Jelly Belly

Hanging to Dry

Summer is...   
        leisure mornings...
        home-brewed coffee...
        sunscreen...
        adventures...
        swimming pools...
        sun dried clothes...
        blooming flowers...

   Happy Children!   

I installed a new drying line and I LOVE IT!  I often ask why I didn't do this years ago, but regardless it is up now and it is getting its use.  Nothing beats the smell of freshly laundered clothes that have dried in the open summer sun.   (yeah...call me weird I guess)   

Coffee is brewed daily, rather than visiting the local drive through for the fix.

Each day awaits a new place for us to explore.

The garden is coming into full bloom.

The Auntie's have a WONDERFUL pool that awaits us for play!

       

Summer is Here!

Tired of the poop?  Maybe I should keep it up front and center on the blog in hopes that Buddy will fulfill all wishes and become potty-trained....OVERNIGHT.  Pipe dream, I know!  I will say though that hearing his sweet murmurings every day when the Jelly Belly page is loaded by default, he comments, "Thers my poop mommy!"  Little does he know that it really belongs to a rhinoceros. 

Summer is here in full swing!  This last Tuesday was my first actual day of summer, as I have been working to close down my school year as well as get camp up and running.  We have had picnics in the park, bike rides, play dates, Smore's parties, and even a couple of pool rendezvous!  The kids are adjusting to having no school or daycare routine...which is taking some time, but regardless...we are lovin' these days! 

Here is to summer!!!  Amen!

We managed to have a pudding party the other night...forget the pudding...there was more fun to be had in who could balance a spoon on their nose! (Little did he know that he had the spoon backwards!)
 

Praise the Lord...AMEN!

Today was the first day of something HUGE in our house! 

Buddy JB has been no big fan of the toilet.  We have gotten to potty in the toilet many a times, but getting him to stand and pee...nope!  Getting him to poop...forget it! 

I am not one to rush him with it all and I try to save the summers as the time for us to really work on the "potty training."  Since he has been sick, as mentioned in an earlier post, our little man has been on steroids and hasn't had much of an appetite.  Needless to say, the pooping has been null and void around here.  Usually we will find him doing his duty while he hides somewhere.  He wants his privacy and he wants it all to happen on his own time...no biggie! 

Over the last few nights we have been hearing him complain that his bottom hurts...knowing full well that he has a RHINO poop that is about to be born after 4 days of incubation.  Tonight after bath, and naked I might add, he mentioned that he had to poop...so we hustled him to the potty.  After many a groans and grunts...nothing.  Another ten minutes went by and sure enough we heard, "Mommy I have to poop again."  So back to the potty for a long perch.  He grunted, pushed, you name it and finally it started to happen.  He didn't want to believe it so I tried to show him with a mirror.  He didn't like that and truthfully I don't think he could see anything.  Knowing that there was a turd hanging out of his butt, I couldn't let him off the throne as he had wished, so with some mommy coaching...the baby rhino turd was born!  He did it!  It wasn't such a joyous occasion for him because he was scared to DEATH and only wanted me to hold him while on the potty.  We wiped, danced, and who-rahhed, but all he wanted to do was have it flushed. 

Tomorrow he gets to pick out a special toy at Freddies for his major achievement, now lets hope that he isn't too detoured by the monstrous rhino poop experience.

Give me a bone...

OK...I feel a load of sarcasm coming on and a little bit of sassiness that could result in getting my mouth washed out with soap.  If you don't like offensive words, comments, or topics...turn away.  (This is my disclaimer...so read at your own risk.)

Lately I am feeling much like Debbie Downer off of SNL.  If one thing is positive, I have 5 negatives for that one positive.  Usually I try to keep Debbie Downer at bay, but every once and awhile she rears her ugly head.  If you don't know Debbie Downer...go visit Hulu for some SNL clips and you'll know what I mean. 

I am frickin' tired of sick people.  Sick kids, sick adults, sick everywhere.  If you are sick I really want to put you in a decontamination suit for a massive killing of all scummy bacteria that is festering in your body.  Many times I wish I could do it to myself and I would be cured of the stupid MS; too bad Obama hasn't come up with that tool yet.   My kids are sick....really sick.  Fevers are spiking to 103.  Whining prevails all the time.  We have been housebound for days....and there isn't really a whole lot I can do to make them feel better.  Please don't tell me, "enjoy being the parent"  or "you signed up for this."  Nobody signs up to be sick, NO ONE!

I am extremely bitter about everything PUBLIC schools.  I love what I do...most of the time I really do enjoy teaching.  I enjoy the little ones, their spirits, their independence and their curiosity.  I don't' enjoy parents who SLACK when it comes to parenting, being responsible and sending their kids to school with SPIKING fevers and really sick kids.  Come on people...common sense! We all make mistakes, maybe we aren't sure about just how well they are, but when a teacher (who is NOT their parent) can spot sick kids within the first 15 minutes of being in the classroom...no excuses. I am now resorting to taking off days with no pay and Daddy JB has resorted to dwindling down his vacation days in order to stay home with our kids. 

I am pist about poor practices in our schools in which people don't effectively communicate or justify their actions.  As a PUBLIC teacher I have to go through major hoops to explain, justify and rationalize my actions as a teacher.  Why I do what I do?  What am I doing?  I do understand...I am a Public Employee of the State and Federal government.  I snag all people's tax money and spend it frivolously on extraneous items that only beautify my classroom and "prettify" my teaching.  ::did you catch the sarcasm?::  Every person in the education system has a heavy load...I will not argue with that at all.  Educators work miracles, we truly do.  ...then why can't their be equal communication and actions from all people involved in education?  Morale is LOW where I am at, people are not happy, everything is just plain depressing.  Luckily my students still bring a smile to my face everyday.

This photo kind of sums up my feelings right now.  Its all in the shitter! 

Buddy JB is working hard on the potty training; well actually only for the photo shoot.  Waa Waaaaaa

All the downer blah blah was just lifted as my little girl held my hand tonight, while she frets through the 102.5 fever, toots and grins at me, and reminds me that "I have to buy her Trix yogurt from Fred Meyer" tomorrow.