Wednesday, August 27, 2008



Two and a half weeks into school (1 1/2 weeks with students) and it shaping up to be a great year. Many of my Advanced Placement kids are students I had the pleasure of teaching two years ago...it always amazes me how much older they look when they return to me their Junior/Senior year. My World History group....well...they're freshman (really just 8th graders in training for HS). They say and do things that often have me picking my jaw up off the floor...and laughing later about. Open House was Monday night, and as always, my rooms were packed with parents eager to find out a little bit about the class and me. It's taking time to adjust to the new cadence of life...running at 5:00am, dropping Jonathan off by 6:45am, getting to school by 7:00, picking Jonathan up by 3:00, picking Kate and Nick up by 3:30, dinner, bath, bedtime. By the time it's all over, I'm spent and often in bed by 9:30 or 10:00 to rest up for the next days full schedule. On top of it all, I accepted an adjunct position to teach a couple of courses for the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program in my "spare time". LOL. My photography, sadly, has been shelved for a bit until I can get into a bit more of a routine and manage my time a little more effectively.

Jonathan is loving school...finally. We had some rough mornings, but he's finally at a point of running in and immediately telling me he wants to go play. That warms my heart. Nicholas is transitioning to toddler hood with a vengeance. He's still sweet and mellow, but boy, he's displaying his demanding and overly emotional side! Sweet boy. I wondered when the day would come....
Kate is sleeping through the night...HOORAY...and in her own room....DOUBLE HOORAY! She's growing up so fast on us.

We're headed to Clinton this Labor Day weekend to spend time with my family and to celebrate my father's birthday...is it Friday yet?
Nick loves shoes...I think it's a fetish. He finds my dress shoes especially fun. My silver wedges, black peep toed heels, doesn't matter. He loves shoes. Earlier this week it was my new running shoes. Today? Daddy's nasty mowing shoes.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Nickles

I feel like I post so many pictures of Jonathan on here...he's just at an age where he's a constant source of humor. We take as many of Nick so here's a cute one of our littlest pickle who has become quite a feisty little 19 month old!










He loves his toothbrush, but it's only been within the last week that he's actually used it without help to brush his teeth. He's always tried to brush his hair instead.


He also loves my accessories (necklaces, earrings, bracelets, purses) and shoes. He got ahold of his Gaga's purse and shoes the last time she was here.

Always making us laugh





















I tried to tell him you can't really put a bandaid on a split lip.....but he insisted that a bandaid and an oreo always makes a boo boo feel WAAAAAAAAAAAAAYbetter.


Again, pantless is how I found him when I went to check on him before heading to bed myself.

Time for new shoes?



Shamefully, I'm still running in these shoes until I get a chance to get out and buy some new one's. I only noticed how worn the soles were last week and from the looks of it, I've been running on my heals!


Less than two months now until the big marathon day. Training partners, Marie and Mary, and I are planning a 17 miler Sat. morning. It's funny how none of us have officially plopped down the $80 but the more long runs we complete and the more people we tell, the more committed and resigned we become to the torture that lies ahead. Guess there's no backing out now?

Monday, August 18, 2008

Okay...more on Papa!

I rushed last night to get our weekend photos of Papa's Birthday celebration up before heading to bed but I just feel like I need to gush on my father-in-law a bit...it is officially his birthday today after all!

I've known Jerry for a very long time...obviously as long as I've known Jason and that's been since 1991. He hasn't changed one bit in the many years I've known him. I've often described him as the epitome of a gentlemen (not unlike my own father), kind, patient, down to earth, dependable, loving, easy to talk to. He gives so much of himself and is a model for our family as a dedicated servant of Christ consistently giving so much of himself to God's Church. I see so much of him in Jason...and am so grateful for that. I hope our own children inherit those qualities as well.

Hope you had a great day Jerry...we love you!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Papa's Birthday

We traveled to Clinton Friday afternoon to spend the night and to spend time with family in celebration of Papa's 63rd Birthday! Happy Birthday Papa! We had a GREAT time and hope you did too.














Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Been one of those weeks...

Sadly, last week was our last full week of summer together (the kids and I). I ended last week with some shopping time with my mom, sis and of course, baby Kate. We have to break her in to the addiction...and she definitely enjoyed her time with just the ladies. Jason and boys hung at home.

Jonathan has begun his first full week of preschool, Nick and Kate have begun their first week with Nicole, and I have begun my first full week of school. This transition never gets easier from year to year. I just plain miss my kids. Jonathan has not quite adjusted well to school as far as the drop-off's go. He always has a death like grip on me and cries every morning I leave. I have never had the opportunity to do the drop-offs with the kids in the past as it's always been Jason's duty due to my early days (my contract day begins at 7:15am), but this year I am taking Jonathan to school. It is not something I enjoy. I don't think any mom enjoys dropping off a crying child and most every morning this week I have gone to work wiping tears away as I enter the school parking lot and get ready to enter the building. I know it will take a few weeks for him to adjust and it always takes a few weeks for me to adjust. If I'm not posting as regularly...that is why. Juggling a full-time job on top of three so young, I have realized I have very little time for much in the evenings and to be quite honest, I'm just plain exhausted!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Tears & Cheers




I'm that mom. The one who get's all weepy and emotional with the major (and even minor) milestones. I knew this day would bother me...just didn't realize how much. So I'm sitting here, Kate and Nick taking their morning nap, thinking about my little boy and wondering if he's still as sad as he appeared to be when Jason and I dropped him off a couple of hours ago to his new preschool. He was SO excited about this day...couldn't even get him to go to sleep last night (well...that's really not unusual). He woke up ready...excited to put his backpack on and ready to get in the car and go. When we arrived at his new school, he got out of the van and even said, "mom, I'll walk in like a big boy". He looked around and explored a tad while Jason and I were speaking with one of the teachers, even used the bathroom while we were there. When it was time to leave, I got down at eye level and told him he was going to have so much fun today. It was going to be water fun day and he was going to get to go in the sprinklers. He said, "mommy staying too?" I had to swallow the lump in my throat and choke back tears as his eyes clearly expressed his understanding that I was not going to stay and he was on his own. Jason and I turned to leave and I could hear him whimpering as we walked away...as a mom, all I wanted to do was turn around and cuddle him. I knew that was not what was best at the moment....but as soon as we got to the van, I let go and cried.




As Jason reminded me, it's a fact of life that he will be on his own many times in his life as he begins new adventures...as a mom, I just wish I was right beside him. I'm sure he's made friends already and is having a tremendous day...most likely not thinking about me at all. But I sure wish 3:00 would get here quickly because I'm thinking about him every single minute!




Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Our Big Big Boy & Look Who is in Trouble!


Jonathan had an appt. today to get a exam for preschool and get his immunization record. At three years of age, he's 90th% for height and 50th% for weight. He was such a brave boy when he got a shot and only said, "OUCH" and forgot about it the moment he got to put the bandaid on himself and was told he could pick out two toys (a blue beaded necklace and a Big Bird sticker). Off to preschool tomorrow...I'm holding back tears already!

On another note, I finished my 6am run this morning and as I was walking down the hill from my running partners house, I see a little boy standing on the porch stretching his arms in the air...with nothing on from the waist down. I laughed and then reality hit that most likely, daddy didn't know Jonathan was out there welcoming me home pantless. He managed to unlock the door and work the childproof knob. SCARY. So we have to figure something out quickly...as a million and one scenarios ran through my head about what could happen if he managed to do that again!

Monday, August 4, 2008

Getting Bigger!

Daddy took Nick to his 18 (well...19 month, in reality) appt. with Dr. Paul Lively. He weighed in at 20.8lbs...not too great for his age. He's below the 5th% but even with that, he's actually made a little progress in that area compared to his last appt. The ferocious appetite he has had lately has benefited his growth lengthwise as he JUMPED from the 10th% 2 1/2 months ago to between the 50th-75th%!!! Yeah for little Mr. Nickles!

Six, three and under

I have a newfound respect for friend, Nicole, who is also the one little Kate and Nicholas go to while I am at school. It amazes me the amount of patience it takes to watch so many little ones, especially the loud, rambuctious toddlers when they are together. She had a Dr.'s appointment south of the city today, so I watched her two little one's (Kendric and Cadence) and sister-in-law, Nataliya came over with nephew, Daniel. So with my three and then three more...it was a packed house and even with a extra set of hands, it was a loud and crazy time! Thanks Nataliya for the help! :) Here's a little video of them all having lunch together.

Friday, August 1, 2008

I think now it's official...

http://www.waddellandreedkcmarathon.org/
I've been wavering on committing to the KC Marathon on Oct. 18th for well more than a month until this morning when friend and neighbor, Marie, and I started our 13.5 mile adventure at 5a.m. I met Marie in graduate school way back in 2002 at the Edwards Campus in Overland Park. When Jason and I moved up north, Marie and I began running together on a fairly regular basis. We then started having children of our own and in between, ran here and there when we could. We ended up moving into the same neighborhood weeks apart just last summer and in March, after Kate was born, I joined her and another neighbor, Mary for daily 5am runs. Another neighbor, Amy (who had a little girl just a couple of weeks before Kate was born) has also joined us. They have been an amazing accountablity factor in getting me out of bed in the early mornings to help work off the baby fat over the past months.
I didn't honestly think I was ready to commit to a full marathon until I could prove to myself I was in shape enough to handle some longer runs. This morning was a test passed...and both Marie and I are tired and sore but we didn't complain, didn't feel like we were going to pass out or that we needed to walk at any point so I think we are both ready to officially register. I've also been a bit hesitant due to the freakishly weird phenomenon of registering for marathons and then suddenly finding out I was pregnant. This happened when I qualified for the NYC Marathon, it happened right after I registered for the Boston Marathon after qualifying in the KC Marathon in 2002, It happened last spring when I registered for KC Marathon to take place last fall. So, as you can imagine, I'm skittish....despite the odds of that happening having dramatically decreased after Jason's *ahem*...procedure.


Now, I'm not competitive anymore whatsoever...so this is just a "do it just to do it" quest. Jason has been my biggest cheerleader in agreeing to help me with the time commitment involved with the long runs necessary to prepare. He always understood my passion for running when most people think I'm simply crazy...but I even think that of myself from time to time. So here we go...I have butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it.


2002 KC Marathon...wow...look how young my little nieces and nephew are!


P.S. There's also a Kid's Marathon with free registration, free medal and free food. Kids complete the final 1.2 miles. Not sure if Jonathan would be interested, but he loves to run, so perhaps he'll complete his first race at the ripe old age of 3! We'll see!