Big Day

So Tuesday was the big day, the day I left my 30's and began my journey in my 40's.  I felt a couple of obligations to fulfill--one was to change my profile to reflect I have jumped off the cliff.  The second was to do something that made me feel young at heart.  I tried to convince Kevin that I would require an ATV to complete my "young at heart" task.  For those of you who know my past history with horses(bucked off/stepped on),
3 wheelers(barbwire fence), skis/ski lifts(fell under lift/lift shut down), jet skis(flipped on my head) and doors(broken bones), he responded with a laugh and a vision of me in the hospital.  Darn!

  Next thought was, I can jump on the trampoline.  Apparently I can talk myself out of things pretty quickly in my 40's.  That particular day it was cold outside and I remembered the noise my knees make when I jump on it, they have that Special K crunch.  The next day always results in soreness--there you go, I probably just talked you out of jumping on the trampoline too. 

I get really antsy when I get this bug, it really bothered me that I could not come up with some adventure to get into on my day off.  My "young at heart" task was alluding me!  I had a wonderful lunch with my bestie, I got wonderful birthday wishes from everyone --that should be enough.  What I ended up doing was hanging out with my kids and playing WII, my "young at heart" task was complete!  A couple of dances with the Just Dance II was all it took.

             By the way, I still want an ATV!

Ain't No Mountain High Enough!

Disclaimer:  Okay, so I have to do a little bragging about about one of my kiddos--so here is your chance to click on the little X in the corner and get on out of here if you don't want to read it.

This Sunday my son Hayden climbed a HUGE Mountain!  I can see you now asking yourself --what's in her Koolaid or maybe she has gone off her rocker!  Let me explain:  In this world of up and downs, mountains and valleys, he was all the way on the top of the peak!

Let me give a little background about Hayden.  Hayden was diagnosed with dyslexia in May and his whole world changed.  It meant changing from the school he attended with his big sister and going to a new school that offered a dyslexia program.  Pretty scary for a 7 yr old, having to make new friends, not having your big sister around to show you the ropes.  It also meant going to a tutoring class all summer.  For us, as his parents, it meant the puzzle pieces suddenly fit together.  We knew why he made A's & B's on math & science but struggled with Reading and Language.  Why he would struggle with words like "dog" if were on the page of a story more than once.  (dog, god, pod, gob, etc....)  He sees things in three dimension , so he will be good at things like sports and music.  Some other things that you might not know about dyslexia:  Children with dyslexia are usually bed wetters and have a slight hearing loss (we found out about his hearing loss through the school nurse way before we found out about his dyslexia)  It is hereditary and passed down through a parent, if one parent has it, then your children have a 50/50 chance of getting it.  (if you have 2, one will have it, if you have 4, two will have it)  Most children are not diagnosed or tested until 2nd or 3rd grade.  They will be able to do blood tests on babies in the future and tell you if they have it.  There are different levels, Hayden has both, numeric and letters as well.  I had asked his kindergarten, his 1st grade and his 2nd grade teachers if he had it, they said it was too early to tell.  Another interesting thing, not all states recognize dyslexia.  Thanks to the great state of Texas, not only do they recognize it, but several colleges offer students scholarships.  If you feel like your child may have it, there is a department in the school administration building that you can call and schedule your child to be tested.  (This is what we did)  These tests revealed that Hayden has a very high IQ, that he does better with verbal testing and does not do well with timed activities, and that he has a problem with short term memory.  Now we knew all that, it was time to learn how he best learns.

Now back to that Mountain, knowing his background you can see why I was a little apprehensive when he came home and said he got the lead in a Christmas Musical our church was planning to do.  How many acts?  How many lines?  How long do you have to learn it?  The musical was called, "The First Leon."   Here is a description of it:

 The First Leon. In this charming new musical you will see the Christmas story through the eyes of Leon. You see, Leon is... special. Ever since he discovered that his name spelled backwards is Noel, he's felt called to tell the world the true meaning of Christmas. But when he tries out for every role in the annual pageant, he finds that he's the only one who doesn't get a part. Rejected. Now Leon understands better than anyone how Mary and Joseph must have felt when they heard the words, "No room" that night in Bethlehem. Without really trying to, however, Leon does uncover the true meaning of Christmas when he identifies the real Star of Bethlehem. 

The fact that "Leon" could see his name spelled backwards was "Noel" was not lost on me....maybe it was the part that Hayden was just right for.  After hours and hours of practice and rehearsing, He did it!  He hit all his marks, sang all his songs, knew all his lines and even got laughs at all the right places.  He even got a little write up in the newspaper.  Talk about a Mountain!   I know as he continues to work through the years of school ahead that he will have valleys that will challenge him, but with a Mountain for him to stand on and shout out every now and again--He will soar!

Countdown!

It's countdown time!  We are counting down to Christmas, we are counting down the end of 2010 and I am counting down to the end of my 30's!  Egads!  Where did all the time go?  Looking back, the majority of my 30's where devoted to being a mom.  I know that won't change in my 40's, but it was all new to me when I started my 30's.  I had Peyton, my oldest, when I was 29 1/2.  Becoming a mom rates as one of the best things I have done in my life.

So, now 16 days until the big 4-0.  Let's focus on the positive people.  Some things I enjoy associated with 40--
I enjoy driving 40 miles an hour.  Much better rate of speed than say, 35.  If I am going somewhere, I usually like to have a couple of twenties in my pocket.  ( do the math, 20+20=40)  You know you could eat a decent meal, go to the movies or fill your car with gas if you have 40 bucks.(Not all 3 of those things at once, you have to pick one in today's economy)  Another good thing is a lot of my friends are hitting this milestone with me (Lisa, you go first).    I don't have to feel all alone.

Honestly, I don't know what to expect in my 40's.  I am hoping for growth, wisdom and faith.  So far each year I know I have grown and learned more about this world we live in.  I am continuously surprised by someone doing something so extraordinary for others that my faith in mankind is renewed. (The difference in ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. -Jimmy Johnson)  I am expecting big things in my 40's and I believe if I set my expectations high enough, it will make me work harder at making my 40's great!

So as I take my 40th revolution around the sun,  I do so with the sun on my smiling face.  : ) 

(This feeling may change on the 28th)

A Note from the Teacher

This week a note was sent home from Hayden's teacher that said the following:

Dear Parents:
         Today during P.E., Hayden had inappropriate behavior.  They were learning a song with actions called, "Tony Chestnut."  The students point to their toe, knee, and chest.  However, Hayden took it farther and pointed to another body part and showed two girls his interpretation of the song.  I've talked with him about appropriate and inappropriate behavior at school, but wanted you to be aware of it.

A few things came to mind regarding this:  First thing, it was very important that I kept a straight face when getting on to him for this, no laughing.  My mom called me on the phone to give me a heads up and read the note,  I laughed.  Second thing, I can not believe that this song has not had this issue before when it is being taught to 8 yr old boys.  They might want to change the name to Tony Chesterdrawer.  The last thing was, Hayden was all set to be Joseph today in our Christmas Cantata at church, this kind of thing gets around and I can seriously see them revoking his manger privileges!  (I shared the story after his Joseph appearance)

This note will go into his "School Days Memory Book."  I am entering a new frontier with Hayden, we have also had conversations about "Toots"  not being funny recently.  Boy humor can be so gross.

Bulkie Genes!

My mom purchases in bulk and then passes it on.  My latest gift from my mom, a huge package of paper towels.  We had 2 new rolls in the cabinets, but she did not find them--so now, we have 6 new rolls.  She also likes to give me soap in bulk.  I am not sure how I feel about this.  Are we a messy, dirty family?  My mom is giving me a complex! 

Am I a bulk buyer too?  Is bulk in my genes?  I do enjoy a good stroll through Sam's, but who doesn't.  (I will use those 3 giant bottles of ketchup, so don't judge me.)  My grandmother on my dad's side buys bulk in socks and cup towels, we get them every year for Christmas.  All the girls get cup towels, the boys socks.  I guess with 7 kids and triple that in grandchildren, bulk is a way of life.

I really am thinking way to hard about this.  Kevin swears I buy his socks and underwear in bulk.  His theory is --If I buy him 30 pairs, I only have to do his laundry once a month.  (That is genius if you ask me!)  I'm just trying to make sure he has stylish options, whether it be polar bear boxers or plaids, he is covered. 

I think I am not so bad with bulk purchases, unless shoes count!

Let Us Give Thanks

As we approach Thanksgiving, the obvious things I am thankful for are the the things listed on my "Good Things" list on the right. (Ok, I am not that shallow, I can live without the shoes)  Being thankful is all about perspective, I think we would all answer we are thankful for God and family.  Are you thankful every day?  Are you thankful for the little things?

Sometimes I like to give my friends "Thankful journals" or "Thanks Filled Journals" as gifts.  It is a little journal for them to write everything they are thankful for each day.  This is were the perspective part comes in, you can be one of the most negative people in the world (you know, a Debbie Downer or the glass is half empty kinda person), but when you truly focus on the good things that happened to you each day ...you can find a whole new perspective.  It is less about the things you don't have and more about all the positive things that happen to you every day.  Don't take for granted that a person held open the door for you or you found enough change to get a Dr. Pepper from the coke machine. (love it when that happens!)  What about the really special days when someone expresses that they care enough for you to have you in their prayers!

When you start to focus on all the good you have in your life, you are altering your perspective to such a positive place.  It was just that easy!  So give thanks this week and make it a habit to give thanks everyday...write it down if that's what it takes.  Give one of your friends a Thankful Journal and hold each other accountable to write something down each day.  Your life is better than you realize!

I Spanx I Can

As Thanksgiving comes closer, with all the home cooked goodness we are about to partake in, the more reliant I will become on my Spanx.  (For the few guys that may read my blog, a Spanx is a constricting undergarment that helps keep you held in)  How many of you go to try on clothes and think I may be able to wear this with my Spanx?  I do all the time, only for me, it is more like ---With the right mirror & the lighting just so, and if I suck this in and have my Spanx...I might look pretty good in this!

How did guys get so lucky?  No Spanx, No Make up, No heels.  Just shower, dress and go?  So unfair.  I think there should be one day a year where guys are required to take at least  1 1/2 hours to get ready.  They should be required to wear make up on this day and heels, maybe even pantyhose and a skirt.  We could call it "I Appreciate Women Day" or maybe "I Feel Pretty Day."  No sports logo clothing permitted please.  My minds not made up yet on whether they should have to shave their legs on this new found holiday.  (Guys, quit your belly aching, it will grow back!)

I know, some of you may say, why not just spend the day without heels and make up and all the works?  I have those days and they are spent at home, where no one can see!  I am doing you a favor by putting my make up on to go to soccer games.  I was made to accesorize!