Saturday, November 04, 2006

HOME after a Hard Week.......

Treadmills
I am not complaining.......but my daughter really has her hands full. Margo is PDD (Pervasive Delayed Development) and is on the Spectrum (autistic). She doesn't speak much and throws tantrums out of frustration. She doesn't have a way to communicate and becomes upset very easily. When she is mad she will throw things.....doesn't matter what it is! Sometimes it is a banana, her dinner or a glass of juice. The other night she got so excited when the new baby made noises that she hit her in the head with a toy microphone. Milly got a little bump on her forehead! After several phone calls to the doc and to the exchange, it was determined that she was O.K. and anxiety level fell dramatically. In order to make sure the baby was safe we had to put tall chairs around the bassenett. Margo wants her mommy to pick her up and goes wild when Carrie (who just had a C-Section) can't do it. Michael (my son-in-law) and Carrie are saints!!!!!!!! They have patience that words cannot express........Michael is an "Angel". He loves his little girl more than anything in this world and takes over as soon as he gets home from work. He plays with her, bathes her, clothes her, feeds her and sits with her while they watch Baby Einstein:) He gets up when she is up during the night (children with autism have a hard time sleeping through the night). God knew what he was doing when he chose Michael and Carrie as the parents of this little girl! Margo flurishes in their presence. She talks more, communicates more and adores both of them. When she is with them she is at her best.
Now to the hard part. Carrie needs her sleep and can not go up and down the stairs right now. I had to take Margo to school and pick her up everyday. That was tramatic for her. Children on the spectrum don't like change. It was hard for her to have me do these things and she cried much of the time. She didn't want to eat for me and I ended up carrying her everywhere. She is almost 4 yrs. old now and weighs about 38 lbs. I couldn't take her to the store with me because I was worried that she would throw a tantrum and I wouldn't be able to get her to the car. While Carrie was sleeping I couldn't leave her alone in the room with the baby for fear she would get curious and topple over the bassenett or throw something into it! OH MY........I was tired after the second day!
I have a whole new RESPECT for my daughter and her husband!!!!!!!!! Although I have Margo alot.......it is only for a day or two and she knows all the rules at our house. We are so anxious to have her that we play with her unceasingly! We usually have her once a week and that is a completely different because she has our undivided attention. Besides, Margo acts differently at our house.
Well........enough of my tale........I am glad to be home and back in my studio. I never realized how much I love creating. When I couldn't create for a week.......I WAS FRUSTRATED! I took a few small things to work on, but didn't do much.....there obviously wasn't much time:)
I am going back Monday for the day and then back to school. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO this week-end it is art and nothing but ART!

3 comments:

Sandy Graeser Haynes said...

I love you, sis

One Crabapple said...

oh and I see you were really working this weekend ! my goodness.

I know it was healing for you and regenerated you.

My best friend has a child with autism... I don't know how anyone does it.

Prayers. Wishing the best and sending love.

You are a good grandmother and mother.

Anonymous said...

Boy, do I know how this feels. My daughter is on the spectrum too. It isn't always easy but what I find hardest is when I don't have any time to be creative. I really need the time to wrap myself up in my own world and MAKE something or I go bonkers! Your daughter is very lucky to have you around!