All About Ally...

This post is dedicated to Ally. That little "6 and 3/4" year old who makes me crazy and makes life interesting every single day....

Ally never ceases to amaze me. I will admit, usually, my amazement is frustration. She is not an easy child. No. Way. Every day is a new challenge with this girl... and most days I'm just proud of myself for not smacking her. She is six (six and THREE QUARTERS she tells everyone) going on 16 for sure. She has more attitude than most teenagers I know. The other day, a guy I work with told me he had a VERY difficult daughter when she was a kid... and then, it was like she got it all out by the time she was a teenager and was just as easy going as can be. I am really hoping for this option... as I really do worry about what life will be like when Ally is driving... dating... and going through her teenage angst.

Our little girl is in the first grad here in Concord and absolutely loves school. She has regularly informed us that school is more fun than home. Hmmmm....???? How to take that exactly?? I am going to say it's a good thing. The other day when I had to take her out of school early in order for she and Luke to get the H1N1 vaccine, she threw a bit of a fit for having to leave in the middle of an exercise the class was starting.

I think I was like this in school. I remember loving the social aspect of school. The commotion. The excitement of the day. Early on, I recall really liking my teachers. Worshipping them almost and thinking they were the greatest. Then... you get to high school and teachers suck. ;-)

I am truly glad she likes school.... but I do worry about the fact that she never really likes to be at home. When I pick her up from her grandparents' at the end of the day, it can be a battle. The first thing she says on a weekend morning is "are we going anywhere today?" She constantly needs to be on the move.

I guess, at this point, all we can try to do is balance her need to be on the go and try to teach her how to slow down from time to time.

Right now, she is a pretty involved/active little girl. On top of school each and every day, she has art class one night a week and ballet class one night a week. One day a week, after school, she has a friend come home with her to spend a few hours together. So, three days a week, after school, she is pretty occupied.

We try to do things with the kids over the weekend... but lately, we are also trying to balance that with doing things for ourselves. As adults. Scott and I really need to do those things together too... so every other week or so at least, we try to get a sitter and have an adult night out. Much needed!!!!!

Luckily, we have some great babysitter options... and the kids really like the girls that spend time with them. Hooray!!!!

Ally's biggest loves right now are reading, writing and art. She's a very "left brained" kind of girl I think. Left is the creative side right? HA! I love encouraging that part of her too. I'm so glad we disovered the Jackson School of the Arts and so happy to be involved there. What an amazing little gem here in town!

Ally still loves her "Duncan." A stuffed Scottie dog that she actually received from Santa on her first Christmas. Duncan was our Scottish Terrier at the time... he passed away when she was three or so. So... she still has a stuffed one in his honor... and he is her special toy. When she was little, like Luke, she had a blankie. Now, all that love has been transferred to Duncan.

Last night we couldn't find him at bedtime... which makes for a fun time.... ugh! She is also becoming a bit manipulative and deviant in her "old" age.... so sometimes it's hard to know what is really happening and what she's "created." For example - she will hide a school book that needs to go back to school by a certain time.... to purposefully add chaos to the morning routine. She has this little snicker and I just know she's messing with my head!!!!!!

When she pulled that crap this morning... Scott told her she was going to be tardy. And that it wasn't our fault..... she of course cannot stand to have anything go wrong at school, so this hit home. Still, she drags her feet and it makes you want to scream!!! Easy go lucky, this child is not!

She is going to be Hannah Montana for halloween... and she is just as giddy as can be. We put the "costume" together ourselves... just ordering an official wig and microphone. The rest is just clothes from Gymboree!!!! Amazing how real clothes for kids can be made into a costume because sometimes they are just so outrageous!!!!

We have a lot of events surrounding the big day this weekend. Two parties on Friday and a carnival at school and trunk or treat on Halloween itself. Should be fun trying to do all these events with sugar high children. :-))))

Scott has a major conflict with work and will now have to work late on Friday and possibly Saturday, so I can add to the chaos, the fact that I will be single parenting it. Good times. I will be traveling with a flask...... :-))))))

This -n- That...

So.... it was a fairly busy weekend in the McIntosh household! We kicked it off with dinner at Daryl's Friday with my in-laws for my mother-in-law's birthday celebration! Scott and I had previously had plans to go out, so we already had a babysitter... which worked out nicely. It was a last minute dinner... but we were as free as you can be (when you have kids that is).... so we joined the McIntosh clan for dinner... and then, Scott and I went and had some just us time and drinks at Bella Note afterwards. Always nice to get out!

Saturday, Ally spent the majority of the day with her BFF, Jacey. They are like two little teenagers when they get together. Ally was thrilled to spend the day at her house... and I was pretty thrilled myself to have some down time. Luke took a nice three hour nap and I was able to have a fairly quiet day.

After the peace of the day... we decided that we needed to get out... so we went to the Buffalo Wings place (I can't think of what it is actually called!) and met Jane, Adam and Grace for some wings, beer and MSU football. Great game... up until the last two seconds that is! What a bummer they lost...... oh well. I don't really get that caught up in it. It's a freakin' game after all. Fun to watch... fun to see them win... but I don't have my heart broken when they lose!!!!!

Yesterday I took Ally to see Where the Wild Things Are. I was pretty disappointed in the movie itself. Amazingly, Ally says she liked it. I was shocked at how dark it was! One person described it to me as "joyless" and that absolutely sums it up! I think if I was going to see a movie that was for adults and was a bit dark and deep, I would be completely fine with it. It was the fact that it was a childrens' book, made into a movie... and it was depressing as hell in my opinion!!!! Lots of talk of sadness and loneliness. One quote in the movie was "it's hard being a family." As in, it takes work to get along.

Sure - these are valuable life lessons I suppose. Life is indeed hard... but come on!!!! You took a childrens' book and made it into a sad movie!!!!!! You suck. ;-) Okay, that was harsh. I was just pretty disappointed. Maybe I needed a little escpace into a child like feel good movie. I seemed to be more disappointed and upset by it that Ally was. Or maybe she's just happy anytime she gets popcorn and a tootsie roll? ;-)

A busy, fun filled weekend.... I'm behind on the laundry and the house is a bit of a mess... but it's more fun to get out and enjoy I always say. The mess will always be there.

Squashed the Oink....

I decided to vaccinate the kids against the H1N1 virus. It's funny... I'm not really sure why I was so unsure about it. It's not like I'm one of those moms that doesn't believe in vaccinations. I even get the 'recommended' vaccines. I get them the season flu vaccine... why did I balk at this one so much?

Who knows.... I guess sometimes I just feel uncomfortable with something new or different when it comes to that something being injected into my children.

I did a lot of reading... and in the end simply went with the advice of my pediatrician. We discussed Luke's risks.... and it just became clear to me that I should do it.

Then.... I got worried we wouldn't be ABLE to get it! I started hearing about the shortages of the vaccine. And I was wondering how the hell did we get so lucky that our pediatrician already has the vaccine (when many are saying they won't have it until November)? So... I decided we would go and go early to the prearranged clinic time. At first I thought I would just pick Ally up from school and go after school, but the office manager at Riverside recommended we come early.

THANK GOD WE DID! We did not only go right at the start of the clinic time (2:00 pm).... we went early, around 1:20 pm. I was just going to drive by and see if a line was forming at all. Sure enough.... long line and we jumped in.....

2 + hours later.... we had vaccinations! I feel really good about the decision to do it. We have a few people here at work who's kids have come down with it this week, and who now have it themselves. It's not pretty. If I can spare my child the sickness... I have to at least try!

I know it's a tough decision for some... and good luck with whatever you choose!

Ahhhhh....

I don't know what to do.... what to do? What to DO?????

Tomorrow, my pediatrician's office is giving the H1N1 vaccine to kids..... and they recommend both kids get it, but in particular Luke because he tends to have complications with his lungs when he gets sick. Everything goes straight to his chest........

I am surrounded by people with confirmed and suspected cases at work and in my social circle.....

I, myself am sick, but it's a sinus infection. Doesn't seem to be flu-like at all and I am currently on an antibiotic... not that it will ward of the flu, which is viral.

Both kids and Scott and I already got the regular flu shot.

I am at a loss. Kind of freaking out. Sitting here on the fence....................

I was pretty convinced I would NOT get it for the kids .... but now I am waivering.....

Scott says we should.

I hate decisions like this......

"No Momma. No hat!!"

What am I going to do with the little man this winter??? He REFUSES to wear a hat on his head. His baby head is going to freeze. His ears are going to fall off. This is ridiculous............

Any words of wisdom? Tips? Should I just invest in a big roll of duct tape?

Boys........

Always Apologizing...

It seems like I'm always apologizing for my lack of blogging. Life is just busy. Overwhelming at times... and to be really honest... sometimes I just don't have anything nice to say.... and like Thumper says:

"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

My mom is here this weekend for a visit. A good deal of the purpose of her visit was to stay with the kids while Scott and I went to his cousin's wedding in Traverse City. Well.... no wedding for us. Scott has to work today - it is a busy time for him and today was mandatory. Tomorrow he likely has to work too, so going up to Traverse City was not in the card for us in the end. We are going to try to go out this evening and at least have some dinner, drinks and time to talk, but that's it for now.

It's cold... and I know a lot of people like fall... and it's true... fall is nice... but I just know winter is around the corner. Dark , cold, dirty winter and that just puts me in a bad mood frankly. I have a hard time snapping out of a funk come this time of year.... is it spring yet?

The kids are doing great. Really. Luke is talking like you would not believe. Complete little sentences. He is just a freakin' doll right now. Ally is loving school and looks forward to it every day. She's taking art and ballet at the Jackson School of the Arts and while that keeps us hoppin', it's worth it because she loves it so much... and she is the kind of girl who needs to stay busy. (wonder where she gets that from? ha!)

Scott is taking a class in Grand Rapids one night a week... I have not been able to get up to my beloved pole class in East Lansing in far too long and I am missing that physical outlet.... best workout around.... work is busy... kids are busy... life is busy...

And, blogging falls to the wayside..... just wanted to let any faithful readers know... we are alive and well... for the most part. ;-)