Pre-Preschool Update

Smarty Pants
Originally uploaded by Sammie-J

Two months ago I wrote this entry on our Maine Mom's blog about Jordan going to Pre-preschool; it's hard to believe that it's already been two months, but when I sit back and see the changes that he's made in just that short amount of time it amazes the bejeepers out of me. Last week we had our first open house at his school, oh you should have seen his face when we both walked in. He's usually use to Daddy picking him up, but when he saw both of us he was filled with so much excitement that I never thought I'd get him to sleep that night. We enjoyed the open house, he showed us some projects he'd been working on like pumpkin cutouts, some bats and his hand cut outs put onto a big bulletin wall with all the other kids to make their hands look like they were the leaves falling off the trees. He also made if very well known that he loves circle time and his favorite job is the calendar, which is when we learned that he knew all the months and days of the week.

When you ask him who his best buddy is most of the time it's Wyatt, Alex or Colby; we also hear him talking about Kassidy and Brenna a lot. Although, we've been hearing from the school lately that him and a little girl named Breanna have been seen hugging and sitting next to each other all the time. That would answer who the blond girl was following him around at the open house. Oh-oo, we're in trouble!
I don't think these past couple of months would've gone so well without Jordan having such a great teacher. He talks about Darlene all the time. In fact, most nights Darric sings 'Daddy's hands' to Jordan before he goes to sleep, the other night Jordan was signing 'Darlene's hands' to himself. I told her, I think it made her day. But when you have a teacher who is as nurturing as she is, it really makes a difference and I hope she knows how much it is appreciated.
So, he's eating good, sleeping good, sharing good, and listening most of the time, now if we could just work on his aim into the potty maybe we wouldn't have to replace that wall that he's watered so many times.

My Escape

It's Monday night which means The Hills on MTV is on my TiVo record list. Yes, I'll admit to it, I'm a tad bit addicted to this drama filled reality show about this group of rich, pretty girls who spend their days working at their really cool jobs like fashion institutes and Sony Records. When they're not working they're at the gym or hanging by the pool/beach with their hunky guy friends. Sometimes on the weekends they head to Las Vegas or Cabo.
This past weekend I didn't leave my house. On Saturday I got woken up at 7:30 by a snotty nose 3 year old who insisted on watching cartoons. Needless to say, our breakfast of waffles was spent with Steve on Blues Clues. Then it was off to do chores. Laundry, vacuuming, and bed changing all while trying to keep the kid entertained because Steve only lasts so long. Lunch time came where I got to have the uneaten crust from a peanut butter and j, Mmmmm. Nap time, oh but wait, my only me time of the day was spent picking up all the toys that got strewed all over the house, then oh wait, what's that smell, oh yeah I better take a shower while I've got a chance. Nap time over and it was then getting late in the day, I better start getting supper ready. Threw chicken on the George Foreman and attempted to teach a toddler how to peal apples for an apple pie. Ate supper, cleaned up, carved pumpkin and tried to keep my patience with toddler as he wanted to do it all by himself, then we played with matchbox cars on living room floor til my legs feel asleep, fought with toddler to get jammies on, read Goodnight Moon 3 times and then insisted that was it 'Time For Bed, I said!' Got woken up at 2am by toddler with an earache, spent the rest of the night in the rocking chair.
Woke up Sunday with a stiff neck, toddler has now recovered and seems to be back to his cartoon watching, energy filled self. It's big time cleaning day at our household. Dusting, window washing, tub scrubbing and walls to be wiped down. The aroma of Moose Roast fills the house throughout the day and sweet pumpkin chocolate chip cookies by the evening. By the time this day is over, I'm ready to go back to work just to get out of the house and relax.
On tonight's episode of The Hills, Audrina and Lauren are sitting by the pool in their skimpy bikini's talking about if Audrina should stay with Justin or go for Corey. Rough life. Darric often asks me how I can watch this show. He thinks it's just a show about rich bitches who 'Oh ma Gawd, I totally have to go shopping before I can go out to the clubs tonight. For Reeaall!' Well yeah, he's right, but I think of it as a way to bring me back to my younger days.
Now I'm not saying I don't enjoy my life as it is now and don't take what I said about my past weekend the wrong way. I honestly get so much joy out of having a clean house and putting a home cooked meal on the table for my family. There's just something in me that wishes I could escape some days and live the lives of Lauren, Audrina, Whitney and Heidi. To eat out at Sushi restaurants in LA, go shopping and easily spend $1,000 or just have their size 0 bodies. I know I'll never have that life, nor would I want it on a regular basis, but dreaming once a week never hurt anyone huh?
Well, here's some pictures from my weekend anyways.

Not bad for my first apple pie huh? You should've tasted it. Mmmm Good!

Happy Halloween too by the way!

Check Yourself

It's no wonder most are stressed out to the max these days. With the stock market, gas and oil prices, food prices, mortgage crisis...It seems like every thing is going up except our paychecks. We're at war, there's job layoffs, business' are closing and if you've still got a job you're likely doing 5 peoples jobs, plus your own, oh and for the same pay. But chin-up sunny, change is a'comin. Yeah, you better back up that statement mister!!
So why would anyone want to bring children up in the world we're living in now? How could things possibly get better by the time our kids are at our age? I look at Jordan these days and worry what struggles he'll have to deal with as time goes on. When he's my age will the economy be at all time lows, will he be struggling just to make ends meet? We all want the best for our children, I just don't want Jordan to have to kill himself working 24/7, like someone else I know, just to put food on the table. I got thinking about this and I did a little research to what things were like when I was his age.


Back in 1982
* The world's largest oil ring (The Ocean Ranger) sinks in the north Atlantic.
* Wave of Terrorist attacks in France by Carlos the Jackal
* Argentina invades the Falkland Islands
* The largest cash robbery in History occurs in NY when $9,800,000 is stolen from an armored car.
* Unemployment Rate: 9.71 ~ Last year it was 4.61
* Gas Prices: 91 cents a gallon
* Average Cost of New House: $82,200
* Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 1046 ~ Last year: 13,264.82
* U.S. National Debt: 1,142,034,000,000.00 ~ Today: $10,282,317,129,382.17
* Average Income per year: $21,050.00 ~ Now:$50,233.00
* Severe recession begins


Now honestly, that's all mumble jumble to me. I'm not the greatest at math and especially history and especially trying to figure out the future. Yeah the economy sucks, yeah I hate that my husband has to work so much so we can go out once in awhile, yeah I may not have this job much longer, but life does go on. We're all on the same planet together, we're all fighting the same war together, paying the same bills, spending the same money, we're all worrying about heating our homes, driving our cars and feeding our families. So instead of worrying and stressing out, which will only make things worse, lets just do the best that we can with what we've got, and realize what we do have and be thankful for it. Trust in God, not Congress, that this too shall pass. And I believe it was the Spice Girls who said 'All you need is positivity.'

It was on this day, October 7, 1996

It was a week before my 17Th birthday. I was on my way to my first period English class with Ms. Oldershaw. Everyone was already in class and the second bell was about to ring. I had walked to class the same way I do every morning, with Melanie, Kim and Darric. Mel and Kim had already gone into their classes and Darric and I were still chatting in the hall. 3 days before, Darric had rejected me when I asked him out, so I was kind of laying low, not flirting with him like I had before, I don't remember exactly what we were talking about, but I do remember that he was giving me attention and acting in a way like he wanted to tell me something. I'm sure I was all like 'OK, I really gotta go to class now, what are you trying to tell me?' Then as I turned to go into my class, Darric grabbed my hand and asked me if I would be his girlfriend. *Insert Ohhhhh's and Ahhhhh's Here*

We would spend the next couple of years visiting each other's house when we could. While Darric played football, I managed the team and brought him water and washed his stinky uniforms. You should've seen us on Fridays, we'd both wear matching football jersey's. We were so cute. We made sure to talk on the phone every single night, some nights until 2am, most nights Darric would fall asleep on the phone. We took trips with eachother's family, including me going to Louisiana for the first time. Then it was at a Christmas party at his mother's house in '99. All his family was there. His mother seemed to be acting weird towards me like she was hiding something and because of my self consciousness, I assumed she didn't like me. Then Darric pulled me into a back room, I honestly thought he wanted to get frisky and was all like 'No Way, we are in your parents house with tons of family that could walk in.' As I was trying to pull away, just like I was trying to pull away to go to my English class that morning, Darric pulled me back, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

And that's how we began our little story. Of coarse there were some bumps or brain farts on my part is what I like to call them, but we'll save that for another day.

This morning I was going through an old popcorn tin that contained everything that we saved over the years. And some of the stuff I didn't even know what it meant, old receipts, a taxi matchbox car, a Burger king crown. Had I known, I would've put all this stuff in a scrapbook and wrote beside it what it meant. There was also tons of notes in there. I found it funny how Darric started all his notes with 'Hi Hon, I'm not sure what to write about, but you wanted me to write you a note so here it is.' And I even learned that I use to call Darric Pookey, bet he's glad that didn't stick.

It's neat to look back at how much we've changed, how much we've grown together and everything we've been through. Back then, I'm sure I thought how could I possibly love this person any more, I still ask myself that question today.

Elephants and Tigers and....oh my!

OK so it's October 4th, that gives me 26 days till Halloween. The last couple of years I've waited till the last minute to get Jordan a costume and just ended up getting him the best thing that I could find that was left at Walmart. Dummy me, I could have started early and come up with something really creative and different to really get people talking. Instead he was a pumpkin, a witch and last year a monkey that didn't look like a monkey. I figured this year was my last chance to come up with my own idea like a hunter(to impress his daddy) or a zombie or beaker or I don't know a Rubik cube or something. Instead the kid has apparently grown his own mind and is set on the idea that he wants to be an elephant. Why an elephant, I don't know. Then the other day he exclaims that he wants me and daddy to be tigers. So not only am I going to have to find an adorable elephant costume to make up for the past not so adorable years, I also need to find halfway decent tiger costumes for Darric and I. Maybe we'll just draw whiskers on our faces.

So, what are you being for Halloween?