Easter Recap

I’m just as pleased as punch to tell you that our Easter event here at home was a success!

I’m really not much of a host – have never felt comfortable or grown-up enough to be the one in charge of the food and drinks. Oh, I’m happy to be a guest at someone else’s shindig, and even bring a dish when necessary, but the whole shebang?  Shudder! So whatever possessed me to invite folks over, I’m not sure. But I guess I ought to do it more often!  Yes, it was chaotic at times! We had nine people: four adults and five kids from 3-6 years old. The kids’ table was set up in the middle of the kitchen floor, making navigating during those last few minutes a little tight.  But the girls all had fun (even if they were a bit loud at times!) and the grown-ups got a chance to be grown-ups for awhile. We have so little in our lives that doesn’t revolve around them that this was a very nice break for us.

Both my girls are exhausted – K even fell asleep while I was giving B her nebulizer treatment before bed, and elected to forgo her own book in favor of sleep. Frankly, I’m pretty tired too. But we have lots of leftovers in the frig, so meals this week should practically make themselves!

Three Things Meme

No one reads me yet, so no one has tagged me – I tagged myself because I needed something fun. Here’s my take at the Three Things Meme:
Three Things That Scare Me:
1. My car breaking down far from home with my kids in the car
2. Something happening to me before my kids are old enough to support themselves
3. Not being able to support myself and my family

Three People Who Make Me Laugh:
1. my daughters
2. two co-workers
3. Ellen DeGeneres

Three Things I Love:
1. my daughters
2. sleeping
3. alone time

Three Things I Hate:
1. whining
2. clutter – and this is the story of my life and house right now
3. shoveling wet, heavy snow (been doing a tad much of this lately!)

Three Things I Don’t Understand:
1. how to get people to read this thing!
2. my entire marriage (which is now over)
3. racism

Three Things On My Desk:
1. laptop
2. pictures of my kids
3. too much paper and other sundry stuff that really should find a home or be thrown away!

Three Things I’m Doing Right Now:
1. blogging (duh)…
2. listening to a Podcast about the TV show “Lost”
3. counting down till I have to go pick up my kids

Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1. learn another language (preferably Mandarin, but realistically I don’t think this will happen)
2. find true love
3. go to Hawaii (with my true love??)

Three Things I Can Do:
1. change the oil on my car (though I haven’t done it myself in years, but I can!)
2. juggle
3. make a great chicken-garlic-broccoli pizza (thanks Rachael Ray!)

Three Things I Can’t Do:
1. style hair – and K is such a “hair” kid
2. dress stylishly
3. wear makeup successfully

Three Things I Think You Should Listen To:
1. your parents (a tough thing for me to admit!)
2. your children
3. any advice I give

Three Things You Should Never Listen To:
1. rap “music”
2. ugly comments
3. the voice in your head that says you can’t do something

Three Things I’d Like To Learn:
1. another language
2. how to fly
3. how to dance

Three Favorite Foods:
1. pizza
2. ice cream
3. guacamole (so far I haven’t found a better one than mine)

Three Shows I Watched As A Kid:
1. Happy Days
2. Gilligan’s Island
3. The Love Boat

Three Things I Regret:
1. Not staying with my dad till the very end
2. Not traveling more when I was younger
3. Moving away from my best friend and her family when I didn’t really “have” to

Not of this world

“Mommy, when I grow up, will I be from someplace else like you?” K, who is six, asked as we lay in bed this morning, just before getting up.

“What do you mean?” I asked, though I was afraid I already knew.

“I don’t want to be from China. I want to be from your world” she wailed as she buried her head in the pillow.

Hoo boy.

We had a short discussion, including how being from China is not bad and is worthy of pride. That part of her story is that she was born in China, and will always be true.  It seems at least one boy in her class has been asking her where she’s from, and even one of the teacher aids who helps out in the afternoon asked as well. She didn’t like being asked and said she wanted it to be “secret”. I tried to clarify the difference between secret and private, and agreed that she does not have to answer the question if she doesn’t want to, and may keep it private if she chooses.  I did point out that people can tell by looking at her that she is Asian, though they may not know for sure which country she originates from. I happen to know that another classmate of hers was born in Cambodia, so I reminded her not everyone in her class was born in the United States.

I will be talking with the teacher this afternoon about privacy around questions, and that K does not wish to be “on display”. I don’t know if the teacher has witnessed anything, but my dealings with her so far have been overwhelmingly positive and K adores her. I hope my feelings about her are correct, and that she will leap to be K’s advocate in all this.

So Kissable

Somebody stop me!!

For some unknown reason I opened the clearance bag of Valentine Kissables right after lunch. You know Kissables, right? They are Hershey Kiss shaped pieces of candy colored chocolate. A cross between a kiss and an M&M, sort of. I got two bags for 75 cents after Valentine’s Day because the candy is red, white and pink instead of the primary colors found in the regular bag. Hey, it tastes the same and I’m happy to save $3 a bag, or whatever it is.

Anyway, they are in the other room, but I keep getting up from my desk where I am supposed to be working to grab another handful. I know by the time I actually DO stop the bag will be mostly empty and I will be disgusted with myself. Something I am also very aware of when I buy these things, and when I open the bag.

Guess what? Just writing this post seems to have settled the urge….at least for awhile!

Health Update

We have a diagnosis. Asthma. B has asthma. When I told my  mother she was shocked and concerned. She’s never known anyone with it. I am concerned, but I’ve known many, many people with asthma, and most of them are children  of parents I know.

We’re at the early stages. For a week now she’s been getting albuterol via nebulizer twice a day, and Pulmicort once a day. As of yesterday we are to ease off the albuterol and eventually get to Pulmicort once a day and Claritin once a day. We may go with Singulair instead of one of them in a few weeks, depeding on how she responds. Let me just say that I’m really glad I went with the HMO option for health insurance rather than the High Deductible plan I was offered. All of this would be out of pocket if I’d done that <shiver>.

So far she is responding very well. She actually enjoys her “fishie” time (her nebulizer mask is shaped like a fish). I actually like the cuddle time, as she leans in to me during treatment, and this is a kid who does not settle down much. I’m hopeful we can control  it with preventative medicine now that we know what it is, but of course only time will tell.

Validation

Ever feel like someone finally gets it? From a surprising source, no less?

Let me start by saying that my mother is a freak. Really. We have had an exceedingly difficult relationship the past 10-15 years, most of which I will not get into right now. I will simply share the worst story, which took place last summer, so you can get a picture of waht I’m dealing with here.

Last July my mother tried to reach me one Sunday. This was a beautiful summer day, and I was with my daughters at a birthday party for one of their friends. I wasn’t home. Any and all calls to my home were picked up by my answering machine. While I had my cell phone with me, I left it in the car, choosing not to carry it with me around other cavorting five year olds running through sprinklers, sliding down water slides, and burying themselves in cake and juice. Therefore, anyone who called me on my cell phone while we were at the party would also be popped right into ole voicemail. Makes sense, no?