Pride before the Fall

I understand how scary it is to have your company purchased by another company.  I would be terrified about losing my job because the new company wants to shut down our location and bring operations to the “Home office”.  But resisting needed help will only help that happen faster.

I live and work in the Midwest.  The company I work for wanted to expand and did so by buying a company on the east coast.  The person that does the same thing I do for the new company is going to be on maternity leave for the next several months.  Her boss thinks he can do what he does now (which he submits late already) and what she does. 

My boss asked me to offer to her boss to help get things done in her absence.  Her boss said no.  He wants to keep things “in house” but to expect questions.

I truly believe that if he keeps resisting Home Office help, he’s going to find that he’s in greater risk of losing his job than if he would have let us assist getting through this short time of being short staffed.  I think he’s being foolish and prideful.  I’ll be here to answer his questions, but I’ve already notified my boss about his resistance to help.  Pride goes before the fall.  I’ll make sure it’s his fall and not mine.  I tried to help him avoid that but there’s really nothing more I can do.

Swimming in Autism

Do you know how much it costs to teach an autistic child how to swim?  I don’t either but I’ll keep you in the loop.

The Cedar Rapids Recreation Department offers a nice array of activities and opportunities for our children here in Eastern Iowa; that is, our neuro-typical children.  Now, I understand that not everyone everywhere should be expected to accommodate children with special needs.  I do however think that a town the size of Cedar Rapids should be able and willing to accommodate them. 

I signed up my seven year old autistic son for swimming.  He passed his level ones before and so I had him enrolled in level two.  He was unable to listen to the teacher, unable to wait at the wall with the other children, unable to cooperate, and unable to stay in water that he could touch the bottom so would need to be pulled back.  For his safety and for the safety of the other children since the teacher had to keep a constant eye on him, he needed to be removed from the class.  I have no arguments in this since he clearly wasn’t cooperating and being safe. My problem is that when I left messages requesting options for him, I never heard back.

I had my doubts about having him in a class like that but also strongly felt that he needed to learn how to swim.  Being his mother, I’ve learned that I shouldn’t automatically count him out so I gave it a shot.  But unfortunately he couldn’t do it.

No we have signed him up for a child membership to the YMCA for $17.50 and are shelling out another $20 for a half hour lesson twice a week until he can at least tread water and do some basic floats.  I want to know that if he gets a wild hair, which he is prone to doing, and jumps in over his head that he can keep his head above water.

So we’ll see where we are after all is said and done.  So far we are at:

1 youth Y membership $17.50/mo

1 youth private lesson $20

The smile on my son’s face when I tell him I found a teacher to help him… priceless!

Flea Bait

Is there a stigma with having fleas kind of like having lice?  I’m so embarrassed!  My dog brought fleas into the house.  I was in a hurry and bought a different flea medication for my dog.  He’s a moose of a thing and bought the one for the largest dog the pet shop had but it wasn’t the same brand as we normally get.  Do NOT buy Zodiac spot flea treatment.  The pet shop assured me it was the same as our typical Frontline but it’s not.

We have now treated the dog with Frontline, multiple flea baths, bombed our house, sprayed our house, sprayed our yard, flea combed the dog, washed all bedding, vacuumed everything and thrown away the bag...  What am I missing?!?!  They are still biting the heck out of my daughter – she must taste extra good. 

It looks terrible, it makes her itchy, and I’m SO MAD. 

My mother, ever the pet lover, says to get rid of the dog.  I think given the fact that she’s annoyed that dogs even exist negates that suggestion.  I am wondering if it’s time to call in the pros like Orkin or at least call a pet store (not the one that sells Zodiac!) about a flea dip.  BLAH!

It's mine, all mine!

I keep thinking I want to be a blogger.  How cool would it be to have something I specialize in and have all these followers.  Maybe even get on some late night tv program and talk to GMA about my specialty.  The problem is, I have self diagnosed adhd. 

I started doing the coupon thing just as some of them were starting to get popular and well before that stupid show Extreme Couponing came out and everyone asks you in the checkout line if you are an “extreme couponer”.  Well no, I don’t store toothpaste under my son’s bed!  Before couponing it was all about losing weight watcher, dottie, my fitness pal, spark people style.  After that, it was ebay reselling.  After that, it’s been organizing and decluttering.  And let’s not forget the generic parenting talk, being a good wife talk, career, autism, religion…  You name it, I’ve probably written about it and thought I should get involved in some form or fashion.

So this is for me.  I’m not going to try to write in some niche unless that niche is called whatever is floating in my head.  I will not post a picture or my true name, because sometimes what is in my head isn’t nice towards me or the people that are around me in real life.  I’m not going to gloss over life like a Facebook timeline.  My life is not all roses and rainbows but it’s not sludge and sewer either.  It is mine, like it or not. 

Further, I may offend people and that’s ok too.  This is for me, not you.  If people don’t like what’s happening, then don’t read it.  That’s not to say I can’t accept constructive criticism.  But say your piece and move on.

So enjoy this glimpse into real life.  Or not;)