An Atypical Mom

I'm still here, part 2

2008-01-31T21:48:00.000-06:00

sorta....

Stuff going on in RL. Nothing bad, just stuff.

Struggling with continuing this.

I'll let ya know.

I am almost done with birthday parties

2008-01-20T22:41:00.000-06:00

We had Boy's birthday party today. He was 10 a month ago, and I was able to get this party done within (or exactly) a month after his actual bday. Give me a break! The kid was born 5 days before Christmas. You can't expect me to organize and carry out a birthday party so close to the holidays, can you? Neither of my kids actually had a party last year because I was such a procrastinator. Oh, the shame!

Anyhow. We had a small group of friends dropped off at our house this afternoon and had a kind-of backward party. We did cake and presents first, then off to a local video game place. Each kid got $20 bucks on their 'debit' card and off they went. At first I kind of panicked, trying to keep track all the kids. Eventually, I found a good spot to hang out where I could monitor all the comings and goings. Pretty soon, each boy wandered back because they were out of points. I think everyone had fun and as a bonus, we left with all the kids we came with!

It's fun having parties for your kids. Remember how cool it was having everyone want you to open their gift first? or sit by you in the car? However...I am getting closer to the point of not having big bday parties. I am in favor of a few close friends doing something fun, as opposed to 12+ kids in a free-for-all somewhere.

Next week, Girl is turning 13. What a milestone!! I am taking her and her BFF out to dinner then High School Musical on Ice, then home for a sleep over. Sounds pretty good to me. I think she will have a good time too.

So even though I am seeing an end to these parties, and feel a sense of relief...I suppose it's bittersweet. I can think back on all the kiddie parties they had...what fun, what times we've had and have past. The themes; Winnie the Pooh, princesses, thomas the train, toy story, etc... Enough down memory lane, you get the picture...

Frozen tundra

2008-01-18T23:42:00.000-06:00

So I fear that weather talk is not worthy of blog fodder. I get it, boring. But, really...when it's going to be in the single digits for the 'high'...how can that not be a worthy topic?

Anyways, I am stuck in the frigid mid-west, desperately awaiting my vacation in 4 weeks from today! Although, it may not be tropical, I am willing to accept that. I would hope anything south of Chicago in February is better than Chicago in February. Is that a valid wish??

This weekend we have a mini-birthday-celebration for the Boy. He was 10 last month, but it was too close to the holidays for me to even consider organizing a party. We have planned for a few close pals to go to the local video game center to play for an hour or so...

Next week, Girl officially becomes a teenager!! Yikes!! To mark that event, we have made plans to take her and her BFF to see High School Musical on ice, then a sleep over. Should be fun. I think the girls will enjoy.

insomnia

2008-01-16T23:32:00.000-06:00

UUgggh
Two nights in row I was still awake at 1. I am hoping to change that tonight. Not sure of the reason, just know that it sucks.

Atypical Dad gets mad at me, he's a morning person...but what can I do? Seriously, I can't even dream of a 10 pm bedtime.

sweet dreams, baby

Florida bound

2008-01-12T23:58:00.000-06:00

So, Atypical Dad and I have finally decided that it's high time we blew this popsicle stand. Actually, my mom was in for Thanksgiving and she happened to mention that we should take a few days to ourselves...so I jumped on this like a lion on a wildebeast...got plane, hotel, and car reservations and tickets to some important race in February.

This marks the first time away from our kids since Girl got sick. We haven't spent more than one night away from them in over 5 years. And, really, it's showing. We were celebrating our 10th anniversary in LasVegas exactly one month before everything started with her. It's really amazing...and for the best, that we were home for that whole ordeal. I can't imagine ANYTHING worse that that while you are away from your kids. I have relived that morning over and over, and I can't imagine not being here to deal with it all myself. I could never have forgiven myself...

But, that is in the past...She is good, meds are working, life goes on. My mom is going to be here and my kids have promised to behave, so all is well. I hope.

The countdown is at 35 days.

Teh bleu ones r poysun too

2008-01-08T22:55:00.000-06:00

Ok, maybe if'n you don't read http://icanhascheezburger.com/ , you wouldn't know that the oranj ones are poysun. Apparently, the blu ones r too. See below.

So, last night, Atypical Dad and I are chilling out on the couch, watching tv. The children were in their rooms doing...something. At some point I see Boy head to the bathroom. Shortly thereafter, he opens the door and starts yelling/blubbering about something.

I get up and go to him, to find him drooling BLUE all over the place. Blue drool here, there, everywhere. And he's crying...hysterical, really. He was chewing on a pen, and ended up pulling out the tip which seemed to have deposited all the ink into his mouth! (well, some on his desk and floor too) On top of that whole ginormous mess...he thought the ink was poison, so he was doubly freaking out. His panic was more than just "oh, I made a mess, my mom's gonna be mad." This was all-out, "I AM GOING TO DIE BECAUSE THE INK IS POISON!!!"

So, while Husband decided to get mad about some ink drool on our carpet...I was trying to calm our son, talk him off the ledge. He was thinking he was dying of ink poisoning. (Priorities man, really.) I had him brush a bunch of times, but his teeth were still a lovely blue shade. We used hair spray on his hands to get it off and several rounds of baking soda brushes for his teeth...ugh. At least I know he brushed well once this week!

Today...Boy woke up, so at least I know the blue ones aren't poison too. He survived, so far, even went to school. Thanks to Arm and Hammer, his teeth were white too.

Whew...at least it wasn't an oranj pen.

2 whole weeks

2008-01-06T00:03:00.000-06:00

Ugh. It's been 2 weeks since I've been able to get in here and let my fans by the ones of ones know I am still alive.

This Christmas season kicked my ass, but I am actually blaming it on viruses. I am usually able to skirt most of the illnesses that affect my family, but not this time! NOPE. This time I got it all. Started out with sinus crap then subsided. After a few days got some throat crap that travelled to the bronchial area...it just plain sucked. I did, though, get to lay around the house more than one day...doing nothing, getting to nap guilt-free. So, gotta be grateful for that, I suppose. Now I've been feeling ok and haven't been taking medications, but my throat is bugging me again. I am comtemplating dog antibiotics. I will keep you posted.

Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-22T23:03:00.001-06:00

Hey, you got any Advil?

My back is achin' man! I spent a good 6 hours straight doing some major house cleaning. We're talking washing floors on knees, cleaning bathrooms, and the MUCH needed pre-Christimas-children's-bedroom-purge.

You might have guessed this is because we are hosting some kind of holiday celebration and you would be right. We are actually having both Christmas Eve and Day here. The Eve is more people and more cooking. Day is a little more laid back, which will be nice. Tomorrow we go to my brother's house to celebrate my family's Christmas and then the other 2 days are for Husband's side.

Just wanted to wish anyone who stopped by a very Merry Christmas....may you days be merry and bright.

Double digits

2007-12-19T22:06:00.000-06:00

So, big day here tomorrow. The Boy turns 10!

T.E.N.

OMG, I have 2 kids and they are both in the double digits. I am old. How did this happen? Seems like just yesterday I was making Christmas cookies with my toddler while my husband took pictures, careful to zoom in on my HUGE belly!! Unfortunately, the belly is still far too big, but my 'toddler' will be 13 next month!! At the time, we didn't know I was about to give birth to 9 pounder. That is a nice healthy weight, but when you are 5'2"....uh, makes it seem like you are carrying some linebacker's kid. And feels that way during birth...but I will spare the details.

Anyhow...he's a great kid, I can't wait to see what the next 10 years brings us. I am expecting some interesting times!

BAK

2007-12-16T23:14:00.000-06:00

Back.At.Keyboard.

Survived my first cold of the season. Hopefully, it will be the only cold. Seems like just a virus, no sinus infection or anything, no need to put myself on dog medications or anything. I've been down since Thursday night, so just about 3 days. I can handle that. Atypical Dad was very accomodating, since he had just been sick. It was nice to chill and nap when I felt like it.

Even though I've been under the weather, I am in full holiday mode. I even wrapped presents today. I am about 90% done with shopping, so I am feeling good about that. We are hosting Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (for the same group of people...yeah, don't ask...) so I am working on menus and shopping for that whole deal. So, uh, fa ra ra ra ra ra...whatever. We should have a nice holiday. Hope the same for y'all.

Drat

2007-12-13T22:54:00.000-06:00

Oh no.
I feel it coming.
Headache.
Stuffed up nostril.
Now the other one.
Stuffed up nostrils, but yet they drain.

Oh crap!

Infirmary and root beer bottles

2007-12-12T22:34:00.000-06:00

Greetings from the infirmary. We have had 2 on the couch/in the bed for a few days, now we are just waiting for the other 2 (myself included) to fall. Seems this bug hit the male half of the household first...remains to be seen whether it's a gender specific bug.

We're actually seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for both Dad and Lad. Atypical Dad put himself on dog antibiotics (OK...so I brought them home from work and they are "technically" labeled for dogs and cats, but it's also a human med too, so don't freak out! Call it a perk of working at an animal hospital) for what is most likely a sinus infection. He seems to get those once a season. After just 2 doses of said dog-med, he's feeling better. Although, should I worry he's dragging his butt on the carpet???

Ok, that was just for snickers!! He isn't really doing that, I swear!

Boy had a fever for a few days with plugged up ears and some ear pain. I brought him to the ped yesterday and no infection. Ok, that's good, except it cost me $90 to learn he had a cold. Grrrr. The funny thing is Boy himself. I'm not sure if I've talked about his usually over-descriptive self. I mean, the kid can take 5 minutes telling you about one scene from Tom and Jerry. So, last night, I knew he was feeling better because I had to keep ragging at him to go to bed, and then stop reading by his nightlight. "You are sick, you need your rest." Dammit! So, then he comes out of his room again...
Boy: Mom, I hear this noise in my ears.
Me: Yeah hun, it does that.
Boy: It's like wind blowing.
Me: Mm, hmm. Your congestion is clearing.
Boy: It sounds like when you hear wind blowing over a root beer bottle.
Me: Sounds like you need to get to sleep.

What a cute kid. At least he went to school today!

Winter Wonderland

2007-12-04T21:36:00.000-06:00

Hey, it's only December 4th and we are already working on our 2nd snow of the season. Suzy Snowflake has indeed been tap-tap-tapping at my windowpane for most of the day.

I'm not going to make this a boring weather-related post. It's just an excuse to play a cool old cartoon. This used to be shown around these parts on our local TV station, back in the day of 2-5-7-9-11-32. OMG, how did we survive on 6 channels?

Ahhh. Memories.

Half done with shopping

2007-11-28T23:42:00.001-06:00

Wow, I am at least half done with my Christmas shopping already. A near-record for me.

Ten years ago I had done all of my shopping by Thanksgiving. I was pregnant with Boy and he was due December 18. I had NO intention of Christmas shopping while 8-9 months pregnant, so I made a point to be done early. (The Girl-child was born 4 weeks early, so I just KNEW I'd have another one early. Ok, I was wrong about that...BUT...getting the shopping done early was worth it, even if sort of unnecessary.) Anyhow, being done with shopping was such a relief, I vowed to have it done early every year thereafter.

FAIL.

It's a good idea in theory. I have just not followed through in the past 9 years since then. Anyhow, this year, I am doing better than previous years. This is due in part to buying gift cards through Boy's PTA. You pay full price, get full price cards but the school gets a percentage of the cost. Cool. The whole 2 birds thing...I don't care.

I would really like to get the perfect gift for everyone, the one thought-out idea...you know it's a home-run. Ya right. How many people can you really shop for like that?? My nieces and nephews don't want things I think they want...geez, here's a card, get what you want already!

Happy Shoppingmas!

Happy Belated Turkey Day

2007-11-25T21:44:00.000-06:00

Hey.

Had a nice Turkey Day here. I didn't have to cook anything other than cranberries, so that was nice. We went to Husband's sister's house. Everything was nice, but I ended up with a few good stories.

#1
Husband's cousin has a daughter in California. She hasn't been able to make a lot of family get-togethers lately, but she calls and the phone gets passed around for everyone to say Hi. Now, the cousin at the table with us is a rather large woman, not that there is anything wrong with that, but it might help the imagery. So anyways, we are sitting at the table for dinner, and it's kind of quiet. I guess we must have been hungry, not much conversation going on. A phone rings. The cousin exclaims happily, "Oh, there's S." And she then proceeds to reach into her top and remove her cell phone from her...uh...brastrap? cleavage? I guess the brastrap option is really the best case scenario here, but truthfully, she seems to dig a little much to the center for any strap. And you know what? I'd give a rat's ass where she kept her phone, except for the fact that I knew it was going to be passed around the table!! Well, there's just no good in any of that.

Thankfully, I was like 7th in line for the phone.

#2
Background info: My MIL has this unfortunate habit of blowing her nose at the dinner table. Every. Time.

Now, I sympathize with some post nasal drip issues. I have allergies, I am not without understanding of such annoyances. BUT. I am wrong in feeling just a little annoyed and disgusted that the blowing of one's nose is done at the dinner table? And maybe I'd let you slide if it happens once in awhile, you know, things happen. BUT. Every. DAMN. Time?

Ok, so here it is...Thanksgiving Dinner '07. Lovely meal. Nice company. MIL blowing her nose. The quote of the evening: My Husband, MIL's loving son, "Uh, Mom? That's a cloth napkin." That was followed up quickly with my SIL asking for more wine.

Did I mention how nice it was not to be hosting this year?

Reflections

2007-11-20T21:40:00.000-06:00

Well, it's that date again. A date I will see on the calendar for the rest of my life and not dwell upon. It's November 20 and 5 years ago today, in 2002, my daughter's life, all of our lives changed forever.

On this date, I went to wake her up for school and found her in, what I now know as, a status seizure. A seizure that does not stop on its own. This 7 year old girl, who I read a book with and kissed goodnight thinking all was well, would never be the same. She had no history of any kind of serious illness and certainly no telling symptoms that anything was wrong that night of the 19th, so to find her seizing was shocking to say the least. That morning I had to do so many things a parent has dread, and hopefully most never have to actually do:

I called 911. I've had anxiety-type dreams before where I had needed to dial a phone number and never get it right. I have to keep dialing over and over. Luckily, in real-life, I did OK. I then ran outside in my PJ's and bare feet (a big deal in November in my neck of the woods) to get my cell phone to call my husband. The 911 operator kept me on the phone of course, and back then my cell was not attached to my hip.
I rode in an ambulance for the first time. We initially went to our local hospital but it was quickly apparent when they looked at an abnormal CT and couldn't stop her seizures that we had to be transferred to the children's hospital in the big city. I had to sit in the passenger seat during rush hour traffic for 45 minutes and stare at people who wouldn't get out of the ambulance's way. I hope they remember my face.
I sat and watched her get her first MRI.
I had to listen to my husband ask the neurologist is she was going to die. Even in my panicked, horrified, distraught state, I could have never actually asked that or admitted that possibility outloud.
I had to tell my mom everything that was going on over the phone, as my parents live 2000 miles away.
I had to kiss my husband goodnight and watch him leave me to spend the night in the hospital with her. It was the first of about 20 nights that we would spend apart as we took turns sleeping over.
A few hours after my husband left, I saw the neuro leaving for the night and asked him about the odd way she was laying on her bed. He took one look, stirred her and held her left hand up to her face. He asked her what it was and she said, an arm. He asked whose arm and she didn't know. This was my first knowledge of her hemiparalysis and I was completely unaware of all that this meant.
I sat watching her get EEG leads placed on her head for the first time. I got a quick lesson on what to look for on the screen and on her, given a button to press and was on my own. I kept seeing scribbles all the time and her eyes were all over the place, but she could speak to me. I kept calling in the neuro on-call to ask about it. They said, it's not a seizure if she is talking to me. OK. Well, 5 years down the road, I can tell you she can speak through most of her larger seizures. The next day the epileptologist told me she was pretty much in and out of seizures all the first night. If only I had known and could question more.
I was awake for 36 out of the next 40 hours. The only bright spot that first day was when she finally became conscious for any real amount of time since I found her that morning. I was allowed to share a popsicle with her at 3 am. It had been almost 20 hours into this journey and I felt like it was the most wonderful thing to eat a stinking popsicle at 3 am! And, I guess it was pretty wonderful.

Five years later and so many, many treatments and therapies and opinions and medications later:

I got to sleep late because my mom is in visiting and now the kids are 12 and 9 and can get their own breakfasts.
I watched my daughter go bowling with her grandma, brother and cousins.
I was able to read, again, the notice that she was awarded High Honor Roll this grading period. (She has accommodations in school, but this is still a big deal for her!)
I got annoyed at both kids for their bickering back and forth.
We had dinner together.
We are all sleeping under one roof tonight!

Tooth Fairy's Last Call

2007-11-15T23:18:00.000-06:00

So, last night, the Tooth Fairy visited Girl for the last time. She had lost her last baby tooth yesterday (well technically, it was pulled out by her dentist, but...it still counts). I didn't really think about it much, but then it kind of got to me. It is another milestone for her.
The. Last. Babytooth.
As if I needed more reminders of her not being a baby. Let's see....she is about an inch shorter than me (which really isn't saying much, cuz I am pretty short), she is wearing women's sizes now, and I think her feet are as big or bigger than mine.
sigh.

She wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy.
"I hope you like my tooth. Please leave me $5 or $10. Love, Girl"

I felt like leaving the orthodontist estimate for her braces..."apply your effing $10 to this honey!!!" LOL. Of course, I didn't.

Now...what the hell do I do with all these teeth I have hidden away??!?

Making money

2007-11-11T23:21:00.000-06:00

So, I sometimes feel like I am Ralph Kramden...always trying to find some big scheme to makes lots and lots of money and live on Easy St. (and FYI, I don't live in a 1 bedroom apartment, notthatthereisanythingwrongwiththat....)

I have an idea for a blog/website, I just wonder if it would work and if people would visit. And how exactly do you make money off of a blog other than ads..or is just ads? I. Don't. Getit.

Anyone? Buehler??

Multi.slacker

2007-11-08T22:26:00.001-06:00

That's my new title.

I am Me and I am a multi-slacker. And, I totally blame the internet!

Oh my god, I would be going to the gym 5 times a week for hours at a time if Al Gore had not invented the interwebs. Fucking Al Gore, if not for him....I'd be svelte. Slim. Weigh a whole lot less. Instead, I set upon dreaded computer and write and post and view and LOL at the LOLcats. In fact, right now, I am writing and playing in 2, count 'em TWO, poker tournaments.

God, that is so pathetic. I can only justify it by calling it my me-time. Everyone else is asleep, so why the hell not waste time.

Ok, I gotta go...this tourny is heating up.
(hey, at least it's free)

Shopping

2007-11-06T23:54:00.000-06:00

So, while I haven't actually started shopping, I have started to really think about Christmas shopping already. I am happy that I seem to be on top of things, but still, it makes me sad to think about these things so far in advance.

I am sad that I have the majority of Halloween candy left while thinking of Christmas. That just seems wrong.

P.S. The only reason we have candy left from Halloween left is because I have found the ultimate hiding place and my kids haven't figured it out yet. Muuuahahahhhaha!!

Happy November

2007-11-02T21:34:00.000-06:00

OMG, it's November...and the 2nd already. I couldn't even post on the first, it went by so fast. I guess because our weather has been so nice here, this month just seemed to sneak up on me. Now they are talking flurries in the forecast and we only have

uh

52 more shopping days 'til Christmas.

depressing.

Pumpkin walk

2007-10-26T22:33:00.000-05:00

Last night, my son's school had a Family Night to coincide with our Book Fair (aka: soliticing more money from you saps). The Family Night included a Pumpkin Walk, a pumpkin decorating contest. So, the Boy wanted to enter a pumpkin in the contest, ok, cool. His choice? Puking pumpkin...

Cute? Right?

I wasn't thinking he would win, but thought it could have been a contender...except the son of the woman running the contest won, and he actually tied with his best friend. Huh, who woulda thought? Now, I have to admit, the one kid's submission was cute, although it was clearly done by his parents. But the objection I have is that while I was making my votes, I clearly heard the mom reprimand the tie-winning child about his multiple votes. So, obviously the kids were stuffing the ballot box and that just pisses me off. I mean, people vote how they vote, but how is OK to see blatant cheating and just smile and walk away...then award the prize at the end of the night? Ironically, this one parent was married to one of the worst sore-loser baseball coaches we came in contact last summer during baseball season. Coincidence? I think not. But it's just a sad commentary on parenthood that you have to lie and cheat just to get a freaking $10 gift certificate....pulllease!

As if my darling child hasn't caused me enough (fill in the blank)...

2007-10-23T21:44:00.000-05:00

a) joy
b) worry
c) annoyance
d) debt

Tonight, we shall discuss option (d).

I can sum up my latest expenditure due to child bearing in one, evil word:
Orthodontics

The girl has been going to the orthodontist for all the preliminary workups, xrays, moldings, pictures and whatever else $550 pays for. Tonight, though, we got the word. We had the big meeting with the office manager, billing sadist, whatever her official title is. My darling child can have beautiful choppers all for the low low price of $6800.
Does anyone have any smelling salts handy?

It will take about 3 years of treatment. So, from my calculations....I need to pay about $7-grand to have my then-16 year old sneer at me with straight teeth.

Oh, the joys of parenthood.

I'm still here

2007-10-21T00:18:00.001-05:00

Hey.

Yeah, I am still here. It's been a little crazy here, a little too much for my liking, thankyouverymuch. I am knee deep in child-rearing crapola, and hope to get clear of these latest piles of shit I've been dealing with. This week has been tough and it's really starting to wear me down.

I've been trying lots of self-help methods, such as, medicinal doses of a proven russian healing serum...ok, so a little vodka here and there...and also some sleep therapy. OK, large amounts of sleep therapy. Let's hope it works.

Tomorrow, I am looking forward to getting rid of my whole family for the day...I mean, the Husband is off to play with the boys at the dragstrip (fun fun fun til your daddy takes the tbird away...not) and one of my lovely SIL's has invited the kids to their cousins' football games. So .... yay... I am thinking...sleep late, then a leisurely breakfast, then dump, er, drop kids off at the games, and then maybe a nap for me.

More intelligent posts to follow, hopefully for any reader's sake...

Indifferent mom is indifferent

2007-10-12T08:52:00.000-05:00

*Yawn* Wow, it's early for me to be posting. Just wanted to put something up here, it's looking a little sparse in my corner of the interwebs lately.

I was lax these past few weeks because it seems like I wasn't getting any traffic and I wasn't very motivated. And...not that I am writing to get my hit counter higher, but sometimes it's nice to know someone is out there. I have been checking my traffic site and it kept telling me that no one has visited in, like, 3 weeks. Flatline. Then yesterday, I got a comment on one of my previous posts. Now....how does my traffic monitor not register someone that left me a comment?

Looks like I need a new counter
or something.
Some little boost to my wee self esteem.