Friday, September 5, 2008
My Little Chocolate Bunny
Last Sunday we were invited to a picnic by one of Chris' business associates in Washington, GA. The Labor Day picnic is an annual event with huge numbers of people in attendance. There is barbecue (this year there was pork, beef, chicken AND goat), a vast array of side dishes populating three long tables and a table dedicated just to desserts. This picnic takes place on a farm outside of Washington and there are cows and horses and dogs and cats and food and it is just FUN!! So Chris, Kimmi, Lola and I piled into the car and drove the two hours to attend for the afternoon. I took Lola's swimsuit along in case we found anywhere to swim that day (the weather was upward of 90 degrees and HUMID). Since were driving by Lake Oconee I thought she would enjoy swimming in a place with no chlorine (the poor thing has such eye discomfort swimming in chlorinated pools). The picnic was a blast, as usual, Lola had a good time in spite of it being HOT HOT HOT outside and on the way home we stopped at a place on Lake Oconee so she could swim. There was also an inflatable Slip 'n' Slide set up and she was ecstatic about playing on it. The only drawback was, in spite of an upward curve built into the end of the slide to keep kids from flying off the end, there were still kids being launched upward and outward onto the ground. That in itself was bad enough, but at the end the grass had been so inundated with water and the stomping of little feet it had become a giant mud puddle. So, with Lola excited to play on this thing and me overcoming the fear of my child breaking bones and becoming a mud-ball, I relented and let her go on it. She was very careful in trying not to go flying off the end (we watched several people who were not so cautious and she paid close attention to the results) but there were a couple times where she underestimated her speed and slid off (thankfully not flying off) the end into the mud. Without hesitation, she went running back to the line to do it again! After awhile of running, sliding and only falling off the end three times out of about thirty passes, she decided her arms hurt from trying to break her fall those few times and her stomach hurt from all that sliding. She jumped and swam in the lake for awhile to clean up and we got her clothes changed and headed home. On Monday she said her arms hurt a lot (muscle strain) so we put cool packs on them and let her rest up. She was excused from P.E. for part of this week and she seems to be doing much better. And yes, we have photos of Lola looking like a chocolate bunny!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Taking Care of Each Other
This cold has been the Monster of the Decade for me. It has congested my sinus cavity, my ears, nose, throat and lungs. I have experienced fever and fatigue and from there went to having to sleep in a half-sitting position due to the drainage. I can no longer taste or smell anything, which makes eating a total boring experience...Lola had 'the cold' for about a week, but only had a minor sore throat and a little coughing. Then, like magic, it was gone. Her immune system must be like that of a Sherman tank. I am thankful for that! Kimmi had started the symptoms of this thing the same time I did, but she was battling mostly the sinus infection part. She came over on the weekends and the three of us played on the computer, played card games and watched TV while recuperating. I was determined not to miss work (as I was still trying to fix all the little things that had gone awry during my leave of absence) and I'm certain my fellow employees were wishing I had stayed at home. I was coughing and sneezing and was the Queen of Kleenex for the better part of three weeks, but I was not the only one. There were a couple other people in my department who had been battling the same thing. At this point in time my taste buds and sense of smell are back about 80%, and I'm just taking each day as it comes and hopefully soon I will be able to say I'm WELL AGAIN!!
While battling the Cold of the Decade we have had to take Kimmi to the emergency room a couple times due to her severe anemia (which started before our trip to Mexico) and her constricted throat issues (which has been going on for many years, but had gotten progressively worse due to scar tissue forming after an injury to her throat) making it impossible for her to eat anything but soft, mushy foods. We have also endured the remnants of Hurricane Fay, who decided to dump rain on Georgia for about four days straight, causing the windows on the courtyard side of our house to leak profusely and in the process soaked the carpet and caused damage to the ceiling. The windows are due for replacement anyway (I had the windows on the front of the townhome replaced in January this year, and was waiting until autumn to have the back of the townhome done).
We have tried to make the best of it all by attending a Braves game once we all felt better, and Kimmi and Lola were experimenting with their hair color using Garnier (Kimmi is now dark brown and Lola a muted auburn). I am still too chicken to mess with the color of my hair. Well, I guess the word is not chicken, but the fact is I rather LIKE the color of my hair. I always have. I have started to go gray a little, but it's not enough to make me want to change my whole hair color scheme (as if I successfully could) to cover the gray...besides, I looked in the hair color aisle and I have to admit no hair color out there even comes close to my own shade. I have found a rinse/conditioner for blonde hair that seems to improve the gray, and I'm sticking with that. Nothing else!
As of now (and I apologize for being so horrible lately at keeping up with the blog- - being sick makes me so listless and unmotivated to do anything) the cold is beginning to subside and I'm feeling like part of the living human race again. WOO-HOO!!!
While battling the Cold of the Decade we have had to take Kimmi to the emergency room a couple times due to her severe anemia (which started before our trip to Mexico) and her constricted throat issues (which has been going on for many years, but had gotten progressively worse due to scar tissue forming after an injury to her throat) making it impossible for her to eat anything but soft, mushy foods. We have also endured the remnants of Hurricane Fay, who decided to dump rain on Georgia for about four days straight, causing the windows on the courtyard side of our house to leak profusely and in the process soaked the carpet and caused damage to the ceiling. The windows are due for replacement anyway (I had the windows on the front of the townhome replaced in January this year, and was waiting until autumn to have the back of the townhome done).
We have tried to make the best of it all by attending a Braves game once we all felt better, and Kimmi and Lola were experimenting with their hair color using Garnier (Kimmi is now dark brown and Lola a muted auburn). I am still too chicken to mess with the color of my hair. Well, I guess the word is not chicken, but the fact is I rather LIKE the color of my hair. I always have. I have started to go gray a little, but it's not enough to make me want to change my whole hair color scheme (as if I successfully could) to cover the gray...besides, I looked in the hair color aisle and I have to admit no hair color out there even comes close to my own shade. I have found a rinse/conditioner for blonde hair that seems to improve the gray, and I'm sticking with that. Nothing else!
As of now (and I apologize for being so horrible lately at keeping up with the blog- - being sick makes me so listless and unmotivated to do anything) the cold is beginning to subside and I'm feeling like part of the living human race again. WOO-HOO!!!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
The Long, Loooooooooong Hallways
I am quite pleased that at the middle school 'entry' level there is a program that takes place before the school year begins that allowing parents to register their children in school, buy the required Phys. Ed clothes, and allow a tour of the school and a 'meet and greet' by the teachers. I think Lola and I had equally as much fun wandering the long hallways of the middle school together exploring every classroom and meeting her new teachers. I am totally impressed that a class in Engineering and Technology is offered at the 6th grade level. Hmmmm, I wonder how long I could attend classes before they find out I'm not really a 6th grader?? ha ha ha
I have developed the weirdest cold over the last week or so - - it began with a bit of a sore throat and some stuffiness in my nose. But a couple days later the sore throat became so intense I couldn't eat or swallow without great pain! That lasted three days. Then after the sore throat subsided I was left with a great amount of congestion in my nose! Right now the congestion is beginning to feel as though it has moved on to my lungs. This pattern (minus the intense sore throat) is pretty typical of the usual cold I get, which occurs maybe about one time every year. Somehow this one has taken more of my energy to fight than the usual cold. We'll see where it goes...
I have developed the weirdest cold over the last week or so - - it began with a bit of a sore throat and some stuffiness in my nose. But a couple days later the sore throat became so intense I couldn't eat or swallow without great pain! That lasted three days. Then after the sore throat subsided I was left with a great amount of congestion in my nose! Right now the congestion is beginning to feel as though it has moved on to my lungs. This pattern (minus the intense sore throat) is pretty typical of the usual cold I get, which occurs maybe about one time every year. Somehow this one has taken more of my energy to fight than the usual cold. We'll see where it goes...
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Middle School or Bust
Well, the day of my conference with the staff at Lola's elementary school was quite surprising. I was told by Lola's teachers that she puts forth much effort in class and is always happy to participate, and retaining her in the 5th grade would not really be doing her any good. They pointed out that with a greater understanding of the English language she will quickly fill in any gaps needed to be up to level in the 6th grade. In addition, there is a great amount of ESOL support at the middle school level as well so she should be able to transition smoothly. WOW! Imagine the look on Lola's face when I went home that afternoon to tell her she was going to the 6th grade after all! I told her also that she needs to try a bit harder in making sure she tracks her homework and if she does not understand something to always ask the teacher to explain it (quite often in 5th grade she was too shy about her English to ask questions, but over the summer her vocabulary has developed quite nicely)
The mad dash for school supplies has begun!!
The mad dash for school supplies has begun!!
Monday, July 21, 2008
One Last Weekend at the Beach...
Lola and I decided we wanted to take a long weekend vacation before I went back to work and she went back to summer camp. She wanted it to be just her and I and we decided to go to Hilton Head.
The day we left it was raining, and when we got to Hilton Head Island it was raining - - no, wait, let me rephrase that - - it was raining a TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR. I have only seen rain that dense and fast twice before. It was the kind of rain that fills the streets and the water has nowhere to go within the first three minutes of the rain starting. Unbelievable.
We had made reservations in advance at the Motel 6, which I felt was ok for us since we would only be in the room to eat and sleep. Our room was equipped with a kitchen so we could save money by cooking our own meals rather than spend it at various restaurants. During the downpour we checked in, got our key and raced to the car to keep from getting too wet (this was after we tried waiting it out for ten minutes and we did get quite soaked anyway). We walked in the room and to be honest, I was a bit shocked at the level of cleanliness (or lack thereof) in the room. Ok, it was FILTHY! Lola and I looked at the bathroom and it was clean, but the kitchen didn't look too great. The carpet, I would guess, was older than I am and was totally devoid of discernible color. The color was UGH-LY. I was looking in the kitchen and picked up the coffee pot and a small brown cockroach leaped out of the water still standing in the pot and raced for cover to some invisible crack in the countertop. That did it for me. Thankfully we hadn't even brought our stuff in from the car yet so Lola and I locked the room and went back through the still heavy rain to the motel office to see if they had an upgraded room. Unfortunately, the other three rooms they showed us were just as disgusting. I wish I had the aforethought to take photographs of the room to post here. I have been to many Motel 6's in my life and the ones I went to were always plain and basic, but very clean and comfy. Was it just this particular location, or have they all gone to filth? Just curious.
Before we turned in our keys to the office and beg for a refund, we drove next door to the Red Roof Inn. WOW, a little more expensive, but we decided a two-room suite would be just fine since we were going to be eating there and who knows what the weather would be like! We called the Motel 6 HQ, explained the situation and were assured we would be refunded with no problem. Then we booked three nights at the Red Roof Inn.
Driving back to the Motel 6 to return the keys and request a refund was easy, knowing we had a clean room waiting for us next door with a king bed, coffee maker, fridge and microwave (I could make do with that for cooking meals) and a pool.
Fortunately, the remainder of the weekend had quite nice weather, but with small intermittent showers. But we got lots of sun, lots of pool time and beach time, and even did a round of miniature golf. It was quite relaxing, really. Just what we needed before I return to work and Lola begins summer camp.
The day we left it was raining, and when we got to Hilton Head Island it was raining - - no, wait, let me rephrase that - - it was raining a TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR. I have only seen rain that dense and fast twice before. It was the kind of rain that fills the streets and the water has nowhere to go within the first three minutes of the rain starting. Unbelievable.
We had made reservations in advance at the Motel 6, which I felt was ok for us since we would only be in the room to eat and sleep. Our room was equipped with a kitchen so we could save money by cooking our own meals rather than spend it at various restaurants. During the downpour we checked in, got our key and raced to the car to keep from getting too wet (this was after we tried waiting it out for ten minutes and we did get quite soaked anyway). We walked in the room and to be honest, I was a bit shocked at the level of cleanliness (or lack thereof) in the room. Ok, it was FILTHY! Lola and I looked at the bathroom and it was clean, but the kitchen didn't look too great. The carpet, I would guess, was older than I am and was totally devoid of discernible color. The color was UGH-LY. I was looking in the kitchen and picked up the coffee pot and a small brown cockroach leaped out of the water still standing in the pot and raced for cover to some invisible crack in the countertop. That did it for me. Thankfully we hadn't even brought our stuff in from the car yet so Lola and I locked the room and went back through the still heavy rain to the motel office to see if they had an upgraded room. Unfortunately, the other three rooms they showed us were just as disgusting. I wish I had the aforethought to take photographs of the room to post here. I have been to many Motel 6's in my life and the ones I went to were always plain and basic, but very clean and comfy. Was it just this particular location, or have they all gone to filth? Just curious.
Before we turned in our keys to the office and beg for a refund, we drove next door to the Red Roof Inn. WOW, a little more expensive, but we decided a two-room suite would be just fine since we were going to be eating there and who knows what the weather would be like! We called the Motel 6 HQ, explained the situation and were assured we would be refunded with no problem. Then we booked three nights at the Red Roof Inn.
Driving back to the Motel 6 to return the keys and request a refund was easy, knowing we had a clean room waiting for us next door with a king bed, coffee maker, fridge and microwave (I could make do with that for cooking meals) and a pool.
Fortunately, the remainder of the weekend had quite nice weather, but with small intermittent showers. But we got lots of sun, lots of pool time and beach time, and even did a round of miniature golf. It was quite relaxing, really. Just what we needed before I return to work and Lola begins summer camp.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Where has the summer gone???
Wow, it has been a long time since my last post. Sorry about that. Lola and I have been keeping busy with studying math, going swimming, learning more English and just having fun.
Latest update on the CRCT - after 4 weeks of studying and actually understanding most of her mathematics, we both felt she was quite equipped to re-take the test, and successfully so. As we drove to the school on the day of her test she looked at me and said "Mom, my tummy hurts. I feel sick." I just thought it was a bit of nerves about taking the test and that she would be fine once she got to the school and saw her ESOL teacher (whom she loves, and luckily the same teacher that would be giving her the re-take of the test).
She took the test, and afterward she told me she was cold and when I felt her forehead and hands she WAS cold - - and clammy. I thought that was quite odd since I had been in the building for about 30 minutes and I wasn't cold at all....
She said she was not sure how she did on the test but we were both happy it was over.
After talking with her a day or so later I learned that she was stressed so much about the test that she was experiencing sweaty palms, an upset stomach and a feeling of being smothered. I was beginning to understand. I asked her if that was the first time she ever felt that way and she said "Oh, no, Mom - - I had it all the time in Russia when I had to take a test."
Test anxiety. Eeeeek.
I never had it - - - I have no idea what it feels like. I know from reading about it that it stops even the best of students dead in their tracks. When I was in school I attacked tests with a mixture of excitement and determination, much like the feeling I have when I ride the roller coasters at Six Flags, knowing the ride will be wonderful and satisfying. Tests were a pleasant challenge to me. I guess different people channel the apprehension of test-taking in different ways. I was one of those people who jumped on it and Lola is one of those people who want to run from it.
The results of the test were recently made known to me and even though her score improved, again Lola missed passing...now I have to attend a conference at the school with her guidance counselor, her teachers and some representatives from the middle school. It will be there that her fate will be determined - - - will she go on to the 6th grade or will she be retained in the 5th grade?
How strange that I experience that same feeling of sweaty palms and upset stomach and I'm not even going to take a test!!
I only want what is best for her. She and I have discussed that re-doing the 5th grade would not be a bad thing. It may actually help her get more comfortable with what she needs to catch up on. We are taking action to assist her in fighting her fears. She is well aware of the importance of being more at ease with taking a test. She is happy to have help in Math and extra tutoring if that will help her comfort level and confidence enough not to freak when she's being tested. She is already signed up for Saturday school through the Russian-American Federation and she will be taking mathematics and Russian grammar / literature classes. In addition, she said she would be happy to go to Kumon for tutoring.
She is a wonderful child and every day I am so proud of her.
Latest update on the CRCT - after 4 weeks of studying and actually understanding most of her mathematics, we both felt she was quite equipped to re-take the test, and successfully so. As we drove to the school on the day of her test she looked at me and said "Mom, my tummy hurts. I feel sick." I just thought it was a bit of nerves about taking the test and that she would be fine once she got to the school and saw her ESOL teacher (whom she loves, and luckily the same teacher that would be giving her the re-take of the test).
She took the test, and afterward she told me she was cold and when I felt her forehead and hands she WAS cold - - and clammy. I thought that was quite odd since I had been in the building for about 30 minutes and I wasn't cold at all....
She said she was not sure how she did on the test but we were both happy it was over.
After talking with her a day or so later I learned that she was stressed so much about the test that she was experiencing sweaty palms, an upset stomach and a feeling of being smothered. I was beginning to understand. I asked her if that was the first time she ever felt that way and she said "Oh, no, Mom - - I had it all the time in Russia when I had to take a test."
Test anxiety. Eeeeek.
I never had it - - - I have no idea what it feels like. I know from reading about it that it stops even the best of students dead in their tracks. When I was in school I attacked tests with a mixture of excitement and determination, much like the feeling I have when I ride the roller coasters at Six Flags, knowing the ride will be wonderful and satisfying. Tests were a pleasant challenge to me. I guess different people channel the apprehension of test-taking in different ways. I was one of those people who jumped on it and Lola is one of those people who want to run from it.
The results of the test were recently made known to me and even though her score improved, again Lola missed passing...now I have to attend a conference at the school with her guidance counselor, her teachers and some representatives from the middle school. It will be there that her fate will be determined - - - will she go on to the 6th grade or will she be retained in the 5th grade?
How strange that I experience that same feeling of sweaty palms and upset stomach and I'm not even going to take a test!!
I only want what is best for her. She and I have discussed that re-doing the 5th grade would not be a bad thing. It may actually help her get more comfortable with what she needs to catch up on. We are taking action to assist her in fighting her fears. She is well aware of the importance of being more at ease with taking a test. She is happy to have help in Math and extra tutoring if that will help her comfort level and confidence enough not to freak when she's being tested. She is already signed up for Saturday school through the Russian-American Federation and she will be taking mathematics and Russian grammar / literature classes. In addition, she said she would be happy to go to Kumon for tutoring.
She is a wonderful child and every day I am so proud of her.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Fireworks and Six Flags
Lola and Scooter (I can't believe Scooter winked!)
July 4th we (Chris, Kimmi, Lola and I) trekked down to Lenox Square for the annual fireworks. We had a nice picnic of Subway turkey sandwiches, Sun Chips and water, as well as the game of UNO and Lola's new MP3 to make the wait less boring. We camped up on the top floor of the Atlanta Financial Center parking lot and had a wonderful view!! The fireworks began at 9:40 and it was fabulous!! It seems every year there is some new technique used to make even more spectacular patterns!
Lola and Kimmi waiting for the fireworks to begin
Last Saturday Lola and I met Boris and his parents for a fun time seeing the movie Wall-E (it is a very good movie and hilarious! It is not hard to imagine our society becoming much like the humans in the movie) then off to Fuddrucker's for hamburgers and video games. Boris has a birthday coming up at the end of this month and we have been invited to his party at Sports-a-Rama.
Lola and Boris concentrating on their driving skills at Fuddrucker's
Trying to get both kids to smile and not make goofy faces
Yesterday Lola and I went to Six Flags here in Atlanta. She had been wanting to go for quite some time and we had free tickets so yesterday was the day. The first ride we went on was the Georgia Scorcher. WOW!! I loved it, she was scared, but at the end of the ride she said "Can we go again???? I want MORE!!!" Since the wait in line was close to nothing, we went again. Before the day was over we had taken in about 10 rides. Not bad for only having been there for about 4 hours!! Next time we will spend the whole day there...
This upcoming weekend we are going to Hilton Head for a bit of relaxation before Lola goes to summer camp and I go back to work. I would so LOVE to be a mom who works from home. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.
July 4th we (Chris, Kimmi, Lola and I) trekked down to Lenox Square for the annual fireworks. We had a nice picnic of Subway turkey sandwiches, Sun Chips and water, as well as the game of UNO and Lola's new MP3 to make the wait less boring. We camped up on the top floor of the Atlanta Financial Center parking lot and had a wonderful view!! The fireworks began at 9:40 and it was fabulous!! It seems every year there is some new technique used to make even more spectacular patterns!
Lola and Kimmi waiting for the fireworks to begin
Last Saturday Lola and I met Boris and his parents for a fun time seeing the movie Wall-E (it is a very good movie and hilarious! It is not hard to imagine our society becoming much like the humans in the movie) then off to Fuddrucker's for hamburgers and video games. Boris has a birthday coming up at the end of this month and we have been invited to his party at Sports-a-Rama.
Lola and Boris concentrating on their driving skills at Fuddrucker's
Trying to get both kids to smile and not make goofy faces
Yesterday Lola and I went to Six Flags here in Atlanta. She had been wanting to go for quite some time and we had free tickets so yesterday was the day. The first ride we went on was the Georgia Scorcher. WOW!! I loved it, she was scared, but at the end of the ride she said "Can we go again???? I want MORE!!!" Since the wait in line was close to nothing, we went again. Before the day was over we had taken in about 10 rides. Not bad for only having been there for about 4 hours!! Next time we will spend the whole day there...
This upcoming weekend we are going to Hilton Head for a bit of relaxation before Lola goes to summer camp and I go back to work. I would so LOVE to be a mom who works from home. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.
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