Thursday, September 30, 2010

A day with my little man...


Yesterday, I went with my little man on his first field trip...one year ago I took the same trip with my princess...which made me somewhat of a pro. He had fun and it was nice to see him with his little friends and also spend some special time with him.

Monday, September 27, 2010

My Weekend Marathon Relay


Over the weekend, I went to Iowa and ran the QC Marathon Relay with a few of my running friends. You can read about it here.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

En Espanol


Yesterday I headed to our local library to check out a few books for the kids in Spanish. I figured I need to start doing this. I didn't want to get in over our heads since I know very little...probably less than Kaitlyn does now. I found a couple books in Spanish that we have in English at home. This was a favorite in our house for a while...a huge hit with the kids. So, I read through it a few times with Collin before the older ones got home so I wouldn't sound like I was fumbling over every word. When they came home, I surprised them with this one and four others. We had a great time!
And, Landon had his first tear free day yesterday!! He said, "Mommy, I actually (we use that word a lot in our house) talked to my teacher today!" I said, "That's great Landon! What did you say to her?" He replied, "I said, 'Hi, Mrs. P'." I chuckled a bit inside...bless his heart.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Tres Semanas

Last year, we were introduced to the dual language program in our school district. I went for an observation one morning and I was nothing but impressed. It was decided that we wanted our kids to be a part of this...we wanted this opportunity for them. Not only to be fluent in another language, but what doors being fluent in Spanish would open for them...to be able to put "bilingual" on a resume or job application.

We are in week three of school. Kaitlyn is adjusting very well. She is soaking up the Spanish that they are teaching her. It was so neat to see one of the assignments she brought home...not only is she a little artist, she had written out what everything was in Spanish. She loves both of her teachers and has made many new little friends...who she already wants to invite over to play. She has discovered that a couple of her friends already know Spanish and she is amazed that they can speak right back to her Spanish teacher in class. It's cute hearing her talk about what goes on in there. She told Landon that if he doesn't know what to do, "Just ask one of his friends that speaks Mexican for help."

Landon, on the other hand, is having a tough time. I think he would be just fine if he stayed with one teacher all day, but he has a difficult time when he has to switch to his Spanish class. He says he doesn't like it over there because (I quote), "I can't understand because they don't speak Eng-a-lish". It's a total immersion idea and I think as the weeks go on, he will do much better. This is just a big change for him. Not only is he in his first year of school, it's full day kindergarten, and he is in the dual language program. I am proud of him. I knew it would be hard but he's trying. He loves music and gym. I have been informed by my little man that he has made seven friends...and only two of which are boys....one who's name in Falkin and the other Diego. It will take time and I just have to keep praying that one of these days we will have a tear free day at school.

P.S. - I am hoping to be able to join the parents class : Spanish as a second language. Not only would it be beneficial for me at work, it will also help in the future when my bilingual kids are conspiring against me.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Stretching

Another thing I have been working hard at is stretching our money when I grocery shop. I have been finding some great deals lately. Now that I only shop with one child in tow, I can go to a few different stores. Here is an example of what I got yesterday:

With in store deals and coupons that I had, I spent a grand total of $11.01 for everything in the picture! I walked out of there with a huge smile.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Despot of My Oikos

Meaning: Basically, the keeper of my home.


It's been really easy, with everything going on the past two years to let the little things fall by the wayside. Being a Mom is hard work...being a working Mom has been even harder for me. It's a hard juggling act and many times it's a lot harder than some make it look...hats off to all the working Mom's out there.

After cutting back my hours a couple of weeks ago, it has been so nice to get reacquainted with being home again and all that entails. Now that school has started and we are developing a new routine here, I have been eager to get started on coming up with ways that I can run my household more smoothly and be a better keeper of my home.

With that, my first step was to paint my entry way and back door...which had never been painted in the six years that we have lived in this house. I got away with only spending $10.10 on this whole project. I was able to use some old paint that I had saved and it freshened it up a whole lot. I was very pleased with the results.

Next, I have been working to clear the clutter. I am a saver...sometimes of the most stupid things. I had too many paper piles that needed shredded or thrown away. It took me one whole day but I managed to get it all cleared out and organized. No more paper pile on my kitchen counter!! My husband was very appreciative.

I have also been working at a way to clean my house more efficiently and have a certain day to do certain things around the house. I like to clean and don't mind spending a whole day doing it, but I don't want to take time away from my alone time with Collin and I certainly don't want to take time away from the other two after they come home from school. Yes, I still "pick up" the house every morning...but set aside a certain day to wash my floors, clean my bathrooms, clear out the fridge, change the sheets, and stuff like that.

I have had to get used to being home for dinner every night of the week...and the cooking of those meals. Working second shift, I was gone around three nights during the week. It's been an adjustment having to come up with menus again, but that's one thing that I found I needed to do. So, on Sunday or Monday, I plan out the menu for the week. It makes prep and shopping much easier to know a head of time. As the weather gets colder, I also want to start doing the OAMC thing again (Once a Month Cooking).

Next on my list to tackle is our "junk"/storage/pantry/office room. It's in some serious need of organization. I have a plan and a vision of how it will look...I just need my hot carpenter and a little bit of money to get it done. It's the one area of our house that I am embarrassed for anyone to see. There is just too much going on in there. Hopefully, by the end of the year, things will come together and I will be able to post before and after pictures.

I am breathing easier and feeling lighter...and what a difference it makes to only go in to work one day a week. I am truly blessed.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Encouragement

I have been encouraged these past couple of days...out of the blue...pretty unexpectedly. And that little bit of encouragement from a few unexpected people has made a huge difference. It also got me thinking. How much of an encourager am I? How often do I go out of my way to encourage someone? It's not as much as I should....and it has been noted and put on my To Do list...starting right here in my own home.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Start Day


The school year has started today for us. Unlike my kids, I hardly slept a wink last night and was so nervous when I woke up. I knew it would be a little bit of a hard day for Momma. Another realization that time is passing way too quickly.




We made it through the day with no tears (well, if you don't include Momma). I dropped Kaitlyn off smiling and I picked her up smiling. I dropped Landon off with his hand in his mouth (what he does when he is anxious, nervous, or scared) and picked him up with his arms at his sides. It was the first whole day for them both. From what they have told me, they did great and had a good day.


From my Kindergartner:


He didn't make any new friends.
He didn't go to the bathroom the whole time.
He was able to open his drink pouch and his gogurt all by himself.
He sat by a little girl and a little boy...the little girl chewed with her mouth open.
He got wood chips in his eye at recess...but didn't cry.
He stood in too many lines and had to look at his teacher too many times...but he likes her.
He didn't like wearing the necklace with his name on it.
He didn't have to go to the Principal's office...but a boy who cut should have.
He wants to be the goodest boy in his class.
Since he dressed nice today, he wants to dress bad tomorrow.
He wants to go back tomorrow.


From my First Grader:


She knows a few girls in her class from last year...but one of them is the black haired Jackie not the brown haired Jackie.
She didn't get to pick where she sat and doesn't know anyone at her table.
She didn't speak any Spanish.
She loved seeing her music teacher again.
The librarian was nice and let them use the library to have music...and they didn't have to sing in a whisper.
She went to the bathroom and the toilet flushed by itself, the water turned on by itself, and the paper towel came out by itself...she wants to back in there tomorrow.
She sat with her class at lunch...but finished at the same time as Kasen so they walked to the playground together.
She didn't play with any girls for recess...just Kasen and Caleb.
She doesn't have to share a locker.
She hopes she can have homework soon.
School wasn't long enough.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

730.484398 Days

I don't think there will ever be another September second that I don't think back to the one in 2008. There won't be another September second where I don't remember the phone call...the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach...crying off and on all day long...the look on my husband's face when he got home from work...the wondering, "what are we going to do now?"...the crying out to God.

I am so glad that on this September 2nd, my husband is not unemployed...that we aren't spending this September 2nd "celebrating" another anniversary. I really don't think my body, my soul, my mind could have taken it...and my God knew that.

It was predestined before the creation of the world that on that day in 2008, my husband would lose his job...my big fear of "what if" would happen. My world, my marriage, my little family would be turned up side down. I would struggle with God, plead with God, until I finally learned to wait on God and trust His plan. I would feel lost, lonely, forgotten before feeling loved, surrounded, and remembered. I would spend countless days on the floor of my bedroom, with the door locked, crying in to the carpet hoping the kids wouldn't hear me, but knowing God did. I would sob out loud while driving home from work late at night hoping it wouldn't be much longer. It was a roller coaster ride that I would want to jump off of. It was a season in my life that was sometimes more than I thought I could take.

My God knows me. My God knew how much I could handle with Him. He knew what I needed in my life. He knew what I needed to learn and he knew just how He could teach me. I can stand here today and remember the pain so vividly that it brings tears to my eyes. I can think back on certain times and get that feeling in the pit of my stomach. But no matter what I remember, what I think upon the past two years, I. am. thankful. My God cared for me so deeply, so tenderly...wrote a story so beautifully...and I feel beyond blessed, beyond privileged to have been chosen to walk this road. Two years ago, I felt...I thought...that my world had ended. I have learned as I walked this road with my God that it's on that day that the restoration began.

I stand here today and there is so much more I could say...or try to put in to words...but there is part of me that just can't find the words. My heart swells with thankfulness. Satan tried and tried over these past two years to ruin us...to ruin our marriage, to ruin our hopes and dreams, to ruin everything. He wanted so badly, I know, to take this time and twist it to make us believe that God wasn't there, He didn't care, He left us. My love is too deep for the One who first loved me. He never left me, He cared for us and ever detail so tenderly and it leaves me speechless before Him. Just speechless.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: Fun at Gammy's Park