HELP!

We spent the day yesterday at my parents time share on the cape. Most of our time was spent in the pool as it was a little too cold to be out at the beach. The kids had fun of course, but they kept asking if we could just go out to the sand for a little while, just to play. So I gave in and gave them 5 minutes. It wasn't worth fighting over and it really wasn't a big deal if they were out there for a little while.

So anyway, I told them while we were standing on the deck, getting ready to head out that there would be no going in the water allowed, even with just their feet. It was too cold, it was just a quick bit of time in the sand and that was it. What was the first thing Emily did when she got out there? Flip her shoes off and run to the water. I told her if she pulled something like that again, she would have to go back in to the community room right away, and have no time to play in the sand. A few minutes later, I made the announcement that it was time to go in and Emily, ran to the water again. AGAIN. After I just spoke to her about it. Of course, being as smart as she is, she did wait until the end of our time there, when I couldn't punish her by saying she would have to go in to the community room since we were done and going in anyway. I wouldn't put it past Emily to have that thought run through her mind, in the brief time between the first incident and the second. "Hmm, Mom said if I did it again, I was going in. I will just wait until we are going in anyway, and do it then." As we were heading back in, I pulled my mother aside and explained what happened. Then, I asked her, in an exasperated tone, "How did I get a kid like this?" Because seriously, when I tell you that I listened to my parents and did what I was told, I am not lying. You can ask them. I was the easy kid(well, at least until I went to college, but that's another entry for another time). Anyway, we looked at each other, my mother and I and said, almost at the same time, "Ryun."

I have heard the stories people (kitchen floors getting lit on fire, condoms found in the drawers of his parents being used as water balloons, climbing in to dumpsters...you name it he did it).

I relayed this story to Ryun today, and he said, "I eventually learned." Eventually to him was once he hit adulthood, and, even he admits adulthood was basically when I found out I was pregnant. I was pregnant when he was twenty three years old. Twenty three years old! So I ask you (and I should have asked him), Is this supposed to be reassuring in some way? She is only 10. Are you trying to tell me there could be thirteen more years of this?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Parenting? It's a tough job.

American Idol

My new choice for who I think should win: Jordin.

For awhile, I was on the Melinda bandwagon, and if this really just was a "singing" competition, she probably still would have my vote. However, despite what Simon says, American Idol is way more than just a singing competition...you need to have the whole package. Melinda can sing, no doubt. She hits every note, performs well on stage, and genuinely seems like a nice person. There is something about her though, that just rubs me the wrong way, and I am not sure if I can put my finger on it. Honestly, and this is going to sound awful, but I don't think she has the "American Idol" look. She doesn't look like a pop star, or a country star or an "any other kind of music" star. She just comes off, to me anyway, as being "too old" for this competition. You know what I can see her doing? Honestly? Even if her voice and talent is way beyond this? Singing in an upscale piano bar, where she just leans on the piano and sings slow love songs all night. I know, she is way beyond that but I just can't see her on stage at a concert with millions of screaming fans.

Jordin on the other hand? That girl has got it all...talent, charm, looks, and that "it" factor. She's got what it takes and more, and at the ripe old age of 17. She seems really down to earth and really seems to sincerely appreciate the opportunity American Idol has given her. She's also beautiful, in an "all American" kind of way, which, sad as it may be, matters. I have always been a fan of hers but, with last week's Broken Wing, and last night's "You'll Never Walk Alone" she has proven that despite her age, or perhaps because of her age, she deserves to win this competition.

YAY!

Bob got us a van! An 05 Dodge Caravan SXT to be exact. It sounds really nice...power everything, fancy everything, and (drum roll please)and in car DVD entertainment system! Honestly, if it had nothing else I would be fine, but a DVD system...in the car...for long trips...with 3 kids...that will be awesome! Anyway, it's silver and has 36,000 miles on it. We should be gettting within the next day or two. Oh, and he got it for $1500 less than we were planning on! WAHOO!

Julia: Video Cuteness

Five whole minutes of Julia=five whole minutes of happiness. Check it out.

In the words of Theo...

"Oh my God."

The Red Sox are on. Manny started it off by hitting a homerun over the monster seats, with 2 outs in the bottom of the third. J.D. Drew got up and hit another one. Lowell didn't want to feel left out so he decided to knock one out of the park too. Then Varitek, as the team captain felt it was his duty as a good role model to do the same.

FOUR HOMERUNS IN A ROW.

In the words of my adoring husband, "HOLY SHIT."

In the words of yours truly, "Four homeruns in a row? I am blogging about that."

What's better than four homeruns in a row?

Four homeruns in a row against the Yankees.

It doesn't get any better than that, people.

In case you were wondering...

...what a three year old looks like after an entire day outside playing in the yard, I give you Julia.



This was taken yesterday. She spent 90 % of her time in the sandbox, breaking free occasionally to get on her swing or in her car. She was covered, head to toe in sand! By the end of the day, she was one tired little girl, as you can more than likely tell from the picture.

Sometimes...

...all it takes is that yellow ball in the sky.

The sun has been out for the past two day...for the first time in what I think is weeks. I honestly can't remember the last time we saw it, or the nice spring weather it has brought. The kids are out in shorts, the house smells like sunscreen and my arms have a few more freckles on them than they did just a few short days ago.

Thank you God, for answering my prayers.

The sun makes all the difference.

Not Surprising Results

Your Wrath Quotient: 16%

Revenge, anger, rage? They're hardly words in your vocabulary. If someone wrongs you, you move on. You rather be indifferent than upset.

How Much Wrath Do You Have?

Via Jay.

Update

So far today, I have re-arranged the cabinets in the kitchen(sorry Ryun, it will now be even harder for you to put things back in their right spot), done some laundry, re-organized all of the movies and DVD's in the entertainment center, and had Emily and Katherine clean the upstairs. Next big project: the office which currently looks like a hurricane blew threw. It's bad.

Productive days are nice though, aren't they? I feel accomplished when I get things done, and feeling accomplished is a good thing.

I will be out to dinner tonight with my sister and father so I may be watching the AI results show late. LAst night was good overall but for me the standouts were Phil and Blake. Phil actually was my favorite, which is not something I expected. he was good though, wasn't he?

Things That Are Working On My Last Nerve

1. We still don't have a new car. Bob has been going to the auction every week now for a month, and has not been able to get us a minivan. Apparently, the demand is so high that people are way overbidding. As much as we want a van, we might have to settle for something else. We have begun looking at actual dealerships as well.

2. It's school vacation week. It is going to rain every freaking day. We might see the sun on Friday afternoon but other than that. This is so wrong.

3. Also related to the weather...I recently when out and bought the kids spring clothes. It has not yet been warm enough for them to be worn and I still have not put way the winter clothes. Cold weather in April should be illegal.

4. For some reason, trying to keep up with the laundry and the house has been nearly impossible for me lately. I think it's stress related...with all that is going on I have zero motivation. The kicker of course is that not doing laundry or keeping up with the house otherwise is stressful to me in and of itself. It's a vicious cycle.

5. Something good has to happen...like right now. We need to get the car, or Julia's tests need to come back fine, or something, just anything that will bring me back up to sea level will do. Ugh...

This sucks.

A Nice Balance

You Are 50% Left Brained, 50% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Half and Half? Sounds like a good mix to me. Via Jay.

Katherine

Katherine has strp throat...again. We haven't officially been to the doctors yet(I will be making an appointment as soon as they open) but I can tell just by looking at her throat (to be honest I am not even sure how she can swallow it is so swollen and red). Katherine has also never complained about an earache or a sore throat without it being an actual infection requiring antibiotics. This is the third time in four months that she has had strep throat so it's a little alarming. It used to be at this time of year she got a lot of ear infections (not enough to warrant tubes in her ears but a good amount...between 3-5 each season). She hasn't had any ear infections this year that I can recall but apparently, she is going to get strep instead.

Anyway, we will be off to the doctor's later.

*UPDATE* STREP THROAT CONFIRMED...BLAH.

Frame Of Mind: Much Improved

I know, it was kind of silly for me to post an "I Hate The World" entry and then not post for 5 whole days. I'm fine, in case you were wondering, I have just been busy.

I am also feeling much better mentally. Just like everyone else, I have those "the world is out to get me" kind of days every once in a while. I usually get over them pretty quickly though. I am back, for the most part, to being my happy little self!

Nothing has changed really, in regard to the "why" I was having a bad day...everything that was wrong then is still wrong now. The only thing actually that has changed? My way of thinking. The power of positive thoughts is an amazing thing.

Anyway, As I mentioned I have been busy. Wednesday night I had a PTA meeting. Thursday night I went to the school committee meeting in which the FY08 proposed school buget was outlined (more on that ovr at Adventures in Education, when I get around to it). Friday night was Thinking Day for Girl Scouts, Saturday we had a baby shower to go to, and today we (the girls and I)are headed over to Mimi and Papa's house. They are NYC for the weekend, so my sister Heather is there on flood watch (we are in the midst of a major Nor'Easter here and my parents basement is flood city). We are going to eat dinner, watch movies and spend the night there.

This week: school vacation, which inconveniently is coinciding with a lot of rain...at least for the beginning of the week. Ugh...

Adventures In Education...

...has been updated.

Link Fest

This is good to know, epecially since Emily has taken (or is currently taking in the case of Lamictal)both of thees drugs for seizure control. Emily has generalized tonic clonic seizures and while the Depakote was doing a fantastic job with seizure control, it was doing a number on her mood control. We switched her ove to Lamictal, and she has been seizure free for almost 2 1/2 years! WAHOO!

This seems like a good idea, and while I am more of the belief that things such as financial awareness should be taught at home, if it's not being done there, school seems like the next logical choice.

I just joined this organization today. After attending a school committee meeting last night (which will be included in a post regarding the school budget for next year) I have decided that it is time to take a more active role in the discusssions surrounding funding and support for the public education system.

This website provides an easy to understand breakdown of the various components of public education and what it means today. I knew most of it already, but I still found it quite useful.

Ever wondered what the difference between an IEP and a 504 is? This article does a nice job of explaining the similarities and differences between the two.

So, I was thinking...

...I have a lot going on, a lot on my mind, and alot I could actually post about right now. Trouble is, I can't seem to find the words...or at least the right words that would prevent me from coming off like a royally cranky bitch.

I'm not sure what's going on here lately, but my mood has been dark, my fuse short, and my overall attitude could use some serious improvement.

Part of it is the car situation (we are still waiting for the minivan which is a long story I am not going to get in to).

Part of it is that the weather SUCKS (except for a day or two here and there that actually feels like spring, it's been cold or rainy or even threatening to snow for the better part of the month). All I am asking for is 60's and sunny. Seriously, it's April frickin' 11th...can we say BYE BYE Winter?

Part of it is being worried about the results of Julia's genetic testing (even though I am trying to put it out of my mind, and even though I feel confident that the results will come back normal). It's always in the back of my mind and the waiting game STINKS.

Part of it is just being me...which means being busy and not busy enough at the same time (don't ask, it's a hard concept to explain). It means feeling extremely lazy at times and feeling guilty about it. It means being a procrastinator. It means being a wife and Mom, which in and of itself can be overwhelming.

Part of it is being concerned about Katherine, who gained 17 lbs in one years time (which is a lot for a kid) and is still not potty trained at night at the age of 7 1/2. These two things, compiled with her diagnosis of ketotic hypoglycemia, which her endocrinologist said can be a precursor to diabetes, have me worried. More than that, her pediatrician, whom I usually adore seems to think that putting an alarm in her pants (yeah I know) will solve the problem. Basically the alarm gets wet and it sounds and is supposed to wake the kid up and get them to go in the toilet. That's all fine and freakin' dandy, but lets talk about why she pees like 50 times a night, huh? Procrastination comes in to play quite nicely here too, because I am deathly afraid that I am going to make an appointment at her endocrinologist and he is going to do the glucose tolerance and blood sugar tests and tell me she's diabetic. And I just can't take anymore of this medical crap. Yes, yes, yes I know I need to and I will. It's just, you know, one more thing.

I know my family has noticed the gloom lately too, and for reasons I can't get in to here, I know that based on past experiences, they are probably worried. That in and of itself, even with the best of intentions in mind can be aggravating because, well, I am human, ya know? Just because I am going through a "thing" right now, doesn't mean I am going to go off the deep end. The difference between the past in the present is my mindset. Yes, life is tough right now, but it's not the end of the world. Something will come along that will bring me back to my senses and I will be fine again. Something always comes along...it's the natural way of things I think.

Umm...

A little while ago, I heard Julia walk through the kitchen and into our bedroom. Shortly after that, I heard jumping on the bed. The last time she did this she jumped and ended up whacking her head on the window so jum ping on the bed has since been outlawed.

I was sitting in the office (which is right next to the bedroom) and all I said was (in a somewhat stern voice), "Julia."

She said, "I know Mom, I 'posed to be on my bum. Don't yell at me."

This was definitely one of those, "Did she really just say that?" moments. Needless to say, her language delay is becoming less and less of a concern with each passing day.

Sheesh.

Re-Posting An Old Entry...

...for reasons which should be fairly obvious.

Annoying...when someone calls my house and doesn't leave a message. I have an answering machine for a reason. You called me so you must have something to say. So you know, say it. If I have a message, I will return it, but if you call and don't leave one, I am not going to bother calling you back. REPEAT: NO MESSAGE FROM YOU MEANS NO CALL BACK FROM ME.

Even more annoying...when someone calls once, doesn't get an answer, doesn't leave a message and then continues to call repeatedly...and still doesn't leave a message. Obviously I am either not here, busy, or plain and simple don't feel like talking on the phone. Again, I have a machine for a reason.

And just in case we're not clear on what the reason is...its purpose is to take messages, so that I can hear them and respond accordingly.

Say what you will...

...about Barney but there couldn't possibly be anything cuter than your two year old daughter, purposely seeking you out when the end song comes on, just so she can give you a kiss and hug during the part of the song that says, "with a great big hug and a kiss from me to you." I am sorry, but listening to that annoying dinosaur might be worth it just for that.

Seriously.

FYI

Adventures in Education, my education blog has been upated!

Happy Easter!

We spent the day at my sisters, where we enjoyed a lovely ham dinner, desserts that were too good(if there is such a thing) and some quality time with the extended family. Here are some pictures!

Emily proves that not only can she act the part of teenager, she can look it too! This is starting to become a serious problem...her looking all grwon up! Just who does she think she is?

Julia was not in the picture mood this morning. I wanted to get a good shot of her in her cute Easter dress...this was the best I could do! Eyes closed even, she's the cutest 2 year old in the world!

Katherine, all dressed in her Easter attire and ready to head out the door.

Jack and Julia are so cute. They play so well together (minus the part where Jack bonked Julia over the head with a wooden drumstick...ha ha ha).

Jack goes in for a hug.

While leaning in for a kiss, Jack looks at me and seems to say, "Hey Aunty, are you getting this shot?"

Proof positive that they are feeling the love..a one and half and two and a half year old sharing toys? Well now, that's unheard of!

NCLB: Defined

I recently attended a conference workshop called, "NCLB:What's In It For Families." I leanred a lot from it, and thought it may be useful to those who still have questions about what it is all about, to post a summary of the information I came back with.

The No Child Left Behind Act is part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that was originally passed by Congress in 1968. It provided for the first time, significant federal funding for k-12 education. The original law has been renewed many times, most recently by NCLB.

The first part of ESEA is "Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged", more commmonly called Title I. Schools that educate the disadvantaged children of this nation receive Title I money, which is the largest portion of the federal k-12 education funds. More than half of all public schools are "Title I schools."

All Title I schools must meet certain requirements set forth by NCLB in order to get federal funding. In addition, additional measures are required in order to ensure that America's neediest students are no longer left behind. NCLB works according to four common-sense principles; accountability, flexibility in how the federal money is spent, scientific research to guide classroom practice, and involving parents by giving them information and choices about their child's education.

For the first time, public schools are being held accountable for results, including results for those groups of children who typically don't perform well. The measure of accountability is Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). AYP is defined by the states. Certain goals are set for student achievement and progress is measured by how well students perform on state developed tests. In Massachusetts, one such test is called the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). To make AYP, schools must meet, or make significant progress towards the levels of achievement defined on these tests. NCLB requires schools test your child in reading and language arts and math every year in grades 3-8 by using a state developed test.
Local report cards are prepared for every school that receives Title I funds. These reports must be easy to understand and available to all parents. This report card will show the results of the state testing for the school as a whole. Individual reports are mailed to the students home. For schools that are in need of improvement (which means they have not made AYP for two consecutive years or longer) options such as school choice and supplemental educational students must be offered. School choice offers parents that option of transferring their student to another public school. The school district must provide transportation for your child. Supplemental Education Services could be free tutoring, homework help, or other extra help outside of the regular school day. Your child may qualify if he or she is eligible for free or reduced priced lunch and they attend a Title I school that has not made AYP for three years or longer.


NCLB gives the states and schools more control and flexibility to use the federal money and resources where they are needed most. Principals and administrators can move funds from one program to another as they see fit.

NCLB provides more federal funding for states than ever before. While the majority of the funding for k-12 education comes from the states and communities, the federal share has been rising, and was at 8.3 percent in 2005, up from 5.7 percent in 1991. Another major component of the federal k-12 education program is the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, which has also seen its funding increased in recent years.

NCLB provides funding to help teachers through training and other professional development opportunities. The law also requires that teachers of core academic subjects be highly qualified. Highly qualified is defined as a teacher with one bachelor's degree, full state certification, and demonstrated competence for each subject taught. If your child is in a Title I school, NCLB requires that you know that you have the right to obtain and how to obtain information about the qualifications of your child's teachers.

NCLB requires that districts develop ways for parents to become more involved. This empowers you, as a parent to ask questions and make informed decisions regarding your child's education. Schools must have written policies on parent involvement and provide that information to you.

More than $1 billion a year under NCLB goes to help children learn to read through the Reading First program. This program is dedicated to helping ensure that all children learn to read on grade level by the third grade. The money provides schools the power to support high quality reading programs based on scientific research.

Clearly, I learned a lot about NCLB at this workshop. One of the key things I took back from it was that it's not, in my opinion, as bad as a thought it was. It makes sense for both teachers and children to be held accountable for what they are doing. It makes sense for teacher's to be highly qualified in the subjects they are teaching. Progress should be measured to see if what you are doing is working. I don't think the only measure of this progress should be a state test, in the case of Massachusetts the MCAS. I've said this before and I'll say it again: Some people just don't test well. A brilliant student, who otherwise gets high marks could fail the MCAS and not be able to graduate high school. This is just not right.

I still think my major gripe with NCLB is funding. I just don't think it's right to hold the schools responsible for high standards on a federal level, and then expect the schools, communities and states to come up with most of the funding to support and achieve it. If the public school system is going to be regulated by the federal government, the federal government should pay for it. I suppose there will never be a happy medium when it comes to this type of thing but something somewhere is just not working.

Coming soon...and entry about the proposed cuts to educational funding in my town and how I feel about that.

Why Are We In Trouble?

Oh, because we have a daughter who sounds like a teenager, is too smart for her own good, and is funny while she's doing it to boot.

Let me give you a couple of examples.

The other day, Emily was FLIPPING OUT about having her hair done. Granted, it was pretty snarly but the girl was screaming like I had just ripped all of the hair out of her head. So I said to her, "Emily, stop screaming. I know it hurts but c'mon, don't you think you are overreacting a bit?" She said, "No, it hurts." I told her I knew it hurt, but that maybe she should find another way to channel her anger over the whole thing, rather than screaming bloody murder. What did she say? "Don't you tell me how to channel my anger. You're not a therapist. Only a therapist can do that."

Then, she came home yesterday with a newspaper torn to shreds in her bag. So I asked what happened and she said, "Serina did it on the bus." When I asked why she said, "Well obviously Mom, she has anger management issues."

Do I need to remind y'all that she is only 10 (well, almost anyway)?

T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

Is anyone else out there...

...watching October Road? I love it and in some ways, it reminds me of my own neighborhood growing up (minus the scandalous parts...at least to my knowledge anyway!). A group of friends who all grew up together, stayed close through the years and stayed living in the same area? That sounds just about right.

Is Emily Old Enough?

It seems to be the question of the week around here. As she gets older, she asserts her independence more and more, which makes sense.

The first thing she wanted to do was walk around my parents neigborhood by herself. It's a very safe neighborhhod, the kind where you can actually play in the street and only have to worry about a car coming every once in a while. With a little convincing from my sister, I let her go. I was nervous about it the first few times, but eventually I was fine with it. Shortly after, I let Katherine go with Emily but I wouldn't let Katherine go alone.

A couple of weeks ago at Mardi Gras, she wanted to walk around by herself. The event is spread out across the school...in the gym, the cafe, and the hallways. I was nervous about this too. She goes to school there so I knew she wouldn't get lost but there were so many people there. Again, with a little convincing, I let her go and gave her a specific time and location in which she had to meet her father in the gym. She folllowed the guidelines and it was all good.

Her latest question is, "When will I be old enough to stay home alone?" My joking answer was, "I don't know, when your 20?" Her response was a long, groaning, "Mommmmmmmm." This is a big step though, and whether or not she is ready, I am not. Ten is way too young to be home alone.

She also keeps asking when she can get contacts, to which my answer has been, "when you start taking more responsibility for your things" which, I think is a good answer really. If you can't take care of what you already have, you can't get more. Of course, I am hoping that this type of thing would motivate her but, things like that don't seem to affect her. I don't know why but I think it has to do with the Executive Functioning Disorder, and not being able to plan for or anticipate things appropriately.

Anyway, the whole point of this entry was to say:

This parenting thing (especially with the first child who generally asks all these questions first)? It's hard. Damn hard. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, but honestly, I don't think I ever considered how tough this might be at times. Most people don't I would think. I mean there's a huge difference between holding a beautiful new baby in your arms and parenting a pre-teen. Yes, you think about the future and what it will bring, but you don't (or at least I didn't) think about all of the finer details, and how they all come in to play.

I really have no idea if I am doing a good job of saying what I am trying to say here. Anyone out there understand? Anyone?

Julia's Newest Phrases And Words/EI 6 month assessment

Nevermind, in a sec, don't say that, and wait.

Examples:

#1
"Mom?"

"Yes, Julia?"

"Ah, nevermind."

I don't think she really knows the meaning of the word, she just knows how to use it in context. Still, it's kind of funny.

#2
"Mom, I just need to get in my car for a sec."

Again, not sure if she knows what "in a a sec" even means.

#3
"Julia, are you being silly?"

"(in a cute little embarrassed voice), "Don't say that."

#4

"WAIT!"

She even puts her hand up in a "stop" position when saying it. She definitely knows what this one means!

Julia had her 6 month assessment (6 months since her new plan was written anyway). It went well, mostly, although I have to say she was more willful and demanding than I have ever seen her, almost to the point of emabarrassment. I swear to God, when the kids learn how to be "2" or be "3" officially (like you know with the demands, and temper tantrums and asserting independence) the manners go right out the flippin' window. When she didn't want to participate in one of the games they were playing to assess her, she was saying things like, "No, I not do that anymore" or "I'm all done." She would say it with a little attitude in her voice and actually had her voiced raised. When she was actually enjoying an activity if her PT tried to take it away, Julia would look at her sternly and say with her hand raised, "WAIT." In some So I was sitting next to her saying, "wait please" and "no thank you" and they were like, "Don't worry about it...this is so normal for a two year old in this kind of setting." In some respects it was good to see her actually stand up for herself, I just wish she could have been a little more polite about it! It reminded me of how the psychic told me about a year and a half ago that my youngest would be "a little spit fire" and I thought to myself, "Julia? She must be confused or something." Apparently though, she may have had something there!

Anyway...the assessment. She was at 26 months for her gross motor skills which is a delay of about 6 months. Virtually the only thing that got her this number was her stair skills, which are, well non-existent. I mean, she can crawl up the stairs and scoot down, but she can not walk independently up and down the stairs. She needs both a hand and a railing in order to maneuver the stairs on her feet. Everything else was pretty much right on target.

I am a little nervous about whether or not she will get in to the integrated preschool. They usually look for a bigger delay than she actually has. Of course, this is good but because of her low tone and the fact that she can not ascend or descend stairs independently, I am a little nervous that not getting weekly PT will cause further delays (meaning she will get older and the delay will stretch further and further). I do have her doctor's reccomendation though, so I am hoping that helps.

I need to look further into outside services too. I mean, will this low tone affect her always? I feel like in addition to catching her up developmentally, we should be doing more in the way of actually building her tone by doing strength training or something. I worry about things like gym class and things of that nature too. It's not that far in to the future really...she will be three in July.

Stuff

So last night, I had a dream that there was a live fish (with lots of teeth) in my sink, a tree, yes, a tree growing through my house with a bleepin' opossum hanging from it, and that I was in jail for a crime which was not clearly defined. Yeah, I know I am crazy, but just because I am me, I had to look up the meaning.

Fish: can symbolize a slippery or elusive situation.

Rats (which was the closest thing I could find to an opposum): shows feelings of doubt and guilt.

Trees: can symbolize feeling trapped, or in an awkward situation.

Jail: can symbolize feeling trapped and restricted.

Ok so obviously I...

A. need to get out more.

B. need to stop stressing about stupid shit that I have no control over.

C. need to be "ok" with the fact that, dammit, I just can't do it all.

I used to have crazy dreams like this all of the time. I guess I should be thankful that they are far and few between now. It still though, after all this time, freaks me out how "true to life" some dreams (or at least their meanings)really are.

Life

Good God people, remember the days of multiple blog entries? Probably not, given how far gone they are. They did exist at one point I think.

Life as they say, has gotten in the way of my computer time, blogging or otherwise. I spent the day today doing more laundry than should be legal, sorting through winter and spring clothes, hanging with Julia,boiling eggs for egg coloring festivities this evening, and taking care of Katherine, who is home with strep throat (again).

On Friday night I went up to Haverhill to actually attend a lia sophia show (as opposed to presenting a lia sophia show). My sisters and I spend the day Saturday shopping in Newburyport (not major shopping just looking around at all of the cutesy shops in the area), having lunch on the water, and taking in a late afternoon movie (Reign Over Me...which was great). It was some nice "sister bonding time."

On Sunday I took care of sorting through boxes and boxes of clothing which Ryun had procured from the basement. I went out late afternoon and did some spring clothes shopping for the kids and came back to cook a nice roast beef dinner for the family.

A busy weekend is turning in to a busy week, which hopefully include buying and getting a minivan on the road. Bob heads to the auction tomorrow morning so we will see.

Baby Jack

For those who may be wondering...




...yes, my nephew Jack is still the cutest little boy on the planet.