Parent Teacher Conference

We had parent teacher’s conferences Thursday night. I left that school just about the Happiest Mommy on earth.
The School sends you appointment times so there is no more waiting in line like they used to do. Ex came and our first stop was Ali's classroom. Right away I noticed a certificate sitting on the table with Ali’s name on it. Her Teacher jumped right in to explain that it had been awarded to Ali because at the beginning of the year when they took the state "Iowa Tests", Ali placed in the top 90th percentile in the entire state! The certificate is from the Utah board of Education!
WE were all very proud. We talked more and her teacher stressed again about Ali’s writing skills. She said that Ali is an amazing Author and is very creative. She actually said very seriously “I really hope she does something big with it”. “She can really go some where with her writing!”
Another awesome step for Ali is that she is FINALLY above her grade level in reading. Since Kindergarten she has been below average in reading, and she has gone to special reading groups since the first grade. This year she was on the verge and her teacher had decided to put her in the group. Ali has had a hard time this year feeling like she didn’t need it, and that she was a bit embarrassed, and to be honest with the amount of time she spends reading I myself was surprised she was still in the group. So we discuss talking with her reading teacher about taking her out of the group. That made Ali VERY happy. Through further discussion I did find out that there has been some drama going on with her and her friend Izzy. Apparently it’s an every day occurrence, which they’re either fighting, or talking too much. I’ve wondered about this friend of hers this year as I have heard Ali mention a few things that I didn’t necessarily like hearing (for instance, that this friend was “rubbing” her ‘boyfriends’ back! Okay First a BOYFRIEND??? Second... RUBBING HIS BACK????? Oh, I don’t think so!!!!) She’s been a friend of Ali’s since Kindergarten and I know her parents well in the ward, so it quite surprised me to hear. Besides having many discussions with Ali about age appropriateness, “being eight” and NOT doing things just because her friends are, I have kept a careful ear out for any other red flags. .
Her teacher said that Ali is pretty good about not letting the drama effect her work, but that they needed to work on a way to “leave recess at recess” because “Izzy is “less mature” than Ali and it really has an impact on her (Izzy) (including Izzie sobbing with her head down at her desk)!. Well, okay….. That’s yet another issue I’d like advice on!!!
Her teacher did say something that made me feel really good. She said “Ali is such a great, happy girl. You can tell that she has a wonderful home life and that things you are doing are really working well for her because she always has a positive attitude, and is very confident” I swear I felt warm and fuzzy!
I don’t know if she remembers that we’re a “broken home” but all these years I’ve spent worrying and hearing Ex echoing in my ears telling me that I’ve “ruined the kids lives by leaving him” among other things. I hear this gigantic statement and it finally felt like someone was telling me I’m doing fine.
Okay, Moving on………. So because her school work and grades are so beautiful, her Goal for this last trimester is to cut down the drama with her friend, and to maybe broaden her friendships.
I’m so incredibly proud of her.

On we went to Kindergarten.
Megan was very quiet as we sat down and following her teachers instructions without a single hesitation she brought over her workbook to show us her progress. She’s improved on her own reading skills tremendously since our last meeting. I mentioned to her teacher that it felt like things had clicked about a month ago, and I was seeing some very strong reading skills coming out. She’s doing great and is right on track. We got to look at some of her artwork, and some other stories she’d written about her pictures... This girl of ours is such a riot. She wrote a story about the sea complete with “plankton”! Meg was quiet throughout the meeting snuggling into my side, and listening to our discussion. I’m glad to know that she’s not behind in her reading skills like Ali was, and that she is still a good little girl in class. Megan LOVES School. She loves being with her friends, and she loves doing her work. I’m so glad.

We made a brief stop at the book fair before we left, and Megan picked out a book to bring home. Ali was jipped by the horrendous selection left which only included books beyond her age level, or WAYYYYYY below it.
I am glad I asked her Teacher for a list of age appropriate chapter books. This “tween” age is NOT easy!


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Ali continued with her speech therapy. More eating, swallowing, and keeping her “tongue on the spot” a.k.a. on the roof of her mouth..

When we got home, My mom who had been watching Mattie, had made us a wonderful dinner and had even set the table with my fancy dishes... It was so nice..


Good things…….

saturday night in kaysville

Alex with Sammy
Originally uploaded by me and mine

Last night we went to Kaysville to hang out with Megan and her three. My Megan was in heaven playing with Mia because Mia is a total Girlie girl, and together they successfully went through every dress up in the house. They played happily and without even one squablet for 3 hours! Megan’s been working on "taking turns" when it comes to deciding what to play with her friends (something we've been working on when the Cason's are at our house) and I think she did a pretty spectacular job because I happened to over hear Mia asking to play wedding after they played Princess, and Megan said "okay, then it will be my turn to decide again" I had to stifle a laugh when Mia came down the stairs in her 'wedding attire' it was complete with veil, and very adorable! I loved watching their girly play. It really looked like fun. It was fun seeing Mattie and Sam playing together, although they really didn’t play together, just kind of side by side, in the same room. It was still fun to see them interact occasionally and to see how "solid" Mattie is (aka chubba wubba bubba) compared to Sammy who is still a skinny little guy. I told him he's got three months to put on a few inches to catch up with Matt. Mattie being the little co-dependant thing that he is played fine as long as I was no more than two feet from him. Megan had to leave to work and I offered to hang out with her crew until her husband got home about 45 minutes later. Both Mattie and Sam were exhausted and cranky so I was trying to manage them both when Ali offered to step in. Since Mattie was not going to have anyone but his mamma holding him, I quickly demonstrated to Ali how to rock Sam while patting his bum, and shushing quietly to calm him down. My skinny little 8 year old picked him up, laid him in her arms and proceeded to rock, pat, and shush that 24 pound little guy to a happy little slumber. I was so impressed and told her so over and over again. She said something then that made me so proud to be her mother, she said "well, I learned from a very special person" I said "oh yeah?" and she replied " you Mom!" It felt fantastic. She was so proud of herself too, she kept saying " I just feel so grown up mom" and "I can't believe I can do this!” She sat on the couch with him asleep in her arms for a good twenty minutes. I propped up her skinny little arms and neck so they wouldn’t give out on her, but she wasn’t about to move that baby.. She’d worked too hard to risk waking him up! When Ryan came in, you could see how proud she was sitting there on the couch holding his little boy and I made a point to let him know how much she'd helped me out with him..

It was a great night. We got home in time to watch Goosebumps, which has become a tradition for the girls every Saturday night. It started at their Dad's house, and I'm not sure I will continue it, because (and Ali won't admit this) they were both freaked out, and spent the night in our bedroom!

Missed again

The girls are with Ex this weekend.
I knew that he was planning on taking them skiing this weekend, and This was to be Megan's first time. As I waved goodbye to them Friday evening, I begged Ex to take pictures and send them to me when they got back. I had hoped that it would make me feel a little better about missing another first in her life. When they called today, he apologized and said that he had forgotten his camera. I was so disappointed.
. I still haven't seen Ali ski, and this is her third year going. I feel guilty about it, especially when she jumped on the phone today and proudly announced that she's 'earned' her poles. She was so excited and proud of herself and so was I.
I would Love to see them up there on the slopes.
I would love to see their personalities shining through as they learn.. It's something that I envy about Ex..
he has the money, and the time to do those kinds of things. .
For us, it would be an expense we couldn't justify.
To take a day off work
,rent all the equipment (including our own because we both only own snowboards),
Then find and pay a babysitter for the baby boy. .
Its just something that we can't do. Someday hopefully, but right now. No.
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... I shouldn't be so dramatic about it.. I'm glad that they get to go and do fun things every other weekend.
They're lucky they have that to share with him.
He's 'Disneyland Dad', and although I resent it sometimes,(especially when I think about the kind of 'Dad' he was when we were married!) at least he's a part of their lives and enjoys doing things with them.
someday the kids will Remember the 'other' things that We have done for them right?
the nightly snuggles....
the reading, the homework...
the Birthday parties...
Halloween costumes......
the fancy bedrooms...............................
It WILL matter to them someday right?
I hope so..


Ali three years ago on a ski day with Ex.. This is one of the only pictures I've seen of her skiing....

Happy New year!

I’ve totally dropped the ball on this whole blogging thing. I blame Craig Entirely for hording my computer and causing me to forget that I actually have a blog!
It has been pretty chaotic around our house the last few days.
Monday Morning we dragged the poor kids out of bed to take Craig to the Airport at 6:30 am. The kids were sad to see him go, but felt better knowing that he’d be back in less than a week.

When we got home

First we shoveled the grass....That's very important you know..then we ate snow........But not the yellow kind

Ewwwwwwww

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Ang came over with her girls and their New edition.
Meet Ruthie..

The cutest little puppy I’ve seen since Weston!
Mattie was in love with her (as were all the children)

He’d pet her repeating “nishe” over, and over again.

She still has baby sharp puppy teeth, and Mattie got a little overwhelmed when she tried to use his chubby little limbs as a teether.

But just look how cute his chub is! I want to nibble it too!

They stayed for most of the day which is usually how it goes.
Over 8 hours of kids running around screaming, playing, giggling and demanding food, watching movies like this one (without the Children of course), and at least half a dozen games of Zilch for Ang and I. It was Fabulous!
Taylor was going to take the girls with him to his Aunts house for their Annual New Years eve party, but got home too late after taking Trax home.

I’ve never been one to celebrate New Years, so I was happily asleep by 10:30. Ahhhh sleep!

Yesterday Taylor got called off from work so we spent the day running around with the kids. First, a little 75% off ‘After Christmas’ shopping at Target.

Its very unusual for Taylor and I to have a day off together. It only happens once or twice a month on a good month.. So it was really nice to run around with an extra set of hands.

(well until I had to DRAG him kicking and screaming out of the toy isle........ Yes, I'm serious)

Ali wanted to go Ice-skating so I dropped Taylor and the girls off at the Rec center while Mattie and I went grocery shopping. I came back an hour later to find them sitting in the doorway of the rec center eating a pile of treats from the vending machine. They had gone in and rented their skates only to find that Megan had not worn socks under her snow boots. Ali was thoughtful enough not to leave Meg on the sidelines and opted to go another time. (Occasionally they look after one another… In between the hours, days, and months of constant bickering), I felt bad that they didn’t get to go, but grateful that they seemed to have a good time munching on their junk food and bonding with Taylor for awhile.

In other news............
Mattie has taken over my MP3 Shuffle.

Every time I try to put it on, he comes running. He actually listens to it too. I stick the earplugs in his tiny little ears, and clip it to his jammies and off he runs. When an earplug falls out he hands it to me and leans his empty ear towards me. He's done this 3 times in the last two days! I think he’s going to be a rock star like his big sister.
(PS, don't mind the messy jammies.. I really do bathe him)

Today, I’m at work. The start of my Five in a row 12 hour shifts. Ugh… Craig will be here again this weekend, so I’ll try and blog a few more times while I’m here at work (shhh, don’t tell) because I am sure he’ll be hording my laptop.

Enchanted Girls Night out.

The girls and I went out tonight.

Just the three of us.

A Girls night out.

We had a wonderful time at the movies.

We absolutely loved it!!! It was so funny I was laughing through the majority of it.

Afterwards we went to Cold stone for some yummy ice cream.

It was SO nice to spend time with them doing something fun and relaxing.

I'm planning more of these in the future.