Uncomfortable skin

Last 24 hours I feel perpetually irritated-although at home there is almost a constant irritant. It is similar to the beginning of the depressive episodes of a few days that I sometimes get. I'll have to work to skip the void.
I kinds wanna bolt like one of our snk's. Just outrun it. Actually exercise or a good comedy would feel good.
I think I will go get a latte and head to work to see 2 darling two year olds this am for 1 hour a piece. I mean the last part, they are darling and I love my time with them. I realize to some that sounds like a depressive episode in and of itself!

Ooakland Zoo
there are bats here that have a wing span of 6 feet and bodies the size of a medium sized dog. yeah, i'd duck if that guy was flying at me.

Mothering a naked 2 year old

Went to visit my girlfriend on this sweltering day. I was greeted by her exuberant and naked nearly 3 year old daughter. Naked is fine with me-it's hot and I would consider joining her if I wasn't on my way back to work.
We all had lunch and hung out.
Later during my visit my friend's voice rang out in that parental I-am-irritated-with-you tone.

NO
That is not okay
Stop that
Do not put cookies in your vagina
Do you hear me
Say it back to me, "Cookies do not go in my vagina"
Okay
Good
Throw that cookie out

Amazingly enough-our conversation picked right up where we had been. Having had toddlers and special needs kids we are unflappable.

Sisi-seems no one told her how sick she is

The vet gave me antibiotics and doggie advil (of sorts). Turns out she had a urinary tract infection. She is feeling great now. Still occasionally needs help to stand up on her sore leg, but not nearly as much. Her mood is good and she seems comfortable. I still hear the occasional cough that is the indicator of the tumors in her lungs. Other than that she seems like her usual self. I'll post when we loose my dear.

vet called
sisi (sierra) has lung tumors everywhere
she is dying
i have 2 tell Pops
he will also be devestated
so sad

My SiSi

My beautiful, old SiSi dog is sick. I think my my sweetpea is dying. Oh so sad here.

yeah
i am blogging from my phone

blogging from my phone?

Michelle Garcia Winner

Yeah-we got that.
Last Friday SEPTAR and another Special Ed PTA group put on a 1 day Michelle Garcia Winner conference. We pulled it off! I think it went really well.
170 attended from all over the Bay Area and one gal from Reno!
Good thing I am not a panicky person so that when there were not enough chairs, the coffee pot didn't work and the PA system was down-I didn't panic. It all came together. I did have to make an announcement to let people know about the coffee crises as there were people frantically squirreling around the kitchen there.
We are already planning for next year.

Yoo hooo

Hey SPT-are you there? Can I take you to idol concert this year?

Adam Lambert and Idol

Truth be told I have always been a Danny Gokey fan. He seems so wholesome. Kris (who?) Allen has been the dark horse. But, ahhh-a mid-western darling.

I just watched the show and did a bit of research and can now tell you that Adam is from my part of the state. Check out part of his bio:

Lambert, 27, grew up in Rancho Peñasquitos. He moved here from Indiana with his parents when he was 1 and attended Deer Canyon Elementary School, Mesa Verde Middle School in Poway and Mt. Carmel High School, where he was in theater, choir and jazz band. He has one sibling, a younger brother.

Yeah, okay so I went to Poway High and Mt Carmel was our big rival. Fun to note. Not so fun to note is that he was born the year I graduated from Poway High.

Happy Birthday Daddy! Love Ki

Ki made this picture for Pops for his Birthday. All hair and eye color is correct. As is glasses color. Pops is throwing the ball for the dogs. Java is running and Sierra is standing, holding a bone. I framed it and will hang it in the family room.

Happy Birthday Pops!

The Education Foundation had an essay and picture contest on the topic of, "When I grow up I want to be...". The author's names were covered and a panel reviewed and selected a number of finalists from our 15 school district. They were published in a book. The above is my son's essay. It was chosen for it's content, and no other reason.
Today was Pop's birthday. I had Alex give him the book as a gift.
Pops eyes brimmed with pride as he read.

Special Needs Workshops Offered at CA State PTA Convention

"Four workshops focused on providing support to parents and teachers of children with special needs are being offered to attendees at this year’s California State PTA Convention. The Convention will be held April 30 – May 3 in San Jose.


#306: Organizing A Successful PTA Special Needs Committees or Unit
Parents and Teachers of children with
learning disabilities, ADHD, autism
and other special needs benefit from
PTA support. This workshop will
provide practical tips and tools for
organizing and running collaborative
special needs programs, and
compare the relative merits of PTA Special
Needs Committees and Special Needs PTAs.

Deb and I, along with a great gal from San Ramon SD, do this presentation tomorrow.
Wish us luck!

Still a bit pissi-FYI on me

I am realizing that a big part of the reason that I felt let down by some of my friends is that I have NO family members that I am emotionally close to. Mostly because most of them don't exist or are emotionally unavailable. It's pretty much just me and Pops to provide the total emotional and financial support for the 2 of us and our kids. If I am sad or in an emergency I do not have the following to rely on or call: sister/brother (step, half or otherwise), cousin, mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, aunt, uncle, sister/brother-in-law or grandparent.


I wrap up my WAAAA session for now.

Beautiful Boy and Girl

I forgot this pic

1st Communiion and my big kids

We made it through first communion! Kids looked fabulous. The beautiful clothes lasted only slightly longer then the mass, but that is as I figured it would be. Nice party at our house. I had a chance to catch up with some good friends I haven't seen in ages. Our dear friend Margaret, whom Pops and I haven't seen in months received the most honorable guest award. She and her husband attended the mass AND came to the party following the excision of her appendix a mere 48 hours ago.

I must insert a moment of brutal honesty, because my feelings are a bit hurt.
Party and friend etiquette review.
If you get an invitation, RSVP if you will attend.

"We might stop by the party" from a few families is difficult to plan for. And then it hurts my feelings if you are not able squeeze us in to your day.

If you RSVP you are coming to a party. Do.
Putting hours into planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning and then feeling like it is a burden for people to come to a party and celebrate my kids and family is a pisser.
This is especially true for my family and it's challenging profile. We have limited family, few families we invite over (even less that invite us over) and friends are hard to come by for my kids.
Pissiness aside-
I am proud of my husband who worked hard to get his kids to this point. It was his doing, not mine. I am proud of my beautiful children.

Shopping Jennyalice

I shopped the closet of jennyalice before attending the RCEF (Redwood City Education Foundation) Benefit with my date, Squid. The profile of my borrowed closet items seem to profile jennyalice's life. The 2 borrowed items were:
A sharp looking long black coat- ala Target

and

A purse that turned out to be alligator, real alligator. Not only that, it was made in Italy specifically for her. And if you want to be sure there are her initials embossed in gold inside. The best part is that the initials are JAM, and those are my initials, too.

At the benefit I won a case (12 bottles) of German wine. Tag says it is valued at $220.00. Ironic, given that I don't drink. People who know that about me now want to be my best friend.

Squid and I were hot looking mamas as we heeled home across the parking lot. We sported heels, make-up and visible gams. The case of wine made us all that much more fetching. We slipped into my minivan and headed home. I suspect my family wagon is valued about the same as the purse previously slung over my forearm.

"Quadriplegic child found dead in storage facility"

Yeah, I love finding mail like that in my email. It brightens my day.
Lucky for a whole bunch of people she is on lots of list serves. This means that not only do you get this, and related messages often, you might get it 2 or 3 times. Truth be told, she is an equal opportunity offender. She posts horror stories about people having a variety of disabilities and disorders.
I have to wonder, what sort of person thinks that the rest of us want to read even just the headline about every freak horror story out there.

Last day in the city

There is a reason we live in the Bay Area. It is tremendous. And the ice cream is good, too.
I recommend driving to The Warming Hut and hiking up the 1/2 mile to the Golden Gate bridge. It is a wonderful way of appreciating the local nature and the bridge.