Rambling

I do not know what to write about tonight. I feel like I've become a broken record when it comes to weight loss and eating healthy. I had a great day today, even though Jeremy had a rough day.

We were going to head to Three Oaks today. Brian had voiced some concern about me taking them by myself. He was probably right. It was tough enough to take just the two older kids by themselves. So we decided instead to visit a park with one of my moms groups. It was a park we hadn't visited before.

The kids normally assign names to different parks--there's Big Park, Little Park, Color Park, etc. I have to specify which park we're visiting or else they will bug me incessantly. I told them this morning that it was a new park and they seemed satisfied with that.

It was a park off the beaten path, which actually is just fine with me. Doug still tends to wander aimlessly and the less I have to worry that he's wandering into oncoming traffic, the better. The plan was to walk from there to a local ice cream place, eat ice cream and then walk back.

For me, this was the perfect outing. I was going to be able to earn some activity points, the kids were going to get ice cream that I wasn't going to have to pay for and they were going to burn off some energy. It seemed like a great plan.

I forgot to allow for the Jeremy factor. We didn't discuss, prior to arriving at the park, that we were going to get ice cream. I didn't want them to be so excited about the ice cream that they weren't going to be able to run and play. As it came time to leave the park, he started having a meltdown. This led to a bloody nose.

Jeremy started earlier this year having frequent nosebleeds. We have had his nose cauterized and yet they persist. One of the doctors we saw suggested allergy medicine. The problem there is that Jeremy despises taking medicine. On the rare occasions when he is under the weather, it takes Brian and I sitting on him to get him to take his antibiotics. As you can probably guess, we just haven't been giving him the allergy meds. I already hide the low-dose adult aspirin and iron supplement he takes most days. I don't think I could get away with hiding the allergy meds as well.

I was fortunate that one of the moms had Kleenex for Jeremy. He was reluctant to walk to the ice cream place before the nosebleed--he was convinced afterwards that he couldn't walk there. He told me his knees were going to hurt. I have noticed that he tends to tire easily unless he's in water. I know it's a function of his SPD, so I know he wasn't making it up.

Our little scene was dispersed when one of the kids offered to give up his spot in his own wagon. Jeremy sat down in the wagon and I knew there was nothing I could say to get him out. I was so grateful for friends at that moment, and for this little boy (whom we've only spent a minimal amount of time with before) and his act of selflessness and kindness.

I was able to convince Jeremy to walk back from the ice cream place. He didn't do it willingly but he did do it. It was cute to watch him walk back because he made fast friends with Avery, another mom's daughter. They walked hand in hand most of the way back. It was incredibly cute.

He melted down again when we got back to the park. Avery and Bekah took off running towards the park equipment. Jeremy didn't feel like he could keep up and was very angry that they ran off. We left the park soon after that (everyone was heading home). Jeremy ended up taking a nap for a couple of hours when we got home. It helped with his mood tremendously.

I love my Jeremy. I love that God puts special kids in his life like Avery and Joseph (the boy who gave up his spot in the wagon). It was affirming for me, as we get ready to send Jeremy off to school. I felt like it was God's way of reassuring me that Jeremy is going to be okay, that really God is in control of taking care of him. I am excited for Jeremy to have an opportunity to spread his wings (without me being there). He is such a funny, compassionate, warm, loyal guy. I know that God will put the right people in his path.