Happy Potter – the end of the saga

So, after all my moaning and groaning I finally got to go and see HP7 with Emma.  Her friend that bailed on Friday was supposed to come with us but, oh big surprise, she bailed again.  Oh, wait, it wasn’t her fault, her parents were not being very nice and since it took me 30 seconds before agreeing to take the girls, they made alternate plans and wouldn’t let her come with us.

I’d really like to be mature about this but I’m really annoyed on Emma’s behalf.  This was something the girls were both looking forward to (me as well if I’m being perfectly honest).  It’s not the first time her parents do this and it certainly won’t be the last, but I just have a hard time with understanding the rationale.  They are so insular that they seem to be having a hard time allowing her to be her own person.  Just allowing her out of their sight seems to be a problem sometimes.  The sad part is that this is now becoming a learned behavior for their daughter.  She is now doing the same thing and spends weeks where she just shuts everyone out. 

It’s funny – just writing that last sentence makes me wonder if there is a problem.  I wonder if she gets depressed or if it just a general shut down because she can’t be bothered to interact with anyone?   Hhhmmm… something to think about.

Anyhoo, HP7 was really good and it finally met the expectations.   As an added bonus I got to spend some time with my kiddo which was really fun. 

‘til next time.

Slow weekend

So this weekend has been kind of quiet.  Emma went to see HP7 with some of her friends on Friday and we rented the Last Air Bender on DVD last night.  Between groceries, shopping and cleaning house, it doesn't feel like there is alot of extra time to just 'chill' but I guess that's life.

We also just increased Ronnie's topomax so hopefully the number of seizures she has will start to go down.  I mean they are not huge seizures, just head drops but I'm sure it is annoying for the kiddo to keep popping in & out that way. 

I have to admit that I'm annoyed with one of Emma's friends.  She was supposed to go to HP7 with her then bailed at the last minute.  Now the two of them want to go see it today (and I've been invited to drive them to the theatre) but I'm not thrilled because i think her friend bailed on purpose... and now she keeps lying about it.  Should I just be mature and get over it?  Hmmmm; something to think about.

'tl next time.

I was dumped from Harry Potter night

So, when Emma was 8 or 9 years old and watching wayyyyyy too much TV, I decided that we would "read" the Harry Potter books.  It took us almost a full academic year but we read all seven books out loud. 

When we started reading the first book, she would pout and get mad every time I pulled it out.  But before the first week was up, she was jumping into her p.j.s and throwing the book at me barking out one word: "READ".  Since those days she has become an voracious reader (which is great) and a Harry Potter fanatic (which is a little scary sometimes).  However, J.K. Rowling has done an increadible thing and opened up the imagination of millions of kids worldwide. 

Beginning with the second movie, it was a tradition that I would take Emma and one of her friends who is just as fanatic, to see the HP movies when they come out.  This HP7 was not different.  It had been planned since "like forever" that I would take them on opening night (tonight) to see it.  Instead, I got dumped...

A group of her friends (originally slated to be about 7) decided they were going to go and I was not invited.  I tried my best to guilt her into it, but it didn't work.  Today is opening day and the group of 7 has been reduced to 3, and just to show I hold no hard feelings, I even bought them their tickets in advance.  And no, I'm still not allowed to go.

'til next time.

P.S.: my favorite character is Mrs. Weasley.  She rocks.

Oh, that darn stubborn head of hers

So we've just found out that Emma has failed a geography exam.  Why?  Because she didn't study... Although I'm annoyed she failed, I think I'm more annoyed with the fact that she had all the tools at her disposal to do well and has refused to use them.  Then, when her refusal blows up on her, she just sits and cries and puts herself down.  And this goes for everything not just a geography test.

In this case, she had advance notice of this test by a couple of weeks and despite our nagging to crack open a book "my teacher said we didn't need to study anything" became the stock answer everytime we brought it up. 

Reasons she failed included: "I was sick the day she covered map reading" (may have been true but she was sick 2 months ago); "she gave us an exam on something we never covered" (read excuse #1); "I didn't understand" (try asking a freaking question!!!). 

This I find frustrating. Doesn't bring out the best in me.

'til next time.

Happy days with EPO

So yesterday was very interesting.  Because Ronnie is having more seizures, neurogoly wants us to increase one of her meds (topomax) which of course, is the most expensive one.  We are going to give her a couple of extra days just to see if maybe she was overly tired from lack of sleep, insomnia being a side effect of Angelman syndrome.  Thankfully she usually stays fairly quiet, a situation that from my understanding is not all that common among AS kids. 

Anyway we are going to give her a couple of extra days and maybe by the weekend we'll increase the dosage. 

As for Emma, she's just weird.  I love the kid to death but when she is upset, she is Goth to the end but when she is happy she is so ebullient its almost weird; funny but weird. We've started using Evening Primrose Oil to treat PMS symptoms so maybe that is having an effect?  I'll keep you posted.  What I do know for sure is that right now all seems to be right with her world which reduces the stress on us.  I think (I hope) we (meaning Brian) are taking on less of her stress which in turn is reducing the swirling vortex of misery effect. 

Let's hope it lasts.

'til next time