Summing up the School year

So, today my blog is very "kid" involved. First off, Meganne has her first loose tooth. She's so very excited about it. She has been asking me since last summer when she was going to lose a tooth. Well, now's the time. Compared to the boys, she's late. They lost 4 teeth by the time they were 5 1/2 and she's just now losing her first! Anyway, the tooth fairy will be finding her way back to our house very soon.

Secondly, Meganne's last week of school is this week. Pre K gets out earlier than the rest. I can't believe this is the last year of having Mrs. Boleky as a teacher. We loved Mrs. Boleky. She's very calm, quiet and loving and I will be sad that my kids won't have her again. She will have a special loving place in our hearts though. Meganne will have a little graduation ceremony next Tuesday, and that's it. Summer break for her. Then I will have a KINDERGARTNER for the last time! Yikes! Like Andrew, she wants to start kindergarten right away. It's so very cute.

Next, my Andrew will be ending the 2nd grade. A lot has happened for him this school year. Most importantly (and not only for us, but for him since he called it the best day of his life) was his first Communion. I just can't believe he will be entering the 3rd grade in the Fall. Wow, that time flew. He will also be training to be an Altar Server in a few weeks. He's afraid to do it, but I think he will enjoy it in the end. Especially if he feels like it's an important job. (Which it is for the kids.)

Then there's my Alexander, who just this year turned 13. I'm not old enough to have a teenager! Really, I'm not. LOL. Anyway, equally hard to believe is that he will be entering the 8TH grade in the fall. High school is just a hop, skip and a jump away and I'm so not ready to go there! I'm especially not ready for him to drive, since he's eligible to do that in 3 short years. I keep telling him he has to wait until he's 18. We'll see how long he lets me get away with that I guess.

So, now I have to come up with some ideas to keep them busy during the summer that doesn't involve 12 hour long days of Video games. I would like to enroll them in Swim lessons again, but I don't see that happening...I know we'll do library days, and maybe swimming at my Aunt's house. I know we have a few possible play dates at a friend's house that also involves swimming, but otherwise...Ugh! Sprinklers, water balloons, child labor (having them clean the house with me), baking and, reading will have to occupy us. 

All that being said, I'm looking forward most to not having to pack lunchboxes and getting to sleep in. (Unless, of course, I have to get a job, which I'm still considering for myself.) Happy almost summer to all of you! And keep us in your prayers!! Thanks!

Not challenging the Universe

Ok, I know things are supposed to come in 3's but I'm hoping that we will be the exception to the rule. So far, since March, Stephen has been laid off and today he was involved in a car accident that tied up the 95 for about an hour. Luckily he and Alexander, who was with him because he'd just been picked up from school, were not at all injured. Apparently the driver that hit Stephen blew a tire, hit the guard rail and slid across the freeway right into Stephen's passenger side. Stephen saw the whole thing happen and slowed down as much as he could before the guy hit, but alas, he couldn't avoid the collision. Stephen thinks he was only going about 10mph at the time and the guy slammed the guard rail at at least 65 and therefore was going way too fast, even sliding, to avoid hitting Stephen. Anyway, now we have to go through getting the car into the shop, possibly getting a rental, and awaiting the repairs. It's all just a huge pain in the ass now. But if this was 2 of our 3....well, I'm not even going to entertain that notion. I'm going to remain positive that from here on out it will be rainbows, blue skies and puppies for us. I have faith that everything will be fine with the car and that Stephen will find out in the next 2 weeks that his "Dream Job" wants him. I keep praying for this and I know God has our back.

My summer sewing

My summer sewing projects have begun. I have now made Meganne 2 skirts that she can wear in the warm weather and I love them. I'm so excited to make some more things. I may even spoil myself and make myself something cute to wear in the warm weather. Sewing is getting a little less scary for me and a lot more fun. I even found a tutor that is willing to help me out. My plans you ask? I will make some shorts for the boys and maybe a pair for Meganne, a skirt for myself and maybe a sun dress as well. I will even try to get a head start on some winter flannels for Stephen and the kids, but that we will have to see. It's also my goal to get some crocheting done and make some Christmas presents for everyone so I don't have to cram it all in in November. Anyway, "sew" can't wait to get some projects done!

Couponing

So a new show on TLC is called Extreme Couponing. It's totally astounding if you have never watched it. It's about people who clip coupons and get thousands of dollars worth of groceries for only pennies and sometimes totally free. It's amazing. There does seem to be some downsides to this technique, however. Some people go dumpster diving for said coupons. Some people steal papers from Foreclosed homes and take the coupons out of them. But the most common downfall is that it seems to be a full time job. With researching sales, coupon clipping, coupon gathering, online research and stock piling it takes up to 30 or 40 hours a week to save this kind of money. It's truly amazing. These people also seem to be EXTREMELY organized people as well, something that is just not my forte. I also don't have the kind of storage space needed to house all these items. Another downfall is sacrificing name brands you might use on a regular basis. So, with all this in mind, it does seem to be worth the money in savings, but since I'm a learner through example, I would need one of these "specialists" to teach me how to do it and how to organize my house in order to make it worthwhile. But if I could get all my groceries for free, especially since our current economical situation is in need of some money saving I would be willing to start a coupon co-op with anyone in Vegas who's interested  and we can learn how to do this together...Any takers?

The anxiety of the Brilliant

My boy Andrew is a brilliant 8 year old. He gets straight A's in Catholic school, (well, maybe 1 B) and our conversations with him often remind me of talking to a 30 year old in an 8 year old body. Well, along with his brilliance comes worry and anxiety. He has always been a worry wart and has often had meltdowns because of a crisis he shouldn't be having at his age. Like worrying, at the age of 4, that he couldn't hug, and touch and see Jesus like he can his parents...that's a story for a different time. Well last night was one of those nights. Although it was a worry of an 8 year old issue, the level of his worry was that of an Adult.

Today was the deadline of his 20 book reading challenge at school. Along with it was a Mobile he had to make utilizing all the parts of a book (characters, setting, beginning, middle, end...) on ONE book he chose of the 20 he read. Oh, and did I mention he had only read 16 of the 20 books by yesterday so he had to cram in 3 more books, CHAPTER books, after school  because he HAD to read all 20? No? Well, along with cramming all those books into one afternoon, he also had to finish his mobile.

So, Bedtime rolls around and he's finished all this homework, and we've brushed his teeth and tucked him in. So, he gets up out of bed after 1 minute and starts stressing out that he's going to forget to bring his project to school. So he has to find some place to put it so it doesn't get ruined AND so he remembers to bring it to school. We ensure him that we will remember in the morning and tuck him in again. Then he gets up and decides to go get the project that had been carefully placed on the dining room table and brings it into our room because he wants ME to remember to bring it. I assure him that if he puts it where he sits at the breakfast table, it will be remembered. Again, he is tucked in. Then he gets up and writes himself a note to remember it and tapes it to his door. Again he is tucked in. Then he calls to us to come in his room. So Stephen goes in there and he is upset and crying and afraid that he will still forget the project in the morning and his ears were covered by his sheets. Stephen had to calm him down from this anxiety. He used comic relief and talked to him about Sheldon, a genius in the Big Bang Theory who often has anxiety and has to do things at certain times on certain days, in a show that's a fave of the whole family. That, along with other anecdotes, made him feel well enough to sleep.

Geez, I mean SERIOUSLY, he's 8 for heaven's sake! He's having anxiety over things that Adults stress over and this isn't the first time. Ahhhhhh, the con to having a child that's brilliant. This, is something that Stephen had to explain to him. People who actually have brains in their heads and who know how to use them think of things that can go wrong in situations that other's don't think of. Thus, anxiety. Since Andrew has been this way his whole life, I guess it's something we're going to have to deal with  for his whole life to come. I love him dearly and I wish I could take away his worries, but I know that calming him down will be the only thing that will ease is mind. The question is can we, as parents, be creative enough to talk him down from future situations like these? I hope so!

Jesus is within him

Saturday was a remarkable day in our family. My little Andrew received his first Holy Communion. He wore his brother's suit, which fit him perfectly, thank GOD! He had been looking forward to it all week and was sooooo excited when Saturday finally came. It truly touched my heart to see him receive communion for the first time and to know he'd really wanted to do it. But I have to say, the best part wasn't the mass. I know, you'd think it was, but really, it wasn't. The best part was after the mass was over and we drove home together, just him and me (because Stephen and the rest of the family had to get the BBQ party started) and we talked about what had just happened. I told him that I was so excited and happy for him and I told him congratulations. He said to me, "I'm so happy because this was the best time of my life and I'm Soooooooo happy!" I just wanted to cry. I think he compared it to other important events in his life, but this one was the best of all of them. I also think I asked him why he was so happy and he told me it was because it was the first time he got to receive communion and he was so happy that he finally got to receive Jesus in his body. Really, it was a tear jerking moment! The next day was also very special to me, not only because it was Mother's day, but because I was scheduled to be a Eucharistic Minister for mass AND  I got to serve the body of Christ to my wonderful, beautiful 8 year old son. He was happy, I later found out, that it was ME that got to serve him. What an honor it was to give him the body of Christ the second time he got to receive it. Anyway, that was truly the best Mother's day gift I could have gotten, to see my son receive communion for the first time and then get to serve him myself. I don't think I'll ever forget this weekend for as long as I live!!!

Breaking News

So, the news of the day (and last evening for that matter) is that Osama Bin Laden is dead. YIPEE!!! It only took 10 years to find him...But nonetheless, he's gone, gone, and more gone, given to the sharks for shark bait (SHARK BAIT-Oooh HA HA!) It's great that he's gone and I hope he rots in hell, but this still doesn't bring back the people who died on 9-11-2001. My only hope is that this brings closure to the victim's families and that they can be in peace that there's one less terrorist in the world.