Last year while Michael was gone, I came up with a brilliant idea. You know those grocery carts with the big plastic seats attached behind the handle so the kids sit up high? Okay, you take one of those, encase the entire seating area in some plexiglass, with a divider between the two seats. Drill some air holes in the sides so that they can get fresh air, but not between the two, and if we could make that middle divider soundproof, that would be ideal. It should be fully enclosed, with a latch on the door on each side, so that they can't get out. This keeps the kids from touching each other or arguing (though they can still look... hmm, lets tint that divider, too), and it also keeps them from running down the aisle or grabbing things off the shelf. Ideally, of course, you'd also just duct tape their mouths shut so that they also can't argue with YOU, but that may be a tad abusive. I think I would have paid to use something like this last year, when taking two kids to the grocery store was about the closest to hell on earth as I've ever come. Its when I realized that they put the alcohol on the side of the store that you're most likely to visit last - because a drink sounds very appealing by the end of a long shopping trip with 2 preschoolers.
Now, I've got a new idea. This one stems from a couple of problems that I'm currently having. One - I spend an estimated 43 hours per day on the toilet, thanks to my little bladder-puncher in there. If there were a frequent buyer program for toilet paper, I would have racked up a ton of points by now. My first thought was to get a tall stool and put a pillow on it and then I can just sleep in there with my head on the pillow instead of hobbling in there 80 times a night. But my other problem is that especially after my little jog down the hill yesterday, I'm a bit stiff and sore. I was so stiff last night that I found myself walking with a major sway-back, which just made things worse overall, as it made the baby flip around the wrong direction. Having a butt in the left side and a foot knocking a hole through the right side is bad enough - having him facing all the way to the front means all of those legs and arms and knees and feet and elbows were just flailing about as though he were dancing (if you've ever seen Aaric dance, you know how painful that would be to have someone do it inside of you, my children aren't graceful at all). I knew that leaning forward would help him turn back the right way, but leaning forward hurt. I realized that sitting on my ball (birth ball/exercise ball/whatever you want to call it big ball) would help. So, I need to sit on the ball all day. Oh! But what about the bladder? And what if I need to move from room to room?
And now I have my newest brilliant idea. A big exercise ball, with handles on it, like the kiddie balls that they bounce around on, so that I can sit on my ball and bounce around the house. I'll put a platform in the kitchen so that I can reach the counters while sitting on it. AND I'll somehow incorporate a portapotty type deal into it, with some device to wash and drain it frequently. This way, I can stay on it 24/7. I'll only need to get off to bathe.
Now I just need to find someone to create these devices for me.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
The home stretch
We're officially "full term" over here and at the "this kid could arrive any day now" point. I had an appointment today and I learned that bragging about minimal weight gain is bad. I made up for my "just 2 pounds in 4 weeks" but really its not too bad. This time, I gained 5 pounds in 3 weeks. So, see, really, that averages out to 7 in 7 weeks, right? So i'm still doing okay. Total is up to 19 pounds now, which is really fine with me. BP was a tiny bit higher than usual but still fine - 119/67. I'm still measuring just fine, and the baby's heartbeat is still fine.
I saw a different midwife today and she was really cool. She asked - ASKED! - if I was getting the group b strep screening, and figured I wasn't since I am homebirthing (she was right). Even though every procedure is "optional" its rare for it to actually be presented as an option. I'd planned on asking about what to expect the reception to be like if I need to transport to the hospital while in labor, if they know I was planning a homebirth. Some hospitals are pretty hostile toward homebirthing moms. Before I even thought to bring it up, she started discussing it. She very secretively told me about the one midwife who is not supportive of homebirth and which day that midwife is on duty up in L&D (the dates I have picked out for this baby to arrive do not fall on that day of the week). She said not to bother with involving the OBs at all. She said it should be no problem at all though - all but that one mean midwife are very supportive of homebirth. I was just really super impressed with this lady. She also gave Mikayla a book that a friend of hers wrote, My Mommy's Midwife which is cute.
I go back in two weeks, (a bit over 38 weeks) and then weekly after that. But of course, my first openings on the calendar for labor are the 11th and 12th, so with any luck, I'll miss that appointment.
And honestly, I'm hitting the "I'm done!" point, now. So, let me get this house clean, and let me buy the last of the supplies on Friday, and then he's welcome to come on out. If he came this coming weekend or early next week, I'd probably feel fine to go to the opening of Soccer Season by Saturday, right? Sure! But I do need to finish the house and buy the last of the supplies.
Also, my legs fell off today. I was dumb enough to decide that surely the approaching storm (as in, I could see lots of gray clouds and it was getting windy) would wait until we got to the school and back before starting and we started on our walk to pick him up. There's a big hill behind our house, and the sidewalk is at the top of it. We made it 2 duplexes down when it started raining. In another act of stupidity, I thought nothing of the fact that I'm very pregnant, and grabbed Mikayla's hand and RAN down that hill. RAN. Near the bottom it occurred to me that this wasn't the best idea, and this was about the same time that Mikayla fell and was whining that something hurt and I dropped the water bottle. I kinda drug her along because if I slowed down and lost momentum I'd be more likely to fall. We made it down and then had to trot up the sidewalk in front of the houses to get to the van. The whole way, she's screaming, "I'm getting wet, I can't stand it, it's raining so hard!"
We drove to pick him up and when we got home I got out of the van and I could barely move my legs. They're still quite sore. No more running for Kelly. Running is bad. Running hurts those tendons at the tops of your thighs. Especially when there's a kid sitting on them. I'll take my wheelchair now.
I saw a different midwife today and she was really cool. She asked - ASKED! - if I was getting the group b strep screening, and figured I wasn't since I am homebirthing (she was right). Even though every procedure is "optional" its rare for it to actually be presented as an option. I'd planned on asking about what to expect the reception to be like if I need to transport to the hospital while in labor, if they know I was planning a homebirth. Some hospitals are pretty hostile toward homebirthing moms. Before I even thought to bring it up, she started discussing it. She very secretively told me about the one midwife who is not supportive of homebirth and which day that midwife is on duty up in L&D (the dates I have picked out for this baby to arrive do not fall on that day of the week). She said not to bother with involving the OBs at all. She said it should be no problem at all though - all but that one mean midwife are very supportive of homebirth. I was just really super impressed with this lady. She also gave Mikayla a book that a friend of hers wrote, My Mommy's Midwife which is cute.
I go back in two weeks, (a bit over 38 weeks) and then weekly after that. But of course, my first openings on the calendar for labor are the 11th and 12th, so with any luck, I'll miss that appointment.
And honestly, I'm hitting the "I'm done!" point, now. So, let me get this house clean, and let me buy the last of the supplies on Friday, and then he's welcome to come on out. If he came this coming weekend or early next week, I'd probably feel fine to go to the opening of Soccer Season by Saturday, right? Sure! But I do need to finish the house and buy the last of the supplies.
Also, my legs fell off today. I was dumb enough to decide that surely the approaching storm (as in, I could see lots of gray clouds and it was getting windy) would wait until we got to the school and back before starting and we started on our walk to pick him up. There's a big hill behind our house, and the sidewalk is at the top of it. We made it 2 duplexes down when it started raining. In another act of stupidity, I thought nothing of the fact that I'm very pregnant, and grabbed Mikayla's hand and RAN down that hill. RAN. Near the bottom it occurred to me that this wasn't the best idea, and this was about the same time that Mikayla fell and was whining that something hurt and I dropped the water bottle. I kinda drug her along because if I slowed down and lost momentum I'd be more likely to fall. We made it down and then had to trot up the sidewalk in front of the houses to get to the van. The whole way, she's screaming, "I'm getting wet, I can't stand it, it's raining so hard!"
We drove to pick him up and when we got home I got out of the van and I could barely move my legs. They're still quite sore. No more running for Kelly. Running is bad. Running hurts those tendons at the tops of your thighs. Especially when there's a kid sitting on them. I'll take my wheelchair now.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
I'm not a morning person.
Yesterday was the start of a whole new world for us. A world where I have to get up at a certain time every morning instead of rolling out of bed when I feel good and ready. For the past four and a half years, I've had two alarm clocks named Aaric and Mikayla. Aaric usually wasn't terribly effective in this role, it was typically Mikayla. At least for her first three years, she was equipped with a snooze option. She'd wake up, I'd wake up, we'd nurse and go back to sleep.
Now, I'm waking up to the very annoying beeping of an alarm clock. It has the audacity to beep at me at 7AM, too. Mikayla has the decency to let me stay in bed until at least 8 if not 9.
Two mornings down, and so far, so good. Aaric, who is the deepest sleeper on Earth, has done great in the mornings. I think he's still too excited to be lazy in the mornings. He likes his teachers. Yesterday he learned how to do an Irish folk dance. He won't say much about his day, but he says he had fun. We learned that if you buy a lunch, you MUST get a milk, even though there is no rule in the handbook stating this. He didn't want to buy milk with his lunch, so I sent Mango Tea, and it got sent back home with the bottle still full and a note letting me know why. I can send a drink with a packed lunch, or he can buy a milk if I pack a lunch, but you can NOT buy a lunch but bring your own drink. Weird. He wanted to buy his lunch yesterday because they were serving corn on the cob.
Yesterday was also Mikayla's first trip to the doctor in around 4 years. Her last checkup was at 6 months old and I keep thinking she MUST have been to the doctor some time since then, but I can't think of any times. We've been to the ER a few times - she had a sudden ear infection once that hit hard right after office hours, a couple cases of nursemaid's elbow, and most recently the jumping off the counter leg injury that got better the moment we got to the hospital. But there have been no actual office visits for Mikayla in 4 years. Aaric's only had 2 visits in that time - a bad bad cold and this past winter when he had what the doctor diagnosed as pneumonia even though his lungs were perfectly clear. This doctor was recommended by some friends who also don't vaccinate their children. The pediatrician in town who everyone just LOVES is not a fan of the non-vaccinating population. He's the one who said Aaric had pneumonia. So we switched to this other guy. Even though I'd heard great things, I was skeptical. Surely he'd at least look at me funny, right? Plus its a family practice and the waiting room is a drab gray with no toys or kids' books.
It couldn't have gone better. There were rooms that were designed for kids hidden back in there, and they had pretty walls and books. He didn't look at me funny at all and seemed totally comfortable with our lack of shots and birthing babies at home. He was even fine with the whole skipping of well-child visits, because the appointment schedule only exists because of the vaccination schedule. So I'm very very happy with him. And very very relieved.
What was NOT a relief was the afternoon walk to and from the school. I shall not be doing that again until it cools off. Today's predicted heat index is 100-105. After I got home yesterday, I had a headache and felt sick for the rest of the evening. Heat is bad.
Now, I'm waking up to the very annoying beeping of an alarm clock. It has the audacity to beep at me at 7AM, too. Mikayla has the decency to let me stay in bed until at least 8 if not 9.
Two mornings down, and so far, so good. Aaric, who is the deepest sleeper on Earth, has done great in the mornings. I think he's still too excited to be lazy in the mornings. He likes his teachers. Yesterday he learned how to do an Irish folk dance. He won't say much about his day, but he says he had fun. We learned that if you buy a lunch, you MUST get a milk, even though there is no rule in the handbook stating this. He didn't want to buy milk with his lunch, so I sent Mango Tea, and it got sent back home with the bottle still full and a note letting me know why. I can send a drink with a packed lunch, or he can buy a milk if I pack a lunch, but you can NOT buy a lunch but bring your own drink. Weird. He wanted to buy his lunch yesterday because they were serving corn on the cob.
Yesterday was also Mikayla's first trip to the doctor in around 4 years. Her last checkup was at 6 months old and I keep thinking she MUST have been to the doctor some time since then, but I can't think of any times. We've been to the ER a few times - she had a sudden ear infection once that hit hard right after office hours, a couple cases of nursemaid's elbow, and most recently the jumping off the counter leg injury that got better the moment we got to the hospital. But there have been no actual office visits for Mikayla in 4 years. Aaric's only had 2 visits in that time - a bad bad cold and this past winter when he had what the doctor diagnosed as pneumonia even though his lungs were perfectly clear. This doctor was recommended by some friends who also don't vaccinate their children. The pediatrician in town who everyone just LOVES is not a fan of the non-vaccinating population. He's the one who said Aaric had pneumonia. So we switched to this other guy. Even though I'd heard great things, I was skeptical. Surely he'd at least look at me funny, right? Plus its a family practice and the waiting room is a drab gray with no toys or kids' books.
It couldn't have gone better. There were rooms that were designed for kids hidden back in there, and they had pretty walls and books. He didn't look at me funny at all and seemed totally comfortable with our lack of shots and birthing babies at home. He was even fine with the whole skipping of well-child visits, because the appointment schedule only exists because of the vaccination schedule. So I'm very very happy with him. And very very relieved.
What was NOT a relief was the afternoon walk to and from the school. I shall not be doing that again until it cools off. Today's predicted heat index is 100-105. After I got home yesterday, I had a headache and felt sick for the rest of the evening. Heat is bad.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Sugar High 2
Last year, I discovered York Mint Chocolate Truffles, which I lived on for the entire holiday season.
Now I've discovered a new obsession that should hold me over nicely until the truffles are available again. My brother will like these because they contain both ingredients required for his happiness.
The mean people at Hershey's make yummy treats, but they won't let me save their images, so you'll have to go look - Kelly's New Favorite Cookie
That's a oreo type cookie, with a milk chocolate coating on the inside of both, and a peanut butter center.
And then when I look at the website - www.hersheycookies.com - I see that there are lots of others, too, including some chocolate covered ones that just might the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I want them all. Oh, except the Almond Joy because coconut is gross.
Now I've discovered a new obsession that should hold me over nicely until the truffles are available again. My brother will like these because they contain both ingredients required for his happiness.
The mean people at Hershey's make yummy treats, but they won't let me save their images, so you'll have to go look - Kelly's New Favorite Cookie
That's a oreo type cookie, with a milk chocolate coating on the inside of both, and a peanut butter center.
And then when I look at the website - www.hersheycookies.com - I see that there are lots of others, too, including some chocolate covered ones that just might the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I want them all. Oh, except the Almond Joy because coconut is gross.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Kelly Casserole
I've got a little bit of everything for you today!
Drama on the Block update
No clue what happened, but I did later notice that the windshield of the big van in the driveway looked like a huge spiderweb. A couple days after that, i noticed that the blinds were open and the house was empty and there was a padlock on the door. So, they're gone. Now I'm just stuck wondering why the lady across the street constantly paces around her patio on the phone wearing socks but no shoes. The pacing while on the phone, I get. The talking on the phone constantly isn't bothersome, but I do hope she's either making local calls or has a great long distance plan. But the shoeless socked feet bother me.
The Army Exists to Torture Us
Michael had gotten an offer for what dream-job-for-now but couldn't get released from his chain of command. He got a phone call yesterday officially offering him the position, and he was actually allowed to accept it. Yay, right? This particular dream job included a deployment in two weeks. They knew he would probably turn it down, but wanted to present the opportunity. His coworkers recommended that he not even mention it to me, saying it would make me feel bad that he gave up his dream job for the family. I'm annoyed that it would have worked out that way - but certainly not sad about him giving up that position! I'm not a big fan of any thing that requires him to leave when I'd be having the baby any minute. It would have only been a 4-monther supposedly, but still, its just not worth it right now.
We have Birth Supplies!
I now am the proud owner of a box full of fun things like cord clamps, latex gloves, and an amniohook! Lots of fun stuff that the kids want to play with. AND a friend who is both a doula and a nurse offered to come over to help out if Lulu can't make it in time, which is nice.
The Baby Plays Soccer Too
I think he just kicked my knee. Oh - and updated birth predictions:
While the 19th still sticks out in my head, I'm just unsure that I'd make it to 39.5 weeks. However, since I have successfully predicted dates in the past, maybe its right. What I DO know is that the 11th is the earliest day he's allowed to arrive. And my ideal is a Monday or Tuesday, so I say he'll come on the 11th, 12th, 18th, or 19th.
I'm going back and forth on size. I realized that my belly is a good bit smaller than it was with Aaric, which makes me think he's smaller. BUT, Aaric had a 15 inch noggin and was not down in my pelvis at all while I was pregnant, while this baby hopefully does not have such a big head, and IS way down in my pelvis already. So his head isn't taking up space in my belly at all - its all tucked between my hip bones. That frees up a lot of abdominal space. So maybe he's a whopper afterall. I'm not good with predicting size, so I give up.
Its Time
We leave for Open House in about 2 hours. He's really going to school. Tomorrow morning he has orientation. Monday is his first day. I might die.
Drama on the Block update
No clue what happened, but I did later notice that the windshield of the big van in the driveway looked like a huge spiderweb. A couple days after that, i noticed that the blinds were open and the house was empty and there was a padlock on the door. So, they're gone. Now I'm just stuck wondering why the lady across the street constantly paces around her patio on the phone wearing socks but no shoes. The pacing while on the phone, I get. The talking on the phone constantly isn't bothersome, but I do hope she's either making local calls or has a great long distance plan. But the shoeless socked feet bother me.
The Army Exists to Torture Us
Michael had gotten an offer for what dream-job-for-now but couldn't get released from his chain of command. He got a phone call yesterday officially offering him the position, and he was actually allowed to accept it. Yay, right? This particular dream job included a deployment in two weeks. They knew he would probably turn it down, but wanted to present the opportunity. His coworkers recommended that he not even mention it to me, saying it would make me feel bad that he gave up his dream job for the family. I'm annoyed that it would have worked out that way - but certainly not sad about him giving up that position! I'm not a big fan of any thing that requires him to leave when I'd be having the baby any minute. It would have only been a 4-monther supposedly, but still, its just not worth it right now.
We have Birth Supplies!
I now am the proud owner of a box full of fun things like cord clamps, latex gloves, and an amniohook! Lots of fun stuff that the kids want to play with. AND a friend who is both a doula and a nurse offered to come over to help out if Lulu can't make it in time, which is nice.
The Baby Plays Soccer Too
I think he just kicked my knee. Oh - and updated birth predictions:
While the 19th still sticks out in my head, I'm just unsure that I'd make it to 39.5 weeks. However, since I have successfully predicted dates in the past, maybe its right. What I DO know is that the 11th is the earliest day he's allowed to arrive. And my ideal is a Monday or Tuesday, so I say he'll come on the 11th, 12th, 18th, or 19th.
I'm going back and forth on size. I realized that my belly is a good bit smaller than it was with Aaric, which makes me think he's smaller. BUT, Aaric had a 15 inch noggin and was not down in my pelvis at all while I was pregnant, while this baby hopefully does not have such a big head, and IS way down in my pelvis already. So his head isn't taking up space in my belly at all - its all tucked between my hip bones. That frees up a lot of abdominal space. So maybe he's a whopper afterall. I'm not good with predicting size, so I give up.
Its Time
We leave for Open House in about 2 hours. He's really going to school. Tomorrow morning he has orientation. Monday is his first day. I might die.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Old Wives Tales
So, heartburn means a hairy baby, right? I had horrific heartburn with Aaric. I present Exhibit A:
(excuse the fuzziness of the picture - its a scan and no matter what size I make it, its all wrong)
I had some heartburn, but not near as bad, with Mikayla. I present Exhibit B:
So, really, I don't need the heartburn to let me know these things anymore. We all know this baby will have hair, and plenty of it. So the heartburn is welcome to go away now. He's also welcome to not kick me in my shoulder any more.
(excuse the fuzziness of the picture - its a scan and no matter what size I make it, its all wrong)
I had some heartburn, but not near as bad, with Mikayla. I present Exhibit B:
So, really, I don't need the heartburn to let me know these things anymore. We all know this baby will have hair, and plenty of it. So the heartburn is welcome to go away now. He's also welcome to not kick me in my shoulder any more.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Soccer '05 Recap
I just turned in the registration forms and fees for the fall soccer season, so it will be interesting to see how this time compares to last time.
Aaric played in the spring of 2005. When I say he "played," I don't necessarily mean that he played soccer. He was on a soccer team, and he did run around on the field in a uniform. He sometimes noticed the ball and appeared to be a bit annoyed that it was getting in his way. He enjoyed running around in circles, and once, when a plane flew overhead, he and another boy chased it. There were a few times when I heard the coaches calling out, "Play SOCCER!!" to him. That's probably what the coach is saying here:
That was around 18 months ago. When we asked the kids last week if they wanted to play, they said yes, and Aaric explained the game to Mikayla. I was astounded to find that he does actually understand the whole concept!
I remembered yesterday that in addition to paying to register, we need to get them both new shoes and shin guards and socks and other such fun stuff. Then I remembered that Aaric's shoes from last year are still in VERY good condition, so maybe Mikayla could wear them! Nope. He has big feet, she has small ones. At 4.5, he wore a 12. At 4.5, she wears a 9.5-10. She did try them on and they were way too big. So she wants pink ones, now. The pink ones better not only be available in the expensive ones. Last year, I got Aaric's Adidas ones for cheaper than the payless ones.
So far, I've found these:
Apparently, they just won't do, because the whole shoe must be pink, not just the stripes.
I'm just hoping to NOT go into labor on a Saturday. The season starts 9/9, and lasts about 8 weeks.
Aaric played in the spring of 2005. When I say he "played," I don't necessarily mean that he played soccer. He was on a soccer team, and he did run around on the field in a uniform. He sometimes noticed the ball and appeared to be a bit annoyed that it was getting in his way. He enjoyed running around in circles, and once, when a plane flew overhead, he and another boy chased it. There were a few times when I heard the coaches calling out, "Play SOCCER!!" to him. That's probably what the coach is saying here:
That was around 18 months ago. When we asked the kids last week if they wanted to play, they said yes, and Aaric explained the game to Mikayla. I was astounded to find that he does actually understand the whole concept!
I remembered yesterday that in addition to paying to register, we need to get them both new shoes and shin guards and socks and other such fun stuff. Then I remembered that Aaric's shoes from last year are still in VERY good condition, so maybe Mikayla could wear them! Nope. He has big feet, she has small ones. At 4.5, he wore a 12. At 4.5, she wears a 9.5-10. She did try them on and they were way too big. So she wants pink ones, now. The pink ones better not only be available in the expensive ones. Last year, I got Aaric's Adidas ones for cheaper than the payless ones.
So far, I've found these:
Apparently, they just won't do, because the whole shoe must be pink, not just the stripes.
I'm just hoping to NOT go into labor on a Saturday. The season starts 9/9, and lasts about 8 weeks.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Because it relates...
One of the famous blogs that I stalk includes Dooce. She's hilarious, and because of her, the word "dooced" means, "to get fired from a job because of one's website." Seriously. Google it.
Now, because I love Google so much, I have it, personalized, as my homepage. One thing I chose to have on there is a quote of the day. It actually shows 3 quotes, and the first one is the quote of that day, the others are the day before and 2 days before. (like that explanation was oh so necessary...)
Anyway, a couple days ago, I got online and was greeted as usual with my quote of the day, and thought it sure sounded familiar, and then I read the name. And for a moment, I felt cool because I "know" her - but then I remembered that I don't know her, I just read her blog every day so I know ABOUT her.
But the quote intrigues me, because she and I semm to suffer from exactly the opposite Mental Illnesses.
"People often write me and ask how I keep my wood floors so clean when I live with a child and a dog, and my answer is that I use a technique called Suffering From a Mental Illness."
- Heather Armstrong
Her's makes her keep her wood floors clean, mine makes me look at the floors and think, "eh, I can always sweep them tomorrow..."
Now, because I love Google so much, I have it, personalized, as my homepage. One thing I chose to have on there is a quote of the day. It actually shows 3 quotes, and the first one is the quote of that day, the others are the day before and 2 days before. (like that explanation was oh so necessary...)
Anyway, a couple days ago, I got online and was greeted as usual with my quote of the day, and thought it sure sounded familiar, and then I read the name. And for a moment, I felt cool because I "know" her - but then I remembered that I don't know her, I just read her blog every day so I know ABOUT her.
But the quote intrigues me, because she and I semm to suffer from exactly the opposite Mental Illnesses.
"People often write me and ask how I keep my wood floors so clean when I live with a child and a dog, and my answer is that I use a technique called Suffering From a Mental Illness."
- Heather Armstrong
Her's makes her keep her wood floors clean, mine makes me look at the floors and think, "eh, I can always sweep them tomorrow..."
Here we go again!
Remember that fun time last fall when I talked non-stop about my brain and how screwed up it is thanks to ADHD? Just like TV seasons start anew in the fall (except for recently, where networks have figured out that starting some in January and even having some summer-only series' works well, too) - so does my ADHD. I've noticed that I've felt a bit off-kilter some lately and wondered why, since it was so early in the year still, but it IS a good 15 degrees cooler than last week, so maybe my brain thinks its fall? I also think that hormones and stress could be playing a role. And really, looking back to last year, it was August when my downward spiral began and that was also a stressful time.
My current stress factors are varied. Finances are always stressful - but especially when you've got things to buy for a new person entering the home and a midwife to pay for, in the same time frame as when fees for the older kids are due for several activities. (including soccer for both kids... which should provide lots of laughs, which is stress-relieving!) Also, sometime soon, the mean Army will be taking away the "jump status" for Michael's unit. This depresses him because it means it will be harder for him to have the joy of flinging himself from airplanes. It depresses me because it means a loss of $150 per month. Stupid Army.
Speaking of bringing a new person into the home - yes, babies are fun and exciting and a reason for celebration. But let's be real - its also a bit stressful. It may not be a bad stressor, but its still a source of tension. How will this baby fit in? How much have I forgotten about babies in the past 4.5 years? Do we have everything that we need for the baby? Do we have everything that we need for the actual birth? Oh, wait, that takes us back to finances! See - thrilled about the baby, but also stressed.
And speaking of the older kids - I try to not think about it, but sending Aaric to school is quite stressful for me. I don't worry that he won't make friends. I don't worry that his teachers will be mean. I don't worry about him falling and scraping his knee and me not being there. I do worry a bit about the fact that he'll have lots of external influences and he'll learn about all the cartoons that we don't let him watch and all the toys we've deprived him of. But what I really worry about is just whether this is the right decision. Will it be better for him than homeschooling? Is it really the best for him and me, or am I just giving up without giving homeschooling enough of a fair chance?
That in itself triggers a whole big "Mommy Guilt" session. Sure, every oldest kid is the family guinea pig. But don't most people manage to make some right decisions along the way? Because we've made lots of decisions that we regret. We don't dwell on them, but you can't help but notice them. I wanted a natural birth, but gave up on that pretty easily due to my highly sucky doctor. I wanted to breastfeed but gave up on that because formula feeding was easier than pumping at work. I wanted to be a stay at home mome, but finances dictated otherwise. Those are just the things I wanted to do but failed at. Then we move into the things we did with him, but then learned more about and don't do now: vaccinations, circumcision, treating with modern meds instead of herbs/other natural stuff ("witchdoctor medicine" as my brother calls it), junk foods, etc. I sometimes feel like I couldn't get any of it "right" with him. But the last couple of years; oh how perfect they've been! No new big mistakes! Sure, i felt bad that I got it all "right" with Mikayla and he missed out on my ideal choices, but we were on the right track now!
But here we are, giving up on homeschooling him. Sending him away to school. It feels like we're saying "here, we can't manage it, you take him now!" So I go back and forth in my brain (the one with ADHD, remember?) and come to the conclusion that no matter what I do, I'll never be convinced that its the right decision. Either way, I fear that I'm making a horrible mistake. And I remember that I'm pretty much stuck with sending him to school right now, anyway, because the funds aren't there to buy the next level of curriculum. Which is why I try to just avoid thinking about it.
Whether its just "that time of year" again, or stress related or hormone related, suffice it to say that my brain is starting to get a bit out of control again. Strattera didn't work last year and none of the official ADHD meds are ones I'd consider taking while pregnant or nursing, and I won't give up nursing just to fix my brain. Michael majored in psychology, but doesn't analyze people he knows. He easily just draws a line in his brain and doesn't even bother thinking about what all forms of psychosis we all might have. So the fact that he not only noticed, but also mentioned to me, that he clearly sees all of the classic signs of depression, says something. It's got to be pretty obvious for him to step into the "analyzing" role at all. ADHD has a lot of crossover symptoms with depression, and they have been found to be chemically related as well. So which is it? Well, I don't know! Which is why on Monday, I'll be checking into what I have to do to get referred to some sort of specialist. I don't know if I have to go through the midwife to get that done, or if I go back to my primary care doc, or what. Getting all of that sorted out will probably be stressful as well. So they better find someone good to fix me. Normally, I might go read a bunch of article and work on ways of dealing with it on my own. But toss in the "hormonal" aspect, and it kind of scares me. If I'm already starting the downward spiral now, I don't want to take the chance of the post partem hormonal changes making it spiral faster and lower. So we're going to get help in fixing me sooner rather than later.
So you can expect to hear lots of fun stuff about my brain! And if you're wondering, "Why is she telling us all of this? Its boring!" Well, as I've mentioned before, I'm a blog-stalker. A few of the famous bloggers, the ones who get as many hits in a day as I get in a year, have gone through PPD and wrote very openly about it. I've read lots of comments on them from women who were helped in some way by reading about a fellow mom's experiences. So if my talking about this helps one person, I figure its worth it.
I think I referenced it in another recent entry, but I'll link it again. If anyone is interested in seeing my in depth discussion of my brain last year, go read KellyR2's Blog: ADHD and Me There are several in October that discuss the Strattera that I tried, and how it didn't help, and also, that's where the aforementioned garden pictures are.
Speaking of which, since its 15 degrees cooler this week than last, I think I shall go work in it. Maybe one day, I'll have pictures of my beautiful garden. Well, don't count on any real beauty, but maybe "less horrifying" pictures.
My current stress factors are varied. Finances are always stressful - but especially when you've got things to buy for a new person entering the home and a midwife to pay for, in the same time frame as when fees for the older kids are due for several activities. (including soccer for both kids... which should provide lots of laughs, which is stress-relieving!) Also, sometime soon, the mean Army will be taking away the "jump status" for Michael's unit. This depresses him because it means it will be harder for him to have the joy of flinging himself from airplanes. It depresses me because it means a loss of $150 per month. Stupid Army.
Speaking of bringing a new person into the home - yes, babies are fun and exciting and a reason for celebration. But let's be real - its also a bit stressful. It may not be a bad stressor, but its still a source of tension. How will this baby fit in? How much have I forgotten about babies in the past 4.5 years? Do we have everything that we need for the baby? Do we have everything that we need for the actual birth? Oh, wait, that takes us back to finances! See - thrilled about the baby, but also stressed.
And speaking of the older kids - I try to not think about it, but sending Aaric to school is quite stressful for me. I don't worry that he won't make friends. I don't worry that his teachers will be mean. I don't worry about him falling and scraping his knee and me not being there. I do worry a bit about the fact that he'll have lots of external influences and he'll learn about all the cartoons that we don't let him watch and all the toys we've deprived him of. But what I really worry about is just whether this is the right decision. Will it be better for him than homeschooling? Is it really the best for him and me, or am I just giving up without giving homeschooling enough of a fair chance?
That in itself triggers a whole big "Mommy Guilt" session. Sure, every oldest kid is the family guinea pig. But don't most people manage to make some right decisions along the way? Because we've made lots of decisions that we regret. We don't dwell on them, but you can't help but notice them. I wanted a natural birth, but gave up on that pretty easily due to my highly sucky doctor. I wanted to breastfeed but gave up on that because formula feeding was easier than pumping at work. I wanted to be a stay at home mome, but finances dictated otherwise. Those are just the things I wanted to do but failed at. Then we move into the things we did with him, but then learned more about and don't do now: vaccinations, circumcision, treating with modern meds instead of herbs/other natural stuff ("witchdoctor medicine" as my brother calls it), junk foods, etc. I sometimes feel like I couldn't get any of it "right" with him. But the last couple of years; oh how perfect they've been! No new big mistakes! Sure, i felt bad that I got it all "right" with Mikayla and he missed out on my ideal choices, but we were on the right track now!
But here we are, giving up on homeschooling him. Sending him away to school. It feels like we're saying "here, we can't manage it, you take him now!" So I go back and forth in my brain (the one with ADHD, remember?) and come to the conclusion that no matter what I do, I'll never be convinced that its the right decision. Either way, I fear that I'm making a horrible mistake. And I remember that I'm pretty much stuck with sending him to school right now, anyway, because the funds aren't there to buy the next level of curriculum. Which is why I try to just avoid thinking about it.
Whether its just "that time of year" again, or stress related or hormone related, suffice it to say that my brain is starting to get a bit out of control again. Strattera didn't work last year and none of the official ADHD meds are ones I'd consider taking while pregnant or nursing, and I won't give up nursing just to fix my brain. Michael majored in psychology, but doesn't analyze people he knows. He easily just draws a line in his brain and doesn't even bother thinking about what all forms of psychosis we all might have. So the fact that he not only noticed, but also mentioned to me, that he clearly sees all of the classic signs of depression, says something. It's got to be pretty obvious for him to step into the "analyzing" role at all. ADHD has a lot of crossover symptoms with depression, and they have been found to be chemically related as well. So which is it? Well, I don't know! Which is why on Monday, I'll be checking into what I have to do to get referred to some sort of specialist. I don't know if I have to go through the midwife to get that done, or if I go back to my primary care doc, or what. Getting all of that sorted out will probably be stressful as well. So they better find someone good to fix me. Normally, I might go read a bunch of article and work on ways of dealing with it on my own. But toss in the "hormonal" aspect, and it kind of scares me. If I'm already starting the downward spiral now, I don't want to take the chance of the post partem hormonal changes making it spiral faster and lower. So we're going to get help in fixing me sooner rather than later.
So you can expect to hear lots of fun stuff about my brain! And if you're wondering, "Why is she telling us all of this? Its boring!" Well, as I've mentioned before, I'm a blog-stalker. A few of the famous bloggers, the ones who get as many hits in a day as I get in a year, have gone through PPD and wrote very openly about it. I've read lots of comments on them from women who were helped in some way by reading about a fellow mom's experiences. So if my talking about this helps one person, I figure its worth it.
I think I referenced it in another recent entry, but I'll link it again. If anyone is interested in seeing my in depth discussion of my brain last year, go read KellyR2's Blog: ADHD and Me There are several in October that discuss the Strattera that I tried, and how it didn't help, and also, that's where the aforementioned garden pictures are.
Speaking of which, since its 15 degrees cooler this week than last, I think I shall go work in it. Maybe one day, I'll have pictures of my beautiful garden. Well, don't count on any real beauty, but maybe "less horrifying" pictures.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
We all need friends like this
I've long been jealous of Damomma's "da posse." I want friends (that actually live in the same state, preferably) who I can call up and tell them that we're going insane stuck in the house, and that we're on our way over right now. Friends that would let me come over when we're all puking late at night and need someone to help take care of us. She's shared countless stories of Da Posse, and much more than being a cool enough blogger to attend BlogHer (which, to my knowledge, DaMomma didn't go, but not because she's not cool enough!), I longed for a posse of my very own.
I think I may have member number one. Let me tell you about why she'll make a good posse member.
1 - While she herself is an epidural kinda gal (and is due in December), when she heard that we were having a homebirth, instead of looking confused and concerned, she said, "I wanna come!" We said okay, but that she has to feed the kids and not let them play in the street and watch them for signs of freaked-out-ness (so that she could take them to another room).
2 - Right now she lives like 20 minutes away, but as soon as their name comes up, they'll be moving on post too, and will be like, a mile away. That will just be cool.
3 - Her son is around 5.5 and plays well with both of my kids.
4 - Today, she appeared at my front door, unannounced. First off, the fact that she was comfortable enough to show up unannounced says "posse-potential" like nothing else can. Now, my house was not guest ready. I had actually straightend up the living room, but the kitchen was not pretty. She didn't go to the kitchen though. Oh, no, she marched herself up the stairs after the kids, and into the playroom. Which was worse than the kitchen. And the kids' bedroom, which is even worse than the playroom AND had the wet diapers from last night still in there.
THEN she proceeded to plop herself down on the playroom floor and start cleaning it - thus, sealing the deal.
I think I may just have her move in with us.
She's Kristina, by the way.
And to show our appreciation for her hard work, I didn't think to mention that the plate of cookies stashed in the toaster oven were of two varieties: oatmeal raisin, and oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip. And her son, who could DIE if he eats peanuts, took a bite of one before asking. And I didn't know that the raisin ones were actually PB free, and didn't ask specifically which one he ate anyway. She was suprised that his lips weren't blue yet as they rushed off to the ER. I called Michael (who had made the cookies) and he confirmed that the raisin ones were PB free, so I called and left a message for her at the ER so I could let her know. The kids were fairly certain that he ate a raisin one.
So - all in one day, I decide that Kristina should move in, and then I try to poison her child.
I think I may have member number one. Let me tell you about why she'll make a good posse member.
1 - While she herself is an epidural kinda gal (and is due in December), when she heard that we were having a homebirth, instead of looking confused and concerned, she said, "I wanna come!" We said okay, but that she has to feed the kids and not let them play in the street and watch them for signs of freaked-out-ness (so that she could take them to another room).
2 - Right now she lives like 20 minutes away, but as soon as their name comes up, they'll be moving on post too, and will be like, a mile away. That will just be cool.
3 - Her son is around 5.5 and plays well with both of my kids.
4 - Today, she appeared at my front door, unannounced. First off, the fact that she was comfortable enough to show up unannounced says "posse-potential" like nothing else can. Now, my house was not guest ready. I had actually straightend up the living room, but the kitchen was not pretty. She didn't go to the kitchen though. Oh, no, she marched herself up the stairs after the kids, and into the playroom. Which was worse than the kitchen. And the kids' bedroom, which is even worse than the playroom AND had the wet diapers from last night still in there.
THEN she proceeded to plop herself down on the playroom floor and start cleaning it - thus, sealing the deal.
I think I may just have her move in with us.
She's Kristina, by the way.
And to show our appreciation for her hard work, I didn't think to mention that the plate of cookies stashed in the toaster oven were of two varieties: oatmeal raisin, and oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip. And her son, who could DIE if he eats peanuts, took a bite of one before asking. And I didn't know that the raisin ones were actually PB free, and didn't ask specifically which one he ate anyway. She was suprised that his lips weren't blue yet as they rushed off to the ER. I called Michael (who had made the cookies) and he confirmed that the raisin ones were PB free, so I called and left a message for her at the ER so I could let her know. The kids were fairly certain that he ate a raisin one.
So - all in one day, I decide that Kristina should move in, and then I try to poison her child.
Monday, August 14, 2006
The Great Garden Project 2006
If you REALLY want to see last year's project, click over there to either the September or October archives. The recap: Big, ugly, unruly plants were taking over, so I removed them, and found several herds of roaches and one black widow. These plants had a trunk at the bottom, the size of my ankle that I never could get fully removed.
I planned to either plant something new and pretty or at least get some big planters to stick out there full of flowers so that I wouldn't have to do any digging. That never happened.
This spring, we got motivated again and pulled up a ton of weeds, taking the "garden" back to its barren state which includes 2 different types of bushes that don't really coordinate (5 or 6 total) and one plant that is either a different bush that has grown much taller than it should, or a small tree. I have no clue what it is. Then we neglected the "garden." Lately, we noticed that it had turned into a jungle. Instead of 4 huge unruly plants taking over, we had 5 zillion types of weeds that had all moved in and made themselves at home. A midwife who came over for an interview informed us that one little patch of plants was actually wild lettuce which is a mild opiate. I want to know what the street value might be on wild lettuce!
In addition to the opiates, we had grass, clovers, dandelions, some ugly prickly things that you can't pull up without gloves, and a few other random weeds. We're about halfway done pulling all of these suckers up, and then we'll actually take that extra step and put down the layer of black weed-blocker stuff so that they can't regrow, and then toss all the mulch back on. Also, Michael got out some power tool thing and cut the ugly plants' roots down so that they are below the ground level now . Lastly, this year, I have no lofty plans of adding more plants. In the big barren space where the ugly plants and the black widow once lived, I'm putting the kids' picnic table. Maybe if we're still here next spring, I'll find the motivation to add flowers. For now though, I'm huge and pregnant and am doing good to pull plants up. Adding more plants in just isn't going to happen.
I planned to either plant something new and pretty or at least get some big planters to stick out there full of flowers so that I wouldn't have to do any digging. That never happened.
This spring, we got motivated again and pulled up a ton of weeds, taking the "garden" back to its barren state which includes 2 different types of bushes that don't really coordinate (5 or 6 total) and one plant that is either a different bush that has grown much taller than it should, or a small tree. I have no clue what it is. Then we neglected the "garden." Lately, we noticed that it had turned into a jungle. Instead of 4 huge unruly plants taking over, we had 5 zillion types of weeds that had all moved in and made themselves at home. A midwife who came over for an interview informed us that one little patch of plants was actually wild lettuce which is a mild opiate. I want to know what the street value might be on wild lettuce!
In addition to the opiates, we had grass, clovers, dandelions, some ugly prickly things that you can't pull up without gloves, and a few other random weeds. We're about halfway done pulling all of these suckers up, and then we'll actually take that extra step and put down the layer of black weed-blocker stuff so that they can't regrow, and then toss all the mulch back on. Also, Michael got out some power tool thing and cut the ugly plants' roots down so that they are below the ground level now . Lastly, this year, I have no lofty plans of adding more plants. In the big barren space where the ugly plants and the black widow once lived, I'm putting the kids' picnic table. Maybe if we're still here next spring, I'll find the motivation to add flowers. For now though, I'm huge and pregnant and am doing good to pull plants up. Adding more plants in just isn't going to happen.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
A day at the hospital
I spent nearly all of yesterday at the hospital. I walked from one end to the other more than once, on both the first and second floors!
First, I had a LLL meeting in the morning. I was an hour and a half late for it, and they only run around an hour and a half long. Oops. I thought it was at 11, it was at 10. I was supposed to deliver a catalog to a leader, but she'd already left and gone to her office on the opposite end of the hospital, but the others thought she may have stopped for lunch in the cafeteria. So we went most of the way across the 2nd floor, down the elevator to the 1st floor to check the cafeteria, back up the elevator to go the rest of the way to her office, and she was no where to be found. Meanwhile, Michael called, asking me to stop by the surgery office to find out if they were planning to call him back any time soon.
Last Thursday, he'd gotten a weird lump removed from his side, and ever since, he's been sore on his entire side, its swelling, and he's been dizzy. The receptionist recommended he come to the walk-in clinic. So we went back to the first floor and walked all the way across to the other side where we were parked and went home for lunch.
After lunch, Michael joined us for a trip back to the hospital. He went to get checked at the walk-in clinic, but the surgeon was in surgery and would be there for a while. Long enough for us to head back downstairs for me to go ahead and get my prenatal checkup!
Since I live in constant fear of gaining 40 pounds AGAIN this time, I was thrilled to learn that this month, I only gained 2! That brings my grand total so far to 14. Even if I gain 2/week for the next 7 weeks, I still won't even hit 30! I think this is due to my nutrition. Sure, its not great. But with Aaric, I was working in an Italian restaurant and had pasta almost daily, and lots of garlic butter rolls every day. With Mikayla, I was working, but not at a restaurant, but I did go out for fast food or pizza many days. This time, I'm at home all day every day, and I rarely eat pasta and the only thing we fry is our tofu fingers. So I really think that's playing a part. 14 lbs at 33 weeks makes me a very very happy girl.
My BP was nice and low - 92/54 I think. His heart is still thumping away just fine, and she didn't mention what measurement she got on my belly, but last time I checked, I was measuring right on target. Don't let that fool you though - Aaric measured right on target too, and came out at 9 pounds.
I also decided it was time to let the nice nurse-midwife know that we're only really using her for prenatal care, and that we were having a homebirth. I'd been told that the midwives at the hospital "support homebirth" but I wondered just how much they really supported it. It turns out that this one at least, supports it quite a bit! She nodded and smiled and asked if there was anything special they could do to help or that my midwife (Lulu) would need from them. We were pleasantly suprised. I go back in 3 weeks.
Next we went back upstairs to see if the surgeon was out of surgery yet. He pretty much blew off Michael's concerns - didn't even seem to acknowlege that there WAS any swelling, and said that bruising and lots of soreness were fine, and that the dizziness was unrelated. The good news is that the pathology report was back already and it was just a swollen lymph node, and the swelling wasn't due to cancer or anything else freaky. I think he said it was a "reactive lymph node." The stitches come out Friday, which he'll be glad for, since they're cutting him.
So, that's our day at the hospital: Lots of wandering, and overall good reports for both of us. The kids were even sane through most of it, and got tootsie pops from the midwife!
First, I had a LLL meeting in the morning. I was an hour and a half late for it, and they only run around an hour and a half long. Oops. I thought it was at 11, it was at 10. I was supposed to deliver a catalog to a leader, but she'd already left and gone to her office on the opposite end of the hospital, but the others thought she may have stopped for lunch in the cafeteria. So we went most of the way across the 2nd floor, down the elevator to the 1st floor to check the cafeteria, back up the elevator to go the rest of the way to her office, and she was no where to be found. Meanwhile, Michael called, asking me to stop by the surgery office to find out if they were planning to call him back any time soon.
Last Thursday, he'd gotten a weird lump removed from his side, and ever since, he's been sore on his entire side, its swelling, and he's been dizzy. The receptionist recommended he come to the walk-in clinic. So we went back to the first floor and walked all the way across to the other side where we were parked and went home for lunch.
After lunch, Michael joined us for a trip back to the hospital. He went to get checked at the walk-in clinic, but the surgeon was in surgery and would be there for a while. Long enough for us to head back downstairs for me to go ahead and get my prenatal checkup!
Since I live in constant fear of gaining 40 pounds AGAIN this time, I was thrilled to learn that this month, I only gained 2! That brings my grand total so far to 14. Even if I gain 2/week for the next 7 weeks, I still won't even hit 30! I think this is due to my nutrition. Sure, its not great. But with Aaric, I was working in an Italian restaurant and had pasta almost daily, and lots of garlic butter rolls every day. With Mikayla, I was working, but not at a restaurant, but I did go out for fast food or pizza many days. This time, I'm at home all day every day, and I rarely eat pasta and the only thing we fry is our tofu fingers. So I really think that's playing a part. 14 lbs at 33 weeks makes me a very very happy girl.
My BP was nice and low - 92/54 I think. His heart is still thumping away just fine, and she didn't mention what measurement she got on my belly, but last time I checked, I was measuring right on target. Don't let that fool you though - Aaric measured right on target too, and came out at 9 pounds.
I also decided it was time to let the nice nurse-midwife know that we're only really using her for prenatal care, and that we were having a homebirth. I'd been told that the midwives at the hospital "support homebirth" but I wondered just how much they really supported it. It turns out that this one at least, supports it quite a bit! She nodded and smiled and asked if there was anything special they could do to help or that my midwife (Lulu) would need from them. We were pleasantly suprised. I go back in 3 weeks.
Next we went back upstairs to see if the surgeon was out of surgery yet. He pretty much blew off Michael's concerns - didn't even seem to acknowlege that there WAS any swelling, and said that bruising and lots of soreness were fine, and that the dizziness was unrelated. The good news is that the pathology report was back already and it was just a swollen lymph node, and the swelling wasn't due to cancer or anything else freaky. I think he said it was a "reactive lymph node." The stitches come out Friday, which he'll be glad for, since they're cutting him.
So, that's our day at the hospital: Lots of wandering, and overall good reports for both of us. The kids were even sane through most of it, and got tootsie pops from the midwife!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
BlogHer
Let me just say, for the record that some of us who are not cool enough to go to BlogHer are jealous of those who are cool enough to go to BlogHer. For one thing, we don't get to write up fun little stories about the antics of the other cool bloggers that we shared a room with or shared a flight with or went out for drinks with. It makes me pout and think, "I should go to BlogHer!" But, if I went, I think this is the conversation I'd overhear:
CoolBlogger1: Who's that girl over there?
CoolBlogger2: Oh her? That's, um, what what it... Kellyr2.
CB1: Kellyr-who?
CB2: Two
CB1: Yeah, but who is she?
CB2: She's a wanna-be-cool blogger. I went and read her stuff upon learning that she'd be coming to BlogHer, because I assumed she must be cool, but she's not.
CB1: How'd you find out she was coming?
CB2: Well, you know she reads all of our blogs, like some crazy blog stalker, and she commented on mine and was all giddy, telling me that she'd see me at BlogHer.
CB1: But she's not cool, huh?
CB2: There was this one time, where she might have been around 25% as witty as we are.
CB1: Wow.
CB2: Yeah.
CB1: Yeah, I notice that even her imaginary transcript of our conversation is pretty dull.
CB2: Yep.
And I'd just be sitting there, like, picking at my fingernails or something.
So my new goal is to be at least 25% as witty as some of the other fabulous bloggers who I stalk, at least once a week. I'm thinking that having a new baby in the house will mean LOTS of good blog fodder. (OH - not that I have that goal so that I could go to BlogHer, I just noticed that I've been boring lately, and it happens to coincide with all the "guess what happened at BlogHer!!" posts on other blogs this week. Though, if I at least felt cool enough to go, that would be great.)
CoolBlogger1: Who's that girl over there?
CoolBlogger2: Oh her? That's, um, what what it... Kellyr2.
CB1: Kellyr-who?
CB2: Two
CB1: Yeah, but who is she?
CB2: She's a wanna-be-cool blogger. I went and read her stuff upon learning that she'd be coming to BlogHer, because I assumed she must be cool, but she's not.
CB1: How'd you find out she was coming?
CB2: Well, you know she reads all of our blogs, like some crazy blog stalker, and she commented on mine and was all giddy, telling me that she'd see me at BlogHer.
CB1: But she's not cool, huh?
CB2: There was this one time, where she might have been around 25% as witty as we are.
CB1: Wow.
CB2: Yeah.
CB1: Yeah, I notice that even her imaginary transcript of our conversation is pretty dull.
CB2: Yep.
And I'd just be sitting there, like, picking at my fingernails or something.
So my new goal is to be at least 25% as witty as some of the other fabulous bloggers who I stalk, at least once a week. I'm thinking that having a new baby in the house will mean LOTS of good blog fodder. (OH - not that I have that goal so that I could go to BlogHer, I just noticed that I've been boring lately, and it happens to coincide with all the "guess what happened at BlogHer!!" posts on other blogs this week. Though, if I at least felt cool enough to go, that would be great.)
Drama on the block!
Since Crazy Neighbor Lady moved away (check Nov and Dec for those entries), things have been boring. But there was always this other family I wondered about. No signs on the door - but I'll be watching for them! There's a slightly older guy - not "old" but certainly older than most of the people in this neighborhood, as this is an area for E1-E6's with 2-3 kids and most of the parents are in their 20s-30s. Not only is this guy older, he's got longish hair and looks kinda scruffy. He's usually barefoot, which I can understand and relate to. He's also usually wearing BDU or DCU (that's "green camo" or "desert/tan camo" for the non military types) pants that have been cut off into shorts, or else denim cutoffs. And he's almost always sitting out in a chair on the patio in front of the house. I've deduced that he must be the parent of the soldier or the soldier's wife. Parents are allowed to live in military housing if they're legally a dependant of the soldier, or if they know how to work the system right. Today, as I walked to check my mail, he yelled out to me, "this is a bad time of year to be pregnant!"
So anyway, I was just sitting here minding my own business when I saw flashing lights. I ran to the door to look out and make sure that no houses nearby were up in flames or anything, and saw an ambulance and several MP cars, and at the lightpost nearest to my house, sat a scruffy man. I later figured out it was that guy. A minute later, a firetruck pulled up. You'd think they'd just radio the fire station and say "nope, no fires here, no need to come out!" But no, they can't do that.
Around this time, Aaric noticed the lights because he can't bother staying in bed like he's supposed to. We both sat in the playroom peeking out through the blinds. The playroom works best because its upstairs and faces the front, so it gets us a much better birds eye view than anything downstairs. The first thing a nosey neighbor does upon moving into a new neighborhood is locate the best view. Aaric is even nosier than I am, though. When I left the room for a minute, he actually opened the window so we could hear. Smart kid!! Unfortunately, none of the 5000 people in front of our house had the decency to talk loud enough for us to hear over the ambulance engine. I mean, how rude!
So here's what I DO know:
Man was sitting, looking fairly relaxed and unharmed, with his back against the post, and his ankles crossed. I thought maybe he was cuffed there, but then saw him wave an arm. He was surrounded by a few MPs and other dudes. Younger adults who I assume are the kid/kid-in-law were standing outside of their house talking with MPs and some other dudes (drove civillian vehicles, wore dark clothes). Old guy was barefoot. The only words I did catch were old guy saying he wanted something and he was told they couldn't fit all of that in the ambulance. They did bring him what appeared to be a change of clothes, a sleeping bag, and a big Army duffel from the house. He wanted more. Then he was standing, and then he wanted to walk down and talk to the younger ones. I could barely see, as the house is a few down from mine and there isn't a light right there at their driveway, but I did see an MP jump in front of him at one point. When he came back by, he was in cuffs. Then they uncuffed him and put him on the stretcher and into the ambulance. They all gradually left, a couple cars at a time.
I shall be watching the paper to see if this makes it into the crime report section. And I shall be watching their house to see if they too put up signs in the door, like Crazy Neighbor Lady did.
So anyway, I was just sitting here minding my own business when I saw flashing lights. I ran to the door to look out and make sure that no houses nearby were up in flames or anything, and saw an ambulance and several MP cars, and at the lightpost nearest to my house, sat a scruffy man. I later figured out it was that guy. A minute later, a firetruck pulled up. You'd think they'd just radio the fire station and say "nope, no fires here, no need to come out!" But no, they can't do that.
Around this time, Aaric noticed the lights because he can't bother staying in bed like he's supposed to. We both sat in the playroom peeking out through the blinds. The playroom works best because its upstairs and faces the front, so it gets us a much better birds eye view than anything downstairs. The first thing a nosey neighbor does upon moving into a new neighborhood is locate the best view. Aaric is even nosier than I am, though. When I left the room for a minute, he actually opened the window so we could hear. Smart kid!! Unfortunately, none of the 5000 people in front of our house had the decency to talk loud enough for us to hear over the ambulance engine. I mean, how rude!
So here's what I DO know:
Man was sitting, looking fairly relaxed and unharmed, with his back against the post, and his ankles crossed. I thought maybe he was cuffed there, but then saw him wave an arm. He was surrounded by a few MPs and other dudes. Younger adults who I assume are the kid/kid-in-law were standing outside of their house talking with MPs and some other dudes (drove civillian vehicles, wore dark clothes). Old guy was barefoot. The only words I did catch were old guy saying he wanted something and he was told they couldn't fit all of that in the ambulance. They did bring him what appeared to be a change of clothes, a sleeping bag, and a big Army duffel from the house. He wanted more. Then he was standing, and then he wanted to walk down and talk to the younger ones. I could barely see, as the house is a few down from mine and there isn't a light right there at their driveway, but I did see an MP jump in front of him at one point. When he came back by, he was in cuffs. Then they uncuffed him and put him on the stretcher and into the ambulance. They all gradually left, a couple cars at a time.
I shall be watching the paper to see if this makes it into the crime report section. And I shall be watching their house to see if they too put up signs in the door, like Crazy Neighbor Lady did.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
School
I'd put this one off for a while. If I put it in writing it makes it seem too real.
Aaric is going to school this year. Real, away from our house, school, with a teacher other than myself. I figure some people who know me said things like, "well, duh, of course she couldn't pull it off," when they heard about the change of plans.
I think he could do WONDERFULLY homeschooled. And I do think that I could be a wonderful homeschool-mom. But I'm not sure that I can be the one to wonderfully homeschool HIM. His brain works too much like mine. ( see "ADHD and Me" from last October for a dazzling description of how my brain works) You'd think that maybe if his brain works like mine, that's a good thing, because I can teach him all my cool tricks for efficiency! You know what? One day when I learn those cool tricks, I'll get right on that!
I'm not entirely convinced that school is the perfect option for him. But I'm not any more convinced that homeschool is the perfect option for him right now, either.
His school is visible from our yard. It takes 10 minutes to walk there. It's a DOD school, and I have a friend who is a teacher at a DOD school, and she assures me that he'll be fine. They strongly encourage lots of parental involvement, which I plan to do as soon as I'm ready after the baby is born.
All that said, though, I'm totally freaked out. He's going to be leaving our little bubble on an almost daily basis. He'll be interacting with kids who I don't know and may not approve of. Who knows what all horrific things they're going to fill his brain with! He's going to learn that other kids don't fill their recycling bin more than their trash can. And that some people eat chips and cookies on a regular basis - not even organic ones!! He may even learn that some kids take MEDICINE when they're sick.
Then again - he just cut his finger a minute ago, and just walked up to me and held out his bleeding finger and said, "Look mom, I'm a vampire" and proceeded to lick his finger. So I'm sure there will be some corruption on all sides. Other parents probably worry about their kids playing with weird kids that THEY don't approve of, and the exact description they have in mind includes "vampire kids."
The good news is that I just managed to not hyperventilate when I signed the form consenting to all sorts of OTC meds. I didn't cave on the cough drops though. He's survived 6 years without cough drops - surely he can make it through K without them!
Aaric is going to school this year. Real, away from our house, school, with a teacher other than myself. I figure some people who know me said things like, "well, duh, of course she couldn't pull it off," when they heard about the change of plans.
I think he could do WONDERFULLY homeschooled. And I do think that I could be a wonderful homeschool-mom. But I'm not sure that I can be the one to wonderfully homeschool HIM. His brain works too much like mine. ( see "ADHD and Me" from last October for a dazzling description of how my brain works) You'd think that maybe if his brain works like mine, that's a good thing, because I can teach him all my cool tricks for efficiency! You know what? One day when I learn those cool tricks, I'll get right on that!
I'm not entirely convinced that school is the perfect option for him. But I'm not any more convinced that homeschool is the perfect option for him right now, either.
His school is visible from our yard. It takes 10 minutes to walk there. It's a DOD school, and I have a friend who is a teacher at a DOD school, and she assures me that he'll be fine. They strongly encourage lots of parental involvement, which I plan to do as soon as I'm ready after the baby is born.
All that said, though, I'm totally freaked out. He's going to be leaving our little bubble on an almost daily basis. He'll be interacting with kids who I don't know and may not approve of. Who knows what all horrific things they're going to fill his brain with! He's going to learn that other kids don't fill their recycling bin more than their trash can. And that some people eat chips and cookies on a regular basis - not even organic ones!! He may even learn that some kids take MEDICINE when they're sick.
Then again - he just cut his finger a minute ago, and just walked up to me and held out his bleeding finger and said, "Look mom, I'm a vampire" and proceeded to lick his finger. So I'm sure there will be some corruption on all sides. Other parents probably worry about their kids playing with weird kids that THEY don't approve of, and the exact description they have in mind includes "vampire kids."
The good news is that I just managed to not hyperventilate when I signed the form consenting to all sorts of OTC meds. I didn't cave on the cough drops though. He's survived 6 years without cough drops - surely he can make it through K without them!
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