Stationery card

Happiness Lives Here Christmas Card

Create personalized Christmas cards. at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

All Aboard the Crazy Train!!

My time back to school has been nothing but excitement. 

I started back on Monday, October 22... when the State Superintendent of Education was visiting our school. I had to walk by line of kindergartners through her entourage to get to music. 

That Friday, we were going on a field trip to the pumpkin patch. Unable to stop throwing up, I called in sick (for the first time in 7 years!). Thankfully, my wonderful sub, Mrs. Chambers, had told the kids she would meet them at the pumpkin patch. Instead, she went on the trip and finished up the day as me.

Saturday, I was called to Enid because Pa was in the ICU. Sunday, I got back home around 9. Went to school on Monday. My principal had told me the prior Thursday to plan for a sub on Monday morning because we had a meeting about the new Common Core Standards. Well, in all the chaos that is family, I remembered and forgot, and remembered and forgot about the sub plans. Sunday night, I thought, "I will have time Monday morning to get all of my centers ready during plan time..." WRONG-O! Remember that meeting?? Yeah, me neither, I had forgotten about it again. THANKFULLY, (do you know where this is going??) my wonderful sub, Mrs. Chambers, was going to be me that morning. I was able to leave her barely any instructions on what the plan was and she pulled it off. 

{If you haven't already gotten the hint, my sub was wonderful! I never worried about my class while she was in charge, which says a lot about her because I want only the best in my classroom!}

Anywho, on with the week! Wednesday, October 31st was Halloween. After I returned, I was informed we would NOT be dressing up on Halloween and our "Fall Party" would be on Friday. WHAT?! The kids are going to be batty knowing it is Halloween so why not dress up? Needless to say, the kids were batty on Wednesday because it was Halloween, Thursday because they stayed up late the night before to trick or treat and eat lots of candy and Friday because they got to wear their costume to school and have a "Fall Party".

Come to find out it was quite fortunate we didn't have a party that Wednesday. Instead we had a school lock down! A for real, this is not a drill, lock down! You know, lock the door, turn off the lights, hide the kids kind of lock down. All I heard on the ultra soft intercom was "Teachers, we need to lock down right now. Lock down right now." (i got a little chill just writing it again).

Keep in mind, my kids had never practiced a lock down (at least i had never told my sub where my kids go so i was pretty certain they had never done one)! I immediately start telling my kids what I need them to do as I go lock the door and shut off the lights. Considering their inexperience, they did really well! Then I had the fun job of trying to explain to them why we were having to "pretend no one is home" and not having a clue what was really happening outside of our school. While we waited in the dark, I tried to read them a few stories but everything kept going back to why we were having a lock down. I finally told them, "Friends, I don't know exactly why but we have lock downs if someone thinks our school is in danger or if there is a bad person around."

As crazy as it was, I was glad there was not a Halloween party. Could you imagine trying to get parents calmed down?!? It was bad enough for some other teachers. Fortunately, I did not have any get upset or scared like other teachers.

The next day or so, our principal asked if the kids would make a thank you card to the police and sheriff's departments. When I told my kids we were going to make thank you cards, we talked about what they could write. They all came up with "Thank you for the lock down. It kept us safe." [below are pictures I added before my picture limit...]

While I started this blog weeks ago...Fall Carnival is over. Pa has stayed out of the hospital. Thanksgiving travel has passed. Things have finally seemed to slow down a bit... just in time for Christmas craziness!

There are, however, only 12 days until Christmas break! Holla!

Just a little love

This day (technically yesterday, December 4th) marked 14 years of togetherness for the Hubby and I. That is darn near half of my life with him!

While he was giving Kinley a bath tonight, I couldn't help but smile that he is all mine.

Why you might ask?

• Because of the songs he sings to Kinley. {keep in mind he thought Pa was crazy singing to her yet he was just as entertaining!}
• Because of how he loves to spend time with his girls.
• Because of how he loves Tobie as if she were a human.
• Because even though I am the third in line to his lovin', I still feel taken care of.
• Because of how he talks to Kinley and Tobie as if they totally understand him.

There are plenty more reasons but I don't want to make anyone sick over the cuteness or take away any of his masculinity. Just keep in mind that in 30 years when Kinley is allowed to date... the boys better bring their A+++++ game because she will have high standards based on how her Daddy already treats her.

In case you are wondering...

... I have not fallen off the face of the Earth.:)

I was going to be good and have Kinley's 4 month post ready to go but then I saw a traumatic with Blogger! It told me I couldn't up load anymore pictures without paying a monthly 'storage' fee! Ugh. Who just wants to read words?!? Her cute face is what makes the post! {i am guessing, and hubby guessed too, when the blog world became popular... someone had to capitalize on that and make some money. boo. }

Anyways, I was talking to my teacher friend, who also happens to have a blog (you can read Jana's blog HERE. you could follow it too! she is almost to 100 followers!!) about this issue. She has given me a solution to the problem, I just haven't had a chance to check it out and try to make it work. 

So in the meantime, read Jana's blog. This post of hers had a lot of inspirational quotes that I liked. Go check it out!

Turkey Trouble

Tom the Turkey was in TROUBLE!!! 

He needed my kindergarten friends' help and boy did he get it!

I had seen this project in the past and on a whim decided to give it a try. A note was sent home for my little friends to work with their family to disguise Tom the Turkey so he wouldn't become Thanksgiving dinner. Here are the finished products:

Looks like these turkeys may be safe for another year!
Hope you can find a turkey to eat! 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Kindergarten Crack Ups

Coming to you straight from the mouths of 5 and 6 year-olds....

{the day after the Election}
"Did you see the news last night?? Cher Obama won!" Oh, I must have missed that. "Yea, Rock Obama is President.  Cher Obama is his wife."

Also said about the Barack Obama... "That's my dad's name!"

And in discussing who won the Election...
"Isn't he [Obama] bad?"

In regards to the last question, a 4th grader was overheard saying, "we want Obama to win. He gives us food stamps and they are awesome!"

3 Months

Oh my goodness, little girl. How can it be that you are 3 months old {and that you are closer to being 4 months old and I am just now getting around to finishing writing/posting this?!?!?!}?!

In the last month, you have grown and changed so much! There are no official stats since you don't go back to the doctor until your 4 month check up. 

You are eating 4 ounces every 2-3 hours. At night, you sleep like it's what you were born to do! We put you down around 11:30-midnight and you sleep until we wake you. Since I am still at home with you, your wake up time is around 9. Speaking of sleeping, you are still sleeping in the bassinet on Dad's side of the bed. I secretly (no, I know) think he likes you there because he can reach in and put your pacifier back in your mouth to get a little more sleep.You still are not much of a napper during the day unless you are being held, which I don't mind doing!

You are standing  up more and more. You look like such a big girl when you do it!

You have found what you seem to think are the coolest toys... Your hands! You are always looking at them and trying to get your whole fist in your mouth.

We took you to your first Tulsa State Fair on Tuesday, October 2nd. We had fried pickles, deep fried beer battered bacon, fried Kool-Aid and chocolate dipped cheese cake on a stick.Since we were full and because it came in a cute little chinese take out looking box, we took some chocolate covered bacon home with us. 

this is how you spent most of your time at the fair..

chocolate dipped bacon

eyes for the deep fried beer battered bacon

deep fried Kool-Aid
(basically it was fried Kool-Aid flavored cake)

chocolate dipped cheesecake with sprinkles on a stick

we even ventured through the pigs...

... and goats wearing coats

Kinley and the Tulsa State Fair sign

family picture under the Tulsa State Fair sign

Thursday, October 11th, we were called to Enid by Pa. He needed to be treated for pneumonia at the hospital so we spent our first nights without Dad and Tobie while staying with Nandy. We managed to survive. When I put her in the Pack-n-Play, she was east/west. When I woke up the next morning, she had turned north/south in her sleep.

We skyped for an hour every night {which your Dad has never talked to me on the that long...}

family skype session

During this stay, you were able to spend a lot of time with Nandy and Grandpa O. 

talking with Nandy

snoozing with Grandpa O

The first time I left you home with those two to go visit Pa at the hospital, Grandpa O called me and said, ” Is there anymore milk? She's acting... thirsty.” I laughed and said, "I think hungry is the word you are looking for and yes, the milk is in the fridge." I proceeded to tell him how to warm it up in a cup of hot water. He assured me he could do that and that I didn't need come... right away. "We'll try this." he told me. After hanging up with him, Pa kept saying, "Go home. Your baby is crying. She needs you." I told him I thought Grandpa O could handle it and that he hadn't called back frantically so they must be okay. And you were!

you had a blowout on Nandy's lap

can you tell what Grandpa O likes to do with you???

we even stopped to see Pa on the way out of town

"Poppins LeFlore" came over to watch you for a few hours while I went to Parent/Teacher conferences. Wednesday, October 17th was your first day with Miss Ruth (or as I call her, Baby Ruth). We had planned to drop you off together but timing was an issue so Dad had that dreadful job. He did survive... barely. 

heading home from my first day with Baby Ruth

You were on your third outfit by the time I picked you up. She seemed concerned that your poop was so runny but I assured her that my breastfed baby always has poop like that. :) 

That night, we took you for a swing test run at the park. By the time got there it was dark but you know we took pictures anyways.

Until next month, which is only a week away!