{...a breezy life} at briemarisa.com

Updates: {things on thursday...}

....School update: School is in full swing and is truly going much better than I expected. I thought the transition to full-day school would create a lot of chaos as PJ got used to the new demands on him, but it has been a relatively smooth change. There are a few things I would tweak where his program is concerned (extra staff support in the afternoon, better communication from OT) but, on the whole, I think this is going to be a great year for PJ.

...Therapy update: After a slow, frustrating start, we are finally in a great place where PJ's ABA therapy is concerned. Getting to this place involved a lot of angry phone calls and a fired therapist, but now we have a fantastic team in place to work with PJ. Something I have discovered is that securing much-needed care and therapies for a child with Autism can be a huge, shouty, head-bangingly frustrating pain in the ass. And, to be honest, we have it good compared to other families. It was worth it to push for this therapy, but I can't help but with it wasn't always some kind of fight to get it.

...Hair update: My hair is horrible. It's in terrible shape, way too long and snarly. I have been trolling Pinterest for haircuts that I think I can pull off- all that's left is to make an actual appointment with a stylist and get it done. I don't know why I let it get this bad. It just perpetuates that hate spiral where I look in the mirror, hate what I see, and then hate myself for not doing anything about it. It's a useless feeling and also one that is easily remedied by simply making the time to get it done.

...Marriage update: Marriage...it's a lot of work. I am not one to surrender to my emotions or feelings on a whim. I am more likely to feel a feel and then SHUT THAT SHIT DOWN. That's not at all healthy or productive, but sometimes it's just too scary or real or challenging to face the feels. Then, just like with the hair, I am twirling down the hate spiral, dizzy and angry. And although I can identify the problem, I have no idea how to fix it. My strategy right now isn't helping me and it isn't helping Pete, so I need to work on that shit. I have always joked that the reason I blog is because I hope that, someday, the person with all of the answers will read my blog and fix my life. That person is welcome to show up any time now.

...Writing update: My great friend Mary Beth connected me with a group of writers that meet monthly to share, create, and learn how to further develop our skills. Hosted at the gorgeous home of a local writer named Debbie, it was a chance to sit at a table with some amazing writers and flex my wordy muscles. It was the first time that I felt like I, perhaps, might be a writer myself. Plus, there was coffee! Being able to attend this group is a small gift that full-day school has given my schedule, and I am looking forward to continued meetings.

...Fruit fly update: Fruit flies are assholes.

So. How you doin'?