Holy crapmas

Oh crap.  I just sneezed some more.  Okay, so Lily has been sick the last couple of weeks.  I spoke to her teacher on Tuesday and she said that 1/3 of her class was out last Friday.  Great day.  So I know she's not the only one who's sick.  And the antibiotics she's on for her ear infection give her diarrhea and make her barf.  She told me she barfed last night while we were all asleep.  Poor baby.

Madilyn had a 101.8 fever last night.  I don't know what it was this morning when she kept me up but she was HOT.  So I have two sick kids, and now I'm coming down with something.  Can we postpone Christmas for a while?

In the good news department, I did give out the teachers' Christmas presents.  Pedro watched the girls so that I could drive over.  Cameo's Word Up was on in the car and I happened to park perpendicular to a sheriff's car.  I looked and didn't see anyone in there so I busted some moves.  When I got out of the car I heard the engine running.

Sigh.

OMG I am having such a hard time posting my pic.  I don't know if it's blogger or Facebook but I'm getting mad.....  So click the link. 

Oh yeah, and Brewster.   A few days ago, he could not stop biting my hands or being a bad dog.  Running around in circles, jumping on the bed, snapping at my face.  I was seriously considering getting rid of him.  He doesn't hurt the girls but I'm like, hells bells, when is he going to stop being such a jerk?

Last night I was baking cookies (AGAIN) and he came in the kitchen, flopped down in front of the oven and fell asleep.  I thought, FINALLY! I hope it's a sign of things to come.  He didn't steal stuff off of the table, or chase the cats.  I know he likes being around us but he gets into everything.

Oh and I KNOW that he knows how to open the baby gates.  If they aren't locked, he knows how to push up the latch to open the gate.  Stinker.  I've tried working with him more too.  Partially for training, partially so I spend some time with him.

I just feel like life has taken a very sour turn.  My cookies aren't baking right, the kids are sick. OH and Madi has lice now.  I pulled one adult off of her so I'm hoping that if I keep pulling the nits off as I find them, then we'll be good to go.  *eyeroll*  There's a little boy in her class who the teacher says doesn't have a great home situation.  They are buying him clothes.  I mean, the teachers.  Obviously, families don't have to be rich to be good but it sounds like he's not getting the care he needs.  And that sucks.

Anyway, I think that all this crud that has peppered my holiday season has taught me to let go of expectations.  I wanted to create a fun Christmas for the girls.  Well, that blew up in my face.  I'm doing the best I can and that's just gonna have to do.

You know?

Peace.

Oh and who doesn't want to get up and dance to this?

My Day...

"HAHAHAHAHA!!!!  Vampires can't swim!... Ah. shit!"

We're going to see Santa tonight so I'm resting up in bed playing Skyrim.  This game is taking forever.  I finish one quest and have 3 others to do.  I'm not sure how it's happening.  Having a long quest list is like having a full inbox.  It drives me batty.

Anyhoo, I've just had a hotdog and my daily pills with coconut milk nog.  The anti-inflammatory diet I want to start on New Year's is no animal products of any kind, so I'm slowly switching over.  There will be enough to contend with that it will be nice to have dairy off of my list.  I also see my doc on Thursday and see what she has to say. 

And I did some online shopping.  wheee!  I was going to shop at the mall and thought, am I freaking crazy?  So I used my Sephora gift card online.  My plan was to get Christmas shopping done this week.  We'll see what happens to muck that up... *eyes*

Pedro is doing really well.  He's kind of a whore for mushrooms and hummus now.  I think he had a blood sugar of 90 the other day.  It's not just that he's following the diet but he's learning to make choices for himself.  That's the part that I was dreading.  I'm not an encyclopedia of diabetes.  Or diabebees.  As it's known in my house.

Anyhoo, time to shower and get ready to get the girls so we can get ready to go in town. 

Why do I hear the Darth Vader theme?

I think I've expired

Honey Badger

It seems like everything is breaking down in me these days.  Okay, everything might be a stretch.  I tested positive for rheumatoid arthritis a few months ago and a few joints were sore.  For whatever reason, the last few days things have really ratcheted up.  I'm not all boohooey about it (okay I was a little this morning) because a) my mom had horrible arthritis and I knew it was coming b) the medications are better now.

My doc did put me on a good one a few months ago.  Cheap and effective.  But no drinking.  Longest 10 days of my life!  I like having a glass of wine with dinner, especially if I've put some effort into it and I want to enjoy it.  Sometimes the girls are horrible and I like a glass of wine to mellow me out.  It's for the children, really.

And I have other issues.  Brewster yanked my left shoulder so that's been hurting for almost 2 weeks.  Time to see the doc.  Sigh.  The right one has been messed up for years.  It was nice having ONE usable arm.  *eyes*  I just feel like, damn.

And I think what makes me feel it more is Pedro is feeling better.  I'm not blaming him, at all.  But it's such a stark contrast.  I used to be the one jetting around here and there.  Now he's going to the range or out hunting.  He's got more energy and feels better.  Whereas I feel like I've tripped into quicksand and I'm slowly going down...  and I like to be active.  I can't do pushups or anything really involving shoulders so that pisses me off.  I don't know if it's the RA for sure, but even running hurts now.  And having two injured shoulders makes them ripe for joint degeneration too.

So basically I feel like I'm headed up shit creek with no paddle and two effed up arms.  Yes, it's a pity party over here today.

Pedro has really been doing well.  He's been getting blood sugar scores in the 90s.  Of course, I remind him that that's with insulin and pills but better than 500, right?  I made stuffed peppers last night.  Lily and I only ate the inside of them.  Snort.  Pedro took one to work for lunch.  His whole world has changed.  I'm really proud of him for stepping up and making the changes.  I know it's not easy.

Sleepin' sisters.

 I was thinking of sweet things today.  Madi and her kisses.  Lily and her boyfriends. Brewster tickling my my ears with his nose.  I honestly had a real list before I started.  Snort. 

Well, I'm just gonna keep on keeping on.  Cuz there's not much else you can do.  :)

So...

Well, I made it to the gym and haven't had sleep but I'm still feeling a little happier.  Although, I forgot why. 

Crap.  I always have stuff to write about and then I actually find the time to sit down and I have no recollection of what I was going to write about.

Ding dang it.

Brewster has diarrhea.  I guess that's one way to start.  Oh Lily is a whiz at reading.  I'm so proud of her.  Oh and she got her first love note yesterday.  :)  She had to tell everyone everywhere we went.  :)

Madi actually slept through the night but I was with Lily and I had caffeine earlier so... I did not sleep.  I swear.  I did make a really yummy cream of asparagus soup yesterday.  :)  Oh and I'm craving pizza so I'm going to order a small one and then share it with Madi's teacher.  What?

Good grief there has to be more than that.  I am extremely grouchy because people kept on calling while I was trying to sleep.  Then my tummy growling kept me awake.  I did get a haircut today.  Not much of a change, I'm enjoying growing it out.  Usually it feels too thin but maybe all those gray hairs I'm hiding are making it thicker.  :)

Well, the dog is barking and my tummy is growling and shit just needs to get done.  I'll remember what I wanted to write as soon as I get in the shower.

O.o

Alright, hookers

I haven't watched True Blood in a long time but that phrase will always stay with me.  When Lafayette said "Damn, hooker. Shit!" I was in love.  I said damn, hooker so much that all I had to say was damn and hooker would echo from the other side of the house. 

Thanks, Lily.

So what is my damage today?  Well Madi kept me up from 2 til around 10.  I didn't take her to school and put Lily on the bus.  The little poop would NOT fall asleep.  I fell asleep playing a video game!  And then when she did fall asleep she only slept an hour.  I just chugged down a double serving of hot cocoa so hopefully I'll be able to pick up Lily.  I'll drive slow and careful.  Snort. 

I know I've been a big whiner lately but I feel like I've earned some of it.  Yes Brewster chewed through the vacuum cleaner cord, so we're now vacuum-less.  But he's also been chasing the cats so BG has taking to peeing in the kitchen again.  I knew I smelled something but I chocked it up to the cabbage rolls.  Which were delicious, by the way.

It's not like the stuff I'm dealing with is huge (except for Pedro's diabetes) but there's so much of it.  I caught Brewster chewing on another molding and the only reason he didn't get his ass kicked was because he outran my foot.  My gut instinct says he will be an awesome dog.  But right now he is an infuriating puppy.  He stole Lily's fish off of her plate (it was unguarded in her room) and Pedro hit Brewster in the head.  Brewster pulled his lips back and snarled at P.  It's like can't we all just get along?

Damn.

And Brewster has been pretty good.  Trying to live with less and less attention.  Lily fell asleep while I was combing her hair for nits.  I still pull them off.  Whether the eggs are empty or not, I have no idea.

So here's my beef.  Every day I have to deal with:

- lack of sleep
- Lily's lice
- Brewster barking for attention or chewing on the house or appliances
- cats peeing or barfing
- Madi having tantrums, but not telling me what she wants
- remembering to clean the litter boxes (but that rarely happens)
- cleaning and feeding Godzilla (the beta fish)
- doing laundry to kill the lice/eggs
- trying to keep up with the dishes
- driving the girls to and from school (not a big deal but that's an hour or more out of my day that gets ever shorter)
- and now trying to get ready for Christmas.

I feel like I'm missing something. I give Pedro his shot every day but that only takes a minute.  I always make dinner now whereas before we probably ordered in once or twice a week.  Can't do that now!

I feel like I'm forgetting something major.

Oh yeah, the gym but that rarely happens when I'm so tired.

Frack.

Anyway, I'm worn out and tired.  And the crutches that I used to use (ie ordering in) I can't use anymore.

I am grateful for a few things.  I'm glad that Pedro's diabetes was discovered before something really bad happened.  I'm glad we live where we live.  I'm glad that both of my girls are healthy.  I'm glad that Lily always has good checkups at the dentist (I never did).  I'm glad that Pedro never gets in the way of my getting coffee in the morning.  I only had to body check him a few times before he learned.  :)

I don't know, maybe I'm raving because I'm so freaking tired.  I have never fallen asleep playing a video game before.  EVER.  That, my friends, is tired.

That being said, time to go and get Lily.  And I AM ordering some pasta for myself tonight.  I'll share it with frick n frack (yes, we call the girls that) and crap, I just remembered that I put a chuck roast out. 

*stink face*

Argh

Well, let's start with the good news, shall we?  Pedro's blood sugar was 104 yesterday before dinner.  woohooo!  Of course, we don't know what it would be without the long lasting insulin but oh well.

And I finally got my computer back.  I mean, it was here but I couldn't use it because of Pedro.  *eyes*

So I pulled two nits off of Lily this morning and took her to school.  Then the nurse pulled 3 more nits/eggs off of her head.  Jeez Louise.  I do need to spend more time doing her hair.  Too bad I have another kid to look after.

Speaking of the other one, the school called me and asked me to bring her home.  She's been congested but seemed better today.  Well, she started coughing so hard that she was turning white.  So they said.  So everyone was home early today. 

Oh and Brewster chewed through the vacuum cleaner cord.  I'm like, of course he did.  Pedro's wanted a new one for a while so Merry Christmas to him.

O.o

I try to roll with life and do the best I can but it feels like life is doing its best to grind me down.  It sucked that we missed Thanksgiving dinner at G-ma's house.  When we went grocery shopping on Saturday, I saw hot turkey with gravy at the hot bar and got us some.  As well as a little stuffing and corn pudding.  We ate it in the car and that was our treat.  Like I said, trying to salvage things.

I have been really proud of Pedro.  He's taken this lifestyle change seriously.  I try to follow his diet too.  Somethings are ridiculously full of carbs!  Like juice boxes.  Shit fire.  24gm?  That's almost two carb servings and you only get 2 to 4 each meal.  (Depends on your gender and size and activity)  But still.  That could be all or half of your carbs!  Versus 3 cups of raw broccoli.

Anyhoo.  Tonight, if it's not burnt all to hell, we're having slow cooker cabbage rolls.  I had it on high, because it took forever to get ready this morning, so I put it on high versus low.  I smelled tomato sauce burning so I put in some water and lowered the setting.

If it's not edible, I'm getting pizza.

What?  Life has been really hard.  I know I'm not the only one dealing with this but I'm the one doing laundry everyday to try and interrupt the lice cycle.  In addition to all the regular stuff.  I'm the one cooking all the extra meals (well most of them) and doing the extra dishes.  I'm the one spending an hour or more a day on Lily's hair.   I'm freaking tired. 

The other morning I primed but didn't set the units on Pedro's insulin pen.  So I jabbed him in the butt and there was nothing going in.  Boy that sounded wrong.  So I had to set it and re-jab.  Now he primes and sets the units for injection.  lol  Man, one mistake.

And I get that Pedro's life sucks.  Well, not sucks.  But he's had to let go of a lot of his expectations.  And man does his stomach growl.  I do feel badly for him.  But he has a disease that he needs to manage.  I'm helping, but it's not like I can let him eat with abandon.

Alright, well I'm rambling.  I am damn tired.  And we still have a dentist appointment to get to.  Whee doggies!

OMFG

I can't... I don't have the words.  This week just keeps kicking me repeatedly in the lady flower.

So I can't even remember Monday.  Good grief.  Oh yeah! I had an appointment in town and Pedro asked me to drop off something.  I assumed the office was downtown Cville but was actually in Ruckersville - a long long long drive.  I love driving an extra 80 miles, don't you? Tuesday, I went in for the crown procedure.  First they have to grind your tooth down, then do all the measurements to get the actual crown.  So yeah, I was there for over 2 hours.  It wasn't 2 hours of non-stop drilling, but it felt like it.  I don't know why I thought it wouldn't be a big deal since there wasn't a root canal too. 

I had a root canal on a tooth that I had a lot of problems with and I think grinding it down was the least of my worries.

Lily riding on her own.  Damn straight!

Anyway, I woke up after a short nap Tuesday afternoon, and holy shit I felt like I'd been hit in the head with a baseball bat.  I mean, it was bad.  And a friend reminded me that I felt it because I still had a nerve in that tooth.  Ding dang it.

So that was Tuesday.

Today, the gym childcare lady found a lice on Lily's head.  Sweet fancy Moses.  And we'd just signed up Pedro for a membership and we were both working out and chilling out and up comes the front desk lady.  We had to leave.  argh

I obviously got the treatment for Lily as soon as I could.  I've pulled fewer than a dozen adult lice off of her.  But a few dozen nits.  I just stopped using the nit comb.  My nails are thing but sharp and are easier to use to pull the eggs off of the hair strand.  *shudder* 

And you know, when I have a rough day, I'd like to kick back and order food but I couldn't do that.  Pedro and his dietary requirements.  So I pulled a crappy dinner together.  Poor guy eats more raw broccoli than anything else.  I just, well, I'm on my third glass of wine.  How about that?

I have washed all the sheets and towels and who knows what that Lily has been in contact with.  I do feel lucky that I think we caught it early.  She's not allowed out of her room.  We're trying to minimize the spread.

And I think I have this right:

Madi in her favorite chair.

The adults are the ones that crawl and we've treated her and I've combed them off of her head (pulled a dead one off an hour ago and that was all I could find) so I don't need to worry about lice crawling onto my pillow.  Yes, I have to sleep with her. 

The nits could take up to a week to hatch, but as long as I'm going through her hair and getting them off I don't need to worry about them so much.  They are glued on.  Shit fire what am I trying to say? 

Tonight was like lice Armageddon.  I don't have the energy to do this everyday.  I figure one fell swoop to make sure none of the other rooms are infected and then banish Lily to her room until it's over.  Also, Pedro reminded me that I'll need to clean my car.

Alright, I'm writing "sigh" but I said something else.

So diabetes, crown, lice.  If there a theme or something that I'm missing?

On the plus side, Madi has been listening more.  I mean, she's a honey badger and does what she wants but for example, I was making hamburgers last night and shaping them in my hands.  Madi wanders in the kitchen and grabs the sink sponge.  I know she's going to put it in her mouth so I yell at her (I was excited) "put it away, Madi, put it away!"  So she put it on top of the counter and pushed it til she couldn't push it any more.  :)

At least someone loves me. 

ANNNDDDD I just heard a cat throw up. 

My boy Shadow.

On that note, it's time to go to bed with Licey McGee.  Peace out and don't let the bedbugs bite.  *shudder*

196 or 198

I can't totally remember.  But the point is that Pedro's blood sugar is coming down.  Yes, it's still high but mid 190s is slightly better than low 500s.  We are butting heads a bit now.  I said I would help him and I have and will continue to, but how many times can you tell someone that they can eat tomatoes?  I've started snapping.  Part of it is being tired of answering the same question, but the other part is that he needs to learn to do this stuff on his own.  I didn't have a great sleep with Madi.  Actually, it was downright awful.  She kept me up half the night.  But I digress.  I will have little to no energy tonight when I make lunches.  So I could make a mistake.  Pedro needs to know what he can eat because I'm not infallible.

I know, I was shocked to find that out too.

I did get out last night to blow off some steam.  Met some ladies at the local mexican restaurant.  One poor mom hadn't been out of the house in a year and a half.  Obviously, she gets out to take care of her family but that was the first time without them.  :) 

So you know, this isn't all about me having fun.  I'm glad that other women can get out there and catch a breath too.  :)

Anyhoodle, I have a very long to do list for today and since Pedro is feeling better, he's cracking the whip more.  And don't think that the neighbors don't notice.  One of them came over to say hi and commented on my young kids and the fact that I'm the one she sees outside working when I can.  Oh yes she did!  *snap*  Hopefully, now that Pedro's feeling better he can do more.

The change really has been amazing.  And I think I finally understand where he's coming from when he says it's scary.  He had a skin condition that cleared up almost overnight.  His energy improved within days.  He looks and feels better.  But compare that to someone who gets a cancer diagnosis.  They are probably going to feel worse before they feel better.  It's weird to him that he has a disease he has to live with but he's doing better than before. 

Does that make sense?

Anyway, time to cut the grass.  *eyes*

The New Normal

whee doggies!  What a week.  I'm proud of myself for keeping things together and getting the girls to school, etc.  I guess that's the weird thing about stress, I get everything done that I need to do and as soon as I lay down and close my eyes my brain goes to work.  If that made sense.  I haven't had a lot of sleep, is what I'm trying to say.  And I can tell the girls are stressed.  Lily, because she tells me that she's worried about daddy and asks me if he's going to die.  Madi, has been having more tantrums and I think missed her daddy. 

It was nice that Pedro came with me to pick up the girls yesterday.  Lily was happy to see me but deliriously excited to see her daddy.  She made all the teachers in the hall say "awwwww" when she threw down her bags and ran and jumped on him.  :)

So Pedro got his blood sugar down to 190 yesterday.  But then he had to eat.  It's getting there.  Sometimes the readings don't seem to make a lot of sense but we're working on slowly bringing it down.  He's so afraid to eat any carbs and I had to check his bowl last night to make sure he ate all of his rice.  Carbs give you energy.  You need to eat them to get through your day.  He was happy to learn that he can almost eat all the raw veggies he wants.  I sent him to work with a bag of raw broccoli.  And other stuff.  I made three lunches last night, and that's fine.  I know what it's like to be stressed out and just have tunnel vision.

Right now, in his mind, all carbs are bad and are to be avoided.  He has trouble choosing enough to make up a meal.  So I'll offer him a cup of milk, which is one serving.  It's already a big change.  I think we're all in shock from this week so it will take some time to discover what else he can or cannot do.  I know that sounds vague but right now he just wants to get off of the insulin shots.  Luckily, he's just getting one a day. 

It's hard because he is feeling like he has no food options.  I try to talk to him and tell him what he can have but he just wants me to put what he can have on a plate and he'll eat it.  It's like he'll do the diet but doesn't want to make his own decisions yet.  I can totally relate.  I was that way when I was on the GD diet.  But I got to eat fried chicken and burgers.  He can't have the fat.  :/

I am about to go to the gym and burn off some stress.  We've talked about adding him onto my gym membership.  Diabetes is going to be danged expensive.  Insulin is not cheap, good veggies from Whole Foods ain't cheap, and adding on another membership is going to cost us too.  But we get to keep Pedro so it's worth it.  :) 

Now I'm thinking how good it would feel to have a nice long nap....

Holy $%!^

I've been pressing Pedro on getting exercise because it can help so much with blood sugars.  He had a high reading after having half a turkey sandwich today and was kind of bummed.  So when he got home he went for a walk.  Blood sugar reading: 207!  woohoooo!

That's still high.  LOL  But holy crap, way lower and way better.  And we spent a ton of money getting him fresh veggies and good eats from Whole Foods.  I'm not sure if insulin or healthy food is cheaper.....

Grateful for the little things...

So Pedro is still in the hospital.  And people are asking what happened and so I don't have to repeat myself too many times here we go.  :)

So a couple of weeks ago, he started drinking a lot of water.  A lot.  And of course, said water had to come out.  I'm not being funny, but one of the signs of diabetes is drinking more water AND eliminating it.  Getting rid of the ketones.  Or something.  I guess I shouldn't pretend that I totally know what I'm talking about.

He borrowed a blood pressure cuff from his mom because his BP was high last time he was at the doc's office.  Last night, he was complaining that it wasn't working right because the readings were so high.  So I took mine and it was fine.  Well, then he asked to borrow my old blood sugar meter. 

And YES I always say that I tested positive for gestational diabetes, BUT I had shingles and didn't know it when I went in.  A major illness like that can skew test results.  And I was always under the cutoff when I tested myself.  (except for that one time I had cheesecake)  In face, my readings were starting to read on the low side (77) so I let myself eat pizza.  I figured the baby needed some calories!

So THAT being said, I still had my meter.

It said 486.  And I looked at Pedro, as if he was going to explain that to me.  I thought the machine was broken.  I didn't even know you could get a reading that high.  So I tested myself, and thankfully, my result was normal.*  So we tested him again and it was even higher. 

He called his parents and they urged him, repeatedly, to go to the emergency room.  I tried to talk him into going by himself but he wanted us there.  Which is understandable.  Also understandable is the fact that small children don't wait so well.  Anyhoo, he went up to register and never came back.  Lily finally prodded me to find out what happened to him.  They took him into a room right away.

I'll be honest.  Although I learned enough to get through my pregnancy, I didn't know much about diabetes.  One of my friends on the rescue squad said he could've gone into a coma.  I didn't know.  He didn't know.  So yes I am grateful.  It could've been worse.  The weather, though raining, was warm so I didn't have to bundle the girls up and deal with jackets.  The waiting room was relatively empty.  His nurse told him she was also a diabetic and that once we get this under control he will feel so much better.  I'm grateful to g-pa for driving up last night so I could feel better about taking the girls home and trying to sleep.  I'm grateful for friends offering to help.  Even though I'm not very good at accepting it!  lol  We all have our things.

Knowing my husband the way that I do, this is the easy part.  Getting him to change his diet and his habits is going to be the long hard slog. 

whew.  So now I am ready to nap.  Madi didn't get her medication last night and didn't sleep well AT ALL.  I needed to wash some sheets and towels in case g-pa needs to come over and crash.  Once I get those in the dryer, my butt is going to bed! 

Thanks everyone for your wishes for a speedy recovery for him.  Quite frankly, I know what a PITA he will be once he gets home so I'm trying to enjoy my calm before the storm.  :)

Peace!

* I am a complete and total sugar junkie.  I eat cookies and chocolate like the world is ending.  I know I shouldn't and I try not to but there it is.  This is why I go to the gym and run outside with Brewster.  And thankfully, that works!

Well then...

So Obama has a second term as POTUS.  Pedro wasn't impressed with my booty dance at 11:30pm last night when the election was called.  Mostly because he voted for the other guy. 

It's weird to me how elections have really devolved.  I remember my parents discussing politics when I was a kid and they were more concerned with taxes, budgets, etc.  There was little to no name calling.  You voted according to your interests. 

And I mentioned that this morning.  I get why some people vote Republican, I know business owners and people concerned about their taxes or the deficit.  But we have a special needs child who has a pre-existing condition and it could be difficult to insure her down the road.  And my kids are both in school, so education is important to me.  AND as a woman, I don't need anyone telling me what I can and cannot do with my body. 

Okay, now I touched a hot spot.  lol

My point is, people vote for their interests.  Why demonize each other for it?

Also, two of my friends, formerly Canadian, voted in the US election for the first time.  It's making me wonder if I should become a citizen...

Tra la la

So, I've been shopping online lately.  Well, I don't do a lot of shopping anymore.  But I needed some things and figured that Pedro owed me.  You know it's true.  Anyway, I was looking at sleep wear and a lot of the pajama bottoms were Christmas themed.  I started singing Christmas carols.  Wow.  How easily are we trained? 

I have Madi home sick today.  Not to worry.  We had a three hour nap together.  whew  Man, I feel way better.  The past several weeks have sucked.  I know it's all relative.  We have a home and cars, etc.  I guess I've gotten used to having time to myself during the week.  Well that hasn't happened at all this week.  At. All. 

I guess the good part of having Madi home is that she may have the same symptoms as Lily, but she doesn't whine about it.  I can see Madi shiver, (and put more clothes on her) but with Lily it's "I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO COLD!"  It just makes you not want to help her. 

hahahahahahaa  Madi was "talking" to herself "ayayayayayayayayayayayayaya" and Brewster walked up to the door and whined loudly at her to make her stop.

Snort. 

I do try to enjoy my little life.  I haven't been to the gym in weeks though.  Last week, I was so run down.  Sleeping as much as I could and then getting sick.  This week I've felt better but I've had sick kids to deal with. 

Pedro was complaining about Lily last night and I said "well, no one said parenting was easy."  He looked a little surprised.  lol  But it's true.

I've always looked forward to the girls getting older and more independent.  But now I'm thinking, Lily is going to require MORE watching the older she gets.  And who knows if/when Madi will be independent. 

So I drink my moscato and forge onwards.  And nap a lot. :)

Oh yeah, and because of Lily's throat she couldn't go trick or treating.  :/  How much does that suck?  But a very sweet friend brought over a surprise halloween gift cauldron.  :)  So Lily did have one surprise and we let her stay up late watching movies in her costume.  So I think the night was salvaged.  :)

SCREAM

This election can not come soon enough.  I am sick of all the survey phone calls.  JFC  I have a feeling that the predictions are used for something other than predictions.  Did that make sense?  Like it's a way of using "statistics" to influence voters.

Also, sometimes I lie like a dog when I do get cornered by a survey taker. Oh, yes I do.

So anyway.

Crap.  Where did I get to?  I see the dentist tomorrow to get measured for a crown.  That should be fun.  Insurance doesn't cover it.  *eyes*

I swear that the last time I had tooth problems the dentist had a nice VW Passat and by the time my problems were done, he had a Lexus. 

O.o

He's a nice guy and a competent dentist. 

Anyway, so yeah.  Lily is at home again.  She has strep.  Well, okay the fast culture was negative but everyone leaned WAY back after getting a glimpse of her throat.  The doc said she has 5 out of 5 classic signs for strep.  I asked to see too and ugh.  So she's on antibiotics.  She prob won't be trick or treating tonight.  How much does that suck?

Madi is Madi.  I hear her repeating more words but still no momma.  I have heard her say "deh deh" when Pedro was in the room. I think she knows more than she wants to say.  Yesterday, she was saying "juice".  I know she was.  She said it several times.  But she doesn't look at me and say it.  She just idly says it and then I have to pay attn and get it for her.  It's like, really? 

Oh and I was super sick over the weekend.  I had some kind of gastritis.  Today is the first day that I've felt almost normal.  The stomach cramping made my innards SO tender and sore.  I was about to go to the emergency room Saturday afternoon but the antacids helped tame my stomach.  Pedro and I both crashed. 

It's hard.  He watches Madi when I'm sick which means that he might not get enough sleep.  I can't take care of the girls as well so it's up to him.  I guess he gets to see what life is like for me.  O.o

Anyhoo, Lily is in her heaviest pajamas and snuggling on my bed.  I think that calls for a nap. 

And who's my handsome boy???!

Bonus:

Lily:  "Is God Santa?"

Me:  "....."

Lily:  "What?  They're both white!"

-.-

So

 Gosh, where did we get to?  Let's see. Madi hasn't been sleeping all week which means that I have been sleeping in. So I took a pic of Lily at the bus stop this morning.  Yes, we made it!  lol  Ah life.  She has been looking so much older and I SWEAR she grew an inch in a month.  It's just what I've recorded on the study walls but according to my measurements it looks like she grew over an inch.  o.O

What else?  hmmm  Lily's still doing well in school.  No more crying.  :)  Oh and her hair?  She wants to grow it out so yes, she looks like an English sheepdog.

My brain is just not working.  Let's skip on to the good stuff.

 Shadow is the biggest horse that Mandy has and for some reason he LOVES Madi.  He follows her around.  She was playing by the fence and he was far away in his paddock.  So I called his name.  He looked at me and wasn't impressed so I told him "come and see your baby."  He came right over to wuffle on Madi's head.  I swear, it's so funny.  :)

I mean, irritating too because I've given that horse mint after mint and he still prefers her.  hmpf

Oh and running around after her for 90 minutes was fun too.  Mandy had to help Lily groom the pony.  And that's easier for her too.  She can reach more of the pony than she can a horse. 



So yes, the big news.  As if it's not obvious.  Lily got to handle the reins today.  Mandy made sure that Lily was comfortable riding before she did that.  Lily was doing a great job getting in to her positions.  I TOLD her P.E. would help her ride.  hmpf  So when it was obvious that Lily hadn't lost any skills (and in fact, seemed to be riding better), Mandy let her try riding off of the lunge line.  She did great.  She had to turn the pony, who was getting a little sleepy, which meant she had to give it a squeeze with her heels to get her going again.  It was a great lesson.  I was so proud of her and Mandy was proud of her too.

I did ask Lily if she wanted to go to a horse show and she said she didn't want to hurt people's feelings by winning. 

Well I'm glad she's not cocky about it.

Quick

I have an appointment in town so I have to make this a quick one.  Lily's birthday party was a lot of fun.  I got sunburned.  That wasn't the fun part.  The kids had fun and ran around.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  Serena the pony was more inclined to sleep if she stood still for too long.  lol

It was just a nice fun day.

Lily scored some nice loot too.  :)  Now I have to go in town and pay bills.  Isn't that always fun? 

What else.  Brewster ate some more of another sofa.  Sigh.  I took him for a 3.5 mile walk yesterday and he was better behaved.  I'm sure it's hard as a nine month old puppy to stay inside.  I let him out on the back deck and he entertains himself but if he poops, then I can't let him out again until I get a chance to clean it up. 

Or he eats it.

And ew.  You know?

So, there are only so many places I can keep him.  He looks so cute right now, all curled up into a big ball.  :) 

Okay, time to go.  Sigh.

Lily

Happy 6th Birthday to Miss Lily.  :)

I'm sorry I haven't been posting.  It has been a humdinger of a month.  Sick kids and what not.  I'm not sure how Lily's birthday party is going to be.  Quite a few people haven't RSVP'd.  Could be 8 kids, could be 18.  wheeeee!

Anyway, I took Lily shopping and got her new clothes, which she is so psyched about.  It's kind of hard to buy her more grown up clothes!  I got her some sweater dresses.  They are short sleeved so she should be able to layer things to warm up or cool down as needed.  And new boots.  Good grief.  If I had a nickel for every time I've caught her on the back deck in underpants and boots.  O.o

 But daddy didn't just read that.

So aside from sick kids, things have been busy.  It's still kind of a mad rush every night to pack lunches, do homework, etc.  Get outfits ready.  But at the same time...  It's crazy seeing how fast time goes by.  In 10 years, Lily will be able to drive a car.  What the hell?

Madi had a field trip to a pumpkin patch.  She did relatively well.  She didn't break anything.  :)  That's the TA Miss Na.  She dotes on Madi a little bit.  Which is fine by me.  :)

I can't really think of anything else.  I need to wrap presents, have a shower, walk the dog, make macaroni and cheese (from scratch), and I guess that's it.  lol  Still seems like a lot to do in less than 90 minutes.  O.o

OMFG

Okay, so Madi has missed two days of school due to a high fever.  And you know how much I love having the kids at home. 

O.o

So, last night Madi took forever to fall asleep.  Really.  I turned all the lights out and she was sitting in the dark, flipping the pages of a book and talking to herself.  She did this from about 10 til 11pm.  She finally settles down to sleep and I'm all yippee and shit, then I hear WHOMP as Lily falls out of my bed. 

And starts crying.

Which I don't begrudge her, I'll bet it hurt.  But she wouldn't STOP crying or screaming or yelling.  For an H.O.U.R.  She kept everyone up.  I finally got her to eat some cereal and she fell asleep.

whew

So I manage to get up this morning, almost on time, and get everyone ready for school but just as we're about to leave, Lily barfs.  Well, she has to come with me to drop off Madi at school.  Where she barfs again - in the bushes. 

We get to Madi's class and her teacher sends her home because the rule is you take your kid in 24 hours after the fever has broken.  Which I figured was open to interpretation. 

What?

We make it home and discover that Brewster has eaten the baby gate to the living room.  It was a cheap wooden one from WalMart.  Wood pieces everywhere.  o.O 

SO....

I'm getting the wood up off of the floor and trying to figure out what to do (Lily barfs again) and while I'm doing that, Madi's getting a hold of a juice box in my room, which she proceeds to spray over herself, the wall, the table and my bed.

Do you see where my day's going?

Oh and you know, I have diarrhea now too.  I'm too afraid to eat or drink in case I start barfing.  And of course, Madi is feeling better and running around.

And don't be down on Brewster.  With Madi home all week, he hasn't had a good long walk or even a trip to the dog park so he's out of sorts too.  An 8 month old lab puppy stuck in the house?  Not good.

On the bright side, a stomach virus will help me lose some weight.  I also haven't been to the gym all week.  I really wanted to go this morning.  Sigh.  Okay, well I"m starting to get cold and clammy.  And I only have a sick 5 year old and full of energy 3 year old to care for.  I'm so glad we have Netflix.

Oh myyyyy

Sorry, George Takei, you don't own that shit. 

Yeah, it's a rough morning.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I was glad to wake up on a Saturday!  Initially I thought we were all going to be late but then I remembered that it was the weekend.... :)

So we have a bit of a food shortage in the house.  Lily will sometimes eat three or four servings of dinner, which means I have nothing left to turn into lunches for the next day.  When I told Pedro about this, he suggested that we get another Sam's Club membership.  Like a Costco.  I can usually get the same or better prices on some items (think diapers) at other stores but Sam's has the huge peanut butter containers and bags of rice, which it looks like we'll be needing.  Hells bells, I thought she'd eat us out of house and home in another five to ten years.  She's early.  O.o

So what's up with me?  Not a lot.  Oh, I can't remember if I posted about this.  I have been feeling really run down so I went to my doc for a screening.  I was negative for everything but I showed early inflammation related to rheumatoid arthritis.  Well, ptooey.  Better to catch it now than later, right?  So I'm taking some Voltarin?  Or something.  It helps.  My joints were getting ow-y.  Yes, I'm pretty sure that's a medical term.

So, I'm dealing with that.  Thankfully, Lily is over her school thing.  Madi has started crying now when I leave her.  Do they have secret meetings to plan this crap?

Today I am armed with my grocery store deals and my coupons.  I need to go to the gym first and then we'll roll into town.  Oh yeah, Sam's usually has cheaper gas too.  hmmmmmmmmm

Hope y'all enjoy your last weekend of September.  Peace!

...

Madi at a birthday party.

Holy flaming bag of poop, that multigrain roll was delicious!  Okay, I'm kind of starving but still.  mmmmm

Okay, so, where was I?  Sorry about the gap in posts, I had 200 cds on my chair and didn't feel like alphabetizing them.  I know, I was just as surprised as you!

So I had a mostly fun weekend.  Mostly, because, I had to come home again.  ha!  Stacy and I lucked out at the Mountain Lodge.  We checked in and walked up to the room and I booked the cheapest room so I knew it was going to be small.  The lodge was built in 1939, for 1939 folks.  I don't think they had the obesity epidemic they do now.

Anyhoodles, our room door was open so Stacy, after a brief exchange of looking in each other's eyes "you do it" "no, you're closer", went up and knocked on the door and there was someone in there and I could see a bed unmade.  No biggie.  We went back downstairs and the front desk clerk was very apologetic.  We were like, no big deal (we've got lots of bourbon) so we went out for a bit.

When we came back, she was still very sorry and said there was a mix up.  So we got new rooms.  We went from a very small two twin bed room, right at the stairs (hello, noise) to, what seemed to be, the best room in the lodge.  Rooms 15 and 16, if you care.  A couple of people asked us if we were in those rooms, and how much we liked them.  One weird guy kept pressing me to see how much I paid.  *eyes*  Anyway, Stacy had a double sized bed and my room had two twin beds and it's own deck!  Okay, so it was a fire escape but still.  AWESOME!  Stacy likes to point out that she had the coffee machine.

My room. The kid/s room.

So, we didn't go for a hike.  We were going to because we knew the room would be small and we'd want to be out and about but after our new rooms, we spent most of our time on the "deck".  Drinking bourbon.  What?

The heating system was radiators and I didn't get the sleep I thought I would, hot cold hot cold.  I kept on waking up every hour.  Sigh.  But it was dang quiet!  No booming stereos on the mountain top!

View from my deck.

We went riding the next morning.  We've been doing this for a while now so we know some of the horses.  I wasn't very thrilled to get George.  I mean, George?  Come on.  Give me Sugarfoot or Sunshine.  Anyway, George and I had fun, I think.  I was the laasssst rider and so I'd wait til the guide was out of sight and then I'd rein in George and trot for a bit.  He figured it out and he started slowing down and trotting of his own accord.  Glad I always had a hand on the bridle because he surprised me a few times.  *eyes*  I'm sure he appreciated an experienced rider - he got to have some fun too.  :)

Look at us! We got the awesome room!

Anyhoo, I need to dash off and meet the stable owner.  I haven't given Lily a "big" party so I'm going all out for this one.  Pony ride party at the stables.  I'm still going to keep it simple.  But maybe I'll have a pinata.  What?

Oh crap I have to write about Lily.  And Madi.  Madi has been talking.  They tried to make her eat apple butter and she said "Don't do it, bitch."  Sigh.

Hobbit door between the bathrooms.  

Lily refused to go to school for a week but she seems to be over that now.  I just had to tell her sternly to get on the bus and she did.  This morning.  Last week, Pedro and I took turns throwing her on the bus.  No, really.  Well, I shoved but he just picked her up by her scruff and the seat of her pants.  Hey she seems to be doing MUCH better.

Good ole George.

So lots to look forward to.  Many birthdays at school, Lily's birthday (I'm inviting 32 kids, am I insane????), Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving.  It's the final stretch of the year.  :)

Sigh

Lily cried all the way to school.  Then while she was walking to class.  When I was leaving, I peaked in her classroom and she had her head down on the table still crying.  Argh.

I'm not mad at her.  I am starting to get frustrated.  I've talked to her about why she's upset.  I also took her to the doc last night.  Madi's cough is just upper respiratory and clearing up.  He checked Lily's stomach and initially she really winced when he pushed.  Then, he asked her about her friends and she started listing off like 20 people.  He told me he pushed as hard as he could on her stomach and no reaction when she was talking.

So it's 99% anxiety causing this stomach upset. The nurse told me to set up an appointment with the guidance counselor but when I asked about her, she just showed up at the office.  She seems really nice and still in high school herself.  Snort.  The best/worst part was that she already knew about Lily.  When we walked into school the librarian and art teachers were there and told me Lily enjoyed her classes and usually stopped crying.  Sigh.  So I guess word gets around. 

Ms Ashton (I think) the counselor, said that she would call me after she talks to Lily. 

And I know that a lot of kids have a rough time adjusting.  Initially, Lily was excited because of the school bus and the whole big kid aspect of kindergarten.  But then those two girls on the bus were trying to get her in trouble.  Then she jumped in the mud puddle, couldn't get her shoes back on and had a fit so her teacher got mad at her. 

There have been a few bumps in the road. 

I should mention that Lily's report card was excellent.  I showed it to her this morning.  She's a smart little girl but going through some anxiety right now.

And her daddy yelling at her probably isn't helping.  Oh yes, I did.  Lily has to go to school.  There's no getting around that.  However, I'm sure that her crying disrupts the whole class.  And she can't hang out at the nurse's office all day.  Do we need to change teachers?  (I think Miss Hinkle is awesome but the lady has a full class to teach)  Do we need to change schools? 

I've tried talking to Lily about rewards she can get if she can stop crying.  I've tried to think of other things to calm her stomach, like chamomile tea.  But it's in her head.  I don't want to put her on anti-anxiety medication!  Good grief. 

So yeah.  Sigh.

It's on

So I talked to my doc and had some blood drawn.  Unfortunately, she and I get along too well and I forgot to ask her what tests she was going to have done.  I know I asked her about Lyme's disease.  I think there's a bunch that she does for ladies in my age group. 

I don't know what's worse: finding something wrong or finding nothing wrong.

I can get 7 hours of sleep at night and then crash for a 4 hour nap the same day.  And I used to take a while to fall asleep.  As far as I can remember, I've been a light sleeper.  Now?  I fall asleep and stay that way.  I am out in seconds.  Pedro called me and woke me up this morning and I was asleep before I finished turning back over.  It's crazy.

Then there's the joint pain that's worse before I get up.  I'm not sure what's going on.  Sigh.  But I think I've given myself enough time to get over it. 

I'm taking the girls to their doctor in a bit.  Madi still has a nasty cough and Lily constantly complains of a stomach ache.  I even took her to the nurse's office at school today.  You know, I'm mostly sure that it's anxiety causing her issues but I just want to rule things out. 

S.I.G.H.

And Brewster is trying very hard to mooch some of my chicken enchiladas.

Not. Happening.

Peace!

Pedro

... thinks I'm weird.  Okay, so I was at the insurance agent's office yesterday and I asked her if our house was covered when the puppy chews on things.  She said no.  Can you believe that?

Then I needed to use the bathroom in Madi's class.  When I came out, I put my hands to my cheeks (on my face, sickos) and shouted "I did a pee pee!".  Just as Madi's teacher came in.  Snort.

What?  I make life more interesting/terrifying.

Oh and I now know that Brewster can jump over the baby gate.  He ate chicken bones and the box they were in that I left on the dining room table.  Pedro told me that I need to throw out all that stuff right away.  Thanks, Sherlock.  Do they let you into Mensa with that kind of power of observation?

Ooh snap.

Oh and I dragged my insurance agent out to look at the crack in my windshield which was no longer there.  OMG  Sigh.  At least she didn't call in the claim.  I stopped her and said "let's just check". 

Mercy.

Well, I'm trying to make myself go to the gym but since Brewster woke me up at 2:00am to go out, I'm a little sleepy.  hmmm I have time for a 4 hour nap.  hmmmmm

September 10th

It would have been my mom's 80th birthday today. 

I guess time does heal all wounds.  I can think about her and it's not so raw anymore.  It only took 18 years!  Actually, I've lost count.  She passed in 1994...  phew 18.  My neurons still work!

I still think of her often.  What would she think of the girls.  Actually, I thought of her this morning.  I have a confession.  People who are not "normal" used to make me uncomfortable.  That's probably true for a lot of people.  But since Madi is special needs and I see kids with more challenging situations than her, every day, I've gotten over a lot of my hang ups. 

Which is good because this morning, I saw Mya, a very sweet African American girl with Down's syndrome, playing with one of the attendant's walkie talkies.  I see her every school day and say hi so I didn't feel weird taking the radio from her.  I wasn't mean, I just gave it to the school attendant.  So then Mya says "c'mere".  So I walk over.  She takes my hand, rubs my fingers, then kisses my hand and holds it to her cheek.

How can that not melt your heart?????

My mom had made me promise that if I was going to have a kid with Down's that I would keep it.  She said they were the sweetest people on the planet.  *sniff*  I can't speak for all of them buy Mya is my favorite right now.  :)

So when I had a difficult time being pregnant with Madi, Pedro and I were having heated arguments.  He was adamant that he didn't not want a child with disabilities.  I can't even express it right.  Something about taking care of them when we're old and gray.  Which I could appreciate.  But we have Madi anyway.  lol  She's catching up quickly, and that's awesome.  But we don't know where she'll end up.  Will she be able to find a job?  Will she be able to live on her own?  I just try to take each day at a time.  I'm not the only one with these worries, I know that well.  :)

So on that bright note!  Happy Monday.  And no I'm totally not trying to avoid going to the gym.....

Well...

as they say: shit just got real.  I plugged my phone up to a USB cord to get the pictures.  I don't understand it.  Maybe my computer thinks I'm spam when I email myself?  I mean, Pedro did just redo things.  I don't know.

I guess that makes me a cantankerous old person.  Get off my lawn and don't touch my computer!

 Where was I?

So there's good old Brewster.  Almost eight months old and just shy of 63 pounds.  o.O  And his feet just got bigger.  No really.  And he's the type of dog to fill his feet.  I actually took him for a 3 mile walk today and he's much calmer.  I should've done that yesterday, which may have prevented him from jumping on all of my guests.  Mandy, the lady who owns the stables, grabbed him by his collar and made him behave.

I coulda done that too...

I think we all had a good time last night.  The last two ladies didn't leave til 9:30 so I was pooped.  I didn't even play video games.  I know!

So there is Lily's preschool picture.  Possibly the most awesome pic on the face of the planet.  :)  I love her teeth missing.  Yes, she will likely need braces soon.  :/  Underbite much?







I hope that I'm not playing favorites but I love Madi's pic.  Doesn't she look sweet and adorable?  She's not, so I don't know how they managed it.  Na said she was holding Madi's legs.  I think it's cute.  :)

Crap, my mind is going blank.  We only drank a few bottles of wine but we hit the cheesecake pretty hard.

What?

Pedro and the girls are still at his parents' house.  I'm trying to unwind.  I think I'll go and cut the grass.  I'm doing the stuff that I can't do as easily if the girls are here.  I already dyed my hair and watched zombie movies.  Maybe I'll watch the two-headed shark one...

And Riley showed up for a cuddle.  :)

Movie Review

Anyone who's talked to me for more than five minutes knows that I have a thing for the zombie apocalypse and that I am concerned about what type of weapon is the best for dispatching them. 

What?

So I watched a couple of zombie movies lately.  I am not really into Day of the Dead or what have you.  I prefer a thinking zombie movie.  Shut up.  So I watched Ahhh, Zombie! and Blood Creek.

The first one, was from the point of view of the zombies and I thought it was pretty hysterical.  Some cheap jokes, sure (penis falling off) but for the most part, it cracked me up.

The second one, I thought had one of my favorite actors in it (Merle, from the Walking Dead) but alas it was someone else.  It was a zombie movie that strived for more and tied in Nazis and Viking runes.  It was kind of cool.  A lot more gory than it needed to be, but how often will you see a nazi zombie riding a zombie horse?  Never.  That's how often.

phew

So Pedro and the girls should be a g-ma's house by now.  He wants to change his rear brakes with his dad's help and I am having a party.  yay!  Also, if no one shows up I'll just get drunk and eat half of a keylime cheesecake.  What?

Oh gracious.  I am sore.  I made it to the gym four times this week.  I know.  I'm not complaining, I hope, but I very sore and tired.  And I've been getting sleep, even lots of naps.  Sometimes I nap for almost 4 hours!  Maybe since I'm coming back to reality, I'm noticing how out of whack my body is after 3 years of sleep deprivation??? 

I don't know.  I do know that I'm going to see my doc next week and see what she has to say.  My finger joints sometimes hurt (arthiritis?), my knees and feet will ache (old running shoes or something worse?)  As for being tired, could it be my thyroid?  I don't know.  I eat relatively healthy, get rest, get exercise.  Yes, I know, no one gets younger but damn, I feel like every week I'm two steps closer to the grave.  o.O

And we got the girls' school pictures back and then are AWESOME.  I know, I need to post them.

Okay, well, after saying lots of bad words, it's obvious that the email is taking it's sweet time.  Also, I think my phone hates me.  I texted Stacy that I was tired and wanted to jump into my jammies.  What did she get? "I want to jump onto my nannies."

Really phone?

Anyway, suffice to say that Lily's picture is awesomeness because of the big gap in between her bottom teeth.

Madi's picture is exceptional because of the beautiful look on her face and her hands lightly touching together.  :)

 GAH!  Well, I waited another five minutes and still no pics.  I hate the internet.  And I have stuff still to do for the pah-tay so see y'all on the flip side!

note: if I do post tomorrow please keep the lights low and the noise to a minimum.  Thanks.

Oh yeah

Okay, so I haven't had any wine yet and this post should make more sense.  I did, however, just scarf down three chicken fajitas so we'll see how long my tummy holds out.

Madi's teacher had three words up on the board when I got there this afternoon.

Picture
Spider
Meow

Three words that Madi said today.  Context?  They were talking to her and she repeated the word. 

Me?  Ecstatic.

So, I didn't drink wine and I'm trying had to make sense and Lily is over in the corner talking constantly.

S.I.G.H.

Lily has had a better week.  Threatened with me driving her to school she's been staying in the green zone.  The teacher has four zones.  Green, yellow and red.  Red means you will be missing out on part or all of recess.  Purple is if you are SUPER amazingly good. 

What else?  Shoot.  ummm  It's like stuff just goes by so fast now.  One of my friends is bored all week (she only works weekends and is waiting for her full-time job to start) and my week is crazy from the get go.  So Lily might say something hilarious, or Madi can do something new and it's amazing but then 18 hours later something else amazing happens.  You know?  It's just all so fast.  :)

Anyhoodles, I hope everyone is having a good week. 

XO

Smile

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the delay.  Pedro keeps on "improving" my computer.  Eyes.  To me this means an interruption to my online shoe shopping and blogging.  To him it means that my computer boots up in 13.7 seconds. 

O.o

Anyhoo, so Madi is doing dramatically different.  Crap well.  Ah, I'm on my third glass of Moscato. 

Oh and I'm having people over on Saturday.  I know for some of you that's probably a normal thing but it's taken me a while to feel comfortable enough.  :)

Pedro and the girls are heading down to g-ma's house so it will just be us ladies.  :)  and Brewster.  He is SO good.  Madi was a royal turd to him today - hitting him, grabbing handfuls of his skin and hair.  He laid there and took it.  He's so sweet.  :)

Anyway, so Madi has done SO well at school.  She's putting her toys away, there and at home.  Puts clothes in the dirty laundry hamper.  She's not talking but she responds to requests.  :)  The hat she's wearing, she put on herself.  She's SO different. 

Her teachers are so impressed.  As are we.  I'd still love to here her talk more but she's just wowing all of us. 

Anyway, this is just not as exciting as I thought it would be.  I'm blaming Pedro as he's watching a funny video behind me.  And then there's the wine.  Oh please, it has been a DAY.  Well, what I remember of it.

What?

silly

I only have a few minutes before I have to get Lily off of the bus.  So let's make this schnappy!

A kid was wearing a sasquatch t-shirt this morning and it totally gave me a flashback to when I was a kid and we were camping in alleged sasquatch territory.  That night we heard weird noises but it wasn't until morning when we found a huge pee stain down the side of the tent.  We tried to figure out if it was human but it was a pretty high wide streak.

I hope it was pee.

O.o

So that was fun pretending to listen to the other mom while my childhood horrors flashed before my eyes.

I managed to get up almost on time this morning.  Got Lily on the bus.  That girl fusses if she doesn't get to ride on it.  Good grief.  She has her friends already and she's pretty sure that she's the most popular girl in her class.  Because "everyone sleeps beside me" 

o.o

Anyway, I was proud of myself for jumping into the whole school thing with both feet but this morning I got up and realized that it's going to be this way for the next 10 months.  I start my routine around 7pm.  Set up the coffee pot, make lunches, get outfits ready.  Then get the girls ready for bed and give Madi her sleeping medicine.  She still doesn't fall asleep til 10 or so but better than the alternative!

Then I might have some mommy time between 10 and 11.  Which means that 6:30 comes pretty darn quick.  Today I did crash and sleep for almost 3 hours.  But my throat is killing me, I'm coughing and I'm sure I have the latest school plague.  Lovely.

Anyhoodle, it stopped pouring so I think I'll get ready to go and get Lily.  Whee doggies!

Wheeee!

Lily woke me up last night with a croup sounding cough.  And by last night, I mean 1:30am.  Not a huge deal as she knows what to do and we both just headed to the shower so she could soothe her lungs with hot steam.  But you know, that was the middle of the night and though we got back to bed by 2, that really put a damper on my sleep, especially when Brewster decided it was a great time to pee on the carpet. 

*eyes*

Anyhoo, the week went by relatively smoothly.  Madi seems to hate school.  lol  They make her do work and expect to her follow the routine.  I have noticed new behaviour and vocalizations at home.  Whatever it is that they make her do, art, circle time, etc.  It definitely pushes her.  I talk to her, I promise, until it feels like I'm blue in the face.  Every diaper change, I try to get her to point to a character. 

Sigh.

Anyway, that's why she goes to school.  To learn.  It's my duty to get them there and make sure they have food and clean clothes. 

Lily ummmm, seems to have a built of trouble following the rules.  She doesn't seem upset by it.  She told me she was trying to balance a container of apple sauce on her head in the cafeteria and wouldn't sit down so she was sent to the quiet table.  She just shrugged it right off.  I would've felt guilty for weeks and never wanted to go back!

But at least she likes school.  Oh and she got to see Carson.  Thank goodness. 

OH!

And Madi's boyfriend from last year, Ty, is no longer in her class but he comes into their room and says "where is she?".  LOL  He gives her a hug and then leaves.  I never had anyone watching my back like that when I was 3!  Dang.  Anyhoo, it's time to go out and get groceries.  Madi has slept over 3 hours.  Poor wee thing is probably recovering from school.  She's there from 8:15 til about 2:15.  Lily leaves the house at 7:20 and doesn't get back til 4:30! 

What do I do all day?  None of your business....  O.o

XO

Welcome to the new life!

Or something. 

I'm kind of distracted.  A) Brewster is in the study with me and I have to make sure his mayhem is under control.  B) I'm trying to eat some very hot oatmeal.  C) Do y'all KNOW how good full fat yogurt is????  Mercy.

Hey, I worked out for 90 minutes.  If I want to put a dollop (or two) of yogurt on my oatmeal, that's MY business.  :)

So, Lily and Madi are now in school.  Whee doggies!  Last year, Madi's teacher took it easier on her cuz she was the baby of the class.  Now that she's 3, she's expected to do more. 

She HATES it.

She dragged her feet all the way into the school.  She saw her teacher in the hall and stopped dead.  When I was trying to pull her into the classroom, she yanked her hand out of mine and tried to make a run for it. 

O.O

The TA told me that Janice won't let her comfort Madi anymore.  She says they need to break their bond.  But Na said, as soon as Janice leaves the room, she gives Madi a quick snuggle. 

I know, I know. 

Poor Madi was BAWLING when I left her.  She was never like that before.  Sigh.  I'll be honest, I'm worried what the future holds but then I've always been worried about the future. 

Hunh.

Anyhoo, it's no surprise to anyone that Lily loves everything about kindergarten.  So someone needs to explain to me why she was a total bitch when she came home.  Total.  Bitch.  Kicked Brewster, yelled at me.  Damn.

Anyway, I guess Madi isn't the only one with issues.

So Lily quit horseback riding.  Her choice.  Might try again next year. 

BG was peeing and pooping in the kitchen.  I took him to the vet yesterday and they couldn't find anything obviously wrong with him.  Brewster was in the area between the kitchen and the litter boxes.  He provided quite the gauntlet.  So I rearranged the baby gates and now the cats can reach the litter door. 

hmmmm what else?  Oh Madi dropped the F-bomb in class.  She won't say anything with any consistency except for b*tch and f*ck.  We do actually speak without swearing most of the time. 

I swear.  I mean, I promise.  :)

That's all I can think of for now.  Madi is on new sleep meds and it's helping.  It's not perfect but it's way better than it was.  So I'm getting more sleep but after 3 years of sleep deprivation it's going to take a while to get back to normal.  :)

Peace!

Here we go!

Finally got Lily's teacher assignment today.  I've tried to do some internet stalking but I'm clearly not very good at it.  Trying to find out more on this Ms. Hinkle person.  :)

Lily has also told us that she no longer wants to take horseback riding lessons.  We haven't had a chance to tell the trainer yet.  Maybe it's a bit too much for a 5 year old?  She wants to take dance lessons and/or karate instead.  I can make that happen.  :)

What else?  Still dealing with asthma.  Hate it.

I guess that's it.  I have to meet Pedro in town and all I want to do is nap.....zzzzzz

Viva!

I did something very uncharacteristic of myself this morning and refrained from complaining on Facebook.  Madi slept through the night.  I slept through the night.  The sun was shining and what the hell else do you need?

Yes, the deer attacked my veggie garden.  Yes, BG peed down the front of my stove.  It is Friday the 13th, after all. 

On the plus side, I've been having kickass workouts.  It's amazing what breathing can do.  No really.  I didn't realize how sapped I was from the asthma until I didn't have to suffer from it anymore.  Now I can run until my legs give out instead of stopping because I can't stop sucking wind.  I did have a bit of an attack today but I just focused on breathing and got through it. 

I asked my trainer for a new routine and it takes me almost an hour and a half now to get everything done.  But the results have been pretty quick... I feel like a spaz right now and I'm sure no one cares about my workouts but I care and it's my blog so.  :p  Gosh, I'm getting ornery with myself.  I think I need some fat and salt.  lol

I haven't been eating much because the prednisone hurts my stomach.  Which is lucky because I'd been sitting in bed a lot trying to get over this "cough".  If you go to the gym 4 times a week and then you can't go, and then you are feeling sorry for yourself and making and eating chocolate cake...  Well, you can see how an efficient workout would be nice. 

AND omg I was so mellow last night when I got home from the gym.  I needed to burn off those stress hormones.

I am pissed that I have asthma.  I'm more pissed that it's something I need to take medication for.  I was in a bad way last week.  If I hadn't gone to the doc that day I would've ended up in the emergency room.  That just annoys me.  I know other people rely on taking medicine.  It's not something I'm ready to do yet.  Full-time.

Anyhoo, I'm feeling better, back to losing weight, getting some rad muscles.  And school starts in a month.  wooooo freaking hoooooo! 

The pics are from Wednesday.  Lily had a makeup lesson.  Madi wore herself out running around.  Apparently, we need to get a farm so she can wear herself out and sleep through the night.  What?  Oh and the horses all loved her.  I held her up to pet Shadow (the brown horse) and he was wuffling her legs and sniffing her all over.  I have spent a lot of time and mints getting him to like me.  Madi ran past him and he followed her!  Innis (the white and brown) liked her too.  hmpf  I mean, yay.