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 |  Being a stay at home mom is never as cut and dry as you think it is. |
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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
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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
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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
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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?
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| Once upon a time, when I was little, everyone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. There were so many choices! When you're 6, how are you supposed to choose the right profession for the rest of your life? But at 6, I took a stab. "I want to be an author," I proclaimed. "And I want to be a teacher," I added. "Plus, I want to be a mom". And here I am, 32 years old. My dreams of being a writer haven't really fleshed out. Mostly because I'm horrible at editing, and I can never finish things. ESPECIALLY on time. Which is how I found out when I was a freshman in college that I just wasn't cut out for journalism. Sure, I tell a great tale, but I can never properly polish it to send it out in hopes one day of being published. Though it makes me a little sad that I'll never sell a novel (much less finish writing one), I'm okay with it. No, really, I am. And yes, my dreams of being a teacher haven't exactly panned out either. Not long ago I tried to return to college to get a degree as a kindergarten teacher, something I'd LOVE to do. I've found that I just don't have it in me to go to school. I get overwhelmed, upset, and shut down. It's a tragedy really, because I have such wonderful ideas that I wish I could put into play. Being a Brownie troop leader has given me the chance to be teacher-like, and experience the joy of newness to the girls. I get to show them new things, and teach them things, and help them grow. Those are some of the jobs that a teacher does (though a teacher does much, MUCH more than that. I have the utmost respect for teachers). So really, I'm satisfied with the role I'm playing for right now. (Plus, Journey is along for the ride! How many teachers get that opportunity?) The one thing I have been successful in, is becoming a mom. And believe me, it was not an easy feat. Ever since I was little, I always wanted to help with the smaller kids. I liked watching them, and playing with them, and teaching them things. My mom said I was very maternal, even at 2, with my own little brother. I was always looking out for him and making sure he was safe. I did that for him until the day I moved out of my parents house. I was 11 years old when my first cousin was born, and I took to baby sitting to help raise the kids as more little cousins came along. I always took up the opportunity to take care of the kids, because I love kids. Kids are honest, true, dependable, trustworthy, sweet, kind, and forgiving. If you accidentally wreck a 2 year old's playdoh sculpture, chances are she'll forgive you after a little while. Most adults can't even do that. Kids are fantastic people. I love their imagination and the way their minds work. Anything is possible when you're a kid. When I was 15 years old, I went to a doctor about some difficulties I was having with my period. It was always late, and it was usually pretty heavy, with lots of cramping. My doctor diagnosed me with PCOS, or poly-cystic ovarian syndrome. I was told that when I became sexually active, they would immediately put me on the pill, to help with the cysts and my period problems. "Jamie...PCOS means it's going to be harder to have kids when you're older. You might have some trouble conceiving." were my doctor's words. That thought put a lump in my throat. What if I couldn't have kids? I wanted to be a mom later on in life. What did that mean for me? When I was 19, I went on the pill, mostly because my period was still heavy and irregular, and I was tired of being surprised every 22-49 days if it was going to show up or not. I didn't take the pill all the time at that time, and I had a very devastating mishap my freshman year of college. I was only a few weeks along, but I had become pregnant, and lost the baby. To this day, I still don't know what happened to cause me to lose it, but I know that it was a heartbreaking loss. Though I wasn't ready to become a mother yet, what I thought was my only chance had died. I was crushed. I vowed to take the pill every day after that. I wasn't ready for something so terrible to happen again. What if it was because I have PCOS that I lost the baby? I don't think that's the case anymore, but that's how my mind worked when I was so scared and upset. Fast forward a year, I met Don. We fell in love. I couldn't wait to become his wife, but in the back of my mind, I was always worried if I would be able to carry a child. Somehow, I miraculously conceived one, but then lost it just a few weeks later. What if that was all my life was meant to be? I began to plot to Don that we could adopt if we couldn't have any of our own. He was so great with kids, and we both loved them. I couldn't see us not having kids in our lives. I was still on the pill when he moved out to Colorado with me, and took it religiously. I never missed a day. One day my best friend called to tell me that she had become pregnant, and I cried. I cried with joy for her, and I cried with a broken heart for myself. What if my only conception was when I lost the baby? What if I never conceived again? I shared my fears with Don, and he said that no matter what, we would become parents, foster care, adoption, or conception. "We'll find a way", Don said. That November, I found out I was pregnant with Ryan. Yes, WHILE on the pill. Yes, the pill DOES kill the cysts, and allows the eggs time to mature. How I conceived though, on the pill, is what blew my mind. I was so nervous, and scared. What if I lost this baby too? Then it wouldn't be just me devastated, but Don too. Blessedly, I went through my entire gestational period with him. Not without bumps I assure you, but I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. The day Ryan was born was one of the greatest days of my life. My dream had come true; I was a mom. Around the time Ryan was 18 months, we attempted for another, but it just wasn't meant to be. I went to a ob/gyn, who was completely flabbergasted on how I had managed to achieve getting pregnant in the first place, and how Ryan was actually my son. He showed me a sonogram of my ovaries, and told me "Do you see this? The chances that you became pregnant with your son were a million to one. I'm sorry, but without the help of an endocrinologist, a dietician, an ob/gyn specialist, and some hormone therapy, the chances that you'll ever conceive again are 5 million to one," He said bracingly. I was heartbroken. I had really hoped to give Ryan a little brother or sister, and to know that it was next to impossible to do it just made me want to cry. But, I carried on. After all, I was blessed enough to have Ryan. He made my dream come true. Ever since I had lost the first baby, all I ever wanted was a son to call my own. I had that now, and though I was sad that I probably couldn't have another, I was content to have Ryan in my life. When Ryan was around 20 months old, I went into diabetic ketoacidosis. I was extremely dehydrated, my electrolytes were off, and my blood sugar was dangerously high. I was rushed to a hospital where I was diagnosed diabetic, and had to learn how to now manage my life with needles in two weeks. My new reality. Through it all, I lost somewhere around 76 pounds, because I was so dehydrated and messed up. We moved to Maryland when Ryan was 2, and I brought along all his baby things. I promised myself that, if by the time he was starting kindergarten, I hadn't gotten pregnant, I would give it all away. I had hoped to find a job with insurance, so I would be able to go to an ob/gyn specialist, an endocrinologist and a dietician, but sadly I couldn't find one. I spent my days caring after Ryan though, while Don was the one out of two of us that found a job first, so my duty was to stay and take care of Ryan, which I was perfectly fine with. I still held out hope that I would get insurance and be able to get pregnant again. January of 2006, I found out that I was pregnant again. Don had to be the one to tell me that I was, I didn't believe him. Could it have really happened, that I conceived without the aid of medical assistance? Indeed, it had. And with a bursting heart, we welcomed Journey into the world. I remember when I was being wheeled into the OR, my ob/gyn told the attending nurse that I had PCOS. "How'd she get like that then?" He responded, pointing to my pregnant belly. So yes, two of my three dreams may never happen. But you know what? I'm okay with that. Because all I ever wanted was my children, and I got them. How many women with PCOS can say that? When I got pregnant with Ryan, the miraculous force was the birth control pills, that allowed my eggs to mature, thus allowing me to get pregnant. The second time is because I had lost so much weight when I was sick, which is one of the things doctors tell PCOS patients to do, in order to increase their chances of conception. So yes, there is science behind it...but in the end, who knew that I was going to carry to term, twice? And who knew that even with those criteria met, I would conceive in the first place? I am so blessed to have my kids in my life. Ryan is the son I always wished for, ever since I was young. Being his mom is the greatest accomplishment I have ever done in my life. Journey is the little girl I always hoped for, being her mom is a privilege. There is nothing I wouldn't do for these kids. I couldn't have asked for anything better than this. I am grateful every day for my kids, and relish all the chances that I get to be with them, and be there for them, and love them, and care for them. This, my friends, is my true calling in life. To be Ryan and Journey's mom. |
| I know why I'm sleeping so well lately. I'm keeping myself extremely busy and occupied, so my body may not be running more than usual, but my mind is going a million miles an hour, so by the time the end of the day comes, I'm thoroughly exhausted, and I pass out with ease. The first Brownie meeting was somewhat similar, as I felt entirely spent after I came home. I think my exact phrase was "like a firework that exploded in the sky for all to see, and now I'm at the fizzling out part". I spent all my energy and adrenaline running the meeting, that I had nothing left once I came home. I was so out of it, Journey did her homework wrong, and I had to stay up with her ten minutes after her 8 pm bedtime to do it over again. So, when I went to pick Journey up for occupational therapy earlier that afternoon, the office secretary told me that they had to move my meeting place, from the old community room, which has now been turned into a classroom, to one of the trailers outside where the 4th grade is. They have one side of the trailer as a classroom, and one side as the art room for the second art teacher in the school. Okay, a slight bump in the road, but we can still manage. They advised me that they told the girls to meet in the gym, where I would collect them, and we would make our way down to the trailer art room. We did just that, but we did have a moment when we had to find a way to get the last girl, who doesn't go to our school, there to the trailer with us. Her mom found a way, thank goodness, so we were ready to start. When I got the girls in there, it felt like everything was a rush. I have two very wonderful, exceptional parents that are with me while the meetings go on. Seriously, these two moms, there was NOTHING that wasn't attended to while they were in there. They passed out snack, they cleaned up, they helped pack me when it was time to go...they were AMAZING. I honestly don't know what I'd do without them. (Here's a secret...I'm going to get them gift cards for Christmas for helping me out so much at the meetings!) The girls got situated with snack, and ate and drank. I gave them enough time to eat most of the snack, and then asked them to make name tags that had their favorite color, favorite animal, and one thing they did over the summer. After I checked the time with one of my parents (note to self, bring iPod so I don't have to depend on the mom to tell me what time it is all the time), I had the girls clean up snack, and sit in a circle to introduce themselves. They all found out that they were all 7 years old, and they were all in 2nd grade. I explained that the biggest things to learn in Girl Scouts are the Girl Scout Promise and the Girl Scout Law. I advised that they're recited after the pledge of allegiance (which I forgot to do, because I couldn't find a place to put the flag...gahhhh, next meeting, I'm going to teach them a proper flag ceremony so we always have a girl that carries the flag for us so we can do the pledge and then put it away), so I broke out my giant printed papers of the Law and the Promise, showed them the Girl Scout sign, and had them read and recite with all the girls that had been there, done that. We then pasted the giant printed papers to a poster board, and decorated the poster board with every girl's name and stickers. I checked the time again, and we still had some time left. I felt like, everything we did, we rushed doing, but then by the time it was over, we had all this time left. It was like time was skipping...one part would go really really fast, and then another part would go entirely too slow. Seeing as we had some time left, and I didn't know what else to do with the girls at that point, I broke out the sister Brownie troop in Arizona's pen pal letters. Four girls got two letters each, and the rest of the girls got one letter each. The girls were extremely (and I mean EXTREMELY) excited to get those letters. They sat anywhere and everywhere and read them to themselves, and to each other. They noted all the stickers and pictures and drawings that the Arizona Brownie troop did in their letters. I advised the girls that they could take the letters home and keep them, but that they could either write a reply at home before the next meeting, or they could write it at the next meeting itself. We had a few more moments to spare, so we (the four girls that were Daisies last year and I) taught the new girls "Make New Friends" and "Brownie Smile" songs. I taught them the friendship squeeze, and they all laughed. Then it was time to go. I confirmed with the office today that the parents can now pick up and drop off at the trailer itself, but all they need to do is sign their daughter out so the school knows that they were there until 4:45 pm, and left. Last year, they told us parents could only pick up at the lobby. I'm glad that they changed their stance since we're out in the trailers. Now I need to put together next meeting. I'm thinking snack (of course), reading the Brownie story (I have to make a print out of it for two of the girls that won't be there), and having the girls finish writing the letters. If they wrote the letters at home already, I'm going to have to find something else to do. Maybe teach them "Herman the Worm", and the Girl Scout handshake. I'd better figure out some other activities to fill in the time. I'll re-read my Brownies first four meetings packet and see what they suggest. Sometimes an hour and fifteen minutes feels like such a little amount of time...sometimes it feels like eternity. All in all, we'll see what I can find. |
| Well, it took quite a few emails, but I can proudly say that I have my final roster for my 8 Brownies set! All 8 of them are 2nd graders, so this means that, if they want to, they will all be in the same troop moving up together from here on out. We may get extras along the way that could be 3rd graders, or we may get extras next year that could be 2nd graders, but this core of 8 will be the ones moving in the same direction on the same page in the same troop 6684 from here on out. Any extras that are a grade above or below that we take on will either have to find a new troop next year or the year after. I'm so nervous and excited!! I'm nervous because 4 girls are new to this whole Girl Scout thing, and 4 girls have been in Girl Scouts before. 4 of my girls were in the same Daisy troop last year. I'm nervous about them, because the expectation they have going in is like the troop we used to be in. What if they expect their experience to be like it was last year, and I can't provide that? I calm myself down by saying that this is MY troop, and I can do whatever the girls and I want to do in it. I mean, I'd like to follow the way the badges are supposed to go...but other than that, we get to make this year whatever we want of it! I just hope I can provide them with that. The 4 new scouts, I worry that this experience isn't going to be what they were expecting going in, and that they'll want to quit after this year. I try to calm myself by saying that all I can do is the best that I can, and try to make things fun and enjoyable for them as much as I can. I've never done this before; I've never been a Girl Scout. I'm not sure what the Girl Scout experience is supposed to be. I'm worried that the moms that were Girl Scouts, or the moms that have older daughters that were Girl Scouts, will remember those days and say "Wow, my experience was so much better than what my daughter has now", and for that, I'm really sorry. I'm only trying to follow the curriculum that I was given from the Girl Scouts, and I can only do so much with it. I mean, I can't take the girls sky diving (firstly, we don't have the funds, secondly I doubt we could find a high adventure vendor in our area that does that...), but I can take them on the two educational field trips that we're going to do...and, my friend Melissa, who also has a daughter in the troop and is heavily involved in the troop, suggested we do an overnight field trip to Calvert Marine Museum with the cookie money we earn. We're going to give the girls the option of taking the prizes that they can earn, or keeping the extra 5 cents a box to go towards our overnight museum trip. I really hope that gets the girls excited about selling, and makes them want to work harder for it! I have ideas, and I hope they pan out. I'm worried, but I have a lot of hope. I don't know exactly what I'm doing, but the girls and I will figure it out along the way I suppose, right?  I can't wait for Wednesday! I'm so excited! I've got to pack my bag for it on Monday, I can't forget the flag or the poster board or the cups or the camera... I have 2 girls that haven't registered to be Girl Scouts yet, so I'm going to need those forms and the $15 annual registration fee to sign them up...As soon as I get the forms and the money, I'll send them in. The girls have 2 meetings to get registered, so hopefully I can do it for them on time. So far, I have funds for the troop from three people, including myself, I'm positive that I'll get all of them by the first meeting though, so I'm not worried. One of my new girls already has her uniform, just needs the numerals and the journey patches, so all I need from her is $11.50 and the activity fee. I hope this becomes a great year, and the girls love it! It's a labor of love for me, I do it so the girls have a place to go, a place all their own, that allows them to make responsible choices and grow to be the girls they want to be. I've never studied for anything harder than this, not even college. Wish me luck! |
| So, I've already written an entry about the things Journey likes, but now I'd like to write an entry (for now; I'm sure as I think more about it, I'll make another entry) about the things Journey is good at. See, Ryan is good at almost anything he does. School is a piece of cake for him. The minute he picked up the clarinet, he could play it as though he had a couple years of experience. Soccer comes naturally to him. Ryan is good at MANY things. This is why Ryan doesn't need an entry on things that Ryan is good at. He's pretty much good at everything. Journey has honed her skills to be the best she can be at many things, and has come a long way. So, without anymore interruptions, I bring you.... Things Journey is good at Journey is good at: -Making playdough pretzels. She uses her little fingers to roll out the dough as best she can to form it into a snake, and then makes the perfect twist to put the pretzel together. -Making cards. Any occasion really. If the mood strikes her, she'll make you a greeting card. She made one for her Brownie sister Kira, she made one for her 1st grade teacher, she made one for Don's Aunt Gina. She loves making cards. She loves writing notes of encouragement inside the card, and she loves drawing a picture (usually of a cat) on the front of the card. She's learned from her occupational therapist how to fold the paper correctly so it makes a card. She practices this skill all the time now. -Running Hello Kitty Cafe. It's gone from being about sundaes to being about a diner. She knows all about how drinks come first, then appetizers, then dinner, then dessert. Strange thing is, we don't go out to dinner very often, so I'm not sure how she has it memorized. She does a bang up job of it though! -Memorizing Pokemon. Ryan reads about and studies Bulbapedia, so he knows as much as he can about Pokemon from that. Journey, however, does not go on Bulbapedia, but knows about Pokemon as much as Ryan does. It amazes and surprises me! -Reading. Journey has great fluency in reading. She reads as though she's the story teller, with voice and rise and sound. She does amazingly. -Being friendly. Journey considers everyone her friend, even if she just met you. She may just introduce herself, and then let the other person ask all the questions, but she is friendly in her answers. She may not stay around very long after she says hello, but don't mistake that from not being friendly, that's just her way, she gets lost in her own little world sometimes. -Being helpful. Journey always offers to help with things. Even if she's never done them before, even if she isn't very good at them, she tries to help out as much as she can. She hardly ever says no to helping out with a job around the house, and often offers her assistance to all of us throughout the day. -Being considerate. Journey thinks about others often. She always wants to make sure other people are taken care of too. At her birthday, she wanted to make sure everyone got cake. She shares without issue. Sometimes I worry that she's going to give away all of something she has and not have any left, but she always makes sure to save one at least. -Being caring. Journey cares A LOT. She cares about people and animals and trees. She gives love effortlessly. Those that enter Journey's world become loved and cared about. All of her therapists and teachers she loves, she thinks about them and makes cards for them. She remembers birthdays and calls people on their birthday, and makes them a card. She makes everyone aware that it is that person's birthday. She'd shout it from a mountaintop if she could. I've never met a more caring child than Journey. -Being loveable. You just can't help but love her. Once you know her, and you know all about her, you fall in love with her. She's the sweetest, most caring, loving, friendly little girl. She may not always be social, she may be kind of in her own little world, but make no mistake, once she has friended you, she will remain loyal and loving. I'm at a loss at what else I can put right now, but I'm sure more will crop up. When they do, I'll write another entry and let you all know even more about what Journey's good at! |
| I talked to Journey's developmental pediatrician, and he let me know that the school doesn't have to follow what the doctor prescribes, so if they determine that she doesn't need an IEP academically, there's nothing he can write that will stop them from taking it from her. Now that I know this information, I'm determined to make sure she still has speech and occupational therapy. If she still qualifies for speech inside of school, the more the better. If they determine her not to, then I'll find her private speech that takes our insurance. These assessments sound very pin-point. I hope I find out more about Journey, but I'm not sure how I'll feel if they take her off her IEP. I wrote her old special ed teacher asking her questions about it, and she let me know that they would still have people looking out for Journey even if they took her off the IEP. That made me feel a little more relieved. Journey's always been on an IEP, so I'm not sure what to do if they take her off and say she no longer needs it. I just want to see her succeed in school. I worry that she won't have as easy a time as Ryan has had, and I don't want her to struggle or have any difficulties, especially if they're caused by anything she's been diagnosed with. On another topic, I've signed up to take some Girl Scout training in October and November. It sounds like a lot of fun, so I'm interested to go and see what they have to say. My SU manager is thrilled that I already signed up, and she said she hopes that other new leaders follow my lead and sign up as well. There was a particular set of classes that I really wanted to go to all three of them, but they're all at the same time and same date in different spots, which made me sad. I signed up for one called "Bag of Tricks", which gives you ideas of games to play and songs to sing and crafts to do if you end up having extra time at your meetings and nothing to fill it with. I worry about this a lot, so hopefully this workshop gives me some great ideas and I can implement them. The other two classes I wanted to attend that were at the same time and date but at different places were Girl Scout Ceremonies, and Girl Scout songs. I REALLY want to learn new songs to teach the girls, but sadly I can't go to all three. I've also signed up to take a first aid class at the hospital, which is one of the classes they suggest signing up for. If I take it in private myself instead of through the Girl Scouts, then when they do the first aid class through Girl Scouts, I don't have to go to that one. Journey did something that impressed me yesterday; she came to the office all on her own when I came to get her for her occupational therapy appointment. She has a watch that she wears, so I told her that when her watch says 1:20 pm, she needs to go dump her lunch tray and come to the office. I asked her teacher if they could let her go through the lunch line first on Mondays and Wednesdays so she could eat as soon as possible in order to get to the office in time for me to take her to her appointment, which they've done so far. She looked at her watch yesterday, and at 1:20 pm, she got up from the lunch table, dumped her tray, and made her way to the office, all without the prompting of anyone else. I was very proud of her. She's being very responsible, not having to depend on anyone else to give her direction or tell her what to do. She knows what needs to be done, and she did it. I told her it was a very "Brownie" thing to do. As my girls get older, they'll be doing more responsible things as well. She's showing that she can take on that responsibility and keep up with herself. I'm very proud of her! Ryan's soccer is underway, and Don decided to sign up as coach this season. He's definitely stepped into new territory, but I think he's doing well so far. I haven't been to any practices to see for myself, but I hear good things from other people. I'm glad to see he's enjoying himself while he does this for the kids. Ryan enjoys having his dad as coach as well. Saturday is their first game, and I promised Don that we would all go and watch. I think it means getting up at around 8 am, but I don't mind. I'm just not going to be the one getting up at 6:50 am to get to their 8 am games. Not happening. I still support them though. Just like they don't have to be at Girl Scout meetings to support Journey and me. And we trudge on to fall. I'll come back and let you all know what the assessments said when all is said and done. It might take a couple of months to get anything figured out though. |
| So yesterday was Journey's birthday. She dressed herself in her Easter dress and high heels to look as special as she could! We told her she looked beautiful, and she believes it when we do! Don took the day off work so we could go to dinner that night right way, so he was with me when we delivered cookies to her class at lunch time. Her class was very appreciative, and though Journey didn't have time to eat hers (there was a hold up in the cafeteria with the number entry system), the rest of her class did, and they loved it just the same. It made my day! After school, Journey got ready for gymnastics, her final class, and we went. She had so much fun, mostly because it was the end of the session and they let them do whatever they wanted to do. We got her dressed back in her dress and heels, ready to go to Olive Garden. Two of the moms with girls in the class wished her a very happy birthday, as well as their girls, and Journey was beaming at the recognition. We went to Olive Garden, where Journey chose to go that night, and had a great time. Our server was AMAZING! We got everything in a timely manner, exactly as we ordered it, and at the end of the meal, the server asked if Journey was allergic to chocolate or raspberry, and made a happy birthday sign on a plate with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and raspberry sauce that said happy birthday and had a candle in it. We all sang happy birthday and Journey blew out her candle. She promptly ate the whipped cream and chocolate sauce, but left the raspberry lettering on the plate. It was very special! I loaded praise and complimented our server to her manager, to let her know that she made the night extremely special for Journey. Today, Journey and I are going shopping. We're going out to lunch at Bob Evans, where she'll get her free birthday meal, and we're going to go to Old Navy and see what we can find! I told her when she's older, I'm going to take her out of school for the day on her birthday, and we'll go shopping and get lunch that day. It'll be great! |
| Well, school starts tomorrow. I'm semi-ready for it, but not quite. I'm going to miss sleeping in, and I'll miss the security of knowing they're safe at home with me. I liked taking them to the grocery store with me. The only thing that drove me nuts was them asking for snacks all the time. I was annoyed by that. Other than that, they kept themselves occupied, working on the computer, or reading books, or playing with Angelina when she was here. Our days weren't that boring, so it was a nice, relaxing summer. The school year came by really fast though, I felt like summer didn't even last that long. The kids got lucky and got the teachers they were hoping for. I put in the good word to get Journey into a particular teacher's class, and it paid off. She is in that class. Ryan just got lucky that the teacher he was hoping for is the one that he got. I didn't put in a good word for him, I just let the chips fall where they may. He got lucky for both 4th and 5th grade. I'm so sad that this is Ryan's last year of elementary school. This will be the last year I can walk him to school. After this, he definitely has to ride the bus, because I can't walk him there anymore. The good news is though, that if he misses the bus, I can drive him there, as school starts at 7 am, and Don will still be asleep upstairs, so the car is free to drop Ryan off. I hope it doesn't come to that though. But even if it does, I don't mind. I'll be up early with him at that time anyway. I'm going to miss him being in elementary school though. I can't believe how big he's getting. Time really does fly by. Speaking of kids getting bigger, Journey is growing as well, but not all that quickly. She's still a little pixie. It makes me sad though, because even if I wanted to outfit her in all the proper Brownie uniform pieces, NONE of them are small enough. The smallest size is 7/8, which, yes, I suppose is normal size for girls that are 7-8 years old, but my daughter is TINY, she still wears size 5 shirts. A 7/8 would DRAG on her. I wish they had smaller options. Makes me sad. Journey's birthday is coming up on Friday. I'm going to be bringing in store bought cookies in at lunch time for her to celebrate with her class, Then, she has her final gymnastics class, and then we're going out to dinner. Hopefully she has a spectacular day! Don took the day off so we had time to do everything for her birthday. My little girl is going to be 7! |
| Today was Journey's 7th birthday party. I think it was fantastic! Journey thinks so too. So many friends came, it was so good to see them all! Journey made out like a bandit, with Hello Kitty gifts I didn't even know existed! She decided to wear her Rapunzel dress for the occasion, which the bakery ladies that decorated her cake thought was adorable. They even asked her for princess hugs for her special day! It was very sweet. The park was super easy to navigate, and we found the pavilion right away. The playground was right down the hill in plain sight (so we could let the kids run down to the playground an play while we stayed at the pavilion and talked, all while keeping a close eye on the kids), and we were right next to the bathrooms, which was good as well. I also appreciated that there were NUMEROUS picnic tables at the pavilion, so there was ample space for everyone to sit and enjoy themselves while eating without being cramped. We got just enough pizza for all 26 guests that were there, and the cake was a 1/2 sheet cake that fed everyone, and thensome. We still have maybe 1/4th of the cake left? Which was a lot better than the huge cake minus 4 slices we had last year. Jenn made a big cookie and frosted it for Journey to have, since Journey's not a fan of cake. She ate the cookie pretty well. We still have about 3/4s of a pan left, which hopefully we'll eat before Jenn's and her daughter's birthday party on the 2nd of September. Now we need to find a place to put all this Hello Kitty stuff! Such a great day! |
| So, I know I usually come on here and talk about all we're doing at the moment an whatnot, but today I decided to put down for posterity an entry of all Journey's likes. I think I did something similar when she was a baby, and I know I've touched on it with the favorites lists that I've done the last year and a half. I figured I'd write out a mini biography about her now. Journey will be turning 7 in two weeks. In these last (almost) 7 years, I've learned a lot about my daughter. Some things are simple, like her favorite animal is a cat; other things are more complex, such as she gets nervous meeting new people. Journey's more than just those two things though. Journey loves to act and sing. She only sings when no one's watching her though. She sings songs she hears over Disney Channel, and sings when she thinks we don't hear her. I've walked by her room numerous times and heard her singing a tune or two. She often plays out shows with her stuffed animals. At first it was acting out a computer game, but it's evolved into a diner setting theme now. She plays action news with friends, and tells tales of how stuffed animals like certain things. She loves to draw. Drawing is one of her favorite things. She's very imaginative, she draws all kinds of things. The other day she drew me a fire breathing cat, complete with dolphin blue tail. She draws me dinners that she's favorited from the night before. I'm collecting them to put them in a book. When she was 5, she drew me a book of flowers for Mother's Day. I still treasure that book to this day. I think I always will. Journey loves jewelry. She's all about bracelets and necklaces and rings and watches. She currently has on a Hello Kitty necklace, a bear bracelet that she got from the dentist's office, a heart bracelet that she got from Don's company picnic, a Sanrio Sugarbunnies wrist watch, and a Tinkerbell ring, as well as gold Hello Kitty earrings. As she gets older, I think she's going to enjoy jewelry even more. I'll take her to Old Navy and let her pick out some fashion jewelry for her outfits. Journey loves dress up. She enjoys the puffy skirts I buy her, and the cute shirts. She loves shoes, and being able to switch them around. Right now, she enjoys the clothing that I buy her, she says it's very cute. I'm glad I have a good eye for her type of fashion! I hope to help her pick outfits as she gets older as well. I think she dresses pretty cute! Journey loves stuffed animals. She has NEVER liked dolls. All her little friends get into American Girl, she couldn't care less about them. She'd rather we spend the money on Build-A-Bear. As of her birthday, she will own every Hello Kitty that Build-A-Bear has produced, but one. I believe that's 10 Hello Kitties? Some meow, some don't. Either way, she LOVES Build-A-Bear, and though Don says it's expensive, I say, Ryan gets video games that are $35-$70, so why can't Journey get Build-A-Bear animals and Hello Kitties that are $35-$50? They're quality made animals, and she has a lot of fun with them. Just the other day, she and Angelina were playing Hello Kitty hospital with her large Build-A-Bear Hello Kitties and her doctor's kit. It doesn't even have to be an expensive animal for her to love it. My dad has won her claw machine animals, and she loves them just the same. If it's stuffed, it's safe to say that Journey will love it and take it for her own. These are just a few encompassing things about Journey that make her so special. She's very girly! If I can think of anymore things, I'll come back and write them, but I think that's all I have for now! |
| I got my Brownie things in the mail the other day! I was very excited! However, I also realized that each step I have to take in order to earn a badge is going to take at least 4 meetings, if not more. It's a big step away from what we did as Daisies, earning petals in a meeting or two. This is actually much harder. I guess the older they get, the harder it gets. I'm going to let the girls input their ideas into each new badge. Girl led, right? Everything is so extensive! I've plotted out the snack badge, and I'm just wowed by all we have to do in order to earn it. They're not kidding when they say the girls should be experts in the field once they earn the badge. I want to tell my 2nd parent in meeting mom all about what we're doing, but I'm not sure how informed she wants to be. Some people want to be in the middle of it like I did with the Daisy troop last year, and sometimes they're there to sit at the meeting and be that 2nd adult. I don't want to pressure her into anything she doesn't want to do, you know? I'll ask her how much she wants to be brought into it. If she wants to lend a helping hand in the badges, the more the merrier I say. I've put out a call for skills in my parent letter that I'll be sending home. I've already plotted to go to the actual Girl Scout store in D.C. to pick up the girls' uniform things and their first badge.(What can I say? I don't want to pay for shipping.) I've got plans to teach the girls a proper flag ceremony, we'll be holding a Court of Awards every 2 months for badges earned, and sooooo much other stuff I have planned. I hope I remember to write this all down so I know what I'm doing when the time comes. I've decided that we should probably work on The Girl Scout Way badge before we work on the Snacks badge, because one of the parts to the Girl Scout Way badge is to throw a birthday party for Juliette Gordon Low. Her birthday is October 31st, and that will be right around the time we'll be ending our Girl Scout Way badge...maybe. I haven't plotted out the Girl Scout Way badge, only the Snacks badge so far. I should probably plan out the Girl Scout Way badge since more than likely we'll be working on that first. We'll probably see if we can join another Brownie troop to march in the Veteran's Day Parade, since that's one of the requirements of the Celebrating Community badge. I don't even know how to get involved in signing up to march in the parade; I'll email someone in the service unit and ask. Anywho, trying to allocate funds for all kinds of different things right now. We have two free checks in August, one right on Journey's birthday, so hopefully we get everything we need taken care of. Kinda stressful when I can't figure out everything we need. I just know that we need to get backpacks for both kids and earphones for Ryan on the next free check, we need to pay for birthday party stuff on that free check as well, and I don't know what else. Journey has an eye appointment on the 16th to check on her eyes, and then Ryan has one on the 24th to check his eyes. Sometimes kids are so darn expensive. *Sigh.* I hope we can afford everything. I told the kids we might not make it to the fair this year, because we have to save up for other things. I have to come up with the $65 for Journey's Girl Scout things to go towards the troop in September. And then we have to afford to go to the Girl Scout store in D.C., on the metro. I hope we make it. |
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