Catching Up...

I have to admit that I am not off to a good start with this blog for 2009. So let me catch you all up on what has been happening.

Christmas 2008- Well we had a pretty good Christmas. It felt more like our first Christmas away from RI instead of our first Christmas in NC. I don't really know if that makes sense to you or not. The kids got all that they asked for, simply because they didn't ask for much. The kids didn't ask for much this year and it is things like that which make me thank God for the wonderful children that I have. I got to use my web-cam (Christmas present to me from Jose) to talk to my brother, my sister-in-law, neice, nephew and aunt on Christmas and the days following. Technology is such a wonderful thing. I think that we all cried. They got to see Larissa and Nathan and meet CJ and Jose through the modern world of technology. It was amazing for my brother and I to be able to surprise mom with that on Christmas day.
New Years 2009- New Years was really nice. It was quiet with just us at home but it was nice. We had New Years hats and noicemakers and I made appetizers and opened a bottle of Sparkling Cider to celebrate. CJ managed to sleep through the New Year because he didn't feel well but the rest of us managed to stay awake after several rounds of Rockband. On the 2nd we went to Paula's for her Mock New Years party. That was really nice. It was great to see everyone and although it didn't quite go as planned, that is what made it all the more interesting. Rick had taped the ball dropping so that we could replay it at midnight, or so he thought. It turns out that nothing got taped but Paula saved the night with her "Sesame Street Celebrated New Year Around the World". We counted down from 20 with Elmo and the gang and it was hysterical to say the least. Paula had sparklers for all the kids too and it still amazes me to this day how well all the kids get along. There were 12 kids in all and no fights. Miracles do exist...lol. As soon as I download all the pictures, you know that I will send them all to you.

I want to take a minute to just say a little something about everyone too...

Larissa- She is turning into such a young lady before my very eyes. Although she is a teenager and with that comes the famous teenager attitude, she is a really good kid. Her values with friendships floor me at times. All her friends fight at one point or another because that is what they do at this age but she manages to take no side at all and stay true to her friends. I am so proud of her. Dalissa, do you realize that in Oct she will be at the point in her life where you and I met. Crazy huh?! She could be establishing lifelong friendships already. I just wish that I could get her to clean her room. I remember being that messy too so I try not to get on her too bad but her room goes from clean to a tornado overnight. Now I am sounding like my mom. Thankfully she is much more organized with her school stuff so she is doing quite well at school. I really wish that she would get involved in more school activities but I don't want to push. One of my regrets was that I didn't get involved enough in high school but I can't live my life through her. All I can do is encourage her to try things out.
Nathan- He starts Karate again tonight after having the holidays off. It was nice for me to get a break but he has missed it so much. It allows him to get all his energy out and he really enjoys it. He is probably going to be doing his first tournament in February. I am so proud of how well he is doing and how dedicated he has been towards this. Thank goodness for Karate because I don't know what else to do with his energy. His ADHD seems to be getting worse and I have even contemplated medication. I am not quite ready to give up but just knowing that it has crossed my mind makes me crazy. He is so good at school and the doctor has told me time and time again that it is the structure at school and karate that makes him behave so well. So I have to come to terms that it is the lack of structure that I am providing at home that is making him misbehave at home. That is part, ok most, of the reason for the part about consistancy at home with the kids on my to-do list. I really don't want to have to resort to medication and that means that I need to make changes at home to avoid that. God give me the strength.
CJ- He is my bundle of energy. Even more so than Nathan! Early Intervention came to do the paperwork for the program yesterday. His speech evaluation is scheduled for January 29th at 9am. They have not been able to get a date for the play therapist yet though. He now says NaNa for Nathan. Why do all his words have to be doubled. He says MaMa, DaDa, GaGa, BaBa, MiMi, and now NaNa. He is one of a kind I tell you. He just has this personality that just won't quit and a mind of his own.
Mom- She is officially retired and waiting for her first retirement check this month. I will have to help her find a doctor now that she will have medical. She is endlessly waiting for her Worker's Comp case to settle. When that finally does settle, then she will be doing the paperwork for her retirement in Portugal too. That will involve her needing to spend at least a couple of months a year physically in Portugal. I think that will make her very happy and will be a weight lifted off my shoulders too. I love having my mother with me and I know that she won't always be around so I need to enjoy the time we have but it isn't easy when you live under the same roof. I need her to get her independence back that she tought me. I can't imagine being in her shoes and having her children so far away from her. Being a mother myself, it seems heart breaking to me. I just want my mom to be happy.
Jose- He has been sending out more and more resumes since the New Year. He is really hoping to get back into a medical billing/follow up position soon. His job has allowed him to meet some pretty incredible people here but he isn't doing what he enjoys. It's funny because the one thing about medical billing that he enjoys is the one thing that I like the least. That is probably why we get along so well. He is looking forward to getting on our feet and having the ability to get out a lot more than we have since we got here. There is a lot of Charlotte that he wants to see.
Me- Keeping true to my to-do list, Jose and I are going on our first date night on Friday. Don't really know exactly what we are doing but we do know that we will watch a movie because he got free movie tickets through his job. I hope that we can have dinner somewhere nice but cheap...we are still very much on a budget. I colored and cut my hair on Sunday, also in keeping with my to-do list. I even bought a nice black satin shirt to wear on our date...he hasn't seen it yet, it's a surprise that I bought with a giftcard that I got. I am determined to take care of me. I can't be a good mom, gf, daughter, friend, ect if I don't take of me.

So I apologize for this being a little long winded but I just wanted to catch you all up on the days that I have missed. Can't wait to here how all of your lives are.