volleyball

I went to the parent meeting for the middle school boys volleyball tryouts this week.  There were so many parents there.  I had no idea that so many kids would be interested in playing.  They are only taking 10-12 kids so there will be a lot of cuts.  Austin is so sure he is still going to make the team.  He is going to be devastated if he doesn't make it.  Boy, these preteen parenting years are tough.  I have to let him try things, knowing that he will likely fail.  But having a kid with a mood disorder makes things worse.  I need lots of prayers to get through these next few years (or maybe longer ;))

another day in the life

So another poor parenting moment to report.  I swear I am really not as bad of a mom as I appear to be in this blog. Austin and I were over visiting my mother.  In hindsight, he had not taken his medicine.  When we got back home I found it still laying on the table.  Anyway, he got mad at me because I said he was selfish. In true Austin form, he completely melted down and in his pout managed to wedge his head between the sofa and loveseat.  Don't ask me how this happened.  I, of course, thought he was exaggerating so I did not immediately get up to assist him.  Within a few minutes he was clearly aggitated and was yelling for my dad. When that happened, I realized that he was not kidding.  Well I don't know how heavy those things are but I could not move either one apart from the other.  My poor mother with her broken leg got up to push one side while I pulled from the other.  At this unfortunate point in time it struck me how funny this situation was. "How could an almost 13 year old get his head stuck between two pieces of furniture," you may ask. Still don't know the answer.  I laughed so hard that I started to cry.  This made Austin more upset.  So moments later, I had just regained my composure when my mother says "Jerry bring me the video camera, we can send this in to funniest home videos".  And I lost it again, causing my poor Austin more distress.  Anyway, we finally got the loveseat over far enough that he could get up, but he was none too pleased.  Luckily, my mom was able to calm him down with a back massage and putting athletic tape to his back.  He's still a bit mad at me though, but what's new.

The grocery store

Those of you who know my sweet little Austin well know that he does not enjoy strolling through stores with the exception of Dierbergs (sometimes and rarely Sams).  I would prefer to shop elsewhere because Dierbergs does tend to be a bit more of a cost than the other stores.  Today Austin got wind that I was going grocery shopping so he insisted on going and going to Dierbergs.  So a ton of junk food in the cart later, we were ready to check out.  On the way to the check out aisle, he insisted that he needed to look at the chips.  I said, "ok, I will be in aisle 15 checking out (as I was only 3 steps away from there).  So I am checking out and still no Austin.  I am wondering what could possibly be taking so long when over the loud speaker I hear, "this is a guest page for Monica Ahrens.  Your son is in the ______ department."  Fabulous.  I missed what they said.  The checker did not hear it either so she called all of the different departments until we found that he was in the bakery dept.  So I take all of my purchased items back through the store to the bakery department where I meet an almost enraged little boy.  He said that he looked in aisle 15 but I wasn't there.  As luck would have it, aisle 15 was open and the checker varified that I had been through that line.  Didn't matter to Austin, he knew he had looked there.  Sigh.  I would have thought that going twelve years without losing him in a store, I would be safe.  But no, my almost teenager gets himself lost in a store.  I dread the day that he has his own children.  If he cant see a gigantic woman right where she says she is going to be, it's going to be a problem with a little wiggly three year old.  Goodness gracious.