Among the Wildflowers

Because we haven't been able to control spam on this blog and for privacy issues I am switching blog sites. Please go here to read my blog

http://amongthewildflowersblog.blogspot.com/

I sent invites to the people I know read my blog, but if you didn't get one and want access please email me! 

mum2kandb@gmail.com

Thanks!

I got a hair cut today. A long over due haircut. I ended up going to Hair Cosmopolitan at the mall. They were having a $15 wet cut special...woohoo. Well, until I sat down with the lady, told her what I wanted to have done (yes I am going with the trendy longer in the front look) and had her look at me like I had 5 heads and say, I don't know how to do that.

Um, aren't you a hairdresser? And isn't this one of the most popular cuts right now? O.....K.....

SO, I ended up like an old lady at JC Penney. HA! The girl I got did a good job, though, so I am happy. 

When I got home the first thing Katie said to me was, You kinda look like Misty. HA! I guess what they say about pets and their owners is true about people and their best friends...they start to look alike after a while! 

After that I got my eyebrows waxed by a somewhat creepy woman. When another woman asked if I was interested in getting my eyebrows tinted and I said no, the woman actually doing my waxing said, in her best Silence of the Lambs voice, My Jen likes it natural. Um...OK creepy lady.

But, at least I have a nice hair cut and nice eyebrows....I feel a lot better!

Paul Harvey died recently. He was famous for his "The Rest of the Story" radio broadcast.

And remember, there always is a rest of the story. A side often hidden. Don't take people totally at their word. Usually they are being less them truthful. 

Really, March...REEEAAALLLY??? I have 2 feet of snow in my yard right now. Now, I understand this is New England and, yes, I remember getting 3 feet of snow one April in the mid 90's, but still. It was like 45 out the other day...which was SO warm!!!! Ugh. This weekend it is supposed to reach 50, but I can't get excited about it. Who knows what next week will bring...

I have just resolved myself to the fact that I will never be warm again.  

BUT, my kids are healthy! Ok, this is going to come off sounding REALLY bad, but I think I am finally starting to reap the rewards of breastfeeding both kids for over 2 yrs. Katie self weaned at 25 mo and Ben at 27. This winter has been HORRIBLE with illness. I know so many people who are in and out of the peds office and the ER...and we have been fine! I really think this is where my freaky long breastfeeding has made a difference.

We have been exposed to the stomach bug SO many times and neither kid has gotten it...they have never had croup or any other serious illness. We have missed out on all the random viruses going around, too...fever free over here!

I just know there were many times people commented to me (BECKY) on how long I nursed my kids, and I am sure just as many, if not more, thought to themselves that I was crazy, but now it is paying off. Not that I ever regretted it, but it's good to know that it really does pay off! 

Hopefully I have not jinxed myself...lol. 

So, we had potty success today! Ben pooped on the toilet! He started to go in his pullup, freaked out, and finished on the potty. He was SO excited and so was I!!! Hopefully this is a trend that continues!

Also this morning, I went into read to Katie's class. Since she is Star of the Week a parent gets to come in to read on Friday. Apprently I am only the second mom to do it, and Katie was so excited and proud to have me there. I read Fox Makes Friends and then stayed around for some songs before the school day ended. It was fun and very cute. I was happy to finally see Katie's class in action, too. She is totally the mother hen and leader of the pack, I can tell you that! I think she will do very well come kindergarten.

And on a reading note, although Katie has been doing very well with it, I wanted to make sure she was actually understanding what she read, not just reading words. Well, I found out last night she does seem to get it. Why? Becuse she freaked out over one of her BOB readers. In one of them the guy takes a rag away from his dog...this made Katie UBER upset (only my child) and she had a total breakdown over it! Not exactly the emotioanl respose one would expect, but confirmed she comprehends what it is she reads. HA.

So, this is taking longer then I thought. I guess I took for granted house Katie was. Two days in undies and she was fine. Well, Ben is not like that.

He is pretty much pee trained. He even went in Target the other day. He comes running and tells me he has to pee...we are good there. Poop...not so much.

He will still poop in his underwear. Still go hide and do it. He will save up til naptime, too, when he gets a pullup. I think I am going to have to enter a mega-bribary stage here. I can't very well take him out of the house in underwear if there is a chance he will poop. Not dealing with that. BUT, I really don't want to keep putting him in pullups either. I think I might have to go buy some new trains or dinosaurs (his two obsessions at the moment) and tell him they are his as soon as he poops on the toilet. I am not above bribery! I just want this DONE!

But, at least we are half way there. He is very cute in his big boy underwear (or panties as I keep calling them, just b/c I have been in girl land the past 5 years...haha). He is also very proud to wear his underwear and asks for it...yesterday he eveb fought putting a pull  up on for bed.

So, that is our potty update. Hopefully I can come back soon and say we are totally there!  

So, it's pretty much been determined that Katie will just go to public school next year. Kai really doesn't want to pay the tuition and has never been a fan of paying tuition for both kids once Ben reaches school age. I am pretty disappointed, as I REALLY wanted Katie to go to the Montessori school, just b/c I feel it is the BEST place for her, but it just didn't work out.

So, since that decision has been made, I now have to figure out what we want to do, public school-wise. Katie of course can go in Pepperell, but Mass also has school choice, where you can apply to another school district and go for free. Unfortunately, those spots are few and far between, so I am thinking she will end up just going to her assigned school next year. Because of this, I went to the school committee budget meeting last night. Big things are going down in the district.

I found out that they are probably going to close the school Katie currently attends. It is an elementary that houses pre-k through 2nd grade. There is a 2 million dollar budget deficit b/c of the economy and closing this school, as well as one in the neighboring town, is apparently the only way they feel they can close the gap. I did find out that they are at least going to move the awesome playground they have at that school to wherever they move the kids (which will probably be to the upper elementary school in town). I am *hoping* they keep full day kindergarten, but I haven't heard anything. Supposedly there is a bunch of empty space in the other elementary school, so it shouldn't be overcrowded...we'll see. I guess it's really not that big a deal, as long as there is space. And they still offer full day!

If Pepperell does still offer full day, Katie will most likely stay here. Not a lot of towns offer full day kindergarten, so school choice wouldn't be a great idea then. I don't want to opt to another town where she will not only be going half days, but also be at a school I would need to provide transportation for. 

Everything, in our town, is set to be finalized on March 9th. I guess we will know more then.

I never thought school would cause such drama in my life. It's becomming exhausting! I just want what is best for Katie, though...unfortunately, I don't think I will be getting my first choice in that dept. We have to make the best of it, though. 

Yesterday my mom and I took Katie to Disney on Ice in Boston. It was really fun. We took the train in, which Katie LOVES, too. Now, they advertised this special princess preshow thing, and to see it you had to get there an hour before the show started. Um...yeah. It was basically just a few princess dresses lined up and a not very real looking Cinderella (dressed in her cinder clothes, even) at the end....behind a rope...standing on a high platform...so you could kinda sorta get a pic of her...you know, in front of the rope with her up behind you.   Katie wasn't interested in getting a pic "with" her anyway, so no big loss. I wish we had known what a let down it was, though. Especially since, in order to be there in time, we had to take a train that let us off an hour before the "preshow" even opened...lol...ah well.

Anywho, the show itself was well worth it. As usual, the costumes and skating and everything were awesome. Katie loved it. Of course, my camera ran out of battery right as Tinkerbell began, which was  Katie's favorite...what can ya do!  I did get a lot of other pics, though, we will hopefully be in the gallery soon. Katie even wore her Ariel dress, which was very cute! 

Now, the trains only run every 2 hrs on the weekend, so we left a few mins early to catch the 6pm, otherwise we would have been waiting til 8. No thanks. The show was pretty much over anyway, and I wanted to beat the mad rush for the doors and catch that train. Grammy almost toppled down the escalator, apparently, but we made it! We made it home by 7:45, which was great, especially since today is a school day! 

So, overall it was a great day. Maybe next year Ben will be old enough to come along, although I don't think it's as big a draw for the boys...but Ben is a big Disney fan, so I think he would have fun.

On a side note, today begins Katie's turn as Star of the Week at school. (in her class, not the whole school). She got to bring in 10 pics of herself through the years today, which she was very excited about showing to her friends. She is excited about finally being Star of the Week, period...lol. Hopefully she will have a good day! 

Everyone always says to not sweat the small stuff. Well, to me, the small stuff is what matters the most. The little things people do, or don't do. They have a bigger impact and are more telling then grand gestures, either positive or negative.

I am the type of person who really looks at the little things. I take them to heart and formulate my opinions about people based on them. The little things people either try to hide or get away with, as though they don't effect anyone. Or something small someone does to try and help someone else out. Things like this often get overlooked. People focus on those who are "showy" with what they do in life...big things everyone can see and talk about. Those are the type of things people get attention for, and that is exactly why I don't base my opinions on them. 

If someone is willing to go out of their way for someone, but do it under the radar, that is what matters. That is what shows a person's true character. And on the other side, those who try to get away with treating people badly but in such a way no one really notices...well, that is just as telling.  

In the world today it is hard to know who to trust. Who is being real. Who is nice to your face but not when your back is turned. That is why I do sweat the small stuff. 

Deep thought of the day. 

We are back to trying to figure out where to send Katie to kindergarten. The tuition issue is something that weighs heavily on Kai's mind. I also heard that her current elementary school is probably going to be closed come next year, b/c of budget problems, meaning all those kids will be crammed into a different district school. Not good.

So, now I am looking into school choice. Massachusetts has this, where a school district can choose to accept children from outside their town. Not everyone does it (the town I grew up in apparently does not), but a lot do. I emailed the Superintendents of two nearby districts. First, the one in which Kai works, and the second one being the town next to us.

I am not holding out too much hope, though. In general, I don't think the districts open up too many school choice seats, and it is all lottery based. It is another avenue to check out, however. Especially since our school system seems to be in turmoil.

I am really anxious at this point. I don't want Katie to be in a half day, over crowded, crummy kindergarten program now, by default. At least before the kinder program was a good, full day one, that wouldn't have been a bad second choice. Since the full day program is grant-based their is a good chance the town will loose their funding for it if they close the current lower elementary school. I really think, after 2 full years of half day preschool, Katie needs a full day program. I think she needs that to help with her current issues, and I just believe it would be good for her overall.

I hate feeling as though we are back to square one. I hate that money is SUCH an issue. I am totally stressed out about it now... 

This cartoon appeared in the New York Post today and has caused quite the outrage. Apparently good ol' Al Sharpton came out tearing it apart, and others then followed suit. 

On my NC message board it has been hotly debated. There is a large group of people who believe it is racist and are just in total disbelief that a newpaper would print something like that.

Well, maybe they printed it b/c it has nothing to do with race!

Some contend that the "monkey" in the drawing is supposed to depict Obama. Apparently "monkey" is a derogatory term for black people (nevermind it is actually a chimp, which is NOT a monkey). I didn't know that, nor did many other people, but apparently it is. Of course, Obama didn't actually WRITE the stimulus package, so if this were true the cartoon would make no sense.

Also, the two big stories of yesterday were the package and the chimp that attacked a woman in CT and was killed. CLEARLY this cartoon is putting 2 top stories together in the cartoon. Is the cartoon a bit tasteless...maybe...racist...no.

I have a real problem with people looking for racial undertones where they don't lie. I have a real problem with any group, be it a religion, race, etc, thinking it's all about them and feeling discriminated against at every turn. In the words of every mother out there, It's isn't ALL about you! The world doesn't revolve around YOU! Yes, I understand racism still exists. A lot of discrimination still, and always will, exist, be it against black people or the MANY other minorities out there. I think brainless arguments like this fuel the fire of racism, and only serve as a soap box for people, who have nothing else going on, to bitch.

I think in this generation after the civil rights movement, people have been trained to always be on the defensive about everything. Nothing is benign, someone is always being attacked. And I am not just speaking about black people. Plenty of white people do the same thing. Women still do the same thing. Anyone who has ever felt like the underdog does the same thing! It is a generation of "woe is me'ers"...people who would rather complain then do something to make a good life for themselves. People who feel they are owed something. Well, you know what, it's time to grow up.

Life isn't fair. That's reality. There are people out there who aren't nice. There are people who will say mean things and try to bring you down. By overreacting like people did in response to this cartoon, they are giving away their power and are giving a reaction that will not be a deterrent. Unfounded reactions like this just cause the other side to push back harder, and bring out those who really will let the racial slurs fly and make the situation worse. 

But, alas, I know people will never change. We will never learn to just brush things off and get on with our lives. We won't try to do something positive in response to a negative. We are too caught up in our own little worlds to see beyond them. We might be told it's not all about us, but, clearly, that is not how most people feel. There's a lot of horrible things going on in the world today, and it saddens me that people think this cartoon is a big deal in the grand scheme of things. It only proves how truly selfish and ignorant people have become. 

We had a pretty low key weekend. Friday night I had some girlfriends over for a movie night, which was fun. We watched Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, which was good, but a bit gross! Everyone left at 1am, so needless to say I was kinda tired Saturday morning! 

Vday-well, that's no big deal for us. This year we didn't even do cards or anything, and I didn't get flowers or candy...but whatever. I worked 4-8 on Sat, too, so that cut in to any plans we might have had anyway.

Sunday we did a belated Vday fondue dinner. We have been doing fondue since Katie was born, but last night was just OK. Kai was frustrated with the kids the whole time, so that kinda took something away from dinner, but the fondue was yummy anyway! I went to bed early Sat and Sun night b/c I have just been SO tired lately, too. So, yeah, nothing too exciting!

Moving on...today was Katie's "interview" at the Montessori. She was there for 45 mins and I think the teacher just spent some time with her to see what she knows and how she gets along with the other kids and such. She said Katie was more then ready for kinder and Katie LOVED being there, so I guess that is where she will be going. I think it fits her personality and she seemed to like the atmosphere there better then her current school. We have to wait for an official acceptance letter, though. The woman said it should come in the next couple weeks...I just hope it comes before regular kinder registration just in case they don't take her! I think the only reason they wouldn't is if they have too many kids applying and maybe too many kids Katie's age...so we'll see. I am pretty sure she will get in, but you never know.

Anyway, that was the past few days for us.  

I can't dance.

This was painfully evident during last night's Zumba class. My friend Lisa and I took it at our gym...it was, uh, interesting. 

I just have no dance ability. Zero coordination. Can't pick up at all on dance steps. I did try my best, though, and *am* sore today, so either I got an OK workout, or I just succeeded in injuring many parts of my body.

I might try a yoga class tonight. That might be more my speed. I know it's hard, but at least I don't have to jump around like a maniac.

It was nice to get out to the gym, though, and I did feel good after working out. It's been impossible to go in the am with both boys do to sickness and other things, but Kai told me I could start going at night if I wanted. Even though I feel somewhat guilty about that, I might have to do it if I want to actually get any gym time in.

Gotta loose this mama belly...FINALLY.