On a good day, parenting will test the integrity of your character. On a bad day, parenting will test your will to live. Parenting children with trauma histories will cause you to test the integrity of everything and everyone you thought you knew, for the rest of your life.
~J. Skrobisz

Friday, December 3, 2010

My RAD does Crazy things!

The "My RAD Does Crazy Things!" contest is in full swing. Remember, deadline for entries is 12-6-10 midnight EST. Go HERE for contest rules.

I had intentions of making the next set of coasters for the contest but got busy. So here's the fabrics I'll be using. I particularly like the triangle Santas! So cute.

My IRL friend has a RAD that has done crazy things. With her permission, I'm submitting this entry for her:

C~ is like Sissy. She has strange ideas about her clothing: how it should be worn, what "matches", what is inappropriate regarding the weather, etc. I know, all of that sounds like normal kid stuff. Except you know our RADlings, it's never "normal."

C~ got dressed for a swimming outing we all attended and emerged from her bedroom with her suit on ... inside out, the boob cups showing! Best part? She pretended she had NO idea it was wrong.

C~ is 19.


OK, start telling us YOUR "My RAD does crazy things!" stories. I'll post a great one about Sissy tomorrow.

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Here's what I was "busy" doing:


In regards to my post earlier this fall about the things we've had to give up in an effort to help Sissy including the space in our living room where a Christmas tree would be, we have tinkered, thought and brooded over ways we could still make our home festive regardless of our insanely limited home space a la Sissy's rage room. I will not go gently into that good night, [1] I will go to the ends of the earth to come up with something, ANYTHING that works.

I had mentioned it from the start but The Dad wrinkled up his nose. I persisted. He eventually relinquished when we came to the conclusion that unless we pursued strange and unusual ideas, there would be no tree in our house this year. "The thing is," I told him as he stood back and nodded his approval of my progress on our paper tree, "I knew in my head that this is what I wanted to do in the first place but you couldn't see my vision and I couldn't explain it."

Said WG, "Wow. Mom? That is THE most gorgeous tree, ever!" I even got some positive comments from Sissy which included, "Mom. I couldn't ever do that. You think of good ideas."

"Sissy, my dear, you are VERY creative. You think of great ideas all the time."

"Yeah, but you can sit there and finish it."

I was surprised by her cognitive thoughts. "You're right, I have to stay focused. I must stay on task or it won't get done."

"And you can't get distracted. I always get distracted. That's why I couldn't do it."

"Ah, but you're forgetting. All you have to do is tell yourself, 'I'm going to finish this later no matter what' whenever you have to stop to take care of other responsibilities."

"yeah."

Really. Sometimes Sissy has such amazing thoughts and conversations and it just blows me away when those things come out of her mouth. Why can't that kid stick around more often?!?

So, my paper tree serves two purposes: it covers the hideous brown wall that is the exterior wall of Sissy's room AND it gives us a tree, complete with paper presents under it! All told (thank you very much Dollar General) my paper tree with plastic ornaments cost me $16 and five hours.

We were sad to learn that we couldn't string lights on it (battery operated lights were not going to be a functional solution and there's not power on that wall) but WG said, "Hey mom! I know! We can put the lights up on the ceiling!" And she's right. This weekend we'll trim the molding in the room with white lights. It'll be so pretty! My daughters are so clever.

And that's about all the time I've got for that! Sissy has respite for the next three weekends. SQUEE!!!



[1]Do not Go Gentle into That good Night Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas, beseeching his ailing father to prevail over his illness. Wiki story about the poem. Hey. I used to teach. Once an educator, ALWAYS an educator. It behooves me to throw in some learning on my blog occassionally!

6 comments:

GB's Mom said...

I think it is a gorgeous, creative, stunning solution! I hope the respite will contribute to a great family holiday!

Mama Drama Times Two said...

Your tree looks very festive - and the best part from my perspective is no little pine needles all over the place to vaccuum...

Unknown said...

I love it! BTW, we had that issue here with something else and found glow in the dark paint. It's pretty awesome when the light goes off!

Happymom4 aka Hope Anne said...

You are amazing . . . and creative . . .and certainly finding a way to make lemonade out of the lemons life throws to you!

Angela :-) said...

I recognized that line from the "Dylan-Dylan" contest in Dangerous Minds. LOL

Angela :-)

Tara - SanitySrchr said...

Completely genius!!!