Huffing and Puffing and Catching my Breath

Spring is a busy time, isn't it? Starting about 3 weeks ago my kids started getting sick. One child per week for about 5 days was sick on the couch with fever, vomitting then diarrhea. It went through my 4 year old, then my 6 year old then my 12 year old. This week my 13 year old started with it but she recovered after one evening of fever and had none of the stomach issues.  Fortunately for her she was able to leave the next day for a 3 day camping/horseback riding/rafting trip with her junior high class.

My dh hurt his shoulder girdle on the right working in the yard May 7, and hasn't been able to lay flat even at night since then. It has spread to his left shoulder in the mean time. He can't do much with his arms without causing a lot of pain. This has put a complete halt on our garden and yard plans. For a week I was working 45 hours, doing all the shopping, housework and cooking.  Dh is improving this week and is able to help with the shopping and some ordering and bills etc, but he still can't sleep in his bed. Fortunately we have a couple of reclining options in the living rooms and he seems to do okay in those.

I helped my 13 year old do a project for presentation regarding Japan - we got a perfect grade on it. I went to an art and forensics presentation with my 6 year old. That was fun.   She got first place doing this peice a week or two ago. She and my fifth grader also recently had their spring music concert - dh tried to do that too, but his shoulder killed him the entire time.

While my 12 year old was home sick last weekend and Monday and Tuesday, she brought home a chick she had hatched at school.  She had it in a brooder box she had made.  The first night it peeped a lot.  Unfortunately she didn't get to enjoy it much before mean old mom made her bring it back to school so it could be brought home with another child who has the set up for raising chickens.

Thursday I was a parent sponsor with the first grade class. We went to Halibut Cove - taking a boat out of Homer. That was delicious fun! We did tide pooling. The little community there was so beautiful. One family has a little farm with horses and chickens and beautiful little greenhouses with cherry trees blooming inside and raised beds... Very inspiring! They also had a building that was an art studio - wow. My artist husband would have loved it. On the way back we went by this rock in the center of Kachemak Bay that is completely covered with terns and puffins and the like nesting. We also saw a few otters. I totally loved the entire trip.

Yesterday I was punished for my day off by having tons of work to catch up at work.

Jae's 12th Birthday

My dd turned 12 today.  I am pleased that she has two good friends to share it with.  We had a cookout in our backyard for the first time since moving into our home last September.  Dh did a great job making some log benches and putting together a fire ring we found at Sportsman's Warehouse and keeping the fire going.  We got her a Harry Potter Lego set of Hagrid's hut, which she enjoyed putting together with her friends, although all of our friends and acquaintances here may think we are crazy that we let our kids (just Ciara and Jaedyn) read and watch Harry Potter.  (None of them actually said so, but none of them are familiar with it, so I am pretty sure it isn't allowed).

Stewing over my daughter's snobby junior high class

It's so hard watching my beautiful daughter go through an entire year not making one real friend at her new school.  My daughter is talented and pretty.  She is nice.  The girls at school will not even talk to her.  Sometimes she will try to start a conversation.  She'll sit at a lunch table where they are all sitting, and try to start a conversation like, "do you like to go shopping"?  She knows they do because they talk about shopping at other times.  They answer no.  If she pulls up a chair to sit with them when she goes to get her food, the chair will be filled.  All year she has had to eat lunch alone.  She invited all the 7th and 8th grade girls to her house for her birthday in October.  Not one could bother to come.  Most of the time if she tries to talk to them they ignore her altogether and pretend they didn't hear her.  At the beginning of the year, the boys targeted her to tease her, but it got out of hand. I requested some help and the school did help to put a stop to it, but it didn't make anyone any nicer, just not as mean...  I wish we had an alternative option of a good school that would have hope of not being worse than this.  I am glad that Ciara's teachers are encouraging her in her academics and are nice to her, and that some of the high school students go out of their way to talk to her.  She doesn't want to change schools, but it sure would be nice if she could have at least one friend.

My talented children

Since this is my blog, I feel like putting in a little brag.

Today my 11 yo called me at work to tell me that she won 1st place in her age group in a poster contest for a local safety fair.  Her prize will be $50!  My 13 yo is one of three 7th graders in her school to be inducted next week into the Junior National Honor Society.  My 1st grader won two first place ribbons in forensics presentations - one for individual, and one for their group presentation.  Needless to say I am very pleased.  My boy (4) hasn't gotten an award, but I think I will make him one soon.  He has learned to read and do addition this year.  He can write all his letters and numbers one to ten.

11.5 hours and 33 charts done...

At 4:30 this morning I woke up.  My stressed out mind wouldn't let me sleep any longer.  I got up after tossing and turning for 30 minutes and decided to go read a chapter in the Harry Potter book I am reading.  My alarm went off at 5:30 am but I was already awake.  I got up and got dressed and headed into the office.  By 6:30 am I was using my dragon to chart on the 21 charts of the past couple of days.  By the time I started seeing patients 2 hours later, I was down to having only 9 of them left, all from yesterday.  I saw 13 new patients today to add on 13 more charts to do.  By the time I left at 6 pm, I had only one chart left.  Whew!  I know I'll sleep better tonight!  I've heard some promising words of hiring another part time practitioner and adjusting our schedules to 16 patients...  Sweet relief!  Tonight I was able to be a much better mommy with my children, and I'm looking forward to getting home at a better hour tomorrow night!

I hate Mondays like today!

I'm so tired and grouchy! 18 patients were too many today (I'm a physician assistant). I could only chart on 3 of them, and I am behind on another 5-6 charts from last week. I was at work 10 hours and it is so discouraging to not be able to get it all done. I feel like I can't even think straight when I have days like that. Tomorrow I will have to go in at like 6 am to have any hope of getting my charting caught up. I already have 16 people scheduled to see tomorrow. It is very discouraging when one of the doctors is only seeing 2/3 of what she is supposed to be seeing and my schedule is overmaxed. I talked with my medical director today and she agreed with me and will be talking with the administration tomorrow morning, hopefully they will cap off Margaret's (a nurse practitioner) and my schedule at 16 a day. I know she is drowning right now also.