More Badges for Lauren

Last night Lauren received more badges for her vest at Brownies. We all went and were very proud. She also got two more pins. The troop is doing very good. In a couple of months they will have even more from trips and work days.

Adding Insult to Injury

Last night I hadn't been in the door long enough to take my coat off and I heard Brandon start to scream. I turn around and see Arion holding Brandon. "Holy Crap, Now What???". Arion then explains that he dropped a toy and expected it to collapse on itself, but in fell on Brandon and hit him by his eye instead. GREAT. I take Brandon is yelling about not looking at him. Finally I get him calmed down enough to get him on the couch with some ice and rat, piglet, bear and froggy blanket and start dinner. This poor kid can't catch a break. Now he has a bruise by the same eye that has the cuts from the razor.

Brandon's Shaving Accident

Last night I was hoping to get the kids to bed early. They were really tired from a long day and Lauren had a sleepover with one of her friends. I had Lauren come up and helped her with a quick bath. After I got her hair dry I called up Brandon. Got him going and clean. He was playing with his cars and boat. I left the room to check on the towels I had in the dryer. I know. I shouldn't have left him. I do from time to time. I can hear him and he USUALLY does fine. I check in every couple of minutes and the dryer is just down the hall. I poke my head in and he has his arm is across his forehead and it seems red. I pulled his arm down and I can see it's blood, but from where. I clean it with a washcloth and realize that he has two cuts above the eyebrow. I ask how did he cut himself and he pointed to my razor. OK, I know. My fault. It was on the side of the tub. He starts freaking out because he knew he shouldn't have touched it. I told him it was my fault, he just made a bad choice. I get him out of the tub. I wrap him up in the towel and yell for Arion to get the med supplies. Brandon is really freaking now. He doesn't want anyone to see. I tried to calm him down while not freaking out myself. He's yelling he doesn't want Daddy to see or to go to school. Anyway, we got it cleaned up, dressed and bandaged. I ended up wrapping him up in a blanket and cuddling on the couch till he fell asleep. So much for getting them to bed early. This morning he seems back to his old self.

The Difference Between Jim and Anne

On Friday, Jim called me at work to say we got our tax check back. I laughed and said "Hello Home Depot". You see I have a lot of projects I would love to get working on and now is a great time. Jim's response was that he was thinking of transferring most to our long term savings. You see Jim is definitely a saver and I am a spender. I really want to fix this house up so it will be easier to sell this summer. No is going to buy a house with a big hole where the tub should be. And then there is the leaking toilet or the dining room floor. Not to mention that Jim was looking to replace the front door that leaks like a syve. So we agreed to put half in saving and spend the rest on the house. Way to compromise. I'll let you know how the projects go. We are planning a party in May (Cinco de Mayo) and I would like to see most done by then.

Monkey Dance In the Morning

Arion has found a new way to distract Brandon in the morning while driving me up a wall. They call it the money dance. While I try to get Brandon to drink his instant breakfast cocoa they go through their morning ritual. First it's the "Hellllllo Brandon, chacho chacho chacho" with karate chops in the air. Followed by Brandon saying the same thing along with karate chops. This is then followed by both boys wiggling around in their chairs while moving their arms around in the air. Of course Arion in making some kind of noise like music or a beat to move to. Why can't they just eat. Of course if they see any hint of laughter than they repeat the whole thing again and delay Brandon from eating/drinking again. Might I also add that this is taking place at 6:20 am.

Jim's Battle With The Foot

After the last big snow storm, Jim started having a lot of problems with his left foot. We both thought that with all he was doing with the snow and helping neighbors shovel out cars and all that maybe he had a stress fracture in his foot. He went to the doctor and after X-rays and blood test we found out that he has gout. So, once again he has been told to change his diet. We have been working on this already with the cholesterol problem, but he still cheats. I kind of got mad when he told the doctor that he has red meat all the time. I asked what was he talking about. We were down to once or twice a week. I had to go thru the last couple of days to make him see. Basically, the doctor told him to cut out the snacking (not under my control) and watch what he ate, continue to soak it. Hey Dr. Mike, any other suggestions???

Getting Ready for Derby

Brandon's school is having a Pinewood Derby Race and Jim has registered him and Brandon. Pretty cool. They gave them a kit, basically a block of wood and some wheels. Jim had to go out and buy tools and paint. Rules are pretty stiff. They have specific length, width, and weight requirements. They started on it yesterday. Jim did the main cutting but Brandon helped with some of the sanding. Problem is we have no where to work. No basement or work room. This means some got done in the heater closet and some in the living room. Nice Huh. At least Jim vacuumed up after. Today they started painting. Jim needed a way to suspend the car. Mom to the rescue. I pulled out the old Lego table and it worked great. The paint he got is a little dried, but after mixing with some water it seems to be working. The race is March 8th but the cars have to be turned in for inspection on March 5th. Here are some pictures of the work so far.

The difference between FOR and TO

Talking to Brandon can sometimes be kind of complicated. He's getting much better, but we still have lots of work to do. I decided that I would try to tackle some of the problems I see regularly. He tends to use the wrong word in the wrong context at times. One I took on this week is a phrase he often uses. The phase he uses is "Mommy, can I talk for you." This week I started to correct him every time he said it. I would say it right and make him say it right. I would also try to explain that it was not right to use for the way he was. I didn't think I was making much progress until today. He was in the kitchen and I was in the living room. I hear him yell for me and he starts . . "Mommy, can I talk" and then there is a pause. I wait and finally in about a second or two that seemed like hours I hear "to you". WOW. He did it. I went in and said "you did it right, great". He was definitely proud of himself. I was pretty happy myself.

The Rat Takes A Wife

On a lighter note, yes I know my last post was harsh, Brandon must have had to visit the behavioral specialist again. He now has a pig. Brandon has also decided that the rat and the pig (now named piglet) should get married and he preformed the ceremony. It was pretty funny. Unfortunately now, we have two animals to find at bed time. Jim has questions about inter species relationships, but I explained that we are a progressive family. I just wonder what their kids will look like.

Frustrated and Getting Madder

I know I haven't posted in a while. For some reason, I can't seem to get on at work. It just won't let me log in. Things have been really crazy at home and work. Brandon and Lauren have been having big problems with dry skin. I used to just have to keep a close eye on Brandon, but now Lauren is having big problems. The problems is sometimes if they are too dry the lotion hurt and burns when I put it on.

The biggest problem is Lauren school right now. They really bring out the Bitch in me. We got report cards and I check to have a parent conference with her teacher. After going back and forth with her teacher on a date I finally get there and can't find her. As I'm waiting I see the guidance counselor and ask how the testing is going. All she would say is that they have 60 days and it didn't end till March. Is there some rule that they have to use ALL 60 days. I know they are just dragging their feet. After that I do find the teacher and I'm already mad. She pulls out a chair and asked what I wanted. Aughhh. Dumb Ass. I want to know what the hell is going on. OK, I didn't say that, but how is she doing was asked. Then she tells me that she is still at a E level. That would be the same level we were at in the beginning of the year (early 1st grade). Still no progress. I asked what they are doing to help with this. She told me they can't do anything until the testing is done. She followed this up with the fact that she is in the special reading group with the OTHER kids like her. The others kids. I was very proud that I didn't smack the shit out of her. I see she has managed to label my child with out the testing. Basically, she told me that Lauren is having trouble in both math, reading and spelling. The good news was she was still trying hard. So now I have to wait. I counted the days, the school days that is, to find the 60th day. March 8. Be prepared for Hell to break loose on March 9th with lawyers becoming involved. I'll let you know.

To Floor or Not To Floor

The other day I was checking over the stuff we received for our spring flea market. My work donates items to the flea market that they are getting rid of from model apartments and homes that are being updated or shutdown. As I worked my way through the garage, I notice a rug rolled up. I got a look at some of it and thought it would look good in my dining room to cover up my nasty carpet. So I pre-bought (one of the perks) the rug and brought it home. After measure the dining room this morning, I realized that it is going to take up most of the room and I will nee to move most of the furniture to get it in. Now here is the question. I was going to remove the carpet in the dining room and replace it with the flooring that is in the kitchen. A small effort on my part to make the two rooms more cohesive. I haven't bought the tile yet. So, do I go and buy the tiles on credit and do the floor and carpet in one shot, or do I just put the rug down and forget about the floor until later or not at all. We are planning to more. I would help to increase the value of the house. I really think I should, but I got the look from Jim when I suggested it. I think this is to be continued at a later date.

My Life with the Opposites

Yesterday we went to the Dr. appointment as scheduled. Once again I feel I am raising opposites. First Lauren. In the last year she has grown 3 inches and gained 15 pounds. She measures 75% for height and 90% for weight for a girl her age. He wasn't very concerned after looking at her. Big growth spurt. We are to keep cutting back on snacks and sugar. Continue to increase activity. We will check back in 3 to six months. Brandon is a different story. He is only at 10% for both height and weight. Doc worries that the meds for the ADHD are keeping him from eating. I told him that it is my option that he eats better on meds. He can focus better and not be as distracted. Brandon showed him where his stomach hurt all the time and Doc seems to think it has more to do with constipation than acid reflux (which he had as a baby). He thinks if we can get him pooping better, we can get him eating better. So poops away. Brandon has been prescribed some fiber supplements. He also recommends that Brandon be weighed at least monthly, if not weekly and we should keep track to ensure he is gaining weight. We will also check back in a couple of months to see how we are doing. I have to say I feel better now. But once again I have to push food into one while trying to get the other to cut back. I can see the arguments now.

My Day has to Get Better

I know this is my third post this morning. I have been trying to get in and for some reason wasn't able to log in for 2 days. This morning is not going well. It started with Jim waking me up and telling me we are oversleeping. Funny I know I set the alarm. Thing is Jim is now saying he set the alarm, or turned it off after I turned it on. Mr. Observant. I get up and get the boys moving. I go down and start making tea, cocoa and Brandon special cocoa. Of course I grab the wrong cup for Brandon. Its the one that heats up to fast in the microwave. He finally comes down and Arion and him start their morning horsing around. Next thing I know there is cereal all over the floor. Not Happy. I take Brandon's blanket away, pick up cereal and then Brandon goes to the bathroom where he proceeds to pee on his shirt. I take offending shirt and run upstairs to get another one. As I get back down, Brandon is spilling cocoa from his straw all over his undershirt. Back upstairs I go. I really hope this is not going to continue all day.

Lauren's BMI

The schools are now required to take the kids BMI (body mass index). It is to help identify kids that may be over or under weight. I had gotten Brandon's earlier in the year. It was as I suspected. LOW (35%). He eats like a bird and is very thin. I have started giving him stuff in the morning with extra protein and vitamins. Yesterday I got Lauren's. It was a lot higher than I expected. I know she has really gained weight over the last year. But I didn't think it was that bad. The score was 90%. If you don't know, 85-95% is considered at risk for being overweight. I called the doctor because I wanted to know if I really should be worried or if I am over-reacting. I told him the score and his response was "WHAT, last time I saw her she was a skinny minny". I then explained about her gaining a lot over the past 6-9 months and how I have been trying to change her diet, but it wasn't working. So now we go in today so he can see her. He wanted to see her right away. I guess I am not over-reacting.

The End of the Tooth Saga

On Tuesday night we again had problems with the tooth. Dinner was a nightmare. Brandon didn't want to eat and we had to make something soft that we could work around the tooth. I was thinking we had a problem because this could go on for awhile. Well Jim fixed that. After swimming class, he bought Brandon a box of Dots and the tooth was out before he got home. Brandon was very happy. He said it didn't hurt and we told him how brave he was. At this point he was no longer afraid of the tooth fairy. When I went in to check on him later that night, he was holding the ziplock baggy with the tooth inside.