Monday Morning

Well, we had a rough weekend. We went out for brunch yesterday and Akila had her worst meltdown yet at a restaurant. Amazingly, our kids including Akila, usually do very well at restaurants. Not yesterday. We were able to make it through the meal before I finally had to take her out of the restaurant. At this point, the waitress was running around with her head cut off trying to get us our check and get us out of there. I may have to pinch Akila whenever we are getting poor service somewhere, her tantrums seem to make them work much more quickly.



We came home to do yard work and play outside, but Akila spent at least the first hour inside in a rage with Michael. When she was finally calmed down and came outside to play, I heard her from the side of the house being really mean and calling a neighbor kid names. I came around the house just as the girl was running inside her house to tell on Akila. I calmly told her to come in the house with me, she would not. I ended up needing to hold her arm and strongly guide her into the house. As I was doing this, she was twisting around and trying to bite me. She was just very out of sorts yesterday, it was not fun. This went on and off all day.



Finally, by supper time, she was a bit settled down. A nice day to play outside seemed to help. She has not been sleeping well lately, either the Melatonin effect is wearing off or the Dexedrine she is on is messing with her sleep, I'm pretty sure the latter. She has not been falling asleep very well at all in the evening. Last night she did, I was amazed and relieved. Until 4:30. She woke up then and has been up ever since. She woke Zeke up around 5:30 and Imani at 6:15. Before Michael left for work, he had a not so fun confrontation with her. When I finally made myself get out of bed, she was super hyper, I mean extremely hyper.



Zeke has an earlier bus stop pick up now and it is just a few minutes after the other kids bus pick up. Paris, our neighbor who goes to the same school and is a senior, watches my kids at the bus stop. When Zeke and I arrived at his bus stop, a block away from the other's bus stop, their bus had not come yet. Imani was yelling to me that Akila had a phone. I walked down there to discover that Akila had a pink cell phone, a real one. This is when the bus pulled up. I gave it to Paris and asked if he would turn it in to the office. I'm pretty sure she must have brought it home in her backpack on Friday and I forgot to go through it. When will I learn?



We really need to change things around our home. We currently have nothing that locks, not a single closet, cabinet or even room. We're asking for trouble. Our cell phones are plugged in on the kitchen counter, purse and wallet accessible-things need to change. I need to get on-line and find a cabinet or something to order that locks.



I called the school nurse and asked her to stop the noon dosage of medication. We just started this about 3 weeks ago or so and it has helped her a bit to be more calm in the afternoons, but it has messed too much with her sleep. I also just left a message for her Pediatrician who I would like to talk to about trying a different medication, one that might not mess with her sleep so much, or should I say my sleep?



One last note- yes, it is about the hair. On Friday, Akila came home with a note from one of the educational assistants at the school who is a Black woman. It said that her daughters can braid hair and gave me her phone number. Ha. Emily babysat on Friday night and Michael and I went to a movie and dinner. When we got home, there was a note from a neighbor who called to say that she was available to braid hair this weekend, she is a Black woman who's daughter was playing with Akila on Friday night. One week of crazy hair, and the offers to help are pouring in. A friend thinks I should be offended. I am not. It makes me laugh. I am trying not to look at it as being judged, but as being offered help, which I desperately need. The problem is, I could pay these people to braid her hair, that is easy. Getting Akila to keep the braids in is the problem. I have always had different people do her hair in between when I do it. She is just in this new stage of having to mess with it all the time. One of the ladies was telling me that Akila was telling her it was because it itched or some other goofy things. I said no, it is because she does it when she is bored (on the bus, trying to fall asleep, riding in the car, etc.) and she has to constantly be doing something (I have given her music/headphones, a coloring book and crayons and other things for the bus ride-doesn't help). And she is obsessed with all things "fufu"; her hair style, clothing, etc.