Sunday, December 20, 2009

New Frustrations Being Made Better By Christmas Spirit!

If you'll recall, I'd posted about my daughter being afraid to go to school all of a sudden. We thought that had been fixed and that she felt safe again. We were wrong. I had to bribe her to go to school the last two days before Christmas break began. I used the bus as leverage...she could ride the bus TO school if she would just go! On Friday, she (well, I) forgot her morning snack and realized this just as the bus was coming into view. This didn't leave me enough time to run back in and get it before the bus would get there. I promised her that it would be there for her when she got to school. When I got there the teacher questioned where Terra was and I explained that I had to bribe her to go to school and the reasoning...what was going on. Her teacher called me a liar (the NERVE!) and told me that that wasn't true, that *I* had been lied to and that there must be something else going on outside of school because she's always just fine when she gets to school. I had it out with her right there. Let's just say that teacher and I aren't exactly on good terms right now (and that she was put in her place and admitted her wrong-doing in the matter after a second chat after school)...it's a good thing that there's at least 2.5 weeks until I see her next.

We haven't had much progress by way of therapy for Tyler...we've had the sickies the last two weeks in a row and might have another bout of them again this week. We'll see how everyone is feeling on Tuesday morning.

I've started doing a sale until the end of the year for PartyLite, but haven't been having much luck (not that I expected a whole lot this close to Christmas, but I was hoping for at least something)! So, I've decided to offer this "prize sale" at my sister's party out in Salt Lake City, UT the day after Christmas.

*Each buying guest that has an order totaling $40 is eligible to get an item at half price in the catalog AND having their name entered into a drawing for a $20 gift certificate to use toward their next order on here! If you'd like to contact me for directions to get to this party or would like to make a purchase toward this party, please go to the link (to make a purchase click on "shop", click on "find your host" and then type in Nicole Keller, then click on her name and start shopping).

I'm all done (or was until this afternoon's realization of ONE more gift to buy) Christmas shopping! That is an amazing feeling of accomplishment. Now Santa's elves just need to come help me wrap these last few stragglers! Christmas music just as a way of making life wonderful again...especially after a bout of stress and anxiety that's happened around here. ALSO, we might be able to leave for "home" a day earlier than first thought! YAY! We'll know more tomorrow! I'M SO STOKED FOR CHRISTMAS!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Pity - Party Of One

Today has just been an off day. I really wish that there was a pause button on life just so I could take a breath...come up for air.

Tyler has been having a couple of down days...but, on the plus side, I can now understand some of the basic things that he's saying! That is HUGE! I find myself tearing up now with that realization (yes, I'm a boob!).

Chris threw his back out somehow (he thinks it's because of his visit with the chiropractor, that somehow she loosened things up enough for it to go out...lol, he thinks that his tight muscles before wouldn't have allowed this to happen to him). He's been taking some muscle relaxers every so often to help him sleep and by morning he feels semi-normal again, only to go to work and sit in a car for hours on end...causing the pain to come back.

Terra's been having issues with one of her teachers and a couple of bully-boys at school lately. In just a matter of a couple weeks, she no longer wants to go to school. She cries when we mention it and, even though it's her snack-day tomorrow, she still doesn't want to go...she really won't be going tomorrow because of the sickies. I'd thought that maybe she was making herself sick thinking about going back to school, but since the boys are now tossing cookies, that's been ruled out.

Celeste suffers from constipation issues, no matter what we try, she's still having problems. So, everyday, a couple times a day, I have to sit and hold her while she screams and pushes and cries until it's all over and done, and then she's happy and chatty again. Not on my fun list!

James ran out of pullups last week, so we told him he just had to stay dry and get up to go potty. The first night wasn't so great. He'd wake up screaming when he'd wet himself. We thought, well, at least he's recognizing it. It took him a day or so to finally tell me that when he peed, it got onto his arms (which are VERY sore and have open wounds from his eczema) and made them hurt really bad. This might be a morbid/mean thought on my part, but at least this might push him into training completely, faster. He's done really well most nights and has had a confidence boost...his teacher has noticed a bit of a difference at school with how he is doing.

And then there's me. Where to start...LOL! The other day, we needed to get to the post office before it closed, Chris had to drop off his van at the repair shop in town (just down the street from the PO) and he was running just a little bit late. I also had a party to do that night. He called and said he was close and to meet him there. It didn't dawn on me to just have him walk to the PO and I'd meet him there instead, so I hurried and was rushing the kids out the door. Whining ensued because shoes could not be found...I told them they didn't need them because they wouldn't be getting out of the car anyway. Finally I got everyone out to the car and as I was running, full speed, around the back side of the suburban, I glanced behind me to see what the noise was (wood falling off the pile), and ran full-force into the ball hitch! I did a flip and a twist and all sorts of graceful moves before hitting the cement floor. I thought for a few minutes that I'd broken my leg (mid-thigh). I finally managed to pull myself into the car and sobbed the whole way to the repair shop. If a cop would have been behind me, I'd have been pulled over for sure...I was driving with my left foot and could barely see the road through my tears. I got there and picked Chris up and we drove to the PO. Once there, we learned that the card machines were down and that they were hoping they'd be working again the next day. So, all this pain and agony for NOTHING! So, we got home, I got ready for the party and realized, there's NO WAY I can lift that box and walk on my leg...I could barely support myself. So, Chris came with me and dropped me off, carrying the box for me (even though his back hurt), and then came back to pick me up later. I was probably the worst consultant ever that night...I'd forgotten things at home, and couldn't stand up for long...and even had to assign someone to hand out tickets for a drawing. How's that for lame (no pun intended).

So, tonight, there I was...feeling sorry for myself (because the sickies have taken up residence in our house again...and both parents are gimpy), when I came across this blog that I'd read before about 10-11 months ago. I now find myself kicking myself for feeling so down and glum. This woman is AMAZING and strong. She is grateful for extremely small things in life (one post the first time I started reading was that she was happy that she could wipe herself again and had privacy in the bathroom again...read the blog, you'll understand when you read it). It made me think that I should start being more grateful for the small things in my life that DON'T go completely and insanely wrong!

So...here's my "Spectacular Sunday" post (seven things I'm grateful for).

1 - Not having a broken leg after my accident...although I'm thinking the muscle might be torn...only time will tell. I CAN WALK!

2 - Having a husband who will help me clean...even when he's in the middle of a video game (yes, he's a gaming geek) or watching a movie. He just presses pause and comes and helps me out so I'm not so overwhelmed anymore (like just now when both boys woke up crying and vomiting...yeah, that was great fun).

3 - Mt. Everdish is almost gone!

4 - That this particular sickie-stomach-bug seems to be only a 24 hour thing (we're hoping anyway)...Terra hasn't thrown up for almost 2.5 hrs now! WOOHOO!

5 - The stomach-bug hasn't hit me or Chris yet...that's always a perk and I'm hoping it skips us entirely!

6 - My house didn't burn down when Tyler was playing with fire a couple weeks ago. My mom just told me about some houses in her neighborhood that just went up in flames this evening and rumors are saying that the fire-fighters are being treated for hypothermia? I'm praying for all involved in that one...

7 - Living right across the street from the church...it has it's perks...this morning we woke up late and were only 5-ish minutes late for church...if we'd have lived further away, we would have probably missed the first block entirely!