Up and Down

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

It really is a roller coaster. Yesterday we had the police here because Sam was

so out of control for so long I ended up having to lock myself in the bathroom!

I know, I know, I said I WAS NOT going to do that, but I had tried EVERYTHING

including ignoring, going upstairs, outside, offering hugs, offering a glass of

water, redirecting, humor, etc... and he had been punching, kicking, shoving,

pulling my hair, throwing things and in general out of control for over an hour

that I finally came back inside and locked myself in there until the police came

because I didn't want to put on a show for the neighbors.

When the police arrived they had to search our house for him because I thought

he was upstairs, but it turned out after they searched everywhere upstairs and

couldn't find him that he wasn't. He was hiding BEHIND the couch, squished back

there where there is barely six or seven inches of space because of the heater!

The police were able to talk to him for a while, then we FINALLY heard back from

the crisis people (apparently their pagers weren't working when I had called

because they were in a remote part of the state... VT for you)... it was decided

we would see how he did after they left since he seemed to be calm.

And he was for about an hour and a half. Then all of the sudden he wasn't... not

particular reason this time. Just started getting out of control again... this

time it lasted for a few hours. And the cycle continued all night. Until

bedtime. He basically was up and down all day from 1pm until 7:30 when all of

the sudden it just stopped and he was able to get his pajamas on and get ready

for bed. It was like the switch turned off and he was able to get ready for bed

fine... weird.

AND THEN... This morning we had to get up early as it was my first day back to

work. He was and ANGEL! The morning was SMOOTH! He did great at day care, was

great all evening. In the early evening I started a conversation with him about

how when I was at " school " today it was kind of hard, because I felt a little

" nervous " being back... well wouldn't you know... the floodgates opened...

He just started spilling one thing after another.... I asked him to slow down so

I could write down some of what he was saying to make sure I remembered it all

correctly and put it into a " web " format. The next thing I knew we had all this

information about what has been on his mind, making him feel NERVOUS about going

back to school... It was incredible, the amount of information he spilled in

about twenty minutes while walking back and forth to where I was sitting, all

the while fiddling with his new wooden propeller plane his dad got him this past

weekend! I asked several clarifying questions along the way, and he answered

EVERY SINGLE ONE!

AND THEN IT GETS BETTER... after we were done with that, I just casually said

something about my body being achy because we had been moving a lot of stuff

around our classroom today. And Sam (my son who is usually afraid, DEATHLY

AFRAID, for my life because worms might attack me from the faucet) suggested I

go take a hot bath to relax. He then proceeded to go start the bath for me! He

DOES NOT TURN ON THE BATH EVER! He usually only turns on the shower once the

little thing is pulled up! I thanked him and asked him what his plan would be

while I was in there. He said he would watch TV, could I please NOT lock the

door, that he would NOT come in. I agreed. I took a FIFTEEN minute bath, and he

did NOT come in once!

I came downstairs (he didn't even notice me he was so into his show) after my

bath, printed out a Superflex award and handed it to him with a hug for " giving

mom privacy during a bath. "

YEAH!

We finished the night with a harmonica celebration... neither of us really know

how to play, but we made up our own songs on the harmonicas and acted silly

before bedtime.

But now I ask, why is today SO different from yesterday? I try EVERY day to meet

his needs. Some days it works, some it doesn't. I guess I will just go to bed

tonight feeling good about the small (or kind of rather LARGE) successes we had

today!

Heidi