Have my prayers been answered I do not know...BUT I got a phone call the yesterday from the Supervisor of the SN District.  She of course knows me and my children very well as they have all been in her system for over three years.  So she tells me L I need the address of your new sitter and I am WORKING to get V transport both ways BUT we need her addy call me back and leave it... So I said what about Nikolai and she said do you want him to go to V...Y ( name of school) too?  I said Yes and she said I know we are working on that too.  I said he is in K so half day she said I know get me the address of the new sitter... leave it on voice mail.

 

What is it true they are helping me?  Can possibly V be bussed a few miles to daycare and even N too??? WOW 

Have my prayers been answered? 

 

Stress gone from yesterday but no response today so stress is rebuilding.

 

Only four days left to the end of school....

 

 

The school year is winding down, I have now been on the search for a new childcare provider for almost three months- but no luck.  I need someone in our elementary school area.  Odd but noone seems to know of ANYONE that has private babysitter in the area.  I have talked to every teacher I know and two principals..but it is like crickets, with nothing to say, noone has advice.

 

So the dilemna is this.  I have found a very good new babysitter, who will take all of my three kids and has accepted my price.  Problem she is out of the busing zone for the elementary in our neighborhood.  Still in the suburb school system, but at a different elementary.  The kids have all attended school at her elementary because that is where the preschool is located and both boys went there before heading to Kindergarten.  Oksana will go there in the fall.

 

I can inquire about getting Nikolai to be able to go to the K there with paperwork and lots of pleading and room.  He is not my biggest dilemna.  Vitaly on the other hand needs things to remain the same, stability and the friends he has formed.  He is in awe of a little girl in his class /sunday school and he talks about her all of the time.  He is in a SN class for half days and knows his therapists/teachers and principal.  They have accepted him and have adapted to his SN and we have worked through many things.  His SN teacher will change next year but his classroom environment will remain for another year.

 

SO how do I get him transported out of the zone, to the babysitter, if I stay with her, until any other option becomes available.  The school is stating they cannot transport him (he is on a SN bus due to safety issues) but I feel they should provide transport in special cases if this is the only place I can find for him.  BTW it is only about 2 miles from his school zone.   I would have to hire someone for before /after school care but again no takers.

 

I am stressed because if you read what happened last year with transport the first day, and V getting on the wrong bus, I do not want to hit that wall the first day.  School is over in two weeks.  My kids do not know where they will be going to school.

I am stressed.  Oh and to make matters worse I asked for N to ride V's bus and include it on his IEP.  If you do not stress it in the IEP they can ignore the request.  So I asked.  They agreed.  Then heard my predicament and stated that because V might not attend N's school they would not write it in.  If I want it changed major paperwork.  How can a family have to put one child on a SN bus, one child has to walk (or be transported to school -we are a mile away) and my daughter transported on a different bus.  Totally insane

 

Therefore my stress level is maxed.  Two weeks to make a decision.

 

Just tonight another lady called me out of the district as well, but volunteering to drive the kids to school.  Not sure that sounds reliable.

 

What is a mother to do????

I have posted some assorted pictures from April- May

 

Some are of Oksana and Nikolai who went outside to explore and came back caked in mud from a puddle.  There was also a complete downpour which helped to clean off a bit of the mud (and a trip straight to the bathtub)

 

There are some pictures of the kids who had a blast at the Shriners Circus.  Each one got to get a big overlypriced ballon but they had a blast!

 

A few pics of Oksana and her new professional haircut.  Oksana has such fine straight hair it is hard to get it right.

 

Enjoy a few of Oksana eating her watermelon outside.  She was so cute and was just hamming it up!

 

Finally pics of the kids in their Ukrainian outfits.  We went to a local event where various countries serve food/drink and dance.  Ukraine is one of the countries, so we love to let the kids wear their outfits there.  Besides they are growing so fast they wont fit in them much longer.

Happy Mother's Day to all moms and moms to be and moms in waiting and those alive and those we remember!!!

 

It is such an awesome experience for me to know that I am a mama. mom, Mommy, ma, and this and that after all of the years that I never thought I would have children.   Now I have three.  God is good.

 

So here is one for the GIRLS!!!

 

And now on a side note.

 

I have decided to do a dedication for my mommy

 

She unfortunately died too young.  She died the same year I got married and graduated from college (she passed away before both) and she only new my brother for sixteen short years.

 

To my Mother :  Happy Mothers Day

 

You were beautiful.

You were kind.

You loved your five children.

You taught me all of the secret family recipes.

You loved my foot rubs.

You always forgot your tea cup on the roof of your car. 

You took me to find a wedding gown, before you revealed you were ill.

I bought that gown after you died, since you had seen it.

You missed not having grandchildren to hold, as only one out of your five children gave you that chance.  I remember you saying that it was okay that you rarely saw them as you had four more children yet to have kids.  Sadly you never saw any of them.

I wish you had met your grandchildren.

I wish you had met my children.

I know you would have treated them with unconditional love and affection and spoiled them, as only Grandmothers can do.

I wish you had been there when I brought Vitaly, then Nikolai, then Oksana home.

I wish they had a living grandmother

I wish I had a mother to talk with about my children.

I wish you were alive.

I hope you are enjoying your life as an Angel

I know you are our guardian Angel

I miss you

I love you!

 

 

 

Oh My Lordy!

I turned 40!!!!!

 

 

Thank you for all the well wishes so kind.  It might have been nice if my father had remembered but then again he has forgotten my Bday almost every year of my life!  So why is today any different...

 

Thank you Rah Rah and Kimmy for spending the day with me love you both!!!!

 

We all had planned on dinner together at home and the kids and DH even made me a cake but we girlies hung out a bit longer then expected and one of us was a "big winner" on the boat - not me of course.

 

So my day has passed I am now officially in the 40-45 category on surveys-sigh

 

 

Does anyone remember the show Thirty Something.  I actually thought it was kinda mellow dramatic cool but I was in my twenties and thought they were SO old because they were in there thirties!  So why did they not make a show called Fourty Something?  Is it because fourty is too boring or mid lifey or what????  There must be a reason!!!

 

Well the day is coming to a close.  I am moving onto a new decade of the 40, which is pretty assured unless God decides he has had enough of my snoring and takes me in the night.

 

Today I had to go to work unfortunately, as I had planned the day off for my own "pity party".  But since O was sick, I yesterday unplanned I had to work a half day.  Afterwards I headed to get a manicure and pedicure, which took almost 2.5 hours.  I wanted a facial too but ran out of time as I had to get the kids.  DH asked me about dinner but I said it was my "pity party" and therefore I was not cooking!  So we went out for pizza.

 

Now we are at home and the problem I am having (Jane this is why I dont like to be in town on birthdays) is that it is very Q..U..I..E..T!  No real talk about my birthday...no birthday cards arriving two days early by my father and family...Nothing.  Too QUIET.  Yes my two BFFs are taking me to the riverboat for some blackjack early in the day but otherwise I have heard of no plans.

So..

 

A.  Something that I do not want to happen will happen (Surprise this or that)

B.  We will go to dinner as a family as I requested

C.  Everyone forgot and DH listened to my request for nothing

D.  Noone cares/forgot/other things to think about/who cares....

 

CYA
Leanna 39 and Holding!

 

 

 

 

Well the baby sitter called today saying Oksana was sick!  That is what you get going to the Hospital (yesterday for THREE hours) for her annual cleft team follow up.  A sick baby from all the nasty germs.  So after taking off half a day yesterday I had to tell my boss I needed to leave early and pick her up today.  The problem is I took Friday (tomorrow) off as a day of self-mourning pre birthday to spend money on myself!  But of course, now I have to go to work for part of the day on Friday, so much for my pedicure!  (Oh and these toes need it last one was in Ukraine- dont picture it, it is not pretty)

 

So after I picked the children up I went to drop off a prescription, and noticed the kiddie haircut place was running a great special, so I took all three in!  Princess Oksana has the cutest little undercut pixie now. 

 

 

 

 

Okay my friend that adopted a wonderful little boy with the help of M sent me this:  Sandy you are a bad girl but thank you! Still it doesnt relieve my pity party!!!

 

Okay as many of you are all aware I am heading(( being dragged)) into another decade and I DONT WANNA GO!!! WAAAAAHHHH!!!

 

I like my thirties.  Theyare okay, at least once I accepted the transition from twenties.  After all in my thirties, I found my babies...but now I must face a new phase of my life and it is called...middle age. 

 

BUT, on the upside I am still in generation thirty something, so on those little surveys I can STILL mark 35-39 at least until Saturday.

 

Four days to go.... until the THE day!

 

 

So today I took the elusive Psycho Dog (PD) out of the house for a trip to the groomers.  Now PD hates outsiders and has a nasty habit of barking persistently and chewing on things in cars (therefore trip are few and far between anymore).  But I held PD tightly by the collar as I drove a few blocks to the doggie spa.  I had to carry her in (now mind you this is a "hefty" ((weight noted as such at the vets)) border collie) because she didnt want to go.  So I brought her in (her second trip to this groomer she had gone at Christmas) and they were like Yes we remember Skye she did excellent and we remember her sister too ( our other dog Stormy aka River Rat (RR)).

 

I was a bit in shock as the lady casually opened her mouth to exam her badly stained old dog teeth and PD just stood there with no reaction- but I knew she was ready to bolt if anyone could so highly help in opening the door.  But no luck on her part and she went back to get her bi yearly grooming.

 

I spent the day with the kids and came back to pick her up.  They all oohed and ahhhed at how good of a girl PD was.... ( I hear all of my friends and family laughing here ha ha).

 

So I said great I will be back next week with River Rat smiling

 

They were shaking their heads...What are they doing that for?

 

Well actually we are not allowing Stormy (RR) to come back.

What I am thinking you let PD the worlds craziest dog to come here and the worlds friendliest dog is banned?  Yes they said unfortunately RR did not like the cage nor did she like the grooming collar stand and fought back the whole time.  So I try and be casual about it.  RR was probably just scared since she was in shelters two other times before we rescued her.  SMILE

 

Nope no go they just shook their heads.  And just like that my dog has been BANNED from a groomer.  Go figure the dog that bites and hates everything may go, but the dog that loves everyone and hates been caged is banned. 

 

Oh well at least Skye got her free facial with a tooth scrub today