Ballet

It's a long story how this whole ballet teaching thing came about, but the HOA had contacted me about teaching lessons. My kids were NOT HAPPY at the studio I found here and so I decided to pull them out if I could get ten girls to take lessons. I ended up getting 16 girls, so I split them up into two classes and got it running. I got a call the day of our first class saying that the clubhouse was no longer available for use...long story. I couldn't cancel...moms had been buying ballet shoes and were totally planning on it, so after vacuuming the house that day, I thought, "Hey, I think there is room in here for eight girls. I had to call my mom a million times and take pictures with my phone to see if I was crazy, but I decided to run with it...

And guess what?

I love it!

It is seriously so much fun teaching these little girls. The age difference is crazy (3-7 in one class) but no one seems to mind. We do ballet for about 15 minutes and then spend 45 minutes doing the chicken dance, twirling like princesses, dancing with kleenex to snowflake songs and doing "'cross the floors to Hannah Montana."

Tonight Mikayla said to me, "Mom, your ballet is WAY BETTER than that other ballet." I'm not sure about that, but we have a lot more fun and I feel like I'm back in my element. I've missed dancing. I find myself pirouetting (or trying to) while stirring, kicking while doing dishes and getting on itunes every hour to upload some fun song that I had just thought of. It's great! It's good exercise; it's extra money, and my kids aren't sitting for two hours a week for $200 a month in a place that they don't love.

The Joys of Facebook...

My mom is the one who introduced me to Facebook, and I'm loving it. I have been able to re-connect with over 50 high school friends and two college roommates. I love to see pictures of their families and hear what has happened in their lives in the last 15 years! I have 20 cousins on one side, and it's hard to stay in touch with everyone, and it's fabulous for that reason too. I also have my Georgia friends that I like to keep up to date on. It's faster than blogging and is fun! So, for all of my friends not on Facebook, please join! You can set your profile to private and only the people that you confirm as friends can see your profile.

Happy Facebook Posting! Let me know if you join so we can connect!

Jessi's Tag

FIVE JOYS
Having a clean, tidy house.

Having a messy house for a good reason...like a bunch of kids running around while the girls are having fun.

Snuggling with my girls and playing with their hair.

Hearing Dave laugh really loudly.

Talking on the phone to D or my mom.

FIVE FEARS
The economy.

Our savings.

Our investments.

Our retirement.

The girls' college funds.

FIVE OBSESSIONS
Towels being clean and hung straight.

Checking off everything on my to-do list.

Saving money.

Picking the skin off my thumbs (gross, I know).

Staying caught up on everything.

FIVE SURPRISING FACTS
I think lifting weights is better for the body than anything cardio.

I am starting my own dance school after not dancing for ten years.

I try to wear cute shoes, but I usually just think about it and then put on my flip flops.

I would rather have a box of Dots than pretty much any other food on the planet.

I guess the one I had on before wasn't about me...anyway, I like to stay up really late and have to wake up early so I don't like the afternoons and I'm always tired from 2-5.

FIVE PEOPLE TO TAG
Jamie

Nan

Robin

Christy

Jenny

Tagged

I was tagged by Jenn D., so here I go (and Jessi, I'm doing your next!):



Six Quirky Things About Me:



1. I like piles. There can be clutter as long as the clutter is in piles and I know what each pile is.



2. I can drink Diet Coke all day long and have to try hard to only have four a day. I love to drink it in bed too.



3. I hate to be patted. I love to be rubbed and hugged, but I hate to be patted.



4. I absolutely hate when people "clink" silverware on their teeth when they eat. It will drive me so crazy that I can't even concentrate on anything else.



5. I hate silence, but I like things quiet. When I'm home during the day I almost always have Fox News on just for the noise.



6. I have to delete things immediately...if I've read an email and answered it, it is deleted. If I have listened to the message on the machine, I delete it.

I tag Robin, Nan, Jamie, Christy, Jessi, Kate, and everyone else who wants to play!

Southern Sisters

I ran in with my camera this morning to take a photo of the girls all snuggled together....so sweet how much they love each other.

On another note....Mikayla had picked out a darling book called "Pinkalicious" at the book fair yesterday. We were reading it and it had this phrase in it: "You get what you get and you don't get upset." My girls looked at me and with disgust said, "MOM, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT, IT'S 'YOU GIT WHAT YOU GIT AND YOU DON'T PITCH A FIT!'" Only in the South does "get" rhyme with "fit." And if you're not in the South, you may not even understand this, but it was hilarious! They may have been born in Utah, but they were definitely raised in Georgia!

Health and Shared Bedrooms...

Today I am grateful for good health. The girls were able to honor someone who has survived Breast Cancer and they were very excited to put Grandma's name up in the hallway of their school. They also got to wear jeans that day (I'm not sure what the connection was...something about Lee Denim Day for Cancer, but they were very happy not to wear their uniforms!)

We also took a moment to reflect on our dear little friend Kristen who still has chemo every few months but is doing GREAT!!!

Now for those bedrooms that we so painstakingly decorated and chose paint colors and bedspreads and everything...it lasted until last week. Now they sleep together every night. AND...you may notice the trundles under each of their beds...does one of them sleep on it each night next to the sister???? NO! They sleep together in the same twin bed. It warms my heart though, so I can't get mad.

Home Depot Adventure

Yesterday we took a family trip to the local Home Depot to find a wood dowel for me to make "spirit sticks" for cheer. I was down one aisle and had found them with the girls. Meanwhile, Dave had wandered over to the adjacent aisle and was looking for them there. The next thing I know, Dave had put on this HUGE tool belt and is dancing in it. I can see that there is a guy in the same aisle about 20 feet from Dave walking toward him...but Dave didn't see him. So I am just dying laughing and he thinks we are laughing at his "funniness" so he keeps dancing and swirling his hips and this guy is watching now and laughing too. By this time, I'm laughing so hard I couldn't talk so I just start pointing at the guy who is now right behind him. Dave turns his head and quietly takes off the belt and puts it back in its place where it never should have left. The guy who observed it all quickly and quietly walked away, but I saw him snickering.

A Lil' Homesick

So, it's 4:30 and I should be well on my way to my scrapbook retreat, but there is NO GAS in a twenty-five mile radius, so I'm sitting here on my computer and not heading to see my scrapbook buds for the weekend. While I'm wallowing in my pity, here are a few other things I miss:

School not starting until 8:20 (7:20 is really hard).
Having teachers that loved my kids so much that they call me here just to check on them.
Marvelous Monday, Terrific Tuesday, Wacky Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday, Fabulous Friday, etc.
Neighbors that were friends.
Bunco in the 'hood, where they spelled it "Bunco" and knew how to play
Not having a kid sent to the principal's office for wearing a home-made "spirit shirt" because we weren't allowed to buy them until Oct. 7, but my kids weren't at the school last year, so they didn't have one to wear today.
Having a golf cart and cruising around on one is a common experience.
Not having to dial a "1" before my friends' numbers.
Double Shots' wings.
My friends' kids and not knowing how they are doing in school and hearing about their day and whatever (I guess the friends go without saying).
Back patio/deck hang outs.
Poker.
Cumming Dance Academy.
Dixie, Piper, Peanut, Abby, Bama and Cokie.
The crazy neighbors' boys from across the street (not the neighbor parents themselves).
Making cookies with all the neighbor boys who pretended to be too cool to do so, but always came over on cookie day.
The lady at Nail Dynasty who did a killer wax job on my eyebrows every time.
Actually, Nail Dynasty itself where a pedicure cost $18, not $30.
Moe's.
A big backyard with a beautiful view.
My BIRDFEEDER that I want back desperately but left there on accident.
Meineke off exit 17 that was the most honest car fixer place on earth.
Kroger where the shopping wasn't as good and fresh as here but where the clerks knew my kids. by name and waited for them every Monday to come in.
Dr. Babao, the best pediatrician in the world.
The outlet mall five minutes from my house.
A brown house.
Hillary, the best babysitter in the world.


Okay, so I will sign off for now. Life is fine here in SC, but I do miss a lot of things. I'm also glad to leave behind some things, but mostly I just miss it and my friends so, so, much...especially because I'm sitting here and not on the retreat! And can you give me a shout-out if you're reading my blog?

Our Defense is Dazzlin!

Amelia came home today and started telling me something like this:

"Mom today this girl in my class Lauren was SO BRATTY. She said she would go to breakfast with me but I had to go to the store with her first. So we sat in line at the store for a super long time and she kept telling me how her ring was so cool and expensive and cost $49. Then she showed me all her money that she had to spend at the store and asked how much I had, but I didn't have any. When it was finally her turn she bought a pen that writes in pink, purple and blue and three erasers. She gave the erasers to her best friends, but she didn't give me one. It took so long that we ended up not getting to go to breakfast. When we went back to the class she showed the teacher her ring and told her this big story about how it was her moms when she was a girl but she already told me that her mom bought it for $49. She was so bratty and I didn't get anything from the store or get breakfast."

I replied, "I'm so sorry that she is such a bratty girl. That makes me feel bad too. Maybe you can find someone nice to hang out with tomorrow."

Amelia said, "Mom, don't worry. I've had LOTS OF PRACTICE dealing with bratty girls. It's okay."

Taking a Breather...

In the last seven years I finally got pregnant, gained 85 pounds, nursed, pumped, cuddled, diapered, lost 80 pounds, got pregnant again (a little fast this time), gained 73 pounds, nursed, pumped, cuddled, diapered, kept up with a toddler and a newborn while moving across the country, lived in a hotel with a newborn and a toddler and no car, lost the $#%^ pounds again, made our Georgia house a home, started a playgroup, took kids to Gymboree, the park, Kindermusik, gymnastics, the library storytime, preschool, and taught at their preschool to be with them, ballet, soccer...even coached soccer for two seasons, swim lessons, cheerleading, wiped tears, made library trips, hospital trips, made lots of friends, lost some friends, PTA, Girl Scout leader, etc. etc., only to move again.

So now, both kids are in school...all day. And guess what? I'm kicking my feet up a little bit and enjoying it...and trying really hard not to feel guilty about it. I'm busy on some days and running around and whatever, but I've had more free time than I've ever had in my entire life, and I'm loving it.

Firecracker, Firecracker, Boom Boom Boom

Go Gators! The girls had so much fun cheering at their first game. The two little girls had a wardrobe ordering malfunction so they shared the uniform until next week!

Check out the link above to Grace and Hannah's from cheerleading blog for video coverage...so cute!

Good Eats????

I may have moved from Georgia, but I still live in the South.

I am reminded of this regularly, but this morning as I was reading the school menu to the girls and read "Bologna and Grits" I was reminded of where I live and then was speechless. Don't worry, I packed their lunch.

Go Utes!!!!

A house full of six adults, two teenagers, four kids and a baby.

Friends that we miss oh, so much.

Lots of fun, in spite of late nights and a sick baby.

AND the Utes reigned in the Big House...

What a weekend!!!! When can y'all come back?

Kindergarten, Baby

After dropping Mik off at 7:00 A.M. for her first day of kindergarten, I took Amelia on a "date." We showered and got ready and went to the library and lunch and was nowhere near a radio or news station.

Imagine my surprise when I picked up my kindergartner on her first real day of school and found out that she spent hours in a tornado shelter.

I'm grateful for two things:

1. Mikayla thought it was a drill, so once again, I think her teacher is awesome because the kids weren't scared.

2. As crazy as the tornado was in Georgia while my parents were visiting, at least she was prepared and knew what to do.

She had a great day!

Freaking Out!

I hate the first day of school. I know it's exciting, and the kids are excited, but seriously, I didn't sleep more than an hour last night. I am sooooooo nervous...at least ten times more nervous than my kids, especially Amelia. I hope their teachers are nice. I hope they meet a friend. I hope kids are nice. I hope they eat enough. I hope they learn. I hope they aren't tired. I hope they feel good. I hope the teachers sees what good girls they are. I hope they aren't scared...it goes on and on.

The thing about having two kids is that when the first kid goes to Kindergarten, of course you are a mess, but it doesn't get easier with the second one, because that's your baby and so it hits you just as hard that your baby is going to kindergarten. Now add the fact that we are in a strange new town, in a strange school where no one knows us and there isn't one familiar face in the crowd (and it's a CROWD), and I'm a mess!

Pride

Today Amelia said to me, "Mom, I have this weird thing on my hand." I was a little freaked out thinking she had warts until she showed me her hand...and guess what? SHE HAS A CALLOUS! I don't know how to spell it for sure, but you know what I mean...the things you get that show you are a hard worker! And she is. Yesterday, for example, she swept the entire driveway, helped me clean out the car, vacuumed the seats and scrubbed the car seats.

It reminds me of this time I was sitting at a restaurant with Dave and his friend who had come to visit. Well, Mitch looked at my hands and said, "I like your hands. You have man hands." I was a little offended...thinking of the Seinfeld episode, until he said, "You have short nails and callouses...that's the sign of a girl who isn't afraid of hard work."

I'm glad that my seven year old already has callouses. I was proud. :)

Aloha

So, just so y'all have this straight...the first day of school is August 21. Oh, but what that means is: Amelia starts that day, but Mikayla goes that day at 11:00 only, with a parent. Amelia goes Friday, but Mikayla doesn't. Neither one of them goes Monday, but Mikayla goes Tuesday. Neither of them goes Wednesday, but Amelia goes Thursday, and they finally both go on Friday, August 29. So, I guess the first day of school is really August 29...are you kidding me?

On a brighter note...Nana sent these fabulous outfits...after much explanation that they live in regular houses in Hawaii and not huts, and still speak English in Hawaii, except for words like "aloha" which means hello and good bye and what would happen if someone said "aloha" and the other person thought they were saying good bye when they were saying hello, they went outside in the rain and did a hula dance.

It's a Home...Almost

The boxes are unpacked. The pictures are hung. The girls are happy in their own rooms after five years of sharing one. We had our first houseguests this last weekend. We played hard at the pool and even got Mik to go down the waterslide, thanks to Doug's help and my bribery. We found the grocery store, library and the post office today. The girls are registered for school and dance (which they insisted on doing). I think it's a home! We just need to be here a little longer and have more RELAXED time...

On another note...my kids are so sad that they didn't start school today with all their friends. It broke my heart, but I think they will be okay once their school starts next Thursday. Amelia likes her uniform shorts so much that she wears them now with her "fashion" shirts. I think it will all work out...

Happy 12 Years to My Honey!

This amount of paper
covered these little trinkets.
And that's just the tiniest example of how my unpacking is going...


The mess doesn't end.

It's a good thing I love him....

Happy Anniversary to my Love!

Carefree Childhood

I'm really tired of a couple of things....it was so hard keeping the house spotless for two months while the house was for sale. I constantly was screaming, "DON'T MAKE A MESS! STOP GATHERING STUFF AND BRINGING IT INTO ANOTHER ROOM! STAY OUT OF THE WATER! DON'T BRING SNACKS OUT OF THE KITCHEN! WIPE YOUR FEET! DON'T COME IN AND OUT AND IN AND OUT. SHUT THE DOOR!!!!!" It was really nice to have a clean house, but I really need to reevaluate things. I want my kids to have fun, fun like I had when I was a kid. Fun like when you leave the house after breakfast and go exploring, rock hunting, creek splashing, muddy, dirty, carefree fun and don't come home until lunch.

My girls are computer illiterate. They watch very little TV. The only movies they watch are in the car on long drives. I used to wish my kids would sit and watch a show so I could have a break, but they just wouldn't. I had to adjust and now I'm grateful for it.

They track in dirt and grass. At any moment in my house you will find at least one sink full of mud and rocks, usually with Dave's hairbrush that they use to scrub them. They bring their toys outside and I find legos in the bushes and in cups sitting on the grass (don't ask me why). Yesterday they discovered a bird nest with tiny baby birds in there. They watched from a distance as the mom brought her babies dinner. They run from yard to yard and gather friends and PLAY.
I get caught up in dance lessons, gymnastics, cheerleading, spending a small fortune at Limited Too, etc., etc. but that is not what makes either one of them happy. I just want them to be kids. With this move, I am going to limit structured activity in their lives. Since they wear uniforms to school, I am going to let them wear whatever they want after school and on weekends and not say a word about it...even if it's stained and doesn't match and is worn four days in a row.

I am rambling, but when the Girl Scout leaders sent these photos and I saw them come home dirty, exhausted and HAPPY, it reminded me of what is most important.

When we were in Disney World, my kids were so happy. I even had to call my dad and just thank him for all the fun times we had in Disney Land when I was young. It's a huge sacrifice. It's expensive. It's hot. It's crowded, but it's magical. Watching your kids' eyes light up after they've ridden Thunder Mountain Railroad or after they've run into their favorite character is one of the most beautiful experiences I've had as a mom. I think that magic can be brought into our every day lives...because it wasn't so much the roller coaster or seeing Stitch...it was having a mom who was relaxed. It's easy to be relaxed when you don't worry about meals or cleaning the house or paying bills...and realistically these things have to be done, but just not the focus.

The happier I am, the happier my kids are. We still have a few weeks of summer left. I know moving is crazy, but I am going to focus my energy on my kids and on myself and slow down and enjoy a little more, and love a little more.

And when that grass and mud gets tracked in on my new beautiful floors, I'm going to brush it aside and make room for whatever discovery they just made outside....I promise.

On another note...my eye is okay. My cornea is scratched but there was no ulcer. I have to wear glasses and have steroids and antibiotic drops, but it already feels so much better. I'm grateful that in all the craziness that I did stop and go to the doctor. They told me that if I would have waited, I would have lost my eye...and that's scary. Maybe that's another reason why I have reevaluated the craziness in my life. I have to wear glasses and because of my extreme light sensitivity right now, I have to wear the most hideous wrap-around sunglasses that fit over my glasses (kind of like a grandma) and trying to be cute while wearing them is impossible, so I can at least be fun...and happy!