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Monday, January 19, 2015

New week

Welcome!

I've been feeling under the weather, and it seems like it's been forever now, and today feels worse.   Ugh.  Hoping Miranda is feeling better soon, and anyone else inflicted with The Thing.

The brilliant dog drowned her sorrows yesterday (at Daddy leaving w/o her) by eating all the cat food in both bowls.  Pandemonium ensued.  The Dog Man has taken her for a ramble today, by way of making up.  (Although that doesn't do a huge amount for the residents who dealt with the grand theft and a swift correction of behavior.)

AW:  Sunbeams today, and a cheerful cat rolling in them!

What's up with you?

73 comments:

Queen of West Procrastination said...

W: I got pulled over by the police on Saturday! You see, my brother-in-law got us a special (local team-themed) license plate for Christmas, and thought he'd be clever and change out the plate for us. But it wasn't registered to that car yet. And I was a wet blanket and said "we need to change it back," and then everyone said "No big deal! Just drive to [local equivalent of DMV]." And I said "It's Christmas Day," and Mr. Q said he'd go outside and change it. And then I suddenly came down with the flu, and didn't leave the house floor a really long time, and it turns out that BIL put the plate in Mr. Q's name, while the car is registered in mine, and so we would have to go together, which is a pain when you have a toddler. And then I found that Mr. Q hadn't changed the plate, but just stuck our real plate in the back window, and on Saturday morning (as we were driving to my in-laws' house) I had a freak-out about how this setup was going to cause us trouble. Mr. Q said he'd change the plates back when we got to his parents' house. But apparently he didn't.

And that's how I got pulled over by the police on Saturday night, because it looked like I was driving a stolen car.

AW: well, at least the real plate was in the window, and the car was registered to me (and I had my ID), and because I am a privileged, helpless white woman, the police officer took pity on me, and switched out the plates. He didn't even give me a warning: he just told me to have a good evening.

So, that's enough adventure for one week. We still have to get to the car insurance company to switch the fancy new plate to my name, and then switch it's number to my car.

kathy a. said...

OMG, QWP! Kudos to the nice officer. I can hardly imagine even our nice local cops being that nice.

Let this be a lesson to us all, about presents that can turn out to be real pitas.

Liz said...

QWP, saddling up the posse for all the folks who led to this experience for you. And sending a bunch of flowers to the nice policeman.

Miranda, sending hope that your symptoms are merely something viral.

AW: MarsC0n was fun!

Queen of West Procrastination said...

AW: thank goodness for good friends. E and I had a BAD pre-naptime, which involved a temper tantrum so bad that she was hyperventilating and shaking, and her eyes were glazed over. I got her calmed down, and she slept well, but I was shaking after that. I texted a good friend, whose kids are going on 12 and 9 (and whose oldest I nannied, about a decade ago). I basically asked her, "This is normal, right? It's going to be okay?" And she phoned me, and let me tell her about how I felt, and then she regaled me with stories about her kids getting so wound up that they puked. And we had a good talk about temper tantrums that ate similar to panic attacks, and our own history of anxiety problems, and about how we can use the tools we've learned for ourselves to help kids calm themselves (and to maintain our own mental health).

esperanza said...

QWP, please share the tools to help tantruming children calm themselves down. That would be right handy around here most days.

Glad you encountered a kind officer.

W: Chunky crap leading Mr E to declare that if the Powers that Be ask him to move to a different church, he will say yes. Probably the right decision, but the very thought of moving leaves me...very tense. Sweet changing schools is more than I can contemplate.

esperanza said...

That whine is sooper secret, not to be mentioned on teh Book of Faces. Which I probably didn't need to say, but did anyway.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oh boy, esperanza, that is a big one. Hugs, and I hope that it works out that Sweet doesn't have to change schools.

kathy a. said...

Oy, Esperanza! My lips are sealed.

But there could be an up side to less chunky monkey. And, should it happen, you are the world's best advocate for Sweet. xoxo

Queen of West Procrastination said...

By the way, the tantrum management stuff we were discussing was all about when they hit the point where they have lost control of their feelings, and are hyperventilating and all that. (And of course tantrums are different at 2 from when they're older and less distracted.) (With E's normal tantrums, I give her space and let her work it out, and sometimes tell her she needs to go find some books and calm down.) Basically: add comfort items, identify if physical contact will make it better or worse (this time, it helped to gather her in my arms and hug her firmly, but frequently that would make it all worse). Direct focus to something, anything, soothing (here, it's books, but there are also some interesting manipulatives for anxious kids), and then take breaks to play "games" where we breathe together, to bring the breathing back to normal. Basically, I have to stop myself when she hits this point of wound up, and I have to recognise that this is like an anxiety attack, and I have to help her. It's interesting how all those classes I took for managing my anxiety are now cooking in handy for dealing with my toddler (who is a little too much like me).

So, that's what's working here right now, but YMMV, different kids are different, etc.

Miranda said...

Well, the PCP thinks diverticulitis but I need a CT scan to verify. Getting an outpatient CT scan is really difficult for some reason and I'm hoping the pain levels stay below 6 because I'd rather not have to go to the germ ridden ER. I have so much work to do that I can't afford time off but I can't work like this either. I've been in pain off and on since Thursday and in gastro distress for a week. I have IBS symptoms that have been getting worse so I also need to visit the gastro doc.

Hugs to esperanza as her family contemplates changes.

Liz, we were at a similar event here this past weekend. The boy had great fun! I had fun despite feeling poorly.

QWP what a lot of bother!

My kittens are so happy I'm home. They were in such distress while I was gone that i discovered my earring bowl overturned on the floor. Oh cats.

Sue said...

Oh my QWP - what a weekend! I'm sorry about the plates, but so happy that the police officer gave you a break. What a great friend to talk you through such a difficult parenting moment.

(((esperanza))) Sorry to hear about the chunky business. Just, ugh.

(((Miranda))) Oh my. I hope the test is done soon and that you can avoid the ER.

Yay for a fun weekend Liz!



kathy a. said...

Liz, sounds like fun!

Miranda, fingers crossed. Uck. xoxo

QWP, have you tried singing? If you and E sing other times, that might be something you can do to distract her when she is starting to melt. (And, singing is a good way to control breathing and calm things, even during a panic attack -- I know it sounds weird, but it actually helps.)

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Miranda: Oh dear! Crossing my fingers that you can get a scan quickly, and some insight into getting you feeling better, without the ER.

Kathy a: singing is a really good idea. I keep trying it as an immediate distraction during the meltdown, and she's not into that, but it could be really useful for the breathing together mellow-out.

esperanza said...

"let it goooooo, let it gooooo, don't hold it back anymooooooore"

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Sue said...

Noooo esperanza!!! My ears - they bleed!!!

Sue said...

(Not from your singing, of course, but *shudder* that song)

esperanza said...

Well, it could be both.

Miranda said...

I'm waiting for my CT scan. I hope it's something small like constipation.

Miranda said...

(I'm really worried and trying not to alarm others)

kathy a. said...

((( Miranda )))

kathy a. said...

Miranda, hope it goes well and that you get results right away. xoxo

Miranda said...

I'm waiting for the results right now. The staff is going out of their way to be nice which makes me more anxious. I'm supposed to be doing something important for my newest employee in an hour but I don't know if that will be possible.

kathy a. said...

((( Miranda ))) This is a good excuse. The staff probably know that people are panicky when they need this big fancy test -- and they have more luxury in an outpatient clinic to spend time on patients. xoxo

kathy a. said...

Grouse: Marketers. We are of course on the do not call list, but there are still many calls daily. The caller ID often says "unknown caller," which I guess could potentially be someone we know whose number is blocked, but they never ever leave a message. They just try again in a while, so the phone keeps on ringing.

I should be taking down the numbers that do appear, but it ticks me off that the burden is on me to report them to the FTC, which most likely won't do anything.

The problem has migrated to my cell phone, which I hardly ever use. One day there were 25 missed calls from numbers in a nearby area code. If I redial, the number is reportedly "out of service," so they're doing something fake with numbers.

And the email. Every organization to which I ever donated, and many companies with whom I once did business. There are several solicitations each week from a dictation software company -- I don't like the product I bought a couple years ago; nobody will buy more of that on a daily basis; and unsubscribing just doesn't work. A professional daily newspaper I do not read -- the publisher sends weekly emails about articles I might have missed. BLEAH!

esperanza said...

((Miranda))

Sue said...

(((Miranda)))

kathy a - that's awful. I will never complain about about our occasional callers again. We get a few calls a week. Sheesh - that's a lot of marketers! Boo.

Miranda said...

Well. Nothing to report. I needed two IV pokes because my veins do not improve with mild dehydration. I'm having mild reactions to the contrasting agents. My blood work was all normal. I'm still in pain.

Once my son comes home, I think I may go nap away my frustration.

esperanza said...

Oh, Miranda. That is aggravating. I say a nap is definitely in order. Sorry for no answers.

kathy a. said...

Miranda. Yes, get the nap. Did they not find anything, or they haven't really assessed it yet?

Miranda said...

They didn't see anything that would require an immediate transfer to the hospital. Now I wait for the report which I will get just as quickly as my PCP thanks to technology.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

What an afternoon, Miranda! I hope you can have a good nap, and that you get good news.

kathy a. said...

Nice longish phone call from the state department of public health investigator -- about the complaint we filed regarding her last care facility and its dirty underhanded treatment of us, forcing us to scramble for a new placement.

Dunno if this will proceed to the next phase; that's up to a supervisor. But it was good to hear her "getting it" about all that really distressing behavior.

Sue said...

I hope you got your nap Miranda.

I'm glad the investigator is on your complaint case kathy. Hopefully it will go to the next stage.

W: All The Things. Sometimes they are just too much. I'm on a planning committee for a Big Deal Chunky Meeting happening in late February. I've done the organizing for this event before, but this time it's complicated by the fact that our congregation is sharing the hosting with two other churches.

Can I just say Too Many Cooks!!!!???

It will all get done, but only after copious meetings and emails. I may require wine.

kathy a. said...

Wine to Sue, STAT.

esperanza said...

Oh Sue. Yep.

W: Mini's birthday weekend is now complicated by two funerals, with one pending.

AW: She is gloriously, eclectically five. To wit: she wants a Lightning McQueen (racecar character) pinata that she saw at the grocery store. And she wants Mater the tow truck on her cake. But she wants the cake to be pink. And she wants to wear her Frozen dress to her party. I said, "you're five! Go for it, girl!" So Mama (and grandma) will be making a pink cake with Mater the tow truck on Friday.

Sue said...

esperanza, that sounds simply awesome!

AW: Just had a call from a colleague who volunteered to plan, lead, and do the tech work for the closing worship on Big Event Weekend. I'm so happy I could share my wine with him! Perhaps....

kathy a. said...

Happy birthday, Mini! Sounds like a wonderful cake.

Yay, Sue.

esperanza said...

Hooray for Volunteering Colleague!

kathy a. said...

Following a hunch, I talked to the DoPH investigator again this morning, and -- even though she says she has basically all of my SIL's files from the old facility, they somehow failed to turn over the letter expressing dismay at the threat to discharge SIL, and asking directly for a timeline and exactly what the facility planned to do to place her elsewhere. There was no written response. The telephone response complained of my SIL's behavior (part of her illness), and that I had not placed her already, even though we did not think she needed to be moved.

The existence of that letter kind of goes against their current story that "oh, the family must have misunderstood! we just wanted to work with them, find a better place!"

Miranda said...

You have a copy of the letter, right? And proof of receipt? Ugh Kathy!

Aw: my scan was clear!!

W: no idea why I'm in pain and unable to eat much.

W: my friends think it is probably stress and seeing the wasband was more than I could take on top of my already jam packed with stress life.

I don't know how to fix that. :(

Miranda said...

Esperanza, I just want to say how fun Mini's party sounds. :)

kathy a. said...

Yay for a clear scan! There may be something to the stress theory. Small gentle meals; take things easier? xoxo



Sue said...

Yay for the good scan Miranda!!

kathy a, it's good your SIL is out of that facility.

kathy a. said...

Good she is out of there. But it would have been better if it had happened in a more orderly manner, instead of us needing to drop everything and react to the lying liars who lie and threaten. And lie. And hide things.

Sisters and brothers -- take notes. Keep copies of stuff. You never know when that will come in handy.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Miranda: hooray for clear scan! I hope you can figure out something that gives you relief.

Kathy, it is a good thing you followed up as you did.

Sue: cheering for your volunteering colleague!

Esperanza: happy birthday to Mini! That story makes me smile.

AW: New chair! My pretty new chair is here! It's a recliner, but it's very light, and so I can move it around a bit, which is perfect. (I am so comfortable that I want to stay in this chair forever.)

W: what is wrong with my stomach? Supper last night upset it (second time in a week), and I ended up really nauseated by lunchtime. My strongest suspicion is that I've overdone it with eggs lately (I have a very mild allergy). While I try to figure this out, I'm glad that I have a comfortable chair, because my insides are in some pain.

AW: when I thought I was about to start throwing up, my mom dropped everything and rushed over to help me with E.

esperanza said...

Miranda, that is good news, except for the part where you are still hurting.

Hoping for good weather and good Baboo behavior for Mini's birthday party. I subscribe to the "less is more" plan for parties. So we invite friends and their parents over to our house. They play. We eat. We open presents. The pinata is the most programmed thing we've ever done.

kathy a. said...

Esperanza, that is the PERFECT party!

QWP, hope things settle, and yay chair.

esperanza said...

So. Sleepy. So. Many. Projects. With Deadlines.

kathy a. said...

My son came home, unannounced, to work on his project -- a tube amp in a metal tool box. So much for the quiet understated evening....

Do not even ask why someone needs a tube amp in a tool box. But the noisy metal-cutting portion of the program is over. I think.

kathy a. said...

Linguine tossed with some butter + pesto, and meat sauce, and parmesean on top. It stretches. I used to cook larger quantities when my son lived with us; now I just hope I have enough random ingredients to make something up. Or leftovers, but today was not a lucky leftover day.

esperanza said...

or peanut butter and bread

kathy a. said...

Yeah, he'd probably eat anything. Has done that, in fact. But I meant to cook tonight; just not so much, or as soon. (The other actual residents aren't home yet.)

Sue said...

Yay for simple parties and cool new chairs!!

Ah, the drop-in dinner guests. We do that often in our house, but not for long. Our local son is soon going to be another out-of-town son. This one is heading East.

Why do I feel this need to rescue him from life's frustrations? He's a capable grown man, but when he posts on the book of faces that he's having troubles related to moving, I feel immediately like it's my problem to solve.

It isn't, I know.

At what point does this parenting thing become easier?

kathy a. said...

Made a big batch of dinner; not one scrap left over.

Know I sound ungrateful. Just wish he'd give some warning. These visits to work on projects last 5-6 hours, and involve a considerable level of energy and activity.

Sue, sorry about your boy! We still struggle to remember that if they want help, they'll ask.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Kathy: is it possible to expend less energy on him, when he drops in unannounced? I know that, even my BIL first moved out and would drop in unannounced for dinner, my in-laws would just say, "Oh! We already had plans for our supper, but you might be able to find something to eat in the kitchen."

W: so much for my big plan to keep E in her crib for a few more months, and not to mess with ANYTHING related to her sleep. A rung flew out of her crib last night (I found it several feet away) (I have no idea when this happened: she was completely silent when I put her to bed, and we got her as soon as she started making noise this morning. How does a kid silently break her crib?)

Out of desperation, because I can't dismantle her crib on my own (and she refuses to sleep in our bed), I've covered the hole with cardboard and packing tape, for nap time. Then, my mother is bringing the van, will pick up Mr. Q Eden school lets out, and they'll go pick up my old twin bed, which we've been storing at the in-laws' house. I didn't plan to transition her to a bed this way (at least there's also a hand-me-down bed rail waiting for is, with my twin bed). I thought I'd take time, and wait for her cues of readiness. But it's going to be today. I wonder if she'll sleep tonight.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

"Eden" should be "when".

kathy a. said...

QWP, sometimes the crib transition happens swiftly! With my son, it was when he started diving over the rail. Just like that, the crib was outta there. We started with just a mattress on the floor.

The problem with my son dropping in isn't so much the food. He's just got all this energy, and he's going back and forth finding tools or parts (and the man cannot close a door quietly), and he has so much to talk about, for so long, and BAM! POW!

esperanza said...

Mr E cannot be in the house quietly, either. Doors, ice maker, I don't know, but he makes noise and takes up lots of mental space when he is here.

QWP, neither of our girls had any trouble transitioning to a regular bed with bedrails. Sweet didn't get out of hers by herself for several months--she called me to come get her, as if it were a crib. I hope Lil E is as easy.

kathy a. said...

My kids also had fine transitions. (Although, for context, neither of them slept through the night until they were 3.) Just put the normal cuddly stuff in there, act like it's all normal.

The big thing to watch for after the crib is that all of a sudden, the toddler is FREE FREE FREE to wander! A baby gate might come in handy, as a precaution. xoxo

Anonymous said...

W; walked in and my house smells weird. Daughter asked why it smells like a doctor's office. That is what it smells like and I have no idea why. Had overripe bananas, a cat, and a malfunctioning stove indicator light, but none of those seem like they account for it completely. I am nervous.... i don't like smells that are vaguely medicinal/electrical (??) when I can't figure out where they come from. Makes me worried I am missing something important.

--Neighbor Lady

kathy a. said...

NL - -weird! Did the cleaning fairy come with lysol? Hope it's just one of those things. xoxo

Andy said...

W: I think I have a stress fracture in my right ankle.

-It's the same place that was hurting me last summer, which makes me think there may be more than meets the eye going on. Last time I stopped running until two weeks after the first pain free day. Since running keeps me sane, it accelerated my downward spiral into oblivion last summer.

--Actually, I'm sure there's more than meets the eye going on there, as it looks perfectly normal. I should be more choosy in my phraseology.

---And speaking of being more choosy, I got two emails from Scary Shady Dating Site I joined. One is a convicted arsonist, and one appears to have an IQ of about 85. I am not intrigued by these prospects.

----On the other hand, I haven't had any other response in the 3 months or so I've had it, nor have I had any other interest shown my way, so perhaps I should roll the dice and go for second base, hoping I don't end up with my house burnt down or anything. As the scriptures say, "Life is not tried; it is merely survived if you're standing outside the fire."

-----And speaking of Scripture, I would like to quit teaching Sunday School, but everyone else beat me to it and now there's a severe shortage of volunteers and I am easily guilt-tripped. And the person they assigned me with is a friend, so I don't want to bail on her even though I'm sick of teaching. Since I could easily fix this situation by just quitting but instead am choosing to continue to do something that doesn't really interest me anymore, I think whining about it is my only recourse.

kathy a. said...

ANDY! Go see the doctor about the ankle. Don't mention the arsonist, unless you want more consults than you need. Guilt works pretty well on me, so got nuttin' on the Sunday School. Except maybe you'll meet someone there who is single and not an arsonist. ;)

Queen of West Procrastination said...

So, we have a mattress and box spring, with rails on both sides, and pillows surrounding everything, all set up. E is enamoured with her new bed, but tried to climb head-first over the bed rail. We had a serious talk about You Could Hit Your Head, and now she's telling is elaborate stories about kids being careful and not climbing (so I think the lesson is sinking in?) Now, we'll see how bedtime goes. She's a little too excited, right now.

W: as everything got moved around and warmed up in her room (I accidentally turned up the in-floor heating too high), E's bedroom increasingly smelled like pee. I THINK we've taken care of it (oh boy, did her room just get a thorough cleaning). I suspect that the floor got so warm that it started baking the diaper pail. Blech.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Andy: get thee to a doctor! I'm worried about your ankle! I also have no wisdom about what to do with Sunday School, because I'm also a guilt-driven creature.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

AW: I think she's asleep without incident? She cried out briefly, about half an hour after falling asleep, but went right back to sleep. Now, let's see how she handles morning. (You guys, after she went to bed, I seriously made Mr. Q sit down with me and pray together, that she wouldn't fall out of bed. Somehow I'm a little extra emotional about this transition. More than my kid is.)

kathy a. said...

Baked Diaper Pail might not be the best band name, but let's hope we do not need to debate that in the morning. ;)

Here's to a good night's sleep. Kids are resilient, and it's unlikely she'll roll past the side bar. Ya done good!

Miranda said...

This week...

Remember the moms group I left due to issues of inclusion? They asked me back as a leader. I thought about it and said yes. Then two friends, who are lesbian, were bullied online in the groups private spacehook area. The one took the group over when the original founder moved away and made it grow. They both left. At this point, most of the LGBTQ women and women of color have left. I'm rescinding my offer.

Due to an body check while playing floor hockey in gym class, my son needed an early pick up, trip to the peds office, and an extra of his back. He will be very sore this weekend but no permanent damage.

So that makes two unscheduled doctors visits, on x-ray, and one CT scan this week. Good times.

AW: My sweetie and I are headed out for the weekend.

Miranda said...

X Ray. Not extra. This phone does not know me.

kathy a. said...

Miranda, stinks that members of this "support" group would behave in such a nasty and destructive way. (I had to leave a group several years ago due to bullying. Very upsetting.)

Glad your son is OK, and that you get a weekend away.

kathy a. said...

The chances of a detailed award ceremony are low, but keep on if you have something to say!

Queen of West Procrastination said...

E was supposed to have a sleepover at her grandparents' house tonight (we had a work party), but she missed her big-girl bed too much. Too many changes for two days. So, she's back here now (went to sleep three hours after bedtime), and I no longer get to look forward to sleeping in. Ah well.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Miranda: I'm glad your son doesn't have any permanent damage, but that is way too much for one week! It sounds like it was a good call to rescind the offer to lead that group. You don't need that nonsense in your life.