Jay Siebert, A.K.A. "Sweetness"

Jay's second grade class had a "wax museum" for black history month. Each child was assigned a famous black American. Jay was assigned Walter Payton, otherwise known as Sweetness! He borrowed his "costume" from our good friend, Jenny Ausili. He worked really hard on his project and had to complete research and give a speech. The entire school toured the wax museum and when children/parents came up to hear about Walter Payton's life, Jay would read his speech from his index card. Reading doesn't come easy for Jay, let alone reading out loud for groups of people but he did really well. I never heard him stumble around for his words. Way to go, Jay!

Minus his toothpick arms and legs, I think he'd make a great football player someday!

What a difference a great teacher makes

There is nothing that makes me happier than when other people recognize the great qualities in my children that I see everyday.
I've never sugar-coated the fact that both my children are handfuls but in their very short life they have been so blessed with people along the way who truly understand them and have enjoyed their humor and quirks. It started with Miss Christy. She took care of Jay from age 3 through 7 and took care of Nick from birth until age 3. The great thing about Christy was she was magnificent at what she did. She provided a learning environment for my children and truly loved them, even when Nick turned 3! It's hard to explain but she just got my kids, it's as simple as that. She loved them and appreciated them for who they are. What a wonderful start for my kids. In August 2009, Nick transitioned to another school which didn't really work out. Then in October 2009, there was an opening in a Pre-K program at our public school (where Jay goes). The Pre-K aide, Mrs. Melick, encouraged me to try and get Nick in and wa-la, he got in. Mrs. Melick has filled a void in my heart that I didn't expect to be filled. Everytime she sees me she stops me and tells me a Nick story. She says that Nick makes her want to have another baby and I ask her what drug she's been smoking. Mrs. Melick has four boys of her own so nothing Nick does shocks her. She shared a story with me recently about Nick. She said the two of them were standing close to one another in class when Nick asked her, "Do you smell that, Mrs. Melick?" She replied that in fact she could smell whatever it was Nick was referring to. Nick then pointed to his rear-end and proclaimed, "It came from here, Mrs. Melick." She laughed and laughed about that.
This year Jay has a teacher fresh out of college. She is wonderful. She has such enthusiam and has been so encouraging and has been Jay's champion this year. She has been in his corner, rooting for him the entire time. Jay can kid around with her and he likes that. Jay is my son that won't go on and on about something. With Jay, it's all in his actions. In January, the Cub Scouts had their Pine Wood Derby Race and Jay's teacher said she would come. Jay was so excited (in his own way) and wanted to make sure I wrote the time down on a piece of paper so his teacher would know exactly what time the race started. She has frequently told me what a great writer Jay is and how proud she is of him of what he has accomplished this year. She has cracked me up the comments she's shared with me that Jay does or says in class. Again, it's another example of how all three of these women took the time to really get to know my children, appreciate their quirks and find humor in both of them.

5 Signs that I'm getting Old (all in one week)

*I fell in the shower this week and hit my shin!
*I lifted a 15 lbs. baby and did a "trick" with him where I would stand with him out in front of me and drop to the squatting position. I'd get back up and do it over and over again because it made him laugh. The next day I felt as if I had been beaten with a baseball bat. I looked like an 80 year old grandma climbing stairs.
*I'm still using the neck slimmer, that right there is enough to prove I'm getting old.
*Recently, my sister invited me to a birthday party where a party bus was involved and I told her I was way beyond my party bus days.
*I have two fans at work now (one on my desk and one under my desk) because my office is so hot. My co-worker and I joke that the working conditions are deplorable due to the heat. She jokes that her mascara has smeared by the end of the day and my cubicle feels like a windy day on Lake Michigan.

The Neck Slimmer

Every woman has a particular body part she absolutely hates. For me, it's my neck! I can relate to Nora Ephron's book, "I Feel Bad About My Neck." If someone gave me $5000 and told me I had to use it on cosmetic surgery but I could pick which body part, I would try to ignore my spare tire around my mid-section, which desperately needs some attention and go straight for my neck.
Recently I saw a commercial for the Neck Slimmer. The inventor of the neck slimmer had their first sucker. I was on-line within minutes placing my order. I started my "exercises" yesterday so stay tuned for the results. My husband and friends are having a good laugh at my expense but stay tuned, I expect great things to happen to my neck line. LOL!!

Happy Valentine's Day

I went to both Jay and Nick's Valentine's Day parties on Friday. I really enjoyed going! Nick got to play pin the kiss on the frog and for the second graders, they had to put their faces in whipped cream in order to reach the bubble gum underneath. The first kid who blew a bubble got a prize. As you can imagine, the second graders LOVED it! After school was over, we went to the golf course and sledded. It was a very fun day!

Jay trying to chew his bubble gum!

Nick playing with his hoola hoop!

How Things Change

Recently, Mike and I got to laughing over our huge remodeling job in our previous house. It was an enormous under-taking that took 2 full years. When you're living through something, it doesn't always occur to you how tough it really is until you reflect on it years later. When I think about that remodeling job now, I just shake my head over all the dishes I washed in a laundry tub, all the meals I prepared on a snack table and the time I came home from work and Mike had torn the entire ceiling out and all I could see was rafters. But I remember one day when we were up to our knees in the remodeling job and Jay was about 18 months old I carefully broached a very sensitive topic with Mike, having a second child. I was prepared for a huge discussion and in my mind I had rehearsed answers to every excuse (as to why it wouldn't be a good idea) I anticipated he would have. To my surprise his only response was, "Okay, but not in this house." Mike finished the remodeling job, we put the house up for sale and someone else got to enjoy all of Mike's hard work.
I met Mike when I was 20 and dated him for 4 years. He was adamant he only wanted one child and for anyone who truly knows Mike knows no one pushes him into any situation or decision he's not comfortable with. But he's also one of the most reasonable people I've ever encountered and he never ceases to surprise me. Years later when I asked him why he agreed to a second child so easily, his response was, "It was a simple request."
Just the other day Jay and Nick were outside playing in the snow together and we were watching them from the window. They were pushing each other in the snow and laughing. I said to Mike, "Aren't you glad you had two of them?" His response was, "I'd have two more of them if we could afford it." And that another example of how he surprises me and how children change the way you view your life.

Jay's Innocence

I've had two cute stories that occurred with Jay recently. He was addressing his valentine's the other night when he asked me if I knew how to draw a star. I replied I was able to and he asked me draw a star on a particular girls valentine. I smirked at him and began to draw the star and Jay could quickly read my mind and told me, "She's just a friend, mom." I rolled my eyes and Jay could see he wasn't convincing me and said, "Okay fine, but don't tell anyone." Ha! I think Jay has his first crush. He claimed he wanted to put a star by her name because she's good in math and Mike and I were like, "What-eveh, Jay."

This morning on our drive to the bus stop, Jay and I had a conversation that went like this:
Jay, "Mom, I don't really know what I want to be when I grow up."
Me, "That's okay, Jay, I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be too."
Jay, "Well isn't your work fun?"
Me, "Fun isn't really a word I would use to describe it."
Jay, "Isn't it fun to go to work everyday and see the remote controlled mail cart?"

How funny! That made me laugh. Only an 8 year old boy would think work should be fun because I work in an office with a remote controlled mail cart. In Jay's mind, it doesn't get any better than that.

Move over Mary Penguin, there's a new giraffe in town

Nick's love for his family of penguins has always been tried and true, until recently. Last week proclaimed he wanted a giraffe and he would name him "Carter." Mike bought him his giraffe and presented it to him on Saturday night. Now I don't want to go so far to say that Nick is playing favorites but Carter has accompanied him most of the week to daycare and I'm sure he would take her to school, if he fit in his backpack. However, Nick's loyalty has always been to Mary the Penguin (and the rest of his penguin family) so he took her with him today to school and she even went out for ice cream with us tonight. But, Mary (like her owner) has had some behavioral issues lately and Nick has had to inflict some consequences on his beloved Mary. Hence, the picture below, Mary in time out for biting. Oh boy!