Catching up and measuring up

I was able to catch up with some friends this week. Madison had a birthday party to go to on Sunday so I took Kamryn to see my girlfriend Jeani. She hadn't seen Kam since day 2 in the hospital. Kam was pretty well behaved. It was hard for her to be fussy...Jeani's daughter, Amanda, cuddled her most of the time. And, I think Kam has a secret crush on Jesse, Jeani's boyfriend...she wouldn't stop smiling at him. Of course, she got some lovin' from Jeani, too. (see pics below...yes, Aunt Terry, that is Oscar next to Jeani!)

My girlfriend, Treen, stopped over for a visit on Monday. She moved to Princeton a few months ago and is loving the lifestyle. The way she describes it, I'd never want to leave Princeton! I'm so thrilled for her and she does look fantastic...must be the healthy food, walking, and stress-reduced living.

And last night, my girlfriend Janeen stopped over. She had a birthday present for Maddy and was delivering clothes for Kamryn that Jillian got from a friend of hers. It's always great when Janeen stops over. I know Maddy loves the extra attention she gets...Janeen makes sure to throw it on thick for "Marzipan".

I'm glad for these visits and the calls from my friends the past week or so. I think I've been starting to get a little blue-sy, as I often do in the winter. My tendency is to shut down a bit...then I don't feel like talking on the phone...almost like a hibernation. Now that I see I'm falling into that pattern again, I'm making an effort to reach out and be available when others do the same.

Madison brought home her report card yesterday. It was fantastic. She didn't go down in any subject, either improved or stayed the same. Her report card was great last marking period, too, so that's saying something. Some comments: "Madison continues to demonstrate exceptional academic work and is also a class leader. When interested by a topic, she gains great enthusiasm and always contributes great information to our classroom discussions. Just as last marking period, Madison still needs to work on her listening skills." (I know, big surprise, right?) This marking period, she even got the option to do extra spelling and math homework, called challenge homework, in addition to her daily homework. She was excited to be challenged and kept saying, "I'm up for the challenge!" We feel lucky to have a kid who enjoys school (so far) and we're very proud of how hard she works.

Friday, January 19, 2007




Sunday, January 21, 2007