The Map-Maker's Mother

I think we’ve discovered a therapy center that is actually going to help. I went into this with extreme skepticism, but after our first session on Friday I received more feedback than I did in six weeks at that other place. I know it’s not a panacea, but they’re doing the things that need to [...]

So many things are impossible to explain.
Why, for example, I haven’t posted in a week and a half. Completely inexplicable. No reason for it–no excuse.
Why, as well, I fell into a total and debilitating slump that lasted for three interminable weeks. Equally inexplicable is why I snapped out of it.
I have decided it was a form [...]

My brain seems to have decided on its own accord that real life is just not working out.
It has instead developed a single-minded focus on one thing: sewing. I’m a long-time sewer (seamstress?) and cranked out my first gathered skirt sometime in the early 80s, but for the past few years sewing has taken a backseat to (a) childrearing [...]

MapKid invented a new word this week: grumped.
To be grumped to be made grumpy, and boy oh boy howdy has he been grumped lately. The cat grumps him, as does our selection of breakfast cereal and his visit to the dentist. “That grumps me,” he announces, scowling, and proceeds to stomp around in an enormous huff. My [...]

MapKid (who returned from Oklahoma City yesterday afternoon and started school today–and yes, there was celebratory skipping) has developed an odd and annoying problem of getting up umpteen billion times at night to go to the bathroom.
Now, I can understand the occasional trip to the loo in the wee hours, but this is on an [...]

I don’t do well with anger.
I come from a family where people don’t fight–or at least they fight very little. My parents rarely argued–and honestly, the few time they did, it totally freaked me out. I never had a shouting match with my parents, or even slammed a door at them. I’m essentially nonconfrontational, and [...]

Last night was the last evening my husband was going to be out of town on business, and I decided MapKid and I needed a treat. It had been a rocky day–dinner at the grandparents had been a nightmare, since the new food regime is not always as enjoyable as the roasted potatoes incident. Why [...]

The time has come to deal with food.
MapKid eats about five foods. This would be bad enough, but which five foods changes frequently and without notice. He’ll always eat chicken strips and french fries–his default order at any restaurant. I keep a bag of frozen nuggets in the freezer, and I try to contain my [...]

MapKid had a meltdown yesterday–and oh, lordy, it was a hum-dinger. Full blown screaming, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
The fit got underway as we were getting ready for swimming lessons. We couldn’t find his swimming shirt. Crisis. I later found it in the washing machine, but at the time it had completely vanished and MapKid [...]

We’ve just survived (I think) what could have been a really ugly situation.
MapKid LOVES karate–and has since he started a year and a bit ago. Yet his behavior there is consistently worse than almost anywhere else.
Karate combines a great many things that can tip him off. First, he often genuinely doesn’t understand what to do. MapKid [...]