Organization!

I have a lot of organizing to do this summer! Before I could even think about the baby room, I had to get Eli's room figured out! My father-in-law is amazing! I showed him a picture of an organizational cubby I wanted and he made it for me! So this moring I spent time cleaning out toys and putting them away in the cubbies! Here is the picture of what Tim made me! Doesn't it look great??!
I still need to finish organizing Eli's room. Bring more of his toys from his room down here....but leave enough things in his room to play with upstairs when we're there! So far though, it feels pretty good to have things put away. I'm sure it won't last too long!

Memorial Day

We rarely get to spend a day together as a family. Boy were we lucky that we got to start it at 6:15am!!! Aaron actually had the day off, so we planned out some things to do and started our day! We were outside playing by 8:30am...it was SO nice outside today!

Then, around 10:30ish we headed out to a pond Aaron likes to fish at. Aaron has been wanting to take Eli fishing for awhile now, so today was the day!

This was Aaron trying to explain to Eli about how you have to wait for the fish to bite the worm....Yea right!!!!

This is what Eli ended up doing most of the time....playing with the worms! He lasted about 5 minutes and then said, "Ready to go home, mommy!"

Then....Aaron caught at fish!
Eli wasn't so sure about the fish and wouldn't let it get too close to him!

After fishing, we went to get some lunch and went to the park to play! Eli is really into parks! It took everything we had to get him to eat something before he could go play!

After Eli's nap...we went outside to play in his new slide!

You'll notice it has changed locations! It was on the concrete and is now in the grass. Aaron didn't really want it in the grass b/c it would kill the grass. Well...when Eli went down the slide, he slipped and bonked his head on the concrete. We then decided it wasn't a safe idea and moved it over to the grass! I felt much better about this!

We ended our evening at our neighbors house with a BBQ! As you can see, Eli got to enjoy a smore!

It was a great, busy, fun day! I love it when we actually get to spend family time together! With that said, I'm thinking of going to bed early tonight! I'm exhausted!

Summer

One of the BEST things about being a teacher is getting to have my summers off, along with other breaks through out the year. Aaron's work schedule is pretty nice too in that he works for 24 hours and then gets 48 hours off. I will often make a joke about how nice it must be to have 2 days off, with his response of...it must be nice to have the summer off! Ok... you're right! It is great to have my summers off! I will often feel guilty for working and not staying at home with Eli...and this new little baby coming in August! However, I recently told someone else who was struggling with this same thing....if ALL Christian women stayed home and didn't teach (or work) what kind of people would your children be coming into contact with? I find comfort in the fact that I am a Christian woman that is doing my job for Jesus. I am impacting 21 Kindergarteners lives every day for 170ish odd days! Don't get me wrong...there are definetly days that I would LOVE to be at home with my son and play with him all day. Financially, we are not in that place, so I will work for Jesus.

On to what I had started to write about! I am not a person or a mom that likes to just hang out all day at our house and have nothing to do! These past few years, since I've had a child, I've had to make this big adjustment to staying at home. It always takes me a week or so to get used to it. Knowing that it's an adjustment for me, I have been praying for God's guidance. What can I do to make this adjustment smooth, for both Eli and me? This past week, I got my answer!

Make lists! So, I sat down and wrote out each day, M-F. Each day I have at least 1 household duty that I will do. This will help me with having to do it all on one day, which happens a lot during the school year. Then, I scheulded different things during the week. Monday's: playgroup with other teacher's kids, T or W (it depends on the week) Eli will still go to Grandma's house (aka- daycare)...so I can start to get my sub plans ready for August and the babies room ready! TH: library/park with young married's group! Obviously I don't have something planned for every day! I just needed something going on during the week to keep me busy. I think this will work! On top of those lists....I made a list of meals for lunch and supper. I'm not as organized as my friend Amanda, but it will work for now!

So....I'm sure you didn't really care to read all of this, but I was happy with what I came up with! The next thing that I am praying for during this summer is patience! Remember....I have a 2 year old whose favorite words are; "NO", "My do it," "Me first," "My turn." I think you get the idea!!!!

Nice reminder

A couple of weeks ago was "Teacher Appreciation Week." Students are encouraged to give their teachers notes and to tell them how much you appreciate them. Well, when they're in Kindergarten, it usually comes from the parents! I was blessed to have some very sweet children in my class. Don't get me wrong, I did have a very challenging class, but I also had some very sweet ones that would make up for the challenge!

This came from one of my sweet ones, Ben!

Whatever is lovely...think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

Be Still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

Psalm 37:7

This happened to come when we were waiting for our placements for next year. Ben's mom knew this and is a fellow blogger! She was so sweet and thought the coffee mug looked like my blog and I would like it! She had asked Ben what I like and he said, "Pepsi and chocolate!" I know I've drank pepsi infront of them, but I'm not sure I've eaten chocolate!

I read Psalm 37:7 and thought...wow...She really knew what I was needing! I was be so unpatient while waiting for answers. God has a plan and I was needing to be patient and let his plan fall into place.

I will be staying at South Breeze in Kindergarten next year. I am glad that it was not me, however we have a total of 5 changes in our building for next year and it's been extremely hard around there. We definetly have felt like we're grieving. Things will not be the same, but God has a plan and he needed them to be teachers in other buildings for other reasons. I will trust in that.

So for now, I will look at this sweet face and remember to "Be still and wait patiently!

Thanks Angie for being such a supportive parent! Ben is lucky to have you as a mom. Thanks Ben for the gift and being such a sweet, caring boy. I will miss having you in class!

Mosquitos

I hate them! They are out in full force right now. It's nice outside, especially in the evenings, but the mosquitos are so bad it doesn't seem worth it to be outside. Last night we had our staff BBQ. I lathered Eli up in bug spray, but obviously didn't get his face. He still got some in other places too, but his poor face. Any suggestions???? Any one use something that really seems to work?

Had to just throw this one in b/c it made me smile!!

A lifesaver!

We are so blessed to live in a neighborhood that has the BEST neighbors! Lately, we've had several families move in with lots of kids. I love it! I love seeing all of them oustide playing! Most of them are older than Eli, but there are 2 little girls that are just a year older than him. He enjoys playing with them a lot.

But there one person he LOVES to play with....

This is Zach! He's a 5th grader! He knows us b/c his dad works with Aaron at the firestation. So when they moved in, he's been down a lot to play with Eli! He loves play with Eli! He is SO good with Eli! He's told us he'll babysit for us, but he's not so sure about changing diapers! There family have watched Eli before and they said they had a blast!

We love them! They are so helpful and caring! Zach is a great kid to have around to play with Eli. I'm sure he won't be too interested in Eli for a whole lot longer, but while it lasts it's great!

I already told his mom I'd be calling to see if Zach wants to come down to play with Eli this summer! I may need some time in the air conditioning!

Side note: Zach came over this afternoon to play and Eli openned the door and said, "Hey Zach! Wanna play?"

Sunday

Today we made a trip to Concordia Kansas. It's where my dad grew up and all of his family still live there. I love to go visit there. It's so simple, so calm...and after the week I had, I loved it! My cousin, Brittany, graduated from Pike Valley High School (again, sounds like such a little town name...love it!) She will be attending Baker University in the fall. We got there about 30 minutes early and Eli did great sitting there that whole time. Then...they started the ceremony and he said (in a LOUD voice) "All done Mommy? Time to go home." Uh....no! So, we spent the whole ceremony out in the hall playing! Good thing she only has 30 kids in her class so it didn't last long at all!

After we left my Aunt and Uncle's house, we went to Ryan's house to see the horses. Eli loves horses. Ryan asked Eli if he wanted to ride the horses and he said, "Sure, Eli ride horses!" He was so excited and squealing to ride the horses. Well...Ryan got up on the horse and I went to hand Eli to him...NO WAY!!! He did NOT want to ride the horse! I had a feeling that was going to happen! So he petted the horses instead!

But....I bet you can guess what he would ride! That's right, a mower! Eli said, "Eli don't like horses, Eli likes mowers!"

I have to say that he did really like seeing the horses b/c he was talking about them on the way home. He was even trying to say that he rode them! I had to remind him that he did NOT ride them. He said, "Maybe later!" Silly boy!

Mother's Day

This year for Mother's Day, I got my gift early. Aaron was in Great Bend over Mother's Day so he got a present for me before he left! I had given him a few things I wanted and left it up to him to decide! When I came home from work one day, this is what I saw!Since we had finished the basement, the big TV is downstairs. I wanted something small for upstairs...for those times when I don't really want to go downstairs. This happens especially when Aaron is working at the fire station. Eli and I like to hang out upstairs and play and I like to have it on for noise! It definetly came in handy when Aaron was in Great Bend!

I also go this cute hand towel for Mother's Day. Aaron's mom made it with Eli's handprints while he was at daycare. So cute!

No matter what gifts were given...this is who and what makes me the most happy on Mother's Day. He brings a smile to my face every day.

I LOVE to hear him say, "I love you mommy."

I LOVE it when he wraps his arms around my neck and squeezes me!

I LOVE him with all my heart!

Update coming...

Ok...I've got things to blog about, but no computer. Aaron took our laptop with him to Great Bend and it has my pictures on it. And it would be the computer that I would download any new pictures on. So....I promise, when he FINALLY gets back Wednesday night, I will post something! (Well...maybe not Wednesday night, but soon....very soon!)

To answer some questions about my previous post:

We find out Friday...this Friday, May 15 where are placements are for next year.
Things have been ok without Aaron. I don't know how people survive being single, working parents, but we've done it!
We are definetly ready for him to be back. It breaks my heart to hear Eli say, "Daddy home yet?" "My want daddy!"
Just 2 more days!!!!!

Stressed and worried...again!

Stressed: Aaron is leaving for Great Bend on Monday evening for 9 days.
Worried: About next year. We have 3 weeks left of school and still NOTHING. Don't know where I'm going to be or what grade I'll be in.
Stressed: Having a baby right when school's starting up.
Worried: Not knowhing where I'm going to be next year.

I think you get it.
I'm trying to give it to God, but it's starting to wear on me.
Think of me these next 9 days.
Pray that I don't loose my sanity.
Pray that my district will get the budget figured out and I'll know where I'm going to be next year...SOON!