Life with Lynzee

Hello People!

How the heck have you been? It has been a long time since I have been blogging but....I would lie and say this is going to change but that may not be true so I will just say I will do my best to blog as often as I can.

Since my last post on here I have taken on another responsibility and so far it has been a challenge to say the least.  My niece who has Down Syndrome has been getting out of control and I thought that I would become her guardian and take 'control' of her so and get her back into control.  She is 14 years old, 5 foot tall and weighs 190 pounds, solid weight and attitude.  I have had her for two weeks now the first week, she hit the teacher's aide that teacher's aide was removed and another aide was put in her place. She was told that hitting is not acceptable and that if she did it again the consequences would be severe! SO not to be out done, the next teacher's aide was pinched, ah the challenge to see what she can get away with.  Each attempt to push the limits is met with a push back.  My niece is made to apologize for her actions each time, not just to say 'sorry' but to acknowledge what she did, i.e. I am sorry that I hit you. The start of the second week consists of doctor's visits to make sure she is healthy and there are no problems with her heart, she bares a long scar down her chest where she has had heart surgery in the past and 5'0"/190 cannot be good for the heart.  The news from the heart doctor and the Pediatrician are good, she is healthy but she obviously needs to lose weight. Enter programs that can help get the weight off and learn to eat healthy.

The second weekend has come and so do the challenges to push the boundaries at home. Friday night her food goes flying across the table in defiance because she is asked to make sure her food is going on her plate and not the table.  She was eating noodle soup and dropping the noodles on the table and when her bowl was put closer to her so that wouldn't happen, she flings the soup across the table onto the floor and into Stinky's face/lap.  NOT ACCEPTABLE! She is put to bed without any dinner and Gary explains to her that this is not acceptable behavior.  Saturday morning comes and breakfast is served, hands are washed and food is on the table.  My niece comes down and apologizes for her actions the previous day and Gary gives her a hug.  She sits at the table and begins to eat, I am in the process of sitting Stinky down, when apple juice hits me in the face. She has thrown her drink this time across the table and  onto the floor.  Chaos ensues as this type of behavior has not been seen in our house before. Stinky is stunned and her eyes are big, and yelling and abruptly escorting my niece to her bed is all I can do as I am so angry if I were to do more than that, it would probably cause bodily damage.  I go upstairs bring my niece down and make her clean up the mess she has made on the floor and table.  The dogs that were inside at the time have run to the door to get out!!!! When asked why she is acting this way and why she is throwing her food, my niece decides that this would be a good time to slap me!  I was told when addressing a child you should get down to their level, so since I am 6'2" I bent down to be at her level which gave her the opportunity to slap my face. WOW!!! I would be dead now if I would have even PRETENDED to raise my hand to my parents and striking them would have resulted in death or dismemberment, whichever occurred first.  

My niece spends four(4) hours on her bed after throwing her juice at the table, slapping me and acting out for no apparent reason.  I go upstairs and I talk to Lynzee and discuss the situation tell her again that her behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated, she comes down and we have no further incidents on Saturday, she indicates her stomach hours so she doesn't eat dinner.  Sunday morning (today) comes and I ask her what she wants for breakfast, she makes her request known to Gary and he prepares toast and oatmeal. We come down stairs and sit at the table, she takes a bite of her toast and then indicates that her stomach hurts so she is excused from the table.  No food or drink are thrown today....yay! We sit in the living room and she practices writing her name and numbers. I say to myself, well she is being good so I will call her little sister and let her wish her a happy birthday.  We call her sister, I hand her the phone she says "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TALIA!" then throws the phone in my face!  Again chaos, yelling and screaming ensues the dogs again who are in the house are trying desperately to get out !!!!  Why. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU CAN THROW THINGS AND HIT PEOPLE! WHY ARE YOU ACTING OUT! You are not going back to your dad and you're mom is jail and she is not coming so WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM???!?!!!!! Nothing is the response.  I explain again to her that whatever she does to someone the same will be done to her. I didn't throw my iPhone5...the latest version on the market that costs $$$$$ at her but trust me she was punished! I don't know what turmoil this child is going through...I don't know what trauma she has been exposed to or what violence she has seen, but I hope that I am able to break the cycle and get her to a better place.  

Evening has come and we have gone to the grocery store without incident, she is offered food and again she indicates her stomach hurts so she does not eat.  She drinks lots of water and then raises her hand for a question. Yes? She makes a gesture of exercise  and says she wants to excise.  For the time being there is peace, she is doing yoga, or her version of it.  Thank God for peace!

I will try to post the progress we make and and hopefully it will be progress and not regress. I am calling the Doctor tomorrow since she has not eaten all weekend due to her 'alleged' stomach problems.

Until I blog again! PEACE!!!

See ya when I see ya! 

 Peace! Mattie