My kids would tell you I’m WAY overprotective.

My oldest wasn’t allowed to walk down to the neighbors home on his own in our quiet suburban neighborhood until he was ten, and then I can’t even remember if I let him play inside. There was a lot to worry about. I really didn’t know the parents or the older brother at all. Why would I allow my son to play inside a home I’ve never been in? Mix that with the nightly news and violence against kids and my overactive imagination and you got one overprotective mom.

When it came time to send the kids to camp, I’d warn them about swimming in the lakes and that parasites that could infect their brains and kill them if they got water up their nose. Every year a kid died from this mysterious disease in our state and my kids were not going to be one of them! Add that to the fact that I knew people who’ve drowned in rivers and were paralyzed in lakes and that lakes where we live are just plain icky and disgusting and you got one over protective mom.

Don’t even get me started about my fears of dogs and guns in someone’s home…

I’m sure I can go on and on and you can probably add your own overprotective stories to this post (and please do in the comment section) but I’d like to tell you about a REAL random act of violence that happened to my sweet, eight year old daughter yesterday…

I just started allowing my daughter to go to friends houses in the neighborhood and let friends come over, but the act of violence didn’t happen at home. It happened on vacation over her grandparents’ house. I should preface the story that the violence while random, wasn’t physically damaging and she seems to be emotionally fine (though wanting justice) so don’t worry, nothing horrific happened to her.

It was getting dark and her and her two older brothers and cousin wanted to go outside and watch the bats fly, so while normally I’d insist on an adult being outside with them, on this quiet cul-de-sac I wasn’t worried, though the idea did give me a moment of pause. Everything was quiet and I finally decided it was time for them to come in when my daughter comes up to me and tells me this little girl came up and punched her three times, one in the eye. I shook my head, not sure I heard correctly, but she told me the same story.

Her and the boys were playing a game where she was hiding in the bushes when this group of kids came up (not sure if they were playing with them, but the other day they did ask if they could play when we were down the street at a family reunion with about 50 people in the yard and the owner of the house said it wasn’t a good time, so we don’t know if they were mad about that)

My daughter said she saw the older girls whisper to the littlest one and then the littlest one (about my daughters size) went up and punched her in the face and eye about 5 or 6 times. And that was it!

Of course, I questioned why she didn’t yell and she didn’t know why. She was probably in shock, but that gave me concern because I’ve always taught my kids about screaming when a “bad man” tried to hurt them. I guess I should have expanded the age and gender bracket on “bad men.”

I then asked her brothers and cousin why they didn’t defend her and they didn’t even know it happened. Wow! More questions birthed in my mind. How could no one know what had happened even though she was hidden from everyone and why didn’t she tell?

Why didn’t she tell?

Makes you wonder how many other victims don’t tell right after the “act of violence,” but thankfully that’s the first thing she said when she saw me.

Needless to say, I was in shock and outraged and insisted on having my husband go down and talk to the family. It hasn’t happened yet and I’m a little worried that the parents might not believe their child did this, but my daughter keeps asking “are we going down there today.”

She may not be able to put it into words, but I know she wants justice. In fact, she said “I want to see her get in trouble.”

So if you think about it, say a prayer for “justice” and the courage for us to play this thing out when it’s so easy just to forget it all happened!

I’m either getting old or I’m just too busy. Maybe a little of both because I forgot to post on Part Two of our Raggs PBS trip. I could have sworn I did, but here’s another go (from my fading memory) and some quotes from my daughter.

My last post ended with me trying to get Grace to open up and we found that throwing her Littlest Pet Show animals across the room in a basket worked well! It got her wound up a little too much so we switched to hide and seek with the animals. Then it was her turn to go to hair and makeup.

Grace was nervous to be on TV, but sat in the makeup chair while the makeup lady and Boo, the lady who warmed up all the kids, tried talking to Grace. She didn’t say much or answer their questions like I wanted. I was a bit worried because in her audition video she came across as a very precocious, outgoing girl, but in person she was very shy. They understood and that’s why they tried to warm up the kids with questions before they went in to see Dumpster.

The day’s theme was “Pretend and make believe” but Grace told them she didn’t make believe or pretend. So I steered them to her performing on stage as a fairie in Narnia. After all, that was pretend.

Grace was excited when she went into see Dumpster. He was very funny and sang her name, trying to make her smile. He asked her questions about pretend and playing dress up and even asked her “what is acting?” Grace was trying to answer the questions correctly and told me later…

“I tried to answer the questions to help little kids learn and he asked me ‘what’s acting?’ I wanted to say ‘you’re acting, I’m acting, you’re just a puppet Dumpster,’ but I didn’t because the kids watching the show think the cat was really a cat.”

He asked about costumes and Grace said she wore a poofy dress in Narnia.  “Dumpster asked me about costumes and I told him I wore a poofy fairie costume in a play. He asked ‘what’s poofy?’ and I showed him my skirt I was wearing. Then he asked ‘would I look good in poofy?’” Grace said “no.”

Dumpster also asked about Grace’s favorite song. She said, “Back and Forth.” It’s by Lanae Hale and I knew Dumpster wouldn’t know it, but he was pretty funny when he said, “Is this how it goes. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth” and he swayed back and forth! I was really surprised and excited when Grace sang the song for him and I really hope that it’ll air some time soon!

He asked her about the names of stores and what a store is like. She mentioned Walmart and HomeDepot. Guess where we shop!

Grace said, “It was fun talking to Dumpster the Cat because he was fun to talk to. He asked me a lot of questions. There was this big room you had to wait in and I got to play on the computer. My favorite part of the trip was staying in the hotel and the airplane because it was my first airplane ride.”

Later I told her if she had messed up they could have cut the scene out, and she wished she would have told Dumpster that “I’m acting, you’re acting. You’re just a puppet.”

Then we got a photo with Dumpster and a goodie bag and it was time to get ready to leave. I really wish I would have written this sooner and that I could have video taped the entire thing, but hopefully most of it will be on the Raggs show someday soon!

Grace has finally learned to love to read THIS WEEK. She’s seven years old and though her reading is still not great, that doesn’t stop her from grabbing a book from her bookshelf and reading it for herself. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t understand all the words or read them all correctly, she loves to read by her small night before bed and reads until her eyes get sleepy.

I’m so excited for her because a whole new world has opened up for her and all the books I once read to her, she can now experience new for her self. To make her reading more enjoyable, I put all the books I think she can read on one book shelf.  And the other night she read me a book at bedtime.

Now if I can only get Timmy to enjoy reading I’ll have four out of four kids who love books as much as I do!

My daughter’s been listening to Christmas music for weeks now. She wrote her Christmas list even before that and she can’t wait for snow because that means it will be Christmas. Do you thinks she’s a little excited? Here’s her Christmas list as she wrote it. Think you can decipher it?

Barbie and the three muscuters the moves. (pretty easy, wait it gets harder)

a Barbie doll the three muscaters the blond one. (she drew a picture of this!)

a ariall dress up costume.

DSI uv many trad my DS for a DSI not a lot (like that’s going to happen )

Tumble Dog that locs like Jety (our dog, Jedi) and mymabe soot wus Peeck (pink) and

Style Lrab Jewelry

Desigin and crazcookn’ and

Barbie glamour

and a byoot ful nekulis so prity (I can read this, can you?)

and a we litlist Pet Shop Gam for we cyoot

and miny baby bel cees

Alvin and the Chipmunks the squeakauel

What a list! It might take me to next Christmas just to translate it!

As you’re reading this my seven year old daughter and I are on a plane (her FIRST plane ride,) heading for North Carolina to tape the Raggs PBS show and get interviewed by Dumpster the Cat.

Life has been so crazy I can’t believe I haven’t blogged about this yet, but here it goes…

Mid summer I came across a contest for 4- 7 year olds to win a chance to appear on the Raggs PBS show. Since we don’t watch a lot fo TV,  she didn’t know who Raggs was, but was excited about the possiblity of her first plane ride! I vaguely remember a Dog band coming to our State Fair and playing a small concert, and thought that was who it was. So we decided to enter!

I didn’t have much time to get my entry in so after carefully reading the directions on how to enter, I got out my Flip camera and started shooting. Needless to say, my sassy, funny daughter froze up when I was taping her. We tried over and over again, each time she loosened up a bit. Then when I finally thought I had a decent audition tape, I noticed there was a logo on the box behind her head. YIKES! The rules said no ad logos, so we moved to the hallway and did one last take. By now, she was getting really sassy and her full personality came out. I downloaded the tape (thank you internet submissions!) and that was that. I didn’t think much about it.

Weeks later we auditioned for the Wizard of Oz and got in. I noticed there might be a conflict with the Raggs taping. But winning was such a long shot. I didn’t think much more of it until I got an email from Raggs with a BIG congratulations at the top. At first, I thought she was 1 of 100 chosen to go on a second interview. But Cameron, the very helpful Raggs assistant set me straight. My daughter was a winner and would be taped. Later Raggs would decide which segments to use, but we were on our way!

So we’re on our way. We fly back tomorrow, and then the next day we have our first performance of the Wizard of Oz! (Yes, we have special permission to miss two days of tech week!) I’ve already seen photos of other kids on the Raggs adventure and it looks fabulous! And we hope to meet up with some families at the hotel later.  So if you’re reading this, say a prayer for us and our adventure, for save and easy travel on this wonderful, whirlwind of a tour! And my daughter’s true personality to shine!

This post is way past over due. In fact I should have blogged about it in April, but such is life and here it is!

Grace’s first big tooth came in in April, before her 7th birthday. BEFORE she lost her first tooth!

She noticed something poking her tongue and when I checked her bottom teeth, there it was. Here first big tooth. I sort of panicked and made her start wiggling the tooth it was trying to replace. But it was hardly loose. So began almost of month of wiggling and worry. Would her new tooth be permanently stuck behind her baby tooth like a little shark? Friends assured me it would move back into place, eventually. And it did, eventually.

And just when we thought Shark Girl was thing of the past, her second new tooth came in BEFORE she lost her second baby tooth! Shark Girl returns!

Her second tooth is almost in place and now her top tooth is lose. Needless to say, we’re watching behind it very closely anticipating the Shark Girl 3!

Grace, my almost seven year old, is a character, to say the least. All my children, except my mild, mannered Timmy were characters with big personalities. I remember specifically Joey singing and talking to random people in the grocery store, waving at them across the aisle. Then there was Chris, who came out a leader from birth. I remember the time I was watching him at a recital and to say he was a little “bossy” would be an understatement. He demanded the “lebo” (yellow) baton from his teacher, told the kids what to do and if they were doing it wrong and while I was videotaping him, he yelled at me from the little stage to “Clap mommy! Clap!” Don’t believe me, I have it on video.

Not sure whose DNA Timmy has. He’s the kid that would be content to sit in a stroller for hours. Maybe God knew I needed a break from chasing my first two, or maybe God knew Grace was coming next. She, by far, takes the prize for the biggest character. My parents call her a “pip.” Even though I have no idea what that means, I know she’s just that, a pip!

The things that come out of her mouth leave me stunned and sometimes I have to wonder if she’s getting most of this from television or her little, creative mind. Like the other night, I was reading her Cinderella and got to the end about dreams come true. She informs me that it doesn’t work. The conversation went something like this.

Me: What doesn’t work?

Grace: Wishes

Me: Why?

Grace: Because I wished on shooting stars and it doesn’t come true.

Me: What did you wish for?

Grace: That everyone in this family would do what I say, like they were robots and did everything I want.

Me trying not to laugh

Grace: I know grandma told me I should wish nice things so I did. I wished that everyone would have the best day tomorrow and it didn’t happen.

Me: Maybe you should try praying instead of wishing

Grace: No, that wouldn’t work ’cause I’d pray to have a million dollars fall from the sky and it just doesn’t happen like that.

Me thinking to myself: You got that right!

Is it better to dabble and excel in several things that you love or focus and commit to one talent, one discipline you’re not sure you want to spend the rest of your life doing, but you enjoy?

That’s the dilemma Joey, my 12 year old,  is facing. We just had an audition with a music conservatory. Several friends have received scholarships there, and I knew Joey was a candidate. The school explained to me it was a vigorous “Russian” program, and I knew if any one of my kids could do it, it’d be my A+ student who loves to play the piano.

We went. Joey impressed them, and then I was called in and given the “music will be his life for the next seven years” speech. While I was informed by friends that they were very strict, I guess I didn’t realize they expected Joey not to pursue any other interests. In fact, one of the first things they said to me is that he had a strong interview and he was a very polite boy, but he has a lot of talents and interests. Which is true. Joey could have been a competitive tumbler, but for reasons beyond our control (like the gym closing and not finding another program) he’s lost some of his skills. We planned on putting him back in tumbling now that we found another gym. He also loves theatre and thought he could give it up for a year to pursue piano, but he’s dismayed at the thought of seven years of not doing the other things he loves. Now, the scholarship is not for seven years, they reevaluate every year, but they want to take serious students and parents who will push their children and drive them even when the children don’t want to continue. That’s the Russian influence and the teacher was very honest about the philosophy of the school. She even said she had to turn down some very talented students because the parent’s weren’t 100% on board.

So our dilemma. I really want Joey to have this opportunity, especially since I can’t see any other way we can afford piano lessons at the level he needs them, but am I willing to force him to do nothing but piano? He’s not excited about it and I’m just so disappointed because I wanted this to be a good fit for us. And it has me wondering how my other friends who are at the school can still be involved in Boy Scouts. I remember my friend telling me they’re really strict at first and then they can work with you, but she said you can only miss 2 lessons. That wouldn’t work with theatre. And by the time students are in their second year, they’re at the school three hours a week. Decisions, decisions!

My son could be anything he wants to be. He could be great at a lot of things. He already is. Is it fair to push him in a particular direction so he could be excellent? This school seems to think so.

What are your thoughts?

 My husband isn’t materialistic. In fact, the only thing he’s ever wanted besides power tools was a grandfather clock. I have to admit, when we first got married they weren’t my first choice of decor and quite frankly, we couldn’t afford one anyway. But as the years went by, they started to grow on me and now that we have a house that a grandfather clock would fit in perfectly, it’s got me thinking I’d really like one as well. Come to think of it, since we moved into our new home, we only have one clock on the wall. And as a multi-tasker who doesn’t like to waste time, we really need more clocks, especially since my watch battery died, and I haven’t replaced it yet.

Grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantle clocks. They all have personality and add to the decor of a home. I remember my husband buying a mantle clock for his parents. And nowadays, they come in so many different styles, and well, my new mantle is kind of empty. But I have to admit, an Ant Farm Clock is not what I’m looking for! Though it would make for interesting conversations with company! While I’m on the subject, what would make an interesting mantle clock, or wall clock for that matter? Maybe my child’s art work somehow decoupaged into the face. What are your thoughts?

This site has many cool looking clocks. In fact, this one caught my eye and would look great in my kitchen. And this one for the family room. And maybe this one for my mantle. So many clocks, so little…money. What did you think I was going to say, time?

My soon-to-be 9 year old son took this photo! The kid’s got a great eye if I do say so myself!

Before you good, God fearing Christians turn away or worse scroll down to the comments to tell me how poker is the devil’s game, listen to what I have to say. I’m thanking God for poker because it’s brought my two extremely different sons, 14 and 12, together! That’s right, they’re actually getting along and playing nice when they play poker.

Now, they’re not gambling, or playing for money, just chips, but the game they learned at school has engaged them both that it’s the first thing they want to do when they get home from school. You have to know my boys to know that it truly is a miracle that my oldest even wants to sit at the same table with my younger son. So I’m thanking God for poker!

From the day my second son could walk and play, I could tell he was different from my oldest. While my oldest loved playing with “figures” and pretending, my second never picked up a “little person,” instead he built things like giant marble towers, Brio train tracks and later on K’Nex roller coasters. From early on, it was easy to see how completely different my two sons were. Though they loved each other when they were little, they didn’t play together much unless it was outside. As they grew up, they drifted apart. They just didn’t like to play the same things.

Fast forward ten years and the only times they seem to get along is when they’re playing a strategy game. They’ve played chess, but since my oldest is in logic my younger son doesn’t like to play him because he gets creamed. But with poker, they seem to be on the same level. And I’m glad! In fact, today when I heard my oldest son call my younger to come and play, my heart melted! My prayers had finally come true. My boys were finally getting along, at least for the length of the game.

Beauty & The Beast

 

Cast Parties!

Peter Pan

Recitals

It’s spring and that means it’s busy season again. Four kids, three in two different plays, two in soccer, four in music, two in swimming and 1 in dance! Kind of crazy, but it’s so fun to see them excel and have fun after an extracurricularless winter!

Timmy, my 9yr., once told me “Mom, I’m a sports guy, not a play guy.” But ever since he auditioned for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, he’s been bitten by the stage bug. This spring he’ll be Michael in Peter Pan and even I was surprised by his English accent. Sure, he’s still a sports guy, but he’s a stage guy as well and as High Musical taught us, there’s nothing wrong with that!

I couldn’t resist uploading this podcast of my six year old singing “True Love’s Kiss” from Enchanted.

Do you ever look at your kids and wondering if you’re doing a good job? If your challenging preteen and obnoxious teen will ever turn out normal? Do you blame yourself or question your parenting when they don’t seem to “get it?”

If you answer NO, then you’re just not normal. Okay, maybe you’re better than normal, and there’s no use comparing myself with you.

But right now I want to brag on my kids, not my parenting, because God in heaven knows that if they turn out good (which I know they will) it won’t be because of me. It’ll be because of HIM.

Anyway, the other weekend we all attended a rockin’ Christian concert with Hawk Nelson, Brandon Heath and Toby Mac! Did I mention it was ROCKIN’! Thank goodness I’m not too old to enjoy this music, but my teen was too old to sit with a mom who would guarantee to embarrass him. So I sat with my 11 and 8 year old and a 10 year old friend.

In the middle of this concert they stopped the music for some “preaching” but it was entertaining and all good and the kids didn’t seem to mind. Then the took up an offering. We’d just started giving our kids allowance and my oldest has been saving up his pennies, even selling his Mp3 player to his younger brother so he could earn enough money for an iPod Shuffle. He wants it really bad… So I didn’t think he’d give anything. I wasn’t sure about my 11 year old, but he surprised me by pulling out $8. Almost 2 weeks allowance! (Yeah, I know. Not much allowance for these kids, but we’re in an economic crisis and even allowance suffers!)

Later on my oldest told me he gave two weeks allowance. I was surprised and thrilled. He said he was only going to put in five until the guy started talking. Then he threw in another five. That’s when my parent pride swelled, and I knew they’d be just fine. They still have a lot of growing to do (so do I,) but they’re good kids, who love Jesus and are hearing the voice of God in their own way! What more could I ask for?

After reading these authors Christmas traditions I want a Christmas do-over! Why doesn’t it seem like Christmas here? The weather is chilly, the tree is up, we’ve had family and friends gather over the week? But the real reason is that we’ve been too busy to reflect upon what Christmas really means.

Well, it’s not too late and tonight we’ll engage in our favorites. Unfortunately we skipped the Christmas paper chain where we write down the name on a friend or family member on the link of the chain and tear off one a day and pray for them. It’s the way we count down for Christmas. And decorating the tree this year was more like a “hail Mary.” With unpacking our moving boxes, the tree was just another thing to unpack and we didn’t even listen to Christmas music while doing it! And what about those Christmas movies. Scrooge, the musical, It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, etc. We’ve hardly watched any, but there’s always next week.

And there’s tonight when we will write our Christmas letters to Jesus, take down the stockings and read out letters from years past, and play secret Santa.

Then there’s tomorrow morning when the kids will run downstairs to find the presents under the tree GONE! We will reenact the Christmas story with costumes and all and then go search for our presents like the Wise Men searched for Jesus!

Come to think of it, I don’t need a Christmas do over! Christmas will be just as wonderful and magical as it is every year!

Merry Christmas!

Matinee and a small popcorn for breakfast: $ 11

Snickers Bar for lunch: .58

Using last year’s gift certificated for a massage and facial plus tip: $150

Husband giving me the day off for my 40th birthday: Priceless

The other morning I instructed my children (6 yr. and 8 yr.) to finish their copy work while I exercised on the elliptical. They asked if they could color when they were through. Sure, anything to help keep them busy while I got in my work out.  Little did I know while I sweated away, they toiled on a “book.”

Grace (6) came to me first and showed me her story that grandma helped her write out. About a girl in a storm getting hit by lightening, dying and going to heaven. “Lightening Strike to Heaven,” she called it. I admit, at first I was disturbed about the content. Especially when I saw the picture of the little skeleton girl floating to heaven. Then I saw the page when she got to heaven. And well, I’ll just let you decide!

Lightening Strike to Heaven
by Grace Conroy

One stormy day when I was in the storm.

\

I was struck by lightening. I turned into a skeleton.

I went up to heaven, and I saw people rising to heaven with me.

 At night time I was nervous. I didn’t know where I was,
and I didn’t know who was standing next to me.

 

Then I realized it was Jesus.

And at morning Jesus showed me around.

At night time, me and Jesus looked at the stars.

Then she wrote, ” Did you like the story?”

 Read my devotional that was inspired by this story.

Twas two days after renovations and all through the house were wood floors and new carpet, no need to grouse.

All the rooms were picked up, all nice and clean, most everything was hidden and not seen.

When what to our frustrated ears do we hear, “You’ll never get the price you want, is that clear?”

At first we were rigid and oh so confused, we have so much square footage, a backyard you can cruise.

“Location, Location, Location’s the key.” We never understood before, but now,we see.

According to the rules and laws of the land, no matter how big, no matter how grand,

if we list our home way above any other, we cannot, will not get it, oh bother!

No matter how much other homes get per sq. foot, our hands are tied, way firm is the root.

Though our house is bigger, our yard is grand, we cannot, cannot go against the laws of the land!

Okay, my feeble attempt to have fun with a very frustrating situation. We’re all done with renovations. Wood floors look great. New carpet, clean and wonderful. We hoped to make our home look its best so we could get the best $$ per square foot which ranges from $65 – $80 for two stories, most two-stories selling on the low end, while one stories get higher $$ per sq. foot. Go figure!

So we’re hoping to get $75 -$79 a sq foot, and come to realize that it doesn’t matter how big our home is or how huge the back yard is compared to the rest of the neighborhood, we CANNOT (I’m talking, it would be illegal and buyers won’t get a bank to loan the money) go over the “selling cap” in the neighborhood!

Big time frustration. “So you mean my exact home, with the same yard three miles down the road would sell for $20,000 more just because of the location?” Yep.

“So, no matter how much more money I sink into the house, it doesn’t matter because I won’t get any more for it even it I put in granite counter tops.” Yep.

“And even though a one story across the street with an microscopic backyard went for $75 a sq. foot, my house can’t go for that much because it has more sq. footage and at that rate it would price us out of the neighborhood.” You got that right!

Well, I say that should be criminal!!!!

And ya think with my husband’s mom as a realtor we would have understood the concept BEFORE! Good thing we did the minimal amount of work (word floors were only $500 extra than carpeting the area and we did it ourselves!) So we’ve decided to go For Sale by Owner, to save on the realtors fees, but hubby informed me that buyers are going to WANT the savings factored in! Oy Vey! When will the robbery end! I’m hoping we can sell our home for a FAIR price and walk away. It’s been a great house for us, though its floor plan seems to be less desireable in the town we live in! Please pray the right buyers come along and fast! We close on the new/old house on September 15!

I know, you didn’t even know they were gone. If I only had enough time to blog about everything that’s going on in my life. If only you twittered, you might know more, then again, you might not since I didn’t even have time to twitter this!

But something really cool about my boys’ school is that during the first week of school all the Jr. and Sr. high students and teachers get away for a fun filled weekend. Last year was my oldest’s first year. This year Joey got to go for the first time.

They only went for one night, but they came back with fun lake stories to tell, and bonding memories with old and new friends. I spoke to one of the dads who chaperoned. He looked beat, said all the kids had fun didn’t sleep much, but my boys insist they did. Guess I’ll find out later. We’re going to the theatre to support their friends in a production of Beauty and the Beast, the classic version.

Back to the school camp. What I love about this school is that it’s small and intimate enough that everyone feels like family. Teachers aren’t just teachers. They’re friends and mentors who like to hang out with the students. And students don’t mind their teachers being their friends on facebook!

When my kids go off to school I don’t have to worry much about them. I know they’re in good hands.