2022... You're NOT Being Kind!!

Okay, okay. I know that I promised you all that I would post at least once a week. And... well, that hasn't been happening.

I wish I could say that it was because I was on vacation.

I wish I could say that it was because I was busy writing my next big seller (although, I do have 3 books in the works... that is still not the reason that I haven't been working on my blog. Because quit frankly, the books haven't been getting worked on either).

I wish I could say that it was because my family and I were hiking the great pyramids. Although, this would be awesome!

I wish... I wish... I wish...

The truth is, that once again... I have let 2022 get a hold of me, and kick my butt. Until today, that was not in a good way.

See, if you have been following my blog at all, than you know that I have some physical health and mental health struggles. 2022 has not been very kind to us.

Right before Christmas, we found that my teen age son has started having seizures and body tremors. Many tests later - we discovered that he has epilepsy. Yep. <sigh>

My newly teen age daughter, has started showing signs of depression, and has altogether stopped eating. And now, I have both her therapist and her medical doctors treating me like it is my fault. You know... because I enjoy fighting with my 13 year daughter like she is a 3 year old refusing to eat her peas. (Insert eye roll.) Although honestly, she would eat peas... if it was a Wednesday in the beginning of a week with no rain, and started the month of March. (Meaning... she has absurd reasons for suddenly not liking something that she said she loved yesterday.) But, regardless - she won't eat... regardless of what I do, buy her, bribe her, reason, educate, or say. So now, onto the search for a way to make her eat.

For those of you that don't know me... I am not a passive mother. I have been told by others that I have been known to be a little over-active of a mother. Almost to the helicopter stage, before I had an elder show me how bad I was at times. So now, I have backed off - but am by no means passive.

So know, that being that active parent - I have researched and researched, and tried and failed so many things over the past um... 13 years... to get this child of mine to eat, sleep, and well... do anything that she needs to do and doesn't want to do.

Did I happen to mention that she's a Leo?? You know... the lion of the astrology chart?? So - I don't know about you... but, I haven't had much success getting a lion to do anything that they don't want to do in the wild. And, I am pretty sure that I would have better luck of doing that!!

Hee, hee, hee!!

I picked this image because it almost looks like her when I am trying to get her to do something that she doesn't want to do (which by the way, is pretty much anything... because, I'm her Mom!). Especially in times like this morning!

This morning was a typical week day during the school year morning. Meaning... the more that I pushed her to get her things done and get ready for school, was the slower and more delayed she got.

So, for you Moms that have little ones still at home and have not experienced teen age years yet:

You aren't missing anything. It's pretty much the same of what you are already dealing with. Just with another 10 years of practice.

I'm not kidding!! This morning, we were dealing with the fact that she only had one shoe on because she didn't know where the other one was. So, I tell her that she needs to find it. As she had them on yesterday, so if she took them off together, the other one had to be near the one that she had found and put on. You know... rational thinking. Well, apparently I have been dumped off the crazy train - because the response I got, was like I had just said the most stupidest thing in the history of the world. Because, to her - that didn't make any sense at all. Because, "frankly Mom, you're wrong. Because, if it was... don't (I) think that (she) would have put it on already?!?"

Um no. I don't. Obviously.

So, the above image is one that I have been playing in my head at this point of my day with her; because frankly, counting isn't working after doing it for almost 13 years.

So instead - I remember to do my deep breathing. Because otherwise, I start to contemplate why other animals in the wild eat their young, and we as humans... don't.

So, let's move on:

I also became sick at the beginning of 2022. No - it wasn't the dreaded "C" word. But, I was sick none -the-less. I have been living proof the past few years that stress does do havoc on your body. And, I am convinced that this was just another relapse of that.

But while I was home, trying to convince myself to not start digging my own grave... I discovered that we have a leak in our kitchen. And, it's not something that is going to be a quick fix.

We ended up having a leak in the back of our kitchen island, that was so bad, that we had mold starting, and we had to have our kitchen island demolished. This leak was discovered on January 15th. We are now 4 weeks into the repair, and it's looking like it's going to be another 4 weeks out. Fortunately, as of the past few days, we are now blessed to not have the dehumidifiers and fans any longer. Yes, we have had those going 24 hours a day, and everyday for over 3 weeks. So now, the house is creepily quiet.

Again, the leak was bad.

We are now at the start of the rebuild.

But, the worst part is... we have no water in our kitchen. None.

I'll admit it! My name is Christine... and I am a water snob!!

So, the fact that I can't drink water from the tap - unless it has come from my RO system, makes it hard when the only source of water is from the bathroom tap or the hose outside.

I cook from my RO system as well. So - I can't cook in my kitchen. And, I refuse to wash dishes in my bathroom. Therefore, I doubly can't cook. Because if I can't cook without water, and can't clean-up dishes used for cooking... well, you get the idea.

Of course, the insurance adjuster doesn't seem to understand this. But, we will be putting in a claim for our increased food bills when this is all over.

Which, also adds to the list. Our increased spending on food - since 95% of our meals are still being eaten outside of the home. And yes, we have cooked a couple of meals at home. But, it has been on the grill with limited items that need to be washed when it's all said and done. And yes, I know all of the camping cooking things we could be doing... but ultimately - you have to still wash dishes. And again... I am sticking to my refusal to wash dishes in my bathroom, or in a bucket outside. Especially in today's day and age of viruses.

But, also not being able to cook at home has caused my meal plan to plumate. I have gained back only 2.5 lbs. But, it is still extremely frustrating.

In the past 4 weeks, I have already eaten through my limited options of staying on my meal plan while eating out. And, it has gotten really old! And, I have slipped back into some old habits.

That being said, along with all of the other stressors that I mentioned above, and working like a dog to try to escape all of the stressors at home... resulted with me having a mini-breakdown / burn-out.

Yep - I became broken. I did what any normal human does during that time. I tried to run away. I attempted to put in my notice at work, (thankfully, I have an awesome boss that saw through me, and saw through everything that I have been dealing with, and refused my resignation.) and attempted to rewrite my world. With some scheduling changes, I have figured out how to make my health a priority, along with figuring out how to also care for my family, and still work full-time.

Yeah!! While also carving out some daily time for my writing. Super yeah!!

So, expect to see more of my blog posts and some creative writing posts from time to time. Because I will also be working on my 3 unfinished books.

1 is a non-fiction book about my journey to find my voice

1 is a non-fiction book about my birth father and his life

1 is a fiction book - that I can't wait to finish and share with you all. It's been many years in the making!!

I hope that 2022 is treating you kinder than the past couple of years. And I pray that you are not having similar situations for your 2022.

I pray that you are finding your hurdles able to overcome.

I pray that your journey is less cumbersome this year.

Tip of the week: take some self-care time at least once a week. Someone is depending on you... so, you need to take care of you!

SELF-CARE IS NOT SELFISH!!

Until we meet on our journey again....