Well, for want of a better title, since I had used "Frustration" already, I just am entitling this "Frustration II". Unfortunately, I envision a series....
I never realized how much it takes two people to manage Christopher at times...and if we want to get anything done it takes more. There's the frustration.
Yesterday I went to WalMart and found on of those "gazebos" dirt cheap. A nice one. On clearance. Well, after our screen-tent fiasco (it blew away and collapsed less than 72 hours after we put it up), I had been wanting a "porch" to sit out and watch the birds and just enjoy the outdoors.... and here it was....on clearance!
I purchased the thing (riding around WalMart in my scooter purchasing the 10 items I can fit in my basket is frustrating alone) and pulled the van up to the Garden Center entrance to load it. With my Jazzy in the back of the van, there isn't a ton of space. I struggled to rearrange the Jazzy and the middle seats (the rear seats were already stowed) so that the 10 foot box would fit...while three able-bodied WM employees stood and watched, somewhat impatiently, I might add. Now, my balance is bad and my fine motor skills are challenging and they're just watching with their thumbs up their............you get the pitcure. Anyhow, I finally make a space big enough for the box to fit and head home, totally exhausted but happy that I am still able to shop alone and excited to get a place to sit on the porch!
This morning, Amy and I hauled the box out onto our hand-truck and wheeled it to the back yard to assemble. Immediately upon opening the box it was clear that one of the posts was seriously bent. Not exactly something we could just 'live with'. A call to WalMart found that I have purchased the last one. So we can't even exchange it (and the thought of going through the process again tires me out just thinking about it). Tomorrow we're calling the manufacturer (Southern Living) to try to get a replacement post shipped....but now we have to wait again.
All the while we were outside, Chrisotpher was "helping" (i.e. pulling stuff out of the box, picking up the hammer and heading for the pieces with a demonic look on his face, etc.). My speech is bad enough now that I am not clearly understood and often can't complete an entire sentence without running out of breath. It kind of feels like someone has put cellophane over my mouth when I'm trying to talk. Now picture me trying to intervene with Christopher while Amy's fighting with the packing material and pieces. "Voice control" was not a high point on the menu with Christopher when I could talk CLEARLY and LOUDLY...and it is so much worse now. Kind of feels like herding cats most of the time.
SO, I'm frustrated. Mostly because I can't communicate and my hands don't cooperate and I struggle to do things I could do easily before. And Amy can't do it all!
We are earnestly seeking God's will regarding moving. Needing a one-story home that can be modified for handicap accessibility is becoming more and more of a necessity, but the real question is where to move? Obviously we need to be near "help"... but so far there is no one place where our help is centralized. So the group God is preparing to help us has not yet become physically visible to us. Please join us in praying for God's guidance as to where He has for us to be.
Thanks for your love, prayers and support. Love, Claudia
