The Frantic Scribe

#134: Another tough month...

2009-05-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

It's been tough. Not necessarily awful, but challenging.

Health-wise, we all got a touch of the severe cold/flu bug that's been (still) making the rounds. Plus, we're due to see specialist after specialist. I've already seen the rheumatologist and my primary doctor. Sarah's had her 6 month checkup. Christina's been to the pediatric psychologist (referred to by her neurologist), I see the dermatologist on Monday (because of 2 different skin rashes that my primary doc AND my rheumatologist are stumped on), and Michael (finally) sees the geneticist at the end of the month.

I think I got it all. Oh, wait...Michael's annual hearing test. That actually went OK.

And that's just May. Doesn't count June/July.

So as you can imagine, I am getting really sick of doctor's offices. The docs are all helpful and sympathetic, but I am tired of having to see specialists up the wazoo.

Money problems as well. In the process of settling a debt. I had to swallow my pride and ask my parents for help. I'm not exactly proud of that, but you have to do what you have to. Mom and Dad were surprised, but they reassured me it'll be okay. I've never asked them for any financial support since I got married. Robert isn't going to be happy...he's very proud, but sometimes...there is an upside to a large extended family. They do understand that there will be times you need their support, and are willing to help. (Unlike my husband's, who basically would kick you to the curb the day after your 21st birthday or your graduation party, whichever came first.)

Frustration on the home front as well. With everything that's been going on, hubby had the nerve to tell me that for some reason (fate? karma? life plan?) I always end up taking the hard road to doing everything. So I "chose" to have 2 autistic kids and everything that goes with it? I "chose" to have a chronic illness and a whacked-out immune system? If I had a chance to write my "life plan" before I was born, I was either drunk, drugged, or dreaming when I did it. That, or I'm a certified masochist.

I've tried to keep myself together with my artistic and writing stuff. Finally updated my website, and I now have a livejournal to post my fanfiction. (Runs like a companion to this one). I'll put up links in the sidebar.

I only hope I can avoid a nervous breakdown. Life doesn't completely suck, but it's starting to edge into that category.

Annie

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#133: Mission, Spring Break Survival

2009-04-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

This week, the kids have Spring Break Off. My primary mission is to survive the week without going insane. Luckily, my friend Elaine (her older son is in Michael's class and her younger son's in Christina's) and I are planning to keep the kids busy with activities. Taking the kids to the playground, visiting each other houses, etc. Elaine's recently got an espresso machine from her in-laws as a gift. I'm SO envious. LOL! I joked that I'll be a frequent visitor, and she just laughed.

I'm finally going to put all my fiction in (relatively) one place...another creative blog with links to The Frantic Scribe, my works-in-progress, my poetry collection, etc. Doing a re-tweak of my art galleries, too. I've been wanting to do this for awhile, but real life keeps interfering, darn it! (Just kiddin'.)

Last weekend, I saw a couple of cute quotes in the most unlikely of places. The first one was on a tire cover of a little jeep that was being towed by a big RV on Interstate 77. The cover read, "Little Car pushing Big RV." Thought that was cute.

The second one was over at Tony's Pizza in Ballentyne. One of the signs above the order counter read, "If you are rude, discourteous or just plain cranky, there will be a $10 surcharge just for dealing with you." Oooh...I know the perfect story to use that quote in *evil cackle*

In any case, I'll put up new links to my web stuff once I get everything settled.

Annie ;)

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#132: Manic March Madness...

2009-03-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

And no, this doesn't refer to college basketball...LOL!

Robert was in England and Belgium for a week on a work trip a couple of weeks ago, so I was alone with the 3 kids. Yay, fun. Michael got sick for 3 of the 5 days...I ended up taking him to the doc. Turns out he caught the stomach bug that's been going around. I get really worried when he gets really sick because he tends to refuse anything to eat or drink and gets dehydrated. We've been guests in the CMC Children's Emergency room because of that before. Luckily, he began to feel better before it got that far.

Robert had never been to England before, so he was pretty excited about it. He spent a couple of days in London (my hometown) and took plenty of pictures. Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, the Eye, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, etc. etc. His coworker's brother lives there and gave him the tour. They drove through the Chunnel to France and Belgium, stayed in Belgium for a few days for work, drove back through the Chunnel back to London.

Speaking of international stuff, I've really enjoyed my weekly tutoring sessions w/Myeong, my Korean student. Last week, we talked about wedding customs (she'd never been to an American wedding before) and yesterday, she came by with her traditional Korean dress. It's really pretty, brightly colored pink and yellow, huge sleeves, a big bow in the front. I got to try it on. There are about 3 layers of material. You have to really watch how you walk in it, though, or you'll fall flat on your face. Myeong told me that in some traditional families, the wife bows to her in-laws on one knee...which is NOT easy in this dress. It reminds me of a kimono in some ways. Very elegant, but kinda awkward if you're not used to it.

(And yes, Myeong snapped a couple of pics on her digital camera of me wearing it. She said she was going to send 'em to me soon).

Another new thing: Robert bought a small Nissan Ultima, gold-colored, to replace the purple Ford Escort. A little nice car that actually works. He's mainly driving it to and from Davidson, so he wasn't looking for anything fancy. At least it's not a beige Ford Escort wagon. He seems pretty satisfied with it.

I think I've started reading about 4 books, but I haven't had any time to get back to ANY of them. Been trying to keep Michael out of trouble...he's been having issues as school lately, not getting along with his teacher. Robert was scheduled to observe what's going on in the classroom this week, but then he got the word that IR is going through another round of job cuts. Don't know who's gonna stay and who's gonna go. Holding my breath...they've already had a couple of rounds of layoffs. Not likely Robert will get cut, but these days, you never know.

Managed to put some work in on my travelogue project, and I bought a new set of Chinese brushes. My old ones were starting to get really ragged. Making plans for some new projects...IF I can somehow squeeze in the time to get to them, anyway.

More soon.

Annie

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#131: It's SNOWING!

2009-03-01T21:56:00.000-08:00

Yeah, it's snowing, here in Charlotte, NC. It's not too unusual, but a full-out thundersnow blizzard...that's not usual. We've had some pretty bad storms since we've moved to Charlotte, but only a couple that have been really bad. In '02, we were out of power for 4 days. At least this time out, we still have electricity. I live up on a hill, so trying to get anywhere isn't gonna happen anytime soon.

Ice is the big thing around here, and Southerners don't know how to drive in snow and ice. Add the NASCAR thing around here...and it's a running joke that the first things to go from the grocery stores are bread and milk. Most of the area schools have canceled class tomorrow, all but Charlotte-Mecklenburg, of course. They always wait until the last possible minute before canceling class. But there's no way I'm sending my kids out in weather like this.

This will be Sarah's first snowfall...I wonder how she'll react. Unfortunately, the other kids have been fighting colds for the past two weeks. SIGH!

Mom called earlier tonight...she said that they've been having lots of rain in VA Beach, and it just changed over to sleet. They're supposed to get 1-3 inches. I know my parents aren't too fond of the snow, but Dad seems to take it more in stride.

Little more later.

Anne

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#130 Catching up on everything...

2009-02-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

I've been so behind on everything, it seems like. I still have some art on the digital camera that I have to download, resize and upload into my various galleries. Blogs to update (like this one, natch). Facebook requests to look at, doctor appts. to reschedule, language lessons to catch up on...

Trying to take everything in stride, though. Coffee and chocolate make things a lot better, LOL.

Catch you in a bit,
Annie

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#129: TAGGED, 25 Random Things about Me

2009-02-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

Here's some 25 Random Things about Me. A copy of it is on my FB page, but I'm also putting it here...

1) I'm British by birth, Filipino/Chinese/Spanish by blood, American by naturalization and Southerner by marriage.

2) I am a linguist, teacher, artist, editor and mom.

3)I speak German and English fluently, enough Spanish and Italian to get myself into trouble, some Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, French and Arabic. I'm learning Scottish Gaelic for a story I'm writing...my sister told me I'm the only one she knows who learns languages for fun. LOL.

4)I've taught all ages from preschool to adults. My favorite subject to teach is English as a Second Language. Currently I have one Korean student.

5) I write poetry, short stories, novels and fanfiction.

6) I once did Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) and did a 50,018 word novel in 30 days. It's harder than it seems.

7) I graduated from VA Tech in Blacksburg, VA, and I taught for two summers at the University of Virginia. I'm still a true Hokie, though! :)

8) Big sports fan, esp. NFL. Favorite teams: Carolina Panthers (football), New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes (hockey), Miami Heat (basketball). Although I'm not a big NASCAR fan, I had to learn about it in self-defense...from my students. Hey, I live in Charlotte, NC!!!

9) I paint in watercolors and acrylics, draw in pastels and charcoal. I have my own art website, http://www.freewebs.com/creativeannie

10) I also have a blog at http://thefranticscribe.blogspot.com

11) Big sci-fi fan. Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate, etc. I was mad that Stargate Atlantis got canceled, and BSG's in its last season, but cautiously optimistic about Star Trek IX.

12) Favorite foods: Chinese, Italian and Chocolate. Not necessarily in that order.

13) I love world travel. I'd love to visit Scotland, Ireland, Japan, China and Australia someday. And although I've got relatives in the Philippines, I've never been there. Yet.

14) I'm related (distantly) to Michael Copon (of One Tree Hill) and Liz Masakayan (an Olympic volleyball player and coach). My best friend (who is from Samoa) is related to Dwayne Johnson (aka the Rock) and knows David Tua's family (David Tua's a boxer).

15) If you looked at the playlist on my computer, you'd find a weird mix of: Jimmy Buffett, Billy Joel, Gaelic Storm, The Wiggles, The Backyardigans and the Imagination Movers.

16) That said, I think I watch more stuff on Noggin, Nickelodeon, and the Disney Channel than almost anything else.

17) I'm a sucker for desserts. And coffee. Lots of coffee. And none of that decaf stuff.

18) Favorite international desserts: tiramisu, English Strawberry Trifle and Tim Tams.

19) I tried Haggis once, but didn't like it much (I think because I already knew what was in it). Irn Bru isn't bad for a drink, but I need to try out the fried Mars Bars. Love sushi and sashimi, rice balls and teriyaki, but not nuts about pickled plums. And kimchee.

20) My two older kids have been diagnosed with moderate to severe autism, mild MR and sensory issues. They've had years of occupational, speech and play therapy. Right now, Michael's in a self-contained AU kindergarten class, while Christina is in an AU preschool class. Both of them are doing wonderfully.

21) Needless to say, Autism Awareness in one of my big causes. I'm part of a Special Needs Moms group here in Charlotte.

22) I've had rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia for 3 years.

23) I have a strong interest in Chinese medicine. I probably could be a doctor, if it wasn't for the fear of needles and the C- in Chemistry.

24) Technobabble, Technobabble, Technobabble. I'm married to a computer engineer, so I'm used to it.

25) I'm the worst morning person. I'm more of a night owl.

Annie

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#128: It's lovely weather to be stuck here together with the flu...

2009-02-04T20:37:00.000-08:00

Listening to Bob Rivers comedy CDs. The title's from a song on one of his group's Christmas CD's called "Chipmunks Roasting over an Open Fire". Seriously. Talk about having a twisted sense of humor. Both Michael and Christina are coughing and have runny noses, thanks to a cold/flu virus. Michael's teacher told me yesterday that 4 of her kids are all out sick.

Today was a snow day...schools closed. We only got a dusting, but the bigger problem is ice on the roads. I live on top of a hill...I remember there was a HUGE ice storm in Dec. '02 and we couldn't get out of our neighborhood. People joke that no one around here knows how to drive in snow, unless you're a transplant from the North.

Spent most of the day watching Wiggles and Baby Einstein videos. Sarah really enjoys the Baby Einstein one...her favorite is the Language Nursery. She's laughing and smiling now. On Monday, we took Christina over to Sanger Clinic for her appt. with the cardiologist. All the nurses and receptionists were gooing and gahing over her and she's looking at them like, "Oooookay, what are you all looking at?!?!?" Luckily, she was really good during the appt. Christina still has the hole in her heart, but Dr. B wants to wait another year and decide if she needs surgery when she's 4. The VSD doesn't seem to slow Christina down, which is a good thing, but I wish that if she really needs it, that they'd go ahead and get it over with.

Joints still pretty bad, but at least they're a little better than last night. I can deal with the weather staying cold, but not this "50 degrees one day and 15 the next."

Sounds like someone's asking for the "24 Hour Mommy Snack Shack." Sigh. Catch you later.

Annie

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#127: When you make resolutions...

2009-01-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

...sometimes it's really hard to keep 'em. Yeah, I said I'd be better at updating this blog and all my other stuff. Unfortunately, when you're a Domestic Crisis Engineer, you tend to get burned out kinda easily. Sorry about that.

Things here have been a struggle lately. Part of it is the fact that I haven't been well for the past month now...mostly sick and dealing with RA flare-ups. I actually had to stop writing for 3 weeks because of it. Now I'm getting back to my creative stuff, but it can be pretty hard.

In addition to all the challenges of dealing with 2 autistic kids who right now have some issues at school and home, one high-maintainance infant, and one most-of-the-time clueless and conflict-avoiding engineer husband, doctors who schedule things on THEIR convenience and others who think they know how to raise my kids (when they don't have kids themselves, natch), I think I've been hit by delayed PPD (post-partum depression). I had it after having Michael and I've been on meds. for the better part of 5 1/2 years, but there are days when it gets pretty bad.

People ask me how I manage to do things and I honestly tell them, "I really don't know." I have to resist the impulse to wall myself off, especially since my hubby is anti-social and his idea of a great weekend is to walk around the mall (without spending any $$$ if possible, BTW). I write fan-fiction, I do my art, and I study my languages. Right now, I'm wading through some Scottish Gaelic stuff (for a future story), even though I'm about as Scottish as say...Jackie Chan. If anything, I do like a linguistic challenge.

It does keep the depression at bay, but sometimes it can get really difficult. I usually don't ask for too much, but if you can spare a kind note or two of encouragement, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks,
Annie

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#126: My new New Year's resolution is...

2009-01-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

...to update my web stuff more often! LOL!

I know, I've been really bad at updating this blog and my website, but the subtitle to this blog is "Writing at the Speed of Life". Speed of life has been at more than 1000 mph lately, esp. with Sarah being here. She's doing really well, over 9 pounds and growing like a weed. She's starting to smile and bat at her hanging toys. Cute little kid, but then again, I'm biased.

Michael's going back to school tomorrow. I think he's had a really good break. He got a car racing set for Christmas that he loves, as well as clothes. Christina's birthday is also tomorrow...she'll be 3! Where has the time gone?? She'll be going to Tryon Hills Pre-K, the same school Michael went to, and to Miss C."s class...Michael's old teacher.

Still working on my art and writing, though I'm in the middle of a bad RA flare in my hands. I'm doing things a little bit at a time as my hands allow. I really need to go back to the rheumatologist, because this is really annoying.

Updated my website at Creativemum and I'm now on Facebook and Twitter, so if anyone's on FB and wants to be a Friend, let me know. ;)

More updates tomorrow.

Annie

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#125: Frustrated more than anything else...

2008-11-15T20:01:00.000-08:00

Another boring Saturday night spent at home. Lately, that's all we seem to do. I happen to be in a family of homebodies. Christina doesn't mind playing in her room, and Michael loves his books. Sarah's doing really well, though she does have a touch of a cold. Robert's mostly on his computer...occasionally spending a few minutes with the kids.

I guess part of my frustration is because I'm always attached to one kid or the other. At least he can get away for 8 hours (usually more) on a weekday and have some adult interaction. Part of it is because I've become the ultimate desperate housewife. Part of it is all the chaos of getting stuff ready and attending meetings for Christina's entry into preschool. Then dealing with Michael's issues...it really doesn't help when I hear mostly pessimistic reports from his teacher. Hello...I KNOW he's done good things, why can't you acknowledge them???

Part of it is frustration over my art. It's hard when your husband controls all the finances, and although he constantly says he's supportive, he sure as hell ISN'T!! Everything had to be cheap, everything has to have a purpose. When you get an allowance of $40 EVERY TWO WEEKS, it doesn't even cover groceries. I'm tired of always having to sacrifice everything...my sanity, my professional career, my health. It really disgusts me when he acts as if he really does help because it's usually done with such ill grace. He's deluding himself...and gets really uncomfortable when I point out otherwise. He keeps telling me that he understands more than most men about what I'm going through...he doesn't really have a single !@!!!!!!!! clue. Oh, and he says, "If you want some mommy time off, all you have to do is ask me." Yeah, and what did I say about the ill grace? And not enough money for even a regular cup of coffee. Hell, I don't have enough money to send a fax to help ensure I get assistance for having two autistic kids!!!

And I don't have to get into the financial situation...it seems that he's been ignoring things and hoping they go away and he's concentrating on HIS own debts, knowing that I have no way of honoring mine because I have no income. It's really easy, when you put your mind to it, to ignoring things that really don't affect YOU personally. I tell him about things I NEED to do concerning my art, he "listens", says "yeah, okay" and promptly forgets about it. Then gets pissed/irritated every time I "remind" him.

I have my writing and my languages. Those seems to be my lifelines, esp. with three kids (2 of them autistic)and a husband with Aspberger's. I still cling to the hope that someday I'll be able to work in some sort of international setting. I'll be 35 next month...this is NOT where I expected to be at this point of my life.

I'm a housewife with dreams. Frustrated dreams, but dreams nevertheless.

Annie

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