Let's Face It

Well, I've finally jumped on the little bandwagon called "Facebook".

I'm not sure if this was the greatest idea in the world, and personally, just from my one-evening experience with this phenomenon, my preference is still "The Blog". However, Facebook adds a new dimension to virtual interaction. I'm going to explore it for a while and see where it goes.

Have a wonderful weekend . . . mine is going to be filled with the following:
1. Meeting Triscuit. More on that later;
2. Decorating our first "real" Christmas tree together as a family;
3. Continuing on with Christmas baking;
4. Laundry, cleaning, cooking . . . you know. The regular stuff;
5. Office Christmas party.

I hope I can actually accomplish everything I've got myself set out to do this weekend. I can't believe it's December already.

OOPS!

So keeping in line with the holiday spirit, I thought I'd change my blog template in order to acknowledge the season. However, in the process of doing this, and due to my complete stupidity when it comes to HTML's, etc. I completely obliterated some important information from my blogger account, namely, my list of links to "Blogs I Enjoy".

Guess what? Unless you leave me a comment, I likely will not be able to read your blog. I truly hope that all of my regular readers will comment after this post, just so that I am able to reconnect with you. Of course, I have some of your blog addresses memorized, but not many.

Please . . . HELP!!!!

Again. I am blonde. Maybe not at the roots. But I am blonde.

UPDATE: I had a brainwave to check my "history" and therefore I've recovered quite a few blog addresses, since I had just "visited" many of you prior to changing my template. Thank goodness! So, in the next day or so I'll continue to update my sidebar with all of my blogging friends.

But you can still leave me a comment . . . please?

Oh Joy. An Update.

Blogging has definitely hit the bottom on my list of priorities. I'm not happy about that, but there's not a whole lot I can do about it until life slows down to turtle pace. Who am I kidding? That's never going to happen around here . . .

Briefly, this is what I've been up to the past week or so:

1. Promoting my puppies . . . they're all sold. I've got Sir Lancelot with me until Thursday morning and then he meets his new owner. For some reason I'm having an extremely difficult time departing with my puppies this time around. I don't know why . . . I just am.

2. Work. Work. And more work. But the good thing is, I'm down to four-days-a-week in December, which means I've got every Friday off. PLUS . . . I get two weeks off at Christmastime to coincide with Mitchell & Ty's school break. Yeah for flexibility!

3. My car. Apparently a wire had completely disconnected . . . a very important wire. That's why my car would start one day and not the next. Thankfully, this bill was only $55. That, I can handle.

4. Snow and extreme weather. I've done a lot of shoveling the last couple of days, and a lot of bundling up too. Last night we were down to minus 27 degrees Celsius with wind as well . . . today we had a bit of a mini-snowstorm. Our school bus hasn't ran once yet this week, which means the Dodge Ram and I have become public transportation providers. Hopefully the bus gets fixed soon . . . being a chauffeur is cramping my style.

5. Christmas decorating. Yesterday I brought home 3 foot artificial trees for the boys to decorate for their bedrooms. They had so much fun decorating their little trees! This weekend we're going to pick out a 'real' tree . . . we've never had one, so this is a huge deal for me. I've got my silver and gold decorations all set and ready to go . . . I can't wait to see my tree after it's all trimmed!

6. Christmas baking. Yes, I've begun. I'm not in full force yet, but having my Fridays free in December is really going to help me get a lot of treats made!

7. Sleep deprivation. Need I say more?

Ha! Ha! I listed seven things without even intending to. I love seven. Just thought I'd remind you all of that again . . .

He's Still an Amazing God!

The car died again today. I left for work this morning with no problems whatsoever. But when I went to start the car after work, it wouldn't start. I called Wayne and he suggested I "wiggle" the battery wires a bit and see if that did anything (since the mechanic thought it was a loose wiring connection that was causing the original problem). So, after much prayer and Wayne's suggestion, the car started. But then the battery light was continually flashing on and off all the way home, and I almost made it home before it stalled. I had to leave the car stopped at the stop sign right at the end of our driveway and walk (or, should I say, run) towards the house. Wayne was waiting for me so that he could leave for work. He got the truck and towed me back into our yard. I've been "checking" on the car every now and then, attempting to start it again, but with no success.

What to do now? We're not sure. Obviously, Wayne and I haven't even had a chance to discuss what the next step is. But apparently the mechanic was wrong . . . there is something wrong with the car and I really hope the problem can be solved. In an inexpensive way. I can't go to my car each time I want to drive it, wondering whether or not it's going to start! And when you've got two little boys in tow, you really, really don't want to be stranded on a grid road in the middle of nowhere.

BUT, as my title states, He's Still and Amazing God. Yes, He is. God's going to work this out. My patience and trust in Him are being tested. And I'm going to allow God to use this time to build my character. Because really, do I have a choice in the matter? No.

P.S. HAPPY THANKSGIVING to my American friends!

Nothing Major

So, I just spoke with our mechanic this morning and he's advised that they couldn't really find anything "wrong" with my car. The battery power and alternator are good . . . they changed the oil (which we asked them to do) and replaced a burnt out bulb for one of the back brake lights (which we asked them to do) and basically, that's it. The mechanic thinks the starting problems had more to do with loose or dirty wire connections under the hood and no other major problems were discovered. So . . . a bill under $100 is sitting really well with this car-owner.

Once again I must proclaim that I serve an amazing God!

He's The Man!

I'm so blessed to have a husband that loves his family so much. For no particular reason, I just had to tell you all how much he means to me . . . A LOT!

Give your husband a hug today!

Just Gotta Tell You!

My best girlfriend gave birth to her third daughter today . . . Brianna Erika Jade.

I can't wait to see her!

Battery Problem?

On my way to work today, my car's battery light came on. I called Wayne (he's working nights this week, so he's home sleeping during the day), and advised him that I'd be coming home. I didn't really want to become stranded on my way to work, or worse, not able to leave work at the end of the day because of the problem. When I pulled into the yard, Wayne was already waiting with the battery charger ready to go. However, we're not sure if the problem is the battery, or if it's something more complicated. Either way, I'm stuck at home for the day and I'm stressing over this car issue. Our car went through a major engine replacement in February. That set us back quite a bit financially, and really, we don't need this right now. If you think of me today, please pray that this is as simple (and inexpensive) as changing the battery or that the charger is all my car needs right now.

Since I'm home for the day . . . guess who gets to clean the house?!?!?!?

75% SOLD!

This weekend, "Shiny" and "Smarties" went to their new homes. "Rover" will be on his way this week sometime . . . so I've just got to find a good home for one more pup, "Sir Lancelot".

Due to the time of year, I honestly did not think I'd be able to sell our puppies this quickly. I already miss my sweet baby girl puppies, and they've only been gone one day. I hope they're okay.

Yep. I was definitely attached to them--more than I thought I was. Sniff. Sniff.

Yesterday's Feast

I didn't get this done on Friday, but after reading all the Feast Questions, I still wanted to participate!

YESTERDAY'S FEAST

Appetizer
What was your first “real” job?
Funny . . . I was just talking about this yesterday with my co-workers. My first "real" job was waitressing at a Ukrainian restaurant in the town next to where I grew up. I worked there right after high school for two months prior to starting my new life at Bible college.

Soup
Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity?
My computer . . . either playing around with photos or making cards, newsletters, etc. OR . . . spending time at writing a post for my blog. OR . . . working in the kitchen, baking up a storm.

Salad
Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when…
family members of mine do things that irritate me, i.e. chewing their nails! I'm not going to name any names, but this is a problem for two out of four people that currently live in my household!

Main Course
What values did your parents instill in you?
A good work ethic; generosity; living to please God; the importance of family.

Dessert
Name 3 fads from your teenage years.
1. BIG HAIR! The higher my bangs would go, the better I'd feel about myself.
2. STIRRUP PANTS and SHAKER-KNIT SWEATERS . . . worn together with the ever-so-popular SLOUCH SOCKS. Oh, and LONG, FAKE, BEADS in a wide array of colors.
3. BIG AND/OR DANGLING EARRINGS. As a result of this particular fad, I had a chronic ear-lobe infection, which eventually led to the separation of my ear lobe from the pierced hole, down and out. The final separation of the ear took place when I was about 19 years old, but it wasn't until I was 25 that my doctor noticed and referred me to a plastic surgeon to get it all fixed up. Unfortunately, the plastic surgeon strongly advised against ever getting my ears pierced again. I've taken his advice, and I'm one of the very few 35-year old women in my neck of the woods without pierced ears.

One last question for ya! If you could go back to high school and do it all over again, would you?

If I were living in the 80's, and these were the fads, then yes, I would. However, I must say that I am very thankful that I am not a teenager now, nor the parent of a teenage girl at the moment, simply because of the style of clothing that has emerged over the last several years (i.e. tight shirts revealing the midriff, extremely low-rise jeans and the overall idea that 12-year olds are objects of desire. No, thanks! I think things were a bit more tasteful back in my teenage days, even if I did look like a dork. At least my body was completely covered.)

I Promise

Lately I've been posting a lot about my son, Mitchell. It's because he's on my heart and mind constantly. Right now I ache when I am away from him, because I feel that if I'm not there to "protect" him from all the wrong in the world, that he's just going to get hurt over and over again. And I won't be there to help pick up the pieces.

Upon his arrival home from school today, Mitchell informed me that he really liked having an in-school suspension. Why? Because he was in a classroom all by himself, all day long, with no distractions or interruptions. He got all his work done, plus some extra!

Yesterday when I talked with the Principal about the in-school suspension, I was under the impression that all this meant was missing out on the ability to play outside at recess. Well, it went beyond that. Basically what it meant was isolation from other students, all day long. He didn't get to have recess, eat lunch with his friends or have gym class today.

After hearing about his day, I felt like sobbing. But he didn't mind his day. I don't know . . . maybe this is just what he needed . . . some time to himself.

Ty informed me that on the way home from school today there were lots of extra kids on the bus . . . kids that were attending the birthday party of one of the boys in Mitchell's class, whose Grandpa happens to be the boys' bus driver. However, Mitchell was not invited to this party. Every other boy in his class, plus the boys in the grade 4 class were invited.

My heart is breaking right now.

As a child, I have memories of being rejected and severely hurt because of incidences just like this, where I felt left out when I didn't get invited to certain activities. BUT Mitchell told me that he was glad he didn't get invited to the party because he just wanted to be at home with me. That may sound sweet, and in a way it is, but I don't think it's normal. Not that I want my son to cry every time he isn't invited to a party . . . it's just that he hasn't been invited to one single birthday party since we moved here almost a year ago. I'm getting the feeling that perhaps he's not fitting in with the boys in his age range. I know the girls really like him, there's no doubt about that. But he doesn't have a really close male friend, aside from his younger brother.

To me my concerns are legitimate. To my husband, they aren't as much. He relates to Mitchell in the sense that he experienced the same thing growing up, and he didn't care. Mitchell says he doesn't care that he wasn't invited to this party . . . Wayne says he didn't care if he didn't get invited to parties either. Maybe I'm way out to lunch on this, but this just doesn't seem right. Is this a "boy" thing that I'm just not able to understand?

Of course, I don't want to make a bigger deal about this (to Mitchell) than it is. I have a tendency to dwell on things from an emotional standpoint, and this is a perfect example of that. I'm not going to bring this up with Mitchell again tomorrow. What good would that be? But part of me is thinking that maybe his struggles in the past few weeks have been due to this particular issue: feeling like he doesn't fit in or belong. Just a thought.

Okay, so my promise is that I will quit posting so much about my son and just let him live the life of an eight-year old. There are so many other things I could write about . . . it's just that right now MITCHELL has been my heart's focus, and that's usually what I tend to write about . . . what's on my heart.

A Visit to the Principal's Office . . . An In-School Suspension . . . He's Lucky He's So Cute!

Yep. It's happened. My son had to visit the Principal's office today. And I had a phone call from the Principal about it all. Mitchell's been given an in-school suspension (which, for an eight-year old, means he has to do homework during recess . . . ). The other child involved in the "incident" has been suspended from school for a day. Apparently more severe consequences come to those who take a child 2 years younger than them, much smaller and weaker than them, and toss them over their shoulder, causing them to land head first into a cement pad. Yes, that's what happened to my son. All because of a disagreement over a basketball at recess.

I'm still shaking my head over this, and honestly, I've been crying quite a lot over the whole ordeal as well. Thankfully Mitchell's head seems to be doing okay now, but the whole incident has really affected him in a negative way.

I've never been a rule-breaker. As a child, I obeyed in school. I wasn't a rabble-rouser, and I just wanted to be good. You might say I was the teacher's pet. Perhaps that's not everyone's ambition in life, but as a child, it was mine. And, for the most part, I was able to fulfill my quest for perfect behavior in school.

Apparently, Mitchell does not share the same ambition I did as a child. On the contrary, quite the opposite is happening. And it's happening right before this mama's eyes. Her sad, tear-filled eyes. And because of my childhood ambition, I don't understand my son. I truly don't get it.

Please pray for Mitchell. Please pray for Wayne and I. Like I eluded to in the post below, we've been doing a lot of EXTRA praying around here this week. Very deliberate, intentional praying . . . that Satan's power would not take over the boys, particular while they're at school. I know Satan is testing me (us) in the area of parenting, and right now I feel like he's winning. God, please . . . HELP!

Around Here

I believe it is time for an update. I do realize that for those of you who read my blog regularly, I've left you "hanging" with regards to the progress of some things I've posted about in the past couple of weeks. So, here's a warning for you: This is going to be a long post. However, I am going to try to organize my thoughts and have "sub-titles" along the way . . . mostly for my benefit (in order to keep this post on track), but partly for your benefit. If you don't want to read all the way to the end of this epic tale, just search for the topics you want info on, and read.

Okay, here it goes.

PUPPIES FOR SALE!

I posted some pictures of our pups a few days ago, and yes, they are as cute as they look in the pictures, if not cuter. I've got an ad all set up and ready to go in the paper this weekend, so hopefully by Sunday night I'll have half as many pups as I do now. YES, it's extremely difficult to let them go. And as silly as this might sound, I actually pray that God would send the right people my way to buy them. By "right", I mean, families (or singles) that will put the required amount of time and energy into raising their puppy and giving him/her lots and lots of love and attention. I don't sell my puppies to puppy-mills, and while that may be difficult to determine, I actually have turned down potential buyers in the past due to their intentions with my puppies. If you think of us this weekend, please pray that we are able to sell all of our pups to good homes.

On another puppy-related note, this litter has been challenging due to the fact that their transition from mama's milk to puppy food and water brought about severe constipation. Consequently, I had to take action and give them a laxative in order to help things along, plus I had to bath them all and clean up their backsides, if you know what I mean. I've also had to apply an antibiotic ointment in order to relieve their pain and sensitivity. Thankfully, it appears that my efforts to remedy the constipation have worked, but now I've got to be on poop patrol constantly!

And one more sad piece of info about my puppies. A few weeks ago we lost one of the pups due to an unfortunate accident involving my boys and an elevated surface. I won't go into all the details, but my favorite little pup, Gilmour, suffered injuries substantial enough that he did not live more than 12 hours after the accident. It was a very sad week in our house after the accident happened, and my boys feel horrible about it. So do I.

THE MOTHER OF ALL INTERVIEWS!

After leaving the parent-teacher interview with Mitchell's teacher last Thursday, I felt worse than I did before the interview started. Not that the teacher intended to make me feel worse. I'm sure she didn't. But she revealed to me that in the last couple of weeks prior to our meeting, Mitchell did not seem as happy-go-lucky and positive as he had near the beginning of the school year. Plus, he has recently decided to become the playground and classroom "policeman", which the teacher isn't too impressed with. He's been making everybody's business his own, and as result, tension has risen with him and some of his classmates, and this has, in turn, resulted in him being more unsettled and unfocused. It broke my heart to hear from the teacher that Mitchell hasn't been himself lately. But to be honest, I was noticing the same thing myself, so why should I have been surprised?

My 20-minute interview time was spent focusing and dwelling on the negative, and we didn't have much time to get into the good parts of Mitchell's year and the areas in which he has been successful. I know he's bright. I know he's well-liked by the kids and teachers. I know he's charming and funny. I know that deep down he's trying his best, and really, that's all that we can ask of him.

Following the interview, Mitchell had 4 days off from school and he and I were able to chat about some of the issues and we've come up with a plan of action to motivate him to stay more focused and improve his listening skills. And wouldn't you know it, so far, so good. I haven't spoken to Mitchell's teacher about his week yet, but from my perspective, things are improving. His behavior at home this week indicates to me that he's making progress. He's had a bit of homework this week, and he's doing it without eruptions and outbursts. He's been cooperative and has been especially obedient the last few days. I'm hoping this new-found attitude has carried over into the classroom.

All we can do is keep praying. And that's exactly what I've been doing more of. Praying. Praying more intentionally and specifically for my boys with regards to school. And we've been talking as a family about how Satan tempts us in all ways, all the time, and how we can combat him both at home and at at school. And I think it's working. Go figure.

THOMAS' PLANS

Thankfully, Thomas' Social Services worker and his group home facilitator have been able to put a kibosh on his plans to move in with his birth mother and her family. At least for the time being. This is a huge answer to prayer! We are so grateful that someone was able to get through to Thomas about how detrimental a change like this could (and would) be to his future success. Unfortunately, his new-found obsession with his birth mom has caused Thomas to put Wayne and I and the boys on the back burner for now, and we're not even sure when we'll be seeing him again. I'll be surprised if we actually get a visit prior to Christmas. Thomas is so focused on his mom right now that it feels like we don't matter anymore.

FAILURE BE-GONE!

I'm thrilled to report that as a result of some major discussions with Wayne, my support group and some other close friends, I'm not feeling like a failure anymore. A month or so ago I was feeling extremely overwhelmed with life in general, and one thing just seemed to be piling on top of another. My relationship with God is back on track and that feels so good! I am so blessed and I just keep reminding myself that I am not Superwoman. I am human. I have limitations and I am not perfect. BUT, by God's grace, I have the ability to be all that He has planned for me. I just need to allow Him to carry out His plan, instead of trying to derail His plan all the time. It feels good to be able to share this with you. I hope you will feel encouraged and blessed by God's love, forgiveness and acceptance.

HEART CONDITION!

I have not yet seen my doctor about my heart palpitation/racing problem. She's on sabbatical leave until February/March, so I've decided to wait until I have my annual physical to discuss this issue with her. And, I'm pleased to report that since posting about it (give or take a few days following the post), the condition vanished. Not to say that it won't return . . . but for now, it's non-existent.

SCAPEGOAT!

Overall, my new job is going well. I've been there exactly two months now, but I still feel so green at everything! I know it's going to take time, and I have to keep reminding myself that I have a 35-year old brain to train, not an 18-year old brain. I'm learning lots, and I appreciate my flexible scheduling SO, SO much. But . . . (you knew there was a "but" in all of this, didn't you?), there have been several occasions where I've been named the scapegoat for problems that arise because of the fact that I'm the "new girl". I don't like being the "new girl." I wonder how long it will take before I'm not the "new girl" anymore? I hope it's soon, because I really don't want to carry the title of "new girl" any longer!

ET CETERA

A few miscellaneous tidbits now . . .

HAIR
Did you notice the new picture of me at the top of my blog? Mitchell took the picture, and, well, I think I liked my previous picture better . . . but, how could I say no to his adorable face when he asked me to use "his" picture on my blog? I couldn't. I wouldn't. I didn't. I'm not sure if any of you will notice, but I'm not as blond in my new picture as I was in the previous picture, thanks to my incredible hairdresser, Jilla. I just got my hair cut and high-lighted (and low-lighted) last week, and I absolutely love it!

(Okay . . . two days of the new picture was actually driving me crazy. Not because of my hair . . . but because of the picture itself. There was just something "not right" about how I looked in that picture. Maybe it was the angle or something. Once I've got something that I'm happier with for the world to see, I'll change it. For now you're stuck with viewing Kimmy Kaleidoscope.)

FLAT TIRE
I took last Friday off since the boys didn't have school, and on Monday it was our stat holiday in lieu of Remembrance Day, so I had a four-day weekend with my wonderful husband and boys. Well, Wayne had to work on Friday and Saturday (he was sick three days last week and he's bound and determined to make up the 30-hour shortage on his paycheck), so I didn't get to spend as much time with him as I would have liked, but, we had a great weekend together as a family.

On Friday I headed off to spend the day with my best friend and her two little girls (who are like sisters to Mitchell and Ty). She's about to give birth to her third daughter any day now, so we're all waiting in anticipation of that big event.

On the way in to the city, I had a tire-blow out on a grid road about 10 km from home. It was the most nasty wintry day we've had yet this season, and, well, I'm not particularly mechanically-inclined. I've changed a tire before, but not on our current car, and not with two boys who want to "help" while I'm trying to combat icy cold winds in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, some boys from school and their dad (whom I'd never met--just heard about) came along and changed the tire for me. God took care of us when we needed it the most. I was almost in tears when our knights in shining armor came along. I had just come to the realization that I didn't have the physical strength to loosen the bolts on the tire to get it off. That's how weak I am. Of course, it was no great effort for the dad who stopped to help us. He got the tire off, the car jacked up, and the donut on in about 15 minutes. Honestly, I would have been there all day if I would have attempted this myself.

So, our visit with my friend and her girls had to be altered somewhat, because she had to chauffeur us around while the new tire was being installed. I was just glad that I didn't have to sit at the tire shop for 3 hours with 2 restless boys while the car was being made road-safe again. Thank goodness for best friends!

A FAMILY OF SETTLERS
On Saturday, Wayne and the boys taught me a new game called Settlers of Catan. We bought this game off of E-bay with every expansion set as well, so there's been a lot for me to learn. However, it's been a lot of fun and it's absolutely amazing to watch my boys play this game for 2 - 3 hours at a time and not lose interest or focus. (Yes, Mitchell was able to focus on this game.) My extended family has been playing this game at family get-togethers for a couple of years now, but I myself had never played it. Well, now I get their attraction to this game. It's F-U-N!

PAINTING WITH FADED DENIM
Aside from playing games and having some other family fun, I was able to tend to some other pressing matters around here, such as laundry, baking and painting our basement, in two amazing colors, Coal Blue and Faded Denim. I'm now down to the final coat of paint and then we can install the new floor. I can hardly wait to have my basement functional again. It's been a long time coming, but I think I'm finally beginning to see a light at the end of this tunnel of renovation.

**********************************************************

I think I'm done rambling now. Unbelievable, I know.

Puppies!

Here are some puppy pictures . . . the pups are so much cuter now that they've got black noses, dark eyes and tonnes of hair! They're 6 weeks old now and I'll be looking for families to adopt them within the next couple of weeks.

They're the sweetest things I ever did see!

(Click on a picture to enlarge the collage.)

Friday's Feast #158

Appetizer
Which snack do you like to get when you go to the movies?

At a movie theatre, I like the traditional popcorn and pop (Diet Coke, or whatever rendition of that they produce out of their water-fed fountain . . . it's really quite gross, actually. But, I need something to wash down the salty, greasy popcorn).

For watching movies at home, my snack preferences vary, with the exception of the ever-so-faithful Diet Coke, which is what I always have. I love Tostitos (Multigrain is my new favorite variety) and my homemade salsa. I could eat that forever. I also like Sea Salt & Pepper chips, as well as All-Dressed Chips.

Soup
What year did you start using the Internet?

It all began when I was working as the receptionist at Bethany College. My computer was one of the first to be installed with e-mail and Internet access. Of course, my usage was very limited and I must admit, I do believe I was intimidated by the Internet at first. That was back in 1996, and boy, things sure have changed!

Salad
What is your first name in Pig Latin?

I don't know Pig Latin. But I'm guessing it would be something like Myiik. I'm not totally sure. If any of you know how to say "Kimmy" in Pig Latin, please enlighten me!

Main Course
Name something you are picky about.

I am picky about my hair. As much as I've tried to get over this after becoming a mommy, I really do not appreciate the boys "tousling" my hair and messing it up. In recent months as my hair has been getting longer (yee-haw!), it's not bothering me as much, because it's much easier to "get my hair back to original form" since it's longer. But still . . . it bothers me.

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: I ____ ____ yesterday and I ____ ____ today.

I went to work yesterday and I didn't go today.

At Least He's Honest

In the middle of more homework strife with Mitchell again this afternoon, I was actually blessed by something he shared with me.

On his hand, written in blue pen, was the following reminder:

"Got 100% on math. But got one wrong."

I asked him what the meaning of the message on his hand was. He then proceeded to tell me that on Friday his class had a surprise math test (on the same topic as the math homework I had so desperately tried to help him with on Thursday), and he got 100%. But really, he didn't get 100% because the teacher forgot to take marks off for a question he had wrong somewhere in the test. When he pointed out the correcting error to the teacher, she simply stated that he could keep the 100% mark since she'd already entered the marks into her book.

I am so proud of Mitchell. And it's not because of his mark. It's because of his honesty. I guess we must be doing something right as parents. In any case, this little incident was a humble reminder to me that the education of my boys goes way beyond what happens in the classroom at school. Their whole world is an education, and as parents, Wayne and I choose how that education influences them, right down to their morals and values.

Teacher's Comments

The following is what Mitchell's teacher left as comments in his report card:

"Mitchell is a very good student doing well in Grade 3. He is always so positive with a great sense of humor. He will be even more successful as a student as he works on his listening skills and focusing." (emphasis mine)

More discussion on this topic will follow at the parent-teacher interview next week.

Out of Focus

Before I begin writing on my topic, Out of Focus, I just wanted to let you all know that our computer problems have now been taken care of and hopefully we won't have any of the same issues in the future . . . Yeah!

The other thing I wanted to say is that I'm sick with my second cold in as many months. It seems like I just got over one virus and now I've got another one, and this one is worse than my last one. My vitamin regiment is supposed to be helping my immune system become stronger, but it doesn't seem to be working too well . . . I'm beginning to feel like I did two years ago when I was diagnosed with Microplasmic Pneumonia. I was the sickest I've ever been in my entire life. I lost 7 lbs. in 5 days and was basically useless for an entire week. It wasn't pretty. The doctor informed me then that due to my bout with this particular pneumonia, I would be more prone to getting it in the future. Oh joy.

My plan of action is simple: sleep.

That's my plan; however, I'm not doing very well following my plan.

Such is the life of a mom.

Now, on to the topic of the day regarding focus . . . My son, Mitchell, began talking in complete sentences at an early age. I really don't remember him not talking. As a baby, he was a babbler. As soon as he could say "Hi", he said it to anyone and everyone he saw. And once he figured out how to put words together, he began talking in sentences. Eventually, conversations with a toddler using big words for a little-boy body began to occur. I admit, I enjoy conversing with him. Usually. Of course, there is a time and a place for everything, and sometimes his talking gets out of hand. That's when his talking becomes known as excessive chatting.

This excessive chatting has always been, and I suspect will always be, a problem for him with regards to the classroom setting. Unfortunately, much frustration has been created for Mitchell's teachers due to his gift of gab. And as of tonight, it's pushed me over the edge as well.

Let me explain.

For the past two weeks, Mitchell has brought homework home approximately 6 out of 11 potential school days; the reason--his chatting. I'm sure of it. He seems to have the idea that school is primarily for socializing and the learning is just something he has to do because, well, it's a school. And that's what schools do. They teach. Or in his case, they attempt to teach.

My son is smart. While his report cards do not reflect him to be a straight-A student, I do believe he has the potential to be there. And why he isn't there is simple: he can't focus on his work because he's too easily distracted by his desire to talk. Or drop a pencil. Or get a new eraser out of his pencil box. Or use the washroom. Or smile at the girl across the row.

Attentional difficulties run in my husband's side of the family. While the only member of the immediate or extended family to have an official ADHD diagnosis is my stepson Thomas, there are definite signs that many of Wayne's relatives suffer with attentional issues, Wayne included.

When Mitchell entered Kindergarten I was convinced that within a month or two of school, his teacher would be sending him for an ADD/ADHD assessment. However, that was not the case. In fact, Kindergarten was one of his best years. So, with each passing year, I prepare myself for "the call" from the school, announcing their suspicions that Mitchell has ADD/ADHD. (I'd say it's more ADD than ADHD). But so far, nothing. And at this point I'd actually be surprised if any professional were to give him an all-inclusive ADD diagnosis. I think it's more of an attentional issue as opposed to the all-out ADD.

Wayne and I don't want to have to resort to medication in order to assist in Mitchell's attentional difficulties. But I have heard that certain vitamins and herbs can help kids remained focused, increasing their ability to pay attention. Mitchell currently takes a daily multivitamin as well as an Omega supplement, but if you have any other methods to increase concentration and focus by way of a non-prescriptive formula, please advise.

So, another question to you is this . . . do any of you have children that have trouble focusing on their school work in a school setting, and as a result, come home with more homework than you as a parent can handle? I'm not sure why, but the amount of homework he's brought home (as a result of his chatting in class and not using his time wisely), is beginning to concern me. And getting him to focus on it at home after he's been at school for 6 hours already, has become a huge power struggle for he and I. Today was particularly challenging. And I was a bad mom and raised my voice at him over the fact that he wasn't focusing on the task at hand. Right now my head feels like lead due to my cold, and having to supervise Mitchell as he worked through three grueling pages of math homework for at least an hour just kind of pushed me over the edge.

I don't want to make this issue bigger than it really is. I've spoken to his teacher about his strong desire to chat the day away, but it seems that since that conversation, the amount of homework she's sending home for him has increased. Tomorrow Mitchell gets his report card and next Thursday is parent-teacher interviews, so I guess I'll just wait and see what the teacher has to say about all of this, and whether or not she's got some suggestions to improve the situation.

I hope this post made sense. Like I said earlier, my head feels like lead and I just want to go to sleep.

I look forward to hearing back from any of you who can provide advice on my unfocused child.