On a good day, parenting will test the integrity of your character. On a bad day, parenting will test your will to live. Parenting children with trauma histories will cause you to test the integrity of everything and everyone you thought you knew, for the rest of your life.
~J. Skrobisz

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Extreme Home Thankfulness

Front of the pillow sham




back of the pillow sham


I have finally finished one! I started hand quilting the second pillow sham last night. I'm glad to be back at my favorite past time without interruption. Fortunately, the pillow shams were small projects that I could take with me anywhere. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the king size quilt, that is definitely too much to drag around with me!

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If you had told me ten years ago that I would be blogging about my preteen daughter using withholding her poo as a way to control me, I would have choked. But sure enough, Sissy has been refusing to eliminate. 17 grams of Miralax daily and unlimited fruits and vegetables was insufficient. We got out the big guns yesterday - ex lax chocolate chews. Sissy lost the battle of control this morning. The next step was going to be a trip to the doctor and a request of an enema. Sissy held it all in for eight days. Eight days! That is a seriously strong will, let me tell you.

AB is doing better, thanks to resperidal. Only now he's back to not sleeping. Pbft. He's a tough one to medicate.

I've been out of words lately, just plodding through the days, one at a time. School is on the horizon, which just makes me shake my head. Tomorrow begins my fourth week of gluten free eating and I'm happy to report that I'm finally beginning to feel better.  The joint pain in my fingers is pretty bad but I only have all the quilting to blame.

We're all sitting here in our living room, 16x20, 1/3 of which is my daughter's bedroom because she's not safe and we're watching Extreme Home Makeover. One of the ladies in Sunday School joked today that we should apply. I said that we're not desperate enough, that The Dad would have to be a double amputee, I'd have to have cancer, a fire would have had to destroy our home and in the process of rebuilding, the home would have been flooded leaving mildew and mold every where. THEN, we'd qualify. Having two impaired, severely mentally and emotionally challenged kids while we live in our 1200 square foot home simply isn't bad enough. It feels bad, but if we can all sit in the living room together and watch a TV program in peace for one hour after I've finished a quilting project, then it can't be that bad.

Life always gives us a reason to rejoice. Not being able to qualify for Extreme Home Makeover because our life isn't desperate enough is definitely something to be thankful about.

4 comments:

Diana said...

Yes indeed, it's all about perspective! Glad you've found some joy and gratitude.

GB's Mom said...

It is beautiful!

Bren said...

Your pillow sham is GORGEOUS!!! That has got to feel good! It is hard to quilt a large quilt in the hot summer....maybe you need a wallhanging to work on that you could hang over your bed to match the quilt and shams....just sayin...
I personally believe that when we come to a place where we have "been out of words", it is there that God has something to say. His voice is so quiet that sometimes I have trouble hearing Him over my own thoughts. Then He will supernatuarlly clear my thoughts so I HAVE to hear Him....He is so patient with us (me).
Sending you blessings!!!!

Cyndi said...

I am not a quilter but I do enjoy the results and that is a very nice one you have done.