And so it goes...

The question of the day: How did people live years ago in such small houses with many more children and not kill each other??? Today the Momma needs her space!! Remember how I blogged about the benefits of no cable? It's still generally true, but there are times when I kind of wish everyone would scurry to their own room to watch tv! We have a relatively small house, although I know years ago it would have been considered huge- and sometimes there is just too much commotion in a small place. I took the newspaper and headed to my room tonight! ( Hmm, maybe in the "good old days" people were just too tired)

Jayna just turned 9 and had a fun birthday party at Bounce magic. I don't know if I can pick out a favorite present- she received lots of great items, and I'm glad she has good friends. Richard and I recently went to her parent- teacher conferences and we talked about sometimes more important than academics is the ability to have friends.

Whitney has finished field hockey and is now on to basketball. Her Christmas advice to me " don't buy me and clothes or purses"

Andrew just went to visit the Harkness program for audio and video production, and seemed quite interested in it. If he chooses to do that he would attend Harkness next year in the morning, then go to his home school for academic classes. Still things to figure out, but maybe it is something he'll do?

Work- at times I think 2 jobs is too many.( I only work part-time) Although I like things about both of them. My plan for now is to finish out the school year with both jobs and then reevaluate. Today was a good day at my official OT job- I love it when you can come up with something that seems to work! And I've had some positive success with some of my "more difficult" students. There are times when you can feel nothing but love and compassion for these kids.

Getting ready for Christmas! I have assigned Whitney to make some of the holiday goodies! We have a real tree that smells great!

And so it goes...

Oh the benefits of no cable!

Well, it wasn't the initial plan, but has ended up to be the much better one. At least if you ask the Mama of the house. It started with the desire to save some $. We decided to switch from Fios, back to Time Warner- bad mistake, but in the end it worked out. After having Time Warner back multiple times to make our internet and Tv work, even one of the customer reps.there suggested it might be best if we switched back to Fios. However we took it a step further and decided to just get internet and drop cable. The plan was to get an antennae for the basic stations, and then watch other things online. However, hubby forgot- and it was certainly nothing that would have entered my mind, the kids tv's would be too old for reception unless they had a digital converter box ( which cost about 50 each and defeats the initial save money idea, although eventually it would) So for now, what do we have?? One Tv in the Living room with the basic stations on it. And why does that make me happy????

1. I came home the other night to see my teenage daughter watching the news.
2. We watch TV more as a family now.
3. Nobody can hide in their room and turn on something I may consider inappropriate.
4. No more wasting electricity by people falling asleep with their TV on.
5. Less sleep deprivation- no one has to stay up to see the next episode of Hank Hill or....

Anyhow, I think it's great, although I understand others may not share my same opinion!! :)

REading Now: nothing, the "Book Thief" is still lost!- Oh but we do get the daily paper now and that's been good reading too- and funny to discuss news stories with the FAM!

And so it goes....

Random Thoughts- Oct. 6, 2010

So, I felt a little proud of myself for making an apple carmel pie the other day. Sounds yummy, huh? Actually it was, and it helped make up for the fact that family home evening did not go the way I had envisioned, oh well. Apple carmel pie and hot spiced cider makes everything better. Speaking of recipes, that was a new one, and I'll admit it, I used a store bought pie crust, but the truth is, without it, the pie would probably have remained just a nice thought. Sometimes I wish I was more of a kitchen person than I am- but I'm not, and that's okay- nobody has starved yet. The next new recipe to try?? Stuffed pepper soup- I had a sample of this one morning at the Farmers Market and thought it was delicious- and better yet, Richard liked it too. So, I have a new recipe to try- who knows if it will taste like our sample, but I hope so!

Kids and Sports! I have debated in my head and to those who would listen- my dilemma about attending every sporting event. Yes, I think it's important to support your kids in their activities, however, I have also come to my own conclussion that if attending a game an hour away is going to make you a grouchy mom, that sometimes its okay to say "not this one". I think my kids would appreciate it more to have a happy relaxed Mom than a crazy strressed out one. Plus there are certainly times having 3 kids that more than one kid needs a parent at the same time- thankfully there are two of us! Naturally however, this year and last I believe Whitney has chosen to score her first time of the season when we were not there! Hmm, maybe she does better without us anyway!

Politics- I'm not against old people,education, young people or the arts- however, I am against uncontrolled spending that is burying as a nation. Along with the sense of entitlement that it seems to breed. In high school I did a paper on Confucius and he had a quote that has stuck with me ( or the idea of it anyhow, it was quite long)- it had to do with for someone to govern a country that first they had to be able to govern themselves, and then their family and on up the line. Looking at political candidates- I feel that many are stuck on step one- the governing of themselves. Geesh! Is all I have to say.

Cookie dough, girl scout cookies, wrapping paper, magazines- all things that you could probably buy from one of my kids right now! Yep, it's fundraising season. As a parent I'm not a fan of, but is it a necessary evil? Two of my kids are trying to earn money for school trips- totalling close to $1000 this year. Honestly, I don't have that in my budget right now. But would people rather donate $10 to a trip or spend $15 on cookie dough where the child gets a$5 credit. And it does seem wrong to ask random people for $10 for a trip, but not so bad to say hey would you like to buy some chocolate- but they are usually just buying it to be nice anyhow- hmm... the dilemma. In some ways I think it is good for social skills, but I hate the "prize incentives", where a little girl begins to think they could sell 400 boxes of cookies without a problem, and if we didn't have these prizes would cookies be less expensive, would people buy more????

Time to finish up- about time to head to work

Trying to read: The Book Thief - however I believe it is hiding somewhere in my house?

And so it goes...

Sept. 18,2010

So I'm sitting here avoiding tasks I should be doing- but updating a blog is a worthwhile task- right?

Family Fun this morning- went to the farmers market then walked around a local park with waterfalls.- Nice and relaxing -the weather was perfect. We bought some maple cheese- it's delish!

So about my new jobs- I'm working generally 1 day a week as a program assistant at an adult day program, and 3 days a week as a COTA at a school for children with social, behavioral or emotional issues. I thought it would be a nice mix and generally it has been. The program assistant job is nice because I don't have to plan or really think too much ahead of time- just show up and help the clients with whatever (activities, eating, bathroom), I just think it's an important job and I value the service they provide- both to the clients and their caregivers. The COTA job I guess is what I consider my "real" job though. It's intense but I have to say I think I'm liking it. I think I'll like it even more once I get all the paperwork/administrative part down. Although I'm learning the kids pretty well so far, I think it will take time to get a smooth flow to everything. I'm working with students between the ages of about 5-16, so it really it a broad range. Each student has individual goals they're working on- from cutting, handwriting, coping skills, organization, daily living skills, visual perception... So I meet with each child generally twice a week and do sessions geared towards their goals. Because of the nature of the kids attending there- there are occassional issues- but some of these kids have had a really rough life and I think in some cases they have just made the best adjustment they knew how.

Jayna is loving 3rd grade and thinks she has the best teacher ever (JOY!) Whitney is enjoying playing field hockey and Andrew unfortunately is hating school- ugh- I don't know how to get past that. Part of it is that people bug him- he doesn't want to hear where kids bought their school clothes, who visited their grandma... or whatever.

Just Read- Mockingjay- good but I think I really liked the 2nd book in the series the best.

And so it goes...

And so it goes---FAST!

Oh my goodness- I can't explain how fast time seems to be flying. Just last night I was talking to Richard about how big Jayna is- I just want time to slow down. She is attending day camp for a couple of weeks this summer. She was so excited, but on the way there the first day she got very nervous and scared. Two days later she's asking me not to come in with her- could I just pull up and drop her off at the door :( !!! We did that today, although yesterday I still got out and walked her into the building- but not to the gym where they meet. And she's like ok mom, tomorrow you'll just drop me off?? She's 8 years old- that's a good ways past diapers, potty training and even Dora the Explorer. (Although I must say, I've seen enough of Wizards of Waverly Place and Suite Life of Zack and Cody and ICArly to last me- somedays I'd much prefer to watch Curious George and Dora- but life moves on)

Jayna's 8, Whitney is 13 and Andrew 15- sometimes there seems like there is only so much time to get in special family activities before the olders one won't want to be involved (which already happens at times) So that being said is was a great time this summer to hit The Big Apple, NYC!
What a fun vacation it was- and more than fun, I think we really had some good bonding time going on. It was my first time there, as well as the kids. Richard went when he was in high school. We had a hotel right in Manhattan-which was great! We could either walk places ( Like Dylans Candy Shop- fun and yum!) or hit the subway. We did tons of subway rides and we ALL got pretty good at swiping our cards and getting on and off. We did have one ride at the evening rush hour that was super packed- I mean really super packed! I was afraid if we broke down- I would break down- and be of no help to anyone. It was crazy! We also did tons of walking.

One day we did Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty- this was probably my favorite adventure- although we planned it for day that ended up being 100+ degrees out. It was just so meaningful to see what our nation has meant to people in the past, I think sometimes we forget that, along with the blessings and benefits of living in the good old USA.

We also saw Wicked on Broadway. How fun is that! I think that was probably Andrew's favorite things. I started explaining the play to Jayna as it started, after about a minute she asked me if I could just be quiet!! Like I said they are growing up fast.

Shopping in Times Square and China Town. The kids were each given $80 of spending money. It was fun seeing them plan their buying (Andrew and Whitney) or just see something they had to buy and buy it (Jayna more often) So this is how they spent their money: Andrew: wicked poster, wicked t-shirt, candy from Dylans, stickers for friends. Whitney: statue of liberty necklace, candy, sunglasses, clothing, friend gifts. Jayna: statue of liberty clock, m&m dispenser, playing cards, candy, water toy. We all thought the ferris wheel in the toys R Us was very cool- I knew they had an indoor ferris wheel, but not that the carts would be so cool! We got to FAO Schwartz just as it was about time to close, but Jayna did get to play on the big floor piano.

We also hit some theme restaurants: mars 2012, Jekyl and Hyde, and one with aspiring singers singing for us.

Also walked on wall street, and went to the 9-11 memorial center, central park. It was really a great time. One of the best memories was the kids singing on the way home to the tune of "Why can't we be friends", changed to "Why can't we have food"- mom and dad was hoping to make it home without stopping to eat again. Also , Whitney made her own versions of "I say a boom chicka boom.." we had the underwear version: "I say a loom chick a boom", the mummy version- "I say a tomb chick a boom (hmm, does she say boom or tomb the second time?), the scary villian version "I say a doom chick a doom?" It was just lots of fun.

So much more to say- graduation, NBCOT test, job search....but that's all for now.

div>Just read- How to be Lost by Amanda Eyreward

And so it goes

Mother's Day

Several years ago I heard a Mom in church say how she felt like she should give her kids gifts on Mother's Day because they are so great ( or something like that), that has stuck with me- sure I want my kids to love and respect and cherish me- I want them to know how great I think they are too, and how glad I am that they are mine. This year they each got a box of Jr. mints, along with a certificate for a week of not doing their monthly chores, as well as my expression of love to them. Shown below, but it had a nice picture with it too.


I’m glad I’m your Mom– You are a bright spot in my life, and I’m thankful for you! I know I may not always be the perfect mom, but I want you to know that I always love you– no matter what. I know that sometimes it’s not easy to be a kid– school expectations, parents expectations, chores and all the other things that come up in life. I want you to know that I’m here for you in those tough times. If you need a break sometime, turn in this certificate for a week of not doing your monthly chores. (only one child can hand in theirs at a time)
Being YOUR mom makes it a happy mothers day! I love you!!

****
I think about my kids often, who they are, who they're becoming, so I think I'll write a little about each of them.

Andrew

Definetly the most difficult baby I had- he would wake up in the night and want to stay up on and on and on. He was also the most strong willed as a child- "no" meant little to him, as I must say it is about the same today. I remember having to double stack gates so he wouldn't come out of his room at bedtime, and time out, meant I had to sit and hold him there, as he did not feel compelled to have any reason to sit there- even if his parents told him too.

Andrew had a sense of humor as a child and still has that very strongly today. He is hilarious!! I can't even explain it, things come out of his mouth so quickly that are just so funny.

As I said Andrew still doesn't agree with "no", unless he agrees with what you are saying. He may understand the need to show respect, but is surely not going to take anyone elses word for what he should do. He is a deep thinker.

I love that Andrew and I can discuss books together and have intellectual conversations. He has great musical talent (did not get any from me!) and an interest in history. He still gives me hugs and inside his teenage mind and body, hides a fun loving boy.

I love my Andrew.

Whitney

Probably my easiest baby. Mild. When she was little she was the kid in preschool that they were afraid would "get lost" in school, quiet and shy. It's funny, but she can pinpoint herself when that changed. 3rd grade- Miss Faktrowitz's class. A group of kids in that class, that probably started Whitney on the path to who she is today- a social butterfly. There is nothing in the world more important to her than her friends. She spends time, time and more time with them. When she is denied the chance to be with them, you would like the world has come to an end. I'm glad that she can build these friendships (although yes, sometimes it really drives me crazy), because I always had a hard time making friends.

She is creative, artsy, has a little bit of drama and thinks too. On her bedroom wall or on her computer screen she often has quotes often about living your life to its fullest, doing what you want. I just went into her room and this is what I found : "Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain." ; " I have found that if you love life, life will always love you back.", and " Let's find some Beautiful place to get Lost". Those really show a bit who she is. Right now on her wall is also 3 full size chalk drawing of her and 2 friends.

She is tenderhearted and kind, a nice big sister to Jayna and probably Andrew's best friend.

I love my Whitney.

Jayna

"Eat mouse then" and " how you know this" are two things Jayna is known for saying, both when she was little. We had a toy mouse for a cat once, and Jayna was little and frustrated ( I don't know why)and she threw the mouse and said "Eat mouse then!" and she always wanted to know " how you know this."

Jayna still loves hugs and cuddling,(usually), I hope that lasts! She is sweet and kind and wants to please her parents and teachers. She can be very timid initially, but once she warms up to her you may just be her best friend! She also has a sense of humor.

She thinks a lot and often works very hard on her school projects. For a long time she was determined to be the first astronaut on Mars, although I think that passion may be slipping some. She loves to play games and will often play them with her pet shop pets or stuffed animals if she gets no takers here.

I love my Jayna.


I am blessed to have 3 wonderful children, and a great husband to help me raise them, although sometimes I know they are raising me too.

Just Read: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society- I really liked it.

And so it goes...

Pictures!

So here are a few pictures from our traditional Easter picnic. It was such a beautiful day! Living in Buffalo we can't always have our picnic outside. It was just perfect! I hope to add some more pictures, but have to do another post as it only allows me so many pictures per post- and I don't know how to adjust that yet!

I actually missed this ( Jayna and I were on a long trek to the bathroom), but my understanding is it involved lighter fluid and flames!
Whitney relaxing on a tree! She enjoyed climbing around. She really enjoys being near the water.

Jayna climbing around. She did have a little slip into the water.

Andrew balancing on the edge of the bridge. There were plenty of loose boards that made it a little tricky!

I thought it would be fun to try too, however, after getting a little ways- decided it was just a silly idea!!!

Happy Easter!!

And so it goes...

Happy Easter and More

Hello- It's been awhile since I've blogged so here goes- again.

Happy Easter all- I totally love Easter and the joy in the message of my Saviors love for me. I can't imagine the surprise and joy felt that first Easter. We have a family tradition to have an Easter picnic and thankfully this year it looks like we will be be able to have it outside and not completely freeze. Some years we end up on the LR floor. So on the menu today: grilled out hot dogs, chips, baked beans and lots of fruit- strawberries,raspberries, blueberries. Andrew helped out and hid eggs so Jayna could have an egg hunt. We usually do one with the cousins, but it didn't work out this year. The kids are growing up so much, I've had to learn to let it go some when Andrew and Whitney aren't that interested in doing things we've always done together- like egg coloring! So I just have to work to make it a fun experience for Jayna and not be upset that the big kids aren't that interested in joining in though.

I'm on my last clinical rotation now for school. Thankfully it is going very well and seems like a good fit for me. I'm working with children 0-5 with a variety of developmental delays- some more severe than others. This setting is a ton less stressful and just feels a ton more natural than my last, so I'm thankful to be ending on an up note. I have 6 more weeks to go, and will be graduating near the end of May. I hope to work part time after that- either pediatric/early intervention or school based. Still quite nervous about looking for jobs, but that's normal.

Last new recipe was basically a blueberry bananna muffin. Very yummy, everyone enjoyed it. The next one I plan on trying is a recipe for minestrone.

Reading now:- nothing :( I've started a few books but nothing that has really kept me interested lately. I need a great book to read- maybe the new James Potter series or the next book in the Hunger Games.

Everything else is going fine...

And so it goes....

Sue

Recipes 2&3

New Recipe # 2- Spanish Pork and Rice adapted from a recipe in Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices I really liked it and would be interested in making it again, plus it was a good way for me to use the 2 pork chops in the freezer. However, Richard didn't really like it, he's not a big fan of rice (unfortunate since I really like rice!) and Andrew's complaint was that it had chunks of tomato in it. I don't think the girls cared for it either. Oh well, maybe make it more as a side dish instead of the main dish in the future?

New Recipe # 3- Sausage and Ricotta Pasta Bake adapted from a recipe I've had for some time cut out from somewhere, maybe something to do with Tops or Sorrento since it calls for those brands in it. Anyhow- I barely felt like it was a new recipe because I've made similar dishes (pasta, ricotta, mozzarella), but haven't used sausage in it, usually ground beef. So a little bit of a change, and definitely the recipe that the rest of the family ate best.

Haven't been focusing as much as I'd like on the vegetarian meal each week yet, having surgery and recovering takes a bit out of you. I'll be returning back to my clinical site Monday- it'll be good to get the ball rolling again so I can move forward. I don't really see the subacute setting being for me, hopefully I'll find the pediatric rotation a better fit for me or be able to find something to do with this degree and knowledge that will work for me and my family. It's really my hope to work only part time once I'm done. Now whether that will be a few days a week all year, or working for a school system, having summers off, or perhaps another option I don't know. I just really feel the need to be here more, not less.

Happy Valentines Day- I feel lucky to have such a good hubby and 3 good kids.

And so it goes...

Am I a B- Mom????

So, raising kids can be quite thought provoking. Sunday I had my gallbladder removed, an unplanned surgery. On Monday I came home and Monday afternoon Richard left town for work. Although I was disappointed (very) that Richard had to leave, I knew we'd be okay. The kids are old enough to basically fend for themselves and Richard had told them that they really needed to help me out- you know the basic "If you see something needs done, just do it (before Mom has to tell you" talk. He told them he'd turn on texting again if they all did a good job. ( I think that was his plan anyway, but good to throw in as an incentive) Anyhow, the kids did OK throughout the week- got rides home from basketball practice, walked to school , Andrew helped Jayna make food, Jayna at least once started unloading they dishwasher and they didn't ask for too much.... but I was really thinking I'd give them a B-. They weren't bad, but I didn't really feel like they put much effort into helping out after the first day. I was left cleaning up the table, loading the dishwasher, had to get on one of them to clean their room... Anyhow, I thought I'd mention that I'd give them a B-, but then it hit me. How often would they give me a B-??? There are plenty of times when I do okay by them- but maybe not great. Possible examples? The times I don't listen to Jayna as much as I should because I'm trying to do something else; the times I let my kids have friends over, but am less than enthusiastic about it; the times I show up to watch my kids perform or participate in an activity, but am watching the clock at the same time.... I'm sure if I asked the kids the list would be endless, and I'd probably have more B-'s than A+'s. So I'm just going to keep my mouth shut about their perceived B-, because I know as a Mom, I want to be earning A+'s, but sometimes am only giving a B- performance. I hope to do better. I have great kids and here's just one more time they've taught me a good lesson.

And so it goes...

New Recipe # 1

It's January. The time of resolutions and solutions- however I haven't been able to pin down my resolutions for the year- I always have so many things that I need to do better at. But I do know that I want to try new recipes throughout the year, and include a vegetarian meal each week into our diet. So it's not the Julie/Julia project (liked the movie, but didn't love it- it was a little bit too much like real life (since it was real life!)), but I thought I'd review our new recipes throughout the year.

So not only is it January, I also live in Buffalo, NY. So Buffalo in January ='s soup!! Our first recipe is Quick Beef Soup from the Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook. I've thought this recipe would be good to try for a long time, but have never tried it until now. It's made with ground beef, seasonings, tomatoes, water, veggies, and some pasta- it calls for orzo which I didn't have, but did have tiny pasta shapes, including abc's. I wish I would have taken a picture of it, when it was hot off the stove, but I didn't and now it sits as a leftover in the fridge- doesn't look quite as appealing. The reviews came back mixed. Andrew definitely didn't like it. Jayna thinks I should make it again. In the general food category Richard gives it a 5, but in the soup catergory, he gives it a 9 ( he doesn't like soup as much as I do, so a 9 for a soup is good for him), Whitney said it wasn't as horrible as she thought it would be, but doesn't like it- but would prefer it over fish sticks. I have to say I was initially a bit disappointed- it just wasn't as flavorful as I like, but after sitting overnight, I had some for lunch today and it seemed a bit better. Will we be having it again- yes- because it made a ton and there's lots leftover- will I be making it again- probably not anytime soon. But it seemed pretty healthy so some points for that.

Reading now: The Oath, A Surgeon Under Fire by Khassan Baiev

And so it goes...