Wacky Wednesday

This week is Dr. Seuss week at Nolan's school, and today was Wacky Wednesday.  The kids were encouraged to dress in wacky and silly ways.  Nolan came up with his ensemble. 

He wanted to put the collar up on his gray shirt and put a brightly colored undershirt with it instead of white.  Then he got inspired to wear his t-shirt over his collared shirt instead of under it.  You can't tell from the picture, but he put his pants on backwards.  He chose his white high-top basketball shoes rather than his everyday shoes.  Finally, he asked me to gel his hair into a faux-hawk.  I did my best, but his hair wasn't really long enough.  His missing tooth accessorizes his outfit perfectly.

You may think this is just a silly addition to a normal school day, but it's not.  It's a milestone.

I remember last year when Nolan's school did Dr. Seuss week and had Wacky Wednesday.  We tried to convince Nolan to wear his clothes backwards or out of order or mismatched.  It was rough.  There were tears.  He had a very hard time with things being different than normal. 

Going back further in time, Nolan had a few issues in preschool as well.  I still remember one of his teachers telling me they thought Nolan had OCD and might need help.  His pediatrician just told us to keep an eye on him.  Nolan couldn't handle getting a stamp on his hand or doing messy activities.  Now that Griffin is in the same preschool class and has his own issues, the teachers have been teasing me and wondering if I'm a neat freak.  One stroll through my house will tell you otherwise! 

When I think back to Nolan's preschool days and our concerns about him, and then I look at the picture of Nolan this morning with the wacky outfit he created himself, I can't help but feel proud of him.

This is a good reminder for me.

At the beginning of a problem with the kids (a problem with their behavior, a parenting issue, a health issue, etc.), I feel overwhelmed.  I worry and wonder where this will lead.  And then we work on it and find help or answers and do whatever we think is best for our kids.  Before we know it, progress is being made and hurdles are overcome.  Nolan never let his preschool teachers stamp his hand, but he did let them put paint on his hands for a handprint art project before the end of the year.  We celebrated the victory.

The problem is that I tend to celebrate the victory momentarily and then jump right into tackling the next problem.  Let me tell you, with three kids, there is always a next problem! 

Something as simple as Wacky Wednesday being nothing more than a funny addition to our day reminds me that none of the struggles we face last forever.  I'm sure that this is a lesson I'll have to learn over and over {let's be honest}, but I'm grateful for the chance to pause today and be proud of my wacky kids.

Jessica