What will our future hold?

Tonight we have our appointment with the pediatric psychologist. I'm nervous and excited ... hopeful, but afraid to be. We've had some really great days with Aus lately. He's been listening to Tim and me and he's going out of his way to be kind and thoughtful (running up to Maya's room to get something for her, making sure the cats have plenty of water and food, choosing the small gardening gloves because Maya wanted the big ones ... this list could be longer and more significant, but this will do).

Five days of good behavior were about all Austin could muster, though, and some of his pent up behaviors had to be unleashed ...

Austin was not allowed to ride the bus yesterday, because on the way home Tuesday, he punched Maya--in the face (for not scooting over in the seat so he could sit there too .... his reason: it was his "favorite place to sit and she was not sharing"). This was not the first problem he's had on the bus--far from it. The bus driver has had to talk to him many times about being mean to Maya (he isn't mean to anyone else, just Maya), and this was the last straw. So, deservedly so, he had a one day suspension (honestly, I expected at least 3 days, but the bus driver didn't want to inconvenience me too much ... nice of her, but I told her not to worry about that, I'd just be sure to convey that inconvenience to Austin). He is grounded from all electronics (TV, computer, GameCube and his Leapster) for five days and is not allowed to sit in the same seat as Maya on the bus for the rest of the year--even if she's in his "favorite" seat.

After school Tuesday, while I was at a PTA meeting, the kids were with the Latchkey group. It was a gorgeous day, so they were all outside on the playground. After about 45 minutes, the Latchkey coordinator brought Austin to me, saying that he had to be removed from the group because he and two other boys were covering a first-grader in mulch. (This offense is less troublesome to me than him hitting or hurting someone ... but, I still had the pleasure of having someone point out that my son is causing problems.) I thought for sure I would have to leave the meeting early--figuring that Austin wouldn't be able to sit quietly until it was over. But, since the meeting was in the library, I was able to sit him over next to the books. He sat completely quiet--and still--for the rest of the meeting (another 45 minutes) reading. I couldn't believe it. My constantly moving, noisy boy (usually he's making sounds for the imaginative play he's got going on in his head--spaceships flying, cars zooming, things crashing, etc.) was absolutely quiet and engrossed in books. He often sits still and quiet for long periods of time--if he's in front of something electronic ... but not usually that long for reading.

Except for working on writing homework last night, Austin had a really good day yesterday. He cleaned his room--completely. (Usually when I tell him he needs to clean up his room, he spends about 5 minutes and comes back to tell me he's done ... and he's not. I have to go up and give him specific instructions, step by step, for finishing the job.) He spent about 20 minutes putting together the game Mouse Trap--following the directions and doing it all by himself. He was good during dinner (I know that it helped that we had a "picnic" in the family room--he didn't have to stay in his seat and had some freedom to move around) and got ready for bed with no problems at all.

These good days really help keep me sane ... they give me hope and reassure me that we will have bright spots. Hopefully they'll be more and more frequent after our appointment tonight.

Rites of passage

I'm having so much fun watching my kids grow up, little by little. And I'm learning so much along the way.

I found the infant stage to be sweet in a lot of ways, but more than that, I enjoy my kids as they're getting bigger ... being independent (able to feed and dress themselves ), developing opinions and a sense of humor, learning about the world and the people in it. This is what's really exciting to me as a parent. The ideas they conjure up, the plans they make, the stories and pictures they create, the new adventures and experiences for them ... are just a wondrous opportunity for me to see the world as I want it to be--innocent, exciting, simple, colorful, full of possibility.

To an adult, the idea of losing a tooth is mundane, even trite, but to a 6 year old it's monumental. It represents an important rite of passage, the exciting process of becoming "big". For some kids, that's a scary idea. The fear of the unknown can be overwhelming sometimes--for those of us in the adult world, too. For others, it's downright exhilarating. These changes represent a world full of possibility, opportunities for happiness and fun.

Each of these new "sacraments of youth" serves as a reminder for me to put things into perspective. As I enter into uncharted territory or am dealing with events in my life that are stressful, frustrating, challenging, daunting or scary, I need to remember that these are all just part of this life of change ... this process of becoming "big" ... my own rites of passage. With each of these new adventures and adjustments--whether big or small, exciting or nerve-racking--comes the possibility and opportunity for good things to happen--happiness, growth and fun ... and maybe, just maybe, the chance to meet the tooth fairy!

A girl can dream!