this is how I feel

Then and Now

In Karrick's open house folder labeled Then and Now was a writing sample from the beginning of the 2 grade and one written now. "Holy Shit" is what comes to mind. I think it's safe to say he has improved 10 fold. I have always been very open about Karrick's struggles from early on through 1st grade. It still doesn't really make sense how someone can transform that drastically in one school year. 

If Karrick wrote 3 words on his Journal page it was a good day. Now he is writing a series of short stories titled "Two Fat Men". Get this..he writes during his free time after he finishes his assignments in class...he zips through the work with ease. Damn near every assignment that comes home has a perfect score on it...we don't even check his homework...he does it all in 3 seconds flat. I think we may have another smarty on our hands. Karrick spends 90% of his time with Callahan and if you know Callahan, you know he speaks in facts, a talking human encyclopedia. Karrick is absorbing all that information. Callahan can't help himself it all just comes out...all the time.

 Honestly, it makes for a long car ride....just sayin

3 short sentences to two full pages!
I asked Karrick if he copied the info from a book . His reply
"No, I got it from my head"

adjectives

Last week was Karrick's open house at school. A laminated placard hung from each desk with the students name and they had to write down adjectives that describe themselves. Karrick described himself perfectly and I love that he called himself "cute"

His list is:

Scientific

Silly

Smart

Friendly

Funny

 and 

Cute

Go Big or Go Home

With my Rebel T1i without an auto-focus..I thought I scratched the CMOS...not good

Tim thinks it may be the light sensor. Whatever it is...it is an expensive fix. Tim is going to try to repair it himself. He is quite handy that way. The warranty expired long ago as I've had it for 3 years. I needed a second camera for my business anyway. Tim bought me the new Canon Rebel T3i I am just ecstatic. I have 3 Canon lens..2 of them quite pricey so I had to buy a compatible body. I was 100% in love with my T1i, I just can't image my shots with the T3i.

 18 megapixels up from 15

 ISO 100-6400, up from 3000

I hope to have it in hand within a week...

I can't stop myself from shooting...even if it's only in manual focus. Kinda tricky with a moving target, but they have a cool blur to them.

It was so nice to just hang with Karrick after school. The weather was top notch and we were free. We rode to Karrick's school where Karrick went wild on the scooter in the teachers parking lot. Then while the 2 of us we swinging Karrick looks at me and goes "isn't this awesome, it is like the best day ever"

Melted my heart dammit!

It's so easy to overlook simplicity when kids are in sports 24/7...a little gift after the 7 month struggle with TJ's TBI. I am just thrilled to spend the majority of the summer at out place in Wisconsin. TJ is going to play Lombard Baseball-in-house league. No pressure, just going back to basics and starting with playing for fun. Maybe 3 games a week tops? Not a super competitive league unlike high school and travel. At this age in this league the level of play will be a lot less competitive. Even before the TBI, TJ was so burnt from baseball. He went from HS baseball, to HS Summer league that coincided with full time travel . He averaged 11 games a week. Lets be honest baseball games are long, about 2 hours on the field. I must admit going to Karrick soccer games is nothing...hour tops, a freakin walk in the park

Cal and his buddies were all at the park/school, so I got a great shot of them

they meet there after school everyday to play whatever. Karrick's school in on 5 acres which houses the school, 2 baseball fields, soccer field, basketball court, 2 tennis courts and 2 playgrounds....not a bad school to live across the street from

Arrgh!

Why Arrgh!?

I broke my camera. Yes, I believe I blew the digital sensor.

The digital sensor costs almost as much as the camera

I can manual focus, but as seen by the picture at the bottom...you get a lot of fuzzy

I shot my cute Geese-lings from 100 plus feet away... Mama and papa were right there as were 4 more siblings. Lombard parks are amazing always something to shoot

just a few more of my favorite subject

 After Karrick and Nico's soccer game we headed straight to their open house/book fair/ice cream social

Pleasant Lane has iPad's in the classroom for the kids...amazing. Our middle school is giving each one of the 900 kids their own personal laptop ...hmmm

I suppose it's our real estate taxes at work. Anyway the kids love the iPad's, as you can see all the other students left...I had to drag Karrick off  "Rocket Math"

So, the day I broke my camera, Tim flew to New York for 5 days to rebuild E*Trades computer system . Im going to let him figure out what to do about it, since he is the electronic genius. Totally sucks! I have carried that camera around daily for 3 years...it's a part of me

It will either be fixed or replaced...much worse things in life then a broken camera

On a positive note it is Lilac time in Lombard our village is draped in lilac

Many wonderful events are scheduled for the next 2 weeks  

invites

My siblings and I are throwing my dad a party for his upcoming 75th birthday. While walking downtown yesterday while TJ was in class, I came across
The Paper Source. I am really excited to put together the invitations. I am in love with the paper to line the envelopes...just in love! 

picture below shows the texture and the shimmer on the copper card

what a great week!

two sided card

I have had just one wonderful week! 

My fabulous husband surprised me with my own business cards, not 1 but 2 of my own domains and a website for my photography business

 I did my 1st big event...an award dinner for Heartland Food Corp. Employee's flew in from Canada and the surrounding Midwest states.  Honestly the first hour I thought I might pass out. Taking pictures of kids or families is easy and non-stressful.....you really can't ruin it. An annual awards dinner ....if you mess it up, you can't fly everyone back in to re-shoot. The evening turned out to be a success and I had a ball with it.

TJ started another 9 week class downtown on Saturday's. This week I headed North to the Rush St area with my Macro lens...flower above

 I took some fun candid shots at Karrick's soccer practice...fun in the sun! I love playing with light

 Friday night Tim and I joined some of our friends at the 1st Annual Black and Red Ball to benefit the Glenbard East Boosters. My dear friend Missy- below in pink, sister in law put this together in just 8 weeks and was hoping for at least 200 people. Over 300 people attended. There were 720 items in the silent auction, dinners to All-inclusive trips to Mexico. A junior/senior school parking pass went for $500 for 1 year...it was just crazy

All proceeds go toward GEHS new turf field and concession stands. Community spirit and support was second to none!

A table of some of my favorite people

Bern, in the white sweater is the worlds funniest person...she will make you pee in your pants from laughing

I won the "Fireman for a Day" for Karrick in the auction. The auction was cool as you bid via cell phone. Tim won an hour with a mechanic for a teen...a learning hour. It's for Callahan and my fear is that Cal may teach the mechanic

I have joined the juicing fad. I actually have aged in the last 6months...little stress with TJ's  traumatic brain injury. I always took pride in the fact that I never looked my age. I have a couple on wrinkles...GASP, I know....48 is only 5 months away..after that 50 is knocking on my door. I love my juice...every morning I juice all my veggies and a couple fruits. I feel fantastic after almost 2 weeks of juicing

 Just my sweet little boy 

He wants the shin guards on the outside

father and son

Sometimes you just nail a shot

My little Mechanic

.

He who rebuilds the engine and gets it running should be able to drive the car. I'm going to be honest, it's a little unsettling to see you child underneath a car even if it just to replace a fuel filter

Cal taking her for a spin...not only can he drive, but this is a stick shift car. He goes down the block  turns around, comes back down and pulls into a neighbors driveway and makes a 3 point turn without killing the engine

I'm not kidding when I say "3rd kid syndrome"

 Karrick had his 1st soccer game today at 11:30, be there 11:15. Well we were running late and got to the park at 11:25. Karrick ran ahead and I see him running straight onto the field with a game in play. 

Before I could stuff a pillow into my big loud megaphone (aka mouth)  I yell and I mean YELL!

"KARRICK, DON'T RUN ON THE FIELD THAT ISN'T OUR GAME!!!!"...Karrick freezes in his tracks

Doesn't the entire sideline of people turn around to look at me...blue striped fuzzy pants(horizontal stripes..GASP) Salmon hoodie, folding chair and I mean folding chair...old school, 1 fold, no cute storage bag chair, blanket, jacket, purse and diet Coke. Why no water bottle...it's was left on counter at home, I didn't have any arms left to carry it anyway.
I need a hard chair to sit on because I'm old
I have plates and screws in my lower spine that is now arthritic, have 5 bulging disks in my  neck with nerve damage. Arthritis also in my elbows, right knee and hips. I am literally a disaster so please don't begrudge me my hard freaking chair. I would totally feel like white trash if I didn't pull up in my ever so cute sporty Audi A4 convertible- it doesn't suck!

A mom informs me that "yes, this is Karrick's team on the field, the game started at 11am"

Of course it did...now everyone knows I was 45 min late for my childs 1st game. By the looks of me, they probably assumed I was hungover or smokin crack all night (did I forget to mention that a shower wasn't part of my morning)

The coach immediately put Karrick in as it was the 3 qtr already. Probably felt sorry for the poor neglected kid with the old jersey.

I kept forgetting to buy the park district reversible  Navy/Gray Jersey. I did run in last night, just to find the peanut sizes were sold out...new ones next week....FUK

Call my friend Gayle...she has an old one...cool I'll pick it up in the morning when I dump Callahan and TJ off at 8 am. Jake and Josh were hosting a 15 person paintball party in Joliet. I was the Notary person so I hung out til all guests arrived. Always leaves me with an uneasy feeling when a parents signature on the waiver needs to be notarized.

I digress.

 I leave with the sky blue/white jersey and head home with all the time in the world before Karrick's game

Back to my entrance at the game. I unfold my chair and sit, mom next to me goes

 "I recognize you"

 of course you do

"sure you just don't recognize the voice?"  I ask

people that don't know me, know me as "that funny lady, you know, the one with the really loud voice"

If they are asking my friend Cindy, then it's "that funny lady, you know the one with the really loud voice like you"  there are debates on which one of us is louder...very close

"St Pius!, yes Karrick went to pre-school with my Aiden"  she replies

Two seconds later the 3 qtr was over and the kids all ran over to have a sip of water, except for the late kid, with the old  jersey and shin guards on the outside of his socks

St Pius Mom offered Karrick a sip of water

I told her "just wait till next week, I will be so on this whole thing that you'll be jealous"

Oh, and I did get a few "don't you have a schedule?" from some of my friend parents

"No, I relied on my ESP skills, but due to cloudy weather I tuned in to 11:30 instead of 11am...but i nailed the correct field"

Of course i have a schedule, I even have 2. 1 from the coach and 1 that was emailed to me.

Note to self.... double check game time on the game day, don't rely on memory from 2 days prior

Update on TJ

Disclaimer: It is okay to be multi-listed if you don't have an exclusive contract. TJ isn't exclusive, being new to the teen/adult world, it benefits all parties to get as much experience and exposure as possible.

IT IS OK!

It has been exactly 6 months, 1 week since TJ's traumatic brain injury.  It has been a long difficult journey, but with immediate exceptional medical care, support of my family, friends and Glenbard East HS we are ready to move onto the next chapter of our lives.

TJ is off all  prescription medications. He does get headaches, but not everyday. At school the headaches seemed to start during last period which is a study period, so he can just lay down

 TJ only takes 4 classes but is getting A's in 3 of them and a B in the 4th. A lovely boost to his GPA. He has made up half of his last semester credits due to the incredible staff at GEHS, The school nurse oversaw this daunting task by scheduling tutoring sessions with different teachers from last semester during his free periods daily. I see my bright, funny and confident (sometime too confident, everywhere he goes people tell him how beautiful he is) boy back. A stranger asked if  she could take his picture just to show her girlfriend how pretty he was. While flattered, TJ sometimes finds all the attention " creepy".  He says sometimes people just stare at him non-stop, which he hates.

 If there are any lasting effects, I can't notice them. When I ask TJ if he feels like his old self he says "pretty close"

TJ was not able to join his Sophomore Team in baseball...he took it extremely well and is enjoying some new down time after 10 years of non-stop sports.  

TJ wants to model and act. He just finished a 9 week class at Act One Studio in downtown Chicago. He starts another 9 week, 3 hr class every Saturday in a week at the same place, but with a male teacher he met there and really admired. Maybe this session will be warm so I can just hang at Oak Street beach. All about me!

TJ received his new head shots last week and I mailed them to both his agencies . He has already been called once from each agency. A national commercial audition yesterday and another commercial audition tomorrow. He also had 1 DePaul Film School audition and 1 from Columbia College, which he is thinking about attending after high school. TJ has an interview Sunday with a 3rd Agency that wants to represent him.

He has multiple agencies that believe in him (they're the toughest sell)

So God willing, with a lot of hard work and top tier acting classes, added to his natural talent and  Hollywood  looks...

 (It's a superficial industry what can I say)

"When one door closes another one opens"

Easter Sunday

Grandma had the barn and other buildings painted  a firehouse red, which will add a nice pop to my location shots

The day started with the Easter egg hunt in our backyard. All 56 eggs were hidden, after a long search only 52 were located. There was some concern that maybe Patrick had an early breakfast to which I replied "Patrick doesn't eat eggs, he's  never eaten an egg. Guess what Patrick was yakking up in Long Grove...EGGS !

I stand corrected

Callahan found his Easter basket hidden in Rose

What Cal failed to realize was Rose was part of his basket. The engine needs work, so who better than Callahan to fix and keep it. I can see it now...picking Karrick up in a golf cart from school..ahhhhhh

Grandma needed an updated mobile...enter "Lollie" seen below. There is a lot of ground to cover for grandma, so Lollie is her girl

 egg hunt

A nice soccer game with the brothers

My little cutie cashing in his eggs from the hunt.
 A haircut is in the immediate future for all 3 of my boys...the tired Justin Bieber look is a casualty of  laziness and a scheduling conflict. #1 priority this week