A WEEK IN REVIEW...........

Another Amazing Week.......

Monday:
Happy Birthday Terry!  Monday was Terry's Birthday!  Raelynn wished him a Happy Birthday immediately as she woke up.  We cracked several "old guy" jokes which I am sure made the day special for him.  :)  We took him out for dinner and I think, besides being a Monday, his day went well. 

Tuesday:
The second Tuesday of every month is a crazy one.  I have site council and PTO and this past Tuesday I had to get cookies made for the following day as well for teacher conferences.  I think these are the times I am suppose to give in to the pressures of time management and buy the cookies but I just can't let me self do it.  It just seems like giving in to the fact that I can't "do it all" and well, I am not yet willing to do that!

Wednesday:
On Wednesday we had teacher conferences.  Our friend, Stephanie, came over to watch the kids while we went to conferences.  I love conferences because it is really the only time we get to talk with the teachers that the kids are not right there.  Raelynn is old enough now that I consult with her the night before we go.  I asked her what she would like me to talk with her teacher about, what she really likes, what she would like to see changed and so on.  I did this last year as well but got little real feedback.  This year however, Raelynn sent me with a list.  It was really awesome to hear the things that concern her and the things she loves.  We talk all the time but I found out a couple things I didn't already know.  So armed with the list Terry and I went to conferences.  I always leave such a proud parent as she is doing wonderful!  Her teacher is fantastic as well and the 2 little concerns Raelynn had she discussed them as if they were of the utmost importance even though they really weren't.  Anyway, conferences went great and Raelynn was eager to hear the report when we returned.  Unfortunately, all though Raelynn is doing great in school, she hasn't been doing so great with her "babysitter".  The last 2 times we have had to leave her for a short time with a sitter she has been a little challenging.  She pushes the limits as far as she can.  It frustrates me that she does this because generally speaking she is really good.  I hope it is just a phase but of course she went without TV or bedtime snack that night even though her conferences were perfect.  I was disappointed because I like to reward her for a good report but the good report was over shadowed by the bad :(

Thursday:
The kids didn't have school on Thursday or Friday so Raelynn went to Boys & Girls Club.  Usually this is held on site at her school but when school is out they have to go to the main site.  Raelynn is always a little hesitant because it is an unfamiliar place and unfamiliar people.  On Thursday we got there around 8am and there were several people waiting in line to check in.  Raelynn and I were in the back of the line not far from the door.  All of a sudden the door opened, a lady shoved a little boy in the door and yelled at him, "Go!"  The little boy could not have been any older than Raelynn and there he stood crying.  The lady turned and walked away.  I could not let the little boy stand there crying so I walked over to him and knelt down to talk to him  with Raelynn glued to my side.  As I asked him if he was ok, the door opened and again and now the lady was yelling at me, "He is fine!" "Ok." I replied but I didn't move nor did the little boy or Raelynn.  She repeated herself a couple times and I continued to just say "Ok".  Finally she left again and I took the little boys hand and moved him into line with Raelynn and I.  The director came over to inquire about what was going on and the lady would return once again and insisted the boy was fine and just needed to get to class.  The director told her that was fine but she would get him checked in first.  The lady finally left for good and I continued to squeeze the little boys hand.  I filled her in on what I had witnessed and then she said she would take him down to his classroom.  The boy looked at me completely scared.  I knelt down again and told him that she was a friend of mine and was very nice and would take him to his class.  In this little tiny voice he says, "she's a friend of yours?"  As tears swelled in my eyes I told him yes and slid his little hand from mine into hers.  They took a couple steps and then the little boy turned back around, ran over to me and gave me a tight hug.  The tears just ran down my face.  This sweet little boy was so obviously mistreated and all I wanted to do was swoop him up and take him home with us........this is why I got out of social work!  Anyway, he went off to class and there I stood with Raelynn glued to my leg.  I had almost forgotten about her.  I looked at her and told her now she could see why we are so lucky to have one another.  Raelynn gave me a hug and told me she loved me!  It was a little hard leaving as she didn't really want me to go but I did and that was that.  After work when I picked her up we barely made it to the car before Raelynn filled me in on the rest of the story.  The little boy was in first grade and therefore was with Raelynn's group often.  I guess he never could stop crying and so one of the leaders eventually told him they were going to have to call his parents to come get him.  Well Raelynn heard this and was not going to let them call his Mom thinking that it was his Mom who dropped him off earlier that morning.  She asked the leader if she could talk to him.  He told her he would talk to her in a minute but that he needed to take care of this boy first.  Raelynn insisted apparently with tears in her eyes.  The leader works at our school and knows Raelynn well and knew this was completely out of character so agreed to talk to her.  In the hall Raelynn filled the leader in on what had happened this morning and how the "lady" who she assumed was his Mom had treated him and begged the leader not to call her.  The leader assured her he would take care of the little boy.  Well come to find out the lady from that morning was the little boys much older sister and the boys Mom did come and get him and they let her know what had happened.  As Raelynn finished telling me the story she says, "I knew that couldn't be his Mom because Mom's don't wear tights and they never treat their kids like that!"  As I drove I just grinned and said, "I think you are right."  It was an emotional day for us both and made me again realize how lucky we are!

After all that we were at home separating Girl Scout Cookies into orders and getting ready for delivery.  As we got to one order from a friend who had bought some to support Raelynn but didn't want the cookies, I asked Raelynn what she thought we should do with them.  I suggested we give them to the homeless shelter or food bank.  Raelynn says instead, "I want to donate them to the rest home."  I told her that was a great idea and asked her what rest home she would like to donate them to.  I expected her to say the one my Mom works at but instead she put much more thought into it.  Our friend who had bought the cookies had recently put her Grandparents into a home and Raelynn said she wanted to donate them to the rest home that her Grandma was in.  It was the perfect idea and that is just what we did!

Friday:
Finally Friday!  Friday night we went and picked out Coop's party supplies.  He is having a fireman birthday and is very excited about it.  After that we went to Target and picked out his new Soccer Ball he had to have for his first Soccer practice the next morning.  We also bought our gifts for our shoe boxes we fill for church each year.  It is for the Samaritan's Purse.  We fill a shoe box with gifts for a girl and a boy.  The kids get to choose the gifts with a little direction but we always have a great time!!!

Saturday:

Saturday was awesome!  We went to Coop's first soccer practice which was sooo cute.  He is such a runner and was just happy to be there.  He scored a goal and when he was recounting it after the game he said, "and I scored a goal, my friends helped me score a goal!"  It was adorable and he loved it.  We get to play every Saturday from now until December 17th. 

After soccer we headed to the rest home to deliver the cookies.  When we got there we could not find anyone except those who lived there.  Raelynn and I approached a couple people but one just stared at us and the other told us in graphic detail about how she probably could not have the cookies because she had digestive problems.  Raelynn looks at me and says, "This isn't working!"  We decided to leave and we would return later when a nurse walked up.  Raelynn handed her the bag and told her she would like to donate these cookies because her friend bought them and her Grandma and Grandpa lived there. She told the nurse our friend's name and the nurse thanked her.  We would later learn that at least one of the boxes of cookies did end up with our friend's Grandma which made Raelynn very happy!

After that we headed to Crown Center for a little ice skating.  We have tried to do this for the past couple years but just never get to it so this year I was going to make sure we did.  I had no idea how much fun we were going to have.  We all went including Aunt Karli and we were there for 3 full hours.  Raelynn took to it in minutes and Coop even mastered it by the time we were done.  The kids are still talking about how much fun they had and so did we.  It was an awesome family day!

Sunday:

The past few days we had seen short glimpses of a less then polite/obedient Raelynn so after a little episode on the way home from ice skating, Raelynn lost all priveleges on Sunday.  I expected Sunday to be the longest day of our lives but instead it was awesome.  When she woke up Sunday morning Coop was watching a movie which of course she had lost all TV time.  She walked right through the living room without even stopping and asked if she could help me with her breakfast.  The whole day was like that, she worked and did chores and never once even mentioned TV, her DSi, MP3 player or anything else.  By the end of the day I was so pleased with her behaviour I went into her room where she was sitting on her bed reading and told her how proud of her I was.  I reminded her that if she had been like this to begin with she would never have lost her priveliges. I then told her she was welcome to watch Good Luck Charlie before bed.  She jumped up and said, "Yes, I knew I could earn my TV back!!!!"  I couldn't help but laugh.  Anyway, we have not had one glimpse of bad behaviour since so I am enjoying it why it lasts!