I just can't keep up with this Blog

I said it was my new years resolution to keep up this blog.  But, I guess I have broken that resolution.  I'm not sure why it is so hard to keep this blog.  I guess, my life isn't that interesting anymore.  The boys are still growing and doing well, but there isn't the big changes now that they are getting older.  I don't know what it will take for me to keep this up.  I thought getting off Facebook would, but not really.  Who knows?

I'm a year older

Thursday was my 38th birthday.  Whoop-d-doo.  I was not that into my birthday this year.  I didn't want a party, not even a dinner out (unless you consider bringing home Taco Bell as going out).  I guess as I age, I just don't care anymore about my birthday.  But, I found out that MY birthday is a big deal to my children.  Ok, will remember that for next year.  Oh, and thanks to the boys, they gave me their cold and I've been sick for almost a week.  I am ready to start feeling better. As for work, Monday is a teacher work day.  As a media specialist, the "teacher work day" takes a whole different turn for me.  No more report cards, no more grading papers, and I also don't have to worry about all the stuff teachers have to worry about.  I may not be the happiest in my position, but at the same time, there is a lot less pressure to do things.  Let's hope that next week can see the entire family healthy and happy.

Is it Friday yet?

This seems to be a very long week.  The kids are doing fine, with the exception that William has gone and caught himself a cold.  Luckily, it is just a cold and not flu or strep or anything too bad.  However, the kid is still miserable with a runny nose, cough, and sneezing.  So far, the rest of us have been fine, but I bet one of us will catch it next week.  I have had a pretty nice week so far (even though it is lasting forever).  On Monday, I conducted my first video conference using our Tandburg unit at school.  We connected with NASA for a presentation for our second graders.  It was totally awesome!  I know those kids would not have had that experience if I wasn't the media specialist.  It made me proud to be the media specialist.  I have other NASA video conferences coming up, and am looking forward to them.  Then, Tuesday was my evaluation for work.  But, our school ended up in lockdown about an hour before my lesson, so the principal was tied up with all that stuff, so it didn't happen.  We have rescheduled for Jan 19th.  It is my birthday, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to have my eval that day, but the secretary told me it would be a lucky day and to go ahead and schedule for that day.  So I did.  Yesterday I also received my new teaching license that now includes endorsements in Instructional Technology Teacher (K-12) and School Librarian (K-12).  Tomorrow, I have a 1/2 day PD, so that will be nice to get away from school for a while.  Also, Thursday is the dreaded school board vote on whether or not they will close our school.  No matter what they decide, I will just be happy to know.  Friday, is a normal day, but during early release we will have a staff meeting to debrief our school closure.  Whew!  What a week.  I'm already looking forward to Sat to rest up!

New Year's Resolution

My 2012 resolution is to get back into blogging. I blogged for a total of 7 times in 2011. I think it is because I keep everyone up on Facebook. However, that is a sentence here and there. So, I'm going to try to Blog at least once a week during 2012. I hope I can keep up with it because my boys are growing up so fast that in a blink, they will be all grown up and I will have this blog to keep up my failing memory! So, since I haven't blogged since July, let's do a year in review...

2011

January

-Had my birthday - turned 37.

-Had a good snow storm.

February

-Mikey got his first hair cut.

March

-William had his 4th birthday

April

-Took the boys to a Rockies game.

May

-Benjamin had a birthday - 31!

-William graduated from the 3 year old preschool.

June

-Benjamin and I went to Las Vegas as part of my PLC training.

-Took the boys to their first ever Renniassance Festival.

July

-First 4th of July in years where fireworks were banned because of drought.

-Had a new round of allergy testing and found out I'm not allergic to everything I used to be!

August

-Started back to work with my new position - Media Specialist

-William started preschool at his new school - South Park

September

-Benjamin and I celebrated our 7th Wedding Anniversary - and went to an Avs game (my first).

October

-Took the boys to their first football game. The Cannon Game - South won!!

-Halloween 2011 - my little super heros! Batman and Robin

November

-Passed my School Library PLACE test!

-Mikey had his first visit to the ER and got 8 staples in his head.

December

-Visited with Santa.

-Mikey moved to his "big boy bed"

Allergy Testing

I had some allergy testing done right after William was born. I found out that I was allergic to chili peppers, celery, basil, and sesame seeds. So, ever since then (back in Aug 2007) I have tried my hardest to stay away from those foods. I was retested in 2010 after I had Mikey. The allergist I was going to changed their tests, so I wasn't able to be retested on chili peppers or basil. But, I did find out I was no longer allergic to celery and not as allergic to sesame. Well, I thought I was allergic to something else, but I just couldn't figure it out. So, I decided to go to a different allergist. This allergist allowed me to bring foods that were not included on their regular battery of tests. So, I brought everything I thought I was allergic to. Even the celery that I wasn't allergic to from my last test. The great news is I am no longer allergic to any of the foods I previously was allergic to. YEA!! That means I can again eat Mexican food! I haven't eaten anything like that in almost 4 years!! The bad news is I still really don't know what food I am allergic to. However, the doctor I saw thought that I may be allergic to the pesticide on the food or the way it is handled from other countries. He was also thinking it may be more of an intolerance - kinda like to MSG. I was tested for MSG and did not have a reaction, but he said that I may not have a reaction to the skin test, but maybe in large doses I would. I also found out that I am very allergic to Juniper trees, grass, mold and cats (which I knew). We talked about me starting allergy shots, but I found out today that we really can't afford it. It would be a minimum of $500 for our deductible and then 20% of everything after that $500. Um, that is a lot of money. I really was hoping to get the shots, but it just doesn't seem possible. So, for now I can at least broaden my eating and just need to watch what I eat if I ever have a reaction. I am very glad to be done with the testing. Not only did I get over 40 pricks in my back, but also had 18 shots. OUCH! I feel like a human pin cushion.

The end on an era

Yes, it is the end of an era. Tomorrow Benjamin is getting the big "V". I've had such a hard time with him getting it, but I know in my heart we should not have any more kids. That being said, I still kinda wish we could have a 3rd child. What is holding us back? Well, lots of things. First, my age. I am 37 and not really at the best age to have a baby. There are so many genetic issues that come with having babies when you are over 35. Second, I don't think I want to be pregnant again. I have a love/hate relationship with pregnancy. I love so many things about it, like caring for the baby from the inside, feeling the baby move, and the labor/delivery. It is a true miracle!!! However, for both my boys I had preterm labor which I could count on for this another baby, which involves bed rest. I can't really do bed rest with a 4 year old and a 2 year old. Not to mention the morning sickness, heartburn, etc that comes with pregnancy. Third, babies are expensive. We are barely coming back from my maternity leave with Mikey, and if I had another baby, we'd be right back where we were. Having a 3rd would also mean fewer family vacations, fewer presents for birthdays and holidays, and three colleges to pay for not two. It seems weird to base a decision on that, but it is something we really have to think about. Fourth, I'm not sure how I could manage to share my time with three kids. I sometimes have a hard time sharing my time with the two I have and still having a little time for myself. It would be really stressful, which is not good for anyone in this family. There are even more reasons why we should be done with having kids, and I guess I just have to keep telling myself them, because I am still wanting another kid. But, I guess after tomorrow, we won't really have a choice. Things would be different if I was younger and we were rich. But, for now and forever, we will be a family of 4. And, when I think about it, I've really had 3 kids. I just had one taken from me too early. So, it is the end of an era in our house. No more bottles, burping clothes, swaddling, crawling, rolling, baby food, and all things baby. ::Sniff:: I will forever miss my boys as babies. They grow up too fast.

One month left of summer vacation

I can hardly believe it. Only 1 more month until I go back to work. I have been looking forward to going back to work because of my new position, but when I think that I only have 4 weeks left, it makes me sad. I better make them count!!

An interview with William… Summer 2011

1. Favorite Foods: Mac and Cheese & Pizza
2. Favorite Sport: Soccer
3. Favorite Movie: Cars 2
4. Favorite thing about School: Having friends
5. Thing I do best: Draw a picture
6. Favorite color: Red
7. What do you want to be when you grow up?: Policeman
8. What word describes you?: Happy
9. When I was a baby I used to: Crawl, had binky and had diapers
10. My favorite memory: Going to Disneyland
11. Favorite thing about Daddy: Playing light sabers
12. Favorite thing about Mommy: Playing blocks
13. A food I don’t like: Salad
14. My best friend: Gerhard
15. If I could have one wish I'd wish for: A real light saber

How can it be July?

I don't know how time speeds up the older you are, but right now, time is flying by. Some things to catch you up.

Michael:
He is doing great. He is walking better, talking a lot, and is getting at the really cute stage. He has officially been staffed out out of his early intervention program because he is on level! YEA! We are finally done with physical therapy!! He is showing that he does have his Mommy's personality, which means he is a bit of a drama queen! He loves his big brother, wants to do everything his big brother does, and his big brother is ok with it - most of the time. His favorite food is spaghetti, favorite drink is chocolate milk, loves his 3 blankets (his "poppies"), is totally addicted to his binky and is a CRAZY Blue's Clues fan.

William:
Getting so grown up. Needing his Mommy less and less is breaking my heart, but part of life. He is now in a booster seat - not a car seat. He can get himself in and out of the car by himself, can brush his teeth my himself and does a great job, and HATES it when I try to help him do something he wants to do. He did an amazing job in the 3 year old preschool program, and will move from the school I work at to the school he will be going to for kindergarten. We figured that we would try to get him to know some of the kids he will be going to school with. It will be sad for the both of us not having him at my school, but I really think it is for the best.

Benjamin:
SKINNY! Has lost 36 pounds and is looking fantastic. He is still working in the IT department and has had an amazing review. I was super, duper proud of him. He is still trying to get his mustang going, and will be having some body work done on it in the next month or so.

Alesha:
Got a new job for next year. I am going to be the media specialist at my school. Our media specialist moved to another school, so that opened up at position at my school. I interviewed for it, and found out Tuesday afternoon that I go the position. Nothing else that exciting going on for me.

Here are a few pics of the last couple months...

Benjamin and I went to Vegas for a conference for me. We stayed at Caesars Palace and got upgraded to a suite! It was great!

Benjamin and William at William's field trip to the park.

Renaissance Festival June 2011

Mikey liked the Renaissance Festival too!

My boys

Happy President's Day

Yes, yet again I have not posted in over a month. Now that I share a lot of what is going on with us on Facebook, I admit that I do not keep up on this blog. The month of January was a nice month and a nice way to begin the new year. I'd have to say that the most exciting part of the month is that Mikey started walking!! I can't say the exact day that he started, but I know he was a week or two into 15 months. This is a HUGE milestone. He has been behind in all his milestones, and this is the milestone he made the closest to "normal". We are still going physical therapy, but I have a feeling once he can bend down and pick something up, that will be it for PT. He is close to doing it, but just needs a hand on something to help out his balance. William is great. I can't believe his birthday is in 2 weeks. How is it possible that my baby is going to be 4? I am so torn. On one hand, I love watching him grow up, learn to count, learn his letters, be excited about reading, and just really doing a lot independently. But, I hate it that he doesn't need me as much either. I am still the one he runs to when he gets hurt, but most of the time it is, "Mommy, I can do it by myself!" At least Mikey still needs me a little more, but he too is needing me less and less. There is a sense of freedom for parents when kids can do more on their own, but also a sense of sadness that I will no longer have a baby. Benjamin and I talked about having another baby, and even considered it for a couple months, but I think the consensus is to be a family of 4. I guess I will not get another chance for the girl I wanted, but I wouldn't trade my boys for anything EVER!!! Looks like cars, trucks, dirt, and all things boy is my life now. At least I have a girl dog! hehehe Benjamin is doing well too. He is starting a crazy month of trainings. For the next month, he will be gone for almost 3 weeks on trainings. The one I am sad about is the one he is going on during Spring Break. New York!! I so want to go with him since I am on Spring Break that week, but I just don't see how we can afford the $500 plane ticket and all the other expenses that go with a trip to New York. So, I guess I will have to plan a trip back to New York once we win the lottery! ;-) I haven't been too happy at work lately. My class is a great bunch of kids, but sometimes I get frustrated with the lack of effort and pride the kids have only being in 3rd grade. That, plus new standards for Colorado and no money for any type of resources to go with the new standards has me thinking about changing careers. I'm not too sure how serious I am about changing careers, but I think this summer I will actively start looking into different positions. On another note, we have officially celebrated a year back in our house. I am very glad we are back and still think it is crazy how we ended up back in the house we built and then sold. Things happen in life that really surprise us, and this is definitely one of those times! So, what do the next few months have in store for our family (since I probably won't post again until April! hehehe) William's 4th birthday and just living life. Today is a day off of school for President's Day. Benjamin is in Denver for a training, so it is a day of just Mommy and her boys. I plan on thoroughly enjoying it! These days are few and far between. I am really looking forward to March 2nd as that is the day I get to get my new iPhone!! I am really excited. I am such a nerd!

Our year in review

January
*Our house was on the market to sell.
*Mommy had a birthday.
*Mikey was 3 months old.

February
*We moved into our new "old" home.
*Mikey had his first Valentine's Day.

March
*William turned 3.
*Mikey started solid foods.

April
*Took Mikey to Denver Children's Hospital to check is flat head.
*Had fun being a family.

May
*Daddy had a big birthday. The big 3-0-!!
*Mikey got his first tooth!

June
*The boys went to their first Rockies game.
*Took our big family vacation to San Diego and Disneyland.

July
*Mikey's first taste of homemade ice cream on July 4th.
*Mikey moved to his big boy car seat.

August
*Mommy and Daddy went back to Disneyland.
*Mommy started back to work.
*William started Preschool!
*Mikey popped out his top two teeth.

September
*Went to the State Fair Parade.
*Took Mikey back to Denver Children's and found out he has Developmental Delay Disorder.
*Mikey turned one!!!

October
*Visited the pumpkin patch.
*William had his first Halloween party at school.

November
*Got a new kitty, but couldn't keep her because of my allergies.
*Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

December
*A magical Christmas season with 2 wonderful boys.
*Mikey took his first step Dec 30th (his 15 month birthday).

What a wonderful year we had!!

Is it almost Christmas already?

Oh my goodness. Time flies when you are a full-time working mother of 2 young boys. Things in our household have been good. Mikey isn't walking yet, but he is cruising everywhere. He is saying a lot more words now: Dada, Mama, Papa, this, dog, hi, bye, fish, eat, yellow, ut-oh, no, down, and probably a couple more that I have forgotten about. His personality is really coming out at this age. He is getting to be a bit of a picky eater (guess he takes after his Mommy), but usually eats more than William does. He is liking to play more and more with William. Whatever William is doing, he likes to be right there. Sometimes that is a good thing, and sometimes it isn't. We can see the beginnings of sibling rivalry. William is a little sweetheart. He is doing FANTASTIC in preschool. He knows almost all his letters and a lot of the sounds that go with them! I am totally impressed. He can write his name and sing a lot of cute songs: his favorite being "I'm a Little Tea Pot!" He is really loving Christmas this year. We took both of them to see Santa at the mall yesterday. William told Santa he wants a "roller coaster". I'm not too sure how Santa will fill that order. Everyday he asks me if he can open the presents under the tree. It is fun to see Christmas through his eyes and remember how incredibly exciting it was.

My Dear Michael,

What an amazing year it has been my love! We have watched you grow so much in the last year that sometimes it is hard to even believe it. When you first came into this world, we loved you so much, and we continue to love you more and more with each passing day. The first few months of your life were full of change for our family. William was getting used to being a brother, and you were getting used to being out of the womb. I have to admit, that you were a very big cry-baby! You were on the verge of having colic, which is something Daddy and I were getting used it too. I had to leave you when you were only 2 months old and go back to work. However, you made the transition to daycare very easily, and it was nice to have your big brother there to watch over you! At 2 months old, you were diagnosed with Torticollis, a tightening of the neck muscle, forcing you to tilt your head. We started taking you to physical therapy once a week to stretch your muscles. You also had an x-ray and a CAT scan to make sure there wasn't something else going on. Luckily, those tests came out fine, and the physical therapy was working well. You had your first Christmas and had lots of fun. In January, we were packing up the house and moving back to our old house. Moving was a little tougher with a baby, but you made the transition to the new house with ease. You were doing great, and at 6 months we got you into the Colorado Blue Sky program and that got us free physical therapy and a new therapist, which was a great change. By the time summer rolled around, you had your first tooth already and we were getting ready for our big family vacation to San Diego and Disneyland. You weren't quite sitting up, but you were rolling around like crazy! You did great on your plane rides and had fun on our vacation. You were such a great baby on vacation. You hardly ever got fussy and loved being around people! You had your first taste of homemade ice cream on the 4th of July and your first swim - which you loved both!! In August, you spent a week with Grandma and Grandpa because Mommy and Daddy took a vacation back to Disneyland. You had fun with Grandma and Papa, even though we missed you a lot while we were gone. Mommy started back at work, and this time, going back to daycare took some getting used to for you, but you got used to it. The end of August, we took you to Denver Children's Hospital to have you evaluated for your delays. You were so cute and all the ladies who were evaluating you were so dazzled by your happy disposition. The doctors said you have "Developmental Coordination Disorder" and you were 4 months behind. No matter, we love you and are relieved that there isn't a disease causing your delay. In September, we had your first birthday party at the church, and all your friends and family came. Now you are 12 months and 1 week old and are rolling, crawling, pulling up, and cruising around the furniture. You are even saying some words, like "Mama, Dada, Ut-oh, Doggie, No, and Yellow". You are quite the talker! You love to eat and give Mommy kisses! At your 1st birthday dr's visit, you were 21 lbs and 29 3/4 in! You are growing and learning so much now that I am loving to see your progress. You aren't as behind as you were and I bet you will be walking soon! We love you little boy, and I am so glad you decided to be a part of our family!
Love,
Mommy

Happy Birthday Michael

Today is Michael's first birthday. There is so much I want to say, but just don't have the time right now. Hopefully, before too long, I can write all that I want to say. In the meantime...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Hello September

Yep, more post slacking. I guess that is the new norm for me and this blog. It is just hard to keep up on this blog with everything that is going on in our lives. Benjamin and I took our trip to Disneyland and had a fabulous time!!! It was nice to be away just the two of us. However, once I got back I got really sick and he was still in California to take his class. Thank goodness for my parents, because they really helped me that week since I was a single mom and started back to school that week too. It was absolutely crazy, but we all managed to make it through and Benjamin got back safe and sound. Since then, I have started back teaching. It has been a pretty nice year so far. The new principal is very nice, so all is ok at work for me. BIG NEWS for my William - he started preschool. I can't tell you how well he is doing at preschool. I was a little worried since he has had some separation anxiety in the past, but that first day there were no tears at all, and basically Benjamin and I didn't even need to stay at all. We only stayed about 20 minutes, and I think I had a harder time with it that William did. Mikey is crazy cute. I can't believe his first birthday is at the end of the month. We took him to the Children's Hospital to his development evaluation. He was officially diagnosed with "Developmental Coordination Disorder". From what I have read, it is usually diagnosed with older kids, so I'm not sure how they can come up with the disorder with him so young, so my totally un-medical opinion is I'm not too sure I agree. The good thing is that he doesn't have some sort of disease or genetic problem. He is crawling, pulling up to stand (even though not solid at standing), and he can FINALLY sit on his own without falling back or to the side!!! That last one is a HUGE deal. He really has seemed to blossom in the past months and it almost hurts my heart to realize how fast this past year had gone. We don't plan on having any more kids, so this was my last baby phase. I am going to miss so many parts of having a baby. I can't believe how my boys are just growing and learning so much!!! Oh, and I got a new van - that I absolutely LOVE. We did have to trade in other 2 cars, but it was worth it. Benjamin got a 1990 Ford Escort, so now he has a beater car that will probably get better gas milage than the truck! So, I guess that catches you all up for now!

Here is a picture of Benjamin and I at Disneyland after our "A Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tour.

Willia's first day of Preschool!!!

Here is a picture of Michael at Children's Hospital while we were waiting to start.

Bad Blogger, Bad Bad Blogger!!

I can't believe I haven't blogged since May. I guess my Blog might be dying since I am so much more active on Facebook. I post a lot of what is going on with my family there, and do get around to putting the same stuff on this blog. So, lets see if I can do yet another catch up and if I can remember!

Michael - He is now 9 months old. How did that happen so fast? He's got 2 teeth now. They are sooo cute! He rolls and is even doing a modified army crawl forward. That one is really new. He is still behind in his motor skills. I don't know if I posted, but he has qualified for a state program which pays for his physical therapy and now we get it in our home. That is sooo much more convenient! His head shape is not rounding out like I thought it would, but we are going back to Denver Children's Hospital in August sometime, I will bring it up to the development team. It is getting more round, but what concerns me is how lopsided it is. I guess I will just wait and see what they say. We had a family vacation to San Diego and Disneyland the end of June, and Mikey did so great. He was a great little baby and seemed to enjoy his vacation as much as the rest of us. It has been nice to be done with school and to spend time with him and William. He is getting to be quite a MaMa's boy, so I think the stranger anxiety/ separation anxiety is starting. I am still taking the boys to daycare 1 day a week to just kinda keep the habit and to keep them used to going. Last week Robin said that he was kinda whiny and wanted to be held a lot. I am taking them tomorrow, so we will see how things go.



William - What a little cutie! He is noe fully POTTY TRAINED!!! Hallelujah!! We were having some trouble, and then one day it just kinda clicked for him. I have no clue how it happened, but it did! I was really nervous about the potty training and our vacation. He had only been in big boy underwear for like a week before we left, but the kid amazed all of us! He did so well! He told us when we needed to go, and didn't even have an accident. What a kid! He loved the beach and jumping over the waves. He really enjoyed Disneyland too. Before we went there, we thought his favorite character was Mickey Mouse, but while we were there, we found out his favorite is really Goofy! He was so fun having on the trip, and Benjamin and I are really excited to take both boys back to Disneyland once they get older and can really ride the rides. We are currently waiting to see if he was accepted to the preschool at my school. I'm not sure what is going on since I know we are a classroom short, and I know there was talk about removing the 3 year old preschool. So, if that happens, then I don't see us getting him in another preschool. That one works since I work there and daycare is only 4 blocks away. I am supposed to hear this month, and even called them today to see what was up. But, of course, I didn't get a call back. Maybe tomorrow.



Benjamin and I - We are the boring adults, so nothing that exciting is really going on with us. Benjamin is still the best husband in the world! He really got into the pin trading at Disneyland, and we both are going back to Disneyland in August! WooHoo! It just kinda worked out to go. Benjamin has a class he is taking in Costa Mesa. We had no clue where that is in California, so when we saw how close it is to Disneyland, we decided to go back, just the 2 of us, and get to spend some time together. It is right before school starts for me, so it will be a great getaway before school. Since we only were at Disneyland for 2 days we didn't get to much, especially with the 2 kids. So, this time we get to ride the BIG RIDES!! I am so excited! I guess in other news, I am getting a new principal at my school next year since my former principal retired, so it will be a new year for us!

So, that catches you up a bit. Check me out on Facebook for better updates on our family, but I will try to keep this Blog going.

Here are a few more pics.

99 things I ought to do

Instructions:Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (& been to disney world)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (ran 4 5ks)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (kinda - did a math center book for my school district)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

What a month!

Here it is again. Another month gone by without me bloggin. I guess keeping a blog is tough when you are a full time working mom of 2!

Mikey: Well, we took him to a neurologist in March to have his head looked at. The neurologist said that he doesn't need a reforming helmet (YEA!!!!) and that once he starts sitting up, crawling, standing, walking, etc, and not laying down so much, his head will round out on its own! Great news. He is still seeing the physical therapist for his Torticollis and delays. She said he is doing well and even making up some ground. We have an appointment next week to see if he is delayed enough to receive free services from the state. They used to qualify kids just based on their diagnosis, but not anymore. So, he will have his evaluation on May 4th. I am looking forward to seeing what the professionals say about his development. He is progressing, just a little bit behind others. He is loving his solids now, and smiles, smiles, smiles. He is the best baby. He got over a sinus infection, and is sleeping all night again. He is a great kid!

Here is a picture of him waiting at Children's Hospital for the neurologist.

William: One word can describe him lately - HANDFULL!!! We are still working on the potty training, but it isn't going very well. He has his good days and he has his bad days. We aren't ready for the real underwear yet, but I sure hope we can get him trained before he goes to kindergarten! ;-) He is really a good kid! He is riding his tricycle all the time. He loves to swing and go down the slide of the play area Grandma and Grandpa got him for his birthday. He is into trains, and must be having a growth spurt because he is eating like a horse!! Maybe this is how it will be when he is a teenager!

Pizza Night with Daddy! (Excuse the hair - he wanted "Goofy Hair") ;-)

Benjamin: Doing fine. He is all happy now because he got himself a 67 mustang to play with! He's already got the thing torn apart and parts to replace other parts all over the garage, and even in the basement. He is the best hubby since he took care of the kids this past week when I was really sick. He did everything! In fact, he is at the grocery store right now. What a guy!

Me: Holding my breath until the end of school. I would be lying if I said this was a good year for me at work. It has been one of the worst. It started off with me being 9 months pregnant with a student teacher. Then, I missed a lot of days even before I had the baby because of complications with the pregnancy. September 30th, Mikey was born - so I was out of work until January. However, we couldn't afford for me to be gone that long, so I came back 2 weeks early, only to take over after my student teacher and the transition was tough. Not only the transition from student teacher to regular teacher for me and the class, but the transition to being a full-time working mom with a 2 year old and an infant. Going back was way harder this time. This time I had 2 kids to take care of and the baby was younger than William was when I went back. I've missed a ton of days this year (not even counting my maternity leave) because of either doctor's appointments, sick children, or my own sicknesses. I'd like to be able to go a full week without missing a day. Ugh! I've also had some parents mad at me this year, which is a new experience. I think they were surprised on how I ran a much tighter ship than my student teacher, and therefore, am a tougher teacher. I guess I can't please everyone, but I sure do try. My plan is to just keep doing the best I can for the next 6 weeks, and then I can relax a little during the summer.

Benjamin and I went to the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown this past weekend. We have gone for the past 6 years. It was quite the experience this year with the scariest drive of my life. We knew it was going to be a little snowy, but we had no idea it would be this bad!!!

Cars going off the road!!

And some cars even facing the wrong way down the interstate!

But we made it in one piece. We had lots of fun, and it was nice to get a break from the kids and spend some Benjamin and Alesha time. (Thanks Mom and Dad for watching the boys for us.) Now, it is back to reality - like laundry. I guess I best get to it!

Mikey's first solids

We gave Mikey his first solids this weekend. I wouldn't call it a huge success, but he didn't hate it either! I can't believe he is going to be 6 months old next week!!

Here he is waiting for his meal!

"I'm not so sure about this Mom!"

"Ok, so maybe it isn't so bad."