To Grandmother's house we went in Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of HAPPINESS

I’m sure everyone is dying to hear how my daughters new dosage of ADHD medicine took (sarcasm). Well, the only symptom she complained about was a tummy ache on the first day. That was it. I also think it helped that we were going to my moms house. I really didn’t see any difference in her behavior on that day, but Saturday, Sunday and Monday were a little more obvious. I could tell her to do something or to stop doing something and she would listen (GASP). I have noticed her decrease in appetite as well which was a side effect that I was warned about. I struggle forcing someone to eat that doesn’t want to (I myself struggle with an eating disorder), but a bite of something is better than nothing. I also made sure that she constantly had something to drink. My mom also noticed that she was a lot calmer....by 7pm she is fully back to her energetic screaming and terrorizing self. I just love her LOL.

Friday: I took myself to see the new Fast & Furious movie. I was 1 of maybe 5 people in the theatre. It’s one of those fancy theatres that sells alcohol and has reclining seats. LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. I absolutely loved and enjoyed the movie. It was nice having a little date to myself which is something I cannot do where I live due to lack of babysitter. After the movie, the kids, my mother and I went swimming. Later that evening the kids and I went and visited with their former home daycare provider. She’s like family to us, and she kept both of my kids as babies. My daughter was there until she turned 3 and I put her into the YMCA preschool. My son was there from birth until she closed last Summer. She no longer does daycare. It was nice trying to catch up with her, but my daughter always has the hardest time leaving there. This time was no different. She had to be dragged kicking and screaming (with no shoes) to come out to the car. sigh

Saturday: I took the kids to the zoo bright and early in the morning. HUGE mistake as it was nearly 100 degrees by 10am. We had fun though. This was my sons first time going to the zoo since he’s been big enough to enjoy it. We suffered through the heat for HOURS and then went back to my moms. My sister came over shortly after to pick up the kids and take them out to ice cream. My daughter ended up staying the night with her, so she LOVED that. I was still so worn out from the sun earlier that day that I went to sleep a lot sooner than my mom and my son and the rest was history.

Sunday: Me and my son went to pick up my daughter and we headed to check out the newest splash park in town. It’s located downtown and everyone raves about it. EXCEPT when we went there were only like 3 little spouts of water flowing out really low and so many kids were trying to play in this tiny area. The water spouts span this entire area and there was no water coming out of 95% of them. It’s one of those that when you run around the water can just randomly spurt out at you, but for some reason when we went, it didn’t do that. There was hardly any shade for parents, so I decided we’d visit another Splash Park that I know for sure would be on and working PLUS they have actual playground equipment. Afterwards we went and visited with my grandpa. My daughter was so well behaved, I didn’t even bring up the medicine or her diagnoses with him. This is another place that she has a hard time leaving. She hates to clean up her toys. We had NO issues on this visit whatsoever.

Monday: I went down and tried to intercept my vehicle registration as I have yet to update my address with the state. I paid for my registration online thinking that there would be a section where they would allow me to update my address, but no. So I went down first thing in the morning to see if I could just pick up my sticker, but it hadn’t been printed yet. However, they did allow me to give them the CORRECT address to send it to.

(funny story: before leaving my mother’s apartment complex, I walked up to a car that I thought was mine. I even pressed the unlock button on my key fob and everything. As I’m opening the door, a woman behind me goes “That’s my car!” IMAGINE MY EMBARRASSMENT! It was black like mine and parked in the same parking spot I had been parking in all weekend. I was in zombie mode. It really looked nothing like my car other than the fact that it was black. Anyway there was a van full of people there to pick her up, and they were all laughing at me. I WAS HORRIFIED! She didn’t even lock her door before she left with them either.

So anyway, we headed home after that. My kids were a lot calmer on our 2 hour drive (there and back) this time. I would write about what happened after that, but my head would spin and I’d probably be in tears. My boyfriend is completely insensitive, set in his ways and unwaivering. It’s disappointing as this was not whom I fell in love with. The night ended with me gathering my things as if I had somewhere else to go. My daughter had camp in the morning, so it made me snap back to reality and put the kids to bed with major decisions left for this morning (Tuesday).

I’m headed out the door now to go and pick her up. This is her first time going to camp while having the medicine in her system. I will report back. Last weeks field trip was when she got kicked out. Today, they took the kids bowling. I sent her with $10. I suggested she use it for snacks and not the arcade because her money would surely disappear quickly. I’ll report back on that too.

Even thought I cried a lot more this weekend than I have in a long time, I think it’s put me in a better head space to make the best decisions for my children and I. It motivated me! Changes coming soon!