Out of the Blue

This is Magpie, anxious and waiting for Deeds bus to bring her boy home.

This is Deeds and Magpie, happy as can be right after he got off the bus.

Less than 15 minutes after those pictures were taken Deeds had the worst meltdown of this year.  I was doing homework and he asked me to stop.  I told him I couldn’t right then and he was fine, just went back to playing.  Five minutes after that is when it started.  He didn’t ease into it, there were no warning signs, it just happened.  He exploded.  For the next 45 minutes I tried to help him, while calming down a very scared little sister.  Deeds was screaming and kicking.  Rolling all over the floor and I’m positive I will have many bruises tomorrow from getting kicked repeatedly from him.

Magpie came over but I told her to go away because I was afraid that Deeds would kick her and she would start avoiding him.  I finally realized I couldn’t calm him down on my own and my already thin patience was gone.  I was crying, Gwen was crying, Deeds was out of control and so I took a risk and called Magpie over praying that she would help.

It made him freak out even more, screaming about how he didn’t want Magpie.  I had Magpie put her head on his lap and he kept screaming and kicking so I gave her the “over” command.  This is a command we’ve never used since training but I have seen work on other children.  The dog steps over the child’s legs and then lies on top of them.  The extra pressure calms many kids down, like a weighted blanket can.

Deeds FLIPPED out even more, but he couldn’t kick anymore so I was able to move behind him so he was sitting up and leaning (head banging) into me.  I then grabbed both his hands and put them right on Magpie, making him pet her.  He fought me for only seconds before he was sitting petting her, yet still screaming.  Then the screaming calmed down enough that he was able to ask for her to move.  She moved off him and laid in front of him.  While crying he rested his head on her, and I was able to take these series of pictures over the course of the next two minutes.

It still brings tears to my eyes thinking about it.  Magpie helped me in a way no one else could.  He may not always want her around but the calming effect she can have on him is amazing to me.  She was there for him, I was loosing it and sobbing and Magpie was calm and right there, remembering her training when we needed it most.

Deeds meltdowns are getting further apart and happening less in public but seem to be getting more intense when he does have them.  I think it’s because he is so big and I can’t always handle him anymore because of his strength so it’s hard for me to comfort him.  Thank you 4 Paws for Ability, thank you donors, thank you emotional supporters, thank you everyone from the depths of my heart.  There are no words to describe how I’m feeling as I write this.  Magpie is once again proving she is our Miracle and meant to be with this little boy.