Pants Near the Ground

I think I completely forgot to blog this story. It happened back in March one evening at the YMCA while I was taking Garrett down the long, curvy indoor slide at the YMCA. He was scared to try it since September when he first saw it, but I made him go down with me, and he now loves it!!! Well, the third or fourth day we went on it together, we were standing in line at the top of the slide with 4-5 pre-teen boys behind us in line. Garrett loves to grab onto clothes when he gets anxious about something, so it is common for me to have to keep reminding him to let go of my swimsuit over and over and over and over while we are in the water. This time we were in line at the top of the slide when he grabbed the bottom of my tankini swimsuit and yanked it down so hard that it went down to my KNEES!!!! There I was in complete shock but not the least surprised. I calmly pulled my bottoms back up and then checked to be sure none of those poor kids behind me had been traumatized into passing out. They didn't even seem to have noticed. That or they were great at laughing silently then looking innocent when I looked back at them!!! I got on Garrett's level and very sternly reminded him to NEVER pull on my swimsuit. He cried a second then started to hit himself in the face and spit. Then we got on the slide and it was like nothing ever happened. Lately he likes the words STUPID, POOP, SHUT-UP and BUTT. Yep, all the good things coming out of his mouth all the time. We try to talk him out of those words and attempt to substitute better words where appropriate. And then some of the words we simply ignore. But now we have been trying these strategies (since telling him 1,000 times not to say them is a COMPLETE failure), he has started talking about them. Something like this: "Mommy, are you stupid." I ignore him. "Stupid Mommy!" Still ignore. "Mommy, why we don't say stupid? Is stupid a bad word?" "Yes, Garrett, so what movie do you like the best.........." or this one: "Mommy, you shut up!!!" I ignore. "Mommy, you hear me? Shut up!" Trying to ignore. "Shut up what babies say. I not a baby. Babies say shut up." And it gets repeated just like this over and over and over and I have no idea whether anything is sinking in or if he is just babbling.....perplexing. He also seems to be having trouble with YES and NO more lately. He says one but means another, but not intentionally. It is aggravating to him and everyone else!!! Okay, enough on that. I do need to clarify that I had a BLAST with my friends here this past weekend. Unfortunately the tension and stress of our recent discoveries and exploration of Garrett's intellect and future were so on the surface for both Grouchy and me. I think it made the stress level high, and it was not something we could avoid. I think and pray time will heal us so we are best for Garrett and our family and friends! Oh, news flash!!! I worked out today.....jogged and walked, and I walked while the girls were at piano yesterday. I plan to put more time in working out and less taking Garrett into the pool. I love to take him to enjoy the water, but I have to cut some time out for my wellness somehow, and the Y seems to be the place where he can go to childcare while we are there twice per week for gymnastics and I can escape to run and maybe take a class and get a shower. I need it. I feel so much better tonight! Godspeed to you all!! Oh, and watch your swimsuit!!! Clara-Leigh