Easter Weekend 4/3/15 - 4/5/15

Four months into 2015 and I have yet to post to this blog.  I SUCK!!  Plain and simple hahaha

EASTER WEEKEND

Friday April 3, 2015  --- GOOD FRIDAY
     And a good Friday it was.  No dance or activities for the kids, Myles and Madison had no school, so the kids just hung out during the day.  Madison stayed with PopUp all day since she was planning on going to a gig with him later on.  The little ones came home for a little while and then we dropped them back off to Mama after the play at Church so they could spend the night.
     Damian also had no gigs, so we decided to head down to The Side Door in Old Lyme to see the Ralph Peterson Sextet.  This meant we got to see Zaccai and Luques play also.  Such a nice place.  I had never been before and it was quite the spot.  We also got to see Josh Evans play, who I honestly haven't heard play since Damian and I were dating. UMMM--- Talk about a great performance!!  Ralph OBVIOUSLY put on a phenomenal show and it was nice to see him as well.  The other 2 members of the band were Marcus Strickland (who I had heard of but never heard play-and boy was he GREAT) and Hailey Niswanger( who was also fantastic).  It was such a great show and I had an awesome time.  Tom, Paul, and Yvette also came to see the band and it was nice to have some time to catch up with Yvette who was enjoying day 1 of her and Paul's kid free weekend!!I also got to see Yunie, who I hadn't seen forever.  Do you see the trend-- I never see anyone-- I really need to get out more :)

It was good for Damian and I to get out and do something together, since it doesn't happen often.  Not to mention, it must have been must have been my lucky week because I also got to see Karina..and that would mean that I saw her twice in one week.  Seriously, that is a rare thing.  Between her schedule and Luques' and then Damian and mine with the kids, we HARDLY see each other.  Definitely not as much as I would like.  But we are working on that.  We try hard to stay in touch by texting/ calling occasionally, but sometimes the time lapses between texts makes me ashamed!  We are hoping, well at least I am, to start getting together more often.

Here are a couple of "selfies" from when we saw Karina when she was up for the Passion of The King play at the end of March:

Oh how I love her!!!!!!  I miss her so much and wish we didn't let so much time pass between seeing one another!  She is one of my favorite people!!

Saturday, April 4, 2015
     All the kids were at Mama and PopUp's for the morning, Damian had to work as usual, and me---  well, I was getting ready to run my first quarter marathon or 10K-- 6.55 miles.
I was meeting up with Jen, Whitney, and a few of their friends to run the Greater Hartford 9th annual quarter Marathon at the reservoir in West Hartford.  I was so nervous, did lousy, BUT-- I FINISHED!

My view at one point while I was running... the fact that I was able to take this picture shows that I really wasn't using all of my energy for the run haha

 I had to walk more than I ever would have wanted, and once I start walking, it is harder for me to get my groove back.  I will be running another one at the end of May in Mystic, so I hope to do better then.  I am also starting a new training regiment that I hope will improve my motication, discipline, and pace just a little.
 I will never be a FAST runner but I AM A RUNNER!! I am going to try to embrace that term.  Doesn't mean that I love running, but I do love the feeling I get at then end of the run.  I feel invincible! And I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything.
   For the afternoon on Saturday, Madison went off with Lisa to a birthday party at Launch Trampoline Park and the little ones and I headed over to Grandma Virginia's house to hang out and color some Easter eggs (which I stupidly left over there, uuugghh)

Me and Jaida attempting to decorate an egg.. she only lasted about a minute before deciding she didn't want to have anything to do with eggs

Sunday, April 5, 2015 --- EASTER SUNDAY
     The kids woke up pretty early to get their Easter baskets. Well, Mayci woke up them up early because she was crying about a sore throat.  Damian decided not to join us for the baskets because he was so tired, but Lisa Face-timed with us!

Note Jaida's little basket at the far left :).. then Madison, Myles, and Mayci's baskets-- we don't go to crazy for Easter in our household

Myles, was extremely unimpressed with his basket.  Unfortunately the Easter bunny got him a movie that he already had at Mama's house, a lego set thing that he doesn't like, and he has now informed me that he does NOT like M&M's anymore- yet I swear he ate a whole bag the week before, but you know-- kids....  **epic Mom/Easter bunny failure**
Madison seemed to really like the outfit she got and she actually picked out the movie she got in her basket so I know she liked that.  And Mayci-- well, Mayci likes everything- I think her favorite was the jelly beans.  Sadly though, she only ate 1 jellybean and then ended up throwing up shortly after and feeling sick for a better part of Easter morning.

Mayci's set up in the earlier part of the day-- peep the "throw-up" bucket to her right :)

We headed over to Ted and Abby's in the early afternoon and as always, they had cool treasure hunts, hidden eggs and baskets for the kids to find.  Thanks to some interesting remedy that Zaccai gave us, Mayci was feeling pretty good so she was able to participate and have fun with the rest of the kids.  Julie, Justine, Obed, Davian, and Dej all came by also.  So great to see them and the kids had a blast.  Mayci and Dej played so well together and Madison and Davian always get along GREAT!!  I love watching them interact with one another!

I swear I was taking a picture of something here... if you squint  your eyes, tilt  your head to the left and look in themiddle towards the back of the picture, you will see Madison and Davian (they sort of blend in to the trees)out on their treasure hunt  They are just sooo darn cute!!

Madison getting all  up in Dej's face while Dej is trying to look at her Easter basket in peace

They all sang Happy Birthday to Pop Up whose birthday is on April 8th

Dalila and Iliana came by to hang out as well.  It was nice and laid back.  Although the weather was rainy and at one point, there were even some snow flurries, it didn't stop the kids at all from running around outside to look for "treasures" and candy filled plastic eggs!  The kids asked to stay over Sunday night into Monday since Julie, Zaccai, and Davian were staying and because Damian and I are such pushovers **HAHAHA**  we said yes!!

Hopefully you had a fun filled weekend, whether you celebrate Easter or not!!


 

September 26-Sept. 28, 2014 Weekend in Review

This past week as been a little crazy, frustrating, and busy for us.

~~~~DISCLAIMER-- this one gets a wee bit more into my  mind as person, as a wife, and as a mom, not all smiles, rainbows, and sunshine~~~

On Thursday I received both an email and a telephone call that Mayci had been accepted into a magnet school for PK3.  It was the Ana Grace Academy of the Arts Elementary School in Avon, formerly know as Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Elementary School.  I was so happy, but that quickly faded as I got all the forms together to begin filling them out.  Unfortunately transportation is only provided from grades K- 12 with that school and they start at 8:30a and end at 3p.  Of course I looked into the after school program.  With that there is no guarantee that your child would get in because there is limited availability and the expense would have been one that just would not have been feasible.  So we declined the placement and hopefully made some family very happy for their child in PK3!!

Myles is still going through some adjustments with school and sleeping, but it seems to be getting better daily.  He has been working on reading and we have been trying to practice sight words regularly.  Poor thing gets frustrated while writing, but he always keeps trying.

Madison is back in the swing of things with school and dance.  This week she will be running for Student Advisory President and is also hoping to audition for a musical on the 15th. She is giving a speech for her "campaign" for the Student Advisory President-- I thought it sounded great, but I may be a little biased.

Damian and I have been super busy with our own little things.  Damian's gigs, lessons, and rehearsals occupy a lot of his time.  I have been trying to maintain my sanity by running, but this weekend, that proved to be quite the failed attempt.  I also think that sometimes just the stress of trying to fit running into my schedule adds to my "craziness"

Friday night after dance, Madison stopped at grocery store, picked up some ice cream/frozen yogurt(Madison is lactose intolerant) and pizzas, headed home and fell asleep watching movies.  the little ones, as per usual, think they are cooler than us and stayed with Mama and Popup.

Saturday I went for my, now routine, morning run with Jen and then headed home to get ready for Apple Picking with the kids, Lisa, and Lisa's friend M'elisa. 

 







We had some car trouble before we left that resulted in buying a new battery and having Grandpa Wayne take a look at some things... but thank goodness--- he was able to get us up and running.  Normally Lisa and I take the kids to Lyman Orchards for our apple picking and Pumpkin picking needs, but decided to switch it up this year.  We headed to the Bushy Hill Orchard on Clark Farms in Granby.  A much easier ride and the kids had a blast.  Madison sort of does her own thing, Mayci just needs 1 apple to eat, and Myles is extremely particular about the apples he picks.  Mind you, he doesn't even eat apples.  But-- if he is picking an apple and it falls on the ground, then, NOPE.. he can't have it,  If it looks the least but dirty, then NOPE, that's a no go as well.  It was pretty warm on Saturday so wen ended our time at the Orchard eating apple cider doughnuts and ice cream.



I was supposed to be meeting some friends at the track to do some practices for the Fitathlon that we have coming up, so I headed home with the kids to have them change into shorts and for me to get changed. Madison ended up staying over at Grandma Virginia and Grandpa Wayne's house.  Now, I am not exactly sure what happened between my mom's house and mine, but somewhere along the way, I became very overwhelmed.  Unfortunately this feeling does not normally end well for me.  I will spare you from all of the not so great embarrassing details, but I will share this:  I was unacceptable.  I behaved in a way towards Damian that was completely inappropriate.  Now let me be very clear- the majority of what I said about how I was feeling, was true, BUT the manner in which I said it and my actions during and immediately after are none that even deserve repeating. I also don't think that either one of was saying things in a loving way or in a way that would make the other want to listen, but as an adult I need to acknowledge MY faults and mine alone. 

I allowed my anger to control me and my actions, and I need to work on that.  It's becoming so common that my apologies are no longer valid in the hearts of those I hurt.  No one deserved to be subjected to what I was dishing out in those moments, even the ones that I was mad at.  Any other ladies out there feel that this happens to them as well??

Anyway-- no the real, raw, emotional stuff is out there on the table, let's move forward.

Sunday was a pretty blah day for me.  The little ones and Damian headed down to New London to hang out with Damian's cousins.  By the time they got home, Mayci was asleep for the night and Myles was so tired.  I'm guessing they had a great time.  In the morning I was running in a 5K... not my greatest run but still felt great all the same!  My time was a little slower than usual and I did stop and walk because of some pain in my shins that seems to be getting worse.  I picked Madison up later in the afternoon, we went to the grocery store, and then just hung out at home.  Just another laid back day in the Curtis household.   Enjoy another little photo shoot of Miss Jaida:



I'm hoping everyone had a slightly better weekend than I did.. and I am praying that no one allowed their emotions to get the best of them :)

****** in case there is even any one reading this, or if anyone even cares... things are okay in our world.  The kids are happy, Damian and I have a lot of work to do, and we are committed to continue to work towards the couple we need to be******