Days 47 through 52

Back from vacation. There was no cell reception and no internet so couldn't do a daily blog. We were in Beaver Dam Lake, Wisconsin - used a nice house right on the lake as a base camp so we could go to the family reunion in Deerfield, and then do car trips to other places. We hit Horicon, Door County, Columbia County, Baraboo, Devils Lake - lots of driving, lots of adventures, no trains except a couple of sleeping trains - but they were cool (an old Wisconsin and Southern, and some others that were in the "train hospital" to get repaired and painted, then we watched the Amtrak in Ripon - I think - two Amtraks going in either direction)! We had pelicans visit us every morning, some very busy sparrows and wrens right by the house, a visit from a rabbit, and I think a snake (eeeuuwww!!). We picnicked at a park in Door County, saw the goats on Al Johnson's restaurant, and were stopped for about 20 minutes at Horicon by some very arrogant geese who chose to finish their baths in the middle of the road on the 3 mile drive through the marsh. Generally, Josh did amazingly well. He and Gramma sat in the back seat all the time, talking away, looking for trains, birds, cows, whatevers. Mom was so touched on Monday during the drive up to Door County - Josh sat and just held her hand. The family reunion was terrific on Sunday, and Josh did really well. At the last family reunion two years ago one cousin (Vicki) vacuumed with Josh helping. Josh spotted Vicki - from the back mind you - and was very excited to see her again. I have the feeling that, after Josh said hello to lots of cousins whose names I can never remember (embarassed about that!), he will remember them all at the next reunion!

There were a few instances of behavior problems - getting out of the car was tough. On Monday night he just wouldn't get out so I maneuvered him out and he laid down in the dirt - we had a major battle over taking a bath (he wound up not, but I scrubbed him down as he sat on the bathroom floor). Then on Tuesday after the long drive around Columbia County and Baraboo he didn't want to get out of the car again so I had to maneuver him out and he laid down on the hot pavement - he now has a big scrape or pavement burn (don't know which) on his right elbow and his right knee. He also didn't want to leave the "yellow and brown house" today so getting him out to the car was tough. Once in the car he was fine, though, until about 12:30 or so. Mom gave him a snack and a drink while Dad was driving. As we were going around a big bend in the road, I was giving Dad directions, Dad was saying something, Mom took the top off the drink container, she was telling Josh to be careful to not spill, and, whammo, the drink cup came flying into the front seat! Chocolate milk splattered everywhere! Josh was clearly repentent - he was silent the rest of the ride but was trying to hold Mom's hand at times. When we got home, we sat down to eat some lunch (around 2:30 or so) and things were fine until the very end - he shoved the applesauce container and it flew right at me - berry applesauce all over me. I lost it. I yelled at him, told him to get away from the table and me, and don't talk to me. I went and changed clothes (the third time - once in the a.m., once with the chocolate milk, and once with the applesauce), and then Dad and I went to return the rental car (great car - a Ford Flex - has a couple of bad blind spots but really a great car otherwise!), and by the time I got home again I was calmed down. Josh had snoozed some while I was out. I think we were just both really tired, and I know his knee is hurting from the scrape/burn. But, man, not a good afternoon. We talked at bedtime, we both apologized to each other, and we both said tomorrow would be better.

But, on the upside, Josh really did do well otherwise during the whole vacation. He had only two or three PNESs the whole time - once was in a potty at the state park in Door County on Monday. He was crying so loudly during it (he made in into the bathroom but had the PNES while on the pot) I was sure someone was thinking I was doing something to him! Dad said he heard it from the picnic table, and once it was over Josh was fine (as usual) and even liked going potty in the glorified outhouse. Yesterday we had a picnic near a boat launch on another lake (Lake Wisconsin I think) and he used the porta-potty - he had a PNES in the car, but then used the porta-potty - he thought it was cool with the blue water. Whoo hoo! We went on the ferry across to Portage after that and he really got a kick out of that!

All in all it was a good vacation - a little dicey at the very end but I think everyone was just getting tired. As is the case many times, I need a vacation to recover from the vacation! Josh will have time with Gramma and Boompah tomorrow - I've got court in the a.m. and office in the afternoon. Friday should be a Friday Field trip from camp - to Lamb's Farm with the aide he had during the camp earlier this summer (I hope it goes well!), and next week is kind of hit or miss. Francis will kidsit one day, Josh will go for blood tests and an OT eval one day, he'll probably come to the office with me one day, and I'll work from home a couple of days (probably). The week after that he'll have X Camp for the whole week, then Bravehearts, then, amazingly, school starts again! The summer has flown!

Tomorrow, Day 53!