Gotta Vent

Wow! I need to get back to work. I know Karen would wonder what is wrong with me but I go to work to help me deal or maybe to hide from my problems. It started snowing on Monday before school was out for Christmas Break. We only went to school on Tuesday for a half day then we were off for break. So when we finally get back to school we will have had a 3 week break. Of course we will have to make up those days at the end of the year which means we will go to school most of June. Unfortunately with the snow we were house bound so I took advantage of that and got all of the gifts wrapped, baked cookies, cleaned house and even finished a quilt. Then there was the problem of finishing those last minute Christmas Presents. I had to put chains on my truck to go to Walmart! Finally it was Christmas and we had a great time. Julienne and Lief spent Christmas eve with us and we watch a movie (White Christmas). Rachel and Will came over Christmas day for awhile and then came also for dinner that night. We talked to Dallas Christmas morning and he seems very happy. We are celebrating this Christmas that Trevor is with us and has for the most part fully recovered.

Now for my vent.
Now the top ten reasons I need to take Valium. ( not really mom!)

1. Trevor has met a girl on the Internet and would like to go and meet her. Sounds normal until you hear that she lives in Slovakia. Of course he really wants to go regardless that he is on unemployment, has a lot of debt from the accident, and going to a foreign country!!!! EKKK! I keep talking, trying to reason, now I am just praying for divine intervention.

2.Trevor went snowboarding this morning, he bought a helmet but I just keep having nightmares of him back in the hospital with a new head injury. I visualize him with a shaved head, and that probe that looks like a radio antenna sticking out of his head. I wish I could just stop worrying.

3. Michael and I have been invited to a dinner party tonight. It is the ward high priest group and it is at a retirement home. It is kind of like getting those first mailings from AARP. I just throw those away and say that they are mis-addressed. But I am really struggling with this dinner tonight. I just hope that the main topic of conversation is not recent operations, or aches, pains, and bowel problems.

4. Rachel is getting married Aug. 1st 2009. We are happy for them. Suddenly, there is the stress of preparing for a wedding. We went wedding dress shopping last week and of course found the "perfect" dress. About $1,000.00 later we are the proud owners of a onetime wear dress and rhinestone tiara. That doesn't include the shoes, veil, or jewelry.

5. Diabetes / Depression is a terrible disease. Michael does well if he goes to work but when he is at home he is either in his room in bed or watching a movie. He has great difficulty dealing with any stress, especially kid stress. He really has no burning desire to go to work and will rarely work a five day week. It is lonely but I stay busy with the kids and trying to keep the house in working order.

6. We are in that life cycle where all of your appliances are starting to wear out at the same time. The dishwasher died just before Christmas, then out of sympathy or in grief the oven has decided to work if it feels like it. Of course, our resident appliance repairman wants us to buy one of those new fancy ovens that are reprogrammed with 200 recipes. Ya right; you still have to chop, peel, organize, and prepare and then this high priced oven sets the time and temperature. Luckily, all of the new fancy ovens won't fit in the opening of our built in oven, so that is a blessing because we can't afford the new fancy ones any way.

7. Next week I need to take Trevor to an attorney to discuss bankruptcy. He really doesn't want to do it but he has no choice. We are really trying to get all of this accident behind us; all in the healing process. I pray I don't ever have to do this again.

8. School has its stress also. I have 22 great parents who love me but of course you can't please everyone all of the time and I have one couple who hates me. They have gone to the principal to complain and fortunately she is in my court. I really appreciate how professional and supportive she is. So now I have to choose; do I just ignore this kids behavior issues and let him just slip through the cracks and his third grade teacher can deal with him and his parents; or do I continue to voice my concerns and try to get him some additional help despite the parents disapproval?

9. I teach Relief Society this week, I like my calling but the week before my lesson I spend a lot of time rewriting and stressing about my lesson.

10. Finally, New Years resolutions. Yuk! How am I ever going to fit all those self improvement plans into my schedule.