Monday, January 4, 2016

Happy 2016!

In reflecting back on 2015, I'd call it "The Year of Gratitude".  There is so much to be grateful for. We may never be fully reconciled but I am content for where we are today. Colin is able to peacefully coexist in our home, he has been maintaining Honor Roll status at school while keeping a full and challenging schedule.We try to give him as much control over his life as possible which seems to be working.

The most noticeable "quirks" would be his preference for riding in the back of the car in complete silence. To accommodate our son, we keep the car radio off and tend to be quiet unless spoken to. I've learned to keep my questions and answers to a minimum as per Colin's original demand of "no unnecessary conversation".

He prefers to spend time in his room with minimal parental involvement, not unlike his older brothers. We have been concerned about his sleep schedule and the amount of time spent playing video games, however as long as he is maintaining his 4.0 GPA and able to continue with his other activities, we are keeping quiet.

To the untrained eye, our son would appear to be a neuro-typical teen.

Christmas Break 


The holidays have been blissfully uneventful. Eldest has been home for a few weeks now. He has helped take Colin to most of his swim practices, staying to swim with the team. I'm sure that Colin appreciated the interaction with his big brother. As a result, he had a 100% attendance rate for holiday practices and earned a free "Breakfast of Champions" this morning after lifting.

Christmas Day was quiet. The gifts were minimal due to the fact that no one asked for much. Colin asked for and received a new desk for his room. The boys also got mini drones as "Santa-Dad" felt the need to buy them each a toy. There was also money and gift cards from family and the usual candy-filled stockings.

The best gift that I received was a peaceful house and to see my boys get along.

This past Saturday, we made the 90 minute drive to see the in-laws. We took Sumter along for the ride and set up his crate and pen in their garage while we went to dinner. Our first stop after dropping off the pup and picking up Grandmommy  was to visit Granddaddy at the nursing home. He is in an Alzheimer Care Center, which is an uncomfortable place for teens. Colin was quiet but well-behaved.

Dinner and the rest of the visit went well.As did the rest of the weekend.

Back to the Grind


This morning was a bit tough for Colin. It took me several attempts to wake him. I also found that his laundry was still in the machines. I unloaded the dryer and put the damp clothes from the washer into the newly emptied dryer. I then proceeded to fold laundry in Colin's room until I was kicked out. Sometimes I have to be annoying to get the kid to wake up and get ready for school.

After Colin packed his lunch and bags, we were able to leave on time and make it to the athletic center for 6:15 a.m. lifting with over 10 minutes to spare!

Score one for the annoying mom!

As always, we are a work-in-progress!