AM~Erica Served Up Blueberries

So anyway...

For some reason, I've had my grandmother on my mind lately. Not good, not bad...just present.

Then I got in a conversation with someone who brought up a song that made them think of their grandmother. It was a heartfelt conversation remembering our grandmothers.

It hasn't been a year, yet, since my grandmother passed. And Mother's Day is approaching quickly, which will make it my very first Mother's Day without a grandmother.

Not that I'm fond of the holiday, or those like it (reminder HERE), but it is still wholly prevalent. No real way around that fact.

Recently, I did set up a memory table for her. It's not much, but just enough.

I wanted to carry it over from the memory tree I did for her at Christmas. (reminder HERE)

So she is always there....but just strong on my mind in the last few days.

**********

It's that time of year. Some berries are coming into harvesting time! So I'm trying to pick some up at the store.

Several years ago, while we were living in St. Louis, we took one of our far-too-few trips to the Soulard farmer's market, we came across a year of an overabundance of blueberries in season! We purchased a 5 pound box of blueberries for $3! What a deal!!

Since then, the blueberries have not been in such overabundance, and the prices on them have not been so thrifty. We are paying as much or more for a pint of blueberries than we paid that day at Soulard.

Now with some of my price matching & non-extreme couponing I do, I did find blueberries on decent sale, as opposed to what they have been going for. So I made sure to purchase some.

It's time for standardized testing around here (whole other subject I will not touch here), and so I've been trying to prepare the boys the best I can. So, I've read that eggs can help brains on test days, as well as berries. Blueberries are supposed to be great! They have earned the nickname of "brain berries" for that reason.

So, I've been fixing them scrambled eggs on test days....and I almost forgot we had the blueberries!

This morning, Lil Guy had testing to prepare for. He asks for green eggs (like I make on Dr. Seuss' birthday, HERE). They are cheesy scrambled eggs with bacon bits, salt & pepper, and some parsley - they are, then, colored a bit o'green, whisked & then cooked up.

While the eggs were frying up, I happened to remember the berries. I pulled them out wondering if he'd remember...

It's been quite a while, you know. The last time some blueberries had been pulled out of the freezer for him. Maybe about 3-ish years or so. And I really didn't know how...or even if...he'd react.

I placed the berries on the side of the scrambled cheesy green eggs onto the table for his breakfast. He came out, sat down & began to consume the edibles. But he didn't even react...

...until...

...I heard Lil Guy turn his voice to me to say, "Hey, mom! Do you remember when we would be at Gigi's? Not the nursing home, but her house before that? She would pull out blueberries when we'd go? Remember that?"

He was very matter-of-fact about his questions, and there I was trying to choke back tears while smiling that he remembered.

When he was very little, he went snooping in her kitchen (because he was way too smart for his own good) and discovered blueberries in the freezer & decided to start eating them. My grandmother was so tickled by it, she always made sure to keep blueberries in her freezer for when we would come by...in case he was looking for blueberries.

I don't think he realized how the blueberries got started, but I'm so glad just having those berries on his plate, really to help his brain on test day, would make him think of his Gigi.

Join the club, my son. She seems to be very present.

*grabbing a tissue*

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

SpongeBob Teaches AM~Erica: Part Duex

So anyway...

We had to get up early this morning. On a Saturday.

Ugh.

Teen Boy had day 2 of his speech & debate tournament this weekend, so I made sure he was actually up & moving (he doesn't get much sleep on Friday nights before having to be back on Saturday morning), and hubby gets up to drive him to the school...well, we don't get a lot of sleep on these nights either.

So, up & at 'em before the bright of early, we managed to get him up & out the door. Since I was already up, I decided I'd wait a bit for the weekend news to come on to catch the weather & stuffs...mostly the weather. In the meantime, Lil Guy got up...just before the bright of early. Just before I could get the remote to turn on the news...Lil Guy grabbed it!

He turned on the news...at first...
...I got a quick moment with the weather...
...then...it changed...

Next thing I knew, Nickelodeon was on the TV showing an episode of Big Time Rush.
I questioned Lil Guy about it by exclaiming, "REALLY?!?"

He answered with, "Well, it's what's on right now since 'SpongeBob' doesn't come on yet."

I was a little frustrated in that moment...and then my inner child hit me on the back of the head!

What hit me the hardest was this:
It was recently reported that there was a sad end to my childhood, along with so many others', when the beauty & fun of Saturday morning cartoons officially came to an end. *cries*

Days of waking up early on a non-school day to find sugary-fruity-chocolatey character-type cereal or pop tarts to eat while filling the morning and killing time watching hours of animation on the small screen. Still in pajamas & sitting too close to the screen to ruin our eyesight with brightly moving colors of crazy characters & bizarre hilarity was a weekly staple.

And now...it's gone. All gone...

Come to think of it, my own kiddos had very little of that. Probably because we are all so busy all the time. There was always a practice, a game, a program...something we had to be at on a Saturday morning. There was no time to hang out in pajamas eating cereal too close to the TV to watch cartoons on local networks. We filled our time with crazy schedules...and the demise of Saturday morning cartoons caught the brunt of it...and are now extinct.

Well...that hurt.

And here we are on a Saturday morning, up before the bright of early, to get a kid ready for a tournament...but the other kid here was up by the bright of early...to search out...a cartoon!

I realized he was longing to take in what we have lost. Yes, it took tracking it down on basic cable...but it was a cartoon!

It was a cartoon that our family actually enjoys taking in from time-to-time. Why? It's stupid-simplicity is ridiculously fun & doesn't take a lot of thinking. It's child-like innocence, though brain-numbing at times, can be just the perfect thing to recharge every one of us!

Yes, we need a break from it, too. It can get to the point of annoying...but we still come back to it. We find ourselves watching it, laughing at it, enjoying it, quoting it...

Yes, SpongeBob is a ridiculous cartoon. But what Saturday morning cartoon from our own childhoods weren't ridiculous?

So...here's SpongeBob, again. First, SpongeBob SCHOOLED ME ON HISTORY, and now about my inner Saturday morning child.

Well played, SpongeBob...well played...

It's Saturday morning...I'm in my jammies. Let me finish my cereal while I watch SpongeBob with Lil Guy & hubby. Even with my grown up coffee...I'm taking this little bit to get back in touch with my childhood...again.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica's Record Halloween

So anyway...

My favorite holiday is finally here!!

Yep...it's Halloween, folks! And I was so ready!!

If you remember when I helped with TRUNK-OR-TREAT THE OTHER NIGHT, I usually use it to unveil my Halloween costume. And it was a beautiful time that night.

Well, it was time for the big night!!

After a crazy-busy day of cable issues, needing to go to the store, needing to bring Teen Girl home from college for the weekend (she loved handing out candy last year & wanted to be back to help out again), getting dinner into the family, plus trick-or-treaters...I'm sitting here blogging in my jammies, enjoying some Antioxidant-Fortified Jesus Water (trying Apothem Dark, in case you wanted to know), and thinking about the magical night we have had.

I did serve Beastly Boo Hash (recipe HERE) for dinner, and then it was off to prep the decorations & our costumes for the night...

First was the the Beastly Boo Hash in the lazy cooker. My hubby & I were so excited for it! Apparently the kids got whiney about it. Well...BUMMER! Cuz it was SO good!!

After dinner, the pumpkin luminaries made their way to the walk way for this cold night of trick-or-treating...

I was really pleased with how the luminaries turned out, along with the front porch set up. Even though we had extra luminaries to work with...apparently we didn't have enough candles. So need to remember that for next year. But still glad we got luminaries all the way to the end of the driveway...


And we were getting on our own costumes, too!

Between Captain America, a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, and Boo (with "Kitty"), they looked great??

Then my hubby & I wanted to do our thing again, too...

And as sinister as my hubby looked...

...he had a plan...

Yeah...he was greeting trick-or-treaters peeking from above in a sinister fashion...and some did freak out...

The scene was set with our backdrop & I put a makeshift, semi-oferena altar behind me to go along with my sugar skull Day of the Dead outfit.

As I opened the door to hand out candy, Teen Girl was there to take the tally of numbers!

It started a little slow. But in 2 & a half hours...we got an amazing amount!!

Last year, I was so EXCITED BY THE NUMBERS...but this year, I did my own dance!! We had a total of...

*DRUM ROLL*

95!!!!

Oh man, oh man!! I was ecstatic!!

Plus, if you remember from the trunk-or-treat event when a sweet Mexican family came back to my car for a pic...well, it happened again! A sweet (different) Mexican family had to take my pic with the kiddos! It was so amazing!! Plus another family wanted my pic later that night, too! It was crazy!!

And Teen Girl got so many compliments on her adorable costume. I think Hubby kind of freaked people out...which kind of delighted him!

Oh...and out of the 95 trick-or-treaters...not a single Elsa, Anna or Olaf came to our door! Can you believe it?? We did see some creative costumes, and some that didn't try so hard...but it's always worth it to see kiddos (even the really big ones...like the same one who came last year as maskless Spiderman) want to join in the fun.

Then the boys wanted us to go check out a few decorations if we could. So, we shut down around 9:00 (good thing...I was pretty much out of candy), took in our luminaries, and we went to see if a couple houses were still done up from when Teen Boy escorted Lil Guy trick-or-treating. One house was still done up!! Another was in the middle of striking their set (that one's for the theater kids out there ), and the other had already closed up shop for the night.

We came back home to chill out. We originally wanted a fire in the fireplace & a Halloween movie, but it was late & we have an early morning!

That reminds me...I need to head to bed!

So despite the fact we had no wifi for most of today, which meant not being able to record the Halloween episodes of the Live with Kelly & Michael, along with The Ellen DeGeneres Show, it turned out pretty darn well!

Hope everyone had an amazing Halloween! I'm still on cloud 9 from the numbers!! Maybe I can break 100 next year?? We shall see...
And I may have plans on treats for next year, too! Like joining the Teal Pumpkin Project, and maybe even some dog treats...like for the sweet boxer who came to our door!

Until then...Happy Halloween!!

Stay tuned...(more crazy-business is coming)

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Can't Believe Another Year's Gone By

So anyway...

It's been 9 years since it happened. One of the longest & most frustrating days of my entire life. (last year's 2-part reminder HERE...grab some popcorn & settle in when you read or reread it)

However, at the very end of that long, Long, LONG day...and after a lot of waiting & working really hard...it brought Lil Guy into this world.

This dude is an amazing kiddo.

Though he's been thru a lot, in his own right (the reminder of that journey HERE), he's always been a trooper & has so much going for him!

Much of what I'm gonna say about him, in celebration of his day, may sound like a biased parent...but just note that we are realist parents, and we will tell it like it is...both good & bad of our kids.

Lil Guy is so smart. He has always had a high IQ, but it was always slightly dragged down by his struggle he went thru. Now that he's passed that, we need to test his IQ again. Because he is always at the top of his class...and sometimes even his grade...in his reading & math, for sure. I was helping at one of the parties, and another parent announced that she heard that Lil Guy had the highest reading score in the grade. That surprised me! Not that his reading score was high, but that it was announced by a parent! I think word is getting out...

He's also very liked. He's probably one of the most popular kids. We've always heard that many of the kids want to be at his table &/or want him on their team. He really is a team player. He knows where he will do well & he knows when others will do well. It's amazing to watch kids go out of their way to say hi to him.

He's super athletic. This kid is fast, he's quick, he sees a bigger picture on whatever field he's on. He's tall & agile, too. There's always things he can work on to get better, but he's usually one of the best on whatever team he's on...if not the best one. If he's not the best on his team, he can certainly hold his own with the best. And he's competitive...sometimes a little too competitive, but he's got drive, for sure.

Lil Guy has a lot of talent. He has his moments where he gets to prove his acting & speaking skills. This is a big deal!! He has an ear for music, too. He actually has rhythm, even though he likes to act really goofy when he dances around. And he can pick up on things musically fairly quickly.

This kid is a big goof! We never know how he's gonna enter or exit a room. He might make a weird face &/or add a weird voice &/or a weird walk. His imagination fascinates us often.

This boy is a quick-wit, too. We never know what might come out of his mouth. He always surprises us with his grown-up comebacks to situations...that he usually delivers with a dry humor & straight face. It's always entertaining to hear what his young brain can come up with to shut people down in a hurry...but with an end result of laughter. He's a hoot.

He is a game player. When I say "game player"...I mean of all sorts! From Go Fish, to several board games, so many of the electronic variety, too. And he is strategic & competitive (if I hadn't already mentioned that). He gets frustrated at his mistakes & does his best to learn from them...cuz he's in it to win it!

He can keep track of stats. Whether it's sports or some geeky/nerdical games &/or players, he can keep track of some of that stuff. It's amazing to hear him keep up pretty well in conversations surrounding these things.

Lil Guy is definitely our natural leader. He attempts to "organize" how things are or will look at home...but we need to remind him who's actually in charge here. However, he can be the captain of a team if he wanted to. He can see where others should be in position on whatever project or game or event he's a part of. It's amazing to watch. And...other kids, for sure, will usually listen to him.

He can keep track of schedules & things coming up. And, if he wants to do something in that schedule that he is keeping track of, he will be persistent about asking & talking about it. It's irritating for us...but I'm sure it will be good for him in the long run.

This guy has a big heart. He may not like everyone, but he will stick up for whoever he needs to & will feel bad if someone is left out of something. I think it has to do with the struggle he went thru & the type of kids he dealt with along the way. He usually sees the worth in those who others have issues seeing the worth in. It warms my heart when I witness him doing this or talking about it.

In this last year, we have seen his personality grow even more. The levels of smartness & goofiness has been amazing. He has come out of his shell so much. He is even much more willing to be in open conversation with others. In the past, he would feel out the situation & what he felt about a person before partaking in conversation with them. He's processing the situations much quicker now.

The potential for Lil Guy is near endless. I've referred to him as our Captain America before. I believe he may be a future CEO of some Fortune 500 company. I won't push him that direction...there's still a lot of life for him to live & experiences for him to go thru before he sets sail for a particular direction in his future. In the meantime, we will be proud of all of his ever-accumulating achievements.

And...it's hard for this mama to grasp that the baby is in his last year of single-digit ages. So, next year...prepare for a tearful mommy post.

Until then...we won't rush it & will enjoy every moment of Lil Guy's next trip around the sun.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Has Come to an End of a Bittersweet Journey...Emphasis on "Sweet"

So anyway...

After about a 5 & half year path taken...the journey came to an end today.

Many of you know Lil Guy...just at different parts of his life. And if you don't really know...YOU CAN FIND OUT SOME BACKGROUND HERE. (be entertained & see how my blogging has evolved)

After watching "The Avengers", Lil Guy asked which Avenger he would be. Hands down...Captain America (aka - Steve Rogers). I'll explain why later...

However, there is something we fought for a very long time with him. His speech. This has been quite a battle we have been trying to get thru as he has fought so hard...

For a long time, we figured he wouldn't try to talk because he had older siblings who would totally talk for him. Makes sense, amm-i-rite? We would try to get him to speak...but when he was about a year & a half to about 2, he was only saying 3 things:

1. "No"
2. "Yah" (his version of "yes")
3. "Hah" (his way of saying "hot")

He loved rice at the time...so we'd try to convince him to say "rice"...he would respond back with word #1, above.

Lil Guy is so young here. During a time he would refuse to talk much if at all.
So cute...and so frustrating, too.

As he did eventually try to start talking...it wasn't all coming out quite right. We got in a very frustrating situation. Either we couldn't understand him...or he just wouldn't say anything at all.

Remember when I brought up in MY POST ABOUT GIVING ADVICE about Lil Guy being a leash kid? Some of you remember him as "The Leash Kid" with his little monkey backpack on. He got his brother's sense of exploration & his sister's sense of wandering...and all of this without talking to us about it. It was frightening during many, MANY occasions! My heart is racing right now thinking about those days...

He was frustrated because we couldn't communicate with him. We got him into preschools (well, where I worked), and the teachers had the same frustrations...and he would sneak out of their classrooms. We are blessed that I worked in those places...that was the only saving grace from him not being expelled...I'm sure of it!

Finally, we got him looked at...and after several ear infections, we thought there might be an issue. There was...
Poor Lil Guy had steady fluid in his ears. It just wouldn't move & was muffling anything he was hearing...which meant that was the reason we had such an issue understanding him trying to speak. He wasn't hearing anything right! So, we got him into an ENT & it was determined he needed tubes in his ears after a series of testing. We agreed! He was going to need speech therapy, too.

Well, right before time came for his tube insertion surgery...the doctor's office called & canceled. Not "postponed"...actually CANCELLED! We were shocked & demanded to know why. We were told there was a clause in our insurance that they weren't comfortable with...so the aborted the operation. Basically...they were more concerned about getting their money. Oh man...now I'm getting angry about it all over again...

*breathe in...breathe out*

Well...we never got to see another doctor & didn't get it rescheduled. This is while we were still in St. Louis.

However...thru a complicated turn of events...there was a speech pathologist who could work with him at his preschool. It took a lot of cutting thru red tape, a lot of signing our lives & souls away, meetings, talking to different teams from different districts...it was just short of getting NASA involved...but we were going to do what we could. He was 2 & a half...and the journey began...

It was going pretty well...and loved his pathologist! But we ran into a new situation...I got a new job...and that took me away from the preschool...and, sadly, this awesome pathologist. *sigh*

This led us to finding a new daycare & a new preschool. The new preschool was amazing! It was thru the public schools, so it was free...and he would get the focused & extra help he desperately needed! My only concern was whether or not this place was for real...
Once we figured out this was for real...we jumped on board!

Lil Guy made amazing strides! Here was this 3yo who we were finally beginning to really understand! Imagine my shock when I picked him up one day, and his little class had been discussing emotions. He sat in his car seat behind me & proclaimed as plain as the sun in the sky, "Mama, I am very frustrated with this!" I think I stomped on my brakes out of disbelief and nearly repeated him..."Did you just say that you are 'very frustrated with this'?" He responded with, "Ye-sssssss." (he was working VERY hard on finishing his words)

Eventually...after much hard work, one-on-one classroom time & more work with another pathologist (that we really did like), we got some news that I was torn about: they were going to have to give him up since he exceeded their levels in that class. It was so bittersweet since we really loved his teaching team & pathologist. After shedding a few tears...he moved onto another class. It was a bigger class & would ready him better for kindergarten since he had just turned 5 at that point.

He was still far from where he needed to be...but communication was at amazing levels! His ears cleared up on their own & he was working VERY hard on forming his words. When we would correct him, he wouldn't hesitate to try again until he got it right a couple of times. It's warming my heart thinking about it again...

Then...another change was happening...we moved again. We came back to the KC area & had to set up a new IEP (Individual Education Plan). This was not new to us any longer. We had to meet with teachers & teams a few times to set goals, see where he was at & see what goals have been met...that kind of thing. And not only was a new goal setting in order...he was also beginning kindergarten. Whew! That's my baby...my LAST one starting a whole new chapter in his little life...

I remember one of the meetings we were supposed to have to update the IEP if needed. His super sweet Kindergarten teacher was so angry in this meeting. Why? It's because we had to put down that he had a disability in order to keep receiving services. After seeing how far he'd worked & had come...and knew he had a slowed development in his speech because of his ears early on...this was not an issue for hubby & I. It was infuriating to his teacher...
She was upset because he was so smart & so social...she just didn't understand...
We informed her it was fine. And he continued to work so hard...

Lil Guy at his Kindergarten graduation: Teacher at the podium & shaking hands with the principal

Keep in mind...even while he wasn't talking right at age 2...he was still very social & a total ladies man! He could make a friend in the blink of an eye! It was wild to watch. He was even in a preschool classroom of 20: 5 of them were boys...and of the 15 girls, 14 of them were blondes. And most of them were in love with my son. HE COULDN'T EVEN TALK TO THEM RIGHT!!!

Last year, he was the most popular kid in his class...all the kids wanted to be in his group &/or try to sit by him. Going to speech didn't bother the other kids at all! It's a beautiful thing...

When this year rolled around, not only was he only having a couple of speech & language issues, he remains to be very popular (it's always been that way), he does super well in school...excelling at everything he does: reading, math, spelling...he just hates writing. But he keeps pushing himself, too.

He's one of the top readers in his class, he's on the student council, and he excels at sports...and is quite the leader. See? Very Captain America! And he is always willing to help out!

Tall for his age, good looking, leader, athletic, big heart...yep...totally Captain America!

His teachers always brag on him...so does the principal. He is very helpful to others, too. Lil Guy does have a big heart. And I truly believe it's because he can hang with the most popular of kids as well as the outcast ones...like many who go to speech.

I do believe this journey has molded more in him than just his speech & language.

He got to be a voice of a puppet for the children's Christmas play at church and have a line to say during VBS (Vacation Bible School) Sunday. These moments choke me up...this is something that I didn't know if he'd ever be able to do...

We've already had some of the IEP meetings this year. He's always done well & the speech pathologist loves him! So does his teacher. And still the principal.

Today...
*ahem*
Today...was a strange & bittersweet meeting...
After discussing that he's met his goals...and after some thorough testing, we were told his journey is complete. He is officially released from speech therapy services. Done. Over.

A long fought battle...and an hard journey has reached its destination.

I'm so proud of Lil Guy! What is has done is beyond amazing! But it's so weird to know we won't have anymore IEP meetings. Done. Over.

What a journey! What a wonderful young man & leader is will become. They've already figured he'll do great things. And that's not the parents talkin'...

And he is the coolest, funniest, goofiest, smartest, most athletic kids I've ever known. *Proud Mama*

Plus...I want to thank all of you who have been behind us thru this whole thing. It's had mostly ups & he's worked so hard! If only many of you could hear him now...I might have to work on that so you can listen to how far he's come & what he's worked so hard toward...

I'm a bit choked up thinking about it.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Says Farewell to Little Timmy

So anyway...

It's been about a year & a half since Lil Guy has had any sort of dental removal. He was in kindergarten when he lost his 1st 2 teeth about a month apart from each other. So, we just figured we were off & running with the whole "Hey, My Kid Looks Toothless" thing.

After those 1st 2 teeth...we checked around his mouth often. We we couldn't figure out why there was no more extra movement going on with the pearly whites of his pie hole. What was going on?

When WE ALL WENT TO SEE THE DENTIST, we were shown Lil Guy's X-rays...ALL of his roots were still running deep. Apparently it would still take a while before much would happen. Great...that means he'll be 14yo & still yanking out baby teeth, then! Amm-i-rite? Geez!

Now...remember I said he lost those 1st 2 teeth in kindergarten? He went thru the entire 1st grade without a single tooth budging. How annoying! All these other kiddos losing teeth...but not Lil Guy... *sigh*

Here he is, into the 2nd grade...and late in the fall, we starting noticing the slightest bit of movement in his 2 front teeth! Woo Hoo!! We figured that he'd be singing a certain Christmas song come holiday time...

"All I wan' for Chrithmath ith my two fron' teeth, my two fron' teeth, my two fron' teeth. All I wan' for Chrithmath ith my two fron' teeth, tho I can with you Merry Chrithmath!"

But...Christmas time has come & gone, and so has a new year. Guess what we are still working on! Yep...those pesky front teeth! Even the teeth on either side of them are wiggly, but we just knew those front ones would be coming out soon!

Here lately, one of those teeth has been much, MUCH more wiggly. As I spoke to Lil Guy about it, and because he's my son, and our brains tend to work differently than most, we had a discussion about these teeth. It went something like this:


ME:  So, let me check those teeth. *messes with teeth trying not to be bitten* Whoa! Little Timmy is still hanging on for dear life! When is he going skydiving?

LG:  Little Timmy? Who's 'Little Timmy'?

ME:  Your tooth, silly! The one hanging on for dear life!

LG:  Oh!!

ME:  So...when is Little Timmy going skydiving? Is he waiting for Little Tommy, you know...your other tooth...to push him out?

LG:  No...Little Timmy isn't going anywhere just yet. And Little Tommy isn't pushing him out yet.

ME:  Oh, OK. If you're sure...

LG:  So, what's my tooth's name?

ME:  Well, I don't know. What is it?

LG:  Hmmm...I think it's Little...hmmm...TERMINATOR!

ME:  Really? You're gonna call it 'Little Terminator'?

LG:  *grinning* Yep!

ME:  That's impossible! When he jumps, he 'won't be bahhk'. *face palm* (yep...think Arnold-like)

LG:  *laughs*

ME:  So, does Little Timmy need help skydiving? Looks like he's just bungee jumping right now...

LG:  NO! *face palm*


Now then...we've been trying to coax Little Timmy into going skydiving. I just knew Little Tommy wanted his own space & just figured he'd be pushing Little Timmy out at any time!

We even offered to throw a couple of punches at Little Timmy to try to help out. For some reason, Lil Guy wasn't too excited about that thought. Whatever!

Yesterday, during the very final couple of seconds of Lil Guy's basketball game, he ended tangled with another kid & went down to the floor as the other kid tripped over Lil Guy's face! YIKES! Apparently there was quite a bit of blood coming from where Little Timmy has been residing. So, we figured that the eviction of Little Timmy was immanent! But...no. Little Timmy just didn't want to leave.

Last night, Lil Guy was really working on Little Timmy. I really figured Little Timmy would've taken the leap last night. It was making me crazy seeing Little Timmy pointing at me. I'm pretty sure I saw Little Tommy roll his enamel at the whole situation. But Lil Guy decided to give Little Tommy a break for the night. Grrrrr...! As SOON as I got in bed, Lil Guy called me into his room. I was prepared for Lil Guy to be hoisting Little Timmy...but...no. Instead I was beckoned just to be told that Little Timmy was just hanging by a thread...he felt his tooth pop out of place. We were getting vewwy, vewwy close.

I got Lil Guy up this morning for church & saw that Little Timmy was still in place. I guess Little Tommy was still asleep or something...
But I did tell Lil Guy that I just KNEW that Little Tommy's skydiving would be inevitable today! Within about 10 minutes...Lil Guy called for me...and...

That's right! Little Timmy took the plunge! Or Little Tommy couldn't deal with it anymore...not sure which...

But now Lil Guy's looks have already changed drastically. *sigh* And soon enough, Little Tommy will jump, too. That will really change up Lil Guy's looks. I'm guessing he'll start looking older with the big teeth coming in. *cries a little*

Yes, I've been thru this before. Keep in mind that it's been a long time. OK? And...this is my baby! Remember?

Alright...guess we need to prepare for Little Timmy's ascension trip with the Tooth Fairy. He has taken his final leap into Tooth Heaven...

Good Bye, Little Timmy! Good Bye!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

Today, AM~Erica is Brought to You by the Letter 'B'

So anyway...

I'm not sure what it was about this morning...and I have watched this show for a few years...but somehow Sesame Street found it's way to my bungalow.

Somehow...today has been brought to you by the letter 'B'! It wasn't scheduled on the calendar, it just snuck up on me & entered into conversation this morning!

I turned into some kind of Muppet! I'm not kidding!

So, for this episode, please picture me like this:

British Chap Muppet...with a MOUSTACHE!

I am a British Bloke Breaking it down in my Best British accent.

As I was getting my Baby Boy (aka - Lil Guy) out of Bed, I was asking him about Breakfast. He usually likes Bacon. That's what he wanted...so I fixed Breakfast for him...then came Back with this:

"I do Believe that you should get out of Bed and Bring your Boy Booty, wrapped in your Blanket, to the Breakfast table for your Breakfast of Bacon. BOOM!"

(all done in my Best British accent)

Bacon! Bacon starts with 'B'!

I Brought him out of his Bedroom for his Breakfast, told him he needed to have his Bacon (with yogurt & vitamins...even though those didn't fit the theme...except for maybe the Vitamin B in the vitamin) so that he could catch the Bus.

Bus! Bus starts with 'B'!

After Breakfast, Baby Boy needed to Brush his teeth & hair. I let him know he needed to dress warmly since it was so Brisk outside! Burrrrrrrrr...!!

**Side Note: Hubby said yesterday that "Bird" is not the word...it's just "Burr!" I informed him it's probably because the 'd' froze off. **
(Back to our regularly scheduled program...)

So, as I sipped (read "guzzled") my Brew (still coffee, not tea...British only in the accent today), I prepared to drive Baby Boy to the Bus stop in my car, Bessie. (yes, my car is really named Bessie...she told me so)

Baby Boy got Bundled up, and off to the Bus we Bounded...But only after I put on my Black Beret & Black Boots...and Boa.

Black Beret & Boa while sipping my Brew. Pic has a Blue hue! (Oh...look...DR. SEUSS JOINED US, TOO!)

Black Boots! Black Boots starts with 'B'!

So, Baby Boy got on the Bus & I waved Bye to him.

Do you think my other [teenaged] Babies would think I was Bonkers? Bingo!

Boy...do I need to Buckle down & get Busy!

Time to find me some Breakfast...or Brunch...

Bye-Bye!

Today's Blog post was Brought to you By the letter 'B'

Big Bird shows us a Butterfly & Butterfly Book...all starting with 'B'

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica          (BLESS! Bless starts with 'B'!)

AM~Erica Feels So Guilty

So anyway...

Our Lil Guy, who JUST HAD A BIRTHDAY, is really something else. And we are still glad that he is not yet embarrassed by us being around. Actually, he's still in the stage where he's happy to show us off...

Lately, things have been crazy. Our kiddos are all involved in totally different things. So trying to get them to & from practices/rehearsals while trying to make as many events as possible while having hubby with a very busy schedule with his career...it's tiring. It turns my stomach when we (or either hubby &/or I) have to miss any of the events. It breaks my heart.

Now, there are things my hubby has to be at. There's no way around it. He tries to finagle things a bit, and always tries his best to put the family events first! Always! And there are days when we need a flow chart to keep up with each other & what all is going on!

Now then...Lil Guy doesn't always remember how busy we all are. He's been dying for hubby & I to come meet him for lunch at his school. Isn't that sweet? I'm not gonna lie...I cannot stand eating in the cafeteria. It's loud, stressful, kids touching other kids food, kids trying to make your own kid feel bad for not sitting by them...just thinking about it makes my blood pressure rise. But we have done it because Lil Guy wants us there.

In the past, I have volunteered for Lil Guy's class. On those days, I would generally go ahead & have lunch with him, too. Like I said...the cafeteria experience always made my blood pressure rise...but I loved having that moment shared with Lil Guy. I loved knowing he was happy I was there.

This year, I was not asked to come volunteer weekly. So, I have fallen off the weekly lunching schedule. I think I might have eaten with him twice this year...maybe. He's really been on me again...but with hubby. Now hubby's schedule is hard to work around thru the day. He's had impromptu lunch meetings or working thru lunch...or days he needed to get stuff done at the house. He usually takes a later lunch, too. Apparently Lil Guy eats earlier. So it's been difficult.

He's been on a big kick of asking us to "surprise" him by bringing lunch. But he usually follows up with what day we should "surprise" him. (Yeah...I don't think he is quite understanding the surprise element...) But he's been asking a lot. I keep informing him that I need to work around daddy's schedule. He knows, but really wants us to come meet him for lunch.

Lil Guy pressed again today. I had to inform him that I didn't know hubby's schedule yet. He knew that. It was breaking my heart...
We didn't make it to lunch with him today. And I'm dwelling on it. Horribly.

With all of the violence that has happened that everyone keeps ridiculously debating over...people have lost their lives. School children, college students, innocent bystanders...have lost their lives. They didn't get one more lunch date with their family...their families didn't get one more game to watch with them, one more dinner, one more shopping outing, etc...
We had a guy at our church who was very active in and around the church. He was a very healthy guy who had a fluke health thing happen, and was gone. It was a shock. He will not sing in the choir or church quartet, he will have no more say in meetings, he will not lead another class, he will not get another round of golf with the guys, he will not get another baseball game with his son or a dinner with his wife.

Just...like...that...gone.

That kind of insanity is dwelling on me. However, I would not miss a single one of any of Lil Guy's ball games or programs if I could help it. I turned down 2 amazing opportunities next month so I could watch Lil Guy play his games.

That's what would happen with any of my kids. If there's a play, performance, game, program, etc. that I need to be at...I will make it work. I will work any extras around their schedules so I can root my kids on & support them!

So...tomorrow...hubby & I will "surprise" Lil Guy with lunch. No amount of laundry, cleaning, dishes, shopping, planning, phone calls, or any other event will stop me from making my kid feel special. Especially when he still wants us around.

I love my kids that much. And I hate feeling guilty about even missing any of their things for any reason.

Oh...and don't tell Lil Guy about tomorrow...you know...that whole "surprise thing" and all...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Celebrates One of the Longest, Hardest Days Ever: Part II

CONTINUED FROM THIS POST - READ 1ST

So anyway...

This baby was not wanting to come. I was still cranky, uncomfortable, irritable, and I think EVERYONE wanted me to have this kid already.  We were coming upon January 21st very quickly. I was finishing up things at work & getting things ready around the house. Nesting to a point...but it had to be done!

It was a Friday. I went in early, got hooked up & monitored, nearly passed out, got oxygen, and couldn't eat anything the entire time. I lied there miserable, frustrated & wanting it all to just be over with. That's why I set up like this in the first place! Family, friends & health professionals couldn't believe it was taking so long. I needed it over. Badly. Not just for my own sanity, but for the well being of any & all of those around me. I was DONE & desperately needed to move onto the next chapter...because the journey getting to this point had been so difficult & scary.

I almost passed out while being hooked up. I couldn't eat anything, but I was ready to do this! We got started around 7:00 in the morning. They had to put on the monitor in BIG letters that I was high-risk. So we got the task going. I was more than ready to HAVE THIS KID!

The day wore on...and the nurses were fully expecting things to go quickly considering this is my 3rd time around.

As the day droned on...we got to see family come in off & on, we got to see friends off & on, we got our off & on visits from poor Young Doc.

My contractions weren't really happening, no matter what we did. The nurses thought my monitoring wires had slipped. But...no. I laid there frustrated & sad that things...just...weren't...going.

By this time, we had even gotten a visit from church friends, and...AND???...I got a visit from heaven-sent OB/GYN AND his nurse...at the same time! Poor doc was still in a sling, but they came to see how thing were doing anyway. Guess what I did! If you guessed "Cried" for $400...you win!

As the day wore on...there was still nothing. I will leave it as "several things were tried." By that evening, things were finally going again. I was hungry. I was tired. I was frustrated. The nurses at the nurses station would check on me because they figured I would have had this kid already. I was told that the nurses were ready to blame other nurses for not changing their board yet...because there is NO way a 3rd pregnancy & labor should ever take this long. Except this one...apparently.

Now, hubby & I had agreed from our FIRST PREGNANCY TOGETHER that an epidural would NEVER be used. We saw a video that scared us really badly! And I didn't use one for the first 2. Young Doc wanted us to use one. It had to do with the high risk thingy...but we refused. He kept pushing us though...and we were getting frustrated with him AND the long labor. Not OK.

Eventually, Young Doc had the anesthesiologist come in to talk to us about the epidural...around 10:00 that night. (Yes...it was taking this long.) The anesthesiologist explained an epidural like we didn't already know what it was. Even the nurses said we could not be forced to use one. And after a crazy-over-technical explanation, the anesthesiologist left the room. The nurses put it in layman's terms anyway, even though we already knew. And then, a moment of greatness happened...the anesthesiologist entered back into the room and said, "Now, that was just for your information. It's your decision. No one can make you have one." If I could have danced for joy in that moment...I might have. I think I cried again instead.

Not long after that, things REALLY started progressing...FINALLY!!

I will try to spare you several details...but after a very frustrated Young Doc figured out there was no chance of us doing an epidural...it was time to start pushing! FINALLY!!

I don't know how long it went...but I remember the voice of Young Doc, as remembering I really wanted to have this baby TODAY, he yelled, "C'mon, Erica! You only have 10 minutes!!" I pushed harder & that baby boy was out 6 minutes later. WHEW!!!

It was over. My baby boy was born on his own day to celebrate...barely. Born at 11:56 PM. One of the longest days of my life...EVER!

Now, there were a couple of very unhappy grandparents in all of this. Hubby didn't make it out to the waiting area...where the ALL of the family and a few friends waited almost the entire day with us...until after midnight. Why were 2 of them upset? My mom missed the announcement due to needing to step away for a moment. The other one was mom-n-law...who totally figured the baby would wait until the wee-early morning hours of Saturday, January 22nd...HER birthday...to be born.

And...I was exhausted, I was hungry, I was relieved. We had 7.3 pound, healthy baby boy to show for all the work.

In retrospect...I'm wondering if this was the reason he was being so stubborn:

But, all of this happened 8 years ago. It hardly seems possible. Lil Guy has brought us such joy in these few years of his existence. We did decide that he is twins all by himself. He is ALL of the good, as well as ALL of the bad of Teen Girl AND Teen Boy put together.

Lil guy is smart, witty, hilarious, creative, talented, athletic, cool & an all around great kid.

Even though he came a year & a half early, we are so glad he got here when he did.

He has been the attention of nearly all the girls in one of his preschool classes (no joke), and now he excels at most anything he does or puts his mind to. He is a great reader, usually the best or one of the best players on any team of any sport he plays, he was chosen for student council, and can make friends very quickly.

He's our Captain America leader type. And, even though he can be a booger, we love him & are proud of everything he does...except when MEANIE CHIN tells him otherwise.

And, lovingly, he is our last.

And we wish him another fantastic birthday! He was worth the extra effort.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Celebrates One of the Longest, Hardest Days Ever: Part I

So anyway...

Today, I am celebrating one of the hardest days I have ever experienced in my whole life...

It was a Friday. I went in early, got hooked up & monitored, nearly passed out, got oxygen, and couldn't eat anything the entire time. I lied there miserable, frustrated & wanting it all to just be over with. That's why I set up like this in the first place! Family, friends & health professionals couldn't believe it was taking so long. I needed it over. Badly. Not just for my own sanity, but for the well being of any & all of those around me. I was DONE & desperately needed to move onto the next chapter...because the journey getting to this point had been so difficult & scary.

OK, let me back track to catch you up to speed...
It was February of 2004 when my hubby & I were working on some things within our relationship. In the midst of the discussions, we were strongly considering having another child. Between his daughter plus the 2 we had together, we had three "blessings". Though they are all blessings in their own right, you can read between the quotation marks to maybe figure out what I'm sayin'...

For once, we were actually going to plan having a kid! We knew there were many things we wanted to get done & have in place first, so we were hoping to give ourselves about a year & a half before bringing a new little one into our lives. So...this was our mission. Everything we were going to do was to be in prep of our long term pregnancy plan. However, God got really excited to know that we were hoping to bring another little miracle into our lives...

In June 2004, I had not been feeling the best & really felt I needed to see my heaven-sent OB/GYN. I think it's because I had a suspicion that I might be pregnant...but hoping that wasn't the case yet. WE HAD A PLAN! And, when my doctor & his nurse both saw that I was not in a joking mood, I think they knew I was concerned. Then...the test results were confirmed...and I was still in shock. So much so, I was apparently supposed to get dressed & then head out to the desk for further appointments...I missed some of that as I was trying to process what to do next. What was I going to tell my hubby, my family, my friends, my job? WE HAD A PLAN! But the plan fell thru...and then my doctor's fantastically-sarcastic, wickedly-humored nurse realized my door was still closed. She came in to check on me & realized I was still in my open-back gown just sitting on the edge of the examination table...in shock. She dropped all humor & flipped into super-caring mode to make sure I was OK. She realized I was in shock. She realized I had no witty comebacks for her. I was thrown off my game...my whole game of life. We weren't ready.

Part of the problem was that it would also mean I was to be a high-risk pregnancy. Now...this is a reason I won't go into. Some know what my issue was, but that part is personal. Even though a group did find out without us knowing first, hopefully most of them have forgotten. It's something that was going to be taken care of later in the year...but could not happen at this time. I was stuck. We were stuck. And we were scared. Scared for my body...scared for the baby.

It was a hard several months after that. I was horribly uncomfortable, and terrified thru the whole time. I knew I could lose this baby at any time. This pregnancy reeked havoc on my body. I was always dry...as in I had to drink at least 128 ounces of water everyday, and I had to keep thick hand cream in my hair. I hurt...a lot. And...I was terrified.

We kept the pregnancy a secret from our previous church. Since my hubby is a pastor, he is sent to different churches from time-to-time. He was the associate at our home church & was getting ready to get his very own church. Not only was I scared about the pregnancy (so was he), we needed our time leaving to be the focus. Our last Sunday was on Father's Day 2004. And the family had done a really good job in keeping the news under wraps. We had only told a very select few. It was the same with my job.

We didn't tell the kids until the afternoon of Father's Day to make sure things didn't slip. Only 2 of the 3 kids were OK with it. The other one will be pointed out later...

I really didn't even want to know what we were having. I didn't want to get so attached to this child if I was going to lose it. However...as emotional as I was at the sonogram when we might find out what we were having, the technician asked if we wanted to know, because it was obvious...
I was in tears, because I didn't know what to do. But I know my hubby would want to know...so I sucked it up, held my breath & nodded. When she SHOWED us that it was...going...to...be...a...BOY...I had a strange sense of peace that washed over me. Even my hubby felt it & noticed my change.

I was still terrified...

We did eventually move to a town home with more bedroom space. We would need to set up a nursery. However...I still had issues. I could not go near the nursery-to-be. And I was still miserable. The to-be-nursery became more of a storage room...except when I needed to put something in there, I would crack the door & throw the item(s) in. I couldn't bear seeing this room that would or would not house our unborn child once it came...if it came at all. (Did I mention this high risk thing had me terrified?)

Only 2 of the 3 kids were willing to discuss the baby. They wanted to talk about possible names...even before we knew what we were having. I didn't want to show them my great fears. I sucked it up, tried to keep back my tears & hoped my stomach would stop flipping & turned when the subject would come up. I was not handling this well at all.

Eventually, my hubby convinced me to start talking about names. I kept blowing him off. I didn't want a name for a child we may never get to know. I had put up such a wall about the whole thing...even though I was growing rapidly in girth with what seemed to be a healthy pregnancy. But it didn't feel like one. I was terrified. But I was worn down & talked names with hubby. We weren't agreeing. Not a surprise...but none were going to make me happy...that would mean this child would have a pre-set identity to attach ourselves to. I didn't want it if it might not happen.

Even in my stressed-out-state of being, I was S-L-O-W-L-Y coming to terms that we may end up having this baby born, possibly healthy, and living with us. I did even *GULP* set up the nursery. Imagine my hubby's surprise! Though I was still terrified deep down, I was putting on a better face. We were just wondering how our unsure kiddo would handle this whole thing...

One afternoon, the family was at the mall. I remember a very young Teen Girl (this was WAY before the "Teen" part came) holding my hand as we went down the escalator. She took her free hand & rubbed my belly. I was SHOCKED! Maybe she was coming to terms with it now, too! She looked up at me sweetly, and in a sweet little voice said, "Mommy? We are NOT having this baby!" Wait...wha-WHA?? I informed her it was not up to her, but...just...wow. Didn't help my mood toward the pregnancy for sure. (But I didn't tell her that!)

My heaven-sent OB/GYN was keeping good tabs on me. He knew how I felt. Even though things were going well, the high-risk thing still loomed heavily, like a thick, brooding thundercloud not allowing sunshine thru. He tried to keep it positive by giving me goals to reach. The possibility of the the baby coming early was all too real. I was so miserable that I didn't realize he was just trying to keep things positive & moving forward. In my flustered & terrified state, I was hoping it meant that we were getting this baby out of me at any time! No, I was not in my right mind to think that the longer the baby was baking in my belly, the better.

And then...I got horrible news:
my doctor would be having rotator cuff surgery just a month before I was to have this boy. If I wasn't upset enough as it was, now I have to deal with this change. He would not be delivering my baby. I was crushed! CRUSHED!! However, he had VERY recently brought his son on board to the practice. Like father, like son? Well, that's who I was supposed to start seeing...

Now then...hubby was NOT happy about this either. But not for the reason I was upset. See...the younger doctor, though older than me, was younger than hubby. Hubby was not impressed.

I thought it was pretty funny. One of the lighter moments during the whole pregnancy. I had to inform him that Young Doc:

1. would never be my type

B. would never want a super preggo chic who is horribly emotional

XLVII. would never want someone who wanted to tear his head off while crying every time he saw her

*ahem* Yep. That's what I did to that poor guy in my mental & physical state. I would yell at him to get this kid out of me & I would get all over-emotional & cry...every time. I'm pretty sure he didn't look forward to my weekly visit. And, I really did try to "convince" him (*clears throat* by throwing a tantrum) that I should be able to meet him on the hospital side so he could remove this kid. Bless his heart...he kept trying to inform me that my body & the baby were not quite ready. I tried to beg to differ (yes, in total tears...every time) that I was more than ready.

He decided that he would give me another week. If I was at all dilated, we'd talk induction. I'm pretty sure I was wearing him down with my incredible levels of emotional whining. Right?

After showing up the next week & being dilated to MAYBE half of a centimeter...and after my emotional reminder that he would schedule me if there was ANY dilation...he gave in & we started talking about when...

He asked how Friday, January 21st sounded. Even though the the due date was the 29th...and I was told I could have the kid before January...it wasn't soon enough for me, but it would have to do. I had an additional talk with the doctor that we had to make sure the baby was out THAT DAY!! See...my mom-n-law's bday is the following day. Now, it's not that it's her birthday that repelled me from wanting my son born then...I just really wanted my kiddos to have their own day! It didn't matter which family member it was, I would want to avoid piggy-backing birthdays if at all possible!

So...the countdown began, but hoping I would go into labor before then. *crossing fingers*

...TO BE CONTINUED (HERE)...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Presents: Meany Chin

So anyway...

If you caught my BLOG POST FROM YESTERDAY, then you may have noticed a quick reference to "Meany Chin" in one of the pic captions. I also promised it would get a future post...so I am doing it now.

Folks, there is a creature that lives within Lil Guy's face. Whenever he gets mad or is up to absolutely no good, Meany Chin appears. Somehow, my son grows a chin like Jay Leno's & it has a personality all its own.

We always know if he's up to something. Even though this kiddo has dimples like his dad, brother & my stepdaughter, his dimples don't show up when he's up to something, being mischievious, or just being downright mean like it happens with the others. Instead...Meany Chin appears.

Notice Lil Guy sitting on Santa's lap...that thing jutting out from under his mouth is the appearance of Meany Chin

Meany Chin comes out at the weirdest times. You know...like visiting with Santa. *face palm*

I honestly think that this is where all of Lil Guy's evility-filled schemes come from...that ornery Meany Chin. *sigh*

Hmmm...I wonder if Meany Chin could totally be sneaking Jerktonium (Spongebob reference, in case you didn't know) to Lil Guy & being the sole reason Lil Guy could end up on Santa's naughty list!
Dun-dun-DUN!!

I wonder if Lil Guy can unfriend Meany Chin...you know...like on Facebook. You think it could be done?

Guess we'll find out in a couple of weeks whether or not Lil Guy remained on the nice list...or if Meany Chin thwarted Lil Guy's name to the naughty list!

Oh...the evility of the whole situation...

And...as a side note: Meany Chin ended up in every pic, even the "official" one, with Santa this year. Not boding well for Lil Guy...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica is a Proud Parent

So anyway...

Teenagers are crazy. Mine make me insane. But that's not really news. But sometimes...SOMETIMES...there are moments when one of them shocks me. Yesterday was one of those days.

Brace yourselves...I'm about to gush over teenagers!! Ready??

TEEN GIRL (yep...believe it or not) has been trying to really work at getting noticed in the theater & music departments. That's her dream...Broadway & musical theatre! Her freshman year, she tried out for the fall musical "Hello Dolly." She got in as a chorus member, but we had to pull her out of the production, very unfortunately. Then she didn't even try out for the winter comedy or spring drama. But, her sophomore year, she tried out for the fall musical, "Annie." This is a musical that has been triumphant and heartbreaking many times over in this family. For my daughter, this would be the 3rd time she would be involved. The first 2 times, she was cast as an orphan; the first time was Kate, the next time around, she was Duffy. Yep, always an orphan...but not THE orphan she wanted to be so badly. She, indeed, wanted to be Annie.

Even though I am biased as a parent, I am also a realist as a parent. If my kid is good for a role, I will help them prepare for that; if they want a role they are not fitting for, I will try to redirect them. And, having a theatre/forensic/music background, I am also well aware that directors will be looking for what they want or need. So, I always give the pep talk before auditions, before callbacks & before casting:

Auditions speech:

"Go do what you can. Stay focused on what you need to do. Be willing to take whatever role is offered. Go give them your very best & prove to them what you can do. Break a leg!"

Callbacks speech:

"Callbacks are if anyone needs to be looked at again for some reason. If you make callbacks, it's fine...they just want or need to hear or see you again. If you don't make callbacks, it's fine...that means you've done what you can & you don't need to be seen again. Making callbacks doesn't necessarily mean you got a part & not making callbacks doesn't mean you didn't get a part. Just hold out for casting. You've done all you can at this point. If you do make callbacks, give it all you've got & do your best."

Casting speech:

"OK, remember...you did all you can & it's been all up to the director. If you get in, that's fantastic! If not, it means there wasn't a perfect spot for you in the directors eyes. Still help out with crew. But, if you do make it, and it is not a part you want, do not be disappointed! Be the best at whatever part you are given. Always. And if you get a bigger part, do not be a diva about it! Work together as a cast & a family. No matter what happens, it will be fine & you are still loved. Break a leg!"

Yes, this speech is given...
Every. Single. Time.
Teen Girl hates hearing it, but she knows it's coming...because she needs the reminder.

Even though that girl was SO perfect for Annie, and she knew this would be her only remaining time to possibly be cast in the role, she held out hope...again. And her director has been very clear that if a freshman or sophomore was perfect for a lead role, they would be the ones cast...being an upper classman had nothing to do with casting. So...this was it! But I did tell her to brace...if she didn't get Annie, she would be an orphan...again.

So...
        She...
                 Got...

...the part of July...another orphan. She was so sad. I was so sad for her. A freshman got the role. And was quite a snot about it, too.

I was very proud of my daughter. She took the role & did it wonderfully...as always.

She didn't try out for the winter comedy or the spring drama though. She didn't think she'd be able to & never told us about auditions. She asked if she could watch friends do callbacks. The director told us he was disappointed that we didn't let her try out...we set him straight.

So...then came this year's fall musical. They did "The King & I". *insert speeches here* She was holding out for Tuptim. She got one of the king's wives. And? She really doesn't like the girl that got Tuptim, either. Oh well...Teen Girl did very well! She even got to dance! *Proud Mama*

And then, auditions for the winter comedy & spring drama. The comedy will be "Arsenic & Old Lace." Teen Girl so wanted to be one of the aunts...hilariously & sweetly killing guys & all. The spring drama is "The House of Bernarda Alba." OK...as you can imagine...*insert speeches here* She really wanted the part of Martha, but knew she would need to deal with what ever she got...if anything at all. Well, after the Casting Speech from mom...she got word of whether or not she would be in either play...

Well...
          She's in one of them...

The drama...
                   as...
                           ADELA ALBA!

*GLITTER CONFETTI CANNONS & FIREWORKS*

She is a major part in the drama. She is the youngest & most defiant daughter. (Probably why she was cast, but that's beside the point.) We are so proud of her!! *GUSHES*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is not the only gushy announcement, people! Are you still holding on? I actually have to brag on Teen Boy, too!!

Wha-WHA??? Gushing about TWO teenagers in the same post? What is this world coming to??

*ahem*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As some of you know, TEEN BOY is involved in competitive speech & debate. He's a freshman. He went to his 5th tournament this season. From what I hear, he & his duo partner are REALLY good. Well, he went triple entered at the tournament this weekend. We got word yesterday that he & his partner broke to finals!! So...no matter what...THEY PLACE!! Woo Hoo!! So, he went back today for the finals round. And?

Well...
          they took...
                           5th Place!

*CONFETTI CANNONS & FIREWORKS* 

(I took out the glitter just for him)

We are so proud of our teens. Can you believe it? Hubby & I are beaming & gushing over them this weekend!

And, I'm not gonna leave out LIL GUY...
He is getting ready to have a good size role in our church Christmas play...he is going to be the voice of the cow puppet! And he's got a lot of lines, too!

We are proud parents! Can you tell?

*sigh with pride*

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica