Today I paid the $2 to wash laundry here at the hotel. With everyone only having 4-6 outfits, I wonder how long it will be until the school calls to complain that the girls are wearing the same clothes over and over again (even though they're clean). They seem to like to stick their nose in everyone's business. They call to demand to know when their next eye appointments are, when they'll be getting their glasses replaced or repaired, when they're scheduled for dental appointments, and so on. It's to the point I feel it's harassment. This same school has called social services on us no less than three times in the last five years. The last time was last fall when they reported us because one of the girls broke her glasses at school and supposedly a student overheard her tell another student not to tell her parents "'cause they'll be upset." ... So a student who overheard a conversation that didn't include them told the teacher about the broken glasses, and they in turn called social workers to report us because "they felt she was in fear for her safety" by supposedly saying that her parents would be "upset" to hear that she'd broken her glasses again. Seriously? Yes, we were upset she broke her glasses. She had literally just gotten them repaired the week before, from breaking them previously just two weeks after the repair before that. But does that mean she's in danger? Absolutely not! We just talked to her again about proper care of her glasses and how important it is for her to be gentle with them. Then we brought them back to the glasses place to have them repaired again. I'm very excited to be done with that school. Even if the offer on the new house falls apart, we're pulling the girls out of that school at the end of the school year. Yay!
Otherwise, it's been another long boring uneventful day stuck in a hotel with two kids all day and five kids all evening. #2's tantrums are increasing the longer we stay under the confinement of the hotel room. He needs to be able to get out and socialize or run off some energy or something. For now he is mostly controllable, but incredibly frustrating. He doesn't want to listen, he does things to get a reaction, and he's starting to lash out at his siblings for little things (being too noisy, sitting too close to him, changing the tv channel on a tv he's not even watching...). Life in a hotel for an extended period is not going to be easy for a family of Aspergians.
Fortunately the girls have fallen into the routine pretty well. They're up earlier here than they were getting up at home, but they also get breakfast before they go. At home they relied on the school breakfast, but now they get to eat at the continental breakfast for the hotel. It gives them a little more opportunity to choose what they want, and it's probably a little healthier. Eggs, muffins, oatmeal, waffles, cereal, apple or orange juice, hot chocolate, fruit (apples, oranges, or bananas), yogurt, and sausage or bacon or ham are commonly found around our self-designated family table in the breakfast area. Better than "french toast sticks" or "pancakes" at school. I'm glad they've taken to the new schedule so readily. That definitely makes mornings easier.
I'm also impressed that the girls have really done well with their new bedtime schedule. At home bedtime could last for hours trying to get all three of them to lay down and go to sleep in the same room. Now in the hotel they seem to self regulate very well. They all say goodnight, they get themselves tucked in, I come and say goodnight and make sure everyone is tucked in and electronics are off, and they all go to sleep! Why can't it be this simple at home? I hope the bedtime routine follows them home again!
Today I am thankful to my Mom who put her own dinner on hold to run in to town to buy us food and bring it to the hotel, and then proceed to watch the kids as they were more interested in running through the lobby (lack of exercise locked up in the rooms, I'm telling you), so I could finish my plate of food. Thank you Mom! You're a sanity saver!!