School Christmas Parties and Holiday Puke!

Today was one of those wonderful days you might like to really forget. It started with bad planning on mom's part.

All of the kid's had dental appointments starting at 7:00 AM (I usually like this cause we can get to school with little missed time since it starts at 8:56), Colin & Melea each had holiday parties at school, and I promised to take Adrian to a special mommy / daughter lunch in between the two parties at her favorite Mexican restaurant.

Well dentist went great (we were only 2 minutes late getting all the kids there after driving the 39 mile trip to get to the office). Course I find out when we are leaving he will no longer be taking three of the six children's insurance and so he can keep seeing three of them... new problem I store in my head for later! Urgh got to solve that quicker.... Need to find someone who will take all of their insurances (3 or 4 different plans....see children with developmental delays and sometimes like to bite and kick! ) Now you can see why I just love the dentist.

But I have to say using those spin brushes is paying off.... we had a few major screams this time and no one got bitten (however no one needed x-rays), no cavities for the Smith family and Melea asked to go to the bathroom and #2 in the potty and cleaned (mostly) herself...so all in all the dentist was a big YEAH RAH! And we made it to school in time for the regular start of the day!

I got to take the other children home, get them breakfast, and get them set up with Kayla for watching them while I went back to school and started on the Holiday party junket. (Side note...Thursday I attended Adrian and Eliza's preschool party in the morning and Colin and Melea's resource room party in the afternoon). SO i am getting rather ill of the school party snack, graham cracker house bit.

Basically I still get really depressed when I go to the "regular" room activities. After 7 years of being a mom to a non -typical child... there is nothing that can slap you in the face as a room of 16 happy and excited children who are talking a mile a minute as the enter the room and then seeing someone trying to coax your child out from under the table. (Again just cause we don't like routine changes and parties and fun activities can bring out the worst in us!) And I am not delusional... I really do know what my children can and can not do... but today reality was almost as cold as the windchill.

Melea actually had a great time...she wasn't really sure why I had come... but she went with it... we got to make another grahm cracker house...she liked the tree though and loved eating the licorice and gum drops! She had a great time feeding me the skittles and of course I got to observe how she has all her teachers twisted around her little finger. She "forgets" that she can talk, or blow her own nose of to say please and thank you..... I am really surprised at the lack of participation she has compared to all the things she does for Eric and I at home.

Well Eric calls and tells me he has Adrian at our favorite Mexican restaurant..... I leave school and go there to meet him and Adrian for our special lunch. Adrian asks if Daddy can stay... who am I to say no and it really does sound like fun...so I say sure and I will be there in 3 minutes....

I get there in time to order my soda and glance at the menu.... we start the process of ordering... me - caldo de pollo and I start by asking Adrian what she wants and I hear those least favorite words.... "mom I feel...." she never did get the sick out...cause the next thing I know she is projectile vomiting across the table at me. She actually hit the people in the booth behind me!

She gets another one started ....Eric positions her head down... she fills her snow boots..... I grab her out of her boots and someones empty cup from the next table and run to the bathroom with her puking all the way. Now she is crying and our poor waitress is just standing there in shock and disbelief......

Well we take off her clothes and Eric brings me her coat and my slightly puke covered one to wrap her up in as well as my keys and purse... he gets the food to go and then buys the nice couple lunch and leaves a 50% tip (glad we eat there a lot and they already are used to the kids making a mess! .... though never this bad before)

Well I take Adrian home in the van (I have the old car) and get her situated and make her some chicken noodle soup and give her a lot of hugs and then it is off to Colin's party.

9 out of 10 days all I can ever see is all the things my children can do and the things I know they will do..... but after the puke and not getting to diffuse about the first party.... I just seem to see more happy and healthy children who are smiling and talking. The kids are really nice to Colin... but I just feel so out of place.

It is really funny, cause Colin sees this fear or apprehension or whatever in my eyes and then he runs over and with the biggest grin he can get he jumps into my arms and hugs and squeezes (which means he wants a one back). He is so happy I am there! He could care less about the 6 crafts they planed or the "snow ball fight" ... or even the food and candy, his mom is there and that is all that counts!

In that respect he has the same joy that most of his classmates are now enjoying. So I got put in charge of making snow globes and key chains with the children.... Colin of course had his other plans...he wanted me with him at each station... but we slowly worked that out and he really enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with me and his friends.

I brought the children home after helping Colin's teacher clean up from two different kindergarten holiday parties. COlin and Melea seemed like they really enjoyed the expereince.... but I think I can wait another whole year for another day like today (course valentine's parties will be here before I know it)