tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373811711509831162024-03-04T20:08:32.759-08:00Believe it will happenBelieveitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-37074269101744289842022-11-24T17:33:00.002-08:002022-11-24T17:33:18.193-08:00Snow & Sitter<p> We survived another epic snowstorm. Thursday morning Marc went to work and I said why don't you stay home they thruways are shutting down at 4pm. We both didn't really think the forecast would be correct. Unfortunately, it was, the snow started around 10pm and when I awoke there was 3.5 feet in our driveway. Well, he was gone, so it was up to me to clear it out. I felt like superwoman when I was the only woman in the neighborhood clearing the driveway. When the snow is that high you have to do small sections and knock it down before you can snow blow it. It was 3 hours before I came inside. I had to keep heading out every hour or two to keep up with it. We received 80 inches! My entire body hurt from clearing the snow, my hands were so sore from holding down the handles. </p><p>The amazing part is Marc made it home Friday night and finished the edges of the driveway and the top that I was too exhausted to do. The plows came through on Saturday am. I was really anticipating it would be Monday or Tuesday. We ended up with Friday, Monday and Tuesday as snow days. Luckily the snow stopped falling on Saturday. The driving ban ended Monday am.</p><p>Sara started babysitting for a neighbor. They have twin 3-year-old girls and a 5-year-old bot. She has made almost $150 this week! A far cry from the $1.25-$3 I used to make. We decided she could spend her first week and then start saving from here on out. This family needs a sitter constantly, so hopefully Sara will keep busy. </p><p>Wednesday, we went to the mall and my friend Andrea, and her daughter joined us. The girls went off and shopped on their own. It was so nice to not spend anything! We went for lunch to Cheesecake factory, but we were all too full to eat any cheesecake. Its Saras birthday on Sunday so I had already purchased gifts but was sure she would find something. Amazingly she paid for her own clothes and came home with a good chunk of cash. </p><p>I really like this because some weeks I feel like an ATM machine. Evans soccer consisted of trips to the convenient store, Tim Hortons or the hot dog stand on Lake Erie before practice many days. His homecoming dance, football games, and movies with friends are a constant handout from us. Sara loves to find a friend and head to the village to the coffee shop, Starbucks, and 7/11. I don't mind giving them money but when its week after week it gets expensive. Sara is super helpful and will do major cleaning for me. Evan is a battle just to clean his own room. </p><p>I would really like for Evan to get a part time job in the spring and something for the summer. Most places pay $15 per hour. I'd love for him to have some spending money but save the majority of his money. His goal is to eventually purchase a car because he hates to ride the bus. Riding the bus means leaving the house at 7:10 with me. He gets out at my school and waits outside until his bus arrives. This doesn't sound horrible unless its rainy, snowy or very cold. He then takes a bus to his school that takes 5-10min. On the way home he takes the shuttle to my school and then takes the bus home. He usually gets home 10-15 minutes before me. He will be eligible for his permit next February and his license the summer before his junior year. </p>Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-54222219461229681702022-11-24T17:13:00.000-08:002022-11-24T17:13:45.130-08:00Back to school<p> Wow.. that went fast. Its been a busy summer of soccer practice, cottage life, and family. Marc's Dad had a stroke right before we left for Florida for 10 days. He will be in rehab until at least 9/8 and then we are hoping for 20 more days following that. </p><p>Evan has been busy. It started with Soccer and conditioning training. He tried out for the soccer team, knowing he would make the Freshman team. Well since there weren't enough kids for 3 teams, he tried out for JV. Evan has only played soccer at school in the past. He loves it but hasn't put in the same amount of time in playing that his friends have. I was so nervous for him the team was cutting 5 players. Well, we had great news, and he made the team! So now its super busy, 3 games a week and practice 6 days a week! Yikes!!</p><p>The kids officially start school on Wednesday after Labor Day and I started on 8/31. This is year 22 for me. After sharing my room for the past 4 years, I finally have it to myself again. I am ecstatic! Switching rooms every period was not easy. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-32496779950436685482022-06-16T14:39:00.003-07:002022-06-16T14:39:24.984-07:00End of 8th Grade<p> I just published 2 posts that I had written a long time ago. If they were awful its because I hit publish without looking at them. </p><p><br /></p><p>Next week Evan graduates from 8th grade. I can't believe how quickly time has passed. He is headed to the local Catholic High school. Evan took 9th grade Biology and Algebra this year. I'm so glad he is done with them. Next year its geometry and Chemistry. The public school I teach at does Chemistry junior year... so this should be a challenge.</p><p>This week Evan was awarded a $500 scholarship for high school. He has applied for $2200 more in scholarships so I'm hoping for another one. Evan is reading and writing at 11.8 grade level. This is from his high school entrance exam test. His vocabulary is amazing and he is very gifted with writing. Math not so much, he could be very strong but has had a weak teacher without high expectations. </p><p>I don't have many things on the summer schedule for him, he has aged out of most sports camp. I would love him to pick up a lawn mowing or dog walking job. Sara had her first job walking job a few weeks ago and it went well. She has been approached by a few neighbors about babysitting. I would love for them to earn some outside cash each week. With the rise in prices everywhere and the kids wanting to have some independence, I feel like an ATM machine. The kids have been walking the village after school and going for Pizza, ice cream, slurpies, and to the local coffee shop with friends. I feel like between the Catholic school and Covid they haven't been exposed to managing cash and having outings with friends. I have a hard time saying no to these outings, although this week it was 2 days in a row for Evan but I think he only spent $15. Sara spends every dollar and some of her own money. Fortunately my kids were not spenders up until now so they have some thick wallets.</p><p>I'm eagerly awaiting the end of my year. The juniors I have had this year have been a huge challenge. Covid was not helpful for these kids. I really feel like they missed a big maturity milestone and have very entitled, disrespectful behaviors as a result. The parents are just as bad. I've received more emails this year than I have my entire teaching career. </p><p> I did volunteer to teach a Cash for Crafts class this summer for 8 mornings. I received a Cricut machine from Donors choose along with supplies. When I figured out the pay it was a big help with the upcoming tuition bills. My school is not very generous with funds. They offered me $50 for supplies for 75 kids. So I decided one week I'll have the kids bring t-shirts we can bleach dye them and apply something from my Cricut machine. I'm thinking lots of Bills, school logos, and whatever they like as decals. I also picked up black plastic cups from target for $.50 so we can do a decal on those. I think we will do a wooden sign with a stencil. A friend made grateful ones earlier in the year and used inexpensive wood. Finally I have a friends daughter with a Etsy bracelet business that had sales of $60K, she started a business when she was 12 and it has grown tremendously! I'm hoping she can come in as a guest speaker and another student that has a successful t-shirt business will come in too. </p><p>We have our trip to Florida this summer for 10 days. We have never stayed that long so I can't wait! Hoping car rentals go down over the next few weeks. I have found the rates tend to drop a ton at the end of August. We have no real plans the beach and pool. Evan has a few places he would like to visit and Sara will want to do some shopping. </p>Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-39284935619261079472021-03-18T16:05:00.000-07:002022-06-16T14:15:15.784-07:00One Year of this<p>Its been so long since I have updated this blog. Its been one year in to the pandemic and as I reflected on the past year I realized I needed to write.</p><p><br /></p><p>Last March I was on a field trip to Universal Florida and we were watching the news and getting a bit nervous. Prior to leaving on the trip I stocked up on a few cleaning items and toilet paper. I had been watching the news and tend to be an over-preparer. Evan and Marc say when I pack for the day or send them somewhere they have everything they need for a Zombie Apocalypses. </p><p><br /></p><p>Well I went to Florida Thursday to Sunday. We had a staff development day on Friday, returned to school to pack our classrooms on Monday and then were not allowed to return until the end of June. Its crazy when I think back on the emotions and the fright we all faced. Early on a friends 84 year old mother passed away and a gentleman that was a guest speaker in my class. I didn't use Instacart but definitely limited my trips to the grocery store. I'm one of the rare people that likes to grocery shop. I tried to shop for two weeks and also shopped for my Mom. We still saw my mom, who lives in our neighborhood but didn't enter one another's house until the end of April. </p><p>I remember only being able to buy a dozen eggs at a time. Easter I was struggling to find some to color and luckily I had egg coloring kits remaining from last year. I found Target online was a great way to order cereal, dry goods, detergents. It seemed like a part time job searching multiple places for food. We finally gave in and picked up a pizza, and then Chik-fil-a. I made the kids reheat it in the microwave to kill off any germs(now it seems really silly). I was leaving my packages on the porch and wiping down my mail and constantly running to the sink to wash my hands. As soon as I would return from an shopping I would strip off my clothes and coat and wash them. </p><p>I remember the first time I wore a mask. I went to Wegmans and ran into a former student who laughed and told me I looked like a duck! Not everyone in the store was wearing a mask and </p>Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-45811061669092319232018-05-26T18:26:00.000-07:002022-06-16T14:15:12.273-07:00Starting the summer Bucket ListThursday night, Evan and I ran to Target and Kohls. Evan hates shopping with me and usually I wait until Marc is home or if I am just running close by I leave him home and check in with him. My Mom lives down the street so if I get delayed she will come over. He requested popcorn from Target so we picked that up. As we were checking out he saw the display of Coke bottles with names on them. His quest last summer was to find his name. The closest we found was Evans. Well today the first bottle I picked up was Evan and then we found a second. Well we purchased both. Evan is definitely my child that rarely asks for anything except take out food! I always ask before I head to the store to see if the kids or Marc want anything special and Evans requests are Cheese-its, goldfish or Wegmans frozen pizzas. He also picked out a 75% off Sabres hoodie. We declared the Coke bottles the official kick off to an amazing summer. Although we still have almost a month of school left. <br />
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This morning we headed to Fort Niagara. The weather was very overcast and Marc was at work. Evan argued about going and did not want to leave the house this morning. Luckily as soon as he was in the car his attitude changed. There is lots of construction going on and we had to take a longer route from our house. We made a small wrong turn and ended up overlooking the rapids and the powerplant below the falls. The kids thought this was great and hopped out of the car to follow the stone wall overlooking the gorge. We watched a jetboat go by with lots of tourists. We discovered a hiking trail that would take you down to the bottom of the gorge. We did not have proper footwear on for that. So I promised to return this summer. <br />
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We finally made it to the Fort around 10am and caught the tail end of the informational video. We entered the Fort and the kids were amazed there were soldiers set up from each era along with their camp and attire. At 11 there was a special event where they explained each weapon and then shot the weapon. Evan was in his glory. He is a huge history buff and is very interested in WW2. Sara was not impressed. The even did the Air raid warning and showed the bombs that were dropped all over Europe during the war. We stayed until around 1:00 and could have stayed much longer if the kids were not so hungry. There was a small shop that had a few snacks and burgers but the kids wanted to eat at the Outlet Mall. We went for lunch and purchased a few things at Oshkosh and headed home. I asked the kids to rate the day and they both gave it a 9 out of 10. <br />
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It was the perfect morning and we lucked out with the special event day that wasn't to busy. Next day trip is either the Lockport Locks the Cave of the Winds or Niagara Jetboat. There is also the Niagara Power Station where you can enter and see overlook the gorge but the kids declined that experience. Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-54753464127946148902018-05-07T03:26:00.001-07:002018-05-07T03:26:48.304-07:00First Holy CommunionOn Saturday we celebrated Sara's First Holy Communion. She woke up so excited that today was the day she made her first communion. She confided it me she wanted to take the wine but didn't want anyone to know. She later told me she likes the wine. <br />
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She made it along with 44 other children, 12 from her school and the rest attend the parish. Evan was an altar server during the mass. She truly was a little princess. We met with a photographer early in the day and she told her its paparazzi time! I ended up having it catered by a local restaurant which was very reasonable and now we have a ton of leftovers! No cooking for a few more days. <br />
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<br />Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-47473723368615713572018-04-30T03:26:00.003-07:002018-04-30T03:26:52.257-07:00The light at the end<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-Rvbqgora7XnSwFsuf1i6FB4DWGGskXDSL3CrCKme9Ez4dpv1HnKmvdIqHWqaiLwldGsT529uvREnJDyW7sdSv3SOJxCGNdzRNjNypGh9qwfHq1Ti8v44wrfW3LwfKY6R7QkZaOY0rg/s1600/31454146_10214796950429650_736448516007657472_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; float: left; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-Rvbqgora7XnSwFsuf1i6FB4DWGGskXDSL3CrCKme9Ez4dpv1HnKmvdIqHWqaiLwldGsT529uvREnJDyW7sdSv3SOJxCGNdzRNjNypGh9qwfHq1Ti8v44wrfW3LwfKY6R7QkZaOY0rg/s320/31454146_10214796950429650_736448516007657472_n.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdVCtJcKWzOp3yCIW8BkFpin11RcSJQcv_lJToqWEp-hJ5qFQGWgbVpbXE6dXPYiW5sVZDXXfAFOKc2AvIL5Z5oOBZoZR7jHkqOj_RXQszIwflw9Xt460K7SkymRoz3bAckw1a3SZabk/s1600/IMG_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdVCtJcKWzOp3yCIW8BkFpin11RcSJQcv_lJToqWEp-hJ5qFQGWgbVpbXE6dXPYiW5sVZDXXfAFOKc2AvIL5Z5oOBZoZR7jHkqOj_RXQszIwflw9Xt460K7SkymRoz3bAckw1a3SZabk/s1600/IMG_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdVCtJcKWzOp3yCIW8BkFpin11RcSJQcv_lJToqWEp-hJ5qFQGWgbVpbXE6dXPYiW5sVZDXXfAFOKc2AvIL5Z5oOBZoZR7jHkqOj_RXQszIwflw9Xt460K7SkymRoz3bAckw1a3SZabk/s320/IMG_0376.JPG" width="240" /></a>I think we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. When Sara was diagnosed with mono. I truly thought she will be tired for a few weeks and she will be back to normal. I never imagined the number of Dr. Appointment and stress is would create for the entire family. We have been to neurologists, had sleep deprived EEG, MRI, a visit to the ER, 2 different eye exams, and count less visits to our Peds. <br />
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I had slept with Sara or on her floor from the first week of January until last Sunday. She stated out very anxious and needy, then had vision issues Mycropisia (which isn't quite gone yet), 6 days of a high fever and she wasn't herself. We are finally seeing happy, sassy Sara again. There have been many times in the past 3 weeks when Marc and I have looked at one another and said "She's back". <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-Rvbqgora7XnSwFsuf1i6FB4DWGGskXDSL3CrCKme9Ez4dpv1HnKmvdIqHWqaiLwldGsT529uvREnJDyW7sdSv3SOJxCGNdzRNjNypGh9qwfHq1Ti8v44wrfW3LwfKY6R7QkZaOY0rg/s1600/31454146_10214796950429650_736448516007657472_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Yj8Dm8yRT4ZmGy-JkUTp14B83q9p_n2syNUEtLarO9fLdl9q1meA7X5jRPxW-bzw4flfwhHOa1fE-AmG9xWOTRjbkKwOiRlJ2Eu6d-q-haAUGNE5krfL-_cmlI33dsw9NuJNCIlXdW4/s1600/IMG_0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Qcbj6SsVlAxv-GEHZfIXQkVMpQkXq4tsOE6YsWbWsrF3bzTws1xAMXx50msxiIjx9yy6LoiSXkTCA8uLK-SQ3Vs88_qOFTzHYNat-kVnqb5-lLGrVIwPq4RNAMO8pac-eKJR0pRwpsc/s1600/IMG_0375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; float: left; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Qcbj6SsVlAxv-GEHZfIXQkVMpQkXq4tsOE6YsWbWsrF3bzTws1xAMXx50msxiIjx9yy6LoiSXkTCA8uLK-SQ3Vs88_qOFTzHYNat-kVnqb5-lLGrVIwPq4RNAMO8pac-eKJR0pRwpsc/s320/IMG_0375.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Qcbj6SsVlAxv-GEHZfIXQkVMpQkXq4tsOE6YsWbWsrF3bzTws1xAMXx50msxiIjx9yy6LoiSXkTCA8uLK-SQ3Vs88_qOFTzHYNat-kVnqb5-lLGrVIwPq4RNAMO8pac-eKJR0pRwpsc/s1600/IMG_0375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Poor Evan has been a trooper. Last night I told him I miss him coming into Sara's room to cuddle me at tonight. He has played way to many video games as a result of her mono. Last week we picked up a basketball hoop for the kids. We went to Dick's and ran into a former student and she gave us her discount! April was a month of many expensive purchases including a new dishwasher and a new laptop. <br />
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Sara had Daddy Daughter dance on Friday and will make her first Communion this Saturday. Evan and I went to the Avengers movie on Friday and it was not my favorite movie. Very long, non-stop fighting and just not my type of movie. Evan said it was ok just way to long. <br />
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We have been running around for Track the past two weeks. The kids had 2 track meets this weekend. They each received ribbons but it was in the 30's for both meets and very cold. Our weekend was filled with play dates. Play dates have become so easy. We have passed the stage that they need me or that they argue. Hopefully it stays that way. <br />
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<br />Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-58347442800123177112018-02-12T17:17:00.000-08:002018-02-12T17:17:34.756-08:00HopefulAs of Thursday I thought she had improved. Sara made it to school on Thursday and things went well. She asked for a sub from Wegmans for dinner. We rode over and she complained she was car sick. She was very nauseous and I gave her a bottle of water. She made it home and seemed ok. Then complained her stomach hurt in bed. She fell asleep at 8 and then woke up at 9:15 and said she felt sick. Well she made it to the toilet. She then fell asleep with an icepack on head. <br />
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She seemed okay this am. So since Marc was off I asked him to see if Sara was ok. She called me and decided to go into school after Mass. She made it through day! We had her Dr. visit after school and she was released for gym and activities. The Dr. warned her that she will be tired on and off for months. Her lymph nodes are still enlarged but she told us that is normal. <br />
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I took my Junior and Senior Academy students on a field trip. After that I left school early picked the kids up. Dropped Evan off ran to the Dr. and then met Marc at church and switched kids. Evan had altar boy training. <br />
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I finally made it home around 5:30. Sara and I are curled up on the couch. She is eating her second bowl of watermelon, cantaloupe, and pineapple. We certainly spend a small fortune on fruit! At least they are eating it daily and will ask for it throughout the day. Evan has been taking a container of raspberries for lunch every day for lunch.<br />
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Saturday Jim Kelly had his annual Hunters Day of Hope at the Buffalo Bills Fieldhouse. It is a free fun day to celebrate families. Well Jim had his gallbladder out on Wednesday and his wife was hospitalized with pneumonia. Marc took Evan and his friend over, but Sara asked to stay home. We stayed home and caught up on homework and made slime for her valentine exchange. <br />
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Sunday was a day of baking cookies, grocery shopping, and finishing book reports.<br />
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Today Sara made it to school and to dance class. Of course tonight was parent observation night but her dance teacher is a good friend, her former 2nd grade teacher, and my former student. She spent the entire class getting Sara up to speed on the recital dance. Sara was much more confident and happy when she left. <br />
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My mom called me after school and said she wants the old Sara back. Sara is very mopey and not herself. She is usually very witty, fun, and joyful. She is much more subdued, whiny, and nervous since getting mono. We can't wait for old Sara to make her way back and recover. Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-76745876153755981322018-02-05T14:43:00.001-08:002018-02-05T14:43:36.164-08:00The first visitToday was our first visit to the newly opened Children's Hospital. I was not impressed. Yesterday we were at our Peds again. Sara was on day 6 of a fever and her tonsils are super swollen, red and have white spots again. The Peds tested her for strep again. This time I had a fantastic Dr. and she listened to all of the symptoms without discounting anything. She suggested we see an ENT. She promised to try and get us in Monday. Around 8pm our home phone rang and it was her checking on Sara. She called again this AM at 8. Unfortunately they called 6 ENT's and could not get me in. So we headed to the ER at children's. The plan was to see an ENT there. <br />
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Well the plan didn't work out. We arrived at 10am and didn't leave until 3:45. It was run so poorly and of course I had a resident that barely listened. Once she heard Mono she ignored everything else. First they did a flu swab and when that was negative they did a urine analysis. After that was negative they did a strep test. These were not all done at the same time. So they would do a test, we would wait for the results and then they would do the next. It was so inefficient! Finally I expressed my disgust at 1:45 and said I had expected bloodwork and to see and ENT. She then returned and ordered blood and an x-ray. The x-ray tech asked me what they were looking for!!<br />
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After all that time I asked for some ice water at 2pm.. never received it. It was horrid we spent the entire day there and didn't find out anything new. I can't wait for my Pediatrician to call. I would have been better off waiting for the next ENT appointment. We left with a hungry, tired child. The only good part of the day was that her fever stayed below 99.2. Of course Murphys Law we go for a fever and it disappears. <br />
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At this point the plan is to keep her out of school for tomorrow and then reevaluate. Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-75431058952313828882018-02-02T14:29:00.000-08:002018-02-02T14:29:23.234-08:00Weekly visits to the PediatiriciansSince Mid -December I have taken Sara to the Pediatricians 6 times and we are scheduled to go again on Friday. This is crazy. Now she has a virus and is running a fever between 100 -103. Poor Sara is so wiped out. For the second year in a row she has missed Catholic Schools Week. She insisted on dressing up this am and wanted me to send her picture to her teacher. I tried to console her that each year we have made something really fantastic for school spirit day and once she gets to wear them she will have the best costume ever! <br />
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She does have a book report due on the 15th and she gets to dress like the character. Sara chose Laura Ingalls Wilder since we had purchased a flannel nightgown and a bonnet last year. <br />
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I would have loved to have taken a sick day this week to be with Sara. It was the start of the new semester and my Department had a curriculum day planned for today. So my Mom has had Sara the past few days. Thank goodness for her. She is a lifesaver over and over again.<br />
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Evan has been a trooper this month. I feel bad that I make him head to bed early when Marc isn't home and Sara is crying that she needs to sleep with me or fall asleep with me. Part of the Mono has made her very clingy. I have missed looking over his homework a few times this month. He has a very intense teacher this year. Her grading is not very forgiving. For example if they are late (4th graders forget their homework) or if they don't put their name on it, or do anything except math in pencil she takes off 5 points. She is teaching them responsibility but is very strict for a bunch of 9 year olds. I am the opposite as a teacher and am very flexible. But... I do teach electives. <br />
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This afternoon I called Sara and asked if anything sounded good. She said Chipotle might. So I picked it up on my lunch and she ate 2/3 of a very small taco. Tonight she ate 1 3/4 more tacos. That is the most she has eaten in days. I am desperate to get anything into her. Our freezer is filled with her favorite ice cream treats, frozen yogurt, and popsicles. She has been living on Chicken noodle soup and bread this past month. Its not because I don't make my own soup, I do. She has been extremely hard to feed and only a few things appeal to her. Luckily one of them has been apples. I'm crossing my fingers that she is back to school next week. I did make sub plans for Monday just in case. <br />
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She hasn't been to dance or gymnastics in a month and I originally planned on having her return to dance this week but unless there is a huge improvement in the next two days we will be waiting even longer. Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-72045010794312884862018-01-25T13:29:00.000-08:002018-01-25T13:29:25.255-08:00Recovery Sara is slowly recovering. She is still pretty emotional and wants Mom, claims she will miss me when its time to go to school and has cried many mornings. She missed 3 days the first week. The second week was a four day week and she made it for 2 whole days, went in late once, and came home early another day. This week so far she has survived 3 full days, and came home early yesterday. I ended up taking her back to the Pediatricians yesterday. The good news is her lymph nodes are not as enlarged, her spleen seems okay, her tonsils no longer are swollen with white spots. The bad news she has a new virus or cold. She is very congested and her throat hurts. Normally this wouldn't be so bad but her immune system is so weak after Mono. <br />
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Sara has only left the house for school, Drs visits, dinner out last Saturday and 2 trips to Target. I feel like we are all hibernating! <br />
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Poor Evan is getting the short end of the stick. We rush through his homework because Sara wants me to lie down with her as she falls asleep.. that's another story. She has been falling asleep with me and then either Marc or I carry her to bed. This weekend I need to end this! The other night I climbed in Evans bed to say goodnight and he said "Mom do you realize I'm Evan and you only do this with Sara" Poor kids has been abandoned! <br />
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Marc is out of town tonight.. Selfishly its so much easier to feed just the kids. I put a roast in the crock pot and I can make Sara acorn squash in the Instant Pot and Evan mashed potatoes and corn or peas and call it done. Marc usually comes home much later so I feel like the kitchen never gets cleaned up. <br />
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Next week I start with new students. I can't believe half of the year is over. Hopefully the second half goes by just as quickly. If only the summer would go slower! So far no plans yet.<br />
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Marcs sister is getting married and has asked Sara to be the flower girl. She still hasn't set a date but possibly next Easter or next summer. Hopefully we can turn it into a vacation at Myrtle Beach or one of the beaches surrounding Charleston. Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-87681734534319957822018-01-11T17:06:00.000-08:002018-01-11T17:06:02.990-08:00New year... not starting out so wellAs 2018 rolls in we are starting out on a rough path. Sara has been diagnosed with Mono. She went to the doctors twice the week before Christmas with a cough, and sore throat. I assumed she had strep throat since she is extremely prone to is. She complained on and off during Christmas and also complained on and off that her stomach hurt. She went to Gymnastics a few days before Christmas and when I picked her up she was crying. She told me she cried the entire class and didn't know why she was crying. The crying and emotions increased during break. She became very clingy and wanted dozens of hugs and kisses before bed. She then became very anxious when it was time to return to school last Wednesday. She told me she didn't feel herself and was an emotional wreck. I chalked it up to the change in routine. Well it only became worse. So bad that I had read about PANDAS online and was convinced she had it. <br />
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I finally called a friend that is a child psychologist and she suggested the possibility of Mono. Well I took her in Monday afternoon and she tested positive. Since she didn't feel that bad I sent her to school Tuesday and I guess that was a mistake. She was exhausted. She hasn't napped at all but has laid around all week and doesn't have much of an appetite. Her tonsils are huge and very red and now are starting to become covered in white spots. Today is the first day that I thought she perked up. When I ask her she says she doesn't feel any better.<br />
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She has managed to keep up with her homework. Her teacher sent all her work for the rest of the week. Thank goodness that Monday is a holiday so that will extend the rest period.<br />
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Last Friday we had a day off for the cold temperatures and today I was running around in a sweatshirt. This weather is crazy. I did manage to take down and store all the outside lights at 8am this morning! Last week I made the kids clean the basement and we have a giant box of toys to sell and donate. I packed away all the Legos, dollhouse, and sorted through tons of books. Surprisingly Sara let me get rid of all the play dough. Now she has progressed to the slime obsession. Our one tip on slime is to combine glue with sta-flo starch. It is much easier than any other recipe. <br />
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Our exciting news of the day is Marc's sister is getting married. She had told Sara a long time ago she could be a flower girl. Sara is thrilled, although no wedding plans have been made yet. We will have another trip to Charleston at some point for the wedding. Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-85742841403944463122017-11-11T16:07:00.002-08:002017-11-11T16:07:23.370-08:00Great Wolf LodgeWe just returned from Great Wolf Lodge and had a very quick, fun trip. Evan's friend Dominic joined us and their were 10 other families from school. On Thursday night, Evan mentioned his friend Josh was going. Josh has a little sister Alyssa that Sara adores. We were both surprised to not have know the other was going. I love Josh's parents and they were lots of fun to spend the evening with.<br />
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The kids had a great time in the water park for 5 hours straight. Food was surprisingly reasonable. Dinner was $20 Canadian for 8 chicken strips, 3 orders of fresh cut fries, and 2 sodas. So about $16 American. We let the kids each spend $10 in the Arcade after the waterpark closed. Sara accidently spend more than she thought on a game that wasn't working. I had $5 Canadian in coin and when I went to cash it in, the attendant looked at her and said tell me when to stop. She was puzzled and didn't understand what he was doing, well he kept sliding her game card over and over until she had about $60 worth of credits. The kids had a blast with that and cashed in their "prize points". Sara was thrilled to purchase a Kinder-egg. Since these are illegal in the US they are always a favorite in Canada. As long as we unpackaged it, its legal. Such a silly law. They are chocolate eggs with a plastic egg inside (Easter egg size) with a prize inside. <br />
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The kids played basketball, did the obstacle courses, wave pool, and hot tub. Sara did a few waterslides but the boys were more timid. She played with Alyssa and then transitioned to a boy from her class Carson. I think Carson has a crush on Sara but they had a great time together. Floating in the lazy river in the double tube, riding waterslides, and doing the obstacle. Its so nice to know all the families. The kids were on their own for a good amount of time at the park. They would check in periodically and I would check on them. We had a rule to stay with a buddy and not to use the bathrooms without an adult, and not to leave the park. My kids are super easy with things like this and haven't pushed the limits yet. <br />
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We had breakfast there since the kids didn't have much for dinner and were very overtired. The Buffet was not cheap but I figured if we had a big breakfast we could have a light lunch. Sara tried pea meal bacon and loved it. Evan had 6 small waffles and some fruit. I just wanted coffee and the waitress forgot me and so brought me a tog o cup that was very welcomed! The kids decided not to return to the park and wanted to play put-put golf. Well, after searching the resort for it, we found it was outside. Today was 21 degrees, so that idea went out the window. We decided to check out and head to 7-11 for slurpies and a few more Kinder Eggs before crossing the border. The Whirlpool bridge was backed up a bit but since Dominics mom gave me his original birth certificate and a note we didn't have any issues. <br />
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When we came home I ran to JCP to use some coupons I had 3 spend $10 save $10 coupons, and 1 $15 reward. I picked up some sneakers for Marc, he doesn't like them, I will be heading back. Two outfits for Christmas gifts, and some slippers for my mom. It was so busy there today. I also went to TJ Max to return something but the line was crazy. <br />
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<br />Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-26585593798936752102017-11-04T17:05:00.000-07:002017-11-04T17:05:05.012-07:00We can breathe again...We have officially survived September and October. I started using the calendar app on my iPhone last year and it puts a dot on each day you have an event scheduled. Well, there was one day without a dot in September and October. The schedule hasn't lessened up that much but enough that we can breathe, catch up and relax a little bit.<br />
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Sara is doing dance 2 nights a week, and gymnastics one night a week. Evan is only doing Basketball on Saturday afternoon. Previously we had 2 dance nights, 2 soccer practices, 1 gymnastic, 1 flag foot ball practice, and 3 games on Saturday. Evan had a football game in the AM and a soccer in the PM. Sara had a game every Saturday AM. Unfortunately Marc works many Saturday mornings so it was a circus getting everyone prepared. I also had Sophomore class advisor duties of concession stands for Football games on Thursday nights, homecoming weekend game and dance, and our church does an Octoberfest. For Octoberfest I was selling tickets after mass each week, either on Saturday or Sunday and finally I spent a Sunday working the event. The bonus was after purchasing a ticket for the past 6 years we finally won $100. In between all of this are the playdates, shopping, cleaning, birthday parties, and attempting to take care of our cottage and home. <br />
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Phew... I thought today would be our first Saturday off. Instead we had a fundraiser at school that I had to attend from 11-2 and then return to school for basketball from 3-4:30. My only saving grace is I can drop the kids off and run an errand or run home. 2 weeks ago we started car pooling to dance with a girl that Sara has danced with for 2 years. This makes my life so much easier and we found out she lives close so hopefully we will have a new friend for playdates.<br />
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School has been going well for the kids. They both have at least 30 minutes of homework per night. Some nights its a challenge. Evan is my more academic child and Sara is more of a social butterfly. She can make friends with anyone while Evan prefers a few close friends. <br />
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Last weekend our fridge started freezing. Of course we discovered it on Friday night. Marc called Saturday and they couldn't make it out until Monday. Well after some research Marc decided he would try to fix it (its 5 years old). He had me order 2 parts from Amazon for $80 and they finally arrived on Thursday. In the meantime we were turning the breaker on and off - enough to keep the fridge cold but turning it off to keep it from freezing. Thankfully he chose the correct parts and its working. That saved us from the $150 service call, plus parts and labor. <br />
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I think we are slowly getting ready for colder weather. I still need to get Sara a coat to play outside in and Evan some new boots. I have ordered some from LL Bean and Lands End and can't seem to get the correct fit. We still have a few pieces of furniture to store for the winter and one more trip to our cottage to quickly clean up and we should be ready. <br />
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I am proud to say I ordered our Christmas cards. I usually take a picture in November or have a picture taken and this year I cheated and used a beach picture from our trip to Florida. <br />
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This week we are heading to Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls. We are off from school on Friday so Marc can't go, so crazy me is allowing Evan to take a friend. There are 10 families from the kids school going so I know Sara will have plenty of friends. I was nervous to ask our friends if there son wanted to go. I know we will need his birth certificate and a note to cross the border. He is such a great kid and so easy going that I know he will be fine. We have never been there and we have a great group rate so hopefully it will be a success.<br />
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I am so thankful that I had success ordering from Ikea this week. I have been procrastinating ordering a sideboard for our cottage since last winter. I was hoping we could at some point find time for an overnight in Pittsburgh so I could pick it up or we could purchase it in Canada for a bit more. Well last week I received a free shipping email that would save me $49. I tried to order it and it could only be picked up in the store. I tried the next day and the price dropped $120! It dropped in price to $239. Now we need to purchase an inexpensive TV and our cottage will be a bit more livable. Marc spent many hours this summer replacing and building a tile corner shower. Hopefully next summer we can spend some more time there and spend the night. The shower has leaked the past few years so we always drive the 40 minutes home. <br />
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Funny Sara story - last week I told Evan that my belly used to be as firm and hard as his. Sara lifts up her shirt and says in disgust "I have Dads belly!" Sara has always been softer than Evan he is so thin. I laughed so hard. I still love when they say something out of the blue that is pure honesty!Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-27701335671298949802017-05-11T17:03:00.001-07:002017-05-11T17:03:10.941-07:00Flying by..... againWow its Mid- May already. This year has been such a great year at school. I have such great students. I have nicknamed my one class the angel class. They are juniors and are in my accounting class. Its May and I have never been annoyed or upset with anyone in the class! They are fantastic and so respectful. I hope my kids turn out this way.<br />
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Evan and Sara have had great years at school. They both did soccer in the fall, Evan is participating in track now. Evan has taken piano lessons since Christmas with his music teacher. They both have participated in multiple STREAM academies. Sara is currently in a Arcade academy that they engineer and build their own games. <br />
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Sara is still busy with Gymnastics (her favorite) and Ballet. We are gearing up for the dance recital and the gymnastics show in June. <br />
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Evan started orthodontics in November and it was a rough start. He had an expander put in on a Monday and had it removed by Friday. Between being sick, his aversions, and stubbornness, we were on the verge of dehydration. By Friday he was to weak to walk down the stairs, it was awful. Well after giving it a rest for a few weeks our orthodontist made a special retainer expander for Evan. Evan has been amazing with it. I was convinced he wouldn't keep it in his mouth or he would loose it. Well he has proven me wrong. He is so dedicated to keeping it in. He was even told a few weeks ago he doesn't have to wear it to school anymore. Well, we still wear it except for when he is eating. <br />
Sara starts her process in June and will have to get head gear. At this point she is excited about it but when she has to wear it 12 hours a day it may not be as excited. A friend was in NYC this week and I had her pick up the American Girl braces set. So hopefully that will make it a little more bearable. She is still a huge American Girl fan. <br />
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We survived driving to Charleston (14 hours) over Easter and the kids loved seeing their Grandma and Aunt. We enjoyed a bit of beach time and some sunshine. Sara's car sickness wasn't to bad. She did get sick twice on the way home during the twists and turns of West Virginia.<br />
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Evan made his First Communion last weekend. He was super cute. I am not crazy about the way our church does the Communion but it was special regardless. He whispered to me before Communion that he was going to try the wine. Evan is so finicky I wasn't sure this was a good idea. I warned him I didn't have a bottle of water and he couldn't spit it out. He was determined to do it and I went up after him. The woman who gave it to him whispered " you should have seen his face!", I can imagine.<br />
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Sara is still my good eater and easier child. Evan is very detailed and the better student. That may be a result of him being the older student in his grade and Sara being the youngest. Although she is the youngest she is still one of the top students in her class. Evan will seldom ask to try anything new. <br />
His meals include, roast beef, steak, grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, chicken wings & fingers, pork chops, hot dogs, pizza, chicken soup, a grill cheese and turkey. He will eat only cooked corn, peas, and broccoli. Fruits are much easier. He prefers pretzels as a snack. He usually chooses a snack and sticks with it for months and then gets tired of it, it will eventually return. He also eats mashed potatoes, rice, and french fries. Breakfast he will eat toast, dry cereal, a milkshake (he is still in the 17% ), scrambled eggs and bacon. Lunch at school is embarrassing he eats a pretzel roll (from Wegmans only), fruit, chips, and a few cookies. <br />
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Sara will eat or try any fruit or vegetable. She prefers most vegetables raw. She isn't a huge meat eater except for tacos, hamburgers, steak, turkey, ham and hot dogs. She does not like rice or mashed potatoes. She likes crackers and cheese, will bring and make her own ham sub for lunch. She eats yogurt, cereal with milk, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, hash browns. Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-16513576145026661952016-09-28T17:36:00.002-07:002016-09-28T17:36:48.100-07:00One month down...Is it bad that I am excited that September is over? It is always such a crazy month. There have been weeks where I have had something every night. The kids are playing on two different soccer teams that practice on different nights and have games on either Saturday or Sunday. Sara has Ballet on Tuesdays and Gymnastics on Wednesdays. Thursdays I have had to the concession stands at the JV Football games. We have had our Academy of Finance kickoff barbeque, open house, and the kids meet the teacher night.<br />
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My poor hanging baskets haven't been watered once this week, and I don't care. We started out the month with our front load washing machine gasket tearing in half. The washer is 5 years old and has been a nightmare since it passed the warranty phase. So Labor day I shopped for a new machine. I bought a top load and its nice but very deep and I am not that tall. <br />
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At the end of August I had planned to have the carpets cleaned at our cottage. Our new neighbors mentioned they have a commercial carpet cleaner for the pharmacy they own. It was a great machine and a huge savings to do it ourselves. The down point was I was moving a table and forgot there was a large piece of coral (5 lbs or more) and it fell on my foot. My toes were sore and gashed but it was in the middle of the shampooing so I ignored it. Once school started the pain increased and I went to an Emergency Care center. They took x-rays and said they thought it was a bruised bone and told me to see my Dr. if it continued. I ended up seeing my Dr. since I have only been wearing one pair of tight shoes that make if bearable. I am seeing an orthopedic Dr. tomorrow. It was the first appointment I could get. The good news is its feeling much better. <br />
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The Sunday after Labor Day my brother who lives with my mom called me. He NEVER calls me. I thought it was about my kids and he said I think Mom needs to talk to you. Well I called her back on the home phone and she said something was wrong she couldn't remember anything. I rushed to her house and she said something isn't right I don't remember anything I did today. We had went to church that morning and she couldn't even remember what day it was. I said lets go get in the car. As I drove about a mile I called a friend who is the head trauma nurse at a hospital in Buffalo. She told me to call 911 it could be a stroke. Well after hours and hours at the hospital she was diagnosed with <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/transient-global-amnesia/basics/definition/CON-20032746">Global Transient Amnesia</a> . She was released and everything thankfully has been ok since then. Just a completely crazy night. We made it home at 2:45 am and I had to be at school for my first class at 8:10.... and exhausting week.<br />
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I am now trying to get my class officers ready for homecoming. October 14th we will spend the day building a float and the 15th will be homecoming dance. The 15th is also my Birthday. Being the Sophomore class advisor is a very stressful September and October but it pays very well and the rest of the year is very easy. <br />
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I am debating taking Sara and Evan to NYC for Veterans day. Sara is dying to go the American Girl store for her birthday. As expensive as they are they are beautiful dolls and she plays with them every day. Seeing that we haven't taken them to Disney yet I can somewhat justify this. I am still on the fence. I would also take them to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Marc has zero interest in going to NY. This is the first year I haven't had to take my students to Chicago or NY. <br />
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<br />Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-45514812486258270482016-09-25T18:30:00.003-07:002016-09-26T03:11:43.229-07:00Goals Accomplished!I am a few weeks behind I wrote this at the end of August and never posted!<br />
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We are reaching the end of summer. Two weeks from today I will return to school. The kids and I have enjoyed are time off and we have completed most of our summer goals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtz5HhtTUy9tWKdUSIEocCHBB_1zE9VIHawMpt_pLw7nSiYSUOVEJtkRRxWCK4v8PK47sWCoR8KbV_jfihJAjVYc9oUb2D4z2CIi8LO_XCgEg1ScWwsl8XM6ppCJQ4lV4BJMHX4a3ovIM/s1600/IMG_6176%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>1. Both kids are successfully riding bikes. I was hesitant this would happen. Evan had zero interest in learning to ride. After 3 practice sessions with Marc in a parking lot he is riding like a pro. Sara has been riding on a bike that tows behind my bike and attempting on her own a bit. Well she became determined this weekend to ride and by yesterday she was doing laps around the neighborhood with me and Evan. Its so nice to exercise with them.<br />
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2. Sara is finally falling asleep without watching any electronics. As a baby she did this and it was difficult to get them both down at the same time. Marc started to let Sara fall asleep on the couch and that was our downfall. To keep Evan in his bed he would fall asleep watching a DVD and eventually Sara started the same bad habit. Well now Sara is begging to go to bed so she can read. She is on her 7th Heidi Heckelbeck book and loves them. Evan is starting to get back in the habit and read and entire Diary of a Wimpy Kid book between last night and this morning. He is also reading the Stranded series and loves it.<br />
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3. We completed all of their summer assignments including Evan's first book report. I will post a picture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIfGbZHXz4ywcNmM557srhvqo-Exc5m3xYC8wG4gEmcmDWOjxMMWqEUDiNWslJCVCoXZUKvE5NUR_zO-ejpgWH9jDm6Sy1CU66u7GmzWeklqoaYXq1sNNbRSqw1PlikkEGEdY6GPU9t4/s1600/IMG_6220%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtz5HhtTUy9tWKdUSIEocCHBB_1zE9VIHawMpt_pLw7nSiYSUOVEJtkRRxWCK4v8PK47sWCoR8KbV_jfihJAjVYc9oUb2D4z2CIi8LO_XCgEg1ScWwsl8XM6ppCJQ4lV4BJMHX4a3ovIM/s1600/IMG_6176%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIfGbZHXz4ywcNmM557srhvqo-Exc5m3xYC8wG4gEmcmDWOjxMMWqEUDiNWslJCVCoXZUKvE5NUR_zO-ejpgWH9jDm6Sy1CU66u7GmzWeklqoaYXq1sNNbRSqw1PlikkEGEdY6GPU9t4/s320/IMG_6220%255B1%255D.JPG" width="240" /><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
4. We rode the waterslides at Darien Lake. Our kids are not big on amusement parks and knowing this makes me feel ok that we haven't taken them to Disney yet. They love water parks but could care less about regular rides.<br />
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5. I painted our cottage. The inside has not been painted in almost 20 years. My Dad gutted it and put new drywall up and painted it white. I had painted the large family room and put a wall paper border up years ago. Well I have been slowly stripping the border and I finally repainted the room a pale gray and painted the kitchen a creamy pale yellow. Now we need to rip out the shower (it was leaking behind the wall) and install a new shower. Luckily the plumbing is good but we are going to attempt to put a tiled shower in rather than the vinyl one that has to be recaulked every few years. <br />
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6. Sara is diving last night we went night swimming at the neighbors and she started with a few sitting and kneeling dives and quickly mastered the standing dive.<br />
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7. As I write we have an AC tech here. Our AC died back in the fall and we had it charged and then again at the end of August we needed it charged again. We called another company to find the leak so I am praying it is an inexpensive fix.<br />
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8. My last project for the summer is to tag all the clothes and toys for the consignment sale. Each year I tell myself not to buy them as many clothes. Its easier not to buy for Evan since his outfit of choice is a NFL Jersey and jeans. Sara seems to need more dress up clothes and special outfits. Evan is so easy he didn't even want a new backpack or lunchbox. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIfGbZHXz4ywcNmM557srhvqo-Exc5m3xYC8wG4gEmcmDWOjxMMWqEUDiNWslJCVCoXZUKvE5NUR_zO-ejpgWH9jDm6Sy1CU66u7GmzWeklqoaYXq1sNNbRSqw1PlikkEGEdY6GPU9t4/s1600/IMG_6220%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>9. We purchased all of our back to school supplies, uniforms, and shoes. Sara is wearing a 13 in NIKE (which run small) and Evan is wearing a 3. I would like to clean up last years soccer spikes and some ice skates in my basement to trade in at a sporting goods store that sells used equipment. Sara insisted on a Vera Bradly backpack. I debated but gave in figuring its her only chance to have something her own at school. Plaid skirts, navy pants, plaid jumpers, and white shirts are pretty boring. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrtgXijx9j1LootIUnOLFA92n_KpiUiVCHLD-d3QzL4A5rZ9aBolJNPqmWrZBuwI3do56S9n0wVdhoimzlGc6t4hj-_iSh6nQB7LJpyxwYb8JGW8DhjF_It0ipFCBUj0KT_WJuNqbfbo/s1600/IMG_6200%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrtgXijx9j1LootIUnOLFA92n_KpiUiVCHLD-d3QzL4A5rZ9aBolJNPqmWrZBuwI3do56S9n0wVdhoimzlGc6t4hj-_iSh6nQB7LJpyxwYb8JGW8DhjF_It0ipFCBUj0KT_WJuNqbfbo/s320/IMG_6200%255B1%255D.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrtgXijx9j1LootIUnOLFA92n_KpiUiVCHLD-d3QzL4A5rZ9aBolJNPqmWrZBuwI3do56S9n0wVdhoimzlGc6t4hj-_iSh6nQB7LJpyxwYb8JGW8DhjF_It0ipFCBUj0KT_WJuNqbfbo/s1600/IMG_6200%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>10. Evan had his haircut today and Sara is scheduled for Monday. I am dreading the crazy schedule of back to school. Sara has Ballet on Tuesday, Gymnastics on Wednesday. For September and October there will be a soccer practice each week and a game on Saturday. I will also have my Sophomore class advisor duties of 3 JV Football game concession stands and homecoming the weekend of my Birthday. Luckily it will all end 10/15. After that I will be hosting Trunk or Treat at the kids school. I will be very happy after Halloween!<br />
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11. We have managed to keep the house much neater this summer. The kids have really kept the basement clean, their bedrooms manageable, and have kept all messes out of the family room. I hoping they are getting older and can continue to help more. I have kept up with vacuuming a few times each week. I bought a Shark vacuum in the fall and love it. I actually like to vacuum with it!<br />
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Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-56805526870770152672016-07-20T19:08:00.003-07:002016-07-20T19:08:20.651-07:00What a week...Its been one heck of week. Last Tuesday night Sara asked to go across the street to play with the 5th grader Lisa. Evan piped up that he wanted to go so I told him to cross Sara. I checked a few minutes later and she had brought her scooter across but did not have shoes on. I made her put some sturdy shoes on and went down to the basement. Evan came screaming in the house Sara is hurt and she wants you Mom. Of course I ran down the yard and a neighbor was carrying Sara and she was crying hysterically. Marc tried to comfort her and she said I just want Mommy. Well a few seconds later she stormed up the yard on her own. I didn't see any blood and she said her arm hurt. A bit later a neighbor called and invited everyone swimming so Sara said she wanted to go. We went over and she was very guarded of her arm, but still went down the waterslide and jumped in. The kids played tag and Evan bumped Sara's arm and a big fight broke out. At that point it was time to head home. I gave her some Motrin for her arm and figured she would be fine in the morning.<br />
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Wednesday morning Evan had day 3 of his football camp. I called my Mom and she said Sara had hung out in a chair all morning but didn't complain. When I arrived home she said it really hurt to move and refused to straighten it. So I thought we better be safe and I ran her to the Peds. They sent us for x-rays and put Sara's arm in a sling. We went to a new facility for the x-rays and were told our Ped would call us with the results. Our Dr. called and said that it was dislocated at the elbow and they would set us up with an Orthopedic by 9am. Well 8:58 the next morning they called and said we had to head to Children's hospital where they would sedate Sara and reset it and probably cast it for 3 weeks. We went and they wanted to re x-ray Sara and they did very quickly and told us that it wasn't broken or dislocated and come back for a follow up in 2 weeks if she still has pain. She slowly seems to be improving. Wow I feel like we dodged a bullet! All the kids in the waiting rooms had casts above their elbows. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNGGaZbh42shT6sYGx1cLjilfhmsQYMqz9Rg2uKDKUXBHWkoR3-vDRtlwsZHXNirjehsqcwUWFOI-HfLD4gvnJ2uZXW7T9EUmlkOzOQIhugl02MP7XgypD5yso34BSk-eFa24RElyEwc/s1600/IMG_6375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNGGaZbh42shT6sYGx1cLjilfhmsQYMqz9Rg2uKDKUXBHWkoR3-vDRtlwsZHXNirjehsqcwUWFOI-HfLD4gvnJ2uZXW7T9EUmlkOzOQIhugl02MP7XgypD5yso34BSk-eFa24RElyEwc/s320/IMG_6375.JPG" width="320" /></a>We did 4 days of football camp at my High School last week and Evan loved it. It was very well run and only 1.5 hours a day. It was very hot though close to 90 each day and it was 11am -12:30. This week Evan attended a Sammy Watkins camp and had fun but not as much as the high school program. This was double the cost and was held at a community college from 9-12:30. It was a long time to sit in the bleachers and the kids were only given water or SunnyD during the camp. He was starving by the end of the morning. Sammy did a great job and interacted with each group of kids. I was amazed at how far kids traveled for this camp. Some kids from Florida, South Carolina, traveled to Orchard Park to participate. Most of the families around me drove over an hour or two to attend. I am not sure I would do that. <br />
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Last night Sara did a paint night with some friends from school. She can't wait to do another class. On the way home she was getting grumpy and arguing about playing with the kids in the neighborhood. She finally asked for help strapping in her booster seat. This is where it became ugly. I went to strap her in and didn't realize she had the strap in her teeth. She had been doing it with one hand and holding it in her teeth to compensate for her left hand. Well instantly she lost her top front tooth and there was blood everywhere. Her teeth were loose but probably had a few weeks to go. She came downstairs at 10pm and told me her tooth was just hanging and I burst into tears. The tooth fairy left $10 for this tragedy the most they have ever left at our house. She woke up the next morning with her other tooth. So a short ride on a scooter has been an expensive time consuming trip.<br />
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We are done with camps and vacation now its time for some daytrips and playgrounds. I would love to take the kids on the Maid of the Mist next week and to the Genesee County Museum - Mumford for Laura Ingalls Wilder Days - the actress who played Caroline will be there. I also plan on taking Evan to Bills minicamp in Rochester in early August. We have off until after labor day this year. The past few years we have returned the last week in August so this feels like an extra 2 weeks off. <br />
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Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-11613104325272484802016-02-12T09:57:00.001-08:002016-07-20T19:08:43.400-07:00Another Birthday!Last week was busy. It was Evan's 8th Birthday on Sunday but the celebrations began on Friday. Friday I baked cupcakes for school and of course Evan is very specific. He wanted homemade frosting for school. He loves shortening frosting since it forms a hard crust. His friends seem to like Buttercream so I did that for his classmates. There is a peanut allergy in his class so that always adds to the challenge of baking. Friday I had to stay late at school for a meeting and I came home and Evan had a classmate here since his mom needed a babysitter for a bit. I started his Buffalo Bills cake and we worked on cleaning the house. <br />
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Our families joined us on Saturday and Evan really didn't want anything special for his birthday. He has mentioned our xbox has been freezing since we added the Lego Dimension game to it and after seeing a neighbors xbox one he said he would like one. Our families were very generous with money and gift cards. Evan is so thorough that although he has enough to purchase his new xbox he wants to wait until his doesn't work anymore. I laughed that he has more cash in the house than I do. Generally I put his birthday money in his college account and I still will a good sum in from his Grandmas and my Great Aunt but since he didn't get gifts he can hold on to his cash. He also received 2 target cards, a Dicks sporting goods card, and some new gifts. We also ended up doing Christmas with Marc's Aunt and cousins. I have to admit it was nicer doing it now that during the holidays. <br />
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Sunday Evan had two friends come over to play and we had pizza for lunch. I baked more cupcakes since Evan destroyed the cake taking the frosting off it when I wasn't looking. We then headed over to Bounce Magic where Sara had a friend meet us and Evan had another friend meet us. The kids played for two hours and we were relieved to end the celebrations. Marc and I gave Evan a flag football set, a Mario Williams jersey (he insisted this is what he wanted even though the plans are to cut him from the team), a large Lego set, and a Madden 25 game. His friends gave him a Sammy Watkins jersey, a Bills pillow pet, and a gift card. <br />
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I still can't believe I have an 8 year old. Evan is my really smart boy. His teacher writes on all his progress reports and report cards that he is always the role model for the class. His reading is fantastic. Lately he has been reading the I survived books. He amazes me he is reading about Pompeii, the Nazi Invasion, Gettysburg, and Pearl Harbor. He loves history and sports. He is amazing with his knowledge of football. He reads sports books and the sports page in the paper constantly. <br />
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Evan and Sara are both doing Common Core math at first I was frustrated with it but as we do it more and more and I see how well they are doing I am probably one of the few that like it. Both of them are really strong in math. Evan picked up on multiplication a few months ago on the way home from a playdate. He told me a friend with an older sibling is learning it and as soon as I explained it he caught on. He is a mini calculator and added all his birthday money as he opened cards. <br />
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This week was valentine parties at school. My kids had zero interest in filling out paper valentines. I remember having such fun choosing who would get each valentine. So we made some M&M tubes and put stickers on them (well I did and Sara helped a bit). Sara had her party yesterday and they made fruit kabobs and Evans was supposed to be today except we have a snowday.<br />
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We are off all of next week and are headed for an overnight at a water park in Niagara Falls Canada with another family. I can't wait to see how the exchange rate brings down the prices. Canada is usually much more expensive than the US but the looney is only worth .72 cents to the US Dollar. Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-50518902474609337632015-12-28T18:54:00.002-08:002015-12-28T18:54:53.866-08:00Christmas 2015The time is flying by and I have been so bad about posting to this blog. We had an amazing Christmas. Sara is super easy and had only asked for American Girl things. Evan is a bit more difficult and wanted a few video games, a Lego, and football cards. Well in addition to their gifts we had purchases an American Doll and a Jim Kelly autographed football at the school auction in April. Needless to say the kids had a very exciting Christmas. <br />
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We had planned to go to Mass at 4pm on Christmas Eve, unfortunately that means arriving at 3pm to be guaranteed a seat. Well Evan had issues all day long he complained his neck itched and refused to wear a shirt. Well trying to get dressed for mass was a nightmare filled with tears. Finally we decided to go at 5:30 instead. Well the drama ensued and Marc and Evan returned home and we joined my mom for mass. In hindsight it worked out very well. The church was very empty at 5:30 and Marc finished cooking dinner while we were gone. Marc has never really practiced any religion. While the kids attend a Catholic school and I have always attended church he doesn't and I don't push it. <br />
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Christmas morning Evan woke up at 3:45 and I heard him talking at 4am, I told him to come into bed with me and he did not return to sleep. Well at 4:45 Sara woke up so our day began. By 10am Marc and I were exhausted and still in pajamas. I returned to bed for a nap and slept for a little bit. My Aunt showed up at noon with gifts for the kids. She likes to give them more gifts than my brothers kids so always stops by prior to going to my Mom's. We went to my Mom's at 1pm and fought stay awake for most of the day. <br />
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We did a few returns and cleaning the past few days and the kids are missing the snow. I am loving the lack of cold weather and snow. Today after gymnastics there was a snowy icy mix and the kids were ecstatic and I am happy it will all melt again tomorrow. <br />
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On another note the kids have been having a great year in school. Evans teacher told me his is the role model for the class and asked if she could challenge and push him harder. She keeps telling me how bright he is. We are currently studying for the national spelling bee. He amazes me he can see a word once or twice and be able to memorize it. Sara worked with a reading specialist for two months and now is doing very well. She struggled for a bit but once she started there is no stopping her. Sara was chosen for the student of the month for Determination and Evan for Discernment. They both love school and have great teachers. Sara has had the same best friend for two years and Evan has made a new friend this year. <br />
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Evan loves to play video games, read, play football and talk football. Sara loves to do crafts, play with her dolls, watch family fun packs on youtube, go to gymnastics and dancing. Our family room is constant handstands and headstands. Sara loves to be outside and even asked today when it was 26 degrees if she could go on her swing set. She is such a little companion. We often shop or run errands together. Yesterday we had the rare opportunity to go out to lunch together. The boys stay home and watch football and Sara and I get some girl time. I will be sad next week when our season ends and we loose this time. Evan is slowly discovering that football in Buffalo is very disappointing year after year. Last week the quarterback was supposed to be at a local restaurant for a tv show and autographs. Well I gave Evan a jersey as an early Christmas gift and his special autograph football and sent Marc, Evan and a neighbor. Evan was so excited until they arrived and it was cancelled. The poor kid was super disappointed and I wanted to cry for him!<br />
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<br />Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-32715509659150408282015-07-20T19:10:00.001-07:002015-12-28T18:55:16.591-08:00Summer FunI love summer vacation and we try to do something each day. So far we had our Florida Vacation, many trips to the village pool, trips to the Gallagher Beach playground, weekends at the cottage, lots of ice cream, reading at the playground with our school, the Minion movie. We have had many playdates too. This summer the kids are so easy they are completely on their own in the pool. I am still watching with a close eye but they both go off the diving board and are confident enough to swim everywhere. <br />
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In Florida we caught Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer. In this movie Judy create a point system and if they reach 100 it is will not be a boring summer. Well Evan is very motivated by this. So far he has earned points for learning to dive, going off the diving board, scoring goals in soccer, going down the pool slide, trying some new food. He is playing flag football and soccer. I told him he can earn 25 points for learning to ride his bike. <br />
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He has the same coach for each of them and loves him. They are very small groups and the coach is very positive with the kids. So last week he scored two goals in the mini soccer game. He has never scored in a game before. Sara was bummed that she didn't score, maybe this week. <br />
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Evan is the youngest playing football but has lots of fun. The downside is it has been very rainy so the past two weeks we have been in a very hot gym for an hour and a half each week. Tomorrow he heads to the orthodontist to see what we will need to do for his open bite. <br />
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Saturday I thought we would go to the cottage but Marc wanted to do some things around the house. I had picked up 2 gallons of paint at Sherwin Williams and planned to paint our morning room. Well I decided to tape it off (I tape everything when I paint I used an entire roll!). Marc still wasn't done with his projects so I started painting. Sunday morning I finished the room. We have a high peak in the middle and its around 20 feet tall. So we have this mammoth ladder and I really couldn't do it during the week without being stuck with a ladder in the house all week. So it feels really good to have it completed. I think I will paint the spare bedroom next. The only rooms unpainted so far will be our bedroom and master bath, the living room, and the front foyer and upstairs hall. The front foyer has ridiculously high ceilings and I think we will need to hire someone. <br />
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I still need to complete some summer projects, doing a major cleanout of the upstairs bathrooms drawers, cupboards etc. Finish the mulch outside, clean the storage portion of the basement, wash and clean out the kitchen cupboards, and tag everything for the next mothertime marketplace sale. I usually procrastinate until the last week of summer and then go nuts but I have been doing pretty well doing a few projects each week. Hopefully I can stay on this pace. <br />
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We need to complete some more summer fun too, a trip to the beach, canalside, the zoo, the fair, Darien Lake, Maid of the Mist, the Canandian side of Niagara Falls, a trip to Letchworth. <br />
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We are almost done with our summer packets although we could spend more time reading. Evan is fantastic Sara needs more work. She is very stubborn and the only thing she lacks confidence in is reading. I am hoping it clicks in the fall. Evan had a slow start and then he exploded and became way above grade level. Hopefully Sara will follow suit. I do need to keep in mind that she is 10 months younger than he was at that age. <br />
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A funny Sara story the other morning I hear her yelling Mom it was almost 5am, I asked her what was wrong and she told me "I am all out of sleep", well I carried her to our bed and within a few minutes she went back to sleep until around 7:30. I don't think I am ever all out of sleep!Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-2646568752052356972015-06-13T04:35:00.000-07:002015-06-13T04:35:41.866-07:00Kindergarten Graduate!!Wow I can't believe both of my kids are past kindergarten. My decision to send Sara to kindergarten was not a mistake. She has blossomed. She is full of confidence, she is reading. She is so excited to go to First Grade that she came home today and read a 34 page book about going to First Grade. <br />
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We had the most adorable graduation ceremony today. The kids came in individually saying "Read all about it" and handed someone in the audience a paper. The paper was the kindergarten news. The teachers had each student tell what they liked about Kindergarten and what they expect first grade to be like and then turned it into a paper. Well the first article was "I Love Mrs. Craig" said Sara. We also loved her teacher and having her for both kids was wonderful. <br />
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Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-39240840739532693582015-04-13T18:32:00.002-07:002015-04-15T17:15:39.421-07:00Double swimmingToday we started a 6 week session at a local middle school. The kids said the pool was cold. The natatorium was so hot. We will also have 3 more weeks of Michael Phelps swim school which the kids told me they prefer. Today the kids each swam about 15 feet without assistance and then grabbed the instructor for a moment and returned to the wall of the pool. Sara swims underwater and comes up for a breath when needed. Evan took his goggles off before his test and swam doggie paddle for the entire length. He if funny because he is like a sinking ship his head is barely above water. Half way through the lesson Evan had to go the bathroom ( I forgot to remind them before we left the house). The poor kid couldn't get the door to the locker room open. He went in and came out a few minutes later with a look of complete panic. Well I came down from the balcony and took him in the women's locker room. Well it was like a maze. The shower room, locker room and the toilets hidden in the corner. Poor kid has never been in a school locker room! When we came out Sara was sobbing hysterically I figured it was because she thought we left her. Well she refused to tell me and wouldn't calm down enough to return to the pool. She later told me it was something about thinking the lesson was done and going to get her towel, but she wouldn't finish the story. Evan even jumped off the diving blocks in the deep end. He is not my adventurous kid but over the past few weeks he has surprised me over and over again. <br />
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When we went into swimming it was 78 degrees, we haven't had temperatures that high since October. When we came out a storm came through and it was 53... brrr. To make matters worse I forgot Evan and Sara's underwear and Evans shorts!! Luckily I keep a spare change of clothes for each of them in my trunk. They begged for ice cream. This is the first year they have both enjoyed it so we have been buying it much to frequently. My best friend from grammar and high school and matron of honor at my wedding owns a ice cream shop and we stopped there. Last week she was generous and treated them and tonight she wasn't there but her employees did a great job! The kids love her ice cream it is much creamier than dairy queens. She told me hers has a much higher fat content (Exactly what Evan needs!!) <br />
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Last week we were off and didn't do a lot. A few shopping trips, lunches out, a trip to Bounce Magic, and the outlets in Niagara Falls. My big accomplishments were cleaning the fridge and our master closet. Our closet is huge and you could probably fit a bed and dresser in it and still have room. When Sara was born we moved our filing cabinets into it and it has become the catch all room. Well somewhere I heard the best way to clean it was to remove everything. I started this technique and was amazed at the dust on the baseboards and the corners of the closet. I spent almost 6 hours cleaning! I cleared out a few garbage bags of clothes, suits, shoes, belts, and garbage! It feels so good to have it so clean. I think its the cleanest part of our house right now! I also cleaned the linen closet (that is way to small) and put most of the winter gear away. Marc pressure washed the garage and cleaned and waxed my car. <br />
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I had planned to do some painting but it didn't happen. We have white baseboards and they are starting to look banged up. Sara is the fingerprint queen and loves to touch the walls. Evan can't stand having dirty hands so he has always been the easy child! Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-80307469604021864862015-03-30T17:26:00.001-07:002015-03-30T17:52:21.264-07:00Eating habits, sunshine and miseryWell finally it seems like we are making baby steps in the picky eating habits. Evan is finally asking to try new foods. This week he asked to have a taco and said he liked the meat a little, he had a few bites of the meat and ate the hard shell. He then asked for an additional shell. He tried some lettuce but wasn't a fan of it and told me he would like the meat better without the sauce (taco seasoning). Tonight he ate pork chops without saying a word. Now if I could only increase the vegetables, get him to eat cheese, eggs and a sandwich I would be thrilled. <br />
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He finally is eating ice cream. This is big because our goal with him is to have him put some weight on. He is very slim 42lbs and nothing fits. We finally had to change to zip up, adjustable waist pants and no matter how I adjust them they fall down for his lack of a butt! Wish I had the same problem. He has been letting me add butter to his waffles. We still drink whole milk because he needs the calories. He isn't a sweet eater and will eat some nutella every day on a wpop (Wegmans rice like cracker). He rarely asks for candy or cookies. Although we always have these in the house and I don't restrict them he could care less about them. He isn't a big chip/snack eater either. This kid is never hungry. His favorite vice is lemonade and I buy a gallon of it each week. All of our friends are very strict with sweets but its not an issue at our house. <br />
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Tonight I attempted a lamb cake in my Grandmothers pan. I figured it would flop and it didn't so I put a light frosting on it and put it in the freezer. Hopefully it will be ok if I take it out Saturday and finish decorating it. Evan loves the homemade frosting I make so he asked for two spoonful's of it. <br />
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Sara has been my tricky eater lately. She wants to graze all day and then not eat at meal times. She eats apples, grapes, vegetables as snacks and then doesn't want them at dinner time. On Friday she didn't snack at all after school and then had 2 grilled cheeses sandwiches and some spaghetti! If only I could get that to be a habit. <br />
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On Friday I went took the am off and went to the kids school to help with the Catholic Charities carnival. The aide from last year approached me and told me how much she loves my kids and how they couldn't be more different from one another. She said she remembered last year when Evan was putting on his boots, coats, and hat and he looked at her and said this is just miserable just absolutely miserable. She said he always shocked her with his vocabularies and seriousness. Although two minutes later he was back to a happy kid. Sara is just a ray of sunshine and has everyone at the school wrapped around her finger. She blows kisses to her dance teacher who also teaches 2nd grade. Everyone knows her, I feel like I have a kindergarten politician when I walk in. She is a happy child even when she is sick she smiles and tells me she loves me after throwing up. She defiantly has her moments and can have lots of attitude but she is so dramatic and her facial expressions and eyes light up when she is excited. Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937381171150983116.post-41450521437480446032015-03-23T17:41:00.000-07:002015-03-23T17:42:54.838-07:00Swimmers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We enrolled in the Michael Phelps swim school at the beginning of March. It is a 40 minute drive from our house but when I read that the pool was 90 degrees it was an easy sale. Well to make it better Evan and Sara are alone with a teacher. The class sizes are usually 4 students per teacher but no one else signed up for the time we did. So Thursdays are tough I get out of school at 3:20 on a normal day and twice a month at 4:20 ( I will sneak out a bit early) so my mom has the kids fed and in their swimsuits ready to go. The drive up is long and Sara is good if Evan keeps her occupied but once she gets bored I hear I am carsick. <br />
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So the swim lessons are great they have progressed so quickly with only half hour lessons. We will have 9 weeks of lessons. The kids have had 3 lessons so far and Evan was attempting to swim using strokes last week. Sara was successfully floating on her back and stomach<br />
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. They can both swim under water but haven't mastered swimming above water yet. So at this rate I am confident we will have mastered it by the end of the lessons. After all of the complaining about the car ride. The kids smile and laugh the entire time in the pool. We have learned to take our showers there and make a stop for ice cream on the way home. Last week I said lets stop for lemon ice. So I introduced the kids to Anderson's my favorite place for lemon ice. They instantly fell in love with it and asked to go each week. After both having lemon ice they asked for something to eat. By then it was 6:30 so I bought them fries and chicken fingers to share. They asked if we could come back every week. Its tough to feed them before and leave by 4:15 and not return home until around 6:30 (we usually eat around 5:00-5:15). So I think this will be our weekly treat.<br />
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I recently pulled up my shopper card information at Wegmans and it allows you to see how much you spend each month/year and it was shocking. So I have really been trying to cut back on how much I purchase and trying to go to Aldi's, Save-a-lot when time permits. Hopefully I can try to be more diligent with this. I have been trying to cut back the amount we eat out. Sometimes when its just the kids and I we do it as part of a day out. We usually have pizza every 1-2 weeks, the kids sometimes split a happy meal with extra fries, and sometimes I pick up chicken fingers at Wegmans. Occasionally we go out as a family during the weekends. Marc and I used to go out every weekend with other couples prior to having kids. Now that happens 2-3 times a year!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmKvNWzeDLfJsTrEu6B7lXYzMj7yiLB06NBSp_0p8xyQ8iUtUU4-MOyoWU8hv_ppyOhYImmNvkFcWc2qNXM2gokU7GNNtTBHm6rmu0mDkSCGu4grsmeZcEJmLcNyQ3nvVj_jTdT5Yg48/s1600/IMG_1584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmKvNWzeDLfJsTrEu6B7lXYzMj7yiLB06NBSp_0p8xyQ8iUtUU4-MOyoWU8hv_ppyOhYImmNvkFcWc2qNXM2gokU7GNNtTBHm6rmu0mDkSCGu4grsmeZcEJmLcNyQ3nvVj_jTdT5Yg48/s1600/IMG_1584.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a>This weekend we helped to host a gift gathering party for the school auction. 6 families hosted the party at the school gym. We had appetizers, drinks, and desserts and invited 90 families. The party was a complete flop there were only 30 people who came including those who hosted it. The auction is held every two years and I think the parties were not well organized and many parents were invited to multiple parties. So I created a bow basket as a donation with school uniform bows and holiday bows and I figure the costs of the party were my other donation. We also will be attending the auction and that is not inexpensive. Believeitwillhappenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651095490011746472noreply@blogger.com0