The Jumpin' Jelly Bean Share Café

What kid Katie??? I am speaking of the kid I am hosting for a week, in the school exchange students program.......

Girls we are officially homeowners!!!!! Yeah!!! We just closed today....actually we just got home about 2 hours ago....literally the longest closing ever. lol...my seller was unreal what a nitpicker....lol

wish us luck one more time...tomorrow is my 16 week check up....praying the baby is all heallthy...cant wait to get that over with....think I seriously may be getting an ulcer with all this stess. After tomorrow I will be hopefully all good. Just was worrying about to many things all at once..once tomorrow all goes good I'll be all happy again

Love ya's!!!

Aww Lindsay great pics....glad the rain was a no show....sounds like a great day.

Tracy no skating for you? Love skating....I always bust my butt but always makes you feel like a kid again. Love it....but not in a rink where everyone can see me kill myself...usally go to a park.

Laura that stinks...you have to be shot...hoping the results come in sooner and he can start to feel better soon. Glad hes eating better.

Happy Anniversary Lorena!!!!

Donna just hearing about your life exhaust me lol....sounds like all fun but...

Aww Katie feel better momma...its been going around. Everyone seems sick lately.

Stacy hope your safe with all those crazy storms out your way...been worried about you xoxo

ok...cant keep up...you girls were chatty

Jessica- Congrats!!! Update ASAP tomorrow! I'll be thinking of you!!

Lorena- Awww, I know S is awesome in his own ways... and I know that you are a wonderful absolutely awesome momma!!

Ellen: Lol, my mom calls soccer for little kids hover ball because they tend to just hover around the ball the entire game.

Tracy: Yeah, a lot of people do! But we don't. Charles calls them fraidy holes......I kinda want a fraidy hole, I'm not ashamed to admit tornadoes scare me! At least typhoons you can predict more than a few minutes out... Ugh, tummy bugs are the worst, I'd take a respiratory bug over that any day. Feel better soon!

Katie: Strep again?! Didn't you just get over that? Feel better soon!

Donna: We've said it before, but you're totally super mom/woman! Big hugs!

Lorena: Sounds like a great kid! I can tell you it's not your parenting. My brothers and I were raised by the same parents the same way and both of my brothers went through some tough times including drugs among other things and I've never so much as touched anything. So totally not your parenting skills.

Jessica: CONGRATS!! That's awesome, and definitely keeping you close in my thoughts and prayers tomorrow!

It's amazing how much kids slow you down with chores! All I got done today was pick up the kitchen, do some of the dishes that Charles refuses to do (sippy straws, bibs, pump parts) and a couple loads of laundry! Didn't get the rest of the house picked up or the bathrooms cleaned like I planned. Ah well, there's always tomorrow! Where's that cleaning fairy?

Lorena-I thought you were talking about S! S is pretty amazing too!!!

Jessica-That is so awesome, congrats!

Stacy-It doesn't get any better! Alex is 6 and Landen is 4, I still don't get stuff done!!!! Maybe I am just blaming my lack of cleaning on them!!!!

Hiya Ladies!

So much to catch up on... sheesh....

Jess - Good luck today, I hope all goes well at the appt. And congrats on the house! That's awesome!

Stacy - I had big plans that when the kids went off to school all day my house would get cleaned. Yeaaaah, that didn't happen.

Katie and Tracy - so glad germs can't travel through the computer! Feel better soon!

Ellen - At least kids soccer is better than t-ball. T-ball moves soooooo slow.

Lorena - When you are feeling down about your parenting, just find time to spend with one of your kids obnoxious friends - you'll feel better quickly! (luckily, my kids have a lot of obnoxious friends!)

Shoot, just looked at the time, got to finish getting ready for work! 2 more weeks until March for Babies, Thank Goodness - I'm burned out!

Jessica, thinking of you today, hope all went well and CONGRATS on the house closing.

I'm a space cadet today because I have no idea what anyone wrote and I just read it.

I've been cleaning and scrubbing all morning. Like serious scrubbing of the walls(which I don't know if I have done since Tori's been born). I still have coffee on the ceiling from a day I was rushing to get out of the house to go see T in the hospital and totally dropped my coffee mug and it shot to the ceiling(as impossible as that sounds) there are thirteen coffee splatters on the ceiling that I've tried to get off, and it's not budging. Someone(DH) got brown paint splatters on the kitchen floor....I've no idea how to get that off either.

Bah....bbl....

ps--If I have to listen to the hot dog song from Mickey Mouse clubhouse one more time, I may rip my eyes out.

pss-who do I talk to about changing my email on SYS? I sent an email to the email it told me to send it to and never got a reply and my new email doesn't work.

I sent the original email last summer and never followed up, but I am now....Help!

Lorena - That's so cool that you're hosting a kid! I hosted twice when I was in high school (French/German) and then a kid from Algeria about 6 years ago. Hey, I know it's easy to see other kiddos and wonder about their parents too. You guys are doing a fantastic job! S is into scuba diving and so many other activities! You both are exposing your kiddos to A LOT of stuff! Please don't get down on yourselves because of wonder boy. Where is this host kid from? I missed it, sorry.

Katie - Sorry for the strep. I think that's going around too.

Tracy - Hope you're feeling better. Yeah, I had something awful awhile back. It ws like a 2-day thing. Hope it's out of your system soon.

Liz - Sorry, I'm no help.

Donna - I didn't know your sister was getting married. Congratulations to her! How exciting! Are your kiddos in the wedding?

Jessica - Wow, 16 weeks already?! That's wonderful! Hoping for uneventfulness at your next appt. CONGRATULATIONS on becoming homeowners!!!

Lauren - How ya doin'?

We had our ALTCS interview yesterday and I'm just hoping we scored enough points. Too honest on some of those and I fought for others. Urgh. I know we can always appeal, but I hear that puts us 6 months back. Maybe if we get denied, I should just reapply when Mr. T turns 5 . . .

Jackie: Hoping the next two weeks pass you by quicker than you expect!

Liz: Wow, coffee on the ceiling?! That takes talent! Send me a message to my email or my facebook with your new address and I'll see if I can get it changed for you!

Lindsay: Fingers crossed that the meeting went the way you need it to go yesterday!

Elim fell at the park today and bit into his bottom lip, blood everywhere! Poor baby, it stopped bleeding and he stopped crying after a few minutes. Little tough guy. Ok......think I can clean anything in the house today?! Time will tell!

I won't lie, I just freaked out on my DH for not supporting my M4B's AT ALL this year. He hasn't got one single dollar in donations. For that matter, no one from his family has brought in one single dollar. My 3 biggest fundraisers last year were him, his sister, and her husband. Her husband was the top 3rd walker in my area for pete's sake......

This year...Nothing.

I cried a little today...

Blah...blogging now...

Jessica - Congrats on the house closing!!! That's awesome. Update on the dr visit!!!

Liz - hang in there girlie. My family (outside of my parents) hasn't donated a dime, ever. My brother did some fundraising one year, but that was it.

Jackie - Deep breaths! You'll get through it.

Stacy - lips bleed like there's no tomorrow. Poor little guy. And there's no way I'm supermom. Someday I will post pictures of what a disaster my house and yard are. You guys will never be impressed with anything I do ever again. lol

Lindsay - fingers crossed it turns out well. Yes, my sister is getting married. No, the kids aren't in the wedding, but I'm singing during the ceremony. SCARED!

Lorena - Your kids are JUST as amazing as the boy you're hosting, just in different ways. Don't beat yourself up. Happy Anniversary!

Katie - Feel better. And Happy Anniversary to you too!

Tracy - Are you feeling any better?

Poor Grace had a total meltdown this morning. I think yesterday was too much for her....first day back at school, girl drama at school, then 2 hours of dancing followed by 90 minutes of soccer. And she has two hours of dance again today. Poor thing. She's wiped out.

Jess~ Congratulations!!!! That's awesome!!! Can't wait to hear updates from the dr. visit!

Donna~ HEY!! It's great to see you back! I'm glad that the visit was a good one and congrats to your sister on her upcoming marriage!

Lorena~ That kid is probably HORRIBLE at his own house!! You know how our kids are great when they're somewhere else....they save their "bad side" for us. There's nothing wrong with S. having different likes as he grows up than other kids!

Katie~ Really?? Strep again!???

Stacy~ Poor little man! I hope his little lip heals quickly without the nasty look tomorrow.

I can't remember anything else.....it's been a long day.....

So Day 1 of testing was survived! I really struggled to get going this morning and felt really weak, but thankfully I made it through and I'm feeling a lot better now.

It's a boy!!!! It's a boy!!! It's a boy!!!
& ALL LOOKS SUPER HEALTHY XOXOXO can you hear the excitment in my voice....can i just scream how happy I am today?

Yay for baby boys!!!!!!!

Wahooooooooooo!!!!!!! Congratulations Jessica! So cool.

Tracy - Glad you made it through the day.

Jessica: Congratulations!!!! I am so happy for you and your family.... and congratulations on your new home.....

Donna: I didn't know you sing..... Poor Grace...... Hope days get better for her and she can return to her normal routine.... that is what I am talking about, all the extra curricular work, maybe I am lazy and not pushing a little harder my kid to do some sports...

Lindsay: Glad you had a nice interview..... Is this the one you have to fake to fail??? That is hard for me as competitive and perfectionist as I am is hard not to do it ok...... My host kid is from Honduras...... not so far, but incredible how things are different.... wow Argelia, that is far..... and another world..... I felt in another world in the middle east.... thanks for the cheers .... that brings me to another issue my kid likes extreme sports.... he was asking me if we can buy him a endurance motorcycle ......

Stacy: Poor dear Elim..... he really is a trooper.....Your mom has my respect.....

Tracy: Glad you survived your day and are feeling better.....

JAckie: I think I try to mortified myself, I just let S invite good kids home......hope this 2 weeks are done fast and good luck with your walk.....

Liz: Coffee stain in the ceiling??? ...hugs for you......

Katie: thanks for having a high concept of my S, but he doesn't play all those sports......hope you are feeling better....

Lauren: thanks......

Thank you all for your words, I am really proud of my kids, don't get me wrong on that, but I was wondering of my parenting...not my kids.......maybe I am too lazy, and I should be a little more pushy at this age with sports, so they get interest in one or two....

Long day, in school they must think I am crazy, I rushed all morning and went to school for parents' meeting but I confused the days, it is next Tuesday...... then run for some errands, went to my class, back home, prepare quick lunch, picked the kids and head to Chuky E Cheese..... we stayed there the whole afternoon...then we had the traffic hour, and arrived home at 7:30 I am exhausted so I am heading to bed......

Good night everyone
Lorena

Liz: Big hugs momma!

Donna: Ha! I bet your house is spotless! Or at least has a lot less spots than mine! Ok, maybe not after today, my bathroom is finally clean! Now just the rest of the house to do..... Oh wow, sounds like she's little miss busy too, I hope she gets some rest tonight!

Tracy: Glad you're feeling a bit better now!

Jessica: YAY!!! Congratulations on a little boy! They're so much fun!

Lorena: Wow, busy woman today! Hope you get some rest tonight!

Ugh, I hate the commissary! I used to love it but it's so far away now so not so much! Maybe it'll give me an excuse to go to eat some lunch at Panera beforehand tomorrow before we go grocery shopping.

So Elim looks like quite the bruiser, awhile after he fell I noticed that there's a bruise on his right jaw, as well as his left chin, and kind of right under his bottom lip about in the area where he bit himself. Poor kid, he's taking it in stride though.

Jessica- CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!

Jessica-Woohoo!!! Boys are so much fun!!!!!

Lorena-You are always so busy! I don't know how you do it!

Stacy-Love me some Panera! Poor Elim, he's going to be a football player, taking those bumps!

So, the claws are out and momma bear has requested a conference with Alex's teacher and an administrator. I clearly told the principal that Alex will not be attending school until a change of placement has been made. Not sure she knows who she's messing with this time!!! The only problem is, I am so mad about the whole situation, that I cry every time I try to explain it, better bring the hubby along!

A good friend of mine posted this yesterday on her facebook page. Thought many could relate.

Welcome to Holland
by Kaci Buchenroth King on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 9:01am ·

In 1987, Emily Perl Kingsley wrote an essay comparing having a child with a disability to traveling. Today, I find myself thinking of this writing. Today, I promise myself to stay focused on all of the wonderful things about our Rembrandt. ;0) I'm grateful for our journey: all that I've learned, all the wonderful people we've met because of it, but most of all having our boy. He's such a kind, caring warm soul with the ability to turn a really tough day into happiness.

Austin's ETR testing was done at school recently. The report was sent home and today is a group meeting to talk about results. Of course, all of it is very honest and open and needs to be so he can receive the best help for his needs. Sometimes, as momma bear, it isn't always easy to listen to. Also, hearing this morning that the special ed director (whom has been a godsend to us), moves onto another position in the school seemed hard to swallow. If only the radio station could've waited to share that announcement tomorrow. lol

To all the mom's we've met in Holland, we love you. And thank you for traveling this journey with us. xoxo

"Welcome to Holland:

When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, the Sistine Chapel, Gondolas. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting. After several months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland!” “Holland?” you say. “What do you mean, Holland? I signed up for Italy. I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.” But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place full of pestilence, famine, and disease. It’s just a different place. So, you must go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It’s just a different place. It’s slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around. You begin to notice that Holland has windmills. Holland has tulips. And Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.” And the pain of that experience will never, ever, ever, go away. The loss of that dream is a very significant loss. But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland."

(As a side note, I no longer mourn. Its not a loss of a dream for me, but every parent wishes for the best for their child. Sometimes the unknown for me is more frightening than anything.)

Thank you. I think we can all relate in some way.

Jessica- Congratulations on the house and the BOY!!!!! YAY!

Liz- I find walk participation up and down. Some years we have great participation from our families and others not so much. My husband sees it as my thing but is supportive of it. Good luck.

It has been that kind of week and I can't remember much else.
I hope all of the stomach flus have passed and no kids get hurt today.

Have a great Wednesday.

Oh, this story of mine gets better, phone call from the teacher today blaming the whole thing on Alex and telling me that my child is afraid of me. We have a meeting tomorrow at 8, wish me luck!

Thank you girls...

Katie omg how are you controlling yourself? I'm feeling for ya today girlie...you have got to be so beyond stressed.

Jess-I have been in tears all morning. I am hurting for Alex and I am so angry at the teacher. My daughter is not afraid of me, she is afraid of getting in trouble, as any good kid should be. I am not going down without a fight on this one! I have already emailed the principal asking for an immediate change of placement due to the teacher's comments to me this morning. We shall see...

Lorena, I always wonder if I'm a lazy parent. However, I go to bed saying, "I did the best I could today". And, I hate traffic!

Stacy, Yikes! on the bruising. Poor guy.

Katie, I'm anxiously awaiting to hear an update about Alex's school. I get like you, the fangs are out, and yes, I am so mad, I cry. Thinking and praying for/of ya! Whoa! Whoa!! WTF about the teacher calling you?!? I'd be so f'ing infuriated that I would Wait for her to leave school, write down her license plate# and egg her car.(I would't really do that, but I would think it) You have got to be kidding me?! I'm disgusted and it's not even my situation.

Cool Holland story...I can relate.

I'm so shocked that Alex's teacher called and said those things, that I forgot what I was going to type.

bbl...

OMG Katie!!!! I missed what happened but I'd be steaming just based on the teacher's response alone. Seriously? Who says stuff like that?

Lorena - Grace is my only child that can handle being in more than one activity at a time. We don't even have Ethan in anything right now, outside of his therapy once a week. Ryley is just in baseball. I thin the best parents are the ones who question their success and abilities. Hugs.

Stacy - I literally spit my water all over my computer monitor with your "spotless house" comment. I would post a picture of my kitchen and family room just as proof, but it's embarassing. Relatively clean, but definitely cluttered and shtuff all over the place. Plus my labradoodle, who is more lab than poodle, sheds like a fiend.....all over my dark wood floors. My house is definitely "lived in". Pool Elim - sounds all boy.

I'm beat. Was up until after 1am. Decided at 11:30 to stop tossing and turning and just get up to deal with a few things that were stressing me, thinking that would help. Hah. And I'm supposed to go out with some school moms tonight. Oy.

Katie: Wow, I'm totally livid for you and Alex. Just wow. Any word back from the principal. I'm totally an angry crier too, which makes me even madder when I start crying!

Chris: Love that poem!

Ellen: Hugs! I hope you get some time to just relax soon!

Donna: Lol, one reason I love carpets, it hides dog hair!! Ugh, hope you get better rested tonight!

This kid of mine, I swear I need to get a plastic bubble wrap outfit for him! Today I was going to try taking the baby gate down. Within five minutes he was in splashing around in the dogs bowl. So I grabbed him and undressed him from his soaking wet clothes and went to throw them in the washing machine. Come back and he's already back at it, but since he's already splashed around the tile is wet and he bit it. Hard. Whacked his head pretty good and cut up his toe, I think he bet the toenail back. Poor kid is gonna have bruises from head to toe if he keeps this up!

Stacy-Elim makes me laugh, he is so boy!!!!!!!

Donna-I am pretty sure when I picture your house, it is like a magazine cover!

So, I spoke to the principal, she is actually out on bed rest. I told her my concerns and she was very sympathetic to me. She suggested that I still meet with the teacher and voice my concerns. John and I are going in tomorrow at 8 to speak with the teacher. I am guessing that they are not going to change her teacher, so we are just going to let her know that we are watching her every move. We applied to get her in to a Charter School that will cater to her higher academic needs, we are seriously hoping she gets in for next year! We just need to survive the next five weeks with this teacher!