Anthony and my little friend David
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
What a Incredable Wife I Have
As you can tell by the tile of this blog, its NOT Tricia writting this one.
Tricia did not sleep well last night, so she asked me to "blog something". Well that will probibly be the last time she does that.
For the past 12 plus years there has been a AWESOME women by my side, and over those past 12 years, I have not told her Thank You enough for all she does to help this family. When she quit her job at Daktronics when we got the boys, I really thought it was going to be tougher on the family, but having her be at home and the flexability to stay with a sick kid, donate her time to help in the kids classes, keeping up on all the dr appointments, I'm truly convinced that if she didn't, we would not be in the "fairly normal state" we are now.
THANK YOU TRICIA FOR ALL YOU DO!! I LOVE YOU MORE THAT YOU WILL EVER KNOW.
Tricia did not sleep well last night, so she asked me to "blog something". Well that will probibly be the last time she does that.
For the past 12 plus years there has been a AWESOME women by my side, and over those past 12 years, I have not told her Thank You enough for all she does to help this family. When she quit her job at Daktronics when we got the boys, I really thought it was going to be tougher on the family, but having her be at home and the flexability to stay with a sick kid, donate her time to help in the kids classes, keeping up on all the dr appointments, I'm truly convinced that if she didn't, we would not be in the "fairly normal state" we are now.
THANK YOU TRICIA FOR ALL YOU DO!! I LOVE YOU MORE THAT YOU WILL EVER KNOW.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Anthony
We've had a busy few days with Anthony. On Wednesday morning, I took him to kindergarten screening. Considering it's the 5th time I've gone through it, I wasn't overly concerned. He went right in, took their tests and passed with flying colors.
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On Thursday, I took him in to the clinic for his school physical. He did everything they asked him to and had no problems with the hearing or vision tests. He weighs 44 lbs and is 3' 11" so he's in the 99% for height for kids his age. He also had to have his final 3 shots. We talked quite a bit about it ahead of time so he was prepared. The nurse asked him if he wanted the shots in his arms or his legs and he chose his legs. He didn't like it, but he didn't scream or try to get away. He sat on my lap the entire time and I didn't even have to hold down his hands or arms. I was so proud of him! I'm 5 for 5 on kids taking their shots well. And he was our last one :)
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This afternoon Steve and I went to Anthony's school conference at Orchard Drive Preschool. He knows his numbers, letters, how to write his name and most of the rest of the things he'll need for kindergarten. His preschool teacher said a lot of really nice things about Anthony and feels he'll do fine in kindergarten. So do I.
I know my children pretty well so sometimes I feel like I could almost give a conference to the teachers. Here's what I would have said about Anthony:
He's a very smart little boy. He knows the facts but sometimes he choses whether or not to cooperate in telling them to you. He can be very affectionate and loving and gives lots of hugs to those he likes. He can also be very defiant when he wants to, sometimes just to test you to see if you'll follow through. When he is consistantly defiant, a phone call to his foster mom Betty immediately puts him in a good mood and he's a very cooperative little boy again. He has a hard time stopping an activity if he feels like he's not done with it, especially when he's working on papers. He has a very low impulse control and it also seems like he can't help but touch everything he sees. I think touching helps him learn about the world. And he is so darn cute when he smiles and his dimples are showing!
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On Thursday, I took him in to the clinic for his school physical. He did everything they asked him to and had no problems with the hearing or vision tests. He weighs 44 lbs and is 3' 11" so he's in the 99% for height for kids his age. He also had to have his final 3 shots. We talked quite a bit about it ahead of time so he was prepared. The nurse asked him if he wanted the shots in his arms or his legs and he chose his legs. He didn't like it, but he didn't scream or try to get away. He sat on my lap the entire time and I didn't even have to hold down his hands or arms. I was so proud of him! I'm 5 for 5 on kids taking their shots well. And he was our last one :)
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This afternoon Steve and I went to Anthony's school conference at Orchard Drive Preschool. He knows his numbers, letters, how to write his name and most of the rest of the things he'll need for kindergarten. His preschool teacher said a lot of really nice things about Anthony and feels he'll do fine in kindergarten. So do I.
I know my children pretty well so sometimes I feel like I could almost give a conference to the teachers. Here's what I would have said about Anthony:
He's a very smart little boy. He knows the facts but sometimes he choses whether or not to cooperate in telling them to you. He can be very affectionate and loving and gives lots of hugs to those he likes. He can also be very defiant when he wants to, sometimes just to test you to see if you'll follow through. When he is consistantly defiant, a phone call to his foster mom Betty immediately puts him in a good mood and he's a very cooperative little boy again. He has a hard time stopping an activity if he feels like he's not done with it, especially when he's working on papers. He has a very low impulse control and it also seems like he can't help but touch everything he sees. I think touching helps him learn about the world. And he is so darn cute when he smiles and his dimples are showing!
Don't Be In Such a Hurry
So today I guess I was in too much of a hurry and while I was carrying Anthony's laundry, I fell down the stairs. I pretty much hurt everything and didn't break anything. After that, I slowed down a bit.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Beth Says
From Beth Moore in The Patriarchs:
"We certainly don't want to march into our futures carrying the baggage of our pasts, but God forbid we'd walk away from our mistakes empty-handed. What we need is a bagggage exchange. We need to drop off our destructive, heavy baggage at the foot of the cross then tarry there for healing until God loads us with treasures to carry into our futures."
"We certainly don't want to march into our futures carrying the baggage of our pasts, but God forbid we'd walk away from our mistakes empty-handed. What we need is a bagggage exchange. We need to drop off our destructive, heavy baggage at the foot of the cross then tarry there for healing until God loads us with treasures to carry into our futures."
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Hillfest
Steve was working again at the Swiftel Center for AAU wrestling, so I took the kids to Hillfest this morning. Hillfest is basically a kids' school carnival with lots of games, prizes and food. Brittney had a friend spend the night and then our neighbor also went with us, so 8 of us piled into the van. For the most part, the kids had fun, listened really well and stayed by me.
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Both Zeke and Taylor won on their first try at the cake walk. Taylor picked a dozen cupcakes but Zeke chose an entire cake. The kids had fun with the games and I had fun chatting with friends I don't get to see very often anymore. After a while, the kids just wanted to play outside on the playground so I told them we'd grab a bite to eat and then they could play.
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Meanwhile, Zeke wet his pants. I didn't have a change of clothes along and if we left, we'd lose our parking spot and not be able to come back. So I had the kids go through the food line and then I found a secluded spot for us to eat. Then when everyone was done, we went outside and I let everyone but Zeke play on the playground for a half hour or so while we watched. I had plastic bags in the van so I covered Zeke's seat with them and made him sit in the van with me.
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As I was sitting in the van with the side door open, I dropped my camera onto the sidewalk. I was pretty sure it was broken since I couldn't see anything when I turned it on but I discovered later that it's the LCD screen that's broken. So I can still take pictures and see them on my computer, I just can't see what I'm taking as I take the picture. Kind of like the old days of film, I guess!
Taylor and Zeke at one of the prize tables
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Friday, March 26, 2010
Riley's 2nd Grade Music Concert
Thursday evening the younger kids and I attended Riley's 2nd grade music concert. Steve was working at the Swiftel Center and Brittney was working on homework. The concert attire was a bit confusing since the instructions sent home said to have the kids dressed in a red, white and/or blue shirt and blue jeans. Or red, white and/or blue dress clothes. Or a baseball outfit. Or a Lion King costume. Riley and a lot of the boys in his class thought it was cool to wear their baseball shirts but it made for a very diverse looking group of kids. Overall, Riley and his classmates did a great job!
Humane Society Field Trip
Taylor's class went on a field trip to the Humane Society on Thursday afternoon and I was invited to go walk along.
Home Again
Anthony and Taylor met our plane at the airport when we flew home. They wanted a picture with Jen and the plane.
Don't Shout in a Restaurant
When Jen and I were eating out last Saturday night in Oklahoma, I saw two ladies pass our table. One was wearing a blue shirt and one was wearing a yellow shirt. I wondered if they were Jacks fans in town for the game but I wasn't sure. Then I saw a gentleman with an SDSU jacks coat following behind them. I immediately shouted at him, "Go Jacks!!!"
He quickly responded back to me with a "Go Jacks!!!"
After they continued on to their table, Jen asked me if I knew who I was talking to. I told her I had no idea. I just knew he was a Jacks fan.
She pause a second before she informed me that I was shouting at the President of SDSU. Oops!
He quickly responded back to me with a "Go Jacks!!!"
After they continued on to their table, Jen asked me if I knew who I was talking to. I told her I had no idea. I just knew he was a Jacks fan.
She pause a second before she informed me that I was shouting at the President of SDSU. Oops!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Economy Car
Jen requested an economy car, which, being the economical person I am, suited me just fine. We both figured we'd save some money and get good gas mileage without anything fancy. When we saw the car while peering out the window through the blowing snow at the airport , it looked like a cute little car. We quickly rushed to outside and tried to throw our bags in the back seat. My passenger side door was unlocked, so I searched all over the door for the button to unlock the other doors. Meanwhile, Jen stood holding her bag in the winter weather, waiting for me. I finally gave up and reached back inside the car and pulled up the lock by hand. That's how we discovered that an economy car doesn't have power locks. And just in case you're wondering, it doesn't have power windows either. Apparently, our normal vehicles are fancier than we thought! Oh, and it only came with a quarter of a tank of gas. I guess it would have been worth more than "economy" if it had a full tank!
Monday, March 22, 2010
OK and Back
I flew to OK and now I'm back. It was a great time so I'll try to have some pics and posts tomorrow!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Quick Note
Last night I got to play Bunco with a great bunch of ladies and this morning we're off to the State Gymnastics meet. Go NorthStars!!!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Beth Moore
From Beth Moore:
"Let's recall what we were told in Genesis 39:21 when Joseph was thrown into prison: "The LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor." Sometimes we can be so busy looking for what is missing in our lives that we miss Who is busily present in our lives. We're looking for God to do us future favors when He's trying to open our eyes to present ones. Remember, God purposes to use every second of a divinely-ordained wait to build us into the individuals our future demands we be. One most peculiar and exquisite experience of the faith is realizing that while you haven't seen answers or the way you should take, you've learned how to see the light of God Himself. Right there in the blindness of your circumstances."
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"Let's recall what we were told in Genesis 39:21 when Joseph was thrown into prison: "The LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor." Sometimes we can be so busy looking for what is missing in our lives that we miss Who is busily present in our lives. We're looking for God to do us future favors when He's trying to open our eyes to present ones. Remember, God purposes to use every second of a divinely-ordained wait to build us into the individuals our future demands we be. One most peculiar and exquisite experience of the faith is realizing that while you haven't seen answers or the way you should take, you've learned how to see the light of God Himself. Right there in the blindness of your circumstances."
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Brittney Says
Brittney, the day after purchasing a flavored dog bone for our dog Will:
"They lied. It doesn't taste like chicken at all. I know. I tasted it."
"They lied. It doesn't taste like chicken at all. I know. I tasted it."
Anthony Says
As Anthony and I are driving in the car after dropping off Riley and Taylor, I notice I haven't heard from him for a while.
Me: "So Anthony. How's your world today?"
No response.
Me: "Anthony?"
No response.
Me as I turn around to make sure he's still in the car: "How come you're not talking to me?
Anthony, in a very quiet, unAnthony-like voice: "I don't want to scare the birds away."
Me: "So Anthony. How's your world today?"
No response.
Me: "Anthony?"
No response.
Me as I turn around to make sure he's still in the car: "How come you're not talking to me?
Anthony, in a very quiet, unAnthony-like voice: "I don't want to scare the birds away."
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
B-Ball
Exciting news for a friend and I! Her husband is flying us to the SDSU girls basketball game in Oklahoma! When he asked if I was interested in going with his wife, I was so excited! I told him he was great husband and he responded, "She deserves it!" I love it when my good friends have good husbands! And it doesn't hurt that I get to go to the game, too!
Taylor Says
Tay: "Please help me find some flip flops."
Mom: "No. It's still to cold out to wear flip flops."
Tay: "But Brittney's wearing flip flops."
Mom: "If Brittney jumped off a bridge, would you jump off a bridge?"
Tay: "YES!!!!!"
Mom: "No. It's still to cold out to wear flip flops."
Tay: "But Brittney's wearing flip flops."
Mom: "If Brittney jumped off a bridge, would you jump off a bridge?"
Tay: "YES!!!!!"
Taylor Says
Taylor and I were watching TV the other day and an EPT pregnancy test comerical came on. Taylor emphatically let me know, "I need to get one of those!"
"You do?"
"Yep!"
"Why?"
"So when I grow up and get married, I'll know when I'm pregnant!"
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WHEW!
"You do?"
"Yep!"
"Why?"
"So when I grow up and get married, I'll know when I'm pregnant!"
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WHEW!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Riley's Doing OK in My Book
Just a quick note about Riley's conference the other day. According to his grades, he's actually doing fine.
The only thing he got an N (Needs Improvement) is his effort in Spelling. But he still got an S- for his actual spelling grade. So it's not as bad as the teacher made it sound. I need to remember it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, what matters is our relationship and how he feels about school. As long as he thinks it's worth trying, he'll improve everyday. As long as I see forward progress, I'm happy for him and he can be proud of himself.
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It's easier for Zeke because people could see his physical challenges right away and just accepted his social and mental challenges. Now that Zeke's progressed so far, his teachers are great about acknowledging the challenges he's overcome and working together to keep moving him forward. Riley looks like a perfectly normal, healthy little boy, so everyone seems to expect so much from him in such a short time. But he has very poor impulse control.
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Riley's situation reminds me of feeding a baby. I'd mix formual and give the baby a bottle and maybe some Cheerios to gum down. By the time he was two, if I had a plate of meat and carrots, I'd cut the meat and maybe put it on the fork to help the little one learn to eat by himself. Eventually, with enough patience and time, he can eat on his own. You wouldn't just fuss at him or his parents because he wasn't eating supper like an adult all by himself at the age of two. It's kind of the same thing with Riley. His chronological age is 8 but his emotional age is 4 (that's almost how long we've had him). He keeps narrowing the gap, but the gap is still there and I can't and won't pretend that it's not. Just because it can't be seen on the outside doesn't mean it's not there on the inside.
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It's not that I want to excuse all of his behaviors and let him act any way he wants for the rest of his life. But I can see that he doesn't understand everything socially like his peers who have grown up in a stable family for 9 years. We need to slowly teach him and guide him so that eventually he can do it on his own. Yet the school seems to want him to be able to do it all by himself right away. And it's not working. All that happens is that I get a little boy in tears at night because he, and I quote from Riley, "want to be good but my brain keeps telling me to do bad things." He wants so badly to be "good enough". I have to reassure him almost every night that we're proud of him and love him no matter what. Unfortunately, his world outside our home is made up of expectations of achievement right now. We'll just have to keep teaching and praying and leave the rest up to God :)
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It's easier for Zeke because people could see his physical challenges right away and just accepted his social and mental challenges. Now that Zeke's progressed so far, his teachers are great about acknowledging the challenges he's overcome and working together to keep moving him forward. Riley looks like a perfectly normal, healthy little boy, so everyone seems to expect so much from him in such a short time. But he has very poor impulse control.
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Riley's situation reminds me of feeding a baby. I'd mix formual and give the baby a bottle and maybe some Cheerios to gum down. By the time he was two, if I had a plate of meat and carrots, I'd cut the meat and maybe put it on the fork to help the little one learn to eat by himself. Eventually, with enough patience and time, he can eat on his own. You wouldn't just fuss at him or his parents because he wasn't eating supper like an adult all by himself at the age of two. It's kind of the same thing with Riley. His chronological age is 8 but his emotional age is 4 (that's almost how long we've had him). He keeps narrowing the gap, but the gap is still there and I can't and won't pretend that it's not. Just because it can't be seen on the outside doesn't mean it's not there on the inside.
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It's not that I want to excuse all of his behaviors and let him act any way he wants for the rest of his life. But I can see that he doesn't understand everything socially like his peers who have grown up in a stable family for 9 years. We need to slowly teach him and guide him so that eventually he can do it on his own. Yet the school seems to want him to be able to do it all by himself right away. And it's not working. All that happens is that I get a little boy in tears at night because he, and I quote from Riley, "want to be good but my brain keeps telling me to do bad things." He wants so badly to be "good enough". I have to reassure him almost every night that we're proud of him and love him no matter what. Unfortunately, his world outside our home is made up of expectations of achievement right now. We'll just have to keep teaching and praying and leave the rest up to God :)
Isaiah 40:28-31
Don't you know?
Haven't you heard?
The eternal God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth,
doesn't grow tired or become weary.
His understanding is beyond reach.
He gives strength to those who grow tired
and increases the strength of those who are weak.
Even young people grow tired and become weary,
and young men will stumble and fall.
Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in the Lord
will be renewed.
They will soar on wings like eagles.
They will run and won't become weary.
They will walk and won't grow tired.
Don't you know?
Haven't you heard?
The eternal God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth,
doesn't grow tired or become weary.
His understanding is beyond reach.
He gives strength to those who grow tired
and increases the strength of those who are weak.
Even young people grow tired and become weary,
and young men will stumble and fall.
Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in the Lord
will be renewed.
They will soar on wings like eagles.
They will run and won't become weary.
They will walk and won't grow tired.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Rollercoaster Day
I still don't feel very good and it still feels like I have to do everything in slow motion since I can't breath as well as I used to. Today was a rollercoaster day and not really in a good way. I kind of wish I could call someone up who would know what I'm feeling but I don't think anyone but me understands today's rollercoaster.
*It started with a crabby preteen who isn't used to the time change yet. Fortunately, she was out of the house by 7:20am.
*My wonderful mother-in-law dropped Anthony off at preschool and then my amazing dad brought him home again.
*I had to make sure the house was ready for a DSS inspection. We have to renew our foster license every year and included in that is a home visit, paperwork and an inspection. The visit lasted two hours and when you're not feeling the best, that seems like a long time. The only part of the house inspection that we have to correct is our water temperature. It has to be between 110 -130 and ours tested at 134. I turned down the water heater but she'll have to come back to test it again on another day. It felt good to be praised for giving the boys a good, nurturing home. And to have someone that has known them from the time they came into our home until now to tell me again how far they've all come, especially considering all the challenges they've faced in their short lives.
*After school, Zeke couldn't find his Boys & Girls Club card so he started having a meltdown in the van and hitting anyone he could reach while seatbelted. I took him to the Club anyway since we needed to be at Riley's school conference at 5pm.
*I thought I could handle Riley's conference but Iprobably should've just had Steve go today. I take it so personally when all I hear is how he isn't going to be able to succeed in 3rd grade, ie. life, because he can't stop talking to his friends and stay in his own space. I just wanted to cry through the whole conference.
It's not his fault that we didn't get to help him work on this stuff until he was already 5 years old. He's only had 3.5 years of learning "the system" compared to most kids 8 or 9 years. He totally craves attention and acceptance and is looking for it anywhere he can get it. And sometimes that's from his friends. He is very susceptible to peer pressure. I guess that's what happens when you're in not in the best home situation and end up in foster care.
Instead of picking on what he's not doing well, how about praising him for how far he's come.
What about the fact that he was suspended for half a day in kindergarten? He doesn't have those behaviors anymore.
And what about the fact that in kindergarten he was told by a teacher to stop running in the hall and he ran away and hid because he was afraid? He doesn't do that any more.
And what about the fact that he used to ask little girls to pull their pant down and lay on top of them and kiss them? He doesn't do that anymore.
I could go on and on. We've worked so hard with him for the past few years and all the school sees is a boy who talks to much and can't stay in his seat or follow directions.
He's worked so hard to get to the place he's at now in life and I know he won't fail LIFE just because the school is failing him. It just means I have to work that much harder as a parent to continue to teach him. I just wish I didn't feel so bad about it. :(
*It started with a crabby preteen who isn't used to the time change yet. Fortunately, she was out of the house by 7:20am.
*My wonderful mother-in-law dropped Anthony off at preschool and then my amazing dad brought him home again.
*I had to make sure the house was ready for a DSS inspection. We have to renew our foster license every year and included in that is a home visit, paperwork and an inspection. The visit lasted two hours and when you're not feeling the best, that seems like a long time. The only part of the house inspection that we have to correct is our water temperature. It has to be between 110 -130 and ours tested at 134. I turned down the water heater but she'll have to come back to test it again on another day. It felt good to be praised for giving the boys a good, nurturing home. And to have someone that has known them from the time they came into our home until now to tell me again how far they've all come, especially considering all the challenges they've faced in their short lives.
*After school, Zeke couldn't find his Boys & Girls Club card so he started having a meltdown in the van and hitting anyone he could reach while seatbelted. I took him to the Club anyway since we needed to be at Riley's school conference at 5pm.
*I thought I could handle Riley's conference but Iprobably should've just had Steve go today. I take it so personally when all I hear is how he isn't going to be able to succeed in 3rd grade, ie. life, because he can't stop talking to his friends and stay in his own space. I just wanted to cry through the whole conference.
It's not his fault that we didn't get to help him work on this stuff until he was already 5 years old. He's only had 3.5 years of learning "the system" compared to most kids 8 or 9 years. He totally craves attention and acceptance and is looking for it anywhere he can get it. And sometimes that's from his friends. He is very susceptible to peer pressure. I guess that's what happens when you're in not in the best home situation and end up in foster care.
Instead of picking on what he's not doing well, how about praising him for how far he's come.
What about the fact that he was suspended for half a day in kindergarten? He doesn't have those behaviors anymore.
And what about the fact that in kindergarten he was told by a teacher to stop running in the hall and he ran away and hid because he was afraid? He doesn't do that any more.
And what about the fact that he used to ask little girls to pull their pant down and lay on top of them and kiss them? He doesn't do that anymore.
I could go on and on. We've worked so hard with him for the past few years and all the school sees is a boy who talks to much and can't stay in his seat or follow directions.
He's worked so hard to get to the place he's at now in life and I know he won't fail LIFE just because the school is failing him. It just means I have to work that much harder as a parent to continue to teach him. I just wish I didn't feel so bad about it. :(
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Super Mom to Stupid Mom
Ironically enough, as soon as I posted the previous post about how well my children were behaving, they ceased to behave well. When I was writing the post, they were all tucked into bed with their PJ's on, calmly watching cartoons. As soon as I turned the TV off, I had crying, yelling, hitting and just general chaos. So for those of you who thought I was Super Mom for my well behaved children, I am now the stupid mom who thought I could take 5 kids who hate transitions on an impromptu trip while I am sick. Just making sure I keep the blog real :)
Hotel for 6
We made it to Sioux Falls. It rained the whole way but since the temp was 36 there was no ice involved. It was foggy but the visibility was fine for driving. We checked into our cheap priceline room at the Hampton Inn right off of I29. It's only 5 minutes away from the gym Brittney competes at tomorrow.
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We had homemade potato soup, (brought from home in my crockpot), french bread (heated in the hotel room microwave) and snacks. Then the kids swam while I sat and cheered them on. There was a group of adults talking around a table in the pool area when we came in. I thought my kids might be a bit much for them but an hour later as we were leaving, one of the women approached me and asked if they were all my kids. I proudly answered, "Yes."
She responded by letting me know that they were "so well behaved".
I seriously couldn't have been prouder of my family! I never would have believed 3 years ago that I could take 5 kids to a hotel by myself and actually be proud of their behavior! Great job kids!
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We had homemade potato soup, (brought from home in my crockpot), french bread (heated in the hotel room microwave) and snacks. Then the kids swam while I sat and cheered them on. There was a group of adults talking around a table in the pool area when we came in. I thought my kids might be a bit much for them but an hour later as we were leaving, one of the women approached me and asked if they were all my kids. I proudly answered, "Yes."
She responded by letting me know that they were "so well behaved".
I seriously couldn't have been prouder of my family! I never would have believed 3 years ago that I could take 5 kids to a hotel by myself and actually be proud of their behavior! Great job kids!
Darn It, I'm Sick
So it's official. I went to the doctor this afternoon and I have walking pneumonia. Medication plus inhaler. Great. Now I'm unplugging the computer so I can take it to Sioux Falls this afternoon. With the ice that we dealt with last Saturday morning and Steve working at Swiftel all weekend, I'm splurging on a hotel room (thank you priceline.com) and the kids and I are heading down this afternoon. I made homemade soup and am taking it to the hotel in the crockpot so I won't have to worry about paying for supper. And the breakfast is free at the hotel so it really isn't too bad. Except I feel like crap but I guess you can't ask for everything.
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This is a sign I have hanging in my kitchen:
There cannot be a crisis today, my schedule is already full!
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This is a sign I have hanging in my kitchen:
There cannot be a crisis today, my schedule is already full!
Beach Party
After I picked up Anthony, he told me that his preschool teachers lied to him.
"About what?" I asked.
"They shouldn't tell us to wear our swimming suits when we don't get to go swimming!"
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Thursday Chat
I absolutely love Thursday Chat! Having friends drop over just to talk, drink coffee (or diet coke) and snack. Can't believe we didn't think of it before this year. We even had a grandma visit with us today. Hooray for Grandma Sylvia!
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That was the good part of the day. The downfall is that I am finally having to admit that I'm officially sick. I should probably go to the doctor since I wheeze when I breath and can't seem to have any kind of productive cough even though I've been taking musinex for 3 days now. Anthony's sick, too. This afternoon I found him lying on the couch. I know he doesn't feel good if he's not in constant motion. Then later, I checked on him again and he had crawled into his bed and was taking a nap. He never wants to take a nap, much less decides on his own to take one. I had to wake him up to pick up the other kids from school. I hope he's feeling better tomorrow because his preschool class is having a beach party. And after the snow again today, I'm ready to think summer!
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That was the good part of the day. The downfall is that I am finally having to admit that I'm officially sick. I should probably go to the doctor since I wheeze when I breath and can't seem to have any kind of productive cough even though I've been taking musinex for 3 days now. Anthony's sick, too. This afternoon I found him lying on the couch. I know he doesn't feel good if he's not in constant motion. Then later, I checked on him again and he had crawled into his bed and was taking a nap. He never wants to take a nap, much less decides on his own to take one. I had to wake him up to pick up the other kids from school. I hope he's feeling better tomorrow because his preschool class is having a beach party. And after the snow again today, I'm ready to think summer!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300 C. The Russians used a pencil.
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Three buildings in town were overrun by squirrels—the town hall, the hardware store, and the church. The town hall brought in some cats. But after they tore up all the files, the mayor got rid of the predators, and soon the squirrels were back.
The hardware store humanely trapped the squirrels and set them free outside town. But three days later, the squirrels climbed back in.
Only the church came up with an effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and made them members. Now they see them only on Christmas and Easter.
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I bought a box of animal crackers and it said on it "Do not eat if seal is broken." So I opened up the box, and sure enough...
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Only in America...can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance...
Only in America...are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink...
Only in America...do people order double cheese burgers, a large fry, and a diet coke...
Only in America...do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters...
Only in America...do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and leave useless things and junk in boxes in the garage...
Only in America...do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place...
Only in America...do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight...
Only in America...do we use the word "politics" to describe the process so well: "Poli" in latin meaning "many" and "tics" meaning "blood-sucking creatures"..
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Three buildings in town were overrun by squirrels—the town hall, the hardware store, and the church. The town hall brought in some cats. But after they tore up all the files, the mayor got rid of the predators, and soon the squirrels were back.
The hardware store humanely trapped the squirrels and set them free outside town. But three days later, the squirrels climbed back in.
Only the church came up with an effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and made them members. Now they see them only on Christmas and Easter.
.
I bought a box of animal crackers and it said on it "Do not eat if seal is broken." So I opened up the box, and sure enough...
.
Only in America...can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance...
Only in America...are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink...
Only in America...do people order double cheese burgers, a large fry, and a diet coke...
Only in America...do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters...
Only in America...do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and leave useless things and junk in boxes in the garage...
Only in America...do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place...
Only in America...do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight...
Only in America...do we use the word "politics" to describe the process so well: "Poli" in latin meaning "many" and "tics" meaning "blood-sucking creatures"..
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Paying To Support My Kids Yet Again
The SDSU Jacks Women's basketball team won again today so they'll be in the Championship game tomorrow! Go Big! Go Blue! Go Jacks!
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Brittney has a band concert tonight. Steve's exhausted from working all weekend, so I'm leaving him home with the boys. I'm taking Taylor because she's the only one in our whole family who actually wants to go. I think it's a little ridiculous that the concert is mandatory for Brittney to attend but because it's an all-band concert (high school and middle school), they're having it at the High School and charging $5.00 per person to get in. I'd really like to just drop her off at the door and pick her up when she's done but I guess that's not good parental support. So I'll just suck it up and pay to attend my kid's band concert!
*
Brittney has a band concert tonight. Steve's exhausted from working all weekend, so I'm leaving him home with the boys. I'm taking Taylor because she's the only one in our whole family who actually wants to go. I think it's a little ridiculous that the concert is mandatory for Brittney to attend but because it's an all-band concert (high school and middle school), they're having it at the High School and charging $5.00 per person to get in. I'd really like to just drop her off at the door and pick her up when she's done but I guess that's not good parental support. So I'll just suck it up and pay to attend my kid's band concert!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Summit League Basketball
Because Steve works at the Summit League basketball tournament, he gets two free tickets to every session. Last year, my friend Jen and I went together and we had so much fun we decided to go together again this year. We think it works out great that Steve works and we get his free tickets! I love having a friend that enjoys watching the games as much as I do. The SDSU women won their game by 41 points. Then we made a quick run to Qdoba for supper and went back to the arena for the mens game. Their game was close but ended in a loss. We drove home through heavy fog but the roads were dry. And apparently we didn't have enough time to talk during the hour drive there, waiting for the games to start, two half times, supper and the hour drive back because after I pulled into my driveway, we sat and talked some more. Good basketball, good food, good music, good conversation and a good friend. Can life get any better?!
Bonus
After gymnastics meets, Brittney is usually really hungry and yesterday was no exception. So after we stopped at a used video game store to pick up Wii Mario Cart, we went to Royal Fork for lunch. They have a buffet style with lots of options so the kids always get food they like. And since it was only one adult and the kids, it was also cheap.
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The bonus was that while we were eating there, I ran into an old friend, Cindy. We were from different towns but ran in the same debate and interp circles in high school, went to Nationals together and then both went to SDSU and the same church. I don't think we've actually seen each other since college so it was fun to chat for a few minutes. Since she doesn't live too far away, we're hoping we can get together this summer for an extended chat session while the kids play!
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The bonus was that while we were eating there, I ran into an old friend, Cindy. We were from different towns but ran in the same debate and interp circles in high school, went to Nationals together and then both went to SDSU and the same church. I don't think we've actually seen each other since college so it was fun to chat for a few minutes. Since she doesn't live too far away, we're hoping we can get together this summer for an extended chat session while the kids play!
One of My Favorite Songs
That's What Faith Can Do
music by Kutless
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Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think its more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can!
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise
music by Kutless
.
Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think its more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can!
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Beach Party Gymnastics Meet Results
Vault - 8.9 - 5th Place
Bars - 8.975 - 3rd Place
Beam - 8.825 - 3rd Place
Floor - 8.55 - Didn't place
All-Around - 35.25 - 4th Place
*
For anyone not familiar with gymnastics, as I wasn't a few years ago, here's what some of the scores mean:
In team club competition, every gymnast competes in every event.
The gymnasts score points up to 10 on each event.
The All-Around score is reached by adding the gymnasts score on each of her four events.
The gymnast with the highest number of total points wins 1st place in All-Around.
*
Brittney has already been talking to me about colleges with gymnastics programs. How fun would that be!?
Bars - 8.975 - 3rd Place
Beam - 8.825 - 3rd Place
Floor - 8.55 - Didn't place
All-Around - 35.25 - 4th Place
*
For anyone not familiar with gymnastics, as I wasn't a few years ago, here's what some of the scores mean:
In team club competition, every gymnast competes in every event.
The gymnasts score points up to 10 on each event.
The All-Around score is reached by adding the gymnasts score on each of her four events.
The gymnast with the highest number of total points wins 1st place in All-Around.
*
Brittney has already been talking to me about colleges with gymnastics programs. How fun would that be!?
Dangerous Ice !!!
I'm pretty much a single parent for a while. Steve has been spending his days at Daktronics and his evenings at the Swiftel Center in the concession stand. This weekend, he's in Sioux Falls for the Summit League Basketball tournament working in the media room. Since the evenings there get fairly late and the weather isn't particularly cooperative, he's staying with friends in Sioux Falls tonight.
.
Last night we took Taylor to my friends' house to spend the night so she didn't have to go to gymnastic today. This morning, Brittney, Riley, Zeke, Anthony and I headed to Sioux Falls at 6:30am. We were crusing about 77 mph for the first 20 miles and then it started raining. A few miles farther down the interstate, I could feel the van tires slipping and we were suddenly sliding down the road instead of driving. Within just a mile or so, we were slowed down to 15 mph and saw two serious rollovers. There were also lots of cars in the ditch and along the side of the road. Most cars had been able to slow down but still couldn't stop so by the time their vehicles came to a stop, they just ended up in various positions along the side of the road. It really got tricky when we were only going 5-10 mph and couldn't get enough traction to get up the hills on the road. It was basically a matter of pushing the gas pedal gently just enough and then slowly rotating the steering wheel side to side, since the back end of the van would automatically go the opposite direction as the front wheels. I had to do that all the way up every hill and so did all the other vehicles. The kids and I prayed that God would get us safely to an exit and keep all our team members and families safe because it was a very dangerous situation.
.
It seemed like an eternity when we finally spotted an overpass but as we slowly approached it, I realized that it didn't have any exit or entrance ramps. So we continued on and continued praying. A few more miles down the road, as we came over the crest of a large hill, I saw a semi parked at the bottom. As I made the slow, treacherous slide down the hill, I tried to switch over into the passing lane so I didn't run into the semi at the bottom. We swerved and slid all the way down, but by the time we reached the bottom, we were safely in the other lane. As we approached the next hill, we saw an underpass. And this one had an exit ramp. Because of all the ice, it was impossible to make movement of the steering wheel without deciding way ahead of time and then doing it very slowly.
.
The closer we got to the exit ramp, the more cars we saw stopped along the side of the road and along the ramp. It looked like they had all decided the interstate was too dangerous and took the exit. Then some couldn't make the turn and tried to stop. And others made the turn onto the ramp and then simply collided with each other because no one could slow down, turn or stop. I said a quick prayer out loud for God to let us know if we should try to get off at the exit or keep going. As we slowly approached, I saw a gap in cars and trailers and slowly tried to manuever the van through and down the exit ramp. We finally made it off the interstate and I thanked God for keeping us safe!
.
Just to give you a better idea of exactly how slippery and dangerous the interstate was at that time, It was raining and the temp gauge in the van read 30 degrees. Our coache's wife, Becca, spun around and slid to the side of the road in her car. One of our team families tried to pick up her and her baby. Because they thought that her car was sticking too far out into the road, one mom simply pushed the car farther over a few feet leaning against it. Then Becca tried to carry her son to the other car in his infant car seat but couldn't even get enough traction to walk while carrying him. So she ended up putting the car seat on the side of the road and giving it a push to the other car.
.
Once our van was safely off the interstate, I just followed our GPS (Thank you Pickards!!!!) to the nearest gravel road. I grew up in the country and know that the best road to be on while it's icy is gravel. I had traction again. I drove on gravel all the way into Sioux Falls. I called Steve and told him not to get on the interstate and then I took a moment and thanked God for helping us make it safely off the interstate and allowing us to make it to the meet. Because we had left home early, we weren't even that late. And all our team members, families and coaches made it safely!
.
Last night we took Taylor to my friends' house to spend the night so she didn't have to go to gymnastic today. This morning, Brittney, Riley, Zeke, Anthony and I headed to Sioux Falls at 6:30am. We were crusing about 77 mph for the first 20 miles and then it started raining. A few miles farther down the interstate, I could feel the van tires slipping and we were suddenly sliding down the road instead of driving. Within just a mile or so, we were slowed down to 15 mph and saw two serious rollovers. There were also lots of cars in the ditch and along the side of the road. Most cars had been able to slow down but still couldn't stop so by the time their vehicles came to a stop, they just ended up in various positions along the side of the road. It really got tricky when we were only going 5-10 mph and couldn't get enough traction to get up the hills on the road. It was basically a matter of pushing the gas pedal gently just enough and then slowly rotating the steering wheel side to side, since the back end of the van would automatically go the opposite direction as the front wheels. I had to do that all the way up every hill and so did all the other vehicles. The kids and I prayed that God would get us safely to an exit and keep all our team members and families safe because it was a very dangerous situation.
.
It seemed like an eternity when we finally spotted an overpass but as we slowly approached it, I realized that it didn't have any exit or entrance ramps. So we continued on and continued praying. A few more miles down the road, as we came over the crest of a large hill, I saw a semi parked at the bottom. As I made the slow, treacherous slide down the hill, I tried to switch over into the passing lane so I didn't run into the semi at the bottom. We swerved and slid all the way down, but by the time we reached the bottom, we were safely in the other lane. As we approached the next hill, we saw an underpass. And this one had an exit ramp. Because of all the ice, it was impossible to make movement of the steering wheel without deciding way ahead of time and then doing it very slowly.
.
The closer we got to the exit ramp, the more cars we saw stopped along the side of the road and along the ramp. It looked like they had all decided the interstate was too dangerous and took the exit. Then some couldn't make the turn and tried to stop. And others made the turn onto the ramp and then simply collided with each other because no one could slow down, turn or stop. I said a quick prayer out loud for God to let us know if we should try to get off at the exit or keep going. As we slowly approached, I saw a gap in cars and trailers and slowly tried to manuever the van through and down the exit ramp. We finally made it off the interstate and I thanked God for keeping us safe!
.
Just to give you a better idea of exactly how slippery and dangerous the interstate was at that time, It was raining and the temp gauge in the van read 30 degrees. Our coache's wife, Becca, spun around and slid to the side of the road in her car. One of our team families tried to pick up her and her baby. Because they thought that her car was sticking too far out into the road, one mom simply pushed the car farther over a few feet leaning against it. Then Becca tried to carry her son to the other car in his infant car seat but couldn't even get enough traction to walk while carrying him. So she ended up putting the car seat on the side of the road and giving it a push to the other car.
.
Once our van was safely off the interstate, I just followed our GPS (Thank you Pickards!!!!) to the nearest gravel road. I grew up in the country and know that the best road to be on while it's icy is gravel. I had traction again. I drove on gravel all the way into Sioux Falls. I called Steve and told him not to get on the interstate and then I took a moment and thanked God for helping us make it safely off the interstate and allowing us to make it to the meet. Because we had left home early, we weren't even that late. And all our team members, families and coaches made it safely!
Odd Posts
So Brittney has very odd posts. Interesting. But odd. I've been a bit preoccupied lately with a bit of family drama. The best way to handle drama is to stay out of it!
*
*
Friday, March 5, 2010
GOOD LUCK AND UPDATE!!! :)
*Me and mom are watching AFV (americia's funniet home videos) and eating cookie dough but the most we are doing is laffing our butts off!!!!!
* also good luck tommrow NORTH STAR GYMNAST'S if you are in SF saturday and want to come it starts at but not the competion
Brittney Marie Wikins
* also good luck tommrow NORTH STAR GYMNAST'S if you are in SF saturday and want to come it starts at but not the competion
Brittney Marie Wikins
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Brittney hearts French Fries
im a bee
im a bee
im im im a bee
well any ways i like the song french fries i found it on you tube
1. go 2 you tube
2. serch in french fries
3. it will come up as the first song/video
4. then click on the picture
5. DONT YOU LOVE THE VIDEO????????
Im a bee
im a bee
im im im bee
PeAcE OuT
Brittney Maire Wilkins
im a bee
im im im a bee
well any ways i like the song french fries i found it on you tube
1. go 2 you tube
2. serch in french fries
3. it will come up as the first song/video
4. then click on the picture
5. DONT YOU LOVE THE VIDEO????????
Im a bee
im a bee
im im im bee
PeAcE OuT
Brittney Maire Wilkins
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Steve :)
My husband took the whole day off just to hang out with me! We did a lot of cleaning and relaxing and just spending time together. Nothing spectacular, just being together :)
Monday, March 1, 2010
Gymnasts Meet Results
Ok. I totally apologize if I offended anyone with the previous joke. But I was really tired, and it is funny!
*
Brittney metaled in every event at the Rushmore Invitational Gymnastics Meet.
1st Place on Vault
3rd Place on Bars
6th Place on Beam (I was surprised that she got this high since she fell off after her cartwheel)
4th Place on Floor
3rd Place in All Around
*
Her team, Gold Metal Gymnastics, took 1st Place in the team competition, too! It was fun to see some new faces there since some teams come from Spearfish, Wyoming, and Rapid, besides the teams we regularly compete with.
*
Only 2 more meets and the State Tournament to go for this season!
*
Now we're getting ready to drop the kids off at school and then I'm headed off to Yankton with my friend Jen to do a little car swapping for Pickard Crop Services.
*
Brittney metaled in every event at the Rushmore Invitational Gymnastics Meet.
1st Place on Vault
3rd Place on Bars
6th Place on Beam (I was surprised that she got this high since she fell off after her cartwheel)
4th Place on Floor
3rd Place in All Around
*
Her team, Gold Metal Gymnastics, took 1st Place in the team competition, too! It was fun to see some new faces there since some teams come from Spearfish, Wyoming, and Rapid, besides the teams we regularly compete with.
*
Only 2 more meets and the State Tournament to go for this season!
*
Now we're getting ready to drop the kids off at school and then I'm headed off to Yankton with my friend Jen to do a little car swapping for Pickard Crop Services.
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