1964

School entrance regulations are getting tougher these days. Just to get into Kindergarten you need not only your inoculations but a urine test. YES you read that right.
Today was the appointment for Mary to get her “all clear” from the doctor so she could start Kindergarten at El Camino elementary. The instruction packet from the school said we were to bring a “specimen” with us to the appointment.

Really? REALLY!? You ever try to get a urine specimen from a shy 5 year old?

I tried several times this morning to get her to sit on the toilet while I held the baby food jar to catch the stream. No luck. It didn’t help that Lee (3 years old) and Cam (5 months old) kept vying for my attention during this delicate operation.

We had to get out the door to the appointment so I thought I would just bring the jar along with us, as we made our way to the Clinic, just in case her bladder would finally give out.

It was going to be a walking day, a nice August day. Good excercise and sunshine for everyone. I purposely scheduled a quick stop at Belinda’s house to provided another opportunity to try and catch the stream. making sure Mary drank lots of water on the way.
It really breaks my heart at the same time makes me chuckle. Mary was so mortified to have to pee in a jar. She was proud to be a Big Girl and have the bathroom as a private place for herself and now to find out that for the rest of her life she will be subjected to these indecencies for the sake of health. My chuckle came when she insisted that I wrap up the jar before anyone outside the bathroom could see the golden liquid.

It was another mile of walking beyond Belinda's place before we got to the Clinic. Pushing Cam’s stroller and having Lee and Mary complaining about the distance only made the waiting in the lobby that much worse. While Lee complained about the walking he sure had the energy to bounce off the chairs in the waiting room. Where does a 3 year old store that energy? No nap, nosugar cookies, no TV cartoons, how does he do it? And there was Mary quiet and afraid of the shots she knew she was going to get. Actually I don't blame her, not being a fan of needles myself.

Since I had to bring all 3 kids in the exam room with me it was nice to have a patient doctor and nurse. The doctor handled the shy Mary very well, Two shots in the arm and a quick lung & heart check up and we were back out the door walking the mile and a half home. It almost didn’t feel worth the trip. But now she is ready to start her academic life.
Will it be easier when it's Lee's turn or Cam's?



This is a Blog written as if my mother would have done it in 1964. The story is true. One thing is missing that puts it all in perspective. Mom is blind and could not drive me to the appointments. (think about trying to capture a specimen). Nor could she have someone watch my brother and sister. She was very proud of being a handicapped parent and wanted to show everyone that she could do the same things a sighted parent could do with only small adjustments.
I write this as a personal reflection to show my own daughters that parenthood is tough no matter the era or the disabilities. But it is also just as rewarding.