Another Blip in the Parenting Road

Kevin and I got a little shock yesterday.  Austin has had some issues on the soccer field with catching his breath and feeling lightheaded.  We chalked it up to possibly being asthma and had him get into the doctor yesterday.  Well, along the breathing difficulties he is having a little chest pain.  The family has a long history of heart issues. So to be on the safe side the doctor ordered him to have some tests on his heart. 

Nothing makes a parents heart plunge faster than hearing the words, “I want to run tests on his heart.”  They got him in to the hospital for testing right away.  He had an EKG and some kind of pulmonary cardio test thing done.  The EKG can be read at our hospital but the other one has to be sent to the big city to be read by a pediatric cardiologist.  So we don’t have a clue as to when we will get the results.

In the meantime Austin is being sidelined in soccer.  He can’t play or lift weights or anything until we get the results back.  I feel so bad for him because he finally found his fit.  He found a sport he was great at and enjoyed.  He found an awesome group of guys to hang with and I feel are helping his transition to high school next year.  And his coach is amazing and so supportive.  I pray wholeheartedly that it is just asthma and he can go back to his team as quickly as possible.  I’ll keep you all updated on the results as we get them.

School 2 Sports

With school starting so does the sports.  Austin decided to play football this season after all.  At first he said that he wasn’t going to because he thought one of the coaches was mean.  But now apparently the coaches horns were replaced with a halo because Austin has decided that maybe he isn’t so bad after all.  We also learned that his good friend was on the team.  Friday he goes in for his physical, Saturday he gets his mouth guard and cleats and Monday he begins practice.  He has practice EVERY weekday evening from 3:30 to 6:30.  Lauren will be happy.

Rachel will begin soccer on Monday.  Well, I think she will on Monday.  I haven’t received confirmation on the fall schedule.  If the coach is the same, then the schedule will remain the same.  I’ll find out with a 9 pm call on Sunday. 

I’m also insanely considering letting Matty do Special Olympics bowling this fall.  The only issue I have with it is that I have to drive 30 minutes to get him and then drive 30 minutes to get him to practice.  That’s a lot of gas and time.  So I’m still tossing that one around.  The perks are that it is on the opposite days that Rachel has soccer.  And the biggest perk is that work pays me.  Since we are a bank we have to log in so many volunteer hours every year by federal law.  So the bank pays us for it since it keeps the feds happy.  And you just thought those bank people were freely helping out.  Not necessarily.  I was appalled too.  Makes you look at people a little differently. 

And Lauren will be sitting on her tush daydreaming of her wedding to Michael Phelps.  That is usually the extent of sports for her.

Rachel’s Good Day!!

Rachel had a kick butt kind of day!!

Counseling

Both girls had counseling today.  Rachel went first.  She has been having a hard time with Lauren.  Lauren has been having a hard time letting go of the perfection her bio mom expected of her children.  Lauren was expecting everyone and everything around her to be perfect just like it had to be in her old home.  There if it wasn’t perfect the kids would be subject to emotional and physical abuse. 

We all know that autistic and fragile x kids are far from perfection.  To me that is part of their joy.  To Lauren that is part of her stress.  She worries that if Rachel doesn’t do her chores just right I will yell at her instead of Rachel.  Or she thinks she will have to serve as her buffer.  So she is always on Rachel’s case to get things don’t just right.  That causes a lot of anxiety for Rachel and the rest of our home.

Rachel had counseling first.  The counselor pulled in Lauren for the session.  I didn’t go in because I would like the girls to work on this together as a team so I don’t know what all was talked about.  But the counselor created a new rule for the girls.  Every time Lauren starts yelling at her, Rachel has to give her a hug. 

Next up, Lauren had her session with a different counselor.  This counselor doesn’t know anything about the situation with Lauren and Rachel.  So I had to laugh when the counselor brought up her need for perfection.  He told Lauren that from now on when she yells at Rachel she has to pay Rachel a quarter.  He then pulled Rachel into the session to let her know.  Rachel’s face just totally lit up and she giggled for a good 20 minutes.  The counselor also gave Lauren five quarters to hopefully get her home

Soccer

A couple of hours after we got home, Rachel’s soccer coach called me.  There is a soccer clinic next week in the city.  It is with a major national coach who has gotten all kinds of awards for his instruction.  Rachel’s coach is going to pay for her to go and she is going to transport her there and back!!

Rachel is dancing on cloud nine.  She is so stoked it’s not even funny.  I so should have filmed it when I told her.  It was priceless.  The camp is for kids 9-14 so age wise she is just getting in.  The coach is also paying for the top player on Rachel’s team and the top boy player on her boys’ team.  So this isn’t something she is just tossing out there.  Rachel is a weak player but the coach is impressed with her desire to learn and the fact that she gives 110% to the sport and she doesn’t want her to miss out on this amazing opportunity.

After the fiasco last fall that we had with her old team, this just feels so amazing.  We have come 180 degrees on this. 

Little Better

Rachel was feeling a little bit better this morning.  I would have kept her home because she had a low grade fever and a slight tummy ache.  But she hates to miss school.  And I mean HATES it!!  She promised she wouldn’t play soccer at recesses which is huge for her to say.  So I gave her some Motrin, lots of kisses and sent her on her way.  Then I emailed her teachers to let them know that she wasn’t 100% and could crash before the day is out.

I’m just hoping it’s a bug going around that is not related to chicken in any way

 

Ended Well

Even though I was hurting I went to Rachel’s soccer game.  We dropped off my prescriptions and went to get drinks for the game first.  The game was two cities away so it was one long drive.  They redid the field though so we could sit in the van and watch the game.  I was able to have a cushy seat and be able to be out of the wind. 

Rachel did the best that she has in a long time.  She got more involved in the game and controlled the ball really well.  We were pretty proud of her.  I had french-braided her before the game and against her wishes.  I told her after the game that she did so well because she was working the braid.    I don’t think she was feeling it.

After the game we picked up my prescriptions and Kevin got a haircut.  He’s so hot when he has a fresh haircut.  Not that any of you wanted to know that!

When we got home Kevin and Rachel got their showers and we headed over to my parents for dinner.  I know, I know.  I said in my vent that I didn’t want to go but I decided it would be best to try to keep the peace.  And at least I would get to see my Grandma McSpirit and my dad. 

I was glad we went over.  We all had a very good visit.  We noticed that my Grandma McSpirit keeps my mom in line.  She is my mom’s aunt but she raised her.  Grandma M has no problem telling my mom to appreciate what she has and how good she has it.  And my momma listens and appreciates it.  It’s a side of my mom I had never seen before.  We loved it

When my mom makes us dinner she always cook something that I don’t routinely make.  And by routinely I mean ever.  Tonight we had meatloaf.  I’ve made meatloaf only once for my family.  I had to find a rockin’ recipe.  For one time.  For dessert we had cherry and apple turnovers.  I’ve never made them for my family.  It makes going to my ‘rents special for everyone.  At least it’s not just another meal!

Everyone is wiped out now and is chilling before bedtime.  Of course, the big dogs want to play now.  Oops…actually they want food.  That’s important!

It’s a Monday Morning

The time change has my family all screwed up this morning

I woke up with the alarm.  It went off at like 5 a.m.  Kevin shut it off because that was just way tooo early to be getting up.  I must have it set wrong.  I got up and turned on the coffee and laid back down with the remote control.  Rachel got up too and got herself ready for school. 

I don’t remember much after that until 7 a.m when I said it was 7.  Then it dawned on me.  It is 7 a.m.!!  The big kids leave in 20 minutes and they are not up! 

It hit me right about the time it hit Kevin.  Thank goodness too because my tummy is not cooperating this morning.  It’s pretty sore this morning.

Kevin got the kids up and got them going.  I’m proud of them.  I now know they can get ready in 20 minutes if they have to.

Matty has a ski trip at school today.  It was his weekend with his grandparents so they planned to drop him off to the trip bus for us.  So I didn’t need to worry about him.  Except apparently no one told his school bus what was going on.  At 7:43 it was outside of our house honking it’s horn (which drives me insane).  Kevin had to go tell them what was up.  The bus driver was not happy.  My thoughts:  She could have had to walk outside in 17 degree weather in her robe and house shoes in front of the entire neighborhood. 

Then Miss Rachel was in my room rubbing my arm.  She thinks it makes me feel better so I just let her.  She usually heads off to school at 7:45.  At 7:45 Kevin told her it was about time to leave.  Now Rachel’s disability shows when it comes to time.  She has to leave at EXACTLY 7:45.  She stands in the kitchen and stares at the oven and microwave clocks every school day.  I’ll tell her she can go ahead and go at 7:43 but she refuses.  It’s too early to leave.  So, when Kevin told her it was about time to leave she had to know the time.  She was freaked out when she learned it was 7:45.  She didn’t even have her shoes on yet (luckily they are slip ons!).  Rachel left the house at 7:48 slightly concerned that she was late.  She even forget to give Kevin loves.  I had to remind her that she forgot him.  At least in her stress about being late she felt bad that she forgot Kevin. 

What totally cracks me up about Rachel and her time obsession is that school doesn’t start until 8:25!  She walks to school.  Doors open at 7:40. Breakfast gets served at 7:45.  A duty teacher comes out at 7:50.  I timed it where a lot of our neighbors are leaving for work or outside in their yards when she is walking.  They keep an extra eye out for her.  Then when she gets off our street it is the street where the school is and the duty teacher is out.  She hasn’t ever confirmed this but I think she likes to get there early to beat the mad rush at breakfast.  She can get in, eat, and get on the playground before it is crazy.  She doesn’t like crazy

So now all of the kids are off to school.  But I start a class today at 10.  And I’m not feeling good.  So I had to take a pain pill in hopes that it will hit to where I can take a shower (which it has) and pray that it won’t make me stupid on the first day of this class.  It doesn’t stop there though.  I have a Psychology assignment & test due tonight at 8 and I’ve only read about 3 of the 30 pages I need to read of the chapter.  It will be a long, and hopefully productive, day.

The icing on the cake is that Rachel has soccer at 4.  Matt needs to be picked up at school at 4:30.  And I’m supposed to get my Team Mom stuff tonight as well.  Hopefully, it will be pretty outside and Kevin can leave me at the soccer field while he gets Matt cuz I still can’t drive.  1 more week!!

I just love Mondays! NOT!! 

A List of Updates

I’m feeling “listy” today.

1. Matt’s new toothbrush is still a hit and is working really well.  It actually gets his gum line which is something that has never happened before.  He likes it a lot but I think the extra drooling will just be a part of it.  I’m good with that, not a bad trade off.
2. Lauren’s mean girl experience spilled into school on Monday.  The girl that was her childhood friend tried to put the blame on her for ruining their friends birthday.  Then she started talking crap about her to other friends and people at school.  Lauren tried to tough it out but Kevin finally went and rescued her at noon.  The birthday girl was gone that day but on Tuesday she came back and acted like nothing happened.  The movie they were supposed to see that night had been sold out and those girls and boys wound up dinking around the city.  We all know what can happen in those situations and Lauren was appreciative that things wound up like they did.  She is doing better at school now.
3. Soccer is rocking for Rachel.  She is enjoying herself.  She has a friend on the team so that helps a lot.  I did end up being the Team Mom.  I like it cuz I get to make the snack/drink list .  Though the FX carrier side of me doesn’t like the fact that I have to call team members parents to remind them to bring their scheduled snack/drink.  Everything in life has a trade-off.
4. Austin won third place last weekend….then he quit the Junior Bassmasters.  It bored the boy to tears and he didn’t get to spend as much time with Grandpa S as he expected too.  It just wasn’t fun for him.  Kevin and I totally do not blame the boy. 
5. This weekend Lauren and Austin are taking a hunting safety course.  Kevin’s dad, Grandpa J, has longed to take them hunting someday and the timing seems perfect for all of them.  You wouldn’t expect it but I think Lauren is way more excited about this than Austin.  She is even playing a hunting game on her PS2 for practice. 
6. I’m doing pretty good.  Ok…actually that is a total lie.  Someone told me, or I read somewhere, that when healing from a hysterectomy the patient will take two steps forward and three steps back.  That is EXACTLY how I feel.  One day I’m tooling around the house like the surgery never happened, two days later I’m in bed with moderate abdominal pain.  I’m following all the rules.  I think this is just a part of healing.  I have 10 days until my next post-op.  I’m intrigued to see what my doctor has to say.