...a pretty uneventful 24 hours in our household...2012 was rung in with family. Big Daddy, Little Man and I, my nephews A.J. and Nolan and my parents. There was too much food, a little bit of Wii and a whole lot of fun!!! I managed to snap some pictures of the Wii playing, as it was Grandma Nana's first time playing. I have to find my camera...it is around here somewhere, just not where I left it...the case is there, empty. I suspect Little Man is behind this, and it will be a lot of fun to see what pics he managed to snap!!!
A.J. was a bit apprehensive for his parents to leave around 7pm. "Mama, stay with me", and he wouldn't let my sister put him down. He has stayed overnight with us many, many times...lately, the separation anxiety is getting the best of him, I think. A month or so ago, my sister and brother-in-law had a wedding to attend. My parents had the boys for the day, and came by to drop them off that evening...A.J. would have nothing of it. Mom and Daddy ended up taking them to their house for the night. When they aren't at home, they are at my parents house...so it is natural for them to feel more comfortable there.
My parents came over, and we managed to let my sister and brother-in-law sneak out. The boys were fine. We played the Wii for awhile, Family Game Night 2 & 3 (a Christmas gift from Grandma Nana and Papa) and Family Game Night 4 (a gift from Santa). I did not play the games, as I was getting the party food ready (I regret, I did not get any pics of the food...must remember to take. more. photos!!!). What I saw seemed a lot of fun...maybe I will play head-to-head with Little Man and (gasp!) write a review.
Time really seemed to fly, and we were helping ourselves to the buffet of "party foods"...Lit'l Smokies in barbecue sauce, chips and dip, bacon cheese ball, cheese and crackers, Ro-Tel dip, Mexican Layer Dip, Black Bean Salsa, Pigs in a Blanket...nothing too good for us, but all the good stuff that we don't eat every day. We watched some Phineas & Ferb, and set the boys up for their sleepover. A.J. refused to put his PJs on, saying he would when he got home!!! He thought my sister and brother-in-law were coming back right away to pick them up. I spread the pillows and blankets out, and Little Man laid down right away. He was out cold in about ten minutes. A.J. fought, and fought, and fought. He finally fell asleep around midnight, when we were all watching Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve.
Speaking of that show, Disney Parks had a "HUGE" announcement that they were making after midnight on the show. My parents, Big Daddy and I waited...and waited. They announced that on Leap Day, 2/29/12 the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World and the Disneyland park in California would be open for 24 hours straight.
Sigh.
Don't get me wrong, I think it is a cute concept. BUT not really exciting. Not when you have parks open for Extra Magic Hours until 1 or 2 am. Reading the Disney Park's Blog, they say that the parks will open at 6am local time on 2/29 and stay open for 24 hours. Also, if you book a minimum three-night room and ticket package at select Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort Hotels, you can get a free night. This has to be booked by 1/31/12 and is good for travel most nights 2/26 - 3/10. More info can be found at the Disney Park's website. Great, but we always stay through Disney Vacation Club. I was hoping for an announcement with a little more, I don't know...pizzaz. I guess I was a little let-down after all of the hype leading up to the announcement.
The big draw (for me and Big Daddy, anyway) is that Disney is giving away a vacation package EVERY day from 1/1/12 through 2/29/12. You can enter via their website, or by texting "disneyday" to DISNEY (347639). I could totally use a vacation...and free is ALWAYS good.
Wow, I got totally off track (yes, that was all stuff that I wanted to mention in this post, but I just kinda stuck it in the middle of everything)...
Anyway, Little Man was out cold, Noley Bear fell asleep on Papa, and A.J. fell asleep around midnight...Mom and Daddy left after we got the boys settled, and Big Daddy and I were cleaning up and heading to bed. A.J. woke up. Right around 1 am. He didn't say anything, just sat up quietly. And, he didn't fall asleep. I told Big Daddy to go on to bed, that I would stay up with A.J. We watched whatever was on Nick Jr at the time, he didn't say much...just that he was waiting for his Mom and Dad. I know I dozed off a couple of times, but A.J stayed awake. He FINALLY crashed around 4:30. 4:30. I stayed on the couch, in the event that he woke up, I didn't want him to freak out.
I wasn't really comfortable on the couch, but I managed to get a little sleep. A little. Noley Bear woke up crying. At 6:30 am. This woke A.J. up, wondering where his parents were. I quieted Nolan down, and got both boys back to sleep (Little Man sleeping through all of this). That lasted until 7:30 when all three boys were awake. Oh, what fun.
We had a breakfast of frozen waffles and chocolate milk (my healthy eating-resolution is apparently on hold today) and the boys went off to play. My sister said they would be around to pick the boys up around 9 am. 9 am came and went, I was dozing on the couch when I got a text. My sister had taken my brother-in-law to the ER at 5 this morning with chest pains, he was clammy and dizzy...his heart arithmeia was acting up. I don't know a whole lot about his condition, but I could not imagine how scary that was. He is staying overnight, since there won't be any doctors to run tests until Monday. I offered to take the boys as long as she needed, but she said he was comfortable and that she could take care of the boys.
I had a short (about two hour) nap, and the day has been filled with a Law & Order SVU marathon, finishing one book and beginning another, McDonalds for dinner (what about this healthy eating-resolution?!?!?) and some internet surfing, Facebooking, pinning, and blog-writing.
Nothing exciting, but fulfilling all the same. The workout routine starts up on Tuesday, Little Man starts school again on Wednesday, and everything should be back to normal. Hopefully the house stays clean (25 days!!!) and I keep things under some-sort-of-control. I want to get back into working out, eating better...maybe rejoining Weight Watchers (but I will NOT go to meetings, another blog post for a later date), I even want to dress better...I am working on that. I miss getting to "dress-up" like I did when I worked in banking...right now, it is t-shirts and jeans...I never thought I would complain about wearing t-shirts and jeans!!!
So much going on, but nothing TOO overwhelming. I can't wait to start this ride...2012 should be fun!!!
Love to All.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Friday, December 30, 2011
...falling into place...
...I am not sure what is going on...but things seem to be falling into place. Well, that is kind of a broad statement, but a lot of things seem to be going in my...in OUR favor here of late.
Of course, it is over things that could be considered "trivial"...what is falling into place???
Well, for starters, my house has been clean for 23 days straight. Well, not the whole house...but Little Man's room, the family room, the kitchen and the hall bath. We still have to tackle our room, our bathroom, the computer/play room, and the basement. Oh, the basement. Big Daddy has to work on the garage, but that mess is ALL his. It has taken awhile, but we are finally purging things out. Big Daddy has been bringing boxes home from work...we mainly sort the Garage Sale and Donation items in these, since they are disposable. Items that we want to keep go in Rubbermaid totes. Items that need to be thrown out are thrown out. I don't even ask Big Daddy (or Little Man, for that matter) about it. It is gone. When the weather gets nicer, we are going to have an EPIC Garage Sale!!! My laundry is caught up, the carpet has even been vacuumed. Dishwasher is unloaded/loaded regularly and recycling items are taken out on a regular basis (this is a HUGE issue in our kitchen). Toothpaste blobs (oh, the toothpaste blobs!!!) are wiped up before they harden...my wish is that one day, Little Man does not squeeze half a tube of toothpaste out every time he brushes, but I will pick my battles. Please don't go over my "clean" house with a white glove...that will come in time. Right now, this is good enough for me.
The whole housecleaning thing may not be a big deal to everyone, but it is a big deal to me. When we moved into this house five years ago, I was very gung-ho. I was a regular Suzy Homemaker. Then things spiraled. My depression took hold of me. My anxiety took hold. My OCD (perfection) took hold. How bizarre is it to think that I wouldn't do a job AT ALL if I couldn't do it right??? It was easier to sit with my thoughts, or simply fall asleep when my thoughts became too overwhelming...why set myself up for failure??? I am just glad that this is becoming routine. I believe that FlyLady says that it takes 21 or 28 (I can't remember) days for something to become habit or routine. I am THRILLED that I am just about there.
A lot of our purging and cleaning is because Big Daddy wants to move from this house. I don't. I love this house. This is the house that Little Man knows as home. We love the school, we love our neighbors, we love the location. Of course, we are renting this house...still. Big Daddy wants to get a place that is cheaper. That will be hard to come by...it will be smaller, or an apartment, or (with our luck) won't accept pets. If we leave this house, it will be for the big move. To Florida. Yes, we are still considering this, and it was kind of heightened when Big Daddy had to fly to Florida last week for his Grandmother's funeral. Sure, he was there in less than ideal circumstances...but I know it was important for him to spend TIME with his family. Yes, we love my family...and they do a lot for us, but lately our immediate family has proven more and more important...my immediate family will always visit Florida, so we will always see each other. Extended family, we may not see so much if we move to the Sunshine State, but we see them so rarely here...and we are within a short drive!!! Holidays, yes...but not much outside that.
I am much happier all around...I think I can attribute a lot of that to my change in jobs. Yes, I left my full-time job in finance in June of 2010. I was hired part-time with the school district in August of 2010, and went full-time August 2011. My job is not guaranteed past June of 2012. This may play a huge part in our decision to move to Florida. I love my job...of course, many days it is a roller coaster ride...but I love it. Things could fall into place, and another preschooler will need my help next year and I will be offered another full-time position. If that doesn't happen, we have to be prepared for what may come.
Little Man is doing all right. I say all right. It has been awhile since I last posted, but I did touch on his anxiety. We sought the help of a professional. We took him to see a Psychologist at Cardinal Glennon in mid-November. She did not talk to him, but talked to myself and Big Daddy for an hour and a half!!! She was afraid that she could not give him the help he needed in the short time frame that we had (biggest concern: anxiety over toys and how close we were to Christmas). We were referred to St. Louis Behavioral Disorders Institute. Well, they couldn't get him in. At. All. He has been coping all right. Christmas was touch-and-go. He got a couple of toys that are "triggers", but just covers his ears or eyes when he gets around them. I am not jumping to return them (mainly because I didn't get a gift receipt) because hopefully we can work through this. We are still looking to get him with a Psychiatrist, because the Psychologist thinks he needs to be put on an anti-depressant. I have great reservations about this, but am willing to explore the options. We are also facing therapy, figuring at least once a week. I have been through this...as an adult. I can't imagine being seven years old and needing this kind of help.
We are heading into 2012 with less debt than we headed into 2011 with. Slowly but surely, we are chipping away at this. This is a VERY good thing, because we are at the tail end of the Trust that Big Daddy got when his mother passed...we will have less liquid cash, but more invested for the future. This could also be a factor in us moving down south...having a little extra saved away in the event that we don't find work right away, or take a cut in pay.
I am still looking to get back to school, but don't know how I can fit it in right now.
This week, I took on extra hours at work. I was scheduled to be off, since my preschool class is not in session...but I took shifts with the year-round preschool classes and elementary out-of-school program. I am thankful for the extra hours, but had to report to work at 6:30...meaning the alarm was going off at 5!!! This will hopefully get me back into the routine of waking up early, and HEADING TO THE GYM!!! Of course, I will be heading back to the gym with all of the other New Years Resolution-ers, but hopefully I will stick it out for awhile.
I am taking a break from my calendar this week. Well, I know for sure that Little Man doesn't have anything planned, but I have avoided it altogether lately. I know next week, we will be back in the swing of things, but I really needed a break from all of the running around. Sure, we still have Exerfun on Tuesday evenings, and will still have our Cub Scout Pack and Den meetings, but that is about it. I cut out his two-night-a-week swim lessons. The lessons were moved to Saturdays, but no pressure...no running out right after work, no grabbing dinner through a drive-thru on our way home. Sure, we have to be at the lesson at 8:30 am, but that is about the extent of it.
Those are just a few of the things that seem to be working, or things that we are working on. Life is a work in progress. I am excited to see what the new year brings.
Love to all.
Of course, it is over things that could be considered "trivial"...what is falling into place???
Well, for starters, my house has been clean for 23 days straight. Well, not the whole house...but Little Man's room, the family room, the kitchen and the hall bath. We still have to tackle our room, our bathroom, the computer/play room, and the basement. Oh, the basement. Big Daddy has to work on the garage, but that mess is ALL his. It has taken awhile, but we are finally purging things out. Big Daddy has been bringing boxes home from work...we mainly sort the Garage Sale and Donation items in these, since they are disposable. Items that we want to keep go in Rubbermaid totes. Items that need to be thrown out are thrown out. I don't even ask Big Daddy (or Little Man, for that matter) about it. It is gone. When the weather gets nicer, we are going to have an EPIC Garage Sale!!! My laundry is caught up, the carpet has even been vacuumed. Dishwasher is unloaded/loaded regularly and recycling items are taken out on a regular basis (this is a HUGE issue in our kitchen). Toothpaste blobs (oh, the toothpaste blobs!!!) are wiped up before they harden...my wish is that one day, Little Man does not squeeze half a tube of toothpaste out every time he brushes, but I will pick my battles. Please don't go over my "clean" house with a white glove...that will come in time. Right now, this is good enough for me.
The whole housecleaning thing may not be a big deal to everyone, but it is a big deal to me. When we moved into this house five years ago, I was very gung-ho. I was a regular Suzy Homemaker. Then things spiraled. My depression took hold of me. My anxiety took hold. My OCD (perfection) took hold. How bizarre is it to think that I wouldn't do a job AT ALL if I couldn't do it right??? It was easier to sit with my thoughts, or simply fall asleep when my thoughts became too overwhelming...why set myself up for failure??? I am just glad that this is becoming routine. I believe that FlyLady says that it takes 21 or 28 (I can't remember) days for something to become habit or routine. I am THRILLED that I am just about there.
A lot of our purging and cleaning is because Big Daddy wants to move from this house. I don't. I love this house. This is the house that Little Man knows as home. We love the school, we love our neighbors, we love the location. Of course, we are renting this house...still. Big Daddy wants to get a place that is cheaper. That will be hard to come by...it will be smaller, or an apartment, or (with our luck) won't accept pets. If we leave this house, it will be for the big move. To Florida. Yes, we are still considering this, and it was kind of heightened when Big Daddy had to fly to Florida last week for his Grandmother's funeral. Sure, he was there in less than ideal circumstances...but I know it was important for him to spend TIME with his family. Yes, we love my family...and they do a lot for us, but lately our immediate family has proven more and more important...my immediate family will always visit Florida, so we will always see each other. Extended family, we may not see so much if we move to the Sunshine State, but we see them so rarely here...and we are within a short drive!!! Holidays, yes...but not much outside that.
I am much happier all around...I think I can attribute a lot of that to my change in jobs. Yes, I left my full-time job in finance in June of 2010. I was hired part-time with the school district in August of 2010, and went full-time August 2011. My job is not guaranteed past June of 2012. This may play a huge part in our decision to move to Florida. I love my job...of course, many days it is a roller coaster ride...but I love it. Things could fall into place, and another preschooler will need my help next year and I will be offered another full-time position. If that doesn't happen, we have to be prepared for what may come.
Little Man is doing all right. I say all right. It has been awhile since I last posted, but I did touch on his anxiety. We sought the help of a professional. We took him to see a Psychologist at Cardinal Glennon in mid-November. She did not talk to him, but talked to myself and Big Daddy for an hour and a half!!! She was afraid that she could not give him the help he needed in the short time frame that we had (biggest concern: anxiety over toys and how close we were to Christmas). We were referred to St. Louis Behavioral Disorders Institute. Well, they couldn't get him in. At. All. He has been coping all right. Christmas was touch-and-go. He got a couple of toys that are "triggers", but just covers his ears or eyes when he gets around them. I am not jumping to return them (mainly because I didn't get a gift receipt) because hopefully we can work through this. We are still looking to get him with a Psychiatrist, because the Psychologist thinks he needs to be put on an anti-depressant. I have great reservations about this, but am willing to explore the options. We are also facing therapy, figuring at least once a week. I have been through this...as an adult. I can't imagine being seven years old and needing this kind of help.
We are heading into 2012 with less debt than we headed into 2011 with. Slowly but surely, we are chipping away at this. This is a VERY good thing, because we are at the tail end of the Trust that Big Daddy got when his mother passed...we will have less liquid cash, but more invested for the future. This could also be a factor in us moving down south...having a little extra saved away in the event that we don't find work right away, or take a cut in pay.
I am still looking to get back to school, but don't know how I can fit it in right now.
This week, I took on extra hours at work. I was scheduled to be off, since my preschool class is not in session...but I took shifts with the year-round preschool classes and elementary out-of-school program. I am thankful for the extra hours, but had to report to work at 6:30...meaning the alarm was going off at 5!!! This will hopefully get me back into the routine of waking up early, and HEADING TO THE GYM!!! Of course, I will be heading back to the gym with all of the other New Years Resolution-ers, but hopefully I will stick it out for awhile.
I am taking a break from my calendar this week. Well, I know for sure that Little Man doesn't have anything planned, but I have avoided it altogether lately. I know next week, we will be back in the swing of things, but I really needed a break from all of the running around. Sure, we still have Exerfun on Tuesday evenings, and will still have our Cub Scout Pack and Den meetings, but that is about it. I cut out his two-night-a-week swim lessons. The lessons were moved to Saturdays, but no pressure...no running out right after work, no grabbing dinner through a drive-thru on our way home. Sure, we have to be at the lesson at 8:30 am, but that is about the extent of it.
Those are just a few of the things that seem to be working, or things that we are working on. Life is a work in progress. I am excited to see what the new year brings.
Love to all.
Friday, October 14, 2011
...Going to the Pumpkin Patch and Taking More Photos...
...I always tell myself that I am "going to be better about taking pictures". I feel that I am letting Little Man's childhood slip right through my fingers. I don't think that is entirely true, but I always feel like the 'occasion' doesn't "merit a photo". What is wrong with taking photos of the everyday??? Of course, I would get a lot of shots of Little Man sitting at a computer, chewing on his finger!!! I also tell myself that I don't take more photos because things "just aren't right"...meaning my house is just too messy, or Little Man has chocolate around his mouth...meaning the shot won't be 'perfect'.
Wow. I really need to let go of this 'perfect' thing.
I was going through some photos on my camera this evening, transferring them to my 'new-to-me' laptop (Big Daddy bought himself a new laptop in June, and COMPLETELY hated it from the beginning...so yay me, it's mine!!! We won't even mention how my old laptop is currently crashing and Big Daddy is currently restoring it as we speak. Wow...this has been a hella-long sidenote...).
Anyway, I was going through photos this evening. Because I am obsessive/compulsive about TRIPLE checking that my photos are not only on my laptop, but saved to a Sim card AND a CD, I started going through old photos from my old laptop (because I wanted to double check that I had them, even though it would have been too late because of the computer restore)...I have some great pics of Little Man when he was a baby. Sure, I can see that the carpet might have needed to be vacuumed, and I could see that we were STILL living out of Rubbermaid totes in our townhouse (three moves in two years, including our move from Florida and one while pregnant) and I can see that some of Little Man's baby toys were right near a cable TV outlet (???)...I don't think he could have hurt himself, right?!?!?
Point being...no, my photos were not set like those in Sears Portrait Studios (ummm, okay) or Kiddie Kandids or Portrait Innoventions (I don't know where people get pics anymore...we use local photogs). No, they are more worthy of being on the website "You are NOT a Photographer"...because, I am not. I am a Mommy with a (I thought pretty nice) point-and-shoot digital camera. No fancy lenses, no fancy filters. It does the job I need it to, when I get around to using it.
Yes, my friends. You will start to see more photos from me. Oh, and I really, REALLY need to work on the whole weight loss/getting healthier thing...there were pictures from our Walt Disney World trip last fall where I look pregnant...and yes, I still weigh more than I did when I delivered Little Man...this is a whole other blog topic for another day...
Where does the Pumpkin Patch fit in??? We took Little Man to our local pumpkin patch today. I have all sorts of pics of him over the years at this particular pumpkin patch. It has been in our area since I was a little girl. What made me (and Big Daddy) laugh today was that I definitely knew I needed to back my pictures up...my camera still had LAST YEAR'S pumpkin patch photos on it!!! Funnier STILL was that Big Daddy was getting Little Man's clothes laid out for today...he came SUPER-CLOSE to wearing an almost identical outfit today that he did to the pumpkin patch last year!!! (Red polo shirt and plaid patchwork shorts...too windy today, so Little Man wore jeans and a hoodie.)
Here are some of the (91) photos I snapped today...
Love to All
Wow. I really need to let go of this 'perfect' thing.
I was going through some photos on my camera this evening, transferring them to my 'new-to-me' laptop (Big Daddy bought himself a new laptop in June, and COMPLETELY hated it from the beginning...so yay me, it's mine!!! We won't even mention how my old laptop is currently crashing and Big Daddy is currently restoring it as we speak. Wow...this has been a hella-long sidenote...).
Anyway, I was going through photos this evening. Because I am obsessive/compulsive about TRIPLE checking that my photos are not only on my laptop, but saved to a Sim card AND a CD, I started going through old photos from my old laptop (because I wanted to double check that I had them, even though it would have been too late because of the computer restore)...I have some great pics of Little Man when he was a baby. Sure, I can see that the carpet might have needed to be vacuumed, and I could see that we were STILL living out of Rubbermaid totes in our townhouse (three moves in two years, including our move from Florida and one while pregnant) and I can see that some of Little Man's baby toys were right near a cable TV outlet (???)...I don't think he could have hurt himself, right?!?!?
Point being...no, my photos were not set like those in Sears Portrait Studios (ummm, okay) or Kiddie Kandids or Portrait Innoventions (I don't know where people get pics anymore...we use local photogs). No, they are more worthy of being on the website "You are NOT a Photographer"...because, I am not. I am a Mommy with a (I thought pretty nice) point-and-shoot digital camera. No fancy lenses, no fancy filters. It does the job I need it to, when I get around to using it.
Yes, my friends. You will start to see more photos from me. Oh, and I really, REALLY need to work on the whole weight loss/getting healthier thing...there were pictures from our Walt Disney World trip last fall where I look pregnant...and yes, I still weigh more than I did when I delivered Little Man...this is a whole other blog topic for another day...
Where does the Pumpkin Patch fit in??? We took Little Man to our local pumpkin patch today. I have all sorts of pics of him over the years at this particular pumpkin patch. It has been in our area since I was a little girl. What made me (and Big Daddy) laugh today was that I definitely knew I needed to back my pictures up...my camera still had LAST YEAR'S pumpkin patch photos on it!!! Funnier STILL was that Big Daddy was getting Little Man's clothes laid out for today...he came SUPER-CLOSE to wearing an almost identical outfit today that he did to the pumpkin patch last year!!! (Red polo shirt and plaid patchwork shorts...too windy today, so Little Man wore jeans and a hoodie.)
Here are some of the (91) photos I snapped today...
Love to All
Sunday, October 9, 2011
"Is He Okay?"
Is he okay??? Is he okay???
Seems like an innocent enough question.
Last Saturday, Little Man had a Cub Scout event. It was scheduled from noon until 6pm, it was designed to introduce new Tiger Cubs and their families to some of the events that Cub Scouts participate in. The flyer indicated that the families could arrive at any time and register between 11:30 am and 4:30 pm. We arrived around 2:30, figuring it should give Little Man plenty of time to experience what "Tiger Day" had to offer. We arrived, picked up our "guide map" and started having fun.
We first stopped at a Civil War reenactment. Little Man got to try on costumes, hold pretend guns (???) and every few minutes, an older man would light a "cannon" and shoot out "cannonballs" (really, tennis balls with the fuzz taken off and painted black). The boys had a blast chasing after the cannonballs...Little Man did not come out with any, but he had a blast all the same. We learned about "Leave No Trace" which is basically leaving the Earth cleaner than you found it. We also learned about hiking safety. Big Daddy and Little Man got to go on a small hike (I was wearing the wrong shoes...note to self...when attending Cub Scout events, how cute you look doesn't matter...comfort and safety does). Little Man (with the help of Momma with the glue gun...oh, how I love hot glue guns) made a neckerchief slide for his uniform, learned how to properly fold a flag and salute it. He also learned about Cub Scout safety and earned his Weeblo badge. All of this activity (and the walking around, it was a LARGE park) took about three hours!!!
The last activity we did was Archery. Little Man had been looking forward to the Archery and/or BB Guns all day. We only had time to do one activity, and Archery did not have a line. We loaded into the truck, and Big Daddy drove us to the area with Archery. For whatever reason (and I am not going to ask at this point) Big Daddy stayed in the truck (???). Little Man was getting more and more excited, jumping up and down, flapping his hands. We were let into the Archery area once the previous group had cleared out. It was set up with eight targets, two archers at each. Nobody came to Little Man's target, and I was kind of relieved. One of the Scout officials (not sure of "rank"...I can't keep them all straight...all I know, he was an adult and he was wearing a uniform with a lot of "decoration") was telling the Scouts how to pick up the bow. Okay, we were already lost at this point. I was trying to pay attention AND keep Little Man from wandering and for him to at least pay some sort of attention. The Scout Guy was zipping (and I do mean zipping...he was going really fast) along with instruction, and Little Man kept asking me if he could play on the playset. I was about on the verge of tears, when another Scout Guy came over and tried to help. After unsuccessfully trying to get Little Man to pay attention, Scout Guy 2 asked "Is he okay?"
What??? It took a minute to register.
"Is he okay?" He asked it a second time, rather quickly. He knew the answer, but just wanted to make sure.
"He has Autism", I said.
In that second, I realized I had never really said those words out loud.
He has Autism.
And I cried. In the three years that we have "officially" known, I had never uttered those three words.
Scout Guy 2 told me that he thought as much, and knew about "the rainbow" and had worked with a high functioning young man in his den for years. He knew just what to do. He gave me a hug and went to work with Little Man. At this point, Big Daddy came out of the truck, figuring "something was up"...really, your wife in tears and an overgrown Boy Scout comforting her??? You think??? It took awhile for Little Man to grasp it, but he did manage to hit the target. I couldn't have been prouder!!! Of course, Scout Guy 2 gave him a few extra arrows to work with, but nobody had to know.
This whole Cub Scout thing is going to take some work, and some patience. I don't know who Scout Guy 2 is, or if we will ever see him again...but I thank him from the bottom of my heart...for understanding.
This post has been brewing in me for more than a week now...it has been a difficult week for Little Man. He is putting more and more pressure on himself. We just wrapped up the first quarter of First Grade, and so far in math and spelling he has only missed two answers. All quarter. Two. That's it. Two. Silly spelling words. All I heard from him was "I'm sorry, Mommy. I will try harder. I'm sorry, Mommy. I will do better." And he made himself so sick, that he threw up. Really??? Am I putting pressure on you, Little Man??? He did not make the Gifted Program in school (he is book smart, not inquisitive enough, though)...and he made himself sick over it. Toys are another sore subject. He does not play anymore, he is afraid of ruining or losing his toys. He threw up in the middle of Costco just LOOKING at new Fisher-Price Imaginext toys. We can't even mention asking anything from Santa this year. Yes, there is a lot going on in his Little World.
And we're waiting to hear from a Child Psychologist.
Yes, Little Man will be seeing a professional.
Big Daddy took him to his annual check-up last week, and mentioned some of our concerns. Our pediatrician agreed, and thought it would be a good idea for Little Man to talk to someone.
I guess the apple does not fall far from the tree. Somehow, I feel responsible. I am sad, but happy. Sad that it has come to this, but happy that he will get the help he needs.
My heart is breaking, but I know...he is okay.
Love to All
Seems like an innocent enough question.
Last Saturday, Little Man had a Cub Scout event. It was scheduled from noon until 6pm, it was designed to introduce new Tiger Cubs and their families to some of the events that Cub Scouts participate in. The flyer indicated that the families could arrive at any time and register between 11:30 am and 4:30 pm. We arrived around 2:30, figuring it should give Little Man plenty of time to experience what "Tiger Day" had to offer. We arrived, picked up our "guide map" and started having fun.
We first stopped at a Civil War reenactment. Little Man got to try on costumes, hold pretend guns (???) and every few minutes, an older man would light a "cannon" and shoot out "cannonballs" (really, tennis balls with the fuzz taken off and painted black). The boys had a blast chasing after the cannonballs...Little Man did not come out with any, but he had a blast all the same. We learned about "Leave No Trace" which is basically leaving the Earth cleaner than you found it. We also learned about hiking safety. Big Daddy and Little Man got to go on a small hike (I was wearing the wrong shoes...note to self...when attending Cub Scout events, how cute you look doesn't matter...comfort and safety does). Little Man (with the help of Momma with the glue gun...oh, how I love hot glue guns) made a neckerchief slide for his uniform, learned how to properly fold a flag and salute it. He also learned about Cub Scout safety and earned his Weeblo badge. All of this activity (and the walking around, it was a LARGE park) took about three hours!!!
The last activity we did was Archery. Little Man had been looking forward to the Archery and/or BB Guns all day. We only had time to do one activity, and Archery did not have a line. We loaded into the truck, and Big Daddy drove us to the area with Archery. For whatever reason (and I am not going to ask at this point) Big Daddy stayed in the truck (???). Little Man was getting more and more excited, jumping up and down, flapping his hands. We were let into the Archery area once the previous group had cleared out. It was set up with eight targets, two archers at each. Nobody came to Little Man's target, and I was kind of relieved. One of the Scout officials (not sure of "rank"...I can't keep them all straight...all I know, he was an adult and he was wearing a uniform with a lot of "decoration") was telling the Scouts how to pick up the bow. Okay, we were already lost at this point. I was trying to pay attention AND keep Little Man from wandering and for him to at least pay some sort of attention. The Scout Guy was zipping (and I do mean zipping...he was going really fast) along with instruction, and Little Man kept asking me if he could play on the playset. I was about on the verge of tears, when another Scout Guy came over and tried to help. After unsuccessfully trying to get Little Man to pay attention, Scout Guy 2 asked "Is he okay?"
What??? It took a minute to register.
"Is he okay?" He asked it a second time, rather quickly. He knew the answer, but just wanted to make sure.
"He has Autism", I said.
In that second, I realized I had never really said those words out loud.
He has Autism.
And I cried. In the three years that we have "officially" known, I had never uttered those three words.
Scout Guy 2 told me that he thought as much, and knew about "the rainbow" and had worked with a high functioning young man in his den for years. He knew just what to do. He gave me a hug and went to work with Little Man. At this point, Big Daddy came out of the truck, figuring "something was up"...really, your wife in tears and an overgrown Boy Scout comforting her??? You think??? It took awhile for Little Man to grasp it, but he did manage to hit the target. I couldn't have been prouder!!! Of course, Scout Guy 2 gave him a few extra arrows to work with, but nobody had to know.
This whole Cub Scout thing is going to take some work, and some patience. I don't know who Scout Guy 2 is, or if we will ever see him again...but I thank him from the bottom of my heart...for understanding.
This post has been brewing in me for more than a week now...it has been a difficult week for Little Man. He is putting more and more pressure on himself. We just wrapped up the first quarter of First Grade, and so far in math and spelling he has only missed two answers. All quarter. Two. That's it. Two. Silly spelling words. All I heard from him was "I'm sorry, Mommy. I will try harder. I'm sorry, Mommy. I will do better." And he made himself so sick, that he threw up. Really??? Am I putting pressure on you, Little Man??? He did not make the Gifted Program in school (he is book smart, not inquisitive enough, though)...and he made himself sick over it. Toys are another sore subject. He does not play anymore, he is afraid of ruining or losing his toys. He threw up in the middle of Costco just LOOKING at new Fisher-Price Imaginext toys. We can't even mention asking anything from Santa this year. Yes, there is a lot going on in his Little World.
And we're waiting to hear from a Child Psychologist.
Yes, Little Man will be seeing a professional.
Big Daddy took him to his annual check-up last week, and mentioned some of our concerns. Our pediatrician agreed, and thought it would be a good idea for Little Man to talk to someone.
I guess the apple does not fall far from the tree. Somehow, I feel responsible. I am sad, but happy. Sad that it has come to this, but happy that he will get the help he needs.
My heart is breaking, but I know...he is okay.
Love to All
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Perfectly Happy
As I sit and type this, I am missing my 20th High School Reunion.
Yep, not going.
I keep up with many classmates via Facebook. We are all over the country. For awhile (during the ten year reunion time) I was even out of state, living in Florida. I have since moved back "home" and am even now working in the very elementary school I attended.
I was a "middle-of-the-road" type kid...I was friendly, not too popular, but not unpopular. I made my way through High School, keeping busy with extra-curricular activities, hanging out with my friends, doing okay grade-wise...I collected my diploma that June day back in 1991 and I was finished. I went back to my Alma matter just once, to deliver a forgotten notebook to school for one of my sisters. I can't even recall attending school plays or productions or assemblies for my sisters or brother in the years that followed. I did not attend any more football games or school plays. I was ready to move on. Some friends went away to college, I stayed home. I went to Community College, and decided it really wasn't for me. It took me awhile to really find what I wanted to do (it was 1996 and I decided I wanted to work for Disney). I don't have any stand-out good or bad memories about high school...it is just a chapter of my life I was ready to close.
Fast-forward 20 years, and it is reunion time. Sure, I live less than ten minutes from my old high school, and I really had nothing planned for the Homecoming Football game, but I didn't go. It really didn't interest me. One thing I have noticed, even though we are all 20 years older, I am not sure much has changed. There are still the "cliques" and "circles" it seems after all these years. I was reading my Facebook feed this afternoon, and found out that there was a fight at a bar where my classmates were celebrating at after the game. Really??? We are all pushing 40 and a fight broke out??? Yeah, not interested. I am sure I would have seen many friendly faces, and we all would have been cordial...but I truly am not interested.
Do I feel weird not attending??? Not at all. I still keep in touch with my best friend from those days. We are still close. I would call her my close friend, but not my "best" friend. At my age, I feel a little silly calling someone my "best" friend. That title would belong to Little Man or Big Daddy, anyway. Yes, she is a very close friend, and we have fun together, when we can get together. I am guilty of wrapping myself in my little cocoon of life and pushing "girl time" to the back burner. We have quite different lives...she is single and has a great career, travels all over the world and loves to work in our community theater group. I am a Mommy, love my job (I am a big kid at heart) but it is certainly not a glamorous career, we travel to the same place all the time (I am NOT complaining) and my social calendar is more PTO and Cub Scout meetings rather than Cosmos with the girls.
And I am perfectly happy that way.
Today we saw "The Lion King", went to the Scout Shop to pick up Little Man's Cub Scout uniform, had a nice lunch and took a nap. Tonight I am going to sew patches on the uniform and spend time with my family. No, not glamorous, but it is just the way I like it. I will look at the photos, and maybe say something nice about them...
...but I won't say "I wish I were there"...
Love to All.
Yep, not going.
I keep up with many classmates via Facebook. We are all over the country. For awhile (during the ten year reunion time) I was even out of state, living in Florida. I have since moved back "home" and am even now working in the very elementary school I attended.
I was a "middle-of-the-road" type kid...I was friendly, not too popular, but not unpopular. I made my way through High School, keeping busy with extra-curricular activities, hanging out with my friends, doing okay grade-wise...I collected my diploma that June day back in 1991 and I was finished. I went back to my Alma matter just once, to deliver a forgotten notebook to school for one of my sisters. I can't even recall attending school plays or productions or assemblies for my sisters or brother in the years that followed. I did not attend any more football games or school plays. I was ready to move on. Some friends went away to college, I stayed home. I went to Community College, and decided it really wasn't for me. It took me awhile to really find what I wanted to do (it was 1996 and I decided I wanted to work for Disney). I don't have any stand-out good or bad memories about high school...it is just a chapter of my life I was ready to close.
Fast-forward 20 years, and it is reunion time. Sure, I live less than ten minutes from my old high school, and I really had nothing planned for the Homecoming Football game, but I didn't go. It really didn't interest me. One thing I have noticed, even though we are all 20 years older, I am not sure much has changed. There are still the "cliques" and "circles" it seems after all these years. I was reading my Facebook feed this afternoon, and found out that there was a fight at a bar where my classmates were celebrating at after the game. Really??? We are all pushing 40 and a fight broke out??? Yeah, not interested. I am sure I would have seen many friendly faces, and we all would have been cordial...but I truly am not interested.
Do I feel weird not attending??? Not at all. I still keep in touch with my best friend from those days. We are still close. I would call her my close friend, but not my "best" friend. At my age, I feel a little silly calling someone my "best" friend. That title would belong to Little Man or Big Daddy, anyway. Yes, she is a very close friend, and we have fun together, when we can get together. I am guilty of wrapping myself in my little cocoon of life and pushing "girl time" to the back burner. We have quite different lives...she is single and has a great career, travels all over the world and loves to work in our community theater group. I am a Mommy, love my job (I am a big kid at heart) but it is certainly not a glamorous career, we travel to the same place all the time (I am NOT complaining) and my social calendar is more PTO and Cub Scout meetings rather than Cosmos with the girls.
And I am perfectly happy that way.
Today we saw "The Lion King", went to the Scout Shop to pick up Little Man's Cub Scout uniform, had a nice lunch and took a nap. Tonight I am going to sew patches on the uniform and spend time with my family. No, not glamorous, but it is just the way I like it. I will look at the photos, and maybe say something nice about them...
...but I won't say "I wish I were there"...
Love to All.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
I Have Free Time??? Really??? Me???
...as stuffed as my calendar seems to be here of late, I seem that have free time, lately. Really??? Free time??? I can't imagine. I work 6-8 hours a day, I have a VERY active seven year old. We have swim lessons, Exerfun classes, Cub Scouts, PTO meetings, school activities, homework, book reports, doctor appointments, and probably half a dozen things I am forgetting. Granted, my house is nowhere NEAR perfect, we hit the drive-thru a couple nights a week, and I still haven't hit the gym in the mornings...BUT I have managed to find some free time.
You see, I am stepping away from the computer.
No, I am not giving up the computer completely...I am just stepping away. I LOVE the computer. I have found some wonderful people with common interests (Disney, anyone?!?!?) and I have been able to catch up with old classmates, co-workers and far-away friends. I still enjoy this. I am not going to let it rule my life.
A little over a year ago, Big Daddy let me quit my full-time job. We had to consider this carefully, as it was a good chunk of our income. I had worked for my former company for almost eight years, made a decent living and had great benefits. It was a decision that we did not take lightly. Of course, it seemed like the job was slowly killing me. Sounds dramatic, but I had lost zest and zing more than anything. That is for another blog post!!! We also had to consider that Little Man was going to full-day Kindergarten and would not be bussed to my parents house after school, as he had when he was in preschool. (Turns out, he COULD be bussed to my parents house after school...but THAT is for another blog post!!!). All-in-all, I could quit working full-time, go back to school, and find a way to supplement our income (either by taking care of children in our home or working part-time). My last day was in late June. I was in heaven. I could stay home with Little Man during the summer, take him to the park and the pool and have all sorts of fun in the couple of weeks that we had together before he started Kindergarten. Yes, we had a great couple of weeks.
Then school started.
Big Daddy was on his summer work schedule, so he was working mornings. I would get Little Man off to school, and was gung-ho getting the house straightened up, laundry done, and dinner made.
For a couple of weeks.
Then I started "hanging out" on the computer. Facebook, twitter, online shopping. Killing time. Things started slipping. Depression took over. It is hard to describe (perhaps another blog post about this?!?!?) but I kept slipping further and further into my depression. Even after finding my (then) part-time job with the school district, I was depressed. The computer seemed to help AND hurt me.
But I am breaking free.
I will still catch up with my friends and family, near and far...but I will not allow myself to get sucked in. I can't. I can't sit on my couch, in front of this laptop and "dream" about the life I want to lead. I need to live it.
I am faithfully jumping back on (for about the BAZILLIONTH time) FlyLady, who assures me that "progress, not perfection" and that I can do ANYTHING in just 15 minutes. I will still try to keep all of my "plates" spinning outside of home and work. I will be able to do this better while my bottom is not stuck on the couch.
What does this mean for the blog??? It means, I should be able to devote more time to it. It really does help me. It is not exciting or glamorous, but it helps. I would like to do product reviews for people just like me. Busy moms who want the best for their families, not wanting to "cut corners", but knows that any effort is better than no effort at all. So, I won't be able to throw that roast in the oven tonight and serve Big Daddy and Little Man the most "home-cooked" of home-cooked meals...whatever. I found a product that allows me to serve a meal, and we can eat together as a family...and I want to share it. So, I love to shop and am still working on finding bargains (I have a WAY to go on this one) but I want you to know what to spend your hard-earned money on and what to save. No, I am not big...and I don't get product endorsements. I am just a Mom who wants to share.
Love to All.
You see, I am stepping away from the computer.
No, I am not giving up the computer completely...I am just stepping away. I LOVE the computer. I have found some wonderful people with common interests (Disney, anyone?!?!?) and I have been able to catch up with old classmates, co-workers and far-away friends. I still enjoy this. I am not going to let it rule my life.
A little over a year ago, Big Daddy let me quit my full-time job. We had to consider this carefully, as it was a good chunk of our income. I had worked for my former company for almost eight years, made a decent living and had great benefits. It was a decision that we did not take lightly. Of course, it seemed like the job was slowly killing me. Sounds dramatic, but I had lost zest and zing more than anything. That is for another blog post!!! We also had to consider that Little Man was going to full-day Kindergarten and would not be bussed to my parents house after school, as he had when he was in preschool. (Turns out, he COULD be bussed to my parents house after school...but THAT is for another blog post!!!). All-in-all, I could quit working full-time, go back to school, and find a way to supplement our income (either by taking care of children in our home or working part-time). My last day was in late June. I was in heaven. I could stay home with Little Man during the summer, take him to the park and the pool and have all sorts of fun in the couple of weeks that we had together before he started Kindergarten. Yes, we had a great couple of weeks.
Then school started.
Big Daddy was on his summer work schedule, so he was working mornings. I would get Little Man off to school, and was gung-ho getting the house straightened up, laundry done, and dinner made.
For a couple of weeks.
Then I started "hanging out" on the computer. Facebook, twitter, online shopping. Killing time. Things started slipping. Depression took over. It is hard to describe (perhaps another blog post about this?!?!?) but I kept slipping further and further into my depression. Even after finding my (then) part-time job with the school district, I was depressed. The computer seemed to help AND hurt me.
But I am breaking free.
I will still catch up with my friends and family, near and far...but I will not allow myself to get sucked in. I can't. I can't sit on my couch, in front of this laptop and "dream" about the life I want to lead. I need to live it.
I am faithfully jumping back on (for about the BAZILLIONTH time) FlyLady, who assures me that "progress, not perfection" and that I can do ANYTHING in just 15 minutes. I will still try to keep all of my "plates" spinning outside of home and work. I will be able to do this better while my bottom is not stuck on the couch.
What does this mean for the blog??? It means, I should be able to devote more time to it. It really does help me. It is not exciting or glamorous, but it helps. I would like to do product reviews for people just like me. Busy moms who want the best for their families, not wanting to "cut corners", but knows that any effort is better than no effort at all. So, I won't be able to throw that roast in the oven tonight and serve Big Daddy and Little Man the most "home-cooked" of home-cooked meals...whatever. I found a product that allows me to serve a meal, and we can eat together as a family...and I want to share it. So, I love to shop and am still working on finding bargains (I have a WAY to go on this one) but I want you to know what to spend your hard-earned money on and what to save. No, I am not big...and I don't get product endorsements. I am just a Mom who wants to share.
Love to All.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Mama Cub...Scout, That Is...
...still trying to get back into the routine of things...Little Man has been in school for a month exactly. My calendar is QUICKLY filling up. I don't know if I can juggle everything. I have to learn how to say no every once in awhile...it is hard, but I am learning.
Little Man showed interest in Cub Scouts...we knew it would be a commitment, but I had NO idea how much of a commitment. Two meetings a month, for starters. I no sooner signed my $65 check to join, then we were being told about the upcoming "popcorn sale" (which comes after the PTO Entertainment Book sales, during the PTO TJ's Pizza fundraiser and right before the PTO Cardinal's Calendar sale). Yeah!!! The night we signed up, we were informed of the Boy Scout Field Day. Two. Days. Later. I really had planned on taking Little Man (Big Daddy was working overtime that Saturday). I even bought Little Man a new white tee shirt to tye-dye. Yeah, after spending 12+ hours at school that Friday, my back was not cooperating with the thought of a Field Day. When we signed Little Man up for Cub Scouts, we were also told about the semi-annual camp-out...that was scheduled for three weeks later. I knew there would be camping involved, but I thought we would get a little more "practice" camping or something...I have not been camping in about 20 years...and I didn't like it much then. IF Big Daddy can get the weekend off, and IF we can get all of the gear together and IF we can figure out even how to use it, then MAYBE we can go to the camp-out. I am not holding my breath on this one. We will be more prepared for the Spring camp-out. I may even think of attending this one!!! That same night, we were informed of the Cub Scout Car Wash to be held in two weeks. Sounds like fun...heck, it is only three hours, out in the sunshine and the Scouts will divide 40% of what they earn in their each Scouts account!!! Whoo-hoo!!! That will come in handy when it comes time to get his uniform and supplies. Now, we are also told that the Boy Scouts try to do something every weekend. Every. Weekend.
Yes, this is going to be something enriching for Little Man, but we have a life outside the Boy Scouts. I have a life outside the Boy Scouts. Since Big Daddy is still working evenings, I am the one who signed on as the "Adult Partner"...every Cub Scout has to have one. I am the one attending the meetings, I am the one attending fund-raisers, I am the one attending activities. I am glad that we signed him up for this, but I am a little worried that it could take over. I am back to working full-time (34 hours, but 34 EXHAUSTING hours!!!), I am taking Professional Development Courses for my job, I am helping the PTO, I am volunteering in Little Man's classroom, I have a husband, I have a son, I have a house that needs TLC, Little Man has swim, Little Man has Exerfun, Little Man has expressed interest in soccer...most of all, I have Little Man. Even though Cub Scouts is for Little Man, I have to make sure that I am 100% there for Little Man. He is going through a lot, and I want to make sure that I am not spread too thin.
Yes, I am excited for Cub Scouts and what it might mean for Little Man, but I will not let it take over our life. We have our first meeting in the next month, and I will see how it is going to go. I don't want to sound like a "Debbie Downer" about it, I just did not know what we were in for.
Love. To. All.
Little Man showed interest in Cub Scouts...we knew it would be a commitment, but I had NO idea how much of a commitment. Two meetings a month, for starters. I no sooner signed my $65 check to join, then we were being told about the upcoming "popcorn sale" (which comes after the PTO Entertainment Book sales, during the PTO TJ's Pizza fundraiser and right before the PTO Cardinal's Calendar sale). Yeah!!! The night we signed up, we were informed of the Boy Scout Field Day. Two. Days. Later. I really had planned on taking Little Man (Big Daddy was working overtime that Saturday). I even bought Little Man a new white tee shirt to tye-dye. Yeah, after spending 12+ hours at school that Friday, my back was not cooperating with the thought of a Field Day. When we signed Little Man up for Cub Scouts, we were also told about the semi-annual camp-out...that was scheduled for three weeks later. I knew there would be camping involved, but I thought we would get a little more "practice" camping or something...I have not been camping in about 20 years...and I didn't like it much then. IF Big Daddy can get the weekend off, and IF we can get all of the gear together and IF we can figure out even how to use it, then MAYBE we can go to the camp-out. I am not holding my breath on this one. We will be more prepared for the Spring camp-out. I may even think of attending this one!!! That same night, we were informed of the Cub Scout Car Wash to be held in two weeks. Sounds like fun...heck, it is only three hours, out in the sunshine and the Scouts will divide 40% of what they earn in their each Scouts account!!! Whoo-hoo!!! That will come in handy when it comes time to get his uniform and supplies. Now, we are also told that the Boy Scouts try to do something every weekend. Every. Weekend.
Yes, this is going to be something enriching for Little Man, but we have a life outside the Boy Scouts. I have a life outside the Boy Scouts. Since Big Daddy is still working evenings, I am the one who signed on as the "Adult Partner"...every Cub Scout has to have one. I am the one attending the meetings, I am the one attending fund-raisers, I am the one attending activities. I am glad that we signed him up for this, but I am a little worried that it could take over. I am back to working full-time (34 hours, but 34 EXHAUSTING hours!!!), I am taking Professional Development Courses for my job, I am helping the PTO, I am volunteering in Little Man's classroom, I have a husband, I have a son, I have a house that needs TLC, Little Man has swim, Little Man has Exerfun, Little Man has expressed interest in soccer...most of all, I have Little Man. Even though Cub Scouts is for Little Man, I have to make sure that I am 100% there for Little Man. He is going through a lot, and I want to make sure that I am not spread too thin.
Yes, I am excited for Cub Scouts and what it might mean for Little Man, but I will not let it take over our life. We have our first meeting in the next month, and I will see how it is going to go. I don't want to sound like a "Debbie Downer" about it, I just did not know what we were in for.
Love. To. All.
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