It's a New Year

Okay, it's been a while!

First we had the busy holiday season, starting with a drive to Ohio for the Thanksgiving week, continuing with another drive to Ohio & Michigan for Christmas week and ending with my sister Marie staying with us the week after New Years.

What can I say? It was hard to get into a holiday mood with the warm temperatures in December down here! The leaves didn't even change colors until the first week of December. Currently we are in the middle of a long drizzly cold(er) spell.

Now we're starting to get back into the swing of things including starting back up with kid's date night and swimming. I also signed Greyson up for the Edible School Yard Garden Club and Grant up for Yoga on Wednesdays after school, so we'll see how those go. We did Prime Time Family reading time in the fall and are looking forward to that starting up again at school after Mardi Gras.

Speaking of Mardi Gras, we went to our first parade last week. A 12th Night/Joan of Arc parade. It was small (over quick) and not crowded, so it was perfect for easing our way into the parade season.

I made some resolutions for the New Year. The first was for at least one GOOD family picture every month. I went to make our Christmas card and realized that even though we had family pictures, there wasn't one good enough to print as a card. I found one that was too dark, one that was too light and one that was slightly blurry and we had 3 small photos on our card. I'm hoping to have a lot more to pick from when December rolls around again.

My next resolution was to do smaller monthly resolutions. For January it was to make a budget with Alex, which we did last week. And so far (for the week) we've stuck to it. Now to continue!

Thanks for stopping by! I am hoping to at least get back to monthly posts - maybe more often if my kids are funny ;)

30 Days of Thankfulness, 2012 edition

1. I am thankful for my home, where my family lives. Together.

2. I'm thankful for Alex, my companion and friend for 19 years. Who loves me with all my faults and always tries his best to be a good husband and father.

3. I am thankful for Greyson, who is responsible and helpful beyond his 9 years. I am also thankful for his love of books and learning...even if it's not always what is traditionally taught!

4. I'm thankful for Grant. He can always make us laugh, even when he is frustrating. And his caring attitude touches me.

5. I am thankful for my parents, who continue to help me out in so many ways. They never hesitated to watch my kids, especially when I was a single parent living 3 hours away. They've made the 2 day trek to see my new home already. They helped me out enormously with college so that I was able to start my adult life debt free. And they have made me into the person I am today.

6. I am thankful for the men and women who have gone before me working to make this country, and the world, a better place. I am thankful for those who fought, in battle and protest, for my right to vote.

7. I am thankful for my siblings. While I remember a lot of fighting growing up, I am thankful for the friends I have now. Thankful for Stanley & Alison for being willing to help me out with my kids, thankful for Shelly & Jeff for being willing to open their house to visitors and thankful for Marie who has been my housemate, friend, babysitter, 2nd parent to my kids, provider of clothes/books/movies and I love that we are her home away from home!

8. I am thankful for the jobs I have had. My current one is exactly what I was looking for. At my last position at Growth Works I met so many wonderful people and I'm thankful for Judi, who gave me a job, twice! I am thankful to have worked with Detroit Conference UM camps, it was my dream job and I'm pretty sure over half my "friends" list comes from the connections I made.

9. I'm thankful for humor in unexpected places :)

10. Thankful for the profound impact United Methodist Camps have had, and continue to have, on my life and now my kid's lives (Our favorite is still Camp Kinawind ;))

11. I'm thankful for the pad thai my husband made for dinner and the yummy drinks he made for dvr watching. He's the best ♥

12. Thankful for a date day with my husband. Also thankful for the veterans and active duty military that gave us this day - I hope you have all been spoiled yesterday & today!

13. I'm thankful for exercise. Thankful that my body works that way and thankful I have someone to stay with my sleeping kids!

14. I'm thankful not only that I can go on Greyson's field trip tomorrow, but that he wants me to go!

15. I'm thankful my kids like books in all their forms! Reading themselves, being read to, books on CD and books into movies. There is also a healthy appetite for non-fiction!

16. I am thankful for my family's health. All of our concerns have always been on a small scale and I'm thankful my heart doesn't break to see my kids suffer. My heart always goes out to those who aren't able to say the same.

17. I'm thankful my family likes to play games together. Tonight's picks were Mexican Train and Apples To Apples. Also thankful none of tonight's games resulted in tears!

18. I'm thankful for family movie nights with homemade pizza/calzones :)

19. I'm thankful for a safe and relatively quick trip. 1060 miles in 16 hours with 2 kids!

20. I am thankful for friends. Friends who check on me, who support me, who encourage me and who are genuinely happy for me. Friends who can pick up right where we left off the last time we saw each other. I'm also thankful for family who are friends.
I couldn't have made it through the last 3 1/2 years without all of you. I am so very thankful for my friends!

21. "This is the thanks for all that's good:
Home and family and friends and food."
From the book This is the Turkey

22. I am thankful for Sarah Hale who worked for 38 years to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. I'm thankful for all the heroes who use the superpower of persistence.
I'm thankful for Abraham Lincoln, the fifth president that Hale petitioned, who finally signed Thanksgiving into a national holiday hoping to unite a divided nation.
I hope that this day sees us putting aside division and bringing us together to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for beginning with the people that touch our lives.

23. Thankful for a safe trip to Michigan and back and for getting to stock up on my favorite Michigan wines :)

24. I'm thankful for my car and the 161,000 miles it's traveled with me. That's a lot of trips to camp, Traverse City, Ohio, New Orleans, Virginia Beach, Disney and so many other places!

25. Preemptively thankful for a good night's sleep for the whole family because it's been a long day.

26. Today I'm thankful for the electricity in my house and all that it provides.
Thankful for a hot shower, heat, and washing machine!

27. Today I'm thankful for half-day Wednesdays. I'm looking forward to the break in routine.

28. Thankful for AEPHI and the influence it has had and continues to have in my life. As well as for my sisters, and other Greek friends ♥

29. Still thankful for my refrigerator :)

30. Thankful for my two best friends who were born on this date!

Being a tourist in our (new) hometown

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of family visits! We got to play tour guides, first to my parents and then Marie, and show them our favorite spots and the famous tourist ones too.

Saturday October 6

First up was a swamp tour on a pontoon boat. The first one we went on, 3 years ago, was the Cajun Critters Swamp Tour and we liked the guide so much that we always use him when we go. We placed guesses as to how many alligators we'd see. Greyson won with his guess of 10 - we saw 9. This time of year they are slowing down as they are getting ready to hibernate. We also saw a TON of birds!

After we finished the tour we headed to Parkway for po'boys. Parkway has served po'boys since they were invented in the 1920's to feed the striking street car conductors.

Then it was on to City Park where we rode the minature train around to get a look at the park.

We then headed to Old New Orleans Rum Distillery for a tour that we had bought for a good deal on LivingSocial. We learned lots of interesting facts about rum distilling and New Orleans info. My kids were the only kids on the tour. They seem to get quite the education on adult topics!

Sunday October 7

We started out the morning by attending services at St Luke's UMC. Then we hopped on a street car to take us to the French Quarter for lunch at El Gato Negro. Yum!

Then we meandered over to the Old US Mint. We bought a Louisiana State Museum membership, but this museum is now free! The first floor has displays and information from when the building was used as a US Mint. The second floor has a display on Preservation Hall and New Orleans Music.

We then headed to Jackson Square since that is the most recognizable French Quarter spot. We thought we'd get beignets, but the line for Cafe Du Monde was down the street! So we headed to Johnny's for ice cream.

We caught the trolley home and cooked out for dinner after the kiddies swam at Grandma & Grandpa's hotel.

Monday October 8

We went to Oak Alley Plantation for the first time. And it was definitely worth it! The alley of 300 year old Live Oaks was amazing and everyone enjoyed touring the Big House. We ate lunch at the restaurant and all the adults enjoyed mint julips and burbon twists.

We ate dinner that night down the street from our house at Lakeview Brew which has great sandwiches, as well as salads & soup.

Tuesday October 9

Grant had been sick the night before, so the kiddies and my mom and I mostly hung around the house. We did take a little time to go over to City Park and play on the playground and tour the Sculpture Garden. Alex took my dad on a tour of projects he works on.

Dinner was my favorite restaurant Dick & Jenny's. The first time Alex and I went there was for our 10th anniversary. I almost always get the appitizer sampler for dinner and have the ice cream cookie sandwich for dessert! I have never been disappointed with their eclectic food.

My parents left the next morning but it wasn't long until my sister Marie arrived!

Saturday October 13

We ate dinner at The Velvet Cactus which serves Mexican food. Yummy dinner and yummy drinks! We then headed over to City Park and saw a wedding taking place as well as other special events set up.

Sunday October 14

Again we took the trolley downtown and this time we headed to the Audubon Aquarium and then on to the Insectarium. I've always enjoyed the Insectarium because it's so different! There are not many places you can go to see and learn about bugs. Plus Marie and I sampled cookies and candy with bugs in them! We then walked to the other end of the French Quarter and ate at Louisiana Pizza Kitchen.

Monday October 15

Monday was my first day of work and the kiddies went back to school, so we didn't get to spend as much time together. But as soon as I got home Marie and I went out for frozen yogurt - YUM! After picking up the kiddies from school we ate at Theo's Pizza. Yep, with kids you end up eating pizza a lot! We like Theo's because of the yummy toppings they have!

Tuesday October 16

Again with the work and school ;) That day Marie and I got Creole Creamery Ice Cream when I got home.
It was also Alex & my anniversary so Marie volunteered to watch the kids. We went to Ralph's on the Park across from - you guessed it - City Park, for an adult dinner. Marie & the kiddies had Magazine Pizza.

Wednesday October 17

I don't work on Wednesdays, so Marie and I were off to do some of what she calls "lower-48 shopping." We stocked up on Halloween goodies at World Market, and holiday scents at Bath and Body Works and had lunch at our favorite chain - Jimmy John's! The kiddies had a half day of school, so after we picked them up we headed to the Audubon Zoo to check out our favorite animals. For dinner we went to DatDog, a restaurant we were introduced to by our friend Katy. Lots of different kinds of 'hotdogs' with lots of yummy topings! Marie and I topped the evening off with a visit to The Columns Hotel for drinks.

Priceless Treasures

I neglected to say my absolutely favorite thing about New Orleans in my last post. And that is: That's where my home is, where my family lives together.

Kid Date Night

When I was a single parent, I really missed having individual time with my kids. I started thinking how I really wanted to be able to have a time with each of them alone. And now that there are two parents in the house, we are able to do that.

We've designated Tuesday nights, because that is what works for us. And surprisingly we have been able to do this at very low cost (mostly free).

The first week Greyson and I took a picnic dinner to City Park and ate on an island. Then I took him to KMart to spend a $5 giftcard he had that he was dying to use. He also took $1.50 that he had gotten from the Toothfairy. He spent $5.74 at the register and then bought a $.25 gumball at the machine and a $.50 necklace from the same machine. Yep, he walked out with a penny in his pocket! And for me it was so much better than trying to go with 2 kids into the toy aisles! That night Alex took Grant swimming at a rooftop pool at a hotel. Yep, both my kids thought dad was the best date.

The second week Grant and I made cheese quesadillas (his favorite) and then got out a cookie baking set he had gotten for his birthday (last year). While the sugar cookie dough was chilling we took a trip to Whole Foods for toppings (total spent $10). I admit, because of time and homework constraints, I did most of the work. That night Greyson and Alex went to a friends house for a cooking lesson.

This week was our 3rd Kid Date Night and Greyson and I rode our bikes to City Park to again have a picnic on "our" island. I was a little worried about the sun setting, so we rode right back after dinner and then played a couple rounds of Mancala. Alex took Grant geo caching and Grant came home with pockets filled with feathers and an army figure's leg. Yep, priceless treasures!

 

Things I like about New Orleans

Wow, I am overwhelmed by the responses on my last post. I received so much support, both publicly and privately. I really appreciate it - I have the best friends!

I think I do need to let you know the things I do like about New Orleans!
#1 City Park
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE City Park! City Park is about a mile from our house. I jog there just about every morning. It's filled with ponds & lagoons and trees - the perfect combination for those from the Great Lakes State! The Sculpture Garden is free and the Museum of Art is free every Wednesday. There is an amusement park (it's no Cedar Point, more like a fairground) and we bought a season pass that paid for itself by the second visit. Sometimes I take the kids just to run around to get energy out. City Park is by far my most favorite place in New Orleans.

#2 The Streetcars
The first time we came to visit, I found riding the streetcars with the kids was one of the cheapest forms of entertainment! Even though it's transportation, you feel like it's a piece of history and culture. The Canal Streetcar is just down the street from us and when taken from one end to the other you end up at the Aquarium which is also at the tail end of the French Quarter.

#3 The People
I know, I complain all the time how rude people are here. And most times they are, but there are also friendly people. The introvert in me was seriously freaked out the first time I went for a jog and EVERONE I passed said, "Hi!" And it's not just jogging, everyone you pass everywhere has a greeting. 

So while my heart belongs to another city, I'll keep looking for things I can love about this one!

Life as I know it

So much to write about!
After the last post we experienced our first "hurrication." Sunday night we received notice that school was cancelled for Monday and Tuesday so families could make emergency plans. Knowing that if the hurricane actually hit New Orleans school was also going to be cancelled at least for Wednesday and Thursday, I decided to take a little vacation to my parent's house in Ohio. And it was a nice vacation, going to the beach and winery!

And then we came back. Honestly, I've been having a difficult time since the kids went back to school. And I feel guilty. I know so many people have been rooting for us to be together as a family again, and that's what I wanted too, but now that I have what I wanted, I'm not happy.

I feel like the last 3 years of my life have left me so scarred. My husband lost his job, left us to work out of town, I became a single parent, I lost the job I loved, it took me forever to find a new one that did not have the benefits of the previous one. And now here I am, in a new city 1,000 miles away from everything that was familiar, with no job and a drained bank account. And this is what I wanted.

And being a month into a job search has again left me demoralized. I keep having flashbacks of the last time I applied for a job every day for 6 months to have 5 interviews that lead to one job offer for 1/3 less pay and 3/4 less vacation time and 1/2 the sick time and no work at home option like I previously had. Don't get me wrong, I was extremely grateful to have that job especially when I wasn't eligible for unemployment (religious organizations are exempt from participating) and I met the most wonderful people that I have pretty much known in my adult life, but it wasn't what I was used to.

Here I am again, 13 resumes in the last month and one call back saying they had a hiring freeze, but no other word. Ugh, job searches when you actually need a job are the worst. And to make it worse, recently when my husband and I were meeting people he was asked what he did for a job, but no one asked me. My husband's response when I commented on it to him, "But you don't work anyway." First of all, how does anyone know that without asking? Second, how does that make the rest of my life less valuable?

So I find myself questioning my value. Because getting a Master's degree when you're 22 doesn't mean the same thing when your 37 and either over-qualified or under-qualified for everything available. Being "just a mom" isn't very fun after you drop fighting, complaining kids off at school and then go home to deal with the socks other people left on the floor.

And through it all I feel guilty. If this was anyone else I would tell them to look on the positive side. We are all together again, everyone is healthy, and while there isn't anything left after the bills are paid, we ARE paying the bills. And even though we will have a credit card balance for the first time in the last 8 years, we have NO other debt. But telling yourself to be positive doesn't always end in you being positive.

I want to be alright with the way things are but I also want to change things, without being dissatisfied until the change happens.

In the last couple of years I've come to realize that life is like a river. It's always flowing and changing. Sometimes the weather is calm and sunny and you can just float along enjoying the scenery. Sometimes it's rough and fast moving and it's all you can do to hang on. Sometimes you get hung up in obstacles, like downed trees in your path. Sometimes you have to backtrack and go back to the fork and take a different direction. Sometimes you meet up with a larger body of water. But whatever the path, you never stand still. Today is one of the days when I'm banking on change. I don't want to stay in this part of the river. But I also know I can't enjoy the ride without being grateful to all the experiences that have brought me to this point and will take me to a further point. I'm looking forward to the days when I can just float along, but until then I am thankful for the journey.

Just another manic Monday

I was all prepared to write a post about how after my yucky Tuesday they kids were perfectly pleasant on Wednesday morning, pretty good at the art museum we went to after school and did their homework with a minimum of complaints! And the rest of the week followed suit....until Monday.

I received a phone call Monday afternoon from Grant's PE teacher. He had found a piece of glass on the playground and stabbed a girl. Oh My Goodness. Of course they took this "very seriously" and he received what they call a "community violation" which also entails a call home. The girl was okay and her injuries sounded more like a scratch which drew a little blood.

When I first picked Grant up he denied that he had done anything and claimed everyone had lied. "Even though you wrote on the community violation form what you did?" "They forced me to write that!" "Well, if you didn't do this, then they are falsely accusing you and we need to go back in and clear this up." "Fine, I did it."

Later at home he claimed that after he found the glass in a crack in the sidewalk the girl told him to poke her. I told him that I didn't believe that because people don't ask to be hurt BUT even if it was true you can't listen to other people when they tell you to do something wrong, you have to make your own decisions.

A little while later I received a call from Grant's teacher and she said, "I was shocked when they told me Grant had done that. He is not malicious at all." I told her I don't think he really comprehended what would happen if he poked someone with glass and he had told me the girl told him to do it, but I told him I didn't believe him. She said, "Knowing this girl, it's not entirely unlikely that she did tell him to do it." I felt better after talking to her...but still! Oh what I would give for a week without school drama!

I also sent Greyson's teacher an e-mail because Greyson had told me he was reading Amelia Bedelia books for reading time. This kid had been one of the top readers in his class and I was wondering why now he was reading below grade level. The teacher explained that although Greyson's fluency was at grade level, his comprehension - especially when he had to write about what he read - was not. I know this about my kid, that he has trouble putting ideas into writing. But in Michigan his comprehension was still scored at grade level. I know, I went back and looked at his report card and and MEAP results. But apparently at this school, he's not up to level.

I do have to say that overall I think my kids are getting a higher quality education. More is expected of them and they are spending 6 more hours a week at school verses what they spent in Michigan. And the teachers are so dedicated. They are working longer hours for less pay AND I am getting contacted after the school day is done.

Someday I'd like to write about more than what my kids are doing at school. But for now, that is where all the drama is in our lives!