So... I have been back to life and back to reality for quite some time now since our trip to Orlando! In fact, a great deal has been going on these past few weeks - I just haven't blogged at all!!!!!
Where to start??? First of all... we have a little backyard project that has started! In fact, we already have a whole new deck!!!! It's really very exciting actually. The deck is like four times the size of what we had previously and a much more friendly layout!!! I love it already and am super anxious to get some nice furniture for it. We have looked everywhere in town, and found nothing at all... so I plan to make some trips this week to continue my search. I will not rest until I find something... cuz I am impatient like that!
The next phase of the project will included the building of a privacy fence around the backyard, behind our house. The fence will go back from the sides of our house and only be in back. We want to create an intimate area we actually want to spend time in!!!! Not to mention, allow our dogs to run around and the kids to play safely in an area of their very own!!!!
We have a play structure already - we got a decent used structure a year or two ago and plan to put some new things on it. New swings... a new "trapeze" bar and a "tire swing." I let Ally pick out the kinds of things she wants to play on. It has a playhouse and a slide as well. We plan to move that to a different area in our yeard and put woodchips underneath it as right now, Scott has a hard time mowing around it. And by that, I mean... he does NOT mow under it... and the grass is soon going to be taller than Luke! ;-)
I think when it is all done... the deck, new furniture, grill, fence, improved playset...... our backyard will be a place we all want to be!!!!!!!! Now, we just have to take care of our bee and wasp problem.......
We are also taking our home improvement "inside" the house! We would like to get a new kitchen counter, sink, faucet and all new stainless steel appliances....... just a little "facelift" for our current kitchen.... ;-)
We are doing all this for a number of reasons... first of all, we want to enjoy these improvements.... DUH! :-) But... also, we are going to try to sell our house in a couple years, so we are slowly preparing it to go on the market!!!! Anyone want to buy a GREAT house in Concord in a couple years? ;-)
So...... that said...... we have also recently purchased a piece of property that we plan to build on, in this same time frame........ IF we can sell our current house that is! We are REALLY, REALLY excited about this prospect..... and hope that things work out for us in the time frame we'd like them too.... but time will tell. We are trying to take it all super slow and be really patient (damn near impossible for me!). We own the land..... and will just hold on to it for a little while. Exciting to have something so fun to look forward to!!!
Lots going on! Lots and and lots of good, good things..........
The kids are doing well. Ally is wrapping up her first grade year and seems to be pretty ready for school to be out for the summer! I will be changing my work schedule this summer to only work 2/3 days a week so I can be home for days at a stretch and do some fun things with the kids. Ally will likely do some Y Camp and other camps throughout the summer... but we are going to play some of it by ear and see what she is enjoying.
Luke..... oh my little Luke...... ;-) Luke is in full 2 year old boy mode. The kid goes between making me melt with his "I lub you mommy" comments, to making me scream with his spitting at me because he is mad, mad, mad ...... or DEMANDING a "chocolate baba right NOW!"
He has become more and more senstitive it seems to just about everything. :-( He does not like babysitters and will sometimes not say one word the entire time he is with one. This, of course, makes me not want to go out (unacceptable cuz Scott and I NEED to go out!!!!!) and gives me great anxiety and guilt. He is generally scared of loud noises...... and doesn't like new people...... and experiences. I remember Ally being more sensitive to noise... for longer than age-appropriate, but Luke seems even worse. :-(
So...... in perfect "me fashion"..... I spent far to much time researching this and have now self diagnosed Luke with some sort of sensory disorder........ First, I was looking up autism and aspergers.... but I think (in my professional opinion of course) that might be a stretch...... but he DOES exhibit signs of childhood anxitey. :( I am saddened by some of the things I am reading on this...... and called the pediatrician this morning. She is totally booked solid for a month (WTF???) but the nurses and staff are going to speak with her personally about fitting us in somewhere...... cuz I talked at length about my concerns. The nurses are great there and I love them for working so hard to get me some answers.
Maybe it's nothing....... but I am starting to worry a bit... and I won't feel better until I at least get some answers.......... or someone tells me NOT to worry!!!! I want him allergy tested..... I wonder if some food he is eating is affecting him. I want there to be some reason... something I can change to help him... that he is so sensitive all the time. Even though I know, it is completely possible that this is just how he is... and maybe it's more social than physical.
We have a lot of behavior problems with Ally too and have been told that she is a bit more sensitive than the average bear as well.......
Ugh...... two difficult children. Not easy...... but better to know what I'm dealing with and WHY...... cuz we can't keep going on like this....... ya know????? I feel like there's a reason for both of their behaviors.... and maybe it is just a sensitivity..... maybe they both have a disorder of some sort.......... but I want to know what I/we can do then to make their lives easier for them to handle.... so we don't have outbursts of anger and rage....... or moments of complete shut down...... :-(
So, hopefully we will get some help. Get some answers... even if we just go back to the person we worked with for Ally's behavior issues........ but we need to find a way to help make all of our lives a little less stressful.......................
Whew.... life ain't never simple now is it?????? ;-)
5 comments:
Thanks for the updates Nina....I guess you won't have the kitchen done by the 4th of July...I was hoping to see it if I come then. But I will be able to see your deck.
I hope you are just being overly-sensitive to your kids being overly-sensitive...Its just personalities and we parents cannot change our kids...they are who they are ;)
Love you!
Mom
I bet your backyard is going to look AMAZING! Our old house had a fully privacy fenced backyard with a deck and landscaping and we LOVED it. Our new house, though, I hesitate to privacy fence it in because we are kind of central to our 4 surrounding neighbors and we really enjoy chitchatting with them when we are all outside. I do miss the little "oasis" that a privacy fenced yard gives you. I am jealous of the deck... I SOOOo want a deck! Post some pictures... and if you need anyone to enjoy the deck, give me a call LOL!
OOH I meant to also say... I really really do not think Luke falls anywhere near the autism spectrum... at least from being around him the little bit at Jane's. He is probably just a little shyer than most kids, and more sensitive to change. I hope that a meeting with your ped will ease your mind!
I get this weekly email from babycenter and was reading this week about tantrums etc. The last line is what caught my eye and I wanted to share. I totally understand the need to research and hence work yourself up and worry ;-) when you even have the slightest hunch that something feels off. I have becoming a master at that over the last 16 months ;-) Anyway here is the blip from babycenter:
Watch for signs of overstress. Although daily tantrums are a perfectly normal part of the mid-toddler years, you do need to keep an eye out for possible problems. Has there been upheaval in the family? An extremely busy or harried period? Tension between Mom and Dad? All of these can provoke tantrums. If after the age of 30 months your child is still having major tantrums every day, talk to your doctor. If your child is younger than 30 months and has three or four tantrums a day and isn't cooperating with any routines, such as getting dressed or picking up toys, you also may want to seek help. Your doctor can make sure your child has no serious physical or psychological problems and suggest ways to deal with the outbursts. Also, talk to your doctor if your child has frightening breath-holding spells when he gets upset. There's some evidence that this behavior is linked to an iron deficiency.
Ha! And see how good I am - I just re-read it after pasting and see that the iron deficency piece is spefically linked to the breath holding. See I am good at getting myself worked up - not a good example! lol!
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