365 Days

Well, it looks like the count down to Samantha's own graduation begins. 365 more days and I'll be sitting in the stands with hundreds of other parents and friends and family to watch my eldest kid walk across that ol magical stage. Walking up the steps of high school adolescence, crossing the bridge that separates and walking down the steps to the beginning of real adulthood. Along the way to this, picking up the "paper" that makes it all so.

I just came back from picking William up from his last day as a sixth grader and my mind was just in a whirl of thought. Not only will my first born be graduating this time next year but I realised that this was the last time I'll take or pick up either of my two kids from kindergarten thru 6th grade. No more firsts of walking them hand in hand, looking both ways as we cross the street to take that first big step at a new school or a new grade. No more firsts of walking them in and letting them take me to meet the new teacher that will help shape them for years to come. No more firsts of getting halfway out of the parking lot only to have one or the other child drop my hand and go on alone. Totally scared but showing courage to do it themselves. No more firsts as I cry in my car on the way to work as I realise my once babies are coming into their own. Realising that I am not the center of their world as much. Realising that with every grade passed my hand has to let go of theirs just a little bit more. So many firsts, no more...

By the time Sam hit Kindergarten she already had an air about her of Independence. An individual to be reckoned with while Will gladly squeezed my hand, allowing me once again to smile and guide him slowly through things that he was unsure or scared of. As the kids have both grown, all I've seen in the last 17+ years is change. Sam struggling, with me making many phone calls to teachers, counselors and principals up until she hit high school and then taking the bull by the horn and off she went. Making A's and B's like she's done it all her life with flying colors and a mischievous smile on her face. Will on the other hand was an ace at school. Having a few bumpy starts and even a few more setbacks. I can say that at least Sam stayed consistant through out the years. She was either failing dramatically or acing everything with bells on. Will still has 6 more years but just watching him walking to the truck today with his head held high and a smug smile on his face makes me feel so proud, yet sad. I've been on Facebook reading how all the moms think this is all bittersweet. Their own kids graduating and all the things that will be missed. I still have, God willing, more firsts to come and Sam isn't walking that stage just yet. But, I still feel that a few chapters of life closing. For me at least.

I also realise that with Sam graduating next year things will still constantly change. Thankful that at least for another year order and routine will be my best friends. After graduation we will all start a new chapter right along with Sam. I see this through witnessing Tim's own experience with Ty as Ty flew off in the wild blew yonder to be an Airman. Jumping miles and skipping so many states. I sometimes wonder what Tim is thinking. And yes, from a fathers point of view on letting go. I never ask though. Some things that we feel, even shared feelings, we all have our own unique inner private feelings about things that really can never be explained aloud. Just experienced.

I look forward to both kids growing up, being happy, getting the emotional and financial security they need, grand babies and just living and loving it all. I CAN wait on the grand baby part...at LEAST another good 10 years. Then, I'll get to experience new firsts. Through them. I don't want to know what mom and dad feel at this point in their lives about all of this. Them having already gone through what we are now. Weird, yes but I look forward to it all and yet I'm not ready to take that step just yet.

                                                          

I have 365 days until Sam opens a new door in her life. Until then I will live these coming days with clarity, slowness and HOPEFULLY a lot more patience.

Poor thing!

So, this is what he finally ended up getting this past Monday and bless his lil heart, he's having major problems with his swallowing and talking. He REALLY has to slow down when speaking now or if he talks normal it sounds like he's mumbling. Talking to him on the phone yesterday when he called, I had to get him to repeat himself until he was ticked but it just couldn't be helped.

See right there in the middle? There is a pin sized hole that I stick a "key" into and turn every night. Last night I did and he could really feel it. Even all the way up in his nasal cavity and cheeks. When I asked the dentist when the top braces would be bonded on he said that he would see about doing that sometime before school started in August. THEN after that Will would have to continue to wear this device for an additional 6 months. Poor guy. But, at least by the time next school year rolls around he'll be talking and eating better than he is now. Thank goodness that school lets out next week. His eating consists of lots of yogurt, pudding, soup and spegetti-o's and boy is he loving that. ALTHOUGH, he did bring out a huge can of BEANS last night asking if he could try them....Um, no, lol!

Last week I took him to get fitted for the above device and the on Thursday we went in to have a tooth pulled and he did very well. Even nixing the "sleepy juice" and took it like a champ. Thankfully there wasn't a root on his LAST BABY TOOTH so it just popped right out. Yes, his last baby tooth. Wow...I guess those "baby" years are really finally done. Both kids are taller than I am and neither has any a baby teeth left. Guess I won't ponder this further or we'd be reading emotional blogging from here on out.

On a lighter note, Tim came in the other day and said, "I'M TAKING YOU TO NEW YORK BABY!" I've been thru New York many times growing up when mom and my grandparents would take us to Connecticut during the summer in their RV. We didn't ever stop though so this should be a treat. We leave next month and we're actually going to be in more than one state while on our lil mini vacation. We'll be flying into Philadelphia and then going to races in Maryland, seeing Ty in Delaware and then spending a day in New York City. Not all in that order. And all in 4 days. Should be fun!

And then.......there's the little cute cuddly psycho Sophie. She's doubled in size but still a lil thing and her personality is just like mine. Tim would readily agree. One minute she'll be sound asleep and then you make to pick her up and she just starts growling, lol! She could be awake and do the same thing. She's not too bad on the chewing everything up but when her and Pepe get to playing? Oh holy hell they SHRED every toy they have and anything in their way. They LOVE the plush toys just so they can rip them open and pull the stuffing out. One toy didn't even make it a whole 24 hours before it was a goner. A coworker advised in getting the cheap game stuffed animals out of the machines? Says its a lot cheaper than getting them at the store and paying outrageous prices. And Sam's flip flop that Sophie swiped out of her room and is currently hiding has been working too, lol!

Her ears won't lay down any more! Ugh, guess that's the chihuahua coming out in her! I don't care though. When we walk in that front door she is SO excited to see us and barks like a mad woman! Half the time I want to ring her Lil neck for peeing or pooping in the house even NOW that Tim installed a dang dog door and then you just can't help snatching her Lil cute ass up for some sugars! And Tim likes to say that he doesn't like her? He's lying out his wazoo. He'll be the FIRST one to snatch her up and snuggle with her! And to see her and Pepe play?! Priceless. Pepe now will start crap with HER. He'll chase her lil butt all over the house and then corner her under the bed and when she tries to run out, he'll pounce, running her back under. Someone on the phone while they play? Better leave. Laying down on the bed trying to rest while they do this? Better move. Trying to enjoy watching TV while they do this? Better read a book cause ya ain't gonna hear what that dang TV is saying cause they're just that loud. And I love it. Pepe NEEDED a friend so bad and Sophie IS the perfect fit for him. He hasn't been this active since we were motocrossing every weekend and that's been a number of years now. PLUS, he hasn't had a seizure since she's been in the house. We got her in March so that's saying something. Even with the meds he was having one a month. Hope this does the trick and maybe one day he won't even need the meds!

Mammy's Day :)

You can see it in their eyes,
in tender hugs and long good-byes,
a love that only moms and daughters know.

You can see it in their smiles,
through passing years and changing styles,
a friendship that continually seems to grow.

You can see it in their lives,
the joy each one of them derives,
in just knowing that the other one is there...

To care and to understand,
lend an ear or hold a hand,
and to celebrate the memories they share.

Once upon a memory
Someone wiped away a tear
Held me close and loved me,
Thank you, Mother dear.

Well, I could so make this a very emotional post but seeing as how I can make mom tear up, I wont do it this time. My whole life she has been so much. And my whole life she has meant so much to me. She has raised more than her fair share of wee ones and I couldn't thank her enough for the help and guidance she has shown and given through out my lifetime.  I love you Mammy. Hope you have a wonderful and relaxing day :)

Well another weekend is upon us. The weather is already feeling like summer and we still have more than a month before summer officially begins. I got into my truck yesterday and the temp was already at 98. Seriously.

And yes, Sam is all finished up on proms for this year. With two proms she has two spectacular dresses. For her first time experiencing what its like I think she ended up loving everything about it. The hair, makeup, pictures and glam. She said that she felt like she was getting all glammed up for her wedding where I piped up saying well sure, but a wedding you don't have to sign the dotted line to, lol!

Prom is NOT like it was way back when. When yes, you got excited when asked. Yes, you got excited getting the dress, hair and makeup but when he came to pick you up just the parents were there with the 2 kids going and clicking a few pics in remembrance and off they go. These days hummer limo's, grey hound buses and anything else you can think of is rented to haul anywhere from 5 to 15 couples around town or even out of town and before that moms are shopping all over Texas or even on the Internet for that one special dress then going to spa appointments with hair and makeup and then going all around the county looking for that special spot to promote the memory of that years prom happenings and couples. W-O-W. It really is a big to do. Oh, and where as we held ours and our graduation in our cafeteria, these kids now go somewhere where it is college sponsored or part of the college for whatever reason. SERIOUSLY.

I'm just glad IT'S OVER. DONE. At least for another year and then after Sam's senior year not for four years until Will is able to go and WHOA Nelly what will it be like THEN?! I'll be on vacation then, sheesh. At least with Will we just have to worry about a tux and the flower for her. Damn, I can't even picture Will dating and doing all the things Sam is right now. Will dating? Oh hell no. He ain't dating. Period. He'll just concentrate and making a fortune and taking care of me in my old age. Oh he'll take care of Tim too but by then the only thing Will will have to worry about is prying the thick short chain from my hand that is connected to Tim's neck. Poor guy. LOLOL!!!!!

So, Will and his growth spurt and braces update...Yes, the lil rat is now taller than all the women in the house and "bigger footed" then everyone in the house! I swear since last summer he's shot up a good 6 inches! I measured and kept track too! WOW. All I know is that he needs to KEEP growing. Don't want him as short or anywhere near as short as I am, that's for sure!

We went to Wills first dentist appointment Monday and he'll have some work that needs to be done before he can get braces bonded on. This next Monday we go back so that Will can get molds and get a RPE spacer bonded onto his back molars. RPE: Rapid Palatal Expander. This appliance works by widening the halves of the upper jaw. His top jaw is smaller than the bottom, giving him the appearance of a slight under bite. This RPE will fix that and hopefully OVER correct it with giving Will a slight OVER bite so as when his growth spurts hit it will compensate and line up perfectly.  And the pic below is an example of what he'll be getting. In the middle is a "key turn" which every few weeks i'll have to stick a key type device in there and turn it, pushing the expander further out. I had a retainer like this and I do remember it was sore every time after a key turn. BUT, so worth it in the end.

So that is this next Mondays appt. Also, next week he has to get his LAST baby tooth yanked. It is also on the top and the reason for it is that his adult tooth is growing in at an angle and hitting the root of a neighboring tooth, hindering it from dropping down the way it's suppose to. SO, the RPE device will give more space to correct this as well. Then, hopefully, the following Monday he goes BACK in to HOPEFULLY get started on at least bonding the bottom braces on. We were discussing lots of things with lots of appointments but if I followed along correctly that is the game plan. Fingers crossed. Will is SO FREAKING EXCITED about getting braces. He is in that bathroom morning and night just a brushing away. THANK goodness! I've had to MAKE him brush his teeth just as I had to do Sam before she got hers and now Sam is a teeth freak and even after all this time having her braces off, she STILL wears her retainers every-single-night. Without fail. SO, hopefully William will follow in her foot steps. She did make the comment to him that if he didn't floss his teeth everyday as well that his teeth AND braces would fall out, lol!!!! ATTA GIRL! LIE to the poor boy to get him to do it, lol!!! She's gotten it honestly...from ME which I in turn got it from MY mom...That is a whole nother story folks.....

Mini Photo Shoot

I love taking Sam out and getting her to act sassy. But, the thing is, she never does. I have to always be looking at her and when she thinks I'm not paying attention she does some of the most sassy posses without realising it. Hence, the pic above. This one was just a little too sassy for FB so I'm posting it here. Anyway, the lighting in this are was HORRIBLE for my camera or maybe just for my skill level so this was the best I could come up with on editing it. It was totally shady and the shadows were just ruining my pic. Anyway, not a pro but from the before and after I'm pleased with what I did.

As for other news...WILLIAM IS NOW TALLER THAN SAM AND I. And, this next Monday I will be taking him in for his Orthodontist consult and HOPEFULLY, we can get his braces put on the same day. Ty is back in town also. He came in last Friday but with all the prom stuff with Sam and he's been reconnecting with his girlfriend and then working at a local recruiting facility I really haven't sat down with him to chat. He did come in last night and chat for a couple of minutes but AMERICAN IDOL was on and that's the only show I'm really into this year!!! Ty is here until next Friday so we'll see about that chat. And, Tim's nephew from Oklahoma is coming down tomorrow and Sam has another prom this weekend so it'll be a very busy weekend again for sure. LESS DRAMATIC, I assure you but quite busy, indeed. After all these proms are over I'm going out for a nice yummy GOOD meal and then getting me some dessert to go along with it. I need it. BAD.

Lunch and Love

What yummy goodness mom had for lunch yesterday! She NEVER gets stuff like this so when Tim, her and myself went to Chili's yesterday I was shocked when she snatched up the menu, pointed to the pic and said, determined, "This is what I think I'll get today." And had a smile on her face. Well you go girl. I on the other hand had chicken enchilada soup with a side cup of rice that I like to mix in with it...YUM. And Tim brought up the rear with ordering a rack of ribs and helped mom with this massive sweet treat she couldn't even begin to put a dent into after she started. Tag teaming it though they finished it off that left both of them grinning from ear to ear.

On the lil half pint pup front, did I tell you that I took her to the vet Friday and she is now 2 pounds from her 1.5 lb she weighed at 6 weeks when I got her? Yup, the lil half pint chunk is putting on the weight. And, she is getting a little bit longer as well. When asked, the vet said that she shouldn't get much bigger at all. He guesstimated that her total weight would be 5 pounds or less and not too much longer than she is now. Momma wasn't much and I never saw the dad so we'll just have to wait and see. The vet said she should stop growing at around 6 months. She is already 11 weeks this week so not much longer now. And boy was she HYPER yesterday. Sam called me from home during her lunch hour all excited because the crazed cretin was actually claw climbing her way up Sam's body to get to the table and to Sam's food. Like I don't feed her twice a day anyway...really. Then the scream bark crying she was doing while Sam was there and then again when I hit the front door later that afternoon like we all left for a month long trip and are now getting back. Makes me inwardly grin though that shes missed us so. And don't get me started on when Tim pulls up to the house....I gotta picture of that one too...somewhere...Oh her it is...He walks in and all the whining of a 2 year old starts coming outta her lil trap and what does he do?! Starts baby talking to her!!!! He talks a mean game about her being a lil she devil but this lil she devil has him wrapped!

Relatives, Relaxation and Rants

Not really on the rants but I was trying to stay with the "R" theme of my title, lol! I never know what titles to put so that's as good as it's gonna get today. Soooo, whats been going on in my world. Well, for one we did have Tim's lovely little niece come stay a week with us and at the end of this week Ty will be flying home for a couple of weeks and then next week (I think) Tim's nephew will be coming in for a visit. And my house? Is a wreck! And my motivation? Gone! Where'd it go? That dang half pint sized fur ball, Sophie, ran off with it! I swear, I come home all the time now with this or that on my "to do" list and as soon as I see her and start baby talking to her I just snatch her up and start loving on her and forget whatever it was I was needing to do. Luckily and so far I have yet to forget to go pick up Will at school though, lol! He'll get in the truck and ask where she is and I always tell him that if I get her first then he'll be walking home as I will not have remembered to get him for I am too involved in getting all that cute puppy love from the half pint pup.

Tim has a love/hate relationship with her. As long as she isn't going psycho crazy woman pup on him he loves her or if he's not stepping in her and as he calls them, land mines, he's OK as well. But whoa Nelly if she starts getting crazy or if he steps in a mess I do believe we're all running for cover. Oh, not because we're afraid we're getting in trouble, oh no. Because I find it hard (well not too terribly hard) to laugh my butt of when he is in....distress. Yes, distress is a grand word for what Tim is going through and feeling in the middle of the night or even first thing rolling out of bed and trying to get somewhere. I really don't think she's, say, PICKING on him. She just knows that her bed being on my side is not to get...sullied, per say so she has to go round to his side of the room. No chance of...contamination waaaay over there now is there;) Poor Tim....

So, this is Prom week for Sam. Actually it's Prom TWO week(s) for Sam. She's got her school prom this Saturday and then her boyfriends prom right behind it, next weekend. Wheew! Lots of business going to be going on but so glad to get it all over and done with so quick like! We were sitting in the living room, Sam and I, when she says, "Mom, gonna be hard to top this years prom dress!" As she looks through her friends on Facebook that are currently having their own proms and all the dresses they are wearing. I just smile. Forget TOPPING this years prom dress. This years prom dress was THE TOP ONE. Nothing will top that. But, I say nothing and as she scrolls the pictures she says that she will just wear the original one that I liked for her in the first place. It was a pretty and long flowing white/purplish dress. What all I enjoy about all of this prom dress stuff is that she even went with my picks in the first place. For YEARS Sam could not STAND anything I picked out for her and now BAM!!! Everything I look at, point out, pick out or buy, she likes....crazy but I love it none the less.

So that's about it for me. I just started a new blog. About getting motivated and fit. Hopefully, that will help me out in that area. I think my first post will be about what mom ate for lunch and the picture I took along with it. Verrry interesting INDEED;)) Oh...mom got on me for not posting the link so here it is, lol!   http://cwaid.blogspot.com/