Two amazing things have happenend this week:
1)my older son graduated from High School. While normally, not
a highly unusual event in itself, it was especially meaningful
for us- and a long journey for my son, who has Down Syndrome.
So we were especially beaming with pride for him on this
momentous occasion! (ok, I'm done "mom" bragging) 
2)where we usually have 3-5 teens at home and a lot of chaos and
drama, this week there was only teen at home AND NO DRAMA!!!
My younger son has been away at camp since Sunday, the middle
SD (the queen of drama)is away at camp for 3 glorious weeks,
and the other 2 SDs are at their BMs until Monday! And usually
while the house is filled with arguments, nonsense, and
constant intrusive phone calls from the crazy BM, it has only
been DH, my older son (who is a complete joy and
our 'favorite') and me! It has been complete heaven and
I LOVE IT!!! Is that wrong????
And, as an added bonus, my older son goes to his dad's this weekend, so DH and I can escape to our beach house for the weekend!
They say that today is "the happiest day of the year" and I would have to agree with them!
However...on Sunday, I will start to get that anxious feeling. It happens whenever I know the kids are coming back and I know the drama and nonsense is going to start. I try to stay positive, but I can just feel my shoulders starting to hunch up and that little 'tic' in my eye start... right around 9am on Sunday mornings!
Does that happen to anyone else?
ENJOY ENJOY ENJOY
just enjoy the moment and worry later!!!
"Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one."
Congratulations - how
Congratulations - how wonderful!! Just try and bask in the happiness and joy you are feeling over your son over the weekend and don't worry about all the rest until Monday morning. Enjoy your weekend -
brag away....
You should....your a wonderful mom, and you have done a wonderful job w/ your son....congrats to you both on his accomplishment. As far as Sunday mornings, yes , same thing used to happen to me, the cure.... a few mimosa's w/ breakfast, and dark sunglasses"~waiting on the world to change~"
YOU Deserve it!
Oh the envy I have for you!! You relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. However today is the official last day of school for skids and I think next week DH is sending the evil twin to MIL's for the summer, so she can work, she is 17 for gods sake. Can you say woohooooo!! I can not wait 2 months of not seeing her face!
Enjoy it now and worry about it later, you so deserve it!
ENJOY ! & Congratulations for your son!
Enjoy yourself and ENJOY your husband
all to yourself.... ummm the trouble you could get into....
Always brag about your kids - it's what we proud mamas do best!
Congrats to Him and Y'all, and Enjoy The Peace and Quiet...
Congrats to Himand Y'all, and Enjoy The Peace and Quiet. I have so been enjoying the P&Q with the 18 yo gone...Even Lis' and the Kids have mentioned how Nice it's been...
Steve
Kids are the Best and Worst Things We can do to Ourselves. When We have nothing else worth living for, We'll go on, for Them, but Oh How We Miss Our Freedom...LOL
Cool ---
My godson also has down syndrome, and I do understand the tremendous accomplishment. I'm bubbling in a good-way inside for you.
Stepwitch
Thank you Disney for portraying a positive image on all stepmothers!!!!
Wow
That is an awesome accomplishment. Congrats!!!
"GO BACK TO YOUR BRIDGE YOU EVIL TROLL. YOU HAVE NO POWERS HERE"
Thanks to all of you!
For your warm wishes and good thoughts. It was a very nice week with just my 'special' son, and I couldn't help get the smile off my face all week/weekend long- even having the stomach flu couldn't keep my spirits down!
Everyone detected the difference- even my friends who spoke to me on the phone noticed the 'joy' in my voice. My one friend told me I, "just don't seem as beaten down and battle worn. It's like talking to the 'old' you."
And I didn't know whether to be happy or sad about that comment...
"If you have never been hated by a child, you have never been a parent."
-Bette Davis
Feel your pain!
Yes I get those same feelings around 4pm on sundays. H and I are in bliss every other week. Even though I have a BS16 full time you never hear him. The only time I know he is around is when he is hungry or needs gas money. I hate to blow my own horn but "honk honk" the kid is an angel! On the other hand...I have to take my zanxa to start my week when I know SD is coming. I do not look forward to SD coming home but I sure am happy when the week is over and I don't have to deal with her B*llSH*t for a whole week!
EXACTLY!
God bless pharmaceuticals!
Even when BOTH my boys are here (which is almost 100% of the time except for every other weekend) they don't cause ANY drama. They are quiet and just 'do their thing'. I can even have my 14-yr-old's friends over the house playing video games or watching sports and there's never nonsense going on.
But when the girls are here (mostly the middle one) it's just complete and utter chaos. I have never witnessed anything like it before in my life!
"If you have never been hated by a child, you have never been a parent."
-Bette Davis
I get it...
I am so on your page 5teens. My DH calls his daughters his 'stir sticks' because they stir it up even when there is nothing to stir! They love creating chaos, dividing and conquering and manipulating. Unbelievable
Hey wait a minute!
You have a BEACH house?????
You've been holding out on us!!!!!!
After we all go to SW's cabin, we're getting out the GPS and finding 5teens' BEACH HOUSE!!!!!!
Ok seriously....I am so happy for you. My kids went to a MRDD preschool where my exH worked. They have a typical peer program (sorry if I'm repeating this from another reply) where non-disabled kids attend the MRDD preschool. This teaches the kids like mine, that diversity is good and not to be put off by all different kinds of people, and it is helpful to the kids with downs, autism, or physical handicaps to work along side their non-disabled peers.
Anyway, I so enjoyed getting to know the other moms, the teachers who were amazing, the kids who were incredible. Every year the kids who are ready for elementary school graduated complete with caps and gowns. I will have to find the article about it this year. When my boys went through and graduated I cried every year. Some of those kids I never saw again. Others I have run into at my sons' schools.
So....congratulations on a fabulous event for your family!
And send us directions to that beach house
"Om Tare Tutare Ture Mama Ayurpunye Jnana Putin Kuru Svaha"
~Sita Tara Mantra
You made me spill my coffee, Sita!
What a riot. Ok, before you all start packing your bags, let me clarify. It's a condo. A one bedroom condo at that, but it's on the second floor and RIGHT ON THE OCEAN! We have the most magnificant view on the island. And, as a bonus, it's small, so we CANNOT bring the children
My DH got for just US (hey, we're newlyweds after all). And we call it 'our cozy hideaway' by the sea. We spent 7 mos. totally gutting and redecorating it to make it our own and it's really my favorite place to be with him- away from the kids!
My 'special son' is truly a joy. But it hasn't always been easy. When I was married the first time and he was younger, my first H was pretty much useless- just when I needed the most help- so I raised him (and my other son) as a single parent. Constant doctor appt's, school meetings, behavior therapists, etc. It was a LONG road. And I was alone through it all.
When I made the decision to leave my no-good H, my mother told me, "You're a very pretty girl. You'll get a lot of dates. But NO ONE will ever want to take on the responsibility of your son. It's too much to ask of any man."
And she was right- in the beginning. I went on A LOT of dates. And when I told them about my son, they took off (you could SEE the skid marks as they ran for the hills!) One guy literally left me in the middle of a restaurant when I went to the ladies' room(and I had been seeing him for a month).
And then I met DH. He was just wonderful about it. He didn't know much about Downs, but he said he was willing to learn. All the girls get along great with him, although it was quite an adjustment for everyone- including my special needs son! He never dealt with girls and all their mess before and it bothered him a lot!
But today my special son is definitely our favorite child. And if you ask us who our 'second favorite' is, we'll tell you, "we don't have a second favorite!"
So I guess with all the negative things that I vent about on this site about my blended family, this aspect has truly been a BLESSING!
"If you have never been hated by a child, you have never been a parent."
-Bette Davis
Oh Ok....
So we couldn't ALL fit in your beach house.
But maybe one day when you and I are BFFs ;)I can come and stay there for a week
I SO WANT A BEACH GET AWAY OF MY VERY OWN!!!!!
You know, you two could make a killing renting it as a ONE PERSON beach house to each of your "STEPfreinds"!
ME FIRST!!!!!
Your DH sounds dreamy. Reminds me of hearing Jenny McCarthy talk about Jim Carey with her son who has autism. When she was on Oprah and was asked about how Jim is doing with her son Jenny replied, "Oh....Jim now knows EVERYTHING about autism. He's an expert!" I guess he just jumped in and did his homework.
Good for you. Have had so much experience with MRDD kids through my ExH's job, I feel for you. I had a physically disabled brother growing up (completely paralyzed after a drunk driver his his car when my brother was seventeen- no walking, no talking, no eating etc.) I know it's so hard because your life has to be second in many ways.
But most parents I've met of Downs kids say the same thing. They live in the moment better than anyone else....maybe even better than Buddhist monks or a Guru in an Indian Ashram. They experience life fully, and tend engage with tremendous joy to balance out their down times.
"Om Tare Tutare Ture Mama Ayurpunye Jnana Putin Kuru Svaha"
~Sita Tara Mantra
By the way... I'm having a drama free MONTH
Maybe more.
SD is in CA and having a blast with my SIL and BIL and their small kids. So much so they haven't told us when they are sending her back yet. They are moving from Monterrey to El Paso for the Army, and because they switched from White Sands they don't have housing yet. So SD is staying with them until they get settled.
I hope they take their time picking a house
"Om Tare Tutare Ture Mama Ayurpunye Jnana Putin Kuru Svaha"
~Sita Tara Mantra
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