This is a picture I took a couple of days ago, when Mal was riding his scooter on the porch because sun=heatstroke right now but I wanted to be outside for a bit.
Eeeep, can you even?
Anyway, a couple of things: Because we've been home for so long, I don't think Mal can wear clothes anymore. When we go out and he dresses, he immediately talks about how his pants are "too tight." I've bought him bigger pants, and then gotten rid of all of THOSE and made sure that ALL I bought was super soft sport-type shorts, but he still complains. What I think he means is "these have a defined waistband, and I am used to running around in underpants, as god intended." When we get home from an outing, the first thing he does is denude himself down to said boxer briefs.
Also, I think he got a spider bite that day because he has a welt on his belly that I thought was a mosquito bite, but it grew yesterday. I'm not super worried, but we're keeping an eye on it.
Mal has also gotten so used to being home that any time we have to get out for ANY reason, even if it's something he likes like going to a park because we know a friend will be there, he says, "I am tired of this stressful stuff; I need a nice, relaxing day at home." Like every other day for the past five months? But I would much prefer his being a homebody right now than crying every day that he can't see friends or go to the trampoline park.
Speaking of that, we did try to go to a trampoline park last week. I won't name it because they're trying their best, but it just doesn't work with the masks. I support mask-wearing! I think it's our only hope right now, as we don't have adequate testing; but I think we'll just stay home until it's safe to exercise indoors without masks.
At this park, you have to make advanced reservations, and you can only stay for two hours. That's not a problem for us, because Mal is more an "I've been here ten minutes and that was fun; let's go home now" kind of kid. Also, we have a monthly membership to this place, so whether we stay 5 minutes or all day, it costs the same. I guess those fees will just be donations to keep some kids employed right now, and I'm fine with that.
I guess I forgot to update here, but Mal went to the pediatric gastroenterologist a couple of weeks ago, and we've managed to get him cleaned out. I won't detail the experience, but we've used just almost every product available for that kind of thing. Some of them twice. And we still have a long road before he has a "normal" digestive system, but it's nice to know that he's not so compacted and backed up.
One motivation for working as hard as we have (Mal's really been a trooper, even as he's been tired and frustrated with the extremely long process) is that the next step to help him would be an outpatient procedure that isn't risky or anything (I mean, we've done anesthesia once, and that was the only good part about his dental work), but that you have to get a COVID screening beforehand. When I'd talked to the doctor last month during a setback, I told him I'd rather wait until screening wasn't mandatory before we tried that, he said, "It'll be at least a year. It's going to be around for a very long time."
I mean, I guess I knew that, but to hear it out loud...
Anyway, we're all working hard to avoid a hospital outpatient procedure. Mal's working hard to avoid another suppository. Twice now, when we've reached the end of where we can wait, he managed to will himself to go, so last night (August 15; I'm finishing this paragraph up so I can post the blog!) we had a little come-to-Jesus moment about it. I told him if he was able to work that hard under threat (not threat; real intent to use) of a suppository, I need him to work that hard all of the time. I do not relish getting him so upset and panicky about something that he's crying and begging and then manages to avert it. I'd rather not have to get to that point. My heart can't take much more of it!
In a final update, the trampoline park (not the one I mentioned above) where Mal had his 5th birthday party just permanently closed. I'm sad for them and for Mal. But since we have a membership to the other place, that's likely where we'd go rather than paying by the hour, anyway. Also, the other park agreed to pause our membership for three more months. We don't go back until the mask mandate is over, but at least that buys us 92 extra days on the end of the annual contract.
👍🙂🌹🤟🌷
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