Getting Better

I took Bucky to the doctor Monday and she gave him steroids, antibiotics and some decongestant. By sheer force of will (his and mine) he stayed at school all day yesterday. He had to take his inhaler with him to school today, just in case, because he woke up wheezing this morning. He only has asthma when he gets sick, so normally he never needs an inhaler.

Today, I'm on my own again. I finally got the taxes done. I want to get into a routine, at least for the dishes, laundry and making dinner. I have other projects I need to work on, like making/fixing the curtains, gardening, etc. I've decided to go see my grandmother today. I wanted to go last week but I couldn't. I have to get some groceries today, so I'm combining trips to save gas.

Blondie and Bubbles both got in trouble at school on Monday. They came home and told me, and so they each had to write 25 sentences about behaving in school before they could do anything else. Bubbles had sentences left over from the day before, because she colored with sidewalk chalk on the back porch instead of the driveway, even though I told her not to. Then she told Boaz that she didn't remember she wasn't supposed to. That is her standard response to try to get out of trouble, "I forgot" or "I didn't hear you" even when she actually responded at the time. Anyway, she finally finished all her sentences last night.

Our social worker told me that CPS doesn't allow pointless punishments like moving objects from one place to another and then back again, but they do allow things like picking up trash. We have used that punishment when the girls are caught littering, but I like to make the consequences be related to the misbehavior, and it's really hard to do that sometimes. She said that CPS allows sentences, and recommended that we use that. We've been using it, but I don't like it much. And I don't see how it has a point either. I guess it does improve their handwriting, maybe, and it sort of constitutes a long time out.

I'm so proud of the improvements they have both made. Bubbles almost never wets the bed anymore. This is a remarkable improvement from when she arrived on two bedwetting medications and still wetting the bed five nights out of seven. Now neither girl is on any medication, and they don't need any. We have been working on their speech and grammar, and that is making big improvements too. My only struggle there is that Boaz thinks they sound "cute" and fusses at Babygirl when he hears her correcting them. It may be cute for seven and eight year olds not to be able to say "gargle" and "each other" so that it comes out "goggle" and "eashother" but it won't be cute when they are applying for jobs. They have to learn, and the younger they are the easier it will be. This is evidenced by the fact that the younger one, Bubbles, has already made more improvement than Blondie. I attribute this completely to the difference in their ages. Blondie has had longer to form bad habits.

God willing, I'll be home with all of them this summer. I hope to get Blondie and Bubbles a jump start on their school work next year. They've been behind due to no one working with them, but I've already seen a lot of improvement. Blondie could barely spell anything when she came to me in November, and couldn't even repeat the letters back to me right after saying them once. Now, she can run through a list of 20 words and get 16 or 17 of them right the first time, and be spelling the other three or four in about five minutes of working with her. It's amazing how much kids change when they have love and attention and feel secure.

This morning Bubbles told me that after God, she loved me more than anyone in the whole world. She's really a sweet little girl and very complimentary and willing to share. Blondie is a willing helper and loves to be right by your side, helping with whatever you are doing, especially if it is outside. It's so heartwarming to see her most days walking with Boaz out in the yard, watering the trees and other things. She's also a tough little thing. I'm glad she's not squeamish because we'd have a very hard time otherwise with the upcoming shots. She knows the shots will help her grow, and she asks frequently when we are going to start, because she is eager to get bigger.

I'm in a much better frame of mind than I was last week. I was sick last week too, through everything that happened, so that didn't help either. I want to relax and believe that I'm really going to be able to stay home and not go back to work, but right now I'm not really believing it I guess. We really don't have enough money, so I'm going to have to find a way to help out in that area. I just don't want to go back full time. My kids need me, and I need to take care of them. I'm not happy when I don't feel that I'm fulfilling their needs adequately. I still feel like I have so much to do.

So I'd better end this post and get started....