Back in a Groove

It was getting a little rough around here last week, after 3 consecutive days off from school. I guess we never realized how much Chris and I need preschool.
Wednesday we were cancelled for snow, Thursday and Friday everyone around us had 2 hour delays. Imagine my surprise when about noon on Friday, Christopher's school called us wanting to know why he wasn't in school. They may also have been checking to make sure I knew he didn't make it to school, which I appreciate, but that particular moment I was a woman on the edge. Chris had been driving me batty with requests to ride the bus, and to watch tv, and my back was killing me, and he didn't want to read anymore or play with his toys. I had caved and let him watch tv. He didn't want to eat or drink, in general, he was doing a fine job of driving me batty. Then they Call me to let me know he could've gone to school! We could've all been happy?! What? Well, I got mad. Apparently, on 2 hour delay days when they declare "alternate schedule" Chris CAN go to school, from 10:45 to 12:45. Doggoneit! I had NOT been informed that such an arrangement existed, none of my preschool paperwork EVER mentioned an "alternate schedule." Oh, the poor lady on the phone, she got an earful, and after her earful, she suggested I leave a message for Chris's teacher. And then Chris's teacher's machine got an earful. Though I was confused I never heard/saw anything from the buses, which on normal days they've been known to honk/call if Chris isn't out there to find out where he is. I hung up the phone and fumed for a while, and I called Eric, and he calmed me down. I felt bad. He told me, "Oh this wasn't the first time you yelled at his teacher, and it won't be the last." Well, yes, technically it was (doctors, nurses oh yeah), I haven't yelled at one of his teachers before, but I agree, I'm sure it won't be the last.
His teacher was kind enough to call me back. I apologized profusely, and she was perfectly understanding. She's so nice. She explained the arrangement, and we talked about Chris's therapy arrangments. He'll be getting OT on Wednesdays, Speech on Fridays, and the PT met him last week, but she hasn't formally assessed him, but just discussing it, I think he'll probably be getting PT too. Probably on Mondays. Ha.
Yesterday, he went back to school. He got to ride the bus. Oh, he was a happy boy. Mommy didn't get to put him on, but when I pulled him off, his friend "Big Emilie" was visiting, and he bragged and bragged to her about riding the bus. He had made some pretty things in school, including a paper sheep on a popsicle stick, which he had a great time waving around. Today at his other preschool, St. Andrew's, they talked about Groundhog Day, and he made a paper groundhog (on a stick) that peeked out of a cup, that had paper grass on it. He loves all these popsicle stick things. But he was so glad to go to school.
The last couple days, he's almost had an appetite. Today, he wanted to actually eat lunch, practically ate his weight in strawberries, and asked me for a banana (banon) for a snack. He's not drinking much but he was actually requesting food. It was a great thing!
In other groove gettings, today after school, he was bugging me for something, candy maybe, and I happened to mention that he could have M&Ms if he went poo-poo in the potty. Well, that possibility intrigued him, and we actually had our first successful poopoo in the potty in like 3 weeks! Even it was just for chocolate.
Then when Daddy came home from work this evening, Chris invaded Daddy while he was powdering his nose. I was on the couch listening to the exchange.
I wanna potty.
You do? OK, give me a second. OK your turn.
No. I don't. No Potty. (suddenly he's running out of the room). There was significant exhange in the kitchen as Chris alternated between declaring he wanted to go potty, and not going potty. It was bordering annoying. To be convinced that he really wanted to go to the potty we made him ask nicely. By the time he actually did, Daddy quickly picked him up, kicking and yelling, and whisked him into the bathroom. The exchange continued...
No Potty. I want Tandy.
You have to go poopoo in the potty to get candy.
I want Ellems (M&Ms).
You have to go potty in the potty to get candy.
No go potty. Daddy, I all done.
All Done? You couldn't be all done? Nope. You haven't gone poo poo in the potty.
I want Tandy.
No no candy. You don't get candy until you poo poo in the potty. You haven't gone poopoo in the potty.
I all done. I want Tandy.
No, you haven't gone in the potty, you don't get candy.
I all done. But you haven't gone. Are you sure you're done.
No. I don't.
As you can imagine, this actually continued, round and round, circling until FINALLY, he pooped in the potty!
That was Twice in one day! It's a record. So, not only are we back in the groove of going back to school, but it seems that maybe, we're on the verge of finding a new potty training grove....maybe.