A Preschool Problem

Juju got his first homework assignment for Preschool today. I know I'm no grammar expert, and I'm sure as you're reading this you will find several errors if you are, but I was a bit disturbed when I began looking over the teacher's instructions for the assignment and found myself rereading it several times. It was full of grammatical errors and my brain just wasn't getting it!

I certainly wouldn't want to embarass this teacher; we like her very much, and I would never voice my opinion (or concern) to Juju, but one has to wonder. Was her "Grammar Check" just off? Was she in a hurry? Did she use another person's letter and just not proof-read it? Or has she just spent too much time speaking to 3 & 4 year olds?

Let me be clear- a few mistakes are alright, and even "human," but this was bad!

I don't know. Maybe I'm being overly critical, but see for yourself and comment if you feel so inclined. I've copied the letter below, word for word, comma for comma (or lack of comma, as the case may be), and perhaps you will understand:

"Dear Parents,
I am allowing the children to develop their own classroom rule book, but they will need your help in doing this.
I have explain to them I would like them to help me make a book of rules for the classroom so everybody can be safe and have more fun. I have given each child a piece of paper and ask each child to think of a rule that he or she thinks is important. Next I have also ask him or her to draw a picture of it. This is where you come in, please help them write sentences about the rules as your child dictate it. This is a homework project for both you and your child to do together. Please return it back on Wednesday or sooner if possible. I look forward to seeing what the both of you have come up with.
HAPPY RULEING TOGETHER......

Sincerely,
Your teacher..."

So? Is it me or is there a problem here? I don't know a whole lot about this woman, but when we met her she was well-spoken and seemed experienced, so I'm just assuming this was a fluke. Still, she's teaching my son. Now I'm not yanking him out of school or anything, but I would like to see a little more pride and professionalism in the teacher's work. Can I get an "Amen?"

Bowen's Heart

The radio dial in my car is set to K-love, a Christian radio station that is broadcast nationally. The music lifts me up each day with positive lyrics and encouraging stories of God's love. Emmersing my family in the powerful message of God's wonder just seems like a great way to start off every day.

Recently, on the Lisa & Eric show, I was introduced to a powerful story of one family's struggle with their newborn baby boy's diaginosis of a rare congenital heart defect- a life threatening defect. Baby Bowen was born already fighting for his life and faced a major heart surgery shortly after birth. The Hammitt family's trust in the Lord, their faith, and their strength is more than amazing, and then their willingness to share these most intimate moments is awe inspiring. I urge you to visit their blog at http://www.bowensheart.com/ and follow their story. Pray for them... pray with them. Let this family's struggle and the faith they have to conquer it move you, as it has moved me.

TGIF

Due to a bit of writer's block, I've been unable to blog about a few things I've been thinking about lately, so I've decided to take a different approach to it. Today, I'm just adding a few random blurbs in Twitter-like fashion (only without character limits) to share our Friday with you.

5:40 a.m. Addie is awake (for the 3rd time). No one else is.

5:41 a.m. Everyone is awake... and wishing baby teeth would just come in already!

5:42 a.m. My determination to make the morning go smoothly despite a rough start kicks into overdrive.

7:11 a.m. Walk Coco to the bus stop. Last day of the first week of school. *Sigh!* Momma's finally not feeling so crazy now that (the 2 biggest of) my little boogers have something to do during the day.

7:36 a.m. Bought a new kitchen gadget last week and it's getting its daily workout. I heart smoothies!

7:38 a.m. This Weight Watcher thing's not so bad. Too bad I didn't stick with it through the move; I might've been 15 lbs lighter already! Oh well,... you have to [re]start somewhere. Carpe diem, right?

8:00 a.m. Just have to post a status update to my Alabama Facebook friends about how wonderful our weather is here. Currently 62 with a high today of 80. *Another sigh!* I think we'll visit the zoo today!

8:51 a.m. Four jealous FB friends have posted comments! :o) I'm expecting a few more before the end of the day.

9:00 a.m. Addie (unwillingly) goes down for a nap. Got to get ready while I can,... and watch a little 7th Heaven. I know, but I'm a sucker for sappy family TV. Thank you, WGN for the Camden family reruns!

10:20 a.m Juju's a happy camper- Preschool's only 3 half-days a week, leaving 2 to spend with Momma & Addie. It's the best of both worlds! Momma's a happy camper- no midday Preschool pick up on Fridays (or Mondays). To the zoo we go!

11:01 a.m. Lunch in the Okavango Delta. Weight Watcher challenge #1- find something on the menu to eat that doesn't "cost" 100 points. Grilled chicken sandwich (plain) sounds OK, but how does it taste? Turns out, pretty good! Chicken nuggets & fries for the picky 4 year old.

11:26 a.m. Laugh at the momma giraffe for eating off the ground when there's a full feeding post right next to her.

11:39 a.m. Laugh at the elephant for throwing dust all over herself and then laugh again when it blows into us.

12:34 p.m. Laugh at the goose wandering around the zoo, as if taunting the captive animals.

12:42 p.m. Laugh at the turkey while running from him!

1:00 p.m. Laugh at the Squirrel Monkeys laughing at Juju.

1:11 p.m. Laugh at myself for leaving Juju on the 6' Tortoise statue as I head for the gates.

1:12 p.m. CJ calls as we walk to the car. He's on his way home, too! My Coastie has an awesome work schedule!

2:45 p.m. Coco jumps off the bus and runs at me, arms open wide. "Mommy, I missed you!" [insert tearfully happy emoticon here.] Hoping Juju doesn't spill the beans about our zoo trip just yet.

3:39 p.m. Addie's down for Nap, Round 2, CJ is taking his Friday afternoon snooze, and the big boys are watching PBS Kids. *Yet another sigh!*

5:04 p.m. Hunger is taking over and I've got WW points to spend! Buffalo Wild Wings isn't exactly Weight Watcher friendly, but I have 21 points to spend!

5:21 p.m. Mmmmmm! (Sorry, my mouth's full!)

6:00 p.m. Full bellies. We're walking it off at Target then heading home for a few snuggles before bedtime. It's the highlight of my day.

8:30 p.m. Tuck my babies into bed! "I love you to the moon & back!" to which they respond, "I love you to the moon in the front!" The way children think always makes me smile. :o)

8:30 p.m. + 30 seconds My babies are sound asleep! First week of school has been exhausting!

8:31 p.m. An important time of night- enjoying the company of my husband. Getting and giving undivided attention. (Well, sometimes I compete with the TV!)

10:00 p.m. Thank You, Lord for peaceful, happy, beautiful Fridays and the wonderful family You've given me to spend them with!

(And thank you for sharing it with me!)

Saturday

This morning started with a tummy ache. I knew something wasn't right when the child cuddling in bed with me was Juju. Sleeping in with Mommy and Papi is generally no match for Saturday morning cartoons, and though the TV was on and calling, there he snuggled. I remember thinking just how nice it was to have my middle baby there in the middle of CJ and I,...

and then he started squirming in discomfort. "You're not feeling well, are you, Baby? Does your tummy..." and before I could finish my question, BLEH... the puking began.

Now, normally, I'm quite nurturing; I am a mommy afterall, but my first thought was containment. How do I prevent the rest of the family, especially little Addie, from catching what could be the dreaded stomach bug? Shame on me, I know. If I wouldn't give my child a hug after vomitting, no one would, right? After comforting him and reassuring him that my love was unconditional (meaning "even with chunks in my hair and down my shirt"), I changed our sheets, kicking a very sleepy Papi out of bed and doused the room in Lysol.

CJ and I decided it best for one of us to take the other two kids out for the day, and given the choice, Juju wanted his Papi, so I packed up the baby and Coco and out we went. Coco and I rarely have time to spend together since he started school, and though shopping isn't exactly his idea of a good time, he was happy to get some "mommy time." A Roly Poly lunch and a "treasure hunt" at Hudson's later, I called CJ and he said Juju had eaten several hours before and was feeling 100%. Bullet dodged. Still, we kept all of them from the party they were to attend, and Juju will miss church tomorrow, just as a precaution. Hubby will be homebound again; I have rotation in the nursery.

What started out as a highly questionable day turned into a sigh of relief and some good quality time with the oldest, most neglected son... Thank goodness!

Weight Watching Again

I finally joined Weight Watchers online today after several attempts to go it alone. I'm one of those gals that just needs someone to hold me accountable, and now there is a whole cyber-world full of people to watch me succeed.

Food and I got along very well while I was pregnant; I gained only 8 pounds. I know that sounds a bit unhealthy for a woman growing a baby, but I wasn't trying to lose weight. In fact, the ONLY time I don't think, let alone obsess about food is during my pregnancies. I certainly wasn't "dieting." I just listened to my body; ate when I was hungry & stopped eating when I wasn't. For me, it proved to be a very healthy way to live. I left the hospital 15 pounds lighter than I was before my pregnancy and Addie was the healthiest of baby boys. A little disclaimer here; I don't recommend gaining only 8 pounds during a pregnancy, but I was overweight to begin with. I was also under the care of a doctor and had the best of prenatal care.

Anywho, my problem area has always been packing on the pounds while nursing. And I know what they say- "Nursing helps you lose weight," right? Well, clearly, I'm not your typical girl when it comes to the stinkin' scale! I felt my appetite increase the minute my milk came in, and no food was safe.

After 10 weeks of trying on my own and only losing control, I decided Weight Watchers was the only way to go. I had been successful with it after Coco was born, but I had never tried the online service. Attending meetings really made a difference for me. I only hope this works as well. So far, I really like what I've seen; the online tools are incredible. Today was my first day, and though I'm a little hungry, my hunger doesn't compare to the pride I have in taking the first step to living a healthier and skinnier life (preferrably on the beach comfortable and confident in a swimsuit). Only time will tell, but my determination is strong and hopefully my will power is, too.

Party of Five

Our Family is now a family of five! Woohoo! Addie made his grand entrance on Friday, January 15 at 9:44 in the morning. It was an interesting journey that ended (though it has really just begun) with all the excitement that you would expect from the birth of a baby boy... and then some!

When we went to the hospital early Friday morning, I was convinced that there was NO WAY they would send me home after having contractions that had begun the evening before and only intensified to an incredible pain just after midnight. Afterall, I had a c-section scheduled for the very reason that the doctors didn't want me laboring on my previously disected uterus. Of course, as soon as I was hooked up to the monitors, my contractions subsided; I only had two in the hour they had me strapped down. The midwife that was on call in triage told me it was a result of my body producing adrenaline and that it was quite common for contractions to stop after coming in. Nevertheless, she told me to get dressed- I was going home. "You'll likely labor for several days before it's time," she told me. I couldn't help but cry.

"But I'm a c-section," I protested as she left the room.

A few minutes later, I heard her talking to the on-call doctor just outside my door, following which she stuck her head in the room and said, "Get your gown back on. You're staying to have your baby!" Apparently, a shift change had occurred and the information that I was a repeat c-section had not been shared with the new shift. Needless to say, I was elated that I wasn't being sent packing!

It was only another hour before the were wheeling me into surgery. The real excitement was about to begin. I patiently awaited the sounds of my baby boy's cries with my husband at my side. I caught a glimpse of the surgery in the reflection of the lights and watched as Addie was delivered. To my delight, he was handed off to the pediatric resident, Dr. Kari, who happens to be a very good friend of mine. It was good to know someone WE knew so well was taking care of our baby.

They announced he was a healthy 7 lbs 8.5 oz and doing well, though he was having a bit of trouble breathing- a problem common with babies delivered via c-section. After an hour or so in the NICU on oxygen, he was doing great and on his way down to the Newborn Nursery.

Meanwhile, back down in recovery, CJ had just been brought in to where I was and Kari had come in to give us an update on Addie. Suddenly, CJ dropped to his knees and hit his head on my bed, splitting his forehead open. I didn't know it, but he had taken some cold medicine before we left home at 4:30 a.m. and had absolutely nothing to eat or drink since. (It was almost 11:30 a.m. by then.) Kari and the Recovery Room nurse took him down to the Emergency Room to have stitches. Luckily, Dermabond did the trick. After getting some food in his belly, he was better and back by my side in no time. When we made it up to my room, the news of CJ's fall had made it around the hospital, much to his dismay. Every nurse that came in was just as concerned for him as they were for me. It was really quite sweet, but I think HE found it to be a bit embarassing.

After a whirlwind of five days in the hospital, both Addie and I were on our way home. It's a good thing, too- I was ready to hang curtains and move the furniture around in my hospital room. I was truly climbing the walls, but I did my best to take advantage of the staff and their help.


It's been a little over a week since Addie arrived and we are quite the happy little family. I'm recovering well and Addie has made himself very comfortable amoungst the chaos of our household. Adjusting to three kiddos has been much easier on all of us, even Juju and Coco, than two ever was. Clearly, we've been busy or I would have posted this little announcement sooner, but thus goes the life of a family with a newborn, right?

The Waiting Game

CJ and I are expecting our 3rd son... well, really any day now. I am 37 weeks and 5 days pregnant (Of course I'm counting!) and my c-section has been scheduled for the 20th of January. If I make it until then, it will have been the longest pregnancy I've ever had. Ugh!

For a little over a week, I have been obsessing about how far away the 20th sounded and searching for ways I could possibly move things along (in the safest ways possible), but following an appointment this past Wednesday that showed no further progress and wallowing in the disappointment of not thinking we would meet our son anytime soon, I settled on acceptance. I spent that evening praying, not that God would move it along, but that I could accept that Baby Addie would come when he was darn good and ready. God is good, God is great, and He has granted me great relief in fulfilling my request. Lucky for me, the past two days have been much more relaxing. I've enjoyed cuddling with our older boys, one on each side of me in the recliner (What will I do with a 3rd?) and doing activities that, as restricted as I am now (and by "restricted" I mean "big"), will be impossible after surgery, like playing cars or legos with them on the floor. I've also taken great advantage (and this is a biggie) of the sweet slumber that will surely elude me with a newborn in the house. I also must remind myself that, as uncomfortable as pregnancy can be, not only has it been a healthy one, but it is also the last moments I will feel the miracle of a child growing inside of me. We have no plans of having anymore children, so though sometimes painful, I am enjoying the last little kicks and rolls that Baby Addie dishes out.

The point is, I see the glass half full now, and while we are still anxious to meet our newest baby boy, we know how quickly time truly flies and he will be here before we know it. I know we'll even look back in a year or two and wonder when all of our babies became big boys. Then, I'll be blogging about how I wish the time would slow down!

And so, I leave you now with this question to ponder. Why do we always think we know what is best for us and fight so hard to steer God's plans for us even when we truly think we believe we are in His wonderful hands? Perhaps I will "go there" in my next blog, but this question surely deserves some thought.