Crazy Busy and lovin' it!

Just for me!

2011-10-21T08:50:00.001-05:00

I am not just a mom! I am not just a teacher! Sometimes I forget to post about the real me!

I love fashion; or at least love watching it! I can't always wear, or afford, what I love but I still stalk it on the internet.

Around the time of Kate and William's wedding, I found this website... What Kate Wore
I LOVE it! They run-down all her outfits and tell us where we can find the pieces. I still don't fit into them but maybe one of you can. What I can wear are the shoes! So when I found they were giving away a pair of the London Sole flats that Kate wears, it was too good to be true!

You can enter to win too! If you follow my link here, comment with my name so we both get more entries! Good Luck to you, but more luck to me! :-)

An open letter to the parents of the world...

2011-09-06T21:04:00.003-05:00

Dear Parents of school age children.

If you disagree with your child's teacher, please attempt to do so civilly.
If you MUST get forceful, do so with the full understanding that you may be harming your child.

A good teacher will not dislike your child. They will give the child several chances. However you, the parent, will never get a second chance to be liked. The teacher will never willingly call you again and therefore you will not receive the notice you'd really like about your child. Heaven forbid you get a teacher who is not so good... a teacher who's already iffy... you've just put your kid on the permanent hit list.

Thank you!
Educators everywhere

**I origionally wrote this months ago and stuck it in "Drafts" so I could cool down. It is no less true now than it was 6 months ago!

** See also this article which I didn't write but I completely agree with!

I need to DO something

2011-09-03T14:35:00.001-05:00

A while ago, I posted about all the people in my life who seem to be having such a hard time of it... one of those was a co-worker who's son turned 1 in May. That precious little child has been fighting leukemia since about 6 months old. They thought they had turned the corner... they had their little fighter home again and his counts were going the right direction....

This week they found out the leukemia is back. Most devastatingly, they are out of options. This adorable child has been given only months of life.

I know it is not my child, but it just as easily could have been. What happened to these young parents was a fluke, one of life twists that you can never anticipate. I have been crying on and off all day. Then I cry because if it makes me this sad, I can't imagine the crippling grief of the family.

I keep hugging my kids, they are starting to think I'm nuts! I can't tell them, they don't have any idea about this family or that little kids can die too young. I don't want them to know.

I don't know what else to do. So far I've spread the word, asked strangers for their prayers, and eaten too much chocolate. I know there must be a better solution... I hope I think of it soon. I'm running out of chocolate!

Random

2011-07-31T11:24:00.002-05:00

I am so awful about updating my blog these days. When I'm working (during the school year) I can't post because Blogger is blocked. When I'm at home, I'm dealing with the 3 children (and one large child aka husband) or I am sucked in to the Facebook vortex!

Notes:

July went wonderfully despite the broken arm. The visit from the cousins was great and we did so much fun stuff. It seems that the addition of 2 additional children forced us off our butts and out into the world where we did things we never would have done to entertain our 3.

Brianna is growing so fast. Not literally, she's 8 and can still wear a 6/6x when need be. But in other ways, some days I see the teenager she'll be and I am equally terrified and over joyed with her wonderful little mind. She's still the kid that scares me the most. She has all these fears and minor ticks and double the stubbornness than any one person should be allowed to have.

Grant is starting Kindergarten in less than a month and loves to learn so much. He tries to read all the signs and things at stores, and gets them right sometimes! He is always asking us to give him math problems to do, and they are nothing amazing, but the kid can add and subtract all the single digits and some of the double digits.... in his mind! He loves to eat cereal, would eat it every meal if I let him. He like to mix 2 cereals together since he can't decide between them. He is also a little mean. He hits/kicks Brianna daily (never Chase) but his teachers say he doesn't do it at school so I try not to be too concerned.

Chase is my troublemaker. I know, I know, he's almost 2 and his testing his limits. I get that... but the kid does exactly what we tell him not to do ALL of the time. And reverse psychology doesn't work on him. If we tell him NOT to do what we actually WANT him to do, he still knows what we mean and does the wrong thing anyway. He learns everything from Brianna and Grant and is so smart in that way. He is talking up a storm and wants to do everything physical that we let him. My baby is no longer a baby.

The hubs and I are fine. Hubs is so excited for the new school year. I love that after 12 years of teaching, he can still be so excited about his job. It's really his calling. I wish I felt the same. I still like teaching, like Social Studies, like the students. I just can't seem to find the same excitement that used to make things like getting my classroom and starting the year so much fun. I'm going to keep trying to get involved in as many other things as I can. The challenge of adding new responsibilities is what what keeps me feeling... challenged. I do like a good challenge.

August will no doubt fly by and before I know it, or maybe before I post again, school will have started, Chase will be 2, and another summer will have gone before I could truly appreciate it.

Sigh.

OMG!

2011-07-16T22:12:00.002-05:00

I broke my niece....

Backing up- We have my niece and nephew staying with us for 11 days (but who's counting?) while thier parents are in Hawaii. They were dropped off late Thursday.

Friday afternoon, my niece fell off her bike and broke her arm. It's not a bad break but THAT was not a fun phone call!!! Sure, it could have happened anywhere, but it happened on my watch. I hate that part.

Me, Confirmed!

2011-07-14T10:16:00.002-05:00

As an adult we all have to face certain truths about ourselves. For instance, I like being in charge and HATE feeling "left out".

This week we lost power for 30 hours after a major storm. Being without power, in the heat, made me face, or reconfirmed, some truths about myself.

1. I can NOT stand inconsiderate people. I dedicate this revelation to the single woman who sat in Panera, for the full hour we were eating, with 3 electronic devices plugged in, playing solitaire on your computer, at a 4 person table with out so much as a drink in front of her.

2. I am creature of comfort. I LOVE my air conditioning. I don't like humidity. I am an indoor cat.

3. Technology is addictive. Throughout our time with out power, I mentally changed my facebook status about every hour. I really wanted to vent my frustrations and see what was happening with other friends. I couldn't... It was actually tougher than I though it would be.

4. I will never have a clean home. Hours and Hours with no distractions... no tv, internet, radio, nothing. I could have done lots of the cleaning things I always put off. Showers, kitchen floor, shake out the rugs, clean the leather couch. I did none of those. I read a book.

5. I am a lucky girl and need to work on being grateful more often. So many people near us had severe damage and some are still without power more than 3 days later. We didn't lose a single tree branch or roof shingle. My family, immediate and extended, are all safe and sound. Amen!

And then...

2011-06-21T20:03:00.003-05:00

I typed my "Waiting...." post last night, and then this morning.... BANG.

A former student, a young lady with a beautiful heart and tons of promise, died in a tragic car accident. She was driving around, distraught, because her beloved dog had cancer and needed to be put down. She put his needs ahead of her own... He died with her in the accident.

Even faith fails sometimes.

Waiting...

2011-06-20T22:39:00.003-05:00

This time, I'm not waiting for the end of school (which has happened and is wonderful!)...

or waiting for some big event (although there are several in the works...)

I'm waiting for something to go wrong.

I have 3 healthy, although sometimes quirky, children. I have a husband who works out for fun! (He's so strange! ;-D) I am generally healthy and happy too! We seem to be in the minority.

I have one friend battling breast cancer at the young age of 34.
A co-worker whose son was diagnosed at 6 months old with Lukemia. They battle every day; he has just had a stem cell transplant and he's barely 1.
A friend from high school has a son, only 7, who just had a cancerous brain tumor removed and is waiting to see if he'll be ok with therapy and radiation.
A former co-worker had her uterus burst and she gave birth to her twins months before they were ready. (They are home now and I am so happy she has them safe.)
Another friend has had more miscarriages than I can count, and she is a great mom to her first, she deserves another.
Another co-worker was working out one day and thought she pulled a muscle... turns out she had lung cancer and had to have part of her lung removed immediately. She never smoked.

I find myself awake in the middle of the night wondering when it will be my turn. Things are too perfect, too easy, too wonderful. How long can it last before the fates turn on me? None of these people woke up knowing that life wold never be the same for them; that life would change in a blink.

I'm afraid to blink.

And the kids think THEY have spring fever!

2011-05-02T21:01:00.000-05:00

We have 27 days of school remaining... 27 more "wake-ups" in which I have to drag my tired tush to work.
I can subtract 4 of those days for Field Day, the Last Day, and Yearbook signing/clean-up days.
I can subtract another 2 on which I will be giving tests (no mental effort for me those days).
And I can subtract 2 MORE on which I will have substitutes for personal/professional reasons.

Drum Roll Please.... 19 "teaching" days!

Somehow, that makes it all easier! However, I feel obliged to confess that even with in those days, I put teaching in quotations because it is impossible to actively teach for more than half-a-class this time a year. The kids need activity or distraction part of every period. None of us, myself included, can listen/talk for a full period. SOOO, planning from here on out is based around the following question:

How can I impart information in a successful manner AND make it interesting AND break it up with movies so I don't go insane with discipline??????

I have a love/hate relationship with the end of the year. I want to keep being a good teacher but the kids are so *done* and I am so *done* pushing/fighting them! I'm walking the fine line between staying sane and staying a teacher!

My Review of Leachco Wrap Strap Shopping Cart Safety Strap

2011-04-14T10:19:00.001-05:00

Originally submitted at One Step Ahead

No more broken, stiff, icky shopping cart belts - give baby a clean, cushy harness that's hers alone! It feels so good; the harness is made of luxurious minky plush fabric, with a soft foam core and Velcro(R) back closures. Adjusts to fit all shopping carts, restaurant high chairs, and other ...

Love, Love, LOVE!!!!

By mom2bgc from Chicago, IL on 4/14/2011

Pros: Convenient, Easy To Setup, Portable, Comfortable, Durable, Easy Use, Lightweight

Best Uses: Travel, Daily Use, Infants

Describe Yourself: Parent of Two or More Children

This product is great! It not only safely keeps my 19 month old in the shopping cart, but I've also used it on kitchen chairs in a pinch while at friends homes. The fabric is soft and appealing but the best part about it is that the velcro tabs don't stick to the fabric and damage it when I fold this and stick it in my purse!

(legalese)

I don't know WHAT to think!

2010-11-23T21:45:00.003-06:00

My daycare lost my 14 month old child on Friday.... and didn't tell me!

To be fair, it was only for seconds, and they told me today.

One of the teachers opened the outside/emergency door to empty a waste bin or something, and my son ran out. He is a runner, and he loves being outside, but somehow she didn't notice. She closed the door and then realized he wasn't where she left him. She opened the door again and he was right outside. They are launching a formal investigation.

I don't know what to think....

I've always loved my sons teachers, they love him and are kind and gentle... but this was a hell of a first mistake to make!
I know how quickly he can move when motivated, he's gotten away from me at a store once... but this door opens on the parking lot side and who knows what could have happened!
I know that one of his teacher may be fired over this, and I would hate for that to happen to such a nice, friendly, lady.... but my baby was outside alone!

I guess it's good that it's out of my hands. I have no say in what happens, I could leave the center but it is only one mistake... am I under-reacting? I am at such a loss.... I think I'll go watch him sleep for a little while.

not enough words...

2010-10-29T11:30:00.004-05:00

(This post was originally written Thursday, October 21 but I just couldn't hit "post" right away...)

As a parent, we know that time can pass so quickly! Most children think that everything takes "forever". If only they knew...

3 years ago today, I had a student in my class, A. She loved to talk to me in homeroom and tell me all about her life, her friends, and choir... she loved to sing! I tried not to let her see but as much as I liked hearing about A's life, I had other things I needed to get done and she always wanted to talk!

2 years ago today, A had moved on to 7th grade. She was moving on, growing up, doing all those 7th grade things. I had a new group of students but anytime I saw A in the hall, she was so excited to see her "old" teacher.

1 year ago today, A had started 8th grade. I never saw her anymore... the schedules just don't work out that way. I do know she was still singing in the choir and telling her current teachers all about her life! She just loved talking to the teachers!

Today, A was unrecognizable in her coffin. Leukemia and all it's nasty effects had changed her face, her body, her hands. If I had walked by her in the halls of school, I would never have known it was the gregarious young lady of 3 years before. But I wasn't walking by her in the halls at school. I was walking through the line at her wake. It was a devastating day.

Early this year, A's parents noticed that she'd been weak, tired, and was bruising easily. She was quickly diagnosed with a form of Childhood Leukemia. From that point forward, I don't know much. I do know that when she passed away last week, it was too soon. 8 short months of fighting the cancer in her body. I had no words when I tried to speak to her mother and father. I had no words to explain how my short time with their daughter had been memorable or special. I hope they knew.

I have been crying, a lot. I am a mom first and a teacher second. The teacher part of me just watched another mom say good bye to her only child. I can't help but be SO sad for her and at the same time, I feel SOOO lucky to be able to come home, hug my kids, be annoyed by them, know that they are safe, and healthy. So many parents are out there now, their children aren't healthy or safe. So many parents whose children right this minute are battling Leukemia and other forms of cancer. They don't know where they will be a year from now.

Hug your children. Be kind to those you don't know. Tell the people around you that you love or appreciate them. Today is a gift, tomorrow is a wish. Cherish the NOW in all it's ups and downs.

If you are able, help support a stranger who might not have until tomorrow.

Babies should just talk already!

2010-10-07T12:33:00.002-05:00

I had a very scary moment a little while ago. The daycare called, and when I didn't pick up my cell phone, they called the school secretary to come find me. THAT, is never good.

I called right back and they told me that Chase had been crying for the better part of an hour. He didn't want his pacifier, wouldn't drink his milk, and only picked at his foods. AND, the clincher, he was pulling on his ears. SO, I found someone to cover my last class of the day and raced over to pick him up.

In the 30-35 minutes that took me, they had taken him on a buggy ride, which calmed him a little, and taken him outside to play, which he loves. Now we are at home together and he is eating, drinking, and happy.

We are still going to the 1:00 doctors appt. since I made hem squeeze him in based only on what the daycare center reported. They will think I am some kind of crazy but we're off....

Grrrr....

2010-09-30T22:07:00.001-05:00

It is late, and I am tired, so I will give the short version...

I composed several posts this week and when I tried to post them, I found that Blogger is now blocked at work! Our new filter labels it "social networking"!

UGH! I'm not re-writing them from home!

Good night!

Ugh! and Wow!

2010-09-07T22:00:00.004-05:00

I am pretty careful not to discuss work on here too much. Lately, I can't think about much else... Work just seems to be over powering my life right now!

I have been back at school for a mere 2 weeks and I have never felt like this before....

In more important news....

Chase had the most wonderful birthday! I can't believe my final baby is one, walking, eating, using sippy cups, working on words.... He doesn't really cuddle any more. He does give vampire kisses! (He goes in for a big sloppy baby kiss but then bites down with his newly found teeth!) He thinks this is VERY funny! Such an amazing little boy... so different than his brother and sister. He's bigger than they were, blond instead of red headed, prone to ear infections, and FAR more curious. We never had to secure the cabinets and drawers for the big kids, one or two warnings and they just left things alone. Chase heads straight for the pantry or the pots and pans and just looks at us with this little face that says.... are you going to come and get me! HA! I'm opening the cabinets now!!!!!! He's a challenge, and an adventure, and a treasure!

Don't blink!

2010-07-16T19:48:00.002-05:00

Or things will change! Since last post;

- Chase walks EVERY minute he can... loves it! (FYI- he also climbs stairs faster than anyone else in the family!)

- Our computer crashed! Dead... something, something, motherboard, blah, blah... but the hard drive "appears" fine and 5 years of documents/pictures can be restored to new computer for a mere $100!

- Bought new computer... LOVE IT! Apple MacBook Pro... more expensive but we use these at school too so we know people who can fix it or help us when we screw it up!

- Been having a great summer... I can't believe July is half over and the new school year is actually closer than the old one. Ick... and OK too.

Still kickin...

2010-07-02T22:09:00.002-05:00

After nearly a month, I feel obliged to tell you that I am in fact- still alive!

For a couple of you who have had the misfortune to know me in real life and/or have been following for a while realize that when summer hits, I don't blog much. It's not that I am more or less busy.... or have less to say, merely that I am lazy and that this doesn't provide the relief it seems to give me during the school year.

During the June hiatus:
- Brianna turned 7 and finished 1st grade. Be still my heart, my baby is not a baby!
- Chase has decided his favorite thing in the world is to stand up. Not quite walk yet but we are helping him in that direction.
- Grant has not taken to the "relaxed pace" of summer very well. We're learning that he does best with a schedule and the free-style of some of our summer days results in tantrums, pouting, and hitting. He's 4.... what can you do when he's tantruming one minute and ridiculously adorable the next. I love him like crazy, that's what!
- I have taken on working out as my summer "job". I have set goals, am actively working toward them, and seeing progress. I am even consulting with a personal trainer/friend who is helping me out.

In less happy news I feel at a loss some days. Perhaps if I were 4 I could have a tantrum and get over it quickly. Sadly, I am more than 8x4 and the tantrum can be thrown but it just doesn't seem to work anymore. I love summer and relaxing but find that I am missing my schedule and my social contacts at work. Other days I want nothing more than to be alone and suddenly find that I can't seem to get away from the 3 children and husband who is also home all summer!

My balance is gone. Some days it seems to have taken my sanity with it. Other days I think I was never sane but was too busy to notice. Now I notice.

I am old!

2010-06-08T08:52:00.000-05:00

Last week at school, I showed the kids a movie called, "A Kid in King Arthur's Court". It is a great Disney flick and goes VERY well with our last topic of the year, the Middle Ages. I love that it is an entertaining fiction film but also close to historically accurate in the areas of clothing, homes, foods, customs, entertainment.

It is a little cheesy as it gets older, it was released in 1995. While I associate with so many of the jokes and background props, it is starting to get dated for my students.

Some of them had never seen a personal CD player/Walkman and REALLY didn't understand why it has a little red laser/light inside it.
These kids didn't recognize a Swiss-army knife.
They didn't laugh at the "valley-speak" language when the main character tries to explain that "bad" and "cool"mean good.
They kids have no idea why the main character explains something as a "Kill you for your Reebok's street life".

I wasn't a little kid when this movie was new, I was in college for Pete's sake! But I get it, and apparently that makes me old!

Surprising but True!

2010-06-04T08:35:00.000-05:00

The voices in cartoons are sometimes so familiar to me! So I looked a few up...

- The lead sheep in "Jakers, The Adventures of Piggly Winks!".... Mel Brooks!
- Bob, in "Bob the Builder"... Greg Proops (also of "Whose Line?")
- Handy Manny.... Wilmer Valderrama
- Mermaid Man in "Sponge Bob"... Ernest Borgnine!
- Barnacle Boy in "Sponge Bob"... Tim Conway!
- Thomas the Tank Engine has been narrated by the likes of... Alec Baldwin, Ringo Star, and George Carlin

Anyone know of any more????
and is it strange that I think this is cool?

The bell of truth...

2010-06-03T09:34:00.000-05:00

You know your a mom, and it's not funny anymore, if....

- You've sat in the bathroom to read/snack/rest/think not because you have to "go" but just because you can be alone!

- You hide the expensive or best tasting snacks at the back of the cabinet where the little eyes can't see them and ask for them.

- You say, "Yes, we're there." even though your not... just to get 2 minutes of stunned silence from the back seat.

- You can sing every episode/song of one of these: Dora, The Wiggles, Blues Clues, The Backyardigans, The Wonder Pets.

- You know the complete line-up and schedule of either Sprout, Nick Jr, or your local On Demand options.

- You have wasted precious alone minutes looking up the actor who does the voices on a cartoon because, Darn, that voice is SO familiar! (more on this tomorrow!)

.... Or is this just me?

It goes by so fast...

2010-06-02T08:27:00.002-05:00

I was cleaning out some shelves at school, shelves I haven't used in about a year. I found a scrap of paper on which I'd written some of the important milestones of my children. It was written long before Chase was a glimmer of hope in my heart. I am amazed by some of the similarities and differences...

First Tooth:
Brianna- 10 mo.
Grant- 11 mo.
Chase 8 mo.

Out of the Infant/portable Car Seat:
B- 18 mo (such a tiny peanut!)
G- 9 mo
C- 9 mo

Forward Facing in the car:
B- 18 mo (still wasn't 20 lbs but I gave up!)
G- 12 mo
C- not yet- probably at 12 mo

Running:
B- 10 mo
G- 15 mo
C- we'll see!

First huge goose egg on head!:
B- 10 mo (see also running... in the driveway!)
G- 15 mo
C- a first I'm glad not to have seen yet!

Children are such an adventure!

It's all about Grant!

2010-06-01T10:26:00.003-05:00

Many moons ago, another blogger I read did an "interview" with her kids. I wish I remembered who and I would give her credit! I found a similar list of questions and interviewed Grant... The responses are his verbatim! (I couldn't help but add some of my thoughts.)

1. What is something Mommy always says to you?
G- No! (So true, so true.)

2. What makes Mommy happy?
G- A kiss (Always!)

3. What makes Mommy sad?
G- I don't know

4. How does Mommy make you laugh?
G- by making silly faces

5. What was Mommy like as a child?
G- I don't know (He's usually more creative...)

6. How old is Mommy?
G- 43 (for the record, he got one number right but not the important one!)

7. How tall is Mommy?
G- Huge! (Thanks G! I think you might be confusing tall and wide!)

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?
G- I don't know... go on the computer? (What an observant little stinker!)

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around?
G- Eat candy! (More than I should...)

10. If Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?
G- Being cute (Awwww...)

11. What is Mommy really good at?
G- Cooking dinner... (funny, he never wants to eat it!)

12. What is Mommy not very good at?
G- playing a game (That's it little man! No more letting you win!)

13. What does Mommy do for her job?
G- be a school person

14. What is Mommy's favorite food?
G- Mac & Cheese (Geez Grant, I haven't had that in years! Where did you pull that from?)

15. What makes you proud of Mommy?
G- I love you so much! (Thanks honey-bunch!)

16. If Mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?
G- Sponge Bob! (Huh??????)

17. What do you and Mommy do together?
G- Go on trips (Does the grocery store count?)

18. How are you and Mommy the same?
G- We're both wearing blue clothes! (HA- to be 4 again!)

19. How are you and Mommy different?
G- I don't have white stuff on my feet! (Way to point out that Mom needs a pedicure, Thanks G!)

20. How do you know Mommy loves you?
G- I don't know (Sad mommy...)

21. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go?
G- Kids club! (That one was WAY out of left field since this is what we call the daycare at the health club!!!!)

TOO Much! HA!
I will try this with Brianna soon and see what I get...

Endless cycle

2010-05-29T08:17:00.000-05:00

Am I more emotional because I am having a bad day or is it a bad day because I'm feeling more emotional?

Am I "the responsible one" or the "stick-in-the-mud"?

When is the right time to force the issue and when is it time to let it be?

Does anyone know where I can buy a "Chill Pill" ?

Life Lesson# 45893

2010-05-28T07:21:00.000-05:00

Always check your child's homework before it gets to school!
(What follows is a clever email I received this week.)

When asked to draw a picture of what they wanted to be when they grew up, second-grader "Sarah" turned in the lovely drawing shown below. Needless to say, the teacher was a bit surprised -- Mrs. Smith had always seemed like such a conservative woman. So she sent a note home to the girl's mother asking for clarification as to the picture's meaning. (read Mom's reply below the picture)
(Here's the reply the teacher received the following day)
Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I eve r been , an exotic dancer.
I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember t o check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

A 9 month old moose!

2010-05-27T09:15:00.003-05:00

When Chase was born he was a tiny baby who needed so much. Somehow I blinked and now he's nine months old! He's 19.2 lbs and 28 inches long. In our family history, that's really big!

He crawls, fast. He will shovel Cheerios in his mouth for hours if you let him. He tolerates baby food but prefers anything he can feed himself. He talks to himself often and likes to pull himself up on furniture to see what everyone else is doing. He LOVES snuggling into my neck and giving big open mouth kisses while pulling my hair to get as close as he can. He has figured out that mommy can't resist him if he puts his arms up, whine's a little, and gives me puppy dog eyes. Thank goodness he started sleeping through the night and now sleeps for 10-12 hours at night.

He is still my precious little baby even as I see him turning into a little boy right in front of my eyes!

Sometimes simply surviving is enough

2010-05-26T13:45:00.003-05:00

Like when my son repeats "Mommy, I'm cold" over and over for 30 minutes in the grocery store.

Or when I don't sleep well because of all the things going on in my life but then still manage to forget the 2 things I stayed awake all night trying to remember.

Or when I take 90 12-year-olds outside for "field day" and play games for 4 hours on a hot, humid, 80 degree day.

Or when other people at work make my life more complicated by flat out refusing to go with the flow, even when they are the minority and are outvoted 28-4, and the administration supports them by demanding consensus instead of majority rule.

... and when all those things happen in less than 24 hours. You just breathe and know that it could be worse...

Summer- go away for just 10 more days please!

2010-05-24T10:25:00.003-05:00

Typically, my school is air conditioned to the point of chill. I have the option to keep my classroom as low as 67 degrees. So- today I dressed in full length khaki's and a 3/4 sleeve summer cardigan with a cami underneath. It is well over 80 outside but I always dress for the "work weather" vs. the outside weather.

Today, the air broke and I am stuck in a classroom that is 81 degrees with 25 smelly 12 year olds and no ability to take off my cardigan since my cami is not acceptable with out it...

I'm MELTING! Send Ice Cubes!

It's for the best

2010-05-20T08:26:00.000-05:00

We broke off our long term relationship. I just can't stand around anymore. It's not healthy for me... sure it's what I thought I wanted but I need to put better things first. I've done a good job staying away for nearly 2 weeks now. It's hard sometimes, I just want to go back to what I know, what's comfortable. I can't, I won't.

Vending Machine, we're through. Quit looking at me like that. I know your jealous of the water machine and sometimes it's hard to push his buttons with you standing so close. You'll find someone else... Good Bye.

6 going on 17

2010-05-19T09:07:00.003-05:00

Brianna HATES talking on the phone! Even to mommy, daddy or Grandma...she will only talk if the phone is on speaker phone. We apparently found an exception to the rule!

Last week, Brianna got a phone call from A BOY! One of her little friends from school called to talk about a computer game/website he likes and she talked to him for a couple minutes. I of course listened to her side of the "conversation" but it was a lot of ... yes, uh huh, yes, mom, can I go on the computer, nah, yes, bye!

When I asked her about it later, she said she wanted him to be her boyfriend because he was funny. Considering sense of humor is one of the reasons I married the perfect man, I had some scary flash backs at that moment. At least she has good taste!

I thought we would have a few more years before I was thinking about boys calling!
Yikes! ;-)

I am here!

2010-05-17T14:39:00.001-05:00

and alive, and all is fine... and things have just been busy y'all!

And I have work to do, but instead am going home to...
BE ALONE!

For the next hour there is no one at my house who will need things, expect things, interrupt things... Gotta go, must maximize whole hour!

BYE!

Happy Mothers Day!

2010-05-09T07:55:00.003-05:00

I recieved this via email this week and it made me laugh!

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES
Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks.

Each kid will play two sports and take either music or dance classes.

There is no fast food

Each man must take care of his 3 kids;
keep his assigned house clean,
correct all homework,
complete science projects,
cook,
do laundry,
and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money.

In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week.

Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time--no emailing.

Each man must also take each child
to a doctor's appointment,
a dentist appointment
and a haircut appointment.

He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.

He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside, and keeping it presentable at all times.

The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.

The men must shave their legs,
wear makeup daily,
adorn themselves with jewelry,
wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes,
keep fingernails polished,
and eyebrows groomed

During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, headaches, have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.

They must attend weekly school meetings and church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.

They will need to read a book to the kids each night and in the morning,
feed them,
dress them,
brush their teeth and
comb their hair
by 7:00 am.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information:
each child's birthday,
height, weight,
shoe size, clothes size,
doctor's name,
the child's weight at birth,
length, time of birth,
and length of labor,
each child's favorite color,
middle name,
favorite snack,
favorite song,
favorite drink,
favorite toy,
biggest fear,
and what they want to be when they grow up

The kids vote them off the island based on performance.

The last man wins only if...
he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice..

If the last man does win,
he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years,
eventually earning the right to be called Mother!

After you get done laughing,
send this to as many females as you think will get a kick out of it and
as many men as you think can handle it.
Just don't send it back to me....
I'm going to bed

Gossip- you know you do it too!

2010-05-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

Here is the question pondering in my mind today....
You hear a good piece of "unsubstantiated information" and know that other people would be very interested in hearing it... When is it ok to tell? Who can you tell? Do you do/say anything to make sure everyone knows it's not proven yet?

I heard a GOOD one this week... from a co-worker, who heard it from a friend "in the know". It was about one of our bosses leaving. This co-worker, she was telling multiple people at the same time, making no effort to stem the conversation.

If it was first heard from a supposedly reliable source, and the second person is telling multiple people, I figure it was ok to be the third person?!?!

I know, gossip is bad, blah, blah, blah... for the record, I only told 2 people and made it very clear that this was gossip, pure unproven speculation. One of those 2 is going to the boss to ask if it is true, she has that kind of relationship with him/her. I'm curious to see if she passes any actual FACT back to me. That I will keep to myself. She's the kind of friend who would tell ONLY me and I can want to be worthy of her trust. I do have standards!

UPDATE: This post was started on Wednesday and never posted. Since then, the boss has announced that he was offered a position in a different school and is leaving.

Geez... I don't know!

2010-05-06T12:46:00.003-05:00

How did it get to be a week between blog posts?
You know... nothing happens, stuff happens, life happens.
I meant to post about...

- the day I was running late, hit every red light, AND the schmuck in front of me let 3 cars in front of him.

- the way I love when I can tell the person in the car next to me is listening to the same radio station because they are singing/drumming/dancing to the same beat as me.

- Chase is REALLY crawling now and has progressed to the slowly following us from room to room and getting frustrated that the big kids are faster than him.

- Brianna has the attitude and voice of a 14 year old! Seriously, her teen years may just kill me!

- Grant is, Grant. He is funny and vocal and still throws tantrum but they are usually about lack of candy. 4 is a great age!

- work is..... there? Whatever, 21 more days of this school year and then the "freedom" of summer in which I send my kids to camp occasionally just so I can have moments of silence.

Life- blog worthy or not, it happens.

UGH!

2010-04-29T08:16:00.004-05:00

Can I please go back to bed now? I know it is only 8:15 am but I have had enough of this day already.

- Chase got up at 5:00 to eat. He only does this once in a while anymore. Most days he sleeps until I wake him at 6:30 and doesn't eat anything until 7:30/8:00.
- Thought I wouldn't fall back asleep so I turned off my alarm. (What a dummy!) Of course then I DID fall back asleep and ended up getting up at Adam's alarm which makes me officially late for the day.
- Did all the usual mom-morning things... got self ready, got Bri up and going, got Chase back up and dressed and medicined, got breakfast for Bri, packed my bag, packed Bri's bag, made lunch and snack for her, put own shoes on, Finally got around to putting Bri's shoes on her... (Yes, I know she's almost 7 and CAN do this on her own but that would take 5x as long!)
- Brianna, who still hasn't finished her breakfast, looked right in my eyes and said, "Are you ready for my shoes, What took you so long?"

People- I almost lost it right there. I have never considered slapping my child before but some little part of my hand itched in that moment. I had to walk away. We were already 5 minutes late but I had to go to another room and chill for a couple minutes before I could look at her little face. Thank God I have a wonderful husband who was dealing with the boys at the time. Although he wasn't nearly as helpful when I came out and Mr. I-think-I'm-soooo-funny said "You wanted to have kids!"

By the time I got to school I was more than 15 minutes late, my students were waiting for me, and of COURSE my principal happened to be hanging out in the hall I had to pass through. My lesson isn't long enough, I gained back the 2lbs I lost last week, and my throat hurts.

Calgon, Take me away!

Deluding myself as usual

2010-04-26T12:56:00.003-05:00

What a nice quiet weekend!

My parents and sister took the big kids from Saturday lunch to Sunday lunch so Adam and I were left with just little Chaser!

We cleaned, we napped, we grocery shopped without someone pulling on our hand or running away every 3 seconds.

Very quiet... nothing big... no one started crawling or anything!
(I refuse to believe that he did and therefore it is true!)
(YIKES! Where did my baby go?)
(and where did the baby gates get stored?)

My little darling

2010-04-23T10:15:00.004-05:00

Chase,

You are going to be 8 months old tomorrow. It amazes me all the things you do and how fast the time has gone. You would think, since your our third, that I would be used to the growth rate of babies and no longer be amazed. That couldn't be more wrong.

You roll yourself everywhere! You would really like to crawl but haven't quite figured that one out. However, you have figured how to get from your belly back up to sitting on your butt. From there, you throw yourself in whatever direction you'd like to go, roll a bit, and sit back up. You can move yourself a good foot that way. Do it over and over, you get to every little piece of paper, every sticker, every not-safe-for-children-under-3 toy we own.

You are so happy! It still amazes us that you just seem to go with the flow most of the time. That is, unless dinner is a minute late, then you become a crying pile of mush. You love Cheerios and fruit. You HATE veggies, we have to trick you into eating those. We will start meat dinners this weekend. I was going to start them earlier this week but we had to wait due to another first.

Your first ear infection, and therefore your first amoxicillin. Actually, this is the first ear infection our family has ever had. Brianna and Grant never, ever, had one. I was amazed when the doctor told me that was the problem. Even he didn't believe me when I said we'd never had one before. :-)

You are a great kid but you are different from the big kids. From the first moments of pregnancy, you just did different things. I don't know if it's because you are the third, or if I am different in how I deal with you. I wonder daily if you will continue to be different as you grow or if you will start to resemble the big kids more.

Every day is an adventure and I'm so glad your here!
Love,
Mommy

little things

2010-04-22T22:25:00.001-05:00

There is still time to vote! I won't win but I like seeing my numbers go up!

I'm posting here about the honesty of my 4 year old. Yikes!

Bueller, Bueller?

2010-04-15T13:31:00.002-05:00

Is anyone out there?
I know I have a whole 3-5 readers everyday! :-)

Why am I the only one voting for me?????

I like strange music

2010-04-14T12:40:00.004-05:00

For reasons I decided not to explain*, I have been listening to a lot of Musicals/Show tunes today. I thought I wouldn't like it when I had to, but I actually like a LOT of show tunes! What does that say about me?

Given the free time now, I am listening to High School Musical 2, because I WANT to! I'm also downloading the complete soundtracks to Oklahoma, Annie, Sound of Music, Grease, and others. Later I think I'll find and download the other two HSM soundtracks.

Oddly enough, these cheesy songs from plays/movies with ridiculous stories are making me calmer and happier... something I really needed today. What music do you listen to that might surprise us?

*Has to do with a project I'm working on with the kids at school.... LONG story, you don't care.

Don't forget to VOTE FOR ME everyday!

Vote Early, Vote Often!

2010-04-13T10:27:00.003-05:00

I completed an interview at Blog Interviewer!
See it HERE!

You can vote for me daily!
Look for the little "Vote Now" button near the top! On my computer, it is mixed in with the ad's at the top....

Thanks!
And welcome to any who've come here from the interview... I'm excited to have you here!

Hooked on a Feeling....

2010-04-12T12:55:00.002-05:00

Oh, the productivity!!! Can you get high from productivity? Can you get addicted?

Last week, I had no choice but to get stuff done! Have to keep up with those new projects I took on and since one of them involves my daily lesson's for my students- no choice there! Felt good though, and a couple people complimented me on the speed at which I responded to their emails/requests! (Man, I must have been REALLY off in March!)

On Saturday- a lovely day in Chicago at the Start Early Run with the family! (Pictures to come) We walked, we talked, we relaxed, I got in WELL over my 10,000 steps for the day- Felt good!

Sunday, we slept in a bit and went out to breakfast. We had talked about taking the kids and hitting the gym but I felt like cleaning! If you know me and your heart just stopped, I'll wait for you to catch up! I cleaned all day Sunday. It felt SO good! I threw away 2 bags worth of crap, I pulled everything out of the boys dressers/closets and boxed up what didn't fit anymore. Some is ready to be donated, some is in storage for Chase. (Brianna's stuff got partially done and will need to be finished this weekend.) I did 7 loads of laundry. I don't even know what I did but somehow I got over 8000 steps not even leaving my house! (I sort of love the pedometer on my phone!)

Monday is here and I am still feeling the good vibes! Taught 4 good lessons, ready to grade papers and keep planning! Hitting the grocery store tonight for low-cal foods, fruits, veggies. Not going to cook tonight though... let's not get crazy! :-)

Easter 2010

2010-04-09T13:58:00.006-05:00

First, the Easter Bunny came bringing stereotypical gender fun!

Later, we got dressed up and had an egg hunt in GG's yard!
Grant ran around seriously looking for eggs!

Brianna could not be bothered with her adorable headband due to the serious competitive streak!

Cooperation was often achieved too!

At the end, everyone had more eggs then they had basket space!

Chase stayed safely out of the way in the arms of Aunt Jamie with and blew raspberries at Grandpa Phil.

After the festivities were over, Silly mommy insisted on a picture with GG... clearly Grant was pleased over this interruption into the candy eating time!

Bits and Pieces

2010-04-07T09:33:00.005-05:00

AT WORK things have really relaxed and my work load dropped significantly... SO I decided to take on 2 new projects! Yaha... I'm an idiot!

CHASE is either teething or starting separation anxiety. Either way, my gentle little, go with the flow guy, is cranky! But it's odd- he's fine as I leave the room, if he sees me come back he melts down! Its like he didn't really realize I was gone until he sees me enter the room.

GRANT is so aware of the things around him. It's like I can see his little brain growing everyday. He asks what words mean and why things work and a zillion other thoughtful questions. Then 5 minutes later he throws a temper tantrum because he can't have exactly what he wants, exactly when/where he wants it, and I know my baby is still in the big boy shell.

BRIANNA is 6 going on 17. She has friend issues and emotional breakdowns and wants to wear dresses/skirts everyday. Except that she's still a kid because the friend issues are short lived, the emotional breakdowns can still be healed with hugs, and the clothes never match the shoes.

ME... well, I blogged about weight over at Changing our Weighs. I desperately need to clean my house and organize things... probably should have done that over spring break instead of sitting on my hiney... but my hiney and I had a nice relaxing time.

ADAM- who cares about him! It's all about me, right? :-)

Heaven help me!

2010-04-05T08:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Easter. (Happy Easter to all of you who celebrate it!)

We drove up to my grandma's house to meet up with the whole family for a nice lunch. It was wonderful to see everyone, especially my spit-fire grandma who will be 97 this June!

On the way up in the car, we were listening to the radio ( country as usual!) and the kids wanted to know the title to every. single. song.... !!! But that is not the point right now. The song "God Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts came on. I LOVE Rascal Flatts and (after giving the title) starting singing lightly and off key as a usually do. I was interrupted by a thoughtful Grant who asked, "What does Bless mean mommy?" On Easter of all days, that question brought me to tears.
-----------------------------------------------------
You need to know about me... I was raised Protestant Christan but always questioned my own faith and the beliefs of the church. As a teacher of ancient history and religion, I find my questions even greater as an adult. To complicate matters further, my husband was raised Jewish. Although his family doesn't really practice their faith on a regular basis, his parents especially still have strong ties to the faith.

To this date, I have done nothing in the way of religious education for my children. We celebrate various holidays of both faiths with the appropriate family. We go to church at Christmas. We've talked about God and how he created all things. We've explained to the kids that our family who've died have gone to heaven.

I won't choose any faith that tells the children that other faiths are wrong. That biased view not only alienates part of our family but goes against one of the beliefs I feel strongly about. I also don't want to give up my Sunday mornings but I suppose I might have to bite that bullet. I have found a local Unitarian Church that seems to fit our needs but it's a bit loose even for me. Although I don't know if I have another option.
-----------------------------------------------------------
So back to the point...
My 4 year old brought me to tears because he didn't know what Bless meant! And I couldn't explain it to him. I felt like the most awful mother in that moment. I want my children to have the freedom to question faith but first they need to know about it. I only hope its not too late, and I hope that the Sunday school teachers don't think I am awful when my kids finally do start religious education and know nothing! Oh the questions that will bring up...

It was totally for him...

2010-04-01T17:09:00.002-05:00

Today, I took Grant on a play date to one of his best friend's house. There were 3 other little friends there and he had a BLAST!

Happy side benefits:
- Adult conversation with people who I like and have things in common with.
- People with whom I can gossip a bit.
- Nice people who admire the baby and tell me how cute he is.
- Fun for all!

Lets be honest, I have a great kid in Grant and I'm glad people want him to be friends with their kids...But I'm most happy that they want me to tag along! I think kids were invented to help adults socialize!

9 days of Freedom

2010-03-26T11:07:00.002-05:00

AH, the light at the end of a horrible, no good, awful month! Spring Break has arrived!
At 1:30 today I am going drinking with my friends to celebrate. I will stumble home around 4:30 to have dinner with the most adorable 3 children on the planet and one very supportive husband.

Then... nothing.... for 9 days!

Well, nothing that requires too much work. We have a play date on Thursday and are visiting Grandma in the big city on Friday. I plan on buying the kids some spring/summer clothes, buying myself some clothes and shoes, sleeping in as much as the kids let me, it sounds like paradise!

(how do I type an extended sigh?)

2010-03-18T12:13:00.004-05:00

I am being attacked at work. I can't really say much but I am being personally and professionally attacked.

This is my 10th year teaching. I've dealt with difficulties before. I've dealt with lots of things... This is a new area and I don't like it at all.

I am not happy.

Interrupting the silence

2010-03-08T08:09:00.002-06:00

I suppose I should explain why I've been away so long... except that most of you who read this actually know me and probably weren't surprised... but for prosperity...

I'm still working on this list, minus a few things but plus a few more things!
I had my gallbladder out... as discussed here. That went fine but necessitated several days of sitting slightly reclined as to not anger incisions... which meant no sitting up at computer.
This baby, who I really need more pictures of, turned 6 months old!! He's an amazing little man and we are so blessed to have him. He hates cereal but if you hide it in the baby food, he doesn't mind that. He loves eating little bits of bread but isn't a huge fan of Cheerios. He like the baby puff things but can't quite get them in his mouth with out some help. He is technically sleeping through the night since he goes 7-8 hours without food but when your last meal is around 7:30pm- that still means mommy or daddy is up between 2-4 to feed him again. We are looking forward to when we can make it 5am! Hear me Chaser... 5am?!?
We bought this mini-van. OK- not that exact one but it looks like that if you add some salt/dirt and a tiny scratch on the passenger mirror that I got the first time I pulled it in to the garage.

I suppose in reality, each of those could be their own series of posts but I don't have time. By the end of this month, my work will let up and I hope to be back far more often... posting the usual drivel that no one really needs to know! All my best in the meantime-- Jo

Of course I had better things to do!

2010-02-25T14:29:00.001-06:00

But this was more fun....

Yes, somewhere under all that, is my actual face!

Dear Mother Nature,

2010-02-22T12:21:00.002-06:00

I thought this dumb snow was supposed to end by 10am! Don't you know yet... if it's going to snow hard, it has to be between 1 and 5 am. Dump all the snow on us as fast as possible so that school is cancelled! Then clear up by mid-morning so I can go have some fun with the kids!

This snow is falling while I'm at work, with ruins all the fun and makes my new shiny car look dirty! UNACCEPTABLE!

Sincerely,
The crazy lady with the beautiful new van!
(pictures to come)

9 months is enough!

2010-02-12T12:19:00.002-06:00

When we decided to have a third baby, I knew that meant full nights of sleep were not going to be an option for a while. Starting with the last 2-3 months of the pregnancy- no sleep then due to comfort issues and need to pee! Then the baby is born and he needs feeding a couple times a night. Eventually that tapers off to once a night. And then, the child is supposed to grow enough to sleep through the night.

Opinions differ on when that glorious regular sleep pattern will occur. Maybe when he doubles his birth weight. Maybe when he is eating solid foods on a regular basis. Maybe when he stops napping so much during the day.

Check. CHECK. CHECK!

Why won't he sleep through the night????? He teased me with full nights of sleep around 2 months old but around 3 months old he started getting up again. No problem, I thought! I can handle this! Really, it's only once a night- he drinks his bottle and goes right back to sleep most of the time- I can do this.

I'm done! I don't want to do it anymore! He will be 6 months old soon and I want to sleep through the night! We have tried everything we could think of.... upping the amount he drinks during daytime feedings... waking him to feed him right before I go to bed... adding cereal to the bottle for more calories...

Still- up- every night-
Help me someone please!

Things that should have been done by now....

2010-02-10T08:06:00.002-06:00

but just aren't:

90 research papers graded
90 worksheets graded
90 posters graded
180 assignments recorded
90 maps started
copies for tomorrow made
test for next week finalized and sent to print
baby book updated
hair cut and colored
blog updated

At least I can now cross one off the list! I guess I better get my substantial tush in gear!

My darling...

2010-02-06T10:22:00.001-06:00

Adam, My dearest, who left me at home last night with the 3 children so you could go play poker, and then needed to sleep in this morning because you were up so late... please do not volunteer to start the laundry, to give me a break, if you DO NOT KNOW HOW! Somehow my "break" is less than effective if I am constantly answering your questions about what goes in, what setting to put it on, and which is the detergent now that I've switched brands!

A special smile!

2010-02-02T10:34:00.000-06:00

Written Friday, Jan. 15 and found in my drafts...

This week, Brianna is very focused on losing her first baby tooth! Her 2 front, bottom, teeth are quite loose and the adult teeth are already visible behind them. Wednesday, she came home from school and informed me that her friend said that if I used a washcloth and pulled on her tooth it would come out. (Why does EVERY comment lately start with "My friend said..."?) We tried to no avail. I must admit I wasn't pulling very hard. She has her regularly scheduled dentist appt on Monday so hopefully they will take care of it!

And now...

The dentist wouldn't pull it for us- with good reason. They said that if they start pulling teeth, the kids learn to rely on that and expect it for every tooth. Instead, she showed Brianna how to wiggle her tooth in different ways and gave her "homework" to wiggle the tooth after brushing her teeth 2x a day!

A few days later- It worked! The tooth finally came out after working on it for over 5 weeks.

The Tooth Fairy made her first nocturnal visit to our house Friday, January 29th! She brought Brianna a coloring page with a tiny little note in the corner, and left a $2 bill as well. Brianna was thrilled!

There are no excuses for me!

2010-02-02T10:16:00.002-06:00

Obviously, I've missed a few days blogging lately. I honestly can't tell you what I've been doing.

It wasn't grading papers- I still have TONS of those to grade.
It wasn't cleaning- My classroom and house both look like a clutter volcano erupted!
I guess I did something.... clearly something memorable...

Today I'm blogging over at Changing our Weighs and answering stupid questions at school. Yes- there is such a thing as a stupid question- someone just asked me if the mountains should be placed on the land!

Maybe I'll be back tomorrow.

A Wild and Crazy Guy!

2010-01-27T10:25:00.003-06:00

Grant is, at best, goofy. Someday, some teacher will tell me that he is the class clown and does things to make his friends laugh. If you've met his father, this won't come as a surprise.

Monday Night, he topped himself.

On a normal night, we put the kids to bed around 8 and after the routine is done, we're back downstairs by 8:30ish. Somewhere through the years, we've stopped going back up to check on them. They are good kids; they stay in their beds...even if they need something from us, they yell from their bed instead of getting out to come find us.

Monday was no different. Kids in bed by 8, adults watching TV and on computer by 8:30. Around 10:15 we stumbled upstairs to bed for ourselves. Here is where Monday took a detour!

Who do I find laying in my bed, eating my midnight snack? Grant!
We are still not sure if he had fallen asleep and got up thinking it was morning, or if he was just feeling mischievous. He certainly had been up for a while. He had:
- played in the tub (without water) as evidenced by the tub toys all lined up on the bottom of the tub
- Attempted to turn on the TV- he'd dragged in the step stool and left it sitting there. (He later reported that he wanted to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse- thus maybe thinking it was morning?)
- He was eating the dry cereal I keep by my bed (in case I get hungry when up feeding Chase in the middle of the night). He'd made quite a dent in that!
- Several of his favorite stuffed animals were all lined up on the bed resting with him...enough animals that he must have made several trips!

We could barely contain the laughter as we put all the pieces together! What a stinker.
When I asked him why he was in our room he said he'd "snuck in like a burglar".
When I wondered aloud how long he'd been there, he smugly announced "just 10 hours".

Silly man! I guess we'll have to go back to checking for a while, but I'll be checking with a smile!

Phoning it in...

2010-01-26T07:48:00.003-06:00

Chase is still sickish but I am at work. There is nothing I can do to help him and they will call me if they really need me right...

I'm a bit tired from the whole sick baby-up all night- must be held thing... and I've exhausted myself with truth over at Changing our Weighs.

Tomorrow- a confusing and funny story about Grant. Today, hopefully a nap later.

I made it through the day!

2010-01-25T14:43:00.002-06:00

Today, I was the stereotypical working mom who everyone doesn't want to be...

I sent my sick kids to school! I know, I shouldn't but it really couldn't be helped. (Daddy couldn't stay home either since he had been subpoenaed as a witness for court and Grandma was unavailable too.)

Chase has had a cold for almost a week and although it is winding down, he's still coughing. Sometimes the coughing triggers gagging and the gagging triggers vomit. I spent all day working as fast as I could just *knowing* that the call would come any minute... "Chase's mom, you have to come pick him up now..." But it didn't come.

Brianna was up until nearly 11:00 last night because she "just couldn't keep her eyes closed". I know- weird! But I think it had something to do with her cough, and her persistent fear of throwing up. She wouldn't admit it, but I'm sure she was laying there stressing over every little throat/stomach tickle.

If anyone is sick tomorrow, I can be a good mommy and stay home. SO- Murphy's law of parenting states that everyone will start improving tonight and be fine tomorrow.

Because thinking hurts my brain

2010-01-20T14:29:00.004-06:00

Grant showing off a new sweatshirt!

The kids first "driving" lesson!

Brianna LOVES holding "baby Chase".

Cutie girl...

Big kids by the Christmas Tree.

Out of her mind!

2010-01-19T12:38:00.001-06:00

Hello,

Jo is out of her mind today. She will be blogging over at Changing our Weighs. If you'd like to leave a message, please wait for the beep.

BEEEEEEPPPPPPPPP

From the mouths of babes!

2010-01-15T08:19:00.004-06:00

Brianna doesn't really say funny things too often anymore but she definitely does funny things-

She has noticed that sometimes when I mix a bottle for the baby, after I've given it a good long shake, I hold it up above my head and stare at the bottom of the bottle. She has started doing this when she "feeds" her babies. It so cute how she mimics me. She walks around the house, bouncing the baby gently in one hand while shaking the bottle with the other. Finally, she lifts the bottle, stares at it, and finally pronounces it ready.

She's been doing this for several weeks and it never fails to make me smile. This week, I couldn't help but laugh with she finally asked me WHY I do that! :-) Sadly, now that she knows why, it doesn't seem as interesting to her anymore.

Grant is SUCH a character! When I picked him up from school Tuesday, his teacher couldn't wait to tell me this one-

While doing their "stations" that morning in preschool, the teachers had some music playing. They do that everyday... On this day, Ms. Mary had picked the latest album by Taylor Swift. Grant likes Taylor Swift, we listen to country on a regular basis in our house. Apparently, at one point, he just stopped coloring, looked up at his teacher, and said, "What's the big deal about being 15? I don't get it." Ms. Kim and Ms. Mary couldn't help themselves, they said they were crying from laughing so hard. Of course, with a reaction like that, now he repeats his famous statement every time the song comes on.

Chase... well, Chase doesn't say much of anything yet. But he laughs a lot! Especially when Brianna plays full body peekaboo with him. This basically means that Chase sits in someones lap on the couch, Brianna squats down in front of the couch so that she is almost out of site, and then pops up and says Peek-a-boo in a style slightly reminiscent of Molly Shannon's SNL- "Superstar!" character. Oh, the hysteria!!!! .... I should work on getting that one on video...

American Idol: Pants On The Ground

2010-01-14T13:43:00.002-06:00

TOO, Too funny! Made my day....

The teacher side of me is screaming AMEN!

i-Tunes, Take me Away!

2010-01-13T13:05:00.002-06:00

In an effort to escape to a happy place in the middle of the day... I turned on my i-Tunes and let it pick some songs for me.

The first 5 to show up were:
Spice Up Your Live- The Spice Girls
Speed of Life- Sugarland
The Right Kind of Wrong- LeAnn Rimes
Crazy Dreams- Carrie Underwood
Goodbye Earl- The Dixie Chicks

Other than the obvious pattern of country songs, I'm not sure what to think of these selections. Not bad at the concept of cheering me up, although the next few songs were all tear-jerkers!
Maybe some hidden message about my job or my life?

As usual, I'm probably over thinking things. :-)

Adventures in Accountability

2010-01-12T07:51:00.003-06:00

I have been thinking about (knowing I should) lose weight for quite some time. That time is NOW! Why?

I am done having children so there won't be any more pregnant feasting.
We have a family wedding in Mexico this July and I'd like to feel slightly more comfortable in shorts and a bathing suit.
I want to live longer for my children.
I'm tired of being 2 people. (2 x's on the tops, digits starting with 2 on the pants).

I am lucky (and cursed) to have my husband along with me on the journey this time but I thought I needed more accountability. SOOOO, I volunteered to be a contributor on a new blog~ Changing our Weighs. You can see what I'm thinking every Tuesday over there.

Just Because

2010-01-11T13:56:00.002-06:00

I feel my other blog entry for today was lame at best. Here are some pictures to help spice things up!

Chase at 4 months... he started "talking" that day and didn't stop for 2 weeks!

Chase on our faux-Christmas Morning. (Santa visited us a few days early so we could head on vacation).

Chase at my parents Christmas party/gathering. Every child MUST get a picture in this chair! :-)

The weekend of nothing!

2010-01-11T12:51:00.005-06:00

This weekend, I barely ventured out of the house, Heck!, I barely ventured out of my house clothes! (You know, the ones that are warmer and less revealing than your pajamas but that you wouldn't actually wear in public.)

Friday- our school district had a SNOW DAY! That most glorious of all unplanned days off that does not involve a sick person or an emergency. And better still- it really was a fine day. The snow ended by 8ish and the roads were clear by mid-morning. I think they were just being "safe". On that day- I threw on some jeans to hit the grocery store mid-afternoon. Who knew that would be the last time I got dressed all weekend!

Saturday and Sunday- I don't know what I did all day! Cleaned, did laundry, fussed around the house, kept the family fed, watched a lot of NCIS and NCIS, LA that I was behind on. I think it was the perfect weekend!

Busy Days

2010-01-06T12:39:00.002-06:00

Not that it is anything new, but I am unbelievably busy this week.

I am finishing up some committee projects this week while starting a new, HUGE, project with my students. And did I mention that I have a life, 3 kids, and a husband who expect things of me.

That being said, I have a new sticky note on my computer. It is my calming mantra for the new year....

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." -- Emerson

Bored, what's that?

2010-01-05T09:28:00.002-06:00

When we were kids, we used to complain to my mom that we were "bored". She really hated that! Of course that was before home computers and video games and DVD players... but still.

Every once in a while, my kids tell me they are bored... that they have nothing to do. I think I may kill them the next time I hear that!

After this Christmas/Hanukkah they have between them:

2 personal DVD players
A Nintendo DS
2 different Leapster/Leap pad reading systems
More computer games than they can play in a year
More movies than I've seen in a long time
TOYS coming out the yahoo!
Books, puzzles, games.
OUTSIDE! (When it's not freezing)

Besides all that, I think I am jealous. I would love to have the luxury of being bored. Without laundry, cleaning, cooking, diapers, children to entertain, work to do, papers to grade... to sit in silence and genuinely say I have nothing to do. HA!

Lists

2009-12-31T14:50:00.003-06:00

Things I brought on vacation that we didn't actually need:

Shorts
T-shirts
lots of light weight pajamas

Things I left at home but ended up needing hence many trips to Target:

Light weight coats
sweatshirts
hats/mittens
fleece sleepers for the baby

Fun things we did in Florida:

Hang out with the family
Drink
Japanese Steak House
Date Night at Universal Studios
Pedicures
Go-Kart Racing (who knew!)

Things that should have been fun, or were sort of fun, but were dampened by the dang crowds:

Universal Studios- Islands of Adventure
Disney World- Animal Kingdom
Disney World- Magic Kingdom (Which they actually CLOSED because it was FULL!)

Lessons learned:

Target is everywhere and it's more fun to buy new stuff anyway.
The cheaper entertainment that is less well known will be more fun than the big guys.
Alone time and couple time is priceless... Thanks Grandparents!
Family time is what really makes any vacation.

Va-Cay... here we come!

2009-12-21T17:55:00.003-06:00

The whole fam-damily is celebrating Christmas in Florida this year! We head out tomorrow, on my BIRTHDAY! And come back New Years Day...

SOOO many things still to do before we leave the house tomorrow afternoon...

One thing NOT left to do... Santa! Santa made a special stop at our house last night so we wouldn't have to ship much back and forth. The kids were adorable this morning taking turns opening presents and ooohing and ahhing over most stuff. The clothes were barely looked at while the big hits seemed to be the "Touch-n-brush" and the Snuggies. Who knew!

Now- on to marathon cleaning and laundry and packing...
We are on the plane in 23 hrs....

Me Time!

2009-12-16T08:04:00.003-06:00

There used to be a time when if you were a mom, that is all you were. Now we are so many other things that our lives can become endlessly confused and hectic. The current solution for that, which I heartily agree with, is Me Time.

We are even teaching our kids about Me Time. When they've played together too much and the last nerve is frayed, the whole family will take Me Time. Brianna often plays babies, or now her DS, in her room. Grant takes his cars and picture books to his room. Adam usually watches TV. Me, I facebook.

I believe I may have an addiction forming to facebook. I could be on there for hours everyday if time permitted. It started during my maternity leave and I actually did have hours to spend. First I love reading the live feed and looking at all my friends posts and pictures. Then, I MUST care for my Farmville farm. I make a point to help all my other friends farms too so I can get more coins and points to move ahead and get better stuff. Usually, my next act is to care for my fish tank in Happy Aquarium. I can't leave them alone too long, they get sick! If I still have time before the family melds together again, I play the free games like Bejeweled and others. I admit, sometimes I facebook multiple times in one evening.

I'm working hard at stepping away from the computer! I have a book I'm reading... this used to be my Me Time... before "The Book". I don't want to spend money for Me Time... manicures and pedicures are just not in the budget right now. I would love to bake more but I might as well just apply the dough to my hips and butt at this point.

What do you do for Me Time?

Today I loathe my job!

2009-12-15T07:48:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, my administration, took a project I had worked hard at, a project where I'd worked out all the foreseeable details, a project in which I had great pride and sense that I had done something good for the students of this school, and they changed it.

I suppose that is their right. I am, as my husband informed me, "only a teacher". But! I go above and beyond for this school. I work my butt off trying to help this school. And they didn't even tell me. I found out when an uninvolved person told me about the project. (They didn't know it was MY project.) And the details were all wrong. I can appreciate that they are the bosses and might see things I don't see. I can appreciate that they are at least following through on the ideas even if they've changed portions of it.

I do NOT appreciate that I didn't even get the courtesy of a phone call or email explaining to me that they'd made changes and why. I can not, will not, understand the lack of return communication. Don't give me the freedom to create a project, and then take it apart with out at least telling me why! Today, I will be spending a portion of my day looking for new jobs. It will be pointless this time of year but it feels like an action I can control.

I'm officially old

2009-12-14T10:07:00.004-06:00

I had the B.E.S.T time Saturday night!

My parents took the big kids for a sleepover, we got an over-qualified babysitter for Chase, and we went out! to a Bar! with Friends!!!!!!!! I don't remember the last time I did that. But I digress...

During our evening out, here are the reasons I decided that I am officially old now.

Everyone was texting during dinner. Although I have full texting and Internet abilities on my phone, there was no one left to text and no reason to be texting. All my friends were either there, or busy doing other things.
I lost count of my drinks after 4... I can't really recall if I had 4 or 5 drinks.
I had to go home when I spilled my last drink. I didn't just spill it... I spilled it without even realizing I'd touched it. Then I sat there staring at the mess too devastated about losing my yummy drink to even realize that it was creeping across the table towards my purse and my lap!
I was in bed by midnight!

Hi, How are you?

2009-12-11T09:36:00.003-06:00

I believe I've mentioned a few dozen times that I am a teacher. This means that for a small but significant part of my day, I "wander" around the halls... to the copier, to the lounge, to the office, etc. In a school- there are ALWAYS people in the halls. Common courtesy dictates that you acknowledge them.

If you don't know them well, a nod of the head or a simple "Hi" will do. If you know them by name, most people politely ask... "How are you?". I don't ask this and I'll tell you why...

If I really wanted to know how you were, I would have called, emailed, or actually sought you out for this purpose. In the 15 seconds I see you in the hallway, you can not actually tell me how you are.

When people ask me, I usually say "fine". (Don't we all just say "fine"?) What would that other person do if I told them how I really was... "Well, I stayed up too late last night and I think a cold is coming on because my throat feels like I've swallowed nails but we've got a babysitter for this weekend so unless I'm hospitalized I'm thrilled that we're going out drinking on Saturday." What would my mere acquaintance think of that!?!

Min has another interesting answer... "It's Friday". I may borrow that...

So disappointing

2009-12-09T11:39:00.002-06:00

We went to our favorite photo studio on Monday. It was past time to get Chase's 3 month shots, and Grant and Brianna haven't had a professional picture since this time last year.

It was N.O.T. good. If Chase was happy, Grant was making funny faces. When we tried to get Grant to stop, he started crying. Several of Brianna's shots look like she's grimacing in pain! The family shots- oh geez! Not one decent one of all of us.

AND THEN- the prices! We were just there 3 months ago for some newborn pics and the prices were somewhat reasonable... now- Through the ROOF! Adam wanted to walk away, not purchase anything. However, I'd already paid $30 to get my hair done and I'd gotten the whole fam-damily in coordinating dress-up outfits. There was no way in frozen hell that I was walking out with out something for my efforts.

So we got our holiday cards, and decent pictures of each child individually. We ordered NO family shots, save the one on the card, and NO shots of the kids together. And I am never going back to that place again... or not without one doozie of a coupon. And maybe with one kid at a time!

I'm not sure what to say

2009-12-04T08:26:00.002-06:00

On a daily basis, someone asks me what it's like to have 3 kids. I don't want to complain, I fought hard to have 3 children and I love each one of them more than I could ever describe. I also don't want to give a false impression to my well-meaning inquirer. It's HARD to have 3 kids. Just mornings alone would probably kill me if not for my incredible husband and very understanding day-care.

Just yesterday... I was running late getting out of the house. I had to take the 2 boys to daycare, Adam had Brianna. Grant had decided to pretend that his car seat was playing music... He instructed me not to turn on the car until he started his music first. I must have responded with an "OK" or something, then I promptly forgot. I started the car and he started crying and yelling at me because I didn't wait for him to tell me to start the car. I (unfortunately) yelled back about being late and frustrated. A moment or two later, we both calmed down. I apologized for yelling at him. I explained that even when I was angry or frustrated I still loved him and I would try to listen better the next time. He was quiet for a few seconds before he sternly responded, "Mommy, saying sorry doesn't always get you what you want. But thank you for using your words".

That moment actually made my whole day better and I smiled all morning.
Just when things are looking the worst, one of my kids will do something funny (usually unintentionally) and turn my whole day around.

That's what it's like with 3 kids.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-02T08:57:00.004-06:00

I had been saving this outfit for after a Bears win... but since that will NEVER happen...

From the mouths of babes!

2009-12-01T09:58:00.002-06:00

This morning, I was distracted trying to get everything ready...
So I wasn't fully listening until I heard Grant say, "Mommy, I don't know that type of candy, can I have one?" My brain still didn't register anything other than the fact that it was 6:30am and my son was asking for candy. I somewhat disgustedly replied that No, he could not have candy at breakfast. He again harped on it... "Mommy, can I just see that new candy, I've never seen it before."

There was no candy in sight...
I couldn't figure out what he was talking about...
Until I really paid attention and saw that he was focused on...
The tampons I had just dropped next to my purse!

Candy! HA! I've been laughing to myself for hours!

Thought provoking

2009-11-30T10:27:00.002-06:00

A new article from Time Magazine
This article has me happily thinking that the world may not be doomed after all!

Before I was a parent, I was a teacher. Now, I am both! This article should be mandatory reading for every parent of a school age child. I already see "mistakes" I made in my 6 year old... things I wish I'd handled differently so she learned a different lesson than the one I unintentionally taught. I am learning everyday what kind of parent I want to be.

Ask yourself- What kind of parent do you want to be? Is that who you already are?

SO overwhelmed!

2009-11-23T07:47:00.003-06:00

So I am writing my first blog entry from work! I seriously need to focus my thoughts and get my self together! (SO how is blogging going to help? It's not but I get to relax for a minute!)

Somehow, getting to know 95 students always seems easier in August when no one knows them. But now- I am trying to learn names, accommodations, quirks, special needs, behavior triggers... all from someones notes. I don't have time to wait and see like I would have been able to in August! UGH. AND- This week is conferences- so I get to meet all the parents of the kids I don't know!

On the plus side-- Chase is loving daycare (as much as a 3 month old loves anything). Morning patterns are working pretty well... mommy just has to get her lazy butt out of bed 15 minutes earlier! :-)

Done!

2009-11-19T20:10:00.002-06:00

My maternity leave is done.
Tomorrow, I resume working for a living.
I am not happy, but I am also not too upset.
I will miss having Chase all to my self, and having LOTS of free time.
I will not miss feeling unproductive and lonely.

It all goes by so fast....
12 weeks in a blink!

What about the kids?

2009-11-13T17:00:00.000-06:00

It's actually been a while since I talked about my kids!

Chase is sick. :-(
My poor little baby has his first cold. He is sniffling and sneezing and sleepy. I wasn't too concerned until he had a "fit" this morning.... 40 minutes of unstoppable crying/screaming. THAT is not at all like my mellow little man! As soon as I got him to sleep, I called the doctor. Of course they don't need to see him but I feel better knowing I checked. Also, inevitably, he got much better after I called. I should call the doctor sooner, even when they don't do anything, simply the call seems to make my kids better!

A great Grant-ism:
When I asked him what he'd had for lunch at school he said, "We had the green beans that are rectangles with circle ends, not the ones shaped like little balls".
I seriously had to replay that sentence in my head a couple times!

And Brianna?
I don't know... Bri is fine. She is super excited to go to the bookstore tonight where her principal is reading a story. She is getting better at her reading and math everyday. She's still stubborn about her clothes but we are learning to compromise with each other.

They are great kids and I can't imagine life with out them!

Notes from the home

2009-11-12T13:04:00.003-06:00

I am not normally a stay-at-home mom... however, I am enjoying this maternity leave thing quite a bit! But that is beside the point. Having stayed at home the past 11 weeks, I am starting to notice things I never did before.

Why are there SO many loads of "dark" laundry? Do the dark clothes infect the lighter colors in the hamper? Is it because it's fall/winter? Do I just gravitate towards those colors when shopping and if so, what does that say about me?
The dust bunnies in the corners of the family room do not bother me at all. Seriously, I could stare at them for days if no one is coming over, but the minute I know I might have company, I scramble to pick them all up.
It is hot in the office of our home. It has a lot of windows and apparently receives LOTS of daily sunshine. I never noticed before... I may or may not have to blog while dressed inappropriately to compensate.
I could spend all day on the Internet if necessary. Seriously- If the TV died and the kids wouldn't bother me, and I could make money, I could spend all dang day on the Internet. I will have to seriously cut back on this soon and it is distressing me slightly!

Ahh, the enlightenment! :-)

It's not about me... for a change.

2009-11-11T15:10:00.003-06:00

Today, as I sit around the house in my sweats, with the kids running around and my husband home....

Thank you to all the men and women of the armed forces who made this perfect life possible. America has so much to thank you for!

In the words of an old country song... "All gave some, some gave all".
God Bless!

Oh Behave!

2009-11-10T13:43:00.000-06:00

I am heading out the the store today to buy something special... Something I hear is the greatest gimmick ever to be invented by parents and the great all-knowing Hallmark.

It is called... The Elf on the Shelf! Have you heard of it, do you know?

The elf comes to your home the day after Thanksgiving. He sits on a shelf in the house all day long. At night, he leaves to report back to Santa in the north pole. When he returns in the morning, he is in a new place in the house! Sometimes he brings a little treat for the kiddies... AND you can't touch him because if you do, he loses his magic and he can't go back and tell Santa how good you are.

There is a book that comes with so if the kids don't believe you, the book confirms everything!
I am excited to try it.

6 is the new 16?

2009-11-09T13:06:00.003-06:00

I had planned to write about something else today BUT- I have a frustration to share instead!

My in-laws informed us today that they purchased a Nintendo DS lite for my 6 year old for the holidays. They did not ask us first, they just informed us when it was done. (They thought we might want to buy her more games for it). I'm a little dismayed by this! I think 6 is too young to be playing hand held games. She needs to be working on learning how to read and write and add, not how to get Tinkerbell through the forest!

My husband and I were already struggling with my parents purchase of an inexpensive mp3 player for her. At least this, I rationalized in my head, could be used sparingly and I could control what music went on it. It seemed like a good first step into the technological world in which kids live today. She already knows how to use my husbands and would not need much help with this...

It just occurred to me... am I going to have to teach her how to use the DS? I'd rather be teaching her not to reverse her S's and 7's!!!!! Not to mention that the DS is $130!!!! I just don't think a 6 year old, at least not MY 6 year old, is capable of taking care of something that is over $100! She loses everything... EVERYTHING!

Am I over-reacting?
Do you know a child of this age that does well with it?
Should I tell my in-laws no?!?!?!?!?!!!! (I've never been good at that!)

Lord knows- once she has it in her hand, she will love it (for a time) and there will be no going back....

10 days

2009-11-05T20:37:00.003-06:00

I have 10 working days at home with baby Chase! When did a 3 month long maternity leave suddenly become 10 days?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I want more time!

Day one

2009-11-03T11:34:00.002-06:00

I have decided that I don't want to be a size 18 anymore. OK- lets be real, I never wanted to be a size 18, I never planned it, it just happened. I have 3 kids who need a better role model. I have trip to the beautiful beaches of Mexico to plan for (July 2010!). I want to stop shopping in the "Women's" department!

At my smallest (that I can recall), I was a 12 in the months immediately before getting pregnant with my oldest. I want to wear that dress again. Yes, I have a size 12 dress that I bought in that wonderful time and I am holding it in my closet so I can wear it again someday. It's nothing special, definitely not an "investment piece". I think I bought it at Target. But I remember how I felt in it!

Yesterday I did the Jillian Michael's "30 day Shred, level 1". I plan on doing something like this 5 days a week. I know that I need to make it a habit so I picked a time that I will be able to continue even after I return to work in a mere 17 days.

If your looking for me at 3:oo, I'll be in the family room, sweating!

Halloween "recipe"

2009-10-30T14:36:00.004-05:00

Do you love s'mores? Really- who doesn't?
But in our house we just don't have the time to make a fire and sit in the cold while roasting marshmallows. (Read- we are lazy and it is raining.)

Therefore... S'mores Shortcuts!
The principle is the same, 2 graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallow.

Lay one-half of graham cracker on paper plate.
Top with one-fourth of Hershey bar. (Or tiny "individual" chocolate bar that you stole from the kids Halloween candy) (also excellent with dark chocolate!)
Top that with one marshmallow.
Microwave about 15-20 seconds; just until the marshmallow starts to puff up, but watch them because if you leave it alone, it will explode!
Take out of microwave and immediately cover with remaining half of cracker. Push gently to "smoosh".
Enjoy!

Halloween Parade

2009-10-29T10:59:00.004-05:00

Today was the Halloween Parade at Grant's daycare center. I haven't missed one since Brianna started there at the age of 2. I was a little sad that Brianna was no longer there today, I always loved seeing them together. Next year, it will be Grant and Chase!

Here is Superman getting ready to fly! Notice how my excellent photo skills caught him with both feet off the ground! (or it could have been dumb luck!)

Here Superman is scratching his head wondering where he left his belt and cape. (Well, apparently he left them in the classroom because at 4, the rules say you must refuse to wear at least part of your costume!)

Here is Superman running away from his kryptonite, the dreaded mommy hug!

Superman needs a hair cut!

3rd time really is the charm.

2009-10-26T20:44:00.002-05:00

When you have your first baby, you are stressed. ALL the time! Stressed about food and diapers and clothes and blankets and bottles and Binky's and sleep and... well... everything really. There is no time to enjoy the baby because you don't know that nothing is wrong, that there is no reason to worry. You don't love the first baby less, you just worry yourself into a state of panic about the little things, and then the big things feel like mountains.

With the second child, you are overwhelmed. It is a real challenge to learn how to accommodate a new human being while still providing all the love and attention that the first child needs. You don't worry quite as much, but probably only because you don't have time to. The adjustment to child number 2 is one of the hardest things you will ever do, and still you love them endlessly.

Child 3 is bliss. You have worked out all of the worry and stress on the first child. You already know how to multi-task thanks to child #2. You've been "there" before and been through everything along this road. Or maybe you hit a rough patch but you know how to get the help you need and still deal. With child 3 you can finally enjoy every minute. Not just the perfect minutes, but all the minutes. You might even enjoy the crying minutes and the smelly minutes and the messy minutes, because you know that you will make it through and this little person will be a blessing in your life for a long time. And that makes you love the ride more than you ever imagined you could.

Or at least that's how it is for me.

Happy Birthday Grant!

2009-10-20T21:39:00.002-05:00

The blogger in me missed it, but on Sunday, Grant turned 4!

We had a lovely party the night before, just family and some close friends. On his actual birthday, we pretty much ignored it. I actually just let him believe that his party day was his actual birthday. When your only 4, it's easier that way.

This coming weekend, we have a Chuck E Cheese party for his classmates from school. I think I might be insane to voluntarily put myself in the mouse house BUT- it was cheaper than the bouncy place that every 3rd kid has their party at! AND- I don't have to clean up afterwards!

Pictures to come... maybe... if I get around to it.

Everything's Amazing and Nobody's Happy.

2009-10-16T13:10:00.003-05:00

If you'll pardon my low-tech-ness today... I don't have time to figure out how to post this better...

This was posted on my facebook today by an old friend and it really spoke to me. If you haven't seen it, check it out and tell me what you think. Let me just say, it made me think and I AM happy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk

I think when I go back to work, I will share this with my students and see what they think. I'm sure the responses of the 11 and 12 year olds will be priceless!

I dare you not to laugh!

2009-10-12T14:57:00.001-05:00

This morning in the grocery store...

Brianna says, "Mommy, I know how to spell tight! T- I- T!"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Her dad and I just about died!

I must be REALLY crazy

2009-10-07T20:51:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking of going back to school... again.

I have a Bachelors in Education. I have a Masters in Administration.
Someday, I might get my doctorate.... but not now.

Now I am thinking of going for a second masters in Technology. Or maybe not a masters... maybe just enough classes to get a teaching certification in tech.

Adam thinks I'm crazy in a nutty/incomprehensible way. I only plan on teaching for another 2-3 years before trying to be an administrator. However- If I have to keep teaching exactly what I teach now- I will go crazy in the loony bin/straight jacket/padded room way.

What better in this day and age to become an expert in than in technology?!?
I'm looking at online classes.... Hmmmm....
What working mom of 3 wouldn't love to go back to writing papers and completing projects?
What kind of crazy do YOU think I am?

Who needs this?

2009-10-06T18:37:00.003-05:00

Does a 4 year old need his friends at a birthday party?

We are obviously having all our family and close friends over to celebrate Grant's birthday. We always do, for both kids. That will be a dinner at the house "thing".

He wants a friend party too. I don't remember if Brianna had a friend party at 4... 5- yes, 4- I don't think so. However, Grant has attended birthday parties for about 6 of his friends, and more invites came this week for the upcoming month or so.

I feel like he will notice, and feel shafted, if he attends birthday parties of friends but doesn't host one.
Will the friends, or more accurately, parents of friends notice and think I don't like them?
Is the expense worth it? The last thing the kid needs are cheap toys...
Where to go? What to do? Is it too late?

Mommy is a bit of a wreck over this. It should be easy but, it's not. I need to decide FAST. If I'm going to do this, I have to get it booked and get the invites out by next Monday. UGH.

Randomness v.1

2009-10-05T19:09:00.003-05:00

- My husband got his wallet back, minus the cash, but we had already cancelled the cards. Now we wait for the new cards to arrive. All the hassle, less reason!

- Chase has been sleeping nights in his bouncy seat next to my bed. I need to get him sleeping in a crib but I'm too lazy to walk to him when all he really needs is the paci shoved back in his mouth... Maybe soon.

- Grant is adorable! He is always saying funny things that I just can't believe are coming out of his almost 4 year old mouth. They are less funny by the 50th time he says them.

- Grant really should have a "kid" party for his birthday but I just can't seem to get my s**t pulled together. Maybe more on that another day.

- Brianna is a fashion girl and it's driving me nuts. Only certain items of clothing are good enough, and some of those only get worn once before being deemed not good. I can't even buy clothes with out her, or she won't wear them. She's 6!!! not 16!!!! UGH.

- I am determined to be busy this week! Today I tackled both Target and the grocery store. Tomorrow- I'm thinking projects around the house. Later in the week, topics include shower grout, toilets, and taking outgrown clothes out of closets.

What fun my life is!

An open letter to the man who stole my husbands wallet

2009-09-30T19:24:00.005-05:00

Dear Sir,

You SUCK! I can't believe that of all the locked lockers at the health club, you chose my husbands to break into! What were you thinking???? Clearly, you weren't thinking. I mean, who takes a hammer to a gym locker, pulling the door off, in the middle of the day? Did you think this was a smart idea? Why that locker? Why my husband?

What you don't know is that we will get you! Well, the police will, if they haven't already. The club employee who was using the bathroom peeked around the corner and saw you. He recognized you, and gave the police your name. The police know where you live. We are looking forward to seeing you in court! Obviously you are not a bright man.

I suppose I should thank you for not taking his clothes or car keys. Especially the car keys. However, if you had taken the car keys, you might have gotten away with more. Because you left the keys, the club was able to find my husband in the club and alert him immediately to your stupidity. He then was able to alert the police and get things rolling quickly. After calling the police, he called me. I was able to cancel or freeze every credit/debit card before you could do any damage! HA! I hope you enjoyed the $45 cash. I hope jail/prison is worth it for $45!! The club is pressing charges for the damage and the police say the combination of offenses is a felony! HA!!! HA, HA, HA!

Next time watch Law and Order first! You could learn something! Or get the psychiatric help you need. We won't miss you.

Sincerely,
Pissed!

Survey says...

2009-09-25T19:32:00.004-05:00

At one month old... Chase is 21 inches long and 9 pounds even. This is a full inch growth in length and 1 lb, 5 oz in weight.

Scarier-- This puts my son firmly in the 50% for weight and height. I have never had a child top the 25%!! Chase is our family giant! We hope we will continue and someday be a whopping- normal! :-)

(If you've met my husband, you'd know that normal height is an excellent achievement for one of our children.)

One Month Old!

2009-09-24T20:19:00.002-05:00

Professional photographer, I am not!