Announcing the Graduating Class of 2022

Today was Audrey's Kindergarten graduation. She was sooo proud, which made her so cute to watch during the ceremony.

As they presented her class, the principal made note that they are the senior graduating class of 2022. Gosh that seems so far away, but I know she will be a senior in high school before I know it. Time FLIES!

Here is my precious baby girl.

My baby girl, mommy is just as proud as you are. Congratulations my little graduate.

Tiny Dancer

Well the miss went to her second tap/ballet class today. I promised G.G. some pictures, which was a feat in itself. They only have the blinds and door to the studio open on the first Saturday of each month. So, I snuck in a shot just as she walked into the studio and then a couple as we were leaving the dance center.
The momma needs to get better at putting a bun in the fidgety miss' hair. She hates it when I put her hair up, so she doesn't cooperate. This morning, we were running late, so I did the best I could. I also need to get better at having everything ready the night before, so there isn't a mad "let's get ready" dash. The hubby sleeps in on Saturdays, so I, of course, wait until the last minute to get the mister, the miss and myself ready to go by 8:30. But her class will be ongoing until June, so we should get it down at some point, maybe before May, right?????




Yesterday was the hubby's last day working as an Airman in the USAF. He doesn't officially separate until the end of the month, but he is using up his remaining 2 weeks leave. So, no more uniform, no more boots, no more rushing to find his hat in the mornings, or his misplaced id card. No more seeing him dressed in his military blues. It is a bittersweet thing. Although, we are so excited to move on to the next chapter in our lives, there are some things about the military I will miss. I will miss getting to meet new military families. I will miss having my clinic, my labs, and the kiddo's doctor all in the same building. I will miss having prescriptions filled right after the appointment, at the pharmacy right down the hall from the clinic. I will miss free health care. I will miss the BX. I will miss the military functions and the military discounts. But I will love not worrying anymore about deployments or having to ever have my hubby gone for a long time!!!

He had his going away lunch yesterday, and I forgot the camera. But, thankfully, there was someone there taking pictures. So, when I get those, I will post them on here.

As far as the hubby's job search, he had been working with a couple of contract companies, one of which called him earlier in the week to let him know they were submitting his resume to a company seeking someone to fill a network security position. The contract company then called him a day or so later to let him know that an interview had been set up. But they wanted to be sure he would be okay working for Compassion International, a Christian child sponsorship company, because as they put it, it was a "different culture". Little did they know, we happen to be strong Christians who actually have sponsored a Compassion child in the past. So he was elated to have an interview set up. How awesome would that be to work for such a great Christian organization, surrounded by Christian employees? And the pay is comparable to what he was hoping to make. So, his interview is this upcoming Tuesday.

It's funny, when we first moved out here, I knew Compassion was out here, and I had checked their employment opportunities often. I always thought it would be neat for me or the hubby to work there someday. And now, well...we'll see. :o)

So, that's my quick update. I know I didn't post much last week and I apologize. Last week, was a sleepy week for me and I crashed a lot on the couch by like 9:00 at night. But the first trimester is almost over.

Oh, and by the way, the hubby and I watched Premonition the other night, and it is VERY GOOD!!! So, YOU SHOULD SEE IT!

Have a great Saturday!!

Rollercoaster Road

Yesterday I had a scary driving experience. It was CRAZY! I had made arrangements to purchase a table from a couple who lived in a neighboring city about 45 minutes north of us. My friend Tiff, lent me her van, so that I could bring the table and chairs home in one trip...THANK GOODNESS! The hubby stayed home with the kiddos and I headed on my drive. It's funny, I almost wore flip flops to the couple's home, but since it was a bit rainy and I figured perhaps they had a huge home on a dirt lot, I wore boots instead. That was definitely the right choice. As I headed on my drive, I noticed about 15 minutes north of us, there was snow on the ground, from perhaps a recent snow storm. I found this to be crazy, since we had such nice weather where we live all week long...and I had only driven for 15 minutes. Then as I turned onto one of the two lane highways to reach my destination, I was first awed by how beautiful it was. The homes seemed secluded among tons of trees covered in snow, it was breathtaking. I began to think that perhaps if hubby and I stay out here for a long time, it would be nice to live in this city.

It started snowing a tad harder and I soon realized, after the van began to slide, that the road was very icy. So I suddenly switched to focused driver mode and didn't even care anymore how beautiful the tree lined streets were. Then I saw some flashing lights and as I slowly approached, I saw a car that had crashed into the guardrail. The front end looked horrible. The hood was in the windshield. About another mile down the road, I saw more flashing lights and a truck completely flipped over. I was now a tad scared. I turned onto the next stretch of highway, another two lane one, and there were more flashing lights and another accident. I then saw a sign telling me to slow down and that I was approaching roller coaster road. My heart started pounding. I was terrified. And it didn't help that a mile later there was yet another accident.
On the 60 mph highway, I think I was driving 20, if that. I made it to the couple's house. Upon seeing the table, I wasn't even that happy with it. But I risked my life to get it, so I bought it. I was telling the husband about the road conditions, and he proceeded to tell me about a time he witnessed, on a different highway, 5 cars slide off the road and roll over several times. That was not the story to tell terrified little me.

Driving back home, I was scared. I made it safely the first time, but now I had to do it again. And the lanes were so narrow, so I not only had to worry about my driving, but I had to worry about others sliding into me. I had only been at the couple's house for maybe 10 minutes. But when I headed back out onto the stretch of highway, there were two more new accidents, both rollovers. Firemen were out on the streets directing traffic. I couldn't believe how many accidents had taken place on about a 7 mile stretch of road. The snow was coming down, the window was very fogged up and the defroster was taking a while to kick in. I began to cry and I began to pray for God to keep me safe...to bring me home safely and to keep all the cars around me safe.

And I made it home. Originally, I was going to get the table and make some other trips before going home to unload the van. But once I hit the road that would lead me home, all I wanted to do was walk into my house and hug my hubby. I pulled into our driveway and as soon as I walked through my front door I told my hubby that I wanted a hug. He didn't understand why I was telling him that the drive was so scary. At our house it was lightly raining.

I let him know that when I first turned onto the highway, I was envisioning our future home there. But that I have now decided that I like where we live.

I am so thankful that God kept me safe on my drive. And I hope to never experience anything like that again.

Weekend Update

Psalms Sunday post is below. :o)

Well it's been somewhat of an eventful weekend. With everyone being sick lately, the past few Saturdays have found us lazy, lazy. So, yesterday, I decided we should get out of the house. We headed to Woodland Park to take the miss to the dinosaur museum. She seemed to have a pretty good time. She kept saying, "wow", over and over again. It was cute. She had fun with the hands on things....fossil rubbings and digging for bones and such.

But, she was terrified, TERRIFIED..of the T-rex. I wanted to get a picture of us, next to him...but she freaked out.

She was a bit traumatized and for awhile, stayed like this.....

All in all, she seemed to have fun. It was a neat, little place. And it really was little. We were only there for maybe 30 minutes. On the way out, she got some rock candy and some dinosaur money, so she was all smiles. And the mister was all smiles as
well.


I have been working on a header image/template for a gal. It's been fun. While working on it, I had one of those A-HA moments and headed on over to edit my own template. And, I was able to fix a problem in my template that has been annoying me for 7 months now. When you click on a link to one of my individual posts, script used to flood my header image, but not anymore, it's all fixed. YAY! You know you wanna see, come on, just for kicks, click Here.

The mister is doing well. He went to the doctor on Friday to get some oral nystatin for his thrush. And, since he has been on it, I have noticed that his eczema has improved substantially. On friday, his entire back was red, dry, bumpy. His face was covered in red patches. This morning, the skin on his tummy and back is red free and so smooth. And his face is clear. Coincidence??? I have begun to think not. I looked a little online this morning about the relationship between nystatin and eczema and have found some sites that discuss how eczema can be caused by yeast. And nystatin treats yeast. So, I will definitely be researching this further.

Finally, folks, my little girl has been melting my heart. Her new thing now is to let me know that she misses me, when I am asleep or at the store. She tells me that she is sooo glad I am here. This morning, she asked me for a kiss and a hug. And while we were hugging, she told me that she was glad that I am her mommy. TOO CUTE, I tell you what.

Well, that's it for the update. Oh, wait, I lied..... One more thing.

Last night, I did something that I haven't done in 7 months. I slept in my own bed, on my side of the bed, without a little body next to mine. My arm wasn't angeled just right to allow for a little head to rest in the crook of it. I was able to stretch out instead of taking up a little sliver, while my mister slept at an angle, kicking me in the belly. Yep, he slept in his crib last night...all night long...and didn't cry once. And I got sleep. It was wonderful!!!

Where I'm From

So, I was surfing blogs to find entries for the Hidden Treasure awards and I came across a fun little Where I'm From poem posted at Mississippi Girl.
You write the poem using a template that can be found here.

I spent a couple of hours on it. It was a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy it. And hey, why don't you make one too?!?!?!

Where I'm From

I am from the small room with the angled ceiling where the window looked out directly to the moon. Where I could holler to my neighbor friend whose bedroom lined up with mine.

I am from the Fisher Price record player that I used for hours as I sang and danced in my room. From the Care Bear movie soundtrack, Annie soundtrack and Sesame Street albums that I knew entirely by heart.

I am from the little white house with the blue shutters placed in the center of a huge, green yard where deer sometimes visited while running through the adjacent woods.

I am from the rose bushes, violets and buttercups. From the delicate lady's slippers that I lovingly piled in a bouquet for my mom, only to discover that they were protected and not to be picked.

I am from Tetley tea with milk, hours of Scrabble and Rummy playing, bowls of Maine blueberries drowning in milk that were only consumed on the back porch. I am from school closures on winter storm mornings, barbecues in the backyard, dancing in leg warmers with my mom to Flashdance and many visits to the nearby lake.

I am from the dark eyed and high cheek-boned, fulminating and animated Devito's, Desersa's and Lewis'.

I am from the emotional, passionate arguments and the ferry rides to our loud family get-togethers. I am from a true New Yorker who taught me that you HAD to be thick skinned and independent. And from a devoted Red Sox fan whom I spent many evenings with searching through stacks of baseball cards to find Mike Greenwell and Wade Boggs.

I am from the belief that my mom really did have eyes in the back of her head and from the many warnings that it was important to have on clean underwear in case we were involved in a wreck.

I am from an appreciation for education. One who needed to earn high grades. From a father's Ivy League dreams. Who gave his bright daughter Wesleyan and Harvard notebooks at the age of seven.

I am from one raised Catholic and one sort of Protestant who decided to join the nearby picturesque, small town church because it was the right thing to do.
I am from the church children's choir and occasional Sunday School class. However, as a family, we just played church and the beliefs weren't a part of our every day lives.

I am from a small New England town in Connecticut, Sioux Indians, Italian immigration to Ellis Island, homemade spaghetti sauce, chicken parmigiana and broccoli rabe.

I am from trips after school to the special restaurant, where I would eat ice cream in a dixie cup with a wooden spoon. From car rides with my dad where we would laugh as we sang Dan Folgenberg, Neil Diamond and Don McLean classics on the top of our lungs.

I am from the alcoholic grandfather that I never really knew. They say I got my voice from him.
From the grandmother my mom tried to keep me from, who I am finally getting to know, now that I am grown.
And from an entire family on my dad's side that I will never meet. They abandoned him and his siblings when they were just young kids.

I am from scattered photos housed in boxes and torn albums. Ones that truly do speak a thousand words and tell me the stories that my disease stricken mom's crippled memory is soon forgetting.

I am from a respect for all that my parents have been through in their lives, a longing to know more about my mother's young adulthood, and a strong desire to make sure memories are preserved for my own children.

So much to yap about

So, I just got back from the Women's Bible study tonight. I must say, I am blessed SOOOOO much when I go. I've only been twice now...and also to the retreat and every time....WOW! It's incredible! We are a small group of women with an amazing teacher leading us and we learn soooo much. I love it. And God is in that place. You feel His presence and it's just wonderful.

Anyway, I wrote a few days ago about how I don't want to do the day care anymore. Since then I have been scouring the want ads. I've applied to a few places. I have left two messages for the hotel I used to work with and some messages with a few other hotels. And I haven't heard a thing yet. Granted, it's only been a few days. But what's funny, in these past few days, I have received 6 calls from people asking me if I had any openings in my day care. Honestly, I only have room for one more full time and 2 before and after school. But personally, I don't think I could handle anymore....just yet. But the fact that I have received 6 calls in 3 days is crazy! I have gone months, and I mean months, without a call asking for care. When I first started up, it took me awhile to get any kids. I almost gave up. So after the last call I received this evening, I thought, okay God, are you trying to tell me something?

I began to then think that maybe I am supposed to be doing the day care right now. God has given me this position for a reason and entrusted these kids to me for a purpose. And tonight, at the Bible study, through the lesson, verses and discussion, it was confirmed.

To be completely honest, and I will admit it, I am the cause for the day care kiddos being so exhausting to me lately. I have been LAZY. I have been neglectful to my duties. I don't give it my 100%. I began to get burnt out and that excitement I once had for the day care and everything died. The only thing that is really structured are meal times and nap times, because they have to be. I don't always stick to a routine and there is way too much time spent in free play or watching movies and mainly for my benefit...or so I think. It actually doesn't benefit me because they act out and beat each other up and fight because of my laziness. Now, I know they are also really young, and that's what kids do, but at the same time, I can clearly see how my actions or lack thereof have produced the results lately that have been wearing me out.

So, tonight as I drove home from the study, I talked to God. I asked for Him to again confirm all of this if it is the case. And what I heard was.......

Erica, I have given you a job to do and you aren't doing it. You aren't giving it your all. You aren't working at it for me. You aren't doing it joyfully. You have not been showing those kids my love. You haven't been gentle always and patient always and you have been a time bomb with them. You get angered easily and once you begin to get stressed, you let them have the control. You know that these children don't live in true Christian environments. I chose these kids to be under your care for a reason. You want to have one on one time to teach your little girl. You want to start teaching her how to read. You want her to learn French. And most importantly, you want her to begin to memorize Bible verses. I want the day care kids to be learning those verses too.

Give it your all. Be prepared every day. You know you don't spend the time preparing and then the kids get bored while waiting for you to cut out their craft papers and get everything ready. It is then they act up. You know you need to take the time to be prepared.

Give this your all and then see how it goes.

So, that's what I am going to do. This weekend, I am going to put together a better schedule. I am going to work on their Bible Memory Verse poster. I am going to spend more time planning out the remaining letters and weeks of their current curriculum. I am going to remember that God has given me this task to do for Him and that I need to have that attitude, even when it is tough......even when I feel like I am talking to a wall instead of talking to the kiddos. And I need to remember that I can do ALL THINGS...because HE will give me the STRENGTH I need.

So, I am no longer bummed that the only calls I have gotten have been day care calls. Oh, how I'd jump when that phone rang and how how disappointed I was when it was the call it was.

But, ya know, I can do this. I can. My hubby asked me tonight, when I came home and told him all of this,...... so how long are you planning on doing it for?

Honestly, I am not too concerned with that right now. I mean I know that I'd like to be non-working in two years if possible, so that I really can focus on teaching just the miss and mister, since I do want to homeschool them for a little while. But until then, I'll just do what He has given me to do for now and follow His lead.