Wednesday, August 13, 2008

From the mouths of babes!



Who knew that once Nicholas started Kindergarten he would be coming home every day with new things to make me laugh??

Me - Nicholas did you have a good day?

Nicholas - Yes, we did the pokey pokey today, but I didn't do it too much cause I got confused with my left and my right foot.

LOL

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Jasmine is enjoying her fourth grade but not really too happy, they started on monday and she's had homework every single day. I am not sure why they are already giving them work but what can I do? I keep explaining to her that things just get harder every year and she will have to adjust. Of course who knew that 9 year old girls were so hormonal, everything is filled with drama......this afternoon she came running into the kitchen, crying, because she had forgotten her composition book at school and couldn't do her homework which means she'll stay in for recess tomorrow and do it in the classroom.

You would have thought that it's the end of the world, she's been in a foul mood since then. Makes me so eager for the teenage years...NOT! LOL

So you may be wondering what exactly I'm doing to fill my time alone, let's just say that the house has never been cleaner, there is this amazing feeling of getting a chore done without interruptions. Who knew that if you started putting away laundry and had no interruptions you would be done within 20 minutes? I'm not used to this, it usually takes me a day, put away a shirt, mommy I'm hungry, put away some pants, mommy I'm thirsty, put away some underwear, fighting kids. This is a whole new way of living for me people LOL


In the meantime I've got a couple projects going on. The other day Katy mentioned using a canning jar as a candle holder and I smiled, because she must have read my mind....last week I made these, see them in the photo above, they're small jars above my stove, all I did was pop in a tea light and VOILA! instant country deco.

I have another tote bag I'm making for myself and I am trying to get started on the christmas projects, especially the advent calendar.

But I find that I get distracted because of the Olympics. I LOVE the Olympics, especially Michael Phelps in the swimming and anything to do with gymnastics. I sat up until way too late last night, watching the girls gymnastics and it broke my heart, I felt so bad for them, but so proud too, they are amazing.

BTW, Barb did an interesting post on the scoring being used for the Gymnastics, I have no clue why they changed the way they do it, but I'm confused and I was glad to see Barb confused too LOL I hate feeling that way alone! LOL

I haven't done my interesting cooking lately as a matter of fact I feel that my food blog is being neglected, but things will change in a few days. I'm getting my menus ready for the next two weeks and I'm hoping to make some really yummy stuff and then share it with you all.

For now, I'm going to take a shower, get into my jammies and help the kids get ready for night time, then I have more Olympics to enjoy.

I know, I know, this post was all over the place, I've switched subjects faster than the Arizona drivers switch lanes, which if you lived here you would totally understand. *snicker*
Tomorrow I'll try to come up with something more thought provoking, or interesting, or that actually makes sense, ok?

WWWAT: A Different View




It's time for another Wordless Wednesday With A Twist and this time we're looking at things through a different view.

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So proud of this picture, my husband and I are HUGE astronomy fans, we have telescopes and special lenses and cameras etc. I took this photo of the sun and if you notice on the bottom left you can see a sunspot.



Tuesday, August 12, 2008

It's my Anniversary!


10 years since I exchanged vows with my husband and embarked on the best years of my life.

There's been ups and downs and times of grief and times of laughter, there's been moments of frustration between us, times where it would have been easier to just walk away, but we didn't and we don't plan to. Marriage is all about compromise, I don't have to like everything he does and vice versa, but there has to be respect and there has to be a give and take.


I've shared my life with the most wonderful man in the world, he has been there for me through some of my darkest moments and I only hope I've been able to reciprocate as much. I seriously have the best husband in the world, wonderful father, amazing soldier, everything we could have wished for and more.

So here's to 10 years together and the wish for many many more. I love you Curtis!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Kindergarten Here We Come!

This morning started like any other, the sun was shining, the alarm went off and I was up and rushing to get kids ready for school, getting two out the door is harder than just one, but I'm sure I don't need to tell you that LOL

We walked to the school and as we approached it I started feeling a lump in my throat, this was it, this was the moment I would have to leave my beautiful girl in a new classroom with a new teacher and then leave my baby boy alone for the first time in my life.

This summer they broke down the old school building and built a new one, the teachers and staff ONLY moved into this school this weekend and up until friday they were still accepting registration. No problem right??? WRONG! What happened is that a week or two ago we got letters in the mail stating the name of the kids teachers and the room number, but when we arrived at school this morning we were told that everything had been changed. After checking in with the teacher on Jasmine's letter, she kindly informed us that she didn't have her anymore, check next door. Luckily enough, that was the right teacher and I got Jasmine quickly situated before setting off in search of the Kindergarten teacher.

We walked the confusing new hallways, looking this way and that way and finally saw the kindergarten hallway, it would be the one littered with little ones tightly grasping their parents hands, digital cameras and camcorders shot off flashes and bright lights following the little ones every step and in every room you looked into, there were tears and little bodies clutching tightly on to their mom or dad. It was heartbreaking, I'm a softie, I cry easily for goodness sake, so walking through this all enfolding before us was just awful.

We made it to the teacher on the letter and she again kindly informed me that it had been changed, Nicholas wasn't on her list, check with the other teachers. We walked from classroom to classroom and teacher to teacher, it almost felt like I was a door to door salesman trying to sell my child, finally the LAST one, teacher #5 was it. We were ushered in, hung up his backpack, got him his name tag and dumped all his supplies in the bins provided.


He made his way to the first table he could find with the boys, sat down and proceeded to draw like nothing happened. I hung around for a bit, and I realize now that it wasn't for HIS sake because, well, because he was just dandy, it was for my sake. I am pathetic I admit it LOL

After 15 minutes, the parents started to leave and I figured I may as well take the cue and head out as well, no matter how much I wanted to stay there forever, I doubt I could pass as a 5 year old, I mean, if my height didn't give it away, I'm sure the wedding ring and the sunglasses perched on top of my head would.

I reached down gave him a big hug and a kiss on the lips, like I always do, but this time he quickly grabbed a hold of his shirt and wiped, God forbid one of the other boys sees him kiss his mother. I laughed it off though inside I wanted to cry, not only did I have to leave my baby but I couldn't even kiss him anymore, how sad LOL

I said goodbye, told him I loved him and went over the rules again, you know the "listen to the teacher", "If you need to go potty, you have to ask to go ok?", "don't be sad, remember mommy will be back soon" and all that other stuff we tell them just to make ourselves feel better LOL
He gave me a hug and said he loved me and then went back to drawing, I walked to the door, camera in hand and turned back expecting to see him looking back at me with sadness in his eyes or actually crying like some of the other kids, but what I saw left me perplexed and wondering why I was making such a big deal out of nothing.


Now tell me does that look like he's falling apart at the seams because mommy is leaving him? Does it look like he is struggling to see through the tears in his eyes??? LOL
He was already up and playing without a second glance at me. Oh well....I snapped the pic, turned the camera off and walked out, got lost in the new school for 5 minutes (again, I felt pathetic LOL) and then walked home, wiping the tears from my eyes and staring at my shadow remembering that just last year there was two of us, mine and a little boy's on my side. Now there's just one and it's a sad feeling but also very freeing.


So I came home and walked around the house, cried a little more and then told myself to snap out of it, he was fine, he was having fun and besides, I had the house to myself, alone, all alone for the first time in 9 years. Want to know what I did? I turned on the radio loud and danced in the living room, yes I did, I shook my booty, I felt like an idiot (I am starting to see a pattern LOL) but I danced and then I cleaned the house while listening to music...I ate lunch alone in the quiet, just me and the Lord and just when I thought I would start crying again and feeling sad, He whispered in my ear:
"Do not fret my child, remember that you've done an amazing job with those little children and you've devoted your life to them, and now they're off starting a whole new chapter and so are you. Don't cry for the loneliness, rejoice at the chance to put yourself first for a few hours"

I smiled and I thanked Him and then I finished the housework and sat down to make a list of projects I want to get done to keep me busy. By the time I went to pick the kids up at school I totally felt like a new woman, like my soul had been recharged and as I took each one into my arms and hugged them tight, I knew that no matter how hard the separation was, it was the right thing to do.

The Simple Woman Daybook - August 11th

Hi everyone, come on in and see what's in my daybook!

If you want to join in, just got visit Peggy over at The Simple Woman, read the guidelines here and then add your name to Mr Linky. There are so many other participants sharing their day, I'm sure you'll enjoy looking through them :)





FOR TODAY



Outside my Window
...blue skies, not a cloud in sight, my sheets drying on the clothesline.

I am thinking...that dropping off Nicholas at kindergarten this morning was just as hard as I thought it would be

I am thankful for...the fact that he was such a strong little boy, he didn't cry or cling at all, he just jumped right into it. :)

From the kitchen...Ham and Cheese Casserole and for dessert the leftover Tres Leches Cake from my birthday yesterday

I am creating...Fabric purses with some fun summer fabric I have laying around

I am going... to clean this house from top to bottom, with both kids in school I'm sure I can get a lot done

I am wearing...shorts and a pink striped top, black flip flops

I am reading...Wow, well, nothing right now, I've read a bunch of books this past week. I finished the "Firstborn" series by Karen Kingsbury which I loved, then I read "The spell of the highlander" by Karen Marie Moning, absolutely loved it too and I also read "One Tuesday Morning" it was so sad and I cried most of the book. Next on my list to read is "Bright Captivity" by Eugenia Price, it's the first book in the Georgia Trilogy.

I am hoping...That my kids have a good first day at school.

I am hearing... absolutely nothing, the silence is actually deafening for me since it's the first time in 9 years that I've had the house to myself.

Around the house...the dishwasher is running, the washer is running too, I have floors that are about to be mopped and bed linens to change

One of my favorite things...kisses from my children first thing in the morning

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Library on thursday, Grocery shopping on Friday. The rest of the week I'll be busy reorganizing the kids bedrooms and purging what is not needed anymore. It's easier done when they're out of the house because everything tends to turn into their favorite once I try to get rid of it LOL

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...First day of school, fourth grade and kindergarten