School's Almost Out! YIKES

Matthew made this for me at school yesterday. That's when it hit me that he only had a few days of school left.....his last day is June 22nd!! YIKES. What will we do all summer to keep him entertained? He is so into art, I guess I will be making trips to Jerry's Artarama and loading up on supplies. Hopefully I can get away without paints...five year olds don't exactly paint neatly. What a mess last time we attempted this!

I heard back from the first option on behavioral issues with Matthew (Help Me Grow). What a waste of time waiting for them to get back to me. It started with an intake person asking questions about what/why/who etc...to see if they could hook us up with some assistance. She said she would get back to me with a list of the best resources. Yeah right. The list included: Reading time at the local library, a music class at the community center, etc. How in the hell is that going to help me with his behavior? He already does things like that, I need something different. So, I have a call out to the local children's hospital. They have a behavioral counseling/parent training class. Hopefully this will be the right resource for us.

On the behavior issues: He is cleaning his room with a lot of persuasion, but he is cleaning it. It may take a day to convince him to do it, but eventually he gets it done. In the meantime, if his room is a mess: NO CARTOONS. This is the tough one...he tries to sneak it. I will be making dinner and he will sneak into my bedroom and turn on the cartoon network. So, small steps, small steps. We have once again enforced the banishment of the word HATE. We no longer allow it in our home. He has been on a hate spree lately...I hate you, I hate this/that/the other thing. I can't stand that word. I have told him it is ok to be angry and not like something, but we have better words to use than hate.

On the work front, things are improving slightly. They did major layoffs and fired some nurses that just weren't up to par. So, it is nice to once again be working with nurses who know their left from right and our patients seem to be on the winning end of this change. They have definately noticed the improvement already. I was considered a float on the unit, I wouldn't have the same assignment everyday, so my patients never new if I would be there the next day or on a different assignment. Well, one of my co-workers resigned and left, and I have been given her assignment. This is awesome news, as now I can provide the stability my patients need. As far as my patients are concered, when my unit manager told them yesterday I got lots of cheers and hugs and kisses. It is so nice to have a good bond with your patients. It makes the days work less like, well, work.

Migraine news: improving slightly on the new medications. I go back to the neuro tomorrow and we will probably have to adjust one of the meds a little as it keeps bottoming out my blood pressure.

Go give some love to my friend Kate. She just started her own blog to try to sort through her change in jobs. She is a teacher, so it was a hard decision to leave her students and accept a position closer to home and in a better school district. As she has said so many time....she loved her little gangsters and hoods. I think she is a fabulous teacher and this will be a good move from her....and it doesn't hurt that Matthew will be going to that school when (IF) he reaches middle school! Nothing like having your Godmother in the same school keeping an eye on you! Bwahaha. Poor kid. Congrats Kate....I know you will do a great job!