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Today was the Marathon of Knowledge. I volunteered all day reading questions to all the different grades and I have to tell you...some of those questions were not easy. 4th Grade question: What are the 3 branches of Government? I mean there are more, but honestly, I can't remember them all because of all the questions that I asked today. In between reading, I would go to Kalli's classroom and help out there. At the end of the day the teacher really appreciated my being there because the kids were being a little obnoxious. Oh who am I kidding, a few of the kids were being complete brats. Because of previous misbehavior the kids had 7 minutes to serve. They have to put their heads down and be quiet during this time instead of having play time. Well, I spent the entire rest of the day telling kids to put their head down and to sit down and to be quiet. Comes down to the kids only took about 1 minute of time off because of much fooling around went on.

There is one boy, J, who is really a lot of....work. I ended up pulling him out into the hall and he was fooling around out there too and slid himself down onto the floor while I was trying to talk to him. I said, "excuse me! I won't let my own kids misbehave and be this disrespectful and definitely won't let someone else's child."

In talking with the teacher later, we are pretty sure J has ADHD, however his dad won't let him be tested. In other words, his dad is keeping him from possibly getting treated. I'm no doctor, but if people were questioning whether your child could have ADHD, wouldn't you wanted him or her tested? Don't get me wrong...I don't think all kids have ADHD, some are just brats. However, look into it. If the doctor suggests meds then try them. See if they help. If not...at least you tried. Parents are so worried about this stigma and really...come on. Isn't it more important that your child is happy and stays out of trouble?

So all in all it was a very fun day. Somewhat.

And I'm actually getting somewhat tired so I'm going to attempt to get some sleep tonight.

Oh...and I'm sure some of you are wondering how Cassie and Kalli did on their Marathon of Knowledge question. Well...they both answered every question correctly. All 100 questions. And then all the bonus questions that they had. To say that I'm proud is an understatement. A huge understatement.

Until tomorrow. g'nite.

Pumping up for the Marathon

I know what you are all thinking, and yet are afraid to say out loud. And yes, I am on a posting streak. Other then NaBloPoMo, I think this may be the longest stretch I've done in a long while. See, staying up until 1:30 - 3:00 has its advantages.

However, there are times that I'd like to be able to go to bed earlier. Tonight is one of those nights. Tomorrow I have to be awake and ready to go once I bring the girls to school. Tomorrow is the Marathon of Knowledge of school and I volunteered to help out all day. They took me up on the whole day thing and I'll be reading to kids for the entire day. Now, while I'm not positive of what this exactly means (I'll find out at 9 tomorrow morning - which is actually this morning) I'm pretty sure this means that I'll spend the day reading questions to the kids and quizzing them. This means lots of reading and therefore, probably a sore throat. I plan on bringing water. And soda. And hard candies. And gum. And maybe some chapstick.

It'll be a fun day over all though, I'm sure. The girls are pumped and I went through questions like 2-3times tonight. We'll go through them one more time in the morning to try to keep the answers fresh in their heads.

Now I'm sure you are wondering what the questions are. I'd love to type them all up right now, but seriously? That would be 200 questions plus the bonus questions. That would be a lot of typing this early in the morning. Maybe I'll work on that tomorrow, but only if I run out of things to do. That is seriously a lot of typing.
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Today I received another call for Cassie's party. The girl is coming to the makeover part, but won't be sleeping overnight. Can't say that I'm overly sad. I don't know what I'm going to do with all these girls. What on Earth was I on when I concocted this idea? And what possessed me to write out those invites and allow Cassie to bring them to school to hand out? The worst part is that I have no one that will take the challenge of spending the night here with me. Something about me making my bed and now having to lay in it.

Now I'm not sure, but I'm thinking that I won't get much time that night to lay in my bed or sleep so I'm pretty much left with 'making my bed'. And I'm getting the feeling that people don't feel bad for me at all. Whenever I talk about it people just laugh.

Honestly though, I know that it is crazy and I should be committed for even thinking about inviting this many girls to my home, but I know that it is Cassie's favorite birthday yet (it hasn't even happened yet) and that she will probably never forget it. And for her, I'd do crazy things. Things that could get me committed because I love seeing that smile. Hearing that giggle. and watching those eyes twinkle.

It is amazing what one child can do to a person. I used to just think about me and now I find myself just wanting my girls to be happy. As long as they are healthy and happy nothing else in the world matters.

To prove that I'm even more insane though, because you need more proof, I'm checking into how much it would be to rent out a roller rink for Kalli's birthday and then inviting her whole class. I'd also let Cassie invite a few friends so she'd have a few kids her age.

So to recap, I'm nuts, but my kids rock because they have awesome parties and awesome parents. At this rate what on Earth will I do for their 16th Birthdays. Someone better tie me up that year.

You said you wanted me to post more...

I have a few problems. And I'm coming to you, my adoring fans...er...fan, for your input. If not....hey, I should be able to at least make you laugh...on my behalf of course. Now where to start.

Let's start off with something more simple. Last night I went in for a Sleep Study to attempt to find out why on Earth it is that I'm so unbelievably exhausted. Ya know...like the fact that I can't keep my eyes from wanting to shut and stay shut when driving a little distance. For some reason other drivers don't care for it when you try to drive with your eyes shut. Also: people within the vehicle you are driving don't really like it also. It makes them nervous. Darn pansies.

So I went for my study and I slept. I woke up a few times to move some, and it did take me a while to fall asleep. HELLO...not the easiest to fall asleep when you are this wired.

This morning they woke me (side note: one will wake faster and be more alert then normal when being waken by a stranger in your not-normal setting. Good Morning Nurse Lady!) and told me that I have Sleep Apnea and will have to come back another night to sleep with a CPAP on to find out what pressure works for me. Yeah...that was a lot of words to get the idea across that I will be going back to sleep in not-my-bed at not-my-home with a scuba diving type mask on forcing air into me. (And I'm now wondering why is it no one has ever inflated and floated away while hooked up to a CPAP...I'm imagining a cartoon of someone floating against the ceiling with the tubing tethering them to the machine. Spouse in the room, looking up..."uh...honey?")

But I digress. All this is to say that I do have Sleep Apnea (in the first 1/2 of my study I stopped breathing every 9 minutes, on average. Cool, eh? Also: Never before did I study for sleeping. Maybe that is why babies don't sleep through the night at first...they are studying how to. Yeah yeah...bad humor. It's 11:48 at night, give me a break.) In a couple weeks I will go back and then work on getting my own CPAP for here at home. I'm hoping to then dream of scuba diving in some beautiful reef and waking up refreshed. Hey, a girl can hope.

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I'm going to once again try to prove that I'm either completely crazy or an awesome mom. At the end of this month I have invited all 11, you read that right...eleven, girls from Cassie's class to come to Cassie's VERY LATE birthday party.

A friend of mine, who is actually a Mary Kaye consultant, and I will be giving the girls mini facials and teaching them a little about skin care. The girls will then be able to put a little age appropriate make up on (aka lip gloss and light shimmering eye shadow) Yup...keeping things age appropriate...no making these girls look like hoochies here. I've also asked my almost sister-in-law to come help do mini-manicures too. Alright, so we are just painting nails...I can make believe if the kids can.

Then, just to test my sanity, I've invited all 11 of these girls to spend the night here. At my home. Where I will be.

Andy has already told me he doesn't care what I do because he will be playing his Xbox all night. That is 'man' for "you're on your own toots!" I figure there is a very low chance that all the girls will be able to come and stay over anyway. Of course, with my luck...

Please stay open that night if I need to be rescued. Thank you :)
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I love Kalli. Really I do. She is so unbelievably sweet. She is gorgeous and very smart. She is very attached to me...maybe too much at times, but that is ok. She is my baby after all.

Kalli is also hilarious. I mean shaking your head laughing hilarious, at times. Most of the time she doesn't even try to be funny. She is just showing you something or telling you something and after you laugh she will blush and try to hide some.

Tonight, I'm sitting with Cassie, checking her teeth after she brushes them and Kalli comes in by us ready for bed (in long shirt) and says, "I can give myself a wedgie. Look...". And then she does. She pulls up on her underwear until it is seated just inside her seat and then she says proudly, "see...".

Now I'm not sure, but when did this become a talent? I just laughed and shook my head and said wow. Cassie looked at me as if to say that her sister was nuts and continued with her teeth. I told Kalli to go show her daddy what she could do and she blushed and hid. I only wish these were the moments that I could get on video because seriously...this is blackmail material in the making!!
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I don't know what to do about this next one. The girls had 'Spring Pictures' at school a few weeks ago. I think that it is silly that they are now taking pictures two times a year and trying to get parents to buy more. I mean hello, 1 sheet (8x10, 2 3x5s, OR a sheet of wallets) is $12. RIDICULOUS!

Well, that is until the pictures came home. See, they send the pics home, you keep what you want, send back any you don't want, and any money for those you've kept. The pictures that came home of my children are breath-taking. I think that they are beautiful. And I'm going to have a very hard time sending them back.


See what I mean?? And then I put the girls' beginning of the year next to the recent ones and...WOW! They have changed so much in just 6 months. Where did my little girls go??

Agreed? I just look at those pictures and am stunned. There are no words....
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Okay, a couple last pictures of things. No long story to go along with them really, I just liked them so there you go :)

Brady wanted to be carried the other day so I put him front facing in the carrier I have. He loved it and I got things done.

I brought some fake flowers from the dollar store the other day to make a little seasonal bouquet here at home. Here is what I made up. Nothing super, but I like it. And it adds color to my kitchen. Besides....they make me smile when I am doing dishes.

Fade In: Music from Twilight Zone

It's official. I'm a little weirded out. Okay, maybe weirded out is a little strong way of putting it, but I am definitely in unknown territory. In many ways.

1. Tonight Cassie is at a birthday party and sleepover at one of her friend's houses. The girl is in her class and they've done a few things together now and are quite good friends. There are 2 other girls spending the night and they are all having a super time (At least when I went to help Cassie get ready for bed a little earlier they were). This all seems completely normal you say? Well sure. Except for the fact that the girl's dad where Cassie is staying happens to have been one of my teachers in middle school. I know...you are a little weirded out too, aren't you? When you are in school you are at one level and the teacher is at a completely different level. And now somehow we are at the same level and I'm confused. I don't know that I can call him by his first name as I know him as Mr Smith. (Note: his real last name isn't Smith) And in school teachers are an authority figure and you get used to that. And then you grow up and have kids in the same class and all of a sudden you are thrown in to, what to me feels like, the twilight zone. I just keep smiling and playing the song 'It's a small world after all' in my head.

2. In other news...Kalli is growing up. I know, you knew this already but this is in new and different ways. (Disclaimer: I am sharing this little story because I think that it was SUPER cute. I would like it if no one would say anything about this to Kalli because I don't mean to embarrass her at all or make her hold info back from me)

Thursday she had a field trip and at the end of the trip we were gathering things together to head to bus. One little boy (who we will call T) asked if she would sit with him on bus. She said sure. Then another little boy (who we will call C) comes and says he wants to sit with her too. She shrugs and says sure. On the way out to bus I'm following behind and T takes Kalli's hand in his and they hold hands all the way to the waiting bus. Once there T lets Kalli get on first and then follows, putting his hand on her back like he is guiding her to the seat. Say it with me...Aaaawwwwwwww! And from being in the classroom so much I can confirm that T is a well behaved boy. The other boy, C, joins them on the bus and Kalli ends up sitting on the outside of the seat. I told Kalli to hold on when the bus turns (she has an issue with keeping her butt on the seat when riding buses) C hears this, stands up and offers to switch seats with Kalli to keep her in the seat. He moves to the outside and keeps her safe til we are back at school. I will also mention that during the tour part of the field trip, Kalli couldn't see at one point and C lifted Kalli up some so that she could see better.

For dinner that night we went out and I told Kalli that I was going to tell Andy about things because I thought that they were very nice and cute, but that I didn't mean to embarrass her at all. I told him the entire story and the look on his face almost said he was calculating when to buy the shotgun to hang over the door. Kalli then informs us that she likes T and that she thinks that she might marry him. But that they won't start dating until High School. This is where I bit my tongue and smiled before biting into my sandwich and looking to see if all the blood had drained from Andy's face yet.

We are fortunate though as several of the boys in Kalli's class seem to be quite polite and well mannered. When Andy was in the class towards the end of the day Thursday (having come back from a field trip with Cassie) one of the boys (E) came up and asked Andy if he was Kalli's dad. When Andy said yes, E held out his hand and said "It's nice to meet you."

Nice to meet you? holding a girl's hand and letting her get on the bus first, gently guiding her with hand on back? switching seats so that girl is more comfortable and safe? Who are these boys and where are they getting their lessons? I am hoping that it just shows that they have some awesome male figures in their lives that are teaching them that chivalry isn't dead and to put others first.

In the meantime, I'm feeling very lost and like my girls are growing up a little too quickly.

Cassie had her physical today and we talked about all the changes that she has been going through. I found out that there is no pill to give kids to keep them younger or to stop the teenage-ist angst that has already begun. I also learned that the darn kid is only 11 inches shorter then me. When did that happen??? Lately I find myself looking at her a lot and wondering when it is that she grew up. I mean really grew up. She is looking less like a kid and more like a young adult. Her features are changing. Becoming more feminine and softening. Her emotions are changing a lot too. She is requesting more time with me...mostly just cuddling and talking about nothing at all. I'm not sure that I'm ready for this next phase with her (not that I ever would be ready for it) but I'm hoping that our relationship is strong enough to keep from strangling each other and that the time I've spent teaching her to be silly, relax, and laugh will keep us laughing when we want to cry.

I'm also still looking for that pill that will keep her little.

Who? What? Where?

It's Tuesday again.

Tuesday?

How on Earth is that even possible? In complete seriousness, where does time go? I mean last week flew by without me even realizing it. I find myself every day looking at my planner several times to make sure I am heading where I am suppose to head. Who am I watching tomorrow and today? What time are they coming? Do I have any appointments? Am I sure I don't have any appointments? Does my mom need me to do anything? Am I sure? Hey mom...do you need me this week?

I write down things, but then days look so full that I wonder if something got missed. And what is the date again? What was I suppose to do today? Cleaning? What is that? Other then the thing that I seem to be constantly doing, yet never seems completed. Example...last night I put the last load of clothes into the washer and was mentally giving myself a high five when Kalli came down with her clothes that she had worn that day. How defeating.

Another example happens to be the downfall of having so many children around...I pick up toys and vacuum, less then 2 minutes later toys are scattered everywhere. I'm working on getting the basement baby/toddler proof so that we can play down there, get toys out of my living room, and not worry about people walking in and wondering why a toy store vomited all over the place.

And then we get to the weekend and that seems to have vanished before it even started. I'm trying to be everywhere and it just isn't working. I'm only one person. Don't get me wrong...I love helping everyone and being there for people, but I feel pulled in several directions and again, I'm only one person. I find myself feeling like I'm disappointing people and letting them down. I can't get enough done in two days and spend the time with people that I'd like to. Now let's add to that situation the fact that Andy and I would like to start spending Sundays home just the 4 of us and I find myself wanting to pull hair out. I can't be home and also getting things done with other people. Again, don't get me wrong. I love helping everyone and I like how it feels to help people who ask for my help, I'm just feeling very torn because when I help one person others are feeling neglected.

My example...this weekend my almost-sister-in-law, Kelli, wanted my help in cleaning up her and my brother's areas. They are getting a new puppy this next weekend as long as everything goes as planned and Kelli was feeling stressed with the mess and the fact that she is so busy. (the girl works a regular job, an internship, has school, and homework...talk about having no time and feeling stressed and/or torn) I helped with the cleaning and straightening. I got to spend time with her bonding over garbage, recycling, and straightening and we got a lot done. However, in the meantime my dad wants my help organizing in the basement, I didn't get to spend much time with my mom at all, and my husband just wanted to go home. So I helped one person, but I feel like I disappointed everyone else. It is a no win situation. Anyone figure out how to clone yourself yet? Or be in multiple places at a time? I mean, I'm a good multi-tasker, but even I'm not that good.

Anyway, I'm done whining and complaining. For now :)
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This past Friday the girls' school had a family night at a local roller rink. I was unsure of how the girls would do or I should say Kalli because she isn't so good at roller skates. Okay, she isn't good at all. The only place she has practiced is on the carpet here at home. However, she got skates for Christmas so that she can practice for her first job that she wants at Sonic being a carhop on skates.

So I was a little nervous knowing how slippery skates can be on rink floors. However, Auntie Becky to the rescue! Becky came along to aide in skating as I wasn't sure if I was going to get into skates. I mean, hello....if I got broken who would take care of me, the girls, the kids I take care of, and my parents since my mom is down to one leg? When I brought this up to Andy his words were, "we'd be screwed!" And there was no chance of Andy skating because he is the only one bringing cash into the household. We need him able to work.

The girls were ecstatic about skating, though Cassie was wheeling around the rink. At times she was pulling people that were on skates and at others she was being pushed by some of her friends on skates. I even got brave and put on skates.

Cassie posing for a picture before rushing off to find her friends again.

I used to skate all the time and was a pro. Now I'm old...or at least older. And afraid of falling and the possibility of breaking something. I actually did quite well...while holding onto Cassie's wheel chair that is. I pushed her so it isn't like she pulled me. And while holding on to the chair it was just like old times. I could skate awesome, do some tight circles with feet turned out, and felt like it wasn't years since I've been skating. Note: I did skate some at the end without holding onto Cassie's chair and I didn't fall once. Yeah me!

This is the kind of picture you get in the dark when Cassie is going past you at the rink.

Kalli made her way slowly around the outside of the rink with Becky several times, and with me a couple times. By the end she was gaining confidence and was going a little without holding onto anyone. I was impressed. So much so, that we are looking at going skating to open skates from time to time depending on how often they are and how much they cost.

Becky helping Kalli. THANK YOU BECKY!!

Also important to note...I didn't hurt the next day at all. Yeah muscles.

Cassie and Kalli getting set up in the group photo at the end of the night.

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I'm working on posts. I've started a couple, but haven't gotten around to finish them. Wanna know why? Please see: Paula has too many things going on in her life.

Snow covered and hurting

Starting off...Look, new banner. It isn't quite what I wanted, but I'm working with a new program and I'm not real used to it yet. Therefore, this is what you get for this month.
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Last night, as we were watching tv, local schools were canceled for today. The weather men said that we were going to get 12-14 inches. I rolled my eyes. I've seen this song and dance before. It's the end of the world, we're all gunna die, and in the morning nothing. All that hoarding food, water, and stocking up on flashlight batteries for nothing.

Sure I shoveled the driveway three times yesterday, but it was only like an inch or two each time. The girls played in the snow and were thrilled.

Look, you can still see some of the leaves poking through.

At 4 this morning, Andy got up to shovel, not sure how much he would see when he opened the garage. I told him that if it was as bad as they had said it would be to let me know and I'd be out to help him. I was completely ready to go back to sleep until I received a text from Andy asking me to come help him.

I got dressed, bundled up, and headed outside to aid my hubby. Mind you it was 4 in the morning and I'm not a morning person what-so-ever. See how much I love him? I walked towards the front of the garage and once I saw the snow all I could say was "Holy Crap!" There was over a foot of snow covering the entire driveway.

We worked our way along shoveling the heavy, packy snow watching as other people kept getting stuck all around us. Snow was still coming down and the wind made it twice as fun to shovel because as you just tossed snow off to the side it would blow back at you giving you a cold face full of snow. We finished the one side of the driveway and saw that the snow at the road was closer to two feet deep. There was no way that Andy's little car was going to make it through the snow. And if he did get stuck I figured that he wouldn't be able to get his driver side door open and I wasn't looking forward to having to go push him either. Hello...early morning and deep snow, my name is Paula.

Yes, I am that sad person that at 4 in the morning took pictures.

It is at this time that my wonderful husband decided to stay home and I headed back up to bed. We spent the morning sleeping in, relaxing, and around noon we headed outside with the girls fully bundled up to shovel more. I even duct taped the girls jacket to their gloves and snow pants to boots to keep snow out. It worked...and they stayed warmer.

I duct taped my children today. My day is now complete.

Funny side story... Cassie went crawling into the snow, her hand sunk to the bottom of the snow and her face was inches from top of snow. She just looked at me like, 'now what?'. Kalli went to walk into the snow, got one leg in and it sank. She then called for me because she was stuck and couldn't get out. I did help, once I stopped laughing.

My poor boing boing tree...

There was even more snow to be shoveled now. On the side that we hadn't shoveled the first time there was close to 20 inches. We shoveled to the end of the driveway and then waited. We knew that the evil plow driver would be by and would block us in at some point. It made me want to cry just thinking about it.

In the meantime we headed inside and had hot chocolate, lunch, and relaxed in the warmth for a while. The girls and I were going to start decorating their gingerbread house when we saw the plow go by. Andy went out to start hacking away at the wall at the end of the driveway and after I finished with the girls I headed out to help...again.

Yeah gingerbread house!

Not sure if you've gotten this by now, but I'm done with snow. I think we've gotten enough to last us this month at least. Also, a snow blower now tops our "what to do with our tax money" list. Sad, I know....but after moving that much snow Andy and I are feeling about 80 years old. And this is only the first snow storm of the year. Oy-vey!

I got a hippo for Christmas and the snow is now covering my poor hippo.

We did have one close to casualty today. We didn't notice it until we were headed in for lunch. Just to show how windy it really got. Our grill which was up on our patio/stoop/cement thing had fallen off and was laying in the snow. Hopefully it still works. The lid, shelf, and grates had all fallen out of the grill itself and because it still had a full tank of propane on it, it took Andy and myself to lift it back up onto the porch. After I got a picture, of course.

This leaves me one question. Is hibernating until spring an option? Because I choose that.

NaBloPoMo - Day 24

Just call me Betty Crocker. Or June Cleaver. Or Susie Homemaker.

In the last 2 evenings I've made 6 loaves of banana bread, 2 apple pies, 2 dinners, and all while caring for 3 children. Sure Andy helped some...when he wasn't sleeping. The guy is tired, I know, he is working extra hours again because there is work to be done. Yeah for job security. However, trying to bake with a almost one-year old at your feet and hanging on your leg while your almost 9 year old and 5 year old argue about games they've completely made up....it isn't easy.

I'd love to insert a picture here of my handy work, but my camera is dead. And one of the banana bread loaves is already gone. I'm going to try to get most of the other loaves in the freezer so they last a little while longer then a few days. I know I'm probably dreaming, but it is my dream. My mom always told me that if I was going to dream, I might as dream big.

With that, I'm going to head to bed. Not only am I tired, but I also have my niece overnight again tonight. Last night she was up at 2:30 because she missed me???? I just pulled her into my bed and she went right back to sleep. See...she did miss me. Also, tomorrow is her first birthday. And I want to be able to wake up when she does so the girls and I can be the first people to sing Happy Birthday to her. Now, let's top that off with the fact that the girls have no school until next Monday so I need to figure out things to do with them. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

NaBloPoMo - Day 20

Hi friends-

I went on the field trip and I made it out of the caves without falling or getting lost. Yeah!

I would like to note though that my cell phone woudn't have done any good because when you underground (at one point 40-50 feet underground) there is no service available. Therefore, if you plan to bury a loved one with a phone in case they aren't really dead or you want to try talking to them in the afterlife, I'll let you know now that it won't work. No service available.

Cassie did wonderful and I'd love to tell you all about it, however my entire body is one big ball of pain from crawling, climbing, laddering, and walking on uneven ground for 4 hours...then riding on a bus for a total of about 2 hours. Stories and pictures will have to wait til tomorrow. I'm sorry.

But the good news is I'm alive and found. Now does anyone have a gun to put me out of my misery?

NaBloPoMo - Day 19

Tomorrow I am going on a field trip with Cassie. A field trip that will take pretty much the entire day. A field trip to caves. In paperwork that came home today it states:

• Dress for the weather and plan on possibly getting dirty in the cave. wear old shoes that are suitable for climbing (have i mentioned that my ankle isn't 100% better yet?)
• The temp in the cave is 50 degrees. caves are equipped with steps and tour will be led by knowledgeable guide.
• Bring a flashlight with your mane on it. Check the batteries

Earlier this week there was a note that came home stating that if you had a fear of heights or small spaces, you may want to reconsider chaperoning. What the hell am I getting myself into??

I'm not a fan of heights and I've already told Cassie's physical therapist (who is coming along to help me) that if there are any small areas, she is going with Cassie in those areas. The main reason that I'm going is because Cassie is going to need help manipulating herself to even be able to participate. However, I still find myself asking what I'm getting myself into.

I've been told that there are steep stairs, there were rumors about ladders, and then there is the getting dirty going through caves. I'm going to bring my camera...sling it across my body and make sure to keep it buckled shut when not using it. Hopefully I can get some good pictures. And hopefully we make it back in one piece.

So to recap....heights, small spaces, and darkness. Why don't we just shove me in a coffin and hang me from a cliff. Andy's words of advise for me is to make sure to wrap my ankle. Yeah, because that is my biggest worry.

Pray for me!

I'm packing my anti-anxiety meds in my camera case for safe and close keeping.

NaBloPoMo - Day 12

Sing it with me.....

Hal-le-lujah. Hal-le-lujah.

As of 10:18 tonight my calendars are complete. This is to say that I have 5 calendars with all the months, numbering, topper, little details, and holidays on them. And I am thrilled!

I can now work on a cover for them, decide who gets which, and put in birthdays. Then once I get the rest of the year's pictures picked out and ordered, I can just attach them and...ta da. They are done.

The relief that this brings is something that I don't even think I can put into words. I feel like I'm ahead of schedule and can breathe a little bit.
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Today I was volunteering at school...pretty much all day. From 9-1140 I was in Kalli's classroom and then I was in the library from 1140-3. I really do like being there and helping out. The teacher told another volunteer that I'm a life savor because I am able to be there so much. And the librarian is thrilled with me because I work hard and get things done correctly yet quickly.

When I went to sign out for the day the secretary looked up and asked me if I had been there all day. I laughed some and said that yes, I had been...but that I had been in two different areas. She just shook her head and told me that there was a cot and blankets in back for the kids when they need to lay down, but if I wanted I could just move in. I'm still thinking about it. I have to say I'd miss my family, but I could live without the whining and fighting that goes on pretty much daily.
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The Body Parts Against Paula (BPAP) is again holding meetings. Today while in Kalli's class, I was sitting on the floor with some of the kids and went to move one of my legs slightly and it caused pain in my ankle. I then moved it back and again there was pain. The rest of the day I was careful, but it continued hurting and anytime I had to bend it there was pain. Ps...you have to bend your ankle anytime you walk. I haven't missed the BPAP meetings and anytime they want to move on, it would be great.

I would like to note that I took socks off and pulled up my pants legs to have Andy look at my ankles side by side and his exact first words were, "wow...it is swollen". Most of the swelling is behind the ankle bone so we are thinking that I must have somehow pulled a tendon or ligament, but I have no idea how.
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One last thing. We are now 12 days into November (just about half way through the month) and I'm still blogging and have posted every day. I know, I'm impressed too. GO ME!

NaBloPoMo - Day 3....look at me

I spent my day today in Kalli's classroom. All day. Ok, so I left to have lunch with my aunt and to put dye in her hair, but then I was right back to help in the classroom again. And let me just say, for the record, that kindergarten teachers deserve much more then they are paid....and I don't even know how much they are paid.

We worked on a craft project for pretty much the entire time from 1:30-3:00. Minus 30 minutes which was used for getting ready and going to recess. It took that long to complete this project. And getting 23 five-six year olds to do a project one step at a time, and to listen, and to stay in their seats, and to not have disagreements with their classmates, and to not smear their purple glue stick all over the table and their hands, and to not hoard all the colored paper....it's a SUPER FUN TIME.

Let me just note that the child with the glue stick issue and the hoarder are the same child. Said child was trying to hide about 20 slips of paper in pencil box. Said child also never finished project (which was making a turkey) because child completely chopped turkey body into chunks and hid dismembered turkey body in pencil box. I can see issues in this child's future.

I enjoyed helping out though and am really getting to know the kids.

I do, however, have to say that I was doing well until I got out of the classroom and into the quiet. At that point, a massive throbbing headache set in. I'm considering buying Kalli's teacher a humongous bottle of Advil for Christmas.
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Tomorrow is a late start day for the girls which means that they start an hour later then normal. Now if only I could convince Cassie to sleep in a little bit. I'm going to be bringing the girls into school so that I can help in the library for an hour and then I will be going to meet my Becky for lunch and hopefully remembering to bring my camera to get another belly picture.

This coming weekend is Becky's Baby Shower and I'm so excited to be part of giving her this party to celebrate her wonderfulness. (I know, Becky, you are gagging right now) In all seriousness though, I couldn't be happier to be part of her pregnancy and shower. And I can't wait to see what a beautiful little boy she has.

And hello...look at that beautiful belly from last week!

Bringing you all up to date.

Yes, I'm still here. And yes, I've been a slacker. But...I'm only one person and between volunteering, children, and trying to keep things going here at home I feel like I've had no time and by the time I get to sit down here at the computer I'm absolutely exhausted.

Halloween has come and gone. We had a few Halloween events that we attended and then the girls also did the regular trick-or-treating. We only went about a block and a half and then the girls were cold and according to me they had plenty of candy so it worked out well. I really love that my children like dressing up, but don't want to go for blocks and blocks and blocks. I'm sure this will change as they get older but for now I'm enjoying it.

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As I believe I mentioned earlier, we also attended the Hiss and Howl Halloween Hullabaloo and had a dog for the day last weekend. The dog we got to care for was a female shih-tzu mix, named Rosie. She was absolutely wonderful and extremely easy to care for. She wasn't bothered by Cassie's crutches or Kalli running around. Rosie also had no issue with all the other dogs or cats that were there. A very laid back dog indeed.

Let's add to that the fact that the girls loved her and it made for a wonderful day. Cassie and Kalli took turns holding her leash and petting her. They also did a wonderful job of understanding that we couldn't keep her. At the end of the day they said their good-byes, hugged Rosie, and asked me if we could get another dog next year to have for the day and dress up. I said that we could probably do that.
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This past week the girls had a 'Fall Fest' at their school that we attended. There were tons of games at which you could win candy, Kalli won two times at the cake walk, and there was even an inflatable obstacle course. Looking at the course I told Cassie that she probably wouldn't be able to do it because there was a wall that you had to climb. I should know better then to doubt her though...when she became upset, I told her that she could try. To Andy and my amazement, she made it through somewhat easily. Twice. By the end of her second time she was exhausted, but the girls both went home with very good memories of their new school.

The highlight of the night by far was the limo ride. Yes, I said limo ride. For 3 tickets, which would equal $.75, kids could go on a 5 minute limo ride. When we got towards the front of the line, I asked the girls if they wanted me to come along or if they wanted to go alone. (there was a high-schooler and a couple other adults along to keep everyone safe.) Almost before I could get the question out of my mouth, Kalli was saying "alone". And they did. I helped Cassie in and out of the limo and took pictures when they arrived back and were getting out of the vehicle. So...as a 5 and 8 year old, my girlies had their first limo ride...and they LOVED it!

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So....I think that brings me up to date. And, to make all my loyal readers happy, I am going to try doing NaBloPoMo again this year. NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) is every November and the challenge is to post everyday for the 30 days of November.

So far, I'm doing well.

October 23, 2009

Ever get into a week...or month...that just seem crazy busy? You feel like you are just constantly running and doing things, yet your 'to do' list doesn't seem to get much shorter and at the end of each day you hit this wall and suddenly your brain quits and forces you to head to bed before it forgets where bed is and how to walk up a set of stairs? That kind of sums up my life lately. Let's just look at the past few days.

Wednesday: Volunteered at school from the start of the day until 11:40. Lunch with my Becky, and then I watched my niece from 2-4. Then it was supper, dealing with the kids (which is an everyday thing, but still...some days exhausting) and getting them off to bed, and trying to get some things ready for the following day as Kalli was suppose to have a field trip.
Thursday: Volunteer at school from start of day until 2 (Kalli's classroom until 11:40 and then Library until 2) The field trip was canceled which totally bummed out the kids, but it allowed me more time in the library and therefore I learned that I now have more 'jobs'...I can now check books in and out, shelf books, and shelf read if I run out of crafty stuff to do. :) At 2, Trina dropped off Kaitlynn by me at school and I had her overnight.
Friday (today): After getting the girls off to school, and feeding Kaitlynn breakfast, I headed to my mom's to pick her up. We had a blast going to the DMV, the store for a quick trip, and then to my 11:00 appointment. From there I dropped my mom back at home, dropped Kaitlynn off to her mommy, and then went to school to volunteer in the library til the end of the school day.

Yes, I am thinking about just putting a cot at the school and living there. It has something to do with the fact that I love helping and that I also like the fact that there are real adults there all day that I can talk to and it gets me out of cleaning all day. :)

Tomorrow doesn't look much better either, actually. We are helping out at an event called the 'Hiss and Howl Halloween Hullabaloo' (try saying that even twice fast) that is put on by the no-kill shelter that Andy and I go to every now and then to walk dogs, Happily Ever After. Andy, the girls, and I have to be at the event starting at 11:30 and then until it is over at 5. Of course the most fun part is that we will have a dog for a day...which I'm sure is a mistake because I'll be hearing about it for the next several days from the girls. The dog that will be 'ours' is a shih-tzu named Rosie. Trust me, there will be pictures in the next post.

No promises that the post will be up tomorrow though as after we are finished at the Hullabaloo we are pretty much heading right over to the Gamblers Hockey game. We got very reasonable tickets through the girls' school and it is Family Night which means $1 hot dogs and sodas. Andy figures that by the time we get home it will be about 10pm and we will send the girls right to bed. And I'm sure I'll follow not far behind them.

I love this go, go, go that I've been doing and keeping myself nice and busy, but it also feels crazy like because I have to keep my planner at hand so I know where I'm going next.
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Drum roll please.....

Tonight was a HUGE night in our little family. We went out to dinner and then to walk around the mall. While there we stopped in several places to look at stuff and anytime we passed a jewelry store I would ask Cassie if she wanted to get her ears pierced...something I have been asking her since Kalli got her ears pierced over a year ago. Cassie's answer is always no.

Tonight though I pushed a little harder showing her earrings that she could get and asked why she didn't want them. It all comes down to being scared and worried about the pain. I told her that it only hurt for a little bit and that being scared about something unknown is normal. Then came the part that had me hurrying to get papers signed and things paid for. Cassie asked me if I would hold her hand. I said that I would and she replied with "ok then...I'll do it"

She picked out the earrings that she wanted since I told her that it was completely her decision. I showed her the ones that she could pick from (the higher grade ones so they don't contain nickle...not sure if she is/will be, but I'm allergic to nickle) I pointed out some green ones since that is her favorite color, but she pointed to a pair that were a very pretty blue and in the shape of a flower. Upon looking closer, I saw that they were actually her birthstone (December) with a diamond-looking stone in the middle.

As they got everything set up, her ears cleaned, and the placement dots there were tears, but she kept taking nice deep breaths and holding a bear they gave her to hold. When they were ready, I squatted down in front of her and held her arms telling her to take a deep breath and they counted and pierced both at the same time. She cried and said that they hurt/itched. They showed her a mirror and she said that they were pretty through tears. After her bravery she definitely deserved custard so we headed to Culvers.

By the time we got there she was all good and I think the ice cream really helped. Seriously...custard fixes most everything.

Once we were home for the evening she played as if nothing had happened and while brushing her teeth she kept checking her ears out in the mirror. And the sweetest part?? When I was tucking the girls into bed tonight, Cassie sat up holding her blankie under her chin and said with a smile that went from ear to ear, I'm pretty. "yes you are", I responded. She always has been beautiful, but starting tonight, I think that she will feel more girlie pretty. And to a tween...that is important.

Volunteering

For the past few weeks I've been volunteering at the girls' school and I plan to continue this volunteering throughout all of Kalli's years there. I'm hoping by that point they are just so used to seeing me there that they hire me on to do something or other.

I've been mainly volunteering in Kalli's classroom and in the library. The library is TONS of fun as it is all little crafty type projects that are right up my alley. The librarian is also going to teach me to check out and in books and how to shelf so I can help more. I am the only parent volunteer in the library and honestly I love it that way. Everything is mine to do and I don't have to share.

In Kalli's classroom I do a variety of things from odd jobs for the teacher, to helping the students with projects, to helping with center times (kids break into groups to work on the things they need the most help with), to being a hall monitor during bathroom breaks and such. I love working in there even though a few of the kids are truly a handful. The hardest part though is with my own daughter. Knowing the morning routine as she does she knows as it gets closer to time for me to leave (as they head to lunch) and about an hour before that time she starts to get teary and complain of a tummy ache. By the time she is lining up for lunch she is in full crying mode. I find myself trying to ignore it and work with the other kids while also trying to tell her that she is fine and that I will see her at home when she gets there. I'm hoping that one day she will be fine with me being there and then leaving. My mom always told me to dream big.

Today while checking in at the main office of the school, the secretary asked if I would be interested in becoming a sub for the noon monitors. When one of the monitors are sick or are on vacation, they would call me to see if I was available. It would them be up to me if I wanted to work. AND they would pay me. When I did sub I would be in the lunchroom to monitor things and then I'd go out to recess with the kids to watch them and help handle things out there. I took an application and plan to fill it out tonight so that hopefully tomorrow I can drop it off down at the school's HR office. I don't know what the pay would be or how often I'd even be called, but it gives me an in at the school and also another way to help out. If nothing else it is a nice opportunity.
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I remember when I was younger and we had fire drills and tornado drills. Today while I was in Kalli's class they had a drill that had me fighting back tears. Over the loud speaker we hear "we are now going into level 1 lock down". I look at the teacher and she informs me that they are doing a drill today of what to do if there was someone in the school that is a threat. At level one, all the teachers lock and close their doors.

A little while later over the loud speaker we hear, "we are now going into level 2 lock down." At this point the doors remain locked and no one is allowed in or out of the classrooms.

About 5 minutes later another announcement comes. "we are now going into level 3 lock down". At this point the teacher goes and turns all the lights off in the classroom and the kids all go into a corner that is not visible from the door. The kids are told to be completely quiet and not make any sounds. As we sit there you can hear someone in the hall and then hear someone trying to get into the room, stand there for a bit, and then move on. We all sit somewhat huddled together reminding the kids in whispers to stay silent. After a few more moments another announcement letting us know that it is all clear and that everyone did wonderfully.

The kids all had questions most asking me if there was a stranger that was out there. The teacher called them all to the front of the room and informed them that it was the secretary that was going around to make sure we were doing what we should be doing. This was practice. This was a drill so that everyone knew what to do if a stranger was to get into the school.

I had to work very hard not to cry. What kind of world is this that we have to have these drills? What are we sending are kids out into? I wanted to pull Kalli to me at that moment and hold her there where I could keep her safe.

I know that these drills have become a necessity, but I think that it sucks that we've gotten to this point. And it is hard to see your child view this as something as common as a tornado or fire drill. I just hope that they never have to put this knowledge to use.
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Now onto lighter subject....

A couple more autumn pictures to share with you as I took my dad down to my favorite area last weekend and we walked around for a bit.

October 20, 2009

So I'm considering doing NaBloPoMo this year again. For anyone who doesn't remember what that is....it stands for National Blog Posting Month and it takes place during November. This means that I would try very hard to put up a post every day for the entire month. It takes a lot of devotion on my part because seriously...sometimes I don't know if the things that happen around here are noteworthy.

On another note we've had both the girls school conferences now. Both of them are doing extremely well. Cassie who is in the beginning of her 3rd grade year is reading like a end of the year 3rd grader. The teacher expects that by the end of the year she will be reading as a 4th grader pretty far into the year. Yeah Cassie! Cassie also is adapting to her new school extremely well, has several friends, and the teacher has no complaints or areas that Cassie really needs to work on.

Kalli is, as I found out tonight, doing the best in her class for numbers, letters, and overall reading. Yeah Kalli!! The teacher doesn't see any issue with Kalli and loves having her in class. She figures that by the end of the year Kalli will be counting to 100 by 5's and 10's and reading at a 1st grade level. That's MY girl!

Well...so is Cassie. They are both MINE! Until the become exasperating and then they are Andy's. Until they are good again.

Speaking of exasperating. Cassie, recently, has gone to answering with one word answers.

How was school today?
Fine
What did you do today?
nothin
Do you have any homework?
no
Anything happen?
Idunno

Sound like fun? It's not...she is Andy's child.

Today the girls got their flu shots. Cassie went first and cried...as I expected she would. Kalli just said oww and sat there looking at me with big eyes. She never cried though, which kind of surprised me. Then, while at the school for Kalli's conference, Kalli found it necessary to tell everyone that she saw that they had gotten their flu shots and that she didn't cry, but Cassie did. Poor Cassie. I told Cassie a couple times that everyone is different and therefore feels pain different and that crying when you get a shot is not a big deal. She agreed, but I still felt bad that her little sister seemed to be rubbing it in. I did talk to Kalli also though and after that she just said that they had gotten their flu shots, but didn't go into reactions.

I'm pretty proud of my girlies. They are doing well is school and with each other. This growing up stuff is hard. Both of the girls are growing up so quickly lately that I feel like I'm just along for the ride. I'm just trying to find the slow down button so that I can enjoy it a little more...minus the one word answer parts. That I could do without.

Wondering where I have been??

Things have been quite hectic lately in our household. This past Saturday we apple and pumpkin picked with Andy's parents and my niece, Kyra.

In case you were wondering...getting 3 little girls to all smile nice and look in the same direction...not very easy at all.

I love that my girls cooperated for me so I could get a couple nice shots of them. Maybe they are outgrowing their dislike of me taking pics of them together. Then again.....

Sunday Andy and I went and helped walk dogs at a no-kill animal shelter. Feel free to visit their site to see what they are about - Happily Ever After. I'm working on getting pictures of some of the dogs out there and looking at doing a blog about the shelter after I visit it next. Adding up the dogs I walked, I ended up walking 3.5 miles just by myself. That would explain why my hips and everything below them hurt the entire next day.

Also the next day, Monday, was Kalli's first field trip. It just happened to be to the same apple orchard that we visited 2 days earlier. Talk about deja vu. The kids were able to see how things are done at the orchard and pick some apples and get a pumpkin. Kalli loved it until she thought about the fact that after we got back to school I would be leaving. Then she started crying. She is doing much better at not crying everyday, but we still have hard days from time to time.

Tuesday during the day was somewhat of a blur. Had Kaitlynn, lunch with Becky, some other things....and supper with Tony and Kelli.

Today I woke, got the girls off to school and did a few little errands that I had to get done. Then I came home, made 4 loaves of zucchini bread, dehydrated some apple slices, started writing out envelopes for Becky's baby shower, and made calls to aide in finding a place for Tony and Kelli's wedding. I still have so much that I want to do in the next couple days...pies, girls' clothes to be changed over, more calls to be made, and more shower invites to go out. Not to mention the fact that it is October 7th and I haven't even started the 5 calendars that I make for Christmas gifts.

Now should I go into how Kalli's teacher emailed me with the days she would like my help and the school library also wants me to volunteer a couple times? My calendar is looking full, but it feels good to be doing stuff. I have energy to get things done now and it feels wonderful!

September 16, 2009

Mornings are still problematic as Kalli tries to come up with any reason not to go to school. I let her know that I understand that she misses me and would like to stay with me, but that she has to go to school unless she is vomiting or running a fever. I'm waiting for her to use a heating pad on her head to try to simulate a fever.

Tonight the girls alternated between playing outside with the neighbor girl and playing in the basement. It is so nice having someone right next door for the girls to play with. It is also extremely nice that the girls have become okay with being down in the basement to play. The finished room in the basement houses all of their toys and until just recently they didn't want to go down there without Andy or myself.

I'm not sure what changed, but since school has begun again the girls have been getting on together better (knocking on wood feverishly) and they are a little more independent. At least when it comes to playing. I still have to help them each get dressed in the morning, but it isn't something I really want to fight yet as I despise mornings and Kalli isn't a pleasant person in the A.M. either.
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In other news, I'm up to having 5 squirrels in my backyard regularly.

And they have been very active. If what they say about judging a winter by how active squirrels are is true, I'm stocking up on non-perishables. Maybe the squirrels will share their acorns with me.

September 14, 2009

Today Kalli woke up crying. When I asked what was wrong she informed me that she didn't want to go to school. She misses me. She is too warm and then too cold. She doesn't like school because she has to do too many 'projects'. She doesn't like the projects because she was to cut, and glue, and color. Every day. And she doesn't like to cut. Or glue. Or color. And when she goes to the bathroom she has to wash her hands. And she hates having to wash her hands.

Then I informed her that she has no choice but to go to school. And that she had gym. I thought that this would make her happy...kids like gym...right? I must have been delusional. She hates gym. She doesn't like it because she has to move and she gets hot. And she sweats. And then she cools off and she is cold. And sometimes when she runs her heart beats hard.

This is the point where I wanted to bury my head until she left.

When I put the girls on bus she was still unhappy. But it was quiet. Please, if you will, imagine walking around trying to get two children ready for school. All the time being followed by the youngest who is constantly crying and talking. This is how my morning was. I waved to the bus as it pulled away and then considered going back to bed.

Instead I went grocery shopping...because I haven't been grocery shopping in like a month and we were getting very low on food. I needed to stock up on a few things and get somethings for in the girls' lunches. You see...not only does Kalli hate school, but she also hates hot lunch. Her teacher informed me this past Friday that Kalli hasn't been eating her lunches. I knew that she didn't like some of the things that were being served, but I didn't realize that she then ate nothing. No wonder the child is so hungry after school. For the next couple weeks, at least, I am packing cold lunches for the girls so at least I know Kalli is eating something.

I don't know what to do with my little girlie. She is so happy in the evening when she comes home to me. Today she said that she didn't cry at all at school today, which is wonderful. But I know that come morning we will have another battle to get her off to school. She is so attached to me that I don't know where she starts and I end. I find myself torn between 1. this is normal because she has always been with me and 2. did i screw her up somewhere along the line?

The funniest part about our morning antics, for me, is that Cassie doesn't say much. When I look at her she just shakes her head, but as soon as Kalli is near her Cassie rubs her back and tries to be supportive. Makes me think I did something right with Cassie...she is a good big sister.

September 8, 2009

Today was the first day that Cassie and Kalli rode buses to school. And other then a little nerves on Cassie's part, I have to say that it went surprisingly well. It helped that Kalli knew that she would know Cassie's friend on her bus. Cassie rode her own bus, a medical transport. We are hoping to get Kalli changed over to Cassie's bus so that Cassie has someone to talk to and also I don't have to catch two buses that are coming at the same time in two different locations.

I mean, I'm talented, but have yet to find a way to duplicate myself.
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After the girls were off to school things were pretty quiet. About 2 days ago I ended up catching some sort of cold and it went directly for my head/chest. (I know...colds always go for the weak areas.) I received a phone call from the girls' school. Let me just say that as a parent, when the school that your children are at comes up on the caller id, it is hard not to get a lump in your throat.

Ends up that during gym today Cassie was playing kick ball and as she went to kick she fell backwards and hit her head. It is the school's policy to notify parents anytime that a student bumps their head. Which is actually a pretty good policy, in my opinion.

When Cassie got off bus tonight the first thing she did was to show me that she had a band-aid on her elbow. I asked about how she managed to fall and she said that she was actually trying to get the ball because it was rolling to the side. Therefore, she was hopping after the ball trying to get to itso she could kick it. And because she is so graceful, then hopped onto the ball and went falling backwards as the ball rolled in the opposite direction. She hit her head and elbow and cried for a brief bit. They helped pick her up and took her to the office to get cleaned up.

I sent an email tonight to Cassie's physical therapist because I am finding that Cassie is falling a lot more lately. The other day she fell coming into the house and landed hard on her hip...on the edge of the cement step. She didn't break anything, luckily, but was very sore for the remainder of the evening and had a nice bruise to show for it. I'm hoping her therapist can go over how to fall correctly with her because I fear that one of these times when she falls she is going to break an arm with her crutches. How on Earth would she crutch or roll her wheelchair without using one of her arms? There is no question that I'm sure she'd figure something out, but I'm still hoping to avoid it.
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In other news, this past weekend we found out that my brother, Tony, and his girlfriend, Kelli, are engaged. I'm so excited for the both of them. CONGRATULATIONS TONY AND KELLI!!

Kalli's first day of school

Today was Kalli's first day of school.

Let's back track to yesterday when she spent a good part of the day sleeping. She also ran a lower grade fever during the day. Then, because nighttime is where it's at, at 5am she was in our bed and running 102.6 temp. I gave her fever reducer and decided to see how she felt in the morning.

You see...for some reason, from time to time my children will run fevers for no reason. There are no other symptoms to go with the fever and it usually lasts from 12 hours up to 48 hours. Then it is gone just as oddly as it came on. And during this time, as long as you keep the fever down with meds, you can't even tell that they are 'sick'. My girls are special like this.

So this morning we all got up and Kalli seemed to be doing pretty well. She ate, was talking about things, and I gave her a preventative dose of fever reducer. Just in case. As time neared for us to leave for school I would let the girls know. 30 minutes til we go. 10 minutes til we go. 5 minutes left...get shoes on. It is at this point that Kalli came and crawled on my lap and told me that her belly hurt. I asked if she needed to go to the bathroom or felt like she was going to throw up. She said no. I explained that her tummy was probably just nervous and excited about her first day.

We got in the car and were on our way. Kalli looked extremely serious...and a little greenish.

Once at school, I helped Cassie into her chair, Kalli came out with her bag, and I was heading to get Kaitlynn out of the van when Kalli threw up behind the van (At least it wasn't IN the van). I told her she was ok...her tummy was just nervous and had her sit in the side of the van while I grabbed tissues for her to wipe her mouth and blow her nose. (side note: Why is it when you throw up your nose runs?? I don't get it) I turned from getting the tissues and she threw up again on the parking lot. I rubbed her back for a while, talking to her, and then asked if she wanted to walk around to where her teacher would be waiting.

I was sure at this point that she would look at me like I was nuts and want to go home. But she said that she did. As we walked to the back Kalli told me that her belly felt much better now and that she was going to make friends today. I gotta give the girl credit for moving on so well. We located her teacher, where she was to line up, and then Kalli ran to find where Cassie was on the playground. I took the teacher to the side and told her about what had just happened as a heads up...just in case. As the bell rang, Kalli came to get in line and waved as she headed inside to her first day of school.

When I picked her up after school she was chipper and was telling me about one of the girls in her class. She was also very exhausted. She was asking to go to bed from about 5:00 and on. I finally gave in at 7:30. It's sad when your kids are begging to go to bed.

So, Kalli is doing a little better...was running a bit of a fever tonight again and tired, but no throwing up. I'm also looking into ordering a extra large apron for her wedding day so that she doesn't get any vomit on her wedding dress just in case those nerves are around that day.