Dance Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee

LadyJ started school a few weeks ago. I used to call my very dear friend the first day of every school year and wish her "Happy Mother's Day!" Forget that Sunday in May, where we work twice as hard and in my case, we receive our "annual sacrificial plant" at church. The day the kids go back to school after a long summer break is the true Mother's Day. Anyways, back to my title, I know the real phrase is "float like a butterfly" but #1 I don't want to be sued for using somebody else's quote, and #2 I wouldn't exactly call LadyJ's movements as "floating".

LadyJ has High Functioning Autism and Bipolar disorder and ADHD, so she has a hard time with social situations, especially teasing. The first week of school she had punched three boys, one of them twice!! At first I told her to remember she would get spanked if she hit anyone, then I realized DUH~! That just reinforces the behavior we are trying to eliminate. Then I tried the "no TV after school, and bed right after dinner if she hit anyone". Well that worked for a day...

Then....I told her she is a child of God, and He loves her and I love her. She also needs to remember that these kids that are teasing her are also children of God and sometimes they forget that. I told her that next time someone starts to tease her, she should tell them that she doesn't want to fight, she would rather be friends. That afternoon she came home and said, "I DID IT! I DID IT! I stayed in the GREEN!! (Good behavior all day!)" She said, "the boy was teasing me and I told him we shouldn't fight because I am a child of God and he is a child of God !". I said "That's wonderful!!!, What did he say to that?" LadyJ said the boy said "HUH?!?!?" and walked away.....she hasn't had a problem since.

Aren't kids great!!!!

Dancing Waters, Dancing Stars, Dancing Trees, Dancing in the Outhouse -Long

The weekend before school started MissJ and I had the opportunity to go camping with our very dear friends up in Pine Valley, UT. Now this was a whole new experience for MissJ, and an experience that I grew up with my entire life and missed doing a lot. Unfortunately our arrival was later than we anticipated and the first order of business was a visit to the bathroom a.k.a. the outhouse. I should explain that MissJ has intense anxiety issues as it is. So up the hill we go, flashlight in hand and the drama has already begun!! She has had a bad experience with a roadside outhouse in Lathrop Wells, NV (something about flies in summer and ICE COLD toilet seats in winter). I continue forward, despite her protests. We get in the outhouse and I put the huge bundle of keys on the shelf (not my keys), and let her go potty first. Then, I tell her to hold the flashlight for me. As I sit there watching her face, she starts to scream, SPIDER, SPIDER, SPIDER!! I jump up, reach for her, the flashlight, my pants, and start to laugh and comfort her all at the same time !!! The keys on the shelf, did indeed look like a great big spider. With one arm around her clutching the flashlight, I finally pull my pants the rest of the way up, and we exit the outhouse. I try very hard to keep her from running down the hill, since I can't catch her while I am laughing because I would just have to go back into the outhouse again.

Our campsite was beautiful, there was a beautiful stream running behind it, and there were beautiful stars overhead. Saturday morning we adults took one hike up the mountain to where the stream began. At some points the climb was a bit difficult, and there were obstacles, but we were able to overcome them. Once we got to the top, the stream was smaller and more peaceful. There were cedars fluttering in the breeze, and white butterflies dancing effortlessly upon delicate white flowers. There were no voices, no music, no noise, just the peace and beauty of nature.

Saturday night was an amazing dinner with family and friends around a campfire, and homemade peach cobbler and of course s'mores. While many of sat down for a card game, MissJ was getting anxious for bedtime. She finally decided she was more tired than she was scared, and had a wonderful peaceful sleep for the night.

Once everyone had retired for the evening, I had the campfire to myself. It gave me time to reflect. I enjoyed the sound of the stream dancing along the rocks, the gentle breeze as it made the top of the trees dance along with the stream. The stars were twinkling as if they had their own ballet, a single shooting star was the prima ballerina making her great leap across the great stage. And of course the embers danced slowly and tenderly with passion just waiting to be fueled once again to the burning desire held within. As I continued to enjoy the peacefulness of the evening, I realized how grateful I am for all I have. I am so grateful for the very special people who have come into my life and for their friendships and especially for the dances I have shared, and the dances I have yet to dance.