Music Therapy

We had a music therapist meet our daughter today.  My thanks go out to my mother who helped find us someone who could help.   What we were looking for was simple in goal: something that could be my daughter’s personal “activity” like soccer, gymnastics, Tae Kwon Do or other childhood formalized pursuit that would engage her and make her happy.   The catch was it needed to be something she was capable of doing with her vision impairment while also meeting the requirements of her imposed restrictions due to the PFO in her right eye.

I had spoken with Chelsea on the phone and thought we would have a good match personality-wise as well as approach-wise.   My daughter was happy to hear she had a “new friend” coming to play with her that would teach her about singing and dancing and playing the piano and guitar and that the lesson was going to be just for her.   When I told her Chelsea had arrived, she went out on the front porch to meet her.   She became quite cross with me when I opened the door to come see as well, saying I should go back inside.

She was engaged with Chelsea for the entire half-hour she spent with her in the introductory/evaluation meeting and was sad when the lesson was over.    We’re planning to have a weekly session (meeting/play date) with a more defined plan.   Chelsea said the “therapy” part of music therapy is very important and there may be things that come out in their sessions.   She thinks my daughter will do well with some structure in which they spend time singing, dancing and playing the piano.  

We’re just excited she has her own special activity that’s just for her.   I am very excited about hearing her sing new songs and dance in the future.

The Big Boy Update:  Tonight my son was playing some game on his iPad and had convinced Mimi she needed to watch him while dad made dinner.   She came over to me shortly later and told me he was doing well, successfully completing three levels in a row.   She said after the third level he looked up at her and said, “I’m happy with myself.”

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Tonight at the dinner table my daughter asked me, “who made mommies and daddies?”  I told her she grew in my tummy and I grew in Mimi’s tummy.  She looked at me and said in an incredulous tone, “are you kidding me?”