virus. transition from break. new tic. blech.
We came home from an amazing Christmas vacation, and instead of starting the new year off with a bang, we were up at 4 AM to catch our 6 AM flight back home. Hotels are never the optimal environment for a night of beauty sleep...my fitbit clocked 56 restless moments. Fifty-six??? So basically we slept for 5 minutes.
We arrived back home on New Year's Eve, and both boys had runny noses, coughs, and red upper lips. Paige managed to escape the little virus ( Oh WAIT- she slept with US the night in the hotel!). We did five loads of laundry, grocery shopping, and celebrated in a very chill way on the couch. We did, however, set goals for the new year. I have so many aspirations for the new year- I needed a new notepad to remember all of them. #overachiever #borderlinecrazy
The night before school resumed, Hunter's anxiety kicked into high gear. "I don't want to go to school!" "No school for me!" We worried that Monday morning would be trouble, as they were still adjusting to the time change.
He did not get out of bed, so I pulled every trick in the book. I made French toast, raced him down the stairs, and told him how excited all of his friends were to see him. We drove through the carpool line, and with just a tiny bit of hesitation, he jumped out of the car and ran in the gym. Success!!
Well, not for long. Emails later informed me that he was not his usual self. His teacher couldn't discern if he was tired or not feeling well, as his nose started to drip more consistently. When I pulled through the afternoon loop, there was no Hunter. Paige had plans to go to a friend's house, so I parked the car and went in to get him. He was sitting on a chair, shoes and socks off, tissues on the ground, nose running and crocodile tears in his red eyes. Supposedly, he thought "everyone left him," when it took him a bit longer to get his jacket on. He had worried about an ipad break. He thought he was "no good" at counting money. He "didn't have any friends."
One worry right after the other, with myself trying to reassure him that he could do it, he did have friends, and that he was smart.
Each day after that was difficult. He would have rays of sunshine, but then would toss chairs over, scream at friends, break rule number 5 (leaving the classroom without a teacher), throw cups of money on the floor...so many old behaviors resurfaced.
Before school started Monday, I sent his teacher a note that his nose had been running, and he had started a new tic. Unfortunately, we recognized it immediately:
the slow, eye blinking tic.
The same darned tic that started this Autoimmune Encephalitis/PANDAS journey.
The same tic that should have pushed me a little further to get some answers immediately.
Hindsight it 20/20.
So with the virus came the tic, the behaviors, and the anxiety. He also had been waking in search of electronics, so the good ol' OCD came to see us again as well.
This Friday, he finally had a good day. He participated in the entire assembly (WHAT?!?!), danced with the guest Zumba teacher in PE, and shared the swings on the playground (we had written a social story to prevent this breakdown from happening again). He was Yoga Master, and his PE and music teachers emailed his classroom teacher with his success.
Could we, perhaps, be getting better? Defeating antibodies??
Saturday morning, after an indoor soccer game, and the start of Paige's basketball game, we saw the old Hunter slip back into our family life as well. He wanted the tablet, but I told him he would not be able to play until the second half (we are not allowing as much time on electronics- he lost everything all week (including TV) when he had the bad behaviors. He flipped out- in front of the entire gymnasium. I walked him outside, to where Daddy and Peyton were walking in to witness him smacking me on the arms and screaming.
I haven't been hit in over a year.
We ended up sitting in the car for the remainder of the game, and he once again, lost all electronics and privileges.
One day positive--next day, negative.
We talked endlessly this past week, through our social stories and religious ed lessons, about good choices and bad choices, and free will- the freedom to make that choice. So good choices=good consequences, bad choices= bad consequences.
We need more good choices, because these reports of bad behavior are getting old.
Praying for a better week.
Let's bring it, prayer warriors!
We arrived back home on New Year's Eve, and both boys had runny noses, coughs, and red upper lips. Paige managed to escape the little virus ( Oh WAIT- she slept with US the night in the hotel!). We did five loads of laundry, grocery shopping, and celebrated in a very chill way on the couch. We did, however, set goals for the new year. I have so many aspirations for the new year- I needed a new notepad to remember all of them. #overachiever #borderlinecrazy
The night before school resumed, Hunter's anxiety kicked into high gear. "I don't want to go to school!" "No school for me!" We worried that Monday morning would be trouble, as they were still adjusting to the time change.
He did not get out of bed, so I pulled every trick in the book. I made French toast, raced him down the stairs, and told him how excited all of his friends were to see him. We drove through the carpool line, and with just a tiny bit of hesitation, he jumped out of the car and ran in the gym. Success!!
Well, not for long. Emails later informed me that he was not his usual self. His teacher couldn't discern if he was tired or not feeling well, as his nose started to drip more consistently. When I pulled through the afternoon loop, there was no Hunter. Paige had plans to go to a friend's house, so I parked the car and went in to get him. He was sitting on a chair, shoes and socks off, tissues on the ground, nose running and crocodile tears in his red eyes. Supposedly, he thought "everyone left him," when it took him a bit longer to get his jacket on. He had worried about an ipad break. He thought he was "no good" at counting money. He "didn't have any friends."
One worry right after the other, with myself trying to reassure him that he could do it, he did have friends, and that he was smart.
Each day after that was difficult. He would have rays of sunshine, but then would toss chairs over, scream at friends, break rule number 5 (leaving the classroom without a teacher), throw cups of money on the floor...so many old behaviors resurfaced.
Before school started Monday, I sent his teacher a note that his nose had been running, and he had started a new tic. Unfortunately, we recognized it immediately:
the slow, eye blinking tic.
The same darned tic that started this Autoimmune Encephalitis/PANDAS journey.
The same tic that should have pushed me a little further to get some answers immediately.
Hindsight it 20/20.
So with the virus came the tic, the behaviors, and the anxiety. He also had been waking in search of electronics, so the good ol' OCD came to see us again as well.
This Friday, he finally had a good day. He participated in the entire assembly (WHAT?!?!), danced with the guest Zumba teacher in PE, and shared the swings on the playground (we had written a social story to prevent this breakdown from happening again). He was Yoga Master, and his PE and music teachers emailed his classroom teacher with his success.
Could we, perhaps, be getting better? Defeating antibodies??
Saturday morning, after an indoor soccer game, and the start of Paige's basketball game, we saw the old Hunter slip back into our family life as well. He wanted the tablet, but I told him he would not be able to play until the second half (we are not allowing as much time on electronics- he lost everything all week (including TV) when he had the bad behaviors. He flipped out- in front of the entire gymnasium. I walked him outside, to where Daddy and Peyton were walking in to witness him smacking me on the arms and screaming.
I haven't been hit in over a year.
We ended up sitting in the car for the remainder of the game, and he once again, lost all electronics and privileges.
One day positive--next day, negative.
We talked endlessly this past week, through our social stories and religious ed lessons, about good choices and bad choices, and free will- the freedom to make that choice. So good choices=good consequences, bad choices= bad consequences.
We need more good choices, because these reports of bad behavior are getting old.
Praying for a better week.
Practicing our ballin' skillz
Bummer, but when you have bad days at school, you lose TV, electronics, everything...and get to practice counting money!
Paige leading her school as part of the student government team!
Peyton and his special morning donut treat after the assembly
Flowers in the winter? Yes please. From our rose bushes!
Let's bring it, prayer warriors!
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