This morning Karen and my friend who is caring for her came over. I cannot imagine being deaf and unable to communicate. Everything is so difficult and every solution I think of requires a life skill she doesn't have.
For example, on Sunday Karen slept all day. I thought the obvious answer was to give her a clock and tell her on Monday she should get out of bed and be ready by a certain hour. However, Karen was never taught to tell time.
She also has never learned to consider her own desires or preferences. She eats what she is told, when she is told. My friend gave her a piece of paper, thinking she might be bored. She drew until her hand was so tired that she couldn't draw anymore. What my friend had intended as an enjoyable pastime was received by Karen as a task.
Today I made coffee for the first time in my house. (The housekeeper brought me a little strainer which you fill with coffee, then pour boiling water through.) My friend said coffee is one of Karen's favorite things. Karen seemed excited, but then she barely touched it. I was worried I made it wrong. I tasted if afterward to make sure it was okay. It was fine. I still don't know why she didn't drink it. Obviously she couldn't tell me.
The good news is, she seems happy and generally relaxed. The aggressive and violent behaviors which previous caregivers reported are non-existent. She isn't eating much, but I assume that is because she was offered little food in the previous placement and her stomach is not accustomed to regular meals.
My friend is observing Karen's behavior this week to be sure she is mentally stable enough to live in the new placement. So far we see no signs of aggression or self harm, which is amazing considering all she was reportedly doing in the previous placement.
As my friend and I talked, Karen giggled now and then. We tried to include her as much as possible. Her giggle was sweet. Previous caretakers believed her giggles meant she was communicating with the devil. It seemed like healthy giggling to me.
The cleaning lady came today. She agreed to come twice this week and twice next week. I cooked us lunch today. My foot was fine until I tried to take out the garbage. Bad choice. I'm no longer bed bound, but I am house bound still.
I did my first homework for Spanish classes today. The last time I studied Spanish was 2011. I remember taking hours and hours to figure out my homework. I guessed a lot. It was hard. This time was so much easier! I finished five pages of homework in less than an hour. I can't explain why some of the answers are correct, but I know they are right from hearing the language spoken all of the time. My teacher can explain why in my next class.
I switched back to my original teacher from 2011. The other teacher wasn't challenging me enough. My first teacher remembered me. I used to be so nervous before my classes with her! Now we just chat right along.
She said I am truly bilingual. I guess I knew that, but it was still nice to hear. She said I don't struggle to think of words, my language is very fluid, and my accent is good and easy to understand. I told her I would like to improve my accent, but she said that unless I live here for many, many years, my accent is as good as it can be.
She figured out what I need to work on and we have a plan moving forward. I'm excited to better my Spanish and feel more confident about my communication skills.
Fany came home long enough to sign Laura up for school. The new school year begins in two weeks. Prices went up for enrollment and the monthly fee. The school also fired Fany's favorite bus driver. Last year Fany was so stressed out! This year she is totally relaxed. She is going to pray and believe they will find transportation.
Thank you for your prayers for Karen! Her transition has been incredibly smooth. So far she's doing extremely well. As long as she remains emotionally stable she will move into her new placement soon.
