by Sarah | May 11, 2012 | All About Molly, Autism, Crap, Random, Special Needs
[flickr id=”7089103379″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]It’s never a good thing when in the middle of a class ‘event’ with many parents present – the teacher singles you out and pulls you aside before you can leave.
“Just for a moment.”
Last week the class had a field trip.
Field Trip = Change in Routine.
Change in Routine = Over-Stimulated Molly.
The teacher let us know that on the trip Molly had a bit of trouble. She never stopped. Once. Nearly running into the street at one point. If Teacher had to pull her attention away or let go of Molly’s hand for even a second, Molly used that to run off.
Eventually one of the parents caught on and became Molly’s ‘keeper’ for the rest of the field trip – but it was a bit of a hectic day.
So now it’s been decided that going forward Molly will need a ‘keeper’ on any field trips. It’s not something that’s likely to end up on the IEP, but it’s something the teachers will be aware of.
It is our decision to also make them aware that I will be her ‘keeper’.
So I will be the official Molly-Chaperone for all future field trips.
Even the ones I usually avoid.
Fun.
by Sarah | May 8, 2012 | All About Me, All of Us, Crap, Random, Special Needs, Writing, writing tips, WTF?
[flickr id=”6271416484″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]When I was young I used to love the Limbo. I was really good at it and always won.
As an adult, as a parent of special needs kids, as a human being – limbo has taken on a new meaning.
It’s the in-between.
The period of nothing.
No answers.
More questions.
Infinite waiting.
In my personal life. In my pursuit of a writing career.
Limbo now consumes my life.
Tests for the kids, my husband, myself. Infinite questions on our health, our futures.
Submissions of my work to strangers for judging. The ones that might hold the key to my writing future.
I hate limbo.
If I didn’t love writing so much I’d throw in the towel and end it just to give up another source of the interminable status of ‘waiting’.
I’m not about to do that. Writing is a part of me. It gives me release and happiness.
So I suppose somehow I have to turn this new definition of Limbo into something I can live with.
I just can’t see how to make it a party game.
Maybe a drinking game…
by Sarah | Apr 30, 2012 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Crap, Random, The Teenager
[flickr id=”5888961016″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]We have had birthday parties, track meets, doctor appointments and chaos the past few days. While I try to get my head on straight (and work on the blog redesign ~cough~) I’m going to have a little fun with some random subjects of note.
* Thank you for all of your well-wishes for Erik. The doctor appointment went really well. While he does have to go back next year for another endoscopy, the doctor isn’t overly concerned with the findings. As far as Erik’s continuing symptoms we are on a “Try a little of this…then try a little of that” program. We’re hoping to find something that works and eases his symptoms.
* Yesterday I finished the (final) self-edits on my novel ~insert cheering and mad boogie dancing on my part~. That means I will begin work on the site redesign pretty hard-core in the next couple of weeks. I plan on a new round of submissions and I want this site to shine by then. The first changes I make will be mostly cosmetic changes. After that I’ll be working on more functional changes, but they’ll happen once the feel of the site has been updated.
* Teaching a teenager accountability and empathy is HARD ~insert whining here~.
* My Kennedy has proven finally that she comes from the husbands blood line She may look just like me…but lately she has been obsessed with cleaning. That is SO not me.
* We had the girls family birthday party yesterday. They got so many cute clothes…I’m so jealous! My SIL and MIL got them a ton of new little outfits – and then both my Mom and SIL on my side got them clothes too. We have full closets and the girls cannot WAIT for the warm weather to come back so they can start wearing the skirts upon skirts that they got.
* Hubby bought an elliptical. I hate the elliptical…but having it sit in my little house, I actually use it because I feel crappy if it just takes up all that room for nothing. Between that and my continuing love/hate relationship w/ Jillian Michaels & her exercise DVD’s I may just start feeling good about myself again. Maybe.
* I swear, I will be talking about the Bloggy Boot Camp experience soon, after all it is a 45X45 item…but between my straight focus on my novel the past week & the fact that I’m still trying to process everything that went on that day, it’s been relegated to a “Very soon” post. Hopefully before the end of the week.
* I have a new job application sitting in my kitchen. It’s a job I’m certain I’ll be able to get (I’m super friendly w/ the managers at this place). It’s just a matter of “Can I” and “Should I”. This time I have to very carefully weigh all of the factors and not forget one like I did last year when I tried to work. I have some new factors to consider this time around, ones that may seal the deal.
*Speaking of jobs, I also have a chance at another possible opportunity. It’s something that I have to write up a proposal for and see where it goes. It would be helping out someone local and that really excites me. I just need to sit down and write…especially since that’s part of what I’ll be doing for her…writing. LOL.
* Did I mention that raising teenagers is HARD?? ~headdesk~
by Sarah | Apr 26, 2012 | All About Erik, Crap
[flickr id=”6293299563″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]For a few months Erik has been sick. After about two months of issues, he finally made the call and went into the doctor.
After a handful of tests he was sent to the specialist (A GI doc). He then had to go through more tests of the minor outpatient surgery variety.
Then came the waiting period. You know, the part that SUCKS.
His follow up appointment is Friday.
Two days ago we got a letter from the doc. It had the biopsy results. With several mentions of “pre-cancerous” conditions.
All of which my husband Google’d.
As a (slight) hypochondriac myself I try to not Google medical issues that pertain to me (I will Google for others). I know that if I Google for myself I stress more. It builds in my head.
And that’s what’s happening to the hubby now. One of the conditions in the letter could end up serious, and it’s sort of freaking us both out. The poor guy has been doing his best to keep calm and all of that – but depression and stress don’t mix well (although he has been doing a stellar job overall).
Tomorrow we meet with the doctor. In the hope that he will ease the worst of our fears and have a good, clear plan for where to go next.
The worst part – is it doesn’t seem like either of the ‘conditions’ in the results has anything to do with the symptoms that sent him to the doctor in the first place. The symptoms that are still plaguing him.
All we wanted is answers. In its place we got fears, more questions, and no resolution to the original problem.
by Sarah | Apr 15, 2012 | All About Denver, All About Family, All About Me, Crap, The Teenager
[flickr id=”7082358983″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]Twenty years ago it was me. Standing in the kitchen facing up for teenage versions of crimes. For lies.
Tonight in the oddest form of a time warp my mother’s voice transported twenty years into the future and emerged from my own lips.
“I don’t understand why you continue to lie. You always get caught. Don’t you think you should learn by now?”
I never did learn. Not for quite a few years.
I fear my son will hold onto the lies with the same stubbornness. I want so much better for him.
Better than the strange consuming urge I once had to lie. I never did good at rebellion. I feared the consequences of rebellion too much. I feared hurting my mother. To this day I still rarely curse in front of my parents.
My one form of rebellion was lying. It became an urge, a need. Not until it once almost ruined my marriage did I learn to let go.
Like always I hope for better things for my children.
For now my mother’s words and the punishment of removing his distractions and pleasures one by one have to suffice. Lessons need to be learned – but each one is a blow.
Now only 20 years later can I begin to comprehend that my Mom told the truth when she said “This hurts me as much as it hurts you.”
by Sarah | Apr 12, 2012 | All About Denver, All About Family, Crap, The Teenager, WTF?
[flickr id=”5888954984″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]The tween-into-teenage years were a nightmare for me. Labeled as a nerd, unpopular – oh, my I still have nightmares about middle school. Tortured, lost – it battered my low self-esteem into a pulpy puddle of goo.
In high school – once we moved 527 miles away to Indiana – I found friends. I had a group that I became a part of where I belonged and I still talk to some of them today. As an adult I can say that I’m grateful for the internet as it has allowed me to expand my circle of friends. My best friend is someone I met online, and I would never have met my Geek-Girl peeps without the power of this internet world we live in.
I never thought I would be the one saying…
THANK HEAVENS I DIDN’T HAVE THE INTERNET IN MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL.
Because, really. Thank heavens I didn’t.
Now that the teen is on the internet we’re having to create a new set of rules. From “Mom has access to ALL your accounts, and you’d better remember that” to “Don’t post intentionally hurtful things.”
For a while things got ugly. Internet privileges and the iPod have been revoked until proper ‘netiquette’ has been learned.
It’s a process that we are all learning together.
I am very glad I didn’t have to worry about such things at that age. It’s hard enough being a teen without everything happening at the speed of internet.
