Just a little odd

Sometimes you need to be detatched

I had a pretty late night with Jake last night.  For him, being hyper coincides with needing less sleep than a normal person.  I used to be like that, but I'm constantly burning the candle at both ends lately, and buddy I NEED SOME SLEEP.  Once Jake finally fell asleep, I twittered the following two items to help me process the evening so I could try to sleep:

1.  Sometimes the understanding of Jake's neuro issues and hyper-activity is all that keeps me from freaking out at him. He's a lot sometimes.

2.  I DID tell him, if (A) were your mother, she would have screamed at you by now, and if (B) were your mother, she would have spanked you.

When I said that, his response was "Well you're a better mother than they are." 

HAHA.  Umm, thanks?

Anyway.

This morning I was having an email conversation with a co-worker across campus, regarding getting overwhelmed in our day jobs as secretaries / office drones (when really we are creative types bent on CREATING!)  She mentioned she already had a slight stress break-down that morning, and this was my reply:

. . . . . . . . . .

Seriously, just take it one thing at a time.  Detach yourself from emotion involved in a task – a task is a task.  No value judgment needed.  It’s ok to say no, or “I don’t have an answer for that right now.  Let me take your name and number.” 

I have had to learn to detach myself from emotions and the situation I’m in because of Jake.  Sometimes when he’s being ridiculous or having a melt-down, I have to go through the motions, feelings turned off, until the crisis is over.  The words I use are statements rather than emotion-filled interactions. Otherwise I’m reacting to him and escalating the problem rather than diffusing it.

. . . . . . . . . .

Are you able to find a place of detachment to deal with high stress situations?  Or do your emotions get the best of you?

Jake funnies

I'm back, with 5 new Jake funnies.  :)

GAMING:

-- Jake was playing Super Smash Brothers on the Wii and was fighting as Wario. I walked in and said "Jake! Why are you running over a girl with a motorcycle?" He said "What. She's my competitor." 

Sorry, Zelda.

-- Jake, as we were driving to pick my nephew Chris up from the airport: ". . . and he can play any of my Wii games if he wants. Wait, how old is he?" Me "Like 27?" Jake "Oh, ok. He can play all of them."

Thanks for being concerned about his impressionable mind there, Jake.

-- Jake and I were playing Wii Sports Resort speed slice (sword play) and he got mad that I kept beating him. He yelled "Can't you take it easy on me?" And since I am a caring and loving mom, I yelled back . . . "PLAY BETTER."

-- Jake's answer when I asked him if the first Harry Potter movie was too scary for him? "Are you kidding? I kill zombies." (He plays "Plants versus Zombies" on the computer.)

and one in the category of
DESTRUCTION:

One night last week after taking a bath, he asked "How many gallons of water would it take to flood our whole house?" Shocked, I just said "JAKE!" And he said "Ok, fine - how many for just the bathroom?" 

We proceeded to have a very enlightening conversation about mold.  *sigh*

It's cold!

The weather here in middle Tennessee has taken a very sudden turn toward fall.  One week we're breaking high temp records, the next we had to switch our HVAC unit from cool to heat!  I don't mind the change, I'd just like for it to be more gradual.  Jake is having a hard time adjusting.  (He has a hard time adjusting to just about anything.)

Yesterday evening he had karate, so when he got home I sent him straight to the bathroom for a shower.  No matter how many times I go through this with him, he doesn't think to lay out clothes to change into - nor does he think to put on his very warm and nice house-robe.  No, Jake runs around after his shower in a towel, complaining about how cold he is.

So last night he races downstairs and starts pushing buttons on the thermostat.  After I told him that 68* is PLENTY warm for heating the house and to stop messing with the settings, he flopped to the ground and yelled:

Do you not even CARE that I'll FREEZE to death?!

I feel really bad laughing at him when he's obviously upset, but come on - that's just funny.

8th tooth gone

Jake FINALLY lost his 8th baby tooth last night.  This kid amazes me - he is truly the ONLY child I have EVER known who won't mess with a loose tooth.  This tooth could have come out MONTHS ago, but he wouldn't wiggle it, and I have a weird hang-up with loose teeth so I couldn't do anything about it.  :)

So he comes running upstairs to where I was reading, tooth in hand, mouth bloody.  "My tooth came out!!!"  He was very excited.  It didn't occur to him to rinse the blood out of his mouth, so I sent him off to do that.  While in the bathroom he looked in the mirror - then said "I look like a completely different person!"

He. is. awesome.