Sometimes you're the windshield...

Today I was the bug.

Most days I really like my job. Most days I really like the challenges. Most days I live for the tiny successes. Most days I love the people I work with. Most days I am ready for anything...

Today was not one of those days.

Each year has its different challenges. Some years its behavioral. Some years its parents. Some years its administration. Some years its the paperwork. Some years its the coworkers. (thankfully these don't usually all fall into the same year...usually...)

This year's big challenge is a behavioral one. But that wasn't even the biggest issue today. Today was a support issue - or lack there of. Today I left feeling very grateful for the staff I work with each day in my classroom because without them, this would all be even harder to manage but I also left feeling very frustrated with someone who was supposed to have been there to help...and wasn't. Someone who insisted just yesterday, that all it took was a phone call and they'd be there...and yet when that phone call was placed today, the ball was dropped.

Heck, the ball wasn't even picked up.

I know its been a tough week for me...the kids have been sick, I've got mountains of paperwork to complete, deadlines, a full calendar, and its all adding up...but today was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I can only hope for a better day tomorrow and a fresh start....

Fur babies

November 2004

Way back when our dogs were our only babies...Paul curled up with Shadow and Nola keeping him warm. When it comes to our dogs nowadays, I often feel bad. I either feel bad because we rarely have time or energy to play with them or give them much attention or I am frustrated because they're under foot when we're trying to accomplish something. Either way I feel awful that they got shoved so far down the totem pole so quickly around here. I need to make more of an effort to play with them and have them be part of the family again instead of just the dogs...


Visit Twinfatuation for more Way Back Whenesday.

Wonder Twins

Fingerpainting with Color WONDER
LOVE this line of stuff!!

Coupons and Cool temps

Better late than never, right? Couldn't think of much to share early this morning but a few things just came to mind that I thought I'd blog about.

After a spoiled Halloween weekend thanks to a fever, all 3 kids seem to be healthy once again and we started off our week as usual. And while the fever did make us cancel our plans to head out of town to trick or treat with all the cousins at Grandma and Grandpa's house...I'm very grateful it was really just that...a fever! Sarah woke up with it overnight Thursday/Friday but other than a few complaints about a sore throat and hurting 'forehead' it ran its course and left without too much trouble. Whew!

Since Trick or Treating was off the other night, I took advantage of the night and went grocery shopping instead. I've always used coupons but I never really USED coupons until earlier this year. I kept hearing friends boast about their amazing savings using coupons and I just had to figure this out! Thanks to the help of a local gal who teaches couponing classes and compiles a list of all the sales and coupon match ups - I began to save like crazy and stock our cupboards! I should take a picture soon of our pantry and freezers...they are filled to the brim! My trip the other night was one of my best, thanks to Kroger's Mega Deals! I had $336 worth of groceries in my cart...and only paid $91!! That is a savings of 73%!! That included 3 packs of diapers, 4 gallons of milk and 3 jugs of laundry soap plus LOTS and LOTS of other stuff! I love the thrill of seeing the savings each time and also love how I earn points to get $0.50 cents off my gas the next month, too!

Now I just need to take a good stock and figure out what I'm going to feed my friends this weekend when I have a group over here for dinner on Friday! Got any good (& easy!?) recipes??

Win 20 pairs of Baby Leg Warmers!

Win 20 Pairs of Baby Leg Warmers from babySNAZZ!

I love that this site has both Baby Legs and Huggalugs - I ordered some of both for Adam back this summer when he started crawling and when his eczema flared up so bad. Several of my kids' stockings will have new pairs this Christmas!

Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat
Smell our Feet!

Pebbles

Bamm Bamm

Baby Puss
The Saber Tooth Tiger

on the prowl

Meet the Flintstones

Thankfully we got to celebrate Thursday night with my MoMs Halloween party because I don't think we'll make it out Trick or Treating tonight. That night, Sarah woke up with a fever and ran one all yesterday and last night. Adam had one earlier this week that we thought was teething but now we wonder if it was something else. Just waiting for Jacob to heat up now...

Hope you all have fun dressing up and getting treats and enjoying the kids come around! What are you or your kids being for Halloween this year?

3 lil pumpkins sitting on a gate....

Its been a long and busy week with a busy & fun weekend ahead but somehow we managed to find time to finally carve our pumpkins the other night. Jacob & Sarah really got into it again! Jacob hesitated to touch the 'guts' at first, but quickly got over it and dove right in (as you'll see below). Sarah didn't mind at all and laughed at her 'slimy hands' the whole time! Adam watched through the gate and let us know that he didn't enjoy being left out of the fun...maybe next year you can get in on the act, lil guy!

We had our first Halloween party last night and their costumes were a hit! They had lots of fun and thankfully didn't come home with too much candy. They get to 'trunk or treat' at school tomorrow then we'll be hitting the pavement on Halloween night!

Still wondering what their costumes are? Be sure to check back on Saturday for the big reveal!!

Hosted by Cecily and Carissa

Who says white boys can't dance?

Adam loves music. I'm not sure if I've ever posted about this but he loves to dance, too! A few months ago, we started noticing him kind of bob his head around, kind of silly. It looked so odd that at first we sort of wondered if something was up...but as we watched him more, we realized his head bobbing was often related to music. Just about any time he hears music or even some noises he likes, he bobs his head around. Well, he's starting to get his whole body into it, too, and I caught him on video the other night, wiggling around. You'll also notice his second favorite thing...to roll vehicles back and forth!

Sarah used to love to dance, too..you can see an old video of her, about the same age, dancing around here. And, in case you missed it and didn't get enough smiles or giggles out of either of these two videos...be sure to check out Adam's contagious laughter that I posted on Monday here.

Hope everyone's having a great week!