Compendium.

There's been so much going on! I'm a terrible blogger, at the best of times, true....but add a ton of projects, customs, crazy personal travails, and the first show I've been to since Nick Cave in 2008.

September-early November was awful. The Bug, now 9, has been having the worst issues of his entire academic life. Acting out, having a hard time adapting to 4th grade--math has jumped to the big leagues of long division, and just being miserable for the most part. His behaviour progressed to the point where he was sent to an "alternative to suspension" school environment for a few days. While there, he was fine the first day, but was out of hand the second. Out of hand for this school is generally violent or drug-related--it's a tough damn school. The Bug? He simply would not sit down, in his chair. That's it. No hands put on teachers, no threats, just....wouldn't sit down. The school has a zero tolerance policy, and they have to call upon resource officers. Resource officers are simply Bowling Green PD, but they come for whatever the school calls 'em in for. Well, the teacher calls them, stating that Bug has a pencil, and won't put it down. The dispatcher heard "pistol". The police arrived, guns drawn. Possibly one of the more terrifying moments of my life as a parent. Up to that point anyway....He would not cooperate, talk to, or look at the officers, and they cuffed him. My baby, my 9 year old....in handcuffs. Second terrifying moment of the day. After several minutes of him spinning in circles, and scooting around on the floor--still handcuffed, mind you--the police tell me that they are going to take him to a crisis unit for children. Third terrifying moment.

My boy, who has never been away for a night without one of us, spent 7 days at this crisis unit. During this time, we received details on the mountain of paperwork I'd been filling out for the school district psychologist. Summary--he is? He has? He is on the Autism Spectrum. Or has an Autism Spectrum Disorder--leaning towards Asperger's. All of this could have been avoided had the alternative school known, maybe? I still don't know. Now we have a court date looming, and I am very scared of what can happen.

He is now attending a new school, wherein he has been mostly mainstreamed, but does check into a special class twice a day, to see how behaviour is going. He has a time during the day wherein he has to learn "social skills". He has an IEP.

All of these things are so new to me, and I'm overwhelmed. I am just trying to focus on the kiddo, and not the DX. I am reading all I can on the subject, and I am trying to not let Bug see how much I am freaking out. I'm trying not to treat him like anything has changed. I am trying to be a better parent for him.

November 22nd was good. We went to Nashville, and saw Johnny Marr play. For the first show I've been to in years? It was a GREAT one. He played several Smiths songs, and most of the new album. Fabulous. I even drove all the way there, and back--in the dark! Personal victory!!

I've been so busy....reading about ASD/Asperger's, making things, doing a LOT of custom work, and getting the house in shape. I am trying very hard to be positive about life, in general. It's uphill, both ways, in the snow.

garlands, evergreen...forget-me-not wreaths.

Ah, those were the days...

...and there's a perfect kiss somewhere out in the dark.

1987 was an absolutely fantastic year for music. I really have such a hard time making short playlists, as far as the guidelines of year/45 mins/etc when it comes to '87. Silly...SO GOOD, though.

It's been a hot, weird, antsier than usual sort of summer. I want, simultaneously, all of the changes, and none of them.

And the world don't stop, indeed.

Plastic Passion.

I've been collecting Blythe dolls for....oh, 8 years now? I was just going to get one back in 2005 . Just ONE! Did you know that is an impossible feat? Well, it is. Here I am, 14 girls later....oops.



My first girl was Stella, and I've fashioned her over the years into my mini-me. Well, my idealised mini-me, more accurately. I got Stella via eBay on New Year's Day, 2005. She was a Lounging Lovely, which This is Blythe assured me was a good starter girl. And, oh...how right they were. I still love her to pieces, even if I haven't changed her outfit in 2 years.



With this lovely girl came all sorts of things...I started re-teaching myself to sew, I did swaps with other dolly folks on Craftster, started taking my camera with me everywhere again; I just really had a lot of fun with her, and the girls that followed...



Stella Frankenstein. ♥

I couldn't save you.

Per the calendar, Spring is here. Per my thermostat, not so much.

Still....there are buds peeking out hither and thither, and that gives me a tiny happy spark.

Yesterday marked Day One of being laid off. I wanted to crawl into bed and moan, and did not. Instead, it was dentist and errands and running to keep busy. Today has been laundry, the child cleaning his room, and cleaning the kitchen. I am hoping this is temporary, as I need to work. My brain can't handle a non-routine.

There's been a lot of listening to things with banjos & neo-americana. There's been a lot of organisation. There's been a lot of staring out the window. There's been a lot of planning this year's garden--herbs! flowers! more veggies for the mister! There's been a lot of throwing away the unnecessary, and holding close the needed.



'mericana

torn fishnets and all.

...having the day off,  I ought to have been sewing up a storm. Instead? I made a Spotify playlist, showcasing all my high school DR favourites. Seriously, my priorities can be a bit mad, you know?

I did get quite a bit of laundry done, in a very adult-like manner, so there's that. I also started reorganising the sewing area, for ease of use. As it is now, I have to sort of wedge myself into a pretzel-backed way, to get even near my machine. I spent a few hours yesterday moving things around the kitchen, and that made both the kitchen table more accessible, and the cutting table (finally and more easily) usable.

Vincent remains unimpressed with my changes.

I also changed the name on my etsy shop, to consolidate things a bit, business-wise. I've had the etsy since 2005, and it has always been zenkitten. Which, besides personal stuff, meant nothing about what I made or did. While Tiny Dynamine might seem like nothing, I think it's sweet, and it feels right? It's certainly better than the other name I came up with last year, which was hella clunky. Why, oh why, was Idle Hands already taken by everything! Ha. Now, once I get over designs being ahem....appropriated by other folks, I'll be on track for a good year.

And really, by good year, I mean, I feel good about things, and slightly hopeful for the future, and not necessarily like I mean I will a bazillionaire or anything.