A date to visit Fiona

We had a phone call w/ Fiona as usual last night.  You can't know how wonderful it is for that to be "usual" to us now.  She was very chatty and upbeat.  She did a great job introducing us to the two staff people who were there with her supervising the call. 

I emailed Jane today when I got to work letting her know the call went well as she was not one of the staff present. I also offered two different dates for visits, a Friday or a Saturday.  Jane chose the Satuday and we will train to the Big City and at the train station a school van will pick us up and take us to Fiona's School in the Big  City.  (yup I actually think about this in caps when I am lying in bed guys!  I am so not a city gal!) Jane was afraid I would be upset that our visit will only be an hour long.  Our commute to the school will be substantially greater than that.  It isn't a problem and I explained that to Jane.  I have intentions to make the ride via train an exciting part of the adventure to see Fiona. 

Jane wanted to know what ideas I had for activities and I am thinking that if I could find an easy arts and crafts thing, that there were 4 of we could help the kids each do something on each of them. Like if they were giant foam flowers, then everyone would decorate a little bit of each one and then each kid would have something we had all been part of when we go home. I don't know really what else would be possible to do; I am not familiar with the campus or its surroundings so I hope Jane has a few suggestions for us.

I am so psyched that we finally have a date down on the calendar now.  And Jane seems pleased.  I get the sense from her email that KC's connection w/ Fiona is what is driving the visit engine.  She said that when KC asked to see her, Fiona said she had "some things she had to work on first."  Jane feels this is a phrase she heard a lot from clinicians instead of the word "no."  Jane asked her what she thought she had to work on and she had no idea.  Jane asked her when she thought she would be ready and she said in a couple of years.  Jane felt this was very sad but I also know Fiona has totally no time sense so I think it was a random choice of words and less significant than if I had said that for instance.  I don't think she is really afraid of a visit, I think somehow she has either absorbed an idea or been told in other placements that visits didn't happen because of her, when in reality it was a lack of staff communication and the great distance that the state moved her from us.