what's old is new...and apparently cool....

first, sorry i haven't posted in a while. three kids, full time house, full time job....excuses, excuses....

so the other day the family and i were at the mall. we were taking daddy shopping for his birthday presents. (see, this lack of planning and extra time extends in to all parts of my life...not just the blog) anyways, little mama and the boy are HUGE fans of where the wild things are. not just b/c of the movie, but because they love the story. but they had this really cool set up of WTWTA merchandise and dolls etc. in the window at urban outfitters. so we went in. all this leads up to the title of the post...

apparently, my past (and that of all you thirtysomethings) is already coming back to haunt us....

in the mens t-shirt section we encountered shirts like these:

yes, thats right, cobra (of g. i. joe fame) and gizmo!

oh wait, there's more.....

Teenage Muntat Ninga turtles....heros on the half shell...turtle power! Ok, the GI Joe movie just came out, so I can see that. And Gizmo, well, that's almost a cult movie. But really, there was not much redeeming value in any of the TMNT cartoons or movies.....

And then we saw this.....

and i knew. I knew there was no WAY anyone who wasn't actually a child of the 80's bothered with the thundercats....nope. And also given that early to mid-30's is not exactly the demographic that urban outfitters is shooting for, I had my worst fears confirmed. The 80s are becoming a trend, a retrp-trend. Which may make me count as "old" more than any numerical indicator could.

And if I was still uncertian....the look that the young hipster boys in the pencil-thin, acid-wash jeans were giving husband and I was we remembered the shows from the various shirts was the final nail in my "cool" coffin.

Oh well, one less thing to worry about! Ha!

...and the livin's easy...

little mama learns about police helicopters!

whew! summer's finally here! thank goodness.

of course, its only a break from teaching, since i have my kids home from school with me (yup, thats right, no daycare breaks this summer!) but i will take it!

we have been home for two weeks, and have been on the go everyday but two, when little mama and the boy got strep throat. so far we've gone on bike rides, had picnics, played at pump it up, visited the zoo, played at the mall playground, visited a peach orchard, gone to two birthday parties, and hit the spraygrounds. and that dosen't include all the swimming at nana's and our other fabulous friends' houses.

and there is a list of other fun things to do, that just keeps growing, on the fridge, so that we don't wind up bored!!!!

e and logie at the zoo

anyways, sorry i have been abandoning the blog lately....i will try to do something neat for the next post!

Summer to do's....

List will follow soon.....

but it's going to be a busy one....

come on summer....

ok. i am actually kind of glad DISD is staying open, despite much lamenting to the contrary. i know, swine flu is an iminent threat to my exsistance....depending on what you read....but still.
consider this:

it is only ten am on a random tuesday morning. and i have already had to do the following:
explain how to use a word bank. again. for the third time this week.
tell a student that it is not okay to scratch his ARMPIT with scissors. especially not with my
scissors.
watch a little girl dig in her nose so vigarously, i was sure a tumor was actually being removed
from her brain via her sinus cavitiy. and then decide said removal was actually a SNACK.
and then explain to same girl why people were yucked out around her, and send her to wash
hands.

its only ten.

come on summer....

work, work, work, work

well. things have changed at our household. i am now going to go back to work about six weeks sooner that i had wanted to, but such is life. so if you thought i stank at posting before....well, you haven't seen anything yet! i am thinking that the blog may be on hiatus until at least june....but don't worry, i will need it to keep myself sane when i am home with all three kids, all summer!

and, about the worrywort post....
1) i am neurotic, and i don't sleep a lot (not just b/c of the kids) so worrying is in my nature...
2) i left off worries about money, private/public school and current events
3) i really am ok....this is normal for me (i had a couple folks worry i might be falling into a postpartum type of issue....don't worry about me, i know when i am struggling and need help! but thanks for caring.....it is nice to be cared for!)

playdate, anyone?

so, enough stress, how about something funny?


so, here lately i have had my hands full. duh. and i have to spend a lot of time feeding sweetpea. so that leaves two, relatively small children only partially supervised while i do that. i mean, i am in the house, and i am listening, but unless they are reading or watching tv in the room i am in....there is always the potential for some trouble. and for the most part, those two are really really good.



but, on a recent cold and rainy day....things are very quiet, and the kids are playing in little mama's room. i call out..." what are you and the boy doing?" "we're playing mama" "what are you playing, you are very quiet!" "we are playing toy mountian" hummm...i don't remember a toy or book called that. but, they are quiet and not fighting, so ok.



except...not ok. apparently, this is how you play toy mountian....

and then, about two days later, when the boy is all alone and quiet....

so, who wants to have a playdate?

worrywort

to most people (i think) i must project that i am pretty in control of things. maybe?

so the oscar goes to...haha

ok. i am turning into a worrywort. well, not so much "turning into" but more like, going public with? i have always been a worrier. i don't know why. for example, i remember, as a six or seven year old who couldn't sleep (red-flag anyone?) that i would plan what i would save from my house if there were ever a fire. or where i would run if a giant were to attack my neighborhood. or what i would do if the aliens from sesame street that say "meep-meep" were to come for me. (remember, six or seven years old!)

so now i am a grown-up, and while my worried nature hasn't changed, my worries certianly have. and since i am not sure how much thearapy costs, or if its covered by insurance, i will take some of this out on you, the readers of this blog! (i heard somewhere that if you just put it out there, you feel better. so we will see. i can always un-post this if i change my mind....)

1. Am I a good enough parent?
(under this LARGE GOLF UMBRELLA topic are many subtopics...do i yell too much? get frustrated too fast? tell my kids enough positive things about them? let them watch too much tv? eat too much junk food? discipline consistantly? seem to favor one child or the other? rely on them too much for help (chores)? let them have enough "play" time? read to them enough? am i a good role model in all respects (nutrition, exercise, language, grammar, respect, manners...that list could go on forever!)? and many other things about parenting...)

2. Am I really happy in my job? i love the children that i work with. i really love (most) of the parents i come across. i enjoy the challenges, successes and hard work that it takes to help a kid achieve a goal. i like making learning fun. but, as anyone who has any inside knowledge of educaiton knows, those things are MAYBE 25-40 percent of your job. there is grading and lesson planning and committee meetings and spec. ed meetings and department meetings and vertical meetings and staff dev. meetings, and the paperwork....and the docmentation to prove that you are doing what you say you are doing, and how the children are doing with what your are doing, and the testing....which leads to number three....

3. if not teaching, what else? i am thinking nursing....there are some programs i am looking into, offers many of the same perks as teaching...of course, you work summers.....so that is on my mind alot....

these are just three of the things taking up space in my head every day, all the time, completely separate from the part of the brain that takes care of (or is supposed to take care of) the daily grind, and apart from the part that worries about finances (from small...saving at the store with coupons to the big...layoffs, college for three kids at the same damn time) ...and also apart from the feeling part of my brain, cause if i stop to factor how all this feels i wind up posting a cathartic blog entry in a frantic, stressed out tone.....


when really, it will all work out.....i just have to relax? right?
i am going to bed...i feel a little better!

SHE's here!

ok...again, running late with all the info...but at least now i have an excuse. or three of them! haha!

sweetpea joined our family on Monday evening! We are so blessed to have her...

We got sent over to the hospital to have her Monday morning (which was unexpected) and then she was here by Monday evening. I always joked that I had babies fast....but for being induced...well....lets say I surprised everyone at baylor!

We are back home now, and things are going ok. I thought it was a big adjustment from one to two kids....lemme tell ya'....that is nothing! (ok, not nothing, but this is more challenging for me!) little mama LOVES sweetpea so much already...and is SOOOOOOOOO helpful. Really. She has been great, helping and listening, and even helping her little brother do things like get his shoes on! And the boy, well....lets just say at least I expected some trouble from the boy. But not evil trouble. He's just acting out...in every way imaginable. No to everything. Breaking rules he's follwed without trouble his whole life. Not eating (control issues, anyone?) Stripping down every chance he gets. Arg. But it will be ok. We just keep consistant, and try to throw in the extra love and praise as he gets things right. It will end in a few weeks, right?

At least I don't have to stress about work right now....and the kids are still in preschool during the week....so that does give me some rest time.

husband...

as i sit here, in a quiet house, i get to thinking...

first, i am thinking that i am so greatful for my husband. i know (have always known) that even though we are very different people, we compliment each other very well. and that works great in our marriage, and even better with parenting.

i am kinda uptight. not about all things, and i can certianly think of other, much more anal rentitve people than myself, but i would be shocked if anyone called me laid back. husband is quite mellow. it works. sure, he's got his hang-ups about things, but for the most part, he rolls with the punches, and i throw them. metaphorically speaking (most of the time...haha)

but in parenting, this works out even better for the two of us. he enjoys a lot of "down time" with the kids. i like to have plans. you know, either get stuff done, or play with friends, or go DO stuff. he and the kids are super-content to just hang out and throw rocks in the creek from the backyard. and thats cool with me, for like, 10 minutes, and then i am bored. and they aren't. somehow, husband has the patience to sit there and just be for twenty, thirty, forty minutes. as long as the kids are happy too.

maybe i need to learn from him......or maybe i should just keep being thankful.

(also, in case you are wondeirng, what is happening right now, that i can blog and enjoy a quiet house)

nothin' much...

not much is going on right now.

had a great weekend....three days...had a work day at school tuesday, and its always nice to start the week on a wednesday...

little mama and the boy are great....hubby is doing well, his job is hanging on (knock on wood)....so like i said, nothing much is going on

but then, truth be told, i could use a bit of a break every now and then.

february won't be crazy at all (hahaha) what with little mama's fourth (i know...how did she get so big so fast) birthday at the start, valentines day (at both schools, and of, course, at home) and then new babys arrival....

but, for all of those who have been wondering, i have actually started to think about the logistics of the baby...like where it will sleep, what it will sleep in, if we have clothes and diapers and junk...so see, i am starting to nest. hahaha

but we have started to think of names (WE STILL DON"T KNOW THE GENDER) and we have come up with a few...

girls boys
lauren olivia marcus (yuck...)
laura jonathan
claire luke


and i forget what else....but i will post the other ones when i find the list that hubby and i started a few weeks ago.

but suggestions are always welcome....(and yes, veronica and ronald have already been considered...haha)

simply amazing....

ok. lets get this out in the open. svelte...skinny...petite...not words people would commonly use to describe me unless comparing me to say.....camryn manheim? anyways, i am not super-okay with that, but its the truth, and given my condition right now, there isn't a whole lot the be done about the shape i am in (round..haha) anyways. so its not like you'll be hurting my feelings over here.

anyways, i have never been one to "diet" all the time. southbeach? atkins? grapefruit four times a day? nope. not this one. i enjoy eating....food. food that tastes good. and if thats an orange, a bannana, a turkey sandwhich, ok then. its all about moderation. and if every once in a while i eat a donut (ummmmm....krispy kreme......aaggggggg......oh, sorry!) or have a starbucks...or a hamburger...well, the world won't end. so there. but then i come across this article....

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/24416/20-worst-foods-in-america-2009

and i am just beside myself.

really, you need to read it. the problem for me is, once i start reading these kinds of things....i can't stop. and they really bother me.

here's a quote:

" Worst Burger: Chili’s Smokehouse Bacon Triple-The-Cheese Big Mouth Burger with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing2,040 calories150 g fat (53 g saturated)110 g protein4,900 mg sodium You know this burger's in trouble when it takes more than 20 syllables just to identify it. If you think the name’s a mouthful, just wait until the burger hits the table. You’ll be face-to-face with two-and-a-half days' worth of fat—a full third of which is saturated. To do that much damage with roasted sirloin, you’d have to eat about eight 6-ounce steaks. (It’s nearly three days’ worth of saturated fat.)"

the cuplrit

ok. again....a burger is fine. and i am all about personal responsiblitiy (elvis, oprah and my mom are all off the hook for my troubles!) BUT REALLY...should something like this even be on the market?!?!?!? i mean, 150 grams of fat.....in the burger. and you know they serve it with fries. and ranch on the side....crazy.....

i get that our nation is getting too fat. believe me, i plan to do something about my personal contribution to this epidemic very soon. and yes, we (as a nation) eat out too much. but OMG this is crazy.....and if you think that is bad....just read the article all the way through...veggie subs, appetizers, kids meals.....arg. its enough to make you cook every night.
that's it....i am off to sams right now....gotta get ground turkey for our HOMEMADE tacos with beans for dinner.....
(see, at least i am trying.....)

10 things

a list of ten things

1. i could not be more greatful for my fabulous girlfriends, who make you put on real pants, and take you to the bar (never mind that you are eight months pregnant) and make you laugh so hard you almost pee in your pants.

2. the more you have to do, the faster time flies. so you have to learn to ask for help. (thank you husband!)

3. something you never want to hear first thing in the morning "oh,no, my bo-bo" (arg...son!)

4. young children don't know that to actually go fishing, you need to be by water. for now, they are content to fish in the backyard.

5. i am becoming addicted to facebook. in fact, last night, i had phone envy...for i was the only one of ten women without a phone able to check facebook. how lame am i?

6. on the other hand, hanging out with ten friends....and checking and goofing on facebook...how dorky are they? (hee, hee)

7. i am going to have my third kid in about six weeks....and i am still not sure where he/she is going to go...but at least we have a place for it to sleep...(thanks mon!)

8. i am still stressed out about where to send my firstborn to kidnergarden and beyond....and she isn't even four yet.

9. i have just begun planning the craziest b-day party for said three-year old...it involes arts and crafts, games, and, oh yea....a pony ride...

10. hmmmm....i am out of things to say!