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!

So much Better...

Jaron had a much better attitude today. He hasn't been whiny or anything! I am so thankful for the better attitude and the happiness he showed today.

Another helping of Super Crab

Jaron is again Super Crab...and I am exhausted.

I can't get him to understand that it isn't working...but I will say he is persistent.

If I'm totally gray in the next few weeks we will know why!

The Snorkel and Super Crab

Today was a long day at work and the kids were pretty wiped out as we heading home. I am working longer hours this week and the kids are not used to it. Plus having been off for a week they are trying to adjust to our regular schedule since we really got off of it last week. Today after work as we were headed home both kids fell asleep in the car! I stopped at the UPS store and had them bring me my mail and looked through it and called Dan too as they snoozed. I really needed to go to Walmart and so I stopped. I woke up both kids when we got there. Bad choice...Jaron wasn't ready to shop! We get the few things I really needed and as we were going he sees the snorkels...he really wants one and gets really upset when I tell him that the snorkel is not in the budget this week and that he will have to wait...not what he wants to here at all!

The whole way through the store, the whole way home, and for at least a half hour after that he tried everything to get me to get the snorkel. He tried manipulating, tantruming, and even threatening to get his way. All he got was a big handful of nothing and he has worn himself out even more...I think we all need to head to bed early tonight.

Butterfly Palace

Before heading home from Branson we made one last stop. We spent the morning at the Butterfly Palace. Very cool place, where they import different butterflies from around the world and you get to check them out in an indoor aviary! I particular was looking forward to the adventure. Once your done looking at the butterflies, you can go through the mirror maze and check out other rainforest creatures. There also is a climbing coconut tree that the kids climbed...here's a few of the many pictures I took of the Butterfly Palace~! Janea and Jaron ready to start our day!
Blue and Beautiful...So pretty!

The kids up close and personal with a butterfly!

Another gorgeous creation!

They were all around hiding and preening...so cool to watch..I could have spent hours...the rest of the family not so much but they had fun too!

Janea...my green eyed beauty next to a green and gorgeous butterfly!

Janea and Mom in the Butterfly Aviary!

Mom and both kids in the Butterfly Aviary!

They put out fresh fruit and other yummy's so the butterflies land!

You can really see all the wonderful details!

Janea and the Frog in the Rainforest Room!

Janea as a Tree Frog!

My Frog Prince!

Jaron dressed up as a tree frog!

Jaron getting in his harness to climb!

Janea gets into a harness!

Jaron getting the hang of climbing!

Janea is a good climber...it takes a lot of strength!

Jaron figuring out how to climb up the coconut tree.

All in all it was a wonderful vacation and we had a great time together as a family. I am so thankful that we were able to spend this quality time together and enjoy fun and different things. I am already looking forward to being able to get away from everything next year!

Silver Dollar City

On Tuesday and Wednesday we went to Silver Dollar City. The kids had a great time riding the rides and just hanging out with Dan and I! Here's a sampling of pictures from our days at Silver Dollar City!~ Dan and The Kids ride the Mighty Galleon...I chose not to ride...feeling a little sick!~

Dan and the Kids on the Tea Cups!

Dan and Jaron excited about the swings...Janea is praying hard! She really didn't like this ride...I rode it with her on Wednesday and she had a lot more fun...I hated it!

The kids and I on the Tea Cups...Dan proceeded to spin our cup so fast that I saw nothing but a blur and honestly thought I was going to vomit by the time we got off...I was dizzy afterwards for like 5 minutes!~

The kids and Dan after the American Plunge...Dan's pant is superwet from the onslaught of water as they were getting out of the boat...the kids really thought this ride was fun!

This is Dan and the kids on the American Plunge...they loved it!

Outside the Flooded Mine...Poor Dan!

Janea is ready for the lockup...watch out!

Jaron is a little too excited about being locked up...too short too!

Jaron is a little tired from all the walking...so Dan gives him some help!

Vacation Day One

So we left for vacation on Monday! I hadn't quite finished all our packing the night before and since Dan was still in the process of changing from his nightshift hours to the kids and my daytime hours we weren't planning on leaving very early in the morning. I got up, packed a bunch of the car stuff, played on the computer and got dressed for the day. A little later I decided I needed to go to the bank to make a deposit and I thought of just going by myself since it's frankly easier...while I was gone...Janea decided to wake up her dad! So Dan was up by 11:00 and getting ready. I think we had everything packed up and ready to go by 11:45...so away we went.
Our printer hasn't been working and so when I mapquested the directions I wrote them down...guess I wrote them down wrong or I misunderstood what I wrote because the way we went to get to Branson was the LONG way...we went on all these hills and ups and downs and crazy two lane roads in the middle of Missouri. Our 3 and a half to 4 hour trip took like 5 and a half hours! Janea and I both suffer from mild car sickness and we were both feeling it as we took some beautifully scenic but very winding roads. One wrong direction on the highway and we finally got on the road to Branson. All in all I have never been so happy to get somewhere! The whole ride as Jaron is getting annoying asking how much longer, Dan and I were grateful that we had nixed going to North Carolina. 20 hours one way in the car would have been madness! 3-4 is our limit right now!

We got to Branson and checked into our motel. We stayed away from the strip in a little motel on the same road as Silver Dollar City. It wasn't the fanciest hotel but it was clean, had a game room and pool and continental breakfast and met our needs. The nice thing was it was very quiet and peaceful with a nice view off the deck of gorgeous trees and hills. Just what this momma needed! I love the woods and the feeling of being near the woods. We took some fun shots of the family that day before heading out to get dinner...after dinner we just chilled and I took the kiddos swimming in the pool and we just hung out as a family! It was a good first day. Here are some of our pictures:

Janea and Mom take a picture together and Daddy jumps in!

Whole family caught in the mirror...one way to get a picture of all of us!

This is me and the kids with the beautiful hills behind us....we forgot to change to backlight so you can't really see us...but we are smiling!~

Janea relaxing on the deck outside our room at the hotel.

Jaron needed to be in a picture too!

Janea and Daddy at McFarlains restaurant...good food...good family time!

We ordered the Fried Green tomatoes and Sweet Potato Fries...the sauces were yummy and we enjoyed eating something we don't normally eat!

Home

We're back from our trip. We had a great time! I have a lot of pictures and stories...and a lot of laundry and cleaning, and grocery shopping...so the posts about what we did will be coming...later!

I forgot to clean out the refrigerator before we left so I need to get that accomplished and then head out to the store...by the time I'm done I may need another vacation!