Tuesday Thoughts

Mary has been to school a little more consistently since she's been on her preventative medication. She would still like to be home schooled though, which is something I'm still struggling with. This weekend she was so incredibly pleasant and delightful that I think it would work; how could it not? And then I recall certain other days and think that this would do us both in.

While I was home with Mary and Cameron (who was also very good), Bryce took Tyce and Harrison to Utah for the BYU game. The Cougars won handily and so everyone was in a good mood. Harrison wasn't very in to the game and so it was a challenge to keep him interested and occupied enough to endure to the end. Grandpa Al and Grandma Judy are remodeling their house. After the game the boys helped move furniture and Bryce said that Tyce was a workhorse.

On their way home Sunday afternoon they got caught in a snowstorm. Traffic was backed up but after the roads were cleared they made it home just fine. Harrison was delighted to report that he peed in a bottle. There's a blizzard slated to hit Utah and I hope that doesn't keep Al and Judy from traveling to our house for Thanksgiving . . . we're really looking forward to having them here.

I gave a lesson in Young Women last week about optimism and this week on gratitude. I really needed both of those reminders that life is what you make it, that things will get better, and to be thankful for what I have.

Trying to Figure it Out

Great weekend with the bro and his awesome family. I was sorry to see them go.

Mary's migraines (diagnosis confirmed by the neurologist) are still a problem. She is missing way too much school and in fact begged me to home school her. Part of me sees that as a viable option. When she's cooperative she is so pleasant and engaging. I can imagine her thriving working at her own pace. A huge draw for her is the lack of distraction here at home, as well as the flexibility for her to deal with her pain here rather than go to the nurse's office. On a good day I can see that working very well.

But on the other hand I can foresee disaster. If she throws a fit about vacuuming the living room because she says I'm bullying her in to it, how is she going to accept re-doing a math paper or completing an assignment she doesn't want to do?????

I also struggle with the two philosophies of "everyone else deals with it--suck it up" and "have compassion on the individual." I do realize that she is different from other kids. Her description of the noise level at school--from kids whispering to the marker on the smart-board to the paper-rustling to the cacophony in the lunch room--really did make me see how miserable she is. Someone like me barely notices those things, but someone like Mary is tortured by the distraction. The neurologist said that he could handle changing up her medication but I think I may need to resume my hunt for a good psychiatrist (which I have yet to find here).

She says that she likes school as much as any kid. I don't think there's a person or teacher she's avoiding. She even told me she doesn't have anxiety about going but that the pain of headaches (which happen about 2-3 times a week) and the constant distractions are making it hard to enjoy it at all. It's really unfortunate because she has an amazing team of teachers this year who are really invested in the students and make learning as enriching as possible. But perhaps she just needs a break from the constant stimulation and noise . . . . I don't know.

My Embarrassing Moment (One of Many)

I got my hair cut a few days ago, and not to be a drama queen...but I really don't like it. It's short and choppy and very dark. It's just hair, it'll grow, and I'm pretty sure in a week it will be more manageable.

Today I was out and about while the twins were at kindergarten. I went to Hobby Lobby with no agenda, which means that either I ended up buying everything in sight or nothing at all. (Today it was the latter.) As I walked back to the car I noticed my shadow--a normal-looking woman-form but with totally stand-up hair from the wind. Curious as to what I must actually look like I caught a glimpse of myself in the nearest heavily-tinted car window. But by then the hair had returned to normal. So I put my hand on top of my head and pulled my hair straight up. I leaned in and peered very hard at my reflection in that driver's side window.

And I was quite a sight.

Which is what the man sitting in the car's driver's seat must have thought too.

Yes, there was someone in the car.

And yes, I ran away. Very fast.

I'm sure he had no idea what to make of a woman coming within 3 inches of his face, looking as bug-eyed as a Maori warrior with her hair pulled straight up.

All I know is that this crazy hair had better grow.

Five-Day Weekend....(!) or (?)

If you're a kid, there's an exclamation point, definitely. If you're a parent there's a question mark. When a state ranks 50th in the nation in education, do kids really need a five-day break around Halloween? But whatever. Nevada Day, teacher inservice, and National Deviled Egg Day are all valid reasons to take a school day off.

So we went to the pumpkin patch/carnival at Sunset Station, the kids and I. We also had the ward trunk-or-treating event and the next night, a family Halloween party.

This post is just a ton of pictures. I'm sorry I don't have more time to caption them but you can probably tell we had a good time.