Sorry

It has been a little while since I posted. I have definitely been slacking. I would think of things I wanted to post. But then I would be busy and unable to get them into words.

So I find myself here on this Monday morning with nothing much to say. I am sure as the day goes on something will click and I will know what should be put in writing to be treasured forever. Well maybe not treasured. Or maybe not forever. But at least for today.

I even missed posting the exact 2 months to Christmas day. More on that later....

Epidemic

I think there is really an epidemic that needs serious consideration. The sad thing is that I don't think the people affected by this terrible disease are even aware they have the disease.

Thankfully I have not been infected. Nor has my family. Well my daughter has had a couple of close calls but hasn't caught it.

On Sunday at a Halloween party hosted by our friend I noticed a few people who were unaware they have been infected. The party was the search for the Great Pumpkin. He had about 100 pumpkins in his front yard and you had to pick one. They were all numbered on the bottom and if you picked the winning number you either won lottery tickets or the Great Pumpkin. And during this search I became quite alarmed at the number of infected people. Luckily, or unluckily, we won the Great Pumpkin this year. Actually Jaclyn won it and it took a wheel barrel to get it to our car. It is rather large. But I get off subject.

Even the host was infected. This disease does not care if you are male or female. It affects both. The host had no idea he was infected. I could tell. But sure enough he had the terrible disease.......Butt Crackitis.

You too could be among those infected. Particularly if you prefer the low rise jeans. You see every time you squat down the back portion opens a bit. And because they are already low all that is exposed is the butt crack.

It is no longer a disease simply for the plumbers. It can now affect any size, shape, gender, and profession. Beware. Take precautions that you too will not become infected.

Halloween Candy

So what to do. What to do with all of that Halloween candy. In the past I tell Jaclyn to pick out maybe 10-15 pieces of candy and the rest we will give to people who weren't able to get candy. Which really means we take it to work and pass it off on the people there.

But I just read the best idea. The Halloween Witch. I love this idea. I will definitely be trying it this year. I will let Jaclyn know that I sent the witch an email to sign us up. I am so excited to tell her about this. I think it is a great idea.

I will have her think of a few things to put on the list and will tell her that I need to email the list to the witch so she can pick the gift she wants to bring.

So say bye bye to all the candy in our house and to be able to do it without protest. Not that she really protested giving away most of her candy to others but still.

What more can I ask for?

I would love to hear any other ideas people may have for different holidays. For example, what about the tooth fairy? Gifts or money?

TGIF

Thank goodness today is Friday. This has seemed like such a long week.

And I have so much to do this weekend that sadly before I know it it will be Monday again.

UGH>

Halloween

Normally I don't dress up for Halloween. We typically will go to a Halloween function that is held in our city and I will dress my daughter. I may thrown on a headband that has some sort of ears. Or I may do the typical black cat and add a tail to my pants, draw whiskers on my face and put on the ears.

There is a picture that has run 2 years in a row in our local newspaper of me painting my daughter's nails with glow in the dark nail polish. She is dressed up like Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and I have my face painted with whiskers to be my black cat impersonation.

This year I thought we may do something different. My daughter has known since last year what she was going to be so she was easy. But now my husband wants to dress up. And he leaves it to me to think of something good for him to be. And to book I may have to sew it. All by this Sunday possibly. UGH>

I came up with Obi-Wan Kenobi. He thought possibly but he would need to see it. So I purchased the pattern last night. Then he decides that is old and done. He wants to know what else I've got. Well I don't have anything else. So then he wants to know what movies have come out this year. Again, I have no idea. If it is not a kids movie you can forget it.

So I am throwing this out there. Anyone have any great and fairly easy costume ideas?

Sick or Not???

My daughter is sick today. Or is she?

She has been having a rough couple of days with a really bad attitude. So after I talked to her yesterday after work she seems to be a bit happier. She went to bed without too many problems and that was it for the night. She slept soundly until I had to wake her this morning.

But.Then.The.Wining.Began.In.Full.Force.

She was very winey and crying this morning over anything and everything.

I don't like that shirt. I don't want tennis shoes. I can't get my pants up. Wahhhhhh. I hit my ear on the door. And on it went until we left.

Somehow I managed to get her dressed and into the car. But not before another Wahhhhhh. I hit my elbow. Which was right after the Wahhhhhh. I can't see anything (after I turned off the light to leave).

So I should have known the call I would get from my sister in law. Especially after what Jaclyn said in the car on the way there (her throat hurts).

About 15 minutes before she had to be at school my SIL called and said she wasn't sure what she should do. Jaclyn is complaining that her throat hurts, her head hurts, and her tummy hurts. She has been laying around all morning and not constantly asking if it was her turn to go to school.

I talked to Jaclyn and told her that if she is sick she can't go to school and can't play during the day. That she will need to lay around and rest. She said she just wanted to stay on the couch.

Okay.....

I tell my SIL that I guess if she thinks she is really sick that I will call the school and let them know she isn't coming. Because she said her tummy hurt, my SIL didn't try to give her any breakfast so I am wondering if it was hurting from sickness or hurting from hunger as she had been up for a few hours by this time.

My SIL had to run to the store and had to take Jaclyn and her nephew whom I shall nickname badboy or BB for short. He really is a terror and I try very hard not to say that about any child. But he would push me over the edge. Picture my SIL driving with Jaclyn and BB in the back in their car seats. They pass Jaclyn's school and BB asks if she is going to school today. She tells him no because her head kinda hurts. Her tummy kinda hurts. And last but not least that her throat kinda hurts. That she didn't really feel like going to school today because of those things.

Hmmmm.

Did she already learn the art of faking illness? At four?

I really don't think she did but I will certainly be checking out her alibi when I get home. Shortly (5 minutes later) she tells my SIL that she is feeling better.

Hmmmm.

I better get out my spotlight so that I can conduct a proper inquisition. Something seems fishy.

Crafts

I love crafts of all sorts. I haven't really talked about it here. But whenever I have a spare moment I like to make something. I have done so many different projects over the years. Some I have finished. Others not so much.

But in the end I just love crafting.

I am now trying to make items to sell at a craft fair that is held in the cafeteria of my work.

I have made some beaded cuff socks in Christmas colors as well as other everyday colors. My daughter loves these and keeps trying to keep them for herself.

I have also made some fleece hats and I am going to try to make some fleece scarves to match.

I have a few knitted scarves.

I have some beaded bracelets

And I will probably make some pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting.

The hardest part is finding the time. But as we sit and watch tv or I am sitting watching Jaclyn's dance class I can knit or bead socks. I have been know to take these things with me to work so that I can do some at lunch time.

I wish I was able to do this to make money for charity. But truth is we could use the extra cash to pay on some bills such as the one for my new eye sight.

I did see this wonderful cause that is knitting socks for adopted children. I think that is such a great idea.

I am trying to instill this love of crafts in my daughter also. I think it would be so much fun for us to create "stuff" together.

In this spirit I am going to really try to turn our spare bedroom into a full fledged craft (and bed) room. It is a little bit now but nothing organized. It is my catch all room and can quickly become a mess. I am trying to change all of this and not spend much money on it at all. I really need to create a room plan and try to carry it out.

Once I take pictures of above items I will post those to give the full visual effect.

I would love to know what sorts of crafty things others do or have done. Anyone care to share?

I am always looking for great organizing and craft ideas. I am obsessed.

Scare Me to Death

Last night was one of our weekly skating lessons. All was going great.

Then with about 5 minutes left my sister in law fell and hit her head on the ice.

They got her off and had her sit in the hockey bench area. They got her ice packs and had her hold them on her big ole goose egg on the back of her head. The lady who runs the rink insisted on calling the paramedic just to be safe she was ok. They didn't want her to drive if she had a concussion or something worse.

My SIL really didn't want to go to the hospital, though. The rink lady told her that they would just come out and check her but that they wouldn't take her unless absolutely necessary.

While we waited for them to show up I took Jaclyn back on the ice for a lap. Once we got all the way around the paramedic were there. So we got off the ice.

There is a concession stand area that has lockers and benches in it that is over slightly from where my SIL was sitting getting her once over. Jaclyn wanted to get a drink of water at the water fountain in the concession area so I let her go in. I could see her through the glass doors as the water fountain is just inside the doors. There are also two sets of doors on either end of the concession stand.

While she was getting her drink of water the paramedic and rink lady called me over to see if I could take her to the hospital because they felt she should really have a doctor check her out just to be safe before she got on a plane. You see she was heading to San Francisco today for a week.
This whole conversation took maybe 2 minutes tops. I look back and......

Jaclyn is gone.

I didn't immediately panic but I started looking for her. I think she couldn't have gotten far. Maybe she sat on one of the benches. Maybe she went back on the ice. Maybe.....

I can't find her. Now I am starting to panic and calling her name. I look in the concession stand area again.

Nothing.

I look on the ice again.

Nothing.

I look over by my SIL again.

Nothing.

Now my heart is racing. Oh my God. Where is she. I am still calling her name and I head for the doors to the outside alcove area that is before the doors that actually go outside.

And then I see her coming back in the doors to the rink area.

She is crying really hard. I scoop her up and hold her tight. She is crying and saying "I couldn't find you, mommy." and I am still just holding her tight telling her that I couldn't find her either. That I was looking all over for her. And all she can keep saying is that she couldn't find me.

Once we were both calmed down and in the car we had a little chat. She had seen my sister and her friend leave and thought I was with them. I reminded her that I would never leave her anywhere and that she is never ever ever ever ever ever to go outside if she can't find me. I reminded her to find someone who works there and tell them that she can't find her mommy. I asked her if she was scared. And she said she was. So I told her to always remember how that felt so that she can always remember to stay right by me.

I pray that this scared her enough to never leave my side in the store again.

As for my SIL, we followed her to the urgent care since she insisted to me that she was ok to drive. The doctor checked her out and said she should be fine and was fine to get on a plane. That the swelling went down a little while she was there with the ice on her head. And that it was a good thing she didn't hit head first.

So all is well again but I am still freaked out.

I don't know what I would do if something ever happened to my daughter. I just don't know....

Soccer Dad

There are people who would never win an award for their patience. On some days that is me but most days I can deal with whatever is going on. On most days that would be my dh. Add a competitive sport in the mix and you can forgetaboutit.

My daughter plays soccer. She played for the 6 week spring session and now she has played the 6 week fall session.

She has greatly improved in just those 2 sessions.

Last spring she had a female coach who didn't know anything about the game and didn't really teach the kids too well. I give her credit for stepping up to coach, though. She did it because the league was short coaches, therefore she stepped up to the plate or rather the line. I don't like to criticize her because of this. But even then my husband would get so upset with Jaclyn because she wouldn't fully pay attention to the game. A few times when she tried to get the ball she would get pushed down. Or hurt. And she would come to me crying. But she would still try. Give her a break away and she would score a goal just about every time. There was one game she scored 5 goals alone.

Crying is not an option.

Being 4 is not an option.

So now in this fall session she had a really good coach and was getting in there. Trying to get the ball more. She isn't scoring as much as she did in the spring because there are other kids who are older who are better at the game. The league is for under 6 (including 6). She is still 4. Some kids have been playing for 3 years. This is still really her first year.

Lack of experience is not an option.

But she can run fast. And again given the break away she will try to score. She probably only scored 5 goals this whole session. But she tried. She didn't cry once. But also didn't have a need to cry.

Other than the constant pressure when Dad was there. I feel bad for her. She needs to learn how to love a sport before she can excel in it. She loves to dance. She loves her ice skating. I think she could love soccer but I also think if the pressure continues she will learn to hate it.

I yell from the side lines also but mostly things trying to get her to run or go get it. My tone of voice is encouraging. Not like his voice. He doesn't understand. He would be mad if he knew I put this out there. But I need to get it out.

This fall there was a girl on her team that was given $1 for every goal she scores from her grandpa. Ok. Good incentive. And she fights for it. Even with her own team. So of course my husband thought what a great idea. Luckily, he asked me what I thought about it first. I told him I didn't like it so much. It doesn't promote team play in a team sport. It promotes personal gain above all else. I would much rather give her an incentive for playing her hardest. Trying her hardest no matter if she scores a goal or not. So that is what we did. She looked forward to the slushies she would get if she played hard. Of course my idea of her playing hard is different from my husband's but that is somewhat ok. We decided together whether or not she would get her slushy. Mostly she did. But on the days she didn't she knew she wasn't really paying attention to the game. Everyone has off days.

But her last game was soooooooo. I can't even think of an appropriate word. She was tired. She had school that morning and a long day. She tried. She played. But once again the other team didn't have enough players for them all to play and our kids were rotated. She never does good when that happens. She can't really get into the rhythm of the game. A few times she didn't pay attention to what was going on. But she tried. And my husband bitched. Kind of under his breath most of the time. I tried to tell him enough. He didn't listen. Even my mother in law had heard enough. His tone was so biting. He had had a terrible day at work so he just shouldn't have come. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to exhibit his patience with a bunch of kids playing soccer. It got to the point where I had to tell him nobody wants to hear it anymore. I can imagine what the other parents were thinking. And my poor daughter. She doesn't need to hear it.

She is four.

She is learning.

This is her chance to have fun playing a sport.

I hope and pray she doesn't ever truly feel the pressure.

She will never be forced to be involved in something she doesn't like as long as I have a say in it.

Does anyone else have problems with the male competitive nature?

Field Trip

Today Jaclyn got to go on her first school field trip. It was to an apple farm. I took the morning off of work to be one of the parent drivers. I plan to do this again for her next one also. I am not sure I am ready to let another parent that I don't know drive her anywhere. I am really trying to not be too overprotective but it is really hard. With all of the crimes against kids these days you just never know. Plus I don't know what kind of drivers they are.

Anyone else who would have been leery about letting your child go in someone else's car?

Anyway, I get off subject.

When you get there you take a tracker pulled wagon ride across the land. The first thing the kids got to do was go through a child size cornstalk maze. Jaclyn went running through it in no time.

They were also able to peddle little trackers around a track. All of the kids were having a really hard time being able to peddle well enough as they were really heavy and hard to move.

Then they moved on to either the sand box or the play houses made of wood. One was set up like a schoolhouse and the other like a regular house.

In another area was all sorts of hay to climb on and had slides built into the hay. The kids were running around and having a great time getting all full of hay. One girl looked like she was a scarecrow.

From there they got to go down slides made from trees and across a bridge to another slide. The kids weren't sliding too well until they figured out to lay down on their backs with their feet up. Then they really starting booking down the slides.

We went on a hike through the woods. Each kid had to pick up 2 leaves to give to the teacher. She is taking those back to class. They had a snack at a pavilion in the woods.

One of the teachers found a whoolybear caterpillar to show them. All of their little faces were bunched around the teacher to get a good look at it.

Once back around to the front they got back in line for the tracker ride. We all piled back onto the wagon and headed back towards the cars.

I drove Jaclyn plus one other little girl from her class. On the way to the farm she didn't say anything. Not even a peep (and not the marshmallow kind). But on the way back she wouldn't be quiet. It was rather amusing to me.

The only thing that was grossing me out was she kept sneezing and making a nasty sound when she coughed. Her nose kept running also. Jaclyn was sitting right next to her in the car so I am praying she doesn't get sick. At one point they went to share the rest of their snacks and I told them they couldn't. I couldn't help it. I swear I am getting to be such a germaphobe. Anyone else feel the same way? I wonder if it is just me.

School Violence

It seems more and more people or children are taking guns into the school and killing anyone and everyone they can. I can't comprehend this.

It scares me more and more. With every new shooting I worry more because not only are my nieces and nephews in school currently but my precious little girl has started going to school. Granted she is only in pre-school this year but that soon will change.

On some level I would love to know what that person is thinking. I would love to know what makes a person think it is a good idea to kill children in any format.

I realize I sound like an old fart when I say this statement, but, I don't ever remember fearing for my safety at school on this level. Our only fear is that a rivalry school would come to ours and start a fight. A good old fashioned fist fight. Not good. But not deadly.

What is alarming also is how the media won't let it go. For every news channel or radio station has to recount the headlines and some in depth. I don't let Jaclyn watch the news when I can help it. I don't want her to worry about these things yet. I don't want her innocence taken away. I listen to a family friendly morning radio show and the other day they recounted the news headlines.

I was driving Jaclyn to my sister in laws house so I could go to work. On this short drive she heard the headline, "Children shot at school....." Of course she repeated it in a concerned voice.
I was caught a little off guard and didn't know what to say. So I said something lame like, "That won't happen at your school. That happened far away from us."

That was only half true. It wasn't all that far away and it was in an amish community. I would never have guessed that would happen.

I feel for those parents. Their beliefs are to forgive and that when it is your time there is nothing you can do. The details of how you die are not what counts but when. I don't think I could be that strong if someone hurt my child.

Sometimes I really believe this world is going to hell. I really hope I am wrong.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

My babe says some crazy things sometimes. But this was so cute I just have to write it down so I never forget.

Last night she was supposed to have a soccer game. But due to the stormy weather during the day it was cancelled.

Since we now had some free time we decided to go out to eat.

My husband and I were sitting on the bottom of the steps putting on our shoes. When we were done we were just sitting there waiting for Jaclyn to get her jacket.

She walks up in front of us and says.......


"Ahhh. You two look so good together."


We just started cracking up. Sometimes the observations that kids make surprise me. She has never said anything like that before.

It was the cutest thing. How can I not love her more than anything!

Homework

My girl had her first homework assignment yesterday. She was supposed to go on a field trip to an apple farm but due to the rainy/stormy weather it was postponed.

One of the things they were going to do on this field trip was to gather 3 leaves. They need them for class today.

Soooo, since they were unable to go on their field trip they still needed to gather 3 leaves. Hence the homework assignment.

Before I even got home she gathered three of these from my sister in laws house. When we got home we picked up 3 others. There was an oak leaf that looked similar to this one which was brown. One from a burning bush that look like this one and was red, and another one from a bush that turned yellow. I couldn't find a picture of that since I have no idea what kind it is.

I am not sure if they had to be from trees or not. So she is covered either way. I wonder what they will do with their leaves. Hmmmmm

When I asked her if she liked getting homework. She said.....

"yes, but I thought I could keep it at home."

Let's hope she always likes to have homework. I have a feeling she will change her mind. Anyone care to take odds?!

Update

I went to the doctor on Friday. I was still feeling pain in my side and was nauseous.

I got there and the doctor pushed and it didn't really hurt. I tried to sit up and that hurt. He wanted me to provide a urine sample. But I crumbled under the pressure. I tried to drink a bunch of water and still nothing. I couldn't even squeak out a drop. I felt like I was in there forever. When I finally opened the door the assistant was waiting and I hung my head and said sorry. I just couldn't do it. I am usually good with that but it wasn't to be.

I went back into the exam room and waited again for the doctor. He came back in shaking his head at me. He has a great sense of humor. He said he felt that it was muscular and gave me a prescription to take. He said to call him the next morning or on Monday if it wasn't any better.

I feel this morning it is better. Not 100% better but still much better than it was last week. I really didn't think I pulled a muscle since I hadn't done anything to warrant it on Monday or Tuesday. Granted over the previous weekend we had been moving furniture but still nothing I felt hurt. So I don't know what happened. But hopefully it is just a pulled muscle and doesn't flair up again.