House of Estrogen

SURPRISE!

The girls tracked out of school on Friday, and we had planned a short trip to the Great Wolf Lodge. Just for fun, we decided to make the trip a surprise. When Addie and Nina woke up from naps Sunday afternoon, we told the girls we had some errands to run. When we hopped in the car, we surprised them with the news that we were going on a trip without revealing the destination. We kept them guessing the whole drive with clues every half hour or so. They loved guessing, and we loved that they never figured it out! Elise finally read the sign as we pulled into the parking lot!

 

  

The lighting in the waterpark left me with mostly horrible pictures, but a few were salvagable. The big girls were both tall enough to go on any of the slides, so that was great. They tried them all, even the Howlin' Tornado! That ride is insane... you ride on this big four-person raft and get dropped into a huge 6-story funnel where you swish back and forth in the funnel, 30 feet up the sides of it. J.C. and the girls even braved it at night when it was pitch black! Addie loved the wave pool and the toddler play area where she would have been perfectly happy spending the entire day going from jet ski to jet ski pushing off other toddlers and bullying her way on to them!

This was our second trip to a Great Wolf Lodge but our first trip to the one in Concord, NC. We were extremely impressed with the caliber of the lifeguards. I don't think I've been to any other pool or waterpark with lifeguards on par with these. They were almost militant in the way they guarded, and I mean that in a good way. When Nina fell and got hurt going up some stairs, they had a first aider there within seconds. With being outnumbered in the child to parent ratio, it was reassuring to feel really confident in the lifeguards as our extra eyes.

 

Trips like this make me really appreciate our year-round school schedule. It is so nice to be able to take advantage of the low crowds and low prices at places like this on weekdays during the traditional school year. We never waited in line for any attraction and often felt like we had the place to ourselves. I love this picture of Elise all alone as the 1,000 gallon bucket of water dumped on her!

 

Our room was a Kid Cabin Suite which had a cute little log cabin in it with a set of bunk beds and one daybed.

Addie has never slept in a regular bed, but it sounded so appealing to put all of them in the cabin together, so we pushed some pillows and chairs up against one of the beds to box her in there with hopes that she would sleep. Yeah, Right. This picture was taken about 9:30 (3 hours after her usual bed time). There was very little sleeping that night, for any of us. J.C. finally bolted out of bed about 5 a.m., threw the pack n' play together and tossed her in there. She was silent the rest of the morning. If only he had thought of that hours earlier! The next night, she went straight into the pack n' play.

Both evenings, the big girls went to storytime in the lobby in their PJ's. Nina was asked to be the helper one night which she loved.

 

We all really enjoyed ourselves. It was a quick getaway but just long enough. We were waterlogged and over-chlorinated by the time check-out rolled around. As with any trip, being off our usual schedule and routine led to a few meltdowns (myself included), but overall, it was a wonderful trip. The girls were thrilled with the surprise, so I'm glad we planned it that way. Tomorrow, it is back to the real world.

 

Halloween Weekend - Everything Else

This post is just a hodge-podge of the rest of our busy weekend.

First, the requisite Halloween attire for the end of the week. Nina, of course, chose to accessorize hers a bit!

 

   

Friday Night was the Fall Festival at the elementary school. It had all the usual suspects - big inflatables, games, crafts, polish sausage, pony rides, popcorn, and a cake walk. There was one new addition this year though, karaoke... really, really LOUD karaoke, like wishing you had hearing aids you could turn off loud. It was cute to see the kids Elise's age up there singing their hearts out to Hanna Montana songs, but seeing the fourth and fifth graders belting out lyrics like, "I kissed a girl just to try it. I hope my boyfriend don't mind it" or "Them good ol' boys were drinking whiskey and rye" was just a bit unsettling. 

   

  

We have attended the fall festival every year since Elise started kindergarten, but somehow we have always missed the "kiss the pig" event. The kids vote on which teachers should kiss the pig. Since Nina's kindergarten teacher was one selected for the honor, we made sure not to miss it this time. When I had heard about this in years past, I pictured a cute little pink pot bellied pig, perhaps Wilbur from Charlotte's Web. I had no idea the teachers had to kiss this humongous grey boar!  If there was ever any doubt as to why it is hard to attact people to teaching, it isn't just the money, it is the fact that they are made to KISS PIGS!  Mrs. S - you go girl! I think I would have called in sick (with swine flu, of course!)

  
 
  
Saturday morning, Elise made bagged lunches for the homeless with her Brownie troop. With all the excess of the weekend, I think this brought some needed perspective in her life. She came home wanting to round up our old coats and shoes to donate. One of her troop leaders was homeless for a time in her life, so she spoke very passionately and emotionally to the girls about what they were doing and why. I think it really resonated with Elise.

Next on the agenda was Nina's end of season soccer party. Nina really had a great time with soccer this season. I hope she'll decide to play again in the spring. Her coach was wonderful!

 

 Finally, just a couple pictures from Nina's last soccer game.

 

  
 Whew! What a weekend... lots of fun, but I'm glad its over!
 
 
  

Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet!

By all accounts, this was a near perfect Halloween. It seems like something usually goes wrong on Halloween to put a damper on the festivities. The year I was pregnant with Addie and had pelvic separation, I walked about 6 houses with the girls and then could barely move the next two days I was in so much pain. The year Elise was a mermaid, she tripped on her costume and ended up with horrible skinned knees. Invariably, something always seems to get in the way of our fun - not this year though! We started out with dinner at Five Guys - nothing like great greasy burgers and fries to walk off while Trick or Treating. The weather was perfect - around 75 degrees and pleasant. We went out with Sharpay and Gabriella from High School Musical (Elise and Nina, respectively), and a very reluctant Piggie who refused to wear her cute shoe covers, and would only tolerate her piggie head for mere seconds before it was thrown on the ground.

 

How cute is that tail?

 
 

Once Addie settled in for the ride in her stroller with a miniature pack of M&M's, she was a slightly more willing participant with the pig head.

I even got in on the action this year. Can you believe someone seriously asked me if this was my real hair that I just dyed with green and purple streaks?

We met up with Dorothy and Anakin Skywalker and off we went!

  

We have two neighbors who do fairly elaborate haunted houses. Elise walked about 6 feet into one and ran back out. At the other one, the girls went into the "fun house" section but didn't brave the scary part. You can always hear their music, the chain saw, and screams of the participants from all over the neighborhood! Here is their display for giving out candy!

 

Addie lasted longer than we expected given that we had set out to trick or treat very close to her bedtime, but as her eyelids grew heavy, I brought her home and rolled the little piggie into bed. All of our neighbors in the cul-de-sac had pulled out chairs and were having a trick-or-treat party there in the street with beer and wine a-plenty, chips and dip, pita and hummus, and their bowls of candy. I grabbed our candy stash and a Mike's, and joined them. That was a great way to spend the evening. The kids trick-or-treating could hit four houses in about four steps, and we all sat around visiting all night. I think that may become a new Halloween tradition!

The girls made it home later, sorted through their loot, and then Nina lost her second tooth! Halloween and the tooth fairy all in one night - does life get any better than that?

 

 

Spirit Week

We just wrapped up Spirit Week at both the elementary school and daycare. Does anyone know the motivation behind Spirit Week? Is some educational goal accomplished through Spirit Week? After enduring eight years of Spirit Week, I've come to the conclusion that it is an evil ploy by the schools to throw parents completely off their game just prior to the holiday season. I have yet to figure out why they do this, but I'm pretty sure there is a vast right-wing conspiracy behind it.

On an average morning, it is truly a miracle if all my children leave the house dressed, with hair brushed, glasses on, and make it to the bus stop on time with lunches packed, folders signed, homework finished, and checks made out the the PTA for the latest pizza/wrapping paper/cookie dough/mixed nuts/magazine fund raiser. The more typical scenario is a missed bus, forgotten glasses, missing homework, no lunchbox, bed head hair, or all of the above. Add anything else to our mornings, and what had been a barely manageable level of chaos suddenly turns into a total anarchy. Remembering show and share once a week and sneakers on PE day is my limit. Beyond that, and you have maxed out my morning mothering skills. Spirit Week adds in  "Wear Red Day", "Crazy Hair Day", "Bring Your Stuffed Animal to School Day", "Dress as Your Favorite Storybook Character Day", "Wear Your Favorite Color Day", "Wear Stars Day" - the list goes on and on. STOP THE MADNESS! What happened to "Send Mom to the Spa Day" or "Leave Homework at Home Day"? Really, schools... WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO US???? 

Don't you know that when the one and only sports team shirt is in the dirty laundry pile on "Sports Team Shirt Day" that you are slowly and deliberately sucking the life out of both the mother and shirt-deprived child?

You see my children arriving at school daily with hair barely brushed, if brushed at all, and you really think I have time for the hairspray, glitter, and rubber bands required for "Crazy Hair Day"?

WHY SCHOOLS? WHY??

We somehow muddled through it and survived yet another Spirit Week, but what kills me is that I missed the one and only really excellent Spirit Week day. Addie had been out sick Monday and Tuesday, so I had no memory of what oddball thing she was supposed to wear on Wednesday. Wouldn't you know that Wednesday was "Pajama Day"? The ONE day of the year when I don't even have to get my child dressed, and I MISSED IT! The Gods of Spirit Week must have been punishing me for planning to dress Addie in black on "Favorite Color Day" because I wanted her to wear her Halloween T-shirt. Her favorite color could be black, right?

I am ready to return to the stress of sneakers and lunchboxes. No more crazy hair until next year, please.

 

A Fall Tradition

We took our annual fall trip to the pumpkin patch this past weekend. The kids played on the hay mountain and in the corn crib, went through the toddler hay maze (thankfully skipped the corn maze this time!), fed the animals, went on a hay ride, and picked out pumpkins. Fun day!

   

   

   

   

   

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

How Tall Are You This Fall?

2005 - Elise and Nina

 

2007 - Nina and Elise

 2008 - Elise, Addison, and Nina

 
 

2009 - Nina, Addison, Elise

 
 
 

I Get Dizzy Just Watching This

Floating Pumpkin Patch

The girls and I went to the "Underwater Pumpkin Patch" event this evening at the pool at work.  It was a bit of a misnomer though because, apparently, pumpkins float! The girls had a blast swimming around chasing pumpkins trying to find the best one, and then I carved while they wore themselves out swimming the rest of the evening. It was a fun event! I love the creative ideas they have over there. We've been to Swim with Santa, the Easter Underwater Eggstravaganza, and now the pumpkin patch... very cool. Elise learned one tough life lesson tonight though... swimming headfirst into the pool wall really hurts. I don't think she'll make that mistake again. I learned a few things tonight too. If you rub cinnamon on the inside of the lid of your jack-o-lantern, he smells oh so nice, and if you rub vaseline on all his cut-outs, he won't disintegrate quite so fast! Who knew the Underwater Pumpkin Patch could be so educational?

   

   

 

 
  

 

Thank You, Hank Zipzer

I've alluded to some issues here recently without going into detail. I just wasn't ready to write about it. Now, thanks to Hank Zipzer, maybe I am.

We've had a lot going on lately with Elise. It has all weighed heavily on my mind, my heart, and our time.

She has been struggling in school, and after talking to her teacher and pediatrician, we decided to get her tested for learning disabilities. After many hours of testing, she was diagnosed with dysgraphia. Never heard of it? We hadn't either. The more familiar term, dyslexia, is a reading disability. Dysgraphia is a writing disability. Essentially, it is a disconnect between coming up with ideas, solutions, or answers and being able to write them on paper. Her IQ score is great. She rocks her assignments when you quiz her verbally, but the transition from brain to paper is where things break down. The diagnosis is a perfect fit for all the issues she has been having, so it feels like the missing piece of the puzzle has been found. On the one hand, it is a relief to now deal with a known stress rather than an unknown one. On the other hand, it has all been very overwhelming... navigating the SST (Student Support Team) and IEP (Individualized Education Program) processes in the school, finding an occupational therapist, explaining all of it to Elise, working with her teacher to figure out strategies to use at home for homework, getting her started with learning how to type, and just generally feeling completely stressed out about all of it. My thoughts and feelings have run the gamut from "What did I do wrong?" to "Could we have figured this out sooner?" to insomnia and anxiety. To be honest, I've been a bit of a mess. Add in the worries about her platelet counts, and you've got one uptight mama. Just pass me a hot fudge sundae with Prozac sprinkles and a side of tequila, please.

Elise came home from school yesterday raving about the book her teacher has been reading to the class. It is a Hank Zipzer book. With a huge smile on her face, she exclaimed, "Hank Zipzer has learning challenges JUST LIKE ME! And he is scared of blank paper JUST LIKE ME!" She was in a great mood and thrilled to have connected with this character. I realized if she can accept and embrace her dysgraphia, surely I can too. We're moving forward, working closely with the school, and Elise is already starting to feel a little better about school. This is one of those situations in life where you just have to take a step back and learn a lesson from your child. With a little help from Hank Zipzer, Elise taught me to take a deep breath, relax, and accept the curveballs life throws out.

Letter to Elise, 8 Years

Dear Elise,

You turned 8 this week, and wow... what a wild ride your life has been since your 7.5 year letter. Less than a week after I wrote that letter, you were diagnosed with ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura) and have been hospitalized three times over the last six months because of it. You have been so brave and understanding in dealing with this disease wreaking havoc on your life. You make me proud. When I had to tell you last week that you couldn't jump in a bounce house because I thought your platelets were low, you pouted for only a second or two and then ran off to find another fun activity. You didn't let it get you down. When we had to reschedule your birthday party because you were in the hospital, you just jumped right into planning a new celebration. You've gotten accustomed to the finger pricks and make guesses about your platelet counts when you go in for your weekly checks. We're still learning about this disease and how to manage it, but you have really taken it in stride. You can rattle off all sorts of facts about parts of blood to anyone who will listen, and when we've had to go to the hospital or hematology clinic, you make it your responsibility to pack up a bag of books and activities, knowing you'll need them. We're hoping the course of this disease is short-lived, but only time will tell.

You are working hard in school and love to read. School is posing some challenges for you this year as the workload has ramped up in third grade, but we're working on some strategies to help you out with that. You always aim to please and want to do well in school, so hopefully we can make some changes to ensure this is a great year for you. 

I think you have enjoyed having Nina start kindergarten this year. It is fun having her on the bus, at your school, and with you at track-out camps. She plays the role of "pesky little sister" very well, driving you absolutely crazy at times, but at the end of the day, you two have a wonderful bond. When you're not at each others throats, you are playing marvelously together. It is fun to watch the two of you playing with your American Girl dolls, singing Hannah Montana songs, being silly in the pool, and doing crafts together. I hope you have a lifelong sister bond that stays strong.

Outside of school, you are taking tumbling which you seem to really enjoy. The coach is great, and you are slowly but steadily improving with your handstands, round-offs, cartwheels, and back bends. You are also still very active in your Brownie troop, having fun at overnight troop camp, a sleepover at the baseball park, and all the usual meetings and activities. Your troop this year has the exact same roster of girls from last year, and it is a great group of girls. You have a neat close circle of friends in the troop.

This has definitely been a rough few months for you physically, but mentally, you've stayed strong through all of it. You are a sweet, loving, conscientious child, and I love you very much. Happy 8th birthday!

Love,

Mamma