Out of the Mouths...

of babes.

Yesterday I wore a skirt to school. Sometimes I feel like I just wear the same things over and over, so every once in a while, I like to mix it up. Child 3 looked at me and said, "Mom! You cannot wear that! That is for church!"

When I got to school, one of my kiddos looked at me and with a big smile told me I looked gorgeous. (their word, not mine) Doesn't that make the heart feel good? Shortly afterward another kiddo came up to let me know about my hair. I had showered that morning and just left it straight. The child looked at me and said, "You hair looks really nice...NOW." Gotta love kinder kid honesty!

Last night we had to run all over the place. Child 2 had gymnastics right after school. Child 1 had swimming. The boys had haircuts. Child 2 had basketball practice. It was just one of those days. Child 3 asked what we were having for dinner. I told her sadly that we were going to have to have dinner on our own (free choice) because I didn't have time to cook. She grinned from ear to ear and yelled "Woohoo! I love that!" Makes me wonder why I am cooking on occasion...(I really am not a bad cook and generally make good things everyone likes)


Forgot to do my gratitude journal yesterday...here is today's (that may cover the last two days since I am behind)...

1. I am thankful for a father who doesn't say (at least out loud) that I am crazy when I ask him to come to our house and set our DVR for a show (can you guess which one?) because we were on our way to dinner and forgot...and even better, he did it. Isn't he awesome?
2. I am thankful for a husband who fixes the kids' breakfasts every morning (when we are in school). It gives me a few minutes of just "me" time.
3. My class. I have a very sweet bunch this year. I always enjoy teaching and this group makes it even more fun!

I better go. Oh, before I go, I am going to throw out a prayer request. Mark got a text message yesterday from his mom that she was having an MRI done because there was some kind of mass on her brain. It turns out there is something on the pituitary gland. The test results are not in yet about what it is they are dealing with. Either way, she will be having surgery soon. Please pray for her peace as she waits for test results and for the doctor's wisdom!

I will try to be a better blogger this weekend! This new exercise schedule is wearing me out. I thought exercise was supposed to give me more energy. :)

Reba

Another Drive By Post

It is amazing how much more difficult it is to post when I am back in school. On Christmas break, I had all kinds of time to do it. I am back to falling asleep as I type.

Yesterday was our Weigh In day for our Biggest Loser contest. I think I have mentioned before that some of the teachers at our school pair up to see which team can lose the biggest percentage of weight by spring break. I knew that I had gained a little weight but I wasn't sure how much. In fact, I had gotten to where I wouldn't even look at the doctor's office if I had to weigh. I didn't want to know. Well, yesterday was the day I had to know. And I was NOT happy with the results. So I am feeling motivated right now. I did exercise last night. And I am keeping my Mountain Dew to one a day (preferably a small one). My hard part is the food. I do love food. I feel a lot of prayers for self control coming up!

Some quick follow ups...

I know you are just really wondering with a burning curiosity, but Ribby (the fish) is still swimming. A fish expert told a friend who asked for me that likely our house is too cold. I wouldn't dispute that. So we have been moving his bowl around to warmer parts of the house. He seems a bit happier. But of course, he is a fish, so you never know...

No, our car didn't not get towed at the Little House on the Prairie musical. When Child 2 and I walked out though, I was holding my breath as I approached the parking lot. I was SOOO relieved to see that little dirty minivan sitting there! (Who would ever think that would be a sight for sore eyes? :)

Child 4's first day back to "school" was predictable. He told Mark (through a lot of tears) that he didn't want to go there. But when I picked him up, he was fine. He still cries at drop off but then he still does it at church too. It seems to just be part of who he is. :)

The other kids settled right into school. They (especially child 3) are really tired at night, but otherwise, I think they were really ready to go back!

Okay, I must get up and at 'em. Today is a crazy busy day. School, gymnastics, basketball, haircuts, and of course, exercise in there somewhere...my head is just spinning!

Reba

Gratitude Journal

I am not a die hard Oprah fan. In fact I have watched very few of her shows. However, I have read a little about the "gratitude journal" she encourages others to keep (I am guessing she has done the same) where every day you take time to remember a few things you are grateful for. I have a hard enough time keeping up with house, kids, etc. but I do like the idea (which to me is just a take off of the song "Count Your Blessings...". So I thought I would do that here. It may not happen every day but I do want to remember some things I am grateful for. There are SOOO many things I can list, but I am going to stick with 3 for time's sake. Here are my three from yesterday:

1. Child 2. I am grateful for the way she entertains and plays with the little ones, especially when I am trying to cook dinner. I rarely ask her to do it. She just does. And I am so very grateful! Sometimes I am not so sure she couldn't step in and take my place!

2. Warm chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven. I can't be grateful for those very often or I will weigh a whole lot! But once in a great while, it is a treat! (Unfortunately those will become even rarer because today I am starting "Biggest Loser" at school. :()

3. Kisses and love from Child 4. He has been in a kissing mood. He gives very deliberate kisses on the cheek or arm. Last night he kept kissing my cheek and sweetly said, "Mommy, you no smell..." Since he said it so tenderly, I think it was a compliment. :)

Well, my time is short and I must get ready for school. Hopefully today I won't walk outside to find the snow falling...that was quite a surprise yesterday! I am more hopeful that my next gratitude journal will be about the warm temperatures we have this afternoon. And that soon that snow is long gone. I have had enough for the whole year. :)

Reba

Probably Yes

This will be really short since I am REALLY going to school (unless I get REALLY sick) tomorrow!

We made it to church today! Yeah! With our travel and sickness, we hadn't been in some time. It felt good to be back. I think everyone was happy except for possibly child 4. He still (two years later) has difficulty going to the church nursery. It is a traumatic experience for him every time. He recovers though. I keep thinking he will grow out of it...

Mark and I had a date night tonight. That was a treat. Thanks to my mom and dad for watching the kiddos for us while we went. (and feeding them too) We just haven't had much "us" time recently. We thought about going to a movie but we decided to eat out so we could just talk...uninterrupted! That was a very nice treat. This time of year we like to look ahead at the year, goals, dreams, worries. We also talk a lot about the kids (same things...goals, dreams, worries...). I don't think we solved the world's struggles or anything but it was nice time. And the food was really good too. We went to a place called Crabbys. It is mainly seafood, though we had steak with a lump crab topping. I also had a yummy wedge salad. The waiter also told us that tomorrow they are going to start serving lobster bisque. I told him I was really sad to miss that...I LOVE lobster bisque. He brought me a little "sample" (a small bowl of it)...yum! I had thought I would eat dessert because tomorrow I must start eating better and exercising. (I know for most New Year's resolutions start on January 1 but for me, I follow a school schedule.) However, in the end, I was way too full and couldn't. That was sad.

Another sad thing is that Mark took my other laptop (which has most of my pictures on it) to a friend to install the new screen. Guess what? It was the wrong screen. :( It was SO close...the product number is one number off. That was a bit of a bummer. So now I will have to send that one back then wait for the new one...sigh.

Oh, and the title? Our youngest's word of the week is "probably". I will ask him if he is hungry. He will answer, "Probably yes." I will ask him if he is tired. He will answer, "Probably no." Tonight he was saying that he wanted to go "there" as he pointed to a picture of a Lego pirate ship. I answered, "Oh, you do?" He responded, "It is probably a fun place to go..." or something like that. I don't know where he got it, but it is so cute hearing him say it.

On that note, I must get to bed. I actually have to set the alarm. Night night!

Oh, you might say a prayer for child 4. He is going back to school after a three week break. He doesn't do well with separation (as noted above) especially after that long of a "break". Or maybe you should pray for his teachers...

Reba

Mickey and Minnie's Pad

I don't "advertise" on here very often, but we had such a positive experience at the condo we rented near Disney World, I just have to share. This is totally unsolicited, and I am getting no compensation for it. Just wanted to be upfront. :)

When we decided to go to Disney World (fairly last minute), I immediately checked out the Disney resorts. It didn't take long to realize that most things were booked, that Disney does not really cater to larger families (though I realize we are small by some standards...I mean more than four people), and that it would be QUITE pricey for us to reserve something. After I got over that disappointment, I expanded my search.

I did look at hotels but again, a family of six usually involves renting two rooms. Then I started checking out condos. I usually make a list (I just google for rentals) of available places and highlight any "pros" about them and e-mail the list to Mark. Then he narrows it down. I do all of the legwork I guess, and he makes the final decision. I have to say, he has yet to fail us. :)

The place we found...Minnie and Mickey's Pad. It is a condo in Davenport, FL, which is about ten minutes from the gates of Disney World. The area is fairly quiet and away from the busyness, which we really liked. Yet there was a grocery store just down the road, and numerous food places within ten minutes.

One of the selling points of the condo was that it was ground floor. With four little people running around, we need ground floor. People above me don't bother me at all (though I never really heard much from anyone). And the way the condo is situated, you have window views from all bedrooms and the dining room (with a little patio even). There was nothing behind the condo except a field area which was nice.

Another selling point was the size. It was a three bedroom, two bath condo, which is a huge plus with our crew. Mark was impressed with the size of the kitchen (which I forgot to take a picture of but you might see on the website). It also had a full size washer and dryer (which we used often) It was just nice and spacious. Not that we need a lot of space, but again, with four little people, it is nice to be able to move around and have a little space.

When I e-mailed Audrey who owns the condo, I was impressed with the price. I love that it included the cleaning fee and taxes already. That took out alot of the guesswork. If it had been warmer, I am sure we would have enjoyed the pool/recreation area. We also had free Internet. (It wasn't wireless but it was high speed)

The next week, we filled out the rental agreement and sent in the fees. During that time period, Audrey, who lives in England, called us to introduce herself. She wanted to put us at ease since we were renting via Internet. (I had seen this condo listed on several rental sites so I wasn't too concerned, but you cannot help but wonder when you "shop" online :) It was nice to talk to her, ask any questions, and find out more about where we were staying. She also assured me she was just an e-mail away. And she was. (She also called us our first day there to make sure everything was to our liking.)

Overall, it was a positive experience. And though I know staying on Disney premises has benefits (like the meal plan or "magic hours", I honestly am not sure we wouldn't just stay at Minnie and Mickey's Pad again. It was comfortable, "homey", reasonably priced, and a nice size. We also enjoyed the location. Here are a few pictures:

The room the girl's stayed in (two twin beds)

Another view of the girl's room...it was so fun!

A view of the living room and the dining area

The room the boys stayed in. We took our pack and play because of our stop in Mississippi, but there was actually one there we could have used.

I wish I had gotten pics of our room and the kitchen. Anyway, you get the idea. :) If you ever are interested in staying there, feel free to ask me about it (or you can e-mail Audrey...she is quick to answer!).

More later,
Reba

Snowed In

Okay, not really. A lot of snow melted already. Except I think we might be getting a dusting right now. Either way, we did not have school again today. I know a lot of people don't understand why. A lot of the roads were clear. However, there were still some slick spots. And asking parents all over the district to get out on those roads...well, I will just say I support the decision made! So far it has not been canceled for tomorrow, so we will see...

We have enjoyed our time at home. No, I don't really like that we are using up snow days. For some reason, I think we may have more snow this year than normal (number one piece of evidence...a white Christmas). At the same time, I cannot change the weather. So I just have to go with the flow. And not plan any summer vacations too early...

Mark asked me last night what I do with four kids at home all day. Before any bashing begins, I will say that he didn't ask me in an ugly way or even a questioning way as in questioning, "So, what did you do today, Honey?" It was more of a curious question. So for him (and you)...here is a short list of what I did today:

• spent the first few minutes of my day chatting with our oldest and answering questions as I answered e-mails. It is rare that my first few minutes are my own. However, I know to treasure these moments because in a few years, I will be begging that child to talk to me!
• fed four kids breakfast
• cleaned up the kitchen after feeding four kids breakfast
• folded a couple of loads of laundry, washed a couple more
• assigned today's chores
• helped child 3 with her chore (emptying the dishwasher)
• answered e-mails
• attempted to take a shower...I guess that was successful but I was told two tattles, gave a correction/instruction, and played games on the shower door to entertain the youngest all in the course of just a few minutes
• signed a petition for a friend
• served morning and afternoon snacks to J-man
• supervised the girls' cleaning of their room
• packed up some of the toys/books the girls decided not to keep after cleaning their room
• tried the potty thing with child 4. He just isn't quite ready. The will is there but the timing is not. :)
• sorted through the mail
• fed four kids lunch (and got to eat a little lunch myself)
  
• helped child 3 get dressed to play outside
• answered American Trivia questions from a game that child 1 got for Christmas
• helped child 2 with origami (from a kit she got for Christmas)
• organized child 4's books
• found homes for the big bag of stuff Mark emptied out of my van before our vacation
• re-loaded the dishwasher
• typed up a grocery list for Mark then asked him to pick up take out after he went to the store :)
• brushed child 4's teeth, read bedtime stories, etc.
• took a much needed nap
  
• worked on catching up on newspapers from last week
• worked on report cards and comments
• took down the Christmas tree

I could probably go on but will stop. :) It is strange. It isn't like we have an overly structured day. Yet it is busy. I will start working on clothes, then get interrupted to change batteries in the youngest's Leapster, while the two girls come in with an argument about how to clean their room. I feel like I am going in circles sometimes!

I want to say a little about the place we stayed in Florida, but have to work on the pictures. My pictures are on the computer but they are playing hide and seek...I have to figure out where they went :)

Thank you for praying for Bonnie yesterday. I know she feels that. Please continue to pray for little Hannah's family too.

I usually do a Year in Review with pictures on New Year's. Like my "Christmas" cards, it is coming...it just may be a little late. I know you are just on pins and needles with excitement!

Okay, I am rambling. And since school has not been canceled, I better get to bed. I actually have to set my alarm! Hope I remember how to get to school...

More later,
Reba

Remembering...

So sorry I didn't post last night. You would think I had all kinds of free time on my hands since we had a snow day. However, the day was filled with children, snow gear, laundry, unpacking, etc. Then last night when I settled down to write this, I couldn't find my pictures (on the computer). Before I knew it, I was sitting there with the computer on my lap, warm as can be, sound asleep.

We have another "snow" day today. I won't even voice every thought I am having about the complaints the district has received due to this decision. I have some strong opinions though and will just summarize by saying that I am thankful to work for a district that does put its students first. While much of the roads appear clear, not all of our students live IN town. Driveways, sidewalks, and parts of the road are still NOT clear. I was out today, and even my school parking lot is still not clear. We really don't get snow often so it is not financially sound for the district or even our city to have major equipment to deal with this. I know our summers get shorter when we have snow days, but the safety of our students and teachers comes first! There. My rant for the day.

Speaking of snow days, it was this day last year that a tragedy occurred. We were having our in-service...the first day returning after our Christmas vacation. That morning I went to a kindergarten meeting at another school. Later in the day we were in our own schools. I was in the hallway when I heard someone talking about the weather and asking if we had heard about the accident. While the ground was not covered, it was cold and a little icy that day. Apparently a teacher on his way to the in-service was in a car accident when his car slid on the ice; he died that morning. When I heard the teacher's name, it sounded familiar but I really don't know many of the high school teachers in our area. When I heard a description of his family though...a kindergarten teacher at another school who was taking a year off to stay with their daughter and was pregnant with their second child...somehow the pieces came together. My heart sank. I can remember well the hollow feeling left in my stomach.

I didn't know Bonnie well. Well, at least not in person. We were blogger friends. Somehow she had found my blog which in turn helped me find her blog. We had a lot in common: we were both moms and kindergarten teachers and bloggers. In fact, at one kindergarten meeting the year before, she had come up and introduced herself. Otherwise, we only knew each other through blog comments. But now her life was very different. I still cry thinking about it. There are many things in life I don't understand, and this will always be one of them.

Over the last year, I have gotten to know Bonnie more. She is an amazing person. She was a devoted wife and loves her children with all she has. She has a giving heart; I don't think she could be mean if she tried. She is so much of what I am not. I am constantly amazed at her patience, her encouragement, and her complete faith in God despite the struggles she has had to face this past year (including delivering their son without her husband by her side). I have done things thinking I was helping her only to find myself leaving feeling more encouraged and loved than when I came.

My one regret is that I did not go to the funeral. At the time, we had only met once in person. I was afraid that it would be odd for me to just show up. I also knew it would be really crowded. Mr. Culp was a well loved and respected high school teacher with many students who were mourning his loss too. Our faculty was actually asked to help substitute if needed at the school where Bonnie's sister teaches. In the end, I chose not to go, and I am sorry for that now. At the time, all I knew to do was pray. And I did a lot of that. A lot of people have. I really think and believe Bonnie has felt those prayers over the year. She has a strength that comes from Him. Thank you to all who have prayed for that strength and peace for her this year!

When I first started this post, I didn't mean to go this in depth. I guess it has been on my heart more than I knew.


More later...
Reba