Divine Consign

So yet again I might have gone a bit overboard at the Divine Consign...but we sold stuff so that makes up for it right?!?! And I was buying things to donate to Watters so that is for a good cause...right?!?

It was all a bargain too...especially since we sold all of our items.
Here is the playroom after Nick set up all of Jack's new loot. A logical thing to do would be to slowly introduce things to Jack....but since we can't even fit a car in the garage...there was no other place to put it...Jack lucked out. (Although Nick did just finish working in the garage, the Pathfinder is parked in it, so some of these toys might just disappear overnight)
"Gymboree, a Gymbo stuffed animal, and a playroom full of new toys....boy, they must really be feeling guilty of abandoning me everyday....I think I can work with this to get even more...I know....continue to boycott Mom...that will get to her and she loves to shop."
"A riding mower like Papa's...but this one has animals, a farmer driving it, and it plays music and makes animal sounds...Cool!"
"This mailbox is even better than the one on my door...look Gramps and Nana...it will fit even bigger packages :)"
"All this stuff has these cute little people to go with it."
"Mom and Dad...do you ride one of these to school after you drop me off at Watters?"
"Dad said I couldn't stand on the Little People Garage anymore...so I'll just sit here and play with my Little People Bus."

Jack had so much fun playing with all his new toys...except we can't figure out how to use the Sit and Spin...I think it might be broken...It's going to be tough to decide which ones to send to Watters for his classroom/the Before and After Hours Room.

I'm starving and hoping for a pain free night. Happy Labor Day. Family and Friends back home....you're in our thoughts.

Saying Good-Bye To Gymbo

Today was Jack's last Gymboree Class. When registering for the Summer I thought about prorating it since I knew I'd be returning to work prior to the session end...but decided to schedule make ups on Saturdays so that Jack would have something familiar that he loved to do on the weekends. Even with my gallstone pain and the LSU game on the Relle Clan loaded up and headed to say good-by to Gymbo.

The boy knows his colors...he made sure to pick the yellow rocker to go with his purple LSU shirt.
Today we were "Rockin and Rollin".
I mean look at his face...how could you not LOVE this boy. I hate that he is going to be missing out on Gymboree this year.
Rolling the ball down the ramp.
Fitting it through the hole to go down the ramp.
A little adventure through the tunnel.
Helping to clean up.
We love the "Grand Ole Duke of York".

What a great Dad...Tivoing the first LSU Game (which he has been waiting for since the Championship last January) to spend time with Jack at Gymboree...
We LOVE Mrs. Linda! She has been Jack's teacher since he started Gymboree at 3 months and no matter how sad he is...usually mentioning Mrs. Linda or Gymbo will put a smile on his face, or he breaks out in a Gymboree Dance.
We wanted to get him a little something to remind him of his fun times at Gymboree so today we let him pick out a Gymbo doll...we gave him 3 to pick from and this one made him smile for some odd reason when it made it's psycho laughing sound....so that was the one he got.
Hugs!
And Kisses!

Thanks Linda, Mary Ellen, and Rosann for a wonderful year at Gymboree...Jack truly loved every class and blossomed so much....and I loved your adult company during the week. Here is hoping we are able to figure something out for this year and if not...see you next Summer!

Who Needs a Big Kid TV?

No picture here...just an update on the Relle Clan...

Jack still wasn't sleeping which translates to us not being able to sleep. We had tried to make him an appointment the week before and even on Thursday, but with us not getting off til 4:15 that wasn't an option...guess from now on it will always have to be after hour clinics. But Thursday night he was coughing so hard he threw up all over the carpet in our room (which is where the title comes from....TV down the list 2 spots...beat out by #1 chimney repair and #2 replace carpet in house). Nick was able to get him a 3:30 appointment (I wish I could have gone with Jack because my throat was killing me so maybe Dr. Mathieu's would have hooked me up) which thanks to the alternate specials schedule he was able to make it to....allergies was the diagnosis so now he is on Zytec....and Dr. Mathieu's gave us some advice on his night terrors, milk addiction, falling a lot, & his small vocabulary for his age.

I got home around 9:30 Friday night (having not seen Jack since breakfast that morning) from my orb room (aka: room with no window and no cell phone reception) and by 10:15 the whole clan was down for the night. Jack slept the whole night and so did Nick (glad for them because they both needed it)...but not me...I was up all night with gallstones. Essentially I was in labor all night without any baby to show for it. Should have gone for assistance...but I am stubborn. My own fault too...caused by multiple births (not me) or obesity (ding, ding, ding) and attacks are often onset by fatty foods (ding, ding, ding again...the amount of fast food we have put away with returning to hell...I mean work...is for sure the culprit)...so here I am typing with a swollen belly, vile in my throat, starving because all I have eaten was baked chicken and rice, and a few "contractions" from time to time.

Oh yeah...and someone stole our credit card number and has been using it...the fraud department called tonight...so our card has been cancelled, they are sending us a new one, and now we get to deal with fixing the charges they put on the card.

LIFE IS AWESOME!!!

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Jack is the good and I have become the bad and the ugly as you will see in my thoughts about our situation to Jack below...

Much needed time together as a family was spent this weekend. Friday I didn't get home til Happy Hour time (gosh...remembering now why I used to be drunk around 3:45 til Nick had to get me from the bar on Fridays around 11...teaching SUCKS!!!). Saturday was sad because I got the Gymboree times mixed up and we missed it (which I had been looking forward too ALL WEEK) so after tears (mine of course) we decided to let Jack help around the house (here he is pulling up the blue tape from the still not settled wood floors....don't use Ted's Floor and Decor in Sachse, TX) and after that hard work...
It was time to try out Jack's new bike seat...It was way on sale so we ordered it, got Nick's bike fixed, and away they went. This was his first ride and getting that hat on was not easy (hence the wub) but he didn't use it long because to bark back at the dogs in the neighborhood-you need your mouth free. Too cute!
This is my boys right now....last night was one of the worst Jack nights since those days back at 2 months where you had to sleep on the floor, with your hand on Jack, while he was in the Papasan seat...He cried and cried all night. If you check out the blue tape picture you can see the drool all over his shirt so it is probably teething (of which Claratin, Teething Tablets, and Motrin didn't knock out), or it is him making us pay for going back to work by keeping us up ALL night before the first day of school. I suffered because of having to listen to it...Nick suffered because Jack will only go to him (which you will read about below)...so here they are tonight and I'm pretty sure when it comes time to move them last night will start over....Guess by driving around at 3 in the morning you don't have to deal with traffic and it is cool outside....right Nick?!?!

OK...so if you are not up for negative thoughts then stop reading...this is what it is in my heart/head, I'm entitled to my own thoughts, and Jack needs to know just how much I am dying inside.....Jack HATES me right now....don't tell me it is a phase because you aren't the one whose little boy cries when you touch him, runs from you, and won't even look at or acknowledge you (I'm sure if he fell from a tree, cracked his head open, and no one was around he'd turn my way...but otherwise...nothing). You think I am exaggerating...ask Nick, or come check it out yourself....It hurts like hell and it is all because (I hope that is the only reason) I have abandoned him which is so far out of my control it isn't even funny. So my working helps to pay the bills, but the years of Mommy and Me therapy will probably make it break even. If I could quit (and deal with debt later) I would, but then my career would be over and I am dedicated to my commitment to teach these 19 First Graders because that is the type of person I am...proably too dedicated at times. I have decided thought that Jack will be an only child because I refuse to go through this again, or put another baby through this. My opinion only....my child should be raised by his parents and if not possible...then....don't flame or hate....Jack I am so sorry....if there was anything I could do so that you felt safe and loved I would...even selling my soul to the devil (which after the hours I have put in/will put in and only peeing 2 times today I'm pretty sure I already did make a deal). Do I know there are worse things in the world than having to live a 2 parent working lifestyle...of course and I wouldn't wish that on anyone...but to me....this is pretty damn bad....no promises all my ranting is out of my system, probably never will be, just know I love you more than the world Jack and I'm here when you're ready to forgive me.

Jack vs. McGowen

Jack doesn't even know who I am...he goes to Dayhell, comes to McGowen for a bit so I can see him, heads home to eat/bath, and then goes down...I see him a little the next morning but it takes longer for me to get ready so Nick does everything after breakfast. I know it is the first week and I won't go too far into the details of my emotions returning (guess it is time to up the meds or something because I've only survived because as Karen put it...I've been dead inside thus far), but I will just bullet a few points to have for memory sake...I am meant to be a Mom to my own son, Teachers are so overworked and underpaid even in the state of Texas (who gives a shit if you have the Summers off...the hours and brainpower put in is way more worthy of more than just a month and a half off), Know that every morning at 7:50 Jack is crying as he is dropped off, and the crying is continued even once he is with us whenever Nick leaves his side because he is so scared he is being left again for over 8 hours...even if I am with him since Nick does the dropping off....NOT OKAY....There.....aren't you glad you got the short and clean version of my mind?!?

Here are some pictures of the "quality" time I've had with my son the past 3 weeks. He loves it but gets into everything. This week he even learned how to open a locker, go in, and close the door. Problem is there isn't a way to get out from within so you have to pay attention to whose locker he crawls into our it is for real hide and seek

McGowen

For the past three weeks I have been busting my ass off (for what and at what expense...I won't go there) but thought you might want to see some before and after pictures of my classroom. The first week there was no air in my room (only my room...everyone else had air) and the past two weeks there was air but I had to work before meetings, during lunch, and after meetings which meant leaving the house at 7:30 and not getting home til sometimes after 9:30 that night with no breaks in between.

Here are the before pictures:

Here are pictures I took tonight before Meet the Teacher:

Is it Friday yet? I miss my boy and NEED A DRINK!!!

Jack and Olivia sitting in the tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Sunday afternoon Karen and Olivia came over to play and have dinner (compliments of Mom's cooking). We wanted to spend time together and it worked out well for Karen because she too returned to work this Monday, Olivia is staying with Karen's friend this year which started on Monday, AND Aaron is out of town for the week....I would die.....

Jack and Olivia played at first in the playroom (The Tavares Fam was here too) and after dinner since it was nice outside we headed out back to play on the 8 in 1. Too cute!!!

"Hi Olivia, Come on in...it feels like forever since I saw you last."
"You are the best girlfriend EVER...Give me a kiss kiss."
"Please, Please don't ever stay away that long again...I don't know if I could survive next time."

Camp Papa C and Bebe

Papa and Bebe came into town so they could watch Jack for Nick and I while we were at Camp McGowen.

He loved showing them his new playroom.
And loved even more that we sold the guest bed which resulted in good times on the Aerobed!
Friday while we were at work Jack stayed home from Watters to spend the day with Papa and Bebe. First activity was to his weekly Gymboree class. This is the slide that gave Jack his first shiner!
Love this boy!!!
Jack and I are going to miss Mrs. Linda so much. We both look forward to our weekly class with her and have since he was 3 months old and we started Gymboree. Here he is climbing the air log. My personal favorite...Air Log Freeze. This Saturday is our last class unless we can figure something out...have a few options up our sleeves...keep your fingers crossed.
Check out Jack doorway to his playroom that came in the mail on Friday. Nick was sliding some mail through the slot for him.
Ding Dong...who's there?!?
To continue the Relle Clan's strain of eating out we decided to try Poppy's Cafe in downtown McKinney. And as for the picture...need I say anything about how precious is it?!?
The weather was perfect (it was all weekend actually....cool and just so unlike Texas, August weather) so we sat outside, listening to the man singing with his guitar, and enjoying the fountain and lights that decorated the courtyard.

The following pictures I can't say much about...looks like they were having as much fun as Nick and I were at Camp McGowen.


Papa and Bebe left Relle style...with a packed car....
I mean really...could we have fit anything else in there?

Thanks Papa and Bebe!!!