P.S.   Trace - how'd the wedding go?  Hopefully you're resting today and no more drama.

Robin

The wedding went well. Chelsea was beautiful and did a great job. Didn't freeze up at all. I'll post pictures once I get them onto my computer. We are currently at my sister's place where we stayed last night. Chelsea and my niece Olivia stayed as well. Chelsea made it right to the end, tho there was some drama just before dinner because she was tired from getting up too early. But Tee took care of it and Chelsea was happy the rest of the night. Tee and I got a wee bit inebriated (goes without saying!) and had a great time dancing. We knew the DJ and requested a number of GBS songs, of course!

The sweetest thing during the ceremony was when my mother started up the aisle and I looked at her Jim and he was crying. Awww.

More later when I'm home.

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

Thanks for the suggestion, Robin. I'll look into it. And yes, I agree, they are all oppositional making me wonder if Kaesye's the normal one and it's just me with the problem. I can be rather controlling and Kaesye is outside of my control (not wild, acting up in restaurants kind of out of control, but out of my day to day control). 

Sorry to hear Emma hasn't graduated yet but at least she has grasped what that means and is spending time at studies this summer.

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"I see you in the front row, bouncing up and down, you're ripped and ready for a night downtown." ~ Margarita
What's wrong with a little flirtation?

Monster Tee

Hi Fran- Good for you for knowing and admitting your child's difficulties cause issues for you- I can't tell you how many parents have that issue and won't admit it, thus making thier kids problems all the more difficult to deal with. I hear you on the concerns much won't be expected of her if she gets some diagnosis. Be a strong (but respectful) advocate for her so it doesn't happen. One final pitch on an assessment (even if it takes 2 years, like Sharn's kid)....it's much better and easier to determine if something is wrong/different/fixable sooner than later. Younger kids are much more impressionable and easier to teach. If she truly is ODD, you don't want to wait til she's a teenager! There was a first grader at my school this past year- serious wild child. He was a runner, obsessed with electric sockets, dropped his drawers, was destructive, violent,a yeller- I've never in my 20+ years of teaching have seen a kid like him! The teachers/principal met with the family, got permission to evaluate, and strongly encouraged them to take the kid to a developmental pediatrician. By years end the kids was controllable, didn't need a 1:1 IA all the time, and the deviant behaviors seriously declined

Thanks to all for kind words and support through these last rocky years,but I'm not done yet 2 down 1 to go! I'm sure there will be more ups and downs for me and mine along the way.

Trace and Robin- do not be disapointed that your children did not graduate this year. All good things come in time. Alex is 20 years old and he finally made it, there is always hope. My husband missed graduating by 1 credit as well, he did a course in night school 5 years later for his diploma. All good things come in time.

Fran I see myself years ago in your words, keep the faith. You are dealing with Kaesye just fine, remember she has nothing to compare you to she only has one Mom. Use your best instincts and as much patience as you can muster. And never ever let anyone tell you that you are doing it all wrong, they are not living it you are. You will second guess yourself all the way through, this is normal just remember we all do the best job we can with the tools and training we have been given. The rewards can be real sweet.

My daughter's 2 friends chose our house to get ready for the prom( one of them is Alex girlfriend) Laura chose not to go, getting dressed up and dancing are not her things. So I had the 2 girls and their dates in my living room when I arrived home from work. The ladies were trying to put nail polish on (not successfully) last minute, with shaking hands. I sat them down and finished the job for them. They were upstairs and put on gowns and suits when Steve(my hubby) walked in. He was commissioned to tie ties, Then we procceeded outside for photos, half way through they remembered they had coursages and boutineers so I pinned them all on and we took more photo's. I thought how sad for the parents of these girls not to see this excitement and have this oportunity that I never thought I would have, as my daughter would not be the one to attend. We will send them photos, but it is just not the same. The moral of this story be the house the kids want to go to let them have little parties and do things that they should not do while you can monitor it. Yeah I let them stay at my house and have a few drinks, I don't provide drinks but if they are going to drink they have to follow the rules: I get all keys to any vehicle in my driveway. No one leaves the property without me or my husband. No one comes to the party that we have not previously met. I call it safe experiments for teens. You want to talk about safe sex and birth control try doing it after the group has had a couple of drinks, not enough so they won't remember just enough to loosen the lips, then you find out who knows nothing and who has all the information, all good to plant the seeds for life long lessons. They also then get to know that the girls sleep in one area and the guys in another that night, no procreating on my watch. I'm o.k. to be the cool mom but not the cool grandmom. In these days where everyone works and runs around doing so many other things after work, the youth are missing the quiet chats that should happen to give them the information they need to live their lives, safe sex chats should not just happen in health class, all parents should have the sex, drugs, and rock and roll chat with their children.

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~The mind is like a parachute, It always works best when it's open~Edna Buchanan~

~Northern Spy~The Apple of my Pie~

~Audrey~

That is a great attitude. My parents were the same way.It worked out really well. My girlfriends father was really strict and you should see the trouble she got herself into.

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Lyndz

 I've always thought you're a great mom, Audrey! And you're doing a fine job!

Here's a link to pictures from the wedding:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=129445&id=770185028

Funny story...wasn't sure whether to share or not, but what the hey, we're all friends!...At the reception, we had already had a few, when my new 'brother's' (Jim's son) wife, put her drink in her cleavage and told me to take a sip, which I did...just as Adrian walked up! So I told Cindy that he was my oldest baby to which Adrian replied, 'baby?'. I said, 'okay, you're not A baby, but you're MY baby'. He replied, 'THAT was more embarrassing than what I just saw' and walked away!

 

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

Trace,

I'm not a member of face book so can't view these.  Dangit!

 

 Sorry about that, Robin. I thought you could just click on the link and have a look. Here's a few pix. Sorry they're so big!

Chelsea and my niece Olivia:

My mom:

My niece Monica:

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

Trace, there's a public link at the bottom of the page when you go into your photo album for you to use so that anyone can see the photos.

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"I see you in the front row, bouncing up and down, you're ripped and ready for a night downtown." ~ Margarita
What's wrong with a little flirtation?

Monster Tee

Thanks Fran. Here's the link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=129445&l=71314&id=770185028

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

Love the pics, Trace.  Chelsea and Olivia....so cute, and your mom and her beau look so happy.  I was in my cousin's wedding when I was 8 and I'll never forget it.  Thanks for sharing.

Robin 

 

Thanks Robin. Yeah, the happy couple is, well, happy! I completely forgot that we videotaped Chelsea and Olivia rocking out to 'Oh Yeah' in the back of the van, tongues out and everything! I wanted to post it, but alas, my mom took the video camera, so I won't be able to for another 5 weeks when they get back from their honeymoon (travelling across Canada in their RV).

Summer so far has been pretty calm. No major problems with the kids. We went over to my brother's place for Canada Day. Swimming and a barbeque, and then watching fireworks from their backyard (they live SO close to where they're done here.). The kids are going to get antsy, I know it. I told them that we could probably only afford one major outing this year, what with gas prices so high and my baby bonus being slashed in half when Adrian turned 18. But we have to decide where to go that they'll both be happy with.

I am SO looking forward to the 12th! Still haven't told Jim that I'm not coming home that night, but what's the dif, he'll be home anyway!

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

Six days and no one's been here? Things must be going well...or some of you are waiting for a storm to pass...or you just can't put your frustration into words yet! Let's go with the first one!

So today I have been married for 20 years. Do you think he'll remember?

I am at my sister's again...she's fostering 2 litters of 3 week old kittens. There were 9, but 2 passed away. Theirnames are Charlie, Gideon, Jack, Taylor, Murphy, Summer and Bob. Lukey and Penelope were the ones that passed away. (Pictures will follow...new camera is being shipped as I type.) Chelsea is in love with Jack and Tee is keeping Gideon, or as we call them, Mr. Hinks and Mr. Brown! (I'm in love with ALL of them!) I am SO tired...it's like having 9 newborn babies! Thank goodness only one still needs to be fed by dropper (Summer). It's been nice for Chelsea having something so special to be doing.

Just a couple more days and Tee and I are off to Toronto for GBS and a night away! Yay!

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

How about haven't posted because if I start ranting I may explode. We'll leave it at I'm trying hard not to throttle my kid.

 How can he forget? Didn't you inform him that his anniversary present to you is you going out this week-end while he baby-sits? Or is he still in denial?

The kittens sound like a lot of fun. I think I like Mr. Hinks and Mr. Brown as names better than Jack and Gideon, I might have gone with The General as opposed to Taylor. How come Bob won out as the only non-song name?

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"I see you in the front row, bouncing up and down, you're ripped and ready for a night downtown." ~ Margarita
What's wrong with a little flirtation?

Monster Tee