Just started a new anti-depressant. Which meant I had to wean off of my old one. Big mistake. Oh man, was I sick!!! Even following the doctor's suggestions, I got so sick this weekend. I was a little dizzy/nauseuos Saturday (my first day off the meds altogether) and then really bad all day Sunday. I started the new med this morning around 10:30 and gradually started feeling better this afternoon, but even now I can't stay on the computer long. Moving my eyes made me feel as if my brain was two steps behind. I spent all of Sunday on the couch because I couldn't move my head. I started feeling what I called brain spasms (like muscle spasms but in my brain) - electic shock-like feelings that started in my brain and made my whole body jump and feel tingly (and not in a good way). This morning it was to the point that I would feel that up to two or three a MINUTE!
For the record: Effexor is not fun to wean off of.
Have to get off the computer now before I throw up. Will be back on later after I lay down.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Thursday Thirteen
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1. Cleared off my computer armoire 2. Moved the computer and armoire upstairs into our bedroom 3. Cleaned out the hall closet (didn't really had a choice - had to empty it out when moving the armoire so we could make it up the stairs) 4. Set up all the organizers in our new shed and put stuff back in (okay, DH did MOST of this, but I helped!) 5. Rearranged the backyard stuff so it looked a little nicer with our new purchases in it. 6. Cleaned out the dining room furniture (a friend was able to use it so she picked it up - yes!) 7. Found someone to take our LARGE mirror that we no longer wanted (it was five feet by six feet - and I actually found five different people on Freecycle that wanted it!) 8. Went to Ikea (with DH and all five kids - can't get over how many times we got asked, "Are they all yours?!!" I guess that's because they're all so young, and my niece and nephew are clearly biracial, but the looks of shock get old after a while.) to get the new furniture for the dining room and entranceway that we are creating. 9. Worked with DH to put together said furniture late into the night. I have been really doing well getting to bed at a decent hour (well, at least for two nights in a row), but that was shot to hell last night - but the dining room table, six chairs, large bookcase, and coat closet/wardrobe are all together and look great). 10. Brought numerous boxes of stuff to local thrift store. 11. Ordered a laptop on-line at Best Buy (but now have to figure out how to return it or cancel the on-line purchase since I found a better sale price at Circuit City). 12. Cleared out three laundry baskets worth of accumlated junk from various stash and dash runs around the house before company came over. 13. Met with financial planner (free initial consultation) to discuss best ways to begin saving for retirement, kids' education, emergency funds, etc. Not too shabby, eh? It's great splitting the responsiblities with the kids over the summer! And next week is best of all - DH will be in charge of all five kids all week!!! This was a gift to me, and I'm gladly accepting it. :) Now I just have to make sure I make really good use of it. The house is still in a state of flux, and there's a lot more that I want to do to it. I feel (rightfully so) like the summer is the only time that I can really get anything accomplished so I need to make the most of it. I have not been checking in to different blogs as much as I'd like, though tried to get to a bunch of the Works for Me Wednesday posts as I could on Rocks in my Dryer. I'm thrilled that my friend at Chaotic Home is finally getting a chance to blog again. I now have all my blogs up on bloglines and am loving being able to see at a glance which of my favorite blogs have new posts. Alright, have to get ready to go tutor this afternoon. I'm tired. Maybe I should take a quick nap first? That always just makes me feel more tired. Hmmm...what to do? Probably just take a nap. Story of my life, end up doing what feels good first instead of what's good for me. I'm working on it - but right now I'm just really tired! |
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Works-For-Me Wednesday
My daughter J had her first bad dream a few weeks ago, and it so traumatized her that she couldn't fall asleep for several days, and once she did, she couldn't stay asleep. We ultimately found a cure that allowed her to relax enough to go to sleep. Grabbing a can of room deoderizer spray, I told J that I found a can of "No Bad Dream spray." Each night before she goes to bed I spray the No Bad Dream spray right by her crib as she says "No bad dreams." That protects her from any bad dreams that might pop into her mind. I also had her select a stuffed animal that she could keep next to her (she chose Simba from the Lion King) just in case a bad dream does scare her - Simba will scare it away.
My four year old boys liked the idea so much I now have to spray the No Bad Dream Spray in their room before they go to bed, too.
Hey, whatever works, right?!!
Check out more great ideas at Rocks in Her Dryer.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Fresh Start
I just sometimes feel like in the middle of chaos and stress, we just need a fresh start. So today is mine.
We now have the computer armoire and computer up in our room - wow, that sure made the playroom look a lot bigger - so I'm able to do some work without the kids literally hanging on my arms. That's nice. I have a lot to do, since DH is in charge of the kids all day Monday and Wednesday (I was in charge last week for those two days, so now it's his turn), so I want to be sure to get it all done.
Part of what I need to do (and I've said it before) is get to bed on time. It's hard to get caught up in doing stuff and then realize that it's after 11 and to "start fresh" as you had intended the next day you would need to get up by 7 and you MUST work on getting at least 8 hours of sleep.
My friend came to get the dining room furniture yesterday afternoon, which is great because now I can go get our new DR furniture, but it meant that I had to quickly unload everything still left in and on the old furniture. I know, I should have had it totally cleaned out already, but I didn't. Yep, I'm the Queen of Procrastination. Ellen should dub me that to make it official. Anyway, because I ended up having to do a rush job on that, I then needed extra time (and lots of it) to sort through it all. Thus I ended up awake for a long time, boxing up stuff to take to a local thrift store, throwing stuff away, and finding new homes for other stuff. It was a lot more stuff than I realized, and I had already gone through a lot! I didn't get to bed until 12. Dumb.
So here's my plan for the day:
1) Bring LOTS of boxes to the thrift store to get them out of the house. And I do mean lots. I believe I counted ten, plus a few things that wouldn't fit. Woohoo!!!
2) Go to IKEA (my favorite store) to get the dining room table, new bookcase, and coat wardrobe to be delivered hopefully tomorrow. Once we set up the bookcase and the wardrobe I can put the things that belong in there away and out of the temporary places they now are. That will feel great.
3) Buy a laptop for downstairs. Poor A has been asking since Saturday morning if it is here yet - he is clearly going through computer withdrawal. I hate to be there when he finds out that we're not hooking it up to the internet anytime soon. Should be fun.
4) Work in the bedroom at sorting through all the papers and crap that I cleared off my computer armoire when I brought it upstairs.
5) And this is the most important one = GO TO BED BY 10!
We now have the computer armoire and computer up in our room - wow, that sure made the playroom look a lot bigger - so I'm able to do some work without the kids literally hanging on my arms. That's nice. I have a lot to do, since DH is in charge of the kids all day Monday and Wednesday (I was in charge last week for those two days, so now it's his turn), so I want to be sure to get it all done.
Part of what I need to do (and I've said it before) is get to bed on time. It's hard to get caught up in doing stuff and then realize that it's after 11 and to "start fresh" as you had intended the next day you would need to get up by 7 and you MUST work on getting at least 8 hours of sleep.
My friend came to get the dining room furniture yesterday afternoon, which is great because now I can go get our new DR furniture, but it meant that I had to quickly unload everything still left in and on the old furniture. I know, I should have had it totally cleaned out already, but I didn't. Yep, I'm the Queen of Procrastination. Ellen should dub me that to make it official. Anyway, because I ended up having to do a rush job on that, I then needed extra time (and lots of it) to sort through it all. Thus I ended up awake for a long time, boxing up stuff to take to a local thrift store, throwing stuff away, and finding new homes for other stuff. It was a lot more stuff than I realized, and I had already gone through a lot! I didn't get to bed until 12. Dumb.
So here's my plan for the day:
1) Bring LOTS of boxes to the thrift store to get them out of the house. And I do mean lots. I believe I counted ten, plus a few things that wouldn't fit. Woohoo!!!
2) Go to IKEA (my favorite store) to get the dining room table, new bookcase, and coat wardrobe to be delivered hopefully tomorrow. Once we set up the bookcase and the wardrobe I can put the things that belong in there away and out of the temporary places they now are. That will feel great.
3) Buy a laptop for downstairs. Poor A has been asking since Saturday morning if it is here yet - he is clearly going through computer withdrawal. I hate to be there when he finds out that we're not hooking it up to the internet anytime soon. Should be fun.
4) Work in the bedroom at sorting through all the papers and crap that I cleared off my computer armoire when I brought it upstairs.
5) And this is the most important one = GO TO BED BY 10!
Friday, July 21, 2006
I'm Rubber-Mom!
I'm feeling like I'm being pulled in so many different directions that I have bolted my feet to the ground and am not moving anywhere.
Is that a picture or what?!
This happens a lot with me. I just get overwhelmed and shut down. Distracted by all the numerous things I need to do I end up doing nothing at all. ARGH!
And I know what to do about it. Make a list, set the timer for fifteen minutes, and work my way down the list. Blah, blah, blah. And when I'm done this post, that's what I'm going to do because otherwise I just can't cope. And I know there's a lot going on right now. But there's always a lot going on. And I know of many other people who have it worse off than me. And many of the things that are pulling me are really good things, but they are still things I need to/want to/feel like I should do.
I was given specific things to implement for A last week. One of them is a visual schedule with very specific things listed so he can check them off. For those of you that follow FLYlady this would be like a mini control journal for both daily chores broken down, things like "Get Dressed" with steps written underneath ("Get naked", "Put on shirt", "Put on pull-up", etc.). This would probably be best in laminated sheets for each upstairs job held together with a ring. I'd say use this with a dry-erase marker for him to cross off as he goes, but he's likely to color the walls and himself with it, so that might not work. Plus, if I make something like this for him, B and J will want one for themselves so they don't feel left out, so I need to make one for them. I was originally planning on making a poster to put on the wall with our daily routine, each thing velcroed on so it can be moved around. I might still do this. The indecision is making it difficult to move forward.
I am trying to clean out two different areas in the kids' playroom to free up space. With both of them I'm kind of at a loss as to where else to put the stuff, so I'm frozen there. I know that I can't organize clutter, and I'm trying to get rid of as much as I can, just have to sort through it all to do that.
We just got a new shed and large wooden pirate ship for the kids in the backyard. I'm THRILLED about that, but now I feel that I need to work some in my backyard to make sure things get moved into a logical, nice looking spot. As I write this, DH is digging up a small bush so he can move some large stone slabs that were found under the old shed (probably being used for a foundation) in one spot where we can put our trash cans. He also just laid some down for the BBQ. This morning he hung up hooks in the shed and put back all of our gardening tools so they were off the ground - they look great. I'm trying to focus on the inside of the house this summer but there are so many things outside that need to get attended to as well!
If you saw my Thursday Thirteen list from yesterday you read all the different projects I'm attempting to complete in the next two weeks. Enough said about that!
And then there's just the regular daily stuff that has to get done here, like the laundry, the cooking and clean up, the balancing of the checkbook and the paying of the bills, the vacumming the DR/LR so the food crumbs/chunks don't take over the house - the boring never-ending stuff that has to get done whether we like or not!
I have to make a list, prioritize it, and figure out how to do it. But I feel like that's as far as I get every day! So here goes....
Is that a picture or what?!
This happens a lot with me. I just get overwhelmed and shut down. Distracted by all the numerous things I need to do I end up doing nothing at all. ARGH!
And I know what to do about it. Make a list, set the timer for fifteen minutes, and work my way down the list. Blah, blah, blah. And when I'm done this post, that's what I'm going to do because otherwise I just can't cope. And I know there's a lot going on right now. But there's always a lot going on. And I know of many other people who have it worse off than me. And many of the things that are pulling me are really good things, but they are still things I need to/want to/feel like I should do.
I was given specific things to implement for A last week. One of them is a visual schedule with very specific things listed so he can check them off. For those of you that follow FLYlady this would be like a mini control journal for both daily chores broken down, things like "Get Dressed" with steps written underneath ("Get naked", "Put on shirt", "Put on pull-up", etc.). This would probably be best in laminated sheets for each upstairs job held together with a ring. I'd say use this with a dry-erase marker for him to cross off as he goes, but he's likely to color the walls and himself with it, so that might not work. Plus, if I make something like this for him, B and J will want one for themselves so they don't feel left out, so I need to make one for them. I was originally planning on making a poster to put on the wall with our daily routine, each thing velcroed on so it can be moved around. I might still do this. The indecision is making it difficult to move forward.
I am trying to clean out two different areas in the kids' playroom to free up space. With both of them I'm kind of at a loss as to where else to put the stuff, so I'm frozen there. I know that I can't organize clutter, and I'm trying to get rid of as much as I can, just have to sort through it all to do that.
We just got a new shed and large wooden pirate ship for the kids in the backyard. I'm THRILLED about that, but now I feel that I need to work some in my backyard to make sure things get moved into a logical, nice looking spot. As I write this, DH is digging up a small bush so he can move some large stone slabs that were found under the old shed (probably being used for a foundation) in one spot where we can put our trash cans. He also just laid some down for the BBQ. This morning he hung up hooks in the shed and put back all of our gardening tools so they were off the ground - they look great. I'm trying to focus on the inside of the house this summer but there are so many things outside that need to get attended to as well!
If you saw my Thursday Thirteen list from yesterday you read all the different projects I'm attempting to complete in the next two weeks. Enough said about that!
And then there's just the regular daily stuff that has to get done here, like the laundry, the cooking and clean up, the balancing of the checkbook and the paying of the bills, the vacumming the DR/LR so the food crumbs/chunks don't take over the house - the boring never-ending stuff that has to get done whether we like or not!
I have to make a list, prioritize it, and figure out how to do it. But I feel like that's as far as I get every day! So here goes....
Thursday, July 20, 2006
To the Rude Man at the Library Today
What were you thinking when you interrupted my tutoring session to ask my student if he needed a lawyer? Did you think this was cute? I thought you were joking at first. After all, it takes awhile for this particular student to loosen up each lesson, so I do tend to ask a lot of questions in the beginning and get minimal response each time. But no, you soon made it clear that you were not joking when you replied that it sounds like an interrogation and that I needed to "lighten up." Are you a teacher? Do you understand the idea of having a student reach a conclusion by leading them towards it through questioning? Did you realize that I was not accusing the child of "cheating" as you declared but merely trying to get him to explain how he did his revisions since I didn't see them? Were you having a bad day? Had you recently been accused of cheating and now see it everywhere you go? I am trying so hard to understand why you felt the need to confront me while I was TEACHING but I'm really drawing a blank. In any case, as I said to you as you walked away, cursing my teaching ability, thank you for your opinion. In the future, could you please write it down and pass it to me AFTER my tutoring session? You see, I'm trying to encourage this particular student to write, so I want him to see how writing can and SHOULD be used in the real world. So next time you feel so inclined, please put your criticsm in writing and I'll get to it as soon as I can.
Thank you,
The Teacher you tore into this afternoon
Thank you,
The Teacher you tore into this afternoon
Thursday Thirteen
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Since my wonderful husband is home over the summer, I have more time than I do during the school year to get some things accomplished at home (since we share the responsiblibity of watching all the kids when he is home). As a birthday present DH gave me a full week to do whatever I wanted and I'm using it the first week of August. So....since I have declared this to be the summer of the house, here's what I plan to get done: 1. Clear out scrap area in playroom to ultimately put laptop there for kids to use. 2. Purchase said laptop. 3. Find and buy suitable chair for that area. 4. Move computer and armoire upstairs to our bedroom. 5. Clean off top of computer armoire to prepare for that move. 6. Find and buy appropriate organization system for our brand new shed (woohoo!) 7. Rearrange backyard furniture and toys. 8. Decide upon colors and purchase paints and supplies for painting party on August 5th (there's still time to RSVP if you're local and want to help - just let me know!!!). 9. Spackle and prime dining room (need to cover dark green paint currently on there). 10. Clean out downstairs hall closet so handyman can install shelves. 11. Clean out pantry so handyman can install additional shelf. 12. Find and buy new kitchen cabinet and drawer handles. 13. Take off kitchen cabinets and prep for paint (clean and fill holes from yucky handles). How sad is it that I still have a ton more that I could add to this list? Okay, that is alright. I need to continue my basic daily routines at the same time so the house doesn't fall apart completely while I'm improving it, so if I have too many things I'm trying to get done ultimately nothing will get done. |
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Works-For-Me Wednesday
Always dieting (or so it feels) I often find myself craving a substantial snack between lunch and dinner. I found one that I love! I took a fat-free yogurt and stuck it in the freezer. Poof - a cup of frozen yogurt. I know, seems pretty obvious, and many of you may have already figured this one out, but it was new to me! It took a while to eat (definitely a plus for me) and tasted similar to ice cream (well, I can pretend). Hope you like it!
Go check out more ideas at Rocks in my Dryer.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Tuesday To Do
One of the strategies we came up with at A's IEP was to have a very specific schedule posted so he could clearly see things like when he was allowed on the computer so he wouldn't ask us about playing on the computer twenty times a day. I had created a schedule last year that I had in a pocket chart, each task on a separate card so we could move them around as needed, but I haven't really been keeping it up-to-date. This one is going to be velcroed (making it harder for Miss J to knock the cards out) and laminated (making it harder for the boys to fold up each card as the mood hits them. I think it will be really good for each of us. So that's something I plan on working on today.
We ordered a new, much larger shed back in May and the guys are here right now to 1) tear down the eyesore of a shed that is there now (that my wonderful husband emptied yesterday in the heat) and 2) put down the stone foundation in preparation for the new shed to arrive tomorrow. We also got a wooden pirate ship for the kids to climb on, and they are both arriving tomorrow. Cannot wait!!!
I actually went to the gym yesterday AND watched what I ate all day, and this morning actually saw a difference when I took my clothes off to jump in the shower. I'm not saying I looked incredible all of a sudden, but I could see (and feel) a difference in my body. It should have inspired me to get to the gym again this morning, as I had planned, but J was up a lot again last night ("I have to pee!" "I want to sleep in your bed!" "Will you rock with me?") and my period started today (sorry if it's TMI, but it played a big part in my decision) so I decided to hold off until tomorrow. My head hurts a lot from lack of sleep and my body isn't feeling that great from cramps. But I DO plan to go tomorrow.
Ooooo - they just knocked over the whole shed. So cool!
Okay, I'm going to go fold laundry and then rearrange my bedroom furniture (the boys are at a two hour art camp for the week and the baby is sleeping, so with just J around I should be able to get a lot done!) to accomodate possibly bringing our computer armoire upstairs to free up more space in the playroom for the kids to play. J is happily playing with the playdough, loving the fact that she has all the playdough toys to herself ("I need the rolling pin because I need it!"), so I should be good for a little. Here goes!
We ordered a new, much larger shed back in May and the guys are here right now to 1) tear down the eyesore of a shed that is there now (that my wonderful husband emptied yesterday in the heat) and 2) put down the stone foundation in preparation for the new shed to arrive tomorrow. We also got a wooden pirate ship for the kids to climb on, and they are both arriving tomorrow. Cannot wait!!!
I actually went to the gym yesterday AND watched what I ate all day, and this morning actually saw a difference when I took my clothes off to jump in the shower. I'm not saying I looked incredible all of a sudden, but I could see (and feel) a difference in my body. It should have inspired me to get to the gym again this morning, as I had planned, but J was up a lot again last night ("I have to pee!" "I want to sleep in your bed!" "Will you rock with me?") and my period started today (sorry if it's TMI, but it played a big part in my decision) so I decided to hold off until tomorrow. My head hurts a lot from lack of sleep and my body isn't feeling that great from cramps. But I DO plan to go tomorrow.
Ooooo - they just knocked over the whole shed. So cool!
Okay, I'm going to go fold laundry and then rearrange my bedroom furniture (the boys are at a two hour art camp for the week and the baby is sleeping, so with just J around I should be able to get a lot done!) to accomodate possibly bringing our computer armoire upstairs to free up more space in the playroom for the kids to play. J is happily playing with the playdough, loving the fact that she has all the playdough toys to herself ("I need the rolling pin because I need it!"), so I should be good for a little. Here goes!
Monday, July 17, 2006
I'm Baaa-aaaack!
Did you miss me?
In my car ride home by myself from the Jersey Shore today (about two hours), I decided that I need to express when I'm proud of myself in addition to when I'm having pity parties. So...here are a couple things that I'm really proud of myself about:
1) I made the drive down the shore and back by myself. I have never really done a long car trip like that by myself before. I did it and I didn't panic or feel weird. It was actually kind of fun.
2) I went to this fabulous weekend of scrapbooking knowing no one else who was going to be there. I had met the consultant who was hosting once before, and know others who know who well, but that was it. This is a feat that would have been literally unimaginable before I had kids. Before kids, entering a room of people by myself - even if I KNEW most of them - was so difficult I would become almost physically ill. I had a great time getting to know the three other women there this weekend and did not even awkward or weird - it was very relaxing and fun!
That being said, I did something very stupid when preparing for my weekend. I forgot to pack my pills (anti-depressants). When I miss a dose, I know by the afternoon because I begin to get dizzy. It gets worse as the day goes on. So by Saturday afternoon I was not feeling so great. I had to drive home on Sunday like that. It was okay with my eyes facing forward but kind of nauseating when I had to look around a little. I did make it home okay, took a pill, and laid down on the couch until the kids and DH got back home.
They were all so excited to see me (luckily J did not stick her nose up in the air to show how mad she was that I left her for the weekend). We sat down and I showed the book for 2005 that I finished while there - they loved it! It was so nice to get such incredible appreciation for the time I put into the book.
So I'm home and ready to start a new week. I had lots of time to think while driving and I am recommitted to losing weight. Fresh week - here we go!
In my car ride home by myself from the Jersey Shore today (about two hours), I decided that I need to express when I'm proud of myself in addition to when I'm having pity parties. So...here are a couple things that I'm really proud of myself about:
1) I made the drive down the shore and back by myself. I have never really done a long car trip like that by myself before. I did it and I didn't panic or feel weird. It was actually kind of fun.
2) I went to this fabulous weekend of scrapbooking knowing no one else who was going to be there. I had met the consultant who was hosting once before, and know others who know who well, but that was it. This is a feat that would have been literally unimaginable before I had kids. Before kids, entering a room of people by myself - even if I KNEW most of them - was so difficult I would become almost physically ill. I had a great time getting to know the three other women there this weekend and did not even awkward or weird - it was very relaxing and fun!
That being said, I did something very stupid when preparing for my weekend. I forgot to pack my pills (anti-depressants). When I miss a dose, I know by the afternoon because I begin to get dizzy. It gets worse as the day goes on. So by Saturday afternoon I was not feeling so great. I had to drive home on Sunday like that. It was okay with my eyes facing forward but kind of nauseating when I had to look around a little. I did make it home okay, took a pill, and laid down on the couch until the kids and DH got back home.
They were all so excited to see me (luckily J did not stick her nose up in the air to show how mad she was that I left her for the weekend). We sat down and I showed the book for 2005 that I finished while there - they loved it! It was so nice to get such incredible appreciation for the time I put into the book.
So I'm home and ready to start a new week. I had lots of time to think while driving and I am recommitted to losing weight. Fresh week - here we go!
Friday, July 14, 2006
The IEP
A's IEP went great. It took us two hours, but we came away with something that will provide him with an itinerant teacher in his classroom twice a week, forty-five minutes each time, physical therapy once a week to work on gross motor skills, social skills group once a week, and an OT that will consult with both his teacher and us on how to help improve his sensory issues both at school and at home. We got information on how to make social stories to teach him appropriate behaviors (ie. it's not okay to go up to strange woman and grab their breasts), and advice on how to make the various schedules and chore charts we've been trying even more effective for A. The only thing we couldn't get written in is the potty training. They gave me some new stategies to try out (observe him for a week to figure out how often he pees/poops and when to get a baseline and then work on bringing him to the potty at those times, provide him with support while on the toilet with handles or something for him to hang on to so he has more stability while sitting) but told me that it's not something they can help with directly. They did tell me that he won't be turned away from Kindergarten if he is still in diapers (uh, great, but I want this resolved before then!) and that if we qualify for medical assistance (which is simply because he has a disability) it should pay for his diapers.
Bottom line, I think it was an extremely productive meeting and I feel really good about it. I will be receiving weekly updates as well as quarterly reports, so we'll see how he's progressing.
As for me, I have to get off the computer so I can start getting ready for my scrap weekend at the shore. Are ya' jealous?!! I'm quite excited!!! I'm taking the kids to the gym in a little (the boys first time there) so I can work out for a little bit (I'm REALLY tyring to get back into that being a habit) and them I'm taking them all with me to A.C. Moore (a local craft store) so I can stock up on stuff I need. Hopefully the kids will behave there!
I'll be back on Sunday. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Bottom line, I think it was an extremely productive meeting and I feel really good about it. I will be receiving weekly updates as well as quarterly reports, so we'll see how he's progressing.
As for me, I have to get off the computer so I can start getting ready for my scrap weekend at the shore. Are ya' jealous?!! I'm quite excited!!! I'm taking the kids to the gym in a little (the boys first time there) so I can work out for a little bit (I'm REALLY tyring to get back into that being a habit) and them I'm taking them all with me to A.C. Moore (a local craft store) so I can stock up on stuff I need. Hopefully the kids will behave there!
I'll be back on Sunday. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Thursday Thirteen
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1. After waiting and waiting and waiting, we have A's IEP meeting today. I hope we are able to agree on good goals for him and are able to get all of his needs addressed. 2. I will be leaving tomorrow afternoon for a scrap weekend down the shore!!! The consultant who is running it will be making all of the food, we will be staying at her beach house which is across the street from the beach, I will have my own room - it sounds perfect! 3. My husband is home for the summer. 4. My husband agrees that watching the kids is a full-time job. 5. After being in charge of all five kids all day, DH expresses exhaustion and amazement that I do this every day. Hee hee hee. Glad he feels that way! 6. After describing all the different jobs I do around the house in addition to watching the kids, DH and I are working on different things each night to make the next day easier. I'm in charge of prepping the next day's dinner and he's now in charge of making the kids' breakfasts and lunches for the next day. And he's doing it without me nagging - sweet! 7. DH and I are on the same page with disciplining the kids. B just knocked over DN-A's Lego creation (we've been working on the rule that the kids are not allowed to knock over other people's stuff) so I sent him to time out. When he trudged into the living room where DH was sitting, he instructed B to sit down on the chair without missing a beat, even though he didn't even know what B did. 8. J is potty trained. 9. So is B. 10. We have A's IEP today and MAYBE will get some help written in with his potty training! 11. We got an appointment for a developmental pediatrician for A that is only three months away. 12. The archway between the living room and dining room has been widened and gives us a lot more room! 13. I went to my first Mothers and More meeting last night as co-leader - I LOVE that the position is CO-leader and that the other co-leader has been doing this for six months already. Very nice. |
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Asperger's, Twins, Emotional Eating, and Banishing Nightmares
So I couldn't think of a real good title - that about sums it up!
Read a book last night called Eating an Artichoke: A Mother's Perspective on Asperger Syndrome by Echo R. Fling. Could not put it down. I identified with so much in the book. It made me realize how lucky we are that A has a twin. He would be that kid on the playground hanging out with the grown-ups or playing by himself if not for B. While A rarely initiates pretend play, he will do it if B pulls him into it. And he has learned so much socialization just from having another kid the same age always there.
But the book also left me feeling kind of numb. Kind of sad. Kind of seeking out food (yeah, I'm an emotional eater).
We have A's IEP tomorrow at 11. I cannot wait to get the ball rolling on this! I contacted CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphi) which on its web site has an incredible description of all they could do. Unfortunately, not only do they have an EIGHTEEN MONTH wait, they have an age cut-off of no older than 3 years, 11 months. A missed that deadline by five months! Luckily I received a return call from another highly recommended Developmental Pediatrician for an October appointment. Since the appointment we got at DuPont isn't until January, I'm jumping on this one! Who knows - maybe I should keep them both to get two more opinions?
Okay, need to get to bed.
And for anyone who's curious - J slept through the night completely last night. The "No Bad Dream spray" along with her small lamp being turned on along with her large stuffed Simba in her crib by her head to protect her apparently did the trick. Of course, she refused to nap today, but that's another story . . .
Read a book last night called Eating an Artichoke: A Mother's Perspective on Asperger Syndrome by Echo R. Fling. Could not put it down. I identified with so much in the book. It made me realize how lucky we are that A has a twin. He would be that kid on the playground hanging out with the grown-ups or playing by himself if not for B. While A rarely initiates pretend play, he will do it if B pulls him into it. And he has learned so much socialization just from having another kid the same age always there.
But the book also left me feeling kind of numb. Kind of sad. Kind of seeking out food (yeah, I'm an emotional eater).
We have A's IEP tomorrow at 11. I cannot wait to get the ball rolling on this! I contacted CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphi) which on its web site has an incredible description of all they could do. Unfortunately, not only do they have an EIGHTEEN MONTH wait, they have an age cut-off of no older than 3 years, 11 months. A missed that deadline by five months! Luckily I received a return call from another highly recommended Developmental Pediatrician for an October appointment. Since the appointment we got at DuPont isn't until January, I'm jumping on this one! Who knows - maybe I should keep them both to get two more opinions?
Okay, need to get to bed.
And for anyone who's curious - J slept through the night completely last night. The "No Bad Dream spray" along with her small lamp being turned on along with her large stuffed Simba in her crib by her head to protect her apparently did the trick. Of course, she refused to nap today, but that's another story . . .
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
J's Update
So sorry, Kathy! :)
J had a much better night, though not good yet. She did wake up four times. Each time as soon as one of us went in, we told her to lay down and she did, instantly and with no complaint. After tucking her back in, she went to sleep almost immediately. By the fourth time, we didn't even need to say anything - she laid down as soon as we opened the door.
Hopefully she will sleep through the night tonight, especially since last night was so much better.
The "No Bad Dream" spray seemed to do the trick!
J had a much better night, though not good yet. She did wake up four times. Each time as soon as one of us went in, we told her to lay down and she did, instantly and with no complaint. After tucking her back in, she went to sleep almost immediately. By the fourth time, we didn't even need to say anything - she laid down as soon as we opened the door.
Hopefully she will sleep through the night tonight, especially since last night was so much better.
The "No Bad Dream" spray seemed to do the trick!
Monday, July 10, 2006
Keep your fingers crossed!
Just shut J's door.
So far so good.
She's in bed early (refused to sleep at nap time - after being up/dosing most of the night, can we say over-tired?) having had a bath around 5 and getting changed into her pjs then. I gave her a dose of Benadryl (hey, she tried a new sunscreen today and has a rash - really!) which hopefully will add to her tiredness. We sprayed around her crib with Glade, I mean, "No Bad Dream Spray" and we changed "No bad dreams" together three times. I rocked with her while singing her current favorite song (Puff the Magic Dragon). When I laid her down I foolishly reminded her that we sprayed the magic spray so therefore she won't have any bad dreams (yes, I did say that, reminding her what she's scared of - DUH!), so she immediately started crying. I helped her think of a stuffed animal that might help keep her safe too, and she chose B's Simba, which she now has right by her head, her "Mine" in her other hand (the bear/blanket she has slept with since birth).
Oh, PLEASE go to sleep (1/2 the problem) and stay asleep (the other half).
In other news . . .
I went to Border's this afternoon since DH was in charge of the kids and there was no way I wanted to stick around J's overly-tired-no-way-am-I-taking-a-nap mood. I gathered up all the papers from around the house, put them all in my "To Do" box, and away I went. I managed to sort through every piece of paper, made a master to do list to work on some tomorrow, and got rid of over five inches of paper (yes, I am that much of a dork that I estimated how much paper I was throwing out - whatever works!). Feel great that I got that much done (though I'm sure the Chai Tea that I had there, with all that caffine, isn't adding to that feeling at all) and am motivated to work hard tonight too on a) prepping dinner, b) clearing out my scrap area, and c) going to bed EARLY!!!
Hopefully I will get more sleep than the few interrupted hours I got last night!
So far so good.
She's in bed early (refused to sleep at nap time - after being up/dosing most of the night, can we say over-tired?) having had a bath around 5 and getting changed into her pjs then. I gave her a dose of Benadryl (hey, she tried a new sunscreen today and has a rash - really!) which hopefully will add to her tiredness. We sprayed around her crib with Glade, I mean, "No Bad Dream Spray" and we changed "No bad dreams" together three times. I rocked with her while singing her current favorite song (Puff the Magic Dragon). When I laid her down I foolishly reminded her that we sprayed the magic spray so therefore she won't have any bad dreams (yes, I did say that, reminding her what she's scared of - DUH!), so she immediately started crying. I helped her think of a stuffed animal that might help keep her safe too, and she chose B's Simba, which she now has right by her head, her "Mine" in her other hand (the bear/blanket she has slept with since birth).
Oh, PLEASE go to sleep (1/2 the problem) and stay asleep (the other half).
In other news . . .
I went to Border's this afternoon since DH was in charge of the kids and there was no way I wanted to stick around J's overly-tired-no-way-am-I-taking-a-nap mood. I gathered up all the papers from around the house, put them all in my "To Do" box, and away I went. I managed to sort through every piece of paper, made a master to do list to work on some tomorrow, and got rid of over five inches of paper (yes, I am that much of a dork that I estimated how much paper I was throwing out - whatever works!). Feel great that I got that much done (though I'm sure the Chai Tea that I had there, with all that caffine, isn't adding to that feeling at all) and am motivated to work hard tonight too on a) prepping dinner, b) clearing out my scrap area, and c) going to bed EARLY!!!
Hopefully I will get more sleep than the few interrupted hours I got last night!
Long Night
So tired.
J had a really rough time going to sleep. She had some kind of nightmare the night before, something about a teddy bear coming into her crib, and obviously she was scared to fall asleep again. She wanted to sleep in the boys' room, so I let her try, but none of them were falling asleep, so I put her in her room. She kept crying, so finally I grabbed a book and sat right outside her door so she could see (and so could A, who was also having a tough time falling asleep). That worked, kind of. A eventually fell asleep and J got quiet. Every time I tried to leave, J started crying. Eventually she fell asleep and I crept downstairs. Thought I was homefree, but she started crying again.
DH's turn. He tried for a while, but she kept screaming. He thought she was saying "Because it hurt me" and he was trying to figure out what she was talking about. I listened for a little and asked her some questions and finally figured out she was saying "Be close to me!" So I sent DH back downstairs and put the now hysterical J onto my lap and rocked her. It took so long before she stopped taking that awful gasping breath that a truly hysterical child takes. I rocked her longer and eventually put her still awake into the crib but sat back down in the rocking chair and rocked for another half hour or so, leaving only after she was sound asleep, around 9:15, over two hours from when we first started.
You have to understand that out of all three kids, J has been the child that we have NEVER had any sleep problems with. We learned from our mistakes from the boys. We put her down awake within her first two weeks and she went to sleep on her own, no complaints. She even slept through the night early! So this is all totally foreign territory for us with her.
Around two, J woke up screaming. I went in and got her to lay down on her own, but within a few minutes she started again. DH went in (we always take turns in the middle of the night), planning to lay down on the floor and just sleep next to her crib for awhile. It has always worked for A. Well, it didn't work for J. She would sleep for a little, then scream. Since DH was asleep by then, he didn't respond right away, so it would escalate. Eventually I went in and sent him to bed. That was around 3. I rocked in her chair until the sun began to rise this morning. That girl never totally allowed herself to go to sleep, but everytime I stood up or moved, she would quickly turn towards me to make sure I wasn't leaving. I finally did leave after the sun started coming up only because my body was so sore from sitting in the chair for so long. She started crying, but I told her that I would come back in soon and that she had to stop crying. I guess it worked, because she's still asleep now at 8. And I'm just SOOOOO tired!
Suggestions, ANYONE?!!!
J had a really rough time going to sleep. She had some kind of nightmare the night before, something about a teddy bear coming into her crib, and obviously she was scared to fall asleep again. She wanted to sleep in the boys' room, so I let her try, but none of them were falling asleep, so I put her in her room. She kept crying, so finally I grabbed a book and sat right outside her door so she could see (and so could A, who was also having a tough time falling asleep). That worked, kind of. A eventually fell asleep and J got quiet. Every time I tried to leave, J started crying. Eventually she fell asleep and I crept downstairs. Thought I was homefree, but she started crying again.
DH's turn. He tried for a while, but she kept screaming. He thought she was saying "Because it hurt me" and he was trying to figure out what she was talking about. I listened for a little and asked her some questions and finally figured out she was saying "Be close to me!" So I sent DH back downstairs and put the now hysterical J onto my lap and rocked her. It took so long before she stopped taking that awful gasping breath that a truly hysterical child takes. I rocked her longer and eventually put her still awake into the crib but sat back down in the rocking chair and rocked for another half hour or so, leaving only after she was sound asleep, around 9:15, over two hours from when we first started.
You have to understand that out of all three kids, J has been the child that we have NEVER had any sleep problems with. We learned from our mistakes from the boys. We put her down awake within her first two weeks and she went to sleep on her own, no complaints. She even slept through the night early! So this is all totally foreign territory for us with her.
Around two, J woke up screaming. I went in and got her to lay down on her own, but within a few minutes she started again. DH went in (we always take turns in the middle of the night), planning to lay down on the floor and just sleep next to her crib for awhile. It has always worked for A. Well, it didn't work for J. She would sleep for a little, then scream. Since DH was asleep by then, he didn't respond right away, so it would escalate. Eventually I went in and sent him to bed. That was around 3. I rocked in her chair until the sun began to rise this morning. That girl never totally allowed herself to go to sleep, but everytime I stood up or moved, she would quickly turn towards me to make sure I wasn't leaving. I finally did leave after the sun started coming up only because my body was so sore from sitting in the chair for so long. She started crying, but I told her that I would come back in soon and that she had to stop crying. I guess it worked, because she's still asleep now at 8. And I'm just SOOOOO tired!
Suggestions, ANYONE?!!!
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Disappointed
I'm really disappointed with myself. I wasted Friday and Saturday, two days that I had the opportunity to do so much around the house. Friday I had 8 until 1 that DH would be in charge of the kids. What did I do? Sleep and read. That pretty much sums it up. Saturday I had the whole morning. We were having friends come over for dinner and I needed to make burgers and straighten up. What did I do? Sleep and read.
Now today I have a good reason to sleep a lot - J apparently had a bad dream. She woke every ten minutes between 2 - 3, at which time I told her that Mommy and Daddy weren't going to come in anymore. She freaked and begged to sleep with us. She'd never done that before, so I agreed. She finally fell asleep at 4, after poking me and touching my face, very sweet but NOT AT 3 IN THE MORNING!!! At 5 when she woke up DH put her back in her crib and she slept longer until 9. I tried something this morning with the boys that I had never tried before. I got them their breakfast, put on a DVD, and told them if they needed me to come get me. Then I went back to bed. I was tired!!!
But my point is, I had no such excuse on Friday or Saturday. I was just being lazy. And I'm pissed! DH takes over with the kids at noon - I better put the time to good use!!!
Now today I have a good reason to sleep a lot - J apparently had a bad dream. She woke every ten minutes between 2 - 3, at which time I told her that Mommy and Daddy weren't going to come in anymore. She freaked and begged to sleep with us. She'd never done that before, so I agreed. She finally fell asleep at 4, after poking me and touching my face, very sweet but NOT AT 3 IN THE MORNING!!! At 5 when she woke up DH put her back in her crib and she slept longer until 9. I tried something this morning with the boys that I had never tried before. I got them their breakfast, put on a DVD, and told them if they needed me to come get me. Then I went back to bed. I was tired!!!
But my point is, I had no such excuse on Friday or Saturday. I was just being lazy. And I'm pissed! DH takes over with the kids at noon - I better put the time to good use!!!
Friday, July 07, 2006
Hmmmm....
Should I be proud that B read an entire video title by himself, or slightly disturbed that he is now begging to watch the movie Day of the Dead?
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Thursday Thirteen
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1. DH is home for the summer. 2. We are able to communicate and listen to each other. 3. When we fight, we're able to take a break and come back to the discussion after we've had time to think about it, as we did today. 4. I'm making progress around the house! 5. I cleaned out J's room on Monday and it still is cleaned out today! 6. I've had some of my friends respond to my painting party evite that they can come on August 5th and help (we plan on painting EVERYTHING!) - if you are reading this and live in the area and did NOT receive an evite, let me know!!! 7. I was able to plan out when I can fit in various house projects for the next few weeks. I'm feeling really motivated - let's hope it keeps up! 8. I was able to come up with a system that DH and I think will work to make sure we both are helping equally (somewhat) around the house. 9. DH gets up with the kids tomorrow! 10. I'm going to a scapping weekend down the shore next weekend - woohoo! 11. A's IEP is next week - cannot wait to start therapies for him. 12. America's Got Talent was on last night - DH's and my guilty summer pleasure. 13. We chose not to go to a BBQ on July 4th, instead walking through IKEA together as a family and agreeing on lots of different things that we will be purchasing by the end of the summer. AGREEING is the key word in that sentence - so glad we were on the same page with all this stuff! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! |
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Works-For-Me Wednesday
I've tried to do Once a Month Cooking before and it has worked really well, but I usually am not able to make the time to do the whole months worth. One of the things I took from reading about this is a great trick that I use all the time - making a ground beef mix to use in lots of different recipes.
Most recipes that call for ground beef tell you to brown the beef with onions and peppers. Any time I made something that calls for this, I just pull out a serving of ground beef mix which cuts down my cooking time tremendously. To make it, I buy the big family packs of meat. In a large soup pot I boil all of it. Once it has boiled and is no longer red, I pour out the water carefully and add cut onions and peppers to the mixture, mixing it all up and letting it simmer with the lid closed for awhile. When the veggies are cooked I let it cool and then scoop 2 cups worth (about a pound of meat) into ziploc freezer bags. Seal them flat, pushing all the air out of them, laying them down like a record. The bags go in the freezer, stacked one on top of another. And then they ready for me to pull them out as I need it.
Enjoy!
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Tuesday, July 04, 2006
The Summer of the House
Now that we've decided to stay instead of move, I'm focused this summer on doing tons of projects around the house. Last week we had contractors widen the arch between the living room and dining room and that makes a huge difference! We're going to IKEA this afternoon (I LOVE that store!) to get some other things I saw that I'm really happy with: a new rug for the living room (going for a whole new color scheme), a wardrobe for the entranceway that I'm trying to create, a desk so we can move our desktop computer upstairs to our room to give the grown ups a place to work without kids hanging on us (we're going to get a laptop for downstairs which we can fold up and put up high when we're done with it so our computer genius doesn't do damage to it). Our current dining room furniture (handed down from my great uncle) will be picked up on Friday by a group called Second Mile that benefits the homeless. Once it is we're having the nasty stained wall to wall carpeting pulled up (finally - I've hated the gray color since we moved in!) and the floors done (the wood looks like it's in good condition underneath). And we're having a painting party August 5th to paint the Living Room, Dining Room, Playroom, Kitchen cabinets, Wardrobe, and Hallway. Too ambitious? I'm also looking for a handyman to hire to put in shelves in our hall closet and a bunch of other small things. Can you tell I'm a little excited about all this?
Today the boys and I marched in the local parade with my MOMS Club (well, I marched, they sat in the wagon that I lugged behind me in this heat!). J wanted to go with us, but we still haven't found a sunscreen that doesn't make her break out into a rash all over, so we convinced her to watch us with Daddy. When we got to our street (towards the end of the parade) I let her join us. She waved like a pro and told me proudly, "I a big girl now!" She kept her two ponytails in and looked adorable! DH let me take a nap when I got home (Thank you!), so I'm now returning the favor, and as soon as J (and DH) get up we're heading to IKEA. Woohoo!
Yesterday the kids and I went through everything in J's room and purged/cleaned as much as possible to give her room to dance and play in her room. It was a heck of a job, especially with all the "help" I got from the kids, but the end result is incredible. I started on the boys' room. Guess I should go work on that some more since I have a little time right now. The kids were so thrilled with the extra space we have between the living room and dining room, stating that they now had so much more room to dance, that I knew I needed to jump on that feeling and attack their rooms while I could. Alright. Very tired, but better get moving while I can. In 3...2...1.......
Today the boys and I marched in the local parade with my MOMS Club (well, I marched, they sat in the wagon that I lugged behind me in this heat!). J wanted to go with us, but we still haven't found a sunscreen that doesn't make her break out into a rash all over, so we convinced her to watch us with Daddy. When we got to our street (towards the end of the parade) I let her join us. She waved like a pro and told me proudly, "I a big girl now!" She kept her two ponytails in and looked adorable! DH let me take a nap when I got home (Thank you!), so I'm now returning the favor, and as soon as J (and DH) get up we're heading to IKEA. Woohoo!
Yesterday the kids and I went through everything in J's room and purged/cleaned as much as possible to give her room to dance and play in her room. It was a heck of a job, especially with all the "help" I got from the kids, but the end result is incredible. I started on the boys' room. Guess I should go work on that some more since I have a little time right now. The kids were so thrilled with the extra space we have between the living room and dining room, stating that they now had so much more room to dance, that I knew I needed to jump on that feeling and attack their rooms while I could. Alright. Very tired, but better get moving while I can. In 3...2...1.......
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