September

 Me and my kids plus Laurie, Grayson, and their kids all went to see the new Beetlejuice movie. I didn't specify we were seeing the new one so they all thought we were seeing the original. Oops. Oh well we all really enjoyed it. I keep thinking of some parts and cracking up, which is always fun.

I got an email from Maggie's school that they are taking the PSAT soon. I was surprised but I guess it's that time. So, I had Maggie take an SAT practice test and from that I created a study plan. Now, we're doing 30 minutes a day of SAT practice. Well, not me, I just designed the study plan. 

The other morning, I was getting dressed and Ruby came in my room. She said, oh I want to wear overalls today. I said, ok great go get changed. And she said, no I want to wear one of your overalls. I told her I don't have any overalls and she said, yeah that thing. She meant bra. What a funny little weirdo.

Maggie made a movie!!! She told me she had the assignment from A/V class. Basically a movie in 5 shots with music and credits. She came out of her room and said she had thought of something and she needed Ruby. Ruby was so excited. At first, I was just in the living room and I could hear Maggie kindly directing Ruby, no, don't look at the camera; no, don't smile; nope, you can't laugh. Unfortunately, Ruby couldn't stop the laughing part. We had so much fun. I got to film one shot because Maggie was in it. It's like 30 seconds but it's so cute and funny.

I was trying to get Maggie's parking sticker and the school wouldn't accept it. She told me Maggie needed a driver's license and I said that is her license and she said no, that's a learner's permit. Which is how I found out THERE IS ANOTHER STEP in this process!!!

We were able to get a last minute appointment the day after she passed her final driving test. It was bananas. It ended up taking forever but we finally got it. Then Maggie wrecked my car, so that sucked. 

Back at it

Laurie and Grayson also got Covid. It's everywhere. Anyway, Ella and Jillian were supposed to spend the day with their Mom because Jeff was going to a game (I think) but the girls didn't want to get Covid so they came to my house!!! We had so much fun. I (as per usual) bought way too much food. We watched Speed. They both liked it but Jillian was hilarious. During the tense parts, she would run around the room and say, are they going to die? What's going to happen? It reminds me of the first time I showed Maggie Jurassic Park. She was so nervous during the tense scenes, she would run back and forth across the couch. 

I've come to the conclusion that my nieces are what grandparents say is so wonderful about grandkids. I care about their future and all that, but I have no responsibility for any of that. Thus, I can solely enjoy them. They are so fun and sweet and funny and it just feels like total joy to be with them. 

Although, my kids have been so awesome lately. Maggie is so easy. I tell her to do her chores and she just does them. We had one incident with a failing grade (I think that was two years ago) and then never again. The biggest issue we have is how mean she is to her little sister. A couple of weeks ago, I sat her down and said basically it has to stop. She complained and I told her Ruby will be her sister forever and everyone has good and bad parts and all that and we figure it out for the people we love. And. . . she has been so much better! Ruby is thrilled. She keeps asking me if Maggie will do this or that with her and she wants to do things for her. It is making me incredibly happy. 

Ruby struggled with going back to school but now that everything is consistent, she's doing much better too. She was very worried because this is the first year she'll be doing the STAAR test. I kept telling her she would do fine. Then her MAP scores came back and I explained to her that the MAP was literally created to predict who would and wouldn't pass the STAAR and she passed. I'm not sure if she understood but she hasn't brought it up since. 

We did her 504 meeting and got rid of all the behavioral parts. When she first got her 504, she was a first grader and unmedicated. That teacher had a really hard time with her and wanted behavioral accommodations, in addition to focus/attention accommodations. When we did it last year, we added that she can have snacks in the afternoon when her meds wear off. That teacher said she never uses the behavioral ones but it was early in the year so we left them in place. This year the new teacher didn't need them and last year's teacher confirmed she never used them, so we just dropped them. Now, it basically says don't forget she struggles with attention and focus and will need to eat in the afternoon. 

September

 I'm feeling pressure to teach Maggie all the things. She's so close to being a full-fledged adult. I'm especially trying to teach her to do the hard thing, persist, etc. 

She's such a joy! I feel like we almost exclusively just enjoy hanging out. She keeps up with school and does her chores without complaint. I rarely have to get on to her about anything (EXCEPT being mean to her little sister!!!) so we can just talk. 

Ruby can do cartwheels! Her teacher came up to tell me how well she's doing. She seems to mostly just jump around so it's exciting to see some progress. She is so funny about the fact that she didn't gain weight. She keeps looking at nutrition facts and telling me, Mom this has one fat in it, will it make me less skinny?

She apparently has been drinking milk at school again which has made her asthma horrible. I contacted the school when she was in Kindergarten to tell them not to let her get milk and they told me they couldn't do that. I talked to her again so I guess here's hoping. She told me her friend Sadie told her there is no dairy in chocolate milk. Oh jeez!

She asked me to make her something and she told me, I love to eat. Even though I'm picky, I love to eat. 

Another time, she said something rudely and I told her to ask nicely. She said, I can't ask nicely; I'm in a bad mood! 

I decided to continue with the exercise I had been doing. I set up an intense program when I thought I was doomed to a neurodegenerative disorder. And while I'm not, I'm going to get something, so I might as well do what I can. 

Almost September

 Maggie bought some key chains

Maggie is a mentor for the lower Web Design students this year. She has a group and she named it Goldfish and she drew this fish!

We went to see Nana while she was laid up.

Gwen's prom. Mamaw made that dress. 

Double birthday party! How crazy is that Gwen and I are 7 years, 3 days apart and my kids are 7 years, 1 day apart?!?

Early Gwen Christmas getting a King Kong doll

That's me and Honey Bear. Maybe she thought I was in her way. . . 

Amanda at her previous job. . . at a big cat rescue!!! Now, she works with horses.

Another goldfish drawing

What a work place

Smiley got adopted!

They renamed her Arrow

Christmas. Gwen sent us all these old pictures.

Ruby wrote me this note: You are the best mom in the world! I love you so much. Everyone wants you to be their mom. You did a good job making Honey not fat. 

What an endorsement!

Honey is OBSESSED with eating apples. We always give her what's left so, if you have one, she will follow you and stare and drool at you until you give it to her. 

Maggie and I did cat bingo again. We won so many times I was embarrassed to say bingo. We shoulda bought a lotto ticket. Oh yeah, there was a kitten!

Ruby's friend Oliver's birthday party. I had completely forgotten. My friend Tina was taking Ruby and she had forgotten too. She called me and said, Oliver's party is today! So we got ready super quick and all was well. Oliver has been in Ruby's class every year they've been in school. 

That's Ruby, Oliver, and Connor.

Me at my sleep study. 

Ruby's new class

She took a baby picture for Show and Tell

Look at his furry, curly footsies!!!

Oh yeah! That's New Dog. She's so good. She had never seen cats before and her mind was blown. I had to teach her to leave them alone and now she only sniffs them. She rarely barks, doesn't get into anything, and she's huge. I really like her. Maybe I'll keep her and take a break from fostering. She doesn't seem super smart. It took her a shockingly long time to figure out the dog door. Also, I have a little pedal thing so I can pedal any time I'm sitting during sessions (I stand for half and pedal for the other half; it's a lot of sitting or standing still). So, she was laying where her head was getting hit by the pedal and I thought well she'll move and she did, but it took an insane amount of getting hit by the pedal IN THE HEAD!!!

Those are her baby pictures.

Gwen thinks she looks Tom Petty in this picture.

Gwen says that's at Jeff's duplex in College Station and I had just burned her with some comment. I don't remember. 

End of August

 Ruby is now a big third grader. She actually has three teachers. Her homeroom teacher is her ELA teacher. Then she also has a math teacher and a science and social studies teacher. Sadie is in her class again so she's very excited about that! 

On a Sunday, I woke up and immediately noticed my throat was swollen. I walked out into the living room and one of the dogs had thrown up. Then I realized two dogs were missing. Then I saw one of my stupid (not Buddy!) cats brought a DEAD RAT into my house!!! 

I took ibuprofen, cleaned the vomit, and then I had to figure out the rat. I offered Ruby money to put it in a box but she changed her mind once she actually saw it. Then I sat there for a few minutes trying to decide if there was anyway possible that I could not be the one to pick it up. Then I devised a system using bags, a broom, and a box and it's gone. 

Eventually the dogs came back but I had to contact a handyman to come out that day to fix my fence. 

My throat hurt again the next day. That day I thought it was a sinus infection but it was worse on Tuesday. Gwen and I were supposed to go to see The Terminator that night but I spiked a fever. At that point, Gwen and Laurie said I needed to test for Covid and I had it! The girls never got it. It was gross. I felt so gross. As far as I know, that's the first time I've had it. 

I got my CPAP machine. It's definitely getting better. It's very hard to get used to. I've been using it about 10 days and I've only had one jump up and run around episode. 

I haven't been able to watch the Olympics for years. I had Peacock last time but it was only clips and hard to navigate. This year, I borrowed Laurie's Peacock login and I'm obsessed again!!! I remember why I love the Olympics so much. Ruby told me, Mom, this is a lot of Olympics. 

The movie theater we go to had a special of 1984 movies. I was in heaven. Unfortunately, I got Covid at the beginning. I missed the Terminator, which breaks my heart! I'll never get another chance to see it on the big screen and I LOVE that movie. We saw Ghostbusters, which was so fun, and Footloose. I had so much fun at Footloose. Ruby turned to me at one point and said, mom, I don't think I like this movie. Insane! Maggie enjoyed it. 

Ruby almost started a fire! She wanted to make noodles. Basically the dried noodles and spices are in a Styrofoam cup and you add water and cook in the microwave. Ruby forgot the step of adding water. Thankfully, we were playing cards in the living room so I smelled something and ran in and stopped the microwave. It smelled AWFUL!!! 

Another school year. . .

 Let's see. . . the school year started. As of the first day of school, Maggie still wasn't in her Lit Mag class. She (ON HER OWN!) went and found the teacher who runs the magazine and teaches the class and asked her to help Maggie fix, which she did. I was very proud. In fairness, first I had to refuse to come get her because her morning had been so hard, but after that, she took charge!

She also decided she does want to stay in Theater 2. Further, she wants to go with them to NYC this fall. I said, sorry, I can't get that together with such little notice but if she stays involved with Theater, I will let her go her junior and senior years. 

She applied for her first job! She got an immediate denial, I'm guessing because you have to be at least 16 and it just automatically kicked her out. We'll try again next month. She wants to work at Studio Movie Grill because her friend works there. 

The other day she came and got me and told me there was a HUGE lizard in her bathroom and could I come get it. I went in there and saw nothing. So, I got down and still couldn't see anything. Then she got down and said there it is but I still couldn't see it. I thought she might be pranking me, like how long could she keep me on the bathroom floor insisting there was something there. Eventually, I said just tell me if you see it again. She went and got her phone and took a picture. It was this tiny little guy and he was kinda up and on the back of the inside of the cabinet. 

I usually can't get Maggie until 4 pm. One day she decided to try to walk home. She got about 1/2 a mile and kinda freaked out. I left as soon as I could and got her. She was bright red and as soon as she got in the car, she told me, thank you so much for driving me to and from school, that was awful. She is so funny.

The end of old pictures!