Ten days of Thankfulness-Day 4

Today I am thankful that all 3 of my living children were born physically healthy, each with a least one talent, and for good measure, good looks!

Here they are:

April's college graduation, May 2011

This is my April, she is 29 now. this picture was taken on July 8, 2005 at my Godson's wedding. She caught the Bouquet. April did end up being the next person in our family to marry but it was done on down low, and ended before it began in a bitter way. very sad.

April's talents are singing and drawing...mostly lettering, AND Room Painting, she's as good as a pro, no missed spots, good coverage, and no mess.

April graduated this past May with a BS in Psychology and is going off in the fall to FL's NOVA U for a master's in Social work. I believe she is also planning on a PhD in Family counseling. Sadly, this is actually a family joke, as my Sweet baby girl, who had some bad stuff happen to her in HS, is changed and now has a LOT of issues, both emotionally, and many of us believe mental illness as well...some believe she may be Bi-polar, I personally think she has "borderline personality"  She has been to several counselors and walked out on all of them after only a few sessions. The last one she actually saw for about a year. This one, i think is a quack, as she never did anything but yes April, and agree with everything April told her. (April told me this herself, and when I suggested that I go with her for a session or 2, the counselor was all for it, April wasn't)  to me that was an AHA moment!

I am sooo VERY PROUD of her, I just wish, she would leave the part in the past and move forward. Because she won't she is estranged from everyone in both families, she talks to Tom, and though she lives in her Dad's house she really does not interact with anyone but her paternal grandmother. I know someday she is going to regret this. However she is a grown woman, and no one can make her do anything.

 Here is My Thomas, Tom as he prefers. with his LONGEST girl friend Mary, they actually lived together for over 3 years. We like her. This was taken in 2008. Tom is 25.5 now.

Tom's gifts: IQ= 147, VERY quick witted, very imaginative, VERY funny (why is always surrounded by girls) is a video game junkie, which gives him outstanding eye-hand coordination. he taught himself how to read at 5, he took his OWN training wheels off, and taught himself how to ride a 2 wheeler at 5 (he got tired of waiting on daddy)

He did everything early, every but talk. he climbed the stairs at 11 months, climbed up into a tree to the first crotch at 13 months.  he was a handful, ADHD--emphasis on the hyper!

Sadly, he is lazy unless it is something HE WANTS TO DO. he is a perpetual 17 year old, and sadly very disrespectful...mostly to us, mostly to me...most likely because I keep pushing him to grow up, and get his shit together! So---some emotional and neurological issues (ADHD is neurological, and he is a legitimate case)

 

 Tom at age 20

 Tom getting ready for the senior prom 2005 (yes he did the 5 year HS plan just for 3 classes-so he graduated with his sister)  This is his friend Jon, who the following October,moved in with us for over a year. Amanda's Gary was also in this photo shoot but not in this pic. The funny thing is...they all three were in black  and red or crimson. all three of their dates wore red...Tom's girlfriend wore all red, including matching arm length gloves. it was not the original dress she told Tom she was getting or showed him. he was disappointed, and I know why, it was kind of ill fitting, and she was a chubby girl, and sadly it made her look like a big piece of satin covered furniture.  My daughter Amanda had a friend that was dressed similarly in bright green, she was thin, and went to the prom stag, but the dress was garish, in all the photos. You say Amanda's dress in yesterday's post...she was saving it, and was holding it as a thought for her future wedding dress. Sadly it was lost in the house fire we had last year.

Jon's date wore a nice red dress that had a splash of black roses going down one side of the skirt, and one cluster of black roses on the opposite side of the upper part of the dress, she had a black shawl.

Here's another shot of Amanda out side of her truck (now my truck) a year ago...she has a big thing about taking her own pics, when she thinks she looks nice, LOL

it is hard to tell now, as i have packed on so much weight but she is the spitting image of me, except for the clef chin she got from her Dad, and his Dark brown eyes, my brown is more the golden brown-- like a greenish-brown. it was evident upon birth, Hubby noticed right away, she had a HEAD full of long thick black hair but looked just like me. There are similarities to her brother (they are 14 months apart) but he really resembles Ron more than he does me.  Tom tells people that she stole his face. I always tell him, no cause she looks more like me. it always goes around.

Amanda's gifts...gifted musician, I wish she stuck with it. Sadly she wasn't a great student, and therefore only rec'd once very small scholarship (one time payment)  so college was/is a dream, one she hasn't given up on, but right now working is the name of the game. Which brings me to another gift. she has without a doubt the BEST work ethic of any kid I know her age. She has to be DYING to call out. She always says yes, if someone calls out or whatever and they ask her to cover, even as far back as P/T jobs while in school.  Currently at the age of 24, She is the manager of a "Journeys" shoe store. Amanda works 6 days a week, on average 11 hours a day. Adam; her live-in Beau is a "Geek squad" in-home computer repair, troubleshooter person for "Best buys" he even has one of the "Geek squad" beetles 

to drive around in. Amanda is also ADHD, but it is manifested a bit differently in her...more hands and mouth, than whole body hyper. so a bit of emotional and neurological issues