March-ing on...

So, has March come in like a lamb or a lion? I guess we'll go with lamb, because of the sunny days, but the wind was roaring over the weekend. If it's planning on going out like a lion, I'd appreciate it being back to nice weather before we head to NJ for Easter. Also hoping for a warm Easter day so I can wear my favorite blue summer dress. :-) I'm looking froward to our NJ visit, becasue we'll be celebrating mom's 80th birthday too. Now we just need to decide on a place for dinner....some place nice that accomodates mini monsters, ah, I mean children. LOL

Well, other than having the inspection done (keep your fingers crossed for a good report) the new truck is at home in our driveway. That made for a very long week last week. We did get alot done this past weekend...laundry, cleaning, clearing the dining room table of junk, getting rid of some baby toys, taking out trash and recycling from the basement and taking care of a few errands that needed to be done. Whew!

We've been getting some additional camping dates on the books. If we don't do it now, sites will be booked full and we won't get anywhere. So far, we've got Elk Neck State Park in May and the Ocean City trip in July. Trying to get spring and fall weekend in Gettysburg also and possibly Cunningham Falls SP in June. Looking forward to doing some more camping this year!!

I haven't posted too many craft things lately, but there are projects in the works. I'm currently working on a baby blanket for my friend April. She's having a baby boy this month. For years now I have collected Harley/motorcycle theme paper and embellishments with the thought of doing a book for my brother. I plan to try and get that done for his birthday in April...I hope. I started my Christmas and Vacation scrapbooks at the last 2 crop days at Karen's. The vacation one is a Milestones album, which I've never used before. It has pages that hold 5 photos/papers (3 horizontal and 2 vertical), instead of the full 12x12 page. So far, I like it for the vacation stuff. I also have on order the scrapbook that I'm going to do our wedding photos in, again a Milestones album, and have ordered copies of wedding photos I didn't have printed. Now I need to get in the closet and get the box out for hings like programs, invites, stuff from our honeymoon, etc.  I also found a pattern on Pinterest for a small purse I'd like to make using fat quarters. Something for spring. Speaking of sewing, I need to consider anything I want to make for faire this year and maybe get a move on that before August (trying to not have a last minute, down to the wire, finish it for final day of faire project this year).

Time Flies...whether you're having fun or not...

Wow! It's been a while since I posted anything. Everyone in the house was sick at some point this month. First JD, then Reece and then me. Ugh! Now JD and I have our allergy thing going on. That is the only complaint I have about the unseasonably warm weather we're having...allergies. The daffodills are coming up and the hydrangea and our cherry tree are getting buds. I've already been thinking about spring planted bulbs for the deck pot and for around the mail box.

We have a new addition to our house as of the first weekend in February...her name is Samantha, Sami for short. She's a torti we got at the Small Miricles Cat Rescue where we got Bobo. She'll be a year old in March and is sweet as can be. I love when I'm in another room and hear JD talking to Sami..."Hi pretty girl...hi sweet girl". So adorable. Believe it or not, she had a cold too. The only one who hasn't been sick is Bobo. LOL

By the end of this week, we'll have somethiing else new...well, new to us. We found a Dodge Ram 2500 SLT...it's a Cummins diesel, already has a cap for the bed and is perfect for towing. The truck we currently have pulls the trailer, but we'd never go very far with it...just wouldn't trust it to haul the Roo on trips to places such as Maine or Tennessee, both places we want to go. I already warned Reece I'm gonna be stressed out over this for a few months until we get used to the payment and get it through inspection and registered in MD. Then I'll get all excited about it. JD will have so much more room too!

And, last but not least, all the paper work was approved so that JD can start his speech therapy today. He's now in what is called the Itinerant Preschool Program, but will be going to Carrolltowne ES, where he was before, for the services. So hopefully he'll be able to see his old teachers on occasion.

JD Gems...as told by his speech therapist

JD's speech therapist told us this in the meeting yesterday. She was trying to get him to say a word with a "th" in the middle so she showed him a picture of a bathtub..

Tammyy: Joseph, what is this a picture of?
JD: A tub
Tammy: Well, yes, but there's a longer word for it. Can you use that?
JD: (Looks at Tammy for a few seconds) Tuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuub?
Tammy: (Cracking up laughing)

There you have it folks, she did ask for a longer word for it.

JD's IEP Re-evaluation Results...Bittersweet

I posted this info on facebook, but wanted to add it to the blog also. Yesterday was the IEP meeting at Carrolltowne ES to get the results of JD’s re-evaluation for special ed services. He's met all his goals in the occupational therapy and academic areas (Yay!), so the need for services in these areas is not there, which means he won't be attending Carrolltowne after next Tuesday (sigh).  JD will still be getting speech therapy once a week, most likely at Carrolltowne, but I still have to call the speech therapist and work out a time. His grandmom will just bring him up there for his half hour on whatever day we decide on.

His teachers are so proud of him and we are too. I told him his teachers said he's done so well, he gets to graduate from this school and he was excited. We'll decide what to do from here as far preschool or something until he starts kindergarten in the fall. Kindergarten registration is the last week of March and the representative from Piney Ridge ES who was at the meeting yesterday said we could call anytime and schedule a visit with him to take a tour of the school.

We’ll let you know how things go from here.  We’ve really been blessed that JD was able to be in this program. He has had the most wonderful, helpful, caring teachers and we will miss them very much.

Five is Fantastic!

JD turned 5 on January 12th. We had a little family dinner with his Grandmom and Grand-daddy (unfortunately my parents we'ren't able to come down from NJ), his Uncle Joe and his cousins, Brynn and Zach. I let him choose what was for dinner...pizza!...and he decided on cupcakes for dessert. I found some great ideas on Pinterest and made tye-dye cupcakes. They were so easy to do and look awesome! I even had help from my neice to make them.

We decided this year to have JD's party with his friends somewhere other than our house. Last year it was a little crowded...in fact, I think that's an understatement. After doing some research, we found our best bet was Adventure Park USA in New Market, MD. It's about a 30 minute drive from our house. The party included pizza and soda for the kids, unlimited time in the indoor playgound area, and 50 credits for each child to use in the arcade. We ordered extra pizzas so the adults could have lunch too and it worked out perfectly. We could have gotten the cake from them too, but we brought one that JD picked out. He saw the Tron cake and decided he wanted that. At that time, he hadn't seen Tron so I can only assume it was the motorcycle that lights up blue that sold it for him. LOL By the way, do you know how hard it is to find any kind of Tron party supplies? Let me tell you it's nearly inpossible. I was able to get some kids paperback books about Tron on Amazon that were reasonable and found some flying discs (looks like the rings on the Tron players backs) and glow stick bracelets at the party store.

The party went well and the kids all had a great time playing. JD loved running and climbing around in the playground with Lindsay, Savannah, Leo, Lucy, Lilly, Sam, James, Maxwell and Connor. As I expected, he came out of there all swetay and red-faced. He played air hockey (first time) with his friend Sam and a little help from Sam's dad and Reece when the puck stopped mid-table. He jumped in the moon bounce with Sydney and Teyla. JD got lots of great gifts from his friends and we're working on thank-you notes at the moment. My mom made us do them and I want JD to learn to do the same.

I think the funniest birthday moment was on the morning of his birthday when I dropped him off at Grandmom's. Our first 5 year old JD Gem. Here's the conversation we had as I was getting him out of the car:

Me: "Come on 5 year old boy, let's get you inside."

JD: "I'm not 5."

Me: "Yes you are, it's your birthday."

JD: "I don't feel older, so I'm not 5."

See, I knew that's how it worked. I tell myself the same thing every year on my birthday...I'm don't feel older, so I'm not older. LOL

Here's to year number 5 buddy...there are lots of great things to come!

Year In Review

I got this idea from the mom of one of JD's schoolmates. I think it's a great way to sum up what happened this year, include a few bits of info, and guess at 2012 might bring. I got these questions from the internet and from what I've seen there are questions you can ask your kids on thier birthday every year and see how their answers change with them. Cool! Wish I had done this a last year with JD, but 5 is as good a place to start as any. I can even add the list to his scrapbook (the one I will eternally be working on LOL)

What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
I went to Las Vegas…always wanted to go and have never been.

Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Honestly, I can’t even remember my resolution, so chances are I didn’t keep it. I haven’t really made one for this either, but before Christmas I decided I was going to really watch my sugar intake and started P90. Four weeks in and going strong!

What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A new (or new to me) car

What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 5…I turned 40!

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Managing a household on one income plus unemployment for almost the whole year. Did not miss a payment or bill…not a lot of fun stuff, but we had what we needed.

What was your biggest failure?
Gaining back the 8 lbs I lost the year before. L

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Even though the doctor said it was an upper respiratory infection, I’m not convinced I didn’t have the flu. Right as Reece was going back to work, I was out of work for a whole week. I couldn’t even sit up for 5 minutes and spent all that time in bed or lying on the couch. Reece also had some dental issue to deal with last year.

What was the best thing you bought?
Our Droid phones!!

Whose behavior merited celebration?
JD – for doing so well in school that they are currently testing him to see if he can be dismissed from the ECSN program.

Reece – for being Mr. Mom while he was out of work

Carolyn – for taking care of JD and getting him to school after Reece went back to work and even coming back up to meet the bus after Reece’s work schedule changed.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?Let’s see…most people on reality TV.

Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage and bills

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Reece going back to work in September after almost 1 ½  years out of work.

What song will always remind you of 2011?
Probably Party Rock Anthem…it’s the first thing that popped into my head and JD loves to dance to it.

Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? Happier…Reece is back to work and we’re actually going on a week vacation this summer.

thinner or fatter? Hhhmmm…well, since I gained the 8 lbs back, I guess fatter. My plan is to be the opposite this year.

richer or poorer? Richer for sure…financially, of course, with Reece back to work, but everywhere else as well.  JD is making great strides at school with his speech. We got to spend a lot of time with our family and friends, who are so helpful and supportive. We have what we need, which is more than some people have these days, and we have each other.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
Camping!

What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying (money, my weight, what others think of what I do or say)

How did you spend Christmas?
We spent it in NJ with my family this year. Got to spend time with my brother and his girlfriend, Amy; with my parents; and with one of my best friends, Chris, who is JD’s godmother. This weekend, we’ll be doing Christmas with Reece’s family when our niece and nephew arrive from CA.

What was your favorite TV program?
My all-time favorite is CSI, but really love Big Bang Theory, The Sing-Off and The Voice.

What was the best book you read?
I’d have to say Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini. I waited a over a year for this to come out and I found it hard to put down, but didn’t want to get to the end because I know it's the last one in the series. I plan to keep them for JD so he can read them someday.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Pentatonix on The Sing-Off…I love accapella music and used to sing in high school, but nothing like this! The music they can make with just their voices is just AMAZING!

What did you want and get?
For there to be work for Reece

What did you want and not get?
To refinance the house.

What was your favorite film of this year?
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

What was an unexpected joy this past year?
One of my best friends and her family stopped, on their way home from the Easter Shore of VA to MI, to have lunch with us and visit for a while. I got to see her twice this year!

What was an unexpected obstacle?I can’t say we really had any “unexpected” obstacles. It threw us off a bit when Reece’s schedule changed from where he’d be home to meet JD’s bus at 4:30 to him not getting home until 5 or just after. Luckily grand-mom to the rescue…she comes back up to meet the bus and stays with JD til daddy gets home.

Pick three words to describe 2011.Stressful, Busy, Fast

What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?Facebook!

What was the best way you used your time this past year?Learning to play video games again so I could play with JD.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 40 this year and celebrated by going to Vegas with 4 of my girlfriends from high school (we all turned 40 this year) for 4 days. It was so much fun! I also celebrated with some friends here…we all went to Cancun Cantina and I didn’t have to drive! Yay!

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to refinance the house.

What kept you sane?Girls’ night!! LOL And a little boy who makes me laugh!

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

Just because you fight with someone doesn’t mean you don’t love them…if you didn’t care about them you probably wouldn’t fight.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

“Life ain't always beautiful, But I know I'll be fine, Life ain't always beautiful, But it's a beautiful ride” - Gary Allan

Make 3 predictions for 2012:

• I will get back into my honeymoon bathing suit (keep your fingers crossed)
• JD will have a great time in kindergarten (Starts in Sept.)
• Someone in the house will get a new car

Ahoy...come aboard Captain JD's pirate ship

While I was putzing around on Pinterest today (yeah, still in the holiday not wanting to do work mode...as is everyone else here!) I decided that I should blog about the "fort" I made for JD. One of my best friends sent him a hippo shaped tent when he was about 2. Well he loved it so much, it was all he'd sleep in. In fact, we took apart his bed and just let him sleep in the tent for along time. There just wasn't enough room for both in his room. When we finally decided it was time for a bed, we got a simple twin bed at Ikea. He kept wanting a tent/fort, but since there was no footboard, just throwing a big sheet over the ends of the bed wasn't going to work. He really likes pirates so I came up with an idea for a fort. I went to JoAnn Fabric and bought something like 6 yards of muslin. I cut it in half so I had two 3 yard pieces and then cut one of those piece in half lengthwise. To sew it together, I put the widest piece in the middle and the thinner ones on the outside, added a rod pocket at the top and finished all the edges. So essentially, I made a big curtain. I then sewed on some pirate patches, made from red and black quilting fabric, so it would look like a repaired sail. My husband put up a wooden curtain rod on brackets close to the ceiling and we hung the sail fort. We just tuck the end under his mattress to make the fort and when he doesn't want it down, we just tuck it behind the headboard and it still makes a little canopy over his head.

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