Monday, December 27, 2010

Christmas


Another Christmas has come and gone and each one just a little more poignant than the one before. Gone are the years when they dash down the stairs looking for presents. Gone is the Christmas where Word Girl woke up early and sat at her beauty shop and played quietly for hours not knowing that I was watching. Gone are the years spent looking for that "it" toy. Can we say Power Rangers? Now they want both expensive things and practical things.

Hair Boy asked for socks.. yes that is right socks. I understand he got more socks than he knows what do with. Of course Blond Girl made sure he stayed young she bought him a machine nerf gun. So his girl friend wouldn't feel left out, Blond Girl bought her one too. When Hair Boy's best friend stopped by (a lifelong childhood friend) he was just as excited about that nerf gun as a 6 year old.

Pita Boy really wanted music. He asked for CD's lots and lots of CD's and an Harmonica. I must say I no longer like my favorite sister in law, guess what she bought him? Of course it is better than when Hair Boy went through his accordion stage.

Word Girl wanted and received movies, body spray and a straightener (see practical). Well she wants a Mac as well but guess what she got and what she didn't? She is home for just a few weeks and is already missing school life. I figure she will be spending time with friends as much as possible then be gone before we know it. I know I will miss her, of course I always miss her when she is gone and constantly ask when she is leaving while she is here. She is so much like my mom sometimes I have to scream.. but she has a pure heart and beneath all her bluster is a person worth knowing.

Blond Girl was the funniest of all, she wanted a Snuggie, Teenage mutant ninja turtle slippers and knitting stuff. Oh yeah and glasses. It is rather pathetic when your 16 year old daughter asks for glasses for a Christmas present. Needless to say she is getting all of them. Well we have the eye appt this week the rest she got. She is hysterical with that snuggie.. sitting there knitting and saying.. "see I can knit and my arms are still warm" Didn't we have a solution for that as well? Wasn't it called a wait.. yeah I remember,... A ROBE? oh well.

One of the greatest things about having older kids is the fun things they give you. You don't have to get excited about getting a rock (of course I still have some of those rocks cuz they were really neat) but instead you get pretty cool stuff. This year my four children, two and a half college students and one HS student came together and bought me a Kindle. I was so excited, I really really really wanted one!

With this Christmas behind us I have to make sure and keep these memories very clear, who knows if all of them will be home next year. Each year we are together is a gift. Their lives are opening up and life is getting so exciting for them. I can only be grateful for what I have this year and treasure every moment I am not trying to kill them (yes they still drive me nuts some things one doesn't outgrow)

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

One Semester Down


I am pleased to say that WordGirl has managed to complete her first semester at Western. I had to wait to say this until we received her grades because no matter how smart, gifted, talented your child may be that first semester of college is a rude awakening.

Well WordGirl soared!! She did well in all her classes and has become a shining leader amongst her peers. She makes me so very proud. I know she gets all hissy when I write about her but too bad, so sad, I am mom and I get to brag.

I know she is struggling not at school but with the boredom of NOT being at school. She has found her place and has set her sites on what she wants to become and not let her past, her disadvantages or our financial situation bring her down. Her smile, always her most powerful weapon, is almost always in place. She all but beams when speaking of school and what she is doing there. I know many people attend college to better their job options but my girl is there for what I truly believe is the right reason. She is there for an education!! She is there to grow as an individual both mentally and physically. She is learning what quality of life truly means.

I can not wait to continue this journey with her.. well to read about it on her facebook since she never actually tells me anything.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Wow December, I should Blog


It has been too long since I committed the antics of the crazed teens in my life to this blog. Of course, two are no longer teens and are living the lives of young adults but calling this blog juggling teens and two young adults just looses something.

Since it has been too long I am going to do a review and then plan on actually occasionally writing to keep things posted.

Hair Boy.. Hair Boy has long hair again and it just keeps growing.. He has decided to let it go, hmmmm women hate him. He is going to school in the Champagne area and enjoying it. Living with a couple of friends and his girlfriend. Yes that one was hard for me to swallow but there it is. She is a lovely young women with a fantastic brain. She graduated in four years with two degrees and is taking one year off before going for her Masters. I am just hoping some of that drive and direction rub off on Hair Boy. He has the brains and talent to do anything he wants. I just hope he finds his direction soon. Yes, I know this is incredibly annoying coming from a forty something mom who has yet to find hers.

Pita Boy.. well Pita Boy is a man in all ways that matter.. He stands well over 6'3" and is growing a nice beard. He is finally maturing to where he can make life decisions and will be able to take care of himself. I think school will soon be in store for him again. Honestly I was hoping for the military, he would thrive there. A place that has direction and focus and rewards hard work. Do, this this and this and you will get this this and this. I had him almost convinced that he would enjoy a stint in the military and that it was his idea but his father talked him out of it. Honestly, he doesn't raise them but then has to put in his two cents where it least matters. I am still working on the military aspect.

Word Girl is in heaven. She was accepted to Western Illinois University and my girl has found her wings. As a child she was this happy thriving child who literally glowed but she hit pear pressure and the sometimes ridiculously competitive life of small town America and part of her disappeared. I grieved for that part of her but one semester away from here and on her own and that glow is back. She is a leader, respected and admired. She rocked her classes this semester, even managing to hold fast in Chemistry a class she was sure she was not going to pass. I am just so proud of her. I treasure each and every one of her smiles.. the rat.

Blond Girl is blond again.. I am glad, I never really liked the red but it took cutting it all off before we say here beautiful hair again. Right now we are calling it winter blond, that dishwater blond that doesn't quite go brown. She has had some trying times this year with friends and school. In some ways she has been deeply hurt but in others she has soared in the making of new friends. She has started attending church with me and one Sunday when we had a spontaneous baptism, she made that choice. I was thrilled for her and even happier that I was on hand to see it.

As you can see life goes on with the insane teens.. I am not making resolutions, which is why I started back to my blog now instead of after the new year.. I do plan on being a more permanent resident here in blog land from now on. It seems I have missed it.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

A Fall Fundraiser

Our local High School Band will be going on a trip this fall.. we are throwing a fall fundraiser.. while I know most of you can not come, I thought that maybe you might want to consider donating to our fund raiser. Any person or company that donates will be mentioned in our advertising as well as thanked prominently at the actual event

To Whom It May Concern:


The Fenton High School Music Department will be traveling to San Antonio, Texas in the spring of 2011 on a trip of music education, responsibility, camaraderie, and fun. The experience of travel is one of a lifetime for most and can be a reality with your help.

The promotion of professionalism in music and the reward for countless efforts and hard work can create a lifetime of memories for the students in our community. Our community’s music students will have the opportunity of performing at the famed Alamo while on this trip, they will also be visiting such locations as Sea World, a Dude Ranch and enjoying a stroll along the famous San Antonio Riverwalk. There’s not too much time for sleep, but what a unique opportunity.

In the past, several students were not able to attend because of financial burden. Many Children have never had the opportunity to travel and this trip will provide a new and exciting experience for them. Due to the educational value of this experience, we, the Fenton Band Boosters, are making every effort to decrease that number. Every member of the band and choir has and will continue to raise funds through numerous fundraising opportunities to raise money for their trip expenses. With their efforts and yours, maybe we can avoid leaving anyone at home.

The Fenton Band Boosters will be hosting a Cocktail Dance on Friday November 5, 2010 as a formal fund raiser. At the dance we will have a Band, which is lead by a former Fenton Band Member. There will be raffles and door prizes. We ask that you, as extended members of the Fenton Community, reach into your hearts to help support these wonderful kids. We would appreciate any items that you would like to donate to help these raffles. They could be movie tickets, pool passes, dinner at your restaurant, a night at your establishment, tickets to the ball game or the Opera. We would appreciate anything you have to offer. If you feel you are unable to donate a product for the raffle but would still like to help out we would gladly accept any cash donations. All profits will go to the kids in order to make this trip the best that Fenton has ever had. Our goal is to raise $200.00 per student to offset costs. We would appreciate any donation possible.

We are aiming to have all donations received by October 15th so that we may incorporate your tremendous generosity into our program. For more information, please contact me at Shaunispeaks@yahoo.com and I will provide you with a mailing address to better expedite your donation. Also all donations will be tax deductible.

Thank you in advance for your support! With your help and generosity for our music program, we will continue to contribute to the growth and development of our future leaders!

Sincerely,



Shauni
Chairperson Fall Fundraiser
Fenton High School
Band Booster Liaison

Friday, July 16, 2010

BlondGirl Turns 16!!


Today reality catches up with Blond Girl, her entire life she has thought she was 16 so finally it has happened. I was instructed last night to please wake her up at 7:22 so she could wake up 16, only she would think of that.

I firmly believe we each have what I call a soul age, it is why some people are old at 10 and others never really grow up. Mine is 25 I have felt 25 since I was 15, even now when I see myself (in my minds eye not in the mirror) I see a 25 year old me. Anyway Blond Girl was born 16.

As a small child, when her brothers and sisters were on a swim team and she was too young, I could always find her hanging out with the teenagers. One specific memory was of her running to me to tell me that she and her friends were all going to the movies and could she go? I tried to let her down gently that they hadn't meant her but before I could get my point across along came a group of them asking if she could go with them. I wondered if I was the only one who realized she was only 4!

At her 5th Birthday she invited several teens and some of them actually attended! Even stayed late and took her for ice cream after the party. Honestly! I can just see her at 80 running around in hot pants with blue hair.. You all know what type I am talking about, those crazy ladies who think they are sexpots.. and in a way they are!!

Today she is off wearing her tiara and celebrating the only Birthday I think she will ever truly recognize and yes I am recognizing the fact that it is the 16th of July. Since we tried to induce her on the 5th, then planned a c-section on the 18th and she still managed to be born on the 16th I have to wonder if someone was trying to tell me something!!

Happy Birthday Blond Girl, Mom loves you

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Orientation


Word Girl and I were off to orientation at Western this week. What an exhausting experience!!

We traveled down on Amtrak.. let me tell you if you live in the Chicagoland area and need to get to Western this is the most cost effective way to go.. even two people were less than the two tanks of gas it would have cost us to get there. Once there we walked to campus (next time I take the bus!) the walk to campus wasn't bad the walk ACROSS campus was a killer.. Isn't Illinois supposed to be flat?

Many, Many, Many sessions on basic life at Western, School ideals and goals, academics, athletics and everything else they could try and give us some information on. So much info crammed into my brain but they were lovely people and the experience was a lot less painful than it could be.

Thursday evening was a nice social where the kids just had a chance to hang out and have fun.. they sang, they played beanbag toss, they played cards and finally a lot of them headed off to the 2nd floor to play cards throughout the night.. They had a lot of fun. Some of the kids were lucky enough to meet their room mate at orientation.. Word Girl wasnt so lucky but she still had fun.

Friday more sessions, Word Girl met with her adviser, she took a placement test for spanish and found out if she took (and passed) one class she would have enough requirements for her Spanish Minor.. She only has to take 1 math class for her degree and it is an easy one for her.. well she thinks it is. Since we were at the first Orientation she was able to get into all of the classes she requested Most of them are in the same three buildings within extremely easy walking distance of each other (like right next door) so that will be very nice for her too.

She is thinking about swimming there but one class kept getting in the way of practice.. if she managed to move that class another would pop up.. so she is going to have to work with the coach to see if she can do this. Otherwise she is not gonna swim (listen to mom crying from here). She has decided not to do band.. another sad moment for me but since this is about her I will survive. I made sure to get as much information about any and everything so she would have it when she asked (because she will).

I know she is going to have fun at Western and if she tries she will do well.. From what I can tell this school was designed so that a student pretty much had to work at not succeeding.


Monday, May 31, 2010

When Did He Grow to be so Tall?

As I have mentioned many times I have two sons.. Hair Boy and Pita Boy.. they are both great!! Really I promise.. Hair Boy has always been this tall thin young man.. seeing him grow to his height I say 6'8 he says 6'5.. He won't measure to find out... anyway.. Pita Boy while only 20 months younger has always been, well young.

Hair Boy had presence his entire life, he was mature at 3. When at home he has always been the man of the house. I know both of his sisters look at him as more than just a big brother.. but Pita Boy has always been the little brother, while he is fully capable of being more he has relaxed into his place in the family hierarchy.. His only complaint ever was his height..

When he was 10 or so a Doctor said he should be about 5'10.. believe me for years that was his personal mantra.. 5'10,
5'10, 5'10, 5'10,.. he was ofter heard muttering. When Hair Boy graduated middle school he was 5'7 when Pita Boy did so he was 5'3.. over the next two years he inched his way to 5'6 then from January to May his Junior Year he made a nice 5'9.. I figured ok he has had his major growth spurt now an inch or two and he is done..

He did grow that additional inch in HS.. then after he graduated he just kept going.. This last year from 19-20 he has rocketed right up there and is now 6'2 or 6'3.. I knew he had grown, I knew he was taller but it never sank in until Word Girl's graduation when I took these pics..


the gang.. Hair Boy on the left and Pita Boy on the right

and then this one.. where they are together.. they are so close in height it just about blew my mind..















As I said in the beginning when did he grow to be so tall.. my boys they do make me proud

Friday, May 28, 2010

Graduation Day

So she did it!! Word Girl Crossed the stage. no take backs.. 3 down 1 to go.. whew..

I love their High School, graduations are great.. in and out in an hour.. oh pictures with the buds take a little time but the actual ceremony an hour.. and they have contests every year to see who can make it shorter. It was actually a cute ceremony the young lady who gave one of the student speeches was hysterical, she wrote a light hearted speech that kept everyone giggling. It was an incredibly hot day and I must admit I was worried about being miserable in the field house fortunately for all of us they got brand new air conditioner..


After we suffered through the gym pictures (now that was hot) and believe me I had to make her meander around take some pics with her friends she wanted to leave.. I kept saying you will want them later, she got a few so she was happy. Then we went to a nice park and took some family pics.. As the most recent pic I had of the four of them was like 4 years ago it was nice to have this. They grumbled and moaned but it seems that all of them now have these pics as their facebook pics.. I love it when I am right.

The best part of the day was our graduation lunch.. my girl is a goof, she could have gone anywhere but she wanted Wendy's they have frostys.. We all had a good laugh at that but you know what? There was no crowds, no hassle and plenty of stretch out room.. oh yeah and the Frostys were great!!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

One Last Day


While Sunday is Graduation with all the pomp and circumstance.. tomorrow is Word Girl's last day of High School. How did that happen?

My Word Girl has been such a joy to me, her sense of self is a light shining through. Her sense of justice shines through a beacon to those whoneed a safe haven. She isn't perfect but she is a defender of those who can not defend herself. She will stand by those who need a friend.. she will fight for those who can not fight for themselves...

Sometimes she forgets that she is special. I don't think she will ever know what a true Gift from God she has been to me. My girl can see through so much of the malarkey.. she sees what is not what we want it to be. Sometimes the mirror she holds up is a hard one to look into because we have to accept that we are failing ourselves.. but to know that my child has this gift the knowledge that there is good and there is bad, there is left and there is right, there is right and there is wrong, there is black and there is white.. There are enough people in this world who live in the gray areas.. we need those who demand that fair exists.. that all receive the respect and care of those around them..

My Word Girl is off to study biology, she dreams of working with whales, or on the Great Barrier Reef (not sure how she is gonna incorporate the two). I know with her sense of compassion her sense of right and wrong she will be an advocate for these creatures that can not stand for themselves..

As she gets ready for college already I am missing parts of her.. of course once she leaves I will occasionally have the last word.. I wonder what that is like?

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Revenge is Sweet if not a bit annoying


Yesterday my mom sent Word Girl her "jar money". This was a fun thing my mom started when Hair Boy was younger. She would save all of her change from her estate sales and then give him half and my sister half whenever he came to visit. He could spend it all, take home whatever was left or give the extra to her and she would match it in a savings account. Over the years the parameters had changed. It stopped being for just the grandchild visiting but became divided up between all the grandkids every summer, then finally it was she just deposited that money in their accounts and they would receive it upon graduation from HS.

Well Word Girl needed a few things for graduation and she argued, since she had already turned 18 could grandma send it now. They discussed it and grandma agreed. Yesterday the money came and off Word Girl and I went to Best Buy.. to purchase a laptop and a new camera.

Since we do not have a car and her friends were working we took a cab.. at her expense of course. I basically took myself and my id.. We arrived and everything was fine. She purchased a beautiful computer just a bit more expensive than her original idea but that was ok. Then we were off to the cameras.. she leans towards Canons and since I have never used a Canon I didn't love I tend to agree. Well Canon had this wonderful orange camera (orange is her favorite color) right at the edge of her price range. Of course she wanted to purchase it... Now here comes the problem. Because this was an unusual purchase the fraud dept at her bank froze her account and she could not buy the camera.. We called the bank (did I mention we also both left our cell phones at home?) from the store phone. They were gracious enough to allow us to use it. I was told the problem and put on hold for the fraud dept, initially I was told it would be 5-7 minutes.

At about 15 minutes she started begging me to hang up... she gets embarrassed easily and she was sure everyone was starting to stare. I managed to drag it out for another 10 but finally I gave in to her pleas and hung up. BAD CHOICE.. I called the cab and we waited for our pick up... OOOPS.. did I mention they froze her account and I had run out without my wallet? So now we are stranded at Best Buy and the girl was too embarrassed to go back in and use their phone so we walked to WalMart.. well they let us use the phone but only local area code land lines.. that meant we could not get a hold of anyone. I mean who remembers phone numbers anymore? Especially home ones... Finally we got through to a friend and he came and picked us up.

While she was all disgruntled about what the bank did and kept calling it stupid even though I explained why they did it as soon as we got in the car and I told the entire story our friend said.. oh exactly what thieves would go for.. so she shut up about that. I am proud to say I have only mentioned half a dozen times that had she let me stay on the phone, she would have had her camera and we would have had a ride home. I love being right.. even if it is an inconvenience

Friday, April 30, 2010

Wind Down to Graduation


Time is growing short and Word Girl is gearing up for graduation. It is hard to believe that this child of mine will be graduating from High School in three weeks. Yes three weeks. May 23, 2010. Sometimes I just feel old.

But all the exciting things are starting to happen, awards banquets, prom, senior breakfast and of course the all important graduation party. Word Girl will be having an afternoon party over labor day weekend. Since we don't have a lot of room we will be having the party at a local park. I am just hoping for a cool weekend. Here in the Chicago land area Memorial Day can be cool, muggy, hot, rainy... we never know.

Word Girl is the original I can do it all by myself girl. Coming as she did after two older brothers and yet being very close in age, the three of them are barely 3 years apart.. 20 months each, she tended to tomboyish behaviour. While we did have the request tea parties and such it was just as likely that she could be found climbing on the top of the RV (at 2) with her older brothers.

My favorite story about Word Girl is when she was learning to ride a bike. She was just three and she wanted those training wheels off. Both of her brothers could ride without so she should be able to as well. I agreed to let her try and took of the training wheels. All prepared to hold the bike and run behind her as I did for her brothers but no.. she looked up at me all earnest blue eyes (she claims they are green) and said "no mommy I can do it all by myself". Sure enough she learned. That was on Friday, on Saturday we all rode our bikes into town, I had her sister sitting in the baby seat (so believe me I was glad she was riding on her own since before that I had Blond Girl in the baby snugly and Word Girl in the child seat.. it was work), and the three of them rode along side me. It was a couple of miles. We went to a pool party and had a blast I was soooo proud. The problem came on the way home..This poor baby was so exhausted there was no way she was going to be able to ride her bike home. We had to have a friend throw our bikes in the back of the truck and drive us home. Where I carried this poor exhausted child up the stairs and put her to bed.

It was a long day but she definitely did it all by herself. I am going to miss that determined little girl, I already do.


PS.. just in case there was any doubt she's the crazy one on the left Hair Boy is the crazy one on the right.. Since he was her first influence I decided to include him in this blog.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Doing It Right

As half of my teenagers no longer qualify to be called such, I have to take the time and really think. Did I do ok? Are they going to be able to follow their dreams? And if those dreams don't pan out do they have the perseverance to find a new one?

An interesting thought. I know Hair Boy in his own meandering way has slowly circled back to what he wanted and is back on path to becoming what he wanted to be. I was worried for a bit because I knew his choices were wrong, I saw him making my same mistakes and I just grimaced. But, I offered him time and space to get it together and now he is off, soaring working on his education and confident in what he is doing.

Pita Boy, right now he is the one I worry about. He has such big dreams but no push to go for them. He keeps wanting me to do them for him. I can't He needs to step up and do something instead of just dreaming all the time. I am on the verge of pushing him out the door and that scares me because that was done to me and it was the wrong time to do so. I am looking at one more way to help him get going but I think it may be the last time. He may need to be pushed out of the nest so he can fly. I know he CAN fly, he is just so afraid to try.

Word Girl, well she just knows what is best about everything... She knows where she wants to go, she knows how she is going to get there and she thinks she is so far beyond us. She seems to forget all the little things that the family provides for her and how little is asked of her. But she will learn that lesson as she gets out on her own. I mean if she does it all herself and falls flat on her face because she relies on support that is no longer there, she will either learn to do things or not. Either way she will have her choices to make.

Blond Girl, she is just getting there, just starting those last few years of high school, where social is way more important than

Of course she will, as will Hair Boy they have the benefit of what society says are good looks, charm and charisma.. Pita Boy is one of the hardest workers I know all he needs is to find the right direction and he will fly and Word Girl, well she has it in her to convince the world to do it her way. Honestly I think the girl should be in fundraising rather than marine biology but what do I know.

Oh well, just a few more weeks until Word Girl Graduates..

Friday, April 16, 2010

An Interesting Conversation

Word Girl is getting closer and closer to graduation. She is the one who will fly the nest and I may not see her for a while. Hair Boy has that oldest son complex he is gonna feel the need to take care of me whether I need it or not. Pita Boy, well... seriously though he has a strong need for family connections and I may end up hanging up on him way before he hangs up on me. Blond Girl, she and I have a good relationship and do a lot of the mom/daughter things. We enjoy a lot of the same things and have a pretty good bond. But Word Girl right now she wants to get as far away from me as fast as she can. She sees all of my faults very very clearly, oh eventually that will fade but for now she holds a pretty big mirror to my faults constantly pointing them out.

Consequently having a conversation where I didn't do something wrong is amazing. The other day we were talking about her graduation. I told her that I would mail her father's graduation ticket and announcement to him as I had no desire to speak to him at this time. Please understand I have spent many many years not only not badmouthing him but protecting him. Oh not in the physical way rather protecting his relationship with his children. Making it so they accept him and are not angry at him. That they don't hate him and can have some sort of a relationship with him. He on the other hand.... Recently I have stopped doing that, I have been telling my children three of which are now officially adults some of the realities of our "relationship". Hence the reason I pointed out that I had no desire to speak to him.

Word Girl was ok with that but I then said that I wasn't inviting him to her party and was not going to mention the after graduation lunch we were having. She was a little bothered by that. She wanted him to come to the lunch... If the man actually comes to graduation and then asks what we are doing after he will of course be welcome, I am just not going to tell him about it. I explained that to Word Girl, I also pointed out that I have not and will not ever embarrass her like that. I will never put her in a spot where she feels she has to exclude her father. I will also never bring a battle out into public that could escalate and cause a scene. I never have and face it I have spent way to many years making sure they have a relationship to have any desire to ruin it now. After I told her this she looked up from the computer, kind of stared at me quizzically and said.. "Thanks" then went about her business.

Now that may not seem like much to you but this was monumental, she was thanking me for any number of reasons but she was also acknowledging what I have spent her entire lifetime doing. In one word she validated all of my choices at least regarding him. And believe me that is just what she intended. At that moment I was so proud of my contrary girl

Friday, March 5, 2010

It is Really Fun


My youngest daughter (blond girl - featured prominantly in the picture on the left) has a really neat group of friends. The core group is about 7 then of course each of them has individual friends that they drag kicking and screaming into the middle of things. These kids find a reason to celebrate on a regular basis. They are in band and choir and honors programs. They go to church together, they do musicals and recitals together and often they include the parents. Now I was raised that a mom should be a mom not a friend and that is pretty much how I set the tone with the other three. With blond girl that has just not been allowed consequently I have made some really really good friends along the way.

Anyway Blond girl and her group has decided that one of the things that they need to celebrate are birthdays, they are coming up on their sweet 16's and many have actually hit this mark, but each party is a celebration. Blond Girl's best friend commonly referred to as my 3rd daughter had a party last month and it was semi formal.. no jeans. It was great to see all these kids dressed to the 9's for a party. Dancing and goofing around, socializing and just looking great.. I hope they continue with this trend it teaches them so much. and face it today there is rarely an excuse to dress up and look good, I mean they wear jeans to church and the theatre, both places where I was taught to dress appropriately for.

The reason it is so great to see them dress up, besides the fact that they all just look great, is because it teaches them that they matter. That dressing nice can be just as fun as looking dowdy. I am so glad these kids are doing this and I hope they continue.

Friday, February 12, 2010

I Don't Know is at it Again

One would think as they age, I don't know and No One would grow up and leave the house... sadly they seem to be lingering in my household. The beasties are 21, 20, 18 and 15 now surely old enough for accountability.

Blond Girl got this really cute dress for a winter dance that was cancelled, so she placed it on the hanger and left it for another day. The dress itself only cost me 32.50 so it was a deal to say the least. The other day she noticed it was missing and she was a bit worried, she had a semi formal party to attend this weekend and she figured that the dress would be perfect. She tore the place apart finally finding it on a shelf ABOVE the closet and under some unused items, while still on it's hanger. Clearly someone had hidden it there. Now she wasn't worried cuz she found it but decided to go try it on. That is when the crises began.

The dress has one of those wonderful hidden side zippers, unfortunately the zipper had been opened from the bottom up and we were unable to fix it. Later that evening in a very nice and non judgemental manner I asked Word Girl and Pita Boy if they had touched it (Hair Boy has moved out) of course neither of them knew a darned thing. I know I didn't touch it and Blond Girl was in tears over it so we knew she didn't touch it either. Chalk it down to I Don't Know.. BUT Word Girl and Pita Boy are splitting the 30.00 cost of fixing the zipper since neither will cop to breaking it.

It does irk me though that the darned zipper is gonna cost me almost as much as the dress did originally and she has never worn it!!!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Word Girl is Going to Western!!


YAY!!! it is official.. well so she says but Word Girl is going to Western Illinois University..


GO LEATHERNECKS


Thursday, January 14, 2010

Just a Few Pics of the Beasties



PITA Boy off to work... ok it is an old pic but I don't have any of him on the Zamboni







Blond Girl AKA, Tuba Girl is she sexy or what??





Homecoming for Blond Girl... are they Barbie and Ken or what??




and last but not least, Hair Boy and Word Girl... can we say attractive



Tuesday, January 12, 2010

A New Direction

Just taking a moment to stop in and say hey.. Life has been trudgin along full of potholes and teenage angst. Right now we are trying to figure out what college word girl is going to and whether or not pita boy is going to join the navy but it is Hair Boy who is offering me the most change.

This weekend, yes just four days away my baby (21 1/2 years old, 6'8") is moving to his own place. I will surely miss him. He is moving down state to go to school and get an apt with his friends. I am sure he will be checking in on me constantly because he is sure I can't breathe on my own and need constant surveillance but still, I will miss him.

I am still computerless so I am only on sporadically I am trying to be online once a week or so but if you look at the past few blogs you will see how that has worked out for me so far....

be well all.. enjoy those beasties in your life.. I mean if we didn't have them what would we have to write about?