A glimpse into the Rabbit Hole

Hello Darlings, this post is going to be a bit out of the norm, but I would like to take you on a trip down the rabbit Shelly-Raptor hole.

(It’s going to be a long trip, so if you aren’t in the mood to read, please go play at Pinterest. I just need to post this for my sake. )

Today is a low day, and I hope I do manage to explain this well enough.

Low Day: noun, a period of time, consisting of constant unhappiness, cloudiness, and depression. Symptoms include, but are not limited to: Lack of Appetite, Over Sleeping, Low Self Image and Anxiety.

High Day: noun, a period of time, where Shelly Raptors (see: Shelly-Raptor) are hyper, happy, and outgoing. Inability to sleep, relax, and focus mentally, are known symptoms. 

Like most little Shelly Raptors, I have my highs and lows, and I do have some trouble keeping myself in check.  At this point in my young raptor life, I have learned to deal with it myself. Although, I have been known to see a doctor or two, when my lows take over too long.

I can not stress enough, how important it is to know when you need help and Seek out the help you need!

It is never a sign of weakness.

Throughout my entire life, and trust me when I say it hasn’t been that long, I have been diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder and Depression. For those that don’t know, Bi-Polar Disorder is usually the first thing diagnosed for children, if not depression quickly afterwards. My mother was told that her youngest daughter suffered from Bi-Polar Disorder, because I was CLEARLY showing the warning signs. I demonstrated clear Manic moods (cleaning/organizing the pantry at 3am  and inability to control my temper) and I also demonstrated clear depression (sleeping for more than 12 hours/day, thoughts of suicide, and cutting) in my early teens.

The science world has come leaps and bounds since I first had to deal with a psychiatrist, when it comes to properly diagnosing these very serious conditions. I’m happy to hear that they are consistently improving how to evaluate children, specifically because if managed at a young age, the chance of a happier life improves greatly. I encourage all parents, who feel like their children need assistance, seek professional help from doctors who specialize in this sort of thing. It will save your child’s life. 

To give you a glimpse into a time I barely remember, I will try to provide as many “symptoms” I actually had, and I hope this helps any parent and child that might not realize they DO need help. If you suspect that your child is having similar problems, please visit the National Library of Medicine website for more in-depth information.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001924/

In middle school, I had fully come into my hot-headed temper. It truly didn’t help that my first ‘fight’ wasn’t my fault. I had happened to find the other “bad egg”, and when I tapped her on the shoulder for something falling out of her book bag, the response was to punch me in the face so hard that my glasses went flying. What was the justice for me not retaliating? No. We were both sent home with 3 days suspended, and it seemed like no one wanted to hear my side of the story. As an adult, I understand what happened, and I hope that woman never works in a school system ever again. What did I experience? A common problem in the school I attended: Regardless of innocence, both parties are guilty. It was easy to see what this teaches children of an impressionable age that if struck by another student, you are entitled to hit back, since you’re getting suspended regardless.

From this, whenever bullies presented themselves (and I was a great target back then), I would fight back. I wouldn’t always win, but I learned quickly how to not get caught. My fondest memory was giving a bloody nose to a boy who couldn’t admit that I, a girl, landed a good punch. This may sound cruel, but I’m still glad that I did it. He threw me into a locker for speaking with another boy, and I’m proud of my younger self for not allowing him to continue his possessive behavior. Seriously girls, If a guy thinks he can slam you into a locker, then you have a right to yourself to defend yourself. Never be a victim.

My tempers were random, and back then, I felt like everyone was against me. The only teachers I liked were the ones that didn’t start the year off expecting me to be a trouble maker. I can only remember 3 teachers that I would label as GREAT teachers, and I can barely remember their names. They encouraged creativity, and for that, I thank them. It’s nice to think that English class was my favorite subject, but my favorite subject in High School was my Social Studies (History) class. Mr. G was a young, funny, creative teacher who made history interesting for me. Despite the fact that I rarely paid attention DURING class, I enjoyed reading the material and getting A’s on his tests. It was too easy, and although I know that now, I should have taken his recommendation to take AP classes more seriously back then. I’m proud to say though, this class and not English class, encouraged my love of creative writing. Most of his tests had an extra credit section which normally ended up being a short story filling the entire back side. I had a talent for writing things in others perspectives, and I still have the short story I wrote about child labor in the Industrial age in the point of view of the children.

In school, I jumped from one long relationship, to another. It seems after 3 years, the tolerance people had for me dwindled until they found a replacement. (This is actually still a fear in my mind, but I’m happy to say that I’m at the 5 year mark and going strong.) I have been in both an emotionally abusive relationship and a physically abusive relationship, and I don’t believe any High School student should have to go through this alone. I can honestly say, that the only reason I left my last bad relationship, was because of my husband showing me that there CAN be another type of relationship. I was prepared for the physical abuse, but the emotionally abusive relationship took me for a spin.

I fit a great stereotype for the child of an alcoholic father. My father, who I care to only remember as the great man I used to know, has been suffering from alcoholism for quite a few decades now. I wish him all the best, but I also know how hard that journey is for him. As an adult, I’m thankful to have known him, and I continually wish for his well-being. However, this brings me to my next point…

If there is an alcohol problem in your house, HANDLE IT NOW. There is no hiding this from your children, and most children of alcoholics suffer from some type of depression eventually.

Believe me when I say, if you aren’t dealing with your own problems, your children will suffer. 

As an adult, and barely one at that, I try to live my life with as much positive thinking as I can muster. This makes me come off as hyper and extroverted, but when ever I hit a low day that I can’t manage internally, it confuses people.  Sure, I may break out in random jigs, but it’s just to get myself to smile. On a low day, I may not have as much patience as I normally do. If yesterday, I was fine waiting thirty minutes for something trivial, then on a low day, I will tearing my hair out at the 10 minute mark. This may come off as sporadic behavior to those that don’t know me very well, and I try my best to correct the behavior as it is happening, but I know this keeps me from being as social as I want to be.

If this happens to help someone, that would be fantastic! If no one reads this, that’s fine, too. I just needed to get this all off my chest, so to speak. Thank you for reading! It means a lot to me.

 

 

Gotta Catch ‘em All!

Cute Interruption!

I would like to take a break from sanding, peeling wallpaper, and mudding, to share with you an adorable photograph.

Why? Oh! That’s simple.

Everyone should smile at something cute at least once a day, and that’s a bare minimum.
Collect those smiles like Pokemon. Seriously, people. Enjoy your life for a few seconds. If you need to oogle over a puppy or coo over a baby, DO IT. 
(Going back to sanding now, I promise there will be pictures. I’m terrified to break out my good camera while the sanding is going on, so most of these will be with my camera. At least until the dust settles!)

It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

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A left behind gift

Down in the geek cave, there was a pile of paint cans and such left behind from the previous owners..amongst the unloved cans, I found an almost full bucket of spackle!!
……

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Ew! Yuck! Gross!
Oh yea! We have a slight mold/mildew issue due to a moisture problem! Thankfully, by the power of Grey Skull Bleach, I almost have most of it dying.

In other news,

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Home Depot Haul

After two trips to heavenHome Depot, we were seeing progress over at the Mini Geek Mansion!

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A sanding we will go! A sanding we will go!

Tomorrow is a busy day! Tons of prep work before I can start painting.

Stay Classy Pals!

Weekend Sum Up

Image Courtesy of Heidi Miller's website, Found VIA Google Images

Friday: Daddy John (my Father in law) went to the hospital for heart problems. Luckily, it turns out that he has a very healthy heart! Clean arteries and everything! So what do you think he did after being told all his turkey and low-fat eating has paid off?

Courtest of Ledo Pizza (Yum)

Oh Yum Yum Yummy!

It turns out that he has an adrenal issue that needs addressed, so for the next two  weeks, he’ll need to rest. I love good news! 

Saturday: I ventured away from little cave to meet an awesome group of women. We met up at Caffe Amouri (They can be found at caffeamouri.com), which turned out to only be an hours drive south, so that worked out great for me.

From Left: Jane, then left to right: Sarah, Lauren, Steffanie, Rachel, Me, Kimberly, Christina. Not Pictured: Toya (SORRY TOYA!)

I love this pictures! It really shows my personality well. I’m a natural introvert, but I hide this fact by pretending to be an extrovert. I’m a strange thing, I know. I’m socially awkward in large groups, especially when I’m speaking, but for whatever reason, my mouth won’t ever shut up so my anxiety sort of just builds. I can honestly say, though, that I had a fantastic time! I left with some great ideas and some wonderful stories. I truly enjoy meeting new people, and I may have forgotten that along the way, and I thank them for opening my mind again. When I arrived home that night, John said I was extra bubbly and knew that translated to a happy wifey.

These awesome chicks can be found at their respective corners of the internet.

Jane
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShopJanery                 http://theborrowedabode.com/
Sarah
http://www.sarahrosemary.com/
Lauren
http://laurenchanting.blogspot.com/
Steffanie
http://steffaniefeuer.com/
Rachel
http://funnelcloud.blogspot.com/
Kimberly
maherfamilygrows.blogspot.com
Christina
http://accidentalhousewife10.blogspot.com/
Toya
http://newfamilynaturals.com/blog/ 

Toya makes DELICIOUS Kale treats that I need to start stocking up on!

Sunday: This was my chill with family day, that I decided to take on a whim, as always. I went and talk to my mom and sister for hours, and it was great catching up. Eme (As my sister will be called) has been working so hard to become a Dental Hygienist, and seeing her study during the Super Bowl? Awe-Inspiring! Seriously. I am so proud of my big sis right now. <3

So that was my weekend! WHEW! I’m hiding behind my laptop now; I need to recharge behind I decide to go socializing again.

I can’t believe Settlement is in 3 Days! John took the day off, and he plans to be moved in that night?! Settle my heart, dear readers. I may try to kill this man if he rushes me! 

It’s FRIDAY!

HI!

There’s just so much excitement ready to boil over, but do you realize what today is?! Today is a week away from Settlement! OH HAPPY DAY! Wait… We’re you expecting something with more, shall we say, Je nais c’est quoi?

Look! Here’s a shiny picture!

Image Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

I wanted to show you my plans for the kitchen (for whenever we cross this much larger bridge). I love this cabinet color and I actually like this blue paint that appears green in the shade. The counter I chose from her collection is a bit darker than the one shown.

I don’t have much to update, paperwork is still on schedule and all. At this point I’m just finalizing all the loose ends of this home buying experience. There are a few things that need to be done right when we move in… OH! You want to know what those are? Well, you pulled my arm!

Here’s a quick run down of the immediate things to the townhouse that need to be finalized for move-in:

  • Service/Clean Furnace (Have a recommendation from Home Inspector)
  • Replace Carpet with Martha Stewart’s stain resistant, soft nylon on all three levels of home.
  • Seal basement floor properly before new carpet is laid (Pet odor)
  • Scrub all surfaces (Pipes were winter-ized with Anti-Freeze. All pink surface stains must be eradicated for pet safety)
  • Fix sloping in backyard to prevent moisture in basement
  • Remove dry mildew from behind utility sink (cut out drywall or just seal over mildew resistant primer?)
  • Change locks on house (Buy a decent dead-bolt to replace the double door knobs…yep, you read that right)
  • Install Fire/CO2 Detectors (3), Install fire extinguisher in Kitchen and Laundry Room.
  • Install a 3/4″ drip leg on water heater.
  • Service B-vent flue (  rear of house)- ventilate furnace and heat pump
  • Transfer Internet service, and paint like crazy!
Exciting times right?! I know!

Next week on Two Streets Over, our hero’s are granted the key to the mansion…

Will they faint on the spot?

Or… Will they head charge into their new adventure?!

Be sure to check back next week! Who knows what kind of shenanigans these two hooligans get into!

(WHOOOOOO!)

Want to see a Magic Trick?

Image Coutesy of Flutter Flutter, Found VIA Pinterest

The trick is all about illusion, people. Now take this creative antler coat rack, if you replace the antler design with tree branches, then you can use Cutting Edge Stencil’s Owl Stencil behind it to give the coat rack a 3D design when not being used.
I can’t wait to include this in the basement, by the sliding glass doors.

The Perfect Solution

The Perfect Solution

Image Courtesy of Amazon

The two bedrooms upstairs are pretty small, which gives me the perfect opportunity to figure out how to use all the space smartly.
My mother in law helped fuel this fun adventure when she showed me how easy using her trundle bed was for guests. The price tags of some of the prettier versions had me thinking that I would never have a Trundle bed to call my own for quite some time.
I’m happy to have found a basic frame in my price range. I plan to build a headboard/box for the entire frame to roll into.

Let’s hope that these are still around in two weeks!