Back to a routine, sort of...

The new school year has begun and we were both more than ready to get going. I was more than eager to get Puppy back into a routine, but mostly back to a structured classroom setting and the reminder of rules.

But as I'm sure you know, sometimes life throws some bumps on the road. Our air conditioning has been out for two weeks now. We are fortunate to be able to camp out at my sister's home, with A/C, DirecTV, and a washer and dryer. Did I mention my washer has been broken for almost three months now? Probably not since I hadn't been blogging.

But these little bumps on the road have sort of gotten me into a blah state of mind and I have only been able to focus on the present. I try to take it one day at a time and don't expect much so I won't be disappointed. The setbacks on with the A/C have been unpredictable and I just want to go home. As for Puppy, he mentioned he misses home, but he's liking the fact that he goes next door to play with his cousins in the evenings. It's not easy keeping an only child entertained at home.

Speaking of, I better go pick him up from daycare.

Wordless Wednesday (2)

Puppy's self injury, again

After cleaning the wound

Puppy opened door with enough force to crack the doorknob stop

I've been away

I know it's been a while since my last posting, and I apologize. I'm not even sure I know what happened that made me stop writing. I do know it wasn't one specific reason, but rather several things were going on at home and at work that simply created this overwhelming feeling within that made me take a few steps back and get myself reorganized, clear my thoughts, evaluate the present, and take hold of the roller coaster ride Puppy has been on and focus on "us" (Puppy and me).

I will admit that I missed writing. It serves as therapy for me to vent and to think through some of the experiences I write about. In fact, funny thing happened this weekend; my support group manager handed out composition notebooks to all the parents present. She and I had spoken earlier in the week and she noticed how I was unloading some of my worries and concerns on her and vice versa. So she asked for us to try keeping a journal by writing anything and everything we wanted, it could be private or to be shared at the next monthly meeting. I thought to myself, I already do this but having the notebook handy I did begin writing. I'm even thinking it might help me keep tabs on subjects or events that happen for posting whenever I can get to a computer. Like I said, I hope I can stop the roller coaster ride and maybe find a ride that takes us on a slow moving boat, calming all senses as we coast along on the river for a few miles turning into days and weeks. I can dream, can't I?

Wordless Wednesday (1)

I’ve read several blogs and have seen this before; I just hadn’t done it myself. I decided to do my first “Wordless Wednesday.” I think the pictures speak for themselves and the rough days Puppy and I, and Ms. H have been going through for about three weeks. 

Just saying

Let me start by saying, “This weekend wore me out.” I know some of you who know me and even spent time with me this weekend won’t understand. You’ll think that I took Puppy to my parents’ house and he did just fine, so why am I complaining and whining? It’s what happens behind closed doors and in our own home, and in our drives to and from here and there that are exhausting, stressful, tiring, worrisome, and even overwhelming.

Puppy has been having some strange behaviors lately. I’m blaming it a several things. One, his summer school class had to share a classroom with another group of students, so distraction and new observations took place for those four weeks. Two, even though he’s back with a familiar daycare, his routine was changed.  Three, the end of summer school was this past Thursday.  Four, he just now got the idea that he won’t go to school for a several days, but it’s actually about 6-7 weeks, I haven’t checked the school calendar for the return date. Five, going through puberty and being a teenager suck. Six, the heat and multiple days of 100 degrees as an average has not allowed him to spend those outdoor hours like he wants.  And seven, he had lower braces put in on Friday, too.

His observation skills are always at their best. So remember when I said he was recording bad words into his Mp3 a few weeks ago? Now he’s constantly saying bad words any chance he gets, any little disagreement with him triggers the mouth to spill the colorful words in both languages until he gets tired or causes self injury and distracts himself. There’s no such thing as time out because he’s outgrown it and doesn’t comply. I don’t spank him for fear he will repeat the actions since he mimics everything. And I kept myself from slapping him a million times because I know that’s abuse, plus he has braces, I see images in my head of the damage that a slap can do.  Spanking and slaps were okay when I was growing up, but now its considered abuse. Just saying.

Puppy is used to having his wallet taken away whenever he has unwanted behavior. So now he just puts it in my nightstand drawer whenever he misbehaves. He doesn’t even wait for me to ask for it. Then after an hour or longer, maybe even a day goes by, when he’s calmed down and, apologized he goes to retrieve it.

And the braces…since he had the lower braces put in place this last Friday – in almost three days Puppy has managed to wiggle his tongue in between his teeth and the wire that is on the brackets and pulled the wire out of place about nine times; and counting. Aside from learning how to put the wire back into place without light, but rather by touch, I have also learned another lesson; no more dental visits on Fridays. Just saying.

The repeating, the repeating, the repeating. Not only was Puppy repeating the foul language, he was repeating his request for hugs to Ms. H all week long. He was repeating he was going to behave because he wants presents and a birthday party in two weeks. He was repeating, "Where's Cody?" (our dog) a gazillion times.  Need I say more? Don't ask me to repeat this, please.

Today, Sunday, we woke up later than usual, which was no surprise since we went to bed at 1:30 A.M. the night before. So we stayed home and he was so anxious to leave and go somewhere, usually to my parents' so he can be outdoors. The stress of being home makes Puppy go stir crazy sometimes. Being bored caused him to cuss and then made him look for ways to upset and anger me. He went to make his cigarette box and paper cigarettes. I still pat myself on the back at how easily I can have the upper hand on knowing what he's doing when he thinks he's being so secretive. It always shocks him when I mention I know what he did. This happened twice on just Sunday alone.  He threw all his paper stuff away and apologized like always, and life went on. And we did finally go to my parents' in the mid-afternoon.

So yes, it was a long rough weekend whenever Puppy and I spent our quality time together. But actually, to be more specific, it was tantrum after tantrum and maybe a meltdown too during the last couple of weeks. I just didn't feel like writing about tantrums because it seems like I'm re-living them.  Just saying.