Shivie is doing great! She is loving dance class. We signed her up for school for next year. VPK covers 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, and an extra 50$ a week gets us the full day (7:30 – 3). She gets breakfast, lunch and a snack at 3. She’ll get once a week swimming lessons, they have a large outdoor play area, a huge indoor gym and they follow the High Reach curriculem. I need to do some reasearch into that, but it’s more than just “day care.” She is excited, and honestly, I am too! I already have plans to repaint the downstairs next August or September. It’s a good thing

Just spreading a little fantabulous news, Malachai had his therapy evals last week, and he is done with PT! This is amazing, because not six months ago he would fall over standing still. No joke. Now he can balance on one leg so long he can’t count that high (ok, maybe he can, but it’s a long time!)  He is still in speech and occupational therapies, but those are improving too. They will re-evaluate him in another six months. Maybe in the next six months he will learn how to sit in, and stay in, a chair

Not only is therapy going well, but he only missed one word on his spelling test today (out of ten words) and he has been helping me read Coraline at night. His speech therapist suggested I talk to the school and see what kind of literature we can tie into his daily work to keep him interested. He reads like crazy for her, not so much for me. Apparently, I just hadn’t picked the right books. We’re reading The Tale of Despereaux next (Dorian’s choice). I think I will be moving a bunch of books down the shelf for Eshiva, and finding some more appropriate books for Mal & Dor.

Speaking of Dorian, he is doing basketball after school once a week and he loves it. I think we’ll continue to do it once it’s up. It runs in five week sessions and he started last week. I looked into the local rec center for something for both the boys to do, as our PT suggested Mal do some type of sport. I don’t know what, but we’ll find something. I think they are looking into karate (ok, I am pushing karate) but I am not going to push it if he’s really not into it. We were also thinking bowling, but the PT specificaly said sports that work the entire body. We need to increase (and maintain) his muscle tone, as it’s significantly “below age level.” Eshiva is going to be taking a dance class once a week in the mornings, and she is uber-excited about that. She wont stop talking about it, in fact.

Shivie is a little chatterbox, and thinks she’s a princess. She recently discovered dinosaurs (and I wish we lived closer to DC, because there are no decent dino exhibits around here that I can find) and barbie. She turns four on Feb 10th and woe be unto you if you try and tell her she’s three.

Everyone else is well. Dad and Michael and still employed (yay!) and I am still getting enough work to buy fun stuff by freelancing (also yay!). Michael and Sara are looking into the SAT and making plans and doing all that fun 17 year old stuff.

Ah… I think that wraps us up! I’m sure there is more, but it’s daily stuff. I was just so excited about Malachai! He is still having troubles, but there is a light.

and I posted this to PM’s yesterday:

Michael was given written notification today that the therapy place we go is closing on Friday.

Fucking economy.

They are going to try to farm everyone out to other locations, and we may be able to keep our OT if the other place she works can fit him in (and if they take our ins and if it’s in a reasonable drive). Our ST was an intern.

What really stinks is I really, really like our ST, and WTF giving us one weeks notice?

I know we can find someplace else (hell, maybe the place a few blocks down the street takes our ins and offers what we need) but this still stinks.

and I posted this today as a follow-up:

Yay!!! Our rockin speech gal called me up this morning and told me that she interviewed this morning at a place that is even closer and they are working their hardest to absorb all of the speech therapists AND their clients AND keep the same schedule!

She gave me the number of the new place, and I left a message around 10AM. She phoned me back around 5:30, apologized for it taking so long to get back to me, and told me what was going on. They do take our insurance, and are working to have the approvals transferred to them from our current place. She is hoping to start Monday!

We see Courtney tomorrow and Thursday and I am just thrilled it sounds like we won’t have a lapse, at least here.

I still need to find out where the place our OT works is located (she was split between the two places I guess), if they take our ins, and if we can fit in over there. I really like our OT as well – not like I like our ST, but she is awesome with Malachai. I’d hang out with our ST, not so much with our OT.

But wait, there’s more! We’re adopting a new puppy!

So, we’ve been thinking about getting a companion for Malachai for a while now. Therapy dogs are quite expensive, and the “free” ones take a lot of paperwork and legwork. No doubt they don’t deserve it, but it was more than we needed. It’s not like we were looking for a seeing eye dog or anything, you know? So, we found this little guy! We’re picking him up either Thursday or Sunday.

He’s been there for a year! I can’t imagine why someone didn’t want to take him home, but I am glad they didn’t! We drove down to Ft. Lauderdale on Monday and went back to meet him. He is so friendly, and energetic and playful. He jumped up on Eshiva, but did not knock her down. The gal who showed him to us said he gets along with all the other dogs/cats in the rescue, have never bitten anyone, and is healthy. Apparently he was purchased from a pet store, and then got sick. He had demodectic mange (yes, just like our Yorkie) but his fur is full and thick and I didn’t feel any scabs or anything on his body. They said nothing about meds or anything else, and he is neutered. This is good, because Sasha is so sick, putting her through surgery to spay her would be too taxing on her immune system (so says the vet).

He is a year and a half old, and is the perfect size. Yay!

From the rescue site:
More About Patches/Atos: Patches was purchased from a puppy store. He is a sweet fellow who is good with other animals including cats. He is waiting for a forever home with lots of playmates or toys. Walks in the park or just around the block. Nice yard to play in but not totally necessary. Patches loves his toys!

Oh, he’s a beagle/basset mix. Cuteness!

Anything else? Probably not. I am sticking with good news right now.

The following happened today when I had to go out and grab some groceries for the kids and I. The past couple of months have been a whirlwind for me as most of you know. I ended up giving Kimi a few things and she was happy that she got one of the Gothic Lolita inspired outfits she helped me make/design. I wanted to share this blog with you because it really fucking hit me today… this is going to have an insane impact on so many things. We ALL as parents are going to be affected. Not just those of us that are running businesses. Take some time to read about what is going on with the CPSIA and decide for yourself if you think this law is beneficial. I personally want my kids to always be able to go into libraries, buy handmade goods that are not mass-marketed and appreciate the extra touch of a handmade blanket.

———————

“Your outfit is absolutely adorable!” I heard a woman say behind me and my daughter replied with, “Thank you! My Mommy has a clothing business!” and I sighed. Sighing is not my usual reaction when I get a compliment for my work. The woman and her sister were very polite and had no idea that they had just brought to surface so many terrible feelings with their compliments, “You made her outfit? It’s amazing! You really have talent and I’ve never seen anything so adorable.” They didn’t have kids but talked about how they almost wished their biological clocks started ticking simply to shop for my line of clothes. I was completely flattered but almost muted because of the recent decision to close up my Immature Couture shop. When they asked where I sold my clothes I didn’t have the energy to explain what was going on so I simply said “Online.” thanked them and went back to grocery shopping with the kids.

I want nothing more than to know that the toys my children play with are safe and will not cause them any harm. I understand the urgency to protect the children of this country from high levels of lead and stop the ridiculous recalls. What I do not understand is why these new regulations were passed with such carelessness that it requires testing for products that have virtually NO risk of lead contamination! Products like clothing, blankets, wooden toys and books! The CPSIA is essentially causing many small businesses that make products for children under the age of twelve to close up shop because of their haste in passing regulations that have an insane amount of loopholes. Congress decided that a problem caused by ridiculous and irresponsible mass-market toymakers should be solved with a solution that sucks in various other industries that are completely unrelated to toys!

Later on when the kids and I were checking out the two women approached me and asked for my business card because they wanted to tell their friends about my clothing line. I smiled and tried to explain to them as plainly as possible that as of February 10th I would be officially closing up shop because of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act . Shockingly they were outraged that they hadn’t heard of it. That they felt their rights as consumers were being taken away. That the deadline is so close and there isn’t a media outrage over it. That more small businesses are being shut down and allowing the big companies to triumph. We exchanged information, I gave them my card and they said they would be writing whoever they needed to and be in contact with me. They weren’t business owners who are effected by this nor were they parents but they were as equally outraged as most of us that have to close our shops.

The apathy that I have seen from the general public and even those that own small businesses and are not effected by the new regulations have saddened me until I spoke with these two women. They were absolutely right! This does not just hurt my business. This hurts everyone no matter if they have children or not. No matter if they have a business selling products to children under twelve or selling something that, thankfully for them, does not have to be burdened with the CPSIA. Why don’t more people care?

I loaded up the kids, put my groceries in the trunk and at that moment it finally hit me. Something I started as a side business for extra cash in hand and as a creative outlet was taken from me. Just when my business started to take off it was ripped from my hands, discarded and no real explanation for it. I sell clothes. Not jewelry. Not toys. Not anything that has been manufactured overseas or injected with lead. I design, cut, iron, serge, stitch and package every item of clothing myself. To comply with these regulations each product I made would have to be tested which means each individual component of the garment would have to be tested for lead. A 15$ onesie now costs 400$ to make simply because of the testing fees! I put sleepless nights into marketing plans, helping Etsy teams and writing blogs to help the handmade market. There is no reason for so many of us to be swept out of the way because some major corporations wanted to cut their overhead costs and put MY children in danger. I stood there and cried in the parking lot. There is no reason why so many handmade artists look away at the pain so many of us are going through simply because they are not in the same boat.

Do something. The children in this country need to be protected but by regulations that target only the products that can cause potential harm. If you don’t do it for yourself and your business, or your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or friend’s kids then do it for the sake of what’s right and stop being silent and a doormat in our society.

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/index.html

http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/

http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

• Eshiva, because she just told me “Yay Mommy! Yay Mommy! You opened it!” because I opened her bagel. Then she told me I am a genius, for the same reason.
• my new jeans from Old Navy, because they aren’t “low-cut” and I don’t feel like a fat ass in them
• my new dog, because she really did “come” paper trained (unlike the last one we had that was supposedly trained)
• my laptop (ok, this is my favourite everyday) because I can work from bed. Naked!
• our Wii, because it has everyone in the living room playing together, which is pretty cool (unlike the other gaming systems we have/have had in the past)

I really think #1 wins lol What’s on your list today?

I have to take the twins to the doctor this morning, then run their forms over to the high school to get S registered.

Michael is going to take the dog to the vet (along with the kids… maybe I will take one of them with me…) if I am not home in time to do it myself.

I have some work to do today. I want to spend some time with the kids too. I feel like I am already running behind, and it’s barely after 8.

We woke up this morning, took D to school, had our meeting with the teachers, went to vote, picked up my moms bag she forgot, and then went to breakfast. We were home by about 11. I was afraid the voting place would be packed, but we found a parking space quickly (quickly as in as soon as we got there) and walked in and voted and left. This was my first election voting. I could have voted last election, but I wasn’t registered to vote.

The meeting with D’s teachers was fine. He is still doing “parallel” play, which means he isn’t playing *with* the other kids, but *next* to them. I have no issue with this personally. He told me last week I should tell Miss Ellen he wants to play by himself, so it was also something I was already aware of. They also want me to call and have him evaluated for speech therapy (I know, I should have called last month when they originally brought it up) but it is such a pain. Not the evaluation, but the fact that if he does need it, I have no way to get him to school. The ST would be at the local elementary school, which is around the corner. I don’t want to walk it, but I could if I had to. Then how do I get him to school once it’s done? Couple that with the fact that I can’t understand any four year old who I meet and I don’t think he is out of the ordinary. I know some children who speak especially well before age 4, but I know far more who don’t. He still has issues identifying some numbers, but he has taken to asking what time it is almost every half hour, so I’ve been pointing out numbers on the analogue clock, so that shouldn’t be an issue soon enough. Some letters he has issues with, again, no big deal. Oh, and apparently a lot of the kids in his class have issues counting past about 14. He does all right once he gets to 14 and then again past 17 or so lol They said he didn’t get the 1:1 thing (she said “give me 20 bears and he handed her a pile of them, didn’t count them out… had she said count 20 bears me for I bet he would have though).

So he is right where he should be in everything as far as I’m concerned, a head in a few things, behind in a few I guess, but all in all, about where he needs to be.

Seven things that scare you:

1. being left alone in public places
2. public bathrooms – ditto
3. my kids getting some weird exotic illness
4. creepy movies (not gory, but creepy)
5. some dreams
6. being co-dependant
7. social situations

Seven things you love (in no order):

1. my kids
2. my husband
3. computers
4. tattoos
5. reading
6. playing
7. me

Seven things you hate:

1. dirt
2. close-minded people
… That kind of encompasses all of it.

Seven things in your room:

1. clothes
2. books
3. tv
4. beds
5. toys
6. shoes
7. a mess that I am tired of picking up every single morning and night.

Seven random facts about you:

1. I am obsessed with organizational storage, but am incredibly un-organized.
2. I love buying make up, but rarely wear it.
3. I hate things that grow green, white or black fuzzy. You know, mold. I don’t even like touching it if it’s *in* something.
4. I’ve worn glasses since 5th grade.
5. My middle name is Randi. It is was cooler than my first name.
6. I have a ton of things I want to do, but I am the laziest thing on two feet, so it never gets done.
7. I am severely socially impaired and unless I know you really well, it shows.

Seven things you plan to do before you die:

1. live on a farm or kibbutz…. even if it’s just for a little while
2. own/co-own a tangible store
3. travel the US with while he works the various conventions
4. get all those rolls of film developed
5. finish my scrapbooks (see above statement)
6. own a home
7. be independently wealthy

Seven things you can do:

1. read upside down/backwards
2. sew, kind of
3. come up with creative ideas
4. make websites, but can’t everyone? I gave up and use GeekLog lol
5. complain. I’m real good at that.
6. read hebrew (can’t translate)
7. cover up the fact I am socially anxious

Seven Things You Can’t Do:

1. fix everything
2. knit
3. play most sports
4. run for any length of time.. you know, more than like 10 paces
5. hear well
6. socialize like a normal person
7. sing. at all. sound like a cow in labour. painful labour. so painful you want to kill the cow.

Seven things that attract you to the opposite sex:

1. humor
2. tall
3. fun to be with
4. beautiful eyes
5. good to cuddle with
6. intelligence
7. good conversation

Top Seven favorite movies (no particular order):

1. The Nightmare before Christmas
2. American History X
3. Fight Club
4. Gone in 60 Seconds
5. Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
6. The Big Lebowski (sentimental reasons)
7. Heathers

Top Seven things you say the most:

1. right on/rock on
2. um
3. fuck that
4. stop it
5. Malachai Get Down Now
6. Dorian lay down
7. this throaty growl sound that actually kind of hurts but makes me feel better

As a side note, the damn heartburn has started, my air conditioner is fucked and wont cool the apt below 80 again, I do not want the landlord in here to fix it (b/c he lied to me about the dryer and made me feel like it was *my* fault when the dryer itself was not even the issue but the vent to the outside!), mom took Dorian to sleep at her house so she doesn’t have to come here in the morning to pick him up for school, he did not want to go and I feel bad b/c I bribed him with a movie I didn’t want to watch here (Hulk), Malachai pert near ruined (read that as purt-near-runed for the full country hick voice I hear in my head when I type that) his book and I am kind of pissed about that but oh well.

I hate to leave him there crying. I really feel it is more unhealthy to do that (force him to stay and cry) than to “teach him a lesson” that he can’t always have his way or he can’t always have me.

My mom thinks perhaps it is because he is only two days a week, and in a class of 3 year olds (most of whom are 5 a days a week, but whom also went to the school last year). She thinks if I put him in the 4 y/o class (mandatory 5 days a week, I pay whether he goes or not) he might do better.

She is going to ask if he can transfer into that class, and if I can either spend the day in the 2 y/o class so I am near by (Chai can play with them for the day) OR if I can stay with him in the 4 y/o class (which I think is a bad idea and precedent to set) to see how he does.

I had planned on home schooling. The two days a week was perfect, gave me time with Chai and time to rest as well. We do school stuff the other three days, and usually on Saturday as well (sun-mon were our off days, but now that he has school on mon, who knows).

I just don’t know. Am I being over protective in not wanting him miserable (I seem to recall loving school, yah I didn?t love the first few days, but I according to mom I got over it after a few minutes, it didn’t go on for an hour)?

4 Burts Bees Mens Grooming Kits – $5.00 each
4 shaving soaps – $3.00 each
4 mug/brush sets (plain mug, not Burt’s face) – $14.00
5 Burts Bees Baby Kits – $6.50 each
2 milk bath envelope both for $4.00
10 ResQ ointment – $2.00 each
9 mini hand salve – $1.50 each/all for $12.00
21 lip balm tins – $2.00 ea/35$ for all
2 diaper ointment $5.00 each
13 assorted fruit glosses $3.00 each/25$ for all
6 spontaneity lip stick in blister box – $6.00 ea/all for $25.00
5 spot. lip liner in blister box – comes with free sharpener in each box – $6.00 ea/all for $25.00
6 black eye/brow liner – comes with free sharpener in each box – $6.00 ea/all for $25.00
6 milk bath pint jars – $12.00 ea/all for $50.00

Pretty Baby Herbal Soap items:
1 sunny citrus sampler tote – $20.00
1 bloomers sampler tote – $20.00
4 day dream cream – $5.00 ea
3 sweet dream cream – $5.00 ea
3 anti bacterial foamer hand wash (like johnson & johnson foam blaster) – $6.00 ea, all three for $15.00
15 Bath teas – $2.00 each/all for 25$

Pulaski Place candles – none of these are wax, all fragrance oils, not essential oils:
flowerpot votives: – $4.00 each
4 pears n berries
3 peaches n cream
4 lavender
3 vanilla
1 juniper breeze mini apothecary (4 oz.) lid is broken, but some glue will fix it, the plastic lid to the topper is off, the topper itself is in tact, I can photo is desc isn’t making sense.$5.00
1 orange scent, small urn – $10.00
1 spring, small triple – $14.00
celestial mug w/ cocoa candle inside, marshmallow on top. been moved alot, marshmallow top damaged, not too noticeable (like a crumbly top, so a few crumbles gone) – $8.00
pears n berries sm. square (6 oz I think) – $6.00
wisteria lg square – 26 oz – $18.00
29 vanilla tealights tealights burn about 8 hours total, not all at once though! – $16.00
14 macintosh apple tealights – $8.00
1 autumn afternoon sm apoth (10oz) – $10.00

photos (and my normal prices, but I want it all out out out!) of everything (just about anyway) up at www.pjserendipity.com/shop if you don’t like my listed price, make me an offer all in good shape except where noted, I am just very done with this stuff sitting around.

I am prefer only shipping priority w/ delivery confirmation, which starts at $4.30 and goes up from there. If you order something super heavy, I am willing to ship it standard as priority gets super expensive the more it weighs.

ISO

*1940?s era or style patterns, primarily dresses, willing to use tops/skirts as well. Size 9 to 11-ish,
must be easily adapted to excessively top heavy mama (45ish, 34ish, 40ish measurements)
*play silks
*play capes/costumes for boys
*wooden toys with large pieces, nothing so small I will lose it immediately
*crafty stuff for little boys
*anything mama-made
*books (home schooling k & under for now; natural remedies, I have a love affair with books, so try me, I might like it)
*my boys are 2 and 4, so anything that will hold their interest
*PayPal/Money (I am just as happy with a cashiers check/money order or very, very well hidden cash)

make me an offer, I might not realize I need something you have

Course, I also want to buy an RV and be able to have tour the country working at various shops.

In. My. Dreams.

I have as good a chance of winning the lotto. Which of course, if I did, I could buy an RV and travel b/c money wouldn’t be a problem.

I have friends who are, in my eyes, rich. And they complain there is never enough money. Or they can’t decide what expensive thing to buy next.

I just wish every time we put money away some medical or car emergency didn’t come up to eat what little we put away. I wish we could get enough ahead to not be pay to pay.

I am not feeling sorry for myself. What we lack in tangible money we more than make up for in being us and what we already have. I’d just like to be able to ramble around the country and show the boys what else is out there for them. Obviously I am not looking to do this next week. And maybe when that time comes, Fish will be known enough it is feasible for him to guest-spot everywhere.

Or maybe I should play the lotto.