The last three weeks have been full of distractions and disturbances that have interfered with the peaceful progression of my boring life.
I don't like it when I get sick, my kids get sick, things go kablooey at work, centipedes invade my house, family obligations take over, a certain unnamed child starts failing at school, and most of all, when my {bleeping} Internet is out.
These things DO NOT PLEASE ME.
I have been putting out fires for weeks now, and as a result, this is the longest that I've ever disappeared from blogland.
I've missed you guys.
There have been many things that I've wanted to blog about, but have not had the time, the energy, or the internet connectivity to do so. Chief among these are:
- The photo slideshow came out awesome! My Mom broke down in tears (which everyone knows is a sure sign that someone is having a happy birthday) and my siblings, who usually think that everything I touch turns to dust, all loved it. Thank you so much to all the people who offered to help me, and most of all to Mrs. S. and her very cool son, who sent me directions that were invaluable.
- The following course of action is inadvisable: getting sick, going to the doctor and being prescribed 3 different medications, none of which you can actually take because you have lost your prescription insurance card and the pharmacy won't fill the prescriptions without it. Spending the next three days trying to get through to the damn insurance company while trying to fight the infection using nothing but your already battered immune system.
- What, oh what, do you with a child who is failing 3 subjects in school and honestly doesn't care? (Corporal punishment is unfortunately not an option here.)
- There's a new baby over at Lizrael update! Please congratulate her if you haven't done so already.
Oh my God! Where is her medical insurance card?
8 comments:
I'm glad your slideshow was a success. I haven't tried that yet.
Hope things cool down pretty soon for you. Godd luck.
Okay, some professional advice, for free 'cause you're a superhero.
1) Sore throats: if there's no fever, there's no indication for antibiotics. Pain control with ibuprofen or acetaminophen is recommended along with lots of ice-cold fluids and good nutrition. Even if there's a low grade temperature, as long as there's no headache, vomiting or neck stiffness there's little reason for an antibiotic.
2)Centipedes really hate being stepped on. Kids love jumping up and down. You have 3 kids. Draw your own conclusion here.
3) Children can stop caring about school for one of two reasons. Either the work's too hard and they've given up, or the work's too easy and they're bored and can't see the point. You need to figure out which it is first, then develop a strategy based on the results.
oy - i'm tired reading! hope everything settles down soon...
So glad your slideshow pleased your mom!
Dealing with health is hard. Try to stock up on stuff to make you feel better (ginger, garlic, homeopathic remedies) so you can take them if you even have an inkling of feeling a tickle in your throat. Sleep is good, too (I type as I realized I have a long night ahead, dance recital soon).
As for the one who is not doing well in school, what is going on emotionally? Something must have changed. Maybe a knowing trusting adult other than you can find out?
In general good luck with all the punches in life! I so admire that you worked on something for your mom.
I'm glad the slideshow came out so well and hope that everything else soon falls into place for you as well.
(Now if I can just figure out how to get my son to write as much as he did for you when he has an assignment for school...)
Shabbat Shalom!
Thank you all!
Garnel-
Thanks for the good advice. Her throat culture came back negative, so now she's just getting rest and fluids. My kids thought that your centipede advice was funny. Problem is, they're even more afraid of the bugs than I am. I called the exterminator and it seems to have helped.
As for failing in school, I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "the work's too hard and they've given up". She feels so frustrated that she has to work so hard and still doesn't succeed, and she seems to have concluded that it's just not worth the effort. Her teacher recommended "hours and hours of intensive tutoring". That translates into hundreds or thousands of dollars that I just don't have. I need to find another way.
Sigh. I feel your pain. As for your daughter, is this something new, or has it been brewing for a while? Has she been tested? Even if she's in yeshiva, she's entitled to free testing (and therapy such as speech, OT or resource room if it's recommended) by the department of education. You likely know about this, but if you don't and want more info, feel free to e-mail me.
Baila-
No, it's not a new problem but I recently got a phone call from her teacher, so it's been pushed to the forefront.
I have had her tested, more than once. She doesn't qualify for Board of Ed services.
What she really needs is consistent one-on-one tutoring. What she gets is as much help as I can give her at home.
At this point, I think the next step is to find a less-challenging high school for her (she'll be done with elementary school in another year) to alleviate the pressure somewhat.
Thanks for the offer, but I know all about testing and therapy services. I'm a special ed teacher, and my youngest has been getting therapy for nine years now.
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