At some point, Owen got into bed with me. I didn’t move him from the couch last night but instead put tons of pillows and blankets around him and then blocked it so he couldn’t roll off. Thankfully he fell right back asleep and so did I. He hardly wakes up as much now. Years in the making and all thanks to Curious George. I gave him a few extra minutes before we walked out to the bus because of the weather. By the time we got outside the right had stopped but the emotions started flowing right there. He had sat down on the steps, kind of losing his balance, kind of doing it on purpose, then the mud. He was wet and that’s all that he could think about. His bottom was full of “de mud” and we had to change. It was a race of the clock. The only way to keep him from having a complete meltdown was to get him changed in under two minutes and back outside to wait for the bus. We somehow made it. He was upset but wanted to go. That’s what is wonderful about the bus people because they know how to help him and all work with him. But the victory was with me too because I was not wearing blue pants. I suppose technically, they were blue pants but not blue jeans. They were sweatpants. He knew when he came home he wanted to go to the “big slides” and the key was getting him to go. On the way home the bus driver had to make a different turn. When Owen got off the bus he told me all about it. The wrong buildings, the right buildings but the wrong side, the streets backward, the lights not acting right, construction, and the list goes on are all these that can cause huge meltdowns. I breathe. When we walked inside he told me “grandma got hurt.” This meant we may or may not go to the big slides today and may or may not go anywhere tomorrow. Convincing him to want to go someplace is not always the right choice. It can cause more problems and more meltdowns if not in the right order for him. He went to find his pants that he got muddy in the morning and he handed them to me saying “thanks O.” It took us a couple of hours, but he finally decided he wanted to go to the big slides. As we were getting ready to leave, he said he wanted to go on a “pirate hunt,” and he took some “shiny coins” out of his treasure chest. “Ohh shiny coins tooth fairy and the lollipop,” he said, I asked him if he’d rather go on a treasure hunt, than to the big slides. He still wanted to go to the big slides and off we went. Taking him there is both fun and exhausting for both of us. It takes him a while to settle in and then once he does, he continues to look at people's blue or not blue pants. He also will say that he wants to go down the slide and then instead he goes to jump on the trampolines. Either is fine that he does but I try to explain to him that he doesn’t have to call it the opposite of what he’s doing. After being there a little over an hour we left, because I could tell that he was getting to the point where it was sensory overload. He wanted a corndog for his dinner, and I gave him his milk in a cup. Even when he is done with his dinner or snack, he always asked for more of everything that was on his plate and in his cup. He will then leave it sitting on the table without even taking another sip or bite of his food. As he was laying there, getting ready to fall asleep, he continued to tell stories that he’s made up from things he heard by watching videos, reading books, and listening to others. “Do not hurt the bug do you eat insects you eat butterfly do you eat honey bees no you eat insects do you eat ugli fruit” and the story continued too fast for me to write. The day was full, the rollercoaster ride was engaged, and he was smiling for most of it. The smiles, the laughter, the songs that’s what I cling to. There’s no greater gift, than hearing him laugh. When all else fails succeed at something else and always smile. It’s good for your soul. Smiles to all and donut daze!
RSS Feed