ADHD Michael Phelps with a bong?? Wow, he is human afterall!!!!

I am done cleaning house, Thanks Sirius Satellite Radio, that 70’s station always keeps me going!!  I am doing the usual reading the different news sites and looking for a job!!  So, I read an article which is making big headlines these days about Michael Phelps, the amazing swimming sensation who swept the Olympics last summer.  Apparently there is a picture circulating with him smoking “something” out of a bong.    

Personally, I could care less about it, but I have to wonder, does America really think it is news worthy??  So what if he is smoking out of a bong?  After everything he has accomplished, isn’t he entitled to a little partying??  If he partakes in a little pot now and then, so what?  I have known plenty of people through the years who smoked pot regularly and just for fun.  I never thought less of them, nor did i care that they did it.  In fact, many of the people I have known who did it were peace loving law abiding citizens just doing their own thing.  They never bothered anyone, didn’t break any laws (other than the pot smoking thing), and just stayed mellow in their own homes.  What’s wrong with that?  Hell, if I wasn’t allergic to pot I would probably partake as well.  And I could sure use something to boost my current crappy mood a little anyway!

Which brings me to another point, I have read studies that pot actually helps lesson the symptoms of ADHD.  Don’t know if it is true, but I do see a high correlation between ADHD and various addictions.  I have read that ADHD people are more likely to self medicate themselves.  And I totally believe that they do.  I did when I was younger.  Actually I had the motto that I would try just about anything once.  And did.  Why?  Difficult to say now, but back then I was undiagnosed.  My brother had ADHD, it just wasn’t a female disorder.  GUESS WHAT ~ Females had it too!!   And people who have disorders or illnesses will do whatever it takes to make themselves feel normal or better.   (My thoughts on normal ~ Different is the new Black! Embrace and Enjoy!!!) 

So I really don’t care that Michael smoked some pot.  I was actually wondering when I found out about his ADHD, just how did he cope with out medication?  I read how he managed his ADHD symptoms on his own without meds.  Having ADHD and knowing how Ritalin helps me out and knowing how not taking it can get me down just how does a teenager manage it??  Maybe with pot??  Who knows, but parents of kids with ADHDshould know that when they opt not to medicate their children with ADHD meds; their children just may self medicate themselves.  Why?  Well, children grow up, and they will naturally look for ways to improve their quality of life, and sometimes getting high is fun for them, sometimes their impulsive natures take over, sometimes their need to “fit in” is more important than what their parents have told them about drugs.  

As a mother, I totally expect that both of my kids are going to try pot.  Sure I can tell them not to and yes I can threaten them with some punishment and give them the scientific research to support my points. (which I would never do because there is just as much research on the other side)  And I could bury my head in the sand and hope I did a good enough job of convincing them to not try smoking pot, and of course, monkeys could fly out of my arse and become my best friend since I am kind of lonely out in the middle of nowhere!!   Yeah, ADHD kids have minds of their own, which means that they like to learn the hard way and are too stubborn to listen to anyone.   It is what it is.   Deal with it. 

And Enjoy them while you still have influence over them and guide them with reality not fairy tales.  You will be glad you did!

Iz

PS  Hey Michael, don’t get caught next time! 

$18 billion?? Obama said it right ~ SHAMEFUL!!

So I read this this morning: 

$18 billion. That’s what Wall Street bankers pulled down in bonuses over the past two months, according to a report from the New York State comptroller — even as many of these institutions received billions in taxpayer dollars. “That is the height of irresponsibility. It is shameful,” President Obama said today, following a meeting with Vice President Joe Biden, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, and the rest of the economic team.

And shameful is right, but FU’d is closer.  In a time when people are just flat broke, wall street gets bonuses.  What is that all about.   And yes I did work for a corporation and yes I did receive bonuses.  But I never got huge amounts!  I got at most $10,000 and I think that was only for 1 year.  Usually the bonuses were set up in some FU’d system to ensure you never got the full amount.  Of course the top execs got their full amount, but that is how that game is played  now isn’t it.  Bet those people don’t have creditors calling them all damn day. 

The phone rings so much at my house that I think it’s ringing even when it is not.  Now I get why I am being harrassed daily, the executives at those companies need money to pay their high dollar bonuses!!  But don’t get me wrong, I owe the money, and god willing I will find a job so I can pay them back and close those accounts so I never have to go through this again! 

Speaking of money (the root of all evil ~ whoever said that was a genius!) I was checking out if there was a way to get some assistance with prescription drug costs since yesterday spent $500 on the kids ADHD meds, and there isn’t unless you have no insurance.  Well I do have insurance, but just shitty insurance!  To keep the costs down, I go with a higher deductible and of course due to the pre existing condition of the ADHD the kids all have deductibles to meet that are specific to drug coverage.  The next few months are really going to suck!!

All I can do is sell my possessions and continue to look for a job.  I look every day with a self quota of placing 3 applications in per day.  Nothing yet, but I continue to hope that employment is looming in my future.  Not only will I not be bored out of my mind anymore, but I will also get some much needed income to stop the harassment.  I just don’t understand why credit card companies can’t be like the medical centers who accept smaller amounts per month until it’s paid off.  I tried to tell one company that I could send in a monthly payment, but just not what they wanted per month.  They told me that it wasn’t enough and I had to accept a settlement by law.  So if you miss your payments by so many months, the government dictates that the companies settle the account.  I don’t get it, and who knows if it is true?  They will all try anything to get whatever out of you that they can.  But I wish they could look at the whole picture.  I have had stellar credit for years and years only to be laid off and struggling with ruined credit now.  Why can’t someone with some intelligence look at that and say, hmmm… she has always paid on time, maybe we will give her a couple of months to get it together and then start billing her again.  What would be wrong with that???

Oh well, I am off to look for a job again.  Listening to creditor’s messages.  Waiting for the kids to get home.  BORING!!!!!

Have a fab weekend!

ADHD drugs can cause hallucinations in some kids? WTF????

So I go to the pharmacy today and get my kids ADHD drugs.  The new year started and I’ve yet to reach the deductible so I pay $500 for a 1 month supply.  Yep, $500!  And then I get a letter from the insurance company and they are increasing our payments from $417.00 to $499.79 per month.  So that really sucks especially when you don’t have any extra money lying around.  That is a difficult hit at the beginning of the year and we won’t hit the drug deductible until March.  This is a rough quarter for us. 

Then I come home and read about ADHD drugs causing hallucinations in some kids.  So, not only do I pay $500 for the drugs, but  the side effects can cause hallucinations.  I could use some hallucinations right now, but I won’t be getting my drugs until March!  (unless I become gainfully employed before then!) 

So, let’s talk about insurance companies…  They suck… OK, now let’s talk about Pharmaceutical companies… They suck…  OK now that I have got that all out, how about all these people killing themselves because they don’t have jobs even though they have excellent qualifications and the credit card companies keep harassing them…  So I have to say honestly that I get it.  And NO I am not going to choose to do that, but I do understand how you can be so down and out that you can’t see any other way out.  I understand that frustration.  Of having your kids look to you for answers when you just don’t have any.  Kids asking why they don’t have what other kids have…and having to say, well, we are poor. 

I feel for these people making these irreversible choices.  I understand why they did, but seriously, what changes???  The world goes on…  We all read the stories, feel sorry for those involved, and continue on with our lives.  There is no gain from it ~ only peace for the people who decide that they have no alternative.  And peace is quite enticing when you are looking for work and can’t find any knowing that every time the phone rings it is someone else wanting money from you while you don’t have any to give. 

This world needs some compassion for those less fortunate.   This country needs to stop bailing out all those big companies with uber rich executives and start bailing out the people who truly need it.  Why can’t the government take their 700 gazillion bucks and pay each tax payer $100,000.  I am sure someone much smarter than I would find a million reasons why that can’t happen, but just think about it for a minute.  Wouldn’t it equal close to the same amounts spent having to bail out these companies???  Wouldn’t people getting money spur the economy??  They could pay their bills and then some of these companies wouldn’t be in so much trouble.  People wouldn’t be loosing their houses, cars, or whatever else that they are loosing right now.    So why can’t the government do something that dramatic??  I truly believe it is called for these days.  Don’t send me $300, it doesn’t even cover a month of health insurance for my family.  Send me a real amount that can make a difference.  I need it now, and I have paid quite a bit in taxes over the years, damn it, I want my money back!!!!!

OK, off to make dinner now.  But think about it, why not as tax payers don’t we all demand more from the government and stop all this bail out crap of companies. 

Iz

Superbowl Sunday Already??? Time Flies, but I am not having FUN!!!!!!

So, I go to my in laws for dinner last night and they ask me what I am doing on Sunday.  Hmmm, not sure, but why are they asking?  So they say, “You are in your own little world aren’t you?”  Hmm, guess so, because I didn’t know that the Superbowl was on this Sunday!  And of course, I have no idea who is playing anyway!  But I love to watch the commercials.  I swear it is the best part of the game!

I wonder if Budweiser is going to have the best ones again.  The job search sites also have good ones, and Pepsi and Coke are usually pretty good!  My favorite from last year was the dog and the horse training to be in the parade.  That commercial just rocked!  So, I guess I should thank them for letting me know that my favorite commercial time is coming up.  It is the ONLY time I don’t mind the commercials and stay in the room for them.  Actually I rarely watch TV.  I choose to DVR the shows that I am interested in and then FF through the commercials. 

Which makes me think that our universe is moving a little fast isn’t it?  It’s already time for the Superbowl, and I could have sworn the season had just started!  Time moves very fast these days.  I wonder if it is because there is sooooo much stuff for us to do as opposed to when I was a kid.  I remember having only 3 TV channels, 4 if you count PBS and never getting to watch anything anyway!   We were always playing outside and didn’t have to worry about some freak offering us candy or needing help finding a puppy!  What has the world turned into? 

Times are crazy these days.  I remember not having anything electronic, and now, my kids have MP3 players, laptops, video games, and are still begging for cell phones.  There are so many things for them to do now days and they still get “bored” with it all.  How can they be bored with all that stuff??????   I have to wonder do kids just get bored no matter what?   I think so.  I remember getting bored as a kid, but usually we were thrown outside.  Now days thanks to “crazies” you can’t even do that.  My parents had it easy!!!!!  They would tell you differently, but I swear they did.  They had less to worry about, less information hitting them daily, and more time to spend with their kids.  (not that they did mind you – but I get that now!!) 

So this Sunday, I am going to sit with the kids and watch the commercials with no laptop, cell phone, mp3 players, or video games.  Just like when I was a kid ~ watching football with my mom and dad and screaming at the TV whenever our team made a touchdown.

By the way, who is playing???

Iz

JuiceBoxJungle – Sleeping Around??? Interesting!

So I found a new site since I’ve still got too much time on my hands.  JuiceBoxJungle.com  It’a cool site about parenting these days.  I just watched their latest video about letting your kids sleep in your bed.  Hmmm, interesting.  So here’s the deal.  My kids sleep in my bed every night!!!!!   Their dad travels and is only home on the weekends.  So, of course, they are in my bed every night.  And when dad comes home, our whole house is disrupted!!!  They both get annoyed at giving up their spaces for dad.  It’s kind of funny!  

Can’t say that it’s a good thing, after all, they are 11 & 8, but trying to get them out of my bed is like taking food from the dogs!  It just isn’t easy without suffering!  And yes I have tried many times to get them to sleep in their own rooms.  But my daughter is convinced there is a ghost in her room, and my son always sneaks back in my bed after falling asleep in his own.  Without fail, if I by chance get to sleep alone (Whoppie!!) I wake up in the morning to both of them.  I just don’t know how they do it.  I have even tried sleeping on the couch and in the morning, there they are!

They just don’t sleep!!!  I, on the other hand, LOVE sleep.   Once I am out, I don’t hear a thing.  So catching the sneaky little shi^$s moving in on my territory is just impossible.  My husband just hates it.  He tells me all the time to get them out of our bed, which is easy for him to say while he is away!  And quite frankly most of the time I really don’t care.  Sure I would love the space, but I don’t notice once I am asleep.  And they tend to sleep through the night without interruption when they are in my bed.  (At least I don’t think they wake up!)

There are times when I wish they would sleep in their own beds, but in the end, what does it matter?   I know that they won’t be sleeping in my bed forever, so why not let them sleep with me now?  In 10 years my son will deny that it ever happened, and my daughter will most likely have someone else to sleep with!  There will be plenty of time for me to sleep alone.  So, I admit it, my kids sleep in my bed!

Do yours???

Iz

It is COLD today!!!! Why do the kids have to go to school??

You gotta love the Midwest.   The temp is currently 4.  When it is this cold, there is no keeping the house warm!!!  Old farm houses are energy killers.  The kids were complaining about going to school.  They seem to feel that when it is this cold, they should be able to stay at home and not go out.  Can’t say that I blame them, but am glad to have some peace and quiet while they are gone.  Selfish aren’t I?!?!!?   

The older and more logical they get, the more difficult it is.  They are starting to make sense when they question things.  My daughter asked me why she needed to know about the solar system.  Hmmm, can’t say that I ever used that information in my everyday life.  Why does she need to know all the little details about the solar system?  Oh yeah, to get a good grade in Science class.  But is that the only reason??  I wonder…

There is tons of stuff that my kids learn that I just don’t remember learning.  So why do kids have to learn all this stuff??  I told her that someday she may appear on a quiz show and they will ask a question about which position Jupiter is in and she needs to know so she doesn’t look stupid on TV.  how does that sound??  Yeah, I know.  I need to think of a better answer, but it worked for the moment!!!  My son comes home and says school sucks and he doesn’t know why he needs to learn all this stuff.  He is 8.  Yeah I am in deep Sh$* with this kid.   I have way more thinking to do to stay ahead of this kid. 

I keep wondering about school in the 1900’s.  They didn’t learn all the crap that the kids learn today.  They needed to learn how to survive in their less automatic world.  The more learning that takes place in the world, the more stuff these kids are expected to learn.  When does it become overload and when does it become a pure waste of time and how can it be changed??   I want my kids to learn some stuff, but intricate science details most likely won’t help them pay the bills.  Unless of course they become scientists?  Maybe.?!?  I guess anything is possible. 

It just seems that as time goes on, there is so much to learn about that learning is never ending.  Which is fine for someone like me who enjoys learning, but what about those people who don’t??  Their worlds must suck.  Which takes me back to my kids who just aren’t into learning things that they don’t think will apply to them.  But how do they know if it will apply or not?  Maybe that is why they have to learn the intricate details of the solar system?  Have I stumbled upon a new argument?!?!?!  I will try it and see how they respond.

For now, I am going to work on keeping warm and being glad that they are at school learning!!

Wii Animal Crossings

So, every morning I check email, clean the kitchen, and do some writing.  Then since I haven’t found a job yet, the rest of the day is kind of a blur.

 Enter my daughter’s Wii game Animal Crossings City Folk.  And now I am addicted to fishing and buying cute clothes for my little animal crossing girl.  I can’t believe how fun that game is.  And I can’t believe that I have spent an entire day playing it before the kids got home.  I guess that is one benefit of being an adult.  I tell my kids we work before we play, but after they are at school, mommy plays and shortly before they come home, I save and start getting ready for homework and dinner. 

It’s my dirty little secret in my extremely boring little world.  HOLY CRAP I NEED A JOB!!!!!    SOMEBODY HIRE ME BEFORE I GO CRAZY!!!!

Iz

Special Eduation Teacher called my child LAZY!!!!! WTF?!?!!?

Yes, my week just keeps on keeping on!!!  So, my 5th grade daughter, who is smarter than me, is getting a “F” in spelling.  She just hates studying her spelling words.  I get that, I hated it too!!!!!  She is ADHD and going through puberty.  And with ADHD, girls get worse with puberty and boys improve.  It is documented, so look it up!!  (Sorry – I am just so angry with this teacher right now!)   So I am working with her teachers on how we can get her grade up and this teacher who works with her through her special education IEP (Individual Education Plan – for kids approved for special services due to disabilities – YES Adhd is considered a disability) writes me an email that she thinks my daughter is just lazy. 

I was so taken aback by this email that I just couldn’t believe it.  Here is this woman who is a special education teacher – a teacher who is supposed to be educated on ADHD and how it manifests with these kids calling my kid lazy.  WHAT????   Are you F’in Serious?????  Isn’t if your job to keep up to date on these disabilities???  So I don’t email her back right then because I am quite frankly outraged and highly annoyed!

Now, I haven’t written her back yet because I just don’t know what to say to that.  I do, but I don’t.  There are so many different responses that I could have, but none seem right.  And sure, my kid can be lazy just like any other kid, but we are experiencing some difficulties here.  It is well documented that people with ADHD do very well if their interest is high.  My daughter isn’t interested in spelling.  I have also found that if she likes the teacher, she will work her arse off for that teacher.  If she doesn’t however, she just isn’t interested in putting forth the effort.  Guess what…she doesn’t like this teacher.  And guess what…I don’t either!!!!!    Talk about a sticky situation. 

Additionally, my daughter has a reduced number of words on her test each week due to her IEP.  She has 15 words instead of 20.  So I am working my arse off with her to get her to study these words each week.  We just have to get it done.  I ask her which 15 of the 20 words are going to be on her test, and she says that she doesn’t know, her teacher told her to study the 20 words and she would pick the 15 at randam.  Hmmm, what is that?????   Sounds like setting her up to fail to me….

So, I email that I want to know what words are definitely on her test Friday.  I email on Tuesday.  No reply, but my daughter tells me that the teacher did send me an email.  I didn’t get it, so I email again Wednesday letting her and her homeroom teacher know that I haven’t gotten the email.  They will make sure I get it.  Again Thursday I email with the same message, I didn’t get the email, so could you please send me the information.  After all it is Thursday now and the test is tomorrow!!!  Guess what, seems like the emails are getting lost in cyberspace somewhere.  YEAH RIGHT!!!  I finally get an email Friday afternoon, which is too late to help her out.  She bombs the Friday test again and I just want to rip the face off this teacher.   Funny how I have always gotten email from this teacher with no problems until now…..

So, now I have to deal with a teacher who quite frankly doesn’t like my kid and isn’t really helping her succeed.  Fabulous.  Just what I need right now.  So I am scheduling a meeting for next week.  And I will maintain and keep my cool, cause this teacher has already shown her true colors.  Good to know, but bad for my daughter.   F&^K!!  I hate spelling!

How was your week?!?!?!

R U Smarter than a 5th Grader???

So, I have a 5th grader.  Anhumd of course there is nothing more enjoyable than having her come home from school and prove to me that she is smarter.   You know the crap they learn in 5th grade; parts of the flower, matter, mass, etc….  So she comes home with her science book and constantly barrages me with questions about crap I most likely learned in 5th grade, but due to limited space in my brain, I forgot!   Which begs the question:  What did you learn in 5th grade that you still know today?  Which begs another question:  Who cares???

So, I have completely forgotten what I learned in 5th grade.  And when I get hit with the “I am smarter than you, Mom” questions, I have to wonder, what hell do these kids need to know this crap for?  Seriously, why?  I think and think, but I can’t seem to come up with an answer that validates the importance of learning the parts of a flower.   It’s a FLOWER.  Isn’t that enough?  Why do I need to know the different parts?   What have I done with all this knowledge all these years???  YUP, that’s right NOTHING!

So, when my daughter opens her science book and “proves” that she is smarter than me, I have a smile on my face the whole time.  After all, I know that this crap is so not relevant to life in general; so who is smarter again?? 

 

Iz