Underpants!

I am the best mom in the world today! After 2 years of struggle, Jonny wore underwear to school. Holy shit. He did it! I did it. Ever since Jonny was potty trained, the boy refused to wear drawers. Refused. No way in Hell, refused. Awesome. He says they are "too skinny". Yes, I tried boxers, boxer briefs, knit boxers, briefs, whatever they made in a size 4, we tried em. No dice. And no, i really couldn't blame him. I know grown men who go commando, so I see where his logic is. The boy just likes to be free. Now, I am usually not one to stifle one's artistic integrity, but I am pretty sure the boy needs to wear underpants at some point in his life. Might as well, start now. But it just wasn't going to happen. As you know, Jonny has some textile issues. The boy HATES scratchy clothes. Will not wear anything that is not super super soft. Hence, Jonny wore jammies to preschool until about January. That was my first victory. Now the eyes are on the drawers. Oh yes, I will get him to wear underpants. So, with the patience of a saint and all the tools taught to me by my parent guru, I began the slow onslaught a couple weeks ago. I always gave him a choice of underpants. He said no. I let him go commando. No fights. I just bought a bunch of stuff from a company that makes very comfy kids clothes from organic cotton. Jonny loves them, and we have to be one of their best costumers. And this stuff is not cheap. But if my children will wear appropriate clothes to school without a fuss, worth every penny. So I ordered the fancy underpants on a whim. $16 for a 3 pack. of boys briefs. Ouch. They came in Saturday. I let Jonny touch them. I showed him the tag that is the same tag on all his favorite comfy clothes. I washed those darn drawers 3 times to make sure they were soft. Then I went in for the kill. I picked out a shirt and pants outfit that matches the stripes pattern of the underwear. Jonny is a sucker for color coordination. I asked him to see if they were soft. He agreed. I asked him to try them on. He agreed! And they stayed on!!!!! I am a miracle worker! Waking up 2 hours before we have to leave for school, combined with the soft sell of underpants actually fricking worked!!!!!!!!!! I am a GENIUS! MOTHER OF THE YEAR! YAY UNDERPANTS! Oh, I also had to bribe my daughter not to make a big deal about it, since she was psyched too. Again, worth every penny.

The Holy Spirit Kicked My Ass. In a Good Way.

I know it's a bit of a shock, but I'm in a Bible Study. Go ahead, snicker. I was called a Cathoholic in High School, and Baby, I still am, mostly. Anyway, this week was about the Holy Spirit. And dude, I am IN IT! We all have gifts of the HS, and mine happens to be courage. I like to call it lack of shame, but others can call it courage or fortitude. Basically, I don't give a shit what most of you think about me. It's part of my charm, I like to think. So as a mom, this has been extremely trying this week/month. My sweet baby boy has some sensory issues. They have always been there but they are manifesting in away thatis a little more than quirks. His tactile sensitivity is starting to impede his day as well as his motor skills. So, it is time for me to scream for help. No problem. Like I said, I don't care what you think. Well, I got stuck. For the past 6 months or longer, it was all in my head. That's what "they" said. I was not being strict enough. I was not letting him be a boy. I was hovering. And I listened to "them"! Where the HECK was my courage?!!! Finally, the Holy Spirit kicked my ass into gear. A friend at church told me her daughter got a diagnosis I might want to know about. I learned a little about Sensory Processing Issues and Sensory Integration Issues. And I learned I was right. No shit. Jonny is going to be fine, he just needs a little extra help in order to do "normal" stuff. And it is my JOB to get him the help he needs. And get over myself. No one is judging us. Or him. Or me. And if they are, who needs em? I finally started asking questions. And I am getting answers. Funny how that works. And people are coming out of the wood work and telling me how I can help Jonny. So much so that I needed to do a little sifting. But it's all good. I know we are on the right track. Jonny is getting PT to work on some of the basics of sensory integration and his motor issues, and we will move on to OT if it's necessary. Baby steps. All it took was a little Courage. Thank God I finally listened.