I'm trying...

I've started at least three blog posts in the last few days.

None of them really seem to go where I want them to.  I tried a post about what I am thankful for, but it seemed so syrupy and sappy and, well, just NOT what I wanted to say.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for a lot of things in my life, but I just couldn't seem to get what I wanted to say to come out right in words.

So then I started a general update post.  But it just didn't seem to fit the bill either.  I tried again, and yeah, no dice.  I'm not sure what the issue was with that, but again, it just didn't seem to say what I wanted it to.

So now you get this.  Random musings about what I was TRYING to say and can't.  I'll toss some quick updates in there, and then I'll get down to what has really been on my heart these past few days.

Life is pretty much the same as always here.  A struggle to find enough time to fit in everything that needs to be done in our days.  In some ways, I like the insanity, but in others, well, I miss the ease that life had before. But, I know these days are worth it, and we will manage, as always.

Monster Boy is doing great in school.  Parent Teacher conferences went well - he is ahead of the class in pretty much everything, which we already knew.  His teacher asked if we had any ideas on how to keep him interested since he is so far ahead, especially in reading (he is reading at a third grade level - in first grade!).  We are brainstorming ideas but haven't really come up with anything that we think will fit well into the set up she has for his classroom, so suggestions are welcome!

Daddy Mac is working hard as always.  I don't know what I would do without that man.  He is an amazing husband, father and person in general.  I certainly wouldn't have survived the last few months, let alone the last few years, without his love and support.

I am as crazy busy as ever.  School is going well - I'm pretty much kicking butt in all my classes, which makes me very happy.  But, I am ready for this semester to be over.  And, while I am taking a full course load again next semester, two of my classes are online, and two are in classroom.  Which means less time on campus, and more time with my kiddos.  Also, no night classes next semester, which I think will make a HUGE difference in how busy I feel.  Fingers crossed that I can continue with the good grades after this semester is over!

And let's not forget Miss Sunshine.  She is crazy.   Seriously.  She is at THAT stage.  You know, that fun stage right around the age of three where kids are nothing but attitude?  Yep.  That stage.  Sometimes all I can do is laugh at her, because she is just so funny when she is trying to cop her little attitudes with me.  Of course, I make sure she can't see me, because that would just feed in to the attitude.  We are STILL trying to potty train.  I have been blessed with extremely stubborn kids.  And, apparently, extremely stubborn kids are not good potty-trainers.  I know she knows what to do.  She can go days, several in a row even, with zero accidents.  And then for a week it's non-stop accident after accident.  I just don't even know what to do anymore.  I had hoped to have some success this long weekend with getting her in to underwear, and yesterday thought I had it.  She went the ENTIRE day with no accidents, telling us when she needed to go potty, just doing great.  And today?  Well, today, she pooped in her pants.  Not just once, but twice.  I just don't even know what to do with her.

And then, I realized this week that we are nearly TWO YEARS post-palate repair.  Two years!  That's just crazy to me.  I can't believe it's been that long.  We have been so incredibly blessed in the last two years.  This week, she has her evaluation with the school system for an IEP.  It's a two day process - they will do testing, they will watch her interact with other children, they will watch her interact with Daddy and I, they will do lots of things.  I have high hopes that they will release her from care - she is actually ahead in speech now, we don't notice any unusual behaviors that might indicate other developmental delays, and I think that she just no longer requires services.  BUT, and this is a big but, I simply don't know.  And I won't know until after these evaluations are done - which makes me very nervous.  So, I try to focus on other things.  Like the potty training... So that I don't spend countless nights worrying myself to death.

I will update after her evaluations, and have some ruminating for you all on life with her cleft (including some links to some pretty cool sites that I HOPE you will take the time to check out!).