My brain is a wet noodle

I have just finished 5 hours of homework.  Add that to the 7 hours that I'm in class each day, with short breaks to eat, ride the bus with smelly people, and go to the bathroom, you have the majority of my day.  Don't get me wrong, I love learning and school (heck, I'm a teacher) but I feel like these past few weeks have caused me to delve into the little used recesses of my brain and give them a poke with a cattle prod.  All of those calculus and math indents in my brain tissue have lain undisturbed for 12 years, only to be rudely awakened by statistic formulas.  "Help!" they scream, "We thought that we were in our retirement years, sipping virgin pina coladas on the beach."  Oh no, now they are forced to work again like septuagenarians at Walmart.  Argh.

Where the heck is my mommy hat?

         For the first time in a really really really long time I am being selfish.  By selfish I mean that 99.9 percent of my day I am catering to my own needs and no one else's.  Strange, I don't think that I've felt this way for over a year, maybe two?  I'm in Phoenix taking concentrated graduate music classes for three weeks while Jack is watching the kids (blessed wonderful man!)
        For those of you who aren't in the mommy time of life, you might not think that any of the things that I will mention are extremely exciting, but others of you will smile and wistfully remember the time in your life when these things were a given.

I get to go to the bathroom, by myself, not holding anyone or talking to anyone or listening to anyone--with the door closed.

When it is time to eat lunch I can ask myself, "What do I really feel like eating?" and do it, with a minimum of fuss and drama.

I can spread myself out in the bed and not worry about hitting anyone or being elbowed, grabbed, kicked, or cried on.

I have time to put makeup on in the morning.

I actually care about putting on makeup in the morning.

I will go hours without having a single conversation about poop.

I don't have to check with someone before I use the computer (Max or hubby)

I don't have to watch a kids TV show.

I don't even have to worry about putting out tantrum fires.



Lest you think that I'm unduly enjoying my alternate universe, I confess that I'm missing out on the good things too, like sticky kisses, cuddles, and sibling laughter.

It's a nice break, though.

Picture of the Day

Hey Shoty, it's your birthday!

Two days ago was Jack's birthday, and in the morning when he was playing some birthday songs for himself, we discovered something amazing.  Kizzie likes to dance to 50 cent.  What?  It was so cute that we had to film it for posterity.  Who new that my year old would dig hip hop?

splish splash I was taking a bath!

Hello all.  Here are some pictures of my lovely bathing beauty in her new bathing suit she got for her birthday.  She was so cute I could just eat her up!

Bubbles and Birthdays!

Today was my baby's first birthday.  Fun was had all around as Kizzie and Max helped me make cupcakes, eat cupcakes, play with bubbles, and share toys that Kiz got as presents.  We introduced slaw dogs to our Arizona friends, played hard, and had a blast.  I just have to share the precious pictures of my little girl on her first birthday party.  The other pictures are her in her Easter outfit and us on our hike last weekend.  Loves to you all!  ps--Max was hunting bears on our hike with a broken stick/gun, that's him staking out the "bear" hideout on our hike.  I've also added a video of Kiz dog at her Birthday.

Happy Spring Ya'll!

These last few weeks have been crazy, but really fun. We got another snow on Saturday (hopefully the LAST one) and it's already almost melted. Hallelujah! Max is going through a rough patch of frustration issues; maybe we should stop watching so much Hulk? This week I don't have school because of AIMS testing. I never thought that I would be excited about that! I really really love my family, and I get to spend alot of time with little Kiz this week. She coming up on one year in just a couple of weeks. Jack doesn't understand why I get so excited planning birthday parties for my kids. He thinks that I'm going overboard. I keep telling him, no--renting a jolly jump and a clown for your one year old's birthday is going overboard, I'm just having a blast! Kizzie is going to have rainbows and colored chalk, and adorable cupcakes. Max is going to have a superhero party complete with costumes. I stood yesterday staring at the cake decorating aisle in Michaels in shock. Yes, I love making cute and whimsical cakes for my babies for their birthdays (my favorite was Max's choo choo cake a few years ago), but I have no desire at all to make fancy wedding cakes with yucky tasting fondant icing. The money that you could blow on that hobby is unreal! No icing roses and edible glitter for me. Okay, maybe edible glitter . . . I've always liked shiny purple things. Here are some pictures of the fam that we took on Easter. Notice that Max is blurry (he wouldn't stop jumping up and down).