Girls, myself included, definitely tend for a flair of the dramatic. I don't say this without proof - including my own behavior at times - and to prove my point I shall share my morning.
It actually peeked into warmish weather yesterday and so the kiddos played outside after supper before Doodle had dance class, getting all dirty and kid-like. We did not get home from dance until 8:30ish and I made the executive decision that we would have showers in the morning (read: mommy was exhausted and thought I would feel more equipped in the morning AND it was past bedtime). To add to this, the kids are having their SECOND school pictures of 1st grade. They already had pics, the ones where the put your picture in the yearbook, we complied, we purchased, we were model parents. Well, this second round is just money-grubbing as far as I am concerned. We are going to get family pics before D leaves for military training so my cherubs looks will be captured on my terms in the near future anyway.
Okay, I am digressing. First, Shenzy decides that she wants breakfast BEFORE her shower. If these activities don't occur in this order, I shall make you all miserable. Well, we did not let her have her way and I heard crying and moaning for at least 10 minutes. I mean seriously? Shenzy, you have been up since 6:02 and have watched your shows while I have tried to catch another 10 minutes of sleep. A period of time during which you maul me like a bored bear cub. Did I not provide you with a fantastic morning so far? I let you watch grown-ups singing ridiculous songs because they have reached cult status and are making more money than I will ever see. Must you then CRY FOR 10 MINUTES over NOTHING!
Then, post shower and in her dress that she requested, Doodle comes to the table with crocodile tears in her eyes, trying so hard to hold her **IT together. I took one look at her and asked what was wrong, at which point the floodgates opened. She went from a 2 to 200 in about 1 second flat. Fearing a seizure, I picked her up and took her to her room in an effort to both diffuse a seizure by calming her down and by trying to dispel the mystery that is a cute little girl crying for no apparent reason. Crying like someone had just beaten her up out back, but nothing had happened. After a good 5 minutes of doing breathing exercises with her and having her blow her nose and count to 3, and me playing guessing games like I was going to win a quiz show once I got the right answer, I came to the realization that her tights were too tight. You get that? The tights (which by name should not be loose) were too tight. Okay, I was proud of my calm. I told her then by all means, please remove the offending tights, go have breakfast, and I will solve this critical sob-inducing problem. Five minutes later, all was right with the world and she was singing and skipping.
All of this in the midst of my trying to get ready for work. And Meesta, where was my handsome lad you ask? He, the boy who got a "free pass" from doing his homework yesterday evening because of his good behavior at school (still not sure about the logic behind this from his normally hard-driving teacher, but that is for another day - perhaps it was because she knew the weather was going to be fabulous?), he compliantly took his shower, ate his breakfast, asked for more fruit, then decided he WANTED to do his homework anyway. So he did, without incident. WHILE his sisters were possessed by someone power of the perhaps full moon??!
The important point, I actually kept my cool. I have been praying that I exercise more patience during times like these and I am happy to report that I did. And, I know that sometimes a girl just needs to cry, without reason. Maybe Doodle is upset about something else that she will share when she is ready, I did ask her, but she said no, really it was just the tights. Hopefully my little ladies proceed to have a great day, letting their negative behaviors out at mom and dad, knowing we will always love them anyway.
CC
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
5 Sleeps Until the Big Rat
The twins will be turning 7 very soon and despite my own sensibilities, we are throwing their birthday party at the place with the Big Rat (ChuckECheese). A new Big Rat was built in our area about a year ago I guess and I have never taken them there. In fact, they have only been to the Big Rat on 2 (maybe 3) occasions ever. I don't know that I am thinking, but it was the allure of not at my now-small house, the kids LOVE it, their friends will LOVE it, and it is 90 minutes of time total. They will get a performance, some pizza, soft drinks and I will provide the fruit pizza birthday "cake". We are having the party on the weekend although their big day really occurs next week.
The fruit pizza birthday "cake" has been a tradition since the kids came home. They have never been huge cake lovers, but they could eat fruit all day long for every meal, with the exception of some pasta thrown in for good measure. So each year for their birthday, we make a big fruit pizza. It is their thing and I like that they have their own take on the whole cake thing.
The fact that they are turning 7 is so wild to me. They were just turning 1, in Cambodia, and we were in a room in a hotel in Cambodia with lots of new found friends and their new children. It was chaos, but a very unique and beautiful scene, one I will never forget. We have celebrated every birthday with them so far and for that I am so grateful.
I hope those who loved them first in Cambodia can feel the energy through the winds of how much they are loved and cared for. They are our life, our reason, our true joy. Thank you for the opportunity to love them. In fact, that makes me think of one of my favorite books that the kids own, it is called "Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox. It is a beautiful book with a powerful message to everyone. If everyone took it to heart, there just might be peace on earth.
Okay, I am off for now to work...and remember, it is only 5 Sleeps Until the Big Rat...
The fruit pizza birthday "cake" has been a tradition since the kids came home. They have never been huge cake lovers, but they could eat fruit all day long for every meal, with the exception of some pasta thrown in for good measure. So each year for their birthday, we make a big fruit pizza. It is their thing and I like that they have their own take on the whole cake thing.
The fact that they are turning 7 is so wild to me. They were just turning 1, in Cambodia, and we were in a room in a hotel in Cambodia with lots of new found friends and their new children. It was chaos, but a very unique and beautiful scene, one I will never forget. We have celebrated every birthday with them so far and for that I am so grateful.
I hope those who loved them first in Cambodia can feel the energy through the winds of how much they are loved and cared for. They are our life, our reason, our true joy. Thank you for the opportunity to love them. In fact, that makes me think of one of my favorite books that the kids own, it is called "Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox. It is a beautiful book with a powerful message to everyone. If everyone took it to heart, there just might be peace on earth.
Okay, I am off for now to work...and remember, it is only 5 Sleeps Until the Big Rat...
Friday, March 07, 2008
A Little Bit Political
Okay, I generally steer clear of controversial topics, but I just read a piece on the internet that spoke to me and watched something the other day that really spoke to me. I am inspired by Obama, I have been a political junkie since his hat became entrenched in the ring.
On one hand, I really want him to win, I think he will do some of the really hard leg work to make the political machine in Washington more effective. On the other hand, I am concerned that the events that are already here, including the economy and the current state of politics (and the drastic changes that he would have to make occur) would not be easy and could leave him with a splotchy legacy. But, I would rather he get in there and give it a shot. I respect his wife, I respect how far he has come and his obvious intellect. And while Hillary complains about his speeches, I could listen to them over and over.
One example is this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0L2GEBhd2w
Another interesting take is provided by Andrew Sullivan who is a democratic political blogger:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/03/the-clinton-rul.html. He posts frequently so go to the one from today entitled the Clinton Rules.
Now, I realize everyone is entitled to their opinion, but mine right now is full-force ahead for Obama. I am inspired...
BTW, we are definitely a house divided with the hubster being a McCain supporter.
Shenzy knows him by name and comes running whenever she hears him speaking...my little protege.
CC
On one hand, I really want him to win, I think he will do some of the really hard leg work to make the political machine in Washington more effective. On the other hand, I am concerned that the events that are already here, including the economy and the current state of politics (and the drastic changes that he would have to make occur) would not be easy and could leave him with a splotchy legacy. But, I would rather he get in there and give it a shot. I respect his wife, I respect how far he has come and his obvious intellect. And while Hillary complains about his speeches, I could listen to them over and over.
One example is this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0L2GEBhd2w
Another interesting take is provided by Andrew Sullivan who is a democratic political blogger:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/03/the-clinton-rul.html. He posts frequently so go to the one from today entitled the Clinton Rules.
Now, I realize everyone is entitled to their opinion, but mine right now is full-force ahead for Obama. I am inspired...
BTW, we are definitely a house divided with the hubster being a McCain supporter.
Shenzy knows him by name and comes running whenever she hears him speaking...my little protege.
CC
Thursday, March 06, 2008
A Sad Tail X 2
Yes, I know that I spelled tail wrong, it was on purpose.
My first sad news is that our dearest Monte had to go find another family. She had an aggressive streak that was getting worse instead of better. She would growl occasionally when an adult would just calmly pick her up, staring right at you. Kind of eery. Also, her play had become rather aggressive with the kids and they were getting scared of her. We tried to redirect and correct these behaviors, but knew that it was going to be an uphill battle. I think her breeding was just such that she was not going to be the best family dog. I did not want the kids to become scared of dogs, so she is no longer in our family. She could be the sweetest thing, but that was becoming less and the aggressive more (and yes, this was beyond normal puppy play or aggression). We fondly wish her the best, on a farm in the country... We have since become the proud pet parents to 3 Betta fish, one for each child - no aggression so far;)...
My second is that one of my big fears came true, Doodle had a seizure at school on Tuesday, in the cafeteria, with all the other 1st graders during lunchtime. She has grand mal seizures and typically lets out a rather loud and animalistic noise when this happens and she did that again, which seems to be what scared everyone. She had an aura and had raised her hand to tell one of the lunch monitors that she did not feel well, but the lady did not reach her in time before she fell off her seat and cracked her head very hard on the floor while seizing. It is hard for me to even write that, it makes my heart ache for her and want to prevent this from ever happening again. She did not vomit afterward, which is fortunate, and the only positive. This is the first seizure that we are aware of that I have not been there to hold her through. It has been a big struggle for me to cope with, the fact that I simply cannot be there with her all the time, and that all I can do is prepare her to deal with this with grace and humor if at all possible.
I worked from home yesterday and went to the school for some classroom games and the first group of kids I had (4 of them) for a riveting game of Word-O, a little boy asked me if I was Doodle's mom. When I said, yes, he said that it was really scary yesterday at lunch when she screamed and had the seizure. I reassured him that I was sure it was scary and to let him know that it was scary for Doodle as well and then further asked if they had any questions (their teacher had talked to the whole class after it happened - Doodle had left school), they didn't. I asked them what they should do if they are in a different classroom without their normal teacher and she should have a seizure, they all said, go get an adult. I then also asked them that someone should stay with her too to keep her from being scared. They all said, yes they would. I think my visit was a good one and I am glad that I went in, it seemed to help her as well.
The nurse, who knew she had epilepsy, sent a note to all the teachers via email and explained how her seizures looked and what they should do specifically. I was relieved that she did this.
I get really bummed and then try to regain perspective. This could be so much worse. She could still be in an orphanage in Cambodia where she would have no access to medical care and she would likely be mistreated for being "crazy" and "possessed". I can't fathom she would be nurtured and loved much. I cringe at the thought.
All in all, I am still thankful that life is this good...
CC
My first sad news is that our dearest Monte had to go find another family. She had an aggressive streak that was getting worse instead of better. She would growl occasionally when an adult would just calmly pick her up, staring right at you. Kind of eery. Also, her play had become rather aggressive with the kids and they were getting scared of her. We tried to redirect and correct these behaviors, but knew that it was going to be an uphill battle. I think her breeding was just such that she was not going to be the best family dog. I did not want the kids to become scared of dogs, so she is no longer in our family. She could be the sweetest thing, but that was becoming less and the aggressive more (and yes, this was beyond normal puppy play or aggression). We fondly wish her the best, on a farm in the country... We have since become the proud pet parents to 3 Betta fish, one for each child - no aggression so far;)...
My second is that one of my big fears came true, Doodle had a seizure at school on Tuesday, in the cafeteria, with all the other 1st graders during lunchtime. She has grand mal seizures and typically lets out a rather loud and animalistic noise when this happens and she did that again, which seems to be what scared everyone. She had an aura and had raised her hand to tell one of the lunch monitors that she did not feel well, but the lady did not reach her in time before she fell off her seat and cracked her head very hard on the floor while seizing. It is hard for me to even write that, it makes my heart ache for her and want to prevent this from ever happening again. She did not vomit afterward, which is fortunate, and the only positive. This is the first seizure that we are aware of that I have not been there to hold her through. It has been a big struggle for me to cope with, the fact that I simply cannot be there with her all the time, and that all I can do is prepare her to deal with this with grace and humor if at all possible.
I worked from home yesterday and went to the school for some classroom games and the first group of kids I had (4 of them) for a riveting game of Word-O, a little boy asked me if I was Doodle's mom. When I said, yes, he said that it was really scary yesterday at lunch when she screamed and had the seizure. I reassured him that I was sure it was scary and to let him know that it was scary for Doodle as well and then further asked if they had any questions (their teacher had talked to the whole class after it happened - Doodle had left school), they didn't. I asked them what they should do if they are in a different classroom without their normal teacher and she should have a seizure, they all said, go get an adult. I then also asked them that someone should stay with her too to keep her from being scared. They all said, yes they would. I think my visit was a good one and I am glad that I went in, it seemed to help her as well.
The nurse, who knew she had epilepsy, sent a note to all the teachers via email and explained how her seizures looked and what they should do specifically. I was relieved that she did this.
I get really bummed and then try to regain perspective. This could be so much worse. She could still be in an orphanage in Cambodia where she would have no access to medical care and she would likely be mistreated for being "crazy" and "possessed". I can't fathom she would be nurtured and loved much. I cringe at the thought.
All in all, I am still thankful that life is this good...
CC
Monday, February 25, 2008
Her Name Was Monte...
Her name was Monte, she was a baby girl.... (are you singing her name was Lola...she was a showgirl?...). Please forgive, it is the sleep deprivation I am certain. We adopted a dog, her name is Monterey Sniffigans, but we call her Monte for short. Her mom was a stray who showed up way out in the country and proceeded to give birth to 13 puppies! The new owners put an ad in the paper and before I knew it I was driving home with a 5-week-old puppy. Yes, you read that right, 5 weeks. The mom was done nursing and the owners were desperately trying to find good homes and low and behold, here we are with a BABY PUPPY.
Miss Monte is now 7 weeks old and we are all surviving. She is actually very intelligent and is going to the bathroom outside MOST of the time, which is remarkable for a dog her age, but my goodness is she exhausting! We never had a BABY BABY in our house, the youngest came home at 10 months, so this whole baby thing is quite challenging. Perhaps instead of the flour sack babies that home ec students have to carry around for a week as a deterrent to teen pregnancy, they should be given a very young puppy. That should keep them abstinent!
The kids are doing well with her and I have high hopes that once the weather finally gets warm enough, we will have lots of fun walks and adventures with Miss Monte at the park that is so close to our house.
On other notes, I have officially completed my first quarter at Walden and I am going to shout it out that in one class I received 100% and in the other 99.58% - and I am bragging now because they were easy intro classes and I am fairly certain I won't be seeing grades that good again. So, yea!!!!!!!
I also started WeightWatchers again. I am doing pretty good and am tracking it all, even when I go over, that is hard. I am already in the 180s again, so hard to believe THAT is considered progress, but it is what it is. My goal is 155, I would be feeling lovely then. The ultimate goal would be 140, but for now, my goal is 155.
I owe you all an update on the New Years Resolutions, things are looking pretty good in the financial realm. We are about to get our bonuses and that will put a significant dent in the nasty debt monster.
Well, that is all for now. I promise to post a picture of Miss Monte soon!
Life is This Good!
CC
Miss Monte is now 7 weeks old and we are all surviving. She is actually very intelligent and is going to the bathroom outside MOST of the time, which is remarkable for a dog her age, but my goodness is she exhausting! We never had a BABY BABY in our house, the youngest came home at 10 months, so this whole baby thing is quite challenging. Perhaps instead of the flour sack babies that home ec students have to carry around for a week as a deterrent to teen pregnancy, they should be given a very young puppy. That should keep them abstinent!
The kids are doing well with her and I have high hopes that once the weather finally gets warm enough, we will have lots of fun walks and adventures with Miss Monte at the park that is so close to our house.
On other notes, I have officially completed my first quarter at Walden and I am going to shout it out that in one class I received 100% and in the other 99.58% - and I am bragging now because they were easy intro classes and I am fairly certain I won't be seeing grades that good again. So, yea!!!!!!!
I also started WeightWatchers again. I am doing pretty good and am tracking it all, even when I go over, that is hard. I am already in the 180s again, so hard to believe THAT is considered progress, but it is what it is. My goal is 155, I would be feeling lovely then. The ultimate goal would be 140, but for now, my goal is 155.
I owe you all an update on the New Years Resolutions, things are looking pretty good in the financial realm. We are about to get our bonuses and that will put a significant dent in the nasty debt monster.
Well, that is all for now. I promise to post a picture of Miss Monte soon!
Life is This Good!
CC
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Book MEME
I have been tagged! D over at Dedicated 2 Financial Freedom tagged me to join in this one.
Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the 5th sentence.
4. Post the next 3 sentences.
5. Tag 5 more people.
Okay, my reading is not always very exciting given my profession...so here goes.
I picked up the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (a.k.a., DSM-IV).
The term organic mental disorder is no longer used in DSM-IV because it incorrectly iimplies that "nonorganic" mental disorders do not have a biological basis.
Next 3:
In DSM-IV, disorders formerly called "organic mental disorders" have been grouped into three sections: 1) Delirium, Dementia, and Amnestic and Other Cognitive Disorders; 2) Mental Disorders Due to a General Medical Condition; and 3) Substance-Related Disorders. A delirium is characterized by a disturbance of consciousness and a change in cognition that deveop over a short period of time. The disorders included in the "Delirium" section are listed according to presumed etiology: Delirium Due to a General Medical Condition, Substance-Induced Delirium (i.e., due to a drug of abuse, a medication, or toxin exposure), Delirium Due to Multiple Etiologies, or Delirium Not Otherwise Specified (if the etiology is indeterminate).
How is that for exciting reading! How many people diagnosed themselves with anything....fess up!
While I read a lot of blogs, I don't post on too many, so I will just tag those that I DO post on.
I am tagging BSquared over at A Look on the Bright Side, Chris at Mrs. Broccoli Guy, Rachel at Are We There Yet?, and Heather at Living With A Child.
CC
Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the 5th sentence.
4. Post the next 3 sentences.
5. Tag 5 more people.
Okay, my reading is not always very exciting given my profession...so here goes.
I picked up the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (a.k.a., DSM-IV).
The term organic mental disorder is no longer used in DSM-IV because it incorrectly iimplies that "nonorganic" mental disorders do not have a biological basis.
Next 3:
In DSM-IV, disorders formerly called "organic mental disorders" have been grouped into three sections: 1) Delirium, Dementia, and Amnestic and Other Cognitive Disorders; 2) Mental Disorders Due to a General Medical Condition; and 3) Substance-Related Disorders. A delirium is characterized by a disturbance of consciousness and a change in cognition that deveop over a short period of time. The disorders included in the "Delirium" section are listed according to presumed etiology: Delirium Due to a General Medical Condition, Substance-Induced Delirium (i.e., due to a drug of abuse, a medication, or toxin exposure), Delirium Due to Multiple Etiologies, or Delirium Not Otherwise Specified (if the etiology is indeterminate).
How is that for exciting reading! How many people diagnosed themselves with anything....fess up!
While I read a lot of blogs, I don't post on too many, so I will just tag those that I DO post on.
I am tagging BSquared over at A Look on the Bright Side, Chris at Mrs. Broccoli Guy, Rachel at Are We There Yet?, and Heather at Living With A Child.
CC
Thursday, February 07, 2008
To Cali and Back
I know, I up and leave and don't check in, I would love to be grounded.
Since I have been gone, I did trade in my old mini-van, pay $3,500.00 of the difference out of pocket, get a newer (not new) minivan with few miles and am happy with my decision.
I have paid off one bill, and am working on continuing the debt reduction, feeling good about that.
D and I went to a conference near Monterey California (hence the picture above) and spent less than $200 of our own money! My employer has started giving "points" that when you reach 500, you can cash them in for an AM EX gift card and I had done that and received the card the week before we left - woo hoo! It was a nice getaway and it was fantastic to meet some actual Navy Chaplains AND their wives (no female chaplains were there...) and to truly get some networking and information. It was fantastic. I am excited about that phase of our life to hurry up and get here!
The kids did great while we were gone, but Shenzy has gotten another nasty cold and despite 2 trips to the doctor now in less than a week, she is still hacking like an old smoker man. I just want to FIX them when they are sick, but "it just has to run its course". Grrr.
School is going well, I am in Week 10 of my first 12-week Quarter and I am looking at 2 A's! Yee Haa!
That is all for now,
CC
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