What You Said

Real

2010-12-05T21:39:00.003-06:00

A long time ago before David and I were even engaged he went to Dallas for a weekend trip to visit some of his buddies. He called a few times while he was away as most people do when they are away from someone they love.

When he came home he told me that none of his experiences felt "real" to him until he told me about them. It was such a nice thing to say, and I think about it often.

David was in Europe for his job for more than a week. While he was away:

I painted the living room
Reagan and I decorated for Christmas
Reagan had a wonderful week at school
I went out with some of our good friends
Reagan and I put up lights in the front yard
We had a relatively normal week

But NONE of this was "real" until today when he came home.

I am now finally enjoying the new paint and the holiday decorations. I am finally in the Christmas spirit. I am finally completely proud of Reagan's excellent week at school.

And while he wasn't with us when we had a friends-night-out (and I really did miss him that night), I am able to share with him some of the great laughs that we had.

While he was gone Reagan and I were in the normal routine of a school week. And because David works really hard, and even stays up late working WAY after I've gone to bed, the evenings were even 'normal'. I admit thinking, "This isn't really that much different as to when David is at home."

Whoa. Was I wrong!!!

Nothing was the same. I didn't have him to share in the daily experiences, not to mention the out of the ordinary ones, and it just didn't feel complete.

But tonight is complete. The house feels homey again. Our family is complete.

Happy 6th Birthday

2010-10-05T16:55:00.007-05:00

Somehow I blinked, and this:

became this:

Sports lover
October 2009

Handsome
December 2009

Best friend
December 2009

Always silly (and a swimmer)

January 2010

Snowball thrower
February 2010

Lego lover and creator
July 2010

Missing two teeth

August 2010

Kindergartner (with Mrs. Thibodaux)
August 2010

Circus fan
August 2010

Soccer player
October 2010

Phineas and Ferb Birthday Party

2010-10-05T10:14:00.006-05:00

On Sunday we celebrated Reagan's 6th birthday at our gym, Lifetime Fitness. Reagan loves the show Wipeout, so we had wipeout type gym games planned for he and his friends to participate in. The kids were put into three teams, and they "competed" in running, Redlight/Greenlight, Dodge Ball, scooter board hockey, and an obstacle course. It was a perfect party for a bunch of active kindergartners!

Putting on their team jerseys.

Dodge ball--the blue team was on the side of the gym trying to tag another team running down the middle of the gym. The third team was on the opposite side of the gym also trying to tag the runners. So much fun!

He tagged someone and got them out!!

All the parents ran down the middle of the gym while all three teams of kids threw balls at them! That was the best part of the game!

Scooter board hockey!

After the activities there was of course pizza and cake!

PIZZA!

Reagan has been watching the show Phineas and Ferb for the past year, so he wanted a Phineas and Ferb cake. The problem is that the decorations were all sold out until October 6, and we needed them for October 3rd. I found the paper products on ebay, and I ordered the cake toppers (which are really toys) from amazon.com. I love technology! I took the toys to Lone Star Bakery (Round Rock donuts), and said, "Please put these on the cake. You can be as creative as you'd like to be." I think they did a fabulous job!

Singing "Happy Birthday"

May all his wishes come true.

Kitchen Remodel, Part 1

2010-10-02T22:29:00.004-05:00

While Reagan is in school, I am working on updating our home. We started with the kitchen. Our kitchen had the builder cabs in a very, very light stain, and I painted the walls many years ago in a sage green. It was nice, but we needed to freshen up the space.

before

After reading a friend's blog and seeing her beautiful white cabinets that she painted herself, I decided that I could do that too! So, I did. Which led to us adding hardware to our naked doors and drawers. We bought our hardware from Ikea, and it has completely changed the look of the kitchen! I can not believe we didn't do this years ago.

Painting the cabinets inspired me to change our kitchen wall color. I was leaning towards a slate blue or a chocolate brown, but decided blue would be fun and different. I slapped up some color choices and we picked one.

On a side note--in the following picture you'll notice that I have already taped off the walls to protect the trim and the cabinets that I had worked so hard on. While taping off the kitchen there were some places on the ceiling that I couldn't tape so well, so I decided to just go slowly on those edges with a small angled brush. Hours of watching HGTV told me to do that. Let me tell you--the places where I did not tape look so much better than the areas where I did tape. I'm going to have to go back and do several touch ups in the upcoming days.

Which one did we choose??

Oh, that picture above is so deceiving. I will say that we picked the third color--the one right above the super dark navy. We made a very bold color choice. And we are pleased with it. It will take some time getting used to it, and I'm going to have to keep telling myself "It doesn't matter what other people think..."

Because the color doesn't read the same on the computer as it does in real life, just think "Dallas Cowboys". Our kitchen is the ultimate fan kitchen. All we need are stainless steel appliances to match the Cowboys silver pants, and we're all set!

The next things needing to be done is our kitchen floor--the tile has been purchased and has been sitting in our garage for 7 years. Not an exaggeration. It has become sort of a family joke that I've been living with concrete for the past year.

We will also be installing new counter tops in the near future. As well as new lighting and painting our ceiling white.

The next project is painting the other walls in the house--including our eating area which will no longer be green.

But it will also not be Cowboy blue.

The First Day of the Next Thirteen Years

2010-08-24T08:57:00.003-05:00

Today is Reagan's first day of school. I am so excited about his new adventure and eager to hear about all he learns in Kindergarten.

Reagan is off to a good start.

He had a breakfast of Cheerios while watching his favorite show on tv--Phineas and Ferb.
He's wearing an outfit that I picked out with shoes he picked out.
His backpack is filled with a new pencil, a bookmark, an afternoon snack, 2 Lego knights, and Ted (of course!).
His Mystery Machine lunchbox is packed with a healthy sandwich, fruit, cheese stick, and a special Oreo treat.
Pictures were taken to document this important day.
We drove up to school and all walked into the building to the Kinder drop-off area.
There was a quick kiss "goodbye".

Now I'm counting down the hours (only six more to go!) until I get to see my baby...

Hopefully I don't cry all six of those hours.

Perspective

2010-08-12T12:22:00.003-05:00

I am going through some pretty crappy stuff this week. And although all of this "stuff" comes from something I did, and I am dealing with feelings of anger, "why me?", and unfairness.

And then I have this blog brought to my attention.

And I think again about how blessed I am--God loves me enough to make me Reagan's mom, David's wife, a sister, and a daughter. We have the opportunities to go on great vacations, live in a house in a great city, buy a great new car, etc.

Not to mention we are healthy.

Dear God,
Thank you.
Amen

New Smile

2010-07-17T10:40:00.004-05:00

Reagan woke us up early this morning by saying that he lost his tooth. I was immediately wide awake. He said that he just pushed his tooth out with his tongue.

Yuck. But ok.

Man-oh-man is this tooth tiny!! I'm so scared that we're going to lose it before the Tooth Fairy can come tonight.

Reagan believes that she will leave a platypus for him when she takes his tooth.

I hope he isn't too disappointed when he wakes up tomorrow.

A Mouth Full

2010-07-15T22:07:00.003-05:00

I took this picture just a few minutes ago. Look at all of those cute little teeth!! The one to the left of the space in his bottom teeth is just barely hanging on. One false move--an extra hard laugh, a sneeze, and run in with a wall--and that tooth will be flying out!

I am still not looking forward to his smile changing. I remember when that tooth first showed up when he was 4 months old, and I really missed seeing his cute little gummy smile.

3 months

4 months

I know that I'll get used to see all of those spaces and then all of those grown up teeth, but right now I just can't stand it! Sometimes his growing up seems to be on fast forward.

SLOW DOWN!!

Off Limits

2010-07-13T17:54:00.003-05:00

Reagan has his first loose tooth, and I'm saddened by it. I'm just not ready for him to have "big people" teeth because, well, I don't want my baby to be a "big person" yet.

The loose tooth is a source of giggles, though. This sucker is LOOSE! But if I ask if I can wiggle it, he looks at me with a serious face (with a hint of smile) and says, "No! It is off limits."

I then ask if he'll wiggle it for me, and he says, "No, I don't know which one it is," or "No, it hurts," or "No, it is off limits."

I joke that he just pull it, because every meal now consists of his tooth hurting. Plus he now is biting into his food with his molars--I remember doing that as a kid, too, but I never knew how disgusting it could look! Anyway, when I tell him to just pull it, he says, "No, it will bleed," or "No, it won't come out," or "No, it is off limits."

I hope the Tooth Fairy doesn't claim her bag of quarters is OFF LIMITS! when the time comes...

Bats left

2010-07-11T19:52:00.003-05:00

Although Reagan is right handed, this is what happens when he picks up a baseball bat or a golf club:

Someone else I know does exactly the same thing--bats and golfs LEFT-HANDED, although he is right-handed.

Reagan's Grandaddy!

FREEZING

2010-05-04T10:55:00.002-05:00

Last week Reagan really wanted to go swimming. I told him that the water was still too cold. He insisted that he liked, no LOVED, the cold.

Here is the result of swimming in water that was much too cold for normal people:

Words to Warm the Heart

2010-04-12T18:07:00.005-05:00

The Nester is doing a fabulous giveaway, and I wanted to share it with you. I just love how she has all of these Book Crops all over her house. Read her post to see how and where she uses them.

And here is the one I designed!

I'm Huntin' Leprechauns!

2010-03-24T19:55:00.002-05:00

This video was taken today.

Uh, yeah. He just has a great imagination, I guess. He has been talking about getting a leprechaun's pot of gold lately, and I guess now those leprechauns are living in our backyard. He wants to make a trap out of a shoe box (sitting here next to me as I type).

I guess we'll trap one 10 weeks from now when they show up from their daddy's house.

On an unrelated note--if you know anyone who can fix our horrible yard, send them our way! I'm embarrassed that I'm posting what our backyard looks like to the entire internet.

Lego Rockin' Out

2010-03-24T17:38:00.005-05:00

We received Lego Rock Band for Christmas...just like Rock Band or Guitar Hero, but with Lego characters and better song choices. Here is David playing the guitar to some Jimi Hendrix. But what is also great about this video is that Reagan is also playing. At least he thinks he's playing the game...

I think his moves are a bit spastic to keep up a good singing voice. He may have pull a Britney Spears and lip sync while he dances so that his voice sounds good in concert.

Reagan is using a marker as a microphone. I don't know if you can understand David, but he asks Reagan if he's sniffing markers on camera. Great....

Loving Our Home, Part 2

2010-03-15T21:58:00.003-05:00

New Blinds

A week ago David and I finally purchased new blinds for the entire house. I can not believe it took us 8 years to do so because they weren't as expensive as I thought they'd be.

We decided on white faux wood, and they look amazing. We [David] are nearly finished installing them all--the only rooms remaining are Reagan's room and the guest bedroom.

I have also installed new window treatments (not mistreatments) in our living room. What do you think?

before (no blinds and brown curtains)

during

after

Our "To Do" List:
1. choose a paint color
2. finish tile in the kitchen
3. finish painting all the trim
4. hang the mistreatments for the guest bedroom
5. paint the house with the chosen color from #1
6. paint all the ceilings white
7. new counter tops
8. new cabinets (or at least paint them)

This Too Shall Pass

2010-03-04T15:11:00.001-06:00

Have you seen this video? I saw it here, and I wanted to share it with anyone who happened to stop by my little website.

Loving Our Home

2010-03-02T18:07:00.005-06:00

(See? I told you I was going to start posting again.)

Click on all images to see a larger version.

Due to some circumstances our house hunt is no longer happening.

Oh? Didn't you know?? We were house hunting (via computer) a few months ago. I don't really know why. Mostly because we [David] would like Reagan to go to a "better" Round Rock school--a better high school. But, news flash!!! Reagan is only 5. We have a few years.

And really. What is the point in moving if you're happy with the neighborhood, happy with the school, happy with neighbors, and happy with the location? Maybe it is because you're not happy with the house.

Our house is ok. Yes, just ok--for now. We think it is a nice size, although one extra room for our extra junk would be nice. And I would really love for our kitchen to be open to the living room. And man-oh-man it would fabulous to use our garage for our cars. But all in all our house is nice.

BUT, it was built in the 90's. Before granite counter tops were the thing. Before ceramic tile was expected. Before dark cabinets were in. Before faux wood blinds were in every house.

We bought the house knowing that we wanted to make changes. The first changes were two new paint colors--one in the living room and one in the kitchen. Oh--we also had to take down some wallpaper in our eat-in kitchen area and the chair molding that went with it. UGLY!

Then we got pregnant, and our home improvements were kicked into high gear because we wanted to get rid of our gross carpet and linoleum. (Right now I'm sure my family is busting out laughing at the "high gear" comment.) David began changing our flooring into either hard wood or tile (while I was pregnant), and it is still a work in progress.

Reagan is 5. Years old. Do the math.

Recently I decided "No more cream molding and walls" and started painting the moldings white. I started that project last May. I have two rooms done and the entry way started.

David and I are a match made in heaven.

But, but, BUT!!! I have gotten motivated again. I just started reading a great blog called The Nester. I love it. She has so many inexpensive ideas on doing things so that you love your home. I have rearranged my living room furniture and pulled it off of the walls. Now everything is close to our fireplace, and it seems more cozy.

(See my white molding molding, door frames and mantle??)
(And see our brand new tv???)
(And maybe that yellow art doesn't really go well in there...)

I added a small lamp into our 1/2 bath. That one little thing has made such a difference!

The biggest change is that I'm adding window treatments to all of our rooms. We have measured all of our windows to get wood blinds. And we do have panels in our living room, but I'm tired of them. They are dark. And a solid color. And ugly. They really make the room dark. (see above pics) I want to change those and add to the rest of the house. The Nester has some many no-sew ideas which she calls "mistreatments", and that is what I'm doing. I'm mistreating my windows. Here is my first attempt:

Before

During (already an improvement!)

After (still waiting on the blinds)

All of this was no-sew, and I didn't even purchase a curtain rod. The fabric I used is only $6.99/yard, and I didn't even get two yards! I used super cute upholstery tacks that cost me a whopping $.99 for all 10 of them!!

I don't think the pictures really show how cute they are. They don't poof--they droop from tack to tack.

I already have bought fabric for our bedroom, and I can't wait to tackle that project!!

The point of all of this is to love our home. Make it a place that we enjoy being.

I just hope it doesn't take as long to install granite counter tops as it does to install our floors.

Starting Up Again

2010-02-26T22:29:00.002-06:00

For anyone who may still click on an old link in their blog roll to see if I have posted anything new...

...today I have.

I regret not adding to my blog more often. I started this up for myself as a bit of a journal so that I have a place to record life with Reagan. I also used it as a way of sharing the things that he is up to with family and friends.

Then Facebook became popular, and I share daily (sometimes hourly) our happenings with the people I have "friended".

Another reason why I don't post here as often is because of shear laziness. I hate posting without pictures, and man-oh-man! It sure is a pain sometimes to upload pics from my camera just to add a post about our fabulous time at the circus. (Yes!! It was fun. Maybe I'll get around to telling you about it someday.)

I must admit that I do come to my own blog everyday to go down MY blog roll, and I love, love, love seeing that picture of Reagan from December (scroll down). He is one handsome guy.

But since I just spent two hours doing that "simple" banner up above, I might as well start posting. (Special thanks to Tina for the picture in the banner. I love it so much that I use it for everything. It was taken in October. Of 2008!!!!)

For all of you. (Is there at least ONE person out there??)

And for my family.

And for me.

Where Did They Go?

2009-12-30T00:50:00.004-06:00

December 20, 2009
5 years, 2.5months

I'm missing some really cute, chubby cheeks. Have you seen them?

July 28, 2005
9.5 months

Just a Couple of Things I'm Thankful For...

2009-11-26T09:37:00.003-06:00

I love my silly boys!

Halloween

2009-11-11T18:49:00.004-06:00

Yeah, ok. It has been FOREVER since I have written on my blog. But, hey! I have changed my background several times since the "Yellow Song" post!

I have a long story about Reagan's Halloween costumes. Yes, that was meant to be plural. Here goes:

For weeks Reagan was telling me all of the things that he wanted to be for Halloween: Wolverine, Bumblebee (a Transformer), Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader, etc. I wanted to wait as long as I could before I bought a (singular) costume because I knew he'd change his mind many, many times. Finally, a couple of weeks before the big day, we browsed websites in search for cool costumes.

We saw a cool C-3PO (Star Wars) costume, and he liked that. Then we saw a really cute Handy Manny costume, and I thought for sure that he said he wanted to be Handy Manny. So I ordered it! The next morning I said something about him being Handy Manny, and he said, "No! I want to be C-3PO!". I asked David, and he said that HE heard Reagan say that he wanted to be C-3PO.

So I was wrong, and I fixed that mistake by ordering C-3PO. If you're keeping count, that is TWO Halloween costumes.

We also have a great Spiderman costume that he loves. He got it for Christmas. Three costumes.

On Monday before Halloween we had to go to Goodwill to search for David a costume. While shopping Reagan spied a devil's tail--complete with a tip covered in red sequins. He asked if he could have it, and I thought "why not". It was only a $1, and he could wear it around the house. He looked and looked for horns, but all we could find were these really curvey red sunglasses, and Reagan loved them.

On Friday at school we had a book character parade where the students (and teachers--but there is NO evidence of me as a Munchkin, thank God) dress like characters from their favorite book. We're lucky enough to have no less than 26 books about Star Wars so Reagan was safe to wear his C-3PO costume.

Uh, he's the gold one looking at his book. Sorry that it isn't a great picture.

On the actual day of Halloween he woke up wanting to be C-3PO. In the afternoon he wanted to be a cowboy (his costume LAST YEAR that we still have--costume count is now 5, if you count the devil tail and glasses). But by the evening when it was time to get dressed he wanted to be Handy Manny. Yippee!! I was relieved. I didn't actually get a picture of that, but I have the next best thing.

David dressed up like Reagan. What a great dad!

So here's why I have no pictures of Reagan as Handy Manny. When we got to my nephew's house to go trick-or-treating, Reagan changed his mind. He wanted to wear his devil tail and glasses. I tried to reason with him--have you ever tried to reason with a five year old? It doesn't work. And I decided this was a battle not worth fighting.

Unfortunately all we had was a green Frankenstein shirt. So he looked NOTHING like a devil.

At one house a person handing out candy said, "Here's some candy for the ninja. And some for Elmo. And some for the *pause* kid in the green shirt."

Oh my.

Don't Forget the Lyrics

2009-09-05T11:01:00.004-05:00

For those of you (all of us) that do not know the words to the Yellow song, here they are! Reagan was thoughtful enough to write them down for you. (excuse my voice--I'm a teacher, not an American Idol)

He kind of did some short hand and just drew the pictures of the "early morning sun", "daffodils and baby ducks", "lemonade and scrambled eggs", "smiley face", and "happy fellow". But I think you get the idea.

Here's the story: Reagan's class learns a color of the week, and there is a song for every color. The first week of school was the week for yellow. He actually first learned these songs during his second year of TPK when he was 2 and 3, but he wasn't writing then.

When he was outside this morning he found his yellow sidewalk chalk. I told him to write "yellow" for me--he had done this at school last week for his teacher, Mrs. Burch. I wasn't expecting him to write out the whole song!!!

I'm just a tiny bit proud. :)

A Cold Snap

2009-08-31T21:43:00.004-05:00

Instead of the high temperature being 112 today, I think it was more like 92 or so. Reagan felt the difference, and dressed like this. To go to Fry's. Really.

I don't know what got into him, but all of a sudden he had to wear his winter hat because "it is cold outside, and I don't want my head to get cold." Um, ok.

But why the backpack for a shopping trip to an electronics store?

He did take his wallet (which is in his hand), but there was no money in the wallet. Just a nerf dart from a dart gun.

I don't know how much that'll buy him.

2009-08-25T17:39:00.002-05:00

I don't think I need to explain the video. But someone needs to explain to me what the fascination is with dirt in your face.

A New Adventure

2009-08-16T20:08:00.002-05:00

In September of 2006, when Reagan was almost 2 years old, he started going to Treasure Patch Kids (TPK) which is a mother's day out program at a local church here in Round Rock. I cried when I dropped him off...for his whole FOUR HOURS of time away from me two days a week. He loved his teacher Ms. Patti, and he was excited to go back the next year.

In 2007 he entered Ms. Kelli's class at TPK, and he made great friends (Cash is his buddy). He learned a lot through that year, and I was excited about the next year because two of his life-long friends (yeah, I know he's only 3 at this point) were going to be going to TPK the next year.

Last year, 2008, was a big change. Reagan continued going to TPK and was in Ms. Brenda's class. Cash was still in his class, as well as Kennedy and Kendall...although I really think the boys played with the boys, and the girls played with the girls. On the three days that Reagan was not at TPK he was at preschool at Rainbow Station. He started preschool because I went back to work teaching in Cedar Park. Reagan has really learned many things from his teacher Ms. Aatif at Rainbow Station--he writes his name, draws pictures, traces and copies pictures, writes his friends' names, counts to 124 (random, I know), sings nursery rhymes, etc. And he liked going to Rainbow Station...most of the time.

Well, tomorrow starts a new school year for me. And for Reagan. Reagan has been fortunate enough to get into the ELE Friends program at the elementary school where I teach. This is an amazing program!! It is a literacy based program that pretty much follows the pre-K Leander ISD curriculum. The neat thing about ELE Friends is that it is made up of faculty member's kiddos--3-5 year olds--but they work with little kids from the district that have developmental disabilities. (ELE is the program for the district kids...the Friends are the faculty kids.) Not only will he be learning a fabulous pre-K program, but he will also be learning empathy, patience, tolerance, etc. Another great thing about it is that we'll be saving about $600/month in tuition!

He will be on my schedule. So if I have a staff development day, he still has school. He will be waking up early tomorrow for his first day. I'm looking forward to spending the mornings with him on the way to work, and I am thrilled to be in the same building with him all day! This is such a huge advantage that teacher-moms have. I imagine peeking in on him or seeing him at lunch, and I think that will just make my days even better.

All of this is a tad bitter-sweet. I'm sad that Reagan will no longer be going to TPK. I loved the Bible based curriculum, and he has made some wonderful friends. I was hoping that he'd "graduate" from there this year...

This is a huge change for our entire family. Since I have to be at work at 7:15, so does Reagan! He usually wakes up at 8am, and now he'll be getting up around 6am! I'm assuming this means that bedtime will be around 7pm...which is usually when David gets home from work. So David's schedule will also be changing.

Our new adventure begins tomorrow...

It is a Good Morning...

2009-08-15T10:14:00.003-05:00

...when you have new shoes.

This is what I woke up to this morning:

We got him new shoes for school last night. He picked them out. They are not my idea of "style", but this is something he can choose himself. He put them right next to his bed last night. And I guess the first thing he did was put them on this morning!

I haven't asked him nor his daddy on why he isn't wearing any clothes and is just hanging out in his undies. I may not want to know the answer.

Swim School Part 1

2009-07-29T10:57:00.003-05:00

Reagan has been taking swimming lessons since early June at Nitro Swim. He is doing really well. There are 10 stations that he will work through, and the goal is to swim five feet on his own. The classes are at a ratio of 1 teacher to 3 kids, and the teachers are amazing! They know exactly what each kid needs to work on--whether it is a kid's first time in that station or their 8th time.

Reagan is currently in station 4 which is "back floats". He can swim on his back all by himself, but he just doesn't have the confidence to do so. Once he knows the teacher has let go of him he freaks out.

He may be in station 4 for a loooooong time.

Here are a few pictures from his first two lessons...in early, early June.

On his first day...he and David look quite a bit alike in this picture.

He has bright yellow goggles which makes it very easy to spot him in the pool.

Swimming!!!

Oh Brother

2009-07-29T10:45:00.002-05:00

Reagan says he's going to have a sister. He told me, "When I'm five, she'll be four. And when I'm six, my sister will be five."

I told him that he doesn't have a sister. He said, "No. Not yet, Mommy. But when I'm five, she'll be four."

He'll be five in two months.

I wonder where he's hiding her...

Remember When...

2009-06-22T10:02:00.002-05:00

You had to hold a camera up to your face and look through the view finder
You had to wait until you took 24 pictures, took the film to the store to get it developed, and had to wait several days before you got the pictures back to actually see how they turned out
Your primary phone number was your home number
You used a home phone
You used a phone to actually talk (with your voice) to another person on the other end of the line
You got only 3 or 4 tv channels
Summer was a time of stictly reruns from the fall season
You had to sit through commercials
You had to struggle to program your vcr to record a show that you would miss
You used a card catalog at the library to find a book that you needed
I used to blog...

For My Dad

2009-05-19T22:11:00.003-05:00

Ever since we found out we were having a boy, my dad has found pleasure in telling me that one day I'll have to check my son's pockets before I wash his clothes. And that I'll be surprised, maybe even grossed out, at what I would find in there.

Well, that time has come. Reagan loves putting stuff into his pockets. Mostly it is his toys, but I do think I have seen him put a rock in there once or twice. I'm sure I will find more interesting things as the years pass.

My dad never prepared me for what happened tonight, though.

I was getting Reagan ready for bed, and he came back into the room after using the potty. When I looked at him, I noticed that his boy parts looked different. Kind of dirty. A bit gritty. I asked him what happened, and he said:

"Me and Grant were putting dirt down our undies today!! Ha ha ha! HA HA HA!!!"

That must have been the most fun thing that they did today because he was cracking up!

I just don't know what the fascination was...do they need to plant tomatoes down there or something? Why dirt? Why down the front of their undies??

I prefer things to go in his pockets.

Oh Spring, Why Must You Abuse Me So?

2009-04-16T20:26:00.002-05:00

Because I'm enjoying a nice hour by myself I have no one to complain to.

Sorry, internet, but you happen to be available.

Right now I am one big itch. My eyes itch. My nose tickles. My legs are quite itchy. My back hates the feeling of my shirt. My sleeves feel too long on my arms, and they are bothered by it. My head tickles. And my throat and ears feel like there is a feather in them.

Allergies. I hate 'em.

New Baby

2009-03-30T01:43:00.002-05:00

Some friends of ours just had a baby girl. Their second child. They have a son, and now they have a baby girl.

I told Reagan that Brody has a baby sister now. He said, "Why?". That is a hard question to answer. I asked him if he wants a sister. He said, "No." Discussion closed.

For 3 1/2 years of Reagan's life David and I have been very noncommital in if we're going to have another baby or not. For the past year it has been very close to "No, we're finished.". I have always said that I didn't know for sure because my older sister is 6 years older than I am. And I think of myself as being very much like my mom. So I have been waiting for that urge to come to have another baby as Reagan grew older.

Well, he's 4 1/2 and that urge just seems to get teeny tiny. I think Brody's little sister is going to be the test.

Sure, it would be fun to have a girl. But I must say that I am in love with having two boys (Reagan AND David). And I feel totally and completely complete with our threesome.

But I will say that Baby Clara has some pressure on her. She's my test. If I hold her and feel that Mommy Want, then maybe we'll change our minds.

But I'm not really counting on it.

Plus, Reagan seems to be perfectly content being the only one.

Podracing Goggles

2009-03-26T20:16:00.006-05:00

Yeah, so Reagan has an obsession with Star Wars (and Spiderman, but that is a different post). I don't know how he even knew about Star Wars in the first place, but now we have seen every. single. episode PLUS the animated new one, The Clone Wars.

On a side note, I was kept awake in the early hours of Monday trying to figure out the timeline and when The Clone Wars took place. Because R4 (Obi Wan's droid) is in Episode 2 and in The Clone Wars. But I couldn't remember if R4 was destroyed in Ep. 2 or Ep. 3...and things weren't matching up if he had been destroyed in Ep. 2.

Good news--I Googled it, and found the answer that R4 was destroyed in Ep. 3...meaning that The Clone Wars comes in between 2 and 3. (Whew.) Pathetic, I know.

Back to Reagan's obsession... Well, in Episode 1-The Phantom Menace, young Anakin Skywalker competes in a podrace. Here's an image:

Neat, huh?

Tonight David and Reagan went outside to ride their bikes. However, they weren't bikes, I guess. They were riding podracers. And Reagan HAD to wear his podracing goggles. You know, to keep all the dirt out of his eyes as he flies across the desert racing all kinds of silly looking aliens. Like this one:

And here's my own podracer:

How do I accept that my son is a goofball. Is he going to be dressed as a Wookie or as Darth Vader waiting in line at the movie theater in a few years--10 days before the movie comes out--just to get tickets to it??

Please tell me "no".

Yet I'm the one who is awake at night debating the timeline of a very fictional movie because of a droid.

Goofball?? Yep!

Exact Artist

2009-03-21T16:24:00.003-05:00

Reagan has been really into drawing Star Wars characters. Today he wanted to draw two of the characters that he actually has:

The final picture is of Darth Vader. Did you see his red light saber?

It's The Little Things

2009-03-08T04:40:00.005-05:00

I realize that I'm writing this for myself. Since I haven't been blogging as regularly as I used to, I understand that my friends (readers) don't check my blog as often. And as I realize this, I also know and have always known that this blog is for me. So...

Tonight David took Reagan to HEB. It started to be a trip for just the immediate things we need--diet Coke and microwave pancakes. But it turned into a normal HEB trip when David asked me to make a list for food for the week.

Ok, that was part 1. David did the shopping. WITH Reagan. I stayed home. And yes, I did do laundry. But I was home alone. And all moms know the importance of that.

Part 2. They came home with roses. Roses! Roses for me! How wonderful for them to think about me in the middle of the HEB trip. Wow! That is all I can say. These 6 roses aren't just something pretty to look at. They truly mean something. They show me that even in a short shopping trip to the grocery store--an everyday event--I was thought of.

Thank you, David.

And here's the cute thing. About 30 minutes after they got home (and Reagan had

not even mentioned the roses), Reagan said, "Mommy, I got you two flowers." How sweet.

Can you see the Spiderman web stuck to the oven in the background? Yeah, that is my life right now. It revolves around Spiderman and Star Wars. Lightsabers and webs. Good guys and bad guys. Jealous?

Running Man

2009-02-24T17:12:00.003-06:00

After training for almost a year, David completed his first marathon a couple of weeks ago. I can not tell you how proud I am of him. He did an amazing job, AND he had a very bad cold the week leading up to the big event. He says it did slow him down--but not by much!

Reagan and I left the house after the race started, and we picked up my mom and sister--we all wanted to go and cheer him on. We first stopped at mile 13 or 14, but we figured that we had just missed him (based on his running pace). So we hopped back into the car, fought traffic and road closures and stopped at mile 21.

We were there for over an hour. Reagan did really good at entertaining himself while my mom, my sister, and I cheered on the runners. Most of the runners looked like they were really hurting, and some were even crying as they ran!

When we saw David coming towards us, we really started cheering. I was actually amazed at how great he looked. (He told me later that he had stopped 300 yards before he saw us and stretched for a while.) I started running with him to ask him how he was doing. He said he was hurting, but doing well.

Then I heard my sister yell out my name. Just then a cute little four year old dashed out and caught up to us.

We then got back into our car and drove the the finish line. Downtown Austin was crazy with all the runners and supporters! I really wanted to see David cross the finish line, but it was just too crazy for me to get up to the actual finish. We finally spotted him just after he crossed the finish line, and he immediatly sprawled out on the ground. He was exhausted!

I think he would like to run another one to see how well he'd do without being sick, but I'm pretty sure he's glad that the next marathon isn't this week!

Hola.

2009-02-15T21:49:00.002-06:00

Ok, I don't speak spanish. I took 5 years of french. So maybe I should say "bonjour". Sounds a bit formal for this neck of the woods, though.

I haven't been updating, but I have been reading other blogs. I'm in this weird blogging space where I'm so absolutely busy, yet I have nothing worth blogging about. This has been my life:

1. I'm stressed with school. Being a third grade teacher in Texas means that I'm getting ready for my students to take (and pass) the state test--the TAKS test. They have to pass the reading section in order to go to 4th grade. Out of 22 kids, I have 4 kids that will pass, but only by 70-80%, 16 kids will pass with a 90%+ and 2 kids that have very little chance of passing the first time. We're all stressed and sick of TAKS. We welcome March 3rd.

2. Reagan has been sick. Not really in-bed kind of sick. But he hasn't been 100% since right before Christmas. His latest thing was walking pneumonia. Now he has this cough that seems to go on 24/7, and I'm sick of it. I'm sure he is, too.

3. David has had a cold this past week. And we all know how men are when they are sick. Not. fun. to. be. with.

That is about it. Boring, huh?

And ... ACTION!!

2009-01-10T17:21:00.005-06:00

Reagan received a marble run for Christmas. He loves Rube Goldberg machines, so we thought that this would be a great thing for him to build and watch. Earlier this week, he and David created their own chain reaction machine using the marble run, dominos, train tracks (stacked into stairs), a train, and a log. Check it out:

Right after the marble run, Reagan wanted to make his own video. We have a flip video camera, so he was holding it in front of himself just watching the little screen on the back. Every time something would come into view he'd say what it is, shriek with laughter, and run to the next thing. He is going so fast that he doesn't even say the entire word. He starts out with "Whoa, I'm goin' to the kitchen! Whoa, I'm goin' to the living room." Then, "Whoa! A kit(ten). Ah!" Then very quietly: "Oh, there's a Tai Lung (from Kung Fu Panda)," and "Ah! A tr(ee)." Then, "Ah! A bucket!" "There's a Da(ddy)." Then he sees a light saber. "And a Ab(by)".

The entire time he is giggling.

In the background you may hear David say "Whoever watches this is going to get sick."

Consider yourself warned.

Dancing Machine

2009-01-07T23:08:00.004-06:00

Reagan's Mother's Day Out had its annual Christmas program a couple of weeks before Christmas. His class sang 3 songs, and Reagan did pretty good. He sang/danced/did motions for 2 of them. The past two years he just cried.

David used our Flip Video to record the performance, so it isn't a close-up of Reagan. However, it is fun to watch his whole class. Reagan is second from the right.

This is "Dancing Machine". Be on the look out for:

1. The Washing Machine
2. The Egg Beater
3. The Oil Well (or "whale" as Reagan calls it)
4. The Locomotive
5. The (Broken) Robot (my fave!!)
6. The Airplane
7. The Sprinkler (!!!)

Oh yeah! And the horn playing!

What you can't see is the serious dance face that all the kids have during the part before the specific dances start. That is why the audiencce started giggling as soon as the the music started and the kids started moving.

I love how Reagan pets the stuffed lamb behind him and then makes a break for it. He did go back and sing the last song, though!

Untitled

2009-01-01T14:06:00.001-06:00

My Handy Man

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Christmas Evenings

2008-12-22T23:22:00.003-06:00

The (un)fortunate thing about having less square footage in our house than my sister and her husband's house is that no one ever gets to see our Christmas decorations because all of our family functions are at their house.

Luckily there is a blogging world where virtually anyone can take a tour of our living room.

I love our living room in the evenings when the big light is turned off. It is rather cozy, and I enjoy spending time in there after Reagan has gone to bed. The first picture was taken without the flash so that you can get a sense of what the light looks like.

Same view as above, but with the flash. I used to want to be able to have a fire in our fireplace, but I have decided that I really like our candles in there instead.

Our tree.

I haven't found a Nativity that I'm in love with, so we're using Reagan's Little People Nativity for right now. Which I actually do love. :)

I took this picture a few weeks ago when it was snowing. This is the view from our backyard looking onto the porch and into the living room windows.

This is our back porch from the inside. I love having the light from outside coming into our living room...plus I just love the lights wrapped on the pillars and the twinkling snow flakes!

A Few of My Favorites

2008-12-22T22:25:00.006-06:00

Growing up, my mom's (our) Christmas tree was a "designer" tree. That is the term that I always used. All it meant was that all the decorations were similar and the same color. It was a very, very pretty tree. With a big bow on top.

I just knew that I was going to have that kind of Christmas tree. Even in college and when I was single in my own apartment, I had decorations that were all the same. With tiny bows tied to the ends of the branches. A big bow at the top. Coordinating balls.

But then I got married. And we were given a few "Our First Christmas Together" ornaments. Those ornaments meant something to us. We also bought one on our honeymoon, and one that "looked like" our wedding.

And so it started. We have a beautiful Christmas tree with a mixture of red and green balls plus ornaments with sentimental value. I love putting them on the tree each year because I know exactly where each one came from. And why we have them.

I sound like a Hallmark commercial, I know. But here are a few of my faves:

Our star is hand-made from a friend that has since moved to Seattle. It is one of a kind. We went several years without a star because I couldn't find one that I really liked. She made us this one, and I loved it the first time I saw it. It is a large wood star (in gold/yellow) with two smaller stars in the middle (a white one and then a silver on top) with silver dots going around the white star. Then each of small white stars around the top have a silver star-center, and they are attached with curling copper wire.

This is our "wedding" ball. It says "Christmas 2002" which was our first married Christmas. The great thing about this ornament is that it is the colors of our wedding--light sage green, silver, and white! I was so excited when I found it--AT K-MART!!!!!!!

We got this mermaid ornament on our honeymoon. We took a cruise, and one of our stops was Grand Cayman--we went to Sting Ray City to swim with sting rays...that is why she's holding a ray.

I have found an ornament for each of Reagan's Christmasses. I try to find one that goes with something he has done or loved over the previous year. Maybe he'll want these when he grows up...be he IS a boy, and I'm not expecting him to care all that much. But I do. :)

This picture didn't take very well. But it is a blue baby bib with "Baby's First Christmas" on it.

Year 2. His first word was "dog", and I found this beautiful hand painted glass ornament. You can't really see because of the bow, but there are even cute little ears.

This one is a stretch, but I couldn't find exactly what I wanted. It turned out ok because this is Reagan's favorite ornament of his. For most of the previous year Reagan was attached to the Little People chicken from the farm. He even named it Tallulah. Tallulah went everywhere with him. It fit so perfectly in his hand, too. So here is a chicken for our tree.

The year 2007 started his love of cars and the movie Cars. This ornament is actually a Hot Wheels, but Reagan loves the cool fire coming out of it!

Lately Reagan has really enjoyed making and decorating sugar cookies. I stumbled on this one that is supposed to be a decorated cookie (I don't know if you can see the cookie part). It is a really pretty ornament.

There are so many other ornaments that mean things to us. We each have a football ornament--David has a blue Dallas Cowboys one and I have an Aggie one. I always put the two together. We have 2 bones for Abby and Elton and a white cat for Mav (who is black, by the way). We have some from other vacations. One from New York~~we used to go alot, and we bought one while we were there right after 9-11.

There are holes in the decorations, but I am looking forward to filling up those empty spaces with more memories.

A Sort of Winter Wonderland

2008-12-09T21:23:00.002-06:00

Check this out!!! (I took these 3 minutes ago!!)

That is snow (mixed with lots of other cold wet stuff)! But there was SNOW!

Observations

2008-12-08T01:47:00.002-06:00

Do you remember when you used to rest your head on your parent's arm?

Do you remember falling asleep with your head in the lap of your parents' during church?

There have been so many things that I have waited for since I have had Reagan. Him telling me that he loves me. Him giving me hugs. Kisses.

I still have to ask for 'I love you's' and kisses and hugs. But when I do ask for them, I know that he is totally willing to give them out. And I accept that as his personality. When I see him hug a grandparent or aunt or uncle with full-out arms, I am deeply touched at his love for that person. And for those of you reading this who have experienced a "lean in" type of hug compared to a real hug, you know what I mean.

This weekend during dinner, Reagan leaned into my arm and wrapped an arm around it. He leaned his head onto my arm.

I can only take this as love. As a need to be close to me. I didn't ask for it. I was just eating my taco, and he did this on his own.

I've seen him do this to David, and he has done this to me many other times. I think this is the "love" that I expect and want to see from him. The need to be close to us. The need of the warmth. The need of the love coming back to him.

I don't want to imagine this "need" ever leaving him, but as a teacher and as an adult, I know that I won't always receive this type of affection.

My dearest Reagan, please know that I am always here to receive your need and to give out any love that you are willing to take. I will be as close as you need me to be. You are an extension of my being, and we will never be apart.

I love you, baby.

Potty Party

2008-12-06T19:13:00.003-06:00

In mid-October David and I treated Reagan to a potty success weekend in San Antonio. We drove down on a Saturday and met my friend Tina and her son at the zoo. We then spent the night in SA and went to Sea World on Sunday. We had a great time! Here are some pictures of the weekend:

Birthday Party Fun

2008-12-03T23:58:00.007-06:00

Reagan's friend, Kendall, turned 4 years old a couple of weeks ago. Reagan and Kendall have known each other since before they were 1!! We met at Gymboree, and we have been playgroup friends ever since. And lucky for Reagan, Kendall now goes to the same Mother's Day Out AND is in the same class as Reagan and other playgroup buddy, Kennedy.

Kendall's birthday party was at Kiddie Acres--a place that we have not been to before. And boy-oh-boy!! It is a fantastic place for the kiddos! There are several rides all of which are perfect for 4 year olds to ride. Reagan had a blast. His friend from school, Blake, was there, and the boys were attached at each other's hip. THEN, Jack (Reagan's best bud) came!! The three boys did EVERYTHING together. (This is why I don't have many pictures of the girls at the party...including the birthday girl.)

Reagan (and Mommy and Daddy) are looking forward to our next trip to Kiddie Acres.

T'is the Season

2008-11-29T10:23:00.001-06:00

After taking down our fall/Thanksgiving decorations and packing them away, my first step to decorating for the holidays was my blog layout.

Now I'm spent! I hope our home decorations go up in a timely manner.

Happy holidays!

Untitled, But Bulleted

2008-11-20T20:30:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is my last day of school for Fall break. I HAVE AN ENTIRE WEEK OFF!
I love, love, love my AP, my team, and the faculty and staff.
For those teachers out there, did you see someone important that I left off of the list above?
My team brought me a cake for my birthday that is next week. I told you that I love them.
My husband took the kiddo tonight while I went and had drinks with some friends. I love him, too.
I have a new iPhone thanks to my super big sister.
The iPhone is awesome. I'm addicted.
I have a mommy-nerd (baby center moms) friend that once mentioned something about the "terrible twos", the "trying threes", and the "f-ing fours". David and I are in the middle of the "f-ing fours".
David is taking Monday off, but we're still shipping the kiddo off to school. :) We're planning on seeing a movie. Maybe sit in the back row and smooch a little.
My AP told me that she received a compliment from a parent about me. That makes my day/week/year!!
Because David and the kiddo are together tonight, I'm home alone in a quiet house right now. Don't y'all just understand how that feels?!?! Aaawwww....
I am just as happy working as I was staying home with Reagan. If not, more so. I am very blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends!

Mommy Cried, Too

2008-11-06T18:42:00.002-06:00

Reagan had his well check today. Here are his stats:

weight: 33.4 pounds (up exactly 4 pounds from last year) 25th percentile
height: 39 inches (up 2 1/2 inches from last year) 25th percentile
BMI (?!?!) is 15.4

He had FIVE!!!!! immunizations, including one for the flu. As Megan's husband, Tim, says "Five is the same as one" when it comes to shots.

And he didn't like it one bit. I so hate vaccinations. What mother doesn't? I was face to face with him, and we were talking about what toy he was going to pick out at Kaleidoscope Toys when "Ow!! Mwahhhhhhhhhh!!!!" happened. That sneaky nurse! He said, "I want Mommy", but I was right there holding him. It broke my heart, and I teared up, too. I tried to keep it in, but I just couldn't stand it.

He's still walking stiffed legged saying his shots hurt. I'm about to dose him up with Motrin.

The positive part of the day was that I got to take 1/2 a day off and pick him up from his Mother's Day Out. I haven't even met his teacher, so this was a nice treat for me. And I loved seeing all of the moms that I have missed seeing this year. It was nice.

Howdy, Pardner!

2008-11-04T00:22:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful Halloween weekend.

A month or so ago, Reagan wanted to be a ghost. Some of you may be thinking "What an easy costume! Just get a sheet!!". Um, no. I can't even make a sheet costume. If I tried, it would look like Charlie Brown's ghost costume--which was covered in holes all over.

Then he wanted to be a fireman. Ok, I could do that!

Or Target could.

So we went to Target to get a fireman costume.

And a Wii Fit, but that is another post.

There were no firemen costumes, but Reagan stumbled across the most adorable (can I still use "adorable" for my 4 year old?) cowboy costume! He tried it on, then galloped through Target while we did the rest of the shopping!

David decided to take his costume into his own hands. I think he had a fear of this again. So we headed to Goodwill to make up his cowboy costume.

I was a cat, again. I was also behind the camera.

High Hopes

2008-10-20T00:56:00.002-05:00

On the way to Petco on Saturday evening:

Reagan: What does a filter look like?

David: (said with excitement) What kind of filter??!!! A fuel filter?!?! An oil filter?!?! An air filter?!?!

[pause]

Kelly: Do you mean an aquarium filter?

Reagan: Yes, for the aquarium.

David: (in a depressed voice) I had butterflies in my stomach for a second....

Fabulous Fours

2008-10-06T22:49:00.005-05:00

Our traditional first-thing-in-the-morning birthday picture. He was playing Hungry, Hungry Hippo as soon as he woke up.

My dear, sweet Reagan,

Today you are four. And what a big kid you have become! Although, you can still fit quite comfortably in your 2T shorts...

The "big kid" shows itself in all of the accomplishments that you have made this past year. Forgive me for airing out personal business here on the very public internet, but you have officially mastered pooping (and tinkling) on the potty! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you. And at the same time we feel like such fools. We tried to rush you into this whole potty thing. First we thought you'd be ready in December of 2007. NOPE! Then we tried again in the spring. NOPE! Then we tried early this summer. The wet stuff came to you fairly quickly...like within a week. But the other stuff is a whole different story. That took a good 4 months to master. But you decided that you would start pooping on the potty in your own time. And you still get very defensive if we even suggest that you should try to poop on the potty. So we have stopped reminding you, and now you go when you feel the need. Good job, Kiddo!

Bath time with Timothy Turtle...his classroom pet from TPK (Mother's Day Out).

Your conversation skills have also exploded. I am constantly amazed at the conversations we have. I credit most of these skills to your new preschool, Rainbow Station. Just the other day we were talking about rhyming words (one of your favorite subjects lately), and I said that "hill" and "Jill" rhyme. Then you said, "Yes, and so does 'still', 'pill', and 'ill'." And I said, "Ill?", not believing what you said!! And you said, "Yes. 'Ill' is another word for 'sick', Mommy."

Some other conversations that I DO NOT like are you saying things like "What the heck?!"...and in correct context, too. That is not said in this house, and I'm extremely upset at the fact that you are learning not-so-great things. I just want to put you in a little bubble an shield you from all the yucky things of the world. But I know I can't do that. You need to be in the world and experience life and people. And Daddy and I just have to raise you the best we can hoping we equip you with good decision making skills so that you make good choices. God, help us.

You are a good boy, too. I see that when I peak in at Rainbow Station. You are always sitting where you are supposed to be sitting. You ALWAYS pick up and put away the toys that you are playing with before moving to a new center. (Um, can we do that same thing at home, too, Big Guy?) And you follow your teacher's directions the first time she tells you something. You are a dream student.

The problem comes when you're at home with us. You feel like it is ok to yell and whine at us. To put it mildly, we're sick of it. Please stop. We have said until we're blue in the face that whining does not get you what you want. Whining and yelling just gets you time out. And starting today you have to sit in time out for FOUR minutes instead of three. So let's just cut the ugly voices and bad attitude out, ok? That would just make home life so much more pleasant.

Reading an I Spy book and finding the hidden objects.

Your current loves are Legos (!!!!!), Transformers, I Spy books, and spelling words. I have no idea where your love of Transformers came from, but I don't mind you playing with the toys. However, you will not see the cartoon, much less the movie. Sorry! I love that you enjoy I Spy books...they are some of my favorites, too. And I'm very impressed with your spelling skills. Yesterday you looked at a sign in Rudy's and spelled it-- S-T-O-P. I asked you what that spells, and you said, "Stop". Terrific!

Your favorite color is still yellow. And now your bathroom is yellow. Very yellow.

Helping Daddy paint his bathroom yellow after Daddy finished putting the texture on the walls.

You had a (surprise) birthday party on Saturday at the 'jumping place', and you had a fabulous time. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and I loved making it what you wanted. We sent out Spiderman invitations, had Transformer cake plates, and a Madagascar cake. It was perfect--for you!

Jumping with Uncle Mitchell at his birthday party.

Madagascar birthday cake!!!

Today was my favorite part, though. Although I didn't get to see you this morning for your birthday, I did call you and talk to you. And when I picked you up from school, we met Daddy at your favorite place--Gattiland. We had a great time playing games after a bit of pizza, and then we came home to open your gifts from us. You got two new Transformers and a big kid bike!! For the rest of the evening you rode circles through the house. I'm so amazed at how well you did the first time you got on it!

Daddy and I are so blessed to have you with us. You bring joy and silliness to our lives, and we love you for it.

I love you,
Mommy

Hello, My Name is Kelly

2008-09-30T22:50:00.002-05:00

And this is my blog.

My poor neglected blog.

I have so much to write about that I can't think of anything to say.

But first of all, I have to thank Em. I checked the mail yesterday, and she sent me a working mom care package. Here, take a look at what I got!

As a brand new working mom, I feel the need to simplify my life. Becky doesn't know that I have this need, but she was so gracious to already have a pic of my care package! (Ok, that's Becky's care package.)

Emily, thank you so much for thinking of me. I'm really looking forward to my magazine subscription about working moms/women. I will certainly pay it forward.

On to "me" news. My BABY turns 4 next week, and his party is this weekend. He picked out Spiderman invites. Um, ok. How does he know about Spiderman? I don't know. But I went with it. While we were looking at Spiderman cakes the other day (because he DID get the Spiderman invites), he picked out a Madagascar cake.

Huh? A 2-themed party? Ok. Whatever floats your boat, Birthday Boy.

And he wants Transformers napkins. (No, we don't watch Transformers on tv. Stuff like this must be embedded in boy DNA.)

Ok, 3 themes. But I'm drawing the line there!

I mean, how often do you turn 4? Only once, right? So he can have whatever he wants. (Just don't laugh at him.)

WHOA!!

2008-09-09T00:22:00.002-05:00

2008 (or two thousand eight if you're a 3rd grade teacher at this point during the year), SLOW DOWN! Slam on your brakes! You are going way too fast, and I need to stop this ride.

September is almost 1/2 way over. Which means that my very best girlfriend's son is almost one. ALMOST ONE! One.

And guess what happens right after that? My baby turns F-O-U-R. What? An official kid?! That can't be. Because every single year I have felt the same way..."He's not a baby anymore". Yet, every single year I think every single day, "He's my baby."

Ah, that feels better. Yes, he IS my baby. That is my mantra. "He's my baby. He's my baby. He's my baby."

Maybe that will keep the F-O-U-R's away.

(And what comes after Reagan's birthday?? CHRISTMAS!!!! Slow down, I tell you!!!)

Don't Get Too Close!

2008-09-02T13:12:00.002-05:00

This is crazy. It is the SIXTH day of school, and I have a substitute there this morning.

Reagan and I developed a stomach bug. "Bug" sounds to cute for how I feel. Luckily Reagan woke up this morning feeling much better (and had a yogurt and sausage) so he is at my mother-in-law's house. All while I feel yucky, clammy, achy. Miserable.

On a happy note, we had a great long weekend. David and I double-dated on Saturday night after he completed the Nike Human Race. Yesterday was "Reagan Day" which involved a trip to Cabela's and McDonald's for lunch.

It doesn't take much to make him happy.

And to stay positive about my "itty bitty cute litty buggy-wuggy", at least I have one more day to prepare more for my lessons this week.

But first I'm going to maneuver myself to the couch and put myself in the fetal position.

It Used to be Easier

2008-08-28T19:41:00.002-05:00

I'm beat. Exhausted. Overwhelmed.

And obviously, a little whiny.

I can not describe how hard this new phase of my life is. But really. Who wants to hear about that?

I will say that today and yesterday were much better than Monday and Tuesday. I feel like I'm catching up on my To Do list, and that takes a bit of stress off of me. I also don't have to leave the house at 6:08 am tomorrow...more like 6:30...and that makes me feel good.

I miss Reagan very much. I hate not seeing him in the mornings. I feel like I'm abandoning him. Like I am slacking on my Mommy duties and leaving it all for David to do. But what else can I do? I certainly don't want to wake him up before 6am. And I'm 110% positive that David doesn't want me to do that either.

My body hasn't adjusted to the new schedule yet. So although I yearn to be with Reagan when I finally pick him up at 5:45, I am more than exhausted. And I just want to be in the same room with him~~not so much wrestle with him. Luckily he still likes to sit and play with Legos, and my body can handle that.

I just don't know how David has lived this life for 4 years. On Tuesday I woke up at 5:15, and I was at school by 6:30. I left school at 5:30. I picked up Reagan. Made "dinner". Played with the boys for a bit. Started doing school stuff BEFORE Reagan went to bed. Put him to bed around 9:30. Then did school stuff until midnight.

David's schedule is about the same, only it starts at 8am and goes to 3am. Or later.

I didn't think it would be this hard. The great thing is Reagan is doing very, very well. That makes me feel really good.

And I'm really looking forward to this long weekend with my boys.

Ah, Fishy

2008-08-23T00:35:00.002-05:00

It is a sad night here. Fishy is now at home on God's kitchen counter in the best aquarium available, I'm sure. Poor little guy. I did everything I could to make him healthy.

Maybe I did too much.

I'm worried about how Reagan will react tomorrow morning. Just yesterday he was showing Fishy things he had made with his Legos.

I enjoyed Fishy...especially the week that he was healthy and happy. Not that he's replacable, but I'm looking forward to finding a new fish.

This time we'll purchase from a fish-specific store. Not Petco.

(raise your glasses)
Here's to Fishy!

One Down, How Many to Go?

2008-08-15T18:07:00.002-05:00

I have so many things to share. Like, my son is currently eating a frozen (FROZEN!!) Eggo waffle. With a dyed transformer onto it. Did I mention that it was still frozen?

I just finished my week as a mom who happens to work. And I'm exhausted. If I weren't so tired, I would spell out "exhausted" with hyphens to make my point. But I'm too tired to do that. Things seem to be going pretty well with the family. I'm adjusting to actually doing "stuff". Reagan is adjusting to school life and staying there "alot of minutes". And David is adjusting to waking up way too early. But we're doing pretty good at the adjusting part.

Fishy isn't adjusting as well, but that is another post.

I could blog about how I just completed a week of "new to the district" training. Or how since our school is brand spankin' new we haven't been allowed into the building yet. Or maybe how much information is being thrown at me...although I don't think it is ALL getting absorbed. But what I want to document is:

I LOVE LEANDER ISD. I love it so much, that I want to convert all of my friends that teach to LISD teachers. Tina? Silvia? Megan, one day? This means YOU. There is not a better place to work. LISD expects so much out of its teachers, but it (they) give you every possible support, tool, person to help you to become the best teacher you can be. They know that no one is perfect, and they realize that they don't have all the answers either. But hey, let's work together to figure out WHAT IS BEST FOR EACH STUDENT.

That is what LISD focuses on. Each student. Not each test score. Not each school rating. But each student. Which turns into each teacher. I have never felt so comfortable asking questions as I do in LISD.

On top of all of this support...EVERYONE is so happy! They recognize how great LISD is, and it flows through.

Bottom line: If you're a teacher in the Austin area, come to the bright side!

Roller Coaster

2008-08-09T10:56:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Friday. Yesterday was the last day of my summer. And I have been looking forward to starting work on Monday.

But when I told David last night "Today is my last day before I go back to work," something struck me and I added, "Today is my last day of being a stay at home mom."

What?? I just can not wrap my brain around that idea. The identity I have had for four years is changing. And how come I haven't fully thought of this before now? I tend to do that...push things out of my head so that I don't have to think of it 100%. And then when the reality of the situation hits me I am just run over with emotion.

So here I am being very emotional over something that I thought I had dealt with. Most of me is excited about teaching again. Most of me loves that Reagan is going to preschool. Most of me is looking forward to working and having an identity outside of this house.

But the tiny part of me that is scared, sad, and reluctant to change is quite overwhelming right now.

~~~5 minutes later~~~

I just finished talking to David, and he made me feel much better. First of all, he said that although he can't fully understand my feelings, he can understand that I am going through an emotional time. And then he said that I can either be a working mom or a mom who works. He reminded me that as much as he works, his family and being a dad is his most important job. And he said that my identity is not changing...just some of my roles are changing. He's a great husband and friend.

I feel better.

Until tomorrow.

Enjoy the ride!

Something's Fishy

2008-08-07T16:54:00.006-05:00

Not that I don't already have enough mouths to feed (2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 child, 1 husband, myself), we now have a gold fish.

Why do we have a gold fish?

Because we are horrible parents who bribe our child.

For months we have told Reagan that he could have a fish of his own once he started using the potty all. the. time.

Or at Petco last night.

So now we have a fish. In our kitchen. Because it can't go into Reagan's room until he poops on the potty all. the. time.

By the way, Reagan named his fish "Fishy".

A creative one, isn't he?

More Than a One-Liner

2008-08-05T13:26:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was ok.

Just ok.

First of all, my first impressions of Reagan's two teachers were not that great at all. PLUS, I wasn't expecting a "first impression" because I thought I had already met his teacher(s). But (1) he went into a different room than I was expecting, (2) two teachers I had never seen before, and (3) neither one of the teachers came up and introduced themselves to me.

On top of that, Reagan was so excited about going into his room and playing! I was glad to see he was excited. But as soon as we walked in, the name-less teachers had him wash his hands so that the class could go into the lunchroom for snack. So David and I left him with this pitiful look on his face. He look defeated. It was heartbreaking.

So I cried all the way home.

And for the first hour or two while I was at home by myself.

This just shows me that no matter how well I know myself, my mom knows me better. Remember how she called me on Sunday night to check up on me? And I was all "I'm fine! I'm looking forward to the three days by myself!!". Ha! A mother always knows...

Here's the happy ending:
(1) Reagan WILL be in the "blue" room with the teacher I had met before. This starts at the start of the school year on August 25th. Right now all the 3 year olds are in one room together since the classes are not full (remember, this is a brand new preschool). He will be in the blue room with the older 3's.
(2) When I picked him up, he was so happy! And he told me he had a great day. Even though one of the teachers told me that he was quiet all day and a bit sad some of the day. Especially at nap. BUT Reagan said he had a great day! That is what is important.
(3) All three teachers came up to me and introduced themselves when I went to pick them up. So all is well.

Nap time is going to be an adjustment for Reagan. He wanted his cup of water with him and for me to lay down with him. That will just take some time getting used to the new nap thing.

As for my day yesterday after the tears, I just cleaned the house. I would have felt guilty if David came home to a disaster area while I had been home all alone. But I plan on keeping the house spotless (sort of) for the rest of the week so that I can enjoy my 2 days of freedom before I start work next week.

All Shook Up

2008-08-04T00:53:00.003-05:00

I'm writing this pretty late at night. Even if I were in bed I think I'd still be awake. Because tomorrow is a big day, and I think my emotions would be keeping me up.

Tomorrow is Reagan's first day at his new preschool. And yes, he goes to Mother's Day Out during the school year, but this new school is different. He'll actually spend the whole day there, which is very new in our house.

My mom called this evening to see how Reagan is doing and if he's excited, but I think she may have called more for my well-being. For the most part I am very excited for him, yet a tiny part of me is nervous that he'll have a hard time adjusting. And let me stress that it IS a tiny part of me. He has proved to us over and over lately that he adjusts very quickly to being in new situations.

I am also looking forward to having 3 days this week to myself before I start back to work full time next week.

Here is where I think there will be a problem. I think 2pm will roll around, and I'll be itching to go and pick up my baby from school. I'll be bored. I'll be missing him. I'll want my little companion with me.

Tomorrow is a big day for all of us. It is the first day for this whole family where things will really start to change. It is kind of sad to let go of an old routine, but it is also very exciting to see how our family is growing and adjusting as our little boy keeps moving towards becoming who he is destined to be...

Independence Day...a Month Late

2008-08-03T19:19:00.006-05:00

Our July, 4, 2008 was a great holiday weekend. It started out on July 2 with sparklers in our backyard. This was our first year to get things for Reagan to do...like sparklers, spinners, and 3 fountains. He loved the sparklers. The fountains? Not so much. I loved taking pictures with my new camera...experimenting with different settings and such.

The next evening was spent at Brushy Creek Lake park with some friends from our church. There was a wonderful fireworks show. It was so close that we had to lean back during the grand finale!! Reagan was "all done" as soon as it started, but once he covered his ears he was ok.

On the 4th my dad came down to spend the afternoon and evening with us. We met up with David's parents and went to Old Settlers Park in Round Rock for their show. We had a nice spot up on a hill where we saw about 8 different shows going on in the area...in Austin, Round Rock, and in Pflugerville. Reagan watched maybe 3 actual fireworks, and then he proceeded to just run around like a crazy person.

That "crazy person" thing has now lasted for about 4 1/2 weeks. When does that stop??

Making Up For Lost Time

2008-07-22T23:15:00.004-05:00

Ok, how cute is that kid??

I'm back to blogging. I have several posts in my head that I'd like to share, plus pictures of our 4th of July. But for now I just have the two following posts...

Enjoy!!

Mrs. Fix It

2008-07-22T23:04:00.004-05:00

I'm in home improvement mode. So is David. This is what we're working on right now. Be prepared to scream:

This is Reagan's bathroom. Poor kid. David and I have hated this wallpaper since we moved into this house. In 2000. I don't know why it has taken us so long to get to it.

I have spent the last couple of evenings stripping the wallpaper and taping the room to get it ready for David to texturize the walls and for me to paint them.

We also decided to paint the cabinets in there, as well as in our kitchen. So here is a question for you who read this:

Do I also need to paint the inside of the cabinets? The shelves and such? Or will just painting the fronts and backs of the doors and drawers and the actual cabinet outsides be fine? (for resale)

CSI -- Round Rock

2008-07-22T22:35:00.003-05:00

I should have picked up one of those CSI shirts while I was in Vegas. I could have worn it while I did my own investigation on what happened in my house while I was away.

Although David left pretty obvious clues.

On the camera.

David thought it would be cute to capture every outfit that he put Reagan in. He didn't even read my blog about how concerned I was that my child would match while I away. He just knows me so well. So well, that he thought it would be hil-ar-i-ous to document the craziness. So here are two days:

Now you might be saying, "Hey! They did a good job!". No they didn't. Although the first outfit is in the same line at Gymboree, there really isn't any orange in those shorts. But it does photograph well. Oh, and that is their new cooler. Have you seen WALL-E yet? If so, then you get why Reagan is so excited to have one of those coolers now. And outfit number 2 isn't so great either. Yes, everything is green. But those green shorts aren't anywhere near the same color as the green in the shirt. Not to mention it looks like Reagan slept in that outfit.

And the hat doesn't fit.

Apparently the Pink Panther went everywhere with them.

And I just realized that the orange shirt outfit is what he wore to church while I was gone. Oh goodness.

More evidence:

I was flipping through the pictures on the camera when I came home to see what fun was had, and I saw this: (!!!!!!!!!!!)

We didn't own a tent when I left, much less have one taking up our entire living room!!!!

But we own one now. Here is a pic of Reagan inside the tent:

Looks like they had a great time while I was away.

I, too, had a wonderful time. Short version: I only played $25 while I was there, and it was all in slot machines. I couldn't see myself putting tons of money in it at once...which means I didn't really give myself opportunities to win. But I had a wonderful time watching my mom and sister gamble. We walked though almost every major casino/hotel. My sister and I saw Le Reve at the Wynn, and I absolutely loved it. I can not wait to go back to Las Vegas!!! I had such a relaxing time, but I was ready to get back my boys once the trip was over.

(Although I'm already ready for my next trip.)

Leaving On A Jet Plane

2008-07-11T22:58:00.002-05:00

But I do know when I'll be back again. On Tuesday night.

Tomorrow I am off on a new adventure. I am going to Las Vegas with my mom and my sister, and we are meeting my aunt there. I have never been to Vegas before, and I am truly looking forward to it. I don't think I'll do too much gambling, but I'll be just as happy as can be to watch others.

This is the first time that I'm leaving Reagan for more than one day/evening without having David with me. So this also means that this is David's first time to be alone with Reagan for more than one day/evening.

I'm not worried about anything except for what Reagan will be wearing for the days that I'm gone. I have this mental image in my head of Reagan wearing his brown and green plaid shorts with a light blue t-shirt that has turtles on it. And his Wall-E socks.

Makes my stomach turn just thinking about it.

I'm tempted to leave outfits laid out for the two of them, but I'm sure that wouldn't go over too well.

I hope no pictures are taken while I'm gone. I don't need evidence of poor fashion sense.

And what happens is Round Rock, stays in Round Rock.

Vend the Wormy

2008-07-08T16:26:00.006-05:00

**UPDATE: Vend is no longer "Vend". Just "Wormy"

Ah, the joys of being the mother of a boy. A boy who has a father that tells him that it is ok the dig in the dirt. It is "fun to get dirty". This is a concept that I just do not understand. And when this activity gets started (everyday) I have to will myself to bite my tongue and not continually say, "Where are the wipes? Let's wipe your hands. Oh, now your knees are dirty. Let's go clean up before we dig some more. Not in the mud! Now your clothes are dirty."

Yeah, that's me. I don't like it when the dirt gets dirty. (Blame my mother...)

Today the digging led to us adopting a new pet. Observe:

His name is Vend. Vend the Wormy. I'm not quite sure that Vend is very happy. He does, however, have this for a new home:

...but I don't think he's moving anymore.

Bigger Than a Thumb Print

2008-07-03T16:07:00.004-05:00

Back story:

A few days ago I turned on the sprinklers outside so Reagan could run around in them for a little bit. He was fully clothed (you can see in the picture). He thought it was fun to making his hand prints on the patio. He would run to the sprinkler, stick his hand in the water (not that he wasn't already wet enough), and run back and slap his hand on the patio.

He then started making all kinds of body prints. He ran to the sprinkler, stuck his head in the water (again, already DRENCHED), then run back to the patio and place his forehead to the patio. He did this with his ear, his knees, his nose, his feet...and my favorite, his belly. Because he ran to the sprinkler holding his shirt up so his belly would get wet. Silly guy...

Later that night, I was in bed with him talking to him in the dark about our day. We started talking about the sprinklers...

Reagan: I did hand prints and track prints (his knees).

Me: Yes, you did! And a nose print! And a head print!

Reagan: (giggling) And feet prints! And my belly print!

Me: Next time you should do a butt print.

Reagan: (hysterical laughter) A butt print!! That is so silly!!!

(He is laughing so hard, he can not catch his breath.)

Me: (laughing) That sounds like something Uncle John would do.

(pauses)

Reagan: That would be a big butt print.

After

2008-07-03T15:44:00.006-05:00

Here is a reminder of what our patio looked like just a few days ago:

But thanks to my loving husband, it now looks like this:

Obviously Elton loves it more than the hot concrete patio.

So do I! We have been spending almost every evening after dinner outside (we have a ceiling fan...don't think we're crazy sitting out in 100 degree heat!). I enjoy being outside with Reagan during the day, too.

It is still a work in progress. We are waiting for our ottoman to be delivered, and I want to find a nice candle for the side table and outdoor art for the wall. You can't see in the picture, but I also have hanging baskets surrounding the seating area, and we're just waiting for the little sprouts to bloom!

Anyone intersted in joining me for a nice beverage on our patio?

Wood and Iron

2008-06-23T11:11:00.003-05:00

Yesterday (the 22nd) was our 6 year wedding anniversary. I think this may have been the best anniversary yet.

We dropped Reagan off at my in-laws on Saturday afternoon...around 2pm. Reagan stayed the rest of the day, the entire night, up until Sunday at 6pm! This was the first time that he spent a night away from his home WITHOUT us. He did great!

David and I try to give each other gifts that go with the anniversary themes--this year the modern and traditional gifts are wood and iron. I'm not sure which is which, though. It doesn't matter for us.

David's gift to me is (drum roll): THIS!!!!!! Ok, not all of that. But we got the love seat, a chair, and ottoman, and a side table! I'm off to go and get an outdoor rug in just a few minutes!

This is what our patio looks like right now.

My gift will be a HUGE improvement, and I just can not wait for it to be delivered next week!

After we shopped for furniture, we came home to get ready to go downtown for a sprint cycling race. It was so much fun to watch! The cyclist were just going around one city block, and they did so in just over 1 minute. They were flying! It was interesting to watch.

We then changed clothes to go here. We had a great time. We got there pretty late, so the restaurant wasn't busy AT ALL. And we each tried 3 different wines, and we each had an amazing dinner. And we each had dessert!!! It was wonderful.

We stayed at our own house even though the kiddo wasn't here. I'm glad we did. It was so strange to be in our home without Reagan. It was like pre-Reagan time. Very weird.

On Sunday morning we went here for brunch, and then we spent 3 hours or so looking at neighborhoods, touring model homes, and deciding where we want to live.

I did give David a gift, too. I got us a gift certificate to a driving range so we can whack some golf balls with "woods and irons". We'll do that in a couple of weeks.

I think the best part of this weekend was just spending time together doing things we used to do before we had our super kiddo.

Actually, the best part of the weekend was picking Reagan up last night. We did miss him!

I Would Have Gone to Petco Instead of Having a Baby

2008-06-19T22:15:00.002-05:00

Does anyone else out there who is raising a preschooler feel like they are in fact living with a parrot?

My kid repeats EVERYTHING that he hears. Immediately after he hears it. Whether it is said by one of his parents, one of his family members, or a complete stranger. A complete stranger standing yards away from us.

So not only does he repeat things like Polly the Parrot, but he must also have dog ears since he repeats things overheard from way over somewhere else.

It drives me insane. INSANE, I tell you.

(If I were speaking this outloud, you would have heard in a small sweet voice "Insane, I tell you!")

Pretty Close to the Tree

2008-06-13T17:24:00.006-05:00

Two years ago at Christmas I received the strangest gift from my husband. So strange that I thought "after 16 years, this man has no idea who I am". He gave me cookie cutters, a rolling pin, and a cookie sheet. I don't think I have EVER made cookies like this. Not even as a child. My mom knew what she was doing when we didn't bake cookies together.

Today I tackled a cookie making project with my son who was dying to have ghost cookies and bat cookies. (That in itself is a whole different story.)

I tackled the project, but I was the one that was found on the bottom of the heap in the end. Under a huge pile of flour. I didn't know I had flour in my house. But I do...two bags worth! Who knew??

I was excited and even had Reagan put on shorts so that I could take pictures for the blog! Our first cooking partnership! How fun!!

Not quite.

I did buy a mix that I needed to add softened(???) butter and an egg. We did that, but I guess my butter wasn't soft enough because that sucker was hard to stir! So then I just plopped some of the dough onto my foil lined counter top. I was smart enough to know to add some of that just found flour to the foil, but apparently you need more than just a sprinkle. Dough was stuck to everything~~the foil, the rolling pin, my hands, my nose, the counter tops. Everything but Reagan since I wouldn't let him get near it in fear that he might create a mess!

Once 1/2 the bag of flour had been used, I rolled out the dough and had Reagan cut the shapes that he had chosen from our 101 cookie cutters. And those cookie cutters are never going back into that container.

I guess all of that flour wasn't enough because then the cookie dough would NOT transfer from the foil to the cookie sheet. I had to use a fork for help. So our cookies look pathetic. After about 20 minutes of this, we finally had about 10 cookies ready to be taken out of the oven.

But I was NOT ready to decorate them. They are on hold right now while Reagan naps and I recover.

I had enough dough left over to make twice as many cookies. Yeah, that dough is now in the trash OR attached to that rolling pin. That contained mess in the kitchen sink took up my entire kitchen island, the counter near the oven, and my floor a few minutes ago.

Reagan and I did share an airplane cookie. It was horrible. The airplane is also in the trash. So I'm recuperating with this instead:

The poor kid put on shorts for no reason. I had no time, nor no clean fingers, to get a picture of him pressing down a cookie cutter.

Before I Lose These Forever

2008-06-03T16:18:00.005-05:00

I blog to journal about our family. And to keep a sort of record of Reagan while he is growing up. This post is for me to look back on in 20 years and say, "Oh! I remember that! I'm so glad I wrote that down."

1. I am going to admit that I think my kid may be smart. I am very reluctant to say that he is smart, because I really don't know exactly what 3 1/2 year olds can do. Maybe when he is 8 I can say "yes, he's smart" or "no, he isn't" because I do know what 8 year olds are capable of doing--that's my job.

So here's the story. Reagan has several stories memorized. That is no big because I know that lots of kids memorize stories that are read to them. David and I especially giggle when Reagan corrects us if we mess up while reading a story. The other day he was reciting (while sitting on the potty!!!!) part of Pirate Pete ~~ "Gold put the twinkle in Pirate Pete's eye, the shine in his hook, and the sparkle in his smile." But then he said, "Watch this!" And said, "Bold but the binkle in Birate Bete's by, the bine in his book, and the barkle in his bile!"

How cool is that? Don't you think it takes some brain cells to not only recite a line in a book but also change the first letter of the main words to the same letter?? And he'll do it with normal sentences with different letters~~like all m's or all s's! He started doing this after Grandmother bought him Runny Babbit. And now he likes to call all things and people their "runny babbit" name. (Example: silly book is billy sook)

2. Reagan's friends seem to have been saying "I love you" to their parents for a long time. Years even. And I was always a bit sad that Reagan didn't say it. I just thought that it was his personality...which is way off from mine where I NEED to be told that. Yep, I'm needy.

Several months ago Reagan started to tell us that he loves us. Mostly at bedtime. And then it started to be any time and all the time! I am THRILLED!! And now our conversations are something like this:

Me: I love you.
Reagan: I love you, too.
M: Ah, thank you. I do love you.
R: I do love you, too.
M: I do love you, three.
R: I do love you, three. (lots of giggles)
M: I do love you, four.
R: I do love you, four.
M: I do love you, one hundred.
R: I do love you, one hundred.
M: I do love you, a quadrillion million.
R: (laughing) That isn't a word! I do love you, a quadrillion million.

3. Reagan is a bit obsessive lately about favorite colors. His is yellow. Mine is green. David's is red. Everything is about "Is that your favorite color, Mommy?" while pointing at something, anything, green. "Yes." This goes on for a couple of minutes. And it happens about 1,372 times a day.

4. This almost deserves it's own post. Because I find it to be one of the best things that David has ever said to me.

I was talking to David about Reagan's personality, and how I don't think I can describe it. We talked about shy, outgoing, silly. All kinds of adjectives, but I still don't think I could write down the description to his personality. And I was telling him that one of my friends says her son #1 has her personality and son #2 has her husband's personality. And David said, "Reagan has your personality." Wow! That is such a huge compliment. David thinks that Reagan gets his silliness and ability to giggle at all things from me. Maybe he does, and I hope that I am perceived the way I see Reagan. Just fun and loving and able to not be too serious about all things.

(And needy. Ok, that isn't so positive.)

On the same note, and something else I want to document, I really enjoy the nights that it is my turn to put Reagan to bed. We'll read a book in bed, say our prayers, charge the stars (ok, long story to that one), and then we'll cuddle. And sometimes while cuddling we both look into each other's eyes and just get the full-out giggles!!!! We start laughing at nothing. At each other. And we can't stop.

I love it.

A Day at the Splash Park

2008-05-29T16:25:00.007-05:00

Click on the picture above for a slide show of our day at the Splash Park!

Last week was our official start to the summer. Because Reagan spent every. single. day. wet. In some way.

Monday: Splash park (see slide show)
Tuesday: Splash day at his school
Wednesday: Splash park
Thursday: At Kendall's pool
Friday: Played in the sprinklers at Brody's house
Saturday: At Aunt Colleen's pool
Sunday: At Aunt Colleen's pool

We took a break for a few days because we are both sporting some very dark tans, but we were back at it today in our neighborhood pool.

We love summer!

The Power of Prayer

2008-05-26T22:58:00.003-05:00

Over the past several months I have seen amazing things happen because of God and prayer. So I am sending out a prayer request to all (2?) of you that read this blog.

Oh, I know that there are more than 2, and I appreciate each and every one of you. And I need your help.

Tomorrow is a big day. It is probably the beginning of a very difficult time in this house. But I am fairly optimistic and very hopeful that I am wrong about that. I believe that through prayer this might be an extremely easy time for us.

We are re-starting potty training tomorrow. At precisely 8:30 am. Ok, not precisely. But at the exact time I (finally) go and get Reagan out of bed tomorrow morning.

Short story~~We tried to potty train in December. And we did ok. But Reagan HAD to wear pull-ups still to Mother's Day Out, so it was kind of pointless since he was dead set against pooping on the potty. Over the next several months we got lazier and lazier on potty training, and he was in pull-ups most of the day without using the potty.

That stops tomorrow. Since there is no more school until August, we are saying "good bye" to pull-ups. Kind of. We'll still say "hell0" to them at naptime and night time.

In all seriousness, I do need higher-powered help in all of this. I need the wisdom of knowing the best thing to do for Reagan.

And Reagan needs to lose his fear of pooping on the potty.

God, please help us.

Mighty Texas Dog Walk

2008-05-20T12:49:00.004-05:00

David, Reagan, and I joined my sister, Colleen, and her dog, Ruby, in the Mighty Texas Dog Walk on Saturday. There were THOUSANDS of dogs there, and Reagan had a great time checking out all of the pooches.

It was a 3 mile walk around downtown Austin. It was kind of warm, so the dogs were getting pretty hot and tired. There were 3 water stops for the dogs, but we don't think that was enough. Luckily we were walking near the "lake" so the dogs could take dips in it on one or two occasions.

Ruby did an excellent job, and she received a medal. Plus she totally raked in the loot before the walk. I think she left the walk with 4 tennis balls, 2 frisbees, free dog food, and tons of free dog treats!

Back To School

2008-05-15T11:07:00.003-05:00

I'll probably use that post title again in a couple of months.

I am no longer just a mom. I am a third grade teacher again!

After interviewing last Thursday morning, I was offered a teaching position at the brand new Westside Elementary School in Leander ISD. I was able to think about the possible position all of last weekend, and David and I decided that I should take it if it was offered to me.

The school/district/principal all seem to be a perfect fit for me and an answer to my prayers. Originally I wanted to teach in Round Rock...and ideally at our neighborhood school. But after thinking more about it, I decided to also apply to Leander (which is the school district west of us). We will more than likely move in a couple of years, and we could possible move to Cedar Park/Leander. And even if we don't, I am very, very happy with LISD.

The school is in the process of completing construction. This is the second time that I will work in a brand new school, and I really loved the experience in the past. There is extra time and work you have to put in, but it is all worth it~~having a brand new classroom, with brand new furniture, bonding with a brand new staff, etc. I saw pictures of the school in Michigan on what our school plan is based on, and I am just really excited about it! The rooms are large, and the teacher's desk is built into the wall so it doesn't take up classroom space. There are built in work areas in the hallways (which aren't really hallways) so kids have a place to work with each other outside of the classroom. PLUS there are windows in the classroom to look into the hallway so you can keep an eye on those kiddos. The classroom doors are double doors~~which is just a nice touch.

I really can't wait to get into my classroom!

A few days ago I was very torn in my feelings. And there is still a small part of me that is sad because of this huge change in my family's life. But I am really looking forward to doing something that I love doing.

And Reagan's going to love his new preschool!

He Gets It From Me

2008-05-13T22:47:00.003-05:00

Reagan got new shoes today.

"Why?" you ask. "Didn't he just get some a couple of months ago?"

Because he asked for them.

He asked specifically for "light up shoes".

If you don't know me personally, or if you don't see my kid regularly, you might not be so shocked at the new light up shoes. Those of you who do see Reagan quite often may be wondering what has happened to me. I tend to dress Reagan pretty preppy. Spiking his hair (and even his current buzz cut) are things that at first went against my nature. I thought I would never get him light up character shoes.

But he has them. And they're quite cute. And Reagan LOVES them. With a passion.

So much so that when David went into Reagan's room to wake him up from his nap, the shoes (that were placed on his shelf where he could see them from his bed) were in bed with him.

Under the covers.

On his feet.

Mixed Emotions

2008-05-12T22:43:00.004-05:00

1. Excitement.
2. Sadness.
3. Comfort.
4. Nervousness.
5. Usefulness.
6. Confidence.
7. Eagerness.
8. Dread.
9. Guilt.
10. Confusion.

All of these because of one little phone call this evening and me saying "yes".

I Say Hello

2008-05-12T16:33:00.004-05:00

We can all say "goodbye" to our big, blue brick. Bye, old camera! You will not be missed.

Because my hints got heard!! That's right, my husband gave me a new camera for mother's day. Oh, it is fabulous. It is what I can an in-between-camera...because it isn't a point-and-shoot and it isn't a digital SLR. It is in between those two types, and I couldn't be happier. AND it has a 10x optical zoom, so make sure your nose hairs are trimmed if you're around me and my camera!

Here are some shots with the fantastic new camera taken on Mother's Day.

Making pancakes for breakfast.

Swimming at Aunt Colleen's. Reagan did a great job holding on the edge of the pool and kicking!

Playing with Ruby (Aunt Colleen's dog~~she's not in this picture) by the pool in the evening.

More Lives Than a Cat

2008-05-08T15:57:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago my handy man husband was going to replace a belt on his dying Jeep. Oh, who am I kidding? The Jeep is past dead. It has been on its last leg for quite some time. Remember this?

In the process of getting the old belt off, David broke a bolt. And although he is extremely manly and muscle-y, I think the fact that the bolt broke cleanly in half says something about the metal parts in this thing. The Jeep and its parts all are very, very crusty.

We picked up a new bolt at, of course, The Home Depot. The Home Depot is known for their auto parts section, right?

Here is video of the repairs. And I use that term very loosely.

Once it was fixed (two weeks after this was taken), the two boys went around the block. Reagan wishes that it had a radio in it.

The best part of this story is that David was trying to fix it (BEFORE the broken bolt) just to be able to pull out a couple of big bushes that we want to replace in the front yard. I will admit that I love watching the Jeep do that kind of stuff.

See? I still have a soft spot for the beast. But I'd still love to replace the monster with something a little nicer to look at.

Diamonds are nice to look at.

A Day at the Farm

2008-05-06T18:15:00.003-05:00

Last Friday, Reagan and I spent the afternoon at Crowes Nest Farm in Manor, Texas. We had a great time. We got to see Blossom the cow get milked, tons of different kinds of chickens, huge turkeys, peacocks--one even had his tail all up and beautiful, a bobcat, prairie dogs, pheasants, horses, ostriches (there were one month old babies), goats, pigs, ducks, etc.

If you ask Reagan what his favorite part was, he'll tell you it was when he was shouting "Chickens for sale!!!!!" over and over and over and over. You will not be sorry that I missed getting that on video.

And since we still only have the digital camera from 1978, I just took my video recorder. So no pictures, just a movie. The best part of all of these clips in the movie is Reagan's face. He had a great time, and I love how he took everything in.

Not Just About Legos

2008-05-01T09:50:00.004-05:00

There is a new favorite activity at our house. Legos. All three of us enjoy making things with all of those tiny bricks. I thought I'd capture it on video and post it on the blog for all to see.

What I didn't expect was for Reagan to tell David about the conversation we just had. Reagan and I had just gone to HEB, and we had to drive David's car because it was parked behind mine.

This may not be the funniest video to all of you, but it is an example of how free children are with their thoughts and words...

Kelly Woes

2008-04-30T17:26:00.002-05:00

I am in such a strange funk today. And it just hit me out of no where last evening. I can not even pinpoint what is wrong with me. I have tons of guesses, but I'm not 100% sure that those guesses are what is really making my mood so foul.

And I feel so badly for David and Reagan. I am so upset by something that any little thing that Reagan does makes me crazy. Yeah, crazy. That is the only word to describe it. I usually have tons of patience, and I can usually talk calmly to him when he whines (that is the BIG thing right now and today). But today I was horrible. Just horrible. I tried everything to get him to stop whining (about nothing), but he continued to do so.

So I raised my voice. Like, really raised it. Which is something David and I try to never do. But I did it. And that didn't work. That just broke Reagan's spirit. I feel just awful about it.

Then I cried all the way to lunch. And I thought and thought about what could be making me feel like this. I feel overwhelmed for some reason. And I feel like I need a break because I am not enjoying my time with Reagan. And that just isn't right.

I will say that I feel better right now. Reagan and I had lunch with David, and it helped just to talk things out with him. But I feel like my feelings are selfish. Because if I need a break, then David certainly needs a break. My husband works so hard during the work day, comes home and is super-dad with Reagan, and then continues to work until the early morning hours while I try to have adult conversation with him! (Poor guy.)

Ah. Hopefully I'll wake up in a much better mood tomorrow. And I hope I can use the time that Reagan is at school tomorrow to rest my spirit. Because these two guys in my life deserve to have the best mommy and wife that I can be.

My Journey~~Week 8

2008-04-30T17:23:00.002-05:00

I weighed in on Sunday, so I am back to my normal day. Hopefully I'll continue to lose this week because I'm getting pretty close to my first goal of losing 25 pounds.

Weight loss: -2 pounds
Total loss: -18.2 pounds
Goals: to survive and get out of my funk; to lose weight (any amount)

Camera Woes

2008-04-27T13:31:00.002-05:00

On Easter Sunday, David accidentally left our camera at the park where we did our Easter egg hunt. So I don't have any pictures of Reagan from Easter in his super snazzy suit.

We found what I call our "brick" of a digital camera~~it is about the size and the weight of an actual brick. (I'm exaggerating, but just a tiny bit.) Pardon me, but it takes crappy pictures.

Anyways, Reagan wore his snazzy suit to church again today because it is absolutely FREEZING outside (again, a tiny exaggeration), and I took this opportunity to get some pictures of him looking so handsome.

But the camera takes crappy pics.

I have doctored these the best I could to fill in some light because the originals are soooo dark. Our kitchen floor is NOT yellow. His pants are NOT black, but brown. And Reagan's liver is working just fine...he is NOT jaundice.

I think you can still tell that he IS cute, though.

The Good Life

2008-04-23T14:04:00.003-05:00

I am blessed. This is the good life. Popsicles on the back porch with this guy...it can't get much better than that!

Signs of Warmer Weather

2008-04-22T11:04:00.005-05:00

I got tired of going in to get Reagan's hair cut every other week or so. So in March I asked the stylist if it was too early to do his summer cut. Even if she had said "yes" I would have had her do the buzz cut anyways.

I asked her to keep it a bit longer since it was still technically winter...a 4 on top and a 2 on the sides.

That meant nothing to me 3 years ago. Now I know that those numbers are the clipper lengths.

I think.

Anyways, that looked cute and short for about 2 weeks. Then he needed another hair cut!!!!

Thank goodness I married a man that has his own grooming tools.

David used a 2 1/2 all over. Whatever that is...

Doesn't that just look incredibly itchy?? According to Reagan, it was.

My Journey~~Week 7 ??

2008-04-22T10:58:00.003-05:00

I'm not weighing in this week. But before anyone thinks, "Oh, ok. Here it comes," I am still losing weight according to my scale. I lose a bit every other day.

The reason I'm not weighing in is a complicated one. Well, not so much complicated as it is just a long drawn out excuse.

I started WW on a Sunday after lunch. So when I go there at 2pm on Sunday to weigh in, I have a belly full of lunch~~usually of salad or of a sandwich. But on the days that I haven't been able to get there on a Sunday I go in on Monday at 10am. This is before anything has even entered my mouth...and therefore my tummy is empty.

So I didn't want to go in on Sunday after my huge (yet healthy) sandwich on Sunday just to see a plus sign instead of a minus sign in front of a number. I'm going to use my one "no weigh in pass" this week so I can get back on track of weighing in (with a full belly) on Sundays.

Makes sense, right?

Alone Time

2008-04-15T21:58:00.003-05:00

I am having a few minutes home alone right now. David and Reagan went to dinner tonight while I went to a bible study. I obviously got home before they did, because, well, I'm alone.

I've picked up the kitchen mess. I had some dinner (not a satisfying one). I've checked my email and the blogs.

And now I don't know what to do.

Don't take that as I'm bored. I'm really enjoying this time because I have been so busy for the past few days. I would really like to go and sit in front of the tv.

But there is the problem. I know that as soon as I hit the power button on the remote, I will then hear the sound of David's car in the driveway.

And as much as I love those two boys I'm just not ready to hear that familiar sound yet.

So I'm not going to go and turn the tv on. I'm just going to continue to wander around my house hoping that will buy me a few more minutes of alone time.

My Journey~~Week 6

2008-04-14T21:53:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. But if you're really itchin' for a Kelly post, I did blog everyday for the months of January, Februrary, and March. Just go to the archives. Hee hee...

I had an ok week. I didn't eat my best of the last 6 weeks, but I did eat better than I have in several years. My obstacle this week was cookies. Reagan wanted to make sugar cookies in the first 1/2 of the week, and Reese's Pieces cookies during the second 1/2. And we make the kind that are already made and cut into cute little circles. Which makes it very easy to pop a raw cookie dough nugget into your mouth. Way too easy.

So I had a few cookies. Not too many, but a few. And I did count them. But I also went into my weekly reserve 35 points. And I haven't done this too much since I started WW.

I did exercise 4 times. Two nights I walked with the boys. And on Saturday and Sunday David and I did yard work. All. day. long. (another post to come soon)

Weight loss: -.6 pounds
Total loss: -16.2 pounds
Goals: Get back on track with water!! Why is it so hard for me to even fit one stinkin' glass of water in per day? Eat more veggies.

April Flowers, Not Showers

2008-04-10T22:18:00.002-05:00

Let me just say, I love my husband very, very much.

We have been married almost 6 years. On our anniversaries we try to follow the traditional and/or modern gift ideas for each other. For example, 1st year anniversary traditional gifts should be "paper".

The 4th year anniversary gift is flowers. David is always good about getting me something tangible, but he often times offers a gift that "will be". So on June 22, 2006, I received a beautiful Crate and Barrel blue vase. But I also received a promise to finally do the landscaping in our yard.

The year was 2006.

As of two weeks ago, nothing had happened to our yard.

But everything is changing!! We (uh, David) took out 3+ huge yucca plants that had gone wild. And on Saturday we're going to have dirt and mulch delivered!

Yippee!! I know that this will be a long process since we didn't just win the lottery and therefore can't afford everything all at once. But it is starting to come together.

I'm going to use this small space to remind myself that we started our interior project~~the floors~~in March 2004. And those still aren't done.

By the way, last year's gift was wood. We were going to spend our 5th anniversary at Hyatt's Lost Pines Resort...lots of wood there! But we never got around to that one either.

However, I got this and this instead. I'm not complaining!

Name Change

2008-04-09T20:59:00.001-05:00

Reagan kept telling me today:

"Mom! My name is Ginger!!"

Um, ok, Ginger.

My Journey~~Week 5

2008-04-07T21:30:00.003-05:00

Ok. To be honest with you, I have been working on this post since about 2pm this afternoon. It is now 11pm. I'm going to be brief so I can go and have a shower and then veg in front of Dancing With the Stars. (Oh please let me be right in that it is on tonight.)

I had a good week! Remember last week? Not so good. Crappy, in fact. And it wasn't crappy because of me being a crappy eater. I just gained over a pound.

But I'm over it.

Until it happens again.

My week would be GREAT, but I didn't meet 2 of my goals. I didn't drink water as much as I should, and I didn't workout.

Thank goodness for new weeks.

Weight loss: -5.2 pounds
Total loss: -15.6 pounds
Goals: water and workout (I'm already on the right track.)

And as promised, (this may be a punishment for you) here is my second picture. I will be taking these every 2 weeks.

If you ask me, I can't tell a difference. In fact, I think I look thinner in the Week 1 picture. Maybe I just lost 15 pounds of hair.

And I apologize for the appearance of tonight's picture. We walked tonight, and my shirt is wet because I was giving Reagan a bath.

It Ain't No Beans and Rice

2008-04-03T11:03:00.003-05:00

We have a huge, annoying problem in my house. I could easily tell you that it is all Reagan's fault, but really...it is mine. All mine. I'm the culprit.

Maybe I can throw some of the blame onto David...

Anyways, I always have to make Reagan something different from what David and I are eating at dinner time. Most of the time this doesn't bother me because I do tend to make more grown-up meals...tilapia in about 16 different ways, spiced-up chicken breasts, more tilapia, an occasional steak (if David read the blog, he'd be thinking "when do we get steak?"), tilapia, etc. So usually I'm ok with handing Reagan a plate full of Dino nuggets or a corn dog.

Oh, and lately I've been getting deli ham and turkey sliced at a number 7. That way he gets a "healthier" meat. Because I'm thinking corn dogs aren't the healthiest protein you can have.

There are times that I do make a kid-friendly food. Like spaghetti. What kid doesn't like spaghetti?

Mine.

He won't even try it. "I don't like it." You haven't even tried it. "It's too yucky." Just try it. "I want Dino nuggets."

And here is where I'm at fault. The kid gets Dino nuggets.

So then I started putting both things on his plate. Whatever we're eating, and something he'll eat.

Guess what. Just the Dino nuggets disappear.

Well last night was going to be different! David was at a happy hour and was going to be late. So I decided to make Red and White Tortelli (I highly recommend this. And I'm on Weight Watchers...this is only 8 points a serving!!!) I told Reagan that we were having a special dinner since it was just going to be the two of us.

I even lit the candles on the table because he likes that. (He then asked for [birthday] cake.)

Y'all. I had to bribe the kid to eat one bite of it with an oreo cookie. He had two bites, and I gave him 1/2 the oreo. I told him to eat the rest of his dinner to get the other 1/2 while the 1/2 sat staring at Reagan from across the table.

He ate some more. I was thinking, "Hey! I may have made a family-friendly meal!!" Then I asked him if he liked it, and he said "no".

He had one bite that for some reason didn't agree with his mouth so he spit it out. "I want my black cookie!" (oreo) You need to eat your dinner first. "It's too yucky!" Do you want help?

I had to feed my THREE AND A HALF YEAR OLD dinner. But only 1/2 of what was left on his plate. I was fully expecting him to spit more of it out, but he ate everything I shoved in there.

You'd think I were force feeding him dirt.

Which he'd probably eat.

For a black cookie.

Extreme Hair Makeover

2008-04-01T11:58:00.003-05:00

I just got my hair cut. I have always wanted this haircut...in fact, I was in the 6th grade when I chopped my hair right above my shoulders. That was in the 80's when there was no such thing as texturizing, straightening prodcuts, and flat irons.

I took in a picture of Katie Holmes with her new haircut, and I asked for "that". And I got it. And I love it. I'm so disappointed that the picture doesn't really capture how cute it is.

And do I always have those bags under my eyes????

Movie Monday~~Easter

2008-03-31T17:32:00.004-05:00

We can't find our camera. That means that I don't have any pictures of how incredibly cute Reagan looked on Easter. He looked like he stepped out of a Gymboree advertisement. He was adorable and very, very handsome.

But I do have some video. I apologize for how LOUD my voice is, but there is a speaker on both the front and the back of video camera. I will hold it out as far away as I can from now on.

And although Reagan was eager to get started with hunting (he's the first one out of the starting gate), I think he got maybe 3 eggs. And there were TONS of eggs. Hundreds of them. But he got 3. Oh, and about 5 confetti eggs. That's all he wanted.

My Journey~~Week 4

2008-03-30T22:50:00.002-05:00

I didn't reach a single goal this week. I only had 4 glasses of water (not 6) on Friday. I only did a real workout on Thursday (not 3 days like I wanted). And I was far from losing 3 pounds.

The only word that comes to mind is "blah".

Let me say some positive things. The workout on Thursday was so much fun! David and Reagan walked with me...well, David ran some of the time while pushing Reagan. So they didn't really walk. But they were with me. And I actually got to use my iPod. (I have had several issues with it, but it worked this time!!) "Wind It Up" by Gwen Stefani really got me truckin' along. I didn't go over my points in a single day. Let me explain: The previous weeks I may have gone over my points on ONE day, but those extra points fell into the 35 "fluff" points that everyone gets to use (or not use) throughout the week. I think the most of the fluff that I have ever used was 10. Well this week I didn't have to reach into the fluff at all...

In fact, I left 3 to 8 points on the table every single day. It is so hard to get all of my points in.

Apparently this is a no-no.

Because I GAINED (aaaahhhhh!!) weight this week.

I was so upset by the scale today at the meeting that I didn't even pay much attention to the lesson today. I was fighting back tears most of the time. At the end of the meeting the leader said, "Are there in questions? ....... Any concerns?" So I shot my hand up. I needed to know if this happens to everyone. I mean, I had a relatively good week! I wouldn't have been so upset if I had over eaten one day or if I had splurged on wine or beer. But I didn't over eat. And I only had 2 light (very light, 64 calories) beers last night.

I explained my week, and I asked if this really happened to other people. You follow the plan, but you gain weight? What the heck?!

So this is what is soooooo good about a meeting. Almost everyone nodded or said "yes". This made me feel a bit better. The leader said that what struck her was that I wasn't eating all of my points. She said my metabolism is slowing down. I know that this happens if you don't eat enough, but I feel like I'm eating enough...almost like I'm trying to stuff myself at night to get all of my points in. She also told me to check to see if I'm getting enough protein.

After crying (hard) to David, we also talked about it. I think we have a plan for this week. And hopefully I'll see the results on the scale next week.

Another positive, 4 people said they notice a difference in how I look. I'm not positive that 10 pounds can look different on someone my size, but I'll take the compliments as motivation to keep going!

Weight loss: +1.6 pounds (isn't that horrible?)
Total loss: -10..4
Weekly goals: Water and exercise with the family; eat more protein at breakfast; lose something and not gain.

I believe next week is picture week. I'm not sure if there will be any difference, but I'm sure that in a few months it will be neat to look at all of the monthly pictures.

Tomorrow's a Big Day

2008-03-28T22:59:00.002-05:00

On Saturday (tomorrow) I will be attending the Round Rock ISD job fair. I was hoping to be able to post this earlier so that I could get as many people as possible to pray for me, but I got to the computer too late.

I'm so excited about it. But I'm also nervous. I'm not really nervous of the actual event...I'm more nervous about (1) getting a job with the district and (2) getting a job in my "first" choice of schools. I have a list of about 10 schools that I would be totally happy with. And then I have a list of about 11 that I'd be OK with. The rest (maybe 6 to 8) I wouldn't be all that thrilled with. However, if that is where I'm placed I will be happy that I am in Round Rock.

The schedule tomorrow is that from 8:30 to noon there is a meet and greet and interviews. Then there is an hour break for lunch. And then the rest of the day is just for scheduled interviews. I hope I make a good impression on some of my top schools that I get an interview.

I would love to interview and get offered a job pretty quickly (wouldn't we all??) instead of waiting through out the summer. I don't like having this major part of my life just up in the air.

Well, I have 23 copies of my resume~~which is the best resume I've ever had (Thank you, Colleen and David). I have 13 copies of my references (Oh gosh! Is that a bad luck number?). And 10 copies of my teaching certificate and my transcript~~which isn't so hot. Maybe with 6 years experience no one will really want to look at my transcript. Ugh. (Those are 5 years of my life I wish that I could do over.)

Well, wish me luck! Say prayers for me! Eek! I'm just so excited about re-entering the work force!!!!