The Twins Are Coming...

I am soooo excited.  Jane is going to be induced tomorrow!!!!!  The long, long, LONG wait is over!!!  I can't believe it is almost here!!  I can only imagine how Jane feels cuz I'm so giddy today it's not even funny. I am sure I won't sleep tonight either!!!!!

Some of us girls have been talking about how we want to help out by making meals, offering to run errands and just visiting when Jane needs some company.... so today I created a website on the Lotsa Helping Hands site in order to better coordinate this effort!!!!!!

You can join us by signing up on the site here:  Dawson Twins

Please pass this on to anyone and everyone who might want to help out!!!!!  I am trying to get the entire month of July covered for meals at least..... and then, we can add from there.

And, if you can't help out with meals, etc for whatever reason... at least send GOOD vibes, prayers and thoughts for a healthy delivery for both Jane and those baby girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No Photos....

So, I just went into iPhoto... and the last time I took pictures was Ally's recital week.... what the heck is wrong with me?????  So... you see, that is the reason I have not posted any photos. I HAVE NONE!  How sad.... I promise to remedy that soon!  Tomorrow hopefully!!!

Jane and I are going to try to go check out Nixon Pool.  I have never been... and I hear good things about it... so we are going to go their morning session and see if the kiddos have a good time!!!!  Ally is already excited. All I have to do is say "water" and she's in. The girl just loves to swim. And Luke will just be happy his Gracie is there.  :-)

Scott has been in South Haven the past couple days and gets home tomorrow.  Yesterday.... the kids and I had a low key evening... and I even got Luke done early so Ally and I could watch a movie in bed! The ultimate luxury..... she absolutely loves to lay in my bed and watch TV. Even better when Daddy's not home......

Well, there we were, watching Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (laugh, go ahead!) and I hear the tornado siren go off.  Oh shit.  I turn the TV to a local station... and sure enough... some horrid weather is headed our way..... UGH!  Ally totally freaks out. I wait for Luke to wake up (he never does!!!!).  And frankly, I'm a bit freaked out too. I think... ugh, I do not want to go the the basement with the kids (the TV is not working down there, I can only imagine how DARK it would be if we lost power and it's DAMN COLD!). I do not want to wake Luke up either.... so even though the TV people tell me repeatedly to seek shelter, I sit in my bed.

We watch the radar for the next hour and the siren goes off two more times.... that's three times in less than an hour and I am significantly wound up!!!!  Ally is a mess... so I just decide to let her sleep with me. Something I NEVER, ever do.  So..... once the worst seems to have passed.... I turn the TV and light off and try to catch some sleep.

I can't sleep with my children!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!! They move funny in their sleep! They kick!  Ally is a mouth breather!  :-))))))  But... I will say this.... the girl must have had some good or funny dreams cuz at least two times in the night, she laughed right out loud.... which, of course, made me laugh.... it was just too funny to hear!

So... I was getting total crap sleep.... up every hour it seemed or laying wide awake. Then, to make matters worse... I had forgotten to turn my alarm off, so just when I am falling asleep and getting some good ZZZZs..... my freakin' alarm goes off at 6am.... then, you guessed it..... Luke wakes up at 7:30.  Good lord.....

Bring on the coffee!!!

Despite the horrid night's sleep... we had a GREAT day!!!!!!  We scrambled this morning a bit to get the house picked up for the cleaning lady. God bless my cleaning lady. I love her!  Ally was a complete and total angel.... and helped me.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you heard me right!  My little Cinderella cleaned! She cleaned Luke's room, her room, the living room AND the playroom!!!!!!!  Ok, ok, I totally promised her a new ZuZu pet..... but I am not above bribery to get what I want!!!!  ;-)

We took off at lunch time to meet friends, Chelsea and Erin for lunch in Marshall at the Dark Horse - which is a brewpub/restaurant... and it was a GREAT place to take kids! We were like the only people there, sitting outside..... and they have kids toys and a sandbox!!!  Great pizza. Amazing beer. It was like a playground for all ages!!!!!!!  Had a great time at lunch........

Then, I had to take the kids to get their promised ZuZu's... so off to Toys R Us we went.... and since we were in the neighborhood, a quick trip to Target.... where I found some furniture for our deck.... on clearance!!!!!!!!  I was so excited..... and had no clue how I was going to get it home!  My brother in law to the rescue!  He met me, took it home for me, AND put it all together out on the deck!!!  Sooooo exciting....... it's nothing super special..... but it looks decent, it's simple and it was on clearance already!  So, that makes it damn special!  YAY!

I didn't tell Scott... gonna let him be surprised when he gets home tomorrow... then, I'm going to hand the children off... and meet the girls for sushi!!!  :-)

Weekend Warrior...

So... this was my first "four day weekend" since my summer schedule has begun!  I just started working full days last week... and it went just fine! It was actually REALLY nice to have a full day at work. I felt like I could get more accomplished as I wasn't watching a clock to leave by a certain time... I just had the normal work day!  It was great!

I worked three days, then had Thursday and Friday "off."  Thursday was a low-key day at home for Luke and I while Ally went to Y Camp.  Scott and I had plans to go with my department to the Lugnuts game that evening... and we had a sitter coming at 4...... so I just took it easy around the house trying to prepare Luke for the babysitter's arrival.  HA!  We went with some friends of ours and their kids (15 and 11) came to watch our kids. It worked out GREAT!!!!  Luke really likes the 15 year old, Tess and Ally reports that he was as happy as he's ever been with a sitter.  YAY!  Success!

Scott and I carpooled up to Lansing and went to the Nuthouse and then, the game...... and since we didn't have to drive.... the beers just kept comin'.  :-)))))  It was a really fun night out for us.... an adult night out that was defintely needed since we seem to have backed away from "date nights" since Luke's been giving us such a hard time.  Hopefully, we can start the regular good times back up again!!

Friday morning, I wasn't feeling 100%.  I'm not gonna lie.  I had an appointment with the gyno.  Good times with a hangover........ My cousin Becky watched Luke for me while I ran to that appointment and as we left Becky's, he informed me that he "lubs Becky so much"...... it was adorable.......  :-) The feeling is definitely mutual. I am pretty lucky to have a first grade teacher in town who loves my kids!!!  So glad she's got the summer off!  HAHA!!!

After we left Becky's....... we went over to visit with Katie and her three boys....... Luke is in need of some boy time and it's my goal this summer to try to have LOTS of playdates with other kids, but boys in particular...... as he has none in his daily life. Not to say that hanging out with girls is all bad...... I just think that socialization will help some of his issues.....

So, off to Katie's we went... and he had some good, solid, BOY time with Donnie, Nolan and Adrian.  :-)  He kept talking about Donnie the entire rest of the day...... and asked when we were going back to "Donnie's House".  He wasn't exactly outgoing while we were there, but it was a good first time out for him.... and hopefully we can keep the get togethers going as Katie is a teacher and will be home for the summer too!  The girls can have some adult time and coffee and the boys can do their thing.  :-)

We went home on Friday in time for both Mommy and Luke to take a much needed nap.  Man..... I can't drink like I used too.....  ;-) Three hours later (thank you Luke!!!), we got up and went to the store to get something to make for dinner....... had a low-key Mexican Fiesta at the McIntosh house... and called it a Friday night!!!!!!

Saturday, Jane invited the kids and I to go out to Duck Lake with her and Grace since the boys had plans to go golfing........... so, we went out around lunchtime...... and the kids, once again, had a blast at the lake!!!  Luke is sooooo good out there.  He's really comfortable there, loves Jane's mother-in-law, Ann and even her father-in-law, Allan... which is funny cuz he really doesn't like Adam.  :-)))))))  Ally had Alexis, who is just a year younger to play with all day... and while they had their "moments" they really did get along great...... The boys joined us for dinner after golf and a great day was had at the Lake.... AGAIN!!!! 

Whew..... Sunday........ FATHER'S DAY!!!!  We let Daddy sleep in..... and the kids slept in until 8:30 or so too after the long day without a nap at the lake Saturday.  I made Scott his requested breakfast, and Ally decorated the dining room for him.  She even went out and got his Sunday paper!  Over breakfast, I asked him what he wanted to do..... and he said he'd really like to get some more work done outside... and lay low at home..... I was shocked about the working outside part...... but it sounded good to me!

I took the kids into town to do some grocery shopping and got the ingredients for his requested dinner...... and by the time we got back, it was Luke's nap time....... and Ally and I spent some time outside helping him and then, made dinner...... had some wine...... some brownies....... and called it a day!  It was a really great low-key Father's Day at home. Just what he wanted.  :-)

So, a great long weekend all-around!  Saw lots of people, did lots of things and enjoyed a lot of down time.  Kids seemed generally happy...... and that is a GREAT thing!!!!!!!  Happy kids = happy parents!!!!!!!

Y Camp...

Ally is, once again, attending Y Camp this year at the YMCA here in town!!!  We learned about this opportunity through a friend of Scott's at work a few years back, and I am convinced it's Jackson's best kept secret!!!!

It is an absolutely AMAZING summer program for kids.  It functions as so many, many things... it's more than just a daycare option for those that work... it's a great experience for kids during the summer months... which can certainly drag on and sometimes be BORING for a child that is active in school during the academic year!

This is Ally's third year participating in Camp... and she is a Pathfinder.  She started out when she was five years old, the summer before she started Kindergarten, in Kiddie Camp.  She doesn't go every single week, as we are fortunate enough to have my in-laws as our "regular" child-care providers.... and now, I am only working part-time, but she has grown to absolutely LOVE and look forward to it!

It costs us $110/week for her to participate in Camp.  You can drop you child off anytime between 7:00 am and 9:00 am..... and pick them up between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm.  The cost also includes LUNCH each day and you are given a schedule for lunch so you know ahead of time if it's something your child will eat.  We send Ally each day with her Camp-provided backpack... with her bathing suit, a towel, a bottle of sunscreen, a snack and a bottle of water.  That's it...... she's out the door each morning with just a few necessary items.

This week was the first week of Camp and it was dubbed "Friendship Week."  It's the week where they take some time to get to know eachother and make new friends.  She was hesitant at first... any change sends Ally into a fit quite frankly... but as soon as she got there, she saw her freind from Camp in the past years, Kylie... and then, was so happy to see Peyton, a new friend from her ballet class this past school year.  An added bonus was that her cousin, Gene, showed up too! She was surrounded by familiar faces and this made her feel soooo good!

Not to mentioned the Camp counselors...... who I believe are some of the greatest young adults and kids around!!!  Each group has two counselors in charge and a couple "counselors in training" that are 14-15 years old.  I think these teenagers become the kids' favorites!  That's the perfect age... old enough to be responsible... yet young enough to still like to "play!"

So...... this week Ally has enjoyed a trip to Cascades where they played many games and enjoyed a picnic lunch, a movie at the Michigan Theater, where they saw The Tooth Fairy, and today she is at Hawk Island, which is a water park and lake setting!  Tomorrow she will go bowling at Airport Lanes and on Friday they are traveling to Ohio to go to a BIG waterpark!!!!!!!!!

Each day that they are in town, the swim at the Y. They do the rockwall... and play a variety of other games. They have "down time" in the afternoon to read and do art projects. It's an all-around well planned day!

This is not a paid advertisement.....  :-))))))))  I am just one mom who wants to share the great experience that we have had at the Y!!!!  And, if you are looking for something for your child to do this summer... I say, give it a try!!!!

And, We're Back....

So, today was rough.  Got very little sleep the last couple nights... and started to feel major anxiety about the night ahead and just how to deal with Luke's inability to remain in his "big boy bed."

I talked to a lot of people... did some research... and finally, while driving home, came to the conclusion that we had no choice... we had to just put his crib back up.  He was not going to stay in the bed no matter what we did.  And, I was not willing to give up sleeping... or give in to his wanting me to sleep with him... or any of it..... I just couldn't do it. The thought of all of it made me sick to my stomach and gave me anxiety.  

So, I came home... and said to Scott while he was making dinner..... "I want us to turn the bed back into a crib."  

He thought I was kidding... and didn't even really look at me.  Just chuckled.

I said nothing.  I did not laugh.  Then, he realized I was serious.

"Holy shit, you're serious????"  I told him that I was... dead serious.  I think we tried to move him to the bed... and it didn't go well. At. All.  In fact, it went worse than I could have ever imagined!!!!  Not only would he not fall asleep on his own.... the whole thing was making him wake in the night again... something he hasn't done since he was 9 months old... 

So, after informing me that he was "pretty sure" we didn't even have all the parts we needed..... Scott took his dinner... and his Summer Shandy... and went into Luke's room.  In silence, started taking his bed apart.

Uh -oh... this is not going well.

So, I offer help.  He says I can start by finding some of the screws and such.  You see... when we took apart the crib and turned it into the full bed... the kids were in there with us... and screws and brackets and pieces and parts just went everywhere..... and being the people we are... we even threw some away.

First job:  go through the garbage.  This was my first task (I felt I owed Scott this much).  So, I found the brackets and a couple screws in the garbage that was still in the house..... albeit, covered in some coffee grounds..... totally fine.  No harm done.

So, we take inventory of the situation.  We are missing two large screws. A medium screw.  One wing nut.  And a few small screws.  Off to the garbage outside...........

Scott empties every single bag.  This is not pretty folks. This is not pretty at all.

This should tell you how very important sleep is to us. This should also demonstrate that we are complete idiots...... who the hell just throws screws and such away?  Ummmmm... that would be us. We throw everything away!!!!!!!!!!!

We find some little screws...... and the wing nut......

The two largest and probably most important screws are still missing.  How did we lose the two biggest parts here????  

Scott starts to put it together..... he feels he just has to do something and maybe some miracle will happen and the bed will work without two very important pieces...... I am pretty certain at this point, he is delirious.  I get him another beer.

So...... I think to myself..... "Self, where would two big ole screws go?"  And the answer comes to me.  The answer should have been obvious a long time prior to this light bulb moment... but I am sleep-deprived people.  

I went to the toy basket and started throwing shit everywhere..... and voila!!!!  Two large screws placed in the toy basket by Luke.... of that I am certain!

VICTORY!!!!!!!!!  We have all the parts....

We feverishly put the crib back together..... and feel victorious in our quest.

It is now 10:00 pm.

It took us 3 and 1/2 hours to get that bad boy reassembled.   Good.  God.

I show Luke his crib... and he lights up. I read him two stories.  He still isn't so "sure" about going to bed..... but, as I lay him down and kiss him goodnight, he doesn't cry. Doesn't ask me to stay and "pap" him... he allows me to leave the room while he is completely silent... and then, my boy goes to sleep all by himself...... in the comfort of his crib.......

Here's to sleeping the night through my boy.  I love you Luke and I'm sorry we tried to force you into something you just weren't ready for yet...... I'm so glad we took the time to undo what we had done... and I'm so happy you're sleeping soundly............

We'll try again another time.......  :-)

Who Stole My Weekend?

Holy crap..... it's Monday and I'm at work and I have to be here ALL DAY!  When 2:00 pm rolls around, it's not time for me to go home... nope, not me.  I have to stay until AT LEAST 5:00 pm.  Ugh.......

I don't know where my weekend went..... it started out GREAT!!!! Friday, we went out to Duck Lake with a bunch of families.  I'm just going to send you over to Nicole's blog for a GREAT wrap up of the day.  It was a really great day... with great peeps and the kids were SOOOO GOOD.

That was the last time I had good kids all weekend.  ;-)

Okay, it wasn't THAT bad....... but kinda bad.  :-(  Saturday, we decided to set up Luke's big bed.  Take down the crib, and convert it to the full bed that it turns into.  Luke is 2 1/2 and has been having some trouble with going to bed lately (screaming fits). So, I figured we needed to make a change.  So... we spent the morning setting that up..... and nap time went pretty well, all things considered!  I had to sit with him until he fell asleep, but that took minutes... and then, he slept almost three hours and it seemed like everything was going so well!!!!

We went out and ran some errands after his nap and grabbed a quick dinner out.... enjoyed some Summer Shandy (YUM!!!) and nachos on the Ground Round patio and the kids were really good there..... it was not our typical anniversary dinner out, but it was still nice.

Then, we went home........ and attempted to put Luke to bed.  Tears... and once again, I had to sit with him until he fell asleep... only this time, it took a LOT LONGER.

Then, he woke up around 3:00............ and I could not settle him down until after 5:00...... ugh....... then, was up again at 8:00!!!!! That set the tone for the day.  I was exhausted.  He was exhausted. Ally was mad that we didn't have plans to "go out" that day...... and oh, did I mention it was mine and Scott's 12th anniversary?  :-))))))))))))  It was a really, really BAD day. I get an anniversary do-over dammit!!!!!!!

I am going to go and see if we can get a longer safety rail and see if that keeps Luke "in."  Right now, he climbs out between the rail and the footbard.  He will NOT stay in... AT ALL. I have to sit with him to make him fall asleep. I have NEVER ever done that with either child.  They have ALWAYS fallen asleep on their own, in their bed. This is very important to me!!!!!!!!  I do not want to start a habit I have to break down the road......... AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

So, here we are.  It's Monday and I've been up since 4 am when Luke decided he didn't want to sleep anymore....... Scott actually got in bed with him (cuz he knew I was gonna lose it)..... but I couldn't go back to sleep after that. 

Then, this morning - Ally goes to Y Camp.  And, well..... Scott forgot to register her last week.... so I had to spend an hour doing that this morning... and OH!!! Since we didn't register her before, we didn't know that they aren't going to provide lunch this week....... so we had to run out and throw a lunch together for her........ and then, somewhere around five hours after I woke up........ I am getting to work. I feel like I've had a full day BEFORE I even start my day......

It's days like this I wish I stayed home so I could just take a nap when Luke takes a nap..... instead, I have a fairly stressful day of work ahead (another thing that's keeping me up at night).......  Ugh.

So, I will pour the Starbucks down and go about my day.......... and try to find a super high, super long gate during my lunch hour.  ;-)

Things Luke Says...

Luke's vocabulary amazes me daily. He speaks in full paragraphs..... Talks and talks and talks. It's so funny cuz few would ever see this side of him because he turns to Mr. Shyboy in front of most people.

Just this morning, he has said a zillion things to me. Some sweet, some not so much. ;)

"I lub you Mommy" and when I say "I love you too Lukie," he replies "I lub you too Mommy" back.

"I want a baba!!!" (screamed in a demanding voice). When informed he's already had one, he says "then I want TWO babas!!"

"Daddy go to work. Daddy the money-maker"

"Are you my Mommy, Mommy???"

"I hiding.... You can't see me.... Uh oh, I can't see!"

"Wanna play blocks? Wanna play trucks? Okay? Come on Mommy! Come on!!!"

"Ally's home? No? Ally go to school. Ally has school day. Daddy take Ally to school day."

"What are you watching? I wanna watch Maisy! I watch one Maisy?". (ever the negotiator I tell ya!)

When I told him we are going out to Gracie's lake house today, "With you? And me? And Ally? Not in my jammies though."

"What's that sound? What's that noise? I scared...". :(

"That's not an owie! That's toothpaste! I lick it!"

"I climb the mountain!" (anytime he's climbing furniture)

"Daddy's a good man"

"Mommy, what are you doing?". Probably the most heard phrase on our days together. :))))))

-- Post From My iPhone

A Whole Lotta Nuthin...

I don't feel like I have anything too significant or earth-shattering to share... but I have a moment to write, so I thought I should cuz my last post was a downer!!!  I am feeling a lot better now.  I think our entire household was fighting some sort of bug for the last couple weeks. There were no obvious symptoms.... I, myself just felt SUPER run down, tired, couldn't wake up or focus at work, and it hurt a bit to breathe, but I had no real congestion to speak of.  Odd.  Luke ran a bit of a temp over the weekend, but no congestion or other signs of distress.... unless you consider he was a HUGE grump......

I worked myself into quite a fit last week, feeling not so great myself... and having a grumpy, touchy boy did not help my nerves... but I'm feeling a big more in control and fairly convinced my child is not anything other than crazy sensitive....... and a BOY. Boys are different. ;-)

I am still going to the doctor, but can't get in for a behavioral appointment until July 1st.  So, I think more than anything, we will go and set my mind at ease......... in the meantime, I am trying not to freak myself out by staying up all night and doing research on the internet. The internet can be a scary place I tell ya!  I am talking to friends and taking their advice...... and luckily I have some social worker friends, some teacher friends, and a lot of MOMs that just have experience and help me!!!! 

Luke is just a super sensitive guy.  Which should be no surprise cuz his big sister isn't exactly easy going either.  :-)  We did not get the easy going kids....... and I tend to beat myself up about it...... assuming that this is something I did wrong. Every day I question MY parenting..... should I have stayed home with them? Should I do more or less "things" with them?  Do I spoil them too much?  Do I not spoil them enough?  Good lord.... a girl can make herself crazy.........

But, through the wonderful world of "self help" books (hahaha!), I have found a voice that can help me navigate this place my children exist.  I am currently reading "The Highly Sensitive Child: Helping Our Children Thrive When the World Overwhelms Them."  Yup..... that's my kids......  ;-)  I got it for Luke, but Ally fits the bill too!

More than ANYTHING this book tells you that your kid is just born that way!!!!!  Woo hoo!!!! It's not my fault.  ;-)  Yesterday, Scott and I walked through the "questionairre" that helps you identify your child as sensitive.  They have to score like 13 out of 23....... after we both answered it, he was like "so..... what if you score 23 out of 23.....?????"  HAHA.  Yeah, that's our kids.......  The book talks about things we can do to help them...... and ways we can deal!!!

Right now, Luke is super afraid of all noise.  Cars going down the road freak him out.  Everything freaks him out and scares him.  We are afraid to get a babysitter anymore. And lately, I find myself just wanting to avoid taking him out cuz I feel judged by everyone when he freaks out.

Then, there's Ally who seems to feel everything at such a high level and sometimes, in such an adult way..... how do I help her be a kid and let go of some things?????

Ugh.... this whole parenting process can be rough..............  ;-)

So, Scott and I reading the book together so we can all work on this... and take a team approach to helping our kids and ourselves here!!!!! 

We are also going to put Luke in a "big boy bed" this weekend.  It might not go so well, but bed time is such a freakin' disaster lately that we need to do something!!!!!!!!  So, we are turning his convertible crib into the full bed.  We ordered new bedding for him from Company Kids.... and we are going to make a big deal out of transforming his room to a "big boy room."  We are even getting Ally into the act and having her paint the "Tractors and Trucks" that are in his bedding and framing them for his walls....... I think that will be super cute and she will enjoy being part of it.  As you can imagine, she's pretty bummed that he's getting a whole new room and she feels she's getting screwed.  ;-)  It doesn't matter that we did this for her years ago, it matters that Luke is getting all this new stuff NOW!  So, I'm trying to find ways to help her through... we shall see how it goes.

In other news - tomorrow is Ally's last day of school!  School's out for summer!!!!!!!!!  She is pretty excited..... and I am too for that matter!  My schedule will change as of next week... I will be working two full days and a half day each week.  I was going to alternate weeks, with 2 full days one week and 3 the next.... but apparently that is too difficult for some people to keep up with.  ;-)  HA!  So.... I think this will work fine..... and be consistent, so everyone knows when to expect me.  I am looking forward to long, four-plus day weekends every week!

We are going out to Duck Lake tomorrow after school... to celebrate the end of the year with friends and family and enjoy a fish fry!  We are pretty excited about that.... Ally can't wait to swim. That's all she ever wants to do I tell ya!  We shall see how Luke does.  ;-)

Other than that........ we're just sitting around waiting for those twins to arrive!!!!  ;-)  We are so excited and eagerly await their arrival.  I'm sure we're not as eager as Jane of course... hee... hee... but excited none-the-less.  Ally even took pictures of their ultrasounds to show for her final show and tell. She was supposed to bring something she's looking forward to this summer... and I think it's so sweet that she is most excited about that!  She can be such a good big cousin!!!!

So, everyone........... send good vibes to my sister-in-law and wish and pray those babies out of her. She's ready...........  :-)

One of Those Days...

Do you ever just have one of those days where you're just spinning in your own troubles and you can't find a way out??  When you just feel for certain that you are going to drown in your problems and you are overcome with such emotion that you just sit there and cry?????

That was me yesterday...... I just felt overwhelmed.  With everything and with nothing at all.  I hadn't slept the night before... I'm sure pure exhaustion did not help.  I was not feel particularly well.  I'm certain THAT only added to it.

But..... I have all these amazing friends and family members who just jump in and tell me I'm not crazy and help me through all the shit..... so I can come out on the other side.......

A huge thank you to the best sister-in-law in the world for talking me off the ledge while she sat in Labor and Delivery and then, told me to go get some chocolate cuz I needed a seratonin boost.  :-)))))))

To all the girl friends who sent words of encouragement upon simply reading a Facebook status that gave them concern......... damn girls, what would I DO without you!!!!

To my co-workers who stumbled into my office only to find me in tears..... thanks for putting up with my emotional outburst and not calling me looney.  :-)

To my hubby who worried about me and offered to take me shopping and brought home pizza so I didn't have to think about dinner - you're the best a girl could ask for.....and I'm still going shopping. :-)))))

Whew..... things are better today........ I get by with a little help from my friends......

A Final Bow....

So, Ally chose to take ballet this past school year at the Jackson School of the Arts.  She was really, really into it...... at first.  ;-)  As the year progressed, she lost interest. After a while, we weren't going to quite EVERY (prepaid!) class... but then, they start to practice for the big recital and attendance becomes mandatory for your child to participate in the big show.  Cue: Mommy Guilt. ;-)

So........... as the weather got warmer, her desire for class became less and less, and eventually I was the bad mom forcing her to go and follow through on this commitment she made almost a year ago.  Lord.  I gotta say....... I'm glad it's over.  I'm not even gonna lie.  :-))))))))))

Best part of the entire experience are these images Jane captured....

Unfortunately we already have a request in to take tap next year..... god help us all.....  :-))))))

Back to Life....

So... I have been back to life and back to reality for quite some time now since our trip to Orlando!  In fact, a great deal has been going on these past few weeks - I just haven't blogged at all!!!!!

Where to start???  First of all... we have a little backyard project that has started! In fact, we already have a whole new deck!!!!  It's really very exciting actually.  The deck is like four times the size of what we had previously and a much more friendly layout!!!  I love it already and am super anxious to get some nice furniture for it.  We have looked everywhere in town, and found nothing at all... so I plan to make some trips this week to continue my search. I will not rest until I find something... cuz I am impatient like that!

The next phase of the project will included the building of a privacy fence around the backyard, behind our house. The fence will go back from the sides of our house and only be in back.  We want to create an intimate area we actually want to spend time in!!!!  Not to mention, allow our dogs to run around and the kids to play safely in an area of their very own!!!!

We have a play structure already - we got a decent used structure a year or two ago and plan to put some new things on it.  New swings... a new "trapeze" bar and a "tire swing."  I let Ally pick out the kinds of things she wants to play on.  It has a playhouse and a slide as well. We plan to move that to a different area in our yeard and put woodchips underneath it as right now, Scott has a hard time mowing around it. And by that, I mean... he does NOT mow under it... and the grass is soon going to be taller than Luke!  ;-)

I think when it is all done... the deck, new furniture, grill, fence, improved playset...... our backyard will be a place we all want to be!!!!!!!!  Now, we just have to take care of our bee and wasp problem.......

We are also taking our home improvement "inside" the house!  We would like to get a new kitchen counter, sink, faucet and all new stainless steel appliances....... just a little "facelift" for our current kitchen....  ;-)

We are doing all this for a number of reasons... first of all, we want to enjoy these improvements.... DUH!  :-)  But... also, we are going to try to sell our house in a couple years, so we are slowly preparing it to go on the market!!!!  Anyone want to buy a GREAT house in Concord in a couple years?  ;-)

So...... that said...... we have also recently purchased a piece of property that we plan to build on, in this same time frame........ IF we can sell our current house that is!  We are REALLY, REALLY excited about this prospect..... and hope that things work out for us in the time frame we'd like them too.... but time will tell.  We are trying to take it all super slow and be really patient (damn near impossible for me!).  We own the land..... and will just hold on to it for a little while.  Exciting to have something so fun to look forward to!!!

Lots going on!  Lots and and lots of good, good things..........

The kids are doing well.  Ally is wrapping up her first grade year and seems to be pretty ready for school to be out for the summer!  I will be changing my work schedule this summer to only work 2/3 days a week so I can be home for days at a stretch and do some fun things with the kids.  Ally will likely do some Y Camp and other camps throughout the summer... but we are going to play some of it by ear and see what she is enjoying. 

Luke..... oh my little Luke......  ;-)  Luke is in full 2 year old boy mode.  The kid goes between making me melt with his "I lub you mommy" comments, to making me scream with his spitting at me because he is mad, mad, mad ...... or DEMANDING a "chocolate baba right NOW!" 

He has become more and more senstitive it seems to just about everything.  :-(  He does not like babysitters and will sometimes not say one word the entire time he is with one.  This, of course, makes me not want to go out (unacceptable cuz Scott and I NEED to go out!!!!!) and gives me great anxiety and guilt.  He is generally scared of loud noises...... and doesn't like new people...... and experiences.  I remember Ally being more sensitive to noise... for longer than age-appropriate, but Luke seems even worse.  :-(

So...... in perfect "me fashion"..... I spent far to much time researching this and have now self diagnosed Luke with some sort of sensory disorder........ First, I was looking up autism and aspergers.... but I think (in my professional opinion of course) that might be a stretch...... but he DOES exhibit signs of childhood anxitey.  :(  I am saddened by some of the things I am reading on this...... and called the pediatrician this morning.  She is totally booked solid for a month (WTF???) but the nurses and staff are going to speak with her personally about fitting us in somewhere...... cuz I talked at length about my concerns.  The nurses are great there and I love them for working so hard to get me some answers.

Maybe it's nothing....... but I am starting to worry a bit... and I won't feel better until I at least get some answers.......... or someone tells me NOT to worry!!!!  I want him allergy tested..... I wonder if some food he is eating is affecting him.  I want there to be some reason... something I can change to help him... that he is so sensitive all the time. Even though I know, it is completely possible that this is just how he is... and maybe it's more social than physical.

We have a lot of behavior problems with Ally too and have been told that she is a bit more sensitive than the average bear as well.......

Ugh...... two difficult children.  Not easy...... but better to know what I'm dealing with and WHY...... cuz we can't keep going on like this....... ya know?????  I feel like there's a reason for both of their behaviors.... and maybe it is just a sensitivity..... maybe they both have a disorder of some sort.......... but I want to know what I/we can do then to make their lives easier for them to handle.... so we don't have outbursts of anger and rage....... or moments of complete shut down......  :-(

So, hopefully we will get some help. Get some answers... even if we just go back to the person we worked with for Ally's behavior issues........ but we need to find a way to help make all of our lives a little less stressful.......................

Whew.... life ain't never simple now is it??????  ;-)

Orlando Continued....

So, it's been a while. Did I leave you dying in suspense??  ;-)  Day Three of our trip to Orlando fell on Mother's Day!!!  It was a great day. We all slept in from our exhausting day before. We dressed up and went to brunch at the hotel.... and then, we let Ally swim and tried to take it easy for a little while in the morning.  We didn't head to Disney until lunchtime... which ended up being a good choice I think.  Our destination on that Sunday, was Hollywood Studios. Ally loves this kind of stuff... so she was drawn in by the thought of High School Musical, the Beauty and the Beast Live and the Little Mermaid. 

Again, the day was hot, hot, hot.  Mid-90s and super humid.... so I think that was wearing on us all.  I don't think I would do Disney this time of year again.  I do believe it was hotter than normal (lucky us!) but still... I think maybe earlier in the year is a better option.  I would rather bundle up cuz it's a bit chilly than suffer the heat.... and the cranky seven year old that results from the heat!

We enjoyed Hollywood Studios and it was easy to see and do most of what we wanted in a short day there.  The end of the night was rough... as we went to see Fantasmic and in kind of scared the crap out of Ally.  Ally does not do well with anything even slightly scary or suspenseful...... both of my children seem to be overly sensitive to noise as well..... so, that was kind of a bummer cuz we sat for like an hour to see this show.

We quickly took her on the Toy Story ride to cheer her up and end the day on an upswing!  That turned out to be a GREAT idea........ as she absolutely loved the ride and it is what she still talks about from Hollywood Studios!!!

Another long day and late night......

(pictures to come  :-))))))

Day Four was our "day at the hotel!!!"  Scott was in his conference all day... and Ally and I just sat poolside ALL day long!!!!! She made a whole group of girlfriends.... and I ended up talking to all the moms that were also there with their husbands for this trip!  We ordered lunch poolisde and generally had a great day in the sun.The only bummer was that Ally got a bit burned..... :(

We went to Downtown Disney that evening when Scott was done for the day and had dinner at a GREAT restaurant that my lovely friend Beth made a reservation for us at!  :-)))))  Portabella..... it was SO YUMMY.... and I enjoyed some great wine too!  We enjoyed walking around the area and building Leggos... getting ice cream and watching people.  A great FREE way to get some Disney!!!!

Tuesday, our final, full day... we spent the morning at the mall.  ;-)  Out of the sun......  We enjoyed lunch at California Pizza Kitchen (a fave of Ally's) and met up with Scott later in the afternoon to head to Sea World!  Sea World was a pretty big hit for Ally as she loved all the shows... and most of the rides were age appropriate for her and easy to get on! The highlight was definitely the Shamu show...... and she still talks about it today!

That night, we enjoyed dinner poolside again..... you may notice how much we enjoyed that little perk!!!! Ally loved the nightswimming... and I loved the fact that she was out of the sun.  The sun was pretty severe down there and she had enough of it!!! 

Wednesday we traveled home....... a long travel day..... a delayed flight....... you know, the typical airport hell........ but we were happy to be home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pics!!!