Family Fun, and Fears Overcome

                                    

Yesterday, I decided to take the kids for a much needed day out to Silver Dollar City.  I really wanted a day with my kids where we didn't have to think about anything but spending some quality time together, and enjoying some family fun.  What better place to do it than at a theme park?  Even though we went to Silver Dollar City three times over the summer, they were just as excited to go yesterday as they was the first time we went.  I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that Peanut was taking her boyfriend with us, and the other two were desperate to get out and have some fun.  It's been a while, and they never tire of riding roller coasters.  

We made it to SDC around 10AM, and the first thing I noticed was that the parking lot was already PACKED.  Not exactly a good sign, because I don't do too well with extremely large crowds.  Plus, I'm as bad as the kids with impatience when it comes to waiting forever to get on a ride.  But, thankfully, the crowds seemed to be more interested in the fall festival that's currently going on there, and weren't as interested in riding all the rides.  Which was great for us.  We didn't wait more than 10 minutes to get on a ride all day.

Our first ride of the day was Thunderation.  The smallest and mildest of the extreme roller coasters at SDC.  We walked the winding trail to the ride and was able to get straight on without waiting at all.  The same can be said for the Electro-Spin and the Pirate Ship that we went on right after.  

Then we decided it was time to try our first water ride of the day, and hit the Lost River of the Ozarks.  Now, the weather yesterday was BEAUTIFUL.  The sun was shining, and the temps were in the 70s all morning/early afternoon.  However, the water was FREEZING.  We had a great time, but it's a lot different going on a water ride in the fall than it is during the summer.  It's not as refreshing.  We still enjoyed it, though, and the wetness just made us walk a bit faster and stand in the sun more to dry off.  

Up to this point, I had been stalling on heading over to one area of the park.  That would be where Outlaw Run is located.  It's the biggest, craziest roller coaster at the park.  It's a new wooden roller coaster that climbs to 160 feet before plummeting down at an 81 degree angle.  It then does a variety of corkscrews and crazy dives at 68MPH.  I can't ride Outlaw Run, because I'm too big.  It's the only ride I've ever faced that problem, yet it's one of my motivations for losing weight.  Before this year is over, I WILL get on Outlaw Run.  However, it wasn't me that was so excited to ride it, and causing me to try and stall as long as possible.  No.  It was Jelly wanting to ride it that was causing me so much anxiety.  

Ever since our last visit, Jelly has been bugging me about letting her ride it.  Now, Jelly is a little dare-devil and has ridden on every other ride at SDC.  She loves the Barn Swing, PowderKeg, and Thunderation.  The only reason she hasn't been on WildFire (the other giant roller coaster) is because she's not tall enough to ride it.  But, I promised her last time that I'd let her ride Outlaw Run the next time we went.  So, I had to follow through on my promise, even though I was absolutely TERRIFIED about her getting on such an extreme coaster without me riding with her.  

As Peanut, her boyfriend, Butter, and Jelly waited in line to get on Outlaw Run, my stomach was doing flips.  As I watched them all climb aboard, it took everything I had not to scream for them to pull Jelly off.  Peanut and Butter could both see the worry on my face and kept trying to comfort me with signs and signals from the line.  Easier said than done.  As I watched them pull out of the station, I said a silent prayer and watched them start the climb up to the 160 foot drop.  As the cars dropped on the other side, so did my stomach...and I held my breath for the duration of the ride.  Within a few seconds, I saw the train come back in to the station and managed to capture this picture...

                                          

I know it's hard to see, but Jelly (as do the other kids) all have a GIANT smile on their faces.  Jelly LOVED it!  So much so, that she was straight off and back in line before I even had a chance to question her about the ride.  While the kids waited for another ride, I went and bought the picture from their first ride.  I wanted to document the amazing look on all of their faces, and I was lucky that they had all sat together.  I was able to buy a keychain with the four of them making the most amazing faces of glee, excitement, and terror.  Jelly was the face full of glee.. HA!

Once they'd ridden a second time, we decided to head on over to something else.  We rode Fire in the Hole and then planned on riding PowderKeg.  Unfortunately, PowderKeg had been closed to some form of malfunction, and it stayed that way for the rest of the day.  It always worries me when coasters close due to "malfunctions" so I wasn't too disappointed that it didn't open again for the rest of the day.

We stopped for some lunch at that point, and then headed on to my favorite coaster: WildFire.  I love WildFire because it's the only roller coaster that does full loops.  However, due to my fear of heights, I have never ridden with keeping my eyes open.  I have always closed my eyes as we are climbing the first hill and only ever opened them while I could focus on something other than how high up we were. Yesterday, however, I made the promise to myself that I was going to overcome my fear of heights and keep my eyes open on ALL rides.  And, I did it!! I kept my eyes open, and even enjoyed the amazing view 150 feet up in the air.  Of course, I could only enjoy the view for 3 seconds before we were plummeting down to the ground again at 66MPH... but just the fact that I did it is amazing.  After the ride, I walked out on to the viewing deck and took a second to take in the view I usually rush past because it used to make me dizzy.  I stood there, feeling a little uneasy, but just told myself that I was missing out on too much beauty by being afraid.  Once I took a deep breath, and told myself that I was officially over my fear, the dizziness started to fade and I was OK.  

Fear of heights officially overcome!!

The rest of the day was just as fantastic.  We did A LOT of walking, we rode on more rides, and we just enjoyed each other's company.  It was an amazing day.  Before we called it quits, we decided to take some photos with the beautiful fall arrangements that have been set up at the park's entrance.  It felt good to take some photos with the kids.  And, now I have more photos to store in our photo memory book.  

                                      

                                       

Days like yesterday are so important.  Spending time with my kids is something I love doing, and I'm always looking for new adventures that we can go on.  Buying the season passes to SDC was probably one of the best investments I've ever made.  Next year, I think I'm going to up the ante and buy passes for Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, too.  Sure, it's a much longer drive, but it's another place I know the kids would love and we'd have such an amazing time.  

Today, I have some work that I need to get done.  The deal I have with the kids is that we spend one day together, and the other day I spend working.  I want to really sit down with my lesson plans for the next week and see how I can add some of the fun back that I spoke about yesterday, and really hash out some longer range goals for changing up how things are done in my classroom.  I'm actually excited to get the work done.  I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I'm pumped and recharged after the PD on Friday, and a lot of that also has to do with the fact that I got to spend a great day with my kids and I can now sit back and work knowing we had some quality time together.  

Of course, there's plenty more work I have to fit in between lesson plans.  I have grading, school work, laundry, grocery shopping and such... but I don't feel in the slightest bit overwhelmed or stressed.  Fun is so refreshing for the soul.  I can start this week off full of positivity and motivation.  What a wonderful way to feel!!

Have an amazing day, everyone!!

Had a Great Fourth...Now On to Vacation Prep

                                         

Well, we managed to have a fantastic 4th of July.  The kids and I went up to the park, that's just down the street from our house, and enjoyed the town's 101st Freedom Fest.  Even though we've only been living in this town a year, we've been coming to this celebration on and off for years.  It first started way back when the kids were small, and we lived in this town then.  

The park fills up with car shows, tractor shows, vendors, inflatables, and local bands for a day of fun, food, and small town togetherness.  

We spent a couple of hours looking around, playing, and enjoying ourselves that can only be explained further with the pictures that I took...

Our first stop was to look at the animals that were on show by the Wilderness Safari that's located a little outside of town.  They brought a trailer full of monkeys and had some more "farm friendly" animals for the kids to touch...

Jelly petting a calf, and as you can tell, not too sure about that...

                                       

Jelly touching a baby llama (or alpaca, I can never tell the difference)

                                      

All three kids petting the baby donkeys...

                                     

Some bunnies...

                           

And some piglets...

                                       

After that, Jelly took some time to enjoy the inflatables...

                                     

                                     

                                     

Then, we took a ride downtown on the back of a tractor wagon...

                                      

                                      

                                      

And before we left, the kids took a picture with the giant gorilla...

                                       

That was the end of the first trip up to the park, but after being there for a while, we were hot and ready for some swimming.  The original plan was to come home, swim, eat dinner, and then go back to the park for the concert and fireworks that started at 7PM.

When I say that was the original plan, I mean the plan got changed a little.  When I got home and discovered that EVERY. SINGLE. swim towel was ONCE AGAIN stuffed in the laundry basket to be washed, I may or may not have had a little baby tantrum and declared that I was NOT going swimming.  I then went in to my room to "cool off" for a second, and the next thing I know Hubby was waking me up and telling me dinner was ready.  And, low and behold ALL of the kids had to be woken up as well.  Apparently, after my little fit, they all decided to lay low in their rooms and all fell asleep.  So, even though we didn't swim, we did all enjoy a nap.

Hubby had grilled chicken and baked potatoes for us to eat, and after enjoying every bite of it, it was back to the park for a free concert and fireworks.

Jelly opted to go back on the water inflatables for a while...

                                        

Peanut and Butter were enjoying the nice weather and decent music...

                                        

                                         

And they even decided to have a little "planking" competition to amuse themselves...

                                          

Jelly made up a comfy spot on the grass when it was time to get ready for fireworks...

                                          

She didn't stay there long, though, and opted for a chair.  She doesn't look very happy, but that's only because the flash caught her offguard...

                                          

The other kids kept a smile on their faces all night...

                              

And finally it was time for the AMAZING fireworks.  I'm only going to show two pictures, because the pictures I got don't do the fireworks any form of justice...

                               

                               

We had a great time, and despite my little fit throwing, enjoyed our entire day together.

Today is all about getting ready for our vacation.  We're leaving bright and early tomorrow morning, so I have a lot to get done.  I need to make sure everyone's clothes are clean, make sure everything we need is packed, run to the store and pick up the few essentials we need to take with us, and clean the house so that we can come home to a clean house.  

I bet Hubby can't wait for us to all be gone.  He has to stay behind, but that's like a vacation for him anyways.  He'd much rather stay home and have an empty house than gallivant off with us to theme parks, shows, and water parks.  Which, despite being sad he won't be there with us, I am relieved that someone will be here to watch the house and the cats while we are gone.

The kids are all uber excited.  This is our first family getaway since Jelly was 6 months old... so about five and a half years.  Even if we are only going to Branson, which is just a two hour drive from where we live, it's a vacation in their eyes.  In all of our eyes.  A giant resort, indoor water park, shows, miniature golf, and Silver Dollar City.  And we even plan on doing some shopping at some point at the giant outlet mall I've never been to that's located in Branson.

Our trip was supposed to be three days and two nights, but I've already decided that we're going to add another night because there's just no way we can do everything we want without rushing and squeezing it in... so another night will help lift some of that.

I'm taking my iPad with me, so I might be doing some blogging while I'm away.  Not making any promises, but I'm thinking in the evenings it will be nice to have something to do once all the fun of the day is over.  

OK, can't spend anymore time sitting here...so much to do and so little time!!

Have a great Saturday, everyone!!

That's Just Too Much Crying For One Movie

                                                        

(Don't worry, there will be no spoilers given during this blog.  So if you haven't read/seen The Fault in Our Stars, you're OK to read this.)

A few weeks ago, I hadn't even heard of this book.  I know, the 4th grade teacher who LOVES YA literature hadn't heard of the New York bestselling novel.  But, I hadn't.  Not until Peanut came home from school one day and INSISTED that I take her to see the movie that had just been released in the theater.  

She told me how she'd read the book, and just HAD to see the movie.  HAD TO.  

Being the awesome mom that I am, I agreed...on one condition: I read the book first.  Which isn't a new condition in my house.  Any time there's a movie made from a book, I read the book first.  Some people disagree with my mentality.  They think it best to see the movie first and then read the book to see how much better it is, but I work oppositely to that.  Let me read the book, see how wonderful it is, and then pick apart the movie and the differences that way.

Peanut and I have come to embrace our reading then movie seeing experience.  We read and saw all of the "Harry Potter" books/movies (in which Peanut is STILL obsessed with) and then the Twilight books/movies.  We've read all of The Hunger Games books, saw the first two movies, and we're both excited for the last two movies to come out (they're making the last book in to two movies).  I'm still in the process of reading the Divergent series, but I couldn't get Peanut in to that one.

I digress.

Anywho, with summer school and softball and baseball still going full force when the movie was released, I didn't get to read the book as quickly as I wanted to.  In fact, the library just called me last Monday to tell me that they had it available.  I would have read it when I picked it up, but Peanut wanted to read it again, first.  And she had more time for that kind of stuff.  So, I got the book back on Friday.  I read the book in about 5 hours.  I read for a couple of hours Friday night, and finished it off Saturday morning.

The book was good.  Devastatingly emotionally so.  All I could think while reading each page was why on earth anyone would want to see this book play out in real life.  No spoilers, but the book is HEARTBREAKING.  There are few books that have brought me to tears while reading them, but this one got me a couple of times.

But, I wasn't about to go back on my word about seeing the movie, so yesterday afternoon Peanut and I took off to the theater to watch The Fault in Our Stars.  

Now, I'm no newb when it comes to crying at sad movies.  I still, after watching some movies for the umpteenth time, shed a few tears.

Every time Rose tells Jack that she'll "never let go" in Titanic.

Every time a translucent Patrick Swayze appears to Demi More in Ghost. 

Every time Angel dies and MiMi almost dies in Rent.

The floodgates open, and the tears start to flow.  But, with each of these movies, I start crying about 10 minutes before the end of the movie.  And that's it.  Done.  Movie over.

I have NEVER watched a two hour movie where I started crying about 40 minutes in, and bawled my head off until the movie was over.  Never.  Until yesterday.  And, I'm not talking about those little lumps that appear in your throat and cause a few tears to run down your cheek kind of cries that I'm familiar with when watching sad movies.  I'm talking full out, can't breath because I'm trying so hard to hold back the sobs so that no one in the theater is disturbed by my bawling kind of tears.  

My body was shaking.  The lump in my throat was so big it was causing me pain.  And the tears were rolling down my cheek so fast, that the five napkins I went through could have been rung out and my tears collected to fill up a small container.  

And even though I was doing everything in my power to stifle my sobs, I could hear the same throughout the theater.  Wet sniffles, gasped sobs, and shielded whimpers coming from all around me. 

I even saw the one of two guys that sat two rows in front of me wipe his eyes SEVERAL times.

By the time the movie was over, my throat hurt, my eyes were swollen, and I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest and stomped on several times.  Something I've never experienced while watching a movie.  That's because most movies, despite how sad they can be, end up with a warm and fuzzy happy ending.  But, well, this one doesn't.  Hopefully that's not considered a spoiler.  But, really... no happy ending to make all those tears and ripped emotions feel any relief.  

However, it was good.  I enjoyed it, as much as I could with the whole story line.  Of course, the movie wasn't near as good as the book... but it was close.  

After seeing a good movie, I usually rave about how EVERYONE should go see it.  But, with this one?  I'm not so sure I should give that suggestion.  If you like sappy love stories, but are OK with getting your own heart broken...then go see it.  This is NOT a movie I would drag my husband/ boyfriend/ significant other to go see in order to get the romance blooming... unless you want to spend the rest of the night explaining that he's not any less of a man because he cried so hard over a movie.  This is NOT a movie I would go see with a bunch of girlfriends who are out for a good time or a night on the town...unless you want to spend the rest of the night crying in to your drinks about how unfair life can be.  This is NOT a movie I would take a child to that isn't familiar with the way cancer works... unless you want to spend your car ride home explaining cancer and the effects it can have on the body.  

In fact, just go see the movie alone if you're interested in seeing it.  Do that.  Then at least you can watch the movie, sit in your car and collect yourself, and drive home and tell everyone it was a good movie while keeping the secret of how your popcorn got so covered in tears, that it turned in to liquid right there in the bucket.  

Taking your teenage daughter who's already read the book and is fully prepared for what's going to happen is fine.  As long as you're willing to hold her hand not to provide her with support, but for your own support for keeping it together.  

All in all, I'd say the movie was horribly good.  Yes.  That's the way I'd say it.  The story is amazing.  The characters are amazing.  The two combined?  Absolute havoc on your emotions.  

But, I will say the message I took away is one that I will cherish:  Live life for TODAY.  You never know how long you have with the ones you love...so make each moment count.

Cliche? Yes.  But, still the absolute TRUTH!

Have a great Monday, everyone!!

Worlds of Fun, Indeed!! Part I

What an AMAZING weekend I had.  And capitalizing the letters in "amazing" just doesn't skim the surface at how much emphasis I want to put on that word.  I haven't had that much fun in YEARS... so many years.  I was able to let go of any stress, and feel like a total kid again.  I got to do things I never thought I'd do.  I got to laugh until I cried, walk miles and miles, feel the rush of adrenaline fly through my veins, and not let a single worry slip in to my brain.

I got to spend two days and one night in Kansas City.  Peanut's Jr. High band got the opportunity to perform at a music festival hosted at Worlds of Fun.

And there's so much I want to share, I just know that I won't be able to fit it all in today, so I'm going to spend the next couple of days sharing all about my weekend.

Today, I'm working backwards a little and just discussing how I feel about the experiences.  How the weekend affected me, rather than what I actually did.  I'll be sure to share a complete detailed breakdown of the actual trip, and the places I got to visit, at some point this week.

Let me just say that two days ago, I was absolutely TERRIFIED of heights.  And I mean petrified.  It was so bad that I got nauseous looking up at the dome of the capital building when I visited Jefferson City a few weeks ago.  Watching Peanut standing up there, looking down at me, made me light headed and I had to sit down for a few minutes to get my bearings.  So, I'll be honest and say that the thought of going to a theme park was a little intimidating.

I mean, I was excited.  The last time I visited a theme park, Jelly was 6 months old.  So that would be almost 6 years ago.  And back then, my fear of heights was mild.  It hadn't intensified to the ridiculous level it is now.  But, even back then, there were rides I refused to get on due to the height of them.

I have always liked theme parks and just the idea of getting away for a mini vacation was exciting.  I had already made the plan that I'd try my best to get on some rides, to not let my fear take over, and walk away without any regrets.  And, I can happily say I did that.  In fact, I made myself get on rides I never, in a million years, thought I'd get on.  One of which takes you up 205 feet in the air, and drops you down at a speed of 70 miles an hour.  Rollarcoasters that have you spinning upside down in continuous corkscrews, rides that spin you around so fast that you're literally stuck to the side walls as the floor disappears, and a ride that combines a tilt-a-whirl with a rollarcoaster.

Crazy stuff.

Every single time I got in line, I just told myself that the hardest part was getting on.  Once I was on, there was no turning back.  I just had to suck it up and commit to sitting down, getting strapped in, and then praying that I'd made the right decision.

We were able to spend the entire day at the theme park, and not ONCE did I refuse to get on a ride.  There were several that required some coaxing from my kid companions, but none where I completely chickened out.  I walked away feeling so proud of myself, and the only regrets I took with me were regrets that we didn't have more time and I wasn't able to get on more rides.  There were a few that we missed, that I really would have loved to try out, but I'd much rather have that regret than regretting not getting on anything.

By the time the day was over, I was completely and utterly exhausted.  My feet and back were screaming for mercy.  I had spent about 9 hours walking around the park.  NINE HOURS!!  Sitting only for the short few minutes a ride lasted or the 10 minutes I sat watching the kids perform in the band, or the 15 minutes I sat while we ate dinner.

The drive from the park next door to the little resort I had booked a cabin seemed to last forever.  I have never been so ready to lay my head down on a pillow.  In fact, I don't even think I laid my head down on the pillow.  It was after 11PM by the time we got in to our room, got ourselves changed, and organized ourselves well enough to get in to bed.  Once we'd done all of that, I just collapsed on to the bed, and I didn't open my eyes again for a good 7 hours.

Then, for day two of our KC adventure, I thought it would be great to spend another day walking.

We decided to visit the Kansas City Zoo.  A place I've wanted to visit for a long time, and Peanut has only ever been to one zoo that she's visited over and over and over again.  She was ready for something different.

The weather was absolutely beautiful, the place was absolutely beautiful, and I didn't even mind spending another 5 hours walking.  It was worth every minute of it.

And, I'm out of time.  I have to get ready for work.  Which is why I figure I'd have to spend a couple of days this week sharing all about my weekend adventure.  I'll be back tomorrow, and will share more about the crazy rides I made myself get on to.

Right now though?  It's back to reality, back to work, and back to life as I know it.

Have a great Monday!!!

Hello Friday!!

Ah, Friday.  My favorite F word.  Not the only F word that may or may not have escaped my lips in the past couple of weeks, but definitely my favorite F word.

It's been a week, let me tell you.  Then, the week before MAP testing always is.  Review, review, and more review.  Practice testing, testing strategies, testing scenarios....over, and over, and over again.  Yet, I've finally entered in to that state of mind that says "I've done all that I can, there's nothing more I can really do now".  It's put up or shut up time.  My kids will either rock it, or they won't.  I have spent the school year teaching them everything they need to know in order to ace that test... it's now up to them to show it.

And, all of a sudden, I finally feel like Obi Wan Kenobi.  "The force is strong with these children.  But, they must let the force guide them."

I have to say, though. I am pretty proud of my kids.  It's been tough putting up with me and my crazy stress.  But, despite being a little riled up, the kids have worked hard and dealt with me like champs.  I told them yesterday afternoon that they only had one more week to put up with me, and then all would be right in the world once again.

Thankfully, before the fun of MAP testing actually begins, I will get a weekend away to relax, destress, and prepare for the week ahead.  Well, OK, so I'm not sure there will be any relaxing, there will be lots of stress, and absolutely NO preparation for next week... but the weekend away part is true.

Tomorrow, Peanut's school band is going to Kansas City to perform in a band competition at the theme park World's of Fun.  So, we'll be boarding the kids on to buses at 6:30 tomorrow morning and heading to Kansas City.  I'll be driving my car behind the bus.  We'll arrive, spend time enjoying the theme park, the kids will perform, and then we'll have a couple more hours riding on the rides.  Then, the rest of the band will leave, while Peanut, her friend, and I will be staying.  We're spending the night, and making a mini-getaway out of it.

We'll probably stay at the park until it closes, go back to our cabin, get up early on Sunday, and spend the day exploring what Kansas City has to offer.

I.  Can't.  Wait.

Not a single bit of relaxing.  Walking around ALL day.  Stressing about the heights I have to endure if I'm going to ride on anything.  Staying up late.  Getting up early.  Stressing about driving around a city I've never been to before.  Getting to see all kinds of awesome sights, having amazing amounts of fun, and probably coming home ten times more exhausted than when I left.

What could be better than that the weekend before MAP testing?

I really am looking forward to it.

But, before I can head to Kansas City, I need to get through today, get through ball practices, and take Butter and Jelly to P-Momma.

And, before I can do any of that, I need to go and get ready for work.

All Aboard the Crazy Train

                                            

Great.  Now all day long, I'm going to have Ozzy's "Crazy Train" stuck in my head.  Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay.

But, that's actually a picture of me riding a train on Sunday.  The Zoo Train.  Not sure what was going on with my hand, but well...it fits with today's post.

Yes, Sunday, I took the kids to the zoo.  Butter had asked to go for his birthday, but the weather wasn't really cooperating when it was his birthday.  So, we waited another week and went on Sunday.  Which, just happened to be the PERFECT day to go.  The temperature was around 70 degrees, the sun was shining, and all the animals were out enjoying the BEAUTIFUL weather.

We spent about five hours walking around, enjoying our day.  The kids were all in a great mood, there wasn't a single issue of fighting, and the whining was very minimal.  And that only occurred after being in the zoo for about 4 hours, and someone (Jelly) getting a little tired.   We all had a great time.  I think everyone in Tulsa decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather, because the place was PACKED.  But, despite how busy it was, we were able to get in and see everything we wanted to see and hardly had to stand in line for anything.  

We didn't end up getting home until after 7PM, once we stopped off at McDonald's to grab dinner on the way home.  It was a McDonald's that has one of those Play Places... and Jelly was so excited to see it.  I was shocked that she still had so much energy to play after spending all day walking around the zoo, but she did.

Once we got home, the kids all took their showers ready for bed, and I went straight to work finishing up my lesson plans for the week.  I finally made it to bed around midnight.  Talk about exhausted... and that's why I didn't write my blog yesterday morning, because I decided to sleep in a little longer than usual.  

But, it was needed, knowing that I was going in to the week that I'm going to have.

Last night was Jelly's Family Night at school.  That lasted until almost 7PM.  Tonight, Peanut and Butter have their first Track Meet, and no doubt that will last until around 8PM.  Tomorrow, I'm taking the day off to take Butter to an appointment that's going to last a couple of hours.  Thursday, it's Art Night at school, and I'll most likely end up being there until around 7PM again.  And, Friday, Peanut wants to go to the movies with her friends so who knows how late I'll be out waiting to pick her up.

It's been a while since I've had such crazy schedule, but I'm getting quite used to it.  

Next year will be even more fun, once Peanut gets in to high school.  If she makes it on to the Debate Team and the Show Choir AND the Volleyball Team, I'll have my fill of crazy weeks just like this one.

We had that conversation in the car on the way home from the zoo on Sunday.  How crazy life will get starting next year.  Peanut made the comment that I don't have to go to ALL of her activities, if I don't want to.  We then looked at each other and laughed.  We both know that's crazy talk.  If I can be there, I will be.  No ifs, ands, or buts about it.  The only challenge will be juggling between her and Butter's various activities...but I'll make out a schedule if I have to, so that it's fair and I make it to as many activities as possible to watch them play, perform, or whatever.

That's just what I do.

Sure, I could opt to not go to ALL of the activities.  I could just go home and pick the kids up later, or hang out at school, or whatever.  But WHY ON EARTH WOULD I??  Watching my kids do the things they enjoy doing is apart of my life, and I love every minute of it.  Sure, I might complain about how tired I am every once in a while, but I'll take tired over missing out on being there for them.

Last week, I was accused of being a bad mother.  Well, not so much a bad mother, more along the lines of being "fake" about the type of mother that I am.  Which in my mind, is the same thing.  That I don't really care as much about my kids as I make it seem, and that I treat all of my kids differently and aren't as involved with their lives as I make it sound.

Well, other people may think that if they want to, but I know the truth.  I know what kind of mother that I am, and the last thing I'd say about myself is that I'm "fake".  I'm not a perfect mother, sure, but I try my absolute best to do what I can.

And, the only reason I say that I'm not a "perfect" mother is because I believe there to be no such thing.  All parents have room to grow, adapt, and improve on their parenting skills.  I make mistakes.  I do thinks I regret.  I often wish I could do more.  But, there is absolutely no way anyone can doubt the love I have for my children or how much I'll try to do everything I can for them.

Anywho, got off there on a little vent I hadn't planned.

But, I am going to keep doing what I'm doing and be happy about it.  Not getting home until late, and sacrificing some sleep is worth it.  I really do enjoy being apart of all the activities my kids enjoy.

Life at work is just as crazy as life outside of work.  Being that we're down to the wire, there's plenty of stress for everyone.  I'm trying my best to just stay in my own little world, and not let anyone or anything get me down.

There's a lot more to the story, but that's for another time and after I get more information.  

But, right now, it's time for me to get ready for work.

There's Always Time for Some Fun

                                            

What an amazing day I had yesterday.  Amazing in the sense of how much I got done and how much I did.  And amazing in the sense that I'm still able to walk today, and I'm not totally EXHAUSTED.

My day started with one mission and one mission only:  Clean my bedroom.

I had become a hypocrite to my children, and I had to change that.  I'm constantly on their case about cleaning their rooms, making sure their clothes are kept where they're supposed to be kept, putting their clean laundry away and making sure dirty laundry is in the hamper.

Yet, my room had become a disaster zone.

Clean laundry that hadn't been put away, piles of stuff that needed to be put away (somewhere) that was just piled up in various places around the room, and my room looked like it belonged to a teenager.

Not good.

Plus, I was more than ready to make the closet conversation from winter to spring/summer. 

One thing I lost moving in to our new house was my walk-in closet.  I had one in my old house, so my entire year of clothing was always hung.  Spring and summer were on one side and fall and winter were on another.  That was awesome.  But, I gladly sacrificed a walk-in closet for the amazing house that we now have.  

But, now that means I can only keep half a year's worth of clothes in my closet at one time.  The other half of the year are kept in storage tubs under my bed.  Being that it's the time of year to start making that transition, I thought it would also be a good time to go through all of the tubs and clear out stuff that I no longer wanted or that no longer fit me.  Sure, I want to lose weight, but holding on to tons of clothes that are about 6 sizes too small for me just isn't reasonable or realistic.  Maybe I'll lose that much weight, eventually, but I think it's better to focus on a size or two difference and let someone else enjoy the clothes that are not seeing the light of day.

By the time I was finished, I had two bags full of stuff.  All those clothes will be donated to a worthy cause, and someone else can get some enjoyment out of them.  

My closet is now full of bright colors and I'm now ready for spring.  My closet is also all cleaned out to where I can see what clothes I have, and shoes, and I'm now strictly using my closet for those reasons and those reasons only (versus the make-shift storage area it was before).

Everything has been unpacked and put away, or it's been put in the "donate" bags.  It was time.  Time to make my bedroom look like a bedroom, and not something off of an episode of Hoarders.

Anywho, in between all the cleaning, I decided to take the kids to the park.  The weather was beautiful, and I hated that I was indoors cleaning.  So, we jumped in the car and drove up the road to our town's park.  Jelly went off to play on the playground, Butter decided he wanted to go for a jog around the track, and Peanut and I decided to play some volleyball.

I love that our little town park has so much to offer.  Basketball courts, volleyball nets, running/walking track, a baseball field, and three separate playgrounds for the kids to play on.  Not to mention the HUGE open field in the middle to use for soccer or a family picnic.

We spent some time playing separately, and then spent some time all playing together.  We had a blast, and decided right there and then that we'd make it there more often for a little time out of the house.

A little mother/daughter volleyball

Me being silly with Butter

The stupid "fierce" pose that all of the kids are using nowadays

Mom and daughter selfie

Mom and son selfie

Mom and baby girl selfie

All in all, we had a blast.  And I'm so proud of myself for remembering to stop to take some pictures.  I want to document all these little fun things we do together.  It's important.

When we got home, I finished up my bedroom and then went out to sit on the patio while Hubby was grilling dinner.  He made us some FANTASTIC barbecue chicken and corn on the cob. 

After dinner, I pulled out my grading and got to work on that.  I spent several hours relaxing and grading.. at the same time. Yeah, I can multi-task like that.  I even managed to work a little on my lesson plans for next week.

Around 1AM, I decided it was time for me to head to bed.  I knew I had a fun-filled day in store for us today, so I needed my rest.  My back and legs were sore from all of the activity, and it felt good knowing that with all the fun, I'd also managed to get in some exercise.

Today, I'm taking the kids to the zoo.  Butter asked to go for his birthday, but we wanted to wait a couple of weeks until the weather warmed up a little more.  The weather is supposed to be BEAUTIFUL today, with highs in the 70s and sun shine all day long.

I've already decided that this weekend is a reflection on how I want our summer to be.  Day trips, park trips, barbecues, and FUN.  

I spend so much time on the weekends worrying about grading and lesson plans and other work that I need to do, that I often forget about what the weekends are SUPPOSED to be about.  Spending time with my family.  OK, so not ALL of my work might get done, but as important as my work is to me.. it's always FAMILY FIRST.  I am going to keep reminding myself of that.  NOTHING will ever come before my kids.  There might be some weekends that we can't go out and do something, but I have to remember that I can always take a break for an hour or two to go to the park.

And there should ALWAYS be something going on at least every couple of weekends.  That's why I've already decided to buy year passes to the zoo, season passes to Silver Dollar City, and put some cash away for other fun activities such as bowling, skating, hiking, museum trips, etc.  

But, right now, I better get to getting.  My kids will be mad if we're not on the road in the next hour.  They are ready for a day at the zoo!!

Have a great Sunday, everyone!!

Gonna Have to Start Going to Bed Earlier

I don't know what's been wrong with me this week.  I've been staying up WAY too late every night, and that's causing me to NOT want to get out of bed the next morning.  So, that's the reason for my skipping days here and there.  I'm not getting up early enough to write my blog.

The past few nights, I've been up until at least 11PM... and this gal needs more than 5 1/2 hours of sleep to function.  Which means not getting up until around 5:30 each morning.  Thirty minutes isn't long enough for me to write a decent blog post, so I've just skipped those days.

This week has been CRAZY busy, though.

Tuesday I was at the math training.  Wednesday I started my Minecraft blog and then got all caught up in Twitter, networking with other educational bloggers and Tweeters to get some traffic to the blog.  Yesterday was Butter's birthday.  It's just been pretty hectic both in and out of school.

I wish I could say we did something nice, last night, for Butter's birthday.  But, we didn't.  We've decided to hold off until tomorrow and Sunday to celebrate.  I did manage to sneak away from work and order Butter a plate of chocolatey goodness from the local candy store/bakery.  So even though we didn't actually do a big celebration, he did get to enjoy chocolate chip cookies, Oreo and peanut butter cookie balls, dipped pretzel sticks, and a giant brownie.  Nothing says Happy Birthday like a good chocolate/sugar coma, right?  Hubby and I also bought him a video game he's been wanting, but he got that this past weekend.

It's hard to believe my boy is 13.  He's growing up so fast.  All my kids are.  He's grown up so much over the past couple of years, both literally and emotionally.  And regardless of the rough times we've had over the years, he's pushed through and has become such a sweet, caring, mature young man.

Tomorrow, I'm going to be spending the day PLAYING volleyball.  Yep.  You read that right.  Playing.  Not watching...actually on the court, hitting the ball, a part of a team, playing.  I'm taking Peanut and Butter along with me to help out.  Teachers, staff, and other adults from the county are getting together to have a charity volleyball tournament.  

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I volunteered.  I mean, I'm not exactly a volleyball pro, nor really in shape for an entire day of playing volleyball.  But, then again, maybe it might inspire me to get my big behind off the couch and start taking advantage of the warmer weather to lose weight, once again. Lord knows I've tried SO. MANY. TIMES.  But, now that the weather is getting nicer, I can start going out and walking again.  I'm still planning on participating in the Race for the Cure next month, and even though I won't be jogging or running it, I will still need to be ready to walk 3+ miles.

Which doesn't really go well with the fact that after I spend the day playing volleyball, the kids and I are going to out and eat dinner to have a little birthday celebration for Butter.  Hubby and Jelly are going to have a Daddy/Daughter day tomorrow.  Not really sure what they're going to do, but the other two kids and myself are going to get to spend some time together.

On Sunday, we are all going over to P-Momma's for Butter's actual birthday celebration.  We'll have the cake and candles and singing and all that stuff.  We haven't seen P-Momma in TOO long, so all the kids are excited to go over and see her.  They love going to her house.  They get spoiled rotten while they're there... so why wouldn't they?  And, with the weather being nicer, they'll be able to play outside and stuff while the adults get to catch up and visit.

I am WAY overdue for a P-Momma catch up session.  So much to tell her!

But, with a day of volleyball and a day of P-Momma's house, that won't leave a lot of time for working. So, no doubt I'll have a couple of late nights over the weekend in order to write out all of my lesson plans and enter in all of my grades.  But, by this time of the year, I've managed to figure out how to make that process as simple and quick as I can.  I've actually done pretty well at getting a head start this past week during my plan times... so I shouldn't have to spend TOO much time working over the weekend.

Yesterday, I got blindsided with a letter from the IRS.  Gotta love letters addressed from them, right?  They decided to audit my tax return not from this past year, but from the year before...and I didn't report the bingo winnings I had on my 2012 tax returns, so now I owe them a nice chunk of change.

It's my fault for forgetting to claim them, but it also chaps my behind a little because even though I had a very lucrative bingo year in 2011, I didn't get to keep ALL of that money.  I split the winnings with my Mom.  So, now I have to pay out a couple hundred dollars even though we evenly split that money.  But, not much I can do about it. I have to pay the back taxes and the fine and the interest they've added on.  

Lessons learned.

One, make sure I claim any bingo winnings that need to be claimed, and two make sure that if I win a sum that has to be claimed, I take out money from the amount to pay for taxes BEFORE splitting the money.  So that way I don't end up winning, but losing out on an even share.

Not that I get to play bingo very much these days, but food for thought for if and when I do play and win a couple thousand dollars.  I had completely forgotten about winning that money, yet stuff like that always comes back to bite me in the behind... so it's only right I PAY for the mishap.

OK, time for me to get ready for work.  It's going to be a fun day in the classroom today, and I'm going to enjoy it.

Everyone else enjoy your Friday, m'kay?

Girls' Day Out....Times Two!!

                                 

My new year's resolutions got off to a good start yesterday, when I spent the day with my mom and Peanut enjoying a Girls' Day Out.  

If you remember, I made the resolution that I'd spend more time with my extended family.  Meaning my parents and P-Momma.  Yesterday, I managed to spend time with my mom AND P-Momma in the same day.  Talk about committed to the cause, right?

It started off with my dad bringing my mom to me around 10AM yesterday morning.  She still can't drive due to recovering from her surgery, so my dad drove her to me and while he was there he took Butter home with him.  That way, Butter could spend some time with my dad and my brother doing all those "manly" outdoor things they like to do around my brother's little farm.  

Hubby was keeping Jelly with him, and they had planned a day of video game wars while Peanut and I were gone.

After spending a little time just chatting in my living room, us three girls decided to head straight for lunch.  Peanut got to pick, and surprise, surprise, she chose Chinese food.  The girl loves that stuff.  But, so does my mom and I so we didn't mind.

We had a great lunch.  We talked and laughed and ate.  Then, it was time to start our little shopping excursion.  Peanut was in charge of that navigation, because she wanted to spend some of her Christmas money.  My mom and I were supposed to be just along for the ride... but you know how that always goes.

Our first stop was to Gordman's.  Haven't been there in a while.  But, the good thing about going the week after New Year's is the sale they always have.  They have HUGE discounts on their winter stuff... and I mean like 50-75% off almost everything.  I fully expected Peanut to dive in to the clothing racks and hunt out some bargains...but she didn't.  It was Mom and me going through the shelves full of Christmas gift sets that had been slashed in price.  

Mom and I found a few goodies, but then she started to feel the effects of being on her feet for so long.  It doesn't take much to tire Mom out at the moment...which is understandable.  She had 1/3rd of her lung removed..she's still getting accustomed to her limits.  So, we decided to pay for our small treasures and head out.

Once we got out to the car, I realized that we were only a short drive to P-Momma's house.  I gave her a quick call and we were on our way.  

One thing I am very happy about is the fact that my mom and P-Momma get along.  They know each other.  They have a relationship that I would liken to other in-laws.  They have been together and got to know each other through major life events, milestones, and family celebrations.  P-Momma knows what't going on with my mom, because I tell her everything.  So, it was really nice to have a visit with all us gals together.

We drank some coffee, we chatted, we laughed, Mom rested.  And then it was time to hit the streets again for some more shopping... this time somewhere my mom could get a ride-on cart, so she wouldn't be so tired.

For the next two hours, we shopped until we dropped.  I spent WAY more money than I had originally intended, my mom spent way more money than she had originally intended, and the one person who was supposed to be shopping hardly bought anything.  Figures.

We finally made our way home with all of our loot around 5PM.  Just in time for dinner that Hubby had cooked while we were gone.  We all enjoyed a nice dinner around the table, and then after dinner it was an evening full of board games.

Around 9PM, my mom decided she should probably think about getting home.  Peanut and Jelly both wanted to go with me, so we made the drive to Oklahoma to take my mom home. On the way home, Peanut decided she wanted to stop off at Walmart and pick up a few things.  So, there we were, all four girls walking around Walmart at 10PM doing some shopping.  

We finally made it home around 11:30PM.  Jelly was WAY overdue for being ready for bed, so I promptly got her all tucked in.  Peanut decided she wanted to play on her PS3 for a while.  Hubby and I curled up in front of the TV for a couple of hours.

I really need to stop staying up until 2AM... I have to go back to work on Monday morning!!

Anywho, it was a great day.  Peanut said she really enjoyed herself, and I concur.  It was an awesome day, and hopefully the first of many.  It was nice to get my mom away from the hustle and bustle of her house and spend some quality alone time with her.  It was nice to get an impromptu visit with P-Momma.  Just an all around, fantastic day.

It was such a good day, that Peanut has decided that we need to do another Girls' Day today...this time just being her, me, and Jelly.  

This afternoon we are going to go and watch Frozen at the movie theater.  Peanut and I have already seen it, but Jelly hasn't.  We figured it would be a movie Jelly would definitely enjoy, and Peanut and I really want to see it again.

Before the movies, Peanut and Jelly are going to make a chocolate gingerbread house.  Peanut bought it yesterday while we were perusing some of the Christmas clearance stuff.  She thought it would be a great activity for her to do with her little sister.  Such a sweetheart.  

After the movie, we are going to grab a couple of pizzas to bring home and then watch another movie or play some games or do something else together.  

If this is a precursor to how my new year is going to be spent, then it's A-OK with me!!  Fun days, doing fun stuff together.  That's what the focus of 2014 is all about for me.  

But, before I can think about going to the movies I really need to finish up some laundry, and get to entering the grades I need to get entered.  Which first means grading the papers I brought home to grade.  You're not surprised, are you?  I've been off work for two weeks, so it's only fitting that I wait until two days before I go back to start on the work I brought home.  The procrastinator in me just won't die.  

Although, we're under a winter weather advisory right now for winter weather heading our way.  The reports all say we're only going to get a dusting, maybe an inch of snow... so I don't think it will be enough to cancel school on Monday.  But, you never know what's going to happen with the weather around here.  What we do know is we're going to have Alaska like temperatures for the next couple of days, however.  

Tonight, the temperature is going to drop down to around 17 degrees.  The HIGH for tomorrow is 19 degrees!! The LOW is 2! TWO!!  The HIGH for Monday is 12 degrees.  TWELVE!!  Are you kidding me? That's snot forming instant icicle weather!  

I said I like cold weather, so I guess I'm getting exactly what I asked for.

But, that's for another post some other time...

Right now, it's work time.