September 16 AR

Wow, third grade is crazy. You would think as an elementary teacher I would be more prepared, but not so much. One of the programs that Ry has to do is Accelerated Reader. It is a program where she reads books and then takes the quiz. She does pretty good and is just another one of those things that makes me so proud of her.

September 15 Sleeping

The last month when Jake started having seizures again, he also stopped wanting to stay in his bed at night. Every night we go through the routine: brushing teeth, potty, story, praying and bed bugs to have him come right back down stairs saying "I'm scared." Then he lays down on the couch and goes to sleep. I realize this isn't the best habit, but it does give me some peace of mind. Having children with seizures, nighttime is always a little scary. It is hard to let go and not watch their angelic faces sleeping peacefully.

September 14 Luke's Appointment

Today was Luke's swallow test at Loma Linda. It was stressful because we were not sure what the results would be. The idea is that his swallowing may be the reason he got pneumonia so much last year. The results were not great. It turn out that he is having trouble swallowing and that is a huge reason for his sickness. The specialist wants to try 4 more months of the Thick It before having to possibly insert a feeding tube for drinking. This thought scares me to death, but it would nice to not have him get sick. We have to watch him really close over the next few months. We will see what happens. I have to admit, I am really tired of my boy having to go through so much. I know it is God's plan, but sometimes I just wish we could catch a break.

September 13 Practice

The second day of a crazy Sunday came and went. We went to church, filled our Little Church, and then Ry had practice again. It was another fun day. But, man I am beat :-).

September 12 Hannah's Birthday

Hannah's birthday was a jammed pack day of fun. It started out with her opening ceremonies for softball. Ry and I were in charge of balloons, so we got Hannah a special 9 balloon.

Then Hannah, put on her "Plum Crazy" dress and marched in her parade.

After that we headed to build-a-bear where Ry and Hannah each got a special stuffed animal. Here they are making their wishes.

Next, it was time to swim at Grammy and Papa's.

The kids played with punching balloons and had a blast!

It was a great day and I am so proud of Hannah.

September 11 Remembering

8 years ago today was one of the most tragic days in history. I was trying to explain to my class why this day means so much. Just the thought of that day brought tears to my eyes. I go back to that day in a second. I remember Ry was about 6 months old and I was up feeding her when the planes went into the towers. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and remember just yelling for Rob to come quick. For the next few days, I was glued to the TV, holding my daughter with constant tears coming down my face. The sadness and strength that came from that day is indescibable. When Staci and I went to New York a few years ago, it was so powerful to visit the sight.

So much has changed in the last 8 years not only for our country, but also in my small universe. That day like so many since then have changed me. I am a completely different person today and I hope a much better person. I have witnessed God's love and strength is some of the most difficult times. And I have an appreciation for life that allows me to see the small moments that are so precious.

I wonder if Ry, Jake and Lu will ever understand the significance of that day. I pray that they never have to experience a day like that in their lifetime, but more importantly I pray that I raise them to have the strength to live the life God has planned for them.

September 10 Softball Begins

Rylee officially started softball today and she actually did pretty good. She is definitely the tallest girl on team and this year one of the oldest as well. Rob and I were cracking up watching her try and run the cones with her long legs. Her stride was double the other girls and she just looked like all arms and legs out there. Ry really did have a great time.

September 9 Math Homework

Third grade Math homework, is something I am definitely NOT used to. Triple digit regrouping, what????

Then there is Kindergarten, I love Kindergarten homework, although nothing is easy with Jake. He is working on sorting, so we got his blocks out for homework. He did so good and really seemed to get the concept. There was a couple blocks a different shade of the other colors and Jake wouldn't sort them because they were different. He was so proud, but I was prouder. I LOVE this picture. Just look at his incredible smile.

September 8

Today was President Obama's speech to students, so I watched the address with my class. It was a good speech that emphasized, NO EXCUSES. Many of my students have a difficult life. They have very little guidance and so many obstacles. My hope is that they learn to dream big and know they can accomplish anything.

September 7 Oatmeal

Monday morning and I am off for Labor Day. Ry spent the night at my parents and Rob went golfing early so it was just me and my boys. Both Jake and Luke love oatmeal, so I made it and let Luke loose. Believe it or not he has gotten pretty good with a spoon. He feels like such a big boy. The hard part was getting all the oatmeal out of his hair :).

September 6

Ryan and Lilly came over with the girls to swim at my parents and Luke loved playing with the girls. They were so sweet and it was fun to see Lu be the big boy.

September 5 Thick It

Unfortunately this is a product that I have gotten to know way better than I ever dreamed. Ever since we found out that Luke has swallowing problems. he is supposed to drink everything "nectar thickness." Of course this is just another step, to make life difficult, but necessary. We have to put the Thick It in everything he drinks. I am grateful because I can tell a difference and it helps his swallowing, but I am also a little bitter. How many problems can my boy have??

September 4 Jake's Box

Jake's first "big" project for Kindergarten was to make a book box. He could decorate it how ever he wanted, and of course he wanted TRUCKS!!!! I covered the box with white construction paper and he stuck stickers all over it. There were a few meltdowns and it was not an easy project to complete, but we got it done. After all the tantrums, it was nice to see the smile when it was finally done. It did show that nothing is going to be easy this year. This is a fact that I knew but was hoping I could ignore, not so much.

September 3 El Torito

I called Rob on my way home from work and asked him what he wanted to do for dinner. His response El Torito. Going out to a restaurant with our crew is not something we do ever. It had been a rough week and I thought, why not? I got there first and took a picture of my crew walking up. Look at Luke, that is how he walks, big steps and mouth open wide. I never thought I would get so much joy from just walking my kids walk.

After a yummy dinner, we went outside and there was a fountain for the kids to play in. Normally, I wouldn't let the kids get in for a million dollars. But, hey, we had a nice dinner, it was hot and I was enjoying some much needed family time. Jake and Luke got drenched and were so fun to watch. Ry was my girlie girl that laughed from the sidelines. It was a nice night.

September 2 Surprise Visit

I forgot the cookies for my students at home, so Rob offered to bring them to my class. I knew he would have Luke and the nurse with him, but figured they would stay in the car. It was such a great surprise to see Rob walking up to my class with Luke next to him. I don't think that Luke has ever been to my class, and it was nice that he was well enough to be there. My students were excited, but I was ecstatic. To see my boy walking and smiling and coming to visit me at work, was something I didn't know I would ever see. Thank you Rob, for giving me such a great gift. My heart was so happy and life was good.

September 1 Homework

Getting back in the routine of school means homework, homework, homework. Haveing a third grader and a Kindergarten also means completely different types of homework. As Ry is doing triple digit addittion and subtraction, Jake is working on sorting. The fun part is watching both of their minds work. Ry has come so very far and she is hanging in there, then there is Jake. Watching him be successful and get concepts like sorting, just makes me so happy. I worry about my boy and his academic growth. To see him making steps and seeing the comprehension is a beautiful thing to watch.

August 31 Test Scores

Rylee worked so hard last year to get up to grade level. I was so proud of her commitment and determination, but worried about those darn state test. As a teacher I don't put a lot of weight on the results, but was anxious to see how well Ry would do. When they finally came in I was so happy and proud of how well she did. Rylee was proficient in Math and Language Arts. And the most surprising part was she was only 9 points short of advanced in LA. The results showed how completely, incredibly much Ry grew. Like I said, I don't put a lot of weight on test scores, but it is nice to have all Ry's hard work from last year validated. I am an extremely proud mom right now.

August 30 One more day

Our second day in San Diego and we just relaxed and enjoyed Sea Port Village. Rob has always loved watching the harbor and checking out the boats. It was a nice morning, just enjoying the weather and being together.

Despite enjoying our time together, I was missing my "trouble makers." It was nice to head home and see their smiling faces. The last 10 years have been remarkable and my kids are the greatest part of our life together.

August 29 10 Years and Counting

10 years ago today, Rob and I said our "I dos." I can not believe how fast time has gone by. Rob and I have been inseperable the last 15 years and I love him more and more each year. The last 10 years have not been easy, but Rob has been my rock and I am so grateful it was in God's plan to allow him to be my husband. When we got married I didn't think it could be possible to love him more, but I do, everyday.

My parents took the kids and Rob and I headed to San Diego for the night. We stayed in Sea Port Village and enjoyed a night of watching the water and seeing some beautiful fireworks. It was a great way to celebrate 10 years of life together.

August 28 Franklin T-shirts

The first week of school is coming to an end and it is so fun to see both my kids in their Franklin t-shirts. I am so proud of them and am constantly amazed that I am their mom. When Rob got to school, the Reid kids joined in a group picture. I love seeing them in the shirts, it just makes me smile :).

August 27 Flowers

Our anniversary is in two day and Rob started the celebration early. He was in the neighborhood for a doctor appointment and surprised me with two dozen roses and lunch. I have always loved yellow roses and the added bonus is that it is a flower known for friendship. It is fitting since Rob and I began has incredible friends, before we ever fell in love. One of the reasons I believe that we have been such a good team and been able to deal with life is that we trusted eachother and relied on eachother way before we ever dated. We had yellow roses for our wedding and 10 years later Rob is still getting them for me and he is still my best friend. It was a really good surprise.

August 26 Scooby Doo

Rob LOVES Scooby Doo, like father like son. Rob has loved Scooby Doo since he was a little boy, and Jake is following in his daddy's footsteps. Whenever Jake is having a "rough"day we can always put on Scooby Doo and he becomes all smiles. I was taking pictures of Jake and decided to get some shots of the TV. Turns out that I got some pretty fun pictures on the TV and of my boy!

August 25

Luke is watching like a champ, but for outings he still gets confined in his stroller. He is such a big boy, and is all smiles no matter where he is. Luke definitely does not a baby any more. I miss my "little baby," but love seeing my big, smiling boy!