Feeling better. Thank goodness.

I have been on my antibiotics for several days now and I feel so much better.  Thank goodness.  I still don't feel 100% but  I was able to volunteer tonight and I really enjoyed it.  I was also able to get some housework done before I went, which is the first time in a long time I have felt like doing any of that.  :-)   I don't like it, but it's nice to be able to do it without feeling like I'm going to pass out.  School seems to be going better this week too.  The kids don't seem to be leaving too much until Friday, but pacing themselves a little bit better.  We're settling into our rhythm for this school year I guess.

Anyway, that's it.  I don't have any profound thoughts today.  I'm too tired. 

I'm not sure.

I'm not sure how I feel about the assisted living facility thingy.  It seems like a nice place.  Actually, I might like living there myself.  No responsibilities.  Housekeeping.  Laundry.  Three meals a day.  I just don't know if my mom will adjust well to it.  That's the question.  If she is happy, I will be happy.  I guess.  I will still be losing the home I grew up in and we won't be able to have Christmas at her house and everything, but honestly, last Christmas was sad there anyway  Alzheimer's disease is brutal, there's no question about that.  So although what I really want is for mom to be well, she's not and my brother and I need to try and find the best option otherwise.  It really wasn't that bad going up there.  The people were nice and all of our questions were answered the way we would want them to be answered.  We can take her out whenever we want, she can have guests whenever she wants, etc.  My brother is going to take her up there Saturday and see what she thinks about it.  Also, the lady said that mom could stay temporarily without a contract and see how that goes.  It's difficult to know what to do.  I guess we'll just muddle through.

Finally.

I finally got back into the doctor today and here's the story of why I have been feeling so, so bad.  I went to the doctor mid August and was found to have a urinary tract infection.   It was a very busy time, right around the state fair.  At some point, the doctor's office called me and I called them back and left a message, but then I forgot about it and they never called me back to my knowledge.  So anyway, the message was that they had done a culture and whatever the bacteria was, was resistant to the antibiotic that they gave me and so they called me in another one.  I had no idea about any of this,  and so I've been trying to carry on.  I've been very busy, but I have not felt well at all.  At this point, my standing/working tolerance is about 5 minutes because I am very weak.  So I went in today and the NP said that I still had an infection and asked about finishing my second prescription and that's when this story came out.  I didn't feel well enough to wait around for an hour at the pharmacy for my prescription, so I came home and my husband has gone back to get it for me.   I am hopeful that I will feel better tomorrow because my brother and I have an appointment at the assisted living facility.  :-(

I really want to lie down, but the phone would probably get me up.  I probably will have to wait until my husband gets back to get any rest, so he can field the phone calls.   One of the kids won't even answer the phone and the other one is questionable.  :-P

Monday. :-(

I'm trying to work.  I'm trying to blog.  I'm trying to hang in there.  Sometimes though it is just stressful.  My brother and I are trying to work out/decide whether or not my mom's needs are pointing us towards an assisted living facility.  It is very sad and the weight of trying to make a decision is weighing on me very, very heavily.  Also I am sick and I need to make a doctor's appointment, but I'm trying to get the preoperative history and physicals typed at my job this Monday morning while simultaneously trying to arrange to visit my friend in the hospital tonight and trying to field 1000 phone calls (okay 3, but they all lasted at least 20 minutes) about my mom.

Calgon?

It's not even noon.

The kids aren't even up, much less doing school.  You'd think the phone would wake them, but it doesn't.

Sigh.


UPDATE:  It's afternoon.  The phone hasn't given me as much of a break as I'd like but the kids have gotten up and started school.  I am out of work and seriously considering trying to get a nap in  before going to the hospital tonight.   I wrote a note on my calendar in the notes section that said "Try not to go completely insane."  and I was going to take a picture of it with my new tablet and post it, but as usual, the darn thing baffles me and I can't figure out how. 

Blah.

Friday.

It's Friday and consequently, there is some schoolwork around here that needs to be done.  Yes, they are up to their old tricks again, waiting until Friday on as much of the work as they can, but I think I do see a glimmer of improvement.  I think maybe it's not as bad as last year and the consequences are in place, they believe in them, they are motivated to get it done by bedtime on Friday.  That's something I guess.  We've got a craft night at church tonight and we are going to Mod Podge and make flower bouquets and I am looking forward to it.  I hope we have a good turnout and everyone has a nice time.   I made no-bake cookies with gluten free oats in them so my daughter and I will have a snack.  She has joined me, at least temporarily in my gluten free journey.  She says it makes her feel better so she will probably keep it up. 

So, I'll try and post pictures of the crafts we make tonight.  :-) 

Reading around the web this morning.

Freely Educate has a bunch of great resources pinned to Pinterest here.  

This article for homeschooling moms is awesome.

 And this one is fun too.

Not breaking our stride.

All of us, except my oldest in Mississippi who took a much needed day off (according to him) went ahead and worked yesterday.  My job offers holiday bonuses and my husband's job pays triple time, so we couldn't turn that down, so I talked to the kids about it and they had no problem with going ahead and working.   School seems to be going well.  We took a nice long break and now everyone is fine with getting back to work.  I love that they are having to do chores again, how bad is that?  If you remember from last year, we have a chore chart and the later they get up, the more chores they have to do.  It's supposed to serve as an inspiration to get up, but it doesn't work all that well and they get up at about the same time - maybe a little earlier - look at the chart and know they have to clean.  It's great.  I do try to wake them up about once an hour, telling them to get up and reminding them of the consequences of not getting up, but it doesn't work all that well.  For them. (Muah-ha-ha!)  

Anyway, the new routine seems to be falling into place.  We have had to make some minor adjustments to the school schedule and clarify a few expectations as we have gone on (now starting our second week).  Oldest son reports that this semester is difficult.  He's got Spanish, algebra and music theory, (he's minoring in music) which he describes as trying to do algebra without knowing the basic numerals or having any background in math whatsoever.  I believe that he can do it though.  Interestingly, he's also playing the piano in music theory class.  I had no idea he'd do that.  If I had, I would have put him in piano lessons with his sister all summer.  I think that would have helped a lot as she is learning the notes, learning to sight read and becoming familiar with the keyboard. 

And here on the home front, no one is complaining about algebra II or geometry or the workload we have assigned so we may need to ramp it up a bit, LoL.  We'll see, I guess.  With my daughter, she only has a few things to finish up and with my son, his main thing is his dysgraphia/dyslexia so we are focusing on writing, spelling and literacy. 

Zoey.

As for new routines, I decided that since the weather is nice, I would take my coffee outside and get a little quiet time/nature time in the mornings and a little visit with the cats, Zoey and Zelda..  This, unfortunately did not work because of the darn new puppy.  She is the MOST hyper dog I have ever seen and she wanted to bite my hands and feet, which did not make for a peaceful meditative time.   Sigh.   

Not a lot.

We did not do much of anything today and it was GREAT. Really.  We went to church, came home, took a nap, watched some Mythbusters and just goofed off.  All day.  Did I mention, it was great?  Best of all, the phone did not even ring one time.  I love it when that happens.  :-)  I painted some backgrounds for some art journal pages and did some cooking, trying my hand at a no-tomato spaghetti sauce.  The jury is still out.  I haven't actually eaten any of it.  I made dirty rice and we ate that.  Tomorrow, I may try and make some lasagna.  I'm not sure.  Little tastes of the sauce have not been very promising.  Maybe after it sits in the fridge overnight and the flavors mingle a bit more?  I don't know if I mentioned, but I have been trying to go "nightshade free" which means no tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes or peppers.  I can tell it makes a difference in my joint pains, so I am going to stick with it for the most part.  I think that it is something that you can just cut down on, unlike gluten, which causes a huge reaction with just the tiniest bit.  I can eat a little bit of potato, for example, there is potato flour in the gluten free baking mix that I buy, but I don't need to eat a lot.  That's way easier than going gluten free was. 

Anyway, that's it for today.  Tomorrow, even though it is labor day, I'll be working and probably the kids will do school.  We'll see.