Teacup Teacher Mom

Maximize Your Mornings Challenge- End of Week Overview

2010-10-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

So, Wednesday morning went well. But that was not because I got up and got all of my morning routine done. TDaddy had to go to a conference in the city so since he had to leave early to take the train, I had to get the shower earlier than usual. Because I got in the shower earlier I was out earlier and so had more time to get myself and the kids ready. Then more time pressure was taken off due to the fact that we didn't have the usual 8am teacher devotions because of an evening parent teacher meeting on Tuesday night. All of that combined to a low pressure morning. Totally until the previous wake-up-late-dash-around-madness of the morning before.

Thursday. Not so much. I didn't wake up late, but it was the first morning this season that when I woke up it was kind of cold and the temperature made me want to stay under the covers. And I have to admit that that is precisely what I did. I did my Bible reading, on my phone, under the covers. Not exactly the quiet time I had planned. By the time I was in the shower, Tboy was crying about not wanting to get dressed, Tgirl was tattling on him, and TDaddy was already getting frustrated. All this by 6:45am. So not exactly a great start. Every time we have a morning like this I can't help but think that had I been up and ready before everyone else and have prepared the day for them in prayer would that have made the difference?

Friday was better. Got up, read the Bible, got to the gym. I only had time for a short workout, but some exercise is better than none, right?

TDaddy went to a screen writers' conference this weekend. So we all got up at 5 to take him to the airport. I did not get up earlier than the family, in fact, my alarm didn't go off and TDaddy had to come wake me. And I have to admit to settling the kids in front of the PBS kids channel and going back to bed until it was time to get up and get going to basketball and soccer.

Sunday was better. No gym (can't leave the kiddos alone). But I got up and read and prayed and got going on time.

So overall, the week was rather a mixed bag, a couple of good days and a couple of not so good days.

Guess I will have to keep trying! :)

A New Cousin!

2010-10-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

One of my (3) brothers and his wife had their first baby! We are so excited!

Tgirl and Tboy have older cousins on TDaddy's side, but they are much older and live 2 states away. But on my side of the family, they are the only children. They have a few second cousins, three who are much older, and two closer in age who live far enough away that we only see them a couple of times a year. We have been hoping for first cousins since my first brother got married 8 years (I think) ago.

I am delighted to be able to get a good baby fix but not have to return to sleepless nights. (Neither one of my babies was a good sleeper.) It's been 5 years since we had a baby in the family, ok, since I had a baby, and I am more than ready for another one. But I don't really want to personally raise another child. Unless God has a different plan, it appears that I now have my hands full. So it is definitely time for my brothers to step up and give my parents some more grandchildren! :)

I must say that Tcousin's parents had another baby a year and a half ago. However, sweet little G was taken from us before he was born. Tcousin's birth is that much sweeter for all of us after losing G.

Tgirl is delighted that Tcousin is a boy. She wouldn't mind a girl, but also rather likes being my mom's only granddaughter so far. She is also looking forward to babysitting in a few years.

Tboy is delighted because he has always been fascinated by babies, he points them out to me whenever we see one at the store, etc. He was very excited for Tcousin to be born and in the last month or so of my SIL's pregnancy would talk about all the things he plans to teach Tcousin: baseball, riding a trike, and climbing up and bouncing down stairs on his bottom to name a few. So I did my best to prepare him for how small Tcousin would really be when he was born. And how little Tcousin would be able to interact with Tboy. As in, the baby won't be able to talk or walk or run for quite a while.

Which lead to multiple discussions of what babies CAN do. They sleep, and cry, and wet their diapers, and eat lots of snacks of milk because they have tiny tummies. And then after you feed a baby they get bubbles in their tummies so you have to burp them and sometimes, if they are like Tboy, they spit up a lot after they eat.

Tboy's very serious response to babies spitting up..."Yeah, then you have to hold them over the garbage can (to catch the "throw up" in his mind) ...
...and hope you don't drop them in!"

"Maximize Your Mornings"

2010-10-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

I have joined in the challenge going on over on one of my favorite blogs, Inspired to Action. The challenge is basically to establish an effective morning routine which includes: 1)getting up early/on time/when the alarm actually goes off, 2)exercising, 3)spending time with the Lord, and 4)planning. The idea is that if as a mom I get up before the rest of my family to take the time to take care of myself, spend quality time with God, and prepare for the day, the day will run more smoothly and purposefully.

I could use more purpose in my life and a little less flying around by the seat of my pants putting out fires and feeling stressed all the time. :)

The only problem? Since starting 3 days ago, I have woke up with a migraine on day one. Day two? Set the alarm wrong on my phone and it didn't go off early enough. And on day three, today? I woke with a start at 7:10. The kids and I aim for 7:30 to be out the door, no later than 7:45. God was gracious and we left the house at 7:43. However, I was supposed to throw together the ingredients for crock pot lasagna for dinner tonight. So no coming home to a hot meal courtesy of the crock pot!

Thank the Lord that tomorrow is another day!

It will be better.... right?

Just So You Know...

2010-10-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

There is no kissing allowed at school. We may love our buddies, but there is no kissing at school!

Catching up...

2010-09-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

Good grief! It has been over a month since I last blogged! And a crazy month at that.

We started back to school. Tboy is in kindergarten this year and had a rather difficult transition. You see, he was coming to the same school as Mama and Sister and so thought that (of course!) that meant he would get to see us, especially me, all the time. But in reality, it doesn't actually work that way. Our schedules don't match up at all. The only times I see him are Monday and Wednesday afternoons at choir and Friday mornings at Chapel. This made him sad, which is understandable and ok. What is not ok, is that he decided that the solution was to cry/scream very loudly so that I would hear him (in his mind, I couldn't in reality) and come to him. This didn't work, no matter how many times he tried it. So on day 6 of kindergarten, my baby was sent to the principal's office. After two days of going to bed right after dinner (and missing soccer practice the second day and reading books and snuggling both days before bed) something clicked and he realized that the crying wasn't working and so stopped. He has been well behaved ever since. Whew!

Tgirl is in 5th grade and her class is the "big guy" on campus. She has started playing basketball, is still dancing ballet, tried out and got into the school choir, hates math, and loves her teacher. TDaddy has been delighted with both her interest in basketball and the talent that she has shown. While she isn't the least bit aggressive with the ball and will have to learn to be more so on the court, she is a good shooter and has enjoyed herself so far. Hormones have begun flowing and we are now navigating the ... shall we say "interesting" waters of parenting a preteen.

Teaching a new grade level means lots of extra work day to day. As each new event, subject, time of year comes up I am starting from scratch researching and creating assignments, flyers, letters, visual aides, etc.

My maternal grandfather passed away. He lived a full life (he was 88), was in an increasing amount of pain in the last couple of years, and as he was a believer in and follower of Jesus he is now in a much better (pain-free) place. But we who loved him and are left behind for now miss him very much.

My dear sister-in-law gave birth to my kids' first cousin on my side of the family. It was a tough, long labor but my sweet little nephew is finally here! My brother and sister-in-law lost their first child to Trysalmy 18 (pretty sure I spelled that wrong) nearly 2 years ago and it has been a difficult road for them to travel (difficult to watch as well). Tnephew is a huge answer to many prayers!

These have been a few of the highlights of this last month...

Highs and lows...

While I hate to make any promises of renewed time and energy for blogging for fear of failure... I shall try! :)

It's Almost School Time!!

2010-08-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

Summer is definitely over!

I never did get my menu typed up on here last week. I made it last Saturday. But then Monday morning right before our first teacher meeting of the school year, my principal pulled me aside and told me that I would be teaching 3rd grade (I've taught 5th the last two years) in a new classroom, which is across the street from my old one.

So, to put it very mildly, it was a rather busy week. :)

Meetings galore, packing, moving, unpacking boxes, taking the boxes back across the street and packing them up again, and attending more meetings is what I have done all this last week. I never did get to the store to buy what was needed for what I planned for our dinners. Instead it was all about looking in the freezer and pantry and finding what I could that would be fast and easy.

TDaddy has been wonderful. Monday and Tuesday I picked the kids up from daycare, came home and started dinner and then he let me go back to school to work for a couple more hours. Wednesday I had to leave work early to take Tgirl to ballet. After inhaling fast food for dinner and driving all the way there (a 30 minute drive with lots of stop lights) we spent about 40 minutes in the bathroom with Tgirl having stomach cramps, that I think were due to eating food that was a bit too spicy too fast, we turned around and came home to go stand shivering in the cool wind and watch Tboy's soccer practice. Thursday and Friday were full days of meetings as my stress level has begun to rise. The shock of all that needs to be done in the next two weeks has worn off and now I am just feeling rather frazzled and not at all sure that I can get everything that needs to be done, done.

Welcome back to school! :)

A Visit to an Art Museum

2010-08-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, the kids and I got to go see "The Birth of Impressionism" at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. It was so much fun!

Ok, so Tboy wasn't crazy about it, but he didn't hate it either. And if we hadn't had to wait in so many lines before we got in to see the paintings he would have done much better. As it was, he kept trying to sit down on the ground every time Tgirl and I stopped in front of a painting and I ended up giving him my iPhone to keep him busy so that he wouldn't start whining about wanting to leave.

One of the things that I liked most about the outing, besides how amazing it was to see the original of paintings that I have seen in books, on stationary, etc for most of my life, was watching Tgirl discover the art. She was fascinated by it and could have spent a lot more time standing looking at all of the paintings had I not been hurrying her along concerned her brother might explode.

I did learn how useful the audio guide it when visiting a museum. I hadn't been planning on renting one. They were $7 a piece and after buying the museum tickets, I just didn't think we needed to be throwing money all over the place. But as we stood in the second line waiting our turn (after standing in another line for nearly 45 minutes, including 30 minutes after our time of entry on our ticket) and my little natives were starting to get restless, I bought one audio guide and told them that we would all take turns listening to it and sharing it.

Which worked ok. Except, both kids were rather impatient with each other when it wasn't their turn.

So I bought another one. Each kid had their own and I just looked at the paintings. Then, when the boy gave up on the art and I gave him my phone, I got to listen to the audio guide and it was definitely worth it. I learned so much more, the narration definitely enhanced my experience. And from watching my girl honestly enjoying art that was made over 200 years ago, it was absolutely worth it.

So even though we got lost/missed our turn about 4 times on the way there and once on the way home (thanks to my horrible sense of direction - hooray for the GPS on my phone!) and the parking garage was full so we had to drive up and down the surrounding streets, trying not to get lost again and ending up having to walk rather a long way from the parking spot we ended up getting into the museum, it was a great outing and a wonderful experience!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-08-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

We are easing out of the summer schedule and back into the school schedule this week. I am in my classroom (and have childcare) for Monday - Wednesday and we have activities planned for Thursday and Friday. Next week the kids will be in childcare all week and I am back for real with meetings, a firm morning arrival time, etc.

While the new year is always an exciting opportunity to start fresh, it is still a bit sad to be leaving the relaxed days of summer behind.

This week on the menu:
Monday: birthday party for my sister in law at my mom's
Tuesday: fish and chips
Wednesday: chicken alfredo
Thursday: meatloaf and mashed potatoes
Friday: grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches
Saturday: dinner out with my siblings and spouses
Sunday: grilled chicken and baked sweet potatoes

Swimming Lessons

2010-07-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

We finished up swimming lessons for the summer last week. It was a very successful session.

Last year we skipped the swim lessons altogether. Tboy had tubes put in his ears last May and we were a bit leery of ear infections. Tgirl is a little fish and was already pretty water safe. Since we didn't feel that we were hurting Tgirl, the new tubes combined with the fact that Tboy takes after his dad and isn't a huge fan of water anyway, we thought it best to skip for just one year.

So I wasn't sure what to expect this year.

Tboy loved his teacher. She did a great job of knowing when to back off and when to push him. He ended up letting her dunk him completely under water several times and is progressing along in his willingness to put his face in the water. Another positive is that he discovered that a little water on his ears isn't a bad thing, so baths and washing his hair have been easier.

Tgirl was amazing. She was in level 2 for 2 summers and this was her first time in level 3, which has three different levels built into it. The third day of lessons she was promoted up to the top level 3 group. When she got her 'report card' she passed the level altogether!

So proud! :)

Menu Plan Monday

2010-07-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

Whoops! Missed last week on the blog completely.

Here is this week:

Monday: grilled chicken with corn, rice and caesar salad
Tuesday: creamy penne and squash with broccoli and rolls
Wednesday: crockpot beef with BBQ sauce with corn on the cob and rolls
Thursday: campout at Grandma's with my brothers and sister-in-law - hot dogs, corn, watermelon and smores
Friday: pizza salad and bread sticks
Saturday: eggs, sausage, toast, and fruit salad
Sunday: crispy almond chicken

Menu Plan Monday

2010-07-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

It is Monday again already! Where does time go?

This week promises to be fairly busy. In addition to our summer home school lessons, weekly trip to the library, and other normal weekly activities, the kids start two weeks of daily swimming lessons today and we have a playdate, a birthday party, a day with an out of town auntie, a Pampered Chef party, and quite possibly Tgirl's first sleepover with friends.

It is a week of lots of leftovers - mainly things that we had previously and I froze half of for later. This week is later! :) So we shall find out ....

Monday: frozen pizza (it is getting in the way in the freezer and needs to be eaten up)
Tuesday: beverages - we are going to my in-law's for a family dinner as my sister in law is in town from 'up north' and I am in charge of beverages
Wednesday: turkey divan
Thursday: taco cornbread bake
Friday: chicken and rice taco fiesta
Saturday: breakfast for dinner - cause the boy has been asking for it :)
Sunday: pepperoni loaf - the first new recipe of the week

Why We Should Be Allowed to Play Wii

2010-07-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Tgirl and Tboy presented TDaddy and I with the following list (complete with stick figure illustrations):

"We think we should play Wii because
1. In the Star Wars game we have to work together to be able to pass the level.
2. It helps us get our energy out before we go to bed.
3. It helps us exercize."

Combined with no whining or fighting for the rest of the afternoon, their presentation was successful and TDaddy even let them stay up 20 minutes late playing.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-06-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

Monday: leftover Swedish meatballs
Tuesday: taco cornbread bake
Wednesday: crockpot turkey breast
Thursday: squash and sausage cassarole
Friday: turkey divan
Saturday: baked focaccia sandwich
Sunday: pizza

Menu Plan Monday

2010-06-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

Whoops! I missed Monday! Between starting summer, which makes the days of the week blend together a bit, and Tgirl, TDaddy, and I all being sick (AGAIN!!) at the end of last week and over the weekend, my sense of time has been a bit discombobulated.

Anyway, here is the menu plan for this week:

Monday: crock pot lasagna
Tuesday: Swedish meatballs
Wednesday:Chicken and Rice Taco Fiesta
Thursday: meatball sub sandwiches
Friday and Saturday: TDaddy and I are going away for a couple of nights to celebrate our 15th anniversary! :) The kids will be staying with my mom. :) Hooray for grandparents!!
Sunday: Father's Day celebration at my parent's house - I'm not yet sure what I will be bringing

My Boy, the Next Iron Chef

2010-06-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

So while his sister was sick in bed, Tboy and I decided to make banana bread. Because as he said, it is his favorite. We had so much fun!

He did a great job. Tboy stood on a chair in the kitchen and showed me which measuring spoons to use, pouring everything in the bowl after I measured it. He did all the mixing (with the exception of me doing a final mix to make sure all the ingredients were incorporated off the bottom of the bowl). And amidst all of this, didn't spill a bit.

He was so cute in his apron, a full Winnie the Pooh apron. We talked about tying it on as a half apron, "like real chefs," but he decided it was more important to protect Woody and Buzz on his Toy Story Tshirt. When it was time to check the bread in the oven he had to put the apron on again, this time folded over like a half apron. He was so cute I had to take a picture of him. As I was getting the camera out and turning it on he stood there with his fists on his hips, a serious expression on his face. But when I went to take the picture, he wouldn't put his fists back on his hips because, "Mama, I'm not a REAL Iron Chef yet!"

Has he been watching too much Food Network?

Sick AGAIN!

2010-06-17T17:37:00.001-07:00

So it is the first real day of summer vacation. Father's Day is only a couple of days away.

I had a fun day planned. We were going to run some errands getting the Father's Day presents and supplies for making presents that we need. Then we were going to Grandma's house to make our presents and run around in the backyard (the kids, not me). Then this afternoon I was going to head over to the gym and get all signed up.

Why, you may ask, am I writing in past tense?

Because none of it happened.

Tgirl is sick again. Fever this time. Thankfully, her tummy isn't too upset, she isn't really eating, but she isn't throwing up at all. At last check, she was at 102.3.

Sigh.

So we said at home. We put off the plans for the day until tomorrow. She is in bed, calling me every few minutes or so. Until I gave her the portable DVD player.

I've done some cleaning, not a great deal, but a little. And Grandma came over and chatted for a while. But it isn't what I had planned for the day and I am feeling a bit frustrated. Especially as it is nearly dinner time and she isn't feeling any better.

And then,

TDaddy came home early from work and headed straight to bed. Not feeling well.

So it is the boy and I holding out against the germs.

What are our chances do you suppose? Sharing a single bathroom and our usable, germ free space shrinking.

Sigh.

Working on my attitude.

It could be much worse. At least these are just common germs. Nothing really serious. And at least no one is throwing up right now. That is a very good thing!

Perhaps they will both be feeling well in the morning?

Menu Plan Monday

2010-06-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I have not been great about sticking to the meal plan the last few weeks. Between the illness, the end of the school year, and the little heat waves I have made the plan each week and then haven't gotten to the grocery store so ended up eating out of the pantry and freezer quite a bit. Sometimes this worked with the plan, sometimes not so much.

But, today, I am feeling a bit like Old Mother Hubbard as my cupboards are rather bare. And not just the cupboards. We are running out of everything from laundry soap to toothpaste, to paper towels, to dish soap, to jam and peanut butter, to hand soap, to milk. Hmmm, I see a soap trend going on here. If I don't get to the store soon, I am going to have one dirty family! :)

Well, here is the plan for the week. I am hoping to stick to it! :)

Monday: easy Hot Pockets and broccoli (will grocery shop after work so I need something quick and easy for the kids while I am busy putting everything away)
Tuesday: french toast sandwiches
Wednesday: chicken salad in pita pockets
Thursday: hash browns, eggs, fruit, and toast
Friday: crock pot lasagna
Saturday: burritos in enchilada sauce
Sunday: out for dinner for Father's Day :) Yeah for TDaddy!!!

School's Out!

2010-06-14T11:36:00.001-07:00

Yeah!!

I am working in the classroom this week to close things down and do end of year analysis, but no more students. And while the kids are in daycare this week, we aren't super pressed for time in the morning which is wonderful!!

One of my tasks for this week is to fill out the summer calendar. I have the basics in place, VBS, swim lessons, library reading program, summer 'home school,' I'm joining a gym. Now I need to fill in with playdates, field trips, cleaning, and organizing.

I can't wait! :)

Do you have any plans for the summer?

Illness and Mommy Guilt

2010-06-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

AARRRGGHHH!

We did such a good job as a family avoiding germs this winter. TDaddy and I each got one severe cold that knocked us out completely for a day and a half. The kids got a couple of random, minor colds. But for the most part, we stayed well.

But the last couple of weeks... different story. Flu, croup, head colds, fever, flu again. I think I am cleaning things pretty well as while they are alternating being sick, they aren't getting the same sicknesses. And I am thankful that they are taking turns getting sick (one at the beginning of each week for the last 4 weeks now), it is easier to take care of them, but it stretches things out so much longer.

I don't know if the weird weather this year is playing into it, winter pretty much stayed with us until this last Saturday and then suddenly it was summer weather!

Anyway, poor Tgirl is the one currently out of commission. She woke up at 5 this morning and has been throwing up off and on ever since. Thankfully, Papa was able to come over and stay with her today while Tdaddy and I were at work. I felt horribly guilty not being there for her to hold her poor little head, but just couldn't see being able to stay home today on the last regular day of school.

So I made her a nest in the living room, left out plenty of plastic bags to line her little trash can, and left her with Papa. I went to school, collecting and inspecting textbooks, having 5th grade graduation practice, and feeling horribly guilty.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-06-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

We are in the final stretch! This is the last week students are here at school. I have another week of work after that, but we are closing in on the finish line. :)

Monday: spaghetti with broccoli and garlic bread
Tuesday: baked salmon, mashed potatoes, and corn
Wednesday: chicken salad in pita pockets
Thursday: fast food on the run (last tball practice and ballet)
Friday: pizza and green salad
Saturday: tball pizza and swim party after the last game of the season
Sunday: birthday party at a science museum

Menu Plan Monday

2010-06-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

As if all of the May/June Madness were not enough, Tboy is battling croup. We have successfully lived through 3 nights of it, so hopefully we only have 1 or 2 more to go. Since it started Sunday night, I was very grateful for the Memorial Day holiday from school. We didn't spend it as planned, but I only had to take one day off to be with my boy and his fever and daytime cough yesterday. TDaddy is with him today, and Grandma always has him on Thursday and Friday so we are set! :)

So, this is a belated Monday Menu Plan as it is already Wednesday, but my sleep deprived brain just couldn't handle it before today.

Monday: pizza and green salad
Tuesday: tilapia tacos, corn and rice
Wednesday: hash browns, eggs, fruit, and toast
Thursday: fast food on the run (tball practice and ballet)
Friday: tortellini, beans, and green salad
Saturday: hamburgers and hot dogs from the fundraiser for the local school district's athletic program
Sunday: dinner at Grandma's

Menu Plan Monday

2010-05-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

As Kat (from the blog Inspired to Action) says, it is May Madness. Tons of stuff to do and events to attend all leaving this mama feeling rather frazzled.

Although, as a teacher getting the stress and crazy-busyness at both home and work, I would like to amend her title to May/June Madness.

So it is suddenly Monday again and time for a new menu plan. On the plus side, TDaddy and I are trying out a CSA and this Friday will be our first delivery of fresh fruit and veggies from a nearby farm. Yeah!

Monday- chicken taquitos and salad
Tuesday- mini turkey sandwiches, mashed potatoes and broccoli
Wednesday- (grocery shop after school)cereal, toast, and fruit
Thursday- (tball practice and preschool graduation)fast food
Friday- (TDaddy leaves for Washington) waffles
Saturday- pizza at birthday party #2 for the day
Sunday- Salmon, mashed potatoes, CSA veggies

The joys of parenting

2010-05-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

It is truly amazing how far projectile vomit can travel!

(and where you can find it the next morning...)

Ballet Spring Concert

2010-05-18T11:22:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday was Tgirl's ballet spring concert. Her ballet school did 3 different ballets so the concert had 2 intermissions. It was long! Nearly 2 1/2 hours!

First the big girls (7th-12th grades) did Peter and the Wolf. It was a fun one and nice to have the narration. Tboy really enjoyed it and was paying attention very well, asking questions mid way through about the different instruments that represented the different characters.

Then the big girls did act 2 of Swan Lake. There were 73 swans total. They were never all on stage at the same time but when they did run through and there were swans running simultaneously on the back and front of the stage it was very impressive looking. After Tgirl was done with dress rehearsal on Friday night Tboy, who was with us for that rehearsal, was very fascinated by Swan Lake and we ended up staying for the whole rehearsal of it. He kept asking questions about why the "bad bird," the prince, and the "beautiful bird" were doing what they were doing and was very impressed with how strong the prince was to be able to lift the "beautiful bird" above his head multiple times. He was less impressed with Swan Lake in the actual performance. I don't know if actually understanding the story and having seen it once before made it less fascinating, or if he was more antsy as he had to sit still and quiet during the actual performance, unlike dress rehearsal.

Finally, the little girls (3 year old - 6th grade) did The Seasons Op.67. Tgirl was a snowflake in Winter. She did an excellent job and it was fun to see some real growth and greater confidence in her dancing as compared to her last performance (Nutcracker). Tboy was very good (this was only his second ballet performance that we have bought him a ticket) but was more than ready for it to be done.

As for TDaddy...he is such a good sport and good daddy! While I know he will do anything for his girl, I'm sure he had no idea when he took me to the SF Ballet once when we were dating that the performance of Romeo and Juliet would be only the beginning of hours and hours of watching ballet. :)

Menu Plan Monday

2010-05-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

When I am feeling overwhelmed with all the work that needs to be done,like today (most of which should be done right now!! or preferably yesterday), it does make me feel a little bit more in control of things to have my menu planned out. It becomes the one thing in my day that I don't have to think about. Just follow the plan... :)

Monday: Hamburger Helper (with precooked meat from the freezer), green beans and salad
Tuesday: eggs in a hole, hash browns, and fruit
Wednesday: pot-stickers, rice and broccoli
Thursday: fast food on the run (t ball and ballet night)
Friday: pizza, fruit, and carrot sticks
Saturday: quick dinner of baked chicken nuggets before a friend's wedding
Sunday: BBQ chicken, potatoes, and salad

Sigh, She Has My Eyes

2010-05-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

Tgirl that is. She has inherited my nearsightedness.

She has talked about how it would be fun to have glasses for a couple of years now. But thankfully, her eyesight didn't require them.

I started wearing glasses at the age of 6. Was thrilled to get them. Until I walked into my 1st grade classroom that first day and the first classmate I saw called me "four eyes."

Then I hated them.

And proceeded to go through countless pairs of glasses. I needed updates on my prescription yearly at least. And in between the updates, I'm sure my mother must have thought that I must have been lying awake at night planning new ways to lose my glasses. You know, the ones that were supposed to never leave my face.

I started wearing contacts at age 10 to slow down the deterioration of my eyesight and ever since have worn my glasses as seldom as possible.

Tgirl had some headaches last year so I took her in to see the eye doctor. When he dilated her eyes she freaked out. I had not realized that your vision gets blurry when your eyes are dilated (my vision is always incredibly blurry) and so hadn't thought to warn her. The doctor didn't warn her either. She threw up all over the exam room in her panic.

In then end, after practically pinning her down so the doctor could finish the exam, we left having been told by the doctor that she could use glasses, but her prescription was so slight that if she was his daughter, he wouldn't bother with them.

I breathed a sigh of relief and put the matter out of my mind. Until about a month or so ago when she started complaining about the words to the songs on the big screens at church being blurry.

So back to the eye doctor we went. This time, thankfully, she was prepared for the dilation. No throwing up! :) But, this time, the doctor said she was definitely nearsighted and needed to wear glasses all the time.

So we picked out some cute frames and waited, Tgirl with bated breath, for the glasses to arrive.

We picked them up on Monday after school. For the rest of the day, and into Tuesday, she was busy going back and forth between looking over the top of the glasses and through the lenses, commenting on how much sharper her vision was with the glasses.

"Look at the trees! Now it is just a green blob," looking over the tops of the glasses. Then looking through the lenses, "Now I can see leaves!"

I am trying to ease my mommy guilt for not getting the glasses sooner by keeping in mind how much sharper my vision is every time I get a new prescription.

Thankfully, no one has called her "four-eyes." Yet.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-05-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

It is a busy week this week. (I know, I know, what's new about that?!?) :)

Trips to the eye doctor, Tboy's Mother's Day Tea (his last one :( at preschool before he starts kindergarten next year), and Tgirl's ballet spring concert is this weekend, which means blocking and dress rehearsals at the theater and then being at the theater all day Saturday for the last rehearsal and then the two performances.

Monday: meatballs, noodles, and green beans (ended up having grilled cheese sandwiches last Friday after helping to build the float for the parade Tboy's t ball team was in last Saturday)
Tuesday: scrambled eggs with cheese, toast, and peaches
Wednesday: hot dogs with macaroni and cheese and broccoli
Thursday: sandwiches on the run
Friday: fast food on the run
Saturday: out to dinner between ballet performances
Sunday: celebrating Mother's Day and Spring Birthdays at my mom's (my dad will be home from his travels by then - he was gone on Mother's Day) I will be baking the strawberry birthday cake

Keeping Activity Equipment Organized

2010-05-04T16:44:00.000-07:00

Laura, over on I'm an Organizing Junkie, had a great post today about packed activity bags. http://orgjunkie.com/2010/05/storage-star-packed-activity-bags.html

I use a similar system of keeping bags for Tgirl's ballet and bowling, Tboy's soccer or Tball (depending on the season), Tboy's days at Grandma's (she watches him 2 days a week and he goes to preschool 3 days a week), and our summer time pool bag. These all live in the kids' closet. The sports equipment bag (for example the Tball bat bag has his cleats, 3 mitts, balls, bats, and his correct team hat) lives in the back of my minivan. As it is currently off season for soccer, the soccer bag (with ball, soccer cleats, and shin guards) is in the garage.

It is great to know exactly where to put uniform/practice clothes when they come out of the laundry. Then the night before the activity, the bag gets laid out with the clothes, and nothing gets forgotten!

The only downside is when you are so reliant on the system and you do something crazy - like switch cars with your husband. Then you have none of the needed equipment when you arrive at practice. (sadly, speaking from experience)

Menu Plan Monday

2010-05-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am thinking that if I publish my menu every week, then I will definitely make one, right?

All part of the "getting my life organized" plan. :)

Monday: cheese ravioli with broccoli and garlic bread
Tuesday: eggs, hash browns, peaches, and toast
Wednesday: frozen bean and cheese burritos baked with enchilada sauce and Mexican rice
Thursday: tball and ballet day - fast food on the run
Friday: meatballs, noodles, and green beans
Saturday: my birthday - surprise me, family :)
Sunday: TDaddy-made omelets (yum!!)

A Life Well Lived

2010-04-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

The past month or so I have been pondering this idea in one form or another.

"What exactly does a life well lived look like - for me?"

The answers I have been coming up with show how very far I see that I need to grow. However, is not acknowledging the fact that you need to grow the first step?

I need to become more organized: with my time and my space.

I need to become more purposeful. Why am I doing what I am doing? What motivates me to live this crazy, fast-paced life? Am I the kind of wife and mother I want my daughter to one day become?

Is God happy with what I am doing with all of the blessings He has given me?

My next step is to take action on these things.

I have started a few small steps.

I aspire to keep moving forward, sometimes slowly, and perhaps sometimes quickly. But always moving forward. Because there is no standing still in this life.

I am sure that, sooner than I realize, my time here will be over.

When I stand before God, I do so want to be able to say, "You gave me this. And here is what I added to it."

I dread having to say, "You gave me so much. And I wasted it all."

Making Memories

2010-03-30T12:24:00.001-07:00

Last night we sat around the table having a normal dinner. With normal school day conversation.

How was your day? What did you play at recess? What did you do at circle time?

You know, normal.

Near the end of dinner TDaddy pulls out a little voice recorder. He uses it for work to record meetings, etc. that he will need details of later. He had caught almost the entire dinner conversation on tape.

And suddenly, what had just happened and seemed so normal seemed precious and wonderful.

We sat there and listened to the entire thing. Baths were put off, the evening scurry of shutting down one school/work day and getting ready for the next was put on pause and we listened. To ourselves. Laughed at the silly things we had said. Just sat there, the boy cuddling on Daddy's lap and the girl on mine.

I felt a bit teary.

While it was so normal for now, I know that all too soon that recording will sound like the distant past, "'back in the day' when the kids were young."

I spend so much time rushing around and trying to accomplish all that needs doing. It was wonderful to sit and just savor the now.

When I Grow Up...

2010-02-23T22:59:00.000-08:00

Ever since Christmas, when the kids got the game Lego Star Wars for the Wii, we have been into Star Wars around here.

This weekend we decided that Tboy was old enough to watch episode 3 (A New Hope, the first one that was made).

After watching it, Tboy announced that he has decided to be an actor when he grows up.

So he can be in Star Wars.

Mangled Lyrics

2009-11-16T22:12:00.000-08:00

Don't you love how kids hear a song and yet as they don't really understand the words, have a set of bizarre words that they sing instead of what the lyricist wrote?

Tboy's preschool has begun practicing for their Christmas program. The last song they sing is "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

In the tub tonight he was singing " I wish you a merry kinsman, I wish you a merry kinsman, I wish you a merry kinsman and a happy and you know it!" On the last line, the tune kind of morphs into the tune for "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands."

"What is a kinsman?" I asked him.

"I don't know. It is just how the song goes!"

2 hours and 45 minutes

2009-10-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

2 hours and 45 minutes.

That is how long Tboy, Tgirl and I stood in line to get our flu shots at Kaiser today.

I left work early today, picked up the kids from their respective day cares (Tgirl went to daycare today instead of coming to my classroom as she has been doing everyday the past few weeks - possibly hoping I would forget about flu shots?) and zipped out on the freeway to the Kaiser clinic that we usually go to. Got a great parking spot and got the kids out of the car. Walked around the corner to the front door only to discover.... the line out the door, around the far corner of the building and doubling back toward the door again!

We hurried into line. I mean really, how long can it take the line to move? They only do the flu shots two days a week so surely they know how to move the line along quickly.

After about 10 minutes and only moving a couple of feet, the woman behind me left her husband and kids and went to investigate at the front of the line. She came back announcing that at the front they said they had been waiting for an hour and twenty minutes. She and her husband decided to pull their kids out of school early the next day and go to a different clinic.

It was chaos.

Clearly, no one else expected such a line. There were kids running all over the place, crying, squealing, and literally climbing the walls (one boy was holding on to a sign post and walking his feet up the wall horizontally - apparently his parents didn't care, no one stopped him).

The Kaiser people did try to thin the line out and send any family group with all kids 12 or older, over to the adult flu shot line in the next building. They said it was much shorter. Unfortunately, there weren't many in the line who qualified.

Tboy and Tgirl had each brought a book (though to be honest, Tboy's was a chapter book belonging to his sister with very few pictures that he is just pretending to read). It is amazing how uninterested Tgirl can be in reading when there is literally nothing else to do.

Except whine.

And complain.

And stress out about how much the shot is going to hurt.

While her brother whines.

And begs and pleads to be allowed to run around on the muddy grass with all the other little hoodlums.

Actually, while they each had their moments, they did amazingly well.

We did a lot of people watching. Tgirl ate some tic tacs. Tboy played a couple of rounds of a matching game on my iPhone. Tboy watched a couple of episodes of Sesame Street's "word of the day" podcasts I had on my iPhone. Tgirl discovered that even though I had my old iPod, since I hadn't used it since I got my iPhone a month or so ago, the battery had run out and so it was useless (it is charging right now).

And then for the last 45 minutes, the 11 year old in line behind us entertained Tboy (and Tgirl as well, though she pretended to not be interested) with "random facts."

"Random fact," he would say, "Walt Disney was originally going to call Mickey Mouse Mortimer. But then he changed his mind. Now Mickey's arch nemesis, other than Pete, is named Mortimer. Arch nemesis means his main enemy." Apparently he had just finished reading a biography on Walt Disney.

He drove his mother crazy, his voice was a bit loud. And I can see how hearing these "random facts" all the time would get annoying. But to me, they were wonderful. They helped entertain and pass the time.

When it was finally our turn, the kids freaked out. Thankfully they put us in a little exam room to get our shots instead just behind a screen where most of the inoculations were taking place. They both were crying so loud the nurse shut the door. Then, once they got their shots they both stopped crying and said it wasn't so bad.

And while the line was ridiculous, all of the Kaiser personnel that we came into contact with were friendly, cheerful, and kind. I can't imagine it was easy to stay that way dealing with all of us cranky line waiters.

So, in the end, all three of us got our seasonal flu shots and the kids got their H1N1 in a nasal mist. As a healthy adult with no chronic conditions and who doesn't care for an infant, I didn't qualify for one of those due to shortages.

And in one month.... we get to go back again and stand in line again to get the kids their boosters.

This time, we will be prepared!

Vocabulary Day

2009-09-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

For some reason it seemed as though we were all about vocabulary yesterday. A few examples:

on our way to pick Tboy up:
Tgirl: I LONG for fast food.
me: You what?
Tgirl: I LONG for fast food.
me (just checking if she knew what she was saying): What exactly does long for mean?
Tgirl: To want something very, very much. I LONG for fast food.

She didn't get any fast food. We went home and had chicken tamales (yum!). So now apparently she has unfulfilled longing in her life.

At dinner time:
Tboy: Mama, why do some people call a church a crackanackle?
me: what?
Tboy: You know, a crackanackle!
pause
me: Do mean a tabernacle?
Tboy: Yeah, that's what I said, a crackanackle!

While doing dishes:
Tboy: Mama, look at me! (with a blanket covering his nose and mouth) I'm a inja!
apparently someone at school was playing ninjas at school.

My sweet boy

2009-09-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

I was heading out tonight and saying goodbye to the kids. Tboy was in the garage watching a movie. I said goodbye and kissed him. He asked where I was going and I told him to see a mama movie.

"Which one?"

"It is called Julie and Julia."

"Oh. I have seen the previews on TV. Why do you call it a mama movie. There are boys in it."

"Just because it is one that mamas like and little boys might not like."

"OK. bye!"

I walked through the house and said goodbye to TDaddy. Just as I was ready to walk out the door, Tboy came running up to hold my face in his hands and give me another goodbye kiss.

"Have fun, Mama. I love you!"

My boy is just too sweet for words!

Julie and Julia

2009-09-19T23:10:00.000-07:00

I just got home from seeing the movie Julie and Julia. So cute! I really enjoyed myself.

(Actually, to say just got home is a bit deceptive, unless an hour and a half is "just.")

Driving home by myself in the silence of the car (my sweet husband suggested that I go and as I couldn't find anyone who was both available to go and had not yet seen the movie, I went by myself, though can't say that I minded :) ) I was pondering life, and blogging, and all kinds of things. I composed several blog posts in my head.

And now...

An hour and a half later, putting a boy back to bed after he fell out, putting wet towels in the dryer and dirty dishes in the dishwasher, putting away the remnants of dinner, folding a load of clean clothes, getting ready for bed, getting distracted and reading a couple of other blogs.... I can't remember what I was going to say...

It can be difficult to be profound and take care of the details of life at the same time.

Or at least that is my excuse.

:)

Random Dozen Meme

2009-09-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

I have never participated in a meme before, but thought I would try it.

This one is from Linda over at 2nd-cup-of-coffee.blogspot.com

1. When you go to Wowmart, what one thing do you get every single time, besides a funky-wheeled squeaking cart full of frustration?
It used to be pull-ups. Thankfully not those anymore! Probably granola bars now. Tboy LOVES those things. The rest of us like them too. :)

2. What is something that people are currently "into" that you just don't get or appreciate?
Twitter: Some how I just don't think anyone really cares about every little thing I am doing.

3. What is something that really hoists your sail that other people might feel "ho-hum" about?
tea, Agatha Christie mysteries, and the TV show NCIS

4. Favorite song to sing in the shower or car?
changes all the time, usually a praise song of some kind or a TV commercial jingle the kids have stuck in my head

5. A really great salad must have this ingredient:
cheese of some kind

6. Advice in a nutshell to new bloggers (one or two sentences):
goodness, I think I am much too new at this to give advice

7. What was the alternate name that your parents almost named you? Do you wish they had chosen it instead of the one they gave you?
there was no other girl name, I came so early they were completely unprepared for me in the name department

8. What in your life are you waiting for?
enough money to buy our own house

9. You get a package in the mail. What is it, and who is it from?
it would be for TDaddy, not me, and it would be from amazon

10. Today--what song represents you?
hmmm, don't know

11. What is one thing that blogging has taught you about yourself?
that I care possibly too much about what others (even those who don't know me at all) think of me... I would post more often, but think my ideas sound stupid

12. How are you going to (or how did you) choose the clothes you're wearing today? What do they say about you in general or specifically how you're feeling today?
I wore denim capris, a tshirt and sandals. They said that it isn't a school day (we aren't allowed to wear jeans to school).

Do ladybugs get dizzy?

2009-09-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

Just wondering.

Cause I am sitting here in bed watching one fly in rapid circles around the light fixture in the ceiling.

Every once in a while it bangs into one of the two bulbs or ceiling and then flies in slightly larger, not so circular orbits around the light. Then it rests for a couple of seconds on the metal parts of the fixture.

Then it returns to it's orbiting.

I wonder what it will do when I turn off the light.... It is a good thing I'm not scared of ladybugs. I really should turn off the light and go to sleep soon... But I do wonder what it will do when there is no visible light to orbit.

This is what comes of not having screens in your bedroom window and leaving the windows open anyway (so you don't suffocate in your sleep in the heat - pipe down, I am speaking relative heat, I know it is hotter and more humid elsewhere... opps, got sidetracked...).

Amazing how loud a single ladybug sounds hitting the light and ceiling....

This could go on for a while...

The Moon and Stars

2009-08-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

Siblings. It is amazing over what they can get upset at each other.

Driving home tonight from dinner out in an air conditioned restaurant (thank you TDaddy!) and buying Tboy some new soccer cleats for his first soccer game tomorrow morning, we noticed the moon up in the dark sky.

And whose side of the car was Mr. Moon on? Why whomever he likes the most of course!

In case you were wondering, it can make a person really rather upset to realize that Mr. Moon doesn't like you as much as he likes your sibling.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tgirl, "Star light, star bright, First star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight."

Tboy, "Amen?"

Back-To-School BBQ

2009-08-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight my school did away with the more formal Back-To-School Night that we have traditionally done.

In the past we have had a meeting with all the faculty and staff getting together with all of the parents and kids in the worship center of the elementary campus. This year we had a big BBQ at the Middle School/High School campus for everyone with free food, a couple of bounce houses, face painting and a small petting zoo. The high school kids sold desserts and drinks to raise money for various mission trips and the school sold booster club memberships and school tshirts and sweatshirts. It was a huge success.

Families were mingling. Kids were running around crazy having a great time. It was a relaxed and fun atmosphere.

Tgirl got to hang out with her best friend. They really enjoyed bouncing and racing in the inflatables and feeding the llama, goats, pony, and sheep in the petting zoo. (Llamas make the strangest noises! I had never seen one up close in person before tonight. At times it sounded like it was saying"mmmmmm" as it ate feed from children's hands!) Their only complaint was that we didn't have time for face painting.

Tboy enjoyed hanging out and bouncing around with the big kids and petting the bunnies - the llama was a bit much for him, especially when it started making it's noises.

Earlier this afternoon the elementary students got to bring their supplies into the classroom, meet the teachers and buy their PE uniforms at school.

Tgirl ended up with an adult size small pair of PE shorts. They are a little big in the waist, though they aren't loose enough to fall off her, but are hugely long going down nearly to her knees! The youth mediums were way too tight in the waist and they were out of youth larges. I hope these shorts work for her!

I still haven't found sweats for PE and the ones with the school logo on them that were offered for sale with the uniforms were way too expensive. Hopefully I have a little more time to search before it gets cold and she needs the sweats.

First day of school is tomorrow...

Human Scoreboard

2009-08-20T22:37:00.001-07:00

Tboy really loves baseball. He loves playing it in every form possible: on a real field, in a backyard, in the house with real bats and balls (arg!), in the house with imaginary bats and balls (much better :) ), and on the Wii.

He also loves to watch professional baseball on TV.

His favorite team, like TDaddy's, is the Giants.

He keeps us informed of what is going on in the game, at times on a pitch by pitch basis. :) Even when you are sitting watching the game with him. :)

Perhaps he will be a sportscaster when he grows up?

Back-To-School Shopping

2009-08-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

We are mostly done with our back to school shopping.

Tgirl has 5 pairs of new pants, 7 shirts, 1 dress, 1 skort, and 2 pairs of capris. We have also purchased nearly all of the supplies on her list (paper, pencils, etc.) except for a spiral bound pad of 3x5 cards.

Tboy has 4 new pairs of jeans, 2 shirts, and one pair of sweatpants that are still a little too big for him.

Yes, I do see the inequality there.

However, he is still in preschool and doesn't have a list of supplies that he needs to buy. Being in preschool, he also doesn't have much of a dress code (other than he has to wear tennis shoes all the time to stay safe on the playground). I am enjoying that while I can. Next year, when he starts kindergarten, it will be totally different.

And, unlike Tgirl, he gets hand-me-downs. From two different people. She doesn't get any. I love hand-me-downs. I love how they save me money!

We only have a few more things to buy... shoes and a new backpack for each of them, and Tgirl still needs a gym bag, gym uniform, gym sweats, a lunchbox, and the specific Bible that her class will be using.

Overall, I am happy with how quickly, and reasonably priced, our shopping has been this year. Tgirl and I went out yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours at Khols and Walmart (I really do not like Walmart. Yes, they have good prices. But in my opinion, that is all they have going for them. The stores always seem to be somewhat messy, the shelves are not well stocked, the employees aren't helpful or are clueless, and don't even get me started on the clientele!). Then today both the kids and I spent a couple of hours at Target finishing off Tgirl's supply list and getting the bulk of their clothes.

Can I just say thank God for the Nintendo DS while in the dressing room with a 4 year old boy while his sister tries on clothes. Seriously. It is a huge help. Huge!

Fluffalo

2009-08-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

What on earth? you may be wondering...

Fluffalo.

Ok, so most of the English speaking world calls them Buffalo. But in this house we call them fluffalo. That is what Tboy calls them.

Don't you just love the little mispronunciations that most every child uses? They don't know any better. And I'm glad. I enjoy knowing a bit of what the world sounds like in his head.

I will be very sad when Tboy speaks clear and perfectly pronounced English. It will mean he is growing up. :(

Bedtime Fallguy

2009-08-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

The children have been pushing bedtime lately.

They are put to bed on time. And then the "fun" begins.

They (each individually) get up to tell us they can't sleep, they have various aches and pains that were not there minutes before bedtime, they are thirsty, they need to go to the bathroom, the music stopped, they can't sleep, they need a certain stuffed animal... The only reason they don't tell us they are hungry is that we have a permanent sign up in our house "There is no eating after bedtime. Do not ask." (When the sign first went up, Tboy would get up just to ask to have the sign read to him.)

At one point last night they had each been up twice. Tgirl ended her second time with a question about where Patches (a small stuffed dog) was.

Very soon afterward, Tboy came out wondering where Patches was. I asked him if Tgirl had sent him.

"Yes"

Spoken firmly, "You do not have to do what she tells you when you know Mama and Daddy say no. Now go back to bed!"

As he opened the door of their room to go back in to bed I heard him complain to Tgirl, "I told you I would too get in trouble!"

Out of Gas

2009-08-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

What exactly is the point of the display in the car that tells me I have so many miles left of gas in the tank when it is not honest?

The thing said I could drive 20 more miles on the gas I had in the tank.

But when Tgirl and I came out of her piano lesson this evening the thing would not start. It was, for all intensive purposes, out of gas.

And where exactly in the tank is the gauge that monitors how much gas is left in there? Is it in the back of the tank so that when you are parked on an uphill slope the gas pools back there and tells you you have more than you really do? Which is what happened the last time I ran out of gas at work (It was nearly 2 years ago - no, I am not in the habit of running out of gas in the car!) Or is it in the front so that when facing downhill, as we were outside the piano teacher's house, the car can lie to me and tell me I have enough gas to drive for twenty more miles at the same time that it refuses to start.

Regardless of where that monitor is or how it works, it has problems with being totally truthful.

Tgirl and I went back to Miss J's (the piano teacher) door to ask to please borrow a sweatshirt for Tgirl for the walk to the gas station. Miss J very kindly offered us the gas in the garage that she has for her lawn mower. Only, she didn't know how to get the gas to come out of the nozzle so that it would go into the car's tank. And neither did I. So we experimented a bit, resulting in me getting gas all over my hands, before finally figuring it out.

All's well that ends well so they say.

Does anyone know how to get the smell of gas off one's hands? Washing for a long time in excessive amounts of dish soap and antibacterial hand soap does not work. Neither does washing in ketchup. The stench has dissipated, but is not gone. I now have very dry hands that smell of gas.

(Hey, if tomato juice works to get out skunk smell when nothing else will, then theoretically ketchup should work on the smell of gas. Right? Wrong.)

Babies

2009-07-26T22:43:00.000-07:00

Tboy loves babies.

In common youngest child fashion, he would like to have a new baby brother, or more preferably to him, a baby sister. He sometimes even tries to call Tgirl his baby sister, which really annoys her.

I can understand how he feels. I loved being pregnant, even with all the problems with my back and legs and all that I have when I'm pregnant, I still love the feeling of carrying a little life around inside of me. And I really do love babies in all of their sweet, cuddly, chubbiness.

But I don't want another kid and all that that means. The exhaustion, the endless diapers, the exhaustion, someone touching you nearly 24/7, the exhaustion (my babies just aren't good sleepers!). And then there is the idea of another 5 years of daycare and preschool to pay for when Tboy only has 1 year left before he starts school (a benefit of my job is that my children get to - well, have to, it is required in my contract - attend my school for free and when I am actually working in my classroom or at a school meeting I get extended day care free) is rather appalling.

So, to deal with my baby lust, I signed up to work in the baby nursery at church once a month. It is great. I get to hold and cuddle and change babies for a while, remember a few of the frustrations (i.e. their lack of communication skills), watch them grow from month to month, and hand them back to their parents after about 2 hours.

Tboy, however, doesn't have this outlet for his desire for a baby. Whenever he sees one when we are out and about he points it out to me and tells me, "We love babies, don't we, Mama!" (to which I always, of course, agree) When we were in Disneyland last week he was keeping track (part of the time) of how many babies we saw each day.

In his Sunday School class they heard the story of Hannah from the Old Testament and how she wanted a baby very much but had to wait for a long time until God gave her Samuel.

Tboy's teacher let me know when I picked him up that after hearing the story, he raised his hand and told them that he really wanted a baby in his family too and he had been waiting a long time for one. When the teacher told him that maybe he should talk to his mommy about it, he said that he had.

Sunday School teacher, "So what did she say?"

A very disappointed and disgusted Tboy, "She won't give me one" !!

Disneyland here we come!

2009-07-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

We are headed to Disneyland tomorrow and are all so excited! We will be meeting TDaddy's mom and step dad at the airport in Anaheim tomorrow morning (they actually are scheduled to land 6 minutes before us) and spending 5 days at Disneyland with them and then 2 more after they leave.

Yes, I know, 7 days! It sound excessive, but somehow we manage to fill up the time and it is great to not have to feel pressured and rushed while there. We can just take it easy in the crowds and heat knowing that we have plenty of time to see everything and do the favorite rides multiple times.

We are staying across the street from the main gate and get a free breakfast at the hotel and will come back to the room everyday for lunches of sandwiches made in the room. Dinners for the most part, we will also eat outside the park as a way to save some money.

Would you believe that we won't be checking any luggage at all? I have packed Tboy, Tgirl, and I into one rolling carry on suitcase with just a little spill over into an old, nice and roomy LL Bean diaper bag (which will also carry my computer and entertainments for the kids. TDaddy has a rolling carry on and a backpack, the kids each have a "toy" backpack and I have one other small carry on bag of books, etc. Amazing.

Who knew that I of all people, could be organized enough to pack so little?!? (I am, by the way, taking some laundry soap to do laundry midweek :) )

I think Tboy is tired enough that he has just dropped off to sleep, but Tgirl will likely be awake quite late in her excitement.... :)

It must make God smile

2009-07-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

As we have driven around in the last couple of days, the kids and I have had a kid's worship CD playing. Tgirl has always enjoyed singing along. For the first time though, Tboy has really been getting into singing along.

It must make God smile to see and hear the little guy belting out worship songs with all his little heart.

Especially, when he mangles the words when he doesn't understand them. :)

They grow and change so quickly

2009-07-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

I know it is rather a cliche. And yet it rings true.

The kids and I met my cousin, her daughter, and my grandmother at the park today. It was nearly too hot to play so we didn't stay long before returning to Grammy's house for a lunch tea. She had spread out on a side table pictures of the 3 great grandchildren (her only 3 so far).

Tboy didn't recognize himself as a baby. And Tgirl... oh my. Her face always seemed slender to me, she wasn't a chubby baby. Yet looking back at pictures, I am struck by how chubby her cheeks seem and how very little she looked in comparison with her current 9 year old self. And the knowledge that in a few years pictures of her now will seem so young is almost too much for this mama to take.

We just had the conversation yesterday when shopping that she won't be wearing tank tops with spaghetti straps now or in the future as we decided that for our family, if it looks like a bra strap in the back and/or your bra strap would be showing (were you wearing one), the top isn't modest enough.

Once we returned home she asked to wear a tank top with spaghetti straps she received last year as a gift because she was hot. I allowed her to, telling her only in the house, she wouldn't be wearing it out at all. But she looked so old in it!

Where does the time go? It flies by so quickly leaving me to wonder if I am truly taking advantage of the time I have with my 2 while they are still young, while they still value their father and I and our opinions above all others.

I pray that in looking back on this time now that I won't be filled with regrets for what I did or didn't do, but rather that I will feel at peace knowing that with God's help I did all that I could and was the best mama for them.

It has been a long time

2009-07-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

It has been such a long time since I wrote, that I hardly know what to say... So much has happened... Just a couple of highlights...

We finally got Tboy potty trained (Yeah!!!)

Tboy had tubes put in both his ears. Surgery could not have gone better, and he can hear so much better now. We now turn volumes down for him instead of always up. :)

I had a crazy busy school year, but loved being in 5th grade again. Tough class, but a wonderful one.

The two elementary campuses at the school where I work are combining this next year due to construction at the campus I was at this last year. So I had to pack up again this June and move back to where I was from 06-08. That is the 3rd time I have moved classrooms at the end of the school year in the last 4 years.

Tgirl started piano lessons and has become a little book worm. That's my girl!

Tboy has fallen in love with baseball. He has his favorite team (the Giants) and favorite players and will watch baseball games on TV even when TDaddy isn't around. He likes to keep everyone who is near him informed of how the game is progressing. :) It is very cute. He is his Daddy's boy!

Surprise Visitor

2008-06-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

This morning I entered the classroom and was locking my purse away in a cabinet when I heard a rustling sound.

My first thought was, "oh no! a rodent of somekind!"

But it wasn't a rodent at all.

It was a bird.

The poor thing must somehow have gotten trapped in the classroom yesterday (I share my classroom with one of the Sunday School groups at the church where my school rents facilities) and was now in a cornor under a stack of chairs with no idea of how to get out, as repeatedly flying up and hitting it's head on the underside of the chairs wasn't working too well.

The custodian came armed with a broom to help guide the bird back outside.

And unfortunately, other than knowing that the custodian was successful (there is no longer a bird in my classroom), I have no idea any of the particulars of how he did it. I was called away to be a mommy and go bowling with Tgirl's class as a chaperone.

Great News!

2008-06-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

I got a call the other day from the big boss telling me that I will be transferring to the other elementary campus to teach fifth grade, my favorite grade level. I am estatic!

I am a little sad to leave the campus where I currently teach, I love the staff and have a great time with them. Also, Tgirl isn't thrilled about leaving her best friend (she will be moving campuses with me). And the news does mean that now I am having to pack up all of my teaching supplies and separate my books and materials from that which belongs to the school and classroom. This is adding A LOT more time and effort to my end of the year packing up the classroom efforts.

But otherwise, I am very happy. I'm returning to the one grade level that I really enjoyed teaching (I have taught 5th, Kindergarten, 2nd and 3rd in my 11 year career). The kids and I will all be on one campus (Tboy's preschool is located on the campus I am transfering to) making pick ups and drop offs much more streamlined - and hopfully getting me to morning devotions on time since I won't be hoping back and forth across town dropping off kids.

And did I mention that I really like 5th grade? :)

Our First Family Baseball Game

2008-06-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

We went to an A's game, just the four of us. We took BART to the Coliseum. It was free hat day and we must missed the last of the hats at the first gate we tried to enter at. So we went to another gate, got hats, and put on our new hats immediately.

As soon as we found our seats in the bleachers, the kids were hungry. We brought in our own dinner of chicken nuggets, chips, and soda and by the time the game started, the kids were done eating and ready for the Oreos we had brought.

It was a little far away from the action at home plate, but the worst part of it was that the sun was going down directly in front of us and home plate was in shadow while the rest of the field was in sun which made it more difficult to see.

TDaddy passed the cookies off to me to try to get Tboy's attention off of trying to eat the whole package. Which meant, of course, that he had to come sit by me instead of by his dad where he started out. After wandering a bit back and forth in our row and flirting with the women in the group sitting behind us, he sat on my lap and we talked about what was going on on the field.

We lasted through the beginning of the fourth inning before Tgirl had had it and was ready to walk around a bit with TDaddy. Not wanting to be left out, Tboy and I joined them. As we made our way around the stadium we saw Stomper, the A's elephant mascot, and followed him for a bit before he turned around in response to Tboy's calling his name. As soon as Stomper got close, Tboy freaked out, crying and trying to get away from him. So Tgirl said hi and then decided that she wanted to go home.

The walk back to BART was very long with both kids wanting to ride on TDaddy's shoulders at the same time.

We decided that it will be a while before we go to another game as a family.

Potty Training part 2

2008-06-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well, Tboy has made some progress toward being potty trained. He still is in Pull Ups. Sometimes he goes potty in the toilet. Sometimes. He would much prefer to stand to go potty. And he has yet to poop.

Oh well, he "won't go to off to college in diapers" (or Pull Ups as the case may be) as they say.

I am more worried about preschool this coming September at this point.

Potty Training part 1

2008-05-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

Wow it has been a long time since I last wrote a post. I guess I have been rather busy, but when is that NOT true?

Let's see... big news since February...

We started potty training over Easter vacation. It was time to enroll TBoy in preschool for next year and there is no option for the 3 1/2 year old to NOT be potty trained. Panic! But, great idea, Easter Vacation was coming up and we had no big plans... so potty training was planned and TGirl was warned that we were not going to be out and about over vacation time, just staying home and potty training.

On Good Friday we stocked up, bought a new potty seat toilet adapter with handles on it to help him feel secure (the first potty seat TDaddy bought several months ago had a very cushy seat, but a tiny hole in it... and TBoy was totally unmotivated to use it). Then we bought Pull Ups with Lightning McQueen on them (that he had been asking for), stickers that he picked out for a sticker chart for when he tried, and chocolate kisses for rewards for when he produced. We got out the timer, set it to go off every 30 minutes, stocked the bathroom with books and got down to training business.

He loved it at first. It was fun to sit on the potty, have Mama read you multiple books and then pick out a Dora the Explorer sticker to put on the chart. But then, as the day wore on the timer kept going off every 30 minutes and the excitement waned. He started to wet his Pull Up right before the timer went off every time. So we started setting it for every 15 to 20 minutes.

First day... no luck.

Second day... no luck. And TBoy was starting to think this wasn't so much fun anymore.

Third day... Easter. He wore a Pull Up to Sunday School and Grandma's afterward, but we relaxed the training for the special day that it was.

Easter evening, Grandma and Grandpa from out of town announce that they would like to take the kids and I to the zoo. "I know you are potty training, but..."

Well... it isn't like you get to go to the zoo, plus go with Grandma and Grandpa, every day.... so....

Monday, we went to the zoo. No potty training.

Tuesday... we tried a new approach. I had 5 pairs of hand-me-down cotton training pants. Using my aunt's advice given to me Sunday, we put on the training pants with the Pull Up on top of it.

TBoy didn't like feeling wet... but by 1:00 I was doing laundry, washing 5 wet pairs of training pants and 2 pairs of sweat pants that the training pants got wet by somehow ignoring the fact that they were inside a Pull Up.

By Thursday, I had pretty much given up. TBoy now wanted nothing to do with the potty, and really, what am I going to do, spank him for refusing to sit on the potty?? I don't think so. I do believe that would just encourage a power struggle that can only end in constipation. Not a road I wanted to go down.

So.. TBoy remained in Pull Ups. Something I swore would not happen for any length of time. TGirl was in Pull Ups for over a year. Do you realize those things are 50 cents a piece when bought at the grocery store not on sale?!? And he goes through at least 5 a day!! And I simply don't have the time (or the gas money) to be running out to the nearest Target (which is not all that close, a minimum 15 minute drive with no traffic) for Pull Ups every few days!

Arrgghh! I wasn't going to make the mistake of forcing the potty training issue with him like I did with her!

And yet... It would appear that I have done it again.

With TGirl I felt pressure from Grandma ("This little girl is definitely ready to train!") from the time she was about 18 months. And though I wasn't convinced she was all that interested, I caved in.

I wasn't going to do that again! No sir! I was going to wait until TBoy was good and ready and interested himself!

Those darn preschool rules!!

Gems of Political Wisdom??

2008-02-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

Tgirl was very interested in what was going on with the primaries, asking the difference between Republicans and Democrats, etc. (a difficult thing to explain at a second grade level and trying to present it in an unbiased manner) She also told me several things that she "knew" from talking to kids on the playground.

First of all she was rather insulted that one boy was "making fun of Obama" even though "his own mother had voted for him." (Apparently at this point in life, Tgirl is in favor of supporting your parents' political decisions. -not that her own parents discuss or necessarily agree on everything, we did both vote for the same candidate but that was coincidental as we talked a little about the choices but not about who we were going to vote for personally) Making fun of him? Calling him Obama-Mama. Hhmm, 2nd grade level insults. Well, if that was the worse insult Obama actually had to deal with, it wouldn't be too bad.

The other bizarre pieces of "information" she shared with me came from her "friend who is in 3rd grade." "You can't vote for Hillary because she stole things from the White House" and "You can't vote for Obama because if he becomes president then he will persecute the Mexicans. And she knows Mama, cause she is Mexican"!!

OK.... Seriously doubtful Tgirl, seriously doubtful. But makes you wonder what her 3rd grade friend has been overhearing at home.

While I rather wonder about the political scene in this country at times, it is a very good thing that 2nd and 3rd graders are not running things!

Super Tuesday

2008-02-08T21:12:00.000-08:00

All I can say is Wow! What a day!

Overslept by 40 minutes but managed to get myself and the kids out the door (with Tboy ready for preschool picture day) and was only 10 minutes late to devotions at work.

It was Visitors' Day and the students were hyper!

It was also Elementary Parents' Night. So I finished getting the room ready after school and picked up Tgirl from daycare at 5pm.

Drove to the polling place, waited in line for about 20 minutes and voted.

Then drove across town and picked Tboy up from preschool before going home.

Made dinner, ate with the kids and bathed both of them and put them in sweats. Then freshened up and left for school at 6:45.

Opened the classroom door at 7 and was there till 8:20.

Went to the grocery store and the gas station and then home.

Put the kids back to bed (Tdaddy had already done this once, but when Mama gets home it seems to mean that you should jump out of bed and run around until physically caught and taken back to bed) then cleaned the kitchen up from dinner, prepped for lunches for Wednesday and did a load of laundry.

I finally dropped into bed at about 10:30pm.

And tomorrow is another day!

Having an older sister has it's downsides...

2008-01-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

Tboy is all boy. He loves everything that involves balls, tools, or cars. He warms up to men faster and would prefer to play with men (grandpas, uncles, etc.) instead of with women (grandmas, aunties, etc.). He loves to tackle, hit, sword fight and shoot (though TDaddy encourages the shooting of water over guns, not being a gun type of guy himself).

So I really am not concerned about his masculinity.

But when the main focus of your admiration and favorite playmate is your older sister who is extremely girly.... well, lets just say that it rubs off some.

For a while his favorite color was pink, just like sister's.

"I ballet?" he will frequently ask (Tgirl has taken ballet for nearly 2 years now).
"No," TDaddy will respond, "you play football!"

When playing dress up with Tgirl, he usually wants to put on a princess dress of some kind and high heels.

He would really like to carry a purse everywhere he goes, usually a pink one.

We got him his own boy doll and blue doll stroller as he loves playing with Tgirl's dolls and taking them for rides in the pink princess doll stroller.

And then the other day the Tboy and Tgirl were watching a video. A Disney Princess sing a long. One of the many songs on it was from Mulan II, "I Want to be Like Other Girls" sung by 3 Chinese princesses who want more freedom in their lives:

"...I want to be like other girls.

Climb up a tree like other girls can

Just to be free like other girls

Get to be..."

Well, you can probably guess what Tboy has been overheard singing to himself multiple times in the last few days as he plays...

"I want to be like other girls, I want to be like other girls, I want to be like other girls..."

The Baby Store

2008-01-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

conversation with the 3 year old at bedtime:

-Daniel has a baby sister.

-Yes, he does. You don't have a baby sister, you have a big sister.

-Yeah. (pause) Mama? Someday we go to the baby store and get a baby sister?

-Well, I don't know about that.

-An someday, my big sister will turn into a baby again and me too.

-Oh really? When will this happen?

-When I dis many (holds up 4 fingers).

-But then who will be my big boy?

-(big grin) Daddy!

Child Free Time

2008-01-13T22:03:00.000-08:00

I love child free time!

Now, mind you, I'm not saying that I don't like spending time with my children, or children in general (I am a teacher after all). But when you are with them 24/7, well.... it is just nice to have a little child free time.

It doesn't come very often. Partly because on weekdays I am working, weeknights are spent at ballet class or drama class and getting ready for the next day. Weekends are taken up with chores, errands, church, and Sunday dinner at my mom's house. So the amount of time available for child free time is very limited. Combine that with TDaddy's schedule and the fact that I just don't often ask for time off and there you have it. Child free time doesn't come very often.

So today the kids and I went to church and then to my mom's for lunch. But instead of spending most of the afternoon at Grandma's house we came home and they stayed with TDaddy while I went to the mall.

Usually, when I have child free time I head to Barnes and Noble and browse among the books and read for a few hours. Heavenly! Today, however, I had a different mission. I needed pants.

The last eight years I have spent pregnant 3 times and with my weight fluctuating quite a bit. I have been on the slow and steady down slide in my weight in the last 7 months or so (Yeah!) and the result is that I have 2 pairs of pants that fit. Now granted, I do mainly wear skirts to work (They just changed the dress code recently to allow women and girls at my school to wear pants year round. Before we could only wear pants during the winter time). But with a recent cold spell, wearing tights with skirts and bundling up in sweaters, coats and scarves just wasn't cutting it.

Anyway, my mom met me (it is easier for me to shop for clothes for myself with another person, I always feel like I need a second opinion) and we shopped.

It was great! In a couple of hours we were able to find 3 pairs of pants on sale, get new batteries put into TDaddy's watch, and get a cup of coffee and just sit for a bit (OK, so Mom had coffee, I had tea - I love tea, but I can't stand coffee!). We were able to talk about whatever we wanted to with no little ears listening and it was just relaxing not to be minding any children! I picked up a couple of Little Caesars pizzas on the way home for dinner tonight and lunch for the lunch boxes tomorrow and got home in time for a game of Disney Scene It.

The benefit of child free time? A more relaxed Mama! A relaxed Mama, as opposed to a stressed one, is able to enjoy her kids in the stage they are in. A relaxed Mama isn't easily irritated by all the little things that the kids do. I was able to sit and play the game with TDaddy and the kids and enjoy it. I wasn't feeling like I couldn't wait for the game to end so that I could get up and go get something done.

And that is a good thing.

I don't want to spend my children's childhoods wishing the time I spend with them away. And I'm pretty sure that isn't God's plan either.

So, an occasional child free afternoon is a very good thing!

Re-reading a Favorite

2008-01-12T21:21:00.000-08:00

For Christmas TDaddy got me a set of Cherry Ames books by Helen Wells (Boarding School Nurse, Department Store Nurse, Cruise Nurse). I read many in this series of books as a child and LOVED them! I found the stories of a nurse during the WWII era and following fascinating. So much so that I seriously considered becoming a nurse. It seemed so romantic!

Then I realized that I wasn't very good at math, didn't love science, and was a bit queasy when it came to blood.

I am finding it very interesting reading them again from an adult viewpoint. I am not as enamored with them now as I was then. Life in general is very romanticized in the books. Life, as it is depicted by Wells, just doesn't ring true. The main character, Cherry, hops from job to job never sticking to anything for any length of time. She has a different romantic interest in just about every book. There are a few reoccurring male friends, but most of the time she has a new beau in each new situation she is in. As the book draws to a close and she solves some kind of mystery (that she has broken rules to solve and been forgiven for because of the results she has gotten), she and the current beau are growing closer and closer. And then in the next book, he isn't mentioned at all.

Now, granted, as an adult, I also understand that in order to write a whole series of books, Wells had to put Cherry in many different situations so that the books would remain exciting for her target audience of young girls. I think that part of the purpose of the series was to entice girls into the profession of nursing, so they had to remain exciting. And as for the men, well, if Cherry had stayed with the same man for any length of time during that era they would have most likely ended up married, had children, and she may or may not have continued in her nursing career. That would not make for interesting books (not if you are going for an exciting career nurse genre of books).

So while I am a bit disappointed in the stories, I realize that it is me that has drastically changed. I am not as romantic-thinking as I once was. A bit more jaded. A bit more realistic.

So I will continue reading them. Remembering the romantic girl I once was. And I will enjoy the books for what they are - exciting, romanticized stories for young girls.

Learning the hard way

2008-01-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

Why, oh why do children insist upon learning the hard way? Why can they not simply listen to the wisdom of what I know and have already learned, and obey?

This evening, Tgirl chose the hard route.

She has been having some issues with her attitude lately. Well, that and her tone of voice. Last night she had some consequences for talking smart to her daddy. Tonight she tried it on me.

Dear girl, I give the warning, and I mean it. Really. I do. I don't want to follow through. But I will. Must you really push and push until I have no choice but to follow through?

I told her if she talked smart to me again we would be turning around in the car on our way to ballet class and going home to an early bedtime. Apparently she did not believe me. Probably thought I had too much invested in this whole thing, too much preparation and hassle had gone into trying to get her there today. And she was right-but wrong. Right in that I wasn't happy about doing it, but she talked smart again, and so I pulled over in the turn lane to make a U turn.

"No, Mama, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Me too, baby. But you may not talk to me like that and you will learn not to."

Smart comment from Tgirl. Much argument from her. Whining. Tears.

I am pleased to say that I managed to stay very calm and followed through. Neither of these things is easy for me to do.

So we got home. She explained to TDaddy why we were home so early and took a shower. Played in the shower a bit too long while I was distracted having conversation with TDaddy. I dried her hair and she went to bed.

And realized that going to bed at 6:30 is no fun. Begged. Cried. Started to act smart again. And almost earned going to bed again early tomorrow.

Thankfully, she is currently snoring. She finally went to sleep at 8:15.

If nothing else, parenting has definitely given me a tiny bit of insight into how God must look at us, his children. We insist we know better than He. We kick and scream and talk back and have horrible attitudes about life and the lessons He is teaching us. So we leave Him really with no choice but to allow situations into our lives so we can learn the hard way.

Somehow I have the feeling that often he feels about this method of teaching and disciplining the way I do. It isn't something that I enjoy. In fact, punishing her (or her brother) really does "hurt me more than it hurts you." Before becoming a mom I never realized how much it could hurt me to just give a simple time out. Never realized how tortured I could feel inside watching my child make a poor choice and then have to live with the consequences.

So I am sorry, Lord. I really am sorry for all the lessons I have insisted upon learning the hard way. Thank you so much for sticking with me and for continuing to mold me into the person You would have me to be. I pray that I may become more pliable that I may learn my lessons easily and not insist upon experiencing the consequences. And when I do insist in my poor choices, I pray that I may have the grace to not whine about how "unfair" it is.

First Post

2008-01-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

So here I am. I discovered blogs less than a year ago and now have a number of them that I read on a regular basis. It is amazing how technology can change your life! This time last year I used the computer at school to create newsletters and the occasional worksheet. Then TDaddy got me a laptop.

What more can I say... I now am able to check my emails whenever I want to (well, whenever I have a wireless connection anyway). And I have to admit that that is one of the main reasons why I wanted my own laptop. To not have to fight for time online with TDaddy and Tgirl! Now that I have it, not only do I check email a minimum of once a day, but I've discovered blogs and podcasts ("friends" all around the world!), put the children to sleep every night using the iTunes on my laptop, and am constantly looking things up, or playing games to earn Tgirl more money for her Webkinz, etc...

Then for Christmas, TDaddy gave me a Palm Pilot - well, he gave it to me near the end of December so that I could stay orgainized during the holiday season. More technology!!

I was always a bit resistant to technological ways of doing things. I love books. I love paper. I thought that I was more a tactile kind of person who needed to touch and feel things for them to seem truly real (outside of matters of faith). Now, I think it is safe to say that I am officially hooked on technology. If you took my laptop, wireless connection or Palm away from me I am pretty sure that I would go into withdrawl. Withdrawl from things that, while I certainly knew exsisted, were not major parts of my life at all just 8 short months ago.

Now here I am starting a blog. I have always thought that blogging looked like a fun thing to do.

...Can I maintain a blog consistently with out letting it take over all of my free time? We shall see!