An Angel in Soccer Hell

So Patrick has been gone since last Saturday, we're on day 8, and I've been dreading today. Our new wonderful sitter was busy today, my good friend Annie was having a jewelry party, and I wasn't sure there was anyone else that would be comfortable handling Kellen for the first time. Larkin had soccer pictures at 12pm and a game at 1pm...it sounds so simple...but it's soccer hell!

It is truly an autism nightmare. It was unbelievably hot, no breeze, full sun, heat index in the triple digits. It was crazy crowded with kids running all over the place with no respect for personal space or going around people and don't kick a ball in crowded places and control your neurotypical kid already!!! (Yes, I may have been pretty sensory overloaded myself!). Add to this that the soccer fields are wide open to a ridiculously crowded parking lot next to a very busy road. It is the last place you would willingly take a kid with autism...

The pictures were running late, as in we got there at 11:45 and at 12:30 we were still sitting there...in full sun. Thankfully, Summer (the coach) offered to take over with Larkin so I could give full attention to Kellen. He was hanging in there great, but it was really hot so I was gonna get him in the car (since the game was on the complete opposite end of the fields from the pictures!!) and maybe get him something cool to drink. He was really doing great....

And so we started to walk away...and all hell broke loose. Because the parking lot was full, I had to park in the grass on the side of that busy road. So here I carry my flailing child whose feet hang all the way past my knees, praying that I don't lose my grip because the cars are so close I can touch them. I manage to get the car door open right after he loses a shoe (and just before I lose my mind). I grab the shoe without losing my hold on him because I'm worried he'll dash out of the car! Then we have the carseat fight...you now the one where he arches his back goes completely rigid and screams bloody murder. I managed to wrestle him in (seriously who needs crossfit) without being able to take the time to soothe him that I would like to because of the fact that my open door is basically IN the busy road. We take off and the frantic crying in the backseat continues...we make it to Sonic somehow all the while he's wailing and I'm fighting back tears. We get our slushes, he takes his, but begrudgingly...whatever had caused this meltdown has still not been resolved!

We drive back to the fields, no Larkin, so I drive over to the end of the fields and see that they've JUST NOW finished taking their pictures. I pull over quickly (people behind me be damned!) because its ridiculously hot and if I can get her in the cool car and keep her from walking all that way then at least I'll feel better about having her out there playing! She sees me and hops in the car...and Kellen's demeanor instantly changes...STUPID MAMA...he thought I'd forgotten Larkin...the tantrum/meltdown was completely due to leaving his sister behind. And all of a sudden the thermonuclear meltdown was totally worth it. He loves his sister, he worries about his sister, she matters to his world...and then I cried again of course. 

I drive them down to the other end of the fields again where I find the only reasonably close parking spot is along the busy street on the OTHER side. Screw it, I take it. Unpack us all from the car while freaking out about the busy road and keeping a death grip on Kellen's hand. Larkin grabs his other hand and thankfully nice people stop both ways to let us cross. We're just about to get setup when of course she announces she has to potty...I send her on, swoop up Kellen and follow behind as quickly as I can (again, I'm carrying 50lbs of kid...surely we should give this workout a name...)...I follow because you know...child molesters and kidnappers and snakes in park toilets...and as we're getting to the door (which she forgot to lock) she's already on her way out. Send her back to the field, and we get set up. I have a bag of snacks and my phone fully charged and ready to handle an hour of Netflix...I wouldn't ever need it...like seriously...do you know how absolutely crazy unexpected that was???

He drank his slush, sat in his Lightning McQueen chair, ate some snacks, and WATCHED THE GAME! Like actually followed the ball across the field, watched the actual game!

He did manage to doublecheek it on the dumdums...

And Larkin looked so happy that we were both actually watching...

I had no hopes of watching the game. I imagined myself chasing him around the fields, desperately trying to keep him from traffic, physically struggling with him because he'd want to go to the massive playground that's RIGHT BEHIND US because we're the first field on that end.

But no...he sat...he watched...he was the best behaved kid on the sideline (no lie, he really was!). No cry, no whine, no run, no need of the iPhone. He was perfect.

We packed up our stuff, we waited for Larkin to do her team post-game stuff, we made it to the car fairly smoothly, and again across the street with the help of nice people stopping. I'm still not sure how I got out of that parking spot!

So after a brilliant recovery by all, I rewarded myself with a Starbucks.

And now we're all relaxing at home...doing a little home repair...

And snuggling...

While Patrick is already waiting in the Rio de Janeiro airport...if all goes well he'll board a plane just before bedtime tonight...and be home soon after we wake up. And hopefully the cool front will be here! 

Meanwhile, lesson learned by me...just because everything points to disaster, never underestimate his ability to adapt and our increasing ability to just roll with it!