The Knighting...
The Witnesses...
Ahhh... there's nothing like a knight in shining grey, denim, and tennis shoes... lest we forget the paper crown...Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Michael's 12th Birthday Bash
The Decree...
The Knighting... The Witnesses...
Ahhh... there's nothing like a knight in shining grey, denim, and tennis shoes... lest we forget the paper crown...
The Knighting... The Witnesses... Ahhh... there's nothing like a knight in shining grey, denim, and tennis shoes... lest we forget the paper crown...
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Michael's First Concert
Alec Shlinkert took Michael to his first concert ever as an early birthday present. They went to see Plain White T's and Fall Out Boy. All I can say is... Alec's mom is a very brave woman. She took the boys along with her other son, Michael, and a couple of his friends. She brought along earplugs which were used by her, Alec, and my Michael. He had a great time! He said he stood up and jumped and waved his arms just about the whole time. His ears were ringing after he got home even though he wore the earplugs. He just didn't understand why it had to be THAT loud! Lol! Isn't that special?!?
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Whiplash
Well, Tabitha's not okay. She has whiplash. Dr. West is sending her to physical therapy and she will be out of cheerleading for 2 to 3 weeks.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Tabitha Had a Wreck Today
Tabitha's okay. The girl she hit is okay. But, I'm sure the owner of the black car wished she had paid a little more attention to the light.
Alberto was kind enough to take pictures.
Alberto was kind enough to take pictures.
Tabitha was coming home from school because she didn't feel well. Her light was green. The lady in the black car turned across traffic in front of Tabitha. She laid on her horn, but the lady didn't stop.
Now the lady is claiming she had a green arrow. Hmmm.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Happy Mothers Day
A good friend sent this to me, and I felt it was well worth sharing.
All my babies are grown now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like. Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past. Everything in all the books I once poured over is finished for me now. Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education, have all grown obsolete. Along with Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages, dust would rise like memories. What those books taught me, finally, and what the women on the playground taught me, and the well-meaning relations --what they taught me, was that they couldn't really teach me very much at all. Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything. One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2. When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome. To a new parent this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually the research will follow. I remember 15 years ago poring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet, and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I insane? Last year he went to China. Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too. Every part of raising children is humbling, too. Believe me, mistakes were made. They have all been enshrined in the, "Remember-When-Mom-Did Hall of Fame." The outbursts, the temper tantrums, the bad language, mine, not theirs. The times the baby fell off the bed. The times I arrived late for preschool pickup. The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp. The day when the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her geography test, and I responded, "What did you get wrong?". (She insisted I include that.) The time I ordered food at the McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking? But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less. Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top. And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity. That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts. It just took me a while to figure out who the experts were.
-Anna Quindlen, Newsweek Columnist and Author
All my babies are grown now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like. Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past. Everything in all the books I once poured over is finished for me now. Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education, have all grown obsolete. Along with Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages, dust would rise like memories. What those books taught me, finally, and what the women on the playground taught me, and the well-meaning relations --what they taught me, was that they couldn't really teach me very much at all. Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything. One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2. When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome. To a new parent this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually the research will follow. I remember 15 years ago poring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet, and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I insane? Last year he went to China. Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too. Every part of raising children is humbling, too. Believe me, mistakes were made. They have all been enshrined in the, "Remember-When-Mom-Did Hall of Fame." The outbursts, the temper tantrums, the bad language, mine, not theirs. The times the baby fell off the bed. The times I arrived late for preschool pickup. The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp. The day when the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her geography test, and I responded, "What did you get wrong?". (She insisted I include that.) The time I ordered food at the McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking? But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less. Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top. And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity. That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts. It just took me a while to figure out who the experts were.
-Anna Quindlen, Newsweek Columnist and Author
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Happy Easter!
We had a great Easter at Charlie's parents' house today. Alberto even joined us. I forgot my camera, but I should get some pictures later from Karen and Shirley.
Michael update... they found nothing wrong with him. I am waiting for them to call me back to tell me what to do next. He has a 6 month check up appt. with the Endocrinologist tomorrow. We will make sure he is growing like he is supposed to.
I'm going to a new doctor tomorrow. He's supposed to be able to cure you from the things you are allergic to. Wish me luck!
Michael update... they found nothing wrong with him. I am waiting for them to call me back to tell me what to do next. He has a 6 month check up appt. with the Endocrinologist tomorrow. We will make sure he is growing like he is supposed to.
I'm going to a new doctor tomorrow. He's supposed to be able to cure you from the things you are allergic to. Wish me luck!
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Acid Reflux?
Michael made it to school last Friday. He even made it to school yesterday. He didn't make it today, though. Enough is enough. I made a doctor appointment to get down to the bottom of this. They stuck giant cotton swabs down his throat to check for strep. They had him pee in a cup. They took 4 tubes of blood from his little bitty arm to test for allergies to wheat, gluten (hmm... sounds familiar) and several other things, Crohn's disease, and I can't remember them all. They took x-rays of his sinuses and ruled out an impacted sinus cavity. Dr. Holland gave him Flonase for his allergies. She said that was most likely what was causing the headaches. She told us to start him on Prilosec, put him on only bland foods, and no carbonated drinks. We also have to return next Tuesday at 7:30am for an abdominal sonogram and something called a KUB which is apparently an x-ray of his abdomen.
When he went to bed tonight, he said it felt like someone was stabbing him in his stomach. I gave him a Zantac because we can't start the Prilosec until tomorrow morning. It could still take up to 4 days for it to make any difference when he does start taking it.
Let's pray he can get up and go to school tomorrow!
When he went to bed tonight, he said it felt like someone was stabbing him in his stomach. I gave him a Zantac because we can't start the Prilosec until tomorrow morning. It could still take up to 4 days for it to make any difference when he does start taking it.
Let's pray he can get up and go to school tomorrow!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Tabitha and Alberto
Here is a picture of Tabitha and her new dark hair with Al. Why the dark hair you ask? She wanted to match her eyebrows. Thought you might enjoy this picture while I update our Spring Break Vacation. 
Michael stayed home sick today... again. He missed Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday so far this week. He believes he can handle going tomorrow. We'll see...
Michael stayed home sick today... again. He missed Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday so far this week. He believes he can handle going tomorrow. We'll see...Sunday, March 11, 2007
Red River Vacation, Day 2
We got up and headed to Red River this morning. My neck is hurting so Lisa will drive Charlie's truck today. 
The girls want the truck because there is more room in the back seat. 
Charlie will ride with Danny in Lisa's Camry with the boys in the back seat. 
Somewhere along the way, Tabitha decided to moon the boys. Michael and Daniel both came on the radio saying they were scarred for life. Lisa and I laughed for miles at the thought of our boys "freaking out" at the sight of a girl's behind. In a few years they'll be wishing to see it.
There is some spot along the way that stinks to high heaven. There are thousands of cows and they let it be known that this is their home. I have never smelled anything so horrible for so many miles in my life!
We stopped at a Dairy Queen along the way somewhere to use the bathroom. The place was packed and I saw at least one Arlington High School sweatshirt on a boy inside. Small world.
It seemed like the drive would never end, and then we came along to some beautiful snow scenery.
We drove through some of the windingest roads I have ever seen. They went on for miles. Some spots were only wide enough for one vehicle to go through. It seemed like we were in the backwoods or something. We saw maybe 2 other cars on the road the whole time we were on this stretch. We were on these winding roads for so long, the girls had to get out and make yellow snow by the side of the road. We lost the boys and we lost radio contact when we stopped. Thankfully, they pulled over and waited for us.
The girls want the truck because there is more room in the back seat. Charlie will ride with Danny in Lisa's Camry with the boys in the back seat. Somewhere along the way, Tabitha decided to moon the boys. Michael and Daniel both came on the radio saying they were scarred for life. Lisa and I laughed for miles at the thought of our boys "freaking out" at the sight of a girl's behind. In a few years they'll be wishing to see it.There is some spot along the way that stinks to high heaven. There are thousands of cows and they let it be known that this is their home. I have never smelled anything so horrible for so many miles in my life!
We stopped at a Dairy Queen along the way somewhere to use the bathroom. The place was packed and I saw at least one Arlington High School sweatshirt on a boy inside. Small world.
It seemed like the drive would never end, and then we came along to some beautiful snow scenery.
We drove through some of the windingest roads I have ever seen. They went on for miles. Some spots were only wide enough for one vehicle to go through. It seemed like we were in the backwoods or something. We saw maybe 2 other cars on the road the whole time we were on this stretch. We were on these winding roads for so long, the girls had to get out and make yellow snow by the side of the road. We lost the boys and we lost radio contact when we stopped. Thankfully, they pulled over and waited for us.When we finally arrived at the condo, 
Lisa told Danny that he signed for the wrong room. Danny just looked at her and said, "What's the difference?" So, I signed for room 216, got the keys and away we went. Lisa and Danny had the keys to room 212, with Lisa griping at Danny all the way out. Now, the way we had planned this, Michael and Daniel were supposed to stay with Lisa and Danny in their 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo. Tabitha and Katie were supposed to stay with me and Charlie in our 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo. Upon entering the rooms, we discovered that one of the "bedrooms" was off the main living area with no privacy. 
Condo 212 is on the outside of the building facing the back of the main condo building. There is a balcony, but you have to go out on the balcony and turn to your left to see the pool and the beautiful mountain view. There is a flat fireplace on one wall, and the closets are small. There is a small tv hanging from the wall. There is also a lot of noise coming from the condo above. Condo 216 is on the outside of the building facing the mountain. You can see the view from the big picture window on the side wall and from the balcony. 
There is a corner fireplace with 2 sides and a small hearth. There is a large tv hanging from the wall with a built-in DVD player and VCR. There is a long closet in the hallway with mirrored doors. There is another long closet in the main room where the "bedroom" part is, and another large closet in the actual bedroom. There is no noise coming from the condo above. Hmmm... I think I see why Lisa was telling Danny that he signed for the wrong room. She wanted the nicer room... I mean, this is her anniversary weekened, right? I have no problem with this. So, I tell Tabitha that we will just take condo 212 instead. Now Tabitha is upset. She also wants the nicer condo and this is her birthday present, so she wants her way. I have a headache and don't really care where I sleep... I just need something to eat. We didn't stop for lunch again.
With a lot of considering and contemplating... this is how it worked out. Lisa and Danny moved into the bedroom in condo 216. Michael and Daniel moved onto the couch in condo 216 (it folded out into a bed). Charlie and I got the main room "bedroom" in condo 216. Tabitha and Katie got condo 212 all to themselves. So we have 4 adults and 2 children sharing one bathroom, and 2 teenage girls sharing 1 bathroom. That works out. The girls took one of the 2-way radios to their room so we could stay in contact all the time. Mostly we were together, but during the night, we wanted the girls to be able to get ahold of us in case they had an emergency. We also kept a key to their room so we could bolt in on them at any time.
Now that the room situation was settled, we decided to venture out to see where we wanted to eat dinner. First we went to Texas Red's. There was an hour wait. My headache was not getting any better, so we left. We walked down the street, took a few pictures and headed for the Timbers restaurant.
No waiting here. Yeah! 
Michael and Daniel enjoyed playing bandits while we waited for our meal. 
We had a balcony seat, which was nice, except people kept coming up behind us and the railing, so we had to scoot our seats forward, so they could go out on the balcony outside to take pictures. 
During the meal, one of the waitresses asked if she could prop the door open because the staff was hot. I said no. There was a 30 to 40 degree wind that blew in every time someone opened the door. We would have been miserable. She was not happy about my answer, but I didn't care. She wasn't going to make us uncomfortable.
After dinner, we went to the grocery store and picked up a few items. We wanted to stock up for breakfasts and lunches in the coming days. Danny and the boys went to the candy store to stock up. We carried our goodies back to the room and settled in for the night.
Lisa told Danny that he signed for the wrong room. Danny just looked at her and said, "What's the difference?" So, I signed for room 216, got the keys and away we went. Lisa and Danny had the keys to room 212, with Lisa griping at Danny all the way out. Now, the way we had planned this, Michael and Daniel were supposed to stay with Lisa and Danny in their 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo. Tabitha and Katie were supposed to stay with me and Charlie in our 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo. Upon entering the rooms, we discovered that one of the "bedrooms" was off the main living area with no privacy. Condo 212 is on the outside of the building facing the back of the main condo building. There is a balcony, but you have to go out on the balcony and turn to your left to see the pool and the beautiful mountain view. There is a flat fireplace on one wall, and the closets are small. There is a small tv hanging from the wall. There is also a lot of noise coming from the condo above. Condo 216 is on the outside of the building facing the mountain. You can see the view from the big picture window on the side wall and from the balcony. There is a corner fireplace with 2 sides and a small hearth. There is a large tv hanging from the wall with a built-in DVD player and VCR. There is a long closet in the hallway with mirrored doors. There is another long closet in the main room where the "bedroom" part is, and another large closet in the actual bedroom. There is no noise coming from the condo above. Hmmm... I think I see why Lisa was telling Danny that he signed for the wrong room. She wanted the nicer room... I mean, this is her anniversary weekened, right? I have no problem with this. So, I tell Tabitha that we will just take condo 212 instead. Now Tabitha is upset. She also wants the nicer condo and this is her birthday present, so she wants her way. I have a headache and don't really care where I sleep... I just need something to eat. We didn't stop for lunch again.With a lot of considering and contemplating... this is how it worked out. Lisa and Danny moved into the bedroom in condo 216. Michael and Daniel moved onto the couch in condo 216 (it folded out into a bed). Charlie and I got the main room "bedroom" in condo 216. Tabitha and Katie got condo 212 all to themselves. So we have 4 adults and 2 children sharing one bathroom, and 2 teenage girls sharing 1 bathroom. That works out. The girls took one of the 2-way radios to their room so we could stay in contact all the time. Mostly we were together, but during the night, we wanted the girls to be able to get ahold of us in case they had an emergency. We also kept a key to their room so we could bolt in on them at any time.
Now that the room situation was settled, we decided to venture out to see where we wanted to eat dinner. First we went to Texas Red's. There was an hour wait. My headache was not getting any better, so we left. We walked down the street, took a few pictures and headed for the Timbers restaurant.
No waiting here. Yeah! Michael and Daniel enjoyed playing bandits while we waited for our meal. We had a balcony seat, which was nice, except people kept coming up behind us and the railing, so we had to scoot our seats forward, so they could go out on the balcony outside to take pictures. During the meal, one of the waitresses asked if she could prop the door open because the staff was hot. I said no. There was a 30 to 40 degree wind that blew in every time someone opened the door. We would have been miserable. She was not happy about my answer, but I didn't care. She wasn't going to make us uncomfortable.After dinner, we went to the grocery store and picked up a few items. We wanted to stock up for breakfasts and lunches in the coming days. Danny and the boys went to the candy store to stock up. We carried our goodies back to the room and settled in for the night.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Red River Vacation, Day 1
Charlie took Kimie over to Grandma and Pops' house, I took Michael to Lisa's work, and Julie (Pug Mom) came and picked up Rocky last night. It was a very quiet evening at home.
We left the house about 8:45 this morning and after a quick stop at the post office to mail our tax return, headed straight to McDonald's for breakfast. Lisa called us before we got out of the drive through and said they were somewhere in McKinney and had already eaten their McDonald's.
It was a pretty uneventful drive. The girls talked for awhile, and then requested music.
We left the house about 8:45 this morning and after a quick stop at the post office to mail our tax return, headed straight to McDonald's for breakfast. Lisa called us before we got out of the drive through and said they were somewhere in McKinney and had already eaten their McDonald's.
It was a pretty uneventful drive. The girls talked for awhile, and then requested music.
Tabitha and Krysten were texting and discovered that Krysten was in Decatur at the Whataburger as we were driving through Decatur.
We met up with Danny, Lisa, Daniel, and Michael at a gas station on the other side of Wichita Falls. 
We all had a potty and junk food break and hit the road. We let Danny take the lead because he had a radar detector. We passed by an 18-wheeler hauling hay on the side of the road. He was surrounded by a fire truck and several police cars because his load of hay was on fire. At this point, we passed Lisa and Danny when there was a cop on the other side of the road giving someone a ticket. Danny slowed down, but Charlie sped up. Danny pointed him out, but Charlie kept on going. This started a race between Danny and Charlie and we got up to 100 mph going down the freeway. Lisa and I were talking to each other on 2-way radios and screaming. It was fun and scary at the same time.
We made it to Amarillo around 3:00, checked in, rested a little and headed to dinner. We didn't stop for lunch so we were all very hungry. We ate at The Big Texan. 
Home of the free 72 oz steak (if you can eat it in an hour). That sucker was huge. 
Our waitress was an idiot, but the food was good. 
The boys got free hats with their meals. 
We enjoyed the gift shop and we were very thankful we went early because the line to get in the restaurant was out the door when we left. Lisa and Danny dropped Tabitha and Katie off at the mall. They were headed back to the hotel to have some alone time on their 17th wedding anniversary. We took the boys back to our room. We decided to walk to the movie theater behind the hotel to see "Wild Hogs". When it was time to go to the movie, the girls called and were ready to leave the mall. We couldn't send Lisa and Danny back to pick them up, so Charlie went. We had to go to a later movie. The theater was packed and we had to sit on the 2nd row under the screen. It wasn't comfortable, but the movie was hilarious!!!
We walked back in the freezing cold to the hotel. Lisa and Tabitha were jumping on our bed.
Apparently, this is their wide awake time. We visited for a while and then Michael wanted to get online to play Runescape. Just a lazy evening in the hotel room.
We were awakened at 2:00 am by screaming girls and slamming doors. The teenagers next door apparently had no adult supervision. We discussed what to do... bang on the wall, call the front desk, scream at them through the wall... finally Charlie got up and went over and knocked on their door. They didn't answer, but they looked through the peep hole. This got their attention, because there was no more noise after that.
Peaceful sleep...
Monday, February 12, 2007
Anniversary Dinner
We had a nice Anniversary Dinner last night at Salt Grass Steak House. There were 8 of us: Charlie, me, Michael, Tabitha, Al, Charles, Shirley, & Charles' Aunt Cleo. I don't remember meeting her before, but I like her. She is very sweet. Her daughter, Sabre, just passed away and she is spending a little time with Charles & Shirley. The meal was delicious!
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Happy 18th Anniversary to Us!
Tomorrow is our 18th wedding anniversary! In honor of this occasion, we bought ourselves a Dyson Animal DC17 today! Isn't that exciting?!? We have taken turns vacuuming today and have picked up so much stuff that we actually clogged it... yes, we clogged a Dyson. Should I send them a letter? Naw... who wants to publicize they have that much dirt and dog hair in their carpet? Not me.
We bought Michael his first BB gun last Sunday. A Buck rifle. I think it took him all of five minutes to break the mechanism you use to pump the air into the rifle. I took it back the next day and exchanged it for the next bigger rifle... the Red Ryder. Do you remember this name from the movie"A Christmas Story"? Same rifle Ralphie wanted, except now the pump is plastic instead of metal and if you leave the safety on when you go to pump it, it will break. That is what Michael did to the first one. The Red Ryder is still in one piece... so far.
He was practicing shooting it everyday while it was warm. We put some cans in the creek behind the house and he was shooting them off the rocks into the creek. Visions of "Lucas McCain" in "The Rifleman" came wafting through my brain. Remember how he would walk and pump and shoot all at the same time? Michael has to put the butt of the gun on the ground between his feet, then use both hands to pump the gun. His arm and shoulder and back has been hurting. I told him he is really building those muscles up to be able to do what "The Rifleman" could do. I need to look on TV Land and see if they are running that show so I can record it for him. I think he would like to see that.
Tabitha is going out with Al again. I guess for about a month this time so far. She says he is trying really hard this time. I think she has already given him too many chances, but she says she is "in love". He actually came over to the house this week to see her because she was sick. He didn't say I was mean to him this time either. Amazing. He likes to play Michael's new Wii, so we may be seeing more of Tabitha at home if Al comes over to play video games.
Rick sent pictures from our get-together around Christmas at his and Pam's lovely new home. This is my favorite.
We bought Michael his first BB gun last Sunday. A Buck rifle. I think it took him all of five minutes to break the mechanism you use to pump the air into the rifle. I took it back the next day and exchanged it for the next bigger rifle... the Red Ryder. Do you remember this name from the movie"A Christmas Story"? Same rifle Ralphie wanted, except now the pump is plastic instead of metal and if you leave the safety on when you go to pump it, it will break. That is what Michael did to the first one. The Red Ryder is still in one piece... so far.
He was practicing shooting it everyday while it was warm. We put some cans in the creek behind the house and he was shooting them off the rocks into the creek. Visions of "Lucas McCain" in "The Rifleman" came wafting through my brain. Remember how he would walk and pump and shoot all at the same time? Michael has to put the butt of the gun on the ground between his feet, then use both hands to pump the gun. His arm and shoulder and back has been hurting. I told him he is really building those muscles up to be able to do what "The Rifleman" could do. I need to look on TV Land and see if they are running that show so I can record it for him. I think he would like to see that.
Tabitha is going out with Al again. I guess for about a month this time so far. She says he is trying really hard this time. I think she has already given him too many chances, but she says she is "in love". He actually came over to the house this week to see her because she was sick. He didn't say I was mean to him this time either. Amazing. He likes to play Michael's new Wii, so we may be seeing more of Tabitha at home if Al comes over to play video games.
Rick sent pictures from our get-together around Christmas at his and Pam's lovely new home. This is my favorite.
Almost everyone is smiling... and you can almost see Colton's face!
One of the private schools in Arlington is going Charter next year. I went ahead and put in an application for Michael. I think smaller classrooms would be good for him. We'll see what happens.
We finished all 30 of Michael's DSL sessions. He is still supposed to go back for a listening test, but he seems to be doing well so far. He still says he hates school every day, but nobody is attacking him and he's not having meltdowns after school... or at any other time. Yay for us!!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Normal Day
Not a lot happening today.
Michael made it to school without incident this morning. He lost his jacket yesterday, but found it today in one of his classes. He had a DLS session at 5:00 and he seems to be doing better with each one.
Tabitha is off cheering a basketball game tonight. Then she'll spend the night at Krysten's house. She's become the invisible teenager.
Charlie and I are tired as usual on Friday night... the week just wears us down.
Michael made it to school without incident this morning. He lost his jacket yesterday, but found it today in one of his classes. He had a DLS session at 5:00 and he seems to be doing better with each one.
Tabitha is off cheering a basketball game tonight. Then she'll spend the night at Krysten's house. She's become the invisible teenager.
Charlie and I are tired as usual on Friday night... the week just wears us down.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Getting Back to Normal
Well, yesterday was just peachy! I had to force Michael to get out of the car at school. Everything was hurting at this point... head, eyes, throat, chest, stomach. But, when you have a child with a sensory disorder, how do you know if anything REALLY hurts? Send him to school and see how long he can take it? Works for me.
I wasn't at Elaine's office very long when the school nurse called that Michael was in her office. She sent him to talk to the counselor before she called me this time. The counselor brought him back to her. He convinced her he was in terrible pain. So, I called Charlie. Charlie picked Michael up, took him home and gave him a dose of Pepto, grabbed his pillow and a blanket and took him to work with him. Michael made himself a cozy little nest behind his Daddy's desk and took a nap. He awoke fresh and new as a daisy around 10:30 and was hungry. His class eats lunch at 10:45 every morning (early enough?). Charlie thought hunger was a good sign, so he took him to Sonic to get some crap to eat. Yes, I said crap. Michael ordered cheese tator tots, french fries, and cheese sticks with mozzarella sauce. Crap.
I checked in with Charlie and he told me to go ahead and work a half day and come pick him up. I agreed and disconnected. I told Sandra what Charlie said and we both looked at each other and said "What's a half day?" Why would we ask this question? Because I only work until 3:00 on a normal day, so noon would pretty much call it a day. I decided the best thing to do would be to make sure payroll was complete and then go. So I skipped lunch and left at 1:30.
Michael seemed to be doing really well when I got to Charlie's office to pick him up, so I offered to take him back to school. Yep, that went over well. So, I took him home and he immediately went to bed and took a nap.
Now, I have made an appointment for him with the Occupational Therapist to begin his remaining 8 sessions of DLS, but I don't want to tell him until it's time to go to the appointment. He gets all upset and causes himself to have all sorts of ailments like this morning dropping him off at school. So, I just waited until it was time to leave and asked him how he was feeling. He said he was hungry but that was all. I told him to get his shoes and socks on because he was going to therapy. Uh huh. That went over well. I believe he said "I don't feel good" and "I'm hungry" at least 10 times before we made it to the clinic. At one point Michael looked at me and asked, "Am I annoying you?" I responded, "No, you're not annoying me... at this point I'm completely annoyed." He didn't talk anymore. I know... I'm mean... I couldn't help it.
So, we get to the clinic and Michael is just pathetic. He can't put the headphones on because his head hurts. I told him to just lay on a crash pad and I went to get Diana. I told her what had been happening for the last few days and asked her to talk to Michael before we started listening. She stopped and got Mozart (little pug therapy puppy) out of his cage and headed to Michael's station. Michael didn't want anything to do with the puppy. He told Diana he was hungry and didn't want to do anything until he ate. Diana talked him into starting listening if I would go across the street and get him something to eat. I went across the street to Taco Bueno and got him a taco and some chips and salsa... just about his favorite meal.
After he ate, we went back to his station and started the listening again. The whole session is supposed to last an hour and 20 minutes. We were there for over 2 hours because of Michael having to stop. During the last 30 minutes, you could see the change in him. He was laughing, playing Bingo with a boy he didn't even know, and no mention of feeling bad at all. Playing a game with someone he doesn't know is a REALLY BIG DEAL!! He has never done that.
Anyway, no problems going to school today. He had a good day, came home and did his homework, ate dinner, took his shower... did everything he would normally do... and only one mention of a headache and stomach ache. After he ate dinner, no more mention of that.
Woohoo!!
I wasn't at Elaine's office very long when the school nurse called that Michael was in her office. She sent him to talk to the counselor before she called me this time. The counselor brought him back to her. He convinced her he was in terrible pain. So, I called Charlie. Charlie picked Michael up, took him home and gave him a dose of Pepto, grabbed his pillow and a blanket and took him to work with him. Michael made himself a cozy little nest behind his Daddy's desk and took a nap. He awoke fresh and new as a daisy around 10:30 and was hungry. His class eats lunch at 10:45 every morning (early enough?). Charlie thought hunger was a good sign, so he took him to Sonic to get some crap to eat. Yes, I said crap. Michael ordered cheese tator tots, french fries, and cheese sticks with mozzarella sauce. Crap.
I checked in with Charlie and he told me to go ahead and work a half day and come pick him up. I agreed and disconnected. I told Sandra what Charlie said and we both looked at each other and said "What's a half day?" Why would we ask this question? Because I only work until 3:00 on a normal day, so noon would pretty much call it a day. I decided the best thing to do would be to make sure payroll was complete and then go. So I skipped lunch and left at 1:30.
Michael seemed to be doing really well when I got to Charlie's office to pick him up, so I offered to take him back to school. Yep, that went over well. So, I took him home and he immediately went to bed and took a nap.
Now, I have made an appointment for him with the Occupational Therapist to begin his remaining 8 sessions of DLS, but I don't want to tell him until it's time to go to the appointment. He gets all upset and causes himself to have all sorts of ailments like this morning dropping him off at school. So, I just waited until it was time to leave and asked him how he was feeling. He said he was hungry but that was all. I told him to get his shoes and socks on because he was going to therapy. Uh huh. That went over well. I believe he said "I don't feel good" and "I'm hungry" at least 10 times before we made it to the clinic. At one point Michael looked at me and asked, "Am I annoying you?" I responded, "No, you're not annoying me... at this point I'm completely annoyed." He didn't talk anymore. I know... I'm mean... I couldn't help it.
So, we get to the clinic and Michael is just pathetic. He can't put the headphones on because his head hurts. I told him to just lay on a crash pad and I went to get Diana. I told her what had been happening for the last few days and asked her to talk to Michael before we started listening. She stopped and got Mozart (little pug therapy puppy) out of his cage and headed to Michael's station. Michael didn't want anything to do with the puppy. He told Diana he was hungry and didn't want to do anything until he ate. Diana talked him into starting listening if I would go across the street and get him something to eat. I went across the street to Taco Bueno and got him a taco and some chips and salsa... just about his favorite meal.
After he ate, we went back to his station and started the listening again. The whole session is supposed to last an hour and 20 minutes. We were there for over 2 hours because of Michael having to stop. During the last 30 minutes, you could see the change in him. He was laughing, playing Bingo with a boy he didn't even know, and no mention of feeling bad at all. Playing a game with someone he doesn't know is a REALLY BIG DEAL!! He has never done that.
Anyway, no problems going to school today. He had a good day, came home and did his homework, ate dinner, took his shower... did everything he would normally do... and only one mention of a headache and stomach ache. After he ate dinner, no more mention of that.
Woohoo!!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Sick Again
Charlie had to go to Office Depot last night. I wanted to go with him so I could look at color printers. Our current printer is printing crud on the side of the page so we stopped using it. I called the Office Depot Service Plan people and they are going to send us a UPS label to send them the printer back. Once they receive the printer, they will send us a gift card for the amount we spent on the printer so we can go buy a new one. Sounds pretty good to me! Anyway, Tabitha was at work and Michael didn't want to go, so Charlie and I went. Well, apparently, Michael freaked out because it got dark so quickly, so he called and wanted to know when we would be home... this was about 20 minutes after we left. I told him we would be looking around for about 15 to 20 more minutes and then we would be headed home. Michael called about 10 minutes later...
"Is Tabitha home?".
"No, she's at work."
"Isn't it against the law to leave me home alone when its dark outside?"
You gotta love that one.
"It is after 7:00pm."
It was 6:00pm.
By the time we checked out... stopped by the post office to pick up our mail, and got home, Michael was a wreck. He was stressed out about his homework... he had a lot of it and he needed help. We were gone too long... (about 15 minutes more than we had originally stated)... and now he had a migraine.
Jeez.
We pushed through the science homework. The math, spelling, and Helen Keller report didn't happen. Michael took an acetaminophen and Zantac and went to sleep.
I started trying to wake him up at 6:00am this morning. He wasn't having it. I reminded him he had to get his homework done. He wasn't having it. He finally got up a little after 7:00am. He got his math and spelling done, but not the Helen Keller report. I wrote the teacher a note about his migraine and could he have more time to complete the paper. I thought that would be good enough for Michael, but no... he didn't want to go to school. He had a feeling something bad was going to happen. So, I made my son walk to school crying to me on the walkie-talkie the whole way... his head hurt, his stomach hurt, he felt hot, etc, etc, etc. I stood firm. He went to school.
I arrived at Therapy Solutions at 10:30am as Emily had requested. She doesn't like to get to work too early. At 11:45 Larson called and said her son Austin was in the nurse's office. His head and stomach hurt. I asked if Michael was in the nurse's office too and was told no. So, Emily went to pick up Austin and take him home. I worked on her QuickBooks while she was gone. Emily came back and we went to lunch a little after 1:00pm. Larson called me on the way back from lunch. Michael was in the nurse's office. His head and stomach hurt. I dropped Emily off and went to pick up Michael. I got him home, made him eat a piece of bread and gave him an Imitrex for the migraine. He slept until a little after 5:00pm and was ready to tackle his homework! Yay!!!
He's still going back and forth with the stomach and head ache, but he's not having any problem with light and sound anymore. Maybe we will have a normal morning... maybe?
"Is Tabitha home?".
"No, she's at work."
"Isn't it against the law to leave me home alone when its dark outside?"
You gotta love that one.
"It is after 7:00pm."
It was 6:00pm.
By the time we checked out... stopped by the post office to pick up our mail, and got home, Michael was a wreck. He was stressed out about his homework... he had a lot of it and he needed help. We were gone too long... (about 15 minutes more than we had originally stated)... and now he had a migraine.
Jeez.
We pushed through the science homework. The math, spelling, and Helen Keller report didn't happen. Michael took an acetaminophen and Zantac and went to sleep.
I started trying to wake him up at 6:00am this morning. He wasn't having it. I reminded him he had to get his homework done. He wasn't having it. He finally got up a little after 7:00am. He got his math and spelling done, but not the Helen Keller report. I wrote the teacher a note about his migraine and could he have more time to complete the paper. I thought that would be good enough for Michael, but no... he didn't want to go to school. He had a feeling something bad was going to happen. So, I made my son walk to school crying to me on the walkie-talkie the whole way... his head hurt, his stomach hurt, he felt hot, etc, etc, etc. I stood firm. He went to school.
I arrived at Therapy Solutions at 10:30am as Emily had requested. She doesn't like to get to work too early. At 11:45 Larson called and said her son Austin was in the nurse's office. His head and stomach hurt. I asked if Michael was in the nurse's office too and was told no. So, Emily went to pick up Austin and take him home. I worked on her QuickBooks while she was gone. Emily came back and we went to lunch a little after 1:00pm. Larson called me on the way back from lunch. Michael was in the nurse's office. His head and stomach hurt. I dropped Emily off and went to pick up Michael. I got him home, made him eat a piece of bread and gave him an Imitrex for the migraine. He slept until a little after 5:00pm and was ready to tackle his homework! Yay!!!
He's still going back and forth with the stomach and head ache, but he's not having any problem with light and sound anymore. Maybe we will have a normal morning... maybe?
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Sick Day
Apparently Michael didn't take me seriously when I told him to put on his coat before playing outside in the snow. He decided to wear 2 sweatshirt jackets instead. Now we are home sick with a stomach ache and headache.
Charlie took off half the day so I could go into my client, though. I had to get their sales tax out.
Charlie took off half the day so I could go into my client, though. I had to get their sales tax out.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Snow Day
With no warning from the news channels at all about bad weather coming our way, I got up this morning and got in the shower to start my day. Charlie came in the bathroom about 5 minutes later and said that AISD was closed due to snow and ice. His employees had started calling him to find out if they had to try to get to work today. Charlie turned the TV on and lo and behold, AISD, along with most of the other major school districts were closed. I finished my shower and got out only to find out that Tabitha was completely ready for school. Boy, was she ticked! I can't help but smile, though. It was pretty funny to see her all ready for school on a snow day.
Austin came over and he and Michael played out in the snow and inside on the computer all day.
Tabitha hung out in her room and didn't go to work.
Charlie stayed home and watched TV.
I baked muffins and did laundry.
Sounds like fun, huh?
Austin came over and he and Michael played out in the snow and inside on the computer all day.
Tabitha hung out in her room and didn't go to work.
Charlie stayed home and watched TV.
I baked muffins and did laundry.
Sounds like fun, huh?
Friday, January 12, 2007
New Homeroom
Today was Michael's first day in Mrs. Shehorn's homeroom class. He wanted me to take him to class in case there was any confusion about where he should be, and he was a little nervous. I drove him to school and walked him to class. Mrs. Shehorn welcomed Michael to her room and she and I chatted a little. I thanked her for allowing Michael to move to her class. I asked Michael if he was okay, and he started to tear up. I hugged him and told him everything would be okay. Mrs. Shehorn asked Michael where he wanted to sit. He told her and she made the boy sitting in that seat move. He still wasn't letting go of me and his face was getting redder and he was getting more upset. Then... Theo walked in. "Hey, Michael! Are you in our homeroom now?" Michael said yes and a bunch of the kids looked around and there were comments flowing like crazy. "Really?" "Cool!" "Wow! Michael's in our class now!" "Great!" I looked at Michael and the redness was going away and a big smile was taking its place. He hugged me bye and asked Mrs. Shehorn which locker was his. I left and didn't hear a word from the school all day.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Enough is Enough
I dropped Michael off at school this morning by the temporaries. It is hard for him to carry his backpack with the use of only one shoulder, so I drove him to school yesterday and today. He didn't want to get out of the car. I told him it would be okay. I had sent an email to Mrs. Wilson and I would be getting the situation resolved and he shouldn't worry. He still wouldn't get out of the car. He was afraid she would pounce on him the moment he walked into the classroom. So, I told Michael I would stay parked between the temporaries for a full minute after he walked through the door, and if there was a problem he should come and get me. That worked. He went into the classroom. I waited the minute, and drove home.
No sooner had I opened the gate and garage when my cell phone started ringing. I pulled in the garage and parked. The caller ID on the display was "Larson Office". Hmmm... I answered and it was Michael. He was calling from the classroom. He said his head was burning up, he felt sick to his stomach, his head hurt really bad and he wanted to come home. I told him to ask Mrs. Wilson if I should come pick him up from the classroom, or should I meet him in the nurse's office. He put the phone down and went over and asked Mrs. Wilson what to do. He came back on the line and told me I should meet him in the nurses office.
I backed out of the garage and headed back to the school. I parked in the front and entered the office only to find a direct shot to Mr. Longgrear's (principal) office. He was checking his email and had his back to me. I approached and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Longgrear, may I speak with you for a moment?" He turned around and stood and said, "Of course." So I went off about how Mrs. Wilson had spoken to Michael the previous day after we thought the situation was already settled. How she had made Michael feel and how she had shown favoritism toward Liam, not only that, but when my daughter had her class 5 years ago she showed favoritism toward particular students. I asked him to move Michael to Mrs. Shehorn's homeroom class because he didn't have Mrs. Wilson for any blocks, just homeroom, and he wouldn't have to see her if he didn't have her for homeroom. He said it would be taken care of immediately and for me not to worry. I thanked him and headed for the nurses office.
I asked Robin (the nurse) to take Michael's temperature just to be on the safe side. She did and he didn't have a fever. I then asked her to find out if Michael and I could talk to the school counselor, Sue Thomas before I signed him out and took him home. She went to find Mrs. Thomas.
Once inside Mrs. Thomas' office, I explained what had happened with him to her. She talked to Michael about it a little, but it just brought tears to his eyes. I told Michael that Mrs. Thomas was there at the school for him. That if he had any issues he could ask to go see her so they could take care of it during the school day, instead of waiting until after school and telling me. He should still tell me about any issues, but Mrs. Thomas was there to handle things during the school ay. I would have to wait until the next day to resolve anything. Mrs. Thomas assured Michael that she was there for him and that he could come talk to her about anything, anytime.
With that taken care of, I signed Michael out and took him home. I called Charlie and told him what had happened. He said Michael could come spend the day with him in his office and play on his laptop so I could go to work. First I gave Michael a Tylenol, then he laid down for a while so he could calm down and to let the headache go away. Once he was feeling better, I took him to Charlie's office and went to work.... whew! What a morning!!!
P.S. I didn't cry when I talked to Mr. Longgrear about Michael's situation... that's a first!!
No sooner had I opened the gate and garage when my cell phone started ringing. I pulled in the garage and parked. The caller ID on the display was "Larson Office". Hmmm... I answered and it was Michael. He was calling from the classroom. He said his head was burning up, he felt sick to his stomach, his head hurt really bad and he wanted to come home. I told him to ask Mrs. Wilson if I should come pick him up from the classroom, or should I meet him in the nurse's office. He put the phone down and went over and asked Mrs. Wilson what to do. He came back on the line and told me I should meet him in the nurses office.
I backed out of the garage and headed back to the school. I parked in the front and entered the office only to find a direct shot to Mr. Longgrear's (principal) office. He was checking his email and had his back to me. I approached and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Longgrear, may I speak with you for a moment?" He turned around and stood and said, "Of course." So I went off about how Mrs. Wilson had spoken to Michael the previous day after we thought the situation was already settled. How she had made Michael feel and how she had shown favoritism toward Liam, not only that, but when my daughter had her class 5 years ago she showed favoritism toward particular students. I asked him to move Michael to Mrs. Shehorn's homeroom class because he didn't have Mrs. Wilson for any blocks, just homeroom, and he wouldn't have to see her if he didn't have her for homeroom. He said it would be taken care of immediately and for me not to worry. I thanked him and headed for the nurses office.
I asked Robin (the nurse) to take Michael's temperature just to be on the safe side. She did and he didn't have a fever. I then asked her to find out if Michael and I could talk to the school counselor, Sue Thomas before I signed him out and took him home. She went to find Mrs. Thomas.
Once inside Mrs. Thomas' office, I explained what had happened with him to her. She talked to Michael about it a little, but it just brought tears to his eyes. I told Michael that Mrs. Thomas was there at the school for him. That if he had any issues he could ask to go see her so they could take care of it during the school day, instead of waiting until after school and telling me. He should still tell me about any issues, but Mrs. Thomas was there to handle things during the school ay. I would have to wait until the next day to resolve anything. Mrs. Thomas assured Michael that she was there for him and that he could come talk to her about anything, anytime.
With that taken care of, I signed Michael out and took him home. I called Charlie and told him what had happened. He said Michael could come spend the day with him in his office and play on his laptop so I could go to work. First I gave Michael a Tylenol, then he laid down for a while so he could calm down and to let the headache go away. Once he was feeling better, I took him to Charlie's office and went to work.... whew! What a morning!!!
P.S. I didn't cry when I talked to Mr. Longgrear about Michael's situation... that's a first!!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Here We Go Again...
So... Michael goes back to school today. He is still a little shaken. Liam called him last night and apologized for hurting Michael and asked if he was okay. That was a big help in getting Michael back to school today. He was leery... but he went. (By the way, Liam's mom called and apologized profusely. She said the school gave Liam In School Suspension for the remainder of the school day, but that she didn't think that was enough and the punishment at home would be more severe.)
Sometime during the school day... Michael is coming back to his homeroom class with a sling on one arm and his gigantic binder and a book in his other arm. Liam tries to hand Michael a note (of apology). Michael tells Liam he has to put his stuff down before he can take the note and walks on by. Now, Michael doesn't speak very loud, so Mrs. Wilson didn't hear Michael. So, she took it upon herself to tell Michael how rude it was to just walk right by Liam when he was trying to hand Michael the note. Keep in mind that Michael has already had a couple of issues with Liam and Mrs. Wilson has sided with Liam. Liam let Michael know that his family is friends with her family and he can do no wrong in her eyes. This can just be boys talking, but imagine how this knowledge, coupled with Mrs. Wilson's getting onto him about not taking the note made him feel. Mrs. Wilson also told Michael to apologize to Liam. I love this next part: Michael actually looked at Mrs. Wilson and asked, "For what?". Yes!!! He stood up for himself!!! Mrs. Wilson told him he needed to apologize to Liam for calling him names in the bathroom the day before. Michael responded, "I didn't call him any names." For which Mrs. Wilson responded, "Oh", and walked away.
You can imagine how I felt upon hearing this wonderful news. I was so proud of Michael, and I was furious with Mrs. Wilson. I thought the issue was resolved and here is my son, upset and in tears yet again! The principal and vice-principal had taken care of the issue the previous day. She didn't need to bring it all up again. Especially if her point was to make Michael feel bad. As if he had done something wrong. After Charlie calmed me down, I sent Mrs. Wilson a simple little e-mail stating that Michael told me she had talked to him about the incident and could she tell me what was said.
To be continued...
Sometime during the school day... Michael is coming back to his homeroom class with a sling on one arm and his gigantic binder and a book in his other arm. Liam tries to hand Michael a note (of apology). Michael tells Liam he has to put his stuff down before he can take the note and walks on by. Now, Michael doesn't speak very loud, so Mrs. Wilson didn't hear Michael. So, she took it upon herself to tell Michael how rude it was to just walk right by Liam when he was trying to hand Michael the note. Keep in mind that Michael has already had a couple of issues with Liam and Mrs. Wilson has sided with Liam. Liam let Michael know that his family is friends with her family and he can do no wrong in her eyes. This can just be boys talking, but imagine how this knowledge, coupled with Mrs. Wilson's getting onto him about not taking the note made him feel. Mrs. Wilson also told Michael to apologize to Liam. I love this next part: Michael actually looked at Mrs. Wilson and asked, "For what?". Yes!!! He stood up for himself!!! Mrs. Wilson told him he needed to apologize to Liam for calling him names in the bathroom the day before. Michael responded, "I didn't call him any names." For which Mrs. Wilson responded, "Oh", and walked away.
You can imagine how I felt upon hearing this wonderful news. I was so proud of Michael, and I was furious with Mrs. Wilson. I thought the issue was resolved and here is my son, upset and in tears yet again! The principal and vice-principal had taken care of the issue the previous day. She didn't need to bring it all up again. Especially if her point was to make Michael feel bad. As if he had done something wrong. After Charlie calmed me down, I sent Mrs. Wilson a simple little e-mail stating that Michael told me she had talked to him about the incident and could she tell me what was said.
To be continued...
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Is it Monday, again?
After meeting with my client this morning, I went to Burlington Coat Factory to return a ski bib I bought for the ski trip. I hoped it would fit Tabitha, but it didn't. I did get some snow boots for me, though. After that, I went to the hospital to check on Asa. He is still in CCU after his 8 hour surgery yesterday. They had to go in and remove all the appliances they had installed in his neck several weeks ago and re-install all new hardware. It was very tedious. They said that if he doesn't stop smoking he will die very soon. The smoking is adding to the osteoporosis which is weakening his bones, which caused the first appliance to begin crushing his esophagus. After that, I went home to eat so I could go to my next client. My cell phone rang as I was completing my lunch. It was Michael's principal. Michael was involved in an incident in the boy's bathroom and Mr. Longgrear had been talking to him for about 30 minutes and Michael wanted to talk to me. Apparently, he was in the bathroom teasing a boy about farting, when another boy, twice his size, pushed him into the wall with his stomach, and then grabbed his left arm and twisted it all the way around while pulling on it until there was a "pop". So Michael wanted me to come and get him. Of course I did. We ended up at the emergency room at Cook's Children's Hospital. This is where the pediatrition's office suggested we go in case there was a break in Michael's arm. It wasn't swelling, but he was in pain and still very upset about the incident. They didn't find a fracture in the x-rays, but they gave Michael a sling and some Motrin, and told us to come back if it got worse. His muscles and tendons are sore, but that is all. If he loses motion in his hand or it starts to swell we are supposed to take him back.
That's not even everything that happened today...
That's not even everything that happened today...
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