Thankful for many things

I'm thankful for many things.  Mostly my family.  I love my husband and children beyond words and I'm so thankful for the little things they do for me every day.  I talk a lot about them here.  But there are some family members I haven't told how much they mean to me.  My siblings.  There are a lot of us.  We get together as a whole family regularly but I live the furthest away from most of them so I don't get to see them much one on one.  I forget to tell them how much they mean to me and what I love about them.  So here I go...

Lisa- My only older sibling who quietly paves the way for the rest of us.  I love that Lisa is kind, gentle, and loving. She is is generous with all that she has.  I love being able to call her and get her feedback on whatever I might need advice on. I am thankful that she loves me the way I am and makes me feel like I matter. 
Jared- We are six years apart in age but he has always seemed older than that to me.  Jared is wise.  He is a thinker and I love watching him observe and process information.  Jared is able to sense when things are off.  Over the years he has come to me and asked me how I am, if things are okay.  I am thankful for that concern and love from him.
Beth-Beth and I have kids the same ages.  I love that I can call her up and arrange spontaneous outings with our kids.  She is great to ask advice and will give me honest feedback.  I love her ability to focus and accomplish the things she sets out to do.  I am thankful that she is my friend as well as my sister.
Aaron-I am thankful that he is who he is.  Its hard to explain really.  Ever since he was a little boy I always felt a connection with him.  He gets me.  He is funny and loving.  He cares and expresses his love regularly in his actions.  I am thankful for his big personality and quiet acts of kindness.
David-  I love his outlook on life.  He is a go getter, and he does just that.  He inspires me to push myself, to think outside the box, to try new things.  He has always been funny in a quiet witty way.  I know that David wants only the best for his family and am thankful for his encouragement and advice.
Shara- We are many years apart but I see so many traits that we have the same. I love that she is straight up with everyone she meets.  She has passion and is willing to make sacrifices to follow it.  She is independent but still needs love and support from her family. I am thankful that she appreciates her family and freely gives her love, friendship, and support to me as well.
Shawn- I went away to college when he was just a little boy.  I loved coming home and he was so excited to see me.  I love that he is willing to try and try again when life gets hard.  I appreciate his efforts to get to know my kids, and inquire how I am.  I am thankful for his insight on his life experiences.  They help me know how to help others. 

If you think about it, family and faith is the core or foundation for everything around us.  I am thankful to have such amazing siblings.  They teach me so much about life and how to live it.  They are my friends and my support.  I am so thankful for them.   

An old photo from my brothers wedding.  My family plus my sis-in-law.  Its the only one I could find with all my brothers and sisters together.

Happy sounds

I was driving along the other day and realized that I had been humming a tune that was stuck in my head.  Then I realized that the two kids I had with me were also making their own music.  Adam was doing some beat box sounds, Brenna singing a song from school.  We were all just making our music together but apart.  Happy sounds that made me smile.

I made her cry...

I love my job, but not today.  It was full of new names of diseases I had never heard of.  Diseases I need to research so that when I see these babies back for testing I have an idea of what to expect and how to help the parents.  Hearing may be one of the minor issues they may be dealing with. 

I also had to tell the parents of a 2 week old baby that their baby has hearing loss and will need hearing aids.  As I explained the results the mother crumbled into tears before me.  It took everything I had to fight back my own until I left for the day.  Then I cried all the way home.

She's got fashion?

Two days a week I leave for work before the kids are up and ready for school.  This leaves getting them ready and off in the morning up to dad.  I usually get everything ready the night before including outfits, lunch, backpacks, etc... so all dad has to do is get them ready, fed, and off to school.  Erin is the exception to this rule.  I have gone to the extent of hiding some of her clothes as to narrow her decisions since she won't let me set clothes out for her on these days.  On this particular day I came home from work and saw her outfit and well had to sigh and take a picture for posterity.

As I have mentioned before my 7 year old does NOT want any advice on fashion from me.  After trying to battle it out over getting dressed I decided that this year she wears whatever she puts on.  I do my best to guide her decisions but as you can see here I lost this battle.  So, lets hope that this look is fashion forward.  I have thought about sending an email to her teacher explaining why my child comes to school dressed this way, uncombed hair at times, eating a pop tart, because she refused to get out of bed until she heard the garage door open and the car starting.  I guess I hope that her teacher is well acquainted with 7 year old stubbornness and parental pick and choose your battle and this is not one of them situations.

Whew...

Just a quick update with hip hop.  Last week I made Adam go (for possibly the last time).  He went into class but his instructor was still in the hall.  I got her attention and mentioned that Adam was not sure he wanted to continue.  She asked why, I told her about being youngest and only boy.  Inside I was saying, please notice him today, tell him great job, inquire about his moves, take an interest.  Thank heavens she heard more than what I said to her.  She did just that.  She mentioned that she wanted to assess his level to see if his skills warranted him being in the class, and suggested he might feel more comfortable in the Beg class with the other boys.  I said I was okay with whatever. 

She watched him closely, complimented his attempts to learn the routine, took an interest.  He was smiling.  After class, she caught him in the hall and had a little chat.   She said that she understood that it was probably hard to be the youngest and only boy in a dance class.  But, he was good enough to be there.  His smile told me he would be staying.  She told him that she would let him choose which class he would like to be in but that the most important thing was that he continued to dance and do the thing that made him happy.  He paused for a minute and said to me, " I know what I'm going to do mom.  I'm going to stay in this class".  Whew.

Daily life

Haven't felt like blogging much.  I guess I want to blog when there is something really on my mind or something cool to say.  But I suppose writing about some of the day to day is okay.  I just need to get used to it. 

Adam takes hip hop.  We have struggled to find something that holds his interest and makes him happy.  Last year he was really into Michael Jackson moves.  He studied them and taught himself a few.  I thought maybe he would like hip hop and convinced him to give it a try.  He did, and he loved it.  Mostly he loved his teacher who made him feel special, and let the kids enjoy dance as they learned new things.  She unexpectedly moved over the Summer.  He was good enough that they moved him to the next level.  He was excited to start in a more advanced class and get his moves on. 

He is the youngest in his group and the only boy.  He was okay with this...until last night.  He isn't thrilled with the new teacher.  She is good, but doesn't have that way of connecting with the kids.  Last night he came out of the dance studio and announced that he hated his class and wanted to quit.  He said its because he doesn't like the teacher, its hard, he is the only boy, and he is the youngest.  He has a good argument.  I told him that you don't quit something you love just because its hard.  He rolled his eyes and big tears started to well up.  He walked away.

I'm sad, because he found something that he was good at, that made him happy, that he loved.  What's a mom to do in this situation? I told him he has to finish out the month because its paid for.  Do you let them quit?  He needs something.  Piano was a no go, Now hip hop.  I guess we just keep trying new things until something else fits.  He had made so much progress this past year with self esteem.  He was always happy after his class.  It made me happy to see him happy.  Time to start something new.

Don't you hate it when...

Your daughter has has an earache for 5 days and you ignore it thinking its related to the molar growing in.  And then on day 6 she is practically in tears and asks you to take her to the doctor to get her ear checked.  So you do, and the doctor says everything looks fine it must be referred pain from her molar.  And on top of this you are an audiologist who doesn't own her own personal otoscope and could have saved the $25 bucks if I had invested in one a long time ago.  And you jokingly say this to the doctor and she says you can come in an use her otoscope anytime... Just tell the nurse she said so. 

Whats your "don't you hate it when..."  story?