GIRLS NITE OUT!

It was Girl Scout Night at the Admirals Hockey Game. Eva wanted to take Ella, so we had a Girls Nite Out while the boys stayed home and watch the Packers (lose) in the Play-Offs. This picture was taken with my new Kindle. Not a bad picture, as long as it stays small! It was Ella's first Hockey Game and first time at the Bradly Center. She was so cute and I really enjoyed myself. We need to do this more often.

LOVE

I couldn't decide which picture to use today as I took a couple and they all seemed post worthy. But I decided on this one because it spoke to me of Love. As soon as Eva got home from school, she picked up Buttercup and kissed her and hugged her and told her how much she missed her.  Buttercup responded by putting a paw to her face, as in, "Talk to the paw, I'm busy." And that was it. Buttercup didn't bite Eva nor scratch her, even though she had had enough. And Buttercup raced upstairs at bedtime to be with Eva. And that's what I wanted to remember - that we should keep loving, no matter how annoyed we are!

PRACTICING...

... to be a teenager!

• Forgot to make bed, check!
• Messy room, check!
• Music posters on her wall, check!
• Doing homework in her room because of the "pests", check!
• Listening to her own music, check!
• Listening to music AND doing homework, check!
• Eating a snack because she was STARVING!!, check!
• While she's doing homework, check! 
• Oh, and the mood swings, check!

sigh, where did the time go? It seems like yesterday, she was toddling about the house. Now she's blossoming into a young woman. Ready or not, here it comes!

SADNESS

 Winter Break is over and my kids went back to school this morning. The triplets were so excited to see their friends, I only got one of them in the picture, barely! And now I sit in a quiet house with nothing but housework (yuck!) to keep me occupied. Gone are the days of cuddling on the couch, watching tv or reading books. No more playing in the backyard, on the swings or in the sandbox or chalk on the sidewalk. Or going to the library for Story Time, then McDonald's for a Happy Meal. Where did the time go? Some days, I so miss those days!

On the other hand, here is my oldest who didn't want to go to school today and was just sobbing in the car. This year has been a tough one for her as she hasn't clicked with the teacher for the first time in her school career.  This teacher has set the bar pretty high and for the first time, Eva's not making it. For the first time, Eva has to learn how to be an advocate for herself and not wait for Mom to step in.  That if she doesn't understand something, to ask for it to be re-explained. To ask questions, like "How would you like this?" "What do I need?" "When do I do this?" It's so much harder for her, since she has Asperger's and ADD, so while other kids will see and interpret what needs to be done, Eva has to be told, step by step, what needs to be done/what the expectation is. And she's had that in other teachers, but not this year. So I told Eva that instead of crying, she needs to step up and assert herself.  To believe that she is smart enough, capable enough, to get the job done. She just needs a few more directions to get there. And that's ok, there is nothing wrong with that.  But it still breaks my heart to see her not like school this year. Everybody said 4th grade was tough and they weren't kidding! I just wish I could wrap my arms around her and make it all go away.

Chorale Concert Today

Eva and Gerald had their concert today. Eva did GREAT with her solo! And the kids choir did an awesome job as did the adult choir. Here's a few pictures:

                                                                                                                                

Not My Day!!!!!!!!!

"This was NOT my day!!" sobbed my oldest daughter, Eva. I held her and rocked her and just listened to her sob. There was nothing I could say, she was right, sigh.
     "I waited FOREVER to dance and then I didn't do so well"
     "I waited soooo long, that I missed Melodie's birthday party" (lots of sobs)
     "It took us so long to get home, we missed your friends birthday party"
     " My hair didn't turn out tonight and we forgot my bow"
     " I messed up my song that I knew by heart"
     " And after all that, I didn't even win the talent show!!!" (more sobbing)
"I was looking forward to this day and it was HORRIBLE!!!"
"Well honey, maybe tomorrow will be a better day. Today is done, it's over. Tomorrow is a new day, a new page. Here's hoping it's a good one. Remember honey, I love you. You are my sunshine. My world is better because you're in it. XOXOXOXO"
      My poor Eva, it's sooo hard to wear your heart on your sleeve. She's joyful, bubbly, exuberant, energetic, perpetual. But she can crash, and crash HARD! And that's when I hold her, and tell her I love her, and that some times, your best isn't enough, but that doesn't make you a failure, that you're never a failure if you try your best. Fingers crossed that tomorrow really is a better day for her!

  Here she is, all dressed up!

Eva Rocks!

{fb} Ok, I have to sing the praises of my daughter Eva - she ROCKS!! She's in a reading fluency program for the summer. They tested her to see what level she's at (so we can find the appropriate books) and she's at a 3rd grade level!!! Whoo hooo!! Not bad for a soon to be 1st grader!! I'm so proud of her! (now we just need to work on math, lol)

You, Gerald Grogan, Laura Steidtman, Mandy Morano Pianga and 4 others like this.

Karen Doyle Boemler at 5:28pm July 7 excellent!

Christina Ballotti O'Connor at 5:29pm July 7 That's excellent June!! Way to go Eva!!!!!!!!

Evelia Yacuta Ragsdale at 5:55pm July 7
Whats with all the Einstein girls in our group??? LOL!!! VERY proud of you Eva. You just made lots of us feel real happy and proud!

Michelle Lewis at 6:17pm July 7 Wow, this is excellent!!

Sheila Kathleen Delgadillo at 7:31pm July 7 That's awesome!!!

Laurene Minium McLaren at 9:18pm July 7
Smart! So fun! People are either Math/Science or English/History in strength but sounds like she is a pro and is going to do great! Good job mom!

Darrilyn Mathson at 10:04am July 8 (her kindergarten teacher!)
Keep on reading Eva! You've made great strides in kindergarten and will be successful in 1st grade. :)

Christina Corbin Bradley at 9:53pm July 8
Way to go Eva, keep up the reading you can now read better than some of my high schoolers :))

Laura Steidtman at 1:37pm July 9
Crack me up Christy! Sad but true though!

I hate being a mom sometimes...

Today started out great (click here for previous post), and then hubby called to tell me that Eva said her tummy hurt and didn't eat her waffle, but brought it to school with her. I said, "Well, she woke me up at 5 am and said she was hungry, so I gave her some grahm crackers and refilled her cup with water" He said, "Well, she didn't eat the crackers and her cup was full." So I figured she was just hungry. So I pick her up from school and the teacher says that she wasn't her usual peppy self and complained of being cold all day. Ding, ding! She must have caught a cold. So we go home and I give her some tylenol and I ask her if she wants to go to ballet and swimming today, that we could stay home if she wasn't up to it. She said she wanted to go and then, SURPRISE! hubby came home really early (3:30) so that I didn't have to bring the trips with. So I'm really exicited, thinking that since there was a half hour between ballet and swimming, we'd go to the kitty shelter and play with the kitties there. After ballet, Eva comes out crying and says, "Mom, I just want to go home and go to bed." Now I KNOW she's sick!! So on the way home, I'm a little bummed out because we didn't get to have a special day, but also because she's not feeling well. Then Eva says to me, "Mom, remember the last time I was sick and you told me that if I couldn't make it to the potty, to throw up in the wastebasket?" "Yes" - Oh My God! Please do not tell me you have to throw up, right here, right now!! "Well, I did that at school today." Huh? No one told me about that!! "Honey, did the teacher or a parent help you?" "No mom, everyone was outside playing and I came in to go potty, but couldn't make it." Oh great! I can't WAIT for school tomorrow! lol
So, why do I hate being a mom? Because Eva is sick and there's NOTHING that I can do to make it go away. I hurt knowing that she doesn't feel well and that no matter what I do, it will bring a smile to her, but she will still feel crummy. How helpless I feel. I wish I could just place my hand on her and say, "Be well" and she would be. (sigh)

At least she's pretty....

Eva bowls on Friday afternoons in the Bumper League and my cousin's two kids, Abby (8) and Cassy (5) join us along with Aunt Linda. So they put on their shoes and start to bowl. So while Abby is bowling, Eva and Cassy are goofing around and then Eva squeals and says "Oh my gosh! We have the same shoes!!"
Ok, at least she's cute!

Ooops!

I went to pick up Eva from preschool and her teacher wants to talk to me. Uh oh, you think, NOW what? The teacher says Eva's been smelling kid's butt to see who has poopy pants. She told her this wasn't something we do to. I started laughing and told her "Sorry" and then had to explain that her dad doesn't always know when the babies need a diaper change, so he'll sniff their butts to make sure! So I had a talk with Eva on the way home that we only sniff OUR babies butts and noone else's! lol, oh, what next?

Trinity starts

Eva started her Irish Step Dancing Class today.
(To see their website, go to http://www.trinity-dancers.com/)
Just like ballet class, parents don't get to watch the class. They have 2 times a year that we can watch and I can't wait! They are also teaching them how to count in Gaelic as well as the folklore of Ireland. I thought this would be good since our last name is Irish, but Gerald really never knew his dad and therefore, none of the irish traditions.

Carpenter in training

Lowes had a workshop for kids where you made a squirrel feeder. Here she is, putting it together.
TADA!! Here it is, all finished. Grandpa would be proud of her.

Eva starts Bumper bowling league

Eva started her bowling league today. On the way there, Elmo was standing on the corner, so I had to turn around, park, and let Eva give Elmo a hug. Aaaah, to be 4 again!!
At bowling and they have a coach there to help the newbies.

I miss my little girl...

I took the triplets to Storytime for Toddlers today and it was the same librarian that was there when I took Eva to storytime and I started to think about Eva when she was 18 mos and all the things we used to do and I started to cry. I was trying to be discreet (as much as I can be with a triplet stroller and 2 babies on my lap) when this lady that I didn't even know came up to me and said, "You look like you could use a hug" and hugged me! I lost it and told her "Thanks, I was just thinking about my oldest, whose in school all day now". My, how time flies. Wasn't it just yesterday that she was only toddling?

Eva's first day of preschool

Today was Eva's first day of preschool. This year, she will be going Monday thru Friday, 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. How time flies, didn't we just bring her home? Now she's 4 and going to school all day. And next year, she'll be in Kindergarten. Oh, my baby is growing up too fast. She still likes to cuddle on my lap, but she takes up my whole lap! lol