Day 4 - went quickly

Why can't our chamber be this large and open?

Or even this one, clear with someone sitting next to you saying "it's ok Bonnie"  huh?

No, this is what I get.

  See that little vinyl window?  My face is always looking up through that at fluorescent lights and cringing.  Doodle sits at the lightless end playing games.  How does this not bother her with all her sensory issues?  It is a mystery.

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Blessedly quick and uneventful was today's HBOT dive #4.  I still had a couple of heart-racing moments but thanks to the Dr's reassurance that the chamber could not, in fact, blow up if she say forgot to turn the pressure down when it gets to 4 (atms, I guess?)  Luckily this is due to a governmental regulation on the machine that requires a built in safety stop, she doesn't have to stop it, it stops automatically.  I am actually thankful for a government regulation?  You mean they did something useful and correct, for once?  huh?  Don't get me started on politics because I rarely have any clue as to what I am talking about in that arena.

Here's an interesting coincidence, or maybe not a coincidence?  Doodle slept all night.  All night.  We are talking till a hair before 6 am.  That is amazing and wonderful.  For the past 6 months or so she has been waking at 1:30 or 2am and climbing in our bed.  I am fine with that because she goes back to sleep.  She can do that forever if she will go back to sleep.  There were many months and years when she would cry, scream, play, flip every one's lights on, refuse to sleep in her own bed.  And this is not a "cry it out" option kind of child.  I do understand both ends of the sleep training/co-sleeping thing and I have discovered through having multiple children of the same age with different personalities, that each child requires their own route and method.  NOTHING anyone says can sell me any different on that position.  If you try I will smile and say, "Oh do you have quads? and two children on the spectrum?  Oh you don't?  Then be quiet please." 

Gee do I sound snotty this morning or what?  All that oxygen has gone to my head :)

Really though, parenting in general, multiples or not, special needs or not, aren't we all just feeling our way? Groping in the darkness for someone or thing or book to shed some light with the hopes that one day we will look back on our efforts and smile knowing we did the best we could?  I am.  Trying that is.

To end on a funny note: Guess what song I am adding to my playlist?  Guess . .


WIDE OPEN SPACES yeah . . .

See y'all after dive 5 for the next installment of Some funny play on a soap title as it relates to being claustrophobic in a HBOT chamber that I can't seem to come up with right now because a small man with an excruciatingly stinky diaper is crawling on me as I type.  Ciao!

Cool stuff I am doing these days

Ok here is what I contend with on most days recently, what I like to call the messy screaming, Elmo loving, eating machine. I spend my days alternately giving in/putting my foot down with no apparent rhyme or reason. Let me tell you - not working so well in the tantrum containment department :) So though I do want to write a book some day in the future, you can pretty much bet it won't be on positive discipline or anything along those lines! After five kids I still don't have a clue, but I keep trying and that's all I can say. Good thing God made him extra cute.

Here is my little thrifty, green, no thinking decorate on the fly tip - buy a bunch of these Alostrisomething or anothers once every three weeks and plunk them on a high spot little fingers cant tip over. They cost 3.99 and come in lots of colors and make your kitchen look terrific. They look great for three whole weeks then start to fall off on the counter. Love em!

Here is my somewhat successful attempt at decorating my front door. Also very thrifty. We just plunked out a wad to have the house painted so I am in no place to pay 30 or 40 bucks for a fake flower wreath.

1. I took my old Christmas wreath and pulled out all the red berries and pine cones.
2. I bought two sprigs of flowers I liked that didn't have that super bright fakeness to them. Cost 7 bucks for both.
3. I used my little jewlery wire cutters to cut each stem off the bunch and then alternately tucked them in the wreath - no glue, no wires nothing. Super easy. And that's it!  Not bad for 7 dollars and I can change it out for fall pretty easily.

I have been working on getting my front porch the way I wanted it for a few weeks since I finished my Spring Cleaning project. I have a very simple blog on my new years goals and organizing/cleaning the house which I actually completed, yes me, I finished it and I an really proud. It's super boring but if you want to look at it here it is. Now on to the next room and I am afraid some painting. Wish me luck!