Christmas!!

I really love Christmas...even though you always seem to get stressed and so busy that you don't really have time to enjoy it. Christmas this year was great! Very busy but Great! We had Christmas with my Mam-aw the Sunday before-just dinner because she would come to my moms to do gifts with us there. We had Blake and Trinity from that Sat until the 23rd-their mom wanted them for Christmas morning. Will worked Christmas Eve and we went to his Granny's that night. We had to check on his sister after she hit a deer but we then we had a nice cozy evening together with Tucker to rest up for the busy Christmas day. Will drove the 40 miles one way to get the kids at 8:30 that morning. He got back at our house with them around 10. We cleaned them up (they are always nasty when we get them) and opened presents together as a family. The kids got some good things...they loved their leapsters! We wanted to get them a hand held game but they really werent ready for psp's. The leapsters have good educational value too so I am glad they like them. Tucker got a tricycle which he loves although he cannot reach the pedals. I got a new camera and an ipod touch! I had my grandma make Will a blanket which he loved and I got him his GPS he wanted. We left our house at 11 (yes just an hour after they got home) and drove back almost in the same direction, to my Grandparents house. We had lunch with them. During which my nephew Caleb got bit by a dog and had to go to the emergency room. We were planning on doing my mom and dads christmas at around 3 but after waiting on Caleb and my sister to get back from the hospital we didnt end up really eating and all til around 6. I always love being at my parents house when we all are there. We just do appetizers at their house instead of a real meal so we just snack and visit. Cody and Caleb got four wheelers so we took ours and we all rode around the pasture. Every time Tucker would hear the four wheelers crank, he would go to the door and want to go ride. He loves them! We stayed at mom and dads and the next morning ran to Beaumont to exchange a few things and get a table from my brother. We stayed another night and did fireworks and came back home saturday. We returned home to all of our wrapping paper from Christmas day. Remember-we only had an hour. Ive spent the last few days getting the house back in order. We are having Will's family Christmas on New Year's since we have to wait for his brother and brother-in-law to come in. Then school will start back on Monday...EWWWWWW!!!!! I will post some pictures later!

Time Off

Well...last week was crazy. I was off all week and spent most of it back home at my parents. The 21st I went to see my nephew be in homecoming...hes growing up so fast. I stay two nights with my sister and then back to Lufkin. Monday I had an appointment at my eye doctor....ive been having these weird episodes with my eyes getting blurry and really bad headaches...well I just thought I needed glasses. The doctor however-referred me to a neurologist because he thinks it is something else. So I will be seeing a neurologist this coming week. Tuesday I went to get my step kids and drove straight from there to my parents. We had Thanksgiving there on wed night. Thursday I drove to my husbands parents for dinner there-finally got to see the hubby-and then after that straight back to get my mom and then to Beaumont to stay with my other sister and do Black Friday. Lots of traveling and Tucker was a pro! He did very well with the changes in schedule. Friday when I finally got home I didn't want to do anything but sit with my hubby and talk. He made me go get a new phone though-which is ok with me!
So this week-back to school. But the bright spot is that the 19th we get out for Chirstmas Break! YAY!!!!! I sometimes question my becoming a teacher because it is so stressful. But having those times off is great when you have kids. A lot of people think we are over paid babysitters and that we gripe too much about our hours especially when we get off for summer and all. But I have to say that we (most of us) deserve it. I get at school at 7 every morning and do not leave until at least 4 in the afternoon....I then take home papers and lesson plans to work on. I spend lots of my own money on supplies and I usually am planning or doing other things on those days off...I hate it when people think we do not really work!! It is all worth it when you see kids enjoy learning and see that light bulb go off. I cannot wait to see what some of my kids become as they get older...

CAST

Well...I was away from Tucker for the longest ever this week. I left Wednesday after school to head to Fort Worth and did not come back until yesterday afternoon. It was so hard being away from him! I missed him more than I have ever missed anyone. I was in Fort Worth for the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teachers (CAST). It is a really awesome conference. They have field trips and workshops you can attend. We did not get the okay to go from our principal until last minute so we did not get to sign up for any of the field trips but there are lots of free sessions you can attend to get information and ideas. Then they have this huge exhibit hall where people from everywhere come and have booths. There are textbook people, computer people, science supplies, animal reserves, just tons of people trying to get you to either buy their product or adopt their curriculum. The awesome thing is that they give you tons of free stuff...whether it be books, pens, posters...I had my whole roller cart full of stuff. I also bought a scorpion to have in my class and I bought some rocks and things. I even got to see a baby lemur and wallaroo (joey). So cute! It was fun but hard to be away from Tucker. It also didnt help that we had to stay at this awful motel while the people with us from high school (whose principal gave them permission on time) got to stay and the Sheraton. But over all it was fun! I am very exhausted though and dread going back to school Tuesday (I have jury duty tomorrow)...I hate having to be out because it is way more work than being there. There is no telling what the subs have left me!!!!!!!!!!

Halloween and Family Pics

Well...This weekend we did the whole trick or treating thing...I was so tired afterwards. Then we went to have Family Pictures taken this morning. After that, there was a surprise birthday party for Will's granny...her 80th! Then we went four wheeler riding. So to say the least...we are all exhausted. Tomorrow will hopefully be a day at home to get the house back in order.

The kids before trick or treating

Mom and Dad



The kids

The whole family!

The Zoo

We went to the zoo this weekend...This is the first time Tucker actually knew there were animals out there!!! He was so cute...he would see the animals and then point and gibber gabber to them. The best part was that he went crazy over the giraffes...which are my favorite. I have a kind of huge obsession with giraffes...Tucker has a 4 foot one in his room. He has toys, a chair, a tunnel, a tent---all giraffes. He has pictures on his wall. I have giraffes all in my classroom...so yes maybe he has been brainwashed to like them but it really made me happy how excited he got when he saw the giraffes out there. He sat there for like 10 minutes ( a long time for a 14 month old) and pointed and talked and laughed. He loved the train too. I just was excited to be getting to the point where I can take him to the zoo and him actually enjoy it!

Tucker, Mommy and the giraffes

Daddy and Tucker about to ride the train

Tucker and Daddy moving the jeep before going to the zoo

Tucker in his giraffe sunglasses (yes giraffe)

Big Boy Steps

Well...Tucker is growing up on me...and right before my eyes. There are so many little things that he does that amaze me. Yesterday I told him to go get a diaper...he actually went to my bag...got a diaper and wipes-without pulling anything else out-and brought it to me. He has never done that before. He has started getting his blanket and going to his crib when I say it is night night time-stopping to give Daddy a kiss before heading into his room. Today I was trying to pay the cashier while holding him. I was looking for my credit card and he grabbed a dollar bill and proceeded to try to hand it to the lady. Yes these are simple things but it made me realize how he is becoming a big boy very quickly. He is really into giving kisses right now-which I LOVE! He is having his first day care Halloween Party. I got all emotional because all I ever wanted was to be a mom and I finally feel like one of those school moms who have to bake cookies for the party...wierd thing to get emotional about but I did. I feel like I have a real purpose in life. Yes I am also responsible for 105 kids every day as well...but I get to send those away and get new ones after a year (Thank goodness). I do enjoy being a mom and was telling Will today that I definitely want another one in the distant future. It is just too great of a feeling to only have it once.

Pics from Ike

I thought I would show what dear Ike brought to us!

This is the tree that fell on our shop...as well as the neighbors fence

The view from the inside...under the tree is all of my husbands tools and things
Will next to the roots The jeep
And again...
We really were luckier than a lot of people. We only have a few leaks in our house because of blown off shingles...we've met with the insurance people and all so we shall see soon about getting it all fixed. I feel for those people who are dealing with much worse and even more for those who have not been allowed to go back to see what they might have left.

Slacker

Ok....I am officially a slacker. I really am trying to get the hang of this blog thing...I don't even know how to add people's blogs and all...and to think that I should be more technically savvy!! Well...we are in the aftermath of Ike-the biggest pain in my neck since...well i won't name names. I had been back in school for 3 weeks (I have soooo many students in my classes) and here comes the hurricane. We are supposed to be far enough away from the coast but this time that wasn't true. We had my family staying with us since they are closer to the coast and I think we got more damage than those staying with us. A tree took out my husbands jeep and another took out our shop. Not good with us! We were out of electricity for 5 days which to us was awful but better than my family who may not get theirs back until October. My parents are still staying with us for a little bit just to escape into air conditioning for a while. We did get the week out from school which is bitter sweet. I enjoyed it but the students will be awful and crazy come Monday. Then to top it all off...my mother in law called and informed me that our nephew and neice have whooping cough and that since we were around them...we would need to get on antibiotics just in case-so today we went to the doctor and spent money on meds for me, Tucker, and Will. But better safe than sorry!

New Beginning

Well...I have done the facebook and myspace blogs and cannot seem to keep them updated...plus alot of people do not have those accounts to view my blog. I am going to give this a try and see what happens. Just to let people know what has been going on recently. I am loving being home during the summer with Tucker. I do not know how I will start back in August. We have also been able to have Trinity and Blake for the last few weeks which has been fun although challenging at times. We went to Houston this past weekend for a nice simple vakay. We went to the Children's Museum and to NASA Spacecenter. I loved NASA and was excited at how interested the kids were. I think they enjoyed themselves. Tucker did well considering this was the longest road trip for him as well as the first hotel stay. We had a good time and I am putting up a few pics of our fun.