So it is December 31,2011 10:20pm. New Years Eve. At first I was mad because I wanted to be out somewhere partying, bringing in the New Year. I did not want to be sitting here at home, sober, with the kids, just hanging out. But I've been sitting here with my hubby at the computer for the last hour watching a slide show of the past 3 years of our lives.
Me pregnant and the birth of Kai, Thanksgivings in Tahoe, Disneyland with some of our best friends, hubby's brother's birthday, Kai's first birthday, a couple Christmas', the birth of 2 of my nieces, clubbin with my Boos, Partying in our old apartments, our first house, our move to Vacaville, soccer, field trips, my Grandma's funeral ......Life.
And man. All I can say is that I feel very blessed right now. It seems like all the bad times and heartbreak just melt away when you see all the good times flash before your eyes. We have been through so much together, both good and bad, and I can honestly say that there is no where else I would rather be and there is one else that I would rather spend the rest of my life with.
You Are My Soul Mate and I Will Love You Until The End Of Time and Beyond.
Happy New Years Bouchet
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wacky Law Wednesdsay
Every Wednesday I will go state by state posting some of the wacky laws that I am able to find. (some states are funnier than others)
ARIZONA
In Tucson, it is illegal for women to wear pants.
In Glove it is illegal to play cards in the street with a Native American (I'm guessing that on the sidewalk is okay).
In Glendale, it is illegal to drive a car in reverse (so all houses have circular driveways?).
In Nogalas it is illegal to wear suspenders (because they would rather see someones butt crack?).
It is illegal to walk thru a hotel lobby in spurs.
Cutting down a cactus is punishable by a 25 year prison sentence.
If you commit a misdemeanor while wearing a red mask, it is considered a felony.
It is illegal to manufacture imitation cocaine (the real stuff is okay?).
Hunting camels is prohibited. (I wasn't aware camels were native to America)
It is illegal to refuse a person a glass of water.
In Prescott, it is illegal to ride your horse up the stairs of the county courthouse.
It is illegal for any person over the age of 18 to have more than one missing tooth showing when they smile.
In Mohave County, if you are caught stealing soap, you must wash yourself until it is all used up (um, yeah).
It is illegal to posses more than two dildos in any household.
Oral Sex is considered Sodomy.
And last but not least.....
In 1985, an Arizona legislator proposed that each candidate running for the legislature must take a reading and an I.Q. test three months before the election. The scores would then have been posted on the ballot. It was voted down.
*Please feel free to comment with any wacky laws you might know of*
ARIZONA
In Tucson, it is illegal for women to wear pants.
In Glove it is illegal to play cards in the street with a Native American (I'm guessing that on the sidewalk is okay).
In Glendale, it is illegal to drive a car in reverse (so all houses have circular driveways?).
In Nogalas it is illegal to wear suspenders (because they would rather see someones butt crack?).
It is illegal to walk thru a hotel lobby in spurs.
Cutting down a cactus is punishable by a 25 year prison sentence.
If you commit a misdemeanor while wearing a red mask, it is considered a felony.
It is illegal to manufacture imitation cocaine (the real stuff is okay?).
Hunting camels is prohibited. (I wasn't aware camels were native to America)
It is illegal to refuse a person a glass of water.
In Prescott, it is illegal to ride your horse up the stairs of the county courthouse.
It is illegal for any person over the age of 18 to have more than one missing tooth showing when they smile.
In Mohave County, if you are caught stealing soap, you must wash yourself until it is all used up (um, yeah).
It is illegal to posses more than two dildos in any household.
Oral Sex is considered Sodomy.
And last but not least.....
In 1985, an Arizona legislator proposed that each candidate running for the legislature must take a reading and an I.Q. test three months before the election. The scores would then have been posted on the ballot. It was voted down.
*Please feel free to comment with any wacky laws you might know of*
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Wacky Law Wednesdays
Every Wednesday I am going to do a post about some of the wacky laws in America. I will go state by state, alphabetically. Feel free to comment with any wacky laws you might know of.
ALASKA
Moose may not be viewed from an airplane.
While it is legal to shoot bears, waking a sleeping bear for the purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited.
It is considered an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane.
Anchorage-No one may tie their pet dog to the roof of a car.
In Anchorage, Persons may not live in a trailer as it is being hauled across the city.
In Fairbanks, It is considered an offense to feed alcoholic beverages to a moose.
In Haines, A person may only carry a concealed slingshot if that person has received the appropriate license.
IN Nome, One may not roam the city with a bow and arrows
And last but not least:
In Juneau, Owners of flamingos may not let their pet into barber shops.
ALASKA
Moose may not be viewed from an airplane.
While it is legal to shoot bears, waking a sleeping bear for the purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited.
It is considered an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane.
Anchorage-No one may tie their pet dog to the roof of a car.
In Anchorage, Persons may not live in a trailer as it is being hauled across the city.
In Fairbanks, It is considered an offense to feed alcoholic beverages to a moose.
In Haines, A person may only carry a concealed slingshot if that person has received the appropriate license.
IN Nome, One may not roam the city with a bow and arrows
And last but not least:
In Juneau, Owners of flamingos may not let their pet into barber shops.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Grieving Part 2
*I wrote this blog back in August or September. I was not able to post it before this because the pain was too strong. I still get weepy when I read it, but through writing, I am able to find healing.*
Today I was going through some photos of my wedding and when Parker/Bubba were babies. I wasn’t prepared for how many pictures there were of my Grandma. The fresh round of grief that came over me when I saw them almost knocked me off my feet. My heart felt like it was breaking all over again and the tears just wouldn’t stop. She was such a huge part of my life growing up. I have so many memories of us together. Waking up in her bed after my mom would drop me off before going to work. Shopping together. Taking walks to the creek when I was like two years old, to throw rocks in the water. It’s like having home-movies, playing over and over again in my mind.
I had such high expectations when my Mom moved her up here to the Assisted Living Facility last May. She was finally going to get better, I just knew it. Nobody could tell me any different. All she needed was someone to give her that little push to help her get better. After all wasn’t this a place that was designed to help seniors regain their freedom? I guess I thought she was a product of her environment before she came. Living in a convalescent home wasn’t going to help her get better; it was just going to help enable her to stay sick.
We (my mom, her friend and I) worked so hard decorating her little “studio apartment” so that she would feel at home when she came. We brought some of her pictures, and her lamps. We brought the clock that my Aunt gave her for her birthday all her porcelain figurines. We painted, and bought new bathroom stuff and bedding so it would all match. We put plants top of the cabinets and new dishes in them. We stocked the little dorm sized fridge with the Diet 7-up that she liked.
It just never even occurred to me that she wouldn’t get better. I would call my Mom every day and ask if she was getting better. And after she fell and My Mom, Dad and I sat in the hospital with her all night, I thought maybe now they will be able to tell why she wasn’t getting better. Maybe she just needed a better hospital. Maybe she just needed better doctors. Maybe she just needed us to pray just a little bit harder. I kept waiting for God to perform the miracle that I was asking for.
And when I got that call saying that she wasn’t going to make it more than a couple days longer, I thought maybe the doctors were wrong. Maybe, just maybe, God was waiting until the last minute. You know, testing how strong our faith in him was.
I wasn’t angry when she passed, because like I said in a previous post, I knew she was going to a better place. A place where she could see her parents, and her husband, and her little grandson who died when he was three. A place of music and dancing and rejoicing. A place with no sickness and no tears. And I know in the Bible that it says that she will have now remembrance of the life that she had on earth, but I can’t help but think that she is my guardian angel, smiling down on us, and counting down the days until we can all be together once again.
I look back now and think about how naïve I was about the whole situation. And the regrets. Oh God, So many regrets. Why didn’t I visit her more? Why did it bother me so much to see her sick? I guess it’s because I wanted to hold on to the memory of what she used to be, and I was afraid all I would remember was seeing her sick. But that wasn’t fair to either of us because we both missed out. She missed out on having my unconditional devotion, but I missed out on so much more, because I missed out on Her.
Today I was going through some photos of my wedding and when Parker/Bubba were babies. I wasn’t prepared for how many pictures there were of my Grandma. The fresh round of grief that came over me when I saw them almost knocked me off my feet. My heart felt like it was breaking all over again and the tears just wouldn’t stop. She was such a huge part of my life growing up. I have so many memories of us together. Waking up in her bed after my mom would drop me off before going to work. Shopping together. Taking walks to the creek when I was like two years old, to throw rocks in the water. It’s like having home-movies, playing over and over again in my mind.
I had such high expectations when my Mom moved her up here to the Assisted Living Facility last May. She was finally going to get better, I just knew it. Nobody could tell me any different. All she needed was someone to give her that little push to help her get better. After all wasn’t this a place that was designed to help seniors regain their freedom? I guess I thought she was a product of her environment before she came. Living in a convalescent home wasn’t going to help her get better; it was just going to help enable her to stay sick.
We (my mom, her friend and I) worked so hard decorating her little “studio apartment” so that she would feel at home when she came. We brought some of her pictures, and her lamps. We brought the clock that my Aunt gave her for her birthday all her porcelain figurines. We painted, and bought new bathroom stuff and bedding so it would all match. We put plants top of the cabinets and new dishes in them. We stocked the little dorm sized fridge with the Diet 7-up that she liked.
It just never even occurred to me that she wouldn’t get better. I would call my Mom every day and ask if she was getting better. And after she fell and My Mom, Dad and I sat in the hospital with her all night, I thought maybe now they will be able to tell why she wasn’t getting better. Maybe she just needed a better hospital. Maybe she just needed better doctors. Maybe she just needed us to pray just a little bit harder. I kept waiting for God to perform the miracle that I was asking for.
And when I got that call saying that she wasn’t going to make it more than a couple days longer, I thought maybe the doctors were wrong. Maybe, just maybe, God was waiting until the last minute. You know, testing how strong our faith in him was.
I wasn’t angry when she passed, because like I said in a previous post, I knew she was going to a better place. A place where she could see her parents, and her husband, and her little grandson who died when he was three. A place of music and dancing and rejoicing. A place with no sickness and no tears. And I know in the Bible that it says that she will have now remembrance of the life that she had on earth, but I can’t help but think that she is my guardian angel, smiling down on us, and counting down the days until we can all be together once again.
I look back now and think about how naïve I was about the whole situation. And the regrets. Oh God, So many regrets. Why didn’t I visit her more? Why did it bother me so much to see her sick? I guess it’s because I wanted to hold on to the memory of what she used to be, and I was afraid all I would remember was seeing her sick. But that wasn’t fair to either of us because we both missed out. She missed out on having my unconditional devotion, but I missed out on so much more, because I missed out on Her.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Wacky Law Wednesdays
Every Wednesday I am going to do a post about some of the wacky laws in America. I will go state by state, alphabetically.
I think that the funny thing about these laws is they have had to come into effect AFTER someone did each of these things.
ALABAMA
In Jasper Alabama, it is illegal to beat your wife with a stick larger than your thumb.
In it is illegal to wear a dark moustache that may cause laughter in church.
Bear wrestling is illegal.
It is illegal to play Dominos on Sundays.
It is illegal to flick boogers into the wind. (EWWW!)
It is LEGAL to drive the wrong way down a one way street IF you have a lantern tied to the front of your car.
It is illegal to drive blindfolded. (DUH!)
In Anniston, Alabama it is illegal to wear blue jeans down Nobel Street. (I am assuming black and other colors are ok)
Women of uncertain chastity must be off the streets by 9pm.
Children born of incest are deemed legitimate as are incestuous marriages. (um, yeah. No comment)
It is illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket at any time.
In the event of a divorce, women retain all the property the brought into the marriage. Men excluded.
In Mobile Alabama, it is illegal to howl at women inside city limits.
It is illegal to stab yourself to gain someone's pity.
In Decatur Alabama, slavery is still legal. (how does that work?)
And last but not least:
It is illegal to chain your alligator to a fire hydrant.
*feel free to post a comment with any wacky laws that you might know.*
I think that the funny thing about these laws is they have had to come into effect AFTER someone did each of these things.
ALABAMA
In Jasper Alabama, it is illegal to beat your wife with a stick larger than your thumb.
In it is illegal to wear a dark moustache that may cause laughter in church.
Bear wrestling is illegal.
It is illegal to play Dominos on Sundays.
It is illegal to flick boogers into the wind. (EWWW!)
It is LEGAL to drive the wrong way down a one way street IF you have a lantern tied to the front of your car.
It is illegal to drive blindfolded. (DUH!)
In Anniston, Alabama it is illegal to wear blue jeans down Nobel Street. (I am assuming black and other colors are ok)
Women of uncertain chastity must be off the streets by 9pm.
Children born of incest are deemed legitimate as are incestuous marriages. (um, yeah. No comment)
It is illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket at any time.
In the event of a divorce, women retain all the property the brought into the marriage. Men excluded.
In Mobile Alabama, it is illegal to howl at women inside city limits.
It is illegal to stab yourself to gain someone's pity.
In Decatur Alabama, slavery is still legal. (how does that work?)
And last but not least:
It is illegal to chain your alligator to a fire hydrant.
*feel free to post a comment with any wacky laws that you might know.*
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sign Language
So I'm sitting on the couch writing some notes for my Sociology class when Parker comes over and sits down.
Me: Do you need something Parker?
Parker: I was just wondering if you had any brothers and sisters.
Me: You know your 2 uncles, those would be my brothers.
Parker: So you don't have any sisters?
Me: Ummmm. No. No sisters.
Parker: Oh. Ok
*Now I'm curious*
Me: Why did you want to know if I had any sisters?
Parker: Because I thought if you had a sister and she was deaf she could like, you know, teach me sign language.
*Where in the world do they come up with these things?*
Me: Do you need something Parker?
Parker: I was just wondering if you had any brothers and sisters.
Me: You know your 2 uncles, those would be my brothers.
Parker: So you don't have any sisters?
Me: Ummmm. No. No sisters.
Parker: Oh. Ok
*Now I'm curious*
Me: Why did you want to know if I had any sisters?
Parker: Because I thought if you had a sister and she was deaf she could like, you know, teach me sign language.
*Where in the world do they come up with these things?*
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Tiffany and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
I got the title for this post form a book I used to have when I was younger. It was called, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Here's my version.
I woke up at 7:30 this morning to a voicemail from my hubby stating that on his way home form work, the motor on our 1992 Mazda 626 blew, and he was stuck several towns away. The car had 275,000 miles on it and a leaky water pump, so we knew it was gonna go sooner than later, but were hoping for later rather than sooner.
I get up and get Parker and Bubba ready for school, and just as I am getting ready to walk out the door, in walks my husband. I give him the "we are gonna talk about this when I get back" look and leave.
In the middle of our "discussion," Makai starts throwing up on the playroom floor. No biggie right? Right.
Makai throws up three more times and Hubby decides he's had enough discussing the car and goes to bed.
I get dressed so I can go run my errands and Makai falls asleep on the playroom floor. I put him in bed with his daddy and get ready to leave. I no sooner then walk out of the bedroom door when Makai starts throwing up in my bed. On. My. Clean. Sheets.
I decide to just take him with me and put him in the car with a receiving blanket tucked around his lap. I get maybe 1 1/2 miles down the road when he starts throwing up again. I cut across 2 lanes of traffic, pull over on the side of the road and pull him out of the car. I clean him up and put him back in the car with a clean receiving blanket tucked around him. (I brought several, just in case)
We then head over to PG&E where the lady informs me that she can't process my payment because the system is down. She then tells me to come back in an hour. I tell her (on the verge of tears)that it's been a really stressful morning and that I have to go out of town to get my car that broke down and I can't come back in an hour. She, being the nice lady that she was, agrees to take my check and just put it through when the system comes back up. I thank her profusely and put Makai (who only has a pair of short on) back into his seat. I back out of the parking spot when Makai starts throwing up again.
We get on the freeway and drive the 25 minutes to where the car is sitting, and I run into a nearby gas station to get the address. When I come back out to the car, Makai is of course throwing up again.
I call the tow company. Nobody answers. I then realize that I DON'T HAVE THE KEY TO THE CAR WITH ME. It's back at the house.
I drive the 25 miles back to the house get the key and drive back to where the car is. By this time my baby has FINALLY stopped throwing up and is complaining of being thirsty. Ya think?
An hour later, we are sitting in my truck drinking apple juice and eating Doritos, when the tow truck finally arrives and the diver informs me that he doesn't even need the key to get the car onto his truck. Great.
We get the car back to my house and unload it. (Hubby apparently is still sleeping) I than rush to the boys school, pick them up, go to the bank, run a couple of other errands and finally go back home. Hubby is in the house trying to find a way to get the car back home. (Apparently he hadn't been outside yet)
I then help the boys with their homework, and after hubby leaves for work, feed them Top Ramon for dinner because I am too tired to cook. After I finally get them all to bed,I put the clean sheets and blankets back on my bed and pass out.
So yeah, that's the edited, slimmed down version of my Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
I woke up at 7:30 this morning to a voicemail from my hubby stating that on his way home form work, the motor on our 1992 Mazda 626 blew, and he was stuck several towns away. The car had 275,000 miles on it and a leaky water pump, so we knew it was gonna go sooner than later, but were hoping for later rather than sooner.
I get up and get Parker and Bubba ready for school, and just as I am getting ready to walk out the door, in walks my husband. I give him the "we are gonna talk about this when I get back" look and leave.
In the middle of our "discussion," Makai starts throwing up on the playroom floor. No biggie right? Right.
Makai throws up three more times and Hubby decides he's had enough discussing the car and goes to bed.
I get dressed so I can go run my errands and Makai falls asleep on the playroom floor. I put him in bed with his daddy and get ready to leave. I no sooner then walk out of the bedroom door when Makai starts throwing up in my bed. On. My. Clean. Sheets.
I decide to just take him with me and put him in the car with a receiving blanket tucked around his lap. I get maybe 1 1/2 miles down the road when he starts throwing up again. I cut across 2 lanes of traffic, pull over on the side of the road and pull him out of the car. I clean him up and put him back in the car with a clean receiving blanket tucked around him. (I brought several, just in case)
We then head over to PG&E where the lady informs me that she can't process my payment because the system is down. She then tells me to come back in an hour. I tell her (on the verge of tears)that it's been a really stressful morning and that I have to go out of town to get my car that broke down and I can't come back in an hour. She, being the nice lady that she was, agrees to take my check and just put it through when the system comes back up. I thank her profusely and put Makai (who only has a pair of short on) back into his seat. I back out of the parking spot when Makai starts throwing up again.
We get on the freeway and drive the 25 minutes to where the car is sitting, and I run into a nearby gas station to get the address. When I come back out to the car, Makai is of course throwing up again.
I call the tow company. Nobody answers. I then realize that I DON'T HAVE THE KEY TO THE CAR WITH ME. It's back at the house.
I drive the 25 miles back to the house get the key and drive back to where the car is. By this time my baby has FINALLY stopped throwing up and is complaining of being thirsty. Ya think?
An hour later, we are sitting in my truck drinking apple juice and eating Doritos, when the tow truck finally arrives and the diver informs me that he doesn't even need the key to get the car onto his truck. Great.
We get the car back to my house and unload it. (Hubby apparently is still sleeping) I than rush to the boys school, pick them up, go to the bank, run a couple of other errands and finally go back home. Hubby is in the house trying to find a way to get the car back home. (Apparently he hadn't been outside yet)
I then help the boys with their homework, and after hubby leaves for work, feed them Top Ramon for dinner because I am too tired to cook. After I finally get them all to bed,I put the clean sheets and blankets back on my bed and pass out.
So yeah, that's the edited, slimmed down version of my Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Non Comformist
I was always a non-conformist growing up. If you had an opinion about something, I disagreed and if there was a rule about something I broke it.
Example:
No Talking Back: Broken (I was nick-named Mouth of the South growing up by my dad).
No Lying: Broken (I cut class once and lied so well about it, I completely convinced myself that I didn't do it and was beside myself when I got punished for it).
No Stealing: Broken(In high school I had quite the collection of key chains from Spencers).
As I got older, I got a little better with following the rules. Kinda.
I just don't believe speen limits apply to me. (I really do believe that the government posts speed limits for the people that can't drive as well as I can).
So why? Why, why, why, why, why, did it surprise me that one of my children is also turning out to be a non-conformist?
Any guesses anyone? Yep you guessed it. Its my two yeard old, Makai.
I think he was placed here on earth for the sole purpose of breaking my rule-breaking record. He is so cute that many people may not believe the is as bad as I say he is. Let me give you "doubting thomas's" some example.
He spits in people's faces,bitten just about everyone we know, screams at people when they try to corrct him, refuses to sit in time-out, smeared poop all over the house, won't sleep in his own bed, kicked the cat,tried to rip the ears off my mom's dog, and the list keeps going.
Some people may think that he lacks dicipline, but if you read my post titled "Time-Out and Tobasco Sauce", you know this just isn't true.
He's just a non-conformist to the core.
Example:
No Talking Back: Broken (I was nick-named Mouth of the South growing up by my dad).
No Lying: Broken (I cut class once and lied so well about it, I completely convinced myself that I didn't do it and was beside myself when I got punished for it).
No Stealing: Broken(In high school I had quite the collection of key chains from Spencers).
As I got older, I got a little better with following the rules. Kinda.
I just don't believe speen limits apply to me. (I really do believe that the government posts speed limits for the people that can't drive as well as I can).
So why? Why, why, why, why, why, did it surprise me that one of my children is also turning out to be a non-conformist?
Any guesses anyone? Yep you guessed it. Its my two yeard old, Makai.
I think he was placed here on earth for the sole purpose of breaking my rule-breaking record. He is so cute that many people may not believe the is as bad as I say he is. Let me give you "doubting thomas's" some example.
He spits in people's faces,bitten just about everyone we know, screams at people when they try to corrct him, refuses to sit in time-out, smeared poop all over the house, won't sleep in his own bed, kicked the cat,tried to rip the ears off my mom's dog, and the list keeps going.
Some people may think that he lacks dicipline, but if you read my post titled "Time-Out and Tobasco Sauce", you know this just isn't true.
He's just a non-conformist to the core.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Intruder in the Backyard
Hubby has been working nights the last couple of weeks so, among other things, I have taken over the job of watering the grass. We used to have this nice automated sprinkler system but our dog (whom is no longer with us)ate the wiring so now we have to turn it on and off manually.
Our yard backs up to some hills so although it's nice and private, it is also VERY dark and creepy at night. Now, I am woman enough to admit that I am completely afraid of the dark. And having a very over active imagination doesn't help much either. When I do go out back at night, I go out and come back in quickly, so that anything (human or animal) out there won't be able to get me.
So I go outside the other night around 11:30 to water the grass. It is, of course, all dark and creepy out there. I am bending down fiddling with the sprinklers when all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I glance up and out of the corner of my eye, I see something in the shadows. No, not something, SOMEONE.
All of the blood in my body turns to ice and I start to shake. My heart stops beating for a couple of seconds. Terror and panic wash over me.
What do I do? Fight or flight? Fight or flight? Flight or fight?
My brain finally kicks in.
RUN!!!!!
I take off at a dead run. As I reach the back door, I look back see that the someone is still standing there. I take another look and realize....
I thought I was gonna get murdered by....
and subsequently ran from.......
the BARBEQUE GRILL!!!!!
Our yard backs up to some hills so although it's nice and private, it is also VERY dark and creepy at night. Now, I am woman enough to admit that I am completely afraid of the dark. And having a very over active imagination doesn't help much either. When I do go out back at night, I go out and come back in quickly, so that anything (human or animal) out there won't be able to get me.
So I go outside the other night around 11:30 to water the grass. It is, of course, all dark and creepy out there. I am bending down fiddling with the sprinklers when all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I glance up and out of the corner of my eye, I see something in the shadows. No, not something, SOMEONE.
All of the blood in my body turns to ice and I start to shake. My heart stops beating for a couple of seconds. Terror and panic wash over me.
What do I do? Fight or flight? Fight or flight? Flight or fight?
My brain finally kicks in.
RUN!!!!!
I take off at a dead run. As I reach the back door, I look back see that the someone is still standing there. I take another look and realize....
I thought I was gonna get murdered by....
and subsequently ran from.......
the BARBEQUE GRILL!!!!!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Monster Under The Couch
Makai and I are hanging out on the couch while Hubby is getting ready to leave for work. All of a sudden Cali (the cat) starts yowling. Loudly. I look up, expecting to see her trying to escape out of the front door. She's not there. I get up and find her on the other side of the couch trying to get something underneath. Hmmmm. Probably just a spider or something. I pick up a bag of pullups off of the floor. Nothing there. I scoot the couch down a little. Nothing there either. I scoot the couch away from the wall and out runs this Gigantic Alligator Lizard.
AHHHH!!!! (My heart is racing and I am breathing in shallow gasps.
*side note- I am not normally afraid of lizards. I actually like lizards, snakes, frogs, preying mantis,etc*
I run outside where Hubby is jump-starting his car (bad battery) and yell that there is a monster lizard running loose in the house.
"Did ya catch it" Hubby asks.
"Um no" I really wasn't thinking about that at the time. (All I was thinkin
g was how glad I was that I didn't pee on myself when the lizard tried to eat me). Hubby comes in the house and we proceed to move the couch.
No lizard.
I pick up all the toys under the couch and...
Still no lizard.
By this time Makai is running around brying and saying over and over"It scared you""
Are you sure that you saw a lizard under the couch?"
"No. I imagined all this up so I could have you come in and play Knight In Shining Armor."
"Ass"
We start searching again and finally find the lizard/monster hiding on the fireplace. We try to grab it and it starts climbing up the bricks. I grab the lizard where it starts thrashing around and pees on my hand.
I drop it.
I grab it again and it sticks its tongue out at me.
EEEK! And I drop it again.
(Did I mention that this lizard is like 8 inches long?)
Hubby finally gets it cornered and I scoop it into Bubba's Bug Catcher. I shut the lid and breathe a sigh of relief. The monster is caught.
I grab my phone and snap a couple of pictures, send one to my mmom, (so the big boys can see) and send one to Facebook (of course).
Godzilla (the lizard/monster) gets placed on top of the fireplace so the big boys can let him go when they get home.
I think I'm gonna have the heebie-jeebies all night.
AHHHH!!!! (My heart is racing and I am breathing in shallow gasps.
*side note- I am not normally afraid of lizards. I actually like lizards, snakes, frogs, preying mantis,etc*
I run outside where Hubby is jump-starting his car (bad battery) and yell that there is a monster lizard running loose in the house.
"Did ya catch it" Hubby asks.
"Um no" I really wasn't thinking about that at the time. (All I was thinkin
g was how glad I was that I didn't pee on myself when the lizard tried to eat me). Hubby comes in the house and we proceed to move the couch.
No lizard.
I pick up all the toys under the couch and...
Still no lizard.
By this time Makai is running around brying and saying over and over"It scared you""
Are you sure that you saw a lizard under the couch?"
"No. I imagined all this up so I could have you come in and play Knight In Shining Armor."
"Ass"
We start searching again and finally find the lizard/monster hiding on the fireplace. We try to grab it and it starts climbing up the bricks. I grab the lizard where it starts thrashing around and pees on my hand.
I drop it.
I grab it again and it sticks its tongue out at me.
EEEK! And I drop it again.
(Did I mention that this lizard is like 8 inches long?)
Hubby finally gets it cornered and I scoop it into Bubba's Bug Catcher. I shut the lid and breathe a sigh of relief. The monster is caught.
I grab my phone and snap a couple of pictures, send one to my mmom, (so the big boys can see) and send one to Facebook (of course).
Godzilla (the lizard/monster) gets placed on top of the fireplace so the big boys can let him go when they get home.
I think I'm gonna have the heebie-jeebies all night.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Time-Outs and Tobasco Sauce
It's just me and Makai in the house cause Hubby had already left for work and the big boys are outside riding bikes with their cousin. He (Makai) didn't have a nap today so he was really tired and grumpy. He gets upset about not being able to play out front and starts to yell at me. I put him in his time-out chair and tell him to sit there for a minute.
And so the battle starts.
He starts off by screaming at me. I ignore him. He gets even more upset and start yelling "you hear me, mom" over and over. I continue to ignore him. All of a sudden I hear "YOU DUMMY-ASS".
Oh hell no! He did not just yell that at me. There is NO way I am letting him get away with that.
I go into the kitchen and grab a bottle of hot sauce cause I read this article about parents putting hot sauce on their kids tounges when they curse, talk back etc. (Seemed like a good idea at the time). I walk back over to him (he"s still screaming) and attempt to shake a drop or two onto his tounge.
Maybe I should have practiced first because about a tablespoon came out.
And he swollowed it.
Oops!
He starts crying and choking and gagging and his nose starts watering. I run him over to the sink where he starts heaving. I give him some milk to calm his stomache and stop his nouth from burning. I pick him up and carry him to the couch. We sit down and all he keeps saying over and over is "I no yike da hot sauce mommy".
I now feel like the world's worst mom. Ever.
And so the battle starts.
He starts off by screaming at me. I ignore him. He gets even more upset and start yelling "you hear me, mom" over and over. I continue to ignore him. All of a sudden I hear "YOU DUMMY-ASS".
Oh hell no! He did not just yell that at me. There is NO way I am letting him get away with that.
I go into the kitchen and grab a bottle of hot sauce cause I read this article about parents putting hot sauce on their kids tounges when they curse, talk back etc. (Seemed like a good idea at the time). I walk back over to him (he"s still screaming) and attempt to shake a drop or two onto his tounge.
Maybe I should have practiced first because about a tablespoon came out.
And he swollowed it.
Oops!
He starts crying and choking and gagging and his nose starts watering. I run him over to the sink where he starts heaving. I give him some milk to calm his stomache and stop his nouth from burning. I pick him up and carry him to the couch. We sit down and all he keeps saying over and over is "I no yike da hot sauce mommy".
I now feel like the world's worst mom. Ever.
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Trouble With Blogging
I was just starting to really get into this blogging thing when we had a budget crisis and had to have our cable and internet turned off. I don't miss cable much beause I didn't watch that much t.v anyways. I can say that I am going absolutly crazy not having access to the internet. I keep having these really great blog ideas but no way to post them. I tried going to the library and writing them there but Makai kept getting us kicked out before I could finish them.
I than discovered that I was able to blog and post directely from my Blackberry. So I logged on and started writing. I never got to finish because the lines don't automaticaly end and start over on a new line. I kept writing and writing and the line kept going on and on. I couldn't even see the begining anymore. There was no way to re-read everything to make sure there were no spelling errors, or to make sure it made sense.
Next I tried writing in a journal to take with me to the library. I figured if I already knew what I was gonna say, I might actually be able to post something. I wasn't really surprised when that didn't work out too well either. I kept having to erase stuff so that I could re-word things. It was taking way longer than it was worth. I was now at a loss.
And then it hit me....(picture me smacking myself on the forehead). HELLO! Just because I didn't have access to the internet at home didn't mean I couldn't type my blogs up on my computer, save them onto my little doohickey (I can't remember what it's called), take it to the library upload it onto their computer and copy/paste it onto my blog.
YES!! Back in business.
Now I just gotta find my little doohickey.
I than discovered that I was able to blog and post directely from my Blackberry. So I logged on and started writing. I never got to finish because the lines don't automaticaly end and start over on a new line. I kept writing and writing and the line kept going on and on. I couldn't even see the begining anymore. There was no way to re-read everything to make sure there were no spelling errors, or to make sure it made sense.
Next I tried writing in a journal to take with me to the library. I figured if I already knew what I was gonna say, I might actually be able to post something. I wasn't really surprised when that didn't work out too well either. I kept having to erase stuff so that I could re-word things. It was taking way longer than it was worth. I was now at a loss.
And then it hit me....(picture me smacking myself on the forehead). HELLO! Just because I didn't have access to the internet at home didn't mean I couldn't type my blogs up on my computer, save them onto my little doohickey (I can't remember what it's called), take it to the library upload it onto their computer and copy/paste it onto my blog.
YES!! Back in business.
Now I just gotta find my little doohickey.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Greiveing
My Grandma died last week. She had been sick for a long time but it was still a shock when the doctors told us that she only had a two days left to live. We didn't tell the kids that she was dying because the next day was my little brother's 10th birthday party and we didn't want to ruin it for him. When we went to see her that day I was a mess. I walked into the room with the kids and lost it. Tears, snot, hiccups, sobs the whole works. She was sedated so we just told the boys that the doctors gave her medicine to make her sleepy. They wanted to know what was wrong and I tearfully told them that I was just sad that she was still sick.
I went to see her every day after that. We (my mom, my auntie and I) would sit there and talk to her. Tell stories about when she was well or just sit in silence. The night before she died I gave her a kiss on the forehead, told her I loved her and was gonna bring the boys by to see her. She was still sedated but when I talked to her she moved her head and her shoulders, so I know she heard me.
The next morning I told the boys the truth about what was going on. I wasn't sure how they would take it since they were so young. They took it hard. They were crying saying that it wasn't fair that she would die. They thought God was being mean and were very angry with him. I explained to them that God decided that it was time for her to come home to heaven. They had seen her plenty of times while she was sick and they knew how much she was suffering. I explained that she wouldn't be sick anymore. And I told them about the wonderful party that was going to be waiting for her when she got there. They were still upset but they they understood.
She died that morning. When we were walking past the nurses' station to go into her room, they stopped us and told us that she had passed a few minutes before. They boys started crying. I did my best to comfort them, but how do you comfort a child that is trying to grieve?
I didn't cry though when she died. I didn't cry in the days after also. It felt like I was trying to grieve but it wouldn't come. Then I would feel guilty that I wasn't grieving. I thought maybe it just hadn't hit me yet. Maybe when we actually buried her the tears and grief would come. They didn't.
Sitting there looking at her casket, I felt God speak to me. He said "How dare you be sad when she is at peace with Me? She had suffered for so long that we had started saying that we just wanted her to be at peace. If she could be at peace here, healthy, with us, then great, we'd take that. But if she couldn't be at peace here, than we were okay with her being at peace in Heaven.
I had gotten another word from God, when she was in the hospital. God said "know that your prayers are being most wonderfully answered in a way that may seem painful, but is the only way."
I still get sad sometimes. Like when a memory of her and I pops into my head, or when I think that now I don't have a grandma anymore. Or when I think about not being able to pop in and see her when I am in the town that she lived in.
But most of all I am happy for her. She is finally at peace.
I went to see her every day after that. We (my mom, my auntie and I) would sit there and talk to her. Tell stories about when she was well or just sit in silence. The night before she died I gave her a kiss on the forehead, told her I loved her and was gonna bring the boys by to see her. She was still sedated but when I talked to her she moved her head and her shoulders, so I know she heard me.
The next morning I told the boys the truth about what was going on. I wasn't sure how they would take it since they were so young. They took it hard. They were crying saying that it wasn't fair that she would die. They thought God was being mean and were very angry with him. I explained to them that God decided that it was time for her to come home to heaven. They had seen her plenty of times while she was sick and they knew how much she was suffering. I explained that she wouldn't be sick anymore. And I told them about the wonderful party that was going to be waiting for her when she got there. They were still upset but they they understood.
She died that morning. When we were walking past the nurses' station to go into her room, they stopped us and told us that she had passed a few minutes before. They boys started crying. I did my best to comfort them, but how do you comfort a child that is trying to grieve?
I didn't cry though when she died. I didn't cry in the days after also. It felt like I was trying to grieve but it wouldn't come. Then I would feel guilty that I wasn't grieving. I thought maybe it just hadn't hit me yet. Maybe when we actually buried her the tears and grief would come. They didn't.
Sitting there looking at her casket, I felt God speak to me. He said "How dare you be sad when she is at peace with Me? She had suffered for so long that we had started saying that we just wanted her to be at peace. If she could be at peace here, healthy, with us, then great, we'd take that. But if she couldn't be at peace here, than we were okay with her being at peace in Heaven.
I had gotten another word from God, when she was in the hospital. God said "know that your prayers are being most wonderfully answered in a way that may seem painful, but is the only way."
I still get sad sometimes. Like when a memory of her and I pops into my head, or when I think that now I don't have a grandma anymore. Or when I think about not being able to pop in and see her when I am in the town that she lived in.
But most of all I am happy for her. She is finally at peace.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Intra-Uterine Devices, Pap Smears and Tattoos
As I have stated in a previous blog, hubby and I are 95% sure we are not having any more children. He has decided that when we are completely sure he will go and get snipped, but until then we have to figure out what to do to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. I was on the pill for a while, but the hormones didn't mesh well with my body. So I did some research, on some non-permanent, long term birth control options and I came up with the Intra-Uterine Device or IUD as it is more commonly known It is relative easy to insert and there are hardly any bad side effects. The only major thing is you may have some spotting for a while but after a couple of months it stops and you don't have any more periods. (I could live with no more periods).
So I made an appointment with my ob-gyn to come in and try to figure out if getting an IUD was the right decision for me. Of course when you get in there they ask you when was the last time you had a pap-smear. "Ummm, I don't really know maybe a year or two ago I" replied Then they ask if you want to do one today since you are already in the office. "UMM Sure?" was my response. Might as well get it over with. So they gave me one of those little paper gowns with the backs missing and left the room with the instructions to undress completely, and make sure the opening was in the back. As I am undressing, I am thinking to myself that it is probably a good thing that I shaved my legs in the shower this morning, but how long is this gonna take cause I REALLY gotta go to the bathroom. The doctor comes in and instruct me to sit up because she wants to listen to me breathe. So she opens the back of my gown and says "Oh is this a new tattoo?"
HUH? A Tattoo?
She completely threw me off with that question. I try to re focus on what she is asking me and not the task at hand. "Um tattoo?" I ask her. "I love it, its beautiful" she replies. My mind draws a blank. I am frantically trying to figure out what she is talking about. And then it hits me "oh the purple butterfly tattoo that's on my shoulder." I reply. I had completely forgotten about that. It's not something I see every day so it has a tendency to slip my mind. "Oh yes that was a birthday present to myself a couple of years ago". This is not what we are supposed to be talking about.
The Doctor finished my exam and left the room so I could get dressed. When she came back, she began talking about the IUD again. She then informed me that you don't stop ovulating when you are on it. In fact although a slim chance, you can get pregnant every month while you are on the IUD. The Embryo can't implant in the uterus so the doctors don't consider it a pregnancy. She said that a lot of religious people won't get the IUD because of that reason, they feel it causes abortion.
HMMMMMMM.... that is something to think about I told her. I didn't feel comfortable knowing that I could technically have 60 babies just expel out of my body.
I went home and talked to hubby about it and he felt the same way that I did about it. So we decided to keep doing it the old fashioned way with condoms and a lot of natural planning.
So I made an appointment with my ob-gyn to come in and try to figure out if getting an IUD was the right decision for me. Of course when you get in there they ask you when was the last time you had a pap-smear. "Ummm, I don't really know maybe a year or two ago I" replied Then they ask if you want to do one today since you are already in the office. "UMM Sure?" was my response. Might as well get it over with. So they gave me one of those little paper gowns with the backs missing and left the room with the instructions to undress completely, and make sure the opening was in the back. As I am undressing, I am thinking to myself that it is probably a good thing that I shaved my legs in the shower this morning, but how long is this gonna take cause I REALLY gotta go to the bathroom. The doctor comes in and instruct me to sit up because she wants to listen to me breathe. So she opens the back of my gown and says "Oh is this a new tattoo?"
HUH? A Tattoo?
She completely threw me off with that question. I try to re focus on what she is asking me and not the task at hand. "Um tattoo?" I ask her. "I love it, its beautiful" she replies. My mind draws a blank. I am frantically trying to figure out what she is talking about. And then it hits me "oh the purple butterfly tattoo that's on my shoulder." I reply. I had completely forgotten about that. It's not something I see every day so it has a tendency to slip my mind. "Oh yes that was a birthday present to myself a couple of years ago". This is not what we are supposed to be talking about.
The Doctor finished my exam and left the room so I could get dressed. When she came back, she began talking about the IUD again. She then informed me that you don't stop ovulating when you are on it. In fact although a slim chance, you can get pregnant every month while you are on the IUD. The Embryo can't implant in the uterus so the doctors don't consider it a pregnancy. She said that a lot of religious people won't get the IUD because of that reason, they feel it causes abortion.
HMMMMMMM.... that is something to think about I told her. I didn't feel comfortable knowing that I could technically have 60 babies just expel out of my body.
I went home and talked to hubby about it and he felt the same way that I did about it. So we decided to keep doing it the old fashioned way with condoms and a lot of natural planning.
Friday, May 28, 2010
A Little Girl
Hubby and I have almost completely decided to not have any more kids. When I say almost completely I mean we are like 95% sure. I'm know deep down that Hubby secretly longs for a girl. Me not so much. Unless you ask me at Easter or Christmas when all the pretty dresses are out. People ask us all the time when we are going to try for a girl, and I sweetly reply "Maybe when we hit the lottery and can afford to pay someone to genetically guarantee us a little girl with caramel colored skin, grey-blue eyes and dark curly hair". OK maybe I've thought about it a little bit.
To tell you the truth, I am kinda scared to have a little girl. I have gotten that curse placed on me from my mother. You know the curse that all moms bestow on their daughters, the one that goes "I hope you grow up and have a girl that's just like you". I am terrified to have a daughter that acts like me. I was a horrible child and an even more awful teenager. It would be just my luck that I ended up having a daughter that's worse than me (if that's even possible).
With the boys it's so easy to get ready to go somewhere. I don't have to do their hair or worry about what shoes go with what outfit, or if it taboo to put socks on with the little black Mary-Jane shoes. Having bi-racial children (they are black and white), I was sure they would come out with "textured hair". All three of my boys have non-afro hair. Yep they got "white hair". There went my dreams of having three little Carmel complected boys with little afros and braids. They all have brown eyes too, just like their daddy. Not one of them got eyes lighter than black brown. Now with a girl, it would be just my luck that she would have the nappiest hair alive. You know the kind that breaks combs and brushes every time you try to brush it.
And those cute little dresses at Easter time? She wouldn't wear them. She would be just as opinionated and stubborn as I am. She probably would be running around in jeans and tennis shoes, climbing the barb wire fence in the back of the house trying to catch the baby cows so she could bring them home as pets. And the cute little braids and ponytails with barrettes on the end of them? She wouldn't have any of it. She would probably be running around with her hair in a fro-ey little pony tail.
UGH! Don't even have her yet and she's already turned out to be such a headache. I guess that when people ask us when we are going to have a little girl I will tell them this "I think we are just gonna stick with what we know". No need to rock the boat.
To tell you the truth, I am kinda scared to have a little girl. I have gotten that curse placed on me from my mother. You know the curse that all moms bestow on their daughters, the one that goes "I hope you grow up and have a girl that's just like you". I am terrified to have a daughter that acts like me. I was a horrible child and an even more awful teenager. It would be just my luck that I ended up having a daughter that's worse than me (if that's even possible).
With the boys it's so easy to get ready to go somewhere. I don't have to do their hair or worry about what shoes go with what outfit, or if it taboo to put socks on with the little black Mary-Jane shoes. Having bi-racial children (they are black and white), I was sure they would come out with "textured hair". All three of my boys have non-afro hair. Yep they got "white hair". There went my dreams of having three little Carmel complected boys with little afros and braids. They all have brown eyes too, just like their daddy. Not one of them got eyes lighter than black brown. Now with a girl, it would be just my luck that she would have the nappiest hair alive. You know the kind that breaks combs and brushes every time you try to brush it.
And those cute little dresses at Easter time? She wouldn't wear them. She would be just as opinionated and stubborn as I am. She probably would be running around in jeans and tennis shoes, climbing the barb wire fence in the back of the house trying to catch the baby cows so she could bring them home as pets. And the cute little braids and ponytails with barrettes on the end of them? She wouldn't have any of it. She would probably be running around with her hair in a fro-ey little pony tail.
UGH! Don't even have her yet and she's already turned out to be such a headache. I guess that when people ask us when we are going to have a little girl I will tell them this "I think we are just gonna stick with what we know". No need to rock the boat.
Friday, May 14, 2010
MMR Vaccine Update
My little man went to the doctor and got stuck today (he got his shot). He was such a little champ. He only cried for a second and then was back to his usual grouchy self. We went and picked Lil B up from school and had lunch with P.C while we were there. Now he is laying down in his bed, with 3 of his babies (stuffed animals) next to him, getting ready to take a nap. All is well so far, no fever, pain, swelling, or anything like that. We shall have to see how it goes over the next couple of weeks.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
EWWW, BOO-BOO, IT STINKS
I picked P.C up from school today and realized that I was so busy blogging earlier that I completely forgot to do my online homework that's due tonight. Yikes! I'm struggling to pass the class as it is so I need to get this done ASAP. I sit down at the computer and am working away, when PC sits down at the table next to me to work on his biography of Neil Armstrong. I get momentarily distracted while I give him pointers on what information to look for, then back to my homework I go.
So I am diligently solving Quadratic Equations by using the Quadratic Formula when M.D comes up to me and says something. I'm am so focused on my homework that I don't even hear what he says. He impatiently grabs my hand and says "watch me, mom". Huh? I tare my eyes away from the computer screen and ask him if he said something. "Uh-huh, watch me" he says and starts walking toward the hallway. I ask him if he wants to show me something, (DUH) and get up to follow him. "EWWW, BOO-BOO, it stinks" he says. I momentarily panic. I slow down, afraid of what I'm gonna see when I turn the corner. "Where's the boo-boo" I ask him. "Wite der (right there)" he replies. I look down and on the floor is a huge pile of........CAT THROW-UP. I let out a sigh of relief, get some toilet paper and deposit the "boo-boo" into the toilet.
So I am diligently solving Quadratic Equations by using the Quadratic Formula when M.D comes up to me and says something. I'm am so focused on my homework that I don't even hear what he says. He impatiently grabs my hand and says "watch me, mom". Huh? I tare my eyes away from the computer screen and ask him if he said something. "Uh-huh, watch me" he says and starts walking toward the hallway. I ask him if he wants to show me something, (DUH) and get up to follow him. "EWWW, BOO-BOO, it stinks" he says. I momentarily panic. I slow down, afraid of what I'm gonna see when I turn the corner. "Where's the boo-boo" I ask him. "Wite der (right there)" he replies. I look down and on the floor is a huge pile of........CAT THROW-UP. I let out a sigh of relief, get some toilet paper and deposit the "boo-boo" into the toilet.
Daycare, Immunizations and Autism
I have to sign M.D up for the childcare at my school for fall semester. That doesn't seem like a big deal right? The only problem is that he is not current on all of his immunizations. Well that's not totally true, the only vaccination he hasn't had is his MMR vaccine. With all of the controversy surrounding this vaccine, I have always had doubts about giving it to my children.
P.C got his MMR shot at 15 months against better judgement. I tried to explain to the doctor that I would rather wait till he got a little older, but the doctor practically berated me and made me feel like I was putting my son's health at risk if I didn't get him vaccinated that day. Medi-Cal doctors tend to be very pushy and it seems like they think that because we are low income, we are uninformed and do not know what is best for our children. Luckily he had no negative effects from it.
When it came time to have Lil B's 15 month shots, I finally worked up the courage at the last minute to tell the nurses I had decided not to have him get the MMR vaccine. I informed them that I would wait until after he turned 2, to have him vaccinated against MMR. Because the nurses were all ready in the room and had already gave me his shot record back, they never crossed it off his record, so he didn't actually receive it until he was 5 years old when they gave him the booster for kindergarten.
With M.D.,(like the other boys) we also had Medi-Cal. When he got his first shots, he had such a bad reaction to them, we almost had to take him to the emergency room. That made us double weary about the quantity and quality of shots kids receive. When it came time for his 18 month appointment, I was all ready to put up a fight. I had decided to wait until he had more time to develop before he got his MMR shot. Luckily, I ended up getting an older doctor that was running 1 1/2 hours late, so he didn't really have time to argue with me, he just gave in. It was more or less, "wham-bam thank you mam", and on to the next patient.
We were able to get off Medi-Cal last year when my husband got a job working construction and joined Carpenters Union. And I hate to say it but the quality of care you get with private insurance is so different than when you have Medi-Cal. The doctors and nurses don't seem so over-worked and rushed. They are more friendly and actually seem to care about the patients. The boys new doctor is AMAZING! She actually take the time to listen to my concerns and is willing to talk me through them. She is soooo good with the boys and they really like her, which makes it easier all around. She has also believes that children are given too many vaccines at once and even recommends splitting them up. (Wait, you mean I don't even have to put up a fight or feel like I'm a bad parent anymore?)
So I called the boys doctor to get her opinion about everything. She asked if I knew that there had been an outbreak of measles in one of the major cities near our town, and it has been spreading to other cities nearby. (I had heard it previously heard it on the news). She also informed me that Measles is one of the most contagious diseased around, and can have some devastating effects on the children that become infected with it. M.D. would be at a higher risk of being contracting illnesses once he started daycare, because the number of children he would be exposed to, would increase greatly. She told me that she understood my concerns, but in her opinion, (as a doctor and a mother), it would probably be better to have him vaccinated.
Update: I made M.D. an appointment for this Friday with the Injections Nurse to get his MMR shot. I am still not 100% sure about it, but I do feel better about it after talking to his doctor. I also found out that the doctor who published the infamous article linking the rise in Autism to the MMR Vaccine, had his article retracted because of fraudulent evidence. I guess all we can really do is pray and hope for the best.
P.C got his MMR shot at 15 months against better judgement. I tried to explain to the doctor that I would rather wait till he got a little older, but the doctor practically berated me and made me feel like I was putting my son's health at risk if I didn't get him vaccinated that day. Medi-Cal doctors tend to be very pushy and it seems like they think that because we are low income, we are uninformed and do not know what is best for our children. Luckily he had no negative effects from it.
When it came time to have Lil B's 15 month shots, I finally worked up the courage at the last minute to tell the nurses I had decided not to have him get the MMR vaccine. I informed them that I would wait until after he turned 2, to have him vaccinated against MMR. Because the nurses were all ready in the room and had already gave me his shot record back, they never crossed it off his record, so he didn't actually receive it until he was 5 years old when they gave him the booster for kindergarten.
With M.D.,(like the other boys) we also had Medi-Cal. When he got his first shots, he had such a bad reaction to them, we almost had to take him to the emergency room. That made us double weary about the quantity and quality of shots kids receive. When it came time for his 18 month appointment, I was all ready to put up a fight. I had decided to wait until he had more time to develop before he got his MMR shot. Luckily, I ended up getting an older doctor that was running 1 1/2 hours late, so he didn't really have time to argue with me, he just gave in. It was more or less, "wham-bam thank you mam", and on to the next patient.
We were able to get off Medi-Cal last year when my husband got a job working construction and joined Carpenters Union. And I hate to say it but the quality of care you get with private insurance is so different than when you have Medi-Cal. The doctors and nurses don't seem so over-worked and rushed. They are more friendly and actually seem to care about the patients. The boys new doctor is AMAZING! She actually take the time to listen to my concerns and is willing to talk me through them. She is soooo good with the boys and they really like her, which makes it easier all around. She has also believes that children are given too many vaccines at once and even recommends splitting them up. (Wait, you mean I don't even have to put up a fight or feel like I'm a bad parent anymore?)
So I called the boys doctor to get her opinion about everything. She asked if I knew that there had been an outbreak of measles in one of the major cities near our town, and it has been spreading to other cities nearby. (I had heard it previously heard it on the news). She also informed me that Measles is one of the most contagious diseased around, and can have some devastating effects on the children that become infected with it. M.D. would be at a higher risk of being contracting illnesses once he started daycare, because the number of children he would be exposed to, would increase greatly. She told me that she understood my concerns, but in her opinion, (as a doctor and a mother), it would probably be better to have him vaccinated.
Update: I made M.D. an appointment for this Friday with the Injections Nurse to get his MMR shot. I am still not 100% sure about it, but I do feel better about it after talking to his doctor. I also found out that the doctor who published the infamous article linking the rise in Autism to the MMR Vaccine, had his article retracted because of fraudulent evidence. I guess all we can really do is pray and hope for the best.
Monday, May 3, 2010
That Evil Place Called Kohls.
I think I may be developing a major shopping problem. Don't get me wrong, I don't go into a store and just buy a whole bunch of crap that I will never wear. My problem is that I had NO clothes, and I never buy myself clothes when I am out. I always think about things that the boys need, and if they don't need anything at the moment, I think about what they are going to need in the near future. I may pick up a cute top and try it on and get all the way to the register and feel so guilty about spending the money that I just end up putting it back. Shopping with my Husband is out of the question. All he says is sure honey, buy it, which would be great if I was Keira Knightly, or Natalie Portman or somebody with an equal amount of money. But I'm just a housewife who is very conscious of our budget. Also I am having a really hard time shopping for myself because I have these HUGE body-image issues, since I have failed to lose all the baby weight from M.D (now 2). So all I owned were 2 pairs of jeans and a pair of black pants (all 3 pants I have had for over a year and a half), 4 t-shirts, 3 v-neck shirts that I wear when I want to "dress up" and a zip up hoodie that I live in. No really. I have to wash the thing like twice a week.
So about 2 weeks ago, I was getting ready to go on a field trip with P.C and the other 2nd grade classes. This wasn't just any field trip we were going to S.F to go see the symphony. Momentary panic ensued when I read that we had to "dress up". I had NOTHING to wear! We had a little bit of extra money in the budget so I figured I would just go to Kohls and get a top (hopefully on sale) to wear with my black pants. Picked up Lil B from kindergarten, and off we went. I swear we spent 3 long, agonizing, tearful hours trying on clothes (which is a another post entirely), but finally ended up finding 2 dress shirts, a pair of really, really nice Mudd jeans and a "dressy" t-shirt, all on sale. I realized I forgot to get my coupon from the house when I left that morning and it was time to get P.C from school, so I put everything on hold, vowing to come back the next day and get my treasures.
The next day was a short day, so I went back to Kohls with all three boys (and my coupon) to get my clothes. Turns out they were having an even better sale that day, and I could still use my $10.00 off coupon. Hmmm, what to do? Grab my clothes and go or browse around some more and see if I could find anything else? Well that's a no brainer. Browse of course! Tried a trillion more tops on with no success,(and a few tears), but did find an amazing pencil skirt and a bathing suit at a ridiculous price. The bathing suit I wasn't so sure about, because I think it might make me look fat. But what if I put it back and decided later that I wanted it and it wasn't there? Hmmm, rather be safe than sorry so I put that in the basket and headed to customer service to pick up my other clothes. Now the "dressy" t-shirts were on sale for $3.00 a piece, so I grabbed 3 more on the way up to the register to pay. Did I mention the AMAZING sale they were having that day? 60% off of everything, plus my cupon, plus $10 in Kohls cash for every $50 you spend, plus an extra 20% off if you open up a Kohls charge card (10% if you don't get approved). So all in all I got 6 shirts, a bathing suit (that was regularly $80.00 by itself), a pair of jeans and a skirt for $85.00. I know $85.00! Can you believe it?
I realized after I got all those great clothes, that Kohls is actually on my way home from school. Uh-oh, here's where the whole addiction thing comes in. I have gone by Kohls, after school, once a week since then and have come out of there with a new shirt every time. And remember that really great sale? It ended. That week. I even told the cashier today as I was buying 2 more shirts, that I really shouldn't be buying them. She just smiled and said "debit or credit" as she folded them and put them in the bag. I am thinking that it is a probably a good thing that I only have 3 more weeks of school left, because after school ends, I really won't have any reason to drive over that way. Until fall semester starts :0)
So about 2 weeks ago, I was getting ready to go on a field trip with P.C and the other 2nd grade classes. This wasn't just any field trip we were going to S.F to go see the symphony. Momentary panic ensued when I read that we had to "dress up". I had NOTHING to wear! We had a little bit of extra money in the budget so I figured I would just go to Kohls and get a top (hopefully on sale) to wear with my black pants. Picked up Lil B from kindergarten, and off we went. I swear we spent 3 long, agonizing, tearful hours trying on clothes (which is a another post entirely), but finally ended up finding 2 dress shirts, a pair of really, really nice Mudd jeans and a "dressy" t-shirt, all on sale. I realized I forgot to get my coupon from the house when I left that morning and it was time to get P.C from school, so I put everything on hold, vowing to come back the next day and get my treasures.
The next day was a short day, so I went back to Kohls with all three boys (and my coupon) to get my clothes. Turns out they were having an even better sale that day, and I could still use my $10.00 off coupon. Hmmm, what to do? Grab my clothes and go or browse around some more and see if I could find anything else? Well that's a no brainer. Browse of course! Tried a trillion more tops on with no success,(and a few tears), but did find an amazing pencil skirt and a bathing suit at a ridiculous price. The bathing suit I wasn't so sure about, because I think it might make me look fat. But what if I put it back and decided later that I wanted it and it wasn't there? Hmmm, rather be safe than sorry so I put that in the basket and headed to customer service to pick up my other clothes. Now the "dressy" t-shirts were on sale for $3.00 a piece, so I grabbed 3 more on the way up to the register to pay. Did I mention the AMAZING sale they were having that day? 60% off of everything, plus my cupon, plus $10 in Kohls cash for every $50 you spend, plus an extra 20% off if you open up a Kohls charge card (10% if you don't get approved). So all in all I got 6 shirts, a bathing suit (that was regularly $80.00 by itself), a pair of jeans and a skirt for $85.00. I know $85.00! Can you believe it?
I realized after I got all those great clothes, that Kohls is actually on my way home from school. Uh-oh, here's where the whole addiction thing comes in. I have gone by Kohls, after school, once a week since then and have come out of there with a new shirt every time. And remember that really great sale? It ended. That week. I even told the cashier today as I was buying 2 more shirts, that I really shouldn't be buying them. She just smiled and said "debit or credit" as she folded them and put them in the bag. I am thinking that it is a probably a good thing that I only have 3 more weeks of school left, because after school ends, I really won't have any reason to drive over that way. Until fall semester starts :0)
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Kindergarten Field Trip
I went with Lil B to his first Kindergarten field trip yesterday. I know, I know, the year is almost over and they are just now going on their first field trip. What is wrong with the schools today? I mean, what happened to the pumpkin patch in October? What kindergarten class doesn't go to the pumpkin patch? Apparently the ones at our school don't. And believe me, I was quite freaked out about not going to the pumpkin patch. What if my child was traumatized by the lack of field trips? I mean, isn't that what kindergarten is all about? I always thought so. I know the budget and lack of bus service makes things complicated , but the police station and the fire department are just a couple of blocks away. How hard would it be to walk over there?
Back to the field trip. The three kindergarten classes walked a couple of blocks to the convalescent hospital to sing songs to the residents (I don't like saying old people). I was a little concerned that the children would be afraid of the residents, because of the wheelchairs, tubes, etc (they weren't). We filed in around the residents, and the children started singing and signing, things like America the beautiful and You're A Grand Old Flag. The "residents" were so happy to have the kids there. They sang a long with the children and those that could, stood for the National Anthem. They clapped after every song and thanked the children for taking the time to come visit them. So all went well, you would think. Not for me. I couldn't stop crying! I don't know what was wrong with me. All I kept thinking was that the convalescent hospital was like the last train stop on their journey through life. And how most of these people probably don't get visitors, and how lonely they must be if 20 minutes of children singing could brighten their day so much. Morbid right? After the field trip we walked back to the school where the children played on the playground until it was time for them to get out. The kids were so proud of themselves, and I was so proud of our "kids". I don't think they will ever realize how happy they made the residents in that convalescent home.
Back to the field trip. The three kindergarten classes walked a couple of blocks to the convalescent hospital to sing songs to the residents (I don't like saying old people). I was a little concerned that the children would be afraid of the residents, because of the wheelchairs, tubes, etc (they weren't). We filed in around the residents, and the children started singing and signing, things like America the beautiful and You're A Grand Old Flag. The "residents" were so happy to have the kids there. They sang a long with the children and those that could, stood for the National Anthem. They clapped after every song and thanked the children for taking the time to come visit them. So all went well, you would think. Not for me. I couldn't stop crying! I don't know what was wrong with me. All I kept thinking was that the convalescent hospital was like the last train stop on their journey through life. And how most of these people probably don't get visitors, and how lonely they must be if 20 minutes of children singing could brighten their day so much. Morbid right? After the field trip we walked back to the school where the children played on the playground until it was time for them to get out. The kids were so proud of themselves, and I was so proud of our "kids". I don't think they will ever realize how happy they made the residents in that convalescent home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)