By the time Friday got here at the end of the first week, I think we all were feeling all of the feels of being overwhelmed, worried, burnt out, stressed, etc. and it was hard getting through the day. It was warm and beautiful out so we decided to "call it a half day" and escape to the beach. We drove south to "our spot" and it was amazing how good the salt air was for our souls. It completely turned the whole day around and it felt so good to be in our most favorite happy place.
Our Friday night ended on a really fun note as our PTA president organized a virtual Bingo night with our families and it was so much fun!
This new way of life is challenging in itself, but what I think is the hardest part of all of this is managing our own feelings and worries but staying calm for the kids' sake. The first weekend felt like a relief but also hard at the same time because it was different. We're all used to a life on the go spent with family and friends that we love and knowing we couldn't go anywhere was really challenging for everyone. All in the same breath we can be appreciative of the extra given time we have to spend together but also, having a hard time with the things that we're missing. So, we did the best we could to have fun, relax, and just be together. I'm also so incredibly grateful for technology because we've had the opportunity to meet with friends, family, have the kids take karate classes and attend church all from our home.
At the start of the next week, I worked at adjusting our schedule a bit to make it work better. We have to be more specific about having a schedule because that has always been the conditions that Colin works better under. While we are in a much different place now with him and his behavior, there are behaviors that Colin will exhibit when he doesn't know or understand what is happening. For example, Colin is the easiest in the morning on a typical school day because he follows the list so explicity; he is typically dressed (with shoes on), teeth brushed, bed made, etc. all before anyone else gets up. He doesn't even need the list anymore because he follows his routine. I knew that I needed to establish a routine for this time period because without it, he becomes obsessive with questions, he gets his "nervous" face, gets upset easily, and will act out in other ways. He is also the easiest to work with right now because he follows the list and routine, which provides him comfort.
The schedule is adjusted often, depending on the day, and also as we learn what works best and what doesn't. I felt much more confident at the start of the week because things were going pretty smoothly. As with anything though, it came to a screeching halt when we all had a challenging day on Wednesday. We have lots of things that keep us going; the PTA president has been doing spirit days, the kids had "children's time" with the pastor at church, virtual craft time with Nana, and then at dinner, the kids just laughing remembering some of the "best" moments of our time together so far (me and Colin falling in the mud in the trails in week 1).
The week ended on a positive note with some fresh air, a drive by visit from Aunt Kimmy and Bama, a scavenger rock hunt for Cody's Science, and a Friday night scavenger hung with the kids' school!
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