Family

TRUNK OR TREAT

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

AT TRUNK OR TREAT/ HALLOWEEN WE WERE:

ME: SANDRA BULLOCK/MISS CONGENIALITY
MARK: JESSE JAMES (SANDRA BULLOCK'S MAN)
(FEW KNEW WHAT MARK & I WERE, & IF THEY THOUGHT “BEAUTY PAGEANT CONTESTANT” OR “PRINCESS” WE DEFINITELY DIDN’T APPEAR AS A COUPLE AT 1ST GLANCE!)

ZACH–ROBBER
JESS– PIRATE PRINCESS
FIA—CINDERELLA

I HAVE 3 JOKES FOR U:

WHY DIDN’T THE SKELETON GO TO THE PARTY?
HE HAD NO BODY TO GO WITH!

WHY DID THE SKELETON NOT CROSS THE ROAD?
HE HAD NO GUTS!

WHAT DO GHOSTS PUT IN THEIR BRAS?
BOO-BIES!

MOM

MON. WAS A HORRIBLE DAY 4 ME. SEEMED I HAD 2 DO EVERYTHING TWICE THAT DAY, WHICH IS BEYOND FRUSTRATING WHEN U HAVE DOUBLE VISION & 1 HAND! OTHER THINGS WERE ALSO HARD 2 DEAL W/& BY 4 PM, I JUST NEEDED A HUG & 2 CRY. LUCKILY, FIA WAS UP 2 THE JOB!

THURS., I GOT 2 RETURN THE FAVOR: FIA WAS SUPER UPSET. MY HEART ACHED 4 HER, AS HERS DID 4 ME ON MON, (I COULD TELL). HOW I ACHED 2 HOLD & TALK 2 HER! IN THE PAST, THIS DESIRE BE A "TRADITIONAL" MOM CAUSED A PBA CRY, BUT IT DOES NO GOOD 4 US 2 BOTH CRY, SO I SUCKED IT UP, WENT 2 HER BED, SIGNED "SORRY" (SHE KNOWS "SORRY"), & HELD HER HAND UNTIL SHE TOLD ME 2 GO. IT WAS AMAZING HOW QUICK SHE STOPPED CRYING! THE BONUS WAS BEING, THOUGH NON-TRADITIONAL, MOM!

THURS. MORN., I ALSO GOT 2 BE "MOM" & GET THE KIDS READY 4 SCHOOL, ENTIRELY ON MY OWN. THE KIDS, AT 9, 7, & 5 YRS. OLD, R SURPRISENLY SELF-SUFFICIENT, THANKS 2 SOME PLANNING ON MARK'S BEHALF, SO IT WAS FAIRLY EASY—I JUST ENSURED THEY WERE UP & BARKED ORDERS! ZACH DID THE MAJORITY—HE WAS "MY HANDS."

WED.

4GIVE ME 4 NOT WRITING SOONER, BUT THE TIME I USEED B4 TO WRE HAS SUDDENLY BECCOME "GIRL TIME" W/MY GIRLS. I’M FINE W/THAT, BUT NO GAURANTEES WHEN I’LL WRITE.

SO WHAT CA THE GIRLS POSS. DO WITH ME? A FAV. IS ARGUING 2 SIT ON MY LAP AS THEY PLAY COMP. GAMES, WRITE EMAILS, OR WATTCH A MOVIE W/,E. SINCE FIA CAN READ & JESS (WHILE IMPATIENT) IS BETTER AT READING MY ASL, COMMUNICATION IS LESS A BARRIER 2!

STILL, LIFE W/1 HAND CAN BE EXHAUSTING. IN ADDITION 2 THE EXPECTED WOES (BEING ON THE RT. SIDE 2 PICK UO THINGS LIKE THE REMOTE; 2 DO ANYTHING, LIKE PUSH A BUTTON; OR 2 ACCOMPLISH ANY TASK, LIKE PLAYING THE PIANO OR TYPE-I BET I HAVE THE STRONGEST INDEX FINGER!), THERE’S ALSO STUFF LIKE THIS:

WHEN I GO SOMEWHERE I NEED 2 ACKNOWLEDGE PEOPLE, LIKE CHURCH, I HAVE A CHOICE 2 NOD A HELLO & KEEP DRIVING, OR I CAN STOP DRIVING & USE THAT HAND 2 WAVE HELLO.

IN ORDER 2 RESPOND VIA ASL, IT’S THE SAME. 4 EX., RECENTLY WHILE ON THE COMP, I WAS HIGHLIGHTING TEXT (WHICH TAKES QUITE A WHILE & REQUIRES A LOT OF INTENSE FOCUS W/DOUBLE VISION). AT THE SAME INSTANT, I WAS ASKED A QUES. THAT REQUIRED MORE THAN A YES/NO RESPONSE. I HAD 2 CHOICES: 1. I CAN APPEAR 2 BE RUDE & WAIT 2 ANSWER, SO IT SEEMS I’M IGNORING SOME1 WHO WAITS 4 A RESPONSE, BUT, MEANWHILE MY HEAD IS SHOUTING, "1 SECOND!" 2. ANSWER VIA ASL, THEN START AGAIN 2 DO WHAT I WAS TRYING 2 DO (IN THIS CASE, HIGHLIGHT TEXT).

STILL, I’M GLAD I HAVE 1 HAND (I WASN’T SUPPOSED 2) & MY RT. HAND AT THAT (DID U KNOW MY LEFT HAND, & NOT MY RT. HAND, USED 2 MOVE?). SO MUCH NEEDS MY RT. HAND (AT CHURCH & THANKFULLY, WHILE SLIGHTLY AMBIDEXTROUS, I WAS RT. HAND DOMINANT SO I DIDN’T HAVE 2 START FROM SCRATCH 2 LEARN 2 WRITE & TYPE)!

SCHOOL

NEXT MON., THE KIDS START SCHOOL. BUMMER. MORNINGS WERE MY TIME W/FIA, SO IT'LL BE VERY ODD & LONELY AS SHE IS IN ALL DAY KINDERGARTEN THIS YEAR.

BUT FIA'S VERY READY: SHE TAUGHT HERSELF 2 READ–& SHE EVEN READS W/EXPRESSION IN HER VOICE (NOT BEGINNER MONOTONE)! IT’S KILLING ME (AS A TEACHER, SINCE I DIDN'T TEACH THE "TRADITIONAL" WAY, BUT SHE SEES ME TYPE 2 TALK & DISCIPLINE THE KIDS & WAS DETERMINED 2 LEARN 2 READ VIA CONTEXT CLUES, AS I WAS SILENT IF SHE ASKED, "WHAT'S THAT WORD?"), YET I’M PROUD (AS A MOM)!

THIS IS R ONLY YEAR W/ALL 3 IN THE SAME SCHOOL (JEALOUS? LOL): ZACH–5TH, JESS–2ND, FIA–K. ZACH & JESS CAN READ MY ASL, THOUGH AT DIFF. LEVELS. I BET FIA DOES BY THE END OF THE YEAR, AS SHE KNOWS MY LETTERS BEST (SHE OFTEN HAS ME SPELL A WORD 4 HER), SHE HAS THE IDEA AS SHE SOUNDS OUT LETTERS, & SHE CAN SOMETIMES DO IT.