Meltdown marathon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_State_Capitol

Woooo-ey! What a week.


Maybe it was because we just had our mid-winter break. Maybe there was something in the water fountains. I don't know, but the whole school seemed to be buzzing all week long.

Some good things.

We finally got one of our second graders back, who was (is still) sick and missed the entire week before break, including Valentine's day, which he was eagerly anticipating :(

Also, the fourth graders took a field trip to Lansing, which I got to be a part of! I mean, I had to be at school an hour-and-a-half earlier than usual, but it was worth it. We spent the morning at the Michigan Historical Museum and toured the Capitol Building in the afternoon. When we got back to school one of my fourth graders proudly proclaimed, "I have a good trip!"

Success.

Remember lying down in the middle of the floor and looking up at this??? So sweet.

Some not so good things.

All three of our second graders have been experiencing some sort of week-long meltdown. For those of you who aren't familiar, 'meltdown' is the word that we use to describe an EXTREME tantrum that has been greatly enhanced by factors associated with an individual's autism. It is far, far beyond whining, a disagreeable mood, or even a 'fit', and is often due to intense frustration resulting from an inability to communicate or some sort of sensory overload.

Anywho. Whatever the reason, there has been so much screaming, sobbing, cursing, kicking, running, slamming, and collapsing over the last five days that this whole week has felt like one, giant meltdown. Like the icing on the cake, just today there was at least one breakdown per hour in our classroom.

First there was the child who almost refused to get off the bus this morning and trudged into school already crying. Then there was the one who dissolved into tears every time his teacher was too busy to draw him a garbage truck - i.e. most of the day - i.e. he NEVER stopped crying. And finally, my little friend who had two, fully-fledged, very public meltdowns that resulted in a classmate being kicked in the face and a lot of little people hearing a lot of new and interesting words that they will probably be asking their parents about tonight.

Sorry about that.

There really is never a dull moment in this class, but this week really will be the week to beat in terms of mind-boggling experiences and total meltdown force. Of course, I got to witness and be a part of some exceedingly adorable moments. Like yesterday, when my fourth grader was so exhausted at the end of the museum tour that, with no word of warning, he dropped into my arms for a cuddle. When these moments ended, however, chaos reigned, often with sparse and broken communication, and a lot of time spent trying to problem solve and act quickly with what little information we possessed.

Just an example of what we were dealing with. Today, in a moment of rage and frustration, a second-grader looked me directly in the eye and screamed, "I WANNA YOUTUBE POOP!!!!"

I. Want. To. YouTube. Poop.

At the top of his lungs.
In a crowded hallway.
Multiple times.

I'm sorry. I just don't know what that means.


Love and TGIF. Seriously.