I have to brag...

we went to a back to school party yesterday. Helen went and swam and played and I didn't see her most of the afternoon. No sulking, pouting, grazing on chips, sitting with the grownups.........NO DRAMA!!!!!!!! She had FUN, and politely thanked her hosts for inviting her as we left. And got invited to two sleepovers. WHAT????? And she WANTS to play field hockey today!!!! WHAT???!!! Thank you, Dr. Mahajaan; thank you, Kennedy Krieger; thank you Metadate and Zoloft!!!!! I love you all!

Tomorrow is the first day of school and I am feeling very optimistic about this coming school year. I think Helen is going to bloom and shine for fifth grade!!!

THURSDAY/13

1. I overslept this morning- good thing I am not really in a hurry.

2. The alarm clock didn't go off.

3. Shouldn't complain- got the clock for $3, 8 years ago.

4. Guess that means a Target stop this weekend.

5. I need something battery operated (as I end up on the couch a lot, I need portable) and loud.

6. No, it isn't because David kicked me out of bed.

7. I have always had sleeping issues.........

8. Now the dogs feel the need to wake me up most nights.

9. Once I am up, I am up for a while......

10. Just am afraid of falling asleep on the sofa and staying there until 7 or 8 am.

11. My sofa is pretty comfy, at least!

12. Ice cream social for the school is tonight.

13. Helen and Zachary have been asking since the end of July "when is the ice cream social?"......should be fun!

Wordless Wednesday

nags head, july 2009- photo by david, shot with hogla/processed at home

Last Day of Summer (for teacher)

Even thought I do not have students I go back tomorrow. As usual, I did not do everything I had planned to do this summer, but that is OK. We still had a busy, fun summer. Much relaxing..... Of course, it is also time to count my blessings:

1. I have great co-workers and the best teacher's aide anyone could ever hope for.

2. My kids are healthy and strong.

3. Helen is finally getting what she needs and I am starting to get my child back.

4. I have a home that is safe, warm (or cool, as the a/c is working) and dry. There are doors, windows, a roof and a floor.....

5. My husband loves me.

6. We have plenty of food.

7. I live in a country where I can wear shorts if I want, go outside without a male escort and I can worship how I want.

8. Things just always seem to work out.

God is indeed good.......

Holy Crap, Bat Man!

I am always amazed and overwhelmed by how much crap my kids accumulate (which is funny seeing how I never buy them anything, according to them). I went school supply shopping and decided to attack the Target bags piled up in the corner and start organizing back packs..... then that turned into trying to find homes for everything else in the dining room! Let me just say, there is not enough room in my house for everything they want to keep. Time to purge again. Get out the big black trash bags (because you know if they see what you are throwing away, it was their favoritest thing ever).

In this house we all have a tendency to abandon what we are not using rather than deal with it. And then it sits for about three months, until we forget why we had it in the first place, or it is completely wrapped in dog fur. I always say I will do better- I purge, clean and put away. It lasts about 3 1/2 minutes and then wham!- another mess.

But I came up with a brilliant plan to solve one problem we have here...... socks! I will spend a few minutes every Sunday doing one thing, if nothing else....... making sure there are 5 pairs of white socks for each child in a basket DOWNSTAIRS. Not in the their bedrooms, not in the sock drawer. Why? Because they get dressed and then come downstairs without their socks every single day. Then I have to send them up for socks, they spend 10 minutes in their rooms and return to the foyer with no socks. I have to go upstairs, mad and late, to discover there aren't any in the drawer any way! Not this year!!!!!!! I will buy 3 times as many socks as I think I need and maybe I can scrape together 5 pairs for each child every Sunday. This doesn't solve my storage crisis, but at least maybe there will be no sock drama this year.

13 13 13 13 13 13 13

1. There is dog fur everywhere in my house and it is driving me crazy.

2. There is paper everywhere in my house and it is driving me crazy.

3. Helen is out of Ritalin and SHE is driving me crazy.

4. I am ready to get back to my work, but also overwhelmed by all that I have to do.

5. I hate running errands with my kids.

6. A newborn and toddler were easier. Really.

7. You give the baby a bottle, it goes to sleep; you give the toddler a sippy cup and a baggie of goldfish and they are occupied.

8. Big kids ask for crap they don't need, tell you they are hungry when they are not, fight with each other, feed off each other......

9. No wonder I am out of coffee, laundry detergent, trash bags, groceries.......

10. And if I do make it to the store, I forget everything I went for because I had to look at everything they want to look at!

11. Did I mention there is dog fur everywhere?

12. Where did I put that lint brush?

13. Probably under a pile of paper.......

Wordless Wednesday

My house in February 2010- a distant memory in these 95+ degree days!

Why Being a Boy Can Totally Suck

I have a son. And a husband. I like men. Sue me..... But raising a son has its challenges. Case in point- Superheroes (read article). This article tells us that superheroes are not good role models. Um, DUH! Yet go down the "boy aisle" in any toy department. What will you see? Batman, Spider Man, some very unattractive action figure guys with huge arms and feet, but a surprisingly tiny head. Or how about some of the characters on tv? Well, Disney has Hannah Montana (a girl) with an idiot brother; Nickelodeon has iCarly (girl) with an idiot brother. (Although, I must say I love Freddie, who is nice and smart and my son thinks he is cool). So my son has the options of Unattainable Superhero, or idiot brother as role models.

I was very happy to see that Zsu Zsu pets (those little hamsters) have branched out into some boyish hamsters and accessories. But, just a few short years ago I had a very hard time finding toys for Zachary. He wanted "real" things- a house, a farm, a post office, etc. He had outgrown Little People, but still wanted to have things he could relate to- a pick up truck, a Dad, a lawnmower..... I found these things, but they were all PINK AND PURPLE! Helen had a petting farm set that was a hit with everyone in the play group, not just the girls. Why did Fisher Price decide to make it aqua and pink? Not that I cared if my son played with a pink truck, but that really limits the market, don't you think? How many folks would go out and buy these pink toys for their 3 sons?

My biggest argument is that raising a son is hard. I am trying to grow a man. He needs to role play things that are REAL to him. Girls play Mommy, they dress up like grown women, they aspire to become like Mom. They are given playthings to do this. Boys want to be like the men they know and desire to become. And what do we give them- unintelligent slackers on tv and Superheroes they will never be, no matter how hard they try? Sure, Superhero play is important, but so is role playing. No wonder they are disappointed when they grow up- they find out they will NEVER be Superman!

Last Week :0(

This is my last full week before summer break ends. Too much to do, too little time. All the projects I think I am going to get to are still widely unfinished.

My school adventure this year..... I am moving to the basement. I will share space with the after

school day care. So, I have a lot of adjusting to do. The contents of my old classroom will be moved tomorrow-----will post pictures of the process, I promise!

I am going with a sock monkey theme this year. We have a class pet, a sock monkey named Buttons. We had a regular monkey last year, but Buddy ate his face. I made ice cream social invitations to mail to my class- they feature this guy:

Sock monkey will be showing up on everything from PKA this year! I plan to scan the image in so I can use it as clip art as well.

Buddy

We are a two-dog family. I have written about my Ozzy before, but I have never introduced you to Buddy.

September of 2009 our next door neighbors rented their house. Literally to the first people they talked to. No credit check; no background check. They were drug dealers (99.8% positive). They also had two dogs- a pug mix and a Pomeranian.

It did not take long for the new neighbors (and their dogs) to wear out their welcome. They left the dogs out for days without food and water. The dogs barked and barked. And barked.

Halloween night we were all in the front yard with Ozzy, handing out candy to trick or treaters. The little Pomeranian escaped his yard and was playing with Ozzy! We tried ringing the neighbor's door bell, knocking on the door, screaming "We've got your dog!" Nothing. After we had "Whoopie" for an hour, the guy finally came outside and took him home. We were sad to see him leave. After that, we threw food over the fence when no one was looking and wondered how to save him.

The couple could not hide their fighting and bad habits. By Thanksgiving, the girl was being evicted. The boyfriend (who wanted her out of the house and off the lease) called to warn her the police coming. After she removed any "evidence" from the house, she opened the back gate and chased her dogs out of the yard and down the street. The police picked up the Pomeranian. He was at Animal Control. We wanted him.

The day Animal Control was open for viewing I left work, drove over there and went in to see if he was there. He was- they had named him Bud. I went to the desk and waited for the lady to finish her phone call. "Is it possible for me to see the Bud in kennel 4?" The lady replied, "Oh, no. He already has an owner. In fact, that was him on the phone."

"Oh. That wasn't David S. was it?" I asked. Of course, it was. He was on his way over with the checkbook. The name Buddy stuck (that is what we had called him when we didn't know his name- funny the pound called him Bud) and he has been a lively addition to our home. He and Ozzy are best friends.

Something Has Got to Give....

...besides the buttons on my pants! I have 25 days until I have students. Yes, I know I can't drop 50 pounds by then, but I can have loose pants by then. So, I have the desire, now I need the will power. I don't really have a plan. Just eat less, move more, I guess. How many calories in Parrot Bay??????

The Dungeon, I mean, Basement

I just put in an hour in the den of filth and let me just say, I have my work cut out for me. It is nasty, cluttered, dirty, you name it. I did find a home for the miscellaneous small appliances, party ware, cake pans, etc. That will be a big help when Zachary says "Mom, can you make a cheesecake?" I won't say, "As soon as I FIND the spring-form pan!" Instead I will say, "Are you insane?"

I hope to unearth my craft table and find a place for all the holiday decorations. But some things need to say "bye bye". Do I really need two sets of Christmas dishes? Why am I keeping all these

cookbooks- haven't even looked for them in two years.......? Old fabric- see ya! But I am in major need of shelving and storage. Small houses don't have a lot of storage and David has an aversion to buying anything that looks like storage. I think he just likes having it all spread out and covered in white dog fur.

Our biggest problem- we have too many hobbies. It is amazing that the two of us have children that are interested in NOTHING, mean while the basement is cluttered with craft supplies, sewing equipment, a dark room, tons of bottles and home brew supplies, home made soap, sports equipment, camping gear, books, cake decorating items, model rockets....... and it is OURS!!!!!

In my fantasy world, my laundry room would look like this:

OK- not fancy, but better than what I've got, which is depressing. Which is why we have no clean clothes........

The Countdown Continues

Less than two weeks to go. Still so many things to do....

I still want to go to the beach for a day with the kids. Maybe Rehoboth. I can be there in about 1 1/2 hours.....stay all day and then drive home. Maybe one day next week if it isn't too hot (the beach at 100 degrees is not refreshing).

Bedrooms are not painted. In my defense, I have not painted because I need too many other things for their bedrooms. Helen wants a desk; Zachary needs a new dresser..... Furniture is too darned expensive right now. These are the times I hate the missing paycheck. Business is going OK, but not that OK. No "extras" right now.

I am so behind on laundry. And I hate the laundry room. It is cluttered and dirty. There is nothing attractive about that room. So I avoid it. Yes, I know I should clean it up, but it looks like something from that show "Clean House" and I am overwhelmed by it all. I could spend DAYS down there! The kids want to have a yard sale and I just want to get rid of it all with the least amount of effort!

The kids need uniforms for school. There were no jumpers in the uniform exchange to fit Helen and those things are expensive! They both need polo shirts. Zachary's have to have the logo on them; Helen's will still be covered by the jumper, so I can cheat. Zachary needs sneakers, too. Why are kids so expensive?

And finally, I need a haircut and time (and money) to go shopping for myself. When I start to look like my mom, it is time for a haircut! I also need shoes. Have you ever googled "orthopedic dress shoes". Not pretty....... They all look like something my father in law wears. Which is ok, if you are a 70 year old man. Which I am not.

Hey, is it Thursday?

1. Got my "new" car.

2. Not many people have a car totaled and then use the insurance money to buy the same car.

3. But this one was a great deal. Plus, it is a Holy car.

4. It belonged to a Monsignor, who was gifted a new car for his 80th birthday......

5. Now, if I can just force Thing One and Thing Two to clean their messes out of the back seat.....

6. And remember the trunk is not a storage unit.....

7. Why is laundry such a pain in the ass? I still say, this was our punishment for Eve and the Apple...... if we were still nekkid- there would be no LAUNDRY!

8. I STILL want a tattoo.

9. And a vacation without my kids.

10. And a clean house.

11. Why does the dog get to sit home all day and do nothing but look out the window and nap?

12. Routines are comforting and I am ready for mine to resume. I miss work.

13. Does that officially make me nuts?

The Scary Appoinment

We have an appointment with Kennedy Krieger tomorrow. This time with the Center for Autism Related Disorders (CARD). Am I scared? Heck, yeah.

I am so convinced that she is not Autistic. But we keep getting referred back to this place. 3 different departments at Krieger have referred her. So I finally accepted the appointment. I feel like God has led us to this door and we need to open it and see what is on the other side. We will either know finally without doubt that she is not on the spectrum, or that she really is. If she isn't, we put it all behind us once and for all. If she is, we proceed to get her whatever help she needs. We were first told to rule it out 4 years ago. It is time to stop being afraid and go.

I am not sure what to expect from our appointment. That makes me nervous because I cannot prepare her, which usually doesn't go well. But for now she is satisfied that she can go to Target when it is over....... Say some extra prayers for us, will ya?

UPDATE- Helen does not meet criteria for Autism. Big sigh of relief!!!! Glad to have it behind me now and I can say she does not have an ASD!!!

Another List (cuz i know you care, lol)

1. Zachary's uniforms- he needs shorts and probably shirts, too. I will worry about pants later.

2. Zachary sneakers.

3. Zachary school supplies (he only needs a few things that I forgot to pick up).

4. Socks for both kids (don't get me started on the whole sock thing because I will get pissed off- i think they EAT their socks)

5. Underwear for Zachary- boxers or briefs this year?

6. Jumpers for Helen (because she is so tall, especially from shoulder to hip, we need to alter her jumpers)

7. Blouses for Helen.

8. Shoes for Mom (all I wear in the summer are flip flops and Converse low tops)

9. Clothes for Mom- because I looked at the pitiful state of my closet ;0(

10. New Binder for Mom- my skulls one finally fell apart

11. Pencils for Mom- I only do lesson plans in pencil and I am P-I-C-K-Y about my pencils!

Back to School

This time of year was always exciting to me as a child. New clothes, new shoes, fresh notebooks and pencils..... Some things never change. Maybe that is the real reason I wanted to teach. My children, sadly, do not share my excitement for school supplies.

Helen will be using a binder system this year. During her IEP meeting we were shown an example of a binder that a student uses at Glen Burnie Park. So we are going with that, plus when we get her schedule, we will make a cheat sheet of what she needs for classes and fix it to her desk with contact paper. I am supposed to buy a watch with an multi-alarm feature, but I am having a hard time finding one that is affordable.

I am not sure how things will be for Zachary. His supply list is very different than Helen's second grade list was. But I am excited for him- his teacher is great!

I do not have much time left to get ready and I need to get back into a routine. No more sleeping in! No more computer in the morning! I need to go shopping for myself, too. I need shoes that don't hurt my feet; I need clothes; I need to get organized........ Plus the home projects that I have not completed. Time to make some lists!

DANG!

I'm old...... I went shopping for me and in the fitting room, had a wonderful look at the wrinkles, blotchy skin, silver streaked hair and just wanted to cry. Granted, I am tired (especially today), but GAWD- I had no idea I looked so horrible. *sigh* I remember when I was young and cute......

UPDATE!

At the beginning of the summer, I decided to give an allowance to the kids. So far, the demerits do effect them, especially Zachary. He will actually do things to earn credits. If I tell him he will have demerits, he usually corrects misbehavior. Helen, not so much. She has plenty of demerits, most of them for calling people "idiots". She doesn't do much to earn more money.

So is it working? Yes and no. I am having a hard time getting them to pickup after themselves, make their beds, etc. I guess I could give demerits for not doing it, or credits for doing it... I am not really sure how to approach it. I can tell you that failure to be packed for school the day before and failing to be in the car at 7 AM will result in demerits!

Smells like Thursday

1. I have been cooking a lot the past few days.

2. This morning I made biscuits with this recipe. They were pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.

3. I made waffles yesterday and plan to make more for the freezer.

4. I'd like to have a stash of breakfast things for school mornings.

5. Helen is joining 4H.

6. Being a 4H'er myself, that is kinda fun.

7. I can't imagine my mom ever being as involved in my life as I am in my daughter's.

8. Seriously, I sometimes think I was a bit neglected. Which explains a lot. A. Lot.

9. 19 more days until teacher's go back to school.

10. I still have so many things I wanted to get done, and I am running out of time.

11. There are finally pictures hanging on the wall in the living room.

12. Now, I need curtains.

13. But that means I'd have to pick a color........

FOOD!

Now that our vacation is over, I am thinking about how we eat. David has high cholesterol and so do I. I need to lose weight; my kids prefer junk food over most other things. Gotta get serious about it.

We have been doing better, but I am leaning more and more toward REAL food. The kind that doesn't have a nutrition label, cuz God made it. Since we are dairy free (most of the time), there are some exceptions to the use of processed products. In fact, not all processing is bad. You wouldn't say no to canned tomatoes in the middle of January, right?

So I am going to try something. I know I cannot commit to using ONLY whole foods, local foods, etc. I have kids who are very active- they play sports, they go to parties. Very hard to control all foods they eat without support (which I would have very little of). But, I can control what is in this house and what they take to school. Zachary will be a bit easier than his sister to get on board. He is picky, but he doesn't have the food anxiety that Helen has.

I will be using whole grain pastas and whole wheat flour. I will not buy food in a box. The hardest part will be beverages. I hate water and so do my kids. I will drink iced tea, but I am Southern, dang it. I need me some sugar in it. Hold the lemon. A Diet Coke is also lovely. And my coffee like I like my men- hot and sweet........ Plus I just crave dessert......... And rum. My children do not like vegetables, rice, beans, etc. They like anything better when battered and fried. So I have my work cut out for me.

For inspiration:

http://thefoodillusion.wordpress.com/

http://michaelpollan.com/articles/