Sick of sick!

I feel like this family has been nothing but sick since Thanksgiving, and frankly, I'm "sick" of it. We battled the stomach thing all of the Thanksgiving holiday with all three kids. We had a sick sabbatical the first week of December, but then last week, we were back in full "sick" swing. Reese ran fever for three days with a nasty cough. Grammy Martha stayed with her two days. She got better, and then Trey got sick. Neenaw got called for that one, and she was here Friday. Well, T got worse, and by Saturday, he was running a 104.3 fever. I took him to the ER with my parents (Al had Drew and Reese at a holiday bash in the community). They discovered he has pneumonia. They did blood work, gave him a shot, prescribed an antibiotic, and sent us home. I had a follow up appointment yesterday. Luckily, we had a snow day and so I was off. When I took him in, he wasn't getting any better. In fact, his lungs sounded worse. So... the doctor put him on a steroid, a new antibiotic, and sent us home with a nebulizer to use four times a day for the next week (we follow up again next Monday). I called in sick this a.m., and Valle ended up closing early because of bad weather. I'm hoping we're off again tomorrow. My goal is to keep Trey away from the sitter this entire week to get him strong enough to survive the holiday hullabaloo this weekend. Grammy Martha is once again on standby, to return for sick child duty. Maybe we'll just get snowed out of school all week, and she won't have to come. Either way, we'll be packing up the meds and breathing machine for our weekend stay in Greenville. What is it about my kids and being sick on holidays? Oh, I'm sick of sick!!!

Preschool Love

Reese has a preschool crush on Isaac, who also happens to be our neighbor down the road. We found out at a football game this fall, that Isaac reciprocates this love. This coming Friday, at their Christmas party at school, the students are surprising their teachers with a rendition of Rudolph. We were asked to purchase a pair of reindeer antlers for the performance. I picked Reese's up last week at the local Dollar General. Well, a few days ago I received a phone call from Isaac's mom. Seems they purchased a two pack of antlers, and one is definitely for a girl (it's covered in sparkles). Isaac suggested his mom call "that girl down the road's" mom to see if she would want to wear them. When I said Reese had a pair, Gina (Isaac's mom) stressed how Isaac was really hoping Reese would wear them. When I realized Gina was calling in front of Isaac, I quickly changed my response. Absolutely, Reese would love to wear Isaac's antlers! Both Isaac and Reese were pleased. Today Reese made a thank you card for Isaac. She drew Isaac and herself on the front, both naked as jaybirds with big, ol' belly buttons, and beautiful reindeer antlers on their heads. Isn't love grand?

Another Reason Why a Small Town Fits Me

Yesterday, I was reaffirmed why the move to Ste. Genevieve, and the decision to teach at Valle was the right one. On my afternoon break, I went down through the cafeteria to work in the teacher's workroom. While passing through, one of the custodians said, "Oh, Mrs. Metzger. I ran over your daughter in here today." (No, this isn't the reason I'm thankful for the way my life is going.) I smiled and asked what happened. Supposedly Mrs. Reich, the custodian, wasn't looking and turned into Reese, knocking her over and sending her lunch tray flying. Then Reese looked up at her preschool teacher and said, "Miss Connie, I'm having a hard day:(" You see, Reese had already had her fingers stepped on at carpet time, and her tummy was hurting in the lunch line, so the maul from Mrs. Reich pushed her over the edge. Well, needless to say, Mrs. Reich felt awful. I was concerned for Reese, and know what it's like all too well to have a "hard day." So I walked next door, and popped in on Reese at Valle's preschool. She had just laid down for a nap, but Miss Connie and Miss Colleen got her up. The look on her face when she saw me, was not the look of someone who was having a hard day. Her surprise visit from mom was just what she needed. I squeezed her, kissed her, and sent her to her cot for rest. As I walked back across the playground to my school, I thanked God for all that He has given me - but especially at that moment, the convenience of teaching right next to my own children. I truly feel so blessed in my life:)

oh-oh-oh,oh,oh my gosh!

I am so serious when I say that my neighborhood friends from childhood and I went to the New Kids on the Block concert last night. Oh yes, the Block is Back:) Wendy, Jaime, Jodi, and I bought the tickets in fun a few months ago, for old times sake. We joked about the fact that we were actually going to the concert, but when we got there, I kid you not, there were true, die-hard NKOTB fans. I didn't know those people still existed. Here are some things I saw last night, that I was certain had died in the 80's:

• big hair

• tight rolled pants

• large (and I mean large) buttons of the boys - we joked about who in their right mind would actually buy a big button for $15 (especially when we still have ours from years ago in boxes in the basement)

• but my favorite - puffy painted t-shirts

I can still remember going to a slumber party in 8th grade and puffy painting a shirt with "I love Jordan," for my first NKOTB concert at Six Flags.

Well, let's just say not a lot has changed with the Boston Boys in 20 years (seriously, it has been 20 years). They dance the same, sing the same, and fortunately for us fans, look the same. I'm telling you those men look darn good for pushing 40, and they can still REALLY MOVE. Somewhere in the middle of the show, a previously skeptical Jodi leaned over to me and said, "You know, there's something kind of hot about a 40 year old man who can sing and dance." I agreed. She then said, "I think I might have to buy a button."

We sang and danced along, and all in all, ended up being pleasantly surprised. The show was actually good. I had a great time being with old friends and old boys I used to be in love with!
I sit today and think, "Where have those 20 years gone?" So much has changed in my life since then. But the one thing that remains constant between then and now are the close friendships I still have with my neighborhood girls. I love you Wendy, Jaime, and Jodi! St. Jude Rocks!

Go Blue!

The Valle Warrior Football team has won district and is now in the playoffs! We sat and rooted them on last night at the game, which was too close for too long, but ended up being a good win. Drew and Reese both love going to the games because so many of their friends are there to hang out with. They get a treat at the concession stand, and we watch the game, the band, and the dancers.
Now, when I was in high school, the Valle football team was unbeatable. Even though we were (and still are) only a 1A school, we could compete with 3 and 4A teams with ease. We won the state championship my 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th grade years, and went to the game my Senior year, but lost. However, since then, the Valle football team hasn't been nearly as successful. But this year, things are different. Valle's on a roll, and we're going to keep sitting in those bleachers rooting them on to sweet victory! Go Blue!

Hallelujah! Halloween Has Passed!

I can't believe how excited I am that a holiday is over. Maybe it's because we were on Halloween overload. We trunk or treated the Saturday before Halloween, and then Reese had Halloween at dance class the Monday before, and then Trey celebrated at his sitter's on that day, and Drew and Reese both had Halloween parties, I celebrated with 17 kindergarteners and that many parents, and then we STILL went trick or treating that night. I felt like Halloween would never come to an end. It truly was like the longest week of jack-o-lanterns, candy and costumes ever. It was so extreme that Reese was actually 3 different things this year for Halloween. Seriously, she was Dorothy for Trunk or Treat and her class party, a butterfly for dance class (we created the costume from stuff at home, and it was probably the cutest one), and Cinderella for actual Halloween night. Now the trick or treating didn't bother me so much, but the candy haul was ridiculous. I sorted into groups: chocolate (keepers), other candy the kids like (which went into the candy jar), and the pile to pitch because NO ONE needs that much candy!

Reese's preschool teacher told me the following Monday about the Halloween fairy. She comes in the night and takes all the candy away, and leaves a small toy or treat in the candy's place. I'm thinking she needs to begin making annual appearances at the Metzger residence:)

Trunk or Treat

Last night, Al, Drew, Reese, Jodi, Jeremy, Lainey, and I went to Trunk or Treat at Valle (the school I teach at and my children attend). This was our first Trunk or Treat, and it ended up being a fun, family night. Cars were parked at 6 p.m., and trunks were opened. The kids wore their Halloween costumes: Lainey - Old Macdonald, Reese - Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, and Drew - Tony Stewart. The night began with a costume contest. None of our adorable children won, but we did see some really cute and clever costumes. The best of the night was a 2 foot, 3 year old, Elvis. Then the kids went trunk to trunk and "trunk or treated." Al and Jeremy took the kids around to all the parked cars, while Jodi and I passed out candy and pencils. I got to see some of my students dressed up, and talk to the kids of Valle. After candy gathering, the kids played Halloween games for prizes. The cutest game was a fishing one where the kids cast a line with a clothespin on the end over a large board. There were older Valle students on the other side, who would clip a prize on the clip, and then tug the line. When the little kids pulled the line back over the board, they had a prize. One time, one of the kids behind the board put the clip in his mouth and popped up behind the board, nearly giving the small fisher a heart attack. Very Funny! They also had a small concession stand that included hot cocoa, which was perfect on a chilly, October night. Jodi and I commented that we could really skip the Halloween hullabaloo next week, as our kid's buckets are overflowing with candy now. We'll probably do a few houses on Friday, and call it an early night. Last night reaffirms why fall is my very favorite time of year: family, a chill in the air, blue jeans, coats, and scarves, hot cocoa, early nights, warm beds. Welcome fall, FINALLY!

10 minutes and counting!

The countdown is on! In less than 10 minutes, I will be headed out of town for my relaxing and rejuvenating weekend with my spouse, and yes, it will be childless. After two weeks of assessing 17 kindergarten students' knowledge of the abc's and 123's, and after a 13 hour day yesterday filled with students anticipating a 3 day weekend and 15 parent/teacher conferences, I can officially say I'm ready for some down time. My agenda for this weekend includes:

-sleeping in
-sleeping in a bed with no small arms, legs, heads, or other interesting body parts touching any of my body parts (unless you include Al, and I might actually welcome that this weekend:)
-eating out and getting to enjoy my entire meal without taking anyone to the bathroom, sharing my food or drink, or becoming a personal entertainer to help distract impatient kids as they wait for their food
-sitting at the winery, sipping a glass of my favorite Montelle wine, Himmelswien, and watching the leaves change from green to vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges
-talking with my husband about something other than dance class, work, fundraisers, etc.
-putting some energy into my marriage, because it often seems that is the area that gets the least amount of attention (thank God for Al's patience - I am extremely obsessed with all that I do and am involved with, and he often gets put on the back burner)

So, thank you Neenaw and Papa for keeping the kids this weekend. I do miss them dearly, but I need this.

Mrs. Metzger? No. Mom? Not today. Just Jill... and I can't wait!

Drew's News

I'm sure many of you are wondering when I'm planning on posting something about my first born, Drew. No, I haven't forgotten him. It's just that he hasn't really done or said anything too out of the ordinary lately. But, just to make sure no one thinks I'm leaving him out, I'll let you know the big things in his life right now:

1. For my birthday, I bought our family a new Wii. Drew Metzger and his father can not get enough of it! They especially love bowling, and Drew is trying hard to go pro like dad to get a pink sparkly ball with a star on it.

2. He's crazy about Mrs. Herzog's (his first grade teacher) pet guinea pig, Anna. He loves Anna, and has to check on her as soon as we arrive each day. They also had caterpillars that changed into butterflies, and now they're observing an ant farm. I know this is the reason he loves Mrs. Herzog so much; because she's an animal lover too!

3. Uncle Jeremy recently bought a new truck. Well, that seems to be all Drew can think about. Obviously, he has a million questions for U. Jeremy's new ride, and he wants to ride in it so badly.

4. He's lost two teeth since school began. The second one got lost in the couch (he pulled it out of the enevelope in anticipation of showing dad). Well, after he and dad cut up my couch (literally) to no avail, we ended up writing a letter to the Tooth Fairy about the lost tooth and sleeping on it. The next day the Tooth Fairy had left a note, and all was good with her. She left the cash, and Drew was fine. His chipped tooth (that he chipped with dad when he was 2) is loose now. The Tooth Fairy is going to have to fight me for that one:)

Drew continues to amaze and challenge us. Sometimes we wonder what to do WITH HIM, but most days we wonder what we'd do WITHOUT him. More "Drew's News" to follow soon:)

"No, Jean's"

I knew it would be hard for Trey to transition to a babysitter after staying home with me for an entire year. That was an understatement in August when I went back to work. Al and I were so worried about Trey, as each morning he would cry and not want to take his jammies off. He knew why we were changing him. He knew where he was going. He knew there was nothing he could do about it. And so... the phrase, "No, Jean's." This lasted for weeks, and it made it so hard to drop him off each day. (Luckily, that was a job left to Al.)

However, today, "No, Jean's" had a new meaning. I picked Trey up at 4:00, and he was doing puzzles at Jean's. He's doing puzzles almost every day when I pick him up. Well, Jean told me she bought some new puzzles at a garage sale. Amazing how great garage sale finds are to kids. Trey was in heaven. Usually, when I pick him up, Jean will tell him that a friend will finish his puzzle for him. Usually, he is o.k. with that. NOT TODAY. Today, no one was going to finish the new garage sale puzzle but him. When I picked him up to leave, he said, "No, Jean's." As in, "Mom, I'm staying at Jean's." Now if T were my first born, I probably would have cried, but because I've been around the block with this mom and separation thing, I just smiled. It felt good to know that he's doing well at the sitter. I'm so glad he likes Jean's (and her new garage sale puzzles)!

Tea for Two

On Saturday, Reese and I had girls' day out! No boys allowed, and it was FUN! We went to the Magic House with Jodi and Lainey, and my friend, Kenna and her daughter, Mackenzie for tea with Cinderella. Lainey and Reese wore matching tiara ensembles from Gymboree (and once I get a new computer, I'll post some of the pictures). They looked adorable. When we arrived, they seated us at our table which was decked out with jewels and a pumpkin centerpiece. The girls decorated paper crowns while they waited for the tea to begin. Then the fairy godmother came out and welcomed us. Cinderella arrived in her humble clothes, and I don't think any girl in the place had a clue who she was. Minus the big, blue dress and headband, she was just another cute blonde. Well, she sang and then went upstairs to change for the ball. That's when we were served our tea. They brought tea and apple juice, and plates of cookies, petit fours, and creme balls. They were very good. We ate and talked, and then Cinderella came back. This time she was joined by Prince Charming. They circulated through the tables signing autographs and taking pictures. When Cinderella started inching toward our table, Reese put her head down. I looked at her like, "What do you think you're doing?" She said she didn't want her picture taken. Are you kidding me? I bought these tickets and drove here for you to be bashful? I tried the, "Guess there's no need to go to Disneyworld if you don't even want your picture taken with Cinderella." No luck. I ended up having my picture taken with Cinderella:) I held Reese while she buried her head in my shoulder. Even Lainey, who had NOT A CLUE who
Cinderella was, had her picture taken. Just goes to show how unpredictable kids will be. Oh well, saves me $6,000 on a trip to Florida:)

There's no crying in...kindergarten

Today, the reason I left kindergarten in the first place, came back and hit me like a ton of bricks. Criers. I had two darling boys boo hooing today. The first one was manageable. But with 1 minute until dismissal, after I had asked everyone to bring me their sticker charts if they earned a sticker, one child sat and sobbed on the carpet. I was rushing kids out the door, when I heard, "Tommy's crying." I approached Tommy and asked what the problem was.
"You didn't give me a sticker," was his response.
"No," I replied. "You didn't come and GET your sticker," I answered.
He then said, "Because you didn't give me one."
HELLO! What part of GET YOUR STICKER do you not understand? Well, the crying was so obnoxious and unreasonable, that I finally said NO STICKER, and sent him to the bus (crying the whole way). I sat down at 3:00 and thought for the first time this year: I miss 3rd grade:(

Oxymoron

O.K. I know the title of my blog and my new background are complete opposites. I mean, who in a small town is really into damask with large rhinestone accents? Well, for my family and friends who know me well, this new background is SOOOOOOO me. So what if I grew up in a small town. So what if I live in one now. My new background is the real me: dramatic, edgy, and FULL OF SPARKLE! Hope you like it:)

Miss (not Mrs.) Metzger

I'm sitting at the desk listening to Miss Metzger (Reese, that is) take her students' lunch count for the day. Only one child is ordering the hot dog. Miss Metzger is wearing a skirt with the t-shirt she put on this morning, and has added heeled shoes and a headband. There are close to 10 stuffed animals and dolls strategically placed around the desk area, and each of them has a letter "Aa" paper to complete. She is telling her "students" what to do on the paper. She has already highlighted mastered skills on their progress reports (my rough drafts from today), and stickered the papers from apple stations. She hopes to teach them a song and the new "pray" before they leave. She sounds soooooooo much like her mother:)

I asked Reese tonight if she thought she might like to be a teacher when she grows up. Recently, when you'd ask her, she'd respond, "Well, I want to make hot dogs and I want to pass out ice cream, so I think I'll work at the Dairy Queen because I can do both." A parent's greatest aspiration for her child. However, this evening, the answer was different. She said she'd like to be a teacher; one like mom or Mrs. Dalton (my co-teacher). She even wants to teach KINDERGARTEN in Mrs. Dalton's room when she leaves. Right next door to mom:) I couldn't be more proud!

Puzzles - "Piece" of Cake

I've always been amazed with the way my children can master the assembly of a puzzle. Sometime around the age of 2, each of them has been able to complete 25 piece puzzles with ease. I can remember Drew and Reese sitting for long periods of time doing puzzle after puzzle. Well, now it's child #3's turn, and he's already a pro. Just in the last week, I've noticed his ability to work through our 25 piece puzzles. He's doing them at my mom's and at the babysitter's too. I sat down with Trey tonight to observe his newly acquired skill. Although hard to imagine, even two year old brains can think logically. It was so interesting for me to watch him turn the pieces in his hand 3 and 4 times, as he looked over the board deciding where the piece would fit. He often went for the corner pieces first, and then worked off of those. When a piece would not fit the first time, he'd try it another way. Still no luck; he'd set it to the side and choose a new one. When the puzzle was all but two pieces complete, he tried the second to last piece in the wrong spot. When he couldn't work it in, he immediately placed it in the other spot. I watched quietly, but when the last piece was placed we CELEBRATED! He clapped his hands so proudly. I gain such insight from little moments like tonight. Children really are little sponges absorbing everything around them. What new skill will he surprise me with next?

I must be nuts!

Oh my gosh! Did I seriously just add another responsibility to my already hectic life? I guess my sister in law has me curious enough to try this on my own. Now we'll see how often I can keep this up to date.