My Aunt-The New Vera Bradley!

My Aunt Jan has a talent for sewing. She is and has always been very crafty. Well recently she decided to make some goodies and sell them buy starting her own website company. She makes these awesome products that can be used as a wallet, checkbook holder, planner holder, notebook holder, bags, and much more! My favorite, and I have seen it in person, is the planner and holder of everything item. It is adorable and so practical. It holds a planner and then there are also compartments for your checkbook, credit cards, coins, pens, and more storage. The material that she uses is super cute and I can't wait to get myself one of these. I just had to switch to a gigantic purse myself because I could not zip my old purse. So I bought this bag purse thinking it can double as a diaper bag and then I don't have to lug two bags around. Well, guess what? There are no pockets to hold anything so I literally have to dig to find what I need. I go to the store and peopel are backing up because I can't find my debit card in the mess. So I don't think I made a wise decision there. So now if I purchase one of these handy dandy holders from my aunt, I can just put what I really need in there and put that in the diaper bag. You ladies all know what I am talking about. You look at yoru purse and just think "It's a jungle in there." I swear everytime I open my ginormous purse it sings "Welcome to the Jungle" me. Anyways, check out her website and see what you think. The prices are reasonable and they make great gifts, especially for mommies on the run like myself. Here is her website http://www.janlyndesigns.blogspot.com/. Happy sewing, I mean shopping everyone!

Free Food!

Well, today was a freebie day for all teachers! Texas Roadhouse was giving teachers free meals tonight! Well my saying has always been "If it's free, it's me!" I saw the email last week at wonderful work and was so excited. Texas Roadhouse is my favorite! They have the best steaks around! So of course I called my cousin Lisa and off we went. For fear that there would be a huge line, we went at 4 because that's when the freebies started. Although we still had to wait like 10 minutes, we got some free stuff too for our classes. I grabbed some chips to give to my students where they can eat free, plus some bookmarks that will give them a free meal if they read so many books, plus some awards with perfect attendance and good behavior that have free meal coupons attached to them! They will be so excited! So then we sat down and of course because it was free, you couldn't order just anything you wanted, it had to be from a special menu. I usually always get the filet and that wasn't on there so I opted for the BBQ chicken and it was so yummy. I also got a salad and mashed potatoes with it. Not to mention you already get all the free bread and free peanuts you want. The only thing we were stuck paying for was our drinks. Now how can you beat that? I love when people are nice to us teachers. We do a hell of a lot of work for a hell of a lot less pay! Barnes and Noble also likes teachers because they offer 20% off books for use in your classrooms. Well I buy baby books and tell them it is very much indeed for use in my classroom. I mean, they don't know what I teach right? The amount of money that the district gives us yearly to spend on our classrooms is pretty sad. It basically buys us our tape, staples, pencils, nametags, and rubberbands. Anything else is completely on our own. And some of you may know that I have spent a pretty penny on my classroom. Nowadays, I just don't have the money to be putting into it anymore. So free stuff is always good. Even if I didn't really get free stuff for my classroom, it made one teacher very happy! Thank you Texas Roadhouse. Can't wait for the next teacher night!

Pretty as a Princess!

Auntie Amy bought Gracie some cute Valentine's gifts. Now Valentine's day was yesterday but Auntie Amy gave these to Gracie two weeks ago because she was so excited. Gracie got a sparkly tutu, a magic wand and even a hat! She looked just like a princess. She is a princess afterall so the outfit suited her. She loved wearing the tutu and waving that magic wand but didn't like the hat too much. Watching her twirl around in that, I couldn't help but picture a few things to look forward to.......You knew when you were younger and saw kids at the store dressed up like the Disney princess girls and thought "I will never let my kids go out looking like that?" Well, I did and now I totally can't wait! I already spied some princess dresses and while yet, while we are a little too small for them yet, just wait. I can't wait for Gracie to dress up and dance around saying "Look mommy, I'm Cinderella!" I can't wait for her to throw tantrums unless I let her wear her tiara to Target. I can't wait for her to name all the princess characters and know their names. I can't wait for her to go to Disney World and meet the princesses. (of course she will also be dressed like them). I know it sounds cheessy and corny and some of you are probably like "Yeah, my kid still won't go out like that", I don't care. They are only young once. My mom was and is still obessesd with Disney and frankly I am fond of it too. I only buy the Disney movies. Chuck buys the non-Disney cartoons and they are not nearly as cute. Disney World is a magical place and the movies are true and dear to the hearts of many. The characters are lovable and the stories make you feel good all over. It's a vacation aways from the real world which is much too often sad and depressing. I hope she does enjoy all these magical characters as much as I have and that I have time to soak up every minute of it. (Every minute that I am not working of course) Because before you know it, she will move to bigger and better things. Things that I won't find nearly as cute like Hannah Montana or the Jonas Brothers!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! We started Valentine's Day very early this morning with Gracie waking up hacking all through the night. Poor little thing! So this morning, Gracie opened some presents of love given to her by mommy and daddy. She got an "Elmo loves you" movie, some Elmo Valentine books, some bottles so she can feed her baby, a coloring book, and the movie "Oliver and Company" (a very cute movie). Then at 8:30 on the dot, I called the doctor to see about making my little girl feel better. So we go and of course Gracie is crying the entire time we are there because she is sick and so tired. The doc says "Well, it looks like an upper respiratory infection, maybe some bronchitis and a little bit of laryngigtis." "Swell" I say. Then he said that croup is going around so they gave her some steriod shot. So I was completely bummed because today Gracie had a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese so now we obvisouly are not going. There is no medication for her to take except Motrin and Tylenol. I have been looking forward to taking her to Chuck E. Cheese for awhile and I know it's not her fault she is sick but I have to admit I am bummed. So I guess I'm stuck here in this crackerjack box all dang day. Poop! Hope everyone has a grand day full of love. And hopefully it will be better than ours!

Arts and Crafts

Why is it that I love doing crafts (well, coloring) with Gracie yet I dread doing them with my class? Really, I do! I know I am not that art teacher nor would anyone want me to be one but once in awhile I do some crafty things with my class to make it a little bit more fun. Well we are studying our most boring unit ever in science on rocks. So after making igneous rocks with chocolate chips and metamorphic rocks with gumdrops (those weren't so bad because they took like 5 seconds) I decided that since we are learning about fossils that we would make some. Now I make these every year so it's not new to me but every year, same thing, "Do I really want to do this?" Well the plan was to make them on Tuesday but I was "sick" so then it moved to Wednesday. Well, yesterday my students were talking nonstop so I told them "nope." Well today I had to do it because we are moving on to dirt next week. So here I am trying to explain how to make a fat pancake with a piece of clay. I showed them an example and immediately everyone is like "Like this?" I say "yeah, yeah, sit down." I show them how to make an imprint with these plastic dinosaurs. Ok that part went ok. So I start mixing the plaster of paris and the water. Of course I didn't bother to measure anything so I was standing at the sink with my big bowl just mixing away. I then had to show my children how to take these index cards and tape it around thier piece of clay. Not to hard to form a circle with the cards around the clay and then secure it with tape right? Afterll, I did show them. I then went around with my bowl of goop and poured some into the index card. Well most kids did an ok job but then the last two tables, I have no idea what they were thinking. They didn't secure their tape very well so either the goop seeped under the index cards and started oozing on their desks or their index cards broke and the goop went all over; on their desk, on the chair, on the floor. So of course my whole class gets up and goes running by to help. Well hello dears, your teacher is standing here with a big bowl of goo and if it spills on her.........So I had to yell "sit down" and then be angry at the little darlings who just counldn't follow the directions. I knew this would end in disaster and now the janitors will hate me too. Then came the questions: "Can we keep the clay?", "Do we get to take these home?", "Can I have the dinosaur?" , When can I take this home?", "When will they be dry?", "Can I keep the index card?" Seriously! So after that I told them they would take them home when they are dry which will be tomorrow and if you keep asking questions, I will keep all your fossils! Well, then after lunch guess what? We were making Valentine boxes to put our cards in for our party. Yay! Icouldn't wait for that! Before they even started decorating I told them to cut a hole in the top of their box big enough to put cards in. You wouldn't beleive how many holes are the size of quarters. Good luck fitting a card in that one. I'm glad tomorrow is Friday but is it spring break yet? I am losing my patience! And that was one snipet in the glamourous life of an elementary school teacher!

Bye Great Grandma!

It was a sad day today as we had to say goodbye to Great Grandma Jayne or what we were trying to have Gracie call "G.G." Great Grandma was here to visit for two weeks. We had so much fun adn did lots of things. We went shopping, out for breakfast, to see my classroom, to see Chuck at Menards, went out to eat, played games, went to storytime, went to the zoo and just visited. Great Grandma got to see all 7 of Gracie's scrapbooks too! She lives in Colorado so we don't get to see her much and it's always sad when you have to say good-bye. Gracie did take her first plane ride out to see her last summer and we had fun there too. Tomorrow, Great Grandma boards her plane back home and we wish she lived closer. It took Gracie awhile to warm up to her but she did eventually and had fun. Bye Great Grandma! We love you and will miss you!

A Day at the Zoo

Well the weather today was fabulous! I heard the weather forecast yesterday and decided that Iwould be "sick" today! I called my cousin to sub for me and made some plans to go to the zoo. Gracie, Amy, my mom, and my Grandma Jayne went to Brookfield zoo today. It's been awhile since Gracie and I have been there. We went a lot over the summer because we became zoo members. A lot of other people had the same idea today too. We went to Gracie's favorite spot, the petting zoo, but because it's still winter I guess, Gracie could not pet her goat friends. We did give them a friendly wave however. We saw some cows that Gracie calls "moo" and some lions that she calls "rrrr: She waved at them too. In fact, she said hello to just every animal that we saw today. One that she was not particularly interested in however was the chickens. She even got to pet one but was a little scared. Once the weather gets nicer, the zoo will be even more fun. It was so nice to spend the day doing something with Gracie than working. We started the day by going to the library and going to her "wee ones" class. It is too cute. Gracie claps along and knows all the movements to the songs. She gets a little shy around the other kids but she still had fun. It's a shame that the libraries don't offer these things at night. Hello? What about us working moms? Damn those stay-at-home-moms! Days like today make me realize how much I would love the oppurtunity to do this with her and not have to use a stupid "sick" day. Sure I could sing to other peoples children but I would rather sing to my own! Anyways, it was a fabulous day and I couldn't think of a better way to spend it. Winter was just giving us a little tease here because I know it's supposed to get colder again. Oh well, at least spring is coming soon hopefully. (and so is spring break)

A Sneak Peek at Spring

Who knew Menards had a little kiddie play area? Well, my Grandma is in town and wanted to go see Chuck at his place of emplyment, the wonderful world of Menards! They don't have these out in Colorado. We were walking around the store and went out to the garden area where they have this mulched area with swingsets and playhouses adn stuff. It's all stuff that you can buy at the store. Well Miss Gracie has a ball! She was swinging, climbing into the houses, going down the slides, and even played on a see-saw! She did go the parks over the summer but I think this year she will enjoy them much more. Plus she can run around and climb on more. She did not want to leave. When we came back into the store, she bolted and ran back out the automatic doors! Daddy had to go get her and she was not happy. Grandpa has his work cut out for him this year. Since we live in a crackerjack box and have no yard, Grandpa will have to install these things. I gave him so much grief for tearing down the place I have worshiped the sun for the past 15 years and had to spend it sitting in a tiny blowup pool with Gracie. Well Gramps, it looks like you will not only have to put in a swingset, but a playhouse as well. And a bigger pool for me wouldn't hurt either!

Gracie is in the Game

Gracie and I spent last evening playing Wii with Grandma and "Pa." (That's what she can call Grandpa now!) My parents are liking the Wii system and Chuck has moved it out of the dungeon of the basement and hooked it up upstairs so more people can enjoy it. My parents are hooked on the bowling game. Now I am not a good bowler in real-life but I do good on Wii. I can kick Chuck's butt usually. Well, my parents, for being only the 2nd time playing, kicked my butt. My mom bowled 7 strikes in a row! Gracie likes to pretend she is playing too. We give her a controller but don't turn it on. She loves pushing the butons and watching the screen. She laughs and claps when someone does well. Everytime Pa got up to bowl, she would try her best too! Now I don't want to get her hooked on video games because as a teacher, I see their effect on children. They are evil! So that' s why I really only play when she goes to sleep. A little here and there won't hurt her though. I look at it as just giving her some practice for when we take her bowling someday! Maybe we will join a family bowling league......

Spring Fever Baby!

We finally had some good weather today in good ol' Illinois! I mean it actually felt like spring out! It was a great morning to grab some breakfast at the Crispy Waffle, run errands, and roll down your car window while blaring music and singing. After lunch I was planning on taking Gracie Girl outside to play when my cousin Jen called and asked if we wanted to go for a walk with her and her daughter Addison. Gracie and I were in. I haven't seen Jen since Christmas and I couldn't wait to see how the girls would interact. So after grabbing a Starbucks and heading over, I had to check out her new playroom. So adorable it was! It makes me want a house even more (check post under this one). If you want decorating ideas, talk to this chick. Anyways, we went for a walk and it felt so great to finally get some fresh air. Gracie had fun as she watched Howie to dog walk in front of us. She is obsessed with dogs. Even though I don't like them, my hubby does. But we can't have one because why? We have no yard so we need a house. (See post below). Anyways we went back to play and it was cute to watch. Addie is on the brink of walking so she would use Gracie as her crutch. And of course whateve toy was in either one of their little hands, that's the exact toy that the other one wanted. Sharing is a concept we will have to work on. But Gracie made herself at home by making a mess but surprisingly helped clean up, which she never does at home unless it's in the bath for some reason. It was a fun playdate and we will for sure have to do this more often, especially if the weather stays this nice. I didn't even mind looking at the dead grass and mud. I was just thankful to not look at snow! Mr. Groundhog saw his shadow so technically we have 6 more weeks of winter but maybe spring will make an appearance early!

For Sale!

Here is my crackerjack box house! I want to sell it! Any takers????? It's a townhome, or excuse me, luxary townhome in Plainfield. It's been a great home for the last 5 years but we need to move on and a get a bigger place already! It's an ideal home for the couple first starting out, a single parents or maybe parents that have a baby. It has 2 bedrooms and 3, yes 3, full baths! The basement is finished with one full bath down there. There is a laundry room plus an additional utility room complete with utility sink. There is a 2-car garage and a porch in the back. The master bath has a whirlpool tub and seperate shower. The cabinents are a silver oak. It is located on a court with plenty of interesting people. The subdivsion has trails leading to Van Horn Woods and a dog park. The location is great. Being right of I-55, you are close to the mall, restaurants, hotels, plus much more. There you are! Pass the word along. Gracie is tired of being cramped and having nowhere to play. I am tired of constantly cleaning and having it still look messy. Half the time I could really care less about cleaning it because it seems to get me nowhere! Stupid economy is not helping the situation and I fear I will be living here until I retire. Pass the word along. WE NEED TO MOVE!!!!!

Never a Dull Moment!

My darling duaghter Gracie's newest trick is getting her own water from the fridge. Yes, ever since she got her kitchen set and teaset from Santa, Gracie has liked drinking out of a big-girl cup. She actually does pretty good although we don't put much liquid in there. She is a wonderful visual learner because she has seen mommy and daddy fill up glasses of water enough to know that all she has to do is hold her cup and push the lever and water will come out. She can reach it too by standing on her tiptoes. While some of the water does go into her cup, much of it also rund down the fridge because she doesn't quite have the balance to stay there for long. So now we have to have the lock button on at all times otherwise Miss Gracie will have a puddle on the kitchen floor. She is so proud of herself when she does sneak one by us though. She says the word "cup" proudly after she takes her sip of water. I can't believe how fast she is catching on to things lately. My little girl is growing up!

It's Finally Hair!

Well, the day has come! I finally was able to put Gracie's hair in pigtails. Not all of it got pulled back because the whole top and front are still not long enough but I managed to get the back pulled back. Santa left her some hair bands in her stocking and now we can finally use them! I have tried several times to play with Gracie's hair but she does not want to sit still long enough for me to play with it. I don't think she likes me pulling on her hair. So the other day when she was sitting in my lap reading, I thought "Hey, why not try again?" It worked! I didn't have a comb nearby so it isn't the greatest piggie tails in the world but it works. Lately she has this baby mullet thing going on because her hair is getting long and curly in the back but shorter on top still. Chuck doesn't seem to mind because for some strange reason, he likes mullets. And I swear the other day in the tub when Gracie's hair was wet, she had a Florence Henderson look. I showed my mom because her hair was so long down her neck only you know like Carol Brady had her hair at one time? Now we just got to get the rest of it to even out. Regardless, doesn't she look as cute as a button?

That's what Friends are for!

Gracie's future BFF stopped by the other day. Baby Allie is 3 months old and oh so cute! It seems like yesterday my friend Dana was telling me she was pregnant. Time flies. For her shower, I made her a baby scrapbook to put pictures little Allie in. It turned out so dang cute. I have all kinds of pages ready for her to simply add her pictures in. There are pages to announce her stats, mommy-and-me, daddy-and-me, coming home, first bath, big sister pages, big brother page, a page for every month of her first year including an area where she can write what happened that month, a first Halloween and Christmas page and of course it ends with a first birthday page. I thought it was a fabulous keepsake, better than anything you can purchase at Babies-R-Us anyways. She did register for a pre-made scrapbook but did not get it thank goodness. Mine turned out so much cuter and it is personalized. I have been on her to add her pictures to her album and the other day she, well I did, finally did it. She tells me to make things like this and sell them which is totally an option. She wants me to make her wedding book. I told her to keep up with Allie's book first then we'll see. My sister also did the same thing for her friend except she is having twins so she made two books. Now Dana has two other children, Meghan, and Jared, Meg is my God-daughter and I have never done anything like this for her. Granted I was in college at the time she was born and preoccupied with lots of other stuff. Anyways, I will have to get onto this bandwagon so she can help her mom. I told Dana that I work fulltime and can whip it up, she, who stays at home, should at least find the time to add pictures! Anyways, Gracie wasn't too sure of Allie and had a hard time sharing toys with her. This will have to change or else when a sister or brother arrive, it will be disasterous!

Muffin Tops

What the heck? Why are muffin tops so hard to go away? This has got to be the most frustrating thing associated with pregnancy. This flabby belly that you are left with is not flattering at all. I look at mine in the mirror and think "is thing for real?" I have been obsessing over it the last few days mainly because I went to the dentist the other day and the dental hygenist asked me how far along I was. Now mind you I was in swishy pants and a sweatshirt. I looked around to see if she was talking to me and indeed she was. I told her that I am not expecting and she sort of laughed and said "oh, I shouldn't have asked." That's right lady you shouldn't have. And then to make matters worse, I had to spend the next half hour starting at her ugly face and looking up her nose while she cleaned my teeth. Ahgg! I mean, do I have sign on my head that says "Please ask me if I am pregnant? Then I came home crying to my husband and told him the story. I was waiting for him to say something nice like "Well you still look beautiful to me" or "She doesn't know what she is talking about" but nope. He just listened and then walked away! Well, then I am guessing he must think the same so I cried some more and went to bed at 5:30 that night. So since then, the abroller has been dusted off yet again and seeing some action. I admit I gained quite a few pounds during pregnancy and it was very hard to lose. Over the summer I thought I was just about back to normal but since then I must have let myself go again. This happened before I was pregnant as well and my friend made me a t-shirt that said "No, I am not pregnant." I need to get that out again and write with permenant marker and the bottom "just fat." I was reading the other day at the gym that some moms refer to it as their "mummy tummy" so I guess that's what I am stuck with for the time being.