Updates and happy thoughts

Okay, I know it has been a long while since I have given a real update, so I thought I would go ahead and do another half-assed one.

Hubby is doing great in his new station, he is being tested about two times a week and is doing very well in the scoring. The drill sergeants there are totally cushy and easy on them, they get smoked (punished with physical work) but they still get computers, phones and what have you. He still doesn't get much time but I do get to talk to him everyday, which makes me VERY happy. I am thinking I will go and see him again at the end of this month, I had previously promised the boys that I would take them with me the VERY next time I go and here I am planning a quick trip and likely not taking them....I don't want to lie to them but I don't want them mad either. We are totally going to see him graduate though, that will be SSSSOOOO much fun for them, we will probably go to Six Flags, if not there then here in Ca.

R is still adjusting to new meds, the first ones, Straterra absolutely did not work, they made him fall asleep in class and also gave him an upset stomach. So now we are on the Daytrana patch, which I requested based on the testimony of a friend with a child of similar age and going through the same situation. So far I am unsure of the patch, the side effects are lessened but the peeling of the backing is troublesome. He was sleepy in class today and got virtually no work done, that may be because this was the first time he really had it on (with out the backing screwed up) all day. I am going to give it about a week or two before I pass judgement though.

S is doing really well, he is loving baseball and has recently started watching some of the games with his Grandpa (the one here in the house) which I think is good stuff. He is in a reading program where he gets two tickets to see the local baseball team for every two books he reads. We all know what a great reader he is, so I have a feeling that I will be seeing a lot of the Chico, Outlaws! He also saved me from having to call the insurance company to come out and rescue my keys from my locked car. He figured out he could push the window down and squeeze his arm in and unlock the door...totally saved me a headache! He is going to be turning 9 (can you believe it!!!) on May 5th...Cinco de Mayo baby!! I am planning a party at the house with a bounce house (maybe) and sleepover and then Spiderman 3 on Sunday. We were going to do the movie on Friday but his best school friend is having his own party that day so his mother and I coordinated the parties so they would be able to go to each of their parties...boy are they going to be partied out by Sunday (I hope). Luckily he is not too hard to buy for but that also makes it hard...I want to give him everything his heart desires, and so does hubby (especially now that he is away) but there has to be a limit...I am just not sure where to draw that line. Eh...you only turn 9 once!!

I am still loving the job and things are still just as up in the air and unsure as they were two-three weeks ago, but I know now that enough people have worked with me and like how fast I learn and what not that if the new boss wanted to let go of a temp I have a pretty good chance of keeping my position...that makes me feel a little bad for the other temp who apparently has not made such a good impression...I really like her and she is really sweet...hopefully it doesn't come to that though...the general opinion is that everybody's jobs are safe. I had my sixty day review and it went well...the permanent position is just a signature away from being officially open as a permanent one (it was going to possibly end up another temp one). This means that I have to go through another job interview, this time with people I have been working with and it is a little harder to charm and BS my way through an interview with people who know me, so I am a little nervous about it...but not really, strangely, all it will mean is job security (which I am pretty sure I already have), benefits (covered there for now with hubby's insurance and leftover other medical) and more beer bucks (free beer, I don't really drink that much of it any way so not really losing much). So really I don't need the position except for the vacation and sick time...which isn't much anyway. Heh...guess I am gonna be okay either way...now if any of those listed above was an issue, I would be a total wreck!!

Anyway...enough of my rambling...lol...I gotta get some sleep, 2:30am comes pretty early especially if you are up till 9:45 posting!!

Take it easy everyone, good wishes towards the E and D with their car issues, Shel for her fantastic work on her physical and emotional self and hubby cause I love him and Trav cause he is the mostest sweetest and Hammer cause he is forging the way to a better work environment for the down trodden masses, and anyone else who needs good happy thoughts their way!!

C

ADHD

Well, it is finally official, R has been diagnosed with ADHD. I am not sure where I sit with this, I have always felt that he had some form of attention issue, I know that he has all the signs, I also know that now that we have an official diagnosis the school HAS to make some adjustments...but I am also a little sad, I fear that this will color any future teacher's perception of how bright, funny and wonderful he is. I also fear that putting a label on him at such an early age is very likely a mistake...I just did not know what else to do, there isn't time right now to experiment with his diet, there are only a few months left in school and I want him to be able to focus on his studies rather than get so stressed out that he doesn't like school. I am afraid that if he doesn't start focusing the evil woman that poses as a teacher will flunk him...that would be terrible for his self-esteem and motivation. I guess the only thing I can do right at the moment is cross my fingers and hope.

He will start the medication (Strattera) on Wednesday, tomorrow he has an appointment to get an EKG done to make sure his heart is healthy...apparently the medication has issues if you have any weaknesses in your heart, that is for long term use, he (hopefully) will only be on it for a few months!

So I guess now I will educate myself and find as much information as I possibly can about the medication, ADHD, and other possible treatments. I know that I wanted to get this diagnosis, but now that he has it...I am sad for him.

I gotta get some sleep...another LLLOOOONNNGG day tomorrow.

C

Attack of the lone clapper

So I have a few things to vent about, not sure who to vent to right now because hubby is gone but here goes...

1. Going to baseball games for my youngest son is rather strange, it seems as if there is no real grouping happening with the parents. I say this because they don't cheer for the other kids...for instance, when a kid hits the ball, especially in tee-ball, you cheer, no matter what, you cheer lots, clap etc. Atleast that has been how it was in our other league...this new league it seems almost as if the parents come to the games to socialize with eachother, they only clap and cheer for their own kids and not the other kids on the team...consequently R has a lone clapper in the audience, me. I guess that I should not be complaining, there are other kids who have me as their lone clapper too...not sure what the parents are doing but they sure aren't encouraging their kids. Sheesh! But, I clap for all the kids, cheer too, louder and longer for mine but all the kids should be cheered on...hopefully the other parents will catch on too.

2. R's teacher is really beginning to bug me...she is really negative, not giving R any in the way of positive reinforcement. I understand in the situation that R is in, there is probably not much to give positive reinforcement for right now...but I really feel that if she were to give him kudo's once or twice a day (not too much fucking work is it?) she would see a world of difference. As it stands right now, R isn't completing much work in the classroom, when he does, however, she grades it and if there is one thing wrong he gets it back to redo...this goes into the finish up folder and today there was a stack of about 15 papers in it...a little overwhelming for a 1st grader with an incredibly short attention span to try to tackle on his own...with NO supervision or guidance. So he gives up, you can see it quite often too. Add to this that most of her criticism is unconstructive and you can just see him shutting down when she starts talking about something he did wrong. She is also getting really nit-picky...used to be if he had one thing wrong on his paper she would send it home, now it goes in the finishup folder, if he was distracted she would send him outside to collect himself, now she gives him the equivalent of his name on the board which won't be erased till next week! I remember when I was a kid, you started each day fresh...he has to wait till the next week to start over...so if he gets his name on the board on Monday he feels like "what's the point in trying this week...I can't get my name erased!" Ugh...frustration, I wish, I wish I had forced his move to another class at the beginning of the year, but I fooled myself into thinking that she was being truthful when she said she would make allowances and have tools for him to stay focused...now he is so stressed he is crying at the drop of a hat. I mean really, his father leaves for the army, I get a new job, and she is getting nit-picky...WTF...there is atleast ONE thing that can be changed here...it is her...I just don't know if it would be a good idea to move him now, so close to the end of the year...i just see him slipping into that gray area of hating school and feeling like he is drowning...it scares me, grrrrr!!! He is such a smart wonderful boy...I just want to slap her...I am certainly going to recommend her retirement at the end of the year if nothing else.

I think that may be it...sorry for the venty post but I am working #2 through and I had to get it on "paper" so maybe I can get thru it.

C

Beer baths, bunnies and baseball

Hey everybody,

I have an idea that it is my regular computer that is having the trouble posting...I hope! This is being written on the laptop.

Beer baths:
I never knew the joy of taking a beer bath until this past Friday at work. I was removing the tap from a pressurized keg and forgot to turn off the pressure...beer sprayed everywhere, dousing me, my hair, my clothes and shoes! It wasn't so bad until after work when I went to pick up the boys from their day care...I realized that here I am picking up my kids, middle of the day (1pm) and I smelled STRONGLY of beer...lol.

Bunnies:
Easter was really fun, I went to my dad's and had a barbeque...consisting mostly of hotdogs, but that was okay..they were good ones! We hid eggs for the kids and they had lots of fun finding them, although S had to learn that the ones that were just laid out in the grass were for his smaller cousins, which he thought was rather unfair.

Baseball:
R has a game today, his first real baseball game, I am really excited for him, the tee ball games are really fun to watch too, the kids all have the attention span of a gnat and within a few minutes they are pulling grass, playing in the dirt or in R's case lifting the third base to see what is underneath. S's next game is on Thursday, but I think he has a practice tomorrow. He has gotten really good and he knows it too....lol.

Other:
I finally got my car fixed, also on Friday, I am so proud!!! It no longer sounds like a diesel engine it sounds like a kitten purring!! Imagine that, 215,000 miles and it now sounds fantastic!! Having driven for the last several years with the annoying clanking and pinging sound, it is almost scary at times, I sometimes think it is not running, and I don't have to shut it off at the drive thru so they can hear my order...yay!!

I am currently working on taking me, the boys and hubby's sister to Texas to visit him in the next couple of months...I hope that it all works out and we can do it...I miss him already, even though we get to talk daily for now it's not the same.

Okay gotta go, makin' chili (chilli?)

C

I have returned...

Well folks Oklahoma has been interesting. By far the most interesting is the changes in my hubby, he has slimmed down considerably, He looks fantastic, six pack and all, well, okay it is a 4 pack, but still, considering that he went to basic with a good amount of extra weight and now in comparison he is SKINNY!!! He has worked very hard and I am so very proud of him. (the little white specks are the never ending rain of Ft. Sill)

3/28 Flying in

The first flight was uneventful, nothing broken, nothing crazy. I did forget to eat before getting on the flight and so just as we are about to take off I realize just how VERY hungry I am, and the flight is a non-snack flight, meaning if I want anything to eat I have to pay through the nose for it…turned out that I only had to buy a $5 salad that was just enough to hold me over to my layover in Dallas. Once I got to Dallas, I went straight for my next gate and found the nearest eating place. I go up to the bar and ask for a veggie burger and a soda. The girl behind the bar then tells me that Kid Rock is standing over by the gate across the way. I look over and sure enough there he is, after some (very little) consideration I walked over and asked him for a picture and autograph both of which he happily gave. So now I have a picture with me and Kid Rock! And of course his autograph! Also, it turns out that he was going to be on my flight, he was headed for Altus Air Base to play for the airmen there. So there I was on a little twin turboprop with a famous person and it slowly dawns on me that this is eerily reminiscent of the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly and Richie Valens…cloudy night, stormyish, famous people on the plane, etc. As this is dawning on me, the flight is taking off so there is no turning back! Finally, we hear from the pilot (Captain Dan…not exactly confidence inspiring is it?) that we are going to be landing in 5 minutes…I breathe a small sigh of relief because it looks as if my fears were unfounded. So, 5 minutes pass, then 10, then 15 and we still have not landed. Captain Dan comes on the line and tells us that their main hydraulic pump has malfunctioned and they are taking steps to get the LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS down manually. There are several ex-military pilots on board, of course, and they start talking about what the pilots are having to do to fix the problem…it is a freaking hand pump! A few minutes go by and the steward comes through looking through the windows to make sure the landing gear is down and they eyeball the number of degrees the flaps have been tilted! Finally we start to land and one of the ex-pilots pipes up with, “oh yeah, aren’t the brakes hydraulic too?” At this point I am cursing fate and Kid Rock for being on the plane but with a little see-sawing we land safely (I am assuming the see-sawing was from the uneven application of manual braking). I am off the plane quickly…wouldn’t you be? And then off to my hotel to get some z’s before going to see my baby in the morning.

3/29 Family Day

The family day demonstration was rained out and all the soldiers were relieved because I guess the demonstration had them laying in the mud for 2 hours! We did get to see them in their ACU’s and hear a little of the accomplishments they achieved, such as live fire, night fire, mounted combat, and the huge tower that you have to rappel down…very scary to me. After the “demonstration” we were able to talk and hang out with them a bit, it was SO very good to see him, he was tired, achy and sore but he was my hubby and it felt so good to just hug and be with him. Next we went to the local NCO club and they had a luncheon for all the families and soldiers. It was the first time we got to see the soldiers in their class A’s and he also looked very good in those. Once the incredibly loooonnnnngggg luncheon was over the families walked and the soldiers marched (I got some good video of this) to their barracks and were able to sign them out on pass. Hubby and I had to go and first rent a car, but then we went and I showed him my hotel and…um…other stuff J . Then we went and met some of his fellow soldiers and their families for dinner at Red Lobster, yummy, hubby and I finally did what we should always do at RL and we ordered the appetizers and shared a plate of shrimp linguini. They shared lots of very funny stories about their time in basic and the things they did. Even though hubby says he is glad to leave, hated it and all that, you can tell he made some very good friends while there. One of the stories involved alien abduction btw…ask me later! I got some good pictures there at RL of him and the guys. Next we had to go to the PX so we could pick him up a couple of new suitcases for his trip to Ft. Sam Houston. After this we had to take him back to his barracks so he could sign back in off of pass.

3/30 Graduation

I got to the theatre where they were holding the graduation and they were selling some t-shirts for each platoon that had their names listed on the back, I bought one of them for me and one for S, then got one that says, “my daddy defends freedom in the U.S. Army” for R. I walked into the theatre and all the soldiers were seated in the front section in the middle, probably 25% were asleep, they were SO tired! I quickly spotted hubby, he was in the front row…and all the guys were unable to look around or smile at anyone they recognized (they were actually seated at attention…it looked very uncomfortable) I have pictures, of course. Once the ceremony began they made long speeches, most of which I have on tape, and congratulated the soldiers on their huge accomplishments. Then they started the actual graduation, where the soldiers crossed the stage and got little rolled up pieces of paper. Hubby being in the first row was significant in that he was named an Honor Graduate and was given a Certificate of Achievement and a letter in his file, this is a big thing because it meant that he was graduating in the top 10% of his class. For a guy of 33 with a bunch of 18 year olds that actually rocks! After the graduation he had some out-processing to do and then he was mine again… We ate dinner at a Korean Restaurant, he had been really wanting some Chinese/Korean food. We went to the mall, and walked and talked. Then we drove for a bit and talked and sang songs, then we went to the PX because I had to change my flight so I could drive him to the Oklahoma City airport and just leave from there on Saturday. Mostly we just enjoyed being with each other, holding hands and being close. At 8:45 it was time to return him to the drill sergeants L. After dropping him off I went to my hotel and shortly after I got a call from him saying that the DS on duty wasn’t going to let him ride with me to the airport the next day…ooohhhh I was angry, had I known that they were going to pull this BS I would have made my good bye a bit more significant. About 15 minutes later he calls again and tells me that things changed…again…and he could ride with me, woohoo!! Of course, I was not hanging my hat on it until I had him in the car with me.

3/31 Flying out

That night there was a fire in the Laundromat of my hotel and six or so fire trucks and some police cars come tearing in sirens blaring at 3:00am. The fire wasn’t enough for them to evacuate the hotel but the sirens woke me up and I could not get back to sleep. I had to be at the barracks to pick up my hubby at 6:00 anyway so I got moving on showering and whatnot. After I got my stuff in the rental car I drove over to pick him up. The drive to OKC was very nice, just me and him, holding hands, little kisses and music. His flight left 20 minutes before mine was supposed to and so I walked him to his gate, stood in line with him and kissed him good bye, and cried…a lot. The airlines had given all the soldiers a boost to 1st class but because hubby had been hanging with me he missed that chance…he said it was totally worth it…he would rather hang with me than fly first class any day…he is such a sweetie. My flight was TWO hours late and fortunately I had a 6 hour layover here at Houston so I did not miss my flight to Sacramento. Hubby kept calling me to make sure I was alright whenever he could, before take off, after landing or while he was changing planes…he knew I was really broken up about him and I going separate ways and he was just checking on me. I called him as I landed here in Houston and let him know I finally made it. My flight here from Houston has been changed from leaving at 6:35pm to leaving at 7:00pm (it is only 4:45 right now)…I really just want to get home before tomorrow rolls around…lol. As it stands I will not get in until 9:30 and probably later because everything is running late here in Houston because of the weather. The terminal I came into was so packed with people it was starting to need to have air circulated because it smelled of people funk. The one I am in right now is a little better as it is not so crowded and is much larger. After I land I still have to collect my bags, find my car and drive the 1 ½ hours home. Going to have to get some caffeine running in my veins for that drive! I am home now and posting this finally, two days later, but hey, what do you want from me...I was tired!! I finally got home at about 12:30pm and crawled into bed right away. Hubby and I have been talking back and forth since he left on his plane, and it looks like he will be able to keep his cell and any other electronics he has, for this reason we decided to go ahead and purchase a laptop with wireless internet ability so that he can email and blog now instead of waiting till he gets back. Hopefully this whole keeping of the electronics will actually happen!! He is doing good and is in good spirits. I picked up the boys on Sunday and was able to visit with my brother as well for the first time in about 2 years! It was a really nice visit and the boys had a blast at the ocean, I will soon have a picture of R at the beach covered from his eyes to his toes in sand and mud! anyway...on to the rest...

In conclusion:

I am incredibly grateful for the chance that I had to be with him and spend time with him, however, I am, of course, going to be greedy here. He was placed on leave (travel time) until the 2nd, but we were only able to fly out from OKC on Saturday the 31st. Why did they not book a flight for the 2nd or at least let us drive down or something that would have given me some more time with him. Ok, greed has been stated and now I do have to say that this trip would not have been possible if not for my wonderful friends Evan and Denise, my dad and of course I have to give Stan some credit because without the job I could not have afforded it at all.

Some interesting things happened at Ft Sill and also at the airport while with hubby. At Ft Sill people kept coming up to him and congratulating him on his graduation (they knew because of the PFC rank and the Class A’s he had to run around in) and at the airport people shook his hand and said, ‘thank you’ or were friendly in a way you did not see happening with people who were in regular clothes. I have heard stories of people being really nice or shaking hands or even applauding the soldiers they come in contact with but seeing it was rather moving. The bumping them up to 1st class was another example of this.

Well, you all know me, I can’t blog without getting a little schmaltzy, so here goes….

Being apart from him for 10 weeks and finally being able to see him and be with him again was an interesting experience for me, for all of our married lives I was the one going away or being shipped somewhere that he had to wait to join me. You learn things about your relationship by being apart. The most important of which is how strong that relationship really is. Another is just how much a part of your life that person has become. I quickly realized that he is my rock, my foundation and my very best friend, he is the person with whom I can talk about anything, who when I touch him I feel comforted and warm and happy and right. If there truly is such a thing as a soul mate he is mine. Coming back together is another of those things that can teach you something about your relationship, if you can continue where you left off, if you still have the same connection with that person, I believe that you can bet that your relationship can last through just about anything.

Anyway…that was my trip, in a nutshell