Crazy Weekend

It has been the longest weekend...I have two kids with birthdays on the 22nd, so we started on Friday with Annee and her friends at Lagoon, Tyler took a friend to the arcade yesterday, and today, Sunday, I had the Weights over for FHE and to celebrate the birthdays, including Jess's and Steph's, who also have birthdays in the next week or so.

I took Friday off work so I could take Annee and 3 friends, Olivia, Jesse, and Brian, to Lagoon. We left around 11 and I took them to Arby's for lunch. We then headed to Lagoon. When we got there, a woman stopped us in the parking lot and asked if we had to buy tickets. She had 3 pre-paid ones she didn't need and offered them to us for a discounted price. I saved $10 a piece on those 3. Very nice of her.

The day went remarkably well. I was surprised. I was so afraid that I would loose one of the kids. But they did so good at staying together and letting me know where they were. I spent a lot of time not riding the rides because if one kid didn't want to ride that ride, I stayed off with them. Jesse was the one who rode the least rides. Most of them scared him or made him sick, so he only rode a few. It was ok, except I would have loved to have ridden more. I love Lagoon as much as Annee does.

Watching the 4 kids made me think back to when I was in school. One friend always got more attention from the boys while the other laughed it off and ignored it. It was painfully apparent that things have not changed in that respect. I can see that Annee is just like me and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that.

We ended the day by watching the "Vampire Awakenings" show at the Carousel Theatre. It was a lot of loud music with pretty pathetic dancing, but it was good fun. The kids loved it. The opening act of the chainsaw dancers were better than the vampires, but I must admit, the vamp guys were cute.

Annee was very quiet on the way home. I wasn't sure if something was said that upset her or what. I found out when we got home at like 10pm. She said she had started her period a little before we left Lagoon. I wasn't sure if she really had as last month she thought she had too, but it turned out not to be. So I had her shower and told her we would see how it turned out.

I got up early on Saturday to get ready to go get Tyler for his outing. (Ty and Dessa had stayed at mom's overnight.) So I go to get in the shower and see she has left evidence of the surprise period in the hamper. (Okay, I know, TMI...) I started bawling. It had really happened. My little girl was a woman. I didn't think I would take it so hard, but seeing the actual proof just put me over the edge. I am not old enough to have a menstruating daughter. SHE is not old enough. I was 14. She isn't even 12 yet (not until Wednesday.) It is really hard to explain. Knowing my daughter is old enough for something so grown up is not easy at all. I wanted to have a "welcome to womanhood" gift ready for her. But I didn't, as I thought it was still a ways off. Of course I had talked to her about it and bought the supplies she would need. But I felt so unprepared for it to happen right now. Needless to say, I was more focused on getting this gift I had thought of together than of Tyler's outing.

I did have to take Tyler out though, so I tried to put Annee's growing up out of my head while I took him and his friend Jacob to the arcade. I gave them each $5 in nickels and told them when they were out, we went home. I was so afraid it would take hours, (I am definitely not an arcade person.) But they went through them surprisingly fast. They had a blast playing the Jurassic Park game, and I was pleased that Tyler beat Jacob out of the water as far as points go. Jacob plays a lot more shoot-em-up games than Tyler so I thought Ty would be at a disadvantage. Not so. Tyler had well over 200,000 points and Jacob only a little over 100,000. It was funny to me that I felt so proud, but it was nice to see Tyler looking pleased with himself. I tend to let Ty do his thing a lot because I don't necessarily like the same things. So it was good to see him excel at what he loves to do.

I took the boys out for lunch at Jake's, which is where Ty wanted to go. I felt bad for Jacob because he said his family won't take him out to eat a lot. He said something to the effect that they don't like to have him seen with his sister, since he is so much bigger and only 9. He is a big kid, but not huge by any means. Olivia, his sister, is just very short and petite. He has a sporty kid look about him. I thought it was very sad that he thought this about himself though. I just hope I never give my kids that impression. Though I do say Annee is so much bigger than her friends. I hope she realizes this means taller and means nothing against her weight. She just grew up so much faster than those around her. I really need to watch what I say though.

Anyways, so the boys had fun. I spent the rest of the day cleaning the house and getting Annee's "woman's day" gift together.

Today was busy also. We had church at 9am. The nursery was a mad house today. We had 14 kids in there, one of them not old enough to be there that cried until I finally had to take him to his mom, and at the end we had Jesse's little brother come in who has Down Syndrome. He is old enough to be there but can't walk or talk yet, so he struggles of course. My team teacher spent the rest of the time with him which wasn't too bad. I just don't get along with the kids as well as she does. I have no patience for them anymore. It's weird.

We got home from church and I started getting the dinner prepared and finished getting the kids' presents ready. The family came over and we had a great dinner. (Jenn and Jason were not able to make it. Jenn left a message on my phone about something going on in her family but she couldn't talk about it. I do hope everything is ok. We missed them.) I had this idea about creating a family time capsule a few weeks ago. So I had everyone bring items to represent themselves and their current family situation. I was very pleased with the contributions. We will wait to see if Jenn and Jason want to contribute (and Jessica forgot hers, so also her items,) and then we will seal it for 5 years. I am excited about the changes that will happen in that time. I know we are going to be adding more to the family, like Wil, (who is already so much a part of the family,) and hopefully more kids. (NOT from me, but there are plenty of others to help the family grow.) I pray that no one will be taken from the family in that time, but it will be interesting to see the changes in 5 years. Annee will be driving, Ty will (hopefully) have the Priesthood, and Dessa will be growing into "womanhood" at that time. (That is truly a scary thought...) So many changes, so quickly. Already, it is hard to see them so grown up. It has gone by so fast.

Man, I am rambling tonight. I have just had so much to think about in such a short period of time. I really pray that I can help Annee grow to be a strong, independent, caring woman. I feel so inadequate to be raising a young woman. I hope I have the strength and knowledge to do it right. Already, she is showing more signs of the moodiness that comes with being a teenager. This morning was rough. She was all over Dessa over the stupidest things. And weepy too. But she was great this evening, so she is already all over the map. I have tried really hard to not ask her to do too much this weekend, knowing how I feel at that time of the month. I am afraid of some rocky times ahead. Two headstrong, moody, menstruating women in one house is going to be tough. I feel so sorry for Tyler and Dessa in the coming months as we adjust to it. I really hope I can do this well. I am scared to death....

But man, I have great kids. I love them more than anything and I will do anything to make this a good life for them.