It has been a rough week, I am getting to a point where all the volunteering I do is interfering with my happiness at times. It isn't all warm and fuzzy which bothers me until the phone rings and someone needs to pick my brain... like yesterday a parent called because her child was having to walk down around the corner a few blocks to catch his ESE bus which passes their home to go to the next stop (someone Else's home) I helped her get the contacts to straighten it out for door to door pick up and drop off with helping her know what to put on the IEP so she can open the door and be sure an adult is home before he exits the bus for all the what if's. Pretty simple stuff if you know who, where and how to make contacts. This mom was stressing over weather, safe drop offs and all the what if's for no reason.
This morning a school called me to ask where they might find after school care for a child with special needs since the ones the parent is contacting are not taking children with special needs... FIRED ME RIGHT UP! This is my background.. Early childhood education, so I get on the phone and alert our 4C's this is an issue again, then the coalition to give them a heads up that we need inclusion help again and off to send an email to the school with names, addresses and contact numbers to pass along to parents...email out to a service provider about the ongoing need for after school care for children with special needs.. I have my wishes. We have a beautiful full service youth center being taken over by gangs and thugs which is a shame. We could use that facility for so many positive supports and services making the benefactor (deceased police officer) smile from his grave... I think it is time to plan a trip to a city board meeting and get the idea out to the community. I would love a night video of the facility as it is now.... Maybe a list of police calls/responds to that facility would be nice for public awareness... fire me up!
Then it is my passion for Down syndrome awareness and the endless hours I spend working to get volunteers to help.. to get things happening... and to get nasty emails, nasty phone calls that it is never enough... I take my volunteer positions seriously with many times my hands tied behind my back.. I am not one to ask for money, not good about charging for things most people charge big bucks for... my time is equally as valuable as others.. I often wish I could be on the "wife swap" in a people swap..... I have done a load of dishes six large loads of laundry, Gotten 7 kids up, fed dressed lunches, teeth brushed, deodorant on etc...hair etc... baby up bathes changed fed twice counseled a parent, coffee with a friend emailed the school made 14 Doctors appointments for my children, tried to hook up a printer, cleaned the house bleached the kids bathroom, and it is noon..... That all this morning. And I have volunteer work to get to now and why do I not feel like jumping right on that ??????????????????????????????????
