{Baptism}

 

 Family photo afterwards




Jersey made a life changing decision by getting baptism. I can't really speak on how she felt, I know that I felt so good. The spirit was there in the room. I was a bit stressed out about the whole production since we were having people over to eat with us to celebrate the day with us. When I walked into the chapel all that seemed to matter was Jersey and the moment that I was sharing with her. She was so happy and her smile lit up the room. I so proud of her and of her choice. I'm also happy that my sisters and brother could attend as well as Mike's family. I still can't believe it.  

Becoming a good reader

It's funny when your child is learning to read. To actually see the wheels working in their head. Putting sounds together. Reading small words. Memorizing the words that are against the rule. I have to remember that the English language with all it's rules and pronunciation is really difficult. And we can't forget the slang that we all use.

Jersey is a very good speller but when it comes to reading it has been a struggle for her and for us. I found out that spelling is in a different part of the brain and reading is in another part. Reading takes more practice than anything Jersey has had to do. She is good with all things that are memorizing but when it comes to focusing on a word she struggles. We struggle with her because it's hard to watch her read and I hate admit but listening, takes a lot of effort for me to stay focused on the story. 

Since Jersey has been a late bloomer, from the beginning I have believed that one day with enough practice, patience, and time that it would click in her head. She has been in reading program at school and I have seen how this program has helped her with not only reading but with comprehension. (something I still struggle with myself) 

With her new found empowerment through reading. We have also realized that not everything she reads is good. The other day she told Mike a funny anecdote. She told him how on her bus there were some words on the seat and they went as follows, "this bus smells like shit" Mike was taken back, He said what? Then Jersey said it again.  He couldn't stop laughing but in all serious also explained that we don't say that word. 

I'm proud that Jersey has developed in how she can sound out words and is reading better. 

Now, how do I shield her from all the crappy words and phrases?

a new journey is about to be embarked

Last week, Mike and I took Jersey to the orthodontist. what a fun trip? (sarcasm enter here) I have know for a long time that Jersey's mouth would be a financial burden just by watching her baby teeth come in. They were bunching, tight, and sort of crooked. But they were baby teeth so we had to wait until the day her teeth decided to come out. At the beginning of the school year she lost two teeth on the bottom. Then recently one of her top teeth. The other top tooth is just dangling there and so snaggled. After taking the kids to the dentist, the dentist suggested that we go to the orthodontist for an evaluation on her teeth to see if pulling more teeth would be a good option. 

We went to the same orthodontist that I went to because I liked them there. After having our free consultation we found out that Jersey's new teeth can't not come in until the dentist pulls some teeth (5) and the orthodontist needs to put a space maintainer on the bottom of her mouth. Because your bottom teeth are more shifty than the top teeth. (The full mouth x-ray confirmed my suspensions that she had a small mouth and big teeth.)

There are more phases to come with all those jumbled teeth. She of course thinks she is so cool to go to the orthodontist. Poor kid doesn't understand the pain that she is going to be in, in the years to come. She was blessed with a small mouth and big teeth.

I feel as though Mike and I are truly out of the baby stage of life. I was holding on hope that stage wouldn't go away, but trips to the orthodontist help you snap back to reality that you are a parent of school age child, that will soon be a tween, teenager, young adult and than an adult. 

Oh heaven help me!

Broken arm

Jersey has my klutzy behavior, even though she is a very active kid. She likes to take chances like doing the monkey bars backwards, going across them fast and always on the go.
On Friday April 16th, Jersey called me from school to tell me she broke her arm. I questioned her like are you sure it's broken? But then I thought about it and she won't be calling me from school if it wasn't serious. I was still in my pj's so I hurried and got dressed and ran to the school.
When I got to the school she had a melted bag of ice on her arm and she looked like she was in pain. I checked her out and we went home, I called the DR they said I needed to take her to Primary Children's hospital. So we got in the car and drove up there. As soon as I saw the x-rays I could tell it was broken. Because of the swelling they couldn't cast the arm right away. So they splint her right arm and sent us on our way. Mike met us at the hospital and we all went out to lunch.
Since she broke her arm and I was already late for work, I stayed home to take of her. But we made the most of the time together. We went to my nephews baseball game and then we took the kids to dinner and to a movie. Jersey I'm sure wishes she broke her arm sooner to get all this attention.On her birthday April 20th she got a hot pink cast on her arm. She has not let the cast slow her done at all. She is riding her bike, running around on the playground, playing soccer, dancing and going across the monkey bars with her cast. What a crazy girl. She also still able to write with her hurt arm.
Tomorrow she gets the cast off. I'm so happy that she didn't let this trial in life take over her and make her think she couldn't do the things she loves while being hurt.

artist

Jersey has becoming great at drawing and coloring in the lines. Also using more than one color. I know that it not "the greatest feat" in the world but to Jersey it is because for along time everything that she would color would be ONE color. The color was always her favorite color BLUE. So I'm please to share that my child has some great artistic ability.

When I buy a little notebook for myself so I can jot down ideas, lists, quotes or reminders it seems to be overtaken by Jersey as soon as she looks in my purse to see if I have a notebook she can use. Such was the case with this notebook. Every page has been used within one weekend. With letters, words, numbers and drawing that Jersey has done. Not only are there the pictures but she will tell us a story about how she came up with the picture. These little notebooks are some of my greatest treasures. I can't wait to show her, her beginnings when she is older.

Our prima ballerina

For the last 8 weeks Jersey has been in an after school program where she takes ballet. She has enjoyed every minute of it. When she first started I was sad that I couldn't be there to watch or pick her up. -Her classes conflicted with my work schedule- but I'm glad I didn't do those things because watching her last night perform was so fantastic. She looked great. We took some videotape of the night so when I can download that I will post it.

She was nervous but when I told her that we would take her out to her favorite restaurant, her nerves seemed to melt away. Also the whole family came out to support her which was awesome. Thanks Jen, JT, Callie, Heather, Lilly, Peyton, Miles and Liz for coming. Jersey was truly glad that you came to her first dance recital.

After her performance, Jersey told me that she wanted to sign up for dance again. But this morning she said that she was OK to dance on her own. Always going to her own beat.

Young Love

Today on the way to drop my children off to Mike's mom, Jersey was describing her class picture to me. She was telling me all about the kids and talking about two of the children that are no longer in her class. She was asking why they would still put them in her picture.
Then she starting talking about "going out" (SHOCKED) I ask her to repeat.
J: you know mom "going out"!
R: What does "going out" mean...(sounding like my mom)
J: "going out" means when you like a boy and you hang out and do stuff like play with toys and sit together.
R: hmm?
J: Drew and Mckenna are "going out" but they broke up
R: What? They broke up?
R: What does "broke up" mean?
J: Well Sadie told me that it's when you don't play with that person anymore. But Drew and Mckenna still do play with each other so I don't know if they are "broke up" that is just what I heard.
R: So do you like any boys in your class?
J: Boys are weird, mom!
When did this happen that we talk about "going out" in Kindergarten. I remember all the talk in first grade but in Kindergarten. I'm still in shock.
Finally when we get to Grandma's work Jersey shows the picture to her and retells the story. Liz proceeds to say "So Jersey who is your boyfriend?" (me, slapping my hand to my forehead, Jersey embarrassed to answer.) Thanks, Liz.
Can I lock her up for the next 18 years of her life? I don't know how I'm going to handle this school business or growing up for that matter.

cold weather

With the cold weather around here, it's hard to get motivated to do anything. Like walking Jersey to school. it was fun when the weather didn't suck to walk but sadly I'm a wimp and haven't walked at least a week with her.
She is walking to school on her own. She is quite proud and feels like a big kid. She told her teacher that she is walking to school on her own. Her teacher told her is that safe? Well yes it's safe I think. We live across the street from the school. That is why we chose this house for that benefit alone. Jersey just has to walk to the crosswalk and across the street, of course there is a friendly crossing guard to help her on her way. I'm glad I can empower my child to feel independent at five for walking on her own.
She told me that she would watch out for "STRANGER DANGER" that if someone came up to her and asked if she would want a ride in the car she would run away screaming. I'm glad that she understands that.
I remember walking to school as a kid even in Kindergarten. I went to Longfellow Elementary and had to ride the bus but when the older kids wanted to go to AM/PM before school I would walk to school with them and we would cross Gilbert Rd. I thought it was strange to get in trouble after school because my mom didn't wait at the bus stop with me so she didn't know but some how she did. I would find out later that my teacher would call my mom to let her know what I was doing. Then I would think how my teacher would know because I don't think I would tell her. But apparently as a kid my nose would turn red when it was cold outside. So I was dead give away. Because if I rode the bus I had no red nose. I was just like Rudolph-that is a joke.

1st School Pictures

Jersey first school pictures came today.

They are cute. Ok I'm a little bias.

Let the maddness begin

The kids are back! YEAH! I came home early last night to see the kiddos, before I came home I called Mike to let him know. (I don't think he likes surprises) Well he was telling me about some concoction he decided to make for dinner. He was trying to make fried rice. When he told me that I shuttered with fear how it was going to turn out. So I said that if he need me to I will get pizza if it doesn't turn out. Shorty after I spoke to him I got an e-mail saying I needed to bring something home for dinner.

The kids seem to have grown while they were gone. Jersey has picked up a nasty habit of saying freakn' (um I wonder who says that, I'm sure it was me but it's hard to hear her say things like that), Phoenix is talking a mile a minute and about crazy stuff. Oh the joys.

They of course were perfect this morning waking up after 9am. They must have been getting up really early in the morning to be so exhausted. Or they were just happy to sleep in their own rooms with their own pillows.

Jersey got dressed this morning and showed me her outfit complete with sunglasses. It was so stinkin' cute I just had to post a pic. Then to make it even cuter she leash the dog and was looking all fancy with her purse and the dog.
It's nice to have chaotic house again.

takin' a beatin'

Jersey is a tough little girl. On Friday night, Jersey was going down our driveway on her scooter and she was crossing the street to the next door neighbors where Mike was and while she was going she hit the curb and flew over her handlebars of the scooter. She got a bloody nose and her nose has a bunch of scraps all over it. Mike's mom thought her nose was dirty but it just has a scraped up nose.

Then as we were coming home tonight from Mike's parents house we were going through the field on our bikes and she was going to fast and she biffed it! She got another bloody nose, she was covered in dirt and it was all over her face along with blood.

But every time she falls she gets back up and tries harder. What a brave little girl.

Testing

Jers met her teacher and she went through some testing to see where she is at. I have been so nervous for Jers and trying not to show it. When I was in school I had a hard time and I have always worried the my kids would follow suit. Jers did very well, she is such a big kid. She did struggle on sounds but she did well the reading and spelling. Her teacher seems really nice and she is young. The teacher was surprised that she wasn't nervous. I felt so old filling out the paperwork and talking to the teacher.
On the way to the school I was crying not on the outside so Jers could see but on the inside. Just knowing that I would only get to do this twice with two kids. I know I can be pretty dramatic especially when it comes to wanting a baby and my kids reaching a new milestone in their lives. I tried not to let the depression get the best of me so I thought it would be fun to be a volunteer in Jers's classroom. Mike told me before I went not to sign up for everything but I did. I signed up to go and help every Wednesday. That is Mike's day off so he can take care of Phe while I go. Then I even got more ambitious and signed up to be the Class Mom. I know I am headed for the PTA. Which I have thought about but I'm not going to do that. I don't think I have the time.
Next week the first day of SCHOOL. I'm taking the day off and I will be crying again but this time on the outside.