Preparations

Most of us do better when we know what to expect, when we are prepared for something.  Our awesome team of PCA's work really hard to take Akila into the community, especially after they have seen her in action at home- it is not pretty.  I ask that they text me before they leave dance, or the library, or where ever they are, so I know when to expect them.  I like to be prepared for battle.

I know that you may think that I have plenty of time to prepare for Akila's return home.  I do have time, but I really need to mentally prepare, basically, to prepare for battle.  When I receive that text, I try to go around the house, make sure that none of the kids have left a scissors laying around after an art project (which they do way too often!), make sure there is nothing in the upstairs hallway that she can grab easily and throw down the stairs at someone when she is mad, and hide stuff that she should not see (like kids art projects they just brought home from school, mail, certain foods, bags of stuff from a recent store trip, newspaper ads, etc.).  I also go around the house and let the other kids and Michael know what Akila's ETA is.

We live in a war zone, and we never know when the explosions are going to hit us, so we try to be prepared. I also try to make sure that I have my cell phone in my pocket, just in case I need it.  It helps to reduce all of our anxiety when we are prepared.  Most of the time, it helps me to be more patient when she does come home in a funk.  Not always.  Sometimes, no matter how prepared I am, I have no patience after the first piece of junk comes flying from her mouth.  As I am typing this, a PCA texted me that they are on their way home from dance.  I was going to close up quickly, but then received a second text saying they decided to stop at the library.  But I think I am going to start preparing now.