Christmas is over?

Yes, Taylor, Christmas is over. I know it may not seem like it, but you had 5 Christmases in 2 days. Whew! I think we are all still recovering. Our family is so blessed to have so much of our extended family close to us. We are also very blessed that almost everyone decided to get Taylor and Josiah new toys. Now, where do we put all this new stuff?. We convinced Taylor that it was okay to get rid of some of his toys that he never plays with and we got rid of a few of the baby toys that Josiah no longer plays with. I refuse to get rid of a lot of little baby toys due to the fact that everyone I know that gets rid of all their infant/newborn stuff gets pregnant right after they give all of their stuff away. I'm not ready to make that commitment, yet.

All in all, we had a good Christmas and Taylor finally got into the whole Santa thing. The best part of the Santa festivities is when Brad played Rudolph out the window and Taylor's eyes got big as saucers and did not say a word. He wouldn't even walk to bed. I had to carry him. He usually stays up for a little bit and looks at books, but Christmas Eve night he stayed tucked in staring wide eyed at the ceiling and did not move a muscle. The next morning, he walked into the bedroom and sniffed. I asked him what he was doing. He said," Do you smell that?" I said," What?" He said, "I smell presents. Come on, let's go check." And so began our Christmas marathon house hopping. We are all still recovering. Only to do it all again next year.

A "Moo"ry Christmas

Taylor made his debut in the preschool choir on Sunday night. He was quite a little showman if I do say so myself. Apparently, he is going to be a microphone hog. He stood in front of one microphone and pretty much held it the entire time. If someone would get too close to it, he would every so kindly push them back to their spot on stage. He was very excited to be on stage. He would sing and dance with the music. He just couldn't stand still. Definitely his father's son. He was also little Brad when we were all lined up and ready to go into the sanctuary and he announced "I need to go poo-poo." He had to wait until the last minute to tell me that.

Taylor and the rest of the preschool choir were the animals in the nativity scene. He was a cute little cow if I do say so myself. He is also the only boy in the preschool choir and the girls think he is pretty hot stuff. So much that one of the girls who was dressed as a camel decided to pull Taylor around on stage by his horns on his costume. Her dad personally apologized to Brad and I on facebook for "marking her territory." We thought it was hilarious and hope that someone has that on video!

As one era ended, so a new era began. Miss Diane who has been working with the preschool choir for 20 years finally decided to pass on her baton to my friend and I. So, for the next year or so, I will be helping with the preschool choir. Pray for me! This could be a daunting task considering I told myself I would never teach kiddos that little. Of course, I also said that I would always be taller than who I teach and look how far that got me.

Twenty Nine Years and counting

No, I'm not talking about how old I am, but that's awfully close. (I still plan to ride out 28 for another 3 weeks.) I am talking about a Christmas tradition that started the year I was born. The first Sunday in December is Christmas tree day every year. Ever since I was born(and before that, according to my mother), we have gone to Schmitt's Tree Farm in Holt. We take a hay ride up on the hill to the Christmas tree forest and then go from tree to tree until we find the perfect tree. This little tradition just started out with my mom, dad, sister and me. Now, it has grown to include two husbands(my sister's and mine. We're not Mormon), and 5 little boys.
Taylor was finally old enought to know what was going on. He brought his chainsaw to help Daddy cut down the "perfect tree" as he called it.

Here he is in action:

Josiah wasn't quite old enough to get the full effect of walking in the forest. So, he got hauled around in a sled, instead.

I'm pretty sure the one thing we will remember this year is the cold weather attire Josiah had on that morning. He was fighting a cold and I didn't want him to get any more sick in the cold weather. So, I put him in his winter coat, snowpants, scarf, and mittens. We stood him up and he fell right over because he was so bundled up. Pa rescued him.

He was definitely warm, but immobile. I couldn't resist and had to video his attempt to get from point A to point B while we were waiting for the tractor.

Don't worry, Santa. We'll be back next year!

Weekend Warriors

Our weekend was packed with a concert, drums, working out, and some fun times at a Winter Wonderland event. Yeah, I know. I said winter wonderland. I grinned and bared it as we went and had some fun. Luckily, we did not run into Santa Claus. Well, not the "real" Santa Claus as Brad put it. Apparently, the real Santa Claus resides at Crown Center during the month of December according to my husband. Really? I really thought he knew that Santa was fictional. What did his parents tell him?

Taylor got a balloon animal out of it and Josiah got his face painted, which was amazing, considering that lil guy doesn't sit still for more than 30 seconds at a time.

Have fun perusing the pix.

"Cultured"

Some may say that I am not your typical girl. There are several reasons for that.

Example A: I do not like wearing pink, walking through aisles of pink, or pretty much be near anything that has to do with baby pink. I'm pretty sure it makes me nauseous. Reason #1 why I am pretty sure God gave me two boys.

Example B: I'm an outdoors girl. I like to go camping and be outside. I have been camping since I was pretty much only a few months old. I have been in close contact with raccoons, skunks, and several other outdoor creatures. I don't mind living outside in a tent for a few days and would actually prefer it to a hotel room(HINT HINT, Brad. One day, I will succeed).

Example C: I'm a gearhead. I would much rather go to a car show than spend several hours at a mall. Call me crazy, but I enjoy looking at old cars, going to drag races (not funny cars, mind you, but supped up hot rods), and listening to engines. Yes, Dad, I have actually turned down my radio and rolled down the window so I could hear the engine of a Chevelle SS with dual exhaust and a big block engine.

Example D: I avoid wearing dresses like the plague. You think I'm kidding, don't you? When I had to shop for wedding dresses, I told my mom that I didn't want to shop for it, and she could just pick it out. I told Brad I would've been just fine wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and no shoes walking down the aisle. (Most of you know how that battle went.) Reason #2 why God gave me boys. THANK YOU.

And finally, my last confession to make is I'm a bit of a redneck. I can't help it. That's just the way I was raised and I appreciate my family for that. A fun time for me is going to a rodeo, watching bullriding, or watching a demolition derby. And you know what, I am completely okay with that. I can get down and dirty with the rest of those folks. In fact, I pride myself with the fact that I got a black eye from a clod of dirt that was spun from a tire at the derby when I was about 8.

I'm pretty sure this "fault" has helped me be a good mom to my boys. For instance, I have realized that boys get dirty. But, the best part about that is they wash. Who knew? So, its okay if they roll around in the dirt or get paint all over themselves. That just means longer bathtime and more scrubbing behind the ears.

So, my boys are getting their culture in the best way possible, I think. Yes, they still listen to music and go to different fine arts events(Taylor's even in choir at church), but they have also been spectators at demolition derbies, car shows, and rodeos. I'm hoping that by going to all kinds of different events, they won't be afraid to try new things and they will see that boys and girls don't have to live up to stereotypes that are placed on them throughout their lives.

Oh, yeah, one more confession. I do have some "girly habits." I enjoy watching figure skating and gymanstics events. Purple is my favorite color and I like to cuddle. If you still don't believe this, you may want to revisit my "Confessions of a Shoeaholic" post.

Here's a bit of that culture now. We went to the CBR Bullriding event at the American Royal last weekend. Taylor had a blast. Josiah fell asleep. Well, for 8 seconds at a time. That buzzer was loud!

We sat in general admission, but apparently we were destined to sit in the seats we chose. Relax, the name was all ready there. We didn't deface property.

Josiah getting a better view.

Taylor in his "Tuff shirt." Tuff Hedeman is a famous bullrider who has been around for years that was holding the event. If you want to know more about him, I suggest you rent 8 seconds. (One of my favorite movies next to Grease and A League of Their Own.)GO! GO! GO! Eight seconds seems like an eternity when you're messing with a bull.

Rodeos aren't always a bunch of bull. Sometimes, the beautiful Budweiser Clydesdales make an appearance. They're so pretty.

Enjoy the ride!

Adventures in the Land of Lincoln

Last Thursday night, we packed the James gang in the car and headed off to see Great Gmaw and Great Grandaddy. The trip there was suprisingly eventless. We didn't run into traffic or have any "accidents" in the car. Josiah fell asleep and pretty much stayed asleep all the way there. Taylor fell asleep around 9:00 and woke up about 10 minutes before we pulled into the driveway. He was a little disoriented when he woke up and was happy to see Gmaw and Grandad at 11:30 at night. He, of course, was quickly put into his jammies and headed off to bed. While he was asleep, Brad, Taylor and his Grandma stayed up until about 1:00 in the morning talking. The late night didn't stop Brad from getting up at 7:30 and going for a run. I do have to admit, he is sticking to his goal. So, Becki, you better watch out. Your brother is going to be on your heels in that half marathon in a few months.
That Friday night was where the excitement all started. Apparently, I may have possibly ran over the culver in Brad's grandparents driveway. Oops. I was not aware of this mishap until I was about 10 miles away from the house. You see, Brad's low tire pressure light is a bit of a wolf crier, so to speak. Sometimes, it comes on for no reason. I didn't think anything was wrong. Obviously, something was wrong, because Brad's grandma and I heard a pop. So, I pulled over and she peeked out her door. Guess what? flat tire. So, I head back to the trunk of the car and move things around to see if I can find the four way tool. No luck. I call Brad and he says he doesn't have it, but he and his grandad are on their way. When they get there, Brad pulls out the spare and this new fangled jack that doubles as a lugnut tool. If I would have known that thing was in the trunk, I would have changed the tire myself. Anyone who knows me knows I can't stand to let others do the work for me. I was a wee bit peterbed about this. Sheesh!
Of course, this was after the fact that Brad about had a coniption because his flashers were about out. Little known fact: Brad's car does not handle being on accessory for 20-30 minutes. The battery went dead. So, after a donut spare and a jump start, we all head back to the bonfire that Brad's grandparent's Sunday school class hosted.
So, there's two strikes against us. As we pass a weigh station, Brad tells me "There's the rest of the chilli." I looked at him puzzled and asked what he was talking about. Brad and his grandad had gone over to the bonfire early to help set up and take the chilli. Well, Grandad slowed down a bit too fast once and the chilli went flying all over the driver's side floor. So, half of the chilli was saved and the other half of the chilli was scraped off the floor and dumped out at the weigh station. I really hope some animal didn't lick it up. Especially if it didn't have any hot dogs to go with it.
Okay, so now you're thinking bad things come in threes, right? Not so. The next day Brad and I took the tire to that evil blue store that Mr. Walton owned. His employees inform us that at 8 o'clock, there will be a two hour wait to fix the tire. We didn't mind dropping it off, but it was the drop off that got to us. The lady came out to get the information and then she asks Brad to take the tire out himself and roll it into the garage. Um, hello!! Do you see something wrong with this picture? YOU, missy, are getting paid to do this job. How much do you plan on paying Brad to do your work?? Do your job! This led me to wonder if she would have asked me to take the tire out. Just wondering about a double standard, that's all.
We drop off the tire and go to Will's ballgame. I won't give you the details to that one, but I will tell you that one dad/uncle/male figure of one team member was hilarious. He was pretty much the one man cheer squad for the Little Tigers.
While at the ball game, Brad gets a call that the tire cannot be repaired. Something about a hole in the sidewall. Once again, sorry 'bout that. They say they have a new tire that they can mount. Brad said that would be fine. The game is about over, so Brad heads to Walmart so they can mount the tire. Apparently, those people that wear blue vests that have the lowest price always don't understand the concept that when a car returns to get a tire mounted it does not go back to the end of the line. They told Brad it would be another two hours to mount it on the car. So, being the ever so patient person that he is, Brad pays for the tire and mounts it himself. Once, the tire is on he notices that the center cap is missing. I go back in and inform the mechanic about this. He goes back to the garage and brings back the missing center cap. "Sometimes, I just forget to put those back on," he tells me. There is this thing called quality control, sir. You might want to look into that if you want any customers to come back, because I sure won't!
It's experiences like these that I appreciate the way my dad operates his business at home. There should be a Kenny's Auto and Tire Service in every place that I vacation. So, Dad, please do something about that. Expand, please. Life would be so much easier if I didn't have to enter the walls of a corporate money monger for an auto repair. :o)

The rest of the weekend went fine and I have the pictures to prove it.(Of course, Brad kept saying that I cost him 80 bucks. Hah! Eighty bucks is nothing compared to the 500 dollar engine because of "that clunking noise" or the brand new car because of a test drive in the rain.)

Hope you enjoyed my longest blog ever. Good night!

Guess who's walking!

Friday flop turned into a Saturday celebration. After a day of Gladfest, we came home and the boys took a bit of a nap. When Taylor got up, Brad took him to the store to get supplies for chocolate chip cookies. I stayed home.

I thought it would be a good time to see if I could get Josiah to take more than one step and fall down. I didn't expect much(but was hoping he would get moving). I held up his favorite toy, and lo and behold, he decided to walk!!! Yeah! He did a pretty good job. I called Brad on his cell phone and just said "Five steps." It took him a minute to figure out what I was talking about. When he got home, he got out our camera and did some video taping of the newest adventure of the littlest James gang member.



Here it is, our one step wonder no longer:

Watch out, here he comes!

Friday Flop

I'm usually a big fan of Fridays. The weekend is only eight hours away, I can wear jeans to work, it's a pretty casual day. I'm not a big fan of being pulled over because I failed to come to a complete stop.

*****Warning: This may cause conflict among my readers that are employed to protect and serve. For that I apologize, but you don't patrol the Kearney streets at 6 am so you are forgiven.****

Let me set the scene for you. It is 6 o'clock in the morning. The streets are bare. I'm driving the one block down my street before I come to a four way stop. Let me remind you that NO ONE is on the street. Not a car, not a pedestrian. Possibly, a tumbleweed. It was windy this morning, you know. I put my foot on the break,press down, look both ways, and proceed to turn left. Before I have a chance to go 500 feet, I see flashing lights in my rearview mirror. I'm thinking, oh, great, what now? My tags are up to date, there was no possibility I was speeding, because I stopped. What does he think I did?

So, a portly police officer comes up to my window and informs me that I failed to come to a COMPLETE stop. (So, the fact is I stopped, right. He said I just didn't make a complete stop.) Then, he asked my why I failed to make a complete stop.

(Okay, so if you know me, mornings and I don't get along well. In fact, I try to avoid talking to people before 10 am because I am quite frankly not the most chipper person to talk to in the morning. Especially, when the sun is not out, yet.) I hold back everything I can, and politely say, "I thought I did." He says, "Okay," in a sing song voice and asks for my license and registration. (On a side note, which I think is hilarious. His walkie comes on and he has to say the random numbers of whatever code it is. I am practically in the police station parking lot. Why couldn't he just go inside and tell them?)

So, I sit and wait as he goes back to his car and runs my information. This seems to take forever, so I clean out my glove box, rearrange my lunchbag, check my phone for messages, write a 3 page letter to a long lost friend. Kidding. I didn't have THAT much time. After an eternity, he comes back and spouts off his spiel on why I got the ticket, I have no other violations, and the whole thing is on video. I was not aware that the Kearney police department had enough money to install cameras in their cars. Of course, there aren't that many squad cars, anyway.

Here comes the best part: the officer asks me how old I am. Did you not just run my license? Did you not just write down my birthdate on the citation? Do you have a short term memory? AGGGH. Its six o'clock in the morning! Do you not know that I do not like to think and answer questions when the sun is not up and I have only been awake for 30 minutes???? Of course, I have to think about this for a second, because all of my questions I just wrote are running through my head. He then asks my to sign the ticket which I can't see because its dark. I have to ask him to hold his light up so I can see the X to sign. Then, he says his closing formalities and tells me to have a good day. Are you kidding me? You just stopped me and gave me a ticket because I failed to make a COMPLETE stop. I stopped! Do you want me to put flares out next time?? I don't even remember what I told him. Maybe, "you, too" or "okay." Once again, it was early!

So, I drive to work with no other complications except for when I get into the parking lot. I don't have an assigned space, but I like to park in the same place everyday. When I get in the parking lot, I see that one of my student's parents has decided to pull into "my" space and wait for my arrival so she can drop off her son. At this point, I'm mumbling not very nice things about that under my breath as I collect my things and go inside. Once inside, I get a call from one of the teachers who informs me he is taking the day off. So, there is two of us, 36 students, and 4 meetings with parents all jam packed into one day. Three thirty could not come any sooner!

Friday is looking a lot like Monday. Here's hoping yours was better!



**On a side note, I do appreciate my readers who are police officers or spouses of police officers. Your job is tough and I pray for your safety. Thanks for keeping the streets and my children safe!**

Football Frenzy

Yep, it is that time of year again. The time of year again when Brad loses all functioning possible until the football games are over. You could tell him the house was on fire and aliens are in our kitchen, but if its not on a commercial and the football games are on, then there is no hope. And quite frankly, it is not just him that does this in his family. Let me take you back a few years to a time when we were newlywed and I had my first encounter with Brad's family and a Chiefs game.
It was a Sunday(duh!) also known as laundry day at that time. We had packed our car full of laundry and headed to Brad's parents house. The game was just getting underway and all of the sudden, people start jumping up off the couch, hollering and what not. I on the other hand am sitting at the end of the couch folding socks and underwear. I may have been startled a bit, I assume, because I had no idea what was going on.(And to be honest, I wasn't really watching the game. I wasn't a big football fan, then). Apparently, it is a VERY big deal when the Chiefs score and the James' family sees it all. All the rest of that game day, I would watch Brad and laugh to myself. You see, he likes to not only tell you the penalty, but also show the hand signals for the penalty. He can't sit still,seriously. He had to get up and walk back and forth or jump off the couch and yell "holding" or "first down" while signaling. It was hilarious(and still is).

As the years went by, I have come to learn a few things from the James family:

1. Do not let Brad hold anything while watching a Chiefs game. Whether good or bad, it will undoubtedly get chucked somewhere and it will not be a good thing. (FYI: Just asked Brad to put down the penguin toy after he kicked his legs and yelled "OOOH." Apparently, it was a good "OOOH).
2. His mom is the loudest Chiefs fan I know. I mean that in the nicest way possible. She will definitely be louder and angrier than any of the guys I know that watch a Chiefs game. Which is odd, since she grew up in Oklahoma and they don't even have an NFL team. Guess it was all that rooting for the Sooners that did it.
3. No matter how angry the James family gets at their beloved Chiefs, they will come back next Sunday and torture themselves another 4 quarters the next week. I remember one of Brad's sisters yelling and carrying on because Dante Hall couldn't get a kick off return. She took off her number 82 jersey and asked anyone if they wanted it, because she definitely did not want it anymore. I'm pretty sure she still has it in her closet. Another time, someone got the NFL preview magazine that had Priest Holmes on the cover and asked if they could throw it away. (That magazine is still around--even if it is in a room that no one uses that often anymore).

So, if you want some cheap entertainment, just be a fly on the wall when the James family watches a Chiefs game. And yes, over the years I have become a Chiefs fan. I have a couple of jerseys to prove it. (Brad's coaching right now, by the way. I think that is my favorite about this time of year. He actually thinks the players can hear him when he talks to the giant electric box known as the TV. Does he know that they can't hear him??).
My boys are even Chiefs fans. When I was pregnant and watching Chiefs games, they would kick when the Chiefs scored. Okay, maybe they were startled by the excitement, but they still knew how to root for the red and gold.
And if you think Sunday is exciting at my house, you should try coming over on a Saturday. Did I mention Brad was an OU fan, too??

A Conversation into the Future

Mommy, today is Patriot's Day. At school, we colored flags and talked about why our country is important.(Pause) Mommy, why did my teacher cry today?

She's sad. She probably remembers why we have Patriot's Day.

Why?

About 10 years ago, some not very nice people from another country and a different religion thought it would be okay to crash a plane into the tallest building in the United States.

What was the tallest building?

The Twin Towers. I'll have to find a picture to show you, because they didn't build them again.

Why did the people think it was okay to do that?

They thought that their god wanted them to kill everyone so they could over run the country.

Does my god want me to kill everyone?

No, God wants you to love your neighbor and turn the other cheek, even though it's hard sometimes.

Mommy, I still don't understand why my teacher was crying.

When the plan crashed into the building, a lot of people died and a lot of people got hurt. The television showed footage of it all day long and into the night. The policeman and firefighters had to go into the buildings and try to find everybody.

Did they find everybody?

No, buddy, they didn't. Some people are still looking for their families.

Is my teacher still looking for someone?

I don't think so. I think she is just sad because she remembers what she saw that day and is happy to be living in the United States.

I gave her hug.

That's nice of you.

She gave me a sticker. Wanna see?

After we get home, bud, I'm driving.


9/11/01 Sitting in my child psychology class preparing to take my first test. Dr. Owens asks for prayer requests like he does at the start of every class period. One guy says "we need to pray for those people in New York." The class is early and I have no idea what is going on. After class, I walk over to the education building at William Jewell and see the hallways are lined with TVs. The footage of the first and second plane is playing and newscasters are making their speculations. Education classes are cancelled. I go back to my dorm and watch the TV until I can't watch anymore.

9/11/09 Helping high school students who think they never had a chance to graduate learn how to find the arc length and central angle of a circle. An everday occurance, but still as important as that moment when "the world stopped turning."

Labor of love

Only a couple of weeks into the school year and I am relieved with a three day weekend. Isn't it funny how labor day isn't really a labor day at all? (Well, unless you are in labor, but we'll get to that later.) The weekend was jam packed with things to do in the form of fairs, fishing, and relaxing.

Saturday, the James Gang went to SantaCaliGon Days. We basically followed Taylor from ride to ride until we ran out of tickets. He checked out the tires and under the hood on the cars that went around in a circle. I think he didn't get his ticket's worth on the bumblebees. The ride went around maybe two times and then it was over. BOO! Josiah rode with him on the carousel(Baby Siah's first time on a carnival ride.) The big excitement was riding the dinosaur roller coaster. Taylor barely made the height cut off. The sign said to beware of rapid changes in direction. Yeah, right. How rapid can a kiddie coaster be?

After all the rides, we went on a search for some new OU shirts for the boys. We were unsuccessful and I was tired of shopping(which doesn't take much for me. You see, I'm okay if I shop and get what I am in search for, but if I have to shop and come up empty handed I feel like I've wasted my whole day. It's very irritating to me.)



The next day we went to celebrate Nana's birthday. HER birthday was actually on Labor Day. (Ha, had you readers guessing there for a few minutes didn't I? No news here, but it's always fun to keep the readers on their toes.) We packed up our boys and headed to Polo to a private lake to go fishing and have a picnic, but in reverse order. Taylor and I caught a fish with my very first fishing pole I ever had. Still works. Brad even caught a fish. And when I say Brad caught a fish, he was actually patient enough to sit in a lawn chair for about 1 hour and wait for a bite on his line. He did have a little bit of help, though. My dad had brought along a fishing pole stand. All Brad had to do was cast out the line, prop up the pole, and lounge in the chair with his Coke until a fish decided it was hungry enough to eat the worm. I think I had more fun watching Brad go outside of his comfort zone than I did fishing. I'm thinking up new ways to get him to go camping everyday. No hotels, no cell phones, no computers, just the great outdoors. He may not like it, but he's going to try it!

My dad had the big story of the day. He actually caught the big one. This fish jumped out of the water several times and fought my dad all the way to the bank. Everyone at the lake practically came out of the woodwork to see what was on the other end of Dad's line. It was a huge catfish. We don't know how much it weighed because it broke my Dad's scale. According to Mike, it weighed more than a gallon of paint. The final estimate was eight pounds. The fish was huge, folks!

So, after a day of fishing, my parents followed us up to our house and my dad and I cleaned fish. Yes, folks, you read it right : the girl that cannot stand the sight of blood, vomit, or needles cleaned 5 fish that day. This is nothing new, though. I've cleaned trout since I was about 4 years old. I did learn that cleaning perch is nothing like cleaning trout, though. Perch are bony and tough skinned. It wasn't as easy at it looked.

After the carnival and fishing, it was time to just relax at home on Labor Day. Well for me and the two little ones, anyway. Brad thought he needed to go see a guy movie with his dad. More power to ya. I'll stay home and let the kiddos nap and maybe do some laundry.

Finally, we ended our weekend with a dinner from Arby's on the rarely used deck. Our weekend is complete. The only question is, what's on the plans for next weekend? Who knows? When do we ever plan ahead?

Monkey See, Monkey Do

You may have noticed I did a little changing up with the blog page. First, I'd like to thank Beth for changing her blog and motivating me to make a few changes of my own. She was right, the banner idea is a good theory, but takes FOREVER to perfect. Thanks for the website in the corner of your page.

Second, I'd like to thank a certain little monkey of my own who inspired the new look. His name is Taylor. He has been in the habit of jumping on our bed lately and singing "Five little monkeys jumping on the bed . . ." I thought the new blog would be perfect for my gang of monkeys. I mean after all, I do have to buy a big bunch of bananas every time I go to the grocery store.

Enjoy the new look and I won't say a word if you are monkeying around at work.

So, you wanna be a teacher?

I teach students who are "at-risk." This means that these students may have several things batting against them like being a teenage mom, only having one parent or no parents for that matter, living in poverty, or maybe even homeless. While I was working on my Master's, I told one of my fellow classmates(who is a teacher) that I teach at-risk students. She guffawed and told me "all students are at-risk." I'm pretty sure she never had a student come to school the next day who had been shot the day before because he was just walking by. I also bet she never had a student come to school to turn in a research paper even though her little brother had just died due to gang violence. I highly doubt that she has had to come up with six weeks of homework for 3 teenage moms who were on maternity leave. Did I happen to mention that she worked in one of the upper class districts in the area? I was very put off by her attitude towards my job and quite frankly I didn't really spend that much time talking with her as the class went on. My students might fit into her general category of "all students," but it takes some dedication and definite commitment to be a student where I work. The school they attend is pretty much their last chance to prove themselves to all of those who have given up on them. They definitely would benefit from prayer.
I will admit that I had my doubts about my job when I signed my contract. I thought that these kids wouldn't be that much "at-risk." I mean, after all, I work in the Northland. Nothing that bad happens around here, does it? Apparently, it does. Last year was probably one of the toughest years for some of my students. Several of their friends died by accident. By accident, I mean too much of an illegal substance was involved. I'm hoping this year doesn't claim any more.
I've been working with high school students for 2 years now. This has been a very dramatic change from my elementary days, but every once in awhile my days in elementary school reappear as needed-not so much the academics, but the attitude. There is one student in particular that keeps me on my toes. He came to the center due to suspension because he did not get along with a teacher at all. He has been enrolled since the first day the center opened and this is the year he graduates. He can have his up days and his down days, but I make sure that I say something to him everyday. He is also one of the brightest students that I have(along with the most talkative). He is pretty much the reason why I am still teaching at the center. I don't know why I'm so concerned for this student, but for some reason I don't feel that I can stop teaching high school until I see this kid succeed.
So, yes, I may complain about my job, but I like what I do. The hours are good and the vacation time is better than most. Of course, I would really like my job a whole lot better if I could sit at home and teach from my living room through the TV or computer. Any suggestions?

One Last Hurrah

So, this is it. My last summer night for the year. What better way to go than pack it with a bunch of stuff to do. It all started Friday when Taylor, Josiah and I packed up our swimming gear and headed to the Springs with Aunt Shan and the boys. Taylor had a blast!

He's a social little bugger. Here he is "making friends" with an older woman. I'm definitely going to have my hands full!

This was his favorite thing to do. Go up and down the "marshmallow slide" as he called it. Does this look anything like a marshmallow to you? Good, it's not just me. He probably got that from the same place he named fruit juice "pop goes the weasel juice" and honey buns "boo boo buns." Did I tell you he was creative?

Josiah had so much fun jumping and splashing that he had to take a breather. Yes, even with the excitement of the water park, he still fell asleep! Definitely following in his grandad's footsteps on that one

So, Josiah and Taylor had so much fun that Taylor asked Brad if he wanted to go to the water park the next day. He asked so nicely and sweetly that Brad gave in. So, the next day we went to the Springs in the evening. (Much cooler then and a little bit cheaper, by the way). Taylor got to ride on the "tubas" with Grandma Dee and Grandad. For those of you following along, that would be inner tubes in the lazy river. He also was brave and went down the orange "ice cream cone" slide.

Since Taylor got to the play with Treven the day before, Josiah thought it would be fun to bring a friend his own size. Cousin Max and Josiah kept Dee and Grandad occupied while Taylor checked in and Brad and I went down one of the big water slides. (You might be surprised to know that Grandma Dee went down the big waterslide, too . . .even after Brad teased her).

Finally, on Sunday, we had one last summer time family reunion to mark off the list. So, we packed in the car and took the two and a half hour drive to Centralia, Kansas aka Munchkinland thanks to my grandma and her sisters. The tallest one of that crew is five foot flat.

We played. . .

We ate . . . .

and then we came home to kiss my summer goodbye. I can say it has been a very relaxing summer for me. I didn't have any classes to write papers for or a little boy to potty train. I didn't even have to wait out the sweltering heat to pop out a kid this summer. I really enjoyed my summer of nothing.

There are a few things I won't miss about this summer: watching Imagination Movers every morning, being asked over and over and over again to watch Horton EVERYDAY. Listening to Taylor have a meltdown when he doesn't get to watch Horton everday. Saving the lamp from Josiah as he tries to continually make it fall. (Only fell once and broke one light bulb all summer long.) Removing Josiah from pulling the Wii off the coffee table. Looking for Josiah in various places when I don't put the baby gate up. Those are the things that I won't miss.

Of course there are two things I will miss from this summer: Taylor and Josiah. Things like walking to the park down the street at 10 in the morning. Going to the sprayground in Liberty with Shannon and her boys just about once every week. Watching Josiah learn how to drink from a cup and kissing the bottle goodbye. Watching Josiah pull up and cruise around everything, but just not wanting to take those first steps.(He better do that when he's home with us and if Tracey sees it first, she promises not to say anything.) It was definitely a fun and eventful summer, but alas just like Taylor had to say goodbye to the ocean . . .

I have to say goodbye to summer. So, goodbye, summer. I'll see you in 186 contract days(or sooner. The jury is still out on that).

Confessions of a shoe-aholic

Ok, so I have a confession to make. I love shoes. Now, I'm not as bad as someone I know that has 2 of the exact same pair of shoes(and you know who you are), but I do enjoy shoes. I especially love fun shoes. My closet is full of "fun shoes." I have a pair of leopard print shoes, shoes with butterflies on them, sandals with a cut out of a star that I accosted from a friend. She said she kept tripping when she wore them. Too bad for her, more fun shoes for me. Someday I'll wear them all summer and get a really funky tan line. So, needless to say, I like unique kinds of shoes which leads me to my indulgence I'm about to let you in on, worthy reader.
When I was in Florida, the girls went to this little downtown boutique store in Port St. Joe. They had all kinds of stuff, but what really caught my eye were the "Switchflops." Flip flops that you can change the band on. They came in brown, black, and cork and there was a selection of different bands to choose from. They were a little pricey and didn't quite fit the vacation budget, so I let them stay at that little boutique in Florida. Poor shoes, they needed a home. They would have been great for my "no sock summer" policy I partake in every year.
Well, vacation came to an end and I was perusing the Internet while the boys were napping and I just happened to type in switchflops in the search engine. Guess what? Apparently, there is a whole site deveoted to these cute little shoes(switchflops). And what's more, there was a link that said locations. So, I click on locations, thinking there is no way that these switchflops will be anywhere in the Northland anywhere. They just had to be for Floridians since flip flops are pretty much required to wear when you live by the beach, right?It's Florida law or something. So, I type in my zip code and lo and behold there IS a store in Liberty that is supposed to carry these unique shoes.
I'm still not convinced that the switchflops are at the store in Liberty(rhymes with Vette's Wallshark, by the way. Just changing the name to protect the innocent), so I pack Taylor and Josiah up in the car and drive the 15 minutes to this store. I mean, we were going to Target anyway and that other store was on the way. Sheesh, its even in the same parking lot for goodness sakes. I walk in the store expecting to be let down. Summer is almost over around here, so there's no reason to have flip flops. Oh, but there is. I'm pretty sure I heard the Hallelujah chorus when I turned to my left and saw the display of the cute little shoes I found in Florida. They had way more selection than that boutique. So, I got some. I had to,really, the shoe style's name was Taylor. So, now I have black switchflops with a removable black band. I bought a purple band, too. (I'll probably go back and buy more bands later . . . maybe even a different color shoe. Can you tell I'm a shoe-aholic?) And of course, I probably spent a little too much for the shoe, but it is my "going back to work in a week" present to myself. And quite frankly, I didn't get just one pair of shoes, I got two! I won't tell you how much I spent, because well, my husband reads this and I don't want him keeling over at work because I spent more than 10 dollars on a pair of flip flops. Besides, I bought him something at Target that he wanted, so there. I'm redeemed . . . maybe? I love you, Brad.
If the shoe fits, look for it online, drive to the location it says and wear it!

Livin on beach time

The James Gang (along with Brad's side of the family) packed up and headed off to Florida last week. So, picture eight adults and five boys ages three, 21 months, 13 months, 12 months, and three months living in one house for a week. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time outside at the beach and the pool. The house wasn't so bad, I guess considering it had two floors, and five bedrooms.

I'm pretty sure Brad and I had the quietest spot in the house since we had the only bedroom on the first floor with only one baby. The secret of course was to put the playpens in the walk-in closets. There was not an empty closet in the house and all of the babies got in some great naps at some point on the vacation.

Now, back to the fun. We started off the week by playing "Chopped." Brad and I had no idea what exactly "Chopped" was because we aren't Food Network junkies like his mom and sisters. And, needless to say, I'm still not a Food Network junkie even though I sat down to watch some sort of cooking show almost every day on vacation because that's pretty much the only channel that played on the TV(besides the Disney channel in the mornings). So, each night one of the couples made dinner while the other couples watched their kid or kids. At the end of the competition, we all voted to see who had the best dinner. Brad and I(shrimp scampi over linguini with a little help from Emiril . .. or E-Meryl as Brad calls him) were a close second to Beth and Clark(steak oscar). Our kitchen stadium was a fun place to be on those nights.

Probably one of the most memorable moments or pictures for me is that Taylor, Josiah and I had never been to the ocean. I wasn't shocked or overwhelmed by it, but I do think it is interesting that I am almost 30 and never had set foot in the ocean. I can finally mark that off my list of things to do.

At one of the beaches we went to I did get a moutful of saltwater, so I can tell you what the ocean tastes like, too. Not too tasty if you ask me. Its one of those look and don't taste types of scenery.

My boys were polar opposites when it came to the ocean. Taylor said the ocean was scary and would not set foot in the water. He had to be coaxed constantly to go into the ocean. He would sit at the oceans edge and play in the sand, but he did not want to go into the "big water." Josiah on the other hand confirmed that he is a water bug. He would squeal and scream and happily be put into the water and play in the waves and smile one of his big Josiah' grins. He got a little carried away and decided to eat the sand, too. This lead to a nasty case of diaper rash that is finally going away.

Taylor did enjoy the sunset cruise on Sunday night. He liked the boat and looking at the different things out in the ocean. He even got to steer the boat for a little while.

To sum up our trip, for the record Clark and Darren put on their flippy- floppies and swim trunks and went on a boat while Taylor ate Fruit Loops in Florida--that's what she said.

We are glad to be home, but I'm not so glad that I have to go back to work in a few weeks. Being home with the boys over the summer has been fun and I wish I could stay home more often, but work calls along with those student loans that have to be paid off. Oh well, I'll have something to look forward to next May.

In Case You Missed It

Josiah made his televison debut this weekend. And now he's off to make his ocean debut along with the rest of his family.



-

The Big One

At 11:03 AM last year on this day, Josiah was just making his debut into the world. Yep, today my youngest boy turned the big O-N-E today. He woke up with a nose that was running like a fountain and would not stop all day long. Not even to get his one year pictures made. Fortunately, Josiah still had a smile on his face even though he felt yucky ,so his pictures turned out pretty good.

Josiah at 11:03 AM today. Exactly one year old.

After pictures, we came home and Josiah and Taylor took a nap. I made cake number 2 because cake number 1 decided not to cooperate and it fell in. GRR! But, alas, cake number 2 cooperated and we ended up with one happy cake.

Finally, it was time for the big party. The grandparents, great grandparents, cousins(the ones that are in town), great aunt and great uncle, and Josiah's Sunday school teacher showed up. He got his first taste of Gino's spaghetti. I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it. What do you think?

Presents were next. He got clothes and toys and more toys. Maybe Taylor will decide not to play with them. Yeah, right, who am I kidding? Oh, yeah, and he really enjoyed the wrapping paper.


For the grand finale Josiah had his cake. And when I say "had his cake "I mean dug right in and smeared it all over his face. No help required. Apparently, people don't think we feed him.

The owner of Gino's knows better. We're regulars. Its the best spaghetti ever! Even better than that place that has unlimited breadsticks.

He looks so malnourished.

Bedtime arrived so we cleaned him up and took him home. Well, Brad walked him home--something about not getting his car all messy--and I drove the car.

So, is this the last first birthday the James Gang will celebrate??? Only time will tell . . . .

Freedom IS NOT free

Selbert Gandy was a member of the U.S. Navy. Shortly before the incident at Pearl Harbor, Grandpa's ship was lost at sea. His family waited for days to hear from him. S.R. was unaware that his family did not know his whereabouts. Fortunately, he was found and that is partly why I am here today.
Earl Powell was also a member of the U.S. Navy and was very proud to flash his Navy pictures to anyone who would sit with him and listen to his stories of war. He was also a WW II veteran and another reason for why I am here today.

Gary Protenic, a member of the army during the Vietnam war suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The fireworks on the Fourth of July remind him of crouching down in barracks and listening to gunshots ring out. He now prefers to stand behind a pulpit on Sunday mornings in a free country where he can preach the Good News about the God that kept him alive.

So, thanks Grandpa Gandy, Grandpa Powell, and Uncle Gary for defending our country. Because of you, I can go out with my family and friends and celebrate like I did last night. We met up with some old friends from our church days in Lee's Summit and ended up at the Riverfest in Parkville. I'm pretty sure our kids enjoyed the get together more than we did.

Taylor ran from ride to ride. First, he ended up on the cars.

Then he went down the "big slide" on a burlap sack with Daddy.After that, he wanted to ride the "horsey" on the carousel. This was the first time he rode on a carousel without Mommy or Daddy standing right next to him. He's so big.
Josiah got to stay up way past his bedtime and watch all the excitement. They don't really have carnival rides for one year olds. But, no worries, he fell asleep in the car on the way home.

Brad and Kyle(the two bright orange specks at the top of the picture below) thought it would be a really good idea to go on this Zero Gravity ride before we left. Keep in mind, we had just ate dinner at Red Robin. It's a good thing we didn't have to see seconds of it! Happy Fourth of July, everyone. Enjoy your freedom and thank those that fought for you to celebrate with family and friends. Be safe!

Breaking Free

Josiah is off the bottle for the most part. He went all day yesterday without a bottle or formula. In fact, he had his last bit of formula the night before and I decided I wasn't going to buy anymore. In fact, I don't think I'm going to buy any more baby food, either. He has 6 teeth and will pretty much eat anything you put in front of him . . . including fingers. Watch out! This is a big change from practically forcing Taylor to eat. Unless it is breakfast food or macaroni and cheese, Taylor will try anything to get out of eating. Maybe he'll take some eating lessons from his "little" brother.



I'm also trying to use Josiah's plug (aka pacifier) less than I have been. He smiles and giggles so much that I can't stand to have that thing in his mouth. His face is way more expressive and cuter! So, I've decided he gets the plug for naps and bedtime. So far, I haven't gone back on my decision.



All of these changes are leading up to the big one: Josiah's first birthday. You've come a long way, baby Siah.

One of the cutest babies ever!