Another 16 year old in the house

Last week, we celebrated our boy's birthday. We partied a bit early this year because he was leaving for summer camp on his actual b-day. This didn't bother our boy a bit as it meant he got a special dinner on Sunday (Chinese take-out, one of his favorites), another special dinner on Monday (I made a Thai beef salad at his request). He opened presents and we sang over his ice cream cake on Monday, then he got a special b-day breakfast (everything bagel with lox spread and red onion) on Tuesday before we drove him to camp.

You might ask why I'm focusing on the food aspect here and the answer is simple. Our boy lives for food. It soothes him, comforts him, fills a void in him like nothing else. Yes, I know that's not the best case scenario and his food issues are on our radar screen...but considering where we were a year ago, we're looking at this as a work in progress and are satisfied for the time being.

Let's review. Last year, our boy was hospitalized in a locked psychiatric unit four times. He was aggressive at times; he was delusional and paranoid at times. He was not very functional. He was ingesting strange foods and foreign objects. He was unable to focus on the simplest tasks. We worried about whether he'd even be able to return to his regular school placement in the fall. He celebrated his 15th. birthday with us on a pass which allowed him to come home for a few hours for dinner and presents. He was pretty unstable and we just weren't sure what to expect.

Fast forward a year and we have a different story. No, it hasn't been an easy year but we have seen steady progress. We haven't seen aggression or violence. He isn't ingesting foreign objects and his food consumption has moderated. He was able to return to school and complete the year successfully, passing all classes. He is able to participate in social groups and go to sleep away camp. He's even able to laugh at himself and act a little silly. Not something I could have envisioned a year ago...we're so grateful!

Note the birthday crown...see what I mean about silly?

Summer silliness

One of my favorite things about summer is the chance to just goof off at times with the kids. For example, this morning, Kate decided to imitate our upside down greyhound just for fun. See the resemblance?

School's out for the summer!

We've had a lot of rain in NH but we've also had awesome rainbows!

The lake has been perfect despite the rain.

The kids FINALLY got out of school last Friday. (Extended year at our charter school, gotta love it most of the time but I was really ready for the last bell this year.) We wasted no time starting the summer fun, we packed up the van and were on the road within an hour after dismissal. We've run away to NH...are currently swimming, hiking, catching up on movies, and NOT doing essays, projects, or anything else that resembles school work. Love it...seriously.

In addition to our newly minted college student, we now have an 8th grader and 3 high school students: a freshman, a sophomore, and a senior. So proud of all of them and I'll post pics and stories soon...but for this week, we're taking a break from academic anything and are just BEING. It feels good.

Last night, we watched the movie "Warm Bodies" and ate too much popcorn. Today, Craig golfed and the kids and I played. My oldest girl and I rowed our inflatable boat in circles and laughed at ourselves because we stink at rowing. My oldest boy towed some of us on a raft into the middle of the lake  and we touched the shark!! (OK, it's just a big rock painted like a shark but we still all get a kick out of achieving the goal.) Tomorrow, we'll do a little tubing, a little swimming, some grilling, and some oohing and ahhing over fireworks. Friday, we'll head home and think about summer jobs, bills, the future, and more...but for now, we'll just enjoy the moment. Love these mountains and the way they soothe my soul.

Late evening walks in the mist are restorative.