Last Week Before School

I set my hopes too high for this last week before they have to go back. I was just hoping to cram in a week of fun, but a little was better than nothing. Monday was supposed to be Dorney Park, our local toned down Six Flags. Julio got sick. Julio was up for a local place instead called Jungle Wonder that now offers kid bowling, black light mini golf, and something called Ballidium which is a room where you shoot foam balls at your opponents (Julio and Julian). No one else was there and the owners were more than generous with our family. Thursday was supposed to be Ocean City, NJ. Madeleine caught a cold Tuesday and still wasn't better. Sometimes things work out, because later that day the news said medical waste washed on shore there. They had to close part of the beach. Hmm, not good. For those who have been with me since I started this blog over three years ago, you will recall my August 06 entry entitled: What can't you find off the coast of NJ? I guess not much has changed. I don't want to offend any NJ relatives, it's just a shame because another stretch of beach was closed nearby a few days ago as well. Part of me just wanted to put my feet in the water one last time this year, but I'm caught up on all my shots, thanks.

So, I bought Julian a Jimmie Johnson backpack at his favorite NASCAR store, and Madeleine chose a princess backpack at Target. Then, I get a call from my boss saying that her dad wants to go into a retirement home instead of having private care. That puts me out of a job within the month. That will free up my weekends at least. I start teaching with Drama Kids in a month working Mondays so that will fill a little of the void. School starts in four days...

A Week of Ickiness

A HUGE thanks to everyone that commented last week. It made my month! It makes me feel less isolated then I am. Why am I so isolated you may ask? Because I felt unfunctionably run down last week. Then Madeleine gets a fever of 103.7 and so the weekend is now caput. I feel better, Madeleine feels a little better, and of course Julio isn't doing good. Maybe by the time school roles around next week, it will all be out of our system.

I should really be writing my paper for my education class. It's due in two hours. All University of Phoenix papers are due Pacific Time so I have until 3:00 a.m. here. I don't know why, I felt compelled to write a little something right now. I suppose it was that Mocha Iced Coffee I had around 7:oo tonight that is supposed to carry me through. I had to take Don to meet his son for dinner tonight, so I got a little work done while waiting for him. I got a lot done when we got back and he dozed off. I just don't have it in me to finish, knowing how early the kids will get me up. I'll get 10% docked off per day of being late. Right now, that doesn't sound so bad...

Does my blog have the plague?

There has been close to zero activity here since I came on to blogger. Julio did a test comment and you can actually post a comment with no problem. I would hope that if there was a problem those few that do leave their words would let me know. I am seriously considering livejournal now where people leave a little thought after they read you pouring your heart out. I know things are crazy for everyone, but if you have the time to read, you have the additional 30 seconds it takes to say "hey I was here," or even leave the word "oh..." Even a little Happy Anniversary would've been nice besides the two people that I heard that from. C'mon guys, where's the love?

My son has grown wings...

As you can tell I've been a little too busy to write lately, but am anxious to share my stories with those kind enough to read them.

I want to share with you how Julian has been doing this summer. We had our theater camp end two weeks ago and it was worth all the exhaustion I felt afterwards. One visiting theater director told us, "If the children see you are energetic and excited, then the kids will be too." This is very true for the other actors but Julian. He fought with me every day to go. That unruly boy I mentioned earlier was just too annoying to deal with. This was entirely true, but does that mean you change your routine for one person? I put my blinders on and trudged through, and made him too. What I've learned about raising Julian is you have to be persistent. He'll give you every excuse in the book why he shouldn't do something. He might even give in to tears. But it is worth the struggle in the end.

On the last day we put on our play for the parents. I couldn't enjoy sitting in the audience because I was the "stage manager." I had seen enough rehearsals though to satisfy me. Melissa, the camp director, gave Julian a major role as ring master. He learned his scenes with ease, putting that enormous memory to good use, besides memorizing NASCAR statistics. By showtime he was one of the stars of the show. Without prompting, he recited his lines with proper emphasis and did his own blocking. He also did an improv skit with another girl his age that was reserved for a select few. Melissa said she was very impressed and said he was a natural. He received a lot of compliments afterwards from other parents. He felt proud and, of course, I was beaming.

Madeleine had her moment to shine earlier this year with her recital, so when she had a hard time memorizing her few lines, it was no big deal. She was the youngest in this class and, therefore, was the only one that couldn't read her script. I would prompt her and practice with her, but the whole thing was a little too advanced for her age.

I have always believed that theater excercises are therapeutic for a child. I know this because I benefited from them when I was a teen. I remember when I had to yell at another classmate in an improv excercise. For a quiet wallflower like myself, it was exhilarating. I know with the social issues Julian has; it was just what he needed.

Another wonderful thing happened this summer that was due to our persistence which really paid off. Julian is now an expert bike rider. He was only ever comfortable with his training wheels and always fought us and cried when prodded to try a little harder. Or, it was how his helmet made him uncomfortable, even though it was the right size. This has gone on for years and I put my foot down this year. The first half of the summer was agonizing, when every session would end in bitter tears. I had the idea to let him try coasting down a slight incline to get a feel for the type of balance he would have to maintain. Later on, when I googled how to ride a bike, that is one of the ideas a website suggested. Now it's a piece of cake for him. Some days I can't get him to come inside. He said he loves feeling the wind in his face. Yet another reason for me to cry happy tears over how he has blossomed.

How 10 years fly by...

Today is my 10 year wedding anniversary. We actually got to go out to a nice Italian restaurant while my sister babysat. Julio made me the equivalent of a mixed tape from those of you old enough to remember those. Now they are called playlists for your iPod. He compiled music we've enjoyed and "us" kind of romantic music we like. We listened to it in the car on the way to and back. It was a nice touch to a great evening.

I thought it was pretty neat to say five years. Now 10 years makes me sound so old. It also is an accomplishment. I can say this after seeing many people I know not make it to five years married together, who got hitched after us. There have been rough patches for us at times, but these were due to external reasons. The core reasons we fell in love have never changed. We still enjoy the same activities together, and laugh at the same type of humor together. We have evolved, and the relationship has to evolve with it. Being parents is the biggest change a relationship can face. This also tends to be, from what I've seen, when people like to call it quits. It is something to ride out. Our children are at an age that they do things together and don't require as much of our attention as they once did. We can start and finish a conversation now when they are awake.

The depression Julio and I have both experienced at different times could have been deal breakers to the average couple. Knowing that this was something to ride out and be patient about has now let us reap the benefits of remaining together. We come out stronger. Don't let me forget to say having God in a relationshp makes it all the better too!

I also think of people that attended our wedding that day. How far away everyone is now, compared to everyone living so close to where it was held in Telford, PA. How lives have changed, and children have grown up and some have been born. Then I thought about all the new wonderful people we have come to know since then that make our life more enjoyable. Oh and if I look serious in this picture, it's because I cried while saying my vows...it was a happy cry.
I want to put out a little video montage of our years together in the next two weeks. Please check back for that. In the meantime, if you want to leave your thoughts here for me, it would mean a lot.

I wouldn't trade the past 10 years for anything. I'm so glad to say I didn't let this one get away. That's why I've been holding him hostage in my basement.

I'm switching to Blogger!

My site karenholliday.com has now become part of the blogger community. The site will be going through some major transformations in the next two weeks, please check back!