Yes, this is a job posting. Not a blog post, but a job posting. I am in need of a personal assistant. The ad would read something like this...
Nepper's Landing, Personal Assistant required.
Wage: Nothing
Hours: Long, long hours
Start Date: Yesterday
Contract Length: As long as we both shall live
Job duties (include, but are not limited to):
~ Run errands with little to no notice.
~ All poopy diapers automatically default to you.
~ Cooking, Cleaning, and Laundry duties
(*minus the folding bit, which I actually tend to enjoy)
~ Remind me of upcoming important events, daily.
~ Babysitting services, on a whim.
~ Do my course readings and provide a detailed synopsis.
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
As funny as this is, some days I really wish I did have someone in my life who did all these things, other than myself. Not like I despise my place in life, but I do find it hard to divide myself a gazillion ways. I'm finding this especially hard with my schooling right now. Two courses make for one confused Holly. The content is so similar, but different enough to keep you on your toes. For example, I was working on my 311 course last night, and was just about done my readings (yahoo!)...that is until I realized I was doing the readings for 312. Although this is an improvement, because last week I completely forgot about my 312 readings altogether, that is until Thursday morning. So things are slowly improving, I mean I've nearly almost read all of them, just in the wrong order. Ahem.
Since we've been back from the Island there have been so many little things that need to get done. I am more and more becoming a list person. When I go to the mall, I have a list. I am fortunate enough to live literally across the street from a mall where I can run most, if not all of my errands, including grocery shopping at my beloved Safeway. So I can can often be found in the mall, darting from store to store, "gettin' 'er done."
Take for example last Friday. I had to pop into the post office, the library, drop off at the dry cleaners, go to the fabric store, pick up something at Zellers, and then do my grocery shopping. This saves me an enormous amount of time as I don't have to get in and out of the car and makes it more manageable on the kids. But still makes for a busy, busy morning.
I'm finding now that Abbi's back in preschool, this is becoming more manageable. Gabe and I have 2.25 hours to get a lot done. Unfortunately this means a lot of cart riding or car seat sitting for Gabe, but I do what I can to make it fun and special. He's actually a pretty good trooper. Not to mention, I think the second child will take one on one time any way they can get it.
~
We just got back from a weekend in Calgary with the Childrens Heart Society. It was a really great time. Each family got to go down, stay in a fairly swanky hotel, get some gas money, and a day at the zoo on Saturday. Our kids loved it. We were at the zoo in June (in Edmonton), the kids were so-so about the entire thing. This time, you could tell they were quite excited. Although the Calgary Zoo is far superior. I mean, here in Edmonton, we have a Prairie Dog display. Sigh. I know when I'm dolling out big bucks to go to the zoo, I sure had gophers in mind...
So it was a good time. Unfortunately I didn't feel that much bonding took place within the CHS. Everyone was so busy doing their own thing, and getting to and from the zoo and going to and from the pool, we really didn't get a chance to connect with anyone. This is the 3rd event we've been a part of with them. The Christmas party being our first event (terribly awkward, seriously feeling like the new kid on the block). Then we had a weekend away in Jasper, which I most enjoyed. They actually rented a conference room for the entire weekend, which was stocked with goodies, games, video games, ping pong tables. A great way to connect with people.
So the plan is to continue on with the group, despite these things. I really do see value in Abbi being able to relate to kids who have had similar experiences to her own. I just find it tricky because this is an organization that has been around for decades, and many of the members have been involved together for years. There are a few families with younger children (although the predominant group has teenagers), but again, I'm finding it hard to connect. Despite the fact we all have such huge, life-altering things in common. Hopefully this years Christmas party we can make some connections.
Perhaps we've been somewhat spoiled by the church in the sense that most churches have a "newcomer mentality." They expect, hope, and long for newcomers. Therefore they are very focused on this. They have Greeters. The average group, outside of the church, generally does not have this. Its very easy to get caught up in your cliques. Not to say I have not been guilty of this (within the church), but I just feel like its constantly brought to the forefront while in a church setting. "Take 5 minutes and greet the person next to you. Learn their name. What they're thankful for." This last question often drives me batty, because it can lead to the most awkward situations. "Hi Bob (You 45 year old, single white male, you). I'm Holly. What are you most thankful for in life?."
~
In other Nepper news, we are having the same types of struggles with our daughter in preschool. The teacher says there is some improvement, in now her 5th time attending. But we had the same issues all last year in her other preschool. I think so much of it is getting used to the new routine. New people. New expectations. Hard on any kid, but even harder on a child who seriously struggles with transitions. So upon the teacher's recommendation, we are having a behavioral specialist come in and observe Abbi in the school setting tomorrow.
I realize many of you, being Grandparents or loved ones of this child may scoff at this, but I also long for answers. I feel like since we have been struggling with her behavior, or attitude, or whatever you may call it, we were told she is just strong willed. She's far too smart. She's just feisty. Look at all she's been through. Maybe she's too young to be in preschool. Etc, etc. All nice things, but none of these answers provide a concrete way to deal with this. And for me, these explanations breakdown even more when she is injected into an institutional setting. As lovely and as smart and as sweet as she is, she is "failing" (so to speak) in this setting. I realize someone might offer the idea that maybe this isn't the setting for her (eg. maybe its the wrong school), but this is technically the 4th setting of this type that she has been in, and in each one she has struggled immensely.
Those struggles include, but are not limited to, the major thing, defiance. My daughter has no qualms about mouthing off anyone, including a teacher, a Grandparent, a parent, or heck, even a complete stranger. So when it comes to transitioning from anything like coloring to snack time or just going out in the van to pop into the grocery store, it is a battle. This is exhausting to say the least in a home setting, but I think its even more troublesome in a school type setting where there is 2 teachers to 16 kids.
So I had given it a month in my head. "We'll see where she's at within a month," I thought. A silly time line (but this also comes from the girl who was not going to blog for 30 days instead of 29 because 30 is a nicer number). So I was holding onto that number loosely. But when the teacher approached me and suggested that we try this first, I was excited. Then terribly anxious. I so appreciate that there is even a service such as this, but also the thought of a diagnosis unnerves me. You mean I can't just call her a sassy 4 year old anymore?
I'm not saying there will be a diagnosis, but with this may come some ways to help deal with her. Because the teacher(s) always ask me for ways to work with Abbi, and I often have nothing to offer. I too feel like I am failing in this regard. I would say Rob and my Mom deal with her best, but they both have different ways of dealing with her, and I think its a fluid thing. There is no one simple way to get through to Abbi. Each situation, each day brings new things. And ultimately it will not be Rob or my Mother who will be responsible for educating my child. So we need to find solutions and ways for her to thrive in this setting.
And I also realize that many of you who read my ramblings are homeschooling advocates, and believe me, this thought has crossed my mind. Unfortunately this is generally not a welcome thought in my mind. Call me selfish, call me what you will, but I have literally no desire to home school my children. I always said I would do it only if my children needed this from me. I suppose die hard homeschoolers would question what defines that need, but this comment isn't to diminish home schooling, or what you lovely people bring to your children. Its just to point out that I haven't entirely ruled out this scenario, its just not a welcome one at this point in my life. But perhaps over time, it will become a welcome conclusion.
~
So I realize this post has run over many different things going on in my mind. Some sober, some terribly serious, some funny. This is how my mind works. As much as I am thinking about what tomorrow will bring, there is also so much more going on in my life, therefore it cannot consume me. I think this is a good thing. Sitting and fretting will do me no good, not to mention I have no time for it!
And if you haven't noticed my blogging has gotten more and more sporadic as the school year continues. So forgive me when I don't do a "follow up post" tomorrow at Noon. Blogging once a week seems somewhat manageable, and therapeutic for me. It still allows me that space to reason things out, to laugh, to reflect. But none of this comes with any sort of regularity.
Wage: Nothing
Hours: Long, long hours
Start Date: Yesterday
Contract Length: As long as we both shall live
Job duties (include, but are not limited to):
~ Run errands with little to no notice.
~ All poopy diapers automatically default to you.
~ Cooking, Cleaning, and Laundry duties
(*minus the folding bit, which I actually tend to enjoy)
~ Remind me of upcoming important events, daily.
~ Babysitting services, on a whim.
~ Do my course readings and provide a detailed synopsis.
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
As funny as this is, some days I really wish I did have someone in my life who did all these things, other than myself. Not like I despise my place in life, but I do find it hard to divide myself a gazillion ways. I'm finding this especially hard with my schooling right now. Two courses make for one confused Holly. The content is so similar, but different enough to keep you on your toes. For example, I was working on my 311 course last night, and was just about done my readings (yahoo!)...that is until I realized I was doing the readings for 312. Although this is an improvement, because last week I completely forgot about my 312 readings altogether, that is until Thursday morning. So things are slowly improving, I mean I've nearly almost read all of them, just in the wrong order. Ahem.
Since we've been back from the Island there have been so many little things that need to get done. I am more and more becoming a list person. When I go to the mall, I have a list. I am fortunate enough to live literally across the street from a mall where I can run most, if not all of my errands, including grocery shopping at my beloved Safeway. So I can can often be found in the mall, darting from store to store, "gettin' 'er done."
Take for example last Friday. I had to pop into the post office, the library, drop off at the dry cleaners, go to the fabric store, pick up something at Zellers, and then do my grocery shopping. This saves me an enormous amount of time as I don't have to get in and out of the car and makes it more manageable on the kids. But still makes for a busy, busy morning.
I'm finding now that Abbi's back in preschool, this is becoming more manageable. Gabe and I have 2.25 hours to get a lot done. Unfortunately this means a lot of cart riding or car seat sitting for Gabe, but I do what I can to make it fun and special. He's actually a pretty good trooper. Not to mention, I think the second child will take one on one time any way they can get it.
~
We just got back from a weekend in Calgary with the Childrens Heart Society. It was a really great time. Each family got to go down, stay in a fairly swanky hotel, get some gas money, and a day at the zoo on Saturday. Our kids loved it. We were at the zoo in June (in Edmonton), the kids were so-so about the entire thing. This time, you could tell they were quite excited. Although the Calgary Zoo is far superior. I mean, here in Edmonton, we have a Prairie Dog display. Sigh. I know when I'm dolling out big bucks to go to the zoo, I sure had gophers in mind...
So it was a good time. Unfortunately I didn't feel that much bonding took place within the CHS. Everyone was so busy doing their own thing, and getting to and from the zoo and going to and from the pool, we really didn't get a chance to connect with anyone. This is the 3rd event we've been a part of with them. The Christmas party being our first event (terribly awkward, seriously feeling like the new kid on the block). Then we had a weekend away in Jasper, which I most enjoyed. They actually rented a conference room for the entire weekend, which was stocked with goodies, games, video games, ping pong tables. A great way to connect with people.
So the plan is to continue on with the group, despite these things. I really do see value in Abbi being able to relate to kids who have had similar experiences to her own. I just find it tricky because this is an organization that has been around for decades, and many of the members have been involved together for years. There are a few families with younger children (although the predominant group has teenagers), but again, I'm finding it hard to connect. Despite the fact we all have such huge, life-altering things in common. Hopefully this years Christmas party we can make some connections.
Perhaps we've been somewhat spoiled by the church in the sense that most churches have a "newcomer mentality." They expect, hope, and long for newcomers. Therefore they are very focused on this. They have Greeters. The average group, outside of the church, generally does not have this. Its very easy to get caught up in your cliques. Not to say I have not been guilty of this (within the church), but I just feel like its constantly brought to the forefront while in a church setting. "Take 5 minutes and greet the person next to you. Learn their name. What they're thankful for." This last question often drives me batty, because it can lead to the most awkward situations. "Hi Bob (You 45 year old, single white male, you). I'm Holly. What are you most thankful for in life?."
~
In other Nepper news, we are having the same types of struggles with our daughter in preschool. The teacher says there is some improvement, in now her 5th time attending. But we had the same issues all last year in her other preschool. I think so much of it is getting used to the new routine. New people. New expectations. Hard on any kid, but even harder on a child who seriously struggles with transitions. So upon the teacher's recommendation, we are having a behavioral specialist come in and observe Abbi in the school setting tomorrow.
I realize many of you, being Grandparents or loved ones of this child may scoff at this, but I also long for answers. I feel like since we have been struggling with her behavior, or attitude, or whatever you may call it, we were told she is just strong willed. She's far too smart. She's just feisty. Look at all she's been through. Maybe she's too young to be in preschool. Etc, etc. All nice things, but none of these answers provide a concrete way to deal with this. And for me, these explanations breakdown even more when she is injected into an institutional setting. As lovely and as smart and as sweet as she is, she is "failing" (so to speak) in this setting. I realize someone might offer the idea that maybe this isn't the setting for her (eg. maybe its the wrong school), but this is technically the 4th setting of this type that she has been in, and in each one she has struggled immensely.
Those struggles include, but are not limited to, the major thing, defiance. My daughter has no qualms about mouthing off anyone, including a teacher, a Grandparent, a parent, or heck, even a complete stranger. So when it comes to transitioning from anything like coloring to snack time or just going out in the van to pop into the grocery store, it is a battle. This is exhausting to say the least in a home setting, but I think its even more troublesome in a school type setting where there is 2 teachers to 16 kids.
So I had given it a month in my head. "We'll see where she's at within a month," I thought. A silly time line (but this also comes from the girl who was not going to blog for 30 days instead of 29 because 30 is a nicer number). So I was holding onto that number loosely. But when the teacher approached me and suggested that we try this first, I was excited. Then terribly anxious. I so appreciate that there is even a service such as this, but also the thought of a diagnosis unnerves me. You mean I can't just call her a sassy 4 year old anymore?
I'm not saying there will be a diagnosis, but with this may come some ways to help deal with her. Because the teacher(s) always ask me for ways to work with Abbi, and I often have nothing to offer. I too feel like I am failing in this regard. I would say Rob and my Mom deal with her best, but they both have different ways of dealing with her, and I think its a fluid thing. There is no one simple way to get through to Abbi. Each situation, each day brings new things. And ultimately it will not be Rob or my Mother who will be responsible for educating my child. So we need to find solutions and ways for her to thrive in this setting.
And I also realize that many of you who read my ramblings are homeschooling advocates, and believe me, this thought has crossed my mind. Unfortunately this is generally not a welcome thought in my mind. Call me selfish, call me what you will, but I have literally no desire to home school my children. I always said I would do it only if my children needed this from me. I suppose die hard homeschoolers would question what defines that need, but this comment isn't to diminish home schooling, or what you lovely people bring to your children. Its just to point out that I haven't entirely ruled out this scenario, its just not a welcome one at this point in my life. But perhaps over time, it will become a welcome conclusion.
~
So I realize this post has run over many different things going on in my mind. Some sober, some terribly serious, some funny. This is how my mind works. As much as I am thinking about what tomorrow will bring, there is also so much more going on in my life, therefore it cannot consume me. I think this is a good thing. Sitting and fretting will do me no good, not to mention I have no time for it!
And if you haven't noticed my blogging has gotten more and more sporadic as the school year continues. So forgive me when I don't do a "follow up post" tomorrow at Noon. Blogging once a week seems somewhat manageable, and therapeutic for me. It still allows me that space to reason things out, to laugh, to reflect. But none of this comes with any sort of regularity.
Hi Holly,
ReplyDeleteAs one of those die hard homeschool moms...there is nothing but grace and prayers coming your way. God will guide you and Rob in how to best raise these kidlets. And He will give you the strength to do whatever he asks.
And as for Abbi's struggles...oh my! You have read our road the last little while with Isaac. I am in not saying Abbi's struggles are the same but I do know what it is like to have a child who doesn't cope in social settings. Defiance in children her age is a common outward response to many different things. Isaac's was sensory and change. Anyway, if you ever want to chat I'm all ears. But I also understand I might be the last person you want to talk too because my kid does have a diagnosis :o)Just email me if you want to connect.