Wednesday was a long day, After a 1 hour 15 minute rain delay, I worked a 4 hour game. Then I had to get up this morning and be there at 10:30am. Tired, frustrated by life, but enjoying the game of baseball. Unfortunately things took a turn for the worse. I don't really want to get into it. Needless to say that I am in bed, exhausted and haven't really spoken much to anyone in my house since I got home from work. Time for some sleep.
By the way, Sparky doesn't smell good. I think it's time for a bath.
Tomorrow will be a better day!
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
A fun family day
What a great day! After sleeping in until almost 10am (I couldn't sleep last night), I took the kids bowling and then we went to the Gwinnett Braves game. I got to watch! (I had the night off.)
Bowling was a blast! The kids enjoy it so much. We aren't very good at it, which would probably make my parents cringe. They were in bowling leagues when I was a kid. Garalyn and I spent every Friday night, at least, at the bowling alley. Anyway, it turns out that Elijah (yes, Elijah!) won both games! I can't remember his first game score, but his 2nd was 109! Not bad for a 7 year old. Yes, he was using bumpers, but still! Now, if I could only get him to bowl by putting his fingers in the holes!
Zach did great too. He's a bit crazy but, after watching him, I think I've decided he has the best bowling arm. He can make the ball spin pretty well for his age and skill level. He was using bumpers too, but did a great job. He made a few spares. Here, he just missed a strike.
JJ, however, had a rough day. He is very competitive so, when he started out not doing so well (he got 129 last time we went), then he just got frustrated. That only made him bowl worse. The angrier he got, the worse he did. He was so upset that his brothers were beating him, he just couldn't hit any of the pins. I told him to just relax and have fun. He said it's hard to have fun when you stink. He really is competitive! He finally did get some spares.
After a great afternoon of bowling, we decided to head over to Coolray Field to see a game. I had the night off, it was 2 for 1 if the kids wore their rec jerserys, and Brandon Beachy was making a rehab start against Jair Jurrjens. We couldn't pass it up! Unfortunately, it decided to rain on and off while we were there. Not too big of a deal, unless you are there with Elijah. Luckily, it didn't rain too hard and we were able to go back to our seats. The GBraves made it interesting, but ended up losting 4-3. Jair Jurrjens got a nice hand when he left the game, which I thought was nice. We were sitting by 3rd base where Alden Carrithers made a few very nice plays, but Stefan Gartrell got stranded there way too many times. It was fun though.
JJ caught 2 balls from the players as there were coming to the dugout.
All in all, it was a great day. But I'm beat. Time for bed. Good night!
Bowling was a blast! The kids enjoy it so much. We aren't very good at it, which would probably make my parents cringe. They were in bowling leagues when I was a kid. Garalyn and I spent every Friday night, at least, at the bowling alley. Anyway, it turns out that Elijah (yes, Elijah!) won both games! I can't remember his first game score, but his 2nd was 109! Not bad for a 7 year old. Yes, he was using bumpers, but still! Now, if I could only get him to bowl by putting his fingers in the holes!
Zach did great too. He's a bit crazy but, after watching him, I think I've decided he has the best bowling arm. He can make the ball spin pretty well for his age and skill level. He was using bumpers too, but did a great job. He made a few spares. Here, he just missed a strike.
After a great afternoon of bowling, we decided to head over to Coolray Field to see a game. I had the night off, it was 2 for 1 if the kids wore their rec jerserys, and Brandon Beachy was making a rehab start against Jair Jurrjens. We couldn't pass it up! Unfortunately, it decided to rain on and off while we were there. Not too big of a deal, unless you are there with Elijah. Luckily, it didn't rain too hard and we were able to go back to our seats. The GBraves made it interesting, but ended up losting 4-3. Jair Jurrjens got a nice hand when he left the game, which I thought was nice. We were sitting by 3rd base where Alden Carrithers made a few very nice plays, but Stefan Gartrell got stranded there way too many times. It was fun though.
JJ caught 2 balls from the players as there were coming to the dugout.
With the storms in the area, the sky sure was pretty.
All in all, it was a great day. But I'm beat. Time for bed. Good night!
Monday, July 8, 2013
And the sun comes out...
Not a lot happened today. Not that that's a bad thing. It was a nice, relaxing, comfortable day at the Julian home. I ran a mile on the treadmill this morning, got some work done for Steven to help him along a bit, took JJ to the orthodontist and found out that he should have his braces off by Christmas. (However, I thought it would be before that. My contract says I stop paying in September, so as long as that happens, I'm good.) Then I took the boys to Suwanee Town Park to run around in the fountains. Well, Joshua and Zach ran around in the fountains.
Elijah and I walked Sparky around the park. Elijah, as a result of his Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), doesn't like the water coming at him or falling on him. Therefore, the fountain wasn't an option for him. But I enjoyed walking around and talking to him. He has a difficult time expressing himself, also due to his SPD, so it takes some prying to get things out of him. For example, I knew he wouldn't go in the fountain because the water is coming at him, but he wouldn't tell me that. His favorite answer is "I don't know". I'm trying to get him to really answer my questions instead of bailing out with his trusty "I don't know". It takes more time in a conversation, but I think it's worth it.
Elijah seems so normal on the outside. I mean, he is normal. But he is different too. I know. Everyone is different. But Elijah is unnoticeably different. He doesn't appear "special needs" and I hesitate to call him that, but it fits in some ways. I have to think specifically about him in many situations and make accommodations for him. It's very difficult to find things that we can all do together because he shies away from a lot of things. It's been hard, but we make it work. That is one reason we visit different baseball stadiums on vacation every year. The beach didn't work for us (feel of the sand, waves rolling in and out,etc) but baseball is something we all enjoy. We started last year when we went to Chicago. That was the first family vacation we had ever been on the we enjoyed!!!!
Anyway, we are sitting here enjoy a night off from work. The GBraves are winning (of course, because I'm not there!) Steven and are I are in our room working and watching the Braves, of course. The boys are downstairs watching WWE Monday Night RAW, of course. So goes a Monday night at the Julian home.
Elijah and I walked Sparky around the park. Elijah, as a result of his Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), doesn't like the water coming at him or falling on him. Therefore, the fountain wasn't an option for him. But I enjoyed walking around and talking to him. He has a difficult time expressing himself, also due to his SPD, so it takes some prying to get things out of him. For example, I knew he wouldn't go in the fountain because the water is coming at him, but he wouldn't tell me that. His favorite answer is "I don't know". I'm trying to get him to really answer my questions instead of bailing out with his trusty "I don't know". It takes more time in a conversation, but I think it's worth it.
Elijah seems so normal on the outside. I mean, he is normal. But he is different too. I know. Everyone is different. But Elijah is unnoticeably different. He doesn't appear "special needs" and I hesitate to call him that, but it fits in some ways. I have to think specifically about him in many situations and make accommodations for him. It's very difficult to find things that we can all do together because he shies away from a lot of things. It's been hard, but we make it work. That is one reason we visit different baseball stadiums on vacation every year. The beach didn't work for us (feel of the sand, waves rolling in and out,etc) but baseball is something we all enjoy. We started last year when we went to Chicago. That was the first family vacation we had ever been on the we enjoyed!!!!
Anyway, we are sitting here enjoy a night off from work. The GBraves are winning (of course, because I'm not there!) Steven and are I are in our room working and watching the Braves, of course. The boys are downstairs watching WWE Monday Night RAW, of course. So goes a Monday night at the Julian home.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Sweet Moments
It's been a long weekend already. Lots of hours working, which I don't mind because I enjoy my job at the stadium. But it makes me tired and I just don't like being at work when my family is home. I just feel like I haven't seen much of them lately. Sometimes that is good though. I am home with them so much that they never have a chance to miss me. Mom is just always around. At least when I go to work, the miss me and am glad when I come home.
Tonight, I got home just after 11 and the bottom of the house was dark. I put my stuff down and went upstairs. I noticed that Zach's door was closed and I heard voices. I knocked on the door and opened it up to find Zach and Elijah listening to Braves historic moments on his MP3 player. I said hello to them. Elijah's face lit up. He smiled, said "Hi Mom" and got off the bed to come give me a hug. That, in and of itself, was worth the 6 hours that I worked tonight.
I proceeded to talk to Zach as well and then went off to see Joshua. I enjoy talking to them and asking them what they did and how their night was. Those are things I don't get to ask when we are together all day. I enjoy listening to them and seeing how their minds work. They are great kids and I am so blessed to have them.
I would be remiss, though, if I didn't mention Steven. He does a great job taking care of the boys while I'm at work. He feeds them, plays with them, takes them out. They are all very understanding and supportive of me working nights. Thanks hon! I couldn't do it without you!
Tonight, I got home just after 11 and the bottom of the house was dark. I put my stuff down and went upstairs. I noticed that Zach's door was closed and I heard voices. I knocked on the door and opened it up to find Zach and Elijah listening to Braves historic moments on his MP3 player. I said hello to them. Elijah's face lit up. He smiled, said "Hi Mom" and got off the bed to come give me a hug. That, in and of itself, was worth the 6 hours that I worked tonight.
I proceeded to talk to Zach as well and then went off to see Joshua. I enjoy talking to them and asking them what they did and how their night was. Those are things I don't get to ask when we are together all day. I enjoy listening to them and seeing how their minds work. They are great kids and I am so blessed to have them.
I would be remiss, though, if I didn't mention Steven. He does a great job taking care of the boys while I'm at work. He feeds them, plays with them, takes them out. They are all very understanding and supportive of me working nights. Thanks hon! I couldn't do it without you!
Odd Woman Out
I have a husband and 3 sons. Even our dog, Sparky, is male. I am the only one of my kind in my house. I am finding it more and more difficult to deal with as they all get older. (Or maybe it's as I get older, I'm not quite sure which.)
Don't get me wrong. I love my boys. They are great! But they are SO messy. They don't listen well and don't retain information. (At least the information that I give them. Sports or WWE information takes precedence.) I never knew urine could get to those places. I find clothes and toys in the strangest of places. And nothing ever gets put back where it came from, but they expect mom to magically know where it is when they want it. I went so far as to label every drawer in Zach's room so he would know where stuff it. All he had to do was put the stuff back there once he was done with it. Nope. Doesn't happen. Anyway......
I sit here now making lunch/dinner because I have to be at work, again, at 5pm today. All the boys are playing upstairs and Steven is playing with the dog. I'm tired. I'm frustrated. I'm wishing the clean fairy would sprinkle her magic dust on my house and that there was a money tree in my backyard. Ok, enough complaining.
Steven took the 2 older boys to Home Depot this morning for their kids workshop. They each made some sort of car (that ended up on my kitchen table). But they were cute. Elijah, not wanting to try anything new, came to the grocery store with me. He was so helpful! He was putting things in the buggy, helped put them on the belt at checkout and even hung around the back of the van to help put them in the car! That is new for him! I heaped praise on him in hopes that he will do it next time as well. Zach and Joshua cleaned around our neighborhood pool (their summer job) and then came home and did chores. So my house is somewhat clean. Everyone did their part. I greatly appreciate all the help they give me.
Now off to eat ham and rice and chocolate pie. Have a great weekend!
Don't get me wrong. I love my boys. They are great! But they are SO messy. They don't listen well and don't retain information. (At least the information that I give them. Sports or WWE information takes precedence.) I never knew urine could get to those places. I find clothes and toys in the strangest of places. And nothing ever gets put back where it came from, but they expect mom to magically know where it is when they want it. I went so far as to label every drawer in Zach's room so he would know where stuff it. All he had to do was put the stuff back there once he was done with it. Nope. Doesn't happen. Anyway......
I sit here now making lunch/dinner because I have to be at work, again, at 5pm today. All the boys are playing upstairs and Steven is playing with the dog. I'm tired. I'm frustrated. I'm wishing the clean fairy would sprinkle her magic dust on my house and that there was a money tree in my backyard. Ok, enough complaining.
Steven took the 2 older boys to Home Depot this morning for their kids workshop. They each made some sort of car (that ended up on my kitchen table). But they were cute. Elijah, not wanting to try anything new, came to the grocery store with me. He was so helpful! He was putting things in the buggy, helped put them on the belt at checkout and even hung around the back of the van to help put them in the car! That is new for him! I heaped praise on him in hopes that he will do it next time as well. Zach and Joshua cleaned around our neighborhood pool (their summer job) and then came home and did chores. So my house is somewhat clean. Everyone did their part. I greatly appreciate all the help they give me.
Now off to eat ham and rice and chocolate pie. Have a great weekend!
Friday, July 5, 2013
Here we go again!
I was just reading over my old posts. I can't believe it's been almost 2 years since I posted here! I remember it being very therapeutic, so I'm not so sure why I stopped. Busyness, I guess. So much has happened, so I'll catch you up and we'll start from there.
I still work for the Gwinnett Braves in the summers during baseball season. I am the game day receptionist so I answer the phones, check tickets, and assists fans on the 3rd floor suite level. During the school year I still work at Perimeter Church doing child care.
Steven is a financial advisor still, but has changed companies. He went independent and now works with Cornerstone Private Client Group.
Joshua is 12 3/4. (He will be 13 in September. Yes! A teenager!) He is going into 7th grade at Hull Middle School. He is taking 4 gifted classes, playing travel baseball, and is a great babysitter to his brothers. He loves WWE and knows everything there is to know about sports. We have nicknamed him "Captain Comment" because he always has something to say.
Zach just turned 10. He's going into 5th grade, so he's almost done with elementary school. He enjoys WWE, chess and astronomy, but not reading and writing. I'm teaching him to type this summer. He has played soccer, baseball, done tae kwon do and is now taking piano lessons. His teacher says he is very good and should really stick with it.
Elijah is 7 and is going into 2nd grade. (Hard to believe after my last post. I cried when I read that. It seems so long ago!) He is doing well. He likes school and routine of it all. Summer is harder for him. He has learned to bathe himself and loves doing WWE moves to his stuffed animals. He still is a picky eater, but that is typical for someone with his disorder. He likes fruit so we keep shoveling that in.
We still live in the same house. Strange, really. We've lived here 5 years which is the longest we've lived ANYWHERE since we got married. Sometimes I feel myself getting antsy like we should move again. But I like everything about where we live, except the age of our house. It needs a lot of updating. Slowly but surely we are bringing it to the 21st century.
We still attend The Bridge Church in Lawrenceville. We took a short break and attended a Methodist church, but that wasn't a good fit. The Bridge got a new pastor and youth pastor and things are working out very well. I'm still trying to figure out where God wants me to serve there. I'm trying to avoid the kids' ministry because of my kids and the fact that I already work with kids. Still searching.
I'm going to try and keep this updated, for you as well as me. I find that I have no one other than Steven to talk to about things on a regular basis, so this may help get my thoughts straight. Thanks for listening.
I still work for the Gwinnett Braves in the summers during baseball season. I am the game day receptionist so I answer the phones, check tickets, and assists fans on the 3rd floor suite level. During the school year I still work at Perimeter Church doing child care.
Steven is a financial advisor still, but has changed companies. He went independent and now works with Cornerstone Private Client Group.
Joshua is 12 3/4. (He will be 13 in September. Yes! A teenager!) He is going into 7th grade at Hull Middle School. He is taking 4 gifted classes, playing travel baseball, and is a great babysitter to his brothers. He loves WWE and knows everything there is to know about sports. We have nicknamed him "Captain Comment" because he always has something to say.
Zach just turned 10. He's going into 5th grade, so he's almost done with elementary school. He enjoys WWE, chess and astronomy, but not reading and writing. I'm teaching him to type this summer. He has played soccer, baseball, done tae kwon do and is now taking piano lessons. His teacher says he is very good and should really stick with it.
Elijah is 7 and is going into 2nd grade. (Hard to believe after my last post. I cried when I read that. It seems so long ago!) He is doing well. He likes school and routine of it all. Summer is harder for him. He has learned to bathe himself and loves doing WWE moves to his stuffed animals. He still is a picky eater, but that is typical for someone with his disorder. He likes fruit so we keep shoveling that in.
We still live in the same house. Strange, really. We've lived here 5 years which is the longest we've lived ANYWHERE since we got married. Sometimes I feel myself getting antsy like we should move again. But I like everything about where we live, except the age of our house. It needs a lot of updating. Slowly but surely we are bringing it to the 21st century.
We still attend The Bridge Church in Lawrenceville. We took a short break and attended a Methodist church, but that wasn't a good fit. The Bridge got a new pastor and youth pastor and things are working out very well. I'm still trying to figure out where God wants me to serve there. I'm trying to avoid the kids' ministry because of my kids and the fact that I already work with kids. Still searching.
I'm going to try and keep this updated, for you as well as me. I find that I have no one other than Steven to talk to about things on a regular basis, so this may help get my thoughts straight. Thanks for listening.
Monday, August 8, 2011
A New Era
It's 8:30 am on this Monday morning. The house is quiet except for the sound of me typing and the dishwasher going. I'm all alone. It's just me. 30 minutes ago I put my kids on the bus bound for their first day of school. For JJ and Zach it was no big deal. They've done this before. But Elijah, this is his first day of Kindergarten. I suppose every parent gets emotional when their kids go to school for the first time, especially if it's their last kid. But Elijah is special.
One year ago the sweet teachers at North Metro CDC were prying Elijah out of the car kicking and screaming! That went on for almost 2 weeks. Then we found out that he has a sensory disorder which just makes things harder for him. He's been a difficult child and this is why. So we started him in occupational therapy in May. Wow! Do I have a different child now! He was up and ready for school at 6:20 this morning. He ate, brushed his teeth and made his bed just like his big brothers. We walked up to the bus stop with him carrying his Spiderman backpack and he got on the bus, just like his big brothers. I am just in shock! He is a new child! Now at school, hopefully doing well. I pray that God protects him and helps him adjust. He has done a complete 180 and I am so proud of him!
But now I sit here alone in this quiet house for the first time in 11 years! I'm almost not sure what to do with myself. I have to do the typical things I do on Monday like go to the grocery store. But it's just me. I don't have to stop in the middle of the day to pick anyone up from PreK. I didn't have to drive anyone to school. I a bit at a loss. It's freeing and sad all at the same time. I've always looked forward to this time on my own...but now I'm not so sure I like it. I guess it will just take some getting used to. I start work soon anyway so that will take up half my days. I guess now it is time to find the real me somewhere past the mom.
And yes, I cried like a baby after the bus left with my boys, including Elijah, on it.
One year ago the sweet teachers at North Metro CDC were prying Elijah out of the car kicking and screaming! That went on for almost 2 weeks. Then we found out that he has a sensory disorder which just makes things harder for him. He's been a difficult child and this is why. So we started him in occupational therapy in May. Wow! Do I have a different child now! He was up and ready for school at 6:20 this morning. He ate, brushed his teeth and made his bed just like his big brothers. We walked up to the bus stop with him carrying his Spiderman backpack and he got on the bus, just like his big brothers. I am just in shock! He is a new child! Now at school, hopefully doing well. I pray that God protects him and helps him adjust. He has done a complete 180 and I am so proud of him!
But now I sit here alone in this quiet house for the first time in 11 years! I'm almost not sure what to do with myself. I have to do the typical things I do on Monday like go to the grocery store. But it's just me. I don't have to stop in the middle of the day to pick anyone up from PreK. I didn't have to drive anyone to school. I a bit at a loss. It's freeing and sad all at the same time. I've always looked forward to this time on my own...but now I'm not so sure I like it. I guess it will just take some getting used to. I start work soon anyway so that will take up half my days. I guess now it is time to find the real me somewhere past the mom.
And yes, I cried like a baby after the bus left with my boys, including Elijah, on it.
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