So today I turned 36. I haven't hit that age where I don't like getting older yet. I love my 30's and as I approach my 40's, I'm not scared or sad. Maybe a little shocked, but not unhappy at all. And I love my birthday - or anyone of my loved ones birthdays. And my family all knows it - birthdays are big in our house. We all get as excited for someone else's birthday as we do our own and today the kids were very excited! Every where we went - they made sure everyone knew it was my birthday. All the teachers at school wished me a Happy Birthday - they had heard about it all from my three.
It was a wonderful day. I got a special birthday present today that I wasn't expecting and I just want to share it because I was so excited! This is going to sound silly - so bear with me. :)
Today Jack had a dr's appt for a refill on his meds for ADHD. This dang drug is SO expensive ($130 a month we pay - ugh!) and I hate getting these refills. But they are necessary and Jack does SO well when he's on his meds. Anyway - his pedi was writing the rx and we were talking about the cost of the meds and she says "let me see if I have any coupons for this med." I'm thinking cool - save a few bucks. She hands me one and says try this. I leave her office and head to the drugstore. I read the coupon - it's for a FREE 30 DAY SUPPLY of meds!!!!!!!!!!!! FREE! 30 DAYS!!!! That is $130 savings for me! I'm thinking there must be a catch but nope - I go to the drug store, drop off the rx and Don picked it up on his way home. He said they just gave it to him and said "no charge"! WOOHOO - happy birthday to me!!!! I never even thought to ask for coupons - who knew?? So that was a $130 gift just for me on my birthday and I loved it!!
Next we came home and Don and the kids made me a chocolate cake (my favorite!) - they were so proud! I cooked dinner (yummy chicken and spinach enchiladas - they were to die for!) and I had an equally yummy margarita with dinner! Or two. ;)
Then they sang Happy Birthday and we ate the delicious cake! A few years ago Don and the kids made me a cake and they forgot to add the water (a very necessary ingredient on a box cake!) and it was AWFUL! So that is the running joke in our house - and believe me - the kids made DOUBLE sure that they added the water this time. I don't think they will ever leave out an ingredient on a cake again. This year the cake was perfect!
Oh and Jack gave me the sweetest card that he made for me. He wrote something like "you are the best mother I've ever had. well, you are the only mother I've ever had. Well, except for my birth mother but you are still the best mom I've ever had." And he wrote it in different colors and gave Elle and Macy and even Don a line to read. It was so funny and sweet - I loved it!
And Macy gave me a 19 PAGE book that she made this weekend while I was out of town - seriously 19 pages! All very detailed. It starts out with these two families that each have a child - one couple has a boy and one couple has a girl. Then she says "they are going to get married when they grow up" Nice, an arranged marriage. Anyway, the story follows these two children who grow up and get married. Then on one page the mom is lying down on a table and she has a big belly - she's pregnant, Macy tells me. And the dad is standing by her (so is the dr, in scrubs no less) and the dad has this "look" on his face and Macy said he's asking her "are you ok" and then he's looking like he's terrified. It was hilarious! So the next page she has the baby - then they get a babysitter and go out on a date. Seriously, the detail was amazing. Then on one page is another woman handing them a baby - Macy said "that is a birth mother" - OMG, I couldn't believe this story. So I just tell her "oh good, they adopted their second child?" And she just goes on with the story. The birth mother is in the story from then on - they must have an open adoption - but she doesn't live with them, Macy informs me. Anyway, it just goes on and on from there. So sweet. There is even a funeral in her story (the grandma died) and the funeral service was beautiful. I wish I could scan the book and show y'all - I was seriously impressed. And she took it to school to show her teacher today (before I even saw it) and the teacher came to the car to tell me how amazed she was by this book. So cute.
I love that Macy knows all about adoption and birth mothers and how it's just second nature to her. Crazy what they pick up on.
And Elle made me a beautiful card too - she makes me something nearly daily. She is a beautiful artist and such a sweetie pie! I almost forgot about the picture she drew on the card - Sonya, you're going to love this! It was me and Aunt Sonya. Sonya was handing me a birthday cake and here is the best part - and the part that will for sure win me the Mother of the Year award - we were at a BAR! Yep, she drew us at a bar and we each had a beer on the bar while we stood there and Sonya handed me a cake. You gotta love it! (for those who are calling CPS right now, I went to Houston this weekend to go out with my sister for my birthday so that is why Elle drew that. In her mind, that is what we did this weekend. And she is right. Minus the cake.) :)
All in all - it was a perfect day!!
Oh and last but certainly not least - today is the 15 anniversary of the first time I met Don. He came to my surprise 21st birthday party with my dad. I didn't really pay any attention to him that night - after all, I was 21, it was my birthday and well, it was all about ME that night! But I'm so glad he was there and that we are where we are today. I wouldn't change a thing about the past 15 years - everything has brought us to where we are today and it's a wonderful place today. I love him more every day and love our life together. He will always be the best birthday present I ever received. Love you Don.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Happy New Year!!
Ok - so I sent this out via email but never posted it here. So, you've probably already read it but I like to keep everything on here too. So just skip this. :)
Merry Christmas!
By now most of you have probably realized that for the first time in my adult life, I did not send out Christmas cards this year. I did, however design a card – so I’m attaching it. It’s been a crazy year – and an even crazier December. I guess it will only get busier as the kids get older too. I hope to make this the only year that I don’t mail out cards, though.
A little update on the McClain’s.
Jack turned 9 this year – next year is DOUBLE DIGITS! WOW! And even more wow – he’s now halfway to 18! YIKES! He’s in third grade and doing great! While third grade is definitely the toughest one yet and homework has lost its appeal and is no longer considered “fun”, he still enjoys going to school and he does very well. It helps that he has an awesome teacher who thinks the world of him. Jackson also played tackle football for the first time this year. While we all enjoyed it – it was intense! Two hour practices, 3-4 times a week wore us down! But the games were awesome and our team did a great job. Jack decided that he likes soccer better than football though – and for that, I’m thankful. He continues to play baseball in the Spring. I think baseball and soccer are more his sports, but I love that he wants to try them all out. He has also taken up guitar and LOVES it! I think Santa may be bringing him a new guitar (wink, wink) and we’ll start up lessons after the new year. He hasn’t had any professional lessons but has already taught himself some notes and has even written a song or two – and I have to say they were pretty good! I’ve always said he has a big future ahead of him so we’ll see where this takes us.
Miss Elle is still our princess. She turned 7 this year and gets sweeter and sweeter every day (which is a blessing, for those of you who know her, she was quite the handful when she was younger!) She LOVES school and even gets upset with me on holidays because she wants to go to school. I guess she thinks that everyone is at school and I’m making her stay home. Elle is in first grade and she, too, has a great teacher who got married this year and invited us to her wedding. Watching the ceremony through Elle’s eyes was magical. At one point during the ceremony, Elle turned to me and said “this is so, so….ROMANTIC!” She was enthralled and hung on to every moment – it was really sweet. Elle played soccer again this past fall and while she is very girly, she is also rough and tough on that soccer field. And she’s FAST too! I see track in her future. Elle is a girls girl – always surrounded by a group of girls and she and Macy are the best of friends. They love Barbie’s, babies, nail polish and lip gloss. I love listening to their conversations and have visions of the teen years. They say the funniest things.
And speaking of funny, we have Macy. Macy is Hilarious! She has an adult sense of humor packed into a 5 year old body and just cracks us up with the things that come out of her mouth. However she also has the attitude of an adult or at least a teenager. Macy also started BIG SCHOOL this fall! She is a Kindergartener now! Yes, all three of my children are finally at the same school! And while Macy loves school too – she also loves being at home. I see many “fake illnesses” in her academic future. She is my little buddy and I miss her being around during the day. Macy loves her teacher though and her teacher loves her. Her teacher said that she is “always on task and a student that teachers dream to have. She leads by example and girls look up to her.” That makes a mom’s heart beam! Here at home we call Macy Miss Thoughtful because she is always thinking of others. She will help anyone at anytime. And she loves animals. She loves Dixie and spoils that dog like Don and I used to do before we had kids. Macy is also my sleeper – she will curl up next to anyone of us if we lay down. She loves to snuggle! Macy played soccer again this year with Elle. They are both on the same team. Macy really looks up to her big sister and only wants to play on the field when Elle is playing. Don was their coach so that helped. I think this was probably his last year of coaching, so we’ll see how they do next year with another coach. They love having their daddy coach them though.
Don and I are doing well too. I won’t lie and say this was an easy year, it certainly wasn’t. The economy has really taken its toll on Don’s industry and we have seen many friends lose just about everything – and we lost a lot too. But like always – Don pushes through and finds new niches that usually seem to work out. Opportunities are everywhere, you just gotta keep your eyes open.
My business that I started earlier this year is going well. I enjoy getting to flex my creative muscles and designing cards for various occasions. I also keep busy helping Don with his business. Now that the kids are all in school full time – I get to work with Don again and it feels good. Of course, I’m still volunteering at their school as often as possible. I love being room mom and helping with class parties and such. I thought having them all at the same school would be easier on me but I think I’ve been busier this year than before! I love it though and feel very lucky to be able to be involved.
I hope this letter finds each of you healthy, happy and full of good cheer! We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I feel that 2010 will be a great year and with that I say good riddance to 2009!
Much love and peace,
Mila, Don, Jack, Elle and Macy
fancyink.blogspot.com
Merry Christmas!
By now most of you have probably realized that for the first time in my adult life, I did not send out Christmas cards this year. I did, however design a card – so I’m attaching it. It’s been a crazy year – and an even crazier December. I guess it will only get busier as the kids get older too. I hope to make this the only year that I don’t mail out cards, though.
A little update on the McClain’s.
Jack turned 9 this year – next year is DOUBLE DIGITS! WOW! And even more wow – he’s now halfway to 18! YIKES! He’s in third grade and doing great! While third grade is definitely the toughest one yet and homework has lost its appeal and is no longer considered “fun”, he still enjoys going to school and he does very well. It helps that he has an awesome teacher who thinks the world of him. Jackson also played tackle football for the first time this year. While we all enjoyed it – it was intense! Two hour practices, 3-4 times a week wore us down! But the games were awesome and our team did a great job. Jack decided that he likes soccer better than football though – and for that, I’m thankful. He continues to play baseball in the Spring. I think baseball and soccer are more his sports, but I love that he wants to try them all out. He has also taken up guitar and LOVES it! I think Santa may be bringing him a new guitar (wink, wink) and we’ll start up lessons after the new year. He hasn’t had any professional lessons but has already taught himself some notes and has even written a song or two – and I have to say they were pretty good! I’ve always said he has a big future ahead of him so we’ll see where this takes us.
Miss Elle is still our princess. She turned 7 this year and gets sweeter and sweeter every day (which is a blessing, for those of you who know her, she was quite the handful when she was younger!) She LOVES school and even gets upset with me on holidays because she wants to go to school. I guess she thinks that everyone is at school and I’m making her stay home. Elle is in first grade and she, too, has a great teacher who got married this year and invited us to her wedding. Watching the ceremony through Elle’s eyes was magical. At one point during the ceremony, Elle turned to me and said “this is so, so….ROMANTIC!” She was enthralled and hung on to every moment – it was really sweet. Elle played soccer again this past fall and while she is very girly, she is also rough and tough on that soccer field. And she’s FAST too! I see track in her future. Elle is a girls girl – always surrounded by a group of girls and she and Macy are the best of friends. They love Barbie’s, babies, nail polish and lip gloss. I love listening to their conversations and have visions of the teen years. They say the funniest things.
And speaking of funny, we have Macy. Macy is Hilarious! She has an adult sense of humor packed into a 5 year old body and just cracks us up with the things that come out of her mouth. However she also has the attitude of an adult or at least a teenager. Macy also started BIG SCHOOL this fall! She is a Kindergartener now! Yes, all three of my children are finally at the same school! And while Macy loves school too – she also loves being at home. I see many “fake illnesses” in her academic future. She is my little buddy and I miss her being around during the day. Macy loves her teacher though and her teacher loves her. Her teacher said that she is “always on task and a student that teachers dream to have. She leads by example and girls look up to her.” That makes a mom’s heart beam! Here at home we call Macy Miss Thoughtful because she is always thinking of others. She will help anyone at anytime. And she loves animals. She loves Dixie and spoils that dog like Don and I used to do before we had kids. Macy is also my sleeper – she will curl up next to anyone of us if we lay down. She loves to snuggle! Macy played soccer again this year with Elle. They are both on the same team. Macy really looks up to her big sister and only wants to play on the field when Elle is playing. Don was their coach so that helped. I think this was probably his last year of coaching, so we’ll see how they do next year with another coach. They love having their daddy coach them though.
Don and I are doing well too. I won’t lie and say this was an easy year, it certainly wasn’t. The economy has really taken its toll on Don’s industry and we have seen many friends lose just about everything – and we lost a lot too. But like always – Don pushes through and finds new niches that usually seem to work out. Opportunities are everywhere, you just gotta keep your eyes open.
My business that I started earlier this year is going well. I enjoy getting to flex my creative muscles and designing cards for various occasions. I also keep busy helping Don with his business. Now that the kids are all in school full time – I get to work with Don again and it feels good. Of course, I’m still volunteering at their school as often as possible. I love being room mom and helping with class parties and such. I thought having them all at the same school would be easier on me but I think I’ve been busier this year than before! I love it though and feel very lucky to be able to be involved.
I hope this letter finds each of you healthy, happy and full of good cheer! We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I feel that 2010 will be a great year and with that I say good riddance to 2009!
Much love and peace,
Mila, Don, Jack, Elle and Macy
fancyink.blogspot.com
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