Not Me! Monday

During my last week of school my husband was home with the boys all day as his school is awesome and got out a week earlier. When I arrived home on Thursday, the basement was not a huge disaster. It did not look like all of Collin's toy bins had thrown up all over the floor. This did not include all the dress up clothes that he probably didn't play with anyhow. After dinner I did not put away some of the clutter so that Ronan could play on the floor, and Collin was not the cutest little helper putting blocks away and saying 'clean up'. Upon finishing Collin did not drag out the dress up high heels and proceed to put them on daddy's feet. I did not laugh and then encourage him to put them on his own feet. I did not snap these photos of him to black mail him in the future remember how stinkin cute he was at this age. I mean, he's a boy for cryin out loud!

On Saturday we had some friends over for a BBQ and I did not make these adorable corn on the cob cupcakes.Today, my sweet 21 month old boy did not go pee-pee in the potty for the first time. We have not been setting him on the toilet before his bath each nightt, and are not super thrilled with this small, yet monumental success.

We also did not buy Collin a new sprinkler for the backyard, and I did not have fun taking photos of him and daddy running through the water.

I do not think I have the cutest kids in the world!

baby idol

I entered Ronan in the Baby Idol contest. His picture is up for voting today and tomorrow only. Click here to vote on his picture!You can vote once a day per computer. Now get to voting!

fun in the sun

We spent the day at my parents' house. There ain't nothin' better than...

...hanging out with mommy
...swimming with daddy

...visiting with family

...spying on the neighbors

...eating pretzels off the ground

...relaxing in a swing with a cold drink

...washing baby brother

...and getting your first sun burn

okay, having a sun burn isn't fun, but my kid is cute!

3 months

Ronan is now 3 months old. Enjoy admiring his ooey gooey goodness!

I know, I know. We make cute kids.

a new do

I decided I needed some summer hair.

Here is before...

and this is after.

What do ya think?

Not Me! Monday

Time to confess the things I did not do this past week!

At no point during this past week was I attacked by frozen breast milk. Nope. A 5oz container did not fall out of the freezer and land right on my big toe making it difficult for me to walk for the next 10 minutes. My freezer is not so full of milk that I fear this happening in the future, and I am not totally proud of the supply I have.

I did not snap this photo to show off some of what I've accumulated.

I also did not add up the amount of milk in my freezer to discover that I have nearly 100 oz. Nope. That would be silly. I mean, I only have 2 weeks of work left. What does it matter how much is in my freezer?

We have always had a strict schedule with Collin when it comes to his bed time. At 8:00pm every night, give or take 5 minutes, you can bet one of us, usually Dan, is laying Collin down in his bed. My parents have always given us a lot of grief about this. This Saturday we went to a BBQ at Dan's brother's house and did not let Collin stay up nearly 2 hours past his bed time. Definitely not. If so we would never hear the end of it.

I have not been doing a lot of thinking about ways to make extra money, and I am not contemplating selling Avon on the side next year. I also am not planning on starting my own crochet business, so don't be looking for a new blog that showcases my work. I don't have a name for my business yet, and I am not thinking about using Fuzzy Hugs, as it was a vision I had with a former friend of mine in college. Any thoughts?

Last Wednesday I did not find out that my best friend is pregnant and I am not totally thrilled for her. I do not absolutely love this girl!

sunday adventures

My big boy is finally able to successfully drink from a cup without a huge mess. (the milk on the table is actually from his cereal)

Collin has come such a long way from eating with his fingers. I love how his second hand has to guide the spoon.

Today we went to the zoo for the members only preview of the Slawson Tiger Treck. The line was really long to get in, but the exhibit was pretty cool, and the tigers are beautiful.

I think Ronan really enjoyed the trip.

thankful thursday

I've been forgetting to post things that I'm thankful for so here we go...

1. my adorable children
   
   


2. my incredible husband




3. my amazing para who keeps me sane at work




4. my new Nintendo DS - keeps me from being bored in the closet while I pump




5. yarn - crocheting is fun - if only there were more hours in the day




6. outdoor recess




7. my car - I had to drive Dan's little Honda the other day and it totally made me appreciate my Explorer. I love my big car!




8. baby bellies




9. Family Feud - we like to watch it at lunch time




10. Ronan only waking up twice last night. 1:00 and 4:45. Not too bad.

brotherly love

I just love how much Collin loves giving his brother kisses. And Ronan loves Collin too. He follows Collin around the room with his eyes, a huge smile on his face. I hope my boys always love each other this much.

Not Me! Monday

It's that time again. Time to be honest about all the things I didn't do this past week.

Click on the Not Me! Monday picture to check out the rules and visit McMama's page. She's the amazing lady who created this fabulous carnival.

Last Wednesday was gorgeous! A perfect day to take 22 pre-schoolers to the zoo. Being the fair-skinned red-head that I am, I always use sunscreen. I did not get a nice sunburn on our 4 hour field trip to the zoo. I am smart enough to put on sunscreen before the end of the day. Especially after preaching to all the parents about the importance of puting sun block on their kids.

This past week I most definitely did not back into my husbands car as Collin and I were heading to Target. I did not forget to check my mirror assuming that my car was in the back like usual. No. That would be stupid. I surely did not do this. And after not doing this, there was not a nice mark on the front bumper. Nope. Because this didn't happen.

And because I know you all want some insight into the world of teaching preschool special education: Today, I did not have a student poop his pants and wipe it on the classroom walls. He did not have poop up to his elbows and I did not leave my para to clean it up because I was "busy" with a small group. Nope. This most definitely did not happen.

Have I mentioned that I'm quitting? Would anyone like my job?

happy mother's day

In honor of Mother's Day, I want to list some reasons why I love being a mommy.

• Collin's incredible giggle
• Ronan's sweet chubby cheeked smile
• having a reason to play with kids toys again
• my children make me want to be a better person
• every day brings something new
• getting to watch Playhouse Disney on Saturday mornings in my pajamas with 2 boys curled up on my lap
• Watching the wonder in Collin's eyes as he tries to understand why he can't catch the falling water in the bathtub.
• nursing my baby and knowing that I am responsible for nourishing and taking care of him.

I could go on all day, but the bottom line is I LOVE BEING A MOMMY! I can't imagine anything better.

My boys made Mother's Day special for me today. Dan made breakfast for me this moring before going to church. He and the boys bought me a Nintendo DS which was very unexpected. It is lime green and came in a very stylish case and with the Personal Coach: Cooking game. I now have 245 new recipes to try! After stopping by to see our moms we stopped at Game Stop and I got to pick out 2 other used games to play. Dan's main purpose for buying this for me was so that I would have something to do while I pump, even though I only have 3 weeks left of work. We got to eat Freddy's Frozen Custard for lunch, and I got my choice of anything home cooked for dinner. Over all: a good day.

I hope all you mothers had a special day as well!

And now, I would like to tell you all a little about my mother, and what makes her so amazing. My mom is one of my best friends. She has always been there for me no matter what. I can honestly say that I don't remember a single time in my life when I had a fight with my mom. That is of course not counting the times that my sisters and I were all in trouble together (generally for fighting over something stupid). My mom has always supported me in whatever I chose to do. When I wanted to join the Kansas Youth Choir in grade school, my mom (and of course my dad, but this tribute is for mom and he'll have to wait his turn) helped me fund raise by selling things at her office as well as driving me around to deliver everything that I sold. She has always encouraged me to do my best, even when I didn't want to. I remember preparing for a solo in high school in which my mom made me record myself singing and then listen to it to hear the flaws. Gag. I hated, and still hate, to listen to myself. Singing. Talking. I don't like my voice. Mom, however, was able to critique and inspire without making me feel bad about myself.
My mom was always a great cook except for the time she made this weird bread and hotdog casserole thing. Gross. We still laugh about it today. I call her quite frequently to find out how to make different things. She helped me with my homework, drove me places, played games with me, loved me, and taught me how to love. It is because of her that I am who I am today. She always was, and continues to be the woman who inspired me. She's amazing. I hope that someday my children will look back and be able to say with all sincerity that I was a great mother.

Thank you for all you do. You are incredible! I love you mom!

indecisive

If you haven't noticed already, I am completely indecisive on how I want my blog to look. Cute?sophisticated? pretty? classic? Not to mention I get bored really easily so I tend to change it frequently. This, however, isn't just linked to my blog. It's my life in general. I like to rearrange furniture to add new spice. It drives my husband crazy! Just when he's used to having it one way, I'm ready to change it. Same goes for my hair. I get bored often. I've been growing it out, and I'm now thinking I'll chop it all off again. I was going to wait and donate it, but I don't think I can wait that long.
I have dubbed myself the queen of indecisiveness.

zoo days

I've just started back to my job (only 17 days left with kids!) and have already had a headache because of it...every day. Of course, yesterday and today were spent at the zoo. Yesterday it rained. And rained. And then.... it rained some more. Needlesss to say, by the end of the day, we were wet. We were wet, and I was sore! No, not from walking. I did do some walking over my 10 weeks at home. Sore from carrying around a 20 pound (that could be an exageration) backpack stuffed to the top with my breast pump motor (I detatched it from the pump bag) bottles, and all the fun accessories. Plus my umbrella, snacks, keys, and freezer bag to keep the yummy milk cold. Before the trip I was a little nervous that I would have to sit in a dirty bathroom on a toilet or floor and pump using my oh so powerful battery pack. However, the Sedgwick County Zoo staff was amazing in being super accomodative. I went to the Cargill Learning Center and asked the nice ladies at the desk if they had a place I could pump. I fully expected a weird look or "what do you mean by pump?". Instead they grinned and said they had a place just for that. Apparently a couple of their employees are also in need of a "pump room" right now, so they turned their library resource room into their own personal lactation room. SWEET! Way better than what I thought I'd get.
Today's trip was sunny and warm and came with a slight sun burn. To me this means summer is in sight. Hallelujah!
So after 2 long days of walking around the zoo for 4 hours, I'm off to sweetly ask my loving husband for a massage.

Thankful

1. my children
2. my husband
3. comfy shoes
4. the sunshine
5. cookies

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I've been following MckMama's blog for about a month now and have decided that it's time I join in the "not me" fun. So here it goes!

Today I started back to work after 10 glorious weeks of maternity leave. I loved every second that I got to spend with my boys and did not at any point secretly wish that swine flu would break out at my school prior to my return allowing me another solid week with my children. Nope. Not Me! I mean, after all, I only have 4 weeks left and then I'm done. I mean done, done! Never going back. Sure I'll miss the people I work with, but I will never look back. Getting to be a stay at home mom will be the greatest adventure ever.

Upon my return today I most definitely did not forget the names of any of my 47 students. What kind of a teacher would do that?

Only 18 days of school left, and only 14 days with students. But I am most definitely not counting!

Want to join in the Not Me! fun? Visit MckMama for the official rules!

wiggle worm

Ronan has become quite the wiggle worm in his be, so it's time to take his bumper out of the bed. I realized however that I never poste pictures of his room since it's been finished. It's a little messy at the moment, but cute regardless.
Dan installed the mirrored closet doors to help make the room look bigger. Plus the old ones needed painted and it was just easier this way.
His book shelf is a mess. I haven't taken the time to put all of the cards and such away, plus we had to put the humidifier there to help him breathe at night. Don't you love how the lamp blends into the stripes on the wall that I hand painted?

The picture above the changing table is a prayer. It was given to us by one of Dan's uncles. It hung in Collin's room, now in Ronan's, and will move on to each of our children until it's time for us to pass it down.

His bedding is little fish all the way around. I love it, an so does Ronan. He'll lay in his crib and talk to the fish on the bumper, which is why I'm sad to take it out. But it will ease my mind as I'm one of those paranoid parents who wakes up with a fear that my child has smothered himself.

This is Ronan talking to the fish. He layed there for a good 20 minutes while I showered and cleaned some spots in the carpet.Yeah, he's pretty stinkin' adorable.

Thankful

1. my children
2. my amazing husban who is planning a special weekend for me because I have to go back to work on Monday.
3. Resolve carpet cleaner - we had spots in our carpet when we moved in that I could not get rid of. I used a carpet shampooer and they were still there. Who knew Resolve was so amazing!
4. My husband's inginuity as he can canal a leak in our basement wall to the sump pump with tin foil
5. Netflix watch instantly through the XBox. I can download movies and workout videos straight to my television! Yay!