My baby's going to school

Ashtyn has been bugging me for a year now that she wants to go to school. I've always felt that it was foolish to send her since I watch other kids her age and we do the same things at home as she would at a preschool. She has finally won the battle. I signed her up today for 2 days a week and she starts on Tuesday. I'm excited, heartbroken, scared and ...... I don't even know. I can't help but fear they'll kick her out her first day for peeing on the playground or something stupid. She has the tendency to act AWFUL if she doesn't get her way and she'll find a way, any way to let you know she's not impressed with you. I'm hoping the new environment and being around kids her age and at her level will help her. And give her and I a better relationship. AHHHHHH! Somebody hug me, I want to cry..... my baby's growing up to fast.

Reunion info posted on yourclaremontpress.com

Click here to visit YourClaremontPress.com


Thank you Nancy!!!!!

Fall Mountain Class of 99 Reunion Update

A bunch of us received this email Tuesday morning:
*********************************************

Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 5:04 PM


Hi Everybody,
Unfortunately, I'll have to cancel the reunion. Not enough people committed by the deadline. Too bad, it would've been great to see everybody.

For those of you who did send checks, I'll be sending them back to you within the week.

Take care, and enjoy your Labor Day weekend!

xo

--
Mara

*******************************************

That didn't sit well with a lot of people, so Amie and I are now attempting to pull this off. Same weekend but new venue and lower price tag. We are now having it at the
American Legion in Bellows Falls.
Sunday September 6 at 6pm.
Bring a dish to share and donate $2
a person to cover the room rental. There is a cash bar....soda is $1, beer and mixed drinks $2.50 and up. Please email me at imninstar@yahoo.com so we, and the legion can have a head count....they may need to have another bartender for us.....


These are the people I have emailed or called (or someone has for me) and I'm listing who has RSVP'd and what they plan to bring (and the ones that say "told Mara yes or no...I haven't heard from them personally so, until I do, that's what you get)....

Amanda (Holt ) Lyman..............Yes (2) .....meatballs
Aaron Aiken ..........told Mara he was planning to go
Amie O'Brien ................Yes (2) .....Decorations and Mac n Cheese
Ajlan LaRock.........................Yes..............Dessert
Anna Symonds
Alana Olmstead .....told Mara No.... Lives in CA
Allison Thompson ...........No...........previous engagement
Ashley Pratt,
Becky Ide .......................................Yes (2) ......................wrap platter
Beth Staples .............................No (moving)
Bethany Graves ...told Mara No
Becky Bashaw
Beth Spadaro .....................................Yes
Christy Mullane ....told Mara No
Corey Gordon
Craig Richardson ............................Yes (2)................Appetizers
Chauncey Hutton-
Dan Eaton
Dan Peletier ....told Mara Yes
Darcie Blodgett
Derek Rudolph .....told Mara No
Dan Newton .....................Yes (2)
Danelle (Philbrook) Osinchuk
Duncan Blaine
Emily Smith ......told Mara No
Erica {Fisk} Stupka-Fisk ..................Likely (2)
Erin Lester ...........told Mara No
Geoff Robbins ...........................doubtful
Greg Bacon JR
George Nutting
Ian Flemming
Jennasys {Pellerin} ........told Mara Maybe
Jennifer {Meier} Bailey ....told Mara no.....Lives in Germany
Jeremy Strate
Jeremy Tenney ....told Mara No
Jessica Putnam
Jessie {Shand}Proulx............Yes (2)...........Tuna/Mac Salad &
..........................................................................Devilled Eggs
Jon Clark
Joshua Ash
Jason Leahy
Jay Brooks
Julie Martin ......told Mara Yes
Justin Blaine
Joel Snelling ................likely
Jeremy Anderson
Joe Aldrich ..............told Miranda no
Jonathan Kangas
Joanne Mitchell
Josh Watson .......told Mara Yes
Kathy Davis .........................Yes
Karen {Desmarais} Baker................Maybe (2 .....baby's due)
Kurth Bemis ................................Yes (2)
Killy Bascom ..............Told Mara Yes
Kricket {Fellows} Fellows-McCusker .......told Mara No
Kyle Jarvis ...........................................................Yes
LT Polland
Luke Lucier
Lucas Anderson
Mark Brannon
Maggie Haas .........told Mara No....Lives in CA
Mara Sullivan ...........Yes...napkins, plates, plasticware
Maggie Shaw ......................................................No (work)
Matt Kmiec
Melissa Hayman .....................No (Lives in Utah)
Mike Jenkins
Meganne Blaine-
Matt Lockhart ...................Maybe
Mike Sykie ...........................No (can't make it)
Marcel Boucher................Yes (2)
Matt Grysko
Matt Durnford
Matt Parker
Mike Weaver
Miranda Crowe...................................................Maybe
Nina {St Sauveur} & Jeremy "Precourt".........Yes (2) .... goolash/chop suey
Nikki Beauschesne ...................doubtful
Nick Brown
Nik Pleisch ...................Yes ......................Dessert
Ocatilla {Mueller}Seiber
Pat Donovan
Paige Gesick .......................Maybe
Rik Royce ................told Miranda Not Likely
Ryan Lawler
Rob Calkins ......................................................Yes (2)
Rodney Campbell ............told Mara No
Samantha {Baldasaro}Aubin ..........Yes (1)............."something"
Seth Normandin .................................Yes .............Cake and/or pie
Sara Weber
Sara {Westberg} Harrell ................................No (too far away)
Sarah Holmes ....................................................Yes
Shana Farer-Feld
Shannon Nichols
Sonya {Moore} Eigabroadt...............Likely....................Pizza
Stacy Labarre .....................................No
Susan Kohler
Sam Putnam................................Yes (2)
Scott Cousino -
Sarah (Mullane) Powell.....................No (alt. plans)
Thom Burroughs



These people I have no idea how to contact:

Allyson Baker -
Monica Boobar
Sean Brown
Jessica Barth
Shane Brown
Solanyita Contreras
Josh Curtis
Todd Davis
Jim Ferreira
Dawn Fowle
Nate Hanson
Darcie Hartford
Aaron Hawthorne
Amy Kimball
Kristin Kinder
John Kenney
Mike Kercewich
Adam Kohler
Katherin Page
Nichole Reinhart
Mike Rodrigues
Nate Simmonds
Emily Smith
Rick Sweeney
Isaiah Tuthill
Noah Tuthill
Allison Webb
Jason Winter


Anyone know if someone's missing from this list???? If so please let me know...



Needed items/ideas of what to bring:
Food: salads, meat dish, vegetarian dish, etc
Platters: veggie, meat, breads/rolls, cheese and crackers, etc
Chips and dips

Mind numbing

Just a brief run down for those of you who care..... the family I met with Monday... the chaos outbreak meeting.... I am taking the kiddo starting Monday... Tuesday and Wednesday I had 2 more families request my assistance with child care.....now I've got too many kids to choose from and have to deny someone...which I'm bummed about....when it rains it pours... I go all summer with 1 1/2 kids and now I'm overwhelmed. of cource. I'm also leaving in about 30 minutes to go to camp. and about 30 minutes ago I found out its no joke. Jeremy is scheduled to start work May 1 and he will also be up there working for the month of November. If anyone is confused by this...Jeremy's transferring up to the Newport VT railroad....that's near our camp.....so now I have to sell my house and move up there and build a new house and I'm overwhelmed and sad....and also deleiously excited and happy. I'm torn to be completely honest. But I don't have time to discuss it now. You'll have to wait for an update. Have an awaesome weekend everyone.....its the first nice weekend we've had since April 25th!!!!!! Enjoy!!!!

.....and I've got a new cousin too

Frank Joseph Bissette......I know that much.... but my awesome cousins are so busy I have to find this stuff on myspace! WTF?

I'm an Auntie!

Brooklyn Ann Faw was born this morning at 4:10 am, weighing 5 pounds 8 ounces, 17 inches. Congrats Crystal and Jason.

More idiotic evidence

I'm a complete ditz. That's all there is to it. I don't know if its the hanging out with little kids 24/7 thing, or the pregnant and/or nursing for the last 4 years messing my hormones up, lack of out of home life, genetics (ha ha...you know I love you guys)....I have no idea the source of my stupidity. Maybe its all of it put together but wow do I feel dumb.

I just met with a woman today about watching her kiddo and it was like I was transformed into a 12 month old as soon as I opened my mouth to speak. Obviously I never had a public speaking class or I probably wouldn't have this problem. And I'm not a "seller"...you like what you see or you leave the store. I'm not the type to coax you into buying something you don't want. But I seem to have the curse of making really horrible first impressions. I don't know why, I just do. By the end of my "duh, I watch kids, duh" either the parents think, "Hey at least she's on the same page as my 2 month old, I guess my kids safe here" or "this girls so good she doesn't care about first impressions...she's already got a house full of other kids and they seem fine" or, the worst case scenario," yeah, um, I'll call ya...." as they run for the hills and wonder who lets me watch kids.

Ugh!

I really should have paid more attention to my calender today.

I had a visit scheduled with Taylor's therapist to review her case/needs/whatever from noon to one, then my extra kiddo "D" was going to show up at 1, well he showed up at 10, so instead of quiet time to review Taylor's file, it was going to be 3 kids awake and crazy time, and for some reason I forgot everything that I had already scheduled between noon and 3 when I told this woman who called about childcare to "come on over" when she asked if 1:30 would be okay.

This is why the calender is right there on the door in front of my face!!!! To LOOK AT IT!!! And I neglected to do so.

Ashtyn was having a really bad day since she woke up and it was only seeming to get worse as the minutes progressed. 10:30 Ashtyn falls asleep....one down, 2 to go. Not so lucky. I got Taylor and "D" their lunch just as Taylor's therapist walked in the door. We started going over the file as the kids ate, then they finished and I laid them down. Taylor passes out but "D" tossed and turned and talked to himself for the remainder of the PT/OT's visit. Ashtyn woke up as we were finishing. One visit down. About 5 minutes later the woman with the kiddo shows up with her kiddo and her sister and her sister's kiddo as I'm cooking Ashtyn's lunch and trying to coax "D" into going to sleep. He starts crying and wakes up Taylor. Taylor's crying, Ashtyn's screaming since she hasn't had lunch yet and "D" is still crying about not wanting a nap.

CALGON TAKE ME AWAY.

I'm standing there like a deer in headlights at this woman and her sister. I might as well have been drooling on myself with how intelligent I felt. I don't even know if I got her kiddo's name....that was how crazy it got. I gave her a 15 second tour and apologized for the insanity, said she didn't mind the chaos and took my info and packet of stuff I put together for her and said she'd give me a call later this week since she's hoping to have everything lined up for her return to work next Monday.

We'll see.

Lucky for me, the visitor I was supposed to have at 2, didn't show up.

And people wonder where "Chaos and Mayhem" came from....such is my life. Nothing can go smoothly or it wouldn't be my life.

I'm such a bone-head

Yes I know I've neglected to finish my family reunion/fair post....I'm getting to it I swear. But today, about 15 minutes ago Taylor blew my mind and I have to share it. The small issue is, I recorded my video side ways like an idiot, so you only get a still shot. SHE CAN STAND!!!! And you've got to love the "YEAH!" face.

SHrINE ON's Thank you from Shriners Hospital

Its that time of year again

The first Saturday of August is the day of my family reunion every year (on the Lemieux and St. Sauveur side)....it is also the peak of our Old Homes Days celebration.....So every year on this Saturday we go to our reunion location and hang with the family. We get to see our relatives we don't know, the ones we do but don't see except for on this day every year, and of course the ones we see all the time. Its usually a blast....minus those few awkward teenage years when its not "cool". The kids and I had a blast, Jeremy was stuck at work, and around 5 my more immediate family departed to go back to my place for the Old Homes Days fireworks display.

Today Julie, Jeremy and I took the girls to the Cheshire Fair. It was a good time even with the sprinkles.... Taylor's having a total cow right now though so I'll have to share the stories later...I just wanted to get the pics up before people start calling to ask where they are