In the car this morning:
"Look at the pretty trees, Jack! Aren't the leaves pretty today"
"Why somebody paint doze trees?"
Oh, this kid, he is my heart.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
Things I Don't Want to Forget, October Edition
I was adjusting the "static correction" collar we got for Penny, because she barks constantly.
Mary Grace said, "Set it to extra crispy!"
***
I complained that Jack hadn't touched his dinner. He stuck out one finger and gently nudged his sandwich. "I touched it."
***
Aunt Mimi was babysitting, Jack had a dirty diaper. He wouldn't let her change it. She asked him why. He replied, "I do not want you to see my butt."
***
Our friends gave us a big cardboard stand-up Han Solo. The kids have delighted in scaring me with him at every opportunity. First they left him standing in my doorway. I actually screamed and jumped backward about 8 feet. He has shown up in every room of the house, in the shower, in my bed, behind BJ's car. I even printed little Han Solos and sent them to school in the girls' lunches one day. The whole thing has been hilarious.
***
A girl was giving Claire a hard time at school - this girl gives everyone a hard time, actually. Claire came home asking what it means when someone holds up their middle finger at you. Ugh. So I explained, and told her to just stay away from that kid as much as possible. Instead of listening, Claire drew a picture with the two of them holding hands under a rainbow. She took it to school and gave it to her the next day. The little girl with the problems showed the teacher, and Claire got to "clip up" to Sparkling - the highest honor for the day.
I am humbled by her gentle heart. It turns out that the little girl has a paraprofessional with her in the class, and obviously has special needs of some kind. Leave it to my girl to realize that she needs a friend, and to reach out to her.
***
Oh, how I love these wonderful kids!
Mary Grace said, "Set it to extra crispy!"
***
I complained that Jack hadn't touched his dinner. He stuck out one finger and gently nudged his sandwich. "I touched it."
***
Aunt Mimi was babysitting, Jack had a dirty diaper. He wouldn't let her change it. She asked him why. He replied, "I do not want you to see my butt."
***
Our friends gave us a big cardboard stand-up Han Solo. The kids have delighted in scaring me with him at every opportunity. First they left him standing in my doorway. I actually screamed and jumped backward about 8 feet. He has shown up in every room of the house, in the shower, in my bed, behind BJ's car. I even printed little Han Solos and sent them to school in the girls' lunches one day. The whole thing has been hilarious.
***
A girl was giving Claire a hard time at school - this girl gives everyone a hard time, actually. Claire came home asking what it means when someone holds up their middle finger at you. Ugh. So I explained, and told her to just stay away from that kid as much as possible. Instead of listening, Claire drew a picture with the two of them holding hands under a rainbow. She took it to school and gave it to her the next day. The little girl with the problems showed the teacher, and Claire got to "clip up" to Sparkling - the highest honor for the day.
I am humbled by her gentle heart. It turns out that the little girl has a paraprofessional with her in the class, and obviously has special needs of some kind. Leave it to my girl to realize that she needs a friend, and to reach out to her.
***
Oh, how I love these wonderful kids!
Friday, October 4, 2013
PPD in the News
I'm heartbroken this morning to learn that the woman driving the car in Washington DC who was shot to death by Capitol police after running over a member of the Secret Service and driving erratically in the mall area suffered from postpartum depression.
Actually, chances are that she suffered from postpartum psychosis, which is a different disorder, but since I'm not a shrink and I've never met the woman, I'll refrain from diagnosing her myself.
What kills me is that PPD and PPP are known disorders with effective treatments available, and yet so many women suffer in shame and silence.
I know the pain of PPD. I have felt helpless, wanting the pain to end so badly that I might have done anything to make it stop. Instead of doing anything, though, I called my husband or my mom, I called my sister, I called a friend. I got help.
I'm heartbroken that this woman didn't have the support she needed so desperately. I'm heartbroken for her baby who will never know her mother.
And I'm writing this today because I know that there are women out there who are in the throes of PPD and who will read this story and think, "Might I do something like that too?" and it'll send them spiraling downward - as any bad news will do when you're in that place.
Listen to me - help is out there. There are plenty of places you can go. Call someone you love. Call the crisis line - 1-800-273-TALK. Call your doctor. Call the hospital where you gave birth. Don't suffer alone.
You are not alone. Perinatal Anxiety and Mood Disorders affect thousands and thousands of women every year - nearly a million women in the US per year, according to Postpartum Progress. Only when we're honest with each other and willing to be vulnerable and admit, "Yeah, this happened to me," can we get help or help each other. Which is why I am brutally honest about my experience on this blog. It happened to me. It was awful. But I GOT BETTER and you can too. Please, if you're suffering right now, ask for help.
Rest in peace, Miriam Carey.
Actually, chances are that she suffered from postpartum psychosis, which is a different disorder, but since I'm not a shrink and I've never met the woman, I'll refrain from diagnosing her myself.
What kills me is that PPD and PPP are known disorders with effective treatments available, and yet so many women suffer in shame and silence.
I know the pain of PPD. I have felt helpless, wanting the pain to end so badly that I might have done anything to make it stop. Instead of doing anything, though, I called my husband or my mom, I called my sister, I called a friend. I got help.
I'm heartbroken that this woman didn't have the support she needed so desperately. I'm heartbroken for her baby who will never know her mother.
And I'm writing this today because I know that there are women out there who are in the throes of PPD and who will read this story and think, "Might I do something like that too?" and it'll send them spiraling downward - as any bad news will do when you're in that place.
Listen to me - help is out there. There are plenty of places you can go. Call someone you love. Call the crisis line - 1-800-273-TALK. Call your doctor. Call the hospital where you gave birth. Don't suffer alone.
You are not alone. Perinatal Anxiety and Mood Disorders affect thousands and thousands of women every year - nearly a million women in the US per year, according to Postpartum Progress. Only when we're honest with each other and willing to be vulnerable and admit, "Yeah, this happened to me," can we get help or help each other. Which is why I am brutally honest about my experience on this blog. It happened to me. It was awful. But I GOT BETTER and you can too. Please, if you're suffering right now, ask for help.
Rest in peace, Miriam Carey.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
School Pictures
Dear People,
In the interest of being able to send the children to college one day, I have elected to never ever ever buy prints of their school pictures to distribute, because it would cost a fortune.
Therefore, I have purchased the digital rights to these photos and you are welcome to copy them and print them to your heart's content. Actually, if everyone prints each one 47 times it will bring the total cost per picture down to a reasonable level.
Here is MG's official 2nd Grade Portrait:
And here is Claire's official 1st Grade Portrait:
I still regret not getting the laser background.
In the interest of being able to send the children to college one day, I have elected to never ever ever buy prints of their school pictures to distribute, because it would cost a fortune.
Therefore, I have purchased the digital rights to these photos and you are welcome to copy them and print them to your heart's content. Actually, if everyone prints each one 47 times it will bring the total cost per picture down to a reasonable level.
Here is MG's official 2nd Grade Portrait:
And here is Claire's official 1st Grade Portrait:
I still regret not getting the laser background.
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