Saved by the Garbage truck?!

My job is an interesting one. There is never a lack of adventure... noting that the word "adventure can be taken positively or negatively. If anyone ever asks me "How are the boys?" or "How do you like it there?" etc. etc. My broad response is generally "Well, I'm learning a lot." That is a true statement.

I myself have never had an addiction... except for maybe a certain television series I am now missing... that is beside the point. FOCUS. However, I am learning how to help people with addictions. OK. Just one person, one addiction. That particular addiction is a binky. We have been trying to get Phineas off of his binky for months. (I will tell you that I feel I'm doing pretty well from my end.) As with other addictions, the withdrawals have a tendency cause mood swings, and those cause me headaches. (Addictions do hurt the people around you.) Today the withdrawals were something fierce.

I walked into the "skyscraper" around 10:30... as normal. What happens in the first 30 seconds is a pretty good indicator of how the day, or at least the morning will go. Finn ignored me. Sometimes that's OK. Next step: approach... there was an instant whine as he abruptly pulls away. Oh...so that's how it is going to be. Andelyn so gracefully pointed out "looks like your in for a rough day if that's how he's acting already." Thanks Andelyn. She was right. It was almost 11:00 when we were finally even able to move the boy toward the exit. Koko came in the elevator with us... and to the exit... the goodbyes begin... and the countdown... then the hand off. The instant we touched the screaming began. That was along with kicking wiggling. His muscles are developing well... but so are mine. Usually this subsides once we get close to the buggy. I tried to distract him with everything I could think of that he loves. NOTHING WORKED. I think a binky may have helped, but not enough and it would have annoyed me. So it was a huge struggle. I didn't yell... but I laughed. Is that bad? He was being completely irrational. It took a long time to get going because he wouldn't sit in the buggy, and he wouldn't walk to the gate, and he wouldn't let me carry him. I think I have some hearing damage in my ears (now I can sympathize with mom). I am sure it was fun to watch me in the security cameras wrestling with a screaming 3-year-old and pushing a bike & buggy. We turned the corner, and the screaming continued then low and behold there it was. The Lord's tender mercy for me today... found in a Giant, ugly (and yet so beautiful) Yellow Garbage truck! Phineas loves watching construction vehicles and trucks etc. So with all the sick enthusiasm I could muster up I said "Look Finn! What is that?!" *crying stops... sniffle, sniffle* "a big garbage truck" and that was it. We watched him empty the dumpster at the UN... and that was it. He was sound asleep in the buggy - without a binky- less than five minutes later. Here's hoping that's an indicator for the rest of the day :)

So, with all that said. Here is a shout out to all the garbage men/ or women in the world. You guys save my life!