I usually do checkups close to the kids birthdays but this year I am a month late. Sara went today and I gritted my teeth the entire day there. I am so nervous about this crazy flu going around. Everyone I speak with says they have it over a week. So we arrived armed with Clorox wipes, sanitizer and strict instructions not to touch anything. Sara is such a good listener! She even wanted to sit on my lap because she didn't want to touch anything.
The benches in the office are covered in fabric cushions and they just scream germs to me. So I told her not to even sit on them. Well she measured in at 37lbs fully clothed (28%) and 42 3/4 inches (52%). She is completely healthy and her vision and hearing was fine. Evans will be in a few weeks he is still only 41 lbs! Finding pants that fit is still impossible and he hates adjustable waist pants.
We had a busy day we started by taking my car in for some minor issues. One thing that didn't get resolved is the hands free on my car is not compatible with the iPhone 6. After waiting forever to get a smartphone I am really annoyed that it doesn't since with my Accord. I do love the phone though, but it is a huge waste of time. The kids asked if we could go for lunch and Sara chose Moe's. We picked up a Wendy's chicken nugget meal for Evan and Sara had a cheese and lettuce taco and I had a chicken salad. From there we headed for a haircut with Evan and had a long wait. We came home for an hour and then I headed to the Pediatricians with Sara. After that Sara and I went to Target to pick up a few Cartwheel deals and a few 70% off Christmas deals. Sara is making crafts as I type that we picked up for $1.50. We also bought Evan a few packs of Football cards.
He is obsessed with football, he is reading the sports pages in the paper each day. For Christmas he received a Buffalo Bills helmet, jersey, and football pants. He has worn this everyday. He had me put Jim Kelly's #12 on the back of it. On February 14th, Jim Kelly holds an event in memory of his son, called Hunter's Day of Hope. So we already have it on the calendar he is so excited to meet Jim. My first accounting job our firm prepared the taxes of lots of Buffalo Bills and I had the chance to meet many of them. At one point I almost dated one, but decided to stick with Marc! Now he is very bald and lives in the Midwest. I would have never survived living that far from my family! Evan loves to hear about the super bowl days of the Bills and what players we have met. Orchard Park and Hamburg are a small community and we often run into players on our trips to Wegmans or Target. I don't usually know who they are but there presence is obvious. The diamonds on the wives usually stand out too!
Evan is busy playing Madden 15 and building legos. Sara is busy with crafts, playing school, playing board games and playing with Evan. Yesterday they played so well upstairs with Evan's football cards he sorted 150 cards into the teams that I actually had an hour nap on the couch! Progress in our household.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Snowdays in November?
Evan is disappointed he missed both of his gym days this week and they are playing hockey. Sara is just happy to play and do crafts all day long (read between the lines create mess after mess}. So yesterday I made Minestone and a roast in the crockpots, baked chocolate chip cookies, and made 3 batches of frosting for Sara's birthday.
Her birthday falls on Thanksgiving so we are having a friend party at Bounce Magic on Tuesday night. Sara only has 5 other girls in her class, so we will have a total of 9 kids at the party. It is not cheap to have the party, but I figured we are not doing a family party. and last year by the time I purchased pizza for both parties, drinks, snacks, decorations my expense is pretty simple.
Happy Holidays
These days go by so quickly. Even with a 13 day break last month due to snow and almost two weeks this month, I feel like time is moving so fast. The kids are growing up so quickly.
Evan is turning into a young man and outgrowing his little boy stage. He shows such gratitude for little things and he makes me so proud. When we had our snow days I allowed him to stay up and watch a Monday night football game and he has thanked me numerous times for this. He catches me off guard with his gracious behavior at times and makes me so happy. Prior to Christmas Sara was asking for everything under the sun. Evan would say Mom I can wait for Christmas as Sara would be begging for a toy or something at the store.
Sara also has her moments of kindness. We visited the zoo this weekend and Evan dropped his box of popcorn on the way out and Sara said "its ok Bud I have lots left and we can share". The bud comes from me calling him it all the time. For all the drama and arguments they have they are still best friends. A few weeks ago , Sara spent the night at my Mom's and Evan was very upset that she would be gone for the night and teared up over it.
Christmas was exciting and magical. The Sunday prior to Christmas Sara and I went to mass and they announced they needed volunteers to clean and decorate the church. Sara looked at me and said she wanted to help. So we returned to the church after dinner and scrubbed pews. She was a trooper.
The kids had so much fun looking for Gordon the elf. I even ordered a girl elf from Macy's for next year. She was 75% off so since these innocent years won't last much longer I decided to make her happy. All year she said I wish Gordon was a girl and I could of named her. I also picked up 2 skirts for her at Barnes and Noble.
Evan and Marc have been playing xbox Madden 15 football together and having a blast. Sara and I have been playing school everyday. She is also enamored with the American Girl doll we gave her for her birthday.
We have one more week off and the flu is rampant with lots of our friends. I had planned on taking her to see Annie this week but am a little nervous about sitting in a movie theatre. I am trying to avoid it. Each year we have Marc's cousins over and they have had it for 2 weeks! Stomach and respiratory and they have a bad habit of coming sick and getting us sick every year. This year after hearing they were at the Doctors on Friday and planning to come to our house on Friday I asked to postpone it a week. Hopefully it works!
We have had such a warm Christmas break, its been in the 50's every day. The kids are disappointed. We all received snow shoes for Christmas and they are eager to try them out. Tomorrow Evan and I are going to head to BJ's for a few things, unfortunately our local BJ's was damaged during the storm and isn't reopening until March. So we will have to go to the one 30minutes away to stock up on the bacon the kids love and Cascade! I bought a membership on Groupon that I need to redeem before the 31st.
 |
| Santa visit |
 |
| 5 Teeth gone so far! |
 |
| Cheerleading with the Varsity cheerleaders |
Christmas was exciting and magical. The Sunday prior to Christmas Sara and I went to mass and they announced they needed volunteers to clean and decorate the church. Sara looked at me and said she wanted to help. So we returned to the church after dinner and scrubbed pews. She was a trooper.
The kids had so much fun looking for Gordon the elf. I even ordered a girl elf from Macy's for next year. She was 75% off so since these innocent years won't last much longer I decided to make her happy. All year she said I wish Gordon was a girl and I could of named her. I also picked up 2 skirts for her at Barnes and Noble.
 |
| Student of the Month - Character trait Hospitality |
 |
| Sara's Christmas party |
We have one more week off and the flu is rampant with lots of our friends. I had planned on taking her to see Annie this week but am a little nervous about sitting in a movie theatre. I am trying to avoid it. Each year we have Marc's cousins over and they have had it for 2 weeks! Stomach and respiratory and they have a bad habit of coming sick and getting us sick every year. This year after hearing they were at the Doctors on Friday and planning to come to our house on Friday I asked to postpone it a week. Hopefully it works!
We have had such a warm Christmas break, its been in the 50's every day. The kids are disappointed. We all received snow shoes for Christmas and they are eager to try them out. Tomorrow Evan and I are going to head to BJ's for a few things, unfortunately our local BJ's was damaged during the storm and isn't reopening until March. So we will have to go to the one 30minutes away to stock up on the bacon the kids love and Cascade! I bought a membership on Groupon that I need to redeem before the 31st.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Go, go,go..
I am starting to feel like I have done nothing but run since September has begun. 1.We started the first week of school for me on a Tuesday, the kids on Wednesday, and open house for me Thursday night.
2.Soccer has been every Tuesday night and Saturday games. We have made some new friends with the other families, so its been fun. Evan isn't a soccer star but is slowly improving.
3.Sara has dance on Tuesday. I rush home from school, and of course one Tuesday a month is faculty meeting day. She has dance at 4:30-5:30 and Evan has soccer from 6-7, but it has been ending closer to 7:30. Tuesdays are a nightmare, Marc has been out of town each week. I have been cooking a roast in the crockpot, making potatoes when I get home and leaving Evan to eat and get dressed with my mom while I take Sara to dance. Then we rush home to switch clothes and head to soccer. Well this week we decided in advance Sara wouldn't go to soccer and would stay with my mom. On the way home from dance, a 3 mile drive, she started screaming. Blood was gushing from her nose and I had nothing to hand her. Poor Sara held her nose and managed to save her leotard but her hair and face was covered.
5.It was nice to talk with Sara's teachers last night. Kindergarten is definitely the right choice for her. She is outgoing and independent. She also has everyone wrapped around her finger. My vain little girl hears how cute she is so often that she has learned to turn it on as needed. They did say she is always happy and smiley. Evan is the opposite he is more serious and reserved. They have small classes this year and that is fantastic.
6. I thought I was finally going to have a slow week this week and then realized I have a dentist appointment, my yearly OBGYN appointment, and a concession stand this week. The first week of November I am taking 25 kids to NYC... at this rate June will be here in no time!
Sunday, September 7, 2014
A new year...
I started this last week... and added more, so its jumping around a bit.
We started a new school year. Sara will be wearing a uniform for the first time and told me how pretty it was as she was preparing for bed. Evan has told her they are very ugly. She woke up and was so excited. She was so giddy to put on her jumper it was adorable.
We have been busy making bows via pinterest, learning sight words, practicing writing our letters, and having lots of fun. Tonight I read her "The Night Before Kindergarten" and after we talked and cuddled for a few minutes she asked to have it read again. I wish I could keep her little for a long, long time.
Evan has progressed into the I want to be with my friends stage. We have had lots of playdates this summer and he has a good friend that lives across the street. They love to play together.
We were fortunate to have lots of fun this summer the zoo, Fantasy Island, Canalside, the beach, our cottage, gymnastics lessons, soccer, dance lessons, swim lessons, Lego Mindcraft camp, a trip to Florida, blueberry picking, strawberry picking, and lots of time to relax together. Sara is still picking strawberries everyday in our garden. She loves the garden and loves to share it with the neighborhood kids. Today they were all pulling up carrots.
Well 3 days into the year and the kids are happy. Evan is in a class of 15 and Sara in a class of 16. This is a big change for us. Last year many schools were closed and many families joined our school. Each grade increased from one to two classes per grade. Sara has Evans teacher from last year, and Evan has a teacher who is certified in elementary but had taught middle school in the past. So far the kids are fine. Evan told me Sara has it much better because Kindergarten and PreK were easier and they had time to play!
I have the juniors I had last year as Seniors. I really like these kids and have them 3 periods per day. We had open house on Thursday night so I was able to tell there parents how lucky I am to have the kids for the second year. These are the kids we will take to NYC in November. I also have a Keyboarding class and a Junior class of College Success Skills, and two study halls. The good thing is I am not traveling around the building, the bad thing is I have lunch at 10:15, and don't have another break until 2:05. In the past I had a 11:00 lunch and could run over and have lunch with my kids occasionally. Unfortunately it won't happen this year.
We start Dance again this week and Evan is playing school soccer. Our first game will be this weekend. I am hoping for sunshine. I am such a fair weathered fan!nn
We started a new school year. Sara will be wearing a uniform for the first time and told me how pretty it was as she was preparing for bed. Evan has told her they are very ugly. She woke up and was so excited. She was so giddy to put on her jumper it was adorable.
We have been busy making bows via pinterest, learning sight words, practicing writing our letters, and having lots of fun. Tonight I read her "The Night Before Kindergarten" and after we talked and cuddled for a few minutes she asked to have it read again. I wish I could keep her little for a long, long time.
Evan has progressed into the I want to be with my friends stage. We have had lots of playdates this summer and he has a good friend that lives across the street. They love to play together.
We were fortunate to have lots of fun this summer the zoo, Fantasy Island, Canalside, the beach, our cottage, gymnastics lessons, soccer, dance lessons, swim lessons, Lego Mindcraft camp, a trip to Florida, blueberry picking, strawberry picking, and lots of time to relax together. Sara is still picking strawberries everyday in our garden. She loves the garden and loves to share it with the neighborhood kids. Today they were all pulling up carrots.
Well 3 days into the year and the kids are happy. Evan is in a class of 15 and Sara in a class of 16. This is a big change for us. Last year many schools were closed and many families joined our school. Each grade increased from one to two classes per grade. Sara has Evans teacher from last year, and Evan has a teacher who is certified in elementary but had taught middle school in the past. So far the kids are fine. Evan told me Sara has it much better because Kindergarten and PreK were easier and they had time to play!
I have the juniors I had last year as Seniors. I really like these kids and have them 3 periods per day. We had open house on Thursday night so I was able to tell there parents how lucky I am to have the kids for the second year. These are the kids we will take to NYC in November. I also have a Keyboarding class and a Junior class of College Success Skills, and two study halls. The good thing is I am not traveling around the building, the bad thing is I have lunch at 10:15, and don't have another break until 2:05. In the past I had a 11:00 lunch and could run over and have lunch with my kids occasionally. Unfortunately it won't happen this year.
We start Dance again this week and Evan is playing school soccer. Our first game will be this weekend. I am hoping for sunshine. I am such a fair weathered fan!nn
Monday, June 2, 2014
Splish Splash
Wow... we had our first recital and I am so impressed. The studio does a matinee for the under 7 classes. The entire event was 16 dances and was under one hour. Sara did fantastic. She is the teachers pet, and the helpers (this studio has high school girls assisting in class). It helps that the helpers all attend my high school. Sara was the first one out on stage and the first one out for the finale. She was more worried about getting flowers after her recital than dancing in front of a crowd. As we walked in and she saw other parents carrying flowers she asked where hers were. We then passed a table where we could purchase flowers and she was very puzzled. I kept telling her I didn't know if she would get any or not. I had went grocery shopping in the am, and picked up two bouquets. Sara adores flowers, she would pick every flower in our yard if I allowed her to. This spring she looked out the window each day waiting for the first daffodil to bloom. Of course we had to pick it as soon as it bloomed! So after the recital Marc and Evan gave Sara the flowers. She was so proud. I had bought a bouquet of miniature roses. She was so excited to have roses. I told her you only get roses when someone really, really loves you. She told me her Daddy loves her lots. It was so sweet, and worth the cost of the flowers. She then had to remove the leaves and put them in the vase herself!
It was a long week, Tuesday was a rehearsal, Wednesday speech, Thursday my observation, Friday another rehearsal, Saturday a dress rehearsal and a trip to our cottage, and Sunday a 2pm recital, and tomorrow I give my final exam. She tested above her age level in speech. She has progressed so quickly through it and she works so hard. She was trying to tell me queen last week, and after correcting her and making her practice it a few times, she says it perfectly. I am going to continue the speech biweekly for the summer. I debated this but Evan has an open bite and he can be included in the hour too. He has a very slight speech issue with s, sh, z. Sara will get some extra so hopefully she will completely ready for kindergarten and to start reading!
Tonight we were treated to a beautiful double rainbow!
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Swimmers...
This week we have Sara's dance recital. Sara is a great dancer for her first year. She has the routine down and practices it along with the iPad. We have been working on rag curls for the recital. Her dance is "Splish Splash" and she is wearing a pink bathrobe and sequined shower cap($74.... don't ask!) She is supposed to have two low curly ponytails. I love her teacher it is my former student and she was also just hired to teach 2nd grade at Evan and Sara's school. I am not pleased with the studio, the price of the costume was crazy, I had to wait in line for 2 1/2 hours to get 5 tickets for the recital. If I wanted more I had to return on a different day... thank goodness I can get by with 5! This week we have an extra rehearsal on Tuesday, a rehearsal on stage Friday night, a full dress rehearsal on Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm the recital. The nice part of the recital is that it is the 7 and under students only. We were promised it is a one hour recital.
Yesterday we made a trip to the zoo. I just renewed our membership, it takes about 25 minutes to get to the zoo and we stayed for 90 minutes. The kids had a great time, we had not been since last summer. Evan had his heart set on seeing the tigers, the were not out. We found out they only show them in the afternoon. There are a ton of new exhibits being built and remodeling going on. So we did see the polar cubs and a baby gorilla. The kids were happy to just have some freedom after the long winter.Sara and I have been busy planting a garden. Marc has done all of the hard work and we are doing the fun work. We planted a ton of strawberries and also planted peas, beans, peppers, lettuce, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, acorn squash, and one lonely pumpkin. We still need to plant some sunflowers and the cucumbers that Sara started in her class at Wegmans. I started planting some annuals. I have spent a fortune and still need to purchase a few more plants. I love flowers and have four hanging baskets and a ton of pots.
Tonight my Mom walked up for dinner and Sara insisted on going home with her. I love when we can easily wander back and forth to Grandma's house. My mom only lives 6 house away, but on a different street. So unfortunately the kids are not old enough to go back and forth on their own yet. Someday I am sure they will be running away to Grandma's. After such a cold winter and a chilly spring we are not used to being outside!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Love...
Each year Evan and Sara's school celebrates teacher appreciation week. They end the week with a mass where one child says something about the each staff member and another presents her with a flower. Unfortunately I could not attend this year, so luckily my Mom went. I called my Mom yesterday morning (I was in interviews all day) and asked her how it went. She said Sara (she is the youngest in the school of prek-8)went up to the podium on the alter, and she didn't say anything and then an older boy helped her. I was waiting for her to say that Sara burst into tears, well she said Sara with her little voice said "I Love Mrs. Budny because she ii s beautiful!", I has asked her last week if she would like to say something about her teacher and that is what she instantly said, so I asked her a few times during the week and she repeated the same phrase each time.
My mom and a few friends from church said it was dead silence and then everyone had tears in their eyes. Her teacher sent home a beautiful thank you note telling us that she never imagined 4 words could mean so much. Sara really loves school and has excelled in it. I am so glad that our cut off date in NY is December 1st, I can't imagine what a disservice it would have been to her to hold her back another year. It is often a topic that comes up with other parents and in Sara's case she has had no issues with attending school early. The teacher I work most closely with actually has a December 19th Birthday and she was always the youngest in her grade. Its interesting how the cut off changes from state to state. My best friend from high school has a cutoff of June 1st.
We have a four day Memorial Day weekend... hip hip hooray. Sara woke me up at 5am by falling out of bed. She has a rail on her bed but somehow kicked it out. Marc left for bed at 5:30, and I haven't fallen back to sleep. I have been reading a children's book, by Rush Limbaugh. Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims, it is surprisingly good. I have not had an observation this year (well honestly it been years since I had one) With the APPR that was implemented by NYS we are supposed to get one each year that correlates to a score of how effective we are as a teacher. So nothing like the last possible moment. I have been out of the classroom 4 of the past 5 days for class advisor, and interviewing students for the Academy of Finance. Tuesday am, Evan has a student of the month breakfast, so I will escape for an hour to attend. Thursday I have a pre-observation meeting and then my observation. To top it off my final exam for the class is June 3rd... three class days after my observation. The phrase lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine pops into my mind. I thought I was getting lucky and avoiding one. I know its part of my job, but really... 3 days before my final??
My mom and a few friends from church said it was dead silence and then everyone had tears in their eyes. Her teacher sent home a beautiful thank you note telling us that she never imagined 4 words could mean so much. Sara really loves school and has excelled in it. I am so glad that our cut off date in NY is December 1st, I can't imagine what a disservice it would have been to her to hold her back another year. It is often a topic that comes up with other parents and in Sara's case she has had no issues with attending school early. The teacher I work most closely with actually has a December 19th Birthday and she was always the youngest in her grade. Its interesting how the cut off changes from state to state. My best friend from high school has a cutoff of June 1st.
We have a four day Memorial Day weekend... hip hip hooray. Sara woke me up at 5am by falling out of bed. She has a rail on her bed but somehow kicked it out. Marc left for bed at 5:30, and I haven't fallen back to sleep. I have been reading a children's book, by Rush Limbaugh. Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims, it is surprisingly good. I have not had an observation this year (well honestly it been years since I had one) With the APPR that was implemented by NYS we are supposed to get one each year that correlates to a score of how effective we are as a teacher. So nothing like the last possible moment. I have been out of the classroom 4 of the past 5 days for class advisor, and interviewing students for the Academy of Finance. Tuesday am, Evan has a student of the month breakfast, so I will escape for an hour to attend. Thursday I have a pre-observation meeting and then my observation. To top it off my final exam for the class is June 3rd... three class days after my observation. The phrase lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine pops into my mind. I thought I was getting lucky and avoiding one. I know its part of my job, but really... 3 days before my final??
Monday, May 5, 2014
Lions and Tigers and Bears...
Suddenly we are learning everything we can about snakes, lions, tigers, and bears. Evan has been doing animal units at school and is asking a zillion questions about animals. He asked if I would take him to the Disney nature Bears movie this weekend. He has such terrible seasonal allergies that I try to keep him inside when its windy so I said yes. Well first of all I am not an animal lover. He checked out snake books from the library and we had to read them before bed. I squirmed throughout the entire book. My mom offered to join us for the movie and I laughed and said I was paying $8 for a nap. I was wrong the movie was adorable. Evan and I both loved it. We will be renting more Disney Nature movies on Amazon. The Dollar Tree had some National Geographic level 2 & 3 readers on Polar bears, reptiles, etc. that I picked up too.
We participated in our first Home Depot children's class. The kids made flower pot holders. We had lots of fun making them and this week the kids are signed up for a Lowe's class. This weekend we have to pick up tickets for Sara's
recital. The procedure is terrible. We have to wait outside for the tickets to go on sale at 2pm. Mothers from last year said to expect to be in line for a long time. I plan on going around noon. What a terrible waste of time!! Marc is taking the kids to Tulip Festival. The Festival has a great parade and midway. Hopefully I can pick up my tickets and head out early enough to watch the kids go on a few rides.
Sara loves flowers and I allowed her to pick the first two that opened in our yard. Last week I told her if she did really well with speech she could pick the first Tulip that bloomed. Well the dandelions started blooming this week. Sara asked us not to put that stuff on the grass anymore because she wants lots of flowers. Marc and I didn't agree. So we walked the neighborhood in search of Dandelions and she was a happy girl returning home with a small bouquet.
We participated in our first Home Depot children's class. The kids made flower pot holders. We had lots of fun making them and this week the kids are signed up for a Lowe's class. This weekend we have to pick up tickets for Sara's
recital. The procedure is terrible. We have to wait outside for the tickets to go on sale at 2pm. Mothers from last year said to expect to be in line for a long time. I plan on going around noon. What a terrible waste of time!! Marc is taking the kids to Tulip Festival. The Festival has a great parade and midway. Hopefully I can pick up my tickets and head out early enough to watch the kids go on a few rides.
Sara loves flowers and I allowed her to pick the first two that opened in our yard. Last week I told her if she did really well with speech she could pick the first Tulip that bloomed. Well the dandelions started blooming this week. Sara asked us not to put that stuff on the grass anymore because she wants lots of flowers. Marc and I didn't agree. So we walked the neighborhood in search of Dandelions and she was a happy girl returning home with a small bouquet. Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Celebration time! - just realized this has been a draft for a year!
 |
| Notice the crazy kid in the classes feet in the air! Thank goodness he isn't returning next year! |
The highlight was the kids dancing and singing along with Pete the Cat rocking in his school shoes. The kids went wild dancing each time it was "rocking in my school shoes". The also sang a Laurie Berkner song about feelings. Their own version of "Your a Grand Old School", "The World is a Rainbow", and a poem with hand motions for Mom and Dad, they also had Dads come up to the stage and they were presented with frames the children had made for fathers day.
Each student was given a certificate for Preschool completion and the event was followed by ice cream. Evan was so excited and proud. I feel like Sara is ready to lead the class next year after experiencing so much through Evan this year.
We had promised Evan a gift if he stayed on green all year on the classroom behavior chart. Well he did it and today we gave him an Ironman Lego. He sat from 2-4:30 and assembled the entire lego without assistance it was 364 pieces for 6-12 year olds. Evan loves legos and following instructions to build them.
Time is flying
We are getting within weeks of ending another school year. Each one goes faster and faster. This year Evan has learned to read, write words, complete basic math problems, and work in groups. He has had an amazing teacher. We have finally put on a few pounds on and graduated to a booster seat.
On Tuesday my Mom took him for his yearly allergist appointment. Fully clothed Evan was 40 pounds, and 44.75 inches. We have major issues with clothes fitting him. He is really a size 2 or 3 in the waist. He has some elastic waist uniform pants, but he has reached the point now where all of his play pants are to short. He refuses to wear adjustable waist pants, I think since he is so slender the buttons irritate him. I can't wait to break out the shorts each day to avoid this!
Sara has had a speech therapist visit us weekly since January. I couldn't get her approved through the school system, so unfortunately we have to pay out of pocket for this. As much as I dread the added monthly expense (equivalent to a car payment), she has progressed so quickly! Today she shocked me and the teacher by mastering 3 letter blends this week. The therapist told me she has been holding back on testing Sara but honestly can't wait to see the progress. She keeps telling me how bright Sara is which as a Mom I love to hear. Sara is so easy to work with and is the ideal student when I listen to her working with the therapist. While Evan is a good student he doesn't transition to new activities as easily as Sara.
I have been taking an online National Academy of Finance class. We meet every other week online with a live class, in between classes we have to turn in assignments, and participate in discussion boards. I have a ton of work to do for this over the next two weeks. The good part is the National Academy pays me $600 for this and my school district pays me another $750 for it. So it will be some nice extra money to start the summer with.
We just booked a trip to Florida. Last year Marc and I both signed up for Southwest Credit cards. For a $69 yearly fee we were given 50,000 points. Well we each redeemed points and we have 4 free tickets to Florida plus enough extra points for 2 more flights. My Mom is joining us. We rented a condo on Madeira Beach and were able to find a rental car through Southwest for another $230. I am really looking forward to the pool and beach. We haven't been to Florida since Sara was almost two. Last time both my parents joined us. At that time my Dad was getting sick and having a tough time getting around. So far we don't have plans to do any amusement parks but that could change. I would like to go out on a 2 hour pirate ship cruise with the kids. We have seen it for years and always looked forward to taking our kids on it. I think starting the summer in the pool will be a great start on their swimming skills.
On Tuesday my Mom took him for his yearly allergist appointment. Fully clothed Evan was 40 pounds, and 44.75 inches. We have major issues with clothes fitting him. He is really a size 2 or 3 in the waist. He has some elastic waist uniform pants, but he has reached the point now where all of his play pants are to short. He refuses to wear adjustable waist pants, I think since he is so slender the buttons irritate him. I can't wait to break out the shorts each day to avoid this!
Sara has had a speech therapist visit us weekly since January. I couldn't get her approved through the school system, so unfortunately we have to pay out of pocket for this. As much as I dread the added monthly expense (equivalent to a car payment), she has progressed so quickly! Today she shocked me and the teacher by mastering 3 letter blends this week. The therapist told me she has been holding back on testing Sara but honestly can't wait to see the progress. She keeps telling me how bright Sara is which as a Mom I love to hear. Sara is so easy to work with and is the ideal student when I listen to her working with the therapist. While Evan is a good student he doesn't transition to new activities as easily as Sara.
I have been taking an online National Academy of Finance class. We meet every other week online with a live class, in between classes we have to turn in assignments, and participate in discussion boards. I have a ton of work to do for this over the next two weeks. The good part is the National Academy pays me $600 for this and my school district pays me another $750 for it. So it will be some nice extra money to start the summer with.
We just booked a trip to Florida. Last year Marc and I both signed up for Southwest Credit cards. For a $69 yearly fee we were given 50,000 points. Well we each redeemed points and we have 4 free tickets to Florida plus enough extra points for 2 more flights. My Mom is joining us. We rented a condo on Madeira Beach and were able to find a rental car through Southwest for another $230. I am really looking forward to the pool and beach. We haven't been to Florida since Sara was almost two. Last time both my parents joined us. At that time my Dad was getting sick and having a tough time getting around. So far we don't have plans to do any amusement parks but that could change. I would like to go out on a 2 hour pirate ship cruise with the kids. We have seen it for years and always looked forward to taking our kids on it. I think starting the summer in the pool will be a great start on their swimming skills.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
The first tooth!!
We visited the Dentist on New Years Eve and they told us Evan would be loosing his tooth any day. Well, Evan refused to wiggle it or touch it. So I this week it was so loose I finally had him wiggle it a little (okay all I could talk him into was 5 wiggles at a time). I laughingly told him I want that tooth gone today as I walked out the door to grocery shop. Marc called while I was at Wegmans and Evan's tooth fell out in the shower. We did save it though. So at 6 years and a day short of 2 months we have officially lost the first tooth!
He didn't make a big deal about it all day, but when it was time for bed, he became very teary. He told me he was going to miss his tooth and its been a good tooth. It was hard to keep a straight face as the tears began to stream down his face. Poor little guy can be so tough at times but can also be so sensitive. I told him I was sad that my little boy was growing up and he promised me he would always love me. So we are awaiting the tooth fairy's arrival tonight.
Each time we drive through our village there is a assisted living center and I tell Sara that Grandmas and Grandpas live there when they can no longer take care of themselves. Well, almost every day Sara tells me that I can live with her and she will take care of me and her baby. She is my little buddy and so much fun at this age. I would love to freeze her right here. She is still so innocent and loving. I teared up over my Dad the other day and she took me by the hand into her bedroom and had me look at his picture and then hugged and kissed me.
She is also a charmer. She is pretty vain and is not afraid to give out lots of smiles in public. Today in church she was busy charming all of the elderly parishioners.
He didn't make a big deal about it all day, but when it was time for bed, he became very teary. He told me he was going to miss his tooth and its been a good tooth. It was hard to keep a straight face as the tears began to stream down his face. Poor little guy can be so tough at times but can also be so sensitive. I told him I was sad that my little boy was growing up and he promised me he would always love me. So we are awaiting the tooth fairy's arrival tonight.
Each time we drive through our village there is a assisted living center and I tell Sara that Grandmas and Grandpas live there when they can no longer take care of themselves. Well, almost every day Sara tells me that I can live with her and she will take care of me and her baby. She is my little buddy and so much fun at this age. I would love to freeze her right here. She is still so innocent and loving. I teared up over my Dad the other day and she took me by the hand into her bedroom and had me look at his picture and then hugged and kissed me.
She is also a charmer. She is pretty vain and is not afraid to give out lots of smiles in public. Today in church she was busy charming all of the elderly parishioners.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Reading...
We finally found a love of reading in our house. It was a matter of finding the right subject to get Evan off and running. Around Christmas time he was reading level 1 books and hadn't found books that really interested him. Evan is my picky kid, he only likes certain toys, movies, foods. Once Evan finds what he likes he is happy. So I bought a few Lego level 1 books and some superhero, Biscuit, and Little Critters books. He loved the Lego books and was devouring them. Unfortunately the library doesn't carry any. So after a weekly investment in Lego books (thank goodness for Amazon prime) he told me he needs something more challenging. So a stack of Level 2 books arrived and he does them 90% on his own. When we are reading about superheroes there are some difficult vocabulary words. He can be lazy about sounding out words. But once I tell him the word he doesn't forget it.
I look forward to having Sara read because she is never as picky as him. She will most likely be so proud to read that she will read the hundreds of other books in our house.
Sara returned to the Dr's. on Saturday with her second bout of Strep this month. She also was diagnosed with it on 3/17. Now we have Augementin which is disgusting. I have been measuring it out and then adding snow cone syrup to it to disguise the flavor. She gets a few M&M's before her dose and a few after. The taste of it is horrid. I contemplated teaching her to take pills but my Mom who is a pharmacist said it comes in a huge tablet. We have 7 more days of it and hopefully no more strep throat. My Mom said I have never had it, either has Evan. My mother in law told me everyone in their family had it multiple times. I hope its not a yearly event for poor Sara.
Today I did lunch duty at the kids school. I do it every other Monday during my lunch period. When I came home today and asked the kids about the day, Sara told me it was great day. When I asked why she told me because Mom came to school today! Friday the kids have Catholic Charities Carnival day. They have bounce houses, carnival games, raffle items, and small toys to purchase. We cleaned some unwanted gifts from our home and donated them. Since we have had some unexpected sick days I am being cautious about taking any time off. So far I have had 7.5 days and know I will need some more half days for the kids graduations at the end of the year. Grandma is going to attend the carnival with the kids on Friday. I am sad to miss it, it was great fun last year. I think I will try to pick some pizza up and run over on my lunch Friday. Many parents stay for the carnival and eat lunch with their children on this day.
This past weekend we visited a maple sugar farm. Saturday night we received a foot of snow, so it wasn't as fun filled as anticipated. We did purchase some syrup and some cotton candy. The farm we visited was only a few miles from our house. In the past we visited a huge operation that had wagon rides and vendors. Maybe next year if the weather permits.
This weekend we have 2 birthday parties on Saturday and I am supposed to go out for dinner with my high school friends. Since I have had children I am so bad about spending time with my friends. I have a few that I talk to each week or month and the others I talk to once or twice per year. It seems each time I make plans someone is sick and I have to cancel.
Today was in the 50's and we spent some time outside. It was so nice to see neighbors and to let Evan and Sara run around. We really have been stuck inside for months. It was such a chilly winter they only went out a few times to play.
I have been so bad about taking pictures of the kids. As I was looking at our monthly calendar I realized I barely have any pictures to make next years. We have some fun events coming up around Easter so I will have to get busy!
I look forward to having Sara read because she is never as picky as him. She will most likely be so proud to read that she will read the hundreds of other books in our house.
Sara returned to the Dr's. on Saturday with her second bout of Strep this month. She also was diagnosed with it on 3/17. Now we have Augementin which is disgusting. I have been measuring it out and then adding snow cone syrup to it to disguise the flavor. She gets a few M&M's before her dose and a few after. The taste of it is horrid. I contemplated teaching her to take pills but my Mom who is a pharmacist said it comes in a huge tablet. We have 7 more days of it and hopefully no more strep throat. My Mom said I have never had it, either has Evan. My mother in law told me everyone in their family had it multiple times. I hope its not a yearly event for poor Sara.
Today I did lunch duty at the kids school. I do it every other Monday during my lunch period. When I came home today and asked the kids about the day, Sara told me it was great day. When I asked why she told me because Mom came to school today! Friday the kids have Catholic Charities Carnival day. They have bounce houses, carnival games, raffle items, and small toys to purchase. We cleaned some unwanted gifts from our home and donated them. Since we have had some unexpected sick days I am being cautious about taking any time off. So far I have had 7.5 days and know I will need some more half days for the kids graduations at the end of the year. Grandma is going to attend the carnival with the kids on Friday. I am sad to miss it, it was great fun last year. I think I will try to pick some pizza up and run over on my lunch Friday. Many parents stay for the carnival and eat lunch with their children on this day.
This past weekend we visited a maple sugar farm. Saturday night we received a foot of snow, so it wasn't as fun filled as anticipated. We did purchase some syrup and some cotton candy. The farm we visited was only a few miles from our house. In the past we visited a huge operation that had wagon rides and vendors. Maybe next year if the weather permits.
This weekend we have 2 birthday parties on Saturday and I am supposed to go out for dinner with my high school friends. Since I have had children I am so bad about spending time with my friends. I have a few that I talk to each week or month and the others I talk to once or twice per year. It seems each time I make plans someone is sick and I have to cancel.
Today was in the 50's and we spent some time outside. It was so nice to see neighbors and to let Evan and Sara run around. We really have been stuck inside for months. It was such a chilly winter they only went out a few times to play.
I have been so bad about taking pictures of the kids. As I was looking at our monthly calendar I realized I barely have any pictures to make next years. We have some fun events coming up around Easter so I will have to get busy!
Monday, March 17, 2014
I thought March was a sign of spring??
This winter seems to be endless. I know I am from Buffalo, NY... the city with a bad reputation for snow. Honestly I can't remember a winter like this since I was in grade school. We have had 8 snow days, 2 blizzards, 2 ear infections, and now strep throat.
I was so excited for St. Patrick's day today. A leprechaun visited our house last night and colored the toilets green, put a shamrock on the toilet paper to seal the rolls, left green frosting messages for the kids, put stickers on their hands last night, and left green M&M's in their boots this morning. Evan and I are planning on building a Lego trap after school to catch him.
Sara has been struggling for the past few weeks with her ears. She had her 2nd ear infection so far around Valentines Day and then had fluid in her ear (which is only treatable by Benadryl, Sara and Benadryl don't work well together) and she started complaining each morning her ear hurt. Saturday night she said the top of her mouth hurt and was up a lot and very inconsolable last night. This morning I planned on having my Mom take her to the walk in clinic at our pediatricians. Well Sara was hysterical and on letting go of me, which is so out of character for her even when she is sick. I called in to work at 7:10, I am supposed to be there at 7:50. We went to the peds and hit the right time and did not have to wait. Her ears were fine, and they asked if I wanted to do a strep test. . I said why not we are her, Sara was not a fan of this test. It came back positive and hopefully she can return to school tomorrow. We are now on our second prescription for amoxicillin this winter and the 3rd in her life. Evan was not happy that Mom was home and he wasn't.
I scrubbed the bathroom today, I even did the grout!! Now I need to tackle the master bath. That room is my biggest downfall. Since no one sees it I am terrible about doing a really thorough cleaning. Marc scrubs the shower and I do the sinks, toilet, and counters. But, I am really bad about the baseboards, floor (we have dark tile and grout) and wiping down the cabinets. I would love to have someone come to do the bathrooms, floors, and dusting. Maybe next year that will be my plan from the beginning of the school year.
We make our last car payment this week!! It will be so nice to not have a payment. If only our crazy property taxes would end we could really get ahead. This year our taxes were $9,000. The are up $3,000 from when we built this house.. its crazy!!
We have had a busy winter, Evan's birthday party. Birthday parties for their classmates almost every weekend. We have been to a movie party, bowling parties. a movie night at a home, a bakery party, and they will continue through the end of the school year. Luckily last year I hit a great clearance sale at Wegmans and Target and stocked up on squirt guns, snow cone makers, and sprinklers, we are prepared with a stockpile of gifts.
Last week we celebrated Irish Night at our church. The kids had an amazing time. There were Irish dancers, music, crafts, food, and a great game of tag! We also visited the Science museum over February Break, and this weekend did a program at Wegmans where the kids made their own organic salad and planted two organic plants. The Wegmans program was a bargain for $5. They offer them almost every month but we have never went before. Sara's best friend and her mom joined us for a girls day and we had a blast. On Friday Sara had Dad's day. He picked her up from school and took her to Fisher Price for some hand modeling and then to Applebees for lunch. Dad took her to dance for the first time and she was proud little girl.
I was so excited for St. Patrick's day today. A leprechaun visited our house last night and colored the toilets green, put a shamrock on the toilet paper to seal the rolls, left green frosting messages for the kids, put stickers on their hands last night, and left green M&M's in their boots this morning. Evan and I are planning on building a Lego trap after school to catch him.
 |
| My silly girl at a bowling party |
I scrubbed the bathroom today, I even did the grout!! Now I need to tackle the master bath. That room is my biggest downfall. Since no one sees it I am terrible about doing a really thorough cleaning. Marc scrubs the shower and I do the sinks, toilet, and counters. But, I am really bad about the baseboards, floor (we have dark tile and grout) and wiping down the cabinets. I would love to have someone come to do the bathrooms, floors, and dusting. Maybe next year that will be my plan from the beginning of the school year.
We make our last car payment this week!! It will be so nice to not have a payment. If only our crazy property taxes would end we could really get ahead. This year our taxes were $9,000. The are up $3,000 from when we built this house.. its crazy!!
 |
| Evan was student of the week and needed a picture of him at school |
 |
| All Butterflies |
 |
| Racing with his best bud Brady |
 |
| Legos Evan builds without any help |
Snow Days...
This is a post from February... I'm a bit behind
These snow days seem to be endless. I never thought I would complain about to many snowdays. We have had 4 this month and one in December, I am pretty sure we will have another one tomorrow. The kids love being home and I do get lots done, but my work load at school is another story. We were supposed to administer tests to the high school students this week. In between proctoring exams we can work on our materials, grade our own midterms, and finish first semester grades. Losing two days this week is not ideal. So far the rumor is we won't have to make up days. Our contract is 188 days and NY requires 180 days. I guess we will have to see what happens.
Today we celebrated with snow cones (made with ice not the snow outside). Last year while wishing for a snow day I told the kids we could celebrate with snow cones. They never let me forget it. We worked on hats for crazy hat day on Thursday. This week is Catholic school week and the kids are missing all of the fun days. Tomorrow Evan is supposed to go the movie theatre (there is one a block away from the school). Today the Bishop was going to visit the school.
Marc called around 9am and said he forgot to pack enough clothes for the week. He is usually gone 2 night a week. His company was taken over and last week he was gone 4 nights in a row, he went from Buffalo to Philly to Detroit to Ohio and finally home. I am hoping this week won't be so long. Today he went back to Philly. So I had to meet him near the big mall so I ran into JCP's, Old Navy and Michaels. Our JCP had really nice stainless cookware for 9.97 per piece. Since my pots were 15 years old and looking pretty rough I splurged and for $50 I have almost a complete set. The only pot I am missing is the 8quart pot. Unfortunately they didn't have it. I will take our old ones to our cottage where we lack quite a few pots and pans. I didn't find anything at Old Navy but I was only looking for a super hero shirt for Sara. Tomorrow is Super Hero day, so she is content to wear Evan's sweatshirt instead of a pink girl shirt. At Michaels' I picked up some foam hats and some decoration's for them. Sara and I had fun decorating, we even took pictures from the school site and laminated the teacher pictures. Our plan is to attach them like a rainbow over the top with pipe cleaners. I am sure they will be thrilled to see yearbook pictures... NOT... I hate when my students look at the old ones!
These snow days seem to be endless. I never thought I would complain about to many snowdays. We have had 4 this month and one in December, I am pretty sure we will have another one tomorrow. The kids love being home and I do get lots done, but my work load at school is another story. We were supposed to administer tests to the high school students this week. In between proctoring exams we can work on our materials, grade our own midterms, and finish first semester grades. Losing two days this week is not ideal. So far the rumor is we won't have to make up days. Our contract is 188 days and NY requires 180 days. I guess we will have to see what happens.
Today we celebrated with snow cones (made with ice not the snow outside). Last year while wishing for a snow day I told the kids we could celebrate with snow cones. They never let me forget it. We worked on hats for crazy hat day on Thursday. This week is Catholic school week and the kids are missing all of the fun days. Tomorrow Evan is supposed to go the movie theatre (there is one a block away from the school). Today the Bishop was going to visit the school.
Marc called around 9am and said he forgot to pack enough clothes for the week. He is usually gone 2 night a week. His company was taken over and last week he was gone 4 nights in a row, he went from Buffalo to Philly to Detroit to Ohio and finally home. I am hoping this week won't be so long. Today he went back to Philly. So I had to meet him near the big mall so I ran into JCP's, Old Navy and Michaels. Our JCP had really nice stainless cookware for 9.97 per piece. Since my pots were 15 years old and looking pretty rough I splurged and for $50 I have almost a complete set. The only pot I am missing is the 8quart pot. Unfortunately they didn't have it. I will take our old ones to our cottage where we lack quite a few pots and pans. I didn't find anything at Old Navy but I was only looking for a super hero shirt for Sara. Tomorrow is Super Hero day, so she is content to wear Evan's sweatshirt instead of a pink girl shirt. At Michaels' I picked up some foam hats and some decoration's for them. Sara and I had fun decorating, we even took pictures from the school site and laminated the teacher pictures. Our plan is to attach them like a rainbow over the top with pipe cleaners. I am sure they will be thrilled to see yearbook pictures... NOT... I hate when my students look at the old ones!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Sara and the scissors
Well I knew it was coming eventually. My curious, headstrong little girl has cut some hair. We had a snow day last Tuesday and Wednesday and as I started to vacuum the family room I saw chunks of hair on the ground. Hoping it was doll hair I screamed for Sara. It was perfect match to her. She chopped her hair chin length in with a few cuts on each side. The front of her hair was pulled back in a rubber band and that was our saving grace. Her hair looks choppy right now but isn't overly noticeable. So in a few weeks we will get it cleaned up. A few months ago she cut her Sophia dolls hair and a Barbie head. I knew she was very tempted but didn't think she would cut her hair (well I prayed she wouldn't).
In a fit of rage she received two spankings and was sent to her room. Then I proceeded to put some fear into her. Sara is very vain. I told her it looked ugly and we were going to have to cut it short, that she would have the shortest hair in her class. She sobbed she didn't want to be bald. I told her she was staying in her room until dinner. Its not often that I am this angry but its not the first time she has been in trouble with scissors. Evan and I did homework the night before and left them out accidently. I went to check on her after ten minutes and she was combing her hair to make it grow. I let her come downstairs but made her sit in a chair for an hour. This is the longest punishment she has ever had. She cried don't tell Miss Lauren (her dance teacher). I told her I am going tell everyone but Miss Lauren how naughty she was. I asked her why she did it and she told me she doesn't remember. I pray we have learned our lesson, now all scissors are on the fridge.
Today the Speech practice that did Sara's evaluation called and told me I am 14th on the waiting list. We have our private therapist coming to the house. Depending on how the insurance actually reimburses this I may skip the clinic. We would drive 30 minutes each way for a 30 minute appointment twice a week. Currently we have a one hour appointment at our own home once per week. I don't think the savings will be worth the time spent in the waiting room, city parking, traffic, and dragging two kids out after a full day of school.
Sara is obsessed with playing baby. We play this scenario over and over she calls me on the phone to tell me she is going to have a baby today. Then she pretends to come over with her new baby so I can fuss over her. She then calls me Grandma for the next hour. It is really sweet but I'm not ready to be a Grandma at 40! Funny when I think many of my friends are or will be before 50! We have twenty years to go!
NYS has made school districts implement a APPR Plan. Its a crazy evaluation plan. Each teacher is supposed to have two observations and two unannounced 15 minute evaluation. We are almost half way through the school year and I haven't had either. Because I teach computers classes and Accounting using iPads I teach for 15 minutes and then the kids generally work independently with me checking progress, so when this does occur it should be interesting.
In a fit of rage she received two spankings and was sent to her room. Then I proceeded to put some fear into her. Sara is very vain. I told her it looked ugly and we were going to have to cut it short, that she would have the shortest hair in her class. She sobbed she didn't want to be bald. I told her she was staying in her room until dinner. Its not often that I am this angry but its not the first time she has been in trouble with scissors. Evan and I did homework the night before and left them out accidently. I went to check on her after ten minutes and she was combing her hair to make it grow. I let her come downstairs but made her sit in a chair for an hour. This is the longest punishment she has ever had. She cried don't tell Miss Lauren (her dance teacher). I told her I am going tell everyone but Miss Lauren how naughty she was. I asked her why she did it and she told me she doesn't remember. I pray we have learned our lesson, now all scissors are on the fridge.
Today the Speech practice that did Sara's evaluation called and told me I am 14th on the waiting list. We have our private therapist coming to the house. Depending on how the insurance actually reimburses this I may skip the clinic. We would drive 30 minutes each way for a 30 minute appointment twice a week. Currently we have a one hour appointment at our own home once per week. I don't think the savings will be worth the time spent in the waiting room, city parking, traffic, and dragging two kids out after a full day of school.
Sara is obsessed with playing baby. We play this scenario over and over she calls me on the phone to tell me she is going to have a baby today. Then she pretends to come over with her new baby so I can fuss over her. She then calls me Grandma for the next hour. It is really sweet but I'm not ready to be a Grandma at 40! Funny when I think many of my friends are or will be before 50! We have twenty years to go!
NYS has made school districts implement a APPR Plan. Its a crazy evaluation plan. Each teacher is supposed to have two observations and two unannounced 15 minute evaluation. We are almost half way through the school year and I haven't had either. Because I teach computers classes and Accounting using iPads I teach for 15 minutes and then the kids generally work independently with me checking progress, so when this does occur it should be interesting.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Blizzard!
Wow it is officially labeled a blizzard outside. We had returned to school last Thursday and then had Friday off due to -20 wind-chill. Although Friday was Sunny and beautiful it was very cold. Today we returned to school again but everyone knew we would have a snow day called for tomorrow. The forecast is predicting -20--30 wind chills again. Tonight the winds whipped up and it is officially a blizzard. Even thought we live in Buffalo, we haven't had an actual blizzard in over 20 years. The past few years have been very mild.
This year Marc did not want to pay $400 for our plow guy. I argued and won. Our Driveway is not unmanageable and we have a very good snow blower. Marc leaves for work at 5:45am, when he is home, and I leave at 7:25. Getting up and snow blowing with two kids sleeping in the house would be a disaster or coming home and not getting up our steep driveway would never work. Thank goodness for the plow! I grew up with 3 older brothers and never mowed a lawn or snow blowed until I was married. Now my female neighbors give me grief when I do it. At our old house I did it often but now with kids it doesn't occur frequently.
Tomorrow there is driving bans and everything is closed. I'm wondering if we will be back to school on Wednesday. We have now used 3 of our 4 allotted snow days. It looks like it will be an interesting winter.
We had a play date with Evans friend Brady on Saturday. He has a younger sister who is 3. The kids play wonderfully together.
Thursday is a big day, we find out which Catholic schools will close and consolidate. I think and pray that our school is safe, but if not we will be scrambling to decide what to do next year. Currently my kids have a 5 minute bus ride, I can't imagine anything over 30 minutes. Growing up I had an hour bus ride and it was unbearable. I cringe at thinking of changing schools, Evan is very hesitant to change and would be lost in the enormous elementary school in our district.
We started speech therapy for Sara last week. After calling all the agencies around and adding her name to the waiting list I decided to pursue private therapy. We found a woman that teaches for a college and has a small private practice. She is coming to our home once a week. The killer is the rate it is $80 per hour. Our health insurance will pick up 80% of the customary rate for our area after we reach a $100 deductible. I am hoping it will work out to around $20 after we are reimbursed. We started with three sounds the K, G, and D sound. Sara tested very high with an IQ in the 130's but has terrible articulation. Her vocabulary is outstanding but tough to understand. So hopefully tomorrow it will clear enough for a visit.
As I sit in our family room right now I can feel a draft coming through our fireplace. I can't see across the street and all I hear is the wind outside. I can't imagine living in an area with tornado's or hurricanes. Our only fear is losing power and we do have a generator and a gas fireplace. Marc is somewhere in PA tonight and I would be begging a neighbor for help! I have flashlights ready just in case. We have never lost power during a snowstorm and hopefully never will!
The kids and I filled balloons with water and food dye yesterday and only one actually froze solid, Evan dropped one and broke it, and one is still outside to freeze. I saw it on pinterest. The frozen colored balls look really neat in the landscape if they aren't covered by snow! Tomorrow we will attempt to do some valentine crafts a few weeks early. Tomorrow I will add some pictures.
This year Marc did not want to pay $400 for our plow guy. I argued and won. Our Driveway is not unmanageable and we have a very good snow blower. Marc leaves for work at 5:45am, when he is home, and I leave at 7:25. Getting up and snow blowing with two kids sleeping in the house would be a disaster or coming home and not getting up our steep driveway would never work. Thank goodness for the plow! I grew up with 3 older brothers and never mowed a lawn or snow blowed until I was married. Now my female neighbors give me grief when I do it. At our old house I did it often but now with kids it doesn't occur frequently.
Tomorrow there is driving bans and everything is closed. I'm wondering if we will be back to school on Wednesday. We have now used 3 of our 4 allotted snow days. It looks like it will be an interesting winter.
We had a play date with Evans friend Brady on Saturday. He has a younger sister who is 3. The kids play wonderfully together.
Thursday is a big day, we find out which Catholic schools will close and consolidate. I think and pray that our school is safe, but if not we will be scrambling to decide what to do next year. Currently my kids have a 5 minute bus ride, I can't imagine anything over 30 minutes. Growing up I had an hour bus ride and it was unbearable. I cringe at thinking of changing schools, Evan is very hesitant to change and would be lost in the enormous elementary school in our district.
We started speech therapy for Sara last week. After calling all the agencies around and adding her name to the waiting list I decided to pursue private therapy. We found a woman that teaches for a college and has a small private practice. She is coming to our home once a week. The killer is the rate it is $80 per hour. Our health insurance will pick up 80% of the customary rate for our area after we reach a $100 deductible. I am hoping it will work out to around $20 after we are reimbursed. We started with three sounds the K, G, and D sound. Sara tested very high with an IQ in the 130's but has terrible articulation. Her vocabulary is outstanding but tough to understand. So hopefully tomorrow it will clear enough for a visit.
As I sit in our family room right now I can feel a draft coming through our fireplace. I can't see across the street and all I hear is the wind outside. I can't imagine living in an area with tornado's or hurricanes. Our only fear is losing power and we do have a generator and a gas fireplace. Marc is somewhere in PA tonight and I would be begging a neighbor for help! I have flashlights ready just in case. We have never lost power during a snowstorm and hopefully never will!
The kids and I filled balloons with water and food dye yesterday and only one actually froze solid, Evan dropped one and broke it, and one is still outside to freeze. I saw it on pinterest. The frozen colored balls look really neat in the landscape if they aren't covered by snow! Tomorrow we will attempt to do some valentine crafts a few weeks early. Tomorrow I will add some pictures.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)