Thursday, March 3, 2011

Fabric and Frustration

Can I call in sick to Life????

Today is going to be one of those days.  Crap.

The school bell has yet to ring and already I've made two phone calls and sent three emails.

Never get comfortable.  Never.

Everybody is ok.  It's just something....  Isn't it always something????

Take, for example, this morning's exchange with Sean.  He wears two shirts to school during the winter - a t-shirt worn under a long sleeved shirt or sweatshirt.  Sometime during the day he'll ditch the long sleeved one.  Tuesday he walked in, let out a huge sigh when he saw me and said, "I forgot my shirt at school."

No big deal.  Tomorrow.

Wednesday passed and no shirt was brought home.  Thankfully, due to state testing, he is only attending one school this week and it's a pretty small school.  Odds of finding the shirt are fairly good.

Now, before you start thinking that I'm some totally anal retentive mom - which I admittedly normally am - it's the whole new shirt, worn twice thing.  Money is tight. 

I asked Sean if he remembered where he left it.  My guess is in the gym.

"Well.... the schedule has been so screwed up with testing...."

"Sean, do you remember taking it off for gym?"

"Well.... you would not believe how much the schedule has changed...."

He then went on for several more sentences about testing and the schedule.  I waved the white flag and sent a note to his teacher. 

It's no big deal.  It's no.... big.... deal.  It's just stuff.  And for someone - me - who is so worried about finding a shirt, I had to go through his closet to figure out which one it was!!!!

Knock on wood, but if he were ever lost, I'd fail the first question the officer asked me, "Ma'am, what was he wearing?"     

"Uhhhhhh, clothes?"

It's all minor in the end.  It's the difficulty communicating that frustrates me the most.  Sean's been fighting a cold all week and combined with the testing and the schedule changes, he's been a little off.  Maybe I've been off, too.  If I were to paraphrase some elder female member of  my family, they would have said something like, "Frances skipped the day they were handing out patience and she really should have been in line - TWICE!"

I should be - no, I am - proud of him for how well he has handled all that has been thrown at him this week. 

He's been amazing.

Who cares about a stupid shirt?

2 comments:

  1. I just wanted to let you know that I've been reading this blog just about every day, ever since you asked me to check it out. I'm really enlightened and encouraged and impressed with this window into your lives. Having an autistic daughter of my own (and having my own set of autistic traits), I can relate in so many ways to much of this.

    Thanks for sharing it all, and keep it up! It's a worthwhile effort! :-)

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  2. Hi Fran! I've only read this one blog so far, but geez this sounds awfully familiar. I am sooo there with you. It's always stuff; and stuff always takes time, sometimes money and always energy. Things we're continually running out of. I look forward to reading more.

    I've got my own blog, too, but I haven't posted too often and much of it pertains to running. But at times it's about Raeann, too.

    www.ronspaces.blogspot.com

    Hang in there!
    -Ron

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