The more things change. . .

the more they stay the same!

I didn't move around a lot as a child, I didn't change school often, I don't deal well with change now! I don't find moving fun, I don't like being around people I don't know, and I don't like different!

Last night, on the way to Jackson's New Family Dinner at the Latest and Greatest School, Jackson and Tyler were talking in the back seat about where they were going to go to school next year. Tyler is very excited about going to the pink door at Jackson's current school, Jackson was explaining to her that he would miss her throughout the day since AGAIN, they will be at different schools, and suddenly I hear, "It's OK that we are going to different schools Tyler because you are still my sister, and I am still your big brother!" She just smiled and nodded! Really when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter where you go to school, live, or talk to, and the end of the day, you come home to your family! I am happy to know that my kids get that! I am proud to say that my kids are happy and well-adjusted, no matter how often we move or change schools! I could learn a lot from them!

Along the same topic of things changing, but staying the same, Jackson already has the reputation of being the most "beautiful little boy" they have ever seen. Shannon heard it, and she just looked at me and said, "Some things NEVER change!" Seriously, he has REALLY long hair right now, and in my opinion, kind of looks like a rag-a-muffin!

Ten on Tuesday!

1. I think, make that KNOW, I will get the swine flu, the way my year has gone so far, CERTAINLY it is the cards for me!

2. I was at the Redbox bright and early this morning to rent Bride Wars, I GOT IT! Cannot wait to watch that sometime today!

3. Tyler had a double ear infection 4 weeks ago, had no idea anything was wrong with her! Took her back for her follow up visit, and she still has an ear infection in one ear, didn't know it. I AM PARENT OF THE YEAR!

4. I think real life heroes, like the guy who landed on the Hudson or the captain that was held hostage by pirates, are AMAZING to watch talk. Matt Lauer asked he captain this morning, "Did you have any idea that Obama had authorized the use of lethal force if the navy seals thought you were in danger?" The captain looked confused, almost like, "Yeah Matt, we had CNN on the boat!" These heroes that are thrust into the spotlight are just COMPLETELY HONEST!

5. The fiance of the Craigslist killer is a serious CRACK WHORE! Who is going to stand by someone who CLEARLY committed the crimes. If that were my daughter. . .

6. The attorney of the Craigslist killer is a CRACK WHORE! Who is going to go on national television and state that their client is innocent? The man hollowed out books to store underwear of hookers in!!!!!!!! COME ON NOW! Makes me kind of happy that Pat and I move about every year, I would know if the books were hollowed out! Now, I should just go check the trunk of his car, that's where he stores all of his law school books for fear I might throw them away! Maybe I should go check those tonight!

7. The Dot, a children's book by Peter H Reynolds, is one of my favorite stories. It truly explains the definition of a great teacher! VERY CUTE!

8. I have hung up every last item of clothing in the house this morning. I HATE TO HANG LAUNDRY! I will fold it, but the stuff that needs to be hung, I don't know why I hate to hang the stuff SO MUCH!

9. I feel that Memorial Day is earlier than normal and Labor Day is later, which in turn makes for a VERY LONG SUMMER!

10. I think people who smoke in Arizona during the summer are crazy! I think if I was a smoker, the summer would inspire me to quit, FIRST-who wants to go outside in the 120 degree weather, and SECOND-who wants to hold a hot cigarette or suck in hot smoke! OMG, that is my exact definition of what hell would be like!

Sponsor

You know how teams or athletes have sponsors????? I think I am in desperate need of a "family sponsor"! I would happily put your picture on my blog, or company name, if you indeed decide to purchase any of the following items for my family! You have to admit this is a grand idea, and I will allow anyone who so desires to copy me and put up a "sponsorship" page of their own!

1. V-Motion: It is like Wii for kids, and with the HOT summer months coming, I am looking for indoor entertainment, versus outdoor entertainment. I have to laugh when I get the Toy 'r' Us catalog, and I see that they are advertising all the play sets that are WAYYYYYYYYYY TOOOOOOOOOO HOT for us to play on during the summer!

2. Swim lessons-Again, like I said about the athletes, I have big plans for Jackson and his swimming one day, so this is almost like an athletic sponsorship. It is $360 for the entire summer for both kids. AND THAT IS FOR ONE ON ONE PRIVATE LESSONS, imagine how awesome they will both be by the time they are done!

3. My standard maid service, always need this, and I think I REALLY deserve it since I am slowly turning into a reptile because I have washed dishes by hand now for over a month!







4. Jackson is going to a new school next year, and they wear uniforms there (CAN I GET AN AMEN!?), but of course these little suckers are not cheap, so maybe I could get a sign for him to wear around, "This uniform sponsored by. . ."





5. I laughed out loud after thinking about my last Ten on Tuesday blog and how I was going to plan a getaway to either Laughlin or Napa! COME ON PEOPLE, feel free to say, "One of those is a $2000 trip, and one would cost about $200!" So, therefore, if someone wanted to sponsor the Napa trip, I would be eternally grateful!




I think those are a few little gems that would help make life a little more upbeat around here! If anyone wants to sponsor these gems, feel free to e-mail me at shakakan23@aol.com, and I will give prompt directions on how to get the desired items to me!

If you have been. . .

following me on twitter, you know that I am NOT in a good place right now! MISERABLE actually! However, let's not focus on that, let's focus on how Burger King "Happy" Meals are only 99 cents with a purchase of an adult meal AND McDonald's brought back the dollar soda! PRAISE JESUS! I hate publicizing it for fear of overcrowding, BUT the Science Center is FREE this weekend! 10-5 Sat and Sun! You know it is going to be a ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Ten on Tuesday

1. I worry that I am going to write something in one of these that I have in the past, and I am way too lazy, ok maybe busy, to go through and see, so I apologize in advance if that happens because I know you read my blog with a fine tooth comb, HA!

2. Starting to get frustrated with how little I know about anything these days, it seems our future is very uncertain, in many different areas, and I am such a planner that it just drives me CRAZY! I like to know what is going to happen a year in advance!

3. Found some private swim lessons for the summer, and I am so excited that I don't have to get in the pool with either of them. The teacher told me to bring a book, YAY! This is why I am excited about my kids getting older, although it will be sad when they won't let me hug or kiss them good bye in public anymore! Jackson doesn't even acknowledge me when I leave NOW, although he never really has, what's it going to be like in high school!?

4. I need to plan a get away, someone mentioned Napa, I have wanted to go to Laughlin, just something for Pat and I! Then, I need to plan something for the family, it is so much work to travel with two kids, if you have more than that, I just don't know how you manage to get out the door-EVER!

5. Pat loves Chicken Marsala, I made it last night-second attempt, Pat said it was good, I didn't think so-I just want to go eat it at the little Italian place we would go to in San Antonio. I don't even like it that much, but it was GOOOOOOOD! Not Paesano's either, some little house looking place that was over by the hospitals, but I can't remember the name!

6. I think that someone without children invented Polly Pockets, Littlest Pet Shop, etc etc etc. They are too freaking small, they hurt when you step on them, and they are scary looking!

7. When Pat and I play Wii, we sit in camping chairs with two cup holders, and we love them. I looked at him yesterday and said that maybe we should replace our couches with a series of these chairs. . .hmmmm, could be something to think about when we live in a van down by the dried up river!

8. Jackson LOVES tennis, he wants to be on the tennis team, I think it is a much better choice than soccer because I don't like to watch that!

9. My "online" friend Audrey, I can't even tell you how I met her now, on MySpace somewhere I believe, ANYWAY, her husband, BJ, had two children before they were married, the two children died in a horrid car accident this weekend, along with their mom, her boyfriend, the boyfriend's kids, etc. I was a tragic accident, five children in the back on a Honda Accord, none with seat belts on. I am speechless about the whole thing. I wouldn't know what emotions to have. Audrey and BJ have two kids, and she is pregnant again, please pray for them.

10. I really like Monopoly for Wii if you need a good game recommendation. My kids love Shrek Carnival Games if you need one for the kiddos. Really happy with my selections this time, usually I have renter's remorse, HA!

"Our" Mint Green House

I found a picture of it online so that you guys could see what I was talking about. How much potential does it have though once it is the right color!!!!

This reminded me that no one knows what the house looks like that we have an offer in on, so I found a picture of that one too. . .



Is it bad that Pat and I both like the mint green one more that the original one now!!!??? We have waited almost 3 months for an answer on that house, and now we are ready to give up and go for this one. Don't worry, we are not withdrawing our offer, but I will tell you this, we are putting an offer in on the mint green one as soon as we hear the saga that is the soap opera belonging to every house on the market today!

Sometimes You Just Know!

I went to look at houses this morning while Pat was working, we walked into the first house, and yes, don't get me wrong, it was sooooooooooooooooo much better than some of the houses I have been in! SOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER! It wasn't awful, but it wasn't striking me, does that make sense????? There is just some sort of feeling I get when I walk in a house, backyard, etc., and it wasn't hitting me. Our realtor, that I am slowly falling in love with (which many of you know is a difficult task for me because I like them as much as I like lawyers!), asked me what I didn't like about it, and there wasn't something I could REALLY tell him. It was just a feeling.

Then, we went to the next house, and it was just it! I loved the street, loved the house, loved it all. Don't get me wrong, it is not SUPER pretty, it is not SUPER nice, it just fit my lifestyle soooooooooooo much better. Sure, they knocked the wall out in the Master Bathroom, and it has a door into what would be Jackson's bedroom! The kitchen is small and has REALLY old appliances, but there was a feeling about the house that I just liked. Please tell me you people know what I am talking about. There is feeling that comes over you when you know it is right.

OMG-I forgot to mention that it is currently painted MINT GREEN, but see these are all things I am willing to overlook for the sake of a house I like. I figure I will ask Santa to paint it for me for Christmas!

The Art of a Preschool Teacher

There is something about a preschool teacher that I just don't understand.

I was a teacher, and it is truly a thankless job. I see all the problems they are having with budgets on television, and it breaks my heart to see them with their picket signs because they are not protesting something they feel strongly about, they are protesting the thought of losing their job. A job that probably causes them much stress and many sleepless nights, a job that 50% of the parents in their class think they are doing wrong, and the other 50% just don't care or show it. A job that the amount of responsibility multiplies HOURLY! However, these teachers show up day in and day out performing their job to the BEST of their ability! I can't even imagine returning to this job. I used to say it was because of the 3 P's: parents, politics and paperwork-however, now I would say the 1:44 ratio is what would keep me FAR, FAR AWAY!

BUT. . .the preschool teacher is something TRULY unique. Whatever the regular teacher gets paid, divide it by 4, and multiply the prep work by 10! Jackson's teachers are there before the director, go home after everyone else, and they are ALWAYS ready with a smile. Every story is complete with details, each child WONDERFUL and nothing phases them. I am sure they understand just how important this is to the parents because they have children of their own, but how do you express your appreciation. These two particular ladies are NOT in it for the money, they are NOT in it for the gifts, and I am at a loss as to what I can do to express my gratitude! I am sure a note would be nice, but would they get that I REALLY mean the words I write? It is not just fluff.

Today, one of his teachers knew that I was DESPERATE to find another Sassy because we had Sassy on a schedule here, Jackson would sleep with her one night and the following day for nap, and then Tyler would sleep with her that night and the following day for nap. She went out over Easter Break, bought Tyler her own Sassy, sewed a bow in her hair, got her a different outfit and presented her to Tyler today! TYLER IS NOT EVEN IN HER CLASS, but the teacher is just soooooooo full of love. Tyler has not put that Sassy down since the second she got it. The teacher will not let me reimburse her, she wouldn't let me go buy one, she was sooooooo excited to do this for Tyler, and there was nothing I could do but give her a big hug before I left. She will never know that I don't hug, but I believe that hugs should be saved for special moments like this, moments where words cannot express the gratitude I feel! It makes it completely pain free to leave your child with someone as wonderful as the two of them. They don't read blogs, they will never see this, but for all those people out there who may have a thankless job, know that there is someone out there who appreciates what you are doing, as long as you are doing the same outstanding job these women do! THANKS LADIES for making this a completely remarkable year-I am so sad to see it coming to an end!

Ten on Tuesday

1. I found a different house that I am in love with! I found it online, and I am petrified to go look at it because I don't want the image I have in my head to be ruined! It has a basement, fire pit and water slide, all things that make us REALLY excited here at our house. We will see what it actually looks like on the inside!

2. I do not enjoy taking showers the way I once did. Sure, if I have unlimited time, and no possibility of someone waking up, screaming, etc. BUT to be in there while the kids are awake means one of them could be killing the other-NOT ENJOYABLE! AND, if they are asleep, there is usually something else I would like to be doing!

3. My Preschool Board meeting was REALLY a downer this morning. The economy is just so sad right now, it breaks my heart!

4. The Preschool Board meeting was after I sat and bawled my eyes out over the news story they did on Bruce Snyder this morning. We all have this fabulous memory of him at the Father/Daughter Dance, and Alissa and I were reminiscing about it yesterday. He truly was an extraordinary individual.

5. Pat got a new phone, now he can't stop texting me. It is kind of funny how quickly you become accustomed to something you never did much of before.

6. Texting does not pass the spell check! Is texting a verb these days, certainly it will be added to the dictionary SOON if it hasn't been already!?

7. I have not been sleeping well lately. I stay up all night researching different zip codes and wondering where we are going to give up. I went to see a doctor about my insomnia one time, and she told me that I shouldn't worry about things at night because they aren't going to change. BUT, I just can't seem to get a solid grasp on that concept. I need some HEAVY sleep aids.

8. Most days, I wish that Pat didn't work so much, but then when he is here for a long period of time (AKA weekend), I wish he would go back to work because the kids act like wild animals when he is around.

9. I cannot WAIT for 17 Again to open this weekend, I love Zac Efron!

10. This morning, we pulled up to a school to drop Jackson's registration papers off. All of the gates were locked, and Jackson looks at me and says, "Is this jail? I am NOT going to school here!"

Bruce Snyder

My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Bruce Snyder today. Unfortunately he lost his battle with cancer, but is no longer suffering. He was such an amazing man. I had the pleasure of meeting him when I attended high school with his daughter. He never had an unpleasant word to say, and he would always allow his daughter and her "boy-crazy" friends to crash the recruiting parties he had at his home. RIP Mr. Snyder!

What a Fun Weekend

Friday night, we went to grandma's house to color eggs and have some meatless entrees! This year our eggs were Kung Fu Panda and Tinkerbell themed! Pat surprised us all by taking a half day on Friday, so the picture from Silent Saturday was Tyler just THRILLED TO PIECES that she was with her daddy!


I can honestly say that Disney on Ice is the first time I have had a LOT of fun with my kids in a LONG TIME! They are at the PERFECT age to enjoy that sort of thing. We stayed through the whole show, no one wanted to go walk around, it was AMAZING! I didn't really take any pictures at the show, but I did manage to get a family pic before we left! HOW ABOUT THAT!? I did make the mistake of getting Jackson a Buzz Lightyear sword, and I have been paying for that ever since!



Easter was awesome. We went to brunch with Meg and Jim at the Valley HOOOOOOOOOOOO! Why is it that I cannot say the name of the place with out shouting HOOOOOOOO!? Anyway, the Easter Egg Hunt was awesome, there were not a TON of kids, and so Jackson and Tyler were able to find their fair share of eggs. Some of the eggs even had quarters in them, and we all know how much I LOVE THAT because I cannot stand candy, really I don't even like to eat it myself, so I don't want it, I don't want the kids to have it, candy is detrimental to my life!






After brunch, we went to my mom's house for ANOTHER Easter Egg Hunt and Dinner. We had LOTS AND LOTS of photo opportunities here!

Silent Saturday

Easter Egg Hunt

My dear friend, Shannon, hosted a wonderful Easter Egg hunt for the kids yesterday! My kids had a WONDERFUL time, and it was clear just how much time and effort she had put into it. Eggs for the kids and Margaritas for the Mommies, it doesn't get much better than that!

The kids with their baskets READY to go look for "their" eggs. Shannon had assigned them each a color, and they were only to find their color. Tyler was pink, and Jackson was green-matched their buckets PERFECTLY!








The kiddos checking out their loot!



Tyler was a little nervous about getting her face painted, especially since Jackson just kept chanting, "I am totally NOT doing that dude!" (He is my perfect surfer child, complete with hair and speech!)



But when all was said and done, she didn't stop hopping around like a bunny until she shut her eyes and fell fast asleep!



Thanks Shannon for this holiday experience! Have a good Easter every one!

P.S. Those sunflowers in the picture above are actually growing in our front yard thanks to grandma and Jackson who just sprinkled some seeds in the ground. They are almost as tall as me!!! HOW FUN!

Three-Thirty Dirty Dirty, Three-Thirty Dirty!

Matchmaker, Matchmaker make me a match!

I am all for online dating, I think it is great! However you meet your special someone-GREAT! However, since I have never done it before, EVERY TIME I see these eHarmony or match.com commercials, it makes me wonder! Who would I be matched up with!? What kind of freaks would I meet? What age range of men would they set me up with? What would their profession be?

I have already admitted to Pat that I am REALLY tempted to go on and sign up just to see! Does anyone else ever think about this!!?!??? Or am I just really crazy!

Progression of Dishes

At first it was fine, I thought it was great that I was keeping up on my dish washing, more so then when I had a dishwasher. I complained, but I did it! TODAY, I am just thoroughly annoyed, straight down to my core. I don't want to wash dishes anymore. I feel like anything I use to wash the dishes just doesn't do as good of a job, and I am afraid germs are lingering among the dishes. Completely irrational, I am sure, but I am BURNT OUT!

Ten on Tuesday

1. I am SOOOOOOOOOO excited about the new 10 calorie Vitamin Water. I love Vitamin water and always thought it was way too many calories!

2. Jackson and I went "bunnying" this morning. I have spent the past two weeks cutting out 100 bunnies. For one of his teachers, I hot glued the bunnies on forks and stuck them in the lawn. For the other one, I used the blue sticky teacher stuff and stuck them to the curb and large rocks since she had desert landscaping. The desert landscape didn't work as well, but I think she will get the idea. Then, I took pictures, made a poster that says, "Got Bunnies?", and left it in the classroom for them when they get there in the morning. How silly are we!?






3. I am OBSESSED with Postino. Lori has been telling me to go there for over a year, but I just never got around to it, now I can't get enough, and how happy am I there is one on Central now.

4. I won Sassy, the classroom stuffed pet from the auction on Saturday night. Now, I have to regulate who sleeps with Sassy at nap and night time! I also have to control who holds her ALL DAY LONG! I paid more money than I should have for Sassy, and really it is just causing me more stress.



5. I also bought the classroom art, and I have NO IDEA where I am going to put it, NONE! It doesn't go with anything I own. I am thinking a guest bathroom with bright primary towels, but that would mean I need somewhere to live first!



6. Pat went to an ENT yesterday because his ear is still muffled, this doctor said that his ear drum DID rupture, but that it looks like it is healing nicely! He has now decided that when he is sick he is going directly to a specialist because the family doctor told him his ear drum DID NOT RUPTURE!

7. There was an altercation at the preschool auction where some crazy mommy yelled at me over a monkey (different classroom stuffed pet), it was unwarranted, BLAH BLAH BLAH, but really, I don't want to hit her or yell back, I just want to go toilet paper her house. I figure if she is going to act immature so can I-HA!

8. I have started to use my straight iron to curl Tyler's piggy tails, and I think it is darling. However, I stress out before doing it because I am PETRIFIED that I will burn her.

9. I cannot wait to eat meat next week. I think I have an entire week of meals planned. I don't know who is more excited, Patrick or Colleen!!

10. I caught a glimpse of the theme for this year's summer camp at Jackson's preschool-DISNEY-each week they will travel to a different land: Tomorrow, Adventure, Fantasy, etc. Isn't that sooooooooooo fitting, I LOVE IT! There is so much you can do with this, and it wouldn't even have to be Disney based. Last year they traveled to different countries, very cute!

House

Because I know my readers are interested in what is going on, and I have had enough wine to report that there will be another 30 day waiting period before we know whether or not they accept our OFFER! Apparently, our offer is close enough to what they are asking, that they are willing to move forward with the short sale, now they have 30 more days to counter with what we are offering! SERIOUSLY, if you didn't know me, would you really think this is what short sales are all about! THEN, once we settle on a price, the bank then goes to a 30 day closing period. I cannot even take it anymore! I seriously want to FLIP OUT! Our house we are renting goes to foreclosure on May 14th, so we have about a 15 day overlap here. I am at the end of my rope, can I really wait another 30 days for an answer!????

Dora the Explorer Mantra

If you have watched as much Dora as I have this week, some of the things she says and does kind of get stuck in your head. For example, when Dora and Boots (her pet monkey) are headed off to do whatever it is they are going to do in the episode, they chant the order in which they will arrive at each stop (I think it is to teach sequencing, but what do I know)-FOR EXAMPLE, "Bridge, Rock, Trea-sure Island!" Then they repeat it getting faster and faster. So, they end up saying it like 3 or 4 times. I am not a huge fan of Dora, but I will say that this morning as I was performing my Cinderella duties, I was chanting in my head, "Airport, Plane, Far-From-Here!" Maybe there is something relaxing and soothing about Dora after all!

I wish. . .

this was some sort of sick April Fool's Day joke, but it is my life!

Pat is much better. Now that he knows he does not have a brain aneurysm or losing his hearing, he is much more calm. He has an ear infection that is draining, whatever the freak that means, it is NASTY, and I lost a lot of sleep over it!

Today, my Internet access was temporarily shut off. I called Qwest to complain, and they told me, "Oops, it was their fault, they didn't realize that the $100 they were asking me for had been credited!" Therefore, it would be 2-24 hours before my account would be credited. WTF!!!! It was about 4 hours, and I caught up on a lot of DVR stuff because I sent my kids in the playroom and refused to communicate with them for fear of bodily injury! I can deal with a lot, and I have been a trooper, but cut off my Internet service, and I flip. I think I am going to have Pat sue for pain and suffering.

I do have to say that I am VERY proud of myself for keeping my sense of humor through this entire ordeal. Normally, I do not do well, but surprisingly I hung in there. I had coffee with friends this morning, and I PASSED ON THE BAILEY'S (impressed), and watching them laugh about the whole situation made me realize just how funny it was! DOES PAT REALIZE HE IS THE CLOSEST THING WE HAVE TO BEING A DOCTOR IN THIS HOUSE? Why would he be asking me what he should do!???

I would like to state for the record that in my next life I am coming back as a man! They are just RIDICULOUSLY incompetent when it comes to being sick!

"Colleen, There's Blood Coming Out of My Ear!"

That's what Pat was standing over me telling me at 1 in the morning! Followed by, "Do you think that's bad?" I am pretty sure it is not good. So, I turned to my trusty friend, Google, and determined that he didn't need to rush to the ER, but that he could wait for a doctor's appointment sometime today. The poor thing is miserable, but I can't stop laughing! Really, just when you think it can't get any worse! I'll keep you posted on what the doctor said, but I wish I could video tape him doing things so that you could see how dramatic he is! Of course the night both kids sleep soundly through the night (Tyler's been up every night for a week!), I am awake with my 29 year old husband! Maybe it is an April Fool's Day joke!