Halfsies

The girls had their first sleepover! Well, a "half sleepover", as our friends called it. Friends A & J came over around 6 and stayed for dinner and some fun! The favorite things of the night were the kitchen area (they played restaurant and house and doctor all at the same time it seems!) and (surprise?) coloring! They colored for at least 40 minutes! Oh, and JMan schooled all the girls at Star Wars DS!
They got changed to pjs and ready for bed then went to bed for half the night. Sort of. Mom and Dad came around 11 to get them, and Ally and her buddy had only been asleep for about 45 minutes! They were hilarious. The big girls were talking up a storm but I couldn't hear them. In Ally's room, I still have the monitor hooked up so I can hear her holler for me every night (every. single. night. at LEAST once) to take her potty. I digress.
SO, like the sneaky mom I am...I sat by the receiver and listened to Ally and J talk away. They were precious! They discussed what they are going to be when they grow up. Ally, a vet, J an astronaut. They discussed their favorite sleeping positions and their favorite and special animals to cuddle with each night. Ally is apparently very excited about her bday party (coming up quickly in a short 10 months...!) and was making sure that J would be there. He told her to be sure to send an invitation just in case he forgets. :)
What else...Ally came out to get me at one point to help find J's special Webkins that had fallen under the beds. At this point they were both squished against the wall side of the twin bed. Only taking up about half the bed. This was Ally's doing. She wanted to sleep BY J. Like, immediately by him and next to him! J started out on the pull out trundle. Obviously bringing that out was completely unnecessary!
Anyway, it was tons of fun. Ally woke up to potty later in the night and told me she was worried about J. So sweet.

And This Little Piggie Stayed Home

The girls had their "Winter Break" this week, and for once we actually had some semi-wintry weather! Very different from previous years!
This year we had lots and lots of rain and cold temps. We did not leave the house for 4 days!! And I loved it. I thought the girls may get a bit of cabin fever but they really did fine. We had lost of P.J. time and just played and watched movies and hung out.
We did a few "special" things while at home.
I gave the girls each a spa pedi! Complete with the foot soak and pumice scrub and massage... aahhh...although Emma could hardly stay in her seat. She is SO ticklish!
Emma made a batch of cookies in her new EasyBake oven from Santa. Ally declined. She was drawing. Oh, the piles and piles of paper that girl leaves around from her "drawings" and "lists"! Another post...
Anyway, a very short and sweet post. TRYing to get back in the swing here. Hang in there!

Okay People.

Nothing like getting me back into the blog swing of things like a good giveaway! Two good friends of mine, have started a Podcast recently. Prior to this post, I have never listened to a podcast and really had no idea what it was...yes, I am behind the times a bit. :)
Anyway, Dawn and Kim at MusingMommies.com have offered an amazing giveaway! A SIGNED cookbook from one of my MOST favorite bloggers, THE Pioneer Woman herself, Ree Drummond!
To keep this short and sweet...I LOVED the podcast! It was very cool to listen to. Kim recorded some live audio from the PW's signing (that I MISSED!!!) and I felt like I was there for a minute! :)
Please check out the Musing Mommies site and the podcasts. It's very cool!

Eyes Wide Open

How desperately I want to fall into sweet slumberland and wish my worries away!!

I finally decided to get up and do something productive. I may not (edited to read, "Will Not"!) produce an interesting post, but it's a post. And that's a start.

Today was a good day. Did some laundry, a little housework. Played CandyLand and Connect Four. Ate leftovers.

Did not bathe dog or clear off back porch or weed the garden.

Did not even look at the sale ads and that is one thing that is haunting me now. I need to know what I can round up with my minuscule budget this week. I need to know what I can score for next to nothing to add to my stockpile of consumables. And yes, I know I am obsessing over the small things to avoid the big things....

I am calculating how best to go about rounding up supplies for a making a couple of cute Halloween decorations.

Making mental notes that I need to...

change the job list for my class
rearrange the seating chart
create a behavior chart system for my class
email parents on conference times
execute the BOY testing in class this week
call the Pumpkin Patch w/field trip questions
find the blog on how to "Boo" and prepare
research possible parks for Ally's bday
look for toy dinosaurs in the workroom and
make die cut letters for the words "Boo" and "Eek"
come up with an entertaining rendition of the story of David and Jonathan for the enjoyment of 3 dozen four year olds
mail a pkg. to sister
make a list of Cmas ideas that are floating around
take a return to Kohl's
take a return to Walmart
take an exchange to Hobby Lobby
charge camera and take pics of more Craigslist stuff, then post
tell M&D that Ally's book fair is this week (oops!)
send $3 for Emma's class shirt
pick up several bottles of hand sanitizer and halloween-y stickers and ribbon to decorate
find old games from leftover garage sale things and send to school w/Emma

Let me just do everyone a favor and stop here. With each item I add to my list, I think of 3 more... SO... let's try again. Let's stop, chill out, and try to sleep. :)
Please sleep, come to me... or I will get none of these things done, and only encourage this nasty cycle.

In hopes!

~J

Ignore This

:)

I am only posting about this to increase my chance of winning "it". I actually need it and have been shopping around since mine bit the dust (haha...no pun intended!).

mommysnacks is giving away a Swiffer WetJet! And I want it.

So there.

FB Status Sillies

Usually if I post something on FB I try to include it here in more detail, but it has been brought to my attention that I have missed a couple... (thank you, Gmom!)
So, I'm just going to copy and paste some status lines to make sure it's on here.

I'll title this one, "Oh, Ally." :)

(june, 2009)
I Wonder how to react when the 4 yr. old calmly walks in from the other room and says, "I'm just going to my room now, because I did not do a good job." ....sigh....
(edited to add-she had been adding to her "concoction" of graham crackers, fruit punch, and marshmallow after I told her to leave it alone...and THEN spilled some when she tried to put it in the freezer!)

And this one, "Oh, Ruth."

(aug. 7, 2009)
I lined up Ally's 5 baby dolls and chose one (just ONE!) to go in the garage sale, and I hear "Not THAT one!! That's the one I always play with!!". I turn around and give "the look" (the "are you kidding me" look") to ..... Ally? No. Emma? No.... Who?... My Mother-in-Law!!! LOL

"Oh, Jenni." (what? I can't break the rhythm now!)

(aug. 9, 2009)
I agreed to let the girls make a couple of rounds on the bikes right before we left for church today...I was out there in my wedge heels and pretty white dress trying to keep Ally going while Emma cruised. I'm sure I was the talk of the neighborhood over coffee!

And lastly, "Smarty Pants!"

(aug. 31, 2009)
I tried this morning to explain to Ally that we were "going to school", but we are not "starting school" this week....so I picked her up from the nursery today (there's about 10 teacher kids between the staff, so for work days ...they have daycare) and the first thing out of her mouth, "We didn't learn ANYthing!!" Ha!

She is going to kill me, but....

I have to blog this!
Here is Emma's first "real" graded paper:



She brought it home with a couple others (one math page w/an 86%), and asked me, "what does that mean, Mama? Is that a B?"

I wish I had a picture of her face when I told her it (the above) was a "C"! Wooaaah...she was NOT happy! We had the big talk about 2nd grade being very different than 1st, and that she has plenty of time to make up for this grade. And not to worry about it, but just be more careful next time, take her time (notice 4 of the 6 mistakes are on the last 4 sentences), it's not a big deal....BUT, I ended with, "I better not see a "C" on your report card!!" Ha!
I'm kidding really-I was the one trying to cheer her up. I don't think I have to worry about tough love when it comes to grades. She really was upset all on her own!