Busy, Busy, Busy

Sorry I have not updated my blog in a while. i have been so busy that I barely have time to breathe. This fulltime teacher, fulltime coach, and full time mother thing is just too damn hard. I thought I was superwoman and could do it all but I am slowly realizing that it is a bit too much. Dylan has homework 4 nights a week, and has soccer practice on thurday evenings. They have gymnastics and soccer on saturdays, and Alex has gymboree on Saturdays. I am so exhausted I can barely keep my eyes open at school today. Getting 3 children dressed, fed, and out the door each morning by 630 is really taking its toll. I love the weekends but they are jam packed too. My schedule for Saturday is as follows

745- kids are dressed, fed and ready to go to the gym with me. 8am arrival at the gym. 25 minutes of hard cardio followed by 60 minutes of weight lifting. I leave the gym at 925 to drop Dylan and kenzie off a gymnastics at 930. John will then take Alex to his 10am gymboree class. At 1030 I pick Dylan and kenzie up and then take them to soccer practice for my HS team, which goes from 11-1230. We then have to be a Bodman Park for Dylans soccer game by 1245. His game starts at 1 and ends at 2. I will finally arrive home around 3-4 pm after we eat. Some break huh? There is one silver lining though.... Samantha is coming to babysit so my husband and I can go out and party on saturday night. I plan on going out until 2am( I hope), but guess what will still be calling at 6am-- Alex--- so guess what, I can be a Zombie on Sunday until my practice at 4pm... and then its another week of craziness. My life is very difficult

9/11/06

I started my lesson today talking about Flashbulb memories. These are the memories that are so powerful that they are etched in your mind forever. The morning of September 11 2001, was so sureal. I can still remember that day as if it were yesterday. I can remember exactly how I found out. I was off periods 2 and 3. Sp basically I did not have students from 851- until 1029. This is when everything went down. After the first tower was hit, the school was unusually quiet. Little did I know that a major life changing event was happening. When I heard that a plan hit the tower, I just assumed it was a small plane and there were very few casualties. Then I heard about plane number two. As soon as that happened I realized something was terribly wrong. I went into my friend Annes room, who was teaching her period two class like nothing was out of the ordinary. Little did she know. She had a radio in her room , and I told her we had to listen. So there we were glued to the radio for 90 minutes. The kids could not bellieve it was happening. I remember hearing a womans voice as the first tower fell, she was in disbelief as she said, it is all gone, it's all gone. I can remember feeling such a profound saddness, that it is impossible to measure. John and I both showed up at the babysitters house to pick up Dylan, just so we could hug him. I remember thinking that I need to protect him from all of the saddness in the world. I can remember for the first time feeling vulnerable, really vulnerable. September 10, 2001 was the last day that we as americans were completely free of horrible thoughts of a catatrophic event happening. Now we have that twing of fear every time we watch the news, ot get on a plane. September 11 changed the nation, but it what does not kill us, makes us stronger, so lets hope that old adage rings true. These were just some of my thoughts about today

The toughest first week ever

Well I just completed my first full( well almost full, we had Monday off) week of school. Tuesday was just nuts. Having to have 5 unique individuals dressed, fed( yes a pop tart does count!) and ready for school was a challenge. John and I started our first full week with the kids in class ready to learn bright and early Tuesday morning. Besides having between 25-31 kids in each class. Yes you read that correctly. I teach 5 classes so i have about 130 students this year. Last year I had about 95. My work load has increased dramatically. When it comes to grading their work, I will be putting in an extra hour or so with each assignment. We do not get compensated for what we do at home either, but that is a totally different subject so we can discuss the fairness of my job at a later point. I have soccer practice each day until 430 or so, by the time I get home each day it is between 530-6pm. Next week will be ven worse because I have a game scheduled on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. I wont make it home Monday night until well after 7pm. The kids will already be in bed when I walk my tired ass through the door. ( Away games are the worst). My baby sitter told me on weds that her father in law passed away, and his family plans the wake for Thursday and the funeral for Friday. I know it is a shot gun service. She is shocked at the planning too. Basically I am left scarmbling for a babysitter. My sister in law came up huge today. I attended the funeral service while she watched Alex. It was very nice to see Alex playing with his little cousin Jake. It was so starnge when Jake smiled at me when I walked in the door, because all I could think of was my brother Justin. In that one instant it appeared Justin was reborn as Jake. She did a great job, she managed the fights over toys, and both kids were happy when I got back. Thanks again Elana, we will be calling again soon! Now I have 2 hours of [peace until I have to get back to school by 230 for practice, then I come back home. again and as long as Dylan and Kenz napped after school, I am taking them to my HS football game. Dylan is so excited. Home- school- home - school---- That is our life!!

No more Monkeys jumping on the bed!

I wake up John at 830 this morning like usual and then proceed to tell him that I am leaving to go to the gym to take a spin class. As he is brushing his teeth, I am waiting in Dylan's room with Alex and Dylan who are on the bed. Then out of the blue I see Alex start to tumble and then ouch... his little head hit the headboard. I immediately assume he is going to get an egg on his head, so I scooped him up and started to apply the ice pack. As I opened my eyes, I saw blood(bright red!) everywhere. I could not believe it. As I was trying to control the blood I ask john for the phone and proceed to call 911. There was no way we could have driven ourselves with having to apply pressure on Alex's head and the 2 other kids. It would have been too much. The police arrived at my house within 5 minutes. They offered to drive Alex and I to the hospital because the first aid was busy. So we hopped in the police car. As we were in the police car, I called my plasticsurgeon( hey who would have known having one of them would come in handy!), and was told that the PS on charge would take care of Alex. The cut was in the middle of his forhead, so I wanted a PS to do the work. After 2 hour in the hospital, Alex had his wound sewed up. i would guess that he had a few stitches underneath the skin and about 6-8 that we will have to have removed in 8 days. We had to swaddle him and hold him down during the procedure. That is the hardest part about being a parent. Can you imagine having to hold your 16 month old down while a doctor is about to sew him up like a pair of ripped jeans? The fact that Alex's wound was in the middle of his face, right at his eye line could not have made it any easier for him, thats for sure. After screamimg his little head off for about 10 minutes he fell asleep. Right in the middle of his stitches. He lay there sleeping so the doctor could finish the job undisturbed! He proceeded to sleep for 3 more hour or so and is now playing with his big sister like nothing happened! What a trooper. I learned an important lesson today. Childrens songs hold important messages. 2 little monkeys jumping on the bed, 1 fell off and bumped his head, went to the doctor and the doctor said.... No more monkeys jumping on the bed!

September in like a Lion!

Well September did not makes it's entrance in silence. It came in with a bang. On the first I had my first day of school for the 2006-2007 school year. Dylan is starting kindergarten and had his orientation, and Mackenzie also had her pre school orientation. My babysitter raised her rates and we had a huge storm. Wow! Now the tough part begins. After being home all summer, it is such a shock to go back to work in September. besides rasining 3 kids, I now have to caoch a varsity soccer team, plus teach 125 students the ins and outs of psychology. All of this in a mere 24 hours! The first month of school is always the hardest , there is always an adjustment and the kids are a bit out of sorts. Once October hits it gets easier, oh wait... then the sick season rears its ugly head. Okay... It is always hard. These are the times where I wish I could stay at home and just take care of my kids, and not work so much. But I guess if we want to eat and drive, I have to work. Oh well there is no sense complaining about it.. It is starting. hello wor world.. here I come!

Tubes again

Well tomorrow my youngest is getting tubes in his ears. I know it is a simple procedure, but just the thought of Alex under general anesthesia is enough to make me nervous. it is weird, all three of my kids have already had a surgical procedure done. Alex is doing so well, that I hope draining this fluid from his ears is the last hurdle we have to face. We have already faced so many obstacles with Alex already, He tackles them one by one, and it will probably make him a very strong person one day. So tomorrow at 630am I bring him to the surgical center and then it is done. Hopefully we will be home by 11am and by 3pm Alex will be 100%. We had our first scrimmage and the girls did quite well. Despite the fact that it was raining the girls played well and ended up winning. Dylan was dissapointed that he could not stay and watch the game, but it was raining pretty hard so he went home with his siblings and dad. Dylan and Kenzie waited patiently for me to get home to take them to Mac Donalds. We instituted Macdonalds mondays in our house. Believe it or not, it minimizes the trips to the fast food giant! So now the kids get to indulge in their favorite happy meal, one time per week. This also eliminates them asking for Mac Donalds everytime they see one. It is a win-win situation. Hopefully all will go well tomorrow, and I need to get ready for the first day of school on Friday( what a bad way to end the week).

It's coming to an end

Ahh the lazy days of summer were not so lazy for me this past month. I had 7 soccer camps, plus my HS season has started and we do long 4 hour sessions or doubles on most days. Most days I am on that soccer field from 7am until 8 pm. Well no more. Sure I still have to be there at 7am with all the kids in tow. They love going to the field and it is great exercise for them to run around. We will be on the field this week from 7am-12noon. There is only 1 night that I have a session, and that is Tuesday from 5-630. It seems as though I wont even be working lol. This summer has been crazy busy but fun. Today I discovered a couple things. Alex loves hot dogs. He ate 1 and a half hot dogs. I had to peel off the skin and chew some of it for him but he loved it. Dylan was hitting baseballs with his father in the back. His grandfather gave him home plate and let me tell you... he has been in the back yard hitting the ball all night. He has great eye hand coordination. David Wright... look out!

What a busy week

Well if last week wasn't a rude awakening that our lazy days of summer are coming to an end, I do not know what is. I have had it pretty easy this summer up until last week. Before soccer camps started in full force, I could get all 3 kids out the door by 745, get to the gym by 8 and be out of there by 945. Then we had the rest of the day to figure out what we were going to do, it was bliss. Well not anymore. Last week I had camp from 9-12noon and then again from 6-9pm. Mackenzie had dance camp from 115-315-- all of the camps are in middletown so everything was atleast a 25 minute drive. my husband and I were like 2 ships passing and trading children along the way. We just had to make sure that the kids were constantly being supervised and nobody was left at home like macauly caulkin in home alone. And no mom.... we had the correct head count each time. Alex figured out how to walk up and DOWn the stairs by himself, so that is quite the milestone. hopefully we wont have any more tumbles down the stairs. Next week I also have camp for my high school team all morning and afternoon, and a youth camp at night. Atleast for the HS practices the kids can come. School will be here before we know it and a 515 alarm will be reality( hey alex's 615am wake up is bliss). Right now I cannot fathom how we will have all three kids and ourselves dressed and ready for school by 630, but we will figure it out again, we did it last year. Until then, it is soccer at 730 am, with the kids in tow for the most part. there is nothing like fresh air to tire them out!

AHH! Alone at Last!

I am sitting at the computer at 7:15pm by myself. Nobody is screaming mommy and I am completely alone. This hardly ever happens. My daughter is sleeping at my mothers so she can hang out with my neice Samantha. Thanks Michele!! and my son Dylan is at wall Stadium with my husband and father in law. I put Alex to bed at 6:45, so I am free for the rest of the night. I just finished my lean cuisine for dinner-- yes Elana I stock up on them too! I love the panini's! I finished reading the paper uninterrupted, so over all this is a great night. I see a 9pm bed time in my future, which is just fine with me. I had a glorious day at the beach yesterday, I did end up drinking a bit to much but that is okay! We had a blast. We have another camp next week. well actually two. I have one in the am and then another at night. The following week I still have the night camp and HS soccer begins. Summer is almost over. it is flying by, but it has been terrific. Dylan can't wait to start kindergarten, and mackenzie pre school. Alex will go back with the babysitter. The guilt of full time employment, coupled with soccer is starting to creep in. September and October are always the toughest months for all of us mommy teachers, but when you coach a varsity sport, it is even tougher. My kids love being on the field with me so it is worth it. In addition to that, we never have to worry about how we will pay for the christmas presents. Coaches get their checks in my school on Dec 15! Great timing BOE. Well thats all for now. I am going to do some channel surfing on the TV, and probably call my mother for the 10th time today!

The blazing heat

The heat lately is unbelievable. I had soccer camp this mroning and it was so hot. I can't believe I used to be able to play high level soccer in 100 degree weather. I remember doing it,and it never being too much a bother. Coaching in this heat is just too much, nowadays. I guess this is what happens when one gets older. Funny... last week we had a relay race against the campers and LOST!!! It was depressing and embarrassing. Hey, even ay 36, I feel as though I am still 26 and in top soccer-like shape, able to out run anyone in my path. I guess 1 decade and 3 babies makes a difference, I will not hear any of it... I have to start training even harder so i can out run those 18 year olds!! I guess this moment happens to everyone. You feel as if you are still in your 20's, you think you look like your still in your 20's( but I know-- we dont, but it is fun to pretend that we do), but you are not. Your body lets you know that all of the time. I guess as we age the heat becomes tougher to deal with. So besides watching out for the pets and the elderly... watch out for all of those that forget how old they really are.

What a difference a nap makes

Today I had a nice 90 minute nap. Actually the entire house was sleeping between 1-3pm today. it was so nice. I have soccer camp tonight, so I will get there very refreshed and ready to go. Dylan and Kenzie are still sleeping and it is already 3:45! They love going to soccer camp and can't wait to go tonight. They can just run around outside in the heat for 3 1/2 hours and it does not even phase them. they keep begging to stay. I was telling them last night.... look everyone has left so it is time to go now. Must be nice to be young and playing is the most important thing ever! Well I got to go get ready to head back to camp tonight. 3 hours of entertainment for Dylan and Kenz!

another day at the beach

We have been going to the beach quite a bit this summer. Dylan gets braver and braver each day. he wants to go out where the big waves are and since there is no way I will let him brave the waves solo, I go out there with him. Boy was it rough today. He loved getting knocked down and then got right back up. It is funny, as a kid I can remember swimming out as far as the life guard would allow us to go( were there even lifeguards??), but here I am, a mom, and made dylan brave the waves with me or his dad in front of the life guard stand. Mackenzie does not like to go in , she just runs in a little and then runs out to beat the waves. Alex likes the beach as well, we had a very nice day! Today we all took a nap from 245-5pm. The whole house shut down! i think the beach knocked us all out. We had steak for dinner tonight which is my daughters new favorite food. I think tomorrow we will go to my mothers house to go in the pool for the day, hopefully it will be nice out. It is now a little after eight and even with a long nap. Mackenzie and Alex are catching Z's and Dylan is about to go to bed in about 5 minutes. He keeps checking the scores with his father. I think John loves having a little co pilot. I can't believe we have been out of school for over a month already! Boy does time fly when you're having fun!

Dancing with the stars... just wait!

Well Dylan and Kenzie went to the Leonardo beach party on Thursday night and I learned alot from them. First and foremost, they do not get their dancing skills from me. I have absolutely zero rythm, I mean none at all. The two of them were dancing fiends. they even went on stage at the end of the night. Everone was looking at the little 3 year old in a polka dot bikini, thinking she was Brittany Spears. I kid you not, my little daughter was shaking her bootie. I was a riot. Dylan mastered the chicken dance and was so upset when the party was over. I thought we would stay about 90 minutes... Nope, we were there right through the last dance and clean up. Dylan was so upset when it ended that he was crying. It was 9 o'clock and my kids normally go to sleep by 730. They had a blast. Great job Middletown Parks and Rec!! I guess shyness will not exist in the Haar household. So far I have two big Ham's on stage, and I am sure Alex will be right along with them. If Kenzie is still dancing like that at 13, I am in trouble, well her father is!! It was a great night. On another note.. My kids did awesome on the advanced placement exam. 31 out of 33 passed. 15 received 5( highest score), 13 received a 4( like a B), and 3 received a 3( c), the other 2 received a grade of 2 unforunately( that is the equivalant to a D, and they will not recieve college credit). I am disappointed that 2 students did not pass, but 31 out of 33 is quite an accomplishment so I am proud of it. I was hoping for 90%, and did better than that! There are very few times as a teacher where you can really see how you are doing, and this is one of them! I am thrilled! Next year though the goal is 100%. It can be done!

Poor Baby

I am sitting here listening to Alex scream at the top of his lungs. Now one may ask, why am I letting it happen.... Well the speech therapist who charges 175.00 an hour is here working with him, and she like all of the other therapists likes it best when mommy is not around. So I guess I am used to the crying by now! So today is the first day of the private speech lesson, EI evaluated him in April and indicated that speech/feeding was necessary yet we are still waiting on a therapist. So now I am doing it once a week private. I am sure my insurance will reimburse me all of 62.00 for each session, oh well what are you going to do. Well the screaming has stopped and Alex is working on a nice big grape lollipop. I would not be screaming with a lollipop in my mouth, but he does not want to learn to chew and eat so he is fighting it! John took Dylan and Mackenzie to the beach, so I am just hanging here trying not to watch what is going on. I just hope I did not just pay 175 for him to eat a lollipop!!

My Mom MVP hands down!

Well this weekend my husband and I went to Ocean City, Maryland. For those of you that live in jersey and have never been, I highly recommend it. When a weekend is all one has they want to make the most of it. Ocean City is the perfect escape. We dropped the kids off at 830am on friday and were having a beer aboard the ferry at 11am. We had an awesome weekend. We layed on the beach, had numerous cocktails, walked the boardwalk, and just really slowed down and enjoyed each others company. We celebrated our 6th anniversary on this trip and it was splendid. We would not have been able to enjoy this weekend if it was not for my mom. She took the kids the entire weekend and allowed us to get away from it all. It is no small task for someone to take care of 3 children who range in age from 1-5. She knew my youngest still woke up in the middle of the night f0r a bottle and still signed on to take them. It was the ultimate win-win for my family. The kids had so much fun that the two oldest did not even want to come home, and we had a blast. My mom also served as an inspiration to me as I got my belly button peirced. I know I am 36, but what the hell, if she could get a tattoo a few months back, why can't I get my navel pierced. So I went for it and am very happy with my new jewelry! My daughter loves it, so if anyone who reads this( mom, dawn, elana) knows of where I can get a stick on for the belly button to appease my daughter, please let me know! So mom, we toasted our mimosa to you Saturday morning, as the weekends MVP!!

A weekend alone

My husband and I are leaving first thing tomorrow morning to Ocean city Maryland. We are dropping the kids off at my moms and then heading down the parkway. We are hoping to catch the 11am ferry and have a drink in hand by 11:15. WE have not been away alone since 2003( thanks mom again for that trip!). We plan on making the most of the glorious 48hours that awaits us. I hurt my back and neck on Monday. I do not know how I did it, but it hurts like hell. It was not helped last night when I had to try an excercise class. I thought I would be okay since the class did not involve any weights, but I think it made it worse. So due to my crazy addiction to the gym, I now have to suffer an extra day. Hey there are worse things a girl can be addicted to! I love going twice a day though. The time to myself to just sweat is kind of nice. So until my neck heals, it will be strictly cardio. Running does not seem to bother it, it actually loosens it up. I heard from two of my former students and they did well on the AP test. I was happy. so far we are 2 for 2. the 2 I found about about both passed. One with a 4 and one with a 5. Students can pass with a 3, 4 or 5. 5 is the best though. My goal for the class is all 4's and 5's. I really hope they remember to email me when they get their scores, BUT WOULD I REALLY REMEMBER MY TEACHERS HOME EMAIL ADDRESS OVER THE SUMMER-- PROBABLY NOT! So thats it. Off to Ocean City tomorrow to hand on the beach and sip Margaritas!

Food Glorious Food

One may think that I am obsessed with food, and they would probably be right. I mean, I have always loved to eat for as long as I can remember, I even joke around that I workout so much to support my love of eating. It turn out my third child has a problem with swallowing. This would explain his poor weight gain and lack of eating. My husband, Alex and I went to Children's Specialized Hospital in toms River for Alex to get evaulated again. This time by their feeding team. The poor little thing is getting evaluated every other day, but he has not complained, he is a trooper. It was nice to travel with just my husband and little one, Dylan and kenz were happily swimming at momma's so it was just the three of us. We get to this hospital and it is a great child friendly facility. The waiting time was minimal and the doctors were attentive. We met a developmental pediatrician first, who spent a full hour with us then it was off to the feeding team. We met with a Speech Pathologist, Nutritionist, Occupational therapist, and a Psychologist. Alex got to try and eat all sorts of foods, and behaved in the typical fashipn that he does at home. he eagerly wants the food, yet can't really figure out how to eat it. It must be frustrating for him. Right now he is holding an Oreo, desparately trying to eat it and most of it ends up on his face. So the feeding team told me to stregthen his formula( Yes he is 14 months and is still on formula, but instinct was correct here, thank goodness for the cosco brand) and to keep giving him small soft foods and get him speech/feeding therapy 1-2 times per week. So there you have it. More therapy. I mean I am not complaing because it is summer time and we have the time to take him to thrapy 6 times per week!, Come September this will be hard. I wish i could trade places with the little guy. I could give him my ability to swallow and eat the most fattening foods out there and he could eat whatever he wants. Dieting would be a breeze that way, until then though, I must keep trying to fatten him up!

The Beach

Well we have gone to the beach the past 3 days and it has been absolutely wonderful! The kids love it. It is funny Dylan does not seem to care that the water is only 58 degrees, he wants in! Alex's physical therapist suggested he walk on the beach to improve his balance and coordination, and he is doing a great job. he wants in the water too! Mackenzie is afraid of the sand crabs, but loves the beach as well. It is so great to watch the kids in the Ocean. It is very nostalgic for us. Before kids... John and I spent every nice day over the summer at the Avon beach, we have not stepped foot in that sand for 2 years, but we are back. Spending time at the beach is something that will bring out the inner child in anyone!

Intuition has no place.... or does it?

Intuition has no place in psychology. yes this is what i tell my students the first week of school. I tell them that in order for psychology to be considered a science one must throw intuition out the window. I start my post this way because I truly believe that because of my interest in neuroscience, I was able to help my son. Sometimes I find it very difficult to leave my children each day during the school year, but, ironically my youngest son is reaping numerous benefits because of my job. My job forces me to stay current with the new ideas and trends in psychology, and yes the study of neuroscoence is fascinating. Years ago one believed all mental and physical problems were a result of ones upbringing or prenatal environment. Yet the 1990's proved otherwise, brain chemistry is where it is at and researchers are right. So when Alex was diagnosed with hypotonia I knew there was a problem in the brain. So I refused to wait 6 months to see the neurologist and booked one that was farther away but had an earlier appointment. Intuition told me not to wait.. and the recent Zimbardo video about the plasticty of the brain in early childhood development! So I went and was told the PT is working so keep it up. At Alex's 12 month visit I told the doctor how he does not eat. My doctor, whom I love and think is great in MOST cases! told me to take the bottle away and he will eat. For the first time in my career as a parent( yes it ia a career, one that you don't get paid for yet work your entire life at). I chose to defy his order. Something told me that Alex wanted to eat, but just could not. So I kept him on the bottle and formula all of this time. I know formula is pricey but I want him to get his nutrients! So fast forward to the neurology appointment today. The Neurologist told me that it was a good thing that I kept giving him the bottle, because his hypotonia affects his facial muscles as well. He is not eating because he can;t figure out how to coordinate his mouth movements due to his low tone! He has his feeding assessment in a couple weeks and hopefully the specialists can help us out here. I am sure they can. Let me tell you this, I would bet on Alex any day of the week. He has been progressing at an amazing speed. He has a will that you just can;t teach. It is funny, I thought that about him all along. He is the type of kid that looks at limits and thinks that is where the starting point is. I can see it in his eye. Intuition may have no place in the science books but it has every place in the parenting books. Moms and dads, go with your first instinct, it is usually the right one!

Cars!

For the first time as a mom, I accompanied my children to the movies( Minus Alex). We went to see the movie Cars. It was a great movie. They both loved it, but I have to critique the length, a 2 hour movie is very long for young children. Mackenzie would have loved the movie to be about 1 hour shorter, but she is only 3. Dylan, on the other hand, would have preferred a 90 minute movie. I see why I have waited so long. If one of them has to go to the bathroom, everyone has to get up. I had to constantly remind them to not kick their feet at the seat in front of them. I also had to tell Mackenzie that she could not dance in the aisle. The movie was great though, but attending one with a 3 and 5 year old is no small feat! Dylan is obsessed with Cars though. He has a Cars bathing suit, PJ's, undies, and all sorts of toys!! It is cute to watch your children pick out the bad guys, and laugh outloud while watching the movie. I am glad I got to experience it with them. I will be ready for another movie next year!!