Happy New Year!!!

Aww, January 7th already? Well let me first say, Happy New Year to you all! I hope you had a wonderful Holiday break! I got my Christmas cards out this year but didn't get around to a Christmas letter like I usually do. I told myself it was fine not to do one and frankly, with how the year ended up I didn't feel "up to it" if you know what I mean. But now I'm feeling guilty because we did have a lot of milestone events happen in 2008 and now I'm feeling like I should have just made the time and written an update letter to go along with our cards.

So, with that said - let this serve as my Christmas letter for 2008. :))

While 2008 was a tumultuous year for many - it was also a good year. To quote Charles Dickens "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" I feel that pretty much sums up 2008. So, onto some of the Best of Times of 2008.......

Jackson - 8 years old

Jack started the 2nd grade and is doing GREAT! This may be his best year yet for school and we couldn't be more proud! He is really learning and maturing and continues to amaze us daily. His visits with the Vice Principal are fewer and fewer ;) and his teacher said if she had a classroom of Jackson's, she would be blessed. Hmmm, wonder if she says that to all of the parents?? :) Jack also started Cub Scouts and loves it! While I'm not sure if we'll ever make it to Eagle Scout (WE meaning Don and I, we both have no doubt that Jack could go all the way to Eagle, but I'm not sure if Don and I have it in us to go that far!) - Jack seems to really enjoy his time with his scouting buddies and that is all that matters. Jackson did get 2nd prize in selling popcorn for Cub Scouts this year (and that was 2nd prize out of MANY boys!) We were both very proud but Don was especially beaming at his son the "salesman"! And the best part, Jack sold EVERY box all by himself! Over $500 worth - that's a LOT of popcorn! Don just walked him door to door and Jack did everything else. And as we all learned, selling it is just half the battle - the hardest part is delivering it to all of those people who bought it from you. But Jack LOVED it! So I guess we can add salesman to Jack's many career choices - doctor, builder, developer....and by the way, those aren't choices to pick from - those are ALL what Jack says he will be when he grows up. I have no doubt that he will do just what he says he will.

Jack still loves building things and his imagination continues to grow - he is crazy about legos, lincoln logs and anything that he can build with. And the things that he builds simply amaze us. I'm not sure if this is normal for an 8 year old but I've never seen anything like it before. I wish I could get inside that little mind of his and see what goes on in there!

Elle - 6 years old

Elle had a VERY big year! And she is actually the reason that I started feeling guilty for not writing a Christmas letter this year. I felt she had the most news of all and thought she would like for me to share it with everyone. She started Kindergarten and lost her very first tooth - not on the same day though! I'm not sure which she would say was more exciting for her if you asked but I'm guessing it was the tooth! She could not wait to lose a tooth and was getting annoyed at everyone around her who was losing them before her. Macy has two loose teeth and the thought of her little sister loosing a tooth before her was just about enough to send Elle over the edge. Luckily we didn't have to deal with that as Elle's tooth came out first. (Macy still has yet to lose either tooth.)

Elle is doing great in Kindergarten. Her teacher says she is so sweet. Hmmm, Elle? Wonder is she says that to all of the parents? :) Actually I have to admit Elle is very sweet and getting sweeter and sweeter and a lot of the attitude that she used to give us is thankfully disappearing. Mostly. Elle is growing into a very confident and beautiful little girl. She is my artist. She loves to draw, paint, write - anything creative! She writes me love letters daily and each one sweeter than the one before. I'm not sure how her teacher feels about her using all of the paper, envelopes, tape and staplers that she uses to make my daily love letters, but I sure enjoy it! She still makes us laugh constantly but mostly we love to listen to her laugh - she has the best laugh I've ever heard. It's infectious and it shows all over her face. I love getting to know the little lady she is becoming.

Elle also joined the Daisy's this year (that's Girl Scouts for Kindergarteners.) We have a small troop made up mostly of parents whom this is their first time in Daisy's so we're not that organized but the few meetings we've had the girls seem to really enjoy. So far it's not as time consuming as Cub Scouts seems to be, so we aren't dreading it yet. :))

Macy - 4 years old

And then there is Macy. We call her Miss Thoughtful. She is always thinking of others - going to get you something before you ever ask for it, hugging and patting you if she thinks you are sad, giving up her chair if you don't have a seat. Things that most people, let alone 4 year olds, don't think of. She is very perceptive to the needs of others. She is also hilarious! She has a very mature sense of humor for her age. She is a trickster - you never know where she will be hiding and it cracks her up to jump out and scare the dickens out of you! You can't help but laugh too when you see her laughing so hard. She is a lot of fun to be around.

Macy started PreK this year. She has the same teachers that Elle had last year in PreK and loves them as much as Elle did. She loves to play alone but is becoming more social this year. If you ask her who her friend is, she will name just about everyone in the class. She doesn't stick to one person like her sister does. And speaking of sisters - Macy loves her big sister and tries to do everything like she does. Macy is big on writing love letters to us all, like Elle does. Only Macy writes them to everyone in our family - not just to me - she even writes them to our dogs. She is very fair and doesn't want anyone left out. That's our Miss Thoughtful.

Both girls are still in dance. They both love performing - last year I wasn't so sure about Macy performing onstage but she did great at her recital! This year is the "big" recital - full costumes, big auditorium, etc. We can't wait!

Don, along with his business, is recovering from the hit the economy took this year. He bought a lot of property in 2007, developed it and planned on selling it in 2008 but it didn't go exactly as planned. He is a go-getter though and doesn't stay down for long. He's already moved onto the next phase - buying and selling distressed properties. While it didn't go as we had planned, I've learned that life seldom does and to just be prepared and ready to roll with the punches.

Our biggest news is that we celebrated our 10th anniversary this year and celebrate we did! We took a trip to Hawaii and renewed our vows in the exact same spot where we were married 10 years prior. It was a magical trip - one that we will surely remember for the rest of our lives. What was most special was that not only did we return to the place where we first said I do, but that we got to bring along our three beautiful children. What a difference 10 years make! We were also blessed to be surrounded by our family and friends this time around. It was amazing being so far away and having everyone there with us. And it was great to just visit and hang out with everyone in such a relaxing setting - instead of a rushed holiday gathering like we usually do these days. I will treasure our vow renewal ceremony forever - it was beautiful and spiritual and meant so much to me. We feel very honored to have so many of our family and friends break away from their busy lives and schedules to join us on such a special occasion. It was definitely the highlight of the year.

And me - well, as most of you know I decided to start a business this past month. It's been slow to take off - well, it has only been a month! But today I got my first "paid" order! Thanks Sonya for the referral. I am going to start really marketing my company this year. I even started a blog for it today - just to get a website going quickly. I will get a real website soon as I get a chance. But for now, this will just be somewhere I can display my work and hopefully get some referrals out of it. I love creating and I'm enjoying having something that I do just for me. I can't figure out how to link that blog to this blog so until then, if you want to view the other blog go to this link. I won't be "blogging" on that website much, if at all, but I will display my work as I create more cards. http://customcreationsbymila.blogspot.com/

So, that is it for the McClain family. We had some struggles this year, as many did. But we are thankful for the time spent with our family, the roof over our head and the food on our table. I know not everyone is as fortunate and I hope that 2009 will bring good things for many people. I wish for all of you peace, love and most importantly - time with your loved ones. As we are coming up on the 2 year mark of losing my dear cousin Jeff, I have learned that nothing else matters but time with your loved ones.

Happy 2009 and God Bless you all.........

Much love, Mila

I love my girls.....

Tonight when the girls were saying their prayers, Macy went first. Her prayer went like this.

"Thank you Lord for our wonderful dinner. Thank you for this wonderful day you gave to us. I know you can't walk because you died on the cross. Amen."

I just silently smiled. Then it was Elle's turn.

"Dear God, thank you for this day. I saw a dracula movie once and I know that Jesus didn't die on a tree because he died on the cross. I know that must make you sad. It makes me sad too. I know your heart is breaking into little tiny pieces. Mine is too. I love you God and Jesus. Amen."

Ok - so I have no idea what the Dracula movie has to do with that or if she has really ever seen a Dracula movie but it just made me laugh. And I thought it was so sweet to hear her telling God that He must be sad because His son died on the cross.

Just wanted to share that. It made me smile. I love my girls. (and my boy too! ;-))

Cub Scouts and a quick update on our soccer season.....

So, first the soccer. We ended up losing on Sunday (both the girls and Jack's team.) But it was a beautiful day and they all played really well - the other team just scored more! :) We had a great season. They all got their trophies - which is everything to them! Especially Macy as this was her first trophy. She is so proud!!

Cub Scouts. Tonight was Jack's pack meeting. I messed up and forgot about it until this morning - after I had promised all three kids that we would be going to their school tonight for "Family Night." This week is the book fair at J and E's school, so tonight they had family night where they served pizza and played the movie Kung Fu Panda in the cafeteria. The kids have really been looking forward to this. Well, this morning I had to break it to Jack that he couldn't attend movie night because he had cub scouts. He was very upset and wanted to skip cub scouts and go to watch the movie with his friends. Don explained that he had a commitment and couldn't just skip it like that. Hard for an 8 year old to understand. I was on the fence - I knew that cub scouts was his commitment but I also understood how badly he wanted to go to movie night. It was a tough call. In the end, I agreed with Don and he took Jack to the cub scouts, while I took the girls to the movie. And actually Don and Jack came early and got to spend a few minutes at the book fair and enjoy some pizza before their meeting. Then they came back after the meeting and got to see the last few minutes of the movie. So it wasn't so bad after all and he learned a good lesson about commitments and responsibilities. It was a good night!

So - at the cub scout meeting......well, in the last few weeks Jack sold over $570 worth of popcorn - going door to door on his own (well, Don went with him but he just stood back and let Jack talk.) Don came home beaming with pride for Jackson - he said he did so well talking with everyone and showing them the products. Even a few people who were hesitant, Jack sold them. Don said one lady said "no thanks, I'm on a diet" and Jack said "we have low fat popcorn" and she bought some from him. He didn't ever hear "no." I didn't sell anything for Jack - Jack called my mom and was pitching her. I just listened. He did an awesome job! Don said he was so glad that they went to the meeting because Jack came in second place (our of over 40 boys in our HUGE pack!) and was awarded and given a prize. Jack was beaming, Don said.

The girls and I loved watching the movie - especially Elle since so many of her friends were there.

And I spent a fortune at the book fair - I'm a huge sucker for books!!!

It was a good day!

Soccer, Soccer and more Soccer!!!!

We had our soccer tournaments today and depending on how well we did today would determine if we play again tomorrow - well, both teams (Jack's team and Elle and Macy's team) will be playing again tomorrow. What does that mean? Well, it means that we had an AWESOME day of games today!! First was Elle and Macy's game. Elle scored a goal - she was SO proud! Macy did great on defense and kicked the ball out of the goal and kept the other team from scoring! Unfortunately I didn't get to see either of those great plays because I was with Jack watching his game. Such is life with three kids! :)) But I'm very thankful that the girls played on the same team so at least each of us could be there to watch their games - I don't know how it will work when they all play on different teams! So, back to our games. Elle and Macy won 4-1 and have a shot at coming in at second place for the season!

Jack is also very good at defense and although he sometimes gets bored defending the goal (he would like to be in the "action" more!) his coach reminds him that he was their best defense player on the team and they need him there. He got some good plays today and kept the other team from scoring at all! His team won 3-0! It was definitely our best game of the season as we've had a hard season and are in second to last place. Most of our games have been really close and the kids have played really well, but we have lost most of our games. So to go out in the tournaments with a win like today - well, it's a good feeling!

Both of our teams play again tomorrow because of our wins today. I'm praying for another nice day (although a little warmer and a lot less wind would be nice!) and that the kids get to go out on a good note, although I know that whatever happens that the kids have all had a great time this season and while we love soccer - we are all looking forward to free Saturdays again! That is at least until Baseball season starts up! And I think the girls will be playing baseball this Spring for the first time - wish us luck!! :))

Can I vent about the No Child Left Behind Act???

We got called in to meet with Jack's teacher today. Can I just say first that Jack is doing SO well in school this year! I know part of it is because he has a fabulous teacher who understands "8 year old boys" and is very good at positive reinforcement. Oh and did I tell y'all that Jack isn't on any meds this year! Yep, I decided to try him off of them at the beginning of the year and he hasn't needed them at all!

Anyway, back to our conference today. Jack is in an accelerated Math program at his school called PACE. A little background - he was in PACE in first grade, did well. At the end of the year he was tested and didn't perform too well on the test. His first grade teacher said that he didn't qualify for PACE for second grade on his test scores but since he did so well in PACE all year she was going to recommend that he be put in PACE anyway for 2nd grade. Fast forward to this year - at the beginning of this year, his second grade teacher sends us a note home saying that Jack didn't qualify for PACE on his test scores and would be put into regular (I hate that word but can't think of another way to put it) math. I emailed her and explained what his 1st grade teacher told us and that while I'm not pushing for him to be in PACE and I will go with whatever she decided, I wanted her to know that his first grade teacher thought he did well enough to be put into PACE in 2nd. She thanked me for the info, spoke with his 1st grade teacher and his 1st grade PACE math teacher and it was decided that he be put into PACE. His 1st grade teacher felt that it provided enough of a challenge for Jack whereas regular math would be too easy and he would get bored. So we all agreed to move ahead with PACE and if it ever got too hard or he got frustrated we would reevaluate our decision.

So - his 1st report card came out last week. He made the A/B honor roll - he was so proud! This was his first "number" report card - very cool to actually be able to understand his report card! He got an 85 in PACE math - so I felt good about our decision to push him into it - obviously it was challenging him enough that he's not making a 100 but he's not struggling and failing either. By the way - he has never complained about being in PACE or that it's too hard. So again, I felt we made the right decision.

So - onto why we got called in today. His 9 week assessment test scores are low - especially in PACE. And this is where my No Child Left Behind gripe comes in - here he has an 85 average in PACE math but with the "teaching to the test" that schools are having to do now, he may be held back one year. Not this year and we're not talking about that happening now but if he can't get his test scores up, it could be a problem in the future. Now, granted this is the first time he's had to do a multiple choice test and everything but still, it's enough of a concern that our teacher felt she needed to have a conference with us. I don't know if he freezes on tests or just doesn't understand it or and this may very well be the main thing - he is trying to be the first to turn his test in. He is competitive and doesn't want anyone to "beat him" or think that he can't do it. His teacher said that she tested him a few weeks ago with a timed math test and they had 5 minutes and he only answered 2 of the questions. 2 in 5 minutes! And it was simple subtraction - it wasn't like he couldn't do it. Then after school that day she saw Jackson crying in the hall - apparently someone made fun of him for only answering 2 questions and it hurt his feelings. She said he was sobbing. That broke my heart! And he never even told me about it! She told us this a few weeks ago and I started questioning whether PACE was too hard for him but when I got his report card, I thought he was doing great and felt it was good for some challenge for him.

Jack is very bright but every teacher he has had since he was 2 years old has said the same thing to me, that he is very lucky to be so smart and that things come naturally to him but the first time he has a problem learning something it's going to hit him VERY hard because he doesn't want to take the time to "learn" it. KWIM?

So - I know I'm all over the place in this post and I don't know if I'm asking for advice here or not. Like I said - I'm not a parent who insists or pushes my child into advanced classes but I want them to get the best of their education. Jack's teacher said again that she feels that if he were put into regular math he would be terribly bored. It's not the work he has a problem with - it's the tests. But after all - with NCLB it's all about the tests! So - how do you help someone become a better test taker?

Also - would his medication help him with this? I have been very happy not to have him on his meds this year but I'm not opposed to it either. Jack was never really on it for school work (but he was younger and didn't really have school work) he never had a problem focusing on something it was mainly for impulse control (which I'm happy to report that I feel like we have finally gotten under control - for the most part!) But maybe he needs it now for school work? I don't know - part of me says NO, he does well in school - he made the A/B honor roll for pete's sake! Ugh - it's never easy, is it?

But like I told Don today - I would much rather be called to the school for this rather than because he tackled some kid or pulled a girls skirt up or something equally as bad! I'm glad his behavior is on track this year and I'm so proud of him for how far he has come!

If you read this entirely too long book - thank you! Any thoughts are welcome!

Election Day.....

So, tomorrow is election day. Is everyone's kids as into this election as mine are? Macy can tell you who is running and who is "helping" them - helping them means the VP. :)) And she's only 4!! They were all discussing it at the dinner table tonight and Elle said - "I know who is helping John McCain, Sarah Patient." LOL! Macy quickly corrected her and said - "no, it's Sarah Palin!" Macy is very interested in this election - she has asked me some very good questions, such as "what does the President do?" I'm impressed that she thinks about this so much and that she even cares enough to learn this. She told her teacher today who was running and their running mates and her teacher was amazed!

Jack had to do a report on the election. He had to poll everyone on who they were voting for and then make a prediction on who he thought would win. It was a great project. He called every family member he could think of - even though I could have probably told him who each person was voting for. He loved it and everyone loved hearing from him. But just about everyone (especially all of my Republican family members) asked him who he was voting for. He told everyone Barack Obama and when asked why he said "because he did a funny dance on Nickelodeon." Like my aunt Mari told him - "that's why we don't let kids vote!" :))

But I'm very glad that they know what's going on and are taking an interest in this election. When I was their age I had no idea about the election or presidents or anything like that. I think it's so cool that they not only know what's going on, that they are making decisions for themselves on who their candidates are and they even have discussions among themselves about the candidates. Voting is such a priviledge and honor and I want them to realize that and to never take it for granted.

Whomever you are voting for - just get out there and vote! And may the best man win!

Our Halloween was great!!!

We had a great day yesterday! Elle had her party at school. It was a very cute party - they had face painting, crafts, cookies, games - the kids had a blast!! Here's a pic of me and my Elle at her party. She was getting her hand painted. I can't believe how big she is getting!!



After school we got ready for Trick or Treating! We went to my friend Terese's house and had such a great time! The kids played, then trick or treated, then played again and ate candy all night! They were in Heaven!! Here is my scary and beautiful trio!
It was a great Halloween! Thank you James, Terese, Quinten and Chloe for inviting us over!