I'm crabby.

I didn't sleep well last night, which is surprising because my husband is now home and I am very happy about that! He showed me his weapon (it's really heavy and has a sharp snap as it chambers the next round) and his badge, and he's all official now. It's very cool! He works at 6 a.m. and he's oh so thrilled to have to get up by 4:30, but he only works until 2 p.m. I had crazy, nonsensical (in a scary way) dreams all night, and after waking from each one a different one would start. Not even worth describing them really, because there was no rhyme nor reason to any of them. They just startled me, shook me up, or confused me. When the alarm went off this morning I did not want to get up, so I didn't. Eric took the kids to bowling, and I stayed home. Worked on laundry and read for a bit.

We don't have the CRX back as yet. The parts needed to be specially ordered/found to make the various repairs. They say it should be done by mid-afternoon Monday. That'll work, because Eric will be home by then (he has to pay for it after all, teehehee). In the meantime though, we had to scramble this afternoon to figure out vehicles. I had to work, Cliff had to work, and Eric had his bowling tournament. I ended up dropping Eric off at his buddy's house, and went to work from there. Unfortunately I was 15" late for work and that kinda sucked, although they took it in stride. Spent my afternoon putting up shelving and display cabinets and wire basket. I even have a "battle scar", which isn't helping me to type: I caught my thumb on my right hand in the endcap of a basket and it snapped it but good, right along the bottom of the nail and on either side of it. Ouch! We get our first delivery trucks of the new stock in on Tuesday morning, and I am working Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, and Saturday afternoon. Eric is thinking he starts school this week, with classes on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, so I sure hope the third car is fixed by then. Brianne needs to get to work, I need to get to work, and Eric needs to get to school!

Brianne is in Oklahoma for the weekend. A friend of hers bought her a plane ticket to come visit for the weekend and she took the opportunity to go. I hope she has a really nice time. Rei and Kimmie and Aurora have gone to the mall, Cliff is at work, Eric is bowling, and Patrick is here with me. Not sure what the heck I am supposed to do for dinner--who is eating, who to plan for, etc. and I was kinda surprised to come home and find a couple of Cliff's friends still here napping on the couch with him gone! Go figure!

I am a bit frustrated, ok, really frustrated with the high school right now. Reimond has been assigned Saturday detention for next Saturday and I feel like it was a punative move by the assistant principal, rather than a disciplinary one. He hadn't taken his med before school (forgot), and I wasn't able to run a refill to the school (his backup supply there was gone), so he had to wing it on Wednesday. I told the nurse when she called me how I'd like things to be handled, and she agreed. In his last hour, Rei was off task and distracting. He got sent to the office, and the Assistant Principal was talking to someone, so he sat outside the office where he was told to. When the bell rang, he came home. The next day I was called and told that he was assigned Saturday Detention (3 hours) because he had been distracting and off task, and because he left the office without permission after the bell rang. I talked at length with the A.P., and I told her what had happened; she essentially made me feel like I was a horrible parent because I don't force feed Rei his med in the morning (it's his responsibility to take it and if he forgets the backup is at school). That really bothered me alot, because I know I am a good mother. Anyhow, in reading the paperwork that came home regarding this action, they made it sound like he was being punished for leaving the office without permission, after being off task and distracting in the classroom. I looked at the photocopy of the assignment he was drawing on; he was drawing (it's a coping mechanism), but he was also answering the questions on it, even showing his work. I have stewed on this for a few days now, and I finally wrote a letter to the A.P., the Principal, and Rei's special ed case manager, pointing out that I fully support reasonable and logical consequences, but in this case I feel like he is being punished for not having access to his med. I do not now, nor have I ever in the past condoned his meds being the end-all and be-all of controlling his behaviors. I know he has to make an effort to control himself and make good choices, and all the med does is slow him down so he can do so, but I also know that there are times when he really needs it for that purpose, and if the environment isn't adjusted, he has a harder time making things work for him. I would have supported a one hour after school detention (one hour off task = one hour making it up after school), or being in the ISS or special ed room for the day, where he has less things to distract him and he is able to stay focused (less stimulating environment). I don't think a 3 hour Saturday detention, served 10 days after the fact, is really going to teach him anything other than that he is powerless. There is a long list of even more severe consequences if the kid doesn't serve his Saturday detention, so I said in my letter he would be serving it, despite my thinking it was unfair, but I felt that they needed to rethink their approach as well. I think it just stinks when a kid with a documented disability (as defined in his IEP) gets punished because he wasn't able to take his medication that helps to control it. Maybe I'm wrong, but someone has to stand up for him. Eric read the paperwork and my letter and he supports my stance.

I really want to kill Leina right now. She's in her kennel because she's wet and muddy (her coat as well as her feet) and I want her to dry before she is allowed free rein again. She is barking her fool head off and it is driving me nuts! Po pulled a fast one too and snuck out the door as Cliff's friend Anthony was trying to bring Leina in the house, and Patrick got a good run in chasing him, so he too is in his kennel. He doesn't usually bark like she does though.

I am trying to decide whether I want to open a bottle of wine or just make some herb tea. I am feeling so tense right now, all I want to do is cry. Chocolate would be good too--maybe I should make some cocoa... I hate feeling all bundled up and cranky and irritable. I need to just hide away til it passes so I don't take it out on anyone by being snappish or mean. And I would like to be happier when Eric gets home from his tournament. And food! I haven't eaten since breakfast, so I am sure that is a part of it too... HALT, isn't that the psych acronym? Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired... Maybe I am all 4 of them right now.