My game days r done

I cant play 1st person games any more They make me sick to my stomach from motion sickness

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And here is all thats left of our 21 lb cat The boys went and picked him up today

Lazy Saturday

Its a lazy day here Kids r in the pool & Lex & I r watching them and reading books Nice

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This is the view out my front door at the University of Nevada Reno

Mobile bloggin rocks

I dont blog as much as I would like cuz Im not always near my computer Mobile blogging sounds like its made just for me

Jack's Big Music Show

If you have kids, you can't go wrong with "Jack's Big Music Show" (unless of course they just aren't into puppets). Lexy is on the fence about puppets. Sometimes she's really into it and something she could care less. Now me on the otherhand, I just love this show. Last summer we taped every new episode and I saw some AMAZING performances (Mel's Super Swell Dance Party YIPPEE!)

There wasn't much on the other day but we were waiting for a show she does like to come and lo and behold, there was Jack so I clicked on it. Jack had accidently broke his best friend Mary's new hammer dulcimer. Jack, Mary and Jack's dog Mel were standing over this broken hammer dulcimer and it went into a "music video." That's what Jack's Big Music Show is about, the videos of artists playing their music and little kids dancing around them. Trust me, it's cute.

Sorry, where was I? Broken hammer dulcimer. So on comes the music video and my head just snapped around from where I was. AMAAAAAZING music was coming from the screen. I'm so getting their album.

http://www.noggin.com/shows/jacks.php You'll see a video playing from Laurie Berkner (another album I now own because of this show) but click on the video second from the left. It's two black guys with a violin. They are called "Nuttin but Stringz" and the song is "Thunder."

The demo song on their website is also awesome
http://www.nuttinbutstringz.com/ (under "Media/Photo)

And if you're on the jack website (you know you want to) and surfing around try
http://www.noggin.com/games/jacks/clubhouse/index.php?activity=videoplayer
I know I've watched each of them at least twice. Some way more than that.

Zool the Destroyer

Zool the Destroyer, Devourer of Souls, passed on to mean kitty heaven this morning at 7:15am. Yes, there is a heaven for mean kitties. What a life he led and what a reputation he built. I told my dad the other day that he wasn't doing well and his reply was, "Has he been eating too many small children?" If a cat could be allowed into Valhalla, this would be the one (except he didn't die in battle hmmmmmm maybe they'll make an exception).

This is a cat who my boss found when he was 5 days old (after being swiped from another litter on the block by their momma kitty). I took him to the vet and was told, "Don't get attached to this cat. He's probably not going to make it." Mike, my brother and I fed and cleaned him around the clock for a month (his eyes weren't even open for another few weeks after we got him). He didn't even see another cat for probably 3 months and was only around dogs. He spent so much time with dogs that he thought he was a dog. If you came to visit he would come over and sniff your shoes. And yes, Gib was exactly right, if you did not acknowledge him as soon as he came to you, you might as well walk right out the door because he would spend your visit attacking you. And it wouldn't be a full on attack, it would be a sneak attack. And not playful. He would hurt you until you were VERY sorry you didn't give him the recognition he felt he deserved. AND you don't sit in his chair. Never sit in his chair. We had this recliner we inherited with the house and that was his place to sit. I sat there one night to walk some TV. I saw him from across the room watching me. And in a burst of evil flight he flew across the room, hit the coffee table, landed in my lap and slapped me in the face with his paw and took off. He would stalk us through the house until he caught up with us to bite a limb. So mean!

After Kiernan was born he attacked Mike and actually sent him to the hospital with a split open palm. It was then I told Mike, either we make him an indoor outdoor cat or we put him down. I was so scared for Kiernan, that as he grew up he would get attacked and seriously hurt. As Kiernan grew up, the cat just kind of kept his distance but I still didn't trust the two to be in the same room by themselves without an adult present. I remember the day I heard Kiernan crying in the back of the house. Out he came crying, "Kitty bit me! Kitty bit me!" I was expecting the absolute worse and rushed over to check him for blood and on his hand was a teeny tiny dent in his skin. AND a handful of hair. I asked, "Did you pull the kitties tail?" "Yes!" he sobbed. "Then you got what you deserved." And that's how the cat was with "his boy." Very gentle and when he felt he was getting too much lovings, he'd leave. Mind you, the same courtesy was not extended with adults. It's like he knew his life depended on how nice he was to the boy.

He got hit by a car once. The vet figures he got hit hard enough that he crawled off the road and passed out for like a day and then dragged himself home (literally dragged because he had some nerve damage in his right front leg and couldn't walk very well).

It cats are supposed to have 9 lives, he was on life #11.

Zool the Destroyer

Our 12 year old cat, Zool the Destroyer, is very sick. Sick enough that he may not make it through the night :( He was diagnosed with diabetes about a month ago). He kept acting like he was getting better then would get much worse. At this point we are pretty sure he's blind and is steadily declined hour by hour.

This is our kitty we've had since he was 5 days old WAH!!

Lexy is a big girl

Alexia's class is getting ready to move to the next room at daycare. She goes to school at the university's daycare and their program is just about as good as it gets! Her class spends 3 years with the same teachers but move room to room. So 3 years and rooms later, next week it's time to move to the next classroom. She will spend 2 years with her new teacher and be in one room this year and move to the next room for the following year (but with the same teacher).

She started with two fabulous teachers, Kelley and Jill, but Jill left the university this past October. So the remaining teacher, Kelley, has been with her since she was just barely 6 weeks old. This is a woman who loves my daughter almost as much as I do and I will miss her so much. It's not like I won't see her every day still (mostly passing her in the hall) but it's just not the same. We talked about it last week (while we were both trying not to cry) about how it's just not the same. Two years from now, Alexia may or may not even remember the name of this fabulous person who was a key factor in her growing up. Kelley is truly an amazing person and I will miss her wisdom and guidance every single day.

I LOVE CAKE!

The hubby and I went to the Nugget on Sunday night and saw Cake www.cakemusic.com. They were AWESOME! They were amazing live! Perhaps even better than listening to their albums. DUDE!

I'm dead dog tired

Every year the students from my belly dance class do a series of performances in the late spring. I only dread it because I know I'll be worn out when it's done. And it's done and I'm worn out.
We had a performance two Friday ago (April 20th), a tech rehearsal Sunday night, rehearsal Monday and Wednesday nights, a dress rehearsal on Thursday night, performances on Friday and Saturday nights and one this afternoon. Plus my son's Little League game on Saturday morning (he was an ANIMAL!! He did an awesome job!)

I am completely worn to the bone. It's 6:21 and my daughter's asleep on the couch and I know I should wake her up but she's so tired she's being naughty. My son is working on homework on and off and I have laundry going. I need like 2 full days of sleep.

The end of my day

I was born today at something like 3:05 :) Since the kids came along, I really don't "do" anything for my birthday except age. Today we got up and watched my son play for the Cardinals in a Farm League match (they won. My son hit the ball, brought in one runner and eventually ran the bases for home for a point. He was stoked), we went to breakfast at Heidi's. I haven't been there in years and it was yummy. I had scrambled eggs, pancakes and bacon. We then went to Costco for gas and movies. I bought my husband "Smallville" seasons 1 and 2 for Christmas (they were on sale 2 for 1) and we've recently started watching them. We are blowing through them and we need more. We picked up Seasons 3 & 4 plus Eragon for my son and a Mickey Mouse Club House for my daughter. I tried to take a nap but no one was having it. So for the past hour and 1/2 I've been snoozing in and out with no luck. Now it's 9:18 and I'm going to watch a movie with my kids. Yeah, it's late but it's my birthday! Tres exciting, eh?

I have Happy Feet

I broke down and bought Happy Feet. I don't typically buy a movie that no one in my family has seen but I've heard so many good things about it I figured, what the heck.

It started out kind of slow but once it got into the storyline of Mumble (the penguin with the happy feet) I was absolutely pulled right into the story. I laughed outloud, shrieked in fright and almost cried. My daughter couldn't stop dancing around in front of the TV (all four of us watched it).

I'm not saying it was the best animated movie I've ever seen in my whole life but I absolutely loved it.

Sensory Integrative Dysfunction in Young Children

What the heck is this? Anyone know or have any history of working with kids with this?
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/fall97/sensory.htm

It's all in the early stages but my daughter's teachers think she may have a form of this. I won't know more until the beginning of April but thought I would look up some information. One of the things they are seeing is that when she gets frustrated or mad she can't verbalize what is upseting her (she typically yells or cries the word, "OK" over and over again). There are other things they mentioned that I see on this website.

So strange but I guess I'll just wait until we have our first assessment.

Here we are again

As some of you remember, it was this time last year when we were agonizing over the decision to hold my son back and have him go through 1st grade again.

Here we are at the end of another school year. There are so many things going on right now with him that it's hard to really describe. He has matured *so much* in the past few months. It's almost like he's a new person (yet not, told you it was hard to describe). The last time we met with his teacher in 2006 we asked about the "th" speech impediment that he has. They both answered, "Oh that's something that they generally grow out of by the time they're 7 1/2" Mike and I looked at each other quizically then back at them. "He turned 7 1/2 last week." They just weren't used to having a student who had been held back in their class. That started the speech therapy ball rolling.

We met with the speech therapist and his teachers last week to discuss how his speech therapy would go. As we were getting ready to leave his teachers asked if they could talk to us real quick before school started. They feel as if he is falling behind. He came to them at a "C" level of reading and needs to be a "G" to go on to 2nd grade. He was at a "F" but it was too much for him and he dropped back down to an "E" They looked at his file for last year and found that he had been considered for special ed classes but it was shelved as they knew we were going to hold him back. His teachers this year feel he needs that special ed help. So, he goes off track next Friday for a month then when he comes back he'll start with speech therapy and special ed. All to help him in the 5-6 weeks he has until he transitions to 2nd grade. All so frustrating that it's being squeezed into a month at the end of the year.

Luckily for him, we're persistant.

The Carver Family Polar Habitat

I'd be lying if I said Kiernan did this by himself :) He helped his dad shave the top of the iceberg (on the top of the box) with a battery operated pumpkin cutter and he cut out the pictures. Mom did the hot gluing. Who knew a Dust Devil box could go on to become something like this. The white area in the back is the part of the glacier that sits underwater. Inside sits a large Killer Whale (as Kiernan informed me, "You can never have enough Killer Whales"), a large seal, a row of fish and two swimming penguins and a pod of Killer Whales hanging from the top. The top has an arctic fox, a polar bear and walrus swimming, a Killer Whale rushing the shore and a baby seal. The green polar bear and purple seal were both handmade by Kiernan from Play-Doh. It is a masterpiece!!

Ooops I did it again

I dyed my hair again. I'm sure there is a color somewhere in nature like this but I haven't seen it yet. In the sunlight is looks FUSCHIA! Rockin' on with my bad self.

And the follow up

Yesterday, Mike went over and talked to the dad next door (he has twin boys just slightly older than Kiernan). And here's the rest of the story.

The twins, Kiernan and the crazy grandson were all playing together on the trampoline in the twin's backyard. The grandson got angry about something and started strangling the smaller of the two twins while on the trampoline. Kiernan ran over and kicked the grandson in the side and he let go of the boy. The twins ran inside and told their dad who then came out and kicked the grandson out of the yard. The grandson then turned to Kiernan and said, "Let's go Kiernan." And so he did.

The two came back over to our house and into the backyard. At this point, we were unaware that anything had happened and the two of them coming through the house to play in the backyard was not unusual.

Trash started coming over the fence and the dad next door came to the fence and yelled at the grandson to stop throwing trash over. Somewhere in his yelling at him, he said something to the effect of "You're done here!" or "I'm through with you!" <> The grandson took this to mean that he was not going to be allowed to return to their house ever and knew he had lost two friends (including the one he had tried to strangle). If he had lost his friends then he didn't want to live anymore. After having watched a man hang himself on the History Channel's "Haunted Motels" he decided he was going to hang himself too.
Here's where it gets a little convoluted. The two boys went back to the swing. Somewhere in the timeline of events the grandson picked up a stick and swung it at my son like a baseball bat--knocking him off the swing (Kiernan has said both in the head then later in the stomach). When Kiernan got back up off the ground, the grandson attempted to pick Kiernan up and hang HIM from the swingset first. We have two swings and a trapeze type swing on our set. The grandson was attempting to hang MY SON on the trapeze bar. Kiernan got free but aparently fell onto the ground. In the meantime, the grandson had twisted the trapeze bar around to make it tighten up then stuck his own head in it. Somewhere during this attempt he lost consciousness and fell to the ground. On the other side of the fence were the twins, watching. What they saw was Kiernan on the ground and Nick attempting to hang himself and falling to the ground. Those two high tailed it to their dad. That's where we got the story that they had both attempted to hang themselves.

I called my son's school counselor today and talked to her about it. It was a good talk and I felt better. She agreed that this was a person that Kiernan could no longer be in contact with and said to keep him busy for the next 2-3 weeks (so that the absence of the grandson isn';t as noticable). She also told me to call Child Protective Services (CPS). So I called them. CPS only deals with child protective issues within the family. I would have to call the police and file a report. I just wasn't prepared to do that. In the meantime, his counselor is going to touch base with him tomorrow and ask him a few questions about his friendship with the grandson and to reaffirm the toxicity of their relationship.

I'm sure this isn't over.

What was almost my worst day ever

For those of you who have been following the saga of the our next door neighbors grandson, then this is what may have been his final chapter.

My son, Kiernan, and the grandson were playing in our backyard this afternoon for quite awhile. I didn't hear from them for awhile, which can be disturbing when it's this boy over playing (as you never know what he's got running through his head). The two came busting in through the back door talking really fast and the grandson went out the front door. I looked at Kiernan quizically and asked, "What's going on?" He came back with something like the grandson was throwing trash from our yard (broken toys and what not) into our neighbors yard (the neighbors on the other side---not the boy's grandparents). Well the neighbor had come out and yelled at them and now the neighbor was on his way to gramma's house to tell them what had happened.

Mike (my husband) thought that sounded pretty odd (to get that mad over toys being thrown over the fence) so he headed next door too. Not long after Mike comes back and heads right to Kiernan. "Were you both throwing trash over the fence?" Kiernan nodded his head. Then Mike said, "What is this about you two handing yourselves from the swingset until you passed out!?" I jumped up to look at them. By now Kiernan was crying and you really couldn't get anything out of him. I couldn't even tell you what the conversation was after that but it included Mike asking Kiernan if he even knew what it meant to be dead. My brain just froze and tears sprang to my eyes. Mike sent him to his room (Kiernan was bawling at this point) and went back outside. I was bawling myself at this point. I called my mom to tell her what happened and was just sobbing. While still on the phone, I glanced out the door and saw that Mike, our neighbor and the boy's gramma and mom had him surrounded in the street. He was standing in the center staring at the ground with his hands in his pockets. It took me every ounce of strength not to race out the front door and strangle him.

I got off the phone with my mom and headed upstairs. I could hear Kiernan crying before I even got to the door. He was sobbing uncontrollably with his back against the wall. I tried to pull him into a hug but he was too upset. I tried to explain to him over and over what he had almost done. When he finally calmed down we talked about it a little more but really, he was more upset that he wasn't going to be able to spend the night at Nick's house then the fact that he could have died. I told him, "Don't EVER do anything that would take you away from me. I would cry for the rest of my life from missing you." And I left the room.

Mike came in a little later and told me the whole story. After the neighbor had yelled at the boys for throwing trash, he ended it with something to the effect of "I've had enough" or "that's the last straw." Well, the boy took this to mean that he wasn't allowed to play with the neighbor's kids anymore. He was so upset that they couldn't be his friends anymore that he decided to hang himself. The neighbor was watching to see if the boys were going to throw more trash and saw the attempted hanging. Folks, this is a 9 year old boy on medication and in therapy. But It was not my son who had tried to hang himself. Kiernan insists that his friend had hit him with a stick hard enough to throw him off the swing.

A 7 1/2 year old doesn't know what it means to die forever. His idea of dying is to reboot the game and start over. Right now he's perfectly content to get ready to watch movies with me for "Movie Night." If you had asked me before, I wouldn't have said that a 9 year old would have known what it means to die forever. Now? I don't know.

Funny song

My son taught this song to me (sung to the tune of "Oh Tannenbaum")

Oh Tom the Toad, Oh Tom the Toad
Why are you lying in the road?

Oh Tom the Toad, Oh Tom the Toad
Why are you lying in the road?

Did you not see the truck ahead?
Now you're lying
FLAT!
AND!
DEAD!

Oh Tom the Toad, Oh Tom the Toad
Why are you lying in the road?

(You can always swap out the name "Tom" for other names like your dog, cat, baby sister....you name it!)