Ring Around the Mommy

Erik woke up at 6:15 today ready to hit the ground running. As I groaned through a case of worsening exhaustion and tried to dissolve into the couch underneath a blanket in front of the news this morning, Erik literally ran circles around me, singing "Ring Around the Rosy." He allowed me to cuddle with him two seconds at a time here and there. I later tried to grab a minute for myself to use the bathroom and closed the door behind me. Shortly thereafter, I heard Erik's footsteps approaching on the other side of the door. I then heard his slightly muffled voice say, "DING DONG!" He is quite fond of doorbells these days and expects doors to open when he imitates one. I had to laugh.

I am slowly adjusting to my crazy new schedule. I dropped Erik off at school this morning, after which I headed straight to the gas station and then the salon, planning to pick up work on my way back across town with a little free time before the school bus pulls into the driveway. I did it all in one trip today! I'm finally making this work somehow!

The salon always lifts me emotionally. The ambiance was sullied only by the skunky scent of perm solution. I spotted the odoriferous offender sitting primly under the dryer right by my stylist's work station. I have been Carole's client since high school. We both sported gravity-defying, hairspray-soaked manes of giant hair in the 1980s and early 1990s. Our hairdos are much smaller these days, but we cackle through my entire appointment, obnoxious as ever. I love making her laugh. That is one place where I always get a hug. It always surprises me when she puts her arms around me as I hand her money, but it's something I never get tired of.

Lastly, as always, thank you for all of your comments. You all make me smile. I'm not nearly as nervous as I was, of course, about Erik's echo as I was a year ago, because I know he doesn't have ASD. However, there was narrowing in one area that we were concerned about, and there is always the fear of seeing anything new. My anxiety mostly comes from this town not being very large and the doctors here seeming to be completely uninterested in monitoring much of anything. I once had to practically beg for a urine calcium test (they told me a serum test was unnecessary). The results are not something I can control, but I know we are so very lucky to have a strong child without many problems thus far.