Three Good Things

Welp, I am so lucky that I think I actually have another lucky charm. You may remember from a post lonnnnnng ago that I have this one friend with whom I only need to discuss something and then "poof" the problem is soon solved. She knows who she is. I even call her "lucky charm" when I am in the mood to. So anyway, yesterday I am talking to a great friend, a different one from L.C. It seems by flat out b**ching to her for about an hour about the choice to move here - a reverse jinx occurred. Yes. Do you believe this? Another lucky charm! I have such awesome friends (all of you, every single one). Yep I do.

So, okay, I am making this short story long here. So, yesterday I am all feeling sorry for myself. I go to pick up La Princessa from school (about 2 hours after my call) and she says, "Mom! A great thing happened today! I got picked!" Well, she had in her hand a certificate that said:

Make a Kid's Day

Abigail ... what fantastic thing did she do?

Abbie is an awesome student. She asks great questions and is a hard worker. She is a joy to have on our team!

Thanks!

Team 6 - 3 Teachers

Then she got her picture taken and posted on the sixth grade Dean's wall, AND got a free cookie (really large, fresh baked!) from the school caf! She was so proud to be picked, and so early in the year! Darn near made me cry (I teared up - a lot!) I was so happy for her to feel so good in school. And I must say I was majorly impressed with her teachers for nominating her and making her feel special. Did I also tell you that her guidance counselor called me, twice, just to say "hi" ask me how I felt she was doing, and give me his take on her adjustment. Then he had her team leader call me too just to check in. They all said she was doing great! Not just good, great! Her team leader said that you'd never even know she was a "new" student because she fits in that well.

You see - the reverse jinx had started.... was making me have difficulty maintaining my formerly sour on the state mood.

Then, today comes (as does happen) and I wake up and NO HUMIDITY! Holey tamoley I think this is the first day that there has been, gasp, a lovely breeze! And it was under 80!!! Whoo hoo.

So..... I go to Ethan's gymnastics and a mom there is talking about how she just moved here in May from Boston! Oh it was nice to talk to another East Coaster. Felt nice. AND I met a mom in the neighborhood (thanks to kids now riding bus in the morning) and she seems very nice. Going to school for nursing and with kids just slightly younger then my two boys. Her name's Jen too - so I at least have a shot at remembering it.

Finally Abbie fairly leaps into the car today at pickup time. She says "Mom, mom three good things today!" Wow! She said, "first my pictures came back(the pic at the beginning of this post) and they even look okay except for my hair looks fuzzy (humidity again I tell ya!)... then I got a 100 on my math test! ... then I have so many more friends now and I met a really nice girl who lives by us and takes our bus!" Oh my! I think I was smiling so big too! So nice to see my sweet girl's eyes filled with joy instead of anxiety. So nice.

So Miss Heather - I guess you get to be called "Lucky Charm" too!

Can Someone Please Help My Fuzzy Hair!!!!

Hello out there! Hope everyone is having a nice week. Oh, and I've had some questions about the last post.... yes, it did strike me as funny. Not when it was happening, but afterwards. That's why I wrote about it. :) Oh, and he has been an angel ever since too! Sometimes we all have to test our limits. Personally I would just rather that be done at home vs. the doctor's office - but I guess I don't get to choose that.

So - CAN SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE ME A REMEDY FOR MY TERMINALLY FUZZY HAIR??? Oh vey, and egad it is terrible. You see in the pic below (which also highlights my lovely swollen face - this is just after my tooth surgery - I mean my face is pudgy, but not that bad!) that my hair is now cut short (for me) and I am attempting to avoid the ponytail. WELL, I should have thought about the fact that I am living in humidityland and my hair is a fuzzy mess! I have tried numerous gels and even mouse to no effect. Any suggestions? (I sure hope one of you has one or you will soon see me with REALLY short hair)

Okay, on to some picture updates and then I have to go to Lowes (again) about some lights for the house. First here is the bad hair picture.
Abbie is having a lot of fun with soccer this season. She very much misses her CT team, but also fits in well with this one. As always we enjoy watching her games, and Max's too! We are just a soccer family.
Here is the house. This isn't even the most recent pic I have. The driveway is now poured mostly. I'll have to get another one on here soon. It looks like we may close early, as in mid-october! Keep your fingers crossed for us okay?
Finally here is the Ethan first day of school pic that I am late putting up. This is at the end of his day. As you can see he is loving it! His teacher is a real sweetie which helps!
Well, off to start the day. Please send me your hair remedies... hope you have a great week!

What Was I Thinking?!

Hi All!
Okay, I have recovered from my tooth surgery, it was not fun - but it's done.
Thank you for your well wishes! :)
Celebrated the big thirty something.
NO I AM NOT FORTY!
Not funny.
No.
No.
No.
(i can hear you chuckling, just stop)

That said, I am going to ask you a favor.
Could you please send me, either via blog or private email, your birthday and the birthdays of your family members? The reason I am asking is as all of you know I am without most of my "stuff" since I am not in the new house yet. Well, among that stuff is my birthday book. I really miss it! I would love it if you could send the information to me. Don't assume I remember someones, assume I have no brain and forgot. Yep. Sad but true.

Oh, you are wondering about my title are you?
Well, if you are drinking prune juice right now I suggest you swallow it before you read on, I don't want to be blamed for prune snorting.
All set?
Okay, it's like this.
The other day a dear friend mentioned in some other context that all of her children make fuss when they need shots at the doctor and it embarrassed her. Okay, I gave sympathy. That's not the problem. The problem was that I thought, and just for a fleeting second, "oh, I am lucky the kids are all pretty good at the doctor". Then I IMMEDIATELY knocked on wood, threw salt over my shoulder, kissed a four leaf clover and rubbed a live rabbits foot {"slight" exaggeration for effect, but you get my point}. I just KNEW even thinking it I would jinx myself.
Sure enough.
A few weeks go by.
I forget my little potential jinxing.
Ethan gets sick (me too by the way).
I drag his butt to the doctor.
New doctor.
As in, never met the woman.
Unfortunately the only time they had was 4:10.
Now, you moms out there know that right after school and before dinner is the "witching hour". I was pushing my luck anyway. I knew it, but no choice.
So, me and the gruesome threesome enter the office.
Remember, never met this doc.
Want to make a good impression......
First, Ethan gets on scale to get weighed, Max keeps putting his foot on it.
Nurse looking a bit "pained" but attempting to grin.
Get into a room.
Two chairs.
Four people.
uh oh.
Run for the chairs.
I win (just kidding, but I did get a chair since I had forms to fill out)
Max is without chair, so hops onto the WINDOW LEDGE.
nurse walks in at that moment.
Informs me that sitting on the ledge is "not safe" and perhaps he could get down.
Ya think?
Like I put him there?
I get him down, turn towards Ethan on the table, he hops back up!
Nurse looks at me like I need SuperNanny and fast.
Get him down AGAIN whilst gritting my teeth and making my most meanest mommy/teacher eyes "your gonna get it" combo {are you visualizing this?}.
This does not impress him.
Nurse leaves unimpressed with my parenting. Doctor comes in. Max goes UNDER the FREAKING examining table! WHAT?! Has this ever been okay???? Have I been unsuccessful in imprinting my behavioral expectations on his boy brain? Clearly we know the answer to that one.
So, he is noisy and rolling around under there and the doctor is attempting to talk over him (which I hate) and says she doesn't mind that he "plays" under there. Lovely.
Hmmmm... yes - so he now thinks all is hunkey dorey and we aren't paying attention to his antics so he GRABS ETHAN'S FEET! Can you believe it?! Where does he get these things? I have to grab Ethan to keep him on the table. I lean over, whisper {teeth gritting again} "you are going to bed the minute you get home if you choose to keep this up". Little did he know either way that was his ultimate location. He improved a bit. Doctor left, more chaos ensued. He is punished and wrote apology letters to all he impacted (including me).
Can you believe it?
All true!
See what happens when you think, even for a moment, you are all set in one area. I'd rather have those who fuss with shots! Egad, what a day!

You May Not Hear From Me for Awhile...

because today I am having some endodontic (oral surgery) work done. OUCH! I will need stitches and everything. I am told this is going to be a lost weekend with lots of swelling and then after three days the swelling will go down???? Oh lucky me I can hardly wait.

Many of you have requested back to school pics. I'll show you the best of them, but this was the most depressing back to school ever. When I see my kids pics to me they look nervous and scared instead of the happy anticipation we usually have. Did they have good first days? Well, Ethan did pretty well. First day of preschool! The other two... hmmm... it is very scary going into huge schools and knowing nobody. TONS of mother guilt going on here. TONS. Each day is getting a little better, and hopefully it will continue to do so. Still, not a day goes by that i don't wish I was someplace else still. Do you think that will ever change? Or not until we move back?

Okay, pics are here. First is Abbie getting ready... second is Max at the door of his classroom.

When I went to add the pictures of Ethan I see that they are not on the computer yet, so they will be in the next post. I am off to do the drives to school. There is a woman that lives in CT that drives all her children (3) to school at differing times every day. For years. Egad! This is getting old to me already and it is day 4! In the morning I leave at 7:20 with Abbie, get back at 8:00, leave at 8:20 with Max and get home at 9. Feels like I am driving all morning even if there is a break in there! I am SO tired. {okay, also that is from not sleeping due to terror over tooth surgery}.

Hope your first days went well.

Wish me luck!

AND THE WINNERS ARE....

Hello Everyone!

Yipe, sorry so late with this contest result!!! However, if you look at the post prior to this you will see that I "really" put September 4th as the drawing date. (ah, the power of the internet) {just kidding!!!} :)

So, instead of sitting home and finishing my blog contest here is what we were doing....

We took an unexpected, but very needed, mini-vacation to Lake Leelenau. We recreated. We stayed all the way until yesterday! Getting the kids up this morning wasn't that easy... although we were careful to keep them on a schedule (relative) when we were away. More about that later... on to the goods!

First I wrote everyones names on slips of paper. If you commented twice BY the ending date (Monday the 27th) then your name would appear twice. I also included Abbie's name to humor her. ;)

Then I had this cutie patootie helper pick names for me after I folded them in case he learned to read when I wasn't looking (no cheating for me!). I had him pick THREE names since I was late with the results. I thought that made up for my tardiness I must say.

And the winners are..... (sorry for the blurred pic, but you see the names)...

Your gifts are on the way!!!

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you to all who participated!!! Since this was way fun I will have another contest real soon. Take care! Oh, and those of you with school age kiddies, how'd the first day go??