K-12

I got this idea from my friend Gillie

It's a really neat way to remember life a long time ago... at least it seems like a long time ago.

Kindergarten: My teacher's name was Miss Courtney and she had this puppet that came out on rainy days.

First Grade: Mrs. Cooper was my teacher and I remember my cousin Gina and this boy, Pete sitting at the back of the class. We also wrote really small in this grade. I remember she liked small, neat handwriting.

Second Grade: I had an awesome teacher, Miss Jenkins who married high school P.E. teacher Mr. Fretz. Anyway, I discovered some of my favorite books in her class during reading hour. They are, James and the Giant Peach, Mr. Popper's Penguins and The Mouse and the Motorcycle. Also, we did a play and I had the role of the teacher.

Third Grade: Mrs. Malcolm was my teacher. She had a paddle named Big Ben. You never wanted to get hit with Big Ben for being bad in class. I also remember this kid Arthur wet his pants a lot.

Fourth Grade: I had Mr. Tatum for a teacher. He was from Texas and loved to talk about it. I mostly remember spelling bees where he would call out a word and two people would be at the chalkboard. First to spell it right got their team points. Katrina and I used to be paired against each other. We were the fastest.

Fifth Grade: This was a fun year. Nashika came to our school that year. She was cool. Jaton, Nashika and I were really good friends the next two years. Mrs. Hannah had a sleep-over for all the girls and several pool parties for our entire class. Such fun!

Sixth Grade: Jr. Girls Softball Championship lost. Class trip to Orlando. Awesome.

Seventh Grade: I remember a lot about the seventh grade. I could write a book. The thing that stands out most is that there were a lot of teachers "from away" (as they say in Maine). I had to get used to Jamaican, British and several other accents. Miss Neita was a crazy teacher. It was the first year I met Tom Barkley, my math teacher and friend. This was my second year playing Jr. Girls Softball.

Eighth Grade: Hatchet...that book about a boy that gets stranded on an island.... we read the same chapter over and over in Miss Burrows (aka Rummy) class because the woman could not remember anything! We were convinced she was drinking...hence the nickname. She also saved a special seat at the front of the class for the Holy Spirit.

Ninth Grade: Bahamas Junior Certificate Examinations. Miss Button was my Math teacher. She was awesome. This was also the best year in terms of friends from church. We had an awesome group that always hung out together. Good times.

Tenth Grade: Miss Smith was one of my homeroom teachers. I'm not sure if it was this year or the year before, but at some point she painted her VW Beetle (the old school one) like a purple zebra. Senior Girls Softball Team wins championships. I was the catcher.

Eleventh Grade: Long evenings with Jaton and Mr. Brown working on yearbook.

Twelfth Grade: Softball team sucked this year, but I played anyway. I also remember our coursework for BGCSEs (another national exam) where I made a vest and school bag. The two pieces ended up touring the Bahamas.

More Photos


So this was one of three dolphins we saw while boating. The first day I just thought it was a shark, but that it was still cool. We circled around and it came up for air again. I tired to get photos that day, but no luck. The second day there were two. I managed to get a photo of the baby one.


One of the big crabs we caught.


Ryan learns to drive.

Abaco

Our trip to Abaco was wonderful. Adam got lots of rest, which he really needed since he works so hard. His rest included finishing the HP books 5 and 6. He is on to the Deathly Hallows now!

My mum watched Ryan each morning so that I could go fishing with the guys. I really love to fish so this was just wonderful. On Thursday and Friday we caught a lot of fish. Thursday was my lucky day as I pulled in 75 percent of our catch. Oh what fun!

It seems the days went by too fast and we did so much. We have LOTS Of photos. I'll try to post a few here, but they are already up on facebook for those who use that internet tool.


The three of us in the water. We swam just about every night. So relaxing.


My favorite photo from this trip. Ryan explores the water by himself. Then runs to dada because he has sand in his shoes =-)

Another fav of my little boy.

More photos tomorrow.

Trip

We're visiting my parents this weekend (a nice gift from them). Packing stresses me. I've been packing since Monday... I do this before I travel. I'm still worried we will leave something we need for Ryan or something really important like bras or something. Other than that I am really looking forward to the time with my family, days spent exploring the island with Ryan and resting!

Look for photos next Monday.

Counting my blessings

Today I recieved a great surprise in the mail. Dear friends of ours sent is a gift card. It's enough to cover our groceries for almost a month. I cried when I finally figured out what it was. At first I thought there was a mix up at home office, but then it all became very clear.

In addition to this wonderful blessing, I recieved a long e-mail from a long lost friend. His words were very uplifting in a time when things aren't so great. He suggested I count my blessings. He reminded me that while our situation right now seems bleak I have a loving husband, a handsome son, great friends and family and we aren't living on the street!

I counted a few more blessings. Our repairs to the bathroom didn't cost us a lot. My in-laws brought us a pot roast for dinner on Sunday along with lots of goodies that actually helped us make it through the week in terms of lunch food. We are going to visiting my family this weekend.

This list could go on for a long time, but making it lifted my spirits. Yay!

Facebook

So when I started a blog I figured that would be it for me. It's not every day I get to post and I often have to think about what to write or where I stored those photos so I can put them here.

Then an old friend, Scott, invited me to join facebook. At first I was just going to delete the e-mail. I mean I already have a blog that I have a hard time keeping up with and I stink at writing email to friends. Why sign myself up for more failure?

Then I decided to poke around.

And I signed up.

Now I'm addicted.

Did I mention it was just yesterday that I signed up?

Let me tell you what I love about it.

You can find people you haven't heard from in ages... like high school ages. It's really nice to see what people are doing these days. I'd only kept in touch with one high school friend and now I get to see what's happening in so many other lives. People are getting married, having kids, building houses. And you can just post one line-ers on their facebook page... nothing complicated like a long e-mail. You can just say, "hi."

It's easy. Fill in some blanks, add some photos... piece of cake.

I also played a cool game or two.

I just like the site... check it out sometime.

The Peabodys and a butterfly

Here are a few photos from when Marc and Robin visited this past week. I was horrible at taking photos... and we went places together... like Shaines (Sarah, there's a huge sign outside that says "Open Year Round." No need to worry about November) and to Old Orchard Beach... and I have just two photos. I think it's safe to say their most memorable moment of the trip was when Ryan threw up all over the backseat of the car... just kidding! It was great to see them. Reunion in Greenville next year all Greenville-ites from our years there? Anyway there's also a photo of a butterfly that frequents my garden.

Essay Contest

How winning this contest would impact/change my life? (www.metrocast.net/~winmyhouse)

Our friends are in the same situation as we are in terms of owning a house they’d like to sell in order to get a fresh start on life. The only differences are that their house cost way more and they have two children and one on the way.

Last year they tried to sell their home the conventional way. This year, they’ve opted to try something new. They’re holding an essay contest. Write a 250-word essay or less about how winning their wonderful home could change your life and pay an entry fee of $100. If 3,000 people enter they pay off their mortgage and the best writer gets the house.

I told my mom about their creativity and she suggested we enter the contest (she’d give us the $100). Her reasoning is that we have nothing to lose and maybe this is God’s way of helping us out.

Thing is, I don’t know what to write. They want witty writing. They want good grammar and punctuation. They want something so good it would beat out 3,000 other people’s reasons for a house. They don’t want an essay full of clichés, which is what I feel I could give them (maybe that could be witty?).

I’ve started an essay about ten times already (essay deadline: Nov. 30), but I cannot commit to any one of those beginnings. For example: “Winning 28 Park Street would give my family a new lease on life and allow us to spend more time together raising our family the way we feel is right.” That just seems too boring. They want catchy.

So this is our story in the best way I know how to write it.

A young man has always had one dream: to have a family and be the sole provider for his wife and children. While attempting to achieve this dream in the overtaxed and underpaid state of Maine that young man has instead worked so many hours to barely get by that he doesn’t get to spend time with his family. With ever-increasing debt the young man realizes that his dream may never be fulfilled the way he had hoped.

That young man is my husband, Adam, and winning the house at 28 Park Street would make his only dream of providing for his family on his income alone a reality. In addition, it would allow him to spend time with the family he loves so much. Instead of working 12-hour shifts to pay off debt, Adam could work nine hours a day and spend evenings and weekends with his family.

Adam would not miss out on silly events like seeing his son run around the house with a little red cape on his back screaming, “subah man!” Adam and I would get to spend quality time together instead of sleepily telling each other important things about the day as we go to bed at night. Debt would be paid off so we wouldn’t be going to live with our parents in their basement with our one year old. We’d have our independence, we’d have our family and a longtime dream would be fulfilled.

Too redundant? Got any suggestions?

We have time to re-write it. We just want to win!

FAUCET UPDATE

A quick update to the pouring faucet incident. The part cost $35... it's fixed... well mostly. It still leaks a little, but we think we have it figured out. Adam's dad is coming to help us on Sunday. He was supposed to come this eveing, but that didn't work out. Plus our friends Marc and Robin are visiting and we've been spending late evenings with them. For now, the water isn't gushing and the basement is again dry! And $35 is do-able, though still not in the budget. I guess we should count our blessings!

LEAKING FAUCET

Ever have one of those nights that just makes the whole week stink? Well that was last night.

We had a leak in the bathroom faucet. It wasn't so bad a few weeks ago then last night it was just bad. So, Adam said tightening a screw would help. Oh no! It did not help. The water just started POURING out. Then we shut off the valve to the bathroom and the water started pouring in our basement. After 15 minutes we finally discover the well hidden valve that turns off the water from outside. GRRR! We really have no spare cash to fix said mess, but let's face it... we need to shower, do dishes... all that stuff.

So at 9:30 last night Adam's dad came to help us see if it was a simple fix. No such luck. Today we go to purchase parts with no money to spare. I swear we have the worst luck with this stuff. A month ago it was our car that we absolutly need to fix, but didn't have $800 to fix it with, but had to anyway.

Our house is on the market, but has only seen one couple who aren't ready to buy just yet. The money situation stinks right now. Adam works SO MUCH. I work, but ony days he doesn't work because we can't put Ry in day care nor can we afford another car. It just sucks. We just want a fresh start and it's not happening.

Now to go help fix the mess that happened last night!

RYAN LEARNS TO BAKE

On rainy days I wonder what to do with Ry. He loves to be outside so these days are difficult if they cannot be broken up with time at the park or in the yard. Today was one of those days. He was being so good until about 3 p.m. I decided to let him learn to bake. I watched his every move, of course. He helped put the flour in the bowl, put the cookies on the cookie sheet and begged to take them off when they were done, but that was my job! He loved standing on the chair next to me (we've done this before when I've had to cook or wash dishes and he wants to see what's going on)and thought it was cool to move the cookies into one large cluster on the sheet. We really had fun.

In addition to baking, he's learned how to put shoes on and so he brought Adam's shoes to me and put his little feet inside and sat around for a little while just looking at the shoes.

Enjoy the photos!


Wearing dad's shoes.


I like putting the cookies on the cookie sheet.


I'm so strong I can pick this up and give it to mum to put in the oven.


Ryan waits for the cookies to get out of the oven. (He was not allowed to take them off the cookie sheet... he had to watch mum do that job.)

On motherhood and Harry Potter

Warning: random ramblings about being mommy and Harry Potter

A long time ago I made a post about being a mommy It was May 24... about a week after my doctor gave Ryan to Adam and said, "This is your son; he's yours for a lifetime." Being a mommy then was hard. I had no clue about what lack of sleep can do to a person or how difficult breastfeeding can be if you have no support from family or friends.

A year later I can say that there are still days when being a mommy is tough. Like this week for example... Ryan decides to scream in church (once) and we promptly took him out. The guy behind us says, "Geez it's about time!" This is the time in mommyhood when you want to punch someone, but can't because you're in church. Then Monday, he was a whinny boy. Just whined the whole day. I know he wanted to go outside, but it was raining and no matter what cool game or activity I came up with, he just wanted to be "owsie." Then Tuesday he was an angel. He got to go outside. The rain had stopped. Yay! Today he wanted to climb the stairs at Aunt Vanessa's house without anyone watching him and he didn't want to go to bed. And the kid never listens when I say no, but listens to daddy.

While there are days that are tough and make me want to pull my hair out, I wouldn't want to trade them for anything. He's so precious when he takes his two little hands and holds my face and gives me really wet kisses, over and over and over again. He laughs after every kiss. And I love it when he comes over when I'm reading a magazine and gently closes it to remind me I'm supposed to be playing with him instead (not that I've forgotten, I just thought I could sneak in some reading really quickly). I love it when he runs to the door when Adam gets home and claps his hands and squeels with delight. He's my sweet baby. A treasure sent from heaven.

Sister-in-law is experiencing the new mommy blues like I did. It wasn't easy, but we made it through. Her circumstances are different, but it's still tough. Babies don't come with instructions and they are all so different. What may work for one doesn't necessarily work for the other. This too shall come to pass and she will look back and laugh at thinking how complicated baby seems now. I do. I laugh thinking that I cried becasue Adam went to work and I was left "alone." I confessed this to my doctor at our two week check up and at six weeks she confessed that she was afraid I was in for some serious post-partum depression. We can laugh at it now, but back then it wasn't funny.

I've said it a million times, but I wouldn't trade being mommy for anything else. I love watching Ryan grow and learn. I especially love when he calls socks "shoes!" and tries to put them on our feet. I love when he's so brave and runs across the bridge at the park all by himself.

So this has nothing to do with Harry Potter, but I did finish book seven. I won't give anything away, but I will say I loved it. Adam had theories about Snape and he was right. And there was a theme running through them all, which I cannot discuss now, but at some later date. I think J.K. Rowling has grown as a writer and that her work has been clever. It'd be nice if she created another world for us to escape to sometime, but if not, maybe there will be other writers who write original things (not additions to Harry Potter or copycats!) that will be just as clever and continue to get children and adults alike reading.

She's here!

Here are two wonderful photos. One of Madison Lucy born Sunday, July 15 at 9:30 a.m. weighing 6 lbs 2 oz and 18 inches long. I am a proud aunt who hasn't seen her neice yet... Adam took these photos... I was at work yesterday afternoon when he visited.

Also here's one of my handsome Ryan playing in a drawer that I was cleaning out. He's hugging his buddy Paws.

Another baby update

Sister-in-law will be induced today. She was having contractions last night and they watched her all night and decided to induce today. They think she'll have baby sometime late tonight or very early tomorrow morning.

Sister-in-law's father is still in hospital. The stroke did most of the damage on the right side of the brain. So he's loosing speach, memory and balance. He's starting some therapy today and they are also watching him because he has been having seizures.

Thanks again for the prayers. I'll post photos of Madison when she arrives.

Update

Seems like sister-in-law and baby are okay. She had an appointment with the doctor today.

As for her dad, the news is still sketchy. It seems as if the stroke could have been fairly bad, so continue to pray for him.

Prayer Request

Hello all...

My sister-in-law is 37 weeks pregnant and found out that her amniotic fluid is low, which is not good for baby. In addition, she found out today that her father had a stroke on Saturday. Apparently they were keeping the information from her so as not to worry her. She's a wreck now, as I can only imagine. Her parents live in New York so she's hoping for the OK from her doc to travel. Her name is Vanessa and her dad's name is Frank. I'll update when I know more.

Thanks again. It's so nice to have a wonderful extended family in Christ.

A 7/7/07 Wedding

We attending a wedding yesterday. Here are the two best photos. It was a nice wedding, but the long drive has me tired today.



Chris and Sarah


Ryan and Dada at the table waiting for our food.

More photos



Playing dress up with dada's tie.



Dada and Ryan sleeping together on Sunday.


What a mosquito bite under the eye can look like.

Lots of Photos


Us with Marc and Robin outside of Red Lobster. We were so happy to see them. It had been way too long!

Can you hear me now? Probably not since I am talking into the wrong end of the cell phone.

Ryan running to the dance floor. He can really shake his booty.

The group of friends we travelled with to Melissa and Tony's wedding.

Ryan sitting in his own chair that he got for his birthday.

Having some birthday cupcake. Ryan thought it was just okay. He likes things like pickles and chips (which we try not to give him) more than cake and cookies (which we also try not to feed him).

On Memorial Day, we celebrated Ryan's birthday with a party. We first took a trip to the parade where he put his foot up on the stroller. It was too cute.

Grandma Grabianowski

For those of you who have been praying and keeping up-to-date on things... my grandmother passed away this afternoon. My mum and dad visited with them last week and just left on Saturday. So, now I ask for prayers for my grandfather who, after 62 years of marriage, is having a hard time dealing with this and will need to make some tough decisions in the next week.

Thanks again to those of you who have been praying for us.