I have moved over to WhittereronAutism.com. Please follow the link to find me there. Hope to see you after the jump! :)

Friday, July 27, 2007

Senility may be a blessing for some?



















I try to remember why I am down in the dumps today? I know that I worked it out earlier but now I have forgotten again.

Could it be the wet bed and the laundry? No, that’s pretty much a daily event. It must be something more than that mere trifle.

Something cyclical? I check the calendar, flip through the months but I’ve been sloppy about recording cycles. Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps a contributing factor.

The death of the coffee maker? No, not that. Miffed, irritated and with a serious case of caffeine withdrawal but otherwise, it’s of no great consequence in the great scheme of things.

What about him walking into the pool with all his clothes on? No, I don’t think it was that. I was there at the time. There was no danger. In fact the look on his face was priceless when I mentioned that he might prefer to wear his swimsuit. [translation = gave me my daily dose of laughter therapy]

What else? The dental appointment, the bill, the future pain and discomfort, all of which fell into the category of bad news? No, not really, after three and a half years, I’m sort of immune. [translation = case hardened]

Then there was explaining to that stranger about them being autistic. That was…….tedious, not particularly depressing, quite commonplace these days.

Was it something new or was it something different, or neither of the above? I have no recall. I tread backwards through my day, just as I prompt my children to do. [translation = a dose of my own medicine]

None of the meltdowns were that bad, mainly level 7 and 8’s and there weren’t that many, no more than one or two an hour. [translation = for each] A longer day of course, because we are on Summer holidays, but of no great import. [translation = standard fare]

The early start didn’t help, as 5 a.m. is about my limit. The hourly visits during the night were something I could have done without, but we’ve done it before. [translation =often]

Maybe it’s the blogging? There are some dire postings out there. [translation = other people’s genuine misery]

I didn’t have time to listen to the news on the radio, which has no doubt saved me no end of angst. [translation = safe in our own bubble]

Prompting them to re-dress every 45 minutes or so, to coincide with a bathroom break? Of course not, I can do that in my sleep. [translation = and often do]

Do the breakages matter? Mere irritations. The mess? No, just evidence of play. The spillages? Isn’t that why cloths were invented? It’s all just standard parent and children fare, with a percentage more, for the autism?

Now what was it? What did I do first thing this morning? Or was it yesterday? I check the calendar again. What did I do? I see the appointment marked in red in my own appalling hand writing: IEP Triennial, 9:00 a.m.. [translation = Individual Education Plan for a Special Needs Child]

I remember!

I try very hard to forget again.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just finished going through all of the post on this page. Interesting and ejoyable to read. You deal with life wery well.

Anonymous said...

Now I'm depressed, thinking of your IEP meeting. Hopefully the school was not the problem, if so, I'll kick them. Hard. I hate hearing about bad IEP meetings. I hope parents don't feel like that when they leave meetings I've led. Of course, it helps that I work in a good district, and have had good administrative support.

As your coffee pot is busted (that alone would do it for me), may I suggest, for the day, you help yourself to a beverage with a bit more bite? Something fruity and cold? With a tiny umbrella? Wear a fancy hat, ginormous (its in the dictionary) sunglasses, and pretend you are Kate Middleton. Read a trashy magazine.

As Jimmy Buffet says, "Its 5:00 somewhere..."

Anonymous said...

Rough couple of days???

Hopefully, the IEP meeting went "ok" and you got the services and support everyone needed. Seems like a constant battle.

Have fun out by your pool... as for the rest... it's only laundry.

S.

Jeni said...

It is funny to read about how you regard the various little things in your life that are a trifle, sometimes more than that, off the norm(whatever the norm is these days) and then, just brush it aside. The little guy here has decided over the past few weeks now that he doesn't wish to go to sleep prior to 2 a.m., some nights stays awake even longer. Like last night when it was almost 4 a.m. before he finally dropped off and thankfully, he's still zonked out too. Hopefully, this will last till at least noon! I'm just trying now to pull a few loose ends together for the five relatives due to arrive here between noon and two-ish today for a day of visiting.
Hang in there; it's bound to get worse before it gets better.

Niksmom said...

Yikes! IEP yesterday, interrupted sleep (again), AND caffeine withdrawals?? I'd be postal (translation = nearly homicidal).

I like claudia's suggestion...I should have done that yesterday! LOL

Liv said...

yes, and I just was reading your post when a child with hands smelling of poop and backwards underwear walked up to me. this is why I eat a lot of buttery, cheesy carbohydrate foods and drink caffeine to excess. it keeps me from noticing the stuff that makes me wish i were on a desert island.

Anonymous said...

Is it this way with 'typical' children I wonder? Do their parents have these problems? What I dread is when the letter arrives following the annual review telling me "some changes have been made to the statement". What changes? I ask. All changes necessary were discussed at the meeting as was the IEP and school curriculum. Amy attends a mainstream school with 20 hours of vital support.

Best wishes, Crystal xx

Heidi said...

oh bum, IEP meeting AND sleep deprivation AND no coffee? Here that would mean a level 8 (at least) nervous breakdown. Hang in there, sending you every positive thought in the world from over the ocean.
xxx
ps. We use melatonin, shamelessly. Otherwise no-one would get any sleep, with that we get at least a bit (until 5am). What is it with autism and no sleep? Are they superhuman individuals who don't need any?

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you guys are swimming in laundry, or rather your son is..... literally.

Mary P Jones (MPJ) said...

I still haven't recovered from the IEP meeting I had three (?) months ago. Ick! Hope it went well, but I suppose I will find out if I keep reading. ;)

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button