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Not Me Monday
I can’t say what the statistics are on moms who lie to their kids. Would you ever lie to your sweet little angels? NOT ME!!
<insert evil laughter>
Why Mommy Really Says ‘No’
“Mommy, can I have the last cookies?”
“No, honey, it’s too close to bedtime and you’ll get a tummy ache.”
Real reason: Mommy is soo looking forward to scarfing down those triple fudge dipped circles of heaven after you’re fast asleep. Diets be damned.
“Mommy, can you take us to the park?”
“No, baby, it’s Tuesday and 2 o’clock and the park is closed. Maybe we can talk about going go tomorrow.”
Real Reason: It feels like 105 degrees outside in the shade!
“Mommy, can I sleep in your bed tonight?
“What? You are mommy’s little big man! I’m so proud when you stay in your bed all night!”
Real Reason: It’s Wednesday night! Mommy and Daddy have dedicated grown up time tonight!!
“Mommy, what are you doing?”
“We were *ahem* wrestling!!”
Real Reason: It’s Wednesday night dammit!!
So, really, what “untruths” have you told this week?
#FridayFly: Evening Routine
I am so excited at the response I have received for my Flying on Friday or #FridayFly meme! Flybabies are so awesome! As I learn more I hope to clean up this meme and make even more fun and easy to use! Hopefully it will become an invaluable tool! With that said here is my post for this week’s #FridayFly:
There was time when I thought routines were stupid. Who needs a “plan” to get through their day? Uh, yeah, that would be me. I always attributed my “forgetfulness” to the fact that I was a bit flaky. I was always losing important things (driver’s license…$350…), forgetting important dates (why is it so dark? Oh, right, electric bill) and running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I bragged that I was the Queen of Winging it and I was. But lordy, lordy I was so stressed! Since I’ve been a Flybaby (going on 5 years) some things have become automatic (I always put my license and bank card back in my wallet!), I usually clean out my car and purse on Fridays, etc, etc. But lately I have been slippin’ and I’m paying for it! So here are two scenarios involving my afternoon/evening routines. We’ll call them My Reality and My Dream. (And it is my goal to make my dream my reality!)
My Reality:
Even though I get out of work at 1:30, I’m not officially “home” until nearly 5:30!
This is because of driving distances, picking up children from multiple schools and going to the grocery store every. Single. Day. (Until yesterday and for over a month I did not have a fridge hence the daily trips).
When I walk in the door I have to organize what I bought (always more than I intended)
Start dinner
Help kids with homework
Straighten up the house
Check my email (which leads to checking one more thing one more thing one more thing)
Referee 756483 sibling fights, prevent and or console 756437 meltdows
Serve dinner, serve drinks, serve seconds…
Clean the kitchen
Sweep the house
Start a load of laundry
Chase, beg, bribe 3 separate children to take a shower
Flip laundry
Chase everyone to bed
Have wishful thinking of reading, writing, getting organized
Crash into bed and watch Hoarders which makes me feel a little better J
**Since I have done thing to prepare for the morning I wake up (slowly), scramble in the dark looking for clothes, rush sleeping children awake, stress looking for matching outfits, shoes, back packs, homework…Rush out of the house with nothing to eat or drink (me, the kids eat breakfast at school).
My Dream:
Out of work @ 1:30, drive straight to the LeArtist and LeBella’s school and read my current trashy novel in parking lot or make some blog notes until dismissal @ 2:25
Bring the Little’s home give them snack, have them start homework while I start dinner, clean dishes as I dirty them, leave dinner covered
Leave the house @ 4:00 to pick up LeScholar and go straight home because all grocery shopping was done over the weekend!
Have LeScholar work on homework while the other’s read or share TV while I do a 10 minute tidy, start a load of laundry, check homework and sign planners
5:30 serve dinner
While I clean the kitchen have the kids pick out clothes for tomorrow and put backpacks and shoes in Launch Pad. Also, while I am in the kitchen I need to prep tomorrows afterschool snack and get everything I need ready for the morning (quick breakfast, instant cappachino.)
Send kids outside for a little while, while I Check planner for appointments
*Start a task list for tomorrow
*Gather up items I don’t want to forget and place them in the Launch Pad
*Makes sure kid’s backpacks are ready and clothes are laid out
*Prep coffee pot and breakfast (if needed)
*Check menu for tomorrow/defrost/prep
Bring the kids in and start showers while I?? Answer email, write posts?
Then put the kids to bed and:
Take a shower, pamper myself a bit, and enjoy some movie time with LeDaddy or read if he’s watching something boring. J
Well this looked much neater in my head. I’ll be reading through everyone else’s to get some ideas! My main goal is to have some down time at the end of the day with out feeling guilty that I didn’t finish the house work, answer every email, write 18 beautiful posts, visit and comment in 378 different online/blogger communities…This means I need to cut some things and tighten up my schedule…Here goes!
Writer’s Workshop: Steppin’ Outside the Box
3.) Steppin’ Outside the box (describe a time when you went out of your comfort zone)
(inspired by Sherri from Matter of Fact http://www.matteroffactsite.blogspot.com)
Steppin’ Outside the Box
(Alternately titled: Special Kids Need Special Moms)
Unless you’re a recluse (sorry if that means you) then you have probably stepped out of your comfort zone many times. Just growing up is a series of stepping from one comfort zone to another. Starting school for the first. First love. Graduating high school and moving on to college. Getting married. You get the idea. Then there’s Motherhood. The big M. For some of us this transition was as natural as breathing. I always wanted to be a mom. Mothering came to me naturally.
Even at 17. I was a breastfeeding, baby toting, attachment parenting Mama. And, I was good at it. If I didn’t have an answer, I could get it quick. ‘Cause I’m resourceful like that. When LeScholar was 2-ish, I thought “Hey, let’s kick this party up a notch! How hard can one more be?”
Shortly thereafter, LeArtist makes debut into the world. Ok, a little harder than I expected, but not too bad. By 6 months, I had the hang of this whole toddler/baby game. THEN, God said, “Hey, let’s kick this party up a notch!” (And, really, 6 month old or no 6 month, what was I going to say? It was GOD people!!) So, 9 months later we presented LeBella to the world.
So, there I was, 21 year old mother of 3 under 3. Breastfeeding, co-sleeping, teaching preschool. I was totally rocking this whole mommy thang. I was on top of the world, yo. Do you know how high that is? High enough to give you an effervescent feeling in your brain, right before reality kicks your boot-ay and you fall flat on your face.
By 18 months old, there was not a person around who had the ever loving patience to handle the vivacious effervescence of LeBella. She made everyone else’s “Terrible Two’s” look like a walk in the park.
I was truly out of my comfort zone. I spent my days telling myself I was a sucky parent and believing everyone else thought so, too. As she got older things got worse. I would cry myself to sleep thinking, “I can’t do this anymore. I love this child with all my heart and soul but I can handle her. I can’t parent her.” Then, in the morning I would wake up and do all over again. Cause, I’m a mom and that’s what we do, comfort zones be damned.
When LeBella was 4 ½ she had an emotional breakdown. I don’t even remember what triggered it. All I remember is the unbelievable sorrow in those big brown eyes as she grabbed a knife, placed it to her wrist and said, “I just want to kill myself. I don’t deserve to be alive.” There was anger in her voice but it was a façade. An act to hide the incredible internal torment this child was suffering from. And I had let it get this bad.
I started making appointments right away and doing my own research (‘Cause that’s just how I roll). I had never heard of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder but as soon as I came across it, I knew.
For a long time parenting a special needs child was definitely out of my comfort zone. Those moms are smart, and strong, and resourceful. They’re knowledgeable about their kid’s illnesses. And I’m slowly realizing, “Hey, that’s me, too.” I’m getting my mommy confidence back one step at a time. Every success for LeBella feels like a success for our whole family.
Every other family we can help in any way feels like a success for the world. (Not because I’m THAT incredibly awesome, but I don’t believe in the ‘Pay It Forward” concept).
You know the great thing about being out of your comfort zone? That’s all it is. A zone. One brief area out of a vastness of potential. Every step you take leads you closer to the greatness of yourself.
This post is also linked up for the Nerd Mafia’s WOW.
I double dipped.
**The Motherhood Umbrella is looking for Guest Posters! If you are interested please check out the “Be My Guest” page.
**If a child you love has been diagnosed with Pediatric Bipolar Disorder please visit www.mykidsbipolarnowwhat.ning.com
Posted with love by Mommylebron
Tag Along Tuesday
*The Motherhood Umbrella is looking for mothers of special needs children to guest post! If you are interested please email me at mommylebron@yahoo.com
Posted with love by Mommylebron
Bipolar Tuesday: But wait…there’s more!
I’m sitting here, thinking about tomorrow and worrying.
My daughter was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in the summer of 2006. We first sought treatment through her regular pediatrician without success. He then referred us to a child psychiatrist. I was not overly shocked by the diagnosis because all of my research led me to the same conclusion, though I resisted sharing my suspicions with the doctor because I did not want to plant the thought and have her not look farther.
Over time an additional diagnosis was added: ADHD. I barely blinked an eye at this one. In all honesty, it had been my first suspicion. She displayed all the classic symptoms, some which are the same as the Bipolar symptoms.
Then, later, another diagnosis is added: ODD (oppositional defiant disorder). This doesn’t even seem like it would be a “real” disorder until you see it in action. “You want me to sit? Then I chose to stand. You’re okay with that? What if I stand on top of a shelf?” With my daughter if you told her, “You have to eat this chocolate ice cream.” She would refuse to touch it. (And the girl LOVES her some chocolate ice cream!)
The doctor kept adding more and more medication to the treatment plan. At one point we completely lost our little girl. As the old saying goes, “The lights were on, but nobody was home.” When, I brought her back and expressed my concern, do you know what this doctor had the nerve, the NERVE, to say? “Isn’t having her like this (like a ZOMBIE) better than her hurting herself or others?” Let me think…Um, NO!
I avoided getting snarky with her but needless to say, I went doctor hunting. We adore her doctor and therapist (we’ve been with them almost 2 years now). They always listening to what we BOTH have to say and they have my baby down to 2 medications and one supplement (this is down from 7, count them 7 medications!).
Four weeks ago, LeBella had blood drawn. There was a small incident (that is a post for another time) but she did well. She has blood drawn every 6 months to monitor the medication levels in her body and to make sure her liver is not suffering.
I do not routinely hear from the doctor following her regular blood work. When I received a phone call requesting me to come in to review the results I knew they had found something. Now the worrying would set it. Is something big or small? Is there permanent damage they missed before? By this point, in my head I’m hearing the stupid infomercial announcer in my head, “But wait! There’s more!” And I can’t help but wonder where will it end? When can we have a final and complete diagnosis so that we can concentrate on getting her stable? There is a bright, loving, darling angel inside that Bipolar Hurricane and I want her set free for good!! Is that too much for a mom to ask?
So, tomorrow we trek out to Orlando to meet the Endocrinologist who will become the next new member of LeBella’s treatment team. And, because I really am an optimists (to the point of being annoying sometimes), I’ll tell you the upside.
According to my research an unstable thyroid (a common condition in bipolar patients) can exacerbate bipolar symptoms. So, if we get her thyroid stabilized (theoretically) we may see a decrease in her mood swings and rages. So, cross your fingers for us.
**As you may have noticed I am no longer posting on the weekends (trying to balance all my projects!) However, I would like to begin featuring guest bloggers on Saturdays. At this time I am looking for mothers of special needs children to come share their stories. Your story can be heart rending, snarky, funny, educational but let us hear it! We are not alone in our Motherhood journey, though we often feel this way. By sharing our stories we can increase awareness in this little corner of the web! If you would like to be featured, or know someone who would, please email me at mommylebron@yahoo.com. I would like to get the next few weeks scheduled to see how it goes!
