College

So we had our appointment with Dr. Psychiatrist today and it went amazingly well. I was all on my own with the troops because Dad got the appointment time wrong, so he showed up as we were leaving. During the visit the kids were all playing nicely and interacting positively and I was so waiting for the bottom to drop out, but it didn't. And then Dr. Psychiatrist looks at me and says, "Did you ever think we would be sitting here having this conversation?"
A year ago this Psychiatrist was willing to put his reputation on the line, write letters and do whatever had to be done to get Miss M a psychiatric placement. Department of Children and Families private agency became involved with our situation (we asked them to), a case was started with Children's Home Society, a Certified Behavior Analyst began coming to our home once a week and a Child Psychologist began coming to our home once a week. We became our own private nut house. A far cry from 4 kids sitting in a doctors office playing nicely today.

On the ride home the kids started talking about Toy Story 3, I guess that is going to be coming out sometime soon. That's what I gathered from what they said. Apparently in Toy Story 3 Andy is going off to college and won't be taking his toys with him and ... So Mr. C says, "Why doesn't he just take his toys to college?" Big Sis snapped with great authority, "Because you don't take toys to college, you're in college." So with great concern and distress in his voice Mr. C says, "You mean there are no toys in college?" Big Sis, "YES!" Mr. C, "Why???" Big Sis, "Because NO ONE plays with toys at college, duh!"

So I am pretty sure that Mr. C has made a decision NOT to seek higher education. Good thing he is so computer savvy, maybe he can be a phoenix.

Did you see that episode of Glee where the cheer coach says, "I have a masters degree!" and the Glee teacher says, "You got it on line!" Yeah that totally made me think of that.

So we arrived home and things continued to go well. I saw Miss M want my attention several times when I was helping another child, you know like when I was cleaning up Lil Bro who pee'd all over the bathroom floor because he did not make it to the toilet in enough time. And so then he wanted to get in the tub and use his new Thomas the Tank shampoo and bath fizzy. Yessss we made a stop by Toys R Us today and I totally got suckered. Big mistake and note to self 'do not go to toy store with the 3 year old.'

He carries around his pre-school size Thomas the Tank back pack with his "best friend" lovey - Lamby in there and he spots the bath fizzy and the shampoo and says in his precious 3 year old voice, "Wook! Dat my Thomas bath!" And begins to load up said backpack with said bath supplies. I mean the heavens had opened up and sun beams where shining on the kids head right there in the Toys R Us for goodness sake. I had no choice, no choice I tell you.

She wanted the attention but she waited nicely and I worked right along with that by getting to her needs/wants as quickly as possible. No rage. We ate and then started on the girls homework. That went well too. I mean I was really impressed with us.

So then Nan comes home and I could tell by the look on her face something was wrong. My first thought was that she had been in a small car accident. Not small as in the cars involved were small, although hers is, I mean like no major injury car accident. But no that wasn't it. A man had verbally assaulted her at the gas station. He had literally had a verbal rage that seemed as if he might get physical. VERY scary stuff.

She got his plate number and called the police department and reported what had happened. They assured her she had done nothing wrong and that they were going to "pay him a visit at his residence." Ha!

So Nan makes this report as Miss M and I are finishing her homework. Then she and I move on to bath time. She was excited about the My Little Pet Shop shampoo that I had bought. Well ... if I get the boys the Thomas shampoo I can't rightly justify not getting the Pet Shop shampoo for the girls now can I?

That reminds me of my Grandma Louise who used to say, "Well" with her eyes kind of squinted at you. You'd say something that she obviously did not agree with and so Grandma Louise would say in that VA mountain southern draw, "Well." And you knew what that meant was, "You aren't too bright are you?"

So Miss M is in the bath getting all suds up with Little Pet Shop shampoo when Dad comes home and comes to the door to say hi to her. And Miss M reports with great concern and authority, "Dad Nan got arrested today by a big mean man that was yelling a lot!" It was so funny and so cute and so 'Kids Say the Darndest Things' but we couldn't laugh in front of her (okay so I kind of failed on that one but I did try) because she was so serious about the whole thing. It was priceless!

For all of her issues she has always said funny things from time to time. When she was 4 and was sitting at the table eating her breakfast the garbage truck pulled up to dump the cans. With out looking up from her cereal bowl she announces, "The humans are taking the trash cans again!"

It struck me as so funny because we were smack dab in the middle of RAD 101 and getting our butts kicked daily by this kid and I thought to myself that is probably exactly how she sees us. She is living with a bunch of human aliens and she can't wait for the mother ship to beam her up.

Live long and prosper.