Christmas, vacation and the adventures of flat stanley

Well, it's officially here ready or not I guess. Christmas is a great time of year at our house. The kids still believe in Santa and that makes it magical. It's hard not to enjoy Christmas when the kids are so looking forward to it. This year Christmas is bitter sweet. We really miss the friends and family that we are used to sharing this special day with, but we are going to be celebrating it with some new ones that will make it special in it's own way. The kids? Well, they seem to see it the same way. Missing family this time of year is pretty hard for them and they are all old enough to know who's around, who's not and feel sad about it.



That's not to say they are not still enjoying this time, they very much are. We have a countdown calendar in the front yard that they take turns changing every night and it lights up with our Christmas lights. Inside we have a chalkboard one that Jacqueline has been working on since she's writing now. The thing everyone finds funny is that the big calendar in the kitchen is counting down to our vacation!! SWEET 9 more days!!

The house looks beautiful and we can't wait to see the faces of the girls on Christmas morning! We had our third annual Roig Family Christmas party last weekend. It was nice to have the people here who have become our friends since we moved here, those who have made it feel more like home and those who understand what it's like to be new to the area. We had a wonderful time and the girls got to meet some new kids and hand out little gifts we bought. The best one was the son of a guy who works with Adam, He is about 5 and we got him this little inexpensive spider man watch.... he flipped! Not so much of who it was but of what it was.. the fact that the time changed all by itself was too much for him... he almost walked into walls watching the watch! When it was time to leave we had to roll up his sleeve so he could still see the watch. It reminds you of the innocent and happy moments Christmas can bring to a small child.

The girls did not get to open gifts, which was hard for Jacqueline, but we try to teach them that giving is more important than anything else. Giving you do out of the heart and because you want to help others, or make them smile or makes them feel loved, not because you gain something. In the end she was happy that the little girl she gave her gift to LOVED her new Darby doll.

Besides, our kids...well they don't want for much! Yes, I can say that our kids are spoiled.... but, they are respectful and happy and loving and joyful!

One of the guys that Adam works for was at our party. He's a little older than Adam, in fact his kids are in their early 20's I think, though he doesn't see much of them with them out living their lives and all. Anyway, he has just taken to the girls. He made a trip to Ireland and England in Oct and brought the girls over some jewelry and candy from both of those places... (even I got some) awwwwe right? Well it is, but you have to envision David to truly understand how funny the scenes of the girls running up and hugging him, or Jacqueline falling asleep in his lap...or him singing with the girls is.... David, is a biker lol... He loves and lives to ride his Harley. He's a fluffy grizzly bear looking guy with a longer beard and loud voice and is around 6 feet tall or so... it's pretty comical to see him hangin' with the girls. The other guys at their job can not believe that David comes over and hangs out with us or that the drums and sings with the girls... well, for our party David bought a Karaoke machine so everyone could well.... pretend to sing! The girls had soooooooooooooo much fun with it....he left here! Yes, left a brand new, pretty nice karaoke machine here for the girls to play with, on the condition that they wake Adam up at least once singing really loud! He told Adam that he would barrow it from them when he wanted to use it. He left along with it the 4 discs he bought to go with it and told Makenzie where she could buy the "girls sing it" cd for it...



Then last night, a friend of ours who again, has no children came and picked me up so I could help her pick out gifts for the girls. Two weeks ago she picked up the girls for a slumber party and they reportedly made cookies and dinner and played games and watched movies and had cocoa and .... you get the idea. Fay and Brad just adore the girls and I think have just about convinced them they want kids...anyway, she picked me up and we were talking about the things the girls need... and I laughed. So, Fay is...well our only true southern friend. She was born and raised in the mountains of Carolina, has a heart of gold that is endless and very, very southern values. If you have it to give, you do so. Fay also is not very easily persuaded, well more like the words "no, it's okay you don't have to do that" do not make sense to her... sooooo off we go shopping, f or girl things, with a woman who doesn't have kids... soooooooooooooooooo everything was cute, and so little and we just have to get this! Okay, so we went over the things the girls were asking for that Santa did not bring them....Since Santa was on a budget this year due to his upcoming vacation, there was actually stuff on the list Santa did not buy. For Jacqueline it was this dog, all she's been talking about for like a month. It swims and walks and does some stuff. However, Santa already picked up her gift, so she was not getting this dog...so yes, Fay did and some coloring books and some glasses for Disney World. She picked up some cool things for Makenzie along with a new purse and glasses and some barbie clothes and ..... a pool for the barbie play house Lex is getting for Christmas. She had a blast and I was happy that she was getting so much out of giving to the girls. Oddly, it was hard for me to let her do it. Being on the receiving end of such wonderful gifts from so many of our friends has been very humbling. I guess it shows us how great the girls are, that so many people love them so much and want to do so much for them. It's often hard for us to get long stretches of time in with them cause so many people are wanting to pick them up for this, or take them to that or have them over... it's like the whole world has adopted them! And yes, they like all kids, enjoy getting gifts.

but for them, it's about who got it for them more than what it is.. My best friend in the world Sarah sent the girls some gifts... we have no idea what they are, but when we got the box and the girls realized who they were from...they lost it. Jumping around and laughing and couldn't wait to put them under the tree. They were so excited that Sarah and Nathan had not forgotten who they were since we moved away. I never heard, I wonder what it is or I can't wait to open it..it was "they're from Sarah and Nathan!!!!" So, we can't wait until Christmas so the kids can unwrap their toys that so many from all over the country have sent them to remind them they are thought about and loved!



My brother and his family will be down the day after Christmas and spend some time with us before we leave for our vacation. We are excited to get to spend some time with them before my brother leaves. Anytime we get to spend with the boys is fun and we look forward to it. We picked out some pretty cool gifts this year and Adam was thrilled to be able to buy boy toys lol.



We of course are getting ready for our trip. We are going to be going to Kennedy space center for a day with the girls before driving the hour over to Disney World. The girls are looking forward to this stop on our trip just as much as Disney. We are going to get to see some pretty neat things and Adam has always wanted to go, so it should be a pretty neat day for us there.



Then we are off to Disney for 10 magical day's with the girls. My aunt and her husband are driving down to meet us there and the kids are super excited that she will be there. Makenzie was heart broken that her fav ride at he park, Splash mountain will be closed while we are there... I mean truly heart broken, we told her while we were at the store and she stopped in mid step, mouth dropped open and she looked like someone just punched her... I had to keep walking so I wouldn't laugh. But, they girls have some great plans and Jacqueline has mapped out what rides we are riding first! It's going to be so great for them. There will be lots of pictures and we will keep everyone as updated as possible. We rented a condo while we are there since it was cheaper than getting a hotel for the 7 of us, but we don't know if there is Internet access yet or not. SO if you don't hear anything, we will be back on the 15th of Jan with our vacation pics and stories!



Makenzie is having her bday while we are there and we have special dinner reservations. Adams dad bought Makenzie a special made by Disney cake that will be delivered to our table after that dinner. It's vanilla, with vanilla custard and fresh strawberry filling and chocolate ganache topping. It will say Happy 9th birthday Makenzie and have flowers then pastel mickey shaped sprinkles.... I know! It should be great. Thanks to everyone who has sent her bday gifts so she can open them on her bday. I know that spending your bday in the park is a way cool thing to do, but she's nine and getting gifts for her big day is still a pretty big deal to her.

She has no idea I have them, so it will be a big surprise when we give them to her at dinner.



Okay... so who is Stanley? Well... he's a class project. It's a story about a boy who gets pancaked by a bulletin board and his parents mail him to visit family since he's...well flat now. It's the first "novel" the class is going to read and it will be while we are gone. Flat Stanley is to be mailed to various places in the country and the person receiving flat Stanley will send back to the school some info and souvenirs from his trip to where ever it was he went..well since we are going to be gone... we get to take flat Stanley with is to Disney world.



He is in fact a piece of paper.. mom colored him and dad gave him Mickey ears and he's coming on our trip. I hope he doesn't eat a lot. At any rate... some photos will be taken with Flat Stanley and he is going to keep a journal about the neat things he did with he Roig family while he was on vacation with them. So, you may see photos of us and flat Stanley running around Space center and Disney...were not crazy... we are just doing the class project so Makenzie can get A in geography! Over the next three days the girls will be doing 2 weeks worth of school work so we don't have to do it on vacation. We got a special "educational opportunity" clearance from the school so the girls absences will be marked excused, since we are taking them to the Space center and Epcot which has been deemed educational due to it's well...education about other countries, their cultures , foods and architecture. Oh, and Animal kingdom since it's a conservation site and has one of the most expansive collection of in captivity bred animals.. yay for education and fun all wrapped into one happy magical vacation!



So, Happy holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year from us to you!

love

The Roigs

They said it...

Well, I have to pass this on, if for no other reason then to read it years from now and remember how awesome she was!

Makenzie makes her own lunches.. picks out her snack, makes a sandwich, what ever she wants to eat that day. One day I was in the kitchen fixing breakfast while she was in there making her lunch. I watched her make her sandwich... she place a dollop of mayo right in the center of her bread, two thin slices of meat on the bread and closed her sandwich.. I said, Makenzie, we have cheese and stuff in there and you can put more miracle whip on your sandwich than that...and more that two little slices of meat! I swear it was like feeding a prisoner..any hoo, she responded to me with this...

"No, miracle whip is not mayonnaise, it's just gross. Also, cheese and mayo don't belong on the same sandwich! they just don't go together, I like just a little mayo in the center and not a lot of meat, they're sad sandwiches and that's how I like them..."

OK, fine! Eat them however you want =)
On a side note about a week later, Adam asked her to make him a sandwich when he hurt his back... soooooo she made "her' sandwich... he's never asked her for another one!

She is so awesome, she defiantly has her own opinions and likes things done a certain way... got to love her

Dear Santa

Well, last night the kids made out their Christas wish list's. This took about an hour. Why? Well, we had to do them individually since the girls needed some help. I'm going to post them for you to read.

Dear Santa,
how are Mrs. CLaus and the raindear doing? How was your spring this year? My spring well, we mooved. My dad said that he thinks I've ben a good girl and a good BIG sister. This year for chirstmas I would like a Kaitlyn doll and a dog for her. A Jonas brother drum set. A MP3 case. A jranl (journal) that comes with a passe word and some more skiny jeans pleas.
Love Makenzie Roig
P.S (what is your favorite cookie?)

Dear Santa how is Chet? How are you? I am doing good in school? I'v tride to be good this year? same thingsed I wont on my christmas list are barbee rve? (RV), music player, holoday barbie, ariel barbie three musketeers, the dimin castle (diamond castle) I hope you have a save trip and merry crismxmas
love: Alexandra

ok so chet is this reindeer from some movie that is goofy and hyper and get's into all sorts of trouble...

are you getting the barbie theme out of this letter?

This one has better (ish) spelling since I wrote down what she said =)

Dear Santa,
How is Mrs. Clause? I am sure the elves are busy. Are you excited about Christmas? I am! How do the reindeer fly?
I have tried to be a very good girl. I have tried to always do my best.
For Christmas this year, I would like...
A minnie mouse doll, littlest pet shop toys so I can have a big pet shop village!! a swimming puppy dog that also walks on the ground, stuffed ariel doll and some super sluth toys!!! yeah that would be so nice.
I would be happy to get one of those toys!
love Jacqueline


and.... she actually wrote her own name!!! the whole stupid looooooooooooong name and just the c was backwards and she told me it was.. so proud that she got it all!


Then it happened, Makenzie asked Adam if he was going to write a letter and Adam said, no kido I Have not written a letter to Santa in ... well I am not sure I have ever written one... he probably would not even know who I was.
He left it at tha and went into the kitchen, about 5 min later, Makenzie was in complete tears. She did not know why she was crying (we get that a lot) but she was very sad that Adam would not get any gifts for Christmas...we explained to her that Santa brought gifts to the children of the world, he just simply would not have time if he had to bring them to all the grown ups too... she was not thrilled with this answer! We were not even sure she still believed in santa, but I gues she does and now I have to try to smooth this over..so I guess Santa will have to leave a little something for Adam under the tree...

December

Well, it's hard to believe but yes, it is in fact December! Usually this time of year is reserved for Christmas. There are countdowns and parties and shopping and a wrapping and carols... This year however, there is a bit more going on.

We have our usual Christmas going on. We have a few gifts under the tree and some more stashed around the house. We have our Christmas music on most days and we are planning our annual Christmas Party for the 19th (everyones invited) however, this year is a bit different for a couple of reasons..namely, our upcoming trip to DisneyWorld. We are leaving on the 1st. This has made things a little more...complex! Making sure the girls have a nice Christmas while still saving enough money for our Florida adventure has been challenging. Some have said that the girls might not need a bunch of stuff for Christmas since we are going to Disney World... well no, that is in fact not the case. Our vacation is not a Christmas present. It is in fact a vacation that we have been looking forward to for.... 2 years! We were supposed to go last year, but had to move, so we are going this year. Since March (our usual time to go) is one of the busiest in Fl, we are going in Jan instead. We will be there for Makenzie's bday, an accident, but we are planning a special dinner for her on that day. She won't get her bday party until the end of Jan after we get back.
So, its been a challenge to check off a few of the things on their list and still put up some extra cash. No, they won't be getting everything on their list this year, and because we have such amazing kids..they understand that. We sat then down and explained to them that while we are having Christmas and we will be getting some nice things, it will be a smaller Christmas than they are used to and they might not get everything on their list since we are going to Disney world and it's pretty expensive. Adam finds it amusing that the countdown on our calendar says 28 days not 22 =) we have a separate countdown for Christmas.

While we countdown both, things here are going to be busy. We have Adams Christmas party on the 12th, ours on the 19th, some stuff at the girls school. Adam has a crazy schedule for December and we are expecting some visitors at the end of the month. My brother and our God daughters families... should be lots of fun.

Christmas surprise

Well,
For a couple of years Alexandra has wanted a barbie play house. DO you have ANY idea how much those stupid things cost? About 60-100 bucks for the cheap plastic ones and 100-300 for a wooden one... so needless to say, she has not gotten one. So, yesterday I had a thought... how hard could it be to make one? I mean really? Turns out.... kinda hard! Its not the building that really is so much...it's the stuff that goes inside! Barbie doll furniture sells for an extortionist price! truly!

Where to begin? wood and tools... okay that much I know. SO, I called my step dad who likes both and after hours on line we have a plan.. turn an old 5 ft something by 3ft something dresser into a doll house by taking out all the stuff and replacing it with shelves, cutting in some windows and doors and a patio and walla, a house!
whew

this is phase one and our current phase we hope to be done with this week.
Step two is painting I'm going to go with something pink..its barbie that's why!

Step three floors and walls... today I went to Lowe's and bought some stick on laminate floor tiles.. these are barbies new hard wood floors! I also grabbed a couple carpet samples these are barbies new rugs..sweet!

Then there is the actual decorating of this thing..with six rooms its a chore.. if you know of any barbie furniture laying around, Ill accept donations =)
I'm super excited, I can't wait for Christmas

victory for the little people...

SO... last Friday Makenzie came home pretty upset over this teacher-who she says, "looks like shes nice but she's really just mean". The story went like this,
The kids who had just came in from recess were lined up in against the hall "I'm picturing a firing squad" while the teacher who was escorting them back to class took a potty break... some of the children in the hall were noisy and talking and upon this teachers return she announced they would be walking laps around the playground at Monday's recess instead of playing and if they talked again it would be Tuesday as well. No warning, no trying to find out who was at fault... hmmmm nope, this didn't go well for me, not at all. Why? Well, a couple of reasons. One, they are 8 and 9 year old kids and were coming in from recess, and why was the teacher choosing this time to stop for a potty break? This leaves my big complaint... the teacher was gone, there were two classrooms worth, so like 50 kids in the hall, how did she know who was causing the problems and who was following the rules? SOOOOO I went into "mom mode" and I did what I thought was fair... I sent out an email voicing my opinions and thoughts. I sent this email to the teacher who did this, Makenzies classroom teacher, the guidance councilor and the assistant principal. The emailed letter was as follows;


To whom it may concern;
My name is Dana Roig and I am the mother of Makenzie Roig who is in Ms Rufty's class. Today Makenzie came home and told me that today when her class and Ms Preston's class lined up in the hallway. There were children talking. Ms. Preston had left the kids in the hallway to go to the restroom and came back to the kids telling them they were going to be doing laps on Monday and possibly Tuesday if they talked again on Monday. She said they were not given a warning nor did the teacher try to find out who was causing the problem. I find this unacceptable. It is wrong to punish whole groups of people for the acts of a few. Further, making children walk laps around the play ground taking away their recess is not right. Parents should be informed if their children are going to be subjected to punishments of this kind. Is it not enough that children are threatened with silent lunch all the time? Now they have to worry about a teacher who seems to be taking her bad day or frustrations over the problems a few children are causing on whole classes of students who were not disobeying the rules? There has to be a better way of dealing with our children then threats and taking away the little bit of fresh air they get everyday at school. Perhaps one teacher escorting two classes in from recess is not enough supervision.
I do not want my child to participate in this lap walking punishment, I do not believe she was talking in the hallway, nor do I believe that Ms Preston saw her breaking the rules. Therefore, I do not think she should be punished if there was no rules broken.

Thank you for your time,
Dana Roig

Well, today I had not heard back from anyone and nearly forgot about the issue. Until dinner tonight. We asked Makenzie if she had to walk laps today. She kinda smiled and said "no.. When I was in the hallway, Mrs Preston told Mrs Rufty that "apparently we are not walking laps cause of the email" Ms Rufty I guess then told the class that they would instead be having a class meeting about how to do things better and that after school She and Mrs Preston, the counselor and Principal were going to meet to talk about things... I felt very good about deciding to write my email... Then a few min ago I checked my email and had this response that was also sent to the principal, councilor and other teacher involved...

Mrs. Roig,
Ms. Preston and I have discussed the situation from Friday and have both agreed to hold a "class meeting" to discuss the issue of talking in the hallway. We will brainstorm with the students alternative solutions and consequences. We appreciate your concern and we are addressing the issue of recess coverage. My class we will be escorted to recess and back to the mobile by an assistant.
Thank you,
Mrs. Rufty

I feel a little victorious in this. Sometimes standing up for the girls and rocking the boat just a little does make a difference.

Its been a while...

Well, were to begin? We have been pretty busy as of late. We Had the girls parties and they had a wonderful time. I think I posted pictures of their cakes, they were yummy and the girls loved them. We had a smaller turn out than we are used to so it was a bit odd. The girls got to celebrate their first birthdays with my mom so they thought that was pretty neat. Adams dad made it out for their parties, and they enjoyed getting to see him. It's been pretty hard on the girls since we moved. They have certain people in their lives this whole time who are suddenly not there. It's been pretty rough on them, so it was nice that Adams dad could make it out. We went to a museum, they took walks, went shopping, hung out and watched some movies, read stories and just overall enjoyed some time.Halloween was so different this year from years past! It's kinda hit or miss here. Living in the south has been a very interesting transition on us. First, it's a pretty Churchy area... mostly just a Sunday thing though! Ya know where they go on Sunday but the rest of the time, you wouldn't know! Anyhoo, most of the celebrations for Halloween are "Fall festivals" at Churches. We chose to go to a "farm" and have a hay ride and corn maze that was pretty laughable to us. The hay ride was a 4 min ride around the "corn maze" which by most standards was about the size of my kitchen...took us about 10 min to get through the thing. Do I sound agitated? It's probably cause it cost us 50 bucks to get through the thing and last years cost us half that and took us nearly 2 hours. So, I kinda felt cheated. The on Halloween, we woke up to looming clouds and rain threatening to mess up Halloween... okay well lets back up. ON the eve of Halloween, we carved pumpkins. It was a lot of fun. The girls each carved their own pumpkins this year. Put on the design and carved them.They loved it. It took them a couple of hours but we had a lot of fun watching them. My mom was over and carved her first pumpkin ever in her life. This is hard for some to understand, but we grew up Pentecostal, and you just don't celebrate Halloween, it's an evil holiday. So, this year she came over to celebrate her first Halloween with the girls and carved a pumpkin, she had a lot of fun and the girls laughed watching her try to do her pumpkin, she did a pretty good job and had fun, what else can you ask for? The next day we awoke to those scary clouds... Adam had to work.. I know your shocked too! So we spent the day just hanging out and waiting to see if it would rain. My step dad brought us over a canopy to set up in the front yard so we could sit under it and pass out candy and light our fire... I got the girls ready including spraying their hair black to go with their costumes. Jacqueline was Snow white, Alexandra was a witch and Makenzie was Snow whites evil queen! It was very cute. We bought them ponchos since it was supposed to start raining at 4 pm..and the city of Concord will only let you trick or treat until 8... ugh anyhoo, off they went with Adam and his dad on the walk around our little area. My mom and I sat out in front of the fire and passed out candy.then it kinda sprinkled... then with out much more notice the bottom just fell and the rain was so hard you could not see across the street. I made this comment. "I'm so glad we bought the ponchos for the girls, so they don't have to stop trick or treating" just in time for my mom to say, well here they come now....wet. Yep, Adam.....forgot their ponchos. They were pretty upset since now Halloween was over..they were drenched and their black hair was now a mess and their faces black from the dye... I waited a couple of min to see what the new plan was...and since no one else had one, I grabbed my keys, and the girls and off we went around to the rest of the houses... they made off with a lot of candy since most of the kids went home people were giving them whole hand fulls. We got back and hung out in front of the fire to dry off and get warm. All in all it was a pretty good Halloween.

mine

The girls are now doing girl scouts and their project for the week was this Samaritans box. Its an organization that takes filled shoe boxes and ships them around the world to children and teaches them about Christmas, our culture and God... so we had these boxes we had to fill for GS. So, we took the girls to the $1 store and gave them 10 bucks to fill their box. They thought it was pretty neat to do and had some cool ideas as to what to put inside. We love that the girls understand that Christmas is a privilege and not everyone gets the things they want.

We took the girls to have their Christmas pics done and while we will never go back to Sears.. cause of their prices, we did get some cute pics of them. I posted them on my Face book and myspace, if you would like to see more of them let me know. Every where we go it's Christmas already including some houses with trees up already! I soooo don't get this.. I love Christmas, but really... it's much to early for trees!

The girls are so busy counting down for Disneyworld, they haven't really asked about Christmas much. 53 days by the way... We added a stop or two on our vacation, one to see a friend Adam served in the Navy with and we are going to go to the Kennedy Space Center on our way, so we will be leaving New Years morning and be back on the 15th... so excited about our trip. The girls finally showed us some stuff they were wanting for Christmas, if you need ideas or want to know whats on the list.. I can share now =)

Jacquelines of course wants anything littlest pet shop but high on her list is the littlest pet shop comforter. Alexandra wants anything and I do mean anything Barbie! She is such a girlie girl. Makenzie has been pretty hard for us this year since she seems to be so much older than 8..or maybe I didn't realize how grown up 8 was... either way. She seemed to have out grown toys and was not into much of anything that was not Icarly, Jonas brothers or Hannah Montana and if it can't be listened to on her MP3 player, or played on her DS or PSP, she has not been interested. Then last night we were walking around walmart and she found a doll she wanted and said shes been wanting... it was great! Her name is Kaytlyn and she wants a dog to go with it and some extra clothes for her...shes like an American girl doll which she really wants but we can't afford. She said she really hopes Santa brings it to her, which is great so it means she still believes in Santa =)

Adams sister gets in tomorrow for a short visit with the girls and luckily the girls have Wed off for Veterans day so they can spend some time with her. The we have a little break before Thanksgiving.

It's been a very busy time for us and has made this year go by that much faster. We are all doing pretty well and just going right along in our little life. Hope everyone had a great October!

walking for a cure

Well, it's almost October. This time of year always makes me stop and think. Its an amazing time of year. The leaves change, things seem to slow down and almost pause. Its crisp and feels magical. It is my favorite time of year. October however, brings more to my mind. It is in fact Breast Cancer awareness month. Most people just remember that mammogram, but few pause and think about the meaning. Breast cancer has touched so many lives, women and their families. It has touched ours, with my grandmother having it a few years ago. This year, I'm making a commitment that I have been thinking about for a couple of years. Next year in October my girlfriend and I are in fact walking in the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer three day walk for a cure. It is 60 miles in three days!! We are starting some training next week to get us in shape and prepare for this trek. It is in Atlanta and we will be doing some fundraising over the next year to come up with the money we have to pledge to raise to do the walk. My whole heart is in this and I just know my loving friends and family will stand by me in this. With some many women in our family, and my beautiful daughters, I hope that someday there is a cure and that women can stop worrying about this terrible disease!

A lil update

Well, it's been a little while since I posted, so, I thought I'd share some things before I headed off to bed!
First, we made our trip to Texas to see my Aunt. It was great to see her and my Uncles. It was nice for the kids to really enjoy some time with that side of the family. The girls did so great on the drive and we made it in 18 hrs even with Alexandra getting sick half way through Georgia! After spending some time there, we realized we would be able to sneak in a trip to Tulsa since we were so close. Being a five hr drive, we headed up there and stayed with my other Aunt (Thanks Verna and Randy =) ) The girls loved this as Randy was a super hero and helped them capture some of the most ruthless villains in Jacquelines imagination!! We were also able to sneak in some swim time between thunderstorms! The girls love the water and are swimming quite well with there little swimmers. Jacqueline was not feeling well on our way home but did great and we made it home in about 19 hours.
The day we got home from our trip, we had the girls back to school and we had to meet their teachers. SO, we grabbed some naps and headed to school. We met the teachers and the girls were so excited about seeing their classes.
We rested over the weekend and the girls began classes on the 24th. They have been doing pretty well so far and are of course loving it. Jacqueline was sad that she is not old enough to begin school this year, so I am looking into getting her into some dance classes so she can make some new friends and get out of the house and away from mom for a little bit each week.

Alexandra can finally play all of Twinkle Twinkle little star on her violin. She is pretty excited about that. She is still taking her lessons every week and though it is a fight to get her to practice (too many other fun things to do after school) she loves it and seems determined to get better. She just lost a tooth tonight and was thrilled as it's her other front tooth and now she can whistle through them lol... now if I only had some money to put under her pillow!!! She has two more that are pretty loose, so she will be with out them soon as well I think. She has a revised birthday wish list if anyone is interested in that lol

Makenzie is about the same, just doing her thing. She spends a lot of time texting people and hanging out with her friends. She reads a lot and is not really into toys these days. She is becoming a pretty good helper around the house even puts dishes away from the dish washer now. She wants to help cook, but I'm not ready for that yet. She might get to do cheer leading for basketball this fall. We are looking into it.
Adam was going to make a trip to Ca for work for a class, but there is mix up with his company CC and now he is going to wait until next year to go. So, we will be just hanging out for Sept.

I have a job interview tomorrow, as a receptionist at a vet clinic. Wish me luck!! We are looking to ease some tension in finances for all of the kids extra activities!

Other than that, things are about the same lol
Hope to catch up with everyone soon

an unexpected trip

Well, we got a phone call this morning that my aunt Bert was in the hospitol after having a heart attack overnight. She is mostly stable but having trouble mainting a healthy blood preasure and keeping it in a safe range. After thinking about it for some time, I just have to say, I am sick to death of waiting for some one in my family to die to see them again-one last time. I don't have much family left and while we have not been close in the past, it's just rediculous that we only see eachother at a funeral! So, the girls and I are going to leave in the AM for a trip to Texas to see my aunt and cousin and uncles. We will be gone about a week and home before the kids start school on the 24th.
Please think of us as we make the 16 hr drive down there and home next week

Dana

just us

Our Summer is drawing to a close soon with the girls return to school on the 24th. Our Summer was much more laid back than we had hoped it would be, however, this was not a bad thing all in all. We have started making some new friends and enjoying getting to know them. This Sat I am hosting the first girls night (no kiddies allowed) at my house. I am looking forward to it and I am expecting about 8 other women. So, it should be a great time. The girls are going to my moms and Adam and a couple of the other hubby's are going to the Monster Truck show at the Speedway. I am in school still even though I was going to take a break. I still have moments where I'm not sure if I can go on with it, but I am afraid if I take a leave, I'm not going to want to go back and then that will be bad!

So, whats going on here? Adam has been working some pretty long weeks at work. There was a guy with an injury and Adam had to pick up the slack. He has been working some pretty big projects and he seems to like that a lot. He has to go to SF in Sept for a training class, so he will be gone about a week for that. We just celebrated our 8th wedding anniv a couple of weeks ago and neither of us can believe we have been together over ten years. It just goes so fast~

Makenzie has spent her Summer hanging out with her BF. She's getting so big! It's so hard to see how mature she is getting so fast. She takes really good care of her sisters and is always up for something new. We just bought new school shoes for her and I'm afraid she has her mothers big feet! She is really looking forward to getting back to school and seeing who is in her class this year. BTW-school supplies have gotten out of control! I'm just sayin!

Alexandra has nearly finished learning to play twinkle little star on her Violin. She truly loves her violin and picks up the next level of song almost instantly. She has a birthday coming up the end of Sept. which feels both far away and right around corner! She wants to go to Chuck E Cheese, I'm so trying to get this changed to anywhere else. We go to CC all the time, but during the day, during the week, and not at birthday party prices! We will see, I'd much rather do something here at the house! Her list this year consists of Barbie and the Diamond castle- the castle, the dogs and the little kids... she has everything else for it. New barbie clothes and toys. A Nintendo DS, a scooter and..."everyone we know to be able to move here and see us"

Jacqueline informed me that for her birthday, she wants toys! But this could change since it's so far away lol. She is doing great. She is pretty sad that she can't go to school yet and did not get new clothes, shoes and supplies. I'm planning on getting her some work books she and I can do during the day's for "pre- school" here at the house. I have not began to plan their party yet, but I guess I need to do that so I can figure out what kind of a cake I'm going to be constructing this year!

Bad day

Okay,
so I'm having a bad day.. nothing special, just a good old fashioned, annoyed at the world, feeling sorry for myself- bad day!!! I don't need lectures on feeling better, or how life will work out, or how sunny and wonderful the world is... nope it's not, not today! Today it just sucks.. A LOT!!!
I miss my friends, plain and simple! I want to go to the movies with Sarah, hang out and have a drink with Heidi and see Jo do something crazy we will laugh about for weeks. You can't replace that or get it over.. I miss them, I miss how simple and fun my life was... and I MISS MY FRIENDS DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm pretty pissed about it today, I should be planning a bbq with my gals, getting ready to watch firewoks over my house tomorrow. Iv'e tried to make the best of it, Im trying hard to be okay with it, Im trying to find things we enjoy doing and trying really really hard to like it here! (and I do on most days!!) but today I can truly say- I WISHED WE HAD NEVER MOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes-I yelled that!


***dont get me wrong, this has nothing to do with NC, its a lovly state, with tons of neat things to do and I am sure in time... it will be fine. (like when I move everyone out here to me =)..)***


Okay- Im done-for now!

OF COURSE!!

This has been my phrase for..well a while but specifically the past few days...
We have been busy for a few days helping my mom get settled in as best we can, with out trying to be in the way. The girls have enjoyed the distraction and of course seeing some family.

On the other side, Ive been having hard time adjusting to the move and to several private things that have been going on in our life. There is a lot of stress and I seem to have been experiencing some depression signs. Our family as well as both our extended families have been dealing with some things that have added to our concerns as well as my school. It's a bit much and I've been feeling a little overwhelmed. So, Ive been trying to find a way to shake myself out of this slump I am in and so far I've had little luck. So, I have decided to take some time off of school, about three months or so and concentrate on me for a while. I hope this will be enough time to start working on some things that will hopefully help me.

In the meantime, The girls are out of school for Summer now. They have been home for one day so far and I've decided it's going to be a long summer if they can't remember how to get along better!
We had an incident a few days ago with Makenzie and Alexandra "play fighting" that turned into real fighting and then a kick in the face. This resulted in Alexandra having a trip to the dentist today for an xray and a subsequent tooth extraction- no worries it was a baby tooth and was already loose, so all is well in the life of Alexandra again! Makenzie felt bad, at least for the moment, and hopefully this will deter anymore fist fights...for a while!

Jacqueline on the other hand had her dental check up today and we had some not great news at all!! Turns out her teeth themselves are healthy and shiny.. no cavities. However, her thumb sucking that her pediatrician kept assuring me was no problem and not to worry about it.. has caused some pretty major damage to her mouth. This includes, a miss alignment of her upper jaw, where her "aggressive thumb sucking" has caused her upper jaw to shift to the right so she has an over bite to the left.. also, a pretty big over bite in the front. If she continues to suck her thumb, she can get a thing called pallet collapse that will require surgery to repair.. OF COURSE!!! So, they are going to fit her with this thing called a dental appliance. This a device that is added to her two back molars by a sort of cement and then a metal band/wire goes between them, keeping her from being able to create a suction in her mouth. Also there are little prongs in a wire that will run her jaw line and this will poke her thumb when she puts it in her mouth. This device will run about 450.00! ouch! This will stay in for about 8 months or so.
After her 6 year old molars come in, she will be getting a retainer to help realign her top jaw where it should be, ( push it back to the right). After about a year of that, when her two front teeth fall out and come back in as adult teeth, she will most likely end up with braces for about two years to correct the sever overbite and teeth misalignment she has caused in her upper jaw.

The dentist said, thumb sucking is not bad for babies, but once they start really getting teeth in, it can be tricky, and it must stop before adult teeth come in. So, its' been a fun day for us around here!

ahhhhhhhhh

I am also rebelling against... okay well everything. I don't want to turn 28 this year, it's too close to 30! I like my bday, but I am pretty much done adding candles to the cake. I've decided this is an unnecessary thing once you have reached 21!
I'm also rebelling against my long and lovely hair! Yep, my down to my waist, strait hair is no more! I cut it off yesterday! Not all of it, it's still down past my shoulders but its' short by comparison and has some nice brown undertones added to my blond hair.
Maybe it's part of the reconstruction I am doing on my self. I am not sure, but I think it looks good and Adam does too, so there ya go.

Too old for Tinkerbell

They grow up faster then you think... It goes in a flash...Where did the time go... common phrases that all describe our children who all too often change before our very eyes with out our knowledge or permission!!

And so it has began for us!
The other day Makenzie came into the kitchen and bluntly said, "how old do I have to be before I can stop calling you mommy and start calling you mom?" Ugh.. I said, "well, I guess you can do it anytime you want." It didn't really bother me too much and I didn't put too much more thought into it. Until, a couple of days ago, she walked into a room and said, "hey mom..." It stopped me for a minute and I kinda smiled at the thought that it obviously makes her feel more grown up... Adam on the other time, was not thrilled. He has proclaimed more than once that he disapproves of the girls getting older and that with each more "grown up" act she has, he hates it more. Yes, we know the alternative to growing up is not good, that's not what we mean. It's just hard to see that sweet little girl who's followed him around like a shadow for years, pulling away into her own world. Just as he thought that was bad enough for the moment, Makenzie told us the other day, that she is in fact too old for Tinkerbell sheets. I was personally crushed since Tinkerbell is my idol... but she said, she was okay with having Tinkerbell stuff, and decorations, but...too old for "cartoon sheets" okay, that was enough for Adam, he proclaimed that her growing up was crap and left the room for me to deal with it =0). I told her fine, we would get her some regular sheets with out cartoons. So, looks like we are in the market for sheets, as every sheet set the girls own is in fact some character of some kind.
The girls officially finish up school in two days, this will put Alexandra into the second grade!!!! YAY she made it, and Makenzie into the 3rd grade.. where in deed is the time going?!?!?

Catching up...

I guess it's been a while since I've updated my blog, so I thought I should take the time to do so. First, I'll start by saying I don't really have time to be doing this! I'm sneaking it in between loads of laundry, packing for a trip and a 4 page paper due tomorrow that I have not started yet!

I guess it's been since Easter since I added some things worth mentioning on here, so I'll do my best. After Easter two of the girls went and spent Spring break with my mom. Jacqueline was supposed to go, but at the last minute had a break down and just couldn't do it . We had a great week planned of going to the zoo and doing neat things..but then I ended up with a really bad case of food poising..If you ever have the pleasure, I am sooooo sorry! It was awful and I just wanted to sleep till it was over! But since I had Jacqueline I had to be up..sorta! She was great about it and played with herself most of the time. It took about 2 1/2 weeks to get over! We went and picked up the girls and drove through DC on our way home, it was neat for the girls to see, and we have promised to get back there for them to really see it.

Since then it's pretty much been life as usual at the Roig house which on it's best day's is just chaotic! The girls have a couple more weeks of school and are getting pretty antsy about it . We have had some pretty nice days mixed in with tons of thunderstorms. The dog and Jacqueline are not fans of them, and tend to stick together when the thunder really gets going. A couple of weekends ago we had some pretty warm weather. So, we put up the slide and had a few kids from the neighborhood around. We ordered pizza and sat outside watching the kids play, it was a lot of fun. The Jasmine..not a fan of the slide, it freaked her out so much she didn't want to come out of the garage!

I'm back in school, so my nights are pretty busy. I had a professor who got a good dose of my temper when he called me anti American. It's a long story but it boils down to my liberal democratic views and his beyond Conservative Republic views. The class was government and was supposed to be a trade of ideas... until he heard mine, then I got a good ear full of mean spirited comments for a few weeks, which I tried to take with a grain of salt-till he called me anti American and some other things, the it was a two page letter response .. I ended the class with an apology from him and a grade I deserved not the d he was trying to give me! ugh I am so glad that class is done! Now, it's on to psychology.

Adam is doing great at work, they keep sneaking in more jobs for him to do and more responsibility as if he's not going to notice! We don't mind, more over time, more money!

Makenzie is doing great, she has a couple of good friends and they spend a lot of time together. She is pretty well ahead of her grade level, so she should move on with no problems. We are keeping an eye on her, she seems to get bored when things are too easy! We too her to the orthodontist last week. We were worried about some problems with her teeth coming in sideways, but the orthodontist seems to think she has a few more teeth that need to come out and that by the time that happens, her other teeth should be okay, and so no braces for now YAY!! and they are going to see her back when she's 10 to recheck the progress.

Alexandra is loving her violin. Her teacher is great and they get along well. In fact, the instructor took her picture to put on the website, so she should be up there soon. She's excited about that. She can play the first bar of twinkle twinkle little star and lights up when she gets it right. I can't wait to see her learn the whole song! She wants to play it in the talent show next year at school! I'll probably cry. She works so hard at it, and even though it's pretty hard to learn, the violin makes her so happy. She has struggled a lot this year in school, she seems to be at grade level just barley. We have talked to her teacher about weather she should be held back or move on, we are waiting on a final word. Adam is just concerned about her having to struggle so hard her whole life. It takes her longer to get things, and then she has to be reminded a lot, she's pretty shy about things and so we would rather her stay back one year and really get it, vs struggling forever, so we will see.

Jacqueline doesn't have much to report, she's a mess! Happy as ever and runs the house when the girls are not here. Her and the dog are pretty good pals, and they run all over the place. Jasmine has learned that if she follows Jacqueline to the door, she can usually escape.. this is almost comical as Jasmine is to afraid to go anywhere, she runs into the front yard and waits for us to come get her, she's always got this dopey look on her face like she's not sure what to so next. So, we call her back and she comes running! Jacqueline is sad she can't go to school next year, so I really need to find something to get her into.

We are planning a trip to Disney world in Jan for Makenzies bday. We had plans to go with my family, but things have changed a few times.. we will blame it on my sister who started the avalanche with the wonderful news of her being pregnant. We are happy for her and hope she has a girl so the girls have another girl to play with! After many changed plans, we settled on Jan and Makenzie is just pretty thrilled with us being there for her bday.

We also got news that my mom and her husband are going to be moving to NC about 30 min away. It's a cheaper area than Maryland and should make things easier on them. The girls are excited about having family closer, so I hope they get to enjoy this time.
Tomorrow we are going to be making the trip to Maryland to try to help sort things out and have a yard sale. There are just some things my mom can't do and Al will need help with, so we are going to see if how much the girls can get in the way! =0)

That's it for now I'm afraid, not too exciting, just busy living our happy little life!

Spring time!

Okay, so we spent Easter at my brothers house in VA. The girls had a blast with their cousins who they've never been able to spend much time with. It was a lot of fun even though my poor brother got pretty sick before we left.
I had uploaded these pictures then realized I did them in reverse... so scroll to the bottom and back up! Happy looking...
Saying goodbye

Saying good bye after a fun weekend!

Getten down! boogie!!

You want a piece of me??

Jeremiah.. can I help you?

Picture with the grandparents

Our treasures

Lookin for eggs


Jeremiah found one!

We had so much fun!

Adam working on a plane with Jeremiah




Uncle Phil building a car with Jacqueline-even though he felt like death! Thanks uncle phil!

Easter morning!

Easter with our cousins Josh and Jeremiah

nks

introducing...

Jasmine! (and no we didn't name her..) She is the newest member of our family... I have been asking about a dog for a while (like years) Adam has always been against it sue to some child hood run-ins with a dog. At any rate after a long talk and some puppy dog eyes, I finally talked him into letting me look for a dog! YAY... I found Jasmine who's family was relocating to another state and couldn't take her with them. So, Jacqueline drove to SC today and picked her up. She is a gem! She's so sweet, crate trained, so when you say Jasmine crate... she goes to bed. She knows basic commands and will even let Jacqueline walk her on the leash. She is much smaller than her pictures show, she's less than two feet tall!

She has taken to Adam of course! Follows him everywhere and wants to hang out with him. But he really likes her =0). She is cute and hard to resist. She is a 10 month old Beagle though she is black and white which I guess is unusual for that breed. but, shes short and is not thrilled with our stair case. She went up it once with Adam, but came right back down! Anyway, I'm sure there will be many adventures to come with out new friend...

Well, I'm back at it! Today is the start of my first class since the Christmas break in Mid-December. Since I had to take off so much time with the move, I had to re-enroll and fill out new financial aid (which we STILL don't qualify for..but don't get me started on that soap box!) So, I have to fill out paper work for aid I know we won't get because the government requires it before I can be approved for loans! ugh.. but its done. Then I just had to pay for those lovely text books, go buy new supplies, organize my schedule for the rest of the year so the school knows how much to charge me... and sit in on a conference call with my advisor and financial aid officer to determine how many classes I can "afford" this year! why am I going back to school again??

But, now I "get" to start classes... My parents will love to hear that I NOW value the free education that was high school! I know that's amusing, but I guess that's why they call it hindsight. I got a bill the other day for my first year and with the "estimated" interest, if I choose to pay over 119 months.. I owe 10,376.82 for my first year of school... I only have three more left... please don't do the math and report back! I enjoy school, I really do. I am glad I chose to do this for me and hope that I will be able to get a job in the field I want when I am done and that this will all be worth it. but there are days, like today when I look at the laundry that needs to be done and the errands stacking up on my calendar, the books, notebooks and papers piled up for me to read and the reminder of how many nights this week Ill be up till 3 am writing the 3 papers I have due this week. In these moments I truly wonder if I made a big mistake, if I stepped to far out on the ledge with no way back in? What was I thinking? There are reasons 17 year olds go to college! No one is yelling about socks, or complaining because its 7 pm and you are so involved in your paper you forgot that people were waiting for you to feed them!
Then, Adam sent me a text the other day that said, "I'm so proud of how hard you work and how dedicated you are to finishing school." Crap! Now, I have to suck it up and move forward! =0)

I know it sounds as if I am complaining, I truly am not. At least I don't mean to be complaining. Life, just seems to be hard enough, and I hope that this choice does not make my family suffer, that they don't end up feeling like I wasn't there for them because I waited so long to do this. I know at the end there is a light and that once I am working in this field, Ill be happy and able to contribute to our family! YAY ME!
In the meantime, Ill be sneaking in four chapters a week of reading between groceries and bath time, and writing papers while listening to the hum of the dishwasher and sounds of the quite house while everyone sleeps! Maybe, if nothing else, the girls will find the value of education and take advantage of learning before life really begins to happen!


On a side note, we are starting to meet new people. We have had a couple of people over and I've been out of the house a couple of times. It feels weird, like I'm interviewing for a position and I hate that. I think it takes me a long time to open up and be myself around people, as odd as it is to say about me, I'm shy like that! SO, meeting new people is always very hard for me.. well not meeting, but connecting! Every time I meet someone else, they get compared to me best friend who I miss so much! I try not to do this, but its so hard not to compare people to the girl who became much like my sister. I'm finding it hard to call and talk to my friends back in Nevada, since I always want to cry when I think about them... I guess avoiding it doesn't make it better!!
On one hand, I feel silly for missing my friends so much, like a little kid who misses there friend at summer camp. But, I guess you have to understand that I have not lived near my family in over 8 years, so it's always been Adams family around us. In the absence of my family, I had my friends. Our friends and us spent nearly every weekend together, several nights a week, and most holidays together. We went camping together, to events and to dinner. We've watched each others kids grow and have shared in happy times and the loss of loved ones together, much like a family. I don't let many people "in" , so for me, it really does feel like I've lost something. I know that I have not and in time, it will be easier. I think for now its still the shock of moving so far away and everything about our lives changing.

The good thing is we are closer to some of my family and we going to spend Easter with my brother and his family. The first holiday we have spent with them since Makenzie's first Christmas. My mom and her husband are also coming down, so it will be the first time my mom will have all her grand kids around at the same time. So, It's nice we are able to do that now. Its still about a 5 hr drive for us and about 3 for my mom., but its better than the two and three day drives we had before!

Some days you just FEEL like a bad mom!

Well, I know I am not a bad mom.. there are days I have questioned that, but, I know I can take my girls anywhere and know will behave. They get good grades, don't get into real trouble and are loving children.. yet there are days, when you just throw your hands up and think.. that was it.. that was the moment that will send my kids into therapy for years to come!

I know every mom has those moments and Im not unique to these thoughts.. but in those moments, you just know you've failed.
Yesterday.... I had one of those moments!

Alexandra had a dentist apt that she has been freting over for a week. Last summer Makenzie had 4 teeth pulled, so I think she thought she was in for it too. I have been trying to get her to understand it was just a routine thing and not to worry. So, we went to her apt at 2 pm.. when we got there 30 min early.. I thought we were in great shape.. BUT from the waiting room we could a little kid screaming.. Alexandra was getting nervous, but she was okay still. Turns out it was a 3 yr old with 4 cavities (thats a whole nother frustration with me) anyhoo they had nearly ALL the techs in there "helping" the dr.. They finally got her back there and xrayd and cleaned her teeth. took all of 10 min. THEN we waited, and waited and waited... I looked down at my watch and to my horror realized we had in fact been there for an hr and a half! OMG! I called Adam to find out where he was (over an hr away)and me over 30 min away... and Makenzie...getting home in 15 min!
I told the dental tech I had to go and they kept piddleing around and I finally said, " I HAVE AN 8 YR OLD AT HOME NOW ALONE AND IM 30 MIN AWAY I HAVE TO GO!!!"
They finally let me leave! We RAN to the car and drove home as fast as I could with out getting a ticket and pulled into the drivway.. Makenzie was sitting on the porch (with our 18 yr old nieghbor girl) she looked up, seen me and burt into tears... It was one of those moments where I got out of my car, knelt down next to her and just started saying I am soooooo sorry!!!!!

It just broke my heart! She said, there were no cars, but I hoped daddys car was in the garage, I knocked and rang the doorbell and no one was here.. I didnt know where you were and I thought you forgot me...

it was terrible, I felt like such a bad mother! There wasnt really anything I could do to make her understand how bad I felt.. But, I told her we would get her a house key so she could awalys get in the house! ugh..
The neighbor girl told her she did a responsible thing by going to the neighbors house where some one was home, but Makenzie didnt care, she was hurt that I forgot her (even though I didnt). BUT Alexandra did not have any cavities!! YAY for me

Makenzie of course is just fine.. but Im sure Ill flub up more stuff before she turns 24 and begins therapy lol.


On a side note, there is a bird.. who gets rather vocal when we leave the house.. shes been living in a bush in the front by the door, and gets quite upset at us when we leave the house, flying on top of the house and freaking out! This bush is about chest high to me, but there is indeed a nest in the bush, we check it out (with out touchig it) everytime we leave the house, I just knew she wouldnt put eggs in there, since we pass by there so often, but the girls thought it was so neat that we could see a real birds nest. SO after the "ordeal" yesterday, Jacqueline came running over yelling, " WE HAVE EGGS!!!!" sure enought the bird layed two blue speckled eggs in the nest.. the girls think its great, and I think it will be cool to watch once the babies are born... but I feer that now that theyre ARE eggs, the mother is going to be even more angry at us when we leave the house.. so I am hoping we dont get attacked by mamma bird!

I have some pictures I have taken, Ill get them up soon

I read an article in a neat book we get in our area. Its for families, its free and comes in the paper once a month. It shows articles, places to visit and happenings in the area for families. In the last one, it showd an article for how to cut back on money and still enjoy things. One of the things was a mom who had a spread sheet of all the kids eat free places in the area with the days they offer it. She said, it's nice to still be able to go out and not have to spend a lot of money to do it.
So, I did a couple of google searches for kids eat free and turns out there are about 30 of them around our area offering these "perks" on different nights, mostly Tuesdays and Thursdays nights. So, I made a list of my own and thought it would be nice and save us somewhere between 15-20 when we go out to dinner at times. Some are nice places like steakhouses and some are fast food like chic-fila (sp). During my search I ran accross a posting board where a mom was asking about local eateries that offered this, and another poster blasted her, saying that kids eat free are just a ruise to get you in the door, and if you can't afford to pay for the things your kids order to stay home and that kids are not so special that they shouldnt have to pay for meals they eat.
I was taken off guard by this and insulted that people just assume that looking for bargins for your family is the same thing as not being able to finacially provide for them. Obviously this second poster doesnt have children, as I can not believe anyone with kids would be so harsh or rude when speaking of children. but it still got under my skin and made me stop and ask myself if taking advantage of kids eat free nights are "unfair to the resteraunts that you visit"?
But, I think not! I believe that these places offer kids eat free to get parents there, yes. But, most of the kids eat free nights are on nights people tend to stay home, like Tuesdays and Thursday nights. I'm not going in and asking for free meals for my kids, Im not begging or having them eat knowing I can't pay for their food!!! Am I crazy?

Back to me

Well, now that the stress of moving of trying to find a place to move and making sure our family was okay and the move itself is done with, I can focus on me some more. Over the past 6 months I have put back on some of the weight I had worked on getting off. Its been frusterating me, but I have just not had time to get it together.

I made my new plan to get back into my work out routine and I am pretty excited about it. I've revamped my diet and made some decisions. We joined the zoo society for a year so Jacqueline can go a couple times a month and walk the zoo. We live in a god neighborhood where her and I can walk in the mornings and I have my work out equipment at home. Once we figure out an average for our finances I want to join the YMCA.. I can get a student discount and join the aquatics program once a week.. YAY.. I have joined a website that keeps track of how I am doing, the calories I have eaten and the ones Ive burned and sugests how to adjust them so that I can stay on track. I also have a class that starts in a week and I am excited about getting back to school.

I think it's so very important for me to redirect some attention back to me.. I love my family but they are settling in now and doing well, and it's time to do that for me!

So, wish me luck and Ill try to keep up with how Im doing.

heart checks out just fine

I don't think anything in the world gives your heart a good check faster than seeing blood pouring out of one of your kids!
Ill start with everyone is okay just a bit bruised...

I heard thud.. followed by crying.. followed by screaming.. I went to investigate! Rounding the corner, I see jacqueline both hands over her face with blood puring down her screaming and Makenzie holding her walking her down the stairs saying she fell on her face! Fell on her what? from where and how the hell did she fall on her FACE?
Apparently, Alexandra was "holding" her and swinging her around and dropped her.. on her face.. I resisted the urge to grab her and take her to the nearest ER! YAY FOR ME

I did apply as much pressure as she'd let me and cleaned off all the blood from her hands, legs and face while she was distracted! (by the screaming) We finally got her her noseto stop bleeding.. she has a slight bruise on her nose but seems to be doing fine. She said her whole nose hurts, but is laying beside me telling me all about what happend to her... Daddy's on his way home from work to check on her.. cause "daddy can know if im okay"...

Ah, life in the Roig house, never boring!

feels like home

Well it's been fun for us over the past few days. We have been trying to finish up the last few things that make this move final! It seems like we are always finding new things that need to be taken care of. One major one was the car. When we moved, we knew the plates were going to expire during the move but we didnt want to pay a whole year worth of taxes to Nevada and to NC. for one day. So, we decided to wait! When we got here, I could not register the van because it's in Adams name and we didnt have NC licenses. Adam has been working too many hours to get to the DMV, so we have not been able to do it.

We finally got a weird brake with him working nights since that means he was home during the day.. so he went to get his license and was told we needed his SS card. So, back home we went, found it and drove back (with expired tags mind you) get there, no our proof of residence is not good enough, back home we go.. had to wait another day.. go back today Adam takes the test and gets his license... no wrong place for tags, have to go somewhere else! grrrr

But it feels nice not to have to worry about the police again. I still need to get my new license, but that can wait a while.

This afternoon, the girls and I went to go look at a TV I found online for sale. The couple was nice and reminded me of Adams grandparents a bit, we got the tv in the pouring down rain and headed home. All the way home, I thought it was neat that I recognized where I was and even found my way with out the GPS. It was neat to know that I knew where I was. Walking into the house and looking around this evening, it hit me that it feels like home. Its been an adjustment for us all and there have been some tougher days but we are moving in the right direction. Until now its been sureal. I know we are here, but its felt more like a visit than our permanent home. But, here we are nearly unpacked in our new home!

God's taking a shower

Okay, well it's no secret we are not religeous... but this is cute

Over the past couple of days, Jacqueline has picked up on a God thing.. She said he lives on that hill. Then she saw a cross on the side of the road like when someone dies... she said, maybe thats where God died.

Im not sure where shes picking up, maybe on TV but at anyrate, I engage in conversations with her, after all Im not athiest! I encourage her thoughts. So, while we were driving today she said, Gods not dead! I said well no, he isnt dead why? She said, well it's raining, It rains when God takes a shower! Normally it doesnt rain cause he takes a bath. I just smiled and said, okay well he must be pretty dirty then (its been raining since Friday) she said, well maybe he just likes to take his time!



The sun is out now and the rain has stopped first time since Friday, so he must be finished now

It's Sunday

Well, it's Sunday. Adam is working today again! The guys at his office have been pretty shocked with Adam's lets get to work eithic. We don't get it either, but the guys here really have a 9-5 mentality. He gets a long with them all just fine, and has no complaints, but Adam is not the okay its four lets go home kinda guy... he's a what else can we get done before we leave kinda guy. I guess that's why they wanted him here though, so he's working today and will work an 18 hr day tomorrow then nights for the rest of the week.. he's in his zone.

Meanwhile, the house is mostly done... yesterday he managed to get the girls shelves and closet up, pictures hung and wine rack up. He was on a roll! SO, the girls (kenz and Alexandra) have most of their room put together. Makenzie said, it feels like a room! So, I think it will help her settle in now. She has made a new friend, but since I have not had time to meet the parents she has not been allowed to go play. but the little girl lives on the next block, rides her buss and is in her class. So, I need to make a point to get over there soon.

I have not made any new friends yet, you'd have to leave the house to do that!! The lonliness is starting to sink in and yesterday I cried for no apparent reason at all. I miss my friends, was the best answer I could come up with and even then I felt stupid saying it outloud.. but it was true. I think it is not helped that Adams new schedule has had him working late almost everynight and both weekends we've been here, so getting out and exploring have not been an option.

And... it's raining, well drizzeling really and has been for three days now... and will be for three more. Not a good hardy rain that you can listen to and will lull you, not a thunderstorm with all its exciting sounds... just an on and off drizzel making the air cold and the ground too wet to go anywhere... so it's added to my mood I think.

The house is almost done, and it feels great, there are still a couple of things that need to be done but I don't want all of Adams time home to be "working" and I can't do some of the things on my own... soooo I'll have to wait a bit longer to get them finished.

I start school in two weeks, so that will help keep me occupied I think. We found a preschool for Jacqueline to go to, twice a week will run me 140.00 a month! It's the least expensive we have found. Im still trying to find a violin teacher and I think I have found the football league that will have cheerleading for Makenzie.... they just have to see if they have a spot for her. ugh!

news from the homefront

We have been here a week, well just over now, and we are starting to settle into life again. Things did not go exactly to plan with our move, and we were not shocked at all. It is of course us, and we had to be ready for those little things that make life interesting! Among those were a couple of things that didn't make it in the trip such as Makenzies book cases that were damaged and a couple of things we thought had made the trip and didn't, like my broom and some things we didn't realize had been packed and spent a week looking for like our GPS. All in all, things were not, are not too bad. The weather warmed up nicely over this last weekend, so we could open some windows and get some fresh air through the house.

We have had to replace a few things, we knew we were going to have to, but now we have had to actually do it! We found a nice deal on a new grill for Adam, and with spring approaching, we are thrilled to be able to eat out in the nice weather, before the heat gets us. We also had to replace my dining room set, we got a great deal on a new table and chairs, but it was more money, we had to spend. We also had to replace dressers, I found a lovely deal on three dressers on Craigslist, very old, solid wood all three for 75.00 it was a great deal the only thing we have to replace now is two book cases. These are harder to replace since new they are pricey, and I need them to be specific, so finding them used has been a challenge. So, those have not been replaced. We have to get the car registered here and new licenses. So Im watching that money fly right by-it hurts a little! =0)

Adams grandmother sent us nice welcome home gift.. two days after our arrival the UPS guy brought us Omaha steaks, it was very exciting to get a package!
My mother and her husband made the drive down to see us over this last weekend, the kids really enjoyed spending time with yet another set of grandparents, and we put Al to work running errands, moving furniture and assembling, he was a good sport, but I think he was ready to get back to his easier job! Adam says he'd rather go to his real work cause it's easier than working for me!
The kids enjoyed their time with their grandparents, running around playing hide n seek and gave my mother a make over using every last one of their hair accessories (twice) there are pictures somewhere. When they left though, Makenzie broke down. She reached her saying good bye limit. She was crying and angry. She said she was tired of everyone leaving and wished we'd never moved. It was heartbreaking to see her so upset and sad. She cried for a couple of min and then seemed to be fine. I guess we all need to release now and then.

The girls, all in all are doing well. They like their new school and seem to be settling into it okay. They are on the bus now, and while the stop is, in my opinion too far away, they assure me it's like walking to their old one, and they are fine... uh huh. Makenzie has her first field trip here tomorrow and is very excited about it. They are going to see a play in Charlotte. They say they are making friends and seem to be settling into homework routine better this week. I am having a hard time with the home work of the new school. They are a year ahead of where they were in Nevada, with Alexandra learning the same things such as time and money as Makenzie was learning when we left.., so they are playing catch up a bit, but seem to be adjusting.

Jacqueline is doing great, she is still getting used to the time difference I think, and asks everyday if its time for her nap yet.. but when she's up, shes the same ol Jacqueline running around having fun. Shes helped a lot unpacking and putting things away, and has found a new hobby. Even though we live in a development we have TONS of birds out in the back yard. They sing and chirp and hang out in the bushes, so she asked if we could get bird food and feed them. So, now we have a 10 bag of bird food, and she throws food out in the mornings, opens the curtains and waits for the show.. I'm thinking of getting her a bird bath this spring. We have all kinds of birds even robins, so she thinks it's pretty neat. She can't start school in the fall, so she will be home one more year. Shes going to be pretty upset over that one.

Adam is doing great, so far he loves his job. He worked last Sunday 6 hours for a hotel that could only be tested at certain times. This week so far he went to SC two days and worked 11 hr days.. he loves it. The time change has been interesting, before we know it, its 7 pm, and we are just eating dinner, and no one is that hungry. It's been an adjustment for all of us. Adam got a brand new mini van for work, it's actually the 08 model of my van without all the cool stuff, but its new and he likes it. He got a brand new laptop right out of the box and a new cell phone and other cool toys, so everything they told him he'd be getting all on his first day. We have not gotten our first full check from this office yet, so we don't know what our new checks will be averaging, so that will take some time to figure out, I think. The guys here have a slower approach to things going to work at 8 and heading out around 430 or so, Adam has made it known that he doesn't sit well, and that going home because it's time not because they are finished is not in his mind set. So, they are giving him more to do. They keep apologizing to him for running him all over and having him doing a couple of jobs at once. He laughed and told his boss, this was a typical week for him. So, I think they are starting to understand what is Adam and his work ethic..., and they are giving him more room to run and more things to do.
The guys have taken to him pretty well, and he seems to get along with everyone, but it is of course Adam! The guys at the office are talking about getting together for a bbq soon to meet everyone so that's more incentive for me to finish, I guess.

I have been a busy little bee. Its hard to believe we've been here such a short time. It feels like so much longer. I have most of the downstairs put away, and this week have most of it cleaned YAY. I have hung up ALL the curtains in the house-I think, hung up pictures, assembled things and arranged things. I have painted boxes for the girls rooms, unpacked nearly all of Jacquelines room and some of ours, put away books and found towels and clothes! YAY I have re enrolled in school and classes begin next month. I am a couple month behind and was told I might have to retake Algebra... this sent me into a horrible state of.., I can't do this ... but I think Ill put off that class till things calm down a bit and take some other classes in the meantime. I have found all the shopping places I need to know about with in a reasonable driving distance and discovered we are pretty centrally loctated to a lot of things.
I have not found my keys... I know! No, not all the boxes are unpacked, but I have not found them yet. I ordered a key fob on ebay at the suggestion of a friend of my dad's... I'm going to take it to dodge and see if I can sweet talk a service guy into programing it for me.. I am sure that by doing this, I will in fact find my other set of keys! But I am pretty tired of now being able to open my can with an arm full of stuff! I know, I am spoiled to that little button on the key ring, and I want it back! I did find the GPS in a box from our bedroom!! Now, in case you were not aware... the GPS was supposed to be left out for our trip.., so we could find our new house! Well, when we left the old house, no one had seen it. When we got here, Adam looked in all the places he thought he put it... no luck. My step dad and I tore the garage apart looking and NO GPS... this is important to me, since I get lost leaving the driveway, and if you could see where the house is, you'd get it! Anyway, Id given up hope and Adam was convinced that in the dash to finish, someone had thrown away my GPS.. the other day while unpacking the 4th "last box" there it was!! YAY... then we thought Adam was going to have to steal it for work.. but no, turns out the office bought all the techs GPS's for their cars.. YAY again. SO, I have that back now that I know where the stores are! But, I am sure I will find more uses for my little talking friend.

So, life here is doing what it does... it's moving forward. We seem to be moving right along with it though. We miss everyone a lot and that has been tough for us. I agree with Makenzie its been hard saying good bye to everyone, we've been doing it for three weeks now. Every visit while we welcome it, is bitter sweet. Nicole and the boys were supposed to be here this week, but the boys are under the weather, and so they will be making it down another time. So, we still have that to look forward to. I am afraid once that visit is over it will just be us, and that will feel very lonely~

We hope to get out of the house in the next few weekends and take the girls around the area. Let them see there is more to NC than their school and home. This weekend its supposed to rain and be back in the 40's again, so we will be sitting this weekend out.

We hope everyone is doing well and hope to talk to everyone soon!