By Cathy Jameson

Ronan’s brother and sisters started school last week.  With all of the siblings back at school, it’s gotten a lot quieter in the house.  They’re up and out earlier and don’t return for hours and hours.  Ronan’s getting used to it.  I am, too. 

I cried after I dropped off the younger crew.  I wasn’t even out of the school driveway when the tears welled up.  Not until I dropped them off and drove away in silence did I realize how much I was going to miss them.  I hear stories of Moms begging for the school year to begin.  I’m not one of those moms.  I love having all five kids home.  I’m grateful how caring and understanding they are toward Ronan.  It makes me happy when we’re together.  My kids are fun and can be really silly.  I am in awe of how creative they are.  But before you think it’s all sunshine and rainbows all of the time around here, it isn’t.  Especially on a school morning... 

Even after years of practice, we still do our classic mad dash to get out of the house on time.  I’m glad that no one ever witnesses that – that part is not pretty.  Missing P.E. uniforms, mix-matched socks, and forgetting to pack up the night before can cause some serious delays.  On those mornings, we rush, rush, rush hoping not to be the last ones in the carpool line. 

Some days, though, when they’ve managed their time well, my typical kids are actually waiting for me.  I’m proud of them because at some point each and every morning, I walk away from them.  After all the book bags and lunchboxes are packed, I turn my back on them. 

Tiptoeing quietly down the hallway, all my energy gets focused on Ronan.  On any given morning, not just school mornings, Ronan remains fast asleep much longer than the rest of us.  On school mornings, we let him sleep until just few minutes before it’s time to go.  It isn’t the best strategy, but he needs all the sleep he can get.  Snuggled deep under his covers in a heavy slumber, Ronan would sleep all morning if allowed.  The kids know this and hate that we have to rip him out of his bed so I can get them to school on time. 

Seeing how exhausted he will be even though he’s slept for 10-12 hours, they express just how unfair life can be for their brother. 

Mom, we should have let him sleep longer. 

He’s gonna be SO tired today.  

I’ll grab his blankie in case he falls back asleep in the car.

Sometimes, he will fall back asleep in the car.  I’m glad for that, and so are the siblings.  Even as young as they are, the kids are very aware of their brother’s medical conditions and how much of a domino effect each can have on him. 

On a good day, things are good.  We are ready.  We are on time.  We are full of energy – Ronan included.  But, the other days?  We don’t always make it to school by the first bell.  Some days, the alarm hasn’t gone off.  Some days, I don’t have my act together.  Some days, the children dawdle.  Some days, Ronan refuses to get out of bed.  On those mornings, you might find me rushing the kids to school in my pajamas.

If anyone is looking for me today, here's a mugshot. With that smile and that wild hair, I look just like her. If you put her in Mickey Mouse jammie pants - which I wore into the school to drop off kids because we woke up so dang late today, well then, she looks 'zactly like me.

Once I get back home from dropping off the kids, it’s time for Ronan to start his day.  Meds, supplements, and a hearty breakfast are first up.  Then, we get to work.  First on the list are the ADLs (activities of daily living).  Ronan’s not a big fan of those.  He has fine- and gross-motor delays.  What you and I think are simple tasks are quite complicated for Ronan.  Brushing hair.  Brushing teeth.  Clearing dishes from the table.  Sweeping the floor.  Most children can start working on those skills – and are able to perfect them - at an early age.  For someone who has low tone, an energy deficiency disorder, convergence insufficiency, and right-side weakness like Ronan does, these tasks are never preferred.  That’s because they require motor planning, eye-hand-coordination as well as the desire to attend to them.  When Ronan has zero energy, even after sleeping through the night, he can struggle with the most simplest of tasks.  It’s taken a lot of work, encouragement and years to get Ronan to want to do them, but happily, some of that hard work is paying off.