Christmas Eve, Eve

Christmas Eve is tomorrow, it feels like it was just yesterday we were celebrating Christmas 2009! This will be our fifth year celebrating without Peter, so far it's the hardest one. I am no longer just going through the motions of raising a family on my own. I am a part of life and I'm feeling once again. Everyone is different when it comes to mourning, but we are all the same when it comes to the difficulty of going through the process. I am enjoying life and all it has to offer once again. I am also open to the idea of finding someone special to share it all with. My kids have said on several occasions they wish to have a step dad. I wish it were that easy! Dating is also a process, and I for one need to proceed with caution...my heart is still fragile.

We are ready for the holiday to begin, the only thing we have left to do is clean the house so Santa doesn't trip on anything while putting presents under the tree. Thank you Santa, my kids have never been so eager to help clean the house before. It only took me saying, "You wouldn't want Santa to hurt himself while at our house, then he couldn't deliver gifts to other boys and girls. We would be all over the news as the family that stole Christmas!" We baked yesterday, actually, we made more things on top of the stove, than in it. My goodies are "kid" friendly...scotcharoos, rice krispie balls, fudge, and some cookies. I remember when I was younger I would make a ton of holiday cookies. That was before I had kids and instead, had my mom's influence as to what her favorites were!

Sherry, myself, and our families, would like to wish all of you a very joyous holiday season!!

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Where Does The Time Go?

Where does the time go? Seriously, I can't believe it's been a few weeks since my last post, I apologize. When the kids were younger, parents with older kids would say, "Just wait until your kids get older, you're going to be all over the place!" I didn't believe them. I am all over the place, and then some! If I'm not all over the place, I'm at home, exhausted! We have been getting ready for the holidays. The house is decorated on the inside, not on the outside. I decided not to worry about the outside this year. I think my bubble is still popped from last year's incident with my Santa getting knifed. Plus I didn't get a chance to sew him up, so he's not ready to make an appearance. Shopping is all done, now it's time to bake!!

I got a call from Helen's teacher today, her Christmas program was cancelled due to the music teacher not getting it organized in time. I felt bad for Helen, she was really looking forward to it. She was talking with her teacher about it, that's why she called me. It's actually a good thing, we're in the middle of a snowstorm. I don't like driving in this weather. Tomorrow is the Christmas concert for the other kids, they are very excited. I'm looking forward to it, I really enjoy the kid's programs. When I told the other kids Helen's program was cancelled, they all said, "Oh, poor Helen, she was really excited about it!" Now she can't wait until Christmas Eve so she can wear her new dress. She wanted to wear it to school and got mad at me when I told her no.

This time of year is always difficult, one day at a time...

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Time Flies

The days seem to be passing by so quickly, the holidays are upon us! Last week the kids and I went to Helen's school for her Thanksgiving Feast. She and her classmates were busy the day before our visit making pies. They made delicious pumpkin and apple!! It was wonderful to see how excited and happy Helen and her friends got when their families arrived. I gave my camera to Helen and told her to take pictures of her teachers and friends. They thought she was joking around, until they saw the flash! I told them how much she loves to take pictures, she even sets up the shot! She is now the "official" photographer for their classroom. They had the feast last week because this week they are making their famous salads. They will also be making soups this winter. I'm not sure how it all works, but I'm sure I'll get a crash course! Helen loves her new school, teachers, and friends, I'm glad it all worked out.

We have some sort of stomach bug racing through our house, thank goodness it only lasts for a few hours. I can handle a lot of things, but throw up is not one of them. Peter used to clean up the kids and I would clean up the mess that was made. I now have to do all of it, and you would think since the kids are older, it wouldn't be so bad...it is. Night time, bunk beds, it doesn't work so well when your eight years old. Katie is home from school, resting on the couch. Hopefully she will feel better when she wakes up. The other kids got sick, slept, and woke up feeling fine, hers seems to be more than that. At least its not Thanksgiving week!!

The rest of this week and into next, I will be getting my house in order for company. I also need to pull out the winter clothes for the kids. We have had such a mild Fall, I haven't gotten around to doing it. Sooooo much to do!!

Until next time-

Take Care,

Sue

Salads

I had such a nice time helping Helen's class prepare salads. I am very impressed at how smoothly everything went. They went shopping on Thursday to buy all the ingredients. I was told that Helen kept everyone entertained in the van by singing with the radio. One of her favorite songs came on, "Tonight's gonna be a good night" by the Black Eyed Peas, and she sang very loudly! When I arrived at her school on Friday, everyone was already in hair nets and gloves. I put on an apron, put my hair net on, and grabbed some gloves. Helen and I were put in charge of pouring the salad dressings into individual cups. They had bought a pump for the jar and we were the first ones to use it. According to her teacher, this made the job much easier. I held the cup underneath the pump and Helen pushed down. When we first started she wasn't paying attention and would keep pushing down after I moved the cup, what a mess! Once we got into the groove of things, we moved rather quickly. We filled 146 cups...yay us!! When we were done filling the cups, Helen left to go swimming. It was her inclusion class' day to have free time in the pool. I was now flying solo and was put right to work filling the container's with the lettuce. Two big handfuls per container...WOW, that's a lot of salad! While Helen and I were doing our job of filling the cups, the other kids were busy chopping and slicing all of the toppings, of course with supervision. At every table, behind every bowl, sat one of Helen's classmates with a scooper in hand, waiting patiently to add their assigned topping to the mound of lettuce. The assembling began...grab a container, then an order slip, read what toppings were ordered and stop at the stations to get them put on the salad. Some of the kids put it right in the center, others were close, but most of the toppings landed on the sides. I learned to rotate the container so all sides were hit. Ask for the topping..."please", "thank-you", add the salad dressing, close the lid, put the order form on the top, and on to the next. We filled 97 orders that day, I was told that was a record. Each salad costs $5.00, one week they were able to buy a bouncy house with their sales! Helen came back from swimming when we were almost done filling the orders. I made her a salad and sat with her while she ate. She told me all about swimming and how much fun she had. Mr. Spencer, the aide that went with, told me she got in trouble for not getting out of the pool when it was time. In her defense, they didn't give her any warning. I think if they had told her she had 5 minutes, she might not have ignored them (notice I said "might"!). When it was time for Helen to go to her inclusion class, she didn't want to go. I went with them thinking it might help, she didn't want me to leave. I finally pulled myself away from her strong grip, and told her I'd see her at home. I went back to her other classroom, fixed my salad, said my good-bye's and headed home. After a quick stop at the grocery store, I found myself at home eating my salad. It was the best salad I've ever eaten! I think it was because of the people who made it for me...that's just my opinion.

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

New Routine

Monday Toby and I started a new routine, we have started walking a mile and a half. Once Helen leaves on the bus, we head out. Toby gets so excited I have a hard time putting his leash on. He starts running back and forth from me to the door. He is all full of energy when we first start out, but then starts to slow down when we hit our half mile mark. I guess I should come clean and admit that I'm the same...well, all but the running back and forth part!

A few weeks ago I was able to join three of the kids on their field trips. Katie and Robbie went to a local farm run by nuns, that was a great trip. We learned about how they collect honey from the bee hives, how they provide electricity to the farm (small turbine), and how they provide food to the animals and to themselves. Grace's field trip was to the pumpkin farm. We saw a puppet show, went on a hayride, went through the corn maze, and then picked our pumpkins. We were lucky to have had great weather for both trips! Tomorrow I'm going to Helen's school to help make the salads. I even got to order one for myself! I had no idea how many choices you had. They offer a lot of toppings, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, ham, eggs homemade croutons, bacon bits, just to mention a few. I'm looking forward to seeing how Helen does with me there. Will she be naughty, or behave!?!!

Tonight is Robbie's Cub Scout Halloween party, I'm hoping to hand over the Treasurer's file to the new person. I have been treasurer for the past four years, it's someone else's turn. For some reason this year, my plate is overflowing. I need to lessen the load wherever possible. Thank goodness I know my limits, and I have definitely reached them!

Our goal for launching the website is Spring, other than that, there's really nothing new to report.

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Soup and Salad

Helen must be feeling comfortable at school, she is starting to act up. The other day she was making noises, yelling the teacher's name, and throwing toys. I guess the up side to all of this is the fact that it didn't take her very long to get used to her new school! Her new teacher has a salad/soup program in her class. They go grocery shopping with the kids to buy all the ingredients, and then the next day they make the salads or soups for the staff at the school. Helen loved doing the shopping, but when it came time to prepare the food, she couldn't keep her fingers out of her mouth and nose. She was unable to participate because of that. I'm hoping she will behave this week and be able to help in the entire process. She loves to help, I was surprised to hear of her behavior. They have started with salads, and as the weather gets colder, they will include soups. I have signed up to help, I can't wait to see how it all works...wonder if I get to taste test!!

Ted had his first cross country meet yesterday, he ran a mile and a half in about 16 minutes. He did a great job, he improved from last year. He said he ran the whole time, last year he walked quite a bit. He came in 26th place, last year he was second to last. He has another meet on Tuesday, he's looking forward to it.

The hot lunch crew is going to try and dress up for Halloween. We are going out tomorrow looking for lunch lady costumes. We're thinking of getting house coats, hair nets, maybe wigs, support hose, and anything else that would make us look like the typical looking hot lunch ladies! It should be a fun time!!

Until next time-

Take Care,

Sue

Field Trips

I just got back from a school field trip with Robbie and Katie, we went to the landfill. What an easy trip for my first one with the bigger kids, we stayed on the bus for the entire time. We drove on the landfill and learned all about what was underneath us, it was very interesting. The kids were so happy to have me there, especially Katie. I haven't been able to go on any field trips with the older kids until now. I did go on preschool field trips but they said that didn't count. Now that all the kids are in school all day, I'm able to go, as long as it doesn't get in the way of working on the clothing line. Thursday we're going on a walking field trip to the newspaper to see how they recycle. Next Friday I have back to back trips. Robbie and Katie are going to the Eco Justice Center in the morning, and Grace's class is going to the pumpkin farm in the afternoon. I am going to be exhausted...but in a GOOD way!!

Yesterday I worked in the yard, the front one to be exact. I pulled all the flowers, turned over the dirt, pulled the weeds, trimmed the bushes, and washed all the windows. I could barely move last night, I thought for sure I'd be the same today. I'm feeling fine, I'm ready to do the same thing with the backyard! My neighbor told me he would help me with the weeds in the backyard, they are much worse than in the front. I didn't plant a garden this year, so now it's overgrown with weeds. I have the BEST neighbors!! We have nice weather here this week so I'm trying to get all the outside chores done before the cold weather comes....BRRRRR!

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Writer's Block...I Wish

Writer's block? I'd like to be able to blame my absence on that, but that's not the case. I thought I would enjoy all the kids being in school, instead, I have been very overwhelmed. September has been a difficult month for me since Peter died, emotionally and financially. Every year I tell myself when August rolls around, "Hang in there, everything will work out, it always does." It doesn't work! So, enough about me...the kids have gotten back into the routine of being back in school. Helen loves her new school and teachers. They have started a reward system with her that I thought was genius. She has to receive eight smiley faces in order to watch five minutes of ICarly. Today however, she wouldn't listen, even when ICarly was mentioned...maybe it's not so genius! I can't wait for her to grow out of this stage! Now ask me how long I've been saying that!!

Noah loves going to Kindergarten, he feels like a big kid. I was worried he wouldn't listen to the teacher. I talked with her last year and told her my concerns. She put his desk right next to hers, just to be safe. She told me I must have been pulling her leg last school year because Noah is a very good listener. I also heard that he and two other boys, his friends from preschool, are the best behaved boys. What a relief! Ted has taken to middle school like a pro, he really enjoys it. Robbie, Katie, and Grace like their new teachers too. Grace isn't too happy starting the year off with homework, but she'll get used to it.

We just celebrated Ted's twelfth birthday, I still can't believe it. Helen, on the other hand, is still twenty-nine!! She wanted today to be her birthday. I told her, "Noooo, your birthday's in February!" She told me, "Noooo, it's today!" She then started laughing!

Sherry is heading to the textile show in LA this week-end. She is looking for a different jean material, since we had some concerns voiced to us about the fabric of our jeans. I must say, I have washed Helen's pair many, many times, and they still look brand new! We are moving along slowly but surely, thanks for your patience. We will keep you posted of any news.

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Impatiens

Growing up my mom used to plant flowers every summer, she loved the way the dirt felt in her hands, she didn't wear gloves. I couldn't understand how she could have all that dirt under her fingernails, it drove me nuts. She absolutely loved flowers, any kind, it didn't matter. Later in life she planted mostly impatiens. I did love the way the yard looked with the addition of those beautiful flowers, so much so that I started doing the same thing when we moved into this house. The first spring we were here, she was staying with us. I asked her to coach me on how to plant, she was more than willing. We went to the nursery where she helped me pick out the flowers, she also "schooled" me on what to look for. I went with pink (light and dark) and white impatiens, she told me the white was to help break up the pink color. I thought having the light and dark was contrast enough, but she knew what she was doing so I listened to her. We bought a bunch of them, not knowing how many to buy since it was the first time planting. I brought one of my patio chairs to the front yard so she could sit down and "coach" away. She explained how deep to dig and how to place the plants so they would look nice. She even quizzed me a few times asking which color I was going to plant next! She even schooled me on how to plant bulbs and when the best time to do that was. I am so glad I listened that day, because when the time came to plant those bulbs...she was gone. I have only planted two more times since that first year. Last year I went with purple, light and dark, and of course white. This year I planted red and white. They never look as nice as they did that first year, they grew so big and tall. I think it was my mom's touch from heaven. She told me impatiens have to be planted every year, they do not come back like some other plants. Kind of funny she said that, because every year under my pine tree grows a small amount of pink impatiens. Each year they are in different locations under that tree, but they are there...a gift from my mom, maybe? I'd like to think so!

In case you are wondering why the website hasn't launched...we no longer have pants available to purchase. Sherry and I didn't want to start out with only half of the product line. We will launch as soon as we have another batch of pants. Thanks for your patience!!:o)

Until next time-

Take Care,
Sue

The Room

He took his last breathe and was gone, it happened that quickly. I had to get out of that room, the room I had spent the last six days in watching him die. The room was filled with his family, my in-laws, the people I had come to know and love in the past two and half months. Trying to leave the room I was blocked by his father's legs as he knelt by his son's bedside, sobbing. Keeping my eyes on the floor, I raised my voice, "Move!" I couldn't get out of that room quick enough, Peter was not there anymore. I could no longer feel his presence; he was reunited with his mom who had died eight years earlier.

When I had walked into that room I was a married woman, I now burst through the door a widow. I walked down the hallway, not knowing where I was going, in disbelief he was gone. I walked into the meeting room where I had spent time visiting with family, saying, "NO,NO,NO..." I sat down wondering, what next. I walked back to the room where he lay looking so peaceful, I couldn't go in. I started towards the nurse's desk and fell against the wall, crying. One of Peter's nurses came, grabbed me by the shoulders and led me to a chair behind the nurse's station. Condolences already, I wasn't ready for this. We were supposed to grow old together; we were supposed to raise our children and enjoy our grandchildren together. I was not supposed to be talking to someone on the other end of the phone about donating my husband's corneas. Yes, he hadn't been dead ten minutes and I received "that" phone call.

My sister-in-law Maria came and found me, there was another phone call for me, "Oh God, who wants what now?" I was afraid to answer it, but I wasn't ready to go back into the room, so I did. Peter's friend Irene was on the other end, more condolences. We spoke for a bit, she shared a few stories about him with me, and then informed me she was heading to the Greek Monastery to light a candle for his soul. That conversation somehow made me feel better, we hung up and I started towards "the room".

Although I thought I was ready, I still couldn't go in. I sat down on one of the chairs that were lined up against the wall. My mind wondered...I don't remember chairs being outside his room, when did they show up? It must have been earlier when a lot of people came to say their good-bye's. My niece Amanda (Peter's side of the family) came and sat down by me. I wondered what was going through her mind; does she know what to say to me? Can she tell I'm screaming on the inside about how unfair life is right now? I look at her with tears in my eyes, I can see how sad she is when we make eye contact. I tell her, "He's no longer here, he's gone." She just nods and agrees, and that's all we say to each other. I don't know if she understood what I meant, I could no longer feel him with me. It's still very strange to me that I felt that so strongly. While sitting in the hallway my sister-in-law Lily came and told me my brother Rick and his wife Anne Marie were on their way up. They had been out of town and had no idea what had just happened.

I got up from my chair, not saying a word and headed towards the elevator. About half way down the long corridor, I ran to the elevators and waited, pacing back and forth. I leaned against the wall and just sank until my backside almost touched the ground. It felt like it took hours for them to walk out of the elevator. They must have seen it on my face because the first thing my brother said to me was, "Oh Susie...I'm sorry." He gave me a big hug, and then Anne Marie did the same. We started to walk towards the room as I filled them in on everything that had happened in the past couple of days.

I've started writing, it has helped with the healing process. I'm hoping to make it into a book someday. Last Sunday it was the four year mark, it was a very difficult day. The fog has lifted so I feel more of the pain, I guess that's a good thing, it is a process after all. Last night while watching TV, a woman who had lost her husband said, "I miss how much he loved me," DING, DING, DING...that sums it up! The kids are doing well, they have enjoyed looking at pictures and watching videos these past few weeks. We're getting ready for school...the countdown begins!!

Until next time-

Take Care,

Sue

Congratulations!!

It'll Fit'll would like to congratulate one of our most dedicated followers...Sarah. Good luck to you and your mom with the opening of your fabric store, JEllen's House of Fabric. Their store is located at 5259 Mayfield Rd., Lyndhurst, OH...their grand opening is Monday, August 9th. That day also happens to be Sarah's 21st birthday, what a special day it will be!! They will be celebrating all week, through August 14th. We wish you tremendous success in your new endeavor.

Happy 21st Birthday...hope it's a wonderful day!!:o)

Sherry, Sue, and Helen (the It'll Fit'll team)

Home

Back from Orlando and still trying to catch up! It was a great experience being at the NDSC convention, I hope to go again. Even though Helen is ten, I had never gone to a convention before, even when it was in my backyard (Chicago). What a wonderful feeling of community, every child was beautiful. We all understood the grunts, the sitting on the floor and not moving, the not wanting to co-operate, the running away...we've all been there, done that! For once I didn't have to worry about Helen, it was a great feeling. She did a great job helping us at the table. It was nice meeting everyone, the input we received was a huge help. I loved seeing our special kids and the talents they hold within themselves. I hope one day Helen will be able to share her talent...photography. She still needs practice, but not much! She is very good at centering her subject, and loves to give orders. She took a picture of me when I wasn't smiling, she put the camera down and told me, "Mom, smile, like this" she took her hands and pushed her lips up into a smile, "Like that" she said. One of these days.

Please keep your input coming, any ideas you may have will also be a help.

Until next time-

Take Care,

Sue

Orlando 2010

Guess what...I have exciting news...WE HAVE LAUNCHED THE CLOTHING LINE!!! We are at the National Down Syndrome Conference in Florida and we are selling clothes. It was a long time coming, thanks for being so patient with us. We have made it through very difficult personal struggles and we're ready to sell, sell, sell!! We have started the clothing line with jeans, pink chinos, khaki chinos, and t-shirts in pink, yellow, mocha, and blue. We also have bodysuits, and a prototype for a back zipped Jammie. Our website was also supposed launch today, but due to some "glitches", we were unable to do so. We are hoping to be up and running within the next ten days...so please keep checking!! If you are in Orlando, stop by, say hi, and check out the merchandise...we'd love to meet you!!!

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Summer 2010

Helen went to get into the pool today, when we took the cover off we were greeted with green water...UGH!! I am now trying to "fix" the problem. In the meantime, Helen is wearing her swimsuit around the house. I keep telling her she won't be able to swim today because of all the chemicals I have put in to get rid of the icky water...she won't listen. I am keeping my eye on her because I'm afraid she will sneak outside and jump into the pool as the water gets clear. I don't know how this happened, I check the water everyday and add the things it needs in order to keep the water clear. I'm hoping all I have done works, I don't know how long I can keep her out of the pool, she's a little fish!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Fourth of July, we did. I had family over for a cook-out and then the kids and I went to watch fireworks. We go to the same place every year, right on the lakefront. There is nothing like watching fireworks explode over one of the great lakes. One year Peter and I were in Colorado for the Fourth of July, and I must say, watching fireworks light up against the mountains comes close! Helen loved watching all the colors, she would tell us the colors just in case we didn't see them.

It's been hot and humid around here lately, the kids have been spending time indoors. They are just like me, I don't do well in this kind of weather, it makes me feel a little sick. They go and play on the swings for about ten minutes, and then they're done. When in the pool, they last about a half hour, well, except Helen, she's in for a long time...my little fish!!

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Car Trouble...Again

I can't believe how quickly this summer is going, it's already July! I knew there would come a day when I was going to be all over the place with the kids. I just never thought it would happen so quickly! I've been dropping off at friend's houses, sporting events, Bible camp, scout meetings and camping trips...I don't know if I'm coming or going!! To top it all off, my car broke down last week, and I was without it for a week. Helen and I were on our way to the grocery store, to do big shopping, we were down to the bare essentials. My friend had put on two used tires for me, my old ones were about to fall apart. When I put the car in gear he said it didn't sound too good. He was going to give my car a tune-up on the week-end so he said he would take a look at it then. When Helen came home from school we left for the store. While driving down the road, my car started to make loud clunking sounds. I called my friend and asked him if he thought we would make it to the store. He thought we would be fine so we kept going. I went to accelerate at a stop light when the car made a very loud "thump" and then it sounded like the wheels were spinning. I pulled over at the next side street, called my friend, and then realized I had no reverse. He came and drove my car to his house, then gave Helen and I a ride home. This exact same thing happened to me right after Peter died, it was the transmission...KA-CHING!!! I called the garage when I got home to check on the warranty, it was only for a year. I decided to have them tow the car to their garage and take a look. He offered to do the work and charge me a certain amount regardless of the repair that needed to be done. I went ahead and had them fix my car. I also had them do a few other things for me that needed to be done. It took a week for the repair. Thank goodness I was able to borrow my sister-in-law's car while they were out of town. Granted, I couldn't take all the kids with me at one time, but at least I had a vehicle to run to the store, or whatever else popped up. Remember, Helen and I were on our way to the store when the car broke down!!! Thanks again Anne Marie!!:o)

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Helen's Last Day

Helen with her favorite teacher, Mrs. Coughlin (Mrs. Coffee as Helen calls her)
Helen with Mrs. Culshaw, Mrs. Coughlin's assistant

Helen and Mrs. Mitchell, her speech pathologist

Helen's last day of school was a week ago, it was her last day at Roosevelt Elementary. I think I was more sad about it than she was. She has had a great team of teachers for the last 4 years, we are both going to miss them. I went and bought flowers for her teachers and their assistants. The kids and I waited outside for Helen to come out, each one holding a bouquet. I was told by the teachers that was a beautiful sight. Helen was so excited to see all of us, she knew there would be flowers for everyone. She went and took the flowers from the kids, one by one, and handed them out. We all chatted for a bit, hugged and said our good-bye's, I had tears in my eyes. I'm sad, but excited for our new chapter with Helen's new school. She keeps talking about her new school, and she mentions all her friends who are going too. She even mentions Mrs. Coughlin, and then I have to explain to her that she will not be her teacher next year...I hope it sinks in.

Peter's birthday was that same day. We headed to the cemetery as soon as we left Helen's school. We planted flowers for him, everyone had a job. Helen's was to water. I didn't even have the flowers planted and she went and filled her jug with water. She sat down beside me holding onto her water and watched me clean up the weeds, turn the dirt, and plant the flowers. She was thrilled when it was finally time to water the freshly planted flowers. From there we went to our favorite restaurant and had lunch. It was a good day.

Helen starts summer school on Monday, she can't wait. My other kids, minus Ted, start Bible Camp for two weeks. We have been quite busy already this summer. The pool is up, and there is new sand in the sandbox...so far, so good!!

Until next time-

Take Care,

Sue

Let The Summer Begin

Last week Noah graduated preschool, Wednesday Grace graduated Kindergarten, and today Ted, Robbie, and Katie had their last day of school...the summer has officially started! Helen's last day is next Wednesday, Peter's birthday. We are going to pick her up and then head to the cemetery to plant flowers. She will be leaving the school and teachers that she has known for the past four years. It's going to be a sad day, I'm going to miss everyone. They have been such a wonderful group of teachers. Helen is really going to miss them, especially Mrs. Coughlin, or as Helen calls her...Mrs. Coffee. She is the one who taught her how to read, her favorite past time. Peter went to the school to observe the classroom before we decided to send Helen there. He really liked the atmosphere and especially liked Mrs. Coughlin. I'm glad we listened to his instincts and it all worked out, they have been a huge support system for me...everything happens for a reason!

Robbie had a black spot near the area where he had his birthmark removed over a year ago. I thought it could possibly be a tick since he had been camping recently. When I rubbed my hand over it I could feel a piece of it sticking out. In fact, that's how I found it in the first place. I was putting sunscreen on him for the school picnic and felt it. It looked like the tick had embedded itself into his skin. I made an appointment for him the next day at the doctor, if it were a tick, we needed a professional to remove it! It took two seconds for the doctor to tell me, "It's NOT a tick." I kept asking him, "Are you sure?" I guess I thought he didn't get a good enough look at it. According to the doctor, it's a stitch that either didn't get removed, or never dissolved. The body didn't recognize it, so it's trying to kick it out. It's slowly working it's way out, and it's not looking very pretty in the process. We're keeping an eye on it.

Katie played her first softball game of the season the other night, it was called because of the rain. I started to feel a few drops as soon as the game began. Katie's team was up first, she was next up when the player before her made the third out. Katie wasn't very pleased, until someone pointed out to her that she would be the first one up when they batted again. I kept saying, "Please let Katie bat before the rain falls, please let Katie bat..." She got up to bat, hit the ball from her coaches pitch, and made it to base! By this time, the rain was falling harder, Helen went to the car, she was the smart one. When it started coming down even more, I went to get my umbrella, it really didn't look like they were going to call the game. As I was coming back from my car, I saw the teams lining up to give high fives, they had finally stopped the game. Once everyone was in their cars and heading out of the parking lot, the skies opened up and it came down in buckets. Thank goodness we were in the car!! Hopefully we won't experience that again this season!

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Catching Up

Everyone was sick last week, it started with Helen and ended with me. It didn't last long, about 12 hours of upset tummies. Mine lasted longer, about two days! I was exhausted and think I still haven't completely recovered. Helen's IEP went well, it was sad since it was the last meeting with those teachers. We all agree that this new program will benefit Helen, and we think she will do very well. They told me they will miss Helen, in fact, all the teachers and office staff will. I told them I would keep in touch via email and let them know how she is doing.

Noah turned 5 yesterday, I can't believe how big he has gotten. We had a party for him last week-end, he thought once you have a party then you turn a year older. I told him his actual birthday was on Thursday, he told me, "Then I'll be 6!" I took him to the toy store and then out for lunch after. I think lunch was more for me than him! I won't have many opportunities to have him alone once school is out. Next year he will be in Kindergarten all day, along with the other kids. I think I'm going to go through an adjustment period, but when that's over, I know I will enjoy having them all in school!! He had preschool graduation today, he told me, "Mom, you know I'm big now, I'm in bigger preschool now!" I said, "You mean Kindergarten?" He said, "Yeah, big kid school." How cute is that!?!!

This holiday week-end we are cleaning up the backyard and getting everything ready for planting. The kids keep asking me to put the pool up, so that's definitely on the to do list. I usually have my flowers planted by now, but the weather has been so crazy in the past that I thought I'd wait a few extra weeks before planting this year. In the past I really thought I would loose the flowers because it got so cold. We have had beautiful weather this week I'm starting to doubt my decision...oh well, they'll get planted soon enough. I hope all of you have a happy and safe Memorial Day week-end.

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

A Perfect Fit

I went to see the school that Helen will be attending and I met her new teacher. I think it's going to be a great fit!! I'm feeling much better about the whole thing, and think Helen will really enjoy the new teacher. Her classroom seems to run like a well oiled machine, there are about 3 aides in her classroom right now. Every other week the class prepares either soup or salad for the staff at the school. They do all the shopping, prep work, and cooking as a class. I asked if they ever have parents help and was glad to hear that they are always looking for parents to get involved. I volunteer at the kid's school every Wednesday, I help make hot lunch. I signed up at Helen's school to volunteer but never received a phone call from them. I'm happy that I will have the option next year to help at Helen's school too!! I meet Monday morning with her teacher's for her IEP...I really hate these meetings! I'm going to make sure that everything is in writing, especially since she is switching schools. I definitely don't want anything to fall through the cracks. Helen came home sick from school today, she had a tummy thing going on. She wasn't her usual self today, I'm hoping a good night's sleep will do her good. Grace is also not feeling well. We made it through the winter with hardly any illness, now it's bombarding us!!

Ted is off on a Boy Scout camping trip this week-end, and Robbie leaves tomorrow for camping with his best friend. Tomorrow night is going to be girls night with Noah!! I'm trying to think of something special we can do without spending a lot of money...any suggestions?

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

First Communion

Katie on her First Communion day

Katie made her First Communion last Sunday, it turned out to be a beautiful day. All the kids looked so nice, and none of the girls had the same dress. My friend made her veil, it matched her dress perfectly. Three kids down, three to go!! I'm hoping Helen will be ready next year, this way each child will have their own day, and won't have to share it with anyone else. She knows her prayers, it's getting her to sit still during Mass, that's the issue. On Sunday, Katie will get dressed in this beautiful dress again in order to participate in the crowning of Mary. Each year the First Communicants are the ones who get to do the honors. They march around church in a single file line, present Mary with roses, and then one lucky kid gets to place the crown on her head. It is a very special morning!

I made an appointment for Monday to look at Helen's new school for next year. I have been waiting for her teachers to let me know when we were going. The original plan was for all of us to go together and check it out, but that never happened. With only a month left of school, I thought I better get over there and get to know the teacher and school. She sounds very nice, and is looking forward to meeting me. Hopefully all will go well, and it will be a perfect fit for Helen. I have her IEP meeting coming up in a week, I hate going to those meetings. I go in thinking she's doing awesome, and then BAM...I hear the stories of how she has been misbehaving, I hate that! I know she has been acting up lately, she always does at this time of year. I think she is done with school and needs a few weeks off. She will definitely look forward to summer school, she always does. She's just had enough of the regular school year. Not much longer I tell her, I'm hoping she hangs in there.

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Making Communion Hosts

Katie is stirring the wheat flour and water

The batter is then placed in the middle of the press to be cooked

The finished product...unleavened bread

Cutting the unleavened bread with a host cutter to make individual hosts

Katie and Fr. John trying to free a cut host from the unleavened bread

Yesterday I went to watch the second graders make Communion Hosts. The press they used was found in the church basement. It is the press the nuns used when making Communion hosts many years ago. This is the third time I have gone, and still enjoyed it very much. Katie and her class are making their First Communion on Sunday, they are all very excited.

Life has been happening in this household, it has been so busy around here lately. Ted has been busy with Boy Scouts, he went on his first camping trip as a Boy Scout last week-end. He had a blast and is looking forward to the next one. The troop goes camping once a month! Helen has been busy reading, she loves it. Her group language teacher takes pictures while doing an activity and then makes it into a book. Helen's favorite book is the one where they carved a pumpkin. My favorite is when they played in the snow outside and Helen kept eating the snow! Robbie started a volleyball clinic a few weeks ago, he was a bit unsure about it. He had never really played outside of gym class, but now really likes the sport. When he reaches fifth grade, he will be able to join the school team, I'm hoping that's the goal. Katie has been getting ready for her First Communion. We have everything ready to go, dress, shoes, and veil. I had a friend of mine make her veil to match the dress...it turned out beautiful. I will post pictures next week. Grace has been busy talking on the phone! I don't allow her to make phone calls yet, it's her friends that call her. I heard her give the low down of what we were all up to one day! Noah has been busy attending birthday parties, he's getting so big! Getting out of the car the other day when dropping him off at school, he told me, "Get back in the car Mom, I can go in alone!" This coming from the little boy who wouldn't let me leave the classroom until after they said the Pledge of Allegiance last year!! I guess he's ready for Kindergarten!! Just in case your wondering...no, I didn't get back in the car, I had something to drop off with his teacher. Myself, I have been overseeing all the activities and also a few of my own. I recently went to the big fundraiser for the kid's school, it was very nice. They had it at a local banquet hall, it was dinner, dancing, silent and live auctions, and a raffle. I wasn't lucky enough to win any of the raffle prizes, two of them were a year's tuition...DARN!! We have a lot of activities coming up, a lot of end of the school year stuff. I will do my best to keep you all up to speed.

Until next time-

Take Care,

Sue

Twenty-Nine

I cannot believe Kate Gosselin is still on Dancing With The Stars...yep, that's right, I watch Dancing With The Stars!! I have watched since it first came on, and if I can't watch it, I DVR it, which sometimes is better because then I can fast forward through the commercials. I know I should be cheering her on since her claim to fame is being a mom, but come on, really!?!! She missed steps completely, it doesn't even look like she's dancing most of the time, and she looks stiff. I'm not saying I could do any better, I'm just saying there were other people who were voted off that shouldn't have went before she did. Hello...wake up...it's more about popularity than talent!! On The View, Sheri Shepard said she tweeted to all her peeps to vote for Kate. According to her, she has hundreds of thousands of followers...is that really fair? What I really want to know is...how does a person go about getting a show? She had a show because she had eight kids, that's only two more than me...I know, she had six of them at one time. Think about it though, widow with six kids, one of them being special needs...I think it could work. I need to provide for my kids, just like Kate. I would love to be able to travel more with them, and do more things locally with them. Everything costs money, something I don't have a lot of. We can really be entertaining at times, so anyone out there with connections....

The kids have been on Spring Break this week. I had so many plans of things I was going to get done around the house...it didn't happen. We had about two days worth of good weather, the kids were outside playing last Friday. Robbie decided to bring out the basketball hoop and play some ball. He threw the ball and instead of it going into the basket, it hit the window and broke it! What a way to start the holiday! I had my friend come and take a look, he suggested I replace the whole window. It is a good idea, the window is old, and very drafty. He is looking into prices for me, he and a friend would do the work for me. I don't know what I would do without him, thank goodness he has a wonderful wife who doesn't mind sharing him.

I took the girls for a haircut the other day, my hairdresser asked Helen how old she is now. Helen answered, straight faced, "29!" I said, "29! are you sure about that?" She shook her head yes. I keep asking her, and she still insists she is 29!

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Happy Easter from It'll Fit'll

From our families to yours, Happy Easter!!:o) If you don't celebrate, have a wonderful Sunday...

Variety Show Acts

Here are the videos from the Variety Show last Friday. Katie is in the "Keep On" video, Robbie is in the "You Belong With Me" video, and Ted is in the "5th Grade Dance" video. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Variety Show

This has been one crazy week, but it's been a good one. Robbie and Katie are ready for their performances tonight in the school variety show. Robbie is performing with the girls in his class along with some of the fourth grade girls...yes, older women!! They are singing and dancing to Taylor Swift's song "You Belong With Me". If you have seen the video, Robbie is the boy next door. If you haven't, Taylor Swift is in love with her next door neighbor and is trying to tell him that his girlfriend is no good for him, but she is. In the end, the girlfriend dumps the boy for someone else, and Taylor Swift gets him. During the video, they hold up signs in order to communicate across the way. Robbie and the girls are holding up similar signs, it starts with the girls holding up, "Are you okay?" Robbie answers with, "Too much drama", and the girls answer with, "Sorry". Then they do their singing and dancing and end the show with a sign that reads, "I love you". Robbie then holds up a sign that reads, "I love my mom"! It is too cute! Katie is performing with the girls in her class, they are singing and dancing to the Brady Bunch's "Keep On, Keep On" song. They are wearing white shirts and blue pants that we have put white and blue tape on in order to resemble the costumes the Brady's wore. I think it's going to turn out cute also, I saw some of it yesterday when I went to pick her up from practice. I'm going to try and take pictures, I know for sure I'm going to record it. I will try and post something on here so you can see, but I'm not to computer smart, so I'm not promising.

St. Patrick's Day landed on our busiest day of the week, so I put the food in the crock pot to cook. It turned out okay, but prefer the way my mom cooked it. I hope everyone enjoyed their day of being Irish!! The kids have been busy learning their Greek poems, the girls know theirs by heart, thanks to Papou. Now they sound Greek, when I read them the way the teacher's wrote them...not so much! They have practice tomorrow morning while the parents decorate. I'm hoping to escape for just a bit to run to the store to buy Robbie pants for the occasion. The girls are dressing in costume that we borrowed when they were dancing. The boys don't have a costume so they have to wear white dress shirts with navy blue pants. They wear navy blue pants for their school uniform, so I knew they had some. What I didn't know was that Robbie has holes in almost every single pair of pants, and the ones that don't have them, are too big. When we are done at the Greek church we have to run home and eat lunch real quick because then family is coming over to celebrate Robbie's birthday. His actual birthday isn't until Wednesday. I usually celebrate birthdays after their actual birthday, but the following week-end I'm going to see REO in concert, and then it's the spaghetti dinner at the kid's school. So it was either tomorrow, or not one at all. I need to run to the store and get party supplies, and I need to do that before it's time to pick Noah up from school...so I better go!!

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Busy Days Ahead

Lately I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed, there is too much paperwork in the world! Since Ted crossed over, there has been paperwork after paperwork emailed to me. The problem with that is, I open it on my computer, but the printer is connected to the kids computer, so I forget about it. He needed a permission slip for camping turned in on Tuesday whether you were going or not, and I completely forgot. I feel bad he can't go on the very first camping trip as a Boy Scout, but we have other commitments. The school variety show is on Friday, and his whole class is performing together. Saturday I'm having family over for Robbie's birthday and on Sunday the kids are performing in the Greek Independence Day program. There is no way he can miss that, he has been practicing very hard. I was told by the teachers on Wednesday that I need to work with all of them more. They even wrote out the poems phonetically so I could teach them...HA!! That doesn't always help, I still don't know what syllable to emphasize! Needless to say, we have a busy week ahead of us. We also have a Boy Scout meeting and a Cub Scout meeting, along with dress rehearsal for the variety show. Busy, busy, busy...

Helen has had awesome days at school, in fact, she now comes home and tells me how naughty Jack has been. The things she tells me he does, she used to do, that's the funny part. She explains how he got a sad face at recess because he pushed someone down and how the teacher told him not to touch his friends at school. Aaahhh...memories! I hope we have turned the corner, but I'm not holding my breath...she can really be a dickens at times.

I received an email the other day telling me now is the time to get Katie signed up for softball, and Grace was old enough to join the team. Grace right away said no, she doesn't want to play. I tried talking her into it, she's just not interested. Katie had to think about it, because she loves the practices just not the games! I don't know if you remember me talking about it last summer, but she was forever getting hit by the ball. She finally said one game, after she had been hit a couple times, "That ball just doesn't like me for some reason!" I guess it couldn't have been because she didn't keep her eye on it!! Hopefully this summer will be better for her.

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Change

When logging on today, I noticed we have posted over 200 blogs...WOOHOO!!! (no wonder I have run out of things to talk about!! just kidding) I just got back from my parent/teacher conference with Helen's teachers...ugh! We didn't talk about her behavior, she has been doing pretty good lately. In fact, she is the student of the month for her class. We discussed the changes that are coming...I hate change! I'm sure we're not the first state, nor will we be the last, to make changes to the special education system. Here in Wisconsin they want all students to be included 100%, whether they can handle the classroom or not. Luckily, there is one classroom still in the district that is mostly self contained. I say lucky because Helen is not ready for full inclusion. I know there are kids out there who can do it, Helen just happens to be one of those who can't. I am hoping eventually she will be able to handle it, until then, we need to put her in a place where she is not overwhelmed. This program where she will be going next school year sounds perfect, and a good place for her to learn the skills she needs in order to function in the classroom. Eventually, she will be included 100%, I just want her to be able to handle it. One of her teachers has already been there to check it out. She thinks it's a perfect placement for Helen. Her other teacher, Helen, and myself are going to go and check it out soon. It sounds like a good fit for Helen, it will be interesting to see how she likes it. One of the activities they do is to plan, shop, and prepare either soup or salad for the staff at the school. I know Helen would love to do this, she loves to help in the kitchen. It will also help with her social skills, she sometimes behaves inappropriately in public. I'm both sad and excited about this new program. I will hate to see Helen leave the school she is at, she has been there for five years now. I think her teacher is a security blanket for me, we have been a team for so long, it will be hard to change partners. But...change is always good, and I think it will be a very good change for Helen. Hopefully we will be able to get her into the new school during the summer session, that way she can familiarize herself before the new school year starts. I will keep you posted.

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

"Fancy, Fancy"

Fancy Nancy party at Helen's school

This past Tuesday Helen and I attended the Fancy Nancy party at her school, she had such a good time. For those of you who don't know who Fancy Nancy is, she is a literary character found in children's books. She enjoys dressing fancy, boas, tiaras, the whole shebang! Helen was so excited about going to the "Fancy, Fancy" party, that's all she talked about. When we arrived we sat in the gym and watched the local High School cheerleaders perform a few cheers. Then we were off to the art room so Helen could make a picture frame for the picture that was taken when we first arrived. She put glitter all over her face and made her friends laugh. From there we went into a room where there was a woman who talked about manners, and respect for others. I don't think Helen got anything out of that one, she was busy looking around and checking out her picture frame. Fancy Nancy herself was in the last room we visited, she read a story about fancy words. Helen enjoyed that room, I'd say she enjoyed it the most, but after there we went back into the gym for ice cream! She didn't look up until her ice cream was gone. The last thing they did was hold a raffle for Fancy Nancy books and a doll, Helen didn't win, but our neighbor did. It was very nice to spend an evening with Helen, just the two of us. I think she had a good time too, it's all she has been talking about!!

Until next time-

Take Care,

Sue

Helen Turned Ten

Helen thinking of her wish

Helen with her ICarly cake

My beautiful Helen on her birthday(the camera date is wrong)

Helen turned ten last Saturday...yes, she is now "double digits"!! Everyone came over to celebrate with us, she had a great time. She was so excited last week, counting down the days until the birthday. Her teachers let some things go last week because of the excitement, it was all she talked about. She has started to mature a bit, but she can still be a stinker at times.

The kids had a blast last week during Catholic schools week. I mentioned in my last blog that I was going to help at the carnival. I ran the golf game...I became light headed! I had to bend down and pick up the balls and then set them up for the kids. It was moving along so quickly, I was up, down, up, down...yikes!! Katie was hanging around so I asked her to help me. She stayed most of the time, because of that, she received a homework pass. She was able to turn in homework without doing it and get 100%. After the other kids heard what she was getting, they all were hanging around. I talked with the teacher and told her they would probably all say they helped, which they did, just not for very long. On Tuesday, the kids went to an all school skating party. Ted had an orthodontist appointment which is near the rink. Instead of taking him back to school, I dropped him off at the party. We beat the buses there, so I was talking with some of the other parents and they talked me into staying. Having roller skated as a kid, and absolutely loving it, I couldn't resist putting on a pair of skates. I was a bit wobbly, but in general, did pretty good. I held Katie's hand for awhile and skated with her, she was doing awesome by the end of the day. She was so proud of herself, and so was I. Robbie held onto me for a little while, but most of his friends were busy playing video games, and snacking. He stood next to me during the Hokey Pokey...needless to say, I didn't have the opportunity to do the dance because Robbie kept grabbing onto me so he wouldn't fall!! There was one point when I was out on the rink without any kids holding on. I was talking with another parent when out of the corner of my eye I saw arms waving frantically, and then felt the knock of someone's skates. I almost fell flat on my *beep*!!! I of course let out a small scream, and was able to regain my balance as the kid who ran into me kept going with their arms still waving around in the air. I looked behind me to see if it was clear, and caught the kid's gym teacher smiling from ear to ear. He had seen the whole thing and asked if I was okay. I told him yes, and that it was a close call, he agreed. I stayed off the floor for the remainder of time, which wasn't that long. I'm glad I stayed, the kids couldn't get over the fact that I could roller skate. For one night...I was a rock star!!

Until next time-

Take Care,

Sue

Grief

A 41 year old man went to bed last Tuesday night, never thinking he would never wake up again. During the night he suffered a massive heart attack due to hardening of the heart from smoking. His kids are in Ted's Greek school class, they cancelled class last week because of this. I am very surprised at how much this has effected me. I keep thinking back to when Peter passed away, and all that goes with it. That woman right now is living in hell, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. It will take time before she feels again, before she can think clearly, before she feels like a part of the world. My heart aches for her and her kids. I passed along the information for the support group we used to go to, hopefully that will help a little bit. We stopped going because they could not accommodate Helen, they lost her one night. She had gone into the playroom with Noah, and when I went to pick her up at the end of the night, she was gone. My kids found her wandering around the church...we never went back. Grief is a wicked thing to deal with, it can pop up it's evil head at anytime, no matter how long it's been. This has triggered my sadness about Peter. It didn't help matters that Katie had her First Reconciliation (confession) the other day. Any big accomplishment we have in this family, I feel Peter's absence even more. I am doing my best to ride the wave, but sometimes, it's very hard.

Next week is Catholic schools week, there are a lot of events scheduled. On Monday they have the annual carnival, I'm helping with Katie's class by running their game. It's usually the room mom, but I don't think she is much help, because the teacher asked me a couple weeks ago. On Tuesday the whole school, well, except the Kindergarten class, is going roller skating. There will also be the annual student/faculty volleyball and basketball games. Thursday is the trivia game where the kids break into groups by color. Ted's team is called, "The Red Riding Hoods" and Katie and Robbie's team is called, "The Brown Barbie Dolls"...kind of funny! Grace will be having a pajama party on the day the rest of the kids go to the roller rink. They will get in their Jammie's, have popcorn and juice, and settle down to watch DVDs. The kids really enjoy the week, especially since they don't wear uniforms all week! I have to go out and find brown shirts, I don't think either one of them has one!

Until next time-

Take Care,

Sue

School

I was just telling Sherry the other day how hard it has become to come up with an original blog. I feel like you have heard it all before, that is why I haven't been blogging on a regular basis. I think I need to start taking notes so when I sit down to write, I have ideas. I also need to be careful on what titles I give to my blogs. I am now receiving on a daily basis, spam from Japan on some product that has something to do with sex, yeah right!?!! I also just received a spam dealing with sleep aides because of my blog titled, "Insomnia"...UGH!!!

Most of the kids are doing well in school, Katie is doing much better now that she sees the reading specialist. Grace is having some difficulties starting to read, I work with her every night, hopefully that will do the trick. I have no complaints about Ted, he received six A's and four B's on his last report card. Robbie on the other hand...not good! I told him if he doesn't get those grades up he will not be involved in any sports this summer. He can do the work, he just does it in such a hurry that it's sloppy, with unnecessary mistakes. He doesn't want to take the time to find the answers in the book, even though they are right in front of him. Helen's teachers have been talking to me about changing her program, they even went to check it out at another school. The head of special education came into Helen's class one day and noticed what a challenge it was for her. She is the one who mentioned to the teachers about this other program. Well, she wanted Helen changed ASAP, and is still wondering why she hasn't been moved yet. I told her teachers I don't want her moved until next school year. Helen has a terrible time adjusting to change, and by the time she would maybe be used to the change, it would be time for school to let out for summer vacation. Months would be wasted on this transition, why not wait until a new year? When explaining things to Helen it takes a lot of times before she somewhat understands, and even more times until she fully understands. I would have months to prepare her, which, in my opinion, would be perfect. I can take her to the new school and we could walk around, or better yet, maybe they have a summer school program there for her. It would benefit her best if we just waited. Her teachers now have designed a special program for her, and they have no problem keeping her for the remainder of the year. I have a feeling I'm going to have to fight to keep her there. Her IEP is coming up, this should get very interesting. I will definitely keep you posted on the progress.

Katie is starting her basketball tournament this week-end, Robbie's starts in two weeks. I really enjoy watching them play, I hope Katie keeps it up. She has been talking about not joining the team next year, I think she was frustrated and a little scared. I saw at her last game that she had more confidence and was a little bit aggressive, but that's a good thing in basketball.

My good friend is renewing her vows with her husband at Mass on Saturday. They have been married for 25 years, she just turned 50 today! Happy Birthday Catherine, and Happy Anniversary Catherine and Doug!!:o)

Until next time-

Take Care,

Sue

Insomnia?

Can you have a little bit of insomnia? I don't know, but I do know I am having problems falling asleep. Is that even considered insomnia? Ever since Peter died, I have had times where I can't sleep. I think I always had the issue, but when Peter was here he would talk to me and rub my neck, which relaxed me. One more reason to miss that man! Now that it's the end of the week, I am running on empty. I am hoping tonight I fall asleep a lot easier because of that.

We have had a lot of snow today, we really haven't had that much so far, unlike everyone else around us. The lake has been the reason for that, and also the reason for the all the snow today. We are now getting lake effect snow, which will be blowing and drifting during the night. I think the kids will have school tomorrow, no, I'm hoping they have school. I need to run a few errands and it's much easier doing them on my own.

Nothing much to report on the kids. Robbie's team lost all their games during the basketball tournament, they were a little bummed, but learned from it. Katie starts selling Girl Scout cookies tomorrow, YUM! Grace is scheduled to speak with a speech therapist, just to see if she will outgrow the issues, or needs help with the pronunciation of the "R". Ted is doing awesome in school, and Noah is starting to become more independent every day. Helen had her thyroid medicine adjusted and is doing much better with her appetite. I need to make a mental note about that, so that the next time it happens I know to get her to the doctor.

Hopefully it won't be long until I'm asleep!

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

Happy New Year!!

Happy 2010 everyone!! I hope all of you had a happy and safe New Year's Eve, we stayed home. We had a bunch of snack food, and made sundaes...YUM!! I'm hoping the first few minutes of the new year are not an indication of what lies ahead...Toby had an accident on the hallway carpet! It was probably all the excitement, from either it being midnight, or from the treats the kids ate!! It's the start of a new decade, I'm hoping this one will hold a whole lot of happiness, not just for me, but for my family as well. I am also hoping this is the year for It'll Fit'll!! I too have been waiting anxiously for product, Helen looked so cute in those jeans! I don't think she would be able to fit in them now, she has gained some weight. On Christmas Eve day I received a note from her doctor (thyroid), the light went on!! She has had such an appetite lately, well, it's because her medication needed adjusting. She is not getting enough synthroid, so her thyroid is out of whack. One of the signs of hypothyroidism is increased appetite, that is definitely Helen. I am hoping with the increase in her synthroid she will stop eating so much. She was getting into food she is not supposed to eat, all filled with gluten! I have to take her for blood work in a month. I am finding more and more new gluten free products at the grocery store I shop at, it's been wonderful. Betty Crocker has even come out with gluten free products! I made her brownies, they taste just like the regular kind. The problem before was finding a good recipe that didn't taste grainy, for some reason, that was hard to do. It's good to see how far they have come with gluten free food.

We are just hanging out today at home, I've got a turkey in the oven, and I've already made the Greek New Year's cake. That's the cake you put the coin in and whoever receives the slice with the coin in it, they have good luck all year long. The kid's can't wait! Robbie has a basketball game tomorrow, his team has been playing in a tournament this week, tomorrow is the last game. Then it's back to our regular schedule on Monday!

I hope everyone has a good week-end, and again Happy New Year!!

Until next time-

Take Care,

Sue