A Few Things That Are Making Me Happy Right Now - June 5, 2013

• My daughter has started camp and it is going very well. The place we chose focuses on inclusion - during the year it's an inclusive preschool as well as a place for disabled adults to socialize and learn skills, and in the summer it continues with inclusive camps. They had no issue with accepting her talker, her walker, or even some of the behaviors I hinted at. It's only three days into it (she's not going for the whole summer so three days is a large percentage of the time) and the experience has made me very happy. She's using her talker to crack jokes and interact with her classmates, she gets to go on fun field trips, and she is eating eating eating!
• Also good - the summer camps continue as she gets older, so if this really works out (and if we can swing it financially - it's not cheap) she could go for the next few summers.
• This is the first summer in years that she's actually had activities to do and that my husband and I are able to get work done. First she was a newborn, then an infant, and then she was diagnosed and we couldn't figure out camps that were appropriate for her (if they even existed - most that can handle inclusion seem to start at around pre-K age) so mostly I would go walk around town with her in her stroller, have playdates when possible, and occasionally take advantage of the local workspace that offered a sort of preschool-drop-off (we helped them understand my kid's needs and after a while she was just one of the gang). She and I were both often bored. (I also would sometimes drive us to the pool - being brave! - but as she got older, she got harder to wrangle by myself.) Now she's totally entertained, making new friends and having a ball, we're all refreshed for having fun on the weekends, and during the week I can get things done - work things, crafty things (which is also work - Etsy and local stores need to be restocked!), and knitting things. (I have a not-happy story about knitting that I may share soon, but the silver lining was that I am knitting again.)
• She had her first neurologist visit in two years (and we hadn't been to this practice/doc in three years - long story...) and it went beautifully. She's making progress, doing great, keep doing what we're doing, work on rewiring the brain and strengthening her core. Good.
• As for me, my good cholesterol is up FIVE POINTS from last year. Before I started Weight Watchers, it had been very low for several years. Last year - tested shortly after I hit goal - it had gone up. This year it's up again and it's now in the normal range! And I'm going to work to keep it going up!
• Chia pudding is delicious. I can't stop eating it. I smooshed together several recipes but basically I combine 1/2 cup of vanilla almond milk, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (plus a bit extra), a packet of Stevia (because I have lots left from when I bought it to use in my coffee and found that to taste dreadful). That's it. I also made a version with cocoa powder - it needed extra chia but it is GOOOOOOD. Low in points/calories, high in so much good stuff. Love.
• My long-term work contract is over so I finally had time to go back to YDFM (and drive - an uneventful short drive after about six months of not being behind the wheel at all). That's where I replenished my chia supply as well as stocked up on a ton of fresh - mostly organic - fruits and veggies and I'm back on the green smoothie train. I recently finished a slew of books about healthy eating, processed foods, and so on, so I'm feeling inspired.
• Speaking of feeling inspired, I re-started the Couch to 5K program. Today was Week 4, Day 2 but...I hurt my back while running. OK that's not making me happy, but I have a chiropractor appointment scheduled and I know I'll be back on track soon.
• America's Got Talent is back for the summer! It seems like each year there are lots of acts that builds on something that was done the year before (an act that does shadow/dance, an act that dances in the dark with electronics, a strength act, a pole act...) but I still am always thoroughly entertained by this show. Better when it's watched the next day via Tivo with lots of fast-forwarding...
• And we have an upcoming vacation that I'm very excited about because we're taking a short detour to one of my favorite places. Plus I will be seeing people I haven't seen in two or more years - relatives and friends. Hooray!

How's your summer going?