Take them out of their routine (school holidays), have their mum work more than usual, get them back into their old routine, then send dad away for a weekend, and you have one messed up kiddo.
Poor little M. I took her to church, not because I felt up to it, but because I didn't want to screw up her routine anymore... but it wasn't a good idea. It was communion... and M doesn't cope with that on a good day. She usually tries to get to the front of the church and drink all the little juices. BUT today she wouldn't even go in the main church building... fine, I took her back to where they have set up a creche like place for us to go during church, which feeds a video of what is going on in church. She decided she wanted to go to Jovie's kids room before the kids arrived, but I couldn't get the swing down for her and she lost it, then we went back and she saw on the video the communion juices.... then I tried to get Jovie settled into her room and well... Matilda lost the plot. Screaming the place down.
One of my friends, a young 20-something metalhead guitar player, was trying to help but it made it worse. Then I just packed up and said "thats it, we are leaving" and carried a screaming Jovie and dragging a screaming M behind me. My friend was trying to help because M kept biting and kicking me and wound up walking 3 metres behind me just trying to make sure M wouldn't dash out in the road. M kepts running back and forth between me and the church gates... finally laid down in the middle of the road in the rain kicking and screaming and punching the ground. My friend stayed in the street trying to block traffic and I stood there trying to figure out how to do it. The poor guy, he's such an amazing guy, and he kept saying "I just want to help Christy but I don't know how". Finally, I talked her back into going back to the church and setting up the swings in the kids church area. I told my friend that just being there and helping make sure she didn't get hit by a car was the best thing, I thanked him for helping her stay safe and just staying with me while she was like that.
The creche for 2-4 year olds was set up by a paediatric OT who works with Matilda's OT, so alot of the stuff is in the room, like the hammock swings, and a mini trampoline, fit balls etc etc. We did some OT work and she quieted down finally, with 15 minutes of church left to go.
When DH got home this arvo, I went straight to bed.... I'm tired and sore from carrying and dragging children.
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