Monday, February 28, 2011

Just Dance


I was finally able to attend a "Parent Watch Day" last week at Brynn's dance studio. It was a lot of fun. Most of my pics and vids are on my phone...I need to transfer them soon.

Bee begins w/ tap dancing for approx. 45 min. and then she moves to ballet for another 30ish minutes or so. They are already starting to practice for their recital in June. She loves dance so much and it's very cute to watch. Their tap teacher is a lot of fun--bubbly and really sweet, while their ballet teacher is serious and stern, yet is good w/ the girls. She is very much a Type A personality but I guess that makes sense as a ballet teacher because it is a very technical and fairly serious kind of dancing. The girls do really well with tap and seem to pick it up quickly. Ballet is a bit of a different story...their attention spans are lacking somewhat by then, proceeded by random yawning. They do try hard but seem to be less interested at times and don't listen as well unless they are practicing their dance w/ music. I am so happy to hear they are dancing to "Impossible" from the Broadway Musical, "Cinderella!" :) Mysteriously, I know ALL of the words to that song!!!

Wolf and Red are living with us

Guess who discovered their costumes from last year out in our garage? Okay, you probably guessed it by now...

They were all about posing and being silly when I asked if I could snap a few pics.

And...who do you think is the trouble maker in this duo?!




As soon as we pulled in the garage tonight, Bay asked, "Can I put on my big bad wolf costume? I want to chase and eat dogs and cats!" As soon as he put it on, he was running around growling and yelling "BITE BITE BITE...I will bite you...argh!" haha He is definitely into the drama...in ALL forms. :)

Birthday Invites


So excited about these and so is Bay!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Not really an update...but an update



Who would have known it takes this long just to get an appt. at Children's? I guess I was naive to think that we would be able to just get right in. After all, my daughter should be their first priority right?! But then I think about everyone else who needs to go there too. I think about all of the kids who are really sick and need that care right now. So waiting four days isn't really that long in the grand scheme of life. Our referral was processed and after some initial difficulty getting an appointment scheduled, the receptionist finally figured out our Ped. had sent the wrong birthdate for her. Now that this has been cleared up, we have been scheduled for Thursday, later this week, so hopefully we will have a diagnosis soon. Hopefully, it's nothing.

Today when searching for recent pictures, I realized that I have done a terrible job of snapping photos this year. Just terrible. I know I have had a busy year, but this is truly unacceptable. I need to get my camera out and start clicking away because important moments are not being captured.

I also realized I have done a terrible job of blogging this year. Just terrible. I will try and update more often because I used to write about my kids all of the time. I used to be better about keeping up with everything they were doing, thinking, and saying. This year...not so much. I'm sorry, B2!

A TRUE update:

*Baylen will turn three years old in two weeks. Just when I thought we were turning that corner of no listening, crazy behaviors, running everywhere, ignoring my every request, ornery-annoy-his-sister techniques, and lots and lots of tantrums, I feel like we are back to square one some days. I will say we have some really great days and then some really I-want-to-pull-my-hair-out days w/ him. He is still very sweet and loving and now informs his sister when he's mad that she is NOT his best friend. Even though I feel like we have had many moments of frustration with him, this child still gets me every time and melts my heart. He still "clomps" around and you can hear him wherever he is in the house and wears the nickname "Bull" proudly as he tends to bulldoze into rooms, throw toys down the stairs, slide down the stairs, throw shoes, and dance like he's having some sort of seizure. The best part? He ALWAYS dances with his eyes closed. It is super funny. :)

Bay breaks out into song nearly every day and I never know what song he's going to sing to me. Some days it's innocent like "Old McDonald Had a Farm" while other days it's a song from the radio, like tonight when he was singing "Raise Your Glass" by P!nk....or like this morning when he was singing "I like poopy butts. I like poopy pants. Poopy Poopy!" and laughing hysterically. And finally, he'll have moments of pure genius when Dj and I will look at each other and say..."Did he really just say that?!" An example of this would be last weekend when the Daytona 500 was on and cars were racing and racing around the track. He thought it was pretty cool but they were getting ready to lay down for a nap, so the volume was not up on the TV. He looked at the screen and then said, "Daddy, I want that car that number 46 car..." and low and behold...there was #46 racing along. It was so weird!

Baylen loves playing with his cars. He will make car sounds for quite sometime and has a colorful imagination. Tonight, someone was hurt, so the ambulance had to take the guy to the hospital. Mister Mister drives and drives his Cars cars (in LOVE with LIghtning McQueen EVERYTHING) all over the house...on my walls, my floors, his bed, etc. He even sleeps with at least two or three in his bed each night. Obsessed does not even begin to describe his love for Lightning McQueen and friends.

Brynn has become Miss Independent version 2.0. She now informs me how she would like me to behave or what she would like me to do or not do and there is a lot of tone in her voice. She decides what to wear now and doesn't really like me to pick things out, which I have done for a long time. She will tell me she doesn't need me and to go away. When I tell her things like, "Okay, I guess we just won't go if you are going to get upset..." her response USED to be, "Okay mommy, I'll listen!" NOW her response is: "I don't want to go anyway. I will just stay home!" because she knows that I will get upset that she's not doing what I really want her to do. Bee is figuring out things way too fast these days and all of my reverse psychology tricks are now coming back to bite me. Still obsessed with the word eyeball, Bee thinks it's the funniest thing to tell a secret and whisper that word in my ear and then just roll over laughing. It's oddly funny. She loves to dance and sing and now has informed me that when she grows up, she is going to be a cheerleader. She loves animals and has taken a special liking to Cammy, who will now sleep with her on her bed every once in awhile, which she thinks is just so cool.

Brynnie loves school and hugs all of her teachers each morning when she comes into class. Her teachers all love her...a teacher's pet in the making continues. Her pre-school teacher informed me at conferences last week that she is at the top of the class, so that's always nice to hear. Brynn had her first "girls" sleepover a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. She stayed at Elsa's house overnight and when I came to pick her up in the morning, she was bawling her eyes out b/c she didn't want to leave! :) It was too cute. Little Missy loves to play dress up and will often appear unannounced with a dance recital costume on or a princess dress. She likes to pretend and tries to get Baylen involved. Her favorite toys right now are her Pet Shops and Barbies. She also liked her AG dolls, cooking in her kitchen, and her dollhouse.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

My students are so smart

After reading Freedom at Midnight, a very detailed, difficult non-fiction book, I feel like many of my kids ended up liking it. This book is about the partition of India and there's lots about Gandhi in it too. I really did enjoy reading this book despite the length and the fact that I had to fit reading it into my already busy schedule, but I don't regret staying up many late nights to finish it. I learned so much about Gandhi and the politics of this time period, plus how Pakistan began and the history behind Kashmir. Very intriguing. Of course, I must admit I am partial to anything I read about history, especially when it is written narratively.


***This is a student's book--look at all of his post-its. He had a "system" he used to keep track of how he marked text. SO awesome to work with these kinds of kids.


A Prezi slide...this group beyond AMAZED me. Just go to college, already! :)

One group performed a puppet show for one of their presentations. It was REALLY great!

I'm a worry-ier and this time, for good reason

Like any rational mother, I worry. I try not to worry more than the average person, but it tends to be in my genes. While I know I don't worry as much as my own mother (at this current time), I can't promise that I won't reach that stage at some point in my life. But today, I worry more than normal. Today, I have to face something that all mothers fear--their children could be sick or something serious could be wrong with them. How we didn't notice this before, I have no idea, but today was the day it became public. This morning, Dj came in and asked me what was wrong with Brynn's shoulder/neck area. I felt it several times and of course, every possibility began flooding my mind. It was a lump. It was a lymph node. It was hard...a cyst? It felt boney, though...did she break a bone? It didn't move. It stuck out. What IS it?

I called the doctor and the fit us in to see Dr. D. around 3:45. He examined her lump for several minutes and felt different parts of her neck, her right shoulder, her lump again and made some comments. He suggested we go see the E-N-T doctor nearby and went to make the call so we could drive over and see him right then and there, only to find out our insurance company no longer covers many surgeons in the H. Medical group. He did talk to Dr. G., though, regarding a possible diagnosis. He mentioned that it definitely felt "boney" or that it was a calcium deposit or a growth off of her bone. He had never seen this before, so he was definitely intrigued. He referred to it as a bone mass and mentioned that Dr. G. (the ENT doctor) said it COULD be a "rib-like" growth that can occur in some people near their neck or shoulder area and it's not anything to worry about. Of course, he can't see it in person, so couldn't say for sure.

With that, Dr. D. decided it was important that we know exactly what it is and if it is something we should be concerned about. He referred us to Children's Hospital downtown, and there, he said, they will conduct some tests and an X-ray for sure. She has not ever complained of pain in that area, and we've never noticed the lump before. You can see in the pics that it's definitely there. I just wonder how long she's actually had it. What concerns me is that we have just noticed it and if it has grown in size or not and we have just happened to miss it. Regardless, I know Children's is a wonderful place and I pray that this is just "extra" bone and nothing we have to worry about. I don't like this feeling of not knowing and helplessness. It's not my cup of tea.

In the two pics below, you should be able to see the lump. It is on the left side just above her clavicle bone.


Watch out, ladies...Ken has entered the building!

In a house FULL of Barbies (mostly Disney princesses), Ken has finally arrived! Thanks to some Valentine's Day money from Great Grandma Jacquie, Brynn was able to purchase a Barbie and Ken doll set (for only $5!) at Target last weekend. She was giggling and giggling the entire time she held the doll box in her hands and when we opened him at home, she grabbed him out of my hands as soon as she could and ran to find the rest of her dolls. Ken has received a lot of action in his new home, and has danced with many women in big ball gowns, including one in a swimsuit. It appears he is in love with Cinderella and is not a fan of Rapunzel. :) I think Ken is content in his new home.



Bee asked if the Easter Bunny could bring Ken some new clothes. LOL

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Ahhh Sophomores

Gotta love 'em...

We were playing Jeopardy today w/ game buzzers so the kids could prep for the Freedom at Midnight final exam tomorrow. One of the questions was:

These three were Gandhi's "teachers"

A student team buzzes in....student A says: "What are sex, drugs, and alcohol!"

Class erupts in laughter.

ME (with the "What are you thinking?/Are you kidding me" look): "UM NO. It's Gandhi...are you serious?!"

Class laughs again.

Student B: Are they mortal?

Student C: Are they dead white guys?

Student D: "What is monkey sees no evil, hears no evil..."

ME: NO

Student E: "THAT WAS IN THE BOOK! THAT'S THE ANSWER!"

ME: Nope, not the right answer.

Correct Answer SHOULD HAVE BEEN: Who are Threau, Tolystoy and Ruskin

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Brynnisms #23



Scene: Brynn is trying not to give away the surprise she made me for Valentine's Day at school. She picks up the bag at daycare one afternoon last week and hands it to me.

ACTION:

B: Here, mom. This is your Valentine's Day present. It's a surprise but you can open it tonight when we get home.

B: I'm not going to tell you what it is.

Me: Oh good, I am so excited to open it!

B: Yeah, it's kinda like these sticks with hearts on them and they are stuck in a pot to look like flowers. It's a surprise so I'm not going to tell you. YOu have to guess what it is.

Me: Um....wow, I have no idea what it could be! I'm glad you can keep secrets. :)

B: I'm good at keeping secrets, mom. ;)

SCENE!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Baylenisms #6



Turning three soon means this Mister Mister has turned into a sophisticated motormouth. The boy talks non-stop. When he isn't exhibiting his ornery-ness, Mister is humoring us with all of his wisdom and insight.

Baylen's account of his evening spent with Daddy while I was at the high school V-Day Party:

Him: Mommy! We watched the Minions last night. It was funny. And we ate a ice cream drink. Yeah and it didn't melt. It was chocolate.

Me: Was it a malt?

Him: No...it wasn't. It doesn't MELT!

Me: Oh..was it a shake?

Him: Yeah a shake. with cream.


Baylen's scientific thinking skills hard at work (while he's sitting in his car seat waiting to go to school):

Mister has his Optimus Prime Transformer in hand and it has a laser that lights up when he touches a button...laser is lit

Him: Mommy, I'm going to wahrm up your car with my transfohrmah :)

Me: Thanks, dude!


Baylen carrying around two stuffed tigers...

"These are my suitcases."


Baylen explaining to me which book he wanted to read tonight:

Him: Mommy I wanna read that mouse book...with the little mouse and big mouse and little mouse says 'Can I sleep in your bed?' and Big Mouse says 'NO!' and it's called The Very Noisy Night. So can we read that one?

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Treat your teachers kindly...they deserve it.

If I can say one thing to parents about teachers it would be this:

when you communicate with your children's teachers, remember they are human. Remember that there are two sides to every story. Remember that they are professionals and they know what they are doing (most of them do, anyway). Remember that accusatory emails are no fun and just plain rude. Show your appreciation for them; they are with your child at least 1-2 hours or more a day and know them VERY well. :) It's one thing to advocate for your child, but it's another to blame and live in a world where people are not ever held accountable and enabled.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Brynnisms #22 (With a few Baylenisms too)



This girl has been saying a lot of funny things, as usual.

A couple of days ago, she walked into the living room and said, "This looks like a pig style in here! We need to clean it up!"

(This comes from me; I always say, "This looks like a pig sty in here!")


I've finally returned to working out after a short hiatus and it hasn't been easy this time around. I'll be panting and grimacing while exercising in the living room and Brynn will become all concerned...

"Are you okay mommy? Do you need a drink of water? Get a drink of water, then you'll feel better. You can stop if you want to, it's okay..." :)

(Then today Baylen yells from the corner of the room, "Mom! Just get a drink!" hahahahaha)

This weekend we are taking the kids on a surprise Valentine's Day excursion, so we've been asking them to behave so they can go to the surprise destination...so on the way home, they were asking about it.

Baylen: "Mom, are we going on the surprise now?"

Me: "No, honey, that's on Saturday, not today."

Baylen: "But where is it? Just tell me."

Me: "No, that's why it's a surprise. You aren't supposed to find out yet."

Brynn: "Yeah, Baylen, that's why it is called a surprise because it's a surprise."

Brynn: "Mom, are we going to Chuck E Cheese?"

Me: "Nope."

Baylen: "Are we going to see Hailey and Cade and Tyler?"

Me: "No...it's something we can DO a place we can go together."

Brynn: *light bulb moment* "Are we going to the Jungle Gym?"

Me: "Nope, good guess, though."

Brynn: *another light bulb moment* "I know, we're going to the Y!"

Me: "No...good guess!"

Baylen: "Just tell us. Where is it? Can you just tell me, momma?"

Brynn: "Yeah mom, we're never going to guess this!"

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Putting on Her Dancin' Shoes

I was able to get my hands on some of Brynn's recital pictures from Dj's fancy camera. She sure loves to dance.



Thursday, February 3, 2011

High School Kids are so funny

Seriously, these guys make me laugh every day but also make me SMH (shake my head). The girls are super mature and try hard and are so great. The boys...well, ahem...let's just say they are all over the place.

Conversation that took place yesterday...

Student A. walks in with a Nike hooded sweatshirt on. This is violates our dress code because kids are only allowed to wear college sweatshirts.

Me: Hey Student A, you are violating dress code. That's not a college sweatshirt.

Student A: Naw, Ms. Fitz, this is a sweatshirt from Just Do It University!

Kids giggle.

Student B: Hey...I went there! I love that school!

Kids are laughing hysterically.

OH MY GOSH. Seriously?!

Me: AHH TMI (Too much information)! Get out! Go to lunch! :)