It's Lent

Read the latest update now by using this link: www.caringbridge.org/visit/andrewmcdonough

My best friend from college, Julie, sent me this link a few weeks ago.  This young kid, age 14, plays soccer in the same league and Julie's kids Dillon and Rachel.  He attends a Catholic high school in the same community I grew up in - his school, Salesanium, was all boys back then - not sure if it still is.  St. Anthony of Padua was the all girls' sister school and was my 2nd choice for high school.  Andrew collapsed 28 days ago after playing in a soccer tournament.  They thought it was appendicitis but he not only had sepsis but it turns out he also has previously undiagnosed leukemia.  The infection wreaked havoc on his body and he's obviously been in the hospital ever since.  I've been praying for him and thinking about him and being grateful for the health of my own kids ever since.  Andrew's Dad blogs about this experience every day.  This is helping me keep my perspective about being fat, old, out of shape, overwhelmed, a procrastinator, behind at work, snowed in, etc. etc.  I've given up chardonnay for Lent this year - yes ladies I have given up my favorite grape.  Jackson, who I'm sure does not fully grasp Lenten sacrifice although it was discussed this past week in his preK catechism class...has given up watching Star Wars, his favorite movie....

We had a bunch of snow starting last night at midnight-ish and lasting until early this afternoon when it turned to rain.  I was out and about in it - had to get groceries so ended up at Costco, the pet store (buying fish and fish supplies) after Mass.  I fly to Dallas tomorrow evening for training on Tuesday.  Flying back home Tuesday afterward.  The training is a refresher of The Coach Approach training I had back in the summer.  I did teach one class in early Dec.  They've added a module to it specific to using coaching skills when doing career counseling so I have to go learn up on that in preparation for teaching 6 Coach Approach sessions during the month of March. 

Don't ask me what made me go into that ramble but I just felt you needed to know these things - I've been reading and commenting but not sharing so much with you all.....guess I feel guilty.

 

 CJ Clarke

 

 

Hi Ho Hi Ho It's Off to DC we go

We just got home from taking the kids to Disney on Ice - the littler kids only, Alex isn't here this weekend.  Jeff did get a call from her and her mom - she'd been "skating" around on the very hard very frozen snow that's lying around, fell, and broke her arm.  This time up very high on the bone toward the shoulder - making it difficult to cast/treat.  Similar to the leg break which was a spiral fracture and difficult to cast/heal.  Can I tell you that this kid eats well including drinking lots of milk - what's with the bones?  Counting the two broken arms two summers ago and the broken leg last Spring - this is the 4th bone break and the same week Jeff signed her up for soccer - she cannot catch a break.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Both kids enjoyed Disney on Ice - <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Jackson is still up running on adrenaline and cotton candy.  Kate conked out in the car and slept through being put to bed.  We got in and out of DC without incident - didn't get lost like we usually do - hicks from the sticks that we are. 

Last's week's snow closed the schools around here for 3 days - unbelievable - and they have off on Monday as well.  Daycare has been open and we only stayed home with the kids one day.  Our side roads in the neighborhood are still doing that melting during the day freezing thing that makes it creepy and bumpy to get back home if you're out at night.  It's been the low 20's really have to bundle up every time you go out weather for the past two weeks or so.  I've been taking a shuttle to work from a nearby park n' ride so I'm standing out at the old bus stop waiting in the cold---brrrrr! 

Last weekend, which is the weekend you originally asked about Sue - we took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese's fr lunch and to let them blow off some steam.  I've actually overcome my aversion to that place and have two game that I like to play - but of course I remember that I'm not there to amuse myself - but to make sure the kids have fun.  It's a poor substitute for letting them run around outside in the fresh air I'll tell you that much. 

Late is still just shy of being potty trained with her 3rd b'day coming up April 19.  She's working toward a Scooby Doo themed party at The Little Gym as her goal for getting diaper free. 

I'm applying to send Jackson to the Catholic school for kindergarten.  I'm not 100% sure I want to send him there straight through but for kindergarten purposes if he went to the public school for the 1/2 day kindergarten he'd be getting only 1/2 day of school curriculum vs. the full day he's been getting where he's gone to daycare & preschool vs. the full day he'd be getting at the Catholic school.  On top of that the after school daycare would cost the same as I pay to send him all day because he's really only gone 3 hrs or so, so the cost is the same - so I'm going to try out Our Lady of Hope, provided he gets in.  I'm trying to keep an open mind but the pastor is super conservative - and although I think of myself as conservative he's uber conservative - and there is a ton of pressure to be active in both parish and school - not that I disagree with that but using as criteria for admission I'm not so keen on.  But they do have limited spaces so we'll see how it goes.  His preK teacher gave him a glowing report on the form I asked her complete that goes along with his application.  You'd think I was trying to get him into Sidwell Friends or something.  (private school that Chelsea Clinton went to that happens to be right next door to the office I'm working at these days - at Fannie Mae in DC). 

My mom continues to recover - the shoulder being a much more painful rehab than the hip.  She went home to her own pad last weekend and I haven't talked to her yet this week but assume it's business as usual.  She's not yet driving I don't think though so doubt she's able to get any vino unless she asks my nephew to pick it up for her.  He's 21 now and living at her house.  If she asked him to he'd probably do it.  He was my heart when he was a baby but he's grown into a little jackass unfortunately. 

Other than the fact that I had my knee checked out because it gave out on me again about a month ago and in telling a few people I know that it's happened several times - not regularly but it does give out unexpectedly - they admonished me to have it looked at - turns out I tore my ACL which you may know is something that doesn't heal or grow back so I'm looking at surgery if I want it repaired.  Not that I think I'll be having that career as a professional dancer but do fear falling when I'm old and more brittle - also it hurts like hell when it gives out and I go down to the floor....which is actually what happened at my 25th high school reunion although at the time I attributed it to chugging most of a bottle of champagne before I even got there....There's no big rush with the knee - went to a doc who's big into sport medicine - treats the Redskins and all of that.  He took x-rays in the office and the bones look normal.  Now he wants to see an MRI so he can see exactly what I did in there.  Then we'll discuss options. 

Hope everyone is staying sane and warm....hope this snow didn't totally kill off my bulbs that had started to pop up green before this hit....

Hasta!

 

What's It All About, Cynde?

Sunday afternoon – the time of the week I try to take stock of what I’ve accomplished recently and update my list of things I want and need to do.  The best way for me to get this going is by attending Mass which has a calming effect.  Getting in touch with the Lord reminds me that nothing is impossible and getting stuck in inactivity because I feel overwhelmed is a trap I easily fall into.  So getting calmed helps me see things in little pieces vs. a whole lot of everything that I can’t possibly keep up with or do well.  <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

I’ve got a handful of major work things to take care of, most requiring at least an hour or more of my time.  I’m going to try to get that organized and some of it started today before I plunge into the work week and get distracted away from the to-do list. 

Here at home the laundry seems to be drying really slowly today giving me the feeling that I’ll never get it all done before bedtime.  That time estimate doesn’t include the folding of course.  But today I’m not letting it get me down.  Today I’m happy because on Friday I spent time with a few friends from the neighborhood to cheer one of them up because she’d lost a close friend to MS this week.  She was 48 years old.  Yesterday we got together with a couple who’ve come to mean a lot to us in a really short period of time.  So I’m glad that we left the household chores go for a day and got away for a bit to relate to other human beings.  The kids had a great time and our friends greatly enjoyed meeting our kids.  So what if the laundry didn’t get touched until today?

I feel like I never have enough sleep.  I feel like I could sleep for three days.  I know that would make me feel even more drained than usual.  The key is the rowing machine in the basement not the memory foam pillow on my bed.  I try to squeeze too much into the time allotted.  Not setting aside the “me” time makes me get up in the middle of the night to grab time to myself which, in turn, screws up my sleep and the next day.  I need a better plan, I need better discipline, more hours in a day would help but that’s not going to happen, I need to even further prioritize, I need to keep myself from getting lost in the sauce so I can step back and see what’s most important at any given time.

But I get so distracted by things I can’t control.  This is why going to Mass calms me – I’m reminded to put everything into His hands. 

 

What a Stale Blog - have you all given up?

My dear friend wrote to me – Do you know, I’m busier now that I’m not going in to work than when I worked?  It’s just like the retired folks say, you plan more things into your life and it just fills up!  To which I replied - <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

“yeah, people who say they couldn't see themselves not working are full of crap....who would work if they didn't have to work?  get serious!

I could fill the day with all sorts of needlework and other stuff and if I felt like spending a rainy day under the covers napping and reading - that's my perogative!

p.s.  Kate pished in her diaper - nothing more....it was the diaper I'd just put on her though but she did warn me she had to go potty - whatever..no worries - I plan on living at least until she's potty trained - matter of fact, after we hung up I negotiated a Dora the Explorer themed party at The Little Gym in exchange for her ceasing to poop her pants....

two bizarre things to tell you

my father called tonight to wish himself Happy Birthday - I was going to call him anyway and there is a card on it's way but it just got mailed today....

one of my fish - the one I've had the longest, Mr. Smith, likes to float upside down to sleep.  He has a special corner of the tank and he floats himself to the top and flips over, puts a fin out onto the side, mind you, to anchor himself in place....and hangs out there upside down...just what I need to scare the shit out of me every morning...my favorite fish playing dead...(no pun intended)

you are right, I have definitely carved out quite the life for myself...I really must update that stale blog of mine...

 

SO HERE WE ARE – I STARTED UP AGAIN….

 

Must get to bed as I will never wake up and miss the shuttle on time if I don't get some sleep....tomorrow is my third try at catching the frigging shuttle to work...one day too late, today - went to the wrong park and ride - tomorrow I catch that damn thing so I can blog all the way to work...

 

Fa La La

So much to do and soooo tired. 

Happy Birthday to Me

My 45th birthday and I'm awake super early - actually got up to take cough medicine and stayed up to do two crossword puzzles, eat some corn chips, read some of Saturday's paper.  After putting in a load of wash, tidying the kitchen, and writing the kids' tuition check I think I will go back downstairs and crop for a bit since my scrapbooking things are still spread out all over the dining room table.  I have the day off to do whatever I want and while I have something from work to check into there are no emergencies there demanding my attention today.  I may go shopping - could definitely use a manicure - will probably swing by the library to see if there are any books I haven't read by my favorite authors - the sarcastic chick lit stuff - Jane Green, Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella, etc.

I'm in a really good place right now and feeling really thankful about the blessings I'm fortunate to have and where I am in my life.  How's that for going from the mundane to the deep in a paragraph with no transition?

Would love to lose 20 pounds but I'll do it - maybe this will be the year that I do it.  Happy Birthday to me...I just love this quiet time when everything else is quiet and I am in touch with my own thoughts.

New Day Dawning

Feeling like my old self again at work.  Feeling better than my old self at home.  Every day there are lessons to be learned.  I'm more than hopeful; I've got my confidence back.  Thanks for the comment Risha - f*&^ 'em if they can't take a joke....and life goes on for all of us. 

The kids are having a fun end of summer/beginning of Fall.  Jackson started CCD to get a little religious education in him.  Our parish has a preK class.  Lots of coloring and crafts with some prayers and songs mixed in.  I'm a teachers' aide so I get to stay and see what he's up to in there.

I look at Kate and wonder how this amazingly charming and beautiful creature came into my life - well, duh, she's my daughter.  Can't believe how wonderful she is which is her saving grace when she's busy trying to show us how terrible the two's can be.  Where did my little Piggers go?  She's a skinny thing now!