Good Thursday Morning

[Wiped Out]

Good Morning Friends,

As I'm typing this I am wishing it was a "Good Friday Morning" post as this has been a very long week.

Right now we are at a chilly 6 degrees but will actually get close to 30 degrees this afternoon. Along with that will come some snow-2-4 inches. I'm hoping the roads aren't too bad as this will be easy child/difficult child's first time driving in the white stuff.

After work difficult child has a hair appointment. Then we need to take him to his weekly blood draw. He was supposed to get it yesterday but apparently the orders ran out (our psychiatrist puts in about 26 at a time-wish someone would have told us a week ago it was running out so we could have called psychiatrist-instead we spent way too much time waiting for his blood draw yesterday only to find out he couldn't get it done).

After that it is home time and our niece is coming over to color husband's hair and staying for dinner. easy child/difficult child is getting her hair done this evening as well.

I'm getting excited for winter break even though it is still 1 1/2 weeks away!

Wishing everyone a peaceful day

 

[LittleDudesMom]

Good Morning!

Sharon, it's not 6 degrees here but it's 16 and that's pretty darn cold for us! Bummer about the wait yesterday for you and difficult child.....hope today is much smoother!

Thursday means an all day office day for me.

Yesterday afternoon I gave difficult child's 1:1 a ride home after school (he lives close to us). I dropped difficult child home on the way. After difficult child got out, his 1:1 turned to me and said, "difficult child has been amazing this year!" He said that difficult child has transitioned into high school with virtually no assistance from him. He is in the background and usually not with difficult child - just in the building or watching from a distance during pe or lunch. He said all the teachers think he is a respectful, smart young man.

Wow! When I came here 7 years ago and the times were dark, I never thought I would get to this place with him. Early intervention, the supportive and knowledgable membership on this board, supportive administration at all three schools, great docs, and more have made such a difference in his life. But I can't dismiss the work he himself has done to get to this place.

You know, I always knew what was inside that boy. He is still a difficult child - he has entitlement issues, anxiety issues, a short fuse at times, social issues, etc. But what has changed over the years is his ability to recognize what is going on inside, what choices he has as far as his reactions, and that others now see some of what I have seen all along - a funny, creative, smart young man.

Thanks guys for letting me let loose here. No one really understands like you guys how much pride we take when we see our difficult children using the techniques and making the choices we fight so hard for.

Here's a wish for a great Thursday in your house.

Sharon

 

[HaoZi]

Morning ladies, a chilly 15 here. Adding to my hatred of winter is that it messes with my skin so much. Moisturizers are either too light to do much good, or so heavy they cause breakouts. Ug. Even if I could afford to try the latest and greatest ones hitting the shelf with my sensitive skin that's hit and miss any time of year (yes, I know, drink more water).

with-O hope everyone's hair does well and the blood draw goes smoothly this time.

Sharon I'm so happy for you!

 

[Marguerite]

G'day people. It got to 27 degrees here. Celsius. Tomorrow will be a little cooler, with overnight rain forecast. We're getting bucketloads of rain at the moment, at Wagga they said the river rose four metres in four hours last night.

Sharon/WO, that was very frustrating about the blood draw mix-up. I'd be annoyed too, especially given the inconvenience of having to go out in such weather.

Sharon/LDM, it's great to get positive feedback about our kids. It's hard to see the progress when it;s so gradual, but other people's validation is gold.

HaoZi, sorry you're having so much trouble with your skin. I have found (especially in consumer advocacy studies) that the more expensive skin creams generally don't work any better than the cheaper ones as a rule. There are good ones and bad ones of all prices; price is no indication of quality. You just find what works for you. Me, I have a problem with preservatives, and these days almost all cosmetics contain preservatives and cause me problems. So I use vegetable oil. Or make up my own skin cream using a combination of herbal tea, vegetable oil and thickened with beeswax. Then there's always sorbolene! My favourite you could try, is vegetable oil and cooking salt. You can add a couple of drops of essential oil if you like (lavender is good; so is rose). To wash, you wet your skin, scrub with a small spoonful of the oil and salt mix, rinse off, then pat dry with a cloth. At first it feels really greasy, but the cloth finishes the job and the combination of oil, salt and water leaves exactly the right amount left, plus you just got a gentle exfoliation and deep clean.
Depending on your skin, use either olive oil, or sweet almond oil as the oil base. Just don't use a metal lid on the jar!
I've seen products almost identical to this, charging $50 a jar. You can make it for 50c. And most of that is the cost of the jam jar.

We've stayed home today and got some work done. Tomorrow is a busy day - I see my doctor first, then head in to the school for difficult child 3's school presentation day. It's only for his grade tis time, due to the different finish times of various grades. He's just finished grade 10 which here, is a possible completion point for high school. But he's continuing on (which increasingly, is happening).
After the awards presentation, I have another meeting. husband is still not well, he might curl up in the car possibly while he waits. Not sure what difficult child 3 will do. I should have organised a study session with his one remaining subject (he's accelerated int his subject, just started Grade 12) but with three more days to go for the school year, there's really not much point.

Oprah fever has hit Australia. The audience she brought with her have been scattered around the country in various groups, I don't think any are in Sydney right now. But their every move is being followed by our media, as far as possible. They're having a ball! Thankfully, none are inland where the floods are. I don't think our national capital was on the itinerary, which is a good thing - they've got flooding near there too. Ironic, since Canberra got only about 4 mm rain today, but the nearest town (ten minutes drive) was flooded out, and Wagga is only 60 km further west as the crow flies and they're in big trouble. All down from the Queensland border, in fact. Our floods last week subsided fast because we're so close to the sea. But inland, it takes a lot longer for the water to get away. Still, the other side of it is, they know when the water is coming, mostly. They have time to evacuate. The papers today showed an aerial shot of an earthmoving company at Dubbo who put up their own five metre high levee bank around their warehouse, using their own equipment. The only staff there each day are there manning the pumps, and have to arrive by boat. You can't buy advertising like that!

Enjoy your Thursday.

Marg

 

[SearchingForRainbows]

Good Morning Everyone,

Sharon (WO), What a waste of time yesterday!!! Hope today's blood draw goes quickly!!! I thought it was freezing here until I read that it's only six degrees where you are - Now I'm thinking low twenties is tropical weather, lol...

Sharon (LDM), It is so nice to read such wonderful news about your difficult child first thing in the morning!!! You're a great mom and he is an exceptional young man!!! Thank you for sharing this excellent news with all of us.

HaoZi, THINK TROPICAL THOUGHTS...PALM TREES...SANDY BEACHES...LOTS OF SUNSHINE...... STAY WARM!!!

Marg, I can't even begin to imagine how bad those floods must be... I'm glad that people had plenty of notice to evacuate, but still, what a sad way to have to spend the holiday season... Hope your husband feels better soon and the rest of your family remains healthy!!!

Another bad start to the day with difficult child 2. I know he is "melting" more because we are expecting a bit more out of him. We know he is capable of doing more for himself then he does but there is a part of him that wants to remain a child forever. We refuse to "baby" him!!! At least easy child/difficult child 3 was ready to leave for school on time today. She is excited because tomorrow she is going to a semi-formal at her school.

Hope everyone has a good day... SFR

 

[Andy]

GOOD MORNING ALL
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COLD!!!! Always amazes me how extreme weather can get so quickly. Not always a time to ease into the new season. From not so bad yesterday to full body coverage today (hats and mittens and scarfs).

difficult child had a much better day yesterday. He said the Celexa increase made him a little bit jittery but he wants to try it again before pronouncing it too much. The Adderal after school helped in the evening. He went bowling between Confirmation and church services and performed up to his potential there so has decided he likes bowling again.

Thursdays have become difficult child's boys afternoon out. He and the neighbor boy go to another boy's home after school. I pick him up about 6:00. Something to look forward to to get through Wednesdays which he hates so much.

I want to just come home and stay warm after work but need to stop in at a pharmacy. I will need to actually go into the store to help me remember to get an extra bottle labeled to give the school.

Everyone have a great day! Stay warm for those in the cold weather zones.
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