Both boys have settled down for the nite... and they are so fried... They both suffer from transition fatigue, Potatey much more so than Salamander.

Of course Potatey's transition is the bigger one.. he's leaving a school/friends/teachers behind that he's been at for over 5 years. He's especially sad about leaving one particular teacher behind....
And he's also sick and tired of hearing me talk with people about his food allergies and other medical challenges. I do try to have most of these conversations WITHOUT him buzzing around within ear shot, but that hasn't always been possible. Please don't misunderstand, Potatey is fully aware of his medical issues (I'm very big on self advocacy in this area.. plus kids like Potatey and Salamander have amazing instincts as to what goes on in their bodies). Potatey's attitude, however, is: 'So I have food allergies, some foods could make me extremely sick, even send me to the hospital, so I know not to eat any foods or drinks that are not from home. And yeah, there are days that my body doesn't work so good, and those are the days that I am super tired, that I can't run, and that my head and belly feel funny. So what? What's the big deal?" [I hope he maintains THAT attitude.. ] He doesn't *get* that for people that do not yet know him and his particular presentations and signals all this stuff can be pretty overwhelming. After all, he's been living all this stuff for as long as he can cognitively remember, this is *situation normal* for him...

Salamander just wants to get started. So we've visited school, we met with the teachers and aides, we are almost done with getting his school supplies together, we go school clothes shopping this weekend, so as far as he's concerned we're done and ready. He definitely has trouble gauging time and the passage of time, and as far as he's concerned next week Wednesday is a life time away. But others around him continue to talk about start of school, there is a built-up of anticipation/anxiety for which there is no real outlet as school is not starting for another 5 days. If past years are any prediction, I'll see a major meltdown either Monday evening or Tuesday midday...

I'm tired too, having to go over the boys medical stuff again, and again, and again and again and again is wearing me out. Not so much going through the details themselves, but regurgitating their histories brings back all kinds of memories of the really bad space we were in before I figured all this out. And my crooked back is not helping!! At least it does feel like all body parts are back in their proper locations, but the muscles in my back and trunk are tight and sore all the way from my tailbone up to the base of my skull. So on that note, I am actually going to resort to taking a few muscle relaxants and will then go to bed to rest. Tomorrow is going to be another loony day....