She's Gonna Blow!!!

After a few days of diligently testing and calling, I knew that things would have to go down hill. You cannot expect perfection in a teen away from the grasp of his mother...but you can hope! 

I sadly did not have long to wait before he fell off the contacting wagon. For days I had no idea what my son's readings were like. I only had the word of his older brother and a friend of mine that he was alive and doing well.  As I mentioned before, his phone is dead and catching him at his father's is basically impossible.  We had agreed that he would call me each morning with his readings and to touch base. 

It would appear that he decided to take the long weekend off from calling me. Mom quickly reached the boiling point. The first day of no call was okay.  He was enjoying himself but he will call the next day.  The next day of no call? Well, I was working to stay calm but began texting  his poor older brother to death.  Messages telling one child to have to the other call were wearing out my fingers.  I even gave my oldest son permission to kick his little brother's butt for parental neglect but still no call.

I was going insane. I tried to figure out a fitting punishment to help him to realize that he had to contact me on a regular basis. I couldn't bring him home early.  Dad has rights.  I couldn't immediately take away his privileges or ground him since he isn't at home.  I was sure I would hear from him at one point today. Three messages to his brother in the first few hours of the day would lead to action....and it did.

By the afternoon of day 4 of no contact he called. In a sleepy voice he wondered what the problem was.  Hadn't he just called me yesterday? well at least the day before? WRONG-o!! I told him that it had been days! I reminded him that he was to call EVERY day when he got up.  Continued failure to do so would result in the loss of xBox privileges when he got home. He agreed.

I really wouldn't mind if he missed a day but allowing that to happen once led to four days of no contact and blood glucose levels in the 20s (360+).  It was just not an experience that I wanted to repeat. Hopefully we are back on track...until the next fall. He will have his own phone back by the end of the week so I can text him and give his brother a break from being the go-between.

I now feel better. Hearing his voice and making the required changes helped a lot.  As much as I know that his father needs time with his son, and my son needs time with his family and friends, the joys of shared parenting and summer vacation can be stressful.