screamer

My day started out all right. Casey and Hunter left for the bus this morning at about 6:00. I went to the gym right after they left.  It's good to go in the morning because there aren't that many people there and nobody wears cutesy work out clothes.  But....there's this guy who sweats more than a pig.  It's gross. He's really not a bad looking guy. He just drips sweat everywhere.  His whole body gets drenched with sweat and he grunts when he lifts weights. Ew.  I've never seen anyone sweat like he does.  He gets off the machines and the sweat is all in his crotch;  you can't help but notice it.  It's so so sick!

 OK, well that's not my whole day yet.  The morning at the pool was quiet.  I worked with a group of women with MS. They come in once a week and we work with them in the pool. They are so funny!  The youngest is B. She's 34.  She is beautiful.  She has such a great outlook on everything. She first noticed signs of the MS when she was 14. By the time she was 21 she was confined to a wheelchair.  J is also in a wheelchair but she is somewhat mobile and she can get herself around pretty well.  A was just diagnosed a short time ago.  She has no outward signs of MS.  She gets around on her own.  I think that it's great that they're all in this group. I just can't help but wonder how A must feel when she sees the others and how they cope. 

My next lesson was a little boy, M.  I've been teaching him for just over a year now. He's come a long way. I started feeling "not so good" after that.  My head started spinning and I started getting a headache, which brings me to my next and last lesson of the day.

  This little girl, Baker Mae, calls herself Mae Mae.  Her vocabulary is limited.

She is a pretty little girl. She has CP and numerous other issues.  Well, today she screamed the entire time!  Ahhh.  She screamed the entire time, thinking of course, that I would get sick of  of the screaming and get her out of the pool. Well...News flash! Didn't work.  I wasn't going to let her get the best of me.  Am I stupid or what?  Her mother doesn't want me to give in to the crying and screaming. There are times when i said  "OK Mae, i'm going to count to 2 and we're going under. 1  2"   blub blub blub. She didn't even gag! She actually closed her mouth when she went under.  Question...Am I getting paid enough to deal with this.  NO! Probably not.  Why am I doing this? SUCKER! Yup!  They tell me that I am really great with the special kids and that I am very patient.  Really?

  Needless to say, my headache was GYNORMOUS by this time. 

 And yes.... I am a sucker. But, ya know what?  Spending time with these special people, the kids in particular, watching their eyes light up and seeing them swimming and having fun in the water is what it's all about. Getting hugs and hearing those little voices say "hugs Meg, swim" brings tears to my eyes.

I just get all choked up.

veterans day parade

Casey and I went to Charleston to watch Hunter in The Veterans Day parade. He was marching with the AFJROTC. They looked pretty sharp. I'm proud of him. 

And.... what do we do in Charleston? Eat pralines, of course. Yum. I will probably regret the pralines. Oh well.