A Win for us..... oh and for Lenape girls basketball too.

As I've stated lately, family outings have been nearly impossible. Exception being an occasional trip to PJ Whelihan's- but who doesn't like PJ's. This season all three kids and I have not been to one entire game. We've attempted a few times but Robbie has either been adamant about not going ANYWHERE or I've lost the will to push it after too many futile attempts. Today I decided to try again. The season is almost over and home games are the only times I'll even consider it. I made sure the two little ones were , bathed and dressed, then asked Robbie if he wanted to take a tub. A shower or bath are twice daily rituals as he loves the pressure of the water. Today however , he screamed at the top of his lungs. "No!! No tub! No Shower! Just dressed!! No Mommy!! No Tub ! No Shower! Just dressed!" "Ok Robbie, That's ok. You don't have to a tub. You can get dressed. It's ok Robbie." I replied in my calmest voice- thinking - there's no way I'm getting him out today. He continued to scream "no tub, NOOOO" as he was getting dressed but then grabbed his IPAD and quieted down. I made lunch for all 3- even though Robbie screamed at the top of his lungs "I'm not hungry!!!" Yet proceeded to eat the lunch set in front of him and ask for more. (This is another normality in our house.) I placed his favorite socks and shoes near him and asked that he put them on. He did, without argument!! I explained we were going to see Daddy. He responded "I'm not going to school!! I'm not going to valentines party!! No valentines party!!" His mind was stuck in the argument of yesterday morning as I had to pull him out the door to get on the bus. It wasn't pretty. Yet once he got on the bus he was fine. At school he was fine- happy even. It was a party day! Back to today- after some silence to let him get it out I told him he would not be going to school today and left it at that. The bag of necessities was packed (diapers, wipes, fruit snacks, cookies, skittles, IPAD, IPAD, DS, lollipops, an attempt at sanity...................) I told all three to get coats on and we went out the door. Robbie went out the door. No argument. He just asked to keep his IPAD with him. In the car. Parked. Walked into Lenape. Got to the entrance of the gym after many kind greetings from parent volunteers. I will say it always makes me feel a little better when we are greeted so nicely from people who barely know us- (know my husband really well-but we haven't been around much-) I think they understand the struggle. At the entrance to the gym Robbie continues down the hallway. I ask him where he's going, not realizing for a second he had spotted the candy for sale at the end of the hall. Skittles and starburst are his absolute favorite. He looks at me and says "nowhere" and then it begins. He will not go into the gym. We've made it this far and he will not cross the finish line. Rob sees us and comes out to get Lexi and Timmy into the gym so I can calm Robbie down. I franticly fish through my backpack of stuff to find the skittles. I offer them to Robbie- he of course yells NO!!!! Then looks at them, takes them and begins to eat them. We sit in the hallway as he eats skittles and yells that he's not going in. I hold him close and a few minutes Rob comes back. He bends down and quietly asks Robbie to come into his office in the gym. The other kids are coloring on a dry erase board. After a pause Robbie agrees. He holds both our hands and we walk him into the gym, past the bleachers to the coaches office. He is immediately more relaxed. The game begins, a few tight squeezes, a trip to the bathroom, a few oreos and a little IPAD time. Game over. We won! Really- Lenape did win , but we also won. Robbie sat through an entire game. Not like a few years back when he would sit in the bleachers with an extremely loud band and cheering fans. That seems like ages ago. But quietly with me. Lexi and Timmy were on the bench with the team for a good part of the game- a really big deal in our house! Again, a win all the way around. I'll take that any day!!!