Failed Again:)

Took the kids to the pool and forgot to reapply sunscreen, and you guessed it, all three monsters have red cheeks! And of course, Ben was all to happy to point it out:) Sunburn aside, I think we had a pretty good weekend.

Happenings!

We are down to the wire here! Only 12 more days of school left!!! I am very ready for Summer Vacation to start! While the time seems to be flying, this school year has been a long one for us as a family. A new school for Declan, sorting through what is best for Killi and volunteering has all be new! We have learned alot and hopefully we can take that into next year and make it more productive! It is getting harder and next year with a 1st and 2nd grader, it will not be easier.

When the kids were younger, and I had 3 in 3 1/2 years, I thought things were tough, but they weren't really. Yes, there was the lack of sleep from having babies and the physically demanding aspects of carrying them and changing them and entertaining them, and all the was difficult at the time, but as the get older I see the challenges to not lessen but change. Helping them become good and honest people with their own beliefs and opinions, and good friends and hard workers. To believe in themselves and help others. These parenting moments are not as easy as I hoped:) I love it none-the-less. I just hope I don't mess up too much along the way:)

12 more school days left until summer vacation!!!!

Seriously, I Have Had Enough!

Today my Killi Monster went on a field trip to the Children's museum. She was looking so forward to going and spending the day with her friends. But, you guessed it, that didn't happen for her! No, of course her complete PITA of a teacher could not allow this field trip to be fun for her. Instead, Killi was placed with a group of kids that she NEVER interacts with! And she was forced to sit on the bus for well over an hour, with a boy she really is not crazy about!

I am so angry right now that I cannot finish this post! I will be back!

Summer!!!!

Growing up in at the beach, Memorial Day weekend was always the start of summer, as it is most places, however a shore town in NJ meant it was the beginning of 12 weeks of BENNIES!!! Our town got invaded by totally obnoxious, cheesy as hell people from North Jersey or NY! They drank too much, partied too loud, blocked our driveways and caused traffic problems! Now, in addition to all of the very awful things they did, they did stimulate our local economy nicely, and we all knew that(shhh, don't tell;)

Being in the DC metro area for the past 13 years, I have missed the ritual of welcoming the BENNIES! And oh how I have missed it,not! I now see the Memorial Day Weekend in a new light. I now use the time to thank all the men and women that have severed and those that continue to serve in the armed forces and their families! Not a day goes by that my family and I are not gratefully for all you do for us. Thank You!

For all my friends back home, in spirit I am there chanting "BENNIES GO HOME!" with you!

Have a Safe and Fun Weekend!

Sick Monsters!

After 4 days of complaining and ears and throats, I decided to take Maggie and Declan to the doctor! The results...3 infected ears between the two of them! Declan has already been on an antibiotic for 8 days for double infections that are no better, now we will try a new drug for another 10 days! And Maggie will start a course of antibiotics for her "raging" ear infection! I hope they are better by Friday as our big camping trip is to start on Saturday morning!

Finally!

This coming weekend we will FINALLY be making our first camping trip as a family. Ben and I have both camped before, but we have never been brave enough to "tent-camp" with the family:)

It is no secret that we like to travel and with 5 of us and a Newfie, it is expensive to find lodging when we travel. If camping goes well, the travel possibilities will be endless! Now, I don't want anyone to misunderstand what I mean by camping, I mean a campground where you pull your car up to your campsite with bathrooms and showers! I intend to bring DVD players for the kids and DS too! I am just looking for good times and family togetherness, not becoming one with nature!

I am very excited about this upcoming trip and HOPE that it goes well so that we can take lots of long weekend camping trips this summer!

A 4 year old MONSTER!!!

This is it, the monster that lives in our house!



Now, I have two older children and have lived through 4 before, but boy this one has been tough! It is probably not helping that she is incredible head-strong to begin with and add on that she is "the baby" and you have the recipe for Ferocious Four and thus life with a Monster!

This I know for sure, she is very lucky that she is cute and that I physically carried her for 9 months and gave birth to her, otherwise I am not sure she'd make 5;-)

Why I do it

Today, while at school volunteering, a.k.a. having the life sucked out of me, I made it into Killi's classroom and what I found was not good! Her teacher was out and the sub they had in there was AWFUL! This woman clearly had not been told anything about the class she was covering! She was yelling and turning cards and yelling more! It was really not good! It took all I had in me not to grab Killi and run from the room screaming!

What did I do instead? What has become my favorite past time, walked into the office and grabbed the principle! I explained to him, as nicely as possible, that the woman was awful and my child/ren would never be in a class with her again! He was very nice and listened to me bitch(again:) He also mentioned how much they all missed me last week;) And then he and the vice-principle picked on me for the rest of the morning!

I am enjoying the relationship I have with the staff at school. It is making it easier to help Killian get what she needs! Sometimes being nice to people really does pay off:)

Sam...

Killian has a friend, a very BEST friend and his name is Sam. Killian and Sam spent a few months a couple years ago at preschool together, but she never really talked about him until...September came and Killian walked into kindergarten and there was Sam!!! When I picked Killian up that first day of school, she was so excited to tell me that Sam from preschool was in her class!

In the months that passed Killian and Sam began spending more and more time together. Always asking about the other and checking on one another. And if one of them was absent, the other was begging to call and find out why.

I watch them play together and see that the connection they have is not about "playing together", it is about a comfort they find in each other. You see, Killian and Sam both have some "issues" that make socializing difficult/exhausting/boring, and while their "issues" are very different, they see none of them when they are together. They find comfort in being in a room together. One of them could be building blocks and the other playdough, but they are happy just being together.

It makes me happy that Killian and Sam have found each other. And I am glad that in that process I have also made a friend!

I Guana tell you...

This is a new "friend" we made in the islands:) Great part about him was that he did not overstay his welcome! Seriously, there are iguanas all over the island! At the hotel, they live with the rock walls and sun themselves on the pool deck with the the other sun-bathers:) The thing is, they are so comfortable with the people now, that they hardly move when you walk by them! I saw one lady(who didn't see the iguana until the last min) step right over its head and the lizard didn't move! There was another one at the hotel that sat at the edge of the water slide all day long, I think he was the lifeguard though:)

I forgot...

It has been two whole days since my adventure with Killi and the Sea Lions and I have not posted pictures, here they are:





We had so much fun! I am so happy to have shared that experience with Killian. He love of animals is truly great and her joy swimming with the Sea Lions was immeasurable! She has not stopped talking about it yet! It was absolutely priceless!

It's Raining...but it hasn't been all bad!

Today it is raining so there was no beach for us:( We did decide to take the ferry over to St John, but we could not due much over there due to the flooding! So, we shopped a bit and had lunch; the kids got the National Park's passport stamped and we ferried back to St Thomas.

We had a beautiful day yesterday! We got out to Magen's Bay. It is beautiful there. The water is so clear and full of fish:) The kids love to try and catch them. Below is a picture of Declan and Killi in the water at Magen's Bay!




On the way back from the beach we stopped at the Food Store for some food:) That was an awful experience! The store was yucky, empty and SLOW! We did get some food though, so I guess it was not all bad:) I was able to make the kids a home cooked meal last night and that made me happy!

After dinner my mom and I took the monsters down to the pool(Ben was tired from his two hour nap earlier that afternoon:) I was able to get this awesome picture of Maggie at sunset!


Hopefully the weather will improve some by Wednesday! Killi and I have a very exciting activity to experience! I cannot wait to post pictures:)

To The Coast of Somewhere Beautiful

Tomorrow morning we are off! I am not sure of the last time I was so excited about a vacation! An entire week with my family and my parents, in paradise. We are a vacation family and with the kids in school now(and having 3 of them:) our vacations seem not as frequent or elaborate:) That's okay though, we enjoy them more when get them.

This week we will not work or go to school. Will will not volunteer or run to activities. We will relax on the beach and enjoy each other. Smile and cuddle each other and rejuvenate ourselves for the last 7 weeks of school. By the time we get back, you will had seen enough pictures of us on the beach and in the sun, but I will continue to post them:) I am hoping to get at least on good family pic for this year's Christmas Card:)

Off I go to finish packing, then to bed early!