Random Thoughts

Switch-aroo

2009-07-16T14:00:00.002-04:00

I needed to drop some boxes off in my classroom so I thought I would take the kids over to my school, drop the things in my room, and let them play on the playground there. I had to drop some things off with my principal too.

This doesn't sound like a big task- but last week when I tried doing this and getting a few things done in the room, it didn't go well. The kids spilled water, dumped out recess toys, and in general made a mess. They asked me more questions than a million games of 20 questions and I think I ended up with more to do when we left than when we got there.

So today I was a bit hesitant to take the kids with me- but I didn't really have much of a choice- I wanted to see my principal and that means a trip during the day and not after hours.

I was pleasantly surprised with how well the kids did! Ashlyn played with blocks in my room while Riley and I went to see my principal. Riley erased his white board (oops!) but he just laughed and said it needed to be erased anyway. I only got one little thing done in my room, but what I mostly wanted to do was talk to my principal and get the boxes into my room. Then the kids played on the playground.

Neither one of them wanted to leave, but came with me anyway when I said it was time to go. I had to make one more stop- the dollar store- on the way home. I got what I needed (and maybe a toy or two for the kids) and we headed out again.

Since I was pressing my luck taking the kids out anyway- I figured, let's stop at McDonald's for lunch on the way home- it was after 12 already, I was hungry and knew the kids must be too. I knew hungry, hot, and tired kids were not a good combination for behaving out to eat- but I took that chance anyway.

Once again the kids surprised me! I know I took my kids out to lunch, but I must have ended up with someone else's kids - the two kids I ate with were polite, ate their lunch, didn't fight, didn't yell, they listened.....it was a mother's dream! I was so proud of them and made sure to tell them how much I loved their behavior today!

It only took us two weeks, but it seems like we have turned a corner and are starting to fall into place/adjusting to Gary's new job and schedule. Riley has stopped throwing shoes at me when I tell him his daddy is at work so that is progress! (Let's not tell the kids that in another month they will have to adjust to a whole new schedule again when school starts!)

In other news- Riley has gone 2.5 days without a single potty accident! Woo hoo! I realize today isn't over and I probably jinxed myself! But he seem to be doing better with all that.

It took a week of having this cold, but I seem to be finally feeling better myself. I wasn't down and out like the initial day- but I was struggling to get through the days. Much less patience and energy and by the end of the day I was achy and exhausted. Hopefully I will be back to normal (whatever that is!) real soon!

Ashlyn is LOVING vacation bible school again this year. She loves the time to be a big girl and do things with other kids. She likes her teacher and is so excited to tell us what she learned that day. If she keeps this up- I have no doubt she will adjust well to Kindergarten and just love her time in school.

Proof

2009-07-14T13:06:00.002-04:00

Just a little proof that it isn't all yelling, crying and complaining around here.

Climbing down from the Table

2009-07-13T13:32:00.003-04:00

Each day I wake up, I have a choice. I can cry over spilled milk (or watered down Pepsi- love ya Andrea!) or I can respond with love and grace. While in my head the obvious choice is love and grace. I'm having a hard time putting that into action.

For example- the kids pulled the hose off the wind up reel thingy today while I was making sandwiches for lunch. Instead of having them help me fix it or calmly dealing with the situation- I grumbled, I grumped, I complained that I can't get one little thing down without the two of them making a mess (yup-those were pretty much my words!), and I wouldn't let them help when I was fixing it because I just didn't want to deal with more messes.

So you all want to sign up to have me watch your kids now, don't you??

The thing is- this isn't me. As a teacher- I pride myself on my classroom management. I always get compliments on my class behavior and difficult students often don't appear as difficult in my room. This isn't to imply my classroom of students are perfect- far from it. But it is a controlled and managed chaos. And, for that, I have always been proud of myself.

So, why is it, at home, I am not good with just two?

When I was teaching in MD we had this one teacher who had no classroom control. One time he stood on his desk and yelled "I'm the teahcer!" Well, let me just tell you- if you have to tell them you are the teacher- you not really in charge, they are. I know this because his classroom was right beside mine and we heard everything- to the point where during my observations, the principal would have to go into that classroom and settled them down because he could hear them in my room. Needless to say that teacher was helped to find another position in a less challenging area.

I feel like at home, I'm standing on my kitchen table yelling "I'm the mommy!"

It's a choice each day to wake up and make the most of the day or cry over the hitting, pinching, fighting and constant choas. It isn't the choice I struggle with- it is putting that choice into action.
As I have been teaching Ashlyn when she gets upset- I'm going to try to take a deep breath and calm down before getting angry- just as soon as I climb down off the kitchen table.

Keeping Busy

2009-07-09T13:37:00.002-04:00

We are almost one week into the 'new' for our family. I am happy to say Gary loves the job. Now, of course, it is summer and so there are not the full blown headaches the year will bring - but I'm glad he is loving it.

I've just been trying to keep the kids busy. Monday and Tuesday were a bit rough around here dealing with toddler (and mommy) tantrums. Wednesday I was lucky enough to have my dear friend Kelly and Lisa bring their girls over to play and tie dye some shirts. It was fun and kept my kids busy so there were not many issues (well, except that Riley pushed Kelly's daughter down because he didn't like that she had a toy he wanted.....) Today I am not feeling well. Somehow I caught a bug in the summer!?? My throat hurts and I feel like someone parked their truck on my face. If it was you- could you move it please? I took the kids to my school today so I could print out some units/lesson plans I had been working on. Of course, I wasn't able to print (long story!) and don't know when I will - but I tried to get a few other things done. Let me just say, I have no idea how I will get my classroom ready with two kids in tow this year (Gary and I always took tuns going to work in our classrooms before so one of us took care of the kids while the other worked on school stuff). Then we played on the playground a bit. I brought the kids home for lunch and it took everything I had to make it until nap time today. I just needed to get R in bed so I could lay on the couch. A is playing on the desktop while I lay on the couch with my laptop. Sadly, I canceled plans for tomorrow because I just don't think I could drive if I feel this badly again. :(

But all in all, we are hanging in there. Riley has his up and down moments and I am trying to work on not over reacting to little things so that he understands when he is in trouble for the big things. You know- pick and choose your battles.

The potty training is still going....he has great days like yesterday when he doesn't have any accidents and then other days like today where he will just stand in the yard and pee on himself. I can't imagine that is a good feeling- but at least it was in the yard and not the house, right?

I'm off to lay here so I can hopefully make it until hubby gets home tonight....oh crap- I just remembered he has a softball game tonight. sigh....oh well, at least supper is made for today- gotta love the crock pot!

A New Chapter

2009-07-06T13:21:00.000-04:00

Today was Gary's first day at his new job- his frist day as Principal an no longer teacher.

Change is inevitable and going to happen at some point. And so with Gary's new job- we are dealing with change. Not all change is bad, but it is still change and it still means an adjustment on the part of everyone involved. For example- today Gary had to get up and go to work- no longer on summer vacation and no longer able to sleep in. But this is good change for him and once he gets his routine down and learns a few thins to help him feel more at ease, he will do a great job! He has already learned the names and grade level of his staff and some things about them (some are Steelers or Penn State fans so he is happy about that!). He checked out all their class websites to get a jump start on his new life. He has jumped right into this new challenge. I couldn't be more proud of him.

But with his new job means change on the home front. While I still get to be home and enjoy my summer- I am the only one here with the kids. yeah, I know- I'm not getting any sympathy from all of you, this is your life and you do it everyday. But for me, this is a bit new. A change that we need to adjust to. And it is a slow process - Riley is so very strong willed and stubborn and I'm having trouble. That isn't easy for me to admit. I'm so good at classroom management as a teacher- it is my strength and I am confident in my ability. But at home- it is a different story. Riley has gotten the best of me and I'm not sure how to teach him to follow the rules, be nice, and show love.

We are off to a rough start. Riley is 2, so that means he is by nature an irrational being and there will be tanrums. But his level of strong willfullness is beyond what I know how to deal with. He is mean too- he will go up to Ashlyn and pinch or hit her for no reason. Of course I need to deal with that, but then his strong will kicks in- he will not sit in time out- he keeps getting up and I keep putting him back- for well over 30 minutes. He will not apologize, he will not stop doing it despite my best efforts. So unless I can divide my house in half to seperate my two children- I need to fix this part of his behavior and so far this summer, I have not made any head way with him. But that is just some of the problem. Riley does not listen to me. If I ask him to do something it is nothing short of a small war. I try the normal- give choices, reward and praise when he does listen, etc. But still I am met with defiance. Sadly- at this point, I'm looking forward to school starting because I'm just don't seem to know what to do with him.

So, think of my family as we start this new chapter in our lives. Think of my hubby and pray that he is an amazing leader who shines with integrity, understanding, support, and inspiration. And think of my children and I as we keep trying each day to help Riley be more loving and obedient. I know I can use all the extra well wishes and prayers.

Clearing My Brain

2009-07-05T22:45:00.002-04:00

I'm home- from 9 days/8 nights at my inlaws. There is nothing more to say about that here, but if you really want to know- check it out here.

Gary starts his first day of his new job as principal Monday at 7:30am. Good luck hubby! I know you will be great!

I'm working myself out from under the ton of laundry- but making head way with it.

Hope you all had a great 4th of July! I tried to skim through all the posts, etc- but after all those days of not being on the computer, I got quite a bit behind!

Riley did really well with the whole potty thing while we were away- woo hoo on that! We are still working on it- but making lots of progress and I feel better about the whole thing now. He seems to have the hang of it - way to go little man!!

I posted a bunch of pics from the trip on facebook- too lazy to repost here...sorry!

You would think after all this time I would have something worthwhile to say. Oh well! Maybe next time :)

Random

2009-06-26T21:39:00.002-04:00

Gary and I finally got away for an overnight trip without the kids. Last time we were away overnight without the kids- 3 years ago! Oops! How did 3 years go by before we managed to do that? We had a nice night and it was much needed for both of us.

Today I got to see my brother-in-law. He recently came home from Iraq. It was good to see him. He is pretty much the only one of G's siblings that I like and talk to. I knew he was home safe- but it is much better to be able to see him in person and chat for a few minutes.

Riley and the potty is...well, it is going. We have some good days, we have some not so good days. My son - like all things in his life- marches to his own beat. The boy has figured out the pooping on the potty thing, but not peeing. This is not the normal pattern- but, what else would I expect from my little man. And, hey, pee pants are a lot easier to clean up than the other stuff, so for now, we are still working on it and happy he has part of the process figured out.

I've been hanging out on Facebook a lot lately. If we're not FB friends- add me. :) If you are not on FB- join up- it's fun. Then add me as a friend :)

Ashlyn is loving summer. She has really been into playing basketball and soccer outside lately. She figured out how to dribble the basketball and does it well! For a 5 year old, I think she is doing awesome with it! We bought her a pink soccer ball and she has been having fun kicking that around too. All this soccer and basketball practice should count as my exercise, right?

Gary is gearing up for his new job. He has taken care of a lot of the paperwork and things he needed to do to begin being principal in July. He is going to do a great job- and hey, if anyone needs a job as a teacher, I know a principal, I can put in a good word for you :)

Tomorrow we leave for vacation to go visit G's parents for a week. We stay until after the 4th and then head home. It isn't my favorite vacation- but I guess I can't complain too much since I did get my week at the beach. I'm not big on the bugs and mountain life- but the kids have a great time and that is what is important. Not sure if I will be on the computer or not- they have upgraded from dial up to high speed internet- but I'm not sure I will get on the computer much.

Enjoy your 4th of July!

Summer Ideas

2009-06-23T15:22:00.002-04:00

Since Gary now starts work at his new job right after the 4th of july, I will be home with the kids for the summer. I have a few ideas of things I would like to try with them - library days, playground trips, tie die shirts- but I am in need of many more ideas of things to do this summer. Riley is a terror when we are home- he does things just to make Ashlyn or I mad- and he doens't stop there, he just keeps pushing and pushing until someone is screaming and crying (usually me!). So in order to save my sanity- I need to keep them busy. Please share all your summer fun ideas- what do you do to have fun in the summer? what do you do to keep your kids busy and from fighting all summer long?

Seriously- if you don't help me, I'm going to go insane. I will have to call SuperNanny and then the whole world will know my dirty secret that I can't handle my 2 year old. So, please, save me from all that and just share your good ideas :)

The Big News

2009-06-19T08:56:00.003-04:00

A few posts ago I was being a bit vague about the business Gary had to take care of during our vacation. I know- what was so important that he had to leave vacation? Well, I just wasn't ready to throw it out there to the whole world and have it turn out to be nothing. But, it didn't turn out to be nothing- it tuned out to be something- a big something.

Gary left vacation to drive home for a principal interview. We have been down this road before and seen it turn into nothing so I was not ready to publicly put it out there. To this point- all the interviews G had done were within the district we both currenly work. He was always told that he would make a great administrator and there was nothing he could have done differently- but they went with another person. This time Gary looked outside our district. He got an interview- but so did 14 other people. Well, that interview turned into a 2nd interview. It was down to Gary and 2 other candidates. Both of the others had experience. So again, just wasn't ready to put it out there for the whole world.

That interview was on Tuesday- on Wednesday he got the phone call. He got the job!!!! I'm really proud of him. While this is going to be an adjustment for all of us- I just know he will be great at this job. He is going to make a wonderful principal.

The school he will be the principal of is about 20 minutes from our house and they already use many of the teaching programs that Gary was using as a teacher. I think that helped him a lot in the interviews because he could talk about those programs and had a good understanding how the programs work.

It is bittersweet though because leaving the district we are both in is hard- this has been his family for a long time. And like all families, there are good times, there are fights, and everything in between. He is meeting with the higher ups right now to give them the news. And it is a hard meeting for him. He is excited about his future, but sad to say goodbye.

So.......that is the news! I'm sure I will have stories and tales for you as the year goes on and G starts his new path in life.

Summer Is Good!

2009-06-16T13:16:00.004-04:00

It is no secret to any of you who know me in real life- I love summer. I love the sun, the warm weather, the beach- I just love it all. And, while I know I maybe shouldn't admit it- summer vacation is one thing I love about teaching. The job is demanding and can cause you to burn out quickly and easily- so summer is a nice time to recover a bit from all that. It is a time to refocus and re-energize for the next year.

Well, I have discovered another fabulous bonus to summer this year. I have always loved that summer allowed me an opportunity to be home with my children. They don't go to day care during the summer. It gives me a taste of being a stay at home mom. (and by the way- I commend all of you who are stay at home moms!)

This summer in particular is amazing. It is my last summer with Ashlyn before she becomes a school kid. It is showing just how much she knows and how ready for school she really is. It is showing me her love of learning and her desire to master things. And it is giving me time to help her learn more things to prepare her for life (like don't stare at people so long that you walk into a wall- totally an important lesson she needed to learn!). It is also giving Riley and I a chance to bond. Riley has always been my challenge. He has always been the one who goes through every difficult phase and that was very wearing and tiring for me. Summer has given us more time together. And in that time- I have realized just how cute and sweet my little man can be! Sure he has his moments and he can be a handful - but the hugs, kisses, and smiles throughout the day make that so much easier to handle.

Summer = good!

Potty time again

2009-06-15T20:38:00.002-04:00

Riley did a good job again today with going on the potty. It was mostly me taking him or him starting to go and then telling me so he could finish on the potty. We did go through 5 pairs of underwear today - but that is half of what he went through yesterday- so again, I think he is doing great! Way to go my little man!!

This whole potty training thing sure makes it easy to dress him - I put him in underwear and let him run free like that the rest of the day. No need to pee on entire outfits. I did have one guy drive by on a motorcycle and I could tell he was giggling at Riley playing in the yard in his underwear. But, hey, I figure- if you are a parent- you get it. If you are not a parent, maybe one day you will understand it. I'm sure letting my child play in the yard in his underwear is not the best parenting ever, but it makes mess clean up so much easier, he loves to play outside and it is only for a few days (I hope!) and then we can go back to being less redneck-y and more modern (wearing clothes is so the in thing right now after all!)

And, hey, with any luck- in a few days, I'll have something even more interesting than my child's bathroom habits to post about!

Potty Part Two

2009-06-14T21:12:00.002-04:00

Potty training after nap went well! Riley woke up from nap dry so I had him sit on the potty and he went right away! What a boy!! After nap, he only wet two more pairs of underwear- that means he went through 10 pairs today. I know it is a lot, but not bad for a first day. Before nap, he would pee on and off all day- you could tell he was still used to a diaper and just going whenever he felt like it. He would go and then 15 minutes after he would go again. But after nap, he was more controlled and holding it better- he would go an hour or so before he would go again. So that in itself is progress also! He isn't necessarily telling me he has to go before he starts, but he does tell me once he starts and he will go if I put him on the potty. I am so proud of my little man!(and bonus- maybe, just maybe, I found the one thing he will be easy with!! that would be awesome since the rest of him is a challenge!)

Potty Training Boot Camp

2009-06-14T13:31:00.002-04:00

Today marked the first day of potty training for Riley. Having said that, before today we have had the little potty out and he has sat on it often, etc. But today we started the cold turkey no more diaper- just underwear thing. That is what I did with Ashlyn and it worked so I am trying it again. Pull up (in my opinion) are good for lots of things, but in terms of potty training- kids just don't feel the wet so it doesn't give them a reason to stop playing and go potty. That is just my opinion and I certainly am not potty training expert. (I also recongnize that there are lots of reason to not put your kid in underwear and let them pee all over the place- it just works for me)

I thought I was going to sit down and tell you we had gone through double digit pairs of underwear and it is only nap time. But in reality, when I counted- we are only at 8 wet pairs of undderwear. But the good news is that after the first time, Riley has recognized that he was peeing, stopped what he was doing and told me he was peeing, stopped his pee and finished on the potty. To me- that sounds like a great start! Of course it would be better if he told me before he started peeing- but I will take this for day one! The bad news is that I still have had to clean the floor and change his underwear all those time. But, hey, it is only day one.

Riley is now napping - for nap I put him in a diaper. I will use pull ups for nap time, but we still have some diapers left so I figure I will use those up and then move to pull ups. Nap time and night time are not something I expect him to master for some time yet- but if I can get the awake, day time thing down- that would be wonderful.

The big plus I had in my favor is that Riley was already interested in the potty- he follows Ashlyn in to the bathroom and flushes the potty when she is done. Also working in my favor is his desire to do everything Ashlyn does- so once again, he sees her use the potty and that makes him want to be able to do that too. He isn't scared of the big potty and will use that or the little one. If he starts to show me signs of not being ready, etc then we will back off and try again later. (But I would LOVE to get this done this summer so it can be consistent and not the whole switching between mom and sitter routine for it all)

Also, in Riley news- his crib is down, disassembled, and put away. I posted about his first adventure in his bed earlier- the second day wasn't much better. He emptied out all his clothes drawers and had a free for all up there. After that, we headed to the beach. I took the pack 'n play, but wanted to try him in the bed first. He and Ashlyn shared a room that had two twin beds in it. He didn't even think twice about sleeping in the bed- he jumped right in. He slept in the bed every day- we never even took the pack 'n play out of the car! Woo hoo! (now, I didn't say he and Ashlyn slept much with them both in the same room- but he did sleep in his bed when they finally did fall asleep!) Last night Gary took the crib down and Riley seemed a bit confused at bed time. He went to where his crib used to be- he cried a little and had a little trouble settling down, but he slept in bed all night and no major problems. He went right in for his nap today too. So he has done well with that transition too! (I do have to keep the gate across his door though still- but I am okay with that)

(Yes, I know, I should have picked one thing to work on and not overwhelmed my kid with both the bed and the potty all at once- but it works for us and he is doing well with it)

Finally- some Ashlyn news- I'm offically a soccer mom! We signed Ashlyn up for soccer for the fall. She has wanted to play for some time, but spring was just too crazy and so we decided to have her wait until fall. She is really excited- hopefully she likes it this much when she actually has to go and play! And hopefully I can manage the schedule in the fall of working, dinner, soccer practice/games, etc. Should be fun!!

Home Again...For Now

2009-06-13T20:57:00.002-04:00

The beach was wonderful- I loved it. I wish we wouldn't have had to come home. But, we are home again and I am working on digging out from the pile of laundry. How do 4 people really make that much laundry in just a week??

So hubby had to return home during the beach trip for some important business - he came home Wednesday and was back at the beach with us on Thursday. He was much more focused on what he had to do during tht time than anything else. So when we got back today, we realized he left the front door open! Not just unlocked, but not even shut! Thank goodness nothing happened while we were gone and everything was okay.

We are home for a few days and then are headed out of town again. Gary's grandmother passed away back in November and they could not set the head stone at the time of her funeral due to the ground being frozen. So now that the spring thaw has come and they can once again set headstones, there is going to be a small ceremony for this. It actually is nice this way because I was not able to go to the funeral- I stayed home with the kids. But this we feel we can take them to so I will also get my chance to say goodbye so to speak.

It seems to be a good year for Pittsburg sports! The Steelers win the Super Bowl and now the Penguins win the NHL championship! Sorry Pittsburg lovers, I don't think baseball season will bring the same good fortune!

You would think after a week of no computer I would have more interesting things to say...but not so much! I'm just trying to catch up now.

Beaching It

2009-06-10T08:27:00.002-04:00

We are at the beach right now. We got here Saturday and will be here until Saturday. Gary has to drive back today to take care of some business and then will join us again tomorrow. But it is all okay because we are at the beach! I love the beach. I'm not able to post or read much- we don't have internet at the condo we are staying in. So, until I'm home again- I hope you are all well and I'll catch up later! If you need me, I'm playing in the sand!

Bed or Crib?

2009-06-04T14:50:00.002-04:00

We have tried the process of moving Riley from his crib to his bed. He isn't a fan of it and wants his crib. He has taken a few naps in his bed- but will not get in it at bed time. So today I put him in his bed for a nap. He wouldn't stay in the room and kept coming down the stairs. So I put the gate across his doorway. He still wasn't staying in bed, but at least he was in the room and hopefully would get the idea he was supposed to rest. Of course if I am writing this- you know that isn't what happened. Instead, I hear it get quiet for a bit and then hear him calling for me. I go up and he is standing there- diaperless. He took his diaper off and threw it over the gate. He also had gone into the closet and emptied a few things out of the closet. And, he took the wood strip out of the bottom of the blind and broke it in half. I'm thinking round one goes to Riley! But, lucky for us, I don't give up easily and we will try again tomorrow!

Anyone want to come potty train him? If getting in a bed is this difficult- I can only imagine the fun of potty training Riley!

A Coincidence?

2009-06-02T20:23:00.002-04:00

Tonight I was doing some laundry (poor Ashlyn was out of underwear- you would think her mom could keep up with that!). As I walked past my fridge, the fridge farm mooed at me! Yeah, a moo sound came echoing right out that darn toy! I know I have gained back a few pounds this year and I swear a summer goal is to get back into an exercise routine, but did the darn thing really have to moo at me?

Happy Anniversary!

2009-05-31T09:17:00.003-04:00

Today is my anniversary. Hubby and I have been married 6 years today. We certainly have our share of ups and downs (like everyone!) but I am so happy to be married to this wonderful man. I would marry him all over again! Happy Anniversary sweety- I love you!

Who wouldn't love this family!

5 days to go!

2009-05-27T19:32:00.002-04:00

I know I am continuing to be a blog slacker, but with only 5 days of school to go- I am feeling so busy. I have so many things to do that I just stand around spinning my wheels and not actually accomplishing anything. Which of course doesn't help me any! I am so super excited still to teach 3rd grade next year. So as I try to wrap up first grade and close out the school year, I am also working on what will make my life easier come August when I am a 3rd grade teacher (woo hoo!! all my 3rd grade teacher friends- feel free to give me all the advice you can think of!). So- for just a bit longer- I am a blog slacker and will continue to be a blog slacker But, the good news - I only have 5 more (school) days until summer vacation! YEAH!!

On Purpose?

2009-05-24T11:34:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I got the chance to go out with a great friend for the day. I had been so busy taking classes for months that we had not been out together without kids since January. This was a much needed day for me. Catching up and shopping are always fun!

Anyway, Gary had the kids while I was out. When I get back I find out he let our 5 year old drink Mountain Dew and he let the kids put water in their sand box. Have you tried getting wet sand stains out of clothes before? Because I'm failing and the wet sand is winning! I sometimes think he does these things so I won't trust him to be in charge of the kids anymore :)

Jokes on him- I'm still going to the spa in June and he can give them all the mountain dew and wet sand he wants ;)

4, 3, 2, 1, check, plus, minus and other Crazy Stuff

2009-05-21T18:38:00.002-04:00

It is report card time again and those numbers, checks, plus, and minus signs are swirling in my mind. Not to mention the potential comments. But, the really good news is that in a few days June 3rd will be here and my summer will start. Bring on the beach and a few yummy adult drinks. Well....maybe I will wait on the drinks until after report cards are done!

I can't wait for the beach! And my great friend and I just scheduled spa appointments for June- I'm looking forward to that! My hands and feet need some love!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend all! Don't forget to thank a veteran and be thankful for the freedoms, rights, and priveledges we have today because of those honorable men and women!

Miss Me?

2009-05-19T18:55:00.001-04:00

If you follow me on facebook- you might have noticed we had a heavy duty thunderstorm that scared both my kids. Well, the fun didn't end there. Lightening hit pretty close and it knocked out my upstairs thermostat, my computer modeum, and the garage door opener! We just finally got a new modeum are I'm slowly trying to work through my hundreds of email- mostly junk! I haven't even looked at google reader- too scared. And I would like to catch up on facebook too. I doubt it will all happen tonight- so if you noticed I have been quiet (minus the review posts I had scheduled to post ahead of time)- at least you know I am not ignoring you are dropping of the face of the bloggy world.

We all Scream for Ice Cream

2009-05-18T21:46:00.001-04:00

Summer is coming! And of course, summer means fun in the sun! And that means ice cream time! So with summer and ice cream season coming- I was really thrilled when Mom Central offered up a chance to try out Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches.

Delicious was the word heard in my house after trying the Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches. These sandwiches are low fat, but they don't taste low fat!

Skinny Cow's low-fat ice cream sandwiches are a great way to enjoy ice cream as part of a healthy lifestyle. With only 150 calories and 2 grams of fat, there is no guilty about Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches when reaching into the freezer for a snack. The light and creamy frozen treats come in seven different flavors, including cookies 'n cream, chocolate peanut butter, and mint.

The Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches are Best Life Diet approved also!

Mamapedia

2009-05-18T20:48:00.000-04:00

As much as I like to think I am a fairly intelligent person, there are lots of things in life I don't know. So when I don't know something- have found ways to overcome not knowing. Google has become a good friend of mine.

Well, as a mom, this is not much different. There are millions (and millions) of questions that Ashlyn asks each day. I really only know the answer to a few of her questions each day. I see a strange rash, Riley has a fever for 4 days, getting Ashlyn ready to go to Kindergarten, potty training Riley or any number of things that I wonder about as a mom. I have found that advice from other moms is the best. The been there done that feel to it all is very comforting to me. Moms have such an important role in life and we want to make the best decision when it come to our children- our family.

But, for me, it isn't always easy to get advice from other moms. I don't have neighbors with young children. At work, most of the people are older and have grown children as well. Enter Mamapedia at solve my problem! Mamapedia provides all the answers I need in a single destination.

Mamapedia enables you to search answers for your most pressing questions, such as childhood crushes, renting a house, and summer camps, to get empathetic and insightful answers from moms around the country. A virtual encyclopedia of Mothers' wisdom, Mamapedia allows you to quickly navigate through thousands of diverse categories to find the thoughtful, sympathetic-and most importantly-helpful answers to all of your questions. Mamapedia brings millions of women together online, both nation-wide and in our own communities, so we can help each other tackle those difficult parenting questions or even just give recommendations on our favorite pediatricians, playgroups, and kid-friendly restaurants.

Good News

2009-05-16T16:39:00.004-04:00

After waiting and waiting- I was told on Friday about my teaching placement for next year. And let me tell you- I could not be happier. I get to stay in my current building with one of the greatest principals ever (though I still don't like my drive) and I am going to teach 3rd grade! This is what I was hoping for and wanting- and I am thrilled I get the chance to try this grade. It is a new grade for me- one I haven't done yet. But it fits my personality and teaching style much more than the grade I am in this year. It will be much closer to what I did when I taught 2nd grade and I'm actually excited about being in a state testing grade. I see that as a challenge and I just hope that I can do a good job and help the students pass the state test with flying colors! And- bonus - the books in 3rd grade are purple!

Now the downfall is that it isn't a forever placement. I am in this grade because they need to add another classroom for next year due to a larger class size. But, after that, one of the 3rd grade teachers is probably retiring and if my luck continues, I can slide into her spot! But, if not, I guess I will get to move again- no moss growing under these feet ;)