It's Official

Well, It is official. My baby is a big girl. An offical pre-schooler. She started on Monday and absolutely loves it. She gets to play on the big playground equipment now and has REAL lessons during the day, which she LOVES!! Is has been rough for me to adjust to though. She now needs to be at school by 8, because that is when school starts, and she has more big-girl conversations than I have been prepared for, "You are doing that, Mommy, because that is your job. I take care of this becuase it is MY job. Do you want me to help you with your job? I can help when it isn't my turn, if you ask me to..." What happened to my baby?!!?!?

Oh, and Iowa...Please know that it is a GRAVE insult to confuse anything from Mushigan with anything in Ohio! Go Bucks! :)

Fallen In

When I was younger, my mother used to ask me if I had fallen in when she had been expecting me to return from somewhere faster than I did. Well, I think I have fallen in!

Things have been amazingly busy in our lives lately. J. is busy with volleyball season, which means M. and I are also busy with volleyball season. His girls are pretty good this year, but have not won a game in so long that they aren't sure how to win.

My new job is MUCH more stressful than I had anticipated and the hours are much longer as well. I have actually been concerned a few days that I might not pick up M. before 6...the time her "school" closes. I am dealing with teachers who are rather unprofessional and who are testing me. I am winning thus far (I think), but it is still irritating. Especially since I am only 1 year from being in the classroom myself - it isn't like I am out of touch with what they are doing.

M. is wondeful...as adorable as they come! She is saying new phrases all the time - things that just amaze me. We have been working on being kind lately, which is too cute. Her Bible verse this week at Sunday School was "The Bible is true." John 17:17. It was wonderful to pick her up and have her tell us proudly that "The Bible is true" and then tell us about how she learned about Jesus by reading her Bible (which she proudly takes all over the place and tells people it is the Jesus book!).

Otherwise, we are pretty boring people. My goal for tomorrow is to clean the house a bit (it is starting to get ridiculous), do the laundry (so M. can wear her favorite "twirlly dress" Sunday), and go to the grocery (so we have milk again). We may go watch J's girls lose at a tournament if we get up in time. WIth 2 of his girls injured, it will be an interesting day, I am sure.

Hope you are all good...sorry it has been so long. Maybe I will get back into a routine with this again! :)

VBS Early Release

Tonight started VBS for our church this year. The theme is Game Day Central and is VERY cool. I am helping "coach" the Yellow Stars (just out of kindergarten) and it is wonderful. We have 32 little hearts ready to have fun and learn about Jesus. What a blessing! I had four people comment about being able to tell I am a teacher by how I work with the kids. It is fun to break into teacher mode now-and-again. I miss that with my current (and future) job.

I left early tonight when I was pulled aside during the puppet show to learn that Jeremy was trying to track me down. Mackenzie was throwing up all over the place and I needed to get home ASAP. This is one reason I am glad we live where we do (and might just get a new car rather than move!) - I was home, after stopping at the grocery for Pedialite, in less than 10 minutes. I didn't even speed, since I passed three police officers on my way!

We aren't sure what is wrong, but Mackenzie hasn't eaten much today (a big red flag that she is sick) and threw up all over Jeremy, herself, and the couch (UGH!) while I was gone, and again while I was cleaning the couch cushions from the first one. She hasn't gotten sick again, but doesn't want any fluids, which concerns me, given the amount that came out. We have convinced her to take two little ice cubes, which is progress. She is sleeping again (on Jeremy!) and her 103.5 fever has come down a bit, so I am hoping she is getting better.

Despite being nervous about such a large group of little ones, I wasn't expecting to get an early release on the first night!! Hopefully I will be able to be there the other nights!!

Well that was brilliant...

So we had a frustrating "date night" of driving around looking at houses the other day (see my previous post), and when we got home, I spent most of the evening looking up houses on-line both to see how amazingly expensive the ones we saw were, and to find any that might be affordable and still have most of the amenitities I desire in a new house. Then, Saturday morning, I had a realization of sorts. Why are we looking to move? The big reason: to be closer to our jobs and have less of a gas-sucking commute for both of us. So, to find a house that has any of what we want (not all of what we want - that is WAY out of price range in the area we are looking), we are looking at double our current house payment - at least. So if the main reason we are moving is to not pay an arm and a leg for gas, why move and pay even more than that on a house payment? DUH!!! Why not just get a more fuel-efficient car?!? So, we are now looking at getting me a little Honda Hybrid (much to Jeremy's GM loyalty dismay) so that I can get 40-50 miles per gallon, and we don't have to move right away. Simple solution, and much more affordable!! Sometimes it amazes me that I work with the gifted! :)

TV Free Day

Today was one of our "no TV days." Every-so-often, I decare a no TV day, and we enjoy a day without it. Today was one of those days, and it was wonderful. Mackenzie and I played a lot of the day, went to the grocery, and then planned out dinner. We didn't eat what we planned (Daddy came home and we went for a ride instead), but we did make the effort, and now tomorrow night is pretty much done! :) It was so nice to enjoy the peace and quiet (okay, I have a 2-year-old - the squeals and giggles) of our house without the tv on!!


Today was also confirmation that we are stepping out on faith with me taking a new job. We will both now be driving close to 30 minutes each way for our jobs. It would make sense for us to move closer that direction. There are only a few areas we would want to live, however, and those seem to be VERY expensive. On a whim tonight, we drove around looking at houses that are for sale, just to see what is on the market in our price range. There are a lot of beautiful houses that are several hundred thousand above what we can afford, and a few houses right in our price range that would frighten the people who buy haunted houses. Wonderful. Now my topsy-turvey tummy is getting worse as I try to focus on the scriptures about not being anxious!!

It was still a fun day, all things considered, and Mackenzie and I have big plans for tomorow while daddy is working...birthday shopping!! :) On a budget though - especially after today's house-hunting!!

Facebook

Yeah, so my friend Kari introduced me to Facebook during spring semester when she was posting pictures there from her trip to Spain. Now, I check it all the time...what a dork I am!! :)


The latest scoop on my end is that I applied for a job that I really didn't think I would even be called for. They called, I interviewed, and Tuesday they offered me the position - three hours after my interview!! I accepted, and now I am nervous about the change!!!

I guess there are a lot of job changes going on these days, 'eh Iowa? :)

GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

Okay, So I promised an update when we returned from Mexico. And I wrote one. A quite nice and lengthy one at that. Did you read it? No!??! Don't feel bad. Neither did anyone else. Why? Because it vanished into NON-AUTO-SAVED cyber space!! I have been so irritiated about it, that I haven't posted in over a week!!

Mexico was great - short, but fun. We were delayed on our way home and spent a lot of quality time in the Atlanta airport and then on the plane at the gate before finally getting to go home, but it was still fun.

I am officially done with work now, which is great. It reality though, all that means is that I am not going into the office - I am still working. I have had two conference calls, multiple emails, and have several meetings in July to attend as well. I am home most of the time though, so that is good. Want a note from my cutie?

" bhxvuuuid\"\\
-jurthuiicdogjduyrfuprtfgk cjvojrojovjotjuvojvojhjjodri eiiiieiw u3iwu43u 8437eeu7 cvn, nbmb nbnnnnnnnnnnnnnnkkllkkkjjjlll m mb,,v.b ,v,,bbv ml"


gotta go she loves typing!!!!

Off To Mehico...

Well, we leave in ...let's see...4 hours...for the airport to go to Mexico on an all-expense paid vacation. I am thrilled, but running a bit late with the packing! I would have been finished about an hour ago, but had to "adjust" the big suitcase. I say adjust because, since we were over our weight limit the last time we took a big trip (and paid the big charge so that we didn't have to fuss with unpacking, we now weigh our suitcase when I think I am done. We were 8 pounds over, according to our scale. Lovely. Several adjustments later, and I think I am finished. Just checking my messages (I am not taking my computer with me and I am already experiencing e-mail withdrawl) and doing a quick update before heading to bed.

On a prayer-request/praise note...
We went to visit the newest addition to the Sizemore family this evening. Caleb was born 12 weeks early by emergency C-Section in the middle of the week. He is beautiful, but experiencing all the problems that babies that little & early do. It is amazing to see what God forms - truly amazing. Anyone who doesn't believe in God should go to a NICU and see those little 1 pound miracles!!

I will send an update next week, when we are back!!

In For Trouble

Today's update isn't really very interesting, since they two people on Earth who read my Blog have already heard the story. My munchkin pinned an older boy against a wall and plan ted a smooch on him. They later wrestled and played under the covers in a hotel room until their parents made them leave. Does this sound like the nightmare of adolescent's parents everywhere? You would think. But no. This is the reality of my life with my two-and-a-half-year-old, and my good friend's three-year-old this weekend.

I think we are doomed for a rocky teenage life.

And we want another?!??!?!? We must be nuts!!!

Is it June Yet?!?!?!?!?!

AHHHHH!!!! Just as I was thinking that my job was settling down for the year, and I could get back to having a life again (you know, friends, a husband, etc), things go crazy again!!

Work has been a HUGE stress for me the past month or two. In the midst of life in general with a two-year-old, which is fun and chaotic, I have been completely stressed out with work responsibilities. It seems like I haven't had a moment to myself in weeks and I am starting to go crazy!!

I have been trying, the past couple of days, to re-claim my sanity slowly but surely, but our schedule is working against me. We went to Wisconsin for a wedding last weekend (7 hours in the car both ways - long weekend!!). This weekend was busy with a church party, with more of the same is scheduled for next weekend (2 church functions and a family thing). The first weekend in June we are in Iowa for another wedding and a quick chance to catch up with our friends that we don't talk to nearly enough these days (but will be another 7 hours both ways in the car), and then we have a few days off before leaving for a trip to Mexico! I am actually looking forward to the end of June, when things will be calmer and I can begin to re-discover my friends and life again!!

Lazy

You know the feeling you get in the middle of the summer, when you roll over and know that you have nothing to accomplish during the day? The feeling of pure joy, freedom, and contentment and comes from a planned day of laziness? Now, if you have experienced that feeling, you know what comes after that day of pure laziness. The "Are you kidding me?!?!?" feeling of having to do anything. Nothing big, mind you, just anything other than lounge around.

I am in that mind-set. The "Are you kidding me?!?!?!" mind set. I am ready to be done for the summer. I am ready to have a break. I am ready to wake up and have nothing planned for the day.

I actually have nothing big planned for today. No big meetings, no big tasks to get completed, nothing but general work. And yet, despite really enjoying my job, I just don't feel like being here. I didn't want to get up this morning. I didn't want to drop Count Mackenzilla (long story) at daycare this morning, and I don't feel like getting back to work from my lunch break either. I am genuinely un-motivated!!

How many more days until summer?!?!?

A New Adventure

Today's Scoop...we started gymnastics.

It is a right of passage for many toddlers I think, and we began our journey into gymnastics tonight at 7:45. My daughter, a "big two" had a BLAST!! When we entered, everyone asked if she was 2, trying to see if she was in the wrong class because she is so big for her age. I said no, she is just 2. Then they asked me if she was about to turn three, and I got lots of surprised looks as I told them she wouldn't be three until November! At least it is because she is so tall, and already potty trained, not because of anything else!!

The teacher warned me that it would be a bigger workout for me than for my daughter, sine it is a Mommy-and-Me class, and she was right. It was a lot of fun though. The kids enter a special room for stretching and warm-ups, and then go into the "big gym" in a special fenced off area to do more activities It is basically a free-for-all on the toddler-sized equipment, with the teacher helping the kids try different things at different spots. My munchkin did sommersaults, jumped on the various trampolines, and had a great time walking across all the balance beams. It was a lot of fun for both of us, and certianly worth the money. She is excited to go back (as am I), and it will be a long week of her asking every ten minutes if "I go to mnjastics 'morrow, Mama?" It is cute though!

Quick Thinking

Okay, here is my scoop...

Last week, my daughter was playing in the basement while I did some laundry. I heard her go upstairs, play with a few toys, and then get VERY quiet. Too quiet. Those of you with two-year-olds know that cannot be a good thing!

I went upstairs as fast as possible to see what she was doing (a large concern since she has learned how to unlock the back door and go outside on her own now...fine when she heads to the swing set, not fine when she heads to the pool!). I got to the top of the stairs and heard a giggle, something drop, and saw a blur of trouble run past me, go under her table, and pull the chairs in around her...still giggling.

What had she dropped, you ask? A GIANT bag of Robin's Eggs. You know, the Easter Whoppers? She had not only rooted through the cabinets to find the leftovers I was stashing (Weight watchers beware - 7 robin's eggs for 3 points!!), but she had also BROKEN the clasp that was holding the bag shut. I picked up the bag to look at my daughter (still hiding and giggling, but now with her hands by her mouth, trying to keep her "treat" in.

She had stuffed her cheeks full of Robin's Eggs, to the point of looking like a chipmunk, and was furiously giggling as she tried to chew and swallow! I look at her, trying not to laugh, and ask her if she had permission to get into the candies. She nods her head yes, as she finishes her snack. I asked her who gave her permission, knowing it wasn't me and her father was gone, so it wasn't him either. She grins, allowing a little chocolate drool to trickle from her mouth, and says, without hesitation, "Papa said 'Kenzie can have candies," and then grinned at me like the Cheshire Cat. You know, the Alice In Wonderland cat, who fades away, leaving a HUGE grin showing? I probably would have immediately believed her, but since Papa (my father) lives in Denver now and they hadn't talked in a few days, I knew she was being sneaky.

The scary thing - she thought of telling me that Papa gave her permission in about a second. No hesitation at all.

We are in for such trouble!!

Sad

It has been a sad day for schools across the nation, as we mourn with the faculty, staff, and students of Virginia Tech. Thoughts and prayers are directed to all those impacted by this latest tragedy, as well as those remembering similar tragedies that have happened before.

Baby Bonanza

Okay, I have scoop. It is Baby Bonanza around me lately!! There are several girls at church who are pregnant. My cousin just had her first baby (of course, a girl!) last week. My good friend in Iowa is miserable and ready to have her second baby boy playing on the outside. My sister-in-law is pregnant and due the end of August. And now...the scoop...prepare yourself....Iowa, sit down.


My sister is pregnant!! Again!!! This will be PLANNED number 4!! No wonder my parents moved closer to her! I have been shaking my head and laughing since my mom told me.

Too funny.

She must be nuts!!

Movin' On Up!

Well, after the latest round of NCAA games, I have made an amazing come-back, and am not in the bottom half of the list! Well, actually, one of my three entries is pretty far down, but it is my "Sympathy Pool," where I picked my Alma Mater and the local university to win (both big upsets), so I wasn't really expecting it to do well. My other two entries are 8 and 11!! Not too bad! I have to be in the top three to qualify for the "fabulous prizes," but I am at least not scraping the bottom of the barrel!!

Other scoop...I have been a Pampered Chef machine lately and have HOSTED two shows in the past 48 hours! That's right - hosted. As in cleaned my house and got my 2-year-old out of the house long enough to keep the place clean and presentable, have people over, make a recipie, eat, shop, and order! If these two shows were for a real commission, it would be a great week for me. But, both are fundraisers. One is for an organization I am in that helps support women in education. The other was for my church. I am donating all of my commission and the host benefits to the organizations, which is great for them, and is a great way for me to serve in a different way than usual. I enjoyed both shows though, and we have fun raising money for important projects, so it is a good reason to be tired!

The only other thing I know is that we are pondering another addition to our family (of the 2-legged variety, not another pet!), but current finances aren't letting that seem to be an option. We are praying for The Lord's guidance and patiently waiting to hear what he tells us to do. Either way, we are content with what we have been blessed with and will be satisfied with His answer.

Thinking of you, my Iowa fuss-bucket! You are in the home-stretch...a new form of exhaustion is on its way - be willing to leave your room a mess so that you are ready for the responsibilities that are on the way!! You can always make it a creative problem solving activity with the kids to have them help!!

Nothing To Report

Well, Things have been pretty quiet around here, so, in the absence of any scoop, I haven't made any posts in a while! So sorry, my Ready-To-Pop Panther!

We are actively potty training our two-year-old right now, so it seems that every few minutes we are escorting our munchkin to the bathroom in hopes of a successful trip. She was doing great last week, but wasn't very successful this weekend, which isn't good. We are hoping things will go better this week so that we can officially end the diaper parade that is our every-two-week trek to Target.

In other news, I am in a NCAA pool at my office - 3 entries. I am not last, but pretty close! I realized that my lack of attention during basketball season this year resulted in me having NO IDEA who to pick!! Oh well, it has been fun none the less, and I am at least not last. I would have been near the top if my Alma Mater had been able to hit a last minute three to win the game. **Sigh** None the less, Love and Honor to Miami....!

19 to go!

Well, it is official. I am starving! I have had 5 points today, which means I have 19 more to go for the day!! It is lunch time and I feel positive I could eat the entire McDonald's menu and be happy, but I am going to be good. It will be worth it in the end...

In the meantime...I am HUNGRY!!!!!!

We had a good weekend though - my daughter had a great time at the Aquarium this weekend (where we saw penguins!!) and we had great sermons Sunday - I am ready for a good week.

Hope all of you are to...

The Skinny Girl in Me Wants Out!!

I have started dieting...again. It seems to be a never ending battle with me - start, give up. Start, give up. But, this week I started, seriously, using the Weight Watchers formula (those magic points). I am not going to meetings, or anything like that, so if I don't make it, I can blame it on not being fully committed, I suppose. I am keeping track of my points with a friend though. We both decided to start Tuesday of this past week (you cannot start a diet on a holiday, right!?!!), and both of us started off great. Then we had a lousy week. And I do mean lousy. You name it, and it happened this week at work. Thursday she emailed me to let me know that she ate an entire sleeve of Thin Mints ("I just opened the package to eat one, and suddenly they were all gone!"). Friday was worse, and she ate the other sleeve in her box. I made it all week, doing great. Even Friday, at the peak of my stress, I stayed within my goal points range. Today, after holding in all my stress-eating for the week, I cracked. Pop tarts for breakfast (the iced S'Mores kind - probably the worse there is!), English Muffin Pepperoni pizzas for a snack, Chick-fil-a for lunch (only a few waffle fries in an meager attempt to counter balance the large cherry coke I sucked down as if it was a drink from God Himself), Arby's for dinner, again with a regular soda instead of the diet I suffered through all week. Oh, and a Carmel Apple Cider drink (large, of course) for a mid-afternoon snack while my daughter was sleeping in the car.

Now, I am miserable and feeling terrible about having made it all week, only to ruin all my efforts in a matter of 12 hours.

Oh well. Tomorrow is my scheduled cheat day (I know, pathetic, but if I know Sundays are going to be bad for my diet, at least I admit it in advance!). I will start again Monday on a clean slate, determined to make it all week. I think I can actually do this, if only my work stress would cooperate!!

"Significant Snow Totals Expected" and Technical Difficulties

I spent today marvelling at how advanced and incompetent technology can be. I attended the Ohio etech conference, with the specific purpose of looking for some new technologies that may be better than what we are currently using for our Virtual Academy. I registered for the TECHNOLOGY conference on-line, thinking it would be the best way. No. Unfortantely, it seems that many other people also registered online, but, although the conference was able to bill their credit cards without a problem, they were unable to send out the registration confirmation and other information, so a large portion of the people attending had to wait in a line while they tried to figure out what went wrong. Ah, the joys of technology! How ironic that the people who registered the old-fashioned way didn't have a problem!!

I am supposed to be at this overwhelmingly disappointing conference again tomorrow and Wednesday, but I am not sure it is going to happen. The snow has already begun here, and we are supposed to have close to 4 inches by morning, then some ice is possible, before switching back to all snow to finish out the day. They are calling for close to a foot or more by the end of the day tomorrow - schools are already closing! I don't think I will be driving an hour north, where they are calling for more snow than what we are getting, to experience more of what was an incredibly large let-down of a conference. I did get some good give aways from the exhibit hall, and, despite telling myself I wouldn't, snagged a LARGE number of pens. Perhaps the need for pens at conferences is contageous from a certain Panther I know...! :)

Anyway, I am planning on a warm fire, hot tea, and popcorn as tomorrow's activites, along with playing with my favorite two-year-old! I hope you are all warm and well!!

Another Round...

They are calling for more snow around here for this week. There are lots of advisories and watches already out, and our church has already cancelled an activity that was planned for Tuesday. For some reason, when the weather people start predicting 6-10 inches of snow, our church tries to be pro-active. As a teacher though, when they predict a lot of snow this early, I tend to think we won't get it. We don't usually have snow days when I am expecting them!! I am at a conference Monday through Wednesday, so I am not as excited as I normally am when things like this are predicted. Go figure!!

Three In A Row!

YEA!!!!! We are now on our third day off school in a row. For the past two days, it has been a result of bitterly cold temperatures and horible wind chills. Today we are off school because of snow AND cold temperatures. We got around 6 inches yesterday, beginning at 1 and ending around 6 in the eventing. While it is a lot of snow, usually it would not even mean a delay when it stops so early. Lucky for teachers and students everywhere, it is still so cold that the salt won't work on the roads. Since the snow was compacted by the evening communte (which was TERRIBLE and had highways shut down for hours), the trucks can't clean it off either. So, today, my office isn't even open, because EVERY school in our county is closed today. What a beautiful thing! :)

Off to enjoy the fifth day in a row of playing with my Munchkin...is there anything better?

My Munchkin - a true giggle box like her mother!

And So It Begins...

I was reading the blogs of two of my good friends, which I check daily so that I know what is going on with them, and then I realized, "I could do that too." Duh, I know, but it was like an epiphany (love that word, hope I spelled it right!!) and I thought I should try it.

Of course, the first hurdle was coming up with a title. I had to think about what I say all the time, and that made me think of my good friend, The Linkster, who was the Language Arts teacher on my first team. This was her mantra, and how she greeted all of her friends in the hallway. So...Got any scoop?

Not really, unfortunatly! What a great way to start a blog - with nothing to say!

I did have the day off today, which was wonderful. Not a snow day, which is the usual cause this time of year. Instead, we are off because it is VERY cold outside - highs in the single digits and windchills at 25 below!!!! Because it is going to be just a cold tomorrow, we are off then too - I LOVE IT!!!!!! Of course, if I was still teaching at my old school, where I was last year, I would be irritated and pouting - they had school today and still are not listed as even delayed for tomorrow!

Not too much else to share, but at least this has started, so if something interesting happens, I have a place to share it!