School DAZED.....

Statistics have indicated that children educated in the US have really fallen behind....DUH!    Japanese kids go to school 43 days a year more than ours and I have feeling they're not playing video games in their downtime!   I am amazed at how many days off my kids have from school  - it's always something!  Ever heard of Casimir Pulaski Day?  Well he was  a Revolutionary War Cavalry Officer born in 1745- I'm sure a great fellow, but giving kids a full-day off of school to celebrate his birthday is a bit over the top!   This week,  my son has two days off, for what? I've stopped asking- especially with Spring Break upon us!   My normally o-kay son is ornery like his pissy sister from new sanctions on his video-game addiction--it's really like heroin for him - he  shakes at the thought of doing something like interacting with non-virtual people or  even worse, reading a book!   His Science grade makes me 'shake' and I'm tried of hearing since November, of how he's on a 'come back' with this class .... yeah right!  So the days of being the crazy uncle in the basement are over... he now is on very limited use with his X-Box.... will be nice to have him return back to society... it was time.

As any ADHD mother knows.... it's A's or D's with these kids... that then translates into a correctional facility or Harvard.  No middle ground here.....everything is extreme!

I recently heard a great analogy about children with this condition... 'They have the brains of a Maserati and the brakes of a bicycle' ... and I wholeheartedly agree with that! Another reason why they need to be constantly monitored!   So exhausting.... off to bed my favorite part of the day! :)   Sweet dreams!   Zzzzz

Year-round... 'March Madness' !

'March Madness' is a term that is not exclusive to the NCAA-

I'm afraid the 'MADNESS' term is more like fill-in-the 'month'

Madness at our house.

Years ago when your shoes would stick to the floor from spilled apple juice, I had a fantasy that my high-alert household (what my brother referred to as a combat triage unit) would settle down.  No such luck- in fact, the messes became bigger, the problems greater, the noise louder and consequently the damage more expensive.  Like war with friendly fire incidents happening everywhere we go to battle with ground-tools  like toilet plungers- marching from bathroom to bathroom.  Full-blown tantrums like heavy machine gunfire when TV remotes are missing and high-tech TV's won't work, a casualty of impulsive button pushing..... to then have electrical circuits BLOW like hand grenades on a regular basis while the smoke detectors SCREECH for burned food or wake us up in the dead of the night for a low battery.  We were just not meant for calm serenity with this gene pool.

My hubby and I are like hostages each morning,  accosted by our captors with demands for money- the 'look' today was more commanding than a Homeland Security Officer at O'Hare - I thought a full-body scan for the coins was next! Then  taxi-curb service to school and my day began.   Did I mention I am probably the only person in this time-zone to be appreciative of losing an hour of time 'day light savings time'... (so I could go to bed sooner) .....

Smart Fabric-- Stupid Mommy

Sometimes I wish I were as brilliant as the fabric used in Goodnighties sleepwear -- it actually does many things at once (comfortable, blocks achy pain, moisture wicks, anti-microbial and will help you sleep better!)  and it doesn't talk back... just quietly does as it's supposed to do! Shhh...don't wake up!

Today was another morning calamity that combined my many skills....only these unlike Goodnighties have to be done one-at-a-time....first, scrapping cheese off of a plate that was microwaved deeply-   Like the toothfairy, it is known throughout the land 'here' that there is a magical figure inside the dishwasher who flies in with surgical tools to meticulously scrap embedded food off plates- I would hate to spoil this for them.  They also believe that this 'fairy' cleans up breakfast dishes and lets the dogs out - apparently two very difficult tasks for hyper-focused kids.  This assessment was followed by poop from impatient dogs in their sleeping area (my office) .... all while having my first cup of coffee!  yum.... Then it was back to TAXI dispatch with direct orders for a quick stop along the way-  the teenage necessities of life - hair gel from Walgreen's a mission of vital importance.    This obsession is tantamount to a case of cigarettes- MUST have once a week.  yes, ma'am.

So in conclusion...'Stupid Mommy' will be trying to be efficient wearing I-pod style pajamas 'smart-fabric' -- and will be 'embedded' in my bed hoping this will absorb into my skin LOL   :)

  It's a rewind to start the week! 

On the road again! toot toot!

See, I told you I'd be back  :)  ...  It's been difficult though,  I've been on 'dispatch' all day - 'on call'... 'Taxi driving' for one of my more difficult clients.  This 'customer' is impatient-to-leave and VERY particular about making sure I'm waiting for the return trip.   We have an exclusive arrangement because she won't be driving on her own any time soon.   As part of my penance for this decision, I receive random 'calls' that after 10 pm are likely to wake me from a dead sleep... odd unpredictable times like, 11:10 pm and last weekend  it was at 12:38 am at the train station in the rain.   I cheerfully obey and when a critique comes about my driving skills, I always smile and say 'yes, ma'am'  toot, toot .... gotta go!

Work With Out End.... :)

I know I have ZERO credibility now after twice stating 'I'm Back' to not return for months- but since I am still kinda babbling to myself,  I guess it's OK... So now I AM REALLY BACK... and I have a good reason for the lapse.  I have been  working 24/7 on a project that I can only credit (or blame) myself about.   My plan now is to keep this thing (blog) going as my spa-treat-escape! (we'll see)......

To explain (I know I sound like my kids)... It all started with my chronic sleeplessness and I don't have to explain (from my previous posts) just how exhausted and exasperated I am from this life I have created.  After not sleeping well for months (or is it years?) I finally had enough and started researching a solution. What came next was unexpected!  I found nightwear that proclaimed to be a new line of fabric treated with negative ions to help you rest and sleep better called Goodnighties (http://www.goodnighties.com/ ).  This product also claimed to control nightsweats - another bi-product of my aging body.  It actually sounded like a joke... but I was desperate to try anything.  kids / hubby were eating me alive and I could barely function  so I bought a pair!    What happened next was a pretty shocking revelation for me.... even from the first night in these pajamas-  I SLEPT STRAIGHT THROUGH THE NIGHT!  what a  treat!   more surprises continued...because I began getting my creative mo-jo back so to speak.  My husband claimed it was a cure for B.W.S.  (Bitch-ee Wife Syndrome)  so everyone was happy!   I was actually starting to feel better!  I then as a sanity check bought my bff a pair because she had declared since 1984 to have not slept well from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome- again ... she was blown away by finally being able to sleep and will now not wear anything else!

 I then did something really crazy and for the first time in my career, I cold-called this U.S. manufacturer to find myself within a couple of weeks, carving out an exclusive business partnership to handle all marketing and sales for this unique product.    I then became an unexpected entrepreneur! Wasn't even looking for a job.... but because I was finally passionate about something.... I knew it was time to get back in the business saddle that I had known in a previous life (before kids).  

My life is now fully consumed with this business to the point of offering a lot of neglect to my family (they were due)... I am full-blown committed to the project- we are like 'The Little Engine That Could'  moving in the right direction and keeping ourselves off the '3rd rail'.... great fun but extremely challenging at times!  I do smile more often and it truly is rewarding to be able to help sleepless women everywhere!

Sleeping is Supreme

Just saw a kid running across the street (barely looked) to catch the bus wearing one sock (white) carrying his shoes frantically-- for me, it was nice to see- to know I'm not alone. Happy to know that there is (or was) likely a screaming mother in his background- my soul sister! My kids have been doing that for years! I long for the days when that will end...but at this point I don't see it in my deck of cards.

I am still completely exhausted....now running a business.... wrongly thinking that my kids were 'ready' to REALLY handle things themselves.... some days are better than others. I guess that's life....problem is; my 'good days' are so completely extreme to the 'bad' ones that it's not worth it. Just need to go back to sleep.

Personally, I am hoping to flip my current mindset of enjoying SLEEPING as my favorite thing to do in life. I'd like to become one of those people who gets out of bed energized and looking forward to my day-- problem is, I always have a giant hurdle to get over to get to that point... a husband tantrum (over the kids) or children that are screaming/fighting about something a ruined house and occasional dog poop waiting for me in the office. sorry to sound like a downer...need another cup of coffee! xo International Laundress -- off to my day!