Friday Night "Leftovers" (Back-to-School Edition)

Whew! The last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind of back-to-school busy-ness.

The amazing, wonderful Danifred over at Sippycups are Not for Starbucks often hosts "Friday Night Leftovers" in which bloggers can post random list-like updates that don't necessarily pertain to only one topic.... I thought I'd bounce out of my blogging lull by joining in the fun.

So now the "Leftovers..." The things I've been experiencing and mulling over the past few weeks.

Family:
-Emma:
--Em started first grade! And she turns 7 in 2 weeks....Such a beautiful young lady inside and out. I am grateful for her each day and can't believe how quickly she is growing up. Sighs.
--She seems to be adjusting to first grade pretty well. She was disappointed the first few days of school because only 2 of the 18 students from her kindergarten class are in her 1st grade class this year. (One is the class bully who always had a desk by himself while the other kindergartners sat in tables of 4....the kid who punched Emma in the arm when I was sitting right beside her on the bus ride for the zoo field trip last year....GRRRRR! The other is a sweet, super quiet girl whose primary language is Spanish...she and Emma get along, but Em tends to play with more "extroverted" kids.) Her other former classmates were dispersed to other 1st grade classes.
--Today marks the end of week #2 of school and Emma has made friends and shared stories of playing and interacting with her new classmates.
--She is excited to have her own desk and own books/notebooks/supplies (versus "community" markers, etc.) this year. While the desks are pushed together to form "tables," she still has a bit of independence, which is right up her alley.
--Her school opted to instate a uniform policy this year. (Yes, it's a public school.) Navy, white, or red polo shirt or plain t-shirt with khaki or navy pants/shorts/skirt/jumper. Emma has made me smile with her individuality as she wears socks and hair accessories that don't necessarily "coordinate" with her school attire. But I must say thus far getting ready in the morning has been SOOOOO much easier! No more battles and trying to re-negotiate on outfits chosen the night before.

Pics of Emma's first day:


Not sure what the kid in the background is so "surprised" about.



Notice the skull socks? A gift from my older sister, Michelle. If I remember correctly, Emma was wearing a pink hair bow in the back of her hair. I love my girl!

DH:
--Our 13th wedding anniversary is this weekend. (Which means we've been "together" for 16 years total---wow! Nearly half of my lifetime!) I am so fortunate to have him as a life partner. He helps me through highs and lows, cooks better and more frequently than I do, is a superb daddy for our Emma, and helps me to be a better person. Love ya, Aaron!
--Continues to keep on keepin' on with his writing. While still marketing his novel trying to obtain a literary agent, he has started writing yet another novel...amazing. I continue to be awed by his perseverance.

Parents:
--My parents are coming to visit for Emma's birthday and are going to visit Disney World with us for two days! I am SOOOOO excited about this! They haven't been to Disney since I was a baby in the baby-pack on my Dad's back. I'm stoked to watch them interact with Emma while we show them around the parks. Emma has been watching and re-watching the Disney vacation planning DVD (free from the park website!) and talking non-stop about the rides and activities she wants to do with Grandma and Grandpa. Of course I always look forward to visiting with my parents, but this particular visit will likely have a special kind of magic. :)

Me:
-Work:
--We have a new 6th grade administrator this year. He has helped to initiate amazing changes at my school. Though only the end of the 2nd week, we've had the smoothest opening-of-school since I started working at this school. There is a sense of calm and structure instead of the frenzied chaos of the last 2 years. Crossing my fingers that it lasts all school year...
--This Monday when I arrived at work there was a vase of carnations on my desk. The attached card was from my principal. The card thanked me for being the reading department head and stated that "children grow to love learning thanks to (me.)" I was amazed...SO nice to be acknowledged! I confirmed at lunchtime that flowers were placed on the desks of all subject area department heads. What a wonderful beginning of the year gesture to thank us for the time and effort we put in for NO extra pay!

-SIF:
--I had planned to post and question whether anyone else had felt "OUCH" this week when seeing multiple F.acebook posts "supporting breast cancer awareness" by playing a posting game....The following is cut/pasted from multiple messages in my FB inbox:
Ok pretty ladies, it's that time of year again, in support of breast cancer awareness!! Remember last year so many people took part that it made national news and, the constant updating of status reminded everyone why we're doing this and helped raise awareness!! Do NOT tell any males what the status' mean, keep them guessing!! And please copy and paste (in a message )this to all your female friends to see if we can make a bigger fuss this year than last year!!! I did my part... now YOUR turn! The idea is to choose the month you were born and the day you were born. Pass this on to the girls only and lets see how far it reaches around. The last one about the bra went round all over the world. So you'll write... I'm (your birth month) weeks and I'm craving (your birth date)!!! as your status.

Example: Feb 14th = I'm 2 weeks and craving Chocolate mints!!
January-1 week
Febuary-2 weeks July-10 weeks
March-3 weeks August-12 weeks
April-4 weeks September-13 weeks
May-6 weeks October-14 weeks
June-8 weeks November-16 weeks
December-18 weeks

(I'm not posting the super long 31 item list of candies and treats to "crave.")

If I had "played" along, I'd post: "I'm 4 weeks and craving Crunchies." First of all, I don't even know what the hell Crunchies are. Secondly, I was silently hurting a bit by reading about the multiple fake pregnancies of several FB friends. I fail to understand how posting and pretending to be PG is "supporting" breast cancer awareness. My 1st thought was that many cancer survivors are infertile due to the chemo and medications they endure to fight cancer. My 2nd thought was-- why are we are "NOT telling any males" about the "game?" How the heck can something promote awareness if you "hide" the purpose behind it? UGH. I had an internal rant (longer than this) ready to post. Then, I came across a blog, linked on FB by an old high school friend. I LOVE it. I completely agree with many of the author's points...

CGWardPhotography--Regarding the FB Breast Cancer Awareness Games

As much as we all hate to be part of the IF-world, it was nice to read that I am not the only person who found the "game" insensitive. What are your thoughts on the issue?

-Fun:
--Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll catch up....I have a cool "wax hand" post I need to write. I also need to update my books read list and postings.
--Off to start the 3 day weekend! :)


Edit: Upon blog-surfing this morning, I came across an entry today by the wonderful Mel over at Stirrup Queens. Another excellent post about how the cancer awareness games are hurtful to those experiencing infertility issues.

Life Updates

Wow...I've been away for a month?? A busy summer it has been!

• Vacation: We had a great time during our Ohio trip! We stayed at my parents' house and were able to spend lots of time with them and my sister Laurel. Photos below...
  

July Fourth:


Em as we headed to the July 4th fireworks. LOVED the headband (from $1 section of Tar.get.) TOO cute! :)




Em took this pic of my sis and I as we waited for fireworks.


Grandma and Grandpa (photo by Em)


Me and DH (another pic by Em)



My Dad took this pic of us at the July 4th parade. Dad rode on the Knights of Columbus float in the parade. Emmaism: "My Grandpa is in the parade! How cool is that?" Smiles.
BTW---This pic looks cute cropped and zoomed...but I couldn't get my "edited" pics to post. Sighs. :)



Laurel took this self-portrait of her and Emma

Beach Day:
We had a great time at the Alum Creek beach! (Though the thick, kitty-litter consistency sand wasn't as fun to play with as the sand on our Florida beaches.)






Em and Grandpa didn't seem to mind the rough sand.






DH spent time writing. He's working on his 3rd novel. The umbrella cracks me up...it's the only one we could find in my parents' garage.


Self-portrait of moi.


Em liked that the sandbar went out nearly 40 feet, so she could go farther out independently, than she does in FL.





Museum Day:
We spent a day at the COSI museum in Columbus. Not too many pics...I was having too much fun to stop and take photos!

Em on a ride in the "Progress" area of COSI. (Hallways with 1880's and hallway with 1960's store fronts.)



Em building a bridge in the "Gadgets" area of the museum.


Scientist Mouse Emma


Emma and Auntie Laurel pose as aliens.

McDonald's:
We met our friends the Palus Family in Richmond, IN for a playdate at Mickey D's. The Palus' are our buddies who moved from our neighborhood in FL and now live far away in IN. How I wish they still lived near us!


Me--acting silly with the wings from Em's "Airbender" toy.


Katie and Em


Left to Right: Zack, Katie, Nick, Emma


Me and DH

Cousins Time:
Em loved being able to play with her 3 year old cousins Summy and Jack. As the boys are no longer babies or young toddlers it was the first time the cousins could play independently. (We actually had grown-up conversations while the kiddos played...yay!) The kids had a great time in the playroom and on the swing set at the boys' house.




Jack, Emma, Summy



This was the 1st time Emma ever hung upside down on a moving object independently. She LOVED the trapeze and spent lots of time on it.




Summy enjoyed going down the slide on his back, but head-first.


Jack followed the upside-down-on-the slide action.

Young's Dairy Farm:
We met our friends' the Uptons at the Young's farm. We had a great time feeding the goats, viewing the animals, playing in the play yard, and eating the freshly-made-on-the-farm ice cream.


Me, Laurel, and Emma






Shannon and I have been friends since we were in the 3rd grade.


Baby Oliver (turned 6 months old the week of this pic.)


DH and Travis are buds too.


Spencer


Karly


Emma


Ice cream time!

Sights I've never seen in Florida:






This sign in my hometown cracks me up every time I read it. Anyone want to join me for some "joint recreation?" JOKE!


Hay in the field diagonally across the street from my parents' house.


Em flying a kite in my parents' amazing, ginormous back yard. (Note the corn fields in the rear of the photo.)

• Family: --Shout-out to my sister Laurel who finished her Masters' in Ed degree while we were in Ohio. Woot-woot!
  
• DH continues to plug away on his writing. He is nearing the completion of his 3rd novel and continues to seek representation for a publisher for his books. I'm so proud of him!
  
• My bro-in-law and his family are in town this week. We had a nice dinner at my In-law's house last night. It was great to see everyone! Watching Em and her cousins play together is especially precious.
  

• School: Only 2 weeks of summer left. It always passes so quickly!
• I attended an awesome 2-day training last week. 3 other people who are on the "Data Committee" with me at school attended the training as well. It helped provide insight on what the Data Committee's role should be within our school. In addition, it helped us to set measurable and attainable goals for our committee for this year... WAY important as last year I don't feel we were effective. Now we just have to get the other committee members on board when we meet as a team after school starts.
  

• Emma: Has been swimming up a storm! She has learned how to swim independently, but still needs to master the art of taking a breath while swimming. She tends to only swim to a ladder/person to grab on to/wall, come up for air, and then swim some more. I'm pleased with her progress though. :)
  
• We went to the beach with bro-in-law and his family today and the new inner-tube Em got was a big hit. She loved to "ride the waves" and it was fun watching her enjoy herself.
• We went this weekend and spent $85 buying all of the items on her school supply list. We just need to get a backpack and she's set to start school.
  
• Orientation to meet Em's teacher and get acclimated with the school is on the 20th. I still can't believe my baby is going to be in Kindergarten. Wow.
  

• IF Issues: I was SUPER angry and disappointed this morning. Remember back in January when I met with my OBGYN and agreed to use an Ovulation/Fertility Monitor for 6 months and then return for a follow-up visit if still not PG? My appointment was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. It has been scheduled SINCE JANUARY. This morning the office called to cancel because my doc is "on vacation" this week. ARGH. I'm disappointed because I am ready to meet about my next steps. I am angry because I have been off work ALL SUMMER....and of course they couldn't re-schedule the appointment until the middle of the month when I'm back to work. GRRR.
  
• I won a book-give away at the wonderful Sunny in Seattle's blog. Yay! I am halfway through "Understanding and Coping with Infertility: Unsung Lullabies" and am really liking it (as much as one can "like" a book about an issue they wish they didn't have.) The language is easy to understand and is written by 3 doctors who have all experienced IF issues (2 of the 3 are a married couple, it's been cool to have a male's perspective included.) I felt validated...and especially like this quote, "Infertility is a trauma because it attacks both the physical and emotional sense of self; it presents us with multiple, complicated losses, it affects our most important relationships, and it shifts our sense of belonging in the world."
  

• Books: I have been reading TONS...one of my favorite things about summer! This week I finished the Kingdom Keepers III book and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I recommend both! The Tattoo Girl took nearly 100 pages for me to get into...a bit of a difficult beginning. However, once I was into the plot, it was great...and I want to read books 2 and 3 of the trilogy now. :) One of these days I'll get my list on the sidebar updated.
  

• Blog: My 2 year blogoversary was last week. THANK YOU again to my sweet readers who lend an ear, offer support, share ideas, and give blog love. I heart you!!!
  

ICLW #4

Hello, visitors! Here are 10 random things I'd like you to know about me as I participate in ICLW for the 4th time.

1. The pronunciation of my name: Alana rhymes with iguana.

2. DH and I have been married 11 years in September (and "together" for 14!)

3. I am the middle child in a family with 3 daughters.

4. My sisters and I are all teachers. (Me--8th grade reading, Older Sis--just got her Ph.D and will be working at Drew University this fall, Younger Sis--high school Spanish)

5. I detest peas. Can't stand the smell, the taste, the look. Major yuck!

6. When I was a child I was fascinated by grandfather clocks... It started with Nancy Drew's "Secret of the Old Clock" (which turned out to be a mantel clock, but was a grandfather clock the way I pictured it in my head while reading,) continued with "Webster" (remember the 80's TV show?) who had a secret passageway hidden behind the grandfather clock in his house, and carried on with my middle school summer viewing of "The Price is Right" in which contestants could often win grandfather clocks as part of their living room "Showcase Showdown" packages.
When DH's grandmother died a few years ago, he inherited an amazing grandfather clock that his Pappaw hand-crafted years ago. It is now in our living room and is one of my favorite things in our home.

7. Other than one toe, I've never broken any bones. (*Knocking on wood...*)

8. Many things in my life involve the letter "A:"
--My 1st name (and married last name) begin with A
--DH's first and last name both start with A
--My blood type is A+
--I sing in the Alto range
--My birthday is in April
--My astrological sign is Aries
--My cat is named Abby
--I'm interested in Astronomy and stargazing
--I love word games. One Anagram for my first and last name is: Sandal on an ear

9. My daughter shares a birthday with one of my Dad's younger brothers.

10. I was having a rough time coming up with a #10. I asked my 4-year-old, "What's something you'd want people to know about you?" She responded, "I like to do arts and crafts."
GREAT answer---me too! :)

If interested in my IF history, click HERE

And last, but not least, a Happy Father's Day shout-out:
--To all the Fathers out there who have a child (or children) who is (are) no longer with them here on Earth...I know today is bittersweet for you.
--To my wonderful DH (From the jazz music played through headphones on my belly when I was pregnant, to the first time you held Em, to the wrestle-matches you have today, I love partnering with you as we raise our daughter. And I have extra love for you because of your support as we try to expand our family!)
--To my father-in-law (You cook and bake like a pro! And I SO admire your people-skills... you have the ability to strike up a conversation with anyone anywhere.)
--To my Dad (He's en route with my Mom right now from Ohio to Washington state, in part to help my sister move from Seattle, WA to New Jersey. Dad, you're awesome! I love your giving heart and willingness to help others!)

In closing, I'm looking forward to meeting new blog friends and finding new blogs to read! Happy ICLW week. :)

ICLW--Welcome!

Welcome, ICLWers! This is my 3rd time participating in International Comment Leaving Week. As always, I am looking forward to meeting new online friends, and checking out new blogs. :)

Since most ICLWers are here because of Mel's blog, I thought I'd do a quick run-down of my IF history...

--Met DH in 1994. We lived in the same co-ed dorm at Ohio University. We started dating in 1995 and got married in 1998, shortly after moving from Ohio to Florida.

--We intentionally waited 4 years before TTC. We wanted to pay off some loans, get settled with our bills, become a 2-car instead of 1-car household, etc. Not to mention, it was great to have lots of "US" time. :)

--Once we began "trying," my OBgyn said not to "worry," until after 2 years, as I had been on various forms of birth control pills over the years.

--Right at the 2 year mark, I became pregnant with our daughter, Emma. She was born healthy and sweet at 37 weeks in Sept 2004. I cherish her everyday!

--For 3+ years now, we've been TTC another child. Emma has mentioned interest in having a sibling many times. She will be 5 in September. As she gets older, I freak out---I don't want her to be an "only" child. I have real issues with this. Sibling relationships are SO important to me. But at the same time, I don't want a huge age gap between her and a sibling...so it's a bit of an internal struggle for me sometimes.

--Of course, as Emma gets older, I get older too. I turned 34 this past April. I try not to freak out too much, when each month passes and I'm not PG yet. This is somewhat of an internal struggle at times too. When will I know I should give up on my dream of having another child?

--This past January ('09) we were thrilled to learn I was pregnant. DH and I were very excited! We planned to share the news with our families after my OB appointment (scheduled for 2 weeks after my HPT) confirmed the pregnancy. Sadly, I had a miscarriage a few days before the appointment. (If you're interested in details, you can read this post or click on any items labeled "peanut" or "miscarriage" in my blog topic list.)

--After my miscarriage, my OB told me to come back this summer if I wasn't PG yet, and we would figure out our next steps from there.

--On a side note, I suspect that I also had a miscarriage in the fall of '08. However, as I never took a hpt nor went to the OB, this is unconfirmed. But based on the way my body felt, and the miscarriage I endured in January, I'm pretty sure I had one in the fall as well.

--So, I am praying for peace of mind. If I am not meant to have another child, let me figure it out and find peace. If I am meant to have another child, let me stay calm, try to remain be patient and wait for the good things to come.

--Now it's a waiting game... and a hoping game... and a keep-going-without-getting-too-down-on-myself game... Welcome to my blog, where I vent to keep myself sane! :)