April of 2016 we said goodbye to South Korea. We packed up our home and sent it to Florida. Thomas was "lucky" enough to receive a one year unaccompanied tour to Honduras. At the stage Jaxon was in parenting was unbelievably challenging. He would tantrum, bitting, hitting, kicking, and screaming for hours on end. The childcare center on Camp Humphreys had brought concerns to our attention about his behavior and speech, but we were blissfully prideful and just believed he was suffering from the inevitable terrible-twos.
Having no discernible home to go to in the U.S. I reviewed Air BnB's and to my dismay found the areas I wanted to live to be the maximum of our housing allowance. I wanted to be closer to my sister and mom, and was looking mainly in Tampa/St. Petersburg. After many discussions Thomas and I decided I would live in a wonderful house in Tampa for two months, maxing out our housing allowance. Then I would move into the parents condo with Kayla right down the street from the Veterans Affairs hospital and University of South Florida campus.
The rental house was definitely something to look forward too. On the Hillsborough river this huge house owner by college professors had been renovated into an upscale duplex. The main side of the house where Jaxon and I stayed was beautifully designed with Swedish influences. It was minimalistic, without even a tv. The deck stepped down to a large unground pool, and down the hill you could take out kayaks at your leisure. My mom came over every week and taught Jaxon how to swim. I LOVED this house!!
It was lonely though hoping for visitors, and having only a toddler to talk too. A toddler who didn't really talk too much. Family took note of his insane temper tantrums and lack of age appropriate language skills. I took Jaxon for an evaluation at the USF Silver Center. After his evaluation the professionals laid it out for me pretty simply. Jaxon had a servere expressive delay and a mild receptive delay. His tantrums were thought to be result of early speculated Autism. Since Jaxon was so young, under three at the time, doctors were hesitant to diagnosis him. We started doing speech too days a week, and almost every appointment he had a full tantrum refusing to get out of the car or an absolute meltdown not wanting to leave the office. It was exhausting, it was demoralizing, but it was necessary.
I put Jaxon in part-time preschool on Macdill Air Force Base to give myself a break a couple hours a day. With this extra time I began a short stint as a volunteer at the Tampa Bay Humane Society. It was like magic that a beautiful Belgian Shepherd showed up, and we gave her a forever home. Although she saved me more than I saved her. Beauty came with me to run and meditate a couple days a week. She was my loyal companion exploring the beaches of the peninsula Macdill AFB resides on. I learned she is an amazing swimmer. I think Beauty's love gave me the courage to start studying for the Law School Assessment test. After we ran shed lay down next to me, and I self-studied six months away. Working on my logical thinking and analytical reasoning. I took the LSAT December 2016, amidst the chaos of being a "single" mom.
I have my sister and my parents to thank for that. My sister is an amazing aunt. Like A-mazingly different than the average young adult. She was happier spending time with her "much" older sister and tantrum having nephew on the regular. She babysat, but more than that she played with him. She is imaginative and kind, and could just Loe herself in the joy of being with him. When I was absolutely losing my mind she would tap-me-out and step in like a sister wife, step-mom, life saver.
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