Afternoon Adventures

By Sandy on February 1, 2013

Josiah ambled up the sidewalk after school, pulling his backpack behind him. Opening the closet door, he set his back pack down and walked off. Knowing Josiah would be heading to the kitchen to sit and wait for his afternoon snack, I took a moment to unzip his backpack and remove his binder. In that instance, Josiah veered off course.

Before I even realized what was happening, he hurled the flat screen TV to the ground. It landed with a thud. Josiah gleefully began tossing it around on the floor. Without reacting, I scooped him up and marched that boy to his room. I guided him up onto his bed and left. Josiah has been throwing the TV to the ground for a couple of days. I figured with enough consistency he would eventually get the message that TV throwing equals time out.

Ten Thankful Things

By Sandy on January 15, 2013

Right before the new year began, the phrase ‘ten thankful things’ popped in my head. Ten thankful things? What was that all about?

Almost immediately, without really giving it too much thought, I began to mentally create a list of 10 things I was thankful for.

A day or so later, it happened again. Ten thankful things. I ticked off a quick list in my mind. This time however, I gave it a little more thought. What if I started EVERY day by thinking of ten thankful things?

Leaving Him Behind

By Sandy on January 13, 2013

Recently, I was away from home for 8 days. Only Chandler was with me. Josiah was not. Though he was in great hands with his dad, I was concerned about leaving him. I really wanted to take Josiah with us. (I think it’s a mom thing, feeling like he needs me to be with him all the time.) I considered various ways to make that happen. One involved leaving in the wee hours of the morning and driving 21 hours, each way.

As the only driver I wasn’t sure I was up for that much adventure. Attempting to navigate through an airport with Josiah didn’t sound any easier. In the end, it just made more sense to hop on a plane and leave Josiah at home.

The Fire Swamp

By Sandy on January 12, 2013

Josiah stayed home from school yesterday. He had a fever and slept almost all day. This morning he woke early and seemed a bit better. He wasn’t bouncy, which would indicate he was all the way better, but he was definitely smiley. Though still a bit lethargic, his interest in a string toy reassured me he was on the mend. Then I heard him cough.

If you know The Princess Bride movie, undoubtedly you remember the Fire Swamp scene. Westley rescues Buttercup from lightening quicksand, then discusses their next move. Entering the deadly swamp is the only way out of their dire situation, yet Buttercup knows if they do, they won’t survive. With a smile on his face, Westley tells her they have already succeeded. He proceeds to describe the three terrors of the Fire Swamp. The first one is the flame spurt. There’s a popping sound preceding each, which they can avoid.

Dear God, Fix It, Amen

By Sandy on November 27, 2012

Last night, Rick and I talked briefly about the recent behavior challenges with Josiah. Rick confessed it felt hopeless. He admitted he was overwhelmed and confused by the onset of some new behaviors. He said he’s trying to understand what all this is supposed to mean. What’s the lesson behind all of this? That’s my husband for you. He’s the analytical one, always trying to figure things out. I’m not sure there are answers, quite honestly.