by Sarah | Apr 3, 2012 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Molly, All of Us, Crap, Random, WTF?
[flickr id=”6179693357″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”] *This morning I met with some wonderful ladies for a mini-conference w/ a talk given by the ever-internet-savvy Heather. It was a good time, I learned a lot, and it woke up something that I’d been thinking about for over a year now. I have two blogs – and for a scatterbrain like myself it wasn’t working. I feel pressured to come up with twice the posts and then I don’t post at all. So I’ve made the decision to somehow combine my writing blog (Sadie’s Storylines) into this one. It’s not a clean mesh by any means – which is what has kept me from doing it for so long – but it’s a necessary one. After all, my photography is here – why can’t my writing?
*I have been super-stressed in recent weeks. Many crazy things have happened health-wise and personal-wise that I’ve been feeling awful overwhelmed. Worst part is a current health-crisis with the hubby (although he’ll not be thrilled that I call it a ‘crisis’). It’s serious and scary and worst part is we still don’t know what’s going on. He’s having a procedure in a couple of days and we’re hoping that brings us answers and resolution in the coming months.
*In the next couple of days we’ll be a house full of eye-correction. There will be a forthcoming blog post w/ the cuteness of my girls in their new glasses.
*The teen has been on the roller coaster ride of teen hormones and girls. This is also inspiring another blog post to be forthcoming.
*Expect some dust as I attend to the first item mentioned on this list – combining my blog. This will require some redesign and some conflicting posts. i’ve already transferred over all of my posts from the writing blog – now I just need to organize and clean this place up a bit (this will likely involve a new look of sorts – but nothing drastically different as i just ordered business cards)
*Just 2.5 weeks until I go to Bloggy Boot Camp. Checking 2 things off my 45X45 (Blog conference & vacay w/ the hubby) in one fell swoop. After failing to get excited about it in the recent chaos, I’m starting to get giggly and eager.
*While there i’m totally going to have a nerd-gasm and go to the Star Trek Exhibit w/ my hubs (thanks Groupon for alerting me to its presence in St. Louis). It’s geek-heaven.
*Gorgeous weather is leading toward lots of line-drying of clothes. Oh how I love this time of year 🙂
*I recently totally reorganized the hubbies DVD’s. Picture proof coming soon – HUGE and refreshing change.
*I got a new (to us) car. I have to say that despite its age – it is hands down the nicest car we have ever owned (and we have owned a LOT of cars in our 10 year marriage). It makes me very happy. More on that coming soon too 🙂
That’s it for now. Just got the call from Wal-Mart – glasses have come in!
by Sarah | Mar 14, 2012 | All About Denver, Crap, The Teenager
[flickr id=”6982397429″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]It was bad enough last year when he hit the all too frightening age of 13. A teenager.
Then I get this in the mail.
“Freshman Course Planning”.
Suddenly we are talking what sort of diploma he’ll be getting. Extra curricular activities, electives, college courses taken at high school level.
It’s all happening too fast.
Forever he’ll be my baby…
But he’s not a baby any longer.
by Sarah | Mar 7, 2012 | All About Kennedy, Crap, Cystic Fibrosis, Special Needs, SSI, WTF?
[flickr id=”5293689107″ thumbnail=”small_320″ overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]I have spent the past 3 months jumping through hoops. Doing everything the government asked. Going to appointments that seemed ridiculous. After all, she is covered by SSI for Cystic Fibrosis. It’s a set diagnosis. It’s not going to change.
I thought it was just normal. Three years had passed, they did a re-evaluation and we’d go on our merry way as we had been.
I never imagined we’d get a letter declaring the cessation of benefits.
That somehow, according to the government, Cystic Fibrosis is a condition that stands the chance of improving.
That somehow, 2 hospital visits, the addition of a very costly monthly med, a decrease in vitamin levels, a continuing need for nutritional supplements all equal an “improvement” in her condition.
I’ve already met with the lawyer.
Filed the appeal.
I get to go to court (woo-frickin’-hoo).
Continue to jump through their hoops. This time w/ a good lawyer on our baby’s side.
Stupid government.
by Sarah | Mar 6, 2012 | Crap, Random
[flickr id=”6914202521″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]How has life come to go by so fast these days? Before I know it my day is over. Life is hectic, and chaotic and about to get more so. While I’m trying to wrap my head around some real posts, for now it’s a random spouting of the days of our lives…
- In 2 weeks Brandon starts Track & Field. Another season of (very) lengthy meets is ahead of us. I hope it’s warmer & drier than last years season.
- In 2 weeks something else is happening. We go to Freshman Orientation for Brandon. He’s…he’s an incoming Freshman! This sets off a whole new level of “I feel so old” syndrome.
- I got purple highlights. Loving them. I’ll probably do them one more time before I go back to all over color. Unfortunately they require bleaching before coloring – and my hair doesn’t care for strong chemical treatments.
- After taking several weeks off I got back onto an exercise regimen…but….
- The next day I proceeded to sprain my ankle. Again. Every 9 years I sprain my ankle. In the EXACT. SAME. WAY. I’m such a stellar klutz.
- Angel was denied her Social Security review. Now we go to court (more on that in another post).
- Report cards are in. My kids are smart but the girls have behavior issues (really?) and Brandon has homework issues (*ahem*)
- Next month hubby and I are going away for a long weekend. No kids. Just us. In a different city. I’m calling it a vacation. It’s a first for us. Now we just need to plan what we’re going to do in St. Louis.
- While we’re in St. Louis I’ll be going to Bloggy Boot Camp. It’s a 1 day conference, but it’s a conference. I’m excited.
- I had some computer drama. Got a new one – but it’s already been returned for a full refund. I now share w/ the hubby and plan on getting a tablet w/ a keyboard dock. We also have to replace my old computers hard drive for the kids to use.
- At the same time as my computer drama I dropped my brand new phone. It’s been replaced with a refurbished phone. ~sigh~ The point of getting insurance was so I’d never have to use it. I think I could live without any further technology curses.
- Been (re)writing like mad. It takes up much of my time (sorry hubby).
Now back to housework…while limping. What a crazy life…
by Sarah | Jan 17, 2012 | All About Kennedy, All of Us, Crap, Special Needs, SSI
[flickr id=”5888961016″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]Four years ago we jumped through hoop after hoop. We went to all of the exams, evaluations and tests needed for Angel to get qualified for SSI.
We were denied.
It took getting a disability lawyer to send in the paperwork for them to say yes.
Three years since our official qualification (thanks to the lawyer & the lovely fee they took out).
Now we are up for review.
For CF.
CF is not currently a disease that gets BETTER.
So we jump through the hoops again.
Pray that this time we aren’t denied again and are forced to go back to the lawyer to push the government back into reinstating what we’ve been qualified for for years.
It’s not like we’re trying to bilk them. If we were we’d reapply for Riley. We’d apply for Brandon. I’d work if I could so we didn’t need the SSI, but as we so recently realized that’s not a possibility if we’re to keep Angel on the insurance we so desperately need to keep.
I’m tired of jumping through senseless hoops.
Angel has CF. What is the purpose of a Speech evaluation and a psychological exam? They have no bearing on her disease at all. None.
Stupid hoops.
by Sarah | Jan 6, 2012 | All About Molly, Autism, Crap, Special Needs
[flickr id=”6650056311″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]Every day without fail I pull into the parking lot of the elementary school to pick up Angel. At the same time every day I get into line behind the other parents, sometimes even in front of the line.
85% of the time so I don’t feel rushed to shove her in the car and go I end up toward the back of the line. This prime spot affords me a clear view of the area the older kids have their recess in. It’s mostly parking lot, but to the right there’s a large grassy area with a playground.
Every day in dry weather above freezing they run around like little ants. Hustling and bustling so fast it’s hard to keep track of them. All playing together. Laughing, shouting. Playing tag, pushing each other on the swings. Kicking balls, sliding down the slide. Talking. Laughing. Being with friends.
Except one.
One girl.
My girl.
My beautiful Riley.
Sure she runs. In circles. Behind the other kids.
Mirroring play.
Never participating in it.
Sometimes walking slow, all by herself. Other times watching, laughing after the joke has passed and the group has moved on. Never right in the moment.
And every time I see it, it breaks my heart.
She loves school.
I have seen in the contained space of the classroom how her friends aide her, pull her in to participate, make sure she is included.
It is only in recess that I see this.
If she feels the pain I do when I see it, she can’t express it. Or chooses not to.
But I know it’s there. I know that she will always remember the ‘different’ she felt. I know this, because her dad remembers the same feeling. The same sense of ‘different’. The same attempts to participate without the sense of how.
It’s something I don’t know how to fix for her. I can’t go to the school and force the kids to make the effort in recess. It’s their wild time, it’s expected to just run free.
But still…
What I wouldn’t give for her to be pulled in to the games. Instead of mirroring, melting in.
