SUMMER

I can't believe we are at this point in the year......only 1-1/2 days until summer vacation. Then, we have 11 wonderful weeks of no school.


And, what a busy 11 weeks it will be. In fact, it will be so busy that, at last count, we all will be together, in our home, with no plans, for 7 days.


YEP! SEVEN. DAYS!


BUT, I'm not here to talk about what we are doing this summer.


Well, that's a lie. I AM going to talk about what we are doing this summer, but not about the big stuff. That will come later. (The camps, the family vacations, the day trips...)


No, there are some things I want to accomplish....some changes I want to make....some tasks I want to finally complete.....and we will start SOON!


Monday, as a matter of fact.


Why Monday? Well, we don't get out of school until Thursday afternoon. Friday, we have a few appointments. Saturday my son is involved in a bake sale....and darn it? I think I'm forgetting something else for that day. Sunday, we are going to my folks' place for grilling. Monday, though it is a holiday, is our first REAL day for our summer vacation.


I have been talking to my husband about ways we can....well...more or less "reset" how we do things. It is so hard to make changes during the school year. We are pretty locked in to how we get things done.


One of our big changes is in our finances. My husband is changing his schedule....he is doing this in order to spend more time with the family....and I love him all the more for it. We are striving to be smarter with our purchasing decisions. We like to play. Well, this summer, we are going to play, but we will not toss as much money into our play dates.


That being said, we are getting a bit more creative. I am looking forward to this as it will require us to be together more. Not just at home at the same time; not going somewhere to be entertained at the same time. But, to actually go and BE together. I look forward to it.


In order to get us more...."reset"  (I know I keep using that word, but it is really the best word), we are going to schedule our summer. It won't be such a strict schedule that we do certain tasks on certain days (well....kind of), but it is more that we will get certain things done in the course of the week.


I do have some *gimmicky* plans to help us remember things....and, hopefully, make it more fun.


Like: Movie Monday. As our boys all have different tastes in movies, I am going to ask each of them to choose 2 movies (appropriate for all). My hubby and I will each choose 1 movie....I CALL DIBS ON "ELF."  Then, we will draw, from a bag of those selected movie titles, and enjoy our time together.


Another big thing is in our video game time. During school, my kids can only play their electronic games on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. And then, we try to keep 1/2 hour per day, for those 3 days. As it is summer, we will let them play daily....maybe even up to an hour. But, it is going to be a set hour. It will be during their quiet time....a time when they must be in their own rooms.


Probably the biggest thing is "No Technology Tuesday." My children are already having issues with this, but really, they have no choice. :-) When I say "no technology," I don't mean: no lights, no running water, no A/C. I mean: no TV, no video games, no computer, (meaning no email and no FB) no phone..... The ONLY exception is during the time Hubs is gone. I will have my phone with me so that he can reach us, should he need to.


Other things I want to accomplish weekly are:


School work: But, only once a week. As my oldest will be in 8th grade, he has a reading assignment AND an Algebra packet. My youngest has a packet that he will get a prize for, if he finishes. SO, we will be working.


JBQ: My oldest has graduated the program, but he will still be expected to *remember* some stuff. My 2nd will be just coming off of National's and will be working on some other awards. My youngest 2 will also be working toward awards. Me? Yeah.... I want to get my Master Seal....we shall see.


Chores: My children will probably have different chores. My 3rd needs to learn how to do his own laundry.


Kitchen: My boys LOVE to cook. Now, instead of just helping in the kitchen, they will take a more active role in planning a meal, making a list, and cooking. Of course, I will supervise, but they will each take turns getting grub on the table.


Well, for now, that is it....but I think it will be enough. I hope we accomplish it.


What about you? What do you plan to do this summer?

AND YOUR POINT IS?

Well, that's just it, really. I don't know if I have a point to tonight's post.


I thought about blogging about DS #3's hearing issue. It is still there. We are going to the doctor on Monday. 


You know, I have always known that God talks to people in dreams. He doesn't usually talk to me in dreams. No, things just come to me. Sometimes I miss it. Sometimes, I pass it off, until hindsight, then I realize it was God. Sometimes, I know it is God right when it happens.


When I only had 2 kids, for some reason, I always felt that there would be hearing issues in my family. I never felt more than that. I didn't attribute it to a God-warning. I just thought it was a paranoid "Mom-thing." 


Then, #3 was born with only 1 ear. So, I thought.... "That WAS a God-thing." Only one problem....1 ear didn't necessarily mean a hearing issue. Well, it did, but it didn't. I mean, yeah, there is an ear that has little hearing, but the hearing in his other ear has been (up until the last 2 weeks) perfect. His speech and language has been spot on. His reading level was 5th grade toward the end of 1st grade. He is getting it. 


Two things went through my head (and they were very....um.... skittish? No.... FLEETING!) These thoughts were fleeting. I didn't really pay attention to them, though they did cross my mind. One was, "This wasn't the warning. Please God, don't let anything worse happen." The other was, "Well, if this is the hearing issue, then thank you, God, that it isn't worse."


I'm pretty grounded in my faith and in certain practices. I often "speak things as though they were." In fact, some things, I will NOT speak, nor will I continually think about, lest they come to pass. 


Now this. This whole hearing thing has rocked my world. :-(  Will we make it? Certainly! That is not even in debate. I just feel the stress in that we just don't know what is going on. I even tried to prove that he was faking. Nope.... he has asked me too many times, to repeat myself. *sigh* So, come Monday, we will go to my pediatrician for another test. She wants to "check for birdies in his ear." I just hope he has a whole bunch of those blasted birdies crammed in his ear. 


Wow..... that was more that I anticipated.


I even though about how cool it would be to live in Walnut Grove, a la Little House on the Prairie....especially back in the day. I could rock those dresses. I could totally be a one-room schoolhouse teacher. I could pop out the babies and cook on a fire. But, good gravy, I'm most certain that I wouldn't have access to 5 1/2 inch blue suede pumps, CFAST, or Chipotle.  No....THIS is the time is for me. :-)


We missed the SuperMoon. Well, kind of. I *did* forget.... but it was cloudy. And, it WILL happen again....despite what might be popping around facebook. 


I just realized that I never put up a JBQ post. I am disappointed in that. But, here is where it gets crazy. I was disappointed, for the longest time, that I didn't put it up, because my oldest ROCKED JBQ! He has some crazy awards that nobody in church has, nor are they close to getting. One of the awards, he is one of about 65 that has it.... IN THE NATION. 


SO, I didn't blog it, was all disappointed because, frankly, I felt that maybe JBQ greatness for our family would continue..... later..... much later. Mainly because my #2, had no interest.


UNTIL THIS YEAR. 


Now, I hazard a guess that my #2 is as good, if not a hair better than #1. AND, he still has a year left. That is CRA-ZY! In fact, you know the above statement, in which I said that nobody in our church (of about 4,000) had the award that #1 had.... nor were they close? Well, I have to add to that. My 2nd son will probably get those remaining 3 awards by the end of the year. He is crazy-good!


So, I promise.... I don' t know when, but a JBQ post WILL BE COMING! I will discuss #1's achievements, as well as #2's. Keep in mind, #3 and #4 are also involved. 


I also want to discuss summer, but as I have to get up early and sing in the morning, and my throat is a bit scratchy (from cheering my son's baseball team to victory, AND from *encouraging* my children out of the pool).... well, I need to go rest. I just pray that I'm not croaky in the morning.


I will be back kind of soon. I really want to post a blog about summer. We are doing lots and are going to accomplish lots.


I hope you come back!

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

 

I hate the new blogger.... 


Now that I have that off my chest, I can tell you about my prayer request yesterday. 


In a few weeks, we celebrate the year anniversary of Verne's completion. You remember Verne, don't you? DS #3's ear? 


Since he doesn't have an ear canal in Verne, his hearing is naturally diminished in that ear. Because of that, we have always made sure to check his ear, check his speech development....just do whatever to make sure his hearing, in the other ear, stays at 100%. 


For the past 9 years, his ear has been great. His speech has been developing right on target. Pair that with a beautiful new ear, and we have no complaints.

Until we noticed, last week, that #3 was getting frustrated, having angry outbursts, and needing us (Mom and Dad) to repeat ourselves.

Trying to keep a cool head, we verified that there was no fever, or any other obvious problems. We then asked the school nurse to conduct a hearing screening on DS #3. You know the kind....with the headphones? Raise your hand to indicate when, and which side, you hear the tone? That one? Yeah....you remember.


He heard nothing. 


Can you imagine that phone call? Can you imagine how you would feel when you find out that your sweet baby told the nurse that, "I watch my teacher's lips for when she stops talking. Then, I raise my hand to find out what to do."


His teacher told me, this morning, that the students have been working with #3.....helping him when his teacher is speaking to him. They make sure he is watching her, when instructions are specific. His teacher is also going up to him and speaking directly to him.


I took DS #3 to the doctor yesterday. There was a lot of hard, compacted wax in his ear. Digging it out not only hurt him, but it caused further inflammation in that ear. *sigh* 


The doctor did another hearing test. He failed. But, what totally stinks about that is I was told that the hearing test is one only used for infants....that "we would never do this on bigger people. In fact, it is not the greatest test there is."


What?


SO, what did I do? I got on facebook with my pediatrician. (The reason I didn't go to her, in the first place, was because she is on vacation and the other doctors in the office were booked.) My pediatrician, being THE ABSOLUTE BOMB, answered my concerns and told me what we needed to do.


What now? Well, we are putting hydrogen peroxide in his ear, to help soften and loosen the wax. On Friday, I will have the school nurse check again. (I am teaching a CPR class on Friday and can't get him to the doctor.) BUT, I do know that my pediatrician really wants to get her hands on him, so we are shooting for Monday.


We are not worried..... well, "we" as in everyone else. I think my hubs is a bit concerned. I'm more than that, but not beside myself with despair. I will simply do what my pediatrician says, follow up, as necessary, and bombard Heaven on my son's behalf.


Prayers for my son are greatly appreciated.