Ladies on a Mission: The Official Site

[NoSugar]

Hi, Gloamers

Man, my head is in a weird place today. I had the first drinking dream in a long time last night. Usually I like them b/c I wake up so horrified about what I've done and then am so relieved not to actually have done it. But today as I woke up, I was in the midst of taking the last swigs from a bottle and thinking about where I could find more! And wanted to! I know I was in a half asleep/half awake state (and once I was fully awake, I knew intellectually that I didn't want any part of that business) but it has left me feeling 'off'. So, reporting in and getting this 'out there'.

Pav, you've got a tough situation there. I see why you're so grateful to have become AF in time to be there for your boy. I think many of us have found that we did it 'just in time'. I know that my already bad mess would have gotten much worse when some life changes in 2013 happened if I hadn't already gotten free.

Jane, Dot, LB- I read that you're feeling kind of off, too, for various reasons. I hope you're feeling better. The thing I always think about on a down day is how indescribably worse it would be if I were drinking. Sometimes 'relatively better' is the best we can do.

It finally is a nice day here with sunshine and tolerable temps so I'm heading out for a walk with my family - grateful that last night was just a dream and that I really don't want to and won't be drinking.

xx, NS

[scottish lass]

Hi all - hope all are feeling a bit lighter today, if not hopefully it will come soon..

Pav - I totally understand how you are feeling! It feels like painting the Golden Gate bridge - I seem to make a few steps forward and then go back again - I dread signing into the online grade book and seeing now many "red" boxes that there are this time. There seem to be more and more of these notebook/journal/binders - and it seems really subjective as to what is required - some of them like colouring - she is 16 for crying out loud! It really does not need pretty pictures if all the work is there, present and correct surely??
Well off I go to look at today's grades.....

[little beagle]

I remember the tough times I had when my daughter was in school. At age 14 a committee of teachers and administrators came to my house and calmly explained that school just wasn't for all children. That it would be best if she didn't return after a lot of issues including a suicide attempt by her. We did get this straightened out, but it took work and even though she moved to live with her father and return to school the next year, her formal education was over. She is VERY intelligent and motivated, but she refused to go to school. I really don't think she regrets that to this day. And she is well adjusted. For the most part. That teen angst hit her hard. I just don't envy anyone going through it. But there are many rewards. I always told people that I felt that she was raised successfully. Not pregnant, not on drugs, able to run her own business, live successfully on her own, and has much respect from all who know her. Of course that was when she was about 10 years younger. Now she is even more successful. Still not pregnant....wish she would have a grandbaby for me but we can't have it all.
That's some story .
Glad you are feeling better Jane. I've been thinking about you.

[little beagle]

Sorry for the double post. This tablet isn't cooperative tonight.
That drinking dream sounds unsettling NS. Glad you got it out there. I have had a few of them lately myself so I can relate.
Dottie hoping you had a good day. Give those pups a big hug.

[treetops]

Hi there everyone. I am not sure what these on-line grade books are SL. We don't have such things. Presentation counts, but its not been a big part of my daughter's assignments these last few years - well except in Art - which is what you would expect in that kind of subject.

NS - I also had a drinking dream recently except in it I clearly was not drinking (others were) and it was not a big deal at all. Like you my drinking dreams have been less and less, the longer I was sober.

Hope everyone is coping with the week. Its been very full on for me at work - never know what the email will bring when I open it up. But it is a lovely sunny warm day here today so thats a wonderful bonus. Birds tweeting away, gentle haze from the sun - really great!

[NoSugar]

Well, just got home from an evening with friends. Luckily, some dreams don't come true :wink:!

[narilly]

Your dream sounds awful NS, so glad it was not real.

TT, enjoy your sunny warm day.mour days have been really nice here too.

Lil B, you sound good, that is nice about your daughter. She sounds just like her mom.

Hello Pav, SL, everyone, I am tired so will talk later.

[Pavati]

Hi, Gloamers:

My son (the one mentioned above) asked me "mom, how long have you been sober? Over two years?" I said no, more like one and a little bit. Why. He said, "like I said, I want to use you as a role model to live a life sober. Giving up alcohol." I said I hope he wasn't giving up alcohol, as I hoped he wasn't yet drinking it! Anyway - he has said that before, and he is SO observant. We went on to have a discussion about how alcohol had become a habit for me to unwind after work, and that I started seeing it connected with celebrations, fun, etc. I said when I quit drinking I rediscovered ways to cope through hard times without altering my mind AND I learned that I have just as much fun. It felt so great to have that discussion with him. My older son would never ask - I am sure he is curious but it hasn't come up yet. I'm sure it will eventually.

Thanks you all for your stories and support. Dang teenagers are hard... We don't have online grading yet, SL - only for high school. But when he comes home and says I have an F and two projects due tomorrow, it doesn't feel great...

Sorry about your dreams, NS and LB - I hate dreams that seem so real, whether bad or good. Always take a while to shake off.

Good night, gloamers.

xo
Pav

[treetops]

Thats great about your son Pav and like LB points out, its important to acknowledge the positive and unique things about our kids.

My 17 year old daughter has reverted to talking to herself a lot lately - I had to check cos she stopped doing that many years ago. Turns out she is practicing her lines for drama! :congratulatory: so no worries now.

[scottish lass]

TT - in our district all grades are entered into an on line system that we can go and check as often as we wish, I try to limit myself to once a day .
Pav - yep, the F and work due - it is tough...and I really believe in sleep, and meal breaks. I was just reading about parents opting out of homework - whilst it does not seem realistic, there was a lot of sense in the dialogue. My eldest comes home, has an hour to get some food, sort out her backpack, then goes to the tutoring center to do homework, then tutoring till 7:30 - home and supper, then finishing assignments. I hope to have her in bed by 10 - but there is no time for any down time, it feels way too much - and with that she is failing....it just does not add up!
What a good discussion with your son, and how very cool!

I have not had one of those dreams for a while - hope I haven't gipped myself with that comment. Glad you did not live out the dream NS

[treetops]

SL - our national high school system has rejected grades and these have been replaced by Not-Achieved, Achieved, Merit and Excellence. Of course there is a grading of sorts in this but its designed to do away with rigid grading structures and to encourage all students to feel that they can 'achieve' certain standards in each subject and each unit within that subject. Its far from perfect but I think it does create a more constructive approach to learning. These grades for major pieces of assessment may not be entered until much later and there is no way parents can monitor the precise daily grades of their children.
I might not have explained this right - but thought you might be interested.

[patrice]

Hi everyone, I've been awol in hospital with food poisoning... Horrible, I'm home now and staying home tomorrow
TT - I really like the NZ system, it's really inclusive so I'm told..
SL - I abhor homework and hardly ever give it to my year 12 and 13 students.. A lot of research I have read has shown it to be valuable to only a very small group of students.. And such insistence on presentation is absurd..
Hope everyone is well, I'm on a very plain diet for the next few days!
Xx
Pat

[available]

Pat i hope you are okay now. Food poisoning is horrendous, i had it when i was nearly 9 months pregnant with my 1st. i would never wish that on anyone. Was it your cooking? (oops!).

When do you go to Bali?

5 weeks till Thailand so mum tells me.

[patrice]

Yes Ava it actually was my food. It was another beef Rendang and it was too hot to put in the fridge so I left it for the morning on the stove top.. Really really dumb in these temps!

Going to Bali in 3 and half weeks! Yay!
You too great!. I'm planning to have another sober holiday
Xx

[available]

Yep i am going with dumb Pat but i would have done exactly the same thing. At least you are ok and you wont do that again. Salads are nice! ha ha.

Not long for you now and sober holidays are the best. I know i wont be fighting with myself about drinking this time around, to me its a holiday and i dont drink.

You are doing so well.