Sad, sad, SAD!!!

Yesterday was Jake's SECOND day of 1st grade - and he came home with a 'story.' Evidently, while at lunch, SOME KID began 'picking on him' about his (Jake's) SANDWICH (of all the stupidest things....). I guess he said, 'tauntingly' "YOU got a JELL-LY, YOU got a JELL-LY" (he had a PBJ, big deal).

Jake: Yeah, so...

THE KID: Well, SOME kids are al-LER-GIC, SOME kids are al-LER-gic..

Jake: They're sitting over there (poor kids with food allergies have to sit 'away' from everyone else...poor things).

THE KID: Not ALL of them!! - and continued with the chanting. I guess a couple other kids got in on it, too, so what did Jake do? He 'felt bad' and put his sandwich away and DIDN'T EAT!!!

He said, then, when they got back to the classroom (the teachers aren't in the lunchroom), he told Mr. P that "those kids were picking on me and saying things about my sandwich." And SUPPOSEDLY (now, I say this because sometimes Jake tells 'tall tales' and tends to embellish a 'little') Mr. P 'made those kids put their names on red' (which means they are in trouble and get a note home).

Ahhh, what to do? What to think? On one hand, good for Jake for letting his teacher know (maybe the teacher can now ' keep an eye' on these kids, if they are potential bullies or rotten apples), but then again, I don't want Jake to start 'going to the teacher' every time something like this happens, you know? He is VERY sensitive and gets his feelings hurt very easily and does NOT know how to stick up for himself, the poor thing.

I told him that if tomorrow, this kid decides to start in again with his lunch (he's got a turkey/cheese sammich today!!), "just look at him, shrug your shoulders, give him a look and say "Whatever...Just saying 'whatever' will hopefully give him the idea of 'hey buddy- whatever...I don't care what you say..." Also told him to let those kids pick their seats first and then sit somewhere else. I told him, too, if this kid says something like, "Hey, you got me in trouble!" just to say, "Well, you shouldn't have been bugging me then..."

He doesn't seem 'traumatized' by this or anything (I hope!). He seems ok. I asked him at bedtime, "So are you ok with going to school and lunch tomorrow?" and he goes, "Yeah, why not?" What REALLY sucks is that this KID sits right behind him!!! Oh Lord, please give my boy strength and watch over him...and help him grow a thick skin!!

So another sad thing happened yesterday, which just tore my heart out and just made me think of Jason and his 'situation...'

I was upstairs putting laundry away, when I see a State Trooper pull up in front of my neighbors house a few doors down. I went downstairs and saw another trooper turn the corner onto my street. Went outside and the neighbor from the opposite cul-de-sac was out on my corner. I looked down the street, and there were about FIVE cop cars, Joliet and State at the end of our cul-de-sac. The neighbor said "There is some boy, about 8 or so, wandering around backyards. He was in mine, too. He's barefoot, soaking wet and he just looks 'disoriented.' I guess she, and some of her neighbors called the cops, too.

My neighbor/friend Amy (who lives right where the cops were) came out, talked to the cops and went back in. Then I could see the boy...he was kind of 'flapping his arms' around, and the one cop was trying to get him to come by the car. I heard the cop say, "Do you want to see how the lights work?"

All of a sudden, this maroon Corolla comes 'whizzing' around the corner, down to the 'island' (what the kids call the cul-de-sac grassy area) where the cops were. She gets out and the boy comes to her and she just opens the door and he gets in. The cops immediately 'swarmed' her car and I heard, "Whoa, whoa, WHOA!! Does he belong to YOU?" So I hung around for another minute and went in. Of course, Amy called right away - She's seen this kid with his mom and siblings at the pool and school events (I think her son knows the family), and he is 'severely autistic.' But, what's the scariest part is that he lives over in the Oaks (which is a good ways away from our little section, the Lakes, of our neighborhood!!!!! He wandered off, that far, in the pouring rain. Amy said, too, that he cannot communicate...and THAT's what got me. What if Jason somehow 'got out' (or hell, just wandered off in the GROCERY STORE!)??? How would he even begin to tell someone who he is, what his mom/dad/brother look like, what he was doing and where was he in the store when he got lost...

Add that to the never-ending list of 'worries' and 'what if's' that I already have!!! I think I saw somewhere online some 'tags' or 'labels' for kids who aren't 'effective verbal communicators' (I love that phrase!), but I can't remember where I saw them. Guess what I'll be 'googling' when I'm done here??

Ok, it's 5:30AM. Yes, AM. The stupid neighbors (actually they live about 3 houses away) left their PUPPY out in the rain, so the darn thing was yelping, howling, barking (EVERYTHING) to get their attention to let him in...oh man, this was going on for like 10 minutes - all at 4:30a. They are SO stupid. We've had so many issues with them and their dogs (all THREE of them). The husky barks constantly, they now have a mixed PIT BULL which has gotten into my friend's yard (with her 3 year old!!! Luckily, the dog is still a 'puppy' and was just being playful, but still...pit bull=YIKES), and now they have this puppy...real winners, these people. Anyway, I could write an entire blog just about THEM, but alas, it is 'early' and I'm going back to bed (for at least an hour and a half) until I have to get up for real!! BYE!!!