poopoo why

I've done a bad thing.

I have introduced my boys to the television.

It was an honest mistake - I dvr'd a show for them that we used to watch before naptime in the summer. I thought it would be a great time-filler for those 10 minutes I need to slap supper together or sit in a quiet room by myself.

I should have known.

I'm a tv addict, what did I expect? (p.s. Luke even sits in my favorite spot on the couch and covers his lap with my blanket when he watches tv - hmmm he must have seen that somewhere).

Now all I hear, all day long is "Poopoo why?" (Super Why for those of you that don't speak toddler).

"Mom, poopoo why?"

"Mom! Poopoo"

"Mom!!"

"Momomomomomom."

"PEEESE??"

Then when I finally buckle and give in (which doesn't take much with those sweet voices, excellent speech skills and giant blue eyes) I want to rip my ears off of my head when that stupid theme song begins.

And yet they are so happy...

Thanks a lot, poopoo why.

so why am I so busy?

So, I'm busy. I'll get to that at a later date, but right now I'll give ya a couple of clips on why I'm busy:


Above the boys are playing with my work itouch.
I don't know if you all know, but I have a new job this year - Assistive Technology.
It basically means I have to figure out if kids need technology to meet goals and what to do if that is the case. So, for work I have an itouch. The video above is me demonstrating how to use an itouch in therapy for children ages birth to three.

Then this happens:



And finally...




So now you know why I'm busy. New job, loud kids, crazy life...

bye-bye summer

I was born to be a teacher. Literally. Two of my grandparents were teachers, my mom is a teacher, my aunt is a teacher, my other aunt is a teacher (speech pathologist like me, actually) and I grew up celebrating the end of one school year and preparing for the beginning of the next. I helped my mom get her room ready every year; putting up bulletin boards, taking out those thick, brightly colored textbooks. Reading books that I was supposed to be putting on her bookshelves, and taking some home to read later. Helping her write names on desks, chore lists, popsicle sticks. Walking through an empty school that smells like school, only cleaner. I loved every minute of it (and still do).

Something happens to me in the fall. It's like a new, fresh start as soon as the air gets a little cooler (and usually, here, it warms back up and cools off, then warms up, etc. until it starts snowing). I can start a new year with my old job and meet new kids and it is my most favorite time of year.

I love dreary days when I light my FAVORITE candle and put out my fall decorations and wait for leaves to turn colors. I love baking things made out of pumpkin and drinking apple cider. I love unpacking boxes of things I put away last year. I love going into my empty school, my empty classroom and starting all over, putting things away. I wouldn't change a thing about my job so that I get this fresh start every fall!

Don't get me wrong, we've had a WONDERFUL summer around here. I got the chance to lay around with my boys all day, play in the sandbox, swim in the pool (kiddie pool, people), read books, clean my house (really well during naps), soak up some hugs, break up some fights and just enjoy my kids. And now, I'm ready to go back to work.

I will miss hanging out with my kids all day, sleeping in until 7:00, sitting on the floor reading books until whenever, running to the store whenever, running to the park whenever, thinking about what I might make for supper and making treats for when the boys got up from their naps.

I will NOT miss the fighting, biting, and stealing of toys. Nor will I miss changing diapers. That is definitely not something I will ever miss :).

And now, when I work all day and come home to my boys, I truly enjoy my time with them. I will rarely have moments where I need to "get away" from them. We'll read books, and play for a condensed amount of time, but still have a lot of fun!

I'm good when I'm busy. That's something I've learned about myself. I love to relax, but I'm good when I'm busy, so bring on the school year!! I'm ready for it!

dj jazzy twins

I come from a fairly musical family. I think I may have instilled some of my musical talent in my kids - if I do say so myself.

Enjoy. :)

P.S. Ask me how much I hate "Livin la vida loca". I dare you.

and we're back!

Why is it that whenever I get home from a vacation, I am more exhausted than when I left??

It may have something to do with the fact that when my boys were gone last week, I rented movies and stayed up late, late, late (like 1:00am) watching them and counting on the fact that I would get to sleep in. I was up at 7:30, people!

Or maybe that when I went to Grandma's house on Wednesday, she had me non-stop racing around to pasta bar, visiting friends, Pizza Ranch buffet (at which, by the way, Luke preferred to eat green beans to pizza. Whose kid is that??), Grandpa's play on Friday night (yay for Paynesville Community Theatre), bonfires, swimming, tanning, chasing dogs, staying up WAY TOO LATE visiting with Adam's family, etc. Plus I read a couple of good books, the boys got to see Auntie Amy and Pete in their triathalon today, and I got to see a couple of old friends!

It was a good weekend. I should show you some pictures. Oh, but wait, my camera was upstairs in my bag all weekend and I didn't get any, hopefully Auntie Amy will send me a really cute one of Luke, sleeping in the swing. He fell asleep, drool dripping down the front of the swing (shaped like a car, so there's a place for drool to drip).

And now I feel fat from all the eating, drinking, laying around, snacks, and treats, so I'm gonna go workout. Jillian, here I come.

it's just so quiet here

I am temporarily childless this week. And, man it is quiet.
I've sent the boys to their grandparents' house (Adam's parents) so I can get our house painted - which would really be impossible if my 2 best helpers were here! I can picture them picking at tape and tramping gray paint all over the wood floors, so I am grateful for grandmas but I miss my little buggers! I'm headed to the lake tomorrow to play, go see some farm animals with the boys, swim, boat, see Grandpa in his annual community play, see Auntie Amy and Pete in a triathalon (which she tried to talk me into - ummm, no thanks!) and just have some fun (hopefully) in the sun!!
So far grandma had some cute stories of the boys. She took them to vacation bible school to listen to the singing and Andrew was smiling at everyone and introducing himself! He points to his chest with his thumb and says "An-oo", then he points to Luke with his thumb and says "An-oo" and smiles at the strangers. It's cute but we still don't say Luke around here yet...
Lucas was pointing at the pictures on Grandma's fridge and naming all the people (that kid LOVES looking at pictures, especially of himself!). He named "An-oo", "Dad", and "Mom" then blew my picture a kiss. Grandma said it was too cute. He does love his mommy!
They did their fair share of fighting over grandma's toys too. And I sure miss them around here.

a letter to my skinny jeans

Dear Skinny Jeans:
I met you in the Gap and you were ON CLEARANCE!! Therefore, I had no excuse NOT to buy you, duh. I did not dare to try you on in the store because I didn't have the right boots for you, so I brought you home and threw you on and wore you around my house.
I had visions of me looking like one of those emaciated gap models, wearing you out clubbing and to fancy restaurants (Ok, I haven't been "out clubbin'" ever, really with the exception of my bachelorette party 5 years ago and the fanciest place I get to these days is Buffalo Wild Wings). We'd strut around lookin all hot and stuff and people would think, "Wow. She looks really good. You can't even tell she's had two kids!" (again, my dream, people...)
And I do look REALLY good from the knees down:

And that is all anyone will ever get to see.