2015

A lot of my FB feed today is about the end of 2015. There are reflections, fond (and not so fond) farewells, and hopes for the new year. It feels a little...off...odd? I don't know. It feels strange to not be doing the same thing, and yet, I don't want to.

I think more than anything, I am somewhat leery of the new year. 2015 has not been all that bad to us, so I don't exactly wish it to end. The lows haven't been too low. The highs have been relatively frequent. I have been less stressed, less overwhelmed. I kind of like that it was quiet and generally non-eventful.

While the year itself isn't necessarily the reason behind the calm, I don't have the desire to go changing things...you know, in case.

Sigh.

Ahead we must go, however, like it or not.

So bring on 2016. I'll cautiously step aside and let you do your thing.

I'd appreciate it if you'd be nice while you do it.

Weekend Leftovers

This week is the deadline to choose our insurance plan. Based on the economics, especially now that Is.aac is out of work, I think we are forced to try out the HMO for the summer. I did go to the insurance fair the district offered and spoke to a woman in their pediatric division and was assured that they have people to meet our needs in all of our specialties.

I am not exactly happy with the decision, but there are not many options. My plan is to do all of this year's summer appointment (ped, neurology, neurosurgery/CT scan, possibly explore new walkers) through them and "meet" their doctors.

I am sad, though, to have to leave the doctors we have now. I trust them. They understand us and our needs. I hate that we don't really have much choice.

If I don't like the new HMO, it's open enrollment again in September (for November 1 start) and I can switch back. It will always be an economic gamble if we went with the PPO option, but I will do what I need to do if needed. 

*On a side-note, it does not make me feel all that great to hear all of this noise about a pharmacy strike looming for our new HMO. :/

~~~

Latest email from the teacher...

Can you believe how far we've come with these boys of yours? There has been so much progress and it has been so exciting to be a part of it. I could tell by their answers [on their teacher appreciation questionnaire] that our day-to-day has impacted them and that makes my heart smile! 

 

I love her!

 

I asked her if she's going to move to first grade because I don't know what we'll do without her. I was kidding. Mostly. Alas, that pesky issue of meeting the school's needs is going to prevent that. Bummer.

 

~~~

 

It had been hellaciously hot last week.

 

I know you guys are probably rolling your eyes at me, but in my neck of the woods, it is a rare day when the temp is in the mid 80's. It is even rarer when it hits 90's. I live two minutes from the beach, so it just doesn't get hot. The last two days, though, we were in upper 90's and broke 100 degrees.

 

My classroom does not have air-conditioning. With every single window and door open, it was still 93* in my room at 1:00. My document camera/projector even quit because of the heat. It was brutal.

 

I am so, so relieved that temps should be back to normal for us this week.

 

~~~

 

I got a tiny bit sunburned this weekend. I managed to miss a two inch by 1/2 inch section of my left upper arm when I was applying sunscreen. It's an angry red. Fortunately, other than when I directly touch it, the burn itself has been no problem.

 

The real issue is that I have hives. They started right on the sunburn and radiated out from there. It is the oddest thing.

 

And they itch like crazy!

 

~~~

 

5.weeks.left.thank.GOD.

 

~~~

 

I bought tickets to take the boys to a Se.sa.me Street show on Saturday. Now I'm wondering what the heck I was thinking.

 

I am really nervous about it. Am I the only one who breaks out into a sweat at the thought of taking her children out into the real world? I do take them out and all, but holy hell the stress involved in trips like this wears me out. The mere thought of trips like this wears me out.

 

This is clearly a case of the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

 

 

Stop by Danifred's for more Leftovers. :)

Registration Round 1

District - 1
Us - 0

"You're cute. Use some of those looks to go sweet talk the district people and help our cause." These were my parting words for my husband this morning as I headed out the door. I was kidding. Mostly.

Due to some issues with my schedule today, read a meeting I couldn't get out of, Is.aac was in charge of round 1 with the district. He sent a text to me with the following update:

"I went down to (Desired School) to bat my eyes and shake my money maker, but the first person I talked to was a guy. Undeterred, I waited around and spoke to the Office Manager. I explained the boys' situation and she recommended adding a few key things in our letter/note to transfer request.

From there, I pulled up my knickers and went to the therapy unit to ask about letters with the key words the Office Manager suggested we use from therapists." (There is also a medical letter we need to include, but the thought that adding the letters from people Desired School already knows will be a good thing for us.)

From there, he went to the district office to be told they still are not taking registration from our area yet. He schmoozed it up with the clerks there before he left.

'Atta boy. He took one for the team. lol.

I am not deterred. I'm feeling a bit more confident that with these additions, Desired School might still be a viable option for us if it takes until our Local School's registration date to complete the paperwork.

I'm up next on Wednesday. Wish me luck.

Anyone but me wonder why everything has to be so difficult when it comes to the boys? Good grief. We're not talking about enrollment in an Ivy League school here. This is freaking Kindergarten! Grr.

Cue Freak Out

I used to think that crying about your babies heading off to kindergarten was kind of crazy. I mean, come on. Kids go to school. It isn't like you don't know it's coming. School is a great thing in a child's life. They learn. They have fun. They make lots of friends. There's no reason to get all worked up over it.

Last week, quite by accident I might add, I discovered that kindergarten registration starts on January 10th. Two days from now. I have been in a mild panic about it ever since.

Oh how I am eating my words. Sigh.

To be fair to myself, my kids do come with a bit more...um, baggage?...issues?...uniqueness than many other kids. I'm okay with that, but it does present a few problems that need to be addressed. There will need to be adaptive services for instance. I'm guessing that there may even be the need for an aide to help one get to the restroom, etc. We'll need "stuff" at a time when schools don't like to give "stuff."

We've already dealt with Local School and were not impressed with how they approached the educational needs of the boys, so I'd like to avoid that school if at all possible. It's a shame, too, because they are literally around the corner from us. Bummer.

I'd prefer wherever they go to be near their therapy unit so they can begin to receive some therapy during the school day rather than after school. That would mean an intradistrict transfer to Desired School. That in itself is no big deal because our district is required to allow transfers when space permits. The problem is that Desired School happens to be the gifted magnet school* in the district and spaces are given on a first come first served basis.

Ack. No pressure right?

Thinking about all of this makes my heart race and I break out in a sweat. My bay-bees going to big boy school...

How can this be?

Fingers crossed I can do this.

And I'm back to freaking out.

*While I know that I am biased as they are my kids, I am fairly certain at least one would qualify into the gifted program anyway. It would be an awesome fit for the boys on many levels.

Letter to a Toy Merchant

Dear Toy Merchant,

Why, oh why, would you send a toy purchased online during the weekend after Thanksgiving to a home in its original packaging instead of the traditional brown shipping box? Could you not fathom that perhaps the purchase, bought during the most popular holiday shopping weekend of the year, might possibly be a gift for a child at the designated shipping address?

It happens, you know.

People buy items online and ship them to their home and use them for gifts! Really!

Do you know what happens when a child residing at said home sees the undisguised toy box on his front porch?

Let me just tell you.

The child wants the toy. Now. The child pesters his poor, tired mother for the rest of the night about that damn toy. "What was it? Who is it for? Where is it? Can I play with it?" On and on and on...

It is even worse when the toy in question was going to be a gift from the big man in RED.

Yeah. That can't happen now. How is mommy going to explain why Santa left a toy for Christmas that they already got in the mail? She can't, especially when the boy is 5 and has a memory like a computer chip.

So thank you, toy merchant. Thanks a LOT. You have made my life just a little bit more complicated.

Your disgruntled customer,
Stacie

P.S. You suck.

Thankful in November

If you’ve been on Facebook or read blogs over the last few days, you know that it is Thankful November. The month when people count their blessings in posts, since it is the month of Thanksgiving.

There is so much in my life for which to be thankful--my husband, my family, my family, my friends, and my life.

And of course, I am thankful for these brothers...

my Sh.awn, my Ja.son, and my Jack.

I am so very thankful for these boys who bring me such joy!*



*Keeping it real by saying they have been know to bring me a bit lot of frustration on some days, too. lol

A Quick This and That

So, as of yesterday, I was a week late.

Today I am not.

Except that this is one fierce AF. I am trying not to think anything about it, but...sigh. I wish it stayed away.

~~~

Nick Jr. has seriously ticked me off. Once again they changed their lineup and have thrown our routine to hell. (And don't judge that our routine is ruled by the television. Ahem)

In the place of a nice Yo Gabba, Gabba, which is the cue to my boys that bed awaits, they put some awful NickMom crap. At 7 pm.

Awesome. Not.

~~~

Jack walked independently today. Finally. I may have scared the shit out of him when I started to holler and jump all over the room was pretty excited to say the least. :-)

I am still going to postpone his 18 month well baby (scheduled for Friday) until the end of the month. I don't need the freaking stress over it. Fingers crossed that he'll be terrorizing the house by then, okay?

~~~

Lastly, I am totally traumatized over this. Totally. I will never look at pigs the same way again!