%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |  Being a stay at home mom is never as cut and dry as you think it is. |
|
Originally my pregnancy blog, now continuing on as the life of a mom and her two wacky kiddos thing till I don't want to write in it anymore  . So come on in and see what's going on in my world for a bit if you like...Be careful where you step, as the kids have all their Pokemon cards out! Feel free to hug a Hello Kitty plush! Come join in the fun, Super Mario Bros. and Hello Kitty style!![Merit Badge in Parenting
[Click For More Info]
Congratulations on your pregnancy*^*Smile*^*. You already are a wonderful mom to your son and I know this baby will be very blessed also
*^*Heart*^*SS](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Parenting-1180.gif) ![Merit Badge in Family
[Click For More Info]
In the midst of how you are feeling right now, know that it can be fixed & I'm proud of you for writing the poem that reflects how you feel. The love of your children clearly shines through. *^*Heart*^*](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Family-584.gif) ![Merit Badge in Journaling
[Click For More Info]
I'm so glad to be back blogging and reading yours. The kids have grown so much! I'm so glad that you, myself and T are still here journaling together!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/type-Journaling-2180.gif) the wonderful badges my "Sister", silversara, graced me with. Thanks Sis, I  you! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Thanks to all of you for your support, your comments, your love, your generosity and your time! Never met a greater bunch of people then on here! Besides, who else would want to listen to a rambling crazy mom, both during and especially after pregnancy?
 |
| Busy month this month, I have 12 things on my calendar for the rest of the month. Today starts my going in to Journey's class! I'm going to be in there from 10:15 am to 12:15 pm. Then I have a therapy appointment at 2, and get out just in time to walk and get the kids from school. After that we come home to do homework, and I make dinner. There are two field trips, a Halloween party to organize, two doctors appointments, and Ryan's chess club to contend with. Chess club meets every other Friday, starting next Friday. That also happens to be when Journey's eye appointment is. Every Friday this month, I'm busy. Every Tuesday this month, I go into the school. I'm enjoying every minute of this! I don't get much time to read books anymore, which is sad, because I have to renew the 6 that I have out, but I'm sure I'll fit that in somewhere somehow...I think... Other than that, not much else to report! Gotta get going here in a few, so it's time to go brush my teeth, fix my hair, and head on out! Have a good day everyone! |
| I got an email today from Journey's teacher asking if I could come into the classroom every Tuesday at 10:15 a.m. I can also stay for recess and lunch if I'd like. I'm so very excited!! This is what I wanted! To be in the classroom and help out! And now I get to do it! Yay! I heard from the paraeducator this morning about coming in and staying for lunch with Journey. I was very excited when I heard it, but I thought that they were going to send me a message in Journey's folder tonight about it. Then I got an email from her teacher this afternoon, so I was extremely ecstatic! Now I get to learn all the little kids by name, and see Journey doing her thing, and get to spend some time with her at recess and at lunch! Hooray! Journey will be so excited to see me! I start next week, and I can't WAIT!! |
| So, a couple of things going on. First off, I offered up my services for reading group or Sunshine Math to Ryan's teacher, and got shot down. She told me all she wanted me to do was make copies for her every Monday afternoon. Considering I don't know how to use the machinery yet, I told her I'd let her know as soon as I found out how to use the equipment. I'm severely disappointed though. I thought after last year, getting to do Sunshine Math with the kids, that I would be allowed to do something like that again. I guess not. Now I'm scared that the same thing is going to happen to me with Journey's class. I'd love to help IN the classroom and meet the kids and everything, but I'm afraid that's not going to happen, and that's one of the biggest disappointments I have. I feel so let down. At least Ryan's second grade teacher liked me. I guess that can't be the same for every teacher.  Journey lost her second baby tooth today. The tooth fairy will make her appearance tonight to give Journey a big, shiny $1 coin. She asked Don if she was going to keep losing all her teeth. I'm not sure how to explain to her that she's only going to lose the baby teeth and keep the molars... Other than that, life is relatively normal. I'm devouring books as we speak. I need to keep myself from being bored. How I wish I could go into the classroom and help.  I sure hope this doesn't spiral me into depression. |
| Journey came home yesterday with what they call the "Broadcast Box". This honor means that the kids in the class are learning your name, the letters that go in your name, and what's special about you and your name. The Broadcast Box is to be filled with 2-4 items that tell about what makes your child special. Journey, of course, right away insisted that Kiki Maow go. I was all for it, as Kiki Maow is very special to Journey. We also decided to put in her favorite Hello Kitty phonics book "Hello Kitty Can", which is about all the fun things that Hello Kitty can do in school. Journey relates very well to this book, so it's one of her favorites. We placed a 4 pack of crayons in the box, because Journey loves to color, and also a Hello Kitty pencil because she loves Hello Kitty. Everything fit in the box nicely. So I practiced with Journey all night and all this morning. I would ask her "Tell me about your stuffed animal," At first, all she would say is "I don't know." So I told her "Tell them her name, Kiki Maow. Say, 'I've had her since I was a baby'." Journey nodded her head. "What about the crayons Journey?" "I don't know." "Say, 'It's because I like to color.'" "What about the Hello Kitty pencil?" "I don't know." "Say, 'Because I like Hello Kitty.'" "Tell me about the book Journey," "It's a book." "I know, but what's special about it?" "I don't know." "Tell them, 'This is my favorite book.'" Every little while, I'd pop out the questions to her. "Tell me about your stuffed animal Journey." "I've had her since I was a baby." "Good! What's her name?" "Kiki Maow." "Very good! What about the crayons?" "Because I like to color." "Right! What about the pencil?" "Because I like Hello Kitty." "That's right! What about the book?" At first there were a lot of "I don't know"s, but I kept reminding her to say "It's my favorite book". Today was an early dismissal day from school. I wrote the kindergarten teacher overnight to ask her if they had time to do the Broadcast Box today, or if she wanted us to wait until Monday to bring it in. She assured me that they had time for Journey, and also wrote that she was the sweetest little girl, and was very pleasant and happy in class. That made my day! So I set up the Broadcast Box with Kiki Maow inside it this morning, and placed it in her backpack. I ran her through the drill again, asking her the importance of each object that was in the box, and why it was special to her. We practiced and practiced all along our walk to the school this morning, just like we practiced last night. Now, Journey has a tendency to forget things easily, even after being coached. I couldn't just assume that she'd go in the classroom and tell her bits about each object. She tends to get very shy in front of people, and when this happens, you get a lot of shrugs and "I don't know"s. She's usually not very confident in her answers, and shies away from public speaking. I wasn't expecting to hear that she did alright, but I hoped with all the coaching I did with her, she would at least retain some of it, even through stage fright. She did me one better than that. When I was waiting to pick up the kids from school this afternoon, I ran into her special ed teacher. She told me she was so proud of Journey for standing up in front of the classroom and telling everyone about what was in her box. Just like we practiced, she told them how her stuffed animal was named Kiki Maow, and how she had had her since she was a baby. She told them about how she liked to color with crayons. She told them the pencil was because she liked Hello Kitty. She even read the entire Hello Kitty book for her class to hear. "She did such a great job!" her special ed teacher proclaimed. I smiled, admitted that I had coached her last night and this morning, but advised her I was extremely pleased with how well everything turned out. "Oh, I know," she told me. "Usually when we have questions for her, she shrugs, or gives an 'I don't know' or an answer that doesn't have a meaning. But she stood in front of that classroom with a purpose today and told them everything! She's doing so good!" I've never been so pleased to hear those words before. To know that all our work, my work, her special ed teacher's work, her kindergarten teacher's work, her paraeducator's work, is all paying off, helping shape this little girl, is wondrous to me. |
| They made me room parent. Of Journey's classroom. Okay, so I'm not entirely alone on this mission. I share the duties with another woman. But still. Room parent. That's huge. That's gargantuan. I never thought that I would be made room parent. I'm to help organize all the party activities for this year. Okay, that's pretty easy, especially when I can get email addresses and send out a mass email suggesting what we need for the parties. I don't know how the other room mom wants to split that duty. I'll have to call her to find out. My suggestion would be she gets half the party supply list, and I get the other half. Maybe she gets half the email addresses and I get the other half as well? Not sure. We're also the point of contact for the PTA. I find that interesting, since the PTA was clamoring to get me to join last year. I dunmo. I'm totally into the school and my kids' learning experiences, but PTA is a gigantic step. And it's only for the cool moms. I'm not a cool mom. That's why getting room parent is a huge deal for me. It's for those navy wife stay at home moms that have money to throw around, and have nothing better to do but be suburban perfect mom who brings in cupcakes every party and has a little activity for the kids to do during the party. At least, that's the impression I've always had. Moms who live in the 'hood, they don't get made room moms. I'm poor. I can't afford all the hottest trends on clothes, or the Coach purses, or the Chanel glasses. I don't get my hair done, or my nails done, and I wear the same 12 shirts and two pairs of capris over and over again until fall comes and then I wear the same 13 sweaters, 2 long sleeved shirts, and three pairs of pants that I own over and over again. To my kids, I'm the coolest mom because I volunteer. Ryan was ecstatic last year that I was in his classroom so often. He treasured every single day that I came in to do Sunshine Math with the kids. The other little kids didn't even care that I wore the same 12 shirts and 2 pairs of capris over and over again. They loved having me there doing math with them. That's why I love little kids. It's not a contest to them, to see who's more chic mom than the other moms. They don't care. All that matters to them is that someone comes in and enriches them, their lives, even if it is for only a half an hour. That's what brought me to ask about being room mom in the first place. That experience I had with his class, bonding over math. It gave me hope that even though I don't smell like an expensive perfume (just like a clean individual with laundered clothes and a shower), and I'm not the poster child of Suburbia, I can be helpful, and enjoyed anyway. It touched my heart when the kids asked me for my autograph last year at the end of school, like I was an important part of their lives. It meant so much to me. I thought, if I can do that for Ryan's class, and they don't care that I'm poor, or I'm not the hip mom, or the rich mom, or the fashionista mom, then why not try for Journey's class too? All I want to do is be in there. I want to see her as she learns to read, and writes sentences. When she learns all her kindergarten learnings. I want to be that mom that's in the thick of things, helping out the teacher with whatever she needs, and reading stories to the kids. I want to grow attached to these little human beings, with thoughts and feelings and interests. I may not be able to be a teacher right now, but I can be in the thick of a classroom to experience the joy of learning all these sweet little individuals have to offer. I want to know each child by name, just like I did in Ryan's class. I remember going to stores, and if we happened to run into one of his classmates, I'd either get a wave or a hug. I love that feeling, that I mean something to those kids. And though it doesn't happen for every child, and not every kid is interested in meeting you or being your buddy, at least some of the kids are interested in you being there to help. That's the biggest reason I want to be there. To help. That, and to witness little moments of my daughter's successes . I'm not the kind of girl that wants to upstage anyone, including the teacher. That's not what I'm there for. I'm not there to take over or do anything crazy. I just want to be there to help, to witness and to watch. To soak it all in. The only experience I've had with room moms is with the one in Journey's class last year, who didn't really call or anything to get things together for the parties they had in Pre-K, and the most organized room mom I've ever seen in Ryan's class. She was room mom since kindergarten, all the way up to 2nd grade last year. For all I know, she's room mom this year too, but her daughter is in a different class for the first time since Ryan was in school. She was the one with the master plans for the parties and whatnot, organizing everything, and doing little crafts with the kids every party. I'm worried that I can't live up to that. How am I supposed to find crafts for the kids? I mean, I could I suppose...but I don't know if I'll have the money for it. Does that make me a bad room mom? Between the one not really caring, and the one that's super organized, I'm not sure where I fit into this equation. I hope to be the best room mom I can be. I'll do whatever I can, and what I can afford, to be as great as a room mom as I can be. I'm scared, but I'm excited. |
| I've had a library card for quite some time since we've lived here. I just rarely used it for me. Back when we first moved here, I signed Ryan up for his very own library card when he was 4. We'd check out all the books we wanted on it, and had a grand time doing so. Then, we turned in some books late (we went to Colorado on vacation, forgot to turn the library books in before we left), so we had a charge on the card. So then I signed up for a library card, because at the time we couldn't afford the $14 that was charged to Ryan's account, and I borrowed books for the kids on my card instead. A few months later, we paid off the debt on the card, and then signed Journey up for her own library card. The problem was, we never had the time to go to the library anymore. We were all so busy, that we never bothered to make a time slot to go to the library. So some time passed before we went back to the library. Don would check out a few things here and there, but the kids and I mostly kept from going; why, I'm not sure. . This summer, I was insistent on taking the kids to the library. I was "home schooling" them, and the best way for Ryan to get some english into his mostly math packed diet was to take him to the library to get books, and then give me an oral report of sorts on the book that he was reading. For Journey, finding her easy reading books so she could learn to read was very important to me. So every Wednesday that I had the car for my podiatrist appointments, I would take the kids to the library and have them pick out books. I was determined to get them reading during the summer. I, myself, was bored, however. I had a library card, but had only ever used it to check out materials for the kids. "What's the point of having a library card, when I don't even borrow books?" I thought to myself. My friend from Connecticut came this summer, and we toured around the library together for awhile. Easy to pick up books for the kids, harder to pick something for me. She showed me a few things, mostly YA fantasy novels that went along the same lines as the "Aragorn" stories, or Harry Potter, or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Now, granted, I don't mind any of that. I'm an obsessed Harry Potter fan. For the longest time, those were the only books in my house, and I would read them extensively for months on end. But I grew tired of reading the same 7 books over and over again. I was looking for new stories. Try as we might, I didn't really find anything that piqued my interest, right until we were about to leave. I saw a book titled "The Geometry of Sisters", read the inside cover sleeve, thought "Not bad," and checked it out. Now granted, it was a soppy read. My friend Kiki invited me to join a site called "goodreads", where I could get ideas from other people on what books to check out. I gave that story a two out of five stars; it was a sticky read. I didn't really care for it all that much, but it started the ball rolling. I have friends that are what I like to call "bookies". They have kindles, tons of books, and reading is their number one passion. I'm very impressed with them. Given the chance, I would be very much the same way. I'm a voracious reader; I'll read anything you put in my hands. I'll even follow through and finish the book to the end, even if I think the storyline is lame or dumb, the characters brittle, the storyline not well thought out, the dialog doughy. I'll still truck through that book, and reserve all judgement till the last page has been turned. If it turns me off, I'll give it very little stars on the site. If I like it well enough, I'll grade it fairly. If I would delight in reading the story again, I'd rate it high. (And look at that, I've digressed.) Anyway, I started to ask these "bookie" friends of mine what some good reads were. They heaved all kinds of titles on me. From there, I would look it up in the library catalog and see if they had it. If so, I'd click on "description" and read up on what the book was about. If it interested me, I'd place a hold on it. So far, in a matter of three weeks, I've checked out 12 books, devouring each one in hours. I've built my own little ratings corner on the site, where all the books I read get placed on my "bookshelf", and rated. It seems that finally, at last, with a little guidance from friends, some suggestions, and resourcing the library website, I've been a busy little reader. Finally, my library card has some miles on it! I still take the kids to the library to pick out books as well. They have a program at the school called "Apple Tree Book Club", where you list all the books you've read over the summer and during the school year, and if you read so many books, you get a golden apple and a book in your name donated to the Elementary school library. Ryan has only made this honor once, and that was in kindergarten. There is currently a joke book, in his name, in the elementary school library. I'm hoping I can do the same for Journey this year, between the school library and the county library, as well as her own small library here at home. Don keeps finding books that grab his interest as well. He checks out books often. Not as often as me and the kids right now, but often enough. More often than I used to, anyway. So now, we frequent the library on a regular basis. It's nice to have a need for something as wonderful as a library. And though I don't root around the shelves for books (my friend from Connecticut suggests that I try sometime), I still have a great use for it. Now, onto the three books I currently have in my cache. I also have a list of 5 other books to check out, and two e-books that my great bookie friend emailed me. And for the record, "The Art of Racing in the Rain" is a FANTASTIC read. Just so you know. |
| My friend said that this has definitely been a rough start to the school year. We started a week with 3 days, had 3 days off because of the hurricane, and then went back for 2 days, then have the long weekend for Labor Day, where we only have part of a school week again. Last week the kids were confused, having off for three days, thinking it was like summer vacation again. Journey got used to sleeping in again, which made it harder to wake her up at 7:30 am the next day. So far, they're doing alright. I've decided to give up on the bus except for inclement weather days, because the bus driver picks the kids up in the middle of the road here, and also drops them off in the middle of the road, and I don't appreciate it at all. I'm concerned about the safety of my kids, and parking in the road isn't the way to show me you're looking out for my children's safety. So every morning I walk the kids to school and every afternoon I walk them home from school. My foot has healed quite well. I'm walking on it with no problems, so that's the good news. The kids don't mind walking to and from school at all, which is good. The little girl that I take to school on Tuesdays through Thursdays doesn't mind it either.  Other than that, not much else going on. Staying in this long weekend, going to get some laundry done. |
| Hello! All is well here! The ground soaked up most of the water, most of the trees stayed rooted to the ground, and we only lost power for a second. We were pretty lucky I'd say. Laugh at me if you want, but when Friday night came around, I had a little chat with God. "I know this hurricane is coming, but could you do me a solid and keep it to a minimum for us please? I don't want my kids to freak out, and I'd really like to stay and make sure my house is safe. Please don't flood my house or put any trees down around the house, and could you keep the power on for me if possible? Thanks, I really appreciate it!" And BAM, there it was. Happened just like that. Kinda cool, no? So either we were extremely lucky, or God really loves me! The rest of town, I'm afraid to say, did not fare as well. My friend had two trees go down on her house-one from the front and one from the back, and he basement flooded, and her power is still out. Another friend hasn't had power since 5 p.m. last night, but she is safe. And good friends of ours are trapped on their road, as the road is flooded out, they have no power and they have no water. Lots of trees went down. Lots of roads flooded. Many power lines dropped, some transformers blew up. The wind did some pretty extensive damage. I don't know how long it's going to take to clean up all this, but I am ETERNALLY GRATEFUL that we haven't had to deal with ANY of this at all. We're very blessed, to say the least. So other than that, we're good to go. Glad to be able to update you all on how things are going. And thank you Scarlett  for the concern and well wishes! |
| We are currently under a flash flood warning, a tornado warning, and a hurricane warning. Irene is coming, and it's not going to be pretty. I hope it's only as bad as Ernesto was in 2006, where we only lost power for 4-5 hours. We could possibly be looking at days. We're listening to a battery powered radio and a scanner that was lent to us by a friend to see if they're going to evacuate us. If so, this could be a long day. I hope everything will be fine and that we'll be safe. I brought all my plants in indoors. So far, the power is holding out, but I don't know how long that's going to last. Just letting you guys know where we are and what's going on with us, so if you don't hear from me for a few days, you'll know the power went out because of the hurricane. For any of my friends that are in the path of Irene like I am, please, be careful, stay safe, and follow any directions they give you. Your lives are more important than anything else. Love you all. |
| So today was Journey's first full day of kindergarten. Didn't get much out of her about it. "Did you go to the gym this morning?" "Yup." "What did you do there?" No answer. "Did you see Mrs. Guy today?" "No." Hmmmm, can't be too sure about that one. "Did you read a story today?" "Yup." "What story?" "I don't know." "Did you color today?" "I colored green. Lots of green." (I'm assuming she meant her behavior chart that she brought home for me to initial. She got a green card today, which means she had a good day.) "Did you color anything else?" No answer. "Did you eat?" "Yes, I had pretzels." "Did you eat your sandwich?" "Yup." "Did you have lunch?" "Yup." (Got a note sent home today that she ended up getting hot lunch at the cafeteria today because they thought her lunch box was her snack bag. They didn't look to see that there was a lunch box AND a snack bag in her bag. So she ate hot lunch [pizza; or so she says she ate it], and then she ate her packed lunch for snack.) "Did you go potty at school today?" "Nope." "Did you play with Gracie today?" "Yup." "Did you play with Seth?" "Yup." (She says "yup" to ANYTHING.) "Did you go to the playground today?" "Yes!" (Ahhh, we finally struck something!) "Who did you play with?" "I don't know." "Did you play on the slide?" "Yup." *pause* "I played with Briauna." "Oh yeah? What did you play?" No answer. So, it's just like last year. Having to play 20 questions, and trying to get an answer other than "Yup". I'm *hoping* that Mrs. Guy will start sending home sheets telling how she did for the day like she did last year. I'd like to know how much she ate and who she played with and what she did for the day. I swear, if I could be there with her to witness this all firsthand, I would. Right now, I'm laid up because I had a plantar's wart removed from my foot, and I have to keep from standing on it too much, so there go my days of walking freely. I don't know when I'll be back up to walking again, but hopefully by next week. It's a damn shame too; I miss walking to go get the kids. It was a nice time to get to talk to them about their day as we're walking home, but now I can't do that for I don't know how long. This sucks. Ryan's first day went well, I suppose, as well. Didn't get a whole lot of answers out of him either. "What all did you do at school today Ryan?" "Hmmmmm....huddunnah." "Did you do math?" "Yes" "What did you do in math?" "Graphs." "Did you read?" "Yeah, I read some of that book from the library." "Who'd you play with a recess?" "I played with Cheyanne." Anything else to comment Ryan? Nope, not really. Yeah, my kids are soooo talkative.  |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
