A New Day

I can not believe it has been almost two years since I seriously blogged. I feel like I have missed so much in my blogging life.. It is pretty darn amazing what has passed.

Just to get you up to date...

Hair Boy has moved out, moved to the college town of Champagne/Urbana.. meandering through his college life. Trying to figure out what he wants to do. Of course because he putzed around a little too much he now is working two jobs to pay off his old student loans so he can get new assistance and continue. He needed this time to figure out what he wanted and where he was headed. I think he has finally found a compass point. He has been playing his guitar, writing music he recorded a CD, has been in several "gigs" both with the band he is in and alone.. AND he has had a rather fantastic on air experience with the local radio station. It was fun because I was able to listen to it on the radio.. While he sounded giddy.. he did good and had fun. And fortunately was knowledgeable about if not the local indy scene at least music in general... Finally!! A good use for all that time he and his father spent rocking to Clapton when Hair Boy was a baby... As for his hair.. yep it's still there.. right now it's in dreads.. sheesh...

PITA Boy... I am thinking this one is gonna need a new name soon.. Finally at 21 he is outgrowing that need to drive me insane. He is still trying to figure out what he is gonna do with his life.. He is working full time and eying either school or the military. Me, I am leaning towards the military!! I think out of all my kids he would excel in such an environment. We just have to get past those pesky ASVAB's.. which suck.. as a kid with ADHD and a learning disorder passing those tests are hard.. It's not that he doesn't get it, it's that once they put it in test format he tanks.. We need to get him passed those tests because this kid would be such an asset to anything he does..

Work Girl... what can I say? She is enjoying her second year of college and has come into her own. No more trying to deal with the day to day hierarchy of life in the small community we live in. No more having to be known as my daughter, her brother's sister, her grandparent's child.. no longer a living legacy of a family that no longer exists.. Nope... she has become herself and what a joy it is to watch.. She is a leader at school.. having been elected to the inner hall residence board.. As VP she gets her room for free YAY!! Of course she still has tuition, board, books and the rest but... every little bit helps.. and 6,000 this year in free room is nothing to sneeze at. She is working towards a semester abroad next year so we are really excited.. She is gonna get to Australia if it kills her.. She has wanted to go since she was contacted by People to People to go as an athlete ambassador when she was 11. Cross your fingers she will be there next year.

Blond Girl... WOW!! She is a SENIOR... I am not quite sure how that has happened but she is blossoming into an amazing young woman. Of course, she is dealing with the day to day growing pains of being a teenage female.. as well as feeling the restrictions of day to day living in a community that has known you since before your oldest brother was born.. yeah.. it's hard for her.. I know she is looking forward to escaping... One of her dream schools is the Univ of Wyoming.. her ACT scores rock and her GPA is right on the cusp so we are keeping our fingers crossed. Of course Marquette and Univ of Montana are also up there.. She is looking to join her sister at Western if she goes to a state school.. and today just as a well why the heck not.. she applied at USC.. yeah.. no coaching there....

As you can see they are all on their way to becoming amazing individuals... I only have one problem.. This October 30, I will only have one teenager.. I may just have to rename the blog..

Doppleganger??

One of these is Hair Boy and one of these gentlemen is a young man I have never met before. Honestly it took me few minutes to tell them apart.

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)

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.

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.

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

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