Amanda
We have been missing for a minute but I have to be honest, this last month and half have been REALLY tough! Between the growing impact of COVID-19 and trying to get a firm grip on what was going to happen with school, it has been a rough time in this house. So to start, Zion has been obsessing about Coronavirus and what the numbers are doing. I don’t like to shelter him from things, but we have started turning off the news and doing our best to not talk about the virus. Once he hears about it he will ask 100 questions and for the rest of the day it is all about the virus and what if this or what if that. It causes him a lot of stress and I have noticed his anxiety has really spiked these past few weeks. I know some people say this is the new normal, but I really do not want this to be that because my son is stressing out and it is breaking my heart.
So school officially started here (August 24) and both of my kiddos are currently doing virtual learning. We have the decision to send them in person on Sept. 8th and we decided to send Amaiah in person to Pre-K but keep Zion with the virtual learning. Zion has pretty bad asthma so I’m just not ready to send him back yet. Amaiah will be going to school with me so I feel confident that my campus has proper procedures in place to help keep her safe. I also have a plan for when her and I get home in hopes of not spreading anything to Zion or Jeremiah. The next option for in-person learning will come on Oct. 13th. I hope we can send Zion in at the time, but the district has certain protocols in place as to how many students they are letting in at one time. He does get 1st priority since he is classified as Special Education, but I am going to watch the numbers here in San Antonio, and if the trend continues to go down, then maybe we can send him back. I will say the one upside to all this is that Zion actually really enjoys virtual learning. He is pretty socially awkward and does not attach to people easily, so going to school in-person is not something he really misses right now.
Zion completed his first 5K earlier this month! I found a minecraft looking medal for a 5K and explained to him how far a 5K is (3.1 miles). So one Saturday morning we set out and started walking. We walked to the front of our neighborhood and back which is a little over 2 miles. So then we walked up and down the street a little more. We got to 2.7 miles together and I let him keep walking basically right by our house by himself as I watched him (like .10 out and then back). He finally got to 3.1 and was so excited!! He did so awesome, didn’t complain, and was determined to finish and earn his medal! I am so proud of this little boy. He amazes me daily and I love him more than words.
Thank you for reading and the support you have given us. Change is hard on all kids, but especially those with Autism. Zion is so resilient and he proves to us daily that he can conquer all the challenges placed in front of him. We love you Zion!
