(I stole the idea of Pit and Peak from the finale of a Kardashian episode that my girl Bailey made me watch. So if I get sued, it is Bailey's fault. I would never just watch a Kardashian show on my own accord. Nope. Never.)
The PIT of today was when a parent tried to bully me by demanding services. He didn't get what he wanted and thought it was okay to belittle me. Unfortunatly I engaged in the arguement, because he is just a horrible person, and ultimately the guy probably DID get what he wanted......a rise out of me. It took a while for my heart rate to slow down, and I told the switch board to transfer all calls from this man directly to my supervisor. I am done with him. The office of Mahmood and Martens is done with him.
The PEAK was at the end of the day when one of my Fav-o-rite clients had an appointment. I'll call him Carl and he is a 20 something developmentally disabled male. As soon as the doctor calls his name to come back for his appointment he runs straight into my office first for a hug. Carl doesn't have words, but he has facial expressions and "sounds" that I am learning to understand. Today he brought along his mother, dad usually brings him, and he wanted to introduce us. Lovely to meet her and honored that he thought I should. After his appointment he runs from the the doctor's office, back to my office, for his piece of fruit. (I give out fruit to the kids, and any adults that want some. For many it is the only fruit they will get for a long time. Produce is expensive and many can't afford to add it to their grocery bill. Sadly, many don't choose to.) Anyway, Carl always picks a banana and a sticker. Today he showed me his tattoos. I covered my eyes while he lifted up his sleeves and shouted his version of Surprise! to show me his arms covered in tattoos. I told him he look waaay tough. He then picked out his sticker for the day, today he chose Optimus Prime. His dad said "Wow! Cool Carl! Optimus Prime! We love Transformers don't we?"
Did I mention that Carl's parents are the epitome of what good parenting looks like. They love their son so much it makes their faces glow. They support their son 110% and don't try and make him not be Carl. You can tell that Carl being Carl brings them JOY.
I wish we had a hundred Carls in our clinic......
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Capri kind of day
Tess went to school today wearing a pair of capri pants. I couldn't come up with a good reason to say no when she asked if she could........
But somehow it just seems wrong.
Loving this weather, but really, really wanting some snow!
But somehow it just seems wrong.
Loving this weather, but really, really wanting some snow!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Manic Monday
I think this is going to be my signature post on Mondays. If anyone knows that it is already used/copyrighted(!) then let me know......it was not intentional, I just happen to be a mental health nurse that uses this phrase at work most Mondays. I also use Freak Out Fridays...
1. Old dance outfits/leotards from big sisters Samantha and Bailey + a little bit of makeup + a lot of music = Dance Party at our house! Kate and Jane each found an outfit that they love and are now sleeping in them tonight...only after Kate figured out her autograph for when she is famous. I overheard her saying "this Rockstar needs a rest, people!"
2. I broke a crown in half this weekend on a stupid piece of hard candy. I was lucky enough to get into the dentist today at 11am and got to spend the rest of this beautiful Monday at home with Andy and Jane. Jane and I played and played and played and played....JOY
3. There is a new winery in Smithville, Ladoga Ridge Winery, that we went to this weekend. They have mostly "sweeter" wines, which is right up my alley. The more the wine tastes like kool-aid the better. We brought home 4 bottles. Go there.
4. I listened to an old(er) gentleman rattle on about how he doesn't want his grown daughter "being with a black man"...He preceeded that statement by saying "I don't want to sound like a bigot" to which I answered "but you DO, so I am going to stop listening to you now." I have no time for ignorance like that. Do not waste my time.
5. Our taxes are done and we get money back. Hallelujah.
6. Really ready for some Major League Baseball to start. We are thinking of heading to Spring Training in Surprise, AZ in March. No solid plans, but we've never been and we aren't getting any younger.
7. Having doubts about when to put our house on the market again. Do we try this spring or wait and save some more?
8. My brother's band "The Sawyers" played at Knuckleheads this month, and play at The Record Bar next month, both times as the opening act with "The Grisly Hand". If you need something to do on a Friday night, go listen to them. You will not be disappointed.
9. Andy helped a friend from church by taking her to the hospital after breaking her arm. She is very complimentory to Andy and what a caring and compassionate paramedic he is. The friend is by no means "old"(she is my mom's age) but Andy always has been loved by the little old ladies he cares for...if I can just make it to that age, I will have it made.
10. Tess sang for the Hal Leonard You Tube Vocal Competition on Saturday. She did amazing. Biiiig Surprise. Last year she won honorable mention out of all the entries from the US and Canada. In my opinion, this years songs were even better. Too bad my opinion doesn't count. I will be letting everyone know when the videos are posted to You Tube.
11. The Republican candidates for presidency scare me. I am really not a political person, I just try to pick the best person for the job. That being said, the next four years could be roouuuggghhh.
1. Old dance outfits/leotards from big sisters Samantha and Bailey + a little bit of makeup + a lot of music = Dance Party at our house! Kate and Jane each found an outfit that they love and are now sleeping in them tonight...only after Kate figured out her autograph for when she is famous. I overheard her saying "this Rockstar needs a rest, people!"
2. I broke a crown in half this weekend on a stupid piece of hard candy. I was lucky enough to get into the dentist today at 11am and got to spend the rest of this beautiful Monday at home with Andy and Jane. Jane and I played and played and played and played....JOY
3. There is a new winery in Smithville, Ladoga Ridge Winery, that we went to this weekend. They have mostly "sweeter" wines, which is right up my alley. The more the wine tastes like kool-aid the better. We brought home 4 bottles. Go there.
4. I listened to an old(er) gentleman rattle on about how he doesn't want his grown daughter "being with a black man"...He preceeded that statement by saying "I don't want to sound like a bigot" to which I answered "but you DO, so I am going to stop listening to you now." I have no time for ignorance like that. Do not waste my time.
5. Our taxes are done and we get money back. Hallelujah.
6. Really ready for some Major League Baseball to start. We are thinking of heading to Spring Training in Surprise, AZ in March. No solid plans, but we've never been and we aren't getting any younger.
7. Having doubts about when to put our house on the market again. Do we try this spring or wait and save some more?
8. My brother's band "The Sawyers" played at Knuckleheads this month, and play at The Record Bar next month, both times as the opening act with "The Grisly Hand". If you need something to do on a Friday night, go listen to them. You will not be disappointed.
9. Andy helped a friend from church by taking her to the hospital after breaking her arm. She is very complimentory to Andy and what a caring and compassionate paramedic he is. The friend is by no means "old"(she is my mom's age) but Andy always has been loved by the little old ladies he cares for...if I can just make it to that age, I will have it made.
10. Tess sang for the Hal Leonard You Tube Vocal Competition on Saturday. She did amazing. Biiiig Surprise. Last year she won honorable mention out of all the entries from the US and Canada. In my opinion, this years songs were even better. Too bad my opinion doesn't count. I will be letting everyone know when the videos are posted to You Tube.
11. The Republican candidates for presidency scare me. I am really not a political person, I just try to pick the best person for the job. That being said, the next four years could be roouuuggghhh.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Manic Thoughts Monday
Have several random thoughts that I just want to drop here.....
1. Seen the news about the cruise ship that half sunk off the coast of Italy? Reason #47 you will not see me on a cruise ship. EVER.
2. Tess has been having headaches a lot lately and I am trying not to worry. I don't immediately jump to tumor or anything, but I do worry about her eyes straining and her needing glasses, or even worse, PUBERTY. I am really so very not ready to think about the torture of hormones on my baby girl.....not to mention what it will do to the rest of us.
3. Andy tiled a beautiful backsplash in our kitchen, installed a new faucet and painted the door pulls on all the cabinets. Why the heck did we not do this sooner? I hate that we are doing all these upgrades so someone else can enjoy them. meh.
4. We are still working out. Still don't like it. I do however, like the muscle tone that I am starting to notice in my arms and thighs. Stomach is still flab city. Sorry for that visual.
5. We get to keep our sweet little Amelia for Valentines Day weekend. She just up and called me one day and asked if she could come over....something about her parents needing to get out more. Huh.
6. Anyone out there ever taken glucosamine for joints? I am especially trying to help my knees out. Just wondering if I am swallowing these horse pills for nothing.
7. Forgot to mention that my school age darlings both had stellar report cards at semester. Tess raised her math grade from an A- and got straight As in all subjects. Her teacher put in the comments section that she is going to challenge Tess this semester. I responded back by encouraging her to BRING IT and that we will totally support her making Tess earn her grades. Not that Tess coasts though class, but she could definitely stand to be pushed to use her critical thinking skills more often.
8. Kate had all positive remarks on her grade card too. They don't get a letter grade in Kindergarten. We loved the comment from Mrs Ballew "I love Kate's strong sense of self worth. She approaches all activities with wonderful confidence and enthusiasm. We all enjoy her delightful sense of humor." I had such a worry that Kate was not getting the self confidence boost that she needed being the middle child. Not the first to do most things, not the baby and learning new things.....just Kate doing her thing. This comment gave me hope that Kate really does have the confidence in her, we just need to nurture it and make sure she knows how much we support her.
9. Read a great comment by the President and First Lady in a magazine about how they are raising their girls. They mentioned that their daughters have always had responsibilities/chores, etc. but the part that really struck me as sound logic was that they feel it is important to let them struggle and fail. They feel it is important for their daughters to learn to deal with adversity and failure now while they(the parents) are there to support them and help them back up....hoping it will make them stronger and self reliant adults. Andy and I love to praise our kids for accomplishments, but we don't just hand out the awesome card for anything. Average work doesn't deserve above average praise.
10. Tess's basketball team has won one, lost one, and tied one. They are an average team with above average coaches. Shout out to Andy and Bobby! I like that Tess loves basketball, is aggressive, and can dribble the stupid ball. I do wonder sometimes how well she would play in a league that really challenged her. Not sure she would be such a baller. Probably would still hustle though, which is super great....
11. I'm ready for some snow. Yesterday we got out the snow pants/coats/boots/waterproof gloves just for giggles. Discovered that Tess did not have snow boots that fit, so I went and bought some on clearance today at Target. This will undoubtedly secure that we will NOT get snow.
12. We did not have working toilets or running water at work today for several hours. not cool.
13. Forgot to talk about Jane! She is great. A real winner. Her poop does not stink. Can't say enough positive things about her. Really. She is an amazing child and does no wrong. (see #9)
14. Jane really is pretty great. Struggling to find her independence while still playing the "baby" card every now and then. We laugh with her more than we discipline her, so that's a positive, right? Her little lispy speech is a-dorable and her sassy facial expressions and body language is too fun. She loves school and has two best friends that are BOYS at school...one of them wants to marry her, she says! She loves to sing age inappropriate songs, and just yesterday we overheard her singing "Sweet Home Alabama." No "Wheels On the Bus" for this girl. We are all about Music Appreciation in this house, but Skynard? C'mon! If she breaks into Freebird, we are going to have a talk.
1. Seen the news about the cruise ship that half sunk off the coast of Italy? Reason #47 you will not see me on a cruise ship. EVER.
2. Tess has been having headaches a lot lately and I am trying not to worry. I don't immediately jump to tumor or anything, but I do worry about her eyes straining and her needing glasses, or even worse, PUBERTY. I am really so very not ready to think about the torture of hormones on my baby girl.....not to mention what it will do to the rest of us.
3. Andy tiled a beautiful backsplash in our kitchen, installed a new faucet and painted the door pulls on all the cabinets. Why the heck did we not do this sooner? I hate that we are doing all these upgrades so someone else can enjoy them. meh.
4. We are still working out. Still don't like it. I do however, like the muscle tone that I am starting to notice in my arms and thighs. Stomach is still flab city. Sorry for that visual.
5. We get to keep our sweet little Amelia for Valentines Day weekend. She just up and called me one day and asked if she could come over....something about her parents needing to get out more. Huh.
6. Anyone out there ever taken glucosamine for joints? I am especially trying to help my knees out. Just wondering if I am swallowing these horse pills for nothing.
7. Forgot to mention that my school age darlings both had stellar report cards at semester. Tess raised her math grade from an A- and got straight As in all subjects. Her teacher put in the comments section that she is going to challenge Tess this semester. I responded back by encouraging her to BRING IT and that we will totally support her making Tess earn her grades. Not that Tess coasts though class, but she could definitely stand to be pushed to use her critical thinking skills more often.
8. Kate had all positive remarks on her grade card too. They don't get a letter grade in Kindergarten. We loved the comment from Mrs Ballew "I love Kate's strong sense of self worth. She approaches all activities with wonderful confidence and enthusiasm. We all enjoy her delightful sense of humor." I had such a worry that Kate was not getting the self confidence boost that she needed being the middle child. Not the first to do most things, not the baby and learning new things.....just Kate doing her thing. This comment gave me hope that Kate really does have the confidence in her, we just need to nurture it and make sure she knows how much we support her.
9. Read a great comment by the President and First Lady in a magazine about how they are raising their girls. They mentioned that their daughters have always had responsibilities/chores, etc. but the part that really struck me as sound logic was that they feel it is important to let them struggle and fail. They feel it is important for their daughters to learn to deal with adversity and failure now while they(the parents) are there to support them and help them back up....hoping it will make them stronger and self reliant adults. Andy and I love to praise our kids for accomplishments, but we don't just hand out the awesome card for anything. Average work doesn't deserve above average praise.
10. Tess's basketball team has won one, lost one, and tied one. They are an average team with above average coaches. Shout out to Andy and Bobby! I like that Tess loves basketball, is aggressive, and can dribble the stupid ball. I do wonder sometimes how well she would play in a league that really challenged her. Not sure she would be such a baller. Probably would still hustle though, which is super great....
11. I'm ready for some snow. Yesterday we got out the snow pants/coats/boots/waterproof gloves just for giggles. Discovered that Tess did not have snow boots that fit, so I went and bought some on clearance today at Target. This will undoubtedly secure that we will NOT get snow.
12. We did not have working toilets or running water at work today for several hours. not cool.
13. Forgot to talk about Jane! She is great. A real winner. Her poop does not stink. Can't say enough positive things about her. Really. She is an amazing child and does no wrong. (see #9)
14. Jane really is pretty great. Struggling to find her independence while still playing the "baby" card every now and then. We laugh with her more than we discipline her, so that's a positive, right? Her little lispy speech is a-dorable and her sassy facial expressions and body language is too fun. She loves school and has two best friends that are BOYS at school...one of them wants to marry her, she says! She loves to sing age inappropriate songs, and just yesterday we overheard her singing "Sweet Home Alabama." No "Wheels On the Bus" for this girl. We are all about Music Appreciation in this house, but Skynard? C'mon! If she breaks into Freebird, we are going to have a talk.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Almost K
We enrolled our Baby Jane in Pre-K preschool class today. This means, in her words, that she is almost in K!
*sigh*
Guess we need to change her nickname from Baby Jane to Big Girl Jane! Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday we were a family of two worried about becoming a family of three......now we are THE Martens 5.....family of five. When did that happen? (notice I didn't say how?!)
I am bit apprehensive about sending our sweet little Janey to "K". She will barely be 4 when she starts Pre-K, which means she will turn 5 about 6 weeks before Kindergarten. yikes.
Jane is pretty mature in her likes/dislikes when it comes to all things "big girl" like her sisters.....yet is still our cutie patootie 3 year old that drinks her special sippy cup of milk before bed every night.
We were pretty spoiled having "older" 5 year olds that started Kindergarten, with Tess being almost 6 and Kate being 5 1/2. This barely 5 child should make for some interesting parent/teacher conferences! Why am I even obsessing about Kindergarten right now? We still have a whole year of Pre-K to get through....and that doesn't even start until September.
Surely there are other things I should be worrying about right now instead of this!
Such as .....
Jane's favorite song?
"I'm Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO.
or that she made her own version that I overheard her singing to her stuffed animals.....
"If you're sexy and you know it, clap your hands!
If you're sexy and you know it, clap your hands!
If you're sexy and you know it, then your face will surely show it, if you're sexy and you know it, clap your hands!"
This is clearly a song about self esteem, right?
*sigh*
Guess we need to change her nickname from Baby Jane to Big Girl Jane! Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday we were a family of two worried about becoming a family of three......now we are THE Martens 5.....family of five. When did that happen? (notice I didn't say how?!)
I am bit apprehensive about sending our sweet little Janey to "K". She will barely be 4 when she starts Pre-K, which means she will turn 5 about 6 weeks before Kindergarten. yikes.
Jane is pretty mature in her likes/dislikes when it comes to all things "big girl" like her sisters.....yet is still our cutie patootie 3 year old that drinks her special sippy cup of milk before bed every night.
We were pretty spoiled having "older" 5 year olds that started Kindergarten, with Tess being almost 6 and Kate being 5 1/2. This barely 5 child should make for some interesting parent/teacher conferences! Why am I even obsessing about Kindergarten right now? We still have a whole year of Pre-K to get through....and that doesn't even start until September.
Surely there are other things I should be worrying about right now instead of this!
Such as .....
Jane's favorite song?
"I'm Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO.
or that she made her own version that I overheard her singing to her stuffed animals.....
"If you're sexy and you know it, clap your hands!
If you're sexy and you know it, clap your hands!
If you're sexy and you know it, then your face will surely show it, if you're sexy and you know it, clap your hands!"
This is clearly a song about self esteem, right?
Sunday, January 15, 2012
I Resolve....
It's only a few days late and I can't think that fast right after the holidays........
1. I have finally figured out that I am the weakest link when our family is late getting out the door. I used to blame in on the kid(s) and trying to get everyone ready. Well, I still do blame our habitual late arrivals on my children, but there are PLENTY of times when they haven't been involved, or even home, and I am still squealing my tires to the event. Rarely are we actually late, late, but we are on time or fashionably late by 5ish minutes or so. NOT COOL. I've decided on the main reason I can't get out the door. Typically I am late because I can't not multi-task. I seem to always find one-more-thing that I want to try and get done. I need to just stop, focus on getting us out the door, and remember that it will still be waiting for me when I get home. Either that, or I could get up earlier/start getting ready earlier but that seems like a total drag.
2.We started regularly exercising back in October and I want to continue that into the new year. From someone who hates to exercise, this is a stellar accomplishment....the fact that we are still exercising most nights. Is it normal to be hungry all the freaking time? Most days I could eat anything that isn't nailed down. Seriously. So, that should probably be my next resolution, right? Stop eating so stinking much and try to eat healtier....blah blah blah, I'm trying. I don't notice that my weight is changing much, but I can say that my clothes fit better. I have serious doubts that I will ever have a flat stomach, but I'd settle for some killer arms and legs.
3. Start getting involved as an aunt. We got our first niece this year and she is getting old enough to spoil. This is where I come in. I am seriously hoping to get to keep Amelia overnight next month, if I can pry her out of her mom and dad's arms. I vaguely remember all the "We'll babysit!" offers we got from everyone before we had Tess that never happened. So, I have said all along that I want to babysit this girl and I mean it! Kate told me I should be pretty good at keeping a baby overnight, because I've gotten to practice three times. My plan is to schedule frequent Girl's Rule parties at our house for many years to come.
4. De-clutter and make the most of the space we have. We are hoping to be in a new house this year, God willing, and I totally do not want to take tons of junk with us.
5. This has got to be our year of financially smart saving and spending. We have been working hard to pay off every little cent owed. For the first time in our married life we have actually paid off a vehicle! Feels good to be without debt. Don't get me wrong, we still have the necessary debt(mortgage, car, school loan, orthodontist ) but the extra stuff is gettin' paid.
6. Build better relationships with my family. More date nights with my man, more playing with my girls, less worrying about stupid things that don't matter, more energy towards the things that do.....
7.Blog more often.
1. I have finally figured out that I am the weakest link when our family is late getting out the door. I used to blame in on the kid(s) and trying to get everyone ready. Well, I still do blame our habitual late arrivals on my children, but there are PLENTY of times when they haven't been involved, or even home, and I am still squealing my tires to the event. Rarely are we actually late, late, but we are on time or fashionably late by 5ish minutes or so. NOT COOL. I've decided on the main reason I can't get out the door. Typically I am late because I can't not multi-task. I seem to always find one-more-thing that I want to try and get done. I need to just stop, focus on getting us out the door, and remember that it will still be waiting for me when I get home. Either that, or I could get up earlier/start getting ready earlier but that seems like a total drag.
2.We started regularly exercising back in October and I want to continue that into the new year. From someone who hates to exercise, this is a stellar accomplishment....the fact that we are still exercising most nights. Is it normal to be hungry all the freaking time? Most days I could eat anything that isn't nailed down. Seriously. So, that should probably be my next resolution, right? Stop eating so stinking much and try to eat healtier....blah blah blah, I'm trying. I don't notice that my weight is changing much, but I can say that my clothes fit better. I have serious doubts that I will ever have a flat stomach, but I'd settle for some killer arms and legs.
3. Start getting involved as an aunt. We got our first niece this year and she is getting old enough to spoil. This is where I come in. I am seriously hoping to get to keep Amelia overnight next month, if I can pry her out of her mom and dad's arms. I vaguely remember all the "We'll babysit!" offers we got from everyone before we had Tess that never happened. So, I have said all along that I want to babysit this girl and I mean it! Kate told me I should be pretty good at keeping a baby overnight, because I've gotten to practice three times. My plan is to schedule frequent Girl's Rule parties at our house for many years to come.
4. De-clutter and make the most of the space we have. We are hoping to be in a new house this year, God willing, and I totally do not want to take tons of junk with us.
5. This has got to be our year of financially smart saving and spending. We have been working hard to pay off every little cent owed. For the first time in our married life we have actually paid off a vehicle! Feels good to be without debt. Don't get me wrong, we still have the necessary debt(mortgage, car, school loan, orthodontist ) but the extra stuff is gettin' paid.
6. Build better relationships with my family. More date nights with my man, more playing with my girls, less worrying about stupid things that don't matter, more energy towards the things that do.....
7.Blog more often.
Monday, January 2, 2012
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