We are sitting at our usual table at Panera. We arrived early today. Kate was up before I returned home from my walk at 8:00. She was not dressed for church. I reminded her this was church day. She gave me a dirty look and groaned. I hesitated a moment and started to encourage her. Then I decided not to push her. I know she often feels pushed. We decided to come over to Panera for her morning muffin.
She has been trying to work jigsaw puzzles on her iPad, something that has been one of only two things that occupy her time. She has occasionally been frustrated while working the puzzles. I don’t believe it is associated with any difficulty finding and placing the puzzle pieces themselves. Rather, it is that she occasionally hits a “button” that take her to a new screen, and she doesn’t know how to get back to her puzzle. In addition, there are times that the app itself offers an opportunity to do something else. She doesn’t know how to “cancel” and get back to her puzzle.
This morning has been especially frustrating for her. Over a 5-10 minute period, she repeatedly lost her puzzle. Each time I helped her get another one. She did not ask for my help. She simply put the iPad down on the table and, a couple of times, she closed the iPad as though she were ready to go home.
A number of things have happened this week that make me think that Kate is moving closer to another stage of this illness. She hasn’t been staying outside as long, and she hasn’t been working on her iPad as long before wanting to switch to something else. I dread the day that she loses interest in these two activities. They are her life right now and have been for several years.
I should say that last night she turned on her computer for a few minutes. I don’t know what she did, but it wasn’t long.
