Benjamin Joshua Weiss

Dear Bennyboo-

I am writing this blog about you because of what I saw in you today.  You were born almost ten years ago today, so sweet, so tiny, and yet so full of life.  Daddy and I have nurtured you and tended to your every need since that blessed event on 1-24-99.  

Today, I saw a side of you that is a whisper to me of the kind of man you are going to be, the best kind there is.  We had gone to our favorite sushi restaurant.  Daddy was meeting us there and you and I had left from the house.  As we were talking and walking in, I slid on some ice and wiped out.  You were right there, taking my hand and helping me up.  You asked if I was okay and held the door open for me.  

When we sat down at our table, you ordered the tea I love and placed our sushi order.  I was so impressed with your love, concern and gentleman behavior-all from a rather tall but only still 9 year old boy.  

This, for me, was a glimpse into the future.  It was a reality call for me as well, a report card, if you will.  We have taught you well, dear boy.  Continue on the right path and you will be a great person-actually, you already are.

I love forever,

I love you for always,

As long as I am living,

My baby you'll be...            

A favorite quote of mine.

Mom

Marley and Me

It has taken 3 days for me to get up the emotional strength to write this blog so here goes.  Readers be ware, the content of this blog contains spoiler material for this movie.  

I insisted that on Xmas Day we go see the movie Marley and Me.  I had read the book several years back and loved it and I thought I could handle it.  The story, as I know everyone is aware of, is about the life cycle of a dog with his family.  Life cycle meaning puppyhood to the eventual death of a beloved canine member of the family.  Sound a little too close to my world?  

By the time dear Marley was in the sunset of his life and was finding life very challenging, I was finding watching this movie emotionally challenging.  The waterworks really turned on when John, the main character Dad, was walking Marley, and he couldn't keep up.  I flashbacked to a time not too long ago when I was walking Maxi and she couldn't keep up.  I recall being so upset with and literally pulling her up the hill.  I wished I had the patience that Owen Wilson had with Marley.  

The demise of Marley was particularly difficult to view for me. It was so real to life and too close to home.  I haven't cried in a movie like that in years.  Overall, I thought Owen Wilson was perfect for the role and played it to the nines.  I would recommend it to anyone that is a dog lover, but prepare for a very sad ending.  And bring several boxes of tissue.  You are going to need it.

Reunion

Yesterday was the one day I was so looking forward to during vacation.  It was my mini high school reunion with two of my closest friends, Brian and Robin.  The weather could not have been more dreadful.  In fact, I was taking Ben to my spend the day with my sister-in-laws and we almost turned around.  But I slowed down, tightened my grip on the steering wheel and drove.  I was bound and determined to drop Ben off so I could have my reunion.

We planned to meet at this awesome Korean Restaurant in Novi.  I got there exactly on time and Brian was waiting for me.  Robin came about 45 minutes late; the roads were that bad by her-she lives in Canton.  

Words can not describe how much fun and laughing we did.  Going down memory lane was a trip and then catching up to the present was quite a journey as well.  We talked, laughed and remembered for over 4 hours.  We were lucky that we weren't kicked out by our waitress.  Needless to say, she was tipped well.  

I would like to take this opportunity to thank facebook for our reunion.  Robin and Brian, I will be seeing you soon.  Lets not let the years fly by without communication..

My Year in Review

I have not been blogging as much as of late.  Facebook has taken over my computer.  But, I miss writing and need to get back "in the real".  I thought of the perfect topic for today-2008.  I feel it was one of the most significant years of my life and heres why...

 The tech geek in me surfaced-I became a reader of blogs and started up my own.  I joined and got addicted to facebook.  It's everywhere-no matter what setting-if you are with people the topic comes up and bam, next thing you know, you are becoming friends with them on fb.  I now text via my cell.  In fact, I have unlimited text messaging.  For Hanukkah I even got a tom-tom gps system.  It's insane how tecky I have become.

My family has suffered from several losses this year.  In the spring we said goodbye to Jay's Uncle Art of Sharon, PA.  Art was Jay's father's brother and he lived on this planet for 89 years.  My brother-in-law also lost his sister several days after the passing of Uncle Art.  Who would have ever thought that my father-in-law and brother-in-law would have both been sitting shiva for a sibling at the same time?  On a more personal note, my family had to put down our Maxi dog.  She blessed us with her spirit for 13 wonderful years.  It was the right choice of time for her, but she is still so missed.  

On a more positive stream of thought, we had so many good times this year.  We vacationed in California and hit Disney and Sea World.  We spent so much time with the Jeff Weiss' out there and that was awesome.  Our best friends came home from Germany and even though Brent is still working in Germany, we are glad that 75 percent of them are here.  

Ben has grown up so much this year.  He loves wrestling, football and man smell.  He is already over five feet.  He experienced his first team extracurricular activity this fall-flag football.  He feel in love with it!  He is once again, on the student council.  He likes to read, play the Wii and have fun with his friends.  My baby is definitely growing up.

Well, like I said earlier, quite a year.  So...cheers, y'all.  Here is to 2009!  May it be great for all my peeps out there and for my family as well!

Ready for the week?????

It is almost 4:30 Monday morning and I am wide awake.  Call it nervous energy or me listening to the sound of the wind and rain pelting my bedroom window.  It is going to be a busy one, that is for sure..

Today-It's my school's xmas program.  30 students plus 2 dress rehearsals and 1 night time performance equals a very long day.  My babies are going to be hopping with excitement.  I will be so glad when it is over!  

Wednesday-taking the day off to run a bunch of errands and stay ahead of the game-I haven't even gotten my student's their presents yet.

Thursday-our staff holiday dinner.  Usually I avoid it like the plague but one of my colleagues made a personal plea for my attendance and promises me it will be worth my time-jury is still out!

Friday-the last day-I will have some fun holiday activities in my room-still in the planning stages; I better get a move on them.  

I won't go into the weekend details yet or all my plans for the 2-week vacation.  Have a fab week everyone.

A Strange Saturday Indeed

It was one of the most disturbing Saturdays that I can recall in my recent memories.  It started off fine.  I awoke to a cold, wet nose in my face, stumbled out of bed, made coffee and turned on the wii fit.  Then it got weird...

8:05-my neighbor and good friend Jodi calls me and proceeds to inform me that mutual friends of ours are headed for divorce court.  Talk about shocker!  We just had them over our house several weeks back for dinner.  Didn't see it coming, folks

1:15-while at a birthday party for another good friend of the family's son, my other very close friend tells me that her parents are now staying with her and that her dad has a 7cm aneurism in his chest and will be having surgery Tuesday to get it removed and that he may not make it thru the surgery.  While in the middle of this conversation, my sister pipes in that another friend of ours has a very sick dad and he too is having heart surgery at the same hospital on the same day.  Hopefully the surgeon are at the top of their game Tuesday!

8:00-After having a way too heavy dinner at an Italian restaurant in Canton, I realize as we arrive at my cousin Danny's house that I have misplaced my cell-my lifeline.  I strip search my car, me, my purse and still no cell.  Danny and I go back to the restaurant and retrace my steps-still no cell.  I am horrified and completely depressed.  Danny then plies me with alcohol and sugar to get me out of severe depression.  

10:00-Jay drives back to the restaurant for 1 more check and finds my phone!  My life line is back and I can even endure a lecture about being careful from him.

It is Sunday now-let's hope that the planets stay aligned!!!

Facebook

Okay-it finally happended and I knew it would-Jay is now on facebook. For the last several months I have been having fun with it-connecting with old friends, new ones playing. I have many chatbox conversations with just about everyone that is on when I am. I have even hooked up with some old time friends and gone out with them. It is a new way of connecting with your past life to make it more present that would impact the future.

So one may ask why Jay finally caved. It wasn't me. It was Dave. He kept tagging Jay in pictures from slides. Jay tried to get on to facebook using my id but he doesn't know my password so that made him open up his own facebook page.

Now, let me tell you that Jay is having so much fun with it. He has connected with some old friends and last night I actually shut down the computer before he did. So Jay, rock it out baby and enjoy it. You're hooked now, baby

Odds and Ends

I was plotting new subjects for blogs when I came up with this one.  So here goes-

1.  Why does Mickey wake me up every night at the exact time?  How does he know that 1:32 am is the right time for him to go outside?

2.  How come when I am on Wii fit and I have just rocked every test that there is out there it still says I am 55 and then when I have blown every test out there it gives me ages in the 20s and 30s?

3.  Why do men not pick up after themselves?  

4.  How come my worst behaved little people come to school every day?

5.  Why am i so addicted to facebook?  I have even become friends with people I barely know.

6.  Exactly what is the big thrill about wrestling to 9 year and 10 year olds?  I can't stand sitting for 5 minutes and watching it with Ben!!!

7.  Why does Ben get so emotional over wii ncaa football?

8.  Why am I so much more tired in the winter then in the summer?

9.  What exactly is a bad day to Ben?

10.  What's up with the gas prices or shall I say why are they so low?

Food for thought...

Tough Times

My dad came down with the flu/cold (not sure which) along with the body aches, fever and congestion.  When we all feel that horrible, we just drag along trying to keep up with our daily duties, parenting, working etc.  My dad just falls apart, literally.  This time he couldn't stand up and get out of his bed.  My mom called 911 and he was taken to Huron Valley for observation.  He will remain there for the weekend and will then go to a rehab/nursing home for intense physical therapy to help him walk again.

I have tried so hard to not go down that road of worry, what ifs, and thoughts of major lifestyle changes for my mom, my sister and us.  It is so hard not to.  Like what if he never leaves the nursing home and doesn't walk again?  

One of the hardest parts of getting older is watching your parents get older.  Jay and I are so blessed to have both sets of our parents alive.  So many of our friends aren't as lucky.  We spend a lot of time with our parents-at times we have thought that it was too much.  But when the tough times come around, I am so glad that they are still active parents and to Ben grandparents in our lives.

So-this one's for your Dad.  Heal, walk and come back home.  Get strong and healthy, ok?  You are not going to go down that road yet, you hear? 

Teaching in the city

Most of you who follow my blog know me and know what I do for a living-I am a kindergarten teacher for Detroit Public Schools. It has never been an easy job. But I love it and my job as teacher defines who I am.

This year has been a particularly challenging one for me. I have been witness to a custody battle over a very special little guy. (Mom won and now he is living with her in Texas). A very special family was evicted from the home and as a result of this, moved out of our community. One of my volunteers is highly unpredictable-she is an alcoholic. She can be awesome and other times not so much.

I still love my job. After 19 years of teaching I can definitely say it doesn't get easier! I know the curriculum backwards, forwards, and inside out. It's the children that bring it to life. Detroit teachers work in a very unpredictable, political environment. Our job is a difficult one-we have to overcome so many obstacles. But I will tell you this-I love what I do and I wouldn't want it any other way or any other place.

Tivo

Our tivo unit of 6 years died on us last week.  Living without it is not an option.  So Jay and I went shopping online and bought a brand spank'in new one.  AND NOW IT IS NOT WORKING AT ALL!  

Sunday I called tivo tech support for the first time.  We went thru so many different steps to try to fix it but to no avail.  Monday I called tivo tech support again.  I really got to know the tech who was from Kentucky.  He assured me that the problem was fixed and we would be back in business within a 24 hour time span.

It is now Wednesday.  We still do not have a working tivo so I called again.  This time a woman took me to a completely different screen and it is taking a very long time to re-load.  I hope it works.

Busy times; good times

Good times had by all.  Saw so many faces over the weekend-family, old friends, new friends it was awesome.  Parades, traditional meals, reunions of the unofficial type, movies and of course some shopping-it was a grand time.  

One disappointment, we were bummed that we weren't able to meet the newest member of the Wild family, Brooke who was going thru the "bilirubin blues".  We will make your acquaintance soon, my dear.

Have a great week all you bloggers!

Rocking the Planet

A new favorite phrase of mine, I am not sure why. It just rolls off my tongue. I say it when someone does something extraordinarily cool. I just like saying it. So quote me, " You rock the planet".

It also a loved phrase in my classroom where you will find a bunch of mini-mes wandering around bossing each other around. That cracks me up every time I hear. Gotta love those kindergartners; they will definitely give you a sense of who you are.

A good season...

They played their little hearts out.  Through wind, rain, pelting snow and cold, the Raiders played and played and played and made it to the 5th seed of the playoffs.  Early this morning, they were unstoppable.  Two wins, one at the very last second of the game.  Then onward to the dreaded Broncos who had spanked their butts with a 36-6 victory in the commencement of the season.  

They played their hearts out.  One of the good guys was tripped by a Bronco and neither ref saw it.  It caused them a touchdown and unfortunately, after two overtimes the win.  Then it was onward to the Cowboys.  

They played their little hearts out and were outplayed outran and outsmarted.  They plain and simply lost.  But, man, are we proud of you.  It was a great season and today will forever go down as a rock-the-planet day for all of you.  So, Go Raiders, little guys-you did awesome.

Freezing for the sake of the boy

First of all, congrats must be stated for our little guys the Walled Lake Raiders.  The had a great season 5-2-1.  When Coach Sabra asked the boys if they wanted to go to the playoffs, what do you think they said?  

Playoffs were today.  Today in the wind, rain, and yes, sometimes very wet snow.  The first game was played on the astro turf.  It wasn't the best circumstances, rain and snow pelting us in every direction but we won so that made it all okay.  We had about 1 hour between games and then it was off to game 2, not on the astro turf but on the soccer field which had now turn into a pig's bathtub.  Again, us parents stood, umbrellas open, hats and gloves on.  But this time, our pants were soaked to the bone, the gloves were now wet and a chill had set into our bodies that we couldn't shake off.  

But, being the dedicated parents we are, we stayed and watched and cheered and supported.   Unfortunately, we lost both wars, the game and with the elements.  The boys were crushed.  All I can say is, "Chin up, Raiders!  Tomorrow is a different day and you will do better, dudes!"

Happy birthday shout-outs

Happy 78th birthday Dad.  Although we may not have always seen eye-to-eye on issues and you always seemed to get my goat, I love you and am so glad that you are a part of my life and that you have gotten to know your grandson Ben.  Many, many , more

Today would have been Maxi's 14th birthday.  Thirteen years to the date was the day that we brought her home to be our pet, friend, confidante, and guardian against all things bad (especially possums).  I miss you old friend. 

Texting

When I got my new sprint/nextel phone back in June, I signed up for unlimited minutes and texting.  The minutes I knew I needed.  I talk way too much on my cell and the overages were driving my hubby crazy.  The texting part of my plan wasn't such a big deal at the time for me.  Little did I know.

To date, I have become quite the texter.  A good example was yesterday.  I had text conversations with at least 6 different people through out the day.  It is so quick way to throw a line of communication out to someone without disturbing the rhythm of the day. I love it.  And it's got a complete language of it's own.  I think of quicker spellings of words every time I text.  It it so fun. 

The best part of yesterday was Ben.  The world of words and language has really opened up for Ben this year.  He is starting to enjoy reading and this is reflected in his daily activities and his curiosity about texting.  We were in the car waiting for Jay after my dad's birthday party and I got my phone out to text my niece.  Ben started asking all these questions and before I knew, he had entered into the world of text.  Am I truly ready for this?  LOL

Nov, 5, 2008: The day history was made

In 41 years of life, I have never been so interested in politics.  I have listened, watch and made judgement calls on the two fine men running for president.  I told friends yesterday as we were waiting for results glued to the internet and tv that history was about to be made.  If John McCain won, he would have the dubious honor of being the oldest man elected president and his running mate Sarah Palin would have the honor of the first woman to hold the second highest office in the land.  If Barack Obama won the presidency, he would be the first black president.  

Watching the whole thing unfold was like watching a soap opera.  Dirt was dug up by each candidate and flung at each other.  Tiny Fey made a name for herself by her impersonation of Sarah Palin.  It was hard to tell them apart!  

At times the mud-slinging got extreme and turned me off.  But yesterday will go down in my books as one of the most interesting election results that I have watched.  Of course, I voted-I have never missed a presidential election.  

So congrats to Barak Obama!  Don't forget about the promises you made and helps us return to the wonderful country that we have been.

Halloween, 2008

In the words of Ben Weiss this year's All Hallow's Eve was "awesome".  Ben's.  Plans were made last week with some close family friends.  David, like Ben, was not into going 1,000 miles to get tons of candy.   (is this really my child?  We would go to the ends of the earth to get candy back in the day!!!).  So a trick-or-treat date was made.  Mid-week or so Ben's other friends from the neighborhood also wanted in for trick-or-treating so now there was a group of 4 going along with their parent entourage-Jay, Steve, Jim and Marshall and Mickey too.

Us moms were on doorbell duty.  It was a busy one.  The weather was cooperative-by 6:30 it was in the high 50s with no chance of rain.  We had over 100 costumed children come and visit us.  They ranged from toddlers to teenagers. Our last goblin rang the doorbell around 9:00-another close family friend!!!!

Ben's haul was pretty amazing.  During his travels he managed to obtain so many little treats and 9 full-size candy bars-a new record.  So now that it's done-the battle will now be control the amount of sugar consumed by him!!!  

Onward to the next foodfest-THANKSGIVING-my personal favorite.

It has been a week and it's only Wednesday...

I am so whiney this week but I can't help it.  It has been a week like no other that I can remember.   Monday-After hearing from several sources that my school was broken into and having 2 horrible nightmares about it, I went to work.  Yes, the glass of my door was busted out but I was lucky this time.  Both my computers were still there and my old-fashioned tv wasn't touched.  Evidently, they wanted the flat screens.  But as I was preparing for the day, fragments of glass were found everywhere and even with help from my Doc Dad,  too many were around.  I ended taking my students to the auditorium for the first hour and one of the grandmother's from my room swept it down and cleaned.  By lunch time, we were back on routine, but it wasn't enough for one of my little boys.  He decides to go crazy in the room and has a hitting and pinching frenzy.  He earned himself several days at home for that little craziness

Tuesday-School was manageable.  Got home and went right into Halloween costume mode.  Ben's PTA party was the place to be and he had to be ready to go.  We get there and I roll up my sleeves and start helping.  Then I am assigned to run the raffle booth.  By the time the dust cleared and I actually got relieved of duty it was almost 8:00.  I was dizzy from exhaustion.

Wednesday-the day started with an explosive staff meeting.  Apparently, the solution to the break-in problem at our school was to literally  nail all first floor windows shut.  Not only was our staff hot about this physically, but also under the collar.  It was really ugly and did not end well.  The bottom line:  the fire marshall was called and should be doing a pop inspection tomorrow.    So...I get home after this long day and go to my mom's for dinner where Lexie my 5 year old niece throws up everywhere.   YUCK!  

Let's hope for some peace and serenity for the rest of the week.

Falling off the planet

I just love that saying.  It's my mantra and I have not idea where it came from.  In all seriousness, this fall I feel like I have done that.  I am so busy each and every day.  Work is intense.  My class is huge this year with 30 little beings that want my constant attention.  I have families that are about to become homeless, alcoholic grannies, children who are in the middle of custody battles, and that just touches people in the Mann Elementary Community.  DPS is crumbling before our eyes.  Vendors haven't been paid so I have no workbooks and have to copy everything.  We are now down to 1 copier in our building.  Did I mention that our contract is up this year and we will be negotiating a new one?

And then there is Ben.  Hebrew school, Sunday school, football practice and games.  We are never home!  I run from predawn till sometimes after 10:00 at night.  This is just a little crazy, huh?

Maybe it is time for me to fall off the planet just for  a little while-maybe a weekend?  

It' s that time...

It's that time folks, flu season.  It's here and I know this because it is spreading thru my classroom like wild fire.  Every day 1-2 kids get upset stomachs and you can guess the rest-smells messes and germs.  I spend my day washing my hands, spraying disinfectant and trying to comfort any children who come down with this ailment.  It is not fun and I feel like like my room is a germy time-bomb ready to explode.  Let's just hope teacher doesn't go down!!!

Results

Okay-I didn't quite exercise on the Wii Fit every day, but I did make healthy eating choices this week.  I walked and jumped around with my kindergartners.  I cut way back on snacks and I did hit several days on it.  Results:  I lost 4.1 pounds this week!!!  Yea for me!  The board yelled at me though, it said I lost weight too fast.  All I can say to it is...whatever!!!!  My endeavor continues!!!

Zoe

We are a two dog family for a day.  Our buddies the Phillips took a overnight getaway and needed a place for their 11 year old dog to stay.  She has stayed with us before, when they first got back from Germany and she knows us well thru many up north trips.  

I love her like a family dog, however, got a little misty last night because she reminded me of Maxi.  Betsy always said that Maxi was a big version of Zoe.  As I was lying down to rest my weary body, Zoe came up.  She laid down near me and started panting.  She seemed so uncomfortable.  At one point she whined a little too.  I can't tell if she is in pain or she just misses her family.  The poor dog has been through so many life changes in the past months, moving from Germany to our house, then to her home, getting settled in with her family, Brent leaving to go back to Germany, Brent returning home, Betsy going back to work, ect.  She is a great dog, though.

May she contain to thrive!

Benjamin Joshua Weiss-4th grade

It has been about 6 weeks since school has started.  Wow-I was warned but 4th grade is a challenging grade.  Ben now earns letter grades in math and science.  Our boy is doing quite well; A- in Math; A- in science.  There is a lot of homework and the benchmark assessments look almost like college exams.  But he is up for the challenge.  He's a great listener and retains things quite easily.  Isn't he a good-looking kid?

So-Mr. Ben-rock on and have a fab year.  Do your best and make Mom and Dad so proud of you.

re fit revisited

Okay-so far so good.  However, I need to time my workouts better.  Evening workouts aren't for me.  I worked out last night around 8:30 and falling asleep was next to impossible.  So it's early mornings for me or right after work.

Keep routing me on!!!!

Go Raiders, Go Raiders

Okay, since U-M and the Lions are a disgrace to all football fans this year, our attention is now focused on the Raiders.  No, I am not talking about the Oakland Raiders.  I am talking about the Meadowbrook (NYFFL)Raiders.  They just rocked!!!  Saturday was a double-header-two games, with an hour in between to rest.  Two shut-out wins.  So...Go Raiders, Go Raiders, Go Raiders!  And all you pros take notes, these little dudes got what it takes.

RE-Fit

Okay-just like me Mii, I held me head down in shame because of my lack of Wii fit time put it in.  I had a pretty good excuse for this month-the 52 inch bad boy television was out of order and there was no place for me to workout.  But July and August were different stories.  Okay, enough said-it is time for me to make time for me.  Jay and I were almost fanatical about our daily workouts when we got Wii Fit.  I am back in the program.  The board didn't yell at me too much and I didn't really gain weight.  I have missed that high that associated with a workout.  My goal is for this week to do every day for a total of half and hour-all aerobic.  So cheer me on bloggers!  And ask me how I am doing.

Happy 43rd birthday to Jay

10-01-65-a day that will be ingrained in my mind forever for it was the day a great man came into the world, my husband Jay.   

This blog is a tribute to you-

J-for jealous which you have never been.  You taught me to let go of my jealous feelings and helped me grow into the adult that I am today.

A-for awe-inspiring-your colleagues and friends are inspired by you and look to you for advice.  

Y-is for you because it is your birthday

W-is for the wisdom that you share with others.  Just exactly how do you know all those facts about the most obscure things anyway?

E-energetic-I love watching you play football with Ben.  All the kids in the neighborhood always come around and want you involved in any sport their playing.

I-is for innocent which you are not.  Don't let that sweet little face fool you, right friends?

S-is for sports enthusiast-all I can say for that one is GO BLUE!!!!!!

S-is for sushi lover-that you got from me!  Let's go have some now!

I love you!  Enjoy and have a great rest-of-the-day!

Not off to such a great start...

Ben was up bright and early Saturday morning ready to win.  He had a high protein breakfast, and a great attitude.  The team met up early and had an extra hour to prepare.  Everyone was ready to smoke the bad guys.  What they didn't count on was the bad guys were good, really good and nothing our Raiders did changed that.  The final score was quite dismal-32-6.  Keep your spirits up boys, you'll do it next time and remember that it is not about winning or losing, it's about having fun.

Football Fever

Ben's first flag football game is tomorrow.  He is so very excited!  The team is comprised of boys from Meadowbrook, Ben's school.  All of them are in 5th grade except for Ben.  Although he is youngest in age, he is still the tallest.  Go figure.  

Are boy is tall and broad but he is not the fastest on the field.  What Coach Sabra is grooming him for is to be a receiver.  Ben will be the one who runs out 6 to 7 yards and stays open so he can catch the ball if it is thrown.

So go Raiders and go Ben!  Let's hope for a win tomorrow.  We'll keep you posted.

Realizing my age

One of the real reasons I love to teach kindergarten is that it keeps me feeling young.  Those little guys are so full on life!  One of the many methods I use to defuse some of this unbound energy is kiddy exercise.  I have some great cds in my collection and we all enjoy the breaks in the day. 

Well, today was no different.  The babies had been sitting listening to me for a very long time and we had such a nice discussion about our story and made tons of text to self connections.  There was only 10 minutes left until lunch so I put on one of our favorite exercise cds.  I always do the exercise with them.  As it turns out, literally speaking, I turned and ,whoops, twisted my ankle in the process.  Ouch and many other words came to mind as a gimped away from them so they could not see the intense pain that came over my face.  I asked my grandparent volunteer to finish the song out as I tried to regain my composure.

It still hurts.  It's not broken-I have done that before in my life and I could not put any pressure on it whatsoever, I can now.  It just stings and is a bit swollen.  I guess I need to temporarily stay away from kiddy aerobics.  I feel that a part of me had to grow up today.  World, I am not ready and I promise you, I will digress!!!!

Such a long week

I am so beat tonight.  It was the first week back.  Back to work.  Back to school.  Back to schedules.  Back to being a teacher to way too many little beings.  I am tired.  Yawn.

Ben also got his first homework assignments of the year.  Back to homework.  Hopefully I can help him with it.  Please don't let it be some weird, new and very different way of adding to numbers together.  

It seems that the earlier I get to school, the more behind on some of things I get.  Back to endless piles of paperwork-28s, 29s, SM1s, 80s, 4620s and so many other numbers that don't make sense unless you are a classroom teacher in Detroit.

Last, but not certainly not least, back to being completely exhausted.  Yawn, again and goodnight.  

Benny

Well, blogger-rangers, today was it-the start of Ben's 4th grade year.  He was rather excited about it.  He got the teacher that he really wanted.  Two of his close friends were in his class.  And most importantly, his MEAP book was completed and ready to be turned in.  

This morning he awoke happy and confident.  His new John Cena wrestling shirt was clean and ready to be worn and his over-stufffed bookbag was ready to go.  Wow!   When I looked at him this morning I asked myself one simple question-What happened to my baby?  I remember the first day of Preschool like it was yesterday.  Time flies.  It really made me reflect on my Ben and how he has changed since last year.

First of all, he loves wrestling.  He watches every show that is on regular t.v. and begs for us to buy the Pay-per-view ones when they are aired.  He has more confidence in himself.  He is actually going to try flag football this year, something of which he never would have done in the past.  He is reading better, thanks to a little extra help from a familiar face this summer.  He understands multiplication and is starting to really get the complexities that are involved in the facts.  He still loves to imagine and has tons of wrestling action figures.  He now is starting to gain an interest in building legos and how things work.  

Physically, he is so strong.  He reached five feet this summer and I am confident that he will reach my height in just a few short years.  His incisors are almost grown in and his bite isn't bad but I'm sure he is still going to need braces.  He prefers his hair longer and he even had a few highlights put in this past winter.  

Good luck, little dude and may this school year be the best one ever.  I know you can succeed at anything that you put your mind to.  Now, go out there and show them who you are!

Good times with the Wrobels in Chicago

  Fun times a the Kane County Cougars game-where even the moms are happy
These blurs are Maddie and David running the bases.  Jay and Ben did this too.
How cute-a father and son moment.  Luv ya cutey pies!!!

Reflections

It is the end of summer.  It was a hectic, busy, challenging and an emotional one.  Here are some of the best and worst moments of this summer:

Best:

1.  Our trip to California-It was a needed much earned vacation.

2.  The Adventures of Benihana and the Z-Man.  Putting them in camp together has solidified a friendship.  May it continue to grow!

3.  Visits from aunts, cousins and old friends.  I loved seeing everyone and catching up and we really enjoyed our special time with the Wrobel girls.

4. The return of the Phillips family-This year may be a challenge with Brent continent-hopping but they will persevere.

5.  Finishing my class for continuing ed and sending that 68 page sucker off

6.  Spending quality time with my son Ben.  He's such a great child and I cherish our moments together.

7.  Any outdoor summer activity-swimming, going to the farm, evenings outside.

8.  Monthly book clubs-the rest of the year we meet every other month.

Worst:

1.  Saying goodbye to my first canine love, Maxi-your pawprints will remain in my heart always.

2.  Two weeks of living and breathing in the man-cave trying to complete my class

3.  Summer projects and knowing that I bit off more then I can chew for yet another summer

4.  My minor car accident that cost us $350.00

5.  The week after we returned from California and all the expenses that we incurred which were house-related-oh, the joy of home ownership.

Overall, this summer was a pretty decent one.  As I am preparing for yet another busy year, I will wistfully think of these wonderful times.  

Summer NIghts

It was a perfect summer night.   Jay started up the coal-burning grill of our earlier years of home ownership and grilled steaks and a vegetable medley. I made a nice summer salad including some home-grown tomatoes.  Our dinner conversation was lively and we all enjoyed the comfortable feeling of being together.

As I was cleaning up, the doorbell rang and one of Ben's neighborhood friends came over with her sisters.  Pretty soon the lawn was filled with other children and Dads as well.  A game of kickball had been organized by someone and everyone was involved.  I quickly got out there and took pictures.  As I was enjoying the scene, some other neighbors walked by and asked me where all the kids had come from-good question!  

This moment for me is one that gets me thru the long, cold, hectic winter.  We are always hustling and bustling everywhere.  Sometimes its fine to just go outside and have fun, laugh, kick the ball and enjoy.

nose bleeding

This was our view from the seats we had-section 333 Row 19.  These were great seats for watching plays but not so great if you were interested in who was involved in each play..

more picts from the Ben's big moment

While waiting for the choir to take the field, we had the distinct privilege of  hanging out at home plate seating.  Paws spends a lot of time where we were and he was very attentive to our growing list of requests.  He took pics with us and signed Michelle and Ashley's signs. He also signed Ben's hat.  Luv ya, kitty cat

..and the home of the brave

After a year of suffering thru Temple Israel's choir, Ben was rewarded by participating in singing the national anthem at Comerica Park.  It was the experience of a lifetime and he will remember it always.

Mouse-e-ness

The above is my special nickname for our dog, Mickey.   Mickey has matured into a fun-loving very important member of our family.  He is very loving; he is a great guard dog, protecting us from all outside evils; he is a best friend to all.  However, Mickey does have a quality that dates back to his very young puppy days, fear of anything different. That would include blankets, pillows, dog houses, and all types of dog beds.  

This week, Mickey developed the runs.  He had several accidents in his crate and I had to do a couple of emergency loads of doggy laundry.  I ended up throwing some his old blankets away and I gave him an old comforter of Ben's.  

As it turns out, he loves it.  I have even found him cuddling in it when visiting his room wasn't a necessity.   My little mouse has found some creature comforts that he didn't know existed before

an evening out

Last night we had a absolutely lovely night out together for our anniversary.  Jay made reservations at The Whitney.  This elegant restaurant is located in downtown Detroit and is a favorite of ours.  My dinner was the following:  line-caught Michigan white fish served with asian stirfry and  asparagus salad.  

After dinner we decided to check out the MGM Grand.  Our plan was to do a little gambling and then have dessert.  I was so impressed with this casino.  First of all, it was massive.  We walked in and immediately I was drawn in by the sounds and sights of this very active place.  We starting walking around and found two slot machines together-they were nickel ones.  We put our $20 in and started playing.  

Now, understand that I am not a gambler.  I work too hard for my money and hate to see it blown away.  Within five minutes my wad was blown.  I discovered that I had made maximum bets of 10 lines totaling $5.00 a bet.  Four spins and I was done.  Jay, however, was doing great.  He kept earning free games-at one time he was at 30!    He finally totaled out and we went on.

I reluctantly decided to try winning one more time so in went $20 more in a machine called Luckymon.  And that it was...I played and ended up winning $61.43 on ten minutes of play. So I was up $21.43.  I was done.  

We ended up at Wolfgang Puk for dessert.  We split two desserts-blueberry crumble with homemade ice cream and banana/praline cream pie.  

It was an awesome evening.  Let's do it again next year, hon. 

8-8-08

Happy 15th anniversary to us today.  

How did that happen.  Fifteen years married and 18 years together. We have been through so much together.  I can't believe that time has flown this fast!  We have created a wonderful life together and it is my hope to blog anniversary celebrations from now to until we are so old that our grandchildren have to do it for us.  Love ya, you eternal romantic.

Life Cycles

A year can go by so fast.  July 5, 2007-My parent's anniversary among other things.  It was the day of two emotional events for my family.  Our very close family friends left for their two year stint in Germany.  We shared a final meal with them and left their Milford house with tears in our eyes.  It was also the day that I deem as the beginning of the end for Maxi-she had a vestibular attack that changed her forever.

Time goes by...My parents celebrate another anniversary; Maxi's suffering is no more; friends are made, remade, and lost; my girlfriend Renea becomes a mother for the first time at 41-Max welcome to the world-; and best of all the Phillips are, as I write, on their voyage home.

It has been a year.  Have I changed?  I am sure of it.  But all of us have.  It is part of life!

parenting 101

Disneyland was amazing as I stated earlier in my blogs.  One of Ben's favorite rides was a ride called Astro-blaster.  You are in a car and you have blasters.  As you navigate via car thru the attraction you blast at any Zurg targets.  It's a fun ride for all.

As we were waiting in line, my nephew Justin so a little guy standing alone and bent down to ask him if he was lost. The little boy told Justin that his grandma said to go in and find someone to ride along with him.  He was lucky that he found Justin and us being the good people that we are.  After the ride was over, we walked the little boy over to his grandmother and tried to explain how wrong it was to send a six-year-old boy in by himself.  I don't she got it.  In today's scary world putting a child on a ride without an adult with him/her is ballsy.  As we walked away from the boy and his grandmother I couldn't help thinking about Ben and all the adults that surrounded him at Disney.  Every ride he wanted to go on was a challenge for Ben.  Who would be the lucky rider with him.  Ben was astounded that any loving family member would let a child go on a ride unsupervised.  His exact words were that the grandmother should go to jail.  

Ben has grown up with the attention of tons of adults and loved ones looking out for him.  He could not fantom this ever happening to him.  Even at home, he is watched over and cherished.  We have built so many safety nets around him.  Thank goodness for this! 

My impressions of the City of Angels

Okay-here we go.   First of all, our vacation was so great, but I did leave LA with some definite impressions-

LA was:

-a city with definite traffic issues

-almost bug-free; not a mosquito in sight.

-smoggy-fog and smoke together make smog-Calabasas was way better but the city itself on some of the days we were there was covered in a blanket of this

-beautiful people many of whom worked for "the industry"

-crowded

-full of every kind of food imaginable and most of it being healthy-can you imagine a cart full of healthy snack options that we saw at several stands at Disneyland existing at Cedar Point.

-skinny-size 2 is the average size there.  No real curves in sight. 

- filled with oceanic views.  Malibu is the place you want to be for great pics of the ocean and you might even catch a star or two hanging around.

-busy-City Walk was a great example of that.  Tons of people were just hanging out at 10:00 in the evening.  No stores except Meijers or video stores are open past nine here.

-dry heat-you don't have bad hair days there-you also don't sweat the minute you step outside like you do here.

-filled with the richest of the rich living the easy life

-a town that is the home to 5 of the best people in the world-we miss you so much.

-a great town to visit.  We'll be back

One last impression....LA is a rock and roll kind of city-I am so glad we weren't around to experience the quake!

Disneyland

Here are some picts from our fabulous Disney day.  My all-time favorite ride was Space Mountain with astro blasters as a close second.  

interesting food and drink

Ben's "milky" We found 

the world's largest bottle 

of milk just perfect for him.

                                                                                                                                                                                                         

                                                          This is an example of some of Jay's brother Jeff's candy creations.  He mixes these candies together to make a trail mix minus anything healthy-lots of yummies in the tummy!

san diego

It is Thursday here in San Diego.  My body has reset somewhat.  I got up today at 6:00 CA time.  San Diego was as exactly as I remembered it-the perfect climate-sunny all year rounds and in the 7os.  

Tuesday we arrived here and hung out at the hotel.  We went to Old Town for sight seeing, shopping and dinner.  Old town is actually considered a historic park here in CA.  It is basically little Mexico with street vendors pedaling all the same fare-pottery, wind chimes, ponchos, blankets and lots of toys calling out to the young at heart.  It was a great place to purchase some little trinkets for our loved ones.  We had dinner at this restaurant called Guad-a-something.  The food was mediocre but the strawberry margererta was thirst-quenching.  

Wednesday was Sea World day.  We got up and had breakfast at the hotel and off we went.  Accolades to Janice for finding a great hotel (Residence Inn by Marriot) that not only serves complimentary breakfast but also dinner-go figure)  First we (as in Jay and I ) got soaking wet on this ride called Atlantis.  Ben was with us but did not get as wet as we did.  It was a great water ride.

We pretty much did Sea World.  We saw almost all of the shows offered.  We went on a tour called "Saving the Species".  The highlights of this tour included petting bamboo sharks and feeding the sea turtles.  We also got to handle star fish and pet rays.  By the way, the best deal for Sea World is definitely thru the AAA discount-We got $15.00 off for each ticket.

The best part of the day was our visit to Mission Bay-where we honeymooned almost 15 years ago.  We visited our hotel, which has weathered time quite nicely.  We walked the trails where we rode bikes up and down; we went to the beach where we meet the sweet little girl leukemia patient ( I will blog her story at a different time); and we went to the board walk and Belmont park where Ben left with a plethora of stuffed animal winnings.

My check list here in San Diego has been completed!