Needed some help focussing on the day
Good morning. It’s me again. I’m putting off joining the few people here from the group for a little bit. I think it’s important for them to interact with one another on their own levels. They also need to get some time to be on the computers or whatever they want to do to start. In the meantime I can use the time to collect myself. I’m keeping an ear out for them, but need to take some time for me too.We just read through our entry from earlier this morning and part of what is causing this vacancy of memory is that I haven’t had enough relaxation time where we can handle thinking about what was happening. It’s like that nagging toothache that is begging for relief. I thought of a few things I wanted to write about, but now they are slipping out of my reach. Let me try to focus.
Hmm, maybe not too much … now we got a couple more guys in from20the group, but they all seem excited to be with one another. I think we’re going to do … how was work and then write out the statements and have them type them up or write them, and then we’re going to work on a project I thought of yesterday in learning to use the ruler. I want them to build houses.
There I just did a diagram and I wrote out the words they would use to explain the rooms they draw with the rulers. Then I made copies. Before that though, we’ll talk about how their work week was. I’ve just talked to them a few moments and we got through the questions I knew one of the clients would ask. He always gets confused about dates when we have time off … and next week we’ll have four days off. He’s still going to be confused after I talk to him, but he’ll be calmed down for a bit.
I also stopped to talk to one of my clients in another room. The teacher came in complaining that he was a bit wound up. She had put him out in the hall. I told her that wasn’t a good idea, and that if she was going to do it she better tell Sister. She said sister did it before and we said it’s still not the right thing to do. I imagine then she got a hold of sister, because when I went past the room, he was back in the room with the others. He was drawing a picture of himself, so we talked to him for a bit. He seems ok. Just has a lot on his mind because his house is going to a casino where there will be gambling. And, then next week, he will go home for an overnight. He’s the one that lives in a group home.
I will have an hour to myself at noon, and then I will have to do Thinking Group.
We’ll think during that hour, what we’ll do with our hour for the group. They’ve already asked for confirmation that there will be Thinking Group, they like that idea. I think they’l l like in general when we have our meetings. I’ll go in the room in about 15 minutes. I can hear them talking and they are all getting along real well. There’s no friction and the discussion includes everyone. I told them to practice being adults left on their own.
Just made sure they got an extra chair … all nine of them are now here. They discuss their day among other things. They talk about their week also and who missed what … Pretty much it’s a time to catch up. There are now several conversations happening. I like the sound of what I’m hearing. I think its important that we don’t fill up every moment. Part of the beauty of coming in on a Friday is that they get to be with each other on a personal friendship basis. Hmm, just turned down the thermometer … All those bodies in a small room seem to make it warmer.&n bsp; I like the sound of them catching up with one another. It is harder to type now because I’m involved with listening to them. There is a little Spanish too so that part is hard to pick up.
Hmm, maybe I better go in for a bit. Just want to be with them.
Ok, back. They are in chapel now … I don’t usually have to go with them. I know the Father is here and it would be a nice idea. Just I need my free time when I can get it. I would like to think of what the others can be doing other than telling me what they have done with the week. I wonder if I could come up with something that more of them could be involved with. Let me think. What topic. Something that might interest them in addition to drawing the rooms? Could we piggyback the project one to another.
Maybe if we had the drawing first and talked second about what to put in the rooms.
Hmm, seems like I have enough catalogues to go around. Maybe we could make a large poster board and divide it in 9 spaces and add what each would like. Hmm, ok, that works. I got a poster board and divided in 9 and placed each of their names in a square. I found some glue and enough scissors for all as well. That should work nicely. Also because we’re short on space, I’m using Candice’s old desk for the part about gluing the pictures on. That will give enough space for about 3 at a time to come and add pictures in a different environment, plus give them a chance to look at the interests of others. It will be a collage event.
I think the first emphasis will be on housing for oneself. There’s a sense of drawing each of the separate=2 0interests and there’s something else about collectively gathering – such as neighbors on a block. I think that there are lines defining everything to be a good indicator of boundaries. Maybe though as they come in I will invite them to see the space on the empty desk and the square with their name on it so they can work toward that end goal. I might draw an example of rooms leading to rooms just to show them and label them correctly. I wish I could print out a diagram, but then they would just copy it instead of doing their own.
I’m worried already about the boxes we gave on the sheets. Hmm, I think we could cut them off and distribute at first, and then ask they be handed in before they start.
Ok, I liked that idea best … .so I cut the sheets in two. I don’t want any tracing or copying ideas. I also want them to use a larger sheet of paper. It’s always iffy who is going to follow directions, but that’s part of the testin g too. I know that after thinking group I will be analyzing for the chrononotes. Only 3 clients have empty space to fill, but I will use the extras for filling in next week’s sheets. That’s especially important because next week is a 4 day week as is the following week. Better get my information when I can.
Ok, that’s all resolved. Though it took up my time. They will be coming in in just a few moments. Time to breathe and take it easy. Want to be prepared to lead them into the other room before they get seated. Hmm, that and too the first project with the rooms only has 45 minutes and not an hour. It should be ok. It’s really hard to decide what they all should or could be doing with that many people in this small amount of space. I better have them clear the tables before we start and put the computers away. That’s going to take at least 10-12 minutes. I think we are going to put the extra housing designs on the back of the poster board in order of their names on the other side. No use wasting good background posters.
Anything else? Feel a little overwhelmed with dealing with so many people at once.
I know I can do it blindfolded, but it’s always hard on us because we have parts that don’t deal well and others that can entertain 50 people with comfort. Just its not my normal preference to want and do that.
Good good. The Father is still going on. I think they just got over with communion. I brought the pencils to be sharpened down at Rosa’s office. Her and Imelda were naturally chatting up a storm. The squeaky pencil sharpener put a stop to that. Sorry girls. I’m sure after I left they went back to talking. Cat’s away mouse will play deal.
Ok, found time. What do I do next? Got some water … Hmm, did I drink all of that?
Better get another bottle. I wonder if Rosa will put the new chrononotes out today for tomorrow … Maybe I’ll ask. Whoops here they come
Good good … now is my 15 minute break. They did great with the rooms. I think they all enjoyed doing it … about 3 people were really confused, but they got through the exercise too. There were difficulties in that a few had trouble imagining the boxes they were drawing as rooms. Like if one box was a bedroom the next box they wanted to make a stove. There was problem too with the words. One person copied all the words and another insisted she couldn’t pick out the words without approval. That person has trouble with that problem generically. I loved the one client – the top client in the room. He had a real concept that the largest room in the middle was going to be a theatre room. I just giggle to pieces about that sort of thing.
They all want you to see what they’ve done. You have to be very encouraging and find things that you especially like. It gives them a good sense of self-ownership to do an exercise like this - more toward self-determination in establishing their own order. It worked too having them come in to look at the frame their next work is going. They each took a turn and like the ownership of the last project they picked out their square. It seemed something that each of them wanted to do. You couldn’t have them look at the board without finding what’s “MINE.” I suppose that’s a human instinct to do? It’s a good question.
We should probably have a 5 minute discussion when they get back. I’m having one of the guys put the pictures up on the bulletin board, and that way they will be able to get a concept of the other’s space. Be a good thing to talk next week about boundaries and bringing this back to picture. We only had one guy who couldn’t understand that the rooms connected.
Woohoo while on break another group brought me a ceasar salad they made … Can’t go wrong with that. It has all sorts of things in it. Bet too that at least the tomatoes came from the garden … hmm, ok here they come
posted by Ann Marie @ 8/22/2008 04:51:00 PM
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