Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Birthdays and Birthdays...oh my!!

I can't believe my "baby" will be 2 in 1 week!! Wow, where does the time go?? James also has to be the cutest kid in the universe...I know I'm his mother and that's what I'm suppose to think. I never imagined 2 years ago that I could love another child (especially a boy...when I really wanted another girl) as much as I do. It is amazing how much your life changes and how wonderful it is. He is a completely different child than Becca ever was...he's all BOY!!
I can't believe my other "baby" will be 6 in 8 days!! Now that is one that is still unbelievable to me everyday!! Kindergarten...that word still makes me cry. She goes to school, goes to afterschool or youth club and comes home at 5:00 when we get home. She is away from me for 8-9 hours a day...isn't she suppose to be my "baby"?? Oh how kindergarten scares me when I think of that word and James...I will be a HUGE basketcase!!

We have 4 parties within a week...OMG...what was I doing, having 2 kids the first week of January!!!! Oh well, once we get these 2 done we are good till August!!!

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Not enough!!

Do you ever feel that no matter what you do...it will never be enough?? Do you ever feel that even when you are trying to be "normal"...it's not enough?? Do you ever feel that you did all you could do and it wasn't enough??

UGH!!!! I am so tired of feeling this way when Jason's family comes. My issues are with Laura (sister in law) and her husband Andy (my cousin)...I know it's totally Jerry Springer like...but anyways...I tried my best to be totally "normal" today, I watched what I say, I thought it was a good day...but I still feel like it wasn't good enough. Maybe for them it won't be until I totally forget what happened with Laura/Andy...but I'm just not ready yet and I'm not sure I ever will be able to forgive and forget. L and A continue to lie about everything, I hear stories all the time about things that they say that I know just aren't true, etc, etc.

We have done nothing wrong to anyone, we just want to distance ourselves from some of the people in the family, and we get put in the dog house...how is that fair??? I love my in-laws...I do...I just wish they would realize that we aren't the "bad" people, we just don't want to be involved with people that are manipulative and lie. I believe that we do more than enough...I just don't thing others think so!! Sorry...just needed to vent!!!

Monday, December 29, 2008

Christmas is done, but the tree is still up

Bradley getting his DS

Becca and her DS

James and his train table

Well the O'Connors had a GREAT Christmas!! The kids got what they wanted and were very happy Christmas morning. Isn't that what it's all about?? I remember as a kid having that 1 thing in mind and not getting it...it was such a bummer!! I promised myself that I would always try to get my kids the one thing that they really wanted, that 1 thing that they tell Santa they want. So far...we have been able to do it. Bradley and Becca each got a DS and James got a train table. They were very excited. I didn't think I would be able to get James away from the trains long enough to open any more presents. We got up at 7 and open presents here and then went to my Mom's about 9 and opened presents over there. She cooks breakfast, so after presents we all ate together (this is a tradition that my grandma started...waffles, eggs, and sausage...YUMMY). My sister and her husband/step son left then and we hung out at Mom's for the rest of the day, ate dinner, played some card games, and then headed for home.
The next day the kids played with their toys all day. It was so cute...James woke up, got out of bed and ran to the train table saying "Play choo choo trains". We ended up getting out for a bit and ran to Target and got some Christmas decorations- half price and to Toys R Us, the kids had money to spend from Grandma Weber so we let them get a couple of DS games.


Dave and Melissa and Honey came down on Saturday (through the Thunderstorms and Tornadoes) to have Christmas with us. It was so much fun. The kids really enjoyed the visit and they LOVED their presents from them. We hung out, talked, played with the puppy and just had a really good time.
Sunday, Mom and I went shopping...literally ALL Day long. She was on a hunt for winter coats for the kids. She always has bought their coats, and usually buys them the year before when they are 50-60% off. We found 1 for James, and then had trouble finding one for Becca and Bradley. Finally we found them each a coat and headed for home.

The kids have had such a good time this holiday season. We did not travel around Christmas and the kids had a blast staying home and playing with their toys. Christmas night and Friday night Becca made a comment about "we are going to be home to play with our toys tomorrow?"-Yes...I think this will be our new tradition, at least for a few years. It is the best gift...to see your children's eyes light up, the smiles, etc when they get to "just play". Jason did "surprise" me with a necklace...for those of you that don't know...I hate surprises. This is the first time he has "truly" surprised me...in 12 years. My kitchen table that we ordered also came in the day after Christmas!! That was also a great present. I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful family, my husband is the best, I am so lucky to have met him! My kids, although at times can be very difficult, are truly gifts from God. My mom is also a gift from God, I don't know how I got so lucky to have her as my Mom. My sister, brother in law, and step dad are people that would do anything for you at any time. I appreciate them and love them VERY much!! Sitting there watching the kids and my family open presents, I got tears in my eyes, because... the feeling of overall happiness over took me. I am blessed!!!

So, our tree is still up because Jason's parents are coming this afternoon to bring the kids their presents. Usually we take it down the day after, and sometime we even take it down Christmas night when the kids are in bed. I can't wait to take it down and get our living room back to "normal". We are having dinner tonight with the O'Connors, I know Jason's parents and Mark are coming down, not sure if Sarah is or not. We took all of their presents up there before Christmas because I thought they would just come down for the kids' birthdays and bring their Christmas presents then...I was wrong.

So...1 birthday party on the 3rd (Becca's kid party), James' is the 6th, Becca's is the 7th, and then we are having a family Birthday party on the 10th for both kids. I wanted to do separate birthday parties, but Becca wanted to share...I can't imagine this will happen too often so we are taking her up on it. Many more pictures to come...I'm sure. Have a wonderful week!!!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry (almost) Christmas!!

Well, it's almost here...I can't believe it. It hasn't felt like the holidays, and now in 2 1/2 hours Christmas will be here. WOW!! The kids are in bed...not asleep, but at least they are in there. Becca was ready to go about 6:00 tonight, she thought the sooner she got to bed the sooner Santa would be here. James doesn't really "get" the whole Santa thing, so the big kids are trying to explain it to him...he still doesn't get it. Oh well, next year he will. Bradley still "believes", or at least has Jason and I fooled that he does. When he first came to live with us I told him that once he stops believing Santa doesn't come anymore. Don't know if that has him hooked or what, but he still talks about him coming, the reindeer, what they ate before they started out tonight, etc., etc.

Since my last post, not a whole lot has happened. We took the kids to see Santa last Thursday night at the mall. No one was in line, we were in and out of the mall in about 7 minutes. Unbelievable!! We had Christmas over at my Mom's with the Wilson side of the family on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. It's nice to see all of my cousins/Aunts/Uncles that we don't see much anymore since my Grandma passed away. Guess what...Andy and Laura didn't show, imagine that!! They didn't have Andy's 2 kids, which is usually the reason they don't come around...I guess they think they can hide behind them and no one is going to cause any trouble. Oh well, it was nice and pleasant without them.

Monday night we did Christmas with Belinda and the girls. The kids had fun playing and they all enjoyed what they got from each other. Tuesday we were suppose to go up to Rantoul and have Christmas with my mom's best friend, but the weather put that trip on hold. We didn't do too much today, ran a couple of errands and came home and watched a movie on our new 46" TV...Jason's new toy. A couple of weeks ago, he called me to let me know that the TV wasn't working and he was going up to look for a new one. Of course he found one and purchased it...when we got home I sat down and turned on the old one...yes...turned on the old one. Supposedly it would not turn on, he called 2 repair people (of course the warranty on it expired 6 months ago) and he told them what it was doing and it was a power deflection board that they don't make anymore...OF COURSE!!! Well, we messed around with it all night and it would take numerous times to turn on, but it turned on each time. Something is wrong with it, it will probably go out someday...but now we have a new flat panel 46" TV...what more could you ask for?? I told him to take it back, he persuaded me otherwise..."someday the old one is going to go and I got a really good deal on this one...". So, we have a new TV...Merry Christmas Jason!!! The old one is down in the basement, so at least it is still getting used. On this same note, we bought a new kitchen table. This was suppose to be our Christmas present for each other, of course my first thought when the TV went out was...NO kitchen table. Jason and I had seen it when we went shopping for my mom's table (she didn't get one for christmas), up at Ashley Furniture, it has 4 chairs and a bench, so it can be pushed up against the wall when not in use. James is getting to be almost too big for the high chair we have, so when the table comes in we will move him to a booster at the table. YEAH!!! I can't wait for it to get here. Of course they said it should be here by the end of December...hopefully!!

I put Becca's invitations to her "kid" party in the mail today. We will go straight from Christmas to 2 birthday parties on the 3rd and the 10th. Once that is over...we can breathe again.

Well, I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL Christmas!! I am sure I will have plenty of pictures to post later this week!! Merry Christmas

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Weekly Update

So, this week has been pretty exciting at the O'Connor household...or at least it has been for us. :)

Monday, Jason and I went out looking for a kitchen table for my mom/stepdad. We went to most of the furniture stores in town and down to Tuscola to Kelsey's. We struck out for my mom, but found a table for us. Right now we have a small round table with 4 chairs in our kitchen and James is in a high chair. This won't last us for much longer, so we are looking at a table that has 4 chairs and a bench. We found one at Ashley that we really like, it's on sale, and much cheaper than we had thought they would be...who knows maybe Santa will bring it. :)

Tuesday and Wednesday were just normal days.

Thursday we worked and then picked up the kids, dropped James off at my Mom's and then came home and ate some quick pizza before taking the kids over to Ubben to play basketball with the Illini. Becca was really excited about this when I picked her up from afterschool, but by the time we got there her excitement was over taken with nervousness. They took the kids in the gym and the parents got to go upstairs and watch from the railings around the gym. Becca was a bit out of sorts. Bradley jumped right in and grabbed a ball and started shooting. He is not that "into" basketball, not sure he has even seen a game this year, so he just hung out and shot. Becca did enjoy the cheerleaders, and got her face painted and made Christmas cards with them. The "guys" were really good with the kids, especially Trent and Bubba. Mike T. really enjoyed "blocking" all of the kids' shots. After they got done playing they got all of their autographs on posters and a basketball we sent with Becca. I think Jason and I thought it was much cooler than the kids even understand. Maybe someday they will "get it"...or not...who knows.
Becca playin' ball with Rich Semrau

Bradly and Alex Legion


Friday we worked, I went and got my hair cut (a bit shorter than I wanted to, but it'll grow) and then got the kids and came home and went to work in the little kids' room. We took down the crib, took out the changing table and took the bunk beds apart. James is now sleeping in a "big boy" bed. Yeah!!! He really liked it when we took it apart and told him it was his new bed, however when it was time to lay down...he wasn't to sure. He cried for "more milk, door open, mom, etc" for about an hour and then fell asleep. He looks so little in his big boy bed. We thought since Becca is with my mom tonight and heading down to my grandma's tomorrow it would be a good weekend for him to do it and not keep her awake. Hopefully tomorrow night will go even better.
James going to bed

James snoozin' in his big boy bed

Saturday/Sunday- I have to work Saturday and then I am coming home and cleaning some more around the house. I only have 2 loads of laundry to do and then all of that is done...YEAH...but the rest of the house is a mess. Sunday morning we are going to get up and head down to my grandma's for Christmas with her. We are hoping to get out of town around 7:00 so we can get down there around 9:30 or so and we will probably head back around 5:00. It will be a long day in the car, but we will save $50.00 by not boarding the dogs.

So...that is our big, exciting week...told ya...it wasn't that exciting!!

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Christmas party and Santa

So our weekend was pretty uneventful...imagine that...it is OUR life now a days.

Friday night I worked, we had Winter Ball at Lincoln Square for our participants, dancing, DJ, Food, what more could you ask for?? It seemed to go pretty well, with no problems. Saturday morning we took the kids to Lincoln Square so they could shop for Mom and Dad at the Crisis Nursery Holiday Shopping. The seemed to have a good time...I'm anxious to see if Becca can keep it a secret for the next 17 days!! After that we went to the VFW in Urbana for a Christmas Party. My stepdad is a member there and he works there part time, so it is something we have done for the last few years. They had lunch, santa, and presents for the kids, it was really a good time. After that we came home and rested before heading out for the Parade of Lights. I had to work or at least I think it was work...I had to ride on the trolley with some of our participants and Santa. Becca was walking the parade with her Daisy Girl Scout Troop, and she made it the whole way. We tried bundling everyone up so that they were as warm as possible. Becca did OK, Bradley complained that his feet were cold, and POOR James cried for most of the parade, he was miserable. We put snowpants on the 2 little ones, but James only has knit gloves, that aren't all that warm...but that's all we have. His poor fingers were so swollen and red when we got to my Mom's I thought we were going to have to take him to the ER. We played in the sink with some warm water and bubbles, I tried warming them in my hands, finally by the end of the night they were looking more "normal" and by this morning they looked fine.
We had a VERY busy Saturday. Sunday was more of our "normal" day...Church, CCD, lunch, naps, a little bit of shopping, dinner, baths, bed.

James in front of the tree


James and Santa (he's not scared of him...I just think he knows what to think of him)


Becca and Santa


All 3 with Santa...James still isn't too sure of him.

Well, our week looks pretty good. Not a whole lot going on. I have to work everyday and on Saturday, and then next Sunday we are driving down to my Grandma's house in Southern Illinois for a get together with that side of the family. I am so EXCITED about Christmas, I just wish I had all of my presents bought. I am getting closer...I know what I am getting my Great Aunt and my Grandma...I just don't have a clue about what to get my parents. We are running out of time to get a kitchen table...UGH!!!!!

Well, have a great week and stay WARM!!!!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Night at the North Pole

So, we took the kids tonight to Lincoln Square for "Night at the North Pole", that Carle put on. It was an OK night, the kids seemed to enjoy themselves, which was why we were there!! James did NOT like the "dressed up" people...they had a Gingerbread man and a person dressed up as the Salvation Army man with a really big head...he about jumped out of Jason's arms each time they got close to him. Poor baby!! He was OK with Santa though, which I thought was weird.

Becca having Dr. Tripathy give her doll a "check up"


James having the Dr. check out Mickey Mouse


The kids with Santa and Mrs. Claus


James with his Reindeer Antlers on.

Belinda and Grace met us over there, so we hung out with them till the end of the evening, then came home, put on pj's and put the kids to bed...Yeah!!!

I am still in shock that it is the 4th of December...21 days till Christmas!!! Wow!!! I have all of our shopping done, except for my parents and my grandma. We talked about all going in on a new kitchen table...but like I said we "talked"...nothing has yet to be done about it. My grandma is also a tough one to buy for...I'm still thinking about this, I have 9 days to figure something out, since we are going down to see her on the 14th. Hopefully something inspiring will come to me.

Still trying to figure out what we are going to do for Becca's birthday...she wants to have a kid party and go to Chuck E. Cheese. Since the closest one is in Bloomington...I don't think we will be taking a group of kids there on January 3rd...we have to come up with something BETTER!!! "But that's all I want to do", is her response when I say lets think of something else...we'll see.

Well, hope everyone has a wonderful weekend...I have to work late friday night, we are having our Winter Ball at Lincoln Square, and then I have to work the Parade of Lights on Saturday. If I can get through 2 more weeks I am off for 2 weeks for Christmas...YEAH!!! If you want something to do...come out to downtown Champaign for the Parade, Becca is also walking in it for Daisy Girl Scouts...she is going to be whining the entire way because she is cold, tired, etc. I'm glad I will be riding with Santa in the trolley!!! Good night!!!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Thankmas with the O'Connors

So...we made it through the weekend...almost uneventful. For those of you reading this that don't know the whole story...I'll give you the short story...here we go:

3 years ago (this new years eve) my 27 year old, recently divorced, with 2 kids, alcoholic cousin "hooked up" with my 18 year old (still in high school) sister in law, in my basement at our new years eve party (Jason and I were NOT OK with any of this, by the way). 3 months later, during her Spring Break they went to the courthouse and got married, and hid it from both families. I had run into his ex-wife and she said "Congrats" to me...I didn't know what she was talking about, but she filled me in and I called Jason and told him, he called his parents...finally the truth (or what Laura wanted to tell) was out. She just had a baby 5 months ago...so now I have a new cousin or niece, or what is she really to me?? Over the last 3 years, it comes to our attention that not a whole lot of "truth" comes out of either of their mouths...they are both VERY manipulative, lie CONSTANTLY and make up stories about things that aren't even worth making up stories about. It has caused a HUGE problem with our relationship with Jason's family. So...much more underneath all of this...but you get the idea...

Well, Laura and I talked on the phone the week before "Thankmas", she had called to say "I'm sorry for hurting you". I said it was a nice gesture, but "I'm sorry" is not going to take away all of the crap that had been said/done for the last 3 years. At the beginning of this whole mess, we did not want our kids involved in this whole screwed up mess and I asked Laura not to say anything to either of our kids, however she totally disrespected me and one time with Bradley (he was 11 at the time), told him everything about them getting married, I about flipped out...I was VERY pissed off. Well, on the phone when she called she said "you were right, I was just telling Bradley because my mom told me I should tell him the truth"....to an 11 year old (that in all actuality has an intellectual understanding of probably an 8 or 9 year old if that)...COME ON...GET REAL. It was about a 45 minute conversation that did not end how she wanted, but at least I got to tell her how I feel (again), and we hung up. All of this "I'm sorry" crap started because we are not going up for Christmas this year. I am working/traveling for 6 weekends in a row and the weekend after Christmas is the only weekend we have NOTHING to do...we are staying home. I know they don't believe me, but I was planning on staying home WAY before they called to say that was the weekend they were doing xmas.

So...Saturday night we were up there and Melissa (sister in law) and I left with the 2 little ones to go back to their house, the kids were tired and I was ready to go, but everything seemed as OK as one could want with our backgrounds. Well, Jason went downstairs to talk to his other brother and Laura plopped her baby on Bradley's lap and said "Smile so Grandma can get a picture". I had already told her that I was not taking any pictures with her baby, but if Jason wanted to that JASON could. Laura and her mom TOTALLY disrespected me AGAIN. They didn't do it when I was there, they didn't ask for all grandkids to get a picture, there was NO need for this picture to be taken. I am SO PISSED off about this, it is so unbelievable. I hope that picture was worth everything to them, because I told Jason (and he agreed) that the bridges have burnt and there is NO rebuilding. They have never asked how we feel, they never ask when it's a good time for us (everything and all dates revolve around when Andy has his other 2 kids), they never ask about when Laura tells them something if it's the truth (Laura tells her mom that the Wilson side of the family is coming to their house...they were not invited to their house...come on...I AM ON THE WILSON SIDE). It always revolves around Laura. Jason is their first born, and he/we have been on the "shit" side for the last 3 years. I can count on my fingers how many times my kids have seen his parents...is it sad?...YES. I feel bad, but until they can respect me, understand my feelings, etc...we will have nothing more to do with them. She wants my kids to call their cousin Andy...Uncle Andy. She wants her "step" kids to call us Aunt and Uncle...we are their cousins...have been for their whole lives. She doesn't get how "Jerry Springer" this whole problem is...come on...doesn't this happen in Kentucky???

There is a lot more to this whole issue, but I don't think my fingers would hold up to type the whole thing. :) Just another bummer weekend that we both thought was actually OK until Bradley said that Aunt Laura made him hold the baby. The O'Connors want things back the way they were...it's not going to happen. Accept what is there and Respect our morals and values and how we want to raise our children and our feelings about the whole thing. It hasn't been done for 3 years...why start now?? It is a SAD situation...who knows how it will turn out...we'll see.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Thanksgiving

My sister and my mom

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We went to my sister's house for dinner, which was VERY good. She had a houseful and was quite the hostess...along with my brother-in-law!! We came home from there house and put the tree up and the ornaments on it. The kids really enjoy this and it's one of our family traditions. We did not get the rest of the Christmas decorations out...who knows if we will. We have the tree and the stockings...do we have to put it all out?? It takes so much time to unpack and then pack back up...UGH!!!

Well, we are taking off in the morning to head up to Jason's families for the Weber party. We are going to go up early and drop off all of our stuff at his brother/sister-in-laws and hang out there for a while and then head over to his parents. It will be nice seeing everyone, but there are SO many people...sometimes you don't even get a chance to talk to them all. We have to be home by 5 to pick up the dogs at the boarding facility, so it will be a quick trip up and back.

I have all of my shopping done, except what I want to buy for my parents...they are the HARDEST to buy for...they don't give a whole lot of hints. But everyone else is done. I am going to wrap a bunch tonight to put under the tree for the kids and all of Jason's families are going up with us tomorrow. So...I'm going to go so I can get the kids off to bed (Polar Express is on...and they have enjoyed watching it) and then eat something before I start my wrapping.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

OK...I'm a slacker...SORRY!!

Well, Jason just told me today that I need to update my blog...yes...I know...I just don't have much of anything "new" to say, but we'll try.

We have been running into some issues in the AM with Becca of getting ready for school. She is just like me...hates mornings (unless it's the weekend, and then she's up at the crack of dawn). This past week we made a "chore" chart which lists all of the things she has to do in the morning before walking out the door for school. This past week was pretty good. One day we all slept in and she got up/dressed/Go-gurt for the walk and was out the door in 5 minutes. I hate mornings like that, but she did really well that day. We also started putting Becca and James to bed about 8:15...which helps when they go to sleep, there are nights where the 2 of them are talking till 9:15 or so...defeats the purpose of going to bed earlier. I have a feeling our morning problems will only get worse with the winter and NONE of us (James, Becca and I) wanting to get up in the morning. Oh well...we'll keep on doing what we're doing.

Jason and I are still going and talking with Michael Trout. He's really good and easy to talk to, but it is definitely not one of those things that he can "just fix Bradley". It is going to take a LOT of work and it may not help after all. However, We will do anything for him...we are not going to let him be one of those "lost kids". Michael has been giving us some things to read, listen to, a couple of "tips", etc, so that is pretty helpful.

So...on to me...does anyone else out there have those days/nights/weeks, etc where you just want to be "left alone"?? I love my husband, but I don't "need" him in the same ways that he "needs" me. When I have had a long, stressful day...I just want to go to bed...that's it...NO MORE. I know...too much info...but GEEZ...what does it take to JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!! We have definitely not seen eye to eye on this subject for a while...and at times I feel that maybe I'm the only one in the WHOLE wide world that has this problem...PLEASE tell me I'm not!!! It has definitely been the cause for some disagreements in the last few weeks, and I am tired of that also!! UGH!!! OK...enough!!!

Well, we are slowly getting ready for Christmas around the house. I have all of my shopping done, except for my parents!! They are the hardest to buy for. I tried getting them to go out and shop for a new kitchen table (my mom has wanted one for a REALLY long time) and then my sister and us and them could go in on it together and it would be something that they needed/wanted, not just the stuff we try to get that they don't really need/want. So...I'll keep you posted, but I bet anything that we won't be going in together on a kitchen table. We are putting up our tree this coming Friday and then we are leaving Saturday morning to head up to Jason's parents/brothers' house. I am looking forward to the LONG weekend, but it will go by so FAST...I hate that.

Well...I'm going to end here...I'll keep you update (a bit better)!! Have a good (short) week!!! :)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Past couple of weeks in review


Well...I must say...my life is pretty boring. Not a whole lot has been going on. Kids are good. Dogs are good. Jason and I are good. What more can I ask for?? Well...here's what's up with the family...

Jason- work, work, and more work. He is trying to get another paper in for some grant money...hopefully he will get it in and it will be accepted. Our goal is for him to get some money so we can stay here in Champaign and he can get a tenure track position at the U of I. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Bradley- still dealing with the same issues. Lying, Sneaking, and Stealing (from friends of ours and family). This is part of his RAD, and he's been doing it for SOOOO long...hopefully things will start to get better. Jason and I have been seeing Michael Trout and he has been pretty helpful to us. A lot of it is just how we handle Bradley and the things he does. Yelling, spanking, timeouts, taking things away, etc. , "Normal" things you would do with a "normal" child...don't work. It's a lot about being calm, talking to him about how we wish he would make different choices, hopefully he will decide to return whatever it is that he took, while the whole time not yelling, and not letting him "get" to us. It is one of the hardest things I have ever done...and I'm not very good at it. Jason is much better. I am also reading a wonderful book by Daniel Hughes "Building the bonds of attachment". We are going to try to do some of the techniques that they are doing in the book, we'll see how they work.

Becca- Perfect attendance in school!!! She is so excited about this. She LOVES kindergarten and every morning can't wait to get to school. Gymnastics is going good, we are going to sign her up for another semester. Daisy Girl Scouts start this Thursday...she is very excited about this also. She is a very busy girl.

James- Talking more and more everyday. This child amazes me and I love listening to him and watching him do new things everyday. He is starting to put more and more words together and doing all kinds of different things. I love this age!!! He also is saying "President Obama"...which is so cute and "irritated" Jason just a bit.

Me- I am feeling pretty good. Stopped taking my Wellbutrin and Glucophage. I think I am doing pretty good off of it...we'll see...it's been a month. Work is OK. Family life is Wonderful!!! I can't wait till Christmas break so I'll be home with them for a week and a half.

Well, my new goals are to keep the house clean and go through the kids' toys...to make room for some new ones. Christmas and then 2 birthdays the first week of January...didn't plan that very well did I?? The kids are definitely not getting the same amount of presents that they have in the past. We are trying to cut down and teach them a bit more about what Christmas is and why we celebrate it. I'm starting to realize that they don't know much about it and I do not want them to think Christmas is all about them...it's so much more. I have tried talking with our families about this and to not give them TOO much...I'm sure it won't help...but I will continue to try.

Well...I think that's about it for now...hope everyone has a GREAT week!!!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!


So, James woke up today with a terrible cough and just looking like he didn't feel very good...not a great start to the day, but he got a couple of naps in and was feeling better before we went trick or treating!! YEAH!! I stayed home from work today to tend to James and to go to Becca's parent teacher conference. Bradley decided at the last minute that he wanted to trick or treat, so we put together a referee costume for him, so he would have something to wear. I think he would have liked to have been something scary, but he didn't want to scare his little brother. Between Becca's hair and hat...it was a long trip trick or treating. I tried getting her to just take it off...but she was having nothing of that. They made out pretty good, and it was such a nice night out!!


He really wanted to wear that BIG nose!!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

And the diagnosis is...

Severe hip dysplasia in left hip, and moderate in the right. She also has curves in her tibia (opposite of bowlegged), which the doctor said may cause some concern down the road some time. This was one of the biggest decisions we have made lately...don't know if we made the right one or not, only time will tell.

The Dr. said the best thing would be surgery that would cost $2000-$3000, however we can't afford that, so we are going to do the medication route, which is glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM for now, which should get her a "healthy" (for her) 4-5 years. At which time arthritis will probably start setting in, which then we will add a pain medication along with the other meds to help with that, which could get her another 3-4 years. I have read a lot on-line about dogs with severe hip dysplasia and they do the medicine route and they live a healthy 12-13 years on the medicine. We really want to give her a good 10 year life, and we think we will be able to do that. Who knows...maybe some day we will come into money and can pay for her to have surgery...one never knows. The Dr. said she could play, go for walks, up and down steps, etc. We figured if she went back to the shelter, they would probably label her "unadoptable" once they called our Dr. and got the medical diagnosis, and they would put her down. I just had a really hard time with that, I guess I just have a soft heart, and she is/acts so "normal" you would never know about all of her problems. The kids love her, we did talk to them about if it was so bad that we couldn't give her a good life, we would have to take her back...just telling Becca that made her cry, I couldn't imagine telling her we took her back. So...her treatment will cost about $18.00 a month (pretty cheap compared to the surgery...at least right now, depending on how long she lives...it could be more than the surgery...I'll take those odds though...I want to be that family that writes that we did the medication route and our dog lived another 12-13 years).

Ok...enough with that...

Nothing much is new. My mom's birthday is tomorrow, so we celebrated with her and my sister/brother in law tonight. Kids are good. Jason and I are good. Mollie has taken all of my emotional energy lately...I feel so tired...I'm ready for bed. Just glad that she is here, we know what to expect in the future, and we have a dog (that has some birth defects), but that we love anyways!!!
I don't like looking at the camera...but aren't I pretty???

Who me??

Monday, October 20, 2008

Mollie...

OK well we went to the Vet today. Not the best visit for us. Mollie is showing signs of hip dysplasia and cried when the vet manipulated her hip joint. This could mean dysplasia, it could be a mild case which will be treated with glucosamine, or it will be serious and will need surgery ($1000's it will cost). She also does have an irregular heartbeat, which could possibly be normal, but they won't know till they do an EKG. So...we are taking her back to the vet on Wed. to have x-rays of her hips done and an EKG done. Knowing our luck...both will be bad and we will have to make a VERY difficult decision. The kids are already attached, and I am even more than the kids. OMG can't anything be easy!!!

We are going to call the Humane Society today and let them know what our vet found and at least let them know that they may be getting her back, or if she would need surgery see if there is any way they might be able to get the surgery at cost, etc for us at a vet that they work with. If she was our only dog, the decision might be easier, but we got her for a playmate for Quincy. It's not fair to either of them if we force them to not play together. I think the "roughhousing" they do is making her more stiff and hurting more than at the beginning. She got pretty mad at him this afternoon and growled a really "mean" growl at him. I don't know...part of me is really mad at the humane society. I know they don't do any of the more expensive diagnostic things such as xrays, ekg, etc. But at the same time it would have been nice if when we were in there (just Jason and I) they would have said "we notice she has a funny gait which could be hip dysplasia and she has an irregular heartbeat). We might not have even pursued her because of this. But no, they don't tell us anything until the kids go in with us and meet her and we have already paid the $85.00 fee. That doesn't seem right, does it??

Keep your fingers crossed, and hope for the best for us. We can deal with a mild dysplasia and a "normal" irregular heartbeat. We can give pills, etc. We just want to give her a "good" 10 years or so as our pet...we just don't want to be burdened with a dog that will cost thousands of dollars to give a "normal" life to. That may sound really bad to all those dog lovers out there, but we have to be realistic to our family and we can't afford thousands of dollars for a dog that may not even be able to function as part of our family. We'll see....

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Meet Mollie!!!

Mollie, so far, has been a good addition. She is very gentle with the kids, and she runs and plays just as hard as Quincy. Our only concern is she has a funny gait when she walks. Looking at her past records, it looked like it is something that has been a concern for a while. Of course, the Humane Society didn't say anything about it "before" we said we would take her. Hip dysplasia is the concern, so when we take her to the vet tomorrow we will have to find out if they think we need to x-ray her to determine if it is is actually hip dysplasia....we'll see.

Here's some pics from today!!!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

New Dogs and such

OK...well we are going tomorrow to pick up a new dog from the humane society. I am SO excited. She is an Australian Shephard mix and absolutely cute!!! Quincy and her got along great...granted it was WWF in the run at the Humane Society...but they did get along. The kids don't know, it is going to be quite the surprise.

I went to Hardy's Reindeer Ranch today with work...it is such a neat place. I really want to take the kids up to see the reindeer. They are so cool and very gentle. If you do go, pay for the "reindeer tour". The owner lets you go in this little area where all of the reindeer come up because they know you are going to give them a treat. You can pet them, touch their antlers, feed them, etc. It was really cool and my participants really enjoyed this part of our day.

Jason's brother and his wife (Dave and Melissa), Sarah (sister) and parents came over today for dinner and to hang out for a little while. It was nice. We don't see them very often, so it was nice for the kids to spend some time talking with them and just seeing them. My ENTIRE family lived in Champaign when I was growing up, and we got together with all of my aunts/uncles/cousins every Sunday at my grandma's house (our house now) and had dinner together. We are/were a close family (not so much now that grandma is gone), it is just so weird/bothersome for me that my kids don't see the O'Connor side of the family more often. We pretty much see Jason's parents 6 or so times a year, for maybe 3-6 hours at a time. His brothers/sisters less often. I know everyone has a life and works, etc., but it is just really sad to me that my kids don't have more of a relationship with them. I'm very glad that my mom is here in town and she "spoils" my kids. She gets upset/sad when she doesn't see them every couple days or so. I always swore that I would do whatever I could so my kids would have a relationship with Jason's family, but it is harder and harder with kids to pack them up, put them in the car for 1 1/2 hours, unpack, etc, etc. And other things have happened in our families that have definitely put a strain on our relationships with everyone...I guess I just need to be happy about the relationships that we do have and cherish those.

OK...well I'll post pics of Molly as soon as I take some tomorrow...hopefully!! :)

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Bradley update and Backyardigans

Well, I heard back from Mr. Trout and we (Jason and I) go on October 21st to meet with him. It will be a 75 minute consultation where he will get to know us, Bradley (from our side and the report from the CDC), and he will talk to us about how Bradley's brain works the way it does. We are VERY excited to go and talk to him. He doesn't think Bradley would benefit from talking with him, so we may have to get him into therapy through Carle to work on some of the issues...I guess we will wait and see what Mr. Trout suggests and go from there.

Carle also sent out the report, so I can get the names/numbers of the social worker/OT/etc. to get Bradley some evals from each of them so we can get him into therapy with each of them. It totally sounds like so much, but we are ready and willing and want to get Bradley the help he needs. Yeah!!

I took Becca and James to the Backyardigans on Tuesday...if any of you remember our horror story from the show in Bloomington...this was A LOT better. Both of them did really well and enjoyed it immensely. James was SO much better than I thought he would be. He sat in his seat the ENTIRE first half, and then pretty much most of the second, however fell off and hit his mouth on the seat in front of us, cut his tongue and bleed profusely. Never fails. Good thing this was at the very end of the performance and we left pretty much after that.

Well, that is the exciting news of the week. I do have pictures of the kids at the Backyardigans...hopefully I will get them on soon. I'll keep you updated about Bradley and our therapy.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

weekend update

Well, it has been a beautiful weekend, and the kids have enjoyed playing outside. Saturday I had to work over at the Youth Literature Fest on the South Quad, so Jason and the kids came and hung out with me all day. They had activities for the kids, puppets, bands, storytellers and such. We had a good time.

James and Becca at the Youth Literature Fest

After that we came home for naps and the Illini game...GO ILLINI!!! When everyone got up/game ended we headed out to the mall. Jason, Bradley, Becca and James all got their hair cut, then we ate at the food court, and then left to go visit with my mom/stepdad for a little bit. She was home with bronchitis...again.

If you look in the background, you will see all 3 kids were getting their hair cut at the same time.

Sunday we woke up late, the kids and Jason left for CCD class and James and I stayed home and hid clues for a scavenger hunt. We are trying to figure things out that Bradley and Becca can do together to help "build" that relationship. They thought it was pretty cool, but the clues were too easy, and they want to do it EVERY weekend. The last clue said something like "We're so glad you worked as a team, you have earned a trip to go out for ice cream". So, we went to the Illini Soccerfest and had lunch, played on the inflatables, watched some of the game (we aren't big soccer fans, so this was something new for us), and then went to DQ for some ice cream.

When we got home James laid down for a nap, the older 2 took Quincy on a walk, I continued to do some laundry (it never ends, does it?), Jason mowed, and then we just hung out. It has been a nice relaxing weekend.

I have enjoyed this weekend with the kids, even Bradley. There have been some times when I have had to bite my tongue so I don't yell at him, but overall he has been really good and it feels good to do things as a family and see all 3 kids have a good time. Bradley has been very talkative and wants to be out of his room and hanging out with us (which is a new one for us). We didn't tell him what the doctors told us, but it seems that since WE found out, he has been a different kid and it has been OK hanging out with him. We are doing our best to tell him when he is making good choices and when we are proud of him for making those choices and that we trust that he will continue. A lot of the treatment is going to be our conversations with him and not yelling/screaming at him when he really screws up. I feel that we are off to a good start, my only fear is that when we finally get to go in and see this new therapist he will say we are doing everything wrong. We are doing the "nurtured heart approach", so I don't think we are wrong and actually a lot of the stuff we have been doing are things that they recommend, so we are learning about ourselves the same times we are learning about Bradley.

James has been curling his tongue ALL the time, and I finally got some pictures taken...here they are.


Well, another weekend is almost over...it doesn't seem fair that we have to work for 5 days, and only get 2 to relax. OH WELL!!!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Diagnoses and such...

So, we went on Thursday to find out the results from the Child Diagnostic clinic. They diagnosed him with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), ADHD, ODD, a sensory disorder, visual processing problems, etc., etc., etc. A few years back we thought he had some attachment disorders because Bradley and I have a much more "distant" relationship, which is a symptom of RAD. It felt good to know that it was one of those diagnoses that Jason and I thought of a while back...too bad we didn't push any more on it. We feel that we lost 6 years of trying to help Bradley. The Dr. did say that he was on the mild side of it, but it is still there. Bradley has some symptoms of a whole bunch of different problems...Autism, FAS, etc., or at least we thought. The Dr. wants us to see Michael Trout here in town, he is the expert on RAD and she really thinks that he can help Bradley a lot. I called his office today, however he is in Canada at a speaking event...figures...doesn't he realize WE need him. We also have to get him into some social skills groups, there is a therapist here in town that works with children with Autism. Bradley and children with Autism have a lot of social skills deficits that are VERY similar and the Dr. thought that Bradley could benefit with those social skills groups with those children. We got a lot of info from the Dr., we went and bought "Transforming the difficult child: The nurtured heart approach", I checked out a book from the library by Daniel Hughes (who is another expert on the disorder), we are READY. A lot of the actual treatment will be Jason and I's approach on everything, how we talk to him, how we discipline him, behavior plans for school and home, making sure our families know how to treat him, what to do for him when his anxiety starts and how to handle that, etc. I know I have put a lot of etc. in this post...it is because there is so much and it will be hard. He won't be "healthy" tomorrow, next week, next month...it may take years, and it will probably be something he/we work on for his entire life. Jason and I just want Bradley to succeed in any way he wants and be a successful part of the community. If anyone has any info or ANYTHING about RAD, our ears are open...we are ready to change.

So, everything else in our life is good. Went down to Tuscola to shop, Becca got sick all over Old Navy's floor, and we came home and had to take Grace home (she was suppose to spend the night). Bradley went to the U of I volleyball game with Belinda and had a really good time.
James has cute all 4 two year molars...no wonder he has been fussy, not wanting to eat, etc.

Jason and I are emotionally drained. I know we wanted to know what was wrong with Bradley, but now knowing it infuriates me. I cried most of Thursday on and off between grief and just being pissed off at his parents...I HATE them!!! I know hate is a terrible word and I would never want my kids to use it or whatever, but his parents did this to him. They abused, neglected their own child, how do people do that to their own flesh and blood?? I know "grief" sounds weird, but a part of Bradley is missing, possibly forever...will he ever be able to look at me, hug me, kiss me, love me on his own?? He has never once came up to me and hugged me, kissed me, etc. He is my son, I love him (sometimes "conditionally" and I am working on that), but I do love him...

OK...enough...like I said if anyone knows anything...PLEASE let me know. Gotta get some sleep, unfortunately I have to work AGAIN tomorrow.

Monday, September 29, 2008

The last week or so...

OK...I realized today (once Carla reminded me) that I have not posted in a while. Not a whole lot of new things have happened in our lives, but I guess I can tell you as much as I think you will be interested in.
Since my last post we have had 2 garage sales and got rid of A LOT of junk. I don't think I have any clothes left of Becca's under size 5 (and boy did she have a lot of clothes). James' clothes that we have are summer things that we just got back from Mike and Jen, so we will try to sell those next spring/summer. It is nice to let others borrow clothes, then you don't feel so guilty buying that much (at least that's what I keep telling myself). Bradley is growing so much that we are having to buy bigger things (because he is getting tall, not weight wise), but the clothes that he is outgrowing we are mostly just giving to Goodwill or to anyone we can think of that may be able to use them. Garage sales are A LOT of work, but I love doing them and the extra money in our pockets is nice also. And...I finally can park our van in the garage again...YEAH!!!

Becca had her open house last week. She was VERY excited to show us her classroom, art room, lunch room, etc. We saw it all and she had the biggest smile on her face the entire night. I love seeing her so happy, it really makes me feel good that she is enjoying school so much. However, I did find myself holding back some tears watching her show us everything and talk about her day at school. She leaves home at 8:30 and is at school/afterschool till 5:00 or so, everyday. It does make me sad that I am unable to stay home and be here when she gets out of school, however I look forward to Mondays and walking down to the corner to wait for her to get out. Her "Big" tooth is coming in and her front two upper teeth are loose...she is growing up WAY too fast.

Bradley...what can I say...he's Bradley. His grades are good right now at midterm (5A's and 3B's), however the behaviors that we have seen from 1st grade on, are starting again...I guess the "honeymoon" is over. That poor kid is in trouble all the time either because of school, sneaking, or the way he talks to us. I know being a teenager sucked, but being the parent of a teenager sucks even more. We go on Thursday to see what the Child Diagnostic Clinic results are. I'm anxious and nervous about going and hearing what they have to say. Hopefully it will be good news...we'll see.

James is definately a toddler. He is running, jumping, talking more, and rolling his tongue. I keep meaning to take a picture of this...it is so cute and he does it all the time. He is very independent, and still a Mama's boy. I love this kid so much!!! I don't know if him being the baby of the family makes it feel like more, but man he has me wrapped around his little finger, his big toe, everything.

I have been working a lot. Pretty much every Saturday for the last month or so. Hopefully it will slow down some...I doubt it, but I can hope, can't I? Well, the next pictures I put on here are going to be some slide shows of the kids from babies till now and from when Bradley came to live with us till now. Becca and James look so much a like...I can't wait to put all of their pictures on here to see how similar they look. Well, I had better go, James and I are driving up to Chicago with Mom tomorrow to go to her Dr. appt. It will be a LONG day of driving in the car for both James and I. I am going to put 5 goals on here to have done or at least started, before I post next...maybe it will help me with getting some of my goals done. I know they are pretty silly goals, but with 3 kids, school, activities, work, etc., we don't have a whole lot of time to get "things" done.

1. Change the kids' clothes out (summer for winter)
2. Change the curtains in the dining room
3. Winterize the outside (put toys away, mulch on plants, etc) before we blink and have snow on the ground.
4. Clean ENTIRE bathroom...ugh...I hate this one.
5. Clean basement floor, including back room.

Be waiting...hopefully later this week I can get some slideshows on here...we'll see!!!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

OK...I will play the 'tag' game

OK...I didn't think I would get around to actually doing this...but I did...sorry it took so long!!


1. Post the rules of the game at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read the player's blog
.4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.

What were you doing five years ago?
Working at DSC as the Rec. Therapist, enjoying Becca's first year and Bradley's 2nd year with us, living in Mahomet, had 3 dogs, 4 cats, and 1 lizard (now down to 1 dog, 1 cat, and 2 lizards), I know I was doing more, but I can't think of anything else.

What are five things on your to-do list for today?
1. Clean the house or at least as much as I can while waiting on the garage sale next weekend
2. Get the kids in bed
3. laundry
4. give Quincy a bath
5. clean bathroom

What are five snacks you enjoy?
1. Popcorn
2. chocolate chip cookies
3. salt and vinegar chips
4. crackers and cheese
5. whatever I can find...usually I'm not that picky, but when I am and we had it in the house, it's probably gone already...all the good stuff gets eaten by everyone else before me.

What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?
1. Take care of my family/extended family
2. College tuition for all 3 of our kids and any nieces/nephews that may need money for school
3. Travel
4. Not work and be a stay at home mom (don't really need to be a billionaire for this...but we would have to make more than we make right now)
5. Adopt more kids

What are five of your bad habits?
1. Eating (even when I'm not really hungry, but it looks/smells good)
2. not exercising
3. making a mess in the house and not picking up after myself
4. cleaning out the van one day and the next it looking like I never cleaned it
5. giving in to the kids...one day I will learn

What are five places where you have lived?
Champaign, IL-born and raised
Charleston, IL-college
Urbana, IL
Mahomet, IL
Champaign, IL-swore I would never move back!! :)

What are five jobs you've had?
1. Diana Foods-cashier/customer service desk
2. Animal Medical Center-office manager
3. Caring for kids preschool-teacher
4. DT and Rec. Therapist at DSC
5. CUSR-Adult Program Coordinator

Five people I tag:
Everyone with a blog that I know has already done it!!

Updates

Well, my trip to Eugene Oregon was really nice. I dreaded going..."who would want to go to Oregon??"...I kept asking myself. We had 2 nice, long traveling days (Indy to Dallas/Fort Worth to Portland to Eugene there, and Eugene to Seattle to Chicago to Indy) with 2 beautiful days in Eugene. The weather was beautiful, the town itself was different than Champaign/Urbana, the University of Oregon is in Eugene, however the campus is on the outskirts of the town, unlike the U of I . We saw things that I guess I just haven't seen in Champaign...lizards and rabbits and ferrets walking down the street with their owners, a HUGE market that makes the one in Urbana look teeny tiny, their downtown looked like a residential area-offices were in old houses, etc...that was pretty cool. Anyways, I had a good time and the conference was pretty good also. It definitely was the best conference in the way of food, they fed us so well. They had a lot of salmon, which I love and huge buffets with REALLY good food. I did miss the family, but having a king size bed to myself with "quiet" in my room...was nice!! It was also nice getting home and getting my birthday present from the kids. They made me a stepping stone with their hand prints in it with mosaic tiles around it and their names and the date...very cute!! I guess Jason does listen when I "hint" what I want. :)

I think this is Mt. St. Helen's from the plane (that's what someone else said on the plane and we saw it right after we left Seattle)...through the clouds...whatever mountain it is...it's cool.


Out the hotel window...seeing mountains isn't something we see everyday.

I was so excited about shopping at the Duck Store..."Go Ducks"



We had a garage sale this past week...we got rained on, on Friday, so I think we are going to do it again next weekend...getting rid of all of our junk is our main goal...but the extra money is nice also. It will be nice after next weekend, we can put our house back together since we have totes/boxes, etc all over waiting for what we are going to end up keeping or what we are going to take to goodwill.

Becca is LOVING school, and looking forward to Youth Club starting at the church next to Bottenfield. Gymnastics is also going pretty well, she gets discouraged that she can't do a cartwheel, but she is practicing a lot, so I'm hoping she gets it soon. She did lose another tooth, and her top 2 front teeth are loose, so she may be asking Santa for 2 new teeth for Christmas. She already knows she wants a Nintendo DS for Christmas...that's it...nothing else. At least that is what she is saying. I keep telling her that if she gets that...she's not getting much more since they cost so much. She says that's fine, however I already know on Christmas morning it would not be "fine".

Bradley is doing OK in school so far. He goes this coming Friday to the Child diagnostic clinic at Carle. His doctor thinks he may have Aspergers, so they are going to have him do this clinic to see what they find. We go at 7:45 in the morning and we get done at noon...long day...hopefully we will have some answers when this is over. We/he meets with an OT, Speech Therapist, Psychologist, and Doctor...he will meet separately with them and then we will meet with them (or at least that's what I think is going to happen).

James is James. Not a whole lot different. He is definitely trying to talk more and is putting multiple words together. He "sings" twinkle twinkle and knows the ABC's or at least he knows the rhythm of those songs. He is so cute...it's unbelievable (I guess I'm suppose to say that aren't I...I am his mother)

Well, thanks to all the rain today we have water in our basement, our backyard is flooded, and Quincy hates to go out in the rain...YUCK!!! Well, I'd better help get the kids in bed...another weekend over and I didn't do much more than the garage sale...our house is a mess and I don't feel like picking anything up or doing a whole lot...I hate that feeling. I am home tomorrow, maybe I will feel more ambitious...we'll see. :)

Monday, September 1, 2008

Labor Day weekend

Labor Day weekend...part 2

So, we had a pretty good weekend. We didn't do a whole lot, hung out around the house, took the boys to Prairie Farms, had family over, went to a Labor Day parade, and celebrated my birthday. Becca was not in most of the pictures because she was at my moms all weekend. Bradley is not in a whole lot because he's a "teen", and when he is home with us he is usually in his room.

Friday night, had my mom and uncle over for a fire in the firepit. Becca ended up going to my mom's to spend the night (just like most other weekends). Saturday we hung out in the house and then took the boys to McDonald's and Prairie Farms. James had a good time seeing the animals. After that we went home and I had to go to work. I had an End of Summer Dance at Hessel Park. It went really well...and I'm glad it's over. After the dance we went over to my moms and watched the end of the Illini game. Becca stayed the night, again. Sunday, we went to Sam's, Jason grilled out, and my mom, aunt and uncle, and stepdad came over for another fire. We have been having a lot of fires because we had a tree in the back cut down and it was full of termites, so Jason is trying to get all of the wood burned so we will be rid of the termites.
Becca had Grace over for a sleepover Sunday night and we went to the Labor Day parade over in Urbana. We had lunch over at the park, the kids played on the inflatables, and then we came home. We then head over to my moms for dinner to celebrate my birthday (since I will be in Oregon next week during my birthday). We had a really good dinner, and the kids helped (A LOT) blowing out the candles. James did not understand that he could not touch the candles and everytime my mom lit the candles he blew them out. The one picture you see of him crying is because I was holding him back from blowing out the candles while everyone sung "Happy Birthday".

On another note: We got a new air conditioner and furnace. YEAH!!! The AC and furnace we had was about 35 years old (we crossed our fingers everytime we turned it on). So, we are really excited about this...the things you get excited about when you get OLD...it's scary.

Well, I leave for a conference on Thursday morning and won't return till late Sunday night...and I probably won't get another post done before then...so...will post next week!! :)

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

3rd day of school...

I didn't even get to leave the house...the neighbor that is in 5th grade came over and walked with her to school. Is she suppose to be this independent at 5???

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

2nd day of school...

So, today was a much better day for me. Becca LOVED her first day of school, which made me feel so much better, knowing that she made some friends, got her hot lunch OK (she couldn't open her dressing for her salad though, and NO ONE was in the lunchroom- according to her...I think she just didn't want to eat it), loves her teacher, and was happy to see me when I picked her up. So, the second day comes around...she was still sleeping at 8:05, I had to wake her up again, she didn't eat any breakfast (eating breakfast doesn't make her brain work any better, it just fills up her tummy-according to her), but we did get out of the house on time. YEAH!!! 2 days in a row. However, when we got over by the baseball field on Broadmoor, she stopped, held up her hand and said she did not need me to walk her all the way to the door. Does she NOT understand that she may not need that...but I DO!!! I just about cried when she said that to me. She blew me a kiss (I made her give me a real one) and ran off to school. She waved every 10 feet until she got to the door and then went right on in. Talk about being INDEPENDENT...she has no idea what she is doing to me. :)
Well, each day should be easier and easier...I guess I will live. :)

Monday, August 25, 2008

My baby started kindergarten

OH MY...I can hardly believe my baby started kindergarten today. She did GREAT...mom cried on the way home. It's a crazy feeling when your little one goes to school for the first time. With Bradley I cried also dropping him off on his first day of first grade, but it was SO different.

She has been so excited about this day for so long...part of me is glad it is here so she doesn't have to ask..."How much longer till kindergarten". Last night she had a hard time falling asleep, she went to bed at 8:30 and came out at 9:05 and said she couldn't fall asleep. This morning she didn't want to get up until I said we have to get ready for school...then she all about jumped out of bed. She couldn't eat anything this morning...I think she was too nervous. All in all, we made it on time and leaving her and walking home was one of the hardest things I have done lately.

Ready to go...in her second 1st day outfit

Walking to school.

Walking....

Getting ready to go in.

Outside of the classroom...I don't think James gets what is going on

Becca and Mrs. Roth, putting her lunch on the board

Saying the pledge...with the wrong hand

Now with both...I swear she knows her right from her left.

Sitting in circle time...she was so engrossed we didn't even say goodbye

James...heading home without his BIG sister.

Don't get me wrong...I'm very excited about this next venture in her life...I just can't believe she is already going to school. Where does the time go? When she was born everyone said cherish this time...she will be off to school, college, married, having kids, etc. Boy were they right. If you have little ones...cherish them...they DO grow up too fast. I'm glad I still have 1 little one, that made the morning a bit easier. I'll be a basket case when he goes...ugh!!!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008