Half the Energy, Twice the Spunk

The boys are doing great.

Enough about them.

I'm on the job hunt. I am 3 courses away from graduating university - since the 3 year bachelor of arts degree I will be getting has taken me 10 years thus far, I anticipate my graduation to be sometime around 2013.

In the meantime I have discovered that one cannot actually pay their mortgage with smiles, and no matter how much my kids like bologna, eventually even they tire of eating it.

So I'm on the hunt for employment.

Here's the dilemma: Tyler starts kindergarden, and for this year it is on Day 1, 3 and 5 of a rotating 6 day school schedule. Now who the hell decided on a rotating 6 day school schedule? I think school administrators are just looking for ways to skrew with parents now.

Add to that the fact that I get IVIG treatments every 2nd tuesday and spend the next 3 days feeling about as chipper as a drugged up sloth with the flu.

So... my availability for September is as follows: the first Monday and Wednesday (or 'Wodensday' if you prefer to give the old Norse God and Wednesday's namesake it's due credit) of the month, the third Wednesday of the month, and *maybe* the last Friday.

I'm not thinking my potential employers will leap at that...


So the job hunt continues. I've been hounding a few newspaper editors hoping one of them will mistake me for an actual writer with some actual talent, or maybe just pity me enough to throw money at me for writing jibberish.
Not sure how well that retirement plan will work.

In the meantime I am considering selling a kidney. Though Im not sure many people would want it. I'm sure it's a lovely shade of pink.... would go well on a mantle? Im dissapointed that ebay explicitly states in its terms of use that selling body parts or organs is forbidden... not sure how else to break into that market.

Well - time to stop rambling - off to try my hand at the loom.

K

Enough Said.

Today we went to the beach.

Today we ate sandwitches with real sand in them, and didn't mind.

Today we put a lifejacket on Tyler and let him splash and play and chase his cousin Charlie in the water for 2 full hours.

Today we helped Brandon bury his teenage cousin and shaped the sand into a mermaid (thanks Kyle!).

Today I cleaned a full inch of sand out of the bottom of my bathtub at the end of the day.

Today we put 2 very tuckered little boys to bed.

Today we all got a little darker skin, and a little sunnier dispositions.

Tonight we went for a walk past the house that was burnt in the deadly fire up the street on Friday.

Tonight we washed some of the firefighter gear dad wore to the fire Friday morning.

Tonight we are goign to bed comfortable that we double checked all our smoke detectors.

Tonight we're counting our blessings, and are thankful everyone under our roof will be safe in bed for one more night.

Tonight we're feeling lucky, and remembering that EVERYTHING can change in an instant.

Looking forward to more todays (and hopefully no more Fridays).


Goodnight.

1. Tyler learned what 'dense' means (as in dense meat). Try explaining 'dense' to a 5 year old.

2. 'Accidentally' dumping 1/2 a bottle of kids shampoo into the bathwater is ALOT OF FUN.

3. It is going to cost over $4000 to feed my 7 year old for the next 3 months. (Thank goodness for insurance)

4. Typing 2204355 into google and clicking the 'I feel lucky' button produces a strange man singing into chicken drumsticks set on a psychadellic rainbow background that makes my children laugh until they cry no matter how many times I play it.

5. If you forget that the Seating Clinic delivery guy is supposed to come pick up a base at 10am, and you ignore the stranger at the door hoping he will just go away.. he wont. He will instead go back to his van and call you several times (calls you will ignore), then wander around your house, hoping you left the aforementioned base outside somewhere for him to pick up... he will do this until he happens to see you and your 2 kids hanging out in the living room through the front window (at which point it will suddenly dawn on you that he's not a murderer - he's the delivery guy you were supposed to be expecting)... You will feel like a moron when you go and try to pretend you didn't hear the doorbell 5 times and the telephone 3 times and 'honestly' only realised he was there when you saw him through the window... He will smile and pretend he buys it. But you both know you're just a big chicken who doesn't open the door to strange men you aren't expecting (or have forgotten to expect). You won't really care that you looked like a fool though.

6. When you take 30 GREAT pictures of your kids playing under the big beach umbrella at the bottom of the wheelchair ramp, it is for naught if you have not put the memory card in your camera first.

7. 5 year olds can actually eat 1/2 a large watermelon all to themselves. 7 year olds can eat the other half.

8. You are a lucky woman when you can email your child's pediatritian and request 6 perscriptions/letters for insurance companies, charities, and non-profits, and he responds within a few hours with 'we'll try to get them out this week to you!'.

9. The 5 year old will eat ANYTHING if it comes out of our garden. The child HATES onions with a passion but he watched me pick one out of the garden and decided it was his favorite food ever - and he did indeed eat it.

10. When it's brutally hot out the cat will sprawl out in the kitchen sink just for the feel of the cool metal. The children will LOVE this, and will attempt to use the opportunity to offer said cat a bath. The cat will NOT love this.

11. Letting the kids spend 1 hour in the bathtub before bed is the maker of miracles I wish I knew about years ago.

12. 3 queen sized sheets, a camo throw rug, 5 utility clamps, a few chairs, and a whole wack of pillows and stuffed bears can transform any living room into a fort of epic proportions - and will bring mom HOURS of peace (well 'peace' is a relative term in this house...)

13. Setting up bird feeders within 'cat-leaping distance' of the deck rail is either a wonderful source of entertainment or a cruel cruel joke...

14. At the end of the day - when the floors are washed, the fans are on full blast, the laundry is folded and the kids are healthy and sleeping in their beds... the house is quiet... It's a little piece of paradise...

every night. :)

Today's entry will be short on account of a rather deep cut I managed to give my poor finger while peeling/slicing the 50 odd pounds of apples we got from neighbors today (yay!!). It's amazing how much a sore finger impacts your life when you are a computer junkie...

Anyways - rough day here - the boys were up at 630am, rearing to go. They were up late last night - so all around not enough sleep. It's been HOT here (like 35C - 95F hot) and I think it has finally caught up to Brandon.

His movements are worse than I have seen in a LONG time in spite of an increase in his medication this week. For the medical junkies - his dystonia is quite bad - lots of posturing at night etc, which im sure is contributing to his being tired. During the day he is stubborn enough to insist on walking around the house, but falls constantly because of the ataxia which is also worse than it has been in a long time. He has hurt himself countless time this weekend.

It's days like this I just get mad at it all. It's not fair that he has to weigh walking against getting hurt. :(

We have been lucky so far - he is rubbery and hasn't broken anything yet. But we all know it's just a matter of time until he breaks a bone. It's impossible to tell him not to walk, but at the same time, we know it will hurt him.

~sigh~

Life just sucks sometimes.

To ice the cake we had to bow out of a bonfire tonight that both boys were REALLY looking forward to. Brandon is just too tired. By dinner time he was a whiny grumpy mess. So we called off the late night and went to bed early.

Again. ~sigh~

I was looking forward to just doing something 'normal' as a family. Staying up late on a summer night, hanging out around a bonfire with good friends, marshmallows and hot dogs. It's hard to admit when normal is out of reach.

Alright - pity party over.

At the end of the day nobody is actively sick, and I have a freezer full of apples, so I really can't complain.

On that note I believe I will go indulge in the last chocolate chip cookie.

Goodnight friends.

Last night's dinner: Navratan Kormi, and Basmati Rice



Ingredients:

-1/3 cup Cashews chopped
-1 onion diced or grated
-1/2 tsp garlic minced
-1/2 tsp ginger powder (or fresh)
-1 8oz can of tomato sauce
-1 tsp cayanne (optional - we used paprika for less heat)
-1/2 tsp tumeric
-2 tsp coriander
-1 tsp garam masala (spice blend - their all a little different - stores carry generic blends, but your best bet is to find a genuine Indian resturaunt that sells jars of their 'house blend' - this will give you the most authentic flavor)
-1 cup water
-1/2 cup carrots chopped
-1/2 cup green peppers chopped
-1/2 cup corn (i used canned - worked well)
-1/2 cup peas (also used canned - worked well)
-1 cup chopped potato (I used a leftover baked potato, just chopped it up)
-1/4 cup milk
-1/4 cup heavy cream (I used sour cream as it's all I had - it was fine though I dont know I would use it again - i think ill opt for plain yogurt next time)

Instructions:

1: Fry the cashews in 1 tbsp oil - set aside.

2: Fry the onion in same pan until softened. Add garlic and ginger and fry for 1 minute

3: Add the tomato sauce, spices, water, and veggies. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 10 minutes if your using already cooked potatos - if the potatoes are raw simmer for 20 minutes or so until they are soft.

4: Add the milks and cashews and boil for 2-3 minutes, salt to taste.

Serve over Basmati rice and enjoy!

This was a big hit here - I *love* Indian food, and have been looking for a decent recipe for Navratan for months. While I'm not convinced this is precisely the taste I'm going for (the local Indian resturaunt serves a much creamier and less tomatoey version - I will work on perfecting it), it is awesome nonetheless! :)

It also blended up well for Brandon's feeding tube feed!

Around here we like to paint.

When Brandon started showing some passion for it, we didn't go halfway - we got him an easle, mounted canvases, acrylic paints, a huge set of brushes, palettes and a monsterous drop cloth for the table. He has been painting since he was 2. Many a family member has an original 'Brandon' hanging in their home.




As of late, Tyler has joined the foray - he too loves to paint, and after inheriting my grandmothers easle a few years ago, the two of them go to town together now. Painting days are much anticipated in these parts!





So some tips for encouraging your kids to produce works of art that you would want on your wall?

1. Get real paints. Go to a craft store and purchase a set of acrylic paints. Don't get water color (too dependant on the right amount of water - small children will struggle and it just ends up washed out), and do NOT get oil (just don't). Don't get the cheapo kiddie paints, don't get the prefilled palettes of paints - get the set of acrylic tubes - they don't have to be high end - you can get a full set of acrylic paints for 15$ if you hunt around - but do get REAL acrylic paints. This will give you art you want to keep and not just washed out messes.

2. Get real canvas. It's cheap. REALLY cheap. check the dollar store - they often have different sized mounted canvases for (you guessed it) $1. Check Wal-Mart - you can get big canvases for a few dollars (and sometimes BIG is cool - you will be surprised what a kiddo will do with a huge white canvas and some paints!). Even Michaels and other craft stores will have reasonably priced mounted canvases. This doesn't have to be complicated - you do not have to mount the canvas yourself or prime it etc, just take it home and paint!

3. Don't coach. As much as you will want to tell your child what to paint or how to paint, fight the urge. Show them how to mix colors, show them how to add a bit of water to their brush, and tell them to cover all the white on the canvas... then resist the urge to tell them anything... let this be THEIR work, not their depiction of what you think they should do. No rules - if they want to paint with their ear or big toe - let them. This is where creativity gets cool!!

4. Don't worry about the mess!! Buy a bunch of cheap vinyl tableclothes at the dollar store, and drape EVERYTHING so you dont have to think about it... give your kids a set of designated painting clothes (acrylic paint will NOT come out of clothing), cover your table and chairs and floor with the tablecloths, and let them go to town. Limit the amount of water in their 'rinse' cups (we use shot glasses here - perfect size for little hands, and if it spills, it's never alot of water) and you're set!



5. Write their name and the date on the back of the painting - enjoy it!

Some people frame theirs - we buy the canvas mounted on wood frames and just hang them as they are, there's no right or wrong way to enjoy your child's art - just find somewhere you want to see it often and hang it up! Your child will love that their art is appreciated, and the painting experience will offer up hours of entertainment (not to mention physio and OT for the special needs sect!)!



Lastly - once the paints are set up, and the kids are going to work... take a break, and indulge in the quiet!



(well - until someone drops a shot glass of water, eats the cadmium yellow paint or sticks a paintbrush in his brothers ear...)


As a safety disclaimer - acrylic paints are not non-toxic - so do not allow your children to paint unattended if they are prone to putting things in their mouth. If they are major 'mouthers' you will likely want to avoid this activity altogether and look at some of Crayola's kid friendly (and non-toxic) paint products - their finger paints are FANTASTIC for the under 3 crew, and wash off everything with just water - so may be a better option for children who may eat their medium - ingested acrylic paints can be downright dangerous - so supervise and don't risk it with kids prone to eating stuff.