Tomorrow, May 8, the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome is hosting a free webinar on tics and medication. I believe it’s not too late to sign up, and you can do so here. I will be listening in.
Meanwhile, I’m happy to say that my mood has greatly improved since last week. Tics are still the same – pretty steady stream of vocals – but I’ve relaxed about it. I have a few things that have really helped me:
1. Prayer I pray about it. All the time. It really relaxes me knowing there is a plan for my son. I pray before I pick him up from school. I pray while he’s ticking. I pray with him at prayer time. “Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the tics I can’t change, change the tics I can, and have the wisdom to know the difference.” I also am thanking God for all the incredible blessings in my life, this blog of support not withstanding. We are all in this together, ladies!
2. Focusing on My Kids’ Gifts Stink has started piano again and he’s really good at it. My daughter is becoming quite the artist. I just adore them.
3. Focusing on My Gifts I am keeping myself on a solid writing schedule. I can’t use tics as an excuse to not finally finish this book and get my other side work/newspaper reviews done!
4. Exercise I am walking every night with my husband. It is a chance for he and I to connect and it’s just lovely. Yesterday we took the kids with us. The evening was cool. Hand in hand, a family of 4, we walked through our tree lined residential street. To onlookers – with our long legs and interlinked arms – we must have looked like a Morman Melrose Place ad. All we were missing was the slow theme music and wind machines.
5. Singing Most important: I am singing. Yes, when my stinker is ticking and I want to scream STOP I start singing instead. It’s soft and low, but it’s hard to do a hum a tune and concentrate on tics at the same time – especially when it’s a prayer asking for peace. God is with me. Of course, Stink joins in.
Mom: Oh… Stinky Stink Stink the best in town… I love you even though your hair looks like a clown
Stink: Oh… Mommy, Mommy, you have my heart… even if you always eeeee eeeeeeeggggg fart.
In closing, I thought I’d show you the final results of the kids’ room, too. It’s been a tremendous weight off my shoulders to know we are not drowning in craft projects, laundry and random plastic toys from every trinket turning quarter machine in Los Angeles. I present you: The cleaned up room! Next, paint and a mural, curtains and loft beds. But all in due time!
NOTE: Notice that the beds are not perfectly made. The boxes on Stink’s desk aren’t totally shut. And the stuffed animals look like they are doing a Circus Circus ball pit orgy. But I’m fine with that! Like tic management for Stink (and acceptance for me) I’m not going for perfection. I’m going for reasonable expectations for peace. The kids need to keep up this room, not me. I’m happy with what we’ve got.
What about you? Where you at these days? Will I “see” any of you at the Webinar tomorrow? Andrea
Happily Ticked Off 
Hello Andrea,
I wrote you twice to your gmail….just wondering if you received it?
Thank you so much.