Good News!

I have a job! Well, technically I start my job on Jan 7th. I'm really excited about it! I'll be working with 6 clinics in North Texas that provide services to amputees and others who need prosthetics. My technical title is Business Development Manager- fancy, huh? Really it just means that day to day I will be working with the Practice Managers and physicians to increase business. It will be very cool and I think, more importantly, that it will be a job that makes a difference to people. I will be working closely with new amputees and getting them the assistance and services that they need.

Personally, it means that I will in a challenging environment and I'm looking forward to that after this past year. I'm so ready to say good-bye to 2007! Good things happened and yet there were limits on what we were able to do as a family because of the time I spent soul-searching for a career that would allow me to use my health care knowledge and still feel like I was making a difference. I have done so many personality profiles and spent so much time pondering different avenues of work, that I'm sick of myself and being inside my own head.

I can't say 07 was a total waste for me. I started to practice meditation and I studied Buddhism. I read some of the Dalai Lama's teachings and learned that ultimately I have to learn to live a balance between my religious upbringing and what I believe today. It's not the same, nor is it so different that I am willing to convert to a new religion. I'm still intrigued by the possibility of studying a balance between zazen zen and christianity. This may seem a contradiction since the purpose of zazen is to reach a Buddha state, but I believe there are nuggets in all manifestations that will serve me well in this life to ultimately live in service for others.

I'm trying to teach Sweet Center how to spend a little time each day in meditation. I didn't make a big announcement about it, but Hubba Hubba and I decided to take him off his ADHD medication over the Thanksgiving break for a little while. He's been on some form of medication since he was 5 years old and we thought it would be worthwhile to see how he was without for a few days when he would just be home with us. I have to say that the past month has been wonderful for him. His personality is really starting to POP! and he's not having any issues at school that are outside the norm for a 10 year-old boy. We're teaching him to recognize when he's getting amped up and some basic self-control techniques to pull him back down from hyperactivity. It appears to be working. I learned a few things from the shrink that I met with about Sir Toots. He told me it was okay to give kids a break from medication and allow them to fully experience the range and intensity of their emotions. Hubba Hubba and I just wanted to make sure that Sweet Center just knew how to self-moderate so he wouldn't get in trouble at school or playing with friends. I still can't take them both to the grocery store, but what mother really can take 2 kids into a place that is supposed to overload your senses and hope to come out sane?

As for Sir Toots, we are holding off on making any decisions until later in 2008. I want to get him through kindergarten and then look at his behaviors. He's actually doing quite well right now, so I will keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best when they return to school in January. We have some date nights planned and I so hope that the one-on-one times will help both of The Boys. He's still learning what' acceptable behavior in school so I think cutting him a little slack isn't such a bad idea.

Hubba Hubba and I are planning a get away to our favorite city, San Antonio, for sometime in late February. I have to do quite a bit of travel in January for my new job, and it just makes sense to plan something now for our anniversary. 11 years. How many of you can believe that?!?

2007 taught me many things, but ultimately I learned that no matter what I do or how hair brained an idea I cook up, I will always have the love of Hubba Hubba to catch me when I fall or fly. There's no better lesson learned than that.