A Bit of Normalcy

I've always wondered when there would be a time where we could do things that "normal families" do.  Go to dinner, have picnics in the park, take both kids to the grocery store, not completely stress out when going over other peoples' houses, take the family to a movie, etc., these just don't happen in my house.

This weekend, I finally got my taste of normalcy.  In April, we met 2 couples through some friends of ours.  One of the couples invited us to their Memorial Day party.  We warned them about Nate and how crazy he is, but they assured us that he would be completely fine at their house.  They have a fully fenced in backyard, plenty to do, and if he ended up inside their house everything would be fine.  Now, after 6 1/2 years of Nathan, we are skeptics.  Sometimes he surprises us, but for the most part we have been trained to expect the worst. 

We showed up to the party with both kids, and their swimsuits in tow.  The sprinkler was out since it was a hot day, and I thought the kids would have a blast playing in the water--at least it would keep them occupied for about an hour.  We changed them right away and both boys were almost immediately comfortable with their surroundings .  Nate usually takes close to an hour to explore before he settles down, but for some reason, this day was different.  Maybe it was all of the kids playing in the backyard, or maybe he just got a special vibe from their house.

For the first time I can ever remember, Matt and I were BOTH able to sit down and enjoy our dinner without chasing children around, stressing about where Nathan took off to, or what type of trouble he found.  We both were able to carry on separate conversations with some other people at the party, and our stress levels during the party were very low.  I was fully prepared to only stay an hour or so because I was convinced that Nate would be a pain, but we ended up staying over their house until 9:30!  Both boys were angels and had a blast playing with all the kids in the backyard. 

I finally got my dose of normal.  I know that these are few and far between, but when we are able to finally function like a typical family, it gives me a sense of new hope. 

On the move!

Because of Nate's Apraxia, he also has some issues with motor planning.  It took him several years to get the hang of riding a tricycle.  For some reason he just couldn't figure out the pedaling motion.  At the end of last school year, he finally figured it out, and last summer was spent riding all around our driveway on his trike.

I thought that it would be a great idea for him to have a real bike, so for Christmas, my parents purchased one for him.  It spent the winter months in their basement, where Nate would hop on and off it, but never attempted to ride.  When it started getting warmer, we brought the bike home.  Again, he didn't really want to ride it, just hop on and off and have us push him around.  He was still hooked on his tricycle.

Just this past month, he's shown more interest in his big kid bike, and has tried to start pedaling.  Well, he finally figured it out!!  He has been riding up and down the driveway on his bike, and yesterday we took him out on the sidewalk.  He had the best time riding from our house, all the way to the corner and back.  He's so proud of himself and so am I.  I have a feeling that this summer is going to be full of long walks with Evan in the stroller, and Nate on his bike.  I can't wait to take him out on the bike trail where there are less bumps and there is more space to ride.

Here he is enjoying his new found freedom

He's at it again

I just don't know what to do anymore.  

I haven't repainted the wall that Nate ruined by peeling off the paint.  It's a good thing, because now he has another wall to match.

I went in to check on him before going to bed, and this is what I found:

Seriously...how the FUCK does he do this????  There was a teeny tiny chip in the paint from the other day when he wedged his bed between his dresser and the wall.  I had no idea that it would turn into another paint peeling incident.  

I'm at a loss.  His room consists of a rug, a dresser and a bed.  There are no curtains because he ripped them down.  There are no toys because he uses them as weapons of mass destruction.  There are no books because he will rip out the pages.  His room is beginning to look like a room at an institution.

I just give up.  I wanted to touch up all the "imperfections" in his room before Evan's birthday when we'll have family here, but now I'm not going to even bother.

I'm at a point now where I don't even get mad.  The first paint incident, I was in disbelief.  The TV made me want to cry and throw up.  This current paint incident just made me shake my head.  Is it wrong that I've just come to expect things like this from him???

Perfect

This is how I feel right about now...