How to Build Character in Kids

My daughter has been volunteering at library for over a year. I’m so proud of how hard she’s been working there. Its funny she didn’t like in the beginning. Now she loves it so much that she can’t wait to work again. She helps sort books, file books, color papers for the little kids and a lot of other things. I think it’s important to teach your kids to volunteer because it builds character and teaches responsibility. It helps her work with the community, which teaches her a lot of things. It helps her do something she enjoys away from dealing with my lupus.

Improving My Friends Self esteem

I have known a few people who have had plastic surgery to improve themselves. They all had different reasons for going through with the MYA breast reduction. One person decided to have a breast reduction because her back was hurting her from her breast size being so large. She just could not take the pain from extra weight on her chest. She isn’t a large woman, just has large breasts. I have noticed a great change in her since having the surgery. The gleaming in her smile can be seen across the room now. She has told me that she no longer has the back pain she had prior to surgery. Seeing her self confidence soar is wonderful. She’s no longer depressed like she was before the surgery. Now I can hardly find her staying at home. Actually, she’s hard to catch up with now days. She did say that the recovery was difficult as she had stitches and wrapped up with an ace bandage. In her sleep she tried to take it off. She did have to think really hard about having the surgery for the breast reduction because of the risks associated with the surgery. She said it was well worth it.

Kids and Impulses

Monday I was really irritated with my daughter. I use a lap top for the computer as my feet swell a lot. Well she gets fixated on a certain thing and will not give up. This time it was a small crumb of something beside one of keys on my laptop. Well without my permission she tried to get this out and tore of my up arrow of my keyboard. So I was not very happy with her, but I did get over it after a while. I know have the key tapped on my keyboard as I don’t know how to put a key back on my laptop. Kids do the darnedest things. Needless to say she got a lecture on thinking before she reacts. It gets her in trouble at times.

15 Years Later

Today we had cake for my daughters birthday. It was really nice. She likes to bake so we made it together. She got a few gifts of clothing and she was happy with her gifts. Its funny, but I hear of so many parents saying their kids aren’t happy with the gifts they get and she always is appreciative of what she gets. I felt guilty because things are so slim this year. I am happy I could give her a few gifts for her birthday. I am very proud of her. I like to write so I wrote her letter in place of a card. I think it gives more of a personal touch and I think its better to write from the heart, then a card written by strangers, but I still like cards written by others that convey from the senders heart. I often get angry at myself for having lupus and my lack of energy. It plain old sucks to deal with the crap called lupus. It sucks for the person, their family and friends.

My Daughter is having a Birthday

This week is a very exciting week for me. My baby is turning 15. I can’t believe my eyes when I look at her with amazement. Its hard to believe that 15 years have passed since I gave birth to her. She is the best daughter a mother could ask for. She’s endured the ups and downs of me living with lupus. Its been really hard on her I know. I wish that she would not have to see sick day and night at times. Its not easy putting her through it and I’m not the best person at hiding my pain. Sometimes I think she is difficult because she’s scared of what will happen to her Mom. I am just so excited that she will have a Birthday this week. Its an exciting time of the year. My Mom was born a day before my daughter. My Mom was actually mad because she was not born on her Birthday.

A Mixture of Updates with Life with Lupus

Today we had to take the car to have an oil change and have a couple of light bulbs replaced. Its hard to find a good mechanic that fixes cars right. I am glad that its over with because its over due. I have felt really tired lately which I think is because of my antibiotic. I will be so glad to be finished with the antibiotic. It takes really nasty. I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is a few days away. Before long this year will be over and another year will be bestowed upon us. I can’t believe 2009 is around the corner.

Do you believe is making new years resoulutions?

Preparing for Thanksgiving

My daughter and I are taking a break from school this week. I have been looking foward to taking a break during Thanksgiving.In public schools they don’t give the kids a week of school. I bought some stuff to make chocolate chip cookies with my daughter. I hope I have enough strength to make cookies with her. We enjoy doing small things together. I am limited so we try to do what we can together. Today she is at her volunteer job which she does every week. When she first started volunteering she wasn’t sure she’d like it, but she really does love it now. Its funny because she does not like reading at all, but loves to volunteer at the library. I hope I don’t have a flare this week. I hope everyone has a safe Holiday. Happy Thanksgiving.

Tractors and Teen Anxiety

This morning I woke up to a tractor digging in the yard next door. It was really annoying. I had a rough night last night because my daughter had a wild imagination. So she was up and down last night. So today I am paying for it. I feel so warn out, but the sad thing is if I went to bed I could not sleep at all. Its crazy how that works. Sleep loss and chronic illness don’t go well together. I hope tonight she won’t start walking the floors again. She’s high anxiety and gets test anxiety and totally upset from the smallest things. I’ve been teaching her to take some deep breaths and ask herself if how she’s reacting is realistic or not. I hope this helps her deal with the anxiety. I have my fingers crossed  it does help.

Halloween Happenings

Well it seems another year has past for Halloween. I let my daughter design and carve the pumpkin by herself. This is the results we got. It was interesting watching her carve the pumpkin without any help. Originally she said the pumpkin was suppose to be scary, but she ended up making it a cat pumpkin, but the ironic thing we have never had a cat. Its not that we don’t like cats its just that we have 2 dogs that do not like cats.She didn’t get to go trick r treating because she was sick. She gets sick every year around Halloween. Last year I almost didn’t let her go because she was sick. Luckily she was feeling better. She has a tendency to get sicker easily.

Before

After

Looks Pretty Good for a first time pumpkin carver, don’t you think? Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween

Learning to be Parent and Teacher

For the past few weeks my daughter has been difficult about practicing her tae kwon do. I’ve had to use the mom/teacher card. I told her I would give her a bad grade if she did not practice. I believe she thought I would just give her the grade. Well she has started to practice this week. And after 4 days of practicing she asked me what her grade will be. I told her 4 days of practice is not enough she needs consistency. Its really tough being a mom, but I’m started to see just how hard being both teacher and mom. By no means to I regret it. Her stress level is better and really its giving me a chance to bond with her closer. That in its self is priceless. I love you My Daughter