and we usually have piles of clean and dirty clothes.  I have also recently taken advantage of a online grocery ordering service through Harris Teeter. (you order your food online and it's ready to be picked up the next day (or same day if you do it early) )  It only cost $5 each trip or about 17.00 a month (30 days of unlimited).  It actually saves me money because I don't end up buying extra stuff and I don't forget half my list because my kids are screaming.

I also once a month try and make a large batch of frozen meals that I can throw into a crockpot from the freezer.  I will post those recipes soon.  It reduces pots and pans and saves time when we are getting home late. 

My friends sometimes wonder why I don't come to play dates or hang out... ever. and the truth is there are many reason why.

1. TIME and ENERGY. I am exhausted and overwhelmed most of the time. Plus play dates are always when we have a therapy. ALWAYS. and it sucks. I can never make it work out. I really would love to have some time to hang out with friends.
2. There is also a part of me that hurts, and I KNOW it shouldn't. But when I hang out with "typical" children; when all these kids that are the same age are talking in sentences or even just putting a couple words together. At one point Chloe wasn't even walking and everyone else was... and even though NO ONE makes you feel bad or asks "why" you know in your head that she is behind and seeing other kids just adds salt to the wound. 
3. It's loud... and Chloe can't hear me. This wasn't an issue until Arya was born and I am trying to wrangle arya or nurse and Chloe is climbing something she shouldn't. or trying to run away, or doing SOMETHING that requires me to intervene but she can't hear me. So it requires me to physically go over to her. (no big deal) EXCEPT when your boob is half out while nursing. or your 9month old is pulling up on something else that she shouldn't and your 2 year old is about to leap off the back of a couch.    (the FM can help this, but she sometimes doesn't listen even if she hears)

 It's tough having a busy schedule, but I am so thankful to have a team that loves Chloe and has her best interest at heart. They all put forth all their creativity and effort to see her go to the next level. They are the ones who celebrate with you when your child finally meet a milestone! Even when it's months or I'm sure years "late".  They know how hard everyone, ESPECIALLY your child has worked for that. How many hours have been put in and frustration endured by an amazing strong willed beautiful girl just to be able to say "up" or "book"... even if it is only that once. They are the ones you send the video of your child's first steps by video message... they appreciate it and KNOW how amazing it is. They get it, even when no one else does..

Chloe and mommy before bed!