Back to school!

Hi all. Today was our first day back to school. It was nice to meet all of my students--it's so funny how these "strangers" become part of my CRMS family so quickly--soon I'll be thinking about them (and worrying about some of them!) even when I'm not at school. It was nice to get back, although I hate the "getting to know you" stuff and the misc. junk we do at the beginning of the year--I'm handing out my book tomorrow and starting the "real" stuff Wednesday--we're jumping right in!

After school, TJ and I took the boys and Anna out to Johnamac Orchard. They have most of the kiddie stuff set up, and they had a blast--Anna and the Bubba LOVED the corn silo (Will wasn't so sure...) and Anna and Will had a great time going down the big slide. They all enjoyed their donuts, of course :) I have a feeling we'll be spending a LOT of time out there during the week--it's so nice that it's free on weekdays, since it's sorta expensive on the weekend. That was our excitement for the week--until Thursday, when we go watch "girls play volleyball at mommy's school."

Hope everyone is having a great week!!!

Cornfest!!!

We had fun tonight at Cornfest (held out at the airport...strange!) I got some cute pics of the kiddos eating corn...It wasn't quite the same at the airport, but it wasn't all bad, either...

Tell me to knock it off...

Okay, I know I am feeling sorry for myself for no reason. I am amazingly blessed with two wonderful boys, and I really, truly do NOT want another. Really. However, not one, but three people who I love dearly are pregnant (and you know who you are...and maybe there are a couple out there that know who they are, even if I don't know who you are, so there could be more...???) While I am SO thrilled for them, and I really, really don't want to be them, it makes me a little sad.

Why is it that, years after I've done ANYTHING to try to have a baby, and after I have my two amazing guys, I still have these feelings? I know a few of you know what I mean--that, "Why not me?" feeling any time anyone else is pregnant. That longing...that, "I wish I could just have a baby like anyone (or sometimes it seems like everyone!) else." It's not really that I want another baby, I guess--it's just that I'd like the option. I'd like to know what it feels like to wonder if this is the month, without taking drugs (or doing much more!) beforehand. I'd give anything to find out I was pregnant and then not freak out about taking progesterone injections, and not worry about a loss the entire time.

Every time I feel this way, I remind myself of one of my good INCIID friends. She started trying before we did, and she still only has her angel babies in heaven. I know she would give anything to be me. To sit here with crummy girl parts, but still have two amazing miracles--HERE with me every day. I know there are many, many women in different stages of the struggle that would trade with me in a minute--I was one of them. But still, sometimes I get sad, and think it's unfair. So tell me to knock it off. To count my blessings. To remember that the kids drive me nuts some days, and I really don't want more. C'mon, I can take it...

THOMAS!!!

Okay, so I know lots of people think the Day Out With Thomas is a huge rip-off. I am not one of those people! We really enjoyed our "visit" with Thomas...the only thing the Bubba was sad about was having to leave! He sat nicely for us to get a picture of him with Sir Topham Hatt (a miracle, if you know the kid!) and enjoyed his ride on the train. He talked about it the whole way home (well, most of the way...he also spent time talking about seeing "Maka play baseball" the night before).

I hope you enjoy our pictures--this was a nice way to pretty much end our summer!

"Jumpy Place" and Playdate

We returned to Jump'n Jiminy last week--it was a blast! The kids really like the smaller obstacle course "jumpy" and of course, the big slide (I think Ade and TJ like the big slide,too, although they won't admit it!) The surprise, though, was how much the biiiiig bubba loved playing air hockey. He stood on a stool and played for about 15 minutes (which anyone with a 2 year old can tell you is a really long time), and he was actually pretty good.

We also hosted playdate last week--I've included one of the group photos we tried to take...Will was unwilling to be in the pictures, but we got everyone else, I think! We're sad playdates are done for the summer, but we're SO excited to go ride Thomas this Friday!!!

Reading!

Okay, so for those who don't know, I am an addicted reader. It's not that I'm always reading, because sometimes I can't find anything I want to read, or any time to read, it's just that, when I do read, I READ. Like, a book in a day. Like, a whole series of books in a week. So I really, really like it when a new series catches my interest. Especially if there are several already written. Last Thursday I decided to go out and buy Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, which some of my favorite former DHS students had been telling me about. I read it Thursday night and Friday...and finished it Friday night. Now, knowing me, I should have just gotten them all when I got Twilight, but I didn't. And I was on vaca. So I waited...sorta patiently...until 10 minutes after we got home Sunday afternoon. Then I went "grocery shopping" at Wal-Mart, and the next three books in the series found their way into my cart. So Sunday/Monday morning was New Moon. Then I waited until yesterday (Wednesday) to start Eclipse, so I could "savor" these books. Um...yeah...finished it tonight. Now I'm going to go to bed. And NOT start Breaking Dawn. (Of course, Adrien just started New Moon, so I better hurry to finish them, right??? For her sake???)

In other news, playdate is here tomorrow--I'm looking forward to visiting with the moms--feels like I haven't seen ANYONE this summer, which isn't true, but suddenly it feels like the whole thing has flown by! Of course, whenever I think about my big man turning three this November, I can't believe how fast time flies!!!

Tornado Warning!!!

Tornado Warning tonight...I hate bad weather. It was nice that the Bevs were here, so I wasn't the only weather wimp :) Luckily, as always, there was no real issue, and we even kept our power!

Vacation is over :(

We had a great time with the "Riceboys" on vaca this weekend. It was so nice to get to put the kids to bed and actually talk to old friends in complete sentences (oh, and we had fun with the kids, too!) The crew really enjoyed the water parks; they loved to swim, go down the slides, and watch the "bucket dump out" over and over again. The "big boys" (ie. TJ and Ryan) went down the big slide at the Lost World park, and claim that it was fun (um...didn't look like fun to me, but whatever). The boys love Mac--in fact, that's all we heard the whole ride home..."Where Mac go?" "Mac go bye-bye" "RyananLiz go bye-bye" "Mac go home" "No more 'cation" and on, and on...it was almost as incessant as the rambling on about trains and tractors, so you know the Bub is in love! Overall, it was a wonderful weekend, and an experience we will want to repeat again, soon!