Just Like Christmas

Today I really do think the UPS man was cussing out my name and address. I had a total of NINE big packages arrive at my door. Just today. And yes, it was just like Christmas morning. Mostly. You see, I had a Pampered Chef party a couple of weeks ago and all the orders from that party came today in four BIG boxes. I treated myself to an early Christmas by purchasing their wonderful cookware at a still-ridiculously-high-yet-it-was-half-off-because-I-hosted-a-show price. I am sooo excited about this cookware ya'll. It is like I am finally a grown up with real grown up pots and pans. These are real. So exciting.

The other boxes were a bunch of stuff for the family and such. Not quite as exciting as grown-up cookware. It just means that I now need to wrap all those other things.

I also know that I have been lax in the posting department and I apologize to those who have complained. Sorry. To be honest, it just seems like there isn't much to post other than our daily boring lives. I mean do ya'll want to hear about how we went up to Jim's mother's last weekend so Jim could go deer hunting and I was praying that he wouldn't get a deer so that I would not have to explain why Daddy killed Prancer (the boy loves that movie) and have the boy freak out over that. I know I know it is silly, but I still remember when I was little and seeing the neighbor's dead deer hanging in their yard and seriously people, I think I need therapy over that sight to this day!

Anyway, Jim did not get a deer and we sidestepped that whole issue. Other than that, there really hasn't been much going on. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that because of the kindness of somebody Jim works with, Jack will not need clothes for the next year or so. They gave us a huge amount of size 4,5, and 6 clothes and people, we are talking NICE clothes, not the Walmart special that he has been used to wearing. So to all those in the family reading this, the boy does not need clothes. Nor shoes because we got two pairs of shoes.

So that is it. We got our Christmas tree up and the outside lights up and things are looking a lot like Christmas, except for that cold white stuff ya'll got up there in Michigan and yonder. I also spent yesterday painting our guest bedroom so that my parents will have a pretty room to sleep in when they get here in like 11 days! Yikes! I have a lot to do!

Feeling Stuffed? Shopping?

Ahhh the good old Day After Thanksgiving. Did everybody have a good turkey day? We did here at the Jackaroo house. We went to the Uncles house for dinner where we saw the whole crew from Jim's side of the family. We had to cut it a bit short because Jim had to get back home to get to work last night. I guess it was pretty crazy traffic out there in the middle of the night because of the crazy stores opening at god-awful hours. The outlet mall down the road opened at midnight last night and caused a huge traffic jam on the highway. Crazy people.

I am one of those few people who are not shopping today. I am almost done and should be done by next week with everybody. Nice feeling. Instead I am rushing around trying to pack up and get the house in order for us to leave to go north to family compound to see Grammy C. Aunt Ann and Aunt Carla for the weekend. There are always a million things to do before we go up there including of course at least three loads of laundry. And I hate hate hate to come home to a house that is not in order and clean. So cleaning is also in order for today.

So for those out there shopping with the other crazies, just want to say Happy Shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving

We are here baking, watching the parade, and of course licking spoons and bowls.

I Broke Down

and took the boy to the doctor today. I figured with the holiday long weekend that I should considering he still has the awful cough going on. I could tell that he was getting better because he has spurts of energy where he would run around like his usual self, but then a few minutes later, he would be coughing and whining.

The doctor did say that he could hear some rattling in the chest, but no pneumonia right now and the ear infection from the pink eye incident a few weeks ago is clearing up. He gave us some prescription cough medicine that hopefully will let him get some sleep that he hasn't had lately. Oh and he also has lost about 3 pounds from this sickness. He was under 40 lbs today, something that he hasn't been in months. So he has definitely been a sick little boy.

And wow tomorrow is Thanksgiving? How in the world did it come up so fast? I hope everybody out there reading has a really good day tomorrow with lots to eat. We plan on going over to Jim's brother's for the big meal and see the whole family there. Jim has to work tomorrow night (nope cop's don't get the day off) after the dinner.

I thankfully did a lot of shopping today online and think I am pretty much done except for Jack and he is the easiest to buy for. I am hoping within a week I will be absolutely done with the shopping and can sit back and relax for the rest of the season.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Time where does it go?

Wow it has been over a week since I posted on here. And how is it that Thanksgiving is this week?

It has been pretty busy around here. Jack had his Thanksgiving party on Friday at school. It was the cutest and of course, I forgot my camera. They had made Indian hats and vests (made from brown paper sack - too cute) and wore them into the cafeteria where the party was held. All of the K3 classes were together and it is simply amazing to me to see almost 30 three-year-olds sitting down eating and behaving. These teachers are amazing.

And Jack has had some crud for the past three days, that on a couple of occasions, I almost drove him to the ER. He has had a persistent cough for a couple of weeks now, as almost every kid in his class (love the preschool bugs). But on Friday night, that cough became much worse and with it came the fever and then the vomitting happened last night. It is so pitiful to see him standing at the toilet throwing up, or as he calls it "spitting in the toilet". I know that he needs to throw up when he tells me "I need to spit in the toilet". Oh and thank goodness for the wood floors cause the first time, it went all over the hallway floor outside the bathroom. Poor kid. And I don't think I have had eight full hours of sleep combined in the last three nights. Ugh.

However, he is now better this morning or at least his fever has been down since about 3 in the morning and hasn't thrown up the 3 crackers I gave him this morning. So that is a good thing. I am really not good with being nurse Mommy.

Conversation with a three-year-old

I was just putting Jack to bed and we were talking about stuff when this little conversation came about. It is too funny.

Jack: (pulling on his teeth) We can't take out teeth out.

Me: nope we don't take our teeth out

Jack: Grammy and Papa do (showing with hand motion how they come out)

Me: (trying not to laugh too hard) Did you see Grammy and Papa take their teeth out?

Jack: yeah, they don't have glue on their teeth like we do

Scissor Fun

I went to pickup Jack from school today and was met with a worried looking Mrs. Nix, his teacher. She told me that they were cutting with the scissors today and Jack, who loves to cut anything and everything with scissors, proceeded to cut a big hole in his nice white polo shirt. I probably wouldn't have been so upset with the whole thing, but that one was the only long sleeve polo shirt that actually fit him pretty well. There's something with uniforms and they make them very big, even for Jack's bigger than average size. I did check out Old Navy online and saw they had them in the requisite school colors and may end up buying a couple from there. Sigh. Always something.

Anyway, the reason that I really couldn't be so upset with him was because I remember having a fascination with scissor cutting myself. I distinctly remember cutting my Barbie's hair, thinking of course that it would grow back. And I also remember cutting the shag carpeting (pink at that and yes I know I am totally aging myself here) in my bedroom. However, I did have a talk with the boy and told him that he could not do it again and if he did, his toys would be taken away. Because seriously, I can't afford it!

Timeliness

This new time change is frustrating, although not as bad as the other one in the spring, but it has its moments. Last night, it was 8:30 and I was literally falling asleep in the chair, so off to bed I went at the early hour. 4:30 this morning, I am up and wide awake. Oh yay, a few hours to myself before the rest of the house gets up. Nope. Jack wakes up 30 minutes after me wide awake wanting to dance in the family room. There is just no justice.

A little snippet into Jack's school day

When Jim and I were chaperones for Jack's field trip on Friday, we were priviledged to see a little snippet of what goes on during the four hours that he is there each day and let me tell you, it almost made me start to tear up watching it.

Every morning at 8:00 am, the principal comes over the loud speaker and recites the Pledge of Allegiance, then he recites the Pledge to the Bible, which is followed by a morning prayer and then the day's announcements. Well during all this, I watched Jack's class and boy was it heart warming. Mrs. Nix had one little boy hold the flag while the rest of the class held their hands over their hearts during the pledge of allegiance. Then during the pledge to the bible, a little girl held the bible while the class had their heads bowed and continued through the morning prayer. I had no idea that they did that every morning because I am out the door by the time this all happens and Jack tells me absolutely nothing about what he does all day. But I do have to say that I loved seeing the respect being taught for both the flag and the bible.

We also had the priviledge of having Mrs. Nix riding in our car to the field trip. It was really nice getting to know her on a one-on-one basis. She is a very nice woman who is a saint in my opinion for dealing with ten three-year-olds every day. She also told us that Jack was not one of her "challenging" children. She said that there are four in her class that are very aggressive and can be trouble makers, but Jack is the opposite. In fact, she said that she is proud that Jack is starting to stick up for himself a bit and won't let the aggressive kids run all over him. Of course that made me feel very proud in the least. It is good to know that my child is not one of the "challenging" kids.

Big Days

We have had a couple of big days around here. Yesterday was Jack's very first field trip of his young school career and of course both Jim and I had to chaperone. It was to a corn maze and they had a really fun time I think. We only walked a small portion of the corn maze because seriously the kids just wanted to play on the cool playground they had there. But Jack had a good time and was happy that we were there with him, which I know in a few years the boy will absolutely hate me being the room mother/chaperone to all the things, so I am enjoying it while I can.

He was so tired yesterday that for the first time in 3 1/2 years, he actually went to his own bed and laid down for a nap without telling anybody nor me telling him to do it. I was in the kitchen washing dishes and all of a sudden it seemed really quiet and sure enough he was on his bed snoring. THAT is tired. The boy doesn't do naps and especially on a volunteer basis as that.

Grammy C. came down last night to spend the night with us and to go with us to the big art festival in town. This thing is huge and they expected to have over 100,000 people there. And I am beginning to feel like a local around here because I saw a ton of people that I knew. But we had a really great time and I tell you, Grammy C is in such great shape for all that walking and shopping at the age of 85. She is my inspiration! And after about 6 hours of walking around that art festival, she is now driving 2 hours to go home. She is amazing and I hope to be like her when I am 65, let alone 85. It was also good to spend some time with just her, since Jim was back home sleeping.

Speaking of Jim, poor guy has to work an extra hour tonight because of the stupid time change. It will probably be a long 13 hours tonight.

Too Close To Home

So just to update ya'll on the arrest made the other day at Jack's school. The story goes like so:

It seems that this kid was supposed to be taking an exam and he was goofing off and was disrespectful. He was sent to the principal's office (the same one that Jack went to a few weeks ago, the place sees a lot of action) and was informed that he was suspened for a day and his grade for that exam is a zero. Well he didn't like hearing he was suspended and proceeded to tell the principal that he was going to come back to the school with guns and "shoot the place up"!!!!! Jack's class is right next door to the principal's office!

So needless to say, they did not take that lightly and the cops were called and hauled away to juvenile detention center. I also understand that his parents did not bail him out that night and he stayed in the Juvie for a night. Now I guess the school is not sure whether to let the kid back in school. From what Jim said, there isn't any public school who will touch him and he will end up going to the "alternative" school where the really bad kids are. But in my opinion, that is where he belongs and I do not want that kid anywhere near the school that my child is in.

It just goes to show you, that nobody is sheltered from that type of behavior. Even the small Christian Academy. A bit too close to home.

Trick or Treat !

Daddy helping Batman get ready for the big night.

Batman Himself

Showing off the amazing muscles (yes I had to get the muscle chest costume)

Batman (Jack) and Batgirl (Allison)

The Caped Crusaders.

Little Mary Grace who scared her parents so badly a few weeks ago when she was born. Here she is as a pea pod. I swear Jack was NEVER this tiny. She just seems so dainty and Jack was never ever dainty.

This little monkey (baby Alison) was so cute with her baby monkey

The Neighborhood Moms with our kiddos