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Bad blogger. Bad, bad blogger. I know you all forgive me for emailing, commenting, and posting sporadically seemingly forever. I'm just not in a flow these days and it's difficult to focus on any one task. I hope to return to blogland in consistent form sometime in September.
We had our garage sale a week and a half ago. It was quite successful. My husband agreed to the sale under one condition: that I set a monetary goal and meet it (I guess he has a lot of faith in my goal setting - 'just set it and meet it.'). The overall goal was to be able to go on our annual vacation, which has been up in the air due to finances. I asked him how much I needed to make in order for us to go on vacation and not feel stressed about spending money while attempting to relax. $1000. OK. Done. Plus a little more. :)
L has been meeting with a tutor this summer because it seems not a whole lot was learned in school this year. The tutor is wonderful, but we're still left with some frustrations regarding L's learning. What's frustrating is L can remember in great detail things that happened, places we went, conversations that we had even back to when she was 3 or less. Yet, when we think she's mastered something academically, the next day is oftentimes like starting at square one again. We decided to get L tested for a learning disability. I hate even typing those words. I do not want my child labeled. Yet, I do not want L to fall behind in school that she starts to feel badly about herself. So, we'll get her tested and go from there. It's painful nonetheless.
O starts kindergarten this fall. Even that sentence was difficult to type. I've definitely been dragging my feet on this milestone because I don't want to lose another one of my babies to all day school (that's our only option at the Catholic school for kindergarten). I haven't even had him screened (which is required), nor have I registered him with the public schools (also required). I scheduled these requirements yesterday and today, so I suppose kindergarten is more of a reality now. :(
N will be three next month. She insists on being called 'mama's baby', no matter who insists she's not a baby. Believe me, my voice never chimes in with that crowd and I oftentimes wish to silence them. OK, I always want to silence them.
I think losing E has created more avoidance on my part. I was supposed to have a baby in my arms this fall. E, N, and I were supposed to bring L and O to school together and then go spend some time together at parks, home, play dates, etc. Now, N will be home alone with just me. I know I need to get things done -- like buy school supplies, register for school, sign up for extracurriculars, and buy uniforms. Denial is where I live. Denial that E died. Denial that my other babies are growing.
Like I said, I hope to return in full force soon. If I haven't emailed you directly or if I haven't commented on your blog, please forgive me and know that the reason is simply that I'm scatterbrained.
Peace, my friends.
I began the layout for this blog in April 2008. I planned on blogging about life as an educated, intentionally unemployed stay-at-home mom. I never wrote a word. In November 2008, my fourth child was born still. Because I lost my precious baby girl, my blog specifically evolved into: life after losing a child to stillbirth. P.S. Four months later, add cancer to the subject matter.
About Me
- Mommy (You can call me OM)
- Stay-at-Home Mommy; Wife; Attachment Parenting Follower; Animal Lover; Daughter; Sister; Catholic; Yogi; Lawyer (according to the Bar Examiners, anyhow!); Perfectionist who can't even come up with a satisfactory description because it just MIGHT have an error
Life Events
Feb 1973
My mother gave birth to me
March 1996
Adopted our "first baby" - our dog, H
Jan 1998
My husband and I married
Jan 2002
I gave birth to my first child, L
July 2003
Adopted our cats, S & L2
Mar 2004
I gave birth to my second child, O
Sept 2006
I gave birth to my third child, N
Dec 2007
Our "first baby" - our dog, H, died
Oct 2008
Adopted our dog, C
Nov 2008
I gave birth to my fourth child, E, born still
March 2009
I was diagnosed with th.y.r.oid ca.nc.er
My mother gave birth to me
March 1996
Adopted our "first baby" - our dog, H
Jan 1998
My husband and I married
Jan 2002
I gave birth to my first child, L
July 2003
Adopted our cats, S & L2
Mar 2004
I gave birth to my second child, O
Sept 2006
I gave birth to my third child, N
Dec 2007
Our "first baby" - our dog, H, died
Oct 2008
Adopted our dog, C
Nov 2008
I gave birth to my fourth child, E, born still
March 2009
I was diagnosed with th.y.r.oid ca.nc.er
My Blog List
Blog Archive
A Small Victory
Please click to help bereaved parents
Have you lost a child to stillbirth?
Helpful Links & Advocacy
- A Small Victory
- Butterfly Haven
- First Candle
- Glow in the Woods
- International Stillbirth Alliance - Research
- Light a Candle
- Lost and Found
- March of Dimes
- My Forever Child
- Office for Prevention of Prematurity and Stillbirths
- SANDS - PREGNANCY AND INFANT LOSS AWARENESS & SUPPORT
- SHARE - Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Group
- Silent Grief
- Stepping Stones
- Still No More - News Articles
- Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network
- String of Pearls
- Sue-Ella Signatures
- Sufficient Grace Ministries
- Thomas's Story
- Tommy's
- UK SANDS
My blog map
7 comments:
In some way, we are all learning disabled. You can be a genius and still be learning disabled in some way. Getting her tested to find out what will help her excel is a good step. I know that you dont want her labeled in some harsh way; try to look at it as you are finding out her learning style. Perhaps it is just the way information is being presented and a new direction will give a 180 change.
Sending big hugs, my friend. Big hugs.
I agree with Michele, finding out L's academic needs is the best way to helping her succeed. And as a teacher, I can tell you it is SO much easier to help students who have had testing, as compared to those who haven't, as it helps me to meet the individual needs of the student.
Kudos to you on over $1000 garage sale. Wow!
Thinking of you.
Sounds like you've received excellent advice already on the learning/testing front, so I won't chime in there on a subject I know nothing about. But WOW--over $1,000 earned through a garage sale! VERY impressive. We need to do this ourselves, though I suspect I'll end up taking it all downtown to Marian's Closet eventually, where at least I'll know folks in need can pick things up for free (since I don't seem to possess the energy to price, label, haggle and sell at the moment. :). I hope you get that well-deserved vacation soon!
You take your time. It sounds like your plate is pretty full with things to do. I've been enjoying only working half days of late. It's about to end very soon. Oh well for me...
I can imagine that the symbolic "starting of a new school year" would be a tough thing to deal with. January is already so tough, September just adds another of those "should have been" milestones.
Will be thinking of you as you get the kids prepared. And congrats on the family holiday still in the works!
Thank you everybody for your support on so many different issues. I really like Michele's idea of looking at this as an opportunity to learn about L's learning style. We shall see. L has an appt. on Friday. I think the appt. is more of a 'getting to know you' appt. before deciding where to go from there.
Mom in Jacksonville, one of the reasons I've struggled with having L tested is that I'm afraid to get the teachers involved. I don't want L to be seen as the 'LD' kid and to be treated differently. What's your perspective on how most teachers treat any child with any disability?
Brenna, you just lay low for now. We never would have had the garage sale were it not for a much needed vacation.
And, yes. I do believe change at any time for any reason can be so difficult. It's just hard to see the years go by so quickly.
Peace to you all.
P.S. I don't usually comment in my own comment section because I never know if most people go back to read the comments. So, you may or may not see this. :)
So glad to see you!! (See, you're not the only one behind - I'm clearly *way* behind in my reading!) Sweet friend, you have so much on your plate right now. I can't even imagine facing everything - physically and emotionally - that you are facing and are about to face. I really do think that I'd just shut down :)
Well done on the garage sale, and best of luck as school gets going again. I'll be thinking of you all.
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