Lunch/ Vacation/ Exercise/ PLANNING!

SO, I visited my dearest art teaching friend, Maryann Craig for lunch this week and we worked together to get all of our catching up done for the last while we have been apart. It was fabulous to catch up and feel connected again to someone in the art program in Gwinnett, what better person than her! My dearest friend, I love ya Maryann!

Marty is on vacation with myself and our two beautiful children for the next two weeks! Looking forward to a simple stay-cation and visiting a few of the treasures around Atlanta throughout the time we have off together! Skyler will be excited to see the Aquarium, he is really into hammerhead sharks right now, not even sure he's seen a real one but somehow has made connections between hammerheads and various things that share the shape of a hammer? Also, hoping to have lunch at the Chuck's for some fun and games, also looking to take Skyler bowling for the first time, and possibly enjoy some pool time. I am the palest person ever to have been off work so long, just haven't seen a ton of sun with a new baby on a monitor, so hoping to catch up on some rays since she's off the monitor and growing!  Anyway, got the house cleaned spic and span and one day from our family enjoying some time together. 

We are purchasing a membership to the YMCA! Very excited! I am closing in quickly on the end of my boot camp sessions and looking to keep the momentum and hopefully begin to see some changes in my body soon, as the last month of boot camp has kicked my boots and yet they are still the same size? GO figure? Anyway, hoping to get our calendar set as I am looking to get a few mornings off from taking the kids and a few afternoons from picking them up.  Now that there are two of them it definitely changes things for drop off and pick up! So, daddy is jumping in at my request to give me some time without them in the car and to allow me some time to go to the gym just after work, possibly before work if it works out occasionally! Excited about these changes and think it will make life better for all of us, no more mommy to the rescue all the time and no more where is daddy!?! Life is looking less stressful at a stressful time.  Looking forward to getting back to the normal of school schedule and life at work after having off for almost 7 months!

Getting lessons ready and hoping to work in a few extra things this year! I am wanting to push for an Art Club and getting ready for making the move to make some BIG projects! Also, hoping to take some of our work outside the bulletin boards and possibly outside of our school!  It could be big if my efforts can align with the time and the work! Also, have to get in with appropriate connections in order to make it happen!

The count down begins...

With only a few weeks remaining, I am starting my countdown to the return to school. I have began formatting my plan for the beginning of the school year and look forward to getting the final stages finished.  I am meeting with my dear friend Maryann the week to share some ideas and steal some others.  I am quickly approaching the end of my boot camp sessions and looking into the cost of the YMCA as an alternative for me as well as for the family! I have my goals set in house cleaning... started getting my list marked off today! Working on getting Skyler's baby clothes organized to take to a consignment store on Wednesday to make a few dollars and perhaps clear out some closet space in the guest room, getting a bit full, but then again not really a space we use! Also, hoping to get my house clean one good time my way before my Christmas and Mother's Day gift of a house cleaner begins in August!  I am excited, with two kids and full time job and with health becoming a bigger priority in my life... I will be able to free up some time for this new exercise plan. Also, excited t get some time back outside the house!  So, I'll see ya soon!

No strings attached!

Or should I say cables! Madisyn has graduated from her apnea monitor and is free at last! She has been sleeping better and much happier since the cables have left from around her legs, between her toes, and laying down her back! We are excited to see this happen and can't wait to see her catch up with her physical development. We are working everyday with new exercises from the physical therapists and anxiously await the day she is caught up for good!

Skyler has been heading back to school once a week again to get him prepped for the big change, Back To School! He loves to play with his " Best Boys" as he calls them and yet is still excited to see me when I pick hi  up, I know this will pass with time but for now am so glad to have a 3 1/2 year old that is well adjusted and loves his mommy! He will be moving to the Big Boy 3's in August and he can't wait they have a big Keyboard and lots of other music related items to play with, he loves the music like his daddy.

I am slowly and surely prepping my mind and body for the return to school myself. It seems that boot camp is kicking my boots, and so is the getting up and down that Madisyn has inspired since her arrive home. I am dragging myself out of bed and trying to get moving in more ways than from the bed to the couch in the morning as I know the early August mornings will be tough. I have started my jot list of exciting projects and projects that I know are successful... getting ready to compare those to the calendar and start penciling in some projects for the year. Trying to push myself into some of the billions of plans I have and haven't used and introduce the kids to some fabulous new concepts and make adjustments needed for the newly approved Visual Arts AKS for the upcoming school year. Many small projects done for my "prep" and others still on the table to be done. Haven't went to school a single day so far and hoping to keep it that way if I can get my plans going, all I will need to do for sure come the week of August 1 will be putting my room back together and get materials ready for the following week, and of course making a few new posters and things for the room. While nervous about the idea of teaching the whole school! Glad to see that I am still seeing my classes every 4 or 5 days! Looking forward to a great start and hoping to hold steady with some of my new things for the year. Time to get going!

Moniter No More, Captain America and 4th Wishes!

Yesterday we enjoyed the first official day of no more being strapped to Madisyn! She is happily rolling from back to side and kicking her feet and swinging her arms with no cables getting wrapped around her. We have now been told we can wait until October to see the NICU doctors and we are enjoying getting to walk around the house and everywhere and carry our girl without the bagged box we have had since March!  Yeah Madisyn! Skyler has been running or shall I say "flying" around the house! He has many alter egos these days; Spiderman, Thor, Batman, Captain America, Bumble Bee, and many other generic characters that he aspires to be... I never really know who I am dealing with! I am starting to look over new AKS and start to try and plan up some great lessons for the first few weeks of school that align with those new standards.  I am excited to get back since I have been out since January and need a little time away from home, as much as I love my children we all need to be around others our own age for some socialization time, and play dates are sometimes more exhausting than relieving! Getting excited for fun and fourth fireworks this coming weekend and looking forward to an evening out with no kids in here in a few weeks to watch Marty's band play with their new drummer in Loganville! Life is good and Bootcamp is keeping me active even when I don't have the energy to enjoy it, I feel better fro knowing I did it! Wishing all well in celebrating our freedom and with great thanks to our Military Men and Women, you make all we do every day possible!  Happy 4th America!