Beginnings

Mondays.  The beginning of the work/school week.  Today held another new beginning for our family, as my husband began a new job.  The kids also began their Spring Break.

I.  Am.  Tired.

I've been spoiled, because Mark has been home for the last couple of weeks while he waited to begin the new job.  So, I've had help every morning, getting the kids up, ready, and out the door.  Then today came along.  Boom!  I had to remember how to get everyone up and ready to go; somehow, I did it, and even managed to be on time for work.  Score one for mom!

After work, I picked up the kids, took Al to his weekly occupational therapy appointment, fed the kids, did some more work, and now I'm finally ready to wind it down and go to sleep.

Mondays are tough.  Today was even tougher.  But, I'm thankful for this new chapter for our family, and I'm proud of Mark for leaving a company with which he was very familiar to seek a better opportunity for us.

Bring it, Tuesday.

Basketball

Basketball is a fun sport to watch.  It seems like many of us become experts in college basketball every year, right around St Patrick's Day.  March Madness prompts us to determine the outcome of the tournament, whether we know anything about any of the teams or not.

Mark and I are no different.  We filled out brackets this year, in a pool with our small group from church. Mark follows sports more closely than I do, but due to a great run of luck, my bracket is beating his.  I, of course, am loving this; sometimes, you can't help but gloat, right?  I made some pretty crazy picks, but after today's games, three of the four teams that I placed in the Final Four are actually there.  Not bad for someone who pays little attention to sports!

The kids are getting into the games, too, which has been fun.  It's rare for us to find programming that we can all enjoy together, so the tournament has been great.  They like to reenact the games in the living room, which is sometimes obnoxious, but chaos in this house is pretty common so we're used to tuning it out.

Next Saturday's games will be entertaining, too.  We'll definitely be watching!  Here's hoping my bracket is still in good shape next week.

Saturday Reblog: The Anticipation of Spring

Being the weekend, I've decided to share a post that was written in Winter 2013:



Done.  Absolutely, totally over winter.  Do you hear me, Mother Nature?  Enough already.

And it hasn't even been that bad this year.  Definitely more snow than last year, but I don't think it has been so bad, temperature-wise.  I'm still done, though.

I'm tired of the extra ten minutes it takes for the kids to put their coats on, then take them off again when we get into the car.  I'm also tired of the extra ten minutes it takes for the kids to put their coats on AGAIN when we reach our destination.  Seriously, who has time for that?

Don't get me wrong; I'm also not a huge fan of summer.  I don't like the heat, the humidity, the sun, the sweating.  I'm very fair, and I burn after about seven minutes in the sun...even when wearing my SPF 50+.  Ridiculous.  My theory that I am descended from vampires makes a lot more sense after you spend a summer day with me.

But spring...lovely spring.  Blue skies, chirping birds (winter days seem so quiet!), flowers sprouting up from the ground.  It's like a redo on the year, a few months in.  Let's face it, New Year resolutions are probably long forgotten by now, but with the arrival of spring also comes a renewal of motivation that helps jump start whatever goals you were working on.  (Note to self: dig running shoes out of closet...)

Spring is the time to get back outside, to enjoy the fresh air that we avoid in the winter for fear of freezing to death while breathing it in.  It's also a time to clean up; after all the snow melts, you can see all the crap that escapes your recycling bins on windy days, only to get buried in snow or blown down the street by icy winds.  New plans for landscaping are made, barbeques are planned, and drinks are poured on patios (even though sometimes you sit, shivering, under blankets because spring in Ohio is still kind of chilly...but it's SPRING, damn it, and we are not sitting inside!).

Of course, as I sit and write this, I'm already thinking how ironic it is that in just a few months I'll probably be posting "The Anticipation of Fall" because I'll already be over summer.  Don't judge; it's tiring to chase three kids around the neighborhood with spray cans of sunscreen.

But until then, I will indeed look forward to leaving the house with everyone in light jackets that can easily be worn in a five-point-harness car seat.  Right now, that sounds quite heavenly, as I see that there is more snow in our forecast...

Heels

We have many different shoe options.  Shoes can make an outfit, right?  For some reason, today I thought that wearing heels would be a good idea.  Tonight, my sore feet have other opinions.

It was finally above freezing today, and I was wearing pants that are a little long, so I pulled out a cute pair of open-toe heels.  They made my pants look nicer, and I was able to show off a pedicure that I got weeks ago but have kept hidden under layers of socks (spring in Ohio is just lovely).  I made it about 12 minutes before I wishing I would have worn flats.

Who convinced women that heels were necessary pieces of our wardrobes?  Why did we listen?  We willingly cram our feet into shoes that are very uncomfortable.  Why?  Fashion.  That's why.  Sometimes, fashion is more important than being nice to our feet.

Someday, someone will invent a comfortable pair of heels.  I'm waiting, not-so-patiently, for that day to arrive.  If someone could get on that right away, that'd be super.

Funny

I try to keep a nice house, meaning tidy and decorated, but let's face it: it's nearly impossible when you have children under the age of 10.

Just this evening, I was complaining at the dinner table because someone smeared spaghetti sauce all over one of the new placemats.  My husband suggested that maybe we just shouldn't have placemats.

My left eyebrow shot up; it really does have a mind of its own at this point.

"I have the placemats to cover up all the marker and ink and scratches on this table!", I oh-so-helpfully explained to Mark.  Then, my tirade continued with "These things wouldn't happen if I didn't live in a house full of flying monkeys!"

Mark, not missing a beat, responded with "Well, let's just remember who was in charge of all the flying monkeys."

Touché, dear.  If he and the kids are the flying monkeys, I suppose that does make me the Wicked Witch.

I bet she had clean placemats, though.

Diva?

I may be nearing diva status.  Not the typical diva, one who performs and is celebrated for her vocal talents. Rather, something a little different: a Mom Diva.  A Miva?  A Dimo?  I don't know.  The name really isn't that important.

Like many mothers, I'm involved in my kids' activities.  I have always been supportive of them and their endeavors, but I have always promised myself that I wouldn't be that mom.  I don't want to be the obnoxious Dance Mom, the pushy Stage Mom, or the loudmouthed Sports Mom.  I really, really don't want to be any of those people.  I just don't have the time or energy.  I see the reality shows; I've witnessed acts of hard core mom-ing at my own kids' events.  I want none of it.  I'm sure their coaches/instructors appreciate it.

Now, when it comes to school matters, or similar issues, it's a different story.  Any time I find myself in the role of the advocate, I find myself a little bit closer to the diva line.  Or, at least, that is how those on the other side of the issue tend to respond, like I'm some prima donna that they have to satisfy just to shut me up.  When I get what I want for my kids, what I think is in their best interest (I'm not making unreasonable demands), I feel like I'm regarded as that mom.  In this case, I'm ok with it.

I've recently found myself at two different events, which didn't go the way I would have liked, and I was unhappy about it.  For once, these issues weren't directly related to the school, but they were tied to the kids.  I found myself all wound up, spouting things like "There needs to be a change!" and "Maybe I just won't kill myself to participate this year!"  Definitely diva-worthy statements; had my hair been longer, I probably would have flipped it.

Who am I kidding, though?  Of course I'll continue to participate, and I'll suggest changes that will probably be easily dismissed.  That will feed the inner diva in me, I'll throw a couple more hissy fits, and that will be the end of it.  Or will it?  I haven't really decided yet.  (Is this blog post vague enough for you?  Ha!)

Fortunately for everyone, the person who will most likely get to deal with Jen the Diva is my husband. Everyone else will probably see a reserved, maybe scowling, Jen, but don't let that fool you.  I could be just one more frustrating meeting away from becoming a full blown, Real Housewives worthy, diva.

Maybe, at the very least, I'll get my own tv show...

Ugh

Ugh.  Yep, that about sums up today.

It snowed, again.  The kids are refusing to do their homework, and pretty much everything else I ask them to do.  I had to attend an unorganized, frustrating meeting (which, for once, had nothing to do with school).  I have a crappy cough that won't go away, for which my doc prescribed a pricey nighttime cough syrup that I'm reluctant to take because I have too much to do to just slurp it down and pass out in bed for the next 10 hours.

Ugh.

So, yeah, this is all I got for today.  Super.

Tomorrow is a new day, though, so I will just fumble my way through the rest of today and hope that inspiration strikes tomorrow.  Until then, good night...and ugh, again.

Monday, again.

It's Monday.  We're all tired, right?  And, I want to watch Dancing with the Stars.  But, since I'm on this journey to post a blog every day this year, I can't just bail and let everyone down.  So, I've decided to share with you my other blog space.

I'm fortunate enough to be working with a wonderful foundation on a new concept which can benefit Buddy Walks across the nation, and part of my job is contributing to their blog.  Today during a conference call, I was referred to as the "resident blogger"...way cool!!  Please check out my very first blog post on the ds-connex blog.

I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  Until tomorrow, friends.

Break

While pondering what I should blog about this evening, my lovely husband suggested I write about how he so generously gave me a break this afternoon.  I enjoyed the support, so here goes...

Sunday.  A time to relax and gear up for the week ahead.  We begin our Sundays with church; it is a great way to refocus and find peace after a week of chaos, to recharge and prepare for the upcoming days.  This morning was no different.  We enjoyed a wonderful service, and were ready to head home and move on to the next part of our day (a trip to the library).

I should totally know, by now, that my best laid plans are quickly revised by Alex.

As we were making our way out of the church, Mr Alex decided (for a still unknown reason) that he wasn't ready to leave.  Instead, he apparently thought it would be more fun to drop to the floor and refuse to move. Good times.  We just started working with a behaviorist, who will hopefully guide us in maneuvering these tantrums, so I started to employ some of our newly learned tactics.  I let him tantrum.  Ad and I stood with him while he sat on the floor, letting him know that he could sit as long as he wanted, but we would still need to walk to the car to go home.  He was not impressed.  After about ten minutes, I was done.  Patience gone. I helped him to his feet and began to assist him in walking down the hall.  We made it a few steps and he dropped to a bench.  I decided to start over, and let him know that we needed to go to the car so we could go home.  This went on for a while, and then my patience was gone again.  I hoisted him up and began to carry him out to the car; this is not an easy task when you have 50 pounds of squirming, angry boy in your arms!

After another 10 minutes or so, we made it to the car.  Not without a scene in front of visitors to our church from Mexico, of course; it wouldn't happen any other way.  Ha!  At least I can giggle about what they must have been thinking as I struggled to get Alex to the car.  Oh, well.

When we finally made it to the car, Al would not get buckled.  At that point, I didn't care; we were in the car, and this introvert could, at long last, exhale.  Another 10 minutes went by, and Alex was buckled in his seat and ready to go.  It took us about a half hour to get to that point.

We made it home, and I went to find Mark (who had stayed home today), and I quickly told him that I was taking Addie out for a lunch date.  I needed to get away from the chaos, I was hungry, and I felt like Ad needed rewarded for not complaining once when we were dealing with Al's latest episode.  She helped carry our stuff to the car, she patiently waited, and I felt like treating her to lunch.

Mark instantly recognized that I needed a break, and he accepted the spontaneous change of our afternoon plans without question.  He's awesome like that.  He doesn't spend as much time with the kids, as he works full time (while I work part time and escort the kids to most of their after-school activities), so he doesn't get to deal with quite as many fits as I do.  He knows how much a well-timed getaway is needed to help restore my patience, so he encouraged us to go.

Ad and I had a lovely time at lunch; we did a little shopping, and we returned home.  I had a headache (go figure) and spent the rest of the day lounging on the couch, watching basketball.  I haven't had a "lazy day" in a long time.  It was nice.

I am very thankful to all of those in our lives that help and support us.  Alex can certainly be a handful sometimes (but mostly for me...go figure, again!).  I tend to play it off like it either doesn't happen as much, or that I can easily handle it, but the truth is that it is very difficult.  It wears on me.  But, because I have a partner who sees right through me and has the insight to not say a word when I decide on a whim to change our plans, I manage it.  If not for his support and understanding, this ride would be much wilder.

Now, I'm off to enjoy the last couple of hours of my "lazy day" so I can suit up and be ready to tackle the world tomorrow.

Hats

From the Duck Pond archives, this was originally posted over a year ago.  But, it's one of my favorite posts, so please indulge me in this "rerun".  

I have a huge head. Not as a result of an overactive ego, just a physically large head. Seems ironic and cruel that I love hats so much; I seem to be on a never ending quest to find a cute, stylish ladies’ hat that actually fits my head. Perhaps this is why I tend to take on so many projects: I want to figuratively “wear many hats”. My list of commitments seems overwhelming to most: stay-at-home-mom to three kids (although, we’re never actually at home), PTO Co-President, leadership representative with a direct sales company, board member, committee member, volunteer, fundraiser. I imagine each one of these as a different hat; some are bright with big feathers, others are more subdued. Perhaps my hardest earned hat is that of “advocate”; my oldest son has Down syndrome. This hat goes from conservative and understated to colorful and wild, depending on the day.

I advocate for my son so many levels. I work with his school to ensure he receives the proper education in an inclusive setting. I oversee his community activities to make sure he is treated as all the other children are treated. I watch him like a hawk on the playground or even in our neighborhood to make sure the other kids are including him in their games. As he gets older, I know it won’t get any easier; my advocacy efforts will focus on workplace equality, or making sure there is a place for him in continuing education opportunities. Sometimes I do these things gracefully and with a calm demeanor, while other times I am “that mom” who ends up taking out all the day’s frustrations on whatever issue is closest at hand with the awkward gusto of an irritated elephant. Either way, I get my point across…eventually. I like to consider myself a “pick your battles” kind of girl, but when it comes to advocating for my son, I will get my way. Patience is a good byproduct of advocacy, but not an easy learned lesson. For every “no” I hear, I have to revamp my argument and efforts until that “no” becomes a “yes”. It can be exhausting. I will do it, every time, if I truly believe that whatever it is I am fighting for will help Alex in any way. Small change or huge impact, I will do it.

I imagine my advocacy “hat” to be slightly tattered, and not as fancy as my other “hats”, but it is by far my favorite. I wear it proudly, and every time I see my son’s smile or hear his laugh, it mends itself and gives me strength to take on my next battle. And battle I will; you can bet your hat on it.

World Down Syndrome Day

Today (3/21) is World Down Syndrome Day.  What does that mean?  Well, it's a day to raise awareness, around the world, about Down syndrome.  It's a time to share about all the awesome accomplishments of individuals with Down syndrome.  It's an opportunity for advocates, like me, to try and show others that my son and his peers are equal and able members of our communities.

The most important thing you can do, to observe World Down Syndrome Day, is to think about how you might promote inclusion for an individual with Down syndrome.  Deep down, that is what every individual with Ds wants: to be regarded as a peer, as an equal participant, as someone who can contribute.  With the help of their families and friends, they are working so hard for inclusion, for something that anyone who is not considered "different" is readily handed.

We'll get there.  Some day, the voice of the Down syndrome community will be so powerful that we will help everyone understand how important inclusion is, not just for those with Ds and their families, but for everyone.  Inclusion matters.

#InclusionMatters

A Day in the Life of Alex

With World Down Syndrome Day now just hours away, I thought I would give you a glimpse into a typical day for Alex...

Morning
The alarm begins to go off at 6:40am.  That time typically comes way too early for me, but Alex is usually quick to hop out of bed.  Sure, he may grumble a bit, but he is generally ready to begin his day.  He heads downstairs to free his beloved dog, Maisey, from her crate and lets her outside in the backyard.  He waits for her, then lets her back inside and (with reminders) gives her breakfast and some fresh water.

By now, the other kids are also awake.  The noisy chaos is elevated, as we all scramble through our morning routines.  Alex tries to sneak some time on his iPad, and is none too pleased when I remind him that there should be no screen time until he is completely ready for school.  I remind him to use the bathroom and get dressed; Maisey dutifully accompanies him to the bathroom, under my supervision, then leads him back out to get dressed.

Once Alex and his siblings are dressed, they have their breakfast.  Alex likes to help prepare his scrambled eggs (under my close watch, using the microwave), and he likes to help the other kids with their breakfast, too.  As they eat, I make their lunches; Alex packs his lunch most days, but he has started buying on days when the cafeteria offerings are to his liking.

Soon after breakfast, the bus rolls up and carries Al and Ad off to school.  Andrew and I wrap up our morning agendas, then I drop him off at preschool and either head to work, or to complete the day's errands.
Afternoon
Alex spends most of his mornings and afternoons at school, in the third grade.  Several hours later, the bus returns Al & Addie and we all reconvene at home, and get ready for the late afternoon/evening activities (either appointments, sports, or dance).

Evening
Once those activities are complete, we return home again for homework, dinner, and baths.  Alex enjoys helping with dinner, and often helps to set and clear the table.  Shortly after dinner, we begin the bath rotation, and Alex sits down with his dad or I to complete his homework.  Once Andrew is sound asleep, it's Alex's turn to be tucked into his bed (as the boys share a room, and putting them to bed at the same time is counterproductive!).

Obviously, depending on the day, the month, and even the season, our days can vary.  But, what hopefully strikes you about Alex's schedule is how very similar it is to your family's schedules.  Alex goes to school, helps around the house, participates in activities after school, does homework, fights with his siblings...he does the things most third graders are doing.

So often, Alex gets compared to typically developing children, but only in the categories in which he differs from them (academics, speech abilities, fine and gross motor skills).  How many times, though, is he compared to his peers in every day tasks?  Not frequently.  If we thought about this, about how much he shares in common with everyone, we could all see how much more he is alike his peers than he is different.

This thought is something I hope you'll consider tomorrow, on World Down Syndrome Day.  Let's embrace our similarities, instead of focusing on our differences.  This is the way to a more inclusive community.

My Alex

Danger

This evening, I was fortunate enough to hear a presentation on Digital Danger by the Digital Innocence Recovery Group, a non-profit organization which offers programming to battle internet-related crimes.  My kids' school guidance counselor hosted this discussion, and I figured it would be worth my time to attend the meeting.  Even though my children are still pretty young, in terms of internet usage, I want to be as educated as possible in how I can keep them safe in the technological world.

The internet can offer amazing resources, and frankly, in order to find success as adults our children will need to be quite tech savvy; at least, they will have to be more tech savvy than some of us are now as adults.  It was sobering to hear, though, how easily a kid can screw up their future chances in education and employment by their online behavior.  Not only can they find themselves in trouble, they can also become a target of the evil that lurks on the internet, in far more ways than I cared to consider before tonight's discussion.

As daunting as all of this may seem, we can't shield our kids from technology.  Rather, it is imperative that we take an active role in their online activity.  Even now, with their limited use of technology at home, my kids know the rules.  I hold the password to the Apple IDs on their devices, so that they can't install any apps without my knowledge.  My daughter knows that her dad and I reserve the right to pick up her iPod Touch at any time and read through her texts.  She's had no issue with us doing that (her texts to friends are very sweet and innocent), but hopefully she realizes that this rule will continue for a long, long time.  My sons will have the same rules when they begin to text and more regularly use technology.  I'm quite certain, that as online resources continue to evolve, their list of rules will only grow.

Overprotective?  You better believe it.  Tonight's presentation opened my eyes to something very important: We can't completely restrict the kids' technological experiences, but instead, we have to inform them on how to be responsible digital citizens.

What's one more thing on the "How to Be a Good Parent" list?

Socks

Our socks from last year!

Ok, friends, a big day is coming up this week!  Friday, 3/21, is World Down Syndrome Day.  This is an opportunity for advocates of Down syndrome to join together and raise our voices in support of all those included in the Down syndrome community.

Part of this day is the Lots of Socks campaign.  To get people talking about Down syndrome awareness, we're encouraging everyone to wear fun, crazy, mismatched socks.  If somebody asks you why you're wearing colorful, silly socks, take that opportunity to share with them about World Down Syndrome Day (click here for some talking points).

If you are going to participate, I'd love to see photos of Lots of Socks!  I invite you to tweet them to me (@jnfranklin, with #TeamAlex), or post them on this Facebook page (be sure to "like" it first!).

I hope you'll join us!  I can't wait to see pictures.  Here's a sneak peek of the socks my boys will be wearing:

Andrew will wear the red/navy/beige socks; Al, the navy, turquoise/orange. 

Sláinte!

Yes, I'm typically one of "those" moms: the kind that can't let a holiday pass without making a fuss.  The overachieving, Pinterest-loving, stress-about-every-detail mom.  The more bad-ass mommy bloggers make fun of this type of mom, perhaps as a coping mechanism to make themselves feel better about not making such a fuss.

Let me clarify: I'm not judging, no matter which side of the situation you claim.  If you make a big to-do, fantastic.  If you don't, super.  Moving on...

In the midst of IEP meetings, my husband landing a fabulous new job, and our everyday chaos, I completely forgot to have the kids make leprechaun traps, buy shirts adorned with shamrocks, and dye their milk green. It just never occurred to me.  I started seeing the posts on Facebook last night, though, sharing adorable pictures of all of those things.

Oops.

Here's the thing, though: they did not even notice.  I did not feel bad about it.  Life went on.

I dug out green shirts for the kids to wear to school, and that's about the extent of our St Patrick's Day celebration.  Hey, at least they didn't spend the day getting pinched, right?

I guess the lesson I learned here is that I don't have to kill myself to create all these picture perfect holidays. The kids will still enjoy these "minor holidays", even without all the extra fuss.  I'll still put the effort forth for the big ones (I mean, at this point I can't abandon the elf hijinks in December), and maybe next year we'll at least hit the St Patty's Day parade.  But, the point is, if we don't do all these little things, we'll all survive.  I can give myself permission to skip one of these holidays, here and there, and our world won't collapse.  This realization alone makes this a lucky holiday for me.

I'll leave you with this:

"May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire."

Company

Ever watch that show on Food Network, Restaurant: Impossible?  Mark and I enjoy that show, and perhaps have seen too much of it, because I feel like I've lived it the last couple of days.  The premise is this: an expert in the restaurant industry takes a failing business and transforms it.  They spend two days cleaning, redecorating, and getting prepared to present the changes at a grand reopening.  I now know just how much work this entails.

We've had the pleasure of being part of a terrific small group from our church, and we meet once a month for dinner.  We offered to host this month's gathering several weeks ago, but it wasn't until last weekend that we started discovering all the updates we wanted to make before tonight's dinner.  Over the last few days, we've painted a wall in the living room, rehung pictures and paintings, hung new valances, and replaced outdoor light fixtures.  This was on top of our hectic schedules, and in addition to all the typical cleaning and food prep that goes into a dinner party.

It's not that we were concerned that our company would have been disappointed had the changes not been made to our house; they probably wouldn't have even noticed.  But, it was just the motivation we needed to tackle projects that have been on the never-ending home improvement list for months (or, um, years).  So, we finally made the decision to complete some projects, and I'm very pleased that we did.

More importantly, we had a great evening sharing good food and many laughs.  I say this after each of our dinner company gatherings, but it truly is a great way to start the week.

And hey, this time I get to enjoy our little improvements for many weeks to come.  Can't beat that.

Beware

March 15th.  The Ides of March.  Beware, indeed.

I'm fairly certain that my luck won't be quite as bad as Caesar's on this fateful day, but it did not get off to a super start.  Before I even had my coffee brewed, I had dumped chocolate milk all over my sleeve, and burned myself with some microwaved scrambled eggs (when you stir them up, they sometimes explode a bit...I got hit in the neck with a piece of hot, flying egg...it left a mark!).  Not a great beginning to the weekend.

I figured it had to get better, but I was trumped with a lovely tantrum, courtesy of Alex, when we picked Addie up from a Girl Scout event.  At that point, the chances of the day turning around were bleak.

So, we went for donuts.  Everything is better with donuts, no?  We'll go with that, for now, anyway.

Happy weekend, friends.

Jump!

This kid LOVES to jump at Sky Zone!

This evening, Alex attended the birthday party of a good friend.  He and several other friends celebrated their buddy's 10th birthday at Sky Zone.  After an hour of jumping from one trampoline to another, climbing in and out of foam pits, and playing a few games of air hockey, Al should be fairly worn out.

One would think so, anyway.

He even went to dance class right from the birthday party, so on top of all the jumping he danced for another hour.  He should be exhausted.  Alas, he is busy playing pretend with my cooking utensils as I type. Apparently, the wooden spoon does not want to marry the Pampered Chef spatula, and that is not going over well at all with the other kitchen gadgets.  Oh, the drama!

I wish I had that much energy left at the end of my day.  I am worn out.  To be fair, I am fighting off a head cold (with the crazy weather we've had, I can't believe I've held out this long), but still.  It's not even 9:30 on a Friday night and I am done.

Now if only I could convince Alex that he is done, too...

Update

I am now 72 days into my "Blog Every Day in 2014" project.  This initiative has lasted longer than the "Read More in 2014" and "Eat Well in 2014" and "Exercise More in 2014" plans.  There is still time to work on those three items, but by far, writing has certainly won out.

My blog has over 7600 page views now (less than half are mine, I promise!), and regularly logs 35-45 views per post.  Some entries garner more readers, but that's to be expected.  Not all of these posts can be home runs, right?  I never anticipated writing something good every day.

I'm hoping that as I continue to write, the stats of my little blog continue to climb.  I have a few things in store for this project.  I hope you'll stick around to see what those things might be.

Have a good night, friends.

Plants

Some people feel drawn towards saving cats; others, dogs.  Me?  Plants.  Over the last couple of years, I have developed an urge for adopting plants and giving them a good home.  (No, seriously.  Plants.)

I really don't even know what it is about plants, except that I find them soothing.  It's very curious, since I'm not a huge fan of being outside (having very fair skin makes spending time outside a bit daunting; five minutes in the summer sun makes for quick burns).  I think another part of it, at least for this year, can be attributed to the very (very!) long winter we've had.

Because the weather is just too unpredictable to start outdoor planting, I decided to bring in some new houseplants.  Andrew was with me last week when I selected the first of three; he was quite puzzled to learn that I wanted to give it a name.  I tried to explain that I think a plant will live longer if we name it, but I'm not certain that I convinced him.  He agreed anyway, and we brought home Harold.

Harold

While we were shopping for Harold, some lovely hanging plants caught my eye.  I wasn't quite certain where I would hang a plant, though, so we left that one there.  After thinking about it for a few days, I decided that my kitchen really needed a new accessory.  Off we went to purchase this beauty; she was named Matilda.

Matilda

And apparently because I need just one more living thing for which to be responsible, we brought Bert home yesterday (Andrew named this one all by himself). 

Bert

Hopefully, these three will get me through until I can plant some flowering plants outside this spring and summer.  I'd love to have a bigger plant to put in the corner of my living room, but I'm fairly certain that the dog would destroy it.  I think this little bit of green will give us just enough confidence that spring is truly on its way, bringing with it more sunshine, warm days, and blue skies.  Enough is enough of this winter.  

Paint

My husband and I are not DIYers.  It's unfortunate, because there are a lot of things that could use fixed around here.  We can do some basics, though, so I will be thankful for that.

We decided a while ago that some pictures on a wall in our living room needed to be reconfigured.  After a long winter of indoor basketball games, several pictures have fallen down.  But, while inspecting the wall, I discovered how beat up it was; I quickly determined that painting that one wall (as an "accent wall") would be way easier than trying to match the color of the other walls.  So, off we went to Lowe's to collect some paint color samples.

We landed on a purple shade, called "Crushed Grape".  I went back today and picked up all the supplies, then began the project this afternoon.  After taping off the baseboard and ceiling, I was ready to call it quits. But, I stuck it out and had the wall painted in less than an hour (hey, it's a big wall!).  I've had to touch it up a couple of times (as I sit here, I see another spot that needs touched up...this may never end!), and I figure I'll wait until tomorrow to peel all the tape off.  Fingers crossed that I didn't get it all over the ceiling and floor!

I think we're happy with the end result.  The other walls are a sandy-beige color, so the purple adds some warmth to the room.  It should all work together.  I'm anxious to get the pictures back up on the wall, and maybe someday I'll find some time to sit on the couch and enjoy the new look of our living room.

I may take back what I told Mark last night, though, about how I will just paint the trim on the exterior of the house by myself this summer.  It's been several years since I've painted a room (ok, like 11 years!), and I had forgotten how much work it can be.  Add the outdoor elements (weather, bugs, big ladder), and I think I'm better off calling around for estimates.

Some things just need to be left to professionals.  I'm ok with that.

Mondaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

Well, it was certainly a Monday.  The Monday after the spring time change, at that.  Blah.

I had another meeting at the school this morning, to discuss Alex's IEP for next year, then went straight to work.  Work was great, but right after I had to dash to the grocery store and beat the bus home.  Then, we had to pick up my other kiddo, inhale dinner, and make it over to an occupational therapy appointment by 6:30pm. Of course, it was well after 7:30pm before we got home, and nobody was willing to get ready for bed (as, in their little heads, it was still only 6:30pm).  On top of all the chaos, I still had work to do before I could wrap up my day.

So, here I am.  Fighting a head cold, exhausted (mentally and physically), and ready for bed.  This is about as good a blog as you'll get from me after a day like today.

Here's hoping tomorrow everyone is a bit more adjusted to the time change.  I do not need a repeat of today, that's for sure.

Good night!

Captured

Birthdays are a big deal in my family.

We like to get together and celebrate, even if it's just a made up occasion.  Well before my husband and I were married, he would joke that my family gets together for dinner if someone gets a hangnail (he's used to it by now, so no worries, ha!). We all have very busy schedules, so it's nice to gather together to share a meal and lots of laughs.  Birthdays are a great excuse to do just that.

Today, we celebrated my mom's birthday.  We gathered at my parents' house, after church, for lunch (and of course cake and ice cream!).  It was low-key, yet festive all the same.  The kids love getting together to play; all six grandkids, ages 10 and younger, were there.  It was loud and fun, and they should all sleep well tonight.

I tend to take a lot of pictures at these gatherings; after all, the kids will never again be exactly the way they were at the moment the photo was snapped.  The next time we meet for a birthday, or even just a random family dinner, they will be a little taller, a little older, a bit more wise.  I want to try and remember how each of my kids, as well as my nephew and nieces, were today, and every time we get together as a family.

I hope that we'll fondly look back at the photos some day, laughing and remembering.  I know that I love to look back through old photos, so maybe the kids will also enjoy doing that when they are older.  If they will, I'll be ready.  I've done my best in capturing all their funny and/or cute moments, so they will have many, many photos to flip through when they are my age and looking back on their childhood.

That is, if I remember to get them off my camera, print them, and organize them.  It may be easier to just hand them the old phone, eh?

Memories are memories, either way.  Have a great week, friends.

Daylight

I'm sure we've all been reminded, at least once already, that Daylight Savings begins tomorrow.  I dread this day every year.

My husband is always the first to disagree with me when I start complaining about the time change.  He, like most others, look forward to having extra daylight in the spring evenings.  To me, it's not worth the meltdowns that always follow the annual springing ahead.  The kids will be a mess, for at least a month.  This year, my daughter has standardized testing at school the first week of Daylight Savings (great planning there!), and we have a very busy after school schedule this week.  We'll be (more!) exhausted by Friday, for sure.

But hey, we'll be exhausted in more daylight, I guess.

I enjoy spring, and I do look forward to summer (kind of...I don't like weather extremes, so the super hot weather is almost as unappealing as the super cold).  I just wish we could do all this without screwing with my kids schedules.

That's not asking for too much, right?  Add it to my list, please.

Neverending

Wow.  It's been a long week.

It wasn't necessarily a bad week, just long and trying.  We've added a couple new things to our after-school schedule, and that has thrown us for a loop, I guess.  When you throw cabin fever in there, it takes a toll. I anticipate that next week will also feel like it will never end, because of the time change (Daylight Savings is evil, I don't care what you say) and the testing the kids will have at school.  I'm hoping the moon won't also be full.  I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

I was excited for today to be Friday, even though we just got home after a full day.  Having warm-ish weather and sunshine today, and knowing that we don't have to get up early tomorrow morning, made it easier to reach the finish line of this long week.  We spent a little bit of time outside after school, which was terrific; the kids and the dog got to expend some of their cooped up energy, which is something we've missed doing the last couple of months.  Hopefully they will all sleep well tonight!

Even though it felt like the week would never end, I'm thankful for our full schedules.  It means that we are fortunate and blessed.  Al now has therapy two days a week after school, and the kids all have dance classes.  Pretty soon, Al will start track and field practice for Special Olympics, as well as Miracle League baseball, and Andrew's t-ball season will gear up in April.  Having such full schedules means that we are healthy and able to keep up with it.  I won't complain.

Well, not too much.

Battles

I'm a pick-your-battles kind of mom.

Sure, the house is usually a mess, and it's always very loud, but my kids (typically) have good manners. I may have to make a round of chicken nuggets at dinner, but they (mostly) do their homework on time.  They know what is important to us (respect, dependability, and honesty, to name a few), and they carry through on those things.

I simply don't have the time or energy to fight every single battle with these kids.  I can either pick and choose my fights and enjoy their childhood, or I can play drill sergeant and nitpick every last detail to try and create "perfect" children.  The latter does not sound the least bit appealing, so I have to let some things go.

Obviously, it might sometimes be nice to have impeccably behaved children, who ate everything placed on a plate in front of them and never left a trace through the house.  In fact, some days, that sounds heavenly. But, after thinking about it, I realized how very dull our day-to-day lives would be if this was the case at our house.  Our kids are who they are because we allow them to be themselves.  Sure, they find themselves in trouble sometimes (more often than not, some days!) for mouthing off or having an attitude, or for making a ridiculous mess and then walking away, but all in all, they need to have some freedom to express themselves. If that means that the house will be untidy sometimes, fine.

When you're a parent, you make many sacrifices.  It just comes with the territory.  My kids know the importance of respecting everybody, period.  They say "please" and "thank you" without being prompted. My daughter understands, and the boys are starting to learn, that when you say you'll do something, you do it.  I will gladly sacrifice a spotless, quiet house and foodie kids in exchange for those things.

I'm sure that as they get older, the battles I choose will change.  There will probably be more things to fight. I feel confident, though, that I will still be selective in which issues I battle.  I want to enjoy the kids while they are kids, and I feel like this is a good step towards doing that.

Words

Today, 3/5/14, is a day to raise awareness: Spread the Word to End the Word.  If you've not yet heard of this campaign, you can find all the details at www.r-word.org.

The "r-word".  This is the focus of this campaign.  You've all heard it; you may have even said it.  I have, before I ever learned how hurtful it can be.  The purpose of a day like today is to share what I've learned about using such hateful language, even if you never intend any harm.  Most people who say the r-word don't have ill intentions; I'm here to tell you, though, that it is hurtful, and it is wrong.

This isn't the first year I've recognized this campaign, or blogged about it, or posted about it on my Facebook and Twitter pages.  I will continue to help Spread the Word, though, until more people are willing to admit that the use of any hurtful language is inappropriate.  I've had lengthy debates with people over this, and I've heard a lot attempts to defend this word: "You can't ban words, that's ridiculous", "You take this too personally", "That word is still used in a clinical setting!", or "It's just a word". I could go on, but I think my favorite is "I'm sick of having to be so 'PC' all the time".

Let me tell you about being politically correct.

I'm sick of hearing people complain about it.  You know what it comes down to?  RESPECT.  Easy as that. If we truly respected each other enough to stop making ignorant choices in our language, then there wouldn't be such a cry for everyone to be "politically correct".  Instead, we could just call it "just being nice".  (This rant goes well beyond the use of the r-word.  We'll revisit this in a later post, I'm sure...)

I fear that it will be a long time before advocates like myself can relax and pat ourselves on the back because everyone is just being nice to each other.  I'm not naive enough to believe that this will be a short-lived campaign.  It will take a lot of diligent work, which is sometimes awkward; have you ever called anyone out for using the r-word?  Or any inappropriate slur?  It's not easy.  It sometimes causes conflict, and embarrassment.  It must be done, though.  It doesn't have to be a huge confrontation; a simple, quiet, yet direct statement does the trick: "I think you would like to know that using that word is not appropriate.  It's hurtful and unnecessary." And then move on.  There's no reason to dwell on it.  Hopefully, the person who used the word will then stop to think before they say it again.  If they don't, you've at least planted a seed. That's where it begins.

Alex has taught me a lot in his nine and a half years, much more than I feel I've taught him.  I've become a more understanding person, more patient, and more passionate about standing up for issues that are important.  This is a big one.  When people use the r-word, they are insulting my son, and they are belittling all the hard work he has put forth just to keep up.  I will not stand for it.  He may not be able to speak up about this just yet, but I certainly can.

I wouldn't tolerate the use of any slurs in my presence.  Again, it comes back to that little seen attribute, respect.  Hearing the r-word, though, launches me to the top of my soap box, and I won't come down until I've let you know about it.

Save me a trip to my perch on that soap box, would you?  Go to www.r-word.org and take the pledge. Share it on your Facebook and Twitter pages.  Help us Spread the Word to End the Word.

Hair

I took Addie to get her hair trimmed tonight.  She's needed this for quite a while, but has balked at the thought of a haircut because she wants to have long hair.  It was to the point, though, of looking scraggly and out of control, so I was happy that I finally convinced her to get the trim.

I started thinking about how obsessed we are, as a culture, with our hair.  Too much hair, not enough, none at all.  Too gray, too treated, too trendy, not trendy enough.  Where does it end?  When my seven year old has very definitive thoughts about how she should wear her hair, is that too young to care?  We've tried to teach all the kids that how a person look doesn't matter, but some of the cultural influences have obviously started to creep in.  I'll admit it, I've gotten on Ad's case for messy hair, but that is because I want her to learn to take care of herself.  If I say something to her, she brushes her hair, then slides a headband on or clips her hair out of her eyes, and we move on with our day.  I ask that all my kids have clean and tidy appearances, and hopefully that isn't feeding into a future unhealthy obsession.

We're all guilty of having a certain fascination with our hair.  We assign it a big piece of our identity.  I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with this; I'm just curious as to why this might be.  It's traumatic when we lose our hair, for whatever reason.  Many of us put a lot of thought into how we wear our hair.  I tend to change mine as often as I can, giving the guy who styles it free reign (almost) with the color and style.  My philosophy is this: it will grow back, and if I'm going to pay that much money to have it done, then I want people to notice.  Plus, it's way easier and far less painful to change my hair style than it is to drop ten pounds.  Right?  Right.

I'm quite certain this isn't the first episode Addie will have in dealing with her appearance.  I'm all for letting her have control over it (as long as she is respectful), but I do hope she takes it easy on herself.  Easier said than done, I know.

Selfie

Selfie.  Such a strange weird, no?  Our culture has become obsessed with them.  It seems quite vain to post photos of ourselves, either alone or with friends, but we do it anyway.  It's fun.  I'm guilty of doing it.  I mean, how else am I going to get feedback on a new haircut, or show off how artistic I can be with my iPhone camera as I sit out in the sun?

I watched last night as Ellen challenged the world to retweet the now famous Celebrity Selfie from the Oscars.  I played along; I mean, when Ellen says to do something, you just do it.  It was a silly, fun moment during an event that has been terribly dry in the past.  It kept us watching.  Now, what they should have done was have that photo printed, then had everyone in it sign their name, and they could have auctioned that thing off for a ton of money which could have then been donated to one of the charities supported by the people in that picture.  (You can tell that Team Alex will kick off in just 18 days...everything is a fundraising idea right now...)

For those of us who are always snapping the photos of our families and friends, selfies are important pieces of our own history.  Without them, there may be zero pictures of us.  I never think to ask someone to take a photo of me with my family; instead, I'm just taking a picture of them.  Now, though, it's too easy to just turn the camera around, grab one of the kids, make a funny face, and boom...instant memory.

So, yes, selfies are fun, and it's a trend in which I partake, but seriously, could we not come up with a better name for it?  I'm not even certain what would be better, but there has to be something.  I'll keep thinking on that, but until that lightening bolt strikes, here's a cute selfie that my Addie and I took just a while ago.

Oscars

Sunday nights: a time to relax and prepare for the week ahead.  And, once a year, it's (finally!) time to watch the Academy Awards.

I love award shows; we've established that.  The Oscars lend a certain glamour and sophistication to the award show season, though.  They may not be the most fun show, but it's a must-watch when you're a die-hard fan.

You may recall that I refused to watch last year's Oscars.  I was unhappy with the choice of host, and I wasn't going to waste my time watching something that I knew would only irritate me.  This year, though...perfection.  I absolutely adore Ellen DeGeneres; I would watch her read a grocery list.  To be completely honest, I have not yet watched any of the nominated films, but I'll still watch tonight because I love her so.  I also enjoy critiquing all the fashion choices, and I also like watching the acceptance speeches. Yes, it's all complete fluff, and has no impact on my personal life.  But, it's an escape from my daily stresses that I desperately need to stay sane.

So, tonight I'll curl up with a snack and the tv and stay up way too late to watch the last of the award shows for this season.  I can't think of a nicer way to start the crazy, busy week.

Movie

We finally had the opportunity to take the kids to see The Lego Movie today.  They have been anxious to go see it, but our busy schedules have caused a delay.

We opted to see the film in 3D, as we arrived to the theatre closer to the beginning of that showing than the 2D.  The cost for a family of five to see a 3D movie?  $53.  I'm sorry, but that is obscene.  We typically wait until movies go to the "cheap theatre" before we see a kids' movie, because it's way cheaper (usually around $24 for all five of us, including concessions!), and the kids rarely sit through an entire film.  It's just more practical to wait a little while longer to see a movie instead of paying ridiculous ticket prices.  Again, though, they were really excited to see this particular movie, so we splurged.

We bypassed concessions this time, though; they had snacked all day, and I may have tucked a few treats into my purse, so they were just fine without popcorn and slushies.  The movie kept them pretty occupied, and they really didn't even miss the extra junk food.

I thought the story was entertaining enough, although I felt the ending was a little over their heads.  Visually, there was enough going on to keep them engaged in the story, and two of the three kids enjoyed it.  My oldest, however, decided that napping through the end of the movie was a better use of his time.  Eh, well, at least he was quiet.

All in all, I'm happy the kids got to see the movie today.  They'll get to discuss the film with their friends at school next week, and I'm guessing they will continue to reenact their favorite scenes.  I do hope, though, that they stop singing that song.  I'm already over it.