M's turn to run away (Summer Vacation Week 5 part 2)

On Friday (July 10th) afternoon we were playing a game and M felt like things were unfair and he declared he was leaving the family.  He went upstairs and was up there a long time.  I went and checked on him and he was stuffing things in a little draw string backpack.  I told him that I didn't want him to leave and tried to defuse the situation.  I went back down to play the game with T and he eventually came down with the full bag and very slowly put on his tennis shoes.

M has LOTS of anxiety, so I was banking on that as I waited him out.  I didn't think he would really leave the area.  I did text Brandon and he told me to follow M and he would come home and be with T.  In the end M left through the front door and I stood and watched.  He didn't get to the end of our property before he turned around and ran back to the house and embraced me.  We hugged for a while and then he came inside just as Brandon came home.  We all had a good talk and Brandon went back to work.

Once M was calm he asked proudly if we wanted to see what he packed.  I was shocked as he emptied his bag.  He is apparently an expert packer, because the bag was like a clown car with more and more things that he emptied out.  I took a pic and then typed out everything he packed, because it is pretty impressive.

All the gear!

His bag contained: One hoodie, one zip up jacket, three T-shirts, four long sleeved shirts, three pants, three shorts, 4 boxer briefs, one pillow, two essential oil bottles (pine and sniffle stopper), three roller bottles (sniffle stopper, tummy all better, and growing pains), glasses with case and cloth, a bracelet, handcuffs, deodorant, pocket knife, bouncy ball (for protection he said), wallet with his money.  It all fit is the drawstring pack.

Sadly our kids seem to be in tricky season where they declare they are unwanted and unloved and need to run away.  I hope the running away stuff doesn't last too long.  It is so important to mix in the reality with the highlight reel on the blog.  Many people have expressed concern for us with the never ending fevers.  The concern feels strange, because the fevers are so easy to manage compared to the 7 years of trauma parenting we have done and daily continue to do.  Fevers, quarantine, and a pandemic do not make trauma parenting easier.  Each day God's mercies are new and His grace abounds for us all.