Spinny!

Aaron was very grouchy this morning.  He wanted things done his way, at his time, and so was pretty hateful for the first part of his morning.  Sometimes when he reaches a tipping point, he’ll grab something that usually belongs to him and he will throw it or punch it or bang it.  This morning it was to rip it……….a special book that he grabbed and then twisted and tore a couple pages in the book.  Firmness, yet with calmness, is key to leading him through these periods of anger.  The calmness on my part is more effective than anything.  Funny that being calm is the very hardest thing for me to do.  I want to yell at him………to talk some sense into him……….to not give in to his demands.  Each situation varies and so requires individual solutions, but the common thread is for me to remain calm.

Just as quickly as his anger erupted, it seemed to leave.  He crunched on his celery and peanut butter while I ignored him and went about my business.  He doesn’t enjoy being ignored.  He tried to engage me in conversation, but I had no desire to please him at that moment.  His mood may have been “up” at that time, but mine was still “down.”  I’ve tried to explain to him how emotionally draining it is to those whom he mistreats when he is angry, but these emotions of others mean nothing to him.

It was truly amazing to see the rapid switch in his mood.  He was suddenly very happy and very talkative, excited to tell me about his Smurf movie that he’s enjoying…………”Chapter 5 is so funny, Mom!  Come in my room and look at this part!”  He sang and yelled happily in the shower, too, and then stood in my room chatting away.  I noticed, though, that sweat was beading on his brow.  It was as if his body was in overdrive.  Sometimes this means that he will have seizures soon.  I’ll need to keep the monitor turned up tonight for sure.

 

He began to tell me about reading the night before.  Aaron only reads at night, right before turning out his light and going to bed.  One day he told me, “Mom, I went to bed at 11:14 and got up at 7:31.  I need to figure out a way to quit reading so late.”  I simply answered, “Aaron, just quit reading.”  His reply:  “But I have to get tired first.” 

These reading and getting tired issues are not so simple to Aaron.  He will read his Handy Answer Books to a certain point, do or die.  Therefore, lately we’ve tried to get Aaron to go to bed earlier and so begin reading earlier in an effort to turn out his light earlier.  The simplest solutions don’t always work with Aaron.

So as he told me about reading last night and about being tired, he said, “Mom, I was reading last night and I was sleepy.  My eyes felt like they were going in different directions!”

Wow, Aaron!  That’s amazing! 

“Yeah!” he replied.  “My eyes were spinny!”

Spinny eyes, huh?  That’s how I was feeling after our up and down morning.

 

A spinny morning with Aaron, going in different directions.  He described it well.  I'm thankful that I have the day while he's gone to hopefully get my balance back!