Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Get Off Your Duff

Okay, so somebody complained because I haven't written in a few days.  I'm sorry!  It's summer, for crying out loud, all the kids are home, and you know...You know how it is.  Sometimes after dealing with autism during the day you DON'T want to sit down and write about it.  I'm just sayin'.

I knew we wouldn't be able to go on vacation this summer, so I've been trying to keep everybody busy by going different places and doing different things.  Instead of hearing "I'm bored" fifty times, I've only heard it five or six. It's a record.  And, due to my efforts to stay busy, I have acquired:  a light tan, a freshly textured bathroom, two pet mice (yes, eewww, geez, I know, long story), and a pet parakeet.  The animals actually belong to my oldest son, and they are his responsibility.  So far, he is doing quite well.  We've had the bird a day.  As long as it doesn't start yelling, "Krabs, Krabs, admit it!"  or begging for a new vacuum cleaner, I think we'll keep it.

So, yes, the bathroom.  Because of Logan's fascination with water, he got over-fascinated one day and wadded up some paper towels.  He then got the paper towels soaking wet, rolled them into a ball, and threw them at the bathroom ceiling.  Great fun.  Except that the "popcorn" started coming off the ceiling and was hanging in shreds.  Yesterday my sister-in-law came over and said, "What happened to your bathroom?"  I replied, "Logan happened."  Oh.  Enough said.

I really can't completely blame the cute little guy, since he learns a lot through repetition and imitation.  We do have his older sister to thank for setting that fine example.

Anyway, it gets depressing, having things in your house moved around all the time, or broken, or beat on, or torn up.  I dreaded walking into the bathroom.  It was depressing.  I hated it.  So today, finally, instead of moping around about it, I got a metal texture spatula thingy and I scraped it all off.  Logan was thrilled.  "We need to vacuum it up."  Knock yourself out, kid.  Then I found a box of all-purpose joint compound in the garage and textured the entire bathroom, including the ceiling.  And I feel great.  My right arm is almost completely numb, but just wait 'til I paint it!

It was a good experience and it reminded me of something I had allowed myself to forget.  If something is depressing you, or you aren't happy, or you're irritated with something that you know needs to be done and you just haven't done it...then get off your duff and do it!  Take some action!  Change something!  And if it's something you can't change, then stop carrying it around with you everywhere!  It's heavy, that burden you have...put it down, for crying out loud!  Later, it may resolve itself, or you might be ready to deal with it...but until you are, try to do some things for yourself that will make you a little happier or help you deal with just life!

And that friends, is my little pep-talk for the day.  See what three hours of spackling will do to a person?

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