Weekend Recap

Friday night, sweet boy and I had tickets to see Steven Curtis Chapman in concert with some friends.

My friend Laura and her husband joined us.

Laura Story and Jason Gray were there too.  It was such a great concert! I loved that all 3 of them are so real.  They each had a story and were very open about their struggles and about how God is working in their lives.

Shawn's good friend Curt came too.

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On Saturday, we went to Denton to spend the day with Shawn's parents.  The boys love going because they have cousins to play with there (Shawn's brother and 2 kids live there too)  Hudson was acting super silly all day but doing things that he shouldn't do like: running in the house, acting loud at dinner, etc....  He was given several warnings and he just kept on.  Before we left, Shawn told Hudson that he would be getting a spanking when we got home.  We are not huge spankers but I do think there is a time and place for it.  Hudson kept apologizing and saying he would stop but the frustration for us is that we had asked him over and over during the day to stop doing all of this.  We headed home around 10pm and Hudson kept saying he was going to throw up and his stomach hurt (a perfect deflection from the spanking ) We both knew this was an excuse but kindly went along with it and told him to lay back and rest.  He asked for a bag "just in case" and I handed him an empty grocery store bag.  Goofy kid.....hung the bag over his ears and started to doze off.  We got a kick out of that one!

I'm not sure if I've expressed my level of frustration when it comes to shopping with sweet boy.  He is WAY worse than shopping with a girl.  Very indecisive.  Very picky.  Oh my.  I bite my tongue the entire time.  It's not fun and I try to limit the number of times we shop together.  I really think it's better for our marriage if we do these sorts of things separately but he thinks it's fun.

A Gander Mountain store recently opened about 30 minutes or so from us and he wanted to go and check it out.  Here I am sitting in the dressing room with him.....trying to breath in and out as he tosses clothes onto the floor (yes, we hung every one of them up even though he didn't want to)  I got my phone out and tried to discreetly snap a picture. He caught me though and said "hey, what are you doing?  Are you taking pictures?"  I laughed it off but I'm pretty sure he knows it's going on my blog.  Ha!

I took the boys to school this morning and came home to my hubby standing in the driveway and looking at his flat tire.  He took mine car and headed off....while I waited for AAA to come change my spare and then spent 2 hours at Discount Tire only to find out it couldn't be fixed and oh.....they don't have that tire in stock.  Good times.  Nothing says "happy Monday" better than a flat first thing!

Even though it was super annoying and wasted half of my day....still much to be thankful for!

Happy Monday!!

Friday Favorites and Preschool Moments

(this morning I discovered that I have no idea how to copy and paste a picture into my blog post.  New computer.....technically challenged owner.  Guess I need a tutorial this weekend from sweet boy.  So instead, you just get links today!)

1.  Big Berkey Water System

I've heard a lot about these water systems lately and I'm really interested in getting one.  A long time ago, I started looking into Reverse Osmosis systems and then I never took the plunge.  Anyone out there have this system and have any feedback?

2.  I am wanting a good quality + comfortable nude/light tan colored flat.  I noticed these and these and these while doing a quick search online.  Anyone have a great shoe that they recently purchased?

Okay, this no picture thing is bugging me.  I think I will hold off on posting more FF until I can figure out how to add pictures.  Stay tuned! :)

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Preschool Moments:

1.  My co teacher and I were sitting in the hall waiting for our class when one of our students from last year walked by.  She saw us and her entire face lit up.  In a high pitched voice, she shrieked "I'm finally a grown up now!!  I'm 4 and a half!!"

So stinkin' cute!!

2.  I want to formally apologize to any former preschool teachers in the years past if I ever sent cupcakes to school to celebrate one of my boys birthdays (even though I'm pretty sure I mostly sent in cookies for the kids)  After our experience on Tuesday, it's quite clear to me that very few 3 year olds can successfully eat a cupcake without wearing half of it on their face and hands.  Seriously, we had kids with icing up to their elbows.  What a mess but quite funny to watch!

3.  A friend of mine has a daughter in my class this year.  My friend texted me several minutes after picking her daughter up from school to let me know about a conversation they had just had.

Angie: "so, what letter did you learn today?

Margo: "buh, buh....A"

Hmmm, teacher fail moment.

4. I'm quite confident that coloring is almost a lost art.  Most kids hate it.  I think with all the technology and battery operated toys and gadgets these days that kids have very little exposure to coloring.  It's very rare that I see a child that loves to color.

5.  Yesterday, I:

* was told "NO"

* was told "I DON'T WANT TO!"

* and slapped hard on the back

........all by 3 different kids.  Just a tiny glimpse of what my day looked like.  Whew!

6.  Pretty sure that skipping that mani this week was a good idea.  It's not unusual to find paint, markers, and sharpie marks all over my body and even clothes sometimes.

(and is it just me or do my hands look unusually wrinkly?)

7.  Tip #417.....if you are going to send in special treats or drinks/juice for the class- PLEASE send in all the same.  If you send 10 brown cupcakes and 4 blue ones.....guess what?  They ALL are going to want the blue.  And considering that #2 on this list is about to happen, I am already gearing up for an icing explosion.....so I don't have the time or energy to figure out which kids get blue and which get brown.  So please do your teacher a favor and make them all identical.  They will love you for it!

Have a great weekend!

Almost Two

I read on Facebook yesterday that they are in the works on filming "Dumb and Dumber To."  If you knew Jason at all then you knew that he loved the first movie.  We had quite a few lines from that movie that we would say often to each other.  Lots of little funny inside jokes.  He was good like that.

I had such an urge to call him and tell him.

It's obviously not so much about the movie but it's more about how life is changing and things are progressing and he isn't here to see any of it.  I hate that we are all changing and getting older, yet the pictures of him remain the same.  How weird is it going to be when I'm old and frail (if I make it that long!) to look back at my young 40 year old husband that never got the chance to really age?

I've found myself sinking into a bit of a slump lately.  It's fall.....his favorite season of all.  The Longhorns are playing football and it feels so wrong to watch without him.  We are about a week and a half away from his Heaven day and that date is a big flashing reminder that he is gone.

I am trying so hard to not focus on that day or allow myself to get psyched up over dates and anniversaries anymore.   But it's hard to do.  As much as I tell myself that it's really just a day and no different than the other 364 days that are equally as hard.....I still find myself dreading them just the same.

I remember about 6 weeks after Jason died, I was sitting on the couch at my counselor's office.  I was clinging to her every word...desperate for some advice or some answer on when I would no longer feel that much pain.  I recall her telling me that one day I would be able to speak about Jason without crying and look back on him and his life with nothing but fond memories.  She told me that it was then I would know that I was really healed.

Two years later I find myself still crying often when talking about Jason to others.  While I am certainly able to reflect back on him with wonderful memories.....there is still such a deep level of sadness and longing to see him again.  It's hard to imagine that I will ever feel any different.

Weekend Recap

The last several weeks, it's been a chore to get the boys to karate.  I think they started losing interest and never wanted to go.  I have gone back and forth on this because I don't want them to quit everything they try but I also know that they won't love everything they try either.  My main goal is that they have some sort of physical exercise.  Cooper has been doing the morning mile each day before school (like a running club) and they both have PE at school but I want something a little more.  I finally decided that it's not worth the battle (or money) to send them to something they don't enjoy.  I guess you can say we are officially karate kid dropouts!

I may look into swimming or even golf again for Hudson.  In the meantime, I told Hudson that he has to do the treadmill Mon-Fri.  I'm such a mean mommy.

The other day I was in Hudson's room and found some of my free weights by his bed.  I guess he took our "exercise is a must" conversation seriously!

I got a tickle out of Cooper's room to the other day.  My boys have never been a big fan of toys, dolls or any character with eyes in their rooms...especially up on a shelf.  It scares them.  I was going to his bookshelf to get something and noticed his bear bank was turned backwards so he couldn't see it's face at night.

And the  tree in the corner has this cute little bear on it but he prefers a T-shirt over it so that he can't see the eyes.  Crazy kid!

Friday night, we had a little family game night of Dr. Dreadful. The boys love this game because it's all about guts and scabs and toots and burps.  If you have boys then it's a must have game!

After dinner on Saturday night, the boys wanted to play at the park.  The sun was starting to set really fast but they loved playing in the dark anyways.

One health/immune building product that I buy from Sprouts often is Elderberry.  Elderberry has a TON of health benefits and it tastes so yummy that my boys never complain about taking it.  I give them 1 teaspoon in the morning with their vitamins and breakfast.

So when a friend of mine told me that she started making her own, I was very interested in knowing more.  She picked up some dried elderberries for me at the herb store and I decided to give it a try.  It was super easy and it makes quite a bit.  It is WAY cheaper than the store bought version too.

Here is the recipe if you are interested.  An easy way to fight infections and colds!

My little Cooper man loves to cook/bake with me.  So, when I saw this recipe I just knew he would enjoy making it with me.  They turned out super yummy! Definitely makes me think of fall. 

Friends and Funnies

Yesterday, I got together with my sweet friend Laura.  We have been friends since our college days.  She lives in Fort Worth....which isn't too far but it's just far enough that we can't get together on a regular basis.  Between our kiddos, homeschooling and part time preschool we just don't get enough face time.  We do try to schedule a lunch/shopping date every once in a while.  We will meet at an area in the middle and spend several hours together.  I just love my Laura time!!

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Got a State Fair ticket in Hudson's backpack yesterday.  My heart skipped a few beats as I recalled our last time to the fair.  We went the Sunday before Jason died.  Had a great day.  Spent too much money.  Ate lots of food.  Didn't take a single picture.  Why?  Oh, why?

Bittersweet memory.

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Things I learned at preschool this week:

1.  At lunch today, a little girl asked me if I live at school.  You should have seen the confused look on her face when I explained that I did not and that I have a home I go to each night.  This confirms that all kids really do think their teachers live at school.

2.  Kids are being exposed to technology at an earlier age than ever before.  Not really a new revelation....but it continues to amaze me at how a 3 year old can pick up an Itouch and turn it on, browse around and play games with very little help.  Our class gets to play them for about 20 minutes once a week and they are all pretty independent on them!

3.  I do continue to be amazed at what parents send their kids for lunch.  Or should I say "snack time."  Many "lunches" today hardly even contain items that constitute it as a lunch.  How many fruit snacks, granola bars, cookies, juice boxes and chocolate milks can we cram into a bag?  And for the record....if your child is active and has a hard time sitting down.....I can promise you that nothing but carbs and sugar is not helping the situation.

4.  Right after a little boy was dropped off this morning he mentioned that he needed to go potty.  I said "come on, I'll take you" as I motioned him my way and started walking out our classroom door.  Our room is just a few feet from the bathroom and I was several steps ahead of him.  Today I learned that this little kiddo can multi task.  He can walk and proceed to pull his pants down and whip out his private parts all at the same time.  Ha!  No dull moments!

Computers and Other Stuff

I've had my laptop for several years now (it was not new when I got it) and even though I do pretty simple things on it....like facebook, Pinterest, blogging, etc....(I didn't even have my email on it) it was definitely starting to show it's age.  I didn't complain about it though.  I know computers are expensive and honestly there are other things I'd rather spend that money on.  Give me the choice of a new laptop or granite countertops or a vacation....and I will pick the vacation every single time.

Shawn is a boy that loves technology.  He is all about nice TV's and high resolution.  I guess he's your typical guy.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy those things too but it's not as important to me, I guess.   So a few weeks ago we were in bed and we needed to look something up for a trip we have coming up.  His laptop is his work computer and it stays in his bag and he doesn't use it for personal use.  Both of our desktop computers are in the study so I grabbed my laptop and hopped into bed.  And he about freaked out right there.

He was beyond frustrated with the speed (or lack of)...it froze up on us a few times, it had some pop-up things showing up.  It was a real mess.  He looked at me and said "I have no idea how you use this every day?"  I laughed and shrugged it off.  It took us 4 times longer to find our information that night than what it should have.

Last Sunday, we got a sitter for a few hours and we enjoyed lunch and walking around Town Square.  He took me into Best Buy and bought me an early anniversary present: a new laptop.  I'm confident that he was way more excited than I was (even though I'm so super thankful for it!)  He came home and got it all set up for me.  He even sent me my first email:

I am definitely loving it so far but I made the switch from a PC to a Mac and it's all so different.  And I hate change.  Hoping I figure it out soon!

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I started feeling a little under the weather this weekend.  I was miserable on Monday but thankfully I've managed to keep it at bay.  I still don't feel great but I think I'm heading in the right direction.

I decided that I needed some comfort food.  Who doesn't love homemade chicken noodle soup?  It's perfect for a sore throat!  I made enough to freeze some for later too.  Oh, I'm sooooo ready for cooler weather and making soup more often.

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Jason's grandma passed away this weekend.  She was 99 and had been declining for a while.  She had dementia really bad and her quality of life was non existent.

Jason, his grandma Ruby, his sister Jennifer, and his cousin Shea.

The boys were really sad when I told them she had died.  I know it opened up the emotions that surround Jason's death and they had lots of questions and lots of tears.

Cooper started asking me questions about heaven.

"Is it beautiful, mom?

"Are there streets of gold?"

"Is it really better than Earth?"

With tears streaming down his face he says "it sounds perfect.  I'm so glad dad gets to be there.  Wish I was there too."

Oh, precious boy....me too!!

Everything Fall

I decided to get my fall decorations out today and surround myself with "everything fall."  Do you think if I get all the pumpkins down from the attic that the weather will decide to cooperate and become cool and fall-like? Nah, I doubt it either.

I look forward to this time of year because I love me a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice latte.  I decided that I needed one this morning to get in the mood.  Legitimate excuse, right?

Before opening my bins........I put a pumpkin pie melt in my warmer.  Gotta set the stage!

I set out some pumpkin cupcake soaps in the bathrooms.

For some reason, blogger is acting up and I can't write under some of the pictures. I have no idea what I want to do with my fireplace mantel. This is as far as I got. Here are a few pics of spots in my living room and kitchen. I don't have a ton of places to put decorations....especially since sweet boy moved in. He brought his girlfriend (also known as his monster TV) so I lost my entertainment center in the living room. I used to fill those shelves up.

















I was cleaning out the drawers in my bakers rack (making room for some pencils and supplies so that I could clear the shelves off) and I was feeling sad. I has just stumbled upon my pumpkin platter that I bought several years ago. It had our family name on it (my former last name) and it hit me in the stomach that things are so different this fall. I reached into the drawer and saw this bracelt. And I immediately felt peace. Even in the crappiest of situations....God is enough.

I decided to take a little break from decorating and give my toes a fall facelift too. I traded out the turquoise polish...

....for the fall OPI shade instead (Over the Taupe)

School Stuff

Cooper was so excited yesterday when UPS knocked on our door and left a box on the porch.  Inside was Cooper's backpack and lunchbox that I ordered several weeks before school started.  About 2 days after I ordered it, I got an email stating that they were back ordered until around September 13.......which is obviously after the first day of school. (sigh)

He is super excited to take them to school tomorrow!

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Just wanted to update on one of the recipes I made this week. This pot roast  was not my favorite.  It was edible but definitely not something I would make again.  I've said it before though that I'm not a huge fan of the way most things turn out in a crock pot.  Some of you may love it but it was just okay for me.

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Today was our first day with our kids.  This is my 3rd year to teach with Kristi.  She rocks!

Preschool Moments and Realizations:

1.  You can tell real quick which kids have parents that are germophobes.  Flushing the toilet with your feet or laying sheets of toilet paper on the lid are pretty good clues.  So funny!

2.  It's interesting to see how modern technology influences our kids.  I witnessed a boy stand in front of the sink and wave his hand under the faucet (hoping that the motion would start the water)  He gave me a confused look as I explained that he had to lift up on the handle to turn the water on.

3.  I realized today that very few 3 year olds know how to do The Hokey Pokey.  Kristi and I basically "performed" it for them as they attempted to join in.  Super glad there were no other adults present to witness this event.

4.  I wish it was a worldwide rule that if your kid can't tie their own shoelaces then they should still be wearing Velcro shoes.  Please, for the love of man..........abide by this rule.  

5.  It's becoming harder and harder for me to bend and squat (another reason for your kids to wear Velcro shoes) and get myself up off the floor in a somewhat graceful manner.  Getting old really bites!

6.  Today was a great day and super successful but I know without a doubt that I will sleep like a baby tonight!!

Menus and Stuff

Sorry this is late.......I've had several people ask me to keep posting my weekly dinner menu.  Here is ours for this week.

Monday:

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
Garlic Roasted Broccoli
Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday:

Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast with carrots

Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday:

Pesto Orecchiette With Chicken Sausage

green salad

garlic knots

* my little monkey loves this so much that he requests is quite often!

Thursday:

Honey Mustard Baked Chicken

Ranch Style Beans
Fried Okra (don't judge)

Friday:
Family night- Pizza and a movie

On Sunday, we met Jason's sisters and stepmom for lunch.  The boys absolutely adore them and it was great to catch up.

The boys keep asking if we can move closer to them so that we can see them more.

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So, FIVE MONTHS after my car wreck.......and going to therapy and getting adjustments THREE TIMES PER WEEK........I am finally finished.  Oh friends, I honestly considered forwarding my mail because I felt as if I lived there.  What a pain in the neck (no pun intended) but also what a blessing to have resources like this to help heal us when we are hurt.  I am almost back to normal (are you ever really the same again?) and I'm grateful for that!!

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I started back to preschool last week for meetings and working in my room.  My littles start on Thursday and there is a big part of me that is ready for routine again.  We had Meet the Teacher (that's me!) this past Sunday night and it looks like once again that there are some precious kiddos in this group.

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Tomorrow and Friday I plan to get my fall decorations out.  Even though I am much more comfortable about it this year than I was last year......there is still a lot of sadness that the fall brings for me.

Obviously we are coming up on the 2nd anniversary.  I'm starting to feel the weight of that and have found myself sad and down at times.  I know this is normal.  Please continue to pray for us over the next few weeks.

Blog Break

It was nice to take a little break from the blog this past week.  We have all been busy transitioning to school and all that comes with that.  Here is what we have been up to:

We went to a Ranger game last Saturday night with some friends.

It was so crazy hot but we still had a great time!  We ate dinner and got to visit without interruptions (this sweet family has 4 small kiddos) so it was worth it.

This sweet guy loves a good bubble bath from time to time!  And lots of you have asked how he is doing.  Thank you for that!  He is doing good.  We haven't had any other big meltdowns since that one night so for that I am so thankful.  He did get sad last night and said "I just miss dad so much" but this is just our reality now.  We will forever have those feelings!!

Practicing his guitar.

We are still working through all the allergy stuff with Cooper.  He is doing MUCH better but he isn't perfect yet.  It's crazy to me that this all came to a head after spending that week at camp.  I guess his little body just got overexposed while there.  He has always had little spurts of coughs, sneezes, etc......but they would last such a short time and then not return for a while.  Unfortunately, ever since he came home from camp......his allergies have been much worse and constant.  Thankfully we are not waking up in the middle of the night anymore and we haven't done a single breathing treatment since his first NAET session.

Yesterday, Cooper had his 4th session.  So far, we have knocked out his allergy to mold, trees, and ragweed.  I talked to his doctor earlier this week and told him that I was still a little frustrated that he was still coughing. (cuz it sounds yucky) and he asked me to get a wet paper towel and swipe some areas in our house to bring in with us.  I got one and dusted around the kitchen and living room and bagged it up.  I got another and wiped around just his bedroom.  Along the baseboards, across the foot board of his bed, etc......and bagged it.  I then cut a little piece of Rudy's hair and bagged that up too.

At the doctor's office, Cooper responded well to the "living room" stuff.  It didn't bother him.  He did react negatively to HIS bedroom dust and Rudy's hair.  I thought it was odd that he showed an allergy to his bedroom but not the common areas on our house.  

But then I realized that Cooper's bedroom furniture is made of big logs (trees) and since he tested high allergy for trees.....this made sense.  So, we did some treatments in order to remove that allergy.  It's so crazy how all that works but the cool thing is that it DOES work.  At yesterday's appointment we eliminated grass, the stuff from his room, and Rudy's hair.  Praying this make a huge difference for him!

I've had lots of people ask me about these treatments.  It's kind of weird and kooky and not your typical way of treating things but I can tell you that it works.  We are getting to the root of the problem and not just masking it with medication.  Look into it if you suffer from allergies. (or other things too: my mom went for her TMJ, another friend took her son for his tics, etc.....)

I've had several people comment or ask questions about the essential oils we are using.  I have been super impressed with them so far!  In fact, the boys beg/remind me to put them on them.  It's such a blessing to have natural resources to heal our family.

After our appointment, the boys and I stopped into Pappa's to have dinner so that the traffic would thin out.  It took us an hour and a half to get there (never again will I schedule an appt in downtown Fort Worth at 4:00 on a Friday afternoon.  NEVER!) And took us about that long to get home.

While we were eating dinner, the TCU Horn Frog came and took pictures with the boys and handed out stickers and posters.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!