Life as it happens with our three beautiful and adopted children, Shayla, Yamira and Manuel: Happy Chinese New Year

As most of you know, we kicked off this week with the Chinese New Year. It's a very important holiday for the Chinese. It's a time for chasing evil out the door and welcoming in good luck, prosperity, health and happiness. As a family we celebrate it in various ways. We typically will go to Chinatown on the weekend and watch the lion dancing and peruse the shops. We have in the past gone to dinner with others who have adopted. This year we are going to lunch with some great friends of ours. We are looking forward to it. We give the kids red envelopes with money inside them. Typically we get the kids a hair cut and a new Chinese outfit. However, Ping has one that has yet to be worn, so I didn't buy her a new one this year. We also put up a few decorations. Last year I prepared a big thing for her classroom. This year I ordered materials, but they didn't come in. I figured they were not going to, so decided to not worry about it. Mind you then I felt awful about not doing something. So I geared up to pull some things together and today in the mail came the stuff I ordered. Yay!!!! So tomorrow Shayla is going armed with some Chinese New Year stuff. I am glad as nothing has been discussed in her classroom so far.

I have been very impressed as Yamira has come home two days in a row with Chinese New Year stuff. So glad they are discussing it in her class. I believe Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and Chinese New Year along with a host of other things should be discussed. Why not include everything. I am a little angry at the amount of excluding that is done. The kids couldn't have a Halloween parade because they didn't want some people feeling left out. Either include it all or include nothing. Please do not pick and choose. I would feel this way even if my child was not Chinese. I have always felt this way. Include everything. Why not? It just makes for a more well rounded and knowledgeable child.

Okay, enough about that. It has been a challenging week. The kids have been great. We haven't had so much to do that we are exhausted, I have just been sick. Now I don't want to share any of this as it seems like all I do is bitch and complain. Yet on the other hand, this is my blog and this is my way of documenting our lives. So I sort of feel like I need to put it all here. Lastly, I don't want people to think I don't care about things as I haven't been myself at all lately. I hate it. It's really wearing on me. So as much as I don't want to share, I feel like I have to give a heads up to people as well. If you think I am out to lunch lately, well then you would be correct. I am, I hate it and I am so sorry. I do not want to tell you that I don't feel well. I want to feel well. I want to tell you I am better than fantastic. That would be lying though. So I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.

So our week in review really starts at Wednesday because I think I checked in last Tuesday? Wednesday was a fine day. Shayla had a play date after school with her friend Olivia. Manny and Yamira napped during most of it. They then played by themselves and watched a little TV while Olivia and Shayla did home work, had some snacks and played in the play room. Bill was home for the day as he doesn't have classes on Wednesday. He does have online classes and homework though. He ran out to do a few errands for the house. It was a pleasant day with no running around.

On Thursday, we had the furnace cleaned. Oh joy. That is always a cheap proposition. In all reality, it isn't that bad. I am glad to have it done. We do it once a year to keep things running smoothly. I had a lunch date with my dear friend Christine who I have not seen in forever. I got to meet her youngest son who is just the sweetest doll. Lunch was too short. I had to get back so Bill could get to school. It was so nice to see her, but given that it's been a year, we have so much to still catch up on. Hoping to see her and her darling family soon,. Once home, Bill headed to school. I picked up Shayla and she did her homework before having dinner. We then all headed to Pump It Up for a birthday party that Manny was invited too. I had to take all three with me as Bill had school. I did ask permission to bring the other two. I was going to have Shayla and Yamira do some stuff while Manny bounced around, but the mother said she had plenty of room and they should come and play. It was so nice of her. I don't like to have to take the ones not invited. I hate it, but I didn't want Manny to miss his first birthday invitation. Anyway, we went and the kids had a blast. Bill actually got out of school early and met me there. I could have technically just brought Manny, but who knew that he would get out early? He never does get out early, but it was his first night of this class semester and so he did.

Friday was Professional Development Day at school, so the kids were home. I took Yamira at 9:30 for therapy which went well. We then did a few errands and headed home. From 1:00 - pm-2:00 pm, we waited for the mobile vet to come for an appointment for Sophie. They called and said they would be late, so I stayed home and Bill took the kids to the library to watch a show. They had a blast. The vet did not come till close to 3:30 pm, but that was fine as I was home. I just feel bad that I wasn't able to take the kids to the library and enjoy the show with them. Sophie was brought out to the van and blood was drawn. I am still waiting on the results. I have not liked her behavior, hence the call to the mobile van. Sophie was born outside, so you can't put her in a cage and take her to the vet like I can with my other three. We have to literally have the vet and her assistant come here and catch Sophie in a box. I hate it with a passion, but want to make sure my girl is healthy. The rest of the night was quiet for us. Bill was on call at 6:00 pm. He was busy with a few calls.

Saturday morning Bill worked from 6:00 am - 12:00 pm. Shayla had a play date here with her friend Lindsay. They had some snacks and played in the play room. They seemed to have a great time. They were so quiet that I thought they had left the building!!!!! It was snowing out, so I was concerned Lindsay may not be able to come over, but she was and Shayla could not have been happier. Once Daddy was home, Shayla and Dad headed to Walmart to stand watch at the Girl Scout cookie booth. She had a blast. It was cold, but she didn't complain. She runs hot, so she doesn't mind the cold. When they got home, Bill cleaned the driveway while Ping played in the snow and built snow people. I was inside as it was too cold for my taste. Manny and Yamira had a wonderful nap. The then got up and all three played and had dinner. Bill gave them a bath while I headed out to Flip Flops in Holden. I met my friend Janice and Ayi Meri there. I had a salad which I basically kept wanting to throw up over because of this damn nausea,. Meri and Janice both got a great looking dinner and better looking drinks. I had an awesome time. We closed the place. Me and my ice tea. Rocking it out.

Sunday we were going to go furniture shopping. I felt awful though. The kids seemed very tired and needed their naps after Sunday School and the football game was on. Bill was really game for furniture shopping, but I said we would stay home. Very, very unlike me. See what I am saying here? Not go out and do what needs to be done is not me at all. Anyway, we stayed in for the entire day. I puttered around the house. The kids played and Bill watched the game. The Patriots won, so we are now off to the Super Bowl!

Monday brought on a host of appointments and things to do. I had an 8:30 am appointment with my GI doctor. That went okay. She accused me of being late. I wasn't. That is not how I like to start off an appointment at all. She said she had limited time for me as she didn't want her 9:00 am person delayed. It was 8:40 am. I walked out of there with time to spare and no next patient even there!!!!! I then headed to the lab to pick up a kit for a test. I then headed to the Solomon Pond Mall and Target for some returns and a few things for the house. Then I headed to the Endocrinologist for an 11:45 am appointment. Then I had to go to their lab for multiple blood work. They said they would call me when they have the results. After leaving there I headed to Mekong for Chinese envelopes and some favorite drinks and snacks for the kids and then I went to Ayi Meri's to pick up a bowl of beef stew that she and Uncle Joe saved for me. Nice, huh? Yeah, I am lucky. I then headed home. I was exhausted. Just a long morning. I still had to get Ping from school, get dinner on the table and get Ping to Daisies. All of which I did do, but not before trying to fall asleep. I didn't, but not because I didn't want too. My dear friend Kirsten brought Ping home for me after Daisies. I was so grateful. I hated the thought of dragging Manny and Yamira out the door again an hour later when they could be in bed and trying to fall asleep. Ping came home and she went to bed shortly after. I don't even remember what I did at that point. I have been feeling like I am not in my body. I feel like I am watching my life from across the street. I am not sure if it's due to the sinus infection I have or from all the vomiting I have been doing.

I had a 9:15 am appointment at the ENT doctor, so off I went to that. I have a sinus infection. I already knew this, but needed it confirmed. So out the door I went with a prescription called into CVS. After stopping at CVS, I went to the bank, Walmart and then to get Manny and Yamira from school. I spent the rest of the afternoon at home until I accidentally tried to pick up Ping at school at 3:00 pm. Totally spaced that she had something after school till 3:45 pm. See what I mean when I say I am out of it? Better to try and pick up twice than not at all though, right? I went back at 3:45 pm to get her. She then came home and did her homework. I then fed all the kids because my friend Renee offered to take Shayla to EAR at school. This was the first night for first graders to go to EAR. I felt bad about not taking her myself, but it would have been hard for Manny and Yamira to sit there while Ping read books and took some tests. So Mrs. Renee picked Shayla up and brought her there and brought her home. Shayla was so excited to go. She had a blast. I then tucked all the kiddos into bed. Did a few things at my desk and then vegged in my chair. I just am not getting a lot done here and it's maddening to me. I don't know how to get out of this funk. I did clean the kitchen, dining room and bathroom and did a bunch of other things, but again I don't feel like I am me at all.

Today I slept in. I was thinking it would help. It really didn't. I am still in a fog. I did have some soup. It did nothing for me. I couldn't even get through it all. Bill got the kids to and from school and fed them lunch. I showered and came downstairs and have been here puttering around on and off the computer for a few hours. Bill picked up Shayla from school and those two are still out. Bill needed a hair cut. They needed to go to Walmart and head to a few other places. They should be home in any moment and then it's homework, dinner and bed. In the meantime, I seriously feel like I am going to throw up. I swear I am ready to throw myself at the nearest hospital and just tell them to check everything. This constant nausea is horrendous. I am hungry, I got to eat something and first bite in I am miserable!!!!!!! That plus the cloud that is sitting in my head!!!!

I did call to check on Sophie's test results. I have yet to hear back. I did call to check on mine and only one came back. The test couldn't be preformed due to poor sampling. Seriously? So now I wait to hear what I should do next.

If you are a person that likes to think good thoughts for someone else, please think good thoughts for me. I need to get out of this fog, get past wanting to vomit every day and get back to my life. I hate being a passenger.

Thanks for listening.

Mama Out!!!!!!!!!!