'Cause I think my kids are that funny, interesting and sometimes say the darndest things....
"Life is good." - Kellen, as said to me on our way to church this morning. This was after detailing the beautiful day outside, the fact that we hadn't been outside playing in our backyard on our swingset much lately because of all of the rain. Why did it have to rain so much Mommy, 'cause it had been raining for like a thousand years or something.
"Darn-it [emphasized by slamming both fists on the table], I am NOT naughty!" - Tatum, at lunchtime today while not sitting as she was supposed to be. Sidenote: Mommy had not actually called her naughty.
And I'm not sure why I can't think of additional ones, because they consistently crack me up at every turn. I MUST find ways to document them better, because they're pricess, and my memory does not remember everything it hears....it simply remembers something funny was said, and if you're lucky, it might remember the topic of the funny comment.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Shout it out...
Well, we're trying to do something of the sort with the recent illnesses in the house. Kellen is home today and he doesn't feel well. Perhaps I should say that he didn't feel well. He seems to be feeling much better, which is GREAT! He was running a low-grade fever this morning and had a variety of symptoms that assured me he wasn't faking, so I spent some time clearing my calendar, made arrangements for a conference call on the item that couldn't be put off, then got the Tatum-tot ready for school. I apparently had too many irons in the fire, as I made it to school with Tatum but no lunch for her. Ug. I corrected that small oversight, then Kellen and I made a quick trip to the store to stock up on a variety of antibacterial cleaning supplies so that I could attempt to clean EVERYTHING possible in the house today. Unfortunately, I didn't expect my conference call(s) to last as long as they did. But you have to do what you have to do, right?
Anyway, with the assistance of some caffeine, delivered by an incredibly thoughtful friend, I feel like I have been fairly productive today...I have kept the laundry going, cleaned the kitchen (counters, including moving items and cleaning backboards); swept and mopped the floors; cleaned the trashcan exterior; and ran the dishwasher twice; cleaned the stove; and dishwasher exterior. I disinfected the kids bathroom, including a VERY thorough cleaning of the toilet - ALL of the toilet, including behind it. Sidenote: Daddy needs to chat with Kellen about aiming. 'Nough said. I changed the linens in both of the kids rooms and disinfected the mattress and bed frame in Kellen's room. In case you're wondering, I lysol'ed the loveseat, then put a clean sheet on it and he's been camped out there for the day...his own little "set-up" and he loves it.
Luckily, I like the citrus smell of the cleaner I bought, and I have really put a dent in it so far! Hopefully I'll knock out whatever germs are floating around in this house...and hopefully they haven't already spread.
I'm not through yet, so wish me luck! And stay healthy yourself!
Anyway, with the assistance of some caffeine, delivered by an incredibly thoughtful friend, I feel like I have been fairly productive today...I have kept the laundry going, cleaned the kitchen (counters, including moving items and cleaning backboards); swept and mopped the floors; cleaned the trashcan exterior; and ran the dishwasher twice; cleaned the stove; and dishwasher exterior. I disinfected the kids bathroom, including a VERY thorough cleaning of the toilet - ALL of the toilet, including behind it. Sidenote: Daddy needs to chat with Kellen about aiming. 'Nough said. I changed the linens in both of the kids rooms and disinfected the mattress and bed frame in Kellen's room. In case you're wondering, I lysol'ed the loveseat, then put a clean sheet on it and he's been camped out there for the day...his own little "set-up" and he loves it.
Luckily, I like the citrus smell of the cleaner I bought, and I have really put a dent in it so far! Hopefully I'll knock out whatever germs are floating around in this house...and hopefully they haven't already spread.
I'm not through yet, so wish me luck! And stay healthy yourself!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Progress Report
We've made it through the first six weeks for Kellen, and Daddy and I had the parent-teacher conference today. Considering that he had come home with a few "Needs Improvement" on his weekly progress charts, we weren't surprised that he had some of those on his report card for behavior-related issues. Shocked, we were not.
It was; however, nice to know that when tested, he was at a 2nd grade reading level. And he is performing at an Excellent (Note: 95-100) level for mathematics for what is expected right now. And for the remainder of his Academics, he scored nothing below a "S" on his report card. In addition, he's getting some additional challenge practice for reading because he's reading at such a high level (teacher's aide pulling him and one other kid from his class and another from one other class out and working with them in a small group at their level) three times a week for about 45 minutes each time. In addition, he's getting "Enrichment" activities, which was explained to us as activities for students early-identified as those who most likely would be testing into GT.
All-in-all, I'm thrilled with how he's doing academically! Now, if we can simply try and pinpoint and improve on some of his behavioral issues, we'll be in better shape. Which is not to say we aren't in good shape now, it's simply to say that there is room for improvement.
So, our action plan is that for the next couple of weeks is that we'll be receiving a daily email letting us know if Kellen started the day with a positive or negative attitude. We're going to try and see if we can identify the "why" on his beginning-of-the-day attitude to see if 1) I need to change the morning routine; 2) he needs to get more sleep; 3) Daddy needs to commute more; 4) we need to scale back on some of the extracurricular activities; or 5) some combination of all of the above. If we can make progress in one area, that will be good enough for me!
Moving on....
Sparks.
Kellen is doing wonderfully at Sparks. He is FABULOUS at memorizing scripture. We went through a lesson tonight and the scripture was the first part of one, and he already knew the entire thing. It's amazing what he's learning from listening to the Sparks CD at night! So, just to see what he knew, I asked him the scriptures through the remainder of the book, and he knew all of them with the exception of 2, but knew those 2 with the one or two word reminder to start things off. His goal is to finish the book out this week - I suggested that we shoot for the end of the month.
I have gone through the book and made index cards with all of the scriptures on them in flash card style so that we can continue to go over them even after he finishes the book. Plus, it's helpful for me, even though I have no problem saying that Kellen has these verses down much better than I do!
It was; however, nice to know that when tested, he was at a 2nd grade reading level. And he is performing at an Excellent (Note: 95-100) level for mathematics for what is expected right now. And for the remainder of his Academics, he scored nothing below a "S" on his report card. In addition, he's getting some additional challenge practice for reading because he's reading at such a high level (teacher's aide pulling him and one other kid from his class and another from one other class out and working with them in a small group at their level) three times a week for about 45 minutes each time. In addition, he's getting "Enrichment" activities, which was explained to us as activities for students early-identified as those who most likely would be testing into GT.
All-in-all, I'm thrilled with how he's doing academically! Now, if we can simply try and pinpoint and improve on some of his behavioral issues, we'll be in better shape. Which is not to say we aren't in good shape now, it's simply to say that there is room for improvement.
So, our action plan is that for the next couple of weeks is that we'll be receiving a daily email letting us know if Kellen started the day with a positive or negative attitude. We're going to try and see if we can identify the "why" on his beginning-of-the-day attitude to see if 1) I need to change the morning routine; 2) he needs to get more sleep; 3) Daddy needs to commute more; 4) we need to scale back on some of the extracurricular activities; or 5) some combination of all of the above. If we can make progress in one area, that will be good enough for me!
Moving on....
Sparks.
Kellen is doing wonderfully at Sparks. He is FABULOUS at memorizing scripture. We went through a lesson tonight and the scripture was the first part of one, and he already knew the entire thing. It's amazing what he's learning from listening to the Sparks CD at night! So, just to see what he knew, I asked him the scriptures through the remainder of the book, and he knew all of them with the exception of 2, but knew those 2 with the one or two word reminder to start things off. His goal is to finish the book out this week - I suggested that we shoot for the end of the month.
I have gone through the book and made index cards with all of the scriptures on them in flash card style so that we can continue to go over them even after he finishes the book. Plus, it's helpful for me, even though I have no problem saying that Kellen has these verses down much better than I do!
Monday, October 05, 2009
Growing pains
In case you were wondering, growing pains are very real....and poor Kellen certainly had his share of them tonight. He's going through yet another growth spurt (I feel like he JUST did this!) and was in terrible pain tonight, complaining about his knee joints hurting. He was almost inconsolable before bedtime. Poor guy!
I think Tatum is going through one as well, although her growth spurt doesn't seem quite as painful as Kellen's. It will be interesting to see how much he's grown since his last growth spurt, which I believe was mid-summer...we'll measure him the next time he goes to Maw Maw and Paw Paw's to see....
I think Tatum is going through one as well, although her growth spurt doesn't seem quite as painful as Kellen's. It will be interesting to see how much he's grown since his last growth spurt, which I believe was mid-summer...we'll measure him the next time he goes to Maw Maw and Paw Paw's to see....
Monday, September 28, 2009
Kids say the darndest things
And mine are no exception.
Today when I picked Tatum up and we were leaving her school, she stopped at the front desk to say, 'Bye' to her director, Ms. Nazneen. After talking with her for a moment, Tatum asks, 'Are you brown?'
I laughed, put my hand over my mouth, and just looked at Tatum and Nazneen, who is, in fact Indian.
Nazneen just laughed, looked at me, and remarked, "You're going to have to get earmuffs, because that's just the type of child she is!"
My response was a very articulate, "Well...."
Nazneed turned and answered Tatum laughing, "Yes, Tatum. I AM brown!"
Everyone in earshot of that particular conversation probably got an ab workout as well.
At least we know she speaks the truth!
Today when I picked Tatum up and we were leaving her school, she stopped at the front desk to say, 'Bye' to her director, Ms. Nazneen. After talking with her for a moment, Tatum asks, 'Are you brown?'
I laughed, put my hand over my mouth, and just looked at Tatum and Nazneen, who is, in fact Indian.
Nazneen just laughed, looked at me, and remarked, "You're going to have to get earmuffs, because that's just the type of child she is!"
My response was a very articulate, "Well...."
Nazneed turned and answered Tatum laughing, "Yes, Tatum. I AM brown!"
Everyone in earshot of that particular conversation probably got an ab workout as well.
At least we know she speaks the truth!
Lost a Tooth!
Now, while a picture IS worth a thousand words, I feel that I need to describe my tough-as-nails little boy, determined to lose his first tooth. I have had a slight delay in posting the pictures, because he wanted the experience to be a surprise for Daddy, and the losing of the tooth occured last Thursday night. The tooth started becoming earlier in the week - we noticed the permanent tooth coming in the weekend prior. Yup. You read all of that correctly, as in weekend before last.
So, on to the story. On Wednesday night he asked for some string to tie around his tooth so that he could put the string on a doorknob and slam the door shut to try and get the tooth out. I said, "No." Instead, I suggested that he simply wiggle his tooth using his fingers. So he did.
On Thursday night he again asked for some string. So I relented and gave him special tooth string, AKA dental floss. He asked me to help him wrap it around the tooth so he could pull. I did. He kept pulling up, and the string kept sliding off of the tooth. I reminded him that if he continued to pull up, that the string was going to keep sliding off of the tooth. He had an epiphany, and asked me to put the string UNDER the sides of the tooth, so that he could pull down and pop the tooth out. I did, and he started pulling down in a very determined, controlled fashion.
Sure enough, he popped that tooth right outta' his mouth!
The look of amazement on his face, then horror as he realized he was bleeding was priceless. Had I actually thought he was going to go through with it I would have been capturing the experience on video, but I really thought the pain would be too much for him! Silly mom, he sure proved me wrong!
We cleaned up the gums, rinsed his mouth out repeatedly, cleaned the tooth, then discussed the tooth fairy. He let me know that the tooth fairy brought small toys in exchange for teeth. Who knew? I told him that I thought he had to stay in bed so that the tooth fairy could use her fairy vision to double check that the tooth under the pillow matched the hole in his mouth.
At any rate, Kellen has lost his first tooth, and he did it in a Herculean way! Way to go, Kellen!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Reminder
I don't know about you guys, but I considering that I've been out of commission for almost three weeks now, I certainly need a reminder that I cannot do it all. So, I went through my old posts and am linking this Pursuit of Perfection post as a reminder to myself. I haven't been able to do much lately because of the bronchitis and getting over that...and it's showing, but I have to recognize my limitations, and realize what is REALLY important in life. And it's certainly not whether or not my kids can eat directly off of the floor.
Great ending
I picked Tatum up from school on Friday and headed home. As I pulled into the driveway and hit the garage door opener, Kellen ran out to inform me that I had to stay in the car. After persuading he and Daddy to let Tatum and I come inside to put an end to her screaming to get OUT of the car, and after promising to stay away from whatever surprise they were working on, they acquiesced and let us come inside.
A few moments later, I was shown the surprise.....a print out of a picture Daddy had taken on his phone, indicating that...
Kellen was chosen as the Junior Klub Kid of the Week!!!!
So, we scrapped any ideas we had about making dinner (it was going to be a somewhat 'fend-for-yourself night anyway), and decided to use some coupons we had and treat Kellen to CiCi's as a reward - but as a surprise!
He was thrilled, and even moreso when he was able to 'pay' for the entire family himself!
I'm so over-the-moon proud of him!!!
A few moments later, I was shown the surprise.....a print out of a picture Daddy had taken on his phone, indicating that...
Kellen was chosen as the Junior Klub Kid of the Week!!!!
So, we scrapped any ideas we had about making dinner (it was going to be a somewhat 'fend-for-yourself night anyway), and decided to use some coupons we had and treat Kellen to CiCi's as a reward - but as a surprise!
He was thrilled, and even moreso when he was able to 'pay' for the entire family himself!
I'm so over-the-moon proud of him!!!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The best cure for a rough morning
So how sweet is it that when I'm having a rough morning that included a variety of kiddo mishaps and poor choices (although all normal in nature, the combination of them all in one morning makes for one "rough" morning) that as I stop, put my head in my hands and take a deep breath, Kellen remarks, "Mommy, are you having a rough morning?"
To this inquiry I reply, "Yes, Kellen, I just need a minute."
His response, "Mommy, do you want me to pray for you?"
You can melt now. I sure did.
My response, "That would be wonderful Kellen. Why don't you say a prayer."
And he did. It went something along these lines...(and I'll have to paraphrase, but I'll get it pretty close), 'Lord, help Mommy to not have such a rough morning and help me and Tatum not to frustrate her. In Jesus name, Amen.'
And you know what, our morning went much smoother after that prayer was uttered.
To this inquiry I reply, "Yes, Kellen, I just need a minute."
His response, "Mommy, do you want me to pray for you?"
You can melt now. I sure did.
My response, "That would be wonderful Kellen. Why don't you say a prayer."
And he did. It went something along these lines...(and I'll have to paraphrase, but I'll get it pretty close), 'Lord, help Mommy to not have such a rough morning and help me and Tatum not to frustrate her. In Jesus name, Amen.'
And you know what, our morning went much smoother after that prayer was uttered.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Diagnosis: Bronchitis
Well, I'm on Day 8 on my illness, and "IT" was officially diagnosed as bronchitis yesterday morning by the doctor. He also commented that I'm 'very sick'. It was so nice of him to confirm that for me, and I'm truly not being sarcastic at all. You know it's bad when the doctor winces as he's palpating your glands. That's all I'm saying.
So, armed with a myriad of Rx, all of which were of the much stronger variety than the OTC things I had been taking, I went to Kroger to get them filled. It was there I was told that many of them required lots of fluids and water. People, do you not realize that the sole act of swallowing has actually been waking me up for the past week? As in, fall asleep...NOT swallowing for 30-45 minutes, swallow in my sleep, which then would actually wake me up from the act of sleeping. At that point, I would coat my throat with throat spray and repeat this process. It has NOT been a fun week.
And I'll also mention that I just love getting sick at the beginning of an insurance plan year...for those of you who have to meet a prescription plan deductible, you'll know what I'm talking about. I no longer have to worry about meeting mine for the year after this illness. It's just too bad that it's an individual and not a family deductible, you know what I'm saying?
At any rate, with a wide array of new and improved drugs coursing through my veins yesterday, I DID feel much better yesterday afternoon and evening. So much better, in fact, that I put in a few loads of laundry and had the energy burst to make dinner last night and actually ate with the kids! Yay for me, more than one meal in a day, which has been what I've managed to swallow this past week, if that. This morning; however, I woke to the realization that the evenings energy burst and feel-good sensation was, in fact, drug induced. The drugs had worn off throughout the night and this morning I opted to take it easy, continue to stay home and rest, let the drugs kick into my system a little longer, and try to recover today and through the weekend before heading back to work. Luckily, because I haven't run a fever through any of this, the doctor indicated that I haven't been contagious, so the two attempts I've made to go into the office haven't been detrimental to anyone's health.
I will say that the kids have been really sweet through this...Kellen has said quite a few prayers asking for Mommy to get better. Tatum has gotten the doctors kit out and used it on me and has given me lots of hugs and pats to try and make me feel better as well. And I have no idea how many cups of hot tea Matt made for me when he was home with me on Monday. They're just so precious!
So, armed with a myriad of Rx, all of which were of the much stronger variety than the OTC things I had been taking, I went to Kroger to get them filled. It was there I was told that many of them required lots of fluids and water. People, do you not realize that the sole act of swallowing has actually been waking me up for the past week? As in, fall asleep...NOT swallowing for 30-45 minutes, swallow in my sleep, which then would actually wake me up from the act of sleeping. At that point, I would coat my throat with throat spray and repeat this process. It has NOT been a fun week.
And I'll also mention that I just love getting sick at the beginning of an insurance plan year...for those of you who have to meet a prescription plan deductible, you'll know what I'm talking about. I no longer have to worry about meeting mine for the year after this illness. It's just too bad that it's an individual and not a family deductible, you know what I'm saying?
At any rate, with a wide array of new and improved drugs coursing through my veins yesterday, I DID feel much better yesterday afternoon and evening. So much better, in fact, that I put in a few loads of laundry and had the energy burst to make dinner last night and actually ate with the kids! Yay for me, more than one meal in a day, which has been what I've managed to swallow this past week, if that. This morning; however, I woke to the realization that the evenings energy burst and feel-good sensation was, in fact, drug induced. The drugs had worn off throughout the night and this morning I opted to take it easy, continue to stay home and rest, let the drugs kick into my system a little longer, and try to recover today and through the weekend before heading back to work. Luckily, because I haven't run a fever through any of this, the doctor indicated that I haven't been contagious, so the two attempts I've made to go into the office haven't been detrimental to anyone's health.
I will say that the kids have been really sweet through this...Kellen has said quite a few prayers asking for Mommy to get better. Tatum has gotten the doctors kit out and used it on me and has given me lots of hugs and pats to try and make me feel better as well. And I have no idea how many cups of hot tea Matt made for me when he was home with me on Monday. They're just so precious!
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Scheduled
Kellen is sufficiently scheduled for the semester.
He's participating in Awana's again through the church, and has been reading his Spark's book and listening to the CD every night. We had the family night Sunday before last and it officially starts up this coming week. He's SO EXCITED!! I'm just amazed at how well he can memorize scripture. It blows my mind and melts my heart.
He'll also be continuing with Tae Kwon Do once a week during Kids Club. He's already moved up two belts, and really enjoys that...it's a little later than it was in previous years, if I remember correctly, finishing up at 5:30 this year. I just have to be sure and not arrive earlier than 5:30 to pick him up on those days.
We'll do Flag Football again this season, and we requested a different night from Tae Kwon Do. We did the same last year, but apparently there weren't enough folks to run those nights, so we got bumped to different days last year. I'm hoping that doesn't happen again this year, because going from Tae Kwon Do to football made for one VERY tired Kellen. We should hear about that sometime next week, I believe...there is a coach's meeting next week.
He wanted to play soccer, but apparently the soccer league runs year-round here, so we'll look at getting him into soccer once football is over and before T-Ball begins. I asked him why he wanted to play soccer this year and he replied something to the effect of, 'I've never played it and I want to try it out.' I couldn't have asked for a better answer than that, now could I?
He's of the age for Cub Scouts now, and we went to the introductory meeting tonight. We're all signed up for that as well, but I'm not sure what the time commitment is on that one...Pack meetings once a month, and there is another meeting next week where they're going to split up the den's and go over that stuff.
Whew. Quite honestly, I'm tired just thinking about all of the stuff that he's into! But he's excited, and we talked about making sure that he got enough rest so that he would be able to make good choices at school and Kids Club and listen to his teachers and counselors, etc...
As for Tatum, we're also looking at Kindertots, a dance and gym program through her daycare. She's already taught herself a front somersault and dances to ANY music that she hears - either for real or in her own mind. I need to call and find out which day it is held, because I don't want it to interfere with her being able to visit Maw Maw and Paw Paw during the week for story time at the library. Considering that she sings when she runs out of things to actually say, it might not be a bad idea to consider some musical things as well, but let's start small, shall we?
He's participating in Awana's again through the church, and has been reading his Spark's book and listening to the CD every night. We had the family night Sunday before last and it officially starts up this coming week. He's SO EXCITED!! I'm just amazed at how well he can memorize scripture. It blows my mind and melts my heart.
He'll also be continuing with Tae Kwon Do once a week during Kids Club. He's already moved up two belts, and really enjoys that...it's a little later than it was in previous years, if I remember correctly, finishing up at 5:30 this year. I just have to be sure and not arrive earlier than 5:30 to pick him up on those days.
We'll do Flag Football again this season, and we requested a different night from Tae Kwon Do. We did the same last year, but apparently there weren't enough folks to run those nights, so we got bumped to different days last year. I'm hoping that doesn't happen again this year, because going from Tae Kwon Do to football made for one VERY tired Kellen. We should hear about that sometime next week, I believe...there is a coach's meeting next week.
He wanted to play soccer, but apparently the soccer league runs year-round here, so we'll look at getting him into soccer once football is over and before T-Ball begins. I asked him why he wanted to play soccer this year and he replied something to the effect of, 'I've never played it and I want to try it out.' I couldn't have asked for a better answer than that, now could I?
He's of the age for Cub Scouts now, and we went to the introductory meeting tonight. We're all signed up for that as well, but I'm not sure what the time commitment is on that one...Pack meetings once a month, and there is another meeting next week where they're going to split up the den's and go over that stuff.
Whew. Quite honestly, I'm tired just thinking about all of the stuff that he's into! But he's excited, and we talked about making sure that he got enough rest so that he would be able to make good choices at school and Kids Club and listen to his teachers and counselors, etc...
As for Tatum, we're also looking at Kindertots, a dance and gym program through her daycare. She's already taught herself a front somersault and dances to ANY music that she hears - either for real or in her own mind. I need to call and find out which day it is held, because I don't want it to interfere with her being able to visit Maw Maw and Paw Paw during the week for story time at the library. Considering that she sings when she runs out of things to actually say, it might not be a bad idea to consider some musical things as well, but let's start small, shall we?
Thursday, September 03, 2009
A little slice of heaven...
In case you're wondering, a little slice of heaven today includes snuggles with my sweet little girl, who is celebrating her 2 1/2 year birthday today, as I was rocking her and putting her to sleep. It also includes listening to my 6 year old read to himself from down the hallway in the meantime.
It's a good way to make up for not being able to make it to Ladies Night Out tonight...God sure knew what I needed, huh?
The kids were well behaved, finally agreed on a movie, ate their dinner, and didn't even balk when I had them get ready and go to bed before the movie was over. Now I know Wall-E isn't the most interesting movie in the world, but they both enjoy it and neither wanted to be through watching it, so it means that they were really being behaved and obeying tonight. And after the week I've had, I really needed them to behave so I could have that little slice of heaven tonight.
Thank you, Lord.
It's a good way to make up for not being able to make it to Ladies Night Out tonight...God sure knew what I needed, huh?
The kids were well behaved, finally agreed on a movie, ate their dinner, and didn't even balk when I had them get ready and go to bed before the movie was over. Now I know Wall-E isn't the most interesting movie in the world, but they both enjoy it and neither wanted to be through watching it, so it means that they were really being behaved and obeying tonight. And after the week I've had, I really needed them to behave so I could have that little slice of heaven tonight.
Thank you, Lord.
Evolution
And we wonder why girls have image issues?
Check out these series of Dove videos online at the link below.
http://www.dove.us/?dl=/features/videos/default.aspx%7Ccp-documentid=7049579&source=shareBlogger
And we wonder why girls have image issues?Check out these series of Dove videos online at the link below.
http://www.dove.us/?dl=/features/videos/default.aspx%7Ccp-documentid=7049579&source=shareBlogger
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Week in review
Well, this was an incredibly busy week for us!
The week prior to classes beginning for TAMU is always hectic for me, and my Monday began with an all day New Graduate Student Orientation. Yes, the same day as Kellen's first day of school and Tatum's first day in her new daycare. The rest of the week seemed just as crazy, but it was pretty usual, so we'll just ignore it.
As for Kellen, he's LOVING first grade, enjoying his teacher, and having a good time of things so far. Kids Klub has been great, and he's even asked me why I have picked him up before it was over. Um, I thought getting me getting off of work on time to get you was a good thing?
And Tatum, she seems to be adjusting well except for a slight reverting with her potty issues. She started out the week with quite a few more accidents than normal, did progressively better until Thursday when she had ZERO accidents, then had lots of accidents on Friday. She'll get there! Socially, she's doing great...the teachers and other students with whom I see her interacting really seem to enjoy her, and she enjoys them, so I feel comfortable with the transition. I just have to get used to packing her lunch and preparing extra snacks in case they're serving something she can't eat. But from her end, she feels so independent carrying her backpack and lunchbag into that school! I can tell that it brings her such joy and that she feels like such a big girl with just that little bit of responsibility!
Training is still training, and the end of my borrow month is coming to a close. I have had the pleasure of borrowing a wonderful bike to train on for the month of August and I believe I am now spoiled to this bike. I am so grateful for the opportunity and generosity of the loan! We're really pushing ourselves, and it's nice to be working out with other ladies that will push....this has been a really good experience. We all have our "off" days, but luckily they're never on the same day so we all end up encouraging each other!
I pray that the kids have another wonderful week! We have a lot in store this week for various members of the fam...Texans game, Astros game, first Aggies game (anyone catching a theme here?), and Mommy also gets a Ladies night out this week!
The week prior to classes beginning for TAMU is always hectic for me, and my Monday began with an all day New Graduate Student Orientation. Yes, the same day as Kellen's first day of school and Tatum's first day in her new daycare. The rest of the week seemed just as crazy, but it was pretty usual, so we'll just ignore it.
As for Kellen, he's LOVING first grade, enjoying his teacher, and having a good time of things so far. Kids Klub has been great, and he's even asked me why I have picked him up before it was over. Um, I thought getting me getting off of work on time to get you was a good thing?
And Tatum, she seems to be adjusting well except for a slight reverting with her potty issues. She started out the week with quite a few more accidents than normal, did progressively better until Thursday when she had ZERO accidents, then had lots of accidents on Friday. She'll get there! Socially, she's doing great...the teachers and other students with whom I see her interacting really seem to enjoy her, and she enjoys them, so I feel comfortable with the transition. I just have to get used to packing her lunch and preparing extra snacks in case they're serving something she can't eat. But from her end, she feels so independent carrying her backpack and lunchbag into that school! I can tell that it brings her such joy and that she feels like such a big girl with just that little bit of responsibility!
Training is still training, and the end of my borrow month is coming to a close. I have had the pleasure of borrowing a wonderful bike to train on for the month of August and I believe I am now spoiled to this bike. I am so grateful for the opportunity and generosity of the loan! We're really pushing ourselves, and it's nice to be working out with other ladies that will push....this has been a really good experience. We all have our "off" days, but luckily they're never on the same day so we all end up encouraging each other!
I pray that the kids have another wonderful week! We have a lot in store this week for various members of the fam...Texans game, Astros game, first Aggies game (anyone catching a theme here?), and Mommy also gets a Ladies night out this week!
Monday, August 24, 2009
1st Day of School
Well, I'm glad that the kids are excited about school.
Kellen, at 4:30 AM this morning, excitedly declared, "This is the BEST DAY EVER! The first day of first grade!"
(I told him it was NOT wake up time and to go back to bed. I know, I know. I'm a kill-joy. I figured Daddy would have not been happy if the two kids would have been awake as I was leaving for my workout.)
Not to be outdone in the quest for independence, Tatum simply blew me a kiss and nonchalantly said, "Bye, bye, Mommy!" when I dropped her off in her room at her new daycare. Amazingly enough, she remembered a girl, by name, from visiting the school last week (she was there for 2 hours on Thursday) and Tatum seemed quite a bit more at ease this morning than the girl she tried to befriend!
I guess it's a good thing that they can adjust easily to new surroundings, right? It just kinda takes me aback when I realize that Mommy and Daddy are doing a good job of teaching them to be independent. The other side to that coin is that they are independent - as in - they didn't really need us all that much today.
And THAT, my friends, means that my kiddos are actually growing up. When did THAT happen?
Here are some pictures of Kellen before leaving for school. Pay special attention to the apple. It was a must-have for the first day of school. Why, you ask? Because as everyone knows, you give apples to teachers. "That's what first graders do."
Kellen, at 4:30 AM this morning, excitedly declared, "This is the BEST DAY EVER! The first day of first grade!"
(I told him it was NOT wake up time and to go back to bed. I know, I know. I'm a kill-joy. I figured Daddy would have not been happy if the two kids would have been awake as I was leaving for my workout.)
Not to be outdone in the quest for independence, Tatum simply blew me a kiss and nonchalantly said, "Bye, bye, Mommy!" when I dropped her off in her room at her new daycare. Amazingly enough, she remembered a girl, by name, from visiting the school last week (she was there for 2 hours on Thursday) and Tatum seemed quite a bit more at ease this morning than the girl she tried to befriend!
I guess it's a good thing that they can adjust easily to new surroundings, right? It just kinda takes me aback when I realize that Mommy and Daddy are doing a good job of teaching them to be independent. The other side to that coin is that they are independent - as in - they didn't really need us all that much today.
And THAT, my friends, means that my kiddos are actually growing up. When did THAT happen?
Here are some pictures of Kellen before leaving for school. Pay special attention to the apple. It was a must-have for the first day of school. Why, you ask? Because as everyone knows, you give apples to teachers. "That's what first graders do."
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Officially on vacation....
Yes, you read that correctly. I have taken the week off. The WHOLE week.
Officially, my last day of work before the vacation was a long one...beginning at 6:45 AM and lasting until 6:30 PM...and I only ended the day because my co-worker stayed and helped me, despite me trying to make him leave. It would have been a much longer day without him. We began with graduation breakfast, then lining students up for graduation, then ran to get something to eat ('cause I had more attend the breakfast than had RSVP'ed, and the food was perfect for the students and their guests, it just didn't cover faculty/staff very well), then it was a mad scramble to finish everything on my list that needed to be done before I left and prepared for me for when I get back...back to a full-day new graduate orientation.
I'm so kind to myself, aren't I?
Anywhoo....I finished working, made it home, packed up, and headed back out....to a Ladies Slumber Party!!! The ladies from our Sunday School class have decided to really try and work on some fellowship opportunities lately, and this was just an "extra" thing that was scheduled. It was a lot of fun, and I am so glad to be getting to know so many more ladies around here!
Saturday was pretty relaxing...headed back home, hung out with the kids, tried to keep the laundry going and clean up the house, you know....normal Saturday activities. I think there might have even been a nap in there, too.
Sunday I had a nice combo bike/run workout (~6 miles bike/15 min run) with my ladies at 6AM, then after church and naps, we loaded up all of the swim accessories, headed to a friends house for a cook-out, set up the pool and slip n slide, and let the kids have at it while the adults chatted. After the kids were through playing, we then exposed them (and me!!) to their Wii...and played bowling. I just WISH I could bowl that well in real life! Kellen was doing great, Tatum liked it, but wasn't grasping the letting-go-of-the-button aspect, and Matt, well....watching Kellen and Daddy play was quite entertaining.
Monday morning, my first "official" day of vacation, began quite nicely...4:30 AM to get up and meet some ladies for a long bike ride (~9 miles). It was a good ride, despite having some equipment issues and falling off of the bike when I stopped (not even a cool story!). Honestly, it was good for me to fall off, considering I'm terrified of doing so. I did it and it wasn't that big of a deal. Not to say I want to do it again, but hey... We also learned that we'll have to evaluate our bike routes for our 5 AM rides...it was fairly dark for a ride that early, and many of the street lights weren't actually on.
Anyway, we got ready and headed out to Waco - destination: Cameron Park Zoo. Our plan was to meet up with Jules & her kiddos. We left about 45 minutes later than I had intended, but considering that there was no real schedule anyway, I guess it wasn't that big of a deal (Jules may disagree). The kids were SO well behaved in the car on the way there...there were no random outbursts from Tatum, Kellen played his Leapster with his headphones in, and everyone just chilled out. When we FINALLY got there. The directions on their site are slightly misleading...it's difficult to get there from University Parks Dr unless you know where to turn. I didn't know where to turn. I knew I was close, and was driving around looking for 4th street or an entrance from University Parks, had the kids singing, "Zoo, zoo, where are you?" I finally found an entrance, from neither of the streets the website had indicated...5th Street!! They had a GREAT time at the zoo, and we finished up in there shortly after 1:30 PM, and headed to Cameron Park for our picnic lunch and playing. We were on the road headed back to the motherland by about 2:45, and the kids were O-U-T by the time I got onto Hwy 6, and slept the entire trip back.
Last night we watched Underdog, then ate dinner, and everyone was in bed fairly early, including Mommy!
Today, my second day of vacation, began slightly different than yesterday. Other than the normal Kellen-in-bed and Tatum-crying-at-5:30-and-needs-to-go-back-to-sleep, I was truly awoken this morning by Tatum handing me her pullup (we tried it yesterday and last night...worked great! Stay tuned for how her skin reacts.) with a "present" in it - "present" side up and pullup completely off of her body....It was like she was handing me something on a silver platter, and it's quite a bit different than breakfast in bed. Needless to say, I was up in a flash!
My plans for today are a little more laid back than yesterday...perhaps some playing in the backyard, the pool, a walk to the park to feed the ducks, and throw in the laundry now and then to keep it going. The dishwasher is running, and I might get energized and sweep, mop, vacuum, but who knows? I told Daddy that I was on vacation, meaning that I wasn't going to houseclean, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to make good on that one (not that Daddy will mind). They both wanted to play with cars this morning, and then asked to watch Cars, so that's what they're doing right now.
When the software decides to cooperate, I'll upload some pictures from yesterday...
Officially, my last day of work before the vacation was a long one...beginning at 6:45 AM and lasting until 6:30 PM...and I only ended the day because my co-worker stayed and helped me, despite me trying to make him leave. It would have been a much longer day without him. We began with graduation breakfast, then lining students up for graduation, then ran to get something to eat ('cause I had more attend the breakfast than had RSVP'ed, and the food was perfect for the students and their guests, it just didn't cover faculty/staff very well), then it was a mad scramble to finish everything on my list that needed to be done before I left and prepared for me for when I get back...back to a full-day new graduate orientation.
I'm so kind to myself, aren't I?
Anywhoo....I finished working, made it home, packed up, and headed back out....to a Ladies Slumber Party!!! The ladies from our Sunday School class have decided to really try and work on some fellowship opportunities lately, and this was just an "extra" thing that was scheduled. It was a lot of fun, and I am so glad to be getting to know so many more ladies around here!
Saturday was pretty relaxing...headed back home, hung out with the kids, tried to keep the laundry going and clean up the house, you know....normal Saturday activities. I think there might have even been a nap in there, too.
Sunday I had a nice combo bike/run workout (~6 miles bike/15 min run) with my ladies at 6AM, then after church and naps, we loaded up all of the swim accessories, headed to a friends house for a cook-out, set up the pool and slip n slide, and let the kids have at it while the adults chatted. After the kids were through playing, we then exposed them (and me!!) to their Wii...and played bowling. I just WISH I could bowl that well in real life! Kellen was doing great, Tatum liked it, but wasn't grasping the letting-go-of-the-button aspect, and Matt, well....watching Kellen and Daddy play was quite entertaining.
Monday morning, my first "official" day of vacation, began quite nicely...4:30 AM to get up and meet some ladies for a long bike ride (~9 miles). It was a good ride, despite having some equipment issues and falling off of the bike when I stopped (not even a cool story!). Honestly, it was good for me to fall off, considering I'm terrified of doing so. I did it and it wasn't that big of a deal. Not to say I want to do it again, but hey... We also learned that we'll have to evaluate our bike routes for our 5 AM rides...it was fairly dark for a ride that early, and many of the street lights weren't actually on.
Anyway, we got ready and headed out to Waco - destination: Cameron Park Zoo. Our plan was to meet up with Jules & her kiddos. We left about 45 minutes later than I had intended, but considering that there was no real schedule anyway, I guess it wasn't that big of a deal (Jules may disagree). The kids were SO well behaved in the car on the way there...there were no random outbursts from Tatum, Kellen played his Leapster with his headphones in, and everyone just chilled out. When we FINALLY got there. The directions on their site are slightly misleading...it's difficult to get there from University Parks Dr unless you know where to turn. I didn't know where to turn. I knew I was close, and was driving around looking for 4th street or an entrance from University Parks, had the kids singing, "Zoo, zoo, where are you?" I finally found an entrance, from neither of the streets the website had indicated...5th Street!! They had a GREAT time at the zoo, and we finished up in there shortly after 1:30 PM, and headed to Cameron Park for our picnic lunch and playing. We were on the road headed back to the motherland by about 2:45, and the kids were O-U-T by the time I got onto Hwy 6, and slept the entire trip back.
Last night we watched Underdog, then ate dinner, and everyone was in bed fairly early, including Mommy!
Today, my second day of vacation, began slightly different than yesterday. Other than the normal Kellen-in-bed and Tatum-crying-at-5:30-and-needs-to-go-back-to-sleep, I was truly awoken this morning by Tatum handing me her pullup (we tried it yesterday and last night...worked great! Stay tuned for how her skin reacts.) with a "present" in it - "present" side up and pullup completely off of her body....It was like she was handing me something on a silver platter, and it's quite a bit different than breakfast in bed. Needless to say, I was up in a flash!
My plans for today are a little more laid back than yesterday...perhaps some playing in the backyard, the pool, a walk to the park to feed the ducks, and throw in the laundry now and then to keep it going. The dishwasher is running, and I might get energized and sweep, mop, vacuum, but who knows? I told Daddy that I was on vacation, meaning that I wasn't going to houseclean, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to make good on that one (not that Daddy will mind). They both wanted to play with cars this morning, and then asked to watch Cars, so that's what they're doing right now.
When the software decides to cooperate, I'll upload some pictures from yesterday...
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Mental Health Day
Today I took almost a full mental health day for myself.
I slept in, and luckily so did Tatum, then got ready and I took her to school. I decided that I would do a combo training workout this morning, so when I got back to the house, I drove a path for the bike route - a 1 1/2 mile path. I headed out on the bike, did the path twice in 17 minutes (I have NO idea if that's a good time or not, but considering it's the first time I've been on a bike since Crazy Mike's Bike Tour in Munich, Germany in 1996, I'll take it). I then put the bike in the garage and headed out for a jog. My initial goal was 2 miles, but I quickly changed that to a 1 mile jog when a I realized that the two pieces of lead attached to my hips weren't working very well. I think the third day of three consecutive days of working out has finally caught up with me. I'm BEAT!
I made it back home just as Matt and Kellen were pulling into the driveway. Kellen and I changed clothes into our swim gear, and we headed out to our pre-planned, pool play date. We were scheduled to meet his kindergarten teacher and her son at their neighborhood pool today at 10 and just hang out all day, or at least until I had to leave to get ready for the REU poster presentations late in the afternoon. So we made a quick errand stop and got over there around 10:15 and started our lounging and playing.
It was quite the day. Just what I needed. Lounging, basking, playing, and a whole lot of nothing.
We left there mid-afternoon and headed back to the house. On the way, Kellen said, "My eyelids are heavy," and seconds later I look back and he had fallen asleep. When I got to the house, I woke him up, asked him to change his clothes and just lay down until I was ready to go. He did, and then konked out on his bed - under the covers and all. When it was time to leave for the poster presentations, I attempted to wake him up, then had to spend a few minutes calming him down. When he gets REALLY tired, he gets worked up and it takes a while to get him calmed down once he's upset. It's a learned trick that requires patience, and is incredibly frustrating, even if you KNOW he's tired and that his being tired is the root cause of his behavior. This didn't last very long, but long enough for me to be reminded that he's still my little boy that needs his Mommy every once in a while.
Anyway, we got to the poster presentations and he sat down and played his Leapster, ate the snacks I had packed for him, and was on his best behavior. He was GREAT! So great, in fact, that after it was over and we had picked up Tatum, he got a treat of McDonald's for his behavior. Lucky Tatum, she got to benefit from it as well, since they both received Happy Meal's and were able to eat it picnic style while watching Veggie Tales because of the deal! That is such a treat for them....any food, in the living room, picnic style.
He and I snuggled some more before he went to bed, after I rubbed lotion on his sunburned face (it's not too bad, but I do believe it's his first ever sunburn). His face is red and his shoulders are a little pink. As for me, I just underestimated the sunscreen for myself altogether. I'm totally sunburned and you can see the outline of the bathing suit I was wearing. Kellen looked at me tonight before getting ready for bed and asked what the outline was (around my neck).
My response, "That was the color that Mommy started out today. The other color is how sunburned Mommy is now."
Kellen: "Wow, Mommy. It's really RED! I'm not laughing at you because you're sunburned, but it's just really RED!"
Bless his heart! He remembers my REALLY BAD sunburn from last summer (our river float adventure) and brought that back to my attention tonight. As in, 'It will be ok, Mommy. You had a sunburn last year when we were at the rock house and you got better. You will get better this time, too.' And this is nothing like that one. I anticipate that by Thursday or Friday this will have tanned itself out.
At least that's what I'm telling myself. :) I've already peeled once this summer and once is my limit.
I slept in, and luckily so did Tatum, then got ready and I took her to school. I decided that I would do a combo training workout this morning, so when I got back to the house, I drove a path for the bike route - a 1 1/2 mile path. I headed out on the bike, did the path twice in 17 minutes (I have NO idea if that's a good time or not, but considering it's the first time I've been on a bike since Crazy Mike's Bike Tour in Munich, Germany in 1996, I'll take it). I then put the bike in the garage and headed out for a jog. My initial goal was 2 miles, but I quickly changed that to a 1 mile jog when a I realized that the two pieces of lead attached to my hips weren't working very well. I think the third day of three consecutive days of working out has finally caught up with me. I'm BEAT!
I made it back home just as Matt and Kellen were pulling into the driveway. Kellen and I changed clothes into our swim gear, and we headed out to our pre-planned, pool play date. We were scheduled to meet his kindergarten teacher and her son at their neighborhood pool today at 10 and just hang out all day, or at least until I had to leave to get ready for the REU poster presentations late in the afternoon. So we made a quick errand stop and got over there around 10:15 and started our lounging and playing.
It was quite the day. Just what I needed. Lounging, basking, playing, and a whole lot of nothing.
We left there mid-afternoon and headed back to the house. On the way, Kellen said, "My eyelids are heavy," and seconds later I look back and he had fallen asleep. When I got to the house, I woke him up, asked him to change his clothes and just lay down until I was ready to go. He did, and then konked out on his bed - under the covers and all. When it was time to leave for the poster presentations, I attempted to wake him up, then had to spend a few minutes calming him down. When he gets REALLY tired, he gets worked up and it takes a while to get him calmed down once he's upset. It's a learned trick that requires patience, and is incredibly frustrating, even if you KNOW he's tired and that his being tired is the root cause of his behavior. This didn't last very long, but long enough for me to be reminded that he's still my little boy that needs his Mommy every once in a while.
Anyway, we got to the poster presentations and he sat down and played his Leapster, ate the snacks I had packed for him, and was on his best behavior. He was GREAT! So great, in fact, that after it was over and we had picked up Tatum, he got a treat of McDonald's for his behavior. Lucky Tatum, she got to benefit from it as well, since they both received Happy Meal's and were able to eat it picnic style while watching Veggie Tales because of the deal! That is such a treat for them....any food, in the living room, picnic style.
He and I snuggled some more before he went to bed, after I rubbed lotion on his sunburned face (it's not too bad, but I do believe it's his first ever sunburn). His face is red and his shoulders are a little pink. As for me, I just underestimated the sunscreen for myself altogether. I'm totally sunburned and you can see the outline of the bathing suit I was wearing. Kellen looked at me tonight before getting ready for bed and asked what the outline was (around my neck).
My response, "That was the color that Mommy started out today. The other color is how sunburned Mommy is now."
Kellen: "Wow, Mommy. It's really RED! I'm not laughing at you because you're sunburned, but it's just really RED!"
Bless his heart! He remembers my REALLY BAD sunburn from last summer (our river float adventure) and brought that back to my attention tonight. As in, 'It will be ok, Mommy. You had a sunburn last year when we were at the rock house and you got better. You will get better this time, too.' And this is nothing like that one. I anticipate that by Thursday or Friday this will have tanned itself out.
At least that's what I'm telling myself. :) I've already peeled once this summer and once is my limit.
Monday, August 03, 2009
Kellen's Birthday - My little boy isn't so little!
In preparation for Kellen's birthday party, I asked him where he wanted to have it and who he wanted to invite. He thought about it, and told me he wanted to have the party at McDonald's, then proceeded to dictate the guest list.
Since it's a summer birthday, and I didn't have the foresight to get the class list and contact information while he was still IN school, I contacted his teacher for the contact information for the kids he wanted to invite.
We went with a superhero theme (surprise, surprise) and I worked up the evites and went with it...I commissioned a Spiderman cake as the "surprise" cake for the party, and we were pretty well set (I love not having to stress about party's when the location does all of the work for you!).
After church and naps, Kellen was SUPER-excited, put on his special 'birthday boy' shirt and was counting down the minutes until it was time to GO! He just had such a good time with his friends!
I look at him and honestly wonder where the time has gone...how has it been six years since he was born? He is growing into an amazing young man...so caring and compassionate, attune to other people's feelings and hilariously funny. Don't get me wrong...he's ALL BOY as well, as his many scars and my many phone calls from counselors can attest to, but he's certainly my sweetie and I love him so much!
Since it's a summer birthday, and I didn't have the foresight to get the class list and contact information while he was still IN school, I contacted his teacher for the contact information for the kids he wanted to invite.
We went with a superhero theme (surprise, surprise) and I worked up the evites and went with it...I commissioned a Spiderman cake as the "surprise" cake for the party, and we were pretty well set (I love not having to stress about party's when the location does all of the work for you!).
After church and naps, Kellen was SUPER-excited, put on his special 'birthday boy' shirt and was counting down the minutes until it was time to GO! He just had such a good time with his friends!
I look at him and honestly wonder where the time has gone...how has it been six years since he was born? He is growing into an amazing young man...so caring and compassionate, attune to other people's feelings and hilariously funny. Don't get me wrong...he's ALL BOY as well, as his many scars and my many phone calls from counselors can attest to, but he's certainly my sweetie and I love him so much!
Hmph...and it continues
2 Miles this morning (speed drills, what a thrill), and my body doesn't like me today. I picked up the bike I'll be borrowing from a friend for the month of August to practice on, so we'll see how that goes.
I'm taking almost a full day off from work tomorrow and Kellen and I will be lounging by the pool, having a pool party play date. I'm going to try and be a good girl and work out before hand (we're supposed to be there at 10, so theoretically that gives me plenty of time to get an initial bike ride in while Matt is here to watch the kids in the morning, right?) We'll see how that goes.
Whoo hoo!!
I'm taking almost a full day off from work tomorrow and Kellen and I will be lounging by the pool, having a pool party play date. I'm going to try and be a good girl and work out before hand (we're supposed to be there at 10, so theoretically that gives me plenty of time to get an initial bike ride in while Matt is here to watch the kids in the morning, right?) We'll see how that goes.
Whoo hoo!!
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Here we go...
I am now participating with a group of gals from my Sunday School class who are training...originally for a 10K, now for a tri. Not a full tri, but a tri sprint. And tonight was my first night to train with them and they kicked my tail! It doesn't help that my longest run lately has been 2 miles and they were planning to run 4-5 (or for about an hour) tonight, or that it was a night run (I typically run in the morning), and it was after dinner (I typically run on an empty stomach). So, I was destined to have a rough time of it.
But it was a great workout! We did a 1.2 mile run, drills, another 1.2 mile run, another set of drills, then ended with another 1.2 mile run. It felt great, even though it was horrid! If you work out at all, you completely understand what I mean.
I have my alarm set for 5 am and am planning on a short run for the morning.
Now, can I learn to swim and bike in less than 3 months?
But it was a great workout! We did a 1.2 mile run, drills, another 1.2 mile run, another set of drills, then ended with another 1.2 mile run. It felt great, even though it was horrid! If you work out at all, you completely understand what I mean.
I have my alarm set for 5 am and am planning on a short run for the morning.
Now, can I learn to swim and bike in less than 3 months?
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