Did you know one’s foot ISN’T supposed to flow over the side edges of your shoe? Or look like Miss Piggy’s hocks crammed into pumps? I didn’t.
My foot length is 8.5 US/women’s (39EU). If you measure the total. If you just measure from the arch, it should be a 6.5! (Even tho my toes actually look rather stubby). My feet are wide (4″ across at the ball of the foot, and not JUST at the ball), but I have a narrow heel.

Due to my knee injury, I can’t wear anything that doesn’t have a backstrap – if it flip-flops, my knee starts to hurt before I even walk across the room. If I’m wearing sandals that don’t have snug/adjustable front straps, I grab with my toes… which makes my big toes end up with strange slices into the skin (looks like I cut them with a razor blade on the bottom, not bleeding just into the callous/skin).  Kinda freaks out the pedicurist.

When I was tiny, I had arch supports to help “give” me arches, and a brace on my leg at night to make my toes turn out. Though they did the trick, evidently my feet still have a slight curve on the outside (bowing out), showing how my feet used to turn in and making them wider across the arch not just the ball of the foot like everyone else.

I also have hyper-flexible joints, which means I’m up and down on my feet and my toes all day and makes my ankles weaker. So I’m happiest barefoot or with flexible shoes – but they need padding on them because I also walk heavily. My most recent problems are probably due to this – I likely twisted my ankle last fall (which happens so often I forget about it) and damaged a nerve in my ankle/foot… which has continued to be irritated by too-snug shoes, to the point where it now hurts when anything other than a sock touches it. The Podiatrist gave me a cortisone shot a few days ago, it made it numb and incredibly uncomfortable for about 24 hrs, then back to hurting in regular sandals again. I think I’m going to try acupuncture next, see if I can deaden the damn thing.

Did I mention the platinum blonde hair on the toes?

So. Hobbit Feet. I got ‘em.

Now try finding professional looking shoes to fit them. Let alone cute ones. It explains much, especially why I’m usually happiest in boots or nothing at all.

Back to work and school. L HAD been on a B12 schedule every day/half-dose. It helped his sleep AND his crashing by the end of the second day. But he hates getting the shots and raises a major fuss every morning.  So after 2 weeks on the everday sked, S went back to the original schedule. He’s still doing fantastically in school, but I’m seeing a definite difference in his ability to handle transistions (2 tantrums today).  But what’s better, tantrums at night over stupid stuff or in the early morning over the shot? I dunno…

I’m tired and PMSing. Quite cranky, in fact. I’m feeling torn – L needs me this week (as we prep for b-day, S is cooking/baking like mad and I need to take L outside for exercise and to get out from underfoot). But I also need to be working more effectively, I’m not focused enough and I’ve got too many balls in the air. I wish we could just finish some decisions and get on with things, this is rather absurd.

So hard to maintain my calm in the face of tantrums when I’ve got all the work stuff on my brain… and we’ve heard NO from the first of the Charter schools. Keep your fingers crossed, the next 2 weeks should bring the others.  (How screwed up is this: it’s a small school, only 24 openings for K… and they had over 200 applications!!! Yet for some unknown reason, neighborhood and mainstream schools can’t get it through their heads that teaching the way they do isn’t the best or even the only way to reach kids, and can’t POSSIBLY implement the programs that the Charters use.) OY VEY!

The Apartment Home is a wreck, we’ve decided to skip Spring Cleaning in favor of packing. Don’t ask. But since I spend so much time here, That’s stressing me out.

Yet, Life is Good. It’s SPRRINNNG, there’s flowers everywhere. L is doing so well in school the same teacher that was concerned in Jan about him getting lost in public school is now confident in his ability to succeed, and the speech therapist wants to administer B12 shots to every kid in her school!

If I can just breathe, get thru the Bday bash tomorrow (complete with surprise appearance by the Clonetroper – yay for the 501st!) and the work Performance on Monday night, I think I can get on top of the rest of it and ride the wave through June. Then we move into someplace in Portland (hopefully close to whatever school of choice we get into) and have our stuff out of storage, S can unpack and frolic with L for the summer while I get PlayWrte’s website and systems finished up and help the new BoD members integrate.

Yep, true believers – be careful what you ask for, you might get it. I have a good job (have to buy our own health insurance for me/L, but that’s ok) for great folks/awesome program/excellent chance of success… L is doing much better, though we’ve still got a ways to go. And yet, I find myself stressed and tired and etc. Huh. <shrug> Guess that’s life!

Here’s to a Great Tomorrow for everyone – stay tuned, tru believers! Adorable bday pix will soon follow, of the little guy who went on his first “date” this month and is definitely no longer My Baby Boy. <sniffle>

Yesterday, S took L swimming in the am. Then I took him to the playground for the afternoon (2+ hours), where he had a delightful time playing with the Russian & Latino kids that were having b-day parties there. But he spent a lot of time trying to ignore me or not responding to me when I asked him questions… and I noticed he was stimming a LOT more.

So since he spent the day being social AND very active (couldn’t even sit still to eat except when we ate snack in the tree), I expected him to sleep like a log last night.

Nope. He spent the night chatting to us. Don’t ask me what he said, I can’t remember – I don’t think I even responded to most of it.

Needless to say, I’m pooped. S is pooped. And L?

L is ready to play LeggoStrWrs.

sigh.

Now that I’m working, I’m going out to meetings a LOT. Coffeeshops, sandwich joints, restaurants… and you know what? It never tastes as good as it looks, or as I remembered. I still miss ethnic foods (sushi, indian buffet, dim sum: ah!) but standard restaraunt food? Blech.

Last night we had sweet potato pone (with duck eggs and molasses), steak (top round, broiled) and steamed spinach. It was wonderful! Simple yet yummy – I can’t sit down and NOT have seconds. L and I had experimented in the kitchen earlier so we had Blackberry Crisp for desert.

No, none of it was as perfect or as sweet as a commericially-prepared dish. But dinner was all organic, mostly local (we picked the blackberries ourselves last summer – tho the teff and gluten-free oatmeal came from elsewhere.) And the main meal cost about $8. Not each. $8 total, not counting utilities.  Maybe another $3 for dessert?

Can’t beat it. Eating at home. Yum.

Can you tell the difference by looking at their armor? I couldn’t – until L showed me. He’s become quite the Str Wrs fan, in ALL it’s versions. (That thrills the Geek in me, but I have to say, the movies really don’t hold up to repeat viewings well.) Oh well – better than the SpngBob obsession I nipped in the bud.

When we went to the children’s museum today, it was to see….

http://www.cloudcitygarrison.com/index.html

Wow, they were GREAT! And what a fun hobby – dress up in great costumes and show up at social events to thrill children and collect donations for your favorite charity. They had all different flavors of troopers, an enormous wookie, boba fett, a Leia and a Padme (not as impressive, the fancy costumed versions would’ve been better!) and of course, some jedi knights and a Darth Vader with neato light sabers.

L was entranced – we sat in the ampitheater for about 45 min before he got up the courage to go up to the characters and give them high-fives/say hello. They were playing music (mostly the Imperial March) and it was a mob scene of thrilled kiddos.

I’ve saved the best part for last – being the Geek that I am, I was talking to S about how to make L’s b-day more special/entertaining for the kids without spending a ton of money (can’t afford $250+ for an indoor party when we’re saving for disneyland!) And I thought – what if we can get a Real Stormtrooper to show up at the park for the party???

HOORRAYY! There’s a local Clone Trooper Commander and he’s able to show up at L’s party! Wow, the kids will be sooo amazed! And S had a great idea – we’re gonna ask the parents to keep their gifts small (under $5) and bring some cash to add to the donation so we can actually model philanthropy etc to the little guys and all chip in to make a bigger donation (it’ll go to Doerenbacher Children’s Hosp). We can’t afford the $200 normal donation, but maybe we can come up with a bigger chunk.

I LOVE everything about this! (well, I am a bit concerned about the weather being cold/yucky – even though we’ll have a pavillion, I want them to be able to run’n'play.) But this will be L’s best b-day yet – 15 kids on the invite list, a Clone Trooper, Daddy has promised to make a “red walnut cake” (whatever that is) and at the end of the day: Announcement of the Trip to Disneyland!

Just hope for a beautiful day on the 11th, ok? This is truly a year to celebrate: better health/lucid boy, lot of friends, beautiful city…

Stay tuned, tru believers – our little sith lord should have some cute pix showing up soon! (Check on my facebook page for his latest).

Afterschool Gang!

No photo evidence, but L (and various parental units sans Nif) went on his first date yesterday. He and friend T met up. Now, T is this feisty little thing that wears tutus and pirate clothes to school with her sunglasses, and is always willing to be The Monster that the other kids run from after school. We’ve had some other playdates and she gets along great with L. All said, I highly approve of her in competition with the other two “girlfriends” – both of whom are in training to be high-femme divas (nothing wrong with that, I just think L will have more fun with the spunky grrl – after all, he is MY kid.)

Anyway, they went to see mnsters vs alns 3-d (my suggestion but I had to work so this is all 3rd-hand). Evidently T had decided she was going to try out all the behaviors she had learned (from where?) about “dating”. There was hugging in the lobby, then they all found seats together. L got shy and didn’t want to sit next to her, so she got up and asked him directly and he said… “Daddy, MOVE!” So they sat together, held hands, she buried her face in his shoulder during the scary parts, etc. They even left their 3-d glasses on for most of the movie! It was T’s first time in a theater, so she did great.  S said it was cute beyond measure.

And so, it begins. Stay tuned, tru believers! The saga of L and his sweeties will, undoubtedly, continue….

PW is still awesome, I love my boss, my BoD members and the work – tho I confess, I’m stalling a bit at tackling the database cleanup. Ug. At least it’s still small… but what a MESS! Names mispelled, gifts entered incorrectly (both attribution and amounts), contacts unconnected. Just crazy stuff, and it’s gonna be a pain in the ass to fix – and I don’t even know if the software is going to serve our needs. sigh. Oh well, can’t be perfect!

I also need to shop for health insurance for L & I (can’t cover S – we’re not married and the domestic partnership only applies to same-sex couples.) L’s medicaid runs out next month so this is becoming a priority.

S is doing much better, tho the nystatin still hurts him. We’re both losing weight/looking better. Now if L would just start sleeping thru the night again so we can get some rest, we could fit some quality time in around the edges! He’s also looking for work again, heading back to non-profit land. I wish him luck, it’s not easy as I well know! But he’s a smart guy, he’ll figure out the right fit.

We’re starting to plan for L’s 6th bday – he’s lucid enough this year to be excited about it – he’s been perusing the lego catalogue for weeks now, figuring out what lego star wars kits he wants to ask for. He also wants “a red walnut cake”???? Mind you, he doesn’t even like walnuts, so I don’t know where this is coming from. He’s doing so much better with all the kids at school so we’ll need to rent a pavillion and have a big outside party (cross your fingers for no rain). April 11th – save the date! We’ve got plenty of toys stashed already, we just need to figure out party goodies and entertainment… stay tuned, tru believers, this will be his biggest bash yet until….

May…. we’re going to Disneyland!!! Yep, the tax returns were good to us. And L has been thru SOO much, he’s now lucid enough to enjoy the trip, old enough to remember it… and not in real school yet so vacation won’t be so hard. In addition the plane tix are way cheap – the 3 of us can fly down/back and have 5 days in a close-by hotel: for $1100! We’ll spend some time at Disneyland and some at Legoland nearby. I think it will be quite a pilgrimage for him. I’m personally not thrilled at the whole theme-park experience (waiting on line, stomach-churning rides, nasty food, crowds)…. but I remember what a HUGE deal it was for me to go to Disneyworld, and for my kiddo, well – he deserves to have some amazing fun. There’s so much he can’t do/experience, and he’s been thru so much – not just from the ASD, but Katrina and the stress of our lives… I want to make this happen for him. We’re going to tell him on his birthday.

More happy stuff to look forward to: we heard from I, S’s older son (whom we haven’t met yet) that he’s planning a road trip out here this summer to meet us all, and he tells everyone he has “two brothers” (L being one). Wow, I’m so tickled! This could be a really exciting thing for S AND L, I is a great young man and I’d love to have him in our lives.

My folks have also won some plane tix, so we’ll be seeing them again this summer/fall which is a treat – my step-dad is getting mellower and mellower at the same time he’s getting more and more supportive of L and his progress (big cheering squad!) So that’s pretty cool for L to have some more contact with the grands. Now we just need to get them to set up the webcam and we can have a trial run of skype.

Skype – if you’re interstested, email me for our skype number and we’ll set up a chat – evidentely S has it ready to go! (The house is a wreck, sorry.)

I miss you all but I’m definitely loving life right now. I wish the nystatin had worked (almost done with the scrip and the rash is still around) and I really want L to sleep again… but in general, I’m pretty happy. Change is definitely happening and I want to ride the wave!

Stay tuned, tru believers – as more excitement grows! Next month, there’s a b-day #6, school lottery results, the Autism Ball (I’m volunteering), prep for vacation and summer visits… as well as starting to house-hunt in PDX and starting our new hobby of camping out!

Hope everyone’s well and happy this beautiful Ostara weekend…

xonif

I read with glee the article on the Obamas starting a “victory garden” at the White House. Of course, they’re doing it The Right Way – a large garden, involvement from local school kids, kitchen staff and advice from various non-profits and experts. Lots of variety, organic methods and an emphasis on local foods is all good…. Especially making the connection between eating well and the national obesity epidemic (Why is there an epidemic now, anyway? I mean, how could American cuisine really get much worse than it was in the 60s – tv dinners, canned veggies and marshmallow fluff sandwiches? What on earth are all these “obese” people eating that we weren’t already subjected to as kids – and while I was certainly chunky, I don’t think obese was a fair description. ) I digress.

So the Obamas are planting a big garden, full of stuff that’ll be used in their kitchen – will that shock visiting dignitaries, or does that have the snob appeal of the “elite” organic restaurant clique? And they’re even having beehives and cute little ladybugs to do pest control. (Notice how I absorbed the details – and I agree wholeheartedly with the “no beets” decision!)

But what took awhile to sink in was the way that the Obamas are re-inventing the Presidency, yet again. The White House has always served as our national “palace” – it’s a historic monument, a national treasure, a center of power, a symbol and yes, a home-on-loan… but it’s never really struck me as a model for what an ideal American Home should be. It has almost nothing in common with the average American suburban home, just as the people who have lived in it, whatever their humble origins, lead lives that have almost nothing in common with the Average American.

Now this visible change (and a big change – Michelle is NOT a gardener, this is not indulging an established passion or even a hobby) sets the White House, as a household, up as an actual role model for making a difference in our everyday lives. The playset is part of that (promoting activity and fresh air, fighting that Obesity off again!), but the garden was what really made it sink in for me: They are making the White House their Home, and making it into the kind of home they’d like everyone to have – or at least consider adapting. Role modeling – a critical part of teaching that’s so often neglected (‘do what I say, not what I do”.)

Well, the Obamas are doing it. They’re making changes, however small. I am, cynical as I may be, rather excited to see if they have an effect, if that effect is lasting and how much it will piss people off. But they are walking their talk and I can’t wait to get my spading fork into the dirt! (Yes, we were planning on having a garden anyway once we rent a house this summer… but this makes it even more imperative!)

Sort of finished my taxes… missing our mortgage interest form, I’ll have to use the standard deduction. I had some problems with turbo tax this year (mostly user error to be honest), so I want to proof my hard copy before filing. But it looks like I’ll be getting a month of income back, which is VERY helpful.

Speaking of income, I LOVE my new boss and his family – they’re amazing. Real people, lots of travel/interesting adventures (yet NOT charmed lives, they’ve worked for it), and they’re so  supportive of each other. It’s pretty awesome, and it seems like a great fit – I met some of the kids and coaches at the pledge drive last night and they were sweet and clever and great. The actual work is gonna be hard, I’ve got so many meetings to do and progress to make, they’ve got pretty high expectations. But I’m up for it! It’s just a hard adjustment for the whole family – not only am I gone a lot more (despite working from home), but we’re juggling the one car from the burbs, etc. sigh.

Touring 2 schools this week, application deadlines are next week. Yikes! Won’t find out about admissions until April, tho.

L’s not sleeping well again (the B-12 is working, yay, but seems to also be affecting his sleep, boo!) so we’re all wired a bit tightly again.

Did a bellygram for A’s 40th bday in my Jellie Bellie costume, it was short and Fun! Man, I miss Mardi Gras.

Still need to do some work for my other client this week, make time to see my friends, play with my child, get some dancing in and try to work on my relationship with my partner.  And I’m not even spending 40 hrs a week in the office, since I’m telecommuting and working on weekends – how the hell did I do this in NOLA last year? Oh well, I’ll figure it out.

Stay tuned, tru believers! Things are tense but I feel a Shift, a Change in the Winds as spring comes and people are ready to do more for each other on a macro level….