Man!
So last night I asked my DH to read my last two posts, thinking that once he read how I've been feeling we could sit down and figure out together some strategies to make it better. It didn't quite work out that way.
I need to set the record straight.
I have a great husband. He is an amazing father. And when I write about all I have to do and how overwhelmed and frustrated I am, it implies that he has been doing nothing, which was NEVER my intention.
We have taken the time to write down all the jobs that need to get done around the house and worked on dividing them up in a way that make sense to us. Recently we readjusted the list so my DH could do a few more little things that would make a big difference in my day, things like filling up the kids "rocket cups" (cups with a lid and straw) with milk and being sure to unload the dishwasher before he leaves for school each day. It might sound small, but that makes a big difference in my day.
When he is home, he willingly takes over with the kids in a really hands-on kind of way, playing board games and hundreds of turns of hide and seek, reading books, doing all kinds of great things with them. His schedule is MUCH better than it was for the first half of the year. He has rehearsals for the show he is directing after school three times a week, so on those days he is home by 5:30. He has evening rehearsals for the show he is in three nights a week (Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday). We agreed that he could be in a show this season (just one) and while he is pushing me to try to get in a show so I get a chance to perform when his show is over, but I don't think I should take on one more thing at this point in my life.
When he is home, he helps me with any chores that I have not finished for the day. The other night when I was writing that I had to clean up the eggs and the rest of dinner, DH came home before I finished this task so he jumped right in to help me clean it all up.
When he read what I had written, he felt that it was implying that he did NOTHING here. He read the comments and was so upset that people he knew would read this and feel the same way. I never intended for him to read it that way, or for anyone else to feel that he does nothing. We both have busy schedules; I've just been feeling overwhelmed and used the blog to vent about all I had to do.
On the plus side, I finally made clear to him that the big thing I needed was definite time each week to plan and prep for my classes, at least four hours (and that doesn't mean it has to be four hours straight). So we worked out a way that I could get that! On the days he comes home at 5:30 and does NOT have to go out again, I will leave with the laptop, go where ever I want to go, and plan out my week, my classes, whatever! And at my request, he looked over all that I have to do and my schedule and offered some suggestions on ways that I could accomplish more. They sounded reasonable, so I'm going to be trying them today.
So, bottom line, to my incredible, wonderful husband, who is also my best friend, life partner, and one of the best fathers I know, I love you! I'm so sorry I hurt you, and I so appreciate that we can sit down together and work out ways to make this time in our lives a little easier.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
I messed up
Today it was brought to my attention that comments I made on here about my classes, even though I did not specifically name any kids, were inappropriate. While I have little specific identifying information on my blog, I do include it in my signature when I send an e-mail. I foolishly had not thought about the fact that people who know me can and will read my blog, and people associated with my synagogue will be able to figure out who the kids that I have written about are. Don't know how I didn't put that together, but I honestly didn't. I have now gone through my blog and took away any reference to any kids in my class - please let me know if you find others that I missed. I am so glad that the director told me about this because I truly hate the idea that anyone had seen this, felt uncomfortable about it, but didn't want to say anything for fear I would take it the wrong way or whatever. I am SO sorry if I offended or made anyone uncomfortable by anything I wrote on my blog. I use this blog as a sounding board, a place to vent. I use it as a place to write down what's happening in my life, good or bad, for me to remember and for anyone who reads it to celebrate with me or offer advice if they have any. I pledge to be more careful in the future when I write about anyone not in my family.
I have always had the desire to make everything better for everyone else, as I'm sure most other people do, but this also tends to make me stick my nose in to everyone's business to attempt to ensure that everyone's needs are being met. Ever since I have learned about A's special needs and the importance of early intervention, I am always on the lookout for any red flags in other kids I see. But I seem to forget that the other professionals I work with are well-educated, incredible teachers who are so on top of things I have no reason to ever be concerned! In fact, I would love to get a chance to just be a fly on the wall in both of their classes so I can soak up all the amazing strategies and techniques they use.
Since I had some time between conferences, the director and I had a chance to chat, which was so nice (Thank You!!!). And because I've been a little (HA!) stressed lately, any talk about the stress I've been feeling quickly became emotional for me - what can I say: I try to always keep a smile on my face at all times . . . until I can't. And when I don't have a smile on my face, you KNOW it's bad!
Money is tight, so I'm looking for as many ways as possible that I can bring in more. But ultimately this means I have very little down time and my brain is constantly going trying to figure out how to make ends meet. It's okay now (don't have to buy groceries with the credit card anymore because we just don't have enough in the checking account at the time), and I've worked out "extra" expenses through the end of the summer (things like putting money aside for the time during the summer when I don't receive paychecks, paying for the kids' two mornings a week camp for this summer, J's school registration for next year, the new oven, new jeans for me - I was down to my last pair and they're ripped in the knee, etc.) Using DH's supplemental pays (for directing the shows, having a student teacher, doing the school newspaper) and mine (for teaching the drama class) and our income tax refund, I worked out how we will be able to pay for everything, but we have to REALLY stick to the budget. I even was able to include $50 a week for the family to use during the summer for entertainment for the 5 full days and 2 half days a week the kids will not be in camp. We will be able to put money towards our credit card debt (created out of necessity last year), thought not as much as I'd hoped. I'm not sure what our refund will be this year. We changed DH's deductions on his payroll info so we would get more money each paycheck instead of such a large refund each year, so I really have no idea what it will be. If it turns out to be more than I expect, the extra will go towards the debt. Once that is paid off, we'll be able to work on building up our emergency fund again. I will feel so much better when we're able to put more money towards that each month!
Okay, that felt good to write down. My nephew is here (the deal I worked out with my sister in exchange for her watching all my guys on Wednesdays so I can teach my drama class, which is five minutes away from her house anyway) and he and J are playing REALLY nicely together. My boys are both laying down on the couch for "quiet time". I better take advantage of this time because who knows when it will happen again! I'm off to fold the laundry, clear off the dining room table, see what else I can check off my to do list before I need to pack up all the kids and drive them to Jessica's at 3.
I have always had the desire to make everything better for everyone else, as I'm sure most other people do, but this also tends to make me stick my nose in to everyone's business to attempt to ensure that everyone's needs are being met. Ever since I have learned about A's special needs and the importance of early intervention, I am always on the lookout for any red flags in other kids I see. But I seem to forget that the other professionals I work with are well-educated, incredible teachers who are so on top of things I have no reason to ever be concerned! In fact, I would love to get a chance to just be a fly on the wall in both of their classes so I can soak up all the amazing strategies and techniques they use.
Since I had some time between conferences, the director and I had a chance to chat, which was so nice (Thank You!!!). And because I've been a little (HA!) stressed lately, any talk about the stress I've been feeling quickly became emotional for me - what can I say: I try to always keep a smile on my face at all times . . . until I can't. And when I don't have a smile on my face, you KNOW it's bad!
Money is tight, so I'm looking for as many ways as possible that I can bring in more. But ultimately this means I have very little down time and my brain is constantly going trying to figure out how to make ends meet. It's okay now (don't have to buy groceries with the credit card anymore because we just don't have enough in the checking account at the time), and I've worked out "extra" expenses through the end of the summer (things like putting money aside for the time during the summer when I don't receive paychecks, paying for the kids' two mornings a week camp for this summer, J's school registration for next year, the new oven, new jeans for me - I was down to my last pair and they're ripped in the knee, etc.) Using DH's supplemental pays (for directing the shows, having a student teacher, doing the school newspaper) and mine (for teaching the drama class) and our income tax refund, I worked out how we will be able to pay for everything, but we have to REALLY stick to the budget. I even was able to include $50 a week for the family to use during the summer for entertainment for the 5 full days and 2 half days a week the kids will not be in camp. We will be able to put money towards our credit card debt (created out of necessity last year), thought not as much as I'd hoped. I'm not sure what our refund will be this year. We changed DH's deductions on his payroll info so we would get more money each paycheck instead of such a large refund each year, so I really have no idea what it will be. If it turns out to be more than I expect, the extra will go towards the debt. Once that is paid off, we'll be able to work on building up our emergency fund again. I will feel so much better when we're able to put more money towards that each month!
Okay, that felt good to write down. My nephew is here (the deal I worked out with my sister in exchange for her watching all my guys on Wednesdays so I can teach my drama class, which is five minutes away from her house anyway) and he and J are playing REALLY nicely together. My boys are both laying down on the couch for "quiet time". I better take advantage of this time because who knows when it will happen again! I'm off to fold the laundry, clear off the dining room table, see what else I can check off my to do list before I need to pack up all the kids and drive them to Jessica's at 3.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
My day
Such a long day. I am starting to get a little stressed with all I need to do. It's tough. I love teaching, we need my income, I love running the household, I love being a mom, I just am having a hard time loving doing it all.
I teach Preschool 5 mornings a week + a preschool program after school on Fridays = 16.5 hours
Hebrew + Religious School 2 times a week = 4.5 hours
I need an hour for each class to prep/clean up = 7 hours
I teach a Drama class 1 time a week = 1 hour + 1 hour travel time (total)
And I need planning time, usually 2 hours for both of my preschool classes = 4 hour
This is a grand total of 34 hours.
I would have needed more time each week planning for all the other classes I teach if I hadn't used so much of my summer planning all of them for the year.
I wish I could say that with all this work I can afford to hire someone to clean the house, but we can't. And I really can't quit any of the jobs because we truly do need the money.
So I stay on top of the laundry, the meals, the bills, the paperwork, the cleaning. Oh yeah, and the kids.
And I can't seem to get my husband to understand that while I totally appreciate that he has a busy, stressful job too, my job starts at 7 AM and keeps going non-stop all day long with no break until he gets home. He doesn't seem to understand that when he has his daily prep period, he doesn't have to also focus on three young children with needs and wants and questions that desparately need to be answered right now, even if I'm sitting on the toilet. I don't get a daily prep period by myself - in the morning I set up my room while making sure J is involved and making sure to respond to her every comment lest she think I'm not talking to her and get hysterical. After school I clean up the room and attempt to set things up for the next day with all three kids in my room, trying to make sure that A does not break the cd player and B is not throwing any soft toys in the air and J is getting a snack because she is starving. When we go home I fix them all lunch and then they have quiet time, during which time I attempt to respond to e-mails and deal with the laundry. Some days I get an hour, some days "quiet time" doesn't really happen, it's just me nagging at them to lay down on the couch.
Like I already said, I love my kids, I love my jobs, I love running the house, but today was a really long day. And I still need to clean up from dinner, sweep the floor of the scrambled eggs that spilled there when the kids ate their dinner so our furry critters hopefully won't make themselves known tonight, wash up and go to bed. My back and neck are KILLING me because I'm so overdue for a chiropractor appointment it's crazy, I have conferences with all my preschool parents tomorrow, I need to have a serious talk with the Education Director at my school about a situation that has been happening a lot at Hebrew School, I need to apologize to a colleague because today I tried speaking to her as teacher about a child in her class and made her uncomfortable (I tried bringing up some behaviors I've observed that were red flags to me and wanted to know if they had looked into a possible cause and she told me that she wasn't comfortable talking to me about this. I'm so used to working with a team of teachers where we all share ideas about each child to best meet the needs of each child, so her reaction really blew me away. But I'll respect her personal privacy policy even if I don't understand it.), I need to go through a big pile of paperwork here at home, I need to order my new oven, I need to . . . it's giving me a headache.
Whew.
I know, I don't post in a week and LOOK what happens.
And I know that I just wrote about this over a week ago, but it's very much on my mind right now.
There's just so much to do and I can't figure out how to do it all and I'm getting frustrated and overwhelmed.
Okay, that being said, let me go clean up and get to bed. No amount of worrying or complaining is going to make a difference, and getting a full night's sleep is extremely important in helping me cope.
I teach Preschool 5 mornings a week + a preschool program after school on Fridays = 16.5 hours
Hebrew + Religious School 2 times a week = 4.5 hours
I need an hour for each class to prep/clean up = 7 hours
I teach a Drama class 1 time a week = 1 hour + 1 hour travel time (total)
And I need planning time, usually 2 hours for both of my preschool classes = 4 hour
This is a grand total of 34 hours.
I would have needed more time each week planning for all the other classes I teach if I hadn't used so much of my summer planning all of them for the year.
I wish I could say that with all this work I can afford to hire someone to clean the house, but we can't. And I really can't quit any of the jobs because we truly do need the money.
So I stay on top of the laundry, the meals, the bills, the paperwork, the cleaning. Oh yeah, and the kids.
And I can't seem to get my husband to understand that while I totally appreciate that he has a busy, stressful job too, my job starts at 7 AM and keeps going non-stop all day long with no break until he gets home. He doesn't seem to understand that when he has his daily prep period, he doesn't have to also focus on three young children with needs and wants and questions that desparately need to be answered right now, even if I'm sitting on the toilet. I don't get a daily prep period by myself - in the morning I set up my room while making sure J is involved and making sure to respond to her every comment lest she think I'm not talking to her and get hysterical. After school I clean up the room and attempt to set things up for the next day with all three kids in my room, trying to make sure that A does not break the cd player and B is not throwing any soft toys in the air and J is getting a snack because she is starving. When we go home I fix them all lunch and then they have quiet time, during which time I attempt to respond to e-mails and deal with the laundry. Some days I get an hour, some days "quiet time" doesn't really happen, it's just me nagging at them to lay down on the couch.
Like I already said, I love my kids, I love my jobs, I love running the house, but today was a really long day. And I still need to clean up from dinner, sweep the floor of the scrambled eggs that spilled there when the kids ate their dinner so our furry critters hopefully won't make themselves known tonight, wash up and go to bed. My back and neck are KILLING me because I'm so overdue for a chiropractor appointment it's crazy, I have conferences with all my preschool parents tomorrow, I need to have a serious talk with the Education Director at my school about a situation that has been happening a lot at Hebrew School, I need to apologize to a colleague because today I tried speaking to her as teacher about a child in her class and made her uncomfortable (I tried bringing up some behaviors I've observed that were red flags to me and wanted to know if they had looked into a possible cause and she told me that she wasn't comfortable talking to me about this. I'm so used to working with a team of teachers where we all share ideas about each child to best meet the needs of each child, so her reaction really blew me away. But I'll respect her personal privacy policy even if I don't understand it.), I need to go through a big pile of paperwork here at home, I need to order my new oven, I need to . . . it's giving me a headache.
Whew.
I know, I don't post in a week and LOOK what happens.
And I know that I just wrote about this over a week ago, but it's very much on my mind right now.
There's just so much to do and I can't figure out how to do it all and I'm getting frustrated and overwhelmed.
Okay, that being said, let me go clean up and get to bed. No amount of worrying or complaining is going to make a difference, and getting a full night's sleep is extremely important in helping me cope.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Heart Issues
Anyone ever have what feels like an extra heart beat? I had this before I got pregnant with the boys, even got worked up by a cardiologist and wore a 24 hour monitor (so of course my heart acted perfectly normal that day), and nothing was ever discoverd. This past week it started again.
Each time it happens it makes me jump. It's like a really strong extra beat. It seems to happen more at night. Tonight has been the worse and it has happened six times in the last three hours. I know that doesn't sound bad, and I guess it isn't, but it makes me nervous. I try not to think about it too much because when I actually do get nervous or upset about it obviouslly it happens more often.
Bottom line, I'm calling to make an appointment with a cardiologist tomorrow. Maybe this time they'll actually figure out what this is!
Each time it happens it makes me jump. It's like a really strong extra beat. It seems to happen more at night. Tonight has been the worse and it has happened six times in the last three hours. I know that doesn't sound bad, and I guess it isn't, but it makes me nervous. I try not to think about it too much because when I actually do get nervous or upset about it obviouslly it happens more often.
Bottom line, I'm calling to make an appointment with a cardiologist tomorrow. Maybe this time they'll actually figure out what this is!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Have you seen this yet?
Okay, just one more thing before I tackle those dishes:
Have you heard about this website? If you click on this link you will see an amazing video about autism. And every time you watch it, the site makes a donation to Autism Speaks. Go on, click on it; it will make you feel good!
Have you heard about this website? If you click on this link you will see an amazing video about autism. And every time you watch it, the site makes a donation to Autism Speaks. Go on, click on it; it will make you feel good!
Where Have I Been?!!
Wow. It's definitely been a long time since I've blogged. So much to say, not even sure how to say it. I'm not even sure why it's been so long since I've blogged. I've been working hard on getting my new schedule on track and figuring out how to make it all work.
My new preschool class started January 3rd. It's only four kids, plus I have an assistant, so I didn't think it would be too tough. I figured I would just do whatever I had planned with my MWF class of 2.5-3 year olds. I was wrong - doesn't work. So that means double the planning.
My schedule right now is manageable but quite challenging.
I teach preschool five mornings a week from 9-12.
On Sundays I teach Religious School from 9-1.
I teach Hebrew School on Tuesdays from 3:30-5:30.
I teach Drama on Wednesdays from 4-5.
I teach a Parent and Me Shabbat Program on Fridays from 12:15-1:45.
I get up with the kids at 7, get them and myself ready and out the door by 8:15 or so. The boys are brought to school and picked up by a variety of different people, and they are brought to school before I'm finished teaching, joining my class twice a week and waiting until my teaching day is done the other three. I attempt to get my classroom ready for the next day while my three kids (and twice a week the daughter of the mom who picks up the kids three days a week is there too eating her lunch so I can drive her to her after-school schoolby 12:30) talk incessantly and require my attention tremendously. After I do as much as I can, we go home where I push the kids to do their "Before Lunch Routines" before I finish making their lunches. Depending on whether or not I have to work that afternoon, I then attempt to complete a load of laundry from start to finish, return e-mails, and try to do so many other jobs around the house. Also depending on the day, after the kids finish their "quiet time" and "computer time", I then have the kids sit down with me for "Homework Time" - a way to encourage B to work on his fine motor skills, A to increase his attention span with the things he reads, and J to practice letter recognition and following directions.
It's late and I need to get to bed, but I'm glad I got a chance to update my blog (and my loyal readers) on a little bit of what's been happening in my life. I have so much more to say, but have to finish washing and drying the rest of the dishes before I go to bed. I discovered a leak in the pipes under one side of the sink, so cannot use the dishwasher, and I cannot leave the dishes to dry on the counter due to the mouse problem we've been having. YUCK! They actually have nested in the walls of the oven somehow so we can no longer turn it on with filling the house with a disgusting odor. So also on my list of things to do this week is contact the exterminator to come out and help us get rid of the mice and then select a new stove from Sears and set up a delivery date. I never realized how much I use my oven (since I use my crockpot so often), but we REALLY miss it!!!
So, off to wash and dry and then get to bed. Thanks for reading!
My new preschool class started January 3rd. It's only four kids, plus I have an assistant, so I didn't think it would be too tough. I figured I would just do whatever I had planned with my MWF class of 2.5-3 year olds. I was wrong - doesn't work. So that means double the planning.
My schedule right now is manageable but quite challenging.
I teach preschool five mornings a week from 9-12.
On Sundays I teach Religious School from 9-1.
I teach Hebrew School on Tuesdays from 3:30-5:30.
I teach Drama on Wednesdays from 4-5.
I teach a Parent and Me Shabbat Program on Fridays from 12:15-1:45.
I get up with the kids at 7, get them and myself ready and out the door by 8:15 or so. The boys are brought to school and picked up by a variety of different people, and they are brought to school before I'm finished teaching, joining my class twice a week and waiting until my teaching day is done the other three. I attempt to get my classroom ready for the next day while my three kids (and twice a week the daughter of the mom who picks up the kids three days a week is there too eating her lunch so I can drive her to her after-school schoolby 12:30) talk incessantly and require my attention tremendously. After I do as much as I can, we go home where I push the kids to do their "Before Lunch Routines" before I finish making their lunches. Depending on whether or not I have to work that afternoon, I then attempt to complete a load of laundry from start to finish, return e-mails, and try to do so many other jobs around the house. Also depending on the day, after the kids finish their "quiet time" and "computer time", I then have the kids sit down with me for "Homework Time" - a way to encourage B to work on his fine motor skills, A to increase his attention span with the things he reads, and J to practice letter recognition and following directions.
It's late and I need to get to bed, but I'm glad I got a chance to update my blog (and my loyal readers) on a little bit of what's been happening in my life. I have so much more to say, but have to finish washing and drying the rest of the dishes before I go to bed. I discovered a leak in the pipes under one side of the sink, so cannot use the dishwasher, and I cannot leave the dishes to dry on the counter due to the mouse problem we've been having. YUCK! They actually have nested in the walls of the oven somehow so we can no longer turn it on with filling the house with a disgusting odor. So also on my list of things to do this week is contact the exterminator to come out and help us get rid of the mice and then select a new stove from Sears and set up a delivery date. I never realized how much I use my oven (since I use my crockpot so often), but we REALLY miss it!!!
So, off to wash and dry and then get to bed. Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Just for today
I read Dear Abby on-line every day. Don't ask me why. This is what she had in her column today. I'm printing it out and hanging it up where I will see it every day. Just thought I'd share it for you:
JUST FOR TODAY: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once.
I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things I can correct and accept those I cannot.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking. Just for today, I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will do something positive to improve my health. I will eat healthfully -- if only just for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it's only around the block.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once.
I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things I can correct and accept those I cannot.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking. Just for today, I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will do something positive to improve my health. I will eat healthfully -- if only just for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it's only around the block.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.
Monday, December 31, 2007
I'm an Organizing Maniac!
An amazing thing happens when my depression is under control (thanks to my magic pills) and I'm no longer feeling the need to take a nap every chance I get (thanks to my other magic pills): I'm motivated and excited about doing things around the house. This has been a great week for my house. I've been an organizing madwoman! Here's what I've managed to get accomplished so far - all while helping (i.e. bringing them more juice boxes and putting on new movies for them to watch) my sick children who were all diagnosed with pneumonia this week (yes, it's no longer just J):
- Cleaned out the refrigerator and freezer
- Created two different snack boxes for the kids to take snacks independently
- Reorganized my pots and pans to make them more accessible
- Reorganized my laundry room shelves so they only held cleaning supplies and soaps
- Cleaned out the pantry to create more space on top and put like items in containers
- Cleaned out the food cabinet in the kitchen to also put like items together in containers
- Reorganized the kids' arts and crafts supplies and projects into baskets
- Cleaned out J's drawers and moved the clothes into her new "official" bedroom with the boys
- Moved the furniture around in the boys' room to utilize the remaining toddler bed that was still there for J (DH helped me)
- Cleared off the boys' shelves on their hutch and bookshelves
- Reorganized the large white cubbies in the dining room to show off some theater mementos and contain our games, a box for towels and washcloths, our laptop, a box for drawing paper and mini-notebooks, a box for fun worksheets and papers from school, a box of coloring books, a box with crayons, markers, colored and regular pencils (all in their own boxes), a place for the kids' school bags, a box for the kids to put their papers each day, a box for my papers, a box for DH's papers, a box for all our library books, and a box of things that need to be returned or given to other people
- Made room in our bedroom for the glider rocker that had been in J's room and moved it in (okay, DH did this, but it was my idea)
- Went through all of J's hanging clothes and pulled out the stuff that is too small for her
- Went through the boys' pajamas and pulled out the stuff that is too small for them
- Cleaned out the boxes in our linen closet that contain medicines, soaps, etc.
- Created a rag box out of all the towels that have outlived their usefulness
- Cleared off two shelves in the kitchen to show off some pretty candles
- Cleared off the top of the fridge
- Cleaned out and reorganized the "junk drawer" in the kitchen
- Climbed Mt. Washmore and declared myself victorious (A.K.A. washed, dried, and put away ALL the laundry in the house)
- Cleaned out and reorganized the medicine cabinet and other cabinet (alright, it's not QUITE like the one I linked, but that's the idea) in the bathroom
- AND, last but definitely not least, I cleaned out and repurposed the shelves along the basement steps. I also got DH to bring up a total (so far) of SIX different boxes that were down there and reorganized them, getting rid of LOTS of stuff along the way.
The basement is the one big phobia I have. I don't know why, possibly because I don't really like creepy crawly things and am worried (for good reason) that they're hanging out down there. I actually begin to hyperventilate when I go down there. It drives me CRAZY because it's a big disorganized mess, and while I know it's not truly impossible for me to go down there and clean it up, it's really, really, really tough. HOWEVER, this week I was able to offer DH enough incentive to bring me up a few boxes at a time for me to work through, and fill up two trash bags with trash. It's not much, but it's a start. I was even able to go down there myself and get a stack of dirty clear shoebox containers. Woohoo!
I discovered yesterday that J is definitely my daughter. When I started working in her old room (the new Upstairs Playroom) she was just as excited as I was. She kicked me out for a little so she could clean it up herself, and then had a great time with me as we found new places to put the toys. At one point, I said to her, "This is fun!" J gave me big smile as she agreed. I love having a little girl!
Tonight we're having a few families over to help us ring in the new year (WAY early, but who can stay up til midnight anymore, especially when my guys wake up at 7 no matter what time they go to bed). I can't wait to show off all my organization projects (I already warned them that they would have to ooo and aaahh). My plan for the rest of the day is to actually finish cleaning up around the house (dusting, vacuuming, mopping), something I'd be doing even if we weren't having company, but it makes it easier to have that incentive, and then if I have more time, try to do a few more projects around the house. The best part for me is that I feel no sense of urgency, no need for perfection - I'm just loving getting these things accomplished! I keep opening my basement door just to look at my beautiful shelves!
I know I'm a dork, but I'm an insanely happy dork.
Friday, December 28, 2007
The J Drama
It is a testamant to my patience that my daughter survived this afternoon. As it was, the moment DH walked in the door from running his errands today, I very calmly explained, "I need to get out of the house for an hour or I may begin screaming and I'm not sure if I'll be able to stop." Suffice it to say I am now in my favorite coffee place sipping a decaf chai tea latte and typing away on my laptop.
We had this week planned out so nicely. Our Hanukkah present to the kids (and each other) was to send them to the Holiday Camp at a local kids' gym today and yesterday from 10-3 each day. They love it there and we would have time to see a movie, take a nap together, do a few jobs around the house, whatever. Well, I plan, God laughs. We had a fabulous Christmas at my in-laws' except J's cough eventually became Walking Pneumonia. We ended up in the ER Wednesday night around 11PM since her breathing was so rapid, shallow, and caused her to retract significantly with every breath. She had woken up around 10 halluncinating from her high fever. We immediately stripped her, began sponging her down, forced some Tylenol in her. After doing all that and she felt much cooler to the touch we then took her temperature which was 102 by then - wonder what it had been before we helped reduce the fever! We gave her a neb treatment but she was a little too far gone by then, so off to the ER we went. This was the first trip that DH was willing to stay home with the boys and let me go myself instead of making one of our parents come over to stay with them. Besides, we've gone so many times before that we feel like we are seasoned pros. I ended up being up all night - we finally were released at 5:30 AM with a prescription for an oral steroid after J received two different neb treatments there, her first dose of steroids, a chest x-ray to confirm the pneumonia her pediatrician had diagnosed after listening to her lungs that afternoon (she had started her antibiotic that night at home before she went to bed). She even needed oxygen for awhile because when she slept her pulse ox dropped below 90 (scary!). When we were released her pulse ox was holding steady at 94 (should be 100), so the ER pediatrician felt she could be home as long as we kept doing her neb treatment every 3-4 hourse, even though the night. I got home at 6 AM and collapsed into bed (Thank God that DH is off from school ths week!) until 10. DH took the boys to camp, but clearly J wasn't going anywhere. And so Thursday J hung out on the couch most of the day. I went back and forth between hanging out on the couch with her out of sheer exhaustion and cleaning/organizing different areas in the house.
Today we decided she should stay home again even though she is feeling better just so she would over-exert her healing lungs. Wow, what a fun day was had by all. DH was out of the house for about four hours, so I got the full blast of Miss Moody. A lot of the morning she was in a good mood, almost hyper, so either needing to play with me (which WAS nice) or needed to talk nonstop in a very loud voice. I kept stressing to her that in order to get better faster she needs to rest and drink plenty of fluids. This clearly made an impact on her because around noon she went into her bedroom, climbed into bed with her pacifier and "Mine" (her teddy bear/blanket she has slept with since birth) and kicked me out of her room. She then proceeded to take a nap. On her own. Without prompting from me. Without the tv being on. Amazing. Unfortunately she woke up in a miserable mood. Literally nothing I could do was right. Part of it was that she was hungry (which I take full credit for since I didn't insist she eat before the nap) and part of it was that she wasn't feeling well again, but it was NOT good.
The J Drama
(All of J's lines were said at the top of her lungs as she sobbed, all of my lines were amazingly stated in a calm, quiet voice.)
J: Put on a show!
Mommy: Excuse me? I won't do that unless you ask nicely.
Apparently that meant that I would not let her select a tv show in her mind.
J: I need a show to watch. PLEASE!!!
M: Okay, tell me what you want.
J: I can't pick a show!
M: Why not?
J: Because you said I couldn't!
M: I didn't say that, I just asked you to ask me nicely. Since you said 'please' I can put on whatever show you want.
J: No, I can't pick one!
M: Okay, then I'll pick one for you.
J: Nooo!!!
M: Okay, then you pick one.
J: I CAN'T!!!!
M: Then I'll just put one on - oh, look, there's Sesame Street.
J: I don't want Sesame Street!!!
M: Alright, then how about Dragon Tales? (As I turn it on)
J: Noooo, I don't want Dragon Tales!!!
M: Okay, then why don't I just turn off the tv?
J: Noooo, I wanted Dragon Tales!!!
And then we went through it all over again about a snack.
And then about every other thing that even went through her mind (I clearly have blocked out the rest of the afternoon as I'm unable to recall any other events right now, but trust me, there were plenty!).
My hour is up. I had threatened that I might just begin driving and not stop, but my sensitive children made me take that back as soon as I said it, so now I HAVE to go back.
My next post will be more positive, I promise. I have been able to accomplish so much this week around the house I have to brag some - I'm so proud of myself. I even managed to overcome my extreme basement phobia and clean out the shelves along the steps down to the basement, but that's a story for another day.
We had this week planned out so nicely. Our Hanukkah present to the kids (and each other) was to send them to the Holiday Camp at a local kids' gym today and yesterday from 10-3 each day. They love it there and we would have time to see a movie, take a nap together, do a few jobs around the house, whatever. Well, I plan, God laughs. We had a fabulous Christmas at my in-laws' except J's cough eventually became Walking Pneumonia. We ended up in the ER Wednesday night around 11PM since her breathing was so rapid, shallow, and caused her to retract significantly with every breath. She had woken up around 10 halluncinating from her high fever. We immediately stripped her, began sponging her down, forced some Tylenol in her. After doing all that and she felt much cooler to the touch we then took her temperature which was 102 by then - wonder what it had been before we helped reduce the fever! We gave her a neb treatment but she was a little too far gone by then, so off to the ER we went. This was the first trip that DH was willing to stay home with the boys and let me go myself instead of making one of our parents come over to stay with them. Besides, we've gone so many times before that we feel like we are seasoned pros. I ended up being up all night - we finally were released at 5:30 AM with a prescription for an oral steroid after J received two different neb treatments there, her first dose of steroids, a chest x-ray to confirm the pneumonia her pediatrician had diagnosed after listening to her lungs that afternoon (she had started her antibiotic that night at home before she went to bed). She even needed oxygen for awhile because when she slept her pulse ox dropped below 90 (scary!). When we were released her pulse ox was holding steady at 94 (should be 100), so the ER pediatrician felt she could be home as long as we kept doing her neb treatment every 3-4 hourse, even though the night. I got home at 6 AM and collapsed into bed (Thank God that DH is off from school ths week!) until 10. DH took the boys to camp, but clearly J wasn't going anywhere. And so Thursday J hung out on the couch most of the day. I went back and forth between hanging out on the couch with her out of sheer exhaustion and cleaning/organizing different areas in the house.
Today we decided she should stay home again even though she is feeling better just so she would over-exert her healing lungs. Wow, what a fun day was had by all. DH was out of the house for about four hours, so I got the full blast of Miss Moody. A lot of the morning she was in a good mood, almost hyper, so either needing to play with me (which WAS nice) or needed to talk nonstop in a very loud voice. I kept stressing to her that in order to get better faster she needs to rest and drink plenty of fluids. This clearly made an impact on her because around noon she went into her bedroom, climbed into bed with her pacifier and "Mine" (her teddy bear/blanket she has slept with since birth) and kicked me out of her room. She then proceeded to take a nap. On her own. Without prompting from me. Without the tv being on. Amazing. Unfortunately she woke up in a miserable mood. Literally nothing I could do was right. Part of it was that she was hungry (which I take full credit for since I didn't insist she eat before the nap) and part of it was that she wasn't feeling well again, but it was NOT good.
The J Drama
(All of J's lines were said at the top of her lungs as she sobbed, all of my lines were amazingly stated in a calm, quiet voice.)
J: Put on a show!
Mommy: Excuse me? I won't do that unless you ask nicely.
Apparently that meant that I would not let her select a tv show in her mind.
J: I need a show to watch. PLEASE!!!
M: Okay, tell me what you want.
J: I can't pick a show!
M: Why not?
J: Because you said I couldn't!
M: I didn't say that, I just asked you to ask me nicely. Since you said 'please' I can put on whatever show you want.
J: No, I can't pick one!
M: Okay, then I'll pick one for you.
J: Nooo!!!
M: Okay, then you pick one.
J: I CAN'T!!!!
M: Then I'll just put one on - oh, look, there's Sesame Street.
J: I don't want Sesame Street!!!
M: Alright, then how about Dragon Tales? (As I turn it on)
J: Noooo, I don't want Dragon Tales!!!
M: Okay, then why don't I just turn off the tv?
J: Noooo, I wanted Dragon Tales!!!
And then we went through it all over again about a snack.
And then about every other thing that even went through her mind (I clearly have blocked out the rest of the afternoon as I'm unable to recall any other events right now, but trust me, there were plenty!).
My hour is up. I had threatened that I might just begin driving and not stop, but my sensitive children made me take that back as soon as I said it, so now I HAVE to go back.
My next post will be more positive, I promise. I have been able to accomplish so much this week around the house I have to brag some - I'm so proud of myself. I even managed to overcome my extreme basement phobia and clean out the shelves along the steps down to the basement, but that's a story for another day.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Getting ready
DH's show is over and vacation time has begun. Life is good! I slept in today (all the way until 12:30) but have vowed that this would be the only day I do that so I don't waste my time with DH home to help. In a few minutes I'm going to the store with J (nice to have the option of leaving the ones that DON'T want to go to the store home with Daddy) to buy pretzels and chocolate chips (to make some last minute home-made gifts) along with the fixings for Christmas breakfast at my in-laws.
My goal for today, after we make the chocolate covered pretzels, is to clean the house. I know, not very exciting, but we will head over to my in-law's tomorrow afternoon to celebrate Christmas with them, not returning until the 26th in the morning. I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to come home to a clean house.
I had great plans to make soup in a jar to give as gifts this year, which would have really helped keep costs down. I would have made twenty of them, but ended up running out of time, so we had to buy small Starbucks gift cards for the kids teachers and therapists as a small token of appreciation. Nice, but ended up costing more than we had wanted. Money is tight, so that was disappointing. I had an hour to myself yesterday to hang out ALONE at Starbucks with my laptop. I wrote a very detailed list of everyone we ended up buying gifts for (besides our family) so I would be very prepared for next year. I plan on making the soups in a jar for next year, so will start in October to make sure I'm finished in time without getting stressed out. I did use Shutterfly for my cards this year and LOVED how simple it was! I also updated my holiday card list on the computer so I could just print them out, saving lots of time
Looks like all three kids are going to stay home and play Candyland with Daddy, so I'm heading to Giant alone. And considering J's current lovely mood, I'm thrilled with that!
I'm off! Happy holidays, everyone!!!
My goal for today, after we make the chocolate covered pretzels, is to clean the house. I know, not very exciting, but we will head over to my in-law's tomorrow afternoon to celebrate Christmas with them, not returning until the 26th in the morning. I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to come home to a clean house.
I had great plans to make soup in a jar to give as gifts this year, which would have really helped keep costs down. I would have made twenty of them, but ended up running out of time, so we had to buy small Starbucks gift cards for the kids teachers and therapists as a small token of appreciation. Nice, but ended up costing more than we had wanted. Money is tight, so that was disappointing. I had an hour to myself yesterday to hang out ALONE at Starbucks with my laptop. I wrote a very detailed list of everyone we ended up buying gifts for (besides our family) so I would be very prepared for next year. I plan on making the soups in a jar for next year, so will start in October to make sure I'm finished in time without getting stressed out. I did use Shutterfly for my cards this year and LOVED how simple it was! I also updated my holiday card list on the computer so I could just print them out, saving lots of time
Looks like all three kids are going to stay home and play Candyland with Daddy, so I'm heading to Giant alone. And considering J's current lovely mood, I'm thrilled with that!
I'm off! Happy holidays, everyone!!!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Thanks - I Needed That
We've been having some rough times with A recently. His meltdowns have increased. Some days we start the day with them, some days that just increase in the afternoons, but they're happening a lot. On top of that, he's developed yet another of his fears. You and I know they're irrational, but they make perfect sense to him. Most of his fears seem to revolve around noises that have startled him. Once something gets him startled, the fear seems to encompass more and more. A couple weeks ago, DH was straightening up and accidentally unplugged the tv/TiVo. When it turned back on the TiVo made a noise that startled him, so now he's terrified that the TiVo might make that noise again. When we arrive home after being out, he often comes out of the car with his hands on his ears, looking through the window to make sure the TiVo light is still on, just to be sure. It has now escalated to him flipping out yesterday when Daddy came home since he now has associated DH with causing the TiVo to make that scary sound. ARGH!!!
Today I took the kids to a program at the library. They were so well behaved. I reminded A of the rules as soon as we sat down (mainly that he can't make comments and ask me questions in his regular speaking voice during the show) and he remembered them most of the time. They had a lot of fun. At the end of the program a man dressed as Santa came and the kids wanted to talk to him (O--kay?) so we waited in line with the rest of the kids. The boy in front of had two women with him - one was probably his mom, the other his TSS. The TSS had a binder filled with PECS cards and they were trying to get him to point to the appropriate cards so he could tell Santa that he would like a reward please. The boy was cheerful and happy and thrilled to receive his reward from Santa. And he was completely non-verbal.
When the boys were younger and I was feeling overwhelmed with the day-to-day dealings of raising infant twins, I would somtimes watch shows on families with higher-order multiples and would always walk away feeling better, thinking if they can do it with however many kids they're attempting to raise, surely I can raise my two (and then three).
A is challenging. But he can tell me what is bothering him, what is causing the meltdowns, why he's screaming (eventually). He can tell me he loves me (even if it's twenty times or more a day). I know there are kids out there who can't, whose moms would do anything just to hear those words. And today I needed to be reminded of how good I have it.
Today I took the kids to a program at the library. They were so well behaved. I reminded A of the rules as soon as we sat down (mainly that he can't make comments and ask me questions in his regular speaking voice during the show) and he remembered them most of the time. They had a lot of fun. At the end of the program a man dressed as Santa came and the kids wanted to talk to him (O--kay?) so we waited in line with the rest of the kids. The boy in front of had two women with him - one was probably his mom, the other his TSS. The TSS had a binder filled with PECS cards and they were trying to get him to point to the appropriate cards so he could tell Santa that he would like a reward please. The boy was cheerful and happy and thrilled to receive his reward from Santa. And he was completely non-verbal.
When the boys were younger and I was feeling overwhelmed with the day-to-day dealings of raising infant twins, I would somtimes watch shows on families with higher-order multiples and would always walk away feeling better, thinking if they can do it with however many kids they're attempting to raise, surely I can raise my two (and then three).
A is challenging. But he can tell me what is bothering him, what is causing the meltdowns, why he's screaming (eventually). He can tell me he loves me (even if it's twenty times or more a day). I know there are kids out there who can't, whose moms would do anything just to hear those words. And today I needed to be reminded of how good I have it.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Random Thoughts Bouncing Around My Head
It's been a while since I last posted. I don't like that! I really need to journal at least a few times a week, if just to clear out my head then for no other reason.
Here are the random things that are currently bouncing around my head:
1. Just read over my blog post from the end of November where I lamented the fact that I felt like a single parent and really couldn't handle it much longer. Thank you all who took the time to comment on my blog or send me a personal e-mail. It was really helpful to get reassurance from all of you that I was not whining, that it really was a crappy situation. And thank you so much to those of you who also offered help. My one friend came over Saturday morning to play with the two kids here while one was with my dad and DH was leading a drama workshop for a couple hours. I was able to actually spend some time in my room ALONE to clean and sort through a ton of stuff without having to stop every few minutes to investigate suspicious silences or odd noises. What a treat! And the Saturday before that while DH was out of time, another incredible friend took all three kids for a movie and dinner playdate with her children while I went to Borders by myself for a couple hours to relax and do some paperwork. She and her husband also took them for a few hours this past Saturday so DH and I could actually go out together! We met back at her house by five for dinner (she was hosting for a few families from our Mothers and More group). Next month we'll do the same for her. And a few other friends contacted me about getting together for playdates where the kids could play together and I could get some time off or to do chores. I have good friends.
The whole situation has gotten a LOT better. DH's show opened last week. Tonight he has a brush-up rehearsal, so he'll be home from 3:30-5:30 (two whole hours), and then performances Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and a Sunday matinee. And then the show is OVER!!!!
Next week should mean that DH will be home by 4 every day and he will be home all afternoon and evening - woohoo! And then we all have winter break, which means a couple nights over at his parents' to celebrate Christmas with them, and the rest of the week time with us at home. I just signed all three kids up for a holiday camp at a local gym where they will have supervised, organized activities from 10-3. DH and I will have those days to ourselves. I got him to agree that we would do some of the much needed things around the house that have to get done, as long as we have time to...nap each day. Sounds good to me!
2) School will begin again on January 2nd for my current two-year-old class, and on the 3rd for my new young 2s class. My current INCREDIBLE assistant will not be able to keep working with me due to some medical issues with her son that she needs to work on at a "feeding boot camp" in Jersey for a month in January, but luckily we have hired a new assistant who will be with me all five mornings. She started on Monday so she can shadow my current assistant, learn about the kids we have now, and have time to learn the behavioral techniques and strategies I have found to be the most effective. I'll have to write more about those another day.
3) Last night I found the energy to update my Holiday Card Address List (put it on a database a couple years ago), print out the labels, and stuff and label my cards. I don't have the energy to personalize each card, but the card does include nine photos of the kids either by themselves or together or with each of us parents. I was also able to include a small message to provide a little update about what has happened this past year. Gotta love Shutterfly! Tomorrow I'll go to the post office to get holiday stamps and mail them. Then I get to cross all of that off my HUGE to do list.
4) As per usual the house is a mess, though could be straightened up in about half an hour if I wanted. I've been spending a lot of time working on our finances. Some of you had commented on how important it was for me to take care of myself, a fact I totally agree with, and suggested I hire a babysitter to come in on a regular basis or a housekeeper. If I only could! Money is tight, and it has been since I stopped teaching full-time. Everything I do now that brings in money is due to the fact that without my income we would not have enough to keep our house AND eat. Maybe we could do one or the other, but not both. We currently have a hefty balance on our one credit card on which we ended up putting groceries and car repairs and other necessities (as well as some things that were not such necessities) when we simply did not have enough money in our checking account to pay for it. I know other people have lots of credit card debt too, but I do not want to dig a bigger hole for us so feel that paying that off should be a big priority, next to making sure we have enough in our checking account to pay our monthly bills and groceries. Right now we owe about $4500. When I start working five mornings a week instead of three, I THINK we will be able to put $400 a month towards it, paying it off in about a year, but ONLY if we stick very carefully to our budget. We are also setting some money aside each month to build some savings, our "emergency fund" to help us in case of an emergency. I would love to build that up more, but feel it's more important to get out of the credit card debt first. Any of you with more financial training or experience that I, please feel free to chime in and offer your advice!
5) Some cute kid comments I've heard recently:
B: We need to pick up all the pieces, including the wheels.
A: What does including mean?
B: Also.
A: Okay, we do need to pick up everything, including the wheels.
I LOVE hearing them help each other!
A: Oh no, my brain stopped working. I need to think really hard for a little to get it to start working again.
Ummmm...okay.
At McDonald's Monday night (yes, the kids were able to explain that chicken nuggets and french fries were QUITE appropriate to eat for Hanukkah since they are both fried in oil), while looking at the gift wrapped packages that were on the walls as decorations, A blurted out: Be sure to attend Boscov's two-day sale. They will be offering free gift wrap. Combining his ability to mimic back almost everything he hears verbatim with his new opportunity to listen to commercials (still pronounced "co-mer-sha-nals" by all three kids) when he sees Tivoed episodes of "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy" allows us all to hear various commercial incorporated into our regular conversations and games regularly. After playing "Simon Says" together last week (which we had to play as if we were on a game show), A ended the game by announcing "Commercial considerations were provided by . . . "
A has joined me at the laptop while I wrote the last paragraph. He got very excited about me adding in the links that appear in said paragraph. In case you wanted to know more about any of the underlined places, shows, or things, you can thank A for insisting I insert them all.
When I asked A if we were finished adding links, he told me that I should have a link to Winnie the Pooh so people can go on the Winnie the Pooh website. I told him that I hadn't written anything about Winnie the Pooh, so he looked at me like I was crazy as both he and B told me to just add it! So here it is, thanks to both B and A: Winnie the Pooh.
Clearly, it is time for both of the boys to get their turns on the computer (15 minutes each) while J gets to watch her show on tv, so I need to leave my comfy spot here at the dining room table and begin to tackle shoveling out the laundry still piled up in my room.
Here are the random things that are currently bouncing around my head:
1. Just read over my blog post from the end of November where I lamented the fact that I felt like a single parent and really couldn't handle it much longer. Thank you all who took the time to comment on my blog or send me a personal e-mail. It was really helpful to get reassurance from all of you that I was not whining, that it really was a crappy situation. And thank you so much to those of you who also offered help. My one friend came over Saturday morning to play with the two kids here while one was with my dad and DH was leading a drama workshop for a couple hours. I was able to actually spend some time in my room ALONE to clean and sort through a ton of stuff without having to stop every few minutes to investigate suspicious silences or odd noises. What a treat! And the Saturday before that while DH was out of time, another incredible friend took all three kids for a movie and dinner playdate with her children while I went to Borders by myself for a couple hours to relax and do some paperwork. She and her husband also took them for a few hours this past Saturday so DH and I could actually go out together! We met back at her house by five for dinner (she was hosting for a few families from our Mothers and More group). Next month we'll do the same for her. And a few other friends contacted me about getting together for playdates where the kids could play together and I could get some time off or to do chores. I have good friends.
The whole situation has gotten a LOT better. DH's show opened last week. Tonight he has a brush-up rehearsal, so he'll be home from 3:30-5:30 (two whole hours), and then performances Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and a Sunday matinee. And then the show is OVER!!!!
Next week should mean that DH will be home by 4 every day and he will be home all afternoon and evening - woohoo! And then we all have winter break, which means a couple nights over at his parents' to celebrate Christmas with them, and the rest of the week time with us at home. I just signed all three kids up for a holiday camp at a local gym where they will have supervised, organized activities from 10-3. DH and I will have those days to ourselves. I got him to agree that we would do some of the much needed things around the house that have to get done, as long as we have time to...nap each day. Sounds good to me!
2) School will begin again on January 2nd for my current two-year-old class, and on the 3rd for my new young 2s class. My current INCREDIBLE assistant will not be able to keep working with me due to some medical issues with her son that she needs to work on at a "feeding boot camp" in Jersey for a month in January, but luckily we have hired a new assistant who will be with me all five mornings. She started on Monday so she can shadow my current assistant, learn about the kids we have now, and have time to learn the behavioral techniques and strategies I have found to be the most effective. I'll have to write more about those another day.
3) Last night I found the energy to update my Holiday Card Address List (put it on a database a couple years ago), print out the labels, and stuff and label my cards. I don't have the energy to personalize each card, but the card does include nine photos of the kids either by themselves or together or with each of us parents. I was also able to include a small message to provide a little update about what has happened this past year. Gotta love Shutterfly! Tomorrow I'll go to the post office to get holiday stamps and mail them. Then I get to cross all of that off my HUGE to do list.
4) As per usual the house is a mess, though could be straightened up in about half an hour if I wanted. I've been spending a lot of time working on our finances. Some of you had commented on how important it was for me to take care of myself, a fact I totally agree with, and suggested I hire a babysitter to come in on a regular basis or a housekeeper. If I only could! Money is tight, and it has been since I stopped teaching full-time. Everything I do now that brings in money is due to the fact that without my income we would not have enough to keep our house AND eat. Maybe we could do one or the other, but not both. We currently have a hefty balance on our one credit card on which we ended up putting groceries and car repairs and other necessities (as well as some things that were not such necessities) when we simply did not have enough money in our checking account to pay for it. I know other people have lots of credit card debt too, but I do not want to dig a bigger hole for us so feel that paying that off should be a big priority, next to making sure we have enough in our checking account to pay our monthly bills and groceries. Right now we owe about $4500. When I start working five mornings a week instead of three, I THINK we will be able to put $400 a month towards it, paying it off in about a year, but ONLY if we stick very carefully to our budget. We are also setting some money aside each month to build some savings, our "emergency fund" to help us in case of an emergency. I would love to build that up more, but feel it's more important to get out of the credit card debt first. Any of you with more financial training or experience that I, please feel free to chime in and offer your advice!
5) Some cute kid comments I've heard recently:
B: We need to pick up all the pieces, including the wheels.
A: What does including mean?
B: Also.
A: Okay, we do need to pick up everything, including the wheels.
I LOVE hearing them help each other!
A: Oh no, my brain stopped working. I need to think really hard for a little to get it to start working again.
Ummmm...okay.
At McDonald's Monday night (yes, the kids were able to explain that chicken nuggets and french fries were QUITE appropriate to eat for Hanukkah since they are both fried in oil), while looking at the gift wrapped packages that were on the walls as decorations, A blurted out: Be sure to attend Boscov's two-day sale. They will be offering free gift wrap. Combining his ability to mimic back almost everything he hears verbatim with his new opportunity to listen to commercials (still pronounced "co-mer-sha-nals" by all three kids) when he sees Tivoed episodes of "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy" allows us all to hear various commercial incorporated into our regular conversations and games regularly. After playing "Simon Says" together last week (which we had to play as if we were on a game show), A ended the game by announcing "Commercial considerations were provided by . . . "
A has joined me at the laptop while I wrote the last paragraph. He got very excited about me adding in the links that appear in said paragraph. In case you wanted to know more about any of the underlined places, shows, or things, you can thank A for insisting I insert them all.
When I asked A if we were finished adding links, he told me that I should have a link to Winnie the Pooh so people can go on the Winnie the Pooh website. I told him that I hadn't written anything about Winnie the Pooh, so he looked at me like I was crazy as both he and B told me to just add it! So here it is, thanks to both B and A: Winnie the Pooh.
Clearly, it is time for both of the boys to get their turns on the computer (15 minutes each) while J gets to watch her show on tv, so I need to leave my comfy spot here at the dining room table and begin to tackle shoveling out the laundry still piled up in my room.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Finally Some Good News
1) E-mailed DH my last blog post and told him to read it with an open mind. He did! He apparently read it a few times and in his e-mail response (hey, we may not get to see each other much these days, but we'll always have e-mail) he actually told me that he had never realized how much his schedule affected me. Uh....okay....guess all those talks we've had never really fully sank in - he needed to see it in black and white. Bottom line, he knows, he's aware, we have two more weeks left of craziness and then it will be better.
2) After spending a good portion of the day on Thursday on the phone or the computer, I finally got my insurance company to cover my narolepsy drug 100%. What a relief!!! I really had no idea how I would be able to afford the $300/month they wanted me to pay, but ultimately working with both the benefits coordinator and the insurance company, we made it work.
3) Yesterday was crazy! I got the kids dressed, fed, and out the door, along with everything I needed for the marathon day. Dropped the boys off, brought J with me to school, set up my room, dropped off J, taught my little two-year-olds, led the preschool Shabbat service (the preschool director was out), taught my class some more (this time with my boys since they get dropped off before my school is over), and then went directly into the Parent and Me Shabbat program that I lead (brown bag lunch, another preschool Shabbat service that I lead, a craft). As soon as I finished cleaning up from that program, I quickly changed into Super R (literally) and drove to my first of two big superhero birthday parties - twenty five-year-old boys. The party went great (lots of compliments from all the parents there) though because the room was HUGE (at a country club) it was hard to keep all the kids involved in my activities, but I generally had about 12-15 kids with each game/activity we tried. That was the worst "crowd control" experience I've had so far, but guess the parents like it because they tipped me 40%! From the party I drove to my house to wrap Hanukkah presents for my sister and her family and drove to her house, where she was watching all the kids. We had Shabbat dinner there (I was ready to drop on my face by then) and then an early "fake" Hanukkah since she and her kids left for St. Lucia to visit my BIL's family for SIX WEEKS! So the kids all exchanged presents and then we went ome and I put them in bed and THEN I finally got my chance to collapse. I guess it's no surprise that I had NO trouble at all falling asleep last night. The good news with that story is that I survived the day and each activity I led went well.
4) My dad likes to take each of the kids individually on Saturday for special Grandpop time, and today he took J, so I'm down to two kids.
5) I have great friends. One is watching the boys so I can do today's birthday party (DH is away this weekend at a state high school theater conference) and the other is taking all three tonight for two hours so I can have time to myself or just stay and chat. Still don't know which I'll be doing, but it's definitely something to look forward to!
Okay, the boys are busy watching Wheel of Fortune, so I'm going to jump into the shower and get dressed. Then I need to write out our schedule so A can see it (helps him when our days are not "normal"). And then I'm getting the boys to help me prep for today's party by blowing up 50 balloons. Such fun.
2) After spending a good portion of the day on Thursday on the phone or the computer, I finally got my insurance company to cover my narolepsy drug 100%. What a relief!!! I really had no idea how I would be able to afford the $300/month they wanted me to pay, but ultimately working with both the benefits coordinator and the insurance company, we made it work.
3) Yesterday was crazy! I got the kids dressed, fed, and out the door, along with everything I needed for the marathon day. Dropped the boys off, brought J with me to school, set up my room, dropped off J, taught my little two-year-olds, led the preschool Shabbat service (the preschool director was out), taught my class some more (this time with my boys since they get dropped off before my school is over), and then went directly into the Parent and Me Shabbat program that I lead (brown bag lunch, another preschool Shabbat service that I lead, a craft). As soon as I finished cleaning up from that program, I quickly changed into Super R (literally) and drove to my first of two big superhero birthday parties - twenty five-year-old boys. The party went great (lots of compliments from all the parents there) though because the room was HUGE (at a country club) it was hard to keep all the kids involved in my activities, but I generally had about 12-15 kids with each game/activity we tried. That was the worst "crowd control" experience I've had so far, but guess the parents like it because they tipped me 40%! From the party I drove to my house to wrap Hanukkah presents for my sister and her family and drove to her house, where she was watching all the kids. We had Shabbat dinner there (I was ready to drop on my face by then) and then an early "fake" Hanukkah since she and her kids left for St. Lucia to visit my BIL's family for SIX WEEKS! So the kids all exchanged presents and then we went ome and I put them in bed and THEN I finally got my chance to collapse. I guess it's no surprise that I had NO trouble at all falling asleep last night. The good news with that story is that I survived the day and each activity I led went well.
4) My dad likes to take each of the kids individually on Saturday for special Grandpop time, and today he took J, so I'm down to two kids.
5) I have great friends. One is watching the boys so I can do today's birthday party (DH is away this weekend at a state high school theater conference) and the other is taking all three tonight for two hours so I can have time to myself or just stay and chat. Still don't know which I'll be doing, but it's definitely something to look forward to!
Okay, the boys are busy watching Wheel of Fortune, so I'm going to jump into the shower and get dressed. Then I need to write out our schedule so A can see it (helps him when our days are not "normal"). And then I'm getting the boys to help me prep for today's party by blowing up 50 balloons. Such fun.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
My Life Right Now
Let me start by stating that I love my husband.
He is a fabulous father and the kids and I LOVE spending time with him. When he's here. And therein lies the problem.
From Monday to Friday his typical schedule is like this:
Up at 5:30 AM
Out the door by 6
At school early to grade papers
7:30 - 2:45 Teach
3 - 5 Work on theater-related stuff (this week that means practicing with a group of kids that will be presenting a one act at this weekend's state theater conference that he will be attending with them - from Thursday night until early Sunday morning....another story for another time)
5:20 -5:45 Home to see kids and me
5:45 Leave to go back to school for evening rehearsal of the fall show
10:30 or so Home
On Tuesdays I teach Hebrew School from 3:30 to 5:30, so he comes home at 3:30 to stay with the kids and then leaves at 5:45 for rehearsal.
Most Saturdays he spends the majority of the day at school for additional rehearsal.
On Sundays I teach Religious School from 9-1. We always have dinner at his parents' on Sundays, a great tradition which, for some reason, has stretched out to now mean he brings the kids there for lunch and stays ALL afternoon through dinnertime. I do housework, grocery shopping, planning, etc. from 1:30 - 4 and then join them for dinner.
Does anyone think I'm being unreasonable when I say I'm feeling overwhelmed and like a single parent?!!!
I love being a mom, and I love teaching, and I love that I have worked out a schedule that allows me to do both. I currently teach three mornings a week from 9-12, but frequently end up subbing on the days I'm not teaching my own class, and come January that will increase to five mornings a week. J is at the same school, so she comes with me in the morning to "help" me set up my room, and comes to my room when the day is done. I drop the boys off at school or at a friend's house to bring them to school in the morning, and have many different people helping me by picking them up at 11:30 and bringing them to school to play until my school day is done. That means absolutely no kid-free quiet moments for me.
I really do enjoy running the household, but taking care of the groceries, the meal planning, the cooking, the clean-up, the picking up, the bills, the incoming paperwork, the holiday shopping, the house cleaning, AND the laundry is a lot to squeeze in. Add to that the fact that A has Asperger's and B is going through testing to figure out just what is going on in his head and J is just quite challenging most of the time, and that I have researched many different strategies to try with all of them that I am trying to put in our regular weekly schedule.
Add to that my birthday party business that I am trying to run (a fun and quite necessary financial addition to our overall income) and expand.
Add to that my clinical depression and narcolepsy that I take meds for but really have to work on to stay on top of. And the fact that insurance won't pay for more than 25% of my narcolepsy meds so I'm still trying to figure out alternative ways to pay for it.
I am by no means saying that DH doesn't do anything around here. He works incredibly long hours at school, even though if we worked out the hourly rate for all the theater work he is doing it would be next to nothing. He unloads the dishwasher for us every morning (a BIG help) and takes out the trash and the recycling. When he is here in the late afternoons for his chance to see us, I put him to work bathing the kids (C'mon, it's one-on-one quality time with each child!) to make our bedtime routine easier. This Sunday since I didn't have Religious School, he helped by cleaning up the downstairs while I worked some on the computer before we got together with his parents at 11 to buy the kids new shoes (my in-laws buy them shoes each season - sweet!) and help them pick out their Christmas tree. It was definitely helpful to have the clean-up taken off my Sunday To Do list. But do I sound like I'm whining when I say it's just not enough?!
I've talked with DH about this A LOT. He made a HUGE decision last week that he would not be assistant directing the spring show at the High School any more. Instead, he will be directing the Middle School show beginning in January, which means he makes the rehearsal schedule, gets more responsiblity and the recognition (and pay) that he deserves. He plans to have rehearsal three - four afternoons a week from 3 - 5, meaning that he will be home before 5:30 every day and not going out after that. That is, except for the evenings he will have rehearsal at our favorite community theater for the first show he will be actually be part of there in awhile.
So I'm going to keep telling myself that it WILL get easier by the end of December when he has winter break, and then in January, when his schedule changes a lot.
But A has been having a really rough time (since last Wednesday - I should have tried to structure our time off from school more, but damnit, I needed a little break!) which translates into lots more meltdowns (which now include screaming as well as throwing himself to the floor and crying loudly) and difficulty in responding to directions/commands. And J keeps whining about everything. And B is so hyped up I might have to send him upstairs for the rest of his "quiet time" since he keeps jumping on the couch instead of sitting or lying there so we can all have a little down-time.
I welcome ANY and ALL advice, words of wisdom, whatever!
I'm going to keep repeating that it will get better. And taking lots of deep breaths. Always good. In and out. Repeat.
He is a fabulous father and the kids and I LOVE spending time with him. When he's here. And therein lies the problem.
From Monday to Friday his typical schedule is like this:
Up at 5:30 AM
Out the door by 6
At school early to grade papers
7:30 - 2:45 Teach
3 - 5 Work on theater-related stuff (this week that means practicing with a group of kids that will be presenting a one act at this weekend's state theater conference that he will be attending with them - from Thursday night until early Sunday morning....another story for another time)
5:20 -5:45 Home to see kids and me
5:45 Leave to go back to school for evening rehearsal of the fall show
10:30 or so Home
On Tuesdays I teach Hebrew School from 3:30 to 5:30, so he comes home at 3:30 to stay with the kids and then leaves at 5:45 for rehearsal.
Most Saturdays he spends the majority of the day at school for additional rehearsal.
On Sundays I teach Religious School from 9-1. We always have dinner at his parents' on Sundays, a great tradition which, for some reason, has stretched out to now mean he brings the kids there for lunch and stays ALL afternoon through dinnertime. I do housework, grocery shopping, planning, etc. from 1:30 - 4 and then join them for dinner.
Does anyone think I'm being unreasonable when I say I'm feeling overwhelmed and like a single parent?!!!
I love being a mom, and I love teaching, and I love that I have worked out a schedule that allows me to do both. I currently teach three mornings a week from 9-12, but frequently end up subbing on the days I'm not teaching my own class, and come January that will increase to five mornings a week. J is at the same school, so she comes with me in the morning to "help" me set up my room, and comes to my room when the day is done. I drop the boys off at school or at a friend's house to bring them to school in the morning, and have many different people helping me by picking them up at 11:30 and bringing them to school to play until my school day is done. That means absolutely no kid-free quiet moments for me.
I really do enjoy running the household, but taking care of the groceries, the meal planning, the cooking, the clean-up, the picking up, the bills, the incoming paperwork, the holiday shopping, the house cleaning, AND the laundry is a lot to squeeze in. Add to that the fact that A has Asperger's and B is going through testing to figure out just what is going on in his head and J is just quite challenging most of the time, and that I have researched many different strategies to try with all of them that I am trying to put in our regular weekly schedule.
Add to that my birthday party business that I am trying to run (a fun and quite necessary financial addition to our overall income) and expand.
Add to that my clinical depression and narcolepsy that I take meds for but really have to work on to stay on top of. And the fact that insurance won't pay for more than 25% of my narcolepsy meds so I'm still trying to figure out alternative ways to pay for it.
I am by no means saying that DH doesn't do anything around here. He works incredibly long hours at school, even though if we worked out the hourly rate for all the theater work he is doing it would be next to nothing. He unloads the dishwasher for us every morning (a BIG help) and takes out the trash and the recycling. When he is here in the late afternoons for his chance to see us, I put him to work bathing the kids (C'mon, it's one-on-one quality time with each child!) to make our bedtime routine easier. This Sunday since I didn't have Religious School, he helped by cleaning up the downstairs while I worked some on the computer before we got together with his parents at 11 to buy the kids new shoes (my in-laws buy them shoes each season - sweet!) and help them pick out their Christmas tree. It was definitely helpful to have the clean-up taken off my Sunday To Do list. But do I sound like I'm whining when I say it's just not enough?!
I've talked with DH about this A LOT. He made a HUGE decision last week that he would not be assistant directing the spring show at the High School any more. Instead, he will be directing the Middle School show beginning in January, which means he makes the rehearsal schedule, gets more responsiblity and the recognition (and pay) that he deserves. He plans to have rehearsal three - four afternoons a week from 3 - 5, meaning that he will be home before 5:30 every day and not going out after that. That is, except for the evenings he will have rehearsal at our favorite community theater for the first show he will be actually be part of there in awhile.
So I'm going to keep telling myself that it WILL get easier by the end of December when he has winter break, and then in January, when his schedule changes a lot.
But A has been having a really rough time (since last Wednesday - I should have tried to structure our time off from school more, but damnit, I needed a little break!) which translates into lots more meltdowns (which now include screaming as well as throwing himself to the floor and crying loudly) and difficulty in responding to directions/commands. And J keeps whining about everything. And B is so hyped up I might have to send him upstairs for the rest of his "quiet time" since he keeps jumping on the couch instead of sitting or lying there so we can all have a little down-time.
I welcome ANY and ALL advice, words of wisdom, whatever!
I'm going to keep repeating that it will get better. And taking lots of deep breaths. Always good. In and out. Repeat.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
To Do List for the Kids
One of the times that we have been having a LOT of trouble with is the transition from school to home. I'm tired, they're tired, it's hard to stay focused, stuff ends up everywhere, I'm sure that's not an uncommon scenario.
I created a simple To Do list for each child, taking photos of whatever they felt was appropriate for each item on the list, and copied them each onto their favorite color cardstock. Today we used it for the first time. As soon as they had buckled themselves in, I handed them each their personal to do list so they could review it in the car. I wish I could say that they were each able to stay focused independently and complete all the tasks with no prompts from me, but that is our ultimate goal. It did help me get them focused, and I could now remind them to pick up their list again because they still needed to do # __. When they felt they were finished, they came over to me and we read their lists together, making sure each one was completed, and then they received major praise and reinforcement from me. And now the boys are onto A's tv choice for quiet time, and will be on to their computer time soon (when J gets her tv choice), so I better get my butt in gear to do my chores for the day while they're resting.
I created a simple To Do list for each child, taking photos of whatever they felt was appropriate for each item on the list, and copied them each onto their favorite color cardstock. Today we used it for the first time. As soon as they had buckled themselves in, I handed them each their personal to do list so they could review it in the car. I wish I could say that they were each able to stay focused independently and complete all the tasks with no prompts from me, but that is our ultimate goal. It did help me get them focused, and I could now remind them to pick up their list again because they still needed to do # __. When they felt they were finished, they came over to me and we read their lists together, making sure each one was completed, and then they received major praise and reinforcement from me. And now the boys are onto A's tv choice for quiet time, and will be on to their computer time soon (when J gets her tv choice), so I better get my butt in gear to do my chores for the day while they're resting.
Our New Schedule
I took Trace's advice and joined photobucket so I could show you all the schedule I created for our afternoon. I'm learning how much better all the kids (and I) do structure, and created this visual one for us to use. Let me know what you think or if you have any questions about how we're using it. We tried it yesterday and it was a FABULOUS day!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Once Upon a Time
Once upon a time there lived a harried mom who was tired all the time. She would wake up in the morning, get the kids dressed and fed, and feel the need to go back to sleep. She would usually fight this feeling as much as possible. She would drive the kids to their schools and then teach two-year-olds for three hours and feel awake (because it's kind of hard to teach little ones without being constantly "on"), but when class was over and her own children joined her in her classroom, her energy level would begin to drop. She would herd her children to their van, make sure they were buckled in, drive them home and feed them (yet again), get them cleaned up, and then make them lay down on the couch for "quiet time." As soon as the harried mom sat down, her eyelids became so heavy it took all her effort to keep them open. So she would often go upstairs to nap for a little, but after sleeping for a little it became nearly impossible for her to force herself completely out of her semi-sleep state. She would sometimes come up with places to take the kids, mainly because moving around was one of the main ways she could stay awake. When night came and the kids were in bed, the harried mom would pour herself into her own bed. Whether napping or sleeping for the night, the harried mom could go into a dream state almost instantly. It's how she always fell asleep: shut her eyes, thought of a dream, and went into it. At the start of the dream she would be still awake a little bit, enough to manipulate the dream however she wanted, though she no longer could move her body. And then she would sink deeper and deeper into the dream.
The harried mom finally saw a specialist to figure out why she was tired all the time and discovered that she had Narcolepsy. Finally - a reason why she felt tired all the time. And the new knowledge that the way she fell asleep was NOT the way it worked for everyone else. So the doctor gave her medicine to help her be awake when she wanted to be. The only problem was she was no longer able to shut her eyes and begin dreaming. Now her mind raced even though she was tired and quiet and lying in bed. Instead of going into dream houses or seeing old crushes who now found her irresistable, her mind thought about the different things she needed to do the next day and the different things she didn't get to do that day.
The harried mom was frustrated. How could she be wide awake the next day, even with medicine, if she couldn't fall asleep at night? So the harried mom contacted her equally harried sister, who suggested the age old remedy of keeping a notebook by the bed and writing out all the stuff in the mom's head BEFORE she tried to fall asleep. What do you know? It worked! And the harried mom lived happily ever after . . . for the next two weeks, which is how long the sample packs of medicine will last her. And her quest for the miracle drugs continues, but that is a tale for another day.
The End.
The harried mom finally saw a specialist to figure out why she was tired all the time and discovered that she had Narcolepsy. Finally - a reason why she felt tired all the time. And the new knowledge that the way she fell asleep was NOT the way it worked for everyone else. So the doctor gave her medicine to help her be awake when she wanted to be. The only problem was she was no longer able to shut her eyes and begin dreaming. Now her mind raced even though she was tired and quiet and lying in bed. Instead of going into dream houses or seeing old crushes who now found her irresistable, her mind thought about the different things she needed to do the next day and the different things she didn't get to do that day.
The harried mom was frustrated. How could she be wide awake the next day, even with medicine, if she couldn't fall asleep at night? So the harried mom contacted her equally harried sister, who suggested the age old remedy of keeping a notebook by the bed and writing out all the stuff in the mom's head BEFORE she tried to fall asleep. What do you know? It worked! And the harried mom lived happily ever after . . . for the next two weeks, which is how long the sample packs of medicine will last her. And her quest for the miracle drugs continues, but that is a tale for another day.
The End.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Questions
Alright all you computer savy people out there, I'd love some advice:
1) What anti-virus software do you use? I had one expert tell me that Norton slows things down a LOT. Do you use that, or is there something else you prefer?
2) I just made some great schedules for the kids (based on the conference I attended on Friday). They are PDF files. Any suggestions on how to post them here so I can share them?
If you have your own blog but don't know the answer, could you send people my way so I could get lots of input? THANK YOU!
1) What anti-virus software do you use? I had one expert tell me that Norton slows things down a LOT. Do you use that, or is there something else you prefer?
2) I just made some great schedules for the kids (based on the conference I attended on Friday). They are PDF files. Any suggestions on how to post them here so I can share them?
If you have your own blog but don't know the answer, could you send people my way so I could get lots of input? THANK YOU!
Friday, November 16, 2007
What a Great Day!
What a great day!
I got together with some of my Flyfriends (from my local Flylady message board) last night for our bi-annual "Thanksgivingfest" (because we are all so thankful for the support we get from each other - aaawwww). I had a great time, even though my babysitter cancelled at the last minute and I had to bring the kids with me. The kids were great, surprisingly, and we stayed later than I had planned. One of the best parts of the evenings, besides catching up with a LOT of great people (like the Domestic Goddess, Trace, Perky, and a few others who don't have blogs), was the gift I received from Trace, the fabulous hostess. She had a few sample packs of Provigil that she gave to me. My insurance company told me their final answer yesterday about my narcolepsy meds: they'll cover 25% which means I'll "only" have to pay $300 a month. Oh, yeah, sure, no problem. I'm trying to come up with ways to "fight the system" and would welcome ANY suggestions anyone has. I tried contacting Cephalon (who makes the medication) but they could only help me in paying for the medication if my insurance didn't cover it at all. Uh, okay, so their coverage still forces me to pay WAAAAY more than I could POSSIBLY pay - couldn't you help ME?!!!
Since Trace gave me some sample packs, I was able to take one this morning, and I tried another one at lunch time. I felt a difference right away. Today was the first day I tried the second pill - WOW! I was able to stay alert all afternoon into the night. I didn't feel high or jittery (maybe a little, but I'll wait and see if my body adjusts to it), just awake. Amazing!
And today was great for another reason - I was able to work things out so I could attend a full day conference about teaching kids with Asperger's. The entire conference was riveting for me. I came away with so many incredible ideas to use immediately and other great ideas about revising A's IEP (Indivdual Education Plan) since a good portion of it was about writing appropriate goals for kids with Asperger's. I am so pumped about this I can't wait to get started.
The conference was about an hour away, so I had lots of time in the car to think. I have lots of other blog posts perculating up in my head so I'm hoping to type them up soon.
I got together with some of my Flyfriends (from my local Flylady message board) last night for our bi-annual "Thanksgivingfest" (because we are all so thankful for the support we get from each other - aaawwww). I had a great time, even though my babysitter cancelled at the last minute and I had to bring the kids with me. The kids were great, surprisingly, and we stayed later than I had planned. One of the best parts of the evenings, besides catching up with a LOT of great people (like the Domestic Goddess, Trace, Perky, and a few others who don't have blogs), was the gift I received from Trace, the fabulous hostess. She had a few sample packs of Provigil that she gave to me. My insurance company told me their final answer yesterday about my narcolepsy meds: they'll cover 25% which means I'll "only" have to pay $300 a month. Oh, yeah, sure, no problem. I'm trying to come up with ways to "fight the system" and would welcome ANY suggestions anyone has. I tried contacting Cephalon (who makes the medication) but they could only help me in paying for the medication if my insurance didn't cover it at all. Uh, okay, so their coverage still forces me to pay WAAAAY more than I could POSSIBLY pay - couldn't you help ME?!!!
Since Trace gave me some sample packs, I was able to take one this morning, and I tried another one at lunch time. I felt a difference right away. Today was the first day I tried the second pill - WOW! I was able to stay alert all afternoon into the night. I didn't feel high or jittery (maybe a little, but I'll wait and see if my body adjusts to it), just awake. Amazing!
And today was great for another reason - I was able to work things out so I could attend a full day conference about teaching kids with Asperger's. The entire conference was riveting for me. I came away with so many incredible ideas to use immediately and other great ideas about revising A's IEP (Indivdual Education Plan) since a good portion of it was about writing appropriate goals for kids with Asperger's. I am so pumped about this I can't wait to get started.
The conference was about an hour away, so I had lots of time in the car to think. I have lots of other blog posts perculating up in my head so I'm hoping to type them up soon.
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