The big 26.....okay,okay....27.

Well today I celebrated my 27th birthday. Wow, could that be possible, since I just was living the dramatic, exciting, fun-filled high school days.....? I was just 16. I was just enjoying the freedom of an easy paycheck, weekends filled with friends and events, shopping, eating out, always somewhere to go, something to do and someone fun to do it with - and I loved every minute of it. (minus high school heartache). But even that got me where I am today.
High school was an amazing time. Being young, having great friends, and being secure in myself were a great combination for some amazing times. I know not everyone has that experience, but for me, it was paradise. College- not the same. I made some life long and meaningful friends in college, and I had a good time, but it was different for me. I was ready for the next step, when many were just beginning the last. I met Jer my freshman year and he was already done with college. I worked and lived off campus my 2nd year. Then I got married, so it was really just a means for an end for me. Then after college, I got my 1st teaching job, and was pregnant. Survived my first year and Ian was born 6 1/2 weeks early. He hung out in the NICU for 18 days and then came home with us hooked up to a heart monitor. I remember waking up through the night to the sound of a smoke detector. Nope- just Ian's heart monitor going off, probably because the wires came lose or something. It was a tough time. Then Ian finally began growing and chunking up to a 99 percentile baby within months. Good thing my kids come out small- because they don't stay like that for long!
Ian was just a baby, (9 months) and we were having coffee on a Sunday morning before church at the local Moxie. I mentioned to Jer that my period hadn't come in awhile. I couldn't possibly be pregnant, because we were on birth control. But I told him that I'd go next store to Albertson's get a test, and set our minds at ease.
I remember the walk over there. I took the test and was so shocked to see the results. Devastated. I didn't know what to feel or do. I just began crying in the bathroom and made the lonely walk back to the coffee shop. As soon as Jer saw my tears, he must have known. We drove around for awhile, and skipped church to process our recent development. It was a such a jolt to our already overwhelming lives. So- my 2nd year of teaching, I was pregnant again. The pregnancy was back and forth, with bed rest and constant ultra sounds. They thought I had an incompetent cervix, (which would cause premature labor) but when it closed up- wondered if they had misread the ultrasounds. Luke cruised in at 3 1/2 weeks early (perfect timing- no NICU) and was a healthy boy. (minus the gluten intolerance!). Life went on, chaos accompanied, but slowly it got easier. We got into our routine, found our strengths and begun working very well with one another. We had to -with 2 under two. We discovered how to communicate without disrespecting one another or throwing jabs. We learned how to appreciate one another for efforts, big and small and to be considerate of outside circumstances. We learned to love one another- more than the feeling- but the choice. Our lives became joyful in the midst of chaos. Slowly the chaos disappeared (it tends to revisit time to time) and we found that much of it was temporary.
It is scary considering traveling back to a time of hardship. Babyworld. Can't say that it's my favorite. It's not Jer's, that's for sure. Interrupting a time of contentment, a time of potty trained kids, and being able to sit through a whole movie- amazing. But I pray that- we will learn to work together and get through it just like we did before. That God will equip us with all that we need to give our children, each other and ourselves the love, rest, and respect that we all long for.
So today, on my holiday birthday, (which yes, is often blended into Christmas) I was blessed with so much. Jer left on Friday night to spend the weekend with his best friend in Denver. The friend's parents flew him up there and they went to a Nugget's game and had a great weekend. J texted me with directions to my present this morning. Of course they would be on top of a cabinet that my eyes will never be able to see even with a chair. I dusted off my sleeve when I got down and looked at a small teal notebook. Inside were more directions to presents in the garage. But I held in my hands the ultimate gift that any mother, wife, grandmother would melt at. One page of this book would be enough, but there were 30 pages. Granted I have a unique man who is not skilled at the typical male aspirations, (carpentry, mechanics, killing rodents of any kind.....) but he carries gifts that many women desire all their lives for their husbands to acquire. He can plan dates, 3-4 step dates, theme dates, cheap dates, expensive dates,.....creative dates. He can buy gifts, practical gifts, special gifts and elaborate gifts. He is thoughtful, creative, romantic, and expressive. And he is a writer. He can communicate so well in his writing. So many women just want to know what the man is thinking. I am no exception. But every once in awhile, he blesses me with a gift that lets me inside of that world.
Inside the notebook was a cover page entitled: TAKING OFF THE MASK: A father's hopes, dreams, and prayers for his sons. There was a precious picture taped on of the boys. I turned the pages to find a prayer for each day. I just finished reading the whole thing and cried, cried, cried. I could continue to cry if I thought about it more. It was a mature father seeking help and wisdom for the upbringing of his sons. I can't begin to tell you enough about it for you to understand the depth of it. I felt like I was reading a book- only it was my husband, talking about my kids- which made it that much more special and emotional. He talked about his feelings about baby #3 and the fears and reservations he had. He grew each day with each prayer and landed on trusting God with the future- it being the only thing that would preserve his happiness and peace. It was an incredible gift that I will always cherish.
So here I am, 27. I am blessed with a great family, (we've had a great time with Papa and Grandma, I'll post pictures later), 2 amazing kids, (despite the terrible two's) a new special blessing on the way, and a husband that completes me and works so hard at making me happy and being the best father and husband that he can be.- I guess 16 was a fun time. But I wouldn't trade this life any day.........(as long as girl's weekends and date nights continue.....)


Sorry for the novel! I'll post holiday pics later!

To puke or not to puke

Well, so much for the girl theory. This pregnancy is just like my others. Sicker than a dog. I kept trying to tell myself that I haven't been very sick with this one, but I guess holding in vomit doesn't really count.

It's amazing how different I feel about messes when I feel sick 24/7. I even napped (or rested-in and out of sleep) for almost 3 hours on Sunday when the boys were down. I never nap. Anyway- I'm almost done with the 1st trimester, so let's pray that it gets better.

Christmas is so close and I've been savoring every moment of my 2 weeks off. (every moment that I'm not puking or nauseous.gingerbread house.......

snow angels.......

And of course, .......

Christmas cookies....

Sorry for the sideways photo.....This time I decided for time and arguing purposes, I would frost the cookies and hand them to the boys to sprinkle. Luke kept digging his fingers into the icing and sneaking a lick. I kept saying, "Luke, don't eat the frosting, just put the stars on.".....In the most sincere and innocent voice, he would respond, "Mom, I not doing anything." while, continuing to eat the icing. A line in which he picked up from his brother and seems to know the perfect times to use it. I had to laugh under my breath. But- if I were you, I'd stay away from the cookies with the large star sprinkles on them. :)

Speaking of Luke, the latest update. Although he did test negative to celiac disease (which means you are gluten-intolerant), I started the gluten-free diet and he has been doing very well. It's been an adjustment, and it's difficult at times, but it's not the end of the world, and it's nice to see him feeling better. I send a lunch similar to whatever they are having at daycare (thanks to the many gluten-free options they have available at Fred Meyer- for a PRETTY PENNY- of course) and he has been doing well eating them. They even have donuts that we take with us and put our own sprinkles on them so he can't tell the difference when we go to donuts. Almost anything you can think of, you can get gluten-free. It looks different and taste different but he is getting use to it. I got some cookie dough and made a few cookies and froze them so when we have cookies- (like today) I just put icing and sprinkles on it and Luke is happy. It's difficult to go out to eat (but that is so rare- that it doesn't effect us that much). He can't have ice cream, so our Dairy Queen treat visits, have stopped, but he can have all meats, vegetables, rice, potatoes, sugars, fruits, etc....anything that doesn't have wheat, rye, or barley. It could be a lot worse! It will take me awhile to figure out our grocery budget to include all of his foods, but God will provide.

Anyway family is going to be surrounding us over the holidays and we are looking forward to making memories and teaching the boys the real meaning of Christmas.-........while Jer begs me every night to open a present.

Have a great Christmas everyone! I pray that you cherish the moments with those you love and recognize the Savior's gift to all.

Lost and Found

It's been a good week. As December arrives, along with it comes multiple events, commitments, and odds and ins that have to be completed. Most of it I love, but it's just ALL at once! This week we made wreaths with our small group. It was a lot of fun and the kids did great play with the other kids. We have learned to tote along our bag of trains and with plenty to share- it seems to keep them busy for hours....
Thursday night was Jer's work Christmas party. We debated bringing the boys because we are usually on kid patrol and don't get to socialize very much, and with Jer being somewhat of an administrator- we wanted to be available. BUT- his boss goes to all lengths to have this incredible party, complete with the most real looking/acting Santa I have ever witnessed. He comes into the party unannounced and calls all the children over. He calls them out one by one and has a present that was bought especially for them. (Plus there are incredible door prizes!:) So Jer decided that we should bring them because of all she was doing and because they would love it. It's amazing how much they grow up before your eyes. We went, (Ian very aware of Santa's upcoming visit) and we ate ahead of time since the dinner wasn't until 7 and I wasn't sure what they were having with Luke's issues.... They had their trains and played so well with all the other kids there. A few other kids horded a few trains and Ian didn't even notice. Then the big moment. "HO!HO!HO! (jingle, jingle,jingle)....." He had arrived!!!!! Ian and Luke were all smiles as we walked over to his area. The boys sat patiently and sang songs with Santa and couldn't wait to sit on his lap. One by one the names were called and Santa talked with each child for a full minute or so. (which seemed like much longer). We waited and waited.....Finally the last 2 presents out of the bag (out of like 30 or so) were called out. Ian jumped up with a sheepish smile walked over to his lap. He answered Santa's big question- with a fire truck. (of which we bought an amazing one on Craig's list for $7 that is so big I asked Jer to help me carry it upstairs- it has a 3 ft crane) Santa instructed him to go to bed early and Santa would bring him something special. Then Luke's name was called and I thought for sure he would cling to me and refuse to sit on the old stranger's lap. But he bounced up and ran to him! I could have teared up!!!! It was so precious. Jer and I were just beaming with content to see them in this magical moment. Santa gave them little race cars that they clutched in bed that night. Luke wanted his 4 cars to remain in the plastic and got super protective if anyone wanted to show him that he could take them out and actually play with them.

Then on Friday, I had to take them to get the dreaded flu shot-always a pain. My ped. is in Eagle and I don't get out of school until 4 which is when they have their last appointments. So I made arrangements for my bus kids to go with a co-worker and I raced to daycare to pick up the kids. They had a good day (whew) and we raced to the doctor's office. We arrived on time, (another whew!) and I somehow walked in with calm, obedient boys. They played for a moment in the waiting room and then our names were called. To our great surprise the nurse was going to give them the spray instead of the shot (an amazing advancement). Two boys, two sniffs, and we were done. Not even the $40 copay. (whew). They walked out, received their suckers (a bit of a rip off for only having to sniff- but oh well) and walked to the car. For those 10 minutes I felt relief, assurance and pride for them behaving so well. I felt like a good mom. Instead of always viewing the other children that are sitting so quietly, etc. And it hit me. They are growing up. They're always going to be wild boys with energy and excitement, but they will mature and understand what is appropriate and when. To top it off, Ian loved the Christmas music on the way home because he remembered singing it with Santa.
A good week.

Jer and I went Christmas shopping last night for each other, but we couldn't help to walk into the Disney store and drool over the new WALL-E toys. Jer begged to give them to them today but we settled on giving them their 2 new Wall-e plates at lunch time. Ian was so excited that he said, "Mom, I need you to take a picture of my Wall-e plate and me."
Oh- and I'm can't seem to find my period. Anyone seen it?

girl time

My girls' weekend was wonderful. The moment I got past through security in the airport and didn't have to rush to my plane I thought, "What should I do now?" It was incredible. Just to be ALONE. I had a book that I have been itching to read, "The Shack" and I got half way through it on the trip. (Have I been able to pick it up since then? No.) As soon as I spotted my friends at the airport, picking me up, it was as if my heart sighed- relieved to see the faces that had traveled with me through so many good times. It was a great weekend.




The first night we talked until 2 in the morning. (difficult for me normally) The next day we went shopping and helped each person find the desired item that they hoped to discover that day. That evening we vegged out (literally)
And then we decided to quit dreaming about them, and actually go pick up some cupcakes.....

Anyway- thanks gals for a wonderful weekend! Thanks Grandma Lynn for helping with the boys!

On that thankful note- Thanksgiving was a good time as well. The boys LOVED having Grandma and Papa here. My mom brought them some new legos and Ian played with them for hours straight. It was amazing. We had a nice mix of relaxation and getting out and doing fun stuff. It made me so thankful for family.

The latest on Luke is that we are trying a gluten free diet (although he tested negative to celiac) 10% of kids do test a false negative. So we'll probably have to do the scope unless we get answers before then. Gluten free is a pain! Especially since he doesn't understand why all of the sudden he can't eat things. But it could be a lot worse. He had a couple of solid poops about 24 hours after we started it, and then a day and a half later- he had diarrhea again. We'll give it a while before we rule it out. (dread).

But all the same, a great weekend.

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I've posted. I've wanted to a lot, but just not got around to it. J and I couldn't believe it was already time for another Thursday night of great T.V. Office and ER were excellent last night! I cried my eyes out during ER! Anyway, last week we had parent conferences at school and they went really well. Only one parent didn't show, and she allegedly had twin babies on that day. (yet to be confirmed by her :) The Friday following conferences, we get a comp day for going in both evenings. So I planned all these fun crafts and didn't take the boys to daycare and was looking forward to a special day with them. It was special all right.

They both woke up puking. Ian was puking all through the night on Thursday. I thought at one point I could try and get a cat nap in between his episodes, (giving him a bowl) But he woke up and puked all over his bed. All the rest of time he mastered the bowl. (a great moment when they can control that!- Luke- notsomuch). So I got Luke up in the morning. He seemed happy but right after breakfast, it all came out. So much for the fun day. But the blessing was that I was already home with them and didn't have to worry about getting a sub and taking the day off.

I leave tonight for a long awaited girls' weekend in Seattle. My good friends chipped together and sent me Southwest gift cards to ensure that I could make it. All the other girls live in Washington, so I am the one that usually has to travel. I was touched and delighted by their gesture. I won't see my "BFF" (in Paris Hilton's terms) this trip, but maybe some other time soon. J's mom is coming into town tonight to aid with the load and spend special time with the boys. I'm sure they will have a wonderful weekend. Better get going. Busy day ahead.

Pirate by day.......

Batman by night.

(huge sigh, moan, and stretch....) Wow. We finally made it through the week. TGIS. After this week of craziness, I'm actually excited to put all the Halloween stuff away and move on to.......Christmas? Okay-, Thanksgiving first.

The days have been jam packed with events between Papa's birthday,

Pirate Day at school. (2nd grade has a mapping/geography unit and we end it with Pirate Day).

Then the school carnival, which was a huge success, but so much work and includes a 13 hour day for me.

Then Halloween itself.

Although I think his favorite part of the night was handing out the candy. He waited patiently by the door for each arriving guest.

Next week there are parent/teacher conferences, which will be another tough week (more 13 hour days...)

We've also been working on some rearranging issues in our house. We're going to turn the good living room into an office and wall it off with french doors. We already sold the couches on Craigslist. We have been debating about our piano that was my childhood piano that my parents brought up for me. I would love to play more- but anyone with kids knows how realistic that is. So I was just hanging on to it in hopes of the future. But we really don't have enough room for anything in our house that is not practical or put to good use. So after clearing it with my parents (in case they had sentimental attachments to it) we decided it was time to let it go. Jer was bragging to a friend about how great Craigslist was and how he was selling things like crazy. The friend said, "You're not by chance selling a piano, are you? I just bought a house and the last thing on my list to purchase is a used piano." Needless to say, the little miracle raked in another $300 for us to put towards the wall. Praise God!!! :)

Anyway, things have been really busy, but good.

Today J is volunteering at a half-marathon that a friend is running so today I'm on my own with donuts. The library is having a story time this morning with a "Pirate Adventure" so I think I will brave it and try to take them. Otherwise, cleaning, yard work, laundry and possible quick shop trip during naptime (obviously when J gets home)- is on the menu for today.

no, these are not last year's Halloween pics....

Well yesterday Papa came with us to the store after donuts and bought the kids their costumes. Prior to this, we had searched second-hand stores, craig's list and other places, refusing to pay a lot for something they would wear once. These were the only ones left that fit them and that weren't a horror character. (the girls' costumes were so much better....) So I have just accepted that superheros are going to be a part of my life no matter how much I try to avoid it.

But I think we have already gotten our money's worth from them because once the boys tried them on- they wouldn't take them (except for nap and bedtime- I made them). They played in them, wrestled in them (Dad put on a mask and was the bad guy- now they want Dad to have the mask on evey time they wrestle) and we went to rent and movie - and Batman and Spiderman came with us.

Some days I wish I could be 3 again.
Here are some other recent pics.

The 3 loves of my life. If only hubs would smile for pictures.

Fall Clean up! I swear it was only 7:15pm.

Decorating fall cookies.

That's all for now. Time to get kiddos up for church.

Joy and Pain

I just returned from the Ladies' Retreat with my church. It was in nice hotel in a nearby town. It ended up being a really good time with friends and a great chance to get to know some new people and be around the "Oak Trees" in our church. (the older generation with such strong roots)
The theme was "Joy in the Midst of Pain". All people can relate to this topic at some point in their lives, whether from relationships, death, jobs, family issues, medical conditions, depression, or other life circumstances that come our way. That pain seems so overwhelming that it is hard to imagine anything but. I kept wishing that the mother of my student that just lost her husband could be present for this seminar, because she so needs to hear the words of hope that can follow pain. But not only did it remind me to seek the joy of the Lord, but to encourage those people going through things that there is hope.
I came home to a quiet house. I thought the boys might already be napping but they were just sitting quietly at the table, eating their PB & J's, while Dad was cutting up apples for them. The house was clean and the laundry was almost finished. I was grateful and proud for the job well done, while I was away. They had a great "guys" weekend. (down to the army guy figurines they acquired while I was gone) I am truly blessed.
So I start this week with a fresh attitude, a renewed spirit, laundry completed, and I'm ready to face the school week with a new sense of joy.
(should be easy for me right?)

Worth every penny.

frozen pizza to scarf down before we left..........$7.00

6 tokens for the petting zoo and jump house.......$6.00

fresh mini pumpkin and small pumpkin...............$0.70

A day of great behavior reports on 2 toddlers, poopless diapers from bedtime and naptime, a great time at the pumpkin patch and LUKE COMING HOME AND POOPING IN THE POTTY..........priceless!

I went to bed with a great smile....

(..despite the snoring from Jer because he is getting a cold and took Nyquil.)

Most of our small group (Bible Study)

Okay folks. I did it. We did it. A group of 9 or 10 of us have been training, planning, and mentally preparing for this race. Since it was local, we saw many other people that we knew there. The weather was wonderful, cloudy with even some raindrops here and there. A perfect climate to run in, through the beautiful trees of Boise. It went well, but I was in pain for the last.....8 miles? My knees just felt like they needed to be screwed off. Today, they almost feel like they are bruised. Just touching them aches. Jer was in pain as well. I think a combination of him not running last week and just his frame and size, that much running is a lot of pressure on his already aching joints. But he was a trooper. He finished it as well (despite telling Amanda that passed him on mile 9 "Tell Joy to come and pick me up!")

But we're proud of the accomplishment and once again it was great to do it with friends and with our spouses.

My time ended up being 2hrs 0mins. 9 seconds. Can I call that 2 hrs even? Anyway, I think if I continued to run this length, I could definitely improve my time because it just felt like my upper body was moving but my legs were just dragging along for the ride. In the beginning, I tried the classic move of taking the water cups from the sidelines and drinking them while I was running. After getting my face soaked and choking on the water, at the next station I figured it was better to just stop and drink the water. By the last station I took 2 cups of water and couldn't find a trashcan, but felt weird throwing them to the ground, so I carefully set them upright (by instinct) near the distributors. After I did that - I was thinking, what did I do that for? But on I went. Chad passed me at mile 11 or 12. But I had nothing in me left to step it up. Then Travis came around. I just kept visualizing lunch.

Here are a few pics, but I didn't get very good ones- if anyone else has some- I'd love for you to email them to me!

Not the best family pic- but we're all here.

The running crew. Including the winner of the entire race , Jimmy and the 3rd place winner- Shannon. Congrats guys! You guys rocked!

Well- off I go to work. It's a Collaboration Day so there are no students. I'm not sure if it's good or bad that I'll be sitting in meetings all day. My body will be sore for awhile.
I'll post more pics later.

A mom's life

Here are a few highlights from my week. The good, the bad and the ugly.....

1. Our furnace wasn't working, even after we tried everything, talked to a few friends, researched it, and applied all suggestions. Called the serviceman, he came over and said...."So what's the problem? It works fine." God has a unique sense of humor - that morning I prayed for it to be a minimal problem with a minimal cost. However- the irony of the $70 service call still stings.
2.A day in the classroom with 3 different meltdowns, a boy that had to be escorted out of the classroom by me carrying him in his chair with his arms clinging to his seat- refusing to move. One wet pants, (probably the 15th time this year by the same student) one diarrhea on white pants, one boy whose bio parents are losing parental rights this week- and the gal whose father passed away coming up to me every 10 minutes with some kind of ache.....
what? Learning is supposed to happen amidst all that?
3. Jer got through a month of Jury duty with only having to go in for 2 hours. PTL!
4. Unbeknownst to me, I misplaced our waterbill or threw it away with credit card offers (since the format changed this month apparently...) and I came home on Wednesday with............No water. Love it. love it. Called and got a service man to come out and turn it on just in time to wash wet sand off the boys for dinner. Water bill+$25 deliquent fee+$25 afterhour service fee.
stings.
5.I discovered that the floor of my shower CAN be white. If I scrub with all my might for 53 minutes.
6.Code Brown from Luke- a special treat in the bath last night. He had corn dogs for lunch and I swear I could have pieced together the skin of the hot dog. Still no improvements on him.
7. Dropped boys off to daycare this morning while I clean house (no school). I was talking with my sitter upstairs and the boys went on down. Suddenly Ian screeches and begins bawling, yelling that L hit him. I met him at the stairs and blood was streaming down the back of his head. They must have been romping and then L pushed him back. The only thing we can figure is that he hit his head on a bed frame. (sigh) I hope I make it raising boys.
8.FOUND MY KEYS. They were in the back row of the van, that had been folded down flat for several weeks. It's amazing what you come across when you clean.
9. This morning when Dad told Ian to go potty, (he is not a morning person) Ian responds with a tilted head and a pointed finger, "You want me to put you in here? I'll flush you down the potty." Dad laid down the law about talking with respect and then came and reported the zinger to me. We laughed hysterically. Where do they get this stuff?
10. Had a quick lunch date with Jer yesterday and we did a little mall walking. Always nice to spend time together.


Ahhh. It's Friday. I have few more hours of cleaning to achieve. The Christmas tunes have been my best companion through it all. The boys are trying to earn a special night of decorating fall cookies and watching It's the Great Pumkin Charlie Brown tonight. Grandma also comes tonight, then the race is on Sunday. It should be a good weekend.

Run for how many miles?

Well the race is 1 week from today and I'm not as ready as I should be. No regrets- I'm a working mom of 2 and there's days- where I just can't get to running due to scheduling or meetings, sleep or - I simply need to be eating my bowl of ice cream on the couch watching The Office. (let's be real, shall we?)

Anyway- yesterday J and I were going to go and do a 12 mile together but our babysitter got sick so we had to cancel. I plan to try and go this afternoon. (I hate running on the weekends-so many other things have to get done while the kids are sleeping!) So we'll see. I have secured a sitter, (thanks Lora) and today I need to fork over the registration money, and we just have to DO IT. What's the worst that could happen? I'm not above walking.

Doc Appointment

Well I just got back from Luke's doctor appointment. So many people have asked about the progress and I know many of you have prayed for him, so I figured I'd give a full out update. It went well and I feel hopeful. I guess he continues to have most of the symptoms of toddler's diarrhea with the a few exceptions that are contrary. Apparently 90% of kids respond quickly to probiotics, fiber and increase of protein. 10% may not respond to those treatments but still have the condition. Through his stool sample and all his blood work, his tests came out good. (which is good but gives us little answers). He was tested for celiac- which was negative- but 10% of kids will test a false negative. She said her only concerns were that his symptoms were beginning to change in that with loss of appetite and fussiness, tummy aches, etc. Before, when he was happy, he pretty much fit the profile of a healthy kid that had toddler's diarrhea. She said his tummy felt great- no enlarged liver, etc. Sooooooooo, we're going to up the dose of fiber supplements, continue avoiding carbs (you know my thoughts on that), and begin taking Imodium. (which I'm hoping will make a difference). If these don't work after a period of time, then we would probably have to look into doing a scope to see what was wrong internally. (anesthesia, scope down the mouth to his intestines)

So- the new prayer is that he has toddler's diarrhea, he just wasn't responsive to the other things and that maybe Imodium will to the trick. oh- and prayer that I stop getting the bills from all this! :)

(pics from the water park)

Here's to Wednesday. Half way through the week!

Don't be a hater

I'll admit to it. I know that it's a highly controversial topic- but I feel strongly about it. Don't judge me- just because you feel differently. I just couldn't help it. I finally gave in.

I listened to Christmas music today.

And it felt amazing. Just puts a smile right on your face. There is just too much magic and joy in Christmas to last for only 1 month. Why not stretch it out? I won't play it in the home for another month or so- but in my little headphones rings some of the best sounds ever produced. I simply can't wait!!!

Moving on- last night was a momentous occasion. The first time in a long time that this has happened.

Both boys completed dinner from all of the food groups with NO complaining or fussing. I almost held my breath during the entire dinner- I was in so much shock. It seems like even on nights with favorites- someone is complaining about having to eat their vegetables, or their meat, or their potatoes, or SOMETHING.

But Ian made up for it quickly when we told him of our weekend plan to go see WALLY at the Drive In. (a movie he has talked about seeing since it was on previews) But it back fired when we didn't understand that we weren't going that night- but on Friday night. Great disappointment accompanied with the missing drama from dinner. (and I thought girls were drama...)

But the evening evolved into quiet calmness once more when we moved "Story time" outdoors and the boys got to read with dad.

Ian's nose was bothering him so I went to go get a tissue and told him that we needed to blow it. (despite the resistance that I knew was coming) He strangely was compliant and one blow- out came ........this.......

I thought you would prefer the clean version- so I washed out all the bloody boogers that were tangled in through the coil. Yes, my friends, this appears to be a spring of some sort that my son thought belonged up his nose. I'm pretty sure it's been up there for several days because he hasn't been wanting me to blow his nose. I can't believe it didn't hurt. I swear, his nostril has been enlarged. Poor guy. Well- hopefully that will be the last nose plug he tries out.

Last night I went to the rec and ran my....10. I discovered one thing. There's no way I'm going to be able to run 13.5. My legs will fall off like fall leaves from a tree. So, we'll see. My knees are just popping every time I get up and down. The stairs are brutal. Maybe this is enough torture. I miss my eliptical.

Pooh Update

I wish I was talking about the Bear. In all actuality, there is no update. Things are just as bad as they have been- if not worse. I think whatever is happening in his little body is really starting to effect the way he feels daily. He just isn't his happy self anymore. This smile is becoming few and far between, unless I have the camera out and he says "Cheez!" He is just fussy and doesn't want to do the things that he normally jumps to. I have had a hard time getting a response or call back from the specialist this week. I want her to know that all these probiotics, fiber supplements and diet plans haven't changed anything. The bills are starting to roll in and he is still miserable. Not that it's the doctor's fault, I just wish I could make him feel better. He's screaming up in his room. Probably sitting in a diaper full as we speak. I better go clean it up.

Sidenote: Many of you were entertained by Jer's guest appearances on my blog (or preferred him...). Well I finally convinced him to start his own blog.
http://www.jeremy-amuse.blogspot.com/
Check it out.

impossible. I don't want to think that- but realistically- it's much closer to that than even "probable" or "possible".
My students just took the IRI (state reading assessment). I've known my class was low and was not too surprised when their fall scores reflected only 22% of the class starting as proficient. It suddenly grabbed the attention of others - that so many kids would be placed in one classroom with those scores. I'd been trying to tell them- whining that last year could NOT be repeated. I'd been promised that it would be better this year- that last year was a fluke considering the melting pot of disabilities and behaviors all concentrated into my room. I hope you all know me well enough to know that I have deep care and concern for those kiddos- it is just "impossible" to have this many and be expected to get them up to proficiency. I can't change their home life. I can't make mom get their here on time instead of accruing 10 tardies ALREADY in this school year. I can't pack their lunches and teach them that a bag of gummy worms, 2 donuts and ...well... nothing else..... is okay for lunch. I can't get their folks out of jail or teach their parents English so they can read with them.
One little girl just suffered through her dad's sudden death this weekend- due to a motorcycle accident. I think she'll actually be okay. She has a strong family and good support system. But it's one more heart breaking thing.
I'm sorry- it probably seems like all I do is complain about teaching. But.....I don't know what else to feel. My first year- I had maybe 3 "1's" which is below grade level. Next year- 3 or 4 ones. Third year I had 3. Fourth, I had 7, and this year I have 13. Not counting all the "2's" who are also not proficient. Point is- they're coming to me in more dire need. You can look at a lot of angles of education and we can work on all kinds of things at school to concentrate on our target areas- but I can't change the family situations or long term special needs. Maybe I should just open a floral shop, bakery, or start a farm. That seems simpler. My current strategy is just to not feel defeated, start each new day with a blank slate, and pray for their success- whatever that may be.

running update- motivation goes up and down (especially when I have to run after a long day) but I arrived at the Rec today after 5 days of it being closed. I was eager to use my spoiled little indoor track, when only to find that it was roped off for maintenance. That- and realizing that I had worn a thong to school (not my favorite workout gear) put a dent in my moral. I just went hard on the eliptical and actually had time to lift weights and work on my poor abandoned abs. Tomorrow evening, I plan to do 8 or 9 miles. I made a few new playlists for my ipod to try and get me through it. This better be worth it- especially since we realized we missed the deadline for the entry fee and have to pay$120 just to be in it. ($30 more dollars than we would have 2 days ago.)whaa whaa whaa joy.
get a grip.

Labor Day should be scheduled once a month.....at least.

I've had lots to write about this week, just no time to do it. Although it seems I always claim my life is busy- it seemed like I was juggling multiple things through the week and had little time to do anything restful but sleep.
I was blessed to see my good friend, Melissa, who came into town with her precious 1 yr old. We had a wonderful time visiting and it was good to have a evening with friends.
We did a lot of family things this weekend and even scored a date night Saturday evening. We raided Goodwill and Savers and found some amazing finds. My best was a brand new pair of Lucky jeans for $9.99! And they fit perfectly ( a miracle in itself).
Today we had an amazing day. Dad got the day off (1 of like 4 that he gets- he has NO vacation time)... and from start to finish, it was ideal. We woke up, had pancakes, then loaded up and went to the park. Ian is really getting into imaginative play and it is so fun playing along with him. Then we decided to try to tackle my grocery trip with the whole family. We split up and conquered. That went smoothly as well (as long as the boys could eat a banana on the way out of the store...).
We came home and Dad played trains with the boys while I fixed lunch. They just soaked up the time with him. Naptime - I dabbled bills, bathrooms, laundry, dishes, and then sat down and we both read books together. They woke up, and played outside (without telling on each other every other minute) and we had a nice big dinner, (with cupcakes as dessert)- played outside more- buried the dinosaurs in the sand, mowed the lawn, gave the dog a bath,.....I'm realizing this actually doesn't sound real any more. But - it is! After a long day with Luke yesterday, (he is just starting to really be "2") we needed a good family day. Thank you God. :)

So what's been heavily on my mind lately- is this raising boys thing. Some days I just think- am I really cut out for this? Being raised with 2 sisters, things that I never thought would be - seem foreign to me. I was reminded of "Bringing up Boys" by a friend and I swear I have a copy but I scoured the house and cannot find it. So I checked it out from the church library. It has just captured me because I am realizing that all the things that I worry about- are normal. Turns out- they're just normal, typical, to-be-expected boys. Doesn't make it any easier. But maybe I can stop feeling like it's just my kids. All this realizations came to pass- like when I ask them to talk nicely- instead of using that manly voice (for lack of a better description), or when I fret over them turning every possible object into a sword or gun, or when I worry about how rough they are with each other---normal, normal, normal. (whew....Dr. Dobson- where have you been all my life?)
I'm realizing how my role is going to start to vastly change. I've already noticed how Dad is preferred, which doesn't bother me, surprisingly. Although I never thought of how he needs to be the one directing them through boyhood, adolescence and then manhood. I guess I just thought "parenting" would cover it. In a way, I'm a bit relieved. I don't understand the make-up of a boy. I gave up trying to understand men a long time ago- never thinking I would have to revisit the topic. All I have to relate to is my own past and childhood. So as I was prepping to mold these kids into kind, considerate, gentlemen- I'm puzzled why the behavior wasn't even curving close to what I was relating it to. (if that makes sense).
So I go into this next week, feeling comforted, yet aware of the huge challenge ahead. It just seems as a parent, there are so many things you are constantly working towards. Security, esteem, discipline, mature mind, love, health, just to scratch the surface. But I believe the most important thing I can do is pray for them. I can't control a lot of what they will face but I can wrap them in prayer.

Running? I hit 7 this week, but my hip has really been bothering me. I hope it won't hold me back from anything.
Gotta get some sleep.

salesman slam,running, and burnt marshmallows,,,,

Thanks for all your words of encouragement ladies. The first 3 days have gone fairly well. I actually think they are the easiest of the whole year because it is the honeymoon stage. The kids that act out when they can't do the work- are sitting nicely because we're not doing real work yet. So - it turns out I currently have only 24 students. 4 did not show but have not been withdrawn, we'll see. But I have had to deal with the situation I mentioned earlier- every day this week and it is still not resolved.

But as we speak, this unique and special man that I am married to is downstairs being completely entertained by a door-to-door salesman that is offering a free carpet shampoo. He LOVES to be sold. I HATE to be sold. I won't answer the door- just to avoid it. He'll invite them in and offer them food and drinks. So in the middle of our busy Saturday (Dog obedience school this evening, laundry, lawn mowing, kids napping,....) the carpet guy has to bust in and take over our living room. I'm upstairs, biting my tongue because clean carpet or not- I'd rather he not be here. (Wende- don't comment on how much I need him)

So a moment ago my eager husband took a second out of watching the incredible show (the guy cleaning, not the Olympics) and came upstairs to tell me, "This guy's phenonmenal! You should come down and see how much dirt he got off of our carpet!" Uh. No thanks.

So anyway- we took the kids to the water park today. We got 4 free tickets from winning the family name game on the radio. (Which will stretch out to 2 visits for our family!)

The kids had a great time. It's so fun to see them happy.

So I don't know if I've mentioned on here yet- that I too, am doing the half- marathon. It's in October-which is creeping up. Training was pretty slow going but my 5 miles felt pretty good yesterday so that gave me hope. I'd like to make it a goal to run the whole thing- but I don't know if I can work up to that in 7 weeks. I'll just be determined to do it. Jer is doing it too. I'm so proud of him. :)

Last Friday we tried to have a camp out in our backyard. Of course we picked the day it was 102 degrees to do it. But Ian would not stop talking about the fire we needed to build.

Male bonding.

What happened?

low carb? Notsomuch. I've tried to stick with it, (we have 4 days left) but on the weekends, it's really hard to just tell him- no you don't get it, when everyone else is having something. Especially PB&J.

So the boys had fun, but it was so hot that we were all melting by the fire and decided to go in and just watch a movie with popcorn, despite the tent that I had already put up.

28 what?

I'm tired. We had "Meet the Teacher" tonight. I have 28 kids on my roster. I have lots to say- but no energy to do it.

Today an issue from last year came up. A parent called a meeting for the 2nd day of school- regarding a student from LAST YEAR. She is demanding to have her retained- or "she won't bring her to school.".....Okay....?....anyway I have to go to the meeting and match up against her and her posse that I know she's bringing. As soon as I found out about it- all the stress and anxiety flooded back from last year. This summer I have felt so free from it. My class situation looks pretty challenging this year as well- especially with the little mistake that the office did when they added several students to my class that they forgot to mark on the list. Half of my students are on a "Hot List" which is flagged for major concerns.
Anyway I have just been trying to look at it in a new light. God has allowed each and every one of those kidos in my room for a reason. They all need me for something. I need to be available to love them, to teach them, and to believe in them. I just have to believe that God has His hand in this and that I need to leave it in His hands, not my own. And- I don't need to carry the burden- OR the stress.
Pray for my kids, and for my efforts. With everything they're asking us to fit into a day- (especially since we're in AYP jail)- (Adequate Yearly Progress)- it just is so overwhelming when you have a large, challenging group- and when your heart gets involved.
But God is good and He is working in me. I pray that He'll carry me through this year and make it a positive experience for the students and me.
Gotta sleep now. big day ahead.

Poo and more poo.

Well I think I've actually used a similar title for a previous post- which tells you how much I've dealt with this subject. Well- what mom hasn't? But my little guy (turns 2 on Saturday) has dealt with this monstrous poo problem all of his life. I've posted on it before- but we were finally able to get him into a specialist this past week. I braved the appointment with both boys since I was able to get the appointment the day before the scheduled day. Normally I go to all lengths possible to not take the extra child who is not being seen. They goof all the whole time- start getting into who knows what- while I'm trying to listen to the doctor, while making sure they don't swallow hazardous waste or spill germ killer all over the floor. Well. A day's notice did not allow me to find a sitter for Ian- so I prepped him up for the doctor's appointment all morning. I had to wake them up from their nap to make it to the appointment (only to find Ian still awake- and had received no nap). So we went, I prayed- and we survived. Ian did pretty good in the beginning, sat with his sticker book and his snack, but after about 10 minutes of the doc and I talking- Luke started egging Ian on to play and Ian fell right into his hands. (sigh)

Anyway- Luke's chronic diarrhea has haunted him since birth with no end in sight. After numerous diets, supplements, and doc appointments, our latest steps is seeing a GI specialist and doing some tests. He may just have "toddler's diarrhea" and some kids don't grow out of that until they are 4 or 5. (Yikes). But they can give medication to slow things down, etc. So the doc wants him to go on a low carb (are you kidding) diet for 2 weeks. That sounds like a nightmare. Eating chicken and cheese for 2 weeks while everyone else isn't sounds like a recipe for disaster. Also- I had to get a fresh stool sample sometime and get it to the lab within 2 hours of for them to do lab work. Fresh poo... I was a bit panicked about this part because Luke is potty trained and wears undies all day but during nap and nighttime. It is then and only then that he will have diarrhea. It's like he's too scared to poop in the potty because he knows how much it hurts. So every night I put a diaper on him, paste on diaper cream and arrive to a diarrhea diaper EVERY morning. But- how would I know how fresh the poo was? Would I have to take a sample in the middle of the night? Plus- school starts on Monday---....But God relieved my stress when I put Ian down for a nap (after Luke was put down 20 minutes prior), and I walked past Luke's room. My nose caught the atrocious odor that has plagued our house for 2 years and I wondered if I could sneak in and extract the poo. So I went for it. The precious boy laid right down while I changed him and I put him right back in bed. I called my sister (I'm so blessed to have her!) and she came over and held the nap fort down while I packaged the poo and rushed over to the lab to deliver the goods.

I feel so relieved to have that part done. Now I have to take him to the lab on Saturday for blood work. He'll love that.

So for now- low carbs, 2 probiotics, benefiber, and most likely a fussy boy. I pray that we'll find an answer soon. Hopefully it's just a temporary thing that he'll grow out of and not any life long condition.

**

Last weekend we got to spend time with our good friends. It was so great to see them and actually hang out. The kids had such a great time together. They all just seemed so big. They called each other "My friend" all weekend and got along really well.

Little T is not so little anymore.

They did not want me to push them. Only each other.

We went to the water park and the boys were in heaven. They went on the water slide repeatedly and were pretty fearless in the water.

For now- we're hoping to hull away the last of our landscaping project and be done with it. Then Monday-school starts. I hope we can get right into the swing of things...I hope.

donuts and discipline....

This morning Dad decided to make it a special day and declared he was taking everyone out to donuts. No one argued with that.

This is one of his FAVORITE traditions. His dad always took him and his brother and sister to donuts every Saturday (which we normally do). He really treasured that time with him and decided early on that he wanted that with his kids as well. It has become a great tradition that everyone looks forward to and wants to continue.

Today I got together with my good friends from college. We've been trying to do Thursday playdates but things have often come up. I almost cancelled today as well- just because the boys are still trying to catch up on sleep from all the recent action. But I figured we'd give it a shot. And I was on damage control- most of the morning. There were a few brief moments of calm fun. But they did not have enough in them to go swimming so we called it a day a bit early and headed home for a nap. It's so hard. Because I feel like either all my friends have girls- that seem to play a LOT differently than boys- or they have younger kids that aren't to the fit throwing stage yet- or their kids just seem a lot more flexible and laid back than mine. (chuckle) I feel like- when they aren't at their own house- my kids are usually the loud, busybusybusy, kids than others must think are not very disciplined. But then I think, "If only you had my child-......" I feel like wearing a T-Shirt that says,

I do practice love and logic.

I do spank him when he's being naughty.

I do give time outs and talk about behavior and what needs to change.

I do read books on child pyschology.

I do give lots of attention and individualized time.

I am consistent.

I do communicate with my spouse as we modify and adjust our plan.

I do pray DAILY.

I do praise him when he's good.

I do give him incentives and things to work for.

I do lead by example.

I do ALL THAT I KNOW TO DO.

And he STILL acts like this sometimes.

I think probably all parents go through that at some time or another as they are going through the stages but since I have had 2 boys so close in age- my stage seems to be lasting for....awhile.......

You're a really useful engine.....

Ahhh. Like I noted, we had LOTS of family in town this weekend. It was great. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family with strong foundations in Christ. But- ....we're all exhausted now. Last night- since everyone was in town and no one will be around for his real birthday, we had a birthday party for Luke. My little guy is turning 2. And we had a THOMAS party! (Julie- I would have invited the boys- if it wasn't all family!!) The boys were at daycare on Tuesday and when I brought them home and they saw the decorations- they were in heaven. Luke started naming off all the trains he saw on the table cloth. He loved his conductor hat and when they saw these-

Thomas, himself.

Percy- of course.

--they were pumped.

I spent all morning making them and the gasp in Ian's breath and the glow in Luke's eyes- made it all worth it. Plus it was super fun. I love to do this and 2 kids' birthdays a year- give me a great excuse. Someday they're going to say,..."Mom, can we buy my cake this year?" and I'm going to weep.

The party was nice. We just had pizza and veggies and then of course cake and ice cream. Luke sang a precious happy birthday tune to himself and tried to snuff out the candles. Then at about 8 he said, "I go to bed, Mom." So we said good night to everyone and my sleepy little angel- layed right down to bed. My fireball- notsomuch. He played with all Luke's new Thomas toys for a big part of the evening and had a hard time leaving all the action. Right now they're napping and I wouldn't be surprised if they slept into dinner time tonight.

Ian tying Uncle Steve up.

School starts in 12 days. Yikes. I'm ready. I'm ready for routine and it's been a wonderful summer with no regrets.

(sigh) onward.