For those who don't know me I am Tammy and I live in MT along with my husband and two daughters. My oldest is 15 turning 16 this month. She will hopefully get her learners permit right after she turns 16 provided she can pass the written test and we can get an appointment for her. She will not be eligible for a restricted license for 6 months during which she will have to complete so many hours of driving including a certain number at night.
My youngest is 13 and has a number of disabilities including a global developmental delay of unknown cause and profound childhood global apraxia along with sensory processing disorder mixed type.
I homeschool both girls and have their entire educational career with a short stent where 13 year old attended an hour to 90 minutes a week at the local public school for preschool based services as well as a partial year that she attended a small private preschool with a total of 5 students if you count the teachers toddler age child tagging along for some social language practice. The other kids in the class being the niece of the teacher and a good friend of 13 year old. Her older sister was good friends with 15 year old and the entire family have become good friends. They have moved to another state and we miss them bunches. The Nephew of the teacher's husband and the daughter of the man that teacher's huband's sister (nephew's mother) was engaged to. I would have like to have seen her have another year but the two kids who were going to be step siblings moved and since the teacher could not get enough kids to make it worth while she ended up working for a local daycare. They later moved to another state where her husband had gotten a better job.
The girls and I are active in the 4-H program where 13 year old is taking Family Adventures, Microwave Cooking level B 2nd year, Leathercraft level 1 first year, and Photography level 1 third year along with being the club historian. 15 year old is taking Cat level 2 year 1 and Beginning Embroadary 1st year. She may add some addtional projects as well.
The girls are participating in a homeschool bowling league this year as well and are doing great at learning the skills needed. 13 year old bowl using a ramp which has it's own and different challenges while 15 year old is working on learning how to use a good stride and release the ball with plenty of control to make it go where she wants it. They have their own set of lanes so we are seperated by clear barriers from other families participating which is currently one other family.
Motivation Monday:
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What would you like your chapter to include?
I would like my chapter to include that we get back to a new and renew sense of normal though not necessary a complete normal from before this pandemic all started. There are things currently that I would like to keep including people have a sense to stay home when they are sick or not feeling well-please can we stay out of the stores is it really necessary to not only take your sick toddlers into places like
walmart to pick up their prescription from the doctor but then spend the next hour doing shopping in the store while your baby looks absolutely miserable and is coughing and what ever else all over everything. I hope that places that don't have a drive up window for the pharmacy keep a pull up area and continue to have someone bring your prescription out to you so people don't need to go inside when they are not feeling well. (I have always used a place that has a drive up window so I have never had to take a sick child into the store or take myself in when I am not feeling well).
It is my hope that people have more respect in general of the personal space of others when we are no longer required to social distance of at least 6 people from those not in out household or for some their pod group. I thought the term pod that I heard on the radio this morning to describe a group of 2-3 households who are choosing to socialize a bit closer than with others was a nice term so decided to adopt the term myself.
I would like to get my house a bit more organized ok quite a bit more in addition to getting it at least somewhat presentable again without having days that I end up over doing it physically with my health issues which includes chronic fatigue and fibromyellgia. This way I don't end up putting myself out of commission for 2-3 days at a minimim and sometimes if I decide to push through too much to get something done as long as 2 weeks. I want to get back to doing some light walking in my house as well as eventually getting back to doing workouts in the pool. In addition I would like to start getting back to doing some light weights 1-3 pounds. I would like to continue to eat better while still enjoying good food and not as many trips through the fast food window which I tend to do when we are busy and running from one thing to another. More simple dates with my husband even if it is driving together to go and run some errands. Our errands for Monday were to an auto parts store to drop off the starter for DH's car to have it worked on, to the feed store to pick up the catfood order (didn't get the potting soil I had ordered as they had to modify my order) and to the grocery store to pick up the order from there which included some fish for me. I told my husband that he can have some as well. I also said the girls can have some but I know their answer is they are not even interested in trying some. Oh well more shrimp, crab meat, salmon, and cod for me. I will have some nice fish on days that the rest of them have either chilli or sloppy joes since I can not have those due to being allergic to the tomatoes in them.
I try and find something else to do after figuring out if I am having that craving because I am honestly hungry or am I thining thirst is hunger. Am I needing something to do factors in as well. If I am actually hungry I determine if there is something else that I can have that might be a better choicer or if allowing myself to have a small amount of that item might be an option. Spending extra to purchase higher quality items of some of my favorites has been a great way to deal with such things as a cravy for chocolate as I find I am both wanting to make it last longer and feeling more satisfied with what I get to have. Items that are only sold seasonally help as well in this because a good quality salted caramel chocolate piece that I can only get between November and February at best becuase the company makes a limited amount and some years they sell out really fast will find the bag lasting longer of individually wrapped pieces will last much longer than the bag of salted carmel chocolates sold in the grocery store i can get year round and just have to open the bag and start eatting them knowing that when it runs out it is just a trip to the store to get another one.
It is sometimes something as simple as having a small slice of cake or a single cupcake instead of eatting the entire cake or an entire box of cupcakes in a setting when I have them around due to holidays or a birthday. We will be having a cake to celebrate DH's 50th birthday later this week but we don't need to eat the entire thing in one day and I plan to be happy with a smaller piece on the day and maybe a few more thoughout the next couple of days instead of getting upset that I didn't get my equal share when I have a I love anything with sweets child who has gotten her dad's metabolism and honestly can eat anything that I swear I gain 5 pounds just looking at it while they struggle to gain weight decides to eat several pieces one after another in a setting. 15 year old is not a sweets eater though will have a slice of cake for special occasions usually removing the frosting and giving it to 13 year old.
I cannot wait for my family and I to get vaccinated, so that we will all feel safer. I have a 23 year old daughter who is taking online classes at an Art & Design school in NYC for Fashion. I’m married to a 61 year-old essential worker and fellow Disney lover. 
