one day left......

We are getting so close. Had to skip church this morning for a meeting with the behavior specialist that is assigned to the home.

We had a really great meeting and had our brains picked yet again for info about our kiddo.

Explaining all the behaviors involved and what we have been doing for the last 10 years has an interesting effect on me.

Part of me realizes the degree of effort we have invested. It "sounds" different when you say it out loud instead of just thinking about it or reminiscing the process. And the result is that I start to get really tired just thinking about it.

I can immediately begin criticizing the outcome and think to myself: "Holy Crap.....all that work and what do we have to show for it", "I can't believe we went through all that and it still wasn't enough" .

What I have LEARNED to do is to immediately turn that around and say, "Holy Crap.....look where they WOULD have been had we not done all that".

We know so much about how they learn. WE know SOOOO much about how to shape their behavior. It is a HUGE relief to be passing all that work along to the staff. Consequently, I can feel my body and my mind preparing itself for a huge release.

After our little behavior chat, hubby and I set about rearranging his room. We've got his electronic equipment, his computer and games that will be with him. We've rigged up a locked cabinet to store all the hardware so the other boys won't be able to break it.

We brought in his vinyl covered mattress and stuck in the corner and just when we were getting ready to leave, I had an impression that we should have him "test drive" it before tomorrow.

Lucky thing that we did. He dove onto it and asked me to lay his blanket on top of him with a , " bucket...pweeze"! He rolled around on it and settled himself in the covers! I added the big comforter on top and he was ready to nap.

That lifted a big weight off my shoulders. He knows the bedtime drill. He will be fine.

There are just a few more details to handle with packing up his stuff and then we will be ready.

Guy is taking a half day off for the big moment tomorrow. We will be dropping him off at 10. He'll play for a while and then they will pack him up for a little van ride to In-N-Out Burger. We will leave the house before he gets back home.