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