5 Positive Things 17 Aug 2010

1. Luke has earned a good behavior stamp several school days in a row.  He is very impulsive / hyper - so this is quite an accomplishment for him.
   
   
2. Luke has had a dry bed in the morning for 3+ weeks.  He went for a long spell with a dry bed several months ago, but then slipped pretty bad for a couple of months.  I was about to buy a bed wetting alarm when I realized that the good ones cost a mini fortune.  I woke him up at night for several nights and that seemed to get him back on track.  Since that dry spell, he's only had 2 accidents.
   
   
3. Luke got accepted into a social skills program at school.  I don't know a lot about it, but am happy that he'll get some extra help in that area.  I will be learning more about it on Friday.  I am hoping that he'll learn more about how to tell if someone is happy with the way he is acting - such as being too silly or too rambunctious.  Time will tell!
   
   
4. Ryan's mood has been pretty good since we worked out a problem he was having with his teacher.  He'll probably never really like school, but the past week or so he's been more accepting of having to go.
   
   
5. I finally got a hair cut that I really like.  My hair is wavy, which makes many styles difficult without a lot of work.  I don't have the time nor patience to work on it for long - not to mention the lack of skill for styling my own hair.  Although I don't really like my new stylist's personality (judgmental and preachy), I really like what she does for my hair.

A Kindle Accessory Dissapointment

In my most recent 5 Positive Things post, I mentioned that I ordered the M-Edge e-Luminator 2 lamp the red M-Edge Platform case.  Well, neither item is going to work for me.  The lamp is very dim and not easy to adjust so that it shines on the screen.

The case was a nice color and looked like a quality case.  But the main reason I bought the case was so that I could store the lamp in it.  It adds extra bulk along the left side of the case.  Not only that, but the lamp did not fit well in the case.  And lastly, I did not like the strap closure.  It is awkward to close and would be impossible to close in a hurry - for example, when your name is called in the doctor's waiting room.

Another lamp I considered was the Mighty Bright and I ordered it today.  Several reviewers of the M-Edge lamp said that they have used the Mighty Bright and liked it better.  The only drawback is portability.

Since I'm also returning the case, I ordered a different style of M-Edge case, the Flip Jacket.  I like this style of case because it is easy to prop for hands free reading.  It also does not have the extra bulk of many of the other M-Edge cases.  Instead of a strap that inserts into a closure, it has an elastic strap that wraps around the bottom portion of the case.  Hopefully it is easy to use and secure.

5 Positive Things 3 Aug 2010

1. My husband is safe.  He is a motorcycle enthusiast and meets up with friends from around the country in Deals Gap, NC.  There is a famous stretch of road called Tail of the Dragon.  Most of the guys he only knows casually, from talking online and meeting up from time to time.  This year one of the guys was riding alone, left the road off a cliff, and was found dead a little over 24 hours later.  It really hits home, that it could have been my husband.  So glad he's safe!
   
   
   
2. This didn't actually happen today, but over the weekend.  I've been considering buying a reading lamp for my Kindle.  I picked the M-Edge e-Luminator 2.  Most of their cases have a slot that the lamp fits into, so I picked the red M-Edge Platform case.  My current case is the Tuff Luv and it is a good case.  But I wanted to be able to easily carry my lamp, hence a new case.  Since more of the Kindle will show up in the new case, I also ordered a Decal Girl decal that would go quite well with the new cover.  I can't wait until they get here.  Kindle makeover!!!
   
    
3. Work is going well.  I've been in a slump for a few years, with not enough to do.  It has been difficult and really affecting my confidence and mood.  Now I'm getting more responsibility, more leadership, and hopefully more recognition.  You can see my Changing Role at Work post for more detail.
   
   
   
4. The boys got along pretty good at supper time last night.  Ryan has been worrying about a problem with his teacher, so has not been in a good mood lately.  So I made chicken and let him dip in hot wing sauce, his favorite.  They joked around with each other and I think that it really cheered him up.  He was his usual chatterbox self the rest of the night.
   
   
   
5. The boys behaved very good at the grocery store.  Going to a grocery store is very risky business when both of them are along.  Ryan abhors grocery stores and is immediately in a bad mood most times.  Luke is fine with the idea of going, but he can't hold still or walk like a normal person.  He skip walks and dances around, sometimes too close to Ryan.  This time it went quite well.  Luke still did his usual dancing around, but Ryan handled it well by just trying to stay out of his way.

Changing Role at Work

I have typically been the low girl on the totem pole at work, getting menial jobs and few opportunities for growth.  That has gradually been changing over the last few months.  My current manager recognizes that some team members are overloaded while others don't have quite enough.  I've always fallen into the category of not having enough, even though I try to support the ones who have too much.  The changes that our manager is making currently will make it easier on all of us.  People were reluctant to share work because they felt responsible and didn't want to burden those of us who did not have enough.  Those of us who did not have enough were constantly feeling undervalued and as if we were not contributing.

I am pretty excited about some of the things I will be involved with.  I will be leading our team in identifying work statement and impact items in order to maintain a balanced workload.  Of course the manager is ultimately responsible, but I will help him facilitate.  One of my main functions is developing web based training.  Typically another team member handles all of the coordination of our projects.  This places a heavy load on her, along with all of her other responsibilities.  I will be transitioning into leading more of these development projects.

I had been considering looking for another job, but these changes will make my current job much more rewarding.

5 Positive Things W/E 7/31/10

1. Luke is improving greatly in his reading.  He got into trouble Thursday and lost his favorite game through Saturday.  Saturday I told him that he could earn some game time back by reading and practicing writing.  I picked a book that we haven't read before.  He did very good and only needed help on words that I didn't expect him to know.
   
   
2. The boys got along good over the weekend, even though Ryan was in a terrible mood Saturday.  When one of them is in a terrible mood, tempers flair and fights are more intense.  Ryan did an excellent job of staying away from Luke while in that mood.
   
   

3. Ryan slept really good Saturday night.  Many of you may not think this is a big deal, but it really is.  He's had difficulty sleeping good for more than a year now.  His pediatrician recommended we try melatonin.  I've read about it before, but when I was re-reading information I got concerned that we've been relying on too much melatonin, too often.  Last night I adjusted it down a bit and he was really worried he wouldn't be able to sleep.  He was sleepy within minutes and slept past 8 AM.  I asked him how he slept and he reported that he thinks it really was a good idea to cut back.  Now we'll need to cut back even further in a few days.
   
   
4. Ryan was in a really good mood on Sunday.  He had a rough day Saturday, was in a bad mood and teary eyed all day.  It was one of those days that he thought everyone hates him and everything was gloom & doom.  I think he even told me he felt like it was the end of the world.  After having such a good sleep Saturday night, he was in a really good mood Sunday.
   
   
5. We ate at our favorite pizza place and used a $15 coupon.  Wow - cheapest we've ever eaten there!