Back in the Saddle

I was blown away to find that my last post was from Easter!  I had a bit of an adventure a few weeks ago that took me out of commission - I got Hepatitis A.  I was pretty sick and completely shocked that I had contracted this illness but it is at times like this that you feel the overwhelming support of family and friends.  We had so much help and I actually recovered much more quickly than I expected to.  I was so ready to get back to my daily routine!

Right when I was at the peak of my illness, Diego was smack in the middle of campaigning for student council.  He was running for finance and I felt so bad because I was not able to help him very much with his speech and labels.  Well, he won! I am so proud of him for taking this on and carrying on even when I could not help him much.  Here he is at the installation ceremony.

I have been so emotional for the last week watching the 8th graders leave and knowing that Diego's class will be filling their spaces.  It does not help that Paolo just finished his Kindergarten year - where does the time go?  They had a prayer service and their 6th grade buddies were involved which was cool because Juliana is a 6th grader!  It was a special morning.

Here is the big boy getting his certificate.

Fuzzy picture but oh that face!!

Sr. Christine had them singing lots of adorable songs.

The best was when they sang "This Little Light of Mine".  He was so into it and was making us laugh with his crazy hips arm motions.  Lots of pictures with family and friends!

It is pretty awesome that my kids get to have their Aunt Stacia as their kindergarten teacher.

 

Up

Easter had a different feel this year.  I can't really explain it but for many different reasons it was a little somber.  Diego opted to play with friends instead of dyeing eggs with the kids.  Mark worked on Easter Day and I was the only one of my siblings to be at the extended family party.  There is a lot going on in the family right now and it is a little tough.  That is why I am soooo thankful for my husband.  I think by nature I am somewhat of a pessimist.  I am not resigning myself to this, just acknowledging it so I can fight it.  Mark, however, always sees the bright side.  He can take any situation and find the positive.  So I am rethinking Easter 2012 and here is the up-side:

I had three smiling children coloring eggs and being very creative - they used crayons, rubber bands, toothbrushes and tape to make some pretty amazing creations.  Shortly after they finished I got to visit with my childhood friend, Caroline, who lives in D.C.  It is always nice to see her and catch up.

Easter morning I woke up to five healthy, happy children who had all the joy of Easter in their eyes.  It was especially fun watching Ava rifle through her basket of candy and hunt for eggs.

Although our extended family gathering was small it was nice because I got to have some real conversations just because there were fewer people.  Paula brought the red eggs to do the Greek tradition of "Christos Anesti".  I actually won which means I am supposed to have a year of good luck!

The kids enjoyed time with their east side cousins.

So I think I will remember this Easter for the way it made me look up.  I truly believe that at the end of the day, happiness is a choice.  Sometimes it is a hard choice and we have to go against the way we are feeling.  But I think it is an important choice.  We are called to be Easter people, always looking UP.

Happy Birthday Paolo Joe!

What a goofball!  We had another "Golden Birthday" around our house last week.  Paolo turned 6 on April 6th and with the help of friends and family I think it will be a birthday he will always remember.  It started out with churros for his kindergarten class.  Ava came along.

For his birthday dinner, which was on Good Friday this year, we had tostadas, enchiladas, shrimp patties and nopales.  I loved seeing how excited he was about his birthday.  I hope he felt so special because he really is one of a kind.  Dirt cake, of course :)

We spent weeks talking about a birthday party with friends - what to do, how to decorate.  He settled on Star Wars and Nina Linda really came through with the decorations.  She really could be a professional party planner.

3-D decorations no less.

The kids went in the pool for a bit and then we played a few games - Jedi training.

Mark's Mom had saved an R2-D2 cake pan from when Mark was little and we used it to make Paolo's cake.  Pretty cool - that thing is probably 30 years old.  Star Wars is so timeless.

I hope all his wishes come true.  Paolo you are a happy, sweet, fun-loving boy and we are so blessed to have you in our family!!!



A Good Catch

This is a picture of Mark and Jules and Elise before they are heading off to dinner at Mr. Sushi and then on to the Girl Scout Father/Daughter Dance at SSJ.  The girls have always enjoyed this night and are so excited to have special time with their dad.  They have such a wonderful Dad.  We are right in the middle of Spring League at it absolutely takes over our lives.  Mark works so hard to make that league happen while simultaneously holding down a job, owning a small business, coaching a team, running Dad's club and still coming home and engaging with his family.  My children are witnessing what a real husband and father looks like.  I am so blessed.

Ava is very much into princesses right now.  We are watching all the movies that the older girls thought they had outgrown - Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Mermaid etc.  You know you married a good man when your 2 year old daughter does not refer to the characters as the Prince and Princess but the Princess and.........her Daddy.

Asking, Listening and Seeing

This girl has had quite a memorable 6th grade year - "memorable" meaning good and bad.  She has really been struggling academically and of course as a mom I have been trying to get at the source of the struggle.  Problems with friends? Trouble with organization? Too social?  I just can't seem to figure out what has been going on.  But a few weeks ago during the chaotic afternoon hours, she did mention to me that her eyes were "doing funny things".  I heard her but I did not really hear her if you know what I mean.  A couple of days later after looking at her current grades I questioned her in total frustration about why she was doing so poorly in school.  I am not sure why but it occurred to me to ask if she was having trouble seeing.  She got teary eyed and said that she was.  I was elated!  Not that you want your child to have vision problems but I wanted an answer, a simple easy answer.  And I thought I got it.

Well, not quite.  She got her glasses - in the words of Elise "Wow Jules, glasses and braces!"  I thought there would be an immediate turn around.  I thought she was armed with what she truly needed to get back in the game.  But no.  More missing assignments, more bad grades on tests.  So finally I made an appointment to meet with her teachers.  As I sat there with Jules and her teacher I noticed something.  Her teacher was not yelling at her, reprimanding her or threatening her - all things I have done plenty of this year.  She was asking questions.  What does the end of your day look like?  Are you double checking your planner with the board?  Are you making sure you have what you need to take home?  Are you putting completed assignments together in a homework folder?  Are you checking edline regularly?  Asking questions and listening to her answers in order to formulate solutions.  Sure I had done some of that but usually in a spirit of anger and frustration.

So much of successful parenting relies on asking the right questions and actually listening to the answers.  It is so hard sometimes, especially as the mother of five, to feel like I am really listening to anybody.  But this memorable 6th grade year of Jules' has given me a strong reminder that I need to do just that.

One of the positive, good memories of this year for Jules will be JA.  Junior Assembly has been going on since before I was a 6th grader.  Boys and girls have to dress up (coats and ties and gloves and dresses!) and they learn traditional dances like the fox trot and the waltz.  It is a lesson in manners and social interaction but the kids just have a blast and want it to go on and on!  Here are some pics from the last class which parents are able to attend.

Another key element to parenting is seeing.  We made it to the Japanese Festival last Sunday and Elise sort of took over my camera.  Of course I was initially annoyed and was ready to have to go through and delete a million pictures because she tends to go a little crazy sometimes.  When I went to upload the pictures, I was actually very impressed with the variety and quality of the pictures she took (Jules took a few also).  I pray that I can always remember to try to see the world through my children's eyes because so often their view is much more colorful and magical.

On to our next festival!