Happy Birthday Fiona!

Tomorrow my mini vaca begins and we start with a visit to Fiona.  Her birthday is Christmas Day. We are bringing a small party to her, birthday gifts and her Christmas gifts. I am thrilled that emotionally she is well enough for there to BE any of this.  Even when she was living close, we only managed it successfully 50 per cent of the time.  I encouraged her to invite a couple friends at school to the party.  The cake is home made and cute but simple.  She has diet restrictions so the fact that we make a home made one actually is healthier for her and will mean that with all of us there, there won't be leftovers to worry about.  There is a short supervised off site walk planned (her second off site of the 3 required before they will let her come to our house) There is a lunch planned.  There may be time in the art therapy studio.  Stuff is pretty much planned down to the minute by the staff and i understand that.  Fiona needs the highest amount of structure of any of my kids--though all of them are careening off to Crazy Land in some way, shape or form at the moment! LOL

The kids are excited about the visit, though ironically they are annoyed that we are driving in because they are used to doing the train thing with me.  But because this is a weekday visit, K is free too and is coming with us.  Lissa got a felt stocking kit from Rob for her birthday.  It was kind of her first 'big girl' craft kit as you lace the stocking up with yarn and then glue felt decorations on the front.  I thought she would want to hang the finished work on her door or something.  She did an awesome job on it too.  I was amazed at how facile she was with the lacing.  But the thing that touched my heart was that she wanted to bring it to the Great School in the Big City tomorrow because she is sad that her sister has to have Christmas in a place that isn't home.  I am too.