I did it!!!!!!!

http://mysilpada.ca/joanne.ilaqua

The Black Hole.

I hate to admit this, but I'm pretty sure that teenaged son of mine has a bunch of air where his brain is supposed to be. That is the only explanation for what he did today.

I finished school early this afternoon and went straight to the high school to make sure Brandon was ok to walk the 1.5 miles to work. It was his first day and I was excited for him, but to be TOTALLY honest I wanted to make sure he remembered that he was supposed to work. I saw him walking up the sidewalk in a t-shirt (it was -7 degrees C. with the windchill), his arm in his sling and carrying a bag over his good shoulder. So, I yelled and he came over with a huge grin on his face. I asked him how his day was. "Horrible", he said. I asked him why it was so bad and he said, "I rolled over on my shoulder in the night and it hurt so bad so I took some codeine. Emma didn't wake me up for school this morning and I slept 'till 10 o'clock! So, I had to use my longboard to get to school." Hmmmm.... his longboard? With a separated shoulder? So he continues, "I wiped out on my longboard and now my shoulder kills."

**sigh**

I just don't even know what to say. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. But I guess that's just what teenagers are, right? Anyhow, yesterday I only saw physiotherapy in my future. Today, I see physio AND surgery. Gawd!!!

I am having a hard time keeping up posts on my blog!! I've been so busy that I haven't had time to think, never mind write!

Anyhow, we've got everyone home from their March Break activities. Emma got home last night and she looks amazing! She got just enough sun to bring out the freckles across her face and give her some tan lines. She had a wonderful time and she was full of stories about the people she met on the ship. I'm sure she'll have a bunch of new Facebook friends now!

Brandon came home on Friday around 4:30. His "dad" dropped him off in the driveway and took off without a word to me or Eric who was standing in the driveway when he pulled in. Brandon came in and I took one look at him and knew he wasn't right. He looked sun-tanned from 4 days of spring skiing, but he also looked like he was in a lot of pain. And he was. I didn't take it too seriously at first- I scolded him for doing tricks and jumps on his skiis and posting it on Facebook. The thing is, though, that when I saw the video on Facebook he seemed to be quite in control of himself and he was wearing a helmet so I wasn't too worried about him getting hurt. I mean, it's Brandon we're talking about here....he is famous for doing stupid things and walking away unharmed, right? Apparently not this time. By 6 o'clock, Eric and I had a good look at his shoulder and Eric decided that HE was taking him to the hospital. I was struggling with my anger at F**ko for bringing him home in that shape and doing absolutely nothing to help. I mean, he didn't even come into the house to tell us how hurt BJ was! So, my wonderful husband took BJ to emergency at the hospital and had it x-rayed. Turns out, his shoulder is separated from his rotator cuff. Ouch!! He's going to have to wear a sling for a few weeks and he's been taking codeine fairly regularily for the pain. His shoulder is so swollen that when he stands up and faces you, it looks like he's leaning to the right. I'm thinking that physiotherapy is in our future. I'm also thinking that going to Steve's house during ski season is out of Brandon's future. According to Brandon, Steve lets them (he was up there with a friend) loose on the hill and comes back 12 hours later to pick them up. They eat at the lodge and then get right back out there. There has been a few too many skiing accidents this winter for me to take a risk with Brandon's life. I don't think I'm unreasonable either. I'm just a mom.

So, with Emma home and Brandon in a sling, Sam decided to grab some attention of his own last night. That's right, he started to complain about his tongue. He played outside all day and his lips got all chapped and lumps were forming under his bottom lip. Then the tip of his tongue started to bother him and his face was getting red. Eric and I had to pick up our hearts off the ground. We just looked at each other and we wanted to cry. It's 4 weeks since the last outbreak and the symptoms were all there. But today he hasn't said a word!! We have been keeping his lips covered with ointment so they don't get chapped and he hasn't cried about his tongue at all- so we are hoping, hoping that it's not going to happen.

And now, I'm going to go study while I have the chance. Big test tomorrow!!

Spring is springing!!!

I can't believe it's almost spring!! We are in the middle of March Break right now and the weather has been better than fantastic.....the kids were wearing t-shirts outside yesterday. Today, they are jumping on the trampoline and having a great time.....

I am relaxing after a couple of stressful days of education. I can now use electric cautery, I can load and unload a scalpel and I can correct an intraoperative contamination. I am getting a little nervous about going into the OR but apparently that's quite normal....you know, it's tough being the new kid on the block no matter how old you are! I'm getting right back into running as a way of dealing with my stress and it's working. It just feels so great to run a couple of miles and feel as though you have accomplished something. I haven't had many chances to get on the Wii Fit because Kristen and Sam play Wii as often as I'll let them. And if I try to get on it while they are around, they just sit and watch me work out and that's really annoying.

Emma is having fun on her cruise and Brandon and his friend have gone to F**ko's for a few days of skiing/snowboarding.

Well, I must move on with my day. The kids have moved away from the trampoline and now Krissy is brushing Cindy's hair and Sam is throwing sticks. This is creating anguish for Cindy, anger for Kristen and amusement for Sam. Well, at least it's all happening outside and not in the house where I can hear it. I love spring!!

Funny Face.

"Mom! Look at my funny face!!"

Happy Friday the 13th!

It must be Friday the 13th. That could be the only explanation for what I did today. I kept the kids home today for the P.A. Day.....the school called around 10am to find out where they were, cause it's NOT a P.A. Day!! I had it marked on the calendar AND in my Blackberry. I was stunned when the school secretary told me that it was, in fact, a school day. Duh.......who's getting the Mother of the Year Award this year???

So the kids stayed home anyhow and I took them skating. For $5 we had the entire rink to ourselves because it wasn't a P.A. Day!! It was awesome!

Emma left a couple of hours ago to begin her March Break journey, cruising through the Caribbean.... St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, Antigua.....sigh......makes me wish I were 17 again.

I, on the other hand, am about to begin my own March Break journey- juggling college, kids and homework.....yay.

Open Door Policy.

Sometimes teenagers make love seem impossible. Somewhere, deep down inside, you know you love them.....but you kinda hate them at the same time. I feel this several times a week so I know what I'm talking about. And yesterday I felt it in a big way.

Yesterday, Eric took Brandon to band early and I put Kristen on the bus and took Sam skating. That meant that Emma was home alone for a few minutes before her bus came. Sam and I had a great time skating, then we went for coffee/hot chocolate, then we grocery shopped....we got home about 3 hrs after Emma had caught her bus.

I backed the van into the driveway and unbuckled Sam. When we got to the front door I couldn't believe my eyes. The front door to our house was WIDE open. Not just unlocked. WIDE open. The furnace was blaring, there were lights on.....for a moment I was afraid that we had been "broken into". Apparently not. Apparently I just have the laziest f**king teenager on the face of the planet. Thank God the porch door was closed because if it hadn't been, both of the dogs would have been gone. I. Was. Livid.

So she gets home from school and she's "tired". Of course she's tired- she's trying to juggle a job and school and a new boyfriend on no sleep. I'm convinced she's awake texting all night! Anyhow, I said to her- "Emma, I got home this morning to find the front door wide open. I am so angry that you didn't lock it so you can imagine how pissed I am that you didn't even bother to close it." And she said, "Really? I swear I closed it! I swear! Sorry! Sorry!"......so I asked her if she would like a lesson on how to properly close and lock the front door and she said,

"I know how, mom. I was late for the bus. Would you rather I had missed the bus?" So, I guess she was sooooo late for the bus that she couldn't close the door behind her? That makes me soooo mad. She clearly does not give a shit about our home or anything in it. And that's what makes me the angriest.

So, I have decided that the next time I come across a situation where she shows no respect for our stuff, I'm going to through all her stuff on the front lawn. Then maybe, just maybe, she'll get my point. And she'll be so angry at me it may feel like hatred....but deep down she'll still love me.

Hard work and love......

Oh man!!! I've been so busy my head is spinning.....school is getting pretty intense because there's a lot of homework and a lot of tests to study for. I'm well on my way, though, and I'm feeling.....well.......overwhelmed!!! So far, 3 people have dropped out of the course because it's so hard but I am too stubborn to quit, so I think I'll last.

Last night I had to pick my chin up off the floor when Eric informed me that Tim Horton's called and offered Brandon the job!!! He is proud and excited and so am I.....time to GROW THE HELL UP!!!!!! He starts his orientation tomorrow and we're hoping that he gets some hours over the March Break next week to keep him busy. He bought himself another XBox with his birthday money (remember, we forced him to sell his old one to pay for the bike he stole?).....he'd be happy to stay in the basement 24/7 if we let him. But between band 4 times a week, Cadets and a job we're hoping to keep him busy enough to stay out of trouble. The only new glitch is that he has another new girlfriend so I hope he can manage to fit her in somewhere too. Brandon has a certain charisma that the girls seem to love.......there something about Brandon.

And my Emma seems to be smitten as well! She has met a boy in her Philosophy class and I've never seen her so giddy! Apparently, this boy has had a crush on her since grade 9 when they had a class together. He told her that he used to "sit in class and watch" her....but not as a creeper! Only because "she's so pretty". What girl wouldn't fall for that?!!? I figure that as long as she's happy, I'm happy. That's all that really matters to me in the end.

My husband has been a great support to me as I've struggled to get back into the grind. He is a natural at packing lunches, brushing hair, and giving hugs. And he always smells good too. What girl wouldn't be in love with all that? This family is so lucky to have that man behind us, pushing us all along. I'm so lucky that he chose me.

Newsflash! Some teachers are just "in it" for the holidays and pension!!

Teachers, like nurses, are special people. They put up with so much and I give them a lot of credit....sickness, attitudes, snotty-nosed kids and teenagers. You have to wonder who would ever go through that much post-secondary education just to teach?

But there are some bad teachers. And I'm afraid that Emma has one. She had him for the first semester too, but for a different subject. She would complain about how he would yell at her in front of the class if she was late (due to the bus). She said he wouldn't let some kids in at all if they didn't get there right on time! I did call him to talk to him about the fact that Emma was skipping his class because he was single-ing her out all the time and he stopped, but he was still a jerk to her....wouldn't pick her to express her opinions during discussions, was sarcastic....not a great learning environment. So, when she chose another subject for this semester that he was teaching we were very disappointed. Unfortunately, she really wanted to take the subject (World Religion) and he's the teacher. So she took it. And man, is she having issues. This guy is a joke! On the first day of class, he told them- "If you are not religious, you have NO MORALS OR VALUES." Wtf???? You can't say that as though it's fact, because it's not! And so it has gone downhill since the first day of this semester. Now, Emma is in the process of dropping the course. This guy also supply-taught in one of Brandon's classes last semester and grabbed Brandon by the arm. I'm not saying Brandon didn't deserve it, but there are pretty strict laws about that kind of behaviour in the school system.

Anyhow, we have been quite lucky with teachers over the years. Seems that we've only had a couple of bad eggs, but this guy is stinking up the whole fridge, ya know?

The interview.

I've decided that if a person really wants something, they will get it just because they want it so badly. I know, I know it all sounds very "The Secret" but I do think there is something to be said for focus and drive when it comes to getting what we want. It's probably the reason that I am surviving the OR course. It's probably the reason Eric and I hold our lives together amidst all the chaos. And it may be why Brandon will never get a job.

That's right. I took him to his first job interview yesterday and I'm not so sure it went well. First of all, Brandon wanted to show up in a pair of track pants pulled down so low that his underwear were peeking out. I FORCED him to brush his teeth. And then there was the interview questions.....oh my God.......questions like, "How do you feel about wearing a uniform?" and "What hours can you work?". Those were the easy ones. When I asked him what they asked and how he answered, he assured me that he told the truth. I was hesitant to ask what the meant but I did. And here's what he said,

"She asked me if I had ever been given instructions that weren't clear and how did I deal with that? I told her, 'Yeah. With my Grampa all the time.....I told her that Grampa gives me instructions that I don't understand so I ask him again. And when I still don't understand, I just do my best to figure it out.'"

OooooooooKaaaaaaay. That's not too bad....but then he tells me the next question,

"Then she asked me if I've ever done anything dangerous even though I knew it was dangerous...so I told her about how in gym class last week I put Jordan on my back so we could get the ball in the basket."

WTF?

So you can imagine my face when I heard this. Just frozen with disbelief and amazement that he would say something like that. I said to him, "Why would you say that?" and he said, "I was being HONEST, mom. She wants me to be honest when I answer the questions."

Ummmm, no she doesn't!! Anyhow, she told him that she's interviewing some other kids and would call or not call by Monday.....I'm thinking she's not going to call. I am convinced that he sabotaged his interview because he just doesn't want to work. Could this be true? Could he be that swift and cunning?? I'm not so sure......all I know is that something has to come along to make that kid want it so badly that he'll just get it. Unfortunately, I don't think that it is a job at Tim Horton's.

A Hiring Freeze??

I thought the only thing frozen was my cold, cold ass! (It was -25 C with the windchill today-brrrrr!) But that's just not true.....today I found out that there is a hiring freeze within a lot of hospitals in and around the GTA due to the recession. That's great. How can I, a nurse, possibly have a hard time finding a job?!!? There's a serious nursing shortage in this province and nobody's hiring.....well, I'm not going to get my knickers in a knot. I'm just going to work really hard in school and even harder during my clinical placement. Today, a girl in my class dropped out because it was too hard. Eric says it's like the Marines but the truth is that it's more like the Navy Seals! It's so much information, so fast- just like the OR environment. So as long as I can keep up in class, I'll have no problems in the operating room. I hope. And if there's a hiring freeze and I don't get hired for a coupla months, I'll just sell more jewellery. At least I have a plan, right?

On the homefront, we have a recovering Sam (no puking today!!), a sick Eric (God forbid he has what Sam had!), a happy Kristen (it's healthy snack week at school- the girl loves to eat!), and Emma and Brandon are out for dinner with their "dad" (otherwise known as F**ko or FOTY-Father of the Year). You see, it's birthday time for Emma and Brandon so Emma has texted Steve non-stop to find out when he was coming down to take her out for dinner and give her some damned birthday money! And now he's here.....yay. But the big news in our house tonight is.........

BRANDON HAS A JOB INTERVIEW TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!

It's at Tim Horton's. And he had better give off good "I am a really great worker" vibes and get the job. Or else. Actually, it would be great if he got the job before he gets the piercings in his lips that he wants called, "snake bites". I am hardly the right person to tell him that he can't get a piercing or 2, so I'll just wait for him to get them and then suffer from an infection. Then maybe he'll figure it out on his own, like me. Or maybe not, like me. He can do whatever he wants with his body; I'll still love him.......

So that's what's going on here in a nutshell. Blissfully boring! And I couldn't be happier.....

Shit Happens. Literally.

I have had a pretty bad week. I am happy to say that we are on an upswing right now, though, and I have faith that it's going to turn around. If I didn't have faith, I would have to take mood-altering drugs.

Our week started with Sam's tongue and all the nasty side-effects of having a tongue with ulers. The main problem was managing his pain and figuring out what it was in the first place, and we spent a lot of time in and out of the hospitals last week. In fact, to date we have seen 6 doctors (3 paediatricians) and apparently, none of them went to school together because they all have different opinions on what Sam's tongue problem is. We've had one say fungal, one said bacterial, 3 said viral, and one just walked away and didn't say anything! Sam's had 7 blood tests and 2 swabs and we've had no answers. His tongue started healing on Thursday and Thank GOD! Because that's when the puking started.

Seems our "Lucky Sam" picked up a wicked gastro-bug from one of the hospitals we visited.

So, Sam and I spent a couple of days in the hospital. Now he's at the end of day 5 of this bug and right now he's exploding on the toilet. I'm not sure how, since he puked in his bucket at Brandon's birthday dinner tonight.......poor, poor kid......

Brandon turned 15 today and I'm not sure how that happened. Maybe he'll gain a little maturity now that he's a year older? In an ironic twist of fate, Tim Horton's called him tonight to interview for a job!! Happy Birthday to Brandon!!

I had a test today and I didn't have a lot of time to prepare. I was really not feeling good about it at all after I wrote it, but it seems that I had nothing to worry about- I got 82.5%!! That is 10% higher than the class average!!!!! Yay for me!

Gotta cut this short....Sam needs (another) bath to wash away the body fluids.....argh!!!