A Day with Ikester

I planned this big day-skating with Ikester. It failed. Huge. He freaked out and I have no idea why. Melted down in the middle of the Silverwings Ballroom and never even got to skate. It took over an hour to get there. I spent $5 for the skates but he was seriously about to pull a "Rainman" on me. (If you have watched the movie...you know what this kind of meltdown means) So we turned around and headed back to Houston. Dejected, I asked, "It is our special day....what do you want to do today?"
Sniffing and wiping away tears, he replied, "I want to eat. I'm hungry. And I want to touch a bluebonnet." (We passed about a million and one bluebonnets on the way there!)

We stopped by the Chapel Hill Cafe, ate a great lunch, laughed about silly things, climbed in the truck and set out for his bluebonnet patch. When he found it I stopped. Ike was so excited. "This is our state flower! Mrs. G. says this is our Texas state flower. Mommy, look!" He ran his small hands over the blue flowers and asked me to take pictures. (Well, I HAD the camera....I thought I was taking skating pictures-remember?)

It turned out to be a special day. Our special day. No skating but Ike went home beaming to his siblings about Mommy and Ikester day and how he got to touch bluebonnets. Every bit of gas and money spent was well worth it.

Quack, Quack, Quack....

Ever feel invisible in a room with a smart doctor? Sitting in the exam room with the neurologist, Ikester and Joe, I felt a bit like the invisible woman. I only suspected this the initial meeting but I am convinced on the second meeting that women are "beneath" our new doc. Even without the credentials and degrees, I am also convinced I might be his match.
Both sessions I was ignored even though I did all the paperwork, research and reading in Ikester’s case files and medical background. When bipolar was mentioned no less than 7 or 8 times about my 5 year old whom he had not seen yet, I was clearly questioning if we were in the right office. All assumptions based on things he had heard and birth family history. When I dared to ask questions, to ask about other options or other reasons why he could be the way he was….he barely looked at me and looked Joe. I posed the question what if there was no birth history of mental illness and it was just events that led to mental instability. What if it was not heredity playing a part but fetal alcohol syndrome/drug exposure? (Did I mention I am so thankful with my discussion with his birth brother on mental health history….if it was not for him…I don’t know where this would have gone! Thank you C.R!)

He was not happy that I questioned him. I, of course, was playing the bad cop role…whatever! When he mentioned anti-psychotic drugs for my 5 year old, I almost came unhinged. I have done enough research to know the effects of those drugs. I knew the names and the side effects. Mind you, he had not met my child yet.

So today when Ikester got there, the doctor is 40 minutes late (we are the only people there) and we start the long 2 hour exam with my un-medicated child….I am not really “feeling” this doctor. Even though my husband is playing good cop…I can tell he is siding with me. After the physical exam, doc asks about 2 particular choices of anti-psychotic drugs….as an option to start with, one of which being Abilify. WHY? We haven’t even heard a diagnosis yet. I asked what does that drug treat? Bipolar disorder, depression and Schizophrenia….among others. But he hasn’t been diagnosed with any of these…so why would we use this drug to treat MY KINDERGARTENER????
He asked, “Why exactly did you drive an
hour to come see me?”

I returned, “I didn’t drive an hour for you to prescribe a medley of drugs for him. I came to get answers. If you want to know the truth I don’t want him on ANYTHING. “ This seemed to surprise him.

My husband, in his quiet way, reiterated our concerns and why we were there. We walked away with very little answers. Some holes were filled in. Ikester does have some autism spectrum attributes but not enough to scare us. He is clumsy in some of his left handed motor skills with feet and hands. Still, not anything that is going to stop him from playing sports or playing, period. Is he bipolar? No, and I didn’t think so last week either. Is he a little OCD? Yes but so are a lot of people and they function fine. He will do more testing at school. We have a better class of ADHD meds to go toward and we know NEVER to mess with strep infections. (Look up P.A.N.D.A.S….yowsers! For Ike-PANDAS/Strep is very serious!)

The point is I love my kid. He is a quirky fireball. I will be danged if someone is going to drug him to acting perfect…..no such thing anyway.

Boys, boys, boys

Not naming any names but I have 3 boys and at any given times they have caused me to laugh hysterically. One showed his Scooby Doo underwear to his best friend in the lunch line because well, they were talking about cool underwear and guys talk about dumb stuff at all ages. He got sent to the principal's office and the principal actually called me and mentioned "sexual harassment". (Girls were in line)Seriously? Ok, that was Kindergarten. Again, in Kindergarten and different kid, another son listened to the teacher tell the class to pretend to act like bears in their story circle after they listened to "Bear Hunt". As they crawled around growling, he bit a kid on the butt. "Well, because that's what bears do, Mom!!!" Again, went to the Principal's office for bullying. Really? She told him to act like a bear!

Today, Kindergarten boy drew a picture of a cowboy. It was precious...chap, boots, and jeans....so darling. However, when you flip it over the cowboy is naked and has a "hole" (bootie area?)....ummm....I am hoping he is not in trouble for pornography. We laughed inappropriately and I am sure it was not the best parenting move but I am soooo keeping it!

Conference Update

What have I discovered about my writing at the conference this weekend?
1) I have a lot of editing to do with my novel but it is shaping up quite nicely
2) This only solidifies my decision that being a novelist is what I want to be when I grow up:)
3) I have a very small attention span...actually that of a gnat!
4) I have grown as a writer since I wrote Return to Grace. After I finish Slow Bleed, I want to go back and revise it and try it again!

Here is a paragraph from my novel-let me know what you think about the imagery. (Picture it paints with words) It is a scene between Jett (protagonist) and the villian who is holding her captive.

“How is your dear pet, anyway? Your dog? I take it, she is still limping around?”

Jett glared at him. Drinking her water slowly and thinking before she answered, she said, “Lexy is fine. I hope she rips your throat out when she gets here.”

No reaction. This puzzled Jett.

“I have my own pet.”

“Really?” She finished her water. “A cuddly Cottonmouth? Or a Scorpion? Do you play with it at night?” She feared the answer and resisted the impulse to look under the table for something that might slither along.

First paragraph

“Why do I have the honor of being in every prostitution sting in New Orleans?” Detective Jett Sawyer’s voice came from the back of the unmarked van. Rustling behind a privacy screen camouflaged slight frustration.
“Because you are the only one who can fit into fishnet hose and a leather mini-skirt?” Saul answered from the front seat.

It is my first paragraph of my novel and I am sweating over it. Is it too risky for Christian fiction? Does it need to be secular fiction anyway?

You know you're JUST out of Texas and across the border when..

you see a sign that says "round bales and AK47s for sale"
or when a tractor is waiting for the school bus to drop off a kid so it can drive them home:). I also a riding lawn mower and a 4 wheeler waiting to do the same thing.

Sorry it was funny!