...home sweet home....that is what I was saying at 11:30 am when we pulled into our driveway from a wonderful Thanksgiving with Jerry's family! There is something to be said about traveling to spend precious time with your loved ones that you just do not see often enough.....there is also something to be said for coming home! Mette knew that when Thanksgiving was over and we got home it was GAME ON.....CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS GALORE!!! She must have asked at least 10 times if we were there yet and made sure to drive her point home that I was NOT to do any cleaning or decorating without her (she needed to take a LONG soak in the tub before anything else!)
We got home....unloaded the mini van that was filled with what seems like never ending "crap" :-), put away groceries, unpacked the bags of clothes both clean and dirty, got down the Christmas trees and bins from the storage above the garage....mind you Mette is repeatedly telling me NOT to do ANYTHING without her- I guess my repeated reassurance in the Van on the drive home was not enough....Gabe was out shoveling the driveway- OK he did about 3 swipes and was over his need to be outside after a long car ride.
Fast forward....baths and showers are done for the kids, everything is cleaned up and we are ready to decorate....first up the BIG tree upstairs.....OH LORD GIVE ME PATIENCE and I MEAN NOW!!!!! Really, I know Gabe and I are a LOT alike and this can be good or it can be the end of a wonderful moment...today...it was the second of the two (at least at first). Just unpacking the damn tree was a battle between us....Mette is quietly standing by as Gabe and I go round after round ~ back and forth ~ him questioning EVERYTHING that comes out of my mouth! DRIVES ME NUTS!!!! Jerry, mind you, is steering clear of the whole mess...as he finishes the driveway job Gabe started and a few other odds and ends outside before coming in to referee the match!
I had to take many deep breaths and apologize for hooting and hollering at Gabe, but we managed to get the tree up and decorated! It looks WONDERFUL....So I think I should be done for the day! BOY WAS I WRONG...my kids had other ideas! They wanted to do THEIR tree downstairs. The family tree with all of our personal ornaments on it. They get to decorate it each year however they want! After the episode upstairs I was dreading this! We did have our moments where we could have choked each other...but when all was said and done we had a SECOND tree that was BEAUTIFUL!
By now it was dinner time....we all sat down to a wonderful and very yummy grilled feast prepared by my husband. Then it was family movie time....(I swear to God that this is Mette's most favorite thing to do!) After watching The Santa Claus and making popcorn for the kids and Jerry I was able to reflect on the day....
I have so many things to be thankful for...first and foremost my kids and husband! Each day is an adventure ~ yes we have our ups and downs because we are so much alike, but at the end of the day I would not trade any of it for all the riches in the world. I am also thankful for being able to spend time with Jerry's family. Seeing Jerry's dad for the first time with his new set of chompers was GREAT!
....So after the movie and the kids were fast asleep (which took all of 3 seconds for Gabe and well, Mette missed the last 15 minutes of the movie as she was passed out on me!) I was feeling in the festive mood still as the Christmas lights twinkled in the dark and all of our wonderful family ornaments that were hung so carefully by my children (all crammed into different sections of the tree) I decided to crack out the wrapping paper, dig out the bags hidden in my closet and put a HUGE dent into wrapping gifts! Well....lets just say that I am pretty proud of what I got done! All the gifts that have been bought ( I have been trying to be a head of the game this year...instead of impulse buying as Christmas gets closer) Gabe is DONE....Mette is very close to being done....Jerry and I are DONE....my parents are 1/2 way done....my God daughter is DONE....my sister and Dana (no frickin clue what they are going to get)...Gabe's godparents DONE...my grade level coworkers are DONE! With that said....I only have a few more left....and not only are they DONE but they are all FRICKIN' WRAPPED!!!
~ Now I am beyond exhausted and I need to go to bed....for tomorrow will for sure bring more adventures and more things to be Thankful for - and my " TO DO" list will be a little shorter after the productive day we have had....on the list for tomorrow...Christmas letter to go with the photo cards sitting on the computer table, baking cookies with Gabe and Mette (the KISS cookies), cuddle time with Vivi (my god daughter), watching the VIKINGS...lord help us all if they do not win, and trying to enjoy every moment and remembering to be THANKFUL for all that we have...for we are VERY BLESSED!
~Jenine, Jerry, Gabe, and Mette....a family that never seems to have a dull moment and I would not have it any other way.....
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Did someone say....conferences????
Tis the season for teachers to hunker down and settle in for a few LONG, pretty eventful evenings! So begins the PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE season! ;-)
I have been doing this for a while now, and it does not seem to matter-I still get a little nervous, mostly for the first couple- then it becomes old hat again! It is always nice to make a connection with the parents of the kids I spend SOOO much time with and I try to tell them that I will believe half of what there kid tells me, as long as they only believe half of what their kid tell them about me and what happens in school! Oh I have heard a few stories in the last month or so....that too seems to help set the mood for when families come in- sometimes good ~ sometimes a little awkward ;-)
Well...be it what it may; long, good, exciting, frustrating, exhausting...they are a great thing- these parent teacher conferences.
On Tuesday night we had the pleasure of our first Middle School conference. It is a little different but really good! Gabe lead his own conference. Telling us about his grades, things they are learned and will be learning in the up coming week, his attitude, work skills....HE DID AMAZING! We could not be more proud of him. It is no secrete that school has not always been easy for him and that things that were said to him or happened to him in the past he really struggled with just letting it go. His confidence is not always where we as parents would like it to be because he is so hard on himself!
Well....out with the old and in with the new.... his confidence is going up (still room to go up even more), he is working his butt off and even made the B honor roll! He is really proud of himself and how school is going and so are we!
As for our youngest....she is on her own learning curve this week. For those of you who know miss Mette Marie- she has a mind of her own and a VERY outgoing, spunky, fun loving personality! One of the many qualities we love about her and that could quite possible be the end of me!!! For the first time EVER she got in a little trouble at Preschool. When my mom got there all of the children were seated on the circle, outside gear on, back packs packed, waiting for their ride to pick them up....where was my daughter...in the corner- bag open with nothing in it, coat, hat, mittens, boots...still not on and when it was my mom's turn in line she could not just grab her and go...no she had to wait until my daughter was ready. And she was moving at HER pace! The teacher said she had an all around OFF day....when she asked her if she forgot her brain at home Mette's reply was "I sure think so.....I just can't seem to GET IT TOGETHER today!!!"
Oh the words of a mama can come back to bit you in the ass....those key words GET IT TOGETHER come out of my mouth about 20 times a day with both of them...mostly in the morning when I am trying desperately go get out the damn door and she is still playing with her barbies or in her kitchen and Gabe, well the backpack is open and nothing that is supposed to be in there is yet- then we are loaded in the good old mini van....and he is still scrambling to GET IT TOGETHER and get his butt in the van so we can leave.....Moral of this story- They are who they are....we can not control what they do or say.....we just need to remember THEY are ALWAYS listening! I know this is the first of MANY fun little things she will do or say and for now it is still cute ~ when she is a teenager.....I very well may be in a padded room with a lovely white jacket on ~ you can come visit me or join me for that fact if you are in the same boat!
I have been doing this for a while now, and it does not seem to matter-I still get a little nervous, mostly for the first couple- then it becomes old hat again! It is always nice to make a connection with the parents of the kids I spend SOOO much time with and I try to tell them that I will believe half of what there kid tells me, as long as they only believe half of what their kid tell them about me and what happens in school! Oh I have heard a few stories in the last month or so....that too seems to help set the mood for when families come in- sometimes good ~ sometimes a little awkward ;-)
Well...be it what it may; long, good, exciting, frustrating, exhausting...they are a great thing- these parent teacher conferences.
On Tuesday night we had the pleasure of our first Middle School conference. It is a little different but really good! Gabe lead his own conference. Telling us about his grades, things they are learned and will be learning in the up coming week, his attitude, work skills....HE DID AMAZING! We could not be more proud of him. It is no secrete that school has not always been easy for him and that things that were said to him or happened to him in the past he really struggled with just letting it go. His confidence is not always where we as parents would like it to be because he is so hard on himself!
Well....out with the old and in with the new.... his confidence is going up (still room to go up even more), he is working his butt off and even made the B honor roll! He is really proud of himself and how school is going and so are we!
As for our youngest....she is on her own learning curve this week. For those of you who know miss Mette Marie- she has a mind of her own and a VERY outgoing, spunky, fun loving personality! One of the many qualities we love about her and that could quite possible be the end of me!!! For the first time EVER she got in a little trouble at Preschool. When my mom got there all of the children were seated on the circle, outside gear on, back packs packed, waiting for their ride to pick them up....where was my daughter...in the corner- bag open with nothing in it, coat, hat, mittens, boots...still not on and when it was my mom's turn in line she could not just grab her and go...no she had to wait until my daughter was ready. And she was moving at HER pace! The teacher said she had an all around OFF day....when she asked her if she forgot her brain at home Mette's reply was "I sure think so.....I just can't seem to GET IT TOGETHER today!!!"
Oh the words of a mama can come back to bit you in the ass....those key words GET IT TOGETHER come out of my mouth about 20 times a day with both of them...mostly in the morning when I am trying desperately go get out the damn door and she is still playing with her barbies or in her kitchen and Gabe, well the backpack is open and nothing that is supposed to be in there is yet- then we are loaded in the good old mini van....and he is still scrambling to GET IT TOGETHER and get his butt in the van so we can leave.....Moral of this story- They are who they are....we can not control what they do or say.....we just need to remember THEY are ALWAYS listening! I know this is the first of MANY fun little things she will do or say and for now it is still cute ~ when she is a teenager.....I very well may be in a padded room with a lovely white jacket on ~ you can come visit me or join me for that fact if you are in the same boat!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
A great day to celebrate....
Today was a wonderful day at Pinewood Elementary....back up a little....my day started at 5:06 am when the alarm went off ~ with my husband snorking and coughing next to me I got up ~ came downstairs and sent a short message to an old friend that I have been thinking about for a while saying Thank you for his service in protecting our country ~ then off to the tread mill I go....rocking out with my i pod on to the great mix of music my husband put together for me called "Mama's gonna sweat" I did my work out...folded laundry with Gabe's help at 5:45(lord knows why he got up early...he had a good 15 minutes more to sleep!) Everyone got ready, loaded up in the mini van- toaster strudels and all and we were off promptly at 6:43 am! We saw an amazing sunrise to which Mette said "MOMMY the sky is SOOOO pretty- it looks like a fancy lip stick color!" Gabe and Mette didn't fight on the drive in (as they often do) but instead played a counting game and sang alphabet songs! Not to toot my kids horn but Mette has some mad counting skills for only be 4 and she knew all the different sounds of the alphabet...maybe she really is listening and paying attention when we read books and talk about numbers and letters- who would have thought! (Gabe was pretty proud too...)
After dropping my kids off at school and daycare I headed to Pinewood for what I was sure was going to be a crazy day! It is Veteran's Day and I had 2 family members to little ones from my class coming and every year for as long as I can remember, any Veteran's Day program gets me all choked up! Today was no different! Before kids began to arrive, the special guests were walking the halls- men, women, young and old in uniforms or with special hats, jackets, medals hanging on their chests....they seemed to stand so proud as they walked past my room. In the hall I greeted some kind gentlemen, shook their hands, introduced myself, asked them where and when they served...then I simply thanked them for their service for our country~ it was the easiest words to come out of my mouth but the look on their faces will stick with me FOREVER! They smiled, tears in their eyes and quietly said your welcome.
As the morning went on I had the privilege to meet a set of grandparents of a little girl in my room. Her grandpa served in Korea around the same time as my father in law. He shared a few stories and pleasantries then it was of to the program they went. As I walked my class to the gym and got them seated I snuck out to see if MY SPECIAL guest was there yet....there in the door way to the gym with a few of his VFW buddies was a man I admire very much! My god father, Jim Wallin, has been a member of the color guard that comes to our school year for this program for quite some time. I was able to give him a BIG hug and kiss (which would brighten any day of the year!) and tell him Thank you again! You see, growing up I always knew Jim was in the service and it was never really talked about. When I was in 7th grade, I had a school project that involved me interviewing someone I was proud of- my hero. I chose Jim. It was the first time I had ever talked to him about his years in the Marines. He told me about Vietnam, remember I was in 7th grade and when you are in 7th grade you think you know EVERYTHING....boy was I humbled after talking to him. I wrote a pretty good paper (or at least I thought it was good) and ended up walking away from the whole thing with a new found respect for him and those who served along side him. As I have grown up I have heard about the adventures and vacations he has taken with the other Marines he served with. They have reunions every year in different places and they have become a very close group. His daughter (who is my son's god mother) Sheril has told me many stories about what it is like when they get together.....
The whole point of what I am saying is - It was a VERY GOOD DAY! A day in which we honor the brave men and women who gave of themselves selflessly to protect each and every one of us! Some gave the their lives in the line of duty and so many families will never be the same.
~ To anyone who has given of them self to protect us.....THANK YOU. They should hear this EVERY DAY- not just once a year.
Take time every day to say these little words to someone you know who has given so much...THANK YOU! ~ It really was a Great Day!
After dropping my kids off at school and daycare I headed to Pinewood for what I was sure was going to be a crazy day! It is Veteran's Day and I had 2 family members to little ones from my class coming and every year for as long as I can remember, any Veteran's Day program gets me all choked up! Today was no different! Before kids began to arrive, the special guests were walking the halls- men, women, young and old in uniforms or with special hats, jackets, medals hanging on their chests....they seemed to stand so proud as they walked past my room. In the hall I greeted some kind gentlemen, shook their hands, introduced myself, asked them where and when they served...then I simply thanked them for their service for our country~ it was the easiest words to come out of my mouth but the look on their faces will stick with me FOREVER! They smiled, tears in their eyes and quietly said your welcome.
As the morning went on I had the privilege to meet a set of grandparents of a little girl in my room. Her grandpa served in Korea around the same time as my father in law. He shared a few stories and pleasantries then it was of to the program they went. As I walked my class to the gym and got them seated I snuck out to see if MY SPECIAL guest was there yet....there in the door way to the gym with a few of his VFW buddies was a man I admire very much! My god father, Jim Wallin, has been a member of the color guard that comes to our school year for this program for quite some time. I was able to give him a BIG hug and kiss (which would brighten any day of the year!) and tell him Thank you again! You see, growing up I always knew Jim was in the service and it was never really talked about. When I was in 7th grade, I had a school project that involved me interviewing someone I was proud of- my hero. I chose Jim. It was the first time I had ever talked to him about his years in the Marines. He told me about Vietnam, remember I was in 7th grade and when you are in 7th grade you think you know EVERYTHING....boy was I humbled after talking to him. I wrote a pretty good paper (or at least I thought it was good) and ended up walking away from the whole thing with a new found respect for him and those who served along side him. As I have grown up I have heard about the adventures and vacations he has taken with the other Marines he served with. They have reunions every year in different places and they have become a very close group. His daughter (who is my son's god mother) Sheril has told me many stories about what it is like when they get together.....
The whole point of what I am saying is - It was a VERY GOOD DAY! A day in which we honor the brave men and women who gave of themselves selflessly to protect each and every one of us! Some gave the their lives in the line of duty and so many families will never be the same.
~ To anyone who has given of them self to protect us.....THANK YOU. They should hear this EVERY DAY- not just once a year.
Take time every day to say these little words to someone you know who has given so much...THANK YOU! ~ It really was a Great Day!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Daylight Savings Time....oh how I hate you!
We had a wonderful weekend spent at home getting SOOO many things done! We hung up all the pictures in Gabe's room, touched up the paint job, made a Family wall of pictures downstairs, cleaned the whole house (dusting included...Mette is such a great helper when it comes to this!), cleaned up the yard, had family movie nights, had my parents over for a WONDERFUL dinner yesterday.....I can't really complain about much!
HOWEVER.....I really do HATE this day lights savings time. Mette turns into this crabby, ugly creature about 5:30 pm as it is now getting dark...by 6:30 she is completely out of sorts and in bed by 7:00- not sleeping though that does not happen until she pitches multiple fits about how wide her door is open, making sure she tells Jer and I to keep the hall light on ALL NIGHT, and repeated cuddling by both Jerry and I! It is completely exhausting! The whole bed time has been tough on her since this spring when something spooked her - but throw in the time change and we have a full on MONSTER on our hands!!! (Thank god she is so frickin cute!) As for Gabe...he is adjusting well- he got up at 5:00 on Sat. morning saying he just could not sleep ....fast forward to Sunday about 6 PM he was DONE! He laid on the couch and by 7 was in bed. It was so nice that he is old enough now not to pitch fits like he did when he was 4 (just like Mette is now).
I am keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well in school for everyone today and that no one has a serious case of the cranky pants!
HOWEVER.....I really do HATE this day lights savings time. Mette turns into this crabby, ugly creature about 5:30 pm as it is now getting dark...by 6:30 she is completely out of sorts and in bed by 7:00- not sleeping though that does not happen until she pitches multiple fits about how wide her door is open, making sure she tells Jer and I to keep the hall light on ALL NIGHT, and repeated cuddling by both Jerry and I! It is completely exhausting! The whole bed time has been tough on her since this spring when something spooked her - but throw in the time change and we have a full on MONSTER on our hands!!! (Thank god she is so frickin cute!) As for Gabe...he is adjusting well- he got up at 5:00 on Sat. morning saying he just could not sleep ....fast forward to Sunday about 6 PM he was DONE! He laid on the couch and by 7 was in bed. It was so nice that he is old enough now not to pitch fits like he did when he was 4 (just like Mette is now).
I am keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well in school for everyone today and that no one has a serious case of the cranky pants!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Halloween Fun!
Now on to the next start of the day.....Jerry was up to his old tricks again at the grill! He got up pretty early....started the coals....soaked the wood chips....and then the real fun began! He placed this beautiful brisquette on the grill and cooked it low and slow all day long! It was like butter when we finally cut through it at about 5:15 in the evening! Oh....the sweet joy of marrying a man who knows how to makes the grill his B#%*$! :-)
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