After a two week holiday (and not all fun and games, we passed a nasty stomach virus around the house), I have no desire to return to real life. Obviously there is no other option, so here we are! James, of course, needs structure and benefits from it. So what is my problem?? For some reason, I just can't face the driving, the searching for parking, the waiting, and then fitting my lengthy to-do list in between. How can I be so completely overwhelmed when it is only Wednesday? Vacation was as little as THREE days ago! Why can't I shake this gloom? I just want to go hide under the covers. And that is not going to happen as it is James' favorite activity to put the covers over our heads and "stim." Okay, play with balls or count fingers and toes, regardless it's all self-stimulation for him. It happens with all the activities I dream up. I try to incorporate some stimming aspect to the game to entice him and eventually that is all he wants to do. For instance, when completing puzzles, we start by dumping the puzzles from a height so they crash loudly. He loves it but would rather flip the pieces around then finish the puzzle. Bowling is all about the crashing. I started jumping with him in the trampoline because he was stimming too much. At first it worked great and I had his attention. In a few weeks, he developed some new way to stim visually, involving me! It's the same with putting the blanket over our heads. At first, he was incredibly focused and alert. When I thought I was loosing him, I added the counting or playing catch with soft balls. Now he wants to flip the balls around or have me count his digits. When I do, he gets this look of ecstasy on his face. Uh, not good. So, I don't go in the trampoline and won't go under the covers. And that's just the problems with the fun stuff! Forget school this week, each day was worse than the last. Although today at least he completed his trials and school work with great interest and attention. My only hope is that his outside therapy has been going swimmingly (seriously). James is loving being back at his sensory gym and he's working well. Hopefully, the rest will fall in place as the week goes on. And, hopefully, his mom will get with the program as well. As we were leaving the gym tonight, bemoaning the early darkness, I ran into my girlfriend who is raising her gorgeous triplets - all on the spectrum - on her own. So what was my problem again?
