A few Noteworthy Thingamabobs
First off I'd like to say that after I posted my Monopoly blog, I won every game HA! Until today. We were playing mostly every day since then though. Noah's getting better, but hasn't won yet and is still not discouraged, which is good.
Things going on with Noah: OK so the kid had something similar to an Iowa test (CogAT in Maryland) and he scored in the upper 97th percentile nationwide for nonverbal reasoning skills, the other 2 categories he got a 50% and 65% LOL! This means when it comes to manipulation of physical objects, our son is the king. We knew that already, but it's nice that he tested well and was recognized by others so he can possibly get into better science or math next year... or maybe have different teaching techniques brought to the classroom for him. In a classroom of 25 3rd graders with one teacher and no aide, I don't expect much. That poor woman. However, our school currently holds awards for their Gifted and Talented programs so we really want him to get there. We're glad he's a good tester otherwise he'd be screwed... also we're lucky he's talented in something our society currently cares about (science and technology). Anyway. After we got this news I told Noah he didn't have to read stories anymore. He doesn't get them. He hates reading. He only likes the ones with constant pictures like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and he's done with those. So, he chose the Usborne Science Encyclopedia. It is open if he is home. He has started his own notebook. He's now clipping out parts of circuit boards and taping and labeling them in his notebook.
We're thinking we need to get him something electronic to build. Something that will work when it's done, not just be fun "guts" to look at. We found a few cool options, like a TV!
Tristan loves counting everything and counts well over 100. He also loves to point out letters. He wants to go to the library every week and get himself a new comic book. He finished all the Star Wars ones and is onto the Pokemon ones now, which are done backwards all Chinese-style. I'm sure this appeals to his left-handedness. He changes his clothes at least three times a day and his new favorite clothing is button-down shirts with a clip-on tie Noah just handed down to him. Every night before he goes to sleep he says "goodnight, beautiful Mommy" and I say "goodnight, my handsome son". We try to give him compliments on other important things as well, but his attire is currently his end-all-be-all. He uses his hair goop, he layers his shirts, he always has a belt on, his socks always match his underwear. It's all very complicated. It wasn't until recently he wanted to have his picture taken so I should have photographic evidence of his fashion prowess soon enough.
Brennan is the opposite. I have to fight with him to change out of his pajamas. Which means all day long I see tiny baby buttcrack because wearing underwear to sleep makes for more frequent accidents. He doesn't wear socks, which means every time he colors he ends up coloring his toenails as well. He chews on his shirts so his skin all around his face is chapped like crazy. He's getting a little mouthy as we inch closer to 4yrs old, but he's been so fluent in English and sarcasm for so long the transition is slow and manageable. He tells the most amazing stories! Today I heard a secret tale about a giant butterfly who ate a kid. I was not allowed to tell anyone!! Whoops! ;) When Brennan opens his mouth, listen... it'll be worth it I promise. He completes 100pc puzzles without help and without pictures, regardless of if he's done them before, in about 2 hours. I think it's time to upgrade him to 200pc.
I am still getting over the worst virus I have ever come into contact with in my life. It laid me completely out with massive aches and pains, swollen lymph glands, constant pounding headache, fevers, and white patches on my throat. Before you jump to strep throat, lemme just say this was definitely not a bacterial thing and my throat was an afterthought in the blob of achy goop that was my formerly glorious healthy body. The night of the 24th, right after I felt like superwoman for extending the fenceline all by myself, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I blame it on the increased circulation allowing the little parasites to spread quickly. It SUUUUCKED!! That entire night I barely slept at all. I contemplated taking pills, but the thought of moving any part of my body was completely off the table. I was in a tiny fetal ball of whimpering pain and the motrin could just die for all I cared. At some point I woke up all sweaty and thought "oh good, I broke the fever" wrong. Yeah, maybe the first time. I think I broke that fever a good 8 times. The second day Josh was home from work (thank God). I managed to move to the living room, but I lost consciousness again. I thought about going to a doctor, but being sick for 2 days isn't something we really need to see a professional for now is it. My rule is 10 days. If I can't get over it myself in 10 days I will go see a pro for a little boost. However, don't know if you knew this, but you can't fight viruses with antibiotics. So, half the time you take them it might be pointless and you feeling better 2 days later is because that's just what happens naturally. Something to think about. But, I digress.
What I learned from this journey. I take my health for granted. For months now I've been telling myself to get off the couch, eat better, play more, watch less TV, drink more water, drink less coffee, be less stressed with the children, take more me-time... but I didn't. As soon as I started to change I got sick because I wasn't really serious and the powers that be knew that. I took this as my body saying "yeah lemme show you why this needs to continue". I neglected my health and I paid a tiny price. I am kinda glad I got sick. It lit a fire. This was a warning for me and I'm taking it damn seriously. It was a gift. I know it might sound crazy, but that's how I see it. I can think of plenty of people with cancer who would have easily traded this 2 day inconvenience for their good health back. So, because I love them. I'm not taking my good health for granted anymore. I would still be an impatient depressed lump had I not been KO'd by mother nature. Viruses are smaller than we can see and it made me want to die. I'm so stinkin' happy today because I can move. I had babies on my lap. I was overflowing with love and patience. I was happy to play games with them and listen to their stories. I was able to fold laundry. I even worked on the fence again. On a less existential note I also learned that paprika is packed with vitamins A and E and drinking 5 cups of black tea a day has been shown to increase virus-fighting interferon in your bloodstream by up to 10 times. That's significant, people. Positive thoughts, everyone :)
We're thinking we need to get him something electronic to build. Something that will work when it's done, not just be fun "guts" to look at. We found a few cool options, like a TV!
Tristan loves counting everything and counts well over 100. He also loves to point out letters. He wants to go to the library every week and get himself a new comic book. He finished all the Star Wars ones and is onto the Pokemon ones now, which are done backwards all Chinese-style. I'm sure this appeals to his left-handedness. He changes his clothes at least three times a day and his new favorite clothing is button-down shirts with a clip-on tie Noah just handed down to him. Every night before he goes to sleep he says "goodnight, beautiful Mommy" and I say "goodnight, my handsome son". We try to give him compliments on other important things as well, but his attire is currently his end-all-be-all. He uses his hair goop, he layers his shirts, he always has a belt on, his socks always match his underwear. It's all very complicated. It wasn't until recently he wanted to have his picture taken so I should have photographic evidence of his fashion prowess soon enough.
Brennan is the opposite. I have to fight with him to change out of his pajamas. Which means all day long I see tiny baby buttcrack because wearing underwear to sleep makes for more frequent accidents. He doesn't wear socks, which means every time he colors he ends up coloring his toenails as well. He chews on his shirts so his skin all around his face is chapped like crazy. He's getting a little mouthy as we inch closer to 4yrs old, but he's been so fluent in English and sarcasm for so long the transition is slow and manageable. He tells the most amazing stories! Today I heard a secret tale about a giant butterfly who ate a kid. I was not allowed to tell anyone!! Whoops! ;) When Brennan opens his mouth, listen... it'll be worth it I promise. He completes 100pc puzzles without help and without pictures, regardless of if he's done them before, in about 2 hours. I think it's time to upgrade him to 200pc.
I am still getting over the worst virus I have ever come into contact with in my life. It laid me completely out with massive aches and pains, swollen lymph glands, constant pounding headache, fevers, and white patches on my throat. Before you jump to strep throat, lemme just say this was definitely not a bacterial thing and my throat was an afterthought in the blob of achy goop that was my formerly glorious healthy body. The night of the 24th, right after I felt like superwoman for extending the fenceline all by myself, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I blame it on the increased circulation allowing the little parasites to spread quickly. It SUUUUCKED!! That entire night I barely slept at all. I contemplated taking pills, but the thought of moving any part of my body was completely off the table. I was in a tiny fetal ball of whimpering pain and the motrin could just die for all I cared. At some point I woke up all sweaty and thought "oh good, I broke the fever" wrong. Yeah, maybe the first time. I think I broke that fever a good 8 times. The second day Josh was home from work (thank God). I managed to move to the living room, but I lost consciousness again. I thought about going to a doctor, but being sick for 2 days isn't something we really need to see a professional for now is it. My rule is 10 days. If I can't get over it myself in 10 days I will go see a pro for a little boost. However, don't know if you knew this, but you can't fight viruses with antibiotics. So, half the time you take them it might be pointless and you feeling better 2 days later is because that's just what happens naturally. Something to think about. But, I digress.
What I learned from this journey. I take my health for granted. For months now I've been telling myself to get off the couch, eat better, play more, watch less TV, drink more water, drink less coffee, be less stressed with the children, take more me-time... but I didn't. As soon as I started to change I got sick because I wasn't really serious and the powers that be knew that. I took this as my body saying "yeah lemme show you why this needs to continue". I neglected my health and I paid a tiny price. I am kinda glad I got sick. It lit a fire. This was a warning for me and I'm taking it damn seriously. It was a gift. I know it might sound crazy, but that's how I see it. I can think of plenty of people with cancer who would have easily traded this 2 day inconvenience for their good health back. So, because I love them. I'm not taking my good health for granted anymore. I would still be an impatient depressed lump had I not been KO'd by mother nature. Viruses are smaller than we can see and it made me want to die. I'm so stinkin' happy today because I can move. I had babies on my lap. I was overflowing with love and patience. I was happy to play games with them and listen to their stories. I was able to fold laundry. I even worked on the fence again. On a less existential note I also learned that paprika is packed with vitamins A and E and drinking 5 cups of black tea a day has been shown to increase virus-fighting interferon in your bloodstream by up to 10 times. That's significant, people. Positive thoughts, everyone :)
