Redefining Perfect

I’m sure no one noticed…but I haven’t posted in five days.  This was not in my plans…but it’s what happened.  The biggest reason is my life is NOT a musical…

For those that didn’t know – a little over two years ago I had my uterus and my very offensive remaining ovary wrenched from my body in what turned out to be a rather painful affair between my doctor and his scalpel (he knicked a nerve making recovery just a wee bit longer).  

ANYWAY, it was the best thing I’ve done and I’m so thrilled to never ever have to worry about what time of the month it is or the need to spend thousands of dollars on “products”  I’ve never ever complained…

Unless I’ve run out of hormone meds while simultaneously having an argument with my hubby, my BFF having plans all weekend and us not talking AT ALL, my daughters turn into raving lunatics and paint their room brown, and the most horrible of disgusting holidays occurs…ALL AT ONCE.

Which happened to all happen this past weekend.  Starting Thursday/Wednesday night. 

By the time I was feeling better it was Monday – but I was wrapped up in a few things…

1. The Wolverine movie previews that Fox was showing.  I watched them OVER and OVER…I LOVE me some Hugh Jackman Wolvie…YUMM…
2. I was reading, finishing, and lamenting my wait for the next novel in the House of Nightseries.  It’s YA vamp and I lurve it…
3. I was digesting my reading of that other YA vamp series that’s OH SO POPULAR…She challenged me by calling me biased (I hate that) so I read it. And to be even more fair, I picked up the other books in the series to see if I liked it more with passage (I really didn’t like the first one).  I’ve read all of the second, and half of the third. I’ll post my thoughts when I finish. And no, I won’t name it because I don’t think it deserves any further recognition…and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you live under a rock.
4. Did I mention the Wolvie previews?  Yeah…check them out. Yummy hotness and humor.  I’m chomping at the bit here…seriously…

Oh, I’ve read about ten books in just the past month, which is half of what I read this past YEAR.  I’m looking for major recommendations for more books.  I’ll even take suggestions for ebooks since I’ve learned that my new laptop is rather easy on the eyes (though I’d die for a Kindle).  I’ll read almost anything.  I love fantasy, sci-fi, romance, historical fiction…just about anything…I’ve even read erotica (but I’m choosy on that )

So anyway…reccommend me some books.  I need to build on my To Be Read pile…it shrank down a LOT in the past month!!

I promise… Iwll NOT forget to call in my hormone patches again next month.  It was seriously not pretty.  Of course that horrible psuedo-holiday VD won’t be around to bother me then…

Yesterday was a horrible, very bad, no good kind of day.

I was feeling hurt/disappointed/angry out of an argument over homeschooling w/ the hubs. 
Angel and Riley were obnoxious despite recovering from colds. 
Brandon had been graciously left alone during our appointment on Wednesday – and promptly lied to me upon my return home about what he’d been doing.
My house was a mess and I did absolutely nothing to help the cause.

The day culminated in me going into girls bedroom after nap time to find EVERYTHING painted…with POOP.  The bed was COVERED. The curtains, the walls…Angel – from head to toe – and it was thickly coating the hand she had in her mouth. No, I did not get pictures I was too thoroughly disgusted (and you should be glad).

I lost it.  I think I may have had a small aneurysm.  The girls literally spent the rest of the night in time out (after a thorough scream-filled bath because I used the shower head instead of being nice w/ my rinsing). 

I don’t know how to get my girls to stay in bed.  Their clothes are piled in my bedroom because they get out of bed and empty the drawers (and closet).

Do you think I’d get in trouble if I duct taped them to the bed every night?

Sometimes it’s all about the timing.  Monday I received a phone call from the children’s hospital.  It was the pulmonologist confirming Angel’s appointment for Wednesday. It was not on my calendar, but I confirmed it and added it to my calendar.  Monday night, Riley started sneezing. By yesterday it was a full blown cold and Angel woke up coughing (mildly – nothing panic inducing).

Last night Angel fell out of bed, and the end result was a big, barky coughing fit.  I looked at Archie and in relief said, “Thank goodness her CF clinic is tomorrow.  Now I don’t have to call.”

 

Today we all woke up miserable.  My throat was sore and it was tough to swallow. Riley is still snotty and miserable.  Angel’s cough is getting worse, and when she talks it sounds like she has gravel in her throat.

I am ever so grateful that we’re going to the hospital today.  OTherwise I would have had to make an annoying Mom phone call because she’s starting to make me worried!

On a good note…her mood is still pretty good – if a little tired.  Hopefully it stays that way!

Since my last post five days ago (*gasp* FIVE days?!)…here is a snippet of where we’ve been…

*Archie’s been A-OK with homeschooling…
*Archie’s been not-so A-OK with homeschooling (for Brandon)
*I posted a review over at TwoBroomsUp – get your romance on
*I started making chocolate-covered cherries 3 days ago – and I’m still working on it (almost done – must finish today or they won’t be ready for Friday)
*I’ve given away our old crib (Just need to deliver it now) – and the girls are crib free…
*Which has led to a permanent time-out of sorts where they are both under strict observation
*Which has also led to near-potty-trained-ness for Angel – with Riley having no choice but to follow behind now.
*I’ve been attempting to make plans to finally get my BFF Jess out here for a visit…which should happen in the next couple of months (I hope)
*I’ve hinted at Archie that we need to go to where Jess is for a family vacay this year – after all then we could go to Williamsburg! The really long car ride is giving him pause, though (and me)
*I’ve researched membership fees to museums around here
*I gave the blog a facelift finally (you like? It’s been done for weeks – just haven’t bothered to switch it )
*I barely touched my computer over the weekend
*And yet have managed to (maybe-possibly, hopefully) convinced hubs to let me use a wee-bit of the tax refund to get a MacBook. (Hey, if we’re homeschooling we’ll need more than one comp, right?)
*We’ve had a slew of discussions w/ Brandon about homsechooling. Archie is still on the fence.
*We went out to eat as a fam, then picked up a new keyboard and mouse (wireless) for the computer. You can once again see all the letters on the keyboard!
*I spent hours researching doggies on Saturday. Archie was curious. No dog in this house yet, though.
*What the HECK is THIS?  Seriously? Yes, teaching my child to grab their crotch in public is GREAT FUN!
*Because I got called out by Holly about my bias AGAINST the Twilight books – and I HATE being called out like that…I started reading Twilight last night. I’ll let you (and her) know what I think when I’m done. No opinions yet, I just started (Opinions about the PMS book, though…predictable much?)
*I’ve (re)written another chapter in my novel. Things are progessing differently, and hopefully better. I still feel like I’m lagging a bit, but the first three days are important. Hopefully it will all move much faster from here. We’ll see what happens.
*I’ve reopened my writing blog, though I haven’t posted yet.  I’m working on it slowly. Real life has been so hectic.

And that’s the big slew of randomness for today.  I know I’ve forgotten the past week has been so crazy-hectic.  Everything is going well…just hectic!!

Time for me to go visit the blogs on my neglected list.  I seriously haven’t even visited…much less commented!  So off I go!!

This was floating around a few blogs a couple of weeks ago.  I responded to a couple…these are my questions from Daisy over at Compost Happens – along with my answers!!  You want a turn??  Just respond to this post with an “Interview Me!” and I’ll send you questions. 

 

1. You’re busy with three kids, all high-maintenance in their own ways (as if there are any other kind!). How do you take care of yourself?
Take care of myself?  I’m not very good at that, to be honest.  But when I get tense I usually find some way.  I enjoy a nice relaxing bath with a good book…I like to window shop and can spend hours away from home just wandering the stores (how I usually de-stress).  Lately the biggest thing I do that is actually taking care of myself – and a destresser – is Yoga.  I try to do 30 minutes at least every other day.

 

2. Gardening is a common theme. Do you have a plan for starting a garden next summer, and if so, how will it improve on last year’s?
I have plans to attempt a garden this year again.  This time I’m going to have my husband take a cue from my neighbor (or ask my neighbor to do it) and put a raised bed in the backyard.  I’ve been researching gardening and hope to actually get some yield this year.     
3. How did you come to start blogging, and how long have you been at it?
I started blogging about a year and a half ago when we were at the height of learning about our children’s special needs.  We had just learned of Angel’s CF a few months before, and were edging toward Riley’s autism diagnosis – along with her RSS.  I wanted a place to express what our life was like, and Redefining Perfect seemed the best way.
4. You’re south of my neck of the woods, but you’ve still been socked with some odd weather this winter. How do you cope, and how do your kids cope with winter?
I grew up in Buffalo, New York.  This weather is nothing to me *lol*  That’s how I cope.  No, seriously.  Lots of layers.  My kids are almost as blase about the cold as I am.  The only time the cold gets tough is when I’m inside.  I expect it to be warm there…and in a house with no insulation we don’t get that…so many blankets   And a nice hot cup of coffee all usually do it!
5. You’ve mentioned your dance background. What kind of dance did you study: ballet, jazz, tap, or some other form?
I studied it all.  I started with tap when I was young and jealous of my brother for getting so much attention for his hockey.  My mom stuck me in dance to shut me up and discovered a real talent.  I moved onto jazz and then, with much grumbling ballet – which I later learned to love.  I also did some modern dance in college, and I’ve performed in local theatre shows – being dance captain in all of them. I still love dance and am trying to get back into it.

That’s it!  Thanks so much, Daisy!  I had a great time!!!!
 
The RULES of the interview game:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

The process has begun.  The discussions are proceeding as expected.
The effects on our family have already begun.

Homeschooling.

When Brandon was very young I heard of homeschooling and was so intrigued by the idea.  At the time I was a single mother and never imagined it was possible. 

Archie and I married shortly before Brandon started elementary school and I was working full-time.  Homeschooling seemed still something that wasn’t possible.  We needed the two incomes, we thought…and so it was only mentioned in passing by me. 

There was also the fact that I have little good self-discipline.  So often in the past I’ve not followed through on things.  Even Archie said to me just a few weeks ago that he didn’t think I had the discipline and I agreed with him whole-heartedly.

Then I got the thought under my skin.  I’ve been researching…I joined a state-wide homeschooling group.  I made the decision based on situations to pull Riley out – and because she’d be ticked if Angel kept going, decided to pull Angel out as well.

The wheels are in motion for those two – and we are in discussions of pulling out Brandon as well.  Those discussions are more intense, with more variables affecting our feelings and imaginings of the outcome.

But just in that time, during a week full of snow days, a change has come over our family.  We are spending more time together.  We are getting along better.  Brandon is talking to us a little more.  Riley is not beating up Angel as much, and her mood is vastly improved. 

It’s still scary and sometimes overwhelming to think about.  But I’ve made some choices about what we’ll do about curriculum, and found some great field trip places and ideas that cater directly to homeschoolers.

Riley’s last day of preschool will be Friday.  Angel’s will be next Thursday.  No matter what our choice, Brandon will finish out the school year.

Wish us luck as we figure out this new aspect of our lives…it’s going to be exciting, scary, fulfilling and overwhelming…a learning process for us all.