180 degrees and green water

This morning started out like a mess. I mean a real ugly mess. Because it started messy, I just couldn't get motivated. I knew that Eric's teacher was coming at 1:30 so the only thing I was motivated to do was clear a space for us to sit on the couch. First thing I did in the morning once Cris took over Ryan was email Terry's psych, the Super Doc. I had a lot on my mind and I wanted to get that to her asap before I forgot that I was feeling that way. Soon after a friend of mine called and by the end of the conversation I was yelling. I guess I had a lot to get off my chest! I bet she's real glad she called me today.

Anyhoo, I was a little nervous, ok a lot nervous to meet with his teacher. I didn't know what to expect. Up to this point, my experience with meeting with his teachers had not been favorable and involved a lot of finger pointing (in both directions). So I tried not to stress about it and I played a little solitaire while Eric watched Backyardigans (aside: I was appalled at a Charter commercial that was played during that show where they said the word sex - I mean you don't let echolalia ears tune into that! You just don't! - I'll have to rethink the watching of Nick Jr. - I mean they were also advertising Nick at Night during day time hours using Dora!! But I digress even though I'm really really concerned about that.) When Eric's teacher got here, she was actually human. I mean there was no Cruella Deville. Cris sat in and she gave us both great strategies to use and amazing insights to some of his antics, for example his throwing objects and his inappropriate laughter (which gets under my skin...grrr). She also gave me much comfort and reassurance of feeling the way I was feeling overwhelmed. Terry had been diagnosed after our IEP meeting so I hadn't really been in contact with her since then other than pick up. So I relayed that to her and she looked at me like..no one has ever suggested that you before? In other words, she had already figured that out just from observing him at the IEP meeting and at drop off. Crazy the difference it makes when you get around experience professionals. So she was even able to help me with some parenting strategies that I could easily teach Terry to do. See if I can show him what to do and do it right from the beginning then we are OK with pretty much any technique. But if I teach it to him wrong, it will be hard to get it corrected and executed consistently (no pressure). All in all I was pleased with the meeting.

I left shortly after she did to meet Terry at the Super Doc's office. I hadn't really had much communication with him since the morning from hell. After the great meeting, I was having a hard time remembering if I was still mad at him or not. Sure glad that I sent the email to her, however I didn't go back to "study" it to remind me. We got there at the same time and about 15 minutes early which isn't like us at all. But he asked about the teacher meeting and I started to tell him some things that we were doing right and some things that we were WAY off on. As soon as I stopped talking for him to get a word in about it all, he started talking about stocks. "So are we turning this into a special interest conversation?" Which I meant jokingly and I think he got that (or he completely missed it) because he continued to talk about how our money was doing. I was happy to hear it was doing very well, but I wanted to finish the Eric conversation before we went into Super Doc's office so he would have the info before I told her. He obliges. She comes out to get us in the waiting room and we are all cozy on the couch like a couple in love looking in my notebook of notes - a complete 180 from what she's probably read in my email (and evidently T's email too). So glad that I sent that email or it might have been a completely different session!! She gave us great advice. She even recommended some drugs for me (YAY - bout time!) and I left there soooo relieved to have solutions and strategies. Just what I had prayed for. All I needed was SOMEONE to tell me what to do because I didn't know where square 1 was to start there. She also prescribed me some "me-time." She said I've got to got to got to have it everyday. It was a must. Do it like it is medication. That made me feel a little uncomfortable. I already feel like I don't do enough and to procrastinate on purpose and for my own personal benefit just makes me feel uneasy.

So on a slightly different topic and to piggy back on the potty post I made earlier. Eric's teacher said definitely have a routine BUT switch it up a little. So tonight for tub time when the boys weren't looking, I squirted some blue food coloring into the water. It actually took them a while to realize the water was blue - the Younger noticed first. (I was scared for a moment that it might dye their skins and I had visions of the movie Big Fat Liar and the little blue man.) But they had a blast in the blue water. We only gave them Dixie cups to play with (instead of the usual buckets of bath toys). Eric says, "We can use brush-your-teeth cups in the blue water?" So cute. Well Ryan used the potty before bath time like he always does. Before he got back in the tub he had to go again. Well they are in the tub I look over there and he's got it pointed straight up and he was making a little fountain. "Not in the tub, we do that in the potty!" Terry says kinda under his breath, "You might make it green." Supersonic Eric Ears heard that and said, "I can make it green?" and goes to contribute his own yellow coloring. Ho hum. Time to get out. And what does Ryan do? He goes to the potty again. Geez he musta had a lot of liquids tonight!