Where the Hell...?

Let's just cut to the chase.  Here's some biggies that happened in the last year:

1.  The Hubs has a job.  Thank God, right??  It's been over a year since I last posted.  He did end up impressing the competition and went full time.  Every time I hear his truck fire up I seriously say a little thank you prayer because I just love his company so much.

2.  Max has Autism.  Yes uh-huh.  That's what it is.  That thing I've wondered about for years, but people have always brushed it off and shut me down about it.  Diagnosed.  Yep, Autism.

3.  Guess who's going to have another baby.  Ha.  Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.  Jesus.

4.  Third grade is the first time you have to cumulatively test your homeschool kid here in Georgia.  Then every third year after that.  Coop tested at the highschool level in a lot of the subjects he was tested in.  I had to get that brag in.  Now I shall leave it alone.  But after I say, HEY THIS HOMESCHOOL THING MAY BE WORKING.

So there it is.  Let us start fresh, shall we.  None of those back-em-up-and-explain-what-we're-up-to ridiculously long posts.  That's it in a nutshell:  Autism, pregnancy, homeschool.  That pretty much sums it up.

See you soon.

No, for reals though.

Five For Friday.

It's been an eventful week around the Awesome Abode.  Let's say an interesting two weeks...  Things are looking up!  Was that the sound of actual positivity in my voice??  yup.  I still live much of my life in hyper vigilant anxiety, but I can definitely maybe see a light at the end of our unemployment tunnel. 

Here's my summary of the goings-on lately...  I am tired though.  All six kiddos are under one roof and for some reason the three in diapers have just wanted to poop all damn day.  This entry may make no sense.

1.  The Hubs is working!  Well... part-time.  But part-time is better than no-time!  It's been nearly 5 months since he has had regular earn-a-check work.  I've damn near forgotten how it works.  While trying to figure out how to make this weeks meager check stretch, suddenly it occurred to me, "Wait! He gets another next week!"  Wowzer.  It has just been so long.  It's still a struggle, no doubt, but the company that hired him sought him out and created the position because they liked what he had to offer.  He has been busting his ass to impress the pants off of them and he's hoping that it will lead to a full-time position.  Keep your fingers crossed.  Pray.  Sacrifice a chicken.  Do whatever you have to do.  ...I would like to add that it does not hurt that he now works for the competition of his last employer.  That helps to soothe a bruised ego.

2.  Max is done with school.  I am happy dancing right now... see me?? 

While he does still need to go back next year for speech twice a week, it is an enormous relief to know that everyone will be under one roof for school next year.  We will be on our schedule.  That getting up for the bus junk is for the birds.  I also didn't like thinking, "Oh! No! It's getting late!  Better get Max to sleep so he can get to school tomorrow!" We like to mosey on sometime around a decent bedtime and rouse slowly at a good time in the morning.  Less stress that way.  I tell ya what is stressful though...  considering homeschool curricula and ideas for this little guy.  He's a unique one and his learning style is going to be as unique, I bet. 

3.  Maximus also had a birthday this week.  Apparently it's Max Week.

He's four now.  This seems so old and yet he is so young too.  Someone did me a great dis-service last year at Vacation Bible School.  They looked down at Max who was holding my hand and waiting for his brothers to be dismissed and told him, "Just think, Max! Next year you will get to go to Vacation Bible School!" Max could only babble at the time.  I looked at him and was simply astonished.  I knew at that point that there was no way he could be fully involved in a simple pre-k VBS.  The person who made the comment knew nothing of what we had been going through regarding SPD, speech, the school system or all the questions we had about potential autism.  The question has stuck with me and even as we are about to sign everyone up again I wonder... how will he do with a regular class of children?  He still wears diapers and his speech is not quite discern-able to people outside of our family.  No one will know of the huge strides he's taken just to get where he is and how amazing we think he is.  It's just a simple VBS class, but between you, me and the internet, it makes me a little nervous.  We shall see.

4.  And on that note...  Project Gluten is still a-go.  Now that he's home full time we'll really see where we can get.  It was rough at first, I'm not going to lie.  I do have a habit of making things a little more complicated than necessary though...   Here's where we are:  to plan dinner we buy a meat.  We throw a fruit with it.  We eat a veggie with it.  We eat a salad with it.  There's no gluten in that stuff.  I have figured out that perhaps Kroger is the best place for going gluten-free... if you need anything snazzy like gluten-free cookies, breads, crackers or pasta.  They are whole dollars cheaper than Publix.  Aldi is the very best for price and labeling.  I have really only had to tweak our grocery list a bit.  I'll save our results for a later post, but I will say... It's going pretty well.

5.  Something's bugged me all day.  I wanna share it because if I don't put it somewhere, it will bug me.  And it's my blog... so there.  I don't like talking politics or religion or any of that crap, but here we go.

I went to bed a Christian last night and this morning I was passive-aggressively told I was no longer a Christian.  I shared a post from George Takei last night expressing his joy that the Boy Scouts had voted to allow gay scouts into the organization.  I simply said, "The Boy Scouts are finally getting with the times. Now what about leaders[?]" This morning I woke up to a horrible post from a friend declaring that you cannot have those types of ideas and call yourself a Christian.  Twas complete with verses and damnation.  I have all day pondered then if, after such judgement, I would even want to be lumped into a group of people that would say such a thing.  In our home we teach our children to love everyone.  That love is love.  That God created and loves all of us... regardless of color, religion or sex.  I believe not letting a gay scout sit around a campfire and tie some knots or receive his Eagle after such hard work is as asinine as using separate water fountains or segregating schools.  The only hang up I had about my kid joining Scouts was the fact they were against gay scouts and leaders.  I hope they continue to make these strides so that one day gay leaders can be included.  My children know no difference between the love they see between their Daddy and I and say, Ellen and Portia. Call me Christian... don't call me Christian... call me crazy... I don't give a shit.  I know mine and mine knows me.  

Jumping down from my soapbox.   

I feel better now.  I realize this is just as passive-aggressive perhaps.  I realize The Facebook shouldn't get to me so much...  but sometimes that's the only socialization I receive during a busy day...  why's somebody gotta muck it up with that crap?  Sigh. 

So on we go...  Everyday a little bit better.  Things are progressing.  Everyday I feel a little more normal, although I am still eternally grateful for the lessons we've learned along the way.  New normal. 

Have an awesome weekend folks.  Remember the reason we are free to barbeque and relax on Monday.

Grabbing It Right Back.

Hello, my people.  It is I!  Back from the dead.  Sort of.  Still feeling dead, but back, nonetheless. 

Here's what I'm not going to do.  I'm not going to apologize for having not blogged in the past forever.  Though more than a few people have asked me where I've gone *straightens collar, brushes it off*.  There has been absolutely nothing to blog about and then just FUCKING EVERYTHING.  I have been through a range of stupid emotions that just would not make good writing...  One of those emotions being the one where I think, "I should really write this stuff down... that way when I am so thankful for how far we've come, I can look back and say..." Oh, I don't know.  What the hell.

I'll update you on some things so that we can just get back to our regular blogging station.  I do miss it.  I don't want to waste time rehashing what's been going down for say, the last six months.  So...

The Hubs is unemployed.

There.  I said it.  You reading that sentence did not take very much effort.  That sentence takes every effort I have in my body.  I live that sentence.  I live it going to bed at night.  I live it when I wake up.  In the morning I have approximately 5 seconds to myself where the birdies begin dressing me and my hair is luxurious... rosacea doesn't exist and I am rich.  Then reality sinks in and I literally, in my brain, say, "Shit." as I stumble out of bed.

It has been quite the struggle.  This is the stuff that proves what you're made of, that's for sure.  But it's definitely not all bad.  It is hard to believe that it won't always be like this... I know it won't.  But I will never take, say, a gallon of milk or a closet stocked with toilet paper for granted again.  Can that be a bad thing? 

Figuring out general survival with 5 kids without a regular income is not easy, but it is interesting the things that have gone on around us.  The Hubs and I mentioned at the beginning of our little non-employment journey that people around us are going through things all the time.  ...The old saying that if you stood in a circle with the people you know and all threw your troubles in the middle, chances are, you'd grab your own right back again.  I did not believe this at first.  At all.  Period.  But during these last few months one of our friends lost his home, another their six-week old baby.  Illnesses have come and gone.  Divorces.  A dear old friend of mine lost his mother.  Somehow you keep going.  You endure. 

So there it is.  There have been other things that just don't stand out like the unemployment does...  Z nearly had his finger smashed off his body.  I may tell ya that one, it's a goody.  Max has gone to school... fortunately/unfortunately, his teachers love him... as he does NOT misbehave at school.  At all.  I got my luscious locks cut off... damn near needed to make 3 pony tails out of it just to chop it off, but we got by with 2.  I finally made my homeschool classroom.  At one point I thought I was moving to St. Louis so I sold all my bedroom furniture.  It's now just a permanent camping/slumber party up-in-thar.  My grandma died... guess that's not such a happy point.  Sigh.  My siblings have all decided to get married all at once... though not to each other... that was worded funny.

... I'll end on that note.

You will hear from me soon.  I need ya.  You are my sounding board.