Carp-A-Thon 2008

We had the big Carp-a-thon yesterday allll day. We got up and woke the boys about 5:20 in the morning, were on the water by six, and didn't get home until 8pm. Here we are in the morning bright and shiny and still waiting for good things to happen. Shortly after this picture I noticed welts all over Ben's body and Joey started feeling sick. Ben was fine, but Joey ended up throwing up over the side of the boat a few times. After that he was fine and we stayed on the water. It was kind of boring and we didn't have too many bites, so the boys tried to rest and I tried to get some sun.
After a few hours we managed to get one fish for each of us. Ben got the biggest at 7.1 pounds.
Next was Joey with 4.14 pounds. Mommy's was 2.7 and Daddy had 1.7. Not the best fishing day but we did pretty good. The winner's fish was a record 27 pounds.
Ben ended up getting the trophy for his age group. We were all excited and surprised. (Joey was more upset and surprised because he didn't get one.) He was also on the local news last night.

You can watch it here (click on Carp-a-thon). The boys also won big tackle boxes (I'm trying to convince Ben to let me "borrow" his for my scrapbook supplies), and had fun playing games. It really was a great day because we were all together doing something (mostly) fun all day.

Guess What I've Been Up To

Painting! Yep, after 8 years of living in a house with all white walls I decided that it was time for a change. So that's what I've been doing the last couple of days when I haven't been working or otherwise occupied. Two walls in the living room are this green and the other two will be a beige along with the hallway. I can't decide if I should leave the trim and doors white or make them beige as well. Opinions requested. After the living room I have the stairwell and my bedroom on the list. The boys would like their room painted too, but it would involve lots of things coming off the walls so we'll see about that one. I don't have energy for the rest of my update, but I want to at least say that I went ice skating yesterday for work and it was fun but excruciating. I have blisters all around my legs because I was wearing ankle socks and the skates rubbed my skin off. Then today I had to work at a swim lesson despite the stinging chlorine on my raw skin. Owie.
The rest of the week is more work, then next week I'll be spending my days at school moving everything from my old room downstairs to my new room upstairs. We've been getting lots of calls the last few days, so hopefully enrollment will pick up now.

Green Acres

So the boys have been watching a lot of Green Acres. Don't ask me why. Ask their Daddy. They like it for some reason and have memorized the theme song. Actually, I kind of like it too. Eva Gabor is pretty hilarious. Now, I don't have speakers on this computer so you'll have to let me know if this is actually working, but is that not the cutest thing ever?

BTW: I won't be uploading too many videos to blogger. This is taking for-ever.

Job News

I've been "promoted" to co-director at my preschool. I put promoted in quotes because I don't really feel like it is a true promotion- when the boss dies and only one other person has qualifications according to DCFS they don't really have a choice. My other half has also only been with the school for a year and isn't technically director qualified, but she is going to school to get her certs so she can help. So, since I didn't really "earn" my title, I'm not really excited like I should be. I'm worried that everyone will be looking for a reason for the other co-director to take over next year because they don't think I'm good enough. She seems to really want it too, and is more willing to fight for it. I am very unwilling to fight for a position of power. That totally goes against my being. I want people to want me because they think I would do a good job, not because they have no other choice.
Also, this year out enrollment is way down. We think it has a lot to do with the economy. When people are looking for something to cut back, preschool seems to be disposable. Especially 3 year old preschool. The good news is that we don't have to hire a new teacher to replace Carol. The bad news is the budget isn't so good right now. We do still have a month to enroll those last minute stragglers, so we're trying to spread the word as much as possible around town.
So wish me luck with my job this year with the parents, students, and my co-workers. I plan to prove to everyone that I can do this and do it well.

Recap

Allow me to recap the last few days. Friday I met the girls at work to write Thank-yous for a couple hours, then headed out to Poplar Grove to scrapbook with a new friend. I had decided to change my albums to 3-ring binders and intended to work on that, but when I opened my new albums I realized that they didn't come with page protectors. Oh well, I just checked out Dede's projects. She has the most awesome scrap room and she is an Uppercase Living consultant so she has lots of words in her house. I had to go home after just a few hours because the boys were coming home from vacation. I stopped for some page protectors on the way home and worked on organizing while I waited. The boys were late, of course. Didn't get home until about 8. We went out for dinner and visited with them for a while then off to bed. Saturday morning was swim lessons. Both are doing simply amazing. Joey is finally putting his head in the water and jumping in the pool by himself. Later I got to watch this little cutie for a couple hours. I don't have little girls at my house very often so had to get the camera out. Saturday night we went to the Riverhawks game (our local baseball team). The stadium is really nice and there are no bad seats, but the boys really didn't get into watching the game. They mostly played around in the seats and annoyed the people araound them. There was a cute little grasshopper to keep us occupied for a few minutes.We did see a few people we knew, and ended up sitting with an old student and coworker toward the end of the game. Sunday we did a whole lot of not much. Went to lunch at Tom and Jerrys, stopped at Menards for paint samples because I've decided to add some color to some of the rooms in my house, watched some episodes of our new favorite Deadwood, read a new book Twilight by Stephanie Meyers. Today I mowed the lawn then we went to the pool to cool off for a bit before Joey had gymnastics. He is also doing great things there.
So that's my fascinating life the past few days. Nothing too exciting, just life as it should be: steady, normal, boring, fun.

Mommy Guilt

Is it just the natural order of things to constantly worry about being "fair" and "equal" with your children when you have more than one? Part of it may be that I had (have) huge issues with how fairly I was treated by my parents. That is a story for another day, but it has left me feeling guilty about how I treat my boys. I know that I am much more physically affectionate with Ben: he sits on my lap, I still carry him sometimes, we exchange lots of kisses... Joey won't sit still when he's on my lap, is obviously too big to carry, and we do kisses but not as frequently. But Joey I think gets more positive verbal affection than Ben. Joe is my laid-back, smart, relatively calm, funny guy. Ben is my high-strung, sometimes angry, really cute funny guy. Sometimes I feel like all I do is complain about Ben's problems and praise Joey when that is not really how life is. Joey can tend to be whiny. Ben cracks me up with how he pronounces things still. They are just so different and have such different needs that I don't think I'll ever be able to treat them "equally." Is that ok? Are they going to grow up and hate each other? Or me? Do they even notice or care?

My Addictions

I have many addictions, and although none of them are dangerous to my health (at least in the traditional sense), they do take up a chunk of my time.


There are the big ones, like scrapbooking and reading. If I don't have a book in hand and another waiting for me I feel lost. And I am constantly shopping for new scrapbook goodies, tools or ideas.


Then there's cereal. I loove cereal. I can eat it for at least two meals a day. And I love getting new cereals. When something new comes out, I am right on top of checking it out. Lately I have been eating Fiber One's Caramel Crunch, Special K Fruit and Berries, Toasted Oatmeal Squares (they have a new Maple and Brown Sugar flavor), and sometimes Kashi Blueberry Morning. Yummy. Now I need to go have a bowl of cereal.


Exercise. This one is wierd, I know, but when I get going I HAVE to exercise everyday or I think about it constantly until I can.


Yummy smells. I can't stand stink. I have a very sensitive nose (ask my husband) and yucky smells drive me bonkers. So I use candles, air fresheners, and fabric refreshers. I love Yankee candles and hate cheap off-brand candles. I like the new Febreeze air fresheners that have two different alternating scents because you can always smell them. I also like to spray my sheets with a scent before bed.


Quiet. Some people like white noise like a fan in the background. Not me. I love complete silence. The dehumidifier in the basement drives me crazy. The clock ticking in the living room when I'm trying to read sometimes puts me right over the edge. And don't get me started on the exhaust fan in the bathroom.


Chocolate. Duh. 'Nuf said.


Learning. This goes along with reading, but I love the thrill of figuring out something new, whether it be a new way to edit pictures, finding a new ancestor, a new child development theory, or just a new big word. I love it. If I felt like I had the time, I think I would go back to school just for fun.


Blogs and blogging. Do I really need to say how awesome it is to keep up with people I love (whether I know them or not) and express myself through writing on a regular basis? Some people think it is impersonal and perhaps egotistical to think people want to read about the boring details of your life, but I like reading the boring details of other peoples lives. And I still have personal connections, this is just another outlet.


Do you have weird addictions? Tell me about them.

Cleanliness

My house is quite possibly the cleanest it has been since we moved in. Today I finally got to the nasty bathroom and got down on my hands and knees to scrub the floor around the toilet. Do you know what it is like to have 3 boys using a toilet? Nasty. Double nasty. And triple nasty. And none of them knows how to clean up after themselves. I also cleaned out the medicine cabinets, the drawers under the sink and the linen closet. On my to-do list yet is mop the kitchen floor and clean out some more closets. Probably won't get those done before the kids get home, but I'm on a roll now so I feel good about the prospects.
Tomorrow I'm meeting my school co-workers to write thank-yous from Carol's memorials. Apparently we have over 250 to write. After that I'm going scrapbooking for a few hours and then the boys will be home. I am missing them a little bit, especially after I talk to them on the phone. They sound so big on the phone. This break was nice, but I'm ready to go back to being a Mom again.

I'm Having Some Time to Myself

Sometimes it is hard to get motivated to blog, but I think I've got it now....
The boys left with Grandma and Grandpa on Sunday afternoon and the biggest thing I've been doing is CLEANING. I'm doing one room a day and really cleaning things that haven't seen the light of day for an embarrassing amount of time. I worked on the kitchen tonight, scrubbed out the sink and behind it, under the toaster oven, everything is off the counter, it looks really good. Sunday was the living room. I bought new slipcovers for the chairs and pretty much just straightened and vacuumed. And washed the windows. Eww. Tomorrow is the bathroom. I hate the bathroom. Can someone come do the bathroom for me? The thing about the bathroom is that even if I scrub it from top to bottom it will be dirty again in just a few days. At least the living room and kitchen are relatively low-maintenance for a while.
Anyway, I also worked yesterday and today. It was traumatic- I had to break up 2 fights. I have never seen such violence from such young children. I think I have the rest of the week off, and Daddy might take a night off so we can do something while the kids are gone. He wants to do stinkin research and I'm really not into that right now. What else do grown-ups without kids do on a day off? We've gotten to where we just have no clue. Plus not a lot of $ to spend right now. But we did go to the 10:45PM movie Sunday night. Hancock. It was ok, but the best thing was just the adventure of going to a movie that late. And I met some girls at Tumbleweeds last night for dinner, enjoying myself without watching the clock for when I should go home.
So I'll let you know what we decide, and hopefully it won't be just to sit around at home all day, although my house is looking pretty spiffy right now...

My New Header

I was playing with scrapblog, which I found from Nitty Gritty's blog, and I made this title for my blog. I actually was trying to do it for a while last night and it kept fighting with me so I had to start over this afternoon. I like it. I'm going to play on there some more when I have some more free time. Check it out.

Rainbow

Caught this tonight between the thunderstorms. I got one pic, but when I started to focus for another it was already gone. The boys were excited but they tell me they've seen one before.

The One With Lots of Links

I worked out last night! With this summer schedule (or lack thereof) I had been having a real hard time finding the right motivation. Before last night it had been almost 2 weeks since my last workout. Bad. Once you stop it's that much harder to get started again. So last night I had an hour before dinner. I plugged in my new Gym In A Box DVD (don't really like it, back to Jillian today), and did a 45 minute cardio routine. It felt so good. Why did I stop?

Also this week all I'm working is swim lessons. I smell so much like a chlorine tablet, even after showering. But the job is cush. Except today when my student didn't take his adderol before class. He was a bit on the wild side.

Friday it's zoo or bust! I bought the membership to Brookfield and I am going to get some use out of it. We have to get back to stingray bay, we didn't see the dolphin show the first time, and I'd like to see the monkeys again. (Hopefully we'll be joined by some friends, too.)

Today we went to see Circus Boy at Sinnissippi Park. The weather was beautiful, but the act wasn't worth writing home about.

Next week the boys are going camping with Grandma all week. Looking forward to the break. I hope I use my time wisely. Self, I say, please try to do something worthwhile with your time next week.

We got the school calendar in the mail the other day. The boys start school on August 20th! It's already coming up fast. Joey will go from 8:15 to 2:40 every day and Ben will go from 11:50 to 2:40 every day. Ben might also go to my school MWF mornings from 9-11. It sounds like a lot, but I think it will be good for him. The problem will be figuring out lunch in between.

I just finished reading Clean and Simple Scrapbooking The Sequel by Cathy Zielske. Yes, I started with the second one, but it happened to be at the library last time. Now I requested a whole bunch of books from the library (free is good) to get some new ideas. I really like Cathy's style and Stacy Julian (I have The Big Picture already). Anything that said Simple Scrapbooks on it, I requested. Now I'll probably overwhelm myself with ideas and projects that I can't get done. I already know that I need to take more pictures of the everyday stuff. And I'm doing more pages about myself, which involves not always being the one behind the camera. I did my page about learning the guitar the other night. Turned out real cute:)

How Many of You Are There?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 1 or fewer people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

A Week of Firsts

I've already written about Joey's first ambulance ride and my first new car in & years, but here are some more firsts we've had the last few days:




First time getting pulled over Yep, 15 years of driving and this was a first. The story: We were exploring the new car, kids sitting in the "trunk", wiping down the leather when Daddy had this brilliant idea of "Why don't we take it out and put some gas in it?" We hadn't registered the car yet because we got the title the night before and this was the holiday, but since we were just going to the gas station we figured no biggie. Daddy even thought we might not need car seats. Fortunately I ix-nayed that idea. Since I hadn't even driven my new car yet, I took the drivers seat and we headed out. Once we got on the road we decided not to go to the closest gas station but to go up 251 to the cheaper gas. First major intersection Joey says "there's the police." I thought nothing of it because they were several cars back. But when we turned onto 173, there she was behind me. She followed me onto 251, then went around for a minute, then pulled back in behind me and there went the lights. She just asked what happened to our registration and after we explained and she checked th VIN she sent us on our way. Thats the story of my first time being pulled over.







First time we got good seats and watched the fireworks uninturrupted It has really become quite a comedy in our house that we are never prepared with a place to watch the fireworks. The last few years we have driven towards downtown and parked on the side of the road then watched them from the car. Last year was the worst. We found a place at Sinnissippi and waited and waited, decided we couldn't see them and started for home only to realize that they hadn't started yet and we missed the whole thing. Well this year I decided not to worry so much. What will be will be. At about 8:30 we headed out and decided to try a cemetery I had heard about across from the park. We got there and parked at the top of a hill. The boys did sparklers for a few minutes, then we pulled out the chairs for the show. It was perfect. There was no one around (perhaps scared of a cemetery after dark) and we had a great view. Joey loved it, Ben ran around. Whatever.



First time at the driving range since having kids I've been begging for this for awhile. I really like hitting balls, but it involves a babysitter to avoid catastrophe (just use your imagination). So when grandma was over yesterday we decided to head out. I actually did pretty well, hitting consistently between 50 and 100 yards. Today though, I am sore. And I have multiple blisters on my hand. But it was fun and I can't wait to go again.



First time eating at Old Chicago For some reason we had never been there before. It was pretty good. The boys liked it.



First time working a 40 hour week in a year Sorry to all the full-time workin mommas, but I've been part time for a year now and really like it. My summer job is kinda crazy though and I ended up working 9 and 10 hour days all week. Next week sounds better- just 2 hours 3 days and 1 full day.



First time attending the Contemporary Service at Church I don't know what it was, but I was very emotional at church and just really appreciated the music we sang. It was beautiful singing with the very small group that was in attendance today.

Happy 4th of July!

There's A New Car In My Garage

I just need to say up front that it is not the car of my dreams (any of them), but it is newer and it is in much better condition than my old car. It is the same car as my old car, though, which also did not thrill me. But we got a good deal, it has a cd changer, leather seats, a third row, no flaws, etc, etc. So...introducing my new gold Mercury Sable Wagon. Woo-hoo.
Ok, the pictures aren't so good. I'll take better ones outside in the daytime later.

And here is what remains of Joey's "adventure". I am still trying to get all the dried blood out of his hair, but the cut only seems to bother him if I touch it or he tries to lay down.

He's Just Fine

Well Sarah really says it all on her blog, but Joey had quite an adventure last night. He had his first ride in an ambulance (mine too) after falling off the bleachers and cracking his head at Jacob's baseball game. I will admit that I completely panicked when I saw the amount of blood coming out of his head and all over his hands. The thing I remember now is that he wasn't even crying that hard. His head didn't hurt so much as the blood freaked him out. He said later that he thought the bench had water on it and he got wet, but when he felt it he saw blood on his hands. And you know I had just gotten done telling them not to play on the top of the bleachers because I was nervous that they would fall and get hurt. Well, he didn't fall off the top, he reassured me several times. He was siting with his knees up to his chest and lost his balance. He only hit his head on the next bleacher (we think). Imagine if it had been the concrete 4 feet down. So that "possible" baseball game turned into quite a crazy night. At least we saw Jacob make a few plays. And thank God Joey wasn't hurt too badly. After we got home and took a bath last night, I decided we should take one more minute and pray our thanks that this incident turned out as well as it did. Makes me extra thankful for their good health every other day of the year.

Phew

I've been playing with my pictures on Photoshop Elements again. I really like how these turned out.

Saturday we had swim lessons, and I worked at the same time. Daddy came to watch and both boys did a great job. As soon as we were done we headed into Chicago for Daddy's brother's High School Graduation party. It was good to see his brothers and sister, but jeez do they have some ornery grandmas. There was lots of avoiding and complaining and I was ready to leave within an hour of arriving. The boys were obliviously playing on the trampoline the whole time we were there. We finally left at about 7, and got home close to 9:15. I realized at Belvidere that I had forgotten my camera. Grrr. So one of those ornery, I mean kind, Grandmas had to bring it to me Sunday. Phew. At least someone else had to drive out here. So when we got home I headed right back out to scrap night. I can count on one hand the number of times I have started my evening after nine o'clock. Used to be I was in bed by then. I'm glad I went even though I didn't bring anything to work on because there were all kinds of birthday presents waiting for me. Thanks girls for all the goodies. I had to take my gift cards yesterday and spend them. I just got some little stuff and some card stock. Also stopped at Kohl's because I was down to one bra that I liked. I hate bra shopping. After my shopping I came home and decided to organize all my scrap stuff. I stole a case with compartments from Daddy's fishing supplies and put all my small embellishments in one place. Then I played a bit with my cricut. I haven't finished a page, but I have lots of ideas swirling around for it. I also played on ebay for a bit (any longer and I'd be broke). I got a new cartridge and some vinyl so I can make stickers for the walls, probably mostly at school for now.

Today I had to work all the way on the other side of town at 7:45 so I had to leave at 7:15. I knew it would be hard to get up this morning because I'm used to sleeping in the last few weeks, so I tried to go to bed at a reasonable hour. And laid there for 2 hours. Then Ben woke up with an asthma attack at 3. Then I was awake at 5. And 6. Part of it was me being nervous because I was starting at a new place. I better get used to it because I am floating all summer. So I got there at 7:45 and got off at 5:15. Long day for a girl who has been working part-time (sorry Jacque). But I really loved working with my participant. He is such a sweetheart, just very delayed speech. Tomorrow and Wednesday I go back there all day. Tonight we're about to head to the library, then (possibly) to watch a baseball game. Tomorrow Daddy is test-driving a car for me. Not the car of my dreams, but managable. I'll give more details if we get it. I'm tired of getting my hopes up and then nothing, so I'm trying not to think about it too much. Look for a new post soon about Daddy and his ummm, craziness.

I'm Bored

The boys went with Grandma to Iowa for today and tomorrow and I hate to say it but I'm bored out of my mind. I worked this morning at school and this afternoon at the Park District, read for a while and watched a Grey's rerun and now I have nothing to do. I want to work out but I'm not feeling it. I should get groceries while I'm by myself, but see previous sentence. So here I am typing blather on my blog. I still can't get pictures to upload, ggrrr. Oh, wait, look at that. I got one. Now let me try some more...
Here's Ben showing off at gymnastics. The skills seem to come naturally, we just have to work on listening and staying on track.

And swim lessons. Same problems. We do call him tadpole when he gets in the big pool, though 'cause that kid can move.Here's Joey at his big boy lessons. He's really tiny and can't reach the bottom, but he is doing really well at trying everything.

Can't get much cuter than that. I remember how cute it was when he first got his teeth, and now it's cute that he is losing them. Mostly he's pretty cute all the time ;)

And here are both my cuties and their cousin Ana climbing in trees at the Father's Day family picnic.

Saturday is Daddy's brother Jeff's graduation party in Chicago, then I'm hoping we get back in time for some scrappin at Sarahs. Sunday I'm thinkin Magic Waters, and we're going to try for a zoo trip this week. Joey really likes the Music in the Park that is every Tuesday and Thursday, so we are going to try to get to those again, and I want to check out Imagination Station on Wednesday.

My Friend Carol

I want to share some things about Carol today. I had been struggling with the why's of the whole situation, but some events in the last couple of days have shown me that the why isn't as important as the Who and Where. Let me explain. Today, rather than attend a funeral, we had a Celebration of Life. It was quite a celebration. We all tried to wear Carol's favorite color of teal or turquoise, there really wasn't alot of crying, and there was a deep message from everyone that Carol lived her life the way we all should try to live up to. Her Faith came first, her family a close second, then all children, but everyone else she met were right up there as well. We had an opportunity to share memories of Carol during the service and the recurring theme was that Carol had helped so many people in tough times just with her lovingness, her faith, and her attention. She greeted everyone with delight, she never had a negative word to say about anyone, she never had a down day, really she was just wonderful. And we are not saying these things because she died. This is how she lived her life, and if I can take just one step towards living my life the way she did I will be a much better person. Her Mother got up to share with us that Carol has been this way from the very beginning, and that after hearing what everyone had to say, she believes that it is ok that God took Carol because she has lived a life more full than most of the rest of us. I agree. She did so much work for Jesus here on earth, I hope she is up there just singing her heart out.
My personal story about how Carol affected my life starts on almost my first day of work. I had been struggling with the transition from my other job and really felt apart from everyone. I was sad and close to crying. When I shared this with Carol (as we were walking down the stairs), she stopped, took my hands and said a prayer for me. I had never had that experience of someone just dropping everything to pray for little old me. I started loving her that day. Then throughout the year when I would walk in her room in the morning, she just lit up. She always seemed so happy to see me and I felt so special and loved. She even made comments that she missed me when we had a long weekend. My heart was full around Carol, and I think everyone who knew her agrees. What I would like to take from the loss of my friend is a commitment to be kinder, friendlier, and more open with the people around me. If just a little bit of her lives on in those of us who are left, it will be worth it.
What I also came to understand is that faith is so very important. Because of their faith, Carol's family is sad but not broken. They know that she is in heaven celebrating with the ones who went before her and that they will see her soon enough. They are able to go with their lives, having babies, getting married, being a teenager, knowing that she is watching over them.
I also want to share a passage from the novel I happened to be reading during all this. I don't think it was a coincidence and this really helped me. It is from The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs:
"I believe that sometimes medical issues just happen-they're not cosmic tests; they're not retribution for all the naughty things you've done over a lifetime," he said. "It's not some moral righting of the universe. It's just something going wonky with the wiring."
"Okay, and..."
"And I think God cries when we're in pain; he cries with us and he supports us. But I also believe he stands back and lets us sort things out. Lets the doctors do their work. Lets your body heal itself."
"And if it doesn't?"
"Then he welcomes you with open arms. God isn't really about the body, you know-he's about the soul."
"So if I pray hard enough I'll get better?"
"No, no, that's not what I mean at all. Praying isn't a form of divine insurance. It's just a way of communicating, just a way of opening your heart."

So I believe that Carol was welcomed to heaven with open arms, and that she lived with a perpetually open heart. (I really enjoyed that book, by the way, you should read it.) I will miss her, but I hope to come away from this experience a better, stronger person.

Take This Quiz - Updates Later

I took this quiz from Jacque. I don't know if I am that much of a risk-taker, but I do think it is important to love your job. Go ahead, take the quiz and see where you end up.

I'm a Talent!

You're a risk-taker, and you follow your passions. You're determined to take on the world and succeed on your own terms. Whether in the arts, science, engineering, business, or politics, you fearlessly express your own vision of the world. You're not afraid of a fight, and you're not afraid to bet your future on your own abilities. If you find a job boring or stifling, you're already preparing your resume. You believe in doing what you love, and you're not willing to settle for an ordinary life.

Talent: 59%
Lifer: 36%
Mandarin: 46%

Take the Talent, Lifer, or Mandarin quiz.


PS. I've been trying to upload pictures the last few days with no success. As soon as I can do that I'll give an update. Also, the Celebration of Carol's Life is today. At the visitation last night, I stood in line for over an hour. She was well-loved and will be sorely missed.

Sad News

Carol went home with Jesus last night. Please help me pray for her family and friends to be comforted in this difficult time.

Happy Birthday Joey!

My big boy is six years old today. I remember like it was yesterday going to the hospital to have him, and here he is almost grown up. Well, getting there anyways. And he is about to lose his first tooth. We're hoping it comes out today so he can remember it that way. We're not having a party, just family over for cake later, but he gets to choose where we eat for lunch and dinner and pick out a toy at Toys R Us. I'm sure that will be an adventure because he is into Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda right now and does not make quick decisions.
So here's to my little man. I hope the growing up slows down soon. I can't even blink or I'll miss it. First grade, handstands, swimming, dodgeball, friends, sleepovers all coming up.

The New Job

Oh man, sorry I haven't been around lately. It's the summer bug. I started my job this week and just getting into doing something new is always stressful. The job itself is pretty easy- I get to play games with a bunch of kids for 4 hours a day. We played dodgeball, capture the flag, foursquare, ships and sailors, kickball, and camoflage in the last two days. I haven't had any specific kids assigned to me yet, but there is one that I think I'll be working with starting tomorrow. He seems like he'll be fun, just a ball of energy.
The boys started swim lessons on Saturday. They both did great, although Joey is a little short for the big pool.
K.. I'm actually at a loss for what else to talk about. We are heading out to Concert in the Park in a bit, so I'll try to think of something to add later.

Like, Stuff

*The boys started gymnastics last night. Ben is in the Little Stars with 5 other girls, which I think is better because he has a better role model. He did really, really well. He listened to his teacher and when he did get distracted and start to wander, he came right back when she called him. Joey is in Boys Sport Readiness with 2 other boys. I am so glad I put him in this. He gets lots of one-on-one, he's already doing new things, he loves it and so far wants to do it forever, and hopefully he can make some friends in the process.
*This morning Ben got screened for preschool. He pretty much refused to do anything for a while, wouldn't separate from me, and even when he started participating he refused to do anything he wasn't sure he could do right. So based on that, he was admitted to Parker Center for the fall. Mostly I am very happy that he got in because I know he needs the extra help and I've faced the reality that I am not providing it. I'm just a little sad that my baby needs extra help and I can't solve it by myself for him. We haven't been able to get him in for the psych eval, so this makes me feel a little better that we are taking steps.
*Last night the whole staff at my school got together to discuss what we are going to do next year. We know now that Carol will not be back, so we can start to figure out who is going to take her place. Some of the ladies who have been there for 25 years or more feel very uncomfortable having someone new or young take over. This really is directed at me since I am the only director-qualified staff right now. The whole situation is just very difficult because no one wants to hurt anyone's feelings, but they also don't want anything to change. I actually don't have hurt feelings over being told that they don't want me to take over. I can step back and see their point, plus I really don't feel prepared for the position. One solution we are talking about is having 2 people be co-directors, but there are issues that go along with that too.
*On the subject of birthdays: I wasn't really going to talk about it on here because I don't want to be like "It's my birthday, please acknowledge!" But tomorrow I will be IN my thirties. Last year when I turned 30 it wasn't a big deal to me. I felt like I was in a good place in my life and doing the things I wanted to do when I was 30. But now I'm going to be IN my thirties. Thirty-one. That's old. And these past two weeks I've been in training for my summer job with mostly 16 to 18 year olds. They are babies. Seriously. Did I act like that? I don't think. Oh man, now I really sound old. But these kids were born when I was in high school. They were born in the 90's. Oh. My. God. I need to stop. No more thinking about it. Goodbye.

Quick

Gotta say real quick that I am lovin my blog list.

And I forgot to talk about Joey's report card: All S's except one P in learning center for listening. I think the librarian gave that to everyone. My smart wonderful boy.

Summer Changes

I just got reprimanded for not updating my blog in a while...sorry. Daddy got home Thursday night, and it has been an adjustment getting used to all of our new schedules. I have been training for my summer job along with stopping by my school job every couple of days to check mail and messages. Joey had his last day of school Friday which was bittersweet. He's getting so big and he really enjoyed Kindergarten. I hope he loves First grade just as much. Daddy started working nights today so we are really messed up on time right now. To me it feels like early afternoon right now even though it is almost 6. We're not really sure what we're going to do for dinner during this time because I don't really like cooking for just the three of us and I don't want him eating fast food every night. Wednesday the boys start their gymnastics classes and Saturday is their first swimm lesson of the season. I noticed the pool was open when i drove by today, so hopefully we'll be able to go soon for a swim (maybe when all these thunderstorms and tornados finally go away).
I just want to briefly talk about my training today. It was crisis prevention and intervention training, and I got some great tips for dealing with situations that I'm sure I will encounter this summer. But...I was a little distracted. The instructor told us from the beginning that she talks really fast and boy does she. She would tell us some thing, then finish with "Know what I mean?" except it came out "knowdmean?". Once I noticed this quirk I also noticed that she said it alot. Like every sentence. At one point I started counting before I decided that would be too obnoxious. But I really had a hard time focusing on what she was telling us because I was waiting for "knowdmean?"
On another topic...I did it again. those of you that have known me for a while know that I am "slow to warm up." I'm shy and I have a hard time starting conversations with people I don't know. Pretty much every job I've had, once I get to know people they tell me that they used to think I was a b**** because I didn't talk to them. Well, I'm not a b*** at least not intentionally but I apparently don't give good first impressions. I thought I was getting better, and I know I'm getting better about confrontations, but one of my coworkers at my school job sat me down today and had a very (brutally) honest conversation with me about how I came off to her in the beginning. She said she eventually figured out that I didn't mean it, but in the meantime she thought I didn't like her. I just wish people would talk to me sooner so I can assure them that my intentions are good, but I'm still working on my communication skills. I need to wear a sign: "beware- personality may appear meaner than true self." It sucks-I know that I have this flaw and I don't seem to be able to fix it. Baby steps. I'm still trying. Also, I am very tender. I know you are saying "Really?" in this really sarcastic voice right now. But really, I feel horrible that this person was offended for that long and I didn't know and I didn't fix it. I'm going to dwell on this for a while now.

So was that a good update? I'm still here, just trying to adjust to lots of changes.

And if you haven't seen Carol's updates: they seem to be getting ready to say good-bye to her. Her whole family is back in town and they have taken her off life support. She is being kept comfortable. It is very sad, but her family is so strong in their faith. They know that she is going to walk with Jesus and she will be waiting for them when they get there. Please still help me pray for strength for the family for these next days and weeks of grief.

Life Continues

In less than 24 hours Daddy wil be home! The last two weeks have gone pretty fast, and it was nice that I had my sister and my MIL to help me out, but I am so ready for Daddy to take back some of the routine. I cannot imagine how single Moms do it. I would very quickly lose my mind without my other half. The bed has also been pretty lonely, and the last few nights I've had a really hard time sleeping. Last night I actually got up at 3 in the morning to pay a bill I realized I had forgotten. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep better tomorrow night.

I got my heart rate monitor the other day and have been using it to work out. The one thing I've learned is that I'm burning way less calories than what I was calculating. That and that fact that I've been hungry all the time lately might account for why I haven't lost any weight in several weeks. I also learned that when I do my cardio, like Jillian or Tae bo, my heart rate goes way higher than my "target heart rate". I actually have to slow down from what I normally can do, but I need to figure out a way to do a longer workout. I think I'm going to try doing a video in the morning and elliptical in the evening to burn more calories. I am not a dieter and I refuse to cut back my intake any more. We'll see.

I get to go to Joey's school tomorrow for "Portfolio Day." He's going to show me what he's been doing all year, I guess. He's pretty excited about it because he said that he and his friends cleaned their room today and made a welcome sign. Then Friday is report card day and his last day. They have an hour on Monday, but it is not mandatory, there is no transportation, and I will be in training, so Friday will be Joey's last day of Kindergarten. Acckk. It's ok, I still have one more baby to go through it. I think it will be more traumatic in 3 years when Ben is done because then there will be no more. I've hemmed and hawed about another baby, but I'm back on the I'm done side. Anyway...I've been really good about giving teacher gifts all year, and of course I don't have anything ready for tomorrow. I'm thinking about making a card with my cricut, and running out for gift cards in the morning. I do appreciate, as a teacher, my gift cards. Yeah, that'll work.

We're still praying hard for Carol. Not too much news today, good or bad.

Ok, now it's 11:30, but here are the cards I made. Pretty cute, I think.

We Need A Miracle

We are not getting good news about Carol. It seems the Doctors think she is going to stay in the almost vegetative state until the other brain tumors kill her. We've been so hopeful despite all the negatives, but the latest update sounds so devastating. I am having a hard time understanding why God is taking such a warm, joyful, faithful servant as Carol. We need her here. Her family needs her here. She has so much left to do. So now we are praying for a miracle. A big one. God, please hear us. Your will be done, but please, please bring her back.

Kids...

Funny stories I have to share before I forget:
Ben just grabbed my measuring tape off the desk (I use it frequently. It has to be out at all times. That half inch I'm going to lose next week is the difference between life and death.) He said " I found your mejister."
"What?"
"The thing to see how high you are."
"But what is it called?"
"A mejister. It mejurs you."
"Oh. A mejister. I understand now."

The other day Ben saw a car that he said looked like his Grandpa's. Joey said Grandpa has a Jeep (he does), and I pointed out that this particular car was a Saturn. One of them asked me why we don't have a car like that. I told them I don't want a Saturn, I want a Mazda. Joey said "yeah, but Daddy wants you to have a Tortoise." Well, yes, Daddy has been pushing a Taurus.

Ok, one more not so funny:
I was just giving myself a pat on the back this afternoon for how well we've done with Daddy gone for two weeks (he gets back Thursday). Then everyone decided to go on a rampage. I spilled the milk gallon all over the floor, Joey waited for me to get it all cleaned and the floor mopped then dumped his plant and dirt from school all over the floor. Ben has been absolutely wild today. He's made Joey cry several times, and he ripped my tablecloth. I must admit that none of that sounds that bad, but I no longer get to praise myself for my patience. There was some "slight" voice raising and a "short" time-out for all of us. Tomorrow is another day.

We're Goin to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

Yesterday we picked up Ti-ti (she lives right by the Brookfield Zoo) and headed to the zoo for the day. When we went to buy tickets, there was a sign for memberships. For about the price of two visits you could buy a years membership and get free parking, free admission, free tickets to the children's zoo and play zoo, a free guest pass every visit, and discounts on everything else. I decided to go for it, and I know it is going to be so worth it. We won't have to worry about bringing a bunch of extra money every time we go, and we can do just the things we want to without worrying about getting our money's worth.

They had this awesome new area called Stingray Bay. We got to hang out around the edge of a pool and touch stingrays as they swam past. Ben loved it from the beginning, and Joey just had to be convinced that they wouldn't sting him. We stayed for about an hour, and the boys were soaking wet by the time we left, but it was really cool.

This guy was a show-off. He kept popping his head out of the water and then he would slowly swim towards us until we could reach him, then move down to the next visitors.
Here's the coolest part of the day for the grown-ups: We got to watch baby pigs being born! The boys didn't care, but we found it fascinating.

And my personal favorite is always the gorillas. I love to watch their "human" qualities. Another treat for us: we were there when they were being fed. It was funny watching the little ones try to battle it out for a piece of food. And a couple of times a bigger one tried to take the little one's food, but they ran faster. The zookeeper tried to throw a piece right to the biggest gorilla, but he missed and it hit his arm. The look of indignation was just hilarious. For several minutes after that, he would rub his arm and look over to the zookeeper.So if anyone ever wants to go to the zoo, I have guest passes:)

Yay!!

It's here!! My Cricut arrived in the mail today and I have been checking it out. I can see already that I am going to have to spend more money to really enjoy it, but there are a few things I can do right now.

Ben really just liked the packing peanuts that came in the box. I let him play while I opened my new toy.

Unfortunately they are very static-y and it was a big mess to clean up. They were in his clothes, his ears, all over the kitchen. Then he decided to start breaking them into teeny tiny static pieces.
Oy. At least he had fun:)

And here is me playing my pink guitar. (Or trying anyway). Don't ya love it?

Now I'm waiting for some purchases to arrive from Creating Keepakes and from Dick's Sporting Goods (I had a gift card - I got a heart rate monitor and some new crocs.)

Last night and Tuesday night I had some training for my new summer job. I really cannot wait to get started. I am going to be working with inclusion services for the Park District, so basically I get to play with kids outside all day. My kind of job. At training, though, I realized that most people who need a summer Park District job are either just out of high school or still in it. I felt a little old. All of the coordinators are about 20, maybe. And they're guys. And they're goofy. Should be interesting.

OMG

I am a bad, bad girl. I was just playing on ebay and I bought the Cricut Expression!!! (Picture me with my hands over my mouth.) I really didn't intend to spend that much, but it was such a deal! And I was getting really pi$$ed when people outbid me at the last second. So I showed them. Yeah..... Okay. I think I might be done shopping for the next 2 weeks. Or months. Or maybe years. Is it tax time yet? Anybody need anything that they'd like to pay me for?
My pages are going to be real cute now, and I plan to use it at work, too. Oohh, maybe work will pay for it. Hee, hee.
Wow, that was about the most spontaneous thing I've ever done. I think I might be high. Can I send it back? Oh man, I've lost my mind. I can't spend that kind of money.
Wait a minute. Yes I can. It will be worth it. I'll get lots of use out of it. And I'm saving money in so many other ways (like not going to England with my husband).
Well now that I've talked myself into and out of that seven times, I think I'm good. I can't wait til it gets here, though. Woo hoo. I am woman, hear me roar. And then cower. And then roar again. No, I really don't have a split personality. Really.

I Jinxed Myself

So I stayed up pretty late last night which was an invitation for my kid to get sick. Ben woke up twice gasping and grunting with a pretty bad asthma attack. Both times I gave him his inhaler (thank goodness we don't have to do a 15 minute neb treatment anymore), and he was able to calm down enough to get some sleep. I could tell, though, that we would be needing the Dr in the morning. I called his regular Dr hoping we could get in, but no, they said head to immediate care. Fortunately Grandma was still at our house from my late night last night and was able to watch Joey while I took Ben (never, never, never take both boys to the Dr's office). The wait wasn't too bad and Ben was actually fairly subdued for the first while. Once we got into a room he started getting rambunctious, but the Dr came in pretty quick. Asthma attacks are serious enough to get us quick help. He listened and said that one lung was pretty rattly, then checked his ears and asked the $1,000,000 question: "Does he get ear infections often?" Why yes, pretty much every time we do this routine that seems to be a problem. So Ben is now on antibiotics and steroids for the next five days and we had quite a boring day at home today. Although I did organize all my pictures and created one scrap page with my new goodies.
Tomorrow we hope to get out to see Jim Gill. My sister is running a half-marathon in Madison, but I don't think we'll make it up there.

I'm Sleepy but...

It's real late, but I want to let everyone know that Carol now has a caringbridge website. I added the link on the left. The Drs now seem more hopeful that she will wake up. They are keeping her in a "twilight" sleep for the next few days to allow more healing, though.

Also, hubby had his first day in London. He is downloading pictures to snapfish each day. If you'd like to look, click here. Today he ended his email by saying Cheers. Obnoxious. That's ok, I had quite a shopping spree in Chicago tonight, and I have plans for even more shopping in the next few days.

Updates

Carol had a better day yesterday. The numbers that need to come down are coming down, she is responding to pain, and she fluttered her eyes like she was trying to wake up. The family is able to go in the room with her now and talk to her and touch her. (Did I tell you that they had to look at her through a window for 3 days?) Graduation and programs went well. It was crazy how many people came to graduation. We have a pretty big sanctuary and it was overflowing (and HOT). It was a lot of fun, though, especially since I was not responsible.

Today hubby takes off for his trip to England. He's really nervous about his flight over the ocean. I'm starting to feel like I'm really going to miss him. We haven't been apart for this long in the 14 years we've been together. (Yesterday was our 14 year anniversary. Do you think we did anything? Nope, too much going on.) His Uncle has been here the last few days visiting before they leave. Uncle has not really ever been around kids too much, so he is really overwhelmed with the energy level in our house. I just sit back and watch as he tries to corral Ben. Of course the boys love him and so they climb all over him. Today they wanted him to make their breakfast even though I was standing right there.

Tomorrow Grandma is watching the boys so I can go into Chicago with the girls for dinner and shopping. I can't wait. I plan to spend some money while daddy is gone and here is my perfect opportunity.

Ok It's awfully quiet upstairs. I better go tend to the yahoos.

Keep those prayers coming!

Carol has not woken up from her surgery yet. The Doctors do not seem hopeful, but the family maintains their faith. We did a lot of praying in groups today, so God should have heard us. A coworker and I went up to visit the family at the hospital tonight. They are staying in good spirits and being so strong. So just please keep praying. Right now, we are taking it one step at a time: pray for her to wake up. We just need her to wake up and be with us again. Once that happens, we will pray about the next step.

New Pics

I haven't downloaded pictures in a while, so here are some from the last few weeks.


Joey finally learned to pump his legs on the swing, so now he goes out there every day after school to show us his skills. He can stay out there for hours if I let him. (And sometimes I do)

Ben decided he wanted to ride his bike and this is his "outfit." He is such a nut:) He's got his winter hat under his helmet, then a backpack just in case he needs something while he's out there, and of course crocs are the best biking shoes.
We went fishing a few weeks ago and I thought I could get some great pictures of the boys in the grass by the river. Um...no. The sun was too bright, Ben was too busy, there was too much to do to just sit there and pose. So this is the best I could do. Bleh. Maybe next time.

My boss: Last year she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had treatment over the summer and when school started in the fall she was cancer free. Well, Wednesday she got real sick. Dizzy, light-headed, just knew something wasn't right. She went to the Dr and they said inner ear infection. Thurday she was worse, and Friday they had to call an ambulance. By Friday afternoon, we found out that she had 7 brain tumors and that only 2 of them were operable. She had surgery last night on the 2 tumors and they were found to be cancerous. Right now we're waiting to hear what treatment is going to be, and we are trying to maintain hope. Our Pastor announced the news this morning in church, then a song was played for her and we all prayed together. Everyone loves her soooo much and we are so devastated by this news. Even the Pastor was crying when he was talking to us. So please lift Carol and her family up in your prayers often. That is all we can do right now.

Please Pray!

My boss is ill, very ill, and it does not look very good. Please help me pray for her and her family as they go through this difficult time.

Hi There

Sorry I haven't been back since Mother's Day. The rest of the day went fine. Ben only puked the one time and was fine the rest of the day. Kinda wierd but... We ended up going bowling in the afternoon, and then my Mom and sister came over for a bit.
I've been working, working, working on getting the end of the year stuff done for school. I have to do 3 different programs, plus now I offered to do the one for the 4's. I had to print out diplomas for everyone. Pull together their portfolios. Practice the program. Report cards. Clean the room. ...Ok it doesn't sound as bad as it is. I only have the kids for 2 hours twice a week. Makes it real hard to do assessments for 15 kids in that time period.
But the good news is I am done in one week and one day. Then it is off to my cushy summer job, playing outside with kids and no other responsibilities. I cannot wait. The boys are signed up for swimming and gymnastics over the summer. They are very excited about that. We are planning a zoo trip while Daddy is in England, and I also want to take the kids to the Young at Heart Festival. Other than that we won't be doing too much because Joey still has school every afternoon.
One last news note: today I got a comment from a blog "celebrity" Cardiogirl visited and left a comment about puke on Mother's Day. So cool. Sometimes it's scary to realize that there are people I don't know actually reading what I write. Then I look at what I write and wonder why. I'm pretty boring. But thanks for reading and thinking I'm not too boring.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends who are also wonderful mothers. Also to my Mom even though she doesn't read this.

Just need to say that my Mother's Day isn't starting out the best- Ben is throwing up and Daddy can't even be in the room with it or he says he'll throw up too. So I never really had in mind to be cleaning up my kid's puke on Mother's Day, but that's really what being a Mom is all about, right? Doing stuff for your kids when you'd rather be doing just about anything else.

I'll update if the day gets better. I did get nice cards from the boys and from hubby.

The Next Step

I've been struggling with what to write about Ben's Dr appointment yesterday. I feel like we're getting into territory that I might not want to share. But since I started, I'll finish for now. Dr asked me lots of questions about what my concerns are and seemed most concerned about potential violence since he hits and kicks and throws things without concern for consequences. She recommended the Glenwood Testing Center and sent in a referral for me. She said that they will do a thorough evaluation and will not jump straight to ADD or ADHD. Just from what I told her (and the way he was acting in the room with her) she said oppositional defiant disorder, which is what I thought from the books I got at the library. She said that it sounds like we could use some help with behavior modification, and was very careful to make sure that I didn't feel blamed. I still feel guilty, but I'm telling myself that I just need someone who is an expert to teach me how to help Ben control some of his behavior. I even made the comment that I thought I was a good Mom before he came along and she firmly told me that I am a good Mom. She's seen me enough with the kids that she felt comfortable saying that. Then I got a wonderful card in the mail today saying I am a good Mom. (Thanks!) Maybe I can be a good Mom just by having everyone believe in me. I do think that if I wasn't a "good mom," I wouldn't be going through all this trouble to get us help. It does seem like it would be easier to just keep going as we have been. All of our imperfections are going to be under a microscope to figure out what is best and that makes me pretty uncomfortable.
So right now I could really use some good thoughts (prayers if you're the type) to get us to a happier place as a family. Thanks for your support.

Asthma Walk

I have another chance for you to sponsor me. This weekend is the Asthma Walk. With my little ones suffering from asthma, I figured this would be a good cause. And the boys loved the last walk, so they are looking forward to another. I appreciate any donation. My goal is a little smaller this time, since I only have a few days to collect. Thanks.

Oh, the link is to the left (under MY Links) to donate.

Dr Adventures

Well, Ben's appointment has been rescheduled for Thursday- the Dr was out sick today, but we still had lots of Dr excitement today. Joey started saying his tummy hurt while he was eating lunch. He finished eating and went to lay down for a few minutes but had to get ready for school. He was hunched over and moaning waiting for the school bus so I suggested that he probably shouldn't go to school like that. He cried. He didn't want to miss any school. He said he would feel better. Against my better judgement I sent him to school. I came in and called his teacher right away, though, to let her know what was going on. I had planned on going to work for a while but decided to wait an hour and make sure Joey was ok. Sure enough, 20 minutes later the nurse is calling, saying Joey needs to come home. I picked him up and brought him home. Told him to just try laying down for a while and if he's not better soon we would go to the Dr. He tried going potty, but when he couldn't even pull his pants up I decided that we weren't going to take any chances. This child is never sick. If he can't pull his pants up, something is wrong. So I dropped Ben off at Grandma's (very smart, trust me), and we headed to Immediate Care. There were seriously 20 people already waiting in front of us. Oh boy. So we waited patiently to get triaged, Joey moaning the whole time. We watched several people walk in and then right back out to wait again. When it was our turn we got to go straight to a room, because they were concerned about appendicitis. Phew, I'm not being paranoid. Except as soon as the Dr came in, Joey started feeling better. He was goofing off and laughing as he was examined. (Even during the rectal exam. He said "oh, he poked my poop!") They still decided to do many tests: x-ray, blood test, pee test, and even strep test. Nothing showed up so far, and he seems fine now. He just thought we should have a little adventure today, apparently. And, just like every other time something happens, Daddy is in New Jersey.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Saturday was our all-day genealogy meeting, so not much to report from that. It was the last one until fall, though which is kind of a relief.
Sunday was the March for Babies. It was a perfect day for a walk on the bike path, and Camille's family was able to come and walk as well. Let me tell you, walking 4 miles while lugging a wagon full of rowdy boys is not easy! When we got to the one mile marker I thought there must be some mistake. Surely we had walked at least 3 miles by then. The hardest part was that last mile. My feet hurt, my hips hurt, the boys were getting restless, we somehow got stuck between a big group of teenagers.... but we finished and I was so happy to have done something 1. To help babies in general, and 2. To honor baby Camille.
They fed us hot dogs for lunch and then we headed home so Daddy could do yard work. I tried to get Ben to lay down for a nap while Joey and Daddy were outside, but the only person sleeping was me. At 5 I started making dinner and had Joey come in to wash up. At that point I realized that he had been out in the sun for about 8 hours. By now you know that I am not that diligent Mamma who puts sunscreen on her child every time he goes out. So he is a bit sunburned. But he looks pretty cute with his little red cheeks. (Is it ok to say that?) Part of the reason he stayed out for so long is the new swingset. We got a swing and a set of rings at Menards this week, and he finally learned to pump his legs to make the swing go. He could swing for hours all by himself. And Ben, who I've always thought of as my athletic one, seems to have quite a bit less endurance than his brother. I've been worrying that his little lungs have some damage from all that wheezing he did the first 3 years of his life.
So today I think we;ll head to the park since it is a nice day again, then after Joey goes to school Ben and I will head to the Dr. I have lots of questions and concerns, and hopefully she can address some of them. I have gone back to thinking that the problem is mostly with his parents and needing consistency, but I also don't think it will hurt to get him checked out.
Hubby is headed to New Jersey for work for two days, and I was supposed to have Bunco tomorrow night so it looks like I'll be home alone instead:( Tomorrow and Wednesday we have field trips to the library, Thursday and Friday we get ready for Mother's Day, and then I have only one more week until our end of the year program. I've discovered that the end of the year is very stressful. There is so much to do in such a short period of time. And as soon as we're done with school, Daddy leaves for England for two weeks. I hope everyone is still alive when he gets back!
So I don't really celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but I thought I'd throw it out there just in case.
Happy Monday anyway.

Snippets

Baby Camille has gone to heaven. She stopped fighting at about 3:00 this morning. We are praying for the family during this difficult time.

I am feeling a bit better. Ben has an appt with his regular Dr on Monday to get her opinion and then we'll probably contact the psych. to at least get him evaluated. I also checked out several books from the library about positive discipline and defiant children. I'm hoping to get some good tips from them. So far Ben matches many of the different criteria for defiant children, but does not seem to be ADD or ADHD. He is also really young for any actual diagnosis, but if we make some changes now I'm hoping not to have a "diagnosis."

Tonight is Joey's Fine Arts Fest at school. I love going to see all the great things he does when I'm not around. He's been talking about it all week. They are also hatching chicks in his classroom. He has been talking about that every day and showing me how big they are getting in their eggs.

Guitar is going good. I can tune it myself now (with the digital tuner) and pluck songs really slow. I have learned several chords and every day I am faster at switching. I'm still excited to learn and accomplish this.

That was all the snippets I could come up with from the last couple of days. Hopefully the weather clears up again soon, cause I sure was enjoying that sun.