A poem for the season!

I am the Chaplain for my Mom's of Multiples group and wrote this for our December newsletter. I kind of like it so I thought I'd share. Watch out people, I got a new camera last week and will now be updating this blog with pictures.


“Twas the weeks before Christmas, and the kids are in bed,
And mom heads down to the computer instead.
The laundry, the dishes, the lunches can wait,
The internet and I have a much needed date.
Hail ebay, hail Amazon, hail Craigslist too.
I have a credit card, and there’s some damage to do.
Babies, trucks, and ipods galore,
If I had tons of money there would be so much more.
Christmas shopping is upon us again.
Buying the greatest presents means I’m the best mom then.
Of course, that statement isn’t really exact.
Being the best mom is a way bigger task.
Hugs, kisses, cuddles, and scratches,
Those things don’t have much better matches.
So remember when you’re in line for the best of sales,
The time you spend with them is better than mail.
Santa will hopefully bring more than just gifts.
Maybe just maybe he’ll bring one less fit.
And when he doesn’t, take a gulp of air,
Our kids are our treasures and there aren’t any to spare.
I hope you and your families have the merriest of days,
Because the love between you really does pay!

Technologically Challenged!

O.K. so here's the deal. My computer was dead, got that fixed. Plugged it in in hopes that I could get back to posting but guess what...the monitor didn't work. Waited to get a new monitor but that took forever. Got the new monitor, hooked it up, installed the new printer and viola!! Since I like to post pictures in the blog, I took the camera wherever I went. Guess what, the damn thing was broke. That's o.k., I have a backup digital...guess what...it wasn't working either. Damn the technology (or should I say, damn those twins)! So now, a whole summer has pretty much gone by and I have minimal pictures to prove it. UGH!! So here's the skinny. We've spent a bunch of days at the lake. We've spent a couple weekends in Michigan. We have spent countless numbers of hours at the softball field, and I have spent an infinite number of minutes cleaning the house. I am hoping that a new digital camera will fall from the sky and land in my pretty little hands. Until then, enjoy your last days of summer before the kiddos go back to school. Did I mention that I have a full time teaching gig? Yay me!

I'm not dead....

My computer has just been in the shop for the last 2 weeks. I'm hoping to get it back today, I dropped off the software days ago so he could get everything reinstalled so I'm hopeful that today will be the day. My lovely aunt let me take her computer table off her hands for her. Perfect timing because our old one needs to be thrown in the garbage ASAP. The twins keep pushing on the top and it toppled over and completely SMASHED the printer. I happily bid on a "new" one from ebay yesterday and won one. That should be her tomorrow. So, I've been lugging my work laptop home with me everyday so I can stay connected ( and apply for jobs)! I didn't want to use it to put any pictures on here just in case something goes wrong with it. Hope all is well with everyone. In other news, I finished up at my small Christian college last week and will be taking my last 2 classes online. These classes are approved by the state of IL, are 5 weeks shorter than the other place, and $600 cheaper!! Yay. I will be finished with the extra certification the 1st week of July instead of the middle of September. Double yay!!

What's That You Say?

You know the phrase.....kids say the darndest things? Well, mine really say funny things. I should have been writing these down for years because I know that I've let 100's of them go by. Alli cracks me up. Some of my "favorites" by her include the use of "wesmarrow"...that's a combination of "westerday" and "tomorrow", then there's the often used "bwankie" for blankie, and one of my favorites...."goed", oh and that is go-ed. She REALLY cracked me up today when she wanted a treat. Now, I guess I should preface this by telling you that Dan is the treat maker. It kind of drives me nuts because the girls think that they should get a treat every night. I just don't think that it is good practice to indulge the girls in treats after dinner every night. Anyway, Alli comes up to me and says..." Mommy, I'm going to go down-the-stairs (that's another one of her sayings) and ask daddy to make us a treat. You can't make treats because only daddy's make treats and you're not a daddy." Isn't that hilarious? I'm laughing just thinking about her little voice saying it!! I think the real reason why she had to ask Dan is because she already knew the mom's answer!!

Just Dance

Since Dan has been laid off he's spent lots of time lately with the girls while I am at work. When I got home yesterday this song came on the radio and Brooke started going crazy. It was SO funny. It came on again today so i grabbed my camera as fast as I could, changed the settings and viola, Brooke's (and Alli's) first music video. Look out Dancing with the Stars, we may have a new contender!! This is my first attempt at posting a video so I hope that it works!

Let's Bowl, Let's Bowl, Let's Rock and Roll!

I've been a bad blogger lately. When I started this I swore that I would update at least once a week if not more. Between working almost everyday, going to school, doing homework, hosting V-Day parties at school and sick kids, I've been just a tad bit busy. The little girls and I went to a birthday party at the bowling alley today and it was so fun. They have never been bowling and I was very impressed at how they did. I think that there will be more bowling outings in our future. Lauren spent the night and day at her friends so she wasn't there to experience it. Thanks to Amanda for having us at the party! Here are some pictures from the day.

Happy 10th birthday Lauren!

I can't believe that Lauren is 10 years old today. Where has the time gone? I have been so lucky to see my tiny baby grow into such a bueatiful little lady. I've been fortunate to witness her excel in school, on the softball field, and on the slopes. I've listened to her reading her little sisters stories, and I have had the best times teaching her how to swim and play games. She has a real talent for art. Her pictures amaze me. I can't take credit for that, I can hardly draw a stick person. Here are some things all about her:

Name:Lauren Elizabeth

Birthdate: January 24th, 1999

Height: Birth- 21 in. Now- 5 ft.

Weight: Birth- 7 lbs. 12 oz. Now- She wouldn't let me say

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Dark Blonde

Favorites

Color: Pink

Show: Suite Life on Deck

Song: "Tonight" by the Jonas Brothers

Character: Hannah Montana

Sport: Gymnastics

People: Her family

Things: Hershey Kisses, glitter, jewelry

Hobbies: Reading, coloring, play the Wii

I love to see the progression of her growing up. Enjoy, and I hope that you've had the opprotunity to love her as much as we do!

I Wanna be a Rock Star!!

We are going on day number 5 of no school in this house. I have to say that we are going stir crazy. Usually when I'm bored, I clean. I'm tired of cleaning. The girls play in their room, mess it up, clean it up and then move onto the playroom where, you guessed it, they play, mess it, and after I holler long enough they clean it up. Lauren has been in Colorado since Thursday. The girls have made their way into her room where they've....played, messed, and I cleaned it. Don't tell Lauren though, she'd have a fit. Here are some pictures of the rock stars, wearing their Hannah Montana outfits. They don't like the wig...it's too itchy!

What the HECK happened here?

This is what you get for playing around, trying to spice the blog up. How in the world do I get rid of this thing? I clicked fast add from the website and this is how it posted. If ANYONE knows how to get rid of those stick families I'd really appreciate the help. UUUUUGGHHHH!

Our 3 Chicks

Get your own Family Sticker Maker & MySpace Layouts.

De Plane, De Plane

Now do you get the reason why I'm afraid to fly? I'm sure you've all seen the footage of the plane that went down in the Hudson River today. Of all days for Lauren to fly. Of all days to listen to the radio and hear of a plane crash. Of course I ran to turn the t.v. on. I was (sorry to say) glad to hear it was in New York. God bless that pilot. He truly is a hero in my book. I was watching the news and crying!! I can't imagine the panic that was going on in that plane. See, I'm not a worry wart, these things happen. Thank god everyone is o.k.

She's Leavin' on a Jet Plane...

Geesh, this working mom thing is a lot of work! I have gotten up at 5:45-6:00 a.m. for the last 2 days. Today I've showered (2 days in a row mind you), gotten the girls up, dressed, fed, packed up, into the car, and off to the babysitter by 7:15, gone to work, picked the girls up from the babysitter, gotten home, went to the store, started a load of laundry, packed Lauren up, made dinner, went to Lauren's gymnastic performance, dropped the family off at home, loaded Lauren's bag into the car, drove her over to my uncles, and finally got home by 9:00 p.m. Believe me when I tell you, I was a total crab ass today. But...... when I got home I checked my email and low and behold we have a SNOW DAY TOMORROW!!! Now, being that I am a part-time employee I don't get paid for the day. That's the bad news. The good news, we have a SNOW DAY! When I say we, since the little girls are in the same school district that I am, they have a SNOW DAY as well. Looks like the showering streak will be broken. Fine with me, I'm saving on water, right? Since I won't have work to distract me, that means that I will be a total nervous wreck the whole day. If you truly know me, you know that I am TERRIFIED to fly. I have really tried not to pass that on to my girls. Lauren will be flying out to go skiing in Colorado with my uncle tomorrow. I'm terrified to fly but I'm even MORE terrified when my family members fly without me. Uncle Bruce has been taking Lauren to Colorado for the last 4 years. She is truly one of the luckiest kids that I know. I SOOOOO appreciate him for giving her great experiences that we most likely never would. FYI, a bunch of us girls took a trip out to Colorado when my friend Jenni was living there. Had a great vacation until some little shit of a kid cut me off as I was flying down a mountain in Keystone, CO and I wiped out. I mean I REALLY wiped out. Busted up my knee pretty bad and haven't been on skis again. So anyway, once I hear that they have arrived safe and sound, it'll be a less stressful day, that is until I start stressing out about avalanches!! O.K., thanks for letting me babble.

It's official!

So, it is official. I got the job. There are some technical strings attached but I am still very happy about it. My first official day on the job will be tomorrow. First day, first big responsibility. I have to administer some high stakes tests, similar to ISAT's for ELL students. I sure hope that I won't screw it up. I'll update how the first day goes tomorrow.

Life...it is a changin'

So, good news. I had an interview for a part time English as a Second Language position today. I got the job...I think! Here's the deal, I interviewed with the lady that runs the program, the Assistant Principal (Principal is out on maternity leave) and the girl that I have been observing with. Well, seeing as the Superintendent is on vacation, I couldn't be offically hired. The lady doesn't have the authority to hire. I will have to have a second interview with the Super when she returns. In the meantime I will be placed in the classroom as a sub until I get the full go ahead. So....I start training on some testing programs that I will have to administer and learning the schedule of the students tomorrow. I will be working all day Tues., and Wed., and half a day on Thursdays. Does that sound like I have a job? I hope so. When I have 3 months under my belt I will be waived by the state of my 100 clock hours of observation, that rocks!! The best part about the job will be the experience that I can put on my resume for next year, also rocks!! As long as I have been hollering that I want to go back to work, I'm already starting to freak about it. With my Farm Bureau job (which I will be keeping on Mondays and Fridays), I just told them which days not to schedule me. I didn't have to worry about missing mom moments. Lauren has a show at school next Tuesday that I'm going to have to miss. Good thing she also has the same performance that night. I'm terrified that I'm going to have to miss the little girls Mom's Tea (I think that goes down in May?), I'm going to have to relinquish my room mom job as well. Whenever I attend these during the day school functions I always feel bad for the kids that don't have thier parents there. I feel even worse for the parents that can't be there. I hope that my kids won't miss me. I'm hoping that important future events will be held on Mondays and Fridays, that way I'll be able to be there. Wish me luck that A...I really DO have a job, and B...I won't screw it up!!

Pure Michigan

We just got home from a fabulous weekend in Grand Haven, Michigan. We went up to Dan's brother's property and had a great time. We went on the ATV's, snowmobiles, and had a couple of great campfires. I have to say that Lauren is quite the off roader. I think the highlight of the weekend was when we got caught by some not so happy man that came out screaming, "Get off my property"! He even jumped into is truck and "escorted" us out to the main road. Of course he witnessed us tearing up his trail when we got the ATV's stuck in the snow...too funny!!