Poor Baby!

I had not seen SC since Monday - 4 whole days seemed like forever! I honestly can't remember the last time I have gone that long without seeing her. So when she arrived this morning I couldn't wait to squeeze her! But SC was not feeling herself today! She had a slight fever and seemed groogy and just not comfortable most of the day.

I swear the most helpless feeling in the world -

is looking at a sick baby and not having a clue how to fix it.

I hate that they just can't tell you what is wrong or even how they feel!

This was how we spent most of the day!

But I think she really just needed a good dose of Auntie Loves!!!

Because by the end of the day she was feeling better and wanting to play with the Kitty!

Spending the day cuddled up with this cutey was just what I needed as well! Gave me plenty of time to catch up on my DVR shows from the week as well!

Great Moment

The coolest thing happened yesterday afternoon.

KM and I were getting some workbook stuff done when I glanced out my back door and saw one of my dog standing at the edge of the yard. This is not a totally unusual occurence as we have 3 dogs, an invisible fence and woods behind the house that the dogs often just randomly bark at. This was different though because he was just standing and staring into the trees. The other 2 dogs were no where to be seen and were totally silent. I saw something move suddenly in the woods and I thought maybe it was one of our cats, however this was a slow move. I moved over to the window to get a different angle and could not believe what I was seeing...2 bucks ~ just standing there and eating. They were the most beautiful thing.

I wish wish wish I had a better camera, but considering mine is nearly 5 years old and this was about 75-100 yards into the woods. I really shouldn't complain!

I couldn't believe how calm they were. We spent nearly 30 minutes watching them walk around eating here and there. They would look up every once in a while and stare at us for a minute before bowing to eat some more. It was amazing and I am so glad we had the opportunity to see it!

An Incredible Experience

I am soooo glad that KM was able to participate in the Exchange City program!

She worked really hard the last few months learning about the economy, checking accounts, and how a community works in order to be prepared to participate in this event and she did a GREAT job!

Here is the link to the official exchange city site if you are interested in learning more about the program: http://www.exchangecityusa.com/Home/default.htm

I can not say enough great things about the program and staff that work there! If there is one even remotely close to your area it is worth the trip to participate. Here are some pics (a little better this time) of the city:

KM was a Multi-Service Center Utilities Specialist!

This was the perfect job for her as she got to go around the city to issue utility licenses, read the meters, calculate the amount they owed and then issue the bills. She took her job very seriously and actually got mad because I was distracting her with the camera!

As a new homeschooling mom every interaction that we have with homeschooling families assures me that we have made the right decision. Don't get me wrong I know they are not all perfect, but the ones we have met are pretty close to it! I couldn't believe how calm, independent, organized, imaginative and so many more adjectives that I can't think of right now...these kids were! If there was a problem, they handled it with ease. Great job to all those who participated and we can't wait to do it again next year!

Exchange City Training Day

First day of Exchange City went pretty well - KM had a great time!

I was amazed at how detailed everything was and was unaware that it was a place that was used all the time for schools. It was very impressive for the very affordable rate we got through FRC.

Here are just a few not great pics from today, but there will be a ton more tomorrow!

A Wonderful Solstice Weekend!

Happy Solstice to One and All!!!

We finally had a very quiet relaxing weekend around here!

Don't get me wrong we love having people over, but sometimes you just need to have some quiet time!

Here are some things I did this weekend:
~listened to the kids in the pool
~ read a book - just for the fun of it! I know it is summer when I finally get to read something that is just for me! I started reading Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella my FAVORITE English author
~ played with flickr - as you saw in my earlier post :)
~ floated around on my new pool lounger
~ made s'mores in the fire pit
~ watched fireflies
~ talked to my dad
~ got our bag packed for Exchange City, RI - we decided with the gas prices so high and the early (for us it is early anyway) arrival time we decided to take another mom & daughter up on their offer to split a hotel room for the night
~ played Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz on the Wii


Hope you had some time to relax this weekend! Thanks for visiting!

Playing Around

Playing Around, originally uploaded by fairiemom78.

I saw this on a few other blogs recently and decided to try it.

The directions:
A. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
B. Using only the first page, pick an image. I picked the FIRST image ...
C. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's Mosaic Maker.

The Questions (with my answers):
1. What is your first name? Gina
2. What is your favorite food? Seafood
3. What high school did you go to? Silver Lake
4. What is your favorite color? Purple
5. Who is your celebrity crush? hmmm...tricky one...Patrick Dempsey
6. Favorite drink? Watermelon Margarita - did you see the pic for this one? what the *#@?
7. Dream vacation? Quiet Warm Beach ANYWHERE!
8. Favorite dessert? Raspberry Cheesecake
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Enlightened
10. What do you love most in life? My Family
11. One word to describe you. Tired
12. Your flickr name. fairiemom78 ~ I had to seperate this one to get it to work

It is too funny how some of the things that come up have nothing to do with the other!
Try it out and feel free to share with us!

Lightbulbs to Leadership - please view and sign!

This really is an important issue! Please take a look and sign to make a difference!
http://www.lightbulbstoleadership.org/

Here is what I recieved in an email from Sierra Club:

To help spread the word and remind folks who really holds the power, we've put together a short new video called "Unleash Your Power."
Will you help us get to 40,000 signatures by telling your friends about the video and asking them to sign the letter? http://action.sierraclub.org/lightbulb_friends
As you know, fuel economy standards are being decided right now by a little-known government agency -- and we'll be delivering our letter right before the public comment deadline. We have until July 1st to gather as many names as possible to show the widespread desire for better gas mileage and solutions to global warming.
We're shooting for 40,000 names on the letter -- which is ambitious, but possible through you.
Click here to tell your friends about the video and the sign-on letter.

Happy Birthday Noni!

Noni would have been 61 today and though she has been gone for nearly two years now it seems this year is a bit harder than last. We still miss her everyday! My sister (MC) had to work last night so yesterday we took KM & SC for breakfast, to Barnes & Noble, and then over to the cemetery. It was suppose to be a horribly thunder-storming day, but it was actually just right. Not too hot or muggy and beautiful clear skies. We stopped at a nursery on the way there and as soon as we pulled in I saw the plant pictured above ~ it is a 'Tiny Bee' (Asiatic Lily) ~ all over the place. Lilies are very hardy plants and we have had them all over our yard since we moved here. I thought that it would be perfect since we really don't get to the cemetery as much as we should. Yellow was also one of Noni's favorite colors so I thought it would be fitting. All morning we had been in the car chatting and running errands, but for some reason when we pulled out of the nursery MC decided to turn on the radio - wouldn't you know it was playing Neil Diamond's "Sweet Carolina"! One of Noni's favorite songs, a sure sign that she liked our choice. My sister can be wishy-washy with her opinion on spirituality and the afterlife, but there are some things that are just TOOO coincidental.

So in closing this morning I just want to say: Happy Birthday Noni! We love you and miss you, but would appreciate it if you could tone the parties down a bit!

~~~~ The last few nights we have had ferocious thunderstorms knocking the power out - ever since I can remember Noni would tell all the kids that thunder was the angels bowling and lightening meant that they had gotten a strike! KM woke up the other night and said they must be throwing Noni one heck of a birthday party up there! Gotta love it!~~~~

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!

My wonderful niece SC

turned 1 today!

I can't believe that a year has gone by!

We had her party here as they just don't have room at their house.

She thoroughly enjoyed her cake!

SC was very excited about getting her very own baby & stroller!

And had a great time tearing into her presents!!!

My sister and I were never really close, but in the last two years since our mother has passed away things have changed a lot! Most things have been for the good, but we have gotten through the bad together as well. Today was absolutely one of the better days, that will hopefully get us through this next week. Noni would have loved SC soooo much and although I cannot be a substitute for her by any means, I do the best that I can!

Thanks - (heated rant update)

Thank you thank you to all the comments and emails wishing KM well!

Physically she is doing fine today - mentally a little shaken, embarrassed and disappointed!

She got so many calls from her friends yesterday after school got out which made her feel a little better, but she did not attend the evening concert.

I will be looking in the area over the summer to try to find another arena for her to explore her singing in. I myself just can't get past the nonchalant attitudes of the school employees of the situation and lack of acknowledgement of advice from the school nurse. It just blows me away and I can't even imagine how it would have been handled if I was not there! It also reinforces my decision to get her out of that environment.

PS - Heated Rant

I really really really try my best to not bash public schools and I have mentioned this before. I do believe that the people working in the public school systems really are trying to do what is best for the majority of the students and that they have one of the most difficult, underpaid, under appreciated jobs out there. However this morning an event occured that totally could have been avoided and I really just need to rant about it a bit!

As I mentioned we have been having a heat wave here in lovely New England! These are generally common during July and August but it is not totally unheard of it for it to happen in June. This week has been in the 90's and higher everyday and 80% to 90% humidity, but it was suppose to break last night. You are probably wondering how a PS rant has turned to discussion of the weather, but the connection is that KM participates in the chorus at the PS she attended until January and they had their final rehearsal this morning before their concert at the High School this evening. Every year they have debates on having any events in the cafeteria of the elementary school because the circulation in there is just not very good - even after SEVERAL remodels and LOTS of tax money they just have not been able to fix the problem. When we got there this morning it felt pretty good with the ceiling fans going & not too many bodies there yet. The kids started warming up their voices, while standing on risers and you could see some of them getting warm as they were in such close quarters to one another. Then the rest of the students started filing into the room. The max capacity of the cafeteria is just under 700, so with the student body (minus the Kindergarten) rounding out at about 575 and the teachers, other faculty, and parents there they were either just at or over capacity. There is no way to make one room holding that many bodies cool - it is just not possible without a deep freeze machine. The kids got through their two songs and all seemed fine. I had SC with me and she had started fussing a bit as it was getting warm in there so I was kinda going in and out of the room. I was out in the hall when I suddenly hear the music stop and the doors fly open - two teachers are carrying MY daughter out of the cafeteria to the nurse's office across the hall. "It's okay" they said to me very calmly, "She just fainted."

----- JUST FAINTED, JUST FAINTED! That in my book is not a little thing, sorry. ----

Before we even got to the nurses office the song had started up again. They got KM to the cot, she was as white as her shirt. I grabbed some rough school paper towel and wet it down to put on her forehead, while the nurse got her a drink. Before the nurse even got her cup filled they were bringing in another sheet white faced girl. The nurse started saying how they needed to stop, she had told them to cancel the show because it was too hot. She didn't finish her rant before another one came in throwing up. Of course you could still hear the music playing from the cafeteria. I understand the theory of the show must go on, but how many members of a chorus must collapse before they call off the show? The principal, who is a great woman and is usually in the front of every perfomance, had not been there for this one, but as we were getting our stuff together to head home, she came into the nurses office. I honestly have to hope that she did not know that I was in the room because as she walked in she said, "Who was the first one down?" REALLY - I SWEAR! I was astounded and when I turned around to tell her it was my daughter you could see how embarrassed she was at her statement. I know that she wasn't expecting for a parent to have been in the nurse's office that quick, but the kids were there, it was just not an okay thing to say.

I brought my daughter home and she is sitting in front of three fans snacking on some salt crackers, drinking lots of water and watching the Price is Right. Of course I feel worse for the two other girls who were not dismissed and have to go back to class after what I think can be a really traumatic thing. I just can't get over the nonchalant attitude of "she just fainted." If that was there child I can guarentee that would be the last thing they would have wanted to hear. It is not like she just got a scratch or she just stubbed her toe. SHE FAINTED - on stage - in front of 600+ peers.

Again I apologize for the rant, but I just really needed to share this because it shows the disconnection of common sense and lack of connection to the needs of the kids. Did this one last rehearsal really need to go on at the risk of kids well being and against the advice of the school nurse? IMHO - I DON'T THINK SO!!!

UGGHHHH - Enough Already!!!

Ok - it is not even summer yet and we have already had three days of over 95 and are heading for a fourth!!! It is soooo hot I can barely bring myself to get out of the pool never mind actually touch the laptop that feels like it is on FIRE!!!!!

It is so hot we had to postpone our local HS group's farm day & picnic today, so I think we are going to head off to the library and lunch out to enjoy some AIR CONDITIONING!

Hopefully by the end of the week it will be cooling off a bit & I should have some good pics to share at the very least!

Sensor this one?!? Just a bit on the graphics

Though I really try to not get to political in my postings here - I stumbled across this is and felt the need to post it. Scroll down and turn down the playlist to get the full effect of the video of course.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7WASrQFg8o - in case you can't see it here!

Practice Makes ~ You Laugh!

You would think after having her here 6 out of 7 days this week, I would be exhausted (well I am), but I had to take these snaps of her at lunch today practicing with the spoon! She thought it was the funniest thing eating the applesauce herself! She didn't make too much of a mess, but she did have us rolling when she starting acting like it was a lollipop!

Turn Up Your Speakers!!!

In my blog travels today I came across a posting that inspired me!!!

http://thecluesacademy.blogspot.com/2008/06/music-ive-been-listening-to-lately.html

Music makes us happier people!!!

I have updated my music player with some of my more recent favorites, as well as some oldies but goodies!!!

While reading the posting by the CLUES academy, I was reminded of the one song that really makes me HAPPY. I mean not just smiley, but really singing at the top of my lungs, head bobbing, spinning & bouncing around the room happy! That song is:

Blister In The Sun by Violent Femmes!

What is your all time favorite HAPPY song?

The Great Turtle Race II

This is a great site to engage kids in this very important topic! It just started today and looks like it is going to be really cool!

We signed up and KM is cheering for Shelby, CJ for Jing Jing, and I am rooting for JK Turtling! Take a peek and let us know who you are cheering on!!!

http://www.greatturtlerace.com/

June 1st - Brought some interesting 1st!

1st - cook-out of the season

~ nice small gathering to kick off the season!

1st - time the pool was not green when we opened it

~ generally we spend most of the month of June trying to get the water clear, but for some unknown reason when we took the cover off it was crystal clear and all the levels were perfect!! - YIPPEE

1st - day in the pool

~ the pools temperature was 62, but that did not stop the children from swimming in the crystal clear pool! I thought for sure they would go in for a few minutes and that would be it but they were in there ALL DAY!!!

1st - back strokes

~ we spent all last year just trying to get her to think about floating on her back, but when she got in there this afternoon before everyone else showed up she just did it! - YIPPEE Again!!