Monday blues

Our week has started out kind of rough.  Normally we can get until at least Wednesday morning before the meltdowns start.  I don't know what it is but this kid HATES school.  As soon as you wake him up he starts yelling "no school today, it's Friday!" (he doesn't have school on Fridays)  It is heartbreaking to see his panic and extremely tiresome and frustrating.  He can't or won't articulate to me why he hates it so much.  It has been getting worse and it is only October :(  We had a home visit last Friday and his teacher said that he starts out the week pretty good but by Wednesday or Thursday he is kind of zoning out and having to get cued as to what to do more.  Ahhh so frustrating because we want him to do well and get the most out of this year.  I feel like this is our make or break it year as far can we get him in with the regular kids?  He is with them for most of the day right now but I am not sure how that is going yet.  Our meeting on Friday was with the Early Childhood teacher (special ed) and we don't meet with the regular kindergarten teacher until November 4th.  The testing that they have been doing so far this year shows him still way behind on his fine motor skills.  He's a little behind on the following directions part too.  My goal now is to make sure we work on something at home a few times a day.  Some days I think I get into lazy mode and just go about our normal routine without making sure he gets a little extra from me.  I have to remember that Jack is different and everything is going to take a little more from all of us.  I can't just auto pilot parent with him.  Obviously, he is struggling, I am sure that is why he doesn't want to go.  Jack has never liked being out of his comfort zone.  Me either for that matter.

Fall slides in

John and I had a money and budget talk this morning and tried to figure out just how many extra hours a week that I should be picking up at work to make all our ends meet.  Ahhhhh, it was not a fun talk.  No fun feelings afterwards either.   So since the day was a perfect fall day we decided to head out to Robinettes and get some hot apple cider and warm donuts.  They have the best.  They don't have their own pumpkin patch there so we left without pumpkins for today.  There is a local pumpkin patch that I will take the boys to next weekend.  I want them to have the experience of picking and choosing their own pumpkin.  Not just pointing at an odd shaped one in a box.  Jack was a little mad that we weren't leaving with any pumpkins.  I believe his exact words were "I'm going home with nothing!"  Oh poor baby.

Jack checking out the lay of the land

 

 

 

 

 

The ugly pumpkins are only $40 and we can talk about the unhappy looking kids

 

 Where are those donuts and cider you promised me.

There we go :)

 

Even he likes them

Hide your donuts from the big people

 

Uh-oh looks like a Speed sequel

 This driver looks a little devious

 poser

The end, off to grocery shop with 2 tired kids :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Who gets runner's knee after running twice and working out only 3 times?  Me, Yeah me.  Great

My knees have been bugging me for over a week.  And by bugging me, I mean killing me.  Two weeks ago I worked out at the Y three times in one week. Woo hoo.  I did the elliptical which I feel like I can do forever and it burns a lot of calories, which is what I am looking for since I have about 45lbs I want to lose like yesterday.  Two of the days after I did my time on the elliptical I went over to the treadmill and alternated running and walking.  My knees started hurting pretty much right away but I just assumed I overdid it.  So, I stayed away from the Y all last week and took it easy on my knees.  Practically overdosing on ibuprofen all week. 

I saw my doctor yesterday and she diagnosed me with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.........or runner's knee.  Come on, I barely even worked out yet.  We have a wedding in December to go to and I don't want to be the big girl on the beach.  My doctor said to stay off the elliptical for awhile and walk on the treadmill not run until it gets better.  She also suggested taking a pilates class so I am going to check into some classes at the Y.  I have always wanted to try a class but I am not very coordinated and I have a thing about being in a class full of fit women who already know what they are doing.  I know, grow up already and get some confidence, right?  Well, maybe these knees will push me into going.  I really want to lose weight and everyone says that yoga and pilates really work your core so I think I will give it a shot.


Last night I went out with some girls from work.  We met for a movie and then we went out for drinks and played some pool.  It was so much fun but I probably should have stopped after the movie.  I just wanted to have a couple of drinks but once I started it didn't seem like I could stop.  This is probably a problem I will have to visit at some other time but I don't think I am going to go there now.  It was a fun night...........I have just been paying for it all day today.  John left early today to go hang out at his uncles and watch the U of M vs.MI State game.  Mackenzie was gone today so it was just me and the boys.  It was really a nice day.  They played outside forever and then took a long bath and then I let them watch Sesame Street on my bed.  That worked out fine until wrestle mania started.  They get so rough with each other.  Boys   John is staying over at his uncles for the night so the best part of they day?   I have the bed to myself again.  Nothing against my husband but sometimes just being able to have the whole bed to spread my books and computer on and to be able to watch as much cheesy tv in bed until I fall asleep is just priceless.

Before the wrestling or maybe during a break?

 Charley smothering Jack

funky funk

Do you remember her from a few weeks ago?  Isn't she too cute?  She is a spunky 6 weeks old right now.  I am so in love with this little puppy.....which is not good because we already have 2 dogs.  An ex-boyfriend of one of my sisters wants her.  He has come over to see her a few times but now I don't know if I can part with her.  Common sense tells me I do NOT want 3 dogs.  The sucky thing is that I usually go with my stupid heart on such matters.  I kind of feel like Tyler and Caitlyn on Teen Mom.  I know what is best for baby but it is going to be so hard for me.



It has been a busy week here at the Larkin's.  John's friend Brad from high school is getting married in December and we had their couple's shower on Saturday.  It was interesting..............for the most part everyone sat upstairs in a living room watching college football.  Since I am really not a fan of college football I felt kind of lost.  I kept wandering around the house hoping to find someone else that just wanted to have a drink and maybe a smoke (Mad Men style) but there were no takers until just about the time I had planned on leaving.  We had a babysitter at our house and it was the first time anyone outside of Mackenzie or John's mom had watched the boys.  It was also the first time we paid someone hourly to watch the boys and since she had arrived at our house at 3:30 we were getting up there in numbers by the time the party started getting fun.  I left John at the party and got home to a very quiet house.  So so so nice.  I got on my jammies and went to bed in our king sized bed all by myself.  Well, with 3 little dogs.  The boys must have had fun with Becca because I woke up to "bayee seeeeter,  bayee seeeeeter, where are yew?"  When I went in to get Charley he said "no, not yew mommy."  I guess we will have to get a babysitter more often.

Speaking of John's friend who is getting married..............well, the wedding is in Mexico and we are going.  Instead of paying for a big ole wedding they are going to pay for a few of their close friends to go along with.  I have never been out of the country though so I am just now in the process of trying to get my passport.  Of course now I can't find my birth certificate anywhere and you kind of need that for the whole proof of U.S. citizenship and everything.  AAAAHHH  I have been trying to call the records office in South Dakota and as of today still haven't gotten a live person.   I have to work all day tomorrow so Friday is going to be the big birth certificate search here while having a phone glued to my ear to try and obtain another one in case I can't find the one I know I just saw a few months ago when I had no reason to need it.  Wish me luck. 

randomly random

Well this is going to be a post full of randoms. I have been meaning to write much sooner but in classic Nicole form, I have been putting it off. I haven't been doing this for very long but I know that once I finish a post I feel this sense of accomplishment. Whether the post was pulitzer prize material doesn't matter to me. It just feels good to get some thoughts down and makes me reflect a little on how I can handle things differently in my house. Whether it was a great week or not.  I'm sure I can always use a little reflection.

This last week has just been kind of weird. I feel like I have done a lot of yelling of my 2 little ones and nitpicked and grew very annoyed of my older daughter and my husband John. It seemed like everything the big people in this house did just got on my nerves. Charley got yelled at more this week because he is just sweet and full of energy at 3.........but gosh darn it does he have to dump every bucket of toys out and then drag things from room to room. Also, getting into anything that he is not supposed to the minute my back is turned or I happen to be on a 5 minute phone call during the day. Geesh! But I promise to make more one on one time with him this next week and work on projects with him.

Jack, Jack, Jack. I have really lost it on him this week. I feel like the worst mother in the world with him right now. Last year we had him tested for autism and he did not fit on their spectrum so that is good, right? Well, he did fall a little bit below developement wise. About a year. So okay, potty training for him was late but now that is great. He can even stay dry overnight. The thing with him right now is going number 2. He has not done that in the toilet since last July when we were at my parents house. Otherwise it is usually at night. Sometimes we don't find it until morning and the poor weird kid has slept in it all night. How can he sleep like that? I know all the books say not to shame your kid about this or they will be messed up forever. I am just getting tired of rinsing out disgusting underwear everyday and cleaning up a large 5 year old child. And why is he doing this? I know he can do it on the potty. We have seen it or was it a dream. I am not sure anymore. This last week though I went crazy and took all of his beloved books away and told him he can have one back everytime he poos in the potty. I'm afraid to say that none of this was said or done lovingly. I was mad and I shouldn't have let him see me that way. I am just at such a loss on this one. :((((


We have had some good times this week. Art prize is going on right now downtown so we headed out there on Sunday. We didn't get to see even half of the stuff but it was still fun. We randomly ran into these people.

                                                          My sister Angie

                                                           My sweet niece Taylor

 

 

 

Also, today was the 3rd week of Charley's sports sampler at the Y.  Today was floor hockey.  I think he liked it but it is kind of hard to tell he doesn't follow direction very well and would rather sit by me and watch.  But he sure is cute :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So here is to this week going smoother............less yelling, drinking(might have been me)more fun and planned activities.  And above all patience with Jack and his bowel issues.  We will overcome this him and I and I will not shame him again. 

Charley sports and my lack of

One of the reasons I wanted to start this blog was to kind of hold myself accountable for my decision to get healthy and to finally get serious about working out and losing weight. I subscribed to the great website "from the couch to 5K" and I am proud to say that I have started it. Well, okay............... to be honest, I have visualized myself running. I have been shopping for my new running outfits, because let's be serious here, it is really all about the shopping and clothes for me. The idea of running is exciting, fun, and nerve wrecking for me. If I am going to do it ( I will, eventually) I am going to need the best, cutest running clothes I can find. Hmmmph, haven't found them yet. So anyway, we are over month into my vow of living healthier and I really can't say that I have started yet. My only trip to the gym since then has been for Charley. We signed him him up for a sports sampler at the Y. He seemed to love it. Here are a couple videos of him playing basketball and just to let you know, once I find THE outfit, I will start running. :)

Charley is 3, allergies, and the zoo, oh yeah

 

I can’t believe Charley is 3 already.  How can that possibly be?  Birthdays always hit me kind of hard for some crazy reason.  I just hate measurements in time,  it just makes you realize how fast time goes I guess.  Not helping the issue is that my oldest just turned 18 in August and I had my 37th birthday.  yuck, yuck, and yuck.  Also, Charley is my sweet baby.  Is the last though?  I don’t want him to be…….I’m not ready for that.  I have always thought there would be at least one more baby in my life.  So, have I cherished every possible, precious, fleeting moment of the last 3 years?  I hope so, I really do.  This blog is going to be part of the insurance that I do just that.  My kids say so many cute things and do so many cute things and I just want to make sure I remember as many of these sweet days as possible.  Sometimes I have a flair for the morbid thoughts.  Like dwelling on how fast it is going instead of living in today and just loving today for what today is.  Wonderful!!!  Here are a couple more shots of the birthday boy.

 

 

 

Anyway I think Charley had a great birthday.  We kind of spread out the gifts through out the day.  He had the cupcakes that he covets every time we walk by them at Meijer.  It was really low key, just our immediate little family.  Very nice day, considering the boys and I are a little under the weather.  It all started last Monday morning when Jack came busting out of his bedroom in the morning shouting…..”somebody, help my brother! He is turning into a dog!” Charley was having an asthma attack and when that happens he sounds like a barking seal.  It is kind of scary if you have never heard it before…..or if you are a 5 year old with a very literal sense about you.  So the boys have pretty bad allergies right now and mine turned into a sinus infection.  Fun times, if you see green snot in any of the following pictures at the zoo, please just ignore.  We are trying to be on top of it but man can those little boys fight a kleenex wipe.

 

Today has been an absolutely beautiful September day and I realized that we had never made it to our local zoo all summer.  John was on an all day bike ride so it was just me and the kids and we had so much fun.  I am glad we made it.  Here are some pictures.

 

Mackenzie and Charley

 

These were some really cute little kangaroo type animals. 

 

Jack loved the kid’s petting zoo. 

 

Mackenzie and Charley

 

Jack and his goat friend

 

I thought he would freak out in this bird enclosure but he was really cool about it.

 

Charley was a little more skeptical of this whole plan

 

Check them all out!!!

 

Mackenzie touching a sting ray, ooh

 

All of us together :)

 

Outside of the lion exhibit, this was way more exciting trust me.

 

Charley and his little buddy

 

Ice cream at the end of the day, I won’t show you a picture of me chowing down on mine. :)