what is time?

making cards for great grandmother - who is 96 and very sick.
playing peek-a-boo..... i love those baby hands!


i have had some really good posts to put up here, but haven't had the time. why don't i have the time. this is such an enigma to me! kids, being sick, kids being sick, lesson plans, errands, work, church, getting ready for lessons to teach at church, scrapbooking? nope, not that one!, cleaning the house - maybe a little, did i mention kids? how about the need to sleep? for someone that has always been a night owl i have had several nights recently (because i've been sick) when i got 7 or more hours of sleep, with me in bed by 9:30, and it actually felt really good. when that alarm goes off at 5:15 i'm still tired but i'm not cursing as much. but with going to bed earlier i am losing time in my day. and thus, no posts.
but i still wantedto put up some cute pictures and then i'll write the "he says" coversations i've been saving up the next time (which hopefully will be tomorrow and not a month from now.)

okay, so i leave for california on saturday. i'm there saturday night til tuesday afternoon. i'm doing some contract work for Tombow by demonstrating their adhesive products at CHA. so anyone need to get a hold of me use my cell phone, cause i probably won't be checking emails.

off to bed now, looks like i'm only getting 5 hours tonight.

he says, she says

i have been wishing lately that i had a tape recorder with me at all times, cause you never know quite what your children will say, so here are some of the ones i remembered when i sat down to finally write them.... p.s. thank jj for the title, hope you don't mind me swiping it for segements on the things my kids come up with!

before reading scriptures with xander he wanted to know who heavenly father was? who jesus was? how was heavenly father jesus's father and our father? and if he was our father, what about dad (todd)? when were we going to heaven? tomorrow? *pause, then a voice that threatened tears* but what about my video games?
after reading (keeping him still while we read 10 verses) and climbing into his own bed "mom, i need to ask heavenly father if he has a tv, so i can play my lmax". (after laughing) my response was "that's a very good question, but we may not know the answer to that right away."

some of xander's favorite arguments now for not doing what he has been asked to do are "that's not possible" and "my heart says no"

cassidy has been saying more words these last two weeks. without promptings she says "gang ou" which translates to "thank you". today in the doctor's office she said repeatedly "poo poo" and sure enough she was right. "bulles" which is really bubbles, although that one is getting a lot clearer. "bobby" as her lovable baby dolls. and "lul ou", which is the sweetest of all "i love you". but the best part about this one is that she will go back-and-forth with you and even mimic your voice levels. she'll even whisper it. sweet baby voice!

thanks to santa cassidy got a rocking horse for christmas which xander calls "his boy" - mind you it is pink, but to xander color isn't associated with gender (how long will that last?) well, i think xander has ridden it more than cassidy, but he also rides it a little more adventurous than cassidy and has flipped off it three times. as he was nearing what would be the fourth such riding accident i asked him if he should be rocking so hard. he promptly came over and proceeded to lay out the "10 rules about riding cassidy's horse". i wish i could remember them. but i think some of them were - "don't rock too close to the fireplace", "don't rock too close to the wall" "don't carry the horse upstairs"....i kept waiting for one about rocking too hard or too fast, but it never came. i guess it isn't one of those 10 most important, although i am sure that is the one he hears the most.

so i don't have a tape recorder, but i'll try to write them quickly, cause kids do say the darnedest things.

how 'bout them goals?

as i finished straightening up the laundry room tonight i thought i'd jump on here and give a quick "check in" on my 2008 goals status - a place for everything and everything in it's place.

• toy room - organized and clean
• kids room - organized and clean (with two adorable sleeping kids in there right now)
• my room - organized and clean - except for those random "what-do-i-do-with-these" kind of things
• living room - in shambles as we are still taking down christmas
• my office - always and forever will be a mess!
• kitchen- clean, dishes done, floor mopped last night (can't tell today though), and tupperware cupboard organized. still more cupboards and pantry to go through
• hallway shelves - organized and surprisingly all the toys and crayons, etc are still in their correct bins "good job xander!"
• down stairs hall closet - still looking okay
  
• upstairs hall closet - can't get to it yet as christmas boxes are in the way
• bathrooms - will be cleaned on saturday, thoroughly and organized
• laundry room - organized (must finish the laundry now)

this feels pretty good! i've even got xander cleaning every day. my deal with him is that he cleans with me at 5:00, however long it takes us in whatever room is assigned for that day, and when he is done he can play video games, leapster lmax, or computer games until dinner is done (usually 45 min. or so). everyday he has complained, but everyday he has finally pitched in and not seemed to mind. yeah! another goal going well.

i've also tried to work out a better bedtime schedule for the kids, including reading scriptures. not easy to get kids to listen to 10 verses. don't think it ever will be (mom, dad...i remember!) but the two nights that we got to bed late i was going to skip it, but my four year old pipes up with "mom, what about our scriptures? aren't we going to read them?" keeping me on track.

keeping in touch with friends hasn't really started yet. i'm expecting too much of myself. i keep thinking that i need a cute card to mail to them. but really all i have to do is make a phone call or drop an email. i'll do that one tonight! i can do that. so if you are reading this, your time will come. i'll pop into your life at some point and try to keep up with you!

i haven't really made many scrapbook goals but i would like to do it more. a lot of that will come when i can get my office in good working order. i've cleaned it many times, but obviously my organizing didn't work for me, as my desk blew up again. last night i was doing a project with glue and glitter in my lap. what a joke!

but the reason i was doing the project isn't a joke...it is actually very cool. there is a company locally that creates pens and adhesives that they market to scrapbookers/crafters (among the other products that they make) - tombow - every heard of them? well through working at the scrapbook store several years ago i met a fabulous girl who is the marketing director for tombow. she asked me to do product demonstrations for the company, showcasing 3 new adhesive products, at the big conference called CHA (Crafter/Hobby Association or something close to that). it is being held in california in february and i am creating the make-n-take projects and going to california to demonstrate them. everything is paid for - airfare, hotel, food, and my time preparing and at the conference. i am so excited! a little apprehensive about being gone from my babies for 4 days, but so excited about doing this! so more updates to come on this adventure.

now, what am i going to do about my bedtime schedule. as here i sit 11:30pm. supposed to be upstairs at 10:30 and in bed by 11:00. still working on that one, and for those of you that know me as the night owl that i am, know that this may be the most difficult goal for me to achieve this year!

i have more to write, but oh so tired now. more tomorrow? i'll give it my best shot.

job update

p.s
for those of you that didn't know, todd has been out of a job since june. it has not been easy and finances have been tight. but we made it through the holiday by the generosity and support of many friends and family and anonymous persons.
so just to update, todd was able to find a job the week before christmas. he is working with Sun Suites, an extended stay hotel. it is close by and will offer the benefits we have been missing. it is most likely a temporary position, as it is a new arena for him. however, he may find that he really enjoys the hotel industry and use this as a good foundation for future things. time will tell, and i'll be sure to tell it here.

holidays are over

how sad. christmas came and went, hanukkah came and went, even kwannza came and went and now it's a new year. my decorations are still up and probably will be until this weekend, so it still looks festive, but the anticipation is over. xander asked when it would be christmas again - in about 353 days. did i do my math right?

well chirstmas went wonderfully. my mom and dad and brother drove from the land of the snow to join us in 60 degree christmas weather. we caroled we ate, we opened presents, we ate, we stayed up late and we ate! so many supportive family and friends really spoiled my kids this year. totally outdid themselves. a big huge THANK YOU! and chris and katy - you are my heroes!

so the new year is here. goals, resolutions, to do's...yup, i've been making my lists. at the very top are three things that i hope to stick to:
1. a place for everything and everything in it's place - i'm really trying to declutter. it's gonna take a while and i might be doing it all year, but by golly, 5 years in this house and i'm gonna get it done.
2. be better at keeping in touch with friends and family. i've been so wrapped up in me and my issues that i have failed to be there for my friends and family who have had exceptionally challenging years. what was up with 2007 anyway?
3. finish all my application requirements (tests, references, & portfolios) for master's program
4. 365 days of me - i have failed in my journaling attempts, including but not limited to blog entries, weekly or even monthly updates of my kids developments and accomplishments, and just giving myself time to write what i am thinking, feeling and struggling with. so i'm taking a picture of myself everyday and writing a little blurb about me and the day, so at the end of the year i'll have lots of "little diaries".

there they are, there are many more, including the annual "losing weight" one. but more importantly i know that i just need to write these goals in a place that i can read them over everyday to remind myself what i am working for.

happy new year everyone. may all the things i learned in 2007 be helpful in this new year (because if it isn't and i went through all that for nothing then heads may roll :P )

some free time

okay, so it really isn't free and it is only for about five minutes, but the kids are occupied with xander's remote control lightning mcqueen and todd is out in the kitchen with them, so i seem to have found a moment to write something.
these last few weeks have been crazy. i have stayed really busy with school and getting things done for school. i think i could use another week in my classroom to get everything just right. i am training a new assistant at the same time as i "train" my class, and it has been interesting. i have quite a class this year. very strong personalities. i like to joke that i would feel much better if we could fast forward the first month of school, to when they know the routines. I'm not giving in, and sometimes i am mean but i tell them i know how i want my class and i'm going to get my way.
some cute stories about xander and cassidy....
*when you say "hello" to cassidy she holds her hand up to her ear, like a telephone
*she dances, and usually it is just a head tilt or bob to the right paired with a little bouncing as she bends her knees
*she has words for "xander" "daddy" and "rachel" and they pretty much all sound the same, but she knows the difference
*she is just beginning to walk on her own, to get to something she wants
*she is fascinated with putting paper in her mouth
*she signs "more" for "i want" and it is fun trying to figure out what it is that she wants. usually to tell you "no" she does a head tilt to the right
*she can blow bubbles with her spit (what is it about my children and their talents)

*now xander has discovered "joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat" and has been singing it for days
*he loves newsies and high school musical 1 & 2
*some of our conversations recently have been about marriage....xander wants to marry me, and strongly disagrees when i tell him i am already married to his dad. he protests for another few minutes and then insists that he marry cassidy. when i tell him that it doesn't work that way and that he can't marry cassidy his response is usually something like "mom, i need a girl to marry!"
*he is obsessed with giving me married kisses and i can't help but laugh as he knocks me to the floor and his little freckled face comes at me with his eyes closed and his mouth already puckered up. (one of these days i need to get a picture of that face, cause it really does make me laugh)

sick week

yup, life here this week included coughs, runny noses, tired kids, tired parents, and pink eye! yuck, yuck and triple yuck. we actually had to stay home from school on tuesday and then cassidy and xander left early on thursday. i really hope this week is not a repeat cause i don't think i can afford to be sick another week.
i am looking forward to parent / teacher conferences this week. yeah me! but i've got to have my game face on! i'm the professional here, right?
well, i'm working on that. this saturday i'm scheduled to take one of the graduate level tests as part of my application into graduate school, hopefully at brenau university here in georgia. (have i mentioned this before?) well with all the job and financial troubles that we have been going through i have decided that i need to make myself a little more marketable and more professional so i can "move up" to the elementary schools if i need to. so i'm attempting a masters in early childhood education and my teaching certificate. once i start it could be 1.5 - 2 years ...which means more sleepless nights, more work during the day, more sickness? i hope not. but i know me, lack of sleep = lack of health.
which reminds me, it is after midnight! i must get to bed, up at 5:30. i really never learn.
alright, i'm rambling. my mind is in five different directions - lesson plans, christmas cards, christmas shopping, p / t conferences and my comfy bed. i think i'll put more thought into that last one now. til later...