One wild and crazy crew....

Well, here I go again...yet another attempt at getting my blog going again! This picture sums up our lives right now...wild and crazy!! (And yes, those are underwear on my head. Quinton's. And yes, they are clean).


I just LOVE this picture!!! (And soon I will study up and figure out why I can't get my pictures full size and try to fix that!) So, since it has been a while, here is an update...

Quinton - Quinton continues to live in his own little world, and likes it there. He is in third grade and has Rhonda McIntyre (she is AWESOME!) and still likes school, but is struggling with the fact that there is a lot more work in third grade. He is into Beyblades, video games (shocker) and currently spends a part of each day planning science experiments. I can't believe that he is 9 already! This boy has an imagination that won't quit. Like really, won't quit. Even after hundreds of requests from his mother. I went to a conference with his teacher last week and she said after many years of teaching, he is the only kid to ever make her laugh so hard she had to leave the classroom. I am going to continue this blog if for nothing else to have written record of the things that child says and does!! Every teacher Quinton has ever had has said, "I can't wait to see what he becomes". Well, neither can I!

Kerrigan - Kerrigan started Kindergarten this year!!! I had really debated on whether or not to send her with her July birthday, but I sure am glad I did!! She loves, loves, loves school. She has the sweetest spirit and can not stand to dissapoint. She loves her dance, gym and twirling classes and is just an easy to please child. Kerrigan has Rhonda Aubuchon for her teacher, and at her conference the teacher was impressed with her attention span and her love for learning. She was picked this month as outstanding student for her kindness. Makes my heart proud!! She does have a little wild streak though...she has taken to wearing clothes that are just a little tight, and if her belly shows a little, all the better!!! I love watching her in dance class do her own thing and seeing the other kids try to mimic her. She is definitely not a follower!

Kortlen - Kortlen is, and I have a feeling will always be, the center of attention most of the time at our house. Before she was born, I worried that she would fall into the shadows of Kerrigan, who was everyone's princess. Well, never fear, that is not a worry any more!! Kortlen knows what she wants, and goes for it all the time. If something doesn't go her way, or if she is upset, you will know!! I often say she is my meanest and my sweetest child. She can mistreat her siblings terribly and in the next minute be hugging and kissing on them. Kortlen is super smart and you never know what she is cooking up in that brain of hers!! She goes to First Kids still on Tuesday and Thursday, but the highlights of her week is when Shea comes over (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Shea is my cousin Shane's youngest daughter and she and Kort are thick and thieves...and probably as mischievous! Kortlen also loves her dance classes but that girl is a great twirler!! She is the youngest in her class by almost 2 years and can out twirl most of them! If she likes something, watch out...she will succeed!

Life for all of us is really good right now! We recently moved to my mom's house, which has been great for us and for her. Although we are right in the middle of school, work, crazy football season, busy as can be, crazy at times, and we all have our ups and downs.....life is truly WONDERFUL!!

Here is a picture of the kids at Halloween (and once again, maybe sometime soon I will figure out the size thing....)

It's off to work I go....

...for one more day and then SPRING BREAK!!! My first year of working full time has been awesome. I know that I am doing exactly what I should be...TEACHING! I so love my job that it really doesn't even feel like work. The one draw back is I miss my babies! First semester flew by and then I got to spend 2 weeks at Christmas break with my kiddos every day. That is when I realized just how much I missed them! I am so blessed to have a job where I only work 190 days of the year and to be on a campus where the one time I had a sick baby (in the hospital with pneumonia) my principal called to check on her, but I do miss spending most of every day with my kiddos.

I think Kerrigan is the one who most notices me being at work. Quinton is of course at school every day, and Kortlen is too young to really notice a difference, but Kerrigan is 4 so she realizes the difference. Since Christmas, she has asked me several times why I have to work. I explained how life costs money and I have to work to pay for our house, our car, and all the things we have to have.

On Monday night, she asked me if tomorrow was a work day. I told her yes, but that after just 4 more days of work I was going to have a whole week off to spend all day with her! She was very excited!! When I got home from work on Tuesday, she met me at the door with a worried look on her face. This is what she said....
"Mom, what if we need to buy something on your week off? How will we do it?"
She had been worried all day that if I didn't go to work we wouldn't have any money!! I explained to her that it was a vacation and I would still get paid. Sweet thing doesn't realize that I am a teacher, so we never have any money!!

Snow Day!

I love, love, love the snow! I am completely anti-cold weather and love that I live in Texas so I just have to deal with it minimally, but the snow makes the cold weather so worth it! On Friday morning we woke up to this.....
Isn't that beautiful? We went to bed knowing that school had been delayed to start at 10:00, but then awoke to find that school was canceled for the whole day! What fun! The kids didn't even mind missing their Valentine's Day parties to get to play in the snow! This made for a really short week for me too! After a week of viruses I had already missed a day and a half so then to have Friday off made last week a really short one. Not to mention that Monday is President's Day and we are out for that as well. I spent most of the day changing socks, putting clothes in the dryer, and saying "Shut the door guys!" but it was a great day! I think the last time we had snow that deep (around 8 inches at our house) I was in the 3rd grade. The only thing better than having snow as a kid is seeing the snow through your own kid's eyes.

And we're back....

After quite the hiatus from blogging, I am plunging back in! I know I should probably go back and catch up on what has happened in the last 6, no 7 months since I last blogged, but I am not gonna do it! I am just jumping back in with a fresh start! I will try to hit the hi-lights of the latter part of 2009 in future blogs, but today I am just going to post a picture of some BEAUTIFUL children (and I am not at all partial!!) We took these pictures right before Christmas....
Told ya they were beautiful!! I will make this picture bigger as soon as I remember how!! That is what happens when you don't blog for 7 months!!

Bad Blogger

I am having blogger guilt. It has been over A MONTH since my last blog. So much is going on right now that I don't even know where to start...so I'm not. Life is life, and this too shall pass.

My babies are doing wonderfully!!! Kortlen gets more fiesty with each passing day. I can't even imagine what Jr. High is going to be like. Please start praying for me now!! I have rescheduled her eye surgery for June 26th. I am so ready to get that done. Her eyes are getting worse and worse, so it is time. Tonight she was singing Hannah Montana's "Hoedown Throwdown" and dancing it on my bed. It just made my heart smile. She is precious and a gift from God...I am so thankful.

Kerrigan has her second dance recital this weekend. She is pumped (and, of course, that means I am SUPER busy....gotta love recital week.) She is doing a duet with her cute little friend Brittany, a solo, and 3 group routines. So much fun. There is nothing like seeing your baby on stage. LOVE IT! Kerrigan is so independant. I love her sassy little self and her huge personality. She is a princess!

Quinton is winding down the school year. Quinton was diagnosed with dyslexia last summer and we really worried about first grade....but there was no need! That boy is so smart! He made straight A's and never made less than a 100 on a spelling test (after being told last year he would never even be able to DO a spelling list this year that is quite the accomplishment). That is thanks to a great dyslexia program and the BEST teachers ever (We love Mrs Sample and Mrs Widemon!). He is going to go to summer school this year (Boo to early mornings) to help him stay on task with his reading, but my easy going boy will love it. He has such a sweet funny spirit and a love for life; he is such a joy.

I have lots of changes coming up in my life. I have taken a full time teaching position at the high school next year. I know that this is the best decision for me at this time, but it is so bittersweet. I love teaching, and know that I will love adding algebra to my teaching day, but I am sad that I will not be teaching at the studio next year. I am also sad that my girls will be away from me all day, but hour wise I think it will stay about the same. I am thankful for Erin, First Kids, and Aunt Charliene because I know they will be loved and well taken care of while I am at work. I also have taken on selling Scentsy...which I LOVE!!! So fun! Keep our family in your thoughts as many changes are ahead. I appreciate it.

Keri

DADGUM IT!

As parents, we don't want our precious little angels (yeah, right) to have potty mouths. We try to come up with little sayings that keep our own potty mouths at bay, at least around the kids, right? Well, one of my favorites is DADGUM IT! Pretty acceptable, even out of the mouths of babes, right? Well, that is unless your youngest angel translates that saying to be DA-OM IT! Go ahead, say it out loud. Now picture a 2 year old running around saying it. The committee just called and they are engraving my Mother of the Year plaque as we speak.

My baby is TWO!!

I can not believe that Kortlen Jane is two years old (as of March 28th). What happened? Where have the last two years gone? Two years we were given this little unplanned blessing and I can't imagine life without her. We celebrated this special day with a "Princess Parade Party" at the studio. We had everyone bring their favorite riding toy, decorated everything in pink, and had a great party!

Isn't that a cute princess castle cake? Cynthia Bellar made it! She does a great job!

Here is the birthday princess stealing lick of icing off her cake! Guess she liked it. I think we lost 2 cupcakes due to those little slobbery finger swipes!Here is Miss Kort getting ready to blow out her candles. She was a little unsure of everyone singing to her, however is still singing to herself daily. I love the fact that she gets it this year. After we brought home her gifts she sat in the living room floor saying "this kortwyn's birt-day doll" and "this kortwyn's birt-day dress" etc. She was so excited that it was all for her! I guess being the 3rd child and just over a year behind Kerrigan she is used to getting hand me downs and things that are for "the girls". I guess she really felt like the princess. Love that girl!