Princess Keona

Tooth number 1 for Keona is officially out - and to think I didn't know it was loose because she never said anything. She did tell me she never checked for a whole week and it wasn't loose but today it hurt when she ate so she came home at lunch. Well the second tooth is loose - but not as loose so should be coming out soon also. She feels extremely proud she holds a first for the family. She is the first child to loose a tooth before her 6th birthday - only by 4 days mind you. She doesn't want Timothy to take that away as she gives a smug grin to her oldest brother who thinks he needs to be #1 for everything. She is one excited little girl.

My princess has also managed to get 3 birthday parties out of me. Not sure how that happened but it did. Her friends one is a Hannah Montana one next weekend with a slight twist if boys come because well you know boys, they may not like that. Parties are fun and what the hey it keeps everyone happy and i've learned to do it well on a tight budget.

The Children's Place

They say when you have great customer service you tell one person and when you have a bad experience you tell 10. Well I had great customer service and am going to tell whoever wants to know. Imagine this 2 parents, 4 very excited kids and the mall. Around us is many other children and parents, for it's the last Friday evening of summer and everyone is in a rush to buy back to school stuff. The childrens/youth clothing departments in every store are busy, every children/youth clothing store are busy, and the BTS and office supply departments in stores are busy. Sales people are going crazy trying to keep up and help everybody. Some you can tell are on their last strings and others look like it's a walk in the park for them.

So we venture to the mall when I got off work - in a thunderstorm I may add - because the boys need jeans and the winter outerwear is out in Children's Place and it will get scooped up as fast as it hits the shelves, especially when people are in stores anyways. We walk into the store, I head right with my princess and toddler and Brad heads left with the big boys. Keona was easy to dress, everything was right there. She gets her snowpants, coat, hat and mitts -- the only pair of mitts that will fit her -- there was no buying an extra pair today. I see how Brad is making out and he wasn't have such an easy time. I head over to the toddler section as a sales lady goes to help him. I was sad as the toddler snowpants aren't in yet so Timothy gets nothing today. I prefer to buy the whole outfit at one time to make sure it goes together well. Good news though, they haven't gotten any in so it's not just that they are sold out. Back to the big kids department and it isn't such good news there -- all the snowpants to fit Alex are sold out. The lady tells us to buy the bigger size and she will take our information and call us as soon as another box arrives with his size. I do agree to this, although not with total certainty, it's not the way I like to do things. Zachary gets his outfit and finally gets gloves he can put on. We leave the scarves behind but ask for neckwarmers. The lady gets right on it and gets us 3 that the kids liked and we are set for winter - almost.

The boys need jeans though. By this time the two younger kids are getting restless and we can watch things start to unravle before our eyes. The lady was awesome though and picked out jeans for the kids right away. Then got us another pair in the same size so they each had 2 pairs - what we wanted. Alex also got a couple sweaters while Zachary was trying on jeans. A couple minutes before the check out fun begins we get news from the backroom, another box has been opened and it's big boy snow pants and there is 1 pair of size 10 in it. We scoop it up right away and NOW the big kids are set, except for boots, which is fine. We check out all our items and leave, before a total meltdown occurs.

The sales lady was AWESOME and really helped us out. It was a wonderful experience and we will definately be back in that store when the toddler boys winter stuff is all there.

Here I go

Starting Monday I am employed full time. Monday to Friday with the occasional Saturday thrown in. I have some people who are giving up parts of their days to watch my kids. I still have spots that need to be filled though. I really don't want to hand my whole paycheque over to a babysitter because that would be totally pointless. Why can this be the month my sister doesn't work and live with us? She's doing very well for herself though and i'm proud of her.

Nothing new on hubby except he has one of his specialist appts in a couple weeks. Mabye we can finally get an answer, really not holding my breathe on that one but we can all hope. I often wonder if he will ever get better. I'm good at convincing myself he won't and then it will be a big shock when he does. If he can stop going numb and can control his pain he can go back to work. I want to say I can then be at home with my son where I belong but I might like working in the outside world and maybe that is where I will belong. I love being a SAHM but maybe it's a good time for me to move on. I do wish that hubby could be a SAHD until he could go back to work but that would really be dreaming. I love him dearly and he can be a good dad but patience is definately not a strong suit for him. Someone needs to convince my dad that he should be retired so he can babysit his grandchildren. At least I get him on his days off - for gas money and tic tacs. The tic tacs of course are for my baby -- he has already learnt that when granddad shows up his pocket rattles and out comes tic tacs. My son will have the most fresh breath ever.

Working Momma

Well it looks like i'm back out into the workforce. It's only been 9 years since I worked out of the house so it shouldn't be all that bad right? I got on full time at the Dairy Queen really close to where I live. I start on Monday morning, the Monday of the long weekend. If it's hot you know it will be super busy so lets hope I catch on super quick. It should be alright though once I know how to do things. This could be the boost we need to get back on track again.

Later on in the day I got a call from Startek offering me a job with them. Sundays off!!!! That is very important to me. Now to figure out what job I want more and daycare for the kids.

Seasons

Well a couple winters ago we almost had the Winter that wasn't. The snow took forever to come and then it was gone about the same time as usual and it got warm. Speed up to 2008. It seems like we are going through the Summer that wasn't. We've had so much rain and cool weather it's crazy. Don't get me wrong though we do get a nice day thrown in here and there but it's followed by a week of crap. My poor garden looks so pathetic compared to where it should be, it just won't grow nice. It's too wet and cold. It needs sun, something that is surprisingly out today. At least i'm pretty sure it's a sun, the big yellow thing in the sky. Clouds keep going over it but today they are big and poofy, at least for now. Forecast has thunderstorms for tonight, yet again. This is the year when we could really use a plentiful garden with everything that has gone on and is still going on. Maybe it will turn good still. It is early. Better yet, maybe the summer will come and warmer weather will push into fall. None of my pumpkins grew. I'm sad about that. The kids love watching them grow. The turban gourds are growing, no sign of gourds on them yet but the plants are trying, so there is hope of something nice.

Was worked..........turned to kids

I love my job. Having a daycare is so rewarding. It's naptime but because it's raining cats and dogs again the kids get to curl up on the couch with a blanket and watch kids shows for a little while. Chances are they will be sleeping fairly quickly. We just watched the end of Winnie the Pooh and now they are watching Mickey Mouse. They are adorable as they hug their sippy cups and tiggers. I have a little me time before getting lunch ready for them, if they crash they will both be out for a good 1 1/2 hours usually.

I get to watch my own son grow up, be here for him every day and have fun. I'm home when the big kids go to school and i'm here when they come home to hear about their day. My baby girl is 5 and just about done SK and her stories are who she isn't friends with anymore, but then by the end of the day they have made up again. They usually stop being friends because one wants the blue marker the same time the other one does or one child doesn't like the picture the other one coloured. She did achieve 100 good listening dots and brought home a certificate yesterday which she was so proud to show everyone.

Zachary is almost done Grade 2 and will be moving onto the Grade 3 in the fall. He goes to me last week and says "wow mommy, i'm sure smart. And to think they didn't think I could handle Grade 1 even" See he isn't the fastest of workers but he always gets it done and he doesn't care if everyone is playing and he is still working. He sets his mind to it and does it. He does it well usually too.

Alex is my sports kid. Anything to do with sports that he wants to do he does, and it comes naturally usually. He comes home and tells me how many goals he got at recess or all about whatever sport they played. I don't here much about his academic work. The big thing I did hear about was his midevil unit at school. That is the big grade 4 unit that most kids look forward too. I can't believe that my first born is going to start 5th Grade in the fall, already. He was just a teeny tiny boy who could barely walk and got excited when his daddy came home. Now my last born is past that stage already.

Being able to be here for my kids is a great thing. With hubby still not working 7 1/2 months after his fall i'm not sure how much longer I can stay home for.

Annoying

Some things in life are so freaking annoying. One of those things is the fact my husband feels the need to add most of my friends to his friends list on facebook. Just because he sees a person he has to add them if he knows who they are even if they don't ever talk. I had facebook first. Fair enough that he adds some of the same friends, they are both of ours. But he has added people he hates just because they are on my list. Now I have added some of the kids soccer coaches, and he wants to just because I did. Let me have my own friends and acquaintances already!!!!!!!

Also what is annoying is when I make new friends he scares them away because he is always talking/messaging/phoning them bugging them all the time. I have had friends that will no longer come around because of him. He gets obsessed with them. I don't have to call my friends all the time and beg them to come over like he does. I need to life part of my life for me and not him. I can make and keep friends but he makes them and scares all of them away and then scares mine away. Why can't he understand new friends don't want to be harassed all the time and don't want to constantly be at our house or go out with us or have us there. Once in awhile fine but not all the time. It's not just me thinking this about him but other people too, he scares people away.

Proud Moment

Alex has been waiting forever for his turn to be a ball boy for the Chill games. Well today his dream came true and he was one of the 8 ball boys around the soccer feild. A very proud boy for sure. The first half of the game he got a good amount of action in the visiting end of the feild. The second half however he played right beside the Chill net and only had 1 chance to through the ball in. He was happy to be at the feild, happy to eat pizza and drink orange flavoured water at half time and happy to be part of the same game as his hero. I know this will happen more this year, a perk of being a reserve player. It was a hot day for the game too. Kick off was at 11am and it was already 19C outside.



After we had a picnic lunch and then Brad stayed at the feild with Alex for his practice and I brought home the rest of the kids.

Excitement

Alex is one excited child today. He had a practice for his soccer team while the parents had their meeting. He is heading to Minneapolis in July for the USA cup final weekend. He can't wait to go. His player pack has grown a ton from just 1 uniform, 1 pair of socks and 1 bag all the way up to 4 uniforms and socks, 1 raincoat, 1 track suit, 1 polo shirt and 1 bag. That's alot of clothes to try to keep track of and clean. He got extra excited when they found out that's the same player kit that the real Chill have.

Just so people know, i'm not lost, i'm just at soccer and alot of soccer. Looks like it could be 6 days a week. Brad will be a soccer widow for that time seeing I will be the chauffeur for the kids. I love my kids.

Wow

I did it again didn't I, I went forever without an entry. Well here is a new one. Alex made the summer rep team, one higher than his winter one. He is now a white kid. Why would anyone in their right mind put a child on a white team though? One where they play in mud and slide on the grass. Can anyone see the problem with this? Whoever picked white must not have kids or just not have done the laundry to get the mud and grass stains out of the white and keep it looking the best. He is going to have a blast and we will all be soccer-ed out by the end of July. He plays house league 4 nights a week plus however many more times the reserve boys play.

Zachary and Keona only play twice a week so that isn't bad at all. They all got new shoes, which I wish were alot cheaper, and they look good. It's not so much the shoes are expensive, it's when you buy 3 pairs at once and as you punch the buttons in for your debit card you can just vision the bank balance fall way down low.

The things we do for our kids. And Timothy isn't even soccer age for another 2 years.

Round 1 done

Round one of soccer try outs is done and both boys will live to see Friday's tryout. They have been put into different groups so we have double the try outs/practices. It's all part of the fun. We will survive though. Alex did his same ole thing and Zachary worked his butt off and did awesome. He got right in with the scrimmage and made some great contact. We will have to continue to wait it out to see if both make teams.

Soccer

When watching kids play soccer never blink, especially if it's your child playing. I was positive I was watching Zachary play all year and a bit last week but really today the boy seems to have improved so much. I am very proud of him. Somethings he does I don't even see older kids doing. He isn't scared to go after a kid twice his size and try to get the ball. He is a year too young to make the development team but has been given the ok to go and try out. I think this is really exciting but realistically don't expect him to make it. It would be a huge surprise if he did, a pleasant surprise mind you.

Alex on the other hand is good too. Today there was only one time he wasn't in position during the game and he scored back to back goals within a couple minutes of each other. I was very proud of him. He will also show up to tryouts for the developmental team. All the boys on the team need to go to try outs still or they risk loosing their spot if the coaches see a player they think will be better. Some how both my boys will be at both try outs, one will likely (hopefully) be thrilled and the other will be back to try again next time.

My nerves go back and forth whether Alex is going to make the team. I think i'm more nervous than he is. He has been trying really hard and even in the last month has improved tons more. The test is March Break to see if he's done enough to make it. I'm a true soccer mom.

Scared

To be totally honest todays cat scan results have really scared me. Even though it could turn out to be ok the fact that Brad has 2 discrepancies on his brain is really scary. I don't know the last time I was this scared and worried and nervous all at once. Even being 20 and in labour with my first son, knowing the pain that I would go through didn't scare me this much. I wasn't scared then, a little worried thinking about how a baby was going to get out of me but heck I was 20. Now we wait for yet another MRI, so they can check his brain one layer at a time and see just how big these discrepancies are and what they are affecting.

Oh yeah, and to top of today's doctors visit Keona has strep throat. She was feeling icky at school yesterday and today she was still ick. almost have of her class was out of school or under the weather. Today the doctor checked her and sure enough she is sick too. First time I remember her being on antibiotics. She loves them though so it will be easy getting her to take them.

But with every scary moment and good one will come. Now it's time to ride this roller coaster of emotions back up again. I've been down for too long. Time for Brad to get better so we can go on hikes, walk all day with the kids and be a whole family again doing things we love to do. It's hard being the only parent who can take the kids anywhere, especially when they all have to be in a different place at the same time. I know things will get better and I believe they will, I will not be given more than I can handle and, yes, we will get through this, that doesn't mean I can't have bad days because I know I will, but it does mean I will make the best I can out of them and my kids will realize just how well we can pull together as a family when the going gets tough.

Wow

I buy wine at the same liquor store every time. I go in, pick what we want, pay and leave. No questions asked. Well today I get to the counter and the guy asks me for ID. I give him this odd look while it registers what he said. I've seen him in the store before so I know he isn't new. It totally caught me off guard, seeing as how I haven't been asked for ID in ages. So it turns out I am getting younger every day. Maybe that's what the looks when I take my devils, er children, out in public. Maybe they can't believe they are actually all mine because i'm so young. Whatever the reason, I definately don't feel my age.

And the Cool Mommy Award goes to.........

Why me of course!!!!! I am the cool mommy who rented the SoccerPlex for my kids for their pd day. Yup, right now it's just for my kids, but I did tell them they could each invite a couple friends. It will give Alex great practice and they can all have tons of fun without wrecking havoc on my house. My house will be safe, at least for that afternoon.

I also know i'm cool because Zachary told me so last week. He and his friends were talking at school and sports teams came up and how cool the players are. Zachary told them that his one of the big players talks to his mommy often. Well that alone shot me into cool-dom. Because a member of the Chill talks to me i'm cool. They don't seem to think that the fact the Chill players coached some of them for soccer in the Spring meant as much as their heroes talking to their parents often. A few years ago all it took was me making cupcakes for all the holidays for school, now they are all health nuts there it's crazy.


Why couldn't being cool be this easy when I was in school? I love my kids!!!!

The Saga Continues........

It's now been 15 weeks since the old man got hurt. Things are getting worse and not better. We have lots of my family and our friends helping out. The biggest help arrives on the 15th though when my big sister arrives to save what's left of my sanity. I feel like I have 5 kids plus my daycare kids and i'm doing it all on my own. It's really hard and I give all the single moms out there a huge applause for having to do it all the time. I know eventually my time will come to an end and I will have my regular help.

I have found out that sometimes help comes where you least expect it. We have one friend that has made things alot easier for us. He's been there to listen to what's going on. He's been there to give me hope things will get better. He's watched my big boys while I had to go the the ER so they wouldn't miss soccer. He's there to give us rides when needed. My kids all look up to him, from the first day they met him in the Spring. He coaches all my kids soccer. He's #6 for our Thunder Bay Chill soccer team and he cares about his fans and their families. Thanks Wilson!!!!