Role Playing

Hot on the heels of the bad report from school, we spent the evening last night role playing. T and I would switch off the two roles:

"Kid bothering T" and "T who doesn't hit"

I then had T repeat over and over the following:

1. Please do not touch me

...if the kid keeps it up, she's to resort to an order

2. Don't touch me

....if the kid keeps it up, she's to employ a threat

3. Stop touching me or i'll tell the teacher

...if it continues, she's to raise her hand and wait for the teacher to acknowledge her, and tattle on the little culprit.

Since it sounds to me that the child was just touching T's forearm to get her attention, I suspect T will never have to get past #1. My impression from a month of walking through the playground area are that these kids at this school are basically really good kids, so we'll see.

Unfortunately, Mrs. M wasn't at aftercare today, so I have no reliable reports of how T did today. T reports that she was a good girl, and used her words with Rene. When asked what she said to him, she replied that she told him to "keep you hands to yourself" and he stopped. Hmm, those words weren't in our script, but appear to have worked just as well. Bravo for T!

On the other hand, whether any of this story that she described is true or not remains to be seen. However, like any good parent, I choose to ignore my doubts and believe her until I can get a report in the morning. So, t is happily watching TV tonight. If there's a good report tomorrow, she'll get to watch movies. A third good report will gain her computer access.

Bad Report from School

Today I got a very bad report from school. Mrs. Maranges said that T was hitting and even punching a number of children in the class. Even Rene, who is her best, inseparable buddy, said he didn't want to sit next to her. She also threw her headband. What has caused this is a mystery.

T went to bed at a reasonable hour, and even ate a bit for breakfast. If T doesn't want to eat, she wont eat a thing, and I worry that on the days she doesn't, she's overly hungry which might cause her to lash out. Um, nope. Not today. T had a waffle for breakfast.

So, T is in big, fat trouble. She's unplugged tonight and in the future until I get a good report from school. After homework, she'll be making a card for the class, apologizing for her poor behavior.

This is when I wish parents could read their kids' minds.

T's only explanation? "He was bothering me".

Sigh.

Family Fun Game Night

...was a success! T has stated spontaneously 3 times, out of the blue, that, "I really had fun on game night". Sweet child. It was no big deal, we just played candy land a few times, and also "Princess Magical Gems Fishing". We had a rocky start, though, when Dot won the first round and T started pouting. She was highly annoyed that she didn't win. Clearly we have more work to do on her extremely over-developed sense of competitiveness. We'll start having more of these nights, and perhaps incorporate some popcorn. That would be fab!

Meanwhile, could someone please stop me next time I go to get 2 shots, not just on? My arms have been aching all day.

T and I went over to my parent's house today. I had noticed that my dad is having a hard time standing up when sitting on the couch. So, I had the bright idea to get some of those plastic risers...that you put under the legs of beds to lift them up so that one can store more stuff under the bed. I put them on the couch, raising it 5 inches, and he seems to like it.

Thursday will be a big day for my mom, we're off to the audiologist again to be fitted with hearing aid number 4. I'm about to mail in the 112.00 premium to insure it, so that if she loses it, we can get #5 for "free". Wish us luck!

Construction Underway

For those who may be interested, I took these pics as I was driving by on friday. The big sign on top has yet to be finished, but the little ones at the entrances are up. Lots of construction has been going on here.


I couldn't be more happier with the progress. In times past, there was a creepy flea market there every weekend in the parking lot. Traffic would snarl up badly on the nearby streets, and all kinds of criminals were there.

I recall having a defendant, back in my dope days, who worked there. She was arrested for trafficking in 17 kilos and had hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. Perhaps that prejudiced me against the flea market. Who knows. All I care about is the fact that its gone elsewhere.

Of course, what will happen to traffic once this new casino opens, will probably be worse, and I'll be kicking myself saying, "Be careful what you wish for..."

Productive Day

Today we got lots done. First, we went over to my parents and I installed their new dish network box. Their old one died, right before the warranty expired, for once.

Then I met a railing man there. I'm having railings installed on their front porch. My mom enjoys sitting out there now, and I have visions of her doing a swan dive off the edge, as she gets up from her chair. Last sunday, she was outside and fell. Luckily, not from the porch. We think she was out in the swale area, bent over to pick something up, and toppled over. She doesn't remember how it happened. Cut up her face, but luckily, no other injuries. My biggest fear has been that she'd fall, break a hip, and then be bed-bound like my grandma was, with no hope of recovery. New railings should be installed within the week.

Then, we were off to Target. They were having a shot festival there, and I scored both the flu shot and the pnemonia shot. My doc has been bugging me to get them. T was so funny. I would say I was scared and she'd reply, "Its ok mama, I'll hold your hand." And she did during the whole thing, admonishing me to hold on "really tight". I think she enjoyed that the tables were turned, and for once somebody else but her was under the needle, so to speak.

Lastly, I'll just throw this out there for a certain T fan...they're installing big new signs at the old Flagler Dog Track. New one's say "Magic City Casino". I think its slated to open in a few months, so somebody might want to come down here and spend the night once the place opens. I'm just saying...

We're back home now, about to have "Family Fun Game Night". No wagering will be involved.

Problems

So, went in for my needle biopsy today and left the place without it taking place. Since the last two i've had there, they've supposedly "improved" the technology. The new table that you lay on is very hard, and has a hole in the middle that the boob in question hangs through so they can work on it. The problem was twofold: the table itself is concave, with the bottom of the slope being where your boob goes, then both sides of the table slope up from there. Not a big slope, just one acute enough to AGGRAVATE MY FRICKIN BACK.

The second problem is that you can not move a muscle during the procedure. They had me in there laying on the torture table for almost an hour and a half, as they tried to get the right spot lined up. I couldn't take it anymore. Maybe if they had me lined up right from the start, I could have tolerated it all. But they didn't.

As usual, the calcifications are in a really hard area to reach...on the side of the boob, way back almost on the chest wall. There was no way I could continue to lay there without moving a muscle, while they did the procedure. Almost threw my back out as it was. Turns out, after I was reduced to tears, they inform me that apparently I'm not the first to complain about the table. Almost everyone complains about the head/neck area, but people with back problems complain like I did and often can't proceed with the biopsy.

So, the alternative, apparently, is a surgical biopsy. I have an appt with the dreamy dr on 10/6 to talk about it all.

Consequences

Tonight was a lesson for T that actions have consequences. She was a good girl at school, and asked to go to the restaurant for dinner. Since I thought that would be a nice change from eating leftover hamburgers that Dot grilled up this past weekend, I said OK.

We get there, and T goes tearing off running to the restaurant, promptly earning a lecture from me about how even though she knows where we're going, she has to wait for me...especially when I yell RED LIGHT across the damn store and she keeps running. Big NoNo.

She barely listened to me during the lecture, and was bordering on being out of control as we stood in line. Not standing still and not listening to me when I would ask her to do something. She was warned that we'd leave if she didn't listen..three times....to which she responded by throwing her headband onto the floor.

Done. Game over. Time to leave.

This is the first time we've ever left the restaurant. She didn't want to go, and proceeded to lay on the ground refusing to walk. With my back, I can't really pick her up. A few pinches got her walking some, but then she'd balk again and lay on the floor. I had to get her out of there by holding both hands at my chest level with her handing down from there, I'd then lift her up with my foot under her butt, forcing her out of the store. The whole time she's doing her wet noodle impression. I think I injured me knee in the process.

So, she's lost TV and DVD priveleges for the rest of the week, she's lost ice pop priveleges for the rest of the week, and we're not going back to the restaurant for a really, really long time.

Problem with the dumb consequences though, is that I've cut off my nose to spite my face. Now, I'm banned from the restaurant as well. Bummer.

Disney on Ice

We had a fab time at the show. T loved the whole thing, and I was thrilled to get out of the place with 15 bucks in my pocket. As before, the prices for food, drinks, souveniers were OUTRAGEOUS!!

Signs of Fall

Long time residents of Fla always know its fall from the tell-tale lessening of humidity in the air. Don't get me wrong, its still 90 degrees, its just a more comfortable 90 degrees. Only true Floridians can recognize the difference. So, since fall is in the air, we dis-assembled T's pool. Of course, it was also gross on the bottom, and that played into our decision, too. Its now out on the trash heap, along with the walker, which was rusting up nicely. I give the walker about 50 minutes, before some intrepid junk man snags it from the pile.

Lots of Dr action coming up:

We were at the dr on thursday for T's parotid gland. Guess no news is good news, as the plan is to watch it to see if it happens again. If so, we'll consider an MRI or cat scan. Follow up appt is on Oct. 9th. Seems there's some discrepancy with T's weight. At the pediatrician, she was 42 pounds, which I thought was a bit too heavy. At the other doctor, she's 36 pounds, which seems more likely.

Take my mom on the 8th for her new hearing aid...the third one she's had and the first one covered by insurance. She can lose it one more time and it will be replaced again, but she'll be dropped from the policy as "high risk".

I go in on the 1st for a needle biopsy. Seems the calcifications in one of my boobs appear to be clumping again, despite the drugs i'm on, and they're going to suck them out and test them, to see what's up. This will be the 3rd needle biopsy I've had. Each time, they're nothing, so i'm not worried.

Meanwhile, we have big plans tomorrow...its a surprise. All T knows is that she can wear a princess dress and full regalia out of the house. That's a big, big deal. She's already been warned that no, we're not going to disney. We're doing something else. Thanks to Emma's mom, I scored tix to Disney on Ice for 1/2 price. Show starts at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow.

Today, we just ran errands. Bought my mom some new clothes, as she's getting really skinny. Seems a side affect of aricept is lack of appetite. Plus, I suspect she forgets to eat. So I bought her 2 pants and some shirts in a smaller, petite size. Hope she likes them. I'll be stealing her old worn out clothes that she wears everyday out of her closet.

That's it for now, hope everyone has a great weekend.

Out of the Mouthes of Babes

So, here was my day...

We woke up and went to a 9:10 dr. appointment on Miami Beach. Turns out T has redness in her throat, but tested negative for strep, thank god. She's 42 pounds and 40.5 inches. When I raised the issue of the rocks in her throat...i.e. parotid gland ...doc wrote me out a referral to an infectious disease expert at Miami children's hospital. Unknown is this is just T's body's reaction to a general virus, or if its something more. He'll have to sort that out. Our appointment is on thursday afternoon.

Dropped T back at school and was at work by 10. Then, after a call from the gas man, charged out at noon to my parents house. They are the happy new owners of a brand spankin' new gas water heater. Much more efficient than the old one. Heated up the water in 20 minutes. The guy did say, though, not to expect this one to last 30 years or more like the old one. Things just aren't made as well as they were. Says we'll be lucky to get about 10 years out of the new one. Ah well.

Went charging back to work, and was there by 2. I even was happy with what I accomplished today. Maybe with all the running around, I was in overdrive, so I guess all is good.

Meanwhile, most who know me, know that I have pictures of T everywhere at work. I have a bunch on the wall in front of my desk, and also as my screensaver. Its set to randomly display all the photos in my "Photos" file on the computer. Of course, T is the only subject of all the pictures. So...the point of the title....

I go to pick T up from school, and while chatting with the teacher, she said I must tell you something. Taylor came up to me and said "My mommy works in a building" Teach replied, "Really? What does she do?". What does my daughter reply?

"My mommy sits at a desk in a building and looks at pictures of me on her computer".

Yep, that's pretty much an accurate summary of my day!