It was pre-Valentines weekend & a busy one it was & there is ALWAYS some type of drama involved with my crew, typically Jack. The weekend before last, Coleman came home with what he was convinced was the flu & went back to school late Sunday evening feeling better. So he calls me the following Wednesday morning & says he has the flu again! Being the concerned mama that I am, I offered to go get him at a reasonable time of day (noon) & of course the response was “no”. Fast forward several hours later around 8pm, the phone rings, it’s Coleman, “can you come get me?” Kids! But I didn’t mind a bit. Mama & Daddy tagged along so we could bring his truck back. After getting Coleman home & “homeopathed” as I call it, he did get to feeling better yet again & returned to State a few days later. Upon his return, the phone rings again, it’s Coleman. “I have mono.” Lord help me Jesus. This child has been sick ever since he left our house in August. Not sure about treatment on this. He says he feels fine now, but the doctor at school said to let her know if he starts feeling bad again. I told him he needed to start drinking 16ozs. of celery juice everyday…he didn’t like that idea too much.
To keep up with Coleman’s pace, Ava’s school JV basketball team had tournament games in Fayetteville on Friday & Saturday. Let me give a shout-out to the Temple Tigers Christian School team, these are amazing girls. They didn’t lose a game all season & won the championship title. It’s been a thrill to watch these girls play together. School sports have ended for the season for Temple & I’m going to miss it dearly. These games are a wonderful distraction for our family. We traveled sometimes nearly 2 hours away to play ball, ate lots of fast-food, literally drove on beaten paths, & even traveled on Microwave Road…bet you can’t beat that name! If your child is or will be playing a sport, make sure you thank the coach. They are giving up their precious time for free to coach your child. I’ve been a coach & it ain’t easy.
Jack is still in the chatrooms, unfortunately. Not as heavily as in the beginning. He keeps getting kicked out, which is awesome. After returning home Friday evening from the game, Jack had once again secluded himself in his room, Ava was in the bed, Lee holding the recliner down. All was quiet in the house until I heard a familiar buzzing. The buzzing was coming from Jack’s room. He had gotten Lee’s electric shaver & went to town on his eyebrows. Someone on social media told him to do something to his brows…and he did! He really whacked them off. Jack got that thick unibrow from me. See, I used to ride the school bus when I was in third grade back in 1984 to the beauty parlor to get my eyebrows done. I’d hang out there catching up on all the latest gossip & wait for Mama to pick me up a few hours later. I might would get a perm, too. I had the hair & brow of a middle-aged, chain-smoking, coffee-drinking Mother at the youthful age of 9! (Pictured below, my 3rd grade hair)
Once Jack finally let me enter his room, I was stunned. First of all, I wasn’t exactly sure what he was shaving. Secondly, his brows looked scary, clown-like. When I asked why he would do that, he told me not to worry about it. It is truly always something in this house. Lee & I have decided to start hiding the razors. Like normal people, we keep them in the shower, but because of Jack & his unpredictable nature, that is no longer an option. Which totally sucks. If I forget the razor when I get in the shower, I can’t knock & ask Lee or Ava to bring me one because we have special locks on the outside of the doors in case I ever need to go inside to get away from Jack. This life is so much more complicated than I EVER thought possible. This is how he fell asleep that night.
On Saturday morning I was able to leave the house around 10:30 to head to the game, but not before stopping at the post office & gas station. To most of you, this may seem like ordinary stuff, but for me, it is something special. Think of it like going on a field trip to the state fair with your junior high class. I felt giddy. I felt like Mary Tyler Moore as she embarked on her new job in the city, spinning around in circles taking in the sites of the city, I felt like dancing as she did in the streets of her opening theme song of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. I felt this way because I never get to the leave the house that early unless someone has a dentist or doctor appointment (which is rare thank goodness). I stay at home with Jack every morning since he is so wild & rambunctious after waking, so by the time I leave the house it’s noon & I’m off to work.
After returning from Fayetteville around 4, it was off to our church Valentines dinner. My friend Amy & myself hosted a Valentines spaghetti supper for our church members. It’s a way to get people together to have good fun. We really did have a wonderful time, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but wonder what Jack was up to? His caretaker texted me several times that night, Jack didn’t want her in his room because he was chatting with someone or what she was hearing from outside of the door. Jack thinks because he can’t see us when his door is closed that we can’t hear him. No moment is thoroughly enjoyed. Worry is always pressing when you have a child like Jack. I never thought possible we would deal with the situations that we have. I always knew that seizures would be at the forefront & he’d be satisfied playing PacMac & watching tv. Boy did I ever get that forecast wrong!
On to Sunday. Sunday was not a good day at all. I won’t go into details, since it is a story involving people other than those that live in our house. It involved Jack (of course) & tears. He was being a complete butthead & ruined the day. It’s so hard to believe that this child dictates our lives nearly every minute of the day. How is it that a 17 year old mentally & physically disabled child can do that? If it’s not one thing it’s another-I think people are actually starting to believe some of the stories I share…I couldn’t make this stuff up! Since all the weirdness started with Jack, I always said if I ever did get a tattoo, it would say??? You guessed it, “It’s Always Something!”
Cruel & Unusual Circumstances 
You are a super woman. I hope your stories might help other parents who might deal with the same issues as you and your family
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