The Typical One

It's hard to be seven years old. On top of that alraedy difficult adversity, add in being the older sibling of a child with special needs. Make that special needs child especially clingy to her mother and you get an idea as to why Alyssa needs a little mom time of her own.

Last night when I got to my mom's house, Olivia was sound asleep on the couch. She doesn't nap regularly, so when she finally does take a nap, it tends to be late and LONG.

Apparently, Alyssa had been playing with her horses all day and she'd been making mess after mess after mess as she created corrals and stables and whatever else horses need to survive using the furniture and blankets and pillows, going so far as to block entries into rooms with 'gates' so that her horses can't escape.

And my mom had had it. She told Alyssa to pick up the things and stop making messes.

Alyssa started crying. She cried and cried and cried. She's tired too. Being out of school and out of any sort of routine is taking its toll on her. She's not getting enough sleep, she's not settling down for quiet time often enough, she's just going and going and going.

So I sat down and held her. I rocked her and explained that Gram was tired too and that she (Alyssa) needs to work with us mean old grown ups so that everyone is a little less stressed and frustrated.

Then I suggested that since Livie was asleep that Alyssa and I go outside and play in my mom's pool. Alyssa jumped on that notion. We changed and headed outside. We were probably out there for an hour, just the two of us. We played, we floated. At one point Alyssa said, "I'm a dolphin. What are you going to be?"

I thought for a minute and before I could answer, she suggested, "You could be a rock."

So I was a rock, letting the dolphin dive over me over and over. It was fun. It was some very much needed Alyssa/Mommy time. I think we both need to make more time for that.

Alyssa's one of those kids who loves her toys. She plays with things all day long and just wants to be near the adults in her life as she goes about playing with her toys and using her imagination.

Olivia, on the other hand, isn't so much into toys. Instead, she's into people. And not small people like herself. Oh no, no, no. She wants to play with whatever adult is in the vicinity, whether it's dangling from that adult's hands, letting them help her hop, or making the grownup sit on the floor and letting her do somersaults over their legs, she wants all the attention, all the time.

And this is usually okay with Alyssa. But I can tell that there are times when she gets tired of it. When she wants someone (me) to notice her, to pay attention to her, to make her the center of attention even if just for awhile.

I'm trying to make this work. I'm trying to be the best mother I can be to two amazing little girls. I hope that each day I get better rather than the opposite.