Sigh.. More organizational woes

One of the things about my 11 YO is that he is chronically unorganized. A lot of it is his ADHD. This is my child who has been know to complete a homework assignment, but is unable to find ti to turn it in. Then he gets a missing assignment slip that needs to be signed by a parent. It get's home and signed, but not turned back in. So a second MA is issued. He goes to school the next day and asked to produce all three papers and pulls the latest (unsigned) MA out of his pocket.

One of the things I did in an attempt to assist him, is to work with his "out of sight, out of mind" sensibilities. We removed conventional dressers from his room and got a could of California Closet organizers from Target that have shelves. The bottom shelves slide out. I got a couple of baskets for his underwear and socks. So we have a good system in place.

Yesterday morning I hear "A., can I borrow one of your school uniform shirts? I can't find mine." I go into his room and find 3 white polo shirts rolled into a ball and crammed on the shelf next to his sock basket.

Anyone have an idea on how to help him follow the system?

One more note. I took him last night to buy a pair of shoes. He wanted to go to the specialty shoe store. Well, It had been awhile since I had an "expert" fit his shoes. He's in the wierd range, a 7 , almost out of kids sizes, but not quite into Mens. It cost my $80. Oh My! Next time it is back to Kohls.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Hamburgers, buns, baked beans
Tuesday - Chicken stir fry
Wednesday - Wrestling practice night - Not Sure
Thursday - Chicken potpie - Bisquick recipe
Friday - Homemade pizza

For more great menus, visit Laura's Organizing Junkie Blog

Help - The sweets are calling my name

So in honor of great report cards from both the boys, I stopped on the way home from work Friday and picked up a bakery cake. A typical 8 inch round. Delicious! Yesterday I took the boys and their report cards to Krispy Kreme and we brought home a dozen free donuts. We also stopped by Cheryl's cookies and each boy got a mess of cookies (1 for each A, limit of 6). I can ignore the cookies - they are wrapped in cellophane and they belong to the boys. The Donuts are quiet too. They have not tempted me. But oh that cake. Yummy, yummy cake! With a great tasting frosting. And let me tell you, I am a person who believes that the purpose of cake is to hold the frosting. That combination of fat and sweetness coating my tongue...

But my innards seem to be rebelling. It has to do with the medication I am taking to bring down my insulin. Yes, Sugar should be limited. And I usually do. But it is so good. But I am being motivated by the night tiimegas pains to quit. If someone else does not eat the last peice by tonight. I am throwing it away. - After I take a swipe of the icing and lick it off my finger, I'm sure.

ADHD 11 YO pulls straight A's

So I get an email from Mrs. C, my 11 YO's teacher. She is so excited for him. He's bringing home a report card with straight As. At midterm he had a few B's and complaints about missing assignments. I told him a C was not acceptable and if he brought one home that I would severely limit his internet privleges. I also told him that with just a little bit of effort he could get straight As. And so he did!

I have emailed Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles. I want to make a huge deal out of this so he does it again. He's already gotten 4 emails in his inbox that I know of. This weekend we will allow him to decide what to do for a treat.

Oh and so far, having him both boys earn thier XBox time is working well. The 11yo is bringing out his agenda without being asked. The 7 YO is looking for work to do to earn his time.

Gotta shake these blues

Over the weekend I realized that I leave my house between 5:30 and 5:40 (AM) and I arrive home between 5:30 and 5:40 (PM). Yuck! Then when we spend all day Sunday at a wrestling meet, not wonder I am feeling like the house is falling apart.

I does not help that it is mostly cloudy with very little sunlight these last few days in SW Ohio. Hubby is frustrated with his job. He is being pressured to put in more hours at work (yes he gets OT), but he's not really thrilled with the design work he's doing as an Engineer. He would like to spend 50% of his time at his desk designing Heating and Air system and another 50% int he field. He's not really getting that chance. And he's not the type to put in 60 hours a week. Many of the folks he works with do not get that he is the one home more.

He also has the task of getting the boys up and ready every morning. He is not a morning person. Last night he was complaining about it. It is a hassle. The 11YO is ADHD. In the morning that translates to being highly distractable. Is take a lot of work to keep him moving so he is ready to catch the bus. The 7YO is self motivated and will get up, get drerssed and fix his breakfast, but he also revels in pushing his brother's buttons. So while Dad is in the shower, the 7YO is distracting his brother and a shouting match ensues. Dad gets out of the shower and adds his voice because the 11 YO is still not dressed and he is running out of time.

A year ago, before my current job, I was getting the boys on the bus. However, I am the morning person. I'd get up, go to the gym at 5:00, return home at 6:45, jump in the shower. Then I would wake the boys. Dad has thought about gettingup earlier to shower before waking up the 11 YO, but he finds he cannot achieve that. And so it goes.

I could leave the house at 6:30. That would give Dad time to get out of the shower, but becasue of traffic, it would most likely add some time to my commute. I'd have to drop my carpool. Hopefully I could get to work by 7:30, then I would leave at 4:30. That may work. I think I'll do a test run next Tuesday. My Carpool partner is taking a class Tuesday evenings, so we do not carpool that day.

Sunday's wrestling meet.

We had our first snow fall here in SW Ohio yesterday. I was signing in for my spot as a Eucharistic ministrer at church When my phone rang. Now, Hubby and I run the Wrestling team the boys are on. This means that for the meets (always on Sundays), Hubby has to arrive by 10:00 am (at the latest) for setting up the tournament brackets. We usually tag along so we do not have to drive 2 cars. But back to my phone call, a parent who decided not to brave the weather. Out of the 36 kids we expected to take, we ended up having 25 in the tournament.

But our 11 YO did not go. He was fighting a cold. Saturday he was asking for medicine. This is my stoic child. When he complains about not feeling well, he's ready to collapse. So we let him stay home. We call Grammy to let her know he was home alone and ask her to call him and check up on him. After the meet when we called, he did not want to go out to dinner. Hum. But when we got home, he had shoved the drive way, cleaned up and organizied (?!) the XBOX games. (We say he cannot organize his way out of a paper bag). Of course, he had not gotten tot he one chore I asked him to complete - emptying the dishwasher.

For the record, the 7 YO won all three of his matches and took home a first place ribbon. I got to learn how to keep score.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Ground beef night - Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes
Tuesday - Chicken Night - Chicken Breast w/ Flavored rice side dish
Wednesday - Wrestling Practice night - I offer to do a crockpot meal, Hubby says no. They eat early. So they will have something easy like hot dogs or microwavable Stuffed Parmesian chicken breasts
Thursday - Pork roast in the crockpot
Friday - Leftovers

For more great Menus, visit Laura's blog

Update on 11 YO organization

I have to say, my sons' school's email was down for 4 or 5 weeks. Two of those were Chrsitmas vacation, but since I "do" email for a living, I have communicated with the 11 YO's teacher a lot.

She emailed yesterday that she has not been getting assignment turned in this week for our 11YO. He did not have a poem he was supposed to write over the long weekend on Tuesday when it was due. She gave him an MA (Missing assignment) slip that had to be signed. He turned in the popem but not the signed MA, so he got anothr MA that he found in his pocket (Good Grief, I need to ensure that he is not wearing the same pair of pants all week...) the following day. Mrs. C worried that we were not aware of the missing assignment.

I emailed back that we were aware and we had in fact signed the orgininal MA. Hubby emailed her that he made the 11 YO put it in his backpack. "The paper eating fuzz ball at the bottom might have gotten a hold of it...."

I wrote that " think B’s issues are procrastination and disorganization, Out of sight, out of mind. And his desire to do other things than school work. He struggles with telling stories with a straight face most of the time. Mumbling and other vocal noises are a sure sign he does not want to answer a question. "

She said she was familiar with the mumbling behavior and she, too regarded it as a sign of trouble.

So the end result right now is that we are going to reward him for bringing home his agenda every night. As I wrote last August, I followed organizing recommendations from a book that suggested utilizing a teacher's planner to track assignments.

I am making both boys earn their XBox playing time. During the winter, it is a prime source of entertainment. We decided that every night he brings home his agenda, he'll earn 15 minutes of XBox time. If he has not earned any time, he'll not play XBox. I sure hope it works. But we do not have a long track record with such reward systems. Mom and Dad get busy and forget to follow through and/or the 11YO decides he can live without his reward.

But we are going to try.

Menu Plan Monday

Mon - Beef Stroganoff since I am off
Tues - Chicken and rice (Lipton rice sides)
Wed - Salisbury Steak (Make ahead have 11 YO son put in oven)
Thurs - (Ok I have not planned that far yet)
Fri - Unsure - Tuna Noodle casserole

For more menu's visit Laura's Blog.

Take Down Jesus!?

My boy wrestling with the youth wrestling club of a local Catholic High School.

(I have such a complicated relationship with this high school. It is not the one I went to. However, I have 17 Aunts, Uncles and Cousins who attended this school. And Since my Uncle is 2 years older than I and I was the first (from that side of the family) to go to the school with the ugly colors, I was teased unmercifully. So I have a lot of emotional issues, yet here I am, spending lots of time at this school an cringing when I wear it's colors for my boys' sake)

The addition with the wrestling room is three years old. At our Wrestling club board meeteing Tuesday it was announced that there is now a Crucifix hung in the room as well as the "takedown Jesus" not to be confused with Notre Dame's "Touchdown Jesus." At first I was worried that the poster was hung on the ceiling so that the unfortuanate soul who got taken down could look up and beg for mercy.

Works for me Wednesday

Here's a repost of my third WFMW:

Mocha Morning smoothy

A couple of months ago (May 2006)I started a new job. I am now commuting 50 miles one way. I go in early to beat the traffice. I am also a "gotta have breakfast" person. I also do better with a good dose of protein. So I created this coffee smoothy. I refridgerate leftover coffee. Or I make coffee expressly to refridgerate. After packing lunches in the morning, I get out my handy Oster Blend and Go cup, pour in about a cup of coffee, a splash of milk and a scoop of chocolate flavored protein powder, 4-6 ice cubes and blend. I put the cap that came with my cup (at WalMart), stick in the straw and run out the door. Once I get to work I add a granola bar and an orange to round out my breakfast.

Come Fall I'll have to figure out something warm. I can't see protein powder in hot coffee, but who knows. My Cold Mocha smoothies for breakfast, It works for me.

Note: I have not found a warm substitute. The protein powder tastes foul when warm. I also developed a shortcut for an "on the rocks" version instead of frozen. I use a Tupperware shaker, add the coffee, milk, protein powder and shake. I then pop the top on the shaker, Add a handful of icecubes and go.

For more contributions to the Eating Well edition of WFWM, visit Shannon.

Science Fair

Recently heard around our house:

11 YO: I need to decide on a project for the science fair
Dad: What are you interested in doing
11 YO: An Experiment you would be interested in Dad.

Crackberry

I just got a new Blackberry (Phone and email device). I broke the "ER1" button. Do you think I used it too much?

Menu Plan Monday

I need to jump back on this bandwagon -

Mon - Meatloaf - I pulled a fully-cooked one out of the freezer, add a vegetable and a some canned fruit and call it dinner

Tues - Might be fast food. Hubby has a dentist appt for a filling repair at 4:00. We have a meeting for the boys' wrestling team at 6:00.

Wed - Chicken and rice - A packaged rice mix (the boys have decided they love these - Rice a roni or Lipton) with the chicken cubed and browned and mixed with the rice. Once again add a veggie and a fruit and call it dinner

Thurs - Beef stroganoff

Fri - Kielbasa

For more Menu's, visit Laura's blog

Worry

I feel like Aunt Murry's blog title "All I want is a good night's sleep."

I had hoped that a new year would bring a bit of slowing down into my life. Nope, Not yet. I had hoped to spend the long New Year's weekend being a blob on the couch with the remote in my hand. Nope. I was glued to my Blackberry. My coworkers and I were watching a vendor migrate 5000 email accounts. Mr Murphy was there to insure that his law was in full effect.

We got the accounts moved, and the old system is behaving better. We are going to have another 5000 moved this weekend.

It looks as if there is a good chance one of my 2 techs will leave us for a bigger paycheck. I can't blame him. He has 2 kids under 3 and his wife is committed to staying home with them while they are young. He needs more money. He's good enough to deserve a bigger paycheck. I am unable to get him an increase. My remaining tech is already grumpy that we replaced our third tech was replaced by someone with Help Desk experience that we need to grow into a full-fledged tech. I have to admit I am worried about how we can handle the load.

Since I have been so busy, have I been neglecting my family? I did not do well planning meals this week. And Hubby and the boys could be leaving the house about the same time I get home. (There is this freshman wrestling meet...)

Sigh.

Post-Christmas report

The 7 YO recovered from his fever Friday. My Parents came to town Friday. The graciously stayed with the boys Saturday night while I went to dinner at a Friends and Hubby went and visited his sister in the hospital.

On Sunday our Christmas started about 1:30 with the hour drive to my Brother's (B2) house. We had appetizer's courtsey of SIL 1. Then the kids opened their presents. the 7yo got a football that seems to have been his favorite gift. But He still need to take a closer look at the things he got. Then we all went to 5:00 Mass. We came home and had a great dinner and then the grown-ups opened presents. We got home about 10:00. The 11YO made a big deal about putting out a plate with cookies and grapes for Santa.

We told the boys they had to wait until 7 AM to open gifts. The 11YO did not want to get up when 7:00 came around. They got football jerseys, sleeping bags, video games for the Gameboy and XBOX. The 7 YO got a Game Boy Micro. The 11 YO had gotten his the weekend before because he was required to pay for half of it since he lost his Game Boy advanced and his Game Boy Sp over the past year.

My Parents brought me my heart's desire from their trip to Germany: The Hummel Nativity. Just the Holy family, but I have wanted it for years.

Christmas Day was quiet after the opening of the gifts. Then at 6PM we went to a party with my Mom's family. There are over 80 family members. We were missing only 13. Santa came as usual. I did notice that my & yo was uncomfortable when Santa came in. I was hoping to preserve the innocence another year or so.

Hubby's Sister did come home from the Hospital Christmas eve. She's have some hard times over the past 2 years starting with her husband asking for a divorce Christmas Day 04. Over that time depression and loneliness seemed to have driven her to making Vodka her best friend. It caught up with her and now she is recovering. I am praying that she continue to recover and that my MIL provides enough support to help but that she is strong enough to allow SIL without breaking herself mentally, emotionally and financially.

But all-in-all, we are very blessed and lucky.

The Virus invades the house

So Wednesday was interesting. Hubby called me at work about 1:40 to tell me his 33 Yo Sister was intensive care and Mom was very upset. So we decided that I would come home early since I drove all the way in. My carpool parner had overslept, so we both drove. (The Lord does work in mysterious ways) But anyways, i would come hom in time to get the boys, get some dinner in them and take them to wrestling practice. He would go get his Mom and go to the hospital with her at visiting hours.

After I hag up with him, the phone rings. It's the school. The 7 Yo has a 101 degree fever. So I called Hubby who picks up the boy and I head home so I can send Hubby to spend time with his Mom.

Anyways, a day and a half later, my SIL is out of intensive care and apparently dealing with some demons like a divorce and unemployment. She might come home Sunday. I hope she knows she has a Mom, a Dad, tw0 brothers, SILs, 5 nephews and at least 1 cousin worried and concerned for her.

The 7 Yo still has a fever. Maybe the classic Influenza, but he only has a small amount of congestions. But he gets up, watched TV, maybe plays Xbox, naps, eats, watches more TV. He all but refuses to take Tylenol. I have Bubble gum flavor, grape flavor, cheables, meltaways,, etc...

But staying home yesterday gave me time to get caught up on a lot of stuff. Presents are wrapped. Most gifts are purchased, and important rooms of the house got cleaned.

My parents arrive today. So here's hoping that their flu shots protect them from the virus lurking in our house.

Works for Me Wednesday

Here's a works for me Wednesday post, first in a long time. I have stretched myself too thin this year. Having a long commute to work justs adds to everything. I love to decorate for Christmas. I have a lovely collection of Nativities I like to put out. I have decided that only a few will got out this year. My parents are staying with us for a week, but I am not hosting any parties at my house. It is kind of hard, because I do enjoy decorating. There is a possibility I night get to it this weekend. It will not diminish the joy of Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Christ.

Giving myself permission not to have my house decorated to the nines. That works for me.

For more ideas, check out Shannon's blog

Blog Tag

Hey I was tagged by John over at Adult ADD and Money For 5 Things you do not know about me.

1. My Parents names me Margaret after my Grandmother
2. But they gave me the nickname of Missy
3. I changed the name I wanted people to call me when I went to high School (Boy were the 40 people who went with me from Grade school to The same High school confused, but most adapted)
4. I actually taught myself to like coffee a few years ago. I decided that it might be a healthier way to get my caffine that drinking cold and fizzy stuff.
5. I really dislike vacuuming. My floor has to be really bad before I'll pull out the beast. But usually I can get my boys to do it.

I want to tag Shane.

Menu Plan Monday

I need to get back on track now that the wrestling meet I plaaned and ran is over. (Yipee!)

Mon- Tacos - provided I did put the frozen ground been in the fridge. I remember pulling it out of the freezer this morning...

Tues - Mom's Shopping night

Wed - (Wrestling Practice) - Soup and Sandwiches

Thurs - Tuna Noodle Casserole

Fri - No Sure...

For more great menu plans, go visit Laura