New Hair-Do's!

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!

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

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 :-)

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!

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...

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...

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!