First Day of School

Here are some pictures from the kids' first day of school. Baylen is wearing a purple backpack. We will buy him a new one someday but this one works for daycare just fine. It looks like he will be skipping a classroom and moving into one with some older kids. Hopefully it will work out. I just want to make sure he feels comfortable with everything coming back. Brynn will be starting pre-school this year and she's super excited about it. She was just thrilled to be back w/ her friends. Baylen loved his return and hugged his teachers first. It was really cute.

Brynnisms #17

She said some funny things the other night while hanging out with Tami and Brian.

Brynn: Tami, was it spicy out today? ( as she was looking up to the sky)
Tami clarified by asking her if she meant spicy like hot out and she said she did ...haha


Brynn: When I was a little baby baylen used to feed me a bottle.
Tami: Oh he did?
Brynn: Yep.
Tami: Well, that must have been pretty funny Brynn.
Brynn: Yea, it was.


Brynn: Tami, I love the tator toy swing (as she was swinging on the teeter totter swing.)


And yesterday as we were driving home and pulling into the complex she randomly states,

BEE: Mom it's an awesome, sunny day to have a picnic!

This kid keeps us on our toes...

This child never ceases to amaze me in the ornery department. I get to school to pick the kids up yesterday (they started back to school on Monday) and two teachers are getting ready to leave as I walk in and they are just laughing and Kathy says to me, "You gotta talk to Miss Toni about your son today!" and left it at that. I figured he must have done something naughty to her b/c the day before he slapped her on the rear and said, "I'm back!!!" nice, huh?!

So anyway, I guess Baylen was walking around yesterday morning with a $1 and a $20 bill. Toni was able to get the dollar but by the time she was done with the poop issues from several kids at once, the $20 was missing. She explained that she saw him walking around the room w/ them and had pulled them out of his own pocket. She did see it from afar and asked him where he got the money and his response, "Momma's purse." I don't carry cash hardly ever, so I knew it wasn't mine. After hearing the story, I kept asking Baylen where his "other dollar" was, hoping he'd remember. He kept walking around pointing into bins and we'd look and then...nothing. Finally, I asked him one more time and he said, "I think it's lost, mom!" LOl It was funny but not. Losing $1 would have been easier to accept! :) So, we left.

Today I show up to drop off the kids and Miss Toni found the money behind a poster! I can't even believe she thought to look there, but she sure did find it. I need to bring her something good for finding it!

This child is full of surprises, I tell ya!

Hair 911

Well, I never thought I would have this problem, but Miss Bee decided to cut her own hair yesterday. She and her brother were practicing cutting old paper and I ran upstairs to grab some laundry and talk to Dj about this dumb issue I was having w/ the district office. When I came downstairs, the kids were down from the table and I saw some of Brynn's hair laying on top of one of the papers they were supposed to be cutting, along with some pieces of her hair lying in the garbage can next to the table. I asked her if she cut her own hair and she replied, "Well Baylen helped!" I looked at Baylen and he agreed with a smirk on his face, "Yes I did!"

I told her no more cutting her hair...only adults can cut her hair and no one else. They both acted like they learned their lesson. I was a little surprised the child-proof scissors can actually cut hair, but I guess if it can cut paper, hair is not any harder to cut. She cut a few chunks out of the front left side of her hair. It's noticeable by Dj and I b/c we are around her all of the time, and it might be when I try to pull it up in a ponytail, but we'll see. Luckily it wasn't her bangs. We are trying to grow out her bangs and it is going to be a long process, and that would have really delayed it. LOL I think she thought it was her turn to get her haircut b/c everyone except for her got her hair cut yesterday at Ali's shop. She probably felt left out and decided to do it herself w/ the help of her trusty sidekick, Bull, who will do anything his older sister convinces him to do. :)

Last Days of Summa

It was pretty hot here last week and b/c it's kind of wasteful to fill our pool up for just a day or two, we decided to get a little sprinkler for the backyard. The kids had a blast w/ it and keep asking when we're doing the sprinkler again. :) They just screamed and laughed the entire time. It was very cute.

Our countdown to the end of summer is quickly approaching. Meetings for me start next week (curriculum planning, mostly not all-staff meetings) and the kids start daycare on Monday already.

Brynnisms #16

Bee: Mom your car is feee-ast like a cheetah!

Me: Yes, it is honey. (me laughing)

Bee: Yeah, that's Spanish: fee-ast. heehee

Did I mention

how much I enjoy working with high schoolers already? OMG it's a different world!!! Sooooo great!

Brynnisms #15

I have not posted any of these in awhile but this girl says a slew of funny stuff.

Today: two sonic booms went off. We didn't know what they were at the time.

BOOM! (house really shook)

Me: What was that?

Baylen: It was a garbage truck!

Me: No it was not! Get on the couch and stay there. Mommy needs to figure this out. It sounded more serious.

BOOOOOM (entire house shook...I jumped out of my skin!)

Me: Dj!!!...what was that???!!!

Brynn: It's okay mommy, it's probably just a cloud.

How to keep a crazy kid quiet.

Best idea ever:

kid friendly headphones + an iPod touch w/ Lightning McQueen/Cars movie on it=silence.

Wow's of the Day

I just returned from the mall after purchasing size 4T jeans for my 2 1/2 year old son. Wow.

Brynn still wears a size 3T in jeans. Wow.

We heard 2 sonic booms today after someone flew in restricted airspace while Obama was here, helping campaign. I thought someone blew up a bomb. Not cool. Wow.

I am putting together party favors for my daughters FOURTH birthday. Wow.

I finished all of my readings, practice quizzes and videos on day ONE of my class for the week. This has never happened. Wow.

The assignment for this week is really short. First time ever. I love this professor. I wonder if it's b/c she thinks we're all starting school this week. This means that the worst one will probably come on my first week of school. Shit. Wow.

I finally had enough courage to open the flash drive my teaching partner (at my new school) gave to me on the last day of school last year...it contains tons of stuff: power points, units, lesson plans, etc. It seems way more reasonable than I was thinking. At least from a distance it doesn't seem so scary. I can do this. :) Wow.

I still don't know shit about airplanes or aerospace. I need to get on this...somehow. Wow.

I met w/ the ASB President today for coffee at Panera and we have SO much to do this year, it's unbelievable. This ASB is active. very active. But in a good way. They are so motivated and excited. I am too. Wow.

I just realized I am not a middle school teacher anymore. I'm kinda sad about losing that title. It was a good gig. WAS is the key word. Wow.

I learned this week that my feelings of guilt for leaving my beloved middle school have slowly dissipated. I am not really sad or feeling that guilty anymore. And I'm okay with that. Wow.

I keep wondering where this 5 pounds I've gained has come from. I don't like it. I am now on a mission to get it off and return to my pre-summer size. I ran two miles (at least) outside tonight and have worked out the last 5 out of 7 days w/ a DVD and I'm eating salad the rest of the week for lunch. I'm on a roll. I am hoping school starting up will help get me back on track too. Wow.

Baylen peed AND pooped in the potty tonight. This is the first time he's really pooped in the potty! He must really want that big ambulance that's sitting up on the mantel. It's a good bribe. This is a big WOW.

School is almost here already. Where did my summer go? Wow.

Party like it's 1987

A long-time friend of mine, Rachel, celebrated her 30th birthday 1980's style last night. Another one of my good long-time friends, Krissy, came back from MT (along w/ her cool sis) to help welcome Rach to Club 30. Since the theme was 80's, we had to make sure we were in on the fun. This was special, obviously because it's her 30th birthday--a new decade of life. But for Rachel, this party had multiple meanings. About 4 months ago, she discovered some lumps around her thyroid in her throat. She went to the doctor to have them checked out and doc. said it was time to do a biopsy. After the results came back, it was clear Rach needed to have surgery to have part of her thyroid either removed or to allow the doctor to get a closer look. Once the surgery took place, he discovered she had several lymphnodes that did not look good so he removed several from each side, along with part of her thyroid. After testing the lymph nodes, Rachel was informed that she had cancer. She had to have a pretty powerful dosage of radiation, as well as follow some strict guidelines before, during and after this treatment. The good news is, she was recently informed that she is having the best possible outcome and that it looks like the treatment killed the cancer! :) So, as I said, this was a BIG reason to celebrate.

The party was really fun and we had a great time catching up. Another good friend, Mandy, helped plan a lot of the party and had a really cool outfit for Rachel to wear. I love these girls so much. Happy 30th, Rachel. :)

Um Yeah...I am ready for daycare to resume

This happened all in one day today:

baylen takes an ipod and starts running @ full speed;
baylen kicks brynn in the mouth b/c he's upset w/ her about something
baylen throws sand in brynn's face while they were playing in the sandbox and a large amount gets in her eyes;
baylen takes a bite of a tomato in the grocery store thinking it was an apple so we have to buy it...(we already had one tomato in our cart)

*sigh* does anyone see a pattern here?! :)

Where are we going? To THE BEACH

A poem:

Sunny days
Clear Lake
Sliding down waterslides galore.
Sand in our toes
Sparkling water
with mountains all around.
Skin bronzed
with a view.

Lake Chelan was awesome. We only stayed a couple of days over the weekend, but it was just fun. We spent the bulk of our time with our good friends, B., T., and their families, & that was so much fun too. There is a lot to do and the kids had a wonderful time swimming, relaxing, going down waterslides, floating, and eating snacks on the beach. Baylen was a champ going down all sorts of "big kid" slides at the waterpark and Brynn was right behind him. They just loved every minute of the water. It was really fun to watch. Dj convinced me to go down the evil Purple Haze, which I did even though I did not want to. It was scary. Really scary. But, I'm still alive. Dj (among many others we went with) won big at the casino nearby and everyone had fun.

We are already talking about going back sometime. It's just one of those places that is neat to visit more than once and it is so family oriented.

Brynn & the pony

Brynn asked for a pony for Christmas multiple times after her first pony ride last year at daycare. I am anticipating more of the same this year. This is Bee on Ranger. She loved it, of course and wanted to go back again and get in line a second time for another ride. She cried when we left daycare yesterday after the rides. :( poor thing.

First Pony Ride!

This was Baylen's first pony ride at daycare and he loved it! He was a little apprehensive when he first walked up to the horse and wasn't convinced he should get on it, but I coaxed him up there and he was fine after that. It was so cute!

Mind is elsewhere

Sorry for the lack of posts and use of capital letters, but my mind is on a lot of other things right now: school, school, school, brynn's birthday, our little staycation coming up, and school.

Brynn's bday theme will be a luau/hawaiian/hula girl theme. she is really excited about it and so is her momma. i need to figure out where to find some extra folding chairs to accommodate her friends so everyone can sit at the table together. i am still figuring that one out. maybe my old school will let me borrow some. she keeps asking for american girl doll stuff, so that's probably what she will get. originally, she wanted a doll house, but i think maybe we'll save that for christmas if she still wants it.

school is still not starting for another month, but i have so much to do in my new classroom and have a couple things to pick up in my old one. i have a lot of boxes to sort through and organize. ugh. it seems like such a huge process. plus, i still have some things to figure out curriculum wise before it's all said and done.

our staycation will take place on a beach. 'nuff said. :)

a few of my pals and i are going to see the so you think you can dance tour perform in november. i am super excited to see them dance in person. :)

what else has been going on in our world? swimming lessons (which are wrapping up next week), spending time at the Y, playing, reading, going to the swimming pool club (with a friend who is a member) and hanging in the baby pool, and just enjoying summer.

the kids stopped by daycare yesterday to ride the ponies and i have video and photos of that which i hope to post later tonight. i'm also working on making brynn's bday invites. this is the first time i have done this, as i have always purchased them in the past. i think they are turning out pretty cute...we'll see.

shopping: we did some shopping this weekend so i could update my wardrobe a little bit b/f starting a new job.

bow business has been picking up a bit and i need to start prepping for a craft show i'll be setting up shop for in december by making a lot of extra bows ahead of time. my master's class starts back up on 8/9. ARGH. not ready for that to start yet.

For Rent...

I had to rent a Uhaul when moving my classrooms. BTW: when they say it's $19.95 to rent a truck, yeah, it doesn't just cost you 20 bucks. Regardless, it took that size of truck to move my classroom. It was like a second home to me. I had computers, bookshelves, computer chairs, printers, folders, books, books, and more books, binders, and misc. items I had acquired from the last 9 years. And here's the packed truck (note: this did not include EVERYTHIng. In fact, I still have more to go get at the old classroom.) Now I have to go through all of this. Can I hire someone to do it for me?!

My new classroom has a weird set-up. I wish I would have taken a picture of it, but it is bad. There are about 12 computers all in a row in the middle of my room. I can't move them b/c the power cords and all of the plug-ins fit into these middle lines/beams down that come down from the ceiling. It just sucks for the kids who have to sit on the other side of those computers. It's like they can't see a thing. I have to figure out a way to fix this!!! It will drive me nuts if I don't.