Tornadoes All Around

Here in southeast Kansas we are under a tornado watch as a result of a PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation, as tagged by our local weatherman). In January. Today's high temperatures topped 70 degrees with gusty winds.

Hannah must be channeling the storm. When I arrived at the preschool to pick her up, her speech therapist stuck her head out the door and asked me to come inside. Ugh. I felt like a child being called to the principal's office. Hannah had a bad day--wouldn't focus, wouldn't follow instructions, wouldn't care.

Miss Ann, her teacher, threatened Hannah, "Do we need to call your Mom?"

"OK," Hannah responded and shrugged. She probably would have viewed my visit as a treat, not trouble.

Time Out? No big deal.

Finish her coloring page while the other kids played? Fine with her.

Frustratingly, Hannah doesn't get the concept of punishment unless it involves spanking or raising my voice. I can speak to her sternly and she understands that she's doing something wrong, but it doesn't immediately change her behavior. The preschool teachers experience the same thing.

She knew she had misbehaved because one of the first things she told her Aunt Ashley on the phone today was, "Teachew say...Tye moat." (Teacher say time out.) So now what??? At home Hannah's tornadoes blow through loudly and destructively. Self-destructively. At school Hannah remains a billowy thunderhead that never lets loose it's storm.

Continuing with the storm theme, I can't help but wonder if this is all the culmination of the stormy atmosphere in our home since my ER trip Wednesday. Hannah watched my entire choking experience from Papa Carl's lap, occassionally approaching me with worried eyes to ask, "Mama sick?" I wasn't her usual mommy through the whole weekend and even spent most of Saturday asleep. Carl allowed her to stay up past 10:00 Friday and Saturday nights, she failed to take a nap Sunday and I heard her cry out several times in the night last night. I suspect the poor girl is exhausted, physically and emotionally, and it's playing out in school. Yes, I told her teachers that, hoping to enlighten them but hating to seem like I sought pity.

On a little different note, I delivered Hannah's weighted vest today (see this post for more information), so her teachers will have it available for the next time she has a day like today. Hopefully that day isn't tomorrow.