Back to School

I think Back to School needs to quit masquerading and identify itself as the excessively materialistic holiday season that it is. Every year it seems like I spend as much in the two weeks leading up to the first day of school as I do for Christmas. All the ads come out right after July 4th, and it's like I get sucked into a vortex of plaid Jansports and new Chuck Taylor's. Then there's the ASB cards, sports fees--and we haven't even begun getting pens and paper! Fortunately, most of the Sullivan children are gainfully employed, and are therefore buying their own Chuck Taylor's. And, fortunately, Annie hasn't asked for a plaid Jansport--yet.

The upside, of course, is that law and order is about to return to our house. The lazy days of sleeping in are almost gone and in their place will be children walking out the door at dark-thirty looking like zombies. I will make my annual resolution to get up early and fix them a healthy breakfast like oatmeal, or bacon and eggs, which will last approximately one and half mornings, after which they will return to their staple diet of pop tarts and Fruity Pebbles.

Annie will be in full days this year, too. We were driving in the neighborhood of her school this afternoon, and when she looked out the window at the building, she started chattering quite purposefully, and gave me a big smile when I told her that "pretty soon, you'll be going back to see Teacher Amanda and Nurse Moira." I'd say she's excited.

I will admit that I am anxious to catch up on projects that have been idling for 2+ years. Organizing, cleaning, painting--it's almost heaven just thinking about it. Just imagining uninterrupted hours to do a load of laundry, dry it, fold it, and put it away...it's like a dream come true. And yes, I am pathetic. And I live with a little girl who requires 24 hours a day/7 days a week care, and who would rather throw up than have her mommy out of sight for more than 30 seconds. Raising our 6 kids did not even begin to prepare me for what we've been called upon to do in the last 2 years. I keep telling myself it's just a season. A really long one.

But enough of that. As of today, Annie is still doing well with the increased dose of hydrocortisone. Her seizures, however, are still in the 4+/day range, so we'll have to start working on those again. I'm almost afraid, though, of rocking the boat with any seizure medicine changes, because I am enjoying this time of relative stability. But I know it's just a season, just like Back to School.

Jean

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1