Another busy Saturday....
~ Garrett gone to a Scout overnight freezing cold campout, where Swimming merit badge counselors never showed up... so they wasted 3 hours travel both ways, but luckily the boys had a good time being together & he got home early today to help me with the kids. (Dad has been gone all week.)
~ Took Ty to the Rec. center to work on his Swimming requirements to go towards his Tenderfoot rank advancement... we had some major anxiety leading up to this activity, so, we talked about it a lot - calmly, we prayed about it, I promised I would go & talk him through the requirements if he needed me to, I went in ahead of time while he was getting dressed & talked to his scout leader (who happens to be a police officer & has an autistic son) to let him know what we were up against & that I might need to take him early & leave if he panics & beings to freak out... (THANK goodness only 2 other boys showed up to work on the requirements.) So he got started & they did quite a bit in the shallow end & he did quite well... then when it came to jumping off the side, in the deep end, with a life jacket on... I thought he was going to loose it, we were able to talk it through, he was able to control himself besides the tears pouring down his face & his whole body shaking... but within just minutes he did it!! He jumped in!! The whole time in the deep end he acted like he was going to hyperventilate. I was so overwhelmed with how this scout leader handled the situation & encouraged Tyler - I couldn't thank him enough. Tyler was allowed to swim his 4 laps with his life jacket on (I was shocked the other 2 boys actually didn't know how to swim... but dang, they dog paddled the whole 4 laps!!) Tyler knows how to swim, just can't do it without the overwhelming sensory/anxiety of water, his face, head....
Well he got done & the scout leader told them they could "play" for a few minutes... he could barely move, he had been shaking so bad... then he climbed out & watched the boys & the leader having fun... then he looked at me & asked me "Mom, can I go off the Diving board?" (WHAT? I was thinking... after all you have just been through to barely get in the water & swim 4 laps.) So I said, "Yes, Tyler - remember why we wear our lifejacket & it will keep you safe." ... all of a sudden here goes my son jumping & bombing off the diving board!!! WHAT??? (He never could go off the diving board in Swim lessons without freaking!!) The scout leader got a wild look on his face & said Tyler... how can you do that? Tyler responded - I have a life jacket on & it will keep me safe....
Don't ask me why - processing? Sensory? Comprehension? Mental? Anxiety? Just when I think I know what it is... I then have to start re-thinking & wondering what & how all over again ... one minute he seems so normal (most days) ... other days.minutes we just don't understand!!
Anyway - by the time he did 10-12 jumps off the diving board we had to go, he was exhausted, he was o.k. inside, he was able to talk about it, & was HUNGRY!!! (He wasn't able to do both 1st & 2nd class swim requirements, but it is a huge step... I just pray that when the time comes for the merit badge - we will be far past this!)
~ Quickly after I ran downtown to take some awesome family photos for another great friend of mine!! LONG STORY - SHORT: Sarah & I met about 6-7 years ago after we moved here through different church callings/activities! We then started serving together in Cub Scouts (stake level) 5 years ago. About 3 years ago we were sitting in a meeting & we were waiting for something & she leaned over to me & said "Did you once say you were a Welling?"... I responded - "yeah, I am"... she went on to laugh & told me her Grandma was a Welling!! So those that know me & my research data base, I had to run home after the meeting & call her & figure out if/how we were related!! GO FIGURE!! We are exact 4th cousins!! I had her Grandma & even her parents in my PAF database w/their info!! So I was able to add her & her husband & her kids, bros & sisters into my research!! We continue to be great friends to this day & yep... still working in Cubs together... but that will probably be FOREVER anyway!!!
So here is her cute family & some of their pics... so sad the wind had picked up, it was getting really cold, her oldest had been sick the whole night before & she wasn't feeling well at all, & Hyrum their baby had some of the cutest expressions watching a stray dog running around (as he kept interfering with us!)
~Then HUGE - we went to the Holiday Open House at Smith's... yes our 1 grocery store!!! I laugh!! My social life is nothing most days without a quick trip to the grocery store!!! You can see everyone in 1 trip to the grocery store if you plan it right!! Anyway I went in with a list of about 3 things & came out with 2 shopping carts!! The sales were amazing, Brady won a Cake at the cake walk, who needed lunch after all the sample tables, & I got lots of good buys on things I needed to restock our Storage room, & picked up a couple items for Christmas to add to my 12 days of Christmas (that will have to be another post)! SO with all the coupons I had from the mail, the sample tables, mix & match sale, & fresh values (I am sure I am a preferred customer!! Right Torrey? J/K) etc.... I saved over $140 in the end!!! So - yeah- haw!! Who - Hoo!!
~ Came home, unloaded, put everything away, cleaned house a bit, worked on uploading pics, placing an order for our YW fundraiser we had a couple weeks ago, then dinner... I got ready & went to the Stake conference Adult meeting which was nice... but I got a tickle in my throat & couldn't stop coughing (embarassing & had to leave.)
~ Came home, hanging out with the kids, catching up on e-mail & bloggin & now I need to head to bed!! Full day for sure!! Can't wait for Dave to come home tomorrow!! (I even kept up on the laundry for him!! :)
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