I SMASHED IT!

Smashed what you say? MY GLORIOUS PEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had it in my lunch bag, which I left on the floor by my desk (stupid, stupid place to leave it!). And, I was experiencing technical difficulties with my overhead projector which worked just fine at the end of last year so I was a bit frazzled… and not paying attention to the FLOOR… and totally stepped RIGHT ON the PEACH… I made it into ‘peachsauce’. I still tried to eat what I could… but, it just wasn’t the same!

I was looking forward to coming home to pick peach number TWO, but Jerry did it before I could get outside. UGH! SO NOT FAIR!

So, hopefully… my last of three peaches will be best of the three…and I will get to pick it and eat it in a very peaceful, sensual way!!!

My first PEACH!

So, I'm a dork!

We (actually I) have always wanted a peach tree. So, we planted a peach tree our first summer in our home (2005). We transplanted it later that year...luckily, it survived. And, this year it produced it's first crop. There were probably close to 30 peaches on the tree. I knew the little tree just wasn't ready for 30 peaches... so I trimmed all of them off but THREE. Today, ONE of them was just the right firmness. So, I PICKED IT! I must say, it was a little bit of a rush! I can hardly wait to eat it tomorrow for my mid-morning snack!!

Tidbit of info:
According to the nutritionist at the MD Diet center... you aren't supposed to eat fruit with other foods and never after 12:00noon. So, fruit is the designated 10:00am snack!

My first week started with.... YUCK!

Monday, August 25th was back to the "FULL DEAL"... the first day of school. Breoni didn't go to school becasue I was a little worried about her having a bit of a cold. I knew that I couldn't leave if I got the "you need to come get your kid" call. Thus, Breoni spent the day with her Daddy. What a guy! The first day went great! UNTIL... about 3:00 am.... when I "PUKED".... multiple times.... where does it all come from.... and to make it even worse... it happened so fast... I didn't make it to a sink or the toilet.... (GROSS, I know!) so it was ALL OVER the bathroom floor. I was so grateful for tile! Jerry really wanted me to stay home... but I just didn't think that was the 'right' thing to do on the 2nd day of school, so my overly responsible self said "I've got to go". Jerry was worried about our safety (me too!). So, he got up with us and drove me to work... we dropped off Breoni together then he took me in. It was a tough day but I think I got through it well. No surprises at school and Breoni and Kyrie had a great day! Jerry also picked me up! Man, did he learn what it feels like to commute to Park City. During the day he did the grocery shopping, got my car cleaned and filled it with gas! AND, today.... he sent me flowers! I think he 'walked a mile in my mocassins' yesterday and, well, he's been incredible the last few days! Thanks Honey!

Oh, that reminds me... I must call people 'honey' a lot. Why? Well, Breoni has been calling me HONEY and TARA a lot lately. I chuckle when she calls me 'honey' and cringe when she calls me 'Tara'. I'll be so sad went she doesn't call me 'mama' any more!

BREONI DID IT!

Well... I guess we are over the transition phase! Today, when it was time for me to leave the Child Care Center instead of crying, Breoni said "Bye, Bye Mommy." and waved. She didn't cry all day... she ate some breakfast and lunch and she took a 3 HOUR nap on her cot! She is such a great kid! Miss Debbie, Miss Teresa, Miss Caitlin and Miss Lois just love her!

Kyrie is doing wonderfully! She isn't taking really long naps but she is sleeping for longer stretches in the night! I LOVE that!

YIPEE!

What a week....

So, this is really tough! Breoni is doing better with calming herself and playing. But, she still is not really eating... today, she didn't eat a thing the entire time she was at day care. The first thing she said to me when she got in the car was "EAT" and she pretty much was asking for food until she went to bed. She was so over tired that she wouldn't take a bath (and she loves her bath). Jerry read her some books, because she was crying for him...then she wanted me. We read "I LOVE YOU STINKY FACE" which is one of Breoni's current favorite books. We have been doing quite a bit of reading before bed. Tonight she wanted me to rock her to sleep. It took her about 30 seconds to fall fast asleep. I sure hope we both make it through this time.

Kyrie did great today... she finally took a 'regular' nap and she drank three 'regular' bottles. She seems to be doing the best of all of us.

I miss them so much. It is so hard for me. Is this normal?

And, to add insult to injury, the commutes were HELL... sorry for the profanity! Two of the five days there were big accidents in the morning so we had extra long commutes. This morning, it took me 45 minutes to go from 500 South to 2600 South (5.2 miles). So, basically our 40 minute drive became 90 minutes! If it would have been a school day, I would have missed 30 minutes of my first class!

I have a web site for work also... check it out if you are interested!
http://pchs.pcschools.us/teachers.php?page=83
I don't feel as ready as I usually do for work. I guess that's just the way it is....probably no one will know the difference except me! And, honestly, I only have so much time and I'M NOT BRINGING THE WORK HOME! So, I'm just going to have to reprogram myself.

Lastly, I'm again so grateful for good family and friends who have been so much help this week. I couldn't have done it without you! Thanks EVERYONE!

Back to WORK!

Yesterday was really tough for me. It was hard getting up at 5:00...but it was heartbreaking to leave Breoni crying at the Child Care Center. She was so confused. I was a mess. I cried with my back to the wall outside the door of the center... and continued all the way to work. For the first two hours whenever anyone asked about how they were... I cried! Luckily there are LOTS of understanding mothers on staff. Breoni was crying when I returned and she didn't eat all day. It was almost more than I could take. Kyrie did well, except she barely slept. So, I got Breoni down by 8:30 last night. And, Kyrie...well, I finally woke her up at 9:00pm to feed her. She slept until 3:00am. So, 5:00am came really early for me this morning....

BUT, it was a much better day. It was still a hard good-bye but the teachers said, she recovered really fast today. And, once they figured out that Breoni didn't want to sit in a high chair to eat (which she hasn't done for MONTHS!), she ate TONS! She took a good nap and was playing happily when I arrived. Kyrie had a good day. She didn't sleep much again. But, tonight I kept her alert until about 7:30. I'm hoping she will sleep through the night!

UGH.... it would be so nice to be able to just be a stay-at-home-mom. And, I'll tell you what... with two little ones.... it is WAY more difficult that teaching 30 kids MATH for 90 minutes three times a day and everything else that being a teacher requires.

Gotta squeeze in a treadmill session before 10:00!

I loved this......

My friend Joy had this on her BLOG, I stole her idea (which she stole from someone else!!) But, it looked like so much fun!

• i am... on a quest to find the "STAR" and "100 Watts" in me.
• i think... I have a lot of LOVE to give.
• i know... that I am a strong, determined, intelligent and sensual woman at my core. I also know that being a mother is the most amazing experience I will ever have.
• i want... to be an amazing example to my daughters in all aspects of my life.
• i have... so much to be grateful for.
• i wish... everyday that Breoni and Kyrie will have an abundance of LOVE in their life and that they will never have to question how wonderful they are. I wish for them that they will always feel beautiful and smart!
• i hate... waking up at 5:00am.
• i fear... turning 40!
• i feel... excited and motivated about my quest.
• i smell... the sweet smell of little girls.
• i crave... sunsets and dancing and leather pants!
• i search... for calmness and peace in my soul... for the free-spirit that resides in my heart that is squelched by rules and responsibilities.
• i love... BREONI and KYRIE so incredibly much it fills my life with joy and happiness that is unparalleled by anything I have ever felt.
• i wonder... about so many people and why they are the way they are.
• i regret... never experiencing a full term pregnancy.
• i care... TOO MUCH about TOO MANY things!
• i always... forget to FLOSS!
• i believe... in angels, pixies, love at first sight, miracles, dreams and heaven on earth.
• i dance... not nearly enough...
• i sing... to my girls and loudly in the car when no one else is with me!
• i like... bubble baths, reading, steam rooms, 'ensign moments' and seeing my girls smile!
• i don't always... walk my talk.
• i fight... the 'shoulds' in my life...
• i write... to vent out my emotions so they can stay in check and not bubble over into a volcanic eruption.
• i lose... whenever I want to be right, instead of being loving.
• i win... whenever I receive an unexpected letter from a former student!
• i never... give up!
• i miss... having really close 'girlfriends'.... solitude... my parents... my sister.... and so many other wonderful friends....
• i listen... too closely to what I 'think' I 'should' do and not enough to what is truly good for me...
• i can usually be found... at work or at home.
• i am scared... that my life will never have the romance and passion that I really desire... that I will never get caught up on my scrapbooking... of being hit by a semi...
• i need... more hours in the day
• i dislike... people who make excuses for being lazy and unprepared
• i prefer... rock-n-roll, sleeping in, purple, daisies over roses, long hair and the logical.
• i won't eat/drink... TOFU or CARBONATION!
• i get anxious... about my house not being clean
• i am fascinated by... the amount of knowledge that Breoni is absorbing at every waking moment of every day. It is incredible!
• i am a little embarassed to admit... that I really like PRINCE and that I really, really, REALLY want a tatoo on my foot along the flip-flop line!
• i am happy about... being a MOMMY!

LAST DAYS OF SUMMER!

Cousin Sierra came over to 'tend' the girls for me so I could get some things done and so we could have game night with our friends. Breoni LOVE Sierra! Sierra and Breoni opened up the hot tub which we have turned down to a very enjoyable temperature for the summer. They played outside for hours in the water and on the playground! Breoni had a wonderful time.

Breoni also LOVES her DADDY!

Breoni has developed a fettish for her Backyardigans and wants to take her 'animals' everywhere she goes. And, she also is LOVING be close to naked in her one little backyard. She loves to fill up her wheelbarrow and relocate!


This is HYSTERICAL! It has been a little hot these days, so Breoni has been taking a nap in just her diaper (or princess pull-up) and apparently, even that was 'TOO HOT'. So, she took it off. And, then she wet the bed, so she pulled out all the packages of diapers and pull-ups into her bed, and grabbed as many of the loose ones as she could to create a barrier between herself and the wet spot, which she then covered with her blanket. So, what you see her, is my buck naked Breoni sleeping with her diapers!

We had three baby birds in the nest built above our front door. We were loving it! It was so fun to see them grow...and Breoni was fasinated!

Until... they started getting close to full size...and they were making quite the MESS! The porch roof is as high as the ceiling in the second story so when they would poop it had quite the 'splatter' potential. My whole front door and porch were 'splattered' with baby bird poop! Needless to say, we waited until the birds were flying well and we took a 'shovel' to their home. I felt a little bad (for about 20 seconds) about making them homeless, but it was time to reclaim my porch!

More Summer Fun!

Grandpa arrived back in Utah on Saturday and spent the morning playing with Breoni.


Later, on Saturday afternoon we went for a family bike ride!!! What a blast!

Cousin Jeff got TWO baby bunnies. Breoni LOVES bunnies (which she calls 'hoppy') so of course we had to go over and meet the bunnies. Uncle Trevor loves Breoni and will do just about anything to get her to laugh. (Sunday)

That evening, Nathan and Lizzy came over to visit. I always feel a little old after seeing Nathan and Lizzy since I've known them for SO, SO long. And, they are all grown up and good looking and smart!

Breoni is really into 'pictures' right now. She wants us to them and then she wants to look at them over and over. This process almost ALWAYS ends in a little tantrum, because she wants MORE!

Lastly, Kyrie is just an angel! We love her so much. She is starting to develop a little personality. She is definitely a mama's girl. Doesn't she look precious?!

What Mommy sees....

There is nothing in the world as amazing than looking down into these sweet, sweet faces!

Look at those big, beautiful eyes! How couldn't you just melt?

People who touch your Heart!

Breoni's gymnastics teacher is amazing! We are so grateful for her. She is darling with Breoni and makes gymnastics so much fun. We will be sad when summer is over and we can't go to gymnastics twice a week.

WE LOVE YOU CHAN!

Being SILLY!

Jerry is just a kid in a man's body.

Last night at dinner, he taught Breoni to PLAY with her oranges!

And, here's a cute video that Daddy took of Breoni!

Almost done....

I've updated everything from previous weeks/months but the ALASKA post... so make sure you visit all the pages. I just finished the post "There's no PLACE like HOME!" so be sure to visit there if you've been keeping up with me! ALASKA is going to take some work so... please be patient. I'll let you all know when it's done!

Thanks to everyone who has made comments. It is great to know that people are actually visiting my BLOG. It's a lot of fun to do, but also a lot of work!

QUESTION:
If I want to 'reply' to something someone says in a comment...what is the best way?

COOKIES!!!

SUNDAY
August 3rd

I decided since most of the 'treats' in the pantry had 'high fructose corn syrup' in them, that I should make a treat for Jerry and Breoni that was all about 'homemade'. It was also a good test for me to see my resolve to the diet! I did great and the cookies were (still are!) a hit around home!

KYRIE is starting to communicate!

What an angel!
Kyrie is starting to COO! She will make a 'communication sound' and wait for me to make one. Then, make another... she will do this for about 5 mintues.

She holding her head up all by herself now. And, she is quite alert. She prefers to be held ALL the time. So, I've been 'packing her' in the front pack I have. I've tried the two slings I have... and (ugh!) I must be 'sling challenged'. I just can't seem to position her correctly. And, there are several choices (but they charge SO MUCH for them!). My mom (the seamstress extrordinaire) is going to make me one... I'm really hoping that it is the 'answer'.

She loves BALLOONS! I tie them to her feet and she will kick them and watch how the move for quite a while. She watched them for about 30 minutes today.

BREONI is so SMART!

I feel that BREONI is exceptional! This is my disclaimer! Perhaps this is all really normal for a 2-year-old, but it seems pretty SMART and COORDINATED to me!

Breoni can correctly identify the following colors:
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, and Black (We are working on White!)

Breoni can identify the following letters when asked to find what the letter stands for or when seeing the letters will tell you what they stand for. Granted... for now... this is contingent upon using the alphabet letters and numbers we have in the bath tub:
B is for Breoni, Blanket and Binkie
K is for Kyrie (she says 'baby')
D is for Daddy and Doggie
M is for Mommy
H is for Hoppy (her bunny that she LOVES!)
G is for Grandma and Grandpa too!
T is for Tyron, Tasha and Tara
P is for Pablo
N is for Nap and Night-Night
L is Linda and LynnAnne (Aunts)
R is for Rebecca (Aunt)
S is for Sierra (Cousin)
E is for Egg and Elephant
I is for icie (otter pops which she is addicted to, looking for a more healthy alternative.... let me know if you have any suggestions here!)
2 is for 'how old are you?"
And.... we are working on: (which means she only sometimes can do these without help!)
C is for Cat
J is for Joy and Jump
A is for Austin and Apple

Breoni can completely dress herself (with just a little help) after getting her diaper on (sometimes a pull-up). Including socks and shoes! Tonight she picked out her own jammies and wanted to wear socks (a new thing). She picked out purple jammies first, but then wanted yellow socks. She compared them to her jammies (and must have decided they didn't match) and put the purple jammies away and got out her pink and yellow jammies.

Breoni has over 500 words in her vocabulary.
Breoni knows about 30+ peoples names.
Breoni can operate the portable DVD player.... ALL BY HERSELF! (Not sure that this is a really good thing...all that time on the road in Washington!)

Breoni can climb her ROCK WALL all by herself. On the playgrounds, she can navigate all the different play items. Sometimes other mothers (and some dads) give me that "Are you SERIOUSLY going to let your child do that?" look. I've heard more than one mother make comments like... "Did you see that little girl?" or "How old do you think she is?" and some are even bold enough to come talk to me about her!

Breoni is a STAR child at gymnastics. She has flirted her way into the hearts of all the teachers (including ones who have never taught her class!). Chan (the owner) tells us all the time how 'developmentally advanced' Breoni is. She is very strong physically. She can already do a 'chin up' all by herself.

Joy McMullin (special education teacher, family we stayed with on Vashon Island) said to me: "It is just as hard to have an advanced child sometimes as it is to have a delayed clild" after watching me offer Breoni a Jolley Rancher (which was blue) and having her say: "Yellow One!" (With that super cute nod of her head!) I've had more than one person tell me I'm in trouble when it comes to school... "she's going to be bored". She is already starting ahead at the child care center at school (where I work). She was right on the border for the cut off....so after a discussion with the director, she decided to put her in the class with the kids who are turning 3 during the year.

Breoni UNDERSTANDS that we can talk with grandma and grandpa on the 'computer' and it is really a 'picture'.

Breoni can carry on a conversation of about 6 interchanges on the phone with Grandma!

Breoni throws away ALL (I'm not kidding!) her garbage (and when we are out) picks up litter!

And, perhaps the best of all.... BREONI loves... she truly LOVES people! It is amazing to watch her interact with people of all ages. She shares incredibly well. I am constantly amazed by how willing she is to adjust in groups of kids, how well she plays with kids her age and older, and also how well she does with adults and even the elderly (which we saw when Grandpa Boyd was in the Rehabilitation Center...it seemed like a Rest Home).

OKAY.... that's enough BRAGGING for one POST!