The Great Bug

I had to wake my child up to go to the bathroom right before I went to bed tonight. When I finally got her back into bed she burst into a fit of giggles. I think she as actually asleep. This is the second time Bug has done this in the last few weeks. It is hilarious! What is great is that she will hold these completely nonsensical conversations with you at the same time. We have known for a long time that she talks in her sleep but the laughing in her sleep thing is new. 

Bug is the most original child on the planet. I know every parent thinks that about their child but I think it really is true for her. Bug had a rough start in life and it has never gotten easier. She and her Twin were born 14 weeks early. Bug's lungs both collapsed in the first week of her life and she has been nothing but drama ever since. I think that most people look at her and assume that she is my easy child in comparison to her sister. They are dead wrong. Part of the problem is that Bug is a little version of my Mother. I love my Mom but I don't want to be raising her. Bug is all about the fun, she doesn't see the point in doing anything that isn't fun, like homework, or chores, or eating. She is very easily distracted. We have recently found out part of the reason for that. Last year she was diagnosed with complex partial seizures. That means that her brain is having seizures but only part of it. We put her on a medication for it and proceeded to live through a 4 month nightmare. Needless to say it wasn't the right medication. We have her on something else right now and it seems to be doing the job. I hate that I have to medicate my child, but at the same time I wish there was a pill that would make her take life a little more seriously. She is doing better at focusing, some of that due to the meds and some of that due to some really awesome teachers (you know who you are). I attribute none of that to her lazy mother. She still struggles though. She is in special ed. at school for reading, math, writing, and social skills. It literally takes us hours every night to get through the small amount of homework that she brings home because she just can't focus. It is extremely frustrating and sometimes it is really hard not to get mad. She doesn't understand that kids her age think she is weird, so continues to do weird things that make her even more weird to them. Bug has some really frustrating bladder control issues. Aside from bed wetting she has trouble controlling her bladder during the day too. She cannot understand that it is no longer socially acceptable for her to be having accidents. She does it at school, church, and almost anywhere else, most of the time there is no warning either. It can be very hard not to be mad and I get embarrassed for her. The frustrating part is that she doesn't, sometime it seems that she doesn't care at all. She is very young for her age, and by that I mean immature. Because of this she has great deal of trouble making friends.  Bug doesn't understand rudeness, or politeness, or manners. Trust me we have tried to teach these things they just don't sink in. She cannot understand that people who think she is cute now will not think the things she does are cute in a few years. She talks all the time and at full volume. That is no exaggeration! She really does talk all the time! A few weeks ago Shane and I were in the car talking and realized that she had been talking to herself for the last 15 minutes. When I commented that maybe she thought that she was talking to Lou she said "No I am just talking to myself." It doesn't matter if anyone is listening or not. I know every parent out there is saying that their kid does those things too, but I have seen how other kids interact and what the maturity level is of the other kids in her class and she isn't even close. 

On the other hand... she is awesome. I have never seen a kid that could charm adults like she can. She can make a person her best friend in about a minute and a half. Really the best word to use for her really is charming. She is a charming little girl. She makes me laugh out loud every day. Her perspective on life is actually very refreshing sometimes. Life is about enjoyment for Bug. If you cant have fun doing something then why bother doing it. She can make even the most mundane task seem like going to Disney Land. There was a time when all we had to do to make her day was take her to the mall to have lunch in the food court. Every time we took her anywhere she would grab our hand and say "This is the best day ever, huh Mom" for about a year and a half every day was the best day ever. She is very easy to please. She is absolutely beautiful and her charm just explodes out of her in a halo that covers anyone within hearing range of her.  I know a lot of people would disagree with me but I think her best feature is her stunning green eyes (I always wanted green eyes) and her beautiful soft red hair. She loves princesses and Hannah Montana (much to mom and dads dismay). She LOVES to read, and can almost always be found with a book in her hand, even while jumping on the trampoline. She loves the few friends she has and is fiercely loyal. She thinks that her family is the best in the world and we think she is the best thing in the world too.