I remembered!

So with the gentle reminder from my ever so devoted blogger sister in law, I remembered I had this blog. Then I had to remember the website and my log in info. LOL

We are going through a re-accreditation at work for NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) and it is kicking my butt. If anyone ever call me a babysitter again I am not responsible for what happens to them. ;-)

Seems like we can't put in enough extra hours at work to get these portfolios done. Nevermind that we still have our regular job to do. I will be so glad when this is over! Hopefully we should be done next month sometime.

The kids were on Spring Break this past week and of course the weather starts to get nice as they have to go back to school.

That's about it for now, hopefully I will have something exciting to post soon.

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

Or that the older generation doesn't play video games? While out and about we had to get the new game for Wii "you can play with your butt." I think Terry had such a blast watching us make fools out of ourselves that he couldn't help but join in. Now of course we didn't make him get down on the floor and play with his butt, but we showed him how to use the Wii remote to bowl. He started kicking our butts after only two games of bowling. What was the first thing he wanted to do when he got up this morning? That's right, bowl.

He took a short break to watch the Vikings kick butt with only a few seconds left. Then back to bowling. Now the kids are showing him how to golf. Hmmm, will someone put a Wii on their Christmas list next year? LOL

Weather, Weather, Weather

Everyone around us is having all these winter storms. My father in laws train departure was delayed 7 hours because of storms in Chicago. He is going to be almost 8 hours late getting here. My family in Washington has over 30 inches of snow already and no sign of it letting up. Even Seattle and Portland are getting lots of snow.

We saw a little bit a couple of weeks ago. Now the worst part is 5 miles up the road from us the elevation changes enough that they even have snow! What the heck?

All I want for Christmas is snow! I don't want gifts, I don't want teeth, I would be perfectly happy with a couple of inches of snow! The rain in Germany may have been awful but at least we got snow in the winter!

Merry Christmas to all and to all good night.

The Magic of Christmas

After finishing our shopping a little earlier than normal this year we decided to go ahead and wrap what we had and put it under the tree. This must have motivated my children because we awoke this morning to breakfast in bed! They had made us french toast (ala Kaitlin as they call it) and orange juice.

After dragging our tired rear ends out of bed we walked into the kitchen knowing there would be a huge mess. NOPE! They had done their dishes and even emptied and reloaded the dishwasher. I wish it could be Christmas every day, LOL.

It was really nice after a full day of baking and knowing I had another full day ahead of me it was nice to be waited on even if only for a minute.

Every year...

Every year I get excited about Christmas and am ready to decorate the day after Thanksgiving. Every year Jason says I don't want to go crazy this year.
Every year I say that's okay ;-)
Every year we get all the lights and decorations out.
Every year we spend a whole afternoon making sure all the lights still work.
Every year we go outside and he asks where I want lights.
Every year I point out where I think we need to have lights at minimum.
Every year he says are you sure?
Every year I say yes dear.
Every year he starts putting up the lights I ask for.
Every year he says Let's put some here, here, and here.
Every year I kiss him and say that's why I love you.
Every year I let him think it was his idea.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Try not to overstuff yourself on Turkey like we always end up doing. :-)

Tis the Season

This time of the year I always get a little sentimental. Of course with this emotion comes questions. Why does it take this time of the year to realize how important family is? We all love our families and wish we could spend more time with them, but that isn't always possible. It is funny that even if we see our extended family throughout the year our heart aches to be with them over the holidays. There is no more lonely time of the year than to be without the ones you love over the holidays.

I was very lucky that even though my parents divorced I got to spend holidays with all of my family. Until moving to Germany I never knew what it would be like to be without my parents and grandparents. Do not get me wrong I am very thankful for my husband and children and would never choose to be away from them, but I still wish it were easier to spend holidays with them and the rest of the family.

Call me old fashioned but nothing makes me happier than having a house full of family and a big dinner to share with everyone.

When I start to think of these things, I realize just how lucky I am. I hug my children a little tighter, hold my husband a little closer, and realize that there are people out there who are not as lucky as I am. Happy Thanksgiving and when saying your fmaily blessing this year, please say a little prayer for those who are less fortunate than you.

Stupid little pet peeves...

We all have them, whether we admit it or not.

Jason and I are polar opposites on this issue, so I would like to know where others stand. I believe that I pay for childcare (not anymore but I used to) for somewhere for my children to go while I can't be with them. If I am not working or am home that I am not taking them to daycare. Maybe it is because I work in the field that I feel this way, but I really do enjoy being around my kids (when they aren't fighting). Jason, however; feels since we pay for it we might as well use it.

I work at a child development center and the rule is no child may be there for more than 10 hours per day unless they have a letter from their commander (which isn't so easy to get). I understand childcare is expensive but does that mean that our children need to be a pawn in a game of "getting your money's worth?"

Now I am certainly not talking about leaving your kids at daycare for an extra hour or so one day a week to get the grocery shopping done in peace. But seriously, I have seen parents waiting for the building to open at 0615 and will not pick their kids up until 1630 or later.

It has to be like a Childcare "Murphy's Law" that the children that listen and are easier to care for are always the ones who are dropped off later and picked up earlier. The children who are a little more challenging to care for are dropped off at opening and usually stay until closing.

Can you tell I am a little frustrated from work today? LOL

Who said dogs don't remember?

I used to believe it. Lately though I am thinking it is less than true. Either that or I have extremely intelligent dogs. Generally when my dogs do something such as chewing something up or having an accident we say to the "What did you do?" They give us a look like 'I'm sorry'.

Leyna recently confirmed our suspicions. Lastnight we were outside on the deck and Jason took them down to go potty. This may be TMI (as Kaitlin would say) but after a Bowel Movement our dogs have an extreme amount of energy. (Wish that was true for us).

So they come back up to the deck and are running around like they have been in their kennel for hours. They are playing and running and Leyna heads for the house, only she doesn't realize the screen door is closed.She slams into it with such force that she almost bends it in half. She cowers and just lays there for a moment until we all burst out in alughter because it was hilarious and what else could we do at this point?

Jason bent it back into shape and we were still outside, but we left the screen open. For the next half hour or so she would run over to the opening where the door would be and stop, stick her nose out to see if there was something there. Once she realized it was open she would go in.

So, to the person who says dogs don't remember... Bullshit!

So what is up with this?

I have seen it so often and yet it stillnever ceases to amaze me. Simply because I can't understand it. Have you ever looked at something that grossed you out so you looked away but had to look back to see just one more time?

What is with men who grow out one or more of their fingernails? The funny part is that most of these men that I have seen are in the military, so while it is not impossible that drugs are a reason I find it less likely than in the civilian sector.

Does anyone know the answer to this question?