SIX YEARS OLD TODAY

O is six years old today.  I am so blessed to know her and love her.

On this day six years ago around 5:30 am I was doing yoga when my water broke.  I called the doctor and woke my husband.  For those of you who know my husband, you also know he is not a morning person, so it took some convincing for me to get him out of bed.  

It was a beautiful spring day.  The sun was shining and it was the peak day of the cherry blossoms.  On our way to the hospital, we drove past the waterfront.  Contractions were pretty far apart at first.  Once one would end the mental exhaustion of knowing one would start again was enough to take me over the edge.  I had been telling my husband that I was going to have a "drug free" birth and under no circumstances would I need drugs.  I remember saying, "Even if I tell you I need them, don't give them to me."  He promised and promised and promised.  

I made him do everything to reassure me he would keep that promise except sign his name in blood.   By noon I was miserable.  I hadn't eaten and I was so hungry.  The pain was excruciating, but I was still holding out.  My husband remembered from our birthing class that singing to your wife is sometimes helpful when she is laboring as it takes her mind off of the pain.  He not only starts singing, he starts singing "Little Bunny Foo Foo" to make me laugh. Also, he does not know the words to many songs.   At that point I turned into Freddy Kruger.  I grabbed my husband by the collar and asked what he was doing.  He kept singing.  I tightened my grip on his collar and told him to get me some &%$^*#@ drugs.  He breathlessly tells me, "no, I promised, remember".  Another contraction comes.  My hands release his neck and I hold my belly.  Again, I tell him but this time nicely, "Please, please, please, go get the doctor.  I need some drugs."  He says, "Oh no, you can't talk me into this.  I promised you.  Are you sure you want an epidural?"  To which I reply, "I have never been so %^$#@&* sure of anything in my entire life."  He's a good man.  He got me the epideral.
O
After the epideral was administered, we spent the better part of the day waiting for O. She arrived at 4:40 pm the same day.  We cried and laughed.  Doug then went to get her Godmother, Stacey, who had been in the waiting room.  She took pictures.  O cried as she was given her first bath.  Stacey told her she'd cry to if she had to wear plastic jewelry like the one around O's foot, but Stacey promised her that soon as she could, she would get her something 14 karat.  It was a truly awesome day!

Happy 6th Birthday O!  

When O woke up this morning, we played the game we always play on her birthday.  "Let me see your feet...yes, those are six year old feet.  Let me see your fingers...yes, those are six year old fingers.  Let me see your ears...yes, those are six year old ears.  Let me see your teeth...yes those are six year old teeth.  Wow!  You have grown!"  

As your mommy, being with you on this journey is a heartfelt joy.  I am so honored.  You're love is a miracle.

May the year of "six years old" be a year of laughter that fills your soul.  
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be truly free.
May you always remember you are loved deeply forever and ever.
Happy Birthday Sweet Girl

Sweet daughters and epidurals rock!  Kindergarten sucks!

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Heroic Fight Against MS

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Heroic Fight Against MS: O's Godmother and my best friend, Stacey ,  is living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS ) .      Unfortunately, every hour of every day someone ...

Heroic Fight Against MS

O's Godmother and my best friend, Stacey, is living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).    

Unfortunately, every hour of every day someone is being diagnosed with MS.  

Five years ago, Stacey was all alone in a hospital when the doctors gave her the devastating news.  Soon after, her fiancé and now husband, Chris and there after, her mother, were with her at her bedside.  Later that morning, my husband and I, along with other friends and family, visited her.  We all promised Stacey that she would never have to fight this disease alone.  

At the time, Stacey's fear of shots (and I am not talking tequilla) was off the charts.  She had to be held down just to give a vial of blood.  Every other night, because of this disease, she is subjected to a very large vial of medicine which she injects into her body.  This medicine comes with adverse affects and muscle pain.  However, without it, episodes will happen more frequently.  Nobody dies from MS, they die from the episodes caused from the disease.

Luckily, Stacey has done tremendously well and has shown few symptoms since her diagnosis.  And since her diagnosis she has been blessed with two beautiful children.  Her courage and strength continues to amaze me.  Her loving husband, a health policy expert, has become active in the national MS Society leadership team.   As two people who have walked directly into the face of adversity and addressed the challenges they face head on, they are my heroes. 

There are however, many who have been less fortunate.  Every year, my husband, O and I walk with Stacey and her family to show our love and support for her and the many others with MS and/or with family members suffering from MS.  Doing so ensures that others will learn what it means to live with this unpredictable disease and to fund critical screenings, treatments and ultimately find a cure. 

Please visit my personal page and consider supporting us as we walk this year alongside Stacey’s family and friends. Make them your heroes as well. 

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society will use funds from Walk MS 2012 to not only support research for tomorrow, but also to provide important programs and services which address the challenges of people living with MS today. 

Kindergarten SUCKS.  Stacey's fight against MS shows me what matters.

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Sneaking Out

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Sneaking Out: Today O and her friend Shelly asked if I would take them to the park.  Because it was raining, I told them that today wasn't a great day for...

Sneaking Out

Today O and her friend Shelly asked if I would take them to the park.  Because it was raining, I told them that today wasn't a great day for the park.

While Shelly played Barbies, O continued to beg for a park visit.  I continued to say, "Not today."  However the more I said no, the more she became determined for me to say yes.  The more I didn't say yes, the more she wined to Shelly that they couldn't go.  O was relentless.  She came to me one last time requesting I take them to the park.  I finally said, "No love.  As much as I'd love to take you, it's raining outside.  Moreover, you asking me is taking up your special time with your friend.  I would suggest that you go play Barbies with Shelly and enjoy this play date before it's over."

She walked away.  In a sad tone, I heard her say to Shelly, "My mom says we can't go to the park."  Shelly replied, "I'm so sorry.  What do you want to do?"  To which O said, "I know, let's go anyway without her."

WHAT?  I thought sneaking out was what teenagers did.

After a little coaxing, Shelly agreed as long as O would show her the way.  Then Shelly asked how far it was to the park and O took her to her bathroom window where O explained that it was "only three houses away".

I was in my bedroom putting away clothes while the girls tip toed by my room.  They both saw me, stopped and then said with a giggle, "Oh, hi!" all the while continuing to tip toe right down the stairs and out the door laughing with every step they took.

I of course, stopped them before they reached the front steps, however, I was shocked to learn that O had apparently told Shelly that her mom, meaning me, would, no doubt, follow them to the park.  O was right.

At the young age of five, NOT FIFTEEN, my child tried to sneak out with her girlfriend.  KINDERGARTEN SUCKS!

Kindergarten SUCKS!: CRUSTY PINK EYE!

Kindergarten SUCKS!: CRUSTY PINK EYE!: I woke up Sunday morning with crusted over eye lids sealed shut.  After a visit to urgent care, I was told it was definitely pink eye.  Afte...

CRUSTY PINK EYE!

I woke up Sunday morning with crusted over eye lids sealed shut.  After a visit to urgent care, I was told it was definitely pink eye.  After some investigating, I came to find crusty pink eye has been going around O's school.  Kindergarten SUCKS!

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Play Date Pride

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Play Date Pride: From the beginning of kindergarten up until yesterday, O had decided she was not going to go on any playdates unless I went with her.  So yo...

Play Date Pride

From the beginning of kindergarten up until yesterday, O had decided she was not going to go on any playdates unless I went with her.  So you can imagine how interesting it became when friends invited her over and I requested my presence also or that their child to come to our house instead. Many mothers were very open to me joining the fun.  They were also quite accomodating, including wine.  Who doesn't love a play-date that includes wine?

However, her father and I were a bit worrisome after a couple of months of this.  I spoke with a lot of teachers, counselors and therapists in regards to O not wanting to go places without me.  Some counselors recommended books.  Some teachers told us it was developmental.  In the end, we were told what we already knew...we needed to trust the process.  

So for eight months we happily hosted play dates.  Around January it all began to change a little.  She would go to those places that she had grown up going to.  And on Wednesday she went to her friend, McKayla's house.  She had so much fun.  When I dropped her off, I was amazed at her confidence.  I was so proud of her.  

Today she was invited to a friend's house again.  She was so excited.  After I picked her up and put the car in drive she said, "Mommy, can I have another play date today."  My response was a calm, "No."  She screamed her reply, "I WANT ANOTHER PLAY DATE NOW!"  Kindergarten SUCKS!

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Where Does Color Stop?

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Where Does Color Stop?: Since we were downtown we went to see the sensorial exhibit involving color, light, reflection and shadow at the Hirschorn Museum.  Her pre...

Where Does Color Stop?

After O's doctor's appointment yesterday we went to see the sensorial exhibit involving color, light, reflection and shadow at the Hirschorn Museum.  Her preschool class had studied light and shadow last year and her preschool teachers had recommended it.  IT WAS SO COOL!   I recommend it highly!

After the exhibit this is the conversation that we had as we headed back to our car:

T: "O, where does color end?"  

O:  (Long pause) "I'm not sure."

T:  "What is color?"

O:  "Color is all around us.  It's right there on those flowers [pansies]...purple, yellow, green."

T:  "Oh I see.  Where does color stop?  Where does color end?"

O:  "Oh I know that.  When you close your eyes and go blind."

T:  "Where does the color go?"

O':  "It just goes inside and away for awhile."

T:  "mmmm...I'm still confused on where color ends."

O:  "Mommy, at my preschool we all knew that color is light.  So when it's dark there is no color.  That's when color ends."

T:  "Wow O'!  You sure know a lot about color and light."

O:  (smile)  "Yep, I'm sort of a color expert."

So, she's a "sort of" color expert at age five.  I'm forty and I'm still asking questions.  Kindergarten SUCKS!

Kindergarten SUCKS!: The Tricky Leprechaun

Kindergarten SUCKS!: The Tricky Leprechaun: Every St. Patrick's day our favorite leprechaun visits our house.  He is always very tricky.   Last year he turned O's milk green and left ...

The Tricky Leprechaun

Every St. Patrick's day our favorite leprechaun visits our house.  He is always very tricky.  

Last year he turned O's milk green and left green pee in O's bathroom.  This year he flipped over her doll chairs and a tray of doll food, and left gold chocolate coins and green clovers on her doll piano. Then in the afternoon he hid plastic gold coins in the sandbox and later turned her bath water bright neon green.  

O's class celebrated the Friday before St. Pats.  There too, the leprechaun flipped chairs upside down and left green and gold glitter around the room.  O said she thought she could see imprints of his tiny feet in it.  O made a very elaborate trap in her classroom's invention station to catch him.    

When I taught kindergarten our classroom leprechaun was always moving things around to make rainbows.  He loved the green glitter (since he didn't have to clean it up).  The kindergartener's spent weeks planning and preparing traps to catch him. 

One year a very curious little boy in my class named Mattie believed all he needed was a magnifying glass to catch the leprechaun.  Mattie felt he was fast enough and smooth enough, but Mattie also believed his eyes were not strong enough to see the tricky little guy.  

On St. Patrick's day Mattie brought a very large five pound magnifying glass, 1/8th his weight, that his dad had gotten on a "very exotic adventure down under" as he said.  He carried it everywhere he went, library, PE, music, recess, just in case he sensed the leprechaun.  My co-teacher, JJ and I took a deep breath every time someone asked Mattie if they could hold it as they almost always dropped it not realizing it's weight.  It was like having another student to take care of.  Some of the kids tried to get him to wear a Sherlock Holmes hat from the dress up play area, but he wouldn't have anything to do with it.  We were so happy that magnifying glass made it back home in one piece.  

For the rest of the year, anytime Mattie would offer to bring the same magnifying glass back so that we could use it to look at our cicada collection or other science table observation, we would respond by saying, "Oh how sweet of you, Matthew, but your magnifying glass is too special for this.  We can only use it for catching leprechauns.  It's just too important to be used for science."  

I ran into his dad not long ago.  I mentioned the story and how nervous JJ and I had been.  Turns out, Mattie had been telling us a story.  His dad didn't get it on an exotic excursion.  His dad received it as a gift in a White Elephant game.  Looks like Mattie was my tricky leprechaun.  Kindergarten SUCKS!

I Do Not like Green Eggs and Ham

O can read Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss front to back, cover to cover. Something to celebrate, right? And we did!

This morning my computer was opened. When I came into my room, O was sounding out the words, reading my blog.

Kindergarten SUCKS!

Dr. Seuss Costume Changes

Last Friday was the Dr. Seuss birthday parade at O's school.  She spent all week trying to decide which character she wanted to be.  On Monday she said she wanted to be Sally from The Cat and The Hat.  I was so excited.  What a great idea!  I gathered together a cute little Sally outfit with a big red bow for the top of her head.  Check that box!  NOT!
 
Like every five year old I know, her mind changed, and on Tuesday she said she wanted to be Thing Two.  Before gathering another costume, I chose to wait and see just in case she changed her mind again.  She did.
 
On Wednesday she said she'd like to be Cindy Lou from The Grinch.  I didn't gather anything, however, I did go online to see how to style Cindy Lou's hairdo just in case.  Did you know there are two websites showing you step by step directions?  Oh, and just so you know, one of the websites uses a tin can in the middle of the hairdo to keep it up.  Looked dangerous so I was really glad she changed her mind again.
 
On Thursday she said she wasn't going to dress up.  Oh good.  That makes it easy.  However, as expected, right before bedtime and at the very last minute she said she really wanted to be Sally again, but that she didn't like the costume I had designed earlier in the week.
 
This time I let her choose what she thought might be the best attire.  After all, it was her dressing up not me.  The more control she has over decisions such as these, the more likely she will want to wear it.  She chose an adorable silk gingham dress.  We glue dotted buttons to the ribbon we pinned on to look like an apron dress.  She wore her red and white striped leggings, socks and twinkle toes.
 
When she woke up in the morning, she put on her outfit, put the big red bow in her hair, looked in the mirror and said, "I changed my mind.  I don't want to be in a parade today."
 
Kindergarten SUCKS!
 

Kindergarten SUCKS!: For Sale: Lemonade and Paintings

Kindergarten SUCKS!: For Sale: Lemonade and Paintings: Today O and her dear friend Zelda had a play date.  Because it was a balmy 70 degrees outside, halfway through the play date they decided to...

For Sale: Lemonade and Paintings

Today O and her dear friend Zelda had a play date.  Because it was a balmy 70 degrees outside, halfway through the play date they decided to open a lemonade stand.  Thank God for Crystal Light! (and Crystal Gayle for all the country girls) We set up tables and chairs, and they made signs to charge customers $1 dollar per glass (I'm still not sure what economy they are living in, but liked their ambition).  They set out some miscellaneous items to sell for those partial to a Stuckey’s like experience.  Zelda, however, didn't have anything on her table to sell, so she went in and drew crayon pictures of dogs, cats, pumpkins and flowers.  She then set out to sell her "paintings" for a dollar.

They were both so excited.  In her New England accent Zelda yelled out, "Paintings for sale.  One dollar.  Get your paintings."  While O yelled, "Get your nice cool lemonade.  One dollar.  Ice cold lemonade."

Ten minutes later and no money made, Zelda looked at me and said, "Where's the customers?  This is hard.  I'm bored."  Then O chimed in, "Me too mommy.  I'm bored too.  Can you go and get your purse so you can be a customer."

Kindergarten SUCKS!

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Duck Duck Goose

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Duck Duck Goose: I picked up O after school today.  It was such a beautiful day so we decided to stay and hang out with her friends and the other moms at th...

Duck Duck Goose

I picked up O after school today.  It was such a beautiful day so we decided to stay and hang out with her friends and the other moms at the playground.  O and two of her classmates wanted to play duck duck goose.  However, they seemed hesitant.  I told them I'd help get them started.  Secretly, I wanted to play too.  Who knew duck duck goose is as contagious as the stomach bug?  Before I knew it there were eleven kids and one adult (me) in our circle.  And who would've thought I would end up playing for more than thirty minutes?  It was so much fun!  I felt like my favorite PE teacher Peg Schultz! 

My child was the one who went around the circle seven times saying., "duck"! Only with lots of persuasion did she finally say "goose".  She was also the one that didn't get chosen for a good long time after that.  I wonder why? It’s like shopping with me – tiring.

When it was my turn, I changed it up a bit with lemon, lemon, lime and dinosaur, dinosaur, roar.  However, my take didn't hold a candle to what Johnny came up with: noodles, tomato, hamburger, pot.  (MMMM...somebody wants spaghetti for dinner.)  Every time he called out a new item the person who's head he touched jumped up.  I started to reinforce the rules and then held back as I realized that I was the only one confused.  All of the five year olds didn't mind one bit.  They just laughed and sat back down waiting for the next ingredient.  

My favorite was a girl named Ella who creatively came up with peanut butter, peanut butter, ketchup.  A few minutes after the game ended, a little boy came up to me with tears in his eyes and sadly said, "I didn't get to be the ducker!"  To which I replied, "Oh no.  I'm sorry Matthew.  Did I not tell you?  Kindergarten SUCKS!" (inner voice)

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Tagalongs

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Tagalongs: I thought I came back from Hawaii with new commitment to healthy eating. My goal was to encourage myself to eat conciously, purposefully an...

Tagalongs

I thought I came back from Hawaii with new commitment to healthy eating.  My goal was to encourage myself to eat conciously, purposefully and resourcefully.  While I was gone, the neighborhood girl scouts delivered our girl scout cookies.  The cookies filled an entire kitchen drawer--twenty four boxes to be exact!  I guess that is what happens when you order six boxes from four scouts.  Oh well, it's for a good cause.  

My husband took some to the office the next day, however I was still left with ten boxes of Samoas, Tagalongs, Thin Mints and Lemon cookies.  Just a reminder that paying bills while eating cookies of any kind is not a smart idea, let alone Girl Scout cookies.  After finishing off a sleeve of thin mints, I moved onto the tagalongs.  Well, I couldn't eat just one, so I ate eleven.  No wonder they named them tagalongs.  Soon afterwards, my body so sweetly reminded I have a stomach bug.  Yuck!  

  

So much for conscious, purposeful and resourceful eating!  Thank goodness these boxes are only sold once a year!  Kindergarten SUCKS!

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Fever After Paradise

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Fever After Paradise: Aloha! I apologize for my absence. In theory, I returned from my Hawaiian seven day silent meditation retreat detoxified and tanned, a qui...

Fever After Paradise

Aloha!  I apologize for my absence.

In theory, I returned from my Hawaiian seven day silent meditation retreat detoxified and tanned, a quieted mind and an opened heart.  The reality: possible mono, possible strep, possible flu influenza.  After fever, chills, stomach aches, headaches, vomiting and three doctor's visits, the diagnosis is two different viral infections.  It began with O and has taken refuge in mommy.  

Kindergarten SUCKS!