Keith is coming home!

YAY!
My husband has been gone for over a week and he'll be home tonight!

It's time to clean the house and I really should get some food in our fridge.

The girls and I have REALLY missed him!

I don't like being husbandless and the girls need their prince daddy to dance with them at night...I'm just not a good prince :)

No Good, Very Bad Day

Is TODAY!

There are many pieces to my crabby day puzzle. One of the main reasons this day is making my blood boil is because of... my kids. I know that sounds horrible but it's true....and worst of all I know I'm one of the biggest factors in my girls driving me crazy.

I have been letting them get away with WAY to much, catering to them WAY to often and generally not giving them the guidance they need to respond to what is needed of them...like being OBEDIENT and THANKFUL and KIND....and to do this all without WHINING or COMPLAINING or flat out IGNORING.

I need help and I need it fast...no time for book reading....I want instant gratification help...I need to get through the rest of this day without taking my frustrations out on my children and nap time is only going to last 2 hours if I'm lucky.

I know some of the issues we struggle with but I'm overwhelmed with where to start and how extreme to go for a 3 1/2 year old and almost 2yr old???

Should I:
-only offer one option for breakfast so I'm not constantly getting them things to eat all morning....and send them to bed hungry if they didn't eat their dinner at the table at dinner time? should I just make a meal plan for every meal and snack and if they don't like it too bad?

-throw the toys away that they get out and play with but complain about picking up? Should I just put all toys, games, crafts up high so they can't get multiple things out at once even if that means I won't get anything done all day because I'll be getting things for them constantly?

- put them in time out's all day for every single thing they fight about, every unkind word, every selfish moment?

-always be willing to stop what I'm doing to help, play with or cater to?

-make a game plan with my hubby tonight and flip the switch on the girls tomorrow...can we change our expectation (or at least start enforcing them)all at once or should we do it in steps?

If I was reading this on someone's blog I'd think about all the "picture perfect" ways to handle these issues but my life is not "picture perfect", my mothering skill are far from "picture perfect" (obviously)...and I know there is no such thing as "picture perfect"....I just don't know where to start. I have so many ideas about how I WAN'T to mother my girls and right now I feel like a complete failure!

Any ideas? Anyone? Besides turning me over to NANNY 911 (or whatever that show is called...maybe I should start watching it...huh...)

Lake Fun!!!

Sadie stayed on the boat floor almost the entire time....she finally let me hold her on the way in when she fell asleep....silly girl.

Bekah loved everything about the lake. I think we are going to need to get a tube so she can do more than be the flag girl!

We had so much fun at Pine Flats with Rob, Katie and Cole. It was a first for both Cole and Sadie! All three kids did great and Bekah LOVED playing on the "porch" of the boat. She had a blast dipping her toes and legs into the water (with a little help so he didn't end up overboard :). Sadie didn't want anything to do with the water so she ate snacks with uncle Rob and played with Cole when on the floor of the boat. Keith and I are still sore from wake boarding and I can't seem to get the water out of my left ear from my oh-so-graceful face plat but it was totally worth it. It was such a great day!

My First Mother's Day Tea!!!

Bekah has been in a wonderful pre-school these past 4 months and today I experienced my first mom's tea. I was a very proud / crazy picture taking mommy. The kids sang 5 songs (with hand motions) and each child had made a gift. Bekah made me this BEAUTIFUL :) yellow bag with her hand prints on the front....I think I have a new fav. TJ tote! I think this was by far my favorite mother's day moment yet!

P.S. sorry it's been so long since the last post...we are all doing well just really busy :)

Life in Selma

-Bekah started going to pre-school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings - it's a great christian school in Kingsburg that she loves....and Sadie and I have been enjoing some 1:1 time while Bekah is busy learning :)

-We have been going to play dates, meeting friends for library story time, hanging out with Katie and Cole a lot and loveing it!, picking up the disastered house before daddy comes home while getting a homemade dinner on the table...almost every night :), playing a lot of make believe....princess, grocery shopping (with fake food and the orange tree outside our house), lion, fort castles, tea party, Friday night movie nights....with homemade sugar popcorn! The girls are playing so much better together lately - they still fight but what sisters don't - right?:)

- Sadie has gone Pee-on-the-potty a few times! It's so fun to see the excitement of both girls and to follow bare buns Sadie running into the Kitchen for a pee-pee treat...oh and she loves to walk around in these light up princess heals. Sadie loves to accesorize and Bekah loves to wear the "moving" dresses.

-I've started doing a Turbo - Jam video since I'm not able to go to the gym and the girls do it with me sometimes...although they only last about 3 min - such slackers :)

-Keith is getting the hang of his new schedule - he's gone around 6:15am and home around 6pm. The girls are usually waiting for him in their princess dresses ready to attack him when he walks through the door. Bekah is usually either yelling - "Prince Daddy come dance with me!" Or....she will run into her room when she hears him opening the door, jump into bed, close her eyes, pucker up and then yell....."Prince Daddy - I'm snow white and I've eaten the apple and you need to come kiss me on the lips!...and wear your cape" (a blanket he wraps around his neck). When Sadie realizes "Prince Daddy" is home she starts dancing with herself chanting Da-De!, Da-De! And for myself...I watch and smile. I'm so thankful that life is good, that I have a wonderful husband and that my girls have a prince in their daddy...I hope they will always view him that way.....

First Week Teaching Update

I'm a T-Bird

View from my door toward the center of campus.

I now get to say, "Open your books to Page 470." Such power.

It is impossible to summarize all that happened the first week teaching 7th grade English, so I guess I'll just say that I made it! It was crazy and confusing at many points, but God sustained me and I know He's placed me precisely where I'm at for His purposes. Dinuba? Really? Yep.

The school is certainly facing challenges. Nearly all students come from poor homes, so the school provides free breakfast and lunch to all students. The test scores are low, and if they don't come up this spring, there may be some changes next year. Each week we focus on one CA state standard (this week was cause and effect) and then the students are tested on Friday. This past Friday, only 29% of my students tested at a proficient level, results that were typical for the other 7th grade English teachers as well. Definitely a reality check.

In the midst of this exhaustion, long days and late nights, too many unknown educational acronyms, I've had a deep sense of satisfaction as I realize that I am exactly in the right place. I work with an upbeat staff. My students are hilarious. I have a fulfilling job that I love. And I get to come home Friday night to my awesome girls and look forward to a weekend of family time (family time=Pizza Hut and Barbie movies). What more could I ask for?

It's Not Thanksgiving Anymore...

I was just checking out blogs and I realized that I still have a Thanksgiving background on my page...wow...I can't believe I've been such a slacker! Although I haven't blogged much either. Oh well.

We just had our first play date that my sis Katie set up (actually it was our second thanks to Lara, Caedra and Grant who came over a few weeks ago :). Bekah had a great time playing with a sweet little blond 3 year girl while Sadie split her time between being a third wheel -trying to keep up with the big girls - and taking care of baby Cole.

And speaking of Cole....The girls LOVE living so close to him...Bekah calls him little Mr. (cousin Gavin is the original Mr.) and Saide runs around chanting BaBy. They love to hold him, smother him, touch him and most of all fight over who gets to be his "mommy"....Bekah even plays house and pretends she's Auntie Katie and her dolls are baby Cole. So cute. I'm so glad we have all found things to love about our new home! I even saw the sun today for about 3 minutes :) I know it's kinda sad but on the up side peole who wear scarves, layers, hats and uggs actually need them since it's so cold....I wear a scarf almost everyday now and tons of layers! That's fun right ?!

Classroom transformation

Not a bad view from just outside my new classroom door!

I've gotta get some rest before tomorrow, but here are some before and after shots of my new school in Dinuba, CA. Thanks so much to Jan for watching the girls this weekend and of course, I couldn't have done any of this without Cara.

Before:




AFTER:








TADA! The two day classroom make-over. Tune in tomorrow for a first day-as-a-real-teacher report and some more pictures. And don't forget to pray!!