going on's

We are back from our Mission Arlington trip and I am so glad. It was a good trip, but I can't say it was restful when I slept on an air matress in a 700 sq foot space with only 2 bathrooms and 14 other girls that were....lets just say emotional and dramatic teenage girls. But it was a good week of really bonding with some girls that I haven't had the chance to do that with yet. So that was really really good.

We have a few days of rest. Then my mom and dad are coming here on Wednesday so that they can keep Colin while me and Jeff go to one last away trip. We are going to fish camp this Thursday thru Sunday with our 3rd-6th graders. It will be good to get to know the kids that will be coming to us in the coming years. I am very very tired of leaving my son though. He doesn't seem to care, but I do. I miss him when he is not with me.

Speaking of Colin, I will talk about potty training with him now. Back around March and April, we introduced him to the potty chair and he was using it ALL the time. Then I guess the "newness" wore off and he wasn't interested anymore. Once his babysitter asked if he wanted to go potty and he even said, "No mommy do it." Probably meaning, "no my mom will just change my diaper." What a stinker. Well we keep taking him and hasn't cared or gone in the potty at all this summer. But here the past few days he has been going in it alot. His face is so cute when he goes. He'll say, "All done!" and then I make a fool out of myself screaming and doing the "potty dance." Then he gets to dump it in the big toilet and flush it. He's been talking more about undies lately. He points them out in the potty book we have and finds them in his drawer. I hope hope hope this is the start again of being on our way to undies. I'm definitely not in a hurry and don't want to push it, but if he's ready....then so am I!

One more week til vacation! I'm so so so excited. I'm excited to just enjoy my family. I don't plan on wearing much make-up or answering my phone much. I just plan on playing and laughing with my boys and laying out in the sun!

After that, its full swing back into work mode again. NOT excited about getting back into a good sleeping schedule (for me and Colin both). We've been staying up late and sleeping late. But I am excited to get back into a routine. As nice as it has been to be lazy, it will also be nice to feel like I am being productive again.

I'll try to post again before we go to the beach. Have a fantastic day!

Simple Woman's Daybook

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY Wednesday, July 15, 2009

I''m going to try to keep this short.

Outside my window... I saw the deer again. I guess I am amused too easily by that. But hey! I'm from the city! You don't see that kind of stuff in A-town.

I am thinking...that I can't believe C-man is almost 2! Ever since I have graduated college, time has just flown! I taught a year, got pregnant, moved, got a new job, had a baby, and bought a house all in a whirlwind of time. Now all of a sudden, I've been married for 5 years and have a 2 year old!

I am thankful for...our jobs. We both have jobs that we love, that provide for us, and we both have "bosses" that are good to us. Even though they are rather "emotionally demanding" at times, I wouldn't want it any other way.

From the learning rooms...Well, Im learning alot from my Beth Moore study that I have started on Esther. It is challenging for me, and it goes really slowly to allow time to go more in depth. I like that.

From the kitchen...I feel like all I ever do is wash dishes because we have been eating at home ALOT lately. Which is a good thing. We are saving money because of it. Tonight we eat at church, so i won't cook. Tomorrow I am going to grill some chicken on the George Foreman and have some alfredo noodles with it.

I am wearing...jeans, a "school spirit" shirt from my old school in A-town that I taught at, black flops.

I am creating...well this should be interesting. But I am going to slightly re-decorate my living room today for under $30. I'm going to buy cheap sheer curtains, buy new pillows for the couch, and buy some stuff at the dollar tree! Ha! That might be tacky for some people, but I am excited to see if it turns out good. I don't always have the best eye for decorating, so we will see.

I am going...shopping today at Dollar Tree and Walmart.

I am reading...my Esther study, and still trying to finish The Shack. I'm slow.

I am hoping...its not too hard to get up early again when school starts.

I am hearing...Yo Gabba Gabba on TV (that is a bizarre show)

Around the house...clean dishes, and clean floors

One of my favorite things...Colin's laugh. We took him swimming yesterday at a public pool and he LOVED it! We wanted to see how he would do since we are going to the beach soon. He's never been in a pool where he couldn't touch the ground. The pool didn't allow him to wear his floaties (which I thought was dumb) so I was a little nervous. Especially when he got so comfortable with it and a little dare-devilish that he wanted SO BAD to jump off the side into the deep end like the big kids. He was not happy that he could not do that. But I am so glad that he wasn't scared of it. He had a blast and laughed/smiled the entire time.

A few plans for the rest of the week...shopping, church, visit Ms Betty, clean, pick up Colin's cake, have a partay! Then we are off to Mission Arlington for a week!

A picture I want to share...this was like 6 months ago at the city park. I just think it is a cute picture. What a precious face!

my little ball player

We used this pic for Colin's birthday invitation. I just added words on top of the pic in Adobe Photoshop and at the top it said, "Come have a ball with us!" (*ba-da-ching*) ...I thought it was clever. Anyway, I'm getting his birthday party stuff ready. Very excited. It will probably be just family and a few close friends of Colin's, but I am excited about it.

On another note, I am having a dilemma trying ro figure out what to do for Colin as far as childcare this year. I was planning on having him stay with Ms. Betty (his sitter) for one more year. Ms. Betty is 82 years old but looks and acts WAY younger. She is very quick to respond and very healthy. She is SUCH a God-send and sooooo wonderful! Colin loves her and we love her too. And she is quite attached to Colin as well.

Well, last week while she was keeping Colin, she fell and dislocated her shoulder. (pray for her!) The doctor said she has to wear a sling for 6 weeks. She is the type that will take the sling off too early and start watching kids again as soon as possible. If she really is better I would love for Colin to stay with her for one more year. But I would also hate for her to push herself and halfway through the year get hurt again and not be able to keep him. So I am debating on whether I should wait or put him in one of the really good daycares here. There is only like 2 that I am comfortable putting him in. And one of them I think is just a Mothers Day Out. Not for sure yet. Pray for me as I make this decision. I also know that Betty would be heartbroken if I took him. She told me the other day that the only way she would be okay with Colin leaving her is if I had another baby to "switch out" with! Ha!

I admit...

I was not a good momma today. We took Colin to see Ice Age 3. Knowing full well he might not even do that well. Jeff and I even discussed it. We said, "Lets just try it and it is no big deal if he doesn't make it." Well he not only didn't make it, but we left in an embarrassing screaming fit only 15 minutes after it started! He just didn't care about anything except for the fact the he WANTED to go up and down the "big teps!" (big steps). He did stay quiet for a few minutes and that was only because he had my coke. Which he drank about 75% of it. Even though I knew he might not do well, my temper blew. I got really mad. He got spanked. I said a few choice words. We both cried the whole way home. And poor Jeff the entire time is making his face that says, "What is the right thing to say right now that won't get my head bit off?" So all that was accomplished on that movie date was....

1. screaming
2. wasted money
3. a tight stomach and tummy ache from too much coke
4. a not good momma

I don't know who actually reads this blog, but I hope my admitting that I said "a few choice words" does not offend you or make you think less of me. I apologize if it does. That is a struggle that I have that I am not proud of and it is a struggle that I can say is on its way to not being a struggle. But it did slip today in the rage of my frustration. We all have struggles if we are honest with ourselves and that is one of mine. For some reason though, I wanted to be "admitful" (if that is even a word) today on my blog. I know that I am not the only one who tries to make it seem like we are all put together and never have problems or sinful moments with selfish motives. And blogs are a great way to fake our way through that facade. I know that I am bad about using my blog to only post "nice" and "pretty" things about my life. So I guess I just wanted throw it out there that I'm not perfect and I have bad days. Sometimes I stink at mothering. And alot of times I stink at controlling my toungue. Im working on that.

And for the record, me and my son made ammends. We went home, he soaked up a diaper from all the coke, and I held him and rocked him to sleep and told him I was sorry and that I loved him. He is a good sweet boy!

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY Tuesday, July 7, 2009...

Outside my window... Well I am not home, I am still in Arlington, but it is bright and sunny and surely hot. I am not a fan of hot anymore...unless there is water around where it would be an appropriate situation for me to dive into it to cool off.

I am thinking...about our Mission Arlington trip quickly approaching and how we are SO not ready for it. Perhaps it is a given that any events taking place in the first year of your youth ministry will be planned about a week before it happens! Hopefully our second year won't be so "procrastinatish."

I am thankful for...for our families. I have had a sweet visit with my parents and we had a very very sweet time at Jeff's grandparents yesterday. They are precious people.

From the learning rooms...I believe we have already discussed this! There is NO learning during summer!!!

From the kitchen... I had to leave some cash for Jeff when I left to come here for him to eat out because I knew he wouldn't make anything unless i was there to make it. He even called me one time and said, "We are out of milk. What do I do?" Uh.....go to the store? Silly boy.

I am wearing...our camp shirt and denim shorts. no shoes.

I am creating...I hate this question! I am not a creative person. I did make a paper mache letter S (for Stapleton) with scrapbook paper and paint to hang on our wall at home. I am proud of it.

I am going...to get Colin's birthday party stuff ready when I get home. We are going to have a Texas Rangers baseball party! He is officially obsessed.

I am reading...almost done with The Shack.

I am hoping...we don't run out of money before I get paid again!

I am hearing...the TV and Colin crunching on cheerios.

Around the house...around my moms house is all of Colin's toys, my mom and papa and colin watching tv, my dad piddling around the house, and jeff sleeping, which i am about to run and jump on him to wake him up. he really likes it when I do that. :)

One of my favorite things...shopping with my mom. its also a bad thing because she finds stuff that i really want...but like we discussed in the "i am hoping" section...i have no extra money! hehe

A few plans for the rest of the week...go back to Marshall today. Get Mission Arlington stuff and birthday party stuff prepared. Friday we are going to Watertown with our jr high students. I hate water parks...

Here is picture thought I am sharing...Colin watching the 4th of July parade in Arlington. His favorite thing, of course, was the drum line of the high school bands...oh and the Texas Ranger float!