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!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Another Tough Week!
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Easter in NJ...At The Boardwalk, Of Course!
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!
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!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Advice
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!
I Love My Monsters!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
5 Years Ago Tomorrow...
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
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.
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!
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:)
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:)
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