Have to laugh...

Sometimes in this house you have to laugh to keep from crying. Greg had yet another work-related meeting tonight, so I tackled the pointless task of having the kids clean up the family room before bed. While cleaning up, Madeline found a few things that belonged in her room, so she headed to take them upstairs. In efforts to keep the clean up project on track, I told her to put them at the top of the stairs. While they were finishing cleaning up, I pulled out the vacuum to get some stray popcorn pieces. The kids started acting crazy so I sent them both to their rooms. After vacuuming, I headed upstairs. I was met at the top of the stairs with the things I told Madeline to put there while we were cleaning. I was upset and asked her why she walked over them to go upstairs instead of taking them up with her. She very innocently looked at me and said "You said to put them at the top of the stairs." Oh my! How often I have to remind myself that her brain does not function like mine?? She did not read the implied context that I wanted her to take them upstairs after cleaning up and I just wanted her to put them on the stairs while we finished cleaning. It definately tries my patience all throughout the day as I constantly have to take a step back and try to look at things through my "Madeline-lense". At OT today, her therapist and I were talking about our bodies' nature ability to work together. That's how we were designed--for thought information to get carried through to action information. Madeline's brain is not wired that way. So I have to try and think about something that my brain is designed not to think about. (Chew on that one a while!) It is incredibly humbling, frustrating, and rewarding to be Madeline's mom. It brings me to my knees constantly. I'm just hoping the bruises on my knees don't become too painful. :o) To those out there that actually read this blog, thanks for listening to my brain download tonight.