Thankful Thursday

Another Thursday to be thankful. Thankful for the many calories I have consumed through the mounds of chocolate that should never be allowed to go to waste.

Thankful for being able to make someone smile.

Thankful for hour long conversations with my sister that lead to talks of lesbian relationships via Sims 3.

Thankful for weekly/monthly planners that keep me organized and on track.

Thankful for Jonathan's job and the amazing people he works with/for.

What are you thankful for this Thursday?

          -Jaclyn-

Christmas and a coma.

Hoping everyone enjoyed their Christmas holiday. I know we did.

Let's see... Where do we start?..

Let's start with the kiddos writing their Christmas lists a few weeks ago. I have already written a post about them, but I didn't include pictures.

For the longest time after, they kept asking about a Christmas tree. I told them I put it on my Christmas list for Santa. Jonathan and I had decided that we would not have one this year. Mostly because we didn't want to be out of pocket the extra expenses that come with having a tree. I mean, there's the tree itself, ornaments, lights, etc. We could afford it, but then we wouldn't be able to afford the gift we really wanted to get the kids. Their very own wii. They loved it when Nana and Papa had theirs (pre-lightning disaster) and they're always asking to play the xbox 360. Occasionally we let them play, but the games are far from age appropriate. And, besides, we'd planned that as their Christmas gift since friggin April! Lol... Seriously.

Back to the tree... Jonathan had been asking weird questions about the type of tree we should get, how big, what color, color of ornaments, lights, etc. I got irritated and knew he was up to something so I'm instantly freaking out about our finances, thinking he's going to buy this tree and all the hoopla with it. Finally he caves and tells me that it's what he told his parent's he wanted for Christmas. He gave up getting an actual "gift" so that we and the kiddos could have a tree on Christmas morning! Is that not fantastic?! He and his dad were going to pick out the tree the following day and they had lots of old ornaments that weren't used, extra lights, beaded strings, and even the tree topper that Jonathan remembers seeing on his tree every year as a child. We were ecstatic! Then we had "Operation Candy Cane" (Don't ask, and I won't tell! Lmao)

Operation Candy Cane entailed getting the tree and decorations into the house, set up and presents placed underneath all while the kiddos slept Christmas Eve night. We were up ALL NIGHT LONG! until 2am that night getting things just right for Christmas morning.

Isn't it beautiful?!

So Jonathan and I hit the sack and slept surprisingly well with all the excitement I had for the morning. Joseph wakes me at about 7:15 or so asking if he can go and watch cartoons. "Sure." I said, rolled over with the biggest grin on my face just waiting for him to come back running and waking us up.

All we hear for the next 2 minutes is whispered gasps like, "Oh" "Oooh" "Wow". Then he runs down the hall and wakes the girls. Tressa is the only one that wakes, poor Amaya is just like her mommy when it comes to mornings. They walk into the living room and Tressa is practically screaming with excitement. Nothing like Joseph and his whispering the whole time. Finally Tressa works Amaya out of bed with, "Santa came and brought a tree and presents and stockings!"

After a little discussion about all the cool stuff they see, they begin talking about the tree topper.

"What is that?"

"Maybe it's an elf."

"Or a Santa."

"... It looks like a monster."

All we could do was laugh. It is indeed a Santa Claus, a little antique, but it still looks nothing like a monster... or an elf for that matter. Lol

After waiting on them to wake us, which they didn't. We hear them trying to mess with gifts which was our cue to get out of bed. 

Many excited exclamations from all three of them the second we walked out. Eventually we got situated and stockings gone through and were ready for gift opening. We didn't get a lot of pictures since we recorded most of it for family so they could enjoy seeing the kids' faces when they opened their gifts. (I'll get those put up some time this week for you guys). 

About 10:30 we made it to Nana & Papa's house to enjoy Christmas lunch and gift opening.

Yes... Papa really was watching Star Wars... On Christmas morning! Lol

 Pink is his color... At least we think so :Þ

Then we went home and fell into a coma! We slept and slept and slept some more!

The kids got some really great things and I am ever thankful for how occupied those gifts are keeping them!

Tis all for now... I have already written what seems to be a novel and I feel there is a lot more to say, but I'll save your eyes the trouble for now.

Love and occupied children

          -Jaclyn-

Thankful Thursday

Another holiday approaches and thankfully it will be the end... for now until birthdays start coming up.

I can't say enough how thankful I am for so many things.

I am thankful that Rebecca's package came in the mail finally! Even if it took the post office two weeks to get it here.

I am thankful for Santa Claus. He's real, you know?

I am thankful for Joseph's love of learning and wanting to teach his sisters what he knows. He's teaching them subtraction right this very minute and the girls are picking it up rather quickly. He's so patient with them and is probably one of the best teachers they'll ever have.

I am thankful for being able to afford a good Christmas for our children.

I am thankful for their belief in Santa and the excitement his name brings to their faces.

I am thankful for Christmas parties that allow me to open others up without fear of feeling awkward.

I am thankful for the Cha Cha Slide and the Cupid Shuffle.

Wishing everyone a happy holiday

          -Jaclyn-

My Children Are Drug Addicts

Sort of... Maybe... Not really though...

The girls have been sick constantly since they've been in head start. Rather, since the fall/winter session began in August. During the summer session, they were never sick. Now, it seems they've been healthy for maybe two weeks since August. They just can't seem to shake it. It's the coughing, sneezing, snotting, sore throat, watery eyes, along with the occasional fever and body weakness/aches kind of sickness.

I could not for the life of me figure it out. Joseph has not been sick but probably once and Jonathan has been unfortunate to catch it once or twice himself. Luckily, the illnesses have evaded me... for now.

My first thought was maybe allergies. They have eczema, so that could uphold my allergy theory, but nothing has changed. The weather, sure, but I realized SCHOOL! So why isn't Joseph getting it? I Lysol the hell out of the apartment and it's always clean. I have taught them to wash their hands after using the bathroom, before all meals, and especially after blowing their noses, etc.

Not too long ago I had to make a visit to the head start to sign some ridiculous papers and stopped by their classrooms to visit and watch them learn. First thing I notice is that all of these kids are just covered in snot and coughing nonstop. These kids are filthy and germ infested yuckiness! Then I couldn't help but cringe when I see these other kids just wipe their snot down their face, cough into their hands and then start playing with my kids! Ugh! I seriously just realized the disgust all over my face right now just writing about this! It just baffles me! I am not one to judge parenting and point fingers and play I'm the better mom game (for reasons that deserve a blog all their own), but damn! Teach these kids some friggin' germ education! It cannot be that difficult ladies! C'mon!

So therein lies the problem with them being sick so damn frequently. All these sick ass kids who aren't being very sanitary. Okay, I know. They're all three and four year olds. SO what?! It annoys the hell out of me! Gah!!! Lol

I'm going to stop ranting while I'm ahead and get to blogging about what I had originally planned.

Amaya has been sick the last few days with stuffy nose, watery eyes, cough and a slight fever. I've been giving her Dimetapp for most of her symptoms with the occasional dose of Advil or Delsym needed.

Every 30 minutes she's asking if she can have more medicine. Then tonight when I got home I gave her some Delsym. She looks at me and says, "I want more than that, Mommy." What? She really just asked for more medicine! The dosage is only 2.5ml, so she was pretty disappointed I guess. I went on to explain to her in the most simple way I knew how, the difference in doses and why. She accepts my answer, takes the medicine, then proceeds to lick the inside of the dosage cap! Then she got very attitudinal with me when I took it from her!

Which makes me have a huge love-hate relationship with flavored medicines. Hell, Jonathan overdosed on grape cough syrup as a child. Had to spend time in the ER and all. Because it tasted so good. And it wasn't just him. He had a little girl taking shots right along with him. (Maybe that's what's wrong with him? :Þ)

How do you keep your children knowledgeable enough to 'fear' taking medicine without them refusing it if it's really necessary?

My children are watched very well and the medicine is high enough away from them, but there's always that "what if". Majority of the time one is sick, another one starts faking sick just so they get medicine.

It must be passed my bedtime because I am really just rambling, making no sense, and have corrected over 50 grammatical errors, and I just noticed a couple more that I don't care to fix, even some run on sentences...

So goodnight dear friends!

I'm out!

          -Jaclyn-

Portable North Pole

Saw this when a friend posted it on facebook and thought it was really cute. Watch them and then make your own little video.

I can't wait to show the kiddos. They're going to love it!

You can select what behavior (only one) you asked them to excel at and what they asked for Christmas, etc. It's too cute.

Enjoy!

Joseph's message from Santa

Amaya's message from Santa

Tressa's message from Santa

Hugs and smiles from your child(ren)!

          -Jaclyn-

Thankful Thursday

I have been rather frustrated as of late. (I know, I think I said that last post too). So TT just might make me forget some of those frustrations... at least temporarily.

I am thankful for late night conversations with this girl that make me laugh nonstop.

I am thankful to finally have gotten word that our van is officially ready and fixed after being in the shop for two weeks.

I am thankful for being able to attend college.

I am thankful for music.

I am thankful for Trident gum, for without it, I would surely be lost!

Love and gum chewing

          -Jaclyn-

Thankful Thursday

I'm am so glad it's "Thankful Thursday" because I feel like just bitching! I have been so unhappy, stressed, irritated, annoyed, all of those things that really get under your skin and I just feel like telling every last person what I really fucking think!

Now that's off my chest...

I am thankful for coming home every day of this week and finding Tressa sneaking into Amaya's bed, or Amaya sneaking into Tressa's. They fight all day long, but at the end of the night, they want to cuddle and be best friends. ☺

I am thankful for Joseph's excitement for his accomplishments. He has come home every day (minus Tuesday) with the biggest grin on his face exclaiming how well he did and how he hadn't pulled any keys (the school's discipline method) and he'd earned a 'bob cat buck' ('money' they earn for great behavior that they get to spend on toys, etc.). Then he always asks for a high five after telling me all about his great day!

I am thankful for thinking before I speak... Sometimes...

I am thankful for KitKat's.

I am thankful for my period. (Yes, it's true.) ☺

Be thankful and smile

          -Jaclyn-

Dear Santa,

Last night our trio wrote their Christmas lists for Santa. 

Joseph's reads:

Dear Santa, I have been a good boy. 1. I want a toy Thomas (I was so proud he actually capitalized Thomas) the train with the light. 2. I want a bike. 3. I want a book. 4. I want a bear that poops out candy like papa's moose. 5. I want zoozoo (Zhu-Zhu) pets.

Love Joseph.
______________________________________________________________

Amaya's:

Dear Santa

I have been very good

1. I want a littl (little) toy bus
2. I want a littl (little) toy peeppal (people)
E (3). I want a littl (little) toy princess Legos
4. And I want a little zoozoo (Zhu-Zhu) pets

Love Amaya
______________________________________________________________

Tressa's:

Dear Santa

I hav (have) bn (been) a ghd (good) grll (girl).

1. Dole (dolly)

2. Santa I wunt (want) a dole (dolly)

3. And a pant (paint) go dole (dolly) with poop

4. A dole (dolly) that has a gam (game)

Leve (love) Tressa.


Apparently my children want a lot and didn't mention anything other than how they had been "good". We'll have to work on that.

Tressa obviously wants a dole (dolly)! Amaya apparently wants everything to be a littl (little) toy something and Joseph is pretty set on that Follow Me Thomas since it's the only thing he tells anyone when they ask what he wants. Christmas should be easy this year.

I'll have to post the pictures of their letters later. Got to get them uploaded and got business at home to tend to.

Lots of love and Dear Santa's

          -Jaclyn-

Thankful Thursday

Thanksgiving has passed and it seems everyone has decided they are no longer thankful for anything. The dishes have been washed, leftovers have been eaten and fifteen pounds of turkey/stuffing/sweet potato/ pie weight has been gained. We are rushing to get back to our normal routines. Making it to to work on time, getting our children ready for school without missing the bus, we carry on about our days and almost never vocalize something we are thankful for.

What constitutes Thanksgiving as being the only day to voice that? Just one day a year and then nothing. It ceases. Or for the most part, we quiet our thanks. But for what reasons? Must we really have a holiday to remind us to be thankful, to appreciate our life or the people and things in it? 

So, I got a brilliant (no, really, it is. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.) idea. Every Thursday I am going to voice something I am thankful for. It might be a picture, a book... Anything that I may be thankful for. No more "forgetting" or getting lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life to say I am thankful.

You should join me! :) It will be fun. I promise!

Today I am thankful for Thanksgiving. I am thankful that at least we are voicing our thanks on that day. One day a year is better than none.

I am thankful for the overabundance of food we were blessed with that day to fill our stomachs beyond what we needed.

I am thankful for the running water that I was able to use to clean the many dishes that filled our sink.

I am thankful for my in-laws for lending us their vehicle while ours is in the shop.

I am thankful to have seen another day.

I am thankful. Are you?

          -Jaclyn-