Mismatched Mittens

This morning was much better. Except that it is damn cold. Adam was in good spirits, Aaron was in surprisingly good spirits. But the closer the clock clicked to departure time for school, the closer and more familiar our normal morning script became. What would you like for breakfast honey? (not directed at either, hoping that both will answer or either) Met by SILENCE. Okay (insert child's name usually whichever one has crawled out of bed first) what do you want to eat? You need some energy for school. Adam has his usual, There is school today? ~groan~ I finally get some responses and get their breakfasts for them while they sit like vampires huddled in little balls blocking out all light. (Thank God it's winter and it's still dark in the morning because taping garbage bags over windows every morning to block out morning sun that creaks through even the smallest cracks in the blinds, is not fun work)



Now time is really starting to get ahead of us. And the cereal sits in the milk getting soggier and soggier and it's gross. Me nagging nagging nagging and they are getting more and more irritated, but I can't just leave them alone or we will never make it out the door.



Finally they give in, without a knock down drag out fight, shocker, and eat a little while I get their clothes together, because I won't let them go to school dressed as Star Wars characters, which is what they would pick for themselves. And since I have mountains of laundry at any given time and a ton of it is clean and just needs to be put away but isn't, I'm digging to find something that fits the ever growing Aaron.



I've found time in this chaos to dress myself, let the dogs out and make the kid's lunches. Now comes the trial for them to just get dressed, which always just ends in me threatening to bring them to school naked.



Ready to leave just need snowpants, jackets, gloves and boots on. But oh wait, Aaron has to pee. And because Adam left a toy in the bathroom, figured he should pee with no hands so he could have a second to play with the toy that Adam would otherwise not let him have. Boys! Aaron comes out of the bathroom and informs me he needs new pants because "I was really trying to be careful but I got a little pee on my pants and I don't want my friends to think I smell like pee." A little was an understatement. He also understated the amount of pee on the toilet seat, that he didn't lift, and the floor.



Make the trek to Mount Washmore we go, now we are late. Now I can't find pants for him, I swear he is growing taller everyday. So I'm getting flustered. Which means that Aaron has switched gears and is now crying and sobing sorries, making me feel like I've scarred him somehow. Finally, found a pair. Now to get them out the stinkin door. That means another ten minutes of me hustling them to get their gear on.



They are feeling the stress, I am feeling the stress. Hurry them out the door, Adam whining and complaining, Aaron crying. I tuck Gunner into his kennel and lock the door.



I'm not even in the van completely (which is chilly because I didn't have time to start it and let it warm up) and I hear "Mommy can I have a tic tac" "Mommy turn on the movie". I'm not even in the van yet, one leg dangling out.



I said "NO! Think about our situation here right now. I have to nag you to get ready and we are late and now I'm not even in the van and you are asking me for things. I was just asking you for things and you ignored me." Makes good sense right? But then Aaron is upset because he thinks I'm furious (and I am close but not all the way there) so he starts to sob again. He has a weird fear of anyone driving when they are angry. I don't know why. It's completely out of left field but he's terrified of that. Past life? Who knows. So I calm down, give them a tic tac and we are on our way.



Make it to school. Kisses, hugs, I love yous and I can breath. But I swear these mornings are taking years off my life. Now to go see our BEST team (Behaviour Education Support Teachers - in other words, our life line at school. I'd die without their support. Every school should have this. We are so blessed by these angels). I promised Adam the night before after the Beaver fiasco that I would talk to Mr Traber and see if he could take his aspergers away. In actuality, we discussed other things but Mr Traber knows Adam will be waiting to hear that I talked to him. I feel whole again.



I go to the van. I get in. I breathe. I'm hungry, haven't eaten yet and it's two hours after I dropped the boys off at school. I notice I have not brushed my hair or my teeth and I have mismatched mittens. I often have thought that yes, it was believed that Einstein had aspergers and was legendary, but wow, his mom must have been a saint.



Shit if I can write this much just about our typical morning, maybe I should write a novel. Hmmm.....