Perhaps this post will make me a hypocrite after yesterday's post, but I'm feeling the need for a break. (Actually, saying I need a break isn't the same as the "autism is a nightmare from which parents will do anything, including murder, to escape ... so I can let it stand.)
The kids have been cranky lately. Lots of whining, lots of tantrums, lots of regressions of things we should have under control. Yesterday, Alex bolted from his classroom and needed to go to the Quiet Room after he threw an aggressive tantrum at school, breaking a three month record of no aggression. Nathan has been sullen, trying to hide his homework and resisting doing his chores.
Part of the problem is that Dave and I are also cranky. It all feeds together into a vicious cycle. The kids are frustrating, we have less patience to deal with them and so they become more frustrating, etc., etc.
This is why I'm a big advocate for taking kid-free breaks for special needs parents. (For regular parents, too. All parenting is tough and tedious, if you're dedicated to doing what your kids need.) Whatever length of time you need to recharge. It's why Dave and I have a dedicated movie night once a month where we go out to the theatre and why we've signed up for the Refresh Restart program which has regular draws to win a free overnight stay at a hotel.
It's been awhile since we got away and I'm feeling it's due for another mini-vacation. Right now, we can't afford a hotel stay, but maybe I'll see about having the grandparents take the boys for a weekend sometime in the near future.
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