80s dance

We went to a dance at Zachs school today, it was so much fun. They had an 80s theme so we got all dressed up. It is so weird to me that we were able to walk into kohls and find totally rad 80s gear without even really trying. In fact I think it might be harder to find not 80s clothes! I got a fantastic off the shoulder grommetted shirt for dirt cheap and it was my favorite part. I also had snakeskin leggings that I put with it. I was bodacious!  ;)   If course I had 2 pounds of eyeshadow and blush on too. I'm glad I dont have to do that every day.

Brandon really wanted an iron maiden shirt but we couldn't find one so he settled for an iron man shirt that looks left over from the 80s. He put a button down shirt over it with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of torn up jeans. Very Growing Pains!

Kids were a bit harder. I got Zach an almost neon blue rocker t-shirt and we gave him a mohawk, not easy since his hair has gotten so long but it looked cool. Chelsea wore a skirt that looked like we tore it off Rainbow Brite with tight and lacy folded down with her new purple sneakers. She picked a striped shirt to go with it and clashed horribly but she was happy.

We all had a lot of fun. It's great to see people we see every day let loose and have fun. Zachs teacher was dressed up and that was fantastic. Leo and Silvia were there, 2 of Zachs favorite people at school. I think Chelsea has a little crush on Leo. She always talks about him and tonight she just followed him around. When she wasn't following Leo she was following Terry. I was starting to think we might have to send her home with one of them.

Groundhogs Day

Ahhh... What a day. I'm exhausted.

I love Groundhogs Day. I always have, no real reason, I just think that its fun. Today, there was a shadow so 6 more weeks of winter. Although, he is said to be right about 39% of the time. Brandon and I went on our first date on Groundhogs day. We went to Chillis for lunch. I remember I had worked all night and had been up for over 24 hours at the time. I was so tired I just chat chat chatted the whole time. And he told me about shooting small animals. No idea how that worked out for us, really. But now 6 years later we are still together!

We went to story time at Barnes and Noble today, its kind of our new Tuesday thing. It was the first time Brandon got to go. The regular girl wasn't there today and the sub wasn't great. Zach and Chelsea were quite upset that Stevie and Antonio weren't there. Should have invited Steve to bring them. Didn't even think about it! Hopefully next week will be better.

After that we had to go to school so Brandon and I could talk to Terry about Zachs bully. Yesterday at school he got shoved up against the wall and 2 boys were stomping on his feet and trying to pull his arms off. When Zach told me about it I honestly wondered how much jail time I would get for beating up a preschooler. He has had problems with one boy since the beginning of the year. Its been hard for him. So I went in to talk to Terry about it. I have to say she is so amazing. She said she knows they are having problems and told us about some of his background to help us understand why he is the way he is and how she has been trying to help him. She said she has been trying to help Zach and this boy get along better but its a slow process. And told us how the 2 boys got in trouble after the altercation on the playground. It was a long discussion, we made her quite late for class! She did make us feel better about it and offered to take the boys out just the 2 of them and her for ice cream or something one day to see if they could work things out if they were away from school and no parents around and stuff. (Seriously love her) When we got back to school, first thing Zach did was run up to Brandon and tell him that the boy asked him to play with him today. They played on the playground for awhile and were doing great together. The boys mom was sick so Terry was taking him home anyway and asked if we all wanted to go get some hot chocolate together. The boys decided to be friends and wanted to ride in the same car. It was pretty amazing. After hot chocolate they walked to the car holding hands and asking to have a playdate. I am so fully amazed by the whole thing. I don't even know what to say (thats obviously not true since this is a long post! =) ) I hope that they can keep being friends. Not sure I want them being best friends but glad they are getting along!

While Zach was at school we decided to go put an application in at one of the schools I had been looking at. I have decided its my #1 choice! Its seems so perfect for him. They have co-op classes for k-2 (might be 3, cant remember for sure) They are one of the 2 top rated schools for academics in the state but its because they teach that learning is fun, its not stuffy and boring. And they don't even have to wear uniforms! I really don't want uniforms. They bug me. The lady who gave us a tour was so fantastic. When we were in the cafeteria she went and found Chelsea a treat. She walked us through the whole school. Which is tiny by the way, you can see almost the whole school from the office. She showed us all the lower level classrooms. The 2nd grade teacher came over and talked to us, she showed us the valentines boxes that the kids had made. They were amazing. They had all made different African animals because they are learning about Africa. I just really loved that school and am keeping my fingers crossed. She sounded like we had a pretty good chance for it too.

Since it IS Groundhogs Day, we went to lunch. We didn't go until 5:00 but I am calling it lunch because thats what tradition says it is! We went fancy today. We went downtown to Melting Pot. I love Melting Pot. Brandon and I got a gift certificate last year for our birthdays and we haven't had a chance to go yet so we decided to go down there. We took the kids with us. It has become part of the tradition. I really kind of love that they go with us. Seems to make it a little more special. I cant believe how different we are then 6 years ago. The day we met I had just come from looking at a little house I wanted to buy. I didn't plan on getting married for a long time, if ever. Brandon probably went on another date that night (he says he doesn't remember which pretty much means he did) he didnt ever want kids. Now we are such a happy family. We have 2 of the most wonderful kids I could imagine. I wouldn't change a thing. I am really happy with they way things turned out. Brandon is such an amazing dad and a fantastic husband. He deals with all my crazy and rarely flat out tells me I am crazy =) He lets me work things out by talking about something until his ears probably are ready to bleed (such as my obsession with where Zach should go to school). He stays up all night at work then stays up all day watching 4 kids, not only because I ask but because he is such a great person. He may drive me crazy in so many ways but its a 2 way street and I am glad that we ended up with each other to make crazy. I wouldn't want to waste all my fantastic crazy on anyone else!

Today

Ok, so I added pictures to a few most recent posts. Nothing fancy but makes me feel better!

Brandon is at work again tonight. I hate hate hate it when he works nights. Blah. (In case there is one person left out there that has not heard me whine about in non-stop)

(Brandon)

Brandon's Mom and Dad came up today and we went out to dinner with them. We went to Tres Hombres. It was pretty good. Its a whole 2 blocks from our house and we have never been. But then all we have as options around us is mexican food. Cant try them all in 6 years! Ok, probably could. Ah well.

(Silvia and Zach)

I co-oped today. I love to co-op. Love spending time at school, seeing what goes on. Zach has a little girlfriend at school, Silvia. She is so dang cute. She calls him Zachary even though everyone else just calls him Zach. Her mom told me that she tried calling him Zachy first but it was a little too lovey for the mom of a 3 year old girl to handle. =)  They play Superhero Pirates every day. Terry (the teacher) thinks its the funniest thing in the world that Zach, the tallest kid in the class and Silvia, the smallest kid in class are bestest friends.  I just think its adorable!

I want my white teeth back

Zach had to go to the dentist today to get some cavities filled. He also had to get a couple of caps. Both my kids have bad enamel so they get cavities way too crazy easy.

He is so miserable now it is breaking my heart! He keeps sobbing and saying "I don't like these silver teeth! I want my white teeth back!"  I don't know how to make it better for him and that is so hard for me!

No pictures!

I am such a slacker! I was reading some other blogs and thought, I love when people put pictures on their blogs, its so cute. I haven't done that my last couple of posts. Then I looked and I have almost NO pictures. Man, I am a slacker. Need to fix that....

Traveling to nowhere

Warning: This is very ramble-ey

(I know this post is really whiney and long and makes little sense. I am having a hard time not erasing it but I will post it. Just ignore it if you want to.)

(Brandon and me in Hawaii. Yes I know I am using a vacation picture to whine about never going on vacation but it makes me feel better. Plus we were using some one elses flight benefits!)

I miss my flight benefits. I don't know why its hitting me right now but it is. I had them for nearly 5 years and really never went anywhere. I was broke and had no one to go with so I wasted them. The funny thing is, even when I was wasting them I knew I would regret it. All I ever wanted to do was go everywhere and see everything, is that too much to ask?? When I was growing up all I wanted to do was be a flight attendant. Go see amazing things but have a home base near my family. When I graduated high school my mom gave me luggage because she knew thats what I wanted to do. Through high school I worked at Starbucks, in the airport. Because I though working IN the airport would help me work FOR the airlines. Then I got a god awful job with a god awful company doing reservations for an airline that didn't even really fly into SLC. I hated that job. So bad. I ended up at SkyWest. I loved my job there (most of the time). I got comfortable there. The plan was that when I turned 21 I was going to go for flight attendant but I was too comfy. I did start the paperwork for becoming a flight attendant though. I was so excited for it. I was finally going to do what I had wanted to do. Then I found out I was pregnant with Zach. Timing, right?? I would still have my flight benefits too except Brandons stupid job. I know I shouldn't complain when so many people don't have a job but I hate his job. He has no schedule which makes me have no schedule. I couldn't raise a baby and work when I didn't know when he would be coming and going. I love being a stay at home mom. I just wish stay at home moms could get flight benefits. There are so many places I want to see and am realizing I probably never will. So many places I want to take my kids but may not happen. Every time Brandon tells me "If you still had your flight benefits, we could go ____. Even if we just went for a couple days, would be fun." I just want to cry. If I still had my flight benefits we probably wouldn't use them much but we would be able to use them. Wouldn't have to fight for 1 vacation a year. And figure out where is close enough to drive too that the kids might enjoy. Could go on the trip I have been promised since I got married for my 5th anniversary. I could teach my kids that there is a whole world out there, so much history and life. When they learn about Ohio I could take them TO Ohio and show them that its a real place with real people and this is why it matters. Sounds stupid but its one thing I really wish I could do.

Hardest job you'll ever love

I just decided, right now, to not apologize for not posting very often every time I do post! So, no apology for you!

(Zachs first day of preschool)

We have been trying to figure out where Zach is going to go to kindergarten. First, its crazy to me that my baby boy is ready for kindergarten! But I cant believe how hard it is. I never expected it to be such a tough decision.  All of the sudden I feel like his whole education PLUS Chelseas whole education depend on this. We went to a class about kindergarten the other day and it freaked me out. Basically said in a regular kindergarten if your kid is ahead he gets to sit there and wait while everyone else catches up. (This class was put on BY the public school district BTW, not a group trying to talk us into private schools or anything.) Well, Zach goes to the most amazing preschool ever and is ahead, the list of stuff he needs to be able to do at the end of kindergarten, everyone in his class can already do. If he goes to kindergarten and isn't being challenged he is going to become incredibly disruptive. I really think he is a kid that needs a challenge and if he doesn't get one then he is going to be rotten. So I have to find one that will keep his interest.  I also want it to have an art program. I think its so sad that so many schools are turning away from art. So I have him on the lists and lotteries for a few elementarys. I am really extra hoping for a couple but would be happy with any of them. There is at least one more I want to go look at. The tours are just at such a bad time for us. I will have to figure out when we can make it.

When we were signing up for these schools I told Brandon, "I just realized I am going to have to sign up for PTA!" He just rolled his eyes. He said Are you going to be ok being on the board at Chelseas school, co-oping for Chelsea, still doing Scholastic and doing PTA and WHATEVER else you decide to do at Zachs school?!? Of course I will! Its my JOB! Every job I have ever had I have put all my energy into(with the exception of one). I love to work and I love being good at what I do. Now I have the most important job anyone could ask for. I am raising PEOPLE to be happy and healthy and sweet and nice and contributing members of society in whatever they decide to do. If I have to miss a moms night out to go to a board meeting or PTA meeting, sucks! But guess what, I wouldn't trade it. I am told by some people that I am the overboard  mom. But I want to be involved in what my kids do. If they fail, its MY fault. Not the schools, not the governments. Not anyone but me. I want them to know that they can do anything and if they need help I am right behind them.