Week In Review: February 22 - February 28

Here is this weeks Week In Review for February 22 through February 28, 2009.

Sunday: Everyone slept in except me. So I had almost two hours of peace and quiet. We still had to unpack the car, but because of the sleet Joe didn't want to go out there. I got tired of waiting and wanted my slippers though so I finally went out there to get the stuff and Joe followed. We brought everything up and I began unpacking and sorting all of the laundry. Got a load going and discovered I was going to need more fabric softener. So we went to Walmart to pick that up. Then we went to Walgreens to get some prints of our vacation pictures for the girls to show at school. Then back home for dinner and so I could continue working on that laundry. The kids showered and went to bed and Joe and I watched some of our DVR recordings for the week. I also chose the winner for my 200th post giveaway so if you haven't seen that yet and are wondering if it's you click here.

Monday: First day back to school. The girls were not into it this morning. I think they had a good day though. They shared about our trip last week. I cleaned up and finally finished all of the vacation laundry. CJ's therapist came over. She was very impressed with seeing him walk. She was choked up about the news of us moving to TN. She's happy for us, but I think is going to miss us. After I picked the girls up from school I made copies of the reminder sheet to get those Avon fundraisers in. Got everything in the mailboxes and hopefully they will be sent home this week.

Tuesday: Girls were up late this morning. So I had to get after them. They made it to school on time though. I counted Box Tops. Then I wrote up a little reminder to send in those Box Tops by Friday. We already have 1500 Box Tops for the month of February! I put CJ down for a nap and then took a nice leisurely shower. All day I felt like I was forgetting something. I guess not though. It was one of those rare days I actually didn't have something on my calendar. I picked the girls up from school and I had a great note from Kaitlyn's reading teacher. She read a Level 7 book today with 100% accuracy! She was so proud of herself. I'm proud of her too. They did homework, I made dinner, they got ready for bed, and I got to relax the rest of the night.

Wednesday: Playgroup day. We got a late start again though. I hope we get back into the swing of things soon. CJ took a few steps at playgroup. I started telling people about our upcoming move. So far everyone has been very supportive. I just hope they really mean what they say. It's been a hard choice to flake out on these commitments that I've made. I picked the girls up from school. As I was pulling out of the parking spot someone came and double parked. Grrr, I hate when they do that. I got the kids home and doing their homework.

Thursday: Today I met with the principal of the school to ask him about the testing of Kaitlyn. The speech therapist has tested Kaitlyn. She did find some phonemic awareness trouble with her, but nothing that would require her to see her on a regular basis. It doesn't seem that the testing of her memory has been done yet. I also informed him of us moving in a month. He's happy for us and thinks the girls will do great in TN. He's going to miss us and all we do for the school, but he understands. I also discussed some PTA stuff with him. Then I came home and practiced making some balloon animals. I picked the girls up from school. After they did their homework I started getting ready to Clown Around. The girls and I (as Sparkles) went to a carnival at the school for the after school program. Afterwords I went to get some Subway for dinner for me and Joe. It's always interesting to see people's reactions when you walk into a business dressed as a clown.

Friday: We took the hour long drive to Cranial Tech for the very last time today. CJ graduated from his Doc Band! We are so excited to no longer need to make that trip. After picking the girls up from school I counted Box Tops. I have to get them mailed out. Natalie's class won this months competition! She's so excited. Kaitlyn brought home her spelling test. I posted it on my blog because there's something very interesting about it. See if you can find it. Kaitlyn was complaining of a tummy ache again. We thought maybe she was just hungry and we wanted to go out to celebrate CJ's "graduation". So we chanced it. First we had to stop at Staples to fax something for Joe's brother. Darn thing cost $3 to fax, but at least it stopped the harassment. We never hear from his brother, but when he needs something he's calling five times a day, no joke. He even resorted to calling MY cell phone. Then we went to Friendly's where we got terrible service. It took over half an hour to get our food. Kaitlyn did end up getting sick while we were there too. So we took our ice cream to go once we tracked down our waitress. I had some issues with the bill of course too. I was going to go to Walmart, but Kaitlyn was miserable so we came home. Just going to have to get that box for the Box Tops Saturday instead. I hope Kaitlyn isn't coming down with something.

Saturday: CJ was up way too early. Not sure what was up with that. So it was an early start to the day. I went to Walmart before the girls even got up and got my box for Box Tops. Then I stopped at Dunkin Donuts for some munchkins. Brought those home and the girls ate them. CJ went down for a nap and Joe and I tried to do the same, but the girls wouldn't allow it and CJ only slept for an hour. So we gave him lunch and then went out to mail my Box Tops and the prize to my 200th post winner. I sent in over 3000 box tops. Another $300 plus for our school which makes over $1300 earned for the year! We stocked up on CJ's pediasure while at the store. Also picked up a few other things and then went to Walmart to find Kaitlyn a jewelery box because hers broke. We had to go to a few different stores for that. We ended up eating out at Applebees because things took longer than expected. We had a nice dinner there. CJ keeps playing with his head. We think looking for his helmet that he doesn't have to wear anymore. That's the highlights of our week though.

Check out more Week In Review posts!

Spelling Test Error

Kaitlyn came home with her spelling test yesterday. Do you see anything wrong with it???











What is #8 that Kaitlyn spelled wrong? She spelled the word "wes", but her teacher spelled it "wais". Does anyone else find it a little concerning that her teacher's correction of a word is spelled incorrectly? Or maybe it's just ironic. All I know is if she gets that word on a spelling test again and she spells it "wais" then she better not mark it wrong. I don't think it would be fair. I'm 99.9% sure that the word was supposed to be "was". I told Joe we should send it to Jay Leno for his headlines on Monday nights. What do you think? Would it make it on?

Doc Band Graduate

CJ received his first diploma today. He is now a Doc Band graduate! This means he no longer has to wear the Doc Band. We no longer have to make the hour long drive every two weeks. We no longer have to fight with him to put on his Doc Band. He is done!

Here are some pictures of him while we waited for them to do his exit photos.


These are all of the photos throughout treatment. He started July of 2008, received the second band in November of 2008, and finally the exit photos in February 2009. They are side by side so you can compare the progress.

What a huge difference! Can you see it? They showed me the digital images of his head too and there really is marked improvement. Especially on the front of his head.

We are so happy we did this. Even with the skin issues we had in the first band. His head is beautiful. I would definitely recommend Cranial Technologies to anyone who's child does not have a round head. It was a long process for us, but with a great outcome!

Just Clowning Around

Tonight the girls and I went to a carnival at the school. And what carnival would be complete without a clown? Who was that clown? Her name is Sparkles and she's very close to me (and when I say very I mean very).

CJ meeting Sparkles for the first time. Get me out of this strange ladies arms. She sounds like mommy, but it's not mommy

That goofy Sparkles and her hi jinks with Natalie and Kaitlyn

So have you figured out who it is yet? That's me! What, Monica's a clown? Yes, I am a professional clown. I've been doing this since I was 15 years old. When I was in high school the priest at my church used to do magic shows as fundraisers for the church. I was one of the magicians assistants. His wife was a clown and one year they decided to do an entire circus magic act in the magic show. They asked me to be a clown and Sparkles was born. The first time I dressed up as Sparkles my own mother did not recognize me. Sparkles is a completely different personality from me. She's not so shy.

Anyways, I don't put on the makeup often at all especially now that I have kids. This was the first time I've done it since CJ was born. He did not like it. He couldn't take his eyes off of me, but he did not want me touching him that's for sure.

So why did I put it all on tonight? Well, the after school program was having a carnival. Now my children do not attend the after school program, but the after school program has been helpful to the PTA over the years. So when I heard they were doing a carnival I offered my clowning services. They invited the girls to come. I wasn't planning on bringing them, but they really like seeing me as a clown. They had such a good time as you can see in these pictures...

Kaitlyn got her face painted

Natalie got her face painted

They wanted to go to sleep with their face paint on, but I wouldn't let them. So I told them I'd take a picture instead. That was good enough for them. I made balloon animals tonight. I disappointed a few boys because I won't make swords. I know how, but I won't do it. Oh well they figured out something else to have instead. I ended up teaching one of the parents how to make balloon animals. He got a kick out of that.

It was a fun night, but also very exhausting. It takes me an hour to put the makeup on. Then another half hour to take it all off. I do enjoy getting to be someone else for a little while though. I am thinking of retiring Sparkles though. I think Sparkles needs to grow up a little. I have this vision of a new costume, but I don't have the money to make it happen. Maybe someday. I think I better start putting it all on more so CJ won't be afraid of clowns. The girls never had a problem with me as a clown. They always somehow seemed to know it was me. Natalie however did go through a phase where she was afraid of anyone else who was a clown. She's not afraid anymore though.

CJ Walking

This is a video I took Sunday night of CJ walking. Don't mind my messy kitchen, I hadn't completely unpacked yet and somehow the kitchen becomes the catch all for everything.

They grow up so fast, don't they?

Me and Joe, the Couple

♥ Fill it out and let's learn about you and your better half! (I got this from Renee's blog.)

♥ What are your middle names?
Mine: Lee
His: William

♥ How long have you been together?
Married 9 years on March 4th. As a couple it will be 11 years in May.

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Probably 3 months before we started dating the first time, but that was only a few months we dated for. So the one that stuck I guess we knew each other for almost a year.

♥ Who asked who out?
Well, we were kind of hanging out as friends the first time I guess so it was kind of a mutual plan to go out. I think I asked him out the second time because I was the one that broke it off the first time.

♥Who said I love you first?
He said it first.

♥ How old are each of you?
I am 30
he is 37

♥ Who's siblings do/did you see the most?
His, my brother isn't close by and when he was he never had a way of getting to us or a place we'd want to set foot in.

♥ Do you have any children together?
yep... 3 of them 2 girls and a boy.

♥ What about pets?
We have two gerbils, but those are really the girls.

♥ Did you go to the same schools?
We went to the same elementary school, middle school, and high school but obviously not at the same time given our age difference. Well, we were in elementary school together, but I was in kindergarten when he was in 6th grade there.

♥ Are you from the same hometown?
Yup

♥ Who is the smartest?
He would say I am, but lots of things he's way smarter than me at.

♥ Who is the most sensitive?
I am

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
This rarely happens, but probably Applebees

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Florida when we went to Disney.

♥ Who has the craziest ex?
He does for sure and we can't get rid of her either as she married his brother, grrrr.

♥ Who has the worst temper?
Him

♥ Who does the cooking?
Mostly me, but he'll do it sometimes. When we first moved in together he did it all.

♥Who is the most social?
Me

♥ Who is the neat-freak?
Probably me

♥ Who is the most stubborn?
We're both equally stubborn I'd say.

♥ Who wakes up earlier?
Depends on when he has to be at work. If he's in late or not at all he sleeps in, but if he's in for 8 or earlier he's usually up before me.

♥ Where was your first date?
We went to the pool hall and then a movie, but I don't remember what movie and his brother was with us.

♥Who has the bigger family?
I guess he does unless you start throwing in all of my cousins. Although, even still I think he has more with five other siblings and 18 nieces and nephews.

♥Do you get flowers often?
No, I don't even remember the last time he got me flowers.

♥ Who do you spend the holidays with?
My family usually

♥ Who is more jealous?
Probably me.

♥ Who sings better?
Neither one of us is very good.

♥Who does/did the laundry?
I do.

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
Depends, on the internet and typing I'm better, but he usually can figure out how to fix problems.

♥ Who drives when you are together?
Depends on who's car we have. His car he does all the driving, my car I do most of the driving. And since we usually have the kids with us my car is the family car so I do most of the driving. Although, maybe I shouldn't be after my two speeding tickets.

♥ Who picks where you go to dinner?
We usually agree

♥ Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong?
He is, I'm never wrong, hahahahahahaha.

♥ Who named your pet?
We both helped the girls pick the names.

♥ Who wears the pants in the relationship?
Me.

♥ Who has more tattoos?
He does with 14. I only have two ;).

♥ Who eats more sweets?
Definitely me. He likes salty snacks more.

♥ Who cries more?
Me!

Random Car Pictures

Here are some random pictures taken of the kids throughout the trip in the car.

That's a goldfish in his mouth!


Kaitlyn completely knocked out when mommy got pulled over the 1st time!

On our way home! Look how thrilled everyone is, or maybe that's just sleepy.





There's more to come including a short video of CJ walking!