Am I a bad Mom?

Well, the new school year has started and I feel like a bad Mom.  Why?  Because there were so many things that I forgot to do before my girls left for school today. 

1. I forgot to take the "First Day of School" pictures.  Honestly, when did this become a priority?  I don't remember ever having "First Day of School" pictures when I was growing up but I am supposed to remember to take pictures of my children before they go to school.  Guess we will start a new tradition: "Second Day of School" pictures!

2. I had no idea where Gabby had put her schedule of classes for this semester.  Last night she had already gone to bed & I was getting ready for bed when I heard their bedroom door open.  Gabby comes to ask me "Mommy, where's my schedule?"  Ummmmm???  Good question.  The last time I saw her schedule was last Thursday when we walked all over the school to meet all of her teachers.  Thank goodness she can get a copy of her schedule from the school office.  Also, since when was I supposed to know where her paper disappeared to?  ("But, Mom, you had it last." Ummm, no, I gave that back to you.  Didn't I????)

3. I get a call from the school today wanting to know if I have Gabby's immunization records.  Dang it!!!  Yes, my daughter has her shots but if I could remember where I put those papers I will be doing good.  Maybe the doctor has a shot for me to have a better memory?

4. I forgot to make sure Gabby had her physical papers with her this morning also.  Guess I will be searching my house this evening for all her papers or calling the doctor's office tomorrow.  ("Hello? Yes, I've lost my daughter's physical papers because my brain was not ready for school yet & is still on vacation somewhere.")

I swear, that sometimes I need a secretary at home to keep up with papers, schedules, & missing items!!  It doesn't help that we are still unpacking boxes.  If I was the only person in my house, I might be able to find things but I am not the only one.  So, I may have put something on the kitchen table (so it would be easy to find) but that doesn't mean it is still there. (The dog ate it! Honestly, she could have.  She's already shredded our gas bill.)

This kind of lost item situation happens often in our house.  Just this weekend I was checking to make sure I had my Westfest Associate Director name badge & to locate Mike's.  Guess what.  I found mine but we have no clue where Mike's is.  So, I guess I will be searching our storage facility to see if it is in one of the boxes that we haven't moved yet.  Especially since Westfest is this Labor Day Weekend.

Yes, we are spread here, there, & yonder.  We laugh about it in our house because we know how disorganized we are compared to others in our family. (Don't even ask how many storage buildings we have!) I wish I could be as organized and well prepared like my mother & sister.  I often have to call my sister to ask if we have a certain meeting or my niece will send me a text message the morning of the meeting.  LOL! 

I am working hard on organizing this new home of ours but I just need more time.  Between working full-time, keeping up with the girls' schedules, volunteering, & other family obligations; I'm good to get sleep!!  I keep praying that the organization fairies will magically fix my house for me.  They can also drag the house cleaning fairies, cooking fairies, & laundry fairies to help them out.  :)  Until then, I will continue to bumble things up and try to get it right.  At least I am there for my kids when they need me no matter how disorganized my home & life may be. 

Do you really know me?

As time goes by I find myself asking that question a lot.  I think it really hit home when my 20th class reunion came around this year.  I debated for a long time if I wanted to go or not.  I was part of our class page on Facebook & I would read the posts as the reunion drew closer.  As I read I would think "who is that?", "do I remember that person from high school?".  Of course, with a class of over 330 it's not likely that I knew everyone.  Also, not very likely that I was known either.

My husband, Mike, & I actually graduated from the same school & the same year.  We didn't really know each other in high school.  Mike will tell you that he saw me as "Miss Goody Two Shoes" in school because I didn't get into trouble and didn't go to the parties.  He was in a whole different "clique" at school than I was.  So, we didn't really know each other then. 

Mike & I were not able to attend the 20 year reunion after all.  We were moving into our new home (well, new to us).  We both took turns looking at the pictures posted on the Facebook page to see who we could recognize.  It looks like everyone had a great time but we couldn't even guess the names of some people.  I guess that's what happens after 20 years and a class of so many.  I found myself regretting that I had not attended the reunion.  That I felt like I should have gone to see if anyone remembered me like I was trying to remember them from the pictures. 

I don't know who would have remembered me & I sometimes wonder what they would remember about me from high school.  Would they be like my husband and think of me as the one that didn't get into trouble?  Would they think of me as the one that the computer teacher left in charge of the class whenever she left the room?  Or would they think of me as the friend that they missed & hadn't seen in so long?  I don't know what the answers to those questions would be now but hopefully we can attend our 25 reunion and see.

This whole thing with our reunion & how I was thinking brought me full circle to my daughter, Caitlin, who is a Freshman this year.  This summer we have talked about how she feels out of place because she thinks people think she is "too random & different".  The only advice that I can give to her is to be herself.  If only those people she goes to school with could see 1/10 of what I see when I'm around her, they would know what a special person she really is. 

I think the problem with high school is we are all trying to find our "place" and how we fit in with everyone else so that we don't really take the time to really get to know who we are.  I can tell you that the friends that take the time to really know you, are the ones that you will have the rest of your lives.  Also, take the time to really get to know someone that you are around all the time.  Everyone needs to dig below the surface and quit judging what's on the surface. 

So ask yourself, do you really know me and do you really know yourself?  I know I am.

And on we go......

Time is flying by so quickly.  We are nearing the end of another school year.  Yet, before we reach that we have so many different activities going on.  My calendar is filling up rapidly and I'm trying to make sure nothing gets missed.

Gabby is almost finished with her physical therapy.  We are just so grateful for the wonderful doctors, nurses, & therapists that we have been blessed to work with while Gabby's been dealing with her RSD.  She is doing so well & so fast.  Gabby has kept a wonderful attitude for the most part.  You can tell she doesn't let much get her down just by how she made the cheerleading squad while still in her boot!! 

Caitlin has so many things happening now.  She has finished track season.  She has the long legs and endurance so that she is doing long distance running.  She did wonderful this year!  She would leave me in her dust for sure.  Also, she is going to be moving on to high school.  It doesn't seem possible that my Tweeter is going to be in high school.  The time sure has flown. 

Along with the clock moving so quickly, my niece, Heather, is graduating from high school this year.  She will be heading off to Texas A & M University before I can blink!!  I know that she will have a wonderful time at college and that she will kick butt.

All of the kids are growing up so quickly.  Sometimes I just want time to stand still so that I can hold them close but I know that won't happen.  I just pray that God and all of His angels continue to bless them and keep watch over them.

This year has flown by.  More wonderful news in our lives, we became grandparents!!  My beautiful step-daughter, Ashley, & her husband, Lance, welcomed their baby boy on February 24th.  Torian Michael is such a joy!!

Definitely didn't think I would be a grandma at this age but I sure do love this little boy!  He is such a cutie & so sweet!!

Our lives are always moving forward no matter how much we wish they could stay in one place for a time.  We are always trying to do what is best & right for every one of our children & those closest to us.  Prayer is a great guide as we try to decide those many things that come up as parents.  These aren't always the easiest decisions to make but at the time, they are the right ones for the situation we are in.  We just try to do the best we can with love and God's guidance.

KONY 2012

This movement is spreading across the internet.  I admit that I was skeptical at first.  I heard this mentioned just in passing one day this week.  I wasn't totally sure if I wanted to know what "Kony 2012" was about.  Finally I decided to check it out when Caitlin called me after school yesterday to ask me to post on her Facebook "Make Kony Famous".  Let me explain why it touched me.

Caitlin is my daydreamer.  Most of the times my daughter has her head in the clouds and doesn't really seem to notice too much of what goes on around her.  She is the emotional one though.  She feels things so deeply and is just as sweet as can be.  So, when she calls me & is passionate about me posting something on her Facebook, I have to check it out.  Caitlin told me about the video and how she saw it at school.  When I got home from work that evening she wanted to make sure that I had posted to her Facebook & then she went on to tell me what she had seen in the YouTube video.  I could tell that Caitlin's heart was hurting for the children in Uganda and that it was very important to her.  I was glad that I had posted on her Facebook for her.

I decided I needed to see this video.  I watched the video on YouTube during my lunch hour today.  I know that it may not make a real difference to some people but I agree that it does need to be brought to people's attention.  As a Christian & as a Catholic we are taught that every life is important and that life should be protected from conception forward.  If you truly believe that then how can you not support a cause that wants to draw attention to someone who kills & harms lives of children?  Children are our future.  If we allow someone to kill & harm our children then we are damaging and endangering our future.

As a Mom I am very sad and heart broken for the families that are torn apart in Uganda and for the children whose lives are destroyed by one man's quest for power.  So, I am going to sign the pledge on the website www.kony2012.com myself.  I know that I can't do much but I can let those in power know that I don't want this type of thing to continue in Uganda.  That I will continue to pray for the children & the families in Uganda.  I will pray for the capture and prosecution of Kony.  I will pray for the LRA to be disarmed.  I will pray for peace.

If you have about 30 minutes of time to spare please, take a moment and watch the video.  Maybe we can make a difference and make sure that these children aren't Invisible anymore.  Also, you can help my daydreamer feel like she's made a difference, too.

Basketball, Cheerleading, & life

I have become a huge fan of my daughter's basketball team.  What Mother doesn't?  Caitlin plays all the sports.  She is an all-around athlete.  I really get into her basketball games even when she's not playing. Monday night was the last game of the season.  All of the girls on the Abbott Jr. High Lady Panthers play very well & I try to cheer on every one of them.   Sometimes I cringe when I see how rough the teams play but other times I'm cheering right along when we fight for the ball.

Last Friday was my neice, Heather's last home basketball game & I made a point to go see it. Not only was it the last home game of the year, it is her last in high school. My Heather 'chelle is graduating this year. (sigh!) I am so very proud of all of my neices and nephews and love all of their accomplishments. So, I was very glad to witness her last home game & witness Parent's Night. It was a wonderful game and now her team, West Lady Trojans, are off to the playoffs!!! 

In so many ways I see how a basketball game is so much like life.  We are constantly dribbling our way through life and these obstacles are constantly thrown in our paths that try to deter us from our goal.  Yet if we have good Teamwork then we can make our goal.  I know in my life that Teamwork comes from God, family, and friends.We have had many obstacles thrown into our paths on our basketball court but we are always working together and praying together to reach our goals. 
I always try to be supportive and enthusiastic about everything that the kids are interested in doing.  I try to be the best Cheerleader I can be for the kids but the girls can tell you, I have no clue as to how to be a real cheerleader.  LOL!

Gabby is trying out for Cheerleader and has been working on developing her own cheer.  She kept asking me for advice on what to do.  Unfortunately, my ideas usually had her either laughing hysterically or rolling her eyes at me.  That's when I called in the reinforcements, my neice - Heather.  Thank God for Heather!  She came over last Tuesday and helped Gabby work out a cheer.  Those two girls are so alike sometimes.  I had to fight back laughter as I watched them cheering in my living room.  Of course, it always warms my heart when I see any of my family working together.  We all try to be there for each other.  It was just wonderful to see them laughing & having a good time together.

More good news on the home front: Gabby doesn't have to use her crutches now.  She was released from crutches Monday after therapy.  The only times she needs them now is if she gets too tired.  She still has the boot on which makes walking a challenge but she is progressing so much every day!!  Prayers answered.

So we will continue our Teamwork & Cheerleading in our house to get through our every day lives.

Frustration & Fun.....

Well, Wednesday was a mixture of frustration and fun.  We had our follow up appointments at Cook's Children's in Fort Worth.  It all started with the lovely rainy weather.  It rained all the night before so the ground was nice and soaked.  This made for interesting travel.  But we did o.k.  It was Gabby, myself, & MeMe on an adventure to Ft. Worth.

Our first stop was with the Orthopedic doctor, Dr. Vara.  We barely skated in on time.  I have to say, again, that the doctors and staff at Cook's are awesome.  Dr. Vara talked to GABBY and listened to her.  I was there to just fill in what she left out.  We filled him in on the whole history with her foot.  He then ordered a whole bunch of new x-rays and did a physical exam on her.  Good News!  The fracture is healed!  Dr. Vara showed us the x-rays with the comparison between her two feet/ankles.  You could see the difference in the bones because of her not using the one leg for 4 months.  He then ordered some lab work to be done because he wants to make sure there is nothing else going on.  He's checking for vitamin deficiency, calcium, & rheumatoid issues.  He told Gabby that he wanted her to stay in the boot for another month.  So, we will be back in Ft. Worth to see him in February and may have another MRI.

Next, we went to the lab at Cook's Children's for Gabby's blood work to be done.  I was really impressed here too.  They actually spray the area where they are going to draw the blood with a numbing spray so that it won't hurt!  Heck!  Why don't other labs and doctor's offices think of this??  So, even though they had to pull over 4 tubes of blood from her, it wasn't really painful at all. 

Well, unfortunately by this time we had to run to our last appointment of the day much to the frustration of our tummies!  But onward we went to visit with Dr. Ghandi & her physician's assistant, Fred.  We like Fred.  Fred met us at the room and started talking with Gabby.  He had Gabby laughing and smiling the whole time.  She told him about wanting to try out for cheer leading and Fred was very honest with her.  He told her that we are going to slowly attempt to be at the point where she can try out but she also has to understand that we don't want to push her recovery so that she won't be back at square one with the injury.  That was all the incentive Gabby needed.  Dr. Ghandi then came to visit with Gabby.  She also told Gabby that we need to progress slowly.  The good news from Dr. Ghandi was that Gabby can slowly start working in therapy to get off of her crutches.  You would think that Dr. Ghandi told Gabby she won the lottery at that point!  So, we are going to be back to see Fred & Dr. Ghandi in February also.

By this time we were starving.  It was about 3:30pm in the afternoon.  Most people that know me, know that I hate big cities and traffic.  So, I had used Mapquest to map out where we were going from the doctor's office.  Gabby & MeMe wanted Mexican food and we decided we were going to try to find Joe T. Garcia's since Aunt CJ & Uncle Michael had bragged about it.  So, we start on our way to Joe T's and end up really lost!!  I finally got fed up with the mapquest and Ft. Worth's crazy roads and found a place to park.  I pulled out my handy cell phone and found my GPS app.  I put in the address for where we wanted to go and off we went.  Unfortunately, by this time, Joe T's was closed for the afternoon.  More frustration but we were laughing and joking as we were lost in Ft. Worth.  Gabby told MeMe that I was scaring her!  LOL! 

So, off we go with our handy GPS to find Sam Moon and somewhere to eat along the way.  I notice that the GPS is taking us down some unknown streets and start wondering "did the settings have us staying away from major roads?"  Well, we finally happened upon Rosa's Cafe & decided we were stopping because our stomachs could no longer take the torture.  While we were eating I decide to check the settings on the GPS on my phone.  Yep!  It was set to avoid highways!!  (See me banging my head against the table now!) 

After we finally filled our tummies, we were determined to continue our fun and frustrating adventure.  We were going to Sam Moon's to look at jewelry, purses, & so much more of girly heaven (as Gabby puts it).  Let me tell you, I found one of my new favorite shopping spots!!  Here we found a purse for Caitlin that she wanted that if we had bought it in Waco would have cost us $45 to $50 but at Sam Moon's it was $24.99.  It's so cute too.  It's red with camo and has the western cross on it too.  Of course, we tell her she could put the whole state of Texas in her purse but she loves it.  Gabby found a duffel bag & accessories case that was black & white zebra print with purple trim.  This was a huge bargain also.  The bag was $11.99 and the smaller one was $6.99.  Can't find it that cheap anywhere else.  So, we had fun exploring the bargains at Sam Moon's.

Now it was time to return home.  Luckily we didn't have anymore frustration on the way home.  It was a straight shot down I-35 and we were home before 7pm.  Even with the frustration of traffic, weather, & getting lost; we had a good time joking and laughing all the while.  Plus, we had good news from the doctors so that we knew God was listening to our prayers. :)

P.R.A.Y.E.R.

P.R.A.Y.E.R. - Power Released Anywhere You Ever Reside.... This is printed on a bracelet I purchased last weekend for myself and the kids at the benefit for Feryn Schulte.  Ever since I have thought about this statement.  I can definitely tell you after the generousity that we witnessed last Sunday at the benefit that there was a lot of Power Released through Prayer.  I was brought to tears many times that day watching several communities coming together to raise money for a litte girl with a rare form of cancer.  It was a beautiful display of compassion and caring.  It reminded me why I love living in Abbott, TX and being active in West, TX.

There is so much that can be done through PRAYER.  I, personally, have seen the power of prayer.  I know that God listens to every word that we utter to Him.  It may not seem like it at the time but I know that God DOES answer prayers.  It may not be exactly in the way that WE want HIM to answer but it is always in the way the HE knows best.

One beautiful example I have is again with my daughter Gabby.  (She's named after the angel Gabriel.)  When Gabby wasn't even a year old, we realized that she could not hear us.  We took her to her Pediatrician and then on the the ENT Specialist.  We then had to go to have her tested with an Audiologist.  I remember sitting in the sound-proof booth holding her and praying "Please God let my baby hear".  The technician then came over the speaker & said "Gabrielle?".  Gabby jumped in my arms and started crying.  She could hear!  They never could explain to us what happened but I knew that God was listening.



That's just one of the examples I've had to honor of being a witness to God's power through PRAYER.  I know it doesn't always seem like it but I know that God listens.  So whenever you feel like God isn't listening to you, I know that He really is.  So don't give up hope and never quit praying.  Just remember: Power Released Anywhere You Ever Reside.