A day at the Palace!

 Colin sitting in Andre Drummond's chair in the locker room.

     If you read the blog where I talked about our experience at the Piston's game in April, then you know what these pictures are about. If you didn't read it, then you should go back and read it! Sorry, I don't feel like retelling the story.
     The day went better than I could have planned. I really did not know what to expect but I was certain there would be other people there with us. I was wrong! We were the only ones! So we got a very personal tour of the Palace, behind the scenes and all. Colin was in awe the entire time. Zac, the Pistons guy, was an awesome guy and gave us an awesome tour.
     We were completely satisfied and Colin had a perma grin. Zac walked us out but stopped us right before we left. "I have one more surprise for you," he explained. "How would you like to join me for the home opener in October?"
      Needless to say, Colin was (is) thrilled! He cannot stop talking about that day and he cannot stop talking about going to the home opener.
     I want to thank the Piston's organization and especially Zac, for making my son's day (possibly year). They do read their surveys and they listen!

Here are a few more photos of the day. Plus, one of the car ride on the way home!
https://goo.gl/photos/N8P3cHzDdj2MNZhL8

I'm on a roll!

     One goal I had for the summer is to get back to my blog. I started it way back when as a form of therapy but quickly decided I wanted it to be a way to help others, or at least let people in similar situations know they are not alone. I still want to do that in some form or fashion. I am exploring other sites to see if one might be more user friendly. I want to be able to post links and pictures and not just share my writing. The other problem is, I am not a Type A person at all. Although, I appear organized and put together, I AM NOT. I am definitely a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of person. I rarely have a plan for anything and I hardly ever make lists when I go grocery shopping. I don't really have a "bucket list" and I have no clue what I want my future to hold.I kinda just take each day as it comes. What has really helped me is when I post this on Facebook and people make comments. That means that people are reading this. It may not be many and maybe some only read it once in a while, and everyone is a friend and probably most that read it know Colin. So, thanks for reading and maybe you can help me figure out how to make this more of a routine for myself, how to get "strangers" to read it, and what would make people want to read it. I'll keep writing and posting and hopefully you will keep reading.
     Changing gears here now. After today's post a few people commented offering support,etc. I don't want people thinking I am looking for sympathy, because I am not. I don't neccessarily think anyone that commented thinks that, it just made me think, "Do I sound desperate? Am I looking for sympathy?" Maybe, in some ways,  I just want people to know that sometimes, having a child that is not like everyone else, is hard. Sometimes. I know that having children, period, is hard. But, I don't ever want anyone to feel sorry for me in any way. I will admit, every once in a blue moon, I feel sorry for myself. But, that's it. So, you don't ever have to feel sorry for me.
     You see, I feel sorry for anyone that doesn't know Colin. I feel sorry for anyone that will never get the chance to meet him. But, I mostly feel sorry for the kids (and adults) who know who he is but dont' know HIM. They might know him on the surface but have never made an effort to talk to him or listen to him. I think if everybody gave him the time of day they would see what an outstanding person he is.He is SO in tune to other's feelings and worries about how other people feel, sometimes to the extreme. If you have Colin in your corner, then you are Golden!  SOOOOOOOO, for that I am blessed. Despite the hard times he has, if that is what makes him the kind, caring person he is, then  SO. BE. IT.
 
 Thanks for listening and thanks for reading! 

Being held hostage

     UGH! We had a great 4th of July weekend. But, I am now at home sitting in the office waiting for Colin to stop having his temper tantrum. A temper tantrum that started when I tried to go to the store to get food, since our cupboards are bare. I believe it started because he couldn't find his wallet with his money in it. He wanted his money  so he could get an icee when he went with me to the store. I looked for him in all the places it could have been, but I could not find it. His frustration built and it trickled to other issues. He wanted to go to the store with me, then he didn't. He left with me but then changed his mind so when I turned around to bring him back home, he got even more frustrated. I left him at home. He called me (I did not answer because I was driving) but I turned around and went home cause I knew he was agitated. So now, I am sitting here trying not to engage him (because that will make him more agitated) and he is yelling at me and saying mean things. The good news is, he is not destroying things like he normally might when he's pissed off like this. There is no reasoning with him, no trying to talk him through this. He is mad and frustrated (and sometimes it's hard for me to understand why) and he just needs to blow off steam until he is back to his rational self. This might take 15 minutes or 3 hours. You just never know with him. I do know that ignoring him is the best thing and that is sometimes very hard to do.
     Two steps forward one back. I asked him to let me finish something and I will help him look again for his wallet. He didn't like that. So now he's back to being pissed. He was starting to come down and then I made him wait. How in the world will he ever survive in the real world if these little things piss him off so much?  

It's ALL Good!

     It has been a while since I have written and most of the time that means things are good. When I write it is usually because I am stressed, or sad, or upset. It really is a great way to get feelings out without burdening anyone with your problems. So I haven't written in a very long time but that doesn't mean things are good. In fact, this school year was one of the hardest years I've had as a teacher and not for reasons you might think. But now, it's Summer! I have had a couple of weeks to relax and I am finding the time I need to do the things I want.
     Things with Colin are stable. He had a pretty good year. A few ups and downs but nothing crazy like last year. We had to find a new therapist because the one we had been seeing retired. We think we found a good one though. We don't have to see the cardiologist anymore or the scoliosis doctor, which, is good news. We are back to seeing the GI doc every 6 months (from once a year) but I expect that to change quickly. My hope is that all of this will remain as is and that no new health issues arise anytime in the future. Fingers crossed.
     So I think most people know that Colin LOVES basketball and I don't even know if LOVE cuts it. He's obsessed. Last year we surprised him with Pistons tickets for his birthday as he had never been to an NBA game. It was a big hit. Tickets came up this year over spring break through Rec and Ed with a deal to go out on the floor at the end of the game to take a free throw. It was a pretty good deal and we were going to be around for spring break so , why not? We had a great day! We went to Great Lakes crossing, ate dinner at a Japanese steakhouse and went to the game. It was the game that cinched their spot in the playoffs! But, when it came time to get in line to go down on the floor for our free throw shot, Colin melted down, BIG time. We tried to use all of our tricks to calm him down but nothing worked and at one point we just threw in the towl and said, "It's not worth it, let's go." Colin was over stimulated and over tired and large crowds have always been too much for him. So, we went home.
     A few weeks later I received a survey from the Piston's organiztion asking questions about our experience at the game. I usually don't fill those things in but for some reason this time, I did. I was honest and rated most things pretty high and said we had a good time at the game. I did happen to mention our experience having to stand in line to go down to shot a free throw and explained the whole siutation. I believe I offered some suggestions for how to make that better organized,etc but nothing much really. I did not expect to hear anything.
     Well, you probably know where this is going, don't you? Yes, someone from the Piston's organization contacted me yesterday. They, obviously, read my comments on my survey and wanted to know more about our experience. So after chatting for a few minutes with this guy he offeres to have us come down to the Palace and take a behind the scenes tour of the lockroom,etc.! I was speechless! Stuff like this never happens to me!
      I was actually on my way to pick Colin up from basketball camp when I was talking with this guy. At first, I thought I would wait to tell Colin until the day before we were going but I just couldn't wait to tell him. His reaction was not what I expected. He said he didn't want to do it and he almost seemed sad about it.  Knowing Colin, he just needed time to process the whole thing. It took the car ride home for him to process it and by the time we pulled into the driveway he said YES he wants to go and he was very excited! Of course, now that is all he talks about! We are super excited and can't wait until 2 weeks from now! I'll post again.