Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Hoop Dreamz and Gym Moms

When I had children I must admit I would dream what they would do.  What they would be good at.  When they were babies and I got to know their personalities I thought "maybe he would be good at..."  Now as they are getting older I am so surprised how wrong I was.

It started with Harmon.  Last year we got him into soccer.  With his abundance of energy we thought he would be a total natural.  Instead, well it wasn't our most successful venture.  He scored a few goals in two years and spent most of practice hanging upside down on the soccer goal.  He was never that interested.

So this semester I got him into gymnastics.  The schedule was tricky though and so I had to beg him to get a chance at auditioning for the older children's class so he would be there at the same time Rachel was there.  They told me don't feel bad when he doesn't get in.  He auditioned for the 7-8 class and you know HE GOT IN!  He is one of the best students according to his coach and if he sticks with it he might be able to do competitive cheer or gym soon.  

He loves it and I get so excited seeing him thrive.  The funny thing is I get so competitive now.  With Rachel I'm like "look at my pretty dancer".  With watching Harmon I'm like "stick the landing, stick the landing!!!"  I'm sad to admit but if things keep going the way they are I will be officially a gym mom!

Now I'm trying to help Callum find his bearing.  He love music and he loves the ladies.  He joined the glitterbug class and his favorite activities include staring at his pretty teacher and flirting his all female class mates.  I can almost hear him saying through the glass partition "hey, how ya doin?"  So I don't think gym will be his thing.

But he is great at throwing and catching.  I went ahead and caved.  I bought him a real basketball hoop that I'm going to put together as the weather gets warmer.  I don't know if he will be the next LaBron but I'm hoping it is something he likes and enjoys doing (not just his classmates).  If not I'm learning it is no big deal.  In time we will figure out what he really loves.




Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Just Keep Swimming!

Right now I have come to realize what "Dory" from Finding Nemo says is true: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."  Right now I don't want to keep swimming.  



I honestly believe at this point the accident was easier than what is going on now.  I just have to keep faith things will get better.  That in time these hard moments will be worth something better for all of us.  I have so much to be grateful for!  I have so much to be happy with.  I have to remember those things and just keep swimming onward.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Valentines Day equals Two Timing and Mompetition

Well if you are opening this looking for some sort of tawdry post, you might be disappointed.  But if you know my twins you will probably think this is funny.

Thursday was Valentines and so I thought this would be interesting being that this was the first Valentines the twins have had being in school.  Callum has always been a ladies guy flirting with his speech therapist, Miss Amanda since he wasn't even a year old.  So the day before him and I went out and I had to ask: do you like a girl this year to be your "sweet baboo"?  He told me he actually has two girls that he likes.  One in his gym class and one in his school.  He isn't even 4 and he is trying to pick up several girls in each place.

Rachel is not much better.  I went too Parent/Teacher conferences for her DDPre program and I asked her teacher how she was doing.  I was worried about her not having enough friends and stuff.  Well not to worry, her peers adore, especially two little boys. One waits on her hand and foot carrying her stuff to the bus, cleaning up for her, etc.  Another one got her an ultra-fabulous special Valentines gift.  I didn't get anything nearly that nice.

I think it is funny these two know how to play the system that well.  I suspect it is because they have had to deal with the opposite sex since they were in the womb.  With that said I'm glad Harmon is more like me, awkward and way too busy having fun to even notice there was a holiday!


In general it has been a rough couple of weeks for all of us but having this holiday (of all holidays) last week made it challenging.  The worse part was the 80 valentines I had to put together the night before.  That was not fun.  The kids go to this old "school room" setting school and so while there are a limited amount of kids in each class the school asks us to get one for each child in the grade level.  So that meant a little over 60 valentines alone.  Than Rachel's DDPre class was an additional 9 kids.  Add in a few teachers, an SLP, and an OT that meant 80 valentines.

That is why I am always amazed by the mom's who custom do everything and enough money for a new Coach bag on this holiday.  We got so many interesting Valentines.  There were hand made centipedes with chocolate kisses in them, candy boxes, teddy bears in cups, slap bracelets, etc.  All with these cute notes.  I barely finished putting the kids name on each.  What happened to the old days when we used to go to school, put our name on a heart, and insert them in each other's "mail boxes"?

Monday, February 11, 2013

Gender Roles and Scrubbing Bubbles...

Bath time is important to me.  As I contemplate moving I sadly consider a great master bath more crucial than a kitchen (not a big surprise).


One of the things I love though about big tubs though is that I can stick all 3 kids in at once and get it over with.  I'm too much of a helicopter mom to imagine letting them do so with out me present is not conceivable.  The problem is Harm is 5.  Kinder is next year... he has a sister.  Yup, it is time to maybe separate.

What is the cut off time for these sorts of things?  I decided Kinder.  I wish there was a manual for this sort of thing.  Oh the connivence issue!  I will also miss seeing the kids all play games in the tub and just having fun like this.

I'll tell you one thing though, even though Rach is getting her own bath soon, those boys are going to be sharing for time too come!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Taking a break/new beginning...

I am a private person in many ways.  I am outgoing and fun but I am also fiercely private. There comes a point where I just have to be upfront about things and I guess this is the day I do it because there are too many people asking too many questions.  

Things in my marriage have been particularly hard for many reasons that come from all sides.  No marriage's success or failure can be blamed on one person.  As anyone who has known our family has known our life has been very challenging in the last couple of years and especially in this last year.

Because of this Chris and I have mutually decided to separate for a spell.  We are both hoping this is just a break.  We love each other and we have no plans for a divorce at this time.  There are a lot things Chris needs to figure out and while he is I need just some space.  This is the hardest decision I have ever made in my life but I feel after much prayer and faith it is what is best.  It has been a long time in coming.  At times we thought things were getting better but I guess it wasn't meant to be.  This does not reflect on Chris' character or that he is anything but a great person.  Neither does it reflect on myself I realize.  Sometimes these times are necessary to move forward in a positive direction in the long run.

I'm not looking for attention by this post.  I decided to do this so maybe in real life my friends and our family can respect that I don't want to talk about it.  In the mean time I will still keep our blog going to focus on the good things and go from there.  I have a lot of hope and faith for my kids and I do believe that everything will be okay.  Please understand this is something I just want to keep in my heart for now.

Thank you,

Francisca

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Hoop Dreamz and Gym Moms

When I had children I must admit I would dream what they would do.  What they would be good at.  When they were babies and I got to know their personalities I thought "maybe he would be good at..."  Now as they are getting older I am so surprised how wrong I was.

It started with Harmon.  Last year we got him into soccer.  With his abundance of energy we thought he would be a total natural.  Instead, well it wasn't our most successful venture.  He scored a few goals in two years and spent most of practice hanging upside down on the soccer goal.  He was never that interested.

So this semester I got him into gymnastics.  The schedule was tricky though and so I had to beg him to get a chance at auditioning for the older children's class so he would be there at the same time Rachel was there.  They told me don't feel bad when he doesn't get in.  He auditioned for the 7-8 class and you know HE GOT IN!  He is one of the best students according to his coach and if he sticks with it he might be able to do competitive cheer or gym soon.  

He loves it and I get so excited seeing him thrive.  The funny thing is I get so competitive now.  With Rachel I'm like "look at my pretty dancer".  With watching Harmon I'm like "stick the landing, stick the landing!!!"  I'm sad to admit but if things keep going the way they are I will be officially a gym mom!

Now I'm trying to help Callum find his bearing.  He love music and he loves the ladies.  He joined the glitterbug class and his favorite activities include staring at his pretty teacher and flirting his all female class mates.  I can almost hear him saying through the glass partition "hey, how ya doin?"  So I don't think gym will be his thing.

But he is great at throwing and catching.  I went ahead and caved.  I bought him a real basketball hoop that I'm going to put together as the weather gets warmer.  I don't know if he will be the next LaBron but I'm hoping it is something he likes and enjoys doing (not just his classmates).  If not I'm learning it is no big deal.  In time we will figure out what he really loves.




Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Just Keep Swimming!

Right now I have come to realize what "Dory" from Finding Nemo says is true: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."  Right now I don't want to keep swimming.  



I honestly believe at this point the accident was easier than what is going on now.  I just have to keep faith things will get better.  That in time these hard moments will be worth something better for all of us.  I have so much to be grateful for!  I have so much to be happy with.  I have to remember those things and just keep swimming onward.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Valentines Day equals Two Timing and Mompetition

Well if you are opening this looking for some sort of tawdry post, you might be disappointed.  But if you know my twins you will probably think this is funny.

Thursday was Valentines and so I thought this would be interesting being that this was the first Valentines the twins have had being in school.  Callum has always been a ladies guy flirting with his speech therapist, Miss Amanda since he wasn't even a year old.  So the day before him and I went out and I had to ask: do you like a girl this year to be your "sweet baboo"?  He told me he actually has two girls that he likes.  One in his gym class and one in his school.  He isn't even 4 and he is trying to pick up several girls in each place.

Rachel is not much better.  I went too Parent/Teacher conferences for her DDPre program and I asked her teacher how she was doing.  I was worried about her not having enough friends and stuff.  Well not to worry, her peers adore, especially two little boys. One waits on her hand and foot carrying her stuff to the bus, cleaning up for her, etc.  Another one got her an ultra-fabulous special Valentines gift.  I didn't get anything nearly that nice.

I think it is funny these two know how to play the system that well.  I suspect it is because they have had to deal with the opposite sex since they were in the womb.  With that said I'm glad Harmon is more like me, awkward and way too busy having fun to even notice there was a holiday!


In general it has been a rough couple of weeks for all of us but having this holiday (of all holidays) last week made it challenging.  The worse part was the 80 valentines I had to put together the night before.  That was not fun.  The kids go to this old "school room" setting school and so while there are a limited amount of kids in each class the school asks us to get one for each child in the grade level.  So that meant a little over 60 valentines alone.  Than Rachel's DDPre class was an additional 9 kids.  Add in a few teachers, an SLP, and an OT that meant 80 valentines.

That is why I am always amazed by the mom's who custom do everything and enough money for a new Coach bag on this holiday.  We got so many interesting Valentines.  There were hand made centipedes with chocolate kisses in them, candy boxes, teddy bears in cups, slap bracelets, etc.  All with these cute notes.  I barely finished putting the kids name on each.  What happened to the old days when we used to go to school, put our name on a heart, and insert them in each other's "mail boxes"?

Monday, February 11, 2013

Gender Roles and Scrubbing Bubbles...

Bath time is important to me.  As I contemplate moving I sadly consider a great master bath more crucial than a kitchen (not a big surprise).


One of the things I love though about big tubs though is that I can stick all 3 kids in at once and get it over with.  I'm too much of a helicopter mom to imagine letting them do so with out me present is not conceivable.  The problem is Harm is 5.  Kinder is next year... he has a sister.  Yup, it is time to maybe separate.

What is the cut off time for these sorts of things?  I decided Kinder.  I wish there was a manual for this sort of thing.  Oh the connivence issue!  I will also miss seeing the kids all play games in the tub and just having fun like this.

I'll tell you one thing though, even though Rach is getting her own bath soon, those boys are going to be sharing for time too come!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Taking a break/new beginning...

I am a private person in many ways.  I am outgoing and fun but I am also fiercely private. There comes a point where I just have to be upfront about things and I guess this is the day I do it because there are too many people asking too many questions.  

Things in my marriage have been particularly hard for many reasons that come from all sides.  No marriage's success or failure can be blamed on one person.  As anyone who has known our family has known our life has been very challenging in the last couple of years and especially in this last year.

Because of this Chris and I have mutually decided to separate for a spell.  We are both hoping this is just a break.  We love each other and we have no plans for a divorce at this time.  There are a lot things Chris needs to figure out and while he is I need just some space.  This is the hardest decision I have ever made in my life but I feel after much prayer and faith it is what is best.  It has been a long time in coming.  At times we thought things were getting better but I guess it wasn't meant to be.  This does not reflect on Chris' character or that he is anything but a great person.  Neither does it reflect on myself I realize.  Sometimes these times are necessary to move forward in a positive direction in the long run.

I'm not looking for attention by this post.  I decided to do this so maybe in real life my friends and our family can respect that I don't want to talk about it.  In the mean time I will still keep our blog going to focus on the good things and go from there.  I have a lot of hope and faith for my kids and I do believe that everything will be okay.  Please understand this is something I just want to keep in my heart for now.

Thank you,

Francisca