I’m re-grouping.
Well, I’ve been re-grouping for a couple of years now. Ever since we moved in with my MIL who has dementia. The person who has adjusted the best is Anna. Isn’t that funny? We were concerned for her the most. How do you explain to a severely mentally retarded autistic adult that she’s not going home anymore?
But she hasn’t asked. Not even once. In fact, whenever we go to our house to pick up something, she sits in the van and says, “Go see Mom-Mom! Go see Mom-Mom!” like she’s scared we’re gonna get her out of the van and bring her inside. Kinda makes me wonder what was wrong with our house. Ha!
But really, there’s not only more room for us at my MIL’s, it’s also safer for Anna because it’s a rancher. No more seizures on the stairs! And there are TWO bathrooms. The queen can sit on the throne for as long as she likes without us begging her to please tinkle so other people can use the toilet.
It’s not an easy situation, though. I’m homesick. Yeah, after 2 + years, I’m still homesick. It feels like a really bad vacation which I’m wanting to end so I can go home. But it’s not. And I can’t.
So, I’m re-grouping. I’ve started with a wonderful Christian counselor, who is helping me deal with my stress and depression. I’ve re-focused on Jesus. I’ve started a Joy Journal (I wanted to give it a cooler name, but so far I haven’t come up with anything, so I’m going with Joy Journal) where I write down things I see that maybe no one else would notice but that made me ridiculously happy and I can thank God for them. Things like the small black birds on a lawn that look like raisins on a cookie. Or the delightful surprise of cinnamon in the tartar sauce I had at a restaurant in Williamsburg. Writing this stuff down is kinda cool and it makes me change my thought pattern. Which is a good thing. And I feel better already.
How about you? How can you do some re-grouping? It’s not easy being the parent of a special needs child, so let’s help each other. Let’s all re-group … as often as we need.
What If She Outlives Me?
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10/30/2024
Good from Covid?
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5/18/2023
Encouragement from a fellow special mama
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A Sister's Love
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5/16/2019
Medical Moms
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1/26/2019
The Power of Doritos
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5/7/2018
Yay For Friends!
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1/9/2018
Show You!
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9/11/2017
Happy? 26th Birthday, Anna
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5/15/2017
Re-grouping
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3/14/2017
We can relate!
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9/1/2016
A Little Fall Fun
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Going Commando
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10/5/2015
So Behind
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9/22/2015
Stares and Storytime
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4/12/2015
Big Big Changes
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3/27/2015
Blog Post on Autism
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9/22/2014
The Power of Pets
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9/12/2014
Depression's Demands
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8/15/2014
Do We or Don't We?
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8/4/2014
Falling Down
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6/22/2014
Research Study
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5/23/2014
Who goes? Who stays?
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5/19/2014
Being Thankful
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4/25/2014
Excellent Article
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4/7/2014
Jury Duty and Holland
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3/27/2014
I Confess
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3/17/2014
The Dreaded Medication Change
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3/4/2014
Keeping It Together - part seven
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2/24/2014
Keeping it Together - part six
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2/10/2014
A Milestone Day
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2/3/2014
Keeping it together - part five
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1/21/2014
Keeping It Together - part four
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1/3/2014
Keeping it Together - part three
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12/16/2013
Keeping it Together - part two
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12/9/2013
Keeping it Together - part one
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12/5/2013
Catching Up
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11/13/2013
The Perfect House
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10/25/2013
Another Mom in the Mix
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10/7/2013
Grieving the Loss
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9/24/2013
Great article
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9/11/2013
This and That
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9/9/2013
Fun in the ER
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8/30/2013
Bless me, Anna!
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8/14/2013
Talk to me, Anna!
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8/8/2013
God's Will
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7/30/2013
Update on Anna's bloodwork
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7/24/2013
Stirring the Cesspool
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7/11/2013
Vacation and Other Fun Stuff
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7/3/2013
A Day at the Beach
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6/17/2013
Anna's Surgery Experience
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6/5/2013
No Place For Anna
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5/26/2013
Painful Gifts
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5/21/2013
Happy 22nd Birthday, Anna!
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5/15/2013
A Rough Day
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5/6/2013
Things I've Learned - part five
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4/30/2013
Things I've Learned - part four
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4/22/2013
Things I've Learned - part three
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4/15/2013
Things I've Learned - part two
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4/9/2013
Interview with Terri Groh
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4/5/2013
Things I've Learned - part one
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4/3/2013
The Things People Say - part eight
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3/27/2013
Comparisons
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3/18/2013
Why Is It A Blessing?
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3/11/2013
Tim's Place
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3/8/2013
New Medication Worries
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3/5/2013
A Night Out for Anna
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2/25/2013
Play it again, Sam
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2/20/2013
Happy Birthday
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2/15/2013
The Anna Bowl
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2/4/2013
The Queen of Babble-on
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1/30/2013
Really, people?
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1/25/2013
Cold Feet
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1/23/2013
Hearing God
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1/15/2013
Running Away
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1/10/2013
Post-Christmas-Reentry-Syndrome
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1/4/2013
Emmanuel, God With Us
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12/17/2012
Take Heart
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12/7/2012
Jumping in the Leaves
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11/27/2012
Being Thankful
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11/19/2012
Patience and Love and Wretchedness
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11/13/2012
A Typical Halter Vacation
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11/8/2012
Is This Really My Life?
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11/1/2012
Frankenstorm
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10/27/2012
A Small Victory at Anna's Program
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10/24/2012
Update on the problem at Anna's program
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10/22/2012
The Fight Goes On
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10/19/2012
Fighting the Good Fight
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10/18/2012
Sit down, Anna
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10/16/2012
The Things People Say - conclusion
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10/15/2012
The Cloaking Device
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10/12/2012
The Things People Say - part seven
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10/11/2012
The Things People Say - part six
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10/10/2012
The Things People Say - part five
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10/9/2012
The Things People Say - part four
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10/4/2012
The Things People Say - part three
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10/3/2012
The Things People Say - part two
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10/2/2012
The Things People Say - part one
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10/1/2012
Godzilla Lives at my House
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9/27/2012
The Early Bird Gets Eaten
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9/26/2012
Over and Over Again
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9/25/2012
What Good Are Seizures?
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9/21/2012
Why Me?
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9/20/2012
The Rest of my Life?
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9/19/2012
Feelings
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9/18/2012
