Life with Dylan

Category: growing pains

  • Mom Is Done!

    After 2 1/2 long years of studying, writing papers, sleepless nights, countless pots of coffee, and hard work I have finished college. Although the announcements came a week ago and I turned in my final paper last Saturday, it just didn’t seem real to me until the knock on my door at 7:00 pm tonight. Who could it be? Ah, the FedEx man with a package. As I tore open the box with excitement I found myself suddenly in shock. Is this really mine? Did I really do this?

    Yes, Yes I did! I had a goal and I finished it. In exactly one month I will proudly wear this cap, gown, and stole in a commencement ceremony where I will be awarded my Bachelor of Science in Psychology. As with most things I do, I could not have completed this without the love and support of my family and friends. All the times I wanted to quit and all the times I questioned myself as to why I was doing this, these people supported me and encouraged me to keep going.

    Thinking back, I gave up many things (mostly a life outside of work and school), but nobody gave up more than Dylan. This small boy who was only in kindergarten when I started gave up so much of himself so that I could do my homework. I feel like I missed out on so much quality time with him, but I know that making up for that lost time will be so much fun!

  • Raingutter Regatta

    Well, the boat was much easier to make the car for the Pinewood Derby, but the race itself was more work for Dylan. How do these boats race? With hot air blown through a straw … how else? Dylan was so excited to race in his first Raingutter Regatta and he did very well, winning the first three heats. However, at the final heat he did not fare so well and some tears were shed. All in all, Dylan had a great time and learned a valuable lesson in sportsmanship. As the Cub Scout motto says … Do Your Best!

    Getting ready for the first race and practicing his technique.

    Go Dylan Go … 

    Careful not to touch the boat.

    Good form and the sail is staying up!

    And Dylan’s boat SEA DOGS wins again!

    The final race against a Webelo. Dylan did his best and that’s all that matters.

  • Dylan Rocks!

    So this past week and a half has been a total blur for me. Finishing up my Psychology Capstone class and starting my final Humanities class on Tuesday. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but the assignments are killing me. Not just a paper about what I learned this week or last, but a paper about what I have learned over the past 2 1/2 years along with a PowerPoint presentation. My life has been nothing but coffee and this laptop. Oh, and someplace in there I made it through days of work in a zombie-like state of mind.

    I have reminded myself to eat and survived on 4-5 hours of sleep each night. I have managed to get Dylan’s homework done, get him fed, and get him to Cub Scouts. I have blogs to post, but this must wait a few more days. My business has fallen behind, but this too must wait. I have come so far. I can’t give up now.

    All this time, Dylan has been nothing but a supportive and loving son. Doing what I ask, leaving me alone so I can do my homework, and rushing in the morning to get out the door without as much as a complaint. He has been nothing short of awesome during my blur of a life these past 10 days. He is my support system and my encouragement. Always there to give me a hug and that smile melts my heart every time.

    Dylan Rocks!

  • Longing for Childhood

    As I sit on the floor surrounded by bills that need to be paid, piles of receipts for my tax return that I have yet to file, laundry that needs to be folded, and a term paper that needs to be written I find myself wanting to cry. Then I catch a glimpse of Dylan out of the corner of my eye. He is sitting at the table drawing a comic strip about a marshmallow. The marshmallow who is about to become a s’more over a campfire. Suddenly I find myself laughing and listening to him tell me what will happen next.

    Why are we all in such a hurry to grow up? To be independent and free from our parents? Oh, how I remember counting the days until I was 18 and could move out on my own. Freedom. Nobody to tell me what to do or when I had to be home. Now that I am a ‘grown up’ I realize that I also have nobody to cook for me, do my laundry, clean my living room, wash my dishes, buy my food, or pay the bills to keep the television and lights on so I can watch my favorite shows.

    I find myself longing for childhood and the carefree days of playing with friends. Not a care in the world except for what game I would play at recess or wondering what my Mom packed in my lunch box.

    Take time to be child with your child. Forget about the dishes and the laundry for just one day. Sit on the floor and build LEGO’s, color a picture, go to the park and toss a ball, play a mindless video game, watch Tom and Jerry, whatever makes you feel carefree and childlike. If I can do this just one day a week maybe, just maybe I won’t be longing for childhood so much and the responsibilities of adulthood won’t seem so undesirable.

    So again I ask, why are we all in such a hurry to grow up?

  • Another Learning Experience

    So after Friday’s Fill-In-The-Blank, I was craving sauteed shrimp and pasta. Since shrimp is one of Dylan’s favorite foods I thought I would surprise him. The perfect ending to a perfect day. Within 15 minutes we went from freshly bought shrimp to a delightful dinner.

         
    About and hour after dinner I notice Dylan’s cheeks are bright red. Hmmm, now what did he eat. It couldn’t possibly be the shrimp, because he has been eating shrimp since he was 3 years old and loves it. I have flashbacks to when he was a toddler and this would happen when he ate eggs. Quick, find the Benadryl and everything will be fine. No Benadryl to be found. Not a big deal, it will go away like it always does. 
    Wrong! About 30 minutes later he is itching his legs and arms. When a lift his sweatpants I find hives and his ankles are swelling. The rash is moving up his arms and his hands are swelling now too. Not good. OK, it’s about 10:30 pm now and I need to figure out where the closest 24 hour CVS is. Oh, and did I mention it’s pouring down rain? After calling for reinforcement, aka my Mom, I am reminded how fast allergic reactions can spread. So we decide to head over to Hoag Hospital. Thinking I’m making a big deal out of nothing, but better to be safe than sorry.
    It’s now 1:00 am and we are waiting for the doctor in the Emergency Room. Oh, how I wish I could have crashed out like Dylan. The doctor confirms this is anaphylaxis, in English, an allergic reaction. After a shot of epinephrine, a dose of Prelone, and a dose of Benadryl we are told to wait 20 minutes while they monitor Dylan’s heart rate. Talk about a mother’s state of fear when you watch your child’s heart rate go from 84 to 145. Apparently, this is what the epinephrine does. All is now well and we were sent home at 2:30 am with a prescription for Prelone. Dylan barely remembers a thing because he slept through the entire ordeal.
    Just another day in my Life with Dylan.

  • Communication

    “Mom, I need to talk to you” … just like that. So grown up. Of course I am thinking he has done something wrong and is finally ready to fess up. Wow, was I in for a shocker! Just minutes before Dylan said these seven little words I had asked him to clean up the Wii, his Nerf guns and get his book to read before bed. Oh, and I told him I was going to finish filling out his Otter Log. (Otter Logs are filled out weekly to track how many minutes he reads)

    So we sit on the couch and sensing that he was nervous, I told him he could tell me anything he wanted. He takes a deep breath and ‘lays into me’ … “Mom, you don’t have to be so mean to me when you tell me to clean up. You make me feel like a slob and it hurts my feelings. All you have to say is clean up the Wii. You don’t need to say Clean up the Wii, and the remotes, and the games. Just say the Wii. And I know the bullets go with the Nerf gun. Oh, and you don’t need to tell me you are filling out my Otter Log either. Just do it and put it in my homework folder.”

    Once I was able to get a word in I let him know that I understood and that I was sorry I made him feel like a “slob”, but that sometimes he doesn’t pick up and needs to be told each little thing. He informed me that his teacher called him a slob one time because his desk was messy and that it hurt his feelings. I said, “Maybe you need to work on that and make sure your desk stays clean” … He agreed.

    Communication at it’s finest.

    Now let’s read …

  • He Doesn’t Need “Mommy” Anymore

    I am not quite sure when this first started happening, but now it is a daily occurance. My little boy is growing up and demanding his privacy. No more leaving the bathroom door open. Not only does he close the door, but he informs me beforehand that he will be locking the door. He doesn’t get dressed in his room anymore, now he goes into the bathroom, closes the door and gets dressed in private. Not sure why he can’t just close his bedroom door and get dressed in there.

    The latest development in our household is the use of bright orange traffic cones. I guess the signs on his bedroom door were not clear enough. Now my son has lined up cones at the base of his door and hung a dreamcatcher on his doorknob (this will make noise if I try to open door) to make sure I stay out. Last night I was instructed to read the signs outloud to him and promise to always knock before I come in. At first I was like, wait … what do you mean I have to knock? Then I remembered being a child and loving it when my door was closed. Not that we are doing anything important, but the idea of having the door closed and being in your own little world is kind of cool. However, I do not remember doing this until I was 9 or 10 years old; Dylan is only 7!

    I want him to have his own identity and I know he is growing up, but it is hard letting go of my little baby. Oh, and one more thing I was told … “I think I am just going to call you MOM from now on”