First Day of School 2011

Yesterday, August 16th marked the first day of 7th grade for Alex and 1st grade for Olivia.  Last Thursday, Olivia got to meet her teacher and take her supplies up to school.  I am really excited about the teacher Olivia got this year.  I think she will do great.  Olivia is at a new school this year but she can't be more excited.  Last year, Olivia went to Truman due to Crestwood not having any openings for full day Kindergarten.  So this year she is at Crestwood, the school within our boundaries.  Alex gets to go to the new middle school - Truman.  They turned the Truman Elementary into a Truman Middle School so now there are 2 middle schools.  His friends are going to Truman too so he is pretty happy.  Monday, we got to walk the halls of Truman MS so he could find out where his classes are.  This is very important to Alex. He has a hard time just going with the flow.  He has to know specifics about what he has to do, what's expected of him, etc.  He gets very nervous if he has to do something that isn't prepared for.  We saw Lori while we were there and she told him what hallways had what numbers so I know that helped him as well.  I am so happy that we get to see Lori again this year.  I loved having her so closely connected with the kids. 

So Monday night, the kids took their showers and went to bed real easy.  Alex said he wasn't ready to go back to school but I secretly think he was excited to be with his friends and not hanging out at home so much during the day.  Olivia was beyond ecstatic and couldn't wait.  I could believe how easy they went to bed and than on top of it, both of them woke up so easily!  I was pinching myself thinking how could this get any better.  There was no yelling, no running around last minute, it was perfect. 

Since Alex was the first one up and out the door - really, school starts at 7:40 am - who is functioning this early?  Here are his obligatory first day of school pics:

Seriously, where did the time go?  I keep thinking of my baby boy on his first day of preschool at Sacred Heart Villa.  He was 3.  I remember holding him with tears streaming down my face as I was saying good-bye.  The lady there asked me if this was my first time leaving him and through the tears I said "no, he's been in daycare since he was 3 months old."  LOL!  I laugh at this now but I am sure she thought I was a whacko.  Ok, so sue me, I get emotional when it comes to my kids.  So here he is, looking so grown up.  I love this kid so much!!  He is such a great kid.  He does really well in school and really does love to learn.  Here's to a great year buddy!

After Alex was out the door, I started getting myself ready for work and then woke Olivia up.  She got herself dressed and ready to go.  When we went downstairs, I had packed her lunch in her "old" lunchbox.  She didn't like that and wanted to use her new lunchbox from Aunt Debbie.  So we had to transfer everything.  No biggie but this "new" lunchbox is so big!!  This is the first year Olivia will be riding the school bus.  Last year since she went to a school outside of our boundary, we had to take and pick her up every day.  (Thanks to Lori for all the times she brought Olivia home!)  So Olivia was beyond excited to be riding the bus.  She wanted to ride the bus there and then have me meet her there to walk her to her classroom.  So I was happy to oblige.  Here are Olivia's first day pics:

Now here are her pics getting on the school bus!!  Seriously!!  She is too little, my heart was screaming.  But I knew in my mind this was only the beginning to letting her grow up.  She has the nicest bus driver too which just makes it a little more easy on me. 

She went right on up and took a seat and promptly gave me a smile and a wave!  I was seriously fighting the tears at this point.  I walked back to my car and drove up to school to wait for her to arrive.  Finally her bus got there and she got off and ran right up to me!  We quickly walked to her room and she walked right in...and forgot all about me!  LOL!!  She is my fearless one.  She doesn't get nervous to try something new and unfamiliar. She went right in and took her seat.  I tried to get her attention to say goodbye but realized this was what I wanted...for her to feel safe and happy.  So I left. 

I thought about the both of them all day.  Alex knew he could count on Lori if he needed help so I was ok there.  I prayed all morning that Olivia would have a good day.  She had 3 months to acquire some bad habits. LOL!  I left work early so that I could meet Olivia's bus.  As soon as I saw that bus, my heart just leapt with joy!  She quickly got off and said she had a great day!!  As a treat, I took the kids to Lion's Choice for their dip cones.  If you have never had a Lion's Choice dip cone, I suggest you run right now and get one.  They are so good and so cheap!! 

So overall, both kids had fantastic first days!  I really do love the Lindbergh School District. So here's to a great year for kiddos!! 

Girl's Night!

Last Friday night, Alex spent the night at his friend's.  Whenever it's just me and Liv she wants to have a Girl's Night.  We always try to find something fun to do on Girl's Night.  Right before I left for home that day, I had gotten an email from Groupon reminding me to go use my Groupon for Baked Goods Pottery.  It's a place close to home where we can go and paint pottery.  Olivia is all about anything that has to do with crafting.  So this was a perfect Girl's Night. 

We arrived at Baked Goods Pottery and browsed their many shelves for something to paint.  At first, I was just going to let Olivia paint and I would watch but she wanted me to paint too.  So she found a butterfly and I found the letter O.  The girl explained all about the different paints to use and we got our table and started painting. 

This was so much fun!!  Olivia had a blast painting her butterfly.  And she did a great job too. 

So intense!  Then she spotted the aprons and wanted to put one on.

Here is her butterfly with a face.

And her finished butterfly!  Such a great job!

Here is my "O" for Olivia.  I painted it in an orange - her favorite color!

And my finished "O"!

We had to leave them there for them to put in the kiln.  We get to go back in 10 days and pick them up.  I cannot wait to see what they look like!  Olivia is so ready to go back and paint again.  She asked me on both Sunday and Monday if we could go back to paint.  We picked up a mug so that Alex could paint the next time too and Olivia picked out a tiny telephone.  I am so looking forward to going back there.  I have so many ideas.  I love crafting!  If you are interested in painting pottery, I highly recommend this place.  The girl there was so nice.  She showed Olivia the kiln and what the pieces look like before they go into the kiln.  The butterfly and the "o" only came to $17 but my groupon was for $25 so she helped me pick out another item so that I could get the most out of my groupon.  That was so sweet.  The Groupon was only $10 but I got $25 worth of pottery.  Such a great deal and so fun!  Definitely will be a great idea when it's cold outside but the kids are bored. 

Summer

Summer Vacation started on May 31st and today marks the 2nd day of the new school year!  This summer flew by!  I tried to keep myself and the kids busy as much as possible this summer and I think I did a pretty good job of it. 

In June, Alex attended Band Camp the entire month of June - but only in the mornings.  Olivia attended Pom Pon Camp for a week and then was entertained by cousin Angela or cousin Lori the rest of the time.  During the month of June, we had Graduation parties, Birthday parties and a wedding out of town.  Plus I got to go see Kiss Me Kate with Lori at the Muny.  Fun times.

July seemed to have less to do but seemed to go by the fastest.  The only camp the kids did this month was Swim Camp and it was only an hour and a half for one week. But they both had a great time.  This is one camp we will definitely do again.  We went to Little Rock over Fourth of July weekend.  We went to see Jimmy during that visit as well.  It was so good for Olivia and Alex to see him.  We have all missed him terribly.  I got to see 3 Muny shows this month and let me say they were HOT!!  Olivia and I went to see The Little Mermaid and sat in the free seats.  That was fun but a very long wait for her.  However she loved the play.  Then my Mom got us really awesome seats up front for Singin' in the Rain.  This is Alex's favorite musical.  The smile on my boy's face brought sheer joy to me the entire night.  I loved it.  This was a great show as well.  We did have to use our ice packs and frozen wash cloths for this show.  It was a hot one!  Then I got to go see Little Shop of Horrors with Liz and Amanda.  At first I was really indifferent about seeing the show but I am so glad I went.  It was such a fun show!!  So glad I got to experience that one.  The other highlights of July were the birthday's - Olivia's 7th, my 39th and Mom's 59th.  Good times celebrating with the family.

August arrived quickly and the next thing I know, it was time for the kids to go back to school.  We went to the drive-in last Saturday.  It was fun and such a gorgeous evening.  Of course, I am not good with directions and went the wrong way coming back from IL so it took about 15 minutes longer than it should have.  Ugh!  August is also marking an end and a beginning for me.  I am leaving Armstrong Teasdale and going to Wind Capital Group to be a corporate paralegal for them.  I am excited about this opportunity.  It also came at such a great time in my life.  I happened so quickly too that it was like it was meant to be.  I start WCG on 8/29. 

Overall, it's been a great summer! I think we will miss the pool the most of all.  Thanks to my good friend Aimee for the pool membership she gave to us.  We utilized that sucker quite a bit.  The kids loved it.  Olivia turned into a little fish and was even brave enough to jump off the high dive and low dive.  Such great memories we have of the summer of 2011. 

Birthday Party

Last night my favorite band played at Failoni's so Deb Do organized a little birthday party for me! I had no idea she was doing this. I planned on going to see the band play but I didn't know she invited a bunch of people and had a cake for me - a Grandma Glo cake!! YUM!!

My day was crappy -- work is slow again and money is tight as usual. So I really wasn't feeling the evening plans. Liz and Bryan picked me up so I didn't have to drive and Liz said my cousin and his girlfriend weren't coming. So I was a little bummed. But, as soon as we walked in, I was greeted by my favorite drummer saying "Hi Birthday Girl!" over the microphone. My mood lifted! The music was flowing and I had just ordered my drink of choice - 7 and 7. Deb Do always spoils me and got me an awesome necklace, earrings and bracelet set. I love it!! As we were listening to the band, my Sunshine (Gayle) walked in and surprised me!! Then Marc and Whitnie came and Kyle and Lacey! The cousin Susie came! She tricked me since on Facebook she said she was going to be watching Project Runway. It was so great to see everyone!!

Of course, Dan had left 3 cowbells on the table and I had to play the cowbells. I did so gracefully and got Liz to join me. Deb Do did it for a little bit as well. So fun!! Then they brought the cake out for me and Samantha! Deb Do kept putting candles on it!! UGH!! Stop with all the candles!! They sang us Happy Birthday and we consumed cake! YUM!!

We listened to the band play until the stopped at 10pm. Had a blast singing and dancing with my family!! We are such a fun group!!

So once again, I had a great celebration of my 39th year!! I celebrated me and was just overwhelmed by all the love! Such great memories!!

Thanks so much to my Moon aka: Deb Do, Soul Sister and mfatiacmbf! for making me feel so special!! It was an awesome night!!

39

July 24th was my 39th birthday and it was an awesome day! The night before, I was watching an Oprah behind the scene's. The one where all the stars came to show their love. Oprah talked about being open to receiving the love and embracing it. She said some other things that really made me think. And I had an Ah-Ha moment. Every year on birthday, I would tell people that "it's just another day". Then it hit me! The message I was really relaying was that I was not worthy of your love. I was not open to receiving your love -- even one day out of the year. This has been my issue for many years. The feeling of unworthiness. Why do I have this? I am not sure. This is something I will work on. So I decided right then and there, that no more would I call my birthday "just another day". What does that say to my parents who gave me life? What kind of example does that set for Alex and Olivia? I would be devastated to hear my children say their birthday is "just another day".

So I woke up that morning with a smile on my face and open to receiving the love. Facebook is a wonderful thing sometimes -- I think I received around 70-80 "Happy Birthday's" -- that was awesome! 70-80 people took a few minutes out of their day to wish me a Happy Birthday. Yes, I am open to receiving their love. Thanks to all! Not to mention the texts and phone calls I received.

The kids and I got ready for a day at the pool with my friend Aimee and her daughter Samantha. Olivia and Samantha are the same age and always have a great time. We haven't gotten to spend much time at the pool together so this was a perfect opportunity. However, Alex ended up getting burnt and I got burnt in a few spots. But we had an amazing afternoon! So thankful for such a great friend. Aimee and I have been friends since college. We lost touch a few times but have since been close for about 7 years now. She has been an amazing friend throughout everything going on in my life in the past year! I am so thankful for her!!

After swimming we went right over to my Mom and Dad's for dinner. They made homemade chicken and dumplings - the dumpling were my favorite (Biquick dumplings). Whenever I was younger and my Mom would make chicken and dumplings she always made the Bisquick dumplings. I just can't have chicken and dumplings with the noodle-type dumplings...so not my fav. So they made the dumplings I prefer. We had a great salad and then my all-time favorite dessert -- bread pudding! I know, I know, I am weird. Everyone I told what we had for dessert turned up their nose and said "blech". I don't know what it is about bread pudding but I would choose that over cake any day.

Then my parents surprised me with a ton of groceries. It was exactly what I needed. Plus, my Dad filled my gas tank up! To someone else, these might be trivial gifts, but these were things that just made my day! Everything was perfect and I was open to receiving it all. I kinda like being open to receiving the love...I felt like I got more out of life and the day by being open.

So despite being away from my husband, spending the first day of my 39th year with my kids, a great friend and my parents was the best birthday I have had in a long time!! Here's to hoping that means my year with be amazing! There are lots of things to look forward to and new memories to forge!

So Happy 39th Birthday to Me!

38th year comes to a close

I am in the last few days of my 38th year. Good riddance I say - 38 was not a necessarily happy time. The good highlights were moving to Crestwood, kids going to Lindbergh, and the addition of new family members, just to name a few. I know I have a ton of blessings and I try and count them every day but here's a toast to hoping that my 39th year is nothing like my 38th.

I am actually looking forward to my 40's. My goal is to be Fit, Fab and Forty by my birthday next year! I believe I can do it. I cannot wait for the cruise my Mom is taking me and my sister on for our birthdays next year!! So that is included in my Fit Fab and Forty -- I need to get healthy. I will be the oldest "child" going and I want to represent! LOL!

So toast with me to the last year of my 30's! TOAST!

It wasn't meant to be!

I got the dreaded email from Nestle today informing me that I am no longer considered for the position. I don't know what it is with this company. I have tried twice to get in there and each time to no avail. I didn't even get called for an interview this time. I guess it wasn't meant to be. I don't think I will try again if this company is hiring. I have 14 years legal experience in both a corporate and law firm setting but keep getting passed over...

I know I didn't need the job but really would have loved to go corporate again and what better company than Nestle. Every employee there loves it.

So bummed...but I am still thankful for the job I do have.

Goings On

We are in the second week of the New Year. I have been sick for the last week...yuck! So I really haven't been able to work on some of my New Year's Resolutions yet. However, I have been reading a new book - a new series -- The Alchemyst, the life of Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott. This is a teen series, but I really love to read teen books along with the other genres I love. Remember the mention of Nicholas Flamel in Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone? That's what really interested me about it. Now, this book has really sucked me in. I am almost finished with the first book. Alex really wanted to read the book too so we got him a copy from the library so we don't have to share the book. Can't wait to talk to him about. (I have always dreamed of us discussing books. - sorry, books are a passion.)

We are heading to Little Rock this weekend to celebrate Christmas with the Morgan's and to celebrate my niece Katie's birthday. I am really looking forward to spending some time with my inlaws. We always have such a great time together - we love to play games or card games and the kids love playing together. Usually, the day we leave is a big tussle with Olivia. She hates saying good-bye. We haven't been to Little Rock in almost a year. So glad to be going. Plus, the weather is always warmer there. I will have to drive the whole trip since we are leaving in the morning after Jimmy gets home from working midnight to nine a.m. - ugh. I don't mind the stretch of Missouri and usually end up driving until we reach West Memphis - but the trip after West Memphis is a snore. Nothing around but trees. You end up saying over and over "Are we there yet?" because everything looks the same for the next 2 hours! UGH!!

Tomorrow will be a busy day...shopping and getting everyone packed and ready to go. But it will be worth it. I am off work and taking Alex to the doctor in the morning for his foot. Then I can do all my running. Cannot wait to find my brother-in-law some Mizzou stuff for his Christmas gift. I do it because he hates Mizzou. So I love to kid him about it. Can't wait to put the Mizzou tiger tail on the back of his car. ;) Fun times!

Phone Interview

So this morning I had a phone interview for a position with Nestle Purina. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I get called back to interview face-to face. We will see. They seem like a really great company to work for. I interviewed with them for the same position I am applying for now but didn't get it. Small world though, my brother's best friends wife did. She is the one who told me they were hiring again and I should submit my resume.

I hate doing interviews though. I always think of better replies to questions AFTER the interview. I really doubted myself when I got off the phone. Trying to stay positive. I would love to get back into the corporate world again!

Keep your fingers crossed for me and say a little prayer. I am keeping the faith and thinking that if this time it's meant to be, it will be.

2011

Happy New Year!! I am so glad to see the Year 2010 end. Even though this year has brought happiness to my life - kids went to Disney World, the birth of my nephew Brady, being Brady's GodMother, the birth of Hannah, being Hannah's GodMother, finding a new house and getting the kids into the Lindbergh School District and both of them loving it, as well as me - I also had a lot of heartbreak this year. I found out who my friends were and you know what, I found out I also have a pretty strong support system. For this, I am eternally grateful!

We rang in the New Year with our good friends the Morton's. Aimee and I went to college together at SMSU - or I should say the only year I went to SMS. ;) We have remained friends for over 20 years! The really good things is that our husbands are also good friends. We love getting together with the Morton's. It is always a good time and New Year's Eve was a blast.

I usually don't make new year's resolutions but I do kinda make a small list in my head of some possible things I would like to accomplish this year. But then, I came across this and thought, yes, this is what I want my year to be about!

This year, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and the speak it again

Howard Hunter

I have a feeling 2011 will be a great year!

Happy New Year Everyone!