Playing Catch Up!

Well I gave myself a bit of a vacation......after dealing with Shad being sick and Steve away at camp....I was so busy till Steve got home on Monday.  He had a great time and really took this time to get to know some older Christian guys better.  He really felt like being at camp helped him to clarify his life better.  He came home with a ton of dirty clothes and some good memories. 

The last couple of days, we've had storms during the times I would go on my blog.  Our internet gets knocked off so easily as we are on satellite.  And we also DVR'd a three part series of WW2.  Actually it started back on WW1 and before and showed how everything came together to form the "perfect storm" so to speak.  We are only at the beginning of WW2 because each part is 2 hours long and it's hard for us to get it done.  So altogether things just conspired to keep me away LOL

Do you remember Baby Sabrina?  She is the grandchild of some close friends of mine.  She had man complications at birth due to the lack of care the doctor delivering her gave them.   Well I got to meet her today.  She is just gorgeous!   A beautiful 6 month old little girl, chunky as she can be:)  Oh my goodness is she adorable!    Her sweet parents have been given a lot of bad news about what her abilities will be in the future.  Please pray for them and for her as they seek out medical assistance!  They are taking her next month to Boston Children's to see if there is any help they can give her.  Pray for a safe trip and some good news!    Her mom, grandma and her came over for lunch today.  Her grandpa and uncle stopped by also to drop some things off.  It was good to see them. 

We also had a couple of guys from the church here to work with Steve on the lawn.  He had gotten up and had about half the lawn done before they got here.  He didn't think about them needing volunteer hours for school. 

Then we had a teacher here for about 5 hours.....our nurse.....  we had a full house for Pizza~

Later I ran out to meet a friend to get a pedicure (actually I just got a foot massage) and we went to Publix together to get supper.  She was grilling steak and that sounded GOOD!  so I got steak too and some other things (of course)   My friend also has 5 kids....so we kid around together that we have 10 kids between us with SIX baby daddies.....  see If you can figure that one out.....

Get back home in the SECOND hurricane of the day.  I LOVE Florida thunderstorms, just not when I'm out in them!  Get soaked coming in then hadto change clothes,  tried to get supper going so it could be done by the time Jon got home.  Who was I kidding?  Realized the dog had peed (despite being on chux) all over the laundry room.  (yes I love Brownie....my 14 year old Lab)   so I start cleaning the laundry room and found litter (as in cat litter) all behind some plastic boxes....NOT HAPPY with a certain boy.   Then as I go back to the kitchen....I noticed Sarah, who a certain boy was supposed to be watching...Poop all over the rug.   Then the wet vac had to be used.....  By this time I was "fit to be tied"  Not one of my best parenting moments! 

THEN I had JUST sat down and a homeless man comes up.....poor guy we fed him, Steve got him some clothes and then he & Jon took him to Lakeland, where he wanted to go.  By that point, I said I really hoped we were "entertaining angels unaware"   I was about DONE for the day!

So that's the recap of the last few days, with emphasis on today LOL!

So anyone heard about this?
http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/local/pascocounty/2014/06/09/mom-wants-answers-bus-aide-slaps-son/10236725/?sa=X&ei=efaYU5npHYn6oASKpIL4Ag&ved=0CAYQpwIwAA   

This happened in our county.  The bus helper smacked a 10 year old autistic boy over & over....  I've had so many problems with the Pasco Co School District, I am not surprised by this.  I heard on the news tonight that the mom has began legal proceedings against the PCSB and has same attorney that was Casey Anthony's attorney.  Well I don't' blame her!   To be honest, I'd would have a lawyer if I were her! 

I have many thoughts running through my head about this.  I've heard that parents have complained off and on about him over the years.  I just let a teacher go a couple of weeks ago after she yelled at Sam in front of me repeatedly.  I figure if she'd do that IN FRONT OF ME, what the heck would she do if I was not watching her????    She always seemed irritated  with him, and never could get through to him.  We have another teacher who keeps his attention for 2 hours on some days and he doesn't want her to leave. 

There is a blog coming on, I just don't' have the time to write it all down.  I feel my kids have been so let down by the school district here.  It's been a "hot mess" one problem after another.  If I just document this year alone, I've told several teachers not to come back to my house or I've told their bosses.  Our experience has been either the very best or the very worst, not too much in between.   I have a reputation as a hard mom to get along with and I'm glad of that and will always be that way.  The funny thing to me is, my other kids go to a private school where in all these years (about 8 now of having a kid or kids there) I've never once gone in to complain about a teacher or had any problems at all.  I support the teachers and they support us!  I have trust in them and in the administration of the school.  Steve went to another school before we came here from K-3 to 3rd grade, never had an issue.....  So I wonder where is the issue?  Is it me or could it be the school district?  

Anyhow  look for a blog about our experiences, documented. 

Please continue to keep my father in law in your prayers.  He is actually in a rehab~we really didn't think he'd make it.   One doctor said last weekend that the family should stay close by......   please continue to pray for him, he is 86 years old with several health issues. 

Friends Graduating and Family Update

Last night it was two of Steve's closest friends' turn to graduate.   They all attended the private school together for years before Steve began homeschooling.  It was a sweet ceremony. 

 

Steve Drew and Austin

 

Steve & Drew.  Drew was the salutatorian for the class

 

Just as the three boys are close friends, so are the three Mamas!

We each stood with our boys!

Kandi & Drew

Austin & Karen

Me & Steve

 

 

Then we headed out for a Grad party....got home way too late:)

 

Steve had to get up this morning to go back to youth camp.

(So if you are wondering if he is embarrassed or sunburn....please know the idiot didn't put on sunscreen!!  I'm ticked with him since I sent him off with all kinds of sunscreen)

 

Shad was feeling sick yesterday and worse today so I took him to Urgent Care and he probably has strep ....yeah.....   The doctor was kind and gave him a shot, so hopefully he will be better quicker.  She also put him on an antibodic.   I think she saw my face....   His first test came back negative but I guess that happens quite a bit.  She said he looked like he had strep on the back of his throat and she was going to treat him as if he did.   She was sure he has it.

 

The little ones are fine.  Selah is still having a lower oxygen rate and higher heart rate than we like but nothing else is off.  Our nurses feel she may have gotten stretched too much in PT, it seems her right leg is sore. Poor baby!

 

Jon's dad is still in the hospital and really needs prayer! 

 

We've heard that the baby house that Sarah was in prior to being sent to the adult mental institution has been taken over by Pro Russian forces.  I'm hearing it on line and on one of the nightly news shows. 

http://inforesist.org/terrorists-robbed-shelter-for-children-in-slovyansk-photo/?lang=en

so surreal......very sad!

 

Please pray!

 

 

Steve's Grad Pictures!

 

Well let's get this thing started!

 

 

 

 

 

Pomp & Circumstance

 

 

I shared about Steve after his video was shown....I cried....a lot!

 

 

 

 

 

Johnny shared the Commencement address

 

 

 

 

 

 

the sermon

 

 

 

Awarding Steve's diploma

 

Prayer

 

Celebration!

 

yes he got his cap stuck!

 

 

 

Sam's favorite teacher came to see him.

 

he sniffed her

 

 

It is really Ms Heather!!!!!!!!

 

Steve's board and some pictures

                                                                       the boys get to eat first

 

Anna served and you know we had to have Swamp Punch & Fried Chicken!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

my beautiful niece and brother in law

 

 

 

Steve's friend Paige

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gabe, Jonathan and Sam

 

Jonathan & Steve

 

the grads

 

Steve & Drew!

 

More Grads

 

Anna, Steve and Paige

 

Steve & Paige

 

 

the whole gang

 

 

 

What a FUN day!

 

Hope you enjoyed the pictures.  It was a great day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let it go!

Yesterday I met my close friend (who happened to be my college roommate) for lunch and thrift shopping....we had such fun......

LOOK what we found!  Solid wood!






Look what I bought!


 Good old Salvation Army!!!!!

Look what made it home today!

 

Now we have room for 8 people around the table!  Our kitchen is small and even tho it doesn't look like it, we have enough room with it in the kitchen.  I'm looking forward to when we move and have a large dining area! 

 

Steve went with me to pick it up today, wasn't sure if we needed our trailer but we managed to get all of it in our van.  I figured if we could get three kayaks in there, we could get this in there!  We only had to take the leaf out to do it, very easy.  I enjoy doing things with Steve, I realize that all too soon he will have his own life/family and we won't have as much time together. 

 

 

So I'm really going through our house as I have time and simplifying.   After working today, I was able to take a bunch of stuff to a thrift store that supports missionaries.   My kids hate when I get in this mood....but I hope to have everything gone through and thinned out long BEFORE we move!   My goal is to keep our home as clutter free as possible.  It's hard with the kids, they get given something or they hang on to things.  The little ones have various medical things so we have so much stuff everywhere.  The nurse and I worked on Selah's room and de-cluttered it to some degree. 

 

I'm keeping our old table for now, not sure if I'll use it in the new house.  I may have a use for it in the big shed.  Or I may take it to a furniture consignment shop. 

 

There is also  a consignment shop I take kids stuff to and have made quite a bit of money over the past year.  A few days ago, I just took a load there too. 

My thing is if something hasn't been used, worn or played with for a year....it needs to go! 

 

So in the famous line of the famous song....."LET IT GO"  

 

Steve's Grad!

Steve's Graduation Video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkFf7d-cKPk

Steve's graduation video......  very meaningful to me!

Just another day in Paradise!

Well this has been a busy day for me.  Shad's next to the last day at school and Steve went to work at Habitat for Humanity Restore (working on our family hours)  Sam decided to go buck wild:)  He was into everything.  Spilling juice, grabbing things out of Selah's room....so after lunch I put him in the tub.  Sarah was playing quietly in the living room and I sat on Selah's bath chair and read while he was playing in the tub.  Oh was he happy & laughing.....I found out why in a minute....he pooped in the tub!  Needless to say, he got a shower and I put him  in bed for a nap!

Once he was in bed, I felt obligated to go through mine & the church's mail.  We get so much junk mail it is pathetic!  It hadn't been touched for over a week1  So I got all of that done by the time the boys got home.  Then it was time to go grocery shopping.  At the grocery store, me and my "Bag Boy" (sorry Sam don't know the correct term) got a "civic lesson" in the parking lot.  LOL  I was wearing one of my Ukraine t-shirts and an older man began telling me why Ukraine was in so much turmoil.....  BTW, I'm sure he'd never been to Ukraine nor knew any Ukrainians!  Anyhow poor Sam (who goes to our church) he looked like a deer caught in the headlights! 

Selah has been "off" a little lately.  Generally she's had great oxygen levels.  But lately she's had lower oxygen levels and an elevated heart rate.  Usually when her heart rate is up so is her oxygen levels.  This is just different for her, and it worries me that something is wrong.  She also was making grimaces today which is so unlike her.  We think she may have had some muscle spasms from physical therapy.  We took her leg braces off early and that seemed to make her happy.  She doesn't usually mind the braces so that's why we think   it may have been spasms.  It's so hard to tell with non verbal children.  Sam, Sarah and Selah are all non verbal.  Selah was also before the accident, you just have to watch them and learn them for clues. 

Selah also has a few little cold sores.  She always gets a bump on her cheek, by her nose and in the corner of her mouth.  We've tried so many over the counter remedies but nothing seems to help.  I called the doctor told and he gave us a prescription.  If this doesn't help then he will culture it.  Sarah often gets cold sores too.  We think it is something that is in their system from Ukraine. 

Tonight I made a big salad!  YUM! I've been hearing NOT to buy prepackage salads, they just are not clean.  So I bought an organic head of lettuce, added onion, green pepper, tomato, and the thinnest sliced cucumbers....then I made the best dressing!  We are trying to avoid any vegetable oil that is not Expeller Pressed.  The research I've read, leads me to think that normal vegetable oils are not good for the heart because of the high heat that they get processed at, seems it changes the monocles.  I'm sure I'm not explaining it very good.....but you can research it if you are interested.    Anyhow almost every salad dressing, even "organic"  is made with some type of vegetable oil that is not expeller pressed.  And since oil makes up the majority of salad dressing, I certainly don't want to be ingesting that much non expeller pressed.   Well a friend of my son's gave me the best homemade salad dressing.....

Paige's Apple Cider Dressing
=====================
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Dried Basil
Lemon juice
Dijon Mustard
salt & pepper
Olive Oil or Expeller Pressed Vegetable Oil
pinch of sugar
Apple Cider Vinegar (organic)

How much of each?  That's what I asked and she told me to just half & half the Oil and Vinegar, maybe a little less oil than vinegar. ( I think she will grow up to be like my grandmother who could never tell you a recipe since she measured nothing! LOL)   Everything else I just used a baby spoon to measure it out, except for the lemon juice, I put a lot in.  I like lemon juice.   I added Non nitride ham and it was so good.   That's my other thing, we don't eat anything with nitrides in it unless we eat out.  I figure a little is ok but we don't buy any lunch meat with it in it. 

Well I'll finish this discombobulated blog with some pictures I took today

 

 

Sam's going to be happy with that watermelon!

 

 

 

I call this sister cats....these two love each other. 

 

 

 

 

I love sunflowers, they make me happy!

 

Just another day in Paradise ........