Well, another year has come and gone. Some parts good, others, well... not so much. But, you take the good with the bad. As 2010 winds to a close here in the next few days, I find myself reflecting on the year that was for us Feltons. Zack started his Freshmen year of High School, wether or not he makes it out, that remains to be seen. We remain hopeful that he will. The girls finished their first year of Preschool earlier this year, and are in full swing into their second year! They are doing very well in Preschool and we couldn't be prouder!
As for this past Summer, Zack spent most of it over at his Nana's house helping her out over their after the recent passing of his Grandfather on his Mom's side of the family. Word has it that he was a lot of help, which is good news. The girls started Soccer for the first time this year and I started Coaching Soccer for the first time this year right along with them. It was a bit of a bumpy start, but progressively got better as the season went on! Charity, while not totally interested, did pretty good, Hope did well and Faith took to it like a fish to water! All three girls say that they want to play again this spring, but I've got a funny feeling that two of them may not last the whole season this time around. Faith, however, is a natural and absolutely loves the sport! I will continue to coach and learn the sport as long as my girls want me too, or they themselves want to play. I love working with not only them, but helping the other kids on the team learn as well. I found it to be very rewarding.
The girls also got involved with Tumbling this year! All three girls really like it and I'm going to assume that there is no question that they will want to continue this as well. All three are very good at it and made us very proud of them at a recent recitle that was held a week before Christmas! They did a short 3 minute routine, but it was very cute and a lot of fun to watch! We did take pictures, but they came out too dark to print or put on Facebook. You'll just have to take my word for it that it was really cute.
Things have pretty much remained the same for Amy and I. I'm still working the same job that I've been at for the last, almost 11 years now and Amy continues to be a "Stay-at-Home Mom", working from home and maybe going into the office once or twice a month. Hmm... I'm thinking maybe she has the better gig. But on the other hand, I'm not sure that I could keep up with all the appointments, preschool and activities for the kids as well as she can. Definetly a lot of work mentaly and equally as exhausting as my physical labor job. So then again, maybe I have the better gig?! LOL! At any rate, as fun and as challenging this year has been, we are happy to say goodbye to it and welcome in the new year and whatever challenges it may bring with it! I'm also hoping to beable to update this blog more often in the coming year as well! I know the updates this past year have been few, but I do promise to try and rectify that in the coming year! So we hope that you all had a great Christmas, and we wish all of you the best in the new year to come!
The Feltons!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Latest Update!
Well it's almost the end of Soccer season for the fall! The girls have been doing outstanding for their first year. The rest of the team also has been doing very well. So far, I think we've only actually lost one game(if we were keeping score,lol) and we've either blown teams out to win, or won by at least two points. Not bad for a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds huh?! If you've been watching my Facebook page, you've been able to see some pictures from some of this years games, as well as the girls pictures for the team. All of my girls have been doing well, Faith has been doing exceptionally well. I've said from the beginning that I thought she would be a natural for this sport, and so far, she's done nothing to prove me right on that. She has great ball control for her age and is not afraid to get right in there with the boys and hold her own ground. She can take a tumble with the best of them out there and just gets right back up to do it again! She's a tough kid!
For instance, last night at practice, we held a scrimmage game. Same as we always do at each practice. Faith had gotten tangled up with another kid and fell to the ground. In the process, she had gotten kicked in the face accidentally. Sure, she cried a little and sat out a few plays. I wouldn't have blamed her if she had sat out the rest of practice with a blow like that! But she got right back into the game and played just as hard as she normally would! Yup, she's one tough little cookie! The one who I thought would be just as tough, has turned out to be one of the biggest girlie girls ever out there... Charity!!! OMG! That kid can't take a hit to save her life out there. But she sure can at home! Let one of her sisters do that to her at home, and she's all up in their face! Out on the soccer field it's a different story. She falls to the ground and cries and wants me to yell at the little kid that either elbowed her or knocked her down! I keep telling her it's all part of the game and she needs to get back up and just get out there and play, but she continues to cry and wants me to carry her off the field. Obviously her feelings are hurt more than anything, so I do carry her off to the sideline where Mom is sitting with some snacks (healthy of coarse!) and some cold Gatoraide. That seems to make it all better and she's ready for the next go 'round! Hope, well... she doesn't really do a lot at practice. Heck, most of the time she is barely paying attention! Or so we think! But you get her in a game situation on Saturday and she's a totally different kid! Her head is in the game and she's a lot more focused on what she needs to do! It's amazing!
So we have a few more games left to the season. I think Faith will be a return player next year for sure. She loves the game and is always eager to play. I'm not so sure of the other two girls though. Hope might return because Faith will. Charity, well... I just don't think she's that into it to want to come back another season. I guess we'll have to wait and see! Till next time!
For instance, last night at practice, we held a scrimmage game. Same as we always do at each practice. Faith had gotten tangled up with another kid and fell to the ground. In the process, she had gotten kicked in the face accidentally. Sure, she cried a little and sat out a few plays. I wouldn't have blamed her if she had sat out the rest of practice with a blow like that! But she got right back into the game and played just as hard as she normally would! Yup, she's one tough little cookie! The one who I thought would be just as tough, has turned out to be one of the biggest girlie girls ever out there... Charity!!! OMG! That kid can't take a hit to save her life out there. But she sure can at home! Let one of her sisters do that to her at home, and she's all up in their face! Out on the soccer field it's a different story. She falls to the ground and cries and wants me to yell at the little kid that either elbowed her or knocked her down! I keep telling her it's all part of the game and she needs to get back up and just get out there and play, but she continues to cry and wants me to carry her off the field. Obviously her feelings are hurt more than anything, so I do carry her off to the sideline where Mom is sitting with some snacks (healthy of coarse!) and some cold Gatoraide. That seems to make it all better and she's ready for the next go 'round! Hope, well... she doesn't really do a lot at practice. Heck, most of the time she is barely paying attention! Or so we think! But you get her in a game situation on Saturday and she's a totally different kid! Her head is in the game and she's a lot more focused on what she needs to do! It's amazing!
So we have a few more games left to the season. I think Faith will be a return player next year for sure. She loves the game and is always eager to play. I'm not so sure of the other two girls though. Hope might return because Faith will. Charity, well... I just don't think she's that into it to want to come back another season. I guess we'll have to wait and see! Till next time!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Truth About Touch Screen Phones
Yes, I know that this isn't a true update about the family. But I do feel that it is something you all should know, if you didn't already know.
A few months back, my phone came up for it's "New Every Two" upgrade. So, I started looking into these cool Touch Screen phones that almost everyone has! A few people I work with own one which is how I became obsessed with having to have one. At anyrate, there are three other people on our plan that are up for the upgrade also. So I began investigating the phones. After checking what my phone provider carried as far as touch phones, I settled on one in particular and began asking an "Online Representative" about the phones. I explained to the guy what I was looking for in the phone, what I used and what I didn't use. I'm not a big "Apps" kinda guy. I like my phones to be simple. I don't text and I sure don't surf the internet on my phone. Why should I when I have three computers at home, one being a Laptop if I need to take the internet with me! So, really, I don't need all that crap on my phone. I just need to beable to store important phone numbers in it and make phone calls. Up untill recently, the only thing I used my phone for was to make emergencey phone calls. Well then I started seeing that these newer phones are able to carry a significant amount of Mp3's in them. And you all know what a fanatic about music I am! I'm a musician, it goes with the territory! So of coarse, this option makes the particular phone I'm interested in, more appealing to me. Not to mention that it also has it's own built in AM/FM radio built in to boot! By now, I'm in Heaven because this phone has everything that I want! Untill...
I start talking to the guy about purchasing the phone. He begins by asking me what Data Plan I would like. Confused, I ask the guy what a Data plan is and how much this thing is going to set me back. He begins by telling me that the data plan is what helps the phone work, it allows you to work your Apps, get on the internet and text. Well, I don't need this Data pack, because I don't do any of that stuff with my phone. I already told the guy what I wanted the phone to do. He proceeds to tell me the cost of just the Data plans. They range in price, depending on the phone you get, from $9.99 to $25.99 or higher. Yeah, for what I'm paying a month for just phone service??? Your outta your bird I tell the guy. Well, knowing that I've got three other people on the plan with me, I ask if that $25 will cover everyone on the plan. He tells me no, that the plan only covers one phone. Everyone else on my package will have to get their own Data plan. See, and there's where they get ya! Now, instead of a simple $75 a month "Family Phone Plan", it now becomes much more just because of these goofy Data plans that they are trying to force you into. I proceed to argue more with the guy, telling him all I really need it for is to make my phone calls and use it maybe as an Mp3 player, but I want it to be Touch Screen. He then retorts by telling me that there is not a Touch phone out there that will operate without a Data plan. Hmmm....
Then how does it turn on? How does this thing even turn on if it needs a Data plan to work?? He tells me that it will turn on, I'll just be looking at a blank screen. Really??? Then why when they are on display in the store, there isn't a blank screen staring back at me there?? The guy didn't have an answer. All he kept repeating was that the phone I wanted, or any Touch phone for that matter, could not function without the Data plan. This was my first clue that this guy is probably from that little known Hawaian Island called "Whatalottahooy". So, I imediatly end the conversation with the guy and I talk to a few friends of mine at work. Turns out, there are quite a few of them I work with that were sucked into this scam as well. So those people had no answers for me. Untill I ran into another guy who told me that all I had to do was go to Best Buy or Target, and they could set me up with the phone that I wanted without the Data Plan. So that's what I did. Amy and I went to Target to get our phones. So did Amy's Dad. All three of us currently have the same phone and love it. The phone is the LG Chocolate Touch. Great phone. Except one thing. They were having problems last night when we (Amy and I) went in to get our phones. The same problem that Amy had when she had gone in over the weekend to get her Dad's phone. We waited for damn near 4 hrs. there for these phones, and still walked out without them. Well, at least I walked out without mine. The kids were cranky because we had came straight from the Doctor's office to Target. Not to mention, I hadn't even been home from work yet. But yet, Amy was able to weasle her phone out of the guy so that she had something incase she broke down taking the kids to their appointments the following day.
But the point is this. Do not get your Touch screen phone online, no matter what Carrier you use. They will try to feed you a line of crap while selling you the phone and a bunch of crap you really don't need. If your like me and you like the idea of a Touch Screen phone, but you don't want all the crap they try and talk you into buying for it online, then got to either Best Buy or Target. You'll walk out of there with your new phone in tow and no expensive Data Plan either. You don't need that crap for the phone to work, no matter what they tell you. My phone is proof of that and so is Amy's Dad's phone. The Data plan is just a way for them to try and squeeze more money out of the general consumer who doesn't really know any better. Now, if you do use your phone for the internet, email and texting, then you may want one of the goofy Data plans they want to sell you. By all means, go ahead and get one then. But if you just want your phone to be a Touch Screen without all the bells and whistles, go to a Kiosk in the mall, or Best buy or Target. They aren't going to try and sell you something you don't want, or for that matter, you don't really need. THAT, my friends, is the truth about the Touch Screen phones. Hopefully this helps most of you out and you don't get screwed like some other people may be. In fact, if you want to pass this blog on to others for their information, by all means do so! People need to know that they are being taken for a ride. Oh, and... thanks for reading my little rant here. I appreciate it.
A few months back, my phone came up for it's "New Every Two" upgrade. So, I started looking into these cool Touch Screen phones that almost everyone has! A few people I work with own one which is how I became obsessed with having to have one. At anyrate, there are three other people on our plan that are up for the upgrade also. So I began investigating the phones. After checking what my phone provider carried as far as touch phones, I settled on one in particular and began asking an "Online Representative" about the phones. I explained to the guy what I was looking for in the phone, what I used and what I didn't use. I'm not a big "Apps" kinda guy. I like my phones to be simple. I don't text and I sure don't surf the internet on my phone. Why should I when I have three computers at home, one being a Laptop if I need to take the internet with me! So, really, I don't need all that crap on my phone. I just need to beable to store important phone numbers in it and make phone calls. Up untill recently, the only thing I used my phone for was to make emergencey phone calls. Well then I started seeing that these newer phones are able to carry a significant amount of Mp3's in them. And you all know what a fanatic about music I am! I'm a musician, it goes with the territory! So of coarse, this option makes the particular phone I'm interested in, more appealing to me. Not to mention that it also has it's own built in AM/FM radio built in to boot! By now, I'm in Heaven because this phone has everything that I want! Untill...
I start talking to the guy about purchasing the phone. He begins by asking me what Data Plan I would like. Confused, I ask the guy what a Data plan is and how much this thing is going to set me back. He begins by telling me that the data plan is what helps the phone work, it allows you to work your Apps, get on the internet and text. Well, I don't need this Data pack, because I don't do any of that stuff with my phone. I already told the guy what I wanted the phone to do. He proceeds to tell me the cost of just the Data plans. They range in price, depending on the phone you get, from $9.99 to $25.99 or higher. Yeah, for what I'm paying a month for just phone service??? Your outta your bird I tell the guy. Well, knowing that I've got three other people on the plan with me, I ask if that $25 will cover everyone on the plan. He tells me no, that the plan only covers one phone. Everyone else on my package will have to get their own Data plan. See, and there's where they get ya! Now, instead of a simple $75 a month "Family Phone Plan", it now becomes much more just because of these goofy Data plans that they are trying to force you into. I proceed to argue more with the guy, telling him all I really need it for is to make my phone calls and use it maybe as an Mp3 player, but I want it to be Touch Screen. He then retorts by telling me that there is not a Touch phone out there that will operate without a Data plan. Hmmm....
Then how does it turn on? How does this thing even turn on if it needs a Data plan to work?? He tells me that it will turn on, I'll just be looking at a blank screen. Really??? Then why when they are on display in the store, there isn't a blank screen staring back at me there?? The guy didn't have an answer. All he kept repeating was that the phone I wanted, or any Touch phone for that matter, could not function without the Data plan. This was my first clue that this guy is probably from that little known Hawaian Island called "Whatalottahooy". So, I imediatly end the conversation with the guy and I talk to a few friends of mine at work. Turns out, there are quite a few of them I work with that were sucked into this scam as well. So those people had no answers for me. Untill I ran into another guy who told me that all I had to do was go to Best Buy or Target, and they could set me up with the phone that I wanted without the Data Plan. So that's what I did. Amy and I went to Target to get our phones. So did Amy's Dad. All three of us currently have the same phone and love it. The phone is the LG Chocolate Touch. Great phone. Except one thing. They were having problems last night when we (Amy and I) went in to get our phones. The same problem that Amy had when she had gone in over the weekend to get her Dad's phone. We waited for damn near 4 hrs. there for these phones, and still walked out without them. Well, at least I walked out without mine. The kids were cranky because we had came straight from the Doctor's office to Target. Not to mention, I hadn't even been home from work yet. But yet, Amy was able to weasle her phone out of the guy so that she had something incase she broke down taking the kids to their appointments the following day.
But the point is this. Do not get your Touch screen phone online, no matter what Carrier you use. They will try to feed you a line of crap while selling you the phone and a bunch of crap you really don't need. If your like me and you like the idea of a Touch Screen phone, but you don't want all the crap they try and talk you into buying for it online, then got to either Best Buy or Target. You'll walk out of there with your new phone in tow and no expensive Data Plan either. You don't need that crap for the phone to work, no matter what they tell you. My phone is proof of that and so is Amy's Dad's phone. The Data plan is just a way for them to try and squeeze more money out of the general consumer who doesn't really know any better. Now, if you do use your phone for the internet, email and texting, then you may want one of the goofy Data plans they want to sell you. By all means, go ahead and get one then. But if you just want your phone to be a Touch Screen without all the bells and whistles, go to a Kiosk in the mall, or Best buy or Target. They aren't going to try and sell you something you don't want, or for that matter, you don't really need. THAT, my friends, is the truth about the Touch Screen phones. Hopefully this helps most of you out and you don't get screwed like some other people may be. In fact, if you want to pass this blog on to others for their information, by all means do so! People need to know that they are being taken for a ride. Oh, and... thanks for reading my little rant here. I appreciate it.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Having A Blast Coaching For My Girls!
Hey all! I know it's been awhile since I last blogged. But here we are, three games into the season and we are currently undefeated! And today, we whooped up on Dairy Queen's team 15 - 4!! Unbelievable! All three of the girls played extremely well today, but our star happens to be Faith. She assited on 4 goals and even scored on on her own! She's been dieing to do that all season. You can not imagine the feeling of accomplishment she felt after that. She was exstatic! As was I and the rest of the family and the team for her!
Today, I got to coach the entire second half all by myself, which really made me feel pretty good and helped to boost my confidence out there. I'm starting to get more into the game and what's going on, which I think is definetly helping with my relationship with the rest of the team. The more I can get them pumped up and into the game, the happier they are and the better I feel. To be honest, I really didn't think that I was going to enjoy this as much as I have been. I love seeing the faces on these kids when they know they've done well. I can almost feel what they feel when they are doing well. It's like nothing I've felt before. I really love doing this and I definetly want to coach again come Spring time!
As far as pictures, you can visit my Facebook page to check out the pictures there. Almost every week there will be some updated pictures there of the girls and the team! I've tried to do a pictures page here on the blog, but I haven't quite figured it out yet. I'm working on that though, so hopefully I'll have that down to a science soon! But untill then, visit my Facebook page to see the pics! That's all for now! And hey, thanks for reading!
Today, I got to coach the entire second half all by myself, which really made me feel pretty good and helped to boost my confidence out there. I'm starting to get more into the game and what's going on, which I think is definetly helping with my relationship with the rest of the team. The more I can get them pumped up and into the game, the happier they are and the better I feel. To be honest, I really didn't think that I was going to enjoy this as much as I have been. I love seeing the faces on these kids when they know they've done well. I can almost feel what they feel when they are doing well. It's like nothing I've felt before. I really love doing this and I definetly want to coach again come Spring time!
As far as pictures, you can visit my Facebook page to check out the pictures there. Almost every week there will be some updated pictures there of the girls and the team! I've tried to do a pictures page here on the blog, but I haven't quite figured it out yet. I'm working on that though, so hopefully I'll have that down to a science soon! But untill then, visit my Facebook page to see the pics! That's all for now! And hey, thanks for reading!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Coaching My Girls In Soccer This Fall!
Yup, I never thought I'd be one of those Coaching Soccer Dads, but here I am, just had my first Coach's meeting today and our first Practice will be this coming Tuesday! If you would have told me when I was 20 something that I'd be doing this, I probably would have laughed at you and said that you were smoking too much of the funny weed! But, at the request of my girls, not only did I sign them up for Soccer for the Fall Season, but I also signed myself up to be an Assitant Coach for the first time ever! Kinda funny since I don't know anything about Soccer. I guess I'm gonna learn fast! Is it anything like Football? Well, with the exception that you can't use your hands?
Amy has also informed me that if our girls like playing this game, I'll probably be stuck coaching till they decide they don't want to play anymore. Hey, that's okay though. As long as they are having fun and I'm having fun too, I wouldn't have it any other way! What's good about this is that I get to be the Assistant Coach for THEIR team! So this should be fun for all of us! Can you tell that I'm absolutely stoked about this!? As I'm sitting here going through the Coaches Pamphlet, I'm noticeing that they have put in the Characteristics of the children for the age we are coaching. Some of these are quite funny, but still we as adult coaches need to keep these things in mind:
Amy has also informed me that if our girls like playing this game, I'll probably be stuck coaching till they decide they don't want to play anymore. Hey, that's okay though. As long as they are having fun and I'm having fun too, I wouldn't have it any other way! What's good about this is that I get to be the Assistant Coach for THEIR team! So this should be fun for all of us! Can you tell that I'm absolutely stoked about this!? As I'm sitting here going through the Coaches Pamphlet, I'm noticeing that they have put in the Characteristics of the children for the age we are coaching. Some of these are quite funny, but still we as adult coaches need to keep these things in mind:
- Short attention span
- Can attend to only one problem at a time.
- May understand simple rules that are explained briefly and demonstrated. May or may not understand or remember: what the lines on the field mean; what team they are on; what goal they are going for. We need to be patient and laugh with them as they get 'lost' on the field.
- Easily bruised psychologically. Shout praise often. Give "hints", don't criticize.
- Need generous praise and to play without pressure. No extrinsic rewards(trophies, medals, etc.) should be given for winning.
- Prefer "parallel play" (will play on a team, but will not engage with their teammates. Thus, a 3 against 3 game is, in reality, a 1 against 5 game because they all want the ball at the same time.
- Very individually oriented (me, my, mine).
- Constantly in motion, but, with no sense of pace. They will chase something untill they drop.
- They are easily fatigued, but recover rapidly
- Development for boys and girls are quite similar
- Physical coordination limited. Eye - hand eye - foot coordination is not developed. Need to explore qualities of a rolling ball.
- Love to run, jump, roll, hop, etc.
- Prefer large soft balls.
- Catching and throwing skills not developed.
- Can balance on their "good" foot.
Monday, August 2, 2010
The Girls 4th Birthday!
Happy Birthday Girls!
Balloons galore!
Faith
Hope
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| Mommy & Charity |
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| The girls getting ready to blow out their candles |
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Charity  Some of our guests!  The girls enjoying their cake!  Mommy servin' up some cake |
The Girls Are 4 now!
I know, I can hardly believe it myself. Seems like yesterday that these little darlings were born and barley fit into the palm of my hands! They were so tiny when they were born. Now, I can barely hold them with two arms! They grow so fast. Next year they will start Kintergarden. I don't know who will cry more, Mommy or me! Anyhow, go to the Pictures page here and you'll see some cool pics from their Birthday this year.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
It's Been A Long Time, Been A Long Time...
Well hello all! Yes, I know it's been quite some time since I last updated here, but it's been crazy around here! Never a dull moment that's for sure. So... here goes!
Let's start with the three little ones. They have successfuly completed their first year of Pre-School! Yup, back in May of this year. They had a little ceremoney and everything for them. Believe me, at 3 years old, it's quite a big deal to get through your first year of Pre-School, especially since you really don't have to go untill your 4! So, they received their little First Year Graduation Bears from none other than Build-A-Bear for their HUGE accomplishment! We are very proud of them indeed. They have come a long way for sure. The girls were actually sad that it was over with for the Summer! They wanted to keep going! So I know right there that it was not too soon to get them in Pre-School if they enjoyed it that much. They are now patiently waiting for the next level of school. One more year of Pre-School and then it's on to Kintergarden all day every day! Hopefully they'll keep their inthusiasm for school once we get to that point. Hopefully.
Then let's not forget Zack. Now, it's been quite the rollercoaster ride for him and us trying to get him to pass the 8th grade. At the beggining of the year, it seemed that it would be a slam dunk for him. His grades were awesome, the reports from the teacher's was well, there wasn't anything bad they could say about the kid. It had appeared that he had done a complete 360 degree turn from where he was the year before! So, we thought this would be a piece of cake for him. But by mid year, Zack started to fall back into that same rut he started with and held all last year. But as soon as that would happen, he'd do something to turn himself back around again and things were good again... and then bad again and so on. The end of the year was a real nail biter folks, I'm not even going to lie to ya. We thought for sure that this boy would be revisiting the 8th grade for a second term. He was missing assignments, and just plain not doing work in class. But, somehow, by the skin of this kid's teeth, he managed to pull it out and pass. And I aint even joking about the skin of the teeth part. It wasn't pretty how he did it, but he did it. So now I'm coming to terms with the fact that Zack will now be a Freshmen in High School this fall. I know that some of my old friends from school have already been through this and I'm a little behind, but hey, this is big news for me and I'm kinda starting to feel old now.
So this brings us into the now. The kids have all gotten through a year of school almost unscathed, so that's the good news. But, we've had our share of downs this year to already. The biggest one so far has been finding out that we needed our Septic field redone. Yup, just when you think that things are going pretty good, something comes along and throws a monkey wrench into the whole plan! So, we recently had that done. Now our front yard looks like part of Indiana Dunes because we all know how hard it is to get grass to grow in sandy soil. That's a little upsetting, but hey, at least we don't have to deal with stuff backing up into our drains! That's kinda grose! There have been other minor things going on, but nothing really out of the ordinary. On the upside, we managed to finally get our driveway paved! For the last 7 years I have absolutely loathed that old gravel driveway we had. Sometimes even down right embarrassed by it. Well now we have a beautiful asphalt driveway and I couldn't be happier! I'm absolutely extatic over it! Amy probably isn't as happy about it as I am, but hey, it's probably a guy thing anyway, right?
Oh, and coming up here in a few weeks, the girls will be turning... GULP... FOUR!!! Hard to believe aint it!? Seems like just yesterday I was up at the hospital telling the nurses what their names where as I stood by their bedsides and they wheeled Amy up to her Recovery room. And as usual, the party will be the big deal it always is. Hey, it's Summer time! You have to make it a big deal! The usual Blow-up Jumpers, great food and a ton of refreshments for both adults and kids alike! Plus, we may possibly have a line on someone who can get us some Ponies for a Pony ride area! This still needs to be confirmed, but it is a strong possibility! Amy will be turning 36 this year. Yup, four more years and she'll be the big 4-0! Me, well, I've already reached that mark earlier this year and I'm happy to report... it's really not that big a deal! I thought I'd feel different and truthfully, I don't. I don't feel any different now than I did when I turned 30. It's just another year older is all. I like to look at as I'm just getting better with age, like a fine whine. Okay, I know I'll get comments on that one, lol! But hey, how else should you look at it. Age is a state of mind. Your only as old as you want to think you are. Me, I'd prefer to still look at it like I'm 30 for another year! Hey, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Age isn't going to get the best of me! I wont let it! And neither should anyone else! As long as your young at heart, then you will be forever young mentally! Regardless of what your body may be saying. Well, that's all for now. I'm going to try and not let it be so long between updates next time. But I can't make any promises! Later Y'all!
Let's start with the three little ones. They have successfuly completed their first year of Pre-School! Yup, back in May of this year. They had a little ceremoney and everything for them. Believe me, at 3 years old, it's quite a big deal to get through your first year of Pre-School, especially since you really don't have to go untill your 4! So, they received their little First Year Graduation Bears from none other than Build-A-Bear for their HUGE accomplishment! We are very proud of them indeed. They have come a long way for sure. The girls were actually sad that it was over with for the Summer! They wanted to keep going! So I know right there that it was not too soon to get them in Pre-School if they enjoyed it that much. They are now patiently waiting for the next level of school. One more year of Pre-School and then it's on to Kintergarden all day every day! Hopefully they'll keep their inthusiasm for school once we get to that point. Hopefully.
Then let's not forget Zack. Now, it's been quite the rollercoaster ride for him and us trying to get him to pass the 8th grade. At the beggining of the year, it seemed that it would be a slam dunk for him. His grades were awesome, the reports from the teacher's was well, there wasn't anything bad they could say about the kid. It had appeared that he had done a complete 360 degree turn from where he was the year before! So, we thought this would be a piece of cake for him. But by mid year, Zack started to fall back into that same rut he started with and held all last year. But as soon as that would happen, he'd do something to turn himself back around again and things were good again... and then bad again and so on. The end of the year was a real nail biter folks, I'm not even going to lie to ya. We thought for sure that this boy would be revisiting the 8th grade for a second term. He was missing assignments, and just plain not doing work in class. But, somehow, by the skin of this kid's teeth, he managed to pull it out and pass. And I aint even joking about the skin of the teeth part. It wasn't pretty how he did it, but he did it. So now I'm coming to terms with the fact that Zack will now be a Freshmen in High School this fall. I know that some of my old friends from school have already been through this and I'm a little behind, but hey, this is big news for me and I'm kinda starting to feel old now.
So this brings us into the now. The kids have all gotten through a year of school almost unscathed, so that's the good news. But, we've had our share of downs this year to already. The biggest one so far has been finding out that we needed our Septic field redone. Yup, just when you think that things are going pretty good, something comes along and throws a monkey wrench into the whole plan! So, we recently had that done. Now our front yard looks like part of Indiana Dunes because we all know how hard it is to get grass to grow in sandy soil. That's a little upsetting, but hey, at least we don't have to deal with stuff backing up into our drains! That's kinda grose! There have been other minor things going on, but nothing really out of the ordinary. On the upside, we managed to finally get our driveway paved! For the last 7 years I have absolutely loathed that old gravel driveway we had. Sometimes even down right embarrassed by it. Well now we have a beautiful asphalt driveway and I couldn't be happier! I'm absolutely extatic over it! Amy probably isn't as happy about it as I am, but hey, it's probably a guy thing anyway, right?
Oh, and coming up here in a few weeks, the girls will be turning... GULP... FOUR!!! Hard to believe aint it!? Seems like just yesterday I was up at the hospital telling the nurses what their names where as I stood by their bedsides and they wheeled Amy up to her Recovery room. And as usual, the party will be the big deal it always is. Hey, it's Summer time! You have to make it a big deal! The usual Blow-up Jumpers, great food and a ton of refreshments for both adults and kids alike! Plus, we may possibly have a line on someone who can get us some Ponies for a Pony ride area! This still needs to be confirmed, but it is a strong possibility! Amy will be turning 36 this year. Yup, four more years and she'll be the big 4-0! Me, well, I've already reached that mark earlier this year and I'm happy to report... it's really not that big a deal! I thought I'd feel different and truthfully, I don't. I don't feel any different now than I did when I turned 30. It's just another year older is all. I like to look at as I'm just getting better with age, like a fine whine. Okay, I know I'll get comments on that one, lol! But hey, how else should you look at it. Age is a state of mind. Your only as old as you want to think you are. Me, I'd prefer to still look at it like I'm 30 for another year! Hey, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Age isn't going to get the best of me! I wont let it! And neither should anyone else! As long as your young at heart, then you will be forever young mentally! Regardless of what your body may be saying. Well, that's all for now. I'm going to try and not let it be so long between updates next time. But I can't make any promises! Later Y'all!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
A Family Is A Family Is A Family!
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I know, this is an old picture. But for this particular update, it really doesn't matter. Consider this one more of a uh... well, sort of a Public Service Announcement or an Advertisement if you will. I don't know how many of you get HBO Family, but lately they've been showing this short, hour long special created by none other than Rosie O'Donnel. Yeah, I know, I'm not that big of a fan of her either. But I do have to say that the show she has put together about families is well worth watching with your whole family.
The show is called none other than, "A Family Is A Family Is A Family". It showcases the many different types of families in American society and for the most part, told from the perspective of the children. It deals with families in the Gay and Lesbian community, families with one black parent & one white parent, families with one Chinese parent and one White parent and so on. You get the idea. Yes, it is a good program for your children to watch, but it is also a must see for the adults in the family too and the children who are about to become adults. The oldest child in the show has to be about 8 years old. She is Black with two White Fathers. Yup, you read that right. She is Black with two White Fathers! The best part of all of that... NONE OF THEM CARE!! They don't care what their family looks like! I'm sure they face ridicule everywhere they go, but they just don't care! These two dads, both Gay, adopted this little girl with no other intension but to have a family. They didn't care if she was Black, White, Chinese, Japanese, Korean or something else! They just wanted the oprotunity to have a family to raise and take care of. The oprotunity to give that child a decent environment to grow up in. Isn't that why we have families? So we can share the love that we have with another individual who is of our own flesh and blood, or adopt a child that needs a loving and healthy environment to grow up in whether they are our own flesh and blood to begin with?
This is the whole point of "A Family Is A Family...". What makes this program so wonderful is listening to the children speak of their families and what they think "Family" means. Is it good for the kids to watch. Yes, it is, children of all ages. But it is most important for parents to watch with their children. Believe me, you'll walk away from this program with a new perspective and hopefully awakened about what "Family" may mean to you. Plus, you get to see it mostly through a childs eyes. That's what really wakes you up. The music in the show is wonderful as well and deserves a Soundtrack release. There are songs in the show by They Might Be Giants, Ziggy Marley and his mother and sister, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra and songs by some of the families featured in the show as well! The show is beautifuly put together and I gotta say... Rosie deserves an Emmy for this one! It is truely a great show and one you need to see. If you have HBO Family, make sure you don't miss "A Family Is A Family Is A Family". Your gonna love it!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day!!!
The Felton Family would like to wish one and all a very Happy Valentine's Day!! Hope yours has been as wonderful as ours has been today!
The Feltons
The Feltons
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The Terrible Twos...
(Faith, Hope & Charity)
Yup, we reached them. And lately it seems that they have carried over to age 3. The girls are now 3 years old and are more whiny now than they were when they were babies! I talked to several friends who have been through this stage wondering how long we have before this stage is done, and all of them have told me that this could last all the way to age 5! That's just crazy! If that's the case, why don't they just call it the Terrible Toddler years instead of misleading everyone by calling it the Terrible Twos?! Nap times are the absolute worst. Actually, I shouldn't say that. They are more of a 50/50 kinda thing. They are either waking up from a nap in a great mood, or they are all crabby as anything. Lately though, it's been more 70% bad mood and 30% good.
I think a lot of that has to do with them not wanting to go to sleep at night. We put the girls down at 9pm every night. And every night I can almost garauntee that they will not go to sleep until almost Midnight on some days. Between 9 and Midnight, it's just total chaos. They try sneaking out of their room, they are jumping into eachother's beds... man, it just gets crazy. They say that the best thing to do is just to stay quiet and keep putting them back into their room without saying a word to them. Sometimes this does work. Most of the time though, it's hard for Amy and I to stay quiet without telling them to stay in bed and go to sleep. And honestly, I don't know why we even bother with that anymore either. They are just right back up and at it again! But eventualy, they do go to sleep.
(Charity, Faith & Hope)
There has been a test so to speak going on lately though. We've been trying to see if no nap in the afternoon will help getting them to sleep when it's time to do so for that last time at night. And actually, that's been working! We've been giving that a try every other day. Some people say that they are too young to go without that afternoon nap. But really, it seems that it doesn't really bother them either way. And they have been letting us know if they really would like to take one. So I think it's just a matter of preference really. But, I've never really been one of those parents who goes by what other people say should be done, or read the books that tell you how to be a parent. Parenting is really just a bunch of trial and errors. You try everything once until you find the few things that fit for you and your kids. I don't think anyone can really tell you how to be a parent. Your either going to be one, a good one, or not. At the end of the day, your the one who has to live with your decisions that you have made through out the day as a parent. If you feel good about it, then you've done okay. If not, you have the next day to fix the situation. You'll know when it's not right, and you'll definetly get that gut feeling when you know it's wrong. But that also works for the good things. Trial and error. That's really what being a parent is. The ultimate test of your life. And at the end of it all, when your kids have graduated college, gotten married and have kids of their own, you'll get to see in action the job you have done on your end. You'll either be happy with it, or you wont. Hopefully, we'll all be happy with it.
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