Conversations with Julie...

Julie: You must be going crazy there with those kids all by yourself. I know I can't stand them for more than 2 hours!

Me:









*I still cannot believe the grandmother of my children just said that to my face!*

Conversations with Claire...about the police

Claire: Mommy, do the police capture little boys and girls?

Me: Well, if the kids are bad, the police can catch them, but if they are good, they have nothing to worry about.

Claire: *looking a little concerned* Oh.

Me: Claire - do you have anything to worry about?

Claire: Nnnooooo.

Me: Do I need to call Jacks?

Claire: No!

*fast forward a few minutes, to when I pick the phone up off of my bed to return it to the base*

Claire: Mommy! What are you doing? Who are you calling???

Me: I'm not calling anybody . . . I'm just putting the phone back.

Claire: *visibly relieved* Oh! I thought you were calling Jacks!


I'm pretty sure she has a guilty conscience.

Ethan's 504

We had Ethan's 504 meeting yesterday afternoon, and he was "approved" . . . this whole process went much smoother than I expected it would. Everyone has always told me about how I would have to fight and be a bitch with the school district to get this set up, but they jumped right on it and had it all done within, I think, about a month of when I requested it . . . actually . . . it only took 5 weeks. Pretty incredible actually, when you consider how many people had to be coordinated for meetings (Core Team and 504).

Anyway, we will have something to take with us to his new school, so they will know right away that there are certain things that will have to be done . . . none of the "wait and see" approach. So I'm happy!

I'm such an idiot!

I had an orthodontist appointment LAST Monday . . . like March 21 or something . . . and I just remembered today! This is not the first time this has happened. I am completely losing my mind.

So we negotiated...

I told Allison I would negotiate with her, because she is doing really great in school, she is helping me so much with Steven being in San Antonio, and because she is just an all around great kid. So, $15 or getting her ears double pierced. She chose the piercing, of course!

So we went to Claire's yesterday morning to have that done . . . stopped at Starbucks along the way, of course. Then we went shopping . . . we went to Super Target (ya know, I need to get one of THOSE hats! lol!) and Kohl's and Old Navy. She ended up with a couple of skirts and a few shirts and some socks. Then we went to Chelsea's for lunch.

This morning I took her with me to Starbucks, then we went to Blockbuster and rented a few movies . . . now we are sitting here in the den (alone! Steven took Ethan and Claire with him to the store) watching a Harry Potter movie. Ok, ok . . . so I'm blogging, too! But I'm not one to just sit and watch TV and do nothing. It's nice to have this kind of time with her . . .

All she has to do is look at me!

I have a deal with Allison . . . if she gets straight A's on her report card, she gets $20. Plus, she can get her ears pierced again . . . she wants them double pierced.

So they get report cards today, and she has all A's and one B.

She just keeps looking at me with that beautiful, perfect little face and those beautiful, perfect blue eyes . . . "Can I have $15, at least?" "Can I please get my ears pierced anyway?" . . . and I want to give her EVERYTHING! She is such a good kid - the best, actually - and she deserves it all!

But then am I a bad mom for giving in???

I just want her to know how much I truly love her!

Maybe we can compromise . . . $15 or ear piercing. (And I know she will choose the piercing!) That won't make me a bad mom, will it???

He doesn't know how it happened...

Ethan (along with some of his friends) got caught throwing "dirt clods" and tree bark at the cars driving along Tree Ln. during recess. He has no clue how this came to be . . . . Mom said she remembers her car getting "bombed" many times while she was driving down Tree Ln. before they put the fence up. Guess the fence worked for a while . . . now they just throw the stuff over the fence!

Conversations with Claire...at 3:41am

Yes . . . 3:41 am.

Claire: Mommy? How did you and Daddy make me?

Me: Claire. It's 3:41 am. Can we talk about this in the morning?

Claire: (sigh) Okay.



Here's hoping she forgot all about this question!

I won! I won! I won!

My first ebay auction!!!


Yee-haw!!!

(A Starbucks cap.) lol!

San Antonio and Stuff

It's Spring Break, so we headed to San Antonio last Tuesday. (What was that? The 15th?) Anyway, it takes Ethan his usual 3 days to settle in, so it was Friday before he was normal again. We will go back to Houston tomorrow (Sunday), so it will be Wednesday before he settles down there.

Our house is now being framed. Pretty exciting for the kids! lol!

Today, we took them to Pedernales Falls - their first hiking trip. They actually loved it, and did much better than I had even hoped! Of course, Steven did most of his rock hoping while carrying Claire, but we all had a great time. Ethan wants us to "Hurry up and sell that damn house!" so we can live in San Antonio all the time! lol!

Oh! Had my first foray into eBay and lost. Waaahhh!

Went to Steven's new office . . . that was pretty cool.

And Allison is now drying her own hair! So yee-haw . . . more freedom for me! lol!

Conversations with Claire . . .

Claire: Me and my sister always say "Duh!", because our brother
always is an idiot!






I don't think she is really 3!

"Uh, here mom. You might need to see this"

Ethan says as he hands me a form (in triplicate) from the school that I need to sign and return.

Apparently, he set off the fire alarm on the way to PE today . . .

Fucking MSN . . .

Is so fucking fucked up, it is fuckity fuck fucked!

Conversations with Ethan . . .

While I'm in the bathtub, Ethan walks in, very weepy . . .

Ethan: Mom, if I have to give my life to save one of you guys,
will you pray for me every night???

Me: (where the hell did he come up with that?!)
Of course we would, Ethan! But, I would never let that
happen to begin with! I will always keep you safe . . .
(blah, blah, blah . . . I go on to say all the things moms are
supposed to say at times like these . . . )

Ethan: (happy again)
Are you done talking now???

Me: Well . . . are you done listening now???

Ethan: Yes.

And off he goes, as happy as he can be . . . and I'm left wondering if I just happened to say the exact right things or is this a bipolar swing???