We just dropped Monkey off for school. I commented last week that Mondays are generally a little tough because he, quite frankly, doesn’t want to go back to school. He would much prefer to stay home in his PJs with his dogs and…I can’t argue with him. I’d rather do the same. BUT, we joyfully head off to school each Monday with a grumbling, unconvinced Monkey in tow.
This morning we had the added fun of a nasty winter cold. He has a cough and a runny nose but no fever. He doesn’t feel great but he doesn’t meet the school’s guidelines for staying home either which are fever, vomiting or diarrhea…so. Off to school he went. I did mention to the teacher that conjunctivitis is apparently making the rounds since Monkey is prone to it and to please watch him for any symptoms but I don’t think that’s an issue…and trust me when I say that he was so upset about going to school I would have jumped at a chance to take him straight home.
We eventually left him and I made Duhdee sit in the car out in front of the school for 15 minutes. Another mom who had been in the room when we left came out and reported that Monkey was fine, he’d gone to sit on the couch with a blanket. Uh, have you met our hyperactive Monkey? That is not a good sign! After she left I ran in to the school office and asked them to call the classroom to check on him. The assistant who answered said he was fine and was playing in the sand table ((Oh, that’s going to go well with a runny nose!!!)) so I could do nothing more but leave.
Now, I’m at work and still worrying about my guy. He’s fine. I know they wouldn’t have kept him if they thought he wasn’t but…my Mommy guilt doesn’t seem to be accepting this today. *Sigh*
Parker had (thankfully for only the 2nd time this year) an “I am NOT getting out of the car and going to school” moment this morning. And by “moment” I mean 30 minutes in 20 degree weather – complete with removal of shoes, socks and coat and going from the middle of the van to the very back where he found 2 of his blankets.
One of the hardest things with Parker is – I really have NO clue when he is getting sick. There are little signs like his ears get red, however, that also happens when he’s hyper aroused. Everything that is out of the normal (like not wanting to go to school) immediately makes me think – he’s getting sick. But, it could also be that the food delivery semi has decided to unload on Monday mornings now which messes up bus and traffic flow and causes me to have to drop Parker off in a slightly different place than he is used to.
My sucky reality is – even with repeated trips to the doctor – I won’t know if he’s sick until he is really truly down and out. Right now, I have to sit here with guilt wondering if I sent him to school with the onset of illness or if it was something as simple (HA “SIMPLE” like THAT exists) fact that the stupid (my definition, no one else’s) food delivery person decided this was a smart time to make a delivery.
Ummmm… This turned into a vent about my sucky morning when I really just wanted to say “I understand and REALLY hope Monkey has a great day and is feeling better soon! And NO conjunctivitis!) <3 Sorry!
This is why we like the bus so much! Remember that it’s the transitions that are usually the issue. Hopefully he has a fine time once at school and into the routine.
Sorry, Holly, it really does suck. I told Duhdee this AM “I just wish he could tell me when he was sick.” Which made Duhdee laugh…if he could tell us he was sick he would do it ALL THE TIME to avoid school anyway so we’d not be able to believe him, lol.
Oh Umma, this brings back many memories. Now that Josh is 17 and a really big guy, if he doesn’t want to go to school (or anywhere else for that matter), there’s not much I can do about it. Some mornings, it takes me a couple of hours to talk him into it. Of course, I worry about what might be wrong at school that is causing this, but I’m always assured that he is fine and happy once he gets there. I think you’re right…..they just prefer staying home in their comfort zone, and transitioning from that is just the most difficult transition of all.
LOL… That is true!
I let Parker take one of his blankets to school plus Scott made a run home for the Moose Pillow Pet after he dropped off Allison. Once Parker was armed with both of these additions, he went tearfully down the hall to class.
Now.. to NOT let that become a habit… ugh.
We took “grabbit” to school one day last week and it didn’t come up again the next day when Monkey was more regulated…hopefully you’ll get the same 🙂
I’m hoping… fingers crossed…. either way… I’m taking off Friday for CANADA 😀
Woot!
I hope it was just the Monday blues and that Monkey has a great day once he’s settled in. I definitely understand about the mom guilt.
The bus…we’ve wanted to get him transitioned to the bus but at his current school, which is on the other side of the city from us (as far as it is possible to go and still stay in the city, in fact), he’d spend a minimum of 40 minutes on the bus each way. We just aren’t comfortable with that.
We recently had to stop using the bus. Josh couldn’t handle another young man on the bus making loud noises and pinching people. The bus aides have not been trained to handle teenagers with special needs. Every afternoon, he would get off the bus and come inside and just bust into the ugly cry and it would take me hours to calm him. No more bus for us. Go with your instincts Umma.
I know. Mondays are so hard for kids. Gabe always has a tougher time on Mondays, so I just let him go in his PJ’s. I would like him to go happy then mad. I pick my battle’s.
I also never know with Jake until he’s really sick, even as a nurse there are times I just don’t know if it’s behavior or illness.