Hump Day

I thought that the weeks would drag since I am anticipating our big move but they have been going rather quickly. As a matter of fact, I don't know where this week has gone already. There are 8 days until we go get the keys to the new home and 17 days until our big move. And right smack in the middle of the two is my birthday. I feel so happy to have so many blessings right now. It is so easy to let the days go by without being thankful. It is so easy to complain about what you don't like in your life but I am making it a priority to be thankful.

The packing has continued. Once again, I can't believe that we have accumulated so much crap in the two years that we have been here. Actually it is still amazing me how much crap we brought from RI that is still in boxes. We spent last weekend going through the garage. See the is the problem with having a big house and a big garage. You never really go through what you have because it's not in your way, it's just somewhere out of the way. I am really looking foward to a slightly smaller house that will allow to think of everything that we bring into it and think about each purchase we want to make.

Jose and I are both having withdrawls from the house...lol. I think that I am going to call Melissa (our landlord) and see if we can go by this weekend. We want to see the progress and of course, just see it again. We might even take Larissa and Nathan with us this time. This weekend is going to fly by because we are so busy. We have plans Friday night to go to Howl at the Moon with good friends (a couples night that is long overdue!)and then there is Nathan's birthday on Saturday and his party on Sunday. I have a feeling that I will back here on Monday saying "where did my weekend go?".

Last night feels like such a big blurr. It seems as though I got nothing done but in actuality, I got a few things done. I took Nathan to boyscouts, got my nails done, caught up with Ilga, got gas in the car, picked up dinner and took more pics of Larissa's bedroom set for a woman who is interested in buying it from us. So all in all, it wasn't a bad night. I feel as though it was such a waste because I didn't get any packing done but the rest was actually nice. Yes, running around doing things is a rest for me...what has my life come to...lol !

So that is all for today. Just wanted to take a minute and share my thoughts with you all. Hope everyone is having a good week !

Got My Tire Fixed at Lunch Today !

I just want to start by saying that quite a few years back when I bought my green couches, I had quite a story because it was as if they sent the three stooges to deliver the couches. If I can find that story that I sent you all, I will have to post it here. This is not about my couches but it is just as funny !

We got a flat tire last night on our way home from picking up CJ. Jose put the donut on and since I am the one who takes the car, I planned to take it and it get it fixed today at lunch. The donut was in bad shape so we needed to repair it quickly.

Today during lunch I went to a place down the street from my job. You know one of those whole in the wall places with used tires that is in/out quickly...or so I thought.

I pull up with the donut on the car and the guy asks me, "what do you need?". I point to the tire and tell him that I need a tire. He asks, "do you know what size it is?". I walk over to the car and read the size to him from the tire...something that he could have and should have done himself. By this time, I didn't have a warm and fuzzy feeling about this place but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt...not sure why ! He returns and tells me that they have a tire. I already knew this because I had called ahead to check and to get a price so that I could have the money. Soooo, he proceeds to by jacking up the car. While he is getting the lugg remover, I go into the trunk and take out the flat tire and roll it over to him. He asks me "what's that?" and I tell him that it's my tire. I am not kidding, this is serious, he really asked me that ! He asks me, "what do you want me to do with that?" I say "put it on my car!". I was starting to really get worked up now. He looks at me with a very puzzled look on his face and says, "so you want me to take this one off (pointing to the donut on the car) and put that one on (pointing to my flat tire)?". I say "NO! I want you to take the donut off, fix my flat and then put it on the car, it's flat and that is whwy I am here to buy a new one!" I was really starting to think that I was on candid camera. Is this guy for real? But wait, it's not over.

He walks over to take the donut off. I reach into the car to get the lock for the luggs. He grabs it, looks at it and says that he doesn't need it and places it on the ground. I stand there just waiting for him to realize that he needs it. He tries and tries and finally calls over another guy, who clearly knows more about changing a tire then he does...which doesn't take much. He tells the other man that he can't get my luggs off and the man tells him that is because he needs the lock for them. The idiot looks at me and asks for the lock. I point to the lock on the ground "that is the lock on the ground that you said you didn't need". I didn't know if I wanted to cry or laugh at this point. Using the lock was another adventure all together. He had to call over the other guy again for help. Can I just tell you that I could have done it faster myself but maybe that is because I have had 100 too many flat tires in my lifetime. :o)

Anyhoo...he finally takes my donut off. Amen ! He takes my flat tire into the back to replace the tire....you know, the whole reason why I am there in the first place ! I mean, everything that he has done until now I could have done myself. Shoot ! All he's done so far is take my donut off, my kids could have done that ! Changing the tires should have taken 5 minutes but of course, you know that it didn't. He had no clue was he was doing. He didn't know how to lock the rim in place, he didn't know how to take the tire off or how to put the new one on.

Now I understand that this was probably his first day on the job. I know the feeling of learning something new and it being your first day. Thing is that he was a rugged looking man that was my age if not older. You mean to tell me that he has never changed a tire or at least seen one changed?!

So he manages to put the changed tire back on the car while I put the donut in the trunk. Yeah, I was already pretty dirty by now anyways. Once again, he struggled with using the lock to put the luggs back on but got it with some help from the other man. I paid, he handed me the lock and I drove off praying that my tire didn't fall off on my way back to work. I did make it back to work and so far everything seems fine. I hope that we can make it home !

So 45 minutes and $33 later, I have my tire fixed and a story to go with it. Have I just been punked??????

Happy April Fools Day !

I am keeping it short and sweet today. It's April ! Happy April Fools Day to everyone. So many wonderful things about April. It is in the high 80's today and tomorrow so our weather is definately nice right now. There is so much to look forward to and so much to do. Have a great day and talk to you all tomorrow.

Here is a little FYI...It was 16 years ago today that I found out I was pregnant with Larissa. As you can imagine, nobody believed me. Funnier story is that my sister-in-law used being pregnant as an April fools joke before I made my announcement but the joke was on her because as it turned out...she really was pregnant ! Larissa and Derrick born 3 months apart due to Larissa being early and Derrick being late...lol !

My Mood

I almost wasn't going to write today. I don't feel my chipper self today. I have a ginormous headache and have been really moody and the day is only half over !

Today is the last day of March. Tomorrow is April 1st ! For obvious reasons, my favorite month is April. But now I have another reason to love April. It will the month that we move into our new beautiful home. I fear the days are going to drag now in April since we are anticipating it. There is so much packing to still do and cleaning galore as we move things around. My house currently looks like a tornado as I go through and see what is going to be packed, what is going to be trashed and what we could give away. All this is just preperation for what we need to do though...get all of our belongings from this house to the new house.

I have become somewhat dis-satisfied with my current schedule. I am away from home until 8 or 8:30pm on three of the five nights in a week and sometimes more. It just doesn't work for me. I love to be home with my family or out spending time with them. Zumba has taken up my Mondays and Thursdays and Nathan has his boyscouts on Tuesdays. I am considering trying out a Zumba video that I could do at home on my time, once the kids have gone to bed or early in the morning. I would so much rather be spending the time with them and that makes me happier. I still want to work out though because that is for me and I know that I must continue to take care of me. The progress has been wonderful and I can feel that I have more energy too as just another reward. I want to continue to lose weight too. I am sure that I will figure something out, I always do. Knowing what you want is half the battle.

So I guess that is pretty much my rant for the day. I just wanted to stay in the swing of writing. The new house is still pretty heavy on my mind. The waiting game is going to kill me because....well, I hate to wait. Other than that life is pretty amazing. God remains the center of my world and he has blessed me in so many ways. This is going to be repetitive from my facebook status from yesterday but I have so much to be thankful for. Jose is the most amazing person. I have three smart and beautiful children, we both have jobs, we are leaving one beautiful house for another beautiful house, we have our health and we enjoy spending time together. Really ! It just doesn't get better than that. The little things are just that. Sometimes we allow them to take over and crowd the bigger picture but I am not allowing that to get in my way of seeing the bigger picture...God loves me and life is a blessing ! In other words..."Don't worry, be happy!". Ok, so that was a bit corny but that is part of my mood today. That is why you all love me, isn't it?

On a side note, which is somewhat related, I am praying for everyone that we know and love in RI that this mess clears up soon. The flood damage has been astounding and unconceivable. Many are going through a difficult time right now but thankfully, we have not heard of anyone being harmed through it all. I hope that they can get some relief soon. You are all in my prayers.

Excitement

So we went back to the house yesterday...again. We signed the lease and put the deposit. I wish that we were moving right now. The more I see the house and the transformation that it is going through, the more that I love it. I have fallen completely in love with the house. Is that possible? LMAO !

I know that I said I wasn't going to buy anything until we moved so that I wouldn't have more stuff to move but I just can't help it. I am just so excited to move into the new house. Don't get me wrong, I am still only sticking to the big deals that I find. Jose and I bought a red microwave for our new kitchen. What?! We just couldn't resist. Actually, it was Jose's idea, if you can believe that. It was on sale so it was actually cheaper than the regular ones and it is going to look so incredible in my new kitchen. I also bought a ceramic three canister set for $6 ! How could I have passed that up ?

I am going to be searching for matching bedding for the boys now. I am really going to try to wait til we move but I make no promises. I want to be able to make their beds and set up their rooms as soon as we move so I have to be looking now...lol. I am looking for an incredible deal though and have not found it yet.

So...we get the keys on the 15th and then we officially move on the 24-25th of April. What a great belated birthday present for me !

Just a few things...

So I went to Family Dollar during lunch. I had no intention of buying anything, I just went to get out of this building for a while and clear my head while enjoying the beautiful day we have. I ended up buying the first three things for new kitchen. They had so much red but I couldn't pass up these things because they were on clearance and the only ones left. So for $6.80 I got a dish strainer, a paper towel holder and a cute clock. Can you believe the clock was only $1.80 ! I didn't buy more things because I realize that what I buy, I have to pack and that just seems insane but you can't pass up a bargain !

Something is going on with Nathan

This is Nathan. Nathan is somewhat shy but he is very loud and outgoing in comfortable and familiar souroundings. He loves anything to do with Art and loves animals. He has always loved school and has, for the most part, done very well in school. Despite the fact that he was diagnosed with ADHD when he a little over 3, he has not had any problems in school. According to the doctors, it is because he thrives with consistancy and routine. Also a reason that I have always had a problem with him at home. I have not been able to create that same consistancy and routine at home. It is never too late and I will never stop trying.

Well, I got an email from Nathan's English teacher yesterday letting me know that she is concerned about him. In her class and in his Math class, he has not been himself since December according to her. He is not turning in projects, not finishing classwork, not doing homework and not making anything up. As if that alone wasn't enough, she also added that he is not the same child that started there in Septemember, he is quiet and withdrawn where he had been the class clown and center of attention. Of course I scheduled a conference call with his teachers and actually got to speak to them the same day.

Basically the same thing was reworded to me that she had emailed me about him in English and in Math. What puzzled me was that in his Social Studies class and in his Science class he has been good. So I wanted to know if his behavior had changed in those classes as well. Quite the contrary though. Both his Social Studies teacher and his Science teacher confirmed that he is still himself, maybe just not as loud at time. He actually came home yesterday with a pink slip for acting up and being too loud..ironic huh? His Social Studies teacher did tell me that he is having a much harder time focusing on his work. He seems to start everything and finish nothing until she guides him back to where he needs to be. Some of the same info from his Science teacher.

So this got me thinking. I am clearly concerned because there is something going on with Nathan and I am not quite sure what it is. What could be the difference between his English and Math classes in comparison to his Social Studies and Science classes? Could there be a student or students picking on him? Could he be having so much more trouble in English and Math to the point that he is giving up? Could this be his ADHD catching up to him in classes that he can't handle? Could it be a lasting effect of the situation with my mother? Could it simply be the teachers? From knowing them personally throughout the year, I do know that his Social Studies and Science teachers are more nurturing and caring and are more likely to lead him by the hand, only emphasizing what his Social Studies teacher had told me herself about her redirecting him back. I decided to clear my head and talk to Nathan when I got home.

I asked Nathan to explain to me the differences in the classes as he sees them. It did come down to what I thought, at least part of it. He did mention that his Social Studies and Science teacher give consistant homework so he always understands what is expected of him. That they help him when he is confused. That they don't overwhelm him. His English and Math teachers are always giving him various things to do and he claims that he can't remember what and when things are due because it is so confusing. The classes are harder and the teachers don't like to explain when he doesn't understand. I tried to explain to him that he has been very lucky with teachers. Up until this year, he has had one main teacher and that teacher was always made aware of his ADHD and she would always make sure he was focused and redirected. With middle school, it's many teachers and with high school it will be the same. Not all teachers are going to go out of their way for you and some will expect you to fend for yourself. I told him that he doesn't have to like the teachers or the class but he does have to deal with it and pass the class. Not sure he liked me much after that statement but life must go on.

I guess I wasn't completely convinced that was the whole situation because I went on to ask him more questions. I asked him if he was being picked on in school and he began to cry and yelled "no". I told him that it was ok for him to tell me the truth and he just cried more and told me "nobody believes me". I am not sure who else has asked him this question or if he was just emotional but I did end up dropping the subject because it seemed to upset him a great deal.

No matter what is going on in this school, it will all change in four weeks when he switches schools which he is very excited about. This only raises more red flags since most kids are not excited to leave their friends and a school they are familiar with unless they are not happy or something is going on. So I still don't really know what is going on. I sat with him and did homework last night. He seemed to not know where to start or how to break things down. I fear that his ADHD really is overwhelming him. It would explain why he is doing good in Social Studies and Science. Those teachers are leading him by the hand and helping. I am not saying that all teachers should do this, I am actually thinking that I need to take extra steps to show Nathan how to try to focus on one thing at a time and get organized. I noticed he wasn't writing a lot of things down and this weekend we are going to buy a small homework notebook. He has an agenda but to my knowledge it is not always with him so that clearly isn't going to work.

I also know that the lasting effects of what happened with my mother will continue to be part of him. Just because she is gone doesn't mean that it's over. She has made him feel worthless and that doesn't just go away. It will take time to build him up again and make him realize that those words were not true. This will be a long road that we will need to travel with him. A road that we are more than willing to travel with him. He needs to know that he smart, creative, fun and a great well rounded kid. God will help me through this. :o)