by Sarah | Nov 25, 2008 | Holidays
Yes, I’m on that subject again. But while I’ve mentioned that we’re going to alter our Holiday this year, I haven’t really gone into what we’re going to do…and what you can do to do the same.
For our family charitable event, we’ve signed up for Adopt A US Soldier. I can’t imagine anything more important than to send some of our troops caring support. I’m hoping to send a care package, even if they may not get it by Christmas, they’ll get it soon after. Even if you can only send a letter…isn’t it worth it to brighten the day of a man or woman that is fighting for our country?! Even if you don’t agree with the war, you can support our troops!
Did you know that the current economic climate isn’t just affecting you and me…but innocent pets?! I received a letter today about a local shelter that is beyond capacity. On Sunday they received 16 abandoned dogs ALONE!! How can you help? Well, if you can’t adopt a furry critter…consider taking one in as a foster pet. Help ease the burdon on the shelters, possibly save an animal’s life!!Â
Monetary donations are another idea. Think of a type of charity you’d like to help out. Cancer research, Sick Children and their Families, the Homeless, in the US (or your country) or Abroad. Not sure of a specific charity you’d like to contribute to? Do a search for an appropriate charity. My biggest advice here is…even after finding a charity via a site like that, RESEARCH the charity thoroughly yourself. Make sure your funds are going toward the cause more than someone’s pocketbook. Some of the bigger charities line their pockets as much/more than their own mission (I won’t name names…but at least one of them the company I used to work for tried to force me to contribute to, I refused on ground of priniciple). So research yoru charity, then donate. Even just a few dollars can help! I think we all know which charity I support most.
And of course…your time. Find a local shelter, a soup kitchen, a church that does something for the holidays. From project Angel Tree, to serving meals to the homeless or homebound, most churches perform some action. Donate your time…it’s more valuable than anything.
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I know…not your typical post from me…but I’ve been bitten by the bug. And the letter about the animal shelter broke my heart. I hope you find some way to make your holidays more joyous this year!!
(Sorry…I’ve been knee deep in graphics and coding since yesterday trying to create 4 new semi-matching layouts for me and BFF and our soon-to-be-open review site, my soon-to-be-re-opened writing blog, and finally a halfway decent layout for this site. I’m a little cross-eyed and short on creativity for posting about now :D)
by Sarah | Nov 23, 2008 | Weekly Winners
For the week of 11/17-11/23/08
Weekly Winners is the brainchild of the wonderfully Sarcastic Mom, Lotus
Not Herself
Fully Recovered
Trimming the Streets
Guiding my Way
Fall Colors – Holiday Lights
It Gets Everywhere
A Dusting on my Seat
It’s beginning to Look a lot Like…
Empty
Childhood Boundaries
by Sarah | Nov 21, 2008 | All About Kennedy, Crap
And right now HER well-being is not good. Not Riley. Riley looks like nothing ever happened. She’s running and laughing and smiling with clear eyes and no sign of her previous pain.
Angel, on the other hand. First she developed the stink pink-eye. She was given drops…NOT antibiotics. And while I’m grateful that she no longer looks like this:
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She does look like this:
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And this (by ear):
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This does not rest easy on my soul. Not when she sounds gravelly…and her breathing is shallow. The pulm on call last night acted like I was just silly for calling in…but with a first thing this morning temp of 102 by ear…a runny nose and generally grumpy disposition…I worry. No, she’s not coughing…but I still worry…how soon will she? Since it’s Friday should I take her in to the ped and have them check her breath sounds? Should I sit on it? I’m treating with motrin and snuggling with her since she has the chills and shakes…but I don’t know how to call or when or if I should? After last night I feel like I’m over-reacting…but I worry…I always worry about my baby-girl.
(And I keep hearing the pulm’s final words before I left the office Wednesday. “With CF kids it’s real easy for this all to move to their chest.”)
ETA: I DID call the pediatrician. Angel will go in at 1:30 EST to have them do a cursory check of her lungs and get some antibiotics (which I am specifically asking for)
by Sarah | Nov 19, 2008 | All About Kennedy, All About Molly, Crap
Apparently my beautiful girl Riley, who likes to become non-verbal when distressed, became to distressed to tell me her ears hurt.
Apparently there was a severe double ear infection (again – this happened last year).
Apparently I waited too long to take her to the doctor.
Apparently waiting until eyes are draining green goop is far too long to wait.
Apparently waiting a long time on a bad ear infection can spread the infection to the eyes and cause pink eye.
Apparently that is EXACTLY what happened to Riley.
Apparently it is highly contagious (I sort of knew that already)
Apparently I wasn’t fast enough with the hand sanitizer.
Apparently Angel is now showing the signs of it.
Apparently I’ll be spending the next two weeks doling out doses of antibiotics to two toddlers.
by Sarah | Nov 17, 2008 | All About Family, Holidays
For the past ten years we have perpetuated the myth of the man. We have struggled and scrimped and saved to continue the tale of a jolly elf. We have gone without gifts to ensure that Brandon had lots of gifts from us and Santa. Last year our budget for all three kids was $500…I won’t say how overbudget we went…but our tree was overflowing. We had disasterous pictures with the man in red. We had a blowout of Christmases like we’d never had before.Â
For the past two years I’ve doubted that Brandon still believed…but the Christmases got bigger as if to reassure him that it was. I’ve continued to push and perpetuate the myth.Â
I spoke a few weeks ago about our plan to simplify Christmas this year. That we decided that just because we COULD have a big Christmas didn’t mean that we should. I was nervous about confronting this fact with Brandon. How would he react, and what would he say?Â
Over the weekend at our family dinner we discussed the matter. Brandon took it with ease. He admitted that it had been “a while” since he really believed in Santa. He has started thinking of appropriate charities to choose for his donation.
And now as I sit here watching the toddlers race around the room I’ve realized something. This year we will see the the death of Santa…the commercialized version. Our girls won’t learn of Santa in the way Brandon did. When we teach them about Santa – they’ll learn of thim being the essence of the holiday spirit. The spirit of giving, not the spirit of hoarding and gathering. Here, in this house, his image will represent something different than he ever has before.Â
Christmas will be about me fililng the house with the smell of hundreds (yes, I do mean that-last year I made 50+ dozen…and we ate them all) of fresh baked cookies. Of preparing a care package for a soldier (our family charitable effort). Of making homemade gifts for family and each other, and spending very little on ourselves. Of donating to a worthy cause as individuals and a family.*
So this year the man in red will be put to rest as he’s been known. And I’m okay with that. I hope that the commercial santa rests in peace. Around here I think our softer version of Santa is a far sight nicer.
*Not bad for a family with a ‘heathen’ as a heart warmer, eh?
by Sarah | Nov 14, 2008 | All About Me, Crap
It’s a stack of photos - three rolls of film’s worth. They lie buried in a box under my bed 99.9% of the time.
They are photos of monuments and landmarks. Graves and soldiers. Capitols and statues. No groupings of friends. No wacky close up’s trying to get me in the frame. No friends at all.
It was a long awaited trip. One met with excitement and anticipation. Three years of begging to follow in my brother’s footsteps. To join my best friend and classmates. To go to Washington, D.C. for a full week without my parents. Just me and my best bud, and a few other friends…and fifteen other classmates, a few teachers.
I was in seventh grade. The school did it every year. I wasn’t exceptionally popular (I’d lost that goal in sixth grade)…but I had two of the bestest friends, and a small group of friends that accepted me. One of those best friends was going on this trip with me.
By three days into the trip…I had no friends. It happened so fast and so embarassingly so it still pains me to even look at these pictures.Â
My BFF and I were huge into NKOTB (yes…yes), and we both were totally in love with Joey. She’d brought along a picture and set it gently into the frame of the hotel picture that was on the wall. Someone (a maid? classmate? roommate?) defaced the picture during the trip.
Somehow I got blamed. That wasn’t the embarassing part, though…they didn’t tell me they for some reason they thought I’d done it…they waited. Then, after a day of sightseeing I went in for my bathroom time. I went in, did my business, took a shower and came out.
By the next day the rumors swirled. They were ridiculous…but no one cared. Suddenly that night I was the focus of hilarity and someone even wrote a song about how I had managed to wash my hair in the toilet. My ‘friends’ and roommates attacked me verbally in the room, hurled insults and accusations…and I spent the remainder of the trip sleeping curled up on a hotel chair to sleep without even a blanket or one person to stand by me and be my friend.Â
The remaining tours were done in the back of the trip, talking to a teacher. I had no one to eat with, to talk with, to take silly pictures with…while my former friends latched on to more popular kids on the trip and boosted their own popularity talking about me.
It was among the darkest periods of my youth. It is why I absolutely loath the thought of my kids going to middle school and having to face fellow middle school evilness. It is why I never look at these pictures, why I never think of my trip. When I think of D.C. I think only of the time I lived near there and went to see shows a few blocks from the white house.
So why today?Â
Brandon came home with a permission slip and letter explaining the fifth grade trip to D.C. (much, much shorter…like an INSANELY FAST trip).Â
I like to think I’ve forgiven those girls for what they did and how they acted…at least I try to…I don’t like holding grudges (even if I am good at it)…but it’s something I can never forget because to this day it’s affected how I am, WHO I am. I feel it every day I look in the mirror and find something worng with myself. I feel it every time I feel like the odd ball out at a party, watching everyone else have fun wishing I could disappear into the shadows.
I want my son to see the capitol. I want him to be able to go with his friends. I know he WANTS to go…but I hesitate. My own past holds back his future and enjoyment. Can I forgive…Can I forget? Can I push past my own past (and cough up the dough) for him to go…
Can he have the trip that I never could? I have to let him try…for both of us.
