Sunday, October 30, 2022

 Sunday, October 30, 2022   

 

   Yvette stopped by to say goodbye before she left this morning for a week in Portland, Oregon, for her father's eightieth birthday. She would stay one night with each sister, one night with her brother and his girlfriend, and a few nights with her dad and his wife.

  I went to church this morning. I felt well enough and didn't want to break the habit of regular attendance. It's partially for Mike's sake and partly because it gets me out of the house. The ritual is comforting, and I see people I know casually and have several short conversations.

  I felt off-kilter during the service. I remained seated for a good part of the ceremony. I was fine by the end. I stopped at Target to pick up some Hershey Milk Chocolate with whole almonds.

  I was supposed to have the M & W sisters at 2 p.m. They didn't sign in. I called both their mom and dad; and neither answered. Dad called me back to say the girls were at a polo match. Could we meet at 4:30? Sure.

 I had second grade M first. We continued with the Question Game. Her participation is always good, and her skill level continues to improve. I would love to get feedback from the teacher.

 After half an hour, M called sixth-grade W to come to the Zoom meeting. I heard W say something in an irritated tone. Her mother had told her to get into the session in an annoyed, critical tone.

   W was distracted during the whole session. She frequently draws while we work, but her participation is fine. Sketching is like breathing for her, and it comforts her. Today was different. I asked her several times not to draw while we worked. She apologized.  

      I realized afterward that W was distracted by her negative interaction with her mom. I wouldn't think much of it, except her dad and sister said mom's behavior is problematic. Dad told me that mom yells at the kids all the time. He said she was raised that way. I can't imagine she thought it was a pleasurable childhood that she would want to pass on to her kids. She may believe it made her a better person, as my mother thought she benefited from her parents' constant criticism.

  Besides the dad's comment about the mom's overly critical behavior, M said her mother was known as a crazy person in the family. It sounds like she is very reactive. W talks back. Her mother criticizes her attitude and frequently banishes her to the garage. The banishment is not as bad as it sounds. There is a van with a bed in it. Sometimes, M chooses to join her. While the banishment may not be damaging, the constant need to defend herself is. She is a bright firstborn as I was. She is affected by the interaction. When dealing with a difficult parent, there is no way to escape paying a price.

 I bathed Elsa. Her skin was a problem. I could feel her belly was badly infected.

 I watched the Netflix movie Raymond and Ray. I only have high praise for this film. It was wonderful in every regard.