Heather's Diary Entries Diary Navigation: Choose A Diary Entry -------------------- Latest Entry: 1/14/08 -------------------- 4/20/07 4/13/07 4/6/07 3/30/07 3/12/07 12/5/06 10/10/06 8/25/06 7/24/06, Entry 3 7/24/06, Entry 2 7/24/06, Entry 1 7/5/06 6/6/06, Entry 2 6/6/06, Entry 1 -------------------- Heather's Introduction

This Week's Drama - April Insanity Continues!!!

April 20, 2007

Well, the preschool thing has been fun but unfortunately I think it's over.

Over the weekend, we brought up the subject of school a few times – just to keep it in his mind – and each time Aidan would say that he didn't want to go.  On Monday morning, Steve talked to him about it again as they drove to school and told me later that Aidan was getting all worked up before they even got to school, but he pushed on through and took him to his classroom.  I was working from home that day and saw them off.  I saw that Steve had left his cell phone laying on the phone table and thought, "Oh, bummer, now he won't be able to call me and let me know how it went!"  When I heard Steve pull back in the driveway, I assumed that he'd realized that he had left his phone and was dropping by to pick it up.  I grabbed the phone and went to the back door to take it to him, where I saw him getting Aidan out of the back seat.  I asked what happened and Steve said, "He threw up as soon as we walked into the classroom and they said he couldn't stay".  I said, "Did they think he's still sick?" and Steve said, "I told them he has been on an antibiotic for a full week and that it was just nerves, but the teacher said it was state law and he couldn't stay".  Steve said he was more than a little annoyed and said he wasn't getting a good vibe when he left.  I don't get that - he threw up his first week and they said since it was obviously nerves, he could stay.........??

This was a huge problem because I was going to leave him a full day on Tuesday, but I knew then that there would be no way that would work.  And so it became obvious – the preschool thing is over.  I have used all but 5 hours of my PTO time and my boss addressed my time off and "concerns" that my coworkers have with my schedule and my working at home when we met last Friday, so taking off any more time at all is out of the question for me.  Steve gets an occurrence if he calls off and if he gets 1 more occurrence, he's fired.  He also would get an occurrence for taking time off without 24 hours notice and approval from a Manager, so there's no way he can take off to go pick Aidan up or stay home with him either.  I told Steve today that obviously the time isn't right and much as it pains me, I think we need to go to Plan B – which is for Aidan to spend the summer with his grandparents and then go to preschool at their church this fall for a slower transition.  And then I cried.  I just don't know what else to do.  I can't force Aidan to get through the transition and if I have to leave work to pick him up every time he throws up, next time I won't be getting a "your coworkers are concerned" verbal discussion, I'll be getting a written warning.   

So now, after weeks of wasted time, money and emotional trauma I'm ready to let it go.  These past few weeks have been just AWFUL – so in that respect, I'm at least relieved to be done with it for now

Just to cover all the bases, I asked Aidan's pediatrician if I should be concerned that he didn't adapt well to preschool and he sent this response:

Some kids do have a "rougher" transition into school.  I think that the measures that you have taken are very good, and don't have a lot more to add.  He will get better with it in time.  Routine and familiarity will outweigh the fear at some point.  This is the most important part of preschool.  It is a trial.  So far, not so good, but it will improve.  If he is 3 (I don't have his chart in front of me), you might want to wait a year.  If he is 4 or 5, I would try to "play through" and get him into the routine.

After getting that response, I want to gauge where Aidan is in the fall before enrolling him.  In the 3 year old room at church, he has a hard time transitioning from playtime to watching a video and hearing a story – and that's WITH me there – so I think I'll wait a little while and towards the end of the summer, I'll take him in the 3 year old room with me again a few times to see how he does.  It might be that he's just not ready for that structure yet.  He won't be starting kindergarten until he's 6 (since his birthday is in December) so we have plenty of time.

This isn't the first time I've asked one of Aidan's doctors if I should be concerned or if something is "wrong" with him because he's slow to warm up to people or because he needs a lot of reassurance and each time I've been told that he's a perfectly normal kid and not the only kid in the world with the same issues.  It has put my mind at ease to ask (it never hurts to ask!) but I think I'll trust myself a little more next time.  I know he's just a sensitive kid and that will mean that I'll have to work a little harder to make him feel secure and to stand up for his right to take things a little slower.

So that was Monday.  Tuesday night my cat started acting weird – squatting on the living room floor on a pair of Steve's pants like he was going to pee.  What the?  I gently moved him aside and he meowed this pitiful little meow and moved.  Hmmm – it didn't seem like he'd peed on anything but that was weird.  I checked his legs out to see if one of them was bothering him or something but then he seemed fine, so I just let him outside for awhile.  Then on Tuesday morning, Steve noticed 2 little spots on the couch and ID'd them as cat pee.  When he went down into the basement, he came back up with Aidan's little Winnie the Pooh fold-out couch and said that Rusty had peed all over that too.  "If he's going to start peeing all over everything, he's going to have to live outside!" he declared.  "I don't think it's out of spite – I think something's wrong.  This isn't like Rusty at all...." I said.  I called my sister and she agreed that I should take him to the vet (she's a Vet Tech so she would know!).

So Tuesday afternoon I took my cat to the vet, hoping he didn't have something major wrong with him.  The vet confirmed what my sister said and told me that he thought it was a bladder infection or a UTI.  They couldn't get any urine out of his bladder so he had to spend the night there.  The next morning my sister called to tell me that he did have an infection and was on valium.  After the month I've had, I was seriously jealous that he got valium while I have none!  Now he's home and barricaded in the laundry room while he recovers, since overnight at the vet he had blood in his urine. 

Wednesday I developed excruciating pain in my right hip (this has been recurring for well over a year – my Dr. diagnosed it as bursitis).  I called today after taking 4 Advil every 4 hours for the last 2 days and using ice and using my old TENS machine – but I'm still having pain.  Her recommendation was that I call an orthopedist.  Crap!  The last time I got a recommendation to a specialist, I had to have back surgery!!!  I have an appointment on 4/30 with an Orthopedist so I guess we'll see what he says.  <biting nails furiously>

This last little bout of physical pain has me seriously considering some form of weight loss surgery – Lap Band or Gastric Bypass.  My poor old body is just getting worn out from being too fat for too long.  My life is just not conducive to weight loss here lately.  My husband and I are working different shifts, I have no lunch break now that I'm working 10 hour days, and when I am off of work I have Aidan – who won't stay with anyone he doesn't know, so that rules out using any sort of gym or exercise place with a childcare room.  If you've had weight loss surgery – or know somebody who has – I'd love to get your opinions and/or horror stories!  Feel free to post on the Talk to Me board or email me at halloweenheather7@yahoo.com

Well, people, things are getting better slowly by slowly.  I'll let you know how next week's adventures go!

~H&A