You know, I tire of filling out the occupation part of forms with the word "homemaker". Firstly, it is outdated, and secondly, it doesn't even come close to a job description. Sometimes, if they ask to just fill in the blank, I write "MOM". But that doesn't cover it either. It think they should give you more space to fill in all of your accreditations and roles. Mine would look something like this:
BAAJ=Bachelor of Applied Arts-Journalism
ALHC=Associate Life and Health Claims
FLMA=Fellow Life Managemant Association
MOM=Most Outstanding Mother
Other titles or roles:
Wife
Daughter
Sister
Cousin
Aunt
Godmother
Friend
Housekeeper
Cook
Laundress
Seamstress
Costume Designer
Baker
Speech and Language Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Nurse
Doctor
Psychologist
Photographer
IT Specialist
Communication Liason
Homework Tutor
Diaper-changer
Potty-trainer
Proof-reader
Editor
Volunteer
...and maybe Procrastination Expert? As you can see, with all of these "titles", homemaker just doesn't cut it.
********************************************************************
In keeping with my role this month as staff costume designer, I went out this evening and picked up the rest of my supplies from Fabricland to assemble the costumes for myself and the kidlets. Of course, Phoenix being Phoenix, changes his mind at the 11th hour, so I had to scramble to organize the filing system in my brain to accomodate his costume choice. It's all good. Now I just have to put everything together. And I think this year, the glue gun isn't going to do the job. I am going to have to break down and sew. And as you may imagine, with my hurtin' hands, it's not going to be a fun job...but I did, in the interest of personal safety, pick up a thimble for preventative medicine.
Other roles employed lately have been homework tutor (helping Phoenix with his general homework, (well, supervising its completion), studying for spelling tests and a social science test), nurse and doctor (Mark, Keegs and Ty all have colds, and Ty's asthma has flared up a bit, so there's all that to deal with), speech and language therapist for Keegan and Ty, and on and on.
Quite a lot to do, in a job that provides no paycheck. But the benefits are awesome! (Read: love, hugs, and kisses).
PS Any titles I may have missed? Post them in the comments...
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Here We Go Again...
Well, just when I had thought the journey was reaching, if not completion, then at least a flat stretch of road during which I could set the cruise control and coast for a bit, it turns out that Ty need speech therapy as well. As he is now about 2 1/2, he should be using 2 and 3 word sentence combinations, and aside from the few he knows, like thank you, all gone, oh boy, etc., he is not really doing so on anything close to a consistent basis. It could be that he is just a slow talker, but I thought the same thing at first with Keegan, and so this time I am willing to err on the side of caution, and get him into speech therapy a year earlier. Maybe it will help to avoid the receptive language issues that Keegan has now.
So today, he had his first session. It went pretty well, I think. He was a bit shy, as he had never met the speech path before, and he was introduced to many new toys and things. But she managed to coax a few words out him with the aid of toy and food bribes. (Hey, he likes goldfish crackers! Who knew?)
So he goes for the next two Mondays as well, then we take a break to work on all of the goals that the speech path will set for him.
In other news, I had a slew of tests run lately, determining that I am very low in iron, so I am on a supplement for that, and eating lean beef twice a week. My thyroid was acting up, but showed okay on the last test, so I am going to be tested monthly for the next little while to ensure that it isn't fluctuating any more. I had some other tests run as well, and when I get my results back (hopefully this week) I will update on that as well.
School is going well for the boys. Keegs had a few hiccups at the beginning, but I think that they were just due to transition anxieties, and now his teacher reports that he is a very eager student, very willing to please, and contributes regularly to discussions and loves music and library time.
Speaking of library time, at his school, they have this great program in place, where every child in the kindergarten class gets matched up with a grade 4 reading buddy, who helps them pick out books in the library, and reads with them. Keegan's buddy is Mitchell, and he adores him.
Keegan informed me today that he and his girlfriend Rebecca are going to get married, but they are taking Grandpa's advice and waiting until they turn 6. Too cute! Must be a Carroll child, with a girlfriend (and pseudo-fiancee) at the age of 5!
Phoenix's world has turned quite social these days. He is delighted to be going to 3 birthday parties in the space of a month. His reading is much improved this year, and his teacher has indicated that he is now ready to start reading chapter books! Far cry from the kid who used to go into tearful convulsions if you tried to get him to read even a sentence last year. I am quite relieved. It was killing me to have a kid that hated to read, when I am such an avid reader! I couldn't understand. Books. Reading. What's not to like?
Next month I am taking Keegs and Phoenix to get their eyes tested. And also next month is Ty's global assessment, which if you remember from when I took Keegan, is basically a general testing to see if he has any delays in speech, language, fine and gross motor, behaviour and all that jazz. If he has two or more, he will be eligible for the subsidy and subsequent assistance when he goes into preschool in the fall.
Mark spent all day Saturday hosting the Field and Stream Rescue Team's 1st Annual Freezer Open Golf Tournment. For his first year doing it, it went rather well. People were very good about donating prizes for the event, and after all expenses and stuff, he was able to raise about $600 for the cause. I know that next year will be even better! Good job babe!
And speaking of Mark, he and I will be celebrating our 1o year anniversary this Thursday! It's been a wild decade, and I am so glad we were able to live it together. Here's to at least 8 more decades together! ( I realized that we the other day that we had coasted through the 7-year itch without even noticing! Must be a good sign.)
Hope everyone has a good week, and enjoys some better weather than the overcast drizzly crapola we are getting here. Bye for now...
So today, he had his first session. It went pretty well, I think. He was a bit shy, as he had never met the speech path before, and he was introduced to many new toys and things. But she managed to coax a few words out him with the aid of toy and food bribes. (Hey, he likes goldfish crackers! Who knew?)
So he goes for the next two Mondays as well, then we take a break to work on all of the goals that the speech path will set for him.
In other news, I had a slew of tests run lately, determining that I am very low in iron, so I am on a supplement for that, and eating lean beef twice a week. My thyroid was acting up, but showed okay on the last test, so I am going to be tested monthly for the next little while to ensure that it isn't fluctuating any more. I had some other tests run as well, and when I get my results back (hopefully this week) I will update on that as well.
School is going well for the boys. Keegs had a few hiccups at the beginning, but I think that they were just due to transition anxieties, and now his teacher reports that he is a very eager student, very willing to please, and contributes regularly to discussions and loves music and library time.
Speaking of library time, at his school, they have this great program in place, where every child in the kindergarten class gets matched up with a grade 4 reading buddy, who helps them pick out books in the library, and reads with them. Keegan's buddy is Mitchell, and he adores him.
Keegan informed me today that he and his girlfriend Rebecca are going to get married, but they are taking Grandpa's advice and waiting until they turn 6. Too cute! Must be a Carroll child, with a girlfriend (and pseudo-fiancee) at the age of 5!
Phoenix's world has turned quite social these days. He is delighted to be going to 3 birthday parties in the space of a month. His reading is much improved this year, and his teacher has indicated that he is now ready to start reading chapter books! Far cry from the kid who used to go into tearful convulsions if you tried to get him to read even a sentence last year. I am quite relieved. It was killing me to have a kid that hated to read, when I am such an avid reader! I couldn't understand. Books. Reading. What's not to like?
Next month I am taking Keegs and Phoenix to get their eyes tested. And also next month is Ty's global assessment, which if you remember from when I took Keegan, is basically a general testing to see if he has any delays in speech, language, fine and gross motor, behaviour and all that jazz. If he has two or more, he will be eligible for the subsidy and subsequent assistance when he goes into preschool in the fall.
Mark spent all day Saturday hosting the Field and Stream Rescue Team's 1st Annual Freezer Open Golf Tournment. For his first year doing it, it went rather well. People were very good about donating prizes for the event, and after all expenses and stuff, he was able to raise about $600 for the cause. I know that next year will be even better! Good job babe!
And speaking of Mark, he and I will be celebrating our 1o year anniversary this Thursday! It's been a wild decade, and I am so glad we were able to live it together. Here's to at least 8 more decades together! ( I realized that we the other day that we had coasted through the 7-year itch without even noticing! Must be a good sign.)
Hope everyone has a good week, and enjoys some better weather than the overcast drizzly crapola we are getting here. Bye for now...
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
What are you "fancfl" for?
Thanksgiving....turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. The best part of Thanksgiving for me lately has been asking the kids what they are thankful for.
At school, Phoenix drew a turkey, with handprints for tailfeathers, each listing a thing he was thankful for:
"I am fancful for...Canida, Water, Family, Frends, Trees, Life and Food".
Keegan's read "I am thankful for: turkeys."
I asked Ty what he was thankful for. He smiled, and said "Honey!" Thanks, babe.
What am I thankful for? My husband, my boys, my dad, my brothers, my great, great friends both new and old, my wonderful in-laws...I am thankful that after each day, I still am here to experience the next one. Spontaneous hugs and kisses. A letter in the mail. A genuine smile from passersby. For the worst of days that make me more appreciate the good ones.
For my life.
At school, Phoenix drew a turkey, with handprints for tailfeathers, each listing a thing he was thankful for:
"I am fancful for...Canida, Water, Family, Frends, Trees, Life and Food".
Keegan's read "I am thankful for: turkeys."
I asked Ty what he was thankful for. He smiled, and said "Honey!" Thanks, babe.
What am I thankful for? My husband, my boys, my dad, my brothers, my great, great friends both new and old, my wonderful in-laws...I am thankful that after each day, I still am here to experience the next one. Spontaneous hugs and kisses. A letter in the mail. A genuine smile from passersby. For the worst of days that make me more appreciate the good ones.
For my life.
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