![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.heatherbarton.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Stairs.jpg\" "\\"Stairs\\"")
<\/a>During my day I get a call from Conor’s teacher helper that he’s not been going to his extra writing class (my 4th grader’s penmanship looks like a kindergartner!)\u00a0 This is the second call AFTER a parent\/teacher meeting.\u00a0 Conor claims he forgets.\u00a0 The TA says the other students report he refuses to leave.\u00a0 I’m ready to spank his little white ass to get some cooperation!\u00a0 (A strategy I now have to change…)<\/p>\nTHEN I get a call from the counselor at Evan’s middle school.\u00a0 (Evan participated in a weekly class to help with his writing… 1st one the day before.)\u00a0 And he wrote “I want to destroy this school.”\u00a0 So, of course, the counselor is concerned.\u00a0 *Eye Roll*\u00a0 I explain Evan is my semi-lazy, shy, previously bullied boy.\u00a0 He’s venting the fact he doesn’t want to do work when its\u00a0 hard & he gets stubborn about it.\u00a0 I explain about my son to this counselor & he explains that Evan is currently failing ALL his classes except gym.\u00a0 (Really??\u00a0 My portly boy ISN’T failing GYM!! Hahaha!)\u00a0\u00a0 But the good news is they just started a tutoring program with UCLA students on Saturdays.\u00a0 I’m all… sign him up!!\u00a0 I’ll work on what I can with him at home.<\/p>\n
After all that, I pick up my oldest and on the drive home I get a call from my oldest’s counselor on the drive.\u00a0 This is the mental health service he qualifies for due to his depression & high anxiety.\u00a0 Apparently my drama-prone son related to the counselor that I’m too strict with the youngest and punish him with a spanking with a ruler.\u00a0\u00a0 Which is true, but I’ve only had to do it maybe 15 times in the last 5 years!\u00a0 Follow through once and the threat of it is usually enough.<\/p>\n
Turns out there is an actual law regulating corporal punishment on your kid so the therapist had to report me to social services… who, of course, had to send police to my house to investigate.\u00a0\u00a0 The preferred method is your hand so you won’t go too far… making it all very personal and less a consequence… and I’m now incensed enough to argue THAT in a courtroom!<\/p>\n
So I sit down with my kids and lay out the worst case scenario… cuz frankly its been a BITCH of a day due to them.\u00a0 I explain that its possible the court could deem me unfit over this and give their father sole custody.\u00a0 (You should have seen the horror over that.. hilarious!)\u00a0\u00a0 Which means I’d have to get a lawyer & fight them over that.\u00a0 Which means I’ll be extra stressed so the LAST thing I’ll need is added stress from calls from school saying Conor isn’t attending the writing class & Evan is failing middle school!\u00a0 (I will work ANYTHING to my advantage!)<\/p>\n
Luke and I have a long talk over the consequences in being over-dramatic and the fact he may remember something that happened a long time ago but he’d better ALSO start weighing it against the frequency & what changes may have occurred since.\u00a0 I also introduced him to the concept that these tendencies are part of who he is and he cannot eliminate them but CAN limit the negative outcomes with a little extra thought & awareness.\u00a0 Something he’ll have to practice.\u00a0 I just hope the future practice doesn’t have results like today’s!<\/p>\n
Conor adds to the lovely insane day by running about & ripping a toenail.\u00a0 Now he’s bleeding & complaining his leg hurts.\u00a0 REALLY, BOY!!\u00a0 Do you have it in for me!\u00a0 A band-aid & a reminder that TODAY isn’t the best day to put himself into situations of bodily harm!<\/p>\n
So dinner gets cooked, chores get done, homework gets finished & the boys are on their best behavior.\u00a0 I’m cleaning out my fridge cuz I keep smelling a smell and it helps me feel more control over my out-of-control life to bury myself in work!\u00a0 I send the kids off to bed around 8ish with reassurances of what really is most likely going to happen.\u00a0 The police will come, look at Conor, social services will interview me and everyone will get reassured that I’m not beating the boy with a ruler.\u00a0 After all, it only takes one smack once in a blue moon to remind him to stay in control\u00a0 of his temper.<\/p>\n
By 8 pm I can barely keep my eyes open.\u00a0 I’m flooded with a wave of exhaustion.\u00a0 I’m trying to do more work, but my brain keeps falling asleep!\u00a0 I’m ready to throw in the towel & go to bed but when I hit the bathroom….\u00a0\u00a0 what greets me?!\u00a0 Pain when I pee & blood in my urine.\u00a0\u00a0 OMG… you kidding me fate!!<\/p>\n
I’m now downing water like crazy…\u00a0 chasing the 2 cranberry pills & Motrin I take… worried over this whole thing.\u00a0 Is this the same UTI that my body just isn’t conquering?\u00a0\u00a0 Is this a new UTI?\u00a0\u00a0 There’s been no sex, I’m on my period, is this a symptom of something worse.. like Bladder Cancer?\u00a0\u00a0 Oh and a little warning would be nice, body, since I just had a huge sugary desert!\u00a0 The pain I can deal with, the fever symptoms no problem cuz all I really want to do ANYWAY is cuddle up in my warm bed & sleep.\u00a0\u00a0 But with the water I”m drinking I’m peeing every 10 minutes!\u00a0 Who gets to sleep through THAT!\u00a0 I should buy depends!<\/p>\n
At 9:30 pm I’m huddled under covers wishing I could sleep when I hear a knock on the door.\u00a0 Oh yea.. I totally forgot the police were coming.\u00a0 I go downstairs, smartly ask who it is and get reassured it IS them.\u00a0 So two cute cops come into my house & I explain the situation.\u00a0 They look around and say,\u00a0 “You moving?”<\/p>\n
Oh yea.. did I mention the contractor had started work in refinishing the garage & ALL my garage shit was all over my house in boxes!?!\u00a0 Adding to the lovely chaos that is currently my life.\u00a0 And the kids keep clamoring\u00a0 “Let’s hang the Halloween decorations!”\u00a0 I”m like…. WHERE?!<\/p>\n
They ask to see the ruler.\u00a0 Not Conor, mind you, who is asleep.\u00a0 I said to them, “I’ve been expecting you… although I’d hoped you’d be hear closer to 7 when he’s awake!\u00a0 I’ll wake him if you need to inspect him.”\u00a0 I take them upstairs to where I keep the a ruler, and its really just a paint stir.\u00a0\u00a0 You should have seen the cute cop’s face.\u00a0 I could have giggled.\u00a0 He’s trying really hard not to roll his eyes!<\/p>\n
So at this point they’re all, thanks for you time, we just had to check it out.\u00a0 Luke opens his bedroom door to apologize for causing it all and they’re reassuring him, “Its all good, buddy.”\u00a0\u00a0 And they’re down the stair and out the door.<\/p>\n
By now Luke has a new worry…\u00a0 “They had to take time out of their busy day to come here.. all because of me… I wasted their time.”\u00a0\u00a0 Goody… welcome to my life with a boy with high anxiety.\u00a0 Lots of reassurance and “lets focus on the learned lesson” words.<\/p>\n
Evan pops out of his room with a big grin on his face, “Does this mean we won’t have to live with Dad until we’re 18?!”<\/p>\n
Yup… stuck with me.\u00a0\u00a0 Forever, boy, forever.<\/p>\n
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Yesterday was challenging. First off, my friend Cindy showed up at the gym.. hadn’t seen her in forever!\u00a0 So we ended up chatting a little too much and suddenly I was late leaving!\u00a0 To be on-time to get home & … Continue reading