Just a note to let you all know that we're alive. We've had a couple of good months--Steve is back to work, and I've been finding out that taking college chemistry after 4 other science classes is relatively easy. Now to just figure out how to manage going back to school full-time for nursing...
The kids and I have been going nuts over snow days! We've had 4 snows that were 6-plus inches each (one even got to 12 inches!), and lots of "snow showers" in between. The end result is that I don't think we've had one full day of school since before Christmas break. Well, maybe 1 week out of the 8 school has been scheduled. It's been frustrating.
I have been lucky, though. Apparently when the county school district decides it is too snowy for the buses to run, the Community College I attend often decides that it is too snowy for students to drive in. So between my schedule (I only attend school on M, W, & F) and cancellations of my school, I've only had to go to school one day that they were out of school. So there are little mercies among the harder times.
The problem that the older kids (esp. Benjamin) and I are dealing with is that North Carolina has two laws that are causing conflicts with our county's situation. The first is that students have to attend for 180 days a year. The second is that unless the county qualifies for a waiver, those school days HAVE to be scheduled between Aug 25th and June 10th. Our county has not had enough school days in past years to qualify for the waiver, so our school board is pretty stuck. How do you schedule makeup days when you don't have any more days in the calendar you can use?
Well, they solved that dilema by first taking away all holidays and teacher work-days that they could for the rest of the year--including all but two of our Spring Break days. Even after that, we still had days to make up, so they are scheduling us for Saturday make-up days. We had our first day of "Saturday School" this week. It was really strange to get up and get the kids off to school, just like a normal day, and realize that Steve was here and we had the morning to do as we pleased. Okay, okay, we had a full day of errands and things to do, but we did get to go out to eat by ourselves (Carolyn had an early nap at Grandma's).
So we're happy, working hard, and trying to keep up with the changes that constantly happen. On a side note, we found out (either Friday or Saturday) that the State Board of Education has allowed our Superintendent to extend the school year. So maybe we'll get some of our Spring Break back.
Hope to hear from you soon!
-Martha
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Catching Up - A New Year
I feel like I've let things slip a little in posting to our family blog. Especially considering how many wonderful letters and cards we received over the Christmas holidays. Thanks to those of you who sent cards. I guess our blog is kind of our attempt at keeping the world up-to-date on what is happening with us and hopefully the warm feelings we have for so many friends and family is felt here.
Our children are really growing up. Benjamin is finishing his last year in middle school this year—next year he'll be a high schooler. Wow! And as Uncle Mark recently posted on Facebook–on to the fun years of early morning seminary. That should be fun for someone who really doesn't do well in mornings (me). Benjamin shouldn't have a problem unless his temperament changes dramatically in the next eight months.
Jessica is having a lot of fun designing various things. For a couple weeks in December, she was trying out a different hairdo every couple days. She isn't doing it as much this month but maybe that's because she's back to school. Of course, she's now trying out the hairdos on Martha. Jessica also got a haircut over the break so her hair is considerably shorter. We think it looks great but she's frustrated she can't do much with it. Such is life.
Jessica also got involved in Girls on the Run this year. This is her second year doing so. Girls on the Run is a great program for pre-teen girls to help them develop self-esteem and healthy lifestyles. She ran a 5k in December—on a very cold day.
We had a very cold December, and January started off that way as well.
Joshua is also coming into his own. He has a very strong personality and knows what he wants—which usually involves losing himself in a book. He definitely acquired his parents' genes (especially Martha's) in how he can be happy reading for hours on end. Joshua is also enjoying being in Cub Scouts, where he is a Bear. He is also in his school's choir—an interest he isn't quite sure is an interest or not. He's been sticking with it though so we're glad to see that.
Carolyn is approaching 20 months in a couple weeks and is quickly transitioning into quite the toddler. She loves to have fun with a definite sense of humor making itself manifest. It's not unusual for her to put on goggles or a silly hat–on her own–to see our reaction. Like a toddler does, she is definitely developing her own opinion of things, too. We're having a lot of fun watching her grow up.
Martha is busy managing the household. Much of her time is spent either helping the kids get ready for school or with their homework and such once they are home from school. I am often amazed, and always gratified, by the amount of energy she pours into the lives of our children. In addition, she is finishing up prerequisites before applying to nursing school, which might start as early as this coming fall.
Steve (that's me) is back to work after a few months off on disability–due to depression. While off work, I spent a lot of time studying up on how to recover and deal with the challenges I have with depression. It's not an easy row to hoe but I feel better and am better prepared for the next time depression rears its ugly head.
Our children are really growing up. Benjamin is finishing his last year in middle school this year—next year he'll be a high schooler. Wow! And as Uncle Mark recently posted on Facebook–on to the fun years of early morning seminary. That should be fun for someone who really doesn't do well in mornings (me). Benjamin shouldn't have a problem unless his temperament changes dramatically in the next eight months.
Jessica is having a lot of fun designing various things. For a couple weeks in December, she was trying out a different hairdo every couple days. She isn't doing it as much this month but maybe that's because she's back to school. Of course, she's now trying out the hairdos on Martha. Jessica also got a haircut over the break so her hair is considerably shorter. We think it looks great but she's frustrated she can't do much with it. Such is life.
Jessica also got involved in Girls on the Run this year. This is her second year doing so. Girls on the Run is a great program for pre-teen girls to help them develop self-esteem and healthy lifestyles. She ran a 5k in December—on a very cold day.
We had a very cold December, and January started off that way as well.
Joshua is also coming into his own. He has a very strong personality and knows what he wants—which usually involves losing himself in a book. He definitely acquired his parents' genes (especially Martha's) in how he can be happy reading for hours on end. Joshua is also enjoying being in Cub Scouts, where he is a Bear. He is also in his school's choir—an interest he isn't quite sure is an interest or not. He's been sticking with it though so we're glad to see that.Carolyn is approaching 20 months in a couple weeks and is quickly transitioning into quite the toddler. She loves to have fun with a definite sense of humor making itself manifest. It's not unusual for her to put on goggles or a silly hat–on her own–to see our reaction. Like a toddler does, she is definitely developing her own opinion of things, too. We're having a lot of fun watching her grow up.
Martha is busy managing the household. Much of her time is spent either helping the kids get ready for school or with their homework and such once they are home from school. I am often amazed, and always gratified, by the amount of energy she pours into the lives of our children. In addition, she is finishing up prerequisites before applying to nursing school, which might start as early as this coming fall.
Steve (that's me) is back to work after a few months off on disability–due to depression. While off work, I spent a lot of time studying up on how to recover and deal with the challenges I have with depression. It's not an easy row to hoe but I feel better and am better prepared for the next time depression rears its ugly head.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Things I am grateful for after 8 inches of snow and 52 hours without power:
2. Lights
3. A campstove and propane to use with it.
4. Food to cook on the cookstove.
5. A husband with the motivation and the willingness to help me do the work of doing ALL the dishes with water boiled on the campstove.
6. Children who put up with a cold house for 24 hours.
7. Elder Bryant and Elder Buchanan who, on their way out contacting, stopped and took over clearing our driveway of all the snow (we only had two shovels anyway)--and then helped Steve maneuver turning the van around in the snow that was left so we could get out.
8. My sister Marian and her husband Tommy who opened their home to all of us for the second 24 hours. Her children, Erik, David, and EmmaLeigh, and mine were VERY excited about it. I just had to put up with the stress of 7 children--plus a babysittee--running through the house! (Didn't seem to bother Marian much--I was amazed.)
9. Having the feeling of Sunday even if we didn't go to church. (The roads were still slick, and the parking lot wouldn't have been cleared.)
10. Having lunch at Mom's (well, that would have happened anyway, but I am always grateful for her putting up with--and cooking for--so many people in her house.)
11. Quantity and Quality time with our children--we played more games in the last two days than we usually do in a week, and Benjamin especially was very happy!
12. Ancestors that lived--happily, in most cases--through life harder than the one I put up with from Friday night 'till Sunday night, and still found the hope to find the gospel and move across a wild country to Zion. The last two days have made me very very grateful for them--and very grateful for the life I have right now.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Lake Lure
One fine Saturday evening, I took the kids on a drive down to Lake Lure while Martha got a much needed break. (Though her break included studying for a test she had on Monday morning.) The drive down to Lake Lure is fantastic along old two-lane highways that twist and turn through the mountains of western North Carolina. Along the way there are a number of touristy-type shops--some of which I noticed have closed down due to the struggling economy--but the shops around Lake Lure and Chimney Rock still seem to be doing some bustling business.
The kids and I had a great time walking along the lake and playing at the playground.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Bipolar happens
Just a note that I'm starting a new blog--not to replace this one--detailing what is happening with me regards to my health. It is mybipolarfamily.blogspot.com. I guess this is my attempt to come out of the proverbial "closet" so to speak.
Unfortunately, bipolar disorder has a lot of stigma associated with it which makes it even more difficult to recover from episodes, etc. In an effort to reduce some of that stigma and show that this is an illness similar to diabetes or cancer or... I am recording my experiences with the disorder.
Regarding the name, I called it Bipolar Family partly because mental illness has hit my family so hard. Both my brothers are largely incapacitated by mental illness. They are still great, wonderful, loving people but they are not going to amass a wonderful resume or head a large happy family. What they offer the world is very different from what we unfortunately call success.
The other reason I call the blog Bipolar Family is that in a way those of us who suffer in whatever way from the effects of mental illness are all in this together. I love what the actor Glenn Close and her sister Jesse are doing with their newly launched foundation, Bring Change 2 Mind.
Part of me wants to apologize for being open about having bipolar disorder. It isn't a pleasant subject. I read recently about Sandy Naiman, an award-winning journalist who suffers from schizoaffective disorder and has been successful in battling the stigma of mental illness in her environment. She indicated that fifty years ago cancer had a similar stigma. It was not something you talked about and was referred to as the "C-word." People with cancer feared that if employers found out about their illness they would lose their jobs or never work again. Those who suffer from mental illness face that same level of stigma. They worry about losing their jobs, their families and their friends.
But those with mental illness are more than their mental illness. The illness is something they have. It is not who they are.
I'm hoping that in our era of rapid change that it won't take decades to overcome the stigma of mental illness.
As Glenn Close's sister Jessie mentions in one of the videos, it's uncomfortable at times wearing the "bipolar" t-shirt. But I'm hoping that it will be worth it.
Unfortunately, bipolar disorder has a lot of stigma associated with it which makes it even more difficult to recover from episodes, etc. In an effort to reduce some of that stigma and show that this is an illness similar to diabetes or cancer or... I am recording my experiences with the disorder.
Regarding the name, I called it Bipolar Family partly because mental illness has hit my family so hard. Both my brothers are largely incapacitated by mental illness. They are still great, wonderful, loving people but they are not going to amass a wonderful resume or head a large happy family. What they offer the world is very different from what we unfortunately call success.
The other reason I call the blog Bipolar Family is that in a way those of us who suffer in whatever way from the effects of mental illness are all in this together. I love what the actor Glenn Close and her sister Jesse are doing with their newly launched foundation, Bring Change 2 Mind.
Part of me wants to apologize for being open about having bipolar disorder. It isn't a pleasant subject. I read recently about Sandy Naiman, an award-winning journalist who suffers from schizoaffective disorder and has been successful in battling the stigma of mental illness in her environment. She indicated that fifty years ago cancer had a similar stigma. It was not something you talked about and was referred to as the "C-word." People with cancer feared that if employers found out about their illness they would lose their jobs or never work again. Those who suffer from mental illness face that same level of stigma. They worry about losing their jobs, their families and their friends.
But those with mental illness are more than their mental illness. The illness is something they have. It is not who they are.
I'm hoping that in our era of rapid change that it won't take decades to overcome the stigma of mental illness.
As Glenn Close's sister Jessie mentions in one of the videos, it's uncomfortable at times wearing the "bipolar" t-shirt. But I'm hoping that it will be worth it.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Fall Pictures
This past weekend (while Benjamin was away with the Scouts, camping) we went up on the Blue Ridge Parkway to see the Fall Colors. They are gorgeous! I thought I'd share some pictures:
Bright Colors
A variety of muted colors
Steve and the kids
Me and the kids
Joshua being goofy
I liked these rocks
Jessica liked this moss
Jessica on the barricade - this part of the Parkway is closed during the winter
Jessica took this picture of the leaves
Carolyn in her colors!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Wacky Hair Day
Our county School System sponsors a fund raiser for Eblen Charities every October. To make it a little fun, my children's elementary school has a "Wacky Hair Day" at the first of the month to encourage donations for the fundraiser. All the children that bring in money that day get to wear their hair any wacky way they want. So Jessica and Joshua wanted to go all out and spray their hair this year. So here are the results:
They had a lot of fun! Now, though, can anyone tell me the trick to getting the spray out? They've both washed their hair already, and they STILL have green in their hair! :P (Hee, Hee! What a hoot!)
Front:
And Back:
They had a lot of fun! Now, though, can anyone tell me the trick to getting the spray out? They've both washed their hair already, and they STILL have green in their hair! :P (Hee, Hee! What a hoot!)
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