Tick Tock

Latest report: The watch is broken. That didn't take long...

Does Anyone Ever Really Know What Time It Is?

Jia asked, and asked, and asked for a digital watch, so I went to Claire's and found the perfect Disney Princess watch, when she got it all of our lives changed forever:

Hey Mom, Want to know what time it is? Sure: It is 4:07
Katie? Yes? It's 4:08
To anyone listening: It's 4:10
Now its 4:11
Dad, Do you want to know what time it is? Yes: It's 4:13
Now it's 4:14
Now it's 415
Katie:THANKS A LOT MOM!

Every Little Thing is Gonna Be Alright!

I will not perpetuate or tolerate stigma of any kind and will commit myself to changing the way society views people living with mental illness.

My family is fine and normal. My children are happy, healthy and excel at all they do. I am loved and supported by my husband, my brother and sister -in-law and my friends. I am a person living with a controlled disease, get the facts from my links.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/agoraphobia/DS00894

http://www.bringchange2mind.org/index.php/learn-the-facts

Random Pics I found on the Camera

Yearbook or Angry Birds?

We have never seen so much homework in the first grade

Jia loves this hat

diamond pants

Anna and Katie's friend Yun So painted Jia's name on her jeans

Jewel sweater, sparkle shoes and jeans

I guess having two cameras is confusing, when I think I have everything I find more. These are just a few random shots and a few of one of the pictures of one of the favorite outfits Jia got for Christmas. The sneakers are Sketchers and she LOVES them, they light up, but not just in white as usual, but in all colors, she looks like she has disco balls on her feet...

Oops, Christmas isn't Over yet

Okay, no one wants to take the blog and it's early so I have a little time. I just found some pictures on our camera of the girls building our pre-fab gingerbread house, thought you might like to see them.

"...UNTIL JUSTICE ROLLS DOWN LIKE WATERS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS LIKE A MIGHTY STREAM~MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

What can you say about Dr. King that hasn't already been said? Well, you know me, I always have more to say.

Our President Barack Obama is hailed as the first black president of the United States, and they compare him to Dr. King. Two very great men of peace and integrity.

I may be unpopular in pointing out that President Obama is NOT the first black president of the United States, but the first BIRACIAL president of the United States. Obamas' Mom was Caucasian and his father was African. Still, Dr. King's work paved President Obama's way.

Why would I make this a topic of my blog? Because two of my own beautiful daughters share the President's background. Anna and Katie's birth mom was Caucasian and their birth father was African American.

In this country, President Obama, along with Anna and Katie are considered African Americans. I take absolutely nothing away from those who celebrate the Presidents' ethnicity, but I want to point out to Anna and Katie that as Dr. King paved President Obama's way to history, both men have paved the way for smart, caring, socially conscious women like my gorgeous, daughters to make their own dreams, whatever they may be, come true.

Big Night On The Town

Tonight was a beautiful, cool night. We went out for burgers at Fuddruckers, and then hung out in Barnes and Noble for a while. It wasn't my favorite Barnes and Noble and I was also really good and didn't buy anything. Jia was stylin' tonight. Katie had her all fixed up and she was really proud, lip gloss, purse and everything.

MA! MA!

Anna always yells "MA-MA!!" whenever she comes home
or when she sees me from far away.

The Wound: Anna insisted we get gory here--perhaps for evidence later?

Lola-the culprit, this is her third bite, I am not pleased...

If you are a new Mother you are used to be interupted everytime you go near a bathroom. Not so much with teenagers-so when I was in the shower tonight and Katie comes banging on the door yelling (totally out of character for her) Anna needs you right away, she only wants you! Lola bit her and you can see the bone!

Well with a quick tee shirt thrown on I go flying down the stairs where my beautiful baby is standing by the sink with her Dad runnning cold water all over her hand. She has it in a towel so I can't see it, but she lets me uncover it (crying all the way) what I see is a puncture wound with a skin flap (no bone). I get her on the couch, breathing calmly, telling her the story when I almost cut my finger off (very fascinating, maybe another day...) and I send Dad and Kate out for medical supplies.

Meanwhile, my big giant girl puts her head on my shoulder and hugs me...maybe that is the tribute I was looking for in the past two blogs.
God is Great...

My Mom

After my last blog entry I shut it down. I had all kinds of emotions. It took me so long to think about even doing what I did (11 years) that there were times I thought I would just let things go and let someone else deal with it.

Then I thought I would do a written memorial to my Mom with both my brother and I sharing memories. Digging through old pictures and finding something wonderful to use.

But just like the lethargy (okay, HUGE lethargy) I experienced deciding what I needed to do about the situation, i felt as though my brain had sludge in it. I couldn't do it, I couldn't do anything.

I guess it is amazing, the woman who shares everything and never shuts up is speechless...

'night

THiS Glorious Sadness

No pictures here. Last night (1/9/11) I did one of the hardest things I've ever had to do...and for some reason I knew I had to do it alone. I've always known that. Last night after many years of sadness and indecision, I went to the east side of town where my family lived when we first moved to Florida...there, after about 8-10 years I spread my Mom's ashes. I took some of them to our home and left them on the grass and then I took the rest and washed them away in the beautiful lake at the end of the street. I feel peace and I feel sadness. My Mom and I had a very bittersweet relationship, but your Mother is your Mother. This decision confirmed that there is only Craig and me and that is a feeling you will never know until you get there.

Later on, or maybe tomorrow I want to make a list of good things I remember about my Mom, and I would like for Craig to do this too. He is not as public as I am, so maybe he won't. But I am going to ask him.
Through thick and thin, one thing remains, my Mother loved her children.

Jia's Field Trip

Jia had her first field trip of the year. She had many orders for us, very specific:

1. She must wear her Mrs. Zelonka' Zoo Animal Tee shirt (her class shirt.)
2. She needed a jacket.
3, She needed her lunch in a Brown paper bag, not her lunch box, the brown bag needed to be stapled.
4. Her name had to be printed in big letters.

The class was going to a place called Flamingo Gardens, which is a wildlife, flora and fauna park. It has plants and vegetation that are native to this area, plus flamingos, alligators, snakes, owls, lots of birds, turtles. They put the kids in a tram and give them a tour.

We have a feeling that the biggest thrill of the day was riding the big yellow school bus! But Jia was thrilled and came home with a lot of cryptic information that we transferred the best we could.

Today we are taking the Christmas tree down. It is usually long gone by now, but I convinced them to keep it up a little longer. It was so beautiful!

Don't Ask/Don't Tell

With the exception of very few friends and of course my immediate family people have been probably asking, "What's up with Lesa?" I have been diagnosed with congenital mental illness. On my mother's side of the family, my grandmother was an agoraphobic. My mom had such serious illnesses that she ended up committing suicide in a year that was already professionally difficult for me. I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, and agoraphobia. There are times when I cannot leave the house for days or even weeks. I am taking medicine that has made me gain 30 pounds and either makes me extremely tired or keeps me awake. Because of my illness, I cannot make plans and know that I can keep them. I cannot let anyone in my house, although I'm not a hoarder lol, and I cannot talk on the telephone.

My brother Craig has been diagnosed with very similar symptoms. I see a psychologist once a week and a psychiatrist once a month. I am now receiving Social Security Disability Benefits and I am not working. A very good friend of mine tells me that if you look at this blog you would think we were the most normal family in the world. We try to make our family normal for our children, they do understand that their Mom has some issues but they do not define her. My children are not only o.k, but they excel at everything they do. We have a loving family and we have tons of good times together so there is no reason to worry about them, the preceding pictures of the girls are real. Drew goes out of his way to make up for things I am not capable of doing. Whenever there is a function our girls have both parents there, whether it is hard for me or not. This blog will continue to show the episodes of my family and the fun that we have and the love that we enjoy. It's just that I feel that it's also important that since it's my blog I should explain some of the other things that are going on.

Next up, Jia's field trip. Don't miss it!

Taking My Blog Back

In September of 2008 my family gave me the gift of a blog. I decided to use it as a place to post family pictures and events. When I looked at my blog counter recently I saw that there were almost 30,000 hits which made me realize that there were a whole bunch more people reading my blog then just my family. So I decided that I would take my blog back and write about all the things that go on in my life. Some of them are great, some are hard, and some are happy. Please keep reading.

Lesa For,

Another Legend Leaves the Gator Nation

Great game in the Outback Bowl today. Sadly, today marked the retirement of Urban Meyer. A coach with integrity, skill and spirituality. He will be missed in the Gator Nation.

HAVE THE BEST NEW YEAR...

I pray that each of my family and friends have a blessed 2011. I am not making public resolutions, but I do have private hopes and wishes for the new year, I hope you do too. Nothing is more important than health and the happiness of your loved ones, I wish this for all of you.