this is what I did on Saturday that threw my back out,(which is still sore).

I love seeing the kids reaction everytime they walk through the front door. They rush to the tree and turn it on and they jingle the bells saying "look at the Christmas tree"

We also have been watching all the Christmas classics and one new one "Shrek the halls". That was cute and funny.

I just got off the phone with my Mom and of course it's not hard to ask why she called if you just look outside. For the Michiganders who can't see Tucson, right now, it is raining!! Oh yes and not just the sprinkle and it will be gone. This is going to be going on for a minimum of 2 days. Heaven, I'm in Heaven.

Okay, well I'm off to enjoy my day, enjoy yours~C

Hdey ho everyone.
hope you are all doing fine. Me i'm still laid up with a bad back. Yesterday Rob stayed home to help take care of the kiddos cause i could barely walk from our bed to the bathroom. We started doing the hot-n-cold compresses and more muscle relaxers to help me along. I must say that I'm no longer crying everytime i have to get up. Today is such a huge difference from yesterday.
Today I can sit up for short intervals and i can get out of bed with little discomfort.
my mil has the kids today until Rob gets home from work. We set me up before rob left this morning qnd put the laptop in our room. i was hoping to put the portable dvd player in here too but i think i left one of the cords in the van last time i used it. so no movies. I have been surfing 2peas and rereading Janet evanovich's stephanie plum series 12 sharp. occasionally i take a break and cruise the new issue of creating keepsakes(not all inspiring)
Almost done with one of the christmas gifts i am making, or would have been done if my back wouldn't have fritzed out on me.
I am bored on my butt and just laying around. I know tomorrow i will be doing well enough to take Kelly to school but today is not good for much.
well i better go my back is starting to ache and i need to switch positions again.
have a good one
c

Recap of Conferences- Kelly is doing well all around but we need to work out a few areas like she cannot answer questions when called upon, she willgo off topic. Kelly basically doesn't talk much. Very shy. So shy that it is hindering her education.

So after talking with her teacher we are looking into getting some special services for her. Mostly just language and comprehension. I'm not sure what those will all entail but we should be having meetings in the next couple of months. The only area that had a NI for needs improvement was Displays Confidence (self-esteem).

It was kinda cute that they actually give out grades.

A= has a handle on the subject

B= work in progress

C= just learning concept or struggling

Kelly had 2 C's in Grammer- She talks about herself in the 3rd person and Science- no comment.

There were 3 A's- Spelling, Social Studies (that's my girl!) and Phys Ed

Then we have 5 B's or B+'s- Math, composition, penmanship, reading, spanish

Also Last night was Kelly's first Girl Scout meeting!! Mrs. Watt her teacher agrees that this might help Kelly abit. So we are starting Daisy's. Kinda excited and the troop leaders are looking for ideas that these girls can do.

So maybe I'll do a little research and talk to a friend of ours from church who does scouts also.

So that is all for now. Sorry no new pictures. I'll be doing that tomorrow.

Have a great weekend.Carrie

And then...

I have days like today.
Granted I woke up at 4am but it was a good morning. The kids were in a good mood with little fighting or arguing with me. Ate breakfast, got dressed, dropped kelly off, went to the grocery store for milk and came home and did my quiet time. Good so far.
The kids are spending the night at Grandmoms and Daddy and I have Kellys 1st parent/teacher conference. I am eagerly anticipating what the teacher has to say. So I will update that later.
Have started making Christmas cards, I'm soo excited to finally get this done. I mean I've talked about it for years and now I'm doing it. Now let's see if they get mailed out. Hehe. they will get mailed out.
Off to pack up the kids for their night at G'moms.
Ciao

pity party for one please

good Monday!!

Ya know, I check everyones blogs almost everyday but I have been failing to update my own and it's at the top of my list!

So I wrangled the kids and took a couple of photos before I was ready to strangle them, uploaded and started to blog.

Can I just say that we have hit that point in young Kelly's life where I am ready to trade her in for another model. The back talk, the looks, the NOT LISTENING, I've had enough. As I write this Kelly is in time out because she ran her scooter into her brother and spilled all his candies. Now, yes she apologized but it was the evil grin that went along that apology that got her into hot water.

I do not know how to deal with stubborn children. I am learning real fast that I'm becoming a control freak because I seem to nag, nag , nag all the time. It took me more than 30 minutes to get Wyatt to pick up the crayons he dumped on the floor. He flat out refused and cried, yelling no over and over.

Let's just leave it there.

This past week and even the birthday party that Kelly attended Sunday are frought with stubborness, fights and tears from all three of us. I feel like I have lost all control over my holigans, but the funny thing is how everyone (outside of family) compliments about how "good" they are. Granted most of this is only at home, but dang it when I say no I don't expect you to sneak and get it anyway, and then when I catch you hide it and smile at me. I'm not stupid.

So that is part of my problem lately, compound that with finances and Christmas coming I'm strung out. I never thought I was a jealous person until I couldn't do my own "thing" but other stay at home moms could. Yes I could go back to work, but God told me to quit work and everything would be okay. So I ask myself, "am I asking too much? This is hard for me to type out because in my head all these thoughts and counter talks (pros and cons) and trying to look at it from all angles keep swirling around. I pray about it daily but so far all is quiet so I am sitting in my pain.

I'm stopping.

I could keep going and part of me wants to but- so that in a month or even a year I can come back and see where I was struggling and be true to myself. This is my blog and if I'm having a shitty month and want to burp it all up that's my choice. Am I genuinely happy for my friends who are doing well. sincerely YES. Am I looking for ways to make things better YES. It jsut feels that right now I am being made to question my faith. Lots of little things keep throwing me curve balls and I like the straight path.

I really am stopping.

Thank you and love you Carrie

Here come the Holidays!!
Seriously November 1st is like planning for a wedding. Who is coming to each holiday (Thx, Chris) who is hosting? Who is bringing what food? Decorating inside and outside, Gift lists, and, oh yeah, where is the money to pay for all this coming from??
Since money is tight this year (come on Publishers Clearing house!) I am going to be doing some different type of presents. Can't reveal details, cause you know why, so I'm keeping things close to my chest.

Had an experience yesterday.... I was putting finishing touches on a couple of layouts and putting them away into scrapbooks. Left the pile on the table and went to pick up Kelly from school. We come home and I sit on the couch and start reading a book. Kelly is doing her usual artwork/coloring at the table. At one point I get up to head to the kitchen and see that she has written Kelly 12345 and other stuff on two of my layouts. I cried. Oh how I cried. I asked Kelly to go to her room until I could talk to her.
Yeah okay I should have put them all away but she has NEVER shown me that I should be worried. Kelly loves to look at the layouts but I haven't seen her ever trying to take a pencil or marker to a page.
After I stopped crying I asked Kelly to come talk to me. I didn't yell, I was just so sad. I told her that what she did was wrong and that it hurt my feelings for her to draw over my pictures. She apologized and I sat there and thought about what I should do. Do I redo? Or leave them as is?
I decided that I would put a little journaling sticker on each one and leave them as is.
This is life right?? Scrapbooking is about ALL aspects of our life not just the fun stuff. So both are now finished and into protected albums. Rob suggested that I put the books up out of reach but then who would look at them?? It thrills me to no end to see Kelly and/or Kelly showing Wyatt pages I did about them.
So the books are back in their normal spot for all to look at.

** Just so I won't forget..... Kelly went through most of a pack of construction paper in one sitting the other day drawing pictures for her friend Abby and writing scribble lines. If there is a blank piece of paper anywhere Kelly will find it and draw on it.

Happy Post Halloween

Been very busy around the Ross house lately. On Tuesday Kelly went with her class to Bucklew Farm to pick a pumpkin and then after school we went to Brian and Andy's pumpkin stand to get Wyatt a pumpkin. That pumpkin stand was really cool. It was almost as good as going to a farm.

Once the kids got home Nina showed up and the kids helped her fill the bags full of candy bars for the trick or treaters. Of course we ALL had to have a sample. quality control, ya know.

Mom always buys the good stuff.

So treating was fun this year. Mike, Amanda and the boys came over and went treating with us. We did both sides of our street and then went up to the church on the corner. they were doing a trunk or treat with free hot dogs, water, popcorn, cotton candy. After the church we went over to Pop's house to get treats from him and Kristen. After all that we went home to relax and get ready for bed.

The kids' costumes are as follows;

Kelly- Cowgirl Jessie complete with lots of yee-haws

Wyatt- Thomas the Tank engine with lots of choo-chooos

Clayton- Blue Power Ranger

Donovan- Thomas the Tank engine

On a side note it is funny when Wyatt will ask you to take his picture but he won't look at the camera.