News from the land of chaos

I say chaos, because that is how I feel my life is right now. I guess I will just go down the list and update you.

I have been asked to teach Kindergarten at a school I had never been to before. I accepted the position, and we aren't sure if the current teacher will be returning mid-year or if she will be out the full year. This leaves me with so many doubts. How much time, effort, energy, money etc., should I pour into this classroom knowing that I may only be there for a short time. Well, after mulling it over a few days, I decided that I am putting my all into it. At the worst, they will tell me at the end of September that she is coming back. Then I will pack up my belongings, and motor on. But until then, I am proceeding as though this is my classroom. I have already moved the furniture around, decorated and started to meet with the kids and parents. So for right now, it's my room. If she returns, I will have at least given these kids my all for the time I was there, and that is what they need (especially after having met some of them).

So, I am very excited... school officially starts for Kindergarten on Thursday! I have meetings with parents until then.

Madelyn will be starting pre-school this year. We really pondered whether or not she was ready, but we are going for it. She needs to be with kids her own age more, and that was the driving force behind the final decision. It is only three half days a week, but I know she will love it and is already very excited about it!

Lauren decided to get sick my first week of working at the school. She has been running a fever for two days now, and although I am glad it happened on the weekend, it has really worn me out. She is very clingy and just wants to lay on you all day and all night. Poor baby. You can see it in her face, she just doesn't feel good :( There is no feeling like the helplessness you feel when your baby is sick. I remember it all too well from Madelyn. Luckily, my kids don't get sick too often.

I am blessed that way, and hoping it stays that way.

We were supposed to go to a concert last night and didn't make it because I just couldn't bear to leave her. I told Mike to take the tickets and go, but he didn't want to go without me... so here we both sat with our sick baby and poor MJ watching Peter Pan! It sucks because now that Mike's schedule has adjusted and he is off Fridays and Saturdays, he is finally able to do stuff! Concerts, weddings, parties, cookouts.... fairs, carnivals, get togethers with our friends! They all happen on the weekends, and we weren't able to go for so long! This was the first time in a LONG time Mike and I were going to a concert together, and it just wasn't meant to be. We got Wendy's and Dairy Queen instead :)

I am designing two new kits right now, and I am very excited about them. Still have news about my designs up my sleeve that will be let out soon, but I need to keep it under wraps for a little while longer. Hoping to do some scrapping of my own tonite, to kind of wind down from the sickness.

Madelyn's playground is finally finished! We have a deck to build still, but that is the last of it. Here is a picture of how it turned out. Lots of blood and sweat went into the preparation of this baby... but soooo worth it. She loves it !!! Today we erected her PIRATE GIRL flag! You can see it in the second picture!

So, that's the news from the land of chaos.... trying to hold it all together until everything winds down. It will... it always does!

Crazy busy ...

I am not complaining at all --- we have just been so busy this summer. We have had a ton of fun in the meantime, and so it was all worth it. I am not making excuses for my posts being, well, non-personal --- but I will try to do better from now.

So, if you remember correctly, last summer I was basically pregnant and miserable for the first two/thirds of the summer. I pretty much prayed the entire summer away so that I would be done being pregnant. For those who don't know --- it's hard being pregnant in the summer with a two year old wanting to do everything!!! Then, when I had Lauren I was a recluse just loving on her and getting used to being a mommy of two.

By the time I woke up from that daze, summer was over and we had done basically nothing. I was so angry all winter that I felt like I was jipped out of summer --- I whined alot about it truly!

So, this summer it was ON!

Not intentionally, but alot of things came up this summer. My good friend got married in Hilton Head.... and so we went down for that. Long drive, but an amazing time with my amazing friends. We had so much fun. We learned Madelyn was a fish in a former life, and has NO fear of water!

Then, we took our trek to our normal summertime hang - Geneva on the Lake. I was there for a few weeks, and got to meet up with Heather a few times. It was so nice to spend time with another mommy with a baby Lauren's age. Rhiannon was so sweet to MJ and I just had a ball with them!

My in laws were then gracious enough to invite us to go to Myrtle Beach with them, and we gladly took them up on it. We had an amazing condo overlooking the beautiful waters, and we had an incredible time. Very relaxing, and laid back --- just like we like it!

Then I went back to the lake for a few days --- it wasn't long enough, but it was nice to have the closure of going back to pack up the cottage. I miss the cottage so much in the winter, if it had a furnace I would probably go there and just sit --- because there is nothing to do there in the winter at all! I would still love it. I just like being there!

We are getting ready to close the summer out by heading up to Erie to spend some time with some buds who have babes the same age as MJ. We have known each other (most) since they were born and so we try to travel each year to visit. We are from all over the states and Canada, so its not possible for everyone to make it every year, but we sure try. I didn't get to go last year because Lauren was only a few days old when they left to meet up in Niagara Falls. This year it is in my homestate -- so you couldn't keep me away. Even though I will only be there for a day or two, it will still be nice to catch up with my buds and see all the kids together. I love that part!

Then, it will be getting ready for the school year to start!

So, here are some kid recaps :

Lauren is walking, wobbly but walking --- she says daddy and only daddy. She loves her mama but just WILL NOT say it! She is such a delight, has a wonderful personality and is really cute with her big ol' gap between her two front teeth! I later I will be cursing it, but for now it is just adorable !!!

Madelyn is FINALLY potty trained --- PRAISE JESUS!!! She is just as bubbly, social and talkative as ever. She never stops from the time she wakes until she is sleeping in her bed... talking, talking, talking. She loves everyone --- and just wants to be everyone's best friend! So funny!

Mike has finally moved to a schedule that allows him off Friday and Saturday each week --- so we finally HAVE A LIFE! We can go to weddings, go out and have a drink on a Friday night--- we couldn't be more excited about this! We can go catch a movie and get a sitter (not a school night). Wow, I better make a list of things we are going to do !

As for me, I am getting ready to sub again in the Fall. Hopeful that something long term will come my way early on, and I can complete a school year in one classroom. I am still teaching computers at the community college -- and I really love that. Also, I am supposed to go back to coaching the dance team this fall. My sister and I coached together for two years until I started having kids. Then she did it by herself. Now that she has moved to Texas, they needed a coach and asked me. Well, I am not sure ASKED is the right word to use. I am not sure how I feel about that yet. I guess it depends on how that falls in with everything else I have going on--- it will either be awesome or a pain. Not sure about that yet.

So I will post some pics from Erie after the weekend is over. Sorry for the catch up post. I hate that I had to do that... but I also don't want a blog just of pictures and no stories!

Here are some layouts I did yesterday for The Duchess using her new Girlfriends: Makenzie mini kit! I love these mini's --- they are very inexpensive and have enough inside for a few adorable layouts!!!

Some news..........

No, no, no.... I am not pregnant!

I have been invited to be a CT member for Duchess Designs, and an August guest for Danielle

Corbitt!!! How exciting!

I am working on some layouts today for both of them :)

It occured to me that I haven't posted many layouts lately, and I so here are a few!
Birthday pictures later, I promise!!!

(Credits) Sadie's Garden by Beckie Wallace

(Credits) - Amy Sumrall's Over the Grungy Rainbow Kit

(Credits) - Corina Neilsen - Live Out Loud

(Credits) Danielle Corbitt's Starz Kit

(Credits) - Brownie Scraps' Sun Kissed

LIVE from MYRTLE BEACH---- it's us!

Hey there, hi there, ho there---- thought I would upload some pics from our Myrtle Beach VAY KAY!!! Enjoy!

Kyle giving MJ a Skim board lesson--- she didn't do too bad!

Ripley's Aquarium! Look out!

Lauren and MJ enjoying the fishies :)

Lauren watching MJ on the Merry-go-Round!

MJ went CRAZY for these little cars, and begged to ride them twice :)

So much.......

I have so much to blog about... but no time at all.

This summer has been just an incredible whirl-wind so far---- a good one, but busy to say the least. I am not complaining, because I have had so much fun, got to hang with my closest buds on the beaches of Hilton Head, finally got to meet Heather at the lake, hung out with my mom, sis and Aunt Candy (or the Candy Girl as MJ calls her), and now on my way to Myrtle Beach!!!

WOW!

I have pictures upon pictures to post-- but for now I have to go pack and clean the house so I don't come home to craziness!

Drats... no camera?

Tonite Mike and I took the girls to Hartwood Acres which is a really cool drive through park with a beautiful Christmas light show. They put up probably sixty to seventy different scenes built with Christmas lights. The suggested price is $12.00 per car load and the proceeds go to Project Bundle Up which provides needy kids with warm winter coats each winter.

Talk about amazing. We have been to different light shows before, but this one really is beautiful. And, drats... I didnt take my camera. I was kicking myself the first five minutes through the park for not having it. It would have been worth it just to get Maddie Jo's reaction to some of the scenes.

I am working on our Christmas cards, and some layouts for Karla right now. It will be busy the next few days getting those done and out.

Mike has been off work all week on vacation, and he goes back to work on Saturday (BOO.. but it does pay the mortgage ). So, I know I have been scarce but we have doing the traditional family Christmas time stuff and it has me getting the warm and fuzzies about the holidays!

Checking in!

Wow, I had the most amazing time with my buds in Grove City. We shopped, we laughed, we ate, we swam ... we just did what we do !


My friend A, K, and A who I met on an IV message board designated for women who were due the month of May 2005! There are more of us, but those were the ones at this particular M&G. It was just a last minute planned get-together that couldn't have gone ANY better. I swear these women were brought to me by some higher being just to say... you are not the only one like you out there!


These women are my kin, no matter our blood lines!


I had so much fun! I wish it could have last another day or two, but that is just impossible with kids, and careers and husbands and all the responsibilities that go along with all of those jobs.

I needed the laughs we had staying up late, giggling at ridiculousness! I needed the relaxation of the hottub... and of course, the headstart on Christmas shopping.

What I didn't realize I needed was to be measured for a bra! Hello, talk about wearing the wrong shit for awhile! Da-yum! I was way off. So they up'd my size.




Just kidding, thats not really my bra size... but pretty damn close!


So we bid our farewells to our Canadian buds... who we had a blast with comparing things there to things here! One thing is for sure, Canadian's like Heinz ketchup so that makes them alright in my book! They made it past border patrol without having to pay tax for their goods, so that was a bonus. Happy they made it home safe and sound! I really hope they make the trek again, it was so fun!


We took A to the airport but only after a quick trip through downtown so she could see the sights!


After that, Kelly and I were not ready to go home to the kids just yet. We wanted to savor that 'aloneness' ... 'eating a warm meal' ... no whining time. So we sat at Johnny Carino's in Robinson for about two hours (at least) just enjoying some Italian cuisine (it was awesome by the way!)


It was a amazing little excursion... so fun! I think last minute trips are the funnest, because there is no time to over plan, no pressure! Very relaxing!


Thank you for a great time everyone :) Can't wait to do it again!