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Peaces Of Me++++
++++ The miles just keep rollin as the people leave there way to say hello I've heard this life is overrated but I hope that it gets better as we go |
3/31/2001 Nadia got an acceptance letter from a college, a program called Mechanical Engineering, not at all what she wants. She phoned and they advised her to take the course and change during the next semester??? What? Why would she ever do that?? It doesn’t make any sense. It sounds like they think she is desperate to get into that college, which she isn’t. Today while Stacy was doing her track I walked 7 miles! I was with some woman and we got lost in talking or I did because she was keeping count. As soon as she told me that I walked 52 laps, I started to hurt everywhere but you know it is a great feeling when you just walk, talk and forget about everything else. My feet are killing me now because my shoes don’t seem to feel just right. I try to loosen them because my toes start going numb and if they are too loose I get blisters. I was warned about a certain teacher paying Stacy too much attention when she was in Elementary School but I never took it seriously. I just felt that he liked her enough to help her with her shyness. I didn’t realize that he had been emailing her so I thought it would be smart if he knew that I knew he was in contact with her- just to be on the safe side. It never hurts to be safe. Email: Hi I noticed that Stacy had your e-mail address so I thought I'd get in touch with you too. Life is crazy at the Edwards's. I'm still the kids’ only form of transportation and I am vigorously encouraging them to get their license and to "get a job". This summer promises to be in the fast lane again since all four girls want to play select baseball as well as house league. Nadia is applying to Universities and Colleges for sports administration. I think she should be in a journalism course. She has been told that she has the highest marks in Henry for people that applied to Colleges so she should be entitled to a scholarship. Unfortunately she was told about it at the last minute and the computers were down so I just hope that that she will get it. I would rather that she go to Durham College & take University later cos were not paying! Too many bambinos for that. Beside I think she would have fun on the Baseball Team. She has a wicked drop ball and lots of junk. She has lost about 30 pounds all on her own! Brent plays football- he gets hurt alot but loves it. Last year he wouldn't let us come & watch him play at first. He was too old for that, wouldn't show his schedule or let us drive to the bus. One time we got a call from a hospital in Hamilton telling us he'd been hurt & another parent had to stay with him for 5 hours. After that we were allowed to go. Stacy as always is taking on what I think as too much. She still has excellent study habits but will work a project to death until she gets it perfect. Between track, swimming, pitching, weight training and volunteering at the rec centre I think that sometimes everything gets a little too much & I would like to see her slow down. The boys- they don't leave her alone but I think she now realizes that when a guy tells you he loves you, well it doesn't mean diddly at this age does it?. April, I think is getting into a bit of trouble. She is my only one that has a mouth on her & sometimes some of those bad boys don’t even realize that she has insulted them. As usual Jesse & Josh Baker want to hang around her & now there is a guy from Jack Miner with his tough guy attitude. I am just glad that the 2 schools will be apart next week & we hopefully won't have to worry about him. April looks have really changed and I hope she can grow up a bit along with the new Her. She is in grade seven & as expected alot of catiness in the girls at that age at school. She will survive. Monica is a go-getter - the most competitive kid I have. She is into every sport you can imagine, does it all extremely well and most nights she will have at least 3 different activities on the go. She is really good at basketball & is rarely off the court. They wanted her in rep basketball and baseball and competitive swimming but we can't be away from our house that much. Can you imagine the parties four teenagers would have with us gone all the time? She is an Aer. If she didn't have sports it would be hell at home cos she would compete with everyone here. James still travels alot. He was in Florida last month & North Carolina this week- poor guy! Me? I am getting bored with all the driving I do. I am trying to locate some of my old friends but it is hard to find them with the last names all different. I have lost about 35 pounds with Stacy’s training because I join her at the dome or swimming. Now we share clothes! Anyway, I hope you are doing well. I was disappointed that I didn’t see you at a tournament that , but then I was told that you are a High School teacher now. What school are you at? I think you will make an excellent High School teacher. I hope you are still awake after this long letter. Take care Annie James got home from his trip. That problem with the Muslims really bothered James- unnerved him. He said it was a helpless feeling when they were following the simple rules of air flight and all the passengers felt very vulnerable. In the afternoon Stacy and Nadia went to see Heartbreaker’s again. Nadia saw Brie tonight; they got all dolled up in her grad clothes and went to some nice restaurant. Annie at 3/31/2001 03:50:00 p.m. James left for North Carolina Yesterday. When they got on the plane there were two Muslims in the back by the washroom on their hands and knees bowing to the ground and raising their hands up praying. The Steward asked them to sit in their seats so they could take off but the men ignored them. They brought the pilot to them and he told them they would be removed if they didn't sit down but they didn’t. It took them an hour to get them to sit down. By this time everyone on the plane was unnerved by all of this. People were worried that there might be a bomb on board. I guess that is why they didn't eject them so the other passengers wouldn't think they acted like that deliberately, to get themselves off the plane. I think they should have been charged with something. James said it was very upsetting. I guess we just don’t understand their culture and they don’t understand ours, and therefore we get these frightening communucation problems. Stacy is finally getting the hang of it. This space from the guys at school she has created is doing her the world of good. They are finally not hounding her. This “GUY Geoff” from Uxbridge is giving her all the room to get to know herself again. Yes she is “seeing” him but hardly ever- not even at track so some guys are actually leaving her alone. She had her friends over tonight- not just one but 4 or 5. Maybe now Jake and her really can be friends. I am so happy! Annie at 3/30/2001 02:41:00 p.m. Iam starting to figure out why Stacy gets so shy and quiet when she comes to her old elementary school. Monica is doing really well in Basketball- parents of boys have been telling me that she is the Superstar of basketball- that is what the boys think anyway. I asked my family to come watch Monica play. Before they got there a boy came up to me and said that Stacy is supposed to be the most beautiful girl but he didn’t think so. I said that it was good that he didn’t think so because it would be bad if everyone had the same taste in what is good looking. My family came in later and all these young guys were ogling Stacy- I feel sorry for her but I really understand what April and Monica have been putting up with when people always tell her that they have a beautiful sister. Later when Stacy and James left, the kid came back up to me and said that he changed his mind that Stacy is really good looking. I just shook my head. Annie at 3/29/2001 04:37:00 p.m. (\__/) I made a bunny! (='.'=) (") (")o Stacy sent it to me but I haven't figured out how to do it myself yet. Stacy's knee is so sore that I went for drugs from my brother. I didn't tell her it causes drowsiness and I sent her to school. -She’ll think she is stoned! lol!!! Our kids don't understand when we tell them that last year we spent more that we earned. We are tryng to teach them not to expect everything there friends have, not because we have so many kids, but becaseu we have had a change in ourlife style. We were doing very well for ourselves and then when that huge company tried to wipe Mikes company off the face of the earth, everything changed. We were lucky to come out of that with any company so I am happy for what we have. Hopefully the kids can be too. We cut ours up for 2 yrs & then James’s company said he had to have them. No we pay it ALL off every month. It's hard but that is our priority now. Remember that guy I said was interested in April. He came to our house 2x yesterday looking for her. The neighbours said April was down the street hiding behind a wall. I was at the school for Basketball for Monicawith Brent & the guy walked by Brent & gave him the once over & the evil eye. Brent says, “No he is not going out with my sister!” Good thing to have BIG BRO' watching over!!! Brent has a reputation for scarring guys away from Stacy. I made him stop & when things got crazy I told him to start doing it again but he is not at her school to help now Annie at 3/28/2001 03:33:00 p.m. Today I am keeping my distance from Nadia until she talks to me like a human being again. She acts like I stole the money from her or I am endorsing that kind of behaviour- as if I am responsible. I just don’t want today to be like yesterday. I can’t handle that kind of pressure from all sides. I feel like no one likes me anymore. Especially with Nadia, either she thinks I am too lax or too involved, what, what am I doing wrong? I can’t believe what just happened. I went to get gas at the place I always go to. This service guy that I have never seen before starts talking to me. He starts to get real friendly. He complained about working so I suggest that he needs to get a life if he is working too much. He says, no that he has another job and flashes me his police badge on his belt. I started talking about James and my family because I wanted to make it clear to him that I had a family. The next thing I know, he wants to come over with his police dog to check for drugs, not for my family he says but for their friends. Ya right- it was weird. It looked like the badge was real but the whole time he was talking to me I couldn’t help but think of that loser guy in True Lies. You know, the one that pretended he was a spy? I couldn’t stop smiling because I really wanted to laugh in his face. That guy was weird but it made my day interesting. Everyone needs a little spice in their lives!!!! I am having trouble with April and I don't know how to handle it. Someone has been stealing money at our house and it has been going on for a year. We bought everyone cash boxes to protect our selves but money out of pocket and lose change was going missing. Sunday Nadia made only $25 at work and Monday it was gone from her wallet. We began to figure out that April always seemed to have money and would ask us to change a five-dollar bill. I thought it was the same 5 but then I found out that the other kids were changing it for her. I asked that whoever was doing it to put what was left back in Nadia's pocket and 20 was put back in. What April didn't know was she was the only one I said it to. Now I told her that I know it was her and thanked her for at least putting it back. The problem is that $20 is now missing from my jewelry box. April has just recently had a change in friends. Yesterday this boy that I don't know came up and started talking to me. I have had enough experience with my girls to realize when a guy likes your daughter, alot of them chat the mother up. This guy is one of the bad boys and people are sure he smokes cigs and pot. This morning he came and called on April and he lives quite a distance away. He unfortunately dresses like the kids in a gang so that scares me for April. Sometimes being a parent is SOOO hard!!!!!! I don't know what to do I was going to get a cop that did the value, influence and peers to talk to her but if I do the bad kids might think she is cool and it would backfire It is crazy lately she has been getting alot of attention from guys in all grades and I thing it is because she is one of the few girls in her school to have BOOBS Pretty sad eh? I know of a boy, Dean, who lives down the street, he got in lots of trouble with the law and they put him somewhere for 6 months. Now he hangs around the guys he met there. The guy fried his brains with too many drugs. But the threat of it would be effective. Email-TO GRANDPA Hope chemo went well today and your still using the computer lots! HI ANNIE SORRY DIDNT GET YOUR MSG OF YESTERDAY---YES CHEMO WENT WELL AND HE GOT HIS FIRST SHOT IF EPREX----APPARENTLY ITS SUPPOSED TO WORK VERY GOOD STIMULATES THE BONE-MARROW TO GET THE BLOOD WORKING GOOD----HE HAS BEEN UP MOST OF TODAY ALSO--HOW IS JAMESS MOUTH? --HOPE BETTER LOVE Eprex is a drug that you inject and it costs $1000.00 a shot. It enhances the blood and bone marrow and should help him to fight the bad effects of the chemotherapy. We have to keep it in the fridge at home. Chuck already tried that tea (Eissac) that is supposed to help but it gave him a tinny taste in his mouth and if it really was effective then the medical profession would have endorsed it by now. We have been buying him the boost with calories and he is trying very hard to drink it. If he can at least get that down then we know that he has proper nutrients in his body for the day. James had root canal today and he made sure that he has an antibiotic to go on his trip. I hope it doesn’t bother him, they say that plane rides can really hurt dental work, but I don’t know. I went to get Nadia from school but she stood me up and James ended up getting her later. I guess she still hates me. James left a while ago to stay near the airport tonight. He will fly out in the morning. James always gets the jitters when he flies. When I am feeling so overwhelmed with my kids it is not a good time for him to go. It feels like he is abandoning ship or deserting his post when I need support. But this time it is a business trip although he will be golfing too. I don’t begrudge him though. He needs a break to help relieve some of the stress of his dad slowly dying in front of our eyes. It is just really bad timing for what is happening in our house with the kids. You can’t pick your melt down times though, can you? This afternoon I had to go to Central High School for an interview with Brent's computer teacher for Cisco Networking. She was telling me that they had a guest speaker and that Brent and Adam looked pretty bored but not to worry, that it was over their heads and that they would understand next semester. I told Brent about this and he started to laugh, saying that Adam and him did the stuff they were talking about every day in co-op and they looked bored because they were- they knew it all already. This afternoon I had to go to Central High School for an interview with Brent's computer teacher for Cisco Networking. She was telling me that they had a guest speaker and that Brent and Adam looked pretty bored but not to worry, that it was over their heads and that they would understand next semester. I told Brent about this and he started to laugh, saying that Adam and him did the stuff they were talking about every day in co-op and they looked bored because they were- they knew it all already. I asked the gym teachers at Central if they would coach a school softball team but no, no one wants to take on this High School. Apparently that is where all the radical teachers are so no one wants to mess with them. I would like to see Nadia have her last year on a sports team. She has missed out on the best of what school usually have to offer-the clubs and sports. I will try my hardest for her to get that team. If the boys get one, the girls should have the experience too. That new store, Rona that Toni is working at, is getting alot of press coverage. They are trying to make it sound unique. I wonder if it really is or is it just good public relations. As for Housewife work- I did the kids bathroom a month ago and have no more will power to carry on. It’s all zebra and cheetah prints- looks real good I ignored my garden last year and looking at it now there is so much to do! So much to divide and conquer I used to garden a lot so that I could stay outside and be with the kids. It is so big to manage now. Maybe I'll put grass over some of it. I gave Nadia some money because I feel for her about the missing money. I guess it is my fault for being THE WORLDS WORST MOM, for not being able to do anything right and for yelling back at Nadia. I guess I need to yell every five years or so. Its funny she can and will yell at me but I return it and I am the bad one. I am not a yeller so when I do everyone notices. I should have been paying more attention to April. I have been told that she takes her friends to the candy store and stuff, basically buying her friendship but I could never catch her and I tried to show her how Chelsea and those girls use her but she doesn’t see it that way. She is just desperate to find friends after the nes school split. The April problem is my fault, she needs more attention. Annie at 3/27/2001 04:25:00 p.m. Good morning !!!! I was just about to jump in the shower & decided to check my email. I have to go to Toronto today for Nadia dental apt and somehow pick Stacy up for her volunteer work and watch Monica’s basketball game all around the same time! How am I ever going to manage? Oh well, a day in the life of… I wish I could think of something new to make for supper. I feel like I run a restaurant because no one wants to eat the same thing. Those were the old days when we ate whatever our parents put out. Last night we wouldn’t tell Nadia what meat we were serving because she won't try pork. Last time we told her it was chicken and she liked it. Go figure. It just makes you not want to cook and sometimes I go on strike and won't cook! I have to go take my shower so … later, bye! Update!! I took Nadia into the dentist. I hate her going to the dentist because her jaw very often hurts after she has had to open up her mouth so wide. It is never the pain of having things done in her mouth like most people, it is the after effects of the jaw pain. Email from Gramma hi Annie just to say hello everything okay CHUCK TALKED TO THE GAL AT HOSP. TODAY AND SHE SAID JUST PICK UP PRESCRIPTION AND BRING IT IN TOMORROW AND THEY WILL GO OVER IT ALL AGAIN WITH HIM AND GIVE HIM THE DETAILS ETC....SO HE FEELS BETTER WE ARE GOING UP TO LOBLAWS IN A FEW MINS WILL TALK TO YOU LATER MOM It was not a good day at the Edwards house today. Nadia is missing money and she has deducted who she feels responsible and she wants me to dismember April. I can’t do that. I need more proof and I just can’t condemn people just because Nadia says I have to. I can’t come right out and accuse April, I have to think about what I am going to do but Nadia thinks that I am covering up for everyone. Why can’t she just put her money in her safe, so it will be protected? She got so mad and then became out of control on me so that I had to raise my voice at her and then she really lost it. She said that I was treating her like she was stupid and an idiot and then I told her to stop acting like one. It was the same way I used to fight with my mom, and now Nadia is doing it to me, putting words in my mouth and then using them against me. Dwelling on one word that she brought up first. This is so stupid it ridiculous. Oops, I said a bad word again. Sorry. Why am I the bad guy here? I tried to get her to cool down but she interpreted it as not complying with her needs at all. Help!!!!! Then Nadia didn’t want to go to pitching clinic because James was not there. She just lost it on me. She looks at me as if she completely hates me, she hates me???? Stacy and I had a blow up in the car today. We passed Jake in our car and he had a cigarette behind his ear and she said that he does that and he does drugs too, people have told her. I said that unless he has told her differently she should believe him otherwise it is gossip. Then she went on about getting into this when she brought it up. She is starting to take her bad moods out on me. It is hard to know what to do with the Nortel Shares. People are telling James that it is so low and that it has to come back up so that it is good business to buy shares. He bought 100 shares at $2585. We made money on those shares when it split from BE so we are basically playing around with money that was only ours on paper anyway, I think. This has been one of the most horrible days ever. Are we all snapping at each other because of the stress of Grampa being so sick? Is it because I just have so many kids and they are doing the hormone thing all at the same time. Is there is so much going on in all there lives that we just had a major dysfunctional moment? Or have I turned into an unfair, unjust witch that Nadia thinks I am. We exchanged the worst insult we could give each other. We both accused each other of acting like Grammie. We are both hitting below the belt. Annie at 3/26/2001 04:23:00 p.m. We saw a movie last night, Heartbreaker I think its called with Sigourney Weaver. You have to see it. -so funny It is good to see a woman her age looking so good, I know cosmetic surgery but still- wow. It was nice to go out. Usually we rent the movies but most often something comes up, someone has to go somewhere, and I miss out. Am still bothered by Brent not coming home the other night. I got so worried because we asked the other kids and they said he never came home after work to change out of his uniform. Turns out he did Nadia just misunderstood me. I stayed up all night phoned his cell till 3:30. I am still tired over it. Brent knows that I will track him down but I hate embarrassing him. The one set of his friends parents really don't seem to care so it is pointless phoning them. He also knows that I just need to know where he is- not to pass judgement on him cos he tells me even if all his other friends lie about where they are like staying over at a girls house. I just want to know for peace of mind. We have to put ourselves in their place though. All you have to do is remember what we thought and felt at the same age. They are going to do what they do and as long as you instill your feelings when they were young- hopefully they will be good and careful. Stacy takes her test for lifeguarding today and so is studying. She needs a couple other courses before she can be a life guard. Stacy and Nadia went to the movie Heartbreaker. I hurt my lower back and knee doing my Charlie’s Angels routine. James and I were fooling around and I have to remember that I am not a spring chicken anymore. Instead of being able to kick him in the head I should only try to kick him in the chest. It aches and is stiff. Don't feel sorry for me though I deserve it! I can kick ASS when I want to- just make sure there is something soft to land on when I come out of my kick They should never have let me see the movie Charlie’s Angels!! I told Stacy about listening to some girls talking at the corner store about Darren. She said that yes, he did go out with Gemma. Gemma, what a game plan- going out with guys interested in Stacy. I don’t see the friendship going anywhere anymore. I don’t think that it would have bothered her as much as her going out with Jessie Black. She was pretty disgusted in her back then because Gemma contacted Jessie out of the blue, but because it has happened twice I would say that this is the last straw- she knew that Darren was her friend. We talked about Darren for a while and she knows now that the rumours were really coming from him. It took his own sister gossiping to Stacy’s cousin for her to believe it but what better proof than from a younger cousin who has nothing to gain. He even told his sister about his imaginary life!! Annie at 3/25/2001 04:11:00 p.m. Brent never came home and I kept getting up all night to worry about him. I have been trying to phone him on his cell but I am not getting him. He is probably out with his friends but really a phone call would have been nice. I finally phoned Adam’s house in the morning and Brent was there. He said that he did come home, that Nadia saw him, but he still should have phoned. He is usually good at that. I feel like a zombie from lack of sleep. To Stacy Have a good time today if I don't see you first. Hopefully your second impression of Geoff will be as good as the first, but if not there are lots of fish in the sea and the only way you can really know someone is by talking to them-a lot. That is why you should talk to as many guys as you can! Geoff told Stacy that he does parents very well, so with that in mind, when he came to introduce himself I yelled out “never mind we’ll do this another time because there are too many people here” I took him off guard. Geoff picked up Stacy and he had 2 other girls in the car with him! They went to the Oshawa Center and he and the girls were loud and obnoxious throughout the whole mall. I don’t think Stacy knows what to think of him. I can’t see her going out with him but oh well, you never know! I mean the dance that they supervised in Uxbridge in January, he wore big huge black glasses, even though he doesn’t need glasses (at least that is what he tells Stacy) and it looks like he teases his hair to be as messy as it can be but the girls love him so he is popular. Go figure. Anyway the people that were here when Geoff came where Gramma and Grampa! Grampa hardly ever gets here these days and was quiet and at some points looked tired and uncomfortable but at least they are trying to keep normal by doing everyday things. To: Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2001 00:06:57 -0800 The snow has finally melted. We had so much this year that I hope we don't get any for a long time. Do you get snow? Do you live in a big city? My daughter went to Florida in the United States for 9 days to train for track. She runs 1500 meters. Her knee is sore but she really enjoyed herself. bye for now! Annie hi.Annie: I am so glad to see u again. DO u remember our first chat . I told u that I like computer and English was so poor. NOW . I study in a collage in my country . i will make programe after leave my collage. and I so happy .because i have a good friend of u . wish u have good everyday. chinese name:LuFeng nikename:highost. I like that! I would like a good everyday! Annie at 3/24/2001 04:06:00 p.m. ICQ- Vanessa- Hi there! I'm afraid to go on here,,,,,,everytime I do, I think it's going to crash on me!!!! Did Brent and Stacy create that web page???? I'll have to get my boys to check that site out! Annie- It is one of Brents friends page. I know what you mean by being afraid. I can't shut mine down because it might not turn back on. Sometimes it is off for days and just when we want to take it in for repairs, it comes back on. Hope you are having a good day and took advantage of the nice weather. I have to drive a basketball team to Brooklin and stay until about 8:30. We are going out to see a movie with Mark & Carrie tonight. Hope u had a good day. Stacy seems to be so much happier all of a sudden. She had to leave the school gym early so she went and tied everyone’s shoes together. She was so excited and happy when she was telling me this. She is seeing Geoff today, funny but either he hasn’t been at track or she hasn’t- I wonder if she likes the distance that they have between them. It seems to me that people at school think she is in a relationship and now guys are giving her space and she seems much more relaxed so that she can be herself. She is talking about that Jessie Black again but at least they are talking a lot more than the last time he was interested in her. I guess that by both of them having a girlfriend and boyfriend that they are relaxed with each other and there is no pressure so that they can just be friends. He told her that the Kevin Lomax guy is talking about her again or still, I don’t know and he said that Kevin is blabbing that he wants to get in her pants. Stace actually had to ask me what he meant by that. She is still not experienced in the way guys talk at all and doesn’t understand how to read in between the lines. If Jessie told her then I don’t think that he wants her to go out with that Kevin, he is more like warning her about the guy. I love seeing her happy though. Brent was working at McDees and after while in the late evening, I realized that he wasn’t home yet, I started to worry. We asked the kids and they said that they hadn’t seen him but I knew he had his uniform and no extra clothes and Brent wouldn’t be seen even wearing his uniform outside of McDees-ever. I really worried and I am having trouble falling to sleep. I kept on thinking about Dean’s family and if this is how it started with Dean. I hope he is all right and safe. Annie at 3/23/2001 04:02:00 p.m. ICQ To Vanessa I have my contacts on and I can't see up close with them on so my typing might not be the best. It is nice the snow is mostly gone. The girls got nessy/s letter and even the older ones were really pleased to get it. She is a sweetie. About kids clothing- I hated the size 7/8 stage there was never a good selection. Monicahas always had to wear a bigger size because of her buns of steel just got rid of a lot but I can check again if you would like any I used to get Laurie's hand me downs and from other people too it was a great help. I didn’t really have to buy much until they were teens Stacy had a lot of fun training in Florida, her speed really improved. She met a guy down there, Geoff lives about half an hours drive from here about 4 yrs older They missed there curfew one night by 10 minutes and they made them drop and do 100 push ups. He lives in Uxbridge. I don't know if she can handle a guy like him, apparently he is a loud practical joker and her being shy, I can't see her being the brunt of his jokes. It might be good for her though. All they have done together is hold hands and after they did that he didn’t come near her the next day. Apparently they were talking about his friend who is going out with a girl 4 years younger so Stacy said that was disgusting or something so maybe he is afraid to touch her because of what she said??? Lets hope so! Nadia is going out with a guy that she has been trying to go out with for a year- I got to hand it to her, she is determined They talked constantly on icq, Nadia would ask him out and at the last minute he would cancel- I'd always say don't hold your breath but it looks like it is working out Brent took the in class-driving course on the March break, he liked it because it was mostly girls there. I have to go talk to James he was just on the phone about his dad. He had a good day yesterday but unfortunately that doesn’t happen too much lately. So TTULI Vanessa- wow! Nadia must have REALLY wanted/liked him!!!!! Well, that is good then, Nadia must be very happy! TO GRANDMA I just picked up Nadia and her boyfriend Derrick, up from school. Nadia talked him into skipping- something that he has never done before and he was no nervous about it. What a bad influence Nadia is! Bad girl! Then I have parent/teacher interviews, then to physio for Stacy I have been motoring around in James’s car, squealing tires, burning rubber!!!!! Brent doesn't want me to see a teacher. Do you think I should go anyway? I guess I should figure out something to eat. Not really hungry but my tummy will growl when I am with the teachers. I had teacher interview today for the High school and when I asked Brent for his teacher’s name, he wouldn’t give it. He loves his co-op course but he hasn't handed any assignments - some things never change. I told the teacher just how much he enjoys the co-op and how it fits in with the Cisco Networking so beautifully. He said he wants to go with Brent and so will have to phone him at 6 am one morning to arrange it (Good luck) Brent said he told Adam the same thing but it never happened. ICQ- TO JAMES u back? u bad u mighty meaty u mine u all I just had the best supper! Ummmm! James just served pasta in a sauce that he made on his own from a recipe book. He used rich cream and bought spices- he is getting so good at it. I think I will keep him! The kids no better than to turn there noses up at it like they do with my meals- especially Brent- even when it is his favourite he won’t eat sometimes because he doesn’t feel like it. That drives me crazy particularly when I am trying to please him. Annie at 3/22/2001 04:57:00 p.m. Somehow I just wiped out all my history for ICQ. I don't know what I did. When I have trouble with the Internet I go into programs to a service we bought called wingate. I refresh it and that usually works Stacy went to the movie Get Over It with Melissa. She said it stinks. We have been teasing her about this new guy. We told her that the guys she goes out with all have their name start with J (Jamie, Jake, Josh and Jackie) while the evil guys or guys that just like her for her looks, their names begin with D- (Mark Mills, Dezzie, Darren Cunning). When we teased her about this guys name, we all had knowing smiles, because it sounded like it is going with her pattern but no, it is not Jeff but Geoff. James calls him Gee- off or Goiff. TO GRANDMA The girls went back to school. April was going to bring a raw egg with her because today is the day the earth moon and sun line up and gravity is so different that an egg won't roll off a table. I said “what are the odds of that egg breaking all over you at school” She immediately put it back in the fridge. Laura B. was talking to me at Basketball, she has been doing a co-op at Palmerston and is helping to coach the junior girls. She said that her family has given up on Dean. He is so messed up with drugs that his brain has been fried. When he was at home he didn’t come home for days on end. He is not living with them and he has stolen so many things from his own family that they can’t trust him to be at home. She doesn’t even know him as her brother anymore. Last semester Brent saw his older brother dragging Dean down the hall at school yelling, “Where is Laura’s laptop?” What a mess. Laura said that he has been stealing everything in their house for drugs. Nadia came shopping with me and it was an ok day until the other girls started to fight amongst themselves. Annie at 3/21/2001 03:52:00 p.m. Monica had her class trip to the big out doors today. It is the place where our huge turtle was let loose after the school had him for a few years. He lived through the torture April put him through when he was our pet so I would hope that he made it through the Canadian winters. Today was the swimming test and I reminded the coaches what had happened to April and the guy because the regular instructor wasn’t there. If April didn’t pass because their helper was flirting with my daughter then I would have a big problem with that. At the end of the lesson they had the group against the wall and handed each person the results, one at a time. They left April and Monica for the last and Monica had a real pained look on her face, like she knew she was going to fail. They finally gave Monica her card and she was so happy. April was standing there against the wall all by herself with a smile that you wouldn’t believe, like “common guys, you wouldn’t do this to me would you?” They finally told her that she passed level 10 and they all laughed. What a relief. Stacy told me that Jessie Black and Sara I. are going out. He seems to only go out with people that Stacy knows- maybe he just likes that crowd but then Gemma never hung out with them- only Stacy. I did do a little I told you so on her though, because I told her to watch out in the fall- I thought Sara liked him when he was interested in Stacy. Annie at 3/20/2001 04:48:00 p.m. Brent told me he had a talk with Jake at work and he seemed to be fighting mad at Dezzie. He was saying that Dezzie was really into drugs and stuff and he didn’t like him or trust him. I have a feeling Stacy is in the middle of those two again. Trying to be friends with guys can be hard sometimes. I am trying to make supper more of a family atmosphere, I don’t think the kids will appreciate that, they like there freedom of coming and going whenever they wish but I am doing it for James, because of what his dad’s cancer is doing to him and us as a family. So tonita I maka da pasta. Stacy said that Sarah and Gillian are best friends and excluded her from most of what they were doing in Florida. If she were at a restaurant with them and went to the washroom they would leave without her. They would both take keys to their room and tell Stacy they would be right back and desert her without a key for hours. It wasn’t long until Jeff realized that Stace was on her own and that is how they started hanging around together. Those two girls are very absorbed in there own selves to even realize how they excluded their running buddy. Annie at 3/19/2001 10:54:00 a.m. Nadia had bingo again today. Nadia came home smelling so disgusting of smoke- even her coat- and she wasn’t even in the main smoking area. She will be working most Sundays. Nadia always gets jobs handed to her. I don't believe this but my computer that has been in 2 repair shops this March break will not turn on again. So we all have to share the one computer that has icq. My hard drive has over 800 pictures on it and I am waiting for it to be in shape so we can get them burned on CD’S. SO I am pretty nervous about it. There is thousands of hours work on it. We picked up Stacy at Union station. That guy Jeff that I mentioned to Stacy that she might want to sit with before she left came off the bus with her and boy was he ever blushing. Every time he looked at her- beat red. He is 19 OAC, hurdler from a town about an hours drive from us. He is the same guy that I heard girls talking about at track. They said, “I wonder who Jeff is after now?” At the time I told Stacy because I thought they were talking about the guy who is always watching her but she said I had the wrong guy, that his name wasn’t Jeff. She now knows about this in advance so I think she will go into this with eyes wide open. She had a great time. Stacy and Nadia had some falling out today. She just gets home from Florida and goes downstairs and Nadia yells at her to get out of the basement. Nadia can’t assume that she has privacy down stairs, we are a big family. I know she likes this Derrick guy but she is acting very distant like her family is now the enemy. She hasn’t really even introduced me to him, he is just here now but I hardly have seen them together. I guess I am the outsider now. The enemy to teens!!! Annie at 3/18/2001 04:31:00 p.m. Stacy is coming home from Florida tomorrow, so we want the house to be spic and span clean. I know that would make her so happy as she is so organized. Right now Brent is buying his grandma a computer with James and she is going to email and icq. She is soooo cool! We just got back form visiting James’s Dad. He is pretty sick with the cancer or the chemo. I don’t know which is worse, but he sleeps alot and so grandma is lonely. They were always together. He is a really great person, but we have to remember his quality of life up till now has been fantastic. He couldn’t get his chemo, because his blood count is too low. Nadia was shocked at his appearance and said that he really looks like he is dying. I feel bad for Nadia seeing her grampa like this. They can hit pretty hard, been to the doctor's- the usual symptoms? My April has an ear infection-the only one of my kids who always seems to get them. I have to go. Apparently they bought a more expensive computer than they sent out to and they need me with the Van ttul Nadia went out with Crystal to the Sports Garden. I am glad she is mixing friends and her boyfriend. She has even been cleaning up at home. Maybe this boyfriend business is a real good thing for our house. Annie at 3/17/2001 04:49:00 p.m. Nadia and Derrick went to their first 'going out' movie. I drove them to and from the movie and then he came back to our house. Unfortunately they were up in Nadia's room with the door locked, which I don't think it is appropriate. She didn't like me saying that but I don't want them to have that type of privacy. Nadia and Derrick are spending a lot of time together this holiday hmmmmmmmm. After all she has gone through with Derrick do you think it is happening? I am kind of frightened for her though, because she has put so much effort into this relationship, I don't want her to be hurt. It seems he is not used to having a social life away from his family, but Nadia seems to be making him do it and think about doing it. A lot of times he backs out of plans at the last minute. I don't think that he is doing that because he doesn't like her, rather that he is just not used to going out socially with anyone and is really nervous about it. Brent has finished his frustrating week of driving instruction. This is mandatory for teenagers if they want to get a break in the high rate if insurance. The guy he had did absolutely nothing to teach him to drive. He usually could be found with a newspaper over his face to try to catch 40 winks while Brent drove all over the town. Once Brent's instructor was in the middle of one of his power naps when he suddenly startled awake, pushing the right side emergency brake as an involuntary reflex. Brent was going through an intersection almost causing an accident. It’s nice to know that he is looking after my son's best interests. Brent doesn't want me to complain, he just wants his credit. Annie at 3/16/2001 11:36:00 p.m. I have been out all day visiting grandparents. Nadia went to the Zoo with her friends Nicole, Katie, Marie, Coral and Kristie where she told them all that she and Derrick are dating. I guess this is the way I find out. I knew they were seeing a lot of each other but… The store couldn’t find anything wrong with my computer. At least they are faster than the repair place because it was next day service! Brent said just to leave it on all the time. I will have to get use to the noise at night. Brent says that it is so noisy because the big foot hard drive (I have 2- one is a slave!) is the loudest hard drive. He doesn’t like it at all Later in the evening James and I went out just to be alone- we need that sometimes too. Annie at 3/15/2001 04:15:00 p.m. We took my computer to the store because they think the mother board might be the reason we are having problems and since we bought it there in September we had it checked out here. We went to Home Depot with Nadia today and I started teasing her about Derrick, isn’t that my job? I told her that if she needed any tips on sex I would tell her and you should have seen the look on her face. It was so funny, but I hope she didn’t take me seriously! Later Derrick came over for a while and I drove him home. He is so nervous of me. Annie at 3/14/2001 10:43:00 a.m. My computer is in for repairs. It was in January & Feb. and now they said the motherboard just fried. I really don’t think they know anything about it. First we took it to Best Bytes and they had it for a week!!!!, only to bring it home to not turning on all the time. We took it back to them again- same thing. I'm going out to the movies and dinner at Don Cherry’s and I’m wearing a skirt for the first time in years Went with Dave & Marita but after Marita often doesn’t feel well still so we usually cut out after a little drink at their house. That is the hard part Brent has to be at work for 8 so somehow we have to come back to get him. Brent’s hours at McDonalds were cut down this week because he is taking driving lessons. I am hoping that we will eat late because I hate going to a movie on a full tummy Unfortunately Nadia is doing what she has done to me since the first day of kindergarten. As soon as something new and different come along, she is distant and won’t give me the time of day. She won’t let me know anything about her and Derrick. I should be used to it but I have basically been like a best friend to her in the days that some of her friends turned on her and I thought maybe things could be different but no. I would like to be there for her in the good times too. I guess it is just her way of teenage rebelling but it does hurt. Annie at 3/13/2001 04:41:00 p.m. Emial to Joanie One of my kids has gone for spring break in Florida and I got to thinking about our spring break. I guess you can only relate to what you have been through yourself and our memories don’t make me feel too safe. Think back Joanie and remember! Hiding from the State police, the bike races with the guys from Colorado, the bullets flying over our heads in the farmers field- just for trespassing, now that was terror, missing our plane because they were checking you for drugs- oh my god. Her trip is organized though so she shouldn’t have that much free time on her hands and if our parents had trusted us more maybe it wouldn’t have happened that way- who knows! Haven’t seen you for sooo long, I really miss you and yes it is too hard to even say that you are a grandmother!!! Hopefully your daughter isn’t doing the anorexia-bulimia thing anymore. Who would have known that making yourself throw- up would make you lose the effects of the PILL also. To find out that you’re pregnant at 6 months and have the baby 6 weeks later must have been mind blowing. I hope that Carrie and baby are doing great. How is James, he must be 21 now? Life here is crazy sometimes. Because of March Break most things have been cancelled so I’m not really driving all over like usual. I keep thinking that I’m forgetting something really important but no, I’m on holidays-relax-have a beer. James is having a crisis at work. He is in the middle of a deal that is falling through. We are the middle man. Both sides don't want to pay for the mistakes so to keep the peace we might have to dish out $20,000 out of our own pockets. That is the price to be in your own business but I hope that someone figures a way out. Nadia is doing great, she has lost a lot of weight on her own. James says her pitching is still amazing. Usually you can be off balance on your pitching when there has been a weight change so she is lucky. Seems that Nadia is entitled to a scholarship for college since she got top marks for the kids who applied to college. So I think her plans for University are on hold. Nadia missed the deadline for applying because the scholarship place- the computers were down for days, so hopefully they will still accept her application. Nadia has been involved with this guy Derrick for over a year whether it is as friends or otherwise- I don’t know and I don’t think they do either. She is happy though. Stacy wow has she had a time. Between track and boys, I don’t know. She has had to spend a lot of time, for intense training, swimming weight training and now because of an injury in November Physio 3 times a week. She volunteers at the rec centre on Mondays and doesn’t have hardly any time to spare. If she is lucky she might have between 4:45 and 5:15 where she is home and supposed to be eating but even that doesn’t work. She got real sick for about 8 days in February and really got behind in homework so she had a lot of catching up right up to the last day before March break. She is in Florida and I hope she tries to relax, she seemed pretty wired for some reason. She is still pretty shy and very noncommittal. I mean you ask her if she is doing something, its “we’ll see, I don’t know if I can, Tell you later”. The other day she had so much homework I asked if she wanted me to cancel the volunteer work for the week. She says “I’m not sure yet”. When I picked her up after school Stacy says she can’t go. Well too late chicko, you have to give them notice. She was mad. I think we need space away from each other. We are always together and I’m trying to give her more time away from me. April is always a going concern. She has a real quick wit that can sometimes get her in trouble and she can be pretty mouthy. At school, most kids will back down from the bad boys, but not April. Sometimes they don’t even realize that they have been insulted and the teacher has a hard time not laughing. A while back a guy got suspended from something that happened between them. The parents wouldn’t pick the boy up so they let him walk home after school, not a smart move cos he was out to “kill April” A bunch of guys held him down and told April to run home. Man, was she scared. The tough guys seem to be attracted to her and the boys from younger grades, which to me I have no patience for. You might think this is weird because Jamesis younger than me but younger boys don’t mix with older girls because of the maturity level, at least in the teen years. When April asks if she can have guys over the first thing I want to know is what grade are they in and if they are younger- no way. I don’t worry about her handling the older boys, I think it is them that should be afraid, but I wish she would play a little hard to get- or could be just an act. Monica is one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met. Everything is a contest and she usually has the athletic ability and the brains to do it. We tried her in a sport she had never done before, to try to get her away from track- 2 clubs want her, not really for her running ability but she encourages other kids to do there best and coaches love her. We put her in soccer. The first game she did all right, the next she figured out that since she can run well she can get in front of the person who had the ball and used that to her advantage until she developed her other ball skills, she did great and all the good players went out of their way to teach her. Pitching is her strong point, she is awesome and the rep and select both tried all winter to persuade us but we can’t do rep. Select is 1 day tourneys rep 3, with all our kids we can’t be away that much. Think of the parties the older kids could have! With 4 in baseball and all trying out for select we will be busy. Brent is taking driving lessons this march break- every day so hopefully he will be driving soon- maybe even helping us out with driving. He is still very much into computers. Me, I’m doing the weight thing again. Doctors can never figure out why I lose weight so fast. I’m really trying to gain some back but I think that when I stress-out my metabolism changes. I am trying so hard not to notice the similarities between my life and Stacy Annie at 3/12/2001 04:22:00 p.m. Nadia had to go to Bingo today and when she came home Derrick came over for the evening. She thought she still smelled of smoke even after she had a shower. James met Nadia’s ‘friend’. Derrick shook James's hand nicely, but I wasn’t there so I didn’t get the formal introduction. They had a couple of drinks together. Annie at 3/11/2001 04:35:00 p.m. Just by coincidence Jamesgot a Trojan virus today and our new virus scanner found it. We checked Nadia's email on another computer and she had the same message from hahahha. I am glad we bought a virus scanner. Annie at 3/10/2001 04:31:00 p.m. MARCH BREAK!!!! We just drove Stacy to Union station for her trip to Florida. While we were waiting I counted how many kids were there and I discovered that 1 guy and 1 girl would be sitting together. Since Stacy is one of the last girls to join the club I figured she would be the 1 sitting with a guy. I could see how uncomfortable she was when she realized the same thing. I pointed out a guy and said, “Why don’t you sit with him. He seems friendly” She really didn’t like that. This is the guy that was among the kids who volunteered for that Uxbridge dance, he usually wears huge black glasses with his hair wild and messy, like he just woke up. Underneath he looks good looking- I don’t know whether he is going for the “lets shock everyone look” or maybe he just wants us to think he is dorky or he is so confident he doesn’t care what people think. Girls at the track seem to notice him and talk to him a lot. Hope she lets loose and has lots of fun. Got another bitching message from shorty again. It is probably a girl who likes a guy that likes Stacy. They don’t even know that she isn’t going out hardly so she can’t possibly be doing what they are saying. They don’t seem to know her very well. The only time Stacy could have done something than other than what she told me was doing was one night when she went to Amy’s. She could have gone anywhere if she wanted to that night because I couldn’t check up on her at all and I didn’t want to-I trust her. The next day April came home upset because some younger guys had been at Amy’s house with her brother and saw Stacy and teased April saying that Stacy was so hot, why didn’t she look like her sister. (What April doesn’t realize is how beautiful her own face is and what meat heads guys at her age can be). James and I went to a disappointing dinner. They have a weird tasting sauce on the prime rib. We are getting turned off this place, it is too expensive to not enjoy even one time. I don’t think we will go back- too bad for a while it was our favourite place especially with Mark and Carrie. Annie at 3/09/2001 04:30:00 p.m. Sometimes Brent looks at me like I’m dumb or something but every now and then something happens that make him do a double take. When he got a job at McDonalds I told him about the kid who got electrocuted on the roof of Burger King changing a light bulb. Brent gave me ‘the look’ and said, “as if they would do that”. The other night at work they asked him to go on the roof in the middle of the storm. He refused and pulled out a card he got from school saying he hard the right to refuse work that he considered unsafe and since it was storming he wouldn't do it The guy that they got to do it fell off the ladder and hurt himself but not badly! He was happy to tell me the story Vanessa contacted me; she is so upset because she has received a warning by her Internet provider. They informed her that someone on her computer was threatening people on the Internet. There services might be terminated. Her boys assured her that they are innocent, that it could have been one of their friends. ICQ to Vanessa Getting that warning from your Internet provider should shake up both of them and there friends. I can't see them fooling around like that again. Do you think it was your son who threatened or one of his friends? You never know what kind of trouble kids can get into. I guess you'll never know who sent that message from your computer, but hopefully it won't happen again. You just have to remember that they are good, what you see and feel is real. Trouble is different for each generation and all kids get into some kind of trouble. If not they just haven’t got caught yet or the parents don’t share their kids’ trouble, never let other people learn from their experience, which is too bad. Florida and March break are pretty scary. I'm trying to street proof Tracy for her trip to Florida, she is such an innocent and too trusting that people always do the right thing- unfortunately they don’t so I have to disillusion her with tales of what could happen. I have to go take April & Monicato the store on their lunch to buy gifts for birthday parties. I just got back. There were cut-off sweatshirts for $5 so I bought some for my young uns and their friends. Don't you love it when you hit a sale? Yesterday I found pants for $5 bought 3, went back and the same one were $20.The only problem was that April needed them they were sized wrong so now Stacy gets more pants... just what she needed. She has lots. Stacy's friend bought new pants, probably cost a fortune and they are so U-G-L-Y that people are laughing at her. They had about 5 inches of fringes on them, they look like a shag rug. April and Monica 's school has a strict dress code so I don't have to buy that kind but Stacy's belly is always showing...She can get away with it though. It's starting to snow again.... no.......... Stacy is walking to phsio with a guy that I’m sure she likes but he as a girlfriend. I wonder what she’ll say after. He has invited her to his hockey games too. Trouble or maybe she just feels safe with him because he is spoken for. Amanda, that is the name of this guy’s girlfriend! I used to be real close to my brothers girlfriend, best friends for a while. I took it so hard when they broke up. I guess my mind is jumping from thought to thought- I am bored, I have so much housework to do but I am missing people. When an adult comes to my door and want to swing the door open, grab them by the arm and force them to be my company. I would be nice if I knew them, but not a necessity! I do know that one time someone put porno on April and Monica 's computer. It is not connected to the Internet I know it wasn't Brent because he is so protective of the girls, but I'm sure it was one of his friends Stacy just got home from physio and Track hasn’t been home since this morning. This is her routine. She said that some of the walk with Jeff Brie was uncomfortable. I guess she doesn’t know him all that well even though she says she keeps in contact with him on the Internet. And how kids so easily understand what is going on Nadia tried to teach me to burn a cd today, she spoke so fast that I couldn't keep up with what she was saying so I ask Brent. Between the 2 of them maybe I'll figure it out without bothering them too much. MSN messenger always messes up our computer and we keep taking it off. When we catch who is putting it on they will be off the computer for a while. They don't see how it affects the computer but when it happens time and again that is proof enough for us No my kids would rather have icq too. Stacy has put together a list of friends on her icq that she wants me to keep them updated on her Florida trip- pretty neat eh? On it are Jake and Jessie Black, I guess she really is being friends with guys- I am glad, for a while there I thought she was building a fortress around her so she wouldn’t get hurt -no trust. I believe you really can be friends with a guy- can’t you? Monica had a great report card, she got 12 A’s and 4 B’s. Annie at 3/08/2001 10:15:00 a.m. In the middle of cold and flu season but so far everyone here is not sick-but 2 people are skipping school. I'm going to drive a bunch of oac kids to the mall soon. I don't let them skip, I don't have much say in it, I just insist on knowing about it! I do not write them notes to get back in. They have to find their own way just like I did when I was in school!! I used to forge both my parents. The school collected them, had my parents look at them and they couldn't tell the real ones from the forged ones so they gave me the three day boot! Yes the good old days made way for alot better times later. I couldn't wait to get out of high school I’ve been driving around kids all day. Just went to school to give April a change of clothes after she got pushed in a mud puddle. She still has a lot of kid left in her; she seemed to like the dirty mud puddle play! Kids sure change there plans quickly. On the way home from school Stacy told me she was going to go out with Jake to a movie and then next is “I don’t know if we are going now, to he had to go out for a drive.” I think I am getting used to the routine. They probably got in an argument again maybe about Dezzie because he’s phoning a lot again. I really wanted her to go out because she has been studying so hard all this week. She says she has a lot of catching up to do on her schoolwork before Friday. She is like my brother Mark, studying so much, I am proud of her. Monica’s school basketball caoch is complaining that she is a ball hog and to pass more in basketball. Monica was frustrated that he keeps benching her and was really complaining to me in the hall when he came out and realized what was happening. He tried to explain that she is talented and that he is trying to get the other kids to learn from her. Monica says the kids are afraid to carry the ball and are always returning it to her and I can see what she is talking about. Monica’s house league basketball coach said that she is not a ball hog, in fact she is a very skilled player and is being very generous with the ball. Tonight was the last night for houseleague Basketball. Annie at 3/07/2001 04:49:00 p.m. Swimming lesson The assistant wasn’t there today so April did her best (with me telling her to get with the program) The piano teacher came early and I was going to clean the dining room table but I don’t know where to put all the junk that is stored there! Brent loves his co-op but he said that he wouldn’t want to be driving around so much if it was his own job, he would want an office. Everyday they get work orders and that sends them out to a lot of different schools around the district. They are happy to have Brent, they have told him that they have given him extra responsibility because he really knows what he is doing. Sometimes the guy will look at the problem, and ask Brent if he can figure out what the problem is and is often surprised when Brent has the right idea or comes up with a different angle on how to fix it. I am glad he is doing it. He works longer hours than the regular coop student does so he should be finished sooner. The point is that he is learning what he wants to do and it fits in with the Cisco Networking. He should get a great mark. The school he is in is intimidating though. Many kids who are expelled from their local schools end up in this school so it has developed a tough reputation. One day the co-op guy couldn’t pick him up so Brent called me and asked me if I could come and get him. I wasn’t fast enough because he phoned 3 times. Some guys circled him and made the motions of wanting his cell phone. He was very happy to see him mother that day. Nadia went out to buy boots. I told her it was off-season and because it snowed so much she would never find any She said "No, not that kind of boot. I want fuck-me boots." I laughed so hard couldn’t believe she said that Turns out that my boots that I love so much are what some of her friends call fuck-me boots!!! They are platform with about a 3-inch heel, zipper up the side and about 10 inches high. I where them with bell-bottoms and we didn't even know that we still had "it” did we? Annie at 3/06/2001 09:36:00 a.m. April is rebelling at pitching clinic, feigned injuries, sore throats and even fought with her sisters. Tonight I had a talk with her and she said that she didn't want to pitch. She cried about it for a while and the coach totally ignored her. I asked her if it would make it any better if Monica and April were put on different teams this year and April really liked that idea. We are thinking about putting Monicain with her own age group anyway, so this is probably for the best. I don't like the idea that April always has to compete with her little sister in baseball. Stuck in Fashion ruts I refuse to look like a housewife. I heard a guy joke that you can always tell who is a housewife because they were always about 3 years behind the fashions. When I noticed most housewives were in track pants I tossed mine, same with the black leggings. Nadia started to wear baggy clothes when her body began to develop. For Christmas one year all she asked for were large plaid shirts-boys shirts. Just before Christmas she was searching my dresser drawers for an appropriate red top for the Christmas Concert. That was the very first time she had to wear a clingy top. After the shock of seeing her female figure, she liked what she saw and she decided not to wear the plaid shirts anymore. Of course she didn't tell us that, we could have exchanged them for the sliming more feminine tops but instead, they just sat in her closet and she began to 'borrow' my clothes. Brent dresses so conservative. He tried some pants on once, you know the kind where the guy is continually hoisting his pants up to walk but not enough to cover his boxers. He stood in front of the mirror and just laughed at the sight. One time when he was under the influence of his friends he insisted on buying the winter camouflage pants and he ended up wearing them only once to school. Stacy would only wear the athletic t-shirts, wouldn't bare her arms at all. She always looked like a kid even though her body ws maturing. One summer I systematically got rid of her t-shirts and replaced them with sleeveless tops and yes they were form flattering. She finally gave in and she still wears those first tops as if they were family heirlooms. My April wore only baseball shirts for all of grade 6- she had so many to choose from since all the kids were in baseball. I made up my mind to change her image when I went to a Christmas concert and there she was with her Christmas colours on- a green and white baseball top on! One by one I 'ruined' them in the wash. Now she is going for tighter clothes I basically wear what my girls wear, that way we share and have more clothes. Monica was following in Stacy's footsteps when I intervened early and forced her to wear a sleeveless top. She had a temper tantrum in front of our full-length mirrors and slowly she began to look at her body and finally appreciated how she looked. She has no problem with body image now. Now they are all going for tighter clothes I basically wear what my girls wear, that way we share and have more clothes! Before I ever bought name brand running shoes I used to buy cheap running shoes from a store in cottage country, I forget the name and my kids would write on them with paint--soon lots of kids were doing it until the doctor said I was ruining Stacy's feet with cheap shoes. The last pair of shoes for Stacy was $150 I think but the orthodecs (however spelled) were $350 Annie at 3/05/2001 04:28:00 p.m. We had soccer all weekend and they won- Monica 's team. We thought at one point they were out, but the right teams beat the other teams which made us qualify for the semi finals and then we beat the team that hadn’t lose in the regular season- the big bad Hunter green team I did something that I haven’t done in years! I bought myself 2 skirts, an orange one and a burgundy on and they are tight and short!!!! Stacy ran in Windsor, she didn't run well but couldn’t expect to since she goes for physio 3 times a week for a messed up knee. She went without us for the first time ever! Last year we were the only parents that went. This is the first time Stacy traveled alone without us. She goes to Florida on Friday for 8 or 9 days alone too with her track team. She knows two other girls pretty well but not the short distance runners. They keep them separate for some reason. It is an intense training session with top notch coaches- only one of our coaches are going and there are only 9 middle distance runners in Ontario that are going. Stacy thinks that she will be racing but I think it is an opportunity to be coached by professionals. Brent lent his computer to his best friend because his friend fried his motherboard. I don’t know when he will get it back and it is not something that I think he should lend. ICQ To Veronica The school noticed that Stacy could really run fast when she was in grade three and she has been running at the rep level for about five years I think. When she is not injured she is very good but the last year she kept on getting injured. It is frustrating for her. Stacy has a lot of will power. Last semester she trained 20 hrs a week but she earned a credit at high school for it. The only problem with it was it put her with all the older guys at school because grade tens normally doesn't get spares. Her popularity is driving me crazy - every week there is someone new sniffing around and the guys that have liked her for a long time never give up. Guys threatening other guys, girls hating her it is crazy 2 guys have told people they are going to marry her and as soon as she hears of that she’s outta there. She is not handling it well, stays in most of the time, it is overwhelming for her. I wouldn't mind having her come up there with me. The one thing that I liked best about Port was that I was treated as a normal person not for my looks She is 15. I’d love to come up there. I feel like I need to get away sometimes, don't you? Right now Nadia and Stacy are fighting about the computers and they want me to referee but I'm trying to ignore them I've tried to contact Laurie but she is never home. It would be good when the snow goes. Usually it is gone in March here but it doesn’t look like it is going to happen soon Annie at 3/04/2001 04:25:00 p.m. Indoor soccer playoffs for Monica. If this team beats that team and if we beat this team we might advance in the playoffs for soccer and we did! Whatever we had to do we did. I didn’t think we could after losing the first game. This has been a positive learning experience for Monica. The kids on the team each had there own talents and were more than happy to share them with my daughter. It was nice to see that the talent on the team wasn’t in it for themselves. Annie at 3/03/2001 08:19:00 a.m. Stacy for Physio and to the movie The Mexican with Leigh. Mark M. told Nadia that he was talking to me the other day. All he really did was get my attention and wave. That’s funny. He commented on how much Monica looks like Stacy and April looks like Nadia. Nadia says that we have no idea how bad Mark M. has it for Stacy, that everyone in OAC knows about it and constantly hears about it. Nadia said that Philosophy is so easy and a lot of time the class is cancelled. It is basically a freebee high mark. Annie at 3/02/2001 04:07:00 p.m. I guess I am lonely. With Marita not herself it is hard to be myself with her. I pray that she finds out what is wrong with her so that she can get better. It is just that our conversations are not the same right now and I feel guilty wanting what we had back. I am trying to be ‘there’ for her but I really don’t know where ‘there’ is. I suppose that doesn’t make sense, but I miss her so much. I visit James's mom and dad so often as usual, but there lives have changed too since the cancer. I imagine that I am just longing for the past and not wanting to face the future for both Marita and James's parents. I feel to guilty even typing that. But it seems that I feel closer to a old friend that I haven’t seen in years and only talk to on the Internet and an unknown guy all the way in China. e-mailFri, 2 Mar 2001 17:43:55 -0800 I don't have your name okokok. I think that is what you wrote down. Do you live in a big city? I have never talked to a stranger on the internet before. I am relieved that you were so nice. I will talk to you soon. My name is Annie. Bye ICQ Veronica, do you listen to the music that your kids listen to?? I love the new music- all of it. James just shakes his head when we get in the car together I like the new song, I think it is called Crazy, crazy, crazy by kc and jojo. Stacy put it on her computer for me so I have been listening to it all morning. I also like angel by shaggy. The other Shaggy song, It wasn’t me Stacy said used to be her and Jake’s car song. I told her to listen to the words before you make it your song- she was surprised at the lyrics- just said it sounded good in his car! And then there is the heavy stuff. I like a lot of Lifehouse do you know them? Nadia has a problem applying for the scholarship. The problem is that our Internet has been down and she can only apply on the Internet and today is the deadline! She really wants to go to university but I think reality is sinking in. If Nadia goes to university she comes out owing about $50,000. Its Brent's birthday today--17 yrs old, my baby boy!!! He is not so small anymore. Brent used to get teased for being smaller than his friends but he is getting near 6 feet- a real surprise. We took him to Don Cherry’s for his Birthday. We cancelled Track so we could go celebrate Brent’s birthday as a famliy and got some drug for Stacy’s knee pain from Mark. I am glad that it is my bro, looking after her. Annie at 3/01/2001 04:01:00 p.m.
Stacy for Physio Out of the blue Stacy went to the movies with Dezzie tonight. I don't know where that came from. I thought she was liking Jeff. She says she can go out with him as friends just like she is going out with Jake as friends so I guess, I hope, she knows what she is doing. At least she paid for herself. One of the teachers is personally helping Nadia write in regards to the scholarship and her friend Kady is trying for it too. The teacher told Nadia that she better have some real good stuff in her because Kady is doing a sob story about being homeless, first I heard about that. I don't really think that is true. Annie at 3/01/2001 04:30:00 a.m.
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