Friday, January 12, 2018

A little this and that.......

Hi there, how are you?  Are you warming up or getting cold again?  Has your week been, busy?

I have to admit I am very tired.  Work has been crazy, a bit stressful but it really shouldn't be.  I have been driving a lot, doing more paperwork, trying to be entertaining as well as therapeutic, it can all get to be a bit much sometimes.  Yesterday I started my day at 5, left the house by 5:20, proceeded to treat five different children in four different homes and made it to my shot appointment for my headaches just in time.  After 35 shots, yes I know it is a bit much, I drove home to meet my computer repair man, he is wonderful and got my very reluctant to start computer up and running smoothly.  After he left I saw two people privately and I swear by 8 in the evening I was almost ready to cry.  I was sooooooooo tired.  Do you get that way when you have overextended yourself?  This is how I have felt for a few months now, there just isn't a lot of gas left in my tank at the end of the day or week.  This weekend I intend to rest up.  Sorry for the moaning, I just had to let it out of my system.  I do love my job, I am so blessed to have the perfect job for me, it just can wear me out a bit.


After Little Buddy and Dad went to an eye doctor appointment yesterday I had to have a stern talk with myself.  His vision has not improved these past six months and it had been improving by leaps and bounds previously.  I had made him patches for his glasses a few years ago, and recently he has just been looking over the top of the patch.  Seems it did not occur to me that he has grown and he needed bigger patches.  While running around today I popped into pick up some felt for the new patches.  A big 89 cents spent at Joann's.  I made the front a double thickness of dark grey so he can't look through it and the back a lighter grey.  I popped on animal stickers, and look it works!  If any of your little ones need a patch I highly recommend this route.  Just sew the double thickness felt all the way around and when sewing the two together leave and opening in the wide area for the ear piece to go through and feed it around to the small opening at the end.  It is so much better than those band aid type patches that kids hate because it is like taking a band aid off your eye area every time you wear one.  Sorry for the messy face on this one, he was between bites of cookie when I asked him for a photo.


You can see the size difference from the black zebra patch I made when Little Buddy first moved in with us.  He is indeed getting bigger.


One of the odd things about living in Florida is we lose our leaves late in the year, usually in December.  But for some reason this year it has happened in January.  We have had a bit of rain and grey skies today so it feels like Autumn outside.


I am enjoying this brief change in the season as there are already little buds on trees getting ready for brand new leaves to burst forth.  This usually happens in early February, there is always a few days of brilliant green on the trees before the leaves start to darken as they grow.  Our changing leaves are much more subtle than you all have up north, there is a hint of yellow or red, not the brilliant colors you all experience.


One of the private patients I see brought Little B this firetruck for Christmas.  She brought it today and he opened it after school and all of his therapies.  He was so excited,  "Mom, it's a new firetruck, can you believe it?  I just love it!"   

We are also getting loads of grammar lessons from Mr. Kindergartner lately.  Did you know that commas are for a break in a sentence, periods are for telling, question marks are for asking, and exclamation points are for YELLING!  Well now you do!


As for you crochet wrap, I intend to settle down and get some work done on you this weekend.  Wish me luck.  Sending you all thoughts of peace and love.  Have a wonderful weekend. 

37 comments:

Teresa Kasner said...

Dang.. I'm sorry you got stressed out and worn out. I hope things slow down for you a bit. I'm glad you figured out to make bigger patches and I hope your little guy's vision improves due to the new ones. He's such a doll.. how nice of your friends to give him such a neat fire engine! Have a restful weekend. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Chy said...

Wow! Your description of your day made me tired just reading it! How do you do it all?

X Chy

Wanderingcatstudio said...

Love the patches, so cute!

I didn't know that about your "autumn". That's neat. We didn't get much colour this year either... the weather was too warm in the evening (it's the difference in the 24 hr temps that tell the leaves it's time to change), so when the frost finally hit, the leaves just fell off the trees, no matter the colour they were. We got some yellow, very little red, mostly orange and a surprising amount still green.

Joyful said...

I do hope you can somehow slow down and get some real rest Meredith. Your go go go schedule has had me concerned for you for some time. I know rest is easier said than done so am sending you big hugs. xx

Little Buddy is as cute as ever. Don't beat yourself about the eye patch. He is thriving and will continue to do so under your loving care.

The photos of leaves and greenery are gorgeous so enjoy the weather before it gets too hot again in a few months or less.

Much love from Vancouver where it is raining too. xx

Joy@aVintageGreen said...

Love Little Buddy's punctuation lesson - and I am guessing the the exclamation was said very loudly. Fire engines make a great noise ! Hugs Meredith and thank you for visiting my post today. Thank you for sharing your day (and what a day).
Joy

Mac n' Janet said...

Sorry to hear you're so worn out, take care my friend or you'll truly make yourself sick and your family needs you well. Love the eye patch, had to wear one as a kid, but I avoided it as much as I could. Ended up with one eye so much stronger than the other one that my brain ignores the weaker one.

Blondie's Journal said...

I don't think I have the stamina you have, but you are a whole lot younger. Still, somedays I can go and go. Others, I'm just down for the count with very little done and so frustrated. I know most of this is due to a terrible virus I have that comes on after the tiniest inclination--a big one being stress. This past holiday was beyond the slightest bit of enjoyment. Just too much of everything. So, I'm trying to rest up and get back in the game.

You are so loving in making those patches so cute for Little Buddy! You never do anything half-as*ed! Love ya!

Jane

Anonymous said...

I hope you get a break in the busyness soon. It sounds like you are just exhausted all the way around.

Little Buddy's eye patches are so cute. I'm sure he'll show improvement at his next eye appointment.

mamasmercantile said...

I am so sorry to hear that you are worn/stressed out. Hopefully a rest over the weekend will put you back on a even keel. YOU are important Meredith so take care of yourself. A joy to see Little Buddy's little face. Such a great job with the eye patches. Take care.

CJ said...

Great patches, well done you. Those are long days indeed, no wonder you're exhausted. I hope you have a restful weekend. CJ xx

Jo said...

It's no wonder you're stressed and worn out, you never stop! I prescribe some relaxation time with your crochet this weekend, time to recharge the batteries. The eye patches are such a great idea, I've never seen anything like that before, they're such fun.

Vicki @ lifeinmyemptynest said...

I wasn't sure if the leaves turning yellow were seasonal or from too much/too little water - thanks for the info! My lawn guy told me to only water once a week in this cooler weather and I still feel like it's not enough, I'm learning about Florida plants all the time. Thanks for your kind words about my parents - it's not easy and their needs keep changing.

Tanna said...

Those patches are such a great creation, Meredith. Little Buddy has grown so much. Such a cutie! I hope you have a very restful weekend. You need and deserve it! And, get some crochet therapy time! blessings ~ tanna

Nance said...

Punctuation lessons in Kindergarten? How advanced! (Excuse me; I was not really yelling that.)

kathy b said...

Wishing you 40 winks. I love Lil B's being the grammar police! SOmeone certainly knows how to help teach grammar in a fun way! I love that lil B got a new firetruck present NOW well after the present flurry.

I have been to a place where I am so tired I cry. Im sorry. big hugs. Restorative weekend wishes for you!

Lee said...

Come on Meredith where's that ME TIME.I was tired just reading this post too.Can relate to it though,I couldn't even get in the car on my own,I was so tired when I was working,as we didn't stop at all.Lil Buddy is sooooo adorable he has lovely eyes and those patches are just genius.it is mild but VERY WET here,has not stopped raining all day.Love the Fre Truck,just look at his lil face.Happy Weekend.Huggles xxxxxx

linda said...

No wonder you are tired Meredith you have so much going on, love those patches they look so effective. I hope you manage to get lots of relaxation this weekend. :) xx

Karen said...

Long days put me in tears, too, Meredith. I know, sometimes you just can't help it and have to plow through. I'm glad you get some down time this weekend. And if someone tries to take it from you, yank it back! Haha!

bittenbyknittin said...

When I overdo it, I usually get sick. Stay well, you! Those are cute patches!

Judy S. said...

Love that grammar rhyme! Sure hope you have a nice relaxing weekend; your schedule would make anyone exhausted. You have a lot on your plate, that's for sure. Hope you can find time for some crocheting on your beautiful shawl, too. Hugs.

My Creative Life said...

Hope you manage to find some rest and Me time, your work certainly keeps you very busy. Very clever with the eye patches, very cute. Thanks for the book recommendation, I've made a note and left a reply on my blog Cx

Christina said...

Your working hours are very long, that's 15 hours of being on your feet! (I am not yelling). I hope your schedule eases up a little so you can have more time to do other things you enjoy doing. Love the eye patches, very sweet and so much better than the bandaid ones. Who invented those anyway? Sticky plaster around the eyes sounds just wrong. Lots of love xxxx

Caffeine Girl said...

Oh, Mere, I know just how feel after such a long day! Some days I go in at 7:30 and stay until 6 or 6:30 -- and I am so tired I could cry! And you go home to an energetic little boy, so you get extra credit for that! I'm sure that LB's smile makes you feel better, but little kids are work!

As a high school teacher, I'm supposed to have 4 or 5 re-evals per year, but for two years in a row I ended up with 7! That's in addition to about 25 IEP meetings per year. We try to make caseloads even, but we are a high-poverty school, so there are always kids moving in and out. I'm done with 5 now, so I'm hoping the rest of the year will be a bit less stressful. The good thing about high school evals is that we do a lot less testing than you have to do for younger kids.

Now that I'm in my second year at the high school level, I'm getting the routines and so happy I left middle school. High school students are mostly quite delightful.

Jo said...

That is one long day. People often ask me how I make so much but even though I work 4 days a week they finish at 3:30 or 4pm so there is time to cook, work with the children on home tasks or play with them, clear away and then the evenings are always my own. Take care Lady. Jo xxx

Vera said...

Oh man, I need to sleep after reading about your day. Hope this weekend can revive you a bit. Love the eye patches - very clever.

kristieinbc said...

I felt rather tired just reading your description of your work day. Last year a friend made the remark that "life isn't a dress rehearsal." I've though about that comment a lot, especially since the tragedy that happened in our family last year. It's so true. Finding the balance between work and play, family time and responsibilities, and all the other choices we have to make on a daily basis is a tough one. I hope you are able to find a way forward that allows you to not be so tired.

Betsy said...

I don't know how you do everything you do each day Mere. I would be totally exhausted too. You need to remember that you have to take care of the caregiver too. That's you my friend.
The eyepatches look great and I'm sure will be just the thing to help LB's vision.
I hope you have been able to rest this weekend. We arrived home late last night and it was very hard to leave our girls. Now to find our routine again. It's amazing the things to do when you've been away just one week. :-)
Blessings,
Betsy

Araignee said...

I am so sorry to hear of your exhaustion. It seems like everyone, everywhere you go is plain worn out. It must be the times we live in. I hope this weekend lets you recharge your batteries.

Claudia said...

That's a grueling day by anyone's standards. When I'm going through a difficult work spell (when I was a class action litigation attorney I sometimes would spend the night in the office working on a brief to meet deadlines) I would eliminate all non-essentials in my life and the 2 things I would do were either nurturing (hot bubble baths) and/or important (exercise). It's also very important to eat healthy food - even if it's quick like a PB&J sandwich and a handful of grapes for lunch. I would also be thinking of ways to cut back on the hours you work as no one can keep that pace up - after a few years I quit the job where I worked all night as it was too much. Hang in there as my grandmother would always say "this too shall pass" or "if it doesn't get worse that this I can take it." Thank you for taking the time to blog and sharing your sweet Buddy with us - that patch is adorable!!!

Lorrie said...

Oh Meredith, I know exactly how you feel. I love my job, too, but there are days when it's all just too much, as I mentioned in my last post. There were a few tears that day.

Your eyepatch solution is brilliant and I wish I'd thought of something like that when our youngest wore her eye patches.

I hope this week is a bit easier for you, and that you manage some downtime for yourself.

Delighted Hands said...

I hope you got some rest this weekend. I am behind on posts again but still...
You know you can't keep running on empty. Something has to go or it will be you who does. I've been there. So sorry it is a hard spell.

Melanie said...

35 shots?! I can't even imagine. LB is so cute with his new firetruck. I hope you got some rest this weekend!

Mrs. Micawber said...

Even the best job can be exhausting if there's a little too much of it. Hope yours settles down a bit, Mere. Hope those shots help too - is it botox? My nephew had that for headaches and I think he got relief after a couple of rounds.

LB's patches are so darn cute. Mr. M sometimes puts a patch over one eye when the double vision gets to be too much. I should make him some with lions and zebras on them.

Enjoy your brief fling with Fall before Spring comes again! It's white, white, white up here. Beautiful soft fluffy snow was falling all day and everything looks like a winter picture postcard. :)

Hope your week gets better and better!

Grandmabeckyl.blogspot said...

I don't like being stressed and I felt it in Dec. Now it's a bit better. Never fun and hope you get a breathe of fresh air soon! Buddy's new patches are cool...made by Creative Mere!
I've got buds on plants as well. Husband says they are mixed up...they don't know what time of year it is!HA! We've had two warm days with sun, Saturday was 64 degrees! Last year at this time we had snow and ice!
Your scarf looks nice!
I was putting Christmas ornaments away which included some glitter ones I got awhile back from you. I picked up something that was attached to the tag I kept with it!!!???!!! How did I miss the little goodies in that bag? I had to laugh at myself! I loved it! I was going to email you but can't find your email any more. snapperbeck at gmail dot com

Hope you had a refreshing weekend and a blessed week ahead for you and your family!

Gracie Saylor said...

I'm cheering you on to create just the right balance of work and rest that you need to thrive, Meredith. The eye patches you made for LB are so clever...thanks for sharing how you made them. xx

elns said...

I'm wishing you some rest and your energy level is something I'm more familiar with than I'd like to admit. It seems you have some self awareness about it (which is why you probably know you eed to say somethign and not burn out in denial). And I am hoping that means when you have a quick moment to slow it down for yourself. It also seems like you're managing. You're ok Mere. You're getting it done! Hopefully it will ease up. Your work is great, but it doesn't mean it can't be tiring physically and emotionally.

Kids do grow and it sneaks up on you when you're just trying to keep things maintained! I'll never forget when the Kid said his shoes were too small and his feet hurt and when I finally took him in, he needed a whole size and a half bigger.

LB is positively beaming in that picture with his truck. I think it's love. And I see you with those amazing mom crafty glasses patches!! Brilliant. Give yourself some credit and rest when you can Mere. You're doing great ... even if you need to sleep.

Jodiebodie said...

Wow, you are so busy! How do you keep up that pace, Meredith?
You described getting tearfulness from overtiredness - my cue (that I have only in the past few years realised) is a headache. I am not sure how much is tiredness or how much is dehydration from doing too much at once. I wish that headaches were not part of your landscape. How do you bear them?

I am catching up on your blog posts in order of oldest to most recent so I apologise if my questions now have been answered in later posts of yours.

I'm wondering whether you managed to get some time with your wrap ... and how's that Einstein Coat coming along? I like the clean modern lines and it looks so cosy!

It was interesting to read about your nature patterns in Florida, with the late changing leaves etc. It's a fascinating world we live in.

It is also a quickly-spinning world too. I cannot believe it is the 22 Jan already and I am only replying to your post of 12 Jan. Wasn't it the 12th just yesterday? So please accept my apologies for late replies and also my compliments and awe at your patches, crafting and all the other amazing achievements of yours (including time to still blog). Take it easy, don't work TOO hard! xxx