My Talented Kiddos

Friday night was the "ART Scramble" for the kids School District. We only attended the portion held at our kids school but we certainly enjoyed the kids art work. They had lots of art hung up all over the school and some performances by other grades. There were also 3 make and take sections...Jaron made me a new magnet for my refrigerator and Janea created a cool piece of spin art!

Here is a sampling of my kids and their art work! Janea and her Tribal Mask

Janea's cool color blocks.

Janea proudly displays her beautiful art!

Janea and her tessalations

A close up of her tesselation!

Jaron's panda!

Jaron and his clown art!

Jaron on the kindergarten wall of flowers!

Jaron and his flower...

the stem is how tall he is, the leaves are made from tracing his feet,

and his handprints are the flowerpetals...very cool project!

This was a diplay of the fourth grade art...I don't have a fourth grader but I thought it looked cool so I took a picture...as a teacher I am always looking for great ideas!

Kids Say the Darndest--Around the World Edition

Today we were playing around the world in class. Basically we have the kids compete to see who can name letters and words first as they go around the room...you remember it from school. Well, the cards we use got mixed up on Tuesday when I dropped them out of the cabinet. I picked them up and resorted them thinking everything was fine.

Crystal was playing with the kids today and I was helping from the back of the room. The cards were being flipped and the kids were tying on letters so this is what I am hearing...

A--tie..next letter

w...tie...next letter

F...tie..next letter....large pause...

Doughnut? The card had two pictures and no letter on it...so the kids are confused and Crystal and I bust out laughing...Crystal laughed so hard she was crying and almost fell off her chair...the rest of the class laughed too! It was a great moment!

My Favorite Things

Here's a quick list of some of my new favorites around the house.

• Kiddos who are looking for jobs who offer to fold socks...I hate folding socks!
• Kiddos who come home having an extra good day at school.
• Husbands who call because they want to hear a friendly voice!
• Warmer days...I may finally get to wear my new clothes!
• Volleyball is right around the corner and it may be warm enough to practice this week!

Fun Weekend in Nebraska

Here are a few shots from our quick trip to Nebraska for Wendy's Birthday!

We took her a birthday cake...yummy!

Eating our Yummy dessert and ice cream

Playing with Gizmo Wendy's dog...with Grandma!

The Scott Aquarium at the Omaha Zoo.

Walking with Grandma and Wendy

Feeding the Fish

Hey...theres something wrong with this fountain!

The Family with the giraffe...the kids are getting really big..

We take Janea's Picture by the Penguin every time

Checking out where to go next
Janea in the Desert Dome
Jaron trying to move the world!
Where should we go first??

Easter Sunday

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Easter

Easter is my favorite Holiday. It is important, it is paramount, without it my faith is meaningless. So today I will celebrate the Resurrection of my Savior. I will celebrate the empty tomb. I will celebrate the fact that my God is not Dead! I have hope! I have life! I have a future in eternity with Him and that puts a smile on my face!

Leaving for Nebraska

Today my younger sister turns 29...one year away from the big 30~! HA HA!

My mom and I are going to take the kiddos with us as we head for Omaha. A short trip to celebrate with Wendy her last birthday in her 20's...boy are we old...

So that's where we are headed...hope you all have a good GOOD FRIDAY as we celebrate the darkest day in history where forgiveness was met for all.

I'll be back late tomorrow night.

It was a Coke Day

You know the kind of day where you really just need a Coke. I don't really like Coke, it's not my favorite...anyone who knows me knows I am a Dr. Pepper kind of gal. All my students have always known this and many a teacher appreciation day I receive a Dr. Pepper. Well, Crystal my co-teacher likes Coke. It was a day...a long day...a tiring day...a oh my goodness did your parents feed you straight sugar kind of day! The kids were squirrelly, the kids were squabbaly, you say the sky is blue they say its purple kind of day! And we needed a Coke...only thing...no way of getting one...until we decided to page the boss who was out and about and ask her to bring a 2 liter of Coke which she did...oh it made the last part of the day go so much better...Thanks to my boss for helping the poor yellow hall get through this crazy Coke needing day!

Ways that make my life easier

Mornings are a rush for me. I have to get up, dressed, get the kiddos up and dressed and we all have to be out the door by 7:48. It used to be a real challenge. But after 3 quarters and 27 weeks of school I have figured out ways that make school mornings much easier for me.

Step 1: Have a general idea of what everyone wants to wear the night before. Takes most of the hassle out of looking for clothes.
Step 2: Put socks inside the kids shoes by the door the night before...no more looking for socks.
Step 3: Lunch making: For me this used to take up to 15 minutes, now it takes 5. Here's how I cut the time down. I buy chips and pretzels in large bags and then divide them myself. That way for $2.50 I get enough for lunches and snacks and don't spend too much on extra packaging. A bag of 100 sandwich bags costs $2.12 or roughly 2 cents a bag so that is a more cost effective way for me to send the things my kids like. I used to make a bag each morning...took extra time I really didn't have. So I decided to create a better way...here's what I do.

• While I am putting my groceries away I open the chips and pretzels and bag up enough sandwich bags to last a week. If the week has 4 days I make 4 bags, if it has 5 I make 5. I also do this with crackers and such...then I put them in my lunch basket that sits on my counter. In this basket is everything I need for the kids lunches. Chips, pretzels, crackers, rice krispy treat, fruit snacks, etc...They know that the stuff that is in this basket is only for lunches and they can't eat it unless it's in their lunch bags. Then in the morning I make the following lunches(typically it does occasionally change depending on their moods):
• Janeas lunch consists of a cold pack, 2 sticks of string cheese, a bag of pretzels, 2 mini fruit roll ups, a rice krispy treat and a juice box.
• Jaron's lunch consists of a PB sandwich(no jelly), 2 mini fruit roll ups, a bag of BBQ chips and a bag of cheese crackers, and a juice box.

This takes me about 5 minutes total, and that includes making the sandwich and putting in backpacks ready for school. It's a great time saver and I feel much less stressed as I am getting this accomplished before work!

Here's a picture of my handy lunch making basket! It's really been working for me!

Movie and Pizza

We took the kids to see a movie today. We went to see Monsters vs. Aliens. On the Jonathan family scale we give it a 7 out of 10. After the movie we went and ate Pizza Shoppe pizza. All in all a fun family night!

Are you Listening?

I'm feeling the need to write. To get out what I am feeling at my core. So sometimes my thoughts come out as disjointed sentences, my form of poetry. I don't want to freak anyone out by what I am writing or anything just thought I would post a disclaimer for some of my posts. I'm okay and doing fine emotionally just dealing with a lot of different things right now in many ways and I am finding writing to be a good outlet!


I'm feeling tired.

Your not here.

I'm feeling abandoned.

Your still not here.

I need to see you.

You are somewhere else.

I need you to listen to me.

Your wrapped up in your own thoughts.

Do you want to hear me?

I don't think you do.

Where are you?

You don't seem to need me.

Can you hear me?

Are you Listening?

Hello!

What Does Supportive Mean to You

Dan is starting something new. He wants me to be supportive...and I don't like the idea so I am hesitantly supporting him. So I am going to be supportive...at least like #3.

Support
–verb (used with object)
1.
to bear or hold up (a load, mass, structure, part, etc.); serve as a foundation for.
2.
to sustain or withstand (weight, pressure, strain, etc.) without giving way; serve as a prop for.
3.
to undergo or endure, esp. with patience or submission; tolerate.
4.
to sustain (a person, the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction: They supported him throughout his ordeal.
5.
to maintain (a person, family, establishment, institution, etc.) by supplying with things necessary to existence; provide for: to support a family.
6.
to uphold (a person, cause, policy, etc.) by aid, countenance, one's vote, etc.; back; second.
7.
to maintain or advocate (a theory, principle, etc.).
8.
to corroborate (a statement, opinion, etc.): Leading doctors supported his testimony.
9.
to act with or second (a lead performer); assist in performance: The star was supported by a talented newcomer.
–noun
10.
the act or an instance of supporting.
11.
the state of being supported.
12.
something that serves as a foundation, prop, brace, or stay.
13.
maintenance, as of a person or family, with necessaries, means, or funds: to pay for support of an orphan.
14.
a person or thing that supports, as financially: The pension was his only support.
15.
a person or thing that gives aid or assistance.
16.
an actor, actress, or group performing with a lead performer.
17.
the material, as canvas or wood, on which a picture is painted.
18.
Stock Exchange. support level.
–adjective
19.
(of hosiery) made with elasticized fibers so as to fit snugly on the legs, thereby aiding circulation, relieving fatigue, etc.
Origin: 1350–1400; (v.)

Sticks and Bugs

Today at work we had Ants on A Log for Snack! Basically, it was a banana with raisins on top. As I am getting ready to serve snack the kids start asking what we are having and I tell them, Ants on a Log.

One of my little boys looks at me increduously and says--"We're having STICKS and BUGS? My mommy says not to eat bugs!"

Then when he is done eating his "Sticks and Bugs" he says this" I don't like Raisins." My co-teacher looks at him and says "Well, you certainly ate them, all." to which he replied"Just because I ate them, doesn't mean I like them!"

Sleepy eyes

Mornings are hard.

I am not a true morning person.

My eyes are itching.

My teeth need brushing.

My children are hiding underneath blankets

The school bus is coming

The day is harkening.

I must get up and moving.

It is a good day

It will be a good day

I want it to be a good day.

The Year keeps on Marching Along

Wow! I can't believe March is already over! It's been a good month but boy has it gone by fast.

Some fast facts from March:

• I turned 32 and had a Wonderful Birthday!
• I had 6 days off from school--wahoo!
• I made beef stew at least 4 times...I'm trying to perfect my recipe!
• The kids made it through another month with no sickness...both have perfect attendance for the first 3 quarters!
• Dan and I got to have 2 Friday afternoon dates since I was off school and he doesn't work Fridays!
• I learned 3 new Bible verses with the kids at school and several more with the kids in AWANA.
• Awana Grand Prix was this month and Jaron took 3rd place in design...we still have yet to win for speed.
• I have a greater love for my family, a bigger heart for my God and I desire to know HIM more!

Some quick goals for the Month of April:

• Complete all the work I have put on myself at work!( I may have bit off more than I can chew!)
• Enjoy my family all the time....especially when I am tired and not feeling good.
• Figure out our family vacation plans for June.

The Saga of the Heat

This is my furnace, my wonderful furnace that brings us the heat in the little ol house of the Jonathan's..This is the furnace the really sad furnace that stopped working one week during the cold and stopped providing the heat for the little ol house of the Jonathan's....
This is the Thermostate our brand new thermostat which can handle the signal which comes from the furnace to help give us heat in the little Ol house of the Jonathan's...

This is the snow, the really cold snow that gave me such stress, when the thermostat and furnace were giving no heat, for the little ol house of the Jonathan's...

This is the ice that fell before the snow, that coated the trees and the roads, and made it much more difficult for the man that was coming to fix the furnace that gives us the heat for the little ol house of the Jonathan's....

This is the snow, the beautiful snow that I can appreciate so much more, when the furnace has been fixed and is again providing the heat for the little ol house of the Jonathan's!

The END.

Round Two

The heater stopped working around 4 am last night....now I am waiting to call the emergency number to let our landlord know. I don't like calling people really early on a Saturday...I'm not sure if they will get someone out to look at it...so we are using our bathroom space heater and I am planning on using the oven today to keep the main family areas warm.

On a side note...we live in Kansas City which is notorious for not knowing what the weather is going to do..so the question really is ...Will it Snow today or not?

Baby it's cold outside...

We had a cold snap this week....both inside and out!

Outside there have been a few cold front pushing through this month. It was nice for the week I was off but this week it hasn't really been out of the forties and fifties. Well, last week I turned our furnace off and was running a fan in the house to bring in cooler air. It was nice to get the fresh air in the house as I was cleaning. On Tuesday, I thought about turning on the heat again but it wasn't too bad with a forecast of near 60 and sun which warms the house up during the day. Well, Wednesday morning was chilly and I thought, okay lets turn the heat on again to warm us up. I go to the thermostat and turn it to heat and nothing happens. So I flip it to Air Conditioning and nothing happens, it doesnt' turn on. I go and check the breaker box, no circuits are flipped. I turn on the fan and it turns on but it's only blowing cold air. Oh no, not good, but I gotta get to work.

During the day I often communicate with Dan by texting. So I asked him to check the thermostat and see if he can get it to work... He can't get it to work either and tells me to call our landlord. So Thursday morning I call and the furnace guy comes and checks it out...no luck, they need a different part and will fix it today. A little before 1pm Dan texts me and says that the house is only 54 degrees inside(We have an internal thermometer) and the furnace guy hasn't come yet...so I think, should I call, I want the heat! There is a chance of a serious snow storm this weekend and it's cold! I hate calling on things...well, as I am getting my kids in class down for nap the main office calls and says that they are on their way! Around 2:30 today Dan texts me again and tells me we have HEAT! I got home today to a nice warm house!

It's the little things like heat that you don't really appreciate until they are gone...well I am very appreciative of the fact that my house has heat and my furnace is working again!

Kids say the Darndest---prayer edition

Every day when I teach Bible story I pick a boy and a girl to pray before me. Today this was the little girls prayer

Dear God,
Please help me to be better(she isn't sick)
Help my friends to be good.
Help my mom and dad to be(unintelligible)so that they don't cry any more.

Amen

The little boys prayer went like this

Dear God
Thank you for my friends
Thank you for the teachers markers and don't let anybody mess them up!

Amen

Usually I finish with a nice prayer today all I could manage was this:
Father God, thank you for the prayers of children--Amen!

First time in my classroom experience when the markers got prayed for! I wanted to laugh out loud but couldn't!

Fear

Rainstorms are hard for us. Ever since last summer any time it rains in the middle of the night there is a feeling of unease and unrest. Janea in particular is really struggling. She is afraid of the rain and the night. She is afraid that we will experience flooding again and that she will have to swim for her life. She is also afraid for her brother who isn't able to swim. She worries that her dad won't be safe as he drives home in the rain. It's a real big fear for her.

Yet it also is that teachable moment, that place where you have to simply reach out and trust that there is a God who is bigger than anything you can imagine. There could have been so much more pain and suffering for our family on that evening in June almost a year ago. There could have been death and agony and the feeling of what if...but there isn't. My baby is here and she is alive and God is Faithful! God brought her safely through that basement and brought us out of a major trial! We emerged from that evening more together, more full of gratitude than I could have ever imagined. It is on evenings like this when I listen to the rain, and hug my daughter close that I can't help but be eternally grateful for that trial. It's nights like this when I shed a tear and say an extra prayer for my children, my husband. A prayer of thanksgiving, a prayer of hope, a prayer of seeking the right thing for my family. It's times like this that I am so thankful for my Wonderful God who holds everything in his hands and won't let us slip or fall. It's this that makes me able to sleep and wake refreshed for a new morning.

Back to the Regular Routine

Tomorrow I go back to work. Spring Break will be over for me...sigh...but on the other hand I am looking forward to getting back to our regular routines. The break was much needed and I feel more with it, feel like my house is more under control, so it's all good. The good news is that now there are only 9 more weeks of school...whoo--hooo!

My little Baldy

My darling son...the crazy little person he is...decided that he needed to trim chunks of his hair off at school.

So we had to buzz him again....I didn't really think he had that much hair!

The small pieces are everywhere! It's so sad it's comical!

One more...one more..

One more day of Spring Break...then it's back to work

One more day of Spring Cleaning...hope I get it all done.

One more weekend to spend with my family!

One more reminder of all I have to be thankful for!

Awana Grand Prix

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Picking through the Piles

Since I am on Spring Break for a whole week and the kids only get 2 days we are spending time at home. It'll be a week of stuff that normally doesn't occur. We have Awana Grand Prix this Wednesday night so last night was time trials so we are painting our cars and getting them glued together and weighed and measured.

I am also using this week to Spring Clean...my house has become a big pile of junk and stuff this winter. I am attempting to sort through all the piles and bring the house back under control. Over the weekend Dan went through another pile of flood stuff that we had brought with us. We went from 3 small shelf units full of stuff to 3 boxes under Jaron's bed. We now have piles of garbage in our cans but I will let the Garbage men worry about that! We have piles of leaves outside that need to go into Leaf bags to be hauled away and Janea and I will tackle that later. We are working on making the house a bright cheery clean place for the Spring! It's nice!

Time with the Kids

Last night was a Girls Night/Boys Night. Jaron and Daddy got to spend the evening together and Janea and I got to too! We did different things but spent some quality one on one time with the children. Next time, Dan and Janea will do something and Jaron and I will hang out together!

Daddy and Jaron spent the evening shoe shopping and playing Jaron's new Spongebob Video Game! They had a good time together!

Janea and I got to go and see the Calvary production of "Annie Get Your Gun"! Grandma and Grandpa Spry were involved with the production and so we got front row seats! We had an enjoyable time together seeing the play and now we have songs stuck in our head! My favorites being "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better, and Sun in the Morning and the Moon at Night"

I treasure these moments of time with the kids where we get to do something fun and not nagging to get something done! We just spent time enjoying being together! Its such a blessing!

Time for Us

Dan and I got to spend the afternoon together without the kids. It was nice to get to run to the bank, to CVS, to the school to make a trash bag pickup, the bank and then grocery shopping. We even slipped in a late lunch together. We had an enjoyable time just hanging out! It's been a while since we have been able to reconnect with one another. I am very thankful to get to have quality time!

I am a Cleaning Queen...

and boy am I tired!

Today I was working at school all day to clean and organize the classroom. We tackled a massive project of cleaning out an entire cupboard and the closet which was stuffed full! Took us all day but now the closet is clean enough to walk in turn around.

Then when I got home Dan decided to tackle a project we started last week(he took the night off) and I decided to work near him and tackled cleaning the kitchen...got a lot done...looks much cleaner.

I am tired, tired, tired. Yet I feel strangely good...

My foot, my class the nuts of it all!..

My foot is feeling much better! I can walk without limping and the pain is only there if I really stomp hard. Dan was looking at the staples today and couldn't believe how long they really are...we are so thankful that it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

My class is nuts, completely nuts! I am so thankful that Spring Break starts for them on Friday...we still have a teacher inservice day but that's okay! They need a break and so do I!

I shoulda, coulda, woulda...

Boy do I wish I had watched where I was stepping! It would have saved me a whole lotta pain.

This is the board with 3 staples sticking out of it. I had placed this in an unsafe spot on the floor as I was cleaning the kids room...I was trying to keep it safe and out of Jaron's hands!

This is my foot, about 5 hours after I stepped directly on it with just socks on! I had forgotten where I had placed it and in my hurry to move something, I stepped directly on the staples, leaving 6 smaller puncture wounds in my foot!
I adjusted the contrast so you can see exactly how swollen and bruised my foot is!

A Good day

Yesterday I turned 32...not tramatic at all...It was a good day!

Here's what the weather was like before I left for work! 51 and rising! Love the warm weather!

Here's my handsome little man wishing me a happy birthday!

Janea made me a beautiful picture for my birthday!~ Now I just need to get it framed!

The kids got me a new volleyball for me to use this summer!

An ocean scented candle and goodies from my co-teacher!

Plus, Dan is treating me to some new clothes and a shopping trip today~! We had a yummy dinner of Mexican food and just a relaxing evening at home! One Happy Birthday!

Relishing the Silence

It's not often quiet here in the Jonathan household. We are often running around shooting each other with dart guns(future post), jumping off the furniture, talking a mile a minute, soaking Momma's bathroom, watching TV, singing, dancing, playing, and enjoying. Some evenings I think I will go crazy from the loudness of it all! I do contribute to the noise so I am not shifting the blame just some days it's amazing how loud we are.

Weekday mornings are a pleasure....I get up before the kids and I get a silent house. I have time to think, to plan, to meditate, to pray, to just say awww...and on the mornings when I am up and the house is quiet those are good days. I am filled with peace and don't have the rush of a busy morning and gettting everyone out the door.

I relish this time to feel like I am gathering my thoughts, to spend time with God on a deep level, to not answer a million questions...it's so wonderful!

A Bowl of Beef Stew

Thanks to my handy dandy crockpot I get to enjoy homemade beef stew tonight for dinner. I made it last night all night and get to eat it today...so good, so warm, so fabulous! Crock pots are phenomonal...I am so thankful someone invented them!

Craziness in Practice

I walked in the living room to find that Jaron had put his coat on his legs. One of the joys of motherhood.

Changing from Bitterness to Thankfulness

I am struggling with my attitude in many ways. I have discovered that when I am feeling grouchy or discouraged it is a good idea to list a positive thought or a blessing from God to help me balance my negativity...so hear goes.

1. I am upset because Dan is sleeping even though he slept all day...however, I am thankful for the long hours he puts in at work and the way he gets up to be with the kids on Friday afternoons so I can stay longer at work, instead of sleeping in like I do on Saturday mornings.

2. I am frustrated by my children and their constant demands....however I am thankful that I get to have them in my life, many families struggle with the permanent loss of a child or the inability to have children and don't experience all the little joys like hugs and smiles. I love the hugs and happiness that a simple word or phrase can accomplish...makes mothering slightly easier.

3. I am tired and achy...yet I am thankful for a decent paying job, fun kids to work with and the garden tub in my bathroom! I am so taking a bath tonight. A long hot soak will do a world of good!

On top of it all I am so thankful that my loving God never gets tired, irritable or upset with me and is eternally loving, kind and longsuffering towards me with all of my negatives. Philippians shows us Paul rejoicing in suffering and I can do the same thing even though when it comes down to it my list of grievances are nothing like being thrown in prison. My suffering really isn't suffering its just being tired and a little bit whiny!

It's crazy...it's full of school spirit...it's Over!

Today is last day of Penny Wars and Spirit Week at school.

I'm so glad that things will get back to normal next week. It's been a lot of fun but it's been rather crazy too!

So in honor of the week I am doing my Happy It's Friday Happy Dance!

On a side note...I have a week left of being 31...32 approaches next Friday...makes me feel kinda old!

AWANA craziness

I am the Sparks Director and I have some great Calvary students helping me with AWANA this year. It's all good. We have a good time. The new favorite pasttime is hide my Dr. Pepper can!

I will admit, I am a Dr. Pepper junkie...love the stuff, it's my favorite drink! I usually have a can on Wednesday nights...and I often set it down to do stuff with the kids. Well the new game for the leaders is to try and hide my can of Dr. Pepper. Tonight, it was easily found but I will give props to the leader who was able to swipe it without my knowing while I was discussing my hair from crazy hair day at school. That took finesse and skill, lousy hiding place, made for easy finding but I didn't notice it was gone right away and I was sitting within 12 inches of the can!

My hair...crazy day edition

It was green, red, blue and orange. Seven ponytails...and I giant headache later...but I was top dog on Crazy hair day!

One of my lifesavers

Meet my crockpot...my new best friend. I use it at least once a week maybe twice. For me I make dinner overnight for the next day. Since Dan and I work opposite schedules he needs a meal at 2:30 so I cook a meal overnight and then divide it into smaller containers before I leave for work. Then at night I have a good dinner and Dan gets a meal for the afternoon! It's only taken 3 years of working odd schedules for me to learn this handy dandy tip!

Superhero Day

Today is Superhero Day for school...

I'm not going to wear a costume or anything, just dress up like myself...simply because my son told me that I am his Supermom!

So I am going as me, the super hero that I am!

Spirit Week

This week is Spirit Week at my school and at the kiddos school. Today at my school it was Pajama day...so I wore my fuzzy fleece penguin jammies....makes for a good day!

Tomorrow is Super Hero Day...I'm still not sure what I am going to wear tomorrow for this...I'm having trouble coming up with an appropriate costume.