Happy Thanksgiving & Merry Christmas!

I'm so embarrassed that I haven't blogged in almost two months! I know all my "fans" out there must be so disappointed! Hahaha! Well, to catch you up I will hit the high points. Thanksgiving was good (not great as Leah was sick) and we enjoyed time at Sissy and Pip's with Mamaw, PawPaw, Steve and Jeanne. The week after Thanksgiving Eve came down with a nasty stomach bug and we missed the Christmas Parade, but did get photos made at Sears. Two weeks later Eve came down with Strep throat so we had to cancel our Annual Cookie Exchange which saddened us all. Last week we spent 5 days in Northern Kentucky for Johnson Christmas and Lexington Catholic's Girl's Basketball Tournament. Christmas weekend was spent at the Byers's and Stark's Christmas before we finished it all up with a trip to the movie theater to see "Yogi Bear." So, probably not our best year, but blessed nonetheless. Eve summed it all up to Uncle P this morning when she said, "I want an extra Christmas." He said, "How do you think you could get one?" She sweetly and innocently replied, "I will just pray to God and ask Him for one." :)

Dance Class with Eve

Last night was visitor night for Eve's dance class. So, Jay, Leah and I crowded into the studio with other moms, dads and siblings to watch. Since not everyone could be there I took my first digital recording and edited it into a little movie! After all the saving and uploading some quality is lost, but Eve has made it to YouTube! Check it out! It's about 15 minutes long so only the most hardcore Eve fans may want to watch the entire thing... :)

A little message from my hide-out...

What a day! I could go on and on with my laundry list of things that either went wrong today or still need to be done, but instead I will list a few blessings. Rather than name the obvious, I'm hoping that listing some of the seemingly most-trivial things in life will help my mood this afternoon...
1. Mountain Dew - Nothing is better than the cold caffeinated goodness on a rough day.
2. College Coursework - Actually having an assignment due today gives me a reason to hide out in my bedroom in peace while Jay is with the girls. (I finished the assignment about fifteen minutes ago, but that will be our little secret.)
3. Play-Doh - Eve has been busily creating with it since we got home from school and I don't feel guilty because she is not watching TV. Plus, that stuff just smells good!
4. Playard Fencing - Now that Leah is mobile our family room is like a make-shift zoo cage. Stop by to watch the wild animals playing (Leah) or napping (Jay) anytime!
5. Frozen Pizzas & Hot Dogs - One of these will be our ready-made dinner tonight with no thawing and little preparation required. They will be served with fruits and vegetables and both are low in fat and made with chicken... so no guilt here, either.
6. Dancing with the Stars - A favorite reality tv passion for Eve and me... and, yes, we do dance along with the stars!
7. Laundry Baskets - Thank goodness we have several because they have been full of clean clothes for longer than I'd like to admit... but at least the clothes are clean!
8. DVR - Jay is watching already-taped stuff out there and doesn't realize how long I've been MIA.
9. My last blessing is that Blog posts are what you make them and since I can't think of anymore witty blessings (and Jay just called from the family room to remind me it is time for Eve to go to dance, and Leah is now also babbling down the hall since she heard my voice) that I can stop at nine.

The Defense & The Verdict

When Eve returned from the State Fair last Sunday I asked her about the red stool. She nonchalantly said, "Oh, it's in the living room." I followed her into the living room and asked, "What is this pile of stuff?" After a hesitation and a stutter or two she replied, "Oh, I was building a house... for my markers... see? I can put all my markers inside... right here under the red stool..." I held in my laughter to say very seriously, "Eve, that's not what it looks like to me. It looks like you were trying to hide the red stool."
At this point Eve plopped down in the floor and after a long pause said, "Mommy, you know, sometimes I color on things I'm not supposed to?" I said, "Uh-Huh, and what happens when you do that?" Eve answered, "You put my markers on top of the fridge," and then realization hits, "Are they already on top of the fridage?" I nodded. "Will they be there for one hundred days?!?!"
We had a talk about what we should really do if we make a bad choice or a mistake and this judge decides to inflict only a 3-day-no-marker punishment (because, after all, the jusge provided the markers in the first place... but that's a whole other issue unto itself).

From one Eve to another...

Tonight I was straightening up toys, dishes and random other things when I ran across this scene:

I have passed this strange pile in our living room several times in the past 24 hours and haven't thought much about it. As I began to move the pieces I realized that this wasn't just a random pile of stuff, but a strategic configuration that carefully hides our little red stool. Here's what I uncovered:

I now find myself thinking two things.
1. When do kids learn that if you do something wrong you should hide it? I mean, I didn't teach Eve to cover up mistakes or bad choices. She just knows to do it. Ironically it reminds me of the first Eve in the Bible who knew to cover herself after eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and I realize that my Eve knows... she has knowledge of her wrong-doing so she tried to cover it. Wow. Pretty powerful. Eve has a lot to learn about admitting when she makes a mistake and I have a lot to learn about parenting her.
And what was my second thought, you ask?
2. Note to self... if you are going to go to the trouble to use toys, small furniture and large gift bags to hide something upon which you drew with (probably permanent) marker... Don't use anything with your name on it as part of the cover-up. :)

The Princess & The Pea

My first ever start-to-finish-made-by-me-(albeit with my sewing machine)quilt is finished!!

(I found the pattern on one of my favorite blogs: www.modabakeshop.com)
I'm going to join in with Jeanne (my sister's mother-in-law... yes, our families are that close) on the One Thing, One Week Challenge she found on another blog. This week I actually got several things finished, but I will count this quilt as my 1 thing. (I may need to save some of the other things for future weeks when I'm less productive.)

And now for our juggling act...

I never really blog about myself, but I have a lot going on right now. I thought it might be theraputic to write about it. Aside from caring for my girls and Jay plus getting ready to start my ninth year of teaching I have some side projects. On Monday a colleague and I will present our school's professional development. On Sunday I am teaching a routine I wrote for Murray State's color guard. I have agreed to sew ten aprons for our church's Ladies Day in September (I have 2 finished). My little Etsy endeavor is beginning to pan out as I have already taken several orders. I am almost finished with my first quilt ever and it's adorable (If I do say so myself).
Now, I am notorious for taking on too much then becoming way overwhelmed and finally breaking down in an emotional mess before eventually successfilly fulfilling all responsiblities. I am in no way saying it won't happen this time, but I feel pretty in control and it's nice. I think it's a sign I'm heading in the right direction and actually growing up. :)

Wow... it's been too long since I've written! Our summer is winding down, and it has been a busy one! In an attempt to cover it all without being two wordy I will list the Top 10 Things we have done this summer.
10. Jay attended many basketball practices, camps and games. The Lady Tigers had a 28 and 2 summer!
9. Hannah took two online courses with Murray State toward her Rank I degree.
8. Eve started taking dance classes and found she loves that WAY more than t-ball.
7. Leah is a speedy crawler, pulls up to cruise around all the furniture, makes lots of sounds and has 8 teeth.
6. Mamaw & Sissy came here, we went to their houses and Eve stayed five days with Sissy!
5. Jay and Eve went with friends to Venture River and had a blast.
4. Both girls had check-ups and are still in the 95+ percentile for height and weight.
3. Hannah has gotten caught up on scrapbooking and started an etsy shop.
2. Jay joined Netflix for movie fun and shot his personal best round of golf: 77.
1. The entire family has enjoyed time at church, time at the pool, time with family and time relaxing at home!

Eve is Four!

In some ways the last for years have seemed like forever... in that it is hard to remember life before Eve. In other ways the last four years have gone by in a flash. The Mommy in me has had a hard time with this birthday milestone. With the addition of Leah to the family, Eve has grown up seemingly overnight. She has such a broad vocabulary, silly sense of humor, understanding of emotions, and charming personality all her own. This year Eve has started preschool, played t-ball, become a big sister, learned about basketball, and will start dance next week. She loves to color, paint, sing, dress-up and play with baby dolls. She wanted play food for her birthday so she could be a "seller" and pretends to teach school already. Eve loves her family and has made good friends. She is accepted by her peers, can be a leader at times and is sympathetic to others' feelings. Eve knows most of her letters, can write her name along with some other words, can count and add easily, recognizes patterns and rhyming words, and knows countless other facts about plants, animals, the Bible, seasons, literature, and social studies taught to by her wonderful preschool teacher. Even at this young age I can proudly say Eve is a well-rounded individual and, though I recognize her faults... and the missteps we take as we raise her, she is absolutely perfect to me! Happy Birthday, Eve! I love you!!

And the crowd goes wild!

I don't think 2 3-year-old cousins ever had such a cheering section at a t-ball game as Eve and Zak had tonight! There were 3 Puricellis, 5 (almost 6) Joneses, 2 Hendricks, 2 Cleavers and 5 Starks for a grand total of 17 fans! (I'm sure Uncle Micah, Grandad and all the Johnsons and Whites would have been there if they could've.) Daddy and Uncle Tim are the coaches.
The "Cleaver Construction Wolverines" had a great first game and (even though we weren't technically taking score) they came away with their first victory! Both Eve and Zak got three hits and scored three runs each (as did every other child on either team). Zak even fielded the balls while running the bases playing offense and defense at the same time! For two out of three innings Eve played first base and did a great job waiting for the hit balls to be thrown her way and getting to know the opposing team's players as they batted through. While it was time for her team to bat Eve brought me her "t-ball net" (aka glove) to hold for her and had to stop by for a drink when getting said net for her time in the field. She also tried to end the game early and made a break for the playground between the second and third innings. When I made her return to the game she was none too happy. But, she did return and take her turn at bat. However, she refused to run from base to base and literally walked her way around. (No denying she is my child.) The game ended with high fives, kool-aid, and "banola" bars so Eve was all smiles again. Eve and Zak were treated to a Dairy Queen ice cream cone, too. It was a fun night!! Come join us for their second game to be played next Tuesday!!
Leah was Eve's #1 fan and was a real trooper. Even though the game was right during her evening bottle and bedtime she didn't cry once and was a happy girl. She has started crawling this week and, undoubtedly, can't wait for her turn to run (or walk) the bases!

T-Ball!

Eve and Zak are playing t-ball this spring at Kirksey Park. They had lots of fun at their first practice a couple of weeks ago. Eve did a good job batting, throwing, catching, running and playing in the field. She was, at times, in her own little world, but that is what makes t-ball so much fun! At the end of practice Coach Tim was talking to all the parents in the dug out when Eve walked up to him and said, "Uncle Tim?" He said, "Yes, Eve?" She said, "Did I win?" Tim said, "Yes, Eve, you did win. We all won!" While everyone was cheering she came to me and said, "Mommy, I winned!!" Priceless!!!!!!

Happy Easter!

Well, we have finally made it to spring time!! We are spending the first half of our spring break at Mamaw and PawPaw's house this week. Sissy and Andrew are here to visit, too. It is such a relief to be finished with basketball for the year and to turn our attention to other things like Eve's fourth birthday in May and t-ball excitement for Eve and Zak. Leah turned six months old on Friday and is oohing, coohing and sitting up. Today Eve and Leah wore beautiful hand-embroidered Easter dresses (made by Mamaw) to church. Mamaw really outdid herself this year!! :)

REGION CHAMPS!

GO LADY TIGERS!!!!!!!!!

District Champs!

I haven't had much to blog about lately other than random snow days, busy days at school, ear infections and RSV, and the occasional basketball game. Last night the Lady Tigers defeated cross-town rivals the Lady Lakers for the district championship. The game was exciting down to the last second and it was so fun to watch the girls win. Jay has been an assistant coach for the last few years and it has truly been a blessing in our lives. We have all made new friends, enjoyed times together as a family and found a deeper love for the school district for which we teach and at which our girls will attend school.

We can't wait to see how the Lady Tigers do at the Regional Tournament next week!

Lovin' the Lady Tigers!

After defeating Ballard County to win the All-A Regionals, the Lady Tigers traveled to Richmond, KY, to play in the state tournament.
Today the Lady Tigers placed third in state! Jay has been an assistant coach for a few years now and we spend much of our winter traveling to games and tournaments proudly wearing our black and gold.
It keeps us busy but this year has been so fun now that the team has an awesome 21 and 2 record!!
GO TIGERS!

Complain Less & Thank More

In his sermon last Sunday, John Dale challenged our congregation to make some changes for the new year. Among his suggestions was to "complain less and thank more." This one really struck a chord with me. We seldom take the time to stop and realize just how truly blessed we are. If we look for negatives to complain about we will always find them, but, likewise, if we look for the blessings they are there, too. I am going to try extra hard in 2010 to complain less and thank more with respect to God and to my earthly relationships as well.
It is so easy for wives to complain about husbands (no offense, guys) because all-to-often we look for the negative... for instance, how things don't always get done to our liking or how men don't think like we women think they should.
So, starting today, Jay, I plan to try and look for ways to thank you more and complain less. I'll begin with a list... so if I start to fail in the coming months (or weeks, or days, or hours) I can look back and remember how blessed I really am to have a husband as wonderful as you!
Thank you for
Your fierce loyalty.
Fearing God and being a Christian.
Helping around the house.
Lending a hand with the girls.
Giving me time for myself.
Loving me and our daughters.
Always smiling and looking for the good in people.
Fighting for what is right.
Thank you most of all for working every single day to better yourself for the good of our family, schools, community and church. When I look back over the last ten years I have spent with you I am humbled by the way God has worked in our lives to bring us where we are today. I am proud of you beyond words... your strength, courage and determination amaze me. You are truly a wonderful man and I am so incredibly grateful to have you in my life as my friend, husband and father of our girls. I love you, Jay!

Christmas Concludes

On Monday, Mamaw, PawPaw and Sissy came to Murray for a quick Christmas visit. Eve and Leah were spoiled rotten, as usual, and Eve didn't want any of them to leave! She even locked the front door and blocked their path! :) We were again blessed with lots of good gifts and fun family time. Eve even joined in on game time with her new Princess Yahtzee game from Sissy and by helping with the traditional game of marbles (which Sissy and Mamaw won).
So, soon all the Christmas decor will be down and in storage along with Bob (our "Elf on the Shelf") until next year... hmm... next year... Leah will be toddling around getting into everything and bugging her big sister (instead of the other way around)... I can't hardly wait!!!

Merry Christmas!

The last two days we have had a wonderfully blessed "Stark" Christmas. Yesterday we had the annual Christmas Eve festivities at Grammy and Grandad's house. We are already looking forward to next year when Leah, Scout and Jadyn are toddling one-year-olds trying to keep up with Eve, Zak and Finley!
Today our girls enjoyed presents from Santa. Eve exclaimed, "This is what I have been wanting my whole life!" every time she opened a gift. She helped Leah by opening her gifts while she took a bottle. Tonight we finished our Christmas with a drive through the park to see the lights and Leah's first trip to the movies to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks, 2."
We wish we could have been with the Johnson/White side of our family this weekend, but whirlwind travel with our girls would have been tough. We can't wait for Mamaw, PawPaw and Sissy to come visit us next week, though!! :)

Another Blessing Found

So, I am going back to work tomorrow. I truly feel blessed to have had the last nine weeks at home with Leah and have really enjoyed the time. I don't always like being a working mom and often wish I could stay home. I guess I could stay home if we were to completely change our lifestyle, but we (selfishly) like how we currently live.
Over the last few weeks I have thought a lot about this internal struggle I have about working versus staying home and have come to realize that my need to work goes beyond monetary advantages. I need time to myself... to be something besides a wife and mom.
I've always known that teaching is more than just a job, or even more than a career... it is a role I take on 8 hours a day, 9 months a year and that role matters. It matters to other mothers who entrust me with their children, it matters to my community, it matters to my coworkers who rely on me, it matters to all the children I teach, and it matters to my family that I use my education and skills. I believe that being a good teacher is a God-given talent and is an integral part of who I am as a woman. I need my job to feel complete.
It takes a lot to admit this because with this realization comes guilt. On so many levels my husband and children are more than enough and I feel guilty for even thinking that my job is important. I sometimes think I am supposed to hate working and feel forced to go everyday, but I don't. Most days I look forward to going and spending time with my coworkers (who I am blessed to be able to call some of my closest friends) and I truly love to teach young children. Denying that I enjoy working and that I like my job is like denying a piece of me. Do I have to deny myself completely to be the best mother I can be? I don't think so... in fact I think I am a happier, healthier mother for admitting how I feel and for giving in to that need.
I would be remiss if I didn't add a disclaimer to these thoughts... my feelings might be completely different if my situation changed. I mean, I work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. five days a week with weekends, holidays and summers off. I have an amazing private babysitter who attends the same church we do and a very giving mother-in-law who is willing to step in and care for my children whenever I need. I also have a husband who works the exact same schedule in the same district who teaches our preschooler four half-days a week. I have a more-than-adequate salary and excellent benefits, and I work in a safe, wonderful school. I realize that as far as a full time job is concerned, being the Title I teacher at M.E.S. is best-case-scenario for me.
My thoughts aren't meant to offend, but merely an outlet for me to express how I have been feeling lately and as a release for the guilt I have felt for working at all and then for realizing that I need it. Every person is different and we all need different things to make us whole... God blesses us all in different ways and I have finally learned to admit that my job is a blessing.
Now, someone will need to remind me of this revelation tomorrow morning when I fight back tears as I leave my precious new baby girl to return to work... I guess I'll always be a mother first. After all that's how it should be and I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Abundantly Blessed

I can't think of one thing not to be thankful for this holiday season! I have a wonderful husband and the two most precious girls. I belong to two amazing families and an outstanding church. I love my home, my job and my friends... life just doesn't get much better than this very moment. THANK YOU, GOD!