kindergarten blues

This summer I was told that it would get better, kindergarten would straighten her out. She'll do well there and will grow out of this phase. So far, with next week being the end of the first six weeks, she's had more bad days than good.

I'm at a loss. I was hoping that by picking an experienced teacher Lindsay would snap-to, fall into line. Get on board with all the other kindergarteners. Now I feel like I've really screwed up my daughter's chances at enjoying school. She promises every day that she'll be good. Today I get yet another call from her teacher, I can hardly hear her because of Lindsay screaming in the background. She's saying, or screaming over and over, "I promised to be good"... And then the moaning cry. I don't ask her for promises, I just try to remind her to make good choices & good decisions.

Today she had to be carried away from the lunch table for being so disruptive (she had to be carried because she threw herself down on the ground when she was asked to move to a different table), she had a hard time at game time, when the teacher uses a game to reinforce the lessons, she played in line and again during naptime so she missed out on recess.... which is when I got the call with the howling. Last Friday she got her library book taken away because she hit another girl or got in a fight over it or something. It's just a constant, one thing after another with her.

She's in therapy. So far we've come up with oppositional defiance disorder. No magic pill, just "tough love". I don't know how much more tough we can be! I've told the school to paddle her, they haven't. (I know they don't want to, but if it's an end to this behavior?) We spank her when we get home, but really, what good does it do to spank her at 6pm for something that happened at 11am? Just makes us feel like monsters. Not to mention that even with the door shut it hurts Shelby's feelings to hear her sister scream & cry.

Everytime that I've talked to her teacher, it's that she can't give her all the attention because there are 18 other kids in the classroom who deserve to be taught. I just don't know what to do. And I'm tired of feeling out of control with an out of control child!

Balloon Fest

Birthday Party

Birthday cake for the birthday girls Sweetie swinging
Hannah Montana even showed up!
Big brother watching on...

What a fun party!!!

Birthday, er, Balloon Fest

Every year, usually the weekend closest to my birthday they have Balloon Fest. I forgot it was this weekend until Cory & I were on our way to work (he takes me to work, we carpool... saves money) and I saw in the sky several balloons. I love them, they make me happy. I get balloons every year for my birthday.

I work on the 4th floor, so these are the shots I got on my cell phone.....




Yup! Most of them went around but this one went right over the building! I can't wait, tomorrow we're going to go out, maybe see them at dusk. They are all on the ground, blowing & glowing... Neato!

Such smart kids!!

This morning I dropped Shelby off at daycare. She's in the 1 year old class, and has been for at least 2 months, even though she just turned 1 this past Wednesday. So she's like the youngest kid in her class.Still with me?

Well, this morning, like I said, I was dropping her off. Her teacher told me that she's a very smart child, which I knew, but I love hearing it from other people!

She said the other day they were sponge painting and while all the other kids were trying to eat the sponges, Shelby was the only one who figured out the dipping in paint and stamping on paper!! The. Only. One. And she's the youngest in the class!! She's so smart!!

Then, later I was taking Lindsay to an appointment. She talks. A lot. Probably as much as I did at 6! Yeah, that much! Anyway, I'm driving along & she's chatting along.

Lindsay: Do you know where you're going?
Me: Yes I do.
L: Then why does that arrow tell you which way to go?

Yes. I've been a good girl & using my blinker in my new car!

Anyway.... here's some pictures while you are shocked and in awe at how smart & perceptive my darlings are.....

This sticker was in the Tattoo guy's shop. I have a monkey, she's my grandma. Don't make her sad.

Lindsay at the Picture Park. It's the one with all the weird art.Shelby at the Picture Park. Do you have any idea how hard it is to photograph this child with her smiling at you?! Do you?
OK. I love to go garage saling. This sign made me laugh. No, I didn't bother going to their "sall".
My sweet hubby! He makes me smile!
The look says it all... "Touch my donughts & I will smack you with my sippy cup".

Pooped...

So, Thursday we went to the fair. I blew $20 and Lindsay & I rode three, yes, I said three rides. She loved it! I loved it. So I'm okay with the spendage. However, next year I'm going to have to find out which night is cheap armband night so we can ride more things.... And of course, we did the carnie food (love me some corndogs!) and played a couple games (hate the one-note playing trumpet!)... Not so sure that Shelby was all that impressed, but we did manage to keep her contained to her stroller, so good times there.

Friday we went to dinner with Grandma & Grandpa. Newish place in town, Brick Oven Pizza. Totally yummy, usually. Not so much on Friday, but, well. Ya know.

Saturday was spent cleaning. I hate cleaning. Which is usually why I have to do so much when it's my turn to host for our bunco group. But I did thing, like vaccuum the curtains (stupid cat) and cleaned off the vent-a-hood thingy. Yeah, that does sometimes happen more than once a year, but still. It's drama. Speaking of drama, it was also Lindsay's birthday! She turned 6 years old. We went to DQ for some birthday ice cream... We're having her party next weekend when her brothers will be here.

Sunday we cleaned, as well. That's the day of bunco, so there's always a mad dash of "stash the junk". Which we're really good at. But we got a new shower curtain (since Lindsay tested the scissors a couple months ag... "See Mommy? They do work! Why did you throw them away?") and a new mat. For bunco dinner I made psuedo-lasagna, which everyone loved. Yea. And all that went well, too.

Which leads me to today. I'm SOOOOOO tired. My arms are sore, my fingers hurt & my neck has a crick. And for some weird reason I'm itchy all over. Early last week I started getting bumps on one leg. They look like fire ant bites, but I haven't been around any! They've spread to the other leg and both arms. It's weird! But they ITCH!!! Oh, bother.

Anyway. So now I've got to get the word out about the party next weekend. If you'd like to come, it's going to be at Gill Park (hoping it won't rain) about 2pm. That's the little park on Willis between S 11th & S 14th. It's for both girls, Shelby's birthday is on Wednesday.

Okay. Enough rambling. Bye!

Cory's new Tatoo

Well, here it is!! Hope he likes it since it's stuck there from now on!!!

Picture update

Ok. Here's Shelby. She likes to crawl into and out of things... Here she's mastered the stroller...













Here is Lindsay's first day of school. It was a great start... Hopefully to a great year!


















Cool pic of Seth... he's getting so much older.




















My working man... Here he's pondering the plumbing... hmmm.... Where to dig next?!



















Not my favorite pic of Zane, but he's not really a picture-taking kind of guy... go figure!!!

Here's a pic of Austin with one of his friends.... Like I said, he loves football but he's into all things sports!!! Don't ya love his sunglasses? His mom said he reminds her of CHiPs in them!!!

Fortune Cookie

So lunch today was with the girls at work. Hey, my boss paid for it, so I couldn't very well turn her down!! Here's my fortune:

You will find your horizons suddenly broadened.

Things going on...

Ok. I was informed by my mother that it's been awhile since I've updated... um. Yeah. I was still pregnant with my almost 1-year-old.

So. Updates.

Shelby. She's easy. She'll be 1 on the 17th. She's walking, saying a few words. She's a beautiful baby. She does have a temper & isn't very patient when she wants something. And she's a climber.She loves to get on top of things. Unfortunately, I'm very nervous when she does. But she's still got lots of bruises...

Lindsay. Fun. She'll be 6 this Saturday. She started school 2 weeks ago yesterday and it's been interesting, to say the least. She's, shall we say, an emotional child. Cory & I had a meeting with her teacher this morning and she did have some positive things to say... She's very smart & eager to learn. She listens during teaching time, and she calls on her a lot. I think to give her some positives because there are some negatives. Lindsay doesn't like to share much as far as turns and stuff like that. She doesn't like to lose in games and that tends to be the time when Lindsay looses it. Literally, there's no other real way to describe what she does. Tantrum I guess works, too. But we're working on that, all of us together and, well, at least today was a good day!

Zane. Zane is in 2nd grade this year, with something new, a Mr. for a teacher! He at least doesn't have anything negative to say about it. He seems to me to still be struggling with his reading. He won't voluntarily read anything, I really had to encourage him to even read a menu or the game he got with his lunch on Saturday. Once he tried he figured it out, but he didn't even want to try, he was waiting for me to read it to him! He certainly won't be starting any novels anytime soon.

Seth. Here's a new story every time I turn around! Let's see, last I heard he's going to France with his French class, a $2,000 opportunity that his mom won't let him miss! But that's good for him... I'm sure he will enjoy it. He's always thinking about what car he's going to be driving. Oh, yeah, he's not quite 13, in the 7th grade. Cory said he spent the trip back on Sunday pointing out cars, saying whether or not they fit in his "drivable" category. He's got high expectations, to say the least!

Austin. Austin is Cory's other son, he's 13 in the 8th grade. We only recently started having visitation with Austin, Cory only met him for the first time last May. But he's a neat kid. Loves football, plays it in school & loves UT & the Cowboys. Makes shopping easy, I tell ya! We were supposed to see him this last weekend but Cory was sick, kept getting a fever so we decided it might not be a good idea for him to come. He has an immune defficiency so it's not a good idea for him to get exposed...

Cory. Cory's going to get a tatoo this afternoon, kinda a delayed birthday present... I think he's anxious, but now I can post a picture of it! Maybe even a video of the torture! Woo-hoo! Pain! Like I said, he was kinda fever-y on Thurs/Fri, but he's better now, no telling what that was.

Me. Well, I'm the same, taking care of the kiddos & hubby! That's why there's not been much blogging going on.... But I promise to be better! (didn't say how much better, just better!)