Thinking and working

So I'm on a diet. South Beach, to be exact, and my doctor has recommended it countless times. I'm in the early stages of it and it's awful. But, five pounds in 36 hours! Can't beat that, even if it is all water weight!

I've been thinking a lot too. I've talked some about my views on healing and I've mentioned before that my faith has taken a lot of hits over the years, and I'm trying so hard to get back on track. I think my trouble comes in that I pray and I just don't feel like I'm "connecting". It's a hard and frustrating thing to go through.

So here's my question: Christians have this unwavering belief that Jesus was the Son of God. As a kid that idea didn't bother me. It was simply Truth, and I didn't question it. As I got older, and especially here more recently, I've started asking more questions.

It's not that I doubt God. I wonder, sometimes, just how involved God is with the day-to-day of us common folks, but I know God exists. I feel Him around me. I see Him in the world that surrounds me. I can't question His existence.

What I wonder about is Jesus. There were a number of other men, some during Jesus' time, who claimed to be Messiah. Some even performed what appeared to be miracles. Some had rather impressive followings and had small congregations devoted to them for a while. Then there's Muhammad, who Christians are so quick to dismiss as being a crazy guy who spent too much time in the sun. But millions (or billions?) of people follow his teachings. Not viewed as a messiah, exactly, but you get what I'm saying.

What makes Jesus different from these guys?

All we have, historically speaking, are the writings of people who were dissatisfied overall with the way their world looked. Much like people today, they were looking for anyone who had some answers. Some people latched on to Jesus. Others latched onto some of the other claimants. I forget which one it was, but one of them was supposedly pretty popular and the main reason people went for Christianity instead of his little following was that A) somewhat more was written about Christ and B) Christianity was similar enough to the Mithras cult that was popular in Rome that practitioners of it could convert without changing a lot of their overall beliefs and practices.

So of course it's easy to follow someone who has been the subject of quite an amount of writing. It's sort of like learning subjects in school--most people have an easier time when they have textbooks on hand to study from.

There's also the issue of how the Jews view Jesus. To them, He doesn't doesn't fulfill the prophesies. Many of the prophesies Christians say He fulfilled the Jews say don't mean what we've translated them to mean. They've got quite a few compelling arguments.

So in the midst of my spiritual quandary this has been the central question. Why Jesus? Why Him instead of all these other guys who claimed (or were speculated to be) a messiah? If we're supposed to ignore the claims of all these other people, why are we supposed to so quickly and easily accept what Jesus said He was? What about the arguments the Jews present against His messiah-dom? I think a lot more people would wonder if so many churches didn't solve the "problem" by simply insisting "because the NT says so". And if that argument is valid, then to me it never made sense that all the rules God laid out for us are suddenly invalid because Jesus said so. What about what the OT says?

I'm not trying to start any debates or arguments but I've felt like I was between a rock and a hard place for a long time now. Obviously Christians believe that you lose out on salvation by not believing in Jesus, but that seems a bit harsh if someone still believes in God and obeys His commandments. In the OT it doesn't say anything about believing in the Messiah in order to obtain eternal life so I think we can hardly say it was clearly commanded by God. So you can see my obvious problem--wanting to believe but having hard-to-answer questions and feeling all the while disconnected, and like my soul is in limbo or even potential jeopardy. Unfortunately, in the highly conservative background I come from, ministers hardly entertain these questions.

If anyone has any insight feel free to share. Maybe I read too much. Maybe I ask too many questions. But I miss feeling secure like I did as a kid. I miss that sense of just simply knowing. And I still have that where God is concerned but as far as the subject of Christianity I'm not as sure as I used to be. And I hate being in limbo.

Sweet, sweet man

So I totally didn't win (or even come close lol) in that cupcake contest. That's okay though. My hubby is such a nice guy. He felt like since I worked hard I deserved a little something and so while he was out today he picked me up these. I like them! I've wanted a good set for a while now (you know, at least something better than my $4 Walmart set) and while they are definitely lacking in the cuteness department, they are exactly what I've been looking for. And as far as cuteness goes, they do have a little going for them: there's four spice spoons for measuring smidgen, tad, dash, and pinch. How cute is that? If I had the cash I'd totally get a set for everyone who was in the contest, just because I'm happy he got them for me and I'd love to make someone's day. :)

Today we also started a diet. The endocrinologist keeps recommending South Beach to me so that's what we're doing, at least for now. It's been about eleven hours since my last carbs and I'm already on the brink of insanity.

Anyone got any chocolate they can sneak me?

So this weekend Sweet'ums is going to Mom's and that keeps me from snapping at her all weekend while I go through carb detox. I'm really scared of this process and a few times have felt like I was having mild panic attacks but I'll survive. I'm having to fight off the urge to turn the house upside down to look for something sweet but if I can manage to keep it together at least through tomorrow I should start feeling better.

Nice Guy did Atkins (well, his own version of Atkins) a few years ago and dropped seventeen pounds in two weeks, and almost 70lbs in two months. I'm not hoping for THOSE kinds of results but wow, could you imagine? If I lost 70lbs I'd be down to 125lbs and well below my "happy weight". I'd be well within range to try pregnancy again (if we decided to) and I'd be back in "skinny range" for me, although I don't really look skinny even at my smallest thanks to my bone structure. At 125lbs my wedding dress would probably hang off me, and my actual goal is to fit into the wedding dress I own but never got to wear (thanks to sudden, massive, and unexpected weight gain).

So tomorrow I'll measure myself and that way I've got two places I can see results. You ready for this, girls? I'm not. I'm scared silly. But I have to do something.

And as awful as it sounds, I'm glad my sweetie is the man behind all of this. If I were doing this on my own I'd blame me, "Self", and "Self" is easily overcome by going and finding something tasty. If he's the man withholding the goodies, I can blame him, and he won't be overcome by my weakness. He knows this is good for me and he's willing to take the blame if it helps me be healthier and get through this.

So I'm off to try not to cry now. Hope everyone has a good night.

Progress

Today we took Sweet'ums to her developmental screening. If you've been reading you know that this was a huge source of stress for me in the past few weeks and as you can imagine I'm very relieved to have it behind me.

It was so much easier than I had expected.

When we got there they took us to a waiting area and gave us a quick rundown on what to expect. Then, they whisked Sweet'ums away to begin her part of the screening.

While she was gone the other lady asked us about a zillion questions. Of course they were the types that you feel the need to explain beyond a simple yes or no and it took us forever, it seemed. They ranged from how she interacts (or doesn't) with other kids and what ages she prefers to be around, to her sleep habits, to what textures she eats or doesn't eat, to whether she has any peculiar fears and interests. She also went through an autism checklist with us while we waited.

Then, Sweet'ums and her testing lady came back out. Sweet'ums was directed to the little room across the hall to play while they talked to us.

Her eyes and ears seem to be fine. Obviously she's still young to test very thoroughly but it was apparently to Test Lady that she sees and hears plenty well enough. So she sits down and explains to us the evaluation she'd done. Out of a possible twenty-five points, my child got two.

TWO.

There were at least two things Sweet'ums attempted and didn't quite get. Her duplications of what she was supposed to do displayed understanding of what she was being asked but a minor failure in actual execution. For example, her vertical line was slightly tilted and so they couldn't give her a point for it. Her little block bridge she built from memory from one Test Lady built, showed her from behind a curtain, and hid again didn't have a gap between the two bottom blocks like Test Lady's did so she didn't get points for that either. Those are just the two Test Lady told us about--the others she didn't get points for I'm not sure if she attempted and failed miserably, or if she just didn't try. With her there's no telling. Test Lady couldn't get her to answer any questions or really respond to much of anything she did, except for when she pulled out a book and had her show her things in the pictures. She said Sweet'ums did say a couple things and the words she said were pronounced beautifully, but she just didn't say enough for them to get a good, solid grasp of her language skills. In an effort to engage Sweet'ums in talk and play she pulled out some bubbles. She said that Sweet'ums would dip the wand, blow on it, and dip it again, without caring too much whether she got bubbles or not. She'd smile if she got bubbles, but she wouldn't talk about them.

They're referring us for more testing, a developmental/psych evaluation and an evaluation with what she called the "autism team". She said they had somewhat different tools for evaluating and might be able to get a better grip on what Sweet'ums can and can't do. On the copy of the results sheet she gave me, it says we're being referred for further testing for "possible Asperger's". Questions Lady did mention that it could be a sensory issue too, so I guess we'll see.

We should be hearing from them soon about setting up the secondary testing. She said the next test should be within the next month, month and a half, so at least it's not a bad wait. And at least the first hurdle is out of the way.

Sweet'ums behaved wonderfully at least and didn't throw a fit or anything. She cooperated and didn't act afraid of the strangers testing her out of sight of Mommy and Daddy, so I don't think it was a bout of shyness or stranger-danger or whatever. I think she was just being Sweet'ums.

So that was today. How is everyone out there?

So, there's this contest...

So, I entered this contest. It's for cupcakes, and I had a blast creating my entry. I'm not sure what I'm up against yet since I haven't seen the other entries but I'm really excited about it. I'm sure there's going to be some that are absolutely phenomenal!

So, here's my entry:



For those of you who have never played any classic Nintendo games, that is one of the little mushroom guys that make you grow on Super Mario.

We got a Wii for Christmas and my inspiration came to me while reliving my childhood and my dating days. Nintendo played a vital role in our bonding as a couple. After all, how can you marry someone you can't have a little healthy, friendly competition with?

Anyway, that's my cupcake. Isn't it a cutie?

And for those of you who are just dying to know... It's chocolate, underneath white frosting, under colored marshmallow fondant.

I am the luckiest

So, we've reached a milestone. Others have come and gone but we've remained. In the face of so much hardship--and while marriage has always been hard I'd argue that there's more standing in the way of marriage today than ever before--we've stood strong. We've dealt with debt and money issues, health issues, living in a bad neighborhood, coping with a difficult work schedule, and so much family frustration, and though we've still got a long way to go on many of those issues we've come so far already.

We've got this truly wonderful relationship. When I'm weak you take me by the arm and help me. When you're sad I do everything I can to make you laugh. What our relationship lacks in passion we more than make up for with loyalty and companionship and true commitment to each other. You're my best friend and to me, that's the most important thing any relationship can have. Money comes and goes, we've learned that the hard way, but some of our best times together have been at our most broke. I'll never forget our date nights here at home with cheap pizza and some awful movie on tv. I'll never forget our deep, heart-to-heart chats over milkshakes in the car under the glow of the Steak'N'Shake lights. I'll never forget our ridiculous talks in the middle of the night when we can't sleep and all we can do is laugh. Money doesn't buy memories and heaven only knows how many of those we've made already.

The best part about us is that I know in my heart God meant for us to be together. Too many little things happened in such a way as to pave the path for us. There were so many little coincidences that worked to bring us together. And what a blessing you've been for me! I've learned so much from you. You've taught me so much about life and family and love, and most importantly, about what it means to be loved. You've given me so much that I don't know if anyone else could have. You've helped to heal wounds in my heart that were so deep I didn't think I'd ever feel whole again. You made me feel whole and then overflowing! And just when I didn't think I could feel more love, you gave me a daughter and my heart grew yet again. It kind of reminds me of the story of the Grinch. :) And I truly believe that God gave you to me and that through you He worked these things in my life.

Thank you for these five beautiful years. Thank you for the little family you've built with me, the insanity with which you help nurture it, the laughter and joy you bring into it. My life would be a dark and lonely place without you. My life is worth living because I've got you.

Here's to many, many more.

Time off

A couple of my Facebook buddies already know but I've sort of taken time off from most online stuff to hang with my family and unwind some. Honestly, it's been a great break. It has given me some time to clear my head and enjoy my hubby and sweetie pie. I've kept up with my FB games and commented on stuff that concerned me but otherwise, I've stayed out of the middle of things. It's kind of refreshing.

Next week is Sweet'ums' test so after that I should be back again. I'll update about how it all goes and whether they can tell us anything at that time or not. Until then, I'm going to be experimenting with a new strategy for redirecting Sweet'ums' energy when she gets upset. Her room has been rearranged and hopefully it'll be a good long-term arrangement. Soon she'll be getting a big-girl bed and everything. This should be fun.

I've also been redirecting some of my nervous energy into cleaning and rearranging and just generally doing the things I should have been doing all along. We're making progress! You should see how my house was, and how it is now! I would have taken pics but it's kind of embarrassing. You'll just have to use your imagination and believe me when I say that I A) am not a good housekeeper, and B) did a ton of work over the weekend and feel like I'm in a different house.

I've also fallen behind on my 365 but I do have some pictures, so I'll catch up the best I can when I actually come back. Trust me, I'm a homebody and there's only so many pics I can take of my kid doing the same things over and over.

I hope everyone's doing well. I've been reading everyone's blogs and trying to keep up. Hopefully I haven't missed anything!

And for Wolfie: ChildFind is our early intervention office in the state of Florida. They screen for a number of developmental and learning disabilities and line you up with the proper assistance.

You Name It, You Claim It

It's no secret that I've struggled lately. As time progresses, the more I feel like I'm drowning and everyone's just standing around watching. NG and I have tried reaching out, mostly to family, and we're met with pathetic responses. Some of them are well-meant, and some of them are meant to essentially blow us off. They range from, "I don't see anything wrong with her" and "She can't have anything wrong with her because she's so smart," to "She's just like my kid and he's fine" and "You name it, you claim it!"

That last one really bugs me. Basically, it's conservative, faith healing church talk for, "Oh well, now if it happens you've got no one but yourself to blame." I've heard it my whole life regarding my ears, and you know, the funny thing about it is that we claimed healing so hard and it never really happened. (This isn't to say I don't believe in healing in some circumstances but that's another post for another day.)

It came up because I was talking to her about some statement someone else had made. Since she knew the full extent of the possibilities, I didn't see the need to verbalize the long version and I just cut it down to, "...well, if [Sweet'ums] has autism then..." And she immediately jumped on my case with, "Well, if you name it, you claim it!" and wanted to know if I'd been going around telling people my kid had autism. My first thought was, so what if we did, when she's in public she acts enough like it that people wouldn't know the difference. My second thought was, wait a minute... I'm not claiming anything! I was just making a statement!

It really hurt my feelings considering who it came from and just how much I've been asked to do for them that they can't figure out on their own. So many little problems that shouldn't be mine to deal with have been laid in front of me and now I'm in the middle of working on. And I don't mind, that's not the point, but holy cow, you lay your stuff on me and expect me to fix it and I can't even get a little support for the frustrations I'm dealing with???

And it seems like this is happening a lot. I can say for months the trouble I'm having with my kid and I get written off as exaggerating the problem. Then someone else runs into the same problem and it's suddenly a huge deal. I don't mind helping people but at the end of it all I feel like I'm being left to deal with a lot entirely alone and there's nobody I can turn to who is entirely committed, just for a little while, to helping me feel better. People get their problems solved and that's all there is to it.

I really wish I had someone locally who didn't have some kind of bias on the situation. It's so weird that for a kid so few people actually know, just about everyone aware of the situation seems positive there's absolutely nothing wrong with her (all the way down to the delays!). Honestly, that's not what I need to hear. What I need is help keeping it all together. When I'm about to lose it because I've been screamed at all day, I want someone to call me up and say "Hey, have NG watch Sweet'ums tonight and we'll go get a beer." And no, I don't drink beer, but just having someone offer would make me feel so good right now! I miss my bff but she's around the world from me. My only other local friend is a new parent and that's something I wouldn't dare interfere with. I miss the friends who we give and take, all of it no strings attached, no judgment. Just tears on shoulders, nasty pizza and Stargate marathons on SciFi.

Everyone seems to think NG and I are upset by the possibilities (apparently my FIL has been trying soooo hard to make NG "feel better" when NG's not the one with the problem!).

No, that's not it at all. I can live with the potential outcomes of all of this. What's killing me is day in and day out, all day and all night, all she can do is yell at me. It's this weird high-pitch, shrieking scream/yell and it's ear-splitting and constant. Turn right when she wants to go straight? SCREAM!!! Give her spaghetti when she wanted pizza? SCREAM!!! Try putting training pants on her for bed? SCREAM!!! Look at her with your left eye on the second Tuesday of the month while the moon is out? SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM!!!

I'm just used up. I've hardly got enough to get myself by on a daily basis, and I just don't have enough give a damn for anyone else right now.

Small Blessings

As you know, we're a family of night owls. We're up late, then we sleep late--as much out of necessity from NG's work schedule as anything else.

Today I woke up early (around 9) and couldn't fall back asleep. Then, Sweet'ums woke up and wouldn't go back to sleep. I was a little aggravated but went ahead and got up and started the day.

It's a good thing, too. I fianlly dragged my rear out of bed about 9:30. I got Sweet'ums a sippy of milk and settled in to get myself woke up good. Then, at 9:50 my phone rang.

It was the ChildFind lady. She said there had been a cancellation and she was calling us because we were on the cancellation list. The open slot was on January 25 at 1 PM.

That's like two and a half months sooner than we were expecting!

The crazy thing is that we were up early. If I had slept until our normal time I wouldn't have even heard the phone. Then she probably would have called someone else, and we would have lost the time slot. God works in strange little ways sometimes.

So needless to say it made my day. It's still at the same location we would have gone to before so at least we're not going halfway across the county in exchange for an earlier date. I would have, though. I totally would have. The other good thing is that now it's on one of NG's off days. He works the night before so he might still have to use a vacation day, but all in all it's a way better situation.

I'm so thankful.

Just breathing

So we're finally past this weekend and I'm finally feeling like I can relax. It was a long one, I can tell you that much.

The driving part was uneventful, for which I'm thankful. It's never good to have things get crazy while on the road! Once we got there it was kind of hectic--I had to change my shirt and get Sweet'ums changed before we left to go to the memorial. I hardly had time to say hello to anyone before we had to go.

The memorial itself was nice. I got the impression the minister had never met my uncle, which bothered me a little, but he wasn't the church type. He had tons of friends there, which was comforting. It's nice to know so many people loved him since most of the family was so far away. On the other hand, having so many strangers there made it hard to just grieve. I was already worried about trying to keep it together for my mom and brother and Sweet'ums but having people there none of us had ever met made it so much harder. Honestly, I still haven't even really looked at the little funeral card thingie they handed out. I think the hardest part was seeing the little box of his ashes sitting up front on the table. Seeing a body in a casket is one thing, but knowing all of him is in that little tiny box is unsettling in the worst way. And actually going up there made it so real that he's gone. He lived so far away that he was sort of just that weird, great uncle on the fringe of the family that we saw once a year or so (unless we made a trip up there, which we did a few times) and when we did it was like we'd never been apart. So being there, where he was supposed to be, made it all finally come crashing down around me.

The lady who did the memorial read some lines from a song by The Cranberries. I love The Cranberries but now I don't know if I will ever listen to this song the same way again.



They also had a playlist of his favorite songs playing in the background before and after. So many times he would call me in the middle of the night, drunk, and play those songs for me, and cry about how he wished my parents could accept the way he was, and how could God forgive him, and hearing them from now on is going to reopen that wound in my heart.

Afterwards we went back to his house. I got to spend some time with my cousin and caught up on some things that have happened lately. And my uncle's sweetie was just heartbreaking--he came in the house at one point wearing the hat my uncle wore the last time I saw him and the look on his face was heartbreaking. God, how seeing him hurt, because he was hurting and he was without the person he loved, regardless of how uncomfortable it might make the traditional folks in the family. And he's such an awesome guy. It kills me now to think how many years went by that I didn't see my uncle because they wouldn't let him bring R to our house with him. R is the greatest guy and he loved my uncle more than anyone else did. And honestly, he would have made a great addition to the family if they'd accepted it a lot sooner.

Once again, there were so many strangers at the house that it made it awkward. I wish, kind of, that Ricky and I had driven too, so we could have stayed longer and had a drink in my uncle's memory with all of his pals. I think we might go up another time and take R out and have drinks. Drinking was one of my uncle's favorite hobbies and while it's not healthy to do all the time, I'll have one in his honor.

My mom's mom basically put on a show through the whole thing. If anyone was looking she'd turn on the waterworks, but as soon as people would walk away she'd be just fine--adjusting the little box of ashes, wiping smudges off his pictures. R (who she lives with) says she was fine before everyone got there, too. She's apparently driving him crazy, and if she doesn't stop with the snide comments at people she's going to end up homeless. After the whole thing was over she kept trying to make people look at the old family photos she had (of my great-, great-great, etc. grandparents). Most of these people weren't even relatives! She also kept insisting that my great-great-great grandmother looked soooooo much like an Indian. Family lore has it that she was a Seminole but I honestly don't see it. She got huffy when she asked what I thought and I had the nerve to disagree. I didn't even do it in a mean/rude/disrespectful way. She just didn't want to be disagreed with.

So it was a long afternoon. I'll fill you in on the family drama in a later post, but let's just say it's going to be a long fight between my cousins.

We got home around 8 and tried getting settled back in and all. I started to post last night but just didn't feel up to it.

So, thanks for reading. I'll leave you with copies of those family pics as a thank you for reading up to this point. I love old photos--there's just something about them. I'm fortunate to be in a family that has a lot of them floating around.



These are my great-great-great grandparents. The woman is the "Indian" in question. Me, I just don't see it, but then again, I don't see why it matters so much either. Regardless of her ethnicity she was still my grandmother and it's cool to have a picture of someone that had to be taken at least one hundred, maybe one hundred and ten years ago.



For some reason this one won't upload the right way. This one has my great-great grandmother (the woman in the upper right), her husband and her sister, and her two daughters (my great grandmother is sitting on her daddy's lap). My g-g-grandmother reminds me of my mom.



This is my great-grandmother and her sister and brother. She's the one sitting down.



This is my great grandmother on the occasion of her high school graduation in 1927, age 17. How cool is that? I think my cousin looks like her; my cousin thinks I look like her. I'm going to have a picture done like this one, I think, so then we'll compare and find out. :)

So that's my weekend. Good night, all... Hope this week is better than the last!

9/365

This is what happens when I send them to the park unsupervised. :) I'm not complaining.

8/365

7/365

The fountain in a garden here in the city. It's a favorite spot for weddings.

ZUMBA!!!

So I got Zumba Fitness for our new Wii. I did my first workout tonight and boy, did it wear me out! Just so I don't have to retype, here's what I posted on Facebook:

Got Zumba Fitness for Wii. I did my first workout (20 minutes) tonight and after the first five minutes my body stopped making death threats... After ten, I stopped feeling quite so awkward... After fifteen, it actually started being fun... And after twenty minutes, I was trying to decide whether or not to go at it again. I'm proud of myself!

So there. I did it! I've officially started my own version of a fitness regimen! I'm going to try to do this at least twice a day and just enjoy myself as much as I can.

My body still hasn't made up its mind yet whether it hates me or not. I guess only time (oh, about twelve hours) will tell.

Good night, all. Oh, and if I'm a bit late with some of my 365s this weekend, forgive me--I'll be out of town for a while this weekend (only part of a day but still, exhausting) but I WILL be taking pictures. They just might not get posted on time.

6/365

I just love the look on her face. Her daddy just won her a couple animals out of the claw machine.

5/365

My girl, talking to Daddy on the phone.

4/365

My lifeblood: tea.

Some people drink coffee. Once upon a time I was one of them. Now that I'm older and wiser I am a tea drinker. Hot...cold...black...herbal... Doesn't really matter. I'm mostly a sweet tea by day, hot tea by night kind of girl.

I'm serious though. I think if you were to slit my wrist I would bleed the stuff.

This particular cup is Yorkshire tea, about ten seconds into the brewing process. Just before I drank this I had a cup of my Cinnamon Apple Spice tea.

Yes, I will be running back and forth to the potty all night.

No, I probably won't sleep.

That's ok though. Tea makes me happy. :)

Oh, and quick back story on the mug: The day before we spontaneously decided to get married we spontaneously decided to visit the Florida Aquarium. We had a blast. We bought mugs with our names on them and it is still one of my favorite mugs. :)

3/365

My buddy's newborn. He was 7lb 8oz. and 19.5 inches. He's beautiful and wonderful to hold and he totally made my day. :)

2/365

Mommy's little shutterbug. :)



Since I'm doing this 365 thing, I'm going to try my best to post a pic each day. But, I don't always have a lot to say... So other than maybe a couple sentences regarding the pic my 365 posts will probably just be pictures. If something goes on during the day or something I'll put it up either with my 365 or in a separate post.

Happy New Year

One of my friends is doing this 365 challenge thing, where you take a picture every day of the year and blog it. I thought, hey, that sounds like fun, and thought that I'd participate. So, here goes.



Some of the neighbors are setting off fireworks. I hate the noise the horrid things make, but they sure are pretty. This wasn't even a good fireworks pic, but there's just something about it that I love. But, for those who like more traditional pics of fireworks, I have one for you too.



2010 was a decent year. It had its ups and downs but I felt more stable than I have in years past--at least, until the last month or two.

2011 has promise as well. I need to see a couple docs about taking care of a few problems that have been ongoing and troublesome. Sweet'ums will be tested for autism and other things, trying to solve the language issue. Depending on what we find out about Sweet'ums other areas of our life might change too, but it remains to be seen.

Hopefully, there will be better health, more income, and more joy for everyone in the coming year. You folks stay safe out there and have a good one.