I love Friday's, even though I have one of those jobs that gives you no weekends off or vacation time, I still love Friday. Friday is the first day of my husbands weekend and I get to have an adult to share the chaos of our home with. And it means that Dual Survivor is on, come on people you know that I need my Cody Lundin fix! It is grocery day, which I am one of the few people in the world that actually enjoys the grocery store. Yes, it is errand day but for a stay at home Mom who can't get out of her daily routine....going to the post office is a treat!
It is supposed to be a hot as all get out (where did that term come from?) so we are going to attempt to get everything done in the morning and then escape to the air conditioning and the pool tonight, kids can't wait. Because of the heat, it is getting me even more in the mood for fall. I love fall, the cool weather, the pumpkins, the leaves, the food....what is not to love? Oh and school starts, which I am already waiting with bated breath!
I had a really rough night with Tobey again. Here is the downside to having 2 autistics....they set each other off! It is nuts, so I get Edwin asleep and then Tobey starts running around like a wild animal, so in my feeble attempt to calm Tobey down it disturbs Edwin! Edwin is then chasing Tobey and trying to "shoot" him with his finger gun and telling him to go in the dungeon (I think that's the basement) and then it happens......the meltdown! I am not sure if I have ever explained a meltdown, here is my version. First Tobey lets out this almost tribal like yell and falls to the floor (yes, no matter where we are) and starts kicking, biting, thrashing, head banging, and almost like weird convulsions. To the average person it looks like a MAJOR tantrum, it is not the same at all. When it happens to Tobey I "lose"him for a few hours, he is back in that Autistic world and everything needs to stay calm or else it starts again. As a parent you just want to talk to them, and tell them that everything is alright....but you can't because either you send them back in that world or they will cause physical harm to themselves or you. So, you have to back off, which I swear every time that happens a little piece of me dies because you are looking in the face of Autism, the scary one that tries to take them away from you. That is the moment that is not fun, or where you are feeling blessed to have this "thing" in your life. But, after a few hours and the storm has passed you get to cuddle with them and you try to forget that the meltdown even happened and just go on with life.
I have several friends in my life that are dealing with "meltdowns" of their own....those things that life throws at you and make a little bit of you feel like you are dying. I want to remind them that this too will pass, things get better and then you go on with life and you will be better for it....really! But, being a realist....it is hard to remember that when you are in the "meltdown" and facing that "thing" in your life. I got a little preachy there....I will leave that to Pastor Sam....
I hope that you have a great weekend....
My mom gave me good advice during my own meltdown the other night. Try to always be speaking the good things out loud to yourself. Remind yourself that Tobey is God's child, and he is precious and beautiful and God hand-made him and is going to do wonderful things with him and through him. And do it out loud so you can hear yourself! (Ignore the weird looks from your almost teenage children.) It strengthens your faith to hear the truth! :)
ReplyDeleteLindsey, Satin can't read minds. When you do postive reenforcement out loud it keeps him away.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Kya used to have these meltdowns where she would sit on the kitchen flour and cry-for hours. I couldn't touch her or anything. I used to sit next to her and just cry. I wanted so much to comfort her and that only made it worse. Hang in there, my friend.