Confessions

Okay, I'll admit it. I haven't done a good job writing on the blog lately. I took a break over Christmas to ENJOY my kids. Shoot me for being selfish. Lately I feel like I want to rant about stuff, but I don't want to offend people that I consider my friends, I feel like I might. I'm not ready to take that step, so those things that are weighing on my mind are things I'm choosing not to write about on this blog. It's disappointing, because I sometimes think others might really benefit from the information. ((((sigh)))))

It's 2013... a brand new year. We have big things coming up this year... Many things I am looking forward to and some, not so much. But we'll tackle this coming year with as much tenacity as we always do. Things on the radar include:

• Preschool graduation! The Pope will be graduating from preschool this spring and moving on to Kindergarten in the fall! I CAN NOT believe it! I'm excited, but nervous at the same time. Mike and I have some big decisions to make at his next IEP, which is right around the corner. The biggest decision will be where he will begin his schooling career. Mainstream in our public school? St. Lucy's School for the Blind? Other options? It's still up in the air as we're investigating the BEST fit for the Pope. 

• Challenger Baseball!  You probably remember that the Pope played his very first season of Challenger Division Soccer this past fall. Well, this Spring will bring Challenger Division Baseball to the list of exciting sports activities for the Pope to try. We just need to find a tiny glove to fit his tiny hand and we're in business. 

• Dance, dance, dance. The Spring will bring a whole host of dance performances for the Princesses' Dance Troupe as well as her big recital in May. She's going to be a very busy girl. 

• School Musical. I suspect the Princess will also audition for this year's school musical as she has done since kindergarten. This child was born for the stage. A true thespian.

• We are also in the planning stages for our trip to the NFB National Convention in Orlando. It will be a combo convention/family vacation; it is, afterall in Orlando, the home of Mickey Mouse during prime vacationing season. Mike and I have been to a few of the NFB National Conventions in past, but this will be the first time traveling with the entire family. We need to plan and plan well. 

It's a lot to do around work and school and daily living. So please excuse the lack of regular blog updates. I will do what I can. You can also follow me on Facebook. Probably a better way to keep up with our clan!

Thanks AG!

The Princess doesn't like her hearing aids. There was a time, when she was really little, that she loved them. She was about 4 years old. She had purple aids with bright pink, glitter molds. She would show them to anyone who looked in her general direction and loved drawing any sort of attention she could get from them. Fast-forward 4 years. She is no longer a fan. The aids are now an "inconvenience" which often get forgotten in the box, left in a pocket or taken out for any number of excuses. The molds are now blue and gold swirl, to match the school uniform, but it's not enough to keep them palatable. She doesn't like to wear them. When I was swooning to the audiologist four years ago about the the Princesses love for her aids and how well she did wearing them, I was told it wouldn't last. I was told the phase of rejection would come. It comes with every hearing impaired kid. See the Princess can still hear without her aids. Her world does not go into stone cold silence once her hearing aids are out. She just can not hear as well without them. She is unable to distinguish words and phrases, but she can hear that someone is making noises with their voice. She is an incredible lip reader, but turn your head away, and she'll not be able to catch a word of what you're saying to her.

It's hard to make hearing aids cool to the Princess now. I guess the newness and the novelty they had when she was 4 has long since worn off. She's much more interested in "being like everyone else" than seeing the benefit in a tool that makes her life easier and better as a whole. So we were grateful to find out that American Girl had come up with hearing aids for their dolls, I knew this was something we had to do for the Princess and her doll, Rose. On a recent trip to NYC, we took Rose to the American Girl Doll Hospital and she was fitted with bilateral hearing aids... and, at least for now, the Princess is embracing them, once again.

2012 - The Holidays...

I haven't been great at blogging this holiday season. I have no 'real' excuse. I could give the canned answers... "I've been busy... caught up in the rush!" but the truth is, I really just haven't really felt much like blogging. And after the events of last Friday, I don't feel much like celebrating the holidays the holidays either. I wanted to take my kids, wrap them in bubble wrap, crawl into a hole and hide... and hold them and just be. But then I woke up. I woke up and realized something... Jesus is coming... in just a few days, Jesus, who takes away the sins of the world is coming... we must prepare for Him.

So, I think I think I need to wake up. Snap out of it. Come around and remember that THIS is what it is all about...

Today was the Pope's class party. His teacher said it was the BEST class party a parent (or rather parents) had ever thrown in her class... I'm glad. I think I needed to hear that. We did a book, craft, snack and live music thanks to Mike... It was a fun time. Happy Holidays.

Happy Birthday Pope!

First Sunday of Advent

What is "Christmas"?

I asked my 8-year-old, "What is Christmas?" her answer was profound, yet predictable. She's been enrolled in Catholic school since kindergarten... "Christmas is Jesus' birthday. " She replied. "God sent his only son, the infant Jesus, to save the world on December 25th. We remember and we celebrate! We give gifts to remember that Jesus was our gift from God!" The answer almost sounds canned, but my little girl believes, body and soul, and so do we.

I grew up much differnet. I grew up in the land of "secular Christmas". It was a holiday, when "Santa Claus" brought gifts to children who were good all year. When I was 8 years old, it didn't involve going to Church. We tried to sleep until the wee hours of the morning. We woke too early. Our parents allowed us to rifle though gifts that the elusive fat man brought us in the middle of the night. We ate a big breakfast. We spent the day playing, napping, eating... There was really no mention of Jesus, God, the real meaning behind the day.

I love the story of St. Nicholas. I think it ties nicely into Christmas traditions. I also think it's very sad that many children in the US grow up not knowing, or not really understanding, that Christmas, at it's roots, is a birthday party... it marks the birth of Jesus. As cleche as the bumper sticker "Keep Christ in Chistmas" is, I think it's a true reminder to all of us. Before we get cosumed by trees, lights, gifts and Santa, let's take a moment to remember what this season is really all about.

We're linked to Parents.com

Found out today that the blog has been linked to Parents.com for a snippet I gave on the toy that Pope modeled for Toys R Us. How very exciting!

We've been busy with school, dance and swimming. Soccer and cheer has concluded and it's not been too soon for me! I always feel like we're going, going, going...

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving on Thursday and we'll have a relatively small crowd this year as my parents and Mike's father will be joining the 4 of us. I still envy folks who have big family gatherings for Thanksgiving. I hear about the 30 or 40 relatives all getting together at one place! Must be marvelous!

How about you? What are your plans for Thanksgiving?