Fall - A Rocky Lynch Story

Chapter 13

After raising kids Rocky and I coined a term we liked to call "Toddler Tantrums". Normally it was our toddler that had these moments of severe sobs, our 4 year old had these bouts too, and only occasionally would our 9 year old have her fits of complete insanity. Toddler Tantrums came frequent in our house, but on rare occasions I would have my own version of a Toddler Tantrum and Rocky and I called them Mommy Tantrums.
On Sunday morning I woke up to the sound of little feet running across the floor and into our room, "Big girl's here!!" Ellie exclaimed.
"You've gotta be kidding me." My husband huffed and rolled over as he attempted to ignore the little two year old.
"Hi Ellie..." I said quietly, "Why don't you come lay down with Mommy and Daddy and go back to sleep.
"No..." She pouted, "I want breakfast." She whined out.
"Just hang on," Rocky said to her as he sat up and wiped his eyes.
"No!" She yelled out, "Breakfast!" And began to cry. Toddler Tantrum Number One.
Rocky gave her a look and sighed, "Ellie if you don't stop I'm putting you in time out. Quit it."
"Breakfast!!" She cried loudly.
"My goodness..." I sighed and sat up, "You can't possibly be that hungry," I lifted her up and pulled her against my chest. She cried quietly and whimpered into my t-shirt until I nudged Rocky and asked him to start breakfast.
"I'll take her." He told me and kissed my cheek. I sighed and handed the red-faced two year old to him before making my way out of bed myself. I went and pulled on a pair of shorts and checked my phone to see an e-mail from Mason's teacher. I usually wouldn't read on a Sunday Morning, but I decided to check it because I rarely got anything from his Pre-K teacher, especially on weekends.
I knocked on Carter's door and he mumbled, "I'm sleepin' in."
I giggled to myself and replied, "Okay," before making my way to Avelyn's door.
"Baby girl, are you up?" I opened her door and she was still fast asleep. No way I was waking that tornado.
I closed her door quietly and walked over to Mason's closed door. "Baby are you awake?" I asked him.
I walked over to the bed and he slept soundly. I smiled to myself and pressed my hand to his face. He jerked awake and his eyes opened widely as if I had scared him. His eyes watered and he started to cry and I pouted, "Oh no... Baby," I sighed, "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to scare you Masey."
"Momma," He cried out and pulled on my shirt. I picked him up and hushed him as I rocked back and forth. He clung to me tightly and I tried to calm him down.
He shook quietly for a moment before I spoke to him quietly, "Baby boy, do you wanna go cuddle with Momma in her room?"
"Ye-ye-yeah," He whimpered. Toddler Tantrum Number Two. I walked with him hanging against me and went to sit down on the rocking chair we kept in our room. He curled up against me and I rocked back and forth with him while I looked at things on my phone. I grazed back to the unopened e-mail I had had from his teacher, realizing it had indeed been sent Friday after school.
I hadn't checked my e-mail in two days?
I opened it and began to read. I looked down at Mason who was fast asleep against my chest, his face stained with tears. I didn't realize he had been so afraid. I turned my attention back to the message and read.
"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lynch, I has come to my attention that Mason is exhibiting some rather odd behavior for his age range and I wanted to make you aware. I mean this in the most respectful way possible and would love to arrange a meeting with you to discuss this matter further but as for now I'd appreciate if you'd take my words into consideration.
Mason is unwilling to play with other children most of the time and gets very upset or angry if someone tried to come near him without his permission or tries to touch him. I have found that I have to make him aware of my presence verbally before I physically touch him or it will trigger him to have a full-on meltdown in class. I was wondering if you had experienced anything similar at home and how you've dealt with it?
In addition to the touch issue, he seems to dislike large group activities and loud noises, which is what our curriculum is based on and I am becoming worried he doesn't make many friends.
Mason is a very bright, incredible young student, and I really do want the best for you, your son, and your entire family. If you would like to meet with me to discuss this matter further, I'd be happy to take you during the children's lunch period any day this week to discuss. Thank you for bringing your joyful child into my class. It has been a pleasure having him and I hope together we can make school better for him as well.
Mrs. Tamera Moore."
My jaw dropped open steadily and my face grew hot with anger at her accusations, "Doesn't make friends?" I whispered to myself, "Odd behavior? He's four." I shook my head, "There's no need to arrange a meeting." I clicked off of the enraging e-mail and sighed.
I walked downstairs with Mason still on me half asleep and went into the kitchen. "Did he wake up?" Rocky asked me as he scrambled eggs on the stove top.
"Something like that... I'll tell you later." I sighed and sat down with him on my lap. I rubbed his back and cooed quietly, "Mason, Daddy made breakfast... Do you want fruit and eggs?"
He mumbled a soft, "Yeah," and sat up slowly. Within a few minutes of sitting on me he was almost his normal self and got down to play with Ellie. I watched him intently as they played and began to realize his movements were different. He did flinch away from Ellie's touch and even hushed her when she began to get loud. I shook it off and saw Carter and Avelyn come in quietly to get something to eat, "Morning guys..." I smiled at them and sipped my coffee.
"Morning Mom, morning Dad." Carter mumbled and took pop tarts out of the pantry.
The door bell rang and I saw Mason jump at the noise but then returned to his usual activity and I noted it in my head. "Who would be here at 10 in the morning?" I asked Rocky.
"I asked Ryland and Karlee to come over a bit earlier and do our lesson while all of the kids are here and awake, since we're talking about kids."
"Good idea," I told my husband, "They need a bit more of a taste of what it's like..."
"OW!" Avelyn yelled out, "Mason bit me!" She cried loudly. Toddler Tantrum Number Three.
I closed my eyes at the headache forming and sighed, "Masey why'd you do that? That's not nice,"
"She put her hand on my face!" He said to me sternly.
"He had food on his face!" She yelled.
"You're hurting my ears," He cried out. I had never even realized how much Mason hated yelling until now.
His crying started and Avelyn's crying continued and Ellie looked on confusedly from the couch and her dolls. Toddler Tantrum Number Four commenced as soon as Karlee and Ryland walked through the door.
"Breakfast is in the kitchen..." Rocky made a face and looked at me on my knees talking to Avelyn, "And apparently all hell broke loose when I walked out to the door. Babe what happened?"
"Mason bit Avelyn and Avelyn started crying and there's just a lot going on, hey guys." I waved to them, "You're welcome to some breakfast."
"Thanks..." Karlee smiled, "Anything I can help with?"
"Weill you just take Avelyn upstairs to put a band aid on the D-R-A-M-A Q-U-E-E-N's finger so she'll be better?" I spelled it quickly so Avelyn wouldn't catch on and Karlee laughed quietly.
"Got it Juli," She took Avelyn's hand and took her up the stairs.
Everyone got seated at the table and 3/4 kids were playing quietly in the living room right by us while our oldest had gone upstairs to take a shower.
"So," I started, "Today's discussion is kids..." I gestured to my living room and the noise, "As you can see we know quite a bit on how that works."
They both laughed and Ryland looked at Karlee, "Well do you want kids?"
"I do yes, do you?" She nodded her head.
"I don't know..." He shrugged. "I think I do. But don't you want to live care-free?"
"I have, with you even, and I want to have a family..." She told him confidently.
"I could see myself having a family with you." He said to her, "But how would we do that?"
She laughed and bit her lip, "Baby, I think you know how to do that..."
"There are children here," Rocky interrupted jokingly.
Ryland rolled his eyes and looked at her, "I'm just saying, would we hire someone to help take care of them? Would they go to day care? Would you stay home? Would I stay home?" He offered.
"You stole my next topic..." I laughed weakly and turned my attention momentarily to the eerily quiet living room. Avelyn sat watching a show with Ellie and Mason played quietly alone on the opposite side of the couch. I sighed to myself and turned back to the couple.
"I mean you'd stay home with them?" Karlee seemed almost surprised.
"If that's what you want... Then I'd do anything." He assured her.
"I think that if we have kids, I want to stay home with them. I want to home school them." She told us.
Rocky interjected and told them, "So that's new..."
Ryland looked a bit surprised, "I had forgotten you talking about that, but I guess I could visit that option. I guess I've never considered it."
"This is good... This discussion is healthy." I nodded and continued, "What about your values?"
"What you mean like God and stuff?" Ryland looked at us. "I mean I believe in God."
"I do too..." Karlee agreed, "I want our children to believe what they want."
"MASON NO!" Ellie yelled out and started to cry. Toddler Tantrum Number five took place.
"It was too LOUD!" Mase yelled back and I heard him start to cry too. Here was Toddler Tantrum Number six.
"Oh my word," I jumped up and went to see about them. "Avelyn what happened?"
"Ellie tried to turn up the volume and Mason took it from her and turned it down because he thought it was too loud," She explained to me as she patted Ellie's head and tried to comfort her.
"Mason come here baby," I called to him and he sat down with his arms outstretched to me. I picked him up and Rocky grabbed onto Ellie and we brought them both back to the table with us.
Rocky looked puzzled at my comfort and I began to worry profusely about the e-mail the teacher had sent us. "Masey," Karlee laid out her hand, "Do you wanna sit in my lap?"
He curled closer to me and started to cry. There was something wrong. I closed my eyes and they welled up with tears, "Masey, please go to Karlee... Mommy doesn't feel well..." I said unsteadily.
Rocky let Ellie back down and put his hand against my back, "Baby, what's the matter?"
Mason crawled over to Karlee slowly and settled on her lap while I took a deep breath, "Excuse me," I managed before I stood up and walked up the stairs.
"Give us a minute," Rocky asked them and I could hear him follow after me as my tears streamed down my face. I went into our room and sat on the bed. "Honey," Rocky mumbled and came over to me.
I cried into his chest and pressed my body against his in almost agony, "There's something wrong..." I cried to him.
"What do you mean?" His arms wrapped around me comfortingly and he rocked me back and forth.
"Mason's teacher," I gasped, "She e-mailed me and told me that he won't play with kids and hates being touched and this morning when I went to see him he was still sleeping so I brushed his hair out of his face and it woke him up and it startled him so much that he started to cry." I cried out and took a deep breath, "and that's why he was on my lap because something I did scared him and there's something wrong with this whole thing, Rocky I can feel it. I know it." I looked seriously at him.
"What do you mean baby?" He looked me up and down, "When did you realize this?"
"This morning..." I sighed and wiped my tearful eye, "I hadn't noticed it until she brought it to my attention babe, I just thought all kids were different. She wants to have a conference because she thinks there's something we don't realize. She told me he doesn't like crowds or loud noises or being touched and it made so much sense."
Rocky gave me a concerned look and brought me back closer to his chest. "Baby..." He hushed me.
"How could I have not seen this?" I cried, "He's my baby... I'm his mother!" I looked down at my hands and Rocky took them in his.
"Hey," He got my attention, "It's okay..." He shook his head at me, "You are his mother but you're not perfect. And it's okay. I promise you." He smiled softly at me, "It's okay for you to not be at your best all the time. Really and truly, Juliette, you exhaust me at how well you manage everything." He laughed quietly, "And it's okay for you to fall a little short, but this," He shook his head again, "This isn't falling short... This is being human. If there's something going on with him we will figure it out."
"But I'm supposed to be the one to know this... It shouldn't be his teacher." I cried.
"It's not your fault." He assured me. "I promise you. I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to tell me before Ryland and Karlee came over..."
"I'm sorry I freaked out." I sighed quietly.
"You're entitled to as many Mommy Tantrums as you need." He hugged me, "And I wouldn't even count this as a tantrum. I count this as a human moment." He kissed me and helped me stand up."I love you Juliette... Don't forget that."
"I love you too baby," I blinked and kissed his lips tenderly.
We walked down the stairs and saw Ryland and Karlee talking with Mason at the table. "And we want them to learn what a healthy relationship looks like." Karlee said aloud.
"I agree. So that means no arguments in front of them from a certain point forward." Ryland nodded and looked up at us, "Hey... We finished the notes and the questions without you guys..."
"How'd it go?" I asked them as Mason asked up in my lap again.
"Good." Karlee nodded, "We established our rules about showing our future children the right amount of affection. We talked about no fighting and how we wouldn't condone any sort of arguments to take place in front of our kids."
"And I think now, you guys need some time to calm down, don't you?" Ryland asked.
"Do you want us to take a kid or two off of your hands for the day?" Karlee asked, "We'd be happy to take the older two."
I looked up hopefully, "Would you really?"
"For sure. We're going furniture shopping, I'm sure they'd love it." Ryland agreed.
"That'd be amazing guys..." Rocky hugged his brother, "Thanks."
"No problem..." Karlee said to us as Rocky gathered up Avelyn's things and Carter from up stairs. "But uh, Juliette, is everything okay?"
I sighed and looked down at Mason who was sleeping yet again, "Yeah," I nodded, "We'll fill you in when we get everything figured out, but we'll be okay..."
I half hugged my two oldest kids and watched them leave with their uncle and soon to be aunt.
"I think I need to make that appointment with Mason's teacher." I concluded as I looked at Rocky cleaning up breakfast.
"I think so too..." He said, "You think it makes him tired?"
"The stimulation?" I asked. He nodded. "Yeah," I nodded back to him, "I think I'm gonna go lay down in our bed with him if that's okay."
"Go for it." Rocky kissed my cheek and called for Ellie to come into the kitchen.
I walked up the stairs and laid down next to Mason quietly. surely we'd figure this part out.