Single mom says “What?”

When I got the news from the doctor who called me about 5pm on my last day of work before the Christmas break, I was mad.

There, I said it.

But after taking time to process the information and taking Kass to see the Orthopedic surgeon, the specialist, and just days later the gentleman who will be customizing her special brace (because I don’t know his official title at the moment); I started to evolve to a point where I am grateful.  Yes, grateful we found this issue while she is 12 and still growing so we can work with her spine and hope, with a brace, she doesn’t progress toward a higher degree and have to have surgery.

Kass has scoliosis of the spine at 25%. (At 5-20% you only have to monitor the issue, so she just passed the cutoff that requires a brace.)

She took the news well.  She seems to be ok about it as we begin this journey.  I am bracing for when she has to wear the thing 24/7 (except gym class and during our yoga at home). (Oh, and no pun intended there.)

I am proud of her attitude and am thankful my reaction has progressed with prayer and processing all this new information.

So I was putting it all to the side to enjoy the Christmas holidays and make memories this year before it was all over…but tomorrow we go for her next session with the gentleman who will be making her brace. Time to face it again, face the fact that my little girl who is wearing braces on her teeth will be adding to her current required apparatuses.  Just like the orthodontic braces, this back brace isn’t cheap.  But they are allowing me to use a payment plan.  (I know you are thinking: Oh goody, another monthly payment.)

If I sound cynical, I apologize for that.  I am sincerely doing better about all this, and do know God is good, all the time: He will provide and take care of this for Kass.  I have faith.

So what issues are you facing as a mom or as a single mom as the new year approaches?

We all have our ‘stuff’ to deal with – some new – some old.

Find yourself… keeping it real

Photo Credit: (photoXpress.com / Chad McDermott)

sponsor: http://helpforsinglemother.net/

Technorati Tags: scoliosis,back,brace,braces,children,single moms,payment plan,yoga

A snapshot of Christmas Eve thru December 26

A Christmas present to me… excavating the backyard to get rid of the large mounds of dirt from the back yard and level it out.  Getting ready to put it on the market!  This was Christmas Eve when they finished leveling all the dirt.

 

Then we headed to Kevin’s place: Here there were presents everywhere as we waited for Santa to come that night.

Christmas morning!

Our kiddos merged Christmas morning for the first time.  Some different traditions – but it all worked together.

Mr. M opening presents.

We also got a white Christmas!

From the vehicle…

Sledding with Mr. M, his youngest son and his nephews the day after Christmas.  We got more snow overnight!

Mr. M – just a big kid at heart.

The duo

A snow angel to end the set.

Hope your Christmas was full of memories.  Ours sure was.

Find yourself… keeping it real.

Maraka’n Christmas to You!

 

Messed around with Jib Jab till I realized I had to pay $12 to send this card around to fam and friends…. so, I just made an image of a screen from the clip.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Find yourself…. keeping it real.

Snow time like the present

As I sit on the sofa, curled up in a blanket with my laptop on me and Kass plays with her Lego city she is making on the loveseat, I look out the window at the snow.  It’s our first snow day. The office was closed and of course the schools were as well.  Ice covers our street and snow lays a few inches thick over everything.

We have been so hectic crazy busy lately that I haven’t blogged in eons, it seems.  Not really.  A few pics here and there, but that is all I have been able to post.  Finally with a snow day bringing some time to spare, what do I dare say here when it comes to my thoughts, my fears, my personal growth, my future?

It is what it is. 

Life is good, life is hard, life is beautiful.  But sometimes we have to look a little harder to see that beauty; to see through the muck that comes our way.  This includes expenses that pile up to keep a vehicle on the road, or paying higher electric bills for the season.  It’s not easy.  I’m not going to pretend that it is… to keep up with everything.

But here is what I do know. With a little faith, a little hope, and a lot of prayer, it can be done.

And happiness and contentment can be found.  Even taking care of all the “muck” as a single parent, it can be done. With wrapping paper staring at me in one corner and gifts that need to be wrapped in the other, I know it is still possible – to get it all taken care of, even in the midst of the gift giving season.

Laundry may be piling up and I never get a completely empty sink in the kitchen, but the kiddos are fed, playing, talking to me about recent adventures with friends, and enjoying the most up-to-date techno gadgets.  Plus I know where they are, what they are doing, who they are with and overall that they are staying out of trouble. They continue to make me proud. What more can a mom ask for?

What are you grateful for this Christmas?

As a single parent, what are you asking for this Christmas?

How do you define happiness in your present moment?

Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Find yourself… keeping it real

Technorati Tags: Christmas,happiness,single moms,single parents,life,personal development,contentment,parenting

The gift – a sunrise

The grass is brown and the air is chillier than normal for this area in December.  But this gift of a sunrise my daughter, Kass, wanted me to photograph was so beautiful as it lit up the sky in all its splendor of colors.

  Just another memory caught on film (in a matter of speaking).

During the hectic pace of this holiday season, have you stopped to take a moment and enjoy the beauty of the season and the world around you?

Find yourself… keeping it real.

More Memories

My baby girl at her Christmas program Sunday morning. Isn't she cool with her sleeves rolled up. My niece is in front of her here with the bell. She sang a solo during the program. We were so proud of all of them.

Find yourself... keeping it real.

Snowflakes

   Last night while it snowed outside, we were busy making snowflake crafts for the Christmas tree inside.  Mr. M had this great idea to buy snowflake forms and use beads from his jewelry making (and I bought some colored beads to match my tree) to make these snowflakes.

The kiddos and I drove home later through the beautiful winter wonderland as the snow piled up on the grass a few inches, but the roads were fine.

It was a wonderful Christmas memory we were making along with those snowflakes.

Here’s my tree I finally got put up earlier that day.  We have another one in the dining room the kiddos and Mr. M’s boys decorate. (Yes we have two large Christmas trees in the tiny house.)

Even my son, Jas got in on the snowflake making:

Here’s his creation.

 

What Christmas memories are you making this year?

Find yourself… keeping it real.