Yesterday wasn't really what you would call a bad day, we had a rough start to be truthful. There are definitely a couple of "notes to self" I would make after yesterday where Zachary is concerned. It was day camp week for the kids. I hadn't PLANNED for Day Camp the Thursday and Friday just a week after he had to get his tonsils out, but that is how it turned out. When you think of all of that in light of the event, he did AWESOME! So, what would I jot down this time?
Number 1...When gearing up for Day Camp, be sure to include in the chat the fact that Day Camp is being held at church. He was all excited on Thursday morning until we drove into the church parking lot. That is when I heard from the back of the van "we going to Day Camp, not to CHURCH!" From the tone and the little shake in his voice I thought right away "oh oh, here we go!" Thankfully, he was willing to get out and check it out when the other kids were excited about getting started. He went in and saw all the kids with their bags and pillows and realized there was something a little different than the norm going on. He does like going to church on Sundays, he just didn't know that is where Day Camp was being held. Thankfully it didn't throw him off too much.
Number 2...Lay it out from the beginning which days that Day Camp are being held and rehearse it a few times. Friday morning (after a full day of fun the day before, including the exhaustion that goes with it - especially when still recovering from a tonsilectomy) I really wasn't surprised about what happened. The three big kids jumped out of the van and sensing something up with Zach I told them to head into church and get signed up. Zach didn't want to go. He kept telling me that he would go on Saturday. I kept telling him no, there is no Day Camp on Saturday.
I have often thought that all Zach needs sometimes is a "reset" button. If there was a way to just clear out what is all jumbled up in there he would be able to handle things better. In the throughs of his fit, I can always remember that it does run its course. It is usually at least 30-45 minutes, but it will end. Sure enough this time it did too. Zach was only about 20 minutes late to chapel time.
There was nothing sweeter after the fit in the back of the van (following the short time we were in the lobby of the church before I realized this one would take a little longer) to hear "I be a big nice boy, I go to Day Camp!" I had told him that if he went home he would have to take a nap like Matthew and he wouldn't be watching any shows all day. It was a hard choice for him - go to Day Camp (which I truly think he was overwhelmed with the idea since Thursday was such a long day) and have fun, or come home and take a nap with no shows.
When I put it into terms of being a big boy like Ryan and going to camp or being a little boy like Matthew and coming home with me to take a nap, it only took about 5 more minutes for him to realize that he would always want to pick the "big boy" choice.
I am thankful that through the hard times (whether it is 5 minutes or 40) God is always guiding. I realized after I got home and all was as it should be, that I hadn't prayed through this episode. It was such a great reminder for me that He is there even when I am not saying the words. Of course I wanted His help, and He knew it. In the middle of the bad my God knows that I need Him even when I am to distracted by the intensity that I can't even remember to call His name. He gave me the right direction to guide Zach in order to get him to Day Camp, a place where I knew he would have fun and I knew he would find more of Him.
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