Daddy Daughter Dance

Unless you have experienced the difficulty of blending two families, you can never fully understand just how hard it truly is. One set of children are constantly vying for the attention of their biological parent while the other set are looking for some reassurances that the non-biological "parent" wants them around. It can be exhausting and stressful! It is also quite difficult to suddenly form bonds with children you know very little about. You didn't watch them enter this world, you didn't experience their many milestones or their many tearful hardships. In our situation, John had yet to experience life through a daughter's eyes. When Lauren needed an escort to the Daddy Daughter Dance, I was beyond thrilled that John quickly volunteered. We had Lauren call and invite him, and the look on her face when he said yes was priceless. They talked about dinner and everything the night would entail. That night was purely magical for this sappy mom! They went to Finley's for dinner. Lauren was so proud to show off her "Daddy" and her beautiful corsage. Then it was onto the dance where they had such a fun time. Neither one could stop talking about it for days to follow. Watching that bond really start to form filled me with such joy!

Niagara Falls

It is incredibly rare that John and I get a moment to ourselves let alone an entire weekend. We decided to do something special and picked Niagara Falls. You might think that's a strange place for a winter getaway, but we absolutely loved it and can't wait to go back when the weather is warmer. People in Canada were so incredibly welcoming, and exploring a new city (and country for that matter) was so much fun.

These show the view from our hotel room. We ended up having three different rooms throughout our stay, and the last night was our favorite. We had a corner suite with a view of both the falls and the city. What an incredibly romantic experience! I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to spend it with John. We are always so busy battling two lives in two different cities that we rarely stop and take time to focus solely on one of the most important things: the love we have for each other. It felt great sharing him with no one. :)

No Luck with Pets

Zack got Spike, his pet leopard gecko, last June after moving into our new house. He was so excited! It was a well-earned reward for no longer sucking his index finger. I sat down with him and asked him to explain why he still did it and found out that he had some anxiety that started when his Dad and I got divorced. Sucking his finger was a comfort he could always resort to. I told him that I understood how hard it was to stop, since I sucked my thumb until I was 7. I think he was shocked to learn that fact. He agreed to try giving it up and did so right away! Spike seemed to thrive in our home for several months, but that stopped once colder weather arrived. Young leopard geckos shed their skin about twice a month. He couldn't recover from one round of shedding before the next started. I spent hours reading websites to find ways in which to help him. We would stick him in bowls with warm paper towels to create humidity and then peel part of the shedding skin off with tweezers. Pretty soon the poor guy was unable to climb, because his feet webbed together. Life for a non-climbing gecko isn't very fun! I really started stressing out when he stopped eating. Websites educated me on gecko hibernation during cooler months. Unfortunately, the webbed feet and no desire to eat caught up with Spike a few weeks ago when John and I were in Niagara Falls.

I told Zack that we were not getting another gecko to replace Spike, because our home just isn't the right environment. He was offered fish or nothing. He picked fish! Lol While Lauren had her "special day" with Grandpa and Grandma Converse, we went to Meijer to purchase an aquarium and supplies... plus a couple fish. Zack refused to get a beta (my favorite due to their low maintenance and long lifespan), and picked out a couple large goldfish-like fish instead. One was named Buddy and the other Goldie. Good thing I took this picture the next day to show Grandpa and Grandma, because Buddy wasn't doing well when we arrived back home. Zack watched him take his final breath and was completely distraught! :( I asked him why losing a fish he'd had for a day was worthy of so many tears when he didn't even cry over the loss of a gecko he had for eight months. "I didn't have to watch Spike die!" Poor guy cried for hours. Goldie's life came to an end on Friday. He was bummed, but no tears were shed since I was able to dispose of him before Zack's arrival home. Now I have a $250 terrarium sitting in my garage and a $75 aquarium sitting on Zack's dresser. Oh the joy of teaching kids how to nurture and be responsible. The terrarium will soon be listed for sale, and I'm hoping Zack decides a beta is better than nothing so the aquarium gets utilized.

Growing Up

If you've read any posts from the past year, you probably know that I had many frustrations surrounding Lauren's behavior. I do believe that my little girl is growing up before my very eyes. First grade is doing wonders for her. I always love watching how excited she is about school. Either that or turning six has suddenly changed her overall demeanor. Believe me, Lauren is still just as dramatic and spirited as ever, but she seems to have a different attitude. She still thinks that life is "all about her" (John would say she gets that from her mother lol), but she has a calmer, sensitive nature about her. I wish I could view life from her eyes for just one day and can't wait to see what the future holds for her.

Good Citizen

I was so incredibly proud when I received a phone call from Zack's teacher, Mrs. King, letting me know that he had been selected for the Outstanding Citizenship Award for the 2010-2011 school year. I couldn't tell him, however, because it was going to be revealed at the annual awards assembly. I didn't even tell him that I would be attending the assembly, so I wasn't surprised when he gave me a funny look upon entering the gymnasium and noticing not only me but Grandma Converse, Grandma Grisham and Bud. Aunt Patty, Uncle Rich, Bryan, Brooke and Camryn were there as well since Hayden was awarded the same honor for his class. Zack kept staring back at us; not sure what was going through his mind. Haha The moment for announcing outstanding citizenship awards finally came. The look on his face was absolutely priceless when they called his name. He was truly shocked! The best part was watching him interact with his classmates after sitting back down. He was smiling ear-to-ear showing off his certificate and pin. It was a great day for a very proud Mom! :)

Could the Phase Be Over?

I had conferences Thursday night for both Zack and Lauren. It was so nice to hear that the teachers love them! The best part was hearing from Lauren's teacher that she has officially turned the corner. I've noticed major improvement at home, but I'm so glad to hear that it's the same story at school. I pray this phase is over! She seems so much happier and well-behaved. :-)

Catching Up

Well it's been a few months since I last posted anything. Life has been busy!

I started a new job as Controller at Freedom Motors USA. Check out the website to see what my new career entails. I thought about leaving Plante Moran several times throughout my 13 years there, but until this job offer it always overwhelmed me. I knew that this job was meant to be when leaving was such an easy decision. While any job has its challenges, I can happily report that I LOVE it. As if enjoying my new position wasn't enough, I met the most amazing friend in the process. I thank God daily for bringing Danielle into my life!

Zack is same as always... a great boy with a good heart. I don't know what I would do without his quiet support. He always seems to know when I need some lovin' and seldomly causes trouble. He has been riding on cloud 9 lately as he was the only (and yes he will repeat "only" a few times haha) child in his class to get a 100% on the science test earlier this week.

Lauren is as strong-willed as ever. I keep meaning to plan a trip to Barnes & Noble in order to buy a book that I have researched to help me parent her. Since she was too young to comprehend our divorce two years ago, she is finally doing so now. It is so difficult to explain why Daddy and I are not getting back together. I refuse to bad-mouth her Daddy in any way and feel she deserves to form her own opinion of him. Until she is old enough to understand, I just have to wipe away the tears and remind her how much she is loved regardless of the situation. Besides the divorce, she seems to be struggling with overcoming her strong-willed attitude since starting school. I think it is primarily due to exhaustion. She gets worn out and turns evil come evening. That may be a bit of an exaggeration... but not much. Haha I can only hope that this is a phase!