Melissa sent me a message and reminded me that a posting was in order - oh yeah, why didn't I think of that? I can't believe that it has been a month since my last post, but the world is trotting ahead and time is rushing by.
So, the kids are ready for Halloween. When did costumes start being a thing that one bought at a store? Didn't we used to play dress-up on the 31st with stuff found laying around the house? At any rate, being the lazy and uncreative person that I am, I bought them costumes, but I cannot bring my self to buy them those gross synthetic things. We spent about an hour in the store arguing on why we shouldn't buy the bag with the whole costume in it, but buy each individual item (mask, wig, accessories) individually to ensure that we are creating something original... It was another test of patience.
First conferences for Charlotte have come and gone. I actually thought about not going, silly me. I gave my daughter ample opportunity to share her thoughts about what was going on in class, and what I should expect to hear, but according to her, everything was great. She wasn't totally wrong. Her grades are still where they should be, but she has gotten on the long downward spiral ride and really wasn't concerned about it at all. More assignments not turned in, more incomplete tests... So, we have a few more weeks before the end of the marking period and she has these few weeks to show us that she can take control and handle the situation, or, well, she's done with her little wednesday evenings at the Woodside Bible church. I am so not good at this patience thing...
I have officially requested that she be tested for ADD. In my lucid moments, I am sure that Charlotte is not just unorganized, because we work on that with her. I am certain that she is not in control of what is happening and I feel we need to get her help before she gets in high school. As a parent, this devastates me because if she tests positive, and I have a feeling that she will, I will then have two children in special accomodation (504) circumstances. I know that I am doing this to give them the best possible opportunities for success through the educational experiences (college included), and that it will not follow them as a "label" into their professional lives, but how did this happen? I feel like I need a reason. Then I feel like an idiot, because
a) we are doing something about it that will help them
b) if this is the worst difficulty that they will face, it sure isn't bad.
c) what would I have done if I would have a kid with serious set-backs, am I that weak?
We should have had a conference with Helene's resource room people by now, to set the goals for her academic year. I wonder what is going on with that? Maybe if I weren't so busy, I would actually follow up on these sorts of things.
Jack is really spread thin. He is so 'out there' that he is having difficulty finishing his sentances. I realize that this is cyclical, and it certainly won't kill him to learn to multi task a little better, and to realize that you can't get a perfect result in every area that you look at. Having said that, I still worry about him because sometimes I feel he is passing over the important things. He'll tell you that it's all important.
Luke's front teeth are coming in, and SURPRIZE, we're going to need braces for him too. Oh, there's another thing that I need to schedule for the girls.... it never ends. Mel, can I come and eat at your place and you can soothe my spirits with good food, good wine (i'll bring that) and some great conversation?
So, we are running, running and no destination or finish line in clear view. I mean, we know that we are looking for retirement as the end of our journey, but that is so far off that I might as well be talking science fiction.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Sunday, September 18, 2005
one week later...and continued two weeks after that
The kids are getting used to the new routine and so far we have had no major blow ups over homework and the like, but it's early days... Charlotte has already been behind the eight ball when we discovered papers in her bag Monday morning. Why did we wait until Monday morning you are asking? Well, we didn't. On Sun afternoon I specifically requested the kids look through their bags and get me any papers that needed my attention, and ensure that there was no un-noticed homework. Charlotte actually brought me a paper needing my signature, so how was I to suspect that she hadn't really gone through the bag? I guess that I have to monitor her every move, oh goodness, I am not looking forward to high school.
Even four weeks into the school year, things seem to be going ok, even with Charlie, but the first math test was last week, and we did find an english test with a "D" result... I will continue to take deep breaths and be stoic.
Helene is a safety guard and seems to take her responsability seriously. We took the day off on Friday to come to Chicago and she was worried because she had a job at school. And Luke, well he turns tomorrow and all things seem to be going well with him for now.
We have been in Chicago since Friday afternoon and we have walked our butts off (oh how I wish that were true). We have walked and walked and saw lots of things. We rented a four person bike and pedaled for an hour as well. The kids really enjoy themselves here. Last night we went and saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the IMAX theater. It was very cool. Then we walked back from Navy Pier and stumbled in at around 11, we had been gone for 12 hours. It is great. There is no tv in the apartment, just a radio and some card games. It's a lot of togetherness, so we are generally good to go home by the time the weekend is over.
Work is going well. I have had a lot more involvement in the sales area. Our new director is finding his stride and has decided that including me is a good thing. We will see if it continues to unfold that way, my annual review is coming up at the beginnning of next month. We shall see.
The vineyard lost about 400 vines due to the rain - a whole lot of rain. We also lost about half of the new plantings. So far, it has not been an awesome year for us at the vineyard, but we didn't expect a walk in the park, and guess what? We are not getting a walk in the park.
just keep swimming...
Even four weeks into the school year, things seem to be going ok, even with Charlie, but the first math test was last week, and we did find an english test with a "D" result... I will continue to take deep breaths and be stoic.
Helene is a safety guard and seems to take her responsability seriously. We took the day off on Friday to come to Chicago and she was worried because she had a job at school. And Luke, well he turns tomorrow and all things seem to be going well with him for now.
We have been in Chicago since Friday afternoon and we have walked our butts off (oh how I wish that were true). We have walked and walked and saw lots of things. We rented a four person bike and pedaled for an hour as well. The kids really enjoy themselves here. Last night we went and saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the IMAX theater. It was very cool. Then we walked back from Navy Pier and stumbled in at around 11, we had been gone for 12 hours. It is great. There is no tv in the apartment, just a radio and some card games. It's a lot of togetherness, so we are generally good to go home by the time the weekend is over.
Work is going well. I have had a lot more involvement in the sales area. Our new director is finding his stride and has decided that including me is a good thing. We will see if it continues to unfold that way, my annual review is coming up at the beginnning of next month. We shall see.
The vineyard lost about 400 vines due to the rain - a whole lot of rain. We also lost about half of the new plantings. So far, it has not been an awesome year for us at the vineyard, but we didn't expect a walk in the park, and guess what? We are not getting a walk in the park.
just keep swimming...
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
School Days, School Daze
August 23, 2005, the first day of school and the Fertal household managed to get started without too much drama, and no tears!!! I am not sure if it is because I am still jet lagged from our trip - I didn't sleep a wink last night - or because JJ is in Chicago, so the kids can't play one off the other, but at any rate, I am thankful for the smooth start to our new school year.
Narbonne-Plage was amazing. The vineyard is breathtaking and I think that we will spend many hours discovering the nooks and crannies of the property. JJ and I went on a quad ride down the trails and neither of us could speak because we are just so amazed by it all.
Our apartment has been redone and I couldn't have chosen anything better, I mean the style is totally what we would have done, as are the colors. Again, we feel that we are in a dream world and we are waiting for the "pinch" that will wake us up.
The cruise was lots of fun with amazing ports of call. JJ showed me around Marseille, where I savored a bouillabese, and Nice. Together we discovered Florence and were bowled over by Rome and disappointed in Naples. We walked miles and miles each day. We spent a lot of time talking about everything and not talking about work. We held hands a lot and cuddled. We got massaged and tanned. We spent time with the others on the cruise and got to know them a little better. We felt and feel truly blessed.
Now we are back, we got in on Saturday and JJ left for Chicago on Sunday with his parents and nephew. The kids and I went school shopping and spent time lazing around and hugging eachother, there seemed to be a general need for physical contact on Sunday. We also visited Errol and Patty's new addition. Sabrina Kovitch is totally perfect and beautiful.
JJ and crew come back this evening. My mother is also scheduled to arrive tonight, although we'll see how she does with the Northwest strike issues. We are pretty busy (wow what a surprize!) because the producers of Berthet Rayne Chateauneuf du Pape are in town and we are booked Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Then, to top it all off, my in-laws leave on Sunday. I am not even going to pretend that it will calm down, because I think that we have a crazy fall planned and I am starting to admit that we kind of like it that way.
See ya.
Narbonne-Plage was amazing. The vineyard is breathtaking and I think that we will spend many hours discovering the nooks and crannies of the property. JJ and I went on a quad ride down the trails and neither of us could speak because we are just so amazed by it all.
Our apartment has been redone and I couldn't have chosen anything better, I mean the style is totally what we would have done, as are the colors. Again, we feel that we are in a dream world and we are waiting for the "pinch" that will wake us up.
The cruise was lots of fun with amazing ports of call. JJ showed me around Marseille, where I savored a bouillabese, and Nice. Together we discovered Florence and were bowled over by Rome and disappointed in Naples. We walked miles and miles each day. We spent a lot of time talking about everything and not talking about work. We held hands a lot and cuddled. We got massaged and tanned. We spent time with the others on the cruise and got to know them a little better. We felt and feel truly blessed.
Now we are back, we got in on Saturday and JJ left for Chicago on Sunday with his parents and nephew. The kids and I went school shopping and spent time lazing around and hugging eachother, there seemed to be a general need for physical contact on Sunday. We also visited Errol and Patty's new addition. Sabrina Kovitch is totally perfect and beautiful.
JJ and crew come back this evening. My mother is also scheduled to arrive tonight, although we'll see how she does with the Northwest strike issues. We are pretty busy (wow what a surprize!) because the producers of Berthet Rayne Chateauneuf du Pape are in town and we are booked Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Then, to top it all off, my in-laws leave on Sunday. I am not even going to pretend that it will calm down, because I think that we have a crazy fall planned and I am starting to admit that we kind of like it that way.
See ya.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Seven more days to go
I must remember to breathe. I have so much to do and so little time to get things done. I have about a thousand shirts to iron (ok, maybe it's only 40, but that is almost the same thing), laundry still undone, a house to get in order, I MUST get to SAMS Club to check out what we can buy for the family reunion there and what must be purchased at Costco, spend time with my children, cook, clean, work out, weigh in, smile, work, well you get the picture.
I realize that my in-laws are arriving on Friday and I have not done any of what needed to be done before they arrive, like wash the sheets in the guest room. I am sure that I will overcome, but I can't begin to fathom how I will be ready to go on vacation next week. I should start taking vacation RIGHT NOW, just so that I am not totally exhausted by Tuesday night. That being said, packing for a trip is not that big of a deal, and it's just my man and I, so there isn't that much to pack, and whatever we forget, we buy enroute. Why can't I remain this logical all the time. When I begin to think of all the things I need to do, I start to hyperventilate. I must learn to let go, right?
So you may be asking yourself, if she has so much to do, what in the world is she doing blogging? Well, I am still at work and cannot leave just yet, but I cannot focus on work stuff either, so I thought that I would check in to my blog and vent some feelings.
The girls and I saw Penny at her shower on Sunday. She is beautiful and happy and busy. She couldn't sit still, but that is not new. I am so pleased for her because she just seems so happy. I wish I could have seen Brian as well, but you can't have everything.
No news from Patty, so I guess Sabrina has not yet decided to make her appearance. I was hoping that the Kovitch's would be three before we went to Europe. Well, there are seven days left, so all hope is not lost. Who am I kidding, Patty will go into labor when the time is right, and she is the one hoping to have this baby asap, being pregnant gets old real quick.
The family from France seems to be having a nice time with their visit here. We have had them over to our house for a BBQ. On Sunday we went to Matt and Adriennes (who conveniently live about 5 minutes from Penny!) and enjoyed their waterfront abode, complete with boats and tubing! Last night we ran around Great Lakes and had dinner at Rainforest Cafe, and tonight they are in Port Huron with my mother, so I get to go to WW and iron - oh joy, but getting somet things checked off my list.
Family reunion this weekend. The tent goes up Friday night. I am sure that it will all come together as it should and you are probably all shaking your heads at how I am over reacting right now. But now, I only have an hour left of this day and then I can go home and attack all the things that need done (not the least of which is mowing the lawn, but it's just too hot). Praise God, the cleaning people are coming on Friday, so if all else fails, at least things will be put in order before the reunion...
God bless you all and be so thankful for what you have, I know that I am overwhelmed at how wonderful He is to me and my family.
I realize that my in-laws are arriving on Friday and I have not done any of what needed to be done before they arrive, like wash the sheets in the guest room. I am sure that I will overcome, but I can't begin to fathom how I will be ready to go on vacation next week. I should start taking vacation RIGHT NOW, just so that I am not totally exhausted by Tuesday night. That being said, packing for a trip is not that big of a deal, and it's just my man and I, so there isn't that much to pack, and whatever we forget, we buy enroute. Why can't I remain this logical all the time. When I begin to think of all the things I need to do, I start to hyperventilate. I must learn to let go, right?
So you may be asking yourself, if she has so much to do, what in the world is she doing blogging? Well, I am still at work and cannot leave just yet, but I cannot focus on work stuff either, so I thought that I would check in to my blog and vent some feelings.
The girls and I saw Penny at her shower on Sunday. She is beautiful and happy and busy. She couldn't sit still, but that is not new. I am so pleased for her because she just seems so happy. I wish I could have seen Brian as well, but you can't have everything.
No news from Patty, so I guess Sabrina has not yet decided to make her appearance. I was hoping that the Kovitch's would be three before we went to Europe. Well, there are seven days left, so all hope is not lost. Who am I kidding, Patty will go into labor when the time is right, and she is the one hoping to have this baby asap, being pregnant gets old real quick.
The family from France seems to be having a nice time with their visit here. We have had them over to our house for a BBQ. On Sunday we went to Matt and Adriennes (who conveniently live about 5 minutes from Penny!) and enjoyed their waterfront abode, complete with boats and tubing! Last night we ran around Great Lakes and had dinner at Rainforest Cafe, and tonight they are in Port Huron with my mother, so I get to go to WW and iron - oh joy, but getting somet things checked off my list.
Family reunion this weekend. The tent goes up Friday night. I am sure that it will all come together as it should and you are probably all shaking your heads at how I am over reacting right now. But now, I only have an hour left of this day and then I can go home and attack all the things that need done (not the least of which is mowing the lawn, but it's just too hot). Praise God, the cleaning people are coming on Friday, so if all else fails, at least things will be put in order before the reunion...
God bless you all and be so thankful for what you have, I know that I am overwhelmed at how wonderful He is to me and my family.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Oh, is it still July?
I feel as if I cannot get a handle on things, but that is not so new, right?
Arthur went home yesterday and we had a nice conversation on the way to the airport. He is a nice young man, and he is only 15. I guess I tended to forget that when I would see him lumbering around, after all, he is six foot six! I think that we could have had really interesting conversations if I could have spoken french, but I kept trying to get him to speak english, and to understand me. I look forward to a conversation with him in the future.
We had an absolutely awesome time in Chicago. The apartment is small, but easily fit the kids in sleeping bags with JJ and I on the futon. It is a great location as well, with only a few blocks to the miracle mile, a few blocks to the beach and a great farmers market on Saturday on the corner! It was really cool. We spent a lot of time walking around, but didn't actually make it to any museums (we need to save things for nastier weather). We did go to the beach and spend a few hours there on Saturday. I didn't do so great in the eating department, I mean, it wasn't very healthy, but hey, live and let live. We'll see if it had a negative effect on my weight, I hope not too bad.
I'm in Montreal until Wednesday, hopefully the weather will be good when I get home and I can get some tennis in...
Arthur went home yesterday and we had a nice conversation on the way to the airport. He is a nice young man, and he is only 15. I guess I tended to forget that when I would see him lumbering around, after all, he is six foot six! I think that we could have had really interesting conversations if I could have spoken french, but I kept trying to get him to speak english, and to understand me. I look forward to a conversation with him in the future.
We had an absolutely awesome time in Chicago. The apartment is small, but easily fit the kids in sleeping bags with JJ and I on the futon. It is a great location as well, with only a few blocks to the miracle mile, a few blocks to the beach and a great farmers market on Saturday on the corner! It was really cool. We spent a lot of time walking around, but didn't actually make it to any museums (we need to save things for nastier weather). We did go to the beach and spend a few hours there on Saturday. I didn't do so great in the eating department, I mean, it wasn't very healthy, but hey, live and let live. We'll see if it had a negative effect on my weight, I hope not too bad.
I'm in Montreal until Wednesday, hopefully the weather will be good when I get home and I can get some tennis in...
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Chicago, Chicago, what a wonderful town
Well, we have had Arthur here from France for the past 10 days and I think that I scared the pants off him last week. I was having a particularly difficult week and it was extremely stressful at work, and that comes out at home - ofcourse.
So, I spent a good portion of the week raising my voice which culminated into gale force winds on the 14th when Helene called to tell me that she ruined the table in the family room. She was taking off nail polish when the remover fell and it ate the finish. This was exacerbated by the kids trying to "scrape" off the gluey substance that was forming on the table and this all happened on our 15th wedding anniversary. Now I got the call whilst in the car returning from work. I got out of the car and started spewing from the mouth. I was HOT. Arthur - All six feet, 200 pounds of him, was trembling.
I calmed down and told Helene that I was proud of her for having the courage to call me, and that I was happy that she was not injured in any way. She was safe and that was what is most important. I also asked her if she knew why I was so angry and she told me that it was because she didn't follow the rules - like the one about only using nail polish remover when there is an adult present, or maybe the famous, nail polish and remover are only to be used in the kitchen or bathroom... She added that is was an accident, she didn't mean to spill. I told her that I realized that, which is precisely why we have the rules, because if it would have happened in the bathroom, you wipe it up, end of story. (see I'm not the worlds worst mother, but I do need to make sure that I get the last word in).
At any rate, Arthur was clearly troubled by the appearance of the psychotic 'other Mary' so I had to go have a talk with him and let him know that he shouldn't worry. I am glad I did, because he has seemed much more at ease with us since then.
So why Chicago? Well I am getting there. Arthur wanted to go to Niagara but I still can't find a hotel that will rent one adult two rooms, without me having to get a royal suite for like a million dollars (or $500, whichever comes first, both are about as accessible). So we are going to Chicago. Now why no hotel issues there, two reasons. One is that JJ is coming, or rather we are following him as he is going on business. Two, we are staying at the Eagle Eye apartment. Yep, I now have a pad in the windy city - who'd a thunk it.
Last night I went and bought dishes and the like, because all the cupboards are bare, and I am getting really excited about seeing and staying in this place. JJ better look out because once I go, if I like it, we could be spending more time there.
It's Tuesday and we leave Thursday morning - JJ has a thing there on Thursday night. We are taking seperate cars because I am going through Battle Creek, where I have a supplier to visit.
Last Fri I got us a family membership to the Cranbrook Science Center, at it has reciprocating memberships with at least three museums in Chicago - YIPPEEE.
I'll let y'all know how it goes when I return.
So, I spent a good portion of the week raising my voice which culminated into gale force winds on the 14th when Helene called to tell me that she ruined the table in the family room. She was taking off nail polish when the remover fell and it ate the finish. This was exacerbated by the kids trying to "scrape" off the gluey substance that was forming on the table and this all happened on our 15th wedding anniversary. Now I got the call whilst in the car returning from work. I got out of the car and started spewing from the mouth. I was HOT. Arthur - All six feet, 200 pounds of him, was trembling.
I calmed down and told Helene that I was proud of her for having the courage to call me, and that I was happy that she was not injured in any way. She was safe and that was what is most important. I also asked her if she knew why I was so angry and she told me that it was because she didn't follow the rules - like the one about only using nail polish remover when there is an adult present, or maybe the famous, nail polish and remover are only to be used in the kitchen or bathroom... She added that is was an accident, she didn't mean to spill. I told her that I realized that, which is precisely why we have the rules, because if it would have happened in the bathroom, you wipe it up, end of story. (see I'm not the worlds worst mother, but I do need to make sure that I get the last word in).
At any rate, Arthur was clearly troubled by the appearance of the psychotic 'other Mary' so I had to go have a talk with him and let him know that he shouldn't worry. I am glad I did, because he has seemed much more at ease with us since then.
So why Chicago? Well I am getting there. Arthur wanted to go to Niagara but I still can't find a hotel that will rent one adult two rooms, without me having to get a royal suite for like a million dollars (or $500, whichever comes first, both are about as accessible). So we are going to Chicago. Now why no hotel issues there, two reasons. One is that JJ is coming, or rather we are following him as he is going on business. Two, we are staying at the Eagle Eye apartment. Yep, I now have a pad in the windy city - who'd a thunk it.
Last night I went and bought dishes and the like, because all the cupboards are bare, and I am getting really excited about seeing and staying in this place. JJ better look out because once I go, if I like it, we could be spending more time there.
It's Tuesday and we leave Thursday morning - JJ has a thing there on Thursday night. We are taking seperate cars because I am going through Battle Creek, where I have a supplier to visit.
Last Fri I got us a family membership to the Cranbrook Science Center, at it has reciprocating memberships with at least three museums in Chicago - YIPPEEE.
I'll let y'all know how it goes when I return.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
independance weekend
Jean-Jacques is home, my family is gathered around me and we are all sleeping in the same house. I am truly a lucky woman. We have had a week at home with two swim meets, so kind of busy in the evening. No time for yard work or house work, so now you all realize how I am going to be spending my weekend. The very difficult part is that it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL outside and I am going to have a hard time keeping to my task when I look outside. But, such is life, and things do need to get done.
Last night was the swim team camp-out and my beloved husband stayed in the tent with the kids so that I could stay home and sleep in my own comfortable bed without feeling guilty that the kids couldn't stay at the pool. So to add bo my wonder and amazement and general overall good feeling, I also got a visit from Melissa! She looks fantastic and things seem to be going well for her. We visited Trader Joes and then talked for awhile and had a glass of wine. It was wonderful.
I ate like a pig this morning and used a lot of my WW point allotement, but I know that I will do a lot of activities today, so I will be able to absorb the points, plus I haven't used any of the flex things this week. With this weather I am sure that I will be playing tennis and swimming today - but that also means that I will want to eat a sizeable dinner to give me some more energy. I only have to plan it out, right?
A long and wonderful three day weekend and with the correct planning, we can get everything done today and have the rest of the time to enjoy eachother. What a great thing. I think that we are pretty lucky and we intend to take advantage of it. Now to get off my but and actually start doing some of this stuff. I'll check in later.
Last night was the swim team camp-out and my beloved husband stayed in the tent with the kids so that I could stay home and sleep in my own comfortable bed without feeling guilty that the kids couldn't stay at the pool. So to add bo my wonder and amazement and general overall good feeling, I also got a visit from Melissa! She looks fantastic and things seem to be going well for her. We visited Trader Joes and then talked for awhile and had a glass of wine. It was wonderful.
I ate like a pig this morning and used a lot of my WW point allotement, but I know that I will do a lot of activities today, so I will be able to absorb the points, plus I haven't used any of the flex things this week. With this weather I am sure that I will be playing tennis and swimming today - but that also means that I will want to eat a sizeable dinner to give me some more energy. I only have to plan it out, right?
A long and wonderful three day weekend and with the correct planning, we can get everything done today and have the rest of the time to enjoy eachother. What a great thing. I think that we are pretty lucky and we intend to take advantage of it. Now to get off my but and actually start doing some of this stuff. I'll check in later.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
all's well that ends well
We are almost at the end of Jean-Jacque's ten day haitus in France. Now, don't get me wrong, I do understand that he was not sitting with his feat in the air eating bon-bons, he was really hard at work and sweating up a storm in a very hot, very un-air conditioned environment, but he was away from here, so on parent haitus. Here things have gone relatively well, the kids and I are getting along and there has been no loss of any ones cool. I even managed to get the kids to their swim meet and really more amazing, the laundry is almost done and all the ironing is taken care of - imagine that!
Charlotte is still busy copying the "book of Proverbs". This is now the fourth or fifth time she has done it. I know she really isn't getting any pleasure or any benefit from it, but I am not sure what else to do. I want to make sure that she understands the message that she needs to stand up and take responsability for her work and her jobs. She was actually doing fairly well since Wednesday. She really seemed to start understanding that the success or failure of her summer was really only up to her and how much or little she accomplished. She seemed to get it and started doing what needed to be done. She went to her swim meet on Thursday ofcourse, that is her duty to her team. Last night, I let her come to the pool with us after dinner, so that she had some free time. Today, we are back to the same old bull. We get two days of understandable behavior for five weeks of bad behavior. This is getting a little tiring.
Charlotte is still busy copying the "book of Proverbs". This is now the fourth or fifth time she has done it. I know she really isn't getting any pleasure or any benefit from it, but I am not sure what else to do. I want to make sure that she understands the message that she needs to stand up and take responsability for her work and her jobs. She was actually doing fairly well since Wednesday. She really seemed to start understanding that the success or failure of her summer was really only up to her and how much or little she accomplished. She seemed to get it and started doing what needed to be done. She went to her swim meet on Thursday ofcourse, that is her duty to her team. Last night, I let her come to the pool with us after dinner, so that she had some free time. Today, we are back to the same old bull. We get two days of understandable behavior for five weeks of bad behavior. This is getting a little tiring.
Hopefully, she will be able to start taking advantage of her summer vacation. I am totally tired of being a prison guard. I am also totally sure that she is tired of being a prisoner. I understand also that there needs to be another way that is certainly more productive than this poppy cock. Hopefully the counselor that we are going to see will help us find a better way to deal with Charlotte's behavior. According to everyone, what we are going through is very common. Apparently this is a right of passage. Somehow this is a right of passage that I managed to avoid, but it could be that this is a generational thing.
Helene is as precocious as usual and negotiating every little thing. It is starting to drive me crazy. Please don't misunderstand, I am delighted that she has the gift of negotiation and a fairly sophisticated vocabulary, but it is very tiring to have to describe why she must follow directions. The funny thing is watching her interact with Allyson. Since they are both exactly alike, it is pretty amusing. It is sometimes a little much because Allyson sometimes pushes a little, she doesn't always remember that Helene is only nine years old. Helene also has a tendancy to get a little frustrated and then have a meltdown, which makes Allyson push a little harder, rather than backing down and regrouping.
Luke is still pushing to do nothing while his sisters run around like chickens with their heads cut off to get all the chores done. He still knows how to charm me, but I do have his act down now. Allyson however, is still fresh meat and Luke is enjoying his aura over her, just like the aura he has over most of the people at the pool.
All three of the kids are bronzed. Even Charlotte who has access to the pool only in the morning for swim team practice. They look great and healthy and like summertime. I am a little tan, but the season is still early. Hopefully, with JJ back, we will be able to play some tennis and my color will improve. I do still get my swimming in, but since I don't start until later in the evening, the sun has usually lost it's intensity by then.
Today it was absolutely HOT outside, but we didn't get to the pool because the kids weren't really keen on it (well Charlotte was, but she didn't really have any choices) so we stayed home while I did laundry and ironing. Now I am trying to get to the pool to swim my kilometer, but a freak storm broke out and the kids are dragging their feet now that the storm has stopped.
So it's all over, my ten days as a single parent, and we have all come out unscathed. The really great thing is that I still learn and learn, more and more about the kids and about myself, every time I spend some time with the kids - it's great and awesome and amazing.
I did get to see Penny this week. It was awesome. She looks great and tanned an pregnant and glowing. I am thrilled for her and Brian and can't wait until October when baby Davis comes to the world. We also stopped by and saw Patty this morning. Her sister Vivian is in town helping out and both were so wonderful to us this morning. Patty is healthy and about six weeks away from delivering Sabrina Kovitch into her fathers loving embrace (I will have to take a very back seat to not only the parents but the grandparents and aunts, but that is as it should be and it's all good) and eventually I will get to get my cuddle in as well.
Hope that all is well with everyone else.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
summer is here
Well, the craziness has started again. I was in Montreal last week and I am back today, not to return till Saturday, and guess what - JJ leaves for France tonight! Thank goodness my mother still loves me and has no objections to taking the kids overnight for a couple of evenings.
Still no progress on the post floor restauration, but supposedly I will be getting a check and will be able to move forward with the contractor. I am really excited about getting my house back and having the basement. When the weather is yucky, there is no place for the kids to go, except to get in my face. I am longing for my life back, but then again, I am not home much to suffer.
JJ is going to the winery so we'll get a report of how the appartment updates are going. We are excited, well at least I am excited about having him tell me what it looks like and kind of imagining myself being there, looking out the windows on the view. I know that I will be going in August, so I should just calm down and let things come to me, but we all know that patience has never, ever been my strong point.
My darling husband returns on the 26th of June, unfortunately, I leave that same day and won't be back until the 29th - what a month! Hopefully the kids are going to be ok and not play on our sympathies too much. They are busy with swimming and tennis and are already bronzed and healthy looking. Even Charlotte is tanned, and she is only allowed outside for practice because of failing science. We are still having a very difficult time with her, but I assume that this too shall pass.
So that is today's update. I have had huge stress in the last few days because we are starting Bosch production for the 500hp Corvette. The customer is here and we are doing the run@rate to ensure that we can make enough parts per year, but last night I thought that we were going to have to cancel the entire thing. The team kept planning a solution that "in theory" was supposed to improve the conditions, when applied, made the condition worse. When we finally fixed all the issues, the mold broke. I felt like crying! But all was fixed and up and running by this morning. I don't know if we actually passed all the criteria, but we certainly are a lot closer than we were last night.
I am looking forward to putting this behind me and getting home to the kids and relaxing. Be safe everyone.
Still no progress on the post floor restauration, but supposedly I will be getting a check and will be able to move forward with the contractor. I am really excited about getting my house back and having the basement. When the weather is yucky, there is no place for the kids to go, except to get in my face. I am longing for my life back, but then again, I am not home much to suffer.
JJ is going to the winery so we'll get a report of how the appartment updates are going. We are excited, well at least I am excited about having him tell me what it looks like and kind of imagining myself being there, looking out the windows on the view. I know that I will be going in August, so I should just calm down and let things come to me, but we all know that patience has never, ever been my strong point.
My darling husband returns on the 26th of June, unfortunately, I leave that same day and won't be back until the 29th - what a month! Hopefully the kids are going to be ok and not play on our sympathies too much. They are busy with swimming and tennis and are already bronzed and healthy looking. Even Charlotte is tanned, and she is only allowed outside for practice because of failing science. We are still having a very difficult time with her, but I assume that this too shall pass.
So that is today's update. I have had huge stress in the last few days because we are starting Bosch production for the 500hp Corvette. The customer is here and we are doing the run@rate to ensure that we can make enough parts per year, but last night I thought that we were going to have to cancel the entire thing. The team kept planning a solution that "in theory" was supposed to improve the conditions, when applied, made the condition worse. When we finally fixed all the issues, the mold broke. I felt like crying! But all was fixed and up and running by this morning. I don't know if we actually passed all the criteria, but we certainly are a lot closer than we were last night.
I am looking forward to putting this behind me and getting home to the kids and relaxing. Be safe everyone.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
May is moving out...
Well, tomorrow is the first day of June and I cannot believe that I haven't posted in such a long time. I don't think that I have been particularly busy, in fact my whining in the last posting shows that professionally I have not been busy, but time has certainly gotten away from me.
Lets see, well with Weight Watchers I have managed to lose 10 pounds in two months - yeah me, but I was hoping that it would go a lot quicker. Don't get me wrong, I know that it took longer than a few months to put weight on and I do realize that it will take me a long time to get it all off. Yet, I have so much more than ten pounds to lose, I mean, that doesn't even make a dent in my goal weight, so I was kind of hoping for a steady weight drop, not this plateau thing. I weigh in one week and lose like three pounds, then the next week I gain half of it back. I have been pretty good about sticking to the program and moving my butt in exercise too. I haven't lost the faith and I will keep on the program, but it's a little disconcerting. I am having a blast on the weight watchers website, meeting a lot of new people. It's fun.
Now the kids are going crazy because summer is like HERE! They want to be out of school and spending all day long at the pool, basking in the sunshine, but there is two weeks left of school - thank goodness I am not a teacher. Charlotte has found a way to get out, she got suspended for skipping class. She skipped her last hour of the day five times in a row. Why? Because she didn't have her homework done. Did it occur to her to do it? No, this skipping thing was so much easier! And what about the school? Why in the world did it take them so long to figure out that Charlotte was not where she is supposed to be? That question has not been answered to my satisfaction, but she is suspended nonetheless.
My laptop and PDA were stolen from my backseat, whilst parked in the driveway. What a royal pain in the butt. All of my contact information is gone - so please be patient with me while I rebuild my address and phone number file.
So with all of this non busy-ness, I still have not gotten a start on rebuilding post flood. Half my foyer floor and sub floor is gone, the foyer bathroom no longer exists and the basement is toast. The insurance will cover all of this thank goodness, but in the meantime we have to live in the mess. This wouldn't be so bad, but JJ has invited all of his colleagues for a bbq on Thursday, because I am the hostess with the mostess- right? At least I will know that the food I eat will be in WW plan. Who cares what they think about the house anyway, they are here for the company, not for the look of the house.
It's all good.
Lets see, well with Weight Watchers I have managed to lose 10 pounds in two months - yeah me, but I was hoping that it would go a lot quicker. Don't get me wrong, I know that it took longer than a few months to put weight on and I do realize that it will take me a long time to get it all off. Yet, I have so much more than ten pounds to lose, I mean, that doesn't even make a dent in my goal weight, so I was kind of hoping for a steady weight drop, not this plateau thing. I weigh in one week and lose like three pounds, then the next week I gain half of it back. I have been pretty good about sticking to the program and moving my butt in exercise too. I haven't lost the faith and I will keep on the program, but it's a little disconcerting. I am having a blast on the weight watchers website, meeting a lot of new people. It's fun.
Now the kids are going crazy because summer is like HERE! They want to be out of school and spending all day long at the pool, basking in the sunshine, but there is two weeks left of school - thank goodness I am not a teacher. Charlotte has found a way to get out, she got suspended for skipping class. She skipped her last hour of the day five times in a row. Why? Because she didn't have her homework done. Did it occur to her to do it? No, this skipping thing was so much easier! And what about the school? Why in the world did it take them so long to figure out that Charlotte was not where she is supposed to be? That question has not been answered to my satisfaction, but she is suspended nonetheless.
My laptop and PDA were stolen from my backseat, whilst parked in the driveway. What a royal pain in the butt. All of my contact information is gone - so please be patient with me while I rebuild my address and phone number file.
So with all of this non busy-ness, I still have not gotten a start on rebuilding post flood. Half my foyer floor and sub floor is gone, the foyer bathroom no longer exists and the basement is toast. The insurance will cover all of this thank goodness, but in the meantime we have to live in the mess. This wouldn't be so bad, but JJ has invited all of his colleagues for a bbq on Thursday, because I am the hostess with the mostess- right? At least I will know that the food I eat will be in WW plan. Who cares what they think about the house anyway, they are here for the company, not for the look of the house.
It's all good.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Am I blue?
A deep blue funk has enveloped me and I cannot seem to shake it. I am undescribably cranky towards one of my colleagues and he is not truly responsible for the reason that I am upset. I have almost no patience with my children, and they are just being children, but my reaction seems a little over the top - although not necessarily out of character for me. My husband is way overloaded with things in his professional life, yet still tries to take care of as much as possible at home, yet I feel that I am the one handling all of the children's logistics. So what is wrong with me? No, it is not my cycle time and I don't feel like I am in a particularly stressful time at work. So what can it be?
I know that at work I am angry because my colleague is getting all of the new programs and he is way busy. I, on the other hand am pretty free, because my last project is going into production next month, yet I have not been given anything new in what feels like forever. I realize that this is a management error, and not my poor co-worker, but it makes me so angry that I cannot seem to think rationally and all of my bitchiness comes out at him. The funny thing is, he knows that I am upset, he can tell and has chosen to stay out of my way, as much as possible, but he has no idea why I am upset. I realize I say that he is blameless, and that is true, but he is no innocent either and totally knows how I am feeling about this lack of direction, because I have told him. His response was to tell me that he is too busy to attend a trade show that we have to be present at - leaving me with the full two day responsability - which was totally the straw that broke this camels back.
Am I pissed off in the other areas of my life because work is stressing me out? I just don't know. I have been sitting in this office for the better part of the day because I know that I should be here, but I haven't found anything useful or constructive to do all day. I wish JJ would give me some busy work from his company, because then at least I could sit at my computer and do something, instead of waiting for the minutes to tick by.
So I am angry and bitchy and have no real solution for my problem. I guess that I should just shut up and get on with things.
I know that at work I am angry because my colleague is getting all of the new programs and he is way busy. I, on the other hand am pretty free, because my last project is going into production next month, yet I have not been given anything new in what feels like forever. I realize that this is a management error, and not my poor co-worker, but it makes me so angry that I cannot seem to think rationally and all of my bitchiness comes out at him. The funny thing is, he knows that I am upset, he can tell and has chosen to stay out of my way, as much as possible, but he has no idea why I am upset. I realize I say that he is blameless, and that is true, but he is no innocent either and totally knows how I am feeling about this lack of direction, because I have told him. His response was to tell me that he is too busy to attend a trade show that we have to be present at - leaving me with the full two day responsability - which was totally the straw that broke this camels back.
Am I pissed off in the other areas of my life because work is stressing me out? I just don't know. I have been sitting in this office for the better part of the day because I know that I should be here, but I haven't found anything useful or constructive to do all day. I wish JJ would give me some busy work from his company, because then at least I could sit at my computer and do something, instead of waiting for the minutes to tick by.
So I am angry and bitchy and have no real solution for my problem. I guess that I should just shut up and get on with things.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
I am the adult - right?
My mother gave me a book for Mother's Day. I realize that the appropriate thing would be for me to give my mother something memorable and beautiful, but I am so overwhelmed at the moment, the best that I could do was dinner. Fortunately for me, dinner seemed to be just the ticket my mother was looking for, so we were all happy.
The book however, has confirmed what I have been telling myself and working on for quite sometime. It is a book written about the relationship between a mother and her tween daughter. Now we know that Charlotte is no longer truly a tween, and that Helene isn't quite there yet, but since there are no clear cut lines on tween beginning and ending, they both qualify at opposite ends of the spectrum. What does this book say? Basically, it says what most of us already realize. Raising children is hard but worth it. Most kids are not outrageously bad or good, although often outrageous. That adolescent females get a bad wrap because the media has decided that they are hormone ridden and that there can be nothing gained by a relationship with a young women. And ofcourse, it says, often, the one thing that seems to be so hard for me to implement. That we, as parents, are the adults. Running at the mouth (my personal specialty) is not allowed. It is so hard for me to keep my very sarcastic and always appropriate, but devastatingly brutal comments, to myself.
OK, I know. I need to let them learn about things and not cram it down there throat. I just want to know when they are going to start caring about our feelings a little bit- does that sound childish and immature or what? I know, kids aren't supposed to have to worry about how things affect us, we are supposed to manage on our own and be very happy about whatever they are able to share with us. We are supposed to glean the joy whenever possible. But can they at least comprehend that we aren't really thrilled about the prospect of summer school either and if they would just get their head out of their _ _ _ for a moment, maybe they could see that too?
I am at a major loss to explain how honesty has become optional in our house. Now again, it is not lying about really important things, but goodness, if they are not telling the%2
The book however, has confirmed what I have been telling myself and working on for quite sometime. It is a book written about the relationship between a mother and her tween daughter. Now we know that Charlotte is no longer truly a tween, and that Helene isn't quite there yet, but since there are no clear cut lines on tween beginning and ending, they both qualify at opposite ends of the spectrum. What does this book say? Basically, it says what most of us already realize. Raising children is hard but worth it. Most kids are not outrageously bad or good, although often outrageous. That adolescent females get a bad wrap because the media has decided that they are hormone ridden and that there can be nothing gained by a relationship with a young women. And ofcourse, it says, often, the one thing that seems to be so hard for me to implement. That we, as parents, are the adults. Running at the mouth (my personal specialty) is not allowed. It is so hard for me to keep my very sarcastic and always appropriate, but devastatingly brutal comments, to myself.
OK, I know. I need to let them learn about things and not cram it down there throat. I just want to know when they are going to start caring about our feelings a little bit- does that sound childish and immature or what? I know, kids aren't supposed to have to worry about how things affect us, we are supposed to manage on our own and be very happy about whatever they are able to share with us. We are supposed to glean the joy whenever possible. But can they at least comprehend that we aren't really thrilled about the prospect of summer school either and if they would just get their head out of their _ _ _ for a moment, maybe they could see that too?
I am at a major loss to explain how honesty has become optional in our house. Now again, it is not lying about really important things, but goodness, if they are not telling the%2
Thursday, April 21, 2005
A typical conversation with Helene
Ring, ring, ring, and what does one do when the cell phone rings, one picks up the phone. So I answer, especially when I see the caller ID is from home. Why am I being summoned now? Well ofcourse, this is really important, Helene wants to know what she is allowed to have for snack. It didn't really matter that I had already told the children that they could have an apple or some of the cookies that are on the counter, she had to get the information first hand.
Because I believe part of being a good parent is to be consistent, I repeat to Helene that she may have an apple or some cookies. She asks me why she can't have cereal. I explain that I have already given her two options, and cereal is not among them. She, true to character, wants to know how I can refuse her cereal. So, I explain that if I allow them to have cereal for snack, then there won't be cereal left for the morning and that is why I have given her other choices. But she tells me that there is half a bowl of dry cereal, left from Luke's breakfast, sitting on the table.
That is it, my patience is gone and I have lost my ability to continue to answer in a calm and even manner. I want to understand why she calls me, takes me through a five minute conversation to try and lead me to give her the answer she wanted. I asked her why she asks my opinion when she is only going to do whatever she wants to do anyway.
Now, from there I go and work out. I work up a good sweat and calm down, I even smiled at the thought of the irony of the conversation after having vented to my mother. Then I went home and what did I find? All three of my children were eating their snack (why it took them an additional hour to actually have the snack they were negotiating over, I am not sure). Imagine my surprize when I saw that they were all eating yogourt! Was that, at any point, a part of my conversation with her. I am exasperated and so looking forward to the emotional fireworks that will be part of our daily routing over the next several years.
God bless y'all. Yeah to Corey and Angela for their little Noah, born yesterday on Jean-Jacques birthday. More good news, Penny and Brian are expecting a baby in October!!!
More craziness to come for sure.
Because I believe part of being a good parent is to be consistent, I repeat to Helene that she may have an apple or some cookies. She asks me why she can't have cereal. I explain that I have already given her two options, and cereal is not among them. She, true to character, wants to know how I can refuse her cereal. So, I explain that if I allow them to have cereal for snack, then there won't be cereal left for the morning and that is why I have given her other choices. But she tells me that there is half a bowl of dry cereal, left from Luke's breakfast, sitting on the table.
That is it, my patience is gone and I have lost my ability to continue to answer in a calm and even manner. I want to understand why she calls me, takes me through a five minute conversation to try and lead me to give her the answer she wanted. I asked her why she asks my opinion when she is only going to do whatever she wants to do anyway.
Now, from there I go and work out. I work up a good sweat and calm down, I even smiled at the thought of the irony of the conversation after having vented to my mother. Then I went home and what did I find? All three of my children were eating their snack (why it took them an additional hour to actually have the snack they were negotiating over, I am not sure). Imagine my surprize when I saw that they were all eating yogourt! Was that, at any point, a part of my conversation with her. I am exasperated and so looking forward to the emotional fireworks that will be part of our daily routing over the next several years.
God bless y'all. Yeah to Corey and Angela for their little Noah, born yesterday on Jean-Jacques birthday. More good news, Penny and Brian are expecting a baby in October!!!
More craziness to come for sure.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Now I really am Forty!
After being able to reflect on things I thought that maybe I should give everyone an update, lest you think that I have died of old age! It has really been a pretty cool week.
Sunday I got a surprize birthday party, organized by my husband. Praise God for Luke who was a little too revealing with some information just before church, or I would have welcomed everyone in an unshowered condition, wearing grungy sweats. As it was, I was clean and properly dressed (both for mass and the afternoon) and the weather cooperated. It was a glorious day and very emotional to see my husband's efforts and my friends coming together for me! I got great phone calls from friends in France, even Antoine's parents. It was awesome.
Monday evening my family presented me with even more presents! The kids had made some candles and Helene painted a picture frame, but Jack got me my coveted MP3 player. Even more special, he put music on it for me. I feel like I am pretty cool now, until ofcourse I have it on and I don't know how to do simple things like volume control or on/off functions!
On Tuesday, before traveling to the worlds most exciting town, Lima Ohio (where every girl wants to spend her 40th birthday, in a Holiday Inn in Lima), I weighed in and found out that I lost over six pounds. It was like scoring bonus points. Oh yeah, despite aging, which really isn't so bad, this is a really good week. I even got more phone calls from France and a rare call from my brother Richard, which resulted in a half an hour conversation.
Now it's Friday and my birthday week is coming to a close. (Have you noticed how I have birthday weeks and not days? I am such an egomaniac.) I went to lunch with my colleagues and am getting ready to go work out with my mom, then home to the kiddies, and I am thinking that even without winning 100 million dollars in the Mega Millions, I am a very lucky lady. This certainly is a change from my vent of the day blog. I really do feel blessed and awed by how great my life is.
Everyone say a little prayer that the Holy Spirit stay really present in Rome as the Cardinals get ready for the conclave and the ambitious job of naming our next church leader. And while your praying, you can say a prayer for a women that works out with us at Curves, and her husband, who got the West Nile Virus last year and is still struggling to overcome it's effects, and for our friend Becky.
Love to all.
Sunday I got a surprize birthday party, organized by my husband. Praise God for Luke who was a little too revealing with some information just before church, or I would have welcomed everyone in an unshowered condition, wearing grungy sweats. As it was, I was clean and properly dressed (both for mass and the afternoon) and the weather cooperated. It was a glorious day and very emotional to see my husband's efforts and my friends coming together for me! I got great phone calls from friends in France, even Antoine's parents. It was awesome.
Monday evening my family presented me with even more presents! The kids had made some candles and Helene painted a picture frame, but Jack got me my coveted MP3 player. Even more special, he put music on it for me. I feel like I am pretty cool now, until ofcourse I have it on and I don't know how to do simple things like volume control or on/off functions!
On Tuesday, before traveling to the worlds most exciting town, Lima Ohio (where every girl wants to spend her 40th birthday, in a Holiday Inn in Lima), I weighed in and found out that I lost over six pounds. It was like scoring bonus points. Oh yeah, despite aging, which really isn't so bad, this is a really good week. I even got more phone calls from France and a rare call from my brother Richard, which resulted in a half an hour conversation.
Now it's Friday and my birthday week is coming to a close. (Have you noticed how I have birthday weeks and not days? I am such an egomaniac.) I went to lunch with my colleagues and am getting ready to go work out with my mom, then home to the kiddies, and I am thinking that even without winning 100 million dollars in the Mega Millions, I am a very lucky lady. This certainly is a change from my vent of the day blog. I really do feel blessed and awed by how great my life is.
Everyone say a little prayer that the Holy Spirit stay really present in Rome as the Cardinals get ready for the conclave and the ambitious job of naming our next church leader. And while your praying, you can say a prayer for a women that works out with us at Curves, and her husband, who got the West Nile Virus last year and is still struggling to overcome it's effects, and for our friend Becky.
Love to all.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Easter is around the corner
Well, for some bizarre reason, we can't seem to get out of our funk. Helene would have promised me anything this morning if I had just told her that she could stay home from school. She isn't sick, just congested, but boy is she a sleepy-head in the morning. That girl is so like her mother that it is absolutely scarry. On the weekends, everybody is up and on their way by 9:00, at the latest, but Helene and I, we can sleep until 11 if we are left undisturbed.
We still manage to get to the pool in the evening, we do our laps and lounge in the hot tub and sauna, but that hasn't seemed to give us more energy. Both Jean-Jacques and I are walking around talking about taking vitamins, but we don't seem to be benefiting from the adage that the more you exercise, the more energy you have. Why not?
I got over my little pissing party, the venting on my last posting. My husband and I talked and talked and he realizes that sometimes he needs to consult before making a decision that effects both of us, even if that decision is about his work. As for me, well, I realize just how bitchy I sound when I whine and complain. My life is only screwed up in the areas that I allow it to be, I have control over most of what goes on, and despite being grossly overweight (also directly attributable to me!) I am in fairly decent health, as is my family. So I really need to get over it, whatever the IT happens to be today.
We are both, amazingly enough, in town for most of this week. JJ has a wine dinner in Battle Creek on Friday. Who ever heard of such a thing, a wine dinner on Good Friday, but such is life. The kids and I just might go with him so that we can try and visit the Kellogs museum, if it is open on Holy Saturday!
Next week, I am in Montreal on Monday night, returning Tuesday evening and then JJ is probably going up north for a tasting at Silver Tree, another golden opportunity for the kids and I to go with him, but I am not sure that there would be much for us to do this time of year in Traverse City, so we'll just have to wait and see.
I am going to be 40 in a few weeks and although I am comfortable with my age, my body has been bothering me more and more. I just so wish that I could have a normal figure because I truly don't believe that I am such an obese eater, so why is my body size so out of proportion? I do so wish that there was a magic pill that I could take and that would give me the strength I need to get down to an acceptable size. I pray a lot about it. Hopefully, Charlotte and I will get a lot out of our Weight Watchers meetings and that will set me on a good path, it sure has done amazing things for Suzie.
God Bless y'all.
We still manage to get to the pool in the evening, we do our laps and lounge in the hot tub and sauna, but that hasn't seemed to give us more energy. Both Jean-Jacques and I are walking around talking about taking vitamins, but we don't seem to be benefiting from the adage that the more you exercise, the more energy you have. Why not?
I got over my little pissing party, the venting on my last posting. My husband and I talked and talked and he realizes that sometimes he needs to consult before making a decision that effects both of us, even if that decision is about his work. As for me, well, I realize just how bitchy I sound when I whine and complain. My life is only screwed up in the areas that I allow it to be, I have control over most of what goes on, and despite being grossly overweight (also directly attributable to me!) I am in fairly decent health, as is my family. So I really need to get over it, whatever the IT happens to be today.
We are both, amazingly enough, in town for most of this week. JJ has a wine dinner in Battle Creek on Friday. Who ever heard of such a thing, a wine dinner on Good Friday, but such is life. The kids and I just might go with him so that we can try and visit the Kellogs museum, if it is open on Holy Saturday!
Next week, I am in Montreal on Monday night, returning Tuesday evening and then JJ is probably going up north for a tasting at Silver Tree, another golden opportunity for the kids and I to go with him, but I am not sure that there would be much for us to do this time of year in Traverse City, so we'll just have to wait and see.
I am going to be 40 in a few weeks and although I am comfortable with my age, my body has been bothering me more and more. I just so wish that I could have a normal figure because I truly don't believe that I am such an obese eater, so why is my body size so out of proportion? I do so wish that there was a magic pill that I could take and that would give me the strength I need to get down to an acceptable size. I pray a lot about it. Hopefully, Charlotte and I will get a lot out of our Weight Watchers meetings and that will set me on a good path, it sure has done amazing things for Suzie.
God Bless y'all.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Vent of the day!
I have truly been trying to support my husband in his quest for an independent and financially secure company. I have not bitched about the gazillion hours he spends on the computer and on the phone. I have helped him in the organization of his trips, because he seems completely unable to organize them himself, nor does he delegate this task to his administrative assistant (in his defense, the admin has only just begun, so really need to give her a little time to acclimate herself, but on the offensive side, he doesn't even ask because he assumes that she will be too overloaded to handle it!). When his trip exceeds a few days, I even pack his bags for goodness sakes. But, I am feeling strangely left out. I mean, he has been asking a friend to help him prepare some Direct Import stuff, even though he originally asked me AND I have offered, on various occasions to help. He has been excluding me, he says, intentionally, so that one of us had a little more freedom to spend with our kids. Why does this piss me off so much!
I guess I feel like I just got a pat on the head. Do you know what I mean? My salary and bonus equal almost six figures, plus I get a car and benefits, so why do I feel like I have just been told that I shouldn't bother my pretty little head over his business stuff. Does he not get it? I mean, I am a pretty sharp person and I could probably help him a lot, without necessarily having to give up all of my free time. But, instead, he asks his friend for help and offers to give this friend a percentage of whatever! I am pretty upset right now, in case you couldn't tell.
Then there's Charlotte, who swore to us that everything was going fine at school. She promised us that there were no issues before going to France in February. She wrote letters, sent emails and basically pledged that she was telling the truth. Then what happened? While I was in France with the three kids, we got a letter at home that told us that Charlotte had two E's, a D and a C- in her four core subjects. How are we supposed to react to that?
At parent teacher conferences, I made Jean-Jacques and Charlotte go because frankly, I am embarassed, and I am tired of getting lectured on Charlotte's behaviour when she is the only one who can change. So, they went. All of the teachers spoke to Charlotte directly and told her that she had to step up to the plate. She has managed to increase her grades so that there is only one D+ and the rest are C's, but for the love of God, why does she have to scrap the bottom of the barrel before she works.
Yesterday she comes home with her planner and she tells us that she has forgotten to have it signed by her first hour teacher (English). Jack doesn't check the planner, we take her word for it and ask her to write to her teacher to get the planner signed retro-actively. Charlotte actually writes the email and copies me and her father. You know what, the teacher writes us back to tell us that Charlotte is lying. The planner was signed yesterday and there was a note with it that told us that she had not turned in a homework assignment and had only until today to turn it in before she got a big fat ZERO. Now, how can Charlotte be so stupid as to send out the email? Did she really think that the teacher was going to let her slide - her, this brilliant, straight A student!! Ofcourse not, Charlotte is a slacker and tries to skate by on doing only the bare minimum, the teacher is NOT going to let her get away with anything.
You want the icing? The teacher did not send an email to me, she sent it to Jean-Jacques. JJ did not forward me the email, he just called me to warn me so that I could calm down before I confronted our daughter. Why am I supposed to calm down? Why can't I yell and scream? I certainly would not tolerate this kind of behaviour from anyone else. I would cease to socialize with my friends or even siblings if they continually lied to me and tried to make me out for some type of idiot, so why do I have to not only accept this type of behaviour from Charlotte, but I have to accept it calmly!
Comments, criticism, but mostly prayers and pills welcome!
I guess I feel like I just got a pat on the head. Do you know what I mean? My salary and bonus equal almost six figures, plus I get a car and benefits, so why do I feel like I have just been told that I shouldn't bother my pretty little head over his business stuff. Does he not get it? I mean, I am a pretty sharp person and I could probably help him a lot, without necessarily having to give up all of my free time. But, instead, he asks his friend for help and offers to give this friend a percentage of whatever! I am pretty upset right now, in case you couldn't tell.
Then there's Charlotte, who swore to us that everything was going fine at school. She promised us that there were no issues before going to France in February. She wrote letters, sent emails and basically pledged that she was telling the truth. Then what happened? While I was in France with the three kids, we got a letter at home that told us that Charlotte had two E's, a D and a C- in her four core subjects. How are we supposed to react to that?
At parent teacher conferences, I made Jean-Jacques and Charlotte go because frankly, I am embarassed, and I am tired of getting lectured on Charlotte's behaviour when she is the only one who can change. So, they went. All of the teachers spoke to Charlotte directly and told her that she had to step up to the plate. She has managed to increase her grades so that there is only one D+ and the rest are C's, but for the love of God, why does she have to scrap the bottom of the barrel before she works.
Yesterday she comes home with her planner and she tells us that she has forgotten to have it signed by her first hour teacher (English). Jack doesn't check the planner, we take her word for it and ask her to write to her teacher to get the planner signed retro-actively. Charlotte actually writes the email and copies me and her father. You know what, the teacher writes us back to tell us that Charlotte is lying. The planner was signed yesterday and there was a note with it that told us that she had not turned in a homework assignment and had only until today to turn it in before she got a big fat ZERO. Now, how can Charlotte be so stupid as to send out the email? Did she really think that the teacher was going to let her slide - her, this brilliant, straight A student!! Ofcourse not, Charlotte is a slacker and tries to skate by on doing only the bare minimum, the teacher is NOT going to let her get away with anything.
You want the icing? The teacher did not send an email to me, she sent it to Jean-Jacques. JJ did not forward me the email, he just called me to warn me so that I could calm down before I confronted our daughter. Why am I supposed to calm down? Why can't I yell and scream? I certainly would not tolerate this kind of behaviour from anyone else. I would cease to socialize with my friends or even siblings if they continually lied to me and tried to make me out for some type of idiot, so why do I have to not only accept this type of behaviour from Charlotte, but I have to accept it calmly!
Comments, criticism, but mostly prayers and pills welcome!
Saturday, February 26, 2005
February is almost over
Wow, the month flew by. I guess that is what happens when you vacation in the middle of it. We are trying to get motivated on this lazy Saturday morning, but it is really hard and JJ is out of town on business, not retuning until this evening, so there is no one to turn off the TV and get us moving on something constructive. Oh yeah, I am the mom, so I should be doing that, right?
I really am trying to be productive. I have plans, laundry plans, plans to iron, even maybe attempt to scrapbook (for the kids) and plans to go swimming this afternoon. But, it is already 11:30 and here I sit, in front of the computer because I just want to relax. Since I want to be lazy, it is very hard for me to deny the kids the same luxury, accept for Charlotte ofcourse. Charlotte, who has been having a really difficult time with certain areas in her life, like school, is slated to do some copying and thinking today. We are taking sections of the Book of Proverbs and copying them long-hand. Then we are giving a little synopsis on each section. What is the point? Well I am hoping to have her reflect a little on honesty and integrity. I am sure that I might as well be spitting in the wind, but you never know. Whatever, it beats screaming, yelling and fantasizing about smacking her across the face.
The weather has been bizarre, snow and sun. I am going to send the kids outside to take care of the driveway before it all freezes again. I got stuck yesterday, thanks to my beautiful rear-wheel drive vehicle. I was fine on the roads, but the driveway proved to be just too much for the car. Maybe with the kids outside I will do something like ironing. You never know. At least I won't feel so guilty about having them sit in front of the TV all day. Although, I sincerely believe that sitting in front of the TV all morning on a Saturday is a child's right. It was for me when I was a kid. The good thing now is that you can find channels without commercials so they are not being brainwashed while watching mind numbing cartoons.
Am hoping to see Roger who is back from Florida. My mother says that his tan is to die for, which I could probably do without seeing, but I did miss him and am glad that he came back, even if he did bring six inches of snow with him. I also need to get in touch with Chantal, who recently had surgery on her eyes. I would like to know how it went. Nicole called the other night and I need to return her call. I was too sick on Tuesday, I didn't have any voice and was not in any shape to talk on the phone.
big kisses to all.
I really am trying to be productive. I have plans, laundry plans, plans to iron, even maybe attempt to scrapbook (for the kids) and plans to go swimming this afternoon. But, it is already 11:30 and here I sit, in front of the computer because I just want to relax. Since I want to be lazy, it is very hard for me to deny the kids the same luxury, accept for Charlotte ofcourse. Charlotte, who has been having a really difficult time with certain areas in her life, like school, is slated to do some copying and thinking today. We are taking sections of the Book of Proverbs and copying them long-hand. Then we are giving a little synopsis on each section. What is the point? Well I am hoping to have her reflect a little on honesty and integrity. I am sure that I might as well be spitting in the wind, but you never know. Whatever, it beats screaming, yelling and fantasizing about smacking her across the face.
The weather has been bizarre, snow and sun. I am going to send the kids outside to take care of the driveway before it all freezes again. I got stuck yesterday, thanks to my beautiful rear-wheel drive vehicle. I was fine on the roads, but the driveway proved to be just too much for the car. Maybe with the kids outside I will do something like ironing. You never know. At least I won't feel so guilty about having them sit in front of the TV all day. Although, I sincerely believe that sitting in front of the TV all morning on a Saturday is a child's right. It was for me when I was a kid. The good thing now is that you can find channels without commercials so they are not being brainwashed while watching mind numbing cartoons.
Am hoping to see Roger who is back from Florida. My mother says that his tan is to die for, which I could probably do without seeing, but I did miss him and am glad that he came back, even if he did bring six inches of snow with him. I also need to get in touch with Chantal, who recently had surgery on her eyes. I would like to know how it went. Nicole called the other night and I need to return her call. I was too sick on Tuesday, I didn't have any voice and was not in any shape to talk on the phone.
big kisses to all.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Back to reality
What could be better than a week in Paris? Well if we had had good weather it could have been better, but despite mother natures reluctance to cooperate, we had a great time.
I rented a small flat in the center of Paris and we were very well located. It was very cute and had exactly what we needed. To make it even better, it was a short ten minute walk from the apartment my mother and her friends rented. We had a great time with no stuffy set agenda. We went with the flow and really had a stress free time.
Just to keep me honest, Helene got sick. She wasn't like, in the hospital sick, but she wasn't talking (which is a huge clue) and she wanted to sleep all the time (I guess it was like a flash forward to what it may be like when she is a teenager?). We have quite a collection of medicines from the local pharmacy. I will have a hard time remembering which medicine goes with what, so the smartest thing would be to dispose of all of them, but why would I do that? So Helene got sick and Charlotte flirted with sickness and now that we are back, Luke is the one with a small fever and much stuffiness.
I too, have decided to contribute to a bout of illness. I have extremely overloaded sinuses. This was a real treat on the flight home. I was actually in tears at the pain. I still can't hear properly and every time I talk I sound like I am screaming, even though JJ says that he can barely hear me. I realize that this is probably the answer to a lot of people's prayers, but I would really like my life back.
The good news is that I am working from home, so at 2 in the afternoon, still lounging in my pj's with very little motivation to actually get dressed and bathed. Because I am at home and not interrupted I have actully managed to catch up on the gazillion emails that were lurking in my inbox. The bad news is that I still haven't gone totally back to reality, like leaving the house and going to the office.
What did we do in Paris? Well we walked, a lot. We discovered new areas. We saw Paristory, an hour long movie on how Paris was developed. The kids and I took a tour of Notre Dame. We spent time with family and friends. We ate great food. We laughed and basically enjoyed the blessing of being together and being allowed to vacation in a wonderful spot.
More to all soon. We are trying to go up north with JJ this weekend. He has a wine tasting in the Petosky area and meeting in Traverse. I thought that we could go with him and the kids could ski on Sat. Helene ofcourse is still not allowed to do any activity because of the toe thing, but Luke and Charlotte could ski.
bisous to you.
I rented a small flat in the center of Paris and we were very well located. It was very cute and had exactly what we needed. To make it even better, it was a short ten minute walk from the apartment my mother and her friends rented. We had a great time with no stuffy set agenda. We went with the flow and really had a stress free time.
Just to keep me honest, Helene got sick. She wasn't like, in the hospital sick, but she wasn't talking (which is a huge clue) and she wanted to sleep all the time (I guess it was like a flash forward to what it may be like when she is a teenager?). We have quite a collection of medicines from the local pharmacy. I will have a hard time remembering which medicine goes with what, so the smartest thing would be to dispose of all of them, but why would I do that? So Helene got sick and Charlotte flirted with sickness and now that we are back, Luke is the one with a small fever and much stuffiness.
I too, have decided to contribute to a bout of illness. I have extremely overloaded sinuses. This was a real treat on the flight home. I was actually in tears at the pain. I still can't hear properly and every time I talk I sound like I am screaming, even though JJ says that he can barely hear me. I realize that this is probably the answer to a lot of people's prayers, but I would really like my life back.
The good news is that I am working from home, so at 2 in the afternoon, still lounging in my pj's with very little motivation to actually get dressed and bathed. Because I am at home and not interrupted I have actully managed to catch up on the gazillion emails that were lurking in my inbox. The bad news is that I still haven't gone totally back to reality, like leaving the house and going to the office.
What did we do in Paris? Well we walked, a lot. We discovered new areas. We saw Paristory, an hour long movie on how Paris was developed. The kids and I took a tour of Notre Dame. We spent time with family and friends. We ate great food. We laughed and basically enjoyed the blessing of being together and being allowed to vacation in a wonderful spot.
More to all soon. We are trying to go up north with JJ this weekend. He has a wine tasting in the Petosky area and meeting in Traverse. I thought that we could go with him and the kids could ski on Sat. Helene ofcourse is still not allowed to do any activity because of the toe thing, but Luke and Charlotte could ski.
bisous to you.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
and vacation is supposed to be easy...
Well, here we are, getting ready for a nice relaxing week in picturesque Paris, right? I feel like I am being ripped into about 48 different directions and I don't know what to do about it. Here is the gist of what's going on.
After much deliberation, Jean-Jacques and I have decided to let Charlotte accompany me and the other two kids on vacation. This would seem like a no-brainer for anyone without teenage children. For those of you with teenagers, you understand. There is behaviour coming from this once very sweet, very reliable, very honest kid, that as a parent, you just cannot accept. You try everything from working with the child, punishing the child, rewarding the child, screaming at the child, even ignoring the child, but after two years and an incalcuable number of promises of change, the behaviour continues. Then what? Well, this is where I am totally at a loss. I am thinking that I need to not include her on the vacation, but that seems a little extreme, and come on, she's not a drug addict or robbing banks. Plus, I am really wary of excluding her and making her feel like a parriah. I mean, if I remember correctly, at 13, you pretty much feel like a geek all the time, so you don't need your parents to add to your pain. I keep hearing the song "love will find a way" in my head. I am sure that somehow, with love, we will all get through this, just in time for Helene to start!
Yes, Helene. You didn't think that she could have an uneventful week, did you? Helene broke her toe. I mean, she broke her toe on January 29th, but being parents who are right on the ball, we finally got her to the pediatrician yesterday and found out that she needed an xray, and now we have discovered a broken toe that requires a visit to the orthopedic specialist! How does that happen? Who needs to go get their toe put in a cast for goodness sakes?
And Luke, after almost two years of no issues, is back on all his asthma medication, I won't even go into how upsetting this is. After calming down though, I realize that I'll do whatever I need to do to keep him from getting sicker and the pediatrician seems to feel that him being on this asthma medication will help prevent him from getting things like the flu.
So, with a no-travel week in front of me, I thought that I could handle getting the laundry done, packing our bags and being prepared for a week out of the office - HAH!!! Well, pray for me. It's Ash Wednesday and I did manage to go to service with my mother - so that's a start. Hopefully I will have only wonderful, peaceful things to write about when I return from my week in parisien paradise...
bisous to all.
After much deliberation, Jean-Jacques and I have decided to let Charlotte accompany me and the other two kids on vacation. This would seem like a no-brainer for anyone without teenage children. For those of you with teenagers, you understand. There is behaviour coming from this once very sweet, very reliable, very honest kid, that as a parent, you just cannot accept. You try everything from working with the child, punishing the child, rewarding the child, screaming at the child, even ignoring the child, but after two years and an incalcuable number of promises of change, the behaviour continues. Then what? Well, this is where I am totally at a loss. I am thinking that I need to not include her on the vacation, but that seems a little extreme, and come on, she's not a drug addict or robbing banks. Plus, I am really wary of excluding her and making her feel like a parriah. I mean, if I remember correctly, at 13, you pretty much feel like a geek all the time, so you don't need your parents to add to your pain. I keep hearing the song "love will find a way" in my head. I am sure that somehow, with love, we will all get through this, just in time for Helene to start!
Yes, Helene. You didn't think that she could have an uneventful week, did you? Helene broke her toe. I mean, she broke her toe on January 29th, but being parents who are right on the ball, we finally got her to the pediatrician yesterday and found out that she needed an xray, and now we have discovered a broken toe that requires a visit to the orthopedic specialist! How does that happen? Who needs to go get their toe put in a cast for goodness sakes?
And Luke, after almost two years of no issues, is back on all his asthma medication, I won't even go into how upsetting this is. After calming down though, I realize that I'll do whatever I need to do to keep him from getting sicker and the pediatrician seems to feel that him being on this asthma medication will help prevent him from getting things like the flu.
So, with a no-travel week in front of me, I thought that I could handle getting the laundry done, packing our bags and being prepared for a week out of the office - HAH!!! Well, pray for me. It's Ash Wednesday and I did manage to go to service with my mother - so that's a start. Hopefully I will have only wonderful, peaceful things to write about when I return from my week in parisien paradise...
bisous to all.
Friday, February 04, 2005
February sweethearts.
I cannot believe how quickly January has gone by, but then vacation also seems like it was eons ago. We certainly have been busy on Baylor, running in every direction and really just keeping out heads above water.
Jean-Jacques was in France for a week. He had a productive week and came home to attend Lou's birthday party. He was a supreme trooper, but ended up falling asleep before the end of the Euchre tournament. Thank goodness Carol was there to step in and save the day.
Last week, just a few days after his return, I left for Montreal on Tuesday. JJ left for Cincinnati on Wednesday and mom came and spent the night and got the kids off to school on Thursday. I came home on Thursday. JJ came home Saturday late and left Sunday evening. Are you following this? He did return to us on the 2nd, in time for crepes at my moms house (for the Chandeleur) and now we are both home until I leave for France on the 11th.
When I read this over it all sounds very confusing and stressful. Really it isn't so bad. We manage to go to the pool with the kids (although rarely with both adults at the same time) and we even manage to make dinner and eat. The kids get lunches made and they get homework reviewed. Now I don't want to mislead anyone. There are intense moments, like the ones just before it's time to get to school. Somehow those 5 minutes seem to throw everyone into a tailspin and we just cannot get it together without yelling.
The other good thing is that the kids have to be a little self reliant. Like Luke making his and Helene's lunch because he is downstairs and ready before her. That is pretty cool for a first grader. OK, there is a LOT of butter on the ham sandwich, and only one slice of ham (I corrected this before the sandwiches got in the bags), but he did it. Charlotte gets her beautiful self out of bed in the morning at 5:30 to be ready for school at 7:10 (yes, she is a little slow, but that is her choice) and when her father is travelling, she wakes the rest of the family at 6:30. I cannot get out of bed 5:30 unless someone is dying!
So, we are getting ready for our big trip to France. I have a lot of friends to see and things to do. I have also added a job interview to my list, so keep your fingers crossed for me, the interview is on valentines day, so that's a good sign, right?
Pray for our little Jason who is a pretty sick little guy. He has been at the hospital since earlier this week with a respritory infection that certainly resembles RSV, but he has not been diagnosed clearly with that yet. Adrienne has been at his side at every moment, except for the few when she runs home to shower and change and allows Matt some private time with their youngest. Cam, much to Adrienne's dismay, but Claude's delight, has decided that his mother is gone so much just to personally piss him off, so he's pouting and only wanting to be with Grandpa!
love to all - keep smiling - keep sane - thank God for all of his blessings, even the really little ones.
Jean-Jacques was in France for a week. He had a productive week and came home to attend Lou's birthday party. He was a supreme trooper, but ended up falling asleep before the end of the Euchre tournament. Thank goodness Carol was there to step in and save the day.
Last week, just a few days after his return, I left for Montreal on Tuesday. JJ left for Cincinnati on Wednesday and mom came and spent the night and got the kids off to school on Thursday. I came home on Thursday. JJ came home Saturday late and left Sunday evening. Are you following this? He did return to us on the 2nd, in time for crepes at my moms house (for the Chandeleur) and now we are both home until I leave for France on the 11th.
When I read this over it all sounds very confusing and stressful. Really it isn't so bad. We manage to go to the pool with the kids (although rarely with both adults at the same time) and we even manage to make dinner and eat. The kids get lunches made and they get homework reviewed. Now I don't want to mislead anyone. There are intense moments, like the ones just before it's time to get to school. Somehow those 5 minutes seem to throw everyone into a tailspin and we just cannot get it together without yelling.
The other good thing is that the kids have to be a little self reliant. Like Luke making his and Helene's lunch because he is downstairs and ready before her. That is pretty cool for a first grader. OK, there is a LOT of butter on the ham sandwich, and only one slice of ham (I corrected this before the sandwiches got in the bags), but he did it. Charlotte gets her beautiful self out of bed in the morning at 5:30 to be ready for school at 7:10 (yes, she is a little slow, but that is her choice) and when her father is travelling, she wakes the rest of the family at 6:30. I cannot get out of bed 5:30 unless someone is dying!
So, we are getting ready for our big trip to France. I have a lot of friends to see and things to do. I have also added a job interview to my list, so keep your fingers crossed for me, the interview is on valentines day, so that's a good sign, right?
Pray for our little Jason who is a pretty sick little guy. He has been at the hospital since earlier this week with a respritory infection that certainly resembles RSV, but he has not been diagnosed clearly with that yet. Adrienne has been at his side at every moment, except for the few when she runs home to shower and change and allows Matt some private time with their youngest. Cam, much to Adrienne's dismay, but Claude's delight, has decided that his mother is gone so much just to personally piss him off, so he's pouting and only wanting to be with Grandpa!
love to all - keep smiling - keep sane - thank God for all of his blessings, even the really little ones.
Friday, January 07, 2005
A New Year Begins
Wow, how do you begin to describe something that you never, in your wildest dreams, imagined you would do. I feel like there is no way to describe what a great vacation we had. Jean-Jacques and I were totally enchanted by all that we saw, and we spent everyday with the kids. The weather was totally cooperative, until the last day. That is to be expected because I had decided that I was saving Sunday for my sunbathing day. This ofcourse means that I returned to Michigan without an eye-popping tan, but it also means that I have reduced my risk of skin cancer.
Unfortunately I am still really unable to post any pictures to this blog. I did download the recommended program, but it doesn't work, and I have no idea how to make it work, so if anyone is actually interested in pictures, you'll have to come and see me. All the technological advances and I am still in the dark ages!
My father did ok on the trip. He was slow and not totally occupied with making sure that his behaviour did not affect the group, but he didn't have any "crashes". My mother spent the entire vacation worrying about my father and did not "come out and play" with us, for fear of what she may find upon her return to the villa. We really need to assess because my mothers existence is turning into sitting and watching my father sit...
JJ is currently in France working like a dog, and I am thanking God that I am not a single parent because I don't think that I am made to handle that kind of pressure alone. The kids have been really good actually and I am very lucky that they are independent. Charlotte had a cold that she conquered, but not before passing it along to her brother. Luke has been coughing a lot and I have spent a few sleepless nights, waiting for his episodes. He seems to be on the mend though, last night he went to bed unmedicated and neither of us woke up until this morning, so maybe we have turned the corner.
All is well here. We are getting ready for our February trip to Paris, and I think that the kids are even getting a little excited.
Unfortunately I am still really unable to post any pictures to this blog. I did download the recommended program, but it doesn't work, and I have no idea how to make it work, so if anyone is actually interested in pictures, you'll have to come and see me. All the technological advances and I am still in the dark ages!
My father did ok on the trip. He was slow and not totally occupied with making sure that his behaviour did not affect the group, but he didn't have any "crashes". My mother spent the entire vacation worrying about my father and did not "come out and play" with us, for fear of what she may find upon her return to the villa. We really need to assess because my mothers existence is turning into sitting and watching my father sit...
JJ is currently in France working like a dog, and I am thanking God that I am not a single parent because I don't think that I am made to handle that kind of pressure alone. The kids have been really good actually and I am very lucky that they are independent. Charlotte had a cold that she conquered, but not before passing it along to her brother. Luke has been coughing a lot and I have spent a few sleepless nights, waiting for his episodes. He seems to be on the mend though, last night he went to bed unmedicated and neither of us woke up until this morning, so maybe we have turned the corner.
All is well here. We are getting ready for our February trip to Paris, and I think that the kids are even getting a little excited.
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