My Kids Rock

I will start this blog out saying that Sheldon passed the state exam for Instructor School on Friday. Not only did he pass, he had the highest score in the class. I am so proud of him. It was two weeks of intense studying, preparing lesson plans, and presentations. It was quite exhausting for all of us, but mostly him.

Next, I had the honor of attending award ceremonies for both kids. Thursday morning, Mackenzie had the Character Trait awards. Her ceremony wasn’t until 9:30, so she talked me into coming in and sitting in her class for about a half hour. Her teacher is amazing, I knew this before, but watching her interact and teach the children was pretty outstanding. She has so much patience.

I moved on to the gym close to 9:30 to find my seat. Eventually the kids started to file in class by class. Mackenzie seemed to be beaming. She looked so cute wearing her To the Pointe (dance) polo shirt and her little khakis. Mac received the “Responsibility Award.”
Each nine weeks there is a ceremony where certain kids get a character award, such as Responsibility, Courage, Preservation, Self Control, etc. The kids get a nice metal that is on a ribbon necklace. They look sort of like the awards that Olympian’s get upon winning. I was proud, and I took bunches of pictures, as I always do.

Friday morning, at 7:30am, Chase was invited to an A Honor Roll breakfast. It was really nice. I got to eat school sausage…been awhile since I had that, and little cartons of slushy juice. (The juice should not have ice in it, but for some reason it always had.)

We sat at a table with his best friend and his parents, shortly after we sat down, one more of Chase’s friends joined us. The principal called each child’s name out and gave them a very nice certificate. Of course these kids are getting to the “I am too cool” stage. They walked up, took the certificate, walked back to their seats and basically dropped it on the table in front of their parent. Chase was no different. Nonetheless, It was an honor to be there. I also noticed how many/few kids were in there, realizing that it was a lot, but not really when you think of the amount of students there. I was even more proud to know that Chase had earned his way to this very special breakfast.

You know, I don’t care what anyone says, my kids rock!

Report Card Time

The kids got their report cards this past week. They are both doing really good. Mac's teacher told me that she was a little teacher in the classroom. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. She assured me that Mac was a big helper and she loved her being in the class. Mac's academics are right on track. She had a few areas that were a little week, however her teacher said that most of the kids were weak in these areas, since 2nd grade reading and writing are SO different than 3rd grade. Very good Mac. We are proud of her.

I got Chase's report card this morning. Not that his was any better than hers, it is just with all the issues we had at the beginning and the previous concerns we have had with his reading, seeing his report card filled with grades starting at 93 and going up...I was reduced to tears. He has been working so hard, and it paid off for him. I feel like this will be a huge boost in his confidence. He is proud of himself.

His grades: Literature Arts--98, Math--96, Science--94, Social Studies--96.

Wow is all I can say.

A Very Special Moment

This weekend was pretty good. The kids had a great time trick or treating. Later I will have to blog about Chase’s adventure. It is quite comical.

The purpose of this blog is to share a very special moment I had this weekend. You see, my Mother was a master at cleaning, (wish I would have gotten that gene). I decided that I was going to do one of those cleanings in my office area that consist of making a bigger mess than it was originally, then getting everything organized. After about 4 hours of “this” cleaning, things were starting to look much better, I had a very strong thought of my Mom. I remembered how she would come help me do cleanings like this, and how in the beginning of these projects I would get so overwhelmed. I mean, really? I had asked her to come help me because is was such a mess and she was making a bigger mess. But in the end, my house would be so organized and beautiful. So, here I was, everything everywhere. Everywhere. So when things started falling in place, I felt such a sense of pride, and also, I knew that Mom would be proud of me.

An hour or so later, I had one last thing to put away. I said to myself, put that folder in that cabinet, and you are done.

There is a picture of my mom that I took before she was sick. It is my favorite picture, there isn’t another picture that I like any better. I like this picture so much, I have one in my living room on a table, I have one on another wall somewhere else in our house, and I have one in my room on a dresser mirror. I also have one at my office that I look at numerous times a day. This picture was also the picture that sat on top of my Mom’s closed casket. So many people commented on it. Half of those people ask for copies of it. Which, selfishly, no one got a copy. This was my happy memory, just mine. Selfishly mine.

Sometime shortly after her death, I lost the negative. This was extremely traumatic for me. I looked everywhere, many, many, many times. I never found it. I found some other negatives that were taken on the same day, but not “the” negative. I looked in every envelope with no luck.

Back to my story, my last task, I am about 1 inch away from the trash bag with an envelope that was in my hand. I opened the envelope, put my hand in it. There was a negative. I put it up to the light, it wasn’t it. It was the one that I had found so many other times, and found it lonely in its envelope. This negative had pictures taken the same day...but...once again, for some reason, I checked the already checked 137th time envelope, and yes, the negative was there. I cried.

I could not think of anything else to do but look up toward heaven and thank my Mom. She gave me a prize cause I was a good little girl and I had cleaned up like she would have.

***By the way, that is my Mom with my daughter, Mac was about 18 months to 2 years old.

Awww...Oh Well, Never Mind

Conversation with Chase this afternoon:

Chase: Hey Mom
Me: Hey Buddy
Chase: How was your day Mommy?
Me: Ok…Yours?
Chase: Good…Mommy, What’s for supper?

I knew the sweetness was a trap!

The Family Tree

Yesterday, I was informed that one of my great uncles had passed away. I have not seen him in many years, as he does not live around here. Over dinner last night, I was telling Sheldon about his passing and how he was related to me. I got some confusing looks from Chase.

He waited until Sheldon and I stopped talking and then he asked me in so many words, how was I, he, related to so many different people, why did I talk about step people, etc.

Wow...that is such a hard question. Truth is I must have one of the most sorted families I know of. Sheldon teases me, but last night, he tried to explain his family tree, I got pretty lost pretty quickly. Sheldon's father was adopted. He had 3 blood siblings. He had 4 siblings in his adoptive family. Sheldon has met all his "true" aunts and uncles, and actually spent a lot of time with them growing up. Sheldon is very close to his cousins from his dad's adoptive family. Sheldon's mom has 3 sisters and a brother. I have never been clear on how many cousins he has on that side.

My dad's family, well, I mean his siblings and parents. My dad has one brother and a twin sister. I have 3 cousins on that side. These 3 cousins now have 4 kids amongst them.

My dad has been married three times, providing me with a total of 3 step sisters, and one step brother, also providing me with 7 step nieces.

I have one brother, and a niece from his first marriage. (Who is the apple of my eye)

My mom had 6 siblings. I have 12 cousins. Between the twelve cousins as well as my brother and I, there are ultimately 13 great grandchildren.

My mom remarried after my dad, I have a step-sister and a step-brother, I have one step-nephew from the step brother.

When I add all these up...oh my lord. I am related to....omg....47 people, with only about 4-5 of these that live far away...far away means 1-3 hours away. This of course is not including the my second cousins and their children. Everyone else lives in the same town. I live in a small town...I guess now I realize why every time we go some where we see someone that I talk to, the kids always ask me, how do you know them? I say, I am related, they ask, how? I give them a look, and usually say it is a long story. Which it is...a reeeeeaaaaallllyyyy long story.

Wow it has been days and days since I last posted. I know something had to be going on at some point over the last week and a half. Let me think...

I have managed to get out of going to our State Fair. Chase and Mackenzie both got to go with friends of theirs. This made me really happy, since I really hate the crowd. I use to really like things like that, but not so much now. Not to mention that you can go through so much money there. I was told that one ride cost about $5.00 each. Food is priced ridiculously high. I sent money with each child so I did not get out completely free, but I am positive that if Sheldon and I would have gone as well, the money spent would have been scary. You see, we would have to get a funnel cake, a roasted corn on the cob, or two, candy apples, cotton candy, plate of fries, maybe a slice of pizza, at least 2-3 drinks, and probably we would have had to try the new rage, deep fried snickers bars, or deep fried Twinkies. We would have walked away from the fair fat, half sick from eating so much...and completely broke.

Sheldon also hates being in a crowd, I mean really hates it. He gets a bit grumpy. Okay, not just a bit, he gets really grumpy. He, being a police officer, sees things I would never notice. He isn't able to do what most people can do, which is leave his job at work. He is constantly "looking."

This past Saturday, I spent the day with my two step-sisters, and two of my step-nieces. It was great seeing them, as I haven't seen one step-sister and my nieces in a long time, and when I had seem them, it was never all together. It was so nice to hang out all together. I realized how much I missed us being together. That afternoon/evening one of my nieces had a Union Ceremony. I met her partner, who was really great. The ceremony was really nice. C seems very happy, so I am very happy for her. One other great part of the day was I got to be behind my camera a lot. I love taking pictures so much, when I am doing so, I always wonder why I do not do it more often.

My brother is at Firearms Instructor School for the NC Highway Patrol. He was on a shooting team for years with the police department he was on before going to the Highway Patrol. He was first in our state at one point. Getting accepted to this school was a big deal, and once accepted, you still was not guaranteed anything. The first day there was several exercises that you had to complete and if you did not do almost perfectly on them, you went home. I talked to him late afternoon, he was relieved and nervous. He had made it through the daytime shooting, they gave him a break for supper then he had to go to night time shooting. He called me around 9pm, very excited, he had made it through.

Sheldon is going tomorrow to speak to the city council about pay increases for law enforcement officers. Sheldon is a very composed man, let me just tell you tonight, he is not so composed. He is stressed. Very stressed. I know he will, as always, do a great job. I can tell him that, but really? I have never had to stand in front of city officials and fight for the city officers. I would be pretty "un-composed" as well. I am always so proud of him and his accomplishments. He has done so well with his career.

I must go now, he needs to read his speech...cause 142 times is just not enough.

Saturday Stuff

Do you know what happens when little girls go to lock ins (sleep over) at the dance studio? Well, let me tell you. They get dropped off at 7:30 pm, and get picked up at 9:00 am. During these 14 hours they play, dance, gossip...I am sure since that is what girls do, and they don't sleep. 8 year old little girls really need their beauty sleep. Today, I figured out what the term "beauty sleep" really means. It may mean that when girls don't sleep they look tired, which is not always attractive, but I think the real meaning is, the opposite of beauty...ugly. No sleep for 8 year olds means they can give really "ugly" looks, they can have "ugly" thoughts, they think everyone else is being "ugly"...until...they are MADE to lay down and nap. Napping is good. The only bad thing about napping is the first 30 minutes after they wake up, they are more unbearable than before they laid down, making you doubt your decision to MAKE them take a nap.

Chase had a friend come over today. We had heard lots about his friend. Chase really has became really good friends with him. Chase has been begging to have a friend come over for some time now. We picked L up after he finished his baseball game. Before we got half way home, I had realized why Chase liked him. He is a good kid. He is also very funny. Chase is very funny...the two of them play off each other making them freaking hilarious.

This nap I spoke of only happened because I made Mac lay down in my bed, knowing that if she laid in her bed there would be many distractions and she would remain in her state of illness. I told her she had to at least lay down with me for one show on tv...30 minutes long. Mommies know everything right?? Well, I knew if she got still, I would win and she would be asleep long before the 30 minute show ended. The only problem with this was I had to lay down with her, to keep her from feeling like she was missing anything...which resulted in me being still for 30 minutes...which then resulted in me falling asleep too.

During our little nap, Sheldon supervised the boys. I woke up, or sort of heard while I was sleeping, lots of laughing, a nerf battery operated machine gun, lots of running, some yelling...they were having a blast. I had a small dilema when I decided to get up. If I opened my bedroom door, Mac would surely be woken up by all the chaos. Not good. I very easily slid out of bed, waited by my bedroom door until I knew the machine gun needed reloaded, then I very quickly opened the door and shut it as quietly as I could. Whew...she was still snoozing!!

One of the reasons L was here was because Chase wanted him to go to church with us tonight. I think they had fun. This church we are visiting has the feeling that if the kids are having lots of fun they will not burn out and perhaps continue going to church as adults. (Which is exactly what happened to me, church was pretty boring and I was made to go, so when I became an adult...I did not go, or when I did it was so sporadic) They strongly urge all the kids to go to different clubs. In the clubs they have small discussions, then they are let loose to have as much fun as possible. For example, the room Chase goes to has many x-boxes in it. I think (since it is not really cool for Mom's to go in there) that there is lots of things in there that is cool. Mackenzie class has video games too, lots of floor games, a big screen where they watch music videos and dance crazily, there is a fully stocked snack bar, with free snacks...and by the way, I know this because I have been allowed to walk in there, apparently 3rd graders still want their mommies to walk them in. Mac had fun tonight, as did Chase and L. They were all very excited...translated to very wild when we got into the van to leave.

Sheldon and I really like this church as well, which I mentioned in an earlier post, is very big for us, since in our 17 years of being together, (marriage and dating) church was awkward for us. We just did not seem to relate to any church's ways. I have went to the church we had joined for many years. Oddly, I mostly went just for the Sunday school class. I honestly did not "feel" the sermons there. So, for once, Sheldon and I feel like we have found somewhere that is going to work for us. The kids are happy and we really like the services. This is a very, very contemporary church. The music is awesome, the preacher is a phenomenal speaker. I have looked forward to going back all week. I feel like that will probably be the case this week as well.

Can I tell you how great it feels for us to all like something at the same thing at the same time...