Meet Steve

This is Steve. He is R's best friend, or in my opinion is R's best friend. I believe R found him randomly outside in the garden one day and they have been inseparable ever since. Steve plays all R's games with him, watches him eat, wears Pj's at bedtime, and yes - he is missing a hand. Usually, R puts a hook on him, like Captain Hook, made of beeswax. It's very endearing.

I never thought I'd have a child who had an imaginary best friend. I realize Steve isn't imaginary, but it's the same sort of thing. R has personified Steve, and Steve is very real to him - much like an imaginary friend would be. I never had one when I was growing up, that I can remember, and I don't remember any of my friends every having one either - though I am not sure they would have talked about it if they did.

It's very interesting to watch R play with Steve and see the games that are created. R is aware that Steve is much smaller than him, often making jokes about how short he is. R is aware of Steve's physical attributes and limitations but he is still very real.

I love watching his imagination expand and continue to grow like this as he gets older.

I realize this was an odd post, but Steve is such a vital person in our house that I wanted a place to remember him forever, and somewhere to show R when he gets older.

Baby5

We're having a baby! Craftymama is pregnant and we are due in November - we are absolutely stoked and so are the kids.

Families are divided on how they feel about the whole situation - which was expected. 

The drama from my earlier post was about this news, and one sister finding out without me telling her, and the other sister not knowing what to do about it. So much drama over a little tiny human. Babies are always wonderful :) Ah well. 

Needless to say - we are having a baby! 

Cupcakes

:)

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes


They're coming.......

My Knee

So back in 2003 I tore my ACL in my knee. It required surgeries and staples, and a not so caring doctor.

Lately, my knee has been flaring up again, it is swollen, my range of motion is limited, and it hurts. It happens for about two weeks and then goes away for about 2 weeks - give or take. I went to the walk - in clinic and he sent me for an X-ray. The X-ray came back and all the bones look good but I have extreme fluid around me knee which accounts for the swelling and limited range of motion.

I was then referred to my orthopedic surgeon from my first surgeries - I can't get into see him until July 29th. That's over two months away! For two months I am limited to walking and swimming - and since I don`t own a swimsuit I am relegated to walking. Walking will not help me lose weight. I need to lose weight. I know this. My meds, my previous psychotic break, and my poor eating habits/exercise during that time caused me to gain much weight. I've been trying to lose it for 1.5yrs now.

I actually have a gift certificate, from the trainer I worked with for a while, for an intense bootcamp - but I guess I can't go to that until this business with my knee is straightened out. I think an intense bootcamp would be great for me. I love to sweat and work hard, I love to push my body to the extremes and that's what a bootcamp does.

I am hoping my knee doesn't require surgery, but the doctor I saw today who referred me said to probably expect at least a scope done. Orthopedics like to cut people open evidently - ha ha ha. A scope wouldn't be too bad, I wouldn't have to be without my knee for long - maybe a day. I am hoping I won't need any more surgery than that though. I don't want to be without my leg again, I don't want to be on crutches, I don't want to be unable to drive and thus not go to work - and I certainly don't want the blood clot I got from my last surgery.

Ugh! Stupid knee!

Laundry Room and Meds

So, our washer crapped out. We used the tax refund to buy a washer (and fridge - cause that went too, and fix the van - cause that went on the same weekend ugh!). Washer delivered! Yay! Washer does not fit. We tried stacking it but that didn't work in the space either. So, what do we do? We widen the wall. Well, Craftymama and Glassman widen the wall - I went to pick up firewood and mowed the grass.

You can see the machines stacked here. This is the wall we are widening. 

It's lathe and plaster....

Which means a lot of mess

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Lathe and plaster removed

When they were taking off this top section, T saw it and thought  it was a treasure map - and was all excited, unfortunately it was not a map

The drywall went up as well, and after I crawled underneath the house to pull the dryer hose over to the vent (as that's what has to be done) we had working machines again. I can't tell you what it's like to not have working machines with 6 people in the house! Especially since Sunday is typically laundry day wherein I wash all the clothes ha ha ha. Now it needs to be taped, mudded, primed and painted. Then this wall is done - again.

I also wanted to touch on my comments from yesterday regarding the kids' school. I think a lot of my discontent with the school comes from my overall negative attitude as of late, which stems from me forgetting to take my medication. I hate being one of those people that needs it to stay stable, but evidently I am, and I need to accept that.

I don't hate the kids' school. I do prefer it, definitely, over public school. Maybe this is what all private schools are like - they require a lot of effort and time on the parts of the parents. Maybe it's hard for me to see all the good because by the time I get home the kids don't really want to talk about school any more. I don't know. I don't regret sending them to this school, I know in the long run it will be great, just sometimes my views get a little cloudy and that isn't helped by not taking my medication.

May Festival

Yesterday was the kids' may festival at the school.

This festival is to celebrate May Day, a traditional welcoming of spring into the community and saying goodbye formally to winter.

It is a a day decorated with flowers and song.

There is also a traditional dance around the maypole for all classes. LittleR and and M did their maypole dances in their class, and R and K did them for the parents in the small field located by their classrooms - they weren't part of the Saturday festivities - that starts in grade 1 - next year for R.

It was a cute day. The kids got their faces/arms painted, played with bubbles, made crowns and kites, ate yummy local ice cream and tacos, and had fun playing soccer with their friends. R even made his way to the big tug o' war competition and took part - until he fell down.

LittleR was a cat

M was a scary guy

K walking around the maypole at her mini festival during the week

I'm finding myself needing a day, or a festival or something to remind myself why we make the sacrifices that we do to send our kids to this school. We make a lot of sacrifices, and work very hard to send our kids to this Waldorf school. I know I agreed to send them here, and I know I like it here - afterall, I *want* to be a waldorf teacher (though I think I have to let that dream go now), but they require so much funding, so much participation from the parents, and so much work - and I am struggling to see the benefits for the amount of effort it takes to send them there. I don't know, I find myself frustrated and annoyed lately. I need that warm fuzzy feeling that only Waldorf school can give me, to reassure me that all this effort, work, and money is worth it. Thankfully, Craftymama has had a few of those moments lately, but I don't really get to attend much because of work (pretty much only the financial meetings, and the 3 large festivals of the year; mayfest, christmas fair, pumpkin path). I rely on seeing the kids grow, excel, and love what they are doing to sustain me, but even that isn't working lately. Unfortunately, all that's left this year is a financial meeting to discuss next years rising tuition. *sigh* I know we are making the right decision, and I don't regret it, I just need to have that "a-ha" moment where it's just all so perfect.