Would You Like a Little Cheese with that WHINE?!

Excitement on the East Coast

2011-08-27T20:21:00.001-07:00

My mother lives in the Washington, DC area. I've been trying to talk her into moving back to Louisiana (where she was born and raised) to be nearer to family (me). She's not wild about the idea.

However, this past week she's been in an earthquake and now a hurricane (no stranger to those in Louisiana). What's next? A blizzard in August?

Just say the word and I'll come help you pack!

Going Gray - Week 8

2011-07-18T16:09:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I wrote about my battle with the bottle -- the bottle of hair dye, that it -- so I thought I'd post an update, along with a photo. GASP! You're probably wondering, what are you thinking?!! Sometimes, I wonder that myself. To learn more about what's motivating, click here.

So far, only one person I know has commented (at least to my face) about my silver roots, and that's because I told her a while ago I was doing this. Everyone else is too polite, it seems.

I'm not sure how I plan to transition, though. I don't mind cutting my hair shorter, but the pixie cut is out of the question. The only reason I'm hanging on to the length now is because I've been pulling it back into a ponytail or bun in an effort to camouflage the skunk stripe (as if!). Maybe a few well-placed ultra-light highlights will help?

One plus: my sensitive, rosacea-prone skin is doing much, much better since I've stopped coloring my hair. Go figure.

I'll Miss You, Jean

2011-07-01T14:35:00.001-07:00

I was deeply saddened to learn about the death of my friend and colleague (of sorts), Jean H. I met Jean years ago through her son and daughter-in-law, who live across the street from me.

In the past couple of years I've come to know Jean in a different light. A little background: My boss, an attorney, shares office space with another attorney, although they maintain completely separate law practices. I work for Boss Man, Jean worked for Lawyer Lady. Jean's desk and the one I share with the Other Admin Assistant were close, separated by one wall and door that's usually open. (Other Admin and I job-share so she works for Boss Man, too). My point is it felt like Jean and I were co-workers, even though we weren't.

For reasons that do not matter anymore, things hadn't being going well between Jean and Lawyer Lady. A couple of weeks ago, Jean resigned giving two weeks' notice. Although she didn't have a new job lined up, she was optimistic she'd find something.

At 72 years young, "retiring" is not Jean's style. When I last saw her -- yesterday on her final day of work -- we didn't go for the mushy goodbyes. After all, we'd still shout at each other from across the street when she visited her son, right? Instead she told me that although being a little nervous about the whole unemployed thing, she was going to relax and work on her garden until her next new adventure.

I'm sure no one ever thought that Jean's next adventure wouldn't include any of us, her friends and family. Yet, she very recently had the opportunity to reconnect with a loved one with whom there was a falling out some years back. That reconciliation brought her great peace and joy in the past weeks (she told me so).

Last night, Jean suffered a fatal heart attack. She was strong, energetic and vibrant to nearly the very end. Pain or suffering was likely mercifully brief. Although we feel blindsighted by her death, Jean I suspect was fixed and focused on her next great adventure...which I like to think begins now.

Happy 16th Birthday, Son #1

2011-06-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

To read his birth story, click here.

You are my night owl with a wry sense of humor. Super smart - you'll either end up dominating the world or solving its major problems. :-) You still love books, video games, all things science. You don't enjoy driving, but you have to put that permit to use and practice, practice, practice. Oh, and you rocked in school. 4.0 + GPA, with 3 honors classes. In school, you ran cross country, track and lettered in wrestling. Once you complete the two final merit badges, you'll be an Eagle Scout. Keep up the good work! We're proud of you and we love you.

Happy 14th Birthday, Son #2!

2011-06-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

My middle son turns 14 today! If you'd like to read his birth story, click here.

To my son: What a year it's been! You're still as sweet and funny as ever. Smart too. Only one B the entire 8th grade year -- the rest were A's. You took freshman level Algebra, was a Student of the Year runner up, and won a Principal's School Community Leadership Award in your last year of junior high.

You played solid baseball. Coach said you are an excellent utility player: reliable in any position you play: 1st & 2nd base, shortstop, centerfield, left field... He says you have great speed and agility, plus a strong arm. Best of all (to me, at least) is your excellent attitude. No whining in baseball, that's my motto. (Too bad the same can't be said for all of your teammates, but you just keep leading by your example.)

I love you bunches! Happy Birthday!

Hmmm....Wavering (slightly)

2011-06-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm getting a tad annoyed with my inch worth of silver. Yet, I still plan to hang in there. Here's a site that I find inspiring:

Going Gray Looking Great

It's based on the book of the same name by Diana Jewell.

Going Gray - Why?

2011-06-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

So why am I'm considering letting my hair go gray (not to be confused with "letting myself go")?

The primary reason is the time and inconvenience. It takes about an hour and a half to achieve my hair color (aka faux color). That includes getting all the stuff out, clearing a work space, mixing the color and developer, applying the color to the new growth, waiting, rinsing, deep conditioning, waiting, rinsing, then cleaning up my mess.

For a while it was fun to take 90 minutes to pamper myself. During processing time and conditioning time, I'd read a magazine, catch up on a TIVO's episode of "Bones." But more and more frequently, it feels like a chore. Yeah, like I need another one of those: I'm a mom of 3, you know. It stopped being something I liked to do, and became something I dread doing. Just another item on my "to do" list.

Another reason my perception of gray hair is changing. Jamie Lee Curtis, Helen Mirren (okay sometimes she's pale blonde, but I know I've seen white), model Cindy Joseph rock the pearl/silver/gray/pewter.

Then there's Jill. We took a class together. She had short blonde hair. Looked fine, but not WOW! Jill became ill and missed a few weeks of class (she's fine now). When she returned to class, she was sporting an ultra-short, ultra-chic, ultra SILVER crop. Truly a WOW! moment for Jill. She looks amazing. She certainly doesn't look older or washed out. If anything, the silver hair with her somewhat tan skin makes her look more vibrant now.

There's also Mallory, a young, local artist. When I met Mallory 2-3 years ago, I immediately fixated on her hair. Light brown cut into a sleek bob, with quite the white patch in the front framing her face (natural to boot!). I thought to myself, man, if I have gone gray like that, I would have never dyed my hair. If I had to guess, Mallory is probably 30 today.

There's also the curiosity factor. I've had medium to dark brown hair my entire life. I wonder what my gray would look like: mostly dark with some gray, pewter, silver, white? A little or a lot? I have to admit to secretly hoping mine will be silver - a lot of it! I want to see what I'd look like with "light" hair. I know I could never pull off "blonde" but I bet I'd rock silver!

Finally, I believe there's nothing wrong with looking one's age. At 46, time marches on. If I had to choose between looking good and looking young, I would choose good. No one is going to mistake me for a 30 year old, and that's okay. I'd rather shift my efforts from maintaining brunette hair, to focusing on eating right, exercising and enjoying myself.

So the simple answer to "why?" is Why not?

I'm going gray! - Intro

2011-06-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me in person are probably thinking, "so, what's new? You've been going gray and trying to hide it for years" Well, that may be....

However, I'm seriously considering giving up the bottle. The bottle of haircolor, that is. Until recently, I've been using a semi-permanent hair color to cover my roots (usually Natural Instincts, or ION demi permanent), but being semi-permanent, it fades quickly. More and more so, it seems. Plus my hair grows pretty fast so viola! Nearly a half inch of silver roots after 2 to 3 weeks. (Permanent color is a no-no for me. I'll explain in a future post.)

Since I've started flirting with the idea of growing au naturel, my Gray-dar is in full swing. Suddenly I'm noticing some beautiful heads of silvery hair -- and not all are attached to the elderly.

Can I - will I - really do it? I'd like to think so, but eh, I'm fickle. Stay tuned. And yes, there will be photos. Scary, scary photos! :-D

Back to Blogging!

2011-06-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

I've been a very, very bad blogger. :-( I can't really say I've been too busy, because I find plenty of time to play on Facebook, Google, Artfire, etc. I realize my previous followers are no longer watching my blog, but that's okay. I write this, as I always have, for me. Not for an audience. That's not to say I don't welcome readers and followers -- I do. My new goal is post post something - anything - three times a week (baby steps). We'll see how it goes.... (Wish me luck!)

Osama bin Laden is dead

2011-05-02T20:11:00.001-07:00

I have mixed emotions. He was responsible for the loss of many, many lives. I'm glad he personally cannot hurt another living soul. Yet I cannot rejoice in the death of another human being, no matter how heinous his actions.

I'm concerned about retaliation - there'll always be haters out there. I'm hopeful that perhaps his death might reduce the effectiveness of al Quaeda.

I'm thankful for the hardwork of our soldiers, and grateful for their safety. I'm perplexed as to how I explain to my 9 year old why Americans are dancing in the streets because 'we' killed someone.

It's so much to process.

My first foray into 'cosmetic' procedures...

2010-04-28T09:33:00.001-07:00

Having reached "a certain age" I decided to splurge on Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) for my rosacea. Fine lines and wrinkles, I don't mind. Combine them with red blotchy skin, visible broken capillaries and occasional breakouts and forget it!

For the past couple of years, my dermatologist has been suggesting the IPL treatement when I'd visit her to have individual capillaries zapped away (by tracing along the capillary with a superfine, heated needle - an ouchie, by the way). About once a year, I'd pick up a packed of info and price list from her, but I never took the plunge.

It's not the procedure itself, but rather the price (approx. $400 for the whole face) that put me off. But I've been working part time for a little over a year now, saving some 'mad money' and decided to splurge.

I had my first IPL treatment on April 28. The procedure itself wasn't too painful. A cool aloe gel was applied to my face, and I put on protective eye ware. Next, a "wand" was moved along my face for a couple of test spots. Once the technician determined the best setting, she went to work. The wand itself is cold, but the IPL feels like tiny pin pricks (or ant bites minus the after-pain) every half inch or so.

It took about a half hour to do my entire face. A hydrocortisone cream was applied and I was sent on my way (makeup can be immediately applied). I was told that the effect is cumulative, meaning that the inner layers are heated by the pulsed light. As older layers are sloughed off, the new skin will be more even in tone, and hopefully, the capillaries (my biggest concern) will diminish. The full effect wouldn't be seen for at least two weeks.

So what did I think after Treatment #1? The capillaries along my chin were significantly reduced. Tiny red moles turned dark brown then vanished days later. I was still red, but not all over. The full impact didn't strike me until I was applying my mineral makeup three weeks later. I realized the shade that was perfect for two years is suddenly too yellow and too dark. Off to buy new GloMinerals foundation.

Stay tuned...

My Baby Turns 8 Today!

2010-02-18T11:10:00.001-08:00

It's that magical "in between" stage: 8 going on 30 one minute, still very much Mom's baby the next. I'm baking chocolate chip cookies to mark the occasion. He'll unwrap presents this evening and then we'll take him to dinner at the restaurant of his choice.

To read his birth story, click here.

Prayer Request

2009-11-05T20:10:00.001-08:00

My mother has struggled with congestive heart failure and COPD for the past decade. We just learned today that she had a 9 by 13 mm cancerous tumor on her lung. We'll learn soon of her options. In the meantime, say a prayer and think a happy thought.

Blue Mass

2009-10-18T19:04:00.001-07:00

Today was the annual Blue Mass at our church, recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of the men and women in law enforcement, EMS, and fire department.

The bagpipes and the memorial of the fallen were touching. After mass was a luncheon. The boy scouts cooked and served jambalaya. There were also finger sandwiches, a cheese tray, desserts.

For the kids, there was a DEA helicopter on the field behind the church, a SWAT truck, and a fire truck.

So little to offer to those who sacrifice their lives everyday.

Rant of the Day

2009-10-12T12:59:00.001-07:00

I've heard of banks that charge extra feels if the customer actually wants to go inside the bank and talk to a teller. They justify it by saying that it costs more to service the in-person customer than the ATM or online banking customer (presumably because of the teller's salary). Still, I think it's a load of crock.

I believe that in the interest of good customer service, some things should be free (which isn't really free, but humor me).

That's why I was annoyed to see a sign in a doctor's office stating that they now charge $10 for any form requiring a doctor's signature. Camp forms, sports forms. Yep, $10 each. I get that it takes someone time to pull the file, check the info and hand it to the doctor to sign. But seeing as I, with help from my instance company, paid for an office visit/physical. Why charge extra for sharing that info (via a form)? To me, it's poor customer relations.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2009-10-05T14:32:00.001-07:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Ladies, have you had a mammogram in the past year? If not, and you're of the recommended age, why not make your appointment now? Done properly, it's not really painful. A tad uncomfortable perhaps, but it only lasts a moment.

I had my mammogram today. The mood lighting and soft music didn't really enhance the experience. Add a glass of wine or some dark chocolate and we'll talk. Come on, this is "second base" we're talking about!

Anyway, I'm properly positioned between the two plates and holding on to the handle as asked (what is this - a ride on Space Mountain?!). As the radiologist steps behind the monitor to snap the picture, she says, "okay, hold still now." Excuse me? Where could I possibly go?

I'm just saying....

His Magnetic Personality

2009-09-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

He's seven and a half - well beyond the age of "knowing better." Yet Son #3 managed to swallow a magnetic rock several weeks ago. He was never the kid who put foreign objects in his mouth, even as a baby, but lo and behold, this time he did.

A couple of phone calls to our pediatrician and the local emergency room confirmed what we suspected. Since it was only one magnet and no other metal was involved, we just had to wait it out - pun intended. We were on high alert all week but no sign of the magnet. Not exactly something you can ask the school nurse to monitor, y'know?

After a week our doctor recommended an xray to be sure the magnet passed. That's not something you want to discover during an MRI years down the road. Xray showed all was clear.

I guess this means I can no longer threaten to stick him to the side of the refrigerator if he misbehaves.

I Haven't Forgotten About You...

2009-07-31T21:35:00.000-07:00

I'm still here. I just haven't been blogging on my personal blog lately. My handcrafted jewelry business has been doing well lately (yay!), plus I've been keep busy at my part time job at the law office. Dear Hubby and I managed to take the kids to the beach for a few days, and now we're getting ready for school, which starts a week from today.

Once things settle down, I hope to get back to blogging at least a few times a week. Thanks for hanging in there!

Happy 14th Birthday, Son #1

2009-06-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Son #1! He has really impressed me with his sense of responsibility this summer as he looks after his younger brothers and ensures the chores are done before I get home from my part-time job.

I do miss our really, really late nights watching TV together (until 3 am or later). Since I work Monday - Friday, I just can't keep the same hours that we did last summer. We're both night-owls.

The photo above was taken last year at Boy Scout camp. It's one of my favorites. Dear Hubby and I took him out to dinner at the restaurant of his choosing (Olive Garden). Pasta with marinara sauce, and a whole lot of breadsticks.

If you're interested in reading his birth story, click here.

Happy 12th Birthday, Son #2

2009-06-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

Today is Son #2's 12th birthday. Just like last year, he's spending his birthday at Boy Scout camp in the mountains of northern Georgia. Earlier today, I received the call that he's feeling a little under the weather and running a fever of 101. There's a medic tent - doctors and nurses - at camp, but they recommended the 45+ minute drive into town to visit the ER as a precaution.

Apparently there was another scout from different state that came down with flu-like symptoms on Sunday, so I think the medical folks wanted to be extra cautious. (The other scout - and his troop - are segregated away from the rest of the kids).

It's a bummer to be sick on your birthday, but especially when you're missing all the fun camp activities. Fortunately all the cultures came back negative and Son #2 was allowed to leave.

The two adults (troop dads) who took Son #2 to the Emergency Room also took him to a barbecue restaurant. A nice change from the camp mess hall. Probably as big a treat for the dads. Also in attendance was Son #2's best friend (his dad was one of the leaders to accompanied him to the hospital). As you can see from the photo below, he's obviously feeling much better.

That's probably the world's most expensive ice cream sundae. ;-)

He returns home Saturday evening. We'll celebrate his birthday then and take him to his favorite Japanese restaurant for a late dinner. I sent a little gift up with one of the dads who's attending. The rest of the goodies will have to wait until Saturday.

I miss him a lot. He's a very affectionate kid - even at this age (I'd better enjoy it while it lasts, I'm told). He's blessed with a great sense of humor. If you're interested in reading his birth story, click here.

* photos taken with cell phone and emailed to me. A nice treat for me.

Baseball Season Is Over

2009-06-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Baseball season is officially over, at least for our family. Son #3 (age 7, pictured above) played his final game tonight. His team, the Marlins, did well. They won the last nine games in a row and finished either first place or second. His age group doesn't have a tournament.

Son #2 (age 11) also had a great season. His team, the Astros, finished second for the season. They do have a single-elimination tournament but unfortunately he'll miss it. The tournament starts Saturday but Son #2 leaves for Boy Scout camp that very morning. Here's hoping the Astros will go all the way and win the championship.

I Hug a Little Longer & Squeeze a Little Harder

2009-06-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, Son #3, age 7, spent a glorious week at Cub Scout Day Camp. Each day, he took the 40 minute trip to the country to a property filled with woods, hiking trails, lakes. He enjoyed BB guns, archery, slingshots, nature centers, crafts, swimming on the beach at one of the lakes – all well supervised. I’d pick up Son #3 and he’d chatter all the way home about the wonderful time he had that day.

Across town another mother was preparing her 7 year old son for sports camp (a different camp, closer in town). She too expected her child to have a glorious week. Her afternoon ended up vastly different from mine. Rather than being regaled with stories of her child’s adventures during the car ride home, she was summoned to the emergency room of our local hospital. Her son had been involved in a swimming accident. During supervised swim time, he somehow slipped to the bottom of the pool unnoticed for who knows how long. To the counselors, it probably seemed only a moment. For the young boy, it proved too long. He was stabilized and transported to the Childrens’ Hospital in the city. A couple of days later, he was declared brain dead (kept on life support so that he can provide the gift of life to recipients of his organs – the ultimate gift).

This young boy, and especially his mother, have been on my mind all week. I cannot imagine the horror of what the family is going through. Although I don’t know them personally, our paths must have crossed many times. In the days since his death, I’ve learned that his family attends our church, the boy attended my son’s school (perhaps in the same grade). He played baseball in the same 7 year old league at our local recreation district park. Certainly if they never met at school, he and my son have faced each other across the baseball diamond.

Aside from the legacy of life this young boy leaves behind through organ donation, he leaves another legacy of sorts. Because of his family’s heartbreak, I hug a little longer and squeeze a little harder.

I wanted Son #3 to take a nap yesterday so I decided to lay down with him. Normally, I’d wait until he dozed off then I’d leave the room to tend to some chore or task that I thought I needed to be completed. Yesterday, though, I stayed the full two hours and simply watched him sleep – thankful for the time that I have with him. I’ll bet the other boy’s mother would give almost anything to have one more similar moment with her precious son.

I have no way to end this post other than to offer prayers to this other family and ask that you do the same. And to remind you that life is fleeting and precious. Take that extra moment to listen more carefully, hug a little longer, squeeze a little tighter, laugh a little louder.

Busy Week

2009-06-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Son #3, age 7, has been attending Cub Scout Day Camp all week. It means waking an hour plus earlier and driving into the country. I'm not a morning person, but he had a blast! Archery, BB guns, arts, crafts, swimming, hiking - he loved it all.

As for me, I planned to volunteer at camp this year but because I made two trips to the Washington, DC area in the past month to visit my mother, I didn't feel right taking off yet another week of work. Especially since the person I share my job with is leaving (see last post).

This week I managed to put in extra hours, which worked out well because it's a more direct route from my office to the location of the camp, rather than from my house. My problem is that although I managed to make Son #3 lunch and slather him in sunscreen each morning, I more or less forgot to make my own lunch. I completely raided my Boss/Friend's candy stash (I owe him a bag of Hershey's minis). Bite-sized chocolate bars and Diet Coke will only carry one so far. When I crash in the late afternoon, it isn't pretty.

I Was Supposed to Be Part of the Solution....

2009-05-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

I mentioned back in March (click here for previous blog post) that I returned to work part-time at a friend's legal practice. A old college friend called one morning, waking me from my mid-morning nap, and offered me a job at his law firm answering phones, light clerical work, etc.

The hours were great (9 am to noon), the atomosphere relaxed so I said yes. The entire reason he called me was because he had an admin person working for him 2+ years that he really liked, but that she had issues and couldn't make it to work on time. The idea was that if she couldn't make it to work for 9 a.m., then I'd work 9 to noon and she'd come in for the afternoon shift. A win-win situation, right?

Except....she had trouble coming in by noon. It seems that no matter what time she's expected in, she arrives at least two hours later. This isn't a lazy person, mind you. Far from it. Very nice, very detail oriented. She just has some personal issues that need to be addressed.

My friend/boss made the tough decision to let her go yesterday. So instead of being the 'backup to answer phones in the morning,' I'm now the 'replacement.' And I'm not sure how I feel.

I like the work, but I'm not immune to the fact that this other woman was only a phone call away to answer my questions. Plus, while I don't mind increasing my hours a bit come autumn when the kids return to school, I don't really want to put in extra hours during the summer when the kids are at home. He's looking to see if any college-age students might be interested in summer afternoon work. (Can party at night, sleep late, work noon to five - occasionally later --- sounds pretty good.)

As for me, I don't want to be a full time admin assistant. Been there, done that. I lack the proper attitude for it. Besides, I'm a full time mom, part time jewelry designer/entrepreneur (humor me). I don't want secretarial work to become that big a portion of my life and crowd out any of the other parts.

And so it goes...

A Busy Couple of Weeks

2009-05-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

My mother is doing better. We found a really nice facility where she's receiving in-patient physical and occupational therapy in order to regain her strength. She's scheduled to be discharged on Thursday but will still received physical therapy at her home for a bit longer. No word on when she'll be able to return to work. Just taking it day by day.

Prayers for My Mom

2009-05-04T18:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I've been out of touch. I just returned from Washington, DC where I was visiting my mother, who has been ill. She was hospitalized the Monday after Easter with pneumonia. During the 12 days she spent in the hospital, they didn't have her up and walking at all (to regain her strength).

She was released a week ago Saturday (the day I arrived). By her third day home, it was apparent that she really wasn't ready to be released straight to home. She's back in the hospital now and will be going to a short-term in-patient rehab program soon.

It's difficult because she's always been very independent (works full time, lives alone). But there's no reason to think that she won't be able to return to her former level of activity after she rebuilds her strength and stamina.

Still, say a little prayer for a speedy recovery.

Save the Tooth Fairy a Second Trip, Will Ya?

2009-04-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

Son #3 had two front loose teeth (uppers). He bravely pulled one by himself. So proud until he looked in the mirror and saw....blood. He opted not to pull the second tooth which has since shifted leaving a sizable gap on each side.

The Tooth Fairy will be racking up frequent flier miles for sure!

Earth Hour

2009-03-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

Not sure how I missed this, but I was browsing the internet aroung 7:50 p.m. tonight when I came across the news headline for Earth Hour. What is Earth Hour? It's a worldwide movement in which we un-plug, turn out the lights, whatever, for one hour this evening - 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The beauty of it is you're supposed to do this at 8:30 p.m. in whatever time zone you're living in. No complicated calculating, 'well, it's 4:30 p.m. there, so...." Simple. Turn off your lights at 8:30.

We spent a nice hour by candlelight just talking. No background noise, no distractions. That in itself was wonderful, but it was especially nice knowing that we were in the excellent company of:

The Vatican
Big Ben in London
The Eiffel Tower
The Capitol Dome in Washington DC
The GW Bridge in N.Y.
The Sydney Opera House
The Pyramids
plus a few billion Earth-conscious folks.

To learn more, visit www.earthhour.org.

I've Been a Bad, Bad Blogger....

2009-03-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

(hangs head in shame)

All's well here. I'm just adapting to my new schedule. I work 9 to noon Monday - Friday. You wouldn't think three measly hours a day would disrupt my routine (or lack thereof) but I'm having a tough time getting other things (mostly minor stuff) done.

Perhaps I'm still adjusting to my new sleep and wake cycle. Before taking the job, I'd go to bed around 12:30 - 1:30 a.m. At 6:30 in the morning, I'd roll out of bed, get dressed and bring Son #2 to his bus stop. (Dear Hubby, who has to wake earlier for work, would get Son #2 up and feed him breakfast.) Then I'd wake and feed Sons #1 and #3.

But now ... it's not enough to be merely awake. Apparently being showered, dressed and coherent is considered a "plus" in the workforce. Go figure.

Seriously, though, I'm enjoying the job. The work is fairly interesting, the people are nice, the atmosphere is relaxed -- not 'bunny slippers relaxed' but still... Not a bad gig to come out of 'retirement' for.

"BETRAYAL!!!!!"

2009-03-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

Betrayal! That's what my brain *screamed* to me on my drive into my first day into work. I've been a stay-home mom for just over seven years now. But now I'm going back to work, part time. Yet, I feel like I'm betraying my children. Never mind that I'm only working three hours a day or so - hours that the kids are in school. I get off of work a full three hours earlier than my first child arrives home from school.

I worked Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (with a minimum 35 minute commute both ways) when Son #1 and Son #2 were very young. This is no where near as intensive as that. So why do I feel like pooh? And yet, I feel an odd sense of accomplishment (as in, I spent three hours in a law firm and didn't screw anything up).

Re-entering the Workforce

2009-03-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

I love being a stay-home mom, but since Son #3 started school last year, I find I have a little too much free time on my hands. It seems the more time I have, the less focus I have. It's so easy to nap my day away. (cue violins)

This morning, I was lounging around - okay, napping - when I received a call from an old college buddy who now has a small law practice. He's looking for part-time admin help. He already has someone for the afternoon, but she cannot seem to work in the morning, so we'll do a job-sharing.

So, I'll work from 9 am to noon on Monday through Friday. That will leave my afternoons free and I'll still be home to greet my boys after school. On days when the kids are out of school and I don't have alternate care, my oldest son is old enought to keep an eye on his younger brothers. Not a perfect situation, but for 3 hours in the morning, they'll be fine.

The pay would be about the same as if I substituted at the schools, but the work is steadier. I plan to save for the photo-refractive eye surgery (assuming I work up the courage). Beyond that, I'll put the money in our savings account and forget about it.

I start tomorrow. It's a pretty casual office, very relaxed atmosphere. Plus it will be nice to have recent work experience on my resume, rather than the 7+ year unemployment gap. I'm feeling a bit melancholy, but I keep reminding myself it's only 3 hours, it's only 3 hours.

Aliases Part IV

2009-03-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

Those of you following my blog for a while now, know that Son #3 (age 6) has a penchant for wanting to change his name.

Over the years, he's requested that we call him:

1) Obi Wan Kenobi (kinda catchy, but doesn't go with our last name)
2) Chester (um, no)
3) Michael (okay, not bad once he dropped the "Jackson")
4) Ovento Burrito (what the heck????)
5) Christopher (not bad)
6) Nicholas (still not bad)
7) Logan. Nickname: Lo. He actually said that.
8) Pettiman (again, what the heck?)

and most recently,

9) Inigo Montoya (as in Mandy Patinkin's character in the movie, The Princess Bride)

WHEW!!!!

2009-02-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

I've posted in the past about our concerns about Son #1's growth. To recap, click the following links:

http://3blueberries.blogspot.com/2008/07/son-1s-growth-update.html
http://3blueberries.blogspot.com/2007/04/more-questions-than-answers.html
http://3blueberries.blogspot.com/2007/04/56-is-magic-number.html
http://3blueberries.blogspot.com/2007/11/failure-to-thrive.html

In a nutshell, Son #1 is 13 and a half years old and in the bottom 3rd percentile for height/weight. His doctor recommended at a bone age xray test (according to the most recent test, Son's bone are about a year 'younger' than his actual age - this is especially true considering that Son #1 is losing baby teeth at a much slower rate than his 2-year younger brother.

Son #1 had a growth hormone stimulation test - which he passed with a D minus (anything below a 10.0 is generally covered by insurance, Son #1 scored 10.4).

In the past several months, Son #1 has taken an appetite stimulant, plus had two protein shakes a day. His weight is 71 lbs, his height 57+ inches. Although still in the third percentile, this represents a significant *increase* in growth velocity (growth rate). At this point, the pediatric endocrinologist feels that Son #1's issues are related to how his body processes calories, rather than an actual growth hormone deficiency.

This is good news in that Son #1 might expect to grow to a more average male height (say 5'5" to 5'8") than previously thought...without medical intervention (i.e. daily hormone injections).

A Positively Lovely Day...

2009-02-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

There's a tradition in Dear Hubby's family. We get together for cake and ice cream (and usually a meal) to celebrate birthdays. I'll admit that when we were dating - in our early 20s - it seemed a little strange to stop by his family's home for cake and ice cream. Now, I accept it. It's a tradition. It's just what we do. It's the way we roll.

We're getting into the busy season. A month ago, we celebrated B-I-L (brother-in-law) #5's birthday. Last weekend was my father-in-law's party. Today was Son #3's and my party. Next week is B-I-L #3's party. In April, we'll celebrate B-I-L #1's, #4's, and S-I-L #4's. You get the idea....

Today, we gathered at my father-in-law's house (F-I-L). We ordered 6 pizzas from Dominoes, made a pitcher of daiquiris, had cake (chocolate cake with chocolate icing) for me, plus a chocolate chip cookie cake (for Son #3). Ice cream, too - chocolate, naturally.

We unwrapped gifts. Star Wars toys and Power Rangers for Son #3, Vera Bradley desk set (sticky notes, file folders, memo holders, etc.) and several Barnes & Noble gift cards for me. (Merry, if you're reading this, call or email me. B&N Cafe is calling....).

I don't recall a lot of traditions in my childhood - that's not a complaint, so much as it is a fact. There's much more predictability with Dear Hubby's family. I'm sure the time will come where the boys think it's weird to go to their Grandpa's house for cake and ice cream when they'd rather be off gallavanting with friends. My hope is that eventually they, and their wives, will come to accept - nay, embrace - that this is the way our clan rolls. :-)

Happy Birthday, Son #3!

2009-02-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

February 18 was Son #3's birthday. The Baby is 7. I can hardly believe it. I posted his birth story a couple years ago on his birthday. If you're interested in reading it, click here.

He's quite the character. Every once in a while, out of the blue, he'll want to change his name. I've been keeping a running tally on my blog and it looks like this:

1) Obi Wan Kenobi (kinda catchy, but doesn't go with our last name)
2) Chester (um, no)
3) Michael (okay, not bad once he dropped the "Jackson")
4) Ovento Burrito (what the heck????)
5) Christopher (not bad)
6) Nicholas (still not bad)
7) Logan. Nickname: Lo. He actually said that.
8) Pettiman (again, what the heck?)

Have I mentioned that he's the most stubborn person I've ever met? That single-minded determination will serve him well as he grows up, but it's positively maddening at dinner time. Fortunately there's a fix for that:

(Kidding. That's a photo from our Disney trip two years ago.)

He sometimes wears my perfume to school. Of my three boys, he's my first to need surgery (outpatient adenoidectomy - still a big deal to a mom), and sutures (busted his chin open).

There's never a dull moment (and rarely a quiet one) with this one.

Happy Birthday, Love!

I've been tagged...and so have YOU!

2009-02-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by Cheese and Chocolate! And... the rules are to tell 7 things about yourself and then tag 7 others. So here we go.

1. Without glasses, I am waaaaayyyyyyyy beyond legally blind. I am 24 substitute-teaching days away from having enough money to pay for laser surgery. Oh, my current vision is in the 20/450 range. Loosely translated, what the average person can see at 450 feet, I can see clearly at 20 feet. "Mountain? What mountain?"

2. According to the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychometic test, I am either an INTJ or an ISTJ. Not many people have two scores, but I scored equally between the N (intuitive) and S (using the 5 senses) when making decisions.

3. My handwriting changes with my mood -- sometimes dramatically.

4. If stranded on a deserted island with only one food group, it would be chocolate.

5. My birthday is next week. I still spoil and paper myself, even if no one else does.

6. I generally rather blend in with the background and observe people than call attention to myself. It's an unfortunate trait for someone who creates, and wants to sell, jewelry.

7. I would love to visit the Tuscan region in Italy.

Now to the tagging part. If you want to play along, please do and drop me a comment so I can check it out.

((( sigh )))

2009-02-13T20:46:00.000-08:00

One son won't wear deodorant unless I stand outside the bathroom door and insist. Even then, I'm only assuming he's spraying it on his underarms and not into the air.

My other son has developed a liking for my perfume. Awww, how sweet, you're thinking. Um, but he's wearing it. That's right. My soon-to-be -seven year old has taken to wearing "Burberry Brit."

Finally, my middle son asked me to buy him a G-string. Fortunately, he was referring to his guitar.

.....and how was YOUR week?

Final Resting Place (Hopefully Waaaayyyyy in the Future)

2009-02-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

I feel like such a responsible grown up. Today Dear Hubby and I purchased a burial plot. No, we’re not anticipating using it in the near future. This just seemed like a natural extension of my New Year’s Resolution: to get our estate – tiny that it is – in order.

Dear Hubby and I are open to the idea of cremation, and since one plot will accommodate two urns or one urn plus a traditional casket, we purchased a single plot. (Roman Catholics aren’t supposed to have their ashes scattered.) We figure if we can stand being around each other after 19 years of marriage, what’s eternity?

The cemetery is located at a religious community. It’s very simple and well-kept. It’s a pretty small place. The section where our plot is located is new. We selected a spot right near the new row of red maple trees, not far from the statue of Mary, Mother of Jesus.

Don’t get me wrong: I hope it’s many decades before anyone will be moving in. But it’s a relief to get this out of the way. Does it sound morbid? I think it’s just my nature: I’m a planner. It’s also the first piece of real estate I’ve purchased that won’t decrease in value (kidding).

Just a Little Update...

2009-01-26T20:44:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted, so I thought I'd give a little update. I've been spending the past week reading the second encyclical assigned by Dear Hubby's Social Justice instructor (this one is a shorter one written by Pope Pius __).

I also finally mastered the beaded ball that I mentioned a couple of months ago on my other blog. I've also been teaching myself to make bird nest pendants out of sterling silver wire (photo to come).

Because starting a diet on January 1st is such a cliche, I decided to join Weight Watchers (again) this past Friday. I joined in March 2007, hit an 8 month plateau and more of less gave up. So here I go again.

Today I attended Son #1 IEP meeting (Individualized Education Plan) today. At this point, it's more or less a formality. He'll continue with speech therapy twice a week next year, as he has since pre-K. Two of his instructors mentioned that Son #1 seems to engage in 'higher order' thinking than the average person. I think that's edu-speak for 'too smart for his own good.' Truthfully, though, he does operate on a different level.

Son #2 came home today and informed me that a certain little girl we know (very sweet) asked him to "go out." At this age (eleven), 'going out' is generally limited to hanging out at school and saying you have a girlfriend or boyfriend. Trying to keep my cool, I casually asked him how he responded and he said that he told her he'd think about it, because he wanted to 'bounce it off' of me. Awww..... We took the opportunity to discuss what it means to be honest, treat people with respect, not blabbing details to friends, etc. After he left the room, I curled up in the fetal position and chanted 'not my baby, not my baby..." Just kidding. Mama's playing it cool.

More later.

First Day of School (sort of)

2009-01-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my last post, Dear Hubby has been accepted in to the diaconate program (i.e., studying to be a deacon) with the Archdiocese. Wives are "strongly encouraged to attend and participate" in classes. This past Saturday, we attended the first of our classes: social justice and theology.

Social Justice is the one taught by the "tough" instructor. Ex-military, retired attorney - he uses the 'Socratic method' much like that used in law school. Lots of class participation, students are expected to have the answers, or at least the reasoning to defend one's ideas. To say I'm out of my element is an understatement, yet I thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps it was because of I really have nothing to lose, other than my dignity. :-)

Our first assignment - given at the orientation retreat last Sunday - was to read and be prepared to discuss Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae (Gospel of Life) - all 167 pages of it. In six days.

Classes meet every two weeks, but each session alternates. So next time (Jan. 31), we'll study Spirituality and attend a workshop. The following class (Feb. 14) will be our second Social Justice/Theology class. I joked with my husband that since we essentially have four weeks until the next class, the instructor will assign four books to read. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case.

The Journey of a Thousand Miles....

2009-01-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

It's said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. My husband and I are embarking on a new journey. One, regardless of its final outcome, will undoubtedly result in countless blessings.

It's something I've held close to my heart for quite some time, but here it's time to share: Dear Hubby and I are Roman Catholic. He since birth, I since 2000. Around the time of my conversion (which I can truthfully say had little to do with him, but rather was the result of my own spiritual quest - more on that another time)...anyway, around the time of my conversion, Dear Hubby (DH for short) expressed interest in the permanent diaconate program. At the time, he and our children were rather young, so it's something he put on the proverbial 'back burner.'

What's the permanent diaconate? In the Roman Catholic Church, there is an ordained position called 'deacons.' Deacons can do some things that a priest can (baptize babies, officiate at weddings, proclaim the Gospel at mass). However, there are things a deacon cannot do (consecrate the Holy Eucharist, absolution of sins, for example).

For the past year, DH and I have been discerning whether he is being called to this vocation. We attended meetings every three weeks to learn more about the process, prayerfully contemplated, completed an extensive application, participated in several personal interviews, and submitted to a background check (criminal and financial).

We received the letter from the Archbishop just before Christmas that DH was among two dozen men accepted into the formation program. If he completes 4 years of study, he can apply for ordination in December 2012. It's going to be a long, challenging, exhausting, exhilarating journey. I'll keep you posted....

Keep our family - and that of the other 23 men accepted into formation - in your prayers.

The Beast on A&E

2009-01-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a Patrick Swayze fan. I loved, loved, loved 'Dirty Dancing' ("Nobody puts Baby in the corner."), cried during "Ghost," scratched my head at "Red Dawn," and cringed during "Roadhouse." So it was with a heavy heard that I learned about his battle with pancreatic cancer.

Throughout filming of his new A&E series, The Beast, he's been undergoing treatment for cancer. I've been watching the previews and in my opinion, he looks thin, but otherwise well. I can't help but wishing the best for him and his wife of many years. He's one of those actors who always brings a smile to my face. (Perhaps it's because for a few years he stood nearly life sized, along side Jennifer Grey, in the corner of my bedroom - thanks to Tommy at the video store who scored me an extra large movie display.)

Anyway, I'll be watching the premiere on January 15th. Here's a link to A&E's website, if you're interested: The Beast on A&E.

Leave a comment and tell me about your favorite movie/movie star.

Happy 2009!

2009-01-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to wish you all a safe and happy new year!

I've been blogging long enough (since mid 2005) to realize that I'm terrible at keeping New Year's Resolutions. But here they are ... again.

1) lose weight - this has been on my list since 1993
2) exercise at least twice a week. Obviously I should exercise more often than twice a week, but even that is an improvement over what I do now.
3) take at least one art related class in 2009.
4) journal/blog at least 3 times a week.

Computer Withdrawal!!!

2008-12-28T19:37:00.000-08:00

I've missed you all (and being online in general). To make a long story - well, less long (can't promise 'short'. You know me.) - my computer was infected with a couple of nasty trojans on December 4.

Virtumonde and FakeAlert made themselves at home on my p.c., infecting all sorts of files, including my start up registry, which meant *everything* slowed to a crawl. I'm not kidding. I was typing a Word document last week. I'm typing away all along looking at a blank white Word document. I get up from my desk, go to the fridge, pour myself something to drink, load a few dishes in the dishwasher and sit back at my desk, just in time to see my words appearing one by one as if a ghost was typing them.

Side Note #1: I'm rather angry at McAfee right now. First, I renewed my annual Security Suite subscription on Oct. 21 - three weeks before expiration - and I have auto updates. Nevertheless, Virtumonde (which has been around since 2005) managed to slip past. How does that happen? Second, the viruses occurred during a visit to a "McAfee Approved" (green) site. To make matters worse, when I did a full system scan, it didn't even detect Virtumonde.

I contact McAfee Live Chat. They used to be great - they'd email you instructions on how to remove viruses. Not anymore. Now they charge $89.95 per incident to remotely remove your virus(es) for you. Excuse me, five weeks prior I paid them $69.95 to protect me in the first place. No way are they getting more of my money.

Side Note #2: I read about PC Tool's Spyware Doctor. It got excellent reviews and at $29.95, I thought it might be worth a try. It's a faster scan than McAfee, it found Virtumonde but couldn't remove it. I must say, I was impressed with their tech support. Twice I received an email reply within 24 hours. As of Dec. 18, my issue had been 'escalated' which I believe means that someone 'higher up' would take a look. However, as their 30-day satisfaction guarantee came to an end - with no resolution - I decided to cancel and get a refund. I wouldn't, however, rule out using them in the future.

So on Saturday, we go to Best Buy. Trying to decide whether to buy a new desktop p.c. to replace the possessed one, or whether to splurge on a laptop for me. We found a nice deal on a Dell. It's so new, they don't have it in stock yet, but hopefully it'll arrive Tuesday and I'll pick it up. (By the way, Brad at Best Buy is earning his commission or hourly rate - whichever.)

Since we committed to buying a laptop, I thought I'd make one last attempt at salvaging my 4-year old desktop. As in, scrubbing the hard drive and reinstalling the recovery disks I made when I first purchased the computer. What possessed me to create recovery disks is beyond me. I'm sure I was prompted to do so, but I don't recall neither hide nor hair. But sure enough, I have seven CD's labeled in my handwriting HP Recovery Disk #___ of 7.

Yesterday, I backed up all my digital photos and loaded all our playlists on iTunes so I can sync our Apple Christmas gifts (Touch for me, Nano for Dear Hubby, Shuffle for Son #2) one last time. Today, I "recovered" the p.c. and reset it to the way it was in August 2004. It took a few hours to reinstall the important stuff: Microsoft Office, Windows Updates, iTunes8, McAfee Security Suite (my subscription is valid through Nov., so I thought I might as well use them until then).

McAfee detected and quarantined a less malicious trojan (no Virtumonde!) and this computer - despite its age - is blazing! We're using it for a general family p.c. (as always). Dear Hubby is starting classes soon (more on that later), the kids need it for homework, etc. The laptop is mine and for emergencies.

I have so much to catch up on and hopefully, if all goes well with this computer, I'll be able to update you all soon. Thanks for hanging in there.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

We Interrupt My Vacation Posts for....SNOW!

2008-12-12T14:18:00.000-08:00

Snow ... in southeast Louisiana. A rare, welcome treat. We had 3 to 4 inches yesterday. It didn't last long, though. Today's high was in the mid 50s so all that's left is a bunch of deformed snowmen on brown lawns.

Yesterday.....

Max was initially afraid of the snow, but soon loved romping and frolicking.

Son #1 started a snowman, and Son #2 completed it for him today. As you can see from the background, very little snow remains.

Vacation Day 3

2008-12-10T13:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry I didn't blog sooner. I'm having computer issues, but I'll save that for another post...

Day 3 of our vacation was fun. We woke early and took the hotel shuttle to the Metro station (that's D.C.'s subway system) and rode the Metro into the city. We disembarked at the "Mall" which isn't a shopping center, but rather the area in Washington, DC near the monuments, museum and Capitol Building. Here are the boys at the Metro station awaiting our ride.

Our first stop was the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. We spent a lot of time in the dinosaur exhibit and the marine life exhibit.

This was all very nice, but my favorite part was the Gems & Minerals, home of the Hope Diamond, among other famous, fabulous jewels. Here are Son #1 and Son#2 next to my birthstone, amethyst.

Vacation Days 1 & 2

2008-12-01T13:24:00.000-08:00

We recently drove from Louisiana to Washington, DC to visit my mother for Thanksgiving. I'm lumping Day 1 & 2 together since we were on the road both days (Louisiana to Knoxville, TN on Day 1, Knoxville to Alexandria, VA - just outside D.C. - on Day 2).

Zack and I were sick for a bit of the trip - strep & upper respiratory ick. If you have to feel yucky, it might as well be when you're snuggled in the car for two days. It sort of forces you to relax since there isn't anything else to do. Sons #1 and #2 passed much of the time playing video games (on long car rides, I relax the time limit they can play). Here's how Son #3 passed much of his time on Day 1:

The hotel in Knoxville was nice. The indoor pool was open 24 hours, plus there was a really neat game room - video games, pool table, racquet ball courts... We dined at Ruby Tuesdays, and turned in early.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Day 2 - woke in time to attend church, before hitting the road. A nice uneventful drive through the mountains. It apparently snowed a couple of days prior at the Tennessee/Virginia state line so we stopped at the Virginia Welcome Center so the kids could play a bit.

Later that evening, we checked into our hotel, the Hilton in Alexandria, Va. Our room was on the 25th floor - great view, fast elevator. Kids were impressed. We met my mother for dinner. Then returned to the hotel for prepare for a busy Day Three.

Playing Catch Up...

2008-11-29T19:10:00.001-08:00

We just returned a few hours ago from a weeklong 2000 mile road trip (round trip). I'll be posting details - and pix - in the upcoming days.

Hope everyone had a safe, Happy Thanksgiving.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do ;-)

2008-11-21T11:27:00.001-08:00

It seems my 30-year love affair with soft contact lenses has come to an end. I've known for a couple of months now that we were on the decline, Contacts and I, but I was in denial. I tried everything in my power to make this relationship work. But neither a trial separation (since this summer), professional counseling (okay, an opthamologis), nor prescription eye drops, could save this relationship.

You may recall that I had an inkling of trouble in August of 2007 when my annual eye exam revealed that I had "dry eyes." My optometrist recommended over-the-counter drops (Systane) and no contacts for two weeks. When I returned, everything looked good. Contact and I, we were happy. Or so I thought.

This past summer, I started having trouble with my eyes: redness, significant decrease in vision. I made an appointment with an opthamologist in August who confirmed severe "dry eye syndrome." She put me on a steroid eye drop to help with the inflammation, plus the prescription Restasis, which is supposed to help you produce more tears. She asked that I check back in three months.

Today was my follow up appointment. My eyes look better, but still very, very dry. While I held out hope that Contacts and I could work it out (is was just a dry patch, right? ha ha), it's not meant to be. Certainly Contacts and I could occasionally get together for Old Time's Sake? But no. The doctor feels that even wearing contact lenses part time would irritate my eyes. A clean break. No on again, off again (or in again, out again).

Today, she inserted little plug into the ducts in my lower eyelid to help prevent draining too much of my eyes' natural lubricant. It was a mildly uncomfortable procedure - not painful at all. I'll have to continue with the absurdly expensis Restasis drops, probably forever.

But what to do about my myopia (nearsightedness)? If not Contacts, then what? Glasses? Never been a fan. The pair I have are cute, stylish, lightweight - everything a gal could ask. But they're just not "me." I miss the peripheral vision that my old love, Contacts, provided and I have the bruises to show for it (hey, who moved that wall??).

Oh, and I'm of a 'certain age' which means: bifocals. (Quoting Charlie Brown: ARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!). And while I'm at it, I'll need prescription sunglasses.

Or laser surgery. Blades/lasers near my eyeballs - not an appealing thought. But one I'm considering. I have a lot of homework to do in that regard. The feels that I'd be a good candidate for PRK (photorefractive keratotomy). I'd still have the dry eyes to contend with, and would probably still occasionally need reading glasses (the age thing), but it might be worth considering.

Are You A Marilyn or a Jackie?

2008-11-19T21:48:00.000-08:00

I borrowed this from Sue's blog. It's a silly little quiz to determine whether you are a Marilyn Monroe type or a Jackie Kennedy time... or perhaps another icon from the Mad Men era.

Leave it to me to be ... neither! (I can't really say that I agree with very much of this, but anywhooooo....)

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Ingrid!

You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"

Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.

How to Get Along with Me

* Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.
* Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.
* Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.
* Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.
* Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!

What I Like About Being an Ingrid

* my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level
* my ability to establish warm connections with people
* admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life
* my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor
* being unique and being seen as unique by others
* having aesthetic sensibilities
* being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me

What's Hard About Being an Ingrid

* experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair
* feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved
* feeling guilty when I disappoint people
* feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me
* expecting too much from myself and life
* fearing being abandoned
* obsessing over resentments
* longing for what I don't have

Ingrids as Children Often

* have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games
* are very sensitive
* feel that they don't fit in
* believe they are missing something that other people have
* attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.
* become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood
* feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)

Ingrids as Parents

* help their children become who they really are
* support their children's creativity and originality
* are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings
* are sometimes overly critical or overly protective
* are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-12T06:24:00.001-08:00

I Made History Today....How About You?

2008-11-04T15:12:00.001-08:00

Did you vote? If not, what are you doing reading my blog?! Get out there, for pete's sake!

Vote. Be Heard.

Whichever the outcome, history will be made. We'll either have our first African American president, or our first female vice president.

I'm a firm believer that if one does not exercise his or her right to vote, then he or she forfeits any right to complain about how the government is run. If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem, as the saying goes.

(I feel I know my blog friends well enough to know that those of you who are able to vote in the U.S. Presidential Election will do so. Just thought I'd post a reminder for anyone else who might pop by.)

Jumping in with Both Feet...

2008-11-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

In late August, I completed an application to substitute teach in my local school district. I attended the mandatory training workshop in September.

The system used by our school system is largely automated. I can go online and search for substitute jobs or the automated system will call me in the morning if there's a job opening at one of the schools I specified. If I get a call in the morning, I can either accept the job, reject the job, or indicate that I'm unavailable the entire day.

I've been doing the latter for a few reasons: 1) I either have something else planned, or 2) I just don't feel 'ready.' The beauty of the automated system is that it's random. I'm not blacklisted if I turn down too many jobs.

Well today at 9:15, I received a call from Son #1's junior high school. I saw the name/number on the caller ID and assumed that perhaps Son #3 wasn't feeling well. But no.....

They needed a substitute ... for a substitute! I kid you not. They apparently had a sub lined up but for whatever reason he/she didn't show up. It's much easier to say no to an automated system than it is to say no to the secretary at my son's school.

Thirty-minutes later I was substituting for 7th grade English/Language Arts. It was nice because the teacher I was filling in for taught Son #1 last year, so I had a pretty good idea about her policies and schedule. Plus, she left very detailed instructions.

So how was it? Not bad, actually. Looking professional and acting competent & confident (even if you don't actually feel it) is probably 85% of it. I actually thought I'd prefer working with younger kids - they're still eager to please. But it was nice to teach the same class three times to three different sets of kids. If one group was particularly challenging, there's comfort in knowing that the bell will ring and they'll be leaving.

All in all, it was a good day. Now that I've gotten my feet wet, so to speak, it'll be easier to say yes next time.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T13:08:00.001-07:00

From left to right are:

Commander Cody from Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Son #3, age 6)
Indiana Jones (Son #2, age 11)
Scream Ghoul (Son #3, age 13)

Champions!

2008-10-24T06:33:00.001-07:00

The Marlins baseball team got off to a rocky start. They play in the 7 - 8 yr old league at our local recreation district park. It's interesting how they determine the age bracket. It's based on the child's birthday as of April 30. The youngest must turn 7 by that date; the oldest cannot have reached their 9th birthday.

This results in a pretty wide age range (and presumably with it, a wide range of skill) in Son #3's league (that's him in the photo). For example, when the season started Son #3 was 6 yrs, 7 mos old (he turns 7 in February). Feasibly, there could be a boy on the team who would celebrate his 9th birthday on May 1 (because he just made the cut off). Most of the kids are 7 and 8.

It's been good for Son #3, I think. Although he's one of the youngest, there hasn't been any of the tears and drama among the kids when they strike out or are thrown out. His batting has improved. He's become the official cheer ringleader in the dugout. ("Let's go, Marlins, let's go!" will a little disco action - think Saturday Night Live movie poster.)

Most coaches rotate the kids throughout the various positions during the season, but this coach came up with team assignments early on. The downside: the younger boys do not gain experience in different positions. The upside: consistency.

Son #3 would usually be placed in the outfield (not a lot of action there), or he'd get to play catcher. "Play" catcher is a misnomer. Once he's suited up in what he calls his armor (oversized pads, helmet, etc.), he can barely move. Still, I think it made him feel more like he was in on the action.

His batting has improved. He's still hitting it right to first base - which means he's out - but he's been managing to bring at least one or two runners home. RBIs are a good thing.

Despite being the No. 5 seed (there are perhaps 10-12 teams in this age bracket), they made it through the championship tournaments and snagged top honors. Yay, Marlins!

My New Digital Camera

2008-10-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

My old digi camera, a Canon A530, is dying a slow death, so I decided to splurge on a new one because: 1) I need a decent camera to photograph my jewelry to sell on my Etsy site and 2) the family and I will be embarking on a road trip to Washington DC in the not-too-distant future.

I did a little research and selected the Canon S5 IS. It has more bells and whistles than I needed, but it has really nice zoom and macro capabilities. Because Canon just released the S5 IS's successor (the SX10 IS), the price on the S5 is coming down. Good news for me.

I've been having fun playing with my new gadget. This one isn't very crisp, but it was taken from a distance of about 4.5 feet. I have a better photo of the bee on the flower, but I liked that he's mid-air:

Notice the craters along the right visible edge of the moon? This photos was taken from my kitchen window, without flash.

Can you tell I like closeups?

Have You Ever Misplaced a Child?

2008-10-14T18:22:00.001-07:00

It finally happened to me. I can laugh about it now - in fact, I was laughing about it a few minutes after the fact, but at the time, it wasn't so funny. It's interesting how that 'heart-in-your-throat' feeling goes hand in hand with 'brain paralysis.' (Wow, that's a lot of body metaphors.)

Here's a little background info:

* missing kid was Son #2
* he's 11
* he was exactly where he said he'd be.

Son #2 asked if he could go to a neighbor's house to play (I'll call the neighbor "J"). Sure, I say, just check back in a half hour because Son #3 might want to play too after he's finished his homework.

Son #2 doesn't come back for Son #3. I didn't think too much of it. I figured Son #2 and J were having fun and lost track of time. Besides, Son #3 was occupied with something else and didn't seem interested in playing with them.

Dear Hubby and I had an important meeting to attend which required our leaving the house at 6:00 p.m. We fixed dinner early. I ask Son #1 to go fetch Son #2, but Son #3 volunteers instead.

Son #3 returns home upset because no one answered when he knocked on J's door and another neighbor kid (I'll call him "T") said to Son #3, "Oh, they're not home. I saw them drive off."

Dear Hubby and I go outside and sure enough, no car at J's house. Did we go knock ourselves? Noooooooo. That would've been too easy. Dear Hubby is annoyed because he's concerned we're going to be late for the meeting. He speculates that maybe Son #2 went to his cousin's house two blocks away. Did it occur to him to call the cousin's house? Nooooooo. Again, that would be too easy.

I'm upset because - hello??? I don't know where my kid is! I ask the neighbor across the street (hasn't seen him). I knock on another neighbor's door (no answer). I try another neighbor's house (not there).

While I'm knocking on the neighbor's door, Dear Hubby is marching to his sister's house to see is Son #2 is there playing with the cousin. Because I had my cell phone in hand - and because it DID occur to me to call - I already had the answer before Dear Hubby knocked on their door. (They haven't seen him.)

Meanwhile, Son #1 is standing in the front yard on the verge of tears screaming his brother's name.

I'm thisclose to becoming frantic, when cooler heads prevailed - in this case, the neighbor from across the street. He and his wife are veterans at misplacing kids (kidding ... sort of). He goes to J's house and knocks on the door. He knocks harder than my six year old, apparently. J opens the door and sure enough, there's Son #2. Right where he said he'd be.

My husband and I have three college degrees between the two of us. Why didn't we think of knocking on the door ourselves?

I can't fault Son #3 - he did knock on the door. I certainly can't ground Son #2 - he was exactly where he was supposed to be. He has, however, been warned that he *will* be grounded for a month if he continues laughing at his mom and dad.

Child: found
Credibility: lost

;-)

Ah, Relief!

2008-10-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

I've been using the prednisone drops for two weeks to reduce inflammation due to Dry Eye Syndrome and this week I started the prescription med, Restasis. Aaaahhhh, relief. My eyes rarely felt dry, but occasionally they would burn a bit (I attributed this to allergies, though).

I'm optimistic that I might be able to get back into my contact lenses yet. The diminished vision in my left eye has resolved itself - thank goodness. (The realization that your very strong glasses are not helping one eye at all was kind of scary.) But enough about that....

Interesting things I've heard recently:

* From a video recorded at Boy Scout camp in June, and shown at last week's Boy Scout Court of Honor - family and friends present:

Scouts singing American Idol style. One scout is a songwriter, too, as he warbles, "W is for Wine that gets you drunk - no offense, Mom!" Roars of laughter from the audience, which the possible exception of one mother who may not have been amused. (I'd like to point out that the scout was not one of *my* son's.)

* Following Son #3's baseball game (ages range from 6 to 8). After the game, the team has a brief recap. Afterwards, all the players put in their hand and on the count of three yell a cheer - Coach lets one player select the cheer.

Coach: Okay, (name), you pick out cheer.
Player: (inaudible)
Coach: Really?
Player: (inaudible)
Coach: Okay, then..... on the count of three.... ONE....TWO....THREE!
Team: HALLELUJAH!

Do you think they were excited about their first win in a long time?

I hope everyone is having a great week. The kids are off of school tomorrow because of Records Day. This weekend is also our church festival. It will be a busy weekend but fun.

Not Much Goin' On

2008-09-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

I said I would try to post more often. I didn't promise it would be interested (ha ha).

I'm struggling with dry eye syndrome, much like I did last year at this time. The only difference is that after two weeks of using Systane drops, the condition cleared up and what fine until this summer.

Now I can't wear my contact lenses for longer than a couple of hours before my eyes (my left in particular) turns blood red. I tried the Systane again for over a month, but it didn't help. In fact, I'm experiencing an alarming decrease in vision in my left eye. Even with glasses, my vision in the left eye is still blurry.

I finally went to an ophthamologist, expected to hear the worst, but no, she says other than being very dry, my eyes look perfectly healthy. Right now I'm using prednisone (steroid) drops four times a day. Starting tomorrow, I taper down to three times a day. I don't like prednisone drops. Not long after taking them, I can taste them in the back of my throat. Ick.

Next Tuesday, I decrease to twice a day and start using Restasys drops (a prescription). No contact lenses until my follow up visit in November! Hopefully this will do the trick. If not, there's a procedure where they put little plugs into your lower eyelids to prevent moisture lost.

Apparently when you get to be a certain age, you start to shrivel up. :-(

Just a little update....

2008-09-22T19:35:00.001-07:00

Things have been a little busy here. Sons #2 and #3 are fulling entrenched in their fall baseball season. Boy Scouts (Sons #1 and #2) and Cub Scouts (Son#3) have been keeping us busy, too. I teach religious education on Sunday nights to 8th graders - our first class was last night, after being delayed two weeks first by Hurricane Gustav, then by Hurricane Ike. It was nice to finally get started, but there was a lot of prep work involved. Finally, today I attended a training workshop for substitute teachers.

I'll try to be a better blogger in the future....

Graduation Day

2008-09-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

Congratulations, Max! He graduated from PetSmart's Puppy Training class on Saturday. Max is our 6 month old lab/mastiff puppy that we adopted in July. You can read more about him by clicking here.

He still has come fear-submissive tendencies and will sometimes bark at another dog (not all dogs, just certain ones). He almost got into a tussle with Emma, his great dane classmate, at graduation. That was unusual because they've gotten along great for the past several weeks.

Mostly though, he's a very sweet, well-behaved pup. He picks up on tricks very easily. We just need to work to socialize him more. I hope to sign him up for intermediate classes, but the Sept. and Oct. classes aren't fitting in with my schedule at this time. In the meantime, I'll keep working with him on my own. He really has it in him to be a great dog.

What is it about Louisiana?

2008-09-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

I read this quote the other day in the Times Picayune newspaper:

"I didn't truly get New Orleans until I heard this quote after Katrina," features editor James O'Byrne commented this week. "It's this: Once you stop thinking of New Orleans as one of the worst run cities in America, and start thinking of it as the best run city in the Caribbean, it all makes sense."

New Orleans has its own vibe - different from any other. Sure, it's basically built in a "bowl" between the Mississippi River and the Lake Ponchartrain. We have four seasons: Crawfish Season, Shrimp Season, Oyster Season and Hurricane Season, with a lot of overlapping there.

After Hurricane Katrina, some folks in other parts of the country would shake their heads wondering why we'd want to rebuild a sitting that's a hurricane magnet. But one might say the same for much of the state of Florida, the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coasts. There's also California with its earthquakes and wildfires, the midwest with its tornadoes, the northeast with its ice storms. Truth is, no matter where you live, it's always something, isn't it?

Make no mistake. New Orleans has not fully recovered from Hurricane Katrina. I wonder whether it ever will, frankly. Parts are doing very well, other parts are getting by, and yet other areas are mere ghosts of their former selves.

Fortunately, Gustav didn't pack the punch originally predicted, although plenty of people are struggling now. Thankfully, Ike blew past us today toppling some trees, pushing our lakes past their boundaries but so far I haven't heard reports of major damage in Louisiana. Our neighbors in Texas are poised to bear the brunt of Ike's force. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Returning Home

2008-09-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

By Wednesday, many businesses in our area had power restored and although our neighborhood did not, Dear Hubby thought we should head home on Thursday morning. He was confident that we'd have electricity by the time we arrived home Thursday evening. I went under protest.

Personally, I would've preferred to wait until I was sure electricity was back on. "I'm not goin' until the A/C is blowin'" was my mantra. Let's face it. If the electricity wasn't back on, he could go to his air conditioned office with a working refrigerator, while I would be stuck at home with three smelling boys and two sweaty dogs. I won't even go into the hormonal changes often experienced by the plus 40 yr old woman. Oh, and did I mention 90+ degree temperatures.

Nevertheless, I put on my best "supportive" face and attempted to make the best of it. Just for the record, next time a hurricane passes by, I think I'll move here:

They seem to have the right idea. A house on a mountain. Sure they might be stuck during the winter, but hey, I'm 43 and am my own self-contained portable space heater. Global warming? Yeah, that's me.

This is a huge cross outside a church in Tennessee. It somehow seemed comforting to see it looming over the mountainside.

Alabama was experiencing unpleasant weather due to Hurricane Gustav. Tell me again why we left Tennessee.

Mississippi is looking better. Check out the sunset. We stopped at a Walmart in Hattiesburg, MS to load up on essentials because we weren't sure how the groceries in Louisiana would be. Electricity was still hit-or-miss there.

While in the Walmart parking lot in Hattiesburg, my neighbor called at 6:45 p.m. to let us know that power was restored to our street, saving my marriage (kidding). We were two hours from home so the air conditioning would have time to cool things down a bit for our arrival.

Other than missing a single shingle, below is our only real damage. This is the same fence that was blown over in the other direction following Hurricane Katrina. The entire length should be replaced - primarily because my neighbor's yard retains water and the posts are rotting. Our yard is properly graded so we have no standing water. Nevertheless, I cannot afford to have the fence replaced, but I was able to get someone out to re-set a few posts and nail up the existing panels. It'll have to do for now. The dogs (on both sides of the fence) are happier now.

Evacu-cation* - Day 4

2008-09-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

* Evacu-cation (ee-vak-yoo-kay-shun) - noun - a trip that starts off by evacuating from a natural disaster, but upon learning that family, home, neighbors are safe, morphs into a mini-vacation. (according to Son #1)

Son #3 especially enjoyed himself. He kept saying he was "living the dream!" No wonder. Here he's getting a poolside massage (courtesy of Dear Hubby).

Isn't this retro McDonald's cute?

Inside McDonald's:

The hotel has a tree-shaded courtyard area with tables so we ate lunch outside one afternoon. Below is our puppy, Max, who dined with us.

Here's Son #3 with our beagle, Scout.

"Evacu-cation*" - Days 2-3

2008-09-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

* Evacu-cation (ee-vak-yoo-kay-shun) - noun - a trip that starts off by evacuating from a natural disaster, but upon learning that family, home, neighbors are safe, morphs into a mini-vacation.

This word was coined by my 13-yr old son this past week. Hmmm....I wonder how long it will take before Webster's Dictionary recognizes it.

Once we received word that our house was okay, the neighbors were safe, etc., we were able to relax and enjoy out time in Knoxville, Tennessee. I wish we would've done more touristy stuff, but Dear Hubby was plugged into his laptop catching up on missed work, and the kids wanted to spend most of their time at the pool.

We did manage a little shopping and dining out. We learned that Ruby Tuesday's has something on the menu that makes everyone happy - that's rare. Knoxville on Kingston Pike has some really neat shopping. A lot of familiar stores, a nice mall, Dick's Sporting Goods (Dear Hubby loved it), and Lilly's Bead Box (where I picked up a few jewelry making supplies).

The following are a bunch of photos....

They sure are easily amused, aren't they?

Didn't see this coming, did you? (Sometimes a mother can only shake her head.)

Oh look, somebody is giving me bunny ears:

Blowing water through a "noodle" (subtitle: eeeewwwwww!)

They look pretty pleased with themselves, don't they? Kind of hard to tell which one is the 6-year old in this photo (hint: the one without chest hair!).

"Evacu-cation*" - Day 1 (cont'd)

2008-09-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

My previous post detailed the start of our journey from Louisiana to Knoxville, TN (to avoid Hurricane Gustav) on Sunday, Aug. 31. The kids and pets were very well behaved for the 9-hour car ride. Below are shots of some of the scenery. My part of Louisiana is flat, so I've always been fascinated by anything higher than an anthill.

I could get used to this view. We arrived at our hotel just in time to check in at 3:00 p.m. We booked a room at the Holiday Inn at Papermill (Kirby Rd.) in Knoxville. Kids eat free and pets are welcome. According to the Holiday Inn website, this was the nearest hotel that met both criteria that had vacancies when I called several days prior.

I called hotel's front desk to get specific directions from the interstate and spoke with Tiffany on the phone - very nice. Her directions were spot-on. The hotel is tucked among a couple of office buildings and a residential area, so it was off the beaten bath - but only a couple of miles from the main highway.

We checked in at the front desk, where we met Tiffany and Jason (I think Jason may have been a manager). Both were very nice, very welcoming, very cool about the dogs and guinea pig. I've heard that some 'pet-friendly' places are only friendly if your dog is as silent as a goldfish. Fortunately, this wasn't one of those places.

Our first room was on the bottom floor (room #189) - a "pet room" at the end of the hallway. It came equipped with a large dog crate (we had packed both dogs' crates, but this way we only had to reassemble Scout's). It also had a sliding glass door leading to a small fenced patio. The dogs weren't as impressed as I was. No neighbors at our end of the hall.

After unloading the car, we went back to the fr0nt desk to ask for directions to the restaurant/shopping area. I met another evacuee, Monica, who was just checking in. Jason explained to Monica and me that Holiday Inn just authorized a lower emergency rate because of the storm. (Cutting our nightly rate nearly in half.) I thought this was very generous of them, and a very pleasant surprise.

We splurged a bit on dinner that evening at Olive Garden. It turns out our waitress is originally from my sister's hometown in Michigan. After dinner, we stopped at a store to buy a small carrier for Kramer, our guinea pig. His cage is simply too big to bring with us so he was transported in a soft-sided pet carrier (pictured in yesterday's post). We wanted something sturdier that he couldn't eat his way out of while we slept.

We spent quite a bit of time watching the Weather Channel before turning in for the night.

* NOTE: "Evacu-cation" is a term coined by my 13-yr old Son #1. He explains that it's an evacution, but when you find out your house and neighbors are okay, it sort of turns into a little vacation.

Safe & Sound

2008-09-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, Hurricane Gustav decreased in intensity and reached landfall as a Category 2 hurricane, rather than the Category 4 as originally forecast. As of late Saturday night, August 30, Gustav had not yet made the westwardly shift that was predicted, which put the southeast Louisiana area in a precarious position. For that reason, we decided to evacuate to Knoxville, TN. I had booked a room at the Holiday Inn at Papermill (Kirby Rd) a few days earlier, just in case. Pets welcome, Kids Eat Free.

We loaded up the minivan and hit the road at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31st. We wanted to avoid the interstate "contraflow" that would start at 4:00 a.m. We took the back way through some small towns in southeast La. and Mississippi before connecting with the interstate in Hattiesburg, MS. It was a good strategy. We avoided most of the traffic snarls, except one hour of bumper-to-bumper traffic in Meridian, MS (we think it was an accident that tied things up.)

We stopped at the Alabama Welcome Center for breakfast (Pop Tarts brought from home). Here's a photo of Sons #1 and #2 with Kramer, our guinea pig.

Here's Dear Hubby with Scout (beagle) and Max (our almost 6 month old lab/mastiff puppy). They're stretching their legs.

On the road again. Say what you want about video games. I love/hate them. But they sure made for a peaceful 9 hour car ride. Below are Son #2, Son #3 and Son #1.

I'll post more about our adventures soon.

Here We Go Again

2008-08-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

We in Louisiana have been tracking Hurricane Gustav for days now. It seemed for quite a while that the storm would reach landfall at the southcentral part of the state. The most recent hurricane models indicate that it's not as far west of New Orleans as we in the N.O. area would like.

It's so disheartening because there are so many areas in New Orleans - and probably on the Gulf Coast in general - that have not fully recovered from Hurricane Katrina 3 years and 1 day ago. Locally we see it in the papers and on the news "so and so is finally moving back in to their newly renovated home following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina." Let's hope that welcome mat isn't temporary.

My area is ordering a mandatory evacutation tomorrow morning and "contraflow" will start at 4:00 a.m. Do you know what contraflow is? It's the opening both sides of the interstate but with traffic flowing in only one direction. Have you ever driven on the "wrong" side of the interstate? Okay, have you ever tried it sober? (Just kidding. I haven't either, but it has to be a strange sensation which is why we're hoping to avoid it by leaving at 2:30 a.m....driving on the "right" side of the road.)

We took the middle seat out of the minivan (hubby says it would only cost "a couple hundred dollars" to replace said seat if it's destroy at our home - yeah, right.) This will allow us more room for our treasures and our pets. I don't really think of myself as a materialistic person. Sure, I like my stuff, but there aren't many things that I consider truly important. Still, it's hard to condense the personal treasures of a family of five into a minivan.

Still, I remind my kids that we're so blessed that this is a hurricane. We have forecast models and tracking. We have advance notice. Something that victims of tornadoes or fires don't have. However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sad about the things I'm leaving behind. Somewhere in this house is a locked wooden box (key long misplaced) with love letters written by Dear Hubby when were first dating. I left the collage my mother sent me a few years back of my family - photos of my grandparents on both sides, me, my sister and my folks, a photo of my side of the family at my wedding, baby photos of the kids. If the worst case scenario happens, I hope she'll be able to create another.

So what did I take? Hmmm. My treasures? My fine jewelry (it doesn't take up much space), the jewelry I sell in my Etsy shop (in the off chance I sell something, I can ship it from Tennessee), the calendar, which includes important phones numbers. My bill paying stuff, including check book, and account numbers for nearly everything. A few irreplaceable photos. Several CD-roms of my digital photos and other files that are stored on my computer. Medications for Dear Hubby and Son #1 (fortunately, we're up to date on the prescription refills).

Oh, and heart worm/flea preventative for the dogs - because it cost more than most of Dear Hubby's meds combined. I brought 3 precious toys (a teddy bear that I ordered from Avon a few years back with a clear pocket for a photo - the boys when Son #3 was a baby, "Sheila" a stuffed dog I got for my very first Christmas, and "Spot" another stuffed dog that my sister and I bickered about for 20 years - he was my wedding gift from my sister. He's butt-ugly, but I treasure him. Because I WON!!! hee hee!).

The kids packed a few stuffed animals each, Son #1 packed several thick books (um, they sell books in Tennessee, y'know). We did let them take their video game systems. I don't know whether we'll let them plug it in at the hotel, but it's important to them and comforting to know they have it (even thought those things can be easily replaced)

We removed all moveable , potentially projectile objects from the yard and put them in the garage. Earlier today, Dear Hubby saw a couple that used to live down the street from us. They were nightmare neighbors (I don't have the energy to find the original blog posts now, but if you want to learn more about them check my posts from 2005).

Long story short: mom bought the house, listed daughter and son-in-law as 1% owners. Deal was daughter, son-in-law and kids would live in house and pay rent to the mom. They reneged. Daughter ran off with another man, briefly brought the boyfriend home (one big happy family - not!). Eventually daughter moved out and mother sued to buy out their share of the house and have them removed from the title and evicted (mom ended up with the two youngest grandkids). Mom has been renting the house to a nice family for the past 8 mos.

Well, today, daughter and son-in-law were seen walking up and down the street. They stopped in front of their old house, then the cop's house next door, then our house. Dear Hubby was in the back yard, but made it a point of waving to them over the gate so they'd know they were seen. I don't want to falsely point the finger at anyone, but Dear Hubby (former cop) got the sense that they may have been 'casing the neighborhood' to see who was still here and who evacuated. The cop next door will obviously be deployed for emergency service and therefore away from his house for several days (his house was mysteriously broken in to a few years ago, too). The son-in-law has two arrests for breaking and entering.

Maybe they were just being nostalgic for the good old days when they lived in our neighborhood, but it's annoying enough to leave your home because of a dangerous hurricane. Now we have to worry about our house being looted while we're gone. Sheesh. Fortunately I believe in karma.

So what have I learned since last time I evacuated (for Katrina)? Here are some tips:

Take all of the stuff in your freezer and place it in a trash bag. Twist it closed, then place it in another trash bag and seal. Place this back into the freezer.
Do the same thing for the contents of the refrigerator.
Fill a pitcher with ice cubes and put it in the freezer.
Leave and don't look back.

When you return home, check the freezer first. If the pitcher contains ice cubes, congratulations! Your electricity wasn't out very long, if at all. The contents of your fridge/freezer are safe.

If the pitcher contains a since pitcher-shaped chunk of ice (or worse, water), then simply take the pre-bagged contents of the fridge/freezer, place them in the trash can, put it out by the curb. And hope the streets are clear enough that the garbage guy can pick it up within the next month.

At least you'll have likely saved your appliances from the stench of rotting frozen pizza, frozen broccoli and the 29 lb turkey.

Sorry this post is so long and disjointed. Trying to get a lot of thoughts down before we hit the road in two hours or so. I'm not sure how soon I'll be able to post again. Keep us in your thoughts.

Go Away, Gustav!

2008-08-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you wondering, I live in southeast Louisiana. Funny thing about wishing that a hurricane will head in some other direction: it's almost like wishing a disaster on someone else. Nevertheless, I'd be lying if I said southeast Louisiana is prepared for another hurricane.

August 29 is the 3rd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. My immediate family was very fortunate. Negligible damage to our house. My father-in-law and his adult sons who lived with him lost their house and most of their possessions. I have to say this about my f-i-l, he has moxie for having to start over from scratch at age 73. He lives just a few blocks away now.

Katrina was different, though. We knew the storm was in the Gulf of Mexico, for days leading up to it, forecasters were predicting that it would hit landfall at the Alabama/Florida state line. Image our surprise when we woke Saturday, Aug. 27 to radio reports that the storm did not make the easterly turn as anticipated and instead will reach land between, New Orleans, LA and Gulfport, MS.

We grabbed our essentials and high tailed it pretty quickly to Uncle Harold's house in Lafayette, LA. We stayed thirteen days until power was restored in our area. The other difference about Katrina is that I remember incessantly watching the Weather Channel coverage on Monday, Aug. 29th and thinking, "oh, New Orleans didn't fare too badly." Then the levees broke.

As for Gustav, I'm obsessively watching the Weather Underground website for updates. It's too soon to tell whether we'll evacuate or to where. I'm also making a short list of essentials: a few family photos, my bill paying organizer/checkbook, back up CD-roms of some things on my computer (why, oh why didn't I just invest in a laptop), insurance info, my firebox containing important documents, and so forth.

I'm not sure how to end this post, so ...

Links to Katrina posts (if you're interested):

We Evacuated, Aug. 30, 2005
Hurricane Katrina Update, Aug. 31, 2005
I Can't Watch the News Anymore, Sept. 1, 2005

He's Probably Not Smiling Now...

2008-08-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

Subtitled: Missing Max

Son #2 took this photo of Max. Looks like he's smiling, doesn't it? He's probably not too happy today. I took him to the animal hospital this morning for his canine vasectomy. I called a while ago, and the little patient is doing well. He'll stay overnight for observation.

I pick him after 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. Boy, is he going to be mad at me!

School - Week 1

2008-08-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

The boys returned to school on August 8 - last Friday. I can't say I'm a fan of the Friday-as-a-first-day concept, but whatever. Today marks their first full week of school.

Son #1 is in 8th grade at Junior High. His school only has 7th and 8th grades so we went from being low guy on the totem pole last year to being top of the totem pole this year. It's a very short totem pole. He has seven classes with six different teachers. English and Language Arts are combined into one two-hour class with the same teacher.

He's taking Spanish again this year - same teacher as last year. She's his homeroom teacher, too, so that's nice. He was a bit dismayed to have Social Studies homework on the first day of school. On a Friday. The horror! It was a short, fun assignment, but still...

My only complaint: lockers were assigned yesterday. I personally think that they should have held off sending books home (unless needed for homework) until after the lockers were assigned. My 64 pound son was schlepping around an 32 pound bookbag.

Son #2 is in his last year at Middle School (which covers grades 4-6). He has two teachers this year. One for homeroom, science, math and social studies. Another for language arts, English. We've struggled in the past at this school. Son #2 has always gotten As and Bs, but he is forgetful at times.

He's always completed his assignments - I look over his homework when he's finished. However, he would sometimes forget to turn in the homework. The teacher seemed perfectly happy to give him a big fat zero. I do admit to pressing the issue and eventually the late policy would be modified. Don't get me wrong. I believe there should be consequences for not turning assignments in on time - but a zero? Why not accept it a day late and knock off a letter grade (or two)? I do admit to pressing the issue and eventually the late policy would be relaxed.

I've discussed the subject with Son #2's teacher, showed him the different methods we're trying so he can become better organized. She seems much more reasonable than teachers in the past couple of years. Son #2 is feeling good about it, so I think it's going to be a very good year.

Son #3 is in a program called Multi-Age at his elementary school. It's a great program - Son #2 went through it several years ago. Essentially, Son #3 is 1st grade level. They call them "novices." Half the class are novices. The other half are 2nd grade level, called "experts." They work at their own pace, collaborate with one another (no better way for a 2nd grader to improve reading skills than by reading a book to a 1st grader), and can advance through the curricula as quickly as their development allows.

Next year, he'll have the same teacher, same class room, although he'll be an "expert" (2nd grade) and there'll be new novices coming in. It's especially nice that he'll know what to expect, know the teacher, the layout of the room, and half the kids. For a kid who professes not to like school, he seems to be having a pretty good time.

Last Day of Summer Vacation

2008-08-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

It's official: summer vacation is over. It seemed too short - to the kids, and to me. They returned to school today (Fri.). This past week, we've been cramming in all the little things we hoped to do but had not. Chuck E. Cheese on Tuesday, a trip to the trailhead park yesterday. There's a big concrete area near the bike trail that has water jets in the ground. The jets go on an off, some high, some low. It's a fun way to cool off from our 95+ degree days (but I'm still questioning the wisdom on concrete + water + kids).

In the photo above are (from left to right): Son #1 - age 13, Son #2, standing (age 11), and Son #3 (age 6).

Queen Kong

2008-07-31T14:19:00.000-07:00

Queen Kong. That's how I felt when I was sitting at my computer, when I was suddenly ambushed by this!

Dozens of little styrofoam airplanes. The boys' aim - Son #2's especially - was remarkable accurate.

Keeping Busy and Trying to Keep Cool

2008-07-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

July in Southeast Louisiana. Temps in the mid 90s, humidity darn close. Yuck.

I've been keeping busy creating some more jewelry items (even though I find it too hot to go outside and photograph them in natural lighting), playing with our puppy (Max), and finishing up our back-to-school shopping.

On an unrelated note, I'm bummed that Ebert and Roeper will no longer be doing their "At The Movies" reviews on TV. Roger Ebert hasn't been on the show since his cancer surgery - a year or two ago? He apparently owns the trade mark "thumbs up" (or "thumbs down") so the current version features Richard Roeper and a guest critic voting to "see it," "skip it" or "rent it." It lacks the panache of "thumbs up," don't you think? Roeper has hinted that he might have his own movie review show on another network in the future.

Son #1's Growth - an Update

2008-07-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, my mood was low and my frustration level high. Son #1 has been seeing a pediatric endocrinologist since April 2007. (Follow up visits in June 07, Nov 07, May 08.) At our last visit, the doctor recommended the growth hormone stimulation test, a three hour in-hospital test at which they give Son #1 a simulating agent (glucagon) so his blood sugar will peak and drop. Blood samples are taken from an IV port every 30 minutes. A score below 10 is considered “growth hormone deficient” and therefore treatment is often covered – at least partially – by insurance.

Son #1's result: 10.4. Technically he “passed” the growth hormone stimulation test. We should be happy, right? Perhaps I would be, had the doctor not said that Son #1 is producing “about 60-70%” of the growth hormone that he needs. That’s like graduating high school with a D minus.

The doctor wants to see Son #1 again in August for more ‘data points’ (plotting on the growth chart). I’ve been unofficially plotting his growth chart (downloaded from Centers for Disease Control – these are the same ones the doctors offices use). In height and weight, he’s been below the bottom 10th percentile since age 8 and since age 10 has been below the bottom 3rd percentile. (In weight, he’s significantly below the bottom 3rd percentile line.)

Our last visit was the first time the doctor mentioned the words "growth hormone injections." (Just a possibility at this point, though.) Sigh. Never a dull moment with this child.

More to come later...

Meet Max

2008-07-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

Subtitle: Call me 'stupid.'

I've been a bit stressed lately with all that's going on (or not going on) with Son #1's growth issues. The testing, the "maybes," the research (ad nauseum), etc. I could use a bit of a distraction, right?

Summer break with three boys...not exactly the picture of serenity anyway, so why not add a PUPPY to the mix? Truth is, I'd been thinking about it for a while. Our greyhound, Echo, died suddenly last September, and I've been getting the feeling that it's about time to consider another dog. Our beagle, Scout, misses having a canine friend. I miss having a "my" dog. Scout it great, but he's a family pet. Echo loved all of us, but he was "my" dog, know what I mean?

I thought about adopting a chocolate labrador retriever, but wondered whether I really wanted to spend hundreds of dollars for a puppy, when I could adopt a dog who really needs a home for a nominal fee. An ad in Sunday paper a week ago caught my eye. No photo, mind you. Just a two line listing amidst many pets for adoption. I called the all-volunteer rescue group the following day but didn't hear back so I figured it just wasn't meant to be.

I finally received a call on Friday, July 4th. We were told that the dog, and several others would be at the PetSmart Adoption Day on Saturday July 5th. For those of you unfamiliar with PetSmart stores, they do not sell puppies. Instead they work with local rescue groups by hosting adoption events at their stores, and providing discounted shots, spay/neutering through their in-house veterinary clinic called Banfield.

Dear Hubby, Sons #1 and #3, and Scout the beagle went to meet "Mr. White" as he was called by his foster family (because of a teensy white spot on his neck that's usually obscured by his collar).

We liked what we saw, filled out the adoption paperwork. They did the vet reference, and home visit on Monday and by Monday afternoon, Max was coming home with us.

More about Max: He's 4 months old. His mother is a yellow labrador retriever. His father, also up for adoption, is an English Mastiff. Probably not pure bred since the dad is small - "only" 100 lbs. His foster family was caring for the father (a rescue dog), when the woman's son adopted the yellow lab. The two became fast friends before they had the opportunity to have the lab spayed and the rest is history.

Max definitely looks more "labrador" than "mastiff." He has the softest coat (probably from the yellow lab side. Mastiffs and black labs tend to have courser coats). He's going through his awkward stage - long and lanky. He's very calm and very mellow. We're training him to stay off the furniture (he was allowed on it in his foster home). We're working on housebreaking him (he's most of the way there, but not quite) and crate-training him (he'll bark for 5-20 minutes but will settle down and sleep through the night). I'll enroll him in puppy obedience training since he's going to grow to be rather large - probably larger than a typical lab.

This is the second full day he's been with us and so far, so good. He's very well-behaved, but a little timid. He really seems to like the kids and me, but he's still getting used to Dear Hubby. There wasn't an adult male in the family so that may be why. He loves lying by our guinea pig cage quietly watching Kramer.

Happy Fourth of July (belated)!

2008-07-06T19:13:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a safe, wonderful 4th of July weekend. My father-in-law barbecued at his house (just 4 blocks away) and later in the evening we set off a few fireworks on our street at a casual block party. Our street in only one block, so it was easy to coordinate.

With all the talk about the economy, the war, the election, I hope everyone took a moment to remember what is really wonderful about our nation.

Happy Independence Day.

What a Week!

2008-07-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been remiss in blogging. This past week was spent cleaning, cleaning, cleaning the house in preparation for Son #1's and Son #2's party on Saturday. It went well - mostly family, but they did invite three friends from school/scouts. Pizza, cake, ice cream...the usual. They received a lot of cool gifts.

We heard back about the results from Son #1's growth hormone stimulation test. His numbers are low, but not low enough for most insurance companies to cover treatment if his endrocrinologist feels it's warranted. We meet with him again in August or September to determine the next steps.

Happy Birthday, Son #1!

2008-06-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

He's a teenager today! Thirteen years old. Here's a photo of him earning his Horsemanship Merit Badge at Boy Scout camp last week.

If you'd like to read his birth story, click here.

Happy Birthday, Son #2!

2008-06-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

He's 11 today. He'll be celebrating with Dad, Son #1 and a couple of hundred other Boy Scouts in the mountains of Georgia. (missing my baby) That's him with a butterfly perched on his thumb.

Here's a link to his Birth Story, for those interested.

He's a really cool kid, if I do say so myself.

3 Pitches = 3 Outs

2008-06-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

Son #2 plays baseball in the 10-year old league at our local recreation district park. His team this year, the Astros, have had a tough time. They're ranked last in a league of approx. 12 teams: 2 wins, 1 tie and 13 losses going into last night's game against the No. 2 ranked team, the Giants (14 wins, 2 losses). It was the last game of the regular season. The single elimination tournament starts tomorrow but Son #2 will have to miss the tournament because he's heading to Boy Scout camp in Georgia.

Son #2 enjoys playing baseball and he's pretty good. He might not be great, but he's a quite good fielder, a decent pitcher (although at times a little inconsistent), and not a power hitter at bat but usually makes it on base. He's a smart player though. He knows where the plays are and knows what to do when. That's a big challenge for 10 year olds.

Anyway, last night's game looked like this: The Astros are the 'away' team, the Giants are the 'home' team so they bat last. Games rarely go past three innings because there's a lot of strikes, walking and stealing of bases at this age group.

Top of the 1st inning: Son #2 unfortunately struck out at bat.
Bottom of the 1st inning: Son #2 pitches for this inning. He caught a pop fly and got someone out. He struck out another player. Score at the end of the first inning: Giants 6, Astros 0.

Top of the 2nd inning: Here's where it gets fun. Son #2 is pitching again. His first pitch is hit by the batter. Son #2 jumps high and nabs it (Out #1). Son #2's second pitch is hit way over his head. The batter makes it to first base. Son #3's third pitch is hit low. He dives for it, catches it (Out #2: the batter). The guy on first had started advancing to second. When the runner realized the batter was out, he had to go back to first base. Too late! Son #1 had already thrown the ball and the first baseman caught it (Out #3). That's a very fast 1/2 inning. The umpire said he rarely sees plays like that at this age level. WOO HOO!

Bottom of the 2nd inning: Son #2 hits, gets a runner in, and makes it to first base himself. He eventually steals his way home. Score at the end of the second inning: Giants 6, Astros 5.

Top of the 3rd inning: League rules state that a single player can only pitch two innings and they must be consecutive so Son #2 actually sits this inning out. A well earned rest.

Bottom of the 3rd inning: Son #2 hits, makes it to first base and eventually steals home. Score at the end of the game: Giants 8, Astros 11

Even though his team didn't do well this season, it's been a lot of fun. We love the coaches. Son #2 played for the same coaches last spring - they got off to a rocky start but eventually made it to the final game of the tournament (which they ultimately lost, but still.....).

I hope they have similar success this tournament.

GO ASTROS!

Prayers for Our Scouts in Iowa

2008-06-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

As you've probably surmised, our family is big into scouting. Sons #1 & 2 are heading to Boy Scout camp in Georgia on Saturday, along with Daddy Scout (that would be Dear Hubby). Son #3 will be start Cub Scouts in the fall. Heck, even our beagle is named Scout, although I think that's a coincidence.

Below is a newspaper article about a twister that hit a Boy Scout Camp in Iowa in which four young scouts were killed. Please keep the scouts, their families, scout leaders, and Iowans are your thoughts and prayers.

Here's the article:

Boys Scouts praised as heroes after twister kills 4
Published: 6/12/08, 5:28 PM EDT By JOSH FUNK

BLENCOE, Iowa (AP) - When the howling winds finally died down, the Boy Scouts - true to their motto, "Be Prepared" - sprang into action.

Putting their first-aid training to use, they applied tourniquets and gauze to the injured. Some began digging victims from the rubble of a collapsed chimney. And others broke into an equipment shed, seized chainsaws and other tools, and started clearing fallen trees from a road.
Dozens of the Scouts, ages 13 to 18, were hailed for their bravery and resourcefulness Thursday, the morning after a twister flattened their camp in Iowa and killed four boys.

"There were some real heroes at this Scout camp," Gov. Chet Culver said, adding that he believes the Scouts saved lives while they waited for paramedics to cut through the trees and reach the camp a mile into the woods.

The 93 boys, all elite Scouts attending a weeklong leadership training session, had taken part in a mock emergency drill with 25 staff members just a day before the twister hit.

"They knew what to do, they knew where to go, and they prepared well," said Lloyd Roitstein, an executive with the Mid-America Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Killed were Aaron Eilerts, 14, of Eagle Grove, Iowa, and Josh Fennen, 13, Sam Thomsen, 13, and Ben Petrzilka, 14, all of Omaha, Neb. Roitstein said all four had taken shelter in a building that was leveled, and all of them were found near its collapsed stone chimney. The governor said the cause of death had not been determined.

At least a dozen people remained hospitalized Thursday with everything from bruises to spine and head injuries.

At the campsite, a pickup truck had been tossed on its side. Tree limbs rested on top of the Scouts' tents. Trees were flattened. And the one-room multipurpose building where the scouts died was a pile of cinderblocks and chimney stones.

Boy Scout officials said the campers had heard the severe weather alerts but decided not to leave because a storm was on the way.

"They were watching the weather and monitoring with a weather radio, listening for updates," said Deron Smith, a national spokesman for the organization. "The spot they were at was the lowest spot of camp. It was deemed to be the safest place."

A group of Scouts who had set out on a hike had returned to the camp before the storm hit, Smith said.

On the other side of the state, 3,900 homes were evacuated from flood-stricken Cedar Rapids, where rescuers removed people with boats, officials estimated 100 blocks were under water, and a railroad bridge over the flooded Cedar River collapsed.

In Albert Lea, Minn., 90 miles south of Minneapolis, a man died Thursday after his vehicle plunged from a washed-out road and was submerged in floodwaters.

Also Thursday, several Kansas communities began cleaning up from tornadoes a day earlier that killed at least two people, destroyed much of the small town of Chapman, and caused extensive damage on the Kansas State University campus.

Meanwhile, tales of heroism emerged from the Iowa camp.

Roitstein said a group of scouts pulled the camp ranger and his family from their destroyed home. Doug Rothgeb of Omaha said his 15-year-old son emerged from a ditch where he had taken cover, then joined other scouts to break into the equipment shed.

Fourteen-year-old Zach Jessen of Fremont, Neb., said that before the storm struck, someone spotted the rotation in the clouds and a siren sounded in the multipurpose building, which had tables and a TV in addition to a fireplace. Jessen said he and others managed to get Scouts out of their tents and indoors just before the tornado hit. According to Roitstein, the Scouts took shelter in three buildings.

Jessen said shortly afterward, the door on the multipurpose building flew open and he heard someone yelling to get under the tables.

"All of a sudden, the tornado came and took the building," Jessen said. "It sounded like a giant freight train going right over the top of you."

Ethan Hession, 13, said he crawled under a table with his friend.
"I just remember looking over at my friend, and all of a sudden he just says to me, `Dear God, save us,'" he said on NBC's "Today" show. Ethan said the scouts' first-aid training immediately compelled them to act.

"We were prepared," he said. "We knew that we need to place tourniquets on wounds that were bleeding too much. We knew we need to apply pressure and gauze. We had first-aid kits, we had everything. We knew about this, we knew how to do it."

He added: "All of a sudden people started taking action. Like it just clicked. One of the staff members took off his shirt and put it right on the guy who was bleeding and told me to get on top of him so he would stop moving so he could apply pressure and gauze. We started digging people out of the rubble."

The 1,800-acre Little Sioux Scout Ranch is in the Loess Hills in westernmost Iowa, close to the Nebraska line, about 40 miles north of Omaha. The hills rise 200 feet above the plains in what is otherwise an exceedingly flat state. While tornadoes are often associated with flat, open land, Iowa is in Tornado Alley, and forecasters said twisters are not unusual in the Loess Hills.
The camp includes hiking trails through narrow valleys and over steep hills, a 15-acre lake and a rifle range.

Lisa Petry, the mother of 13-year-old Boy Scout Jose Olivo, said she had a bad feeling Wednesday morning when she heard reports of possible severe weather. "I thought, `Should I call the scout camp and ask if there's severe weather, where will they go?'" she said.

The governor would not address questions about whether the Scouts should have remained at the campground after severe weather alerts were issued.

"There's always lessons learned from any natural disaster, from any tragedy," Culver said. "We need to focus on the victims, the families affected."

The National Weather Service said it was an EF3 on the 1-to-5 Enhanced Fujita scale of tornado intensity, with an estimated wind speed of 145 mph. The twister cut a path estimated at 14 miles long.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff toured the camp and said it appeared that the Boy Scouts "didn't have a chance" and that the tornado came through the camp "like a bowling ball."
___
Associated Press writers Henry C. Jackson in Des Moines, Iowa; Nate Jenkins and Anna Jo Bratton in Onawa, Iowa; Sophia Tareen and Timberly Ross in Omaha, Neb., and John Hanna in Chapman, Kan., contributed to this report.

Rollercoaster - Part 2

2008-06-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

Originally this was part of yesterday's post, but it was just too darn long so I separated it out.

I've posted about Son #1's growth issues in the past. Here are some posts you can visit if you want to get up to speed:

Failure to Thrive (November 19, 2007) - Son #1 was prescribed a drug designed to prevent muscle wasted and stimulate appetite and prevent muscle waste.
More Questions than Answers (April 23, 2007) - chronicling our first visit with the pediatric endocrinologist.
56 is the Magic Number (April 12, 2007) - pediatrician is alarmed that Son #1 has not only fallen off the 'growth curve' two years ago, he's no longer following the curve.

Son #1 gained almost 5 pounds since starting the "battery acid" medicine, as he called it, back in November. It is designed to stimulate appetite, but it tastes awful. I thought Son #1 was exaggerating until one day, on a lark, I dipped the tip of my finger in the medicine and took a taste....just to see what the fuss was about. OH. MY. GOSH. It was terrible. Granted, I've never attempted to siphon gasoline and failed, but I can only imagine that this is what it would taste like. ICK!. The foul taste stayed with me for hours! Son #1 is a bigger man than I give him credit for. (and this stuff is supposed to *stimulate* appetite???)

He had a follow up appt. with the endocrinologist at the end of May. Although Son #1 gained weight (yay!), when you factor in the height increase (1/2 in. in 6 mos), it ends up equating to a net loss. Sigh.

Doc recommended a Growth Hormone Stimulation Test, which we took on June 3rd. Son #1 had to start fasting at 9pm the night prior. We drove to the hospital about 35 miles away, checked in and Son #1 was led to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Sounds much scarier that it is. It turns out that - fortunately - the PICU is not a busy department and therefore can conduct the 3+ hour hormone stimulation test properly, usually without interruption. (Doc said the hospital closest to our house is "too busy" and if the bloodwork isn't drawn exactly in the right increments, it negates the entire test).

They insert a Hep-Lock in Son #1's arm (an IV port). They draw baseline bloodwork. They give Son #1 Clonadine (tablets) and Glucagon (shot in the tookus) to 'stimulate' an insulin/growth hormone response.

Thirty minutes after the meds, they draw blood. Sixty minutes after meds, they draw blood, Ninety minutes after meds, they draw blood. One hundred twenty minutes after meds, Son #1 had to pee, gets nauseous and weak, they draw more blood. He finally dozes. One hundred eighty minutes after meds, they draw the last round of bloodwork.

Now I understand what I mean when they say that blood must be drawn at exactly the precise intervals or else the entire test is a bust!

They feed us - an unexpected treat (I fully expected to have to stop for food on the way home). Son #1 ate cheese pizza and drank Gatorade ... a must before Nurse Nancy would remove the IV port from Son #1's arm.

The test results will be forwarded to Son #1's endocrinologist in 3 to 4 weeks. I'm not sure what to make of all this. I've been doing research, off and on, for a while now. Information overload. On one hand, I'm 5' 1" and I don't feel 'shortness' is a condition that necessarily needs to be cured. Hello, Michael J. Fox (5'4") and Al Pacino (barely 5'6" if I had to guess).

I remember watching a special on 20/20 on TV a few years ago about teens/young adults who had growth hormone injections. How much it hurt, how much it cost. I remember Son #1 who must've been about 8 at the time saying he didn't want any of that. He's happy the way he is. The way God made him. That's a pretty compelling argument.

But there's a flip side. Many studies have shown that children (and adults) who do not produce enough growth hormone (you don't stop needing the growth hormone once you've reached adulthood), are at increased risk for: 1) obesity - altho' this is unlikely to be an issue for Son #1, 2) osteoporosis - which runs in my family, and 3) early onset coronary artery disease - Dear Hubby had stents at 34 and triple bypass at 36.

So it's not really a matter of curing 'shortness'. Unfortunately, many insurance companies consider growth hormone therapy a 'vanity' treatment. Test results should be in by the end of the month. Stay tuned....

Quite the Rollercoaster..(Part 1)

2008-06-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to toss this out there...no deep introspection. I've been mulling this over for a bit and haven't quite figured out what to say/think about it, so I'm going to put toss it out there. Maybe I'll analyze it later. Maybe not.

Sons #1, #2 and Dear Hubby are heading off to Boy Scout camp three states away. They leave the Sat. before Father's Day (June 14), will be gone for Son #2's birthday (June 17) and will return on Sat. June 21 (two days before Son #1's birthday). They'll have a blast, but cell phone coverage in the mountains of Georgia is spotty at best, so it will be very strange going days without knowing what they're up to, how they're doing...

Dear Hubby's upcoming job interview. The good: slightly more money (he's close to maxing out in his current position), better opportunity to broaden his skills. The bad: giving up the company car (gas, maintenance, insurance paid by the company), more overnight travel, although they say he'll be able to set his own travel schedule. He really wants this so if it fits in with God's plan, I hope he'll get it. If not, then it wasn't meant to be.

My eyesight has been another source of anxiety. You might remember that last year at annual eye exam I had problems with dry eyes, which was news to me. (Click here and here for background.) At that time, my optometrist said recommended several weeks of wearing glasses (UGH!) and using eye drops. My vision improved enough for the doctor to prescribe a type of contact lenses made specifically for dry eyes - Accuvue Oasys. All's been well until a couple of weeks ago.

I've experienced a rather dramatic decrease in my vision. With contacts lenses, it's not as noticeable although I do seem to benefit from reading glasses. However, with my new (less than 1 year old) prescription eyeglasses, my vision STINKS! I can no longer see the alarm clock from across the room when I'm wearing glasses. I cannot read email without removing my glasses and having my face THISCLOSE to the monitor (blogger font fortunately is larger than my default email font).

I'm inclined to think it might be the dry eyes again. Truthfully, I wear contacts 90% of my waking moments and they feel fine so I tend not to remember to use the drops. In addition, since my mini-vacation in May, I've had trouble with first allergies and then a cold so it's possible that the decongestants and anti-histamines are having an impact.

I'm trying to give my eyes a rest (no contacts, using eye drops regularly) for another couple of weeks. If things don't improve, I'll forgo my usual optometrist and visit an opthamologist instead. Keeping my fingers crossed that there isn't anything seriously wrong.

So there it is....tossed out there. Just the facts. For now.

The Thrill of the Chase

2008-06-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Hubby works for a Fortune 500 Company headquartered in Cleveland, OH, but one that does business all over the country (including our home state of Louisiana). He's been with them for 8 years in about 6 different job capacities. Some were moves he initiated, others were the result of someone asking him to take on a new startup initiative.

He enjoys his current position, but there's not much room for advancement. His department is highly specialized, although thanks to the 6 jobs within the company, Dear Hubby's breadth of skill is impressive.

A corporate level job was posted a few weeks ago, so he took the leap and applied. He's had two phone interviews with the hiring manager, one phone interview with corporate human resources, and had to submit a writing sample.

The top two candidates - yes, Dear Hubby is one of them - are being flown to Cleveland for in-person interviews. Fortunately the perimeters of the job are such that he can work out of any company office, so relocation isn't necessary. (On the other hand, if we ever decide to move almost anywhere, he can just transfer his home office location.)

Here's where Dear Hubby and I differ. I would be on 'pins and needles' as the expression goes. This has been going on for weeks. Any idea how much sleep I'd lose? And interview? Yikes. Can I choose a root canal instead?

But no. Dear Hubby recognizes it for the game that it is. He's good at analyzing what info the interviewer is really trying to get at. He thinks very quickly on his feet and is never caught off guard (well, except for the one time on January 10, 1987 when he met me - ha ha).

I'm sure he'll be disappointed if he isn't offered the job, but he's pretty philosophical about whether or not "it's meant to be." He's so laid back and, well, cool about the whole thing.

I hope my kids inherit this trait from him.

Aliases - Part III

2008-05-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

Those of you following my blog for a while now, know that Son #3 (age 6) has a penchant for wanting to change his name.

Over the years, he's requested that we call him:

1) Obi Wan Kenobi (kinda catchy, but doesn't go with our last name)
2) Chester (um, no)
3) Michael (okay, not bad once he dropped the "Jackson")
4) Ovento Burrito (what the heck????)
5) Christopher (not bad)
6) Nicholas (still not bad)
7) Logan. Nickname: Lo. He actually said that.

And today....

8) Pettiman (again, what the heck?)

sigh....

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-25T09:09:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone takes a moment to remember those brave men and women who given their lives defending our country over the past 2 1/2 centuries. Have a great, safe weekend.

Introducing Kramer....

2008-05-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

I've been a little distracted lately. Here's why:

It's a baby guinea pig (also called a cavy). Isn't he adorable? Oh, c'mon, even it you don't like rodents, he's awfully cute. His name is Kramer (after the character on "Seinfeld") because he has crazy hair. His hair doesn't lay smooth like his parents and one sibling. Instead, he has swirls and cowlicks, like two other siblings.

Son #2's friend has a pair of guinea pigs and they had babies. Son #2 first met Kramer when he was only 3 days old. He's grown fast, though, and is old enough to be separated from his mother so the friend's mom offered one to us. We picked him up last Friday (my criteria: I wanted the friendliest, mellowest one).

It's funny how expensive a 'free' guinea pig can be once you factor in all the accoutrement. He's loads of fun, though. Really sweet.

Here's another photo:

Home Sweet Home

2008-05-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I spent several days in Virginia visiting my mother - a long Girl's Weekend, if you will. Shopping, dining out, catching up with friends. I had a great time.

I guess there's no way to ease back into 'the real world,' though. When I stepped off the airplane on Sunday afternoon, I was greeted by two bickering kids, one sick kid, and of course Dear Hubby who had Single Dad duty since Wednesday. But yes, it's good to be home.

Son #2 (the sick one) stayed home from school yesterday, but was feeling fine today. Son #1 is receiving an award at his school this evening (honor roll is my guess) and Son #3 is usual high maintenance, but lovable self.

I hope my fellow mom bloggers had a great Mother's Day!

Busy Time of the Year / Happy Mom's Day

2008-05-05T16:20:00.001-07:00

Teacher Appreciation Month is winding down. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but it seems that way. I have 3 kids at 3 different schools - each celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week at different times. Two weeks ago, it was the middle school. Last week, the junior high. This week, the elementary school.

As room mom of Son #3's kindergarten class, this Teacher Appreciation Week has me especially busy. I collected letters of appreciation written by the parents of Son #3's classmates, assembled them into a scrapbook to be presented on Wednesday. I also arranged for a class sitter on Thursday for the teachers' luncheon. The class sitter will begin working with the kids on the teacher's year-end gift.

Did I mention that I chose this week to go out of town? Well, I didn't pick it specifically because it was Teacher Appreciation Week, but I'm long overdue to visit my mother and weekends are tough since I teach religion on Sunday evenings. Last night was our last religion class for the school year so - with the exception of two sons playing baseball - I have my weekends back. YAY!

That's a round about way of saying that I'll be away from my computer (hence my blog) from May 7 through 11th.

On Sunday, I'll be having Mother's Day breakfast with my mom in Virginia and dinner with my hubby and kids in Louisiana - I feel like a jetsetter. :-)

To my fellow mom-bloggers, I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing Mother's Day.

Next Steps for Son #3

2008-04-25T21:04:00.001-07:00

Son #3 will be finishing his kindergarten year in May. As is the custom at his school, I had a conference with his teacher to help decide the best placement for him next year. The options for any child are: 1) repeating kindergarten, 2) transitional 1st grade, 3) traditional first grade, or 4) multi-age.

The Traditional 1st grade (also called T-1) is a program that's not quite kindergarten and not quite first grade. It's often referred to as "the gift of time." It's for kids who socially and emotionally aren't quite ready for traditional first grade. At the end of the T-1 school year, the student will move into 1st grade.

The Multi-Age program is where ten first grade students (called "novices") are placed in a class with ten second grade students (called "experts"). There are a lot of centers and collaborative work. The following year, the "experts" move into tradition 3rd grade, while the "novices" (1st graders) become the "experts" (2nd graders) and a new group of 10 kids join them as novices. The advantages are the same teacher for two years in a row, plus half of the same kids.

Son #3's kindergarten teacher and I met this morning to discuss what would be the best option for my little guy. Academically he's 'very stong.' (I'm not surprised since I home schooled him for pre-K - at his request.) However, there are some areas where emotionally and socially, he's a bit "developmentally younger" than his 6 years.

How much of this is because I kept him home with me until kindergarten? How much of it is because of his general personality? Who knows?

According to the Gesell Developmental Observation, he ranked 'very strong' in math and in visual memory. Slight behind in auditory memory (duh, he rarely listens to me! Didn't need a test to tell me this.) His cognitive skills are above average. His symbolic/drawing skills are strong, as are his spelling skills.

He gets along well with his peers, does well in group settings. His challenges, however, are:

♦ fine motor skills. He's such a perfectionist at forming his letters that he sometimes does not finish his assignment. Is it a fine motor deficiency (developmental) or a personality train (perfectionism)? Who knows.
♦ while he works well in groups, he does not want to take the lead, doesn't want to go first. (heck, I'm 40+ and I don't like to take the lead). Again, is this developmental or personality?
♦ at school, he has difficulty expressing his feelings. NOT a problem at home.
♦ although he rarely needs help from the teacher, on the rare occasions where he does not understand the instructions, he doesn't seem to ask for help.

It boils down to this:

School Son #3 versus Home Son #3

♦ School Son #3 plays well with other kids
♦ Home Son #3 plays well with other kids EXCEPT his brothers
♦ School Son #3 shares shares
♦ Home Son #3 shares when he wants to, which isn't often
♦ School Son #3 has difficulty expressing feelings
♦ Home Son #3 won't hesitate to tell you exactly what he's feeling
♦ School Son #3 lacks confidence
♦ Home Son #3 is a complete bulldozer

Will the REAL Son #3 please stand up? I thought the teacher might recommend Transitional First Grade but I've read studies and while I think it might be a viable options for some kids, I'm not sure it's best for Son #3. Dear Hubby is very resistant to this idea (as is the National Association for the Education of Young People).

Fortunately, his teacher said that while T-1 is a viable option, she's not going so far as to recommend it for Son #3 (like she has for a couple of other students). She and I seem to agree that the multi-age program (which offers a bit more flexibility than traditional first grade) might be a good fit. Next step: she and I each write a letter to the principal stating our opinions and rationales. As a parent, I'm allowed to request a specific program (in this case, Multi-age), but I'm not supposed to request a particular teacher.

There is one multi-age teacher that I would love for Son #3 to have. She was Son #1's second grade teacher and we loved her! So while I cannot request her by name, in my letter, I can describe the type of teacher would help my son thrive and blossom. Let's hope the principal can read between the lines. Wish us luck!

Shameless Self-Promotion

2008-04-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

Some of you may recall that I make handcrafted jewelry, and I'm trying my hand at selling it online - hence the Etsy.com link to the right.

Business is slow, but I've made a couple of sales. My biggest challenge, I feel, is self-promotion. It's difficult for me to say hey, look what I made! But I'm working on it. :-)

That said, I'm listing a few links below. Visit them if you have the time.

DISCLAIMER: I'm NOT asking you to buy anything, but I'd love feedback (on my jewelry, my second blog, my Etsy shop). Most of you are out there in the real world and may notice something that I've overlooked.

So click here to visit my Etsy shop.

And click here to check out my second blog devoted to my jewelry. For now, I plan to post weekly (on Fridays) on my new blog.

I really enjoy my personal blog and that will be my primary one. I have too much fun here on Would You Like A Little Whine... to let it fall by the wayside.

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

That said, it's not easy being green in my part of town. I recycle my newspapers at the the big collection box at my son's school. However, I was disappointed to learn that there are no drop off locations for recycling cans, glass or plastic. (One the requirements for the Citizenship in the Community merit badge that my Boy Scout son is working is is to write a letter to a local official - I think we just found out topic.)

Today was Earth Day/Field Day at Son #3's elementary school. I worked the volunteer registration table and the newspaper recycling center (tying bundles with twine - the recycle folks don't want the newspapers in bags). Every time I saw Son #3 throughout the day, he had a new bandaid. Limbo contest? Fell and skinned his right knee. Jump rope? Skinned the left. You get the picture. (I'm just glad the teacher was there to witness it first hand. This kid is quite accident prone.)

All it all, though, it was a really nice day.

Aliases - Part II

2008-04-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

On my Sept. 27, 2005 post, I wrote the following:

For some reason, Son #3 has never seemed satisfied with his name. I think it's a perfectly nice name (or I wouldn't have selected it) and it's one that has options (nicknames). Nevertheless, he'll periodically come up with alternatives.

At various times, he's requested that we call him....

1) Obi Wan Kenobi (kinda catchy, but doesn't go with our last name)
2) Chester (um, no)
3) Michael (okay, not bad once he dropped the "Jackson")
4) Now he wants to be called: Ovento Burrito

what the heck????

Since September, he's requested...
5) Christopher
6) Nicholas

I found this very interesting because I often thought if I ever had a Son #4 (i.e. if God has a really wicked sense of humor), I would name him Nicholas Christopher or Christopher Nicholas. However, I never mentioned it to anyone - not even Dear Hubby. Strange, huh?

But he's moved on. Now he wants to be called:

7) Logan. Nickname: Lo. He actually said that.

He's apparently mentioned it to other people because his Aunt Mimi told me that Son #3 told her that when he grows up, he's going to the courthouse to change his name and that he hopes the judge isn't too mean. Seriously. Who's feeding this kid legal advice?

And did I mention that he just turned six?

I Want to Go Back to the Time When....

2008-04-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

This is an email classic so you may have seen it before, but I liked it and thought I'd share it :

I want to go back to the time when...

decisions were made by going 'eeny-meeny-miney-mo"
mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming "do over!"
race issues meant arguing about who ran the fastest
money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "Monopoly"
catching fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening
it wasn't odd to have two or three best friends
being "old" was referring to anyone over 20
the net on a tennis court was the perfect height to play volleyball and rules didn't matter
the worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties
it was magic when your dad would "remove his thumb"
it was unbelievable that dodgeball wasn't an Olympic event
having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot
nobody was prettier than Mom
scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better
it was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the amusement park
getting a foot of snow was a dream come true
abilities were discovered because of a "double dog dare"
Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute ads for action figures
"Olly olly oxen free" made perfect sense
spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles
the worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team
water balloons were the ultimate weapon
war was a card game
baseball cars in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle
taking drugs meant orange flavored chewable aspirin
ice cream was considered a basic food group
older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors.

If you can remember most or all of them, then you have LIVED!

Fearlessness

2008-04-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that Son #1 is a Boy Scout (as is Son #2). Son #1 is working on his Communications Merit Badge and one of the requirements it to serve as Master of Ceremonies (emcee) for a Court of Honor or campfire meeting. Last night was the Court of Honor, a quarterly ceremony where scouts are recognized for earning merit badges and achieving rank advancments.

Son #1 has a significant speech impairment. Combine his articulation challenges with his incredibly fast rate of speed (he's put most auctioneers to shame), well, let's say that sometimes it takes a lot of work on the listener's behalf...

That said, Son #1 was allowed to co-emcee with another Boy Scout. The other boy prepared a script (with Son #1's input), divided up the sections. Son #1 practiced over the weekend and I re-sized the script so he could have a small page of notes at the podium.

During the Court of Honor, I made it a point *NOT* to watch him very much because I wanted to hear just his speech, uninfluenced by his facial expressions, gestures, etc. I was so impressed. Of course the articulation issues are still there, but he really worked on his rate of speech. It would've been a much shorter meeting if he emceed solo and spoke at his normal rate. :-)

A couple of times during the evening, there were a few changes to the program (a previously unannounced guest speaker, at one point the co-emcee accidentally traded "lines" with Son #1). It didn't fluster Son #1 at all. He just 'rolled with it.'

So a couple of things jump out at me:

1) he *can* slow down when he really wants to
2) he really does live up to the Boy Scout motto of doing one's best
3) "going with the flow"
4) fearless. Absolutely fearless.

I think he had a lot of fun. I know I enjoyed watching him.

Spring Break - Trying to Take it Easy

2008-03-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

The kids are out of school this week for Spring Break, hence my lack of blogging. It's not that we've been busy, but rather, we've been relaxing and taking it easy so there's not much to report.

Sons #2 and #3 have been skateboarding with kids on the street. Son #3, who just turned six, is surprisingly good. He's not doing stunts, thank goodness, but he can keep up with the rest of them.

Son #1 has been spending a lot of time reading and doing crossword puzzles, when he wasn't entertaining his guest. (His best friend spend Tuesday and Wednesday nights.)

I've been making more of my beaded jewelry - I'm seriously running low on supplies, though. Staying up late, sleeping as late as the kids will allow. It's been good.

Twas the Night of Good Friday....

2008-03-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

...and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. But it's only 9:30, how can this be? Where are the kids, the noise, and the screams and the shrieks?

Okay, I feel like I'm channeling Dr. Seuss so I'll stop now. Dear Hubby is running a local race tomorrow with his high school buddy (an annual tradition) so he's spending the night at his sister's house. She lives closer to the race venue. Son #1 went to bed at 9:00 - he's a nightowl, so I know it's killing him, but this is his penance for staying up too late last night. He and Dear Hubby were watching "Passion of the Christ" on DVD and I knew Dear Hubby would fall asleep (an affliction that strikes when: 1) the TV is on, and 2) he's horizontal). I gave Son #1 strict instructions to turn off the DVD player and go to bed when the movie ended. Well, I know it's not a 6-hour film. At 5:30 a.m., Son #1 wakes Dear Hubby whose snoozing on the sofa to let him know that he (Son #1 is going to bed). Thanks for sharing. Five-thirty a.m., people! So tonight, no staying up late with Mom watching TV.

Son #2 and #3 went to be by 9:00 because they played hard, and they lack Son #1's stamina. It's deathly quiet in the house now. The only sound is the beagle snoring in the other room and DJ Jen's music from her blog, which I have opened in another web window.

May the peace and love of the Easter season be with you and yours!

What a Week! - Part Two

2008-03-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

You've heard about Son #1's travails in my last post. This post is about Son #2. He's a fun, funny, very sociable guy. He needs constant company (in contrast to his older brother). Earlier this week, he was a little bummed that the kid on our street that he usually plays with after school (I'll call him "Will" - not his real name) decided to go to another kid's house in the neighborhood. Will invited Son #2 along, but he declined.

Son #2 was a little mopey and when I asked him why he didn't go with Will, he said that the kid Will was going to play with is "not a good role model" (Son #2's words). I asked him to elaborate and he explained that this other kid uses bad language a lot on the bus and threatens to beat up other people. Wow. Unfortunately, this isn't terribly unusual behavior for the age group (10-11 year old boys), but I was really impressed that Son #2 took a stand, especially since it meant he didn't have anyone else to hang with that afternoon. I was very proud of him.

Fast forward to yesterday. I receive a phone call from the mother of one of Son #2's former friends. I'll call him "Greg" (again, not his real name). They met at the beginning of the school year when Greg moved here from another state. Son #2 was invited to Greg's house once, they had a fine time, but some weeks later, Son #2 told me that he and Greg weren't friends anymore because Greg called Son #2 and his other friend, Jack (another alias) "a bad name." Son #2 didn't know what the name meant, but Jack said it wasn't good, and by the way, Mom, what's a pervert? Lovely discussion we had, that's a lot Greg (I'm being snarky). We discussed it and decided it might be best to steer clear of Greg until he apologizes or at the very least, stops the name calling.

Greg's mom calls to tell me that Greg was very upset when she picked him up after school. Apparently Greg's friends are starting to 'fall away,' he's being tripped at school, that Son #2 hit him with a ball earlier that day, etc. Needless to say, I'm appalled but I also know there are two sides to every story so I tell her I'll talk with Son #2 and call her back.

Son #2 is no angel, but he's not a bully. He has on occasion gotten frustrated at another kid and called them a name (usually something pretty tame, but still unacceptable and I make sure he's reminded of it). But never has he physically lashed out at anyone. He has a lot of friends, but he's not the type to use them against one another. In fact, he's generally the peacemaker and doesn't choose sides when his other friends have an argument. If someone behaves badly toward someone else, it's usually Son #1 who tells them they're acting uncool.

Still, I ask Son #2 about it. He insists he's been steering clear of Greg. He admits to calling Greg a couple of names about a month ago when Greg called him "gay." Son #2 fired back with "bully" and one other that he conveniently forgot (uh huh. sure.). We talk again how name-calling is unacceptable and to knock it off. He insists that's been his only involvement with Greg.

I continue my interrogation (unlike Son #1, who'll tattle on himself almost immediately, serious conversations with Son #2 are like fine wines - they must be allowed to age and ferment).

Me: Did you physically touch Greg with any part of your body or any object?

Him: No, ma'am.

Me: Did you ever turn any other kids away from Greg? Suggest they shouldn't hang out with him?

Him: No, a lot of people stopped hanging out with him because he calls them names too.

Me: You didn't suggest that?

Him: No.

Me: Have you ever seen anyone push or hit Greg?

Him: Yes, _____ knocked him down last week.

Me: Did you ever throw a ball at him or even to him, if he seemed like he was joining your game?

Him: No, he doesn't join our games. He hangs out with _____ & ______. Another kid, _____, threw a football at him today.

Me: How do you get along with Greg's friends?

Him: Fine. We don't hang out because I steer clear of Greg, but when he's not around, we say "hey."

And so it goes. He sits next to me as I call Greg's mom. I mentioned again why Son #2 no longer hangs out with Greg (which she conveniently doesn't address). I told her Son #2's version of events. She responds with, "So he's saying he did nothing today? That Greg is making all this up? It's clear that you're absolutely going to believe your son..." I cut her off with: "Excuse me, but isn't that exactly what you're doing?"

I reiterate that Son #2 said he did not trip or hit Greg with a ball. I acknowledge that Son #2 isn't an angel and that he admitted to calling Greg names when Greg called him names. I reminded her that Greg called Son #2 a pervert months ago. I also tell her that I do believe Greg is being bullied, based on what Son #2 told me. But he is not bullied by Son #2. I'd love to work with her to sort this out, but I want specifics. I asked her to please ask Greg which ball hit him and did he actually see Son #2 throw it. In other words, was it the green soccer ball Son #2 was playing with or was it the football that Son #2 saw another kid throw at Greg?

While I'm holding on, I can hear her asking him in the background. I can't hear all of Greg's response but I did hear him say the name of the kid who threw the football. His mom asks another question, and Greg replies, "that was (football thrower), too." She gets back on the phone with a much better demeanor: "I'm sorry. I apparently misunderstood." I resisted the temptation to say, You bet your ____ you did! We put both boys on the phone and they apologize.

Prior to my calling her back, I spoke with Son #2 about whether it might be possible to salvage the friendship. He didn't know. They didn't know each other long when it soured and there's been a lot of headaches since. Fair enough. However, he did agree that they could apologize, declare a truce and be cordial. Perhaps Son #2 could even say "hi" and mention to other friends that Greg apologized for the name-calling, that Son #2 thought that took guts and that everyone deserves a second chance. Whether that influences anyone else to follow suit, I don't know.

What I think happened is that Greg was upset. He was telling his mom about his day, how people knock him down, call him names (hello pot, meet kettle), how people (insert numerous names, including Son #2's) aren't hanging around him anymore. I think she may have glommed on to Son #2's name and projected the rest. Still it bugs me that she not once addressed the fact that her kid slings around some pretty nasty names. Until she acknowledges his role in all this, and addressed it, I can't see this kid's days getting much brighter.

What a Week! - Part One

2008-03-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

No sooner than I post my most recent blog about Son #1's confidence and security than all hell breaks loose - for him and others.

First off, why is it that Son #3 -- who did NOT have any altercations this week -- ends up with a black eye? It was an accident in his kindergarten class, but ironic nonetheless, considering....

Son #1 comes home from school Tuesday. It was a gorgeous day - sunny, breezy, in the low 70's, no humidity. Just beautiful. But I can see him as he's walking home from his bus stop a block and a half away. Something just isn't right, you know what I mean? I can tell by his body language. No spring in his step. No wave and "Hi, Mom!" from half a block away. Shoulders kind of slumped. As he draws nearer, I ask, "how was your day?" "It was good and bad," he says. I ask how his standardized testing went. He said that was fine. I asked about the "bad" part. (Grab yourself a cup of coffee - this may take awhile) Here goes:

After a morning of state-wide standardized testing in the morning, Son #1 returns to homeroom, which is in the gym. There's a second 7th grade homeroom class in the gym. Son #1 has ADHD and likes to pace. His homeroom teacher doesn't mind if Son #1 paces the perimeter of the gym as long as he's not disturbing anyone. Burning off nervous energy, so to speak.

Son #1 walks around the gym. A girl, I'll call her E., stops him on two occasions and asks for "a hug." Son #1 is appalled. He's a young 12.5 and is not yet interested in girls as a group (he's had minor crushes on specific girls in the past, but as a whole, he still finds girls "weird" - sorry moms of girls). Also, he's not a touchy-feely kid. Heck, he barely hugs me. Once in a while, he'll sneak up for the 2-second body slam, but by the time I realize what he's doing, he's gone! So a hug? I don't think so! He said no.

He continued his trek across the gym and she asked again for a hug, he said no again. Third time was not the charm. She didn't ask. She attempted to hug him, and Son #1 sort of snarled out of frustrastion, squirmed away and took off. She tells her girlfriends, that rather than snarling, Son #1 bit her, which is untrue.

Son #1 was mortified and immediately reported the situation to his homeroom teacher (also his gym coach). Teacher spoke to E.'s teacher. No big deal, apparently (Q. Why didn't E. tell her teacher that she was bitten? A. She wasn't bitten!). Son #1's teacher said to let him know if there are further problems. Seems like a non-issue, right?

You would think. However, by the end of the day, folks were asking Son #1, "Why did you bite E.?" and worse - getting within 10 inches of his face on the bus and asking whether Son #1 was going to bite them? Personally, I think he would've been justified to do just that, but he exercised great restraint.

My regular readers know that Son #1 is speech impaired, small for his age, has ADHD, formerly suffered from seizures, is very eccentric and is, in general, very confident in who God created him to be. Tuesday, however, was a day of doubt for him. He works hard to be cordial to others, even if he sometimes lacks the usual social graces. He likes to keep to himself and doesn't like unwanted attention. He especially doesn't like anyone invading his personal space. Yikes.

Had it just been the incident between Son #1 and E. (the hug), I would probably have not been perturbed because I believe the homeroom teachers handled it with a warning. But since other kids - at least a dozen - were bugging Son #1 about it, it was clearly getting out of hand. Rather than getting all "mama bear" about it (tough to resist), I let Dear Hubby handle it. He called the assistant principal (who handles disciplinary measures) and tells him that:

1) our son was the victim of "unwanted physical contact" (a huge no-no here)
2) he was being "slandered" by Emily's lies
3) he was being harassed and "bullied" by other kids on the bus because or Emily's lies

Just enough to make poor Mr. Asst. Principal want to lose his breakfast. Dear Hubby told him politely that he looked forward to hearing back from Asst. Principal by the end of the day how he planned to address the issue. (Dear Hubby rocks! I could've done this, but by junior high, I think administrators start to roll their eyes when Mom calls. I should point out that instead of playing "bad cop", Dear Hubby is actually "ex-cop".)

Later that afternoon, Mr. Asst. Principal called Son #1 to his office to hear his version of events (Rule #1: it pays to be pro-active. Dime yourself out, if necessary.). He calls E. to his office and she fortunately realizes this could be serious business. She admits that Son #1 was telling the truth and that he did NOT bite her. She vows to tell as many people as possible in her social circle that there was a misunderstanding, that she was joking, whatever, but that Son #1 was innocent.

By that afternoon's busride, all seems to be well. Whether it's because E. lived up to her word or because they don't want their heinies hauled into the office, I don't know - or care. I'm satisfied with the way Mr. Asst. Principal handled it (even if E. did not have to apologize publicly, as Dear Hubby suggested. Can you hear that loud speaking announcement? "Hi. This is E. I just want to say that Son #1 did *not* bite me. I repeat, did not...")

I don't know whether E. made good on her promise, but we've instructed Son #1 to issue the standard answer next time he's asked about it:

"Clearly there's been a misunderstanding. I did NOT bit Emily, and I'm sure she'll tell you so if you ask her directly. If she tells you otherwise, let me know, but we've cleared it up and all's good."

Today's bus ride was much better indeed.

Next up: Son #2....