2009 was for us...

A very good year.

We had no major sickness.

We had no serious disasters.(No flood or other type of thing)

We laughed a lot.

We played a lot.

We took our first REAL family vacation and had a wonderful time.

We learned.

We matured.

We have opened some new paths and closed some old ones.

We LIVED!!!

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, SNOW...

Since I watched White Christmas about 4 times on Christmas Eve I have lots of the songs stuck in my head.

One of my favorite songs is the SNOW song...where they sing about how wonderful it will be to be in snow in Vermont. But that's the song...I really don't like snow....in fact it could be said that I almost hate snow.

Don't get me wrong, I like SNOW days, I appreciate that as a teacher I get these days from school. I just don't like SNOW....it's cold, its wet, its cold, its wet, it's slippery, have I mentioned it's COLD...I hate cold. I hate that feeling of being cold, and wet. It's no fun in my book. I love fall and cool weather, I enjoy Spring...I LOVE SUMMER! I would much rather be hot than cold.

It's snowed so much recently. I'm tired of it...if we didn't see another snowflake this winter I would satisfied with the snow we have gotten. However, it looks like there may be alot of snow this winter, and a lot of cold that comes with it....I will have to deal with it. It may be a LONG WINTER!

Laundry, the Kitchen and a Baby

I am working on getting my house in order.

Big jobs can be overwhelming so I am trying to tackle small portions and by the end of the week I should be about done.

LAUNDRY: Laundry is my nemesis...it's always there. Even if I get all the laundry done, by bedtime there is new laundry to do...sometimes I think we should join a nudist colony so we wouldn't have any laundry but seriously that is an "EWWWW" kinda thought...I have real issues with nudity...especially naked dreams and the like...in fact I was always worried in high school that the rapture would happen while I was in the shower and it would take a while and the whole world would see me float into heaven naked...but I digress...all this to say I hate laundry. Well, I have all the laundry sorted and ready to wash, and after Dan leaves for work I get started. I'm trying to do at least 2 loads a day and keep up with it. I also am teaching the kids to put their clothes in the right color bins to help me...hopefully a big step in the right direction.

Kitchen: Today this is my focus, I have reorganized a cabinet, cleaned counters, floors and got it into much better shape. Honestly, this is the easiest room to clean because we use it the most but still it REALLY needed to be done. I need to develop proper and good habits for cleanup as soon as we are done eating. My goal for 2010 is to not go to bed until all dishes are in the dishwasher and the kitchen is ready for the next day...I really need to be more diligent in this area....I can't change the world, but I can change ME!

A BABY: I got to see my friend Crystals new baby today. I went to the hospital after lunch and got to just visit and hold the little darling girl. She is so sweet and precious. So small and tiny and she slept for nearly the whole time I was holding her. There is something just so wonderful about new babies. I love them.

Well, I better get done posting and get back to the laundry...see it's a never ending cycle....still working on my goals for the new year.

Reality Check

True Confession: I AM A MESSY PERSON!

I don't like cleaning, I don't like it, not one bit.

My house needs to be cleaned....really cleaned...it's bad, really bad.

So I will be doing my least favorite activity over the next few days. I have a week off of school and I need to clean house and so I am going to do it. I will focus and look at my house with the eyes of someone else and get it into shape....I may even post before and after pictures of my successes.

So here goes....if you don't here from me for a few days....the house may have won!~

White Christmas

We all know that old Christmas Song...."I'm dreaming of a White Christmas...just like the one's I used to know"

Well, we got one this year. Christmas Eve a storm blew in and it's finally leaving us now!

Christmas Eve is spent at home, we open presents the four of us and hang out and then go to the Christmas Eve service at church. The last few years I have gotten the opportunity to read a Christmas story for the service for the children. I love doing it.

Christmas Eve was a long day....Jaron was very cranky and just wanting to open presents...which I kept making him wait for. He really doesn't like waiting. So he makes it until Daddy wakes up and we spend a cozy afternoon opening gifts and celebrating together...glad for the family time. During the afternoon it begins to sleet and finally changes to snow...I am getting anxious as the day goes by since my sister Wendy was traveling down from Omaha. She made it safely and soon after my mom calls to say that they are not traveling the hour down the road to Pleasanton for the Christmas Eve service where my Dad is pulpit filling, and I am relieved that they are going to be safe. I was disappointed that our church cancelled our service but at the same time I don't like driving in yuckiness so I was also relieved. We had a nice enjoyable evening at home.

Christmas Day and we had a blizzard overnight...there is a lot of snow and it's been drifting all over. We delayed going to my parents until the afternoon to let the snowplows do their job and so it will be safer. At 1:30 we get ready to leave...get the car warmed and off we go...we don't get far before we got stuck in a big snowdrift. A neighbor pulls us out and we make it out of our neighborhood and then I hike back to the house to get the kiddos and we walk to the car after packing a bag to spend the night at Grandma's. We get there with few problems and Dan leaves to head home...he isn't staying at my folks...on his way home he gets stuck multiple times and finally gives up calling me to say he is stuck at Quik Trip and the tires are not helping since they have no tread left. Wendy and I go and rescue him and get him back to our neighborhood.

The kiddos and I stayed overnight with my folks and had a nice time just hanging out. We played games, took pictures and played with our new toys. Sleeping arrangements were a little atypical but it was all good.

Today we spent the day hanging out, watching it continue to snow off and on, and getting new tires for my car. My dad was able to help us get unstuck and over to get new tires...what a difference in driving for me! Bad roads plus bad tires equals a really bad combination! We are home now and looking forward to sleeping in our own beds and hanging out playing Wii together.

It was a great Christmas, one of lost of memories and fun and stress! I am so thankful for all the fun we can have as a family.

Wishing...

There are days I wish that I did Santa and presents from Santa. All our presents are under the tree and wrapped and ready to go.

The kiddos know the True Meaning of Christmas and know that Santa was once a man named Saint Nicholas and that he did good things. They also know that Reindeer don't fly and they don't worry about the Santa side...

the down side is Jaron knows that today is Christmas Eve....or in his mind...I want to open presents NOW!!!! All I have heard all day is things like this...

• I just want to open one now...
• Is it time to now...
• Can I please...just one....I won't ask again I promise....I just want to OPEN ONE PRESENT PLEASE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PLEASE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Why won't you let me Mom??? WHY???

If we were on Santa watch we could just track him or something and then I could put the presents out later....oh well...maybe he'll take a nap this afternoon.

Little Things Matter

Tonight I got some great snuggles and hugs from my son. We were watching TV and chilling in my room and he just needed that extra one on one time with me. Really made me remember that the little things like snuggling are what they are truly going to remember from their childhoods. It's the little things that matter to them and that they tuck away. They will remember that I took time to talk and cuddle with them. They will remember that I made an effort to go to their schools and help out...those are the important things...not the presents, and stuff but the time and effort I spend with them. These really do matter.

Wrapped with Care

Today I took 2 trips to the kiddos school to help with the Christmas Activites in the gym. I manned the pinecone ornament station. It was fun...tons of kids...but fun!

Between the 2 parties I wrapped almost all of our Christmas Presents. I have 3 or 4 little ones to wrap tomorrow but for the most part I am done.

Tomorrow, we pick up the last few little things since the kiddos are off school. We should pick up Grandpa's present that is enroute to our humble little town and maybe do some holiday baking. I am in the mood for some yummy cookies!

I'm looking forward to all the remaining little things that need to be done between now and Christmas!

One could get used to this

I had a very low key day!

I chilled, napped, ate, read, shopped, and relaxed.

It was just what I needed!

I get another low key day tomorrow!

I could get used to this!

Wahoo!

I am officially done with teaching for the Holiday Season!

I don't have to go back to work until January 4th!

I'm so blessed to be able to be home for awhile!

Countdown to Christmas Vacation

Wahoo...only one for day!

One more day!

Then I get 2 delicious weeks off of school!

My house needs me at home for longer than 2 days!

My kids need me home too and they need a break from school!

The kids have 3 days of school...so I am going to help with their parties next week. It'll be nice to be the mom rather than the teacher!

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Excited!

Funny Thing...

As I was leaving the classroom today, on my way to the laundry room, so I could wash a bucket of washcloths that we use to clean the tables, I peeked down the yellow hall and into the green hall. What do I see but a little boy...touching his toes, with his little bare bottom greeting me from the wide open bathroom!

Gotta love getting mooned by a 3 year old!

Gotta love preschool.

Wow...what a Day!

Okay, it's only 1:45 in the afternoon but wow I have had a super busy day....

Here's a taste of our crazy day...

I wake up late...the house is cold, my bed is warm and I don't want to get up...so I finally drag myself out of bed and on my way to the kids rooms I check the thermostat...WHAT!!!62 degrees??? That's not right, it should be closer to 70...

Get the kids up, they are moving slow since they are cold and not feeling like getting out of their warm beds...Janea also check the thermostat and she is getting a little panicky because it's cold...but we muster through.

At work, my boss is out sick and I am running late and I am worried about my house and the furnace. So I call our landlords and they get me in touch with a heating guy and he can be at my house this afternoon...well Dan is sleeping and I can't get a hold of him and so I am able to get away for the heat..turns out we had a non functioning connector so we were only getting a third of the heating power...fortunately we still had some heat unlike last March when it would not come on at all.

Come back to school...now sitting at my desk during naptime and wondering what is going to happen this evening...but grateful to be going home to a warm house.

Looking forward...

to only 4 more days of school this month!

to sleeping past 6:00 and staying in bed!

to getting to help out at the kids school for their Christmas celebration this year!

to wrapping presents and seeing if people like what I have worked on.

to enjoying hot cocoa and a movie with Dan sometime in the near future...he's been working a lot this month.

to Christmas and celebrating God's gift of Jesus to the world.

to being with my kiddos for extended time and just hanging out!

Baby It's Cold Outside

We are in a cold snap right now....it was 3 degrees when I left the house this morning.

It took at least 10 minutes for my car to warm up today and I was glad that I have a heater in my car....it was so cold!

I had a bad case of Mama guilt as I instructed the kiddos on what to wear to the bus and what time to leave the house so they were not standing in the freezing cold too long this morning. I am thankful we live right across the street from the bus stop but oh it was so cold this morning.

I am so thankful that it will be warming up soon...and that at least at night we are nice and warm in our cozy home. There are cold parts but thankfully I don't have to be in those constantly, like closets, and the laundry room. The back door had ice on the inside window but I have another door that keeps that cold air from coming in the house. So thankful for the warmth of my home!

I am also thankful for my little furnace that gives off the heat and that it is working! Wouldn't want to revist this scenario.

High Strung

Janea is working on the words for the spelling bee tomorrow.

She is a little high strung about it....freaking out and all!

She won the 3rd grade spelling bee and now feels she has to prove herself this year and be the 4th grade champion.

It's a little tiring trying to help her and help her not to freak out.

She could use some prayers that she is in the top 3 in her class. That she stays calm and is able to spell the words well and correctly. That if she isn't in the top 3 that she will remain calm about it.

I Just Dont' Get It

Why do children tattle ALL the time? Do they think I need to know that Jimmy just ate a booger and they think its gross? Do I really care that Susie looked at Sally funny? I just don't get it...at all...it makes me tired!

Why do weather people get you all excited about the weather and stressed and then they are ALWAYS super wrong? They predict BIG SNOW...you get no snow...they predict little snow you get a FOOT! Why must we play God and try to control the weather....I just don't get it.! Why do I fall for all the hooopla every year as well....I don't get that either!

Why does my back hurt when I sleep, why do my feet hurt when I sing, why does my head hurt when I stand??? Shouldn't my head hurt from thinking, my throat from singing and sleeping make all the stuff go away??? I just don't get it!

Why do some mothers dress their kids in like 50 layers and then the day is warm and the parents show up in short sleeves and they still make their kids wear a thick coat and a hat??? They can run around in summer clothes but their kids can't??? I just don't get it???

Why do little kids tell you all day long they are tired and yet when given the opportunity to rest and relax and sleep they fight sleep with every fiber of their little selves??? I just don't get it.

I'm sitting here shaking my head and pondering these pointless questions...why...I don't know I guess I just don't get it!

Yeah Baby...

Tonight I went to Kohls and got the last of my Secret Santa gifts to exchange at work for our Secret Santa.

I got some killer deals at Thanksgiving and spent 72 dollars while saving over 100. Well, I got 10 dollars in Kohls cash on top of my great savings. So tonight I was able to get my Secret Santa some stuff without spending any of my own money! Wahoo!

Love deals like that ...plus the stuff I bought was marked down so it was like the store was giving me stuff for nothing....love it!

I see how coupon shopping can be very addictive...wish I had more time for it all...

Another big step

on the road to independence.

Saturday I took Janea to the library and she got her own library card!*

She filled out all the paperwork herself and got the card and so off we went to find books.

Janea has been reading the Series of Unfortunate Events books by Lemony Snicket and she has been waiting for ever for book 11...which hasn't been returned to the school library. Well she got books 11 and 12 of the series and a Dear America book...

We haven't seen much of her for the rest of the weekend as she has been engrossed in her books. She finished book 11 Sunday and is about half way through book 12!

She's such a good reader and I am glad to be able to foster this side of her...

* yes I know that young children can get library cards sooner than at 9 but in our family you have to prove you are careful with books before you are allowed the responsibility of checking them out in your own name! You also become resposible for keeping track of due dates, and paying any fines with your own money...

The Parenting War

Have you ever felt like every parenting moment is a battle?

That the little crabby not cooperative person is going to make you absolutely insane?

Have you ever honestly considered sticking them in a box and shipping them off to another family member somewhere far from you?

Today was full of battles...both literal and figurative.

Jaron decided that he was going to be selfish and crazy.

He was uncooperative and threw a fit for over an hour over stuff.

We are working on not being greedy.

We are working on giving as well as getting.

We are fighting alot...so far the parents are winning...but there were moments today.

Moments that I felt like giving in and saying "fine...okay:"

We persevered...we conquered...we made it through

I'm ready for bed!

Prayer Request

My dad broke his wrist today.

He was playing raquetball and fell and really broke it! The smaller bone is broken in 3 places.

He will be having surgery tomorrow...Friday to have a pin put in.

Please pray that the surgeons will be able to place the pin correctly, that my dad will have minimal pain and that he will have a complete recovery.

Also pray for my mom as she takes him in and waits for him to be done and as she is his nurse for the next few days.

Struggles

I am struggling with my attitude toward a student. He is struggling and acting out and that is making me not want to be his teacher...I don't like this feeling and so I am struggling.

I am struggling with juggling all the balls that are my life right now and I find that I am dropping more of them all the time...I don't like this feeling and so I am struggling.

I am struggling with the fact that I am who I am and sometimes I am not as kind and considerate as I should be and I hurt people who are in my life...I don't like doing that and so I am struggling.

I am struggling with knowing the best things to do, the right timing of things and seeking God's will for choices and decisions that need to be made. I am struggling with the fact that my timing and my husband's timing for things is different and my contentness isn't always his contentness and I am called to be a help to my husband but I feel like a hindrance and so I am struggling.

"Lord, please take my struggles and turn them into things that are beautiful for you. May I be the wife, mother and teacher that I should be. May my life bring beauty and joy to others. May I have the forgiveness of those I have wronged and know the proper way to humbly ask for forgiveness. Make me more than who I am but turn me into someone who is a reflection of Jesus.."

Cyber Monday

I got a great deal today on a present for one of my family!

I love great deals!

I am so UBER EXCITED!

I love finding good deals on things people will really like for Christmas!

I love my family!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today we spent the day at home and at Grandma's.

We ate lots of yummy food, and yummy pie made from pumpkins that I had picked myself from the pumpkin patch!

We laughed at cried as we played UNO! The kids, me, Aunt Wendy, and the Grandparents had lots of fun being competetive with one another.

We got our game plan together for buying Christmas presents and starting shopping tomorrow as we decide which crowds to brave and how early to brave them.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be with family. The blessing of a full table, full bellies and leftovers! I am thankful for the home I have to live in, the shelter over our heads and the furnace that helps to keep us warm. I am thankful for my eccentric mother who decided to do something new and exciting to decorate her kitchen for the upcoming Christmas season and my fabulous father who goes along with her craziness and my sister who makes us all laugh so much.

I am thankful for my children, who keep me on my toes, fill my life with joy and stress me out from time to time.

I am thankful for my husband, who loves me and works hard for his family.

I am thankful for my Salvation and the gift of the Savior who died on the cross to take away my sins. I am thankful that my children are learning to know God, I am thankful for the sweet prayers they say and the decisions that they are making at a young age.

I am THANKFUL this Thanksgiving! Thank you God for all the blessings of this life!

Starting a New Chapter

Wow...I can't believe we have started this new phase of life.

We have begun the time of Extra-Curricular Activities. Janea not only is a member of the Student Council at her school she is also joining the newspaper club. She will be staying after school on Thursday afternoons to work on the school newspaper. She will then be taking the late bus home on those days.

I can't believe that my baby girl is so mature and able to be doing all these things. It's remarkable to me how rapidly you go from one phase to another. I'm proud of her and nervous for her at the same time.

Life will really speed up when Jaron is able to do clubs and activities.!! I think I will relish the extra home time I have with him!

Big Words

This weekend the whole family was full of big words.

Some examples of the words we were using with each other:

Desecrate--Jaron used this to talk about the Wii game he was playing with Dan.

Chagrin--me to Dan in car

Exasperated--Janea when referring to her little brother and his constant demanding.

I am so thankful that we are able to use big words with one another but I can also say honestly that when the kids use words we don't typically hear them them use it makes me feel like I am going to bust a gut laughing!

High Speed Weekend

This weekend will be packed full of activities and such.

I'm excited and nervous about all we have to do!

I am so THANKFUL that next week is a Short Week....Only 2 working days! WAHOO!

So I am off to Choir Practice, then home to grab the kids to go shop for a baby gift for a friend, then off to a baby shower, then home...then groceries, laundry, cleaning, and then BED!

The kids are glad for a short week, and so are Dan and I. It will be good to have some quality family time coming up. We need it.

Thanksgiving Feasting

Tonight was the Thanksgiving feast at my school.

It was such a blessing to get to spend time with the school family and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. I got to eat Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, chinese noodles, chinese others stuff, pasta salad, and rolls. Then I got a piece of pumpkin pie...I love fall! I love getting to be thankful.

Today I am thankful for my job...my great boss who so gets me and all my quirks...including my big mouth...my co-teachers, my class and all the fun that we have as a school family.

I also love that my children can go and hang out with my school family at any time.

SO THANKFUL!

I give up

Men, I just don't always understand them.

I am having a Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus kind of day.

I LOVE my husband with all my heart but there are times I just don't get him.

I give up...God understands him....God tells me to love him....God created me to be his helpmate and I will help him....but I don't think I will ever COMPLETELY Understand him.

WW III

We have World War III going on tonight.

Usually my children get along great but tonight they are trying to kill one another.

Oh how I wish Dan were home tonight...

Thankfulness

Here are 15 things I am thankful for as it is the 15th day of November.

1. My Savior Jesus Christ

2. My husband

3. My darling sweet daughter

4. My wonderful son

5. A nice warm cozy house

6. A car to get me where I need to go

7. Food, more food than we can eat in a week

8. A job where I can work with kids

9. My awesome class

10. My great parents

11. My super sister

12. My awesome church

13. Music

14. Washing Machines and Dryer so I don't have to go to the Laundry Mat

15. My dishwasher...so much faster and efficient!

I am thankful for so many things, things I haven't even listed but I am trying to be thankful everyday!~ Thank you Lord for all the blessings you bestow upon me!

That's my Girl!

Jaron is wanting to put up Christmas stuff. He so wants to set up the tree and decorate.

Well, this momma doesn't put up Christmas stuff until THANKSGIVING is Over...so we will wait until the end of the month and then put up our Christmas decorations.

Jaron goes to Janea and says..."Hey, you wanna put up Christmas Stuff?"

She replies" Are you kidding...it's not even Thanksgiving yet!"

That's my girl! I love it!

Top 5 for Friday

It's been awhile since I made a Top 5 so here goes for today!

1. The weather has been gorgeous all week. Not too hot or too cold. May be a good evening to go to the park.

2. FRIDAY!!! My favorite day of the week!

3. No homework tonight for the kiddos...we all get a night off!

4. Dan is home! Yee-haw for the whole family being home together!

5. Can stay up later know I can sleep in in the morning...wahoo!

Just Because

Dan called me tonight on his break...Just because!

It makes me happy!

Working Mom Blues

There is more that I would like to do today around the house.

It's already 8:20pm, the kids are in bed, homework is done, we went to McDonalds night for school, got stuff for our Operation Christmas Child boxes and for leader appreciation night tomorrow. There is household stuff I want to do...organizing and sorting, fixing and such.

That will have to wait for another day. We had other priorities and I have to be at work early tomorrow so I can't be up all night long fixing things. It's the working mom blues, something always has to be put aside for something else.

On a plus note, I have been able to maintain the neatness of my kitchen over the last few days and that is a good step in the right direction for better household habits! Gotta keep myself on track!

Can you Hear me Now???

Ever feel like you have to repeat everything you say?

Ever feel like the person on the other end isn't really hearing you?

I am there right now with the 4 year olds in my class. Sometimes I think they have no ears! I have been repeating myself all day so much that I feel like a broken record.

I think we do that to God sometimes. We are the four year old who is half listening or not listening at all to what He has to say. I am so thankful that God has infinite patience and love and doesn't feel the way I feel with my class sometimes. He is always ready to listen to me even if I am not always ready to listen to Him!

I am striving to listen and hear what God has to say to me today! How about you?

So much Better!

I am feeling so much better!

My kitchen is the cleanest it has been in a month...it's nice and clean, I can cook in it, I can wash dishes, and I can move around without tripping! What a nice feeling a nice clean kitchen is!

My stress level is much reduced and I got to reconnect with Dan last night. We went on a date while the kids when to Grandma's house! We went to Famous Dave's( so yummy!) and then we went to Barnes and Nobles to wander around the bookstore. I got 2 new books, picked up a present for Janea for Christmas and Dan got a book he had been wanting for awhile!

Today's jobs are to finish straightening up the house, get the laundry and grocery shopping done and get ready for the week ahead!

Life is good!

Off to a Good Start!

This morning is off to a good start. I am up, got my morning caffiene and got to have a chat with one of my best friends who is serving as a Missionary in the Phillippines! It was so good to talk with her!

Now I am off to clean my house, do a little bit of shopping and then I get to have a date tonight with my man!

It's going to be a good day!

Teaching is Hard

If you are reading this thank a teacher.

If you can add numbers together, thank a teacher.

If you can create a sentence and spell words, thank a teacher.

If you can figure out how to solve a problem, thank a teacher.

Teaching is a hard job. Teaching is a fun job. Teaching is a challenge at times. Teaching is a joy at times.

Teaching is more than just being good with kids. Teaching is being able to explain something so that another person can effectively understand it.

Teaching is my career and I love it...but it's a HARD JOB! It's not for wimps, it's not easy and I am super grateful for all my teachers and all the Hard work that they poured into me to make me the teacher that I am!

Something Crazy and Fun

My pirate name is:

Captain Bess Cash

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You're musical, and you've got a certain style if not flair. You'll do just fine. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Where did my baby go?

I can't believe how old my kids are. They are 9 years old and 7 years old. They are more responsible than they have ever been and still irresponsible as well.

Janea is on Student Council at her school this year. That's so grown up sounding. She's a member of STUCO. That makes her old. I still can't get over how she is in 4th grade! That's unbelieveable to me, she used to be in diapers and talking to Dora on the TV. Now she's into Disney Channel and more mature shows.

Jaron is growing up as well. He is in first grade and works on his homework when told and completes his work in a timely fashion with few complaints. In my mind he should still be in Preschool. He shouldn't be able to do 2nd grade math but he can! He's growing up so fast too.

I'm missing my babies, and yet I don't ever want to give birth to another baby. I am glad to be out of diapers and waking up in the middle of the night to meet a small one's needs. I like getting to sleep in on Saturdays and let my kids go play outside without having to watch their every step! So I guess it's a good thing that they are growing up and maturing. If they were to stay a baby forever I would be just as worried and stressed just about different things. I like my big kids!

Whew...where did October go?

I can't believe it's November already! This year is flying by and with school in session it seems to be going even faster than normal!

We had a great weekend. We went to the park on Saturday to take family pictures. It's literally been since Janea was a baby that we have set aside time to take a true family picture. We have had pictures for church websites and one's taken by ourselves and other family people but not ones where we really thought about it all.

One of my AWANA leaders is a Calvary student and wonderful photographer and she was willing to go with us to an area park and take some great shots of all of us. I am so pleased with the results and will be posting some of the pictures really soon.

Before we got pictures done I wanted to make sure that we would all coordinate together. As I was pulling clothing out of the closests and laying them next to one another I was getting more and more frustrated. Nothing coordinated really well and it would look terrible together. Dan was so sweet and told me to go and get Janea a new shirt to coordinate and look for a piece for Jaron as well. So I rushed out to buy her something appropriate and ended up getting both kids and myself something to coordinate with the shirt I had picked out for Dan. I think the end result really works and I am pleased. Plus, I got a new sweater out of the deal...score one for me!

Since we don't really do Halloween, the kids just hung out at home Saturday night...and Jaron was in bed before 8...I was a little worried since it was time change weekend, but he slept good until about the normal time the next morning...he was definitely all recharged and raring to go on Sunday! All in all it was a great weekend full of lots of quality family time.

I am so pleased!

Birthday....Birthday...Birthday!

I'm a little late in posting about Jaron's birthday. This ended up being a very busy week in the life of the Jonathan's. I'll blog more about that later but to Jaron!
My Baby turned 7 on Monday. I am not old enough to have a 7 year old!..Jaron had a great birthday. On Sunday we opened presents with Daddy and then went and saw ASTROBOY at the movies. Movies are a treat for us as we don't go that often. After the movie we went to Culvers to enjoy yummy frozen custard! We bought him some outside toys and it rained all day Sunday so he got to use his new toys on his Actual birthday! We had a fun birthday party over at Grandma and Grandpas house. Here are a few pictures from our house. I forgot to take the camera to Grandmas so those pictures are on her camera and I will post them when I get them.

All Right! A New Razor Scooter!
Fun little toys to go with our new Wii Remote and hover toy.

Getting to ride our scooter on a beautiful fall day.

This is AWESOME MOM!

Now that we have 2 scooters the kids don't have to take turns and can have fun riding around together!

Oh how we Laugh

Homework is my least favorite thing to do with my kids...I hate it.

Last night, Jaron did not want to do his homework. He wanted to watch TV and have it magically finish itself. Well, I don't believe in magic and I won't do it for him so we sat together and finished it.

The whole time Janea and I are making up silly songs for Jaron as he completes his work. And he laughed...he has this big belly laugh that makes the whole world smile! He laughed, and laughed and laughed and hour later all the work was completely done...

It would have gotten done faster without the laughter but we all had so much fun just hanging out together that I relish the time!

My sides hurt from laughing so hard!

Finding Joy in the Small Things

I can smile when I see my children interacting.

I can laugh at silly things they say or do.

I can relish a hug or an I love you spoken from a heart of love.

I can prompt for a Thankyou in order to teach a heart of gratitude.

I can be helpful even though I may be tired.

I can do things because they are the right thing to do.

I can be the wife and mother that God would have me to be!

I can Love the Lord with all my heart, soul and mind!

Sometimes We Hurt

This week my heart has been hurting.

When you teach kids they become your kids.(or at least they do for me) You love them, you laugh with them, they can make you cry and they bring you joy. You have those moments where your exasperated but that goes away when they have a great day and you accomplish so much. And then May comes and you pass them on for the next teacher to experience the same joy that you felt. By May, you sometimes are more than ready for them to go!

Sometimes, the day you have to pass them on comes earlier than you would like. Families move, change schools, or have other circumstances where they have to leave your classroom. It never fails too that this is that special child that really has wormed their way into your heart and is good, sweet, and challenging all at the same time and you are disappointed that they are the one that is leaving.

This happened this week. One of the three girls in my class had her last day at school on Thursday. On top of that, another parent from another grade had caused trouble causing me to have to be the sub for the First and Second grade class and my students had to join other teachers instead of getting to be with me, so I didn't get to have that last day with my student. I did join them for the good-bye party at the end of the day and get my hugs and the like, but I didn't get to have my kids make her good bye cards and pictures, we didn't get to prepare the other children that one of their classmates is leaving, we didn't get true closure.

I am so angry inside right now. I am angry that another parent can't see past the end of their nose and realize that his child is not the only child in the world. We all want the best for our kids, we do, I am no exception. However, I approach school decisions with the mindset that I know that the school is doing what is best for the MAJORITY of the children that are entrusted to their care. It is not my place to complain about how the school is run. I would never impose my will on them. His decision to make an issue of something, where an issue was not needed, caused pain on many different levels. My students, me, and others will be affected by his decision.

So I am hurting. I am sad. I am angry. I am disappointed. I need to remember that God is bigger than this and He can take the hurt away. I need to forgive that parent who I am angry with right now and pray that he starts to see that his actions effect others. I need to head to school Monday, ready to jump into the day and meet the needs of the 9 children that are in my class and see that they do their very best!

DA DA DA DAHH!!!!

Super Teacher to the rescue....she can wipe snotty noses with a single tissue, take care of mild disputes without blinking and teach 3 grades all at the same time with no breaks during her day!

DA DA DA DAHH!!!

Super Mommy to the rescue...she can help with homework, cause big belly laugh giggles and have fun with her kids all while being super tired and not losing it!

DA DA DA DAHH!!

Super Wifey to the rescue...she can check on new licsense plates for a vehicle, cook yummy food and pumpkin bread for her hard working spouse and make sure everyone has clean clothes!

DA DA DA DAHH!!!

Boy I am really tired...but I feel good for what I have accomplished over the last couple of days! I don't usually brag on myself but I went around the classroom singing da da da dahh...and just had to share it on my blog...but now if you excuse me I am heading to bed! Supermom, teacher and wifey all need a good nights sleep!

Beyond Exhausted

This has been an exhausting week and it's only Tuesday.

I have been teaching my class as well as teaching the first and second graders.

I have been teaching during my normal planning periods.

I have been getting any breaks at all.

I'm super tired.

My Weekend Plans

I'm posting these in hopes that I will feel motivated to finish my projects this weekend. I'm hoping that I won't be filled with chagrin as to not having finished a project.

* Laundry washed, folded and put away.

* All dishes washed and put away

* Garbage cans emptied and relined for as much stuff as I need to throw away.

*Living Room cleaned, organized and vacuummed.

* Refrigerator cleaned out and the weird smell located and disposed of

* Groceries purchased, banking done, and all things put away.

* Meal plan with Dan to help him with meals this week.

* Start the kids homework packets

* Quality couple time for the man and myself.

H1N1 Information

Here is a link to a blog that has an interesting video warning of the dangers of the Vaccine for H1N1. I am not ant-vaccine for important things but I do feel that Flu Vaccines are not worthwhile for me or my family and this one is not worthwhile for anyone. Check out the post below for more information

Desperately Seeking Shelly: Because I Had To Share

God Laughs

I think that God laughs at the futility of man. Take for instance the weather.

For years we have heard about "GLOBAL WARMING" and how we need to do all this stuff to make sure that we don't overheat the Earth. That we are causing damage and destruction at a rate never before seen and that it needs to stop before everything melts and all animals die.

Don't get me wrong. I believe that man is a very bad steward of the wonderful creation that God gave us. We treat the Earth badly and have caused the destruction of many things and we don't treat it the way God intended. However the Earth has changed throughout history and we don't have any control over it...God is in control of ALL THINGS.

Now back to the weather. We are having the coldest October that I can remember. I am dressing in layers and warm clothes everyday. I am making sure that my kids are warm enough at the bus stop and am soon going to be getting them hats and gloves. So I think that God is laughing at all the fear of Global Warming and is giving us some very cold weather to deal with. We may be in store for a wet and cold winter this winter.

Makes me look forward to hot tea, warm blankets, warm socks and cozy jammies.

A Case of Bad Attitude

I'm facing a case of bad attitude.

I'm feeling a little underappreciated and so I am finding fault with others.

I'm convinced my attitude is the right one.

I know my attitude is wrong and sinful and needs to change.

I'm asking God for help with this feeling.

I'm having to remember that my faults are big and to take the plank out of my eye before I remove the specks of others.

I'm learning and growing.

Priceless

Cost to rent a school bus...55 dollars an hour.


Cost to enter the pumpkin patch 5 dollars a person.


Pain in joints, back and feet...cost of a bottle of ibuprofen..5 dollars

Thank you Mrs. Jonathan from happy content children and parents....Priceless.


It's days like today that while I hate the hassle of field trips and the planning involved, makes for a great day and a lot of great memories from my class. I love my job!

Some things I'm Learning

God is Bigger than Anything...some friends of mine have really been sharing ways that God is so much bigger and even though I know it...seeing it makes it so much more real in so many ways.

To call my challenges Blessings...puts a positive spin on a hard situation and creates an opportunity to see the good even in bad things.

Prayer is such a comfort to the soul. I have been praying for friends and families and it's constant, there is no AMEN at the end rather a continuous talk with God about the little things...giving it to him means that worry is less and the stress is less it's such a true comfort.

My little changes make a big difference on those around me. I can make a positive impact on those around me through the little things...sometimes a bigger impact than I thought I was making.

My children can challenge me to grow in new and hard ways and I am both moved and a little afraid of these new areas in life. As they grow and change I too have to grow, change and adapt.

Brr..a chill in the air...

Makes my feet really cold. The days are growing shorter, the temperatures are cooler and we are in the middle of a beautiful fall pattern.

The days get warm enough but the nights are nice and cool. Really good sleeping weather, really not good waking up weather but I am adapting to the cool mornings and trying to make it less stressful for me by laying out clothes and making the kids lunches so that all I have to add is sandwiches and cheese in the morning.

Last night I made homemade pumpkin bread with the pumpkin we pureed from the pumpkin patch...it's all gone already. I took one loaf to work to share, Dan ate an entire loaf by himself, and I shared a loaf with my parents. It was so good I want to make more already but I will wait till later this week.

The kids were awesome tonight. They worked on homework with out complaining and they are playing so nicely together. I am truly a blessed mom to have such awesome kids. School is going decently and life is moving at a rapid clip. I am so thankful for a decent paying job, a school where my children are doing well, and a roof over my head and a nice warm bed to climb into at night.

Dan is at work and we miss him but I am working on keeping him on his meal schedule...he's doing well at sticking to eating healthy and I am very proud of him. He's really working hard at it. He's shown real dedication and I think he is really seeing the benefits.

Well, that's a rundown...it's almost bedtime and I need to get the kids to bed. So I am off to do the mom thing...

A weird conversation

"Mom?"

"Yes, Jaron?"

"What Color am I?"

"Your white, just like me."

"Not too white right?"

"No, your just the right amount of white."

"Good...that's what I thought...."

End of conversation...back to business as usual.

Family Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

Janea and Mommy and Mr. Scarecrow
Janea is getting bigger! She is so tall!

Jaron is approaching 7 years old!

The family dressed for Trick or Treat!

Janea and Jaron are raring to go!

Running around the pumpkin patch!

My fabulous kids! Sitting in the Pumpkin Patch!

Jaron loves October! My birthday boy is the pumpkin king!

What about this one? It looks good!

God's beautiful Creation! The beauty of a pumpkin in the pumpkin patch!

Soapbox

Excuse me for a moment while I have a soapbox moment.

*Steps Up*

I am tired of parents who do not parent their kids. There are 2 types of parents the overparent and the underparent. Their are other parent types too but I am not bothered by them so I am going to focus on the 2 that are especially bothering me at the moment. Most parents I meet do not fit into these categories but there are a few that I meet that I feel I really need to address.

First up the Overparent! They don't just raise a child, they micro manage them! Every little things is stressed and worried over. These children are growing up to be unhealthy emotionally smothered children. They can't do anything by themselves. They are afraid and scared of every little thing. They go crazy when given some freedom because they don't know what to do with themselves. These are the children that need help with every problem on a paper because they are afraid of getting it wrong. These children also will break down and freak out if anything in their "perfect" world is not perfect.

Secondly, the Underparent. This is the parent who feels that it is my job as the teacher to teach the child EVERYTHING that they need to know. These parents are the ones who take no interest in the things going on in the classroom. They never know what is going on and they are also the ones who are the most offended when I point out an area where there child is deficient. They allow their child to run the show. If the child wants something they may say no for a few moments but eventually the child knows that they can drive the parent crazy enough and get exactly what they want. These parents are also frustrated by lack of progress at school and refuse to work on anything extra at home since it must be something wrong with the classroom...not the child.

Parents, you need to learn that you are the PARENT...your child is resilient, loving, fun and a CHILD. You do not need your child to be your friend. They are your child, and they do childish things, they need guidance and love and if I offend you sorry but children need DISCIPLINE. It's not ABUSE its DISCIPLINE. The word NO never hurt anyone. Children need to be RESPECTFUL of authority. They need to know that they may not hit, scratch, kick or bite to get their way. They need to be GUIDED and Shown how to solve problems through talking and that SORRY doesn't fix everything but it's a good place to start. Playing with your child is important but so is teaching them to be a functioning adult. Don't pick up after them, teach them to clean up. Don't feed them...when they are hungry they will eat! Don't dress them when they are old enough to get their clothes on themselves...it may take extra time but they can do it. Parents, please parent your kids....they are only little for a while and you can't do everything for them for the rest of their lives.

I know that sometimes there are problems and concerns such as genuine disibillities and the like but these are the exceptions not the rule. Its important to help the next generation grow up to be competent adults!

*Steps Down*

Sorry....but this has been bothering me for awhile...had to get it off my chest!

Shaggy No More

Tonight, I went and got my hair cut. I got quite a bit taken off and my hair cut just cleaned up a ton. It's so much better! Feels much more manageable.

Janea went with me and she got an all over trim and got her ends cleaned up.

After our hair cuts we went over to target where we picked up a few things in the dollar section and then got Janea 2 new pairs of jeans and 2 new shirts for fall. Gotta love a sale!

We had a nice time as mother and daughter...don't get too much one on one time with my girlie!

Mom,Mom, Mom, Mom

Can I have it?

can I go across the street?

Can you get this for me?

Do I have to?

I don't want too.

Can I have a break?

I'm not going to...?

Who you talking to?

Aren't you done yet?

I love you!

Your the bestest mom in the world.

Just a sampling of some of the stuff my kids have been saying this week... The last two are my favorites!

Poor Kid

Jaron is just being put through the wringer right now.

Not only are his allergies really bad and he is struggling with his asthma, he also was attacked by a mosquito or other biting bug. In a very uncomfortable spot.

Poor kid...he's really swollen and in a little bit of pain...and so it's been quite uncomfortable for him.

When it rains it pours sometimes!

A New Treatment

This morning we tried a new longer lasting allergy medicine...grape flavored liquid...in conjunction with a breathing treatment.

So far so good, Jaron made it through school today and has an appetite this afternoon and has been working and playing.

I'm praying this helps with the allergies which will make him less likely to have an asthma attack.

He's still coughing but it sounds different then yesterday so that is a really good thing.

Thanks for praying for my little man

I hate Allergies

Jaron has allergies.

Jaron has allergy induced asthma.

Jaron has breathing trouble today from his allergy induced asthma.

Jaron is sleeping already...it's only 7:15.

Jaron took allergy medicine willingly.

Jaron is not himself.

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words.

Right after I snapped this photo...Jaron caught me and said"Mom, why do you always take my picture when I am doing something crazy?"

I love my son but he does some interesting things! He spent at least 5 minutes playing with the side mirror of my car after we got home from going out for dinner last night!

Who could it be???

Who can tackle unfinished homework with the boy during the evenings...

Who can run bath water and bathe both kids in a single bound...

Who can make a trip to the UPS store to check if that thing we ordered is in...

Who can tackle the living room and laundry before taking a shower...

Who is super tired and just realized she has really stinky feet...

Who is thinking she needs a pedicure this weekend...

SUPERCOOL MOM THAT's WHO!!!!

Worry, Worry, Worry

Janea is worried today. She has a big test in Science today over geology.

She brought her midterm grades home this week and her science grade is a B...so close to an A it's ridiculous but now she is stressed that she is going to fail the test and get a low grade and be placed on probation and not be allowed to be on Student Council. She is all worked up and making herself really stressed about something that normally isn't a very big deal at all.

I have been praying that she will remember what she knows, that she will have confidence as she takes the test and that her worries will go away.

She is so motivated to be perfect that little things often make her stress more than they should. It makes for some harder parenting moments.

A Park Outing

Usually when I get home from work I don't go anywhere unless I have too. Sometime we run an errand or two and every Wednesday night is AWANA but other than that I like to be at home for awhile. I like taking it easy and relaxing with the kids. Tonight was different. The kids wanted to go to the park in the neighborhood. I knew it wasn't what I wanted to do but I also knew it was the right thing today so off we went to the park.
Janea has a scooter and Jaron likes to ride it so he got to ride it all the way to the park. Once we got there he had so much fun riding up and down the hill as fast as he could. He named it the Maximus hill! After awhile we went over to the basketball court where Janea was already shooting baskets. We had fun shooting around for a little while before we walked back home. Janea got to ride the scooter home since she didn't ride to the park and she did beat us home, and then informed me that we took too long and she was bored!
I am thankful to spend quality fun time with the kids and the exercise did me some good too. Now it's dinner, showers, homework and bedtime!

Fall is in the Air!

I woke up this morning on the first day of fall and had a smile on my face.

I love fall. I love the colors, smells and fun that can be had in the fall. I am looking forward to making apple goodies, gingerbread, and pumpkin cookies, bread and pie!

I am so happy that it feels like fall today too. It's hard to get into fall when it's really warm outside. Today is a cloudy, cool day with the promise of warmer temps tomorrow with nice cool evenings. I am totally enjoying it!

Janea's Posters

Janea is running for Student Council President and had to make election posters for the election. Here are the two posters we made for her to hang up before the election. Janea and I made the monkey one and Dan worked on the wordsearch one! We think they look really good. Keep your fingers crossed for the election on Friday!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning...

Oh What a Beautiful Day! I've gotta Beautiful Feeling...Everything is going my way!"

Well, I'm not from Oklahoma and there is no soundtrack playing in the background but it was such a beautiful morning this morning as I drove into work. The sun had been up for only a few minutes and the sky was a beautiful dark grayish blue with pink stripes that gradually turned to yellow.

I drive a road with Sunflower fields and the fields were covered with a white mist that seem to just hover over the blossoms...and the quiet was wonderful.

I usually listen to the radio on my way to work but this morning I just relished the silence and the view. It was a beautiful misty morning!

Poor Little Man

Jaron's allergies are bad right now.

His poor throat and tongue are in hyper mode and swelling. He just looks like he is pain and random body parts are swelling at random times. His eyes keep getting red and puffy and it just makes me feel so bad.

I am praying that the pollen count goes down soon since he is just miserable...and he won't admit it.

Best Laid Plans

I love what I do for a living. I really do! I love taking little minds and sculpting them and shaping them and seeing new concepts grow and take root. I love planning that lesson or activity that is hands on, fun, and exciting. I love everything about except the cleaning up afterwards.

Today for example, this week we are studying apples. So I had each student bring in apples to use for various activities. I have a large semi-circle table in my room and we all sat around the table and experienced apples. We smelled them, we tasted them, we felt them we cut them we just enjoyed apples. Then we made applesauce with a bag of apples. Even now I am sitting in my classroom smelling the crockpot full of apples cooking to be made into applesauce. I wish you could smell it! It smells so yummy! The kids are very excited too because they thought applesauce only comes from cans or jars!

I thought that cleaning up after my kids was hard....cleaning up after 9 pre-k kids who have been eating apples and such is hard work! Took quite awhile! I'm definitely going to be tired tonight!

Changes

This week is bringing a change for the family.

We all are getting new phones! We decided that it was time for Janea to have a phone for when they are home with daddy and I am at work. Dan's phone gave us a hassle last month and it's now more cost effective for us to have a family plan then our pay as you go. Pay as you go worked for awhile but now it's time to have the full family plan. My phone number will be changing this week. I will try and make sure that I get it out to the people who need it but if you need it please let me know in the comments or by email so that I can get it too you.

A Song, a Store, and a Stupid Computer

Yesterday, I needed to get a song to sing this morning in church. The whole family loaded up the car and off to Mardel we went to buy a track for me, some student council poster stuff for Janea and some classroom stuff. I picked the song "How Can I Keep From Singing" that Chris Tomlin sings. This song has ministered to me greatly and I enjoyed singing it this morning.

We also needed lunch stuff, so since we were in Overland Park we decided to stop at Costco to get the items we needed. I'm very proud of us since we didn't spend as much as we usually spend and only got the things that we really needed. We then stopped at CiCi's pizza for dinner since in September kids eat free with a complete adult purchase.

When we got home I decided to work on getting us a new cell phone plan and get all ready to purchase and it won't let me...I don't know why it won't but now we have to head to the Cell phone store today to work on getting new phones....grrr...such a pain. It'll be good to have new phones but it really is a pain in the bottom! So one busy day of our weekend down, another busy day to go and then back to the regular week.

Back to School Fun Night

Last night we took the kids to the Back to School Fun Night at their school. We had a good time playing the little carnival games and watching the teachers get all wet in the soak tank...I'm so glad it wasn't me! I also got the opportunity to talk with Janea's teacher about how she is doing and some of the things that may be in store for her this year. I am really impressed with how together, friendly and all around caring Mrs. Ballinger is. As we were at a booth, the Focus room teacher congratulates Janea on being chosen to be on the Student Council...which I didn't know...I had gotten home from work just minutes before we left for the School Activity. She is now going to run for President of the Student Council.
My baby is growing up so fast. I can't believe how much more mature she is and they way that she is starting to grow up and become much more aware of things around her. She still has her issues and attitudes but I am starting to see a much different side of Janea. She definitely is a leader and it's nice to see her get opportunites to use and develop those skills. I'm so Proud of her!

A Good Start

I had a great beginning to my day!

My buddy Katy who is in the Phillipines called me!

We had a short chat but it was so nice to hear her voice and to talk to her!

She is doing good and has found a way to call home for a decent rate!

Well, I am off to school but I had to share about getting to talk to a good friend today!

Hide em in my Heart

"I'm gonna take God's promises and hide them in my heart! So I won't forget I'm going to hide them in my heart! I'm gonna take God's promises and hide them in my heart, hide em in my heart"...sung to a nice tune...

Tonight at AWANA I talked about Psalm 119 and the verse about Hiding God's Word in our hearts that we might not sin. I love the fact that AWANA has kids memorize the Word of God. It's so important! I still remember countless verses that I have memorized through the years and I am able to recall them when I need too.

It's my goal this year in AWANA to stress the importance of hiding the Word of God in our hearts. It's so important to have that foundation!

It's what day?

I woke up this morning absolutely convinced that it was Tuesday!

It's not Tuesday it's Wednesday but the Labor Day holiday has be all thrown off. So all day I keep needing to remind myself that it is Wednesday not Tuesday...It's a really good thing that I remembered this morning since we have AWANA tonight and that would be a really bad thing to miss since this is the kick-off night!

Dan vs Food

Friday Night we went to Buffalo Wild Wings to see if Dan could beat the Blazing Challenge! It's basically eat 12 Blazing wings in under 6 minutes. Well, Dan did it! He ate all 12 wings in 4:30 seconds...and got a T-shirt to commerate the experience! Here are some pictures of Dan and the kids as they celebrated Dan's victory! Yeah Daddy!


The Back of Dan's Shirt!

SO Thankful for the Weekend

This has been a super busy week and I am so glad it's Friday

I'll go into more detail later but I am just glad for the 3 day weekend to just spend time with Dan and the kiddos. It's looking like ideal weather so we are going to have to get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature this weekend.

Life is busy, life is good, life is Life and I am trying to live it up!

Very much busy day

I just stopped for the day! It's been a very much busy day. The kids school had Curriculum night and that is an important way for me to be part of their education process so I went. I am very glad I did. Meetings in the evenings make me tired though and I am glad that it is time to head to bed so that I can deal with tomorrow's stuff tomorrow and relax!

In my classroom it was all about seeing. Tomorrow we are going to be focusing on hearing or smelling...haven't completely decided yet...should be another good day!

Monday's Bite

Just when I am all relaxed and happy it happens. Monday comes to bite ya! This was that morning. I got up later than I planned after having not slept really well and jump in the shower! A hot shower later, I am up checking the weather to make sure that I wear temperature appropriate clothes and dress the kids to not be cold and Dan is playing the Wii still. He has a game that is a challenge and spent most of the night on it. So I am kinda half rushing half not yet. Go to dry my hair and it's not cooperating...give up completely, just hope it dries okay. Make the kiddos lunches, get them dressed, give last minute instructions, go to get my keys...they are not where I thought they were...and I can't find them. Dan just isn't a help when I misplace my keys, and it really does make me mad at times especially when I am rushing around worried I am going to be late. He gives me his spare keys(no house key) I rush out to the car only to realize I forgot my sweater...pounding on the door later to get in to grab my sweater! Not the best mindset to be in when leaving for work.

A long day today, out of sorts a lot, not as together as I would like to be! I did find my keys when I got home. Janea had left them on the couch and they had slipped to the side of a cushion, they are ready for tomorrow morning, in the key holder and life will be better. Tomorrow is another day and I for one am happy to shut the door on August and welcome in September! So here's to a September and the start of Fall!

Working together

Dan and I enjoy cooking together...most of the time!

Tonight he was in charge of chopping the vegetables while I was in charge of making sure all the veggies were washed, and in smaller containers to cook all together in a delicious stir-fry! We made enough for 3 meals for Dan at work and leftovers for me to eat at different times early this week.

I am very proud of my man, he is really sticking to his new diet regime. He is also being very diligent in making sure that we have a plan in mind for him for taking food for work! I am then able to be supportive of his effort by knowing ahead of time what I need to cook or fix and have ready for him to pack in his lunch the next day.

All in all a very productive weekend full of family time and fun! We all are enjoying taking turns on the Wii and having a good time giving each other pointers! Looking forward to a busy yet active week ahead!

So Thankful

I am so thankful for the weekend. (Love days off)

I am so thankful for my class! (They think learning is so fun)

I am so thankful for my husband! (He takes good care of me)

I am so thankful for my kids! ( they are great)

I am so thankful for my DISHWASHER!( I have so many dirty dishes!)

I am so thankful for my life! (Thank you God for all my blessings!)

Too much

I have to juggle too many things and sometimes things slip through the cracks. Like Dan's phone. We do pay as you go since it is much more cost effective for us...well, I think I messed up on the dates for Dan's and now his phone is inactive...and so I am researching other possible plans with better service and better rates than what we have been doing. We shall see...it's a good thing Friday is payday!

Feeling Fishy

My momma and daddy went fishing this weekend. Spur of the moment...had a lot of fun...they really enjoy camping! We had gone camping with the grandparents about 2 weeks ago and since then they have gotten a newer camper. This past weekend they decided to test it out...they really like it...! Well, when we went camping and fishing we caught 1 whole fish....this time they caught together 5 fish and decided to wait to cook them till tonight. Then they invited me and the kiddos over for a fish dinner. YUMMY! Nothing like grilled on hot coals fresh caught trout...makes me very happy!

Jaron is feeling much better after having stayed home from school. I really debated but it's probably for the best that he stayed home and had a little bit of recooperation time.

On another note....HI WENDY!

Weekend Latest

Jaron woke up this morning running a fever. I am hoping it breaks soon and that he gets to feeling normal. No other symptoms just a fever and being tired. Poor Baby.

On the homefront we are busy getting ready for another school week. We also got a Wii this weekend. I don't know who is having more fun with it...the kids or Dan! He got a game where he uses a sword and so he is working on his fencing skills. The kids have been enjoying playing Wii sports and I am relishing the time to myself!

So all in all a busy weekend, a busy week ahead and looking forward to the start of Fall.

Momma Said

My mom said that I would have a child just like me one day...

It's happened and I have told her that she too will have a child just like her!

Oh I relish that day!

Back to the hole which is her room which she keeps telling me is okay just the way it is...

TO my mother...I am soo Sorry that I ever fought you on cleaning my room and I apologize for not appreciating you more when I was young. Thank you for not killing me when I was giving you attitude and Loving me more than I could ever imagine.

If you need me...I'm in the Black hole!

Bad Combo

Headache + Traffic+ Rain+ Cranky First Grader= A formula for Road Rage....

nuff said

I'm Back....

Did you miss me...I know I hear the tears now....whaaaaahh...we have to read about her boring life some more! Ha Ha!

This has been the fullest month and I know this because I have not blogged at all. School started today and I am glad now to be on a school session with my classroom set up so that I can focus my energy on my students and not the walls. (which look great if I do say so myself)

I am so thankful that I have the family I have. We have all worked at getting mommy ready for school again and the kiddos are back in school and I think it will be a great year.

On a grosser note...Dan had bought this rutabaga and then not used it for like 2 weeks. It went bad and left the most disgusting smell in my kitchen! I had been looking for it for like 3 days and OH my goodness...rotten rutabaga is worse than rotten potatoes! I could have died...well I am off to clean the house...it's gotten pretty bad too...here's to being back online more frequently this year!

I'm still alive

Just in the final push before school starts....so much to do...so little time to do it all...so tired....I'll fill you all in later...so in the meantime...I'm still alive just not online as much as I once was...be back in a week.

Now it's time for Silly Song with Mommy...the part of the day when the mom comes out and Sings a silly song!

(As sung to the tune of Veggie Tales Hairbrush Song)

Oh where is my camera??

Oh where is my camera???

Oh where oh where oh where oh where????

Is my Camera?

It's hiding somewhere in my house and I can't find it! I really need it and I can't find it...when I don't need it I'll find it but I really need it right now! If anyone has an idea of where I should look leave me a comment...in the meantime I will be looking for my camera!

Top 5 on Tuesday

1. Good Progress was made as I got to spend quality time on my room. It's starting to come together! WAHOO!

2. Good Deals! Got the fabric for my palm tree leaves...next step put it all together...feeling a little bit nervous about this one!

3. Good Friends! My buddy Katy was in town and came over and saw me for awhile! Love catching up with a good friend!

4. Good lights...the light that is giving us fits in the kitchen is working tonight! Praise God for little things...and light!

5. Good Time with the boy...Jaron and I went outside to play frisbee...the boy is really good...mom not so much but it was good quality one on one time with my little man!

Palmsitis

I am obsessed.

I am nuts.

I am trying to create a palm tree.

It's going in a specific corner and needs to be just right.

It's for my classroom

It can't fall down

It isn't up yet.

I'm feeling stuck with how to make it look good.

Only 11 more work days till school starts.

I need some inspiration.

Yummy

Saturday is grocery day in our household. So we headed out to the store to do the weekly shopping. Since we are trying to eat healthier the whole process took a lot longer than normal as we are double checking every nutrition label and spending more time in the produce section and trying to be more health conscious than we used to be.

I will say this our new healthy eating is benefiting Dan. He has lost 6 pounds in the last 2 weeks and is feeling much healthier! He has decided to go Vegan for at least this week. So tonight we made 2 kinds of stirfry...Dan had sprouts, mushrooms, zuchinni, squash, broccoli and cauliflower in a citrus lemon sauce...and I had chicken(I'm not going vegan), potatoes and broccoli in a citrusy sauce. They were both very yummy and delicious.

Dan made enough for several meals to take to work as well...all in all a very yummy and profitable dinner!

Top 5 Today

1. Got off work when I was supposed too! HOORAY!!! So I worked only 6 hours instead of 8!

2. VBS all week for the kiddos...lots of time to work on stuff at home!

3. Date night with Dan...out for dinner together, lots of time to talk and just hangout...yummy food too!

4. US Toy shopping for School. Dan and I had a lot of fun scouring every aisle and getting some additional things for my classroom.

5. It's Friday...tomorrow's Saturday!

School Countdown

My to do list keeps getting longer. School is only 2 weeks and 3 days away. Today my boss gave us our To-Do List broken down by day. This includes everything we have to do before the first day of school. AUUGHH! I think I may lose it...I forgot how much goes into getting ready for the first day of school. Plus my Computer hates me and Excel is being most uncooperative. So tonight I am working on my classroom schedule and jamming out to music and enjoying the quiet of my household as the kids are at VBS with Grandma and Grandpa!

I had jammed my thumb on Monday night at Vball and today I have less pain and more movement! HOORAY!

Maybe not

Advice for the day: If you have a lot of tension and you
get a headache, do what it says on the aspirin bottle:
"Take two aspirin" and "Keep away from children."
--Author Unknown

Only works if you aren't a mom or a teacher!

Long Day

It's been a long day for me. It's also been a really long day for this family whose blog I read. Please take a moment to check in on them and say a prayer for this sweet baby!

Busy Full Weekend

I can't believe the weekend is over! It's gone rather fast! We got some stuff done, started a few more projects and weeded through some more stuff. I need to get both my school stuff done and get the house back into shape for the upcoming school year. We need to start purchasing school clothes and supplies. So far the kids have gotten their new lunch boxes for the fall. I also need to start getting our morning routine moving more smoothly so that we are ready come August 18th. I can't believe that school is almost here.

On a side note if anyone knows how to cook Quinoa could you give me a few pointers since we are trying to figure it out.

Here's looking forward to a good week! The kiddos are going with the Grandparents to their church for VBS so I am hoping to getting a few more things done around the house this week as I will be kid free.

Countdown to the School Year

I have 3 more weeks of summer camp and then school starts!

So that makes counting weekends and the fact that we start on Tuesday only 23 more days till school starts.

Last night I took advantage of US Toys Teacher night. I went and got borders, a new calendar, new calendar headers since I am missing 3 months and the teacher across the hall has the same ones...(i'm not going to match!), table labels, shapes for my walls, a poster of feelings, and so forth...spent a lot...but it's stuff I need to replace since a lot of my stuff got destroyed last summer. My room is going to look fabulous(hopefully) and I hope I get it all done by the first day of school!

A Different Kind of Day

Ever just have one of those days. The kind that really aren't going to well but honestly it doesn't bother you. This is that day for me! Here's some examples:

* I woke up late and didn't have time for a much needed shower...oh well, threw on some jeans, extra deoderant and out the door I went...I'll shower later

* My class was being stressful, loud and disrespectful...all 22 of them...oh well, I leave at 1:30 and don't have to worry about them anymore...that's for another teacher to deal with!

* My lawn really needs to be mowed and it's hot...SCORE! a Neighbor boy said he and 2 friends would mow and edge it(I haven't edged all summer) for $15 dollars...some of the best $15 dollars ever!

* My children don't deserve a break but I am giving them one since I will be working them hard later...

I think I am feeling so much better that the little things that usually drive me crazy just aren't today! Hooray for a Good Day!

Thankful for the Rain

I won't lie rain isn't my favorite thing in the world! Especially after the flooding we experienced last summer and the stress that was caused by that! Today I am thankful for the rain. I have been sick this weekend and I didn't want to go to work this morning and I ended up being at work for nearly 9 hours both in the classroom and working on organizing the resource room. The last thing I wanted today was to have to go anywhere else but it's volleyball night and we have a game scheduled for 8. Fortunately I got an email telling me that all matches tonight were cancelled. So I can relax, rest and get refreshed for tomorrow and head to bed early! I am so thankful for the rain!

A Change May Do Us Good

Dan has decided that he needs to get healthier...I am all for that.

Dan figures he needs to get his nutrition in order to help with many different areas of his general "man" health...I am all for that.

Dan has decided to cut out almost all animal fats and adopt a more healthy whole food vegetable based diet...I am not really liking that.

We both need to lose a few pounds and get into better shape...I'm all for that.

We are going to be embarking on a journey of good nutrition and changing our diet from one full of processed foods to one of natural whole foods, the way God intended for us to live and eat. I'm excited to see what happens and yet at the same time worried that the convenience will outdo the good health. Here's to getting healthy and eating good foods that are good for you.

Sharing

As a parent I have wanted my children to be good sharers...of stuff not germs! Jaron got sick last Sunday and was sick for 2 days and then was better for the rest of the week. Janea helped out by watching her brother and was disappointed about missing school...then she woke up on Thursday with a fever and has been sick since...she is just now on the mend. Well, yesterday I got home from work and was feeling chilled. This is how I feel when I get a fever. So I am taking it easy this weekend, or at least trying to since there is stuff I must get done before the work week next week. I don't feel too bad this morning and my chills are mostly gone so I am going to do a little then rest off and on all day. Please pray that we all get over this little bug we've seemed to pick up and that we didn't share it with too many others.

Glad it's Friday..

Janea is still sick...glad I can stay home with her tomorrow.

I'm feeling achy...glad I have the day off tomorrow.

My house needs cleaning....glad that I can clean tomorrow.

So in a nutshell I am glad it's Friday!

Mom...I don't feel so good...

Janea woke up this morning with the same symptoms Jaron had on Sunday and Monday. She is running a fever, has a headache and achiness and as she put it...my mouth tastes like yuck! So the boy and I will be heading to work today and hopefully I will get off at my regular time...so thankful that Dan is able to have them stay home with him and still go to work in the evenings.

Gulp...

There is just under a month before school starts. I have so much to do and not enough time to do it...and I am starting to realize that I don't have as much time as I thought I had...Gulp...

This happens every school year...and yet last summer I was missing it...I didn't realize how lucky I really had it...oh well...life goes on...

Here's to finishing the summer strong and preparing for next school year!

Poor Kid

Jaron is running a fever...we noticed it yesterday as we went shopping. I hate when the kids aren't feeling good. I hate going to work knowing they are sick. I am blessed that Dan is home during the day so I can go to work and he is home...today both kiddos are staying home so that I can go to work. Janea will help take care of her little brother so Daddy can sleep and I will try to get home a little bit early.

Just what this Momma needed

Friday as I was leaving school my mom called and said that my parent's church( they pastor a church about 40 minutes from here) was having their annual VBS kickoff. This year it was going to be at a local families farm and there would be fishing and games and fun. She wanted to know if the kids would be able to go...they often go to VBS at Grandma and Grandpa's church in the summer. I was all over that!

4:40 the kids got picked up to go...and they didn't come home until almost 10! It was so nice to have a relaxing night off without the kids.

Dan and I went to Costco...but only had a half an hour to shop...probably would have spent even more if we had more time but we got the stuff we really needed!

After Costco because Dan is wise and we brought the cooler with us for the frozen stuff we stopped at PepperJax for yummy philly cheese steak sandwiches!( yeah for no cooking!)

Then we came home and just hung out...watched some shows we had DVR'd to watch together and relaxed...kidless...it was wonderful! I am so thankful for my mom and dad who were able to spend quality time with the grandkids and for those times when I get a break.

What A Week

I think this was one of the longest working weeks I have ever had. Not because of the hours but because of the DRAMA!

I took a vacation the last week of June first week of July and while I was gone one of the teachers quit. She just walked out...saying mean things and causing trouble. Well this was on Wednesday...I did kinda know what was going on because one of my good friends was my co-teacher and she and I exchanged texts and she called to let me know what was going on. Well, Sunday I get a call from the preschool director informing me that the employee that quit called the State of Kansas liscensing agency and that there would be a good chance that they would come to check out the allegations. Plus we were going to be short staffed for the coming week and that things may be challenging. I let her know that I could work 8 hour days due to the fact that I missed 3 days of work the previous week and would need a few more hours to compensate for my missing time(I normally work 6).

I made sure that I was early for work on Monday and my boss tells me that there would be some staff changes this week...in other words they have to let a few people go due to ongoing issues in one wing of the building. This had nothing to do with my wing, my wing is fine...just a head's up because there may be problems...well the employees who were let go went off...screaming and yelling and causing trouble...I had my class in our indoor playground so I wasn't directly involved but it was chaotic...made for a very long day.

Tuesday and Wednesday were okay at work but my son went nuts...see my Super Crab posts...and I was just worn out...plus I worked overtime at least one day since we were so short staffed because on top of all the problems with liscensing(who still hadn't stopped by) another employees sons were sick and she called in one day to take them to the doctor causing us to be even further shortstaffed.

Thursday was a day where we were trying to make sure that Friday was covered so our Program director could take a well deserved long weekend and another gal could have her scheduled time off...we were able to make it all work but things are still crazy and there is a feeling of stress in the air from the constant amount of upheaval...and the kids are sensing things are crazier than normal and trying to take advantage. On a plus note for me personally, I did sign my contract for the upcoming school year and I am very pleased with the nice increase in my salary and being officially a "teacher" as opposed to an "assistant"(though I really was a teacher)

Yesterday was long...our cook has been having car trouble and was 3 hours late for work so we were shuffling kids so someone could take over the kitchen to make sure that little bellies were filled! I had a volunteer helper who is so sweet but doesn't know what is going on with routines and normalcy and it rained...so we were stuck inside. So we were constantly checking to make sure that we were in ratios and following all guidelines for the best of our abilities. Makes for a long day...I was so ready to go home at the end of the day!

As I was leaving my mom called to let me know that their church is having VBS kickoff tonight and did I want the kids to go...yes please! So the kiddos will be gone for a while tonight and I get a night off...hooray! So if I have been tired and cranky this week that's why...I am thankful that all staff should be there next week and we may get back to some semblance of normal!