A Venting that Ends with Verses

Hey everyone. I'm back. Blogging to you today from my deck in the backyard. The sun isn't shining, exactly, but it's warm out. The manchild is creating a beach in his sand box by adding water from the hose. Actually, it just looks like a mud pit now.

And I'm grumpier than a hungry bear in spring. Just been one of those days, you know? Actually, it's been two of those days. In a row. The Mommy wants a nap, or a nanny, or maybe an all expenses-paid trip to Ohau for, like, a year. It's days like today (and yesterday) that I want to hollar out on Facebook: "Child for sale! Cheap!"

Don't laugh. I can hear you, you know. It's not funny. You try running around Wal-Mart for ten minutes, looking for a boy who decided to run off the moment your back was turned. Imagine searching the toy aisles, the pet section, and the flatscreen in Electronics where Tangled is playing. People see you and think you're a bad mom, but really, you're just panicked that someone has abducted him. Then, ten heart-pounding minutes later, you find him. In the pharmacy. With his four year old arm in the blood pressure testing machine. Big huge smile on his face. Pressing buttons and happy as a clam.

And that was just today.

I think I'm developing a tick in my left eye.

Funny? No. Definitely not. So please stop laughing.

There's a lot of new things going on with the Bud these days. Besides random escapades across Wal-Mart. Caleb is currently seeing a speech therapist once a week on Tuesday afternoons, and an occupational therapist on Wednesdays. I have calls in to two more specialists, for two very different issues, that will probably necessitate more doctor visits in our future, and perhaps even some dietary changes. Children's Hospital in Seattle is taking their sweet time getting Caleb in to see a speech pathologist; we probably won't get an appointment until September, even though we've been waiting since March. So the question of whether he is autistic continues to hang over our heads, unanswered and pending.

In the meantime, we deal on a daily basis with a boy who lacks a label, but struggles with obvious issues nonetheless.

We've discovered in the last month that Monster Boy has Sensory Processing Disorder (sometimes called Sensory Integration Disorder). He's hypo (or under)-sensative in the areas of oral, muscular, and touch-related senses, which means that he craves sensory imput much more than most of us. This need to touch and move (and yes, put things in his mouth) helps account for a lot of his behavior, and the occupational therapist has been helping us to understand these needs and find appropriate ways to meet them.

In some ways, I feel like we are getting to know our son all over again. We try different activities like scientists try experiments, to see which things help and which don't. The pool? Great calming activity. Hiking? Not so much. Trial and error. Good days and bad days. Hope and frustration. That's sorta my life right now.

The One Who Keeps Me Sane provided some precious verses this morning as I read through Psalm 66. He always knows just what to say. :)

"He has preserved our lives and kept our feeet from slipping. For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. . . we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance." (Ps. 66:9-12)

Verse 5 says: "Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!"

And verse 20, which I really and truly needed to hear today: "Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!"

(Emphasis all mine)

God is doing good things, friends. I hope I have not discouraged you. "Life is pain," says Wesley in the Princess Bride. But "Fear not! for I have overcome the world," says our Prince, our Hope, and our Champion.

I hope to blog some more this weekend to share with you some of those good things God is doing. Jay works all weekend, though, so I can't promise a preponderance of posts. :) All I can promise is that I will do my best.

Happy Friday, y'all!