Progress

Yep, progress. What kind of progress, you say? Lots; where to begin...

Well, Marc invited me to one of his addiction counseling sessions. I was a little leery about going, but the supportive wife took over and I went with a smile on my face and an open mind. I'm glad I did. We discussed a lot and determined that some spiritual healing would be a good addition to not only Marc's recovery, but also the upbringing of our littles. Having been raised a Catholic and not happy with it, I had a few reservations(That's really putting it mildly, I tend to shy away from any organized religion altogether. Faith is a very personal thing for me; not something I feel the need to share or broadcast, and certainly not something I feel I should be told how to express.). After discussing it for a few minutes, I suggested the local Unitarian Church. I've know families that belonged to their local UU and it really sounded kinda nice. They're very "open armed." They welcome all people from all walks of life; all faiths, races, sexual orientations, you name it. And that's a pretty important one for me. A lot of my personal opinions "don't fly" with the catholic or christian churches(for instance; both of my children were conceived out of wedlock, a big no no... and I support keeping abortion legal. I personally could never do it, but I certainly don't feel I have the right to tell someone else what to do with their life and body.). I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to spend an hour a week hiding in the back of the church because I knew that if anyone there knew how I really felt, I'd be scorned. But this was not the case last Sunday morning. It was really quite nice! We were greeted by a few of the other members and welcomed. When my daughter began to make her self known during the service, not less than three other's there told me not to worry about it and boy is she beautiful. We(all attending the service) were invited to participate in the discussion, rather than just sit and listen. And when it ended, everyone gathers for light refreshments and coffee in the church hall. Overall, it really just felt right for us to be there. I honestly felt comfortable in a church(something that hasn't happened in a long time), it seemed to do my husband a world of good(he actually seemed lighter when we left, if that makes any sense), and the small boy left there asking when we'd be going back. It was a good morning...

As you read earlier, the Little Bird is finally talking. Well, she has a few words and a whole lot of loud gibberish. Holy Cow! She's signing more, verbalizing more, and doing her damnedest to get her point across one way or another. A little frustrating at times(those sippy cups hurt when they're thrown at you empty), but encouraging just the same. After the sedated ABR(her ears work just fine, she's just stubborn, said the Dr.) we spent an hour with our regular pediatrician for follow ups and such. By the end of the visit, we determined that speech therapy would not be necessary, she's progressing just fine now... All I can say, I'm in for a world of hurt with this one! The small boy is a handful, but he's just soooo damn sweet. Most of his issues are due to the lack of impulse control(constant chatter, very easily distracted, and not really thinking his actions through before doing them). All I hear from everyone that spends time with him(and I agree) is that he's a very loving, sweet kid; not a mean bone in his body. He's never nasty, evil, or disrespectful, just mischievous. The small girl is definitely going to give me a run for my money. She's an entirely different animal; very head strong, opinionated, and stubborn. All excellent qualities(I know she'll never be pushed around or taken advantage of!), but... Oy!

And I'm gearing up for the madness of August... Canada the first weekend and then the seminar for work(five days away from home and the family... ugh). I'll hardly be home the first half of the month! And, it doesn't help that my husband can't come to Canada with us. I know it bothers him, a lot. We're laying my Grandparents' ashes to rest. They made annual trips to PEI to visit family. It was their favorite place, so it's only fitting that we leave them there. Because the hubby is a convicted felon, no Canada for him. Instead, he'll spend the weekend hanging out with his family. It'll be a long weekend.

We'll return on Monday, only to have the small boy fly out to visit his grandparents on Wednesday. First they'll be in NYC for a few days, and then off to Florida. He really is one of the more well traveled seven year olds I know(he's officially been on a plane more times than I have). I'll miss him while he's gone(he'll be with them for about 10 days) but I know he'll be in excellent hands and having a damn good time. And it makes things easier for the seminar I'm going to .

That following Friday I leave for the Infant and Toddler Seminar. It's held every summer, this'll be my first time attending. Part of me is really excited; it's nice to see a professional gathering. So many people consider preschool teachers to be no more than a glorified babysitter. And, the center I work for will be eligible for an excellent equipment grant! So it'll be well worth it. But, on the other hand, I'm not exactly thrilled about leaving my family for five days(I'll return the following Wednesday). I don't sleep well when I'm not home(not a fantastic sleeper anyway) and the thought of sharing a hotel room with two other women isn't exactly appealing. Unfortunately, I can't commute; part of the seminar rules(trust me, I'd be more than happy to make the hour and a half drive back and forth). And it put me in a bit of a pickle as far as finding someone to come and say with the Little Bird while I'm gone(Hubby works third shift, remember...). My poor mother is going to come up Friday afternoon and stay until Monday morning. She'll go to work(two hours away) and then drive back up for the night. Repeat that again Monday and Tuesday night... four hours a day in the car. Thank You Mumma! Again... Oy!

I'm going to go crochet now...

=)