Roller coasters are part of the deal

This is another thing I would have told the mom in the waiting room today: that some days are nothing but a roller coaster. One minute, you're encouraged and you're hopeful, the next minute (or hour), you're so desperate that you can't even begin to consider your own emotions. Yesterday, as Minky adamantly refused to finish his homework on the way to LaCrosse, I wrote this as tears fell down my cheeks:

I’m too tired to swim up river today,

To care when you don’t,

To encourage when it’s met with scorn

To make excuses for your resistance.

Earlier today, those words felt so far away - we'd had a great check up with the vision doctor yesterday that showed promising results and then we had a promising appointment with the psychiatrist today. Since then, however, I have literally spent 6 hours trying to get Minky to do his homework. Six hours. For the most part, I've been patient, encouraging, and good humored. He and I both lost our tempers for about 45 minutes. I went to Target to buy Play Doh that would serve as a reward when the work was done. It just caused further problems.

Now Rab is working with him. After 10 minutes, he's feeling frustrated. I can't blame him, but I also feel like screaming, "Welcome to my world!!!!" Sometimes Rab wonders why Minky isn't done with his homework by 5pm in the evening. Answer: because regardless of when we start it, it's a multi-hour venture.