Apron Strings

My Gram used to tell a story about one of my uncles.  


He had expressed his desire to join the military, even though he was legally underage.  He stopped talking to her, in traditional teenager temper-tantrum form, and would direct all of his questions to Gram through his siblings.


Gram's boss noticed she was distracted at work and asked what was bothering her.  She shared the situation; to which her boss asked, in his oh-so-pragmatic-voice, "So what's the problem?"  She began to hem and haw and "Well.....well...," herself out of actual giving an answer as to why she didn't want her son to go into the military.


After a long pause her boss asked, "Anne?"


"Yes, Judge?"


"Do you have a scissors in your drawer?"


"Yes." (she pulls it out).


"Good.  USE IT."


Later that night, during dinner, my uncle asks his brother, "Please ask Mom to pass the peas."


She passes the peas and says, "Please tell your brother I signed his service papers today."

It wasn't until I was eye to eye with a 4-pack of fruit cups that I realized I too have apron strings.

I know it sounds strange.  Fruit cups?  Yep.  Most of the time the messes created at mealtimes don't bother me.  There are few foods that bring out my sensory issues: oatmeal, the residue from cinnamon cereals, and fruit in syrup.  Blech.  Somehow, I started draining the canned fruit AJ eats before cutting it into pieces (when needed).  I've avoided buying the fruit cups for a long time, for fear of the syrup.  And forget putting them into AJ's school lunches.  Oh no, we can't have that.

These little suckers seemed to be haunting me.  I debated and debated.  And then I bought them.  After owning up to my tight-tight apron strings.  The only way he's going to learn is by exposure.  Believe me, I've already applied this theory to many other situations that my brain debates constantly.

It isn't about the fruit cups, ya know.  While I consider myself as AJ's advocate, even I have faults and apron strings.  Its been a few weeks since I began this post and I'm happy to report that AJ is doing just fine with his fruit cups a la syrup.  He's also showed us that he is able to climb in and out of his carseat, safely, all by himself.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to join Jeremy on a weekend trip a few hours from our home.  I initially decided not to go, for fear AJ would not do well with us being gone again after his rough reaction to our Hawaii trip.  I decided to go.  In addition, I did not write my in-laws a 12-page detailed instruction list.  I gave them the basics (which they are already familiar with) for morning and evening routines and then, are you ready, wrote the words "HAVE FUN!" in the middle section of the single page of directions.  Oh, and I hand wrote it-it was not typed.  I think that deserves some sort of control freak brownie-points or something.  I enjoyed the weekend and guess what, AJ had a blast with his grandparents.  Another string snipped.

He's growing up so fast.  And I'm doing my best to let him.

8am on a Monday

It is 8am in the morning.  I just ate a poptart for breakfast, curled up in bed with the laptop.  The hubby is curled up in a comforter on the couch and AJ is still sleeping.  So why am I not sleeping?  Darn you  Mommy-insomnia.

AJ's been sick for about 2 weeks.  A cold has been going around his class and all the kids have had trouble getting rid of it.  So I thought nothing of it other than-bad cold.  Fast forward to last Friday and AJ takes a visit to the pediatrician.  Bronchitis.  Fast forward several hours, Mom and Dad have it too.  We all get the same medication.  I thought it was hilarious, given the situation.

We felt pretty good on Saturday night and went out with friends.  Yesterday, we crashed and burned.  I had been leading with "feeling better" points, but AJ took that over yesterday.  He begged to go to sleep early and then bee-bops in and out of his room for several hours.

I tried to go to bed early last night, only to be distracted by the flashes of light that were outside our bedroom window.  Quite the electric storm and lots of thunder boomies last night.  I turned on a movie and fell asleep.

2am I hear giggles coming from AJ's room.  I go in and change his pull-up and try to get back to sleep.  More lightening. Restart the movie.  AJ keeps on giggling. Jer wakes up coughing and the broken sleep continues.  AJ's always been a great sleeper, so it is rare for him to be up, and we're used to not being woken up during the night.  I don't do so well with broken sleep.

I kept AJ home from school today again in hopes he will be energized for school tomorrow.  While he's feeling better and running around like a  maniac, he's still sick.  Jer stayed home too.  Its rainy and ucky out.  A good day for PJs, chicken soup, and movies.

It seems like we've all be sick forever...or at least AJ and I have been.   We have not been so lucky this winter.  I'm so ready for Spring and nice weather....