Just enjoying the day to day.....well, trying to

It is so hard to believe that the school year is half over, WOW! It is also hard to believe that I am officially the Mom of a middle schooler (is that a word? :). Colin transitioned into middle school easily with no problems. I was so worried about the locker situation. Would he be able to open his locker? What if it gets stuck, the bell is ringing and he doesn't know what to do? Well, as usual I worried for nothing...he did fine. He does have a girlfriend. I had always said "no girlfriends until you are much older". But, I really don't know what it means to have a girlfriend these days. Colin has NEVER spoke to her on the phone. They text each other and it is usually something like..wat up, k, ttyl. They are in different houses at school so they don't see each other at school, so really what is a "girlfriend" these days? I am not complaining, at 12 years old it works for me, I like this kind of girlfriend. ha,ha
I have always said I just want my kids to be "normal" they do not have to be in advance classes, skip grades, always get straight A's etc...I want them to have a chance to be kids, I just want them to try their best. Well, Colin is pretty much a B student that has to really work for his A's. I find myself feeling pressure for him to be that perfect student. It seems as though every other parent I talk to their children get all A's or they are in advance this or that. I refuse to give in "peer pressure" my son does well in school but more importantly he is a nice, kindhearted person. He is not in front of video games or TV, he is outside riding his bike, skateboarding, playing basketball etc... Why can't parents be happy with normal?

Well, my little Braelyn is now in kindergarten. She had a little bit of hard time in the beginning, she just didn't want to go. But, she is now used to it and she likes it. I just worry about her making friends. She is quiet in school and keeps to herself a little bit. Girls can be so mean, I am just keeping my fingers crossed that she is becomes a nice, strong, thoughtful, independent young lady. However, she is VERY stubborn and has quite the little temper, so we'll see. Thank god she is funny, she keeps us laughing and some days that is the only things that saves her. lol. On a different note, she has befriended two little girls at her school that have some special needs. She just loves these girls and calls them her best Friends. I remember children befriending Nellie on the playground at school and it meant so much to me. It kind of feels like things have gone full circle.

My little Nellie...can you believe she had the "talk" with the school nurse last week? The nurse watered the talk down for Nellie, but still!!! Here is this little girl who still loves playing with her little animals and I'm reminding her to put on deodorant. lol. I know I've touched on this before but so many things are getting harder as she gets older. I remember VERY clearly the day Jay & I found something may be "wrong" with Nellie, I think I was about 5 months pregnant. Jay & I were both in the same mindset that we could handle anything, and we would have to do whatever was needed for this child. Nellie's first year was a whirlwind of doctors, hospitalizations, therapy and learning everything we could. We didn't know if she would ever sit, walk, talk, eat on her own etc... but amazingly we handled it all pretty darn well. As Nellie gets older I find myself getting more upset than I did when she was younger. I see the girls her age having friends, going to birthday parties, sleepovers etc...and Nellie doesn't have that. Thank God Nel doesn't notice these things and she is perfectly happy. This is one of those times in life when you just can't "fix" things, you have to accept what is and be grateful for your blessings....And we are very blessed. Like I said, we never knew what Nellie would be able to accomplish. I watch her picking her clothes out for school ( it's always her Jonas Brothers or horse shirt), giving her brother a wedgie or making herself a bowl of cereal (even though she forgets to push the inside back back down, uggg) lol. Sometimes I need a reminder to focus on the positive, sometimes I need to be reminded every day. ;)

As always, I will try to be better updating my blog...I think it's good for me. Have a happy Day!!

summer 2009

It is amazing how different this summer has been compared to previous years. I took the girls to the Great Escape last weekend and it was the first in almost 12 years that I didn't have a stroller with me. Jay and I have been trying to each spend more one on one time with each of the kids. It has been working out really nice. Jay & Colin have always spent a lot of time together because of BMX and hanging out together working on bikes in the garage. I know it is important for Jay & Colin to spend a lot time together but it is just as important to spend time with the girls. It is so nice to go out with just one of them, you really get to enjoy the time with them.
Colin starts middle school in less than 3 weeks. Braelyn is starting kindergarten, i'll have no one home with me. I kind of feel like I'm starting a new chapter...we'll see what is yet to come.

wow!

I guess I haven't been too on top of my blog. It's the last week of school and although I'm excited to have the kids home for the summer I find myself feeling a little bit sad. Another school year has flown by and my kids are not the same kids they were when they went into the school year. Yes, most of the changes are for the good. They have learned a lot of new things, they grown, they can do more and more fun things all the time. But, it is a little sad to know you'll never get those kids back, everything is always moving forward and too often it is moving a little too fast for me. Nellie is talking more and more all the time and Colin seems to be talking less ( at least to me ) I'll be leaving the house in about an hour to take Braelyn to nursery school for the last time. (yah, I've been teary all morning). All I can do is try to give my kids a fantastic summer and keep making great memories.

Speaking of memories...we went to the Kingston regional this weekend for Colin's race. Colin has been racing for 5 years and we have had so many great times. This weekend we had about 8 families all camping together at the track. These people have become such good friends. Anyway, it rained and I mean rained all evening and all night. We were soaked, I had 4 bags full of wet dirty clothes, just nasty. in the middle of this storm a group of them decide to make a huge slip & slide. They take a big piece of plastic, put it on a hill and pour several large bottles of bubbles down it. The kids were soaked, covered in bubbles & mud it was disgusting but they had a ball. These kids get to do these things together almost every weekend. So, even though it is a ton of work traveling every week, I try my best to suck it up and just enjoy it.

I am a nervous wreck about colin going to middle school. These next couple years can really make a difference. These kids are really getting older, I had to sit Colin down and talk to him about drugs. I really hate the fact that he has to know these things, but I want him prepared. I want him to have correct information. all of a sudden I'm looking at his friends a Little differently, I'm listening to their conversations a little more closely. Oh-my, the girls are so much older than the boys!!! Girls stay away! ha,ha.

Braelyn will be starting kindergarten in the fall and although this little girl can give me a really hard time I will miss the hell out of her. I am definitely at the point in my life that I do not want anymore children, but I think times like this would be easier if I had a baby at home. I know I'm get through it. I am always surprised how many things I have forgotten about my kids that I thought I would always remember. One memory I will never forget, it clear in my mind is the memory of that school bus turning the corner to pick Colin up for the first time. I was heartbroken.

although I wish they could stay small, there are a lot of great things that come from them getting bigger. When we go to a party or picnic, I can actually sit and talk with adults and the kids go off and play with the other kids. They can feed themselves so I get to eat my meal while it is still hot. They can all buckle themselves into the car, we actually pull out of our driveway minutes after getting to the car. I really enjoy the music they listen to now and the TV shows/movies are much better too. I don't have to carry a big bag full of drinks, clothes, diapers etc...Colin can even mow the lawn! We can do a lot of fun things as a family too. The kids can pull their own sleds up the hill while sleigh riding, they can go on rides that I like at the amusement park, snow tubing, roller skating, swimming so many fun things. OK, thanks, I needed to focus on the positive, I'm feeling better now. :)

My hope for all kids this summer is to have great weather and lots of fun times! Sleep in when you need to, play into the night, laugh, play games with water & balls. Eat lots of ice cream, just play, play, play and enjoy being kids!!!

now, I have to bring my little baby to nursery school for the last time....

The craziness has begun....

It always amazes me how crazy this time of year is when you have children. The last 2 months of school are CRAZY! It makes me feel overwhelmed just thinking about everything coming up. Mothers/fathers day at pre-school, end of the year parties, 5th grade moving up, 5th grade picnic, 5th grade trip to Boston, field day, teacher recognition luncheon, girl Scout Bridging, 5K Rotary run and the list goes on and on. I remember my Mom going to field day when I was little but that is about all I remember. Was it this crazy for parents when I was little? I really don't think so. I think parent involvement is much different today then when I was a kid. I love being so involved with my kids lives, but I wonder if it's too much.

We had open house at Tri-city this past weekend. BMX had officially started in NY. It was a great day and a great turn out. We had so many new riders and I was so proud to see all the seasoned riders stepping up and mentoring the new kids. I was watching the older riders (college students) and it was so nice to see how willing they were to help out. They are great role models for kids that are Colin's age. We are very blessed to have met such a wonderful community of people. Jay was having so much fun working all the kids bicycles, everyone did a great job and open house was a huge success! So now it's good by life, hello BMX. :)
Jay & Colin went out to race in Kingston on Sunday, Colin had a great day. He is so happy to get together with all his racing friends.

Nellie is definitely enjoying the nice weather and being able to get out and ride her bicycle. Of all the things that we were hopeful Nellie would learn to do, I am so glad she was able to learn to ride a two wheel bike. She gets so much enjoyment from that bike! Jay built her a new bike using Colin's 16" Hoffman frame. I think she feels cool and happy it doesn't look like a "little Girls" bike. LOL. I am so proud of that little girl.

Miss Braelyn took quite the fall on her bicycle this weekend. That little girls hardly ever gets huts. All her injuries were on her face and it broke heart. Poor girl. It's been 2 days and it already looks so much better. Braelyn told us that she wants to start BMX. OMG! I know she would well, but she's my baby girl, I want her to do girly gentle stuff. LOL. I never wanted Braelyn to get involved in BMX because then Nellie will the only one not doing it. I really think it will bother me more than it will bother Nellie. Nel is just as happy riding her bike around the outside of the track and she is too nervous to try going on the track.

I'll do my best to update my blog but this time of year is absolute craziness! As always, no matter how busy things get I always try to just enjoy it. I always say to Jay that someday we will be wishing our lives were crazy with kids stuff and we'll be missing all the noise in our house. We always need to remember to enjoy the moment. It's great advice but not always the easiest thing to do. So many nights I just look forward to the kids bedtime and then I feel guilty because time goes fast enough without me wishing it to go any faster. Slow down people, slow down and smell the flowers.

wooo-hoo!!!!

I was always a skinny little mini when I was growing up, I ate what I wanted and never exercised and I never went over a size 3. Until, I gained over 80 pounds during my pregnancy with Colin. I don't want to be a size 3 again but I'd love to drop 25 pounds. So, I joined the gym yesterday. I'm 36 and it was my first time ever going to a gym, I think that is kind of funny. I really enjoyed it and I hope I can keep it up. An hour a day without kids and I'm not sleeping. It's crazy. There are so many people who are really in shape, I was like wow, I want to look like that. But, I'm eating Oreos as I'm writing this so I don't see any big changes coming soon. At least I'm headed in the right direction.
Nellie came home today with a little story (like a paragraph, it had 63 words). She can actually read the entire to us! I was truly amazed, I was actually crying when she finished and she thought that was funny. She just started this Edmark reading program in November and now she is actually reading! It's only been like 4-5 months. I am so proud of her, it makes me think anything is possible. I told her we would have to have a celebration and she could pick dinner. She said "no dinner" and then did the sign for ice cream. LOL.

Spring Is here!!!

I think spring is finally here! We had such a beautiful day yesterday. We played outside all day, we didn't even come in for dinner until almost 7pm. We have a small house, it's over 100 years old and we are always remodeling. Many times over the past 10 years Jay has said it would be easier to build a new house, but I could never leave this neighborhood! I grew up here and I love it for my kids. I remember several years ago my sister in law telling me she hardly knew her neighbors after 7 years of living there. There are so many nice kids around here, they can easily get a group of 8-10 kids to play hide & seek, basketball, football etc... when I listen to the news I hear about kids not being active and playing to many video games, luckily we don't have that problem here. These kids are always on bikes, scooters or skateboards and in the winter they spends hours sleigh riding at the same hill I used to go to with my friends. They have learned to play together in groups, the more kids the better. They argue but we parents try to let them work it out and they are usually over it within minutes. Some things are definitely different from when I was a kid. I can't let Colin go around the neighborhood alone, he has to be with a friend. You don't hear parents yelling their kids names at the top of their lungs to come home, now we just call or text them on their cell phones. They wear helmets now and drink Gatorade & bottles of water instead of Cool-Aide. They don't spend too much time on swings, they prefer the trampoline. Yes, over the years there have been some injuries, lets see... broken fingers, noses, a foot, an elbow, a few stitches and bruises, but I think most of us Mom's think it is bound to happen with active boys. I've always said that I want the kids to play at our house because then I know what is going on. Because of this I've really gotten to know all the kids, they all know us and they are comfortable at our home. Now that Colin is a little older he goes to the other houses and they all know him and we all look out for each others children. The kids have become good friends over the years and so have the parents.
As our kids get older we get so busy it gets harder to plan play dates all the time, it is so much easier for them to just go outside and knock on a few doors to find someone to play with. We have done some really fun things as neighbors, like a big Halloween party, swim parties, garage sales etc... When we go away I have several people to feed our dog and I've counted on a few neighbors to get Nellie off the bus when I have a conflict. Basically yesterday when everyone started coming out of their houses to say hello & visit it reminded me of a summer day almost 2 years ago when neighbors stood and cheered as Nellie got her training wheels off and rode down the street. I tend to sometimes get caught up with unimportant things and sometimes I have to remind myself to be grateful for the small stuff. Here's to many more beautiful days filled with the screams & laughter of little children.

Proud Mama!

Sorry folks, but I have to brag for a minute. My little Nellie can tie her shoes! She has been working on this in OT and after a lot of practice she can do it! These little milestones are not little for her, they are huge! She is so proud of herself, she even ties my shoes when we are going out. We had a "Shoe tie celebration" and went to Denny's to celebrate. Go Nellie! I am so proud of you. Can a little girl be your hero? Yes, I would say so. This little girl works so incredibly hard to achieve the tasks. Of course I am so grateful for these wonderful people who work with Nellie, she is very blessed.
Several years ago (about 7) we went to a Cri-du-chat conference. One of the sessions was on how to adapt items for our children. I learned about putting velcro on pants instead of snaps, you can even take the buttons off a shirt and put velcro on so the children can get themselves changed. I was so worried about all these types of things and I worried for nothing, she is learning to do it all! Wow! I'm amazed again.