Five years of obsessive, aggravating, loveable, cuteness

Jaymes has always been just a bit OCD. Over the years, the objects of his obsessive behaviors have changed. Some come back, some disappear entirely, and some are always an issue. It's funny how a simple household item can really make you want to duct tape your child to to the ceiling fan! Here's a look at past and present obsessions, because I really couldn't think of a topic to blog about today.

Umbrellas: The bane of my existance. I would rather be soaked to the bone than get out an umbrella around Jaymes. He LOVES them. He enjoys stabbing people (unintentionally) with the pokey parts, he enjoys breaking them, opening them repeatedly in small spaces, and does not feel that anyone else touching any unbrella within 100 feet of him is acceptable at all. At home we're good, we don't have any umbrellas. I just get wet if it rains. But when we're out, on a rainy day...

Doctors office or therapy appoinment waiting rooms are the worst on rainy days. EVERYONE has an umbrella, and usually the kids have their own little ones. They're all lying out in plain sight, where Jaymes has only to lunge and grab, then scuttle away gleefully coveting his new treasure. Mommy has to incite a screaming fit, prying the umbrella out of the little man's arms and returning it to it's owner.

And of course the owner always says "oh, it's ok! I don't mind! He can play with it!" and makes me feel like a mean mama for taking the umbrella away. It's great they don't mind now, but chances are they will mind when he rips the umbrella apart, or maims them or their kids with the pointed metal pieces. I hate umbrellas.

Silverware: A current, stress inducing obsession. Jaymes LOVES to take all the silverware out, dump it into the filthy dog dish, and carry it around the house. If he's feeling festive, he'll line it up all around the table. Every time he does this, a certain dish-washing-hating mom has to scrub the silverware clean all over again.

Ropes/chains/strings: Anything that can be wrapped, tied, knotted, strung up, or tangled is fair game. This one is an on and off thing- if none of his more preferred fixations are available. He loves to take whatever stringable object and wrap it around whatever trees/play house/trampoline/other child/mommy/dog might be nearby. He will then survey his handiwork with a look of great pride.

Chairs: Current issue in doctor and therapy waiting rooms. Every pediatric office has a little kid size table and chair set, and Jaymes HAS to stack the chairs, or put them on top of the adult chairs. The therapists or doctors look at me like I'm a horrible parent if I ignore it, but to touch one of his precious chairs is to start a screaming, flailing, angry outburst that causes even seasoned special needs moms to twitch. It's exhausting!

Other people's food: He's much better about this now, but in the past it has been a major issue. He still has his moments, but not like he used to do. In the past, no one's food was safe. He'd steal food off a strangers plate so fast it would be gone before I knew he had done it. He'd pitch a fit if someone was eating around him, and demand their food.

He still has trouble with people eating around him, but he doesn't rush up to steal from them. That's a relief. I can't blame him for wanting to eat what other people have, and if all he does is ask me for it, I can live with that.

Anyway, I've run out of energy, so I'm off to take a nap while the kids are unconscious. Got some really cool videos to post of Jaymes doing things the school claims he can't do- cutting out a circle, perfectly, on the lines! and other things. Prepare to be amazed. Sort of. Well, I am.

Anyway, that's all for now.