Bragging Parents

It occurred to me today that parents are hard on more than just their kids.  Parents are hard on other parents.

I won't go into the differences we all have in parenting styles,  I just want to touch on the issue of bragging.

When do you consider what another parent says about their kids to be bragging?  Why is this on my mind?  Well, I've gotten some amazing news over the last few weeks and I am so unbelievably proud of Caroline!!!

  And as sad as it is, I feel like I can't share it.  As a friend, I don't want to make my friends who have kids the same age feel like its a competition.  And this may seem really silly to some of you, but be honest here...we all know those parents who constantly talk up there kids to the point that its annoying.  And I'm not saying they shouldn't be proud or that they shouldn't talk about it.  But, I don't want to be that parent, who is annoying and over the top with all their kids accomplishments.

I just want to be proud of my kid and share how proud I am.  She's pretty amazing :)

 I think what makes this hard for me is that we all know kids are very different.  They all have strengths and weaknesses.  They all excel in different areas.  I never want to be a parent who boasts and makes another parent feel badly about what their child is doing.

Caroline is very bright and bubbly and not shy.  Which is all wonderful.  But, she has downfalls just like other kids.  Some people don't consider ADHD a downfall, they think it's a crutch for bad behavior, an excuse.  Well, I hate to break the mold, but she is amazing.  She's not "bad", she just can't sit still.  But all that is beside the point...

People look at her and think what a spunky bright little girl, and because of that, I feel like I can't beam with pride and tell everyone how bright she is, what she achieved.  I have very dear friends who have kids that struggle academically and/or socially.  I can.not stand the thought of making them feel bad when I talk about Caroline. 

So I don't post on FB about it like my friends, I don't call a friend to share my news.  I just sit here with my hubby and we smile and talk about how proud we are.







How do you beam with pride for your kids?  How do you boast when they've broken the record?  When they've done an amazing job?

2nd Grade

Today was Caroline's last day of 2nd grade.  I cried.  As usual.  It amazes me how fast each year goes, it just flashes by in the blink of an eye.  I swear I was just taking her to her 1st day of kindergarten.  And now she's officially a 3rd grader!

I went to have lunch with her on her last day, and then we walked to her classroom to get her stuff and head home.  I stayed for a few minutes and talked to her little friends, and her teacher, Mrs. P.  Oh...Mrs. P.  We will miss you more than you could ever know!  Caroline was super lucky, her teacher was with her for 1st & 2nd grade!  She is amazing, and I wish Caroline could have her again next year too.  She knows my little girl inside and out, and bless her heart, she loves my crazy little mess!  I had to fight back tears when I hugged Mrs. P goodbye.  At least we'll still see her next year!

After the kids got out of school, we met up with her best friends family for sno-cones...yummy!

Will my daughter ever have normal looking hair?  It's all over the place!  Poor thing, my hair looked the exact same when I was a kid!

Boog, I'm so proud of you!  You're so smart, sweet & caring, you love your friends, and your my little fireball!  I'm so happy you had such a great 2nd grade year!  Now on to 3rd...

Some Advice, por favor?

Really, I know I've been saying for quite some time that I was gonna be a better blogger.  I think I've hit a wall though.  I don't know what to blog about these days.  My ADD takes control and I start on one thing and jump to the next before I ever get the chance to finish the first, lol!  

So I need some advice.  How oh how do I get back into the swing of things with my blog?  Now I know I'm not some mega blog that has tons of readers, but I don't want to lose the few of you that I have!  I love the community that bloggers have created.  The words of encouragement, the friendships, the support, the laughs.  

Friends, please give me some advice, tips or words of wisdom...I need them!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Caroline's school had a wax museum for the 2nd grade.  All the 2nd graders had to study about a famous person, memorize a few facts about them and then play that person in a wax museum!  It was the cutest thing ever!  They had to put together a costume, and then the whole school and parents got to walk through the wax museum and learn about each person.  Of course Caroline has to pick the most glamorous person she can think of...Cleopatra!  Why does she pick Cleopatra?  Because she wears make-up, and wears pretty dresses with sparkles and sequins!  LOL!  Cracks me up!  I didn't' have anything that could pass as a costume, so I got to work!  I got some pale green satiny fabric and sewed her a simple sheath dress, then made her a beaded collar and belt!  It turned out super cute and she loved it!

This was my inspiration for her costume

And this is my take on it

And this is my little cutie with one of her friends Marie Curie!

2nd Grade Wax Museum - Cleopatra

I took a short video of her...but beware, there is a ton of background noise, so it's hard to hear her speech, but it's so cute!
 

Cheer Baby, Cheer!

I think I've mentioned before that Caroline is on a competitive cheer team...maybe not?  I'll be honest, everything is a big blur this week, LOL, but that's a whole 'nother post!  Boog really wanted to tryout for cheerleading at the gym she takes tumbling at, so she did, and she made the team!  Which to be honest, totally shocked me!  I promise I'm not being mean, it's just that I do not have a cheerleading bone in my body, including tumbling skills, but I danced from the time I was 2 until I was 18.  I always imagined that would be the same road for her.  Nope!  My little girl has got some tumbling skills!  Ha!  Never would have thought it, but she's pretty darn good for just starting out.

They had their 1st competition last weekend in Garland, and although they didn't win, they did get 3rd!  I was very proud of her team!  They were so cute out there!

***Sorry...most of the pics from the competition floor turned out blurry!***

hehehe....the "cheer dad's" got shirts too, but we put sparkles on Caroline's dad's shirt!!! hehehe

Crazy Summer Fun

Since I've never gotten around to posting sooooo many things this past several months, I'm checking one off my list!  Haha!  I don't know why it's been so difficult for me to get on here and post things, especially since the #1 reason for blogging is to document the things I don't want to forget about our lives!  I've just found that lately I've simply had to put it on the back burner because we have so many more important things to take care of, and blogging just ends up last.  I want to get out of that though because I look back over the past years of blogging and have such great memories!

Over the summer Caroline went to this amazing summer camp that a local church has had for years.  I'd never heard of it until a sweet friend from work brought me a brochure and told me she thought Caroline would love it.  So I have to thank Leigh Ann for such a great recommendation!  I've never seen Caroline so in love with going somewhere during the day!  I adored this program, and of course for her, I really wanted her to go somewhere with a Christian influence.  Guess what her favorite part of the day was?  Daily worship service!  That makes a momma's heart burst with joy!  At the end of camp, they had a musical and I wanted to share some of the pics from the musical because they just crack me up!

Ohhhh how she makes me laugh!  I can't wait to look back on these pictures one day and show her what a silly, silly girl she was!

Thought Filled Thursdays

-Can anyone please explain to me why at 31 I have acne?  I mean really!?!?  I just don't get it.  Right now I have the biggest zit known to man front and center {well a little to the right actually}on my chin!  I mean I know I used to kindof smirk to myself in high school when other girls complained about their pimples, but I wasn't mean about it, so this just isn't fair.  And I really just want to cry about it!  I know, I know..I need to get over myself.  This just plain stinks!

-On another topic, do your kids "sass/correct/back talk" you?  I can't decide if Caroline is a "know-it-all" or if she is sassing me sometimes or if she is just truly telling me something with good intentions!  It's no secret that she is too smart for for her own good, but there's times when I just don't know whether to discipline her or crack up laughing.  She most definitely corrects you if you're wrong about something which I can't stand, but in a way I'm proud of her for knowing what's right.  So lately I've been telling her that yes, she may be right, but, she has to watch how she says things so that people don't think she is being sassy!  For instance, this is a usual phrase out of her mouth, "...actually mommy...{example: it was 7:23 when we got home}."  Sometimes she's so literal!

-We'll be making Resurrection Cookies again this year.  I posted about them last Easter, and I hope some of you will share this great experience with your kids this year.  It was such an eye-opening thing for Caroline when we did each step.  I hope you get to share this with your family!  If so, be sure to let me know how it went!  This week in Caroline's folder I found this:

What a great time to get this!  I'll be able to tell her how much They love her too!  It sure makes a momma know she's doing something right!

-I'm starting to get excited!  My birthday is a month away!  Yay!  My dad used to joke that I have birth month!  Ha!  I sure wish I did!  Anyway, I'm scoping out my wants to give hubby a few good hints!  I think I really want some new charms for my charm bracelet!  Here's a few I love!

James Avery Charm Bracelet

-I have finally decided I have to give up Dr. Pepper.  I will never loose any weight if I can't let it go!!!  I plan on making the switch to Diet DP this weekend!  And then...30-Day Shred, please don't hurt me!  Actually, I'm not sure that I will get to do the Shred with my back being in such a sorry state!  I may be reduced to only walking!  I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter Holiday!

1st Grade Baby

Can she really be in the 1st grade? No stinking way! Sometimes I just can't believe it...ohhhhhh {said on a reminiscent sigh}.

Well being the huge dork that I am and having to make each milestone special and unique, I got up and made Caroline pancakes for the 1st day of 1st grade. Talk about an excited little girl! She never gets this yummy goodness on a school morning!


I love this one! Look how shocked/excited she is!

Okay, now I know we moms can be a tad bit fussy, especially for anything memorable. So I ordered an absolutely stinking precious outfit for the 1st day of 1st grade. She hates it. Does.Not.Want.To.Wear.It! Breaks my heart. So what do I do? Tell her tough cookies, she's wearing it!

Outside the school, she said she knew just where she wanted to take a picture, so I figured great, she'll want it by the pretty tree! Nope...she wanted it in the middle of the front lawn. I let her have her way since I knew I wouldn't get a picture out of her otherwise since she hated her clothes!

Keeping up With the Joneses, errr, the Murry's

This post really has nothing to do with the titles original meaning, I just thought it would work for me today...since I am going to fill y'all in on everything we've been up to.

Caroline went for her last weekly count check yesterday {ITP/low platelets}. Her count went from 189 last Tuesday to 201!!!! I was sooo relieved. I had literally been worrying myself sick since last Thursday morning when she woke up feeling so crabby, with a horrible cough. Friday morning she was worse, so I kept her home, and doped her up on meds in the hope that I could get this to clear up quickly before her platelet count dropped again. I know, I know...I am not a doctor, I cannot make viral things go away, they have to run their course. But, I was just worried because that is the number one thing her doctor said usually brings on the ITP.

I know I can't stop it, but I was just so scared for her that she would have more needling poking to go through. So you can imagine my excitement when her count was up yesterday! She still has a horrible cough and runny nose, but now I am thinking maybe its just her allergies? I don't know!
************************************************
On another note, a few weeks ago, I took Caroline to take some spur of the moment pictures in the Bluebonnets. It was so fun, and she was so silly.


She had her own ideas of how she wanted to pose for the pictures...

************************************************
We also went to a birthday party, which was a lot of fun for the kids...it was at an inflatable party place...so fun for them. Unfortunately, the pictures aren't that great, because my camera isn't that great, so you'll just have to get over the bluriness!

They have this one slide that is sooo huge. The kids love it, and of course they beg us to go down it too! So here I am going down!


So embarrassing...all the girls wanted me to go down with them, so I obliged. I just didn't know they were going to pull me down with them.


Can you tell she was a little mad? She got caught running!

**********************************************
Now, I have to brag a little. I try not be be the annoying mom who brags on and on about their kid, and usually I don't. But, I am really proud of my little girl!

Anyone who knows her, knows how incredibly bright she is, and no, I'm not just saying that. Let me give you some examples of her learning.

8 months - talking
10 months - walking
1 year - talking in full sentences
2 years - knew all her letters & numbers
3 years - could recognize words when seeing them

I could go on, but, if you know her, then you've experienced her. She has the vocabulary of a 3rd-4th grader, and amazes you by what she understands. They have little "exams" {for lack of a better word} to see how they are progressing in kindergarten. She does really well. She is in an advanced group in her class. In pre-k, one of the things they ask the kids is to start counting as high as they can. She sat down, started counting and got to 151, looked at her teacher and said, "I can go higher, but this is boring." She amazes me.

All this to say, that Caroline was selected to be part of the Gifted and Talented program in her school district. There are only 3 Kindergartners in her school that were selected {from what she tells me}, and I am so proud to be her mama! I know she will go far, and I can't wait to see what she does in life.

***************************************
Hopefully your still with me! We got to go spend some time with our good friends Robert & Lisa last week. They have a huge, gorgeous backyard, and they have a burn pit that we sit around when the nights are cool. We had a great time catching up with them, and took a few pics while we were there.


Can you see the fire in my glasses?

She loves their swing!