This series of events happened to my family over the last 16 months that made me realize you have no idea what will happen to you and when it will happen. As cliche as it is, it made me realize that we all have this 1 life. Our time here is not infinite. If we live it stumbling along doing a job we hate, we are doing it wrong.
Greg considered quitting his full time gig to pursue writing full time for several months now. I always erred on the side of caution because I am incredibly nervous about health insurance. Well, guess what? If it doesn't work out, we can say he tried. I told him to go for it. Do something he is good at, which has the potential to bring in more income, even if it fluctuates and isn't as "safe."
Now we are in the process of switching gears from him working night shifts 5 days/week to him essentially working from home while shuttling Cooper to therapies and (in the very near future) special ed preschool. My mother in law will watch Cooper for a few hours per day 2 days per week, which will give Greg time to write and allow Cooper to see his favorite person in the world. He will also have opportunities to write while Cooper is at preschool. ABA requires the parent to be more hands-on, so he won't be able to utilize the 10 hours per week of ABA to write. I will watch Cooper certain times during the weeknights so he can write. The chore division, expectations, etc. are something we will have to figure out as we go. Luckily we're in a place in our marriage where we can openly discuss these things instead of being passive aggressive and growing bitter about it like we used to.
So, what else is new? We are currently waiting on test results for some neurological issues my dad is experiencing. All I will say is that it's terrifying he's going through this at 58 years old. If one of the outcomes is what they are currently predicting, I will be at risk of developing the same condition. It is scary, but I am praying for the best and trying to keep my resolution (not panic when shit hits the fan) in mind.
Cooper's first IEP meeting is in a week. I hope they offer him a sufficient amount of services and we can all agree on goals. I always worry that his verbal capabilities will overshadow the struggles he faces, but his evaluation from the school seemed very comprehensive and didn't seem to dismiss the other areas he struggles in even though he is verbal. I am anxious to go to the meeting so we can figure out and rearrange his schedule as necessary.
Speaking of the little booger-he is on my lap trying to pry my hands away from the keyboard so that's my signal to go!
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Thursday, January 14, 2016
They see me rollin'
The current scene: I am sitting here in the cruise cabin leaning side to side while this ship just rocks 'n rolls through a pretty strong storm system outside of Cozumel. The curtains in the cabin are swaying back and forth. Greg is feeling pretty seasick and is snoozing by my side.
Today is day 6 of our first grownups-only vacation so I thought it would be fun to jot down some observations:
*Holy shit, we miss our kid so much. This is no shock-whenever he spends 1 night at his grandparents he is missed terribly by us, but still. That is the number 1 thing on my mind.
*I am more mature than I was pre-kid, even when the kid is not with me. For some reason I thought we'd be out at the bars, partaking in drinks, with that carefree feeling that seemed to take up most of our pre-parenting days. Nope. I have been enjoying the beautiful scenery while also thinking about the outcome of today's school eligibility meeting, messaging my mom several times a day for updates on Cooper, checking the bank account and bills, etc. Being responsible and worrying about someone else is just who we are now, and that's a good thing! We enjoyed some time at the piano bar and the pub on the ship, but that was more of a pit stop and not the theme of this trip.
*Exhaustion, we had it. After walking around Miami for a few hours the day we flew in, Greg and I literally spent the rest of the day (starting around 5PM) in bed doing NOTHING productive. We napped on and off, watched a movie, read, and opted to skip dinner because dinner involved climbing out of the bed. We have slept SO much on this trip. I know that most people would view that as wasted time, but it's obviously something we needed. We go to bed at a decent time, sleep until 9 or so, and have taken a nap every single day. I think this has shown me that when we get back I really need to get into a good sleep schedule. Of course that's easier said than done when you have a kid who has tremendous anxiety and rigidity about sleeping.
*It's okay not to "see ALL the things." I usually feel tremendous guilt over not seeing everything I possibly can during a trip, but screw it. Sometimes you need to listen to your body and just slow down for a week.
*Flying is worth the terror. I can't tell you how many times I've driven to Florida. It has to be over a dozen times. Flying down to Miami was...amazing. I was terrified to fly (haven't flown in 6 years) but getting from Richmond to Miami in 2.5 hours instead of 15 hours? Amazing. Amazingamazingamazing. I will be scouring JetBlue for more deals whenever we head back down to Disney.
So, all in all? Amazing trip. I feel so grateful to have experienced it! I absolutely love sitting out on the balcony reading while watching the sunsets over the ocean. That being said, we are so ready to get back to our kid.
Today is day 6 of our first grownups-only vacation so I thought it would be fun to jot down some observations:
*Holy shit, we miss our kid so much. This is no shock-whenever he spends 1 night at his grandparents he is missed terribly by us, but still. That is the number 1 thing on my mind.
*I am more mature than I was pre-kid, even when the kid is not with me. For some reason I thought we'd be out at the bars, partaking in drinks, with that carefree feeling that seemed to take up most of our pre-parenting days. Nope. I have been enjoying the beautiful scenery while also thinking about the outcome of today's school eligibility meeting, messaging my mom several times a day for updates on Cooper, checking the bank account and bills, etc. Being responsible and worrying about someone else is just who we are now, and that's a good thing! We enjoyed some time at the piano bar and the pub on the ship, but that was more of a pit stop and not the theme of this trip.
*Exhaustion, we had it. After walking around Miami for a few hours the day we flew in, Greg and I literally spent the rest of the day (starting around 5PM) in bed doing NOTHING productive. We napped on and off, watched a movie, read, and opted to skip dinner because dinner involved climbing out of the bed. We have slept SO much on this trip. I know that most people would view that as wasted time, but it's obviously something we needed. We go to bed at a decent time, sleep until 9 or so, and have taken a nap every single day. I think this has shown me that when we get back I really need to get into a good sleep schedule. Of course that's easier said than done when you have a kid who has tremendous anxiety and rigidity about sleeping.
*It's okay not to "see ALL the things." I usually feel tremendous guilt over not seeing everything I possibly can during a trip, but screw it. Sometimes you need to listen to your body and just slow down for a week.
*Flying is worth the terror. I can't tell you how many times I've driven to Florida. It has to be over a dozen times. Flying down to Miami was...amazing. I was terrified to fly (haven't flown in 6 years) but getting from Richmond to Miami in 2.5 hours instead of 15 hours? Amazing. Amazingamazingamazing. I will be scouring JetBlue for more deals whenever we head back down to Disney.
So, all in all? Amazing trip. I feel so grateful to have experienced it! I absolutely love sitting out on the balcony reading while watching the sunsets over the ocean. That being said, we are so ready to get back to our kid.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Hello!
Hello, 2016! I am so glad to see you. I know that the crossing of a calendar year doesn't automatically stop a string of bad luck, but the feeling of a clean slate is welcome nonetheless. In 2016, I hope to:
*Become involved in the local autism community.
*Incorporate ABA techniques at home and learn more about what triggers Coop's meltdowns.
*Continue paying off debt and becoming credit card debt free by late spring or summer of 2016
*Start researching different career goals. I am 30 and still don't know what I want to do "when I grow up."
*Consistently use my planner to stay more organized and set goals.
*Begin therapy for my anxiety. If it doesn't work (again) I can at least say I tried!
*Travel new places (even if they're not terribly far away) as much as time/money allow.
*Learn not to panic as much when shit hits the fan.
It's an ambitious list. Will I accomplish half, all of it? Maybe. As long as I keep that last one in mind, I think everything will be okay. Happy New Year!
*Become involved in the local autism community.
*Incorporate ABA techniques at home and learn more about what triggers Coop's meltdowns.
*Continue paying off debt and becoming credit card debt free by late spring or summer of 2016
*Start researching different career goals. I am 30 and still don't know what I want to do "when I grow up."
*Consistently use my planner to stay more organized and set goals.
*Begin therapy for my anxiety. If it doesn't work (again) I can at least say I tried!
*Travel new places (even if they're not terribly far away) as much as time/money allow.
*Learn not to panic as much when shit hits the fan.
It's an ambitious list. Will I accomplish half, all of it? Maybe. As long as I keep that last one in mind, I think everything will be okay. Happy New Year!
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