Friday, November 12, 2010

Random Fodder from my Caffeine-Addled, Over-Tired Mind

The other day I was at Trader Joe's and I saw a transvestite.  Am I using the right terminology here?  I mean a man dressed like a woman, makeup and all.  His pink flipflops really completed the whole look.  Remember when we used to call flipflops thongs?  And isn't it funny why that's totally not appropriate anymore?

I love living in a big city though.  Actually we are in the suburbs, but we have easy access to all sorts of things that would be rarer in smaller towns. Target is never more than a mile away.  Used bookstores.  24-hour drugstores.  Nice parks roughly every 3 blocks.  Kids' clothing consignment sales.

Great doctors and specialists.  Tons of therapy options.  And other people like us.  When you have a somewhat rare disorder in your family, it's easy to feel isolated and alone.  None of our neighbors have Fragile X.  No coworkers or classmates or old college buddies can relate to this.  But there are just a few Fragile X families in the Twin Cities area, and I'm so thankful to have gotten to know them.

Yesterday my friend Bobbie and I did our annual take-a-day-off-and-go-shopping-and-eat extravaganza.  We started at Gerten's where they have amazing Christmas stuff; not just the usual lights, tinsel, and ball ornaments you find at your local grocery, department, or drug store.  They have special things.  Lights that look like little bunches of berries.  Ornaments in the shape of cameras (perfect for me) or a plate of sushi (perfect for Bobbie).  Pine greenery to make your house look and smell all Christmas-y.

Which reminds me, I'm really into "Merry Christmas."  Not "Happy Holidays."  I don't want to be generic. Am I wrong in thinking Christmas should smack of Jesus?  I love Santa and decorated trees and presents and wreaths and all the symbols, really, but I don't want to dumb it down so much that it's just a happy, be-nice-to-your-neighbors, smile-at-strangers, give-to-charities kind of time.  It should be a specific time to celebrate that Jesus was born.

Okay, stepping down from the pulpit now.....








We had a long Mexican lunch where we talked about all of our kids a little (six of them between the two of us), and pondered a few other important questions.  Like, is it "butt naked" or "buck naked?"  There are only so many people in this world you can ask a question like that, and I'm blessed to be good friends with one of them.

She did not have an answer for me, though.

We caroused the mall the rest of the afternoon, and when we felt we could drop, we stopped and ate again, this time at the Cheesecake Factory, which might hold a close second now to our top favorite place to nibble and chat, the Mystic Lake Casino Buffet.

Today is my birthday by the way, and the boys wanted to make sure I didn't miss a minute of it.  They got up at 4.  AM.  This morning.  By now I feel like it should be late afternoon and it's barely past lunchtime.  This is why my internal clock is such mess.  This is why I have to drink caffeine to stay conscious during the day, but quit drinking it by mid afternoon so I can pass out at night.

Oh, no news on the sippy cup struggle.  This morning Zack demanded a bottle at 4 AM and as it turns out, I have very little fight in me at that hour, so he got what he wanted.  He wanted another one and I resisted until 6, when I gave in yet again.  I'm so tired of this war.

I'm going to take my scatterbrained self outside to pick up the toys in the backyard.  Snow is in the forecast.

2 comments:

Tracy said...

Bonnie, It's taken me a while to post this because I have been soooo busy reading your blog. 1st it's nice to run across another mom of multiples and 2nd God Bless you and those two beautiful boys. Clearly you have had your struggles and clearly God picked the right woman for the job. Thank you for your vote on pixel perfect and I hope you and your family have a happy and blessed holiday season... oops CHRISTMAS season... I totally agree with you on that issue as well!!!

Kim and Steve said...

Bonnie, Happy Belated Birthday! I'm so glad that you got a day off. I've been catching up on your posts and LOVE LOVE LOVE your photos - like the cactus one in this post and the screaming pumpkins!

Labels

#youmightbeanautismparentif 2012 in review 9/11 memories ABA therapy Acceptance acronyms advocacy affection aggression AJ Aliza Aliza the playwright All I really need to know... Alphabitty Moments American Girl Ann Coulter antibullying anxiety anxiety in parents of children with special needs apple orchard apps for autism AppSmitten Arbaclofen Arbitrary Thoughts ARC autism autism brushing autism portrayed in TV shows Autism Shines awareness backyard band baseball bath toys beds behavior problems being tall Birthday Boys biting blog change blog hop blogging books bottles brushing bubbles Burnsville Fire Muster bus Cabin Fever in Minnesota candy Carly Fleischmann Carly's Voice cats cats and dogs chewys Chicago childcare for special needs children childhood Children's Museum chocolate Christmas Church circumin clinical trials Clonidine CNN Hero of 2011 coffee communication comparisons computer Conference cost of special education Courage Center Curcumin daddy dance dance competition dance moms Dental surgery dentist developmental milestones diagnosis diapers Diego Disability Day dogs Dolphin Tale Doomsday Preparation Dora Doritos drug trials DVD player early intervention earrings Easter ECSE Parent Retreat electronic gadgets electronics Everything I need to know... Evil Overlord fall falling asleep at school families family fashion fear Featured Feel Good Friday field trip fireworks first day of school Flash Gordon Food Chronicles food issues in Fragile X and autistic children forms forts Fragile Face of God Fragile X Fragile X advocate Fragile X and autism Fragile X Awareness Day Fragile X carriers Fragile X in the news Fragile X presentation Fragile X statistics Fragile X Writers friends fundraiser for Fragile X funniest Funny Gabrielle Giffords Galveston games getting carsick Girls' Night Out Giving Spirit glasses global warming going home Good Morning Great Quotes guest blogs guest post haircuts Halloween hearing test Heaven is for Real hippotherapy holidays Holland Holly home life homework hotel hugging human behavior hyperactivity IEP Meeting IEPs in the news inclusion inspiration integration iPad iPad apps iPad apps for autism IQ testing Jack Jablonski January First Joke journal entry kids with Fragile X and animals Kindergarten Kindle kisses language study learning to talk leaves lemonade stand Lily Little Einsteins losing teeth Mad Gab makeup mall Mall of America marcia braden McDonalds media sensationalization medications Melatonin Miami MIND Institute Minnesota Bloggers Conference minocycline Miracle League monkeys mosquito bites Mother's Day movies MVMOM Used Clothing and Equipment Sale nail trimming names naughtiness neighbors nicknames nightmares normal off topic one thing leads to another online dating Operation Beautiful oral sensory orphan drug act other bloggers Our Wedding outside overstimulation panic attacks parade parental stress Parenthood park Partners in Policymaking penicillin people with disabilities pets pharmacy fun photography Photoshop picnic Pictures pinching pink shirt Pinterest playing outside playing with toys poem politics poop potty training Presents protecting autistic children rash reading to kids research Retreat riding a bike Robin Williams Roger Ebert routine RSS feed RUSH University San Diego Sandy Hook Elementary Santa schedules school school bus school notes school pictures screaming self image self-checkouts sensory Seroquel siblings with developmental delays sick kids sippy cups sleep smile snow pictures Snowstorm social situations speaking of the unspeakable special education special education evaluation special needs kids special needs parents Special Needs Ryan Gosling Special Olympics spelling spoon feeding spring break staying positive stimming Strep STX209 Stylish Blog Award suicide summer Sunday School Sundays sunshine survival mode swimming talking talking to kindergarteners Target teacher's aides Teeth brushing Tegretol Temple Grandin Ten Commandments textbook case of Fragile X thankful thanksgiving that window/mirror thing The Autism Store The R Word the rapid passage of time The Right Things to say to parents of special needs children The Santa Experience the Shedd Aquarium The Twin Thing The Wiggles therapeutic horseback riding therapy This is Autism topless trampoline traveling with special needs children TV twins with special needs Twitter typical Fragile X characteristics typical kids typing vacation Vacation Bible School video games videos volunteering Waisman Center water play way-back-Wednesday What I've Learned What's your song? when a special needs parent dies Wiggles Wii games Winner Winner Chicken Dinner winter wonder Wonder Pets Wordful Wednesday Wordless Wednesday Words of Wisdom World Autism Awareness Day YMCA You Tube Zack Zoloft zoo animals

Fragile X Blogs