Friday, August 31, 2007

I'm back on line...

Well, our internet access hasn't worked since Sunday, so my head has been full of things to blog about and I haven't had the chance! First of all the lack of internet is a story in itself. We had some rain and lightning Sunday evening and then I noticed the DSL light was not on on the computer box. After being on hold for 30 minutes I talked to a woman who talked me through a series of steps and then determined that the box itself must be the problem. She told me they'd ovenight a new one on Monday so it would come on Tuesday (or definitely Wednesday she said). So I spent a few non-computer days doing lots of school work with the kids and being impressed with how much more time I had when I was not on the computer. By the time Thursday came and the box still wasn't here, I became alittle annoyed. I called again and they couldn't find a record of my previous call or any box being sent our to us. UGH how frustrating! They did however credit our account $20 (ca-ching...to used Jake's latest phase), and the box came today HURRAY!

So anyway, here I am back on the computer, just in time to go out of town. We are heading to our timeshare in the Mountains of NC tomorrow in the dark morning. We are mostly packed, but I am feeling completely unmotivated to do more. At the last minute due to chronic car problems, we will be taking the truck in stead of the van, which is the better car, but has much less room.

On thought I had this week was this....I spotted a huge black and YELLOW (would you believe) spider in our bushes on Monday morning. Being the good homeschooling mother that I try to be, I called the kids to look at it. While we were checking it out, I happened to notice the mean neighbors from behind us (the ones who put up a fence so we can't get to our friends' house...long story) have their HALLOWEEN decorations up! Now anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE holiday decorating! Our family also happily celebrates and decorates for Halloween...but come, on it is AUGUST!!! This is not at all a "fun loving kind of family" and I can't figure out why they would put Halloween decorations up over 2 months early...crazy!! I wonder if they'll give us candy on October 31st...after we jump the fence I mean!

Today when I picked up Jake from preschool, he had his "extra" shorts on. He never has potty accidents so this was unusual. I mentioned that to Miss Shawnie, and she agreed and said that he was sure he didn't have an accident. As he got in the car, he proceeded to tell me why his shorts were in the bag..."I went to the bathroom, and I let it go" "What do you mean?" I asked. I letted go of my shorts when I was peeing and they got wet". OK! Isn't this just the type of story that blogs are for? Well Jake is currently composing new songs right beside me..."what color of apples is your favorite, mine is blue...lalalala..."

Jonathan and Madi made wigwams as part of our learning about Pocahontas and Jamestown this week. The pictures may end up on here...we'll see. They find out what parts they get in the next play (Into the Woods) this afternoon. I dreamed last night that Madi was the cow and Jonathan was the baker. Madi wants to be Little Red Riding Hood and Jonathan wants to be Rapunzel's Prince...we'll see.

I may or may not have anytime on a computer for the next two weeks while we are on our trip, so this little enstallment might just have to hold you for a long time.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Jonathan is so special

Our homeschool group (which started in my living room with 3 families and now has over 120) had a "not back to school" potluck dinner last night. It was a lot of fun and very yummy! Mike, Jonathan and I were having a conversation with a mom who I'd never really talked to before who had come to see High School Musical. This mom and her 5 year old daughter were commenting on what a wonderful job Jonathan did in the play, how he stood out, and how much they enjoyed it. Later in another conversation this mom commented again on what bright eyes Jonathan has (she was really "taken" with him). This morning I was looking back on those conversations with some interesting thoughts. You see this mom's daughter is in a wheel chair, and I got to thinking about how my original life plan was to get my master's degree in special education. I was working on that when I got pregnant with Jonathan. That brought me to thoughts on Jonathan's early days in Pediatric Intensive Care (he had suffered a stroke when he was three days old) where they were telling us about Jonathan's "brain damage". All of a sudden in the span of a week I'd gone from being a pregnant woman working on her graduate degree in special education to a mom with a child with potential special needs. I certainly don't have all the time it would take to fill in the details of the past (almost) 12 years, but except for an outgrown blood sugar condition and a minor eye muscle issue Jonathan is a normally developing, healthy boy. He might not read as fast as some other kids, but he can read. He might not be perfect (we're all human). He might even be going through a difficult behavioral phase--talking back etc... (I think this is expected of an almost 12 year old...part of the growing process) . But he's the best Jonathan I could ever have! My heart hurts sometimes to think about how much I love him (and Madi and Jake) . He's "different in a good way" as one of the songs from High School Musical says. Yesterday at theatre Jonathan was standing around with a very thoughtful look on his face. He couldn't decide if he wanted to stay and tryout for a part in the next play or if he wanted to just do the tech work like the lights instead. He had tears forming in his eyes as he was trying to make this agonizing decision. Thankfully the director encouraged him to stay with the option of changing his mind at a later time and with the possibility of being "double cast" (maybe he'll have a part in two shows and do the lights for the other two). He is still my baby with potential "special" needs and it is my job to figure out the best way to meet those needs. At least for today, I think we're doing OK. I love you Jonathan!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

I'm on my way now...

Well, I've figured out how to delete old posts (like the one that was supposed to have a picture on it) and a friend taught me how to put pictures on it, so there's no stopping me now. However, since I do have that constant "mom talk" in my head all day long (you know what I mean...should I have said that? done that? thought that?) I can't decided if I should make this more about me or the kids. Actually, I don't really know how to separate the two anyway, but I mean I'm still not sure how I want to use this whole blogging tool. Should it be all of the cute things that the kids said so all of the relatives can be updated or is it about my own personal thoughts. These are all hypothetical questions obviously, the ones I am currently working on in my head.

Well enough about me, lets get to the kids. As you can see I've given up on the no real names thing. So to recap, I'm Julie, happily married to Mike, raising three beautiful children. Jonathan is almost 12, Madison is 9, and Jake is almost 5. Jonathan and Madison homeschool and we are using My Father's World Exploration through 1850. In our early years of homeschooling I considered us unschoolers, but in the last few years I've felt the need to at least in someways do some more "schooly" things. We found My Father's World last year, and we love it. Jake attends preschool outside of the home and loves it. The plan is that he will homeschool next year, but at this point this is what's right for our family. As I write this Jake and I are currently playing school, he is the teacher of course. We've counted the days of August, and now we are working on "absent friends".

I'm going to go give my full attention to the kids for awhile, but I'll be on the lookout for all of the funny things they say and do, so I can document and share them here instead of forgetting them.

Jake's first day (of his second year) of preschool


Here's a first day of school picture!


Madi in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

100 things about me

Well, I'm going way off as far as blog etiquette goes, but I figured this was probably the best way to get me into this whole blogging thing. I love to hear about other people's lives, but have a hard time thinking people are going to want to hear about mine. However, if you do have any interest in hearing about my life... instead of having to wait until my 100th post to hear all this, you're going to get it on my third! (well, only barely third, since I still haven't even figured out how to get pictures on here).

1. I love my husband and have a great marriage.
2.I am a homeschooling mother.
3. I should really be doing more hands on school with my kids right now instead of this.
4. I am a Catholic Christian and have been my whole life.
5. I have three kids, but have breastfed for a total of 8 years.
6. Jonathan was born before our first anniversary (but after 10 months in case you were wondering.)
7. I am very close to my parents.
8. I have one brother, who is great who I really should talk to more.
9. I like to stay friends with people forever.
10. I want people to like me.
11. I am a people pleaser.
12. I don't like to lose things.
13. Currently in our house, we have lost Madi's gameboy, our social security cards, and a $100 gift certificate to Capillo.
14. Those missing things are driving me crazy!
15. I am passionate about the things I love.
16. I have a hard time dealing with other people not being passionate about what I love.
17. I love the kids' Theatre.
18. Watching my kids on stage is one of my favorite things in the world.
19. I love homeschooling.
20. I love our church.
21. I love Jake's preschool and Miss Shawnie.
22. I love Disney.
23. I love to read.
24. Judy Blume has been my favorite author since I was in 4th grade.
25. I love Nicholas Sparks books.
26. I think JK Rowling is a genius.
27. I might want to write a book one day.
28. I 've never had a professional manicure.
29. I've never had someone else clean my house (besides my mother[and Pam and Marissa when Madi was in the hospital])
30. I love American Idol (but only started watching last season).
40. I love Dancing with the Stars (have watched 3 seasons).
41. Mike and I plan to take Ballroom dancing lessons.
42. I have the best husband I know.
43. I have the best kids I know.
44. I have the best parents I know.
45. I have the best friends I know.
46. I let my kids watch those Disney channel shows like Zack and Cody.
47. My kids have seen GREASE (and performed in it).
48. I saw GREASE when I was in third grade and the "bad stuff" went over my head, I think it still does.
49. I frequently say When Harry Met Sally is my favorite movie, my kids have not seen that.
50. I watched When Harry Met Sally when I was in labor with Jonathan.
51. I think my all time favorite movie might really be It's a Wonderful Life.
52. I love Christmas music.
53. I love 80's music.
54. I just this summer have started listening more to z88.3 than 107.7.
55. I love most music (except rap)
56. I took piano lessons for years and can't play!
57. I was in HAIR when I was a senior in high school.
58. I was runner up for student of the year whe I was a senior.
59. I was in the "court" at the senior prom.
60. I had a boyfriend for three years (Senior year in HS until Junior year in college) who broke up with me (he cheated on me first).
61. I met Mike when we worked at the UCONN-COOP bookstore.
62. I wasn't sure it would work out when I found out he was a Yankee fan.
63. I have been a Red Sox fan since third grade.
64. On my first date with Mike we went to see the band that his brother was in.
65. I thought he was going to pay for my dring, but he didn't...if he reads this, it might be the first he's ever heard of it.
66. On our second date we went in our (my parent's) hot tub.
67. On our third date...never mind.
68. I have almost no regrets in my life.
69. I feel like we (me, Mike, my kids, my parents) get the most our of everyday.
70. My very close friend committed suicide when I was 15 (it was the day I moved away).
71. I yell at my kids and wish I didn't.
72. I'm trying to lose half a pound a week.
73. I've lost 3 pounds in 6 weeks.
74. I've had ice cream almost everyday this summer.
75. I love my bedroom.
76. I love my house.
77. I like to keep busy, but I think I keep too busy.
78. I try to give blood every few months.
79. I like to be in bed at 10 and watch King of Queens.
80. If I'm still awake at 11, I watch Seinfeld.
81. Seinfeld is probably my all time favorite show.
82. I like the Wonder Years (but I have it on DVD and have only watched a few episodes).
83. I like the Brady Bunch.
84. I can't believe I'm on 84 and have said nothing about food. (well except for the ice cream and that was on #74)
85. I love to eat.
86. I love to bake.
87. My favorite foods change daily.
88. I've now been doing this for almost an hour.
89. I've been in about half of the United States, and plan to visit the other half someday.
90. I think I can fit in with a lot of different people.
91. I want to get a sewing machine.
92. I don't like to talk about money (or to listen to ther people talk about it either).
93.I keep hitting enter after each number instead of the space bar.
94. My wedding and the births of my kids were my favorite days ever.
95. I've shown Jake's birth video to a lot of people (it shows everything).
96. I have a good memory.
97. I have to take a shower at lest once a day.
98. I like to take baths too.
99. I'm thinking I might've missed some important things bout me.
100. I'll do 100 more if I ever actually get to 100 posts.


101. I'm going to go "do school" with my kids now.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Not sure I'm ready for this...

Well, blogging seems to be the thing to do in my circle of friends, so here I am. On the one hand I wasn't sure I wanted to do this because I'm not yet sure if I'm going to use this for my innermost personal thoughts or as an actual "log" of our day to day life to share with family and friends. In other words, I'm not sure what I'm going to share. Then there's the question of real names or fake names...I haven't decided on that one yet either. The thing is though, I've been reading other people's blogs and I feel like it's time I shared my own story. That and all year long I am composing our family Christmas letter in my head, and I figure a blog is kind of like a Christmas letter everyday. At the very least, I can get a jump on the Christmas letter.

So anyway, as you may or may not know we are a homeschooling family. JT is 11 1/2, MM is 9 and JM is 4 1/2. JM goes to preschool outside of the home and today was his first day (well as he informed me, not really his FIRST day because he went last year too). He also had his first day of Theatre today. He's been waiting his whole life for that! He is a true performer. JT has been doing theatre since he was 7 (well since he was 6 really, but that wasn't really theatre) , he is enjoying getting involved in the behind the scenes aspects of theatre (lighting, stage manager etc). He just recently got braces, is in the middle of reading the 7th Harry Potter, and leaves his radio on the local Christian radio station 24 hours a day. MM is the girl. She is extremely passionate about theatre, singing, dancing, and reading. It is such a joy to watch her on stage!! She is everyone's best friend. She and I just recently joined a mother daughter book club that we are really excited about. My husband is MJ and he's great! He's hardly laughing at me as I sit here typing this. This initials thing might get confusing, as you can see we use a lot of the same letters over again with our kids names...we'll see how it goes.

OK, I might even try to put some pictures on here...
Until later,