All "S's" and bubble gum

Thought I'd try to do a quick kid update!

B:
B is almost done with soccer. Last game he got 2 goals! He was so happy and surprised. He has had 4 goals this season and seems to love the games. He is obsessed with keeping score. He is fast to get back to protect the net. He would like to be a goalie someday (in this age group they don't have a goalie yet). He is in his second week of baseball and seems to like that too. He has had fun this summer playing outside, riding his bike, spending time with his treasured toys in the house, and playing in the new fort in the backyard. He loves those freezies (long popsicle things) and eats at least 2 a day. He likes to play basketball with daddy or tag with J and I. I love to see him running around like the true boy he really is. He is into swords, dressing up, pirates, and dinosaurs. He got all S's on his report card (they only have S=satisfactory and N=needs improvement). We were so proud.

J:
J learned to blow a bubble today. She is so excited she has told me about 100 times. "I can't believe I can do it!" It is funny. She gets frustrated when it doesn't work. J gets frustrated easy. She wants to do everything from buckling herself in her carseat to opening the doors. She wants to be just like B. She loves to go to the park and get pushed on the tire swing. She has taken a liking to our dog and follows her around the house trying to pick her up. She also loves to help me and follow me around. I don't think 5 minutes passes without her finding me wherever I am. She is really into princesses, the color blue (still), and animals.

Weight Loss

I haven't really posted lately on here about my weight loss efforts. Partly because I usually don't have much to report and sometimes I tend to start out great and lose my motivation quickly. This time I have been doing much better. I don't know why. I think part of it is that I got sick of the cycle of losing a few, gaining them back, etc etc. I also wanted to feel good in my summer clothes and have more energy. I wanted to make it really happen this time. Anyway, I've been working hard (despite one weekend that I royally over ate) since about May 7. So, it's been a little over a month. I've been walking 3 miles a few times a week. I have to admit I hvae not been exercising as much as I should. I know that would help. The part I'm proud of is my eating. If you've read my blog, you know I have food issues, overeating issues. I love food. I eat when I am happy, sad, bored, lonely, you name it. I have been eating 20 points a day (weight watchers). I am sticking to it. I have been buying foods that are low in points and when I eat out I really have been trying to get something low in points. I still eat sweets but low points sweets. I still eat every food group. I have not given up any carbs or anything else. I just eat less of what I like. I have been eating more fruits and veggies. I feel good about it, and really feel like I can do it. My breakfast is a bowl of measured out cereal and milk, or eggbeaters with lowfat cheese and light bread. My lunch is a sandwich with light bread. I then will have a fruit or veggie and sometimes a 2 point granola bar. My snack is a yogurt and maybe fruit again. My dinner is a lean cuisine or a veggie burger, salad, and a treat. My treat is usually a low cal/low points ice cream bar. I love the Healthy Choice caramel ice cream sandwiches. I highly recommend them. They are SO GOOD! They are 3 points each. I am then usually done eating by 6pm every day. I will sometimes have a hot chocolate before bed. If I'm really hungry at night I have a salad. My total weight loss so far is about 7 lb. I started about 131 or so. I am now at 123.5. I am sure I'll gain some around my time of the month and I'm sure I will fluctuate as most people do. I am focusing on staying on track and knowing I'm doing the right thing. I am trying not to focus on the number on the scale. If I stay on track overall I will lose weight. I know that I can stick to it. This is the longest I have ever stuck to my plan. It is the lowest weight I have been at since before I got married. I hope it motivates me to change my life and make this a new normal for me.

Summer Vacation

Well, tomorrow is officially the start of B's first actual summer vaction from school. He has his last day tomorrow and I am a little sad about it. He is done with kindergarten! He is now a first grader! Where did the year go? And this time next year J will be getting ready for kindergarten. Wow, will that be a change. I am in the middle of my class from he*l and am half done this thursday. I have only been to class 3 times to take tests. I have not been to a single real lecture. And I am doing fine. It is a boring class. I will be so relieved to have it behind me. I had my nursing orientation on Saturday. I was overwhelmed by it. I think the next 2 years will be very challenging for the whole family. They said you should study 24 hr a week. That doesn't include class time. That is a heck of a lot of study time when I have 2 young kids and the house and cooking and activities etc. Where will I find 24 hrs to study? I have no childcare and my husband travels a lot. I think I will be up early and to sleep late many nights. I am also very excited to start nursing school. I ordered my stethoscope, in burgandy! (you have to chose a color, kind of silly). I also have to buy scubs, white shoes, and get my pre-clinical physical.
I just know that it will work out fine, I'll get through it, and I have to stay positive. It will be one of the hardest things I'll ever do but it will be worth it.

Sibling Love

My kids truly love each other. They have a bond that I love watching grow and change as they get older. They seem to care more about the other one than themselves at times. Weird as that is for a 6 and almost 4 year old it is true. My son B, definately shows that he really loves his sister. Tonight at soccer she was trying to practice with the team and B wanted her to be able to go first and he wanted to play things again so she could try to successfully do them. It was so sweet that he was putting her first. He wanted her to have her turn before him, which is pretty selfless for a 6 year old. She adores her brother as well. As you can see in this picture, they are wearing matching shirts. This is because she just HAD to have an army shirt like her brother (the numbers and letters on the shirt are camoflauge). Every time she sees something with an army theme (there are a lot of clothes out there lately with that motif), she will say "B would like that!". They like to buy things for each other and point out what the other would like if I am shopping with one of them alone. They love to play together and miss each other when they are apart. I can only wish for them that they will always be so close. I want them to be best friends. I have 2 brothers but I do not have the relationship with them that I wish I did. We did not grow up as great friends. We had more of a love/hate relationship, fighting and arguing a lot. Don't get me wrong, my kids argue and fight a lot too. But I can see more than anything, that they have a great love for each other. I don't know what I can do as a mother to keep their relationship strong, but I will do my best. I know that nature will probably determine their destiny as friends, but I can pray that they will always love each other as much as they do now.

How Other People Parent

I know it should not affect me how others parent their children. It really is none of my business and I shouldn't let it get to me. However, there is a situation on B's soccer team that really drives me nuts. Maybe I'm crazy but it does. There is this one player, N, who refuses to play. Flat out will not go out there and play at all. They have had 2 practices and 2 games so far and he will not participate. These are 5 and 6 year olds. He is 5 I think. Going into kindergarten. Anyway, at the game last night I was observing how his parents react to him and it was a total control game. They would basically beg him to play "come on buddy, let's give it a try, come on it will be fun" and he would stubbornly sit on the side and refuse. At that point, maybe it's just me, but I would be leaving. I would not be begging my child to play. I would not be playing that game. If he won't play, then he doesn't get to stay and he definately does NOT get the treat at the end of the game. (each player takes a turn bringing treats and drinks). Well, N did get the treat and had a big smile after the game. This also makes me mad because each team only has 8 kids, and 4 are out at at time. Last night only 6 kids showed up so since N would not play, they only had 1 sub. So, the kids had to play basically the whole game. Not a huge deal, but they get tired. They are only 5 and 6 years old and they need a break. It just really got to me, the way he just sat there gloating because he was winning the battle. His parents were totally kissing his butt the entire time. I would be so mad if I brought my kid to soccer to watch him, and he would not play at all. And it's not like he is really shy or has something wrong with him. The few times he has participated in practice (with daddy practially holding his hand) he has been able to kick the ball and run. He does not seem to be shy or anything. He just will not play. So, there isn't anything I can do. I want to say why are you letting him do this? Have you thought about leaving the game and not letting him have a reward for not playing? But I won't because I can't say anything. I want to believe me, but I won't. I will have to bite my tongue and try to understand. I truly think if I were in the same situation I would not just sit there begging him to play. I think I truly would leave. But I am not in that situation. The mom says he is the oldest and he isn't used to doing things like this. Well, B is my oldest so that is no excuse. I feel so bad for this kids kindergarten teacher. If he is like this for soccer, which is FUN and playing with other kids, what will he be like when mommy and daddy aren't there to save him when he really has to do something?? Hopefully, venting here will help me let this go!

Psychology Class From Hell!

I think this summer class I am taking is going to be terrible! I am not planning on going much because:

1. It is 3 days a week and I am not going to waste 3 days a week at school for a professor who doesn't really teach.
2. I think that it is a fairly easy class, and if I get A's on all the tests I should be fine.
3. I was not really impressed at all with the teacher. I found him dry, long winded, and in 3 hours he didn't even get through the syllabus.
4. Most the people are in their first class or first year and I think the class will be easy due to it being a first level class.
5. I am pretty good at studying, so I'm pretty confident I can do well.

I may change my mind if I do poorly on the first test (next Tues!). A bummer is that there are 6 tests, one a week for god's sake. That is a lot of reading, even if it is easy. I still have to study. I will not accept lower than an A so I have to keep up with reading. Wish me luck.

I am a Mother

I am a mother. Sometimes I am a good mother. Sometimes I am a GREAT mother. Sometimes I am a terrible mother. Regardless, I am a mother. Sometimes I yell. I usually regret it. Sometimes I apologize for being a crabby mom. Sometimes I make them laugh so hard they almost pee their pants. Sometimes I let them make a huge mess. Sometimes I don't even make them go to bed until 10 pm. There are times where I have days that I want to forget. There are days that I want to remember forever. Sometimes we race across the back yard giggling. Sometimes I let them buy something just because. I check them every night before I go to bed, sometimes twice. I still check if they are breathing. Sometimes I kiss them and they wipe the kisses away. They say they want to live with me forever. My son wants to marry me. My daughter wants to have nine kids. Sometimes they say things and I want to hold it in my mind forever. Like the day she comes in and says "mom, I have happiness, B was pushing me on the swing!" Makes my heart melt. Today is mothers day and I am a mother. I thank God for the 2 little blessings in my life. Even if I am not perfect, they love me no matter what.

Quick post from a major stress filled day!

Today is my final test in Micro. I am so nervous about it, and so excited to be done! I can't wait until 8:30! I have to do well and it will be hard. I am getting a low A and I really really really want an A in the class. I hope I do ok. I have not studied enough, this weekend was just so busy.

I did the 8 mile MS Walk Sunday. It was beautiful and sunny. The walk was great and I used it as my starting point for a healthier summer. I did 3 miles today (walking) and am eating 20 points a day. I am at 130 lb right now. I don't want to spend another summer at 130 lb. I want to weigh between 120-125. I also want to exercise more, not to lose weight but to be healthy. I want to take care of my body. I know I can do this.

I will hopefully be around this blog more after my final. This summer will hopefully be relaxing, the calm before the storm (nursing school in the fall!).

Update

Well, it's monday morning again. J is done with preschool as of last week so now just B is in school the next month. He didn't want to get up today. He was tired and I think he is getting another little cold. I felt bad, but he had to go to school! J and I dropped him at the crossing guard then went to Target for a few things. We are now back home and I am studying for my final next week (well not really studying all that hard).

It is May 1st and it is raining. It has been raining for 4 days now. It is getting a little depressing. The kids just want to play outside like they did last week in the warm sun. I know we need the rain, but come on!

We had a pretty uneventful weekend. B had a birthday party and we visited the church garage sale. The kids each got a toy that they didn't need. I hope to talk them out of some toys to sell at my garage sale this weekend! They also got some books. They were 10 for a dollar so we couldn't pass that up. We also went to the library book sale but only got a couple books there. Sunday I went to a purse open house and got a cute imitation designer bag. Granted, it still cost $80 and that was more than I wanted to spend, but they were all in the $75-80 range. Even the fake designer bags are going up in price. Last year I went to a party and they were all around $40-50. Oh well, I still love the bag I got. It is a bigger one with a colorful patchwork design on the front. A good travel bag. Not too big but big enough to hold quite a bit. There were at least 2 others I would have loved to buy but I held back. I know we don't have a lot of extra money to spend on that kind of stuff. Times like that it would be nice if I had a job to make a little extra! In all due time though that will happen.

My class is almost done. I have this week and my final next week. I have to do a presentation this week which I am NOT looking forward to. I also have a lot of studying to do for my final. I just want it to be done. This class has not been fun.

This weekend I have my garage sale at my moms. I also am doing the MS Walk on Sunday. 7 miles and hoping for sun. Last year it rained the whole time with some snow mixed in for good measure. It should be fun. 5 of my friends are all walking so it will go fast talking and visiting with them.

Well, better get studying!

My Two Angels

We actually did this project a while back, last month I think. We found a fun library book on salt dough projects. We made up a big batch and got to work sculpting, baking, and painting our creations. It is always fun to do craft projects with the kids. They love to make things and love the outcome. We made animals and then I attempted a mini magic wand for J and a sword for B. The wand ended up breaking, but it was fun anyway. I love how intense the kids look in these pictures. They are so busy working away on their project. I love how I got pictures when they didn't know I was taking them, those are always my favorite. Here are the pictures of our crafty day!

"Boxing it Out"

I'm reading a library book I picked up the other day "The Thin Commandments". I had not heard of it, I just kind of blindly grabbed it in the health section. But reading this book has kind of opened my eyes to a lot of my eating issues. I realize now that I have trigger foods that once I eat one I trigger cravings for more of the same type of food, and that the trigger can result in a day long or week long or month long binge of junk. The author recommends eating foods you like in moderation, IF you can control your cravings and have a small portion of it. If a certain food/s trigger binge eating, then you need to "box them out" of your life basically. Which, in theory may sound hard, but it really actually liberates you to not have the issue with that food any longer. He says to find replacements that give you satisfaction, that you can eat without binging. This theory works because you aren't trying to bargin with yourself (I'll only eat one chocolate, no maybe 2, or 3....) and in turn you don't even really have to think about it. Chocolate is a big trigger for me. I might have to totally eliminate it from my diet. Some other trigger foods for me are chips of any kind, finger foods like crackers (wheat thins, triscuits, etc), and sweets like bars and cookies. I sometimes end up eating so much I get sick. Therefore, I know I'd feel better if I didn't eat them at all. I still have to finish the book and figure out my replacements and how I will handle certain situations. But, a lot of it so far has really clicked with me and my problems.

Other things...
I'm slowly getting used to the idea of nursing school this fall. I am excited. I get to go to orientation early June to find out all the details. I will have class M,W nights and every other weekend. The weekends will be hard for all of us. Hard for me to get up and going early in the morning when I just want to sleep in and be with my family. Hard for my kids who are rarely away from me. Hard for my husband who will have a big life change! But it will go very fast I know it, and I know there are lots of people who have to be gone from their family to work or go to school. We can do this and I will do it! I can't wait to actually get in the hospital and learn my nursing skills. I am very excited!

We had B's wrestling banquet last night. I can't express enough how great wrestling has been for him. He has really flourished with the great coaches he has had. And it has bonded him and my husband in a special way. He has really grown a lot this year.

Well, off to mop the floors!

What have I gotten myself into????

Well, all this talk about getting into nursing school (or not...) and I had convinced myself that it wouldn't happen. THE LETTER came TODAY, a month and a half earlier than it was scheduled to come. My husband caught me off guard and called me while I was shopping, saying that a letter arrived that said I got into the nursing program for fall of this year!! I was shocked and happy to say the least! I guess I will be a nursing student in 6 months!

I shouldn't settle for less...

I am tired also of settling for less than my best. Maybe I feel that perfection is not attainable so why even bother??? I really do not understand my own decisions. I do know that I can do better and BE better and FEEL better. I know that I do not want to go into another summer not wanting to wear a bathing suit, and ashamed of my body. I want to go into the summer feeling great and liking my body, feeling strong and capable of actually doing something for myself. I am so hard on myself in certain areas but not in this area. I am critical of myself but I do not expect much of myself. I expect to fail, and I do fail. Anyway, it is about 3 months from swimsuit season, and that it plenty of time to get myself in order. I want a lifestyle change. I want to live in a way that supports healthy eating and exercising, not overeating and feeling bad about it. If anyone has any great tips for making a total life makeover, let me know. I'm a little clueless as to how to keep it going. I have no problem starting out fine. I just usually let it slide til I'm back to the bad habits. I don't want to make extreme changes all at once, but I want to slowly adapt a healthier relationship with food/eating and in turn lose some weight and gain some muscle. I am not fat. I have never really been fat. I am a little chubby for my height. Mostly around the middle. A sure sign of overeating and not exercising I know. I usually eat fine during the day, at home but then overeat at night. And I am terrible about eating out anywhere but home. I just love food that much. I also take seconds often. 2 new rules I will try to adopt today are:

• No second helpings at dinner.
• Drink 3 large bottles of water daily.
• Aim for 20 points daily. Keep track of food intake.

Tired

I am tired of:

• Not liking my body.
• Not liking the way my clothes fit.
• Having clothes that are 1 size too small for me that I'd love to wear and COULD wear if I were just 5 lb lighter or more fit.
• Overeating then feeling terrible about it.
• Not finding time for exercise.
• Feeling lazy and sluggish.
• Rolls on my stomach 3 1/2 years after having my last baby.
• Knowing what I need to do to feel/look good and not doing it.
• Not liking myself enough to do what I should do.
• Not knowing WHY I do this and continue to do this year after year after year.
• Knowing I have so much more potential.

And now for my first love, My B!

Not "officially" a first love, but the first time I have had immediate love for someone, such unconditional pure love. Never had I experienced that before and never would I again until J came along. I will always thank B for being my first born, my first baby. I will always be grateful to God for giving me my 2 healthy beautiful children.

B is my oldest, my boy. He has the purest heart, he is so honest, at 6 years old, and it wise beyond his years. I look at him recently and see the baby long gone, and the boy taking his place. I see the same face I have always seen. But the body is long and lean, with muscles now used for wrestling matches. His eyes are the same, but the face is now free of baby fat. The dimples are still there, and I remember seeing those dimples on him for the first time as a newborn. How we wondered where they came from. The bald head that once was, is now full of thick dark blonde hair. Hair that cannot be tamed or cut to look quite right. But beautiful hair nonetheless. B is a boy full of emotions. He can go from laughing to crying in a heartbeat. If he wants something he does not give up on it. He can remember things from years ago. He sets his mind to something and usually does it. He has the most infectious laugh. He loves fiercely and has a passion for life I can only hope to have someday. He was a happy baby, and a challenging toddler. He has been a joy in my life from the day he was born.

Here are my thoughts on B at age 6:

• He can color for hours, until his neck is sore! He colors coloring books and is very good at it!
• He can count to 100 and beyond
• He loves ice cream with chocolate on top.
• He loves me to read him chapter books, his current favorite being the Captain Underpants series. Our last series was Magic Treehouse.
• He loves to be around other kids. He is very outgoing and friendly. Very unlike I was at his age.
• His favorite outfit is his camoflauge turtleneck and matching pants.
• He loves birthday cake with lots of frosting.
• He can bike 3 miles.
• He has a beautiful singing voice.
• He loves to write short stories.
• He loves me to sleep with him a while before saying good night.
• He loves to wrestle his dad (and sister)!

I love you B!

My little J

Why do I find it hard to post regularly? I am on the computer every day, how hard would it be to post a little something??? Anyway, I am going to write a little about my daughter J today. We are home alone right now and I just braided her hair. I sometimes look at her and can't believe she is mine. My little girl. When I was pregnant with her I swore she was a boy. I never expected a girl to come out. For some reason, I had pictured myself with 2 boys. But she came out, and at that moment I couldn't imagine anything different. From the very start, she had a personality. A strong personality! She cried her first night. The whole night. I don't know if she was mad or hungry, or scared. I know I held her and nursed her a lot. The first year of her life she would not let anyone near her except me, and maybe her big brother sometimes. She would not even let her own dad hold her unless she was in a REALLY good mood. Eventually she started to like other people. This helped me a lot, that first year was tough. Now she is very friendly and independent. She will tell me to leave when I drop her off at preschool if I stay too long. She is an example of how meeting a babies needs, however tough it may be, will make a child more secure later. I met her every need as a baby. Yes, I got frustrated with her CONSTANT need of me, but I hardly ever let her cry and nursed her until she was almost 2 years old. She gave that up herself very easily. Yes, she did have some rules but I pretty much held her all the time and nursed her often. She was a very needy baby, and a very demanding baby. She is still a demanding child. She wants things her way, she likes to be in charge. She likes to be bossy. I know that part of this is being 3. For her, 3 is tougher than 2. She is trying to find herself. I know she will always be a strong and independant girl and woman. I hope she is. I was always painfully shy and quiet as a child, I do not think she will be like me. I want her to be confident and speak her mind. In a kind way of course. I want her to be a good friend, and a good listener. She loves with all her heart, and is very affectionate. She is my little girl.

A couple funny things I want to remember about J at 3 1/2:

• When she gets sad or upset, she goes under the piano bence and puts her face on the floor to pout/cry.
• She will punch her own leg when she is frustrated.
• She loves to dance with her brother and I to music on TV.
• She loves to help to laundry with me.
• When she is talking to her dad or I , she loves to grab our face with her hands and get really close.
• She hates the song "Icky Sticky Bubble Gum", especially the part about it getting stuck in your hair.
• She loves the color blue, with a passion.
• She loves mint Pria bars.
• Her favorite shoes are red sparkly "Dorothy" shoes.
• She loves the movies "Zathura" and "Spy Kids"
• She loves to hop.
• She pinches her belly when she is tired.

I love you J!

This and That

Well, it is mid-February and this winter stuff is getting old up here in MN. It has been cold, and I mean COLD, the last few days. Like -15 degrees cold. The kind of cold that hurts when you go outside, the kind of cold that you can't go out unless it is straight to a very warmed up car and back again. I am so ready for spring, so are my kids. They want to run and play and swim and ride bikes. I can't say things have been really exciting in my life lately. I bring the kids to school, I pick them up, I study a little bit, I go to school 2 nights a week. I go to wrestling practice. I clean the house, do a little laundry, scrub a toilet. I cook dinner and do the dishes. Pretty mundane. But good nonetheless. Hubby is going on a trip for work all week, so that makes thing a little more interesting. I have to be the primary caretaker 24/7 all week, which can take a toll, but we always get through it and most of the time have a smile on our faces!

School is going pretty well. I am not killing myself over this class. I am getting an A, but not a super high A. I got a 91 on the first test. Not great, but still the highest in the class (it was a hard test). I hope to do just enough to keep an A. In my past classes, I always was very close to 100% on everything. There is no need to do that, when I can still get an A at 90%. So, I am doing what I need to do, but not excessively.

B's wrestling has been a fun activity for us this winter. He has now participated in 4 tournaments. He got a 1st, two 2nd's and 1 3rd place. Today he got second, and did very well. The boys actually tied in win/loss so they had to count total points. So, he lost one match and won 2. Great job my little wrestler! He really has shown me what a true competitor he is. He has so much passion and drive, and I am so proud of him. He doesn't always win, but he always gives 100%.

J is going through a difficult phase, the "terrible 3's" I guess. She has been having lots of temper tantrums and yelling lately, but I am not making a big deal out of it. She is trying to test her boundaries and get people to do things for her and do whatever she wants. If she doesn't get her way she screams and cries. When I put her in her room, she has a huge fit, but then usually is over it soon and apologizes. I know it is just a phase she will be over soon.

This spring we are looking forward to soccer for B, swimming for B and J, and gymnastics for J once she turns 4. I am in a bad slump again with eating, and I am no where near swimsuit shape. I am not sure what to do about my terrible habits. I cannot seem to make the change within myself to be what I want to be. Maybe it is more psychological than I want to believe. Maybe I eat for many other reasons that I am not aware of. It is just such a big life change and I don't know how to do it.

Backup Plan

Well, as I stated before, my backup plan if I don't get into nursing school was to most likely get my nursing assistant certification and work part time as a NA. Now, I've given it some more thought and another option going through my head is to get my doula certification and get more involved in the birth aspect of nursing, since I really do want to be a OB/GYN nurse, and eventually a certified nurse midwife. I could either do birth doula or postpartum doula training. There are a few people in my area who do the training, and I have contacted them to get all the information. The one issue is that it would not be a cost that I would get reimbursed for (like I would as a nursing assistant) but the plus is that I would be getting a lot of birth experience. Another conflict is that my husband travels a lot and I would have to find someone who could take my kids at a moments notice (late births when he is gone etc). So, I have so thinking to do and try to find the option that best fits. I won't find out until May if I even get into the nursing program so I have until then to figure out what my plan will be.

Survey

[a is for age:]31

[b is for booze of choice:] perfect margarita at Applebees, lots of salt.

C is for career:]Stay at home mom and part time student, future nurse, used to be a chemical engineer

[d is for your dog’s name:]Roxy, pomeranian

[e is for essential items you use everyday:]My computer , deordorant, moisturizer

[f is for favorite song(s) at the moment:]Rascal Flatts

[g is for favorite games:]Guess Who (only play kids games really). Used to love 400

[i is for instruments you play:]piano

[j is for jam or jelly you like:]blackberry or strawbeer/rhubarb

[k is for kids:]Two. 1 boy and 1 girl.

[l is for last kiss:]couple hrs ago

[m is for most admired trait:]honesty and kindness

[n is for name of your crush:]Heath Ledger

[o is for overnight hospital stays:]Just when the kids were born.

[p is for phobias:]bad clausterphobia

[q is for quotes you like:] don't know any off the top of my head

[r is for biggest regret:]Not travelling more before I had kids and not getting the degree I really wanted in college

[s is for sweets of your choice:]Ice cream or chocolate of any kind!

[t is for time you wake up:] my daughter is my alarm clock, 7:30 am every morning.

[u is for underwear:]thongs when I go out, regular bikini when I'm home.

[v is for vegetables you love:] salad, red peppers

[w is for worst habit:]biting my nails, binge eating

[x is for x-rays you’ve had:]only dental I can think of

[y is for yummy food you make:] everything I make is yummy :)

[z is for zodiac sign:]Aries

Swelling with pride for my big boy!

Saturday January 28 was a very exciting day for our family, especially my son B! It happens to also be my dad's birthday (he turned 62). B entered his very first wrestling tournament. He is almost 6 years old and has been going to wrestling practice since early December. We weren't sure if he was really ready for competition, but he surprised us all by winning his group and getting 2 wins, both being pins! We are so very proud of him. The look on his face when he won was just priceless, and when they gave him this huge shiny trophy, my heart just about burst from my chest. He was the cutest thing I ever saw. My husband was a wrestler as a kid, and he was so thrilled with B. I know it is about having fun, but winning his first match just gave him such a confident boost, and made us all so happy, I am just so happy for him. I know he can do anything he sets his mind to and I am so proud of him.

To top off our fantastic day, we got home to his report card, which was a great improvement from last quarter. All around, it was a great day!

Movie Review

Well, for the first time in FOREVER, the hubby and I got a babysitter. Not just the grandparents but a real babysitter who would put the kids to bed, and we saw Broke*back Moun*tain. I had not heard a lot about the movie, except it was supposed to be very good and there were some graphic scenes. There were not really any too graphic scenes in my opinion. I thought it was very tastefully done. It really was a great movie. It was a true love story about 2 people, and it didn't matter that they just happened to both be men. It was really a touching movie. I thought He*ath Led*ger did a great job in this movie. I have always been a fan of his, but this movie really showed he is a great talent. Ja*ke Gyllenha*ll also did great, I loved them both in this movie. I recommend this to everyone, and hope it helps the world see how honest true love really is.

Nursing school may not happen this year.

I heard from someone who heard from someone else that to get into the program I want to get into (the night and weekend program), that you must have all your prerequisites complete and have practially a 4.0. The 4.0 part is fine, I get all A's, but I am in a class right now so that isn't considered complete, and I also have another class that I have not completed (general psych) So...my chances are not looking good, at least this year. I still turned in my application on friday. I really thought I had a chance this year. I know there is still a small chance but it looks like I'll have to wait until next year. So, I need a plan for what to do with a year off from school. I will most likely get my nursing assistant certification this summer and find a job as a nursing assistant next year part time. Probably every other weekend or something like that. I would prefer to work in a hospital as opposed to a nursing home. BUT, like all things, hospitals like experience and the only place to get the experience is at a nursing home. From what I gather, that is where most N.A's get their start. Maybe it won't be so bad. It will be experience, and a learning one at that! We have a big nursing home here, I think it is dementia patients mainly. Could be interesting. I know they are usually hiring, and have a tuition reimbursement program (will pay for the cost of the N.A. program if you stay with them a specific time period). So, I guess that is my plan. If I don't get in. Which I may. But probably not. And what sucks is that I don't find out until May 1! Keeping my fingers crossed.

credit card theft

I recently found out that someone has been using my credit card number, as well as my name, and I don't know what to think about this. I feel horrible, and angry. It is someone in Florida and I have no clue how they got my number, I'm assuming over the internet since it is the card I use primarily for internet purchases. It makes me scared, I never thought it was really that easy to get someone's number, but obviously it is. We shred all our documents here so I don't think it was someone searching the trash. I have no idea. They even changed the address and phone number with the credit card number, and cancelled the old card, and got a new card in my name. This way, the card company would not be calling me or sending me bills that I would question. I am scared they have my SS # and they will try to do other things in my name. I have a fraud alert out on my name for 90 days but how do I protect myself from further damage? I feel so violated and angry. If anyone has any experience in this, let me know!

Things going well otherwise. I've been doing some exercise almost daily, and I am eating better. I am back in school Tues and Th nights, and so that keeps me busier and helps me eat less. I am feeling good about things, and hope to keep it that way.

The Cheetos are staring me in the face....

I will not eat them. I will not eat them. I want to, as I am hungry. I am used to eating more food than I need to, therefore I will have to go through a few hungry days to shrink my stomach. It really would be easier to rid my house of all junk food as Dr. Phil recommends in his book. However, this is not so easy for me. I have my stepdaughter living her (she is 18) and she loves chips and ice cream. She just moved here and I want to have food she likes. I know it would benefit everyone to eat healthier, but she is a tiny thing (everyone in this house is on the small side except me who is very average). My husband plays basketball and is pretty fit, and does not need to lose any weight. He also enjoys chips and salsa and ice cream and sweets. My 2 little ones are also on the low end of the scale for weight and so I try to keep somewhat healthy food for them. Problem is that I also love granola bars, cereal, cheese etc. So, how do I overcome the strong urge to eat the junk????? I will not do it today. I will overcome for this day, but can I keep going??? Can I resist every time? I want to eat healthy, I want to feel good about myself. I don't want to sabotage myself each and every time. I am sick of it. I just LOVE food. I love all kinds of food, and I love to eat. I don't know WHY I love it, I wish very badly for it to take a back seat in my life. I know my relationship with food is NOT healthy. I really want to change it. I want to eat to live, not vice versa.

Today I had cereal before church, and of course hubby wanted to go to Embers afterwards. I did well, I think. I ordered the turkey burger and ate half of it, with only one side of the bun. I also had a small side salad but didn't eat much of it. I then had some 100 calorie cookies this afternoon. I need to add more fruit/veggies. Maybe for dinner I'll try to do that. I also drink hot tea and water throughout the day. Restaurants are hard too, too much temptation.

Anyway, de-lurker week was not too busy here! I had 3 posts. I am guessing maybe 5 people read this blog. Maybe I need to post more on other blogs to get more traffic here. Who knows. I guess it doesn't really matter too much. I just expected a few more comments. Oh well...I will keep on going and keep on trying and keep on writing... :)

What is the key to a healthy lifestyle???

I have been struggling with this question lately. What makes one person healthy and fit, and the next person unhealthy and overweight. Why do some people find it easy to maintain a healthy lifestyle (weight, fitness etc) and some people struggle with it?? I find it facinating that we all KNOW what it takes to be healthy. We all WANT to look good and feel good, right?? But why do we sabotage ourselves and make ourselves feel bad by not exercising and overeating??? I do not get it.....

I know what will happen if I eat too many Doritos. I will very BRIEFLY enjoy the taste of them, and the feeling that gives me. But then, minutes after I binge, I will feel horrible, I will feel gross, why do I do it???

12 lb by my 32nd!

Well, I was reading about Kelly's awesome weight loss (see The Woman Wonders on my blog roll) and decided to set a little goal for myself. This is my goal: to lose 12 lb by my 32nd birthday on April 8. That may not sound like a lot of weight but for someone who has only gained and lost the SAME 5 POUNDS for the LAST 3 YEARS, that is a big goal to shoot for. It would mean I would weigh less than I have for AGES and it would be a healthy weight for me. I am not overweight now, but I am chubby. I do not like the way I look in clothes. I am embarassed of my mid section. I actually am not all that proud of my body. I have terrible body image, and I have issues with binge eating and emotional eating. There, I am saying it out loud. I am the one person responsible for the way I look and the way I eat. I would appreciate hearing any weight loss stories or words of wisdom.

From what I hear, it is DE-LURKING week!

That means if you read my blog, please let me know! I get VERY FEW comments, and would loev to know if people are actually stopping by. I really really would LOVE a comment from you, so please de-lurk and post me a note! I will update my blog roll with any new blogs I hear about from my comments. And I am excited to see if anyone new pops by! :) Thanks!

Back into real life

Well, starting yesterday we got back into the school schedule for the kids. Both J and B had school and tomorrow the same. It feels strange getting up and getting everyone ready again after our 1.5 week break. Next week will be even busier with my school starting two nights a week. But routine is what we thrive on, and it's nice getting the kids into bed earlier and up earlier, getting myself ready for the day, and keeping a schedule. I'm doing well on my eating. No binges. I am trying to track my points and I do pretty well up til dinner time. I do not eat anything big after dinner. I do have some sugar free coffee drink or tea or maybe a couple hershey kisses, but it is important for me to not really had access to food after dinner time. If I chose to have a small dessert I must eat it right after dinner and be done with my eating for the night. If I start any other eating later in the night, it spells trouble for me. I am best off just ending my eating at a specific time, no ifs ands or buts. I just need to keep it going, just make it a habit. I know I'm eating over the recommended points for my size, but I'm eating WAY less than I was and I know that has to be better and slowly I can phase out the stuff I shouldn't be eating. Plus, I could do better at portion control, but I do not want to do this drastically because then it will backfire on me.

I plan to ride my bike for 15 min after I'm done here, and also write a bit in my other journal. I have been treating myself to a long hot shower in the evenings, and doing my full facial ritual each night. I think my skin is looking better.

I colored with the kids tonight in their coloring books. B is WAY into coloring, and is so cute, he gets all serious and really stays in all the lines really well, coloring tiny things different colors. He does a great job. J is doing well too, she is very interested in art and writing. She can almost write her name and knows many of her letters.

I can see that many of the neighbors have their lights up still, I guess it is still early, but it kind of cracks me up to see big lit up santas and reindeer now that we in in January. I find it even funnier when I see houses lit up well into February, which we have many around here. Yes, it does get cold and I can understand not wanting to take down the lights just yet, but do they have to be ON??? :)

My decorations are down, except our 3 new nutcrackers ( the kids would not part with them just yet, they love them!) and my mantle is still decorated with pointsetta's and some candles. But nothing Christmassy is left, and I feel great about it. I love to set it up but I'm fine with it being over each year.

Now we have B's birthday to plan. 6 years old. Wow! We have already started the guest list and I must get invites out in the next week or 2. Trouble is, he wants to invite everyone. I mean EVERYONE he knows! He is such a people person and has so many friends. It is cute, but where do I draw the line??

Well, off to ride the bike, REALLY!

The Beginning........

What I did well today:

• I bought a journal, and actually wrote in it! The old fashioned way with real paper and pen!
• I did not overeat!
• I did ride the stationary bike for 15 minutes! (starting out slow as to not burn out)
• I bought 2 cute scarf type things (not even sure how to wear them) on clearance that I would never typically buy myself! I think they are to be worn as a belt, or in hair like a head band, or around neck.... One is black with some sequins and one is a peach color with cool beads on the ends. They were $2.48 each at 75% off!
• I did not snack after dinner.
• I played a game with the kids, and it was even educational!
• I did not lose my temper.
• I did not fight with my husband, even once, today!
• I made a nice meal for dinner!
• I just pet my dog :) (thanks for the comment, you know who you are!) :)

Things I could improve on:

• I thought about food a lot, I'm really trying to get over this obsession but having trouble. Been reading the Dr. Phil book, but not sure it's sinking in....

I feel so happy when I have a good day. I feel proud of myself. I am not sure what makes me (or others out there) sabatage ourselves and be bad when we know we feel so much better when we are good (most of this pertains to food and working out, but can also relate to everything else in our lives). I wonder what makes humans do things that make them upset. We sure are a complicated creature! :)

Good night!

New Year. New Me. Lifestyle Makeover 2006!

Jan 1, 2006. Wow, can't believe that it is 2006! I will be turning 32 this year. Young by many standards but still I am getting older. I truly am a woman now, well into my 30's and no turning back. I am not a kid anymore, and I need to start treating myself like the person I want to be. I have to give to myself what I give to others. I deserve to be a happy, strong, confident woman. There are several areas of my life that I want to improve upon. There are also many things that I love about my life. This year, 2006, I would like to:

• Get in better shape by exercising more regularly. I would like to aim for using the stationary bike 3 times a week, and by summer be able to walk the 3 mile loop 3-4 times a week.
• Eat a more balance diet including more fruit, vegetables, and less junk food (cut WAY back on chips and chocolate/dessert foods)
• Eat smaller portions, using weight watcher points as a guide
• Do things for my well being, like getting a pedicure, buying something for myself, spending a day alone or with friends, drinking tea to relax etc etc...
• Spend more quality time with my children each day. Do something of their choosing each day.
• Treat my husband like the best friend that he is. Treat him with kindness, respect, and dignity, even when he doesn't deserve it! :)
• Pet my dog each day (she sometimes gets ignored in our busy lives!)
• Call my grandma's more often
• Love myself

I know many of these sound very generic and it is hard to really change something without specifics. I hope to make small changes amount to bigger ones. I hope to find the strength within myself to dream big, to do what I set out to do, and to make these changes in my life for good so that I don't have to live with any regrets as each year passes. I will not live another year unhappy with parts of my life. I will start out this year loving myself and being the woman I was put on this earth to be.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Merry Christmas!

The kids are in bed, so tired they could hardly stand it. What a busy 2 days, with a busy 2 more to come. Last night we spent Xmas eve at my parents house. We waited for my brother and sister in law to arrive from Michigan, then the chaos started. The kids just were waiting and waiting to open their gifts. And boy were there gifts. So many that it is almost crazy. We tell people every year to please just buy them something small, or some clothes or pajamas, but people just can't resist over-buying. I had to restrain myself to not buy my neices and kids lots of gifts, but I did pretty well. Anyway, despite my efforts, they came home with more than enough, with Christmas morning awaiting them. We got home late last night and I put the kids to bed. They were still wired up from all the excitement. I got them down about 11 pm after putting out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. I then got their gifts all set under the tree. Like I said, I didn't buy much so it wasn't too much work. They got 4 gifts each and 2 small stocking stuffers. They opened all their Santa gifts, then we had to rush to get ready for 10am church. Of course they didn't want to leave their toys but I insisted this year. It's time my kids started the tradition of going to church on Christmas. It is the real reason for the holiday and I want them to know why we celebrate. We had a nice church service and then we came home to prepare the meal for 10 adults and 2 kids. It turned out pretty well, and I think people enjoyed the food. We then talked and played with toys and took many picture of everyone. It is also B's birthday today, he is 43 years old. It always seems to take a back seat to Christmas, and for that I always feel bad. I wanted to make it special. I made a special cake just for him, and we sang to him. I also bought him a card and will buy him Timberwolves tickets.

Tomorrow we are off to see the relatives in Iowa for 2 days. There, the kids will get even more presents and then we come home to start real life again. Hopefully we can get in some relaxation before school starts up again. I start Jan 10 and will have class 2 nights a week like before.

At this time of year I want to take a moment to write down how grateful I am for all I have in my life. I have my health, my home, and most importantly my wonderful family. My husband who is all I could ever ask for and my children who make my life complete. And I am a lucky woman.

God Bless

Fever and Traditions

B has had a fever off and on for 3 days. What is up with that? It is weird as he doesn't seem to have any other symptoms except being tired.

Today is my annual girl Xmas get together. I'll have to figure it out today when I'm there, but it's been about 9 or 10 years that we have done this. Every year. It is now a tradition I guess...

My blog doesn't seem to be opening correctly, so I'm hoping after I post this that I will be able to see it!

Tis the Season

Christmas fever is in full force at our house. We went and got our tree last Sunday. Monday I pulled out all the Christmas decorations and ornaments and we got the house looking festive. I decided not to bring out ALL my decorations this year. So many of them I don't even like so I'm not sure why I put them up. I may put them for sale at the garage sale. Some are old and family things and those I will keep but I decided to only put out what I really thought looked good and that is it. I will post pictures if I can. I really like how it all turned out. I focused on the living room and kitchen, since that is where we spend our time. I got a smaller tree so I could get it in the corner of the room. I think it looks cozier and just more homey. I did a "fruit" theme, I had some pretty fruit decorated wired ribbon which I put on the tree over 2 strings of white lights. I had tons of fruit ornaments in all colors and very sparkly and shiny. I like how it looks. I still have to find an angel or star. The star we had just has never worked, and always falls off. The kids and I then put our other favorite ornaments on, and it looks cute. I then did the mantel above the fireplace. I changed the candles to cranberry red and cream. I put a grapefine wreath behind the candles in front of the big mirror and then put some fake pointsettas and berries in front. I put a small string of white lights also, and it looks really nice especially at night. And the 3rd area I focuses on is the kitchen table. I used a red tablecloth, and some cream fabric in the center. I put 3 littls fake trees on it, and used some real cranberries, cinnamon sticks and and pearls for accents. I really should take some pictures. I'll post them later in the week.

I think we are done shopping! I am so excited, as I always have last minute shopping to do, and this year none I hope! We did go very simple and did not go overboard with any of our gifts. I hope that everyone understands. I have my cards already but have yet to address envelopes. I don't want to send them too early anyhow.

I have 1 week of class left, then my final Dec 13. I am so excited to be done. First, because it's 2 more classes behind me and secondly because my teacher has been so horrible that I am going to be so glad to be with a good teacher again. I have never had a teacher this bad. And I've had LOTS of classes in my life. Next semester I have microbiology, then I'll find out in May if I got accepted to the nursing program. I'm not really sure either way, I could get in and I may not. It all depends how many people apply, what their grades are, and what classes they have completed.

B has woken up with a fever 2 days now. I don't think it's anything serious but still feel bad for the poor little guy. So far the rest of us are ok.

DH was out of town since Wed, but coming home right now. This weekend is busy. B has a birthday party tomorrow (which may not go to depending on the fever), I have my girlfriend Xmas get together Sat at 4. The church program rehearsal is Sat and the program Sun, along with regular sunday school. Since I'm the teacher I have to be there for it all, and it is all just so much chaos. I really think it isn't worth it, there are so many hundreds of kids in our church that the whole place is packed and unless you get a seat up front, you can hardly see your kid performing. A lot of work for not much pay off. Oh well, what can ya do.

I must get going to finish laundry and play with the kiddos.

Happy Thanksgiving

It is the eve before thanksgiving, and I am feeling in a funk. I had a flu shot yesterday and I feel like I'm having some mild symptoms. I feel a little achey and just not right. I hope it isn't going to turn into anything worse but I'm thinking it is the shot. We all got one, and the kids were a little mad at me, but I wanted us to get it. If it can help us stay healthier this winter, I'm all for it. We have already had a cold for weeks, I've had a cough I can't shake, and a sore throat also. The kids had a cough and cold too, and J had an ear infection. And it's only November. Nonetheless, I am very thankful this year for all that I have in my life. I am thankful for my beautiful children and my husband and my family and friends. I am thankful for my health and my home. For having a warm bed to sleep in, and good food to eat. I am lucky in so many ways.

We are trying to tone down Christmas this year at our house. First, we are low on money. We had to replace the roof after the bad storms and we also just do not have a lot of extra money to spend for the holiday. So, I am trying to tell as many people to NOT get us or the kids gifts. We all have so much and the kids have so many toys that I truly do not want to bring more into the house. We agreed that the kids will get 1 gift each from Santa, 1 gift each from us, and stocking gifts. They will still get their gifts from the grandparents also. This is hard for me, because I enjoy buying the kids toys and love to shop. However, the kids seemed fine with it. We want them to appreciate what they get, and they really just want simple things. They just enjoy the holiday lights, setting up the tree, baking cookies, and making gifts for people. B told me all he wants is T-Rex mountain, which my parents bought him, and the game Herscape, which I got for a great deal last month. So, from me he will get the game and from Santa probably a dinosaur puzzle I've had in the closet for over a year. He will be beyond happy with just those few things. And J keeps changing what she wants. I think Santa will bring her this baby panda she wants that comes with a bottle and I think makes noises. It is just a little thing but she loves pandas. From me, I am trying to find this baby carebear she wants. I saw it once with her at Target but now everywhere I go they do not have the blue one (she HAS to have blue). So, if i can't find that I will give her the cabbage patch doll I bought her last summer that I have been saving in the closet. For the stockings I will get a couple small toys each. I also may take them to each pick out an ornament for the tree. We also like to make a lot of Xmas crafts. I got a bunch of unfinished wood ornaments really cheap last year at the craft store and the kids will paint those for our tree, for their teachers, and for the grandparents. They always love anything to do with paint!!

I plan to bake some treats for the neighbors and get cheap plates to put them on. I also got some cheap containers and mugs to put candy in for miscellaneous gifts. We just have to figure out our parents, who have everything!!

I am off to bed, hopefully tomorrow will bring fun and family time!!

Have to record this night

I just had a moment with my kids I wish I could have recorded to listen to again. It was seriously one of the sweetest conversations I have had with both of them at the same time. It wasn't just a quick moment, but a whole conversation. Writing a blog entry about it won't do it justice but I have to try to record what I remember.

It starts with these prayer beads that J made in Sunday school. I teach her class every other week and it was my week. Anyway, B missed since he said his stomach hurt (turned out to be nothing this time, but after the puking at school incident he has me paranoid). We made these little prayer beads with different colors for each thing to pray for. I brought an extra set home for B to make, as I knew he would want some too.

Tonight we took them out and took turns saying our prayers for each color. They kids were so cute and totally went along with this, saying these elaborate prayers each time. I would do my turn, then J, then B. We did this for all 7 of the beads. I would give anything to have a record of their prayers. I know J continued to say "thank you for my mommy and daddy, I love them very much and I want them to go to school with me, and go on rides with me" and B would go into great detail about how he loves his family and "please God, can you bring the kids with no homes toys as fast as you can" and "I am sorry I spit on the mirror, but I cleaned it up, please forgive me and I'm sorry about getting popcorn all over the floor but I cleaned it up" It was so adorable, I wish I could bottle it up. My kids are the biggest miracle in my life.

What would I do without them??? I am so thankful...

Halloween is over and now on to the holidays!

Well, our halloween festivities are over. We had a busy weekend leading up to halloween. We had to travel 4 hrs for a retirement party Sat night. The kids had a babysitter and her friend watch them in our hotel room. They were very excited, and still up when we got back at 11pm! We travelled home on Sunday, unpacked, then got the kids into their costumes for a halloween party at a friends house. We spent a few hours there then got home where everyone slept great in their own beds (me included). B had school Monday but no party at school that day (it was the Thurs before). They got ready about 6pm for trick or treating. J decided on the dinosaur costume, and B was a ninja. J was bob the builder for the party on Sunday. I even dressed up like a witch for the kids, B really wanted me to dress up this year and I didn't want to disappoint him! DH brought the kids around the block and they made it all the way, with J being carried a little bit towards the end. It was a bit chilly but could have been a lot worse. They both got plenty of good candy and both wanted a piece of gum when they got home! They aren't big into chocolate, they prefer gum or sugary candy like sweet tarts, skittles, or taffy. Dh and I prefer the chocolate, his favorite being Kit Kat and I like butterfingers and Reeses. I think we are all sick of candy right now!

So, now we are on to planning Thanksgiving and Christmas. I may offer to do Thanksgiving here this year. I also plan to try to have Christmas morning here serving brunch or lunch. I like to have my kids at home for Christmas so we can make our memories here and wake up in our own beds. I love the excitement of waking up to see what Santa brings them. They just love it!

I have class tonight. I think I have 5- 6 weeks left. Over half done. I got an A on my speech and on my test the other week. I am getting an A in both classes. I stil have a lot of tests and work to be done but it is going well so far. I will apply to nursing school in January and find out in May if I get in. If I don't, then I'll have a year off since I'll be done with all my classes except Psychology, which I'll take in the summer.

Taking Control

I decided I really want to take control of my life. Not pretend to be in control, but actually "feel" in control, and like myself and blah blah blah. You know how it goes. First and foremost, I need to like myself. I will never be a better person, mother, wife, unless I truly am comfortable with myself and really truly love myself. In order to do that, I need to work on some things. I need to take more time for myself. I need to exercise more and eat better. I need to read a good book, or knit, or go out with friends. I need to get down and play with my children daily. I am not planning to make all these changes at once. I am taking baby steps. I have tried doing things all out, and it backfires. I am starting with exercising, at least a few times a week. And not a lot of time, but 15 - 30 min daily. On the stationary bike, or sit up video, or arm weights. Something small, and work up to more. The weather is getting too cold for me to walk outside (I'm a baby like that) but I can do things in my own home. I just have to try. Also, I am eating better, for good this time. No more of the eating good for one week, then go downhill the next. I will eat approximately 20 points a day. Period. I will keep track of what I eat and will not eat anything if it is not worth eating. I will be accountable for what goes in my body and I will be healthy for me. Not to weight a certain weight. Not to wear a certain size. But so I can be healthy for me and my kids and so I can live longer. And feel better.

I will spend quality time with my children each day. I did this today and it felt so great. I will ask them what they want to play and just play with them and nothing else every day for a short time.

I will make these changes and make them for ME!

Wednesday can't come fast enough....

I am so dreading the next few days, which is sad because today is Friday and I "should" be looking forward to a nice weekend with my family. But, I have so much to do for my classes. I have a speech Monday morning. I still have to finish writing it, practice, and get my visual aids prepared. I then have a test from he*l on Tuesday for Anatomy. It is seriously going to be a very hard test, and when you add on that my teacher is terrible, it means I have to teach a ton of material to myself. That is a lot more work than just reviewing the material after it's been taught to you by a good teacher. So, my plan is to study for that at least 1-2 hr a day on Sat, Sun, and Monday. I also plan to finish up my speech on Sat and practice Sunday. After Tuesday, I am on a break from school for a week. There are no classes next Thurs so we may go see Dh's family. I am so looking forward to a break!

Have a great weekend.

down and out

Just feeling a bit down. Dh had to leave for the week this morning. That is the start of a bad week for sure. I also am so stressed and busy with school. I have a lab quiz tomorrow, online class test to take by Fri, speech on monday, Anatomy test Tuesday. I just feel overwhelmed. And the kids take so much of my time that I am unable to study during the day so I end up staying up too late and not getting enough sleep. I am tired right now and it is only monday. I still have to study for all these tests plus write a speech and practice it. I just feel like there it no end. How will I ever handle nursing school? I am guessing it is harder than what I am taking now, I KNOW it is harder than what I am taking now. I feel like I"ll be an even worse mother then than I am now. Is it worth it??? How do I get the balance and be happy in my stressful life?? I feel just unmotivated and tired. I am short with the kids, and they are getting the brunt of my crabbiness. I have never had to go on any type of meds before but sometimes I think they might help me. I am not to that point yet but it's crossed my mind. I don't think I'm depressed, but I think I could become that way. I also am feeling horrible about myself, my eating habits have been horrible lately and I don't know how to get out of the bad rut. I don't know how to stop emotional eating. I do it out of stress, lonliness, stress, boredom, stress, did I mention stress?? So, I get something to eat and then eat and eat until I am so full. I haven't gained much weight really (how I'm not sure) but I feel horrible. I'm sure it makes me feel even worse and crabbier. I did something that DH will probably be mad at, I joined an online site called ediets.com. It gives you menus and recipes for the week, and shopping lists. Probably a stupid investment. It is $2.99 a week and I'm committed to 3 months. I did it , then I felt guilt. It will be a little over $30 and so it isn't a big cost but still we don't have extra money and now I'm going to have to explain it to him. The site had a lot of positive testimonials but now that I signed up I don't know if it will do much for me. A lot of the meals were not what I'd choose and you have to go in and change them, which takes time (something I don't have) and it isn't anything that great that I couldn't have done myself. I felt so angry for doing it, I thought it would be a good idea, now I feel like I'm just throwing money away and signing up for a program that will take even more time of my day and force me on the computer more than I already am for school, blogging, email etc. I just let me kids have banana bread for lunch because I have no motivation to cook for them. They got crumbs all over the floor and I just can't get ahead. They are trying to sweep right now, bless their hearts! They really are good kids, I want to be a good mom.

The "little" man in my life

My son B is like a best buddy to me. He always makes me laugh, and we talk about everything. My favorite time with him is bedtime, after we read 2 chapters from his book we just lay there and talk about school, friends, and anything else. He seems to be most talkative at this time of day (when he should be the most tired!). I get more information out of him at bedtime than any other time of the day. He has the best laugh in the world. It is such a wonderful sound to hear him laugh at his sister, or at a funny book. He also has the best singing voice. He makes up songs and has such a nice voice. When he is gone at school all day I just can't wait to see him when he gets home. To see him so happy in his life makes me so happy. I hope that he always feels this happy and secure. We all know as kids get older, things get harder. I wish I could bottle up how he feels right now and give it to him later. My wish for him is to be himself, laugh, and be the best he can be. I love you B!!!

The Terrible Three's

My daughter has always been a challenging child. From day one. Her first night in this world was spent crying.... the whole night. I knew it wasn't me, it is just her. She is a very intelligent, demanding, outspoken child. She doesn't cry all day anymore, just whines and bosses me around a lot. I sometimes don't know how to handle her. I try to take it all in stride. I know all children are difficult at times. I know all kids go through bad and good phases. But sometimes in the heat of the moment, when we are having a really hard day together, I get frustrated. I know that she likes to test her limits of how much control she can have. It is important for me to show her that I am the boss. It is like a power struggle on who is really the mom! Today was just one of those days. She was being very insistent, whiney, and plain bossy to me all day. I look at her cute little face and can't believe how she can act sometimes. Thank goodness she is so cute!

I am still here!

For the few readers I have, sorry for the absence. I don't have a good excuse, just haven't had much to post about. Not much new is going on here. We are in a routine of school for the kids, school for me, playdates, and home time. I make a point to have downtime for my kids as much as I can. I don't want to be a family that is running around crazy all the time. The kids started swimming monday and it went fine. I think the class is too divided, there are 3 bigger boys and 2 smaller girls. J is small, but she is very comfortable in the water and will follow directions. The other girl is obviously scared of the water and just stands next to the side. I find it very hard to believe she passed the preschool level class (the one before level one, which J took this summer). To pass that one, you have to be able to put your whole face in the water and this girl won't do that. So, it is kind of aggravating that her mom put her in a class above her level, now the teacher has to spend a lot of extra time getting this girl to do things and the other kids are the ones who it will hurt in the long run. Oh well, that is my rant about that!

We are going to a wedding this weekend, without kids. We leave Sat late morning and come back Sunday late morning. There are 3 other couples that we are good friends with going, and it should be a good time. It is a friends of mine that I have known since kindergarten that is getting married. We went to college together as well, and I lived with her 2 years of college. We were very good friends during that time, but other things came into our lives and we drifted apart. I got married and had kids, she was still living the single life. We didn't have much in common. However, she has always been a person I am very comfortable with, you know the type that you have known forever and things are always just comfortable. And I wish her the best now that she is getting married and starting a family soon.

J and B are still loving school. I have gone from walking B all the way to his locker to now walking him to the crossing guard. I don't want to be a "hover mom" so I'm letting my baby go. He is such a big boy, so independent and just so happy to be at school. He is a little forgetful at times. We had to go back and get his lunchbox on Wed, and he also didn't have his Wed info folder come home like it should. I was tempted to call today to have them make sure he brought it home, but I am going to see if he can figure it out.

My school is also going well. My teacher is not good at all for Anatomy II but I am getting an A so far. My online class is a lot of work but I'm also getting an A in there. The teacher seems to like my writing. The only thing I'm dreading is a speech I have to give on the 17th.

Well, I'm off to see if I can get J to nap!

About me....

I've seen this on other blogs. I don't know if I can come up with 100 things but I will list some interesting tidbits about me....

1. I am 31 years old
2. I have the same middle name as my mom
3. I gave a speech at my high school graduation
4. I started playing the piano at age 4
5. My favorite color is red
6. My toenails are always painted
7. I have had long hair as long as I can remember
8. My parents were both teachers
9. I have two younger brothers
10. I moved away for a job right out of college by myself
11. I love the show "Survivor"
12. I have done about 10 scrapbooks for my kids and family
13. My favorite holiday is Christmas
14. I teach Sunday school
15. I used to play soccer
16. I love math
17. I don't like pop/soda
18. I can finish a book in a couple days
19. I know how to wakeboard
20. I love garage sales
21. I wear makeup almost every day
22. I wear a size 8 1/2 shoe, my feet grew 1/2 size after pregnancy
23. I always wanted a son first
24. I pictured myself with all boys
25. My husband is 11 years older than me
26. I used to want to be a doctor
27. I have all the same girlfriends I did when I was 12
28. I never miss the show "ER"
29. I give my kids a bath almost every day
30. My favorite alcoholic drink is a margarita
31. I am not a phone person
32. I like to write letters, real letters!
33. I had braces for 4 years
34. I know how to knit (only a scarf)
35. I do not know how to sew, but want to learn
36. My favorite gift is a plain white gold band my husband gave me when we first started dating
37. I love to bake (but don't because I'll eat it all!)
38. I can't have chocolate in the house or I will eat until I'm sick
39. I walk 3 miles about 3-4 times a week
40. I've never waxed or plucked my eybrows
41. I love McDonald's chicken nuggets (gross I know)
42. I love craft stores
43. I make awesome homemade salsa
44. I do not like my stomach
45. I do like my legs
46. I like to study
47. I am a night person
48. I never buy CD's
49. I love to buy jeans
50. I want to be a midwife someday

On that note, I'll end there!

My Funny Kids

My kids are really something else. Aren't they all though?? They say and do the funniest things. I find it so amazing how intelligent, how outgoing, how funny my kids are. I was a very shy and quiet kid. I was not outgoing or witty at all. I still am very shy. I do not know how my kids got to be so social. B just loves school. He won't really talk much about it, or tell me much about his days at school, but I can tell by the way he is when he gets there how much he loves it. If he sees a friend, he will immediately go and start talking very animated to them and just gets the biggest smile. He seems to have a lot of friends, and is very social. He loves to play, to talk, to just be with other kids. I think school is a great thing for him. He told me today "Mom, I think I will be a music teacher when I grow up. I'm very into music you know." I do think he is a great singer and is way more into singing at church (and probably school) than the other boys his age. He has a nice voice also. I might have to get him into music somehow. I want to teach him piano (I play) but he didn't seem interested this summer when we tried. He'd probably learn better from someone other than me. He also told me all about the difference between free form shapes and geometric shapes. He seems to be learning something after all....

And J is in preschool now too. She has gone 2 times by herself and both times just waved and said "bye mom, see you later". She never got sad, shed one tear, or looked back at me as I left the room. Makes me happy and sad. I see some of the poor other kids sobbing, and my big girl just playing away. It is so bittersweet to see her so independent. This is the kid, who as a baby, would not let me put her down, give her to another person, or leave the room. I swear, she would not even let her daddy hold her until she was like 18 months old. I would have to leave to her screaming (the very few times I did ever leave her). And sometimes the screaming would ensue for hours, literally. I remember one time I went shopping for like 1 hours with DH's mom and she cried the entire time. It would break my heart to see her so devastated. She was a very emotional baby. She is still sensitive and emotional but has grown up so much. Maybe all that time with me has really made her more secure now. I just can't believe it is the same child. My babies are growing and leaving me already.

I had about 2 hours of time just me today. I studied (real fun huh?) and it was SO quiet. Makes me think about what it will be like when they are both in school. I think that is part of why I do want to work when the kids are a little older. I don't want to be home alone every day. I still want to try to be here most days when they leave and come home from school, but I do want to work to have something other than them. I think staying home is the hardest job in the world, and I have total respect for those that do stay home full time. I just know that it isn't for me long term. I am so grateful to be able to stay home now while my kids are young and home with me and not in school. But they soon will have their life at school, and I will need something more.

If all goes as planned I will start nursing school next fall and will be a registered nurse by the time J is in 1st grade. If I don't get in next year I will have to put it off a year. I hope to then work part time while the kids are in elementary and maybe beyond, maybe forever part time who knows. I would ideally like to work a couple evening shifts a week and maybe every other weekend. Something like that. Maybe even some night shifts. I will have to see what happens.

Life is quite the adventure, especially watching your kids grow and change so quickly. Makes you want to stop the time and take it all in. I can only hope the memories will stay with them and me for a long time to come.

Halloween Jackpot

On my mothers advice, we went to the Goodwill store 15 minutes away and found lots of halloween stuff, CHEAP! They had tons of brand new, with tags, kids costumes. We found the one B wants, a ninja, for $8. At Target, the same one is $20. (it must be last years they got on sale or something???). They also had a lot of spiderman ones that I tried to talk him into, I mean spiderman seems more innocent than a ninja. He did try to make me feel better by telling me he is a nice ninja! Also found a ninja weapon thing and nunchucks. That's my boy... lovin' those weapons. Oh well, I don't think he is abnormal, and I'm not going to make him be a puppy dog if he truly wants to be a ninja!! He put it on at home and he looks really cute, I have to admit. He has a black hood and scarf around his face and he is so little it just is cute. We also found some butterfly wings, as J has told me she wants to be a butterfly. However, now she says she wants to be the dinosaur. At least the wings were only $1.99 and she can wear them for dress up or next year. I also found some cool Halloween favors for $1, some of those colored pencils that you can switch the color by pulling it out the bottom and pushing it in the top (the next color comes out). They were big when I was a kid. Anyway, I got 2 packs of those and a pack of halloween little notebooks. My groups of friends has a halloween get together every year with kids, and I thought it would be a good alternative to candy for all the kids. We also got some of that white spiderweb stuff for $.49. Some good buys I must say! I have to say I was impressed with the goodwill. I don't ever go there but there was a lot of new stuff, and neat stuff. I got some home decor things for myself as well!

I have the kids in bed, it is 8:20, and I'm going to start my 2-3 hour studying session tonight. I am nervous about the first test as I always am. I don't feel prepared yet but plan to learn a lot tonight.

We went on a 3 mile walk today (B biked the whole way I was so proud of him!) and I was 127 lb this morning. I have been eating well all week, I'm counting my points (WW) again and it really helps me keep things in control. We got some awesome honeycrisp apples today. They are only out for a limited time but they are SO GOOD. The kids love them too. I also got lots of frozen veggies and fruits (I do better with frozen, I never know how much to buy fresh). I also got the best treat, it is called Blue Bunny White Chocolate Almond Lites. They are an ice cream bar, sugar free, and only 2 points. So good. I will have to remember these. And hide them from DH! I just have to make regular trips to the store to keep my low point stuff that I like stocked up here at the house. I am bad about not going to the store, then eating bad stuff when I don't have any of my good stuff around. I am all stocked up on Zone bars (for dinner on class nights, the chocolate mint are the BEST, 5 points), chocolate mint pria bars (2 pts), 100 calorie packs of wheat thins and ritz mix (2 pts), string cheese (2 pts), lean cuisines, and fruits and veggies. And I also found some weight watchers english muffins at the store today, 1 point each. I like to have eggs and this way I can have an english muffin with them too. Can you tell grocery shopping excited me today? I went to a different store with more selection and found lots of interesting things!!

Anyway, I'm putting off my studying I best get going. Until next time,

Quiet Monday

It is monday, usually a busy day but both kids are off from school, and we have no plans. This week they both have school Tues, Th, which will be nice for me, I get a couple hrs both days to myself. Unfortunately, I will be studying, not too exciting. I have my first big test tomorrow night, and a quiz Thurs night. We may venture out and try to find some halloween costumes before they are picked over. We looked at Target and they were way too expensive. I am not paying $20 for a cheap crappy outfit they will wear once. I am going to go to Goodwill today, I heard they have a lot of halloween stuff under $10, and lots of it has tags on still. So, we will see. I'm trying to talk J into wearing B's old dinosaur costume. It is really nice, warm and her size. It looks cute on her, and she seems interested. Although she has said she wants to be a butterfly. B wants to be a ninja or pirate, something with a weapon of course. I told him that he can't bring a weapon to school (I am not even sure if they have a dress up day at school). Boys, why are they so infactuated with swords and axes??!! I tried to talk him into a costume we already have (my mom used to be a kindergarted teacher and gave us lots of dress up stuff). We have a dalmation, bee, and frog outfit that would all fit him but he's not going for it.

I decided to put the kids in swimming again this fall. I know I said I was going to take the fall off (for them and me!) but it is only once a week and it forces me to bring them to the pool. Otherwise, I'm afraid I wouldn't take them swimming at all once fall is here and the cool weather is keeping us inside. This way I pay $32 for each of them to get like 10 lessons. I figure it's cheaper than paying for swimming that many times. I got J in level I and have to call the director to see if B should be in level I or II. He was in level I this summer and they said to wait 1 year to sign up for level II, so I'm guessing they want him to take level I over. So, both kids will be in the same class. J will be so small, but her teacher said she is ready for this level. I don't even think she can touch the bottom where they have the level II classes. We'll see how it goes! They are excited, they start next monday.

Dh is out of town again this week, so I'm on my own with the kids. My brother is coming home friday and we are having a surprise 30th for him on Saturday. His wife planned the trip, so he doesn't know yet. I bet he'll be surprised. The next weekend we have a wedding of one of my friends up north. I met her in kindergarten!

Well, off to get ready for the day!!

My Crazy Life

I feel so overwhelmed this week, I am so busy I can hardly think. Life isn't terrible or anything, just insanely busy. DH is home this week, thank goodness. J had her first day of preschool yesterday, but I don't really count it because I stayed. All the parents were asked to stay to help get the kids used to the class. It was chaotic with all the moms (and 1 dad) and I think they kids will be quieter and easier with the parents gone. Tomorrow is her first day being dropped off. I think it will go ok, but I really don't know how she will react. I never know until it happens with her. She acts all tough about it, but she may have a breakdown.

B just finished his 5th day of school. He seems much more comfortable and happy about going. He bounds right into his room without much of a good bye to me and J. I am happy he is happy. I am sad he is getting so old and independent! J and I may go up and have lunch with him Friday. I might surprise him!

I am very busy with school. I had my first quiz last week (got an A) and now I have my first big test on Tuesday. I have a lot of studying to do. And since I have an online class too, I have to do a paper for that every week. Plus I have a movie report, book report, cultural comparison, speech and tests for that class as well. It is just so much busy work. Not hard at all, just busy and time consuming. Taking 2 classes is good to get used to juggling nursing school and family (next year if I get in). I hope I can do it.

I am getting headaches almost daily. That is what really puts a damper in things. I have a new prescription called Relpax. I first take Advil and if that doesn't work I take the Relpax. It works very fast and well, BUT it costs $40 for 6 pills. I can't afford to take them very often! I get headaches off and on, depending on my hormones (I think), so hopefully they will go away soon for a while. I don't usually get them this often, so stress is playing a small part I'm sure. I don't feel stressed, but maybe I am trying to do too much. I worry about taking so much medicine but I have to be able to function. I also think the headaches are a result of my cutback in sugar products from my diet. I am starting to count points again, and it is going fine but I think my body is in shock from the lower amounts of carbs and sugars. But hopefully that will even out soon and in the long run I get fewer headaches when I am eating a lower fat diet.

I'm off to make supper for the kids now and hopefully DH will grill me our porkchops soon I'm getting very hungry!!!

Until next time....

Stuff

This post is just a general update post. It is Friday and B is coming home tonight! yippee! The kids and I can't wait. I will be babysitting for my niece tonight also. She is 3 just like J (J is only 6 weeks older) so they are good buddies. Today we have nothing going on. It is nice after the hectic week. Tues and Thur were very busy as B had school, then we had to leave since I have classes those night and the kids go to my parents. I feel bad making B go from school, right to my parents. I know he'd like to just go home and play with his toys and relax. But, he doesn't complain. Next week is easier because he has school M,W,F and J has preschool T, Th but only in the morning for 2 hours each day. On Tuesday I am supposed to stay there the first day. I know she would be fine with me leaving but I think they expect us all to stay. It is a preschool through the district, so there is more parent involvement. We go once a month to participate with the kids, and to have some parent education. I decided at the last minute to go with this preschool, rather than the one B went to the last 2 years for a couple reasons. One, our finances are not the best right now. The difference in price was $40 a month, a big difference when you add it up over 9 months. Two, J is very young, just turned 3, and I don't think preschool is a total necessity right now. I don't know if it is at all. I never went. I sometimes feel like it is just a society pressure in middle class suburbia, that your kid must attend 2 years of preschool or else they will never succeed. My son was pretty bored by the end of his second year. Yes, he loved seeing his friends and playing, but it didn't really challenge him academically. That is another part of why I didn't send her to the other school. The curriculum isn't a whole lot different in year 1 and year 2, so I think if I just send her there next year she will get almost as much as if she went both years. Back when I was a kid, not many went to preschool. Why the change I wonder??? I guess it is the same as starting kids in sports at age 4 and 5, and having to specialize in a sport. I heard recently that kids can really only excel in one sport, because most sports have year round training (camps, tournements, practices etc). How do you just pick that sport, when the kids are starting at age 5??? I have not, and will not, be pushing my kids that hard to be good in sports. I want them to be able to play many sports, and participate in many activities, to find what they are good at. I don't want to be going to 3 day a week practices at age 5. It's crazy. I am steering far away from hockey, I was in a hockey family and even back then it was pretty hard core. We did soccer with B this year. He did well for his first year. I decided to take this fall off and do something this winter. They both love swimming to maybe we'll just do lessons this winter. And B wants to play basketball, which starts in first grade.

The weather seems to be getting colder now. The mornings are chilly now, and I can already feel summer drifting away. We like fall, with halloween and thanksgiving, but summer is still our favorite around here. The kids are already thinking of their costumes. Right now B wants to be a ninja and J wants to be superman. I'm sure that will change a few times!

Have a great weekend.

My Future

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you" - Psalm 32:8

I am taking college courses right now. I have a quiz tomorrow. Sometimes I feel like being in school at this point in my life is very difficult. I am a good student and I study quite a bit. I know this takes some time away from my kids. I try my very best to do my studying while they are sleeping or busy playing without me. I study off and on throughout the day instead of sitting there for hours on end. I hope I am making the right decision. I have 2 courses left after this semester to take, then I will be totally done with the prerequisites for nursing school. I have already taken 4 courses. This is in addition to the MANY courses I have done in the past for my bachelor degree. My husband says I am an eternal student. I do like taking classes, I like taking notes and reading and learning. I don't like busy work, like writing papers for a communications class about my communicating style. I don't think this particular class is going to help me become a nurse, but who knows. I guess they think I need it. I love learning anatomy, because I know it is applicable to my future career and because it interests me.

I sometimes look a year or 2 ahead and picture going to nursing school and trying to have time with my family. I think I can do it but I have doubts. I know I will do well in school, I'm afraid my family time will suffer. I never want my kids to think I'm too busy for them. I think I will be staying up late many nights that year. I hope it all comes easily to me, that I don't have to kill myself studying. I hope I do well, that I like it, that I find that it is the career that I'm destined to have. I will be so disappointed if it is not. I do feel I have a calling to this career, I feel like it is "me". I just pray that God is taking me in the right direction, because the road getting there is not an easy one.

I'm off to study!

Why I love my husband

I don't take enough time in my life to tell my husband how much I love and appreciate him. I know that he knows I love him, but I know that I do not show him or tell him nearly enough. As of now, he doesn't even know of this blog. I am debating giving him the link. I have nothing to hide from him, so I don't see why not. I just have not yet given this link to anyone I know except online friends. Anyway, back to my original post, why I love this man...

My husband is the hardest working person I know. He has not a lazy bone in his body. He works 100% at everything he does. Sometimes I wish he would just be lazy but that isn't him. I admire that, I am jealous of that. I think that he is just amazing what he does. He works a very stressful job. He travels at least 50% of the time, and he just deals with it. He never just says screw it. He always does what he should do, and he always does it well. He works so hard for us, for his family. He sacrifices so much to provide for us. He has to be away from us to provide for us, which is so hard for everyone but it is what our life is for now and he deals with it (much better than I do).

My husband is a great father. The kids just adore him. You can tell that he is their hero. The way they look up to him and watch him talk and take in every word he says. They are absolute angels for him too, very unlike they are for me. They take his word as the absolute truth and will do anything he says. He takes them on bike rides and plays pretend farmers market with them in the back yard. He makes up silly nicknames for everyone. He makes them giggle. He wrestles with them and they can't get enough.

And lastly, my husband is a great partner. We still are the best of friends. I still feel butterflies when I look at him, and he is the most attractive man I will ever know. I am thankful for my husband every day.

I love you, my dear husband, and I miss you terribly when you are away. I hope you always know how much I love and need you.

Sadness

Hurricane Katrina has brought such a tragedy to our country I can't even begin to understand it. I watch the news and I feel such sadness for those people. The people with no homes, the people who would not leave their homes, the people who died in their homes. I can't even imagine having such a thing happen. I feel so helpless. What a huge project to even begin the rebuilding of New Orleans. Where will all those people go who lost everything? I wish there was a way to help but I don't know how. All I know is that I feel so lucky for all the things I have. I complain a lot about things I am not happy about in my life, but I have it pretty darn good.

God Bless them all.

Love....

After picking up B at the corner (he walks):

Me: "What was your favorite part of today at school?"
B: "Seeing you again" (waiting for him at the corner)

That boy knows how to steal my heart....

Actually I think he did like school. I didn't get a whole lot of information out of him, but he was probably overwhelmed and was tired. He didn't want to answer my 100 questions about every detail of his day. I don't blame him. I hopefully will get tidbits of info from time to time, and be happy with that.

I wanted to add a couple funny things he said before he went to kindergarten:

"Mom, when it is playtime, I am just going to sit there. I will do the other things the teacher says but I'm NOT playing." (when he was feeling sorry for himself for having to go to school)

After the open house, seeing his room etc...
"I'm glad it is a small room, I thought it was going to be in one big room with a lot of people, and I thought they would talk to me in Spanish."
(This shows how the imaginations of kids go wild. He thought the school was 1 big huge room and tons of people, talking so much it was like spanish to him.)

We both got through the first day.

You stole my heart

To my baby boy,
The boy who stole my heart 5 1/2 years ago when I first set eyes on you. I remember so vividly the moment you were place upon my chest, and you stared up at me with those big blue eyes. You came out crying, then you stopped and just looked at me. I remember how cute you looked, not wrinkly or old looking like so many babies look. You had a perfect round and bald head. You had the cutest little face. You were and are just perfect.

Today was a very big day for you, and for me. You don't even really realize it, but today when you started kindergarten I realized that from this point on, you are no longer just my baby. You are a student, a friend, a little boy who has interests outside of our home, and outside of me. I know we will always be the best of friends. You make me laugh every day. I love your little looks you give me, looks only between us. The little smirk when you know you have done something to trick your sister. I love your dimples that you have had since birth.

I am so proud of the boy you have become. I am proud to be your mommy.