I woke up at 5. Old time, would be 6. That might've made my body think I'm late getting up. Couldn't go back to sleep for another 45 minutes so I got up, checked my emails. Then took a hot bath to relax a bit. All my barrettes have gone AWOL, so my hair's down for today. Good thing I dyed my hair yesterday---I feel little younger. Hee.
Last Friday was my birthday. I was reminded how old I've gotten when I tried to see something small and had to lift my glasses and peer more closely without getting cross-eyed. Then, getting a phone call from my doctor's office. Reminding me I have arthritis (okay, my doctor already told me that the day before!) and will set me up with a specialist and what I should do to take care of this. My husband was little late in wishing me a happy birthday. That's fine...if he's too sick with a bad cold, I would prefer him to get better first.
My weekend went pretty well. Saturday had a meeting with my MiBCD (Michigan Baptist Conference of the Deaf) Executive Board. It went pretty well. Basically just planned for our winter workshop in January. It was good to visit with some of my friends, and seeing someone's new house for the first time! Gorgeous home. 3x bigger than her old home. I had to tease her about that. But it was very nice.
Yesterday taught Sunday School for my husband (still sick) and felt it went pretty well. I did have my own struggles with the subject but the Holy Spirit guided me through this. Then afterwards, went shopping with my daughter. We ate out, then let her get a couple shirts from Limited Too. It was really interesting to watch so many tweens in the store. All have similar taste in fashion. I basically just plopped on one of the chairs and let my daughter roam around. Ended up a happy girl. Off we went to home....and my kids went off to play with their friends.
Spent the next couple hours doing emails, with one friend who lost her father recently. She shared the highlights of the funeral and sounded so beautiful. However, was having a struggle in another area, and I merely just wanted to be supportive and lift her up in prayers and with my support, my love. It can be very hard to lose a parent, but when family members start up some concerns or struggles, it can become hard on everyone else in the family. This family member wasn't looking for trouble, really. Stress can do that to anyone and usually we say hurtful things. I myself didn't really know how to answer that but can only be a friend and let the person share. They just need someone to listen, and it means a lot to them.
Well, today, there'll be an office birthday party for me and "B". We both are couple days apart. This will be "B"'s last year with us til retirement in spring. I did get a fun card for "B" so it'll be interesting. Food today...yum. Looking forward to it.
To end today's blog, I wanted to say big thank you to those who remembered my birthday, the small gifts given to me and their friendship. It means a lot to me. You know who you are, and I love you all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Friday, November 2, 2007
39 years ago...
I came into this world. My parents didn't know what to expect...they didn't expect me to be born with severe hearing loss---"Hearing Impaired". Now, that word really makes me think someone jammed sharp instruments in their ears, impairing their hearing. I am NOT hearing impaired. I am just ... either deaf or hard of hearing. With my hearing aid, I'm hard of hearing. Without my hearing aid, I'm deaf. I prefer to be labeled DEAF.
I do have the ability to speak. I have the ability to do what any hearing people can do. SOME phone calls I can handle, if I know the person's voice well enough. But most of my business phone calls are done through using relay services via Sorenson Video Phone or using IP relay services from the computer. Both are very convenience for me. But I also do ASL. I'm fluent in both speaking English and signing ASL. :)
I look like a normal person. I act normal. People have asked me where I'm from. I'm easily amused and like to tease them a little but very flattered that the majority of them think I'm British. Aw. My speech must be really good for them to compliment me like that. They, however, are usually very shocked to learn I'm deaf and I'm "speech impaired" as I, Kirstan, like to call it. Hee hee.
Well, I was born as a rubella baby. What that meant was someone whose children having measles visited my mother while she was pregnant (about 3 mos) with me. Well, they carried the measles with them and it affected the unborn fetus (me). When I was born, they thought maybe Kirstan might have problems. So far, I was blonde, blue eyed, all ten fingers and ten toes. Nothing out of the ordinary about me. Until a year later or so, my dad screaming at me if I wanted ice cream and I never heard him. That started my mother's journey to find solutions or help for me.
My journey into the big wide world was a real eye-opener for me. Going into ASDB (Arizona School for the Deaf/Blind in Tucson) at 3, being fitted with those gosh-awful bulking hearing boxes or whachamacallit with wires going into earmolds that were jammed into your ears. Wearing the hearing box on my chest like some frontal backpack...and trying not to get tangled up with the wires...not fun. Going to speech therapy, and learning to sign at the same time.
I learned ENGLISH SIGN LANGUAGE. Looking back, I have to laugh. It's ridiculous and very time consuming. Now I know why ASL is so much easier. I like it much, much better. My first spoken word was purple, and learning to say, I like purple. In a very high pitched little girl voice.
Throughout elementary school years mainstreamed, and constant speech therapies, I remember blowing up at one speech therapist. I can't see where you place your tongue for certain sounds like R, T, whatever sound where your tongue is on roof of your mouth. When learning to speak words that ends with oy or ay, my lower jaw sort of goes into a circular motion instead of going straight down when you say "boy" or "gray". Kind of hard to describe but...took a long time to overcome it.
I don't think I do that weird lower jaw movement when I say words that ends with "ay" or "oy". Maybe only in dramatic moments.
Ah. Right now, I wear those digital in the ear mold type of hearing aid without that part where it sits over your ear...I've moved up!!! :) I was so thrilled to get the earmold type of hearing aid. It really made a huge different. I hear better...but my hearing loss did get worse, as I get older. If I go profoundly deaf, so be it. I'm prepared!
Okay, well, my coworkers treated me to a breakfast sandwich from McD's as a birthday treat. However, when "C" ordered 3 bacon, eggs and cheese bagel sandwiches, they came w/o bacon. Why? "T" doesn't like bacon so...to be nice to "T", we've eaten them plain. But hey, nice treat. I think we will celebrate on Monday when everyone's in the office at the same time. "B" isn't here today and "B"'s birthday is on the 4th. So might as well celebrate together at same time. More food to go around, right? I'm going to enjoy my Pumpkin Spiced Ice Cappucino I treated myself from Tim Horton's. YUM!
I do have the ability to speak. I have the ability to do what any hearing people can do. SOME phone calls I can handle, if I know the person's voice well enough. But most of my business phone calls are done through using relay services via Sorenson Video Phone or using IP relay services from the computer. Both are very convenience for me. But I also do ASL. I'm fluent in both speaking English and signing ASL. :)
I look like a normal person. I act normal. People have asked me where I'm from. I'm easily amused and like to tease them a little but very flattered that the majority of them think I'm British. Aw. My speech must be really good for them to compliment me like that. They, however, are usually very shocked to learn I'm deaf and I'm "speech impaired" as I, Kirstan, like to call it. Hee hee.
Well, I was born as a rubella baby. What that meant was someone whose children having measles visited my mother while she was pregnant (about 3 mos) with me. Well, they carried the measles with them and it affected the unborn fetus (me). When I was born, they thought maybe Kirstan might have problems. So far, I was blonde, blue eyed, all ten fingers and ten toes. Nothing out of the ordinary about me. Until a year later or so, my dad screaming at me if I wanted ice cream and I never heard him. That started my mother's journey to find solutions or help for me.
My journey into the big wide world was a real eye-opener for me. Going into ASDB (Arizona School for the Deaf/Blind in Tucson) at 3, being fitted with those gosh-awful bulking hearing boxes or whachamacallit with wires going into earmolds that were jammed into your ears. Wearing the hearing box on my chest like some frontal backpack...and trying not to get tangled up with the wires...not fun. Going to speech therapy, and learning to sign at the same time.
I learned ENGLISH SIGN LANGUAGE. Looking back, I have to laugh. It's ridiculous and very time consuming. Now I know why ASL is so much easier. I like it much, much better. My first spoken word was purple, and learning to say, I like purple. In a very high pitched little girl voice.
Throughout elementary school years mainstreamed, and constant speech therapies, I remember blowing up at one speech therapist. I can't see where you place your tongue for certain sounds like R, T, whatever sound where your tongue is on roof of your mouth. When learning to speak words that ends with oy or ay, my lower jaw sort of goes into a circular motion instead of going straight down when you say "boy" or "gray". Kind of hard to describe but...took a long time to overcome it.
I don't think I do that weird lower jaw movement when I say words that ends with "ay" or "oy". Maybe only in dramatic moments.
Ah. Right now, I wear those digital in the ear mold type of hearing aid without that part where it sits over your ear...I've moved up!!! :) I was so thrilled to get the earmold type of hearing aid. It really made a huge different. I hear better...but my hearing loss did get worse, as I get older. If I go profoundly deaf, so be it. I'm prepared!
Okay, well, my coworkers treated me to a breakfast sandwich from McD's as a birthday treat. However, when "C" ordered 3 bacon, eggs and cheese bagel sandwiches, they came w/o bacon. Why? "T" doesn't like bacon so...to be nice to "T", we've eaten them plain. But hey, nice treat. I think we will celebrate on Monday when everyone's in the office at the same time. "B" isn't here today and "B"'s birthday is on the 4th. So might as well celebrate together at same time. More food to go around, right? I'm going to enjoy my Pumpkin Spiced Ice Cappucino I treated myself from Tim Horton's. YUM!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
November!
It's November already?! Halloween is over, all the candy passed out, and the kids gorging on their candies...and on a sugar high.
I think I will need to call the dentist soon. We're overdue for a visit anyway.
Kind of hard to know where to begin to share more about myself with you. But maybe it'll be random thoughts...memories or just sharing experiences.
My youngest sister is learning to handle two kids on her own. Her husband has started a new job...the midnight shift. Which is unfortunate but I think after time, he will be able to switch to daytime hours. One time she had asked me how I had handled it? Raising 2 kids on my very own, no husband, no boyfriend or any other adults in the house...it wasn't as bad as one would think. I feel it has to do with who you are personally, and how you enjoy being a mom, and your relationship with your children.
It can be very tough being a single, full-time working mom of more than one child. You have to struggle to make ends meet, stretch the food out, make sure you have everything the child(ren) need, and just winging it. But the biggest reward out of all of that is when your child(ren) comes to you and gives you a big hug or kiss and their sweet, sweet words, "I love you". No matter what kind of day I"m having or any life-death situations going on....it just drowns out all the struggles and troubles and worries I would have. That, my friends, is what I love most about my children.
A friend was teasing me how often I blog. So I'm going to try to keep up, my friend! *wink*
It's gorgeous here in Michigan. I think the temp is low 60's but the fall colors are awesome, and just simply gorgeous!
Talk s' more tomorrow....don't forget your cup of coffee (or tea).
I think I will need to call the dentist soon. We're overdue for a visit anyway.
Kind of hard to know where to begin to share more about myself with you. But maybe it'll be random thoughts...memories or just sharing experiences.
My youngest sister is learning to handle two kids on her own. Her husband has started a new job...the midnight shift. Which is unfortunate but I think after time, he will be able to switch to daytime hours. One time she had asked me how I had handled it? Raising 2 kids on my very own, no husband, no boyfriend or any other adults in the house...it wasn't as bad as one would think. I feel it has to do with who you are personally, and how you enjoy being a mom, and your relationship with your children.
It can be very tough being a single, full-time working mom of more than one child. You have to struggle to make ends meet, stretch the food out, make sure you have everything the child(ren) need, and just winging it. But the biggest reward out of all of that is when your child(ren) comes to you and gives you a big hug or kiss and their sweet, sweet words, "I love you". No matter what kind of day I"m having or any life-death situations going on....it just drowns out all the struggles and troubles and worries I would have. That, my friends, is what I love most about my children.
A friend was teasing me how often I blog. So I'm going to try to keep up, my friend! *wink*
It's gorgeous here in Michigan. I think the temp is low 60's but the fall colors are awesome, and just simply gorgeous!
Talk s' more tomorrow....don't forget your cup of coffee (or tea).
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