OUR TRIP TO THE CAPITAL

Monday morning we were up, getting dressed for the ride and putting last minute items into the van. Out to Lehigh to pick up Ms. Linda (an adult with a disability not able to drive) The wheelchair lift was properly installed so a few adjustment and we get Ms. Linda ready for the ride. We are on the road by 9 am. The ride up was uneventful. The van has two flat screens to the DVD player so Ms. Linda brought a couple of her movies the kids hadn't seen and we had our case. I have no idea what I would do without the van's DVD player. All the kids talked about was the pool at the hotel.

We got to Tallahassee by 4pm so plenty of time to get down to the pool. The kids go for an hour swim, a much needed energy release...we go to dress for dinner and it dawns on me I have left the children's medications at home and have none on me.... I am sure all but Jordan will be ok. I pray we can use all the Behavior mod to help him through...I pray.

We head over to dinner all dressed up, stop by the happy hour lobby party. They have soda, chips and finger foods for the kids and bubbly for mom. More local ladies are here although no one brought their children. I miss my good friend from Ft Laurdale dale but for the reason children's fares were not covered from the PIP council she was not able to make the trip. The presentation at dinner was the same as last year prep to meet with the officials in the morning. The kids were restless after eating so we headed back to the pool cutting the presentation short. Ms. Linda stayed to get details and collect handouts.

In for bed by 9 to get good sleep. The girls fall right out. Steven and Jordan are up still at 11 pm, my two on meds to help them calm for sleep....Up at 6 am, Tuesday, Developmental Disabilities Day in Tallahassee. The kids are excited they are going to the Capital. They get dressed, we pack the room take it to the van and head for breakfast. I am feeling the hyperactivity in Jordan. He is moving quick and being very impulsive. With Jordan off center the others are pushing limits slightly. Tressa throws her empty bowl of cereal in the garbage and runs to try and get another while I am helping Jordan.. I catch her, so she runs spilling items. I take an apple for snack and put it in the bag on the back of Ms Linda's wheelchair. Tressa is now Ms. Linda's best friend, Jordan is not eating well and it means he is going to be more off balanced as the morning goes but the shuttle is here and they tell us we must go... Kaitlyn takes her half eaten bagel and boards the shuttle.
Once at the Capital Jordan sprints like he knows where we are going. I try to stay calm so he will return and remember rules.. not happening. He is sprinting everywhere moving quickly and checking out everything. He is on EVERY ONE'S nerves. We keep working through although Ms. Linda's wheel chair seems to be the biggest issue. It is a new "toy" to my kids and everyone wants a part of it or Jordan fins it hysterical to walk up and push the handle to make it move, which would run into people or things. Instead of taking time to allow Jordan to understand the chair and possibly try it to get past the curiosity it is getting escalated to the point I had to separate and have the children to myself. I notice Jordan is now finding marble columns and slamming his back into them in a rocking motion. He is miserable with out his medication, fighting the self stem issues and him being in a place with little routine and no structure. I have nothing to offer him but direction. We decide to go up and down some stairs outside. The natural wildlife presentation is going on so Jordan takes on animal like actions.. We would have a moment of calm, he would visit the bald eagle and the next minute he was screeching to scare the bird by being a lion.. the bird screeches back and Jordan is in heaven so it escalates. I distract him by pointing out how tall the Capital building is and moving away from the bird display. We go over to talk to another display to get teacher supports and Jordan is gone in a flash.... no he is not gone he is scaling the Capital building wall.... you know the tall building I just pointed out to him... The police are running as he is going quickly very high. No one seems upset, must be he isn't the first. They coach him down and explain that isn't safe..... and invite us to lunch.... We continue to visit displays and wait for our 11 am meeting. I can not figure out why we needed to be at the Capital at 8 for an 11 meeting. At 11 we entered the Capital. The kids keep thinking it is airport security and take off their shoes...lol They have metal buttons on that have to come off, their bags are growing heavier so they go through the machine... the kids go through with out it beeping so security doesn't need to "scan" them and they cry because they want scanned (manually) so they scan them, and show them their radio, belt, handcuffs. ect..Jordan begins to take down the security rope around the emblem in the lobby. I keep correcting him and the security officer says HE'S OK... HELLPPPPPPP so now Jordan climbs on the structure.. I go get the security office to please get him off. He now understands. We head up to the meeting. The reporters are wanting to film and interview. Jordan is having a melt down and low and behold the film crew is there... nice. I talk to the women and ask Jordan to sit on my lap. He then takes her mic and will not return it and she doesn't make him. He sings twinkle twinkle little star, the whole song. As he does that I explain why services are needed to parent children with special needs and what it means for them to have more normal events in their everyday life. The kids are calm and I am sure on camera we do not come off as frazzled as I really was. I just kept taking deep breaths that this was my issue since I left the meds at home. Jordan still didn't want to leave and it is now time for the Gov to come out to speak. Jordan and the children are sitting in the front quietly. The speaking went ok, some up and down and Steven makes a couple comments on the pamphlets he is looking at but they were really good considering. Remember not one of the children have their medications so their little bodies are all off kilter.

Once through the interview, the kids fed I take them back to the hotel. It is too cold to swim, we put on a movie and wait for Ms. Lindo to finish and be ready for the ride home. Jordna is struggling. He is miserable and will not allow himself to sleep. The ride home was om other than Jordan loosing it completely. I fealt so bad for him and just knew the answer was to get home to get him his medication and back on the routine. Home at 10 he didn't get to bed until 11 although he has his medication in him. He needed lots of extra attention and off to sleep he went.

No school this morning for Steven he is vomiting, and Jordna will not even begin to wake up so the boys are home. Kaitlyn was unsettled this morning but wanted to go to school and Tressa was up at the crack of dawn going through her loot to take to her teaches friends and he easter bag for the party. I am blogging and going back to bed for a little bit as I am tired.

Week of March 17th Trip to Tallahassee

We are packing today to prepare our van for the 7 hour trip to Tallahassee Monday. The four children not taking FCATS will make this years trip. Kaitlyn (13) Steven (11) Jordan (7) and Tressa (6) with mom.

I, tonight am going out to a singles gathering I have managed to put together in the past few days for a night out for mom... multitasking at it's best...lol My favorite rock and roll band will enhance the evening. I picked up a new pair of jeans (smaller size.) the trip to Russia/lack of eating was not all bad.

I will post and keep you posted about our trip to talk to Gov Crist about services and the Pringle family. I met with him last year and we had a goal.... it isn't met. So I will inform him.

Everyone take a moment for yourself tonight. We all need some me time.

Feb 2008 in Russia

I started a new blog for the month of Feb 2008 as it was a journey on it's own. www.capeangelsinrussia.blogspot.com it will journal the time I spent going to Russia visiting an orphanage, making the children with Down syndrome abroad a part of SW FL PODS Angels mission to help.