House of A Writer

Welcome to my blog where I share my special needs parenting journey with my heart, truth, and love, one story at a time. ❤️

Mar 12

The birthday party

by Jeanine Lebsack

I was so excited when my son received an invitation to his new friends birthday party. Having a child with autism, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) birthday parties can be a double edge sword. Firstly, there’s the question of is he going to to be invited to any parties and secondly, do I stay for the party to assist him when he needs help?

The day arrived and I had done all the preparations with my son with a social story, drawing out a schedule, and keeping my visuals handy in case plans had changed. He was quite excited and I needed to drive around the block a couple of times till he can process his feelings.

We arrived at the birthday boys house and was met at the door by the parents. I explained I would stay for 30 minutes until my son felt comfortable then I would quietly leave. I knew I’d be the only parent there as by the age of 6 or 7 it’s a drop off and pick up event.

I haven’t been able to do that with my son in a neurotypical setting there’s a lot of variables to consider. Is the birthday fun going to be too overstimulating for him, will he understand that he can’t open the presents, and lastly will he understand when it’s time to leave.

I sat quietly on the couch making small talk with the parents and surveyed the yard where a nerf gun war was taking place. I had to firmly and directly tell my son the rules as he wasn’t interested in leaving the well stocked toy room. He eventually made it outside and joined in the fun that the other guests were having.

I didn’t want to be that type of parent helicoptering around my son son so I made myself as inconspicuous as possible. With the play getting more intense I could see my sons eyes glaze over and I knew it was time to switch to another activity. That didn’t work out so well so I joined in with playing a football game and hoping my son would want to play as well.

The distraction worked and we were happily tossing the ball back and forth when it was time to come in to have snacks and open presents. My son wasn’t interested in eating but I had begged him to have some carrots as it will fill his sensory seeking need once the game was cut short.

All the kids gathered around and off my son disappeared to a bedroom to have some quiet time. I followed behind him to let him know I was there to help him and the kids were watching the gift opening. He had no interest in me being there or seeing the presents. He asked me to leave and said “I’m fine Mom I got this.”

As I prepared to leave I gave the parents my contact info in case I was needed earlier before pickup. My sons words of I’m fine echoed in my ears as I drove away. I prayed he would be as I wasn’t even close to being okay with leaving him behind.

I spent some time with my older son and then it was time to pick up his brother. I had made sure that I gave him 10 minutes to prepare himself to leave as I followed him to get his shoes and goodie bag. I set the timer on my phone and stood at the door as he got ready to go. As I turned to thank the family for having him at the party he bolted!

Luckily it was within the house and I could get to him quickly. I knew he was having a hard time with transitioning from leaving the party so I remained calm. He professed how he didn’t want to go and I told him all the reasons why we had to leave. I was doing my best to allow him time to process and reached for his hand only to be shot in the throat with a nerf gun.

I was taken aback and started coughing as I unprepared for that impact to my vocal chords. Much to my dismay this whole scene of me chasing him to get the gun and get him out the door was witnessed by all the guests in attendance. I’ve come to a point where I’ve been judged for my parenting that I only care about my child not others opinions.

In that moment I wanted to save my son from any future scenes of chaos and I have pulled him along and carried him out the door. I learned from this experience as it was the only thing I could do in order to help my son. Now I make sure we have a game plan in place and keep the party time to no more than 2 hours.

If things go south as my son reacts to transitioning I have my phone as timer, a little white board so I can draw out the plan ahead of time, and another activity to do as soon as we leave. As I reflect back I know now I was caught up with my son fitting in with his classmates and be like all the other typical kids.

Neurodiversity allows for thinking outside the box and my son is all about doing that in his own way with his stellar imagination. I realized that my need for him to be comfortable at the party spoke volumes about my fear of the unknown.

Now I meet my son where he’s at and time has proven to be the best teacher as well as steadfast love. If I focus on the things he can’t do like stay at a birthday party without me, then how will I celebrate the successes he has that he’s achieved in his own.

I’m happy to say there’s been other birthday parties and he’s felt comfortable enough to ask me to stay or ask to leave if it’s too sensory overwhelming for him. He’s grown and changed so much since that first birthday party and I know no matter what obstacle he faces he’ll be fine, and he’s got this.

Welcome to the Sensory Blog Hop — a monthly gathering of posts from sensory bloggers hosted by the Sensory Spectrum and the Mommy Evolution. Click on the link below to read stories from other bloggers about what it’s like to have Sensory Processing Disorder and to raise a sensory kiddo!

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Dec 7

Ten Things of Thankful

by Jeanine Lebsack

I’ve had a busy weekend up before the sun and back after sunset. My son had a hockey tournament and I found so many things to be grateful for in this weekend alone! It’s been a long week that had my kids and I sidelined with the flu bug. In that time I felt sorry for mysel and had to look for things to be grateful for. I’m glad that in my fever hazed and sick days that I was able to see a silver lining in the grey clouds. Tome to wrap up my week with The TTOT linkup. 

I’m thankful for cuddles with my children. There’s something about the vulnerability of a child when they just need their Mama to help them to feel better. 

I’m thankful for my oldest son looking after me when I fell prey to the flu germs infesting our home. He was on his way to recovery but still needed to rest. So he set up movies for his little brother, made me some tea and watched over me while I slept. God bless him and his beautiful loving heart. 

I’m thankful for finally feeling better after not being sick since a year ago! Then it was my youngest son’s turn luckily it was a fast acting flu bug and he got rid of it quickly. He was so weak and exhausted and he spent most of his time sleeping. I was so glad when his fever broke and he was able to keep down some food. My poor sweet boy was so grateful for Mama cuddles as was I. 

I’m thankful for a family road trip. There’s always music, laughter, and yes even some fighting between my son’s. Yet it’s the conversations that take place that are the most special way to get to know what each other’s thinking. 

I’m thankful for sunrises that take my breath away. There’s nothing more spectacular than seeing God’s graciousness in the colourful tapestrys of beauty. 

 I’m thankful for the clouds that roll in to signify the end of the day and turn into a stunning sunset. Beautiful like a treasured artwork painted by God’s paintbrush. 

I’m thankful for strong little hockey players that put there all into playing their game. My son’s team finished up in third place after two wins and one loss. They passed, played, and held themselves with pride and did everyone in that arena  a service of watching their hearts on display. 
I’m so proud and thankful that the coaches recognized my son for the heart and hustle award for the second year in a row! He was so excited to show me his certificate and hockey puck. 

 I’m thankful for a fun but hectic weekend. There was so upset and meltdowns to deal with due to my son’s special needs and crowds of people can be hard for him to process. He knew that I would be there for him and protect him when needed. 
I’m thankful for pizza pool parties with a bunch of happy hockey players, and taking turns trying to out splash each other on the water slide. After all that was said and done soaking in the hot tub was the best gift of the day. 

life

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Nov 23

Monday Musings-hiding in plain sight

by Jeanine Lebsack

Life has a way of catching up on you without you realizing. Whether you’ve been eating unhealthy, sleep deprived, or skipping out on daily workouts. All the above has happened to me I’ve been dealing with death, disillusionment, and deadlines. It started out as a way to protect my heart, my family, and just not wanting to deal with the sadness of it all. 
I found it difficult to concentrate on anything so I just kept putting my head down and plowing through life. The late night spent reading, researching, and staring at the moon and asking for answers to life’s mysteries has taken their toll. I had to take a backseat as I felt like my emotions were in the drivers seat. I had to share more than I wanted as I walked away from my business, ignored emails, and my accountability fitness group. I protected myself and put my attention  into my family and my passion and dedication to my theatre group. 

This hasn’t been the first time I put my grief on hold. There’s many times when the pain I felt as an emotional reaction and the empathic aftermath of the grief of others has sent me into a tailspin. You wouldn’t know it to look at me. I got up and got my kids off to school, folding my ever flowing laundry baskets, and made my daily phone calls to family and friends to inform them of the sad news. I had to cut of communication with a family member who’s need for greed was too much for me to bear. Yet I continued to pray that their heart and mind would change. Death doesn’t always bring out the best in people. It’s a rude awakening to see it happening right before my eyes and being powerless to change it. 
Every night for eight shows you’d seen me bright and shining on stage with my cast of our pantomime play. I only told three people how I was really feeling and then dry my tears and put my makeup on and carry on. We had boisterous sold out crowds and small appreciative ones who’s interaction with the pantomime play was as entertaining as the acting itself. 
On our final show I was backstage at intermission and everyone was running around signing each other’s programs and making efforts to keep in touch and it struck me like a thunderbolt, that this was my lifeline. These people, the script, costumes, heart to to heart chats whispering back and forth were my way of divinely grieving. I was honouring my loved one by continuing to live! I had dove headfirst into something that gave me a chance to escape and in the process I was healing my heart. I didn’t realize it until I looked around the room and saw those smiling beautiful faces. It thrilled me to have this ephiphany and I wrote something quickly in my notes so I could cherish this moment for always. Today I share it with you and I hope my words bring you some inspiration about finding your passion in life. Thank you never seems like enough to say so to exude those feelings of gratitude is even more special to me. 
  

  
Write a post sharing your thoughts with us – happy, sad, philosophical, ‘silly’ even. Make it as personal as possible.

Use the hashtag #MondayMusings and link to this post.

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Today I link up with #Mondaymusings hosted by Richa Singh and Vidya Sury thank you for having me in your linkup today. 

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Nov 2

Ten Things of Thankful-Halloween happiness

by Jeanine Lebsack

Tonight was a special night not like any other. I have been waiting for this day to come for a year a chance when I get to go out trick or treating with my kids! My husband and I take turns every year but since I only know four people in my neighbourhood I’m anxious to see who’s really behind those closed doors. Call me curious or nosey but I like to see how people live. I feel thankful that I could participate in this night of spooky fun and enjoy the interaction of my youngest complimenting everyone on their costume. For a little boy who is severely speech delayed and socially anxious it’s music to my ears to hear him conversing like everyone else. 

  
Each door to a house we approached opened up to new possibilities. What kind of candy did our treat givers buy, what were they watching on TV before they arrived, did they have laundry on the couch waiting to be folded like me? Each person opened their doors smiling at my children and I. I had a gangster, Batman, and myself dressed up as Wonder Woman. After about an hour of peril using our block little hands were getting cold and little feet were tired and sore. So we started our journey home to drop my little Mad dog off while the Captain and grabbed some gloves and continued on. 

I saw so many amazing decorations, people dressed up to give out candy, and other parents like me in costume. I’m proud to say that I even got mistaken for a child and got candy too! I had a blast running from houses to house with my son chasing him as I’m a superhero intent on catching the mischievous mobster prolling the neighbourhood. Our neighbour went all out and decorated too and gave him quite the scare. She was dressed up as a bride covered in red paint and was holding a doll dressed the same way. When kids opened the door she put it out first and spooked whoever was standing there. 

When it was my Captain and I, (while his brother was standing and waiting with Daddy) approached the door he was saying something’s going to happen as he eyed up the decor warily. And he wasn’t disappointed when she came out that door he flew off those steps backwards and landed in the yard! 

We sure had a good belly laugh about that and when we were around the corner we could still hear her scaring kids and everyone laughing! I was awestruck by how much fun people were having and it reminded me back in the day when I would be out with my sister and our friends. Those nights were cold, fun, and sometimes uncomfortable in our plastic costumes overtop of our snowsuits. That’s how Canadians trick or treat, buy your costume big enough to fit overtop of your parka! Sometimes we would be up to our knees in snow and we’d be stomping around the neighbourhood in search of candy. 

We ended our night with a pillowcase full of treats and went to our friends Halloween party. As always she’s an amazing hostess and had a delectable assortment of food and hot tea to warm up our bones. We talked, made new friends, and enjoyed seeing the kids playing games and cuddling the cats. We came home with full bellies, warm hearts, and so much thankfulness and appreciation for our Halloween of happiness. ???

I’m so happy to be part of the TOTT linkup hosted by Lizzi and her amazing Thankful tribe. My favourite place to be every weekend.?  I did write this on Halloween night but didn’t publish till now.

life

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Aug 10

Ten things of thankful 

by Jeanine Lebsack

It’s almost like time has got itself wrapped around the hamster wheel in my brain and sped up. Is it really possible it’s Sunday already? I just felt like it was three days ago, so as I sit and check and recheck my calendar again that yes a week has gone by. I’m excited to share my week with you as it was busy, eventful, and involved some sunshine. So without further ado I give you lovely readers my list of thankfuls. 

1. I’m thankful for my husband’s holidays and the fun and adventure we experienced as a family. We really enjoy our time together and it’s made even more joyful when we’re out exploring our new home and area. If we spend too much time inside cabin fever sets in and that’s bad for everyone involved. 

   

2. I’m thankful that I was able to attend my son’s speech therapy appointment. We waited three months for it and was originally scheduled last week, but my son woke up feeling flush and fluish and I had to cancel. She was able to assess him and see where his strengths and weakness are. She scored a few sections while we were still there and said even though he was severely delayed she saw that he also had some amazing strengths and abilities with his comprehension a and his verbal expressions in tones. She also asked me if I my background was in teaching and I replied in fitness but not in children’s education. She said with all the terminology and how much I had researched she thought I was in education. I left her office beaming and not even the darkened rain clouds couldn’t take away the light I felt in my heart. 

3. I’m thankful that the speech therapist recognized my efforts and gave me the best compliment and called me a Mom warrior. She was so glad that I advocated so strongly for my son as some parents aren’t able to for their own reasons. I thanked her profusely and had to wipe the tears from my eyes. It felt so wonderful to be acknowledged by a professional for the team effort on this journey we’ve been on for the last two years. 

3. I’m thankful for KFC take out and a picnic at the park. I dove into that bucket with a vegeance as I was starving and happily munched that Colonel’s famous recipe that’s so finger licking good. My kids played happily in the playground making new friends while I celebrated KFC being in Canada for 20 years. I was so happy with my impromptu lunch I went and followed them on Twitter. 

4. I’m thankful for soccer in the backyard in the morning, and  bunkering down in the afternoon with Netflix, popcorn, and cuddles with my kids as we listen to the torrential downpour on our skylight. My youngest said it sounded like God was drumming. I love him and his imagination so much. 

 

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5. I’m grateful for learning more about Minecraft and all the intricate worlds my oldest son has created. He’s taught me so much as I’ve learned to open my mind to his passion to build, create, and accomplish things I could only dream of. He built this world of the Walking Dead complete with the set of the prison from Season 5 with the zombie creepers and underground bunkers out in the fields. His talent and dedication to express himself with his technological skills amazes me. 

3. I’m thankful for reward charts and token behaviour systems. I’ve started them with my kids to curb some things that were getting out of hand within our communication styles. I use a thermometer to gauge how my oldest son is feeling. Green is for go, talk to me I’m feeling happy and want to engage. Yellow is for caution I’m feeling unhappy, bordering on mad feelings, I need some quiet time I do t want to interact. Red is stop I don’t want to talk I’m angry and I need space immediately. With just using this method to help him express his feelings constructively he was able to tell me and point out exactly how he was feeling. It was a very positive result to a quick temper issue we’ve been trying to handle for awhile. 

4. I’m thankful for how hard my oldest son worked on controlling his temper and he earned enough tokens to have extra screen time at home and then we were able to attend the movie Minions. We loved seeing those adorable little yellow pulls origin of how they evolved to who they are and who they love to work for in present day. Movies aren’t not a family past time for us as our youngest has a sensory disorder and he’s not able to handle being quiet or sitting still for long periods of time. The use of headphones, a gadget to concentrate on, and his favourite blanket made everything quite comfortable for him. Plus his love of Minions is legendary, I will take that for the win of the week! 

 

image found on Facebook

 
5. I’m thankful for playgroups that are specifically for children with special needs. We attend one weekly and this time I was able to bring my oldest son. He was the oldest one there which he knew he would be, but he finger painted, played with his brother, and made some new friends as well. It made me so happy to see my son’s playing and enjoying their time being kids with open hearts and minds. 

6. I’m thankful for Fridays and getting together with friends. We enjoyed a delicious meal and then came back to our house to visit some more and soak and chat in my hot tub. I’m looking forward to spending more time with our friends as its a new friendship and they don’t mind driving to see us. As it’s not always possible to plan an outing for success when my youngest has difficulties with transitions. I was so proud of the progress he made in the restaurant. If he needed to shake the “ants out of his pants” we just went for a walk before our meal arrived. Even the owner complimented his behaviour as we’ve been eating there for a year and they become our closest friends. 

7. I’m so thankful for days filled with sunshine and walks along the river. My children are outdoorsy they’re very happy playing in water or being covered in dirt so we love our time spent at the river. They’re learning the fine art of skipping stones and patience when watching the fish swimming around. Much to our delight we saw that someone had layered some rocks around the shallow area, and it made a lovely little pool to wade in. My kids had a blast splashing and playing in there for over an hour on non-stop joy! While this content Mom was able to snap pics and soak up some much needed vitamin D while waving to the boaters who floated on by. 

  
8. I’m grateful for warm summer nights, fire pits in the backyard and enjoying beers and laughter with our friend and his loveable dog. The kids had so much fun playing with her as we like to call her our “surrogate dog.” There was one near accident as the bolts had come loose from the fire pit door and my oldest went to put some wood in and door came off in his hand and the cover came tumbling down. I’m very grateful for his quick flexes and he wasn’t seriously hurt! 

9. I’m so thankful for the new fitness program I started this week. It’s from Beach Body and it’s called CIZE. The promotion for it is have fun dancing and forget that you’re even exercising. And you know what it’s so true, thirty minutes flies by as you’re learning the choreography and soon you feel like you’re in a music video busting moves with Shaun T. As he says CIZE is the end to all exercise. Eye candy, exercise, and excellent results what more could you ask for?

  
10. I’m thankful for all the hard work of blood, sweat, and tears that I’ve put into my fitness goals and the results that I have. I completed five fitness challenges, pounds and inches lost, and a whole new respect for myself and my determination. One of those challenges was a detox and that was a very difficult one to get through! So after a thousand questions to my coach Ryan at Gamechangers I decided to sign up as a Beach Body coach! I recently experienced my first week of shakeology, working out daily for 4 months, losing weight, gaining lean muscle mass, having energy, and waking up pain free after 6 years of nursing a back injury I AM a believer! My website is all set up and you can check me out here as well all the amazing information in this power packed fitness machine called www.teambeachbody.com. Until next week enjoy the last dog days of summer. ?

  

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May 14

One Liner Wednesday

by Jeanine Lebsack

My son is four going on fourteen.  I swear I’m dealing with a prepubescent teenager most days. Tonight I asked him to get pj’s on, pick up his toys, and brush his teeth. He still continued playing and ignoring me. I repeated it once again and his reply was “Mom don’t talk my ear off all day!” I sat there and laughed and then he joined in telling me how funny he is. ?

This has been my submission to One liner Wednesday with Linda G Hill Please check out her one liner and all the other talent who link up. Thank you. ?

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Apr 9

One Liner Wednesday

by Jeanine Lebsack

Easter weekend came in like a lion.  The + 16 temperatures quickly went down to -1 Celscius. With the colder temperatures came the snow. As my son watched the snow falling he looked up at me with big worried eyes. 

“Mama the poor Easter bunny is going to get cold feet in all that snow!”

So that smart bunny came inside and hid all those treats in our basement. A happy boy, and a happy bunny was all that mattered. ?
This has been my submission to http:// lindaghill.com One liner Wednesday. Please check out her talent as well as everyone awesomeness who links up. Thank you. ?

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Feb 17

Water

by Jeanine Lebsack

I watch my son
Playing in the water, happily
He splashes, dives, and sings.
Pure joy he brings.

This is my first attempt at writing a Haiku since high school. I’m still not sure is its proper, but it brought me happiness to write it. This is my first assignment for Blogging 201Poetry.

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Feb 7

Friday’s Feats and Fails

by Jeanine Lebsack

Wahoo it’s Friday last week I was drinking beer with my husband this week I’m drinking wine with my sister and niece!!! I love when they come to visit it’s like the sun starts shining bright on my heart. ? So let’s do a roundup of how my week was. Cheers my dear readers. ?

FEAT

It was hockey weekend and we were off on a road trip. I was so excited to get out of town and do some socializing. I got everyone packed up and we were ready to go in record time. And SIRI even cooperated by giving us better directions when we figured it out in map quest, it was quicker to go around the city than through it! My sons were occupied and for once not driving each other to screaming fits.

FAIL

We were 40 kms from our destination and a bad snow storm blew in. That’s life in the Prairies. Everything’s so flat you can literally see it roll in. We saw some erratic driving as the roads turned to ice very quickly. People were passing us and landing in the ditch every five kms, it was so scary. My youngest was sleeping and my oldest was enthralled with his video game, none the wiser. I was so stressed by the time we arrived at the hotel my fingernails had embedded creases in the palms of my hands!!! I cracked open a beer and I was still shaking!

FEAT

It was a busy weekend and the Saturday morning game was at 8 am. It was very early but I had everyone organized to go the night before so it was a case of being motivated. My Captain played a great game and they won 4-3. They had a break and then we ate and played again at 11:30 am. My Mad dog was doing great he was playing and being entertained with his video game device. We even did some colouring as well. My Captain ended up winning the heart and hustle award for the game and I was so proud of him. He kept looking up in the stands while I snapped pictures. ❤️

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FAIL

We arrived back at our hotel very tired and hungry so it was a potluck in the lobby and I was starving. The team won their game 8-3 and spirits were high, and hockey in the hallway was being played. My Captain was hanging out with his friends, and Mad dog was running all over he was so would up that when I tried to get him from playing floor hockey to eat he just lost it. He was going up and down these steep stairs while I was getting us food. I went to take care of him and he was really upset by this time, and honestly so was I. So I grabbed him and carried him back to the room while balancing a plate of food. I was exhausted, embarrassed, and I literally wanted to crawl under the covers and cry. My husband said I shouldn’t worry we’re all parents and get it. When overtired, over stimulated, sensory, ASD behaviours rear it’s ugly head everyone gets caught in the crossfire.

FEAT

After a cooling off period we went for a swim at the local recreation centre. It was so fun to hang out and relax with my kids. I was very happy to find a hot tub and later meet up with a new friend that I’ve been corresponding with. It’s always a treat to find out you gel with someone in person as well as online. Classy from Classy with a touch of some is my sister from the vineyard. We had a lovely visit, enjoying so wine, laughter, and conversation, and she met my family. I know this isn’t always the norm to meet someone off of Facebook and really bond. I used caution as did my friend and we met in a public place. I trust my instincts and the vibes I get. God always leads me to good people, and good situations as long as I pay attention to my intuition. I have a wonderful friend as the result and we look forward to a much longer visit next time. ?
FAIL

We made it through the night with very little sleep but had a 10 am game. So breakfast was had at the hotel and off to the rink we went. The opposing team was very good and we ended up losing 7-3. It was heartbreaking to see as my son’s team was up 3-0 in the second period. We were tired and hungry so off for lunch we went. The next game wasn’t till 3:15 pm so that was a long wait. I was already high strung from having to be around a lot of people and keep Mad dog regulated. So I was just going to watch a movie and then wander in the for game. That didn’t go so great as we ended up running for a bathroom and my son had an accident. I cleaned him up and while I washing my hands he took off!!! I was able to catch him in the stands but I was really scared so we went back to the truck again. ?

FEAT

My Captain’s played for fourth place and still made it into the medal standings. I was so proud of him and how hard he worked and that he kept out of the penalty box this game. We made it home to catch the last ten controversial minutes of the Super Bowl. All in all it was a fun weekend but four hockey games and all the activity was a lot for my sons to process. I will have a better game plan in mind for our next adventure. The next two days I was a sloth. I caught up on laundry and became a homebody for the week. So now we’re working through some potty training aggression so that’s disheartening. I have faith though we’re not giving up the dream of being diaper free, just postponing it, till we get back on track. It was fun to get away, and it’s always so rewarding to get back home. Till next time my friends enjoy your weekend making some wonderful memories. ?

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This has been my submission to Ash’s Friday’s Feats and Fails. Check out how her week went and all the other talent who link up. Thank you. ?

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Jan 31

Friday’s Feats and Fails

by Jeanine Lebsack

Well it’s that time of the week, the time I look forward to. It’s Friday and I’m not watching Netflix I’m drinking beer and relaxing so with no further delay here’s the week in review.

FEAT

Well every weekend starts out with hockey so off to another game we go. Everything’s good with the Captain he’s packed up his hockey bag the night before, so we’re bound to be early. We end up still arriving with 10 minutes to spare because Mad dog has a temper tantrum about getting into his seat without his Thomas train. I retrieve said train that has been dropped in the mud and life carries on. We’re experiencing a Chinook where the weather changes from -13 to +16 overnight. So now all our snow is melting. The Captain’s team ends up winning their game and we continue on home to hot chocolate, popcorn and movies.

FAIL

I haven’t been at my most patient, my kids playing musical beds has caused that. Mad dog waits till I’m sleeping or crawling into bed and then runs and jumps into his brother’s. I let them sleep as I’m too tired to move or to sore. Then Mad dog’s restless legs syndrome takes over and he kicks the Captain out of his own bed! Then he comes to me and crawls into my bed. It’s a long endless cycle and by the time Friday comes around I’m at my wits end and feeling stabby. ?

FEAT

I’ve kept up with the laundry and hockey practices all week and I’m feeling successful. My kids have been really happy lately so that’s always a good thing. I’ve settled my mind with all the up coming doctor assessments and received help from my former province. It’s been a relief that the squeaky, bitchy, wheel gets the grease, which is the help I need. Now that I have medical insurance the process of evaluation can commence. I took a long walk with my Mad dog while the Captain was at hockey with his Dad. I took some beautiful pictures of the sunset and have used them in my blogs. I also found out I was featured again on the www.originalbunkerpunks.com. I was feeling particularly vulnerable and I went to catch up on some blog reading. Low and behold I find my submission featured on the main page!!! It’s a story I wrote for my beloved Mama so I’m really proud of it. And my story I wrote of my journey to a diagnosis was featured on the www.mighty.com. Two features in one day, you couldn’t kick me off cloud nine if you tried. ?

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FAIL

Mad dog has had a nasty cold/cough so he hadn’t had much of an appetite. When he does say he’s hungry he just wants sugary cereal. I only allow that for a special treat but I’m just happy he’s eating something. So in turn we’ve had healthier dinners than breakfast and lunches. My Captain came home from school right before I had respite for his brother. He didn’t even say hello he just burst into tears and fell on his bed. I was at loss about what to do because he was sobbing and I couldn’t understand what it was about. He finally was able to tell me that he got into trouble at school for accidentally hitting a student in the eye with a pillow. It was a mistake he was throwing a pillow onto the chair that someone was sitting on, and the kid was walking by and bam right in the eye. ? I had a friend of mine pass away suddenly and I’m feeling sad. He was a really wonderful man, and him and his lovely wife were like Grandparents to my sons. I sang a song for them and recorded it and sent it to the wife. She’s recovering in the hospital and I’m praying that she’ll hear I and it will bring her some comfort.

FEAT

I got that situation resolved and the Captain and the student worked out their differences and are friends. Morgan never gets in trouble at school so this was devastating for him. I took him out for hot chocolate and doughnuts just the two of us, and we had a great talk. Today a magazine that I was published in went live. I’m so excited, elated and feeling so proud. I owe it all to my beloved Mama she told me I could do anything and it feels so good to believe that again. My confidence took a shaky fall after she died and I didn’t write anywhere except for in my journal. My pain of losing her was so raw, and uncut that I didn’t think I’d be able to get through it. Well here I am today to say I am one day, one story at a time. If you’d like to read it I posted a link for it on my Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/jsackmomblog

Thank you for reading my week in review this has been my submission to Ash’s www.morethancheeseandbeer.com. Check out her week and all the other talent that links up. All the best to you, until our next adventure take care of you. ?

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life

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