I Just Can't Seem to Catch My Breath ...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           a WARNING ... a little rant and whine ahead.  If you are looking for my usual cheerful entries, check back in a day or two.                                                       
Do you ever feel like you just don't have any time between events?  Even though many of the events have been fun in the last few weeks, I am just ready for a break.  However, this does not seem likely.  In the last month, we went to Nashville for a week, returned to visiting Dad and Step-mother for a week, one week to sorta catch up/recover, and then off to Duke Medical Center to discover even more things wrong with my big teen's heart.  Last night we returned from Duke and Ronald McDonald House.  We have the next two weeks of our normal schedule, which is busy enough, and then Thanksgiving.  Then it is the month of December with a 10 day loop of Tomatis, my FASD dd's birthday (which is always traumatic for her), and Christmas.  Did I mention a 10 day loop of Tomatis?    Ugh!!  I am keeping up well with the big teen's schooling, but the little one's schooling is basically down to reading and math daily and SOTW, tea time chapter book reading, and FIAR when I can squeeze it in.  As for the other subjects, like Spanish and science ... PLEASE.  I don't mind homeschooling being a little crazy now and again, but a month of craziness is just getting to be too much ... and let's not even talk about the house.  It seems to be under control about one day a week ~ the day we are not home in it.  Just from where I'm sitting, I can see 20 Legos, several hair bows, a Barbie, a still packed suitcase, two overflowing laundry baskets waiting for folding and numerous papers everywhere.  Additionally, there are just worries ... a mounting To Do List, the big teen facing the loss of health insurance in a few months because of pre-existing conditions, and threat of services being cut for my FASD/RAD dd's one-on-one respite care provider.  The mental health programs in this state right now stink ... OK!  So I need to focus and list off a few things that I am thankful for ...

1. We are home safe from Duke.
2. Our big teen had a pretty good check up for his heart and pacemaker, although they found a new heart defect.  I do not know yet what this means for him, but pooling blood does not sound good.
3. I have faith that his doctors have his best interest at heart.  No pun intended.
4. My mother was healthy enough to be able to go along and help out, when at times she has not been up to it.  She was able to stay with my younger son at Ronald McDonald House while we were at the hospital all day.  He would have had a real hard time with all of the required transitions from room to room while getting various tests in the hospital.
5. My two girls breezed through the 7 hours in hospital waiting rooms and doctors' offices.
6. My big teen completed his out-of-the-home world history class and world religion classes.  He is not so happy about this, because he loved taking them, but I am happy to have one less place I have to get him to every week.
7. While we were at Duke, we were able to go to the NC Museum of Art and had a lovely time.  I loved it when my 6 year old son recognized a Monet from across the room.
8. I have the next two weeks mostly at home to hopefully catch my breath and refresh my school plans for the next two months.
9. I really do love the holidays and look forward to our old traditions and starting a few new ones.
10. My refrigerator is well stocked for the next few weeks.
11. Homeschooling is flexible and rolls with the bumps of life.
12. We have a family filled with love and faith.

Blessings, Dawn