Still Slacking

I have blogger block. Well, not really. I just know that I'd sound like a whiner if I blogged, so I just decided not to. Sorry if I've bored anyone, but it just doesn't seem like fun to blog about my own little complaints.

I'm headed to Kansas City for a visit tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing my family and I actually think my meetings are going to be productive, but I HATE leaving. I hate it. I absolutely love everything about my job except the leaving town part. I don't mind the travel per se, but if I could have one superpower, it would totally be to be able to be in two places at once.

It's harder than usual to leave this time for two reasons. I'm gone for five nights, which is much longer than I am normally away. We decided that seeing my family was the best excuse for being gone for so long. I really, really wanted to take Sam with me, but since Rob was just out of town himself for the senior class trip we decided that much disruption of Sam's routine was not a good idea.

I've finished my first reading of "Raising Your Spirited Child," and completely agree with the author that you know your kid and his limits, and that you have to abide by them, even if other people try to convince you otherwise. And Sam's limits most certainly involve needing a routine and structure. He enjoys being out of his routine, but it sets his behavior in a tailspin. I think we may be turning a corner with some of the new strategies we've been trying, so messing with it is out of the question right now.

The other reason, the bigger reason, that it's so hard to leave is that my little guy is SICK SICK SICK. Other than a febrile seizure a couple of years ago, I'm not sure I've ever seen him so miserable. He's so sad and whiny and limp. The funny thing is, another mom in the doctor's office today assumed he was there for a well-child visit because he was talking and playing quietly, not moping in my lap. It's all a matter of perspective. For us, a reasonably quiet child is actually a sick child! Thank goodness the doctor says it's just a virus that will pass. As long as his fever stays down, we should be in good shape.

I have a Sam story that's funny that I keep meaning to write down. It happens every day. We've learned that Sam has trouble with transitions, which means he does better when we warn him of what's about to happen as opposed to just, for example, switching off the TV to go to school. If you say, "Sam, in five minutes, we're leaving for school," he miraculously does not throw a tantrum when we go to leave.

However, no matter what amount of time you give him, his always cheerful reply is "five minutes is a lot, Mommy." Sometimes an hour is a lot. Sometimes 30 seconds is a lot. Sam is certainly grateful for every moment he gets, apparently! It's the cutest thing. I really need to remember to use our video camera and capture him saying it.

Seeing as I'm getting up before 4:30 a.m. for the fourth time in seven days, I think I'll head off to bed. Hopefully I'll get a bit of sleep on the plane tomorrow. Keeping up with the cousins takes energy!