He may have a broken ankle,but A is still cranking out some awesome videos. I love that he's still trying to be creative even though he can't get on a board. Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S5IHyXEcwM
On other fronts:
--D hit his first home run at baseball practice the other night. He was thrilled. It was so cute watching one of his friends run over, jump the fence and retrieve the ball for him. It's signed, dated, and sitting on his desk.
--We leave for the beach tomorrow. Mixed feelings about the trip. Good to be at beach, but it often brings out the worst in the girls. We'll see.
--I had major meltdown last night trying to keep a handle on everything I have on my plate. Swim team volunteering is killing me. I know I need to let it go, but the guilt being slung at me from the girls and the head of the team is driving me insane.
--I think I have to give up my therapist. K is giving me a hard time about the expense of it since it's not covered by insurance. Arguing about this was the beginning of the meltdown.
--My mom is not doing well at all. My dad is convinced it's Parkinson's now. She fell yesterday. I feel numb by it all. I just can't let myself go there yet. She sees a neurologist on July 11. My dad is feeling very anxious lately (without admitting it of course) and it driving all of us crazy. Yesterday he told E she can't go far away for college because K and I aren't going to be able to go to parent's weekend so he'll have to go. I kept my cool, but felt like dropping a giant expletive in his direction.
--I guess I'm just feeling a bit adrift. I went to bed feeling awful and woke up feeling awful. I just can't seem to get a handle of everything and balls are dropping. I think I need to take a lesson from my awesome rock star A and try to keep on trucking.
Showing posts with label A. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A. Show all posts
Friday, June 28, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Fracture
Just got back from the ortho...not good news at all. The ER misdiagnosed the ankle sprain and A's got a fracture. They put him in a walking cast and I'm currently researching waterproof cast sleeves so he can swim at the beach.
No skating all summer and hopefully he'll be back to playing soccer by middle of August. Basically his entire summer is shot.
Seriously universe. Give us a break (no pun).
No skating all summer and hopefully he'll be back to playing soccer by middle of August. Basically his entire summer is shot.
Seriously universe. Give us a break (no pun).
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Names, Herps and Funerals
We've hit a tough spot with the girls in their grief. This one is completely out of my hands and it's actually a feeling we can share.
Last weekend KM (not my sister CA) asked to talk to me about something with MG's therapy. She was weird about it and didn't want to talk to me in person. Turns out that when the girls were together (without adults around) over spring break, E and M talked to KT and MG about how CA and KM are not their mommy. This all came up because the big sisters discovered that their little sisters refer to their parents as Jeanne and Mr. Mike.
Neither of the little girls call my sister or KM mommy. In fact, KT doesn't even include "aunt" in front of their names, which is my opinion is disrespectful. But KM and CA (and I guess MG's therapist), think that the word "mom" is confusing for the little girls.
As KM recounted this to me, it was apparent that it wasn't something that bothered the little girls but that it upset CA and KM. It's like they are erasing Jeanne and Mike for the little girls. It makes me sick to my stomach. I have no problem with others referring to them as their "moms." I get that all the times with E and M. But to chastise the big girls for wanting to acknowledge their mom and dad and the connection the sisters have with each other is awful. I understand that the girls are each in different places developmentally, but how can it be healthy to have their parents disappear from their lives completely?
Jeanne and Mike are their mommy and daddy. That is fact. Mr. Mike? Really? How is it good for any of the kids to not accept the reality? In a way it's stealing away the little girls' story from them. I can't imagine any therapist would agree that not talking about or even using the names mommy and daddy can be good for their long term mental health. CA and KM are so insecure in their role as parents with KT and MG. In the discussion with KM, I was also patronized and given ridiculous lectures on child development despite the fact that I have been raising three children and HAVE A SIX YEAR OLD!! Not once in this discussion did they show any empathy or concern for E and M and their feelings. As K pointed out last night as we talked about it, CA and KM makes things so much harder on themselves when they wrap themselves in their lies.
Turns out that it's really been bothering the big girls and they brought it up with me last night. The discussion also brought out all kinds of insecurities with M who admitted that she still worries that we'll send her away. It was really sad and a hard discussion. I had to make sure I didn't throw CA under the bus, but show the girls I understand how they feel.
We talked about writing a book (sister C's idea) with pictures for the little sisters to help tell their family story and show their entire family including aunts, uncles, cousins, parents and grandparents who all love and adore them. I tried to show that we should try to deal with this in a positive way rather than attack CA and KM.
As we prove every day in this house, family is about love not names or labels like "aunt," "uncle," or "cousin."
**************************************
For A's 13th birthday, I made "Herping with A****" shirts to support his YouTube channel on herpetology. I made shirts for the entire family. It was so funny and the kind of spontaneous, goofy sort of thing the old Peg loved to do. He was so cute when he first saw them, saying, "Mom, I've got a brand!"
************************************
My grandfather's funeral is on May 29th. He died on April 17th.
It makes me so sad. My cousins couldn't fit it in their schedule and my dad bowed to their wishes.
D is going to do a reading. Sister C is doing a eulogy.
We've talked a lot about death these past days and weeks. More than usual, which says a lot. There's nothing like having the tough conversations to make you realize how challenging parenting can be.
I've realized though that it's these difficult conversations that help you earn those parenting badges that you can be proud of...although I have to say I really love those shirts.
Last weekend KM (not my sister CA) asked to talk to me about something with MG's therapy. She was weird about it and didn't want to talk to me in person. Turns out that when the girls were together (without adults around) over spring break, E and M talked to KT and MG about how CA and KM are not their mommy. This all came up because the big sisters discovered that their little sisters refer to their parents as Jeanne and Mr. Mike.
Neither of the little girls call my sister or KM mommy. In fact, KT doesn't even include "aunt" in front of their names, which is my opinion is disrespectful. But KM and CA (and I guess MG's therapist), think that the word "mom" is confusing for the little girls.
As KM recounted this to me, it was apparent that it wasn't something that bothered the little girls but that it upset CA and KM. It's like they are erasing Jeanne and Mike for the little girls. It makes me sick to my stomach. I have no problem with others referring to them as their "moms." I get that all the times with E and M. But to chastise the big girls for wanting to acknowledge their mom and dad and the connection the sisters have with each other is awful. I understand that the girls are each in different places developmentally, but how can it be healthy to have their parents disappear from their lives completely?
Jeanne and Mike are their mommy and daddy. That is fact. Mr. Mike? Really? How is it good for any of the kids to not accept the reality? In a way it's stealing away the little girls' story from them. I can't imagine any therapist would agree that not talking about or even using the names mommy and daddy can be good for their long term mental health. CA and KM are so insecure in their role as parents with KT and MG. In the discussion with KM, I was also patronized and given ridiculous lectures on child development despite the fact that I have been raising three children and HAVE A SIX YEAR OLD!! Not once in this discussion did they show any empathy or concern for E and M and their feelings. As K pointed out last night as we talked about it, CA and KM makes things so much harder on themselves when they wrap themselves in their lies.
Turns out that it's really been bothering the big girls and they brought it up with me last night. The discussion also brought out all kinds of insecurities with M who admitted that she still worries that we'll send her away. It was really sad and a hard discussion. I had to make sure I didn't throw CA under the bus, but show the girls I understand how they feel.
We talked about writing a book (sister C's idea) with pictures for the little sisters to help tell their family story and show their entire family including aunts, uncles, cousins, parents and grandparents who all love and adore them. I tried to show that we should try to deal with this in a positive way rather than attack CA and KM.
As we prove every day in this house, family is about love not names or labels like "aunt," "uncle," or "cousin."
**************************************
For A's 13th birthday, I made "Herping with A****" shirts to support his YouTube channel on herpetology. I made shirts for the entire family. It was so funny and the kind of spontaneous, goofy sort of thing the old Peg loved to do. He was so cute when he first saw them, saying, "Mom, I've got a brand!"
Me and the birthday boy sporting our shirts.
The whole family.
E, my mom and dad.
M and her beautiful smile.
We love Herping with A****!!
If you can see it, the picture on the shirt is a photo A took of a timber rattlesnake last summer. It was so much fun celebrating my smart, quirky little boy turn into a teenager.************************************
My grandfather's funeral is on May 29th. He died on April 17th.
It makes me so sad. My cousins couldn't fit it in their schedule and my dad bowed to their wishes.
D is going to do a reading. Sister C is doing a eulogy.
We've talked a lot about death these past days and weeks. More than usual, which says a lot. There's nothing like having the tough conversations to make you realize how challenging parenting can be.
I've realized though that it's these difficult conversations that help you earn those parenting badges that you can be proud of...although I have to say I really love those shirts.
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