This Christmas isn’t looking too good. I’ve been having a lot of bad days (health wise) and having to sleep a crazy amount of time. I got the tree up late but it is up and although I hate to decorate with the same colors/ornaments two years in a row that’s the best I can do. My hubby put my star on the top but my teen-aged boys aren’t interested in helping me anymore. I have several tubs of ornaments in the crawl space for different color schemes/themes but I’m not strong enough to lift them out anymore and everyone else is really big for going down there. My last tree got mangled too much from moving it in and out of the crawl space each year so last year when I bought a new tree and my blue and silver ornaments I had the guys store them on top of the shelving in the garage. So that is all I have to use for this year again. I can’t complain too much since I love my light warm glittery blue and silver with glittery snowflakes and ice cycles Christmas tree. I’m still putting decorations on it since I can’t do too much reaching at a time so I’ll take a picture when I consider it finished.
My boys are not fairing well this Christmas. They are both taking advantage of me not feeling well and when I don’t get up to make sure they get up for school they will just sleep in. They know I don’t have a car to take them to school right now. So both of them have missed a lot of school and I’ve already gotten several notices from school and finally the one I got the other day that I had to sign for was about truancy and fines. They count all absences, even excused absences for illness or doctor’s appointments. My oldest is a senior and I’m worried he wont graduate. That is really sad since he’s crazy smart and completely capable. He could have easily skipped a few grades and graduated already but the school district didn’t let him. So instead he got bored with school and is going into a nose dive this year. They said that kids that skip grades don’t do well since their peers would all be older and bigger and they get picked on. I wish I hadn’t listened to them now. Who knows, maybe he will make it but he sure wont get any scholarships.
My youngest son is in 8th grade this year and is doing even worse. He always has trouble at this time of year and starts failing in school because he’s not even trying! I called and got him signed up for Saturday school and he isn’t very happy about that. I also took him to the doctor (a different one this time) since I think he might get that seasonal depression that people in Alaska tend to get because of lack of sunlight. Every year that he’s been in school he does this in November. I have gotten the little booklets filled out by all the teachers in the past only to have the doctor tell me he doesn’t have ADD/HD but there is definitely something going on. Another year another doctor told me he has some kind of problem they just don’t know what or how to treat it. Another year (the year he failed the 7th grade) and said he wanted to die I took him to another doctor and they said he has a “mood disorder” and started treating him with drugs that didn’t seem to work. This year I got him in to see a doctor that people had told me in the past was really good, especially with kids like Riley. I couldn’t get him in to see that doctor before because he had closed his practice to new patients. I was shocked when I called this time and they told me he could see this doctor. I took him in and let them talk to Riley alone (since he doesn’t answer them if I’m there or he argues with everything I say) and after that they called me back. They also talked to me alone first. That is a change! They said they believe he is depressed. Wow, I was right all along! This doctor looked at what he was prescribed in the past and said he really didn’t think that was the right direction to go with him. That’s good since it didn’t work. So he prescribed something else and I was thrilled when I picked it up and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg. It was only $7! Now I just have to get him to take it consistently. It takes at least 3 weeks for it to work. For now he’s been a huge butthead. Chris and I went Christmas shopping and had these great plans for presents for him but Chris said he hated to reward him for the way he’s been acting. So he decided we should wait and see how he acts for the next couple day. That same night Chris caught him playing video games at 2am. So, guess who’s gonna be singing this song this year?
the many facets of donna 
Sorry to hear the boys don’t care about school and are taking advantage of you being in bad shape. 😦 I hope the new medication will help your youngest. Parenting is a rough road sometimes.
I remember listening to the original song on the radio. That’s how old I am. And I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth. But I have to be honest–in no possible way would this video encourage me to adopt a boxer. 😉
LOL! Thanks for making me laugh. I’m not feeling so good night now. Every time I eat anything I feel sick and really bloated and my mood is in the toilet. I just want to cry and don’t really have a reason. What you said about the boxers is so funny! I wouldn’t want one either! There was a guy that moved into an apartment building I lived in and chained this boxer outside right by the sidewalk. You couldn’t get to the door without being covered in slobber. I really can’t handle hanging slobber! That is why I didn’t get a basset hound. I saw one of those that drooled even worse than the boxer. The dog didn’t stay there very long.
You know I went to Michael’s the other day and bought some new pensand I thought of you when I was looking at all the rows and rows of colorful pens each in their own little plastic compartment. I was looking for a new gold fine tip paint pen since mine dried up. They have these new sharpie paint pens! Have you seen those? or do you have a tub full? LOL I was afraid to get the gold sharpie pen and have it not work like the one I’m used to so I got the silver sharpie paint pen and what I think is my usual gold paint pen. Too bad I didn’t look before I tossed it out. It looked the same but it has Asian characters on it…this one is a pentouch… so hopefully it is the same. I also got a white sharpie paint pen and a really nice red pen that seems to be missing at the moment. I also found this neat box to keep them in :O) That makes me happy. It looks like it’s made out of balsa wood and its basically a tube. The ends are made out of wooden discs (about 1.5 inch diameter) and then there is this really thin (like fabric) wooden sheet that is attached to the bottom half of each disc to make the box area. Then there is a little wooden knob attached to the flap with a thin strip of fake leather looking stuff to wrap around the box and attach back to the knob. I think I’m going to paint it and maybe add some fabric…. not sure yet. I bought two of them to play with. Wish I bought more because they rang up as only 50 cents each!
No, I don’t have sharpie paint pens! I’m jealous–LOL!
You’d have to show me a picture of that box because I can’t picture it.
I have felt crummy all month and am getting pretty tired of it. IBS, tired, lack of sleep, crazy hours, and pain worse. Hard to get motivated and I have these projects I need to get done before January. Well, if I had to I could get by for now with getting two birthday cards done by then and not the entire year’s worth (50)…
Here’s hoping we both start feeling lots better!! 🙂
Yeah, I really need to start feeling better. This is getting really old. Today I’ve slept all day. I slept through my painting lesson and through the water color society meeting/Christmas party. I woke up a few times because something woke me up like the phone or my son coming in but I felt like I was drugged. I was really extremely weak. I’ve been waking up like this every now and then but this time was worse. I tried to lift myself up with my arms and couldn’t. My arms felt like rubber. I didn’t even get up to eat or anything all day. When Chris got home he made some tuna fish and I had a sandwich and some chips and then a little after that I felt really bloated like I stuffed myself. I went back to bed and slept until now… almost midnight.
We just found out that Riley was taking my cell phone -he’s not allowed to use the internet since he’s in trouble. His computer isn’t working so he has been using my cell phone and went over my data plan…. ERRRRRR! It just keeps getting worse and worse with him.
I’ll take a picture of the box later when I’m feeling better.
I have those days where I feel so weak you can hardly lift your arm, but I’m awake…like a zombie…watching TV. I call them my “noodle days”…and those days I don’t even make it down to get my mail. I suppose I am lucky that I deal with the increase in pain usually even more than the exhaustion.
From my own experience, it sounds like it’s getting to be tough love time with the oldest boy. He doesn’t want to go to school…he should start checking out what it is going to cost him for an apartment, electricity, car, gas, food, his internet and phone, etc…You and the hubby sit down and have him plan a budget and figure out how much he will have to make an hour and start checking out the job market. A reality check, you know? If that’s the choice he wants to make…start talking real consequences. Like–right now–how is he going to pay you back for the overcharges on your phone, for example?
I feel for you. I had step kids when I was married and an oldest boy who didn’t care about anything, skipped school, lied, snuck out, and stole things from us, etc. So I have actually done what I just suggested with a teenage boy before…was a big shock to him. Even if they can find a roommate (which is usually the kids’ first response–LOL!)–they still have to figure out a budget, etc. Have them check out how much cars cost and car payments and insurance…and food!…school might not look quite as bad. Or, he’ll do what he’s going to do and move out. We insisted that if the boy quit school he’d better have a job lined up because he had to start paying rent and paying for food, etc. He did stay in school after all. He might not have. But if he wasn’t going to, he might as well be prepared for life and what he is in for to survive and we weren’t going to be enablers for him to sit at home and do whatever he pleased, you know?
It’s really, really rough. My heart goes out to you. And I know you have little energy right now to deal with it, but with the hubby’s help you could both do it if you’re together on it. You love your kids dearly and don’t want to see them be unable to cope in life and throw their life away. You want your kids to be able to survive in the world.
Sorry–I always have an opinion, it seems. 😉
Love and hugs!! :):)
I appreciate your opinions. It always helps to hear from people that have already been there, done that. We have told him he will have to get a job but didn’t think about all that you mentioned. That’s a great idea! I’ll talk to my husband about it. It was actually the other son that used my cell phone though and we talked to him about it today. I’m going to have him do some work to pay for that. I know what happened now. I have it on wi-fi so usually we don’t have charges but the internet was down for a long time -it’s been cutting out a lot actually and when it does it uses the 3G thing to check the internet…which means data charges. It doesn’t matter though. No internet means just that. He just didn’t think there would be charges……. he didn’t think I’d find out which is what makes me maddest.
Oh, I forgot to add that I love “Noodle days”. That is exactly what it is like. It actually makes me feel better to know that is just a normal part of the fibro. I didn’t know. I’m going to mention it the next time I go to the doctor. It was never bad enough to mention it before. I always blamed it on being sick with the flu or something. I also am having some other new things and I think I need to have my blood sugar checked. When I get out and walk around (like shopping) I sometimes start to feel funny…. really really thirsty and a yawn constantly. I friend of mine told me to drink some orange juice. They are diabetic and they said that is what happens to them when their blood sugar is low. I got a bottle of orange juice and drank it and started to feel better almost right away and the yawning stopped My mom and my sister are diabetic so they screen me for it from time to time. I think it’s time. Also I’ve been bleeding….. I had a spot open up on my chin that started bleeding and wouldn’t stop for a while. It didn’t look like I scratched myself it was a little round spot that opened up. Several times it started bleeding again and I had to keep it covered to avoid touching it so it would heal. The I had another spot like that on my chest. I cut my nails down to nothing and sanded the edges to make sure I’m not scratching myself and a little while ago a saw my ankle had blood smeared on it. There was a spot bleeding and I don’t know what caused it. Weird. I’ve just been sitting here in my spot on the couch with my feet kicked up, reading on the computer and it just started bleeding. I didn’t feel anything.
Sorry about your kids, Donna. I’m really not looking forward to having teenagers. Two and four is bad enough!
My kids wouldnt get presents either if they were acting up.
I’m mean like that. 😉
Hope you feel better. Did you get my card?
Yes! I did get your card and I love your picture! What a cute idea for a picture :O)
We can’t get family pictures because my boys and my husband wont go or wont pose for me to take one. The last time I got pictures taken my boys were younger and I could still make them do things but I had to go without my husband.
It actually worked out pretty nice for me that Riley was bad because Chris bought me more stuff. He bought me a set of pink topaz jewelry (ring, necklace, and earrings). He also bought me some other random things I’ve been wanting like a teapot that heats on the stove and a new mixer (my other one shorted out). Of course he can never wait so we just go to the store and I pick out my own gifts. It makes me sad though because I love giving my kids presents at Christmas and seeing their face light up…. but once they become teenagers the face-lighting up feature goes away. They are always upset about something and I’ve been told that girls are way worse that boys. These are the good days for you!
Donna, I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been having some bad days, health-wise…me too but I don’t think mine have been as bad as yours. Aaron, my youngest, starts High School next year and I worry how he will cope because he has no interest in school whatsoever. He would love home-schooling but the State we live in doesn’t encourage it. Ever since he was little, Aaron lacked attention in class…at one point, he was diagnosed as ADHD but I AND all his teachers felt that was a total misdiagnosis because he is nothing like an ADHD kid. I think the specialist just opted for that because they couldn’t really slot him into any particular category. He has missed a lot of school this past year due to suffering migraines…but, thankfully, the primary schools here don’t have set policies for school absence other than a parent must call or send a note to explain the absence.
I sure hope things pick up for your sons soon.
Feel better ~ xo
Oh I am so worried about Riley going to high school He will go to high school next year if he passes 8th this year. He repeated 7th once so he would have already been in his first year of high school but it seems crazy to send him if he’s not doing well where he’s at. The middle school he is going to is just around the corner and isn’t huge. The high schools are scary to me and he is so….. sensitive and sometimes emotional. I’m worried about him being picked on my other kids there and I’ve heard they’ve had drug busts (kids selling prescription drugs) and a couple of times the school has been shut down because of a gun scare although it ended up not being as bad as they thought it still scares me. I don’t know what’s going on with him right now but I hope these meds help him. He doesn’t like taking them and calls them his “crazy meds”. I wish he would understand that we are just trying to help him.
My dog is nothing like those in the video either. My dog is almost always sleeping so I can’t imagine a dog destroying the house!
I meant to comment on the video. Goodness, my Cody is an angel by comparison! lol
Have you considered homeschooling him in high school? There are online tutors and stuff.
That wouldn’t work out well with my health problems. Sometimes I am in bed all day or for multiple days…. plus, I think he listens better to people outside the home. He has actually been better for the last few days and we had a great Christmas. I think the medication is working.