Where I've been

I know I know, long time no hear from. Yeah yeah.

Anyway, its been a crazy couple of weeks. I got assigned to a MAJOR project at work with a 12/31 deadline for all parts of this cluster. I've worked way too much overtime dealing with it. I spent all day today at work trying to get things done since the lead is going to be out on Monday. I get to a point in my days that its either write or sleep and a few hours of sleep wins.
I had Thanksgiving at my house again. My dad cooked. I still had to clean the house and set up a new TV. Yes, we are getting with the times. Our wedding present TV was starting to have problems so we found a good sale and rearranged the finances to get it done.
We also had Bri's parent/teacher conference. Basically, Bri is a totally different kid at school than home. The teacher says she gets this a lot. We still have to work on the missing homework issue, but its ok overall.
Jimmy IEP was delayed due to most of the school staff was sick. So we have to wait until we get back from our trip. As long as its before his 5th birthday, then it is legal.
The van is really getting to me. The arm rest fell off the passenger side seat last week. The arm rest? Really? And it looks like one of those parts that you cannot replace with out ripping out the whole seat. Great, thanks Dodge.
So I probably am forgetting tons but right now I'm so tried I'd fall asleep if I could but came home from work to two shreiking 7 year old and one left out, crying 4 year old.
So I'm trying to wait it out so we can go for hot dogs. Mmmm, yummy! Add something with a high proof and it will be better.

One`day of shopping I can totally miss

Sundays in our house, we get the paper. OK, I usually get mine on Saturday since all I care about are the ads and James gets his paper on Sunday. We live in an area with two papers. I like the Tribune and he likes the Times. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. We usually have two of some ads and each of us get different ads than the other. I may get Kmart and he'll get Michaels. I get more coupons than him usually.
So today, we were reading his paper (I got mine last night and read it while James and Bri were at the daddy/daughter dance. James asked me if I got Bass Pro and I said no. He handed it to me opened to an events page in the ad and told me to read. I saw they were doing more freebies and a special pass to get a time to take a pic with Santa. Then, at the bottom of the page was their events Thanksgiving night. Go there for hot chocolate in the parking lot, giveaways for gift cards and then you can camp in the parking lot to be first in the store when they open on Black Friday.
Yes, you read that right. You can camp in their parking lot, in cold temps, to be first in line for turkey deep fryers and camouflage for all on your list.
Yeah, ok. I think I'll pass. I went out on one recent Black Friday, you know where they open at 5 am and the masses crowd the aisles. I did when Bri was a toddler. I wanted to get a DVD player that was on sale for my parents at WalMart and some toys for Bri at Kohls. James took me, with Bri asleep in the back, and dropped me at the door in Walmart. I grabbed the DVD player, went to the check out, said hi to my sister in law I, who was working and left. Then James drove me to Kohls. I went in, walked past an ex friend who was hanging out with other people and drinking coffee by the customer service area (in her damn Packers sweatshirt, she's a Chicagoan!) and went to toys. I got the sets I wanted for Bri, went to pay and got back in the car. We left after 5 from out house and got home around 8. The worse part was the parking lot traffic.
That was the last time I did it. And I really have no desire to go anywhere this year. I'm going to be home all day with both kids so my hope is we can sleep in and put up the tree. I'm hosting but not cooking Thanksgiving and need to recover from that.
And really, trying to keep the kids from killing each other is enought drama in one day off.

So yeah let me clarify something from before

So I mentioned the whole IEP thing before. I forget sometimes that not everyone lives with the lovely rules that Illinois has.

First off. the Catholic school my daughter attends and the one I want my son to go to is NOT in the same district as we live. Even if, there are rules. Rules I still DON'T understand.
If we attended a private school in the district, I would have to accept whatever time given for his services (speech and OT). They will say, OT on Tues at 12 and Speech on Wens at 2. That's how it works, my understanding is drop in services are last to be placed. I, not the school, would be responsible for transporting him to the school where he would get services (the school he attends now) for the minutes stated on the IEP (right now 60/wk). Then I, not the school district, would be responsible for getting him back to school. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Now, this gets slightly complicated since the Catholic school is out of our district. First, the IEP has to be transferred to the other district. School districts HATE this. They have to pay the school district who has your kid, so your tax money leaves the district and the district take it personally, I've been told. The district tell us when and where we'd get services. Then all the rest applies above.

However, the school that may provide services may NOT be close to his Catholic school. It could be on the other side of town, but for drop in services, we have to go where we are told.

I had hoped that his IEP would be cancelled this year, but that does look to be the case. God really is liking messing with me.

So, let the fun begin.

(yeah and really, I'd talk about things going on, but what is the point if people don't get that you cannot have directions thrown at you verbally when you learn by hands on or by reading? Or really don't care how you feel as long as you are "there" and they don't have to do your work. So done with it. Getting used to being ignored, until something is needed. Can I retire now?)

(Also, nothing like hearing MULTIPLE TIMES at the walk in clinic I CANNOT GET PREGNANT on Depakote since its a Class X drug. And can lead to a kid born with spinal defect, no brain, etc. Yeah, yeah I GET IT, REALLY! So right now, having to hide family planning supplies so Jimmy will stop paying with them.)

Just another day that belongs on FMyLife

Oh yeah, good times for all.

First, walked in to find out a co-worker had passed away from cancer. The notice was sent after many of the employees left for the day on Friday. She had been battling for a long time and had gone into Hospice last week.

After that, someone this morning thinking a cup of coffee is an apology for what they did and it just magically makes things better. IT DOES NOT!

Then, listening to a co-worker talking about going to the wake tonight and not thrilled to hear that I am not going. The thing is, most people in our office are going and her spouse is going to be overwhelmed between family, friends and co-workers. I was going to send a card and go out to the cemetary in a few weeks. Not the first time I've looked like the jerk in my department.

Oh and thank you to the ZERO people who told me I had blood on my pants and didn't know it until I went to the bathroom. Its that fun part in my period with bleeding throught Super Plus tampons every hour and passing clots. This is the part that sucks about being taken off birth control pills. I got to spend a wonderful lunch hour replacing my pants. Thanks.

Then, have to listen to people complain about doing other's work. This is part of our job and I usually end up inheriting a mess when the original person was on vacation or out ill. Suck it up and get over it, please. You have a problem with it, take it to our boss, not me. I was only trying to help get things resolved and get it off your desk.

I got home to find the lovely notice of the IEP meeting for Jimmy, which is next Friday. I'm reading the cast of characters that need to be there, and its all the ones we know; early childhood teacher, speech therapist, OT, when I come across a speech therapist's name I don't recognize. Then I see another special education teacher and the kindergarten teacher listed. So much for the IEP being cancelled. They are trying to hang onto him. I was so hoping they would say, ok he doesn't need services and I could move him to the Catholic school. Now I have to transfer his IEP to the school district Catholic School is in, and then take him for services to the public school. Or keep him in the craptacular public school. I'm not thrilled. And let's not forget listening to the principal going on about Bri not going in the district. Ugh.

Yeah so, I'd just love to take a handful of my meds and go to sleep, but all they will do is damage my liver and NyQuil is out. I'm almost out of migraine emergency meds but new neuro won't fill them since he wants me to go to pain management and get shots in my neck.

Its going to be a fun week.

If I could think of a title it would be good

So yeah, not much to report. Trying to get through the month and survive Thanksgiving. Trying to find out what happened to our neighbor. We haven't seen him in a while and his kids have been buy picking up his mail and mowing the yard. We keep missing them when they are here to see what is going on. I raked his yard last weekend and filled 10 yard waste bags with leaves. Bri could not understand why I would do something like that without being asked or paid. Need to work on the whole do a good turn thing with the kids again.
James is taking a Mixed Martial Arts class at the Y. So far he likes it a lot. The kids are taking swim lessons and that is going really well. Bri has a goofball for a teacher, but if she is learning, it is fine by me. Its not like he's tossing the kids in the deep end without life vests. The instructor is silly with the kids, but they like him and I think the comedy puts them at ease with learning things like stinking their heads in the water.
As for me, I'm not taking any classes. I have no desire to do anything right now besides try and stay upright because of the new medication. So much fun.
Work has been ok but its going to get busy really soon. Job security is good, but chaos is annoying.
And that's it. Going to a Pioneer meeting and work on kitch village this weekend.

Another fun week around here

So, we caught up from illneses and made it though Halloween.
The kids had a good time. They did a little bit of trick or treating on Saturday. It turned cold, just in time for the day.
However, the past week has been unfun. We have a little PMSing 7 year old kid in the house. Bri has had such an attitude this week. I told James if it does not get better, we need to get the doc involved. There is a history of early periods in James's family. And I have STRESSED to the ped in the past that I do not want Bri being a second/third grader carrying pads in her backpack.
But the behavior of this past week is concerning me. A LOT. She's constantly snapping at Jimmy when he wants to play, yelling at us when we ask her to do something. Its so annoying when you think you have a few years, but puberty is staring you in the face.
Also, not feeling well doesn't help. I can only describe the dizzyness as whiplash like. I feel great, it hits me, and then goes away. Add nausea and its been fun. I'm actually afraid to call this doc and tell him. I don't think he could have stressed that he only wants calls during office hours ONLY and with his attitude, I'm sure he'll think this is normal and probably up my dose with NO blood work.
If you need me, I'll be asleep from the pain killers.