Thank you

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say "thank you" to everyone who left words of encouragement or offered advice on my extremely depressing birthday post the other day. I've been increasingly down in the dumps as this year has progressed; the current economic situation has not helped one bit, let me tell you! I've been racking my brains, trying to figure out how to squeeze in another source of income into my already hectic schedule; so far, no luck. That is, unless I want to forgo sleep all together. If I don't sleep, I can squeeze a second job in there at night, but then I would be too exhausted for work or school.

I was talking to an acquaintance about the general economic outlook for the whole country and casually mentioned that it's hitting my family, as well. She looked at me and said, "Well, just cancel Jamie's violin lessons. That'll save you some money. It's not like he needs music for anything." WHAT?!?!!???! Please tell me I misheard her! How can anyone say no one needs music?!?! I wanted to grab the nearest textbook and whack her upside the head with it. For my high school portfolio, I wrote a paper on how music and math are linked, and how study of music helps in one's verbal development, reading skills, and math skills. Oh, how I wish I had had a copy of that paper to stuff in that poor, misguided woman's mouth until she choked on it! Doesn't need music, my a$$!

My roommate also suggested that I take Jamie's violin lessons away because that would save me $30 a month in instrument rental fees. Again, NO! First of all, Jamie loves to play his violin. He's no virtuoso, my ears can attest to that! But - he is a lot better than I expected someone to be after only four lessons (they meet for an hour once a week after school). I can tell what he's playing about 3/4 of the time, and there is a very definite rhythm when he's playing. His whole face lights up when he plays, and it's beautiful to see. No matter how the bills get, I'm not taking away the violin, nor will I take away soccer. These are the two extracurricular activities he loves the most, so I'm not taking them away from him. Also, not only does he love them, but according to his psychologist, they are good therapy for his ADHD. They help him learn that paying attention is important, that if he doesn't do what he's supposed to do, he isn't just letting himself down, but he's letting down the whole team/ensemble. They also help him to learn how to work with people, instead of always trying to get his own way. And again, there is the benefit that music brings to the rest of your life (the aforementioned reading, math and verbal benefits, etc.)

Speaking of reading, I may have discovered part of Jamie's school problem, and why he speaks like an adult but reads like a first-grader with no comprehension skills whatsoever. Yesterday, I took a vacation day so I could take a computer equivalency exam and then take Jamie to the opthalmologist. He had failed his eye exam at the pediatrician's, so the doctor wanted Jamie's eyes checked. Because Jamie has migraines so often, and his other concentration problems, Dr. Jardan wanted Jamie seen by an opthalmologist instead of an optometrist. So, at his appointment yesterday, Dr. Zwaan said Jamie has something called "convergence insufficiency." Basically, this means he can't focus both eyes up close like one needs to do when reading and working on the computer, doing homework, etc. It takes so much effort for him to keep both eyes trained on the book/computer/paper, that he cannot comprehend and retain what he's reading. It also causes eye strain because he's seeing multiple images out of one eye due to the strain. Basically, both eyes are supposed to focus down into a "V" shape, with the smalled part of the "V" being trained on the paper/book/computer. Jamie's left eye wants to make more of a "U" and wander off to the left somewhere. This causes him to see multiple images of the object out of his left eye, and normal vision out of the right, which then confuses the hell out of his brain. So then, his brain is so busy trying to unscramble what he's reading, and focusing so hard on trying to make that left eye take information that he can't really process what he's reading. This also leads to eye strain, which then triggers his horrendous migraines.

Great!, you say. You know what's wrong! Now how do you fix it? Jamie has to start what's called "vision therapy" to retrain his left eye. Only problem is, they only do it on Mondays, and they're closed during my normal lunch break. I'm going to try to take him on a later lunch hour than normal, and just hope that traffic isn't too bad on the way there and that they don't take forever to get him in to start the therapy. If it takes up too much time, I fear my boss will decide to go ahead and can me and not wait until January. Until then, keep your fingers crossed!

Tomorrow I Be 32

Having reached the age of 32 (well, one day away, anyway), I can't help but think, "Wait. This is 32? Shouldn't I feel older, wiser, and at least partially like a grown up?" The only difference between the way I feel in my 30's to the way I felt in my late teens and at 20 is that now, in addition to worrying about bills, food, my job, the economy, etc., I now have the worry of "how the heck am I going to support my kid?" Shouldn't someone in her 30's feel a bit more, I don't know, settled, by now?

I feel like everyone else my age has gotten their crap together by now. They know who they are, what they want to be, most have found a partner in life and have at least some sort of plan for their lives. Me? Well, if I make it successfully through one day without breaking down crying and get half the things done on that particular day that need to be done, well - that's success for me. I kind of feel like Dorothy in the tornado. There's nothing sturdy to hold on to, I don't know where I'm being blown to, and I certainly don't know what's going to happen next. I feel like everything is out of my control.

Part of this is because I've had a totally craptastic couple of weeks down here. Let me give you a recap:

• Last week, instead of getting the raise I was really hoping for and desperately needing, I was instead told that I'm on probation and I'll find out in January if I still have a job.
• I found out my request for an appeal with Jamie's insurance has been denied; which means that starting next month, I have a 923% increase in the copay amounts I have to pay for Jamie's doctor visits and medicines. What was once costing me less than $20 a month will now cost me a little over $200. That's money I don't have, folks.
• I came to the realization that - between soon-to-be-higher medical costs for Jamie and my own bills, there probably won't be any presents at Christmas this year. I know that Christmas isn't about presents, it's about Jesus, and family, and love. But - oh - how it hurts to know I can't give Jamie what he wants this year!
• My roommate informed me she's going back on her agreement with me to share bills and split rent until we're out of school and will be moving out when the lease is up at the end of January. She's going back on her word because she's more broke than I am, which a part of me can understand. However, this puts me in a major bind because -
• I've discovered it may be next to impossible for me to find a place for me and Jamie to live on my income alone. Due to the credit crisis and economic woes, all the rental agencies around here have restructured their income requirements for being able to rent a house. They now require you to have an income at least 4x that of the monthly rent. Even though I'll have school money at the beginning of January to use for a deposit, first month's rent, etc., the rental agencies don't count that as income, so I'm hard pressed to find a place that will even let me rent, much less finding one in a good neighborhood, in good repair, etc.
• Due to the above, and wondering if we'll have enough $$ just to rent a house, I had to break Jamie's heart and tell him we couldn't go back to NYC on spring break to see Uncle Joel like we had been planning on since last November. Jamie really loves Uncle Joel, and was eagerly anticipating seeing him again. But with our finances up in the air so much right now, I just don't see how that trip is going to be possible.
• Dad's being a butt, calling me and harassing me about not coming to see him often enough, then hanging up on me when I answer his questions in ways he doesn't like, and
• I'm failing my Spanish class. I'm so tired, and stressed, and freaking out over everything that I can't concentrate on all my classes. The Spanish is the hardest one for me to absorb, so it's the one that falls out of my head first. I think I'm doing fine, then I go to take the test and bomb. I got a 62 on the first test, and a 55 on the second. It will be a miracle if I can raise the grade up to a C at this point, much less straight A's like I usually have.

However, I keep reminding myself that things are not as bad as they could be. We have a roof over our heads for now. There's still food in the pantry. Although it's uncertain if I'll still have a job in the future, I do still have one for now. Those who have read my last few entries know that God is good, and Tiffany rocks, so Jamie still gets to go on his field trip. In fact, this weekend he's excited about getting to go pick out "yummy never-touched-a-peanut-in-it's-life food" and packing his bags for the trip. Things could be much worse. It's just that, I don't know, I thought that I would have gotten to a point where life was easier by now - I'd know where I was going and how to get there, I wouldn't still be trying to juggle so many balls in the air. Heck, I never expected I'd still be single at this point in my life, either. I guess I took it for granted that I'd have a partner in life by now. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm learning that there really isn't any difference between how you feel in your 30's from how you felt in your teens. And there's no "magic age" when you finally grow up. And just because you have a kid(s), it doesn't mean all of a sudden you have the answers. I think mostly it means you just have more questions.

So, sorry for being such a downer today, folks. I just needed to unload some of this stress, anxiety and what-have-you while ruminating on the status of my "adulthood." I'm not meaning to whine or have a pity party, I just felt like if I didn't get some of it out of my head and down on paper - wait, um... on the computer screen, my head would explode, or at the very least I'd start consuming copious amounts of alcohol. If I ever get it figured out, I'll let you all know. Peace, love, hugs and kisses to you all!

Praise God and Thank You Tiffany!

So, some of you who read my blog read my latest rant, and may have read a comment from Tiffany, a super awesome lady I met at church and with whom I have maintained sporadic contact, offer to provide for Jamie to go to camp. Now, I can be a pretty proud person and stubbornly refuse help even when I desperately need it (c'mon, my first full sentence was "me do it meself". That set the tone for the rest of my life). However, when it comes to my kid, if I truly desperately need help and it's for his benefit, I'll suck it up and ask for help. So when Tiff offered, I wanted to graciously decline. But then there was Jamie, and Tiff pretty much told me she wouldn't take no for an answer. So I tearfully, not a bit of pride in me, accepted her generous offer. Thank you, God, for hearing my prayers for help, and Thank you, Tiffany, for helping me. You should have seen the huge, radiant smile on Jamie's face when I told him he would, indeed, get to go on the trip. Lots of love and hugs to you, Tiff! And love and thanks for your patience to my readers who have read my rants!

Oh, I'm Mad and Sad!

I have been doing a lot of ranting lately, dear readers, and for that I am sorry.  But my latest mad and sad item is really bad (why do I sound like Dr. Seuss?).  Anyway, Jamie’s school has an overnight field trip for 5^th graders.  No, I’m sorry, let me correct that – the ENTIRE DISTRICT has an overnight field trip for the fifth graders.  They go to a ranch and spend three days and two nights observing animals in the wild, testing water quality, hiking, canoeing, doing some real hands-on science stuff.  BUT – and here’s the part that pisses me off – the ranch is refusing to guarantee its food is peanut or tree nut free, AND is refusing to supply any alternate food for Jamie because “it isn’t in its contract” with the school system to do so.  I’ve already contacted the Texas Dept. of Ag that overseas the school lunch program, and since the food is not in any way associated with the school nutrition services, they don’t have to provide an alternative lunch for Jamie.

 

Jamie could have gone if I had sent a cooler full of food with him, and the ranch would have supplied a separate table for him to sit at and supplies for Jamie to wipe down the table, BUT – here’s another thing that has me mad and sad – the economic downturn has hit me really hard, and Jamie’s health insurance co-pays increase 923% (that’s not an exaggeration) next month, so I can’t afford to send a cooler of food with him on the trip, so Jamie can’t go.

 

Poor kid is being punished because of something he can’t help.  I asked the assistant principal if Jamie would be the only one not going, and she said “No, there will be some not going because of discipline problems”.  Excuse me?!?!  The only other ones not going are because they’re in trouble?

 

I’m no Pollyanna.  I of all people should know the world is not fair and that sometimes things just downright suck, but it breaks my heart that Jamie is being punished for something he has no control over, and is missing this opportunity to go ramble in an honest-to-goodness Texas ranch for three days with his friends and go hiking, canoeing and learn about nature actually out in nature.  This goes beyond suckage.  And the real kicker here?  The ranch they’re all going to is a Christian fellowship camp in the summer that advertises its “openness” and “welcoming policies for all.”  HA!  What a crock!

Can't Wait to See This!

Double Feature

Suffering from a severe case of school burnout and work-related stress, I took the weekend off.  I didn’t turn in this week’s Spanish homework that was due Friday night, purposely put out of my mind the Social Research exam I was supposed to be doing this weekend (it’s due tonight at 11:55 p.m.), and just plain didn’t care about Speech outlines and Racial/Ethnic Groups quizzes all due this weekend.  My head was ready to burst, I felt like if I had to read one more paragraph, I’d start crying.  So, I played some major hookey this weekend.

 

Instead of doing all the responsible things I should have been doing, I took my kid to a double feature.  We had some discount movie passes I’d picked up a long time ago, and Jamie had saved up money he’d earned doing chores, so we combined the two to see “City of Ember” and “Eagle Eye” on Saturday.  We used Jamie’s money to pay for the matinee showing of “Ember” and used the discount passes for “Eagle.”  Both were very, very good movies.  Although, at the beginning of “Eagle” there was some language that, had I been aware of it beforehand we would have chosen a different movie.  Jamie really liked both of them (yet another sign that he’s maturing past “only cartoons”), and couldn’t decide, when asked, which one was better.  He also enjoyed the fact that there was a little over an hour between the two movies where he got to use his quarters to play in the arcade.

 

Yes, I should have been doing homework.  But I just can’t bring myself to care.  I had a blast with my son, and got to spend some precious time with him while he’s still in the stage where he actually LIKES spending time with Mom.

Drunk Pumpkin

A high school friend with whom I've recently been e-mail corresponding sent me this picture; it was so funny, I just had to share it!

Speaking of halloween (well, sort of), anybody have any cheap costume ideas? Jamie can't make up his mind what he wants to be, halloween approacheth, and I refuse to buy a costume. Any suggestions?

I Love This Article

I gotta say, I love this New York Times article. Read it, and I bet you’ll love it, too!

***For some reason, the link above doesn't always show up. Just put your mouse anywhere over the words "this New York Times article" and click, and it will take you to the link.

A Little Boy's David Beckham Dreams

Jamie has been prattling on about how he wishes he could meet David Beckham at the game on Oct. 18, or see some of the Houston Dynamo players whose autographs he'd gotten before. I had to explain to him that the tickets we got are not VIP tickets like we had for the tournament here in San Antonio. Oh no, I couldn't afford those (besides, they were all sold out; I looked). Nope, we have nosebleed section tickets, way up high in Section 201. I explained that most of the up-close action we'd see would be on the view monitor (if they have one). He was a bit disappointed, but - in true "Jamie-style" - was just grateful to be going to the game. I have such a wonderful son!

We had a scare last night at Jamie's soccer practice. Even though Jamie has played keeper for more than SIX seasons, they keep putting him in as striker. For those of you not familiar with soccer positions, the keeper (or goalie, or goalkeeper) keeps the ball from going in the net. The striker (or forward) is the one who tries to put the ball in the opposing team's net. The striker does a LOT of running (at least, he does in the U11 age group, when they're still learning about passing and team work). Now, one would think that coaches and trainers, upon being informed a child has asthma, would choose a position OTHER than the one that involves the most running; a position that actually involves short bursts of activity, rather than one long, sustained effort; a position that the player has more than THREE YEARS of experience in playing. Nope. Striker it is. And last night, Jamie had his first asthma attack on the field. His team was playing a scrimmage against another team from the same league. Jamie had the ball and was heading downfield to the opposing team's net when he suddenly doubled over, started coughing and gasping, and couldn't breathe. He was able to get off the field and over to his bag to take his inhaler, but even after he was able to fully breathe again, he said his lungs hurt. He said it felt like someone had kicked him in the lungs and left him all bruised inside.


I really worry about him. He loves soccer, but with episodes like this, and Texas' wonderful trend towards Air Quality Alert Days when Jamie can't even go outside (which means no games, no practices), I have to wonder if his soccer days are limited. Which is such a shame because he's so darn GOOD. I think if his downward trend continues, I'll take him back to his allergy/asthma doctor and have them give me their medical opinion about him continuing to play soccer. Then, based on the doc's recommendations, I'll talk to his coach and trainer about whether or not it is wise for Jamie to keep playing striker.

It's Beckham, Baby!

I didn't really have the money to do it, but I did it anyway. My birthday is in about 3 weeks. My dad made me promise I would buy myself something completely impractical that I really really want for my birthday (he deducted a hefty amount from the big chunk of cash I owe him). Today, I was checking my e-mail and saw that the Houston Dynamo MLS (Major League Soccer) team has a home game on Oct. 18. That's the Saturday before my birthday. Then I noticed they're playing the L.A. Galaxy, the team that Mr. Hunky-and-Oh-So-Adorable-and-a-Really-Good-Soccer-Player-to-Boot David Beckham is on. So I decided my birthday present to myself is taking Jamie to see an MLS soccer game in a big huge stadium. Jamie has been bugging me to take him to see the Houston Dynamo ever since they played in an exhibition tournament here in San Antonio, and he managed to meet several of the players and get their autographs. Just about every week, he'd ask if we'd be able to drive to Houston for a game. I had to keep telling him no.

So today, when I picked him up from school, I casually mentioned that I had a secret.... and said nothing else. The. Whole. Way. Home. By this time, Jamie was squirming in his seat, just dying to know what I knew that he didn't know. Then I just casually mentioned he was taking me to see the Houston Dynamo for my birthday.... He whooped and jumped up and down. Then I mentioned who they were playing and who is on that team. The child SCREAMED like someone had just killed him.

I think Mommy earned some major cool points today. What do you think?

TOO FUNNY!!!!!!

Must see TV, indeed!

No, That Isn't a Cat Screeching, It's Jamie Practicing Violin

I was able to find a reputable music shop that rents violins (and 100% of the rental price goes towards the purchase of a violin), so on Friday, Jamie and I went down and got him a violin. Despite the fact that he has not had a single lesson, he insisted on trying it out. Now, I kept trying to tell him he needs to wait until he actually has some lessons before he starts playing because he doesn't want to develop any bad habits or accidentally damage the violin or bow.... to no avail. He's so excited about this that he insisted on digging out the DVD and CD that came with his lesson book and dove right in. The dog ran from the room and hid in his crate; the neighbor's cat that is always in our yard started yowling; and Jamie sawed away with a huge grin on his face. I finally convinced him to put it away, his first lesson was only a few days away, he could wait that long without dying, etc. etc. etc.

I now feel sympathy for what my mother went through when I first started learning the flute at my older sister's knee. Please, let us all pray he improves with practice! LOL

An Improvement (of Sorts)

I called the special education specialist at Jamie's school today. Now, Jamie does not fully qualify for special ed services, however there is some crossover with special ed on what Jamie needs to be academically successful (this is where the whole "fish tank" thing comes in). Anyway, Mrs. G. told me she had already conferenced with Jamie's teacher, who had sought her out because of my insistence that Jamie is supposed to be allowed to go to the fish tank, even though his teacher couldn't find it. Apparently, the school was a wee bit lax this year in putting out the lists of students who are allowed (i.e., required) to go to the fish tank for tests. The stipulation that Jamie is allowed to go to the fish tank is in teeny, tiny little letters on his IEP, in an apparently out-of-the-way place on the forms, buried down deep where his regular teacher never saw it. Since she couldn't find it in his IEP, and didn't see his name on a list of students allowed to go, she assumed he was not supposed to go. For that, I will forgive her (a little. Although, if I had a student who was a good kid, didn't cause trouble, and was obviously ADHD, and both he and his mother repeatedly insisted the kid was supposed to have been allowed to go, I think I would have investigated it before now instead of insisting over and over again that he wasn't. Then again, I'm not a teacher who has to deal with 21 rowdy 5th graders all day everyday, so maybe I wouldn't).

Anyhoo, it seems the fish tank battle is over... Now, let's see what we can do to get the nurse's office situation cleared up!

On an unrelated note, anyone know where I can get Jamie a 3/4 sized violin in good repair at a not hugely expensive price? Jamie wants to join the orchestra at his school, but I don't have the $$ available to buy him a new violin. Anyone have any suggestions?

I'm Angry! (Warning: Rant Enclosed)

I am very angry at Jamie's new teacher. Even though it is documented in his school file that he gets migraines and has a note from his neurologist stating that Jamie must be allowed to go to the nurse at the first sign of a headache so he can take his medicine and wait in a quiet, dark place for it to take effect, she wouldn't let him go when he told her he had a headache. This has happened more than once, which then resulted in me having to go pick him up early because he wound up with migraines so bad he was crying. Then she had the gall to send a note home that she felt Jamie was missing too much classroom time by going to the nurse's office. I fired one back stating that - considering his asthma, G.I. problems, migraines and allergies - he'll probably be spending a lot of time there, just like in previous years, and so long as his grades weren't affected (which they aren't), I didn't feel it was a problem to let him do what the doctors have stated he needs to do. She didn't like my reply at all.

Not only that, but it is also documented in Jamie's file about his ADHD, and that he must be allowed to take tests in what they call "The Fish Tank". Basically, it's just a quiet room where there are no distractions. The class had to take a test one day when there was a substitute (which of course means the class was more rowdy than usual). So Jamie asked if he could go to the Fish Tank to take the test, and the sub showed Jamie a note his teacher had left stating Jamie was not to be allowed to go to the Fish Tank.

Furthermore, Jamie has reported to me that she is often very derisive towards and dismissive of him in class, especially when he asks a question about classwork, can't get one particular student in his class to leave him alone, or needs to go to the nurse. Jamie has never had a major problem with any of his teachers in the past. Sure, there was one who didn't seem to "get" Jamie at first back in third grade, but by this point in the school year they were good buddies.

I've sent notes to school explaining about his migraines, reminding her to look at his Educational Plan on file in his records about his ADHD, telling her to look in his file at his notes from the G.I. doctor, the neurologist, the psychiatrist, etc., and to please follow their instructions, to no avail. I'm supposed to have a conference with her sometime soon, and I will definitely address these issues. If that doesn't help, my next step is to go to the principal. If need be, I'll demand that he switch classrooms. But, geez, Louise, this woman is pissing me off!

I LOVE IT!

see more famous faces look-a-likes



“ Palin scares the crap out of me because her platform requires no real thinking either, and plenty of blind obedience. Gays are deviant. Books are dangerous. Abortion is murder. Evolution is wrong. War is right. And all it takes to win with a platform like that is charisma." debauchette qtd. on Electronic Pastures

I also found this little gem there. Lurve it!

Hectic Day, Hectic Weekend

Today after work, I get to pick up Jamie, rush to Wal-Mart to pick up the itty bitty tubes of toothpaste and toiletries we have to take with us on the plane, then be home by 6 p.m. for FedEx to deliver Jamie's new bed, which will lie in its boxes (all five of them!) in the garage until such time when I am able to drag it into the house, put the damn thing together and stain it. Luckily, we have a large second living room that is all but empty now which will act as workshop and staining center. Also luckily, Jamie's room has a set of double doors on one side we can use to move the bed in in one piece.

But I digress. I also have to do a quick load of laundry, pack our bags, gather up all 500 (it seems) prescription medicines Jamie takes on a daily basis, give the dog a bath (so he doesn't stink Rachel out of the house while we're gone), fix dinner (it may just have to be pizza night!), put Jamie to bed really really early, do homework, then crash for a couple of hours until I have to get up at 2 a.m. to get ready for the taxi to come at 3:30 to take us to the airport by 4 a.m., the dictated 2 hours prior to our 6 a.m. flight to Chicago, where we get to wait for three hours until catching our connecting flight to Cincinnati. Whew! Did you like that run-0n sentence? I'm thinking it may be easier for me to do what I did before the New York/Kentucky Thanksgiving trip - just not go to sleep that night while I get everything else done, then sleep on the planes.

Anyway, I hope you all have a fun and safe Labor Day Weekend!

It's Been Too Long

Dearest Readers:

I apologize greatly for my absence from the blog. I’ve been “trolling the blog roll” every day to catch up on what everyone else is doing (beautiful boy, Lydia and Geron!), but I haven’t really felt compelled to write anything. I’m afraid I’m suffering from a severe case of pre-semester start-up laziness. Because I increased my school load back to full time hours and Jamie has moved into a higher level of competition in soccer (ergo, requiring more of a time commitment each week as opposed to last year – 1 ½ hr. practices 3x a week and games on Saturdays and Sundays this year, instead of 1 hr. practices 3x a week and a game only on Saturday or Sunday, not both, like last year), I have been reveling in my freedom and have spent my free time out and about with my boy rather than sitting in front of the computer to blog.

We do have some news for you, though. This weekend (Labor Day weekend, to be exact), Jamie and I are flying to Cincinnati, OH, for the (insert my last name here) Family Reunion. Jamie is quite excited as many of these people he has never met – well, at least not to his recollection. The last time I attended this particular family branch reunion, hewas still in diapers and barely able to walk around by holding on to the picnic tables and chairs! We’re flying out at 6 a.m. Saturday morning, and not getting back home until after 11 p.m. Monday night. I’m going to make Jamie sleep on the plane to catch some of the zzzz’s he’ll miss by us getting home so late. I would have booked an earlier flight, but I saved more than $200 by doing it this way. I figure one time getting to bed late won’t hurt him too much.

Nothing too exciting to report, other than the fact that Jamie is now wearing shoes that are only about 1 size smaller than mine. Seriously! I now steal his socks all the time because I like his better than mine. Maybe I’ll just start buying my socks in the boys’ department, too.

Love, hugs and safe travel this upcoming holiday to you all!

I Knew I Loved LOLcats for a reason!

Gotta love www.icanhascheezburger.com!

 

Another Layout and 300th Post

This is another layout I found that I like very much. In fact, the more I look at it, the more I like it. However, I'm continuing with my layout tweaking project and ultimate poll where you, dear readers, get to help me finally decide which layout to use.

In the midst of everything, I didn't realize that my last post (that update on Jamie) was my 300th post here on my blog. I cannot believe I've already reached 300. Geez, I talk waaaay too much! LOL

Things here continue much as usual. Jamie has soccer "boot camp" all this week. He'll have soccer practice each night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. this week, regardless of 100+ degree temperatures and/or rain. The only thing that will cancel practice at this point is lightning. Looks like momma will have to be sure to bring the sunblock, LOTS of water, and the rescue inhaler!

I'm inhaling as many books as I can before my new semester starts August 25. I didn't get to read much during summer session, and I know I'll be super busy this fall. I just started reading David Eddings. I finished all of the Belgariad, and I've now started the Mallorean (sp?). I really really REALLY want to get my hands on the new Stephenie Meyer book "Breaking Dawn," but cash is in short supply. I'm ordering a copy the second I can afford to splurge on a new book, though. I'm dying to know what happens!

About a Boy

 

Got a call yesterday from the allergy/asthma doctor.  She had good news and bad news.  The good news was, Jamie has not developed any new food allergies.  But this good news also further perplexes me, as this means I now get to move on to the neurologist to see if his migraines have a connection to his stomach pains (which continue, unabated).  Joel’s girlfriend Leah had a suggestion that I might want to have him tested for an allergy to a substance found in wheat gluten; only problem is, I don’t remember the name of the substance (it starts with an “s”).  I’m sure it will come to me, and I can take him back to the allergist to have him tested for that one particular enzyme.  Now to the bad news – Jamie is even more fatally allergic to peanuts now than he was before.  True, it’s always been a fatal allergy, only now, it will apparently kill him even FASTER than ingesting peanuts or tree nuts would have before.  I guess it’s time to increase my diligence, as I’ll now have even less time to recognize any warning signs (if there are any) that he’s going into anaphylactic shock and administer his Epi-Pen.  So that’s the update on Jamie’s health.  I’ll post more when I know more.

Tweaked Again

What do you think of the further tweaks?

Tweaking

So I tweaked the font and link colors a bit, as well as made the text areas a little more opaque. Did this help the readability issues any, or do I need to do more work?

I figure I'll put up a new template once a week; I'm thinking a week is enough time for my "regulars" to peruse the new template. Then, after I've exhausted my supply of templates I like, I'll use the handy new "poll" feature here on blogger to get everyone's input on which background they liked best. Now, if you guys choose one I decide I don't like after all, I probably won't use it. But, hey, I still want to have an excuse to try out the poll feature, so please vote anyway!

Changing Things Up

Those of you whom have read my blog from the beginning have probably noticed my blog looked exactly the same as it had when I first set it up.  I was really getting tired of looking at polka-dots, so I decided to change things up a bit.  Jamie and I both love to look at the stars and are both fascinated with all things outer space, so I decided to change to a space theme.  I didn’t like the stark melancholy found in the moonscape blog layouts I found, but I did love the colors and image of this wormhole.  I’m not sure how many times I’ll change my layout over the next few weeks; I’m experimenting right now.  I also am playing with waterfalls, nature scenes and travelscapes.  Your input and opinions on the various layouts are welcome.  Once I pick a layout and stick with it, then I’ll put all my links and stuff back on the blog.  It’s just too much of a pain in the arse to try to keep re-adding the links, only to change the template again and to add them back on again.

 

Maybe my desire to change things on my blog has to do with the fact that things are so humdrum and normal back here in the real world.  I’m working the same job that I’ve worked for going on three years.  This is a record for me, let me tell you!  Normally, I get bored with a job before now.  My longest running job before this was when I worked for the newspaper back in _____town.  I don’t know if my being in my current position for so long has to do with the great people I work with (now), the crappy job market, more maturity on my part, a realization that I do NOT want to be jobless and back on government assistance, or a combination of all of that.  For whatever reason(s), I will have been in my current position for three years come October 3.  I expect to be here for at least a couple more years while I wrap up my undergrad degree and weigh job prospects in towns where colleges and universities offering an MA in Sociology, then apply to programs, etc. etc.  So it looks like Jamie may just get to go to middle school in Texas for a while, too.  I tell you what, though; I’m so tired of the heat down here, I’m even considering programs in Alaska just to get me back to cold and snow!

I didn't know Garfield was modeled after me!

 

More News

Even though I haven’t posted very recently, I’ve been keeping up with the comments on here.  Joel’s observation about bullies is one I had thought of, but have ruled out.  Quite a few months ago, the main ringleader at Jamie’s school transferred; there also were some rearrangements among the “power clique” at Jamie’s school.  This happened at about the same time Jamie wised up about showing his emotions too openly at school (i.e., giving the little snot noses in the school what they want – a reaction).  These events all combined with the result that Jamie is now popular.  Yep, and not only is he popular, but he now hangs with kids who back him up and treat any bullying offenders to withering looks and an instant decline in social status.  How on earth I have a kid who is popular I’ll never know – maybe it’s the jock thing.  At the end of the school year he was teaching several kids how to play keeper and striker at recess; maybe his “mad soccer skillz” stirred up respect and admiration.  Maybe the fact that he’s 10 years old and so fit he already has a “six pack” had something to do with it.  For whatever reason, my child is now well-liked and unbullied (thank you, Jesus!).  So I ruled that out as the cause of the migraines and the stomach pains.

 

Anyway, we went to see the Allergy/Asthma doc on Monday.  She confirmed he does have a coughing-variant, activity/athletically induced type of asthma.  He now takes Advair twice a day and uses his rescue inhaler 20 minutes before sports, recess or especially strenuous activities.  It seems to be helping.  Soccer practices start next week, so we’ll see how he does then.  If he starts having episodes during practices, I’m to take him back to the doc for a reevaluation and see if he needs a different type of rescue inhaler or an increase in dosage.

 

Jamie goes on Friday to get his blood work done to see if he’s developed any new food allergies.  I’m hoping something simple like that will explain the stomach pain and vomiting.  If not, then it’s back to the neurologist to see if he has developed what’s called a “stomach migraine.”

 

Love you all, and I appreciate all your thoughts and prayers!

Update

Got a call from the Gastroenterologist.  All tests came back normal.  While I am thankful that there is nothing drastic going on, I’m still frustrated and frazzled because I don’t know WHY Jamie is having stomach pain.  The next step is to take Jamie back to his allergy doctor (who is also an asthma doctor, so we can figure out how to control his newly-discovered asthma issues) for a complete work-up and testing over all foods and all other allergens to see if this is causing his stomach pain.  If that doesn’t shed any light on anything, it’s back to the neurologist to see if Jamie is experiencing some sort of “stomach migraine” (yes, they are real, just rare) in addition to his other migraine.  They are caused by the same triggers in the brain, but no real clue as to why.  As always, I’ll keep you informed.

Grrrrrrr!

Still no news. I was supposed to receive a call on Friday regarding Jamie's tests, but since everything was closed up for the holiday, no one called. I finally got impatient and called the doctor's office today, only to be transferred about 20 times until I landed in the nurse's voice mail, where the outgoing message sweetly informed me to "leave a message and I will get back to you within 24-48 hours." Grrrrr! As soon as I know something, you'll know something.

On another note, it finally rained here today! San Antonio is about 13" BELOW average for the year, so the rain was very welcome and appreciated!

No Answers Yet

Well, we went to Corpus Christi yesterday for Jamie's endoscopy and biopsy. The doctor said he saw nothing that immediately jumped out at him as explanation for Jamie's pain. He saw some irritation, some redness and swelling in the stomach, and what looked like "long scratches" up and down Jamie's esophagus, but nothing that would conclusively point to a cause. So, the doctor took three biopsies and two cultures for bacteria and hopefully they'll call me Friday or Monday with some results. If not, I'll press for more tests concentrating on the lower part of Jamie's intestinal tract, as his pain is lower than the stomach (in the belly-button area), as well as take him back to his allergist for testing to see if he's developed any new food allergies. There's also a possibility this could be related to the migraines he's been getting, so a trip back to the neurologist may be in order. I'll post more when I know more. Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts as we try to determine just what's going on. Love, hugs and kisses.

One funny thing yesterday was getting to see my kid stoned off his gourd on valium before the procedure. They gave him some liquid valium to calm him before they administered the anesthesia, and it was quite funny to see him staring off into space, pointing at things that weren't there, and mumbling to himself about stuff nobody could understand. The triage area for surgery had individual TVs the children could watch while they waited their turn. Apparently, Scooby-Doo is even more hilarious when you're stoned off your rocker!

Breathing Room

I took Jamie to the doctor (again) on Saturday for a cough he's had for more than six weeks. He'll start coughing so hard he can't breathe. Diagnosis? On top of everything else, Jamie has now developed asthma. [sigh]

I've Been Tagged

So, Fish tagged me to complete the following Meme:

1. Write the title to your own memoir using 6 words.
2. Post it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who tagged you.
4. Tag 5 more blogs.

My memoir would be entitled Planned Chaos: Single Parent by Choice

I now tag Annie-Lou, Lydia, Mama Tooz, Animal, and Suze.

Update on the Health of a Small Boy

Things are not going so good down here, folks. Jamie went to his pediatric gastroenterologist yesterday, and I'm not at all encouraged by recent developments. We went down there and took the doc Jamie's test results stating that he was positive for H. Pylori (that nasty little bug we'd discussed in an earlier blog post). The doctor made a few noncommittal "hmms" and "uh-huhs" at that. The he asked Jamie again where his stomach hurts when he has pain. Jamie showed him (near the belly button). The the doctor asked me how severe the pain seemed to be. I said, "Bad enough that he's literally on the floor screaming, curled up in a ball, which prompted me to take him to the E.R., where he had those tests," I said, pointing to the lab results we'd brought down with us.

Then the doctor starts poking around on Jamie's stomach, and gets a funny look on his face. He turns to me and, rapid-fire, starts asking me questions. "Does he have headaches? Has he been vomiting? Has he been less energetic than usual?" Of course, the answers were "yes, yes, and yes". Then he says, "okay, I'm ordering a endoscopy and a biopsy. My first opening is in two weeks, and we need to do it then. We should not wait."

Am I missing something here? The more I think back on things, Jamie didn't start having his migraines until after his stomach issues started back last year. Jamie has either thrown up or almost thrown up every single day for the past month. Jamie does not run around with as much gusto as he used to, and he is still tired when I wake him up in the morning, no matter how early he went to bed the night before.

Naturally, I ask the doctor what's going on. And, of course, he doesn't give me any answer other than a noncommittal, "I want to check some things out." Grrrrrr! I know, I know, doctors don't like to scare their patients (or the mommas of their patients) with "maybes". But still, he's freaked me out more by his reaction and complete change in his demeanor from previous visits. Also, it doesn't help that - with so many close family members who have died from some form of cancer or another - that possibility is always lurking in the back of my mind, a dark spectre that haunts my dreams and constantly has me checking over my shoulder.

Another thing that doesn't help is that, as the nurse explained to me, I can't be there with Jamie when they're doing the endoscopy. I can't stay with him and hold his hand. I know he'll be asleep, but I would still rather be there with my baby while they do the procedure. Sitting there in the waiting room will be torture for me. Then, the nurse just HAD to run down the list of possible things that could go wrong during the procedure. For liability reasons, I know she was required to inform me before the procedure, but still. Can you please not make me more paranoid than I already am? Please?

I know there are several of us in the blogosphere who have some serious family and/or health issues going on right now, but I would appreciate thoughts, prayers, positivity, whatever you want to call it, on July 1. Love you all, and you are all in my prayers.

Too Smart for His Own Good

Jamie's last day of school was this past Wednesday. His daycare doesn't start until Monday, so part of his day he's been home alone and the other half of the day he's been playing at a friend's house down the street (where parents are home). For him to be able to go to his friend's house, he's had to spend a specified amount of time doing house work before he can go play. Yesterday, Rachel made the comment that she didn't see much difference in the state of Jamie's bedroom. So today when Jamie called me to tell me he had worked on his room the designated 45 minutes and was going to go play with Josh, he hit me with a whammy. I asked him if there was a noticeable difference in the state of his room. He replied, "Yep. And I even have evidence!" The little stinker got my digital camera and took "before" and "after" photos of his room!

Are You Effing Kidding Me?!?!?!?!?

Further proof, folks, that right-wing conservatives are ruining the world can be found in this news story. Apparently, a bunch of nincompoops saw a Dunkin' Donuts ad with Rachael Ray in it, wearing a scarf around her neck. So, a whole bunch of dumbf#cks started protesting, saying her scarf looks like a kaffiyeh - which MUST mean she's endorsing extremism and terrorism. Are you effing kidding me??!?!?!! Really??!?!?! You CAN'T be serious!

Now, I don't much care for Rachael Ray (there's just something creepy about anybody THAT perky all the time), but there is no way in hell I would confuse a fashion accessory with terrorism. Come on, people! Get a life, find something to do other than look for boogeymen under every rock and in every stylish accessory! Oh, no, I can't wear those earrings! Someone might think I was supporting suicide bombers! No, I can't wear that necklace; someone might think I'm endorsing the killing of innocent bystanders! Good grief, people. Please, I beg you, get a new hobby.

Why I Love the Comic Strip "B.C."

Just another reason why I love to read "B.C."

Strange Similarities in Appearance...

When perusing the news reports today, I noticed a strange likeness... Do you see it too?

Brigitte Bardot....

Aughra...

Hmmm.... Who knew a former screen siren would grow up to look like a Muppet from one of my favorite movies?

On the Health of a Small Boy

Jamie's severe stomach pains have continued unabated, so he has had several trips to the ER with pains so bad he curls up in a ball on the floor screaming. The last time I took him in, I took him to an ER with a separate pediatric ward attended by pediactric ER doctors. After poking around on his stomach, she ordered a whole bunch of tests including lots of blood work. The blood work would take several days to complete, so my regular pediatrician would have to call with the results.

The ER doc also said that Jamie MUST be taken off his ADHD medicine for the entire summer, as sometimes it can cause stomach problems. This is true for two reasons; one, the medicine itself can sometimes irritate the stomach, and two, the medicine kills the appetite, which means the stomach has much less food in it to digest, thereby creating an issue with the stomach lining. Also, she told me to put Jamie on a completely dairy-free diet. Apparently, milk proteins have been shown to amplify one's sensitivity to allergens. It is now recommended for kids who have as many allergies and as severe as Jamie has to remove dairy completely. Also, the tendency dairy has to constipate is not good for someone like Jamie who has had stomach issues of one sort or another since birth. Do you realize how hard it is to find food without any dairy in it at all? Bread has milk (whey) in it; breaded chicken has milk in it. I thought it was hard to find food with no nuts or peanuts in it, but I'm realizing now it's 10 times harder to find food with no milk whatsoever. Lactose-free isn't good enough because it still has the milk proteins in it.

And as for Jamie's blood work, it came back positive for H. pylori, a nasty little bacteria that causes peptic ulcers and can lead to other grim diagnoses. It's corkscrew shaped, and burrows down through the mucus layer of the stomach to the lining itself. It then can burrow (eventually) all the way through the stomach wall, causing a rupture if left untreated. But the treatment is as bad as the problem. It's a two week (or longer) course of two or three types of antibiotics, plus several different types of medicine to coat the stomach. One site said this involves up to 20 different pills a day! YIKES! And apparently it has some nasty side effects - diarrhea, vomiting, weakness, fever, sweats. The site also said that, depending on the age of the patient and the severity of the infestation, treatment may have to be conducted as an in-patient in the hospital.

Just what his treatment will entail we'll have to find out from his pediatric gastroenterologist. We'll be going down there next month. We can't go any sooner, because apparently he's out of the country. So please, pray, send good vibes/karma, thoughts, whatever positivity you can, to Jamie!

* * *

One other thing. Jamie had to miss tryouts for the super competitive soccer team because he was in the ER. Once I told the coach, he said Jamie could come to the team's practices and he would evaluate him then. I got word this past Monday that Jamie made the team! Go, Jamie!

I've Been Tagged!

Ack! Steph tagged me to do a Meme! My only question is, how on Earth can I come up with only five weird things about myself? Luckily, I think I've done this Meme before, so I have to come up with five new ones (so does that technically mean this is really a continuation of the last one, and therefore really a Meme on the 10 weirdest things about me?) Here goes:

1. I am a walking dictionary and grammar primer. I may not know why a particular sentence structure is correct (I never paid attention to the meanings of the objective case, split infinitives, etc. etc.), but I can merely look at a sentence and know if it's correct or not. Same with spelling. I may have never heard the word before, but I know when it's misspelled. My boss regularly relies on my spelling and grammar skills - going so far as to call me "the resident grammarian" in the business.

2. I used to regularly write poetry and short stories. In fact, I had notebooks I would fill in a matter of days. However, since Jamie came along, I have had no time to write, and my muse has left me (except for the occassional odd spurt of frantic writing). Now that I think about this, I suspect this is not weird at all, merely the byproduct of having a child and being a single parent.

3. I read obsessively. I cannot put a book down until I have either finished it in one sitting or literally fall asleep with the book in my hands. I typically read anywhere from five to seven books a week for pleasure in addition to books I read as assignments for school and manuals I read for work. If I go more than a couple days without reading something for pleasure, I go through book withdrawal and become very grouchy.

4. I almost named my son "Jareth" after a character from my favorite movie. The only reason why he wasn't named that was because his actual name flowed so much better with the family name I had already picked out for his middle name.

5. Unlike Roy, I absolutely luuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeee pickles, especially dill pickles. I really like them with salt on them, because it makes them taste more sour. I love pickles so much that, as a child, when I would go to the photographer's to get my picture taken and they would ask me to say "Cheese," I'd shake my head "no" at them. They then would ask me what I wanted to say, and I'd grin and say "pickllllllllllllleeeeeeeeessssssss" instead.

There! I did it! I have other things to blog about here soon, including updates on Jamie's health and grades; for right now, though, this Meme is all I've had time for. I promise I'll update you all on the state of affairs down here soon.

Sociology on the Brain

Since changing my degree program to a B.S. in Sociology, I have had to cram my schedule full of all sorts of major program requirements. One thing that may (or may not) lead me to go batshit insane (yes, I stole that from you, Suze) is the fact that this fall I will be taking four - count 'em, FOUR - sociology classes; three of them are advanced classes. I'm loving me some Sociology, but I'm not sure if I'm loving it all THAT much. So, if halfway through the semester I start spouting off sentencing concerning basic sociological theories, racial/ethnic studies, population theories and analyzing sociological research data, you'll know I've officially lost it and it's time to call the funny farm to come get me.

However, since those classes won't start until August, and summer classes won't start for another couple of weeks, in the mean time, I'll get ready to settle down with some good reads. Some new books coming out in the next few months I'm excited about reading are:

Blood Noir - Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series)

Brisingr - Christopher Paolini (Inheritance, Book 3)

Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer (Twilight, Book 4)

Dragon Wytch - Yasmine Galenorn (Sisters of the Moon, Book 4)

Pride - Rachel Vincent (Werecats, Book 3)

As you can see, my reading preferences right now are heavy on the fantasy-in-the-modern-world theme. For me, these books are fun, fast reads that let me slip off somewhere far, far from my mundane life. They're a nice change from all the heavy reading I'll be doing later this fall, as well as the heavy studying I'll be doing this summer (classes in Spanish, Math and Speech). So, that's what I'm up to these days. What about you guys?

Just for You, Animal

I immediately thought of Animal when I saw this:


more cat pictures

Hey, Indiana Jones Fans!

I have always loved the Indiana Jones movies. What's not to love? Anyway, with much delight and out-loud guffaws (that almost got me in serious trouble with the bossman) I found this post on another blog. I have a feeling I'll be visiting this site very often!

16 Horsepower

So my brother sent me this link to a video on YouTube. All I can say is "WOW!" and why did I never listen to this before? These guys are fantastic, and there are tons of their videos and live concerts on YouTube. Thanks, Joel! I definitely think I'm going to see if I can find any of their CDs and buy them. Here's another one of their videos:



In other news, Jamie only has about three or four weeks of school left (yay!). I also got all my grades back, and have again managed to scrape together straight A's. Yay, me! Seriously, though, I think the pressure I put on myself to get such good grades is killing brain cells. I definitely feel the brain drain after a semester of school is over. Oh, well, it won't last forever.

Hugs to you all!

LASIK dreams

So, I've been contemplating LASIK surgery on my eyes for a while now. Not because I'm vain and hate the way I look in glasses. Nope, I actually kinda like 'em. It's just that I have this terrible habit of losing them all the time. Take today for instance, I woke up this morning and got ready for work like I usually do - except for one thing. I could not find my glasses. I was even a few minutes late to work (a cardinal sin in my boss' eyes) because I couldn't find the darn things. So, when I realized what time it was, I had to go to work without my glasses. In fact, I had to drive to work without my glasses. Something I'm not supposed to do. See, I have NO depth perception whatsoever without my glasses on. I can see just fine (well, sort of. I can see to read and walk around and all, it's just that pesky double vision that comes from astigmatism that trips me up - and it is also partly the reason why I have no depth perception). So, anyway, I drove to work with no glasses, then had to sit and type and stare at a computer monitor all day. (Did I mention the bitch of a headache I had when I got home?)

Now, losing my glasses is not an unusual occurrence for me. I've found my glasses in Jamie's bookbag (don't ask me how they got there), on the back of the toilet, under my bed, on the floor between the wall and the arm of the couch, and all sorts of other lovely places you would never expect glasses that are worn every day all day to be. But that's where they wind up. And I can't even blame it on the kids. Nope, it's me. I do it. I get so wrapped up in what I have to do next that I don't really pay attention to what's going on in the here-and-now. And then I lose my glasses.

Like yesterday, we had some unusual occurences. The pipes in the house backed up. All of them. So, we had air bubbles gurgling up through the toilets. Bath water and sink water would not drain. The house smelled like a sewer. So, at 10 p.m., I had to call the realtor to send out a plumber. The plumber came and ran a very long pipe snake through all the pipes in the house. Which made a . lot. of. noise. Jamie was freaked out, the dog was barking like mad, and I was freaking out from visions of what happened last time I had pipe troubles. (Remember my stories of raw sewage in the first apartment I lived in in San Antonio?) So, to help calm Jamie down, I went and cuddled with him and Ziggy while the plumber did his stuff. No big deal. After midnight, the plumber was finally all done, Jamie was still awake, the dog was a nervous wreck, and I was so tired I was swaying on my feet.

This morning, I let Jamie stay home and get some sleep. I knew he would be no good at school today on as little sleep as he got. But I still did not know where my glasses were. I even offered Jamie $5 if he found them for me while I was at work! No such luck.

So, just a few minutes ago, I was retracing all my steps from yesterday when I walked into Jamie's room. Guess where my glasses were.... on top of Jamie's stereo. I never even looked there this morning. That is not where I typically leave my glasses. Usually it's on a bookshelf, or in my purse, or even hooked on the key ring holder by the front door. Yep, I think I need LASIK. At least that would give me one less thing to try to keep track of!

Brief Update

So, I’m writing a very (very) brief update to let you know what’s going on down here in San Antonio.  As promised, I bought season passes for Jamie and me to go to Sea World this year.  Our first outing will be this Sunday.  I’ll try to remember to take the camera and post lots of pictures.

 

School is winding to an end, with finals upcoming next week.  I will be VERY glad when it’s over and I can post more regularly.  My brain is fried crispy at this point!  I think I will spend the next month basking in sunshine and playtime with my kid.  Unfortunately, about the time when Jamie’s school is finally over, mine will be starting back for summer sessions.  Poor kid!  I have promised him that we will be spending many, many weekends this summer at Sea World.  We’re also planning a trip to the beach for Memorial Day weekend.  I am planning on taking as much time as possible just to relax and enjoy my son this summer.  He won’t be this young forever.

 

Now, I must continue with my regularly scheduled activities.  I just wanted to write a few lines to let you all know we’re still alive down here.  Much love and hugs to you all!

 

 

 

TWO MORE WEEKS...

Until school is over for the semester. YAY! Then I get a month off school before summer sessions start. Oh, glorious, wonderful month with no books to read unless I want to read them! No papers to write! No study sessions until 3 a.m.! GLORIOUS!

Right now, I'm working super hard to get all final papers written, final classroom discussions completed and cramming for final exams. Once I get room to breathe, I'll post about all kinds of stuff, I promise!

And those phone calls I haven't been able to make to several of you (you know who you are) will resume. That is, of course, unless you don't want them to. LOL! :-)

It's Been a Long Time Since I Rock and Rolled (or blogged, for that matter)

Forgive any butchering of titles which may have taken place above.  This is mainly just a short post to state that, yes, I AM still alive.  I’ve just been super-duper busy getting everything ready to register for summer and fall, and figuring out which classes I’m taking at which of the three colleges/universities I’ll have to attend to get all my required degree components fulfilled.  I’ll write more soon, I promise!

It's Official!

Yesterday, I submitted the request to change my program from BGS to a B.S. in Sociology. True, this may add up to an extra year to my college plans; however, I feel I get further with a B.S. than with the BGS. Like Becca said, I don't want people thinking I got my degree from Sally Struthers on the TeeVee. Besides, I think it will make it easier on me to have the B.S. before I start a Master's program. If I started a Master's program with only a BGS, there would be a lot of undergrad Sociology classes I would have to take before I could start on the actual graduate coursework. With the B.S., I already have those classes, so there wouldn't be any prerequisities I would have to fulfill.

In order to take all the required Sociology classes, however, I had to do a nationwide search of accredited undergrad programs which offered Sociology program required courses online. Surprisingly, I found squat in Texas. With boucoup colleges and universities in San Antonio, I still couldn't find one that had the classes I needed either online or in the evening. Luckily, I found New Mexico State Universities website, which - low and behold - has all the classes I need in an online format. Also, I'll be attending San Antonio College here to finish up my core requirements, as well as to take the two years of a foreign lanuage required for a B.S.

So, to recap, I've switched majors, and set myself up for an additional year beyond what I had planned for stress and juggling kid, work and school. I feel it will be worth it though when I get my degree!

UPDATE:

Just got an e-mail from TWU notifying me that I've been nominated to Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science and government honorary. Yay, me! Woot, woot!

Obviously, Yesterday was April Fool's Day

Yeah, I know. Childish and immature to post such a blatant April Fool's Day joke on my blog. Had I taken more time, I could have come up with a much more clever, subtle joke that you all would actually take seriously, but I didn't want to post something that might seriously concern you guys. Yes, I know that you know there's no way in Hell I'm quitting at this stage of my degree plan. However, I am leaning more and more toward changing my major to get a B.S. in Sociology. All I'm waiting on now is to see what kind of financial aid I can get. There's a little problem with that: In 13 years of being in and out of school (two of those years being spent at a greatly overpriced private college), I seem to have maxed out my undergraduate loan eligibility. So, I have to see what kinds of grants and scholarships I can get, and what I can realistically afford to pay out of pocket (umm... like, $50?), so, I may not be able to afford the extra year (gulp!) I've discovered it would take for me to switch to a B.S. of Sociology. I'll keep you all posted.

On another topic, Jamie has officially earned his Nintendo DS Lite! Woo hoo! Way to go Jamie! As per the original agreement, he brought his reading grade up to a B, and none of his other grades are bad, either; so next paycheck, we're going out to get him a Nintendo DS Lite. Officially, he had all B's and one C (a 78 in Language Arts). I cut him a little slack on the language arts, because he brought it up from a low D to a 78 (C) - 2 points shy of a B, in the last week and a half of the grading period. That took some serious determination! Yay, Jamie!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Granted, if his next report card shows all of his grades slipping back down again, Momma gets to take the DS and put it in the top of the closet!

Not changing majors... just quitting

Being disgusted with school and not having enough time for Jamie, I've decided to quit school. I have a decent job, so it isn't like I really NEED an education anyway, right? Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know. Oh, and BTW, I've also decided to get artifically inseminated and have another kid.

Change of Major...Maybe

I know, it's the eleventh hour of my undergrad degree, but I'm contemplating changing my major. Not because I'm not interested in sociology and government anymore... I definitely am! It's just that I am not so sure about the perception perpetuated by my current degree plan. Right now, I'm working on my Bachelor's of General Studies (B.G.S.) degree with concentrations in sociology and government. However, some colleges don't recognize such degrees (which is important if you are planning - as I am - to go back to school for a Master's); some non-accredited colleges offer similar degrees; and some people misinterpret what exactly that IS. I'm facing the possibility of my degree not being taken as seriously as a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor's of Science (B.S.) would be. So, I e-mailed the sociology department chair on Monday to ask to see what I could do to fulfill the requirements of a B.S. in Sociology (if you know me, you KNOW how appropriate it would be for me to get a B.S. degree.... LOL!). I'm thinking with hard work (and a few granted variances on what sociology classes are required for the major), I should be able to have it wrapped up by Spring or Summer of 2009. If that's the case, I'll be switching my degree plan to go for it. I'll get a B.S. in Sociology with a minor in Government instead. Seeing as how I'm not sure exactly how long it will be before I go back for my Master's and then my Ph.D., I think in the mean time (if so compelled) I would be more able to secure a sociology-related position with a B.S. than with just a B.G.S.

So, what do you guys think? Am I prolonging things too much, or am I on the right track here? Comments and your thoughts on this would be much appreciated!

Jamie is much better now...

...but Rachel has the bug, and I think I'm starting to come down with it. However, true to my word, tonight I am taking Jamie to Build-a-Bear workshop and to see the IMAX version of "Spiderwick". We are celebrating the fact that he has had no fever for the last 36 hours, and only has congestion and a deep cough left from his scary (to me) bout of sickness. We are also celebrating the fact that I have the day off work tomorrow for Good Friday. Rachel, however, has the full-blown bug, so if you all could send some prayers her way, it would be appreciated.

Love you all, and Happy Easter!

Dang! Poor Kid!

Jamie's spring break got off to a bang of a bad sort this year. Friday, he was fine and dandy - went to soccer practice, played with his friend Josh until 9 p.m., and was generally having a grand time. Saturday morning, Jamie woke up with a fever of 102.1. Despite alternating between Tylenol and Ibuprofen, his fever continued all day, spiking up to 105.9 at 11:00 p.m. Saturday night. Poor kid was burning up with fever so bad he was shaking and couldn't stop. I called the NurseWise hotline, and was told to immediately take Jamie to the ER, "Do not pass go, Do not collect $200" as the nurse said.

So we get to the ER, fill out the paperwork, then wait for a nurse to call us to triage. After an hour waiting just to see a nurse, they finally called us back to have his temperature taken and blood pressure checked. His pulse was extremely fast and thready, his blood pressure was too high for a 10 year old and the poor kid was having trouble breathing. His fever, however, had gone down slightly to 104.7. The nurse gave him a triple dose of Tylenol to help bring his fever down faster, then told us to wait for a doctor to see us. Another two hours goes by before we're called to see a doctor. By this time, Jamie's temperature has gone down to only 103.4. They immediately took Jamie off for x-rays, then brought him back and hooked him up to an IV and took a bunch of blood for tests. At this point, his fever had dropped to 102.

After another hour and a half (and three popsicles kindly provided by an awesome ER nurse), they came back and said it was a cold. Excuse me? Since when do colds cause fevers hot enough to boil your brain cells? Apparently, now they do. There's even strains of colds that can kill you. Ugh! The particular strain of cold Jamie has can also morph into pneumonia, which, as Jamie's doctor informed me yesterday, it has. So, poor kid is home sick with pneumonia on his spring break.

I spent Monday and Tuesday of this week home with him, but came back to work today. I got Jamie's fever to come down and stay down under 100, so I felt confident coming to work and leaving him home alone. After all, I don't leave for work until 8:27 in the morning, I'm home for 45 minutes at noon, then Rachel gets home at 3:00 from school. Also, I'm only 2 blocks (and three minutes) from the house. Still, I feel really bad for him. He was supposed to have soccer camp this week (didn't happen), and now he has a really nasty cough, stuffed up nose, body aches, sore throat and a headache. If his fever stays broken for 24 hours, I think a trip to Build-a-Bear will be in order for the poor little booger.

Oh, and that nasty cold? Jamie gave it to Rachel. I just hope hers doesn't turn into pneumonia, too. So far (knock on wood), I have yet to be felled by this nasty bug. Let's hope it stays that way!

Quit Whining!

Okay, so to help myself get out of this foggy mental state in which I have been trapped, I decided to quit whining and give myself a list of things for which I am thankful. After all, I've been telling Jamie to "Quit whining!" a lot here lately; seems like I should take my own edicts to heart.

So - without further ado, my list of things for which I am grateful/thankful:

• I have a wonderful son. Yes, he occassionally annoys the piss out of me, but for the most part, I have a darn good kid! He cracks me up and swells my heart with love and pride a million times each day.
• In our currently-crapola economy, I have stable employment that, unless I screw up BIG TIME, will continue to provide me with a decent salary while many many many other people in this country don't have a job.
• I have a roof over my head, and food to cook and put on the table for my household. See above for why, in the current state of our country's finances, this is a big thing to be thankful for. (Did I mention the economy is full of suck-age right now?)
• I have a car to transport me all the places I need to go without fear that something will break in it at any given moment.
• I have a fluffy, silly dog who is perfectly content just by being next to me (or preferably - to him - on my lap!)
• Despite my mental fatigue, I am kicking a$$ in school. As of right now, my averages in Texas Government AND Constitutional Law are 100s! In Criminological Theory I have a more modest 94. Yay, me! LOL
• This is the most important one of all - I am loved. Jesus loves me, and my family loves me, some biological, some of the heart. But regardless, I am very very VERY thankful that I am loved and can love in return.

Okay, so, I've wrapped up my list of things for which I am thankful. I'm sure I'll think of more things later, but these are the biggies. Happy weekend to you all!

Physical, Emotional and Mental Fatigue

So, I haven't posted anything significant in quite a while. We're kind of going through a rough patch right now. For several weeks now, I've been in this physical, mental and emotional funk - I'm so tired it's all I can do to keep putting one foot in front of the other. But I'm not just physically tired; everything about me is tired. My brain is sluggish, my soul even feels sluggish. It's like my entire being is enveloped in a fog. I can't concentrate at work, can't concentrate on school work and deadlines - all I want to do is sleep. But, when I try to sleep, my brain is spinning so fast about so many different things that I can't sleep either. It's become a really vicious cycle. And, of course, the more tired I am, the more distractable I am, which means the less work I get done when I need to do it. Like I said, vicious cycle.

I have put a big priority, though, on concentrating on Jamie and making sure that he knows that he's Mommy's number 1 priority. I don't want him to feel like Momma isn't paying attention to him. I don't ever want him to feel like he isn't important to me. I don't want him to feel like Mom was there physically, but not mentally, for him. I remember what that feels like, and it's no fun. Another reason why I'm trying to show him how important he is, is that he's having trouble at school again. He's gone back to emotional outbursts at school, and saying things that quite frankly freak me out. And sometimes, I have to wonder, how do you tell the difference between "make-believe" play, or something else? Then I feel guilty for wondering what I'm wondering, which makes me even more emotionally, physically and mentally tired... Get my drift?

Anyway, I don't mean to dump a bunch of stuff on you guys (my loyal readers), but I just needed to get some thoughts out of my head and down on paper. I guess I feel a little like my blog is my own personal pensieve. If the thoughts are down on "paper" (of a sort), I guess my head feels a little less crowded.

Happy Tuesday to you all.

R.I.P.

Today is a sad, sad day. Rest in Peace, Mr. Gygax. And thank you for providing us with countless hours of entertainment over the years.

Record Breaker

On Monday, we had record breaking high temperatures here in San Antonio. We hit 92(!!!) degrees here, breaking the record of 91 degrees set back in 1917. While I'm sure some of you who are sick and tired of snow up north may be feeling envious, let me just say that temperatures this hot in February just plain STINK! We haven't had any rain in quite a while, the grass is dry, ugly and brown, and all I can think is, if it's this hot NOW, what's it going to be like this summer?!?!?!?!!? I'm not looking forward to it AT ALL.

Okay, back to work now.

Eye Candy Tuesday

It occurred to me that I hadn't posted any pictures of my visit to Kentucky on Thanksgiving week. I apologize for the oversight. I actually didn't take too many pictures when I was "back home" simply because I was enjoying too much talking and visiting that I didn't want to take out the time to get the camera and take pictures. But, what few I have, I'll post here now.

Here we have my "adopted Momma" pretending to pick her nose, while my "adopted b-i-l" has no clue what she's doing. This was taken during the pickin' I went to with my adopted family. Looks like Tooz here is doin' some "pickin'" of her own! I had so much fun that day!!!!

This is my pretty and sweet "adopted sister". It was sooooooo goooood to see her!

This is Jamie sitting with his Great Uncle Alvin and Great Aunt Janet (my mom's brother and sister in law). They are the only relatives on my mom's side of the family with whom we stay in semi-regular contact.

And in celebration of soccer season being back in full swing, here we have an action shot of Jamie in a 3v3 soccer tournament a couple of weekends back. His team tied for third place in the tournament. Not too shabby, considering they played some teams older than them! Way to go, Jamie!

A Big Brother for Jamie, and Other News...

Various and sundry news about my favorite boy...

- Hooray! After two years on the waiting list, Jamie and I have an appointment to meet his potential big brother (from Big Brothers Big Sisters) tonight. Huzzah! Everybody pray that they hit it off and that his BB is a positive influence and helps Jamie's self-esteem.

- Just the other day, Jamie looked at me and said, "Am I ever going to have a Dad? Please don't tell me what you think I want to hear. I'd like the truth, please." OUCH! Not only was that some grown up words and tone, but it hurt to have to say "Honestly baby, I don't know. But I'm doing what I can right now, which - honestly - isn't much. Between work, school and keeping up the house, it's about all I can do to make sure my socks match every day, much less dating." He took it rather well, and thanked me for telling him the truth instead of sugarcoating things. When did my little boy get to be such a young man?

- It's amazing what a little motivation will do. Once I told Jamie that he could have a Nintendo DS Lite only if he started getting B's or above in reading, and had all A's and B's on his next report card, he has brought home fantastic grades. So now I've begun bidding on a Nintendo DS lite on eBay. The little stinker just needed the proper motivation to do better. Granted though, he won't actually get the DS until I get the report card with all A's and B's on it.

- Last but not least, my sincere apologies to all the people to whom I used to be able to speak to on a half-way regular basis over the telephone. Between work and school, my butt is being spanked (figuratively, of course) and it seems to be all I can do - as I previously mentioned - to leave the house each day with matching socks on. I promise to do lots of calling the week of spring break. Would you believe that not only is my school's spring break and Jamie's spring break the same, but I also have a holiday from work that Friday for Good Friday. Thank you! That will be a Jamie and mommy day, with no homework, no chores, just fun!

Love you all, now I gotta go!

Oh.....My.......

I have a secret to share - I enjoy reading stupid, trashy Yahoo! celebrity news site "OMG!". I don't know why I like it. I guess it's kind of like watching a car accident. It's horrible to stare, you don't want to keep staring.... but you just. can't. look. away. Anyway, they announced today that there is a new indie vampire flick in production. S'okay. Vampires are hot right now. It's the title and the premise that have me cracking up. It's entitled "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead." Yes, you read that right. The basic premise is that "Hamlet" is being produced off-Broadway by a Romanian dude who just so happens to be a vampire. Yeah, and his secret goal is to turn everybody in the cast into vampires, who will then attack the audience and turn all of THEM into vampires, who will then... you get the picture. I don't know why I'm cracking up so much over this, but I am. Go fig'!

Post-Undergrad Contemplation

So, I get my undergrad degree at the end of the year (if all goes well, which it should). Now I'm pondering what to do after I graduate. At this point, I'm looking into graduate schools - University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Kentucky, and several others offer not only a Master's in Sociology (which is my goal), but also a Ph.D. of Sociology (which is my ultimate goal). One of the schools that offers this is.... Yale. I know it's really hard to get in, and I know it's really expensive... but I'm thinking about applying, anyway. As one of the other soccer moms I talk to said, "Yeah, it's hard to get in, and only maybe 5% of applicants make it, but you can't be in that 5% if you don't try." I won't be ready to start on my graduate plans until after October 2009 anyway, so I have time to contemplate it. I'll see how my grades are. Being a Yalie would be pretty cool, though, don't you think?

New Recipe and Another Food-Related Post on R.O.U.S.

Just a quick note to say, "Yes, I'm still crazy-busy." However, I did find the time to post a new recipe on R.O.U.S. over the weekend, and a food-related post today. At work, so I have to run now.

Just a Quick Note...

...to say "Yes, I'm alive." And to also tell you that I'm buried in homework, have exams this week, buried in tasks at work and at home (as usual). So don't be surprised if it's a while before you hear from me on here again. But don't worry, I'll still keep track of all the other blogs. I just don't think you want a whole bunch of posts of me whining about how stinkin' busy I am right now.

Big hugs and sugars to you all!

Happy Valentine's Day!

... Or, as I like to say, "Happy Corporate-Generated Holiday Designed to Sucker You Into Supporting the Greeting Card, Flowers and Candy Industries!"

Feeling Introspective

So, having read Suze's blog and COMPLETELY understanding her feelings, I can also concurr and state I myself have been feeling rather introspective lately, but in a different vein. In fact, I had a verbal tussle with my roommate over the weekend, and she hurled a particularly pointed verbal dagger at me that was way. too. true. And it hurt, not because she said it, but because it was true.

Basically, Rachel pointed out to me that the reason why I'm lonely and haven't been in a relationship in too long to count is because I've built such a thick wall around myself that no one can get in. No one. Even if I want them to, that wall is so thick that nobody has a chance to get to know me, and I don't give them a chance to know what kind of person I am, because I'm too chicken shit to tear down the wall and let anybody see me - you know, the real me. Not the sarcastic, scary-brained geek freak persona I put on to rebuff people.

Can we say "Ouch!"?

Yeah. Major ouch. But what hurts the most is that it's true. And what sucks the most is that the wall has been there so long, I don't even realize it's there half the time, much less remember how to take it back down again. I think I erected this wall somewhere around 1986, just after my sister died.

So, anyone with demolition experience out there want to suggest how I can tear this sucker down? Because I'm really tired of the wall, and I'm really tired of having the real me tucked away behind this bitchy persona I don't even really like all that much.

I Agree, Little Puppy

(Very) Brief Update

Here is a brief update for all of you who may be wondering what the heck is going on down here:

• Switched to Time Warner Cable for phone/internet/cable, and now have wireless internet in the home. Woo hoo! I can be in my room, locked away from the temptation of TV (well, not really, because I have a TV in my bedroom. But still, I can elect to not have the TV on and there's nothing anybody else can say about it), and still get homework done!
• Jamie has had soccer "bootcamp" all this week. They placed him with boys two years older than he is, based on level of play. Don't know if this means anything in the long run, but it made me proud of my little soccer superstar!
• Jamie has also brought his reading benchmark score up 23 points, from a 60 to an 83. Go Jamie! Whoop! Whoop!
• School is spanking my butt, but it isn't anything I can't handle. (Remind me of this statement later on this semester!)
• Work is going well. I stay busy, that's for sure!

Well, that's all I have time to report for now. Y'all take care!

My Apologies

I've been remiss in my duty to post. Just chalk it up to the start of school and three very difficult, labor intensive classes this semester:

• Criminological Theory
• Constitutional Law
• Texas Politics

The only reason why I'm taking the last one is it's a required course for all undergrads. Bleuch!

To bring you all up to date, Jamie had a fantastic birthday, complete with 18 little guests all running around the bounce house place like little maniacs. Also, Jamie and Destiny absolutely LOVE Animaniacs, and at any moment will bust out with "Good night, everybody!" and once even (from Destiny) "Hellooooooooooooo, Nurse!". It was great! They constantly barrage me with demands to watch 'Maniacs (as Destiny calls it), a request which I am very happy to oblige. Jamie told me the other day that I act a lot like Slappy Squirrel. I take that as a compliment!

Much love to all. The main thing that will get me through this semester, I suspect, is the knowledge that - come December 13, 2008 - I will be a college graduate. That is - if all this doesn't kill me first!

Big hugs and lots of love to everyone who wanders here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STINKBUMPS!

Ten years ago today, Jamie was born. I can't believe how fast time has flown! Seems like just yesterday he was snuggled in my arms, keeping me up all night, making impossible demands on my time and attention... Oh, wait, he still does that! Tee hee. Anyway, it's hard for me to believe it's been 10 years. Happy birthday, baby boy!

More on Reading (and Writing)

So, here's my latest comments on the previous entry, which was partially about Jamie's lack of reading skills:

What makes this all most difficult for me is that I am what I would call an intuitive learner. I don't have to study all that much to absorb what I read and be able to regurgitate it on command for a test, assignment, etc. Jamie, however, takes after his biological father, apparently. He wasn't the most educated of persons, and had a host of learning disabilities and barely made it out of high school, from what I remember about him (regardless of the fact that I'm trying oh so hard to forget him). So for Jamie, I just don't know how to tell him how to better his reading, or improve his reading comprehension. I've never had trouble with reading. My brother and sister taught me how to read very early (3 or 4 years old), so as far back as I can remember I've been able to read. I don't know how to break it down for him to better understand the process. That's why I am seeking out Sylvan, or whomever's help in getting this child re-taught the basics. I appreciate everyone's suggestions and feedback (please, just don't make it sound like a commercial!)

Rather than make a comment that was a gazillion lines long, I thought I would make a new post about it, adding my comments on something odd I noticed the other day. Jamie is a pack rat like me. I'm in the process of organizing and rearranging his bedroom, which meant I had to pull all the assorted stuffed papers off his bookshelf. As I was going through the stuff, many items were graded assignments from 2nd and 3rd grade. But I noticed something puzzling - not only were the grades much better, but his handwriting and sentence structure were much better than they are now. Excuse me? Isn't this stuff supposed to get BETTER as he gets older, not worse? What on earth would make his handwriting and reading skills deteriorate instead of improve as he reaches higher grades? Tooz, I'm especially counting on you for advice on this based on your years of teaching experience. I also would appreciate feedback from Lydia and Ann (of course, as they both teach) and really anyone else who has either professional or personal experience with this strange phenomenon.