Happy Thanksgiving

We stuffed ourselves like the bird! It was wonderful and fun and loud. It was so rowdy in my house that Paul got a black eye and wasn't certain which little granddaughter did it to him. I took photographic evidence of the damage to his face with staged a encounter between us to make it seem as if I socked him with my fist. After all, I told him, if he's gonna get beat up by a girl, it should be one closer his own size.

Food, fighting, dinner, dessert, conversations and chaos: it's all apart of what we are thankful for, family.

Am I a helicopter?

I just finished reading an article titled,

"Helicopter Horror Stories"

from a scholastic teacher edition magazine. This was after I had Noah's parent teacher conference last night. Noah is doing amazingly well for having such a rough start to the year. He got some 5 A's and 1 B. Afterschool tutoring, with Mr. Bill, does as much to improve his confidence as it does his grades. Kam and I were speechless by his high marks. We knew he had improved, but still surprised to see all those A's. Anyway, while in the meeting last night, Noah's teacher implied, more than once, that it was me that had a problem with adjustment and wanted Noah to be a perfectionist. I was shocked. And then I was angry. She really doesn't know me or Noah. There are 2 perfectionists in our house and they are both male. After Noah left her classroom on the first day and came home crying that he wasn't smart enough or ready to be in 3rd grade, I wrote her a note asking for her help to encourage him and like I had, assure him he would do well in her class. She dismissed my fears and said that she understood it was easy to overreact when our 1st born children overreact. Seriously, she was giving me the psych 101 lesson on parenting. I let the comment go at the beginning of the school year, as I thought it would be a bad idea to alienate his teacher. But last night I had to tell her I thought she was dead wrong about my intentions. I don't hover! I don't put my worries on my kid. He has his own worries, and with a demanding curriculum that asks the kids to do timed exams once a week - I think the pressure comes from class, not me or Kam even.

This is one of Noah's sample multiple choice math questions:
The sum of two numbers is 35. Their difference is 9. What are the numbers?
Please leave a comment if you can, how long does it take you to answer this question?

Maybe I am a helicopter parent, but I'm no math whiz - I didn't know the answer!

Women's Advent Tea

Last night my church hosted it's first Women's Advent Tea. Everyone who attended either brought a dessert or decorated a table. I invited my neighbor and friend, Charlene to come with me and when we walked in the fellowship hall I was amazed at the beauty of the usually plain room. It was glowing. Each of the nearly dozen tables was decorated with beautiful linens and china and unique centerpieces. There was candlelight shining against the dimly lit room and light classical music in the background. There were desserts enough to fill a bakery shop and conversation and prayer that enlivened and elevated the evening to more than a cold, dark and quiet Sunday evening would suggest.

I am uplifted!

I am filled with the grace of God and happy to be given another day to make the most of my time by working toward a better life for my family.

I don't know where that came from but I really am feeling some sort of sublime calm that is lifting my spirits and confidence. The smart ass side of me wants to explain this feeling away as a chemical imbalance -a monthly struggle I endure in the course of being female. But my spiritual self, the side of me that is growing and being nurtured as I grow older recognizes what's been a part of my life for, ...well, my entire life, and believes this is divinely inspired. I was singing Sinead O'Conner's Psalm 33 from her album Theology last night before I went to bed. What I love about that song (psalm) is that it comes from a singer who, 20 years ago, was considered by many, including myself, to be a skin-head, alt singer. Now she is an ordained minister in her church and sings about God. I feel that's who I've become as well.

My cousin Jen sent me a christian cd, and Kam and I were listening to it. I feel the more I put positive, useful things into my body;whether its vegetables in my stomach, uplifting music to make me dance and sing, television that isn't harmful(though I still love my trashy reality TV), the healthier I will be, the happier I will become.

Well, this much I'm sure: either I'm delusional, or divinely inspired. I'm okay with it either way.

We're Going to the Chapel

I love weddings!!
I want to get married all over again just so I can have an excuse to buy a pretty dress, eat yummy cake, wear flowers in my hair, and dance the night away. Once isn't enough and since my 10 year anniversary is in 6 months I think its my duty to try and convince my husband that he feels the same way. Ha! Yeah, like that would happen

The kids and I went to a wedding last weekend, and as usual, something unexpected and funny happened. The newly appointed pastor kept referring to the groom as "Scott" and his name is Carl. Finally when instructed to repeat the vow, " I Scott, take you Jenna..." the groom corrected him in a restrained cry, " I CARL take you Jenna.." There were snickers throughout the sanctuary. And then when it was Jenna's turn to declare her love she paused, looked out to all of us seated in our assigned rows and laughed a little, then began to cry and declared, " I cant do this!" Everyone was silent for a minute, not sure what would happen next when the red faced pastor blurted out, more severely than I'm sure he intended to, " I Jenna..!" and as if snapping out of a trance, she dutifully repeated the lines and everyone began to cry along with the overwhelmed bride. It was glorious!

Afterward, as everyone was leaving the church we were handed a small bottle of bubbles to blow at the newly married couple. Everyone was handed bubbles -including my children. Can you guess what happened next? Imagine an overexcited 8 year old with a bottle of open bubble water, a flower girl with a dress as gorgeous and long as the brides and no one, including me paying any attention whatsoever to these cute little people. It was so hectic that I didn't see what happened, but Noah's tone and statement said it all. "I didn't mean to spill it all down the flower girl's dress", he quietly pleaded for my understanding. Yep, I love weddings, there something for everyone to enjoy; whether it's a slip of the tongue during a sacred ceremony, the drama of an overwhelmed bride, or the mishaps that occur when parents aren't watching their kids ( my mom of the year award slipping through my tightened grasp!). Who says they don't prepare us for marriage? Maybe I should skip the ceremony again, and just buy a pretty dress and wear it around the house dancing to music as I do dishes. Kam would go for that!

Veterans Day- 3rd grade style

After a school wide program to bring awareness to, and respect for men and women who have served in our military, Noah's classmate was asked, "So, what is a veteran?" To which the little boy responded, "Someone who works with animals"

You can't make this stuff up!

Halloween? Or Election Time!

When asked if we had carved pumpkins or decorated for Halloween, Noah told his friends father, "No, we've been voting lately"

Yeah he won!

Yeah We won!