A Trio of Good Days

If you don't have anything nice to say.....

I've been a little absent lately.  There have been some real lows when it comes to Emme's behavior and my attitude.  I just couldn't bring myself to share them.  I was telling her therapist yesterday, that there are days we just hold on and try to survive.  There is no reasoning on those days just a lot of damage control and tears.  On a particular hard day when Gregg had school, I had finally had enough and just started crying.   Poor sensitive Corbin starting crying in my lap and Emme who had been laughing in my face all day despite my fury, finally realized mom had lost it and started crying too.  I'm sure we were a nice sight.  Emme excitedly shared our cry fest experience with her therapist in our next session. I can only imagine what she thought. 

Despite having some really crummy days I feel it important to write that the last three days have been somewhat pleasant.  Emme has slept through the night AND napped all three days!  That's pretty awesome ya'll!  Sleep=a much easier Emme.  I met with her pyschiatrist a little while ago and we decided to make a few little changes.  For example, I now pick her up from school every day so she won't fall asleep on the bus.  Emme has now graduated to sitting in the seat closest to the driver which is the last resort before bus time goes bye bye.  I'm sure her bus driver is relieved to be Emme free for part of the day.  It's a pain to cut Corbin's nap short every day and drive 30 minutes round trip, but so worth it to have Emme nap at home.

Other Positive Emme Notes: 

No poo smeared mirrors. In fact she has been really good about the whole potty thing lately.  She's even been wearing two piece jammies which hasn't happened in over a year due to her poo obsession.  

She asked me to "please get her more milk" and brought me her sippy cup.  A more normal occurrence would be her throwing her empty cup while screaming hysterically. 

On three different occasions she expressed her desire to hit me and Corbin.  I congratulated her for using her words instead of immediately lashing out.  She answered with "yeah mom!  I didn't kick you!"  Good job my little bug. 

After one of her naps she came and got me and asked if I would lay by her because it was still sleep time.  After following her in her room she handed me her favorite blanket and her pillow pet then laid back down in her bed.  I can assure you that has never happened.   

She was focused enough after school to tell me about her day.  Sure it included throwing all the toys at her teacher, but this was big for me. Usually she is either too tired to function or honestly cannot keep a thought long enough to answer let alone understand or care what I'm asking in the first place.

While having a play date with a friend at Discovery Gateway she only hit one kid the entire two hours and that was only when him and his brothers were in her space big time and the "victim" stole her toy.  The mom was a major beast about it, but we'll talk more on that later.  Her therapist and I deemed it a huge success.

Here's hoping for FOUR pleasant days.  Wish me luck.

  

Qualities

I totally had a post about how horrifically bad Halloween night turned out this year.  Luckily, I didn't save it before my iPad died so it disappeared forever.  Sometimes days like those should be forgotten.  Let me just share this little number about the night. 

Gregg at school::alone::baby crying::toddler screaming::hitting::throwing::mommy crying::doorbell ringing::dog barking::sugar high::costume fiascos::late::trunk or treat::trick or treating::girl running::home::cutting girl out of costume::door bell ringing::baby crying::dog barking::toddler screaming::sticky::bed::Gregg home

Phew!  That's was refreshing. 

Moving on. 

I feel like I've been too rough about Emme lately and really she has some awesome qualities.  For example. 

That girl has NO fear.  Because of that, she will talk to anyone.  She melts hearts.  We attended a viewing a while back and she could sense that everyone was very sad.  She reached her arms out to each of the family members and gave them all huge squeezes. Not once, but several times.  Most of them she had never met and I could tell they needed a small girl's love. 

Once, I took her to our local aquarium.  There was a severely crippled man there in a wheel chair.  Emme walked directly up to him and had a conversation about the otters.  As if she noticed no difference.  I could tell he was taken a back that a little girl would talk so candid with him and by the warmth in his eyes I knew it made him happy. 

Emme is super intelligent. She loves puzzles and books. She is getting so good at identifying where the puzzle pieces need to go.  We only have to read her a book a few times before she memorizes it.  I can tell she will be a good reader.  I'm always so proud when she will recite me an entire book from memory.  These two things are the only time she will sit still. 

She was in Corbin's face the other day. Usually, this is time to panic.  I asked her what she was doing. She replied "I just pretending to eat him." 

She will lip sync and dance on command. 

 

She says the best prayers I've ever heard from a three year old without any help.  Gregg's dad is having major health problems right now and she always asks to bless him. One day she told me she was going to be a doctor when she got big so she could fix him.  Melt my heart. 

Several times she has put her arm around Gregg and me at the same time and announced "this is my famawee (family)." 

It's things like these that make being her mommy awesome.