Best Smell in the World

You know that smell,the smell of rain, on a warm afternoon. Not a down pour kinda rain that ruins the entire day, but a cool rain shower where the sun is still shining, and there's a light breeze blowing. The smell of the rain the first few minutes of that afternoon shower in the BEST smell in the world. It instantly takes me back to my childhood, playing in the backyard with by best friend, which at the time was my dog Bandit, a giant st. bernard. Birds singing in the trees and those big metal wind chimes playing their song,my parents and grandparents sitting on the back patio talking about "big people stuff" and laughing at my antics in the yard. Its days like that, that I cherish the most from growing up.


Things were so different for my boys, I hope and pray that they can look back on their childhood and remember the good times, and put the not so good ones behind them. I also hope and pray that when they have kids of their own,a long long.....long time from now, that they can make good memories with their children and not repeat the not so good ones.

That fresh, electric, smell in the air during a summer rain shower is the best smell in the world for me.....









Whats yours? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it...please....

I Blame the Schools

I just got off the phone with my son...for the third time....in 5 minutes....yes I said 5 minutes.


The child called to ask me "Mom, I'm at the bank depositing my check,where do I write down how much my checks are"? I swear tell you he really said that. Then he called me back to ask "Mom,what do I put where it ask net deposit"? The third time was just to make sure he did it right!

The child has been doing algebra since grade school, has had 4 years of advanced math in high school,a high school he just graduated from I might add, and he doesn't know how to fill out a simple bank deposit slip!! Whats the world coming to people?

I remember when I was in high school, I realize it was 700 years ago, but come on. Basic math class we ALL learned how to do all that stuff. Deposit slips,check ledgers,paying bills, and if that wasn't enough we got a second dose of it in economics, which back them was a required class, but not any more!

I blame the schools. Yes we live in a town deep in Bulldog country that's school system is ranked nationally in the top 10 and 1st in the state. BUT my child can't balance his own FREAKING checking account. The schools are so worried about teaching the hardest classes so they can keep up with the bigger schools and educate our kids to be able to get into the best colleges. I totally understand that but what about teaching these kids some basic life skills as well?

Don't get me wrong,I take part of the blame as well.I could should have been teaching both of my children these things. And I definitely would have been teaching them these things if I had known in ALL their many years of required advanced math classes they weren't learning ANY basic skills to go along with it!

I guess that's just one more thing I will have to add to the list of skills my son will have to learn to do before he can leave for college in the fall..

1) get up when alarm goes off
2) take meds ON TIME
3) keep up with schedule
4) wash own clothes
5) AVERAGE CHECK BOOK
6) FILL OUT DEPOSIT SLIPS
7) PAY BILLS ON TIME
8) DON'T SPEND MORE $ THEN YOU HAVE

This is going to be a long summer < sigh >

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Ok NOT ME MONDAY is here again, and I'm happy to tell you all that the past week was pretty quiet for a change. The sun is shining AGAIN can you believe it? Two days in a row!

I am NOT sitting around the house waiting for my sons doctor to call in the hopes that I don't have to take him in AGAIN so he can tell us the same thing, its an allergy flair up take these pills and wait until your appointment with the allergist, which by the way isn't until late JUNE for cryin out loud.

My dogs do NOT have fleas and I'm most defiantly NOT using ALL the chemicals I can find to treat them and the carpet. (Anyone have any suggestions please help!)

I did NOT bombard my oldest sons therapist with emails over the past few days trying to get his final paper work that he needs for college next year,I would never do such a thing I might have actually done this one.

I did not screen my phone calls all day yesterday because I didn't want to listen to my crazy loving mother complain about how bad church was (although it was pretty bad).

And for those of you wondering if I ever got the pool cleaned the answer is NO...the pump was broken so the beautiful pool I so long to swim in is still the green lagoon.

Have a blessed day....

Graduation....and a look back

My baby son graduated from high school this weekend. I really, I mean REALLY, expected to be sad,distraught,upset, or at the least freaking out, but as it turns out I wasn't. I was AM proud,excited,happy,impressed.

Proud because hes my baby, my first born. He's had to work so much harder than most to get to where hes at today.

Excited because he has so much to look forward to next year, going away to college and starting a whole new life for himself when there was a time I didn't if he would be alive to see it, let alone graduate.

Happy for him because hes accomplished something he set out to do even though it WAS hard work.

Impressed because he stuck with it no matter what was going on in his life and how much he wanted to give up at times.


You see my baby son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was young. I always knew he wasn't a "typical" child. I just didn't know how hard things were going to be for him.

Hes always been extremely smart, always got good grades, and loved going to school. That is until he started high school. High school was an entirely different experience for him, and for me. I started to notice things about him that just were not "normal" even for him. His grades started to drop, and before we knew it he was failing most of his classes. It was at this time he was diagnosed with depression. My child was depressed, not MY child. He started treatment for the depression and this is when we learned about co morbid illnesses. Children with ADHD usually have other psychological illnesses. This was just the beginning for my baby son. It took the better part of a year for him to recover from this particular bout of depression with the help of therapy and medication he pulled through. He was later diagnosed with having ADHD with OCD
tendencies, Depression,GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), and a sleep disorder.

He's had a long three years of high school. Fighting his own demons and dealing with the stigma of being mentally ill all while trying to graduate high school, and not just graduate,but graduate with high enough grades to go to college, and work a full time job.

He was accepted to not one college but to THREE major universities and was offered scholarships to help pay for his education.

He'll be leaving in a few months for college and I know he will do great because hes a fighter and I'm proud to call him my son.



My baby holding his cousin


After a spring band concert



Sr. Band night where Sr. band students are honored,with their parents,for all of their hard work through out the years.



Christmas concert at GHS 2009



Graduation

Beautiful Day

Today is a beautiful day here in Bulldog country. The rain has finally stopped...for a few hours anyway...severe storms in the forecast for tonight.I'm going to take advantage of the enjoy the sunshine and warm weather while I can though. I took 2 of my babies for a long walk this morning. I think they're a little tired!


Next...THE POOL! If it ever stops raining we might get to enjoy the pool this summer...if I ever get it clean when I get it clean.


I'm trying to remember to take one day at a time, enjoy the time I have with my family and my friends. God has a plan for me and just because I don't know what that plan is doesn't mean there isn't one.


Remember Kayleigh's family in this heart breaking time.


Enjoy this beautiful day...I'm going to...

Not Me Monday!

Its that time again people...NOT ME MONDAY
Where we can all unload about anything that has happened in the last week and no one will judge you...but we may laugh at you laugh with you about things that didn't happen over the past week....

Its been raining here,deep in Bulldog country, for oh about 3 weeks now with occasional breaks for the sun to come out so it can heat up and get even more humid just in time for the next round of storms to come through. Sounds like a great time to do some spring cleaning right? My ceiling fans were NOT growing fur from lack of cleaning lack of use. The vacume cleaner is definatly not still sitting in the front room while I'm writing this blog. And I did NOT spend almost an hour surching the internet just to learn how to do this because its FUN when I should have been folding clothes!

So what things have you NOT done in the past week? Come on share with us!

Not Me! Monday

I'm new to blogging and even newer to Not Me Monday but I figured what the heck why not? Don't forget to go check out Mckmama and her many small children at http://www.mycharmingkids.com/ and read all of the other "not me" moments from the past week.

The past two weeks have been crazy for me starting the weekend before last with the Classic Truckers & Cruisers car show that started out with a kick off party, street dance, and BBQ. We had such a good time that I did not sneak off to sit and listen to the band while I should have been working!

Then I had not one but TWO children that went to their high school prom Saturday night who I certainly did not stay up half the night worrying about.

The rest of the past week has kind of been a blur with so much going on and I most definitely did not show up late for a worship service at church last night! I would never do such a thing .

Oh by the way we raised about $13,000.00 for the Gregory Kistler Treatment Center. You can check them out here http://www.kistlercenter.org/home.html

Things have finally started to calm down a little but and I might get my house clean sometime this week! But I won't hold my breath.

Until next time......

Different....But the Same...

Its raining...again.....still.....rain....thunder....lightning...quiet.....


Both of the kids are out for the weekend.....quiet.....


I wonder if this is what its going to be like? What its going to be like in the next few months when my first little bird flys away from the nest. Taking his first steps into adulthood. Leaving for college away from home, away from me. Can he do it? Can I do it?


He's so ready to go, so independent. I think hes been grown his whole life, but hes still my baby. I understand now how hard it was on my parents when I grew up, because in a lot of ways me and my first born son are so much alike. Independent, self sufficient, at least on the outside.....but different in so many ways....


He's so grown up, but when I look at him I can still see the little boy he used to be. I'm so proud of him, but so sad that my baby is growing up right before my eyes. I love you....