Not on the same page

Tonight I was in Walmart, by myself for about 30 minutes killing time while I waited on a friend. It occured to me that Walmart and I see the world through different eyes.
For instance:

*Changing a price from 12.97 to 12.00 does not equate "Clearance."

*A sign $14-Can't be beat. Now that just isn't true. Cuz it can be beat. $13. $12. $5. Those all beat ya, $14!

*Putting milk in the back of the store does NOT necessarily mean I will walk to that back corner to buy milk picking up impulse items along the way. Because if I have my kids and they are being like my kids are, we will LEAVE with no milk and eat our Cap'n Crunch out of ziplocs on the way to school. Don't push my buttons.

*Who's idea was it to put pet items in two seperate sections? Because if I need cedar shavings for classroom guinea pig, why should I look in the dog/cat section then have to cross the store to the second for smaller pets? Does PETA recognize the discrimination there?

*I would rather have no greeter than a grumpy greeter.

*Self-checkers are great if they don't keep telling you to place item in the bagging area. Because sometimes you are buying a get well card and it is in the bagging area.

So there. Officially time to kill became too much time on my hands.

To Flu or Not to Flu...

How am I gonna get to an answer if I don't understand the question?

So Maddie has had this icky fever + dry cough + achiness + vomiting. After consulting my medical degree and experience (Google) I decided that a day of sitting in the doctor's office is in order. Because Mondays are generally slow anyway.

We went to our favorite family doctor who is not in our town. We see the ones here for cuts, like trophies to the head, or shots. But when I feel some serious lab work is involved, over the river and through the woods we go.

Upon sight of Maddie walking into the office we were ushered to the back of the office. Like not a waiting room. Like my little girl had green polka dot skin with purple stripes. Because she did look that pitiful.

Of course the usual...flu test, x-rays, temp taking...yadayadayada. Then...

Doc: Okay. I want to show you something.
Me: ~hold my breath and stuttering, not easy to do at the same time.~
Doc: Here is the information and official release from the CDC and Arkansas Childrens Hospital about the H1N1 virus.
Me: ~still holding, wide-eyed~
Doc: Now, as a guideline they are not testing any children for flu this season. They are treating flu like symptoms as the flu because children under 3 are having false negatives on their flu tests. So if you went into a clinic at children's they would just say Maddie has the flu and treat her as such due to her age and the fact that she has EVERY.SINGLE.SYMPTOM.
Me: ~wanting my mommy~
Doc: So, you have a choice. You can take her results as negative that she doesn't have the flu. We can treat the symptoms as flu-like. Or, we can treat her as they would, assume she has the flu and act accordingly. It is really your decision.

Okay. I digress. My decision? That's why I come to you! I want you to tell me what to do so I can make her feel better. And I promise if it is antibiotics I will give them till they are gone. Really. I will not leave the bottle a 1/4 full in the fridge shelf until it develops into a super-medicine that could cure evil.

I asked if we could take the easy road, treating the symptoms for a few days, see if it got better, start the tamaflu if not. But NO_O. We are within that 72 critical hours for the medicine to have effect. Stupid virus with its timetable.

So I am home with my daughter and her flu/not flu virus. And we are quarantined. And there will be ice cream eating. And I might even let her have some of it.

Frugal

I am thinking that I am the master of saving money. I have plotted and schemed and budgeted. I will conquer.

Because we have fully discovered the realms of "Kids eat free" meals in our little town.

It all started with the Pizza Shack. It seemed such a good idea to take the kids there for food and fun on Wednesdays. Just a little nudge from the cheese and pepperoni fairy to get us through the rest of the week. We are regulars, as in we have our tables, the waitresses know our drink orders, the cooks throw in an extra thin crust cheese at our sight, and all of our friends know where to find us. It is like "Cheers" only with marinara instead of beer.

But there is this other thing about my kids being old enough to be involved in "stuff." Like the swim team, soccer team, boy scouts kinda stuff that keeps us out several nights a week. So my fellow swim mom/pizza shack friend in crime and I decided that in order to preserve one precious (laundry/dishes/homework) night of sanity we should change Pizza Shack Wednesday (PSW) to Pizza Hut Tuesdays. We are already across town, we are out and hungry. Makes perfect sense.

Except we did go eat at Pizza Hut on Tuesday. Then there was pressure from our regular PHW posse on Wednesday and I COULD NOT LET THEM DOWN. Then there is the Thursday arrangement with Fat Boys Barbeque.

Let me sum this up for you. I washed dishes this morning and all that entailed was cereal bowls and cups. Kinda sad.

But look at all the money I am saving by feeding my kids for free!

The Rains Came Down and the Decibels Went Up

And that's just how it happened. It rained today, and there I was stuck inside with my kiddos. My 20 kiddos all inside those four walls. And they want to run, and they want to yell. And believe me, I want them to do those things, too. Just not inside my room.

Now, before it sounds like I am whining about my class, let me tell ya....I have a terrific group of kids. They are smart, and they are funny. They make me laugh all day long. But quiet...they are not. In fact, I am chalking their energy and enthusiasm up to adding to their sweetness and intelligence.

So today was a long day. And I am tired. And to top it all off, I have these other 3 kids that want to come home with me every day. And they are loud. And unfortunately for them, I yell back at them.

I'm starting to think I need a good pair of earplugs. But then I would miss all of those funny, smart things that make my day so great. What's a girl to do?

Pray for sunshine. At least from 10:45-11:30.

There are no words....

I cannot even begin to tell you how overwhelmed with blessings I feel right now.

What do you say to a man who choses to be a dad? One that doesn't have to, but wants to anyway? One that takes all of the tough times that come with raising a son that has special needs and who resists him every step of the way? One that has raised a boy since an infant and wants so bad for him to be his son like he already feels he is? Thank you is not enough.

What do you say to two boys who are so full of wonder and questions? All of the why's and why not's and I don't understands? And the never agains..... Because they should not have to know the bitter sweet feelings that they do. Because they understand that they are so loved and wanted, but also understand loss.

It would be easy to say I felt alone four years ago. Just me and my boy and my big pregnant belly. But I never did. I knew that God would send me and those two boys the man that we needed. Because God is in the business of knowing that a little boy needs a man to help him grow. He did it for His Son, He would do it for mine. And He did. But watching that come to be, a man that loved me and my boys, who was not only willing but wanted to make a family with us, that is humbling. And to see him on that stand in front of the judge and our parents asking to be their father forever....well...there are no words.

So tonight I am just overwhelmed. And thankful.

So here they are! As Parker said, "More important than a birthday." Because they have a Father who loved them enough to give them a daddy.

My Fellow Americans....

So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America. _President Obama, September 8, 2009



So I haven't posted in awhile. Thanks, TB for not calling me out on it. But this hit me. And normally I would avoid this political thing like the plague. Not because I don't like politics-because I do. I wanted in the political ring until an unfortunate advising incident as a Freshman at HSU. But because it is uncomfortable for people with strong views. And strong views I got, of the blue-hued, which is not normally popular in my chosen profession. So I silently wave my right-wing flag in my closet as my peeps rally the red. I'm comfortable there in my nonconfrontational arena. But I digress.

Today our President spoke to our nation by reaching out to our future. He took the bull-headed by the horns, and told those kids that they are responsible. He promised that we (teachers, parents, and governments) are going to do our best to provide for them and their educations as they prepare for their futures. Then he told him that they have these tools available for them, but that the rest is on them.

And I gotta tell ya, I like it. I like that he "got real" with the kids about overcoming these issues that they face. He didn't sugarcoat anything or diminish the difficulties that they deal with every day. But he did say that you have to make the best of your opportunities DESPITE these things. I like that these kids are acknowledged for their trials, that he didn't tell them that they don't know tough times. Because they do. But he did tell them that they cannot crutch themselves on that excuse. That they have to learn to pick themselves up, dust their pants off, and get to the task at hand.

I was skeptical. I will REALLY be skeptical (negative) tomorrow when his whole healthcare speech goes down. But for today I agree and appreciate him taking the time to do what he has the opportunity like no other president before him....reaching out and sharing some hope for doing better.