Thursday, December 15, 2011

Unexpected News

As most of you know my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer this time last year and spent most of 2011 doing chemo.  She had been doing great despite the fact they had to stop her treatment early due to it effecting her heart. 

A few months ago my mom started seeing double vision and after a visit to the eye doctor he thought she had had a stroke so he ordered an MRI to be done to see if anymore damage had been done to her brain.  Sadly the MRI results showed a tumor in her brain.  The tumor was causing the double vision and the memory issues.  She has to begin radiation immediately.  The kids and I are headed up north this weekend to spend some time with her and be with her as she starts her treatment.  This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life but now my game face is on and I am going to stay strong for my mom! 

Please continue to pray for all of those suffering from cancer or any disease! 


Friday, December 2, 2011

December Already?

I cannot believe the last time I blogged was September 14th!  I have no good excuse other than we have been crazy busy since moving.  I really don't even know where to start.  We love our new house and more importantly we love you new neighborhood.   Today Maiya asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I told her that I have everything that I have ever wanted and she just looked at me confused.  I told her that all I wanted for Christmas was for our family to live in a neighborhood with lots of kids and friends and we have that now so I don't need anything.  She said "Aww, but I want you to have a present under the tree!"  I though it was pretty cute!

The kids are doing great!  They both love school and are doing very well.  We are in full swing of the holidays.  I am room mom for Maiya's class and I was so nervous at first but I am really enjoying it.  I also love that I get to volunteer in Andrew's class once a week and that is a lot of fun and very rewarding. 

Andrew celebrated his sixth birthday last month.  We had a party with his new friends and I think he had the best time ever.  He tells me all the time how happy he is that we moved here because of all his friends.  

Our house is fully decorated for Christmas including outdoor decorations.  This is the first time we have actually done outside lights and the kids were so excited to help.  Now I just have to get my Christmas shopping done.  I did venture out for Black Friday and that was fun, but a lot of what I need this year wasn't apart of the sales, but nonetheless is was fun to get out there. 

In the even that you don't hear from me until after Christmas I want to wish all of my friends and family a very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!  I hope that your lives are blessed and full of love!  I know mine is!


Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Preschool Fun!

Maiya started her first year of preschool last Tuesday.  While we were in carpool line I asked her if she was excited and she said yes, then I asked her if she was nervous and she looks at me and says "Nope!  When can I go in?"  I told her she had to wait until a teacher came and got her out of the car and then finally it was her turn.  My stomach was in knots but she hops out of the car and without even looking back at me she says "I love you mommy!"  

When I picked her up she was so excited.  She loved school and couldn't stop talking about her first day.  She said she loved everything but that she was upset because it rained and they couldn't go out on the playground.  I asked her if she missed and she said "No, I had too much fun!"  Her teacher brought her out to the car yesterday and told me that Maiya is her saving grace in the class and she absolutely adores her.   I love hearing that about my kids...and to think I was worried about Maiya being a trouble maker.  LOL!

 


Monday, August 29, 2011

August Craziness...

This has been an absolutely crazy month!  I am actually really glad it is almost over, I am ready to go back to a "normal" sense of life.  Ha is there such a thing?

We are now just a week and half away from moving into our new beautiful home!  Our walk through is Thursday and then we close the following Wednesday.  We are all so excited and cannot wait, but as excited as I know I am, the kids are a million times more excited!  This new neighborhood is amazing!  There are so many kids for Andrew and Maiya to play with, in fact we have already had several play dates with some of our new neighbors (and we haven't even moved in yet!)  Everyone is so friendly and nice and it is going to be a great new beginning for our family!

Andrew is doing great in kindergarten.  We have curriculum night tomorrow at his school so I am looking forward to going to that.  He is really coming into his own this year, I can already see how much he has grown in the first month of school.

Maiya starts her first day of preschool next week and I cannot believe it.  She is only going 2 days a week but I know she will love.  We got to meet her teacher last week and she is super nice and sweet.  I am the room mom so that should be interesting considering I have never done it before.  Maiya is LOVING ballet.  She gets so excited when Tuesday rolls around. 

My mom's chemo treatments have been canceled indefinitely because her heart cannot take anymore. The doctor said that she has a 50/50 chance of it coming back since she was not able to complete the remaining 9 months of treatment so I am going to pray that we are on the side of it not coming back.  She of course she is worried but going to just focus on the good things and do her best to stay positive. 

Andy and I are doing great!  We are excited about this new chapter in our lives and are excited for the future!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Superstar

Maiya was born to be a star!  This week she had her first ballet class and I don't think she ever stopped smiling. From the time we bought her outfit on Monday until she took it off after class on Tuesday she smiled.  She absolutely loved every minute of it! My face hurt when we left because just watching her I couldn't stop smiling either.
Before we left for class
 Miss. Ellen helping with her shoes
 Getting ready
 "Airplane"
 Ballerina Spin
 Coming back and doing "airplane"

Friday, August 19, 2011

For my mom...

and all the woman out there fighting against cancer!



Monday, August 15, 2011

First Days

On Thursday Andrew started kindergarten!  He did great getting on the bus and wasn't too nervous, but I was a wreck.  I could not stop crying...I wasn't sobbing out of control like some crazy mom, but I was definitely having a hard time keeping it in.  My only saving grace was that I had to meet another mom for breakfast so I got myself under control pretty quickly and headed off to her house.  Then I hear Maiya crying and I thought she hurt herself.  I asked her what was wrong and by this time she was crying really hard and she said "I miss Andrew!"  It broke my heart but was so sweet at the same time.  Once Maiya was feeling better we headed off to our friend's house where we decided we needed some emotional support so we went to the PTA sponsored breakfast at the school and then I went back to her house for a playdate.   We had a great time and it made the day go by so much faster.  I highly recommend having an emotional support playdate!

I was so excited when Andrew got off the bus to ask about his day.  He was really upset because he had forgot his water bottle and the bus was really hot but I got him some water and he started to feel better.  He did not enjoy the first day so much, but he loved the second day so I think it will just be an adjustment for him.  He has made friends on the bus and at school which is very important considering everything he went through at preschool.
Andrew at the bus stop!
 Andrew with Aunt Tyler
 Mommy, Daddy and Andrew before meet the teacher
 All the kids at the bus stop (and their parents)
 Andrew on the bus!
I can't wait to hear about his day everyday!  So much fun!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Learning to Let Go

In just a week my son will start kindergarten.  He will get on the bus at 7:30 and get home at 3:30.  A whole day without his mommy.  A whole day without my boy.  How will he cope?  How will I cope?  The funny thing is I know he will do amazingly well and the truth is I am not really all that worried about him...I am worried about me.  I am and always have been a very emotional person especially when it comes to my kids.  I would be very content if they stayed little forever and never left me, but since I know that won't happen I just cry with each major milestone.  

Don't get me wrong I am so excited for Andrew and I have been great at cheering him on.  It isn't until I check on him after he is asleep that I wonder "when did he get so big?"    When did my first born become a kindergartner?   Well if you are a first time parent or about to become one let me tell you the answer...it feels like overnight!  So hug them and love them and when the time comes for them to get on that bus cheer for them because it will be hard for them, but it will be harder for you to let them go!

Below is a great story a friend shared with me!  Enjoy!

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Jack who was about to climb his very first beanstalk. He had a fresh haircut and a brand-new book bag.
     Even though his friends in the neighborhood had climbed this same beanstalk almost every day last year, this was Jack's first day and he was a little nervous. So was his mother.
     Early in the morning she brought him to the foot of the beanstalk. She talked encouragingly to Jack about all the fun he would have that day and how nice his giant would be. She reassured him that she would be back to pick him up at the end of the day. For a moment they stood together, silently holding hands, gazing up at the beanstalk. To Jack it seemed much bigger than it had when his mother had pointed it out on the way to the store last week. His mother thought it looked big, too. She swallowed. Maybe she should have held Jack out a year...
      Jack's mother straightened his shirt one last time, patted his shoulder and smiled down at him. She promised to stay and wave while he started climbing. Jack didn't say a word.
     He walked forward, grabbed a low-growing stem and slowly pulled himself up to the first leaf. He balanced there for a moment and then climbed more eagerly to the second leaf, then to the third and soon he had vanished into a high tangle of leaves and stems with never a backward glance at his mother.
     She stood alone at the bottom of the beanstalk, gazing up at the spot where Jack had disappeared. There was no rustle, no movement, no sound to indicate that he was anywhere inside.
     "Sometimes," she thought, "it's harder to be the one who waves good-bye than it is to be the one who climbs the beanstalk."
     She wondered how Jack would do. Would he miss her? How would he behave? Did his giant understand that little boys sometimes acted silly when they felt unsure? She fought down an urge to spring up the stalk after Jack and maybe duck behind a bean to take a peek at how he was doing.
     "I'd better not. What if he saw me?" She knew Jack was really old enough to handle this on his own. She reminded herself that, after all this was thought to be an excellent beanstalk and that everyone said his giant was not only kind but had outstanding qualifications.
     "It's not so much that I'm worried about him," she thought, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's just that he's growing up and I'm going to miss him."
     Jack's mother turned to leave. "Jack's going to have lots of bigger beanstalks to climb in his life," she told herself.
     "Today's the day he starts practicing for them...
And today's the day I start practicing something too: Cheering him on and waving good-bye."
(Author Unknown)
Friday, July 15, 2011

Mommy Bragging

In the months leading up to Maiya turning three to two months after she turned three my baby girl is showing me that there is not much baby left in her.  She decided to hit all these grown up stages close together and I am not prepared to say goodbye to my baby just yet.  In the last four months she has transitioned to a big girl bed, potty trained (which only took a day and half), takes a shower and now she writes her name!  She knows how to write just about every letter in the alphabet and loves learning.  She amazes me everyday!  I can't wait to see how much she learns when she actually starts preschool in September.


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Great Sale-Thursday July 14th

My Grafico is having a 40% off sale.  If you like to scrapbook or other crafts this is a great site.  Check them out!  Sale is tomorrow July 14th only!

Mygrafico Digital Arts & Crafts


Thursday, July 7, 2011

Maiya's Beach Party!

Every year we rent a house and we go to the beach with my husband's family.  We used to go in September after everyone went back to school and things were a little less crazy.  However this year with Andrew starting Kindergarten we had to go in May, so that meant that Maiya's birthday would be celebrated at the beach!  What a lucky girl if you ask me. 

She decided she wanted her theme to be Little Mermaid so we made it a beach Little Mermaid theme and we all had a great time.  She was so excited and loved every second of her party.  I think it was by far the best party she has ever had...not to mention the best guests...FAMILY!





Sunday, July 3, 2011

My Mom

My mom is an amazing woman.  She has been going through chemotherapy since March and will have to undergo 11 more months before she will be done.  She has six more weeks in her second round which she has to go to every week.  She is staying strong though and I am so proud of her.

In May my mom gave us all quite a scare.  She got really sick and was admitted into the hospital for a week.  She had developed pneumonia and they could not keep her oxygen levels up.  She ended up getting a blood transfusion when her blood cell count dropped dramatically low and once they did that she started to get better much faster.  They did find some new spots on her back and ribs but decided that if it was cancer all the chemo she had left would take care of it.  We are all praying they are gone in 11 months.  She also has a broken bone in her back and that has been causing her huge amounts of pain.  There is nothing they can do for the broken bone, that will just have to heal on its own.

Even through all of this my mom is staying strong.  It is hard but she is a tough woman. She is my hero and I love her so much.  I am so excited to be going back up to be with her next month...and the kids are too!

Me and my dad
My parents with my kids




 
Friday, July 1, 2011

Preschool Graduation

Okay so I am really far behind on posts.  I am working on getting caught up but it is going to take me a while.

Since Andrew's preschool graduation was May 12th I thought that would be a good place to start...not to mention it was the cutest thing I had ever seen.  Watching all these little kids walk down the isle to Pomp and Circumstance in their caps and gowns was absolutely adorable.   They all were smiling ear to ear with pride and it was awesome!  I am so proud of Andrew.  When I think back to the start of this preschool year and all the problems we had at the old school to where he was on this day it brings tears to my eyes.  He has grown so much in a short time and I couldn't be more proud of him.  I still can't believe he will be in kindergarten in six weeks but I know that he is going to LOVE it!

Andrew
 Family Picture
 Grammy and Andrew
 Ms. Donna and Andrew
 Andrew and his friends from school
After the graduation ceremony several of us met at the fountain to let the kids play.  We had a wonderful time and I met some really amazing people!



Tuesday, May 17, 2011

What the Furture Holds

Summer is finally approaching and I couldn't be happier.  I want the warm weather to come and stay and I want to be able to relax and enjoy the time with my kids.  Parts of this year have been amazing and other parts have been hard and confusing, but I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life.

Maiya is about to celebrate her 3rd birthday and she will be surrounded by those who love her the most.  She will also begin her first year of preschool in the fall and hopefully a ballet class. 

Andrew will start Kindergarten next year and is not quite as nervous as he was earlier (I think he is actually starting to get excited about it).  He has been playing baseball and has loved it, so we look forward to the fall season.

My mom is still fighting hard.  She has had several set backs and the one she is going through now is huge but I have faith that God will be with her and us each step of the way and she will end up on the winning side. 

I don't know what the future holds for me.  I do know that some of it is going to be sad and heartbreaking, but I also know that it is going to a fun and crazy ride.  I look forward to it!



Thursday, April 28, 2011

Easter Fun

Another Easter has passed us and what a wonderful weekend it was!  We started the weekend with a double header baseball game on Saturday for Andrew and then had a wonderful warm sunny day on Sunday.  It was perfect!

Here are some picture from the festivities!

Maiya coloring her eggs!
 Andrew coloring his eggs!
Leaving carrots and water for the Easter Bunny, each kid drew him a picture too!
Aunt Tyler and the kids blowing bubbles
 Popop and his girl reading about princesses
 Andrew, Daddy and Uncle Robert reading a monster truck book
 Tex being silly while mommy reads a book.
 Tex wouldn't let me take a picture without the cup! :)

Friday, March 18, 2011

A Leprechaun's Visit

St. Patrick's Day has just been another holiday that kind of came and went in our household without much notice by us until a friend shared with me and idea she read on another person's blog.  The idea is having a very mischievous leprechaun come in the middle of the night and turn the house upside down and green.  So there are a ton of things you can do but I decided to start small this year because I know with each passing year it will have to get bigger.

So this year our leprechaun came and turned my kids hair green, left leprechaun dust (green confetti) all over the floor in every room he had been, hung shamrocks from the ceiling on the stairs, put our kitchen table in our living room, put the chair on the floor the wrong way, silly stringed the kids rooms and hallway and left a tattoo on each kid.

Andrew is five and he never wakes up in the middle of the night well that night of course he did to get a drink and he saw the string and confetti all over the floor and at 4:30 in the morning comes running in my room at full force and volume screaming "the leprechaun came, he made a huge mess in my room!"  That was the end of Andrew sleeping.   So we came downstairs and Andrew couldn't believe what he saw.  He has already started talking about building a trap next year to try and catch him.  :)  Next year I will do more like turn the milk green, tie shoes together, and other little crazy things.  :)  We had such a good time and all though there was a huge mess to clean up after the day was over, it was so worth it to see the kids have so much fun with it.
Coming downstairs in the morning
 Green Hair!
 Leprechaun Dust
 Maiya's Room
Andrew's Room
Kitchen Table in the living room