I can't believe Ian's headed for middle school in the fall! I remember holding him in my arms, him learning to crawl, his little boy birthday parties. {sigh} I'm going to make myself cry!
Last night, we went to the middle school for band instrument selection. Four different band personnel asked him what he came in wanting to play. He told each of them that he "didn't know. He came to figure out which instrument he could do the best and thought he'd enjoy." tehehe . . . not sure how much they heard that! Every one we know went in saying there was something specific they wanted. Think the only person that didn't surprise is the band instructor (not at our school) who happens to go to church with us. Guessing he's used to hearing the stuff that comes out of Ian. He tested Ian in brass instruments and said he did a great job with the baritone. The woodwinds guy kept trying to convince Ian to play the FLUTE! (@@) The percussion guy said he'd do well with that. In the end, his first choice was the baritone. So that's what he'll be playing next year.
Tonight, we went to the registration meeting for classes next year. Looks like we'll be able to get him tested for possible placement in 8th grade math for the fall. Depends on how he does with it. Would be nice, as math has always been something he's been so advanced in. That'll be a multi-test affair .. . first they'll check passage of the 6th grade material, then they'll test him on the 7th grade material. We won't know about placement until school starts in the fall . . . or perhaps next spring.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Sweet and Sassy
Sounds like my descriptions of my 2 girls. Sweet, yet oh so sassy sometimes. However, this is actually the name of a new party place/hair "salon" (I have a hard time calling something for kids a "salon"). Allison went 3 days in a row, Alaina did 2 of 3 days. Andy took the girls over to have their haircuts on Friday (they did a good job). Allison went to a birthday party on Saturday, then I took the girls to browse while Ian was getting his hair cut on Sunday.
You gotta understand this place . . . it's $450 to have a party (up to 30 girls. . . .what a bargain) where you do hair, have a facial mask, sing karoake, and have cake/open gifts. The girls had a great time, just not in my party $ league!
The place has a pink limo . . . a hot pink limo. A $125 per hour hot pink limo. I walked into the store Sunday, looked around and someone came up to me and asked if I was waiting for the limo. I'm thinking, "WHY would I be waiting for the $125 limo?" and responded no. At that point she explained they were doing free limo rides around the block and doing some drawings. The girls were THRILLED to be in the hot pink limo. Guessing we won no drawing. Oh well.
Allison's Brownie troop has "Brownie Bear" She gets to stay with you from the time you host a meeting until the next meeting time. You're supposed to get your picture with Brownie somewhere different and the girls have to guess where you're at. I was having a hard time figuring out what we were going to do. Our days consist of soccer and dance! I sent Andy home for Brownie and my camera. . . got the Sweet and Sassy girls to let me slip her back into the limo and took this:
Then this one to show if no one guesses:
You gotta understand this place . . . it's $450 to have a party (up to 30 girls. . . .what a bargain) where you do hair, have a facial mask, sing karoake, and have cake/open gifts. The girls had a great time, just not in my party $ league!
The place has a pink limo . . . a hot pink limo. A $125 per hour hot pink limo. I walked into the store Sunday, looked around and someone came up to me and asked if I was waiting for the limo. I'm thinking, "WHY would I be waiting for the $125 limo?" and responded no. At that point she explained they were doing free limo rides around the block and doing some drawings. The girls were THRILLED to be in the hot pink limo. Guessing we won no drawing. Oh well.
Allison's Brownie troop has "Brownie Bear" She gets to stay with you from the time you host a meeting until the next meeting time. You're supposed to get your picture with Brownie somewhere different and the girls have to guess where you're at. I was having a hard time figuring out what we were going to do. Our days consist of soccer and dance! I sent Andy home for Brownie and my camera. . . got the Sweet and Sassy girls to let me slip her back into the limo and took this:
Then this one to show if no one guesses:
Saturday, February 03, 2007
February 2
I thought I'd have 3 sets of pictures to take today. . . .it snowed in the middle of the night. Nice, almost complete blanket of snow (still had some grass poking through). The kids still had school . . . .figures! They get to play in the ice, but the day it snows, it's mostly melted before they get home from school.
And it's groundhog day. Allison came home and informed me that Phil says we'll have an early spring. Has he checked out the weather here???? Each year, I've planned on taking pictures of one or more of the kids checking out their shadows. I remembered this year, there was snow. . . figured there'd be a great picture opportunity with Alaina. Results . . .not so great. The kids have been passing around some stomach virus and Alaina. . . she was a little green around the gills and NOT her usual social self.
Which leads to the 3rd set of pictures I'd thought would get taken today. Allison was supposed to dance at the basketball game this evening with the high school drill team. I took Allison and Isabel (my neice), got them all squared away with their drill team buddy (btw, the daughter of the teacher Ian had in second grade) and went up to the stands with some other parents from church. About 15 minutes into the game, I'm hunted down . . . .Allison's sick too. {sigh} Take her home, deposit her with Andy, then back to get Isabel . . .missed her dancing by about a minute. Sigh.
And it's groundhog day. Allison came home and informed me that Phil says we'll have an early spring. Has he checked out the weather here???? Each year, I've planned on taking pictures of one or more of the kids checking out their shadows. I remembered this year, there was snow. . . figured there'd be a great picture opportunity with Alaina. Results . . .not so great. The kids have been passing around some stomach virus and Alaina. . . she was a little green around the gills and NOT her usual social self.
Which leads to the 3rd set of pictures I'd thought would get taken today. Allison was supposed to dance at the basketball game this evening with the high school drill team. I took Allison and Isabel (my neice), got them all squared away with their drill team buddy (btw, the daughter of the teacher Ian had in second grade) and went up to the stands with some other parents from church. About 15 minutes into the game, I'm hunted down . . . .Allison's sick too. {sigh} Take her home, deposit her with Andy, then back to get Isabel . . .missed her dancing by about a minute. Sigh.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
My favorite Youtube offering
I know that this has made the rounds among most of the people I went to college with. . . but had to post it anyway. Heck, I figured out how to post youtube in my blog, which is in itself a feat!
I know, I know . . .
Not like anyone is STILL checking in, but there are just things I want to record, to remember. Today . . .today it's snowing. Again. More than usual for DFW. Allison informs me that this is the fourth time it has "snowed" this winter. I'm actually surprised it's still snowing, as it went from rain to sleet to snow in 15 minutes' time.
I remember being so thrilled whenever it snowed when I was growing up. I remember the ice storm we had in the Dallas area when I was growing up. Details. . . such as the year, month, etc . . . escaped me. I went looking online. You can look at the ice storm of 1978 at this site and see some video of it. I remember getting on the old white rain boots . . . you know, the kind you put on over your shoes, and going out to play. We kids just didn't get the idea of how much you could hurt yourself playing on ice. I went "ice skating" on the neighbor's circle drive and fell something horrible. . . I'm surprised I didn't break anything!
Now. . . not so thrilled with the weather. . .I hate it hot, I hate it cold. I like me some 75-90 degree days. So, today, I sent the kids out to play and stepped outside to snap some pictures. So here are a couple shots of the kids. . . didn't get a single of Ian, he's hitting that "too cool" stage for a lot of things. I had a hard enough time getting a picture of the 3 of them. Hmmm . . . funny, Mom and Dad have a photo of us in 1978 . . . .my brother's 10, I'm 7, my sister would've been about 2.5. I'll have to find a copy of that one and scan for a side-by-side comparison.
I will be posting pictures from Oct-Jan below this post .. . you know, trying to get caught up.
How things have changed
Over the last 2 months, my sister-in-law Elaine has been diagnosed with a rare liver cancer. She's now fighting it towards remission. She's on her second round of chemo. . . and you'd never have any idea she wasn't 100% healthy. She's determined, she's stubborn, and she has an amazing will to live. And there are prayers . . . lots of prayers . . . .being said for her.
New purchases
I have some shots of recent purchases I specifically took to share on my blog.
Most expensive recent purchase:
Most favorite recent purchase:
I LOVE this purse . . . I may never use another one! I purchased it at snaptotes for myself before Christmas. The pictures were taken November 2005 (outdoors shot) and December 2006. And the inside is HOT PINK! Love it!
Most expensive recent purchase:
I'd love to say I bought a new car, or a house, or something spectacular. . . but no, my most expensive recent purchase is nothing spectacular. We recently paid for invisalign braces. There are some studies that indicate that dental problems can cause migraine headaches. After seeing 2 dentists that said I had both a bite that needed fixed and a maloccusioned (if that's a word!) tooth, we decided to give this a chance with hopes that this would at least lessen the amount of migraine meds I have to take on an all too regular basis. Look closely . . .this set is only on my lower teeth. I can also use these trays as bleaching trays . . . so I'm looking forward to having an upper and lower set at the same time to do that . . .. hate my yellow teeth!
Most utilitarian recent purchase:
To further aid in the above treatments . . . I bought a gross of pre-pasted, one use toothbrushes to carry in my purse, and something called the aqualizer to further help with the migraines. I pop this thing in my mouth when a migraine starts and within a few minutes, the migraine's gone. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to work when I have a full-fledged migraine. The toothbrushes . . . you've never seen kids so excited about toothbrushes as my kids were about these toothbrushes! tehehe
Most recent purchase for the purposes of organizing:
I'm trying to get all my thousands of photos organized with Stacy Julian's Library of Memories method. With as many pictures as I have, I needed CHEAP 3 up albums to help me organize photos. Found these at Target for $8.99 per 2 pack. Not the most beautiful albums ever, but do feel like they'll suit my purposes here. I bought 6 sets of them.
Not such a new purchase, but love it the same:
Thought I'd post a picture of some of the albums I've finished from my friend Terri's store. . . Simply Scrapbooks. I love her album classes! I bought some baskets to store/showcase some of the albums I've completed.
What's happened over the last several months?
Just a quick photo tour through the last several months:
I mentioned the end of soccer season in a previous post. . . . it's about to start up again. Andy will be the coaches for both the girls' teams. EEK . . .not sure how that's going to work out!
We spent Christmas Eve at our house . . .as usual. Mimi and Dad-Dad (my parents), Aunt Brooke and Uncle Chris (my sister and bil), and Erin and Dave (Erin has spent most Christmas Eves with us since 1999) all came to share the evening with us.
Christmas morning was spent opening gifts at our house and eating breakfast, then moving to Mom and Dad's house for lunch (and an appetizer dinner) and more gift giving.
Ian (and well, the rest of us) went to the book signing for The End, the last Lemony Snicket book. "Lemony" is a stitch . . .we enjoyed hearing what he told people as he was signing books. He suggested running away to the kid in front of us. To Ian, he told him he survived life. tehehe . . .it was funny in context. Then, of course, he told him what it would take to survive life. . . watch out when you cross the road, eat well, don't talk to strangers. . . at which point, he said an abrupt "Goodbye" . . . as LS was a stranger.
I mentioned the end of soccer season in a previous post. . . . it's about to start up again. Andy will be the coaches for both the girls' teams. EEK . . .not sure how that's going to work out!
I took pictures for our Christmas card. I wasn't just thrilled with the results. Had I had more time, I would've done a few things diferently. But still thought they turned out fairly well.
We spent Christmas Eve at our house . . .as usual. Mimi and Dad-Dad (my parents), Aunt Brooke and Uncle Chris (my sister and bil), and Erin and Dave (Erin has spent most Christmas Eves with us since 1999) all came to share the evening with us.
Christmas morning was spent opening gifts at our house and eating breakfast, then moving to Mom and Dad's house for lunch (and an appetizer dinner) and more gift giving.
My birthday . . . January 13 . . . we went out to lunch with all of my family at Texas Land and Cattle to celebrate both my birthday and my brother's (whose birthday is January 14). Tehehe . . .ended up with a lot of "flat gifts" . . . ie. . . money and gift cards. Means I've got some shopping to do! Mom and Dad did give me this star filter I've been wanting. Took pictures of my family room light for samples. Photos are without the filter than with the filter.
Then we had our first "bad weather" of 2007 on January 17th. I couldn't believe that they canceled school for the day. A late start would've worked fine. Instead, the kids stayed home and played in the ice (see Feb. 1 post on my ice playing memories!). I found it very funny that the kids were scraping the streets with a shovel trying to get something out. And the girls attempted snow angels on the ice . . .. needless to say, it didn't work.
We had a celebration to commemorate the fact that our school is a 2006 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon school. They shared photos and stories from their trip to DC with us.
Just a few quick snapshots of what we've been doing.
ROFL . . . Remembering October
So laughing. I had such good intentions when I posted Remember October 2006. Going through photos right now, I couldn't figure out why I had some of the strangest photos for that month. ROFL . . . guess I know why now. Not sure if I got photos for each day, but KNOW I didn't journal for each day. Hey, today's Feb. 1, I've already taken pictures . . . maybe I'll try again!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
It's been a long time . . .
I kept thinking I'd make it back here, but just didn't. It all started with this little "scare" about where all my blog was being linked to. I think i got that issue fixed, but by that point, life had taken me on to other things.
Halloween came and went . . . Allison was a horse (again) and Alaina was the giraffe I sewed early in October. Ian . . .he was too cool for school! That kid wanted no part of trick or treating. We celebrated by setting up both our vehicles at the church's trunk or treat. I carved way too many pumpkins, Andy pulled the talking pumpkin act (pumpkin in the trunk, he was in the back seat and he talked to the kids through the karoake machine). I remember my dad doing that when we were little . .. except it was the front porch, not the trunk of the car.
We finished the soccer season . . . 3 last games, 3 team parties, and 3 sign-ups for the spring season. {sigh . . . another busy season}
We celebrated Veteran's Day at the kids' school. They always show work at showing the kids how important our Veterans are. Ian and Allison were fortunate enough to have both their grandfathers there. How could they resist? Ian called them up and sang the Marine Corps Hymn to Gary (Andy's dad) and the Anchors Aweigh to my dad. We swear we didn't put him up to that! Gary flew in for about 16 hours so that he could be there.
We adopted 2 kittens . . .we've named them Maverick (the guys named him after the Dallas Mavericks) and Fog (we girls named him that . . . .you know, Sandburg's The fog comes on little cat feet). We think Fog must be partly Siamese . . . look at the shape of that face!
Ian and Andy went to Pine Cove . . .where our fifth grade kids go for "outdoor education". They had a great time, and Andy says he's fighting me for the Gunn parent spot come Allison's turn.
Thanksgiving . . .thanksgiving was tame. We celebrated at my sister's house and had an enjoyable day.
Since then . . .the days have been busy . . . .Christmas is here, school parties have been planned and worked on, presents bought, and pictures have been taken. We think this one is funny . . .so typical of Alaina.
Halloween came and went . . . Allison was a horse (again) and Alaina was the giraffe I sewed early in October. Ian . . .he was too cool for school! That kid wanted no part of trick or treating. We celebrated by setting up both our vehicles at the church's trunk or treat. I carved way too many pumpkins, Andy pulled the talking pumpkin act (pumpkin in the trunk, he was in the back seat and he talked to the kids through the karoake machine). I remember my dad doing that when we were little . .. except it was the front porch, not the trunk of the car.
We finished the soccer season . . . 3 last games, 3 team parties, and 3 sign-ups for the spring season. {sigh . . . another busy season}
We celebrated Veteran's Day at the kids' school. They always show work at showing the kids how important our Veterans are. Ian and Allison were fortunate enough to have both their grandfathers there. How could they resist? Ian called them up and sang the Marine Corps Hymn to Gary (Andy's dad) and the Anchors Aweigh to my dad. We swear we didn't put him up to that! Gary flew in for about 16 hours so that he could be there.
We adopted 2 kittens . . .we've named them Maverick (the guys named him after the Dallas Mavericks) and Fog (we girls named him that . . . .you know, Sandburg's The fog comes on little cat feet). We think Fog must be partly Siamese . . . look at the shape of that face!
Ian and Andy went to Pine Cove . . .where our fifth grade kids go for "outdoor education". They had a great time, and Andy says he's fighting me for the Gunn parent spot come Allison's turn.
Thanksgiving . . .thanksgiving was tame. We celebrated at my sister's house and had an enjoyable day.
Since then . . .the days have been busy . . . .Christmas is here, school parties have been planned and worked on, presents bought, and pictures have been taken. We think this one is funny . . .so typical of Alaina.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Friday, October 13, 2006
Remember October 2006
Doing a photo a day (plus journaling about what's gone on that day) .. . or trying to remember to! Some days, I get tons, some days I hit 8-9 pm and realize I haven't done anything! EEK
You can find the photos/journaling here.
I'm still transferring notes to blog and adding pictures, so I look behind!
You can find the photos/journaling here.
I'm still transferring notes to blog and adding pictures, so I look behind!
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Awesome
Alaina,
Tonight, we celebrated your 5th birthday with the 5 of us, plus Mimi, Dad-Dad, both the "new" Uncle Chris and the "old" Uncle Chris, Aunt Brooke, Aunt "Laney" and Isabel. You were thrilled to be the center of attention . . .as you always are. We got a giggle out of the fact that you wanted to celebrate your birthday at IHOP! tehehe . . . I know that some kids pick out McDonalds, Burger King, etc, but we've always "trained" you 3 to like the "good" restaurants for birthday meals. I guess that IHOP fits the bill . .they seat you, take your order, bring you food, and then you tip them. You had a ball.
When you started opening gifts, you labelled the iPod shuffle as "awesome!" A little giggle went around the table. Then you opened up Bitty Baby clothes, a movie, a iPod gift card. . . and they were all "Awesome!" too. We got such a laugh out of that word coming out of your mouth. Just not something you think of hearing from a 5 year old. As odd as it is to hear from you, it is the perfect way to describe the past year.
You are so awesome in . . .
. . . the way you giggle when someone even wiggles their fingers like they're going to tickle you.
. . . the way you jump into a pool without a worry (not always so awesome for Mom!)
. . .all the hugs and kisses you give me.
. . .all the little performances you do. It's no surprise to see you dancing down an aisle, or (as Aunt Brooke and Mimi discovered on a recent shopping trip with you) singing "We're all in this together" at the top of your lungs while shopping at Target.
. . .the way you love learning. Man, this homeschooling thing SOOOOO wouldn't work without you cracking the whip!
. . . the way you view hand-me-downs as "new". Doesn't bother you that they're "Allison's clothes" (you love her so much, you wish you could wear ALL her clothes). I know the day will come that you'll no longer see things this way, but I love that you take something most kids don't want and find joy in them.
. . . the way you paint your "abstract" art, then give it a name like "The Long Room".
. . . the way you go after that soccer ball and do what it takes to get it down to the goal.
. . . the way you "get it" when I have one of those headache days and you lay gently down with me.
. . . the way you cuddle with me every morning.
. . . the way you jump and bounce and move around . . .even after a full soccer game, or over 2 hours of dance class. That energy is AMAZING!
. . . the way you love your big brother and sister. You annoy them at times. . . you follow them around, order whatever food they order, and beg to be noticed, but your love for them is so genuine.
. . . the way you know what you like. . . whether it's giraffes (most definitely love 'em!), yellow (love it!),Backyardigans (love!), Miss Spider (hate), Dora (hate), milk (hate it), pasta (love), go tarts (love), OJ (love, love, love!), avocadoes (hate!), spinach (love!). . .
. . . the way you interact with friends.
. . . your love for life.
Last year, you told me you were Ready for Action. And action is what you gave us! We didn't always ENJOY the action, but we sure had a lot of it! You have stretched me as a mother in a way different from Ian and Allison. You've caused me to look at things in a different way. No longer do I misunderstand the mother that just can't seem to "control" her child (okay, maybe not completely on that one . . .I did wonder today why this woman let her 3 year old run off at the movie theater while she just mosey-ed along). No longer do I have the misconception that the things that work with Ian and Allison will work with you. No longer do I wonder how you'll get along with others (will you push their buttons like you push Ian and Allison's buttons?)
I looked down at you tonight, and was amazed at how much you've grown, how much you've changed, how much you've accomplished. And I can see how far we've traveled to get here. I can shut my eyes and can still see the newborn you were 5 years ago. . . and the teeny, tiny 1 year old you were. And then those feelings come back. Those feelings of worry, of pain, being scared. . . that something was so wrong with you. I'd not worried about your weight until the doctors started worrying and running every test on you. Thank goodness they correctly diagnosed you . . .as a kid with so much energy and action, that you just worked all those calories off! I can shut my eyes and be taken back to just one year ago . . . when we sat at Olive Garden with the same people we sat with tonight and you laughed and clapped with glee whenever you opened a gift.
In a way, I'm sad . . .so very sad. I will never again have a 4 year old. Even though you're pushing your agenda of having a little sister (you'll teach her EVERYTHING!) or a little brother (you'll teach him how to stand and walk, then Ian will have to take over!), in reality, this will never be. And so I'm sad. . . sad that the 4's are over for you. But I have to keep in mind that 5 is going to be such a terrific year for you. You'll learn so much, you'll tie your own shoes (well, hopefully!), you'll write your first sentence and do some "serious" math. You will start kindergarten (boo-hoo . . .don't even want to go there at this point!), make new friends, become a Daisy Scout, and maybe even lose a tooth.
And through it all, I plan to take each day with you and tuck it away in my heart. . . to be remembered when you are no longer 5.
Alaina, I love you. I pray for you. I desire all that is good and healthy and happy in your life. My birthday wish for you is that you live every day to the fullest. That you make this such a terrific year and do so many terrific things that you can't help but remember it when you're older.
Alaina, my baby, I love you.
Tonight, we celebrated your 5th birthday with the 5 of us, plus Mimi, Dad-Dad, both the "new" Uncle Chris and the "old" Uncle Chris, Aunt Brooke, Aunt "Laney" and Isabel. You were thrilled to be the center of attention . . .as you always are. We got a giggle out of the fact that you wanted to celebrate your birthday at IHOP! tehehe . . . I know that some kids pick out McDonalds, Burger King, etc, but we've always "trained" you 3 to like the "good" restaurants for birthday meals. I guess that IHOP fits the bill . .they seat you, take your order, bring you food, and then you tip them. You had a ball.
When you started opening gifts, you labelled the iPod shuffle as "awesome!" A little giggle went around the table. Then you opened up Bitty Baby clothes, a movie, a iPod gift card. . . and they were all "Awesome!" too. We got such a laugh out of that word coming out of your mouth. Just not something you think of hearing from a 5 year old. As odd as it is to hear from you, it is the perfect way to describe the past year.
You are so awesome in . . .
. . . the way you giggle when someone even wiggles their fingers like they're going to tickle you.
. . . the way you jump into a pool without a worry (not always so awesome for Mom!)
. . .all the hugs and kisses you give me.
. . .all the little performances you do. It's no surprise to see you dancing down an aisle, or (as Aunt Brooke and Mimi discovered on a recent shopping trip with you) singing "We're all in this together" at the top of your lungs while shopping at Target.
. . .the way you love learning. Man, this homeschooling thing SOOOOO wouldn't work without you cracking the whip!
. . . the way you view hand-me-downs as "new". Doesn't bother you that they're "Allison's clothes" (you love her so much, you wish you could wear ALL her clothes). I know the day will come that you'll no longer see things this way, but I love that you take something most kids don't want and find joy in them.
. . . the way you paint your "abstract" art, then give it a name like "The Long Room".
. . . the way you go after that soccer ball and do what it takes to get it down to the goal.
. . . the way you "get it" when I have one of those headache days and you lay gently down with me.
. . . the way you cuddle with me every morning.
. . . the way you jump and bounce and move around . . .even after a full soccer game, or over 2 hours of dance class. That energy is AMAZING!
. . . the way you love your big brother and sister. You annoy them at times. . . you follow them around, order whatever food they order, and beg to be noticed, but your love for them is so genuine.
. . . the way you know what you like. . . whether it's giraffes (most definitely love 'em!), yellow (love it!),Backyardigans (love!), Miss Spider (hate), Dora (hate), milk (hate it), pasta (love), go tarts (love), OJ (love, love, love!), avocadoes (hate!), spinach (love!). . .
. . . the way you interact with friends.
. . . your love for life.
Last year, you told me you were Ready for Action. And action is what you gave us! We didn't always ENJOY the action, but we sure had a lot of it! You have stretched me as a mother in a way different from Ian and Allison. You've caused me to look at things in a different way. No longer do I misunderstand the mother that just can't seem to "control" her child (okay, maybe not completely on that one . . .I did wonder today why this woman let her 3 year old run off at the movie theater while she just mosey-ed along). No longer do I have the misconception that the things that work with Ian and Allison will work with you. No longer do I wonder how you'll get along with others (will you push their buttons like you push Ian and Allison's buttons?)
I looked down at you tonight, and was amazed at how much you've grown, how much you've changed, how much you've accomplished. And I can see how far we've traveled to get here. I can shut my eyes and can still see the newborn you were 5 years ago. . . and the teeny, tiny 1 year old you were. And then those feelings come back. Those feelings of worry, of pain, being scared. . . that something was so wrong with you. I'd not worried about your weight until the doctors started worrying and running every test on you. Thank goodness they correctly diagnosed you . . .as a kid with so much energy and action, that you just worked all those calories off! I can shut my eyes and be taken back to just one year ago . . . when we sat at Olive Garden with the same people we sat with tonight and you laughed and clapped with glee whenever you opened a gift.
In a way, I'm sad . . .so very sad. I will never again have a 4 year old. Even though you're pushing your agenda of having a little sister (you'll teach her EVERYTHING!) or a little brother (you'll teach him how to stand and walk, then Ian will have to take over!), in reality, this will never be. And so I'm sad. . . sad that the 4's are over for you. But I have to keep in mind that 5 is going to be such a terrific year for you. You'll learn so much, you'll tie your own shoes (well, hopefully!), you'll write your first sentence and do some "serious" math. You will start kindergarten (boo-hoo . . .don't even want to go there at this point!), make new friends, become a Daisy Scout, and maybe even lose a tooth.
And through it all, I plan to take each day with you and tuck it away in my heart. . . to be remembered when you are no longer 5.
Alaina, I love you. I pray for you. I desire all that is good and healthy and happy in your life. My birthday wish for you is that you live every day to the fullest. That you make this such a terrific year and do so many terrific things that you can't help but remember it when you're older.
Alaina, my baby, I love you.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Check One Off the To Do List
Giraffe costume done. Well, except I need to take the hood over to my sister's and have her make some nostrils on the nose with her embroidery machine.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Blue Ribbons, Birthdays, and Blogs
So . . . been another long time, huh? I've just gotten so busy that I've not found much time to blog! (that's where the blog comes in). Will be good if I hit once a week for awhile.
Blue Ribbons . . . .we were notified a little over a week ago that our elementary school was one of the 250 schools nationwide with the designation as a 2006 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School. Yeah us! We're proud of our school for many reasons, and this shows that we've got good reason to be proud! We'll be celebrating through the year. . .will be interesting to see how we do so! The kids have already worn blue to school twice.
Birthdays . . . .one of the reasons I haven't been around. Alaina's party is this upcoming Saturday. We're doing another birthday carnival. Means jump houses, carnival games, popcorn and snow cones. Also means that it's time to get Alaina's costume going. She wants to be a giraffe. I have SIX days to make said giraffe costume, and for the first time . . . .I'll be sewing in a zipper. EEK! Wish me luck!
I made her party invites. . . . last year I used a picture of her in a Snow White costume, then she was Cinderella for her party. This year .. . well, I didn't have a chance to take some costume picture, so I used this one for her invite (her tap costume from this year):
Blue Ribbons . . . .we were notified a little over a week ago that our elementary school was one of the 250 schools nationwide with the designation as a 2006 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School. Yeah us! We're proud of our school for many reasons, and this shows that we've got good reason to be proud! We'll be celebrating through the year. . .will be interesting to see how we do so! The kids have already worn blue to school twice.
Birthdays . . . .one of the reasons I haven't been around. Alaina's party is this upcoming Saturday. We're doing another birthday carnival. Means jump houses, carnival games, popcorn and snow cones. Also means that it's time to get Alaina's costume going. She wants to be a giraffe. I have SIX days to make said giraffe costume, and for the first time . . . .I'll be sewing in a zipper. EEK! Wish me luck!
I made her party invites. . . . last year I used a picture of her in a Snow White costume, then she was Cinderella for her party. This year .. . well, I didn't have a chance to take some costume picture, so I used this one for her invite (her tap costume from this year):
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
One Happy Gal
I got an email today letting me know I won this for leaving a comment on Making Memories "give us your top 5 for a Christmas Wish List" post on their blog. Those who know me, know I love 2 scrapbooking companies in particular . . .Making Memories and Bazzill. I was thrilled to win this little tool. I'd seen it at Terri's Store and was itching to buy it! So THANKS! Making Memories.
Another little link for you . . .Andy's brother (OOPS . . .had to edit this as I first told you that Andy had a small part! Andy's never had any part of any TV show) had a small part in the TV show "Dark Justice" many years ago. . . . he played Dennis on this episode (I *think* this link will get you there). Signed onto AOL today and there was a link to a blip about Eric's time as a bad boy motorcycle dude. You see "Dennis" in the first scene after the opening credits.
Another little link for you . . .Andy's brother (OOPS . . .had to edit this as I first told you that Andy had a small part! Andy's never had any part of any TV show) had a small part in the TV show "Dark Justice" many years ago. . . . he played Dennis on this episode (I *think* this link will get you there). Signed onto AOL today and there was a link to a blip about Eric's time as a bad boy motorcycle dude. You see "Dennis" in the first scene after the opening credits.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
A Few Things I've Learned . . .
(1) I'm officially old. At least in ACU's eyes. I'm old enough that they hit me up for money for scholarships and to go to $250 per plate dinners. And I'm apparently so old that they wouldn't hire me to be a Dorm Mom . . .or as they're called today "Resident Director" . . .they're so young, you can't call them "Mom". Who knows . .. this change may partially be due to such hijinks as certain roommates sneaking back into the dorm mom's window instead of ours (right next to the dorm mom) after curfew one night. Tehehe . .. she snuck in and snuck right back out again. At any rate, from the latest ACU Today, best I can figure I have at least 8 years on all the "RD"s they highlighted.
(2) Preteens with whistles isn't usually a good thing. FSA figures the best place to train the new referees is with the new little soccer players. I'm surprised we got 3 consecutive plays out of the girls during Alaina's team. You would've thought they were playing in the World Cup for all the rule following that little ref wanted the girls to do! Confused those girls right out of their minds. Not sure which was worse, that ref, or the other prepubescent ref we had a week earlier. . . who didn't seem to think he had the authority to do anything!
(3) Regardless . .. it probably isn't a good thing to pull on a soccer jersey . . .either the opponent's or your own teammate's. . . just so you can get the ball! tehehe
(4) Don't just assume that when you email a teacher with the title "A question about (my student's) grade" and sign it with your own last name that the teacher will be able to figure out exactly what child you're referring to. I'm assuming this is the cause of some wierd email responses I've been getting! tehehe . . talk about giving a mom a heart attack!
and (5) Sleep's overrated!
Going to leave you now with a picture of what Alaina does every time they score a goal:
Hoping to share something soon that has NOTHING to do with soccer! Wish me luck!
(2) Preteens with whistles isn't usually a good thing. FSA figures the best place to train the new referees is with the new little soccer players. I'm surprised we got 3 consecutive plays out of the girls during Alaina's team. You would've thought they were playing in the World Cup for all the rule following that little ref wanted the girls to do! Confused those girls right out of their minds. Not sure which was worse, that ref, or the other prepubescent ref we had a week earlier. . . who didn't seem to think he had the authority to do anything!
(3) Regardless . .. it probably isn't a good thing to pull on a soccer jersey . . .either the opponent's or your own teammate's. . . just so you can get the ball! tehehe
(4) Don't just assume that when you email a teacher with the title "A question about (my student's) grade" and sign it with your own last name that the teacher will be able to figure out exactly what child you're referring to. I'm assuming this is the cause of some wierd email responses I've been getting! tehehe . . talk about giving a mom a heart attack!
and (5) Sleep's overrated!
Going to leave you now with a picture of what Alaina does every time they score a goal:
Hoping to share something soon that has NOTHING to do with soccer! Wish me luck!
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
soccer
So, soccer season has started . .. and in the first 8 days, we have NINE games! The girls each play their second game tonight . . .Ian's second game was Monday night. Well, half of it was. It started lightning about 20 minutes into the game, and by halftime, the storm sensors had gone off. Ended up with a downpour, so it was called. Hate that they didn't just record the score as it stood at that point. . .there was no way we were going to win that one! The other team was a year older, and at halftime, the score was 3-0, and we'd gotten no where near a goal!
Ian's team's uniforms aren't in yet, so they're wearing plain green t-shirts with numbers until the uniforms arrive. The coach says they'll just be the "bad news dragons" until then.
Allison's team . . .they had ONE pre-season practice . . .and unfortunately, it looked like it. Allison tried hard. . .ran the whole time, kicked the ball a few. . . not bad for her first try.
Alaina . . .well, we've always said Alaina was going to be our athlete! She scored 4 goals during her first game. Andy's the coach . . .and after each goal, she'd run by him and give him first. I wish I'd gotten a shot of her first score .. . nothing like the reaction the first time they score. Love the tongue shot here, even though the photo is a bit over exposed (haven't messed with any of these in PSE yet).
Ian's team's uniforms aren't in yet, so they're wearing plain green t-shirts with numbers until the uniforms arrive. The coach says they'll just be the "bad news dragons" until then.
Allison's team . . .they had ONE pre-season practice . . .and unfortunately, it looked like it. Allison tried hard. . .ran the whole time, kicked the ball a few. . . not bad for her first try.
Alaina . . .well, we've always said Alaina was going to be our athlete! She scored 4 goals during her first game. Andy's the coach . . .and after each goal, she'd run by him and give him first. I wish I'd gotten a shot of her first score .. . nothing like the reaction the first time they score. Love the tongue shot here, even though the photo is a bit over exposed (haven't messed with any of these in PSE yet).
Monday, September 11, 2006
9/11
Before I start this post, I want to take a moment to ask you to read this article Woman Killed and keep this family and situation in your prayers. This is a church that isn't too far from us. It's in an area that i know we're bound to know people at, as the church we previously went to closed and it's members spread to churches all in that area.
*********************
September 11, 2001 is the fourth date in history that I can say "I remember where I was when . . . "
I was 8 months pregnant with Alaina. It was a Tuesday morning and I was headed to the preschool I ran in nearby Garland. I was listening to the radio and they were interviewing some pop star (heck if I know who . .. some chick). They didn't stop the interview to announce the first plane, as everyone thought it was a horrible accident. By the time the second plane hit, they knew it wasn't. We kept the TVs off that day, as I didn't want any children to possibly see any of the footage. I can't tell you how much footage I saw after getting home that day . . .far into the night, the next day, and for several days after that. I watched the tributes, the people searching hospitals, etc for loved ones, etc. I have watched very little TV news in the last 5 years. I was very numb. . . actually did very little crying, which was unusual for me. Now, 5 years later, I see some show, some article, some news story, and I cry. . . a delayed mourning, I guess.
I remember that for several days, there were no planes. The skies were so quiet, so peaceful. I couldn't name a time that I hadn't seen planes in the air for that long of a period. Certainly not in the recent past.
People were concerned . . . concerned about gas and money. I went out to make a bank deposit during lunch and the lines at the pump were LONG. And everyone was worried about how much money they should pull out to get through this. I thought "I can so see how the depression started . . . "
Alaina was born 1 month and 1 day later. I remember worrying about what her world would be like, what kind of safety she (and her sibs) would have in their life.
The other "I remember where I was when . . . ." moments:
March 30, 1981 -- I was 10 years old. I was on the playground during recess. . . obviously not feeling social that day as I was sitting in one of several huge concrete pipes that we had on the playground (Not sure why they put those there as playground equipment!) reading The Westing Game. The herded us back inside and that's where we learned of Ronald Reagan's shooting. At that point, I already knew that JFK had been shot in Dallas, and that there had been a stigma attached to Dallas because of it. I also remembered seeing George Bush Sr. at a rally the previous summer in Dallas with my Girl Scout Troup. And I remember that we still had a girl scout meeting on March 30th after school. It involved some kind of craft (can't remember what) and planning an upcoming camping trip.
January 28, 1986 -- I was newly 15, and a freshman in high school. While sitting in Geometry class, the principal announced over the loud speaker that Challenger had exploded shortly after take off. My teacher (still remember her name Mrs. Harrison) said "Oh, that's said" and went back to teaching us proofs. This was the 2nd time she'd shown she didn't know how to deal with bad news in as many months. The month before, another freshman at our school died in a car accident. As honors students, we all knew each other well . . . and Mrs. Harrison knew that. She didn't say a word about the tragedy.
The rest of the day was spent going from one class to the next, then crowding around TVs and watching the unfolding coverage.
February 1, 2003 -- On this Saturday morning, Andy and I were still in bed when we felt the house slightly shake. The playroom was under our bedroom, and we assumed it was one of the kids who'd been sitting in a rocking chair we had down there and had hit the wall (tehehe . . .this was a common occurance). I went downstairs to see who was up and was surprised to find that all the kids were still asleep. Of course, we later discovered this occurred the same time as the Columbia explosion, and that little "quakes" (for lack of a better word) were felt in our area. Columbia actually broke up over our area, then ended up landing near where my sister lived 4 hours away.
*********************
September 11, 2001 is the fourth date in history that I can say "I remember where I was when . . . "
I was 8 months pregnant with Alaina. It was a Tuesday morning and I was headed to the preschool I ran in nearby Garland. I was listening to the radio and they were interviewing some pop star (heck if I know who . .. some chick). They didn't stop the interview to announce the first plane, as everyone thought it was a horrible accident. By the time the second plane hit, they knew it wasn't. We kept the TVs off that day, as I didn't want any children to possibly see any of the footage. I can't tell you how much footage I saw after getting home that day . . .far into the night, the next day, and for several days after that. I watched the tributes, the people searching hospitals, etc for loved ones, etc. I have watched very little TV news in the last 5 years. I was very numb. . . actually did very little crying, which was unusual for me. Now, 5 years later, I see some show, some article, some news story, and I cry. . . a delayed mourning, I guess.
I remember that for several days, there were no planes. The skies were so quiet, so peaceful. I couldn't name a time that I hadn't seen planes in the air for that long of a period. Certainly not in the recent past.
People were concerned . . . concerned about gas and money. I went out to make a bank deposit during lunch and the lines at the pump were LONG. And everyone was worried about how much money they should pull out to get through this. I thought "I can so see how the depression started . . . "
Alaina was born 1 month and 1 day later. I remember worrying about what her world would be like, what kind of safety she (and her sibs) would have in their life.
The other "I remember where I was when . . . ." moments:
March 30, 1981 -- I was 10 years old. I was on the playground during recess. . . obviously not feeling social that day as I was sitting in one of several huge concrete pipes that we had on the playground (Not sure why they put those there as playground equipment!) reading The Westing Game. The herded us back inside and that's where we learned of Ronald Reagan's shooting. At that point, I already knew that JFK had been shot in Dallas, and that there had been a stigma attached to Dallas because of it. I also remembered seeing George Bush Sr. at a rally the previous summer in Dallas with my Girl Scout Troup. And I remember that we still had a girl scout meeting on March 30th after school. It involved some kind of craft (can't remember what) and planning an upcoming camping trip.
January 28, 1986 -- I was newly 15, and a freshman in high school. While sitting in Geometry class, the principal announced over the loud speaker that Challenger had exploded shortly after take off. My teacher (still remember her name Mrs. Harrison) said "Oh, that's said" and went back to teaching us proofs. This was the 2nd time she'd shown she didn't know how to deal with bad news in as many months. The month before, another freshman at our school died in a car accident. As honors students, we all knew each other well . . . and Mrs. Harrison knew that. She didn't say a word about the tragedy.
The rest of the day was spent going from one class to the next, then crowding around TVs and watching the unfolding coverage.
February 1, 2003 -- On this Saturday morning, Andy and I were still in bed when we felt the house slightly shake. The playroom was under our bedroom, and we assumed it was one of the kids who'd been sitting in a rocking chair we had down there and had hit the wall (tehehe . . .this was a common occurance). I went downstairs to see who was up and was surprised to find that all the kids were still asleep. Of course, we later discovered this occurred the same time as the Columbia explosion, and that little "quakes" (for lack of a better word) were felt in our area. Columbia actually broke up over our area, then ended up landing near where my sister lived 4 hours away.
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