What I Learned on Our Ride to the Cape

It was a more peaceful drive than usual. In early March, on a blustery winter weekend, the traffic was light. No oceangoing Suburus packed with children, and their bikes and boogie boards.

I gave Punch her ADHD medicine at 2 pm, right before we left. We normally try not to give her ADHD meds when she doesn't have school but then she might climb all over the back seat of the car or open our bags, like the time she found my pink shave gel and squirted it around.

I also listened to my therapist, who had suggested an on/off schedule with my iPhone. (Punch has her own iPad, but hasn't had it for a while, because she was going haywire and unable to observe time boundaires.]

We left at 2:13 and I said she could have my phone in an hour, for 30 minutes. So she got it at 3:13, and believe me, she tracked the time. Then I took it back for another hour, gave it back for another 30 minutes and so on. It went so much better. On the hours off, she had great conversations with us...asking Dan about grafting the apple tree branches, talking about who is in her classes at school [Luci, Rea, Marcel, Lincoln etc.]

I also drove more of the ride than usual. When Dan comes, he usually wants to drive.

I am a calmer driver.

He played some of his Spotify songs....I loved and want to download these on my Spotify. I mean I knew them, but hadn't "owned" them on my playlist yet. [Dan and his  BFF from Teaneck, Dan F., know so much about music.]

• "Michelle," Paul McCartney.
• "What Have They Done to My Song, Ma," by Melanie.
• "Uncle John's Band," so beautiful, from Grateful Dead. I didn't think I would ever love Grateful Dead!
• "Mr. Tambourine Man," the Byrds. I know Bob Dylan's version, but this--wow.

Good night. Want to hurry up and relax!!! xoxo