SPC: Day 2

Today we hit Busch Gardens. It started off raining but by noon it was sunny and not too hot. We saw the Katonga show (a little bit like the cheap generic version of Broadways Lion King), rode some rides, checked out some animals, ate some Dippin Dots. All in all a nice day.

Spring Break Chronicle: Day 1

The kids are officially on Spring Break but Todd had to work all day - boo! Big thanks to Dave for going with him so it did not take all night too.

Anyway the kids and I went out to lunch with my parents and grandmother at a Chinese buffet - yummy! Then we shopped. Got Tori an outfit for birthday pictures, a non-Speedo bathing suit she needed for pool time that does not include laps, and Tristan much needed shorts (Laurie - ready for another box?).

And then we attempted to fly kites:

Funny answers.

I was reading Angelles facebook note about questions and answers from her daughter and it cracked me up. You can read it here. Anyway I asked my own kids some of the questions and was surprised at how funny some of the answers were but these are by far my favorite answers.

Me: What does your mom like most about your dad?
Tori: Um, when he surprises you with something like flowers or lunch.
Me: What does your dad like most about your mom?
Tori: She does all the work around the house.

Me: What does your mom like most about your dad?
Tristan: That he loves you even when you guys fight.
Me: What does your daddy like most about your mom?
Tristan: You let him play his game.

Weekend Stuff

I love weekends. I stayed home for so long that I had gotten kind of immune to them. I enjoyed having Todd home but it was still my same old laundry, kid care, hanging at the pool kind of time. Now that I have to go to work I remember why they are so wonderful!!! So this weekend we...

- (well I) had coffee with an old high school friend I had not seen in over a year.

- watched some horse races out at the Tampa Bay Downs picnic area

- had lunch with some friends after church today

- took a family run/bike around the neighborhood, poor Max's little legs were so tired by the time we got near home he wanted to be carried!

- having a peaceful night of Wii playing, reading and munchie dinner

I feel refreshed and reenergized to go back to work. Which is great since Fri when I left (after getting kicked by a pt and completely swamped by patients) I was wondering what it was I liked about my job and who I possibly thought I was helping. And there is no swim this week and the following week is spring break. So this week should go fast...

One Beat Up Mama

Do you ever have those moments when your kids break your hearts and at the same time you want to clobber them? I mean not really but you know...well if you are a parent you know.

So here's the deal:
Yesterday Tristan gets in the car and starts sobbing moments later, completely unprovoked. So I asked him what happened and he had gotten in trouble and put on yellow (red is bad, yellow is warning, green is good) for behavior for the first time ever. No yellows last year, none this year. He said he was playing cops and robbers at playtime and swung a stick in the classroom. He denied hitting anyone. So we talked about it - talked about making better decisions and I chose not to punish him further because he was already distraught about the yellow light.

Fast forward to today...he gets in the car. Unprovoked starts crying...so again I ask what the problem is to which he says "You and daddy fight because daddy wants a house and you don't and that makes me sad." Um what?!?

Brief interjection - Todd and I would both like a house, we do have differing opinions on what said house should look like, cost, and when it should be purchased. Did in fact argue over a specific house approx 3 weeks ago. I am not the perfect wife or the perfect mother and so yes I fight with Todd once in awhile and once in awhile we slip and fight in front of the kids. But can I just say this threw me for a huge loop! Todd and I are in one of the highs of our marriage I think...not fighting much, enjoying the time we spend together, etc. And the whole house thing happened weeks ago - what does it have to do with today and yesterday?

Ok so back to today. Apparently Tristan talked while the teacher was talking during music today so he had to sit out a song. I am not condoning this behavior either for the record. So his teacher asked whats going on? To which he says he replied "I dont know." Then his teacher asked if something was going on at home - to which he gave the above response.

So here is my issue - Tristan has made a couple of bad decisions but neither of them seem particularly huge. Not good, and he should be talked too...but very typical 6 yr old boy kind of things. But how does a teacher jump from that to something going on at home. And even more so why have I not heard from this teacher? She made no contact - no phone call, no email, no note. Nothing.

If there is something else going on and that made her come to that conclusion I need to know about it! If not I think Tristan was given an opening and ran with it which kept him off of yellow today...

Do you think I am overreacting or do you think this something is odd about this whole deal?

Oh and then there was accident that made me pick Tori up ten minutes late because I sat in deadlocked traffic forever and she had to wait after Battle of the Books practice. After a long day at work and these two afternoon episodes I am nominating myself for loser mother of the day...

But tomorrow is Friday right? Thats gotta bring something good...

Art Award

Tori was nominated by her art teacher as one of four kids to present their artwork to a county wide contest. She was then chosen as one of two to represent the school in a county wide exhibit. The exhibit will be at the Clearwater Downtown Library for approximately 4 weeks and Tori, our family, and her art teacher have all been invited to a grand opening celebration of the exhibit.

She's excited and we're proud of her!

Sometimes my job sucks.

Today was one of those days.

Mother of two little girls, first grader and a preK kid, died today by means of overdose. Her kids were there. The seven year old, who had not really been told what happened yet, until her father or grandparents arrived, said "Today is going to be a very sad day for me isn't it?" Talk about breaking my heart.

Add that to 2 other suicide attempts currently on vents, one with 12 sutures, a women who believes her caretakers are trying to steal her house and they are sneaking it out pc by pc in their backpacks, and one of my favorite patients who's really sick and believes Jesus is trying to kill him. It was a long busy day and a kind of depressing one at that.

But I am employed and so I will be thankful for that. And some people come to us and get better, I will also be thankful for that.

Update & Pics

Quick update:

- This week begins FCAT testing, Tori will take them for the first time this year since she is in 3rd grade.

- We spent Saturday at the Strawberry Festival where we ate lots of fair food, saw the piggies race, an amazing BMX show, and some livestock. And of course Todd and the kids had the world famous Strawberry Shortcake (Tori couldn't stop eating long enough to take a picture apparently)!

- Sunday Tori went to a birthday party at Build-A-Bear, Todd and Tristan had batting practice in the front yard, and I slept so that I could work Sunday night. I also got the kids Easter clothes which I am very excited about, pictures to come.

- And I got another eye infection! I have no idea what my problem is. Anyway I do have cute glasses now after the last episode and way too many dollars, the picture sucks but the glasses are cute :-)

Battle of the Books

Tori made the Battle of the Books team as an alternate. She scored 4th highest on the written test in the entire 3rd grade. She will practice with the team and fill in as needed.

For thos of you that do not know Battle of the Books is a quiz style team about a set number of books posted to students early in the year. The kids read the 15 books and then take a test to determine if they make the team or not. 3 kids and one alternate make it from each grade and compete with other schools.

To Do

I have Wednesdays off right now, today is actually my last one but in general I have had them. And I feel like I should have this day to enjoy - you know spend time at the gym, take a leisurely shower, etc. (Blog!) Instead I feel like I have this insane to do list. And the only reason I have time to post is because I needed a coffee break considering its 9:30 and I have done 3 loads of laundry, been to 3 stores, scheduled 2 appts, packed up two ebay packages, made beds and gotten ready for the day. Still on the list: mailing said packages, having lunch with Tristan, sewing numbers on 22 baseball jerseys, washing sheets from the beds, putting away 2 basketfuls of clean laundry, ironing half dozen shirts and half dozen dress pants, returning something to Target,pick up kids, kids orthodontist appt, grocery shopping, swim practice for Tori and running my 2 miles for the day...oh and I have to do it around the pest control guy I am waiting on.

I would prefer the list to read: go running, take shower, read book at Starbucks with Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte, have lunch with Tristan, shop, pick kids up, bake cookies, watch Idol, go to bed. That would be nice.

Reality calls gotta go!

A Day at the Beach

Yesterday the weather was perfect - light wind, high 70's to low 80's, sunny - and despite earlier plans to attend the Strawberry Festival or hit Busch Gardens we decided it was time for the first beach trip of 2009. Unfortunately a million other Floridians who had missed this kind of weather decided the same and the city of Clearwater has made parking at the beach currently impossible unless you get out there are approximately 9 am.

But that was not too dash our excitement...over to Sand Key we went where the beaches were not so crowded and we had a wonderful time. It was warm but not so hot you feel like you're cooking, the kids played in the sand, Todd and I took naps. They dug holes, looked for shells, played on the VERY edge of the water (it was freezing!).

Afterwards we have a really nice evening with the Wests. Ty and Tristan played with every toy he owns, Rhiannon and I kicked the boys butt in eucher twice, and we had some cake, out of a box but cake nonetheless.

We also looked at a house yesterday that Todd liked, same layout as the one we put an offer on previously. I am trying to look past the work but it has a stained glass window which is one of my pet peeves, pink carpet, pink tile in the bathroom, would need lots of paint, the pool would need massive cleaning, and all the appliances in the kitchen would have to be replaced. Augh! So we're "talking" about it...sometimes rather heatedly, LOL.