Thank You!

Thank you for the compliments on my new layout. I spent hours last night messing around with getting the background in the right place and all of that, but it was fun! And I made my little header in Paint Shop...fun stuff! I'm not super talented but it was fun to be creative for a while.

Kevin's been home alot this week because of weather closing the routes out of Bakersfield into the LA area. He's been home disrup...I mean HELPING my routine...LOL. Jayden was having serious nap issues though because she really likes her daddy and wants him to tickle her belly ALL THE TIME (as long as she can still see Mommy, she doesn't like ANYONE unless Mommy can be seen too). Anyhow her naps have been awful and today he had to go into work so I cradled my little thumb sucker and got her to sleep, she's been out for 2 hours! Three days of not napping will do that to a baby!

I was previously very anti-thumb, but really, if your child is determined, that's what they're going to do...and well she's determined! She shunned the paci a few weeks ago and started sucking her thumb, it's really interesting the way that she does it because she loops her thumb under her forefinger and sucks it with her forefinger hooked over the top of it, interesting little girl! Anyhow she slightly wakes from her naps and finds the thumb and soothes herself back...until I try to blog - there she is! Later all!

So Distinguished!

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Justin's glasses are in! He's been having a little bit of trouble with remembering to look THROUGH them, not under or over them. Oh, and not to TOUCH the lenses. They gave him this spray cleaner and a cloth for cleaning them and so he thinks if he touches them and gets them dirty that we'll keep cleaning them.

Oh and I learned something valuable today, you probably shouldn't get transition lenses for first glasses. They turn to sunglasses very quickly outside and while that sounds cool, it bugs him because it's "dark" and he can't see. I'm sure by summer he'll be thanking us for doing it though.

Then he posed with his brother and sister! Don't mind the drool monster!

New Kids on the Block are BACK!

I just read an article that says NKOTB are reuniting and might tour!!!! Am I the only one super excited about this??? LOL Kevin says I am.

Well, it was not fun. At all.

They brought two plans to the table, put him in 2nd grade right now or give him a ton of help, hope he catches up and if he doesn't he repeats 3rd grade. We chose ton of help and possibly repeating third grade - going into second grade right now would be too big of a blow to his self esteem.

He will go to a 2nd grade classroom each day though to do some remedial math and reading comprehension. He'll have a special tutor just for him each day for one hour to help him catch up and he'll be staying after school Mondays and Wednesdays for reading program and Tuesdays and Thursdays for a math program. He'll have tutoring for 2 hours on Saturdays. Yeah. It's alot.

I talked to him on the way home because when she showed me the tests I wasn't upset at all with him, he did what he did, he can't do more then what he knows, but when she showed me his writing sample - she had asked him to write about a time he spent with someone he loved and he wrote about bees. He wrote a nice little paragraph about them (should have been 3 but that's not the point so much) but he should have stayed on topic. There are things outside his realm of control but doing what he's told is not outside that scope. So we had a long talk about that. She said he'd had some issues with settling down into class but that by the end of the week it was better and she had no problems with him today, so hopefully it was a phase that has passed as he got used to the classroom setting again.

Then we came home and tried to do his homework. It was so frustrating because he just doesn't get it. He's supposed to alphabetize his spelling words but he just sits there - he knows his alaphabet but he just doesn't DO IT...he just sits there unless I'm right there hounding him. I feel that he should be able to do things he knows how to do while I'm in the same area but not hovering right over him. It took from when we got home at 2:45 until 8:15 to get his homework done and I actually don't think it's "too much" homework. All he's supposed to be doing is something relating to the spelling words each night, a math worksheet that is fairly short or a worksheet of some other sort, and reading for 20 minutes...that is NOT impossible! When he was reading he had the book facing away from us and we realized that he was skipping pages and paragraphs, so we had to make him start all over again.

Anyhow, we'll see, Jakey has pulled it off before...he's been considered for retention every single year of his schooling career so far, by the end of the year he usually catches up. He's really far behind so I don't know that he will, but we'll see.

So Sad

The Prophet, President Hinckley, has passed away.

Sad for us, but I'm sure he'll be happily reunited with his wife.

Ack, I've been called to the principal's office!

On Friday I sent a note with Jakey to school for his teacher giving her my email address and asking her to email me if she had any concerns about Jakey and/or when her testing of his level in math and reading was done so we could discuss where he is. She emailed me right after school and said that she wanted to meet with me on Monday, was I available. I emailed her back telling her I can be, and then received an email from her saying to meet in the office because we're going to be meeting with the Vice Principal and the Academic Coach. Ack. She specifically says not to let this alarm me, but I am a little worried.

Honestly, I have no idea what to do with Jakey. I was never a student like him and I can't imagine having his challenges. School, especially elementary school, came very easily to me and I was a good student. Jakey is more of a challenge. I've mentioned before I can see some learning disabilities manifesting themselves and he has had a diagnosis of ADHD but we chose not to medicate, and it would take another round of testing and a long talk with a psychologist for me to even consider reconsidering my position on this. I don't like that label AT ALL. I don't think it's that accurate - I think it's more like "This Child Will Not Conform - ADHD".

Anyhow, I'm nervous. I asked Kevin to take the day off and go with me but he can't because he's hourly now and his 1 year (so he'll have personal time and vacation, etc.) isn't until February 15th. So I'm definitely going alone. I also want to go without Jayden so I'm not distracted or emotional (I cry sometimes when I nurse her, it makes my hormones wonky) and obviously Justin does not need to be there, my SIL is babysitting a little boy that's still a baby and I don't like having her watch two babies and my MIL is off but that's because she's supposed to be looking for a new job on Mondays so she changed her schedule, but we explained the situation to her and she agreed to babysit Jayden and Justin for us while I go to the meeting.

Then there is Kevin, he's mad at me for not recognizing Jakey needed help sooner. I wish he'd quit blaming me, trust me, I feel bad enough that Jakey has academic issues. Could I have dealt with them better/sooner? Probably, but he's just as legally able to enroll Jakey in whatever program he wants, etc. as I am. I think we're passive agressively frustrated with eachother though because I blame his genes for this, I know, I shouldn't but I do.

Anyhow, ugh, I've got knots in my stomach just thinking about tomorrow. Oh well, the worst case scenario is Jakey repeating 3rd grade which is not the end of the world because in almost any other state in the country he'd only be in 2nd grade anyways because his b-day is Oct 28th and our cut off is Dec 2nd here in CA.

Yep I know, I talked about politics.

Anyhow, it's ok to not agree with me, some people who read my blog might be beside themselves with excitement about the rebates, and that's ok, I still love you!

Onto the happenings around here!

Last night I picked Justin up from his very first ever birthday party where the mom drops them off and I asked him how it went, Justin's exact words, "Mom, it was AMAZING." Yep, amazing. What made this party so amazing you ask? Birthday Boy's mom made the cake, that was "amazing", with a treatsure map on it. She gave them treasure maps and they all went on a treasure hunt to the back yard! There were games (I'm not sure what because that wasn't very clear) and treats and balloons with pirate flags on them. Most importantly though - there were eye patches...oh yes, eye patches! Justin answered the door, "argh, matey!" His b-day is next month and now he wants an "amazing" pirate birthday party. Why didn't I get a gene to be crafty and amazing? I'm more of a "let's go to the bowling alley and play a game and have pizza and a cake from Albertsons" kind of mom.

So today I picked Jakey up from Kevin's mom's house where he had stayed the night after his skating party for school. I asked him, "how'd the skating party go?" and he says, "my butt hurts." Yep, Jakey is not middle-named Grace, that's for sure, LOL. I've NEVER rollerbladed, I like my regular skates, thank-you-very-much, and I think Jakey might be better suited for them as well. LOL I asked him if his friends were there and he said not really, then I asked THE question, the one I really wanted to know - who did you skate with? (He had gone with his aunt (12) and uncle (13) but I wanted to know WHO did he skate with during the couples skate! Or did he at all????? He said, "Jasmine." My baby boy, held hands with a girl, and skated to a slow song, in the near dark, with a GIRL! I feel so.....old. I remember skating, in the near dark, to a slow song, with a boy...when I was his age.

So there you have it, I'm the not-so-amazing-at-birthday-parties mom of two boys who are growing up so fast. I held Jayden close and told her, "please, never grow up!"

Tax Rebates

So, I have a few free moments, we're all dressed and ready for the rest of our day and the kids are napping or at school, so I have a moment to organize/compose my thoughts on this Tax Rebate.

I remember receiving some amount of money in 2001, back when we had a SURPLUS, seems like this was right around 9/11 for some reason...anyhow...seemed appropriate back then.

Now we're supposed to be getting these tax rebate checks when we're in a DEFICIT? Really? I've been reading and from what I can figure out a couple making less than $150,000 per year (ding, ding, ding!) will get $1200 IF THEY BOTH WORK, each working person making less then $75,000 ($150,000 if they are married but spouse doesn't work) gets $600, then $300 for each child. So since I don't work (didn't make $3000 last year) we get $600 (for Kevin), $0 (for me), and $300 for each of the kids ($900), so $1500 total.

We have friends who both work, but make a little less then us, but are both out there - so they'll get the $1200, plus their two kids at $300 each - so they'll get $1800. For a smaller family?

So my first issues with this whole thing is, I know it's to boost the economy but I read something about how the money was spent during the last "rebate" (2001) and it said that it was spent on:

1. Clothes (probably weren't even made in the US and yay for boosting Walmart's economy!)
2. Medical items (glasses, etc.) (How sad is it that people had to have these rebate checks to buy things they really needed! But I can totally see us having done the same!)
3. Food (yikes, we need rebates from the government for food!)

So my first thoughts are, where would our $1500 go? Likely...to paying off our car. That's almost as much as we owe. So we'll be one less interest paying to the bank family. I don't think that's too fabulous for the economy either.

Anyhow, so then my other thought comes in...way to discriminate because I chose to stay home with my family! There is NEVER and will NEVER be a rebate for the SAHM, but we shouldn't be PUNISHED for not working! That's ridiculous. Why should a family of four with two working parents get more money then a family of five with one working parent? I think it's fine if a woman wants/needs to work, but I don't think I should be penalized because I choose not to.

Then my most important thought - where is this money coming from? I kind of feel like I'm breaking into my children's piggy banks. We're in a recession, and I know this is meant to boost the economy, I just don't think this is going to work. It's kind of like the credit card company sending us all $!000 before they raise our interest rates to 35% or something. Taxes will have to go up.

I'm a huge Bush supporter, a loyal Republican, but this just doesn't make sense. Your thoughts?

Calgon, take me away!

Wow, what a morning.

At 6:30 we're almost ready to run Kevin to work and Jakey announces, "I have another worksheet I was supposed to finish for school today" which led to us being very frustrated with him because we could have done this last night! So he did it in the car on the way to take Kevin, but didn't have it quite finished.

At 7:00, I was holding Jayden and Kevin called about his demotion, as I'm talking to him she lets it rip in her diaper and I look down and I'm COVERED in baby poop, she's covered, from neck to socks, how does that even happen when she's sitting up???? It was a MESS!

So, I hurry to get off the phone with Kevin and throw her in some jammies and getting Jakey ready to walk out the door when I notice it's 7:12 - we have to leave our door at 7:11 to be at the bus stop on time...so we RUN out the door. Justin mentions when we're already outside "I forgot my sweater inside" too late now! So we RUN down to the corner and see the bus approaching, Jakey took off for the bus line and barely made it in time. Then I took a freezing Justin and Jayden back to the house.

Then, we had to cancel the park. It's SO cold and windy out and should start raining soon. My kids would blow away though - we've got 70-85 mph winds out there!

It's gotten a bit better from there - Jayden's napped beautifully and I've gotten laundry and housework done that I wouldn't have done if we were at the park. I'm going to go load the dishwasher and fix my hair and makeup for the day and then I'll be ready for her to wake up for her lunch in a few. What a day though! I'm kind of glad we didn't end up going to the park this morning - it was a bad morning and I shouldn't push my luck! LOL

Stupid Recession

When Kevin went into work today he got notice that effective immediately, he's back to driving. Business is slow so the owners are going to run it themselves. He'll have his seniority as a driver back (which guarantees him 40+ hours per week) and while they took away his salary, we'll probably end up about the same if not slightly better some weeks because of overtime. I just feel bad for him, he felt like he was getting somewhere and now he has to go back to what he hates.

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday! A weekend of relaxing and not getting up early to take Kevin to work or getting Jakey off to school! Tomorrow is a crazy day though. Starting with taking Kevin to work, then getting Jakey off, then Justin and I have playgroup, then home for naps, getting Jakey, dropping Justin at a b-day party, having a meeting for church, picking Justin up and then cleaning the house and all that - yep craziness!!!

Today Kevin stayed home. The Grapevine's been closed because of snow/ice and it was crazy stormy today so there wasn't much for his work to do, so he stayed home. Kevin and Justin took Justin's Smart Cycle back to Toys R Us, which has the BEST return policy! My mom bought it back in October but gave it to Justin for Christmas, we didn't open it until way after Christmas to find that it doesn't have it's predrilled holes so we can't put it together. So we took it back and they don't have any in stock and don't know when or if they're going to get more so they gave us a giftcard. We're kind of waiting to see what happens, we're hoping that they'll get some in because my mom bought one for her house and he really likes playing it over there. Then I cleaned the house while Kevin played with Jayden.

The best news of the day was that Kevin fixed my computer!!! I finally have my own computer working again!!

Anyhow, like I mentioned above, Justin's going to a birthday party for another three year old that he's known forever (well as forever as 3 year old's can know eachother, LOL) and it's his first "drop off" birthday party. I can't stay because I don't have anywhere for Jakey to go and Jakey isn't invited to the party (which he would totally butt into the little guys' fun so he shouldn't be there and I have no problems with him not being invited) and plus I have Jayden, and plus the mom's are supposed to go and leave the kiddos to their fun, but this is Justin's first party like this and he's super nervous. He's spent plenty of time in this friend's home (with me there) and knows his friends mom really well, but he's super nervous. I hope he gets over it so he can enjoy the party. This is one of the reasons I'm totally looking forward to him starting preschool - he needs some independence!

Ok, now that I've written a random post, LOL - my last thought is OUCH! Jayden will NOT stop biting me! Jakey wasn't really breastfed, and Justin (nor Jakey) got teeth until they were almost one, and while I don't think Jayden's getting teeth, she's biting me like crazy like Justin tried to when he first started getting them. IT HURTS. I mostly scream when it happens...I've tried to remind myself to calm down and that she's just a little baby doesn't know any better, but OUCH! IT hurts! Any ideas? I seriously was watching formula commercials longingly today, LOL.

Justin's Eyes

Well we just got back from the Optometrist. He did DESPERATELY need glasses!

The dr said his prescription should be +4 in both eyes, but we can't just go from 0 to 4 so we are starting with +1. He said it's also surprising that the strain of focusing his eyes hasn't caused any weakness or lazy eye or anything yet.

Picking them out was difficult, he kept saying they were all "too skinny"???? Whatever that means???

Also as far as the appointment, he did well for most of it but it was CRAZY long (almost 2 hours) and they dialated his eyes with the drops and that hurt/bothered him. He refuses to wear the paper sunglasses (thank goodness it's a cloudy rainy day) and he keeps saying his eyes hurt and his head hurts so I think I'll give him some tylenol for his headache.

Anyhow, I'm so glad that I took him for his 4 year well child! Because he isn't starting school until next year and didn't need shots, I almost didn't take him!

Meme

I was tagged by Natalie for this meme.

These are the rules :
1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. A. Share 5 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog; or
B. Share the 5 top places on your “want to see or want to see again” list; or C. Share 5 things you never pictured being in your future when you were 25 years old.
3. Tag a minimum of 5, maximum of 10 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
The tagees have a choice of which they want to do.

***

I choose 5 random and/or weird facts about myself because I don't feel far enough past 25 to do the one and I hardly ever go anywhere and really I like Bakersfield, shocking I know, but I do! LOL

1. One of my thumbs is shorter then the other. When Jakey was 1.5 he threw a nasty temeper tantrum and broke my thumb (I was holding him by his armpits). The cast I was in disfigured my thumb.

2. I say pajamas PUH-JAWM-UHS, it is NOT PUH-JAM-UHS!

3. I chose my wedding band/engagement rings when I was 16 (with Kevin) and at 16 I wanted something very simple and plain and inexpensive...now at 26, I LOVE my rings, but I wish my diamond was bigger - maybe for an anniversary???

4. I love to rock out in the car to Love Shack. It was on today when I was alone in my car having left Jayden with Kevin's sister and Justin as well while I enrolled Jakey in school - it was nice!

5. My iPod has Barry Manilow on it - ACK!

I tag whoever wants to, I'm a no pressure Meme collector...LOL

I tag:

Oh Yeah....

I forgot how much homework there is in regular school! It took us forever to wade through his homework! Jakey's a little slow in his multiplication tables - his class is on their 6's already and Jakey is just mastering 3's and into 4's so he's a bit behind but he did really well today with his 100 (yes 100) multiplication/division problems. Then he alphabetized his spelling words and wrote them 3 times each. However he did NOT write them in cursive. I didn't do the cursive part of our curriculum because honestly, I think it's stupid. No one writes anything anymore anyway, why do they have to learn cursive? (I didn't actually share these ideas with Jakey, LOL) Anyhow I got a note from his teacher that says by March 1st she won't accept any of his work not in cursive. So we have to get cracking on his cursive. (See I was just happy with legible.)

There was a point during homework madness where I thought I was going to lose my mind. I got both boys snacks and drinks and got Justin settled with drawing and Jayden's diaper changed and I was nursing her and then all of a sudden nothing would console Jayden, Justin was crying because he wanted a blue pencil (not colored pencil, regular pencil in blue instead of green) and Jakey was crying because he didn't want to do his homework anymore. I was ready to throw them all out windows..LOL Tuesdays are Kevin's late nights, he doesn't come home until 10 on Tuesday nights so I knew there was no putting this off until he came home to help with the other two kids. We waded through it all and Jakey got it all done, including his 20 minutes of reading.

I also managed to get a REAL dinner on the table by 5 pm! Cheesy Chicken Casserole, salad, and croissants. I ROCK! LOl And I cleaned the kitchen during Jakey's reading (he read to me in there) and I did three loads of laundry done! Now that the boys are bathed and playing quietly before bed, and Jayden's bathed and dressed and in bed herself, and I'm relaxing waiting for American Idol I feel very accomplished, I managed a very long day and I think I did it well! Yay me! Ok I'm done tooting my own horn...now onto crafting a Meme I was tagged for a few days ago by Natalie before I get into too much Meme debt in 2008!

Well, it's done.

Jakey is back in public school. He was so excited this morning (after the initial wake up call and reminder that regular school starts E-A-R-L-Y! LOL

I don't have much time because Jayden is stirring and needs to eat, but I talked to the principal and I think everything is going to be just fine! His teacher should call this afternoon to discuss what he was doing and he gets off the bus in an hour.

Be back later with full details of how the first day went.

Any Advice?

We still don't know where we're moving because that one house fell through and we just haven't found anything else. We had been waiting to move to put Jakey back in regular school and since we don't know when that will happen, I just can't wait anymore. I feel so bad, it's so difficult to homeschool Jakey since Jayden was born and he really needs to be back in regular school.

He's going to have to go back to the school we pulled him from because that's the school we're in the district for and we don't feel right about lying about where we live to get him in somewhere else. I'm going to call on Tuesday and set up a meeting - or so I hope - with the vice principal or principal or whomever they want me to meet with. I have alot of concerns about Jakey and about the school.

Does anyone have any advice in what I should say? I want my child treated fairly by all the children in the school. Our main problems last time were that the children were speaking Spanish on the playground and not letting Jakey play basketball and not speaking to him at all, completely isolating him. Then when I went in to meet with his teacher I found that she had been told by one of the students that Jakey threatened to beat a girl up so she had moved Jakey to a table by himself and hadn't called and told me, Jakey hadn't told me because he thought he would be in trouble - that I wouldn't believe him that he didn't say he'd beat up a girl, and he'd been seperated for a week from the class. I was FURIOUS. Not only was he ostracized by the kids on the playground but by the teacher too? When I went to speak with her about it my cellphone rang and I said "let me turn this off, I'm not answering it just pushing it off" and when I looked down to my cell the teacher and the campus security guy started speaking to eachother in SPANISH in front of me! I was so mad, I mean that's what we're here talking about, how Jakey feels separated from the kids because they won't talk to him and then she's going to do the same thing to me?! I tried to talk to the principal but the school was under construction at the time and she was busy with the construction and so I just pulled him and homeschooled him. Besides the construction, those things aren't going to change without the school wanting them to.

So what do I say? Even to get the appointment? Who should I ask to talk to? Any ideas?

Girls Night In

Last night my friend hosted a Mary Kay party. I love Mary Kay but man is that stuff expensive! Worth it, but expensive. Anyhow, she invited her sister and cousin and me and we had a blast with the ladies who sold the Mary Kay. Jayden had to come because she's a bottle hating baby (I've TRIED, all week, EVERYTHING I can think of to get her to take a bottle of expressed milk) but she was the only kid. We had so much fun talking and laughing and putting on makeup. It was great. Finally my friend managed to get Jayden to sleep, the highlight of my night! LOL I ordered a few things to go with the Mary Kay I already have and went a little more out of my way to get dressed for church this morning. It feels good to look nice and be complimented on what I'm wearing and my hair and makeup. Jayden wears a new dress every Sunday (my mom has lost her mind shopping for Jayden) so her "backdrop" might as well be dressed up. LOL (Too bad it only lasted as long as it took for Jayden to remember to spit up all over me, LOL)

Why Yes, You Were!

Gosh, so much has changed in a year. A year ago I was bitter and upset about not being able to conceive. We'd been trying for two years, one year with the doctor's help. There were people around me who'd had two children in the time I had been trying to get just one more. I was angry with people who were fertile, angry with people who made comments like, "You have two children already", angry with everyone because nothing could comfort me. During the past year, wtihout noticing it, I've been healed. Healed of all the anger and frustration.

One time, in the temple, I was led to a scripture:

Do not murmur, my son, for it is wisdom in me that I have dealt with you after this manner.

D&C 9:6

If you replace son with daughter, it felt like a direct response from Heavenly Father in regards to my requests (pleadings really) to have another child. I was not very good at not murmuring, but I do believe it was wisdom in Heavenly Father that Jayden came exactly when she came, that she was meant for this time and this place.

Even in such a short time, I can't imagine life without out her. It's the same with each of my children, it seems like they've always been here, or belonged with us. I'm grateful everyday I get to be a mommy, to each of my great kids!

"Jayden Face!"

Yesterday I was playing with Jayden on the floor when Justin came in the room. He grabbed a toy and started saying, "Jayden Face, Jayden Face, where's my pretty little Jayden Face?!" I listened for a minute and then said, "Are you saying, Jayden FACE?" He said, "Yeah that's her name, Jayden Face." I thought about this for a minute and then said, "Oh you mean Jayden FAITH?" And he said, "Yep, Jayden Face."

"I don't want to look at the Dolly!"

Jakey and Justin were playing with Jayden on the floor yesterday and she refused to look at her doll they were trying to show her, LOL. Guess she doesn't like Cinderella!