The Blue DSi Cover

Sometimes it is hard to describe the behavioral things we see with Garrett that are alarming. Here are a couple of examples from today:

Hair cut....We don't even darken the doors of a hair salon or barber shop anymore. Grouchy bought clippers to use on his hair, and we use them for Garrett. Most of the time I can plug my iPod onto a docking station with speakers and he can stim on changing the music enough to make it through the haircut (all of about 3 minutes) while intermittently screaming, but still enough for me to make an okay job of it. But today there was to be none of that. Our family friend and babysitter was here and helped me. It took both of us. Then he would break free from us and run away screaming at the top of his lungs and hit the brick wall of our house and then the door and then a chair with his hands and spit and tantrum. I would get him back to me and buzz a little more and it would happen again. And in case you are trying to think about ways to help the situation, NO, scissors are much, much worse and yes, these are the quietest clippers made. And yes, if we hold him down it can be faster, but he is really tall now, and we are trying to help him get over this. If I cut it once per week, he is better....it's been 5 weeks since the last time.....shame on me....

New DSi cover......Bought Garrett a Nerf brand DSi cover to protect his gadget, but he has picked at it until one corner has no padding. The DSi is black, and the cover was bright blue and black. A couple of days ago I bought a new one for his DSi per Grouchy's request, and our babysitter put it on his game for him tonight. When he asked for his game he went nuts as he noted the new color of RED and black on the new case. I seriously thought that he would like the red or not really care. Apparently not. He launched it across the room and began the tantrum-ing.

Ranger.....We have a thing like a redneck golf cart called a Polaris Ranger. It's a 4-wheeler motor and tires but with a bench seat, larger body like a golf cart but bigger and with a steering wheel and gas and brake pedals. Garrett enjoyed being able to drive our friends' golf cart in Montana. It wasn't too fast, and he could reach everything as he was sitting/standing between our legs on the golf cart, so we could get control if need be. But the Ranger is much, much more powerful and faster, so him driving it all by himself with us as passengers isn't an option. So twice today he wanted to go ride it, but he had a hard time because I would not let him "drive it all by myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" So we rode a while, me pushing gas and brake, and Garrett steering, but he still got off so incredibly mad that it really didn't make anyone happy!!

Those may be easily explained away by some people...having a bad day, needed a nap, "typical boy," spoiled....but if that's what you think, you are wrong. We are scared of what these things are leading toward. I fear the future just looks more quirky.....and unpredictable. Will babysitters be an option much longer?? Can others tolerate these isms of his??? We can. Maybe we are what he will have.

In the past I wanted a crystal ball. I no longer want one, ever. Had I owned one before now and seen this, I might have given up. But because I didn't know this was the way it would be, I couldn't know to be scared or anxious about this. I had no earthly idea.

Ignorance is bliss.

Godspeed,
CL