Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas y'all!!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Merry Christmas!!

So for those of you that know me, you know that I am currently obsessed with any and all things Twilight!! So let me present me and my Cullen boys:


Send your own ElfYourself eCards



MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Go Elf Yourself!!

Sunday, November 30, 2008

It's that time of year!!





Go check out the rest of these hilarious videos!! They will definitely make the start of your season bright!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

California

Ok, ok so I only did one entry about my California trip!! I'm so sorry, but we were really busy and then when I got home it was back to life (a.k.a work)! However, I wanted you to know that I made a few videos on my trip, so you can see all the trips we made. To see these videos just go to my Youtube channel. Please check them out and rate/comment if you feel so moved! LOL I had lots of fun making the videos (and I discovered my computer has a nifty little movie making program, so I was able to add effects and transitions!! Yay me!! LOL), so enjoy!!
Also, I took tons of pictures, which you can still find on my Myspace page. Just click on my picture and then go to the California photo album!! I meant to post a bunch of them for WWWAT, but I got back late Tuesday night and Wednesday was insane, so alas, I did not get to post. :( Oh well, maybe next time. :D

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Napa Valley, California

So, today (Friday) we headed out and went to wine country - Napa Valley, California!! The land here is much different then I remember/thought it would be. It's insanely flat around Modesto, being the valley, but as we drove towards Napa we encountered the hills, and saw the mountains in the distance.
Our first stop was Sweetie Pies, a cute little bakery/cafe in downtown Napa. They have an amazing selection of individual pies, cakes, tarts, and other homemade goodies that all look so amazingly good! Then we walked around downtown a bit. I took this picture of a cute church in downtown:



We'd planned to go see a geyser not too far from Napa, so we decided it was time to head that way. The geyser is called the Old Faithful Geyser of California. As the geyser erupts it makes beautiful rainbows!


Here we are in front! The sun was shining and, try as we might, we just could not escape the shadow on the face shots! LOL



They also run a "petting zoo" at the geyser sight, so we saw . . .


Fainting Goats, that sadly did not faint for us:



Four Horned Sheep:


And Llamas!!


Afterwards we decided to head back to Modesto, and that's when we saw the smoke. Yes, a wildfire had broken out in the 45 mins we were at the geyser. It was kind of sad, because it was near houses (beautiful houses), but being the tourist I took a few shots (yes morbid, I know). So here's the plume:


So as we left the sun was setting over the vineyards . . .


and the windmills . . .

And that was our day in Napa! Tomorrow we're off to Lake Tahoe. It's going to be cold, with possible snow in the morning! Needless to say I didn't exactly pack for this kind of weather, so layers are my friends! But they're having an Oktoberfest celebration in Tahoe City, so we'll be checking that out. I can't wait, and will take tons of pictures, so come back later to check them out!!

P.S. For more pictures of Napa, check out my MySpace page and the California picture album!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Greetings from . . .

CALIFORNIA!

Yes I am officially on vacation in the lovely state of California, visiting a friend for 6 days. I hope to have lots of things to tell you and lots of pictures to post. Nothing today, as I just arrive very late last night. However, I wanted to share my excitement with those that come upon my blog. :D So enjoy your week, and I'll keep you posted!!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

WWWAT: Beginnings & Endings



I'm very proud of myself this episode of WWWAT. I actually knew, almost immediately what I would post. Fortunately my niece had her first birthday not too long ago, so I thought she'd make the perfect subject! Check out Crystal's Blog for more great stories about this cutie, and some great makeup tips & reviews too!!

Ok so, I can't take credit for this one, but you can't talk about beginnings without having a picture of her immediately after birth.

Here's the cake at the beginning of the celebration. Looks good, right?

Yeah, she thought so too!

Yum, yum! The end of that cake, and the beginning of her first sugar rush.

New clothes before opening the wonderful presents.

So this is the end of my post of her beginnings! For more great entries rush over to Rachel's Blog and check out Mr. Linky!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Another day older, another second wiser. . .

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Birthday Comments

Yep, that's right today is THE day. I am officially 26, and starting that gumption thing I mentioned earlier. LOL It's not as easy as it sounds, but I'm determined to try and take it day by day. So, wish me luck, blow out a candle for me, and have a wonderful day, on me!!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

I know I'm late. . .WWWAT!!


So, my "different view" is not different for me, but rather different for you. Yes you, all you bloglanders, who can't see what I see. Now you can!!

Reading

Blogging

Texting
(yes, I was typing nonsense)

The inner sanctum
a.k.a inside my purse

For more different views, head over to Rachel's Blog and check out the other, on time, entries. ;)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Another year, another plan.

Well, in exactly 6 days is my birthday. 26 - it's just a number, right? Honestly, I've never been overly obsessed/depressed with getting older, but this year it seems extra hard. I just want to stay 25, is that okay? It's not so much the number, I guess, but rather the personal expectations that I had placed on my life and these numbers. You know, the mental conversations you have at ages 18-20, "Oh by the time I'm 25 I'll have a fabulous job, I'll be traveling, I'll have a boyfriend/fiance/husband, blah blah blah blah. . ." Then reality hits at ages 23-25 and it sucks!! LOL

Now the mental conversation is, "OMG I'LL BE 30 IN FOUR YEARS!!!!" Which is not old, nor the end of the world (and we all know that 30 is the new 20), but you know that time flies, and if you want to achieve the goals in life that you wanted to achieve at 25 (which have now been pushed to 30) you'd better get rolling!! It's at this point in time that it's good to be reminded that God is in control of every little detail. It's His timing our life's clock is set to, not our own.

Slight topic change! LOL
I've been thinking a lot about gumption. If you've seen the movie, "The Holiday," you know that gumption is the main theme of this movie. I LOVE that movie. I saw it again recently and that whole idea of gumption really resonated with me. My favorite scene is when Iris is having dinner with Arthur and part of their conversation goes like this:

Arthur:
"Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend."
Iris: "You're so right. You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for god's sake! Arthur, I've been going to a therapist for three years, and she's never explained things to me that well. That was brilliant. Brutal, but brilliant."

Then the other day I finished reading Gone With The Wind (longest read of my life, btw!) and as I read the "About the Author" section, they had a quote from and interview Margaret Mitchell had with her publisher. When the publisher asked her what the novel was about, she replied, "if the novel has a theme it is that of survival. What makes some people come through catastrophes and others, apparently just as able, strong and brave, go under? It happens in every upheaval. Some people survive; others don't. What qualities are in those who fight their way through triumphantly that are lacking in those that go under? I only know that survivors used to call that quality 'gumption.' So I wrote about people who had gumption and people who didn't."

So my goal for this 26th year of mine is to be the leading lady of my own life and to have more gumption. I think I've lacked some of that in my life, and it's time for some change. It's now or never, right? I don't really know what this will look like completely, but part of it is that I'm not going to be afraid to go for what I want. For the present that means applying for jobs that maybe I don't feel like I am capable of getting, but would love to get. If the job is meant to be, God will open the door. If it's not meant to be, then He'll close it, and I'll try the next one.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

What's your blog rated?

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Sites




Nothing too bad here! My life is pretty boring. . . LOL

Friday, July 18, 2008

Just something pretty.

So for those of you who don't know me as well as others, I am OBSESSED with So You Think You Can Dance during the summer. I think there is a hidden dancer inside of me that never had the opportunity to be released (long story. let's just say I had a sheltered childhood) and now I have to live vicariously through the dancers on SYTYCD. Last season was really amazing, and I am a HUGE fan now of the choreographer Mia Micheals. I think lyrical dance is my absolute favorite, and I just wish I could move like they do. So here's my favorite dance from last season featuring a song by Elisa called "Dancing."





The girl in the previous video, Lacey Schwimmer, was one of my favorite dancers. Well now Elisa is releasing a new U.S. album, and in honor of that her website has created a new video featuring Lacey. It's so pretty too, that I had to share, so enjoy!!


Hope your summer is full of beauty and art!!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

WWWAT - Summertime





Summer is my favorite season and my favorite time of year. As a southerner summer always seems to bring lazier days, and life as I wish it could always be. My favorite part about southern summers are summer storms. Sadly I have no pictures of these glorious storms, but I do have a few other favorite things about summer, so they'll have to do.


Bright Colors!!

Fabulous sandals!!



Barefeet AND dips in the pool!!

Enjoy your summer and hop on over to Rachel's blog to check out the other entries!

Friday, June 13, 2008

R. Kelly found Not Guilty.

Not having actually been in the courthouse, is it awful that I am shocked and disappointed in this verdict? I think he's guilty. There I said it. Maybe I bought into the hype, or maybe he really was framed. I guess the only thing we'll really know was that there was enough doubt for the jury to find him not guilty.
Care to discuss/share your opinion? Please do, I'm all ears.

Friday, May 30, 2008

*Warning*

*The following is me, venting. I admit there are other things *cough*hormones*cough* going on with me right now, but this is how they manifested, so I'm venting.*

You know, I try to let little comments roll off my back, mainly because they're coming from a toddler and so I recognize that he is venting his frustrations the only way he knows how, but turning four made things worse. I hoped things would get better, but turning four has gone to his head. He thinks he's all grown up now, Mr. Independent, and therefore takes tones when he speaks, does things without telling anyone, and yeah basically acts like he's twenty-four. The way he talks now is what is very irritating. He's so rude! Not foul mouthed, yet, but just the tone of his voice and the way he says things, it's like having a sulky teenager in the house.
I didn't let the running away when he saw me pull up to the house, effect me, because I knew he was just upset that the parents were leaving, but you know when he looks right at you and says, "I don't like you" it kind of hurts, especially when it happens not 5 minutes after walking into the house, and you haven't even spoken to him. Honestly it makes me want to quit right now. Who cares if I have another job lined up, screw it all!! (OK I'm too "responsible" for that, but seriously, would you stay at a job where you're put down?)
I know, I know, tomorrow is another day and sure enough he'll do something completely sweet and win me over again, but I just needed to vent, and not keep it inside. So I hope all you out there are having a wonderful day, and just know, even if I don't know you, I like you. :)

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Too sad for words.

For those of you familiar with the world of Christian music, the name Stephen Curtis Chapman will be known to you. Sadly, his youngest daughter was hit and killed by a car yesterday. As if that couldn't get any worse, the car that hit her was being driven by her teenage brother. Those of you that believe in prayer, please pray for this family. She was only 5 years old, and one of the three little girls the Chapman family has adopted from China.
My hearts and prayers go out to them.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Mother's Day

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day! Mine was excellent. Everything I had planned for my mom went smoothly, and I was completely exhausted afterwards! LOL The entire weekend was rather busy for me. The two older kids had multiple sporting events, and Sunday was not only Mother's Day it was also the little one's 4th birthday!
Monday was the 14th birthday of the oldest, and we all celebrated with a dinner out. Do you know how difficult it is to shop for a 14 year old? It's that age where everything they use to like they hate, and everything they want to like is not quite age appropriate for them yet. Thankfully in times like this, girls always love jewelry!
Well I hope y'all enjoy the rest of this month, as school ends and summer officially approaches!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Tag!

Rachel tagged me, so here it goes. :)


What I was doing ten years ago: I was 15, back from the mission field for 7 months, hating high school and wishing I was back in Kazakhstan. Not a great year for me. Had my first "emotional breakdown."

Five things on my to-do list today: Work, e-mail Crystal, get M to bed on time with minimal fuss, get organized for Mother's Day, watch Grey's Anatomy.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Pay off bills, buy new cars, buy own place, and travel.

Three of my bad habits: Reading late at night, "grazing" (a.k.a mindless eating), running late.

Five places I've lived: Abbeville, AL; Karaganda, Kazakhstan; Columbus, GA; Cleveland, TN; Athens, GA.

Five jobs I've had: PK/MK (oh yeah, it's a job), TA at a day care, babysitter, cashier at Garden Ridge, and nanny.

Five people I want to know more about: Anyone who wants to post this on their blog.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

WWWAT - Self portrait





Ok, so here I am. *side note: the books in the picture are the three I'm currently reading.*


To view the other AMAZING entries go to American Mum and check them out.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

So over it!

So, I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but the 3 year old (he'll be 4 next month! maybe things will get better?) has an issue with his pants. This has been going on for about a year, and it started with his shoes. They had to be SUPER tight and if they weren't tight enough he'd go into full temper tantrum mode. Now he'll only wear his Crocs and he has to wear socks with them. So then the "issue" moved to his pants/shirts. First he wanted to wear the pants that were so tight I almost couldn't button them, and for his shirts all the buttons had to be buttoned (yes even the top one on polo shirts). Then he decided he didn't like any shirts and pants that buttoned. So now all he'll wear is t-shirts and pants with elastic waistbands. His mom and I thought it was a control issue, since before her or I would pick out his clothes, so we started letting him pick out his clothes, but he still only wants to wear certain pants/shirts. Recently though even the pants that he loves, and would wear every day if we'd let him, have made him start to freak out and he says, "They're falling down!!" and collapses onto the floor into hysterics. It's really becoming ridiculous, because they fit him perfectly and we're not going to put him in stuff that is going to fall off of him.
Now with the warmer weather coming we're trying to get him in shorts (because all of the pants he likes are lined jogging pants that are winter wear, and not suitable for these GA summers) and even when he picks out the shorts it's like all hell breaks loose. His poor mom has had to tell him she's going to make him go to school in his underwear, just to get him to put on clothes that are warm weather appropriate. Yes, he'll complain about being hot, when playing outside, but when I suggest that maybe he should put on some shorts, or take off his socks, he's like, "NO." and I say, "Well I can't do anything for you then." The other day I fought with him for 45 mins about it, because he wanted to go outside and the only way he could was to wear shorts (which he picked out and then freaked out over.) I know, I know pick your battles, but this one was started earlier by his mom and I felt like I needed to follow through with it, because he already tries to play us.
So, now I'm not even sure it's a control issue, but just him being stubborn. I don't know, but it sure is getting old fast! LOL If you're reading this and have any suggestions, please comment, 'cause his poor mom and I are just dying here!

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

The Colors of Vacation.



This is my first time participating, but I thought it would be fun. So, enjoy!



Green:



Alligator




Blue:



Kite

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Life

Life is pretty normal right now, however this also equals boring and therefore nothing super interesting to post on this blog. The kids have been fine, although it's always a struggle with the 3 year old. Right now Nana is visiting so that makes for occasional interesting events. Yesterday we engaged in a full out tickle war with the 3 year old, me, the 13 year old, and Nana. At one point the 3 year old was so exhausted from laughing he said, "Oh I think I'm going to die!" Needless to say we got a great laugh from that. Other then that I've been filling in for the mom driving the kids to different sport activities. Like I said, life's pretty normal. Scary. . .

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Hippity Hoppity!

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Easter Comments

Monday, March 17, 2008

To all.

St Patrick's Day Comments

Friday, March 7, 2008

The heaven that is cuddling.

So, I decided to juxtapose my last title with today's, as I talk about the lovely day that was today.
This afternoon about 3:30, after the exhaustion of school and play hit him, the three year old fell asleep on the chair watching TV. His mom came in from and errand and decided to cuddled with him for about an hour. She put him on the couch as she was leaving, and I waited until her and the older two kids had left before I tried to wake him up. So I gently go over there and tell him it's time to get up, and immediately he's diving into my arms going, "cuddle first" and falling right back to sleep. It was so sweet! It was like he was a baby again, just so calm and non-aggressive. *sigh* He's the best when he's sleeping - LOL. So we sat like that for 20 minutes. It was quiet and the rain and the wind was going on outside - I seriously could have fallen asleep myself, because he generated so much heat and the weather. It was blissful. :)
Then I finally got him up, and made dinner, and decided that he and I would make our own movie night, since his mom and sisters left us at home. So after dinner I checked the movies, and Firehouse Dog was coming on. He loves movies with animals in it, so it was perfect. I popped some popcorn with his help, because he asked to help (I let him punch in the time on the microwave), and we turned on the movie. It was a perfect night, really. The movie was great, I really enjoyed it myself, and he had seen it before, so it was fun to listen to him try and tell me what was going to happen next (he has a pretty amazing memory for this stuff).
Honestly it's the days and nights like this that make it all worth it.

The hell that is Chuckie Cheese!

Okay so maybe it's not exactly hell, but it is chaos, that's for sure.
On Tuesday night we all went to Chuckie Cheese for the elementary school's PTA Fun Day. Surprisingly it wasn't that crowded by the time we went, but seriously, do they pump sugar in with the air? It's like sensory overload!! And of course, the three year old wants to run around like a crazy person jumping on every game and trying everything. This was actually his first time there, so boy was he excited!! We let him play whatever he wanted to, even if he wasn't old enough to get the concept. He loved hitting the hippos as they popped up, trying to kick the soccer ball into the goal, and of course "driving" everything! We did actually get him to eat one small slice of pizza, but he was crawling all over the booth, he was so antsy!
The most frustrating part, of course, was just keeping up with him. As soon as one ride/game was over, POW he was off to the next thing! Pushing past people, jumping in front of people - oh my goodness. Like I said, sensory overload. Now I understand why the mom hasn't wanted to go there. It's insane! The guy working the prize counter was very nice though - he basically let the three year old have two prizes that were 60 tickets more than what he actually had (so sweet).
Of course now all we hear is, "We go to Chuckie Cheese?!?!" Oh dear . . .

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Future Me?

This week I had another overnight stay at work, while the parents were away. I usually enjoy these overnights, but am completely wiped out at the end of them, even if it's only 3 days (as this was). Something always happens during these overnights that make me reevaluate my behavior, reactions, or expectations, and this time was no exception.
I usually have one day of these overnights where I get so irritated at every little thing and blow my cool. Usually I can blame it on PMS, or sheer exhaustion, but whatever the situation I always regret it 2 seconds later. I want the kids to enjoy being with me, yet not feel they can take advantage of the fact that I'm not their parent, but I was also raised a certain way that makes me have high expectations of them, age appropriate of course. I won't go into detail, because it's very frivolous and only makes me feel worse, but this time it involved the three year old. I lost my cool with him over not listening, even though it was such a minor thing that was more irritating to me, than harmful. I've been trying so hard to be as pleasant as possible, yet firm, because we've been dealing with the issue of him screaming and running away crying every time I show up. Even though I don't take it personally, I want to do what I can on my end, to help him get over this phase, or whatever you want to call it.
This time it just got me thinking. Will I be like this when I become a mom? Are my kids going to have to worry that once a week I'm gonna blow up at them over something stupid? Or will I be different because they are my kids? Will I be worse because they are my kids? I feel like I've learned a lot about myself over the five years I've been a nanny. Most of it positive, but then you have those days that make you question whether or not you're fit to be a future parent, no matter how strong the desire of your heart.
I know we've all been yelled at by parents, and the simple fact is no one is perfect and that parents will yell and get mad at their kids. I just hope that I can start not letting the little things get to me so much, and recognize when I need to step away from the situation, no matter how much I want it to be done my way.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Love day!

Just wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Hope it is full of love in all shapes, sizes, and forms!

Not too much new going on here. Working hard and trying to keep a positive attitude, even on the days when I walk in the door and the the three year old goes running and screaming to the other room! LOL Guess we all know who he loves!
Anyways, have a great week!

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Teenage life.

For us it was *NSYNC, Hanson, and The Backstreet Boys. Today it's The Jonas Brothers. Every generation has its own "boy band" that has the little teeny boppers going crazy.
"Oh, I'm gonna marry that one!"
"No, I am!"
LOL it's always the same.
I was on IMDB.com reading some message boards, and found this hilarious signature on one of the posters posts, and it sums it up brilliantly:

"If Joe Jonas were to say that breathing wasn't cool, 95% of teen girls would be dead."

Are we that predictable at that age? I think so. ;) You can deny it all you want, but 10+ years ago, that would have been me and you.
So, keep breathing or you may miss your next "teeny bopper" moment.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Happy Mardi Gras!!!

Today the three year old classes at the preschool held a Mardi Gras parade for parents and the other classes. I've been staying overnight since Wednesday, because my boss had to have lasik on one eye, so I got to go and watch the 3 year old. They were all so cute! They wore green, gold, or purple and they wore crowns and masks that they had decorated this week. The teachers handed out beads, and the kids got coins too. They seemed to have a lot of fun! Here's a little video clip of the festivities! Sorry it's grainy, but it's from my cell phone. Enjoy, and HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

AUGH!

How do you explain to a three year old the dangers of potential drowning??
Not 15 mins. ago we were outside and things were going fine. I look up from my reading to make sure I know where he is and what do I see but him running up the hill BUTT NAKED! Normally this would be a funny thing, but not 15 min. ago, for two reasons. 1) It's not summer, and even though it's a nice day, it's still too cold to be naked outside. 2) The yard guys are here and one of them was in the backyard!!
OK, maybe I'm over reacting a little bit, I'll admit it, but after questioning him, turns out the reason he wanted to be naked was because he went in the pond! I could not see the pond from where I was sitting, but he knows better than to play in the pond, because he's fallen in multiple times, it freaks him out, and then he gets into trouble. But how do you explain to him, when he's seen his 10 yr. old sister playing in the pond, that he can't play in the pond because he might slip and bump his head and drown? I think that's why I was so livid, because if something had happened I couldn't live with myself.
I was also irritated because he's become very rebellious lately, and that's not something I tolerate, no matter how old you are. It was just how I was raised. And this just adds to the list of things he's done out of that rebellion. He doesn't like it when I come, because that means mom leaves, and so he acts out. Sometimes in full temper-tantrum mode, and other times by doing things he knows better than to do. I don't take it personally when he cries when he sees me, and it normally only lasts 10 mins. or so, and then he's asking me to play with him. But we have our days where I have to say, "You have to be nice if you want me to be nice."
So, no backyard for 2 days is my verdict. We'll see if I get vetoed when his mom comes home and I tell her about our day. Stay tuned for more adventures!

Inquisitive minds ask . . .

Lots and lots of questions!
I have really seen the vocabulary of the 3 year old grow in leaps and bounds over the past few months, and each time the family went away over the holidays, I noticed new phrases he learned. Right now he is always asking questions, of course, but now, when you give him the answer he'll say, "And. . ." For example if he asks where mom is going and I tell him, "Mom is going to the store." he'll say, "And?" So normally I'll add something like, "And she's going to buy milk." Once again he'll say, "And?" He will continuously ask, "And?" until you have no idea what to say next! I guess he just wants to be 100% informed, but really, after his mom leaves the house, I really have no idea what she's going to do! So that's be interesting.
His newest thing that makes it so hard not laugh, happens when his mom leaves. She'll say bye and head for the garage door and he'll run after her yelling "NOOOO! DON'T DO IT MOM, DON'T DO IT!!" One time, after asking her if he could go to, and of course being told no, I heard him say, "Come on Mom! Why are you doing this to me?!" You can't help but laugh, and know that dramatics most definitely run in the family. :)
But back to the questions - Yesterday I picked him up from school with my car, and he doesn't really ride in my car much, so he's always asking, "What's that?" Yesterday we got on the subject of the air (A/C) and which button made it work, and I had to go through the entire area of the consul that controls the A/C and explain everything to him. Of course this was all while driving in the car, so that made it much more interesting. Think we got ourselves a future engineer? If not that a race car driver for sure!

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

My heart hurts today for Matilda.

I know this isn't nanny related, but I was really shocked to hear about Heath Ledger's death today. He was only 28, and left behind a beautiful 2 year old daughter, Matilda. My heart just aches for her, and that she will grow up without her father there for the big events of her life. My thoughts and prayers go out to her and the rest of his family.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Snow day again!!






Wow twice in one week! We're never this lucky! Here are some pictures of us playing in the snow earlier today. Everything is so white, it's amazing! The best thing about the snow - it gets the kids outside playing like crazy and wears them out! LOL Bedtime is much easier and we all sleep very well.
Go outside and enjoy today!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

SNOW!


So, yesterday we had our yearly snow fall, yes it snows in Georgia, believe it or not. It was so much fun to let the kids go out and just be silly in the snow. Snow brings out the kid in everyone, and we had a huge snowball fight in the backyard. Six kids from the neighborhood came over and we pelted each other!! A few of the girls made a snowman, and it looked really great when they were finished with him. I learned a valuable lesson though, and I wanted to pass it on - NEVER have a snowball fight with boys who play baseball, even if they are only 11 or 12!! LOL I became the target for some reason, and believe me I'm paying for it. I am sore from the waist down and a little in the shoulders too, but it was completely worth it! The pictures are of two of the kids I nanny for. Since their parents are out of town, I had to take a picture to send to them.

The life of a ten year old.

I am not a live-in nanny, but occasionally I have overnight stays, and this week I am doing one of those Wednesday - Saturday, and only a day and half in I'm ready to convert to "mean Christin," as I like to call myself. I try to be the fun nanny, but I don't let the kids get away with anything. Sometimes I think I'm stricter than some of the parents. Maybe it's the way I was raised, or maybe I'm just embarrassed by the way kids act these days.
One of the children I take care of has been complaining of a stomach ache all week, and has only been to school for two hours this week. We were hoping that today she would go back, but that didn't happen. Want to know why? Because she has two bad habits - one of those being sneaking junk food/snacks. Her other bad habit is lying. Full out, to your face, get mad if you don't believe her, lying.
I discovered yesterday that she had been sneaking food while she was sick, even though all week when she'd ask for something to eat, her mother and I both would tell her she could only have the plainest things. Yesterday I found a package of M&Ms "hiding" in the basket on the stairs. I took them and hid them somewhere I thought was safe. Then later I find an empty package of gummy snacks in the pantry. So, I'm a total softy and of course I don't want to send a kid to school if they are really sick, but this made me think that she was trying to stay sick! What am I supposed to do? Well this morning she's crying 'cause she's in pain but knows that she really should go to school, so I was completely honest with her. I told her that I knew she'd been sneaking food and that if I let her stay home today there would be absolutely NO FOOD SNEAKING! We would stick to toast, crackers, broth, and ginger ale. She agreed to this and I kept a good eye on her, or so I thought.
After doing so well all day, not sneaking food and sticking to what I told her she could eat, what do I find this evening, but the torn corner of the M&Ms bag (that I had hidden) and a missing M&Ms bag. So of course I confront her and she gets all mad and defensive and says, "It wasn't me! I don't care if you don't believe me, it wasn't me!!" I know, in my gut (you don't have to be a mom to have mother's intuition), that she ate them. She'd been holed up in the room I'd hidden them in for hours and no one else was in there alone. But I ask the older sister, who knows nothing, of course, and I know that if her 3 year old brother had opened that bag they'd be all over the floor. What can I do though? I have no proof and I'm not in the mood to get into a screaming match and have her stomp all over the house and wake up her brother, who I just put to bed. So I left it alone. Sure enough not 30 mins. later she comes, apologizes and confesses to the entire thing. Never underestimate the power of the intuition, y'all!!
She's going to school tomorrow, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, and I told her I didn't want to hear anymore about a stomach ache, 'cause if she's well enough to eat a bag of M&Ms she well, period. There are to be no calls from the nurse tomorrow asking for her to be picked up, because I will tell them that she has to stay. I hate being so suspicious of someone. Yes, she knows the story of the boy who cried wolf, but I don't think she really gets it. Her mom has tried to nip it in the butt so many times, but I really just think it's something she'll have to grow out of, and let's pray that she does grow out of it.