scrapbooking

I am so excited that I actually got to scrapbook. I worked on these prayer cards at home and finished them with a me day at Just 4 Keeps in Edmond on Tuesday. I am hoping to get the rest of these done before going back to school.

I made these ornaments for my kids and also for Charlie's dance class friends. I used a kit from Just 4 Keeps as a pattern. I love how they turned out.

Blessing boxes

Here are the rest of the blessing boxes that we gave to Charlie and Brantley's teachers at church, cubbies, and dance. I had a great time making them. I just hope that the teachers like them as much as I do.

Friday, one crazy week

Last day of school before break. The kids are not the only one that needs the break. I am ready to just spend time with my kids. And, I just want to sleep in and take a nap. Anyway we had our class party. It was the best party I have ever had. It was so organized. My homeroom moms were just fantastic!!! It wasn't one of those parties that things are done to show off how much money you have, instead it was done for the kids! Thank you, thank you, thank you Mrs. Carroll! We had a fabulous party. Here are my kiddos!

After school my kids went to Grandma's and I went to Sam's for our faculty Christmas party. I won't tell details or post pictures but I just love the people I work with. They have the greatest sense of humor. They make me laugh and I just love being with them. I wish their were more time in the day and that we had the ability to spend more time together outside of school as adults.

There is just something to not having to always be the "role" model for the young eyes that we are around every day.

Tuesday, One crazy week (an addition)

I forgot to add this but it is something simple I want to remember 10 years from now. I called Dusty Tuesday to let him know that I was finished shopping for jeans and I was coming home. This was a perfect way to top off a "great" day. My kids at school were "the week before Christmas break, we have been inside for two days because of the cold weather change" crazy. I had a headache and I went clothing shopping. I hate shopping for clothes! That is HATE shopping for clothes. The styles are never ones that I like or that look good on me. I can never seem to find anything I like and if for some strange reason I do, it never fits. Why is it that all the jeans that I tried on were made for a tall fat lady. Don't the clothing manufactures know that flared jeans only make a short fat person look shorter and fatter! UGH!
So I called him on the verge of tears in a very bad mood to tell him I would be home in 15 minutes. When I got home I had a special surprise from two of the most important people in my life. Charlie was so excited. She told me "mommy your cup has hearts and this one is mine." I asked her why I didn't get "Hang in there" cup. She said it was "b/c yours has hearts b/c we love you so much.!" Hot chocolate in a heart cup that says we love you so much just made my day wonderful. I love my family.

Thursday, one crazy week

I want my kids to grow up giving. Our school has to do a service project each year. The last three years my class has done a stuffed animal drive for the Infant Crisis Center. I love ICC. They are one of the few places that still accept used items. I understand that even poor people need new things but buying a new unwrapped toy is not really something that a 3 or 4 year old can do and it mean anything. I want the service project that we do to be my students and not just their parents making the sacrifice. Our project is that I want each student to look through their stuffed animals at home and choose one to give to a baby that doesn't have any kind of lovey. This is very hard for a young child. I am not asking for them to give away their favorite stuffed animal but still it is difficult. So, Charlie and I sat down with all of her dolls and stuffed animals. She gave one of the plastic sacks you see in the picture. The other sack is some of Brantley's clothes. I was so proud of her. She cut her stuffed animals completely in half. I could not believe her generosity. She was so excited to give something to the babies that did not have a lovey. So, If you every need to get rid of "lovey's" ICC ( www.infantcrisis.org ) is a great place to send them. The unbagged items are what my kids at school gave. I was amazed with their generosity.

Wednesday, One crazy week

If Brantley could just get off his belly he would be GONE!

Tuesday, One crazy week

I hate when Dusty and I disagree on a gift. This was one of those gifts that I thought was really cute and He (being the 33 year old guy) thought was stupid. And, I won! This was for Jonaka's daughter Sydney. She is 11. What does every 11 year old girl that I know do? Write in a diary. So I got her a journal, a pen, cute little box, and journal prompts. Sydney loved it! So, pttt to you, you 33 year old MAN.

Hunter is Chris and Jonaka's son. He is so great with my kids! Brantley just loved it when Hunter played peek-a-boo snowman.

Jonaka is one of the people that Dusty works with at the OG (Olive Garden) She and Chris are great friends!

These are the guys that Dusty worked with years ago. John Wright, Jimmy, Dusty and Chris Hill. I consider Chris one of Dusty's best friends. That is if 33 year old men have best friends. I have been told that is just for girls. Who knows?

Charlie, like Brantley, adores Hunter.

Monday, One crazy week

Happy birthday Dusty! After dance class, we went with his parents to dinner at Santa Fe. Then we went to Kingfisher to see the lights. This is an old tradition for Dusty and his parents. So in freezing weather, Charlie and Dusty walked across the bridge. I don't have an pictures of such tradition b/c 1) Brantley was crying and 2) did I mention that it was freezing outside?

Sunday, One crazy week

So my crazy week began with Dusty saying to Charlie at 9 o'clock at night. Ask mommy if you can go for a hot swim. Are you kidding? It is 9 o'clock and it is 27 degrees outside and falling. Mommy( you know the one who thinks about coats, and socks, the one that thinks about feeding the kids and bedtime) really wants to say no but got talked into saying yes. She went out for 10 minutes. She had the BEST time and in that 10 minutes it dropped 5 degrees. Dusty, why can't you suggest the hot swim on a day that is not freezing?

My friend Jonnelle gave me this for always reminding her to enjoy every moment of being a mommy, to think outside the box and sometimes it's okay to hide in the box. Thank you so much for just making my day. I try to capture the "fun" moments that I do with the kids b/c I don't want them to just remember that mommy was crazy. I want them to remember that she was pretty neat. She let us play in chocolate pudding and make tents and she did other things with us too.

The rules are: 1. The winner my put the logo on their blog. (sorry, I don't know how to do that). 2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award. (see my blog list: Jonnelle) 3. Nominate 5 blogs. 4. Put links to their blogs. 5 Leave a message for your nominees. I only have a few that I follow so...I nominate my friend Mitzi. She is a great friend who takes the best pictures. Kristin use to be a parent of mine. Now I consider her a friend. She always makes me smile. She has the best sense of humor. Jonnelle is so crafty. She always has the neatest things that she is working on. ( I don't know if I can nominate someone that nominated me.)

hello dance

Dance

We had so much fun on Charlie's visitors day at dance. She takes a Preschool combo class. She takes 30 minutes of ballet and 30 minutes of tap. I thought she would like the tap best but it is ballet that she shows us more. She is so uncoordinated. But she sure has a blast. It's interesting to see the differences in parents. One of her friends did not want to dance. She kept her hands in her mouth on the verge of tears most of the session. At one point Charlie was pulling on her arm trying to get her to dance. I kept telling her to quit pulling on her friend. The friend's mom said thank you for trying to get her to dance. A difference of opinions! Who would have known.

How do you respond?

We are at dinner tonight with Dusty's parents and Charlie asks the table next to us if they are Mary and Joseph. I think it is because the woman had a head dress and they were speaking a foreign language. They also had a very small baby with them.

Almost 2 years ago we were at Crest and Charlie asked our cashier (a black woman) where Little Bill was.

How do you respond? I don't think that we are raising her to be prejudice and yet things like this just pop out of her mouth. I just don't know how to respond.

Single Moms

I just don't get how my mom did it! I am in awe of her. She was such a great single mom. She took us everywhere. I just don't remember days like these. I tried taking the kids shopping today. I should have just stayed home. The first store we went to...Charlie threw herself on the floor and threw the biggest tantrum. She hasn't done that in a while. I should have gone home. Nope, I had to get my shopping finished. So, we went to the scrapbook store (Just 4 Keeps). Great store! Great friends. They even had a play room. Charlie was fablous until she pooped her pants. We went to the bathroom when we got there. I asked if she needed to go before we left and she said no. I forgot to ask if she was dry? I realized it as she was wiping poop on the back of my seat. She still won't keep her hands out of her pants. So I stopped wiped off her hands and the car. We drove to Wal-mart where I knew they had a private bathroom with a changing table and Charlie wouldn't you know that the family bathroom was closed for repairs.

We use the regular bathrooms. I should have gone home. It took me 45 minutes to clean her up, have her go potty and change Brantley (who slept through the cleaning of Chalrie and would have slept longer if I hadn't have woken him up to change his diaper. I keep telling myself I should have gone home. We then went to OG (Olive Garden) and had dinner and got to visit with Dad. We had a great time.

I should have gone home! Instead we went to a living nativity. ... The Journey to Bethelehm put on by Harvest Hills Christian Church (Very Cool). We get there. We go to the bathroom. Charlie insists that she doesn't need to go. I insist that she tries. We get into the auditorium. We sing some Christmas Carols. We go to the bathroom. They called our row. I didn't know this we go back and sit in our seat. We sit in the autiorum singing Chrismat carols for an hour and 15 minutes b/c we missed our first turn. We go on the journey. As I said earlier it was very cool except that my fearless child is terrified of the soliders. Yes, I said terrified. She is screaming and shaking and does not want to go through the nativity.

Okay, I have to say that I understand people being kind and asking to hold Charlie so that she can see. Or taking her hand and moving her to the front of the group but I have some serious issues with this people. (Please know that I am a very tired mommy who is getting on her soap box for a minute.) I know that you are being kind and "Christian." I know that I was at a "church" function but I don't care...You are STRANGERS. Yes, I said it STRANGERS. I have a 3 year old that does not know the differnece and would walk off with anyone, like the kind lady with the flashlight that made the soilders walk away. I understand that she was being nice but Charlie doens't know the difference in safe and unsafe. I know that that lady was probably nothing to be afraid of but who is to say that she is not some big-bad-wolf in a grandma (or bible time) costume. (Okay I will get off my soap box). I

I realize that I am probably that extrememly over protective parent and that I should probably stop watching all those cop shows like CSI, NCIS, and Law & Order that I like but I just can't help it.

Decorating for Christmas

Sunday evenings at my house always consist of a napping boy. Usually it is just Dusty. This week it was both of my boys. Isn't that just the cutest sleeping baby face.

And the Daddy's pretty cute, too.

Here is the final product. I love our eclectic tree. We haven't finished all the decorations just the main tree. I have slowly been adding other decorations. I am hoping to have every thing out and photo graphed tomorrow.

Dusty is such a goof ball.

Charlie kept putting all the ornaments in the same spot so we had to go behind her and spread her ornaments out. But she had fun. She could not stand how long it took to get the tree up with all the lights so we opted for no tinsel this year. She was driving Dusty crazy with "Is the tree ready yet, Daddy?"

I love this time of the year!

My Center

One of the things that I prayed for when preparing for my husband was a sense of humor. I have a tendency to be serious, very serious at times. I don't always get the punch line of the joke. I am usually the last one to laugh and it might even be an hour later before it sinks in. I prayed that my other half would help me stayed centered. So we are at dinner, you know serious time, and Brantley starts crying. Charlie says, "Hey daddy, lets make silly faces at brother to make him stop crying."

And where would she get this funny sense of humor...from her Daddy. Here is her wonderful scary face.

Chipmunk Cheeks

Porky! I just love this guy! And wouldn't you know that Brantley stopped crying and started laughing.

Mustang Tree Lighting

We went to Mustang's tree lighting on Monday. It was a lot of fun. We made crafts, had hot chocolate, and sat on Santa's lap. Well, Charlie sat on Santa's lap. This is the first year for that. She had a great time. She is bound and determined that Santa is going to get her a little pink house with a door, a window and some flowers. Yes, remember I said that she was odd. Last year she wanted tickle monsters. This year she wants a house. A house, you know one that is pink and has a little window and a door. Oh, and don't forget the flowers! So, what do you want for Christmas?

P-EWE-K

"Mom! Don't touch my pewek."

"Your what?"

"My Pewek."

"And what is a pewek?"

"It's what you collect."

So we have a new word at our house. We took Charlie's pewek and turned it into a table decoration for Thanksgiving. I am not the girlie type when it comes to table clothes and table decorations. I am taking a great bible study this semester at church entitled "Keepers of the Home." During this bible study we had a skill session on Entertaining where a friend of mine talked about using what you have to decorate.

So, I bought a roll of fall colored ribbon and added Charlie's collection of pine-cones and rocks. We picked leaves off of our Maple tree in the front yard. Dusty's grandma always had the most beautifully decorated tables. So in honor of her we used the leaves. She bought the tree for me as a birthday present the first year we lived in the house. I think it added her to our table.

We really missed her this year.

I want to swing now mom!

Somewhere around 10:30 every day Brantley cries. I try everything. I change him. I try feeding him. I try singing and rocking him. And nothing works. Out of frustration I put him in the swing and he starts sucking like he's hungry.

So I give him a bottle Daddy style. (It makes me crazy that Dusty props a bottle. He's just a baby hold him! ) And he starts eating. He would not eat five minutes earlier when I was holding him. But this is about the time every day where Dusty puts him in the swing to eat.

He finishes his bottle and goes right to sleep. He knows his routine even if Mommy doesn't. This is the only time of the day that he acts like this. Any other feeding he wants to be held except for Daddy's feeding. How funny is that? I think it's funny that he already has preferences and opinions. I find it even funnier that he can express those preferences and opinion since he can't even talk. It has only taken me a little over 3 months to figure out that I shouldn't even try holding him to eat any where from 10 to 2.

He's that way at nap time too. He cries to be put into his bed for nap. Sometimes the time gets away from me and he is ready for bed before we have read stories and sung songs and it makes Charlie mad that he doesn't want to. Brantley is such an easy peaceful kid! I wonder how long that will last?

So tall

This just amazes me. This little guy can touch the ground when wearing his shoes in his walker! Charlie couldn't touch the ground till she was 6 mths old. He is so tall!

Christmas

I found these boxes at Wal-mart. The little ones are $.67 and the big ones are $1.97. I have stamped and embellished them to add character. I hope that Charlie and Brantley's teachers at church think they are as cute as I do. I just wanted to give them a little something to say thank you and let them know how much of a blessing we consider their time and dedication to teaching the kids about God in Sunday School and Cubbies. I want them to know how truly special they are to our lives.

I used two verses

John 1:16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

Psalms 105:1 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known among the nations what he had done.

This little box allows them a place to count the blessings that God has bestowed upon you.

Cale Reagan

Isn't he just beautiful! Yes, I called a boy beautiful!

Gant had his lizard at the hospital. Charlie didn't want anything to do with him.
Gant, the proud big brother!

My pink room

Dusty and his dad worked on my room for the last two days. I don't think it will be finished by Christmas but we will see. Do you see this wall? There are three electrical outlets on my wall. I love my husband.

Here is the air unit. I don't need it now but I will love it in the summer!

Here is the wiring it is just not hooked up.

They put on the siding. It is wheat and beautiful!!! I just LOVE it!!!

I can't wait to actually be using my room instead of just storing my scrapbook and school stuff in there.

Love Days like these

I wanted to help make the holiday's a little easier for LInda since Rosetta died. I know that she will still be sad but I also wanted to give her many good reasons to be happy so I invited her to help Charlie and I make kolaches for Grandpa Jindra for Thanksgiving. Grandpa Jindra is full Czech and loves this little dessert.

I just love this picture of Charlie and her Grandmother's hands. What is it about hands? I just love hand pictures especially when it shows two sizes. I just love taking pictures of Charlie and Linda's hands.

Five years ago, when I first started teaching at St. John Nepomuk Catholic School I had this wonderful family in my class. Mrs. Parizek made Kolaches for the Czech Fest. I asked her if she would teach me. So one morning I showed up at her house at 6 am and spent the next five hours learning. I have always had the best intentions on making them, but never taken the time. This year I needed to be different. I needed to take the time because I feel like I have been getting to wrapped up in the unimportant. So, I asked Linda to come over.
We had the best day! I missed my mom so much. Which is funny since I was trying to help Linda not miss her mom. Growing up I would watch mom make pies for Thanksgiving dinner. I haven't done that since 1994. I really miss that innocent time with her. She is alive and in Florida and this little experiment made me want to be a teenager again watching her roll out the pie crusts. Anyway, back to this story, Charlie couldn't stand that the "balls" weren't coming out the be the exact size.

As you can tell both, Linda and Charlie had a great time. (See the tool in Charlie's hand. That is the one she used to try and turn Brantley into a frog.)

Brantley even joined in for a little while. That $30 we spent on the Snguli was so worth it! Brantley just loves it. And for once I have an activity that I did with Charlie and I have pictures of me!

How yummy do these look? We made apricot, apple, cherry, and prune. We used the old Parizek recipe that Sheryl gave me five years ago. I think I only missed one maybe two steps and nothing that "ruined" them. Next time I will have them looking much better. I am pretty impressed with us! And I just had one of those "GREAT" days. But, I really miss my MOMMY! How silly is that?