Two days back at school and the kids have another day off for parent-teacher interviews....actually student-led conferences. We went on Tues. after school because that way Gerard could come and only take an hour off work and my whole day is not gone on Wed. Niessa and Timothy did really well in showing us all the stuff they had done in school so far. It's really neat to see them explain everything they have in their binders and show us the different things in their classroom. They both have really good teachers and it would have been nice to talk to them too (without the kids there) but there are not any concerns. They are just starting with learning sight words and sounding things out, it's so amazing and exciting, a whole new world will open up for them when they can read. And then maybe Mommy won't have to read stories all the time.lol

After the conferences we out for dinner at the Pantry, there was a special on, with every paying adult one kid's meal was free. I had a WONDERFUL time. Anytime I get "off" from dinner it is such a treat and the kids all behaved so well (well Danielle only had to go to the bathroom a thousand times, she is learning that that is one way to get out of her high chair and FAST. What a stinker! The waiter even

said we had such polite children and were so well behaved!!! What!! can I tape-record that? lol
I decided to do a lot of Mommy Kids stuff today since everyone was at home. Sometimes it is a bit overwhelming as there always seem to be so many things to "work" on with the kids. Niessa /Timothy sight words, Sharleen riding her bike, Danielle potty training...never mind basic kindness and manners. But today Wed. we went to the park. It was such nice weather I just had to take them even though I had wanted to get lots of other things done. Sharleen rode her bike there with no training wheels. We had taken them off last summer but then went to the zoo and put them back on b/c I did not want to have to help her, busy enough with all the other kids, and the training wheels never came off again. oops! but they are off now and she is doing great. She even said today"I can bike in the grass without my training wheels" It must be nice to b/c it is not so noisy for her with her hearing aids, the noise must be so intent

se and for me b/c maybe she will actually be able to hear me now when she is biking.
Carlyen came over at 12:00, she is Sharleen's speech therapist and so much more. She is only coming once a month instead of every other week. The center she works out of wants to cut back on the driving time, and Carylen says she is doing fine. She was here till 2:15 and then I did some painting with the kids we hung up the pictures and they all took turns telling a story and pointing at the pictures with the ruler. It was a real mommy day today. ( I think I already said that) We all claped when they were done and they got to do a bow. Then I STARTED cleaning up our craft cupboard but got sidetracked as the kids wanted to color in all the forgotten coloring books and exercise books so I ended up sitting down and coloring with them but said no to making all the crafts out of the Christmas craft book. The house was a total mess when Gerard came home or at least tons of little bits of paper all over the kitchen from all the snowflakes the kids were making. So I didn't get the craft cu board done...maybe tomorrow.

We had to get the kids in bed by 7:00 tonight b/c we had a meeting with Sharleen's hearing center. We used to have to be there by 7:00 but since we got Internet we do the whole meeting online. Very cool... everybody logs in ( about ten of us) and we listen to the presentation. I got all my mending done and cut Gerard's hair something that really needed to be done, while we listened. Now what is better than that. Then Gerard was off to a meeting at Jerry T. which started @ 8:30 to help organize the JCS bazaar. Life seems like there is so much going on all the time already but I know Gerard always enjoys helping out at things like that.