I worked my tushi off this weekend. We began by finished siding the dog house with our salvaged cedar fencing and I added some finishing touches. Some branches from my mom's backyard, a sign I dremeled and a few of my dad's old license plates made it is stinkin' adorable and the dogs really are using it! Our backyard has no grass, so that is a job for next weekend. Thankfully between the deck we built a few weeks ago, this LARGE doghouse, and a 10x10 cement pad we use as a place to shoot hoops, we have very little to till and seed.
Here is a picture of Bark Manor . . .
Then yesterday I decided that some plants I had saved last year needed a new home. I have this little space on the side of the house that I replant things people give me hoping to find a home for them the next year. These were some of it's inhabitants. I cut out a couple beds from the front and made 2 cute planter beds. One has some star-gazer lillies and hostas and this one here has hostas and some little ferns creeping up. . .
The only causality of the weekend, besides my black feet from being barefoot, was Dustin. On Friday McCartney whacked him across the bridge of the nose with a shovel totally on accident. I really thought it was broken. Then yesterday one of the neighbor's dogs nipped his butt and bruised one of his "cheeks". To top it all off, today he was right behind me and I tripped over his foot, stumbled and elbowed him in the right eye. He looks like he was in a prize fight.
okay, maybe not ever, but a really close second. On my way out the door this morning I realized I couldn't find my purse. I looked everywhere I knew to look and didn't find it. I ran out the door and got the kids to school before Harrison missed his bus. By the time I got to work, I was freaking out. My boss let me go home and look again. I turned the house upside down. I retraced my steps. I swore it had to be at work. I went back to work to look. No purse.
I was still freaking out and Robert was home looking like crazy. It had my keys, cell phone, wallet, social security cards for me and all three kids, checkbook, EVERYTHING in it. By this time my mom was at work and helped me think where it could be. I was a mess of worry, so she sent me back home to look again. Robert and I left no stone unturned. We have a rental car this week and I scoured the car, it's teeny tiny, so I knew it wasn't hiding in there. We gave up. The ONLY place it could be was the ball diamonds, but I SWORE I didn't take it last night.
I went back to work and tried not to worry. I was a mess all day. The bank had no activity on my accounts or my credit cards, so I didn't think someone had stolen it. I was freaking out all day until I got a hold of the diamonds. About 4:30 someone answered at the concession stand and lo and behold they had it! I think I took my first breath of the day at that time. Woohooo! I don't think I've ever been so relieved. Robert went and picked it up after Harrison's dental appointment and we were reunited soon after.
Shhhh, don't tell anyone, but I hugged and kissed my purse. . .
Yesterday my mom and I traveled to Indianapolis to see a specialist at Riley Children's Hospital for all the pain McCartney has been experiencing in her legs. We were originally told it was probably post-streptococcal arthritis, but yesterday we found it is a joint issue that has to do with her leg muscles. The doctor was FABULOUS and knew right away what we were dealing with. Our appointment lasted almost 2 hours. It was nice to be able to talk and have things explained and not feel like a herd of cattle being moved through the office.
McCartney will have to have some physical therapy and return in 8 weeks to see her progress. I am thrilled and I see an end to the chronic pain soon. I hope she can overcome this and enjoy her summer.
I sit here listening to Ian Astbury sing to me at work. I was perusing some blogs early this morning and I came across a Cult video on Angie's site. I have been listening to it for awhile now. I need to go home and dig up some more Cult. Makes me feel young. . . . makes me think of Ball State and oddly enough "The Flying Tomato".
Well, this weekend was interesting. The 2 littles had T-ball practice Friday evening. My mom had my sister's kids so they all showed up to watch practice. What they saw was McCartney's refusal to pretty much do anything. We have actually made some progress with her behavior in the last few days, but you are unable to make her do something she doesn't want to. No amount of threatening or bribes works . After that we headed over the Burger King with the whole clan. We played in the indoor playground until it closed. I used to be hip and close bars, now I'm closing Burger King . . . sigh.
For some reason I was wired when I got home and decided to clean the house. I was still up at 4:30 in the morning scrubbing bathroom floors. Thankfully Robert took the kids to get their team pictures at 8:00 Saturday morning. I continued my cleaning frenzy Saturday and worked a little in the yard. We had Obama campaign workers over again that evening.
I got up at 6:00am Sunday and McCartney began puking about every 15 minutes. Thankfully she is a GREAT puker like me and never gets any vomit anywhere but the bowl or the toilet. Nice! I decided to make our guests one of my killer egg casseroles with yummy sausage. Robert came down at about 8:00 and he said, "I don't think they'll want that." Offended, I asked why. And he informed me that they were Jewish. Ooops. I hadn't been awake when they came in.
Sunday we started building a dog house from some salvaged wood our renter brought home and from a neighbor's old fence. It is gonna be too cute, I will post pictures when it is done. The kids were filthy and so was my shower by the end of the night. . . .
I am REALLY struggling with McCartney's behavior. I need help. Here's the issue . . .
McCartney is a very lovey, pleasant child. She is sort-of shy, but makes friends easily. Odd huh? She doesn't like to be looked at when she comes into someplace. She shys away from adult attention from people she doesn't know, but put her in a room with a bunch of kids and as soon as she warms us she has a dozen or so best friends. She plays well with others. She is super-attached to me and always has been. Given the chance she will hug me 250+ times a day. As the evening progresses and she gets tired she becomes stuck to me. Sitting with me, laying on, hugging me. Stuck. What's the problem you ask . . . she sound delightful. She is . . . .
until
She explodes. Ever seen Katie Kaboom from the Animaniacs? That's my girl. Take a minute watch this . . .
Yep, that about says it all. She is a gem. But she gets angry. Unreasonable. Downright ugly. She runs from me in places. She runs from me at home. She screams "I hate you". She yells "You're stupid" to daddy. She hits her siblings. I am losing it! I know, I know, SHE'S A GIRL. She has hormones. But come on! What oh what have I done wrong.
Dealing with Dustin's FASD and teaching pre-school for YEARS I have become really good at not using empty threats. I follow through with everything I say. I am strict, but kind. I set acceptable limits. I praise good choices and behaviors. We have a reward chart. NOTHING works for her.
Even though we have stepped up the rewards and positives. It has gotten worse lately. I have been wanting to re-read Transforming the Difficult Child, The Nurtured Heart Approach, but I haven't had the time or the energy to get through it with all the trauma. I am struggling with questions.
Is it because there are 2 VERY difficult children in her class? I don't think I can blame it all on that. She definitely had the tendencies, but they may be pushing her to the edge of more unacceptable behaviors. Definitely modeling really bad choices. She loves her teacher. I lover her teacher. I don't want to move her to a different class, but I think I may have to. We have also considered leaving her home a couple days a week, but then she gets more time with Dustin, which leads me to . . .
Is some of it grappling for attention with Dustin in the home? Or modeling his behavior? Yep. I think it does have a lot to do with both of those, but that could happen with any other sibling with defiant behavior not just one with FASD. He irritates her. Puts her on edge.
Could it be this post-strep arthritis the doctor thinks she is dealing with. Is it making her grumpy and nasty. She has been complaining of pain pretty much daily for 7 months. We've endured blood tests, pee-tests, MRI's, pokes, prods and appointments. The rheumatologist still hasn't said he will see her. He has to assess her issue from the tests and get back with me as to whether she qualifies for his services. Meanwhile, we could have an answer, on he could potentially fix, and he is dinking around. The penicillin is making her belly hurt and I think the Naproxen is putting her on edge.
Is it that I am simply a bad parent? I should know how to correct this. I should have more patience. I should know the way to turn this around. But I don't.
Meanwhile she is Ka-booming more and more often. I HAVE to make time to finish that book.
We started off on the Monday with another trip on the subway. Who knew we needed quarters only for the meters at the subway station? And that a quarter only got you 15 minutes. Robert made a trip over to the 7-11 and bought some Now-n-Laters in order to get change. If you look closely the kids have blue tongues in most of the pictures . . . we had a lot of Now-n-Laters. . .
Our first stop of the day was the National Museum of Art and Portraiture, to the National Portrait Gallery. We wanted to see the Steven Colbert "exhibit". Steven Colbert took a picture of himslef to the Smithsonian and asked them to display it since he was an American icon. They refused and sent him to the NPG. They went along with the joke, displaying it in the bathroom area on the second floor. Lo and Behold their attendance skyrocketed. We had to wait for others to move so we could get a photo. The building was amazing! The presidential portrait hall as amazing as well . . . We headed over to the pavillion for lunch. While there, Robert found another interesting thing to do. We took a glass elevator up to the 9th floor of this Historic Post Office building and then another to the 12th floor where you could see the entire downtown of Washington. It was a cloudy and rainy day, but the view was still very cool. Here the kids are eating right near the elevator . . . Our last stop downtown of the day was the National Museum of Natural History. the kids LOVED this one and we spent most of our time over in the dinosaur area. We planned to see an IMAX 3D, but the 3D was not functional that day so we scrapped it . . . We ate at an IHOP in Maryland late that night and here is McCartney with her green eggs and ham and who-cakes. . . Mmmmmmm . . . .
The National Air and Space Museum was awesome. (Other than paying $35 for McDonalds) The Museum of American History is closed for renovation, so they also had some items from America's culture like Dorothy's ruby slippers, C3PO, and Mr. Roger's sweater. It was really packed but the kids were engaged so they did great. When they are older I am sure we will spend much more time here.
When we reserved our room for Washington during Spring Break, we had no idea we were going to be there during the Cherry Blossom Festival. I was THRILLED to see the trees in bloom. I really want a Cherry Blossom Tattoo, so it was inspiration . . . We saw many people of all walks of life. This gentleman must have been a kindred spirit . . .
We must have walked MILES on this day as we traveled along the mall and around to the various spots of interest. Thankfully there were many places to stop and rest and many things to see . . .
Mostly we used "normal" restrooms, but the mall was so busy with all the extra tourists for the Cherry Blossom Festival so they did have some port-a-potty places. The boys had no issue using them, but McCartney refused in true-girl fashion and decided to hold it.
Here we all are at the World War II Monument. It is massive and beautiful. There is a pillar for each state and an amazing tower for the Atlantic and one for the Pacific. It also includes a large fountain in the middle with water features on each side.
Harrison was really excited about seeing the Lincoln Memorial. He knows a bunch of information about President Lincoln and was really looking forward to seeing the Monument. The last three are pictures of the Washington Monument from the Lincoln Monument and the reflecting pool . We also saw the Korean War Memorial during day 2. The wall is amazing has has images etched into the war of actaul soldiers from this war.
The first place we went downtown, after one of McCartney's many bathroom stops, was the White House. It wasn't nearly as impressive as I thought it would be. It actually looked a heck of a lot smaller than I thought it would. On one side, there was a man wearing an "Out of Iraq" sign and singing, it freaked my kids out. On the other, there were many people taking pictures.
Here are the kids in front of the Capital building. It was not very busy and the kids played around the grounds a little bit. The reason there may not have been many people there was probably because they had a sort of rally on the green. It was anti-circumcision and they had signs that said, "A foreskin is not a WMD" and "Foreskin is not a birth defect" and "Circumcision is TORTURE". I found it quite funny.
Here the kids are in Lafayette Park right across from the White House. We spent quite a bit of time standing in front of all the monuments and memorials all around the city while the kids climbed up the stairs and posed on the monuments. . .
We spent our entire first day with McCartney asking in her best little girl whiny voice, "When are we going to ride the subway? I wanna ride the suuubwaaaay!" We spent the whole day saying, "Tomorrow darling!" So, day 2 started bright and early with a trip to the closest Metro station to head downtown. The kids LOVED traveling on the Metro. I was amazed at how safe and clean and fast they were. I would so use a subway daily if I lived in a large city. Harrison loved following our journey on the subway map and plotting our adventure. . .
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