Hate...

This is such an accurate statement.  Sadly, I know many people who fall into the "hater" category.

I always tell my students that the only reason anyone would ever hate them is because they can't BE them.  They concur.  Smart kids.

A)  You are only a threat to someone if they lack the self-esteem or self-worth and believe that you are superior to them. 

B)  If they hate themselves, there is nothing you can do about that; change comes from within. 

C)  The only person who can be you is you, so anyone who envies you needs to come to terms with their own definition of happiness.  We cannot help those who don't help themselves.

Tell me I'm wrong.

Living Dangerously...

This is Jack living dangerously as he attempts to crawl across the top of the gigantic playset in my Mom's yard.  Notice the adults around him ready to catch him if he fell.  While he didn't go any farther than he is in the picture, he sure took a risk and made all of our hearts beat a little bit faster contemplating this simple act.  Judging by the smile on his face, he was more than happy keeping us all on our toes.  I was pleasantly surprised to see him push the envelope a bit, especially because he's the "cautious" one.  Heh.

I also noticed that I've been posting a picture with each post lately.  After doing two 30-day photo challenges in a row, I find that it's difficult to break the habit of including a picture with each post. I'm not complaining about it; it's just an observation.

Have a great Tuesday!

Tick Tock...

There are 21 more school days left...and one hour. But who's counting?

Yep, this girl. 

I think I'm ready for summer break with my children.  It's so hard to wake up before the alarm clock rings; it's been that way for the last month.  I love my job and what I do; I also love summer break.  Not much longer now.  Heh.

There's so much to do this summer around this house.  I'll be very busy, but it will be a different kind of busy.  I'm ready for a new routine.  C'mon, summer!  Bring it on!

Mama...

Mama...

It's the title I have worked hardest for, am most proud of, and wouldn't trade for anything in the world.  Happy Mother's Day!

Naptime...

I'm guessing this is how Java feels everyday. Heh.

(Click on the picture if you can't read the words clearly.  It's worth it.)

One Of The Funniest Emails My Mother Ever Sent Me...

So you're a sick senior citizen and the government says there

is no nursing home available for you, what do you do?

Our plan gives anyone 65 years or older a gun and 4 bullets.

You are allowed to shoot four Congressmen.

Of course, this means you will be sent to prison…..where you will

get three meals a day, a roof over your head, central heating,

air conditioning and all the health care you need!

Need new teeth? No problem. Need glasses? That's great. Need a new

hip, knees, kidney, lungs or heart? They're all covered. And,

as an added bonus, your kids can come and visit you as often

as they do now.

And who will be paying for all of this? It's the same government

that just told you that you they cannot afford for you to go into a

home.

Plus, because you are a prisoner, you don't have to pay any

income taxes anymore.

Is this a great country or what?

Fluency...

Those who know me well already know this.  Heh.

After Dinner Chaos...

Do we know how to have fun around here or what?

When the kids start running around and getting nuts after dinner, if it's raining, too cold, or wet outside, this is one of the things I have them do.  They can all do it very well.  Liesl's feet aren't quite on the wall completely, but she knows how to do it.  It's so funny to watch them do this.

We do all kinds of crazy stuff like Push the Wall, Push the Floor, Handstands on the Wall, etc.  It keeps them from running each other over, it prevents accidental injuries (e.g. cocobutting heads), and wears them out.  If they're too rowdy to do yoga, then this is what we do.  It gives them a physical outlet, but keeps them from getting run over by each other.

Don't judge me.  I am a full-time working mother.  I have four children; a 7yo HFA son, a 6yo quintessential middle child daughter, and 2.5yo twin girls.  The Handstands on the Wall game keeps me sane and prevents me from living on Xanax.  Heh.

Jack's Art...

I received an early Mothers Day present to myself yesterday.  Jack's art teacher was running a fundraiser not too long ago.  We could buy a piece of Jack's artwork in a wide array of formats.  I chose a plaque and a pendant.  I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase.  His garden is beautiful, full of flowers and insects, and reflects a huge amount of focus on his part.  I'm so proud of him and his art.

I love this piece so much that I'm thinking of trying to get one of Liv's pieces of art as a pendant, as well.  I'll have to contact the company or visit their website to see if I can do this, since this was a fundraiser that was at Jack's school and not Liv's.  As far as I can tell, it's just a fundraising gig and I don't think it's open for business other than through schools.

Wouldn't it be great to have pendants of all of my children's artwork?  It's such a cool idea.

Connections...

I saw this the other day and I just had to post it here.  I love it!

The connection my son and I have is like no other.  For some reason, I just get him and he gets me.

What more could I ever ask for?

There's no bond like the one between a mother and a son.  It's not like the bonds I have with each of my daughters.  It's very different.  I can't explain it or put sufficient words to it.  It's just one of those amazing things in life.

I suppose the fact that my son is on the autism spectrum makes our bond that much more precious to me.  I don't ever take it for granted.

Chew On This...

Liesl and Leia both got a new molar on their bottom right side.  Liesl is also going to get one on the bottom left side any day now.  I can see the white just below the surface of her gum.  It's about time for them to come.  It has just hit me that this last set of molars is the last time any of my children will experience getting baby teeth.  Sigh...  I don't like this feeling.

Tired...

Oh, Saturday!  How I love thee!

The weekend felt like it took so long to get here this past week.  I am just beat tired and I don't know why.  I think I'm ready for summer to begin.  I need a break from half of my daily responsibilities.  It's not easy being a full-time working mother because my day doesn't "end" when I come home.  I'm literally "on" for fifteen hours a day between working and being Mom.  I get two hours or so to myself a night after the kids go to bed and I'm lucky if I get seven hours of sleep a night.  Seven is generous, but it's realistically more like six hours and even less if someone has a bad night.  At least when summer arrives, I'm free to relax, enjoy Mommy Time with my kids, and take a break from the usual routine during the school year.  Sleeping late is never an option, but not waking up at 5am is.  I can handle 6am.  Heh.

In the summer, there are no lunches to make, homework to help with, or strict bedtime schedules.  A new routine will begin with Day Camp for Jack and Liv and I'll be able to get some things done around the house that I'm not able to do during the school year.  Maybe I can make that art studio in the basement for Liv, since I really couldn't do it last summer; I took two graduate classes last summer and my time was so limited.  That won't be happening this summer, so I can do lots of things.

I'm welcoming summer with open arms, just like I do every year.  I love my job and the career I chose, but it's always nice to have a break from the daily grind.  I'm not complaining, by any means.  I'm just tired.  Anyone that tells you that teaching is easy is most certainly NOT doing it right.  There's nothing easy about it, but society looks down on teachers for whatever reason.  Yeah, I get summers off, but I need them to recharge.  I put 1000% effort into what I do in my classroom with my students.  If I weren't exhausted, then I wouldn't be doing my job well enough. 

Summer can come early if she wants this year, as far as I'm concerned.  Stick a fork in me because I'm done.

Beauty...

Liv will be graduating from Kindergarten next month.  I fully intend on bawling my eyes out at the ceremony, just like I did at Jack's last year.  Sigh.

When did she get so grown up?

I look at these pictures and I can faintly see what she'll look like in the future.  What a beauty!

30 More...

Yesterday, I went to the park and turned in the form to get Jack a one-on-one aide for day camp.  Cross your fingers that whoever he gets this year is just as good as the one he had last year.  Dave was amazing and I don't know if anyone will ever hold a candle to him.  I wonder if Dave is going to be an aide this summer at all or if I could request him if he is.  Hmmm...something to ponder.  What are the odds?

I'm counting down the school days left.  It's that time of year.  The kids are looking forward to day camp.  The twins are looking forward to gymnastics classes once a week and pool time in the yard.  And I'm thinking about painting all the rooms in the house for a fresh new look.  I've got some colors in mind. 

Only 30 more school days to go...

The Zone...

Have you ever gotten into a "zone" and gotten so much accomplished that when you think about it all later on, you're amazed that you did what you did in such a short amount of time?  Yeah, I have a lot of those days. 

I love getting into a zone and just getting shit done in record time.  Sometimes I amaze myself.  For example, there are times when I'll be thinking about lesson planning and several weeks of planning just pop into my head.  I can see the end goal and the most fun way to get there for my students and I map it out quickly.  It's as if I'm tapping into a different dimension and channeling an energy that isn't from this world. 

I know, I know.  I sound like an acid trip right now.  It's just that sometimes I have these moments where they just don't seem real at all because of how much I'm able to accomplish in my head and on paper.  The clarity is unreal and the results are always positive. 

I don't know what it's called, so I call it my Zone.  I seem to be having a lot of those moments lately.  It's not a bad thing.  It's just...surreal, at times. 

May...

Okay, so I did TWO 30-day photo challenges in a row.  It sure was fun trying to snap a pic or find a pic I'd previously took to match the subjects for each day.  I contemplated doing a third challenge. 

I think I'll take a rest from it.  I've got enough on my plate right now.  I sure had a lot of fun with it in the last two months.  I'm glad I did it.  I didn't do it to make sure I write a post every single day because I've been doing THAT for several years now.  Writing a post has become second nature, something I do in the evening to relax after a long day.  When you really love doing something, you make the time to do it.  Writing is my joy.  Recording my children's milestones brings me happiness and I love looking back on what I wrote years ago.  It reminds me of how much I've evolved.

I can't believe it's already May.  Before I know it, summer will be here, the pool will be up, and I'll be working on my tan.  Oh, yeaaaaaaaahhhhh!

Something That Makes Me Sad...

I knew this day would come.  Training undies should make me happy, right?  The twins will be starting to gain some independence, right?  They will soon be out of diapers and that will be one less expense, right?

Well, frankly, it makes me sad.  They are my last offspring.  I'm allowed to grieve their babyhood, right?

While they are not potty trained yet, we are working on it.  Some days are successful, and some days are not.  It's a work in progress and I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me sad.  Why can't they stay little forever?

Circle...

This is a drain.  Exciting, right?  I don't know why I like this photo, but I do.

1pm...

My nails at 1pm...

They won't last much longer.

Somewhere I Went...

Every year, we go to a certain wildlife park where the kids can get close to most of the animals.  It's always a highlight of our summer because the kids love chasing the turkeys, walking with the peacocks, and getting close to the deer.  This year, the twins will be able to run around with all the animals.  It could get ugly.  Heh.

Black & White...

This is one of my favorite pictures of Jack.  He was two-and-a-half years old here.

Looking Down...

This was written by Liv.  Yes, it's the word, "fuck."  On the ground in my mother-in-law's backyard.  On Easter Sunday.

Lovely.

Something I'm Grateful For...

I am grateful for my job.  I get to do what I love with cool kids and we laugh while we learn.

What better job is there?

Vegetable...

These work really well on boo-boos.  We always keep a few bags of frozen veggies in the freezer, just in case someone needs one to reduce the swelling of an injury.  With four kids under 7, someone is always getting hurt.  Sigh.

The Last Thing I Bought...

I finally broke down and bought an Otter Box for my iPhone.  It only took less than four months to do it.  Yeesh.

Bottle...

Guinness is a lovely beer. It's something I only buy in March, though. I feel that Guinness has a flavor that should be savored and enjoyed; hence, if you have it all the time, it becomes less special. So, one month out of the year, I allow myself to indulge in some Guinness.
I've seen recipes where you can slow cook your corned beef with a bottle of it, but I've never tried that.

Something I Drew...

I drew these on my classroom chalkboard the other day. I was teaching my students the art of concrete poetry and I illustrated some examples of things they could do their poems on. They had to do three concrete poems; one on a fruit, one on an animal, and one about something in nature. We had a lot of fun making the poems in the actual shape of what they were writing about.

Orange...

I took this picture in 2009. Livie had turned 3 years old a few months before this. Hubby is wearing one of his favorite shirts, which just happens to be orange. I love this picture of them.
Her smile is a million dollar one.

Hair...

My daughter, Liv, has THE thickest hair I've ever seen on a kid. It is so full of body and there's so much of it. Brushing it can be a nightmare sometimes, which is why we keep it shoulder length or above. There's no doubt in my mind that it would look beautiful worn very long because it's so healthy and voluminous. We want to, however, avoid the fights that always seem to accompany the hairbrush. It's a smart move...for everyone's sanity. Heh.

Something I Don't Like...

Sponge painted rooms

This was my office before we moved into the house. Nearly every room on the main floor was sponge painted with hideous colors. The picture above is case in point. Our bedroom was covered in dark green sponge painting. And our living room and dining room were sponge painted gray and other assorted colors. And none of it was done well. The first thing we did to the house was change all the colors and cover up that horrid sponge painting in every room. Sponge painting is the most disgusting thing you can do to a room. It literally makes me nauseous and dizzy.

Flower...

We had a string of 80+ degree days way too early this year. It made the magnolia trees everywhere bloom early and shed right away. Sadly, I don't have the smell of magnolia coming in through my kitchen window this spring because all the flowers have long been gone. Sigh.