help me out here

Okay, so Lars has been teething. Cutting these big giant six-year molars. He's never been a great teether, and these are no exception. Seems like they've been coming in for months and we're not done. They change his whole system, he gets fevers, drools, is in lots of pain, pink cheeks, red ears, etc., and most of all he gets intermittent pain and intense grumpiness. That's what I think has been going on the last few days. Monday & Tuesday he melted down at school, essentially presented as sick, I got called in, and he got sent home early. This morning I didn't even send him in. But then after he's gone from school--usually already on the ride home--he stops crying, chills out and is happy-as-a-clam boy with tons of energy, smiles, etc.

Okay, that said he also seems to have developed somewhat of a...shall we say dislike for being asked to work, at home or at school. It is my opinion that for some time he has been connecting the dots between whine/complain and get out of work. It's been a fine line to walk between pushing him to do a little more while reassuring / distracting / encouraging / singing or whatever it takes....and him tripping over that line and landing splat in I am utterly miserable and can't get myself out of it mode. I think his time in severe pain a couple years ago laid down and paved for him not only a neuro pathway for pain, but a superhighway that's like a wind tunnel, and any travels close to that highway suck him right into it. Once he's there, it's awfully difficult to locate and successfully take an exit ramp.

So the current question is has Mr. Cause-&-Effect now comprehended a larger cause & effect loop than he'd previously understood? Can he now pull I'm so sad my teeth hurt and if I melt down enough and pitch enough of a fit Mama or Michelle Sharpe or Allie will come pick me up and I'll get out of work?? Am I underestimating him to even question that he could get that? And if he is doing that, what am I going to do about it? How to know when he's actually sick? How to pay bills when I can't go to, or stay at, work? School can't be expected to deal with a screaming miserable boy who can't participate in the program. But I can't just come get him when he doesn't feel like working. I've had several conversations with him about it, but alas, our receptive vocabulary just isn't quite there....

O wise friends, what do you think?

so ready for Obamanation

Lars' fruit & veggie adventures of the day.

ice day, sick day...

We were home yesterday with ice cancellations, and now lilman has 102° fever & is totally miserable. So sad. Big tears.

Lars & his buddy Sofia, who is one trimester older than he. They've always just been so sweet together.

forgot to knock on wood?

Literally the day I thought to myself, "wow, Lars made it through the whole winter break without seizures," he ended up having a major seizure day yesterday, with four. Rats. I'd unfortunately also been thinking how great it was that we'd had so much ice, but yet I hadn't heard of anyone taking a terrible fall. I really should be surrounded by wood upon which to knock: Andey fell this morning and had to get staples in her head. Ouch.

On a lighter note, Joa had a great sax lesson with Kathleen, he and I spent a car ride tonight trying to say "unique new york" over & over & laughing ourselves silly, and he's going snowboarding for the first time tomorrow @ Wachusett, with his school, and is way excited "except for the part about falling over backwards." Yeah, well there's that...

shoe shopping with Allie

Lars' buddies

Our church has a committee called the BRE Committee, which stands for "Belonging is a Religious Experience." It helps make church, religious education, and all church-related activities accessible for children and adults with special needs, and provides support for the families of these folks. In our case that has meant that Lars has had a buddy with him every week for the 11:00 service so that I can go to church and not worry about him, and this semester it has also meant that he's had another buddy with him for the 9:15 service because I was teaching Sunday school. That's a huge commitment. I wish I had pics of all the buddies, but here are Jan & Emily: and wait- I know that hand! It's Ginger!

phone pix