Part 101 ~ 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.

Things got worse before they got better last night. Ben had a minor Meltdown. It didn’t get completely out of hand, but pretty near. I got him in the tub hoping the water would help. He wanted to pull the plug and/or climb out immediately. I told him we had to count to one hundred. He has always liked numbers and counting is often soothing to him.

After his bath he started ramping up again. He had been talking about a cap gun and caps earlier in the day and had brought it up several times. I went over to the corner market and got the stupid things. Stupid me! We hadn’t heard from Younger Daughter, her phone was dead or off, so we weren’t sure we’d be able to leave Ben home if he didnt chill out or take him if he was going to go ka-blooey into full Meltdown.

Younger Daughter called, everything worked out, Ben was happy with the cap gun. I was able to get the costume away from him and put it in the washer, and hang it outside. It’s not hidden exactly, but out of sight…

Daughter was dropped at work, Ben was in bed when I got back, but Zeus wasn’t with him. Younger said Zeus wouldn’t listen to her. He’s been a naughty K9 lately. He would have to do something pretty awful for me to use the “B” word with him, but naughty? Yeah, I tell him he’s being a naughty dog and he knows better.

Anyway, Younger and Partner left, I got ready for sunset. I had received a box in the mail that was unexpected. A friend sent me a care package with some odds and ends. It brought tears to my eyes. It was the sweetest, unexpected thing! It was exactly what I needed, when I needed it and I wondered how I was so lucky to have this person as my friend.

No clouds, sunset was pretty, but not dramatic

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Regular night stuff, I have no idea what time I went to sleep. It was later than i should’ve and I didn’t sleep well. I woke up a bunch of times. The final wake-up at 4:30 was Ben kicking the door. I have no idea why he chose that method, but I wasn’t pleased.

I kept my cool and went to the living room, told him all he had to do was ask and I’d come, kicking the door is never a good choice. Then I went to get my stuff, his stuff and return for living room duty.

I wound up Writing The Words until it was time to pick Daughter up from work, and for an hour after we got home. (Also scattered additional things over the next several hours…)

I had uncovered Sven when I gave Ben his morning meds. I didn’t take a picture because he hadn’t moved. When we got back with Daughter he had moved to the new “house” Younger brought over recently. Older took a picture and sent it to me, then I took a picture when HRH allowed me a short break from Writing The Words.

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Ben and I just hung out on the couch most of the morning. He watched his tablet, munched some Apple Jacks, had me write words. Just chillin. He did go in search of the costume and found it hanging up outside. He brought it in but didn’t put it on. I was glad to see that, and I think he was glad to see that I did what I said, washed it. Kids remember lies. (Being able to trust the adults in your life is everything. It’s where your security comes from. How can you be safe if you can’t trust the adults to keep you safe? If they lie about this thing, what else do they lie about? Is the monster under the bed really real?) I remember lies I was told, and I don’t mean Santa or the Tooth Fairy.

Anyway, back from the tangent, Ben had his meds and no naps this morning. I was kinda bummed because I was tired, but also kinda glad because we really want to establish a routine with Daughter’s new hours. The evening part of the routine especially. The only reason he went to bed so early before was so that Daughter could take a second rest before work at 10pm.

It’s more reasonable for Ben to go to bed at 7:30 than at 6:00. 8pm or 9pm would be reasonable for someone who is almost twelve years old, but his school starts at 8am and the bus picks him up between 7am and 7:30am. He needs to be awake by 6am because Ben cannot be rushed. Blah, blah, blah… tangent again.

Around 1:00 Ben wanted me to make a clock face and cut a bendable straw. Then he needed tape. He took his “clock” outside and stuck it to the metal ornamental fence that’s part of the deck. Then he beat on the metal with his hockey stick… ringing the bells of the clock. I thought that was a wonderful thing for him to do and told him so.

Daughter got up to use the bathroom around 1:45 and decided to stay up. Ben came back in about the same time, looking for other stuff to play with. I went to my room for some Horizontal Time. With the exception of the half hour to pick Daughter up from work, I’d been on the couch since 4:30am and my back was telling me about it. As I went to my room, I noticed Sven had moved.

About five minutes after I stretched out, Ben came in my room very upset. He was looking for his tissue boxes. They are part of his “town” or parliament or whatever. He noticed they were gone this morning and I told him Auntie must’ve thrown them away, and I found some other small boxes and set them up. He let it go… then… I had a feeling it wasn’t completely accepted though. He kept the one box that was left next to his tablet. Well, a little after 2:00 he brought it up again and was making unhappy sounds and telling me to get dressed and go to the store. (I kinda wanted to shake Younger Daughter right about then. I’m sure she thought she was helping, but I’ve told her before not to throw things away without checking. It might look like junk to her, but it may be important to Ben.) I put on public clothes, my mask and the dreaded shoes and went to look for tissues. I was worried that I would have trouble finding them. I hadn’t looked for them recently, but remember them being gone with the TP back in March.

I got lucky at the first store I tried and I got three boxes. I was happy to see him sitting on the couch when I got home. I told him in my room that I needed him to be good for Mom or I couldn’t go. He promised that he would be good and sit on the couch. Around 3:00 he put the Mr Incredible costume on. I’m going have to order another one if this is going to be a regular “thing”.

We are entering the final countdown. I just got back from the corner market, Ben telling me to get dressed and go to the store again. This time it was a red #2 race car. He had tears in his eyes as he asked for that specific car. This child doesn’t cry. Tears are always a big deal. He’s been trying today… trying not to have a day like yesterday.

Daughter is cooking a steak for him, then into the bath and then Driving Miss Daisy. Younger is at a memorial for the mother of one of her middle school friends. The mom died from cancer, not Kootie. It was expected but still difficult. She’s planning on coming over after, but I’m not counting on that.

Tonight’s song… a blast from the past

Thank you coming back to Casa Cuckoo and hanging out every day! Today was better and there are a few clouds so sunset might be more dramatic too. Daughter doesn’t have to work tomorrow either so there won’t be that added stress. We’ll see ya tomorrow for another adventure.

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HUGS!

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