Sorting Through a Century

Finally, everyone is back to school! Yesterday was awful. Kyler and Alex were both home and Evan knew something wasn't right and was just a whiney brat!!! I spent the afternoon with Gram and Martin. I go every week now to fill Gram's insulin syringes, she can't see enough anymore to do them herself and they are taking her home nurse away because "she isn't needy enough". Martin isn't very good either with his sight and fell again last week. He has another sore on his leg and of course they expect Gram to take care of it. She can't see well enough to do it, but luckily, they have a home aid that cleans for them and she said she will help Gram. Evan has been enjoying our visits very much and he and Martin play while I do the syringes and Gram and I go through literally 100-year-old papers and photos. It is amazing the things that she has given to me. General Store account books from 1887...post cards from 1910...photographs done on tin...In the stuff that she sent today there was a letter from my Great-Grandfather in 1918 on the day that the war ended and also one from when he was wounded 3 times in one day. It blows me away the things that she has kept over the years. We have gotten close again, almost where we were before she married Martin. We talk ALOT while Martin and Evan play...or should I say Evan plays wrestlers with Martin...Last week I was talking to Gram and heard snoring and when I looked up Martin was still holding the wrestler, but he was sleeping. The funny part is that Evan didn't know the difference...he was still playing away, fighting the wrestler Martin was holding. We laughed and laughed, ended up waking him up and he started to play again. I have been begging them to move to Williamsburg so that we can take care of them better and see them more, but Martin refuses. He keeps saying that after he is gone we can move Gram. He has no clue! Well, I am falling asleep as I type, so I better close for now. It is mentally exhausing trying to figure out what Gram means sometimes, but I love her anyway...lol

Tournament FLU

Today was the Altoona Academy Classics Spring Karate Tournament. Both of the boys were supposed to compete, but at 4:30 this morning Alex got up with a VERY high fever. His belly was hurting and he was dry heaving. Daniel took him to the ER and they tested him and he has the flu...luckily it was in time to get the Tamaflu, so hopefully that will help him. But he couldn't go to the tournament...He cried when we left and it broke my heart!

Kyler did compete, however, and did very well. He placed 2nd in forms and 2nd in sparring. I was sooooo proud of him. He did great. I had never seen him do his form that way before. We had a good time. Alex was pretty happy for him even though he didn't get to go.

There is a tournament in two weeks in Bellfonte so I think that I will take Alex there. That seemed to satisfy him and he cheered up a little.

Germ Central

I haven't updated my blog for awhile now, this house has been full of germs. Someone has been sick at one time or another in the past two weeks or so. Evan had the flu and took every chance he had to deny that he was going to throw up only to puke all over something or someone! Daniel didn't feel well either so the first day Evan was sick, he stayed home from work. I love him...he knows I can't handle throw up!!! I ended up with a pretty bad sore throat that lasted for a few days, but eventually went away, now I feel like I have a cold coming on. Kyler has been complaining about a sore throat for the past few days, but he has managed to go to school, I think only because he wanted to do after school activities. Alex ended up with a pretty good cough, but seems to be recovering from it pretty well.

I just got done ironing karate uniforms....I could have strangled Kyler today, I called him about 6:30 and asked him to put them in the dryer and about 8:30 I asked if he had switched the clothes and he got up to do it...I had to wait for them to dry and then iron and starch all three of them, plus the uniform he had to borrow when he went to Johnstown on Saturday to train and forgot his!!! I don't know what his problem is lately, but he is doing NOTHING that I ask him to do. He is acting like such a teenager!

I had lunch with Alex today at school. It was pretty quick...the child would not sit down. I know I told him 3 times to sit his butt on the chair! I don't think he would be able to sit still to save his life. He kept saying, "I'm going to go back to my class now, I am going to miss handwriting class." He didn't realize that most of his class was still in the cafeteria eating and they give them longer when they have parents there. Finally I just quit eating and told him that Pappy and I were going to leave. He stood up, took his tray over and didn't even say goodbye...when I turned around from clearing my tray, he was gone. Wow...wish I had his energy.

All Evan wanted to do today was argue with me. Nothing I said was agreeable. We were on our way home from town and he asked if we could stop at Aunt Rebel's and I told him that she was working. He said then we can see Uncle Chris, I told him his was working too and we proceeded to identify everyone else's whereabouts...He argued that Uncle Chris' truck was there and when I told him that Uncle Chris had the car and Aunt Rebel had the Jeep, he matter-of-factly told me, "You are just jealous!" I have no idea what he thinks that means, but obviously that is the only thing he could think to say and would not believe me that no one was home. So, when we got home I called Reb at work and told her she could stop and pick him up on her way home and keep him!!

Well, that is the short version of what happened the past couple of days. I need to get to sleep, Kyler has an appointment with the allergist in the morning and we have test tomorrow at 5, so I better try to sleep.

The Explosion

Well at least we slept through the night last night. The kids haven't been sleeping lately, they were both up several times the past couple of nights. The night before last Alex was up screaming like a girl...LITERALLY SCREAMING LIKE A GIRL!! He screamed and when I didn't get there right away because, of course, I was tangled in my blankets he yelled, "MOM!!" then screamed again....I yelled I was coming and got untangled and ran to his room. When I got there, he was sitting up in bed and said, "I heard a big explosion". Just then we saw Evan getting up off the floor (he had fallen out of bed). Alex said, "Oh, it was just Evan falling out of bed." Now, I know that Evan is a big boy, but EXPLOSION?! I don't think so. Anyway, I had a very hard time getting back to sleep because of all of the adrenaline! Needless to say, Alex has been at the top of my list lately between the tooth pulling and the explosion! Evan isn't sleeping because of his cold, but he just comes to my room and then I go and tuck him back in again. It is an endless cycle.

We went to karate last night and we are excited because Kyler and Alex are going to be in a tournament on March 21st. Kyler has never been in one and Alex did very well in the one he was in about a year ago. We also found out that Sa Bom Nim is going to set a test date and we will know that next week. It seems like we just tested! Of course, I go into panic mode and I will be like that until the next test is over.

Well, I better close for now, I have to go get ready to go to Kelsie's playoff game. Tonight is the first night since she hurt her knee that she will be playing and depending on if they win or lose, this could be her last game this year.

Just passing time

Not too much happening lately. We have been so busy and Daniel and I haven't spent very much time together. Yesterday we saw each other for about 2 minutes and then I was out the door to sub for BUNCO at my mother's house. Of course, he can't handle being alone so he called me twice while i was there, that I don't understand.

Kyler is done with basketball now and so cheerleading is done also. It just doesn't seem like we have any more time than we did. It has been pretty rough with him and I lately. He doesn't seem to want to do what I ask him to do lately (pouting and stomping when I ask him to do something) normal teenage behavior I guess, but totally irritating! Every time he gets in trouble, he acts like I am just over reacting. Funny how the pages turn. He is a good kid, I have to admit, and sometimes I do think I am a little hard on him, I know Daniel is, so I guess I should be thankful he isnt like some of his friends. I think he would like a girlfriend, but is too shy to ask someone out. He has been back and forth between liking two girls, he actually is planning on going to the movies with one of them this weekend as "friends". I don't know if I am ready for girlfriends and heartbreak yet!

Alex is doing great! He is all smiles when he comes home from school and will talk about his day like nothing. He was up till after midnight the other day because he "told himself that he wasn't going to bed until he pulled a loose tooth" He succeeded! Now his mouth looks like a checkerboard and he talks with a lisp. That is one determined kid.

Evan is growing like a weed. He is wrestling every stuffed animal he has...poor Elmo! He is wearing Alex's protective headgear from karate and looks like he just got off the short bus! I can't help but laugh at him. I can't believe how big he is.

Wrestlemania

Everything in this house lately seems to revolve around wrestling (yuck). Alex and Evan are constantly playing it, whether it is on the playstation, with the figurines or with each other. I guess I should be happy about them actually playing together and not fighting, but the other day Evan came out of Kyler's room after playing playstation and was singing "Im not your boy toy, I'm just a sexy boy...Sexy booooooy" Hum, I think that the playstation game is going to have to get lost! How do you keep a straight face when your 3-year-old s singing about being a boy toy?

Finally cheerleading is over! No more games. I am going to try to see what kind of interest I have for next year here soon and at least try to plan for that. I have decided to continue with the torture! Daniel isn't as excited as I am, but I am hoping that next year will be alot smoother, since I will have a clue what to look out for. I chaperoned the dance last night...Is it a bad sign when one of your chaperones is arrested??? I have learned sooooo much this year and at least I will know that I will have to approve every chaperone from now on...last dance we had a young, very pregnant chaperone who I believe danced more than the teens. Ahhh live and learn. LOL I am going to miss the girls though, I do feel somewhat relieved, but I know I will miss them.

Just had to do a short blog tonight, it is almost midnight, and I really don't want to turn into a pumpkin right in front of the computer. I will write more when I have more time!

PMS- if that's still possible

Today was a bad day all around!! I think Daniel and I fought just about all day long, except when we were on separate floors of the house. I think everything he did irritated me! We got along great tonight-- after he fell asleep. LOL His sister and I sat and watched our Friday night shows while he snored on the couch. AWWW family time~

Alex had his 8 year check up today...He grew 1-1/4 inches and gained 6 pounds this year. He is now in the 7% for his height and 26% for his weight. He definitely gets his height from his mother!!! It is so funny. I was just saying how he grew out of his clothes...he only grew 1-1/4 inches..how do you grow out of clothes with that???? He was going out the door with Daniel this morning on his way to the doctor when he told his dad that he had an ear infection...sure enough he came home with an antibiotic. I swear EVERY time we take him to the doctor, well or sick, that child has an ear infection.

Evan was in rare form he ran around the house singing a song that I am not so sure where he got it, I had never heard it...something like "I'm not your boy toy".. I think I am going to have to lock him up now!

I barely saw Kyler, he had an away game after school and then decided to stay in town for the varsity game. He came home, ate some chips, showered and went to bed. I don't see him much anymore. Teenagers! LOL

***Just a quick update on Alex with school....He is doing great with his new teacher. He is a totally different kid when he comes home. He talks about school now and actually tells us how his day went instead of just "ok" or "good". It is amazing. There was obviously more to his story than what he told us...I am just so glad that he is finally happy!

Good Grief

Today we buried one of the nicest, sweetest people I know, my Aunt Evelyn. She lived a long life...83 years. We went to the lunch afterward and spent a long time reminiscing with family about the "good old days". By the time I picked Evan up and got home it was almost 4:00. I was emotionally exhausted. When Alex got home, I asked him to go downstairs and get the cat food bucket. As he got to the top of the steps, he put the bucket down and pinched his finger on the handle....without missing a beat, he yanked his hand back and said "ouch, damn it!" and looked up at me with the same shocked look that I am sure was on my face! I stifled the laugh that was trying so hard to come out and told him I didn't ever want to hear him say that again! He said he was sorry with tears in his eyes and then ran out of the room. Normally I would have problably smacked him and sent him to his room, but the sound of Daniel not as successfully holding back his laugh made me think to myself how short this life is and how blessed we truly are to have the family that we do for as long as we have them...good times and bad...all the proud moments and the not so proud (case at hand) and how it is good to have grief because it makes us appreciate what we have no matter how bad we think it is, because in the big scheme of things, it is not so bad.

Introduction

I've named my blog Happily Ever After in honor of my niece, Ashley, who asked her mother if happily ever after was just for princesses. No honey, it isn't just for princesses! I guess everyone has their opinion of what happily ever after means, but to me it is my life.

I am married to a great guy that would do anything for anybody. He is very outgoing and a people-person, totally opposite of me! He works very hard to provide for us and he is a wonderful dad.

I am the mother of three boys, Kyler 15, Alex 8 and Evan 3. They are as different as night and day! Kyler is sensitive, loving and very easy-going, a whole lot like his father (probably why they argue so much) He is a straight A student and loves to play basketball and do karate! Alex is sensitive, outspoken and very self-confident and with good reason. He is very intelligent and will tell you so! He plays baseball in the summer and loves karate. And then there is Evan...Evan is a very happy, loving, strong-willed child (with his mother's temper). Evan loves trains and tractors. He is definitely Daddy's boy.

I am a stay-at-home mom and most days I love it. I am also the Jr. High Cheerleader Advisor, which has made me realize that God gave me boys for a reason!! This is my first year as advisor and the beginning was pretty rough, but most of the time now, I love it. I take Tang Soo Do with Kyler and Alex and that has been one of the most challenging things I have ever done. It comes easily to the boys, with me....not so much. We all have our orange belts with green stripe. I love to cook and entertain. Family is very important to me.

We bought my grandmother's house after she passed away five years ago. It is in the country, but not too far away from town and we absolutely love everything about it. We have a cat named Sasha who rules the roost. She is definitely the boss of the house. Our dog Oliver "Ollie" still has not learned that yet.

We live a simple life that is filled with family and friends. Because of our large extended family and friends, we have many reasons to laugh and to cry and I wanted to share our lives with the people we love. This is why I chose to start this blog.....