I Give Up...

I give up. I am up to my eyeballs in stuff to do....I can't imagine that this really happened...Again!!

I am getting the family ready to go on our first real 1 week vacation ever. The girls are packed and our son is packed. Now its time to pack for Chris and myself. I have started the first load of clothes in the washer and have a 2nd load. If it doesn't get washed, we aren't taking it. I cannot believe the amount of clothes you need to take for 1 week. When you are at home, it doesn't seem to be that much in clothes until you pack. And Again, I wait until the night before to get everything done. I should have started it Wednesday but I had to watch So you think you can dance. I should have been doing the laundry as the laundry fairies are currently on strike at my house.

The kids are packed and ready to go thanks to my mom. When we load up the Jeep tonight (hahaha), I will have to make sure that its loaded correctly. I need to have room for the luggage, a stroller, C's walker and of course Chris' golf clubs. Chris is the brawn and I'm the organizer. Its a great match. The family we are going with were nice enough to share their timeshare so Chris is going to take his buddy golfing. His buddy has never swung a club in his whole life. Better him than me. I don't have the patience to put that stupid ball into that ridiculous hole. When I played putt putt on Midlothian turnpike, by the 9th whole I want to chuck the putter right onto Midlothian. I have even argued with my husband that he touched my ball and that's why I'm not playing well. He still wants me on a golf course. He is NUTS!!!

Anyway, we will also have to take sleeping bags for those of us sleeping on the floor (kids). We have never been to the Crystal Coast so I am looking forward to some sun time and relaxation. I will be taking my journal with me to write since I won't have access to a computer and therefore won't be able to blog. BOOO HOOOO!! I love writing.

Well as I said, I give up. Who knew there was so much to wash, pack, repack, load and unload to go on a vacation so you can relax....

Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July!!!!

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The 11th Summer..What a great time it was

Do you remember the summer when you were 11 years old? Was it a positive one? I just finished reading "The Eleventh Summer" by Sarah Norkus. Its her true story filled with hope, love, and unconditional love during the summer of 1965 when she was 11 years old.

She was the daughter of an alcoholic mother who was verbally and mentally abusive. Her faith in God and the unconditional love of her dad and nanny made life bearable. Its a very moving book and an easy read. Its 122 pages and I read it in 3 days during my lunch break at work.

She does an excellent job in drawing you into the world of an 11 year old forced to turn away from childhood fantasies in order to keep her family together and to look out for her 3 siblings. I just can't say enough about it.

I will let you know that she currently lives in Colonial Heights and I met her through a writing group that she has opened her house to. I now admire her for her triumphs over trials and now I know that my childhood may not be as bad as I thought it was.

If you want a quick, good read for the beach, I highly recommend it.

Take Care,
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We've lost your tax return, may we have another?

There has been a lot of talking regarding the US going to a Universal (Social) Medicine Program. I don't agree with it. The IRS has proven my point on why.

My mother received a letter from the IRS. The letter states, " We lost your tax return. Could you please send us another copy?" This is why government doesn't need to get involved with health insurance. They need to fix the current issues they have. Do you want to get a letter saying, Dear Mr. Smith, we lost your medical files, could you please update us with how your doing? I don't think so.

Social medicine sounds great in a Utopian Society but we don't live in Utopia. WE live here in the real world. A friend of mine is from Colombia. Colombia has social medicine. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Due to the back log of patients that the country has, she had to wait 5 months for surgery and travel 60 miles to the closest doctor and hospital. You could be dead in 5 months with cancer. At least here, you would get diagnosed and treatment well before 5 months was up. Your doctor and hospital are in your neighborhood. Do you want to travel from Richmond to Charlottesville or Fredericksburg for an appointment?

Also, how is it going to be paid for? They are going to raise our taxes. I don't know about you, but currently I am giving to Social Security which we won't have when we retire ( a government ran program); I am also paying into Medicare, and paying state and federal taxes. Our insurance premium is approximately $180 a month for family coverage. I don't want an increase in taxes and am happy with the insurance program that WE CHOSE to suit our needs.

You are offered private insurance. Blue Cross/Blue Shield also offers reasonable rates to insure yourself and if you are low income, you can get insurance based upon your income to cover your children. Hospitals will take indigent patients as its part of the Hippocratic Oath. No patient is turned away at the hospital.

The government form of insurance is Medicaid and Medicare. Have you ever tried to use it? My mother and brother are on Medicare due to disability issues. They don't cover medicine even the generic. Her doctor completes the forms for her but the doctors don't get paid in a 30 - 60 day turnaround. Its more like 90 - 120 days.

Also, the US has produced more vaccines and cures than other countries due to capitalism. The first one who produces a safe vaccine, gets it patented and approved by the FDA (a government organization) and the next thing you know, you have a cure and the pharmaceutical agency has profit. Take the competition away and do you think we would get any more vaccines or cures like for cancer or HIV under a government reign? I don't think so. My son has a VP shunt which was developed in the US. Without it, he would die before he reaches the status of teenager. I want capitalism in with my health care.

As I stated earlier, if the IRS can't hold on to a tax return, how in the world can I expect the government to keep my health care straight?

I hope you have a blessed night.

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I got a free ticket and its his fault

We are getting ready to go on vacation next week. I decided that the kids needed a hair cut so I went to our one and only south park mall located in wonderful Colonial Heights and that's when the fun began.....

Since I had all three kids, I parked in the handicap space so C. wouldn't have far to walk. My wonderful golfing husband was probably sinking his first hole for the evening when I got to the mall. What should be dangling from his rear view mirror but the handicap placard in all its glory.

We went to hair cuttery and put our name on the list. 30 minute wait. So we grabbed a quick bite at Chic Filet and had a great time. We arrived back to hair cuttery just in time. The hairdresser had B first. She wanted her hair to be shorter in the same style. While she was getting her hair done, B decided to let the hairdresser know her entire life story. What kind of hair she had and what she wanted. While she was getting her hair cut, I noticed something quite funny. She makes the same face that I do when I get my hair cut. A stern look with clenched jaw and her eagle eye purveying every dropped piece of hair. Hoping that she won't end up bald, she is estimating how much hair has been cut using her 2nd grade math. Luckily, the hairdresser did a great job so B didn't give her the evil eye anymore. B said "excellent. Its what I always wanted."

Next up was C. Since this was a new hairdresser, I did the normal explaining. C has a shunt which is located on the right hand side of his head. If you bump it, smash it, its OK. I've had some hair dressers freak out when they felt it so I now have to do the introduction to C's hair. C. loved getting his hair cut and he enjoyed sucking on his orange sucker. Whew! He's done and its even and he still looks like a little boy and not a future marine. Thank goodness she knows how to use scissors instead of that dreaded clipper. C exclaimed "I'm cute"

Finally, K is up. She wants curly hair and she wants to be cute. Her hair is naturally wavy and grows fast. The hairdresser wets her hair and begins to cut. All of sudden, K has the "FACE". She looks like she is about to have a major tantrum. Her arms are clutched and her face is locked into the position. This is the face that says, I am determined to get my way and you better watch out face. I smiled at her and she tried not to smile back but couldn't help but smile. The hairdresser came through the 3rd time. Her hair is as cute as a button. K gave it a 2 thumbs up.

We decided that we would celebrate with ice cream. We headed back to the car and what do my eyes see but a lovely ticket indeed. My wonderful ticket says I have 5 days to appeal or its a $100 fine. After 5 days, its an additional $125. Just what I always wanted. A ticket.

I called my wonderful golfing husband and said guess what. I have a ticket. May I please have the placard. His response was yes dear and you are right dear. So I am assuming since he was so nice regarding my yelling tone voice that he must be with the boys. The more perturbed I got, the nicer he got. With frustration in hand, I hung up the phone. He came home complaining that he didn't feel good. So he got my empathy vote.

So if you want a free ticket from Colonial Heights, please feel free to park in the handicap zone.

Dinner $20
Haircuts $30
Ticket to park $100

Who knew parking at the mall was so expensive. I guess I better get going on writing my appeal.

Have a great night!!

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A Challenging Day

I hope you all had a wonderful week and are looking forward to a great weekend. If you think you've had a day full of challenges, I want you to think about life in different terms.

Imagine that you are 4 years old. Remember that time of life, full of exploration and wanting to do things for yourself. If you can't remember that far back, look at the next child you see and just observe them. Think of all of the running and walking that you did. The love of the outdoors. The catching of fireflies. Sliding down the sliding board. Climbing on the jungle gym. Life is good.

Now imagine that in order to walk, you have to wear plastic leg braces that cover your feet and go up to your calf. Velcro straps keeps them on your feet. Since the braces are plastic, you will have to wear socks with them as well as shoes to cover them. Think of how that would feel. Think about the weather that we've been having. 90 degree days. Do you feel a little warm with sandals on. Try wearing your winter boots to get the same feeling as the braces. You also have a metal walker with plastic grips to assist you wherever you want to go. The walker is a part of you. It even comes with a flip down seat.

Since you are 4 years old and need help, whenever you want to go outside, you have to have someone with you in case you fall. You want to ride your trike but can't get your legs to cooperate. Do you feel challenged yet? Staying indoors when you want to go out becomes a daily challenge.

Remember always asking your parents why? Wanting to know everything about everything. But now when you speak, you have a hard time pronouncing words. Instead of saying I love you. You say " I wub u". Saying Outside becomes Out IDE. People have a hard time figuring out what you are saying. You struggle to get the answers you want but you don't always get the answers you seek.

These are the kind of days that our son has. Does he complain? No. Does he cry? Yes, but only when he can't get his way or he's tired. Is his life terrible? Absolutely not. He carries enthusiasm and he is joyful in everything. He doesn't have a bad day. At least not yet.

If you really want to challenge yourself. Try going to the bathroom by standing on one leg (your weaker one) and go. Remove whatever you need to do to do the business at hand. C is learning how to remove his clothing and getting on the potty. In order to do this, he has to figure out how to brace himself in order to accomplish the task without having an accident. He does this with laughter and he doesn't show frustration.

I wrote this post so you will see that no matter what kind of day you've had, it probably wasn't as bad as you thought it was. Be joyful and thankful. C. is.

Be like C. No matter what life gives you, smile, say I love today and keep on moving. I know I certainly can take some lessons from him.

Have a great weekend.

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Chester has a Secret

Last Saturday, I took the kids to go visit the Citie of Henricus in Chester. This was before the full blown flu hit the house.

The Citie of Henricus was founded in 1611 and its a little Jamestown. Actually, people left Jamestown to live at the Citie of Henricus because it had better drinkable water and people weren't getting sick like in Jamestown. The residents of Jamestown drank brackish water which made them lethargic or sick.

Residents of Citie of Henricus enjoyed the good life in Colonial Times until the death of Chief Powhatan. After his death, the Algonquin Indians had enough and killed everyone. Years later, the citie was revitalized again until the next Indian raid.

When you visit Henricus, you pay a small fee. The cost for 5 of us was $24. 2 adults and 3 kids. Not a bad price. We received a one on one tour with the interpreter who showed us how the Indians actually lived. Then we went to the other side and saw how the colonials lived.

After the tour, we walked around and got a beautiful view of the James River. We looked at the monuments and sat down and enjoyed a nice visit while sitting on the benches. It was way too cool.

Part of the Jamestown movie was filmed in the Citie of Henricus. The kids enjoyed taking the fur off of a dear with shells. They also pretended to churn corn and wore the armament of colonials. The metal was heavy and solid. They also learned games that the children played when they weren't working in the herb garden or farming.

I never knew what the Citie of Henricus was about so I am glad that we are doing the Virginia Traveller. We are having such a blast that you need to start doing this.

Time with my kids are priceless. I am sorry that my husband missed out, but, he had a fun time playing golf.

Get off the couch and get out of the house and go visit these places. They are awesome.

Take Care,

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Petersburg Who Knew...

Well, the house has finally said good bye to the stomach flu. Life is so much more nicer now without the 2am sick call. Whew!!

The kids resumed their Virginia Legacy travel today and they decided to go to Petersburg. The first stop......

The Petersburg Visitor's Center where they purchased a block ticket which paid their entrance to the Siege Museum, Centre Hill Mansion and Blandford Church. Children 7 and under are free and kids ages 8 and up, pay $9 and adults are $10. Seniors pay $9. For a total of $18, a family of 4 visited the following:

The Siege Museum, a great place to learn about the Civil War. Joseph Cotton, a former Petersburg native, narrated a movie regarding the Civil War. Then the kids were given a scavenger hunt to do throughout the museum. What was going to be a 1/2 hour visit turned into an hour of fun and delight. They had such a blast that it was a good portion of our dinnertime discussion.

Next Stop......

Centre Hill Mansion. This is a wonderful gem hidden in the midst of the city. Centre Hill receives a grant to help with the upkeep and use the entrance fee as well. They do not have the knowledge or the staff to search out grants to keep this mansion going and depend solely on their own. They would love a benefactor or someone with grant writing knowledge to help donate their time. Centre Hill Mansion belonged to a descendant of Pocahontas and they boast of actual ghost sightings. The life size portrait of Pocahontas is on loan until the end of the year. The children enjoyed the furniture and life style of this federal style house. Our kids are 8, 6, and 4. They enjoyed talking with the tour guide and learning about the underground tunnel that runs throughout the grounds. They also learned that the only source of heat was the fireplace which was generally lit when they had guests. Otherwise, they would live in the attic which is the warmest part of the house. They really enjoyed listening to the tall tales of the house and want to go back again. The last owners of the mansion made bad investments and had to sell the surrounding land in order to survive. He donated it to the Federal Government with the provision that it be used as a museum. The Federal Government later gave it to the City of Petersburg with a provision of their own that the mansion would reflect how people during the civil war actually lived.

The final leg of the tour today......


Blandford Church. The children weren't too thrilled driving through the cemetery but they did see a headstone marked 1702 and got excited. Once they go into the church, the guide told them the history of the church and they marvelled at the stain glass windows. The windows, I am told, were amazing as it has a 3 D effect. They enjoyed talking and learning about the church and the area.

My mom and kids enjoyed their day. They left the house at 11am and didn't return until 4pm. Having spent a short time having lunch. They couldn't stop talking about it and can't wait until their next adventure.

If you want something fun to do with your family, go to Petersburg and see these sights. You won't be disappointed and you will be treated like the rock star you wanted to be.

Take Care,

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Our Special First Day of Summer..

Colonial Heights School let the kids out yesterday so today is the first day of summer vacation. Our 8 year old was going camping with her girl scout troop but she woke up with vomiting and diarrhea at 1:30. Her system started calming down and I began to think that she had over indulged yesterday. She had breakfast in her class, lunch at home, a snack and at her request, CI CI's pizza to celebrate her and her sister's straight A year.

I had to go to work. When I called home, I was told that her throat was soar, glands swollen and she had spots in her mouth. Sounds like Strep to me. The first thought was poor baby. I hope she can still go camping. The second thought was I hope our son doesn't get it as I don't want to spend days at MCV. It's not fun and this is supposed to be Summer Vacation. With C having a shunt, if he gets a fever, virus or an infection, the doctor requires a stay at the luxurious MCV Pediatric Wing until all symptoms are gone. Not fun for us but it is part of having a child with hydrocephalus.

My mother took B and the other 2 kids to the doctor and she was diagnosed with the stomach flu. YEAH!!! It's a 24 hour thing. Of course, the 24 hours start after she last vomits so the count down has begun. We are now a hands washing family and a no sharing of the toys family for now. B requested chicken noodle soup for dinner and it better be Campbell's. I guess Progresso isn't good enough. So I made another trip to Ukrops and this trip was uneventful. YEAH! She ate 3 bites of her soup and now she is sleeping upstairs content with the world.

B missed her camping trip with the girl scouts. K has finished her melt down as she thinks B ruined her weekend. K, C, and myself will still go to Henricus Park tomorrow if the weather is nice. C. is just happy that he got to play in his room with his dinosaurs today and he got gold fish for his snack.

If this is how summer vacation has started, I hope it will be sick free for the rest of season.

Happy Summer!!

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My Underwear is falling and I can't keep em up

That's how I started my day today. It all started at Ukrops. How embarrassing. Lets start at the beginning..

2 weeks ago, I get an email saying that the 2nd grade teachers want the students to have breakfast for the last day of school. I ordered breakfast pizzas from Ukrops and my husband came with me to help in exchange for gas in his car. I was in the card aisle at Ukrops looking for thank you cards. Ukrops doesn't sell thank you cards individually. Then it happened.....

Where I am temping allows females to wear long dresses and skirts without hose. Yeah for me as it saves me money. My $5 hose gets a run in it on the first day of wearing. It gets expensive. So I get dressed this morning and my underwear was a little tight so I decided to get another pair that was more comfortable. That was my first mistake. I put on a skirt (no hose) and blouse and head to Ukrops.

In the card aisle I begin to fill it slip. First off of the left hip, down the stomach and oh my gosh, please let my thighs keep them up. I find a hiding place in Ukrops. Thank goodness it was 7am this morning. I hike em up and hope that's the end of it.

It wasn't. At work today, every time I got up, the slippage began. My mile walk to the restroom became a paranoid walk of whose around and how long is this skirt anyway. The slippage, the thigh prayer and then a place to hide to hike them up became my speed walk challenge. Get to the restroom before my underwear hits the floor. I gave myself so many wedgies today, I may be ready for thong underwear. My husband will probably say "WOO HOO".

My prayer was please lord keep em up and thighs do your best. Then I wondered if there was any duct tape around. None to be found in the bank. Then, it struck me, I could use safety pins but to no avail, there wasn't any available. The wedgie would have to do until I get home.

The lesson I learned today was its better to be a little tight than a little loose.

I hope you had an awesome Thursday.

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Hey Can You Dumb it Down Please!!!

My last position was eliminated due to a business decision. I went to a head hunter/recruiter to help me get new employment. I spoke with him today as he had a potential opportunity for me. I want to work in commercial construction as an accounting manager. I have 22 years accounting experience with 8 being in commercial construction. I also am 8 classes short of my degree in business. Put those two things together and the companies either love me or they are not sure of me.

Anyway, this company is looking for an office manager/bookkeeper and they are a commercial construction firm. The Recruiter said that I was over qualified and would I mind "dumbing down my resume". My resume is professional and I am proud of my accomplishments. I have never heard of dumbing down a resume. I've heard of people exaggerating but never dumbing down. So how do you make a resume dumber?

I don't want to lie on my resume and I don't want to make it appear that I haven't had the experiences that I've had. In the work force women make around $0.80 to a man's $1 to start with. So, if I dumb down my resume, will I get the same opportunity as men?

What has my career come down to, "Excuse me please, but can you dumb it down?" I believe I will reply, "No sir, I can't. My roots are natural and have grown over time and I don't believe in changing now."

Wish me luck in looking for real work with my natural resume.

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IDEARAISER FOR VIRGINIA EVENT

You are invited to an

IDEARAISER

Hosted by Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling
and the
Area Chambers of Commerce

Wednesday, June 20th
1:30-3:00p.m.

at

Union Train Station
103 River St
Petersburg, VA 23803

100 Ideas for the Future of Virginia is an initiative by Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling to enter into a candid conversation with fellow Virginians about the future of our Commonwealth. Our Founding Fathers designed our nation and Commonwealth as participatory democracies in which the citizens interact with their legislators and let them know the road to follow. Through 100 Ideas for the Future of Virginia, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, legislators, and community leaders from all corners of the commonwealth are asking citizens to attend "Idearaisers." These "Idearaisers" are small, informal gatherings conducive to candid conversation about the best course for Virginia over the next 5 to 50 years. The Lieutenant Governor asks everyone to come prepared with their ideas for the Future of Virginia.

For more information, please visit 100IdeasVA.com.
Please RSVP to Jeremy Greenfield:
804-225-2481 or
Jeremy.Greenfield@ltgov.virginia.gov

The Science Museum of Virginia - Its not just science

Today, my 6 year old and I went to the Science Museum of Virginia. She is interested in sea animals and we've signed up to be Time Travellers. Its an awesome program where if you go to six places listed in the brochure, you will get a certificate signed by the Governor. My kids are totally stoked about this. Anyway, we went to the Science Museum of Virginia and it was awesome.

I haven't been there for about 6 years so it was a nice return to the museum. I have to tell you, she was thrilled with all of the hands on things to do. She discovered about space, electricity, dinosaurs, the human body, etc. She kept saying, "Mom, this is what I call Science." We started our visit by going to the IMAX theatre and watching the movie regarding the Coral Reef. It really enlightened me on how important the reefs are and how they are an intricate part of nature. K at first was totally overwhelmed by the size of the theatre. I told her it was just like going to a regular movie theatre just bigger. Once she picked out the sits and the movie began, her mouth stayed opened. She fell in love with the beauty of the coral and the bulldozer shrimp. She thought they were very cool and smart. These shrimp are near sighted so for protection from predators, these shrimp live with the "safe" fish that live in the coral. They "bull doze" all the trash and unwanted rocks from the burrow. The fish hangs out and when a predator comes, it darts into the burrow. This alerts the bulldozing shrimp and they hide in the burrow behind the fish. It was pretty cool.

We investigated all 4 floors and the next favorite of hers was going into Lab 2. Lab 2 inhabits the snakes. She got to pet a corn snake which was "way cool" and she watched them feed the snake. A frozen dead mouse that they thawed out in a cup of warm water. She intensely watched the snake eat the whole mouse and she said he must have been hungry as she can see the mouse inside of him and he was still pushing it down.

And finally, she had to watch the rats play basketball. We did this in Lab 3. The rats had a great time and she kept score. When it was over, she was there rubbing and loving the rats. This is a child who is afraid of mosquitos but she loves these things.

We did get to see the Savage Seas travelling exhibit and that was pretty awesome. They have displayed the jaws with teeth that can swallow a human whole and have plenty of room left. It reminded me of Jonah and the Whale. Many people have said that it was a tale and couldn't happen. You should check out the jaws on this fish and we can begin our debate from there.

She can't wait to go back and she said that when she gets to be a teenager, which to her is the epitome of childhood, she wants to work there. I'm glad that we got to spend some one on one time together and that she had a blast.

If you are looking for something cool to do and your tired of the latest movies and hullabaloo, I recommend spending the day at the museum. We had fun and I got souvenirs for three kids and spent under $20 so price isn't an issue.

2 Tickets to the Museum and IMAX $34
Souvenirs $17
A day with my daughter, PRICELESS.

Take Care,

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Lets Talk About Sex education

I have been reading some blogs this morning regarding the abstinence before marriage legislation. I am all for education. I also know what is the parents responsibility and the school's responsibility. Back in the day of dinosaurs when I was in 5th grade (1975), my parents signed a permission slip for me to attend an after school program regarding sex education.

The class was held in 2 locations. One for the boys and the second one for the girls. I don't know what went on with the boys as they never spoke of it. But I would like to share with you my experience. We girls sat in the cafeteria and we watched a video regarding the menstrual cycle and the purpose of the cycle. We also discussed hygiene during this time of the month and the different products that were available to us. We also discussed sex. How a child was conceived and the different types of sexually transmitted diseases. How you got the disease and what the disease will do to your body and if there was a cure. This was before the time of AIDS.

It taught me a lot. It taught me that working together (parents, schools and children), you can learn a lot. My mother's talk to me regarding sex was, "Its not like it is in the movies so don't bother with it". This was after I saw a Star is Born with Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson (Rated R). My mother purchased the tickets for us at the Henrico Theatre as the owner wouldn't sell to anyone under the age of 16 regardless of who you were.

In High School, I knew of some girls who got pregnant. The school's policy was that once you began to show, you had to go to night school as they didn't want other girls to get encouraged on getting pregnant. Listening to one of my friends who got pregnant complain about the discomfort they were in and later the pain of childbirth was the decision factor for me. One girl kept her baby and went on to marry her boyfriend and the other one became a single mom and didn't finish school. My parents had instilled in me that if you want it plastered on the front page of the newspaper go ahead and do it but if you don't want it known then you shouldn't do it. Parents need to raise their children and install morals. Do I believe that we have perfect parents? As a parent, I am far from perfect but I am doing my best.

I have seen where it has been written that contraception works. No, it doesn't. My 8 year old is here and she's a condom baby. I can't take the pill as it makes me extremely nauseous while I was taking it so that's out. My 6 year old was using the rhythm method. Again, didn't work. I miscalculated the 'hot' time. My 4 year old was conceived because it was meant to be. After the 3rd pregnancy, my husband was "volunteered" to be fixed. That's the only guarantee I know of and that is sterilization or don't do it at all.

My point is this. Teenagers will do what they want but its up to the parents to teach them the truth about sex, smoking, drugs, alcohol and most important, being true to oneself. I tell my kids that if someone says if you do this, I will be your friend. I tell them then they aren't your friend to begin with. A true friend likes you for you. Maybe that's what we should be teaching our kids. Be true to yourself. If You love God First and YOU Second, then a lot of issues wouldn't be issues at all.

Take Care and God Bless,

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It's Potty Time

As I mentioned, we have a special needs child and he is now 4 years old. I am beginning to start his potty training. Before I get feed back stating that he should already be trained, please let me give you the scenario he is in. C. cannot stand or walk without leg braces or his walker.

A few months ago, I went to a medical equipment store and purchased a pediatric handicap potty. They do exist. I paid $125 for this wonderful item. The side rails are the same height as his walker so he can transition rather easily. The bucket that fits into it looks like a paint bucket so it makes it easier to dump and keep clean.

Starting this past Sunday, C. has shown a lot of interest in it. He pulled his pants down and sat down on it. He actually hasn't deposited anything yet but I am glad that he wants to do this as he's been watching me and the rest of family doing our business.

The dilemma that I am having his since he's a boy, I am training him to sit like a girl on the potty. It just makes sense to me. I've asked my husband, Especially Blessed, to help out and give me some suggestions. He says he doesn't know much about potty training. I wonder how he learned. MEN!!

Anyway, I will keep you posted on how its going and if you have any suggestions, please let me know as I can't wait until he's trained. I then get a big pay raise. NO more PULL UPS or SWIMMERS!! YEAH!!

Maybe I should find the Poop Book. It was a cute book that I found in the Nature Store a long, long time ago.

I hope you have a great night. Its time for me to cruise the blogs.

God Bless!!
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A training bra was so much easier

As I mentioned in my previous post, my position as an Operations Manager was eliminated due to a business decision. I am now working a temporary assignment in the real estate closing department. Yesterday, I was trained on doing certificates for closed 2nd mortgages. Today, I get the same stack for the 3rd time in a row. A record for me as I am usually a quick learner. When did training get hard? Is it because I am older? I started wondering this at work today and began thinking when did I start the training process. And it occurred to me. The first time I heard the word training was when my mother took me to Thalhimers to fit me for my very first training bra. The fit was perfect and it felt like a t shirt. I had no complaints.

Now, 30 years later, I have to wear a bra with wires that dig into your side because my breasts are now in a race to see which one will get to my feet first. I didn't sign up for this when I started training back in my preteen years with my first bra. Well, what did I expect after having 3 children and I enjoy my comfort food. Women who get breast implants, I don't get it. I would be glad to donate. Just sign me up. Research should look into breast tissue donation for the implant patient instead of silicone. Its all natural after all.

Well, back to my painful training that I have received in the last 2 days. After getting this stack of 30 packets back, I was ready to run for the border and I'm not talking Taco Bell. After my trainer sat down with me today and I got it all straight, I started to relax and then it hit me again. I now live in cubeville. What in the world has happened to my career.

Just a few short months ago, I was outside attending to my commercial tenants, buildings and the company's independent antique store. I got fresh air, bottled water and the feeling that I belonged to this wonderful community. My supervisor was in another state. It was NIRVANA!! Now, due to a business decision, I have been relocated cubeville.

I have the typical cube neighbors. One is the very supportive type but then she gossips about what she hears. Then I have the barbie next to me. Her first response (every time) is "OH MY GOD!!". I'm thinking is she from the valley or a cheerleader that hasn't matured.

Well, training is painful. Living in cubeville is painful. The people are nice and most of the work is easy. But, its not like my first training bra. Simple, comfortable and easily wearable.

I hope you had a great day.

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Those People

I have been reading several blogs recently and noticed that a lot of bloggers refer to "those people". Well, at some point in time, we are all "those people". It just depends on what side of the line you are on. I consider myself to be one of those people who is an unashamed Christian. Does this mean that I am homophobic? NO. Does it mean that I think I am perfect? NO. Does it mean that I sit in judgement of you? NO.

Being a christian, first and foremost, its a sin to hate. I may not like the decisions that you make, but I won't hate you for it or impress you with guilt. I will, however, get on my knees and pray for you. I will let you know that I don't agree with you and we may have to agree to disagree. I have known gay people (both women and men) and we are/were friends. I have known women who have had abortions and remained friends with them. I didn't shun them. I loved them (in a christian sense).

So, when you go bashing those people, don't lump us together. You wouldn't want us to lump you together. Christians are people who first and foremost know that they are not perfect. We know that we are sinners. If you have ever told a lie or taken a pen from your office, this is a sin. I am a good person, a great friend, and a loving mother but I am a sinner. Being a good person doesn't get me into heaven. Believing that Christ died for us and that he is the son of God does. Developing a relationship with God by studying his word and trying to live by his word will not get me into heaven. Only God's grace will. He blesses those that bless him.

I believe that All have sinned. I Believe that Christ died on the cross for us. I confess my sin to God. When was the last time you sat down and thought about what you have said and done? Have you confessed your sins?

I am one of those people but then again so are you. We may just be on a different side of the line.

Take Care and May the blessings of God be on you!!

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Being a "Special" Parent

I wanted to give you, the bloggers, a glimpse of what it means to be a parent to a special needs child. This isn't a pity party blog as I actually feel blessed to have our son. I hope this will enlighten your concept of us "special" parents. Our son has hydrocephalus also known as a water baby. His brain produces too much spinal fluid in the brain area so he has a VP Shunt to siphon out the excess fluid and dumps it into his perinea area (abdomen). This was discovered during an ultrasound at 33 weeks. I was being monitored monthly through ultrasound as he had developed bladder reflux while in utero. His bladder when emptying will back fill into his kidneys. Not a good thing since the bladder is the garbage dump for your body. During this, the neonatologist discovered the hydrocephalus. We don't know how it happened even though they took enough blood from me to do a hundred or more tests.

At 36 weeks, they performed an emergency c-section because his head had grown too much in one week. He stayed in the NICU for five days and came home for 2 and went to MCV at 9 days old to be shunted. He hasn't had any revisions or failures. Since his shunt was placed in the worst area of the hydrocephalus, it affected his speech and gross motor skills. He has been in therapy (speech and physical) since he was 6 months old.

Now on to the present. C is now 4 years old and walks with a walker along with leg braces. He has the brightest red hair and the bluest eyes I have ever seen. His speech is at a 3 year old level and he comprehends at a 5 year old level. He is an awesome child. He is joyful in everything and always has questions. He attends a special needs preschool in Colonial Heights and they are awesome. When he started the program at 3 years old, he was at a 17 month old speech level and crawled to get from location to location. In one year, he has grown so much developmentally.

As a parent, I want to assure you that we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We don't have a cookie cutter life. We get the roller coaster life. When he gets sick and has a fever, it usually means a stay at the hospital to ensure that the infection doesn't get to the shunt. He won't play anything that could cause head trauma so no football scholarships in our future but I don't think Bill Gates ever played football and he didn't turn out too bad.

When you see a special needs child, its ok to ask questions. Its ok to look and its ok to accept. We don't mind educating people and we love to hear about your kids too. We have 2 older children ages 8 and 6 who are able bodied and are considered to be bright children. They have learned compassion and they encourage others to do better. They are truly encouragers.

If you have a special needs child, feel blessed. God chose you over everyone else because you have the unique ability to bring your child to his fullest potential. I will also tell you that if it wasn't for the hydrocephalus group on yahoo, I would have been a basket case. They were enlightening and encouraging. I met online people who had children with hydrocephalus as well as adults who were either born with it or developed it due to a head trauma. No one had the same results. Its all dependent on the type of person you are and the medical treatment that you receive. The Hydrocephalus Association also led us to our neurosurgeon and now that he is retiring, I look forward to continue working with his replacement as he has been with our son since C. was born.

I will sometimes look at families and see them with "healthy" children and I admit at times I feel sorry for myself because I have never experience that in my entire life. Its God's wish that I have C. and I now understand why. I've been trained since birth to be able to handle being a special needs mom. My brother who is 1 year younger than me had a stroke while being born and due to that he is mentally retarded.

Being a "special" parent is a rewarding and sometimes frustrating life but you know I wouldn't trade it for a "Barbie and Ken" family. It just wouldn't be the same.

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