Flintstones vitamins were on sale...

Trying to remember how this hellish Tom & Jerry obsession began and then I remembered, because Flintstones vitamins were on sale. They were in the clearance cart for half price, and much cheaper than our regular brand. So I thought, they have all the same ingredients, so what the hell?

So what the hell???


Well, hell is what I got.

When we got the vitamins home, of course M. wanted to know who the Flintstones are. Realizing kids today have no freaking clue about Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty, Pebbles, Bam Bam, Dino and elephants who stick their trunks through your window so you can wash dishes--I turned to YouTube for a little Flintstones introduction.

M. was mildly amused for a few clips, until she noticed other fun-looking cartoons in the side bar.

Tom & Jerry.

So I thought, what the hell?


.......


And now I have a kid who talks of nothing but Tom & Jerry, wants to BE Tom, and has to have special rules at school where she can only "be Tom" when outside, and who doesn't want to go anywhere else now, like church, or anywhere else where she cannot be Tom.

So what the hell???

Kindergarten Visitation Day

Parents and kids congregated in the cafeteria, then kids were asked to line up by color coded groupings to follow teachers out to the kindergarten pod, where there are three kindergarten classrooms. With the unfamiliar surroundings and crowd, I wasn't sure if M. would line up in an orderly manner without my help.

But she did.

She walked away from me all on her own, across the cafeteria, got into the right line, locked her hands behind her back just like the other kids, and marched quietly out of the room, without the slightest hesitation, scuffle or outright brawl.

That's when I knew for sure: she is ready.

Today did not suck

Took M. to my work so she could have a visual of where I am when she's at school. So she introduced herself to all my coworkers, of course, and said her current stereotype "you're silly" to our admin lead which confused the woman a bit since she wasn't doing anything at all, and I didn't preface the visit with any autism labels so she was just momentarily puzzled then hopefully brushed it off... but it could have gone so much worse and I am grateful for a good day, which was pretty long and started with preschool end of the year party at Naydenov gymnastics, then class picnic at a park, then home for a bit, then visiting my work, then another park. The only crying fits today were at the second park when M. bumped her head like she usually does, and then when she was climbing down a jungle gym ladder and a child approached the ladder from the top, which set M. off screaming because one time someone came down the ladder behind her and stepped on her fingers, therefore irrational fear etched in permanent memory.

Preschool graduation

After almost 5 years of life with a child who spends half the day screaming and crying, and always manages at least one breakdown spectacle at every public appearance since the day she was born, I should be glad M. made it through her preschool graduation with her class, performing skits and poems, and saved the massive freak out for the food buffet line (none of which she would eat, of course) at the reception afterward because in the cookies were raisins and not chocolate chips...I should be glad that's the time she chose to hit the dirt kicking and screaming and choking and gagging...but it's still embarrassing, and exhausting.

buckle up

The parking lot for the activity we did today was full, so we had to take a "shuttle" (aka old rickety school bus). Right away M. pointed out, "You're right, Mommy, there aren't seatbelts!" (this worked out well because I told her that's why she won't be riding the school bus in kindergarten, because that kind doesn't have buckles). And both times we deboarded, she gave the surprised bus driver a hug, just like she does with Cathy her school bus driver, on the short bus, the kind that DOES have buckles.

Don't say HI

A classmate at preschool said hi to M. as we got to school this morning.

"Um, I don't like that," was M.'s sharp reply.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said the girl.

So my plan for the ways of the typical kids to rub off on M. is failing, as M. is not learning social skills from them at all, but rather is simply enforcing her arbitrary, crazy, mad hatter rules--and they are clearly all conforming!

(and of course it has always been okay for anyone to say goodbye, but NOT "hi.")

Hope and dreams

Filling out the kindergarten transition summary form. One question is "Please describe your hopes and dreams for your child as s/he begins kindergarten."

When M.'s teacher gave this to me to fill out, I read that question out loud, but only read the part about my hopes and dreams, and said the first thing that came to my mind:

"That she'll move out and live on her own."

The teacher looked at me strange, so I read the question again.

"OH, you mean hopes and dreams FOR KINDERGARTEN."

So I told her I'd have to take the form home to finish and bring back later, because I couldn't think of anything when put on the spot like that, and obviously what I was going to say about M. moving out and living on her own is silly because kindergarten is wayyyy too early for any kid to move out and get her own place.... (right?)

I'm big

"I'm big! I don't need help because I am BIG!" M. told me off as I was taking her to the bathroom at a church event and had tried to steer her around some obstacles. So she really told me, looking over her shoulder at me, as she swaggered along, and I reached out to steer her again, because she was walking straight into a wall.

...

The screaming crying freak out record for gymnastics has been broken. M. made it through a class without crying. All week we discussed self control, and how she can learn to stop herself before she cries, like she learned to stop herself from hitting her teacher at school, like she had been doing (not hitting in anger, but compulsive hitting to say hi, get her attention, etc). And that if she cried again at gymnastics we wouldn't be going back. It's very difficult for her to stop her compulsive behaviors and crying is one of them. The slightest frustration and her reaction is to cry--loudly, wailing, streaming tears, red face, choking, gagging, the works. Two or three times when she wanted the teacher to help but the teacher was busy with another kid, or she couldn't do something just right, she burst out briefly, then looked over at me with sudden fear, and stopped herself. I also helped by making sure she had a no-sugar snack before gymnastics, was dressed in very light clothing (she's easily overheated), and informed the teacher of possible triggers like being touched unexpectedly and feeling crowded.

Tears of joy

Kindergarten registration yesterday. Lady at the school who filed my paperwork asked if this is my first child going to kindergarten. When I said yes, she shared how she cried and cried the first time sending one of her kids to kindergarten. I nodded at her, vaguely. And she seemed concerned that I understand this is a full day kindergarten program, and if I'm sure that's going to be okay. I just nodded and said, "mmm hmmm, yes, I know."

But what she didn't know and what I didn't say is how long I've been waiting for full day kindergarten. It's been like a beacon of light in the distance FOR YEARS, my reason for getting up each day, the source of my night time fears of district budget cuts that could take it all away from me--oh, the horror!

So what I really wanted to say was, "Oh hell YES, I'll be cryin'! But them will be tears of JOY, lady--tears of JOY!!!"

School's out for break

Spring break can suck it.