The First Day of School (only a day late this year!)

Yesterday was the first day of school for the kids. Emily was up early, ready to hit the road. She is super excited about school. She loves her teacher and I hope she continues to like her throughout the year. This year they don’t have a treasure chest, like she has in the past years, but a Scholar Dollar system. They earn money for behavior and special projects. In time you can earn up to 1000 scholar dollars and “cash them in” for items, like stuffed animals and even a bike! Emily is trying for a bike. I hope she can do it! She is also anxious about the TACS test. I am sad that she is already apprehensive about a test.

Jacob was not as excited about school, but as the morning wore on, he became more excited. I think he will enjoy being in Mrs. O’Nan’s class. He proudly read his first little book last night and seems to be more excited today. It appeared that he was ready for school after the first day and proudly told me that nobody had to pull a card in class. Something he remembers vividly from when Emily was in first grade.


So here they are ready to go. I can hardly believe that they are as old as they are and as grown up as they have become. I will go weep now.

Back to school night

Last night was Meet the Teacher night for the kids at their school. We are very excited that Jacob is in Ms. O’Nans class, just like Emily was. We loved Ms. O’Nan and the way in which she helped Emily, so we know what to expect and we are super excited.

Emily is in Ms. Mudra’s class. She seems to be a very nice and very young. I think this will be the first time, but not the last, that I am older than my child’s teacher. I thought, having started having children so young, that I would be younger than the teachers for some time, but that is not the case. It should be interesting. I hope that it all works out for Emily. She needs a strong teacher, I hope Emily doesn’t “break” her. I know she can if she tries.

So overall it was a great success, and now the kids are ready and eager to start school again. I am excited for them!

Emily's haircut

Emily and I went for haircuts last night- to get ready for school. Here it is:




I love it! I love how it curls again and I love how sweet and girlish she looks. She loves it as well. I just hope I can actually make it look like this again. She also wants me to buy the $40 worth of products that the lady used on her. I am not sure that is going to happen.

My 100 finally and becasue Amy did it.

1. I am a Christian
2. I am a child of God
3. I am a wife
4. I am a mother
5. I met Josh when I was a junior in highschool
6. I was way to cool for him
7. I didn’t date him until 3 years later at LCU
8. I dated him for 5 months before we were engaged
9. I was married 14 months later on May 30, 1998
10. We will be married 10 years this coming May
11. I will be 30 in January
12. I have 2 children, a girl and a boy
13. I love them more than almost anything
14. But they drive me crazy!
15. I love Snickerdoodle cookies
16. Yummmmm, Snickerdoodle
17. Sorry, where was I? Oh yes, me.
18. I love Weiner dogs, but I have two ginormous dogs- Biscuit and Brownie
19. I love cats and have a perfect cat named Oreo
20. And we unfortunately have a turtle- Turdy Green bean Sumpter
21. We name all our animals after food.
22. It is a fun little game our family has. We like it.
23. I think we would have even more animals if we had the space to keep them in.
24. The problem with animals, is keeping the house clean.
25. They like to shed entirely too much.
26. And the older dog is very jealous.
27. I like to read.
28. I have always enjoyed reading.
29. I saw most of Europe with headphones and my nose in a book when I was a pre-teen.
30. It drove my parents crazy.
31. And now I understand why.
32. I have been to at least 15 countries.
33. I have been to Disney World twice.
34. One time I worked there for the summer with the college program.
35. I worked at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom.
36. It was really, really cool.
37. I spent the summer riding all the rides for free. I loved it.
38. But I had to leave my then 18 month old and husband to do it.
39. That was sad.
40. Emily broke her leg while I was away “playing”
41. I never saw her in her cast
42. I still have the cast
43. It kinda stinks now
44. But I had a great time. And I learned a lot.
45. I want to go back so much it almost hurts
46. I love to watch movies.
47. But don’t ask me my favorite, because I have so many that I enjoy it is not even funny.
48. I think my favorite changes like the seasons of my life (gag)
49. Right now, I really like Office Space. It speaks to me right now, like no other movie does.
50. I also watch a lot of TV.
51. I love TV.
52. I usually like shows that end up being cancelled, because I am the only person watching them.
53. I really love DVR. It has saved my sanity.
54. I am a bit of a TV junkie.
55. I am not necessarily proud of it, it is just the truth.
56. I want to be on Oprah.
57. Even though I would never be on another show.
58. I really am way to shy to do that.
59. But if Oprah comes a calling, I am so there.
60. With Amy. Of course. That is our life long goal.
61. After the cruise.
62. Amy and I plan to go on a cruise next year.
63. I am taking donations.
64. I think I want to travel more.
65. I want my children to see the world.
66. But I will take their ipods and books away from them.
67. I don’t like hot beverages.
68. I will drink hot tea, but it is only on a rare occasion.
69. I have discovered Fresca- it is my new love.
70. I like pink.
71. I have a pink phone.
72. I have several pairs of pink shoes.
73. OOOOOoooooooohhhhhhhhhh, pink.
74. Where was I, oh yes, me.
75. I love pizza.
76. I will never turn down a slice of pizza.
77. I am lumpy.
78. For some reason my body likes to create balls of liquid that like to hang around for a while.
79. I do not particularly like these balls of liquid as they usually cause me some sort of pain.
80. I am not a big fan of pain.
81. I love to write letters.
82. I like to think I am ok at it.
83. My mom always told me to get letters you have to send letters. I love to get letters.
84.I think I finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up.
85.But I can’t seem to get hired.
86. I never thought it would be this difficult.
87. But I keep trying.
88. I need to get my passport updated.
89. But then I would have to take a picture.
90.I don’t like to have my picture taken.
91. But I love to take pictures.
92. I would love to have a Canon Rebel
93. But they cost more than my first born, so I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
94. Yummmmmmy Canon’s
95. Sorry, where was I, oh yes, me.
96. Like I said I don’t like attention.
97. But sometimes I will take it.
98. Usually ungracefully, because well. I am ungraceful.
99. Even after years and years of ballet. Sorry mom.
100.Yes, I took ballet, you gotta problem with it?

We have been having another bought of Mean Girls here in the neighborhood.

I hurt having to stand back and watch Emily muddle through such a difficult time. But I know I can only show support and share ideas of how to handle the situations that are constantly coming about. I am not sure how else to handle it. I want so much to run over and pop the Double A’s in the mouth for how hurtful and mean that they are to Emily, but I know that will not help the situation at all.

I know she is learning that not everybody in this world is going to want to be her friend, or even play with her on a hot summer day. But it still hurts me to see my sweet first born have to learn these horrible life lessons at such an early age because of a couple of nasty kids that have no adult supervision and have not once in their lives heard the word “no” come from their “parents” lips.

She is only 8 for goodness sakes. She is already over being a grown-up and ready to be a kid again.

All I know is that we are super excited to watch High School Musical 2 together tomorrow night while Josh has to work. We are going to Bop-Bop-Bop to the top!

A conversationwith my son

One of the most annoying things that our children do is say our name multiple times and when we finally answer say “Nevermind.”

This became so frustrating that we made it into a little game. We mostly just play with Jacob, because he will play longer than Emily without getting frustrated.

We say “Jacob?”

Jacob says, “What?”

“Nevermind”

“STO-P IT!”

And then we do over and over again.

Last night Emily was spending the night over at Gabby’s and Josh took me and Jacob out to eat as my day was as bad as one could be. After dinner we had been playing the Nevermind game for a few minutes when I said, “Jacob?”

“What?”

“I love you.”

*silence*

Josh says, “Why didn’t you say STOP IT!?”

And my sweet little Jacob says, “That is one I want.”

At which point my day became considerably better.

A weekend in San Antonio

For Josh's birthday which is in a week, we went to Six Flags this weekend. He has to work on his birthday, so we headed up there this weekend. The kids had their free tickets and we had enough points for a free night at a Hampton- so off we went. And we had such a great time. The kids were SO excited and they each only had one meltdown each. A new record for an overnight trip. It was a wonderful way for us to spend some time together as a family before school and all that involves begins and it got my mind off stuff that needs to be forgotten for the time being. We had our traditional Western photo made, I will have to figure out were I can get it scanned electronically- We look super silly this year!

Here is Jacob checking out the map, waiting for the rope to drop.


Here is Emily waiting next to a big sign at the front gate.


Emily and Jacob with Scooby Doo. The ONLY character Jacob would have anything to do with.

Run Scooby Run!!!!!

We had a great time and I am so glad we were able to go. The kids had a great time and we enjoyed ourselves. Emily is now tall enough to ride ALL of the rides- so she and Josh rode all the big coasters, except I got to ride the Rattler with her, since we rode it together the last time we went to Six Flags. Jacob and I hung out together riding some of the smaller "kiddy" rides, but he had just as much fun as she did. But I think the new ride- Tony Hawk's Big Spin was the family choice winner. We all could ride it, the line was never horribly long and it was really cool. In the words of my eight year old "It totally ROCKED!!!"