Whatsupwiththejoneses’s Weblog

…and the fact that I am pressed for time.  So bullets it is!

-We have a sick Yorkie at the House O’ Jones.  Not sure what’s up with her, but she spent Tuesday night puking her guts out, and has no energy since.  She rarely moves from her curled up post on a throw pillow on the couch.  I’m going to give it another day or so before seeking medical intervention, but hopefully she’s okay.

-Last night I spent my 3 1/2 hours of lecture at school learning about disorders usually diagnosed in infancy and childhood.  Not one of my favorite topics.  I am usually good with keeping things outside of myself when it comes to school topics, but this time, I struggled.  A video of short interviews with parents of children suffering with things like being on the severe end of the autistic spectrum reduced me to tears.  At one point they spoke to a mother whose husband bailed out after their child was diagnosed, and she was required to quit her job to stay home with him.  For 12 to 14 hours per day the child rocks, self-injures by banging his head, and screams a high-pitched wail.  I sit by the same woman each Wednesday and we talk freqently.   I leaned over and said “I feel like I’m going to lose it after a 15 minute temper tantrum sometimes.  How does she function?”  She looked at me and said “My daughter was diagnosed with autism, and OCD.  I sometimes felt like I didn’t sleep for a year.”  I had no idea that she even had a child.  Turns out, her daughter is 20 and just entered a group home where she is doing pretty well.  I felt drained when I left class.  I called D.Jones from the car and said “We are lucky, Doug…we are so, so lucky.”

-Cooper Jones is off to his costume party today at preschool.  After his weird fits about wearing the froggy costume in the car, I finally persuaded him that it was okay if the “googly eyes” touched his car seat and we were off.  Once we got to school he was so pumped about being in costume, that he was randomly running in to other classrooms and high-fiving teachers as he yelled “ribbit!!”  That’s right…once again, our child is by far the most shy kid at school, right?  As we made our way down the hallway to his own classroom, he high-fived parents along the way, giving them “ribbits” as well, and overheard a smaller child say “what’s that green guy?”  Cooper yells down the hall “I’m a froggy…RIBBIT!!!”  That’s my boy.  They are on their way to a health care center where I’m sure he’ll do a good job of amusing some of the patients.  There were other absolutely adorable costumes to be seen, too.  I was bummed that I didn’t get in on the chaperone list for this one.  Another girl in Coop’s class was the cutest little pink cupcake that I’ve ever seen!  I can’t wait to hear about his day~

Here’s a glimpse of the frog on his way to school this a.m.~

And a froggy with a froggy blankie…