ON THE COAST OF SOMEWHERE BEAUTIFUL

Sheʻs 6!!!!

2011-03-22T12:07:00.002-04:00

I honestly cannot believe that my "baby girl" is 6 years old today! It seems like just yesterday that she came into our family!

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY MARGARET FRANCES!!!!!

Life With PePe!

2011-01-07T22:51:00.002-05:00

This is Killi's (our) new puppy, PePe.

He was Killian's birthday present this year. He is a Havanese and will only grow to be about 12lbs.

PePe has been with us now for just over a month and things are going fairly well. House-breaking is not so bad and the fact that he is small and can be put in the pack-n-play to sleep or for a time-out is good. Gus adjusted wonderfully to him and seems to enjoy having a playmate, even if he is 130 lbs smaller:) PePe uses Gus as his step-stool and often as a bed:) And after a really tough first two-weeks, PePe has even come around to the very children he was intended for:)

I'm not going to lie, two-weeks into PePe, I was not sure this was going to work. He HATED the monsters and they had gotten sick of having a new puppy that they could NEVER touch without being attacked:) Now, he rarely snarls at them and they have gotten much better about letting him be a DOG and not a toy to be carried all the time.

But, as is usually the case, PePe has been added to my "chore list". I feed him, I clean-up after him, I get up in the morning with him and I bathe & dress him (He is tiny.He needs a sweater to go out:) With this care also means that PePe sleeps in his pack-n-play at the end of my bed. Well, tonight the girls thought it was about time that PePe move into their room, so I happily gave it a try. It lasted about 15, VERY LONG, VERY BARKY, mins!!!! But I say and wait. Waited for them to come BEG me to take PePe back. So, of course I did and they have decided that maybe it is best if PePe just stays in my room until he is 12 or so and he can just visit them in their room:)

It is nice to have my puppy back, quiet as I tuck into bed tonight:)

Happy Holidays!!!!

2010-12-31T00:32:00.002-05:00

The Monsters on Christmas Morning at the in-laws!

A Christmas picture is just as good as any other to begin this post since I have not posted here since about Halloween:)

We have had a busy few months around here. Foolishly, I thought having all three monsters in school all day-five days a week was going to open some time up for me. That has not been the case, someone always has something happening to keep me busy!

The monsters are progressing in school and some days are better than others for all of us:) I still have many days that I'd like to just lock the door and keep them all home with me so that I am the only CRAZY influence in their lives.

They are growing-up quickly...too quickly. I am now the mother of a 5, 8 & 9 year old, seems like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant, not 10 years ago!!! I wish there was a way to slow time down, as cheesy as it sounds, it is the one thing I wish I understood and took more advantage of when I was younger. Now there is little free-time, life just keeps happening!!!

I no longer have babies, not even toddlers, now I only have kids. One of which is trying to jump into double digits on his next birthday!!!! Oh how I need to make more time, learn to enjoy and live better in the moment. I guess that should be my goal for the coming year, reclaim my family before they are grown-ups:)

It's That Time Again

2010-11-01T22:28:00.002-04:00

Parent-Teacher Conferences are tomorrow. It will be the first time we are going in for all three monsters. And while we are not expecting any surprises, it always unnerves me to sit and listen to someone else tell me about my children:)

It does feel alittle different this year though. I feel calm, and excited to hear what the teachers have to say. For the first time since school began for my sweet Killi, I feel like we have the right teacher and the perfect team to support her and I am hopeful that the conference will support that. As for Declan and Marg, I just hope to hear that they are working to their fullest potential, okay and I admit that I am wondering if Marg scored higher or lower on her kindergarten eval than Declan did:) So much excitement:)

Happy Halloween!!!!!

2010-10-31T22:16:00.003-04:00

We made it a whole block this year trick-or-treating:) After just three houses Killian did ask her father why we needed to go to other peoples houses for candy when we have some at home:)

Not Really Feeling It.

2010-10-07T00:13:00.002-04:00

I am having a very difficult time embracing the new school year. It has nothing to do with the teachers or staff because once the kinks of a new school year were worked out they have been great. I am just not feelin' it. What I think is getting me is the homework and the schedule, I am not really a fan of either. I mean I do get the schedule thing, I know that it is not possible for 700 kids to just come and go as they please from school, but the homework thing I don't get. I feel that the kids are in school for 6.5 hours a day and only awake for a total of about 12 so figure out a way to get the work done at school. If they need extra practice, find time in class, cut 10 mins off lunch:) just don't send the work home. They are kids, elementary school kids, they deserve to have the 4 hours between school and bed free for fun and relaxing activities.

I will say that the monsters seem to be enjoying themselves. They enjoy their classmates and their teachers and aside from Marge coming home VERY tired, I have very few issues. No crying from the Killi monster and Declan has never been so happy to go to school. I think I will just be thank that everyone is willing and able to go to school everyday and stop complaining about the schedule and homework:) I just hope the year continues on this path!

Week One Down!

2010-09-11T00:50:00.002-04:00

We have all managed to survive the first week of school. Not only have we survived, but some of us have even enjoyed ourselves:) I will report, with mixed emotions, that all three of my monsters " love school". I am getting used to having them gone, but I was pretty busy this week so it is hard to tell how I will handle a slow week home alone:)

The car breaking down did mess us up alittle, but I am always happy to have an excuse to change a schedule:) For all of us the most difficult transition has been bedtime. We spent most of the summer with a bedtime between 10- midnight with rising times between 9-11 am. That worked for the summer since our pool didn't open until noon, but with the whole 8:40 arrival needed at school, bedtime has had to adjust. And it is. Most nights anyway.

We topped off our first week with a wonderful trip to the park with some of our favorite people, we even had some dads! The girls and I finished with dinner with friends while Ben and Declan hit the P-Nats playoff game.

Tomorrow morning we will head out for some Titans football then a quiet day at home and NFL watching on Sunday!

It Is Almost Time!

2010-09-02T22:53:00.002-04:00

Tonight we went to "Meet the Teachers" that the monsters will have for the coming year. Everyone seemed pretty happy after we met the teachers. This is a very good thing since Killi was very nervous about her teacher, but once she was able to put a face to her teacher she was very excited! Our first stop was Declan's class and we really stayed only long enough to drop his supplies and grab the papers that needed to be signed. We said hello to the teacher and we went on our way. Next stop was Margaret's classroom. We filled out some forms and she chatted up the teacher and checked out her room. She seems fine with the idea of school, but I am not sure she is fine with the actual leaving:) I guess we will see how Tuesday goes. Hopefully there will be no tears...Well, at least not from her:) Last we hit Killi's class where we ran into some friends that she will be with and the "not mean teacher" :) I am glad we all made it through!

My expectations for the year are low, much lower than they have ever been before. I am not sure if this has come after years of reaching for the stars and never getting them or if I am just so sure that this will be a great year!

Sweet Summertime...

2010-08-31T15:27:00.002-04:00

I am very torn on summer ending. A week from today, I will be spending my days alone at home. All three monsters in school full-day. I am happy for them. I know they will enjoy it and have fun, but what about me???? They are just ditching me! After 9 years of sitting at home with children, they are all leaving! How mean they are:)

I will be happy to see them go because the fighting has gotten out of control! Screaming and yelling at eachother all day long! My cupboard will be happy to see them go too! They seem to eat so much more in the summer!

I know I will enjoy them more when I do get to spend time with them, since I will miss them so much! And I am hopeful that they will feel that way about eachother too:)

I cannot wait to have time to clean the house, one room at a time and have the room I started in still clean when I finish the last one. I am excited to have time for my school work. And I am excited to spend some time with my husband.

I think I will find this to be a good experience for all of us, eventually, in a few weeks or months or...well I will tell myself that anyway:) It will be good!

For now I will enjoy my last few days of Sweet Summertime with the monsters!

Is It Too Much To Ask?

2010-08-11T18:41:00.002-04:00

Dear Children,

Is it too much to ask of you NOT to behave like animals in public? I mean, if you really feel the need to act like animals, I will be happy to accommodate you when we are at home. I can put bowls on the floor next to the dog's and a blanket on the floor to sleep on, but my goodness, just act like the kind, respectful, intelligent children I know you are in public!

When you misbehave and act out in public, it is rude to the others around us, disrespectful to me and daddy and makes people think less of you. So, I am begging all three of you to remember your manners from this moment on!

Your Loving Mother,

Emily Fallon

Football

2010-07-25T20:47:00.002-04:00

WOOHOO!!! Football starts tomorrow! I am so excited! There is nothing better than sitting out in the 100 degree heat at dusk while the buggies bite your legs:)

That is however that last bit of football complaining I am hoping to do. Declan is really looking forward to the season. His coach ROCKS and the games are alittle later this year, so it should be good! We are hoping that Declan figures out that it is tackle football he is playing and not flag:)

Biggest Joy of Parenting

2010-07-22T18:13:00.003-04:00

This morning we had to make a run to the doctor for Killi & Declan. Just quick check-ups, but it ended up being sooooo very exciting! You see, all five of us now see the same family doctor, so when I walk in with the kids, he always asks them how their father is. Today started not differently. The doctor walked in the room, said hello to each monster and asked how daddy was. Well, my lovely monsters decided to give the doctor a BLOW-BY-BLOW of the argument that mommy & daddy had last night. It was great! Mommy was mad at daddy for...and because he...Gosh I love these monsters:) The only thing that saved these three was that they sure it make it out to be ALL Daddy's fault:)

So, we leave the office to rush home for Killi's tutoring session, where she no sooner started working when I hear her retelling the tutor the story of the "fight". Mind you, we again in the car home, discussed home things that happen at home stay at home! Things that we talk about as a family, stays with our family. For the life of me I cannot understand why my kids are not getting that! I mean I had that drummed into my head by the time I was their ages! Again I will say that it was still all daddy's fault in this story too:)

For the record and since the children have shared with EVERYONE already, I will tell you all that the "fight" was more about mommy & daddy being very tired and needing someone to vent to then anything good:) And, I think it is good for them to see us "fight" sometimes. To know and understand that things are not always smiles and laughs, sometimes life is hard, but that we always love each other.

Where Have I Been????

2010-06-26T22:17:00.002-04:00

What an awful blogger I have been here! No news of the monsters for weeks and weeks! School I finally over for the year! I was very happy to see the year end. I am finding it difficult to feel like I am getting what I want out of the school system. I "like" everyone well enough teachers & staff, but I just didn't expect to have to fight so hard for what I think my monsters need. Plus the politics SUCK! I could never have imagined elementary school for my kids was going to be more difficult for me socially that Wall High School had been:) but it is!

Anyway, school is OUT! We have been spending our days at the pool and will do just alittle traveling, which will be a change for us. I wonder how we will like being home more than away for the summer, we have never done it!

The monsters quickly switched to a "summer schedule" of going to be LATE and sleeping their mornings away. It works here though because the pool doesn't open until noon so if the roll out of bed at 10:30, I can feed them and they are ready for the pool!

I will post pictures soon! Maybe from the FolkLife Festival if we can make it down there in the heat tomorrow!

Ah...

2010-06-05T21:32:00.003-04:00

Perfect song on the radio
Sing along 'cause it's one we know
It's a smile, it's a kiss
It's a sip of wine, it's summertime
Sweet summertime-
"Summertime" Kenny Chesney

The weather is HOT and STICKY. The pool is open. We have made it to another summer! Declan and Killi are just about finished with school. We have abandoned what schedule we had and we are back to winging-it. The only schedule we have sort-of maintained is getting to and from school, and you see I said "sort-of":)

With the weather HOT and Ben traveling all last week, I have completely turned on the slacking mode. I have a messy house, a pile of laundry and no desire to do anything but sit on the beach with a book(I will substitute a pool since the ocean is 2 hours away). I hit the county pool once this week with Marg while those other monsters suffered at school and today we all hit the community pool.

I love the pool. I love that the monsters love the pool. They swim and play with their "summer friends" all the while getting exercise and tired:) We picked up some new goggles and sunscreen and we are good to go!

A few more days and school will be over and we will have very few commitments. We hitting my FAVORITE time of year!

Spoiled...

2010-05-22T14:53:00.002-04:00

I love fireworks. Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays because of the fireworks. Because of this, my children have also come to love fireworks.

As of late, we have become quite a spoiled bunch with awesome firework displays for our viewing pleasure, about twice a month. It has been incredible! We are talkin' REAL firework displays, on par with any I have ever seen.

After last night's display, I did express concern that 4th of July way be a let down this year and that the fireworks would not hold the same level of excitement for me, but that feeling was gone once I started making plans for our firework viewing next weekend;-)

How lucky we are to be spoiled by fireworks!

Uncharted Waters

2010-05-15T23:11:00.004-04:00

I need a nautical map, I have a feeling we are headed straight for the rocks! I am just going to admit it, I am not having an easy-go at it with this whole parenting thing. I feel like we take two steps forward and three back! I am frustrated and confused. I am at the point of asking my husband for parenting advice and assistance, for the first time.

Nothing seems to be working. I push, they push harder, why do they not pull anymore? What happened? I am not sure who thought it was a good idea to let them have opinions of their own and three different thoughts at that! This is insane! I want to change my parenting style now...I want to go with the philosophy that children should be seen and not heard! What was I thinking trying to raise vocal independent thinkers? Being open and honest is starting to haunt me now! How was I to know that at 8,7 & 5 they would have learned to speak up and out! Okay, I admit it, it was me! I did this! I made my bed!!! Now I want them out of it!LOL!

Well, tomorrow I will have to work on braking their spirit, once I get done with that maybe I can build them up again as little robots, brain-washed little followers;-)

Marg...

2010-05-14T22:29:00.002-04:00

My darling 5 year old decided to share with me today that her daddy loves me only alittle, her brother not at all and her sister hates me, but that is all okay because SHE loves me...ALOT!LOL!

What am I going to do with her:)

Opening Your Eyes

2010-05-11T11:33:00.002-04:00

As any parent knows, one of the most difficult things to do is see things that are wrong with your own child(ren). Amazingly, we can spot a child with "issues" miles away unless it is our own:) That always make me laugh;-)

With my three kids growing-up, what I am noticing is that the scale of "normal" is extremely varied(mostly from parent to parent:) For the most part, two are my three monsters are "normal", but really they are not. Declan is 8 going on 75, he doesn't always get along with his peers, as most of them are not into reciting US History. Margaret, my other "normal" child is 5 going on 16. She is too smart for her own good and has common-sense that spans far beyond her 5 years on this earth. Then I have Killi, who is does not fit the mold. She has some LD and is sweet and kind to the point of allowing others to walk all over her.

There you have it, three kids and not one of them fits into "the box". Declan and Maggie can, when they want to jump in the box, but Killi would rather use the box to make a car, plane or boat to take her away:) It has taken me some time to see that Killi is not near the box, she is in her own circle, and I love her for that. I have known for most of her life that she was a little "different" but I was not sure how. Now I know and I am happy that I know. I want other parents to know. To feel that calmness you get when you stop trying to force your child into the "box". Sure, it is nice when your child can do the "box" when they need or want to, but it is just as okay for your child to never hop inside.

Take a look at your kids, are they in the "box", a "circle" or maybe something else. Just see it. Recognize it. I know it is hard, but it is harder to be the child forced into a box that you cannot fit in. And next time you spot that kid that is "different" think about what others see when they look at your kids.

Mothers Day

2010-05-09T19:49:00.002-04:00

As far as days as a mother go, today was a good one. The monsters slept in, there was little fighting and things were pretty quiet and that made for a pleasant day. Chocolate Chip pancakes for breakfast, cleaned bedrooms and a flag football game that was my day.

There is nothing I would rather be doing than spending the day with my family, there are never enough of those days!

8:15am is too early...

2010-05-04T14:30:00.002-04:00

That is when, on our way to school, my son decided to ask me what "gay" meant. Since I believe in letting my children drive their knowledge on most issues, I respond with "What do you mean" in order to better understand his question so that I could give a good answer. So, he repeated "what does gay mean" and I answered that it originally meant merry & happy, but that not it is also used to describe people who like people of the same sex , I thin gave an example of a man that wants to marry another man or a woman that wants to marry another woman, not like mommy and daddy marrying each other. He said, okay and that he understood. He told me that at school some kids call other kids "gay" when they do stupid or mean things and I said that now he knows that the word does not mean stupid or mean. He said yep, then turned to me and said, "So, is that even legal? A man marrying a man or a girl marrying a girl?" I answered some place they can get married some not. He asked about where we lived, I said no. Then he kissed me an walked into school. I wonder how much time he is going to spend on that today:)

I am glad he asked though and now uses the word correctly and helps his friends do so too:) I wonder how many phone calls I will get over this one!LOL!

Trying New Things!

2010-04-29T18:32:00.002-04:00

I am trying once again to regroup and refocus my family. We have been cutting back on lots of things and adding more "good" things. We have cut back on tv and started spending more time together. We are also trying to rethink how we spend our money by making sure that we spend based mostly on needs instead of wants.

We have only been at it a week, but it seems to be going well so far. We did great on our spending! And with a new attitude on my part, the entire family seems more positive! I hope we are able to keep it going!

Another Tough Week!

2010-04-23T18:35:00.002-04:00

My poor Declan has had a rough few weeks. Sleep issues combined with anxiety issues have made life not so fun. This week I was determined to get him up and moving in the right direction and I did...until yesterday. Yesterday, I got a letter home from school informing me that a classmate of Declan's(also a fellow scout) lost his father. As you can imagine this send Declan into a frenzy of questions that ranged from "why did he die" to "is daddy going to die", not fun. Please understand that I know what my child is feeling in no way relates to the pain of his friend and his family, but it has renewed some of the anxiety we had been able to take away.

I wish there were simple answers to give in regards to death and dying. I wonder if a belief in something would make it easier or more understandable. Right now all I feel is sad; sad that a young boy and his family had to watch their loved one slip away. Sad that he will know that pain for the rest of his life and selfishly hoping that my children don't know that pain for a very long time. I know that Declan will work through this stress too and that in a relatively shot time he will find something new to stress over.

Right now I would like to send many thoughts to Declan's friend/classmate and his family.

Easter in NJ...At The Boardwalk, Of Course!

2010-04-06T20:08:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures of how we spent Easter Sunday:

It is always Great to spend the day at the boardwalk! 70 degrees and the beginning of April was a welcome treat to the weekend!

Advice

2010-03-30T23:14:00.002-04:00

Today I was reminded of some great advice I was first given last year. The advice: "As a parent, YOU are your child's best advocate".

I Love My Monsters!

5 Years Ago Tomorrow...

2010-03-21T22:57:00.003-04:00

We got this perfect little...Marg:)

And while she keeps me on my toes and challenges me EVERYDAY, I could imagine life without her. I love you Baby Girl!

Fitting In

2010-03-21T15:03:00.001-04:00

As hard to believe as this is, I am having trouble fitting in somewhere. That somewhere is football for Declan. I felt the same way when tackle-football started last summer, but there I knew a few people and one was the coaches wife, so fall football was manageable; flag, I am not having the same luck. None of the kids go to the same school as my kids or live in our neighborhood, therefore, I know none of the parents and Declan none of the kids.

When I go to practice, I sit with the girls and read or do homework with them, but most of the time Ben meets me directly from work and I take the girls home. Alot of the other kids come to practice with their parents and their fathers hang by the coaches "helping out" and that is great, but Ben comes right from work in a suit and tie and little desire to run around dressed like that.

Because of these factors, I feel that neither Declan or I(and Ben) are really connecting to the team/parents/players. I also think this effects the amount of time he gets on the field. I am in NO way suggesting that Declan is the best one on the team or even good, but there are other kids that are just as bad. I also think that he is young and at 8, your really need a coach that teaches you the game and makes you want to love it and play. In the Fall for tackle he had that. His head coach for fall was wonderful and although Declan was not very good and lacked confidence, Coach Steve always made him feel like he wanted to keep trying.

I am sure I am just being an over-bearing mom who feels like they are being forced to watch their kid get picked LAST, every day in P.E. and that sucks. It sucks for me, but it really sucks for him. I wish I knew what to do to make it different.

For now I guess I will work alittle harder to fit-in. I will practice more with Declan so that he can improve his skills. And then I will hope that he is not taking all of this as personal as I am.

Fun! Fun! Fun!

2010-03-21T00:51:00.002-04:00

We have spent the past two days livin' the good life around here! The weather has been GREAT! Yesterday, the Monsters skipped school and with the Kelleys, we spent the day in DC. We rode the Metro, which the kids love, then hit a few museums and the carousel on the Mall. It was an absolutely perfect day! And with the museums thrown-in, I feel like it was an educational day after all:)

Today was CRAZY with errands to run, Declan's football game and then a Taylor Swift concert out at UVA. The concert was a birthday gift for Marg. Before we hit the JPJ Arena at UVA, we made a quick stop at the Fashion Center in Charlottesville because they have a GAP and we do not and I could not let my 30% off go unused. I stocked up on ALL the girls clothes for summer, I am so excited. GAP clothes are my favorite for my girls because the wear so well and with my girls being as hard on clothes as they are, I need ones that will last. Usually however, I don't shop there as the clothes are a bit pricey, I always wait for the sales! Today, I got both! The dresses I wanted were ALL on sale and then I got my 30% off on top of that! For $200, I have all the clothes the girls need for summer!

After our shopping trip, we were off to the concert. There were LOTS and LOTS of little girls(not that I was expecting different:)! The opening act was LOUD and unknown. Kellie Pickler was good and funny as always and Taylor Swift while appearing to a bit high on herself, put on a very fun show that was age appropriate for the Monsters. She kept her clothes on the entire time and the was no stripper-pole which made her better than Hannah Montana. The girls had fun and that made Ben and I happy.

The ride home was LONG and now I am ready to sleep for days! I hope the kids sleep in just a little:)

Taylor Swift!

2010-03-14T22:10:00.002-04:00

That is where we will be in 6 days! Next Saturday Night, Ben and I will be with the monsters celebrating Marg's 5th birthday with Taylor Swift. We have avoided Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers, but gave into Taylor Swift. I just hope we are not disappointed. I hope that she is as "family friendly" as I have heard she is. I am hoping NOT to see her ass or her swinging on stripper poles, that will make it a GOOD NIGHT!

Too Fast!

2010-03-09T19:45:00.002-05:00

This morning while talking to my wonderful husband on the phone, for like the tenth time(I was very needy today:), he mentioned how fast the time has gone by with The Monsters. This got me thinking, which is never good and always leads to additional phone calls. The time has gone FAST! The days sometimes feel slow and LONG, but the years so fast. It really does seem like we just brought Declan home from the hospital to start this adventure going, but it wasn't. It was 8 1/2 years ago.

I sat and thought about how I made it through life with a 14 month old, and a newborn. Which at the time seemed hard, but only until I tried it again with a 3 1/2 yr old, a 27 month old and a newborn. Those days were LONG and there were times I was sure I was not going to make it until Ben got home from work, but I did and now, in the blink-of-an-eye I am the mother of an 8, 7 & nearly 5 year old.

When Maggie was born, Ben and I talked about me going back to work once the baby started kindergarten, which seemed like a lifetime away, now I am only 6 months from an empty house for the better part of the day. I am not sure how that happened!

While the time has gone by so quickly, I am happy that Ben has always pushed us to go on vacations. I often fought these trips especially in the early years, it is tough to travel with little ones, but we always went and looking back I am so happy we did. Happy because we have so many pictures and memories and easy reference points for life, but happier that we gave ourselves the time. Time to just be a family. Time to slow down and focus on us. It may only be a few weeks a year, but it is OUR TIME and I love and treasure that.

I still wish I could slow the big picture down, but I know it doesn't work like that. I know I need to enjoy each and everyday I get with Ben and the Monsters, sometimes I forget that...Today is NOT one of those days!

It's Official!

2010-03-07T10:50:00.002-05:00

Yesterday our family got alittle bigger! My baby brother got married! Here are Mr & Mrs Bill Williams introduced for the first time!

I have been to many weddings in my life and I have to say that these two were among the happiest, calmest and excited couple I have ever been with on their wedding day. Not that I had doubts of there love before, but seeing them together on their wedding day, you could see that they really understand what getting married is all about. They did not get caught up in "perfectness" for the day, with flowers or formalities, all they wanted was to have those closest to them, share in their day. The last year has been a LONG one for our families, but even little tougher on them,but they were able to look at the big picture and moved ahead. What they ended up with was the most beautiful wedding day, it could not have come together any better!

I am so happy for them, but also happy for myself. Happy and thankful that Billy has found Kelly and extended our family even more. Kelly's parents and sister have not only welcomed Billy into their family, but us too and I hope that we have made them feel the same way.

To Billy and Kelly, I wish you all the happiness in the world! I love you both so much! Thanks for letting us be part of your special day and your lives.

And I could not resist throwing in a picture of the Cutest Monsters in the World;-)

All dressed and ready to head to the wedding!

Outfitted For The Wedding

2010-02-28T21:26:00.002-05:00

Because my brother is getting married NEXT Saturday and we had nothing to wear to the wedding(not because it was last min, but because I suck;-)Ben, the girls and I spend Saturday afternoon shopping. Declan got lucky and was invited to a friends:)

So, off we went. We had a plan to follow, well as much as we follow a plan. First, a dress for me. Walked into the store and out with a dress in less than 20mins! Then cross to the mall for the Monsters! We walked into The Children's Place and hanging on the wall were the perfect black dresses for the girls and Ben found black pants and a sweater for the Boy! I threw in Easter Dresses for the girls and off we went, another store down and we were not there an hour yet!

Because we were so lucky in finding clothes, we had time to eat lunch and do the food shopping at Wegman's. We walked in ordered our pizza, ran through the store and picked up what we needed and were back in time to meet out pie coming out of the oven! It was perfect!

I am very happy we are all set for the wedding and for Easter now. It had been about 6 months since I had been in a Mall and I am hoping it can stay that way for another 6 months at least:)A far cry from my Jersey Youth days, when I was at the mall EVERY weekend;-)

Report Cards

2010-02-20T16:07:00.003-05:00

After about a two-week delay, the kids finally got their second quarter report cards. And I have nothing new to report. Killi is working hard to keep-up and she is making great strides, thanks to her teachers and to her for working so hard! Declan is doing well, but is still very LAZY!

It kills me to watch Killi work so hard and struggle and then watch Declan do as little as he can and do great! It is so unfair sometimes! I wish I could just make school alittle easier for her and harder for him:) I guess it doesn't work that way though, so I will be happy that he is bright and completing the work at a high level and I will be so proud of her for working so hard everyday!

Oh and Marg does not get Report Cards yet, that is why she has been left out:)

It is Tuesday...

2010-02-16T12:13:00.003-05:00

Tuesday the 16th of February and the kids are still not back to school. So far this month they have attended school for a total of 4 hours for Declan & Killi and 0 for Marg. Having the home would not be bad if the weather were better and we could get outside and do stuff. The weather is not and we spent alot of time inside as the only other option is shopping and boy does that get costly;-)

There seem to be snow showers or at least flurries everyday and melting is slow to happen! For a metro area with an average snow fall of about 15 inches, this winter at 50+ for everyone, has not been easy. Costs are adding up fast for communities. From employee overtime to plow and salt/sand for roads, costs are climbing high! And people's patience is very low!

I will be happy to get the kids off to school tomorrow, even if it is 2 hours late and Maggie will still be home. I will be happy mostly because I think they are incredibly bored and need a schedule back. I hope we miss the snow they are predicting for next week:)

Quick Trip To NJ!

2010-02-15T01:01:00.002-05:00

After days and days in the house together, we decided it was time for a road-trip to NJ for the weekend. And I am so happy we went.

My mom was up from FL so that was an added push to go. We headed up Friday around noon which got us there in time for some good Jersey food for dinner! Saturday morning, the monsters went sledding with Billy, Kelly, Ang and Grammy, while I ate Windmill:)

Saturday night we went to a party at the Carrie and Allie's, where we partied with Kelly's family! It was so fun! It is nice when the soon-to-be in-laws are awesome!

Saturday night Bridget,Jim and Max came down too and spent the night! So we spent Sunday playing with them and having Birthday Cake for Uncle Jim!

Before we left on Sunday, I was lucky enough to get yo go with Kelly for her fitting and the dress is soooooo pretty! I want to have it for me:) I also got a Vic's pizza for dinner!

A quick and full trip, but fun! And just what we needed after being stuck inside, together, for DAYS!

Are They Kidding?

2010-02-12T22:46:00.002-05:00

It is no secret that I am not the biggest fan of Scouts, boys or girls, but after reading the brochure for Girl Scout Camp for Killi, I HATE SCOUTS!

The programs looked very interesting and the prices not insane. It was not even that far from home. I was reading along with Killi and she seemed interested in attending, so I was really reading through and considering it.

Then BAM!!! I get to the back page where they go through the arrangements of camp and they very BOLDLY and CLEARLY state that your camper will not be allowed to call home, you can only visit during designated times and there are adults in the living quarters.

All that is fine if my kid is 11,12...but not 7!!!! And sleep away camp starts at 5!!!! At 7, you are telling me to TRUST that my kid will be fine alone for a week and too bad if she is not, I will NEVER know!!!WTF!!!

It is safe to say that my monsters will NEVER go any place that tells me that they cannot call or see them, so long as I remain the boss of them!

Add this to the list of reason THAT I HATE SCOUTS!

School, What's That?

2010-02-10T23:55:00.002-05:00

Yeah, that is the question that the monsters are asking now! They have been out of school more since Dec.18 then they have been in! Christmas Break, MLK Day, Teacher work days and 3 Blizzards! It is CRAZY!

I wonder how the teachers will EVER get them back on track again! It is going to take a good solid week to remind them of all the rules and routines of school. Because if any of the other parents are like me, we have been trapped inside for so long that I really don't care what they are doing anymore so long as no one gets hurt and they are not up my ass!

In addition to The Monsters being home, Ben has not gone back to work and the Federal Government is closed again tomorrow as there is too much snow for mass-transit to run! So, to recap the week, we have been home together for 5 1/2 days with at least another 5 to go until they all leave to go back to school and work!

I am happy to say that we have had no real problems/fights/issues during all our Family-Time, we are just bored! We are not a family that every takes a "stay-cation", we are the family that runs to OBX or NJ for long weekends and we always spend Ben's vacation time away from home! So, this is alot of home time! I am not sure we have ever spent this much time in this house:)

I guess it is a good sign that Killi really missed us and wanted to come home from her sleep-over even after being invited to stay longer:) Family love is good! It has been boring, but it is good:)

Family Fun?

2010-02-08T13:56:00.003-05:00

We have decided to venture out! Not the best idea as it seems everyone else also decided to head out! Nevertheless, we are out and at the movies to see The ToothFairy! I am sure it will be a wonderful and exciting movie:)

Home Bound

2010-02-07T12:34:00.002-05:00

The official snow totals for Stafford County are 25.5 inches for the BLIZZARD of 2010! Schools have been closed since Friday and are now closed through at least Tuesday. I am not hopeful about Wednesday as the forecast is calling for a few inches on Tuesday night. Poor Killi thinks it is summer vacation, Maggie is working on week 3 of no school(with no plans to ever return:) and Declan is pretty bored with us.

What to do now? I guess it is time that I start doing some school work with everyone at home. Declan could be reading ALOT more and Killi has lots of math sheets and reading she could work on. And I am sure it would not hurt Maggie any if I did some reading with her. Now if I could only get motivated.

More of the White Stuff!

2010-02-05T00:42:00.002-05:00

School is closed again tomorrow. Marg has not been to school in 2 weeks and Declan and Killi has spent 4 hours there this week. The forecast for the next two days is snow, snow and wind, snow 16-24 inches total unless the storm stalls in which case we could get more:)

I guess I have no choice but to embrace this family time and enjoy the snow!

School Days...What Are They?

2010-02-02T21:43:00.002-05:00

As it stands right now Maggie has not been to school in a week and a half and Declan and Killi have been out since 1pm on Friday. The snow is falling again and there is about 1/2- 1 inch so far so I am guessing there will be no school tomorrow. I am really starting to feel like I should do some school work at home with the monsters! By the time poor Killi gets back to school it is going to take FOREVER to get her back on track! I am not sure I will be able to get Marg back in the doors at school and poor Declan is bored to tears with us:)

I guess tomorrow will be filled with more baking and a family LIPS competition on XBOX:)

WOW! Another One!

2010-02-01T23:39:00.002-05:00

It snowed here on Saturday. A decent snowfall, about 8-10 inches. Tomorrow is Tuesday and school is closed AGAIN for snow that fell on SATURDAY! Good news for the kids though, Wednesday is not looking promising for school as another 2-4 inches are predicted for tomorrow night.

I am not sure if the school system knows or not, but I have vacation plans for late June, so enough with the snow days!

I am not sure I would mind the snow if I could drive in it, but I cannot, so we sit in the house. I am not really sure where we would go if I did drive since the ground is always wet or snow-covered. Maybe a playdate for tomorrow? Maybe McDonald's? Or Carlos for kids day. Probably just more togetherness with the kids at home:)

Rolling Along...

2010-01-26T18:19:00.002-05:00

Ben is out-of-town for a few days and while we will miss him, I am hoping for some much needed down time. With Ben gone, dinner is simpler, the house is messier and bedtime is earlier:) As you can see, there is pro's and con's with him gone:) This week however, I have some really tired, grouchy kids that need 7pm to be bed time with NO LIGHTS and NO T.V.'s! My Monsters that used to be AWESOME sleepers are now up until almost 10pm every night and then are tired and grouchy in the morning! I will use this week to "try" and get back into a routine for bedtime. Let's hope we can get it done!

Tomorrow we need to finish Declan's Native American project and Killi has some homework to get done. It would be nice if I could get some school work done myself this week!

Today They Earned Their Name!

2010-01-23T19:59:00.002-05:00

It gets to a point when the fighting is just too much! When you just cannot hear One more time how Every other mother is better than you are. When it is like pulling teeth to get ONE positive thing to come from their mouths! And what is BEST is when this all peaks on a day that YOU are trying to be nice and do fun things! Fun things that are not CHEAP! Because really nothing is better than paying for someone(or three someones) to treat you like CRAP!

I think I do ALOT for my family and moat if the time my family does do for me. And I understand that in every relationship there are points of give and take and that is not always even, but when you are doing and doing and have so much to do for yourself that you keep putting off, it just gets annoying!

So, after a movie and dinner at Sakura, and lots of hating eachother and me, I have decided I am done being a mom today. The Monsters can fend for themselves!

Mundane

2010-01-18T20:57:00.003-05:00

That is how life has been around here since we returned from Florida. We are trying to get back into the swing of things and it seems to be taking forever!

Ben is traveling ALOT! The weather has been cold and gray for the most part and everything else is pretty routine. Winter in the mid-Atlantic is nothing to write home about. I guess the only good thing to say about it is that it doesn't last too long!

The monsters are all good and pretty busy. We are working on switching the kids rooms so that the girls have more floor space. But before this can be done we need to paint. Declan doe not feel he should have to sleep with sparkly flowers on his wall and Ben agrees:)

Declan and Killi have pinewood derby races coming up for scouts that Ben will hopefully be able to attend unless travel gets in the way:)

Really nothing else to say for now!

Close to Perfect!

2009-12-25T21:12:00.003-05:00

This is where we spent our Christmas afternoon:

And this is how the Girls spent their Christmas:

What a perfect day we had! We spent the morning opening gifts from Santa with Megan, Izzy and Gracie! The kids LOVED all their gifts, Santa did great! We had a wonderful breakfast prepared by Happy, showers and then off to the beach!

We met some family friends and had some great food, great conversation and great weather! The kids played in the ocean and at the playground for hours! And we did it...Our goal for Christmas was to enjoy the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful and today we did!

Christmas 2009!

2009-12-25T00:31:00.002-05:00

After a few crappy months, we have been enjoying a good family week. We mad it to Disney for two days of Family Fun, and are now at my parents spending the holidays with them and my sister's family. While I wish my brother and his family were here, I will settle for the very good news they delivered today. In all, Christmas Eve was the first really good day I have had in too long!

I hope the monsters like everything that Santa brings and that we can mange another good day tomorrow!

Merry Christmas from Me, Ben and The Monsters!

Christmaska!

2009-12-12T02:04:00.002-05:00

Tonight, on this first night of Hanukkah, we celebrated Christmas with the Fallons. Because we will not be with them on Christmas Day, they decided to come visit this weekend for Christmas. As luck would have it, they were here for our Hanukkah feast.

My kids LOVE Hanukkah. No, we are not Jewish, it has just become a tradition over the past 3 years to celebrate. When Declan was in kindergarten, he learned about Hanukkah and instantly wanted to celebrate it. I, having no religious affiliation, was happy to expose them to something new. Tonight we lit our first candle on the menorah, had brisket for dinner and played dreidel. The kids had a blast! They even got some Christmas gifts! I am not sure they could have had a better Hanukkah:)

My little Killi!

2009-11-27T21:47:00.002-05:00

My Killi is the truly one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She is so kind and caring. It hurts her to see any person, animal or pretty much anything hurt, broken or sad. If I cry in front of her, she cries, when someone gets hurt at the park, she runs to make sure they will be okay.

Now, I am not trying to make her out as a saint, because she does feel the need to hit,kick,punch her sister, but she feels bad about it after she does it and Maggie most often deserves it;-)

Anyway, Killi is a very easy kid to make happy and we got reminded of that at Lunch this week. While at lunch, Killi was reading the menu, all of the sudden she jumps out of her chair yelling that her name is in on the menu! She was soooo excited. She brought the menu over to Ben and I and pointed out to us where her name was(which in and of itself was a huge deal for Killi). We praised her for finding her name and she spent the remainder of Lunch telling anyone that walked by that HER NAME was in the menu:)

As good parents, we let her enjoy the moment and never explained to her that she was NOT the Killian in question and that she shares her name with a beer:) It was too awesome to see her excitement! Even through her excitement, she told her brother that she would ask them to use his name next time;-)

I love all three of my monsters the same amount, but each brings something very different into my life and Killi's is the kind innocence that only a truly kind soul can bring.

Turkey Trot!

2009-11-26T13:52:00.002-05:00

They did it! They competed in their first 1m race! And Declan and Killi Finished! Maggie and Angie only made it about 1/2 a mile:)

The Girls before the race started!

Killi crossing the finish line! 11min! We are so proud of her for going out and trying! She did awesome!

Declan getting ready to race! He finished his mile in 9min and then ran with Marg and Angela for their mile...after the girls bailed-out, he continued on to finish his second mile! So proud of him for giving it his all and then going back to help his sister and cousin!

All the kids got a medal for participation and they were very happy and proud of themselves! We are also proud of Maggie and Ang for trying, we were worried we would not make it that far:)

Declan and Killi say that they cannot wait to race again! Yeah for Mr. Baker and Ms. Barr, You Guys Rock!!!

Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T21:02:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow morning the monsters and Angela will run in the Turkey Trot 1 miler! Heats start at 7:30am, post time at 7:00! That is early! I am sure Declan and Killi will do great, they run in PE and Declan enjoys it. Marg and Angie on the other hand may not make it to the end of the course:)

I think this may be the first of many races with Declan, I just hope he can find some that start later!

I will post pictures when we get home and let you know how everyone did! We do have to rush home after the races to get our 19lb turkey in the oven otherwise we will never eat dinner!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

The Dentist

2009-11-24T23:09:00.002-05:00

Today after taking Marg to the doctor for what appears to be croup again, Declan and Killi had dentist appointments. I am very sad to report that we have our first "kid" cavity. Declan is the culprit! Now he will have to have a filling! Otherwise, they have good teeth!

I also got Christmas stuff for the hall bathroom today! Best of all, it is Snowmen so it can really stay through February:) We also got almost all of the lights wired and on!

Decorations!!!!!

2009-11-21T21:28:00.003-05:00

Today was the day!!! We got the Christmas decorations out of the shed and started decorating! Here is what the living/dining room looked like with ALL of the boxes form the shed!

We got a good deal up today. Almost everything outside is in place, a few things need to be staked-in in the morning:) I also have only one side of the porch done and have bows that needed to be added, but atleast things are rolling!

I was also able to get the mantle done(menorah front and center:), the nativity scene up for Killi and the lights in all the front windows. We are skipping a tree this year since we will be in FL for Christmas, but I could not go with all the other stuff! This is my favorite time of year! I LOVE Christmas decorations and I am so excited because Ben just told me that he thinks we need a few MORE items for the yard and lights for the house!!!! I am beyond happy!

Oh yeah,I did put my 19lb turkey for 4 adults and 4 children, in the frig for Thanksgiving! If anyone needs a place to go for dinner, stop-in, I will have plenty!!!

New Hair-Do's!

2009-11-21T00:30:00.002-05:00

After school today the Girls went for haircuts! I let them pick out what they wanted and this is what they got:

Maggie:

Killi:

If I can get the pink color in Killi's hair tomorrow we will be all set! Yes, I did say pink hair! And yes she is just turning 7, but it is the one thing they can control. I am pretty easy when it comes to hair, my feeling is that it grows back, so have fun!

I will post more pics when the hair is pink:)

Taylor Swift!

2009-11-19T12:16:00.002-05:00

While I was in Florida(on my vacation!lol!), Ben granted the request of our littlest monster. Her request, Taylor Swift for her birthday, which in not until March! She was in luck because Taylor Swift was going to be in here 2 days before her 5 birthday! So, as the wonderful dad he is, he scored 5 tickets to the show!!!

This I will say, I am so much happier with Taylor Swift that Hannah Montana! What I am not ready for is the YEARS of concerts and music to come:) I am crossing my fingers that "boy bands" will fizzle-out and I never find myself at a Jonas Brothers concert:)

For now though, I will look forward to Taylor Swift with my singing 5 yr old:)

Report Cards

2009-11-16T21:15:00.002-05:00

I am going to make this post against my better judgment. See, my judgment is not nearly has strong a my NEED to express my self:)

Today I went for parent-teacher conferences for Declan and Killi and also got their report cards. My first meeting was with Declan's teacher. We talked a little and went over how Declan was doing in school and how he scored on some testing. Then came the report card. In our school, kids receive number grades from 1-4; 1=below level, 2= working towards level, 3=meets standards and 4=exceeds expectations. So, Declan's teacher explains to me that they are being graded on what they are expected to know by the end of the year.Interesting. I am told that at this point most kids receive 1 & 2's in the first quarter, 2 & 3's in the second and third and mostly 3's in the forth, 4's are VERY hard to get and getting a 3 means that they have met the grade level requirements for the year. This system seems insane to me and I am not really sure I understand how my kid is progressing. Declan got mostly 2+ and 3's, with a few 2's thrown in. I am assured that this is a report card to be proud of. Really? I am not so much happy. Because either my kid is not doing very well or it is November and my kid has met half the standards for the year and is well on his way in the rest. I am not sure I like or understand the 2nd grade system of grading.

Then onto Killi who was graded on the same number scale, but for the work she has been taught since school started. This I understood. She also got 2's and 3's. She is working her tail off and we could not be more proud of her! Her teacher ROCKS and goes so above and beyond for my child(I don't think it is just for mine though:). She is moving forward and that is what we are hoping for!

In all, I was happy with my conferences. My kids have the best teachers for them this year and it is so nice. It doesn't hurt that I personally like both teachers too:) I hope that the rest of the school year goes just as well!

Another Quiet Summer :-)

2009-11-14T21:38:00.002-05:00

Our favorite family activity is traveling. In our 19 years together Ben and I have been to some wonderful places; Hawaii, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Mexico, California and having monsters to drag along with us has slowed us down alittle, but not stopped us. We have dragged them to St Thomas, California, Canada, North Carolina and many more places. We enjoy traveling, seeing new places and revisiting some favorites. At the end of every summer I declare, "We are staying home next summer" and by Christmas we always have something in the works.

Not this year. This year it is not even Christmas yet and we have 3 weeks of summer travel booked and partially paid for. A week at the end of June through July 4th is booked for New Jersey and Boston. Then in August, two weeks at two of our favorite beaches, Hilton Head,SC and OBX! Best part is our accommodations for all of these trips looks to be super comfy and very inexpensive! That is important when traveling with a family of 5!

In Boston we have been able to book a suite at a Hilton property for an excellent rate thanks to my sister! Hilton Head we scored the Disney Resort, with full kitchen, for FREE thanks to the in-laws! A whole week at a $300 a night resort for free! Washer/drier and full kitchen, for a mom that is heaven:) And for our week in OBX, we are sharing a house with the Kelley's and it is costing us about $600 for the week. A house with more than enough room for 2 large families to be comfy. A house with a kitchen(yes, I am hung-up on the kitchen thing. Going out to eat with tired monsters is expensive and not fun:)and a washer/drier and walking distance to the beach!

I am so excited that our plans are coming together. I hope we have good weather, at least most of the time:) I hope we make it to Fenway. I hope Hilton Head is as beautiful as we left it and I hope OBX clears the sand from Highway 12 by the time we get there:)

With our crazy and hectic lives, going on vacation gives us time to be together. Time to be together and just have fun. No worries of homework or commutes, routines or dry-cleaning, just time together having fun and reconnecting.

That is why we travel so much. There are plenty of people that think it is a waste of money. That maybe we should by a bigger house or save more for retirement, but for us this is what works. Work hard to play hard! Work together to play together! That's how we roll:)

So, with almost all my Christmas shopping done and birthday shopping for Killi(dec.18th, Nutcracker at the National Theater with Dad) and Maggie(mar.20th,Taylor Swift with the whole family), it seemed logical to get summer squared away too:)

What's left you ask? CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!!!! Yep, I will start unloading the shed this coming week so that Thanksgiving Night, it will be LIGHTS UP!!!! Yes, I am one of THOSE people. I love the lights! I even LOVE that all my friends tease me about them:)

What I Think!

2009-11-14T17:56:00.002-05:00

I have an 8 year old son, Declan. Sometimes he is too nice for his own good. For years we have tried to teach him not to hit or hurt other people, the problem with this is that he is 8 and does not protect/defend himself. So now, I am wondering how to balance him but I am not sure how.

I Miss Them...

2009-11-08T00:48:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday, I left my two older monster and my husband to fly down to Florida to be with my parents for what was supposed to be a six day trip(which was very long to begin without them) and now I have chosen to extend the trip to next Thursday. I know that the monsters are fine and in very good hands, but I still miss them. What makes it harder is that I am a control-freak at home, so turning it all over to Ben has really not been easy! What I can say it that my husband has been a CHAMP! He has not complained once about me being gone and was so incredibly supportive when I decided to stay a few extra days. I will admit that 8 years ago when Declan was born, I would have NEVER imagined ever leaving the monsters with him for any period of time longer than a quick errand:) Yet he sits there in VA with two monsters and a Newfie! Two monsters that he has gotten up and dressed for school all week, put to bed every night and organized for school everyday. All this and he has still gone to work everyday. He did have help from his parents after school and for dinner, but still he has shouldered the responsibility on his own!

I miss them though! I miss waking a happy Killi in the morning and a grouchy Declan:) I miss knowing what is happening at school(first-hand:) I just miss them. It has also been a good long time since Ben and I spent this much time apart and in the past it was always him leaving:)

On Thursday I will be home and order will be restored. Ben and the monsters will make sure I know how much they missed me and I will get more hugs and kisses than I will know what to do with:) I know they are fine without me and I am doing okay without them, but I still miss them!

Sleep...

2009-11-01T01:09:00.002-04:00

I always promised myself that I would NOT play musical beds because of my children. For the most part, I have been able to stick to it, up until a few days/weeks ago(see it has been so long since I slept that I don't know how long she has been coming in:)Anyway, Maggie has decided now that she would like to start having nightmares. She falls asleep in her own bed, regular time(7pm), and then 4-6 hours later she is in my room crying and shaking! So, I pick her up and stick her in my bed. I make sure she is as close to me as possible, as to not disturb Ben and then she sleeps. I on the other hand, do not! I watch tv or look for another bed/couch to sleep on or I cough all night like I have been for the past 5 days!!!

Now what? On Tuesday Maggie and I head to FL for a week where we will share a bed. Then we have company for Thanksgiving, then we weekend in Pittsburgh, then FL for Christmas! My question is this, When do I have the fight about her sleeping alone? I think I need a break from this parenting thing, forget it the whole adult thing!

To Blog or Not to Blog?

2009-10-25T21:03:00.002-04:00

To, won out. I am sure I will be sorry later or evasive now:)

Last week the girls and I had H1N1. It sucked, but we got through it. We still have a cough, but all-in-all we are well.

The in-laws came to visit this weekend. It was fine. They took the kids to get pumpkins on Saturday and I stayed home, that was nice.

Declan had two football games this weekend. They won the first, lost the second.

School sucked last week for me and the kids!

Killi is going to have some "testing" done through the school finally.

Maggie is enjoying school.

Ben had been a good husband(soon that will change;-)

Oh The Things I haven't Done...

2009-10-21T18:30:00.002-04:00

-pictures are not being taken of the monsters

-after starting strong, lunches are not being made for school

-the budget has not been followed in a few weeks

-routines are not so strict

-never enough time for friends

-bathrooms are not cleaned enough

-not enough time spent on my marriage

-not patience enough with the monsters

-no walking on the treadmill

There are a few things I have done...

-hug and kiss my kids(too often if you ask them:)

-cut back on fast food

-work on not being crazy

-try to deal with less drama

-planned a trip to FL for Christmas

-worked out a budget(that I cannot:)

I know that my life is a struggle for me and that I try to do my best for myself and my family. I know that I can often do better, and I will. I am sure I will also do worse.

Flu Shots!

2009-10-13T17:36:00.002-04:00

After much debate, and deciding NOT to get Flu Shots this year, Ben's doctor said we all HAD to have them:( So, with our day off yesterday, everyone got a Flu Shot except me:) Ben got his at the doctor in the morning and then I took the monsters after lunch to get shots! I had three very unhappy monsters, so what did I do? I blamed their father and took them to Target to pick a treat out of the dollar bin:) Killian went first and was awesome! No tears no fuss. They Declan. He was alright, no tears, just a little nervous. Now Margaret, that is another story! She started screaming before the nurse cleaned her arm and continued until I took her off the table...at which point she asked why she wasn't getting one. She screamed, but never felt ANYTHING! Good thing she ins't dramatic:)

Ben's doctor also said that everyone in the house needs a H1N1 shot. I hope we can get that done next week! So far the only way to get the H1N1 shot is through the Health Dept. They are holding clinics in at the local high schools next week...That should be fun:)

My Kids Will Never!

2009-10-10T19:02:00.002-04:00

The only parenting advice my mother gave me, unsolicited, was never use the phrase "My Kids Will Never...". This is advice that I have followed pretty well for the past 8 years, but now I am wavering. Not so much in the behavior of my monsters, but in things I was never going to do as a parent! One of the things I swore I was not going to do was make my monsters conscious of their weight and now I have. Maggie, my littlest monster has chunked-up and I fear it is unhealthy. Understand that my other two come in different sizes as well, but neither is "unhealthy". The baby however, needs to eat more healthy and do more activity and as her mom and supplier of her food, this really falls on me and not her! I know that I need to lead by example and therefore need to exercise more myself and with her.

I feel that I have failed her as a mom and now am having to focus on what she is eating and how much. I am trying to do this without pushing it in her face. I have never told her that she needs to "diet" a word that is rarely used in our home. I have instead tried to focus on healthy eating and exercise.

I don't care what she looks like, that is not what this is about. It is about a healthy lifestyle and a good foundation for life. I hope I do it right and don't force her into a "weight" or "appearance" obsession for the rest of her life!

Any suggestions?

Bureaucracy...I am so over it!

2009-09-28T23:33:00.002-04:00

As I have mentioned several times on my blog, Killi, my perfect middle monster, continues to struggle in school. On Friday, I met with her new "main teacher", she receives primary support and speech from other teachers. We met and like all the others before her, the new teacher has her own opinion of what Killi's needs are. And once again, her "take" is not like the others. It is so frustrating! We have been at this now for 4+ years, and all we can get people to agree on is that something is not quit right. What is "off" you ask? Can't tell you because about 30 different people have given us about 30 different opinions!

Where do we go now? Well, I am very lucky to have a friend that is a special education teacher and is willing to work with her alittle and see if she and see anything. We have been advised by yet another doctor, to request complete IEP testing. However, school officials keep suggesting that we not have the testing done. The doctors tell us that the school doesn't want to pay for the testing and therefore are dragging their feet...School tells us that the doctors are jumping the gun! Who's right?

I am very angry! I feel like we are being lied to, by whom I am not sure. What I am sure of is that what is best for Killi, is not what we are getting. We I sent my baby to kindergarten last fall, she was the happiest baby ever! By the end of November she was crying EVERYDAY about school. Three weeks in now, she cries daily and thinks she is stupid! Something is not working for her! What the hell is it!

Please tell me if you think you know!

Not Happening...

2009-09-27T20:38:00.002-04:00

It has been about a month now since school started and we are still not finding a groove. Working school, activities and sleep into a routine is proving incredible difficult and school has not started for Maggie or me yet, that comes next Monday! I guess the positive of Maggie starting school at the same time I am is that I can have quiet time for school work. I can also clean, grocery shop, exercise and PTO...wait, she is only gone for 3 hours a day:)

Football is over in another month and I am not sure we are long for the cub scout world this year. Killi has lots of homework and there is no good time for us to do it. I am glad she is getting the added support she needs, but they are all handing her "extra" homework and that is tough.

I am hoping to get back to spending more time at home with the family. Less stops on the way home. I would like to spend the time after school playing outside with them in the yard and not at the park with other kids. I am finding that playing after school is making the adjustment to home too hard. It takes the kids that much longer to decompress. The cold weather will be coming soon and football will be over, so we will get some good family time soon!
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On another note, Ben and I have decided that we will give the kids what they asked for for Christmas, two days at Disney World! They have been asking for awhile and I told them when Declan was 10(2yrs from now:-)but as our Christmas plans are ever evolving, we posed the question to them, "Instead of a gift from mom and dad for Christmas, would you like to go to Disney"? They were excited and very willing to forgo other gifts...they were even willing to give up Santa's gifts! I was excited that they wanted to spend time together as a family instead of getting gifts! Santa will still bring a few very small gifts for under the tree, but Disney is our big gift!

Declan has a birthday Friday, 8 years old! We started celebrating today and will probably wrap up sometime Columbus Day Weekend:) We will drag things out here for cake:)

What a Day!

2009-09-20T19:02:00.002-04:00

Sundays in the Fall are my favorite days. We stay in all day watching football and just vegging, it is a nice break from the hustle of our daily routines. The girls have been MUCH better the past two days, although they still have room for improvement:) Declan has been Declan which is okay and minus the loss by both the Steelers and the Yankees all weekend, Ben was in good spirits.
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Things have changed since I started writing this post. My husband decided that he was going to act like a two year old and broke one of the computers. The screen is all messed up! He then wonders why Declan is a sore-sport and not a gracious winner. I am certain that children learn from example and that was not a good one. It is difficult for children to understand that they should take care of their things when their father is scream and yelling about a Football game, that oh-by-the-way he does not actually play in!

He walked around the house yelling for an hour and scared the monsters and that annoys me! Fine if you are mad at them, but a football game...get over it.

I am annoyed! A decent day ruined by a grown man acting like a f***ing two year old!

Oh What a Night...

2009-09-20T07:03:00.002-04:00

Instead of putting the monsters to bed last night we "hung-out" with them. Ben and Declan played the Wii and the girls and I watched a movie together. Maggie fell asleep on the couch and I left her and went into bed myself. Killi followed me into bed, but opted for her own once I fell asleep. Ben reported that Declan also fell asleep on a couch and he left him:) Maggie did not last long on the couch before she wandered into my room. At 3am the dog decided he needed to go out, barking and barking!!! I threw him out and decided I would replace Maggie on the couch. I am not really sure what time anyone went to bed, but I am guessing there will be some grouchy monsters today...starting with me;-)

I have a killer sinus headache which now is feeling migraine-ish! I have got to do some laundry and make some meals for the week. I also need to clean my room, the bathrooms and do some reading with Killi...how much is really going to get done today??? It is Football Day in America according to Declan:) Tomorrow is another day and I don't have much to do outside the house this week. Maybe I will get the house cleaned before the Family comes on Friday, hahahaha!!!!

An Evil Force!

2009-09-18T22:14:00.002-04:00

I am very unhappy to report that my daughters have been taken and replaced by two very mean, out-of-control beings. Ben and I have spent the past few days trying to correct horrid behavior. Last night, they lost t.v. and I thought that was the punishment that was going to work...I was wrong! They topped it tonight! Tonight, after they were tucked into bed, they decided to sneak into our bedroom and steal the nail polish, which ended up on the floor in their bedroom and who knows where else. Because that was not enough "damage" they decided they would try using nail polish remover on the floor to get-it-out! The smell of the nail polish remover is what lead to their room to uncover the latest mayhem! Oh and they were NAKED!!! Both of them running around NAKED!!! WTF!!!

I am at a loss. What do I do to punish them? I am starting to think that they do not care about anyone of anything! I want to cry, wait...I have!

This is the point at which I wish there were a manual! I just don't know what to do!!! They are insane! and it is both of them!

HELP!!!!

Bugs, Football & The Fist Days of School...

2009-09-12T21:45:00.005-04:00

What a week we had here! Maggie decided that she was going to wear the "bug" costume we've had lying around the house. She wore it EVERYWHERE this week. By Thursday, the principle at Declan and Killi's school asked her why she wasn't wearing it:)

I guess the positive of the "bug" is that she is cute and the costume only enhances that;-)

Declan played in his first football game today!!!(They had a game last weekend, but the other team fore fitted) Today he played awesome!!!! We were very proud of him; except for when Ben was getting up to help him get a drink and Declan yelled,"I thought you were gonna beat me!" WOW!!! Maybe we need to start beating him;-) Out of the mouths of babes:)

Here he is in his uniform!!! Go Titans!!! And no, that did not go over well in our Steeler house this week:)

To round out the mix this week, school started for the two oldest monsters! And me too I guess as they were crazy enough to elect me to the PTO Board this year:) I am the volunteer coordinator. This was my sign for Open House!

The monsters had a good week! They both seem happy with their teachers and I am too so far, but you know that you would have heard by now if I wasn't:) They did not buy into taking the bus past the first day and that is really okay. Our routine isn't great, but that is us! For now, school is going well all around! And we had a good week! I hope they keep up this way!

All Good Things...

2009-09-10T22:22:00.002-04:00

It is not for lack of trying, but I just find it near impossible to stick to a schedule! I really hate them! Well, maybe not hate them but find it difficult to live by them. It's not just me anymore though, the Monsters too are not good with routine! I find that our family does best with a loose guideline. Very little is set in stone and the few things that are, still have some wiggle-room. For example school, getting out the door to school is projected to occur at 8:25am, however they do not HAVE to be there until 9am, so we always have a half-hour to play with. It is the same with school pick up, it can be done between 3:30-4:00pm. Bedtime, no routine there either. I try to get baths done at night, but it is no biggie to do in the morning if need be.

I am told regularly that this is not a good thing and that we need a schedule, a routine, but that makes me unhappy! Crazy even, trying to get everything done the same way ALL the time! My kids do not seem unhappy or un-nerved by are lack of routine, in fact they seem much less comfortable when I try to push routine on them. Maybe I am just seeing what I want to, who knows!

So our house lacks a schedule and has a loose routine, I think I am going to start living with that instead of forcing the unnatural on the fam! Hopefully I will not screw them all up too bad...or I will and they will blame me at the therapist that I will be paying BIG money for:)

Tomorrow's The Day!

2009-09-07T23:23:00.002-04:00

Declan starts 2nd grade tomorrow! Where has the time gone? Seems like just yesterday we were looking for preschools, now 2nd grade! I think he is ready and excited to get back to school. His teacher is awesome(and I hope she is a good teacher too:)

Killi Monster on the other hand is either very nervous about 1st grade or quit a manipulator. She spent about 2 hours crying that she could not sleep because she was scared to go to school and would miss me. I suspect she didn't want to go to bed, but I will pretend that she is really going to miss me:) She also has an awesome teacher that I know she is going to LOVE! I am really hopeful that together they will have the breakthrough Killi needs to get it all to click. I know that her teacher will do her best to find what works.

The Monsters will also be trying the bus this year. Killi is excited about that while Declan would be happy for me to drive and pick him up everyday:)

I promised brownies and blondies for dessert tomorrow night so I guess Marg and I will be busy bakers after we get the kids off!

I hope everyone out there has a great school year!

This is it!

2009-09-05T17:32:00.002-04:00

Summer is ending. School is starting in just a few days and the cool air the past week has kept the Monsters from the pool. Life has been crazy here the past few days, there doesn't seem to be anytime for anything! PTO and Open House, football and babysitting we had a busy week. I think the kids will enjoy getting back to school after the first week or so of waking up early. The routine should be good for them! And our routine should stay about the same from here on until about January, then Football ends and we wonder what to do on Sundays:)

I am hopeful that Declan and Killian have the best teachers for them this year and that they will each have to work hard and will learn a ton! Fitting homework in with football and scouts should be fun:)

I hope that I am able to continue making a few meals on the weekends to freeze and put away for the busy nights. And that I am also able to get a good chore schedule going for myself so that my house might be clean!

Margaret does not start pre-school until Oct.5 so until then I will have a helper for house work and PTO! That is always fun:)

I cannot wait to post how GREAT our first week is going:)

Lots to Share!

2009-08-31T00:14:00.002-04:00

First, my mom, brother, almost SIL and two perfect nieces are coming for a weekend visit at the end of the month! I am very excited! I always LOVE to see my brother and crew and I haven't seen my other niece in about 9 months! This will be a good preview of Thanksgiving with only half the people:)

Next, tonight started my full-press attempt at getting back into a school routine. We had dinner, then showers, quiet playtime, teeth brushed and off to bed. No, it did not go very well, but that is why I started tonight and not next Sunday:) I have also set the alarm for 7:45 tomorrow morning so we can get up and moving! I wonder if that end will work better:)

I got a bunch of dinners made today in hopes of keeping our dining-out to a minimum and hopefully eating healthier meals. I made baked ziti, chili, and rice to use in fried rice. That should help this week!

Football scrimmage on Tuesday and Thursday is Open House for the kids at school. Ben is headed back to work after being out most of the month so he will have lots to do! I guess the best way to get back into the groove is to just jump in!

CHRISTMAS!

2009-08-29T21:26:00.002-04:00

Yes, I am aware that September is not here yet, but Christmas is both my favorite and least favorite time of the year. This year I am making a change and this change is going to make Christmas my favorite time of the year with no exceptions!

My opposition to Christmas for many years has been the complete commercialization of the holiday. Despite my best efforts, the monsters see Christmas as a time to "get stuff". This is not what I want Christmas to be about in our home. I want it to be about family and fun and LOTS of decorations! For months now, I have been cutting-back on what I buy the monsters and Ben and I have been making them "earn" things. I have also been preparing them for the fact that Christmas will be VERY small as gifts are not what it is about! I hope they start understanding that.

Honestly, it is not just about Christmas, but life in general at our house. We are a very fortunate family. Are basic needs are met with many, many extras thrown in. I am feeling that it is time that we realize how good we have it and what is really important. To me, spending time together is important! Because soon enough the monsters will be out in the world and our time together will lessen. I want to enjoy NOW!

I hope my Christmas plans go well and I can get the family to enjoy the family side of the holiday!

Order in the Court!

2009-08-12T18:51:00.002-04:00

The monster's sleep schedule has been so off all summer. With our trip to NJ so early this year, we never got into a good rhythm and the bad one is getting worse! The kids are up until between 10:30pm-midnight every night! Around here, that is a BIG deal seeing as Maggie was in bed by 7pm all school year, Killi by 8pm and Declan in bed about the same time, just not asleep. They don't get up in the morning until well after 9am and getting them(and me) motivate is near impossible!

As we speak, it is 7pm and Maggie is asleep! I am not sure how long she has been asleep, but I am pretty sure that it will not last through the night! There is craziness and chaos all the time! I don't like it. I like for the monsters to go to bed and then for me to have some quiet time before I go to bed! That has not been working! We need some order and I have decided that it will come in the form of melatonin! I have used it before(on recommendation of their doctor)and I think that is the only way to move them back to our normal schedule. Lucky for my I have found a place in town that carries the liquid, so when I ever leave the house and Harbour again, I will grab it! Maybe then some order can be restored around here!

Wish me luck!

Truth...

2009-08-10T18:53:00.002-04:00

I know it is rare, but I feel I must share so truth here. First, I am truly looking forward to school starting, but only so that we have a schedule again. Second, I am truly hoping that this school year will be better for me than last year was. Third, I am a very disorganized person. Fourth, sometimes I wonder how I got the life I live. And fifth, I love my kids with all my heart!

I wish I could have been more organized this summer and that we could have done more as a family. I feel like the time is moving so quickly and that the kids will be off to college the next time I blink. I hate that! I wish time moved more slowly. I wish I could keep them little forever! Being a mom is getting harder and harder as they get older. There is more to do. More activities, more school work and more active parenting. When the kids were younger the days seemed "hard" with 100's of diapers and feeding and changing and playing, but now I see that that was the easy part. Now with the activities and homework and friendships and questions, it is really tough! I hate to see my kids be mistreated by other kids, but I know they need to learn to work that out and I know that the only way for them to learn is to ask questions, but some questions I am not ready to answers!

It is hard, this parenting thing! I am glad I have many friends to do it with!

Some Good...

2009-08-04T00:03:00.002-04:00

Today I had a meeting and it was good! This was the second meeting in as many weeks that I have had and both have had awesome outcomes! The first was last week with Father Bob, where I looked for answers on religious education for the monsters! and today with the school principle about the best options for my Killi for next year!

In neither meeting did I get all I wanted, but what I did get in both was the chance to talk with people that really wanted to hear what I was saying! And it was about my kids so it was good!

Parenting

2009-08-02T00:26:00.002-04:00

Growing up, there were a few "lines" my mother used often that I swore I would NEVER use as a mother. Two of my least favorites she used were "Because I said so" and "I don't care what so-and-so does I am not their mother". Upon hearing either of these "lines" my skin would crawl! I wanted to scream every time she used them! I could never understand why she could not just explain WHY instead of I said so or WHY she was always the mean mom and we could not do what so-and-so did. Well, as my children continue to grow, so do I! And I know that "because I said so" is an answer given out of necessity sometimes and not always convince. "Because I said so" sometimes just needs to be used until there is a better time/place for further explanation and not always to ignore the child:) So, I use it, alot and I have made peace with the hypocrite that I am for swearing at 14, I would NEVER use that on my kids:)

Moving onto my second least favorite "line" my mother used,"I don't care what so-and-so does I am not their mother". With this one I just never understood why I was unable to do all the fun things that EVERYBODY else could! This "line" has become one of the most used in my home! Only now I hear it in an entirely different way. When I say this to my children it is often because that behavior in question that so-and-so is partaking in is not behavior that I think is good for my children. Sometimes it is for moral and ethical reasons and others just because. The reason I bring this up is not to show what an incredible hypocrite I am, but to point out that almost NO ONE else I know uses these "lines". And that would be great if the reasons were that these parents always take the time to explain to their children why, so "because I said so" was never needed or that all the kids and parents we know had the same rules, but that is not the case either. Instead I find that I sit at the park or pool all day and discipline my children while most of the other children run wild with little to no oversight! This is driving me mad! And I know it does not matter how others raise their kids only how I raise mine, but sometimes I think it would be nice if some of the rules were the same...No hitting, back-talking, lying, small things is all I am asking for! Who knew I was going to be the only psycho mom that thinks sassy mouths should be punished!

Parenting is not as easy as the getting pregnant thing was;-) And I love it but I would like to say to Sec. Clinton, I do not want the village to raise my children because they are not doing a hot job on their own!

An Outing or Two...

2009-07-28T21:39:00.004-04:00

This past weekend, my brother and his crew came to town and we found somethings to do other than sit around the house and talk:) Friday night we headed downtown to see the Nationals play. They lost, they do that a lot:) We enjoyed ourselves despite the terrible play by the Nationals! We did get a an extra treat at the game, Friday Night is Firework Night at the stadium and they were great and with BRUCE playing in the back round, they were near perfect! As a Jersey Girl, fireworks and Bruce on a summer night is good stuff!

Here we are with Teddy Roosevelt, he races in the Presidents Race during the game:)

Then on Saturday we headed out to Antietam Battlefield! At first my excitement was really not there for this adventure and the traffic did not help, but in the end I/we had lots of fun!

Hiding Out...

2009-07-24T02:04:00.002-04:00

I have been hiding out from blogger lately:) Really, I am just having trouble making time! I find that my summer days are filled more than my "school days" are. I always wonder how this can be. In reality I know how; I am having to engage and entertain the monsters all day long! While I don't mind this and LOVE not having to be on much of a schedule, it makes for a some long days. I let the kids stay up late and sleep in, but then I have trouble getting errands done, but on the flip side of that, summer break is only 2+ months long and isn't nice for the kids to dictate their schedule some:)

We have been spending lots of time at the pool and all three monsters are really swimming and well at that:) Declan and Killi can swim strokes and dive in the 12 foot pool to retrieve diving sticks! Maggie can jump in and swim about half the length of the pool before getting tired! I am really happy for them, they are all so proud of themselves.

They have also gotten to enjoy playing with their friends with no rushing for homework or activities. We might even try some sleepovers before the end of the summer:) We have also had a few friends have babies in recent weeks and been lucky enough to visit with the new additions! The girls are happy to look, but move on quickly, Declan however keeps asking for a brother!lol! NEVER!

Tomorrow night we are headed to the Nat's game(where chances are they will loose:) but there are fireworks after the game and Billy, Kelly and Angie are here to enjoy it with us...no one else visits! Maybe I can get some pictures up of that!

Family Fun Day in NYC!!!!

2009-06-30T10:02:00.003-04:00

Friday we had a Family Fun Day in NYC!!!

The girls and me being goofy!

Our first stop was the Statue of Liberty! Declan has been asking to go for 2 years now and this year we made it!

Ben and the monsters at Lady Lib! It really was a beautiful day there. Not too hot, a great breeze and best of all, the kids got their National Parks Passport stamped!

Then off to spend ALL Daddy's money at:

We had been promising Killi a new doll for sometime now. She had a tough year in school and worked very hard and for all her hard work she earned a doll, that she could spend the summer playing with! Time to be a kid!

And Maggie is lucky enough to be little and cute so her dad could not deny her one:)

And as you can see, Killi was having no trouble at all with spending Dad's money! And Dad having NEVER been to the store didn't really get how it worked and spent WAY more money than mom would have! It's nice to be daddy's little girls:)

Don't be sad for Declan. He did get to go to the Statue of Liberty and yes he was dragged to the AG Store, but Wednesday night he gets to go with is dad and PopPop to the New Yankee Stadium! That in his world is a very big and exciting thing! And when he goes with Pop, he NEVER comes come empty handed!

Better Days!

2009-06-19T23:42:00.003-04:00

After a rocky start the first day, summer vacation has been much better the last two days! We have spent countless hours at the pool and what very few hours were left in the day we fit in packing, sleeping and an ice cream trip with friends!

This year at the pool is a bit different than the 4 previous summers. In years past I have sat mostly alone talking only in passing with people I knew only from the pool. I knew almost nobody's name and I was okay with that. I would sit and watch the kids play and the hours would pass. Not this year! Now that the kids are in the neighborhood school, we know EVERYONE and moreover, everyone knows us! I thought it would be good to join the PTO, which brought me lots more friends(?).

Don't get me wrong, it has been a good thing. It is just a bizarre experience to go from a Nobody to this:) Me with friends is such a novel concept:)

1st Day of Summer Vaca...

2009-06-17T16:03:00.002-04:00

SUCKS!!! It is cold and rainy. The kids got up too early and the only game they seem to be able to play is "make each other cry". Thankfully, I have an awesome(and very crazy)friend that took all three monsters to her house for a few hours. I am not sure they'd have made it through the day without it.

Tomorrow the rain is supposed to tapper off to scattered T-storms, so maybe we can get to the pool. Same for Friday. Then we are off to NJ, where the rain never seems to stop! The forecast says 67 and rain for Saturday up there!!! Hope that changes or our beach trip is gonna suck!

I guess I should vacuum or pack-

An Interesting Meeting.

2009-06-14T21:59:00.002-04:00

I've waited a few days to share this story because I have been considering whether or not I wanted to publicly discuss this, and I have decided that I do! I rarely hold back here and now is no time to start, especially since I'd love to hear your thoughts.

As anyone that reads this knows, My sweet Killi has not had an easy school year. Learning, in a traditional manner is very difficult for her. She went into kindergarten not knowing her letters or numbers. Her fall "test" scores while passing were very low(and by low I mean 60 points less than her brother's the year before). Anyway, Ben and I spent a good deal of time at the school working with her primary teacher and the support teachers hoping that Killi would "catch-up".

At our mid-year meeting in February, the teachers told us that she was not progressing and had been placed on the retention list and selected for summer school. Ben and I had decided that retention in Kindergarten was not an option for us as she is already one of the older kids in class, but we were open to summer school.

Finally, in April(the 20th, I believe)she received an IEP for speech. That's correct, after "failing" the speech assessment is November, she was finally tested and receiving services at the end of April! Which ended up being a joke because she went to speech a total of 7 times I think. I am not angry about the 7 times since the end of April, I am angry that it took until then to start!

Last Wednesday, I went to my end-of-year meeting for Killi. This is where they wrap everything up and let me know what next year is going to look like. At this meeting do you know what I heard? I heard that my baby is on grade level for everything! That perhaps she will not need or receive support from the PST(small group instruction)like she did this year. Sure, she is not the strongest academically, but she is also not the weakest.

While I was delighted for Killi when I hear this news, I was also angry! Angry that now after she has worked her ass off and we have fought our asses off, they want to drop her! Just leave her hanging. It is like hand-feeding a baby animal from birth and suddenly, with no warning placing them back in the wild!

I'm not sure where to go from here, but I need to go somewhere. Any thoughts/suggestions?

Declan

2009-06-14T07:59:00.002-04:00

Let me tell you about my boy, he is smart,sweet,kind,responsible,friendly and gentle, sure he has some bad qualities like he runs-his-mouth, knows EVERYTHING, and is a bit too sensitive:) Lately, it has been difficult to balance the positives and the negatives and some of the positives have been negatives for him.

We have had a few instances where Declan's sweetness has deterred him from standing up for himself. Not that Ben and I advocate fighting, but we do want him to be strong and not be bossed around or hurt by others. Sometimes he just doesn't do that! He allows himself to be bullied or hurt when he should stand-up for himself! For some of this I take the blame as I often tell him not to tattle instead of hearing-him-out and offering solutions to deal with the problem.

I want to make him stronger and wiser! Understanding that it is not okay for people to treat you badly. And when they do, you have the right to defend yourself and not be in that situation any more! I wish I had the answers. I wish that parenting was easier! Thank goodness kids are forgiving and very hard to break:)

2 Left!

2009-06-13T18:55:00.002-04:00

We have made it to the home stretch! Only two days left in the 2008-2009 school year! I am very ready for it to be over! You can imagine it has been bad if I am looking forward to two weeks at the in-laws!!!

I hope that next year is better!

Tricky...

2009-06-10T00:43:00.002-04:00

This morning we had very bad Thunderstorms, again! We have had the a lot lately. Anyway, due to the storms and a very late night, with little sleep, the kids did not make it to school. Yes, I am an incredible slacker! There is only 5 days left and I am a slacker! I just felt so awful this morning that I could not bring myself to get showered and dressed to walk them into school, as we were late because the alarm didn't go off because of the storm. So, they were home and I was i pain. I went back to the doctor this afternoon and I am still in pain.

Moving on, tomorrow(really later today)Killian is receiving an award at school! She is so excited! She has been waiting all year! We do not know what it is for yet, but we are excited! She got her grandmother to buy her a new dress for award day! I will post pics of the dress and award later today!

CAUTION: This post has a PG-13 rating!!!!

2009-06-09T11:58:00.002-04:00

Last night Ben and I tucked the kids in to bed, I took some heavy duty pain meds and off we went to the living room. What took place next was a bizarre sequence of events, so bizarre in fact, I had to ask Ben this morning if it actually happened or if it was the pain meds.

Back to the living room, Ben and I are sitting there and all of the sudden Maggie comes out crying that she is scared. So, the two of us(not sure why both) go to tuck her back in when she refuses to lie down and stats screaming and crying about...the TOOTH FAIRY!!! Yes, the very scary tooth fairy! Not just crying either, there was shaking and hyperventilating,too!!! This went on for no less than an hour. We could not calm her down. We tried all we could to calm her short of telling her that there was no such thing! Nothing worked! So, after an hour of this Declan comes out and says,"Look Maggie, this is crazy! The Tooth Fairy isn't even real! It is just daddy." Ben and I said nothing, just sat silent.

With that, Maggie went to bed!

What I am wondering now is, are we off the hook for the money?

Gone!

2009-06-07T01:28:00.002-04:00

Last night was the first night in over 8 years that I spent ALONE! That's right, ALONE! No babies or husband to be found! It was amazing. Weird, but amazing! Ben was on Childcare duty tonight because I was having some friends over, but instead of having to entertain them alone he decided to make a fun up to NJ for the weekend! I wasn't sure if he was going to make it out the door with all three, but he did and they all seem to be having a great time!

My in-laws have a new pool that the kids have been dying to get into since Christmas and today they did! It has been awhile since they had seen Pop Pop and Grandma too, so this was a perfect plan! On top of the new pool, the kids got their first trip of the summer, to Pt. Pleasant Boardwalk in so they are in heaven!

I enjoyed my night last night and my day today, but I think by tomorrow I will be missing my monsters! And I will admit, I was a little happy to hear that at least one monster missed me tucking her in:)

8 Days Left!!!!

2009-06-04T18:54:00.002-04:00

We are at 8 and counting, and the next 8 school days cannot go fast enough! I am just ready for it to be over! I am ready for some good relaxation! Days of relaxed bedtimes and no plans or schedules! Trips to the pool and the beach! Family dinners and fun.

Just some time for us to step outside the rat-race and enjoy life a little! Trips downtown, play dates that run late, a spur-of-the-moment camping trip, all the things we cannot do during the school year!

It does seem that the summers are getting shorter and shorter though:)

So Proud!!!!

2009-06-02T20:54:00.002-04:00

I love days when my kids are proud of themselves!It makes me so happy for them!

Today Declan received a medal for running at least 25 miles during PE this year! He worked really hard to reach that goal! He was so proud of himself! I was so happy to tell him that I was proud of him too; proud because he worked that hard for something he wanted. I am not sure he fully understood that, but he was proud!

A Great Day!

2009-06-01T18:17:00.003-04:00

This is my first year participating in this

and I am so happy to be doing so. Last year I had hoped to, but got busy and forgot! Not this year!

Over the past few years, Gay and Lesbian Family Rights have become a important to me. I have met many people over the past few years that have help me see the injustice that these families are facing and I want that to change! I want families to be treated equally and marriage to be open to all adults that want to marry! I want my children to grow up and barely remember that people were discriminated against for loving the someone.

I want to thank all the friends I have made throughout the years, mostly my blog friends, for answering all the questions I have had along the way. I hope that each one of these annual blog days brings more and more awareness to how much more "alike" than "different" all families are!

Failed Again:)

2009-05-31T20:48:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-05-31T10:19:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-05-27T16:29:00.002-04:00

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!!!!

2009-05-23T19:52:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-05-19T14:49:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-05-17T22:24:00.002-04:00

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!!!

2009-05-14T18:11:00.003-04:00

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

2009-05-12T20:35:00.002-04:00

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:)