Friday, January 30, 2009

Decisions, Decisions

I'm in a mood and extremely frustrated with my youngest child's therapy team. I'm tired of being treated as if it's all just me.

It's a long story and I'm not sure anyone wants to hear it anyway. I've vented in the past and while free flowing tears my take the edge off my frustration...I'm not sure I'm ready to place it all out here and possibly be ridiculed. If anyone is truly interested you can email me.

We got a lot of snow the other day. The kids had 1 day off school (the first in 2 years) and every day since has been a 2 hour delay. I'm thankful for no ice.

Please keep my girlfriend, R's dad in your prayers...he had a heart attack this morning. She's in Ohio and so I can't get to her right now but the more prayers the better.

Take care of you. God bless
Vicky

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Is it snowing where you are?

If not, can I come visit you?

LOL

I'm not in a good mood. Actually, I'm in a pretty low mood. I will get past it. God will see me through. Until such time as I'm in a better mood--or have something decent to say, I'm going to share a poem here...that I didn't write. and a short story I wrote for a writing prompt at my writing group a while ago. The story had to be exactly 69 words and the theme was chocolate. Enjoy.

This first one reflects my mood today and is not the one I wrote.

But Not Today
a poem by Brenda Neal

SometimesI can let go of the past
a past locked behind the doors
of painful memories.
But not today.

Sometimes
I can accept the reality
that is me
and journey headlong
into the unknown.
But not today.
Today change comes hard.
I wear my feelingson my sleeve,
and nothing seems right.

Sometimes
I feel I can
weather anything
tackle anything
do anything.
But not today


The Thief
copyright Vicky Klindt 2007

I sat in the rain watching as the thief snuck into my kitchen. Ransacking the drawers, turning over the contents of my refrigerator, standing on a chair to reach the top shelf of the panty. He found that which I prized the most!

Going quietly around to the front door and inside I caught him!

My husband! My stash of chocolates!

The betrayal nearly broke my heart in two.


Blessings,
Vicky

Monday, January 26, 2009

Banging My Head Against the Wall



I love my children. I love my children. I love my children.




I really do.




The are beautiful, sweet, and loving kids.




Let me introduce you to them. This is child #1--not that she is my favorite--I have no favorites. And not that she is in charge (just that someone forgot to tell her). No, truly, I just meant she was born first. She is 12.





She is bright and funny. She loves to sing and play softball..and argue. One day she will make a wonderfully talented attorney--let's just hope she chooses to work on the side of justice. That most likely won't be an issue since seeking justice is one of her life's goals. Unfortunately, it's generally seeking justice and retribution agains this child...


Child #2 This was taken at Christmas (with mom) at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Child #2 is 6. The fact that he was born second in no way indicates that he is not first to be first in everything...as a matter of fact he believes that he is supposed to be first in all things. This opinion of his can be a problem--especially for the girl child who believes that she is (a)in charge and (b) should in no way be kept from being first. Whether that is in the door, out the door, in the bathroom (thank God we have 2) or whatever. Whining and arguing commence frequently.
It doesn't help that child #2 has ADHD and undiagnosed senory issues and undiagnosed who knows what else. We are working on this...and while we make him mind and hold pretty strick boundaries...with this child, sometimes we just have to wing it, roll with the flow, and adjust course pretty quickly. Child #1 is not good at that. She believes that the rules are the rules are the rules and no one, especially child #2, should be given leeway. This doesn't mean she doesn't have times that she is good with him..she does. And honestly, there are days he wears on us all. The issues we deal with are not extreme and can be dealt with. We will figure it all out and survive. But in the interim things get pretty tricky sometimes and there is alot of stress--especially for someone who doesn't roll with anything very well.
Today, I had to run errands all morning with child #2 (who is in afternoon kindergarten) in preparation for an afternoon appointment. Unfortunately that afternoon appointment--which was rescheduled at the last minute on their side--meant that child #1 was going to have to get child #2 off the school bus and watch him for 20 minutes or so. Not anything new--not anything I hadn't prepared child #2 for...just not a good choice. After school is a bad time for him. One of his issues is that he strongly prefers to wear a stocking cap --pretty much all day and all night. He sleeps in it, he eats in it...he'd take a bath in it if I'd let him. This is a semi new thing...started over Christmas vacation...and it seems to be to block out some noise...or maybe because the wind blowing his hair bother him (he has very little hair...) Anyway...he can't wear it during school. They won't let him...and we don't have an IEP or 504 yet because we are working on diagnosis..and because even though we have the ADHD diagnosis...he's ok for them for 2.5 hours in the afternoons--gives them no problmes--for which I'm thankful...but they think I'm nuts. Anyway...he comes in after school and is cranky...and whiny....and it's mostly because of the hat.
So having to have big sister get him from the bus (break in routine) and coming home to her being in charge (something he battles on a good day) and the fact that she got bossy the minute he started whining and that just made him melt down further.meant that I was called on my cell before I ever got within 10 minutes of the house. I wanted to ring her neck. I had laid out very specifically what she was to do and how to handle him. I had laid out snacks and told her to let him watch tv in the back (away from her and giving him time to decompress) until I got hom.
She didn't do it. Because he yelled at her and she wanted to wait until she talked to me to see what I wanted her to do.
I. Already. Told. You. What. To. Do.
And she had the nerve to get irritated with we.
Big sigh.
It's just been one of those days.
hugs
Vicky

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Blessings and Memories

Recently, after what seemed like a semi-stable period financially, another rock has hit the wind shield. It could be much worse, though. My husband does accounting for a marketing/advertising/sends out junk mail company. He's been there--well he just had his two year review. Over the last year, they have merged 2 companies that the owner had in the same building, they have laid off 4 different times, sold off a portion of the company and moved the people in those departments to the company that bought it...and we have bit our nails each time--especially since he's been there the least amount of time of the accounting department and has felt the least busy. He loves his job and the people he works with--has worked very hard to be a necessary part of the company and has tried to communicate his willingness to help in anyway he can. A few weeks ago, they gave him more responsibilities....and we breathed a sigh of relief because that new responsibility puts him in 2 departments and makes him more of an asset.

Thursday, they laid off three more people. Management has been working with a 10% pay cut for almost a year. Thursday they decided to cut salaries of the remaining staff by 12%. While a low paying job is definitely better than no job at all, the news put his heart in the pit of his stomach. Since we are barely making it on M's salary now--and because of J's ADHD and other undiagnosed (yet hopefully soon diagnosed) issues, it is not feasible for me to work, there is definitely an oh crap in there somewhere.

Not to worry though. God came through for us as He always has. My beloved and hardworking husband was due his annual review, and while he did not expect a raise in any way, shape, or form, he was given one none the less. A 10% raise--which technically means he's only losing 2% instead of 12 and we won't actually make any extra money. But ultimately it makes us far more able to survive the transition. He also feels extremely valued--they don't want to lose him...and as long as the company survives, he will have a job. Big sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, because we have plans to go to Disney for the first time in June--though reservations haven't been made yet, we are questioning whether it is a wise choice or not. We want to go in the worst way--we have put it to prayer and will await God's guidance.

God has been extremely good to us. We've been through so many trials and struggles and each time He has made His presence known. I know this entry is more than long enough. But I want to share one of the many miracles He has provided us over the years.

Miracle on Frozen Ground
copyright 2007 Vicky Klindt

My family awoke on a Saturday morning in February of 2004 to discover we were without water. As my husband and his dad tried to thaw the pipes, I was finishing my bible study assignment for the next evening. In reading, I came upon a verse which I now hold as my own. Matthew 21:22, which says "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." I chewed on that all day long.
When the men came up from the basement, they informed me that my husband thought it was the water heater, but it was not. The pipes were frozen, not in the basement but underground, and there was nothing we could do until the ground thawed. Ok, great. Off we went to take showers and to bring some water home from a friend's . We came home, put the kids to bed, and I got online. My husband and I were frustrated! We talked and decided we could get through this calamity. (What choice did we have, really?). It would be a pain to take showers elsewhere, do laundry, have to haul water in to drink and flush, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Of course; I’m not sure either one of us believed that.
Honestly, it felt like it was going to be the straw that broke the camel's back. We’d just had it with so many things hitting us. My husband had lost his job, money was so tight it wasn't funny and we were struggling with our faith and with our family. As I walked in the kitchen,and opened the refrigerator do, I recalled that verse. I prayed with everything I had in me. I prayed that God would thaw the pipes, that we could have water, that it would only be through Him that the pipes could thaw. (Keep in mind, that it’s February and after ten at night; it was only getting colder). I told God that my husband and I were both at a low point and needed Him to fix it for us. I walked back in and sat down at the computer, when all of a sudden I heard water running. All the faucets had been left on from earlier in the day. We had our water back. And it is only through God that we did.


Well, if you made it this far, I thank you.

May God bless you and yours today.

Vicky

Friday, January 23, 2009

Introducing me

Although the majority of people who will read this blog may already know me, for those who may not, here goes nothing.

I am a 36 year old woman living in Central Indiana. I have been married for fifteen years to a wonderful man who puts up with a lot. We have 2 children together. A twelve year old daughter who is active in softball and choir and has a bedroom full of Jonas Brothers posters and a six year old son who loves to play computer games, build with lego's, magnetix, and k'nex...and trips to the library.

I am fulltime student--taking my courses online as much as possible. I am in my fourth semester--with 2 more to go for my associates degree--and then at least 4 more semesters at another institution to get my B.S. My family supports my dream and for that I'm truly grateful.
I love to read. I am an unpublished author and hope to share some of work here from time to time. I am a Christian. I believe God has big plans for me...and much of my writing reflects my faith.
Recently life has added a few extra struggles and those struggles, as well as whatever else flows out of my fingertips, is what I will be sharing here. Between the normalcy of having an almost teenage girl and being in school myself to the little boy with ADHD and who knows what else going on...to a husband with a job that is unstable at best right now...life has thrown us a few curve balles. Writing is my release. God is my guide. When I started writing at writing.com I stated my purpose in writing was to serve Him. That remains...though in truth, as much as I hope that my writing touches someone, somewhere for Him...it also helps to bring me peace.

I have writings at writing.com and have been a member for 2 years. I also have held a blog there--but because I can't afford to continue to pay for an upgraded membership I just don't have time to use I will be moving here. The writers there have been a source of encouragement and knowledge. I will continue to keep a portfolio there and may link to it from time to time.
For now, I'm curious about all who are here...and I hope the air is fresh, the neighbors friendly, and the hugs good and strong.

Many blessings to you and yours.
Vicky