Sophie's World

10:00 PM: It was so nice having things back to normal today. Sophie fussed about going to school (so I hear, I wasn't there!), but she eventually went and had a great time. Elisabeth got her report card today and got all A's in her three graded subjects and S (for satisfactory) in all her other subjects. Her mid-term report showed an A- or B+ in math, so we were glad to see she brought it up. Her teacher said she continues to be distracted sometimes but that she's a smart girl and she'll do fine. We're so very proud of her!

Sophie brought home a sheet from her teacher asking us to write down her full name, birth date, address, and phone number. They want to have the kids memorize these things in preparation for kindergarten testing. She seems awfully young for that, but she's not starting kindergarten this fall, so I won't worry about it. I have to remember that she has been in the four-year-old class for several months now (even though she's still three), so some of the things they do may be beyond her. I wasn't even sure Elisabeth knows her address and phone number, but I asked her and she does. I'm certain she didn't know that when she started kindergarten in Durham.

The girls had a hard time going to sleep tonight, especially Sophie, because it's storming outside and they were scared of the thunder. It's hard dealing with kids when they're totally irrational. I don't know what Randall said that finally calmed Sophie down, but I know it involved checking on her later, because she kept asking me when Daddy was going to check on her. I think she's finally asleep now. She's been fighting any form of sleep lately, especially naps. Just like we did with Elisabeth, we call nap time "quiet rest" in the hope that without the negative label, she'll play quietly in her bedroom and fall asleep on her own. Today she said to Randall, "You know about quiet rest? That's just naps, and that's all mixed up!" I think she's on to our tricks.

I talked to Melissa about T'yanna tonight. She said T'yanna seems to be feeling pretty well. The nurses showed them how to handle the colostomy bag and stents so they'll be able to do it at home. The doctors say that once her pain is under control, she should be able to go home (as early as Thursday). Melissa says T'yanna is pressing the button to give herself morphine a lot less than she used to, but she does still have to press it (it automatically doses her every hour, but she can give herself an extra amount every 15 minutes). I tried to encourage Melissa to take care of herself as well as she's taking care of T'yanna. She hasn't been home since they were admitted on 3/22 (and her husband has only been home once whe they were first admitted), and I know if they traded off that sleeping in their own bed and showering in their own bathroom would make a world of difference for them. I also reminded her of some of the resources they have there (free massages on Wednesdays, etc.). I hope she'll do something to give herself a break before she totally wears herself out. I'm so worried about all of them.