It's that time of year again!

Time to start meeting the kids at their bus stops and hosing them down with the Lysol before they enter the house! Friday afternoon I was suddenly hit with the dizzies that lasted a few hours. Since the dogs were acting fine I assumed it was sinus and/or weather related and not a gas leak. We all have our own testing methods! Yesterday I had some stuffiness but felt ok. This morning I woke up feeling pretty icky as did Samantha and Robbie. Robbie definitely sounds like he has a "cold in the nold". Katie's head is hurting her and Mark said he doesn't feel too badly right now but not good either, just sort of wiped out. Eight school days in and we got hit! I'm thinking that has to be some sort of record for us! So I've been pushing fluids on everyone today and Mark and I scrubbed down the bathrooms. Hopefully tomorrow everyone will have some sort of miraculous healing!

We went to Borders yesterday so Katie could spend her prize from the summer reading program. She was second place in the teen category and won a $25 g.c. to Borders. I saw a couple of books from The Biggest Loser that picqued my interest. I have a "membership" card to B&N and had an internet coupon so I ordered the family cookbook and the 30 day jump start books today. I believe it's September 15 when the new season starts. I'm hoping with some motivation, the books and watching the show I can make some changes and can answer their question of "What have you done today to make you feel proud?!" I'm a stress eater. Bury the crap under food! But then that just creates more stress and blah blah blah. I know why I bawling along with the contestants EVERY time I watch an episode! It's a very emotional thing. Hopefully this year will be THE year! I think once I'm ready to make it official I might blog it just to make myself a little more accountable. I don't know if that will work or not or if I'll just say "blank it"! We'll have to see. And I doubt I tell y0u my starting weight either! Hopefully I'll be able to just list pounds and/or inches lost!!! There's only so much accountability a gal can handle! ;-)

Surprise for Katie

We've been a little worried about Katie feeling lost in the shuffle with all that's gone on around here the past few months. All of the things Robbie's dealing with (along with the rest of us in trying to help him) and then Samantha moving in here this summer had us worried she'd feel resentful or ignored. So far she's showed no signs of it other than reminding people that it IS her room! ;-) And she's made some comments in comparing herself to her brother or sister but no major acting out or anything like that, thankfully!

She was so sad that Celtic Thunder wasn't coming to Indianapolis and asked "If they EVER come here will you please take me???" She even offered to find a way to pay for her own ticket. We saw they were coming to South Bend, IN which according to Mapquest is a little over 2.5 hours away from our house. But it's on a Monday night and with work and school we just thought it would be too hard. Then a week or so ago Mark asked me something in passing about when and where they were going to be. I think it stewed in both our brains for a few days and then Saturday afternoon we made the stealthy decision to order tickets online because "she can sleep on the way home" and Mark could take a vacation day if he needed.

We kept it a secret from her. Today the tickets came in the mail. When Mark got home from work he handed the envelope to Katie and said he had a nasty paper cut bugging him so could she open it for him. She did and tried to hand it back without looking inside. He told her to pull whatever it was out of the envelope. She did and said "It's tickets." I said "Tickets?! To what???" The following pictures (taken while I was "adjusting the light settings on my camera because I think they're messed up" heehee) tell how excited she was far better than I ever could write it!

Sunday in Chicago

Edited to add: For some reason Blogger won't leave my spaces between paragraphs in once I publish it. Sorry for the seemingly run on paragraph if it doesn't take again this time!

We sort of decided at the last minute to take a day trip to Chicago Sunday. We talked about it off and on but didn't really make the decision until Saturday. We went to American Girl Place and the Lego Store and walked along the Magnificent Mile between the two. A lot of walking in some very warm and humid weather! Along with a gazillion other people since the Boat and Air Show was last week-end and just a short distance away! I was worried how Robbie would do (and myself a bit too since I'm NOT a crowd person) but he did great!

Katie and Samantha both got to fulfill a childhood dream (Sam a little later than Katie which we heard about!) by visiting the American Girl Place. They were both sad that their dolls, Samantha and Nellie, were retired last year (which we knew about) and that the store had nothing for those dolls. Books and videos but no clothes or accessories. Sam got a Bitty Baby and said ( a few times) "I used to go through those catalogs at Christmas and add up what it would costs to get one and all the stuff to go with her!" We just bought her the Bitty Baby, she's 22 yo, she can handle any accessories! Katie got her picture on a magazine cover and a contemporary dress for Nellie.

Robbie was almost quivering with excitement as we rode up the two escalators to get to the Lego Store. I think I was as bad, if not worse, as he was exclaiming over all the Lego sculptures! Monday was his birthday so Sam let him pick out his present from her there and we got him something too since the girls got something. Great Lego haul for the boy! That was a cool store but VERY crowded. One of the sales people told me it was a "little more" crowded than typically on a Sunday. I just know there were a lot of people in there!

We've decided that parking garages are THE business to go into up there! We paid a LOT in parking and ended up paying in two different garages since we weren't sure where we were going to eat so drove around a bit while deciding.

I took a lot of pictures of the buildings. I loved all the different shapes and angles and materials! The new up against the old. I wish I was talented enough to get some fantastic shots with the right camera equipment but I think I got a few decent ones with just me and my Canon!

It was neat to see how one little butterfly could make so many passer-bys smile! I actually did the "Yesssssssss!" when I saw I had captured the photo I wanted! Yes, I am that much of a dork! lol

I thought it was great that all my kids, even down to the a day away from 9 yo, knew this couple was from "American Gothic". I don't think I knew it was called that at age 9 or 12. I just always thought of it as "That picture with the grumpy looking farm couple"! Hey, I already mentioned my dorkiness, don't act surprised!

I have a lot more pictures that if anyone wants to see just let me know and I'll send you a link to Snapfish. Facebook won't let me upload photos this week for some reason.

Just some pic-a-tures

Robbie, Samantha and Katie at the local state park

See the little bug on the petal?

Me Tarzan....


You Jane!

It doesn't seem to be showing well here but you could see the clouds reflecting in the water that day. Sort of a Monet feeling going on!

I wanted to tweak this one but the editing software that came with the camera is limited but that was one humongous spider web!!!

Sweet, sweet bliss!

Today, for the first time since the end of May, I am completely alone in the house! Well, with the exception of Belle, Daisy and Lucky but they're all fairly quiet housemates! I am fighting another stupid barometer headache but it's tolerable since it's quiet! The sad thing is I have less than 30 mintues until the first one is due home! I love my family but it's so true that absence makes the heart grow fonder sometimes, especially after a crappy summer! lol

I talked to Mary for an hour today and while talking to her the mailman brought me the cardstock I ordered from Rocky Mountain Hobbies. Absolutely wuuuuuuuuuunerful hour!!! Archiver's was out of all the cardstock that the Bazzill matchmaker said matches the Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday line. I found maybe half of it online at RMH but they were out of colors too. What gives? Inspiration struck everyone at once?! Oh well, I also ordered some clearanced paper from RMH too to make it "worth the shipping costs". ;-) And surprisingly it was only a few sheets! Showing restraint in my old age!

Tuesday we had the meeting at school and I thought it went very well. His teacher this year really seems to enjoy her job and the challenges of teaching "gifted" kids and she had already done some online research on the issues Robbie's dealing with. She said, and I agree, that she thought we were going to work well together and get the boy successfully through 4th grade! I think I'm just going to love her!

We had some MAJOR snafus with the bus routes but I THINK (knock wood) that as of this morning we've worked our problems out. It sounds like there were problems throughout the district. I got thanked for being so pleasant everytime I called the transportation office. I didn't think I was acting all that special so they must have been getting some really cranky calls. There's some road construction messing things up on our side of town so I'm sure that isn't helping the bus drivers either. Not a job I'd want to do so I'll stay pleasant until they give me reason otherwise. I can't blame the first day snafus or construction on them though!

I know another round of Tropical Storm Crap is out there but for now I'm just going to enjoy the lull! And maybe....eventually....scrapbook something!

Monday, Monday

This evening was the "Back To School Ice Cream Social" at R's school. Robbie got to put his stuff away in his desk and see his new teacher. He also stopped in and talked to last year's teacher for a minute. I was surprised but impressed when last year's teacher asked if she could hug him and he said ok. He didn't hug back but just letting her hug him was a big step. I think they both frustrated each other at times last year (I'm keeping my opinions out of it) so it was surprising to see their interaction this evening.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with this year's teacher as well as the school counselor and the principal. I was surprised once again and impressed at how quickly his new teacher replied to my e-mail requesting a last minute appointment during what has to be a hectic time for them. I'm praying that's a good sign for the year ahead.

We hit McD's after the school thing and Robbie said it would be cool to get the mini flamingo beanie baby in his happy meal. He actually DID get that one in his meal and said that "today was a good day". Anytime I hear that I have a good day. Might be kind of silly to think that God is using a happy meal toy to remind me He's near but I'm going to go with it anyway.

I haven't slept well in over a week. I went to bed early last night and just laid there unable to sleep. Everytime I closed my eyes they'd just pop back open due to the never ending stream of thoughts in my head. I ended up coming downstairs and watching Roseanne reruns on TVLand until after 2 AM. I took a muscle relaxer around 1 am to help with the tension in my neck which meant that I was groggy most of the day.

Funny how a quick e-mail response and a Happy Meal flamingo can give you the "umph" to fight through the grogginess and find something positive to hang onto.

However, I'd still be willing to trade a child or two for some SLEEP maybe!

The web can be a dangerous place...

...especially if you're wont to go looking for as much information that you can find on a particular subject. I've been looking at websites concerning children with OCD. Apparently ADD and OCD can often go hand in hand so there's a crossover of information and a lot of it. On one website there was a FAQ section and a parent had asked what could they have done to prevent ADD in their child, one of the "possible" factors was a lack of oxygen during birth. Automatically my mind goes back to that prolapsed cord and the emergency c-section. I know it does no good to try to figure out why and who, if anyone, is to blame, and I'd be the first person to tell someone else that and mean it....for them. But for myself there are moments, not all the time but definitely moments, where I can't help but wonder "What if......". Does it do any good? Of course not but it is what it is.

It's an extremely helpless feeling to not be able to fix something for your child. And then that helplessness turns into anger. I get angry at God for starters, why should ANY child have to go through the things I see my son going through or the things I hear about a friend's child going through as a young adult. It's not fair, it's not right. And once again, I know life isn't fair, but it angers me that any child should have to suffer through any condition, medical, mental or lousy living conditions. As adults we either sink or swim through our own actions and decisions but for a child to have do fight to swim? It just isn't right.

Then I get angry at myself because I can't fix it and make life a little easier for him. And those days when I lose my patience and get momentarily angry with him I get both anger and guilt slamming through my body.

And then there are those family members, friends or acquaintances who scoff at what the family doctor, school counselor, two therapists and a child psychiatrist have said and say "He's just trying to control everyone around him. He just doesn't WANT to do x,y or z. Why doesn't x bother him if y does?" You know what? We don't know why x doesn't bother him if Y does and HE doesn't know why either! Yep, anger shows up there too.

Perhaps I should have titled this one as "My blog is an angry place..."! I'm just feeling drained and worn out the past couple of weeks. I've used up my reserves and somebody making a less than smart decision concerning the boy last week didn't help either. So yes, there's some anger there too. I'm trying to work through it all and get back to a calmer place so I can help my son as best as I can but right now I'm feeling tapped. And school starting this Wednesday has me concerned too. After talking to his therapist about it this week I've decided I need to call the school Monday and try to arrange a meeting with his teacher and the school counselor to fill them in on this summer's developments. And then try not to get too defensive for him during said meeting.

On a good day the boy is so awesome! He's even awesome on the bad days but you couldn't convince him of that. I just want to do my best for him and my girls too (I worry especially about my middle child feeling resentful of all this drama, so far so good but I couldn't blame her if she felt lost in the shuffle sometimes). And right now I'm falling way short of that goal and some of those dangerous websites don't exactly help either. Maybe I should be looking at "get rich quick" sites and then the travel sites???