A Noodlin..

We have started using the pool here in our housing community. It's nice to get to use it when it's open. It's not really deep or big but it has nice chairs around it and the kids love to swim. For the last couple of years Jaron has been using a float suit. Well, I decided that he needs to get comfortable being in the water without the float suit. So yesterday, after we got back from the pool, we had to go shopping. While out we got each of the kids a swim noodle. Jaron picked green and Janea got blue.

Today the whole family went to the pool. Dan and I sat on the side and laid out while the kids swam. Jaron had so much fun with his noodle. He would sit on it and swim from one length of the pool to the other. It was a lot of fun to watch him! I'll have to remember the camera to take some pictures of him swimming!

What ever happened to sleeping in?

Kids make it challenging for adults to sleep in. My son has decided that he can't stay asleep once the sun comes up...so he is up and he will continuely come into the room to inform me of different things that he is interested in and that need to happen. I try to ignore it, I try to sleep through it...nothing works, so I am up early than I would like and since I didn't get home until after 11 last night I am a little tired today! Oh well....maybe I can wear them out so I can go to bed early tonight!

Field Day 2009

Today was Field Day at school! I have the aching feet and legs to prove it!

First I need to give a shout out to the 2 teachers who did a great job planning and running the events and for keeping on their smiles even when things weren't "ideal". They faced obstacles and challenges and the weather which really didn't cooperate to make for a fun day for the kids. So thank you ladies!

I am so frustrated by people who can't get past things to have fun! Several of the helpers and teachers decided that instead of having fun and throwing yourself into the fun of field day instead moped. I hate moping...they complained that they were too cold, about things we really had no control over and made it less fun for the kids. This really bugs me...I worked at a camp in West Virginia for one summer...and every Monday it rained...buckets, but we didn't complain we went with the punches and invented new stuff that made camp enjoyable for the kids...well I state this to explain this...one of our stations was horseback riding...and the ponies were really late...so I made up games to play instead....and I squirted the kids with a squirt gun and my group really had a lot of fun and the kids were almost dissappointed that the day was over. Other kids were complaining about not having any fun but I think if their leaders had made more of an effort to have fun the kids would have had more fun...it all about perception...my kids had fun because I made it fun.

All in all it was a good day! We had fun and enjoyed the second to last day of school. I learned a few new things to tuck away for my list of field day stuff and next year maybe I'll help a little bit more! Live, learn, play and enjoy...every school year is different and you have to roll with the punches!

My Tye Dye Nightmare

Today at school we tye-dyed t-shirts for field day...34 t-shirts...took a while but I was so pleased with the result...they looked wonderful....

Then I washed them....now they don't look wonderful....they look bad....and I am muy dissapointed....all my hard work washed into a yucky green mess...

I still don't know what happened!

SO Weird

These are the strangest popscicles I have ever eaten in my entire life. We frequently buy popscicles and last time we chose this type. The flavor is good but they have this gummy tip that is disgusting. It's frozen and yucky...the good thing...you can bite it off and spit it out...now my question is this...why ruin a perfectly good popscicle by adding a gummy candy tip?

Silly Boy

Today Jaron wanted a piece of leftover pizza. Together we put it on a plate, and put the plate in the microwave and hit the 30 sec. button. When the microwave beeps...Jaron grabs the pizza and tells me he needs a plate! I looked at him and said...silly boy....you left your plate in the microwave...oops!

Missing You...

I miss you

Your not here...your far away

I hope your well

I hope your safe

I hope your successful

Come home to me soon

Miss me so much you have to call

Call and talk to me

I love you

Top 5 Today...

1. Good news...Dan made it safely to his adventure this weekend and should be good for the rest of the weekend. We will miss him but he needed to go and that's cool so we will welcome him home on Monday!

2. Volleyball...practice tonight...we had 12 people there and so we got in some good playing.! As usual I laughed a lot!

3. 5 days of school left!

4. Jaron's asthma was acting up today but an inhaler treatment and some rest made him feel much better. Praise God for modern medicine!

5. Gorgeous blue skies...we've gone almost a full week with no rain!

From Field Trips to Fussing

I am so looking forward to sleeping in my nice soft bed tonight! I am tired! It's been a good day but an extremely long day! Here's why:

This morning was our Field Trip to Deanna Rose Farmstead. I love this place, it's a mini zoo full of animals that are native to the Midwest, its a petting zoo where you can pet the animals, its a historical recreation and I love History and it's Free! At least free admission! Well, we decided to have our end of the year field trip here. It was a beautiful day, warm, nice, sunny, not too hot, not to cold..great day! So we packed up 31 pre kindergartners, 9 adults and loaded a bus to the farm. It was an enjoyable time, we fed animals, took a wagon ride, and played on their very cool playground...yet it was a field trip and they are tiring...especially when you are in charge. I was in charge(my favorite place to be!) and things went as smoothly as can be expected with that many kids 5 and under! All in all a successful field trip!

This evening there has been crankiness and tiredness, some from me, some from the kids. It's nearing summer vacation and the kids are tired of school every day and they are in the process of bringing everything home. Both kids are so tired that they are weepy...fussy...almost like little babies! Every little unexpected thing can set them off...the only good thing is that they are alternating...first Janea, then Jaron, etc. Plus I am tired and so it's getting to me too. It's bedtime for all of us...we need to rest and refresh so that tomorrow we can have a good day!

My babies are sleeping...

in my bed....both kids are sound asleep in my bed right now! They had laid down to watch a movie and I left them in a dark room for too long and now they both are sound asleep! I better go and move them so that I can get to bed myself! I guess a full day of school and then volleyball tuckered them all out!

Oh joy...

We have an ant infestation...a few other buggies...and Dan is pretty sure something is alive in the vents....now I get to be an exterminator...if you have any advice on what to do please let me know since I am a wee bit squeemish when it comes to rodents.. And no cats...i hate them with a passion!

Thanks!

Fun with my Honey

Dan and I got to go on a date last night! Yeah!

Last week was Teacher Appreciation week at school and I got a number of gifts from my students. One student gave me a $25 gift card to either Chili's or On the Border(it was technically for 4 restaraunts but we don't typically go to the others) and another student gave me a $10 gift card to AMC. I was very excited about both!

So last night Dan and I went to On the Border for dinner...super yummy! We both enjoyed fajitas but we got two different kinds and two different sauces so that we could share! I love sharing! We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner! Then we went and saw the new Star Trek movie! Loved it too...so good...so not what I was expecting but in an awesome way! We had a good time of enjoying a movie without the kids!

All in all a great evening together and a way to celebrate Dan's birthday a week late! The kids also had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa...they went fishing and out for pizza...so we were all happy and had a very nice time together! It was a real blessing to enjoy a night out on the town and not have to pay an arm and a leg to do it! Also a much needed reconnection between Dan and I!

The Heat of the Moment

Yesterday was a difficult day but not a bad day. We had challenges at school due to staffing issues and we had our typical kid issues that come with school being done in less than 8 days but it wasn't anything we couldn't overcome.

Afterschool I had made plans to go with one of my co-workers to the Scholastic Wearhouse Clearance Sale at the Book Fair Warehouse! I look forward to this and when they have one I try to go since I can get books for up to 50% off! It really means alot to me especially now since I lost about 95% of my children's books in the flood last summer. I had been collecting for over 14 years and it was heartwrenching to lose them..the dollar value was huge! That said, one of my other co-workers and good buddy found out and decided to come too since she had never been there either!

So I am on my way to the sale when Dan calls, and basically he demanded that I come home. The kids were giving him stress and he wanted back up basically. Well I am on a major highway and unable to get off...but I do talk to the kids on the phone and tell him that once I get there I will turn around and go home! After we got to the sale and as I am explaining that I may need to leave for home...Dan calls again, he's calmed down, the kids have calmed down and he tells me to go ahead and look around since an extra 20 minutes won't really make that big a difference. I was excited and relieved.

I got a few books I have really been wanting and replaced a few of my teaching books that were destroyed. I also have started to rebuild my collection of children's books! Dan realized that in the Heat of the Moment he panicked and got stressed out by the kids, which is understandable, but he also realized how important this was to me and that he needed to meet my needs and let me get what I needed to get.

I am thankful for the ability to step back, take a deep breath and make a wise choice! I am thankful for my husband who realized how much this meant to me and that I needed to do this. I am also really thankful for the opportunity to get a good deal and have the resources to make my teaching even better!

$10 well spent

So I was getting ready to go run some errands after work today and there was a knock on the front door. Some enterprising young men with lawn mowers asked if they could mow our yard for $10. I said yes! The lawn really needs mowing and I was going to do it tonight later, but I have like 3 other projects for work that I really need to get done and when I mow I get really tired and when I get tired I don't like to do anything but veg...so I will have energy to get my projects done and I have a mowed yard! Wahoo...$10 very well spent

Awana Awards Night!

I'm very proud of my kiddos! They got the following Awards!

Jaron got Perfect Attendance for his first year of Sparks!

Janea passed book one of Truth and Training!

Janea also earned Clubber of the Year for Truth and Training Girls!

She also got Perfect Attendance!

I'm proud of both of them...Janea got Clubber of the Year and Jaron took Clubber of the Year Runner Up this year! They worked hard and memorized God's Word to hide in their hearts!

Top 5 tonight!

Here are my top 5 reasons that I enjoy playing Sand Volleyball with my church friends!

1. We laugh a lot...we aren't really that good but we make up for it by laughing at how bad we are! Some of our shots are so bad its hysterical!

2. My kids play outside and have fun too...the church we play at on Monday nights has a playground right next to the volleyball court...the kids play on the playground...I get to play with the ball.

3. Stress relief...there is something so wonderful about hitting a ball that it makes me feel so good. Plus the endorphins get going and I feel really good!

4. Exfoliation...playing in sand is a great exfoliater! It's awesome!

5. Have I mentioned that I enjoy hitting something???? This honestly is the greatest thing for me!~

These are 2 of my favorite people!

If I didn't have kids I wouldn't get as much joy out of Mother's Day as I do now! Me and my darling kiddos!

My sweet kids!

Janea and Jaron...I love them both too pieces!

Happy Mother's Day!

My kids and I are so blessed to have my Mom in our lives! She is such a fun and loving Grandma! She and my dad make time even during work days to make it to the kids events. They baby-sit when needed and enjoy spending quality time with the Grandchildren! Thanks Mom for being who you are! I love you!My mom with her grand kids and her grand puppy at my sisters house!

Grandma and the kiddos love to ride the carousel, doesn't matter where...Grandma will always ride it with them!

We have Grandma and Grandpa over sometimes...Gotta love birthdays and the like...this pic is from February!

Happy Birthday!

Today is Dan's 35th birthday!

Happy Birthday Babe!

I love you!

The kiddos love you!

Here's hoping that 35 will be the year that all your plans and dreams come to fruition. I love you!

Being the Good One

I enjoy being the good one...the good student, the good child, the good mom, the good wife. There is something rewarding in being "good" that feeling of having done your best and done well. Yet at the same time, there is that question of"why?" Why am I being good? Why should I do this... does it really make a difference.? I like getting the pat on the back that tells me that I am doing a most excellent job.

Yet there are days when I fail...I get a bad grade, I am rude or disheartening to someone, I forget to put the lunch I packed into a child's backpack because I am running late, I forget to move something, I leave my shoes in an inopportune place. It's at these times I get really defensive and fight back..."well, you didn't notice all the times I didn't forget"...or..."I do everything else around here, can't you just cut me a little bit of slack?" instead of being sorry or remorseful and strive to do better. Yet it seems like the good is under appreciated and the negative is stressed so much.

I'm dealing with this right now...I often feel like a failure because I struggle with maintaining an organized home. I justify the mess by saying that I am tired or the like....I am also struggling with helping another with a happy heart. I mowed the lawn today...that isn't my typical job...it's Dan's but he was working on a different project this weekend and didn't get to it...and the grass was getting really long. We don't want to get written up by our housing community so I took advantage of the lack of rain and mowed the lawn. I honestly don't think that he will notice, or say anything. Plus, we don't currently have a power mower but an old fashioned push mower so it's a hard job...and I want to so badly tell him what I did so I can get that Thank you...but that's not my place to do...it's his... it's not important who did the job just that the job got done but I am tired and want to be appreciated.

I shouldn't be serving my family to get those moments praise or thanks...it because it's my role as the wife and mother to serve my family. I don't need to have praise to do the right thing..Makes me think of those verses about the freedom of salvation...it doesn't matter what I do...God sent Christ to be my Savior because of His love for me not because of anything I could have done, said or anything...when you put it in that perspective makes us look mighty puny. Makes any lawn mowing or house cleaning look really small in comparison with Eternity.

"Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to His Mercy He saved us!"

5 things that made it a Great Day

1. Beautiful Weather...able to take the kids outside and enjoy the beauty of God's glorious creation!

2. New Road...I tried a new road(technically it isn't completely open but it connects) and it cuts up to 3 minutes off my afterschool commute!

3. Happy Kids...both my children had good days at school and were happy when they got home and full of love, kisses and hugs!

4. VOLLEYBALL...first game night of the season...played our other church team, laughed, played, exercised! It is so wonderful to hit something!

5. Taco Bueno...my favorite place for quick Mexican...yummy!

So all in all it was a most fantastic day....and a very Happy Anniversary to my folks! They're celebrating their 36th anniversary today!

I think I'm in Love....or at least deeply in like...

with my new phone...I got it Saturday...no more dropped calls, no more missed calls, no more having to turn it off everytime I want to send a text! It's great! A+ for me!

WWWWHHHHHEEEEWWWW!!!!

As the title shows I am breathing a big sigh of relief! The banquet is over! My presentations were a hit and I don't have to worry about them again until next year! Or until Pre-K graduation whichover comes first...(grad is a month away!) The parents and students had an enjoyable time, my dress still fit and clean up only took an hour!

The evening was filled with mingling with parents, and running around making sure we were on schedule. My co teacher Crystal and the other Pre-K teacher and I were in charge of the planning this year and decided to perform a skit...we acted silly to the song "Sisters" from White Christmas. Embarrassing and fun all at the same time.! Other talents included a dance number and some students singing and one student playing the piano! The kids really did a nice job!

We had each teacher give each student an individual award. Some of the kids awards included the award for Best Hair on Crazy Hair Day! and the Biggest Overcomer of Shyness...it was a fun way to celebrate the things that make each of our kids unique! The kids really enjoyed seeing their names and friends up on the big screen!

The teachers were honored as well...and I took home an award for Leadership in the hall that I am in! So I felt like I contribute well to the team! All in all it was a good evening of lots of fun! I won't lie though...I am really glad it's over!