Today is a day I will likely always remember. However, to make sure of that I decided to keep a record.
This morning Angel and Bunny became permanent members of our family. We started the day early. Found the light in the van had been on all weekend long. Thankfully the Hubs noticed this enough in advanced to get it charged enough to start it. Then Cinderella lost the keys. Between her and the Hubs they were able to find them, and we made it to the court house on time.
The adoption proceeded without incident, and we left an hour and a half later with two new daughters. We had invited our guests to join us for a light brunch at our house afterwords.
Shortly after all of our guests left, and I went to put Bunny down for her nap, Aurora knocked on the bedroom door.
She opened it, and said, "Mom, there's a fire!". I noticed smoke billowing in the air, so I grabbed Bunny and ran from the house, to our designated meeting place.
Thankfully all of the children made it there safely as well. I dialed 911. Can I tell you that with a real emergency it felt like it took forever just to get out the basic info such as name address and phone number. Finally I was able to tell dispatch there was a fire.
At the same time, Cinderella was trying to tell me how it started. She said she put too much cardboard in the fireplace, and the flames were shooting too high. I hadn't seen the fire, just the smoke, so I wasn't sure how big the fire was.
At this point the Hubs came outside saying he had doused the fire. He said Cinderella had forgotten to open the chimney flue. He was looking for a tool to get it open so the smoke could clear out.
I told dispatch that we had the fire out. They told me they needed to have the fire department come and check it out anyway.
So we spent probably about 30-40 min standing outside while the fire department checked everything out, and then opened all the windows and turned on their big fan, to help the smoke to clear.
Once the air was mostly breathable again we were given clearance to go back inside. We went in, got coats and shoes and spent the afternoon at a museum and then took the kids to see Frozen II.
I am so grateful that the fire didn't cause any injuries, or permanent damage to the home. We have a wall and ceiling that will need to be scrubbed, and it may take a while to get the scent of smoke out of everything. But all in all, I would say today had some struggles, but it was a day filled with blessings.
Monday, December 23, 2019
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Where and how to ask for help
I wish I knew. I wish I knew how and where and who to ask for help. I usually just plug along the best I can, until I crash. I know that isn't healthy, but when people ask me what I need, I honestly don't know what to tell them.
The interesting thing about this is, many times I
have felt if I could just split myself into multiple people I could get it all done. That means that somewhere in my mind, I know what I want done, so why can't I tell/ask others?
I realized the answer to this question this last weekend. I feel so burdened down by the heaviness of what I am trying to carry, I don't want to make anyone else carry it. I see all the other things people have going on in their lives, and think "they don't need the additional stress of my life and problems.". So I keep it to myself. I think one of my greatest fears is being a burden on someone else.
Through all of this introspection, I realize I need to ask for help, and let others serve me more. I just am never sure where and who to ask. I find some people who are very supportive and helpful, so I know I can ask them. But after multiple times of asking them, because I don't know who else to turn to, I am afraid I am burning them out. Not because they tell me I am, but because I know how heavy my burden is, and I don't want to be the annoying friend/neighbor/ relative who is always leaving my problems to them or asking them to help me fix things. Once again I don't want to be a burden.
The interesting thing about this is, many times I
have felt if I could just split myself into multiple people I could get it all done. That means that somewhere in my mind, I know what I want done, so why can't I tell/ask others?
I realized the answer to this question this last weekend. I feel so burdened down by the heaviness of what I am trying to carry, I don't want to make anyone else carry it. I see all the other things people have going on in their lives, and think "they don't need the additional stress of my life and problems.". So I keep it to myself. I think one of my greatest fears is being a burden on someone else.
Through all of this introspection, I realize I need to ask for help, and let others serve me more. I just am never sure where and who to ask. I find some people who are very supportive and helpful, so I know I can ask them. But after multiple times of asking them, because I don't know who else to turn to, I am afraid I am burning them out. Not because they tell me I am, but because I know how heavy my burden is, and I don't want to be the annoying friend/neighbor/ relative who is always leaving my problems to them or asking them to help me fix things. Once again I don't want to be a burden.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
From a mom back to me
This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a retreat for mom's of kids with invisible disabilities. Basically mom's with really tough kids. This retreat was called From Mom Back To Me.
It was so nice to spend a couple of days with women who get me. Women who don't look at me like I am crazy when I try to tell them how my life is. Now this isn't to say that others I know don't get me, however these women would talk about their experiences, and I felt like, "that is so my kid."
Last night we had dinner, and an open microphone where women could take turns talking about their experiences. Afterward we wrote down things we want to let go of, on paper lanterns and sent them flying away. Then just spending time in the hot tub with other women. It was wonderful.
Today was a day of pampering. I got a massage, reflexology, light therapy, hair styling, and a facial. They were also doing nails, had axe throwing, bullet journaling, adult coloring pages, puzzles, my intent bracelets, lunch and dinner, great conversation opportunities. I came home with new friends and feeling so much more relaxed, refreshed, and rejuvenated than before.
Hopefully this, as well as things I learned about self care while I was there, can help me get through the next while easier than the last while has been. They are planning another one in April. I am really looking forward to it.
It was so nice to spend a couple of days with women who get me. Women who don't look at me like I am crazy when I try to tell them how my life is. Now this isn't to say that others I know don't get me, however these women would talk about their experiences, and I felt like, "that is so my kid."
Last night we had dinner, and an open microphone where women could take turns talking about their experiences. Afterward we wrote down things we want to let go of, on paper lanterns and sent them flying away. Then just spending time in the hot tub with other women. It was wonderful.
Today was a day of pampering. I got a massage, reflexology, light therapy, hair styling, and a facial. They were also doing nails, had axe throwing, bullet journaling, adult coloring pages, puzzles, my intent bracelets, lunch and dinner, great conversation opportunities. I came home with new friends and feeling so much more relaxed, refreshed, and rejuvenated than before.
Hopefully this, as well as things I learned about self care while I was there, can help me get through the next while easier than the last while has been. They are planning another one in April. I am really looking forward to it.
Monday, September 30, 2019
To medicate or not medicate, that is the question.
We live in a world today where people don't blink twice about taking meds for their heart, lungs, thyroid, etc when they aren't working properly. However, when the subject of medicating for something that is more mental, than physical, there is a lot of controversy.
A lot of mental/emotional illness can be treated by diet, exercise, and sleep. Some people have very strong opinions that this is the way to go. You SHOULD NOT use medicine for mental and emotional issues because it will just mess you up further. That and put needless chemicals into your body.
Other people have the opinion that medicine should cure it all. You don't need to make lifestyle changes. Just take a pill.
I personally stand on middle ground. I think lifestyle choices make a major impact on how someone feels emotionally and mentally in addition to physical health. I am currently taking medication for depression and anxiety, and it helps a lot. But I also try to watch what I eat, get as close to 8 hours of sleep each night that my children will let me, exercise often (even if it is taking the dogs for a walk). All of that helps me manage my issues.
For my kids it is not so easy. Cinderella deals with a lot of anxiety, she takes meds for it, but lifestyle choices tend to be more like an average teen. Guy and Spike take ADHD meds, and live their lives the way they want. The medicine helps them all dramatically, and I am glad we made the choice to try it.
However, Scooter is another story. Scooter has always had a vivid imagination. From the time he was able to talk he was always telling us about Scooter's world. Even now that he is 6, Scooter's world is very real to him, even though he is now aware it is all imaginary. On a daily basis, it is not uncommon to come into a room and see Scooter walking around talking and interacting with those in Scooter's World.
This school year started off on a really rocky start. I often got calls from the school that Scooter was acting out and having behavior problems. The first time he threw a desk and chair. Then he was banging the computer mouse against the desk. Kicking the teacher, hurting other students, not respecting others space, standing in the back of the class room yelling, running away from school..... I knew we needed to do something, I just didn't know what. I thought it was possible he has ADHD like his brothers, (I also deal with this by the way), or may even be high functioning autistic. I made an appointment to see the Dr.
The Dr gave us evaluation forms for the parents and teachers to fill out. Based on the answers he says that Scooter is sever ADHD. And recommended that we put him on the same meds we give our other boys, starting out at 10 mg instead of the usual 5, because his behavior has been so sever.
We have him his first dose Saturday morning, and it did calm him down, but it also got him talking. If you know Scooter, then you are already aware that he is a charter box, talking to anyone he meets with no filter. Well, on his meds he started talking non-stop, and getting really upset when someone won't listen to him at that point. No matter the situation, and how appropriate conversation is at that time. He is usually talking all about Scooter's World and what is going on there. He isn't acting it out anymore, he just follows me around giving me a play by play of what is happening. It is rather exhausting. Then came night time. He just couldn't fall asleep. He was too wired. We tried giving him melatonin like the Dr suggested, but even a high dose seemed to have little affect. He had lost a tooth that day, and finally around 11:30 he told me he doesn't believe in the tooth fairy. I told him tooth fairy or not, no one could switch his tooth for a coin unless he went to sleep. He finally did, and the tooth fairy was able to come.
Then yesterday, he was at it again. Constantly talking. Come bed time, and beyond, he couldn't get to sleep. I tried, the hubs tried, he just wasn't going to sleep. We finally just went to bed, and he eventually came in our room, and started taking to his dad about all kinds of things. The hubs was really patient with him, and kept answering his questions, until he dozed off enough, that Scooter's next comment startled him awake. The hubs sat up so fast, it scared Scooter, and Scooter started crying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. " I tried to get Scooter's attention at which point he covered his ears and went screaming from the room. Afraid he would wake the whole house, I followed him out. He had moved to the corner of the window seat in the kitchen. I sat by him and he started screaming, "Go away! Go away!" Hands over his ears again, he refused to listen to what I was saying. I told him he needed to calm down or I would take him outside. I have learned from experience that when a child is really upset at night time, taking them out into the cooler air for a minute often will help them calm down. He refused to calm down, so I took him out. He did calm down at that point enough for me to talk to him. I was able to get him to be calm and go back to the area of the house near his bedroom. He and I then sat on the couch and talked. He told me it is really hard to not be able to act out Scooter's World. I found myself wondering if these meds are good for him. His dose may be too high, he may need a different med. But what if none of these meds help him focus without taking away his ability to be who he wants to be? How do I help him then? It is my current quandary.
This morning he told me his stomach hurt, which he has mentioned the last few days as well. This could be a side effect to the meds, or it could be something else. I let him stay home from school, and he was constantly at me talking to me again. I tried to encourage him to act out the ideas he was talking to me about. I got him paper and crayons to encourage him to draw out his ideas. We will see if he goes to sleep any better tonight.
A lot of mental/emotional illness can be treated by diet, exercise, and sleep. Some people have very strong opinions that this is the way to go. You SHOULD NOT use medicine for mental and emotional issues because it will just mess you up further. That and put needless chemicals into your body.
Other people have the opinion that medicine should cure it all. You don't need to make lifestyle changes. Just take a pill.
I personally stand on middle ground. I think lifestyle choices make a major impact on how someone feels emotionally and mentally in addition to physical health. I am currently taking medication for depression and anxiety, and it helps a lot. But I also try to watch what I eat, get as close to 8 hours of sleep each night that my children will let me, exercise often (even if it is taking the dogs for a walk). All of that helps me manage my issues.
For my kids it is not so easy. Cinderella deals with a lot of anxiety, she takes meds for it, but lifestyle choices tend to be more like an average teen. Guy and Spike take ADHD meds, and live their lives the way they want. The medicine helps them all dramatically, and I am glad we made the choice to try it.
However, Scooter is another story. Scooter has always had a vivid imagination. From the time he was able to talk he was always telling us about Scooter's world. Even now that he is 6, Scooter's world is very real to him, even though he is now aware it is all imaginary. On a daily basis, it is not uncommon to come into a room and see Scooter walking around talking and interacting with those in Scooter's World.
This school year started off on a really rocky start. I often got calls from the school that Scooter was acting out and having behavior problems. The first time he threw a desk and chair. Then he was banging the computer mouse against the desk. Kicking the teacher, hurting other students, not respecting others space, standing in the back of the class room yelling, running away from school..... I knew we needed to do something, I just didn't know what. I thought it was possible he has ADHD like his brothers, (I also deal with this by the way), or may even be high functioning autistic. I made an appointment to see the Dr.
The Dr gave us evaluation forms for the parents and teachers to fill out. Based on the answers he says that Scooter is sever ADHD. And recommended that we put him on the same meds we give our other boys, starting out at 10 mg instead of the usual 5, because his behavior has been so sever.
We have him his first dose Saturday morning, and it did calm him down, but it also got him talking. If you know Scooter, then you are already aware that he is a charter box, talking to anyone he meets with no filter. Well, on his meds he started talking non-stop, and getting really upset when someone won't listen to him at that point. No matter the situation, and how appropriate conversation is at that time. He is usually talking all about Scooter's World and what is going on there. He isn't acting it out anymore, he just follows me around giving me a play by play of what is happening. It is rather exhausting. Then came night time. He just couldn't fall asleep. He was too wired. We tried giving him melatonin like the Dr suggested, but even a high dose seemed to have little affect. He had lost a tooth that day, and finally around 11:30 he told me he doesn't believe in the tooth fairy. I told him tooth fairy or not, no one could switch his tooth for a coin unless he went to sleep. He finally did, and the tooth fairy was able to come.
Then yesterday, he was at it again. Constantly talking. Come bed time, and beyond, he couldn't get to sleep. I tried, the hubs tried, he just wasn't going to sleep. We finally just went to bed, and he eventually came in our room, and started taking to his dad about all kinds of things. The hubs was really patient with him, and kept answering his questions, until he dozed off enough, that Scooter's next comment startled him awake. The hubs sat up so fast, it scared Scooter, and Scooter started crying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. " I tried to get Scooter's attention at which point he covered his ears and went screaming from the room. Afraid he would wake the whole house, I followed him out. He had moved to the corner of the window seat in the kitchen. I sat by him and he started screaming, "Go away! Go away!" Hands over his ears again, he refused to listen to what I was saying. I told him he needed to calm down or I would take him outside. I have learned from experience that when a child is really upset at night time, taking them out into the cooler air for a minute often will help them calm down. He refused to calm down, so I took him out. He did calm down at that point enough for me to talk to him. I was able to get him to be calm and go back to the area of the house near his bedroom. He and I then sat on the couch and talked. He told me it is really hard to not be able to act out Scooter's World. I found myself wondering if these meds are good for him. His dose may be too high, he may need a different med. But what if none of these meds help him focus without taking away his ability to be who he wants to be? How do I help him then? It is my current quandary.
This morning he told me his stomach hurt, which he has mentioned the last few days as well. This could be a side effect to the meds, or it could be something else. I let him stay home from school, and he was constantly at me talking to me again. I tried to encourage him to act out the ideas he was talking to me about. I got him paper and crayons to encourage him to draw out his ideas. We will see if he goes to sleep any better tonight.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
How do you handle meals?
I have found myself swamped lately, with many things required. I seems like I never am done with laundry, I always have dirty dishes, and I am so busy running around, I don't even have enough time to sit down and play with my kids as much as I would like.
As I have been trying to figure out how I can simplify I realized that something that takes a lot of my time and creates a lot of stress is food.
First is meal planning. Scooter has a dairy sensitivity. This means that we try to do as many meals without dairy as possible, and if it has dairy we try to make it optional. Also with my fibromyalgia I have found I do a lot better when I avoid processed foods as much as possible. I try to have as many of my grains be whole grains, avoid processed meats most of the time, (and if my preference was all I went off of, we would eat vegetarian. However with kids who love meat, we tend to be flexitarian, meaning we eat meat, but we also have a lot of our meals be meatless). This makes finding meals that we can/will eat difficult.
Second, is when to go grocery shopping. Our normal day as a family starts with a goal of breakfast on the table at 7:00. Sometimes I have been able to drag myself out of bed to go shopping at 5:30, but that makes for a rushed morning. Then once I get the kids out the door for school, I then spend the rest of the morning cleaning up breakfast, starting or attempting to keep up with laundry, running to therapist appointments, or violin lessons. I have found that grocery shopping for one week will often take be between 1-2 hours. If I have time to go shopping in the morning, I have the stress of taking Angel and Bunny with me. Angel likes to ask me why I don't buy all the things she wants. Every time. She also doesn't always stay with me in the store. This can be stressful. By the time I am done shopping with them, I get home and it is time to get them lunch and get Bunny down for a nap, and I haven't even started putting groceries away yet. I don't manage stress very well when I feel like there are multiple demands pressing on me that very minute. This makes shopping in the morning hard. When Angel is at school, Bunny takes a nap, and so it is a terrible time to go shopping, then the kids get home from school, and we are trying to do homework, and extra curricular activities. Then it is time for dinner, more activities and starting bedtime routines which tends to run until at least 9:00 at night. Lately it seems more like 10:00. This makes shopping at night hard. I am drained by this time, and just wanting to crawl into bed.
Third, is making dinner. We have times when I am busy with kids up until time to eat. On day's like this I have been trying to do crock pot meals. The problem with crock pot meals is it often takes me all of the time between Angel leaving for school, and other kids coming home. On those days I don't get anything resembling a break, and it really wears me thin. And starting it that late, makes it so we are eating around the little girls bed time. On the days that I try to make dinner that is not a crock pot meal, it seems to take me forever. Probably because I am trying to multitask, not just make dinner. My goal at times is to have it ready at 4:30. Because soccer practice starts at 5:30 and the little girls go to bed starting at 7:00. I can't usually start until I get Angel home from school at 3:30. So these meals that are even supposed to be quick fixes don't get done until after 5:00.
Last is clean up. It seems to take forever to clean up after a meal. And even longer if we are consistent and try to get our kids to help. Each kid has a job to help clean up, and it rotates monthly. However, they tend to eat and run. Making us have to chase them down for each step of they way, or just do it ourselves. The hubs is great at helping clean up after dinner. But even then, if we aren't out running around, it takes our whole evening to clean up. And the nights that we are running around, it usually piles up for me to try to take care of the mess the next morning.
So after this long explanation, I am wondering if any of you have any suggestions of what can make any of these steps more simple? Is there something I can do to make things easier and less time consuming?
Thanks for any suggestions you may have.
Aurora tells me this sounds like the story of someones life, who is really stressed out and then a miracle happens. I am still looking for that miracle.
As I have been trying to figure out how I can simplify I realized that something that takes a lot of my time and creates a lot of stress is food.
First is meal planning. Scooter has a dairy sensitivity. This means that we try to do as many meals without dairy as possible, and if it has dairy we try to make it optional. Also with my fibromyalgia I have found I do a lot better when I avoid processed foods as much as possible. I try to have as many of my grains be whole grains, avoid processed meats most of the time, (and if my preference was all I went off of, we would eat vegetarian. However with kids who love meat, we tend to be flexitarian, meaning we eat meat, but we also have a lot of our meals be meatless). This makes finding meals that we can/will eat difficult.
Second, is when to go grocery shopping. Our normal day as a family starts with a goal of breakfast on the table at 7:00. Sometimes I have been able to drag myself out of bed to go shopping at 5:30, but that makes for a rushed morning. Then once I get the kids out the door for school, I then spend the rest of the morning cleaning up breakfast, starting or attempting to keep up with laundry, running to therapist appointments, or violin lessons. I have found that grocery shopping for one week will often take be between 1-2 hours. If I have time to go shopping in the morning, I have the stress of taking Angel and Bunny with me. Angel likes to ask me why I don't buy all the things she wants. Every time. She also doesn't always stay with me in the store. This can be stressful. By the time I am done shopping with them, I get home and it is time to get them lunch and get Bunny down for a nap, and I haven't even started putting groceries away yet. I don't manage stress very well when I feel like there are multiple demands pressing on me that very minute. This makes shopping in the morning hard. When Angel is at school, Bunny takes a nap, and so it is a terrible time to go shopping, then the kids get home from school, and we are trying to do homework, and extra curricular activities. Then it is time for dinner, more activities and starting bedtime routines which tends to run until at least 9:00 at night. Lately it seems more like 10:00. This makes shopping at night hard. I am drained by this time, and just wanting to crawl into bed.
Third, is making dinner. We have times when I am busy with kids up until time to eat. On day's like this I have been trying to do crock pot meals. The problem with crock pot meals is it often takes me all of the time between Angel leaving for school, and other kids coming home. On those days I don't get anything resembling a break, and it really wears me thin. And starting it that late, makes it so we are eating around the little girls bed time. On the days that I try to make dinner that is not a crock pot meal, it seems to take me forever. Probably because I am trying to multitask, not just make dinner. My goal at times is to have it ready at 4:30. Because soccer practice starts at 5:30 and the little girls go to bed starting at 7:00. I can't usually start until I get Angel home from school at 3:30. So these meals that are even supposed to be quick fixes don't get done until after 5:00.
Last is clean up. It seems to take forever to clean up after a meal. And even longer if we are consistent and try to get our kids to help. Each kid has a job to help clean up, and it rotates monthly. However, they tend to eat and run. Making us have to chase them down for each step of they way, or just do it ourselves. The hubs is great at helping clean up after dinner. But even then, if we aren't out running around, it takes our whole evening to clean up. And the nights that we are running around, it usually piles up for me to try to take care of the mess the next morning.
So after this long explanation, I am wondering if any of you have any suggestions of what can make any of these steps more simple? Is there something I can do to make things easier and less time consuming?
Thanks for any suggestions you may have.
Aurora tells me this sounds like the story of someones life, who is really stressed out and then a miracle happens. I am still looking for that miracle.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
A momentary rant.
I am struggling. I'll come right out and say it. I know I am a mom of young children, and I have even made a choice to add extra children to my life. I love all these kids, I also feel overwhelmed by all these kids. And I feel I am losing my identity to these kids. Anytime I try to do something for me, unless I can find a time when no kids are around (which doesn't really happen), if I want to do something or have something, I have to be willing to share it. Does it make me a bad mom, that I want to make sensory jars and not have the 4 and 6 year old take over and dump too much glitter in? Should I just relax and go with the flow and consider all they are learning? Does it make me an inconsiderate mom that I don't want to always allow kids to help me cook? That sometimes I want to make something by myself?
Am I selfish that I have my secret stash of chocolates and juice that I don't want to share. That when a kid asks me what I am eating or where I got it, I tell them it is something that is mine and not for them?
It's not that I never share or let them help me. I give them a lot of things. And we do lots of crafts, activities, and cooking projects together.
I spend a lot of time playing with kids, tickling, pushing swings, building blocks, coloring, putting together puzzles. I let them help me with a lot of a lot of things when they want to. But do I always need to do such things?
Am I selfish that I have my secret stash of chocolates and juice that I don't want to share. That when a kid asks me what I am eating or where I got it, I tell them it is something that is mine and not for them?
It's not that I never share or let them help me. I give them a lot of things. And we do lots of crafts, activities, and cooking projects together.
I spend a lot of time playing with kids, tickling, pushing swings, building blocks, coloring, putting together puzzles. I let them help me with a lot of a lot of things when they want to. But do I always need to do such things?
Monday, September 2, 2019
Extracurriculars
We have a lot going on right now, and I have a tendency to feel overwhelmed and swamped. School just started, and with school starting, we also have extracurriculars that have started. In the past I have put some of my kids in music lessons, but that has been the extent of extracurriculars.
At the end of last school year, Scooter told me he would like to play soccer. Spike agreed. One thing about out family is we have never been into sports much. As a result, we also aren't as physically active as we could be. This has been a concern, but not something we have known how to fix. So what Scooter asked about soccer, I decided to take him up on it, and enrolled him and Spike.
Aurora, at that same time decided she wanted to do gymnastics instead of violin which she had been doing for the last 2 years. She had committed to 2 full years of violin, and those 2 years would be up at the end of the summer. So I told her we could sign her up in the fall. Then I got so busy with our summer, that I forgot all about soccer and gymnastics.
Then about a week before school started I got an email about soccer starting. It had a link to the boys have schedules. Once I looked at the schedule, I realized how busy just games and practices were going to make things. And I hadn't even signed Aurora up for gymnastics yet.
We finally signed her up and for her started. At her first lesson, I took Angel, Bunny, and Scooter with me. They all decided that want to do gymnastics too. With Scooter doing soccer, I told him maybe next year. But I was able to sign up Angel so she can participate as well.
Cinderella and Guy are both in Jr high school now, and have their music classes there. So now all the kids except for Bunny are involved in something.
I know she wants to be part of what is going on, but with her only 2, I'm not sure if I should do something for her or not. A lot of activities for toddlers are during the day instead of afternoon. If I put her in something in the morning, Angel will feel as if she needs to be included and REALLY let me know every time if she isn't. And I don't know how much farther my time and finances will spread. So I think I'll hold off for now. Maybe she can join the fun when she is preschool age.
At the end of last school year, Scooter told me he would like to play soccer. Spike agreed. One thing about out family is we have never been into sports much. As a result, we also aren't as physically active as we could be. This has been a concern, but not something we have known how to fix. So what Scooter asked about soccer, I decided to take him up on it, and enrolled him and Spike.
Aurora, at that same time decided she wanted to do gymnastics instead of violin which she had been doing for the last 2 years. She had committed to 2 full years of violin, and those 2 years would be up at the end of the summer. So I told her we could sign her up in the fall. Then I got so busy with our summer, that I forgot all about soccer and gymnastics.
Then about a week before school started I got an email about soccer starting. It had a link to the boys have schedules. Once I looked at the schedule, I realized how busy just games and practices were going to make things. And I hadn't even signed Aurora up for gymnastics yet.
We finally signed her up and for her started. At her first lesson, I took Angel, Bunny, and Scooter with me. They all decided that want to do gymnastics too. With Scooter doing soccer, I told him maybe next year. But I was able to sign up Angel so she can participate as well.
Cinderella and Guy are both in Jr high school now, and have their music classes there. So now all the kids except for Bunny are involved in something.
I know she wants to be part of what is going on, but with her only 2, I'm not sure if I should do something for her or not. A lot of activities for toddlers are during the day instead of afternoon. If I put her in something in the morning, Angel will feel as if she needs to be included and REALLY let me know every time if she isn't. And I don't know how much farther my time and finances will spread. So I think I'll hold off for now. Maybe she can join the fun when she is preschool age.
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Fybromyalgia
Last summer, I noticed that quite often towards afternoon I was getting achy, like I was coming down with a fever. Most days I could take a nap and then feel better. However, it came to a head the week school started. I just felt lousy. I decided to take advantage of the fact that at that time all my kids but Scooter were in school, and I had a down week, hoping I could get over whatever sickness I seemed to be getting.
Unfortunately, it just got worse. The hubs eventually told me it seemed like a chronic problem, and I should go see a Dr.
I made an appointment and started doing some reaserch. I learned that there is a condition called fybromyalgia that I had a surprising (to me) number of symptoms for. Therefore, it was not a huge surprise when the Dr suggested fybromyalgia. She ran some blood work, but told me if everything came back normal I probably have fybromyalgia. She said the way to treat fybromyalgia is with a good ballance of sleep, exercise, and antidepressants. I already took antidepressants, so she told me the best I could do is keep myself active and make sure I get enough sleep. She said if I am too sedintary, it could also make it worse.
Well the bloodwork came back normal. Therefore as can be best diagnosed, according to my Dr, I have fybromyalgia.
I lived through the next number of weeks trying to determine exactly what my triggers were. We got Sparky at this point, which helped me to be more active. I also went to a Zumba class a couple times a week. This helped. Then one day we went as a family to do a fun outing. We started by going to an ice cream parlor. I shared a huge banana split with my girls. After that we went to a children's museum. By this time, I was feeling so sick and lousy. I didn't want to play with my kids at all. I just wanted to sit there doing nothing.
I felt that this was brought on by the ice cream.
I wasn't sure, but probably due to some other experiences, I really felt this was the case. I hadostly given up sugary treats before when I was pregnant with Spike, and had really liked how it affected my body. I had considered giving it up again, but let's face it, I love sugar and sweets especially chocolate. After feeling that the banana split had contributed to the flair I was experiencing, I knew I needed to try giving up sweets again, but I also knew I couldn't do it on my own. So I prayed. I asked my Heavenly Father to help me give up the sweets so I can be there for my kids.
I started right then. Anytime I was given an option of a sweet, I would either turn it down, or have a really small serving. It did wonders for me. I also tried to eliminate processed foods from my diet. All of this combined helped me feel a lot better physically, and emotionally. Before too long sweets and candy lost their appeal. If I ate some it just tasted gross. I did develop a taste for dark chocolate however, and it doesn't seem to set me off. I experimented one time when my family had ice cream. I had a small scoop, and it did set me off. Scooter has a dairy intolerance so we happen to keep dairy free ice cream in the house. I had a small scoop of that a different time, and it didn't set me off. I figured it was either the sugar or the dairy, or maybe both. But after more experimenting I learned that the combination of the two together really sets me off. Sugar will set me off too, but not the way ice cream does.
Since I changed my diet last fall and eliminated most sweets from my diet I have lost around 20 lbs. I feel great, most days. Sometimes I still flair, and don't know why, but I am doing much better.
So if I
Unfortunately, it just got worse. The hubs eventually told me it seemed like a chronic problem, and I should go see a Dr.
I made an appointment and started doing some reaserch. I learned that there is a condition called fybromyalgia that I had a surprising (to me) number of symptoms for. Therefore, it was not a huge surprise when the Dr suggested fybromyalgia. She ran some blood work, but told me if everything came back normal I probably have fybromyalgia. She said the way to treat fybromyalgia is with a good ballance of sleep, exercise, and antidepressants. I already took antidepressants, so she told me the best I could do is keep myself active and make sure I get enough sleep. She said if I am too sedintary, it could also make it worse.
Well the bloodwork came back normal. Therefore as can be best diagnosed, according to my Dr, I have fybromyalgia.
I lived through the next number of weeks trying to determine exactly what my triggers were. We got Sparky at this point, which helped me to be more active. I also went to a Zumba class a couple times a week. This helped. Then one day we went as a family to do a fun outing. We started by going to an ice cream parlor. I shared a huge banana split with my girls. After that we went to a children's museum. By this time, I was feeling so sick and lousy. I didn't want to play with my kids at all. I just wanted to sit there doing nothing.
I felt that this was brought on by the ice cream.
I wasn't sure, but probably due to some other experiences, I really felt this was the case. I hadostly given up sugary treats before when I was pregnant with Spike, and had really liked how it affected my body. I had considered giving it up again, but let's face it, I love sugar and sweets especially chocolate. After feeling that the banana split had contributed to the flair I was experiencing, I knew I needed to try giving up sweets again, but I also knew I couldn't do it on my own. So I prayed. I asked my Heavenly Father to help me give up the sweets so I can be there for my kids.
I started right then. Anytime I was given an option of a sweet, I would either turn it down, or have a really small serving. It did wonders for me. I also tried to eliminate processed foods from my diet. All of this combined helped me feel a lot better physically, and emotionally. Before too long sweets and candy lost their appeal. If I ate some it just tasted gross. I did develop a taste for dark chocolate however, and it doesn't seem to set me off. I experimented one time when my family had ice cream. I had a small scoop, and it did set me off. Scooter has a dairy intolerance so we happen to keep dairy free ice cream in the house. I had a small scoop of that a different time, and it didn't set me off. I figured it was either the sugar or the dairy, or maybe both. But after more experimenting I learned that the combination of the two together really sets me off. Sugar will set me off too, but not the way ice cream does.
Since I changed my diet last fall and eliminated most sweets from my diet I have lost around 20 lbs. I feel great, most days. Sometimes I still flair, and don't know why, but I am doing much better.
So if I
Monday, July 15, 2019
Dogs
A number of years ago I was telling my sister-in-law that I think it isn't fair to get a dog if you can't or aren't willing to give it the love and attention it deserves. I honestly didn't feel like I had that time, and energy to do so. So when years later my kids started asking me for a dog, I told them if they could keep their room clean 30 days in a row they could get a pet. I figured if they wanted a pet enough to keep their room clean, even on day's when they wanted to do something else, then they deserved to have one.
The years went by and we didn't get a pet. No one ever made it for 30 days. And then we moved into a house that had a cat. The previous owners of our house had 3 cats when they sold their house. They were moving to an apartment where they couldn't keep pets, so they had to give them all away. However, Rachel, one of the cats decided she liked the house and would stay their even if her owners left. So we got a pet without anyone having to follow the agreement.
Cinderella loved Rachel, and felt very strongly that Rachel should be an inside cat. I felt very strongly that the garage was good enough for Rachel. It is where she had always been she could stay there.
A year or so after we moved in, my kids started asking for a dog. Aurora in particular loved the idea of a dog. Cinderella was also in on the nagging. We kept telling them no, they hadn't kept their room clean long enough.
Then one day we went to dinner with one of the hubs coworkers families. Her husband and mine got talking about hiking and camping, two things that are main hobbies for my husband. My husband admitted that he loves backpacking, but has a terrible irrational fear, as soon as it starts to get dark of dangerous wild animals like bears. (There is a great story to go with this I may tell some other time.) At this point my husbands friend told him, that is why he takes a dog backpacking with him. He claimed that if a bear smells a dog, it will stay away. It wasn't that much longer before we started considering getting a dog.
At this point we had NO idea about dogs. How to take care of them, how to train them, how to communicate with them, nothing. Well we took the kids to the animal shelter, Aurora fell in love with a Jack Russel Terrier Mix named Pudge. However the shelter was closing for the weekend and we didn't have enough time to adopt any dogs that day. We told Aurora that we could possibly go back to the shelter on Monday and get Pudge then.
Unfortunately we were over anxious about getting a dog, and the hubs and I went and got one we had seen listed in the local paper, that night. She was a 2 year old black lab mix. We surprised the kids, they were excited but Aurora was disappointed it wasn't Pudge. We named her Oreo because she was black with a white stripe going down her nose.
Oreo was an outside dog, who slept in a crate in the house. She got a lot of love and attention while it was summer, but once the school year started, she was kind of out of sight out of mind. Add to that the factor that she loved to chew on anything. If the kids left something in the back yard, Oreo would eat it. She even ate Scooters bike helmet. She also loved to jump, and was big enough that as the hubs would put it, "Any time I needed to get something from the shed, I had to debate if it was worth getting punched in the stomach to get it." After a while I suggested that maybe Oreo wasn't a good fit for our family. The family who we had gotten her from had told us that if we ever decided that it wasn't working out for us we could bring her back. So we did that.
Not too long later Aurora asked if we could get another dog. We had told them when we gave Oreo back, that we weren't against having a dog in our family, but Oreo wasn't the right one. She was cashing in on that. So in the end of September we once again went and visited the shelter. This time there was a miniature schnauzer named Lavern. We didn't spend much time with him, but decided he was much better than the Chihuahua's that were peeing all over everything and yapping up a storm. So we got him, and named him Sparky. Sparky has been a really good fit for our family.
He has been a comfort to some of the different foster children we have had in our home, he is very mild mannered and will take a lot from kids. An important characteristic in our home. And he rarely barks. However, there is a time that he barks. He likes to look out the window, and there is a field visible from our house where people will often take their dogs. As soon as he sees another dog out there he starts barking up a storm, and wants to go out and play with him.
After a while Aurora suggested that maybe if we got another dog for Sparky to play with, he wouldn't bark at the window so much. We told her that I had too much on my plate to take on another dog, and work with getting the dogs acquainted with each other. But maybe we could wait until summer time when the kids are home and they could take on that challenge.
So about a month ago we visited the shelter again. This time to see a Shih Tzu named Poof. We ended up adopting him as well. We named him Pepper.
Poor Pepper had hair that was badly matted all over his legs and stomach. He would get fox tails stuck in the matting and they would puncture his skin. I don't know much about grooming dogs. We always take Sparky to the local Pet's Mart to get groomed, and they didn't have an opening for about 3 weeks. I tried to carefully comb out the mats, and we gave him a bath. However there were still a lot of mats and with all the dirt stuck in his hair, he smelled pretty bad too. Cinderella decided to take matters into her own hands and found a pair of scissors and started cutting off the matted hair. In doing this she found a sore on his leg, got a bit to close, and he nipped at her so she stopped.
When I took him to the vet for his initial examination, the vet called my attention to the wound, and told me to put neosporin on it daily and see if would heal. He commented that Pepper was a very dirty dog. I agreed and told him I had an appointment to get him groomed at Pet's Smart in a week and a half. The vet told me it was likely if the wound hadn't healed in that time the Groomery wouldn't accept him as a client. I agreed to watch it, and put the neosporin on daily. About a week later I noticed the wound really wasn't getting better, it seemed really red around it, and puffy. I made another vet appointment. They took him the next day. When we pointed out another wound on his paw, they decided they needed to shave his legs to treat the wounds. The poor dog had fox tails that had poked in all over his legs. He has been spending the last week in the cone of shame.
I canceled his grooming appointment and decided I needed to learn to do it myself.
I finally got brave enough to do it today. It could probably look better, but for my first time grooming a dog I think it looks pretty good. I just need to clip his toe nails now. He has a follow up appointment at the vet tomorrow. We will see what the vet thinks.
The years went by and we didn't get a pet. No one ever made it for 30 days. And then we moved into a house that had a cat. The previous owners of our house had 3 cats when they sold their house. They were moving to an apartment where they couldn't keep pets, so they had to give them all away. However, Rachel, one of the cats decided she liked the house and would stay their even if her owners left. So we got a pet without anyone having to follow the agreement.
Cinderella loved Rachel, and felt very strongly that Rachel should be an inside cat. I felt very strongly that the garage was good enough for Rachel. It is where she had always been she could stay there.
A year or so after we moved in, my kids started asking for a dog. Aurora in particular loved the idea of a dog. Cinderella was also in on the nagging. We kept telling them no, they hadn't kept their room clean long enough.
Then one day we went to dinner with one of the hubs coworkers families. Her husband and mine got talking about hiking and camping, two things that are main hobbies for my husband. My husband admitted that he loves backpacking, but has a terrible irrational fear, as soon as it starts to get dark of dangerous wild animals like bears. (There is a great story to go with this I may tell some other time.) At this point my husbands friend told him, that is why he takes a dog backpacking with him. He claimed that if a bear smells a dog, it will stay away. It wasn't that much longer before we started considering getting a dog.
At this point we had NO idea about dogs. How to take care of them, how to train them, how to communicate with them, nothing. Well we took the kids to the animal shelter, Aurora fell in love with a Jack Russel Terrier Mix named Pudge. However the shelter was closing for the weekend and we didn't have enough time to adopt any dogs that day. We told Aurora that we could possibly go back to the shelter on Monday and get Pudge then.
Unfortunately we were over anxious about getting a dog, and the hubs and I went and got one we had seen listed in the local paper, that night. She was a 2 year old black lab mix. We surprised the kids, they were excited but Aurora was disappointed it wasn't Pudge. We named her Oreo because she was black with a white stripe going down her nose.
 |
| Oreo |
Oreo was an outside dog, who slept in a crate in the house. She got a lot of love and attention while it was summer, but once the school year started, she was kind of out of sight out of mind. Add to that the factor that she loved to chew on anything. If the kids left something in the back yard, Oreo would eat it. She even ate Scooters bike helmet. She also loved to jump, and was big enough that as the hubs would put it, "Any time I needed to get something from the shed, I had to debate if it was worth getting punched in the stomach to get it." After a while I suggested that maybe Oreo wasn't a good fit for our family. The family who we had gotten her from had told us that if we ever decided that it wasn't working out for us we could bring her back. So we did that.
Not too long later Aurora asked if we could get another dog. We had told them when we gave Oreo back, that we weren't against having a dog in our family, but Oreo wasn't the right one. She was cashing in on that. So in the end of September we once again went and visited the shelter. This time there was a miniature schnauzer named Lavern. We didn't spend much time with him, but decided he was much better than the Chihuahua's that were peeing all over everything and yapping up a storm. So we got him, and named him Sparky. Sparky has been a really good fit for our family.
 |
| Sparky |
He has been a comfort to some of the different foster children we have had in our home, he is very mild mannered and will take a lot from kids. An important characteristic in our home. And he rarely barks. However, there is a time that he barks. He likes to look out the window, and there is a field visible from our house where people will often take their dogs. As soon as he sees another dog out there he starts barking up a storm, and wants to go out and play with him.
After a while Aurora suggested that maybe if we got another dog for Sparky to play with, he wouldn't bark at the window so much. We told her that I had too much on my plate to take on another dog, and work with getting the dogs acquainted with each other. But maybe we could wait until summer time when the kids are home and they could take on that challenge.
So about a month ago we visited the shelter again. This time to see a Shih Tzu named Poof. We ended up adopting him as well. We named him Pepper.
 |
| Sparky and Pepper on Pepper's first day |
Poor Pepper had hair that was badly matted all over his legs and stomach. He would get fox tails stuck in the matting and they would puncture his skin. I don't know much about grooming dogs. We always take Sparky to the local Pet's Mart to get groomed, and they didn't have an opening for about 3 weeks. I tried to carefully comb out the mats, and we gave him a bath. However there were still a lot of mats and with all the dirt stuck in his hair, he smelled pretty bad too. Cinderella decided to take matters into her own hands and found a pair of scissors and started cutting off the matted hair. In doing this she found a sore on his leg, got a bit to close, and he nipped at her so she stopped.
When I took him to the vet for his initial examination, the vet called my attention to the wound, and told me to put neosporin on it daily and see if would heal. He commented that Pepper was a very dirty dog. I agreed and told him I had an appointment to get him groomed at Pet's Smart in a week and a half. The vet told me it was likely if the wound hadn't healed in that time the Groomery wouldn't accept him as a client. I agreed to watch it, and put the neosporin on daily. About a week later I noticed the wound really wasn't getting better, it seemed really red around it, and puffy. I made another vet appointment. They took him the next day. When we pointed out another wound on his paw, they decided they needed to shave his legs to treat the wounds. The poor dog had fox tails that had poked in all over his legs. He has been spending the last week in the cone of shame.
I canceled his grooming appointment and decided I needed to learn to do it myself.
 |
| Pepper today after his haircut |
 |
| Pepper in the "cone of shame" |
Friday, July 12, 2019
Starting again
I have decided that I need to get back to writing on this blog. I have had many people tell me that they miss my blog posts, and wish I kept them up on all that is going on with my family.
I don't want to fall into the trap of trying to catch y'all up on everything in one post, but I do want to cover the basics of where we are now.
In November of 2017 we became licenced foster parents. Since that time we have had a number of placements they all lasted between a week and a month. Until this last January. In January we had two beautiful little girls placed with us. Angel and Bunny. These girls have been with us for 6 months now and it has been an interesting experience. When they first arrived at our house Angel was 3 and Bunny wasn't quite a year and a half. They were both really shy, and reserved. They both clung to me, as well as Cinderella, but didn't want to have much to do with the other members of our household.
Now they are rambunctious, happy girls. They get along well with all of the kids, about the way siblings do. They definitely have their moments of disagreement, but it's never something that can't be worked out and gotten over.
Needless to say these girls keep me busy. However I have decided that while Bunny takes her naps in the afternoons, (when possible), my goal is to write a blog post. So hopefully I can get y'all caught up on our family after enough of these posts.
I don't want to fall into the trap of trying to catch y'all up on everything in one post, but I do want to cover the basics of where we are now.
In November of 2017 we became licenced foster parents. Since that time we have had a number of placements they all lasted between a week and a month. Until this last January. In January we had two beautiful little girls placed with us. Angel and Bunny. These girls have been with us for 6 months now and it has been an interesting experience. When they first arrived at our house Angel was 3 and Bunny wasn't quite a year and a half. They were both really shy, and reserved. They both clung to me, as well as Cinderella, but didn't want to have much to do with the other members of our household.
Now they are rambunctious, happy girls. They get along well with all of the kids, about the way siblings do. They definitely have their moments of disagreement, but it's never something that can't be worked out and gotten over.
Needless to say these girls keep me busy. However I have decided that while Bunny takes her naps in the afternoons, (when possible), my goal is to write a blog post. So hopefully I can get y'all caught up on our family after enough of these posts.
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