Saturday, May 30, 2009

Greetings.

Yeah, so I've got alot going on in my life right now. We're pretty much broke, and running out of meat. I've treid so many churches, and Catholic Community services, and every other place I can think of and eihter they only take care of their own members, or they just don't have anything available because of the demand, so here we are. We still have some meat, but not for long. I'm trying to put this in God's hands, but I'm still running scared and not sure what to do. Anyway, enough of that.

I'm struggling with this homeschool group that we are part of. It's causing me to stumble. The people that are usually so kind, have been rather mean and at times just down right vicious. I really need support right now, but I feel like I can't ask for support right now with all that's going on with them. I'm still praying about what to do, but I'm feeling like I'm being led by God to do something else, so that I don't stumble in my homeschooling ventures. This is still new territory for me, so I need more support.

I'm having my surgery on June 9th at 1:30 pm at McKenzie Willamette Hospital. I have to check in at 11:00 am. I'm scared to have surgery again. The last one, while much more invasive was most unpleasant, and I'm not looking forward to being down again. It's going to be hard, because I don't have help with the kids, and housework, homeschooling, or cooking. I feel like I'm a lone ranger out here in the world with no friends or family to help me. It's an uneasy feeling. It would be wonderful if anyone reading this blog would help me maybe with a meal, or even send me a get well card, just to make me feel like I'm not alone, and that I am cared for.

I've made the decision that we will homeschool 2 days a week throughout the summer. I don't want the kids to lose any of their learning, and I have hopes that if we continually homeschool, more in the fall, winter and spring, and 2 days a week trhough the summer that we could finish grade levels a little quicker than otherwise we would be able to. Just a thought though. I don't want to put too much pressure on them, or myself. I still have yet to notify the school district of my intent to homeschool. I'll have to do that pretty soon I think.

I've started line drying my clothing on the nice days to try to save on costs of using the electric dryer. I hope that when we get our electricity bill, there will be a big difference. I feel good about doing though, because it's so nice having that sweet air smell on the clothes. It's nice feeling like I'm doing something in an old fashioned way too. I don't know how to put into words the feelings. It's like I'm doing something in my own way that is very beneficial in many way.

Ok, I've got some laundry to do, and a kitchen to clean today, so I'll be back here on another day.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

It's been a while....

It's been a while since I've been on here. Let me tell you, the last few months have been a whirlwind. I've gone back to homeschooling, got my medications worked out, started line drying my clothing to save money, learned a lot about how to live with fibromyalgia, and found out that I need to have surgery again. Not to mention that my baby brother, is GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL next week! I can't even believe it. I used to change his diapers, and now he's graduating, and talking to me about entering "adult life"! It makes me feel really old. He's 10 years younger than I am, so it seems so strange to me for him to even be talking about "adult life". He's still a kid to me in my mind, even though he'll be 18 in August. Wow, it's so monumental to me to see him so grown up. I mean, he's as tall as my husband and well built, and grown to be a handsome young man. I'm looking forward to this milestone for him, and being part of it. I get to actually go to his commencement ceremony on the 6th, and you know what, I couldn't be prouder if he was my own son. That boy, excuse me, man, has overcome so much to acheive this and I am so proud. He had an award ceremony last week at Autzen Stadium called the "Turn Around Award", and I got to be part of that too, and he made me fees so special. I almost cried when he went up on that stage and thanked myself and my husband for everything we have done to get him here. How sweet huh?

So like I said, Ifinally got my meds worked out, and found a muscle relaxer that actually works. It's called Soma, and even though it usually knocks most people on their a$$, it works for me without doing that. I think I've come to the conclusion that the Nail Patella Syndrome I have, perhaps, may be why the other muscle relaxers didn't work. My anatomy is different that most peoples, and I think that that muscular skeletal problem that I have due to that particular disease may interfere with the properties of the other muscle relaxers. Just my presumption anyway, I could be wrong, but I think that's what it is.

I've been feeling so much better since I had the hysterectomy. It still seems weird to me that I dn't have a menstrual. I sometimes catching myself looking at sales on Tampax or other products thinking, wow, that's a good deal, before realizing I have no use for those things again. The strange, and sometime disabling pains in my abdomen, have ceased completely. I feel like a whole new person! I love it, and PRAISE GOD!!!

I started homeschooling again, using Abeka for Adrian, and My Father's World for Cheyanne and Sadie. Since Cheyanne and Adrian were in public school, and really did learn a lot, when I pulled them out of school at the beginning of May, we just went ahead and moved them up to the next grade. It's amazing how ready they were to do that. They're pretty focused in their studies right now, even though it's the end of the "school year", and I only do schooling 2 days a week right now. Ifigure, that if they work really hard, and get all of thier things done, they can move up to the next grade either next fall, or winter, which amazes me. I'm a little ticked off at Abeka though. I order the full child kit, and it din't come with one single answer key/sheet for any subject, and it also didn't come with a teacher's manual to help me figure out what Adrian needs to do for the day. I'm winging it, and he's eager, so I guess we'll just see how it turns out. I suppose it doesn't really matter, as long as he's learning all of the things he needs. I'm also using Rosetta Stone for Latin American Spanish. It's amazing, and I'm using it too, learning right along (sometimes ahead of) Adrian. Cheyanne is just not quite ready for it. I'm also schooling Sadie, trying to kind of adapt MFW First Grade to help her with things too. Cheyanne is learning to read sooooo much faster than I had expected, and it's GREAT!

So we're pretty much dead broke. Mark's hours have been cut, and we're barely making ends meet if at all, so I'm doing as much as I can to save money. I've started baking all of our own bread (haven't bought bread at the store in nearly 4 months), line drying our clothes since the weather's nice, making sure the dishwasher is as crammed full of clothing as it possibly can be, and bathing all 3 of the girls together. They like it most of the time, but I understand Cheyanne (my eldest daughter) wanting to shower alone sometimes. I'm trying to use less water as well as less heat/energy from the waterheater. It's working in some respects, but unfortunately, my heat pump keeping my house cool (for my health) is using up what I've saved, but at least it's not going to be too high, since I am not using the water heater, dishwasher so much, and dryer, it isn't adding to that.

The fibromyalgia really takes it out of me. I've learned that I have IBS, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) along with fibromyalgia and Nail Patella Syndrome. It's been a chore learning to live with all of these conditions, and I still have much to learn. I'm not getting to all of the things I need to in a day after homeschooling, so my house is in a bit of disarray. I wish I had someone to help me clean and organize this mess. Did I mention I'm a terrible organizer? LOL. The good news is, every day I'm learning more about me and trying to help my husband learn more too. He's a stubborn ol' goat, but I'm sure I'll get it through his head eventually. I just can't be superwoman anymore, and that's a bit of a hard pill for him to swallow. He doesnt' understand the sheer exhaustion that goes with this, but when I'm awake at 3 am baking bread and making him breakfast he sure appreciates it!

So I have to have surgery again..... yay..... (insert sarcasm here). I am so not looking forward to having another surgery. This time it's a hernia called a "ventral hernia". It started as an umbillical hernia after I had my first child, and eve though I had talked to doctors before about it, they didn't seem concerned. So, 3 more pregnancies later, it's about 5 inches long and goes from below my belly button to about 3 inches above my belly button. They're pretty confident that they can do this in a day surgery, putting a patch on it so my intestines aren't exposed. If it isn't going to work, they'll have to do an open surgery, and that will put me in the hospital for a few days again. Whoopie ( NOT!!!)

So yeah, that's what's been going on around here for the last few months since I posted, but I'm trying to make a commitment to come back here more, and POST! I'm sure you're all just DYING to hear what crazy messed up adventure I'm on at any given moment. More sarcasm, can you tell? LOL. But I do need to keep you all updated, so I'll really try to come back more often. Hope all is well with you!