Dentist and American Indian Festival

We had a great long weekend with my son home. We mostly stayed at home. Friday my son had a dentist appointment, and we were there for over an hour. The pediatric dentist was trying to get my son comfortable so that he would sit in the chair on his own. They took him away from me, but they had a window in the door where I peeked in often. He played with all the dental instruments and used the water/air instrument to water the plants out the window. Then I had to hold him down for the actual examination and teeth cleaning. The dentist wants me to take him there once a month to get him used to the dental office, chair, and instruments, but that would be $85 every month! I already pay privately for nutrition, occupational therapy, and feeding therapy, and I can not pay for private dental therapy too. I'm not even comfortable and happy going to the dentist's office! Sheesh. Maybe it's wrong of me to not want to spend the money, but that's a lot of money that we really don't have.

Saturday my husband was actually home from work, and he took the kids to the playground so that I could clean. I was so happy to have the time to clean, and the apartment looks better than it has in a long time. Our bedroom is still the catch-all room, and there's still much to be done, but at least it's livable, and I completely cleaned my son's room and organized it so that he could keep it clean himself...there's a place for everything, so it's easy for him to take care of his own things. Finally...I've been wanting to do that for a long time.

Sunday my cousin came up from New Jersey, and we went to Mass together and just spent the day together. We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Hudson River that was lovely, and my husband joined us there after work. We shopped through a really violent storm. Then that evening, another set of cousins came over to play games.

Monday we went to a Memorial Day Parade and an American Indian Festival. My son was so thrilled to see the fire engines and drums at the parade, and didn't want to leave when it was over, hoping for more. Later, we got to see many more drums at the American Indian Festival. My son LOVED it. We bought him a small deer hide drum that has only left his hands for him to go to school. He was drumming and dancing along with the Native American People during the festival. He was too cute. We were there for some inter-tribal dancing, and for Aztec dancers, who were fantastic. They are from Mexico City where the ruins of the city of Tenochtitlan are located. I learned about Tenochtitlan in Archeology class when I was in college...when I thought I might be the next Indiana Jones...the only way I'm like Indiana Jones is with my diet. You can read about that here.

I attached a picture of the Aztec Dancers...if you ever have a chance to see them perform, please go! You can visit their website here.

Preschool Picnic

Today was my son's school picnic. It was held at a beautiful local park that has a gorgeous view of the Hudson River. It actually wasn't just his school, but an association of all the schools of which my son's is a part...so there were many, many children and their families there.
They had a petting zoo, art stations, an obstacle course, a tee ball area, and fruit. My son did play some tee ball, but otherwise was happy to run around for three and a half hours while I followed him with my daughter on my hip. Gratefully, I did get some help when I was about ready to leave after two hours. I couldn't get my son to sit long enough to eat, to allow me to feed my daughter, or to even change diapers. He was so overstimulated. So, I was trying to drag him (literally) over the grass to the car, and one of the social workers from the school asked me if I needed some help. So, I was able to go to the bathroom myself and even feed my daughter. Then the speech therapist helped me so I could get my son calmed enough to eat, and I even had some water, yogurt, and watermelon. So, we were there for another hour and a half. The psychologist chased after my son awhile too so that I even got a few minutes to just sit and relax while my daughter ate. It was just a few minutes, but I got recharged. Everyone was exhausted after just 10 or 15 minutes of following after my son in the nearly 90 degree weather with very little shade...I must be an Amazon or something being able to do it for three hours. LOL
Anyway, thank God for SPF 70. I just got a little sunburn on my left shoulder where I missed with the sunscreen, but the kids didn't get any sunburn at all...and we are all VERY fair.
Now, goodnight because I am going to go to bed...I am worn out!

Spidered!

Well, this is an idea that I stole from my cousin (you can read her blog at www.carolesthoughtfulspot.com). Her husband and she used to (and they still may...I'll have to ask) hide a rubber eyeball on each other. It would stay hidden for months sometimes, when all of a sudden, one of them would come across this rubber eye staring at them. My husband and I started to do the same thing with a rubber spider, years ago. Likewise, the spider may remain hidden for many months, and then there he is! Most recently I found him in a change compartment in the dashboard of my car that I never use because I always put my change in the ashtray because it's bigger. One day, I just happen to be looking down to the left of the steering wheel, when behold! I saw a couple of spidery looking legs peeking out of the compartment. I had been SPIDERED!!!

So, now I have to find a clever place to hide the spider on my husband. Hmmmmm...wherever should it be? I must plot...

Tuesday Weigh-In

Well, this week I lost 4.4 lbs. Hurray! I can't believe it's been a whole week since I updated my blog. I guess it's because we've all been sick AGAIN. Ugh. My son was sick all last week, and then Sunday my husband, daughter, and I came down with it. Ick. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. At least Weight Watchers went well this week.
As a matter of fact, my cat even got sick yesterday. He was vomiting and had an impaction and had to stay in the vet's overnight. He needed an enema, and they sent him home with my husband encrusted in his own waste. You can be sure I won't be going back to this vet! It was the only place I could get an appointment...no wonder why. So, I gave my cat a bath this morning with my husband with baby shampoo, but it didn't get out all the crusted poop or the smell. So, I went back to the vet's office (where I put up a stink myself for the abuse my poor cat went through), and got them to give me some disinfectant shampoo. So, I bathed the poor cat again by myself (and have what will become scars to prove it LOL), and now he is allowed in the house again. I had him locked in the bathroom with a bed, water, food, and a potty because I couldn't have him running around all over the place in his condition. I was so horrified. But, at least he's healthy and home.

Dreaded Tuesday Weigh-In

Well, I haven't been to Weight Watchers in two weeks. Three weeks ago, I lost 4 pounds...Woo hoo! But then we all got sick and I lost my focus. Last week, I got my focus back, but I still gained three pounds...Boo hoo! I was going to use my no weigh in pass, but I figured I'd face the scale and keep in mind that I have still lost 39 pounds...it was 42, but it will be again, and soon. I'm also down three clothing sizes.

I found out something VERY interesting though...I've been eating 35 extra points for the past few weeks. I'm supposed to lose 5 points per day because my daughter has started to eat solid foods and I'm not nursing exclusively anymore. So, hopefully, that will make a nice difference next week. I've been going to the gym four to five days a week (seven was too many, and I was getting very sleep deprived), and walking on the days I don't go to the gym. I've been working on a running program and am up to running for nine minutes...which for me is a huge deal, and I'm thrilled about it. It's amazing what an inhaler can do. It's wonderful to not have sharp pains in my lungs or cough for a half hour or more just because I was running for 30 seconds or so. I wish a doctor had prescribed one for me twenty years ago. Oh well.

Moving ahead...

I am still holding on like Indiana Jones, clinging to that whip as I'm being dragged behind "the wagon" until I can get back on again.

Aromatherapy

This post is in no way paid for or sponsored. It's just an experience I want to share.

I read some information about how aromatherapy can help children with ADHD, and at the same time I got an email from Bath and Body Works advertising a sale on spa aromatherapy items. So, I figured it was worth $8 to give it a try. I wanted to try a scent that would be relaxing and help my son fall asleep. I didn't want to get lavender because I read that it can have negative effects on males, so instead I got a black chamomile pillow spray. I've only tried it a couple of times on my son because I keep forgetting to use it. My son's bedtime routine involves complete vitamin E capsule that has to be popped and added to fish oil (that tastes like a lemon smoothie...I swear...you can read what I wrote about it here), antibiotics, a multivitamin, nasal spray, and an injection of growth hormone. Not including brushing his teeth, changing his diaper, putting on pajamas, and a bedtime story. Most of these activities require physically holding him down, chasing him, carrying him, fighting him, and it's just difficult and takes quite a bit of time.

I'm afraid to leave the bottle of pillow spray in his bedroom because it's glass, and I'm afraid he'll break it or spray it onto himself, or in his eyes or mouth, or any number of other things I can't imagine. I really need to keep it by his vitamins or something.

I have been using it myself, though. I feel pretty bad about using it for me and not for him, but I will...I promise. I have to say that using it for me has made a huge difference. I have always had trouble falling asleep, and I have been falling asleep extremely quickly. The scent is so nice and relaxing, and it really works! I'm very surprised that it works, but it does!

The second thing I bought was totally just for me. It's absolutely decadent. It's shower gel (and can also be used in the bath) that smells like oranges and ginger, and it's supposed to energize. I'm not sure if I feel energized, but it smells absolutely wonderful, it's so sudsy, and to be scrubbed from head to toe with this is blissful...it's so good I can almost tune out my daughter screaming in her bouncy seat on the other side of the shower curtain.

So, if you're ever looking for a way to fall asleep or wake up that's natural and healthy and wonderful, give these a try. I'm sure they'd make a nice gift too...it's too late for Mother's Day, but any occasion will do, and they're just fine for Father's Day too.

Socializing at the Gym

If there's something I hate, it's when people socialize at the gym. Especially when they're just sitting on the equipment. They do about sixty seconds of "cardio" involving reclining on an exercise bike and moving their legs at about one rotation per minute, and then start talking to a friend and stop moving altogether. I don't know why it should bother me if it's not a piece of equipment that I need, but what if I did? There are so many other places to talk. I guess it gives me flashbacks to when I used to work out at Bally...people sat on the equipment and talked all the time, so it would take forever to get an exercise routine done because they always made everyone wait, and gave me a dirty look if I had the audacity to ask them to let me use the equipment since they weren't using it right then.
I guess the problem is that I've started to go to the gym later. I was having trouble functioning getting up at 4:45 in the morning so that I could have a cup of coffee and leave the house by 5, get home by 5:45 so that my husband could go to the gym. So, we've decided to go to the gym on alternating days, and walk on other days or do an exercise tape. It's working out much better, although I do miss going to the gym every day. I could go later in the day, I suppose, but I'm tired by the end of the day. So long as I exercise every day, it really doesn't matter where I am.
So, as long as I keep going to the gym later in the morning, I guess I'm going to have to deal with the socializers...maybe I should request that a juice bar be set up outside so they can go there.