Part 99 ~ The Adventures of King Ben & Zeus the Big Dumb Dog

If you missed the start of this series, you can find it here. A lot of things will be the same or very similar.

Yesterday, after we touched and went our separate ways, Ben ate a little of his chicken and announced he was ready for bedtime. I put him the tub for a soak, then Daughter got him a nightgown and tucked him in. All in keeping with the New Routine. Daughter goes back to work tonight for the first of three consecutive shifts. Now we see if the New Routine will stick.

After Ben was in bed, Daughter ordered food from the burger place on the corner. They have these creations with tater tots… usually I get the BBQ Pulled Pork Tots, which is a mess of crispy tots covered with pulled pork, cheddar cheese, cole slaw, a few onion rings, and drizzled with BBQ sauce and ranch dressing. YUM! I just got the pulled pork sammich last night, basically the same mess, without the tots, on a brioche bun.

Anyway, the order was ready around the same time as the beginning of sunset, so I took some pictures on the walk over to pick it up, the walk back and then from my side door once I was home. Last night was a beautiful, awe inspiring show

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After the sunset I just relaxed and read, wrote some emails, did the “getting ready for bed” stuff, took my pill and opened an ebook. When I noticed it was 1:00am, I closed the ebook, put down my phone and closed my eyes, talking myself into dreamland.

The Bounce was a little before 5am. Zeus was first today with the ear sniffing, then Ben with a fifteen seconds spooning cuddle, followed by “Gramma come living room.” I just said okay, and he took off. He came back a bit later to repeat his command and I got up that time. He was doing the chalk thang when I stumbled out and straight to the coffee pot, then the couch.

6:30 meds and the uncovering and lighting of Sven’s world. He was in the same place I left him last night, the Pouting Corner.

I settled back on the couch with Ben and goofed around on my phone. I woke from a doze around 7:15 and saw that Ben had also fallen asleep. I gathered my things and went back to my room… where I wound up konking out again.

I woke up around 10:00 to Daughter’s voice. She was talking to Ben who had apparently also just woken up. She got her stuff and went to sit with Ben. I stayed quietly in my room… no need to alert everyone that I was awake… right, right? Right, right!

I heard Daughter giving Ben his pill at 10:30. Then it was Arts and Crafts Time. Sigh… Apparently Dogzilla had toppled Big Ben once again. I made the necessary repairs, but wait! A remodel was called for. This remodel included cutting the top off of one pyramid, taping some dominoes together into a rectangular shape, taping some other dominoes into another rectangular shape, taping the whole mess together as instructed by HRH and affixing that to the top of Big Ben, first removing the castle/tower/thingy that was originally there (and recently returned there after the Dogzilla Incident).

After I had completed all my repairs and miscellaneous other duties, I was permitted to return to my room, and laundry. Daughter had somehow managed to use ninja-like stealth to wash her load of clothes while I was sleeping. The washer is right outside my bedroom window, I must’ve been OUT! Anyway, she had washed Ben’s stuff after he woke up and I needed to wash the little that I had so I could take it ALL over to the dryers across the street. Bedding still gets hung up outside, and thank goodness for a washer big enough to wash comforters, even if it’s only one at a time.

The clothes were washed and ready for transport around 1:00. I was worried about leaving. We’d been having decent days and I didn’t want to break the bubble by walking out the front door. It needed to be done. I figured since I was out I’d go get more wine for Daughter, more Cheetos for Ben (I found him a new, bigger water bottle too) and some Grandma’s Peanut Butter cookies for me. I quickly scanned for crap, I mean stuff, to add to the emergency stash, but didn’t see anything that would be acceptable to HRH. I’ll send Younger on a mission to the dollar store. She’ll be happy to spend my money.

At 2:00 I went and got the clothes, brought them home, deposited Daughter’s basket in her room and folded mine and Ben’s stuff. I put the folded clothes away and was stretching out, trying to cool off (it was a warm one today… 88F [31c]) when Daughter went to her room to charge her devices. I got up and gathered my stuff to go to the living room. Daughter told me he was fine, I didn’t have to get up. I figured Why put off the inevitable… Ben would say “Gramma come living room.” sooner or later, might as well just go.

I was greeted, not by Ben, but by Mr Incredible.

(I’m breaking one of my rules with this picture, but I couldn’t resist sharing it. I talked to Daughter about it… Being completely honest about how autism impacts Ben and us means protecting his anonymity. I’m on a very fine line posting the picture, but I think enough of his features are blurred.)

Anyway, Mr Incredible lifted a bunch of things to show me how strong he was, then he settled on the couch to watch his tablet.

It’s getting close to time to start winding down and seeing if we can put the New Routine in place. Earlier dinner, then bath, then meds at 6:15-6:20. Ben and I have to drive Daughter to work tonight and drop her off, then he’ll go to bedtime when we get home. Fingers crossed it all works out.

Tonight’s song was inspired by Mr Incredible. He’s a hero for sure! He just kicked some kootie’s butt. (I’ve read that children don’t always have respiratory problems with THE Kootie. As sick as he was, it’s entirely possible that he had IT. No way to know without an antibodies test. We still don’t know how many of us are asymptomatic carriers. Daughter tested negative, but I’ve never been tested. I’m the one who runs all the errands, comes into contact with people. I’m careful but not SUPER vigilant. There’s still so much we don’t know…)

Thanks for spending some time with us at Casa Cuckoo. Laundry days are always exciting, aren’t they?! We’ll see you tomorrow for the BIG 100! I don’t know what’s going to happen. Every day is an adventure and I look forward to having you share it with us!

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HUGS!!

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