Happy New Year!

I am not sure if I will have time to say it tomorrow, or will be in any condition to say it when we get home from The Utley's 3rd Annual New Year's Eve Bash, so, I am saying it now!

I suppose it would be appropriate to post some goals and resolutions for the coming year. It's kind of funny...I have done this before...made resolutions, plans and goals. This year though, something feels different...different in a good way. I think I might actually stick to them. I feel like I am better at forcing myself to do something than I used to be...even things like taking Julia to her weekly playgroup or making sure I get Emily to voice lessons and Katherine to Girl Scouts. In the not so distant past, if I didn't want to do something, I just didn't do it. Nothing else mattered...the benefit Julia would get from the playgroup, the money we paid for voice lessons, or the enjoyment Katherine derived from being a Girl Scout. Nothing else really mattered, including the guilt I would feel after not having done one of these things. These are just examples, and let me tell you, things were a lot worse than that.

Anyway, things are just different now. I actually care about things other than wallowing in my own misery. I also realize that doing things like you know, leaving my house are actually good for me and make me feel good.

With that said, here are some of my goals for this year, along with some steps I have already taken or am planning on taking to achieve them:

1. Lose some weight. I say some with emphasis because, well, I am not going to say, "I wanna lose X amount of pounds." Less pressure that way and, I figure if the scale at this time next year reads even a little less than it does this year, that's a goal accomplished. Anytime I have read anything anywere about successful weight loss it has always indicated that keeping track of what you eat is imperative. So, I went out and bought a journal to do just that. I figure it takes very little time to write down what I am eating and it certainly will help keep me in check. I also went out and purchased "The Biggest Loser Cookbook" which along with some fantastic recipes, also explains the diet and exercise plan that the contestants follow on the show. Did anyone watch it this year? The guy that won lost 214 pounds. Now if I lost that much weight I'd be dead but he's an inspiration. That's some serious hard work and dedication he put in. I am hoping to hop on the treadmill 3-4 times per week, and getting up at the crack of dawn to do so (being honest, as tough as it is to get up any earlier than my usual 6:15-6:30, this is the only time I know that I will have the motivation to do it). I think I am going to go with a M-W-F schedule, with maybe a weekend day thrown in for good measure. Since I am planning on starting this on Tuesday (tomorrow is pasta fest at Adam and Jean's so I figure it will be my last chance to be "bad) when I food shopped on Thursday I bought all kinds of good for me (and the fam) foods including: apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, cucumber, tomatoes, fresh broccoli, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, Ezekiel bread, and probably a few other things that aren't coming to mind right now.

2. I would really like to achieve more financial responsibility and know how. Because I know me and how I am, even despite my recent change in to, well a happy person, I know that money burns a hole in my pocket. So, I am planning on having Ryun set up a separate savings account in his name and having 75% of any money I make with lia sophia directly deposited in to that account. The other 25% will be my "play" money and also the money I use to order business supplies etc. Ryun is also getting a raise in January which will mean about an extra $200 per month. That too will be going in to a savings account. In the immediate (not right now but defintely not too far off in to the future) we will need to be thinking about purchasing a car, as mine has almost 150,000 miles on it. It still runs fine but, when it gets up there in mileage, you just don't know. In the distant future (but hopefully not too distant...like maybe in a couple of years) we would like to buy a house (we rent our house now). Saving money will be necessary for either of these things to happen.

3. I am going to actively pursue obtaining a degree in some sort of early childhood education type area. I still have to further explore what exactly I want to do but I am leaning toward obtaining my Early Intervention Certification so I need to investigate what is needed etc and go from there. I am in the process of figuring this all out!

4. Last but not least, I am going to potty train Julia...which will be one goal that will be accomplished immediately as I am starting this on Tuesday! Can we say bye bye diapers? Sure we can.

Execution

Although we don't talk about the war much here, Emily is aware, on a very basic level what it's all about. She hears the news, and I am sure, in 4th grade, they have addressed it on a level understandable to a bunch of 9 and 10 year olds.

So yesterday morning, she came downstairs and told me excitedly, "My earing fell out over night and I put it back in this morning with no trouble at all! This means I don't have to sleep with them in any more!"

(She has had to keep her earings in 24/7 for longer than most people who have just gotten them pierced usually do as they would close up a little if she left them out for any length of time. She was excited to see that apparently this is not the case anymore)

Anyway, I mentioned outloud to Ryun tha Sadaam had been executed.

What did Emily do?

She let out a little cheer and said, "Now that's even better news than my earing falling out!"

"Yes it is, Emily, yes it is," I said.

Is it wrong to cheer someone's death? Not in this case it isn't.

Monster On Ice

As usual, Disney on Ice was fantastic. This was Julia's first time going and I have to say, I was a little nervous about bringing her (wondering if she would like it, would she stay seated the whole time). I don't know why I ever worry about her in such situations...she is seriously the most well behaved 2 1/2 year old I have ever seen. She LOVED it...the lights, the fireworks, the screaming (if you have ever seen Monsters Inc you know already how much screaming there would have been) and the monsters...she was amazed by it all. She was clapping, dancing and screaming right along with her sisters and the rest of the audience. In a completely out of character move, I forgot my camera, otherwise you can be sure I would have taken pictures.

The show was in Providence which was nice. Not having to drive to Boston is always a good thing. I forget how much I love Providence until I go back again. It really is such a nice city.

On the schedule for the rest of the day: NOTHING! YAY!

Tonight: meeting and returns! FUN!

Toy Assembly Hell...

...is where I spent most of my day! Conveniently, Emily and Katherine spent the night last night with my sister so I only had Julia to contend with. I decided to set up her toys first (except for the big desk-like thing my parents gave her which I left for Ryun to do) so that she would be occupied while I was going to work on Emily and Katherine's things. All in all, it wasn't too bad but I am cursing the person that invented wire ties, or at least the person who thought of using them to keep toys in place.

Tomorrow we have Disney On Ice at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence. We were able to get the tickets at a discounted rate through Girl Scouts. I hadn't originally planned on bringing Julia but after re-considering and not really wanting to find a sitter, I just decided to bring her along. I am sure she will love it!

Anyway, I have some things I need to get done before I go to bed. I should be back tomorrow at some point.

The Christmas Post

I meant to post this earlier, last night even but life got in the way! Christmas was wonderful and I have pictures to prove it!

In no particular order...

Here's Julia dsiplaying one of her favorite things...the pretend food that Santa put in her stocking. She has her pretend kitchen which she loves to use!

Here's Emily trying out her new game. Julia likes to pretend she's playing...she doesn't have to know that it won't work unless the remote is plugged in!

Emily and Katherine had a few "share" presents. Here they are opening one of them!

Before Santa...

and after...

Some how, perhaps it was a Christmas miracle, I managed to get them all looking at the camera at the same time!

Cookies and milk left out for Santa.

And reindeer food sprinkled on the front walk for Rudolph and the gang.

Merry Merry

Merry Christmas!

We are in the process of geting ready to head over to my parents, anf then to Ryun's Uncle's house.
Back later with pictures and an update!

Whew...

I just wrapped every present I bought (well, except for teacher gifts which had to be done before school got out obviously) in one day.

I certainly don't recommend doing this, unless you're you know, you enjoy the running around like a chicken with it's head cut off scenario.

I am glad the house is ready (shh, no one needs to know about the laundry that needs folding, or the floor that needs to be swept), I am glad the baking is done but mostly, I am glad the presents are wrapped.

As they say in Hollywood, "That's a wrap!"

Night y'all.

Christmas Preparations: Pictures and Commmentary

First, after this week's mishap with the Christmas tree, I feel I should share a picture of the newly (re) decorated master piece:



Looks nice, doesn't it?

Last night, on kind of a whim (this is what happens when the spirit arrives just days before the main event), I decided to whip up a batch of sugar cookie dough. Earlier this afternoon (after Ryun and the girls got back from bowling), Emily, Katherine and I sat down a made the cookies.

Sugar Cookie Central

Sugar cookies...good...

Sugar cookies and pretzel treats better...

Sugar cookies, pretzel treats and peanut butter fudge?

Well now that's heaven.

"The Talk"

So, last night, I had to tell the kids something that I have known for a while, but was postponing telling them. I was putting it off because I still didn't want to believe it myself, but mostly because I had no idea how to say it.

Last night though, I managed to get up the nerve (or whatever you want to call it ) and I told them.

I told them that Auntie Suzanne (my sister) and Uncle John were getting a divorce.

It went a lot like I pictured it in my head. Katherine said, "So, does this mean that Uncle John and Auntie Suzanne won't be coming to Mimi and Papa's house together anymore?" I thought to myself, "It means a heck of a lot more than that" but what I said, (to keep it as simple as possible for a 7 year old) was, "Yes." She was fine with that and only later asked one more question which was, "Where does Uncle John live now?" I told her and that was about it for her.

Emily? She burst in to tears and ran up to her room. It took all I had not to cry with her (especially when she said things like, "I am not even going to be excited on Christmas now" and "I never want to go to school again because I am afraid I might burst out crying") but I somehow managed not to and just sat there with her.

I had thought about putting it off until after the holidays but I figured it would be a little awkward if they noticed John wasn't there on Christmas and asked why. They are also going to spend the night at Suzanne's on Tuesday and obviously, if they hadn't noticed his absence at Christmas dinner, they would definitely notice it then.

I am quite sure that this was part of my lack of Christmas spirit, even if I couldn't pinpoint it at the time. Just telling the kids has lifted a huge weight and as mentioned previously, the spirit has been back now for a few days.

I am not going to get in to the "why" of it all here because, well, it's kind of a personal thing, and really, it doesn't matter. It is what it is.

Incidentally, Emily is doing much better. She has asked me some questions, talked to Suzanne and is handling the whole thing like a mature adult actually.

So anyway, that's it. I am so glad that the conversation has been had and, well, that the conversation is over!

Julia

Because I have absolutely nothing else I need to do, I decided to sit down and video some of Julia's singing, playing, talking, and dancing today. It's just over 4 minutes long but so worth your time (in my proffesional unjaded opinion, of course)!

Yup, I'm Back

As I was decorating the tree tonight I couldn't help but think of those trees that look like they were picked right up off of the department store floor, brought home, and deposited right in to the livingroom. You know the trees I am talking about...the ones that look, well, just perfect, with matching ornaments, coordinating tinsel and garland, and lights adjusted just so. The ones that have not a single thing out of place.

And you know what I thought? There isn't a tree nicer than one that holds ornaments handmade by your children from year to year. Nothing says Christmas like your kid coming home, bursting at the seams to show you the ornament they made for you, and then, proudly displaying it on the tree, front and center of course, so everyone can see. I am sorry but it just doesn't get any better than that.

And yes, the spirit of the season has finally found it's way home to my heart.

Just in the nick of time.

That's One Way To Do It

You know, I had been looking at the Christmas tree thinking that I really should spend the time and spread the branches out a little more, rearrange some of the ornaments (so that the softest ones were on the bottom and "ok" for Julia to touch) and just give it an all around "sprucing up." Ryun decorated it with the kids back on Thanksgiving weekend. It was cute and adorable and all...the fact that he decided to do it and surprise me with it but, I have to admit I was a little sad that I didn't partake.

So fast forward to today, just about a half hour ago actually. I went over to the wood stove to add some logs. We have a round gate type thing surrounding the stove so Julia can't climb on to the brick, as the stove (obviously) gets quite hot. I opened the stove, raked the coals a little and added the log. Now the tree sits just over the gate, right in front of the big window that looks out over the front yard. I am sure by now you can see where this is going.

Yup.

I lost my balance swinging my leg over the gate and in a desperate attempt not to land on the stove, grabbed on to whatever I could to steady myself. The only thing to grab? Well, the tree of course. I didn't fall so you know, that was good.

The tree wasn't so lucky.

Yeah, it fell, and came to rest on the tv stand, knocking many ornaments and candy canes off. Julia said, "Oh my God, Mom. What happened to the tree?" (Oh my God is her newest phrase and let me just tell you how much she loves to use it).

It was leaning in a rather precarious position so I decided to take it out of the stand and lay it between the stove and the tv stand. The ornaments that didn't fall off (some of which are glass) were now within Julia's reach so I decided to take those off too.

I have mentioned here a few times that I just wasn't feeling the Christmas spirit. So, I was thinking that it would be kind of funny if Ryun came home, saw it, and thought, "oh my God, she's really gone off the deep end, taking the Christmas tree down before Christmas has even come." Funny thing is, I think this may be the thing that has brought the spirit back.

It was all kind of comical really, and hey, at least I get to decorate the tree this year!

No Surprise Here

What Planet Are You From?


this quiz was made by The Autist Formerly Known As Tim

The Cold That Keeps On Giving

I have heard of other families that go through this but it has never happened in this one. Usually, the cold starts with one of the kids, and runs right through each kid, on to Ryun and then finally on to me (who usually gets the worst of it after taking care of everyone else). This cold though? Well this cold has gone something like this...

Ryun passed it to Emily who passed it to Sharon who passed it to Katherine who passed it to Julia who passed it back to Emily who passed it to Ryun who passed it to Sharon who passed it to Julia who passed it to Katherine who...

Well, no doubt you get the picture.

It just won't go away!

It's certainly not helping the motivation to get things done around here (like, let's not even talk about the fact that in three hours it will be December 20th and I have not wrapped a single Chirstmas present yet).

Ugh...

Julia

I took Julia to get a haircut the other day. It was beyond the point of having any control over it, so I decided it was about time.

Soome of you may be asking, "Hmm, I wonder what would happen if Sharon decided to have the hairdresser trim her bangs and add layers to her hair?"

Wonder no more my friends, because that is exactly what I did!


The curls came back with a vengeance and she can see again...YAY!

I've seen this before...

...but I love it and wanted to share it with all of you...

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year.

I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple,which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your sister," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back.

Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always,

Mom

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

The Report Card Report

Emily:

English and Reading and History: 4's

Science: 3

Math: 1

Music: Well, it would need improvement if she was still doing the flute but she hated it and is back to what she does best...singing. I am sure this will be a 4 next term because it always is.

Physical Education: 3

Visual Arts: 3

Language Arts/Math lab: 3

Social Behaviors:
treats others with courtesy: 4
follows school rules: 4
follows classroom rules: 4
interacts cooperatively with others: 4
practices self control: 3
aceepts responsibility for choices and consequences: 4

Successful Learning Behaviors:
strives for quality work: 2
listens attentively: 3
uses time effectively: 2
follows oral/written directions: 3
works independently: 2
participates in class activities: 4
makes appropriate transitions: 2
completes and returns classwork/homework: 3
demonstrates organizational skills: 2
seeks help when necessary: 3
applies study skills: 3

Teacher Comments: Emily is a wonderful young lady. She works very hard. Slowing down and re-checking her work will improve her organizational skills. She is a great class member!

So all in all...pretty good. For some reason the social and learning behaviors always hold more weight to me than academics. I mean they are important too but the socail and learning skills tell me how I am doing, in some ways.

The usual "concerns" are there...organization, time management and math (which with the math I have a sneaking suspicion it would be a lot easier for her if she was more organized...math is a sequential, organized thing in and of it self).

Katherine: 3's and 4's across the board, so I am not gonna get detailed! Basically though, in comparison to last year, she has improved her academic, social and learning behaviors by leaps and bounds.

Teacher Comment: Katherine is a very courteous student. Her performance in all academic areas improves daily. Katherine has good learning and social behaviors.

Emily's Video

The lighting stinks but you can hear her and that's what really matters. She did a great job, especially considering she is getting over a cold.

Oh, and my father had fun with Movie Maker, hence the credits!

Yes, he spelled performed and "there" wrong but hey, he's cute anyway!

Emily...

had her winter recital for her private voice lessons today.

She spent the night at Mimi and Papa's last night so that my mother (who is very well practiced after raising three daughter and plain and simple has a knack for such things) could do Emily's hair. Me? I am lucky if I can get it in a ponytail and have it look good. LOL.

Anyway, here is the result:




Beautiful isn't she?

Video clip of her singing to follow soon...

Yup

Nope, You're Not a Grinch

Although you may feel Grinch-like at times, it's just because you're worn out from the holidays. You get into the holiday spirit more than most people - and you truly enjoy celebrating with your family and friends.

Are You a Grinch?

She NEVER Ceases To Amaze Me

When we moved in to this house last year, Ryun found an old (but working) air hockey table in the garage. It had everything except the puck and paddles, which Ryun went and got on his way home from work yesterday.

So last night, while I was out at my meeting, he and the girls (except for Julia who was in bed) went downstairs to play it. Apparently, Emily hit the puck too hard for Katherine's liking and she was afraid and angry (she threw the paddle on the floor and it broke which is a whole other story). Anyway, while Katherine was in major meltdown mode, Emily siad to Ryun (quiet enough so Katherine couldn't hear), "Oh my God, Dad, she's pathologically afraid of everything."

Her vocabulary amazes me. How the heck did she know how to use that word and use it appropriately? I can tell you it sure as hell isn't a vocabulary word she studies at school. When it comes to her reading, writing, English, and spelling skills, I can honestly say, I have no concern!

Speech and Testing

Katherine is going to be pulled from the classroom once a week to go to speech with one of the speech and language pathologists at the school. Back in early November, at Katherine's parent-teacher conference, I had mentioned that Katherine was having trouble with r's and th's (r's came out like w's and th's came out like d's and sometimes, v's). She had noticed it as well, and recommended that Katherine have a speech evaluation, which took place yesterday. I haven't gotten the official word yet from the school, but Katherine reported back to me this morning that she is going to be going to see Mrs. V on Wednesdays. She sounds really excited about it actually, which is good. I was wondering if she would feel "weird" about leaving the classroom.

In other news, I had the first meeting with the person that will be doing Emily's neuro-psych testing. It was a meeting to go over my concerns and gave the doctor the chance to explain the whole process to me. Of course, me being me, I already knew the process (thanks to my own research) but it was nice to hear it described anyway. She asked me if Emily would be "ok" with all of this and if she was shy or would she be nervous? I basically said that she doesn't have a shy bone in her body and nervous? Uh, nope...the girl has more confidence in herself than anyone I have ever met.

Scary

When your husband calls sounding stressed and you ask what's wrong and he says:

"....not to mention that I stood on a 2 x4 that wasn't exactly secure and I lost my balance and fell about a foot and a half. If the staging wasn't already in the shaft you would have lost your husband."

Yeah. Sometimes I forget how dangerous his job can be.

This was...

...well, one of those mornings. Emily left in tears, completely distraught over her outfit and shoes. She was wearing her brown and pink gouchos and her pink shirt. She couldn't find her brown and pink shoes so I told her she would have to wear her black. She wanted to wear her sneakers but the outfit is kind of fancy (or at least too fancy for sneakers) so I wouldn't let her. I had this weird idea that maybe making her wear the black shoes (that didn't look the best but probably better than sneakers would have) would teach her to keep better track of her things (in this case, she would have had the brown shoes and everyone would have been happy). She said, "People are going to make fun of me" and "I look like a boy (i have no idea so don't even ask)".

The thing is, this is one of those times where I am questioning my decision. Part of my overall concern with Emily and her lack of organization is that "consequences" don't seem to affect her. Sure, she was mad when she left but, more than likely my decision to make her wear the black shoes will do nothing to help her keep better track of her things. She won't think about what happened this time, the next time a situation like this comes up. So, maybe I should have just gave in and let her wear whatever she wanted? Or maybe, if I keep making her suffer the consequences she will eventually catch on?

I don't know and I am sure this will be one of many times that I second guess myself. Either way I feel bad that she went of to school angry and I hope it doesn't ruin her day.

Does anyone know...

...if there is a website out there anywhere that could tell me what I could make with ingredients I have on hand?

For example, I say I have eggs, chicken, onion , bread, and carrots (random ingredients) and the website says, "Hey you can make this!"

Just curious if one such site existed.

I am being lazy, really. I have a lia sophia meeting tonight and I need to bring an appetizer. I just don't feel like going out to the store!

Like I said, lazy!

Party

Today was the Local 4 (International Union of Elevator Constructors) Christmas party. We all had a great time and the kids are already asking if we can go next year! Here are some pictures from our day...

Santa came to visit all of the kids. Here's Emily sitting in his chair before he arrived.

There were two "jumpy things" there for the kids. Here's a great shot of Julia in mid-jump, with Emily jumping in the background being silly.

Ryun and Julia...during one of the few times I got her semi-smiling. It was the end of the day and she was very tired.

I could tell you this was my gorgeous tree but, it would be a lie. It is pretty though, huh?

We got to decorate gingerbread cookies with the girls. Here Katherine proudly displays her creation!

And now...for my favorite photos of the day...

Ok...so how sweet is that?


The next two, well I am not bragging but...

...don't they look all professional and what not (ok, well maybe I am bragging a little)? That's my handsome father there with Katherine, who proves in these pictures that she is a Sullivan through and through. The resemblence is strong, don't you think?

Moments I Love

...when Ryun calls me in (or I call him in) to the room to see a cute or funny thing that one of the kids is doing and we look at each other with that knowing smile that says, "What would we ever do without them?"

Julia's...

First Official Gingerbread House!





The MOMS Club does this every year. This year, we made them at the Senior Center with the seniors and it was really fun! Julia was quite the little charmer, and more "open" than I think she ever has been. I am pretty sure she ate more candy than used for decorating but she did help me squeeze out the frosting and push the candy on to the crackers.

Anyway, isn't it cute? I made sure to get a picture before it was demolished by the kids!

Note: I use the word "kids" in the broadest sense, because we all know that Ryun (and ok, maybe me) are going to be digging in as well!

Who Knew A Crock Pot Could Be So Entertaining?

So last night, I made this yummy chicken-brown sugar-soy sauce-pineapple-garlic powder-Essence Masterpiece for dinner. Yes I am bragging but hey, it was good.

Anyway, I left the house to bring Emily to voice lessons and realized, I forgot to stir the crock pot before I left. Knowing Ryun was in the shower and wouldn't be able to get the phone, I decided to text him and this is what I said:

"Stir the crock."

His response?

"Crock You."

Heh.

Then, after I dropped Em off at voice I went to my mothers house so that she could pick out her free jewelry she earned from her party on Friday. On the way home from there, I called Ryun and asked him to stir the crock again.

Katherine overheard me and said (IN ALL SERIOUSNESS),"Mom, are we having a crocodile for dinner?"

(Croc=Crock...get it?)

On the agenda for the new year...

...potty training. It is becoming more and more obvious how ready Julia is everyday. She tells me that her diaper is "very wet" and says (in her words), " I have yucky in there" when it's something else. She walks by the bathroom and her potty chair all of the time and knows exactly what she is supposed to do (right down to washing her hands).

So I was thinking...I should make potty training Julia my New Year's Resolution. AT least I know I will stick to it!

Well...

...the weekend was so busy I can't even remember all that took place but here are a few highlights...

...Friday night...my mother's lia sophia show which went very well!

...Saturday...birthday party at my house for Katherine with Ryun's family.

...Sunday...The Girl Scout Craft Fair and dinner at Chili's with my sisters.

All in all, it was a good one.l

Signs...

...that winter has indeed arrived...


Ryun lighting the wood stove while Julia looks on...


Snow falling this morning...



Finally, Emily and Katherine all bundled up and ready to head off to school.

I had this great post planned...

...and then someone pissed me off and my frame of mind is just not right anymore.

So whatever.

Playgroup tomorrow morning and maybe afterward, if the mood strikes, I'll post.

Maybe.

Why is it...

...that the day passes and I accomplish two major things on the infamous "to do" list, but I still feel like I have accomplished nothing? I suppose it could be the length of the list (which unfairly always seems to have more added to it than crossed off). Whatever it is, it's just annoying.

Let's face it...there just aren't enough hours in the day, at least not enough "awake" hours. I can't seem to force myself to get up earlier and even after finishing a late afternoon caffeine hit (aka a large coffee from Dunk's) I can't seem to stay up past 10:30-11:00.

Damn, I need to get out of this funk.

Nice

Now, y'all know how I feel about the education system in this country but just as a refresher...

The feds should but the heck out.

Of course, that's just a 7 word sentence summing up what could be a 7 page entry, but well, I've said it all before.

Anyway, the liklihood of the government backing out of well, anything, is pretty slim so my feeling is this:

If they are going to hold the schools, teachers and children to specific standards, they should front the money to support their own cause.

Which is why I find this just fantastic. Go get em' I say.

House Decorating

I have to be honest here, the Christmas spirit really hasn't struck me yet. Our tree is up and decorated (thanks to Ryun and the girls), I have been listening to the music on the various stations, and I even paid a visit to my parents house, which is decorated and looking marvelous as usual. Still, I can't find the motivation to decorate my own house or get even an inkling of excitement over the whole thing.

It's kind of weird in the sense that there is no real reason for this lack of excitement (at least not one that I can pinpoint). I mean there are various things going on...I m busier than I have ever been, not feeling 100% up to par, and, well it's that time of month. Whatver it is...I hope I snap out of it soon.

Playgroup

Yesterday was Julia's first Early Intervention playgroup session. She LOVED it, and actually, so did I. The playgroup goes from 10-12:15 and includes lunch. It's very similar to preschool class with some structure, some free play, a craft of some sort, singing, and outdoor play. We did playdough which Julia had a great time with. I had introduced playdough to her some time ago (during the time where she was going through major sensory type issues) and she was not at all interested, so this was a huge change for her. She had a great time on the playground(which had a completely rubberized ground, making a soft landing spot should some one fall). After the playground we went in and washed hands (in the cutest bathroom ever...mini toilets and sinks just the right height for toddlers) and had lunch...honey mustard chicken, sweet potatoes, fruit salad, a roll and milk. It was good...and Julia (and I) ate it all. We cleaned up and had some more free play, then sang the "Goodbye Song." Julia seemed to interact a little more than usual which is good, and one of the main reasons for joining the playgroup to begin with. I am looking forward to next week.

Sick and Tired...

...literally.

As mentioned previously, this weekend was busy. Fun and hellish all in one, and probably more than I should have taken on given the cold I feel coming on.

The body aches started yesterday (which I orginally attributed to falling on my kitchen floor in an attempt to avoid Julia who seemingly "flew" from one spot in the room to right behind me and out of my line of sight with out my knowing). Now though, the sinus pain is kicking in, with the tight chest to boot.

Emily has the stomach bug thing too which is SO NOT FUN.

And, Ryun has been unusually cheerful which for some reason is aggravating me rather than making me happy (PMS, tiredness, and colds just wreak havoc on my emotional state I guess).

So yeah, that's it. I'm going to bed.

PIctures from Thanksgiving

Katherine was pretty excited to get Ice Age 2 from Aunty Suzanne for her birthday , just in case you couldn't tell.

Katherine and Aunty Heather, who also doubles as Katherine's Godmother.

Julia was sleepy so Daddy laid down with her and took a quick snooze himself.

Most people fall asleep after the turkey. Here Julia proves she is not "most people."

Mimi is sending out pictures of her grandchildren this year for Christmas cards. Here is attempt 1...

And attempt 2...

Julia, showing off those gorgeous eyes, which look unusually dark here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you all have a great day! Eat well and stay safe!

Humor

Five Surgeons are discussing the types of people they like to operate on.
The first surgeon says:
"I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them
up, everything inside is numbered."
The second responds:
"Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color
coded."

The third surgeon says:
"No, I really think librarians are the best; everything inside them is in
alphabetical order."

The fourth surgeon chimes in:
"You know, I like construction workers...those guys always understand when
you have a few parts left over."
But the fifth surgeon shut them all up when he observed:
"You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no
guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine. Plus, the head and the ass are
interchangeable."

Birthday Announcements

Happy Birthday to...

my sister in law celebrating today.

"Nana" Judy celebrating on November 27th.

A very special announcement goes out to my daughter Katherine, who will be celebrating her 7th birthday this Saturday, November 25th.

Happy Birthday Katherine!

Plans Etc.

Today: kids have a 1/2 day. Katherine has a Girl Scout meeting from 3-4. I am going to help my co leader paint banners for the Christmas parade from 4-6. Food shopping afterward.

Tomorrow: going to my parents for Thanksgiving dinner/Katherine's birthday celebration with the fam.

Friday: Katherine's birthday party at our house with her friends.

Saturday: Happy Birthday Katherine! Annual Middleboro Christmas Parade. Both Emily and Katherine will be in the parade with Girl Scouts.

Sunday: First Annual PTA Craft/Vendor Fair

So yeah...we have a crazy busy weekend!

Why I LOVE Middleboro...Reason Number...

Tonight was "Family Literacy Night" at the Goode School. I brought Katherine, along with a book, blanket and stuffed animal to her school cafeteria where we sat and listened to a "guest reader" (the school's media director). We were then invited to spill out in to the hallways where we could find our own little spot, and quietly read together. Katherine and I parked oursleves in the alcove of a classroom doorway and read the book she had picked out, before we went off to room 22 to listen to the next "guest reader." Katherine absolutely LOVED it.

I thought the night itself was fantastic but what impressed me most? The presence of every elementary principal and vice principal (including of course the Principal and Vice Principal off Goode School) and the superintendent. The kindergarten and grades 3-5 principals did not need to come, and the superintendent of schools had no reason he had to be there either. They just came. And I think that's awesome.

So, I'm not gonna lie...

...I am loving this wireless setup. What's not to love? I mean I can blog now from any room in my house...on the couch, from bed, in the kitchen...it's fantastic. Even more fantastic? The whole getup (including the laptop) was $50! It pays to be connected...no pun intended.

Why I Rock

I mean, besides you know, the obvious reasons.

You know when you call tech support and you try this and you try that and you try this again and no matter what they tell you and what you do you can't get the damn thing to work? You realize that the tech has no idea what the hell they are talking about and wonder why every tech you talk to barely speaks the English language?

Yeah well, after emails and phone calls, a few choice words aimed directly at my computer and laptop, I am proud to say that I am typing and posting this from my laptop. Tech support was of no assistance, so I managed to figure out how to install the wireless software without the disc on my own and, by God, it actually works!

I have no patience for these kinds of things but, I usually manage to figure it out somehow (but please don't ask me how).

Yay though for being able to use the internet from anywhere in the house!

Observation

I feel like such a slacker when I don't update here but let's be realistic: First, I shouldn't feel guilty and second? Well, I am just super busy. I barely even find the time to read blogs anymore (or at least not as frequently as I'd like to), let alone update mine on a daily basis.

Even now, I can think of a zillion other things I need to do but, I couldn't let the day pass without sharing this observation regarding Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

My rule of thumb: If Paulie, Preston or Michael cry...I cry. It's just the way it is.

Now about those other things I need to see to...

The weather...

...has been so warm here, it's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week. Even with two, yes two radio stations playing all Christmas music all of the time, getting in the holiday spirit has been, well difficult.

In a vain attempt though, I present you with the last email meme: Holiday Favorites!



Favorite Christmas Song: If I had to pick just one I think it would be Merry Christmas Darling by Karen Carpenter. Besides the fact that it just a great song, it reminds of Christmas Eve's long gone by. When I was a kid we used to go to my Aunt Muriel's house every year. My parents used to leave some lights on around the house and have the Carpenters 8 track playing, in an attempt to thwart any possible burglars. Apparently, Christmas Eve is a popular time for home break-ins.

Favorite Holiday Dish and/or Dessert: Fudge and Peanut Brittle...yummy.

Favorite Christmas Movie: "A Christmas Story" of course. It's a classic.

Best gift ever received as a kid: I remember being really excited about getting a new bike. I even remember that it was maroon in color.

As an adult: Probably the gift of my kids on Christmas morning. There is nothingthat compares to the magic of Christmas morning when you have children. Nothing.

Favorite Holiday Tradition: I loved our Christmas Eve tradition when I was a kid. We used to stop and pick up Ma, head to Roslindale to visit my Aunt Marie, and then to Aunt Muriel's for Christmas Eve dinner. Those memories warm my heart just thinking of them. The tradition has kind of changed over time. Ma and Aunt Marie have passed on, and Aunt Muriel has handed the "Christmas Eve Reins" over to my cousin Maura.

Favorite "Part" Of the Holiday Season: being with my family...that is what it's all about for me. Egg Nog and Christmas music...Egg Nog with a little Kalhua is even better...LOL.

Does anyone else...

...watch Bones? Oh my God, I love that show.

And let's face it...David Boreanez..he's not too hard on the eyes.

Obviously, I'm Bored

This sounds about right...although I have no idea how they came up with this by typing my name in.

Your Expression Number is 6

You have an outstanding sense of responsibility, love, and balance. You are helpful and inclined to comfort those in need. You have many artistic and creative talents, but you only use them to better others. You are loving, friendly, and appreciative of others. You have a depth of understanding that produces much kindness and generosity. Openness and honesty are apparent in your approach to all relationships. Sometimes, you can be too demanding of yourself. At times, you tend to sacrifice yourself for the welfare of others. At other times, you have trouble distinguishing between helping and interfering.

What's Your Expression Number?

Half and Half, Basically

Your Vote Score: 41% Republican, 59% Democrat

You are truly an independent voter, and you don't fit well with either party. Maybe you should choose one issue to vote on - or look into third parties!

Should You Vote Republican or Democrat?

Most Excellent

Your Vocabulary Score: A

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person.

How's Your Vocabulary?

Venting

So, I have decided that EI must be really hard up for employees or something because let me tell you, if I was Julia's Physical Therapist's boss, she would have been fired a long freakin' time ago.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I bitch about this a lot but I can't help it. I feel weird complaining to her superior when

a. I actually like her as a person and as a physical therapist.

b. Early Intervention is a free service (well, not exactly free but at no direct cost to me per se as it is all billed and fully covered by insurance).

Still, though her lateness, cancellation of appointments and overall disorganization and irresponsibility are really getting on my last nerve.

She called today at 11:15 (which is when she was supposed to be here) to say that she was confused about the dates and thought she was coming tomorrow and not today. So I got all ready, cleaned the house up a little, got Julia all excited and ready for V to arrive and she cancelled...AGAIN.

This is getting a little ridiculous if you ask me.

No Surprise here

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Stoel it from Jay.

This Just In...

...Julia can count to ten! YAY!

PT Conference: Take One

Tonight was Katherine's parent teacher confeference. It went well. Can I just tell you that I love her teacher? She is so friendly and down to earth, and not in the least bit intimidating.

To sum up our 15 minute conversation: Katherine has shown good improvement in all areas since September. She could stand to be a bit neater about her work and needs to talk a little less. Her overall score: 3 out of 4. Not too bad, eh?

At the end of the meeting I volunteered my services as a "helper" (call me if need anything type of thing) and walked out feeling good about Katherine, the first grade, her teacher, and myself.

Next up: Emily's conference which will be on Thursday. Anybody got any good ideas about how I can come off as insistent but not overly demanding or bitchy? There is just so much to discuss I find it hard to imagine that I will be able to contain it to a quick conference so I am writing a letter (another one) tonight that I will send in with Emily tomorrow. I figure that my concerns will already (and again) be out in the open so that maybe, when I get there we can just form a plan.

Julia

Today on the way home from Jungle Gym, Julia said, clear as day:

"Wanna go to the playground? Wanna go to the playground with me?"

Yeah, so, of course I had to take her to the playground because, well, who could possibly resist such cuteness? It was wet, and she came home with soaking wet pants but that's ok.

When we were gettting out of the car she yawned so I said, "Are you tired? Do you want to go upstairs and do sleepytime?"

She looked at me and said rather matter-of-factly, "No Mama, I need to do lunch."

So, apparently, she knows the schedule huh?

Ryun

Ryun is working at The Boston University Center For Digital Imaging Arts, installing the elevator. When he started the job a few weeks ago, he was talking to a woman there who is a student in the digital photography program. She asked him if she could take pictures of him working on the elevator for a school project. What started out as a quick little photo shoot has turned in to Ryun bringing in his comics, his layout for the Knight Rider Steering Wheel he wants to make, and conversations of scriptwriting, filmmaking and all other kinds of "artistic" type things. She has been photographing him and doing this whole project (which I think is sort of a profile of Ryun from what I can tell) about him, and when he finishes up the elevator, she will be getting his address so she can mail a copy to him when she is done with it.

This whole thing has been:

a. a little weird.

b. well, kind of cool!

I will be anxious to see it when it is done!

Update

In keeping with the usual craziness, we had a busy weekend here. Friday night was the crop at the Mitchell Club (which turned out to be fantastic, even though I wasn't feeling the "scrapbooking vibe"...I ended up making an entire calendar for my sister and had fun)! Saturday was my nephew Jack's 1st birthday party at my parents house. It was a BEAUTIFUL day and my father (being the awesome "Papa" that he is) blew all of the leaves in to piles for the kids to play in. Julia was a little hesitant at first but it wasn't long before she was covering her sisters and friends in leaves. I can't believe that Jack is one already. Sadly, I didn't get one good picture, otherwise, y'all know I would be posting it here!

I ended up going back to my parents last night for some "Father/Daughter Bonding" which included such things as a yummy dinner from the Chicken House (thanks Dad) and the movie, "CARS." It was quite an interesting night (First we couldn't find a Chicken House Menu so I called Ryun, and asked him to scan it and email it (which he needed blow by blow instructions for...he is so not computer savy). The email never came so we called the Chicken House and asked if we could somehow access the menu online, which they said no but that they would fax it. The fax never came so I called again and it finally came through. Then we decided to rent a movie using "On Demand" and that didn't work. So I called Adelphia (soon to be Comcast) and waited online forever, only to have it start working as soon as I got someone on the line. We scanned through the movies and couldn't find one we liked so we ended up watching a borrowed copy of "Cars" from Nana Judy. My father went to get the food and they screwed up the order (he was supposed to have extra mashed potatoes but they didn't give him any, never mind extra). As if all of that wasn't enough, about half way through the movie, the damn thing stopped working, and no matter what we did it wouldn't come back. I ended up leaving after that). So yeah, nothing was going our way, but it was laughable in the end. (Oh, and this morning my father came over with coffee for Ryun and I and munchkins for the kids and found the mashed potatoes container on the floor of his car...apparently it had fallen out of the bag).

Ryun is changing the oil and fixing the brakes in my sisters car today (and hopefully fixing the windshield washer tube thingy in my car when he is done). Heather is coming over to play a game and perhaps watch a movie with the kids, eating dinner with us and heading home.

I have a couple of projects I want to work on, if this pounding headache decides to take leave.

Ugh...

Damn Straight

100% TRUE Red Sox Fan, PLAY ON!

Yeah you are a true and dedicated Red Sox fan, ya wicked sweet ma--hole! Kick those Yanks back to New Yawk where they belong! Go Red Sox! Yankees suck, Yankees suck!!

Are You a True Dedicated RED SOX Fan?
Quizzes for MySpace

Well, This Makes Sense

Dude! You're 100% from Massachusetts!

Dude! Me and Sully and Fitzie and Sean are gonna hit Landsdowne tonight after the game, hang out at the Beerworks. I'll pick you up at the Coop at 6.

How Massachusetts are you?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

And Proud Of It!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: Boston You definitely have a Boston accent, even if you think you don't. Of course, that doesn't mean you are from the Boston area, you may also be from New Hampshire or Maine.
North Central
The West
The Midland
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The South
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

LOL

A Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlikeEnglish, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

"House" for instance, is feminine: "la casa."
Pencil," however, is masculine: "el lapiz."

A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?" Instead of giving the answer, th eteacher split the class into two groups to decide for themselves whether
"computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.

The men's group decided that "computer" should
definitely be of the
feminine gender ("la computadora"), because:

1. No one but their creator understands their
internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with
other computers is
incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long
term memory for
possible later retrieval; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find
yourself spending
half your paycheck on accessories for it.

The women's group, however, concluded that computers
should be Masculine
("el computador"), because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to
turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for
themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but
half the time they
ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if
you had waited a
little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

The women won.
As always!

Crazy Bus Drivers, Lateness, Birthday Parties, Oh My!

Either the bus driver last year (and in years past) was lax and let the kids run wild, my kids have turned in to the bus drivers worst nightmares (well, maybe not their worst nightmares) or the bus driver this year is insane. I haven't decided which scenario plays out the best yet but, something is definitely up. Both Emily and Katherine have gotten bus slips this year; Katherine for apparently taking a hand clapping game to the next level and hitting some girl (both Katherine and the other girl were fooling around and "play" hitting and the bus driver wrote them both up) and Emily for getting repeated warnings about staying seated. So did my kids all of a sudden "forget" the rules or have they been doing this all along and no one noticed until now? Or, is this bus driver just taking things way too seriously? It's a mystery I tell ya.

In other and perhaps even more frustrating news, Emily got her timeline project back and she got a 4...the best grade possible! We really worked hard and the project came out quite well if I do say so myself. Why is this frustrating? Well, because the damn thing was due on October 20 and Emily never brought home the paper explaining the assignment until last week. She kept telling me about it (basically that she had to do it with few details about what it actually entailed). So I sent a note in to her teacher and she sent the paper home with Emily last week. So me? If I was the teacher, Emily would be getting marked down for lateness. Seriously, and I am still up in the air as to whether or not this would even work in the way of teaching Emily about responsibility but she shouldn't be allowed to think that turning the assignment in late is ok, and she needs to learn. The thing is, Emily has a disability which is becoming more and more apparent each day. After reading more and more about EDF, knowing what I know about her MRI, and watching her function every day, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that when she has the neuro-psych testing, all of this will be "official." She can go on an ed plan and hopefully, get a little extra help at school (and home of course) with memory, organization and time management. This thing though? It's not like a broken arm...wear a cast, take it easy and you'll get better. It's not something that you can see and it is something that is going to take a lot of time to "rewire." We can't make it go away but we can do a lot to help her function at a higher capacity in this regard. Believe me, I know all about rewiring. I have done it myself (for different reasons than this but the concept is the same) and it's a tough thing to do. Unfortunately for Emily, she's not going to wake up some day and remember everything, stay on task, be organized and manage her time appropriately. Improvement in any of those areas is going to take a lot of work, perhaps a little maturity, and more than likely some cognitive therapy. I am going off on a tangent here. Basically what I guess I am trying to say is that I don't think Emily should be punished for her "shortfalls" in these areas, but maybe made aware that turning in an assignment 3 weeks late is not ok. I have told her this myself but I really think the teacher should be saying or doing something as well.

Moving on...

Katherine's birthday is coming up in a few weeks (she is going to be 7...HOLY CRAP) and we are trying to plan a little party here for her and a few friends. So the other day we were going over the list and she came up with 6 girls. She only has 6 other girls besides herself in her class (which is kind of a bad ratio if you ask me...there are 22 kids in her class and only 7 are girls...weird). Anyway, we were writing out the invites and listing the 6 girls names and she said one name that stopped me dead in my tracks. See this girls' mother is just...well the most annoying, aggravating, rude, hypochondriac-like person I have ever met. No one likes her. I mean no one. Put simply, I don't want Katherine to be friends with this girl, especially if the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I didn't say anything to Katherine obviously. I feel bad though...it's not like we can invite every girl but this one (especially since there are only 6 girls to begin with) so, I just decided to suck it up and invite her. I am just going to hope and pray that she can't come, or that the mother won't stay at the party. I am also going to just leave it at the party, meaning this certainly isn't a friendship that I am going to encourage by scheduling playdates etc.

Good God, I think that's enough for now, don't you? Believe me you, there's more I could go on about, but I'll save it for another day, k?