'Night

It's been a long week. A long, strange, week. 

The weekend is finally here; I'm hoping to relax and rest over the next two days. In this house, that's not likely to happen, but a girl can dream. 

My hope is that everyone stays well, the chores are completed, and the snow stats away. I'd settle for one out of three of those things. I'm not terribly difficult to please. 

For now, I'm going to sleep. I figure that's the best start to a relaxing weekend. 

G'night, all. 

Conferences

Tonight, I visited with all of the kids' teachers for Parent/Teacher Conferences.  It's always nice to hear what the kids are doing in class, and how they are progressing.

Addie's teacher had great things to say.  Second grade is going well for Ad!  She is quite the little reader, and has improved in math.  She is doing well socially, too, and has lots of friends.  I wasn't surprised at all to hear any of that.  Addie loves school, and dreads weekends and breaks because she enjoys school that much.

Andrew's teachers also had good things to report.  He is definitely ready for Kindergarten; my response was, "But is Kindergarten ready for Andrew??" (they politely laughed).  They told me that he is a leader in class, and that the kids look to him (that made me both proud and a little worried; this kid is ornery!). Overall, though, they had nothing but great comments about my youngest kiddo.

Alex's conference shouldn't have had any surprises, either.  I meet with his team at school often enough to know how he's doing.  I always schedule a conference, though, just to touch base in a different setting (his classroom, as opposed to a conference room) and briefly check in.  My plan was to gather all the dates of the third grade standardized testing (he doesn't participate in these tests, but it's a great time to set up dentist appointments and the like), and ask about the Pioneer Day event coming up in May.

I was very pleasantly surprised, though, to hear a lovely story of inclusion.  During a group exercise where the students were asked to go to the board to solve a word puzzle, Alex raised his hand for a turn.  He marched up to the board, all by himself (I hear he usually requests a buddy to accompany him), then proceeded to solve the puzzle, correctly, all on his own.  If the look of pride he had wasn't enough, his classmates all cheered their support for him when he got the answer right, which I'm sure brightened his smile.  His teacher told me that she had to turn her back so they wouldn't see her cry.  Score one for inclusion, right?!?  I loved hearing this.

Then, though, his aide (this was the first time an aide had ever attended a meeting, by the way...my advocacy at work, yay!) began telling me about a song that Alex sings every day when he washes his hands after using the restroom.  "Something about 'tight pants'", she explained, and my jaw hit the table.  You see, Alex caught Mark and I watching the Jimmy Fallon/Will Ferrell skit called "Tight Pants" (which is freaking hysterical...Google it if you haven't seen it), and because we were laughing so hard, he has memorized it and sings it to make us laugh.  It's pretty stinking funny to watch him act out the skit. I had no idea he was repeating it at school, though.

Thank goodness for teachers and aides with good senses of humor.  That's all I can say about that. Goodness.

All in all, it was a pleasant evening of conferences.  I'm fortunate in that all of my kids enjoy school, and have excellent teachers.  It makes evenings like this much easier than I suppose they could be.

And now I have the "Tight Pants" song stuck in my head...again.

Sneeze

Don't you hate it when you have to sneeze, but it's just...stuck?  I've had that feeling all evening. 

I typically get a sinusy headache any time a big weather system is moving in to our area. Sounds weird, maybe, but it never fails. I take some decongestant, suffer through a headache for a bit, and then it's over. 

There are reports of a possible snowstorm taking aim at us; this headache backs up those claims. I'm telling you, my sinuses more accurately predict the weather than any groundhog ever could. 

I've been saying that I hope this storm will shift paths and miss us, but now I feel like I'm owed some fantastic weather phenomenon since I'm dealing with this stupid headache. 

We'll see how I feel come Sunday, when this storm is due to strike. For now, I'd be pretty happy to finally get this sneeze out...

Late

So, Tuesday's post is a little late.  Like, a whole day late.  But, if you know me, then you know that this is perfectly in line with the way I am; I operate on "Jen Standard Time".  In my world, everything runs a little behind.

I actually felt like complete crap yesterday, and I decided to invoke the very rare Mommy Sick Day.  I did absolutely nothing (aside from the basic kid responsibilities, of course), and I'm now paying the price because I am way behind. Sometimes, though, you have to take a break before you absolutely fall apart. Although my to-do list is totally out of control by now, I'm hoping to avoid a major bout of illness because I was mindful enough to take a day off.

Regular blogging should resume later today...

Restaurant

Eating out with my family is not for the faint of heart.

Having three children under 10, one of them with special needs, I really can't expect that they all will sit quietly for an entire meal, especially when we're out in a fun, loud place.  I would love, love, love it if they would sit, conversing sweetly while we all enjoyed a nice meal, but that will probably not happen for a long time.

This was perfectly evident tonight.

A friend invited us to go out for pizza tonight; Mark bowls on Monday nights, so the timing was perfect. Going out with friends on a Monday night is always more fun than hanging out at home, and as usual, I had absolutely no desire to cook.  I happily accepted the invitation, and we met them at a local restaurant.

The kids were way wound up, because we typically don't go out on weeknights, and they were excited to see our friends.  They were loud, but a good loud; laughing, and being silly.  I was totally fine with that.  My kids never seem to know when to put the brakes on, though, and it quickly began to deteriorate.

You would probably believe me that a full cup of chocolate milk spilled all over everything, and that someone hit their head on the side of the table.  You might also believe that one of the kids insisted on calling his brother a "smart ass", more than a few times.  You would probably giggle if you read that one of the kids may have had an accident, then announced to the restaurant that he did, in fact, pee his pants.  You would probably bust out in full-on laughter if I told you that one of the kids dropped his pants, in the middle of the dining room, for all the world to see his junk.  Would you believe, though, that my kids are responsible for all of these stunts?  All of those things, and more, happened tonight during the same meal.

Faaaaaantastic.

Miraculously, we made it through dinner, pretty much in one piece, and without getting kicked out of the place.  Even more surprising was that our dinner companions did not try to sneak out while I was busy juggling shenanigans.  Yes, kids will be kids, but wow. Tonight pushed those boundaries.

Dining out with my family is always an adventure.  Hopefully, our friends will be brave enough to join us again.  Maybe next time we'll order take out.  ;)

Blank

I've been on a roll with this blogging project; I haven't missed a day yet, and we're almost through the first two months of 2014.  As I sit here tonight, though, I can't think of anything to write.

It's not like we don't have anything going on.  We have yet another meeting with Alex's team tomorrow morning, we have crazy busy schedules this week, Girl Scout cookies have arrived (and I'll be spending all evening tomorrow sorting them), the weather warmed up and then got cold again, and a bunch of crap happened around the world.  Surely, of all that, I could come up with something to write.  One would think so, anyway.

I think all of my energy is either focused on, or drained because of, this meeting tomorrow.  I really am not sure what to expect.  It will be interesting to see what plays out, and then we'll meet again in a few weeks to discuss Al's IEP for next year (blah).  I will be relieved to sit down at work tomorrow, because that will mean that the meeting is over, even though the rest of the loooooong day will lay ahead of me.  I am actually looking forward to 9pm tomorrow night.

It's crazy to look forward to Monday's bedtime already, when I haven't even made it upstairs for bed tonight. That's exactly how I feel, though.  Maybe it's not even meeting anxiety; perhaps it's just the winter blues.  It could be something entirely different all together.  I might just need some ice cream to get through these blahs.  Ice cream always makes one feel better, no?

I think I will wander off toward the kitchen to test that theory.  Enjoy your evening!

Date

Mark and I were able to get out for the evening, without the kids; a rare occasion, for sure!  Tonight, we had a sitter for the kids, and we ventured out of our normal five mile radius to enjoy dinner and some time out with friends.

I made the mistake of wearing a new pair of shoes tonight; super cute ballet flats, with a sparkly bow on the toe.  Of course, I should have known better than to try out a new pair of shoes, knowing that we might be walking a bit, especially after a long winter in my fluffy socks.  But, the warm-ish springlike weather convinced me to break out the new shoes.  About ten minutes into our date, my feet were crying out in pain; it got so bad that I eventually just stepped on the back of the shoes and created a mule-style slip-on.  This worked well enough for me to make it back to the car without Mark carrying me, so we were both happy with that result.  Ha!

Despite my painful foot situation, we had a great time out.  We tried out two places that we've never been, which is always fun.  It's always difficult to go wrong, though, when drinks and good company are involved.

We had the sitter booked until 10pm, and made it home at 9:58pm (we're old pros by now!), and found that Andrew was asleep, Ad was on her way to bed, and Al was still ready to party. All typical.  Ad went on to bed fairly easily, and Al is still hanging on (it doesn't help that America's Funniest Home Videos is on all the stinking time!).  I'll get him to bed soon so I can have a few quiet moments before I drift off to sleep.

After such a long, crazy week, we really needed this break.  It was a lovely Saturday evening, indeed.

Gate

Having a dog in a busy house doesn't bring about dramatic change. It's already loud and messy; what's one more creature running around?

Until that extra creature starts peeing on the floor when the kids get on her nerves.  Poor Maisey; every time the kids love on her too much, we find a puddle. We had her checked out at the vet; at first we thought she had a UTI. Nope, it's anxiety. 

I just decided to have the upstairs carpets cleaned yesterday; it's the only carpet in the house, and it needed help. After the cleaners left, I decided that the pup's days of upstairs freedoms are over, at least until she furthers adjusts to the kids (or they calm down, whichever comes first). We found a baby gate in the basement, and thought Maisey would appreciate that she could lounge on the couch at night, rather than sleeping in her crate. 

We went off to bed; shortly after, she started whining. That turned into crying, and eventually, barking. All. Night. Long. We also had both boys in our bed, courtesy of the windy weather. Awful. Mark and I got no sleep, at all. We are exhausted. 

But, the carpet is still clean, so we'll stick with it. Hopefully, tonight we'll get more sleep!

Underestimated

"And though she be but little, she is fierce." ~ William Shakespeare

So, I wrote about how amazing Addie and her friend are for establishing a project to share the importance of inclusion with their friends, and how their friends starting giving them donations for DSACO, Special Olympics, and the Miracle League.  Well, today, those efforts came to a screeching halt.

I received a phone call from Addie's teacher at 10am; she was out sick on Tuesday and Wednesday, and returned to school today to learn of these advocacy and fundraising efforts.  She panicked, a bit, and understandably so, I suppose.  Apparently, from the beginning of school to the time of our phone call, the girls had collected another $17.50.  Hearing this, my jaw dropped.  They had already collected close to $20 the previous days.  When Ad told me that they were collecting donations from their friends, I figured it was a dime here, a quarter there.  I mean, they're in second grade; why would they be taking cash to school? (Lunch money gets loaded onto a debit-type card.)

My anxiety kicked in. I figured her teacher was going to tell me that they couldn't collect any more money; she was probably just as concerned as I was about getting angry calls and emails from parents once they realized that their kids were giving their money away without first consulting them.  Our school has a lot of fundraisers (in addition to what our PTO does...it's truly overkill), and some parents went sideways last year when a new school fundraiser was announced.  (That is the reason I resigned from the PTO board this year; there was way too much drama and hate directed toward the board as a result of these new fundraisers.)  I was not about to deal with that all over again.  

After much thought, I emailed Ad's teacher and told her that I would advise Addie to call off the fundraising and just focus on the advocacy angle.  That was the most important aspect of this project, anyway.  I told her that we would donate the money that was already collected, and I had already said that I would provide receipts so that it was clear that the money was indeed donated.  You can imagine my surprise when Addie got off the bus this afternoon and burst into tears.

She managed to tell me that she had to give back all the donations that were collected, and then she ran to her room.  That mama bear instinct kicked right in; I was angry that instead of letting us handle the situation, the school had made Addie feel like she had done something wrong.

I do realize that there are rules and regulations for collecting money, and I respect those; I certainly did not anticipate this project causing any drama.  I didn't encourage her to solicit donations, but I didn't discourage it, either.  Again, in my mind, they would be dealing with a few dollars in change.  And, honestly, I thought they would lose interest in this fairly quickly, as most kids tend to do in situations like these.  

I felt bad; the situation sucks.  I want her to be proud of what she's doing, and encourage her to have the confidence to do something like this.  It's really quite remarkable that two second graders decided to take this on by themselves.  At the same time, I don't want her to get in trouble at school, and I don't want other families to be resentful that their kids are contributing to yet another fundraiser at school.  How do you relay that without squashing her enthusiasm?

We'll find other ways for her to help.  We've already encouraged her to continue to show her friends the importance of being inclusive toward everyone, and we'll help her find a way to financially contribute to these organizations (just not within the school!).  I've already talked to her about being my co-captain for Team Alex this year, and she was very excited about that idea.

I think the most important thing to take from this is to not underestimate what kids can do when they truly want to help.  As the mom of Ad's friend pointed out, these two will really be able to inspire others when they are older, based on what they've done this week.  Although Ad was so disappointed earlier today, it's still beyond amazing to think about what she might do from here.  

The possibilities are endless.  

Giving Hearts

I'm a proud mom; my kids are always doing things that are "Facebook worthy", and I post about them a lot. I have to see all their meltdowns, moments of defiance, and hear them whine and complain, so when they do something other than those things, I want everyone to know about it.  They are funny, thoughtful little creatures, and I like to share about them.  Hey, whatever gets a tired mom through the day, right?

Yesterday, I was so proud of Addie that I couldn't even express to her how amazing she is.  She arrived home from school, so excited to tell me all about a new project she and her friend decided to share with their friends.  "Mommy, you know how kids think that special needs kids are weird and different," she began (and yes, we later had a chat about how important it is to use person-first language...nobody gets a pass on that!). "Ok," I answered, wondering where she was going with this.  "Well, my friend and I decided that we need to help get these kids more included at school, so we went around asking our friends if they want to help us. We're also going to raise money for DSACO (the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio), Miracle League, and Special Olympics."

I just stood there, in awe of this little seven year old girl who has realized something that some adults still can't grasp: inclusion is important, and necessary.

I felt emotions ranging from pride, admiration, love, and back to pride again.  I listened to her go on and on about how her friends want to join Team Alex and come to the Buddy Walk, and how kids are just walking up to them and asking if they can make a donation.  She has absolutely no idea what kind of impact she and her friend are having on their peers.  They are teaching, by example, that everyone should be treated equally because we are all the same, and their peers are listening.

Two second grade girls are trying to change the world, or at least their world, by creating a more inclusive environment for kids at their school.  They have named their project Giving Hearts, and so far they've collected a little over $20, which they have decided to split among three organizations.  I'm still in awe.

Of course, I took to Facebook to share how great my kid is; not bragging, mind you, but truly sharing because I am just so impressed by the love Addie has for her brother, and the desire she has to see him being treated just like any other kid at their school.  What makes this even more remarkable is that he can be a complete jerk to her, several times a day, and she is still willing to do this for him.

After reading my post on Facebook, someone commented that Addie is her mother's child, and I was reminded once again that the kids are listening.  We've never sat down with Addie and Andrew and told them that their role is to spread our mission of inclusion.  She just gets it.  The girl can't remember to put her shoes away or put her dishes in the sink, but she is hearing the most important lessons.  Beyond that, she is sharing these things, completely unprompted by her parents, with her peers.

I can't wait to see what these girls can do with their Giving Hearts project.  When we open up registration for Team Alex 2014 on World Down Syndrome Day (March 21st), the Giving Hearts donation will be among the first to be posted on the Columbus Buddy Walk site.  Who knows what else they can accomplish?!

The kids are listening.  They may leave their dishes and shoes all over the house, but they are most definitely hearing the important stuff.  I'll gladly take the messy house if it comes with a kid with such a giving heart.

Laughter

I don't know why, but I've always found that jumping out and scaring the daylights out of someone is very, very funny.  It's so immature, but one of my favorite things to do is hide around the corner and wait for my husband, or one of the kids, to go walking by so I can surprise them.  The reactions are priceless, and then I just laugh and laugh.

It makes me giggle right now, thinking of all the times I've scared the crap out of my husband; he's the most fun to get, because he typically has a big reaction.  The kids are just as fun, but then they immediately want revenge, and we spend the rest of the day hiding in closets to scare each other.

Alex's new favorite show is America's Funniest Home Videos, and we watch it every night. Tonight there was a segment where someone was scared while they were sleeping.  So. Stinking. Funny.  It reminded me of the time when Mark was startled awake by a chirping smoke alarm; he thought that Alex (a baby at the time) was in distress, and he shot straight up in the air out of bed and pulled the Fred Flintstone running-in-place bit.  When he finally took off, he hit his toe on the foot board, fell, and then ran into the door before making it out to Al's room to check on him.  After I quit laughing at him, we discovered he had really hurt himself; turned out, he broke his toe when he hit it on the bed.  (Seriously, I am so evil, because I almost pee myself just remembering this!)  If only I'd known that would all happen...we could have recorded it and cashed in on AFV!!

Of course, Mark would like everyone to know about the numerous times I've woken up, thinking that we were either being attacked by bombs or that spiders were crawling on me.  Funny, but definitely no where near as funny as the broken toe.  (Sorry, babe.)

I also find it funny when people fall down (after making sure that they are ok, of course!).  I might have serious issues.  I still giggle when I think of Mark testing out Alex's new scooter last summer, crashing it at the end of our driveway, and landing on his shoulder in the grass by the mailbox.  I really laugh when I consider how funny it was when I fell down the steps on the first night of Hanukkah back in November; I was carrying an armload of presents, which all flew up into the air as I landed on my ass on the bottom step.

Maybe I just need to set up surveillance cameras so we can catch one of these falls.  We are pretty clumsy. Bigger picture: I guess we should be thankful to have some moments of humor in our crazy, busy lives. Laughter is supposedly the best medicine, right?

Photos

It's Monday.  We're all tired, and maybe a little cranky.  What better time to look back through family photos...especially those that are hilarious?!?  Read on, and enjoy.

My family was complete with the arrival of our youngest son in December 2008.  We decided to commemorate the occasion with our first official family photo:

It went well, don't you think?  My daughter looks like she is vomiting, but she was meowing because at that time, she pretended to be a cat.  A lot.  Alex just didn't want to have his picture taken.

So, we tried again a few months later:

Addie was no longer a cat, but still wasn't thrilled about the picture.  And Alex...well, Al didn't want to sit for a photo, either.  

So, we tried again a few months later:

*sigh*

I was determined to sit and smile, dammit.

So, we tried again a few months later, this time in hopes of getting a nice holiday picture:

Seriously?!?

So, we tried again a few months later:

This one is definitely better.  Ok, maybe I just like my hair in this picture.  

SO, we tried AGAIN a few months later:

...and I totally take back what I said about liking my hair.  I think, though, that this was our holiday picture that year.  

SO, we tried AGAIN a couple years later:

And, we finally got a nice family photo.  We just had to wait almost five years, and go to the ocean to get it.  

Of course, I couldn't let the occasion go by without adding some snark:

Not sure if you can see it, but in this one, the chalkboard says "Really?"  

Although most of these wouldn't be considered "good pictures", I just love them all.  I need to get a frame that will hold all of them, so we can look back and smile at just how far we've come since that first photo attempt.  

Grocery

Grocery shopping is a chore.  I know that some people enjoy it, and honestly, I usually don't mind it too much.  Today, though, was one of those shopping trips that have you considering take out for every day of the week.

I prefer to shop by myself; that way, I can focus on my list and make sure to use my coupons.  If I have one of the kids with me, extra stuff (usually junk food) ends up in my cart.  When all five of us go, it's just a circus.  I planned to go by myself today, but at the last minute, Alex asked if he could go with me.  He likes to help me at the store, so I agreed and he happily joined me.

We did fairly well in the produce section; he selected some nice apples and grapes. He looked around for a cookie sample in the bakery, but discovered that they were only offering sugar cookies today, so he decided to wait and eat some cheese from the deli.

Oh, the cheese.  That's where the shopping trip took a nasty turn.

Alex used to eat cheese, then outgrew it (he tends to do that with foods; he'll eat something and then, for no reason, refuse to eat it anymore).  Lately, though, he has been eating the colby jack cheese from the deli. This is something we regularly buy, so that works out well.  We went to the deli counter, where he discovered that there was a line; looking back, that could have been the trigger for the meltdown that would soon begin.  Fortunately, though, we didn't wait long, and I ordered our cheese (I use it to make "Mommy Mac" for No Meat Monday).  He waited, somewhat patiently, for his shopping snack.  For no apparent reason, though, he dropped to the floor when I tried to hand him the cheese, because it wasn't "all orange". Ugh.  Not ten minutes in the store, and there we were, the center of attention.  Thinking quickly, I asked him to show me which cheese he wanted; he pointed out a round swiss, because it was a circle.  I pointed out that it wasn't orange, though, so then he picked out a colby, because it was orange...but it wasn't round. After putting him back on his feet (I have little tolerance for the flop 'n drop routine, and I always help him stand back up), we finally found an orange, circle cheese, and I asked for a few slices (since I already stocked up on the colby jack).  The lady kindly handed Al a slice, with a hopeful look on her face...but down he went, again.  Seriously?!?  I was out of patience by then, we had a small audience, and we had barely started on our grocery list.  It was time to move on.

I managed to get Al away from the deli, and after giving him a few minutes to bounce back (he didn't), I hauled him into the back of the cart and went on my merry way.

Al did eventually snap back to his typical self, and helped me finish the shopping.  But, when it was time to check out, he wanted to help bag the groceries (the people at the store are always great about letting him help).  Today, though, he was too shy to ask if he could help, so I did it for him, but then he wouldn't take two steps away from me to put things in bags.  So, of course, when we were finished checking out, he started in on another tantrum.  "Nope," I told him, and took his hand, leading him out of the store and to the car.

That was the longest, most frustrating shopping trip I've had in a long time. I think the long weekend off school is taking a toll on the poor kid.  I know for sure that I'll be doing the shopping on my own next time. Until then, I will enjoy our well-stocked kitchen...and the pint of Graeter's I threw in the cart mid-tantrum.

Lost

We are a very busy family.  Hectic schedules, active kids, and a too-small house contribute to the chaos that we face on a daily basis.  Not such a big deal, until something goes missing.

We are constantly losing things.  And it makes me crazy.

Glasses, socks, wallets, keys, important papers, toys, phones...and most recently, my checkbook.  Blerg!

This latest misplacement has me especially distraught, mostly because I know I saw the stinking thing in my purse the other day and I specifically remember thinking "I should take that out of there before I lose it".  I rarely write checks; if I do, I write them at home and then immediately send them off wherever they need to go.  I have no need to write a check on the spot; now that most places take debit cards, there's just no reason to have it on me all the time.  For some unknown reason, I grabbed the whole thing the last time I needed to write a check.  You can bet, from now on, I'll take extra care in putting it right back where it belongs.

I come from a long line of worriers.  I am envisioning someone on a huge shopping spree right now (ha, joke's on them, because that particular checkbook is for my business account, which doesn't hold much money because I filter it out shortly after it goes in), and I will obsess about it...well, probably forever.  Or at least until it's found.  The odds of that aren't good, though.

In the almost 11 years that we've lived in this house, several things have seemingly disappeared into thin air, never to be seen again.  Let's hope that my stupid checkbook is around here somewhere.

Valentine

February 14th.  The predetermined day of love.  Although more accepted than the fall's Sweetest Day (my husband refuses to acknowledge this made up "holiday", ha!), it still seems kind of silly to have a day that reminds us to show our love for others.  We should just do this automatically, every day, right?  Eh, well.

When I was little, it was a joy to decorate a shoe box with construction paper, paint, and glitter.  My favorite Valentine's day box was a frog.  I can't remember which cartoon characters adorned my cards to my classmates, but it was a pretty simple affair.  Now that my kids are in school and celebrate the holiday, it's quite common to have a card which comes with something else: a pencil, a tattoo, candy, or even a mini glow stick.  Each holiday seems to get more and more elaborate each year (I swear, we celebrate Halloween for three solid weeks in October!), and I wonder how it will continue to evolve.

For now, though, my kids know that this is a holiday to show their friends, teachers, and family that they are appreciated. I was proud of my kids this year; they didn't need prompting to send little cards in the mail, or make gifts for us.  Addie even remembered that I admired a sparkly red cup at Walgreen's a few weeks ago, and she asked Mark to take her there so she could use her own money to buy it for me.  Sweet girl!  It's times like these that I realize that my efforts to churn out "good" kids might be working.

Mark made a lovely dinner for us tonight (surf & turf, delicious!), and now it's time to round everyone up for bed, as Al has an early Special Olympics event tomorrow morning.  Although my day didn't consist of lavish flowers or chocolates (which I honestly had no desire for, anyway!), I definitely feel loved, and that's what counts.

Happy Valentine's Day, friends.  I hope you feel loved, too.

Mobile

Dear Cranky Lady in Line Behind Us,

I'm sorry that you're having such a rough day. Something truly awful must have happened today for you to be so irritated about having to wait in line at this store. 

I think the words I spoke to my five-year-old son are relevant to you, too: 

"Don't be so rude. Soon, it will be your turn at the register and someone will have to wait on you. Just stand there and wait patiently."

Huffing and puffing because my son didn't hop right out of your way when we were finished definitely crossed a line. I'm sorry I told him to "stand up before the cranky lady has a complete meltdown". Well, I suppose I'm only sorry if you didn't hear me. Be an adult and wait your turn, or shop online and have all your purchases delivered so you can avoid any future inconveniences. 

For what it's worth, I hope your day brightens up a bit. I also hope you enjoy those new sheets that you were in such a hurry to buy. 

XO,

JFK

Exhausted

Changes in routine are never easy.  I am very used to juggling everyone's schedules around my own, so I figured that adding another task to my daily schedule would not have much of an impact.  I was wrong. 

I am very much enjoying my new job; everything has come together and is running fairly smoothly, logistics-wise (even with all the snow days!).  I never expected to be so tired, though! 

Today was a hectic day, with work, picking up kids, speech therapy for Al at a new clinic, and then church.  We arrived home after 8:30pm, with Valentines to finish, and I have an AVON order to sort and then an assignment from another project to finish.  (Note how I'm still posting a blog, though...that, my friends, is dedication!)

Because it's almost 10pm, and I have a considerable amount of work to do tonight, this entry will have to be cut short.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be less hectic; somehow, though, I doubt it.

Anyone else hear the circus music?  Just me?  Ok, then. 

Smiles

Mothers tend to grumble a lot.  There is always so much to do (work, laundry, shopping, cooking, cleaning, homework, carpooling...the list goes on and on), and seemingly very little time in which to complete it all.  So, we grumble.  It may be a silent grumble, with an eye roll; it could be a full blown Marge Simpson grumble (I've perfected that one by now). 

Just this evening, I was feeling very overwhelmed because the kids still need to finish their valentines, the dishes had not been done, I was in the middle of a bazillion loads of laundry, and Al had Special Olympics basketball practice at 5:30pm.  It wasn't even a full practice (I assumed it would be cut short because the older players had a game; I was correct in that!), so were going to drive 25 minutes for a 30 minute practice.  It took a lot for me to not bail on basketball all together, in favor of finishing all the other tasks I was struggling to complete.  But, because Alex loves basketball, and this was the last practice of the season, I dropped everything and loaded everyone into the car.

As I figured they would, the kids fought the entire way, and with traffic, we barely arrived in time.  Stressful commutes are just super fun.  When we arrived at the gym, Alex ran ahead so he could join his team, and I waited (and waited, and waited) for Andrew to get his stuff together so we could go into the gym.  We trudged inside, and found a place to sit.  Alex was a little overwhelmed by the presence of all the extra people in the gym, but he quickly warmed up and fell into line with his teammates.  I tried to watch the kids practice, even though my endless to-do list kept running through my head.

Then, I saw Al take the ball and start dribbling down the court, running the drill his coach had demonstrated.  He was beaming.  He loves the game, and there is no hiding it when he gets the ball.  The third part of the drill was to take a shot; he missed many consecutive shots, but would always take the ball and get back into line.

Then, the team switched to a shooting drill.  One by one, the kids took their shots, and many of them starting making their baskets.  The smiles on their faces quickly melted away any of the stress I was feeling in having to take Al to practice.  With each basket, their smiles got a little brighter, and they were very proud of themselves.  It was awesome. 

So, although I had to abandon this disaster area of a home I have right now to go to an abbreviated practice, it was so worth it.  These kids work so hard, and they needed to hear the cheers from the "crowd" (read: players' parents).  Their million-watt smiles were more than enough of a trade off. 

The valentines and laundry will all get done in time.  I'll remember Alex's proud smiles for many years to come.

Inclusion

Certain words can evoke strong feelings; emotions which are kept at bay can come screaming out, full force, when a specific word is mentioned.  Sometimes these are feelings of joy, sometimes anger.  And sometimes, when you hear that one particular word, you feel everything from happiness to frustration to exhaustion, all at once.  For my family, the word "inclusion" has become a definite trigger word.

If you speak with any parent of a child with an IEP about their child's education, you may soon discover that he or she is tired.  I'm not a fan of generalizations, but I feel confident that this statement is true.  As if being a parent isn't exhausting enough, when you have a child that requires an Individualized Education Program (IEP), you get thrown into the choppy seas of advocacy.  It's not an easy task, and we don't typically ask to do it, but when you have a child with special needs, it is up to you to be the very loudest voice that advocates for them. 

I've indicated before how difficult our journey has been this year, and along with the supportive comments we've received, there are also those that defend the school district's actions.  Let me make this perfectly clear: I understand how difficult it is to be a teacher these days, and I do not envy their jobs one bit.  I've expressed to my son's teachers (this year and in previous years) that our challenges and disagreements are not to be taken personally; whether they want to believe that is up to them.  The system is very broken.  When school districts gamble that parents don't know their rights, and the rights of their children, then they are bound to come across parents like us who know better.  Set up the hoops, I'll keep jumping through them, if I feel that I need to advocate for a better education for my son.

Inclusion has been presented as though it's a privilege, something that is awarded to students with special needs.  Ridiculous.  I realize that it's not an easy task, and that contentious meetings are stressful and draining.  I also don't care.  Children like my son need to be educated with their peers so that they can grow into adults that can independently function in society.  If we segregate these kids into resource rooms, where the environment is easily controlled and corralling them is more convenient for the daily schedule, they will not benefit from being alongside their typically developing peers.  It's going to take extra effort, intensive planning, and more collaboration between teachers, interventionists, and parents.  I'm ready to put in the time, and I will challenge everyone who works with my son, and those like him, to do the same.

If you aren't familiar with the IEP processes, you may be thinking that we're expecting too much of the school districts, or creating extra work for ourselves.  But truthfully, if districts would listen to the parents and just try to make the requested accommodations, there would be a lot less work involved.  I can't tell you how many times I've made a suggestion, only to be told "the district doesn't do that", even when I know they do.  So, of course, we take it a step further, only to be shot down again, so we take it another step further.  I'm going to keep going until we get the education that my son deserves. 

Our struggles are certainly not isolated; I know of families all across the country that endure more strenuous situations in their efforts to educate their children.  My friend recently posted a link on Facebook that details the battles of a family in Florida, whose child is dying yet they are still being forced into absurd battles with their school district.  Many people do not realize the challenges that are imposed on families who are already dealing with so much.  We face extra financial burden, strained relationships, and worries that most people don't have to consider, and then we get to deal with school issues on top of all that.  That is, unless you are able to hire someone to help you.  In our school district, it's become a well known phenomenon that until you hire a private advocate or attorney, to attend meetings and assist in navigating the system, you don't get anywhere with the schools.  This is disgusting.  So, because I can't afford to fork over a cool one thousand dollars for an advocate before my next meeting with the school at the end of this month, I'll continue to get the run around. 

But run I shall, and I'll keep jumping through those hoops.  I know they can do what we're asking; we're not being unreasonable in our requests.  Maybe they're just not used to having parents push back, asking them to think beyond what they've done in the past, to suit their child.  That's the thing with kids with special needs; you can't develop a standard plan, or schedule, or philosophy and expect that every child fits into it.  It does not work that way.  There's a reason we sit and write (and rewrite, and rewrite again) these Individualized Education Programs.  IEP parents are becoming more savvy, perhaps, than they were in the past, and it's time for districts to recognize that.  We know what's going on around us. 

To all those in this nation's school systems who sit on the opposite side of the table (teachers, interventionists, district administrators) from the tired IEP parents: stop taking these challenges so personally.  It's not about you.  We would be questioning the same things, regardless of who was sitting across from us.  I'm sorry if our concerns make you look bad in front of your colleagues; that is certainly not our intention.  We do, however, expect you to hear us out without an attitude, and to work with us on these issues.  We're here to work together, not make things worse.  We are supposed to work as a team.  This process should not be so difficult.  You would fight just as hard if it was your child's education being discussed. 

To those IEP parents who do not face these struggles: be thankful.  Every once in a while, I encounter a parent who is shocked to hear of our struggles, because they've had such a great experience with their schools.  I envy the ease you experience in advocating for your child's education.  In fact, I often daydream about what it must be like to walk into a meeting with a list of requests, and have the district readily agree to them.  One day, I hope to enjoy that as well.

Hearing about, or thinking of, "inclusion" should not trigger such anxiety.  Someday, it won't, and I'll get to be one of the lucky parents who is confident that their child is getting the education they need.  We'll all get there.  Just keep jumping, and we'll do it together.

Slippery

And the never-ending winter marches on...

We had more snow today.  That's on top of the many inches of snow, and ice, that fell last week...which never got plowed.  Our neighborhood is a mess.  Slicker than snot, some might say (in fact, I just said that, not ten minutes ago).  We live in an awkward part of the city, where we have a city address, and our children do not attend city schools (as we fall into a different school district), but we live in a different county than most who have a city address.  Our neighborhood was annexed by the city at some point, so our services are provided by the city (as opposed to the neighboring township, which has its own services). This only becomes an issue on days like this when there is a lot of snow on the ground and we rarely, if ever, see a plow.  Hence, the slippery roads.  The snow finally started to melt today, only to refreeze, causing even slicker conditions.  I was out a bit earlier this evening and almost crashed into some cars parked on the street (and you may have already read that this is also a problem in my neighborhood; seriously, it's a mess over here). 

So now I'm worried that the kids' school bus won't be able to make it down the street tomorrow morning.  I mean, there's basically an obstacle course waiting for the driver, courtesy of Mother Nature and inconsiderate neighbors.  But, there's not much you can do about it on a Sunday evening...except tweet at the mayor, pleading for a snow plow to visit my neighborhood.  So that's what I did.  I bet that will be right at the top of his list tomorrow morning, ha.  But, if nothing else, it made me feel a little better, and gave my husband a break from listening to me complain about it all. 

If we could get through this week of school, without a delayed start or snow day, I might shed tears of happiness.  They only have to get through four days, because they have a scheduled four day weekend (off on Friday and next Monday...I know, I don't get it, either...they've had enough time off, but whatever).  I can't remember a time when I was more anxious for spring to arrive. 

And by spring, I mean forty degree days and no more snow.  That's not asking too much.  This is Ohio, after all, and I learned long ago to not expect too much of the weather, for it has a mind of its own. Until then, perhaps the residents in my neighborhood should look into placing a bulk order for snow shoes and cross country skis.  We could certainly get a lot of use of them right now.

Shoes

I used to have a real obsession with shoes.  I could go for at least a month and never repeat the same pair.  This was way back in high school, though, when I didn't have much else to worry about; it was easy to spend money on shoes because I wasn't also paying to clothe three other people.  When I was younger, most of my spending money went toward shoes.  Fast forward about twenty years.  After the kids came along and I began my long-time stint as Stay At Home Mom, I really didn't have to worry about the type of shoes that I wore.  I selected shoes on how well they would hold up as I chased the kids.  If I wanted a "fancy" shoe, I selected sparkly flip flops.

Now, though, I am (finally) back to working in an office, and my "mom shoes" aren't going to cut it.  Part of the fun, for me, of returning to work was thinking about the wardrobe.  As much as I adore my yoga pants and jeans, I am ready to expand my wardrobe again to include all the cute work clothes I've admired.  This includes shoes.  After years of longingly browsing through aisles of nice shoes, but just not having a practical need for them, you would think that shopping for work shoes would be an easy task.  Wrong.

If I find a pair of shoes that my "old lady feet" (you know, the condition your feet are left in after years of wearing heels as a teenager/young adult) could handle (reasonable heel height, not too pointy in the toes), then they are either not available in my size, or just ridiculously expensive.  My passion for bargain shopping has left me unable to pay more than $30 for shoes without having fits.  There is nothing wrong with this, I know; being frugal is a good idea.  But, when the boots you have are falling apart, and you can't find anything suitable to replace them, frustrations arise.

The other day, as I was sitting at my desk, the cap thingy on the heel of my boot fell off.  I was able to pop it right back on, and move on with my day, but it later occurred to me that I will probably need to replace those boots soon.  Crap.  As cool as it would be to have a secret compartment to store lipstick, or string cheese (hey, it folds easily and you never know when you need a snack while you're on-the-go, right?!?), it's probably best to replace them. 

So, today I was out for a bit and tried (again!) to find new shoes.  Ugh.  I just don't have the patience to shop anymore.  I did find a pair, but decided to sleep on it; if I find time tomorrow, I'll swing back by the store to pick them up.  Maybe I'll spend some time shopping online tonight to get ideas.  I don't know.  I could spend that time eating Oreos and browsing Pinterest (where I know I could look at shoes, but hey, it's more fun to repin home decor ideas and recipes I'll never make).

My other issue is this: by the time I find an acceptable pair of winter shoes, it could be spring, and I'll have to start all over.  Again, ugh.  (I trust that if you've read enough of my posts, you'll realize by now that these "issues" are kept in perspective.  Save your "be thankful for what you have" comments, because I am indeed grateful, but I can't write about that every day.)

I'm sure all of this will work out, and I'll find the perfect shoes soon.  Right now, those Oreos are calling my name.  I hope your Saturday evening is a little more exciting than mine has turned out to be.

Ice

Tonight, I had the pleasure of joining my mom and my daughter for a girls' night out at a performance of "Disney on Ice".  Seems appropriate that we went to watch an event that took place in an ice rink, since we've spent much of the last month hibernating inside due to all the snow and ice on the ground.  It was a great show; Disney rarely disappoints.

As I sat watching the skaters, I began to think about the title of the show, "Princesses and Heroes"; I'll admit that it got on my nerves a little bit.  I noticed that none of the princesses featured in the show were also heroes; instead, they waited for a prince to come and save them (although, I'm not familiar enough with Princess Tiana's storyline to know if her happy ending depends on the intervention of a prince; sadly, the newest princesses, Anna and Elsa, were not included in this show).  This is not a new observation, by any means, but it was in full force as so many children watched, mesmerized by the movement on the ice. 

I'm not saying that the Disney princess stories are bad, or that little girls shouldn't watch them, but I would like to see more princesses taking care of themselves.  C'mon, Disney, let's see more strong, independent female heroines!  It seems as though most of the female characters who are independent are also villains.  (Oh, and I was totally rooting for Maleficent's dragon tonight, even though I knew how the story ends.) "Frozen" was great, because it does feature two strong women who are able to fend for themselves; so, there are two of these strong role models, out of a cast of at least six princesses (I could be missing one).  It's better than nothing, sure, but I'll still hope to see more in the future.

Aside from the time I spent watching the show from my perch on my soap box, we had a great time.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that the parking garage was $10 less for this event than it was for the hockey game we attended a few weeks ago.  And, when we left, I fully expected to sit in the car for an hour (like we did last year after DoI), waiting to exit the parking garage; but, we were able to pull right out of our spot and sit for less than five minutes to get out.  If nothing else, that was worth the cost of the show right there, ha!

But, most importantly, I got to spend an evening with two of my very favorite people.  Soap box or not, I wouldn't have traded that for anything.  

**A friend brought to my attention that Merida, from Brave, was an independent character.  I'll admit, I totally forgot about her, as well as a couple of other princesses (who may or not fit into this; I can't remember their stories).  So, I'll bump my count to three strong role models, out of nine.  JFK

Olympics

I love the Olympics.  The excitement, the pageantry, the uniforms.  It's all very exciting. 

This time around, there has been a lot of negativity surrounding the games.  Being a supporter of equal rights for all, I am troubled and concerned about the safety of the athletes and those attending the events.  I'm hopeful for a peaceful experience.  If you are able to look past that (huge) issue, you will certainly hear about the less than appealing accommodations in Sochi.  When you combine it all together, the sparkle and shine of the Olympic games is definitely dulled.

As the games begin, though, I hope that the true spirit of the event outshines all the negative reports we're sure to hear throughout the next couple of weeks.  I know that I will watch the events and marvel over the hard work and determination that was put forth by the athletes (and their families!) in the years leading up to their big moments. 

The Olympics are a great opportunity to sit with my family to watch something that we all enjoy.  There are few shows on television that we can all watch together, so these games are a big deal in my house.  I love how passionate the kids can be while watching; cheering on their favorite athletes, worrying over those who fall or are injured, insisting that we all stand every time our national anthem is played during a medal ceremony.  It's really cool to share the Olympics with my kids. 

In fact, I think I will try to focus on this during these winter games.  I'll try to watch them through my kids' eyes, and just see the splendor and the athleticism, and not get too wrapped up in the reality that threatens the event this year.  If I can pull that off, I think we'll all enjoy the games a bit more.

Choices

Earlier today, as I scrolled through my Twitter feed (@jnfranklin, if you'd like to follow me), I discovered the big CVS decision to stop selling tobacco products later this year.  My left eyebrow automatically shot up, as it so often does anymore, because I immediately had two thoughts.  First, I was impressed; that is a gutsy step, as it will cost them money and make people mad, but good for them for trying to live up to their wellness philosophy.  Then, I kind of groaned, thinking of all the nonsense people would soon start spouting in reaction to this announcement.

I was right.

Almost immediately, I saw tweets and Facebook posts condemning this decision, because no commitment has been announced by CVS regarding the removal of junk foods from their stores.  I found this comparison kind of funny because there are some grocery stores that sell neither tobacco nor "junk" food, but those stores aren't really mainstream grocery choices.  Maybe this is because their prices are higher?  Could be.  But, because the "junk" products are available at other places, we have the choice to not shop at the stores which refuse to carry them.  How is this any different?  If you're a tobacco user, then you may stop shopping at CVS, just like if you are a junk food eater, you're probably not shopping exclusively at Whole Foods.  I don't see the issue.

I was actually kind of surprised to not see much about how this infringes on the rights of tobacco users; perhaps people realized how ridiculous that sounded, right from the start, as these products will still be made available somewhere.  The government didn't order CVS to stop carrying the products; it was a private choice to stop offering unhealthy choices.  I did see a few remarks alluding to the loss of rights, and I'll admit, I rolled my eyes a bit. 

I don't mean to sound insensitive; I'm sure this decision will make life a bit more difficult for smokers who live in towns where there is only one store, and it's a CVS (but really, is there such a place?!?).  But maybe it will actually encourage people to reexamine their habits, and make healthier choices for themselves and their families.

And if not, then they can choose to shop elsewhere...for now, at least.

Facebook

Today is a big day for Facebook.  Ten years old!  Double digits. That's quite an accomplishment.

I enjoy Facebook.  I love being able to connect with friends all around the world.  It's so fun to see their pictures, hear their adventures, and share in their joys.  As a tool to keep people connected, Facebook does a fantastic job.  If you can concentrate on keeping your newsfeed positive, and not fall into the gloom that seems to wait at every turn, then it can be an enjoyable experience.

But, as we well know, negativity can ruin a good thing.  I've had to train myself to not read user comments on posts from news outlets or public figures; the ignorant, rude comments stick with me and I find it difficult to shake the negative vibes.  I think there is enough drama and negativity in every day life, and I just don't have a use for it when I take the time to scroll through my newsfeed. 

Debates are another trouble spot on Facebook.  I'm all for intelligent debate, but wow, have I seen some doozies.  I've seen other users post that they need "Facebook breaks", and then sign off for a period of time, especially during election years.  The negativity drives them away from something that is meant (in my opinion, anyway) to provide entertainment.  It's a shame that as adults, we can't engage each other and challenge our differences of opinion without becoming belligerent. 

That will continue, I'm certain, for as long as diversity is considered an evil instead of an asset.  We'll still see rude, bullying posts from those who maybe can't logically defend their stance on whatever topic is controversial on any given day.  It's easier to sit behind a computer/tablet/mobile device screen and be angry than it is to participate in a cordial discussion.  I don't think that will change any time soon, but I'm hopeful that it might.

And until then, I'll still take joy from seeing family and friends' photos, read their cheery updates, and pray or send positive thoughts when someone asks for that support.  That's is what I most appreciate about Facebook, so that is what I need to keep in mind when I see the negativity start to creep back into my newsfeed.

Happy birthday, Facebook.  I'm going to hop back over to my page to watch all the wonderful movies that have been created today. 

Dribble

Mondays are always long days.  I doubt there are many that would debate me on that.  My Mondays are especially long, because Andrew doesn't have school and Mark bowls in the evening.  Today, though, I had something to look forward to because Alex had a Special Olympics basketball game after school.

I challenge anyone to leave a game like this in a bad mood.  You might be cranky when you arrive, but you'll be inspired before you leave (same goes for Miracle League baseball, but I'm sure I'll post about that after baseball season begins...).  It doesn't matter if your kid's team wins (by chance, tonight's game ended in a tie); you'll find yourself cheering for every kid on the court.  It's all about watching them light up when they get the ball, dribble down the court, or make a shot.  They all get that look of wonder, pride, and happiness, and it is amazing.  You can't help but feeling proud of all of the players, even if it's the first time you've seen them.  It's quite an experience.

Watching my Alex run up and down the court, his little legs working so hard, is awesome.  He loves basketball, and his enthusiasm shines through as he keeps up with all the bigger kids.  He can't run without grinning from ear to ear, and seeing him able to dribble the ball clear down the court is fantastic (especially since the kid didn't walk until he was almost two years old, and still has minor gross motor issues).  Although Al is still a bit too short to score many baskets, he still takes his shots (and gets quite a reaction from the crowd!); in a couple of years, he'll have that down, too.

For now, though, he seems content to just be out on the court, playing his beloved game of basketball.  And I'm happy to be the mom in the crowd holding her breath and fighting back tears, every time he touches that ball.

Parking

We've lived in our home for almost eleven years.  We didn't anticipate staying in this house for this long, but as we know all too well, sometimes life has a way of changing an agenda when you least expect it.  So, we're still here, quickly growing out of this house, but we'll probably be here for a couple more years.

The house is great; we just need more room.  The location is good (close to schools, shopping, entertainment), and we can get downtown or across town with few problems.  Overall, the school district is fine (having a child on an IEP, we're bound to have some issues with any school district; that's just a sad fact), and the neighborhood is ok.  We have the same neighborhood drama that probably everyone has; there's always "that" neighbor who gets on everyone's nerves (or maybe you are "that" neighbor, ha!).  We hear fireworks every night in July (not just the 4th!), kids roam about unsupervised, lawns don't get cut maybe as often as they could.

I can live with that (ok, I complain about it, as I'm sure Mark would quickly tell you), but the one thing that is constantly on my nerves are the cars parked (permanently, even!) on the street.  Drives.  Me.  Crazy.

It's not that some houses don't have garages, or driveways.  Nope.  Everyone has a two car garage, and a driveway that could fit two cars.  So, theoretically, a single family could accommodate four vehicles and not have to utilize the street.  But some people do anyway.  All the time.  Drives. Me.  Crazy.  (Yep, typed it twice.)

I completely understand that sometimes there is a need for street parking.  Parties, driveway maintenance, or car troubles are all good reasons to utilize alternate parking options.  A few weeks ago, when Mark's car died, the tow driver dumped his car right in front of our mailbox, and we had to leave it there because the road was so icy that we couldn't even push it out of the way (we tried...I'm sure it was quite comical to watch us slipping about, trying to maneuver the car out of the way).  But that was a rare circumstance, and we had the car towed off as soon as we could.  Other people choose to park their cars on the street, every day.  Or, the cars aren't used, perhaps (there is one right now with at least two flat tires...that thing probably isn't going anywhere soon), so they're just dumped in the street...out of the owners' way, but in the way of everyone else.

Our streets aren't super wide, so when there are cars parked in the street, traffic becomes an issue.  Few people know the appropriate driving rules; I can't tell you how many times I've had to stop, even though I have the right of way, to avoid being hit head on by someone who can't pause their commute for thirty seconds because there is a car parked on their side of the road.  Ugh!  Frustrating.

It all comes down to respecting your neighbors and being considerate.  Unfortunately, sometimes those things seem difficult to pull off, leaving "rule followers" like me to pull our hair out in irritation.  I know, it's not an end-of-the-world situation, and I'm sure that other people have bigger neighborhood issues than this. But, I'm guessing it will be something that continues to bug me.

That is, until we can move into a different, bigger home...and then I'll find something else that annoys me.

Gala

Tonight I had the pleasure of attending the third annual Dancing with Our Stars Gala for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio.  What a fabulous evening!

This event raises money for the adult programming funding through DSACO, and one of the highlights is watching the self advocates dance.  They learned and performed either the waltz or the merengue, which was fantastic, but then the real fun was watching them let loose and party on the dance floor after all the official business of the evening was finished.

I have not danced like that in a long time.

Sure, the kids and I have kitchen dance parties, but I don't usually get a chance to dance like this outside the house (perhaps the kids prefer it that way, ha!).  We had such a good time, and I was happy to hear that a good amount of money had been raised for the adult programming.

In all, it was a great evening, and now I am up way past my bedtime (and I'm sulking a bit because the date on this post will be 2/2 instead of 2/1).  It's definitely time to take my sore dancin' feet to bed.