I have to get us ready to go to Mexico on Thursday.You hadn't heard?
Yes, we are taking the ENTIRE clan (and my parents are coming too!) to Mazatlan Mexico for a glorious 5 nights and six days. And I am excited.
But today, I am on day three of my husband in MBA class (all freakin' weekend), and need to pack for all five of us (laundry, digging through summer clothes, more laundry), including organizing Passports, as well as managing to bring two liquid, more than 4oz medicines with me on board. That is not something I can chance being lost in checked luggage.
All of that by myself. Yeah, that isn't exactly new.
I have a lot accomplished, but have yet to put together all of the info for the pet/house sitter, go shopping for the last minute things (like sunscreen for the 80 degree weather), make a visual schedule for the trip (for Matt and Gabe) and a social story about how we should/should not act on the plane and at the resort. Not much, right?
And in the meantime, taking care of the kids, the house and regular schedule.
This afternoon while I was doing homework with Gabriel, he lost his ever-loving mind over being interrupted during counting by Matthew. He can't handle it. And I am taking him on plane--technically 2 different planes with no tolerance for frustration. We have to change planes in LA. Ah, hello waiting in line.
After settling down, Gabe begins a voluntary "how high can I count by 10s" game. He gets to 900ish when he gets interrupted by Nicholas. But he can't handle it.
He goes ballistic. I walk to the kitchen because I need to get the banana bread baked. You may think this has nothing to do with leaving for Mexico, but really, I swear it does. I have to get rid of the food that will go bad while we are gone, and the bananas are already virtually rotten. So I. Must. Make. Banana. Bread.
As Gabe screams, cries, blames me, blames Nick and otherwise flips out because no one can seem to remember what number he is on, Nick steps in.
"I think you were at 900." He says.
"You do?" Gabe asks surprisingly lucid all of a sudden.
"Yes."
"900 and 10, 900 and ... 20, 900 and .... 30 ... " he starts up again.
Nick saved the day.
And Gabe gets to 1000 where and wants to write down his accomplishment.
"How do you write 1000?" he asks.
"1, then zero, then zero, and another zero." Nick says.
"Really? 3 zeros?" Gabe asks.
"Yes, like that." Nick says.
And saves the day again.
The pisser here is that Nick can't do laundry or pack. I mean if he could drive he could at least follow a list (that he actually wrote for me) and get my shopping done. And to think some people don't want their kids to drive....OK, mabye I am in that boat too with Gabe...
And, to make things worse, I am spending my time blogging. LOL I guess I should go get something done.
I did order pizza. I mean, they are going to get fed. That is a bonus, right?
Well my goal is to post again before I leave, but truthfully, who knows.
So for everyone out there, Adios!
H
5 comments:
Have a great vacation. Not another post before you leave?
Things that have saved us on airplane journeys (esp ones involving long waits at airports, changing planes etc):
- pressure vest (which my kid prefers to weighted vests)
- a stroller. I know! Crazy to even consider using a stroller for a kid who is well beyond "toddler" years, but we got an umbrella stroller for her specifically for when we travel like that. If she's really in meltdown and needs to chill out, we make it into a traveling low-sensory room by having her sit in it and putting a dark blanket (actually an old, navy blue windbreaker of my husband's so it isn't crazy hot) over the top, thereby blocking out light and visuals. We also give her one of those travel fans - the handheld ones - and that helps her chill out (um, literally) too.
- Leapster and headphones, to provide outside sensory blocking and keep her from getting too ramped up, plus a distraction with the Leapster games to keep the frustration level down during the long waits.
I know, you've probably got a list like this already, but just in case you hadn't considered, thought I'd throw that out there. :-D Oh, and did you know some airports have indoor playgrounds for kids? The indoor play area at the Tampa airport totally saved our lives one time when there was a delay and I had a kid bouncing off the walls! I haven't flown through LAX with my kid, so I don't know if they have any such play areas, but that could be a lifesaver in a layover/delay situation.
Last but most certainly not least, hope you have a WONDERFUL time and that the weather is warm and sunny! (says the chick presently staring out the window at even more snow coming down in air that is wind-chilled to below zero numbers....)
father of four: Thanks...and I am kind of an over achiever, so I might have to blog tomorrow! LOL
Heather: Thanks for the info. My boys are seasoned travlers, and we actually have quiet the arsenal of sensory go tos while we are on a plane. Feel free to read my January 09 posts about our trip to San Diego. We still have problems...what is it that they say about the "best laid plans"? LOL
Hartley
Thanks for posting on my Miles Marker blog. It is always great to hear from other sensory parents. Our son ended up with the PDD-NOS diagnosis 2 years ago also.
Your blog is great and I look forward to following it in the future.
Good luck and have a great trip. BTW-we have stayed at RIU resorts in Riviera Maya and Puerto Vallarta. They have been the best all-inclusives we have been to.
So it's midnight in Portland and I have read all your adoption stories (up to this point). You have made me smile and have brought tears with the sad stories foster children have overcome.
But I really hope that you have an Adoptive Story 5, 6 ..... coming ASAP because you have me on the edge of my seat. Yes, we know how it ends, but it's just getting good.
And thanks for sharing this personal story. We have adopted but voluntarily placed him back with his birth mother. Hope to read more soon.....
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