Oh boy, where do I start? I have tons to say, and tons of pictures on my camera I want to get on here....that's what I get for doing too much-now I have to play catch up.
We are deep in the throws of our townhouse getting a major face lift-in preparation to go on the market. Here's the list so far
*new tile in 3 bathrooms
*3 new ceiling fans
*4 new bathroom fixtures
*4 new lighting fixtures throughout the house
*new paint on front and back railings
*back fence door handle fixed so now it actually stays shut
*couple cosmetic wood working things fixed
The painter, who is my friend Josh, has been ripping down wallpaper for 3 days now.
I HATE WALLPAPER
just so there is no confusion here:
WALLPAPER SUCKS
I could clarify that the removal of wallpaper is the problem, but if there if it hadn't been put up in the first place, we wouldn't be having to pay out the wazoo to have it removed.
It's very nerve wracking to see it being done because you can't really see how it will look, but I'm hopeful it will all work out.
I finished my session of teaching at the REC Center and was so thankful. I just bit off more than I could chew. I was teaching 7 classes a week and then subbed sometimes. It was just TOO much. And then Landon was a huge problem. He was ok the first couple classes, then was a royal pain in the side.
Then came a call from an annoyed parent. Nice. Felt really good about that one. So I spent the last 5 weeks or so calling in way too many favors from friends to watch him. Thank goodness I have so many wonderful friends. Thanks to each of you. I loved teaching the classes and had great kids, but it just took too much time from my other commitments. I am now only teaching 2 classes a week when Landon is in school.
I'm still doing Brownies and am the cookie mom. It is about over and I'll be so glad. I'm actually avoiding doing some data entry fro the cookies to type this....yeah-I'm great when it comes to avoidance.
So the kiddos, we still have them.
Jordan: doing well in school-moved up a reading group so her spelling words got harder, she was so excited to tell me. She's doing so great in school. She's still so creative and loves artwork, writing, etc. She started soccer and is on a team with her 2 little best friends. I left her at practice tonight and she was loving it. Recently was quite impressed with herself when she figured out how to open her own "child-proof" bottle of antibiotics. Nice. She also helped me tons when we watched my friend's baby Sunday, which made me want a baby girls so badly-Jordan is always asking for one.
Spencer: enjoys school as well. Starting to read some on his own. He is timid, and is a super quiet reader, but he is getting better and better. He is now addicted to a new show on PBS called Wild Kratts, about 2 brothers who are animal experts. He can now get online and to the PBS website to play Wild Kratts completely on his own. He showed me how he does it today. I call him my "screen" kid-he loves TV, my ipod, my laptop and playing the Wii. He also started soccer and is on a team with his best little friend from church. He loves it as well.
Landon: My stubborn little stinker. He gives me a run for my money, I tell ya!! Aside from the occasional time he has to be taken out of circle time for not listening, he is doing excellent in school. I had his conference a few weeks ago, and the the teacher said he knows all his colors, numbers, shapes, the alphabet so he's set. He knows the sounds of letters and is starting to ask what words say. I think he'll pick up on reading really quick. He missed the cut off for "mini kickers' in soccer by a month. Such a bummer since he is the same size as some of the kids on Spencer's team.
I love these kiddos so much, but feel like I'm failing them, lately. I've been yelling more than usual at little things-things that usually don't bother me. I haven't been the most patient mother, either. We are so disorganized as well-with all the work that is being done on the house. I'll be so happy when it's all done. I feel in limbo, so it's very frustrating. Then I fall in the trap of "oh, we'll change this when we get in the new house." I mean stuff like bedtime and morning routines, kids watching wayyyy too much TV, etc. And the kids know it too-they have been getting away with stuff because I simply have energy to deal with it. (mostly because I am doing too much.-which I am learning the hard way.)
Ugh.
And then We were doing well with the scriptures, then have something come up one night and get out of the habit. Darin and I are so tired at bedtime that it's a rush most nights. Then I feel bad after that I didn't spend more time with each of the kids.
It's almost like we're in survival mode. "If I can must make it until we get in a new house" kind of thinking. But I don't want to form bad habits until we get there.
I just have to figure out how to balance living in a house that is in transition and keep our routines and traditions in tact at the same time.
Any advice would be we most welcome.
Phew-this is clearly some major rambling. I better get going on my cookie stuff I have to do instead of avoiding it any longer.....
It's very nerve wracking to see it being done because you can't really see how it will look, but I'm hopeful it will all work out.
I finished my session of teaching at the REC Center and was so thankful. I just bit off more than I could chew. I was teaching 7 classes a week and then subbed sometimes. It was just TOO much. And then Landon was a huge problem. He was ok the first couple classes, then was a royal pain in the side.
Then came a call from an annoyed parent. Nice. Felt really good about that one. So I spent the last 5 weeks or so calling in way too many favors from friends to watch him. Thank goodness I have so many wonderful friends. Thanks to each of you. I loved teaching the classes and had great kids, but it just took too much time from my other commitments. I am now only teaching 2 classes a week when Landon is in school.
I'm still doing Brownies and am the cookie mom. It is about over and I'll be so glad. I'm actually avoiding doing some data entry fro the cookies to type this....yeah-I'm great when it comes to avoidance.
So the kiddos, we still have them.
Jordan: doing well in school-moved up a reading group so her spelling words got harder, she was so excited to tell me. She's doing so great in school. She's still so creative and loves artwork, writing, etc. She started soccer and is on a team with her 2 little best friends. I left her at practice tonight and she was loving it. Recently was quite impressed with herself when she figured out how to open her own "child-proof" bottle of antibiotics. Nice. She also helped me tons when we watched my friend's baby Sunday, which made me want a baby girls so badly-Jordan is always asking for one.
Spencer: enjoys school as well. Starting to read some on his own. He is timid, and is a super quiet reader, but he is getting better and better. He is now addicted to a new show on PBS called Wild Kratts, about 2 brothers who are animal experts. He can now get online and to the PBS website to play Wild Kratts completely on his own. He showed me how he does it today. I call him my "screen" kid-he loves TV, my ipod, my laptop and playing the Wii. He also started soccer and is on a team with his best little friend from church. He loves it as well.
Landon: My stubborn little stinker. He gives me a run for my money, I tell ya!! Aside from the occasional time he has to be taken out of circle time for not listening, he is doing excellent in school. I had his conference a few weeks ago, and the the teacher said he knows all his colors, numbers, shapes, the alphabet so he's set. He knows the sounds of letters and is starting to ask what words say. I think he'll pick up on reading really quick. He missed the cut off for "mini kickers' in soccer by a month. Such a bummer since he is the same size as some of the kids on Spencer's team.
I love these kiddos so much, but feel like I'm failing them, lately. I've been yelling more than usual at little things-things that usually don't bother me. I haven't been the most patient mother, either. We are so disorganized as well-with all the work that is being done on the house. I'll be so happy when it's all done. I feel in limbo, so it's very frustrating. Then I fall in the trap of "oh, we'll change this when we get in the new house." I mean stuff like bedtime and morning routines, kids watching wayyyy too much TV, etc. And the kids know it too-they have been getting away with stuff because I simply have energy to deal with it. (mostly because I am doing too much.-which I am learning the hard way.)
Ugh.
And then We were doing well with the scriptures, then have something come up one night and get out of the habit. Darin and I are so tired at bedtime that it's a rush most nights. Then I feel bad after that I didn't spend more time with each of the kids.
It's almost like we're in survival mode. "If I can must make it until we get in a new house" kind of thinking. But I don't want to form bad habits until we get there.
I just have to figure out how to balance living in a house that is in transition and keep our routines and traditions in tact at the same time.
Any advice would be we most welcome.
Phew-this is clearly some major rambling. I better get going on my cookie stuff I have to do instead of avoiding it any longer.....
