Marcos & Jaime go to... What? What?!

Pardon the interruption from the regularly scheduled road trip updates...
{admit it, you need a small break!}

While I will share our Texas adventures with you tomorrow, for sure - I wanted to spend a little time today to brag on my three biological and one "adopted."

Alex, Isa and Nic have been WONDERFUL during this transition time. Makes me VERY proud of them.
Now that's not saying that Nic hasn't been a little crazy, excited, annoying, etc... He has been very loving and accepting of the situation and of Abby.

He wants her to be his girlfriend. She constantly has to remind him that that's not even legal in ARKANSAS! =)


Today is Abby's first day of school. She was N.E.R.V.O.U.S. but I gave her some pep talks (or was it Pepto?!) Hmm.  

Abby is fabulous. Bottom line. I know she is going to do just fine!

We went school shopping for her, got her almost a whole new wardrobe (different climate here), new Vans, a new backpack (they had lockers in AR and NC, we don't have them here), school supplies, make-up, etc.

Here is her First Day of School Picture:

She got a new Beatles shirt and opted to wear it for her first day; she wanted to be comfortable and herself!
Nic wanted to know who "all those girls" on her shirt were... =) 

Oh Nickelbutt - you crack me up!

Reward if Found

Happy Friday, peeps.  I've been a heckofa week for me and mine, but we survived! ;)

Alex had 4 games this week.
Isa had 1 game and 2 practices.
I had Bunco on Wednesday.

But despite all of that - we have tonight! And tonight is...........

The Junior class at Alex's high school is hosting a family movie night on the football field. And can you guess what they are showing?!?! 

Yep, Finding Nemo. What?! You guessed Jaws?! Wrong.

We are so excited - the weather has been perfect (despite the slight chance of rain tomorrow) - so we will be enjoying the movie, loving the snacks, and sitting outside in the fresh air surrounded by good peeps.   I am dragging my whole darn family with me.

Alex's high school is surrounded by farm land - so it's all mountains, and stars, and nothing else out there. I wish you could join us - should be a blast.  Consider this your official invitation. =)

Hope your Friday is a good one!  See ya on the other side!

Got me my Cracker Jacks!

Okay, not really - they aren't part of Operation: Bikini Tankini Body. I will have to settle for air-popped popcorn with a little Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Should I change my post title? Neh. Too lazy.

Today marks Day 1 of baseball tryouts for Alex (and other kids @ his school, I presume. One kid not a team makes, right?!)

Nic and I had to get dressed and venture out into the cool air this morning (don't worry, I made it worth our while - a side trip to Mickey D's - chocolate milk for him and Iced Tea for me!). We had to get the last of Alex's athletic paperwork turned in and his fee paid (yes, we had to pay the fee BEFORE we find out of he even makes the team. WTHeck?).  Nic got to see Alex at school - and then started crying when we had to leave him.   I was all for leaving Nic there - but the front office ladies vetoed my request.

This will be Alex's first year ever playing team ball. He's put a lot of work in as of late. Open field, weight training, and playing catch with me and Isabel as often as possible.

Tryouts last all week. Send my boy some good luck vibes, will ya?!
Too bad they don't let you on the team based on looks alone.

Cuz my baby would be a shoo-in.

I got it at Ross

Goooood Monday morning.
I cannot believe the weekend has come and gone.
I feel like we got a TON done... but that there is still much more to do.

We are officially in the house.
And it feels good.

It even felt good at 5am this morning when I walked downstairs and made a pot [ok, cup] of coffee for the Husband.  The smells were too delish.  The soft lights, the coffee brewing, and my apple cinnamon air freshener "spiffing"... it all felt so homey and beautiful.

=)

Isabel and I went out yesterday to buy her some clothes. Her new school requires her to wear a uniform.
After we hit up Target, we decided to check out Ross.

I am not normally a Ross shopper. In fact, besides this weekend, I've only been in a Ross two other times.
This time around, I was looking for an ornate picture frame for a project taking place in Nic's room.
I found it!

And I found these sweeties:

I love that they are very similar in shape, but different in texture.
I love the price; $11.99 and $9.99.
I do not love the color of the smaller one.

A quick trip to the Wal-Mart paint department resulted in some spray-paint  buying.
I chose the Jade for the large pitcher and and Bright Idea for the smaller pitcher.



After our shopping bonanza, Isabel, Alex and I put Nic down for a nap and got started on taping her room.
Who's idea was it to do horizontal stripes?
Really.

When the Husband got home from work, he immediately went in to get my work computer hooked up.
The office is no where near set up the way it will be when all is said and done, but I am so happy to have my laptop up and going.

Can you believe I ACTUALLY found a lamp shade
almost the same exact shade [get it?] of my walls?!

Final share for this post involves an announcement!
I got to take the PAPER off of the windows at the front door yesterday!!
How exciting is that??

For less than $20 total at Target, I dressed the two windows. And I did it by myself.
Well, that's only cuz a drill was not required.

I knew I wanted something that would block out most of the view from the outside looking in, but I didn't want to lose any of the morning light we get.  So, I went with a tan sheer. I love the look!

I am off to get Isabel to her new school and then to try and get Alex and Nic enrolled in theirs.
When that's all done I have some work [yes, real they-are-paying-me-to-do-it work] and then this afternoon, here's hoping the wind is much calmer than yesterday so that I can get my spray-paint on!

My Daughter, the Patriot

This limbo stuff sucks.
While we have a boatload of stuff to do/clean/get rid of at the apartment, none of us wants to live here anymore.

The husband and I made the executive decision to make some stuff happen this weekend.
As in, move as much as we can.

Really - the only thing holding me back is my office. Since I work from home, I need it moved over and set up before I can completely commit to the new house.

Mister's Honey-Do list just got a little bit longer.

With those plans under way (for the most part), I decided to ensure Isabel could start her new school earlier than planned.

We've decided to enroll Isabel in the charter school (currently K-8, soon to be K-12), that is directly behind our house. It's a beautiful campus, with small class sizes, and is geared toward excellence and patriotism.

Their mascot?

Wait. Wrong one.

Let's try that again.

That's the one.
Well, without all of the cursing and racial remarks, anyway.
I hope! Oh well, there's always the local middle school, if need be.

Anyway, moving on.

The moral to this story is that Isa will be starting her new school on Monday.
In a uniform.
=)

Oh. Alex too is being "traded"... He will no longer be a Padre - instead, he will be a Coyote.
And Nic....? We haven't firmed up his plans just yet. He may be a mommas boy for a little while yet.
We will see.

So... big changes for us this weekend!
Very exciting.

Jack Sparrow ain't got nuthin' on him.

Day two went off without a hitch.

Nic is still not feeling well (neither is Isa for that matter)...

So, after a breakfast of Banana Nut Muffins

thanks to Marie Calendar

We left the house.

First a few pics of my so so so cute daughter.

Who is feeling awkward in front of the camera...

Get used to it, baby!

The camera and your momma are going nowhere.

Good. Got a few shots, and she was on her way!

 Her and Hannah declined a ride to school; they wanted to take the bus.

Because we haven't figured out Alex's bus situation yet

(he has the option of walking almost half a mile in either direction

to catch a TOO PACKED bus),
I think I will be driving for a bit...
 =) 
Gives me more time to tell him

how wonderful he is, and if he makes a decision that's going to disappoint me -

OFF WITH HIS HEAD! 

Look at this Pirate?! Ain't he something?

He's upset that he can't find his eye patch or his sword (made of foam, of course).

Instead, he's carrying around a black, plastic knife.

The kind you would get from a take out restaurant.

The kind where the

sharp is soft, mommy!

A Pirate in flip flops... Love it.

Down below, another pic of the Pirate.

Prolly wishing he could be on a Pirate Ship right about now.

I am sure he's also thinking about walking the plank;

if our Odyssey had one, that is.

One last shot of Alex.

Okay, there were about 10 of these...

he kept asking me to stop,

so I kept on going.

I'm mean like that.

Hopefully Isabel will get on a bus this afternoon...

After yesterday's episode, I don't care if it's the wrong one -

Just pick one and get on.

Any bus will be an improvement.

:)

I kid.

Kinda.

And hopefully, Football practice won't be cut short

considering they have a game less than a month away.
Yesterday, because half of the freshman team

hadn't been cleared to start...

they cut practice short...

Very short.

As in

 mom, come get us...

Argggh. It's a Pirate's Life for Me.

First Day of School ~ 2010

Well, it's here.

Today's the first day of school...

It was a busy morning:

• I made some breakfast
• Helped Isa get ready
• Ironed Alex's jeans (the kid's didn't even KNOW we owned an iron... can you believe that? Mom, don't faint!)
• Called Nic in sick @ daycare (yes, he's sick... = ( both him and Isa, actually, but she's not missing school), and
• Took Alex and his cousin Amber to school

 ALL BEFORE 7AM.

I am going on 3 hours sleep. I've been working on Isabel's school's PTO website. I love doing that type of stuff, but I tend to forgo sleep to fit it in.

My children look wonderful today!

Here is Alex (and Nic!)...

And Isabel and her BFF Hannah...

Hope you have a fabulous Monday!

The School Supply List that never Ended & Other Stuff

I am not sure how it is across the country, but here in our little world schoolbooks have become a scarcity.

Moreover, school lockers? Non-existent. To be honest, I am not sure of the real reason behind getting rid of lockers. I can assume it had to do with safety. However, maybe it had to do with the fact that our schools are slightly overpopulated and there just were not enough to go around. Either way, the kids have to keep everything in their backpacks.

When I say everything, of course I do not mean their books. They actually get to borrow a book during school hours. At the middle school level, they do not have enough books to give everyone an extra copy to keep at home. Makes it hard to do homework, huh? Most of the teachers say they give the students time to do the homework in class. When are they ever learning new things if they are constantly trying to keep up with their homework on past lessons, I wonder?

This year, Isabel's Social Studies teacher said they will be learning from an Atlas. She showed me a copy. Then she said that the students won't actually have a copy to refer to, but we could purchase one on our own, if we wish.

Her school supply list? It's long. Besides all of the day-to-day items the students will need, the teachers would like the following:

Copy Paper
Kleenex
Wipes
Hand Sanitizer
White Board Markers
Extra pencils
Crayons
Markers
A Slew of Sciene-like materials
and the list goes on.
Really.

About the Copy Paper... the schools have none. NONE. It's embarrassing. And sad. Last year, I purchased a large box (5000 sheets) and gave it to the teachers. This year, I will do the same.

At the high school level, I was grateful to learn they did have extra books to keep at home. Which I am glad for as Alex will need to maintain a B average to stay on the Football team. I can help him study in the evenings... Having the books will make a huge difference.

I spent hours last night meticulously putting together Alex and Isabel’s school supplies and backpacks. As I scanned the hundred dollars worth of goodies, I got worried for Alex. He is going be swimming with the big fishes now. I remember high school. I went to this high school. I know this community. There are many students starting school on Monday that will not be in line to graduate come May 2014. Along the way, there are going to be many kids who refuse to do their work, who interrupt class, and who are just plain unprepared for school each day.

I am scared for Alex to see that type of behavior on a larger scale. I am scared he will join in. Alex is not perfect... and frankly, he does not like school much.

We have made it perfectly clear to Alex that he WILL graduate. Moreover, that he WILL attend college.
It is going to take a lot of work on his end.
It is going to take a lot of work on OUR end.

Which is crazy.... We did our time in high school.
I earned my Bachelors degree.
I have just spent the last 2 years earning my Masters degree.

While my parents were great and supportive - and all that jazz, they were NOT up every night forcing me to do my homework, or giving me lectures about paying attention, staying out of trouble, and turning my work in.

I hate that we have to do that for Alex. I wish he could understand how SERIOUS this is. That fun time during high school should be during lunches or before and after school; NOT when the teacher is trying to teach lessons.

Normally I am excited for the new school year; this year I am worried.

All of this started with a simple school supply list.

Black or White?

This is what I've been doing all week...

It's hard to believe school starts on Monday.

And life is gonna be crazzzzyyyy...

Alex gets fitted for Football today, and official practice starts on Monday...

----------------------

 

We still are not sure what's happening with our loan... It's with a broker now...

We should have a good idea, either way, by the end of today.

------------------------

P.S. Nic opted for Black AND White.

Cute kid.

My Worst Nightmare

Okay... there could probably be other things far worse...

but this was still scary, none-the-less.

We took Alex to get his books for school yesterday.

We got his schedule...

1 - Freshman English

2 - Beginning TV Production

3 - PE

4 - Chemistry - Physical Science

5 - Lunch

6 - Algebra

7 - Spanish

He got all of the classes he I wanted.  That was fantastic.

We were able to get his school ID... and his picture looked fantastic.

Or it could have been worse... =)

What wasn't so fantastic was what happened next...

We stepped back into the bright sunlight and 110 degree heat...
I was trying to catch my bearings... Heck I was trying to see. 

I accidentally left my sunglasses at one of the open houses we visited last week...

$55 down the drain.

Grrr.

Sorry, back to my nightmare.

Bright, blind, hot... but not deaf...

Allleeexxxx!

[giggle giggle]

Hey, Alex! How are you?

[giggle giggle]

Important item to add to my back-to-school shopping list...

Girl Repellent.

I wonder if they sell the stuff at Target?

We've Prepared for this all Summer

Today we take this kid:

To get his books for high school.

If I remember correctly, from a mere 15 years ago, those books are darn heavy.

We don't want to appear weak.

We've done push-ups and pull-ups.

We've done strength training.

We are prepared.

Alright... you got me.

We are prepared... but that's because I am bringing reinforcements to help carry all of Alex's loot.

I wouldn't know what a dumbbell was even if it fell on my toe.

Well, I would... but you get the picture.

Oh - I hope Alex got the classes he wanted!!

Proud of my Alex

This past school year has been rough for Alex. He started out well. Of course, we promised him the moon if he earned A's and B's. He did earn a few of both come the first report card; however, the second and third quarters were not as kind. He had problems turning work in, bringing stuff home, and paying attention in class. I know being 13/14 years old is rough - but we've been trying to show/explain/force it on Alex that school is his JOB. His grades are his PAYCHECK. Somewhere in February or March, it seems he caught on. He did a much better job (albeit, not perfect) the last semester of 8th grade. We just got his final reporting card - they sent it home. He earned all B's and C's - which is a far cry from the D's and F's we saw a few times the report cards before.

Alex is now in summer school - a bridge program that helps prepare kids for high school. The program is specifically designed to help kids that have the potential, but are in danger of falling further behind if not "pushed" a bit to succeed. Note: Not that ALL kids don't have the potential...

This program is Monday thru Friday, from 7:30 to 12:15. It goes until June 30th.

This next year, Alex's first year in high school, is so important to us. We only have 4 years to prepare him for college. Every thing he does (or does not do - no, let me stay positive - does!) is in preparation for college and, later, a career. While Alex has some lofty things ahead of him - e.g. commitment and goal setting - I, too, need to jump on board.

Here are MY goals concerning Alex for this upcoming year:

Spend at least 30 minutes with Alex each day (with no interruptions). Be available during homework time (this might be a stretch considering our schedules, but I really want to stay right beside him - for support and assistance - we will see how/if this works). Check his backpack once a week (at least). Give constant feedback and positive reinforcement. Meet with Guidance Counselor every quarter.Give Alex the supplies and tools he needs to be successful. Support him in his choice of playing football (attend all games and get involved as a parent). Help Alex focus on his organizational and time-management skills. Reward him for good behaviors and great grades!

I am excited about the upcoming school year - and the endless possibilities for my first born, cute-as-heck, sweetheart of a boy, Alex.