The Rogers' Family

Who's Boy are You?

2009-03-01T07:47:00.002-05:00

Owen and my dad were talking on the phone this morning. Daddy asked Owen if he was Papa's (his) boy. Owen said no. He asked if he were Mama's boy. Owen said, "No, I Austin's boy!" Needless to say, we were both laughing!

Whitney Caroline Designs: So What is Whitney Giving Away Next?

2009-02-19T19:54:00.000-05:00

Whitney Caroline Designs: So What is Whitney Giving Away Next?

WCD

2009-02-19T19:46:00.003-05:00

Are these not the cutest message boards!?!

I love keeping up with Whitney Caroline Designs! Here is the latest:

So starting today, you can enter to win a large size board in the color of your choice: white, pink or black. But wait... there's more...

If the winner of this giveaway is also a WCD Blog Follower, Facebook Fan, Twitter Follower, Blog Subscriber or Signed Up for WCD’s Newsletter, you will be able to personalize your board with a monogram, name or phrase and ribbon of your choice. But wait... there's more...

If the winner also blogged about this giveaway and added one of WCD’s buttons to their page, you will win the large size board personalized with a monogram, name or phrase and ribbon of your choice, as well as the item that came in 2nd place - a personalized purse in the style of your choice!

To enter: Go to Whitney Caroline Designs (click on the button found on the right hand side of this page) Post a comment - Be sure to mention if you keep up with WCD via Follower, Facebook, Twitter, Feed Subscription or Newsletter. If you’re blogging about this giveaway, include the link to your post in your comment.Entries will be accepted through 2/26/09. Good luck!

Being Deceptive

2009-02-16T19:36:00.003-05:00

I have been having an extremely difficult time getting Owen to eat his veggies lately. Austin and I have resorted to bribery but know that we cannot bribe Owen at every meal he sits down to. My mom bought me the cookbook Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld and I thought I would give it a try. First, it is a wonderful resource even if you are not planning on "hiding" vegetables in your foods. There is a section on just equipping your kitchen, stocking your pantry and the how-to's of pureeing vegetables and fruits. The book gives an easy to understand nutritional guide for children and tells what is exactly in specific vegetables and fruits. It also states which veggies are fruits are better for you than others. The recipes look really good and easy. I made chocolate chip cupcakes tonight. :) We'll soon see how Austin and Owen like the Deceptively Delicious meals.

Children's Museum

2009-02-08T09:55:00.003-05:00

We took Owen to the Lowcountry Children's Museum yesterday and had a wonderful time. Owen played and played. It was hard to get him to leave one area to see what else there was to do. His favorite area was WaterWise! He had fun on the shrimp boat, with the raceways and in the Charleston Market. He enjoyed the Totally Toddler area even though he could be considered a little too big for it. The big kids had taken over the castle, but we did get to play in there for a short time. Of course, we couldn't leave without creating a piece of art! :)

Here are a few pictures from our trip: Austin and Owen painted three pictures!
My knight in shining armor and his dragon (sorry--I couldn't figure out how to rotate the pic.)

Owen went grocery shopping. The VERY first thing he put in his cart was chocolate ice cream!

I love the boots!

WaterWise--This is where we spent most of our time.

Donate a Mammogram

2009-02-02T17:55:00.000-05:00

Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' -- for free (pink window in the middle). This does not cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate a mammogram in exchange for advertising. Here's the web site! Please pass it along to people you know. http://www.thebreastcancersite.com /

TOY

2009-01-30T16:19:00.000-05:00

I was selected as DFE's Teacher of the Year!!!!!

It's a Great Giveaway

2009-01-24T22:10:00.001-05:00

Check out this blog. Whitney Caroline products are super cute!
http://whitneycarolinedesigns.blogspot.com/

Little Bit of News...

2009-01-24T22:02:00.002-05:00

I have been nominated for our school's teacher of the year. Last night, I completed the application and wrote my philosophy. Voting will take place sometime next week. I am not sure if I will get it (the other three teacher's nominated are really good) but it was an honor just to be nominated.

Great Site

2009-01-24T22:01:00.001-05:00

For all of my friends with little ones.
http://www.rif.org/leadingtoreading/en/babies-toddlers/ is a wonderful link for babies and toddlers. Enjoy!

We wish you a...

2009-01-01T08:16:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

Owen's First Haircut

2008-12-30T21:02:00.006-05:00

We had Owen's hair cut today. It was so hard because all of his beautiful curls are now gone. He was a very good boy. He sat still the entire time his hair was being cut. Towards the end he kept asking "all done?." When he was finished he clapped and then let everyone know it was "daddy turn!" Here are a few before, during and after pictures.

Before:

During:

After:

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-30T20:30:00.005-05:00

I only have a few Christmas pictures to share. Owen was too busy playing with his toys to stop for a picture. :)

Moving Day

2008-12-29T01:32:00.006-05:00

I got bit by the playroom bug again. Austin and I had started to clean up our catch all room and put Owen's toys in it. It is the biggest room in the house, the farthest away from our bedroom (Austin has to sleep during the day), and just made sense... for when Owen is older. It is also too secluded for a two year old! He never got to play with the toys in the room. You have to go down three brick steps to get there and I cannot see him or hear him while he played. So, being tired of my living room looking like a daycare I decided to do something. Friday night while Austin was at work I called and asked how he felt about me cleaning up the front bedroom and putting Owen's toys in it. His response was perfect, "Do whatever you want," and with that, I made Friday moving day. I moved everything out of the room. I moved the dresser, vanity, bed, rocking chair, books, my school stuff... I moved it all out, included the mess of clothes thrown down on the bed. I was able to find a home for all of the stuff. My dresser is finally in my bedroom! It is a different wood from the rest of the furniture and I want it in my closet, but that is a project for another day. All of the toys had to come out of the current "playroom" so that I could put the bed, vanity and chair in it. My house was a total disaster for a few hours, but Austin was at work,Owen was asleep and I had the time to spare. Owen's toys fit in the room beautifully and so far it has been great! He is able to play in the room and I can do stuff around the house and not have to worry. There are no stairs to fall down, no guns to bother (Austin's police gear is in the other room) and I can hear Owen play. We have talked a little about paint and are leaving the carpet the way it is--who needs nice floors in a playroom? The bed is set up "downstairs" and it is darker and quieter there than in our room and if Austin wants to sleep there in the daytime he can. As far as using the room for another little one... it will be a while and we will cross that bridge when we get there.

Here are a few pictures of the room so far (and Owen playing train):

Owen's New Phrase....

2008-12-18T19:23:00.001-05:00

"My do it!! Go on!!" Aaauuuggghhh.... I am not ready for him to be so independent!

Earthquake!

2008-12-17T05:25:00.002-05:00

We had a small earthquake yesterday morning. It registered at 3.6 and at first it was beleived that the epicenter was Redbank Rd. and North Rhett... 5 min. from my house and not even a full min. from the daycare! Now, it is believed that the epicenter was more towards Summerville. I felt it, but didn't realize that was what it was. I thought people were working on the roof of our building (there are county men working at school all the time). This is the second one I felt, the first was when I was in middle school.

So, if you should stop by we really can't help how messy our house is because the earthquake did it!

SMART

2008-11-27T20:47:00.003-05:00

Okay... I don't like to toot my own horn, but for this I have to!

I teach using an interactive white board (SMART board). The board is just the best instructional tool that I have ever used. I cannot describe in my words just what it is, but according the the SMART Technologies website, "The touch-sensitive display connects to your computer and digital projector to show your computer image. You can then control computer applications directly from the display, write notes in digital ink and save your work to share later." Okay... I cannot unlock a door, but I can use a SMART board and evidently I am really good at it!

Earlier this month, I received an email from the editor of EdCompass Newsletter, but out by SMART Technologies. This newsletter is sent to SMART board users across the continent (USA & Canada). She had heard that I do a good job using the SMART board to teach Language Arts and wanted to have one of her writers interview me (as one of five teachers across the continent) for the feature article of December's newsletter! So, I was interviewed and have read the first draft of the article and it sounds really good. As soon as it is published, I will write about it.

Well... today, I checked my email. I have been chosen as a SMART Exemplary Educator! I applied in the spring and didn't hear anything about my application and really didn't think that I made was accepted. To apply, I had to fill out an application and then create a SMART "notebook" to be reviewed and judged.

Here is an overview, from the SMART site of what an SEE is, how it is chosen and the benefits:

The SMART Exemplary Educator program spans the globe to recognize teachers who improve educational outcomes through the innovative use of SMART products.

Benefits
SMART Exemplary Educators receive the following:
A certificate of recognition
Preferred access to attend SMART events regionally and nationally
A one-time $199USD credit to be used for any of SMART's training offerings as noted in the program acceptance letter
Updates on SMART products and the chance to evaluate new products
A no-charge copy of SMART Ideas concept-mapping software
A SMART Exemplary Educator laptop bag

Selection Criteria
The SMART Exemplary Educator program is open to teachers, technology coordinators and administrators worldwide. All SMART Exemplary Educators must meet the following criteria:
Use SMART products innovatively to improve learning results
Show commitment to developing effective educational practices
Share these practices with other educators

So, hear I am beaming and feeling pretty SMART! :)

Halloween Pictures (Halloween Night and then the Day Before)

2008-11-02T20:18:00.003-05:00

Our Superman!

Owen was a football player for his Halloween party at school.

Yay! We carved a Jack-o-Lantern!!

Please Watch Before You Vote

2008-10-31T23:41:00.000-04:00

Candy Recalled

2008-10-28T17:55:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone... this is a forward I received from a friend back home, but I thought it would be important to all of us!!!

HALLOWEEN CANDY RECALLED

(and I even verified on snopes: http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/coins.asp)

There is a new warning put out by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency....
Sherwood brand Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate coins are being recalled due to
the fact that they contain Melamine, the ingredient in milk product that has
caused many infant deaths in china.
These candies are sold at Costco, as well as many bulk and dollar stores.
please make sure to check your childrens halloween candy and DO NOT LET THEM
EAT THE PIRATE COINS (you know the ones wrapped in the shiny gold foil)
and please let other parents know about this!

My Age

2008-10-22T19:43:00.002-04:00

This was our conversation on the way home from daycare today.
Me: "Owen, how old are you?"
Owen: "Two!"
Me: "Owen, how old is Momma?"
Owen: "Momma old!"

Recent Pictures

2008-10-21T19:20:00.003-04:00

Here are a few pictures of Owen at Chuck E. Cheese's and at the Pumpkin Patch.

My Sexy Little Man

2008-10-21T19:10:00.001-04:00

Owen cracks me up! He picked up the word "sexy" in daycare one day. His teacher apologized over and over for it. Well, last night he came out of the bathroom with his underwear down around his ankles, ran down the hall saying "sexy, sexy, sexy!" You never know what he will say next!

CSU

2008-10-07T05:36:00.003-04:00

There was a gunman on CSU's campus last night. Police responded quickly and classes will resume today as normal. You tend to think of this happening at large colleges, not small private Christian ones.

Amazed

2008-10-05T09:38:00.004-04:00

I am continually amazed at what Owen does daily. With him being our first child I am not sure what is developmentally appropriate and if what he is doing is the same thing a normal 2 year old will do. Reguardless, here are a few of our amazing moments in the past few days.
1) Austin was outside washing his squad car. Owen walked up to the mop bucket which Austin fills with soapy water. He looked in it and said "bubbles" and then he realized the bucket was empty. He picked up the soap, opened the cap, turned it over and squirted some in the bucket. He then closed the cap. Austin looked in the bucket and told Owen he needed more. So, once again, Owen opened the cap, squirted soap in the bucket and then closed the cap again. Austin added water and Owen had his bubbles.
2) While washing dishes by hand, Owen opened the dishwasher, took dishes out one by one, put them in the sink and kept telling me to "wash it" each time he would add another dish to my dishwater. Nevermind the fact, the dishes in the dishwasher were clean!
3) I told Owen I was going to take a bath yesterday. He ran into the bathroom, dumped all of his bath toys in the tub and then smiled and said "mama's bath." I guess he wanted me to have as much fun as he does.
4) The phone rang and I didn't hear it. He came running to me with the phone hollering "mama phone!" I know it won't be long before he tries to answer it. :)
I just love to sit back and watch him. I am amazed at how much he is learning through play and how he demonstrates it.

Owen's New School

2008-10-01T20:22:00.004-04:00

Owen started his new school this week. He is now an official "little gator" at Goose Creek High School. Owen and I will be be GCHS alums. :)
GCHS has a preschool program for teacher's children. The program is interesting. Here's how it works:
Students who want to become early childhood educators enlist in this program. After spending two years learning EC practices in a classroom they are chosen to "work" in the preschool. The students become "helpers" to the preschool teacher. The preschool ratio is set to the one teacher. So, Owen only has 6 other children in his class, but at times there are 3 and 4 workers.
The preschool follows the same EC curriculum that the county uses. Each day Owen has calendar time, centers, arts and crafts, music, outdoor play and then free play. The children play outside daily. If it is raining they ride tricycles under the breezeways and in the school hallway between classes. One of the best things about this program is that breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided! The childen eat in their own little cafeteria.
Owen has done great! He adjusted well and his teacher said he was very well mannered. You can only imagine how proud I am of him! :)

Monkey Butt!

2008-09-15T19:46:00.004-04:00

Did you know they made such a thing??!!??
I have heard Austin talking about monkey butt and I thought it was something he came up with, but it is an actual real thing! I found this in Rite Aid today and had to get it for him. He is now the proud owner of a 6oz. can of Anti Monkey Butt Powder! They even have a website. You can find out all about Monkey Butt at www.antimonkeybutt.com . Have fun!

I Needed This This Week

2008-09-11T22:40:00.005-04:00

This is the best keynote speaker I have heard in a long time.
This little boy had such a big message for all of us.

Finally--Yokoso Pictures

2008-09-10T21:57:00.004-04:00

I FINALLY figured out how to download pictures from my phone to our computer. Here are the Yokoso pictures. :)

For G-G and Other Breast Cancer Survivors With Love

2008-09-10T21:38:00.004-04:00

Owen and I met Tracy and Samantha for dinner tonight. While sitting at Ruby Tuesdays in Summerville, we noticed a pink fire truck pull in pulling a large breast cancer awareness ribbon. The truck was followed by a large group of bikers wearing pink shirts and black and pink shirts. According to the Post and Courier, "The Pink Ribbon Tour, a national awareness effort in the fight against breast cancer, has scheduled to make stops in Summerville and the surrounding area on Sept. 9-10.
The tour is provided by the Guardians of the Ribbon, a group of Arizona firefighters, police officers and community leaders. They drive around the country in a pink fire truck, wearing pink turnout gear and helmets to promote awareness of the fight against breast cancer.
Organizers are encouraging anyone who has been affected by the disease to come to any of the local stops and sign the fire truck." So, we did. Owen and I wrote his G-G's (Grandma Deborah) name on the truck. It was an amazing sight! I had to take pictures of it and share.

Owen on the Pink Truck
Here is Owen next to G-G's name (there is an "h" at the end of Deborah, it just didn't show up in the picture)
Owen and Samantha--This is the best picture, it was so hard to try to get them both to look at the camera at the same time.

Owen decided to strike a pose! Below is a picture of the pink fire truck.

Get Ready to Wiggle!

2008-09-06T23:52:00.002-04:00

The Wiggles are coming to Columbia! For most, this may seem insignificant. For us, this is a big deal! I just hope the Colonial Center is big enough to hold Owen Rogers!

Hanna

2008-09-06T21:06:00.002-04:00

Hanna came and Hanna went last night. All she left was a bunch of rain! I am very thankful. Austin was able to come home at the end of his shift (1 am) and again, I am very thankful. School got out at 10:30 and we do not have to make up the day; another reason to be thankful! It was evident that the Lord was watching out for us and I am thankful!

Webcam

2008-09-06T21:04:00.002-04:00

We are now available to chat via the web! Our new, new computer has a webcam on it and we finally are set up and ready to go. So far, we have had a couple nice chats with G-G (Deborah) and are excited about having more. If you have one and would like to talk please let me know.

Roller Coaster Weekend

2008-09-01T20:18:00.003-04:00

We have been on a crazy roller coaster ride this weekend. First, I have to say that I am stoked about Sarah Palin! I really like all I have read and heard about her. I do not wish to discuss politics and will not if you bring it up, just know I like her. :)

Saturday Austin, Owen and I went to SeeWee Restaurant in Awendaw to eat lunch. It was pretty good. I love the atmosphere of the restaurant. It looks like a hole in the wall place, but when you go inside it is decorated like you are sitting on somebodies porch. The walls have local and beachy pictures on them. The tables have small vases of flowers. It is not fancy at all, but I like it. We had to sit by the door and the bathrooms were outside the building, so those were downfalls. The food was pretty good. On our way out the door Owen decided to jump off the top step. I was holding his hand and wasn't ready. I am glad he landed on the second step (of four). I told him we had to walk down the steps, but as soon as I began to step again, he said "jump" and then he did. When we left, we went to SeWee Educational Center in the Francis Marion National Forest. It was nice and quiet. We walked a little ways on a trail that started as a boardwalk and then turned into a path through the woods. The mosquitoes were bad, so we turned around. Inside the center was a small exhibition hall. Owen enjoyed looking at the animals and of course, everything was a dog... The deer, bobcat, otter, squirrel and all other animals displayed were dogs. We watched a little movie on the SeWee Indians and Owen ran through the theater, but that was okay because we were the only ones there. He had fun hiding in the aisles and climbing on the seats. I did learn that it will be a VERY LONG time before we take him to see a movie. Saturday was a good day.

Sunday he woke up feeling fine. We got dressed and took him to church. My grandma stayed in the nursery and told me that he was fussy and that he cried for me. He just doesn't do that. When we picked him up he was acting normal. We went to Red Lobster for lunch and he played. He fell asleep in the car and slept from 1:30 until I woke him up at 4:00. I just thought he was tired. He went down for his nap late and I thought he was sleeping a little longer because of it. At 4:15 he vomited everything in his little stomach. We cleaned him up and I tried to give him ginger ale. He would not drink it. He got settled down and then played like nothing was wrong. He would not eat supper. I did get him to eat applesauce at 7:00 and at 7:15ish he was running through the kitchen, threw-up, keep running, slipped and fell flat of his back in his pile of puke. This was not pretty. We picked him up and he rubbed the back of his head and said "boo-boo." Austin gave him his bath and put him to bed. He slept through the night and was fine today. I gave him Jello and Pedialyte this morning and then rice for lunch. He kept it all down fine. He has laughed and played. He took a good nap (2 hours) and went to bed fine.

I am watching the storm. I know that we will feel the effects, but pray that it doesn't make landfall close to home. Right now, it looks like it will make landfall at Hilton Head, which is south of us, but hurricanes are very unpredictable. Austin is currently on standby.

We have been up and down this weekend, but I am looking forward to a good week and keeping my eye on Hanna!

Prayer Needed

2008-08-24T21:00:00.002-04:00

Please remember my Uncle Ken in your prayers. This is the short version of everything... He had a mild heart attack Monday, had a heart cath. Tuesday, major bypass surgery Wednesday (replaced 5 veins/valves, if I am not mistaken), had another heart attack Thursday while in ICU due to a replacement valve collapsing and is now finally slowly recovering. The doctors were able to take him off of the ventilator today (they have been trying all weekend to wean him off but his blood-ox level has been too low) and he should move out of CVICU tomorrow if everything continues to progress. He is now awake and alert. The doctors have stopped most of his pain medication due to the fact that the medications are raising his blood pressure. The recovery progress will be slow and he will need much prayer.

Back to School--One Week Down!

2008-08-24T20:45:00.004-04:00

Last week was my first official week back at work. I had three days of "planning" prior and then the children came on Monday. Due to privacy issues and what is acceptable to write in a blog and what isn't, I cannot go into a lot of detail. The children in my class are very sweet. They have a very wide range of abilities and I already know I will need to put in a lot of time to make sure that I am meeting the needs of such a diverse group of kids. So far, I also have a great group of parents. I know I have three stay at home moms who really want to help out. Last week, one mother came in on Wednesday to get my Wonderful Wednesday Work folders in order to send home and she came again on Friday to empty the folders and begin to get them ready for next week. I had a different parent tear out all of the math homework pages from the workbook and sort them by lesson. She did this for the entire school year! I have never had parents come and help out so much, I hope this continues throughout the school year. My principal dropped in to do an observation on Thursday and it went well. We were also supposed to have a fire drill Friday and it was cancelled because of the rain. :) I understand the need for them, but I really hate those things! I really believe this will be a good year. I made it through the fist week and every day was better than the one before it.

Owen has been a good boy at his school. Tuesday, though, I went to dress him and he ran from me. When I caught him I told him that he had to get dressed for school. His response was "bye-bye, no!" I dressed him anyway and continued to get myself ready. A little while later Austin told Owen it was time for him to put on his shoes to go to school and he told Austin, "bye-bye, no, no!" His tone was one of I have already said I wasn't going to go and I mean it. Well.. he went. He cried a little when I dropped him off, but ended up having a good day. I really can't blame him, there are some mornings I just don't want to get up and go either but, Owen has to learn that we have to whether we want to or not. I just got tickled at the fact that he told us that he wasn't going.

Good News

2008-08-14T19:00:00.003-04:00

I spoke with the doctor today. He told me that my MRI came back good. There is nothing to worry or be alarmed about. He still does not understand what could have caused the Tinnitus, but does know that the Tinnitus is causing the hearing loss. I go back in 6 mo. for a recheck. :)

Yokoso

2008-08-13T20:55:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I came home from work to a clean house and a husband who wanted to go out to eat! My bucket was filled to say the least. :) Austin met me in the drive way ready to go. He suggested that we go to a Japanese Steak House. We haven't been in a long time and thought Owen would enjoy it. He had a blast! He was so fascinated by the chef and the grill/griddle (I am not sure what it is called). It was fun to watch him take it all in. His eyes were huge the entire time we were there. When the chef first started to cook, Owen told him that the grill was hot. There were a few other children at our table and he did everything the big kids did. Owen played with chopsticks when the other children were trying to use them and when the other children put theirs down he put his on his plate. He liked the Miso soup and the rice, but didn't care for the salad, veggies or steak. He was very well behaved and I am very proud.

I See You

2008-08-13T20:50:00.003-04:00

Austin and I went shopping Monday after my MRI. It just made me feel better to get out and get my mind off of things. While we were out Austin found this figurine. It is titled "I See You" and is in a gift line, similar to Willow Tree, called Forever in Blue Jeans. This is Owen through and through. He actually does this! He will spread his feet apart and place his hands on the ground so that his head is resting on the ground. Next, he will look between his legs, say "hi" and then laugh. It is so funny! We had to get this! :)

tinaecmusic

2008-08-10T21:08:00.003-04:00

I had to share this! :)

2008-08-09T22:15:00.009-04:00

It has been a little over a week since I wrote my last blog, but it feels like it has been longer. We have been staying busy and so much is going on right now.

Last Saturday, we went to visit the Murphy's at their house at the beach. We had a blast! Austin was able to visit with Barry and I think the visit did him good. They talked non-stop. We had not taken Owen to the beach this summer. I will say, he had a much better experience this year then he did last year. He had fun playing in the water and got quite upset when the seagulls few away. He was fascinated by them and would run up to them saying "mine." Owen made friends with some people who had their chairs in the shallow water. He decided he wanted to sit with them for a while. He walked right up to them, sat in one of their chairs and said "hi." He was so well behaved and we all enjoyed our day.

Austin and Owen

Owen visiting with Barry

Q.T.I.P.--Quit Taking It Personally is the motto for our new school year. Tuesday and Wednesday I attended a retreat for work where we learned all about QTIP. This is all part of PBIS Year 2. PBIS is our school's discipline policy. In a nutshell, the program teaches us to teach the children how to behave because we cannot assume that their parents will. It is a good program, but that is a topic for a new blog on a new day. Back to our retreat, it was held at Camp St. Christopher on Seabrook Island. It is a really pretty place and we were able to take a little time for ourselves. We spent the majority of Tuesday working. We began work at 3:00, ate dinner at 6:30 and finished up working around 8:30. That evening we took a walk on the beach. The beach there is extremely secluded. You can see all sorts of beach wildlife that you rarely see at the local beaches. My friend Sandie snuck out and took some wonderful pictures and I hope that she doesn't mind that I borrowed a few.

Tonight, I went to a movie with my mom. We haven't gone to a movie together in a really long time and it was nice. We saw Pineapple Express. Now, with this movie being in the theater's right now I will not say much about it. I will tell you that the message from the movie is that drugs are bad. We all know that. The movie was hilarious! It is not my "type" of movie, but I laughed so hard I had to pee. I am so glad that I went.

End of the Summer

2008-07-31T22:51:00.003-04:00

I am going back to work tomorrow. I have to tackle the mountain of stuff that is in the middle of my classroom floor and have limited time to do it in. We have had a big summer and I cannot believe it is now over. Here are a few highlights from the past two months:

We were able to go see Austin's family in Rockingham, NC. We visited with his grandparents, Aunts, cousins and of course his mom and Michael. It was a nice visit. We are looking forward to a visit with Grams soon.
Owen and I went to the waterpark a lot. He loves it! Every time we went he got just as excited as he did the first time.
Owen started potty training. At first, we were giving him an M&M each time he went potty then, I ate them all one night. So now, we give him yogurt bites. They are healthier and I really do not like them. :) He is doing pretty good. Most days have been great, but some days going to the bathroom is NOT on his daily agenda.
We took Owen to the aquarium and he loved the fish and "turdles."
We found out the the county park near our house has a really good shaded playground for toddlers. We would go early in the morning (8:30ish) before the day got hot. Owen could play, it was not crowded and being that early the bathrooms were still clean.
Owen began to talk more. He is a hoot!
I now have four new friends. There names are Murray, Jeff, Anthony and Greg (who has been replaced by Sam--I have a hard time telling the difference). They are the Wiggles!
We are continually working on Owen's space, his playroom. We have cleaned up and cleaned out and I believe I found a way to divide the room so that Austin has his space and Owen has his.
Owen pulled a few stunts. He climbed on top of the kitchen table and was standing in the middle of it one day when I to a quick trip to the bathroom. He hid in a cabinet and thought it was funny when I finally found him. He layed on a balloon one day and could not figure out what happened when it shot out from under him. He has figured out how to take his diaper off at night (he doesn't do this everynight thank goodness). He can now open doors, but he knocks first.

It really has been a joy to be home this summer. Owen stays so very busy and is in continual motion! I hate to go back to work and for him to go to his "school," but we have to and it will be okay.

Oh by the way, did I mention that my big boy needs a bookbag? It was on his school supply list! :)

VENT

2008-07-31T22:36:00.002-04:00

I have to VENT!!!! I went to see an ENT last week (see previous post). Before I left the office the doctor told me that I would be receiving a phone call from them Monday. I asked if I were to call him, just to clarify, and he said that they would "track me down." So, I took that as a no and that somebody from his office would call me Monday. Monday came and Monday went and nobody called. I called them Tuesday and left a message. Somebody called me back Tuesday after the doctor left. She apologized and told me that she would pull my chart and that I would get called Wednesday. Wednesday came and Wednesday went and nobody called. I called this morning. When the lady called me back she wanted to know why I was calling. I told her that I did not receive a phone call yesterday and wanted to touch base to find out what would happen next. She told me she would, again, pull my chart and call me back. She did twice. The first time was to find out my symptoms and I told her and the second time was to tell me that the doctor wanted to see me today.
I made arrangements for my sister to watch Owen and went to the doctor's office in Moncks Corner. His office is located in a small hospital. The reception area is a larger sized waiting room and it is for many doctors. When I went to the desk the receptionist/clerk told me that my doctor was not in that office today, that he was in his downtown Charleston office. She called that office. I spoke to somebody on the phone who told me that if I could not be downtown at that moment then the doctor could not see me today because he had a meeting. It's a long drive from Moncks Corner to the city of Charleston. So, I now have an appointment for Monday at 11:45 and whoever I talked to told me to expect to wait because if people walked in he would have to see them. Why make an appoinment if I will have to wait on the other people who had to be fit in? I know they wish I would just go away, but I wish this ringing in my ear would go away too.
I cried when I left the office. I am so frusterated and I just want somebody to find out what is wrong with my ear and fix it. I stopped by my doctor's office on the way home to ask for a referral to a different doctor and of course, the woman who does referrals is out until Monday. I came home and called the insurance company and with my plan I have to have a referral from my PCP.
Austin told me to look on the bright side... at least the ringing is not in both ears.

My Ear

2008-07-22T19:49:00.003-04:00

As many people know I have been having ear trouble and am going to describe what is going on the best I can understand.
Ten days ago I had a dull pain in my left ear and went to the doctor. The doctor (which was not mine) told me my ear looked red and asked if I had been digging in it... YUCK! She gave me an antibiotic for an ear infection. That evening I had a very sharp, piercing pain in that ear. I layed on a heating pad all night to help ease the pain. The next day my ear felt clogged and the day following I discovered lots of blood in my ear. I went back to the doctor (mine this time) and he told me that I had a severe ear infection and my eardrum was perforated (busted). I continued with my antibiotic and went back today for a follow-up. I still have ringing (Tinnitus) in my left ear and it still feels clogged (fullness).
My doctor sent me to an ENT. The ENT looked at everything and told me that my nose and throat look good and that my right ear looks good also. The ENT had an Audiologist run a series of test on my ears. The first test was to check to see if my eardrums are performing like they should. The doctor applied pressure on the eardrums to see if it would respond and it did and then used very loud noises to see what my eardrums would do and they were fine. Next, I was put in a box... literally a big box. It was phone booth sized and complete enclosed. There was a widow on the side of it and I was not allowed to look out of the window. This is where the hearing test was performed. That did not come back so good. My right ear hears well. I have moderate hearing loss in my left ear. Well, the hearing loss has to be caused from something. The ENT seems to think that I have a virus (I don't know what kind) in between my inner ear and my brain. The virus is causing the fullness, the Tinnitus and the hearing loss. When the virus is gone he believes all will be well. I am now taking a steroid drug to cure the virus. The office will call me on Monday and if I am still having trouble I will be sent for more tests, possibly an MRI to find out exactly what is wrong.

The Wiggles

2008-07-21T19:50:00.002-04:00

Owen has fallen in love with The Wiggles. He had 2 DVD's and I really got tired of hearing the same songs over and over and over again. Today I found a Wiggles DVD at Big Lots. It is a Christmas DVD, but it only cost $4.00 so I couldn't pass it up. I like Christmas songs and thought it would be okay all year long. What I didn't think about is that The Wiggles are from Australia and it is summer when they have Christmas! Owen will be so confused when he gets a little older. Now I see why it was such a good deal DVD.

Busy Day

2008-07-20T09:42:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was a very busy day for us. The weather was cloudy and even though we didn't really feel well, we decided to do something together as a family. Owen loves fish "fshhh" and we took him to the South Carolina Aquarium. He had a blast! It was so funny to watch him look at the fish. He stood as close as he could to the class of the different exhibits. He told most of the fish "hi" and just watched them. When we got home Owen and Austin washed Austin's squad car, Owen "rode" his bike and then played with Harley. What a good way to spend a cloudy day!

Austin and Owen when we first arried at the aquarium

This is where Owen spent most of his time... on his daddy's shoulders.

Owen looking at fish with Austin.

Owen and me looking at fish.

Our little fisherman!

Helping daddy wash his car...
Time to rinse!
Playing with the water was the best part of all!
"Bye-Bye"
Owen loves Harley

Pediatricain

2008-07-14T15:25:00.002-04:00

Owen and I met a new pediatrician today. I liked her. I went in with a typed page of all of Owen's respiratory "issues" and she listened. She told me that when children are wheezers, like Owen, that they watch them very carefully and that they check their blood oxygen level when they come in with a respiratory related issue. I will still go to Dr. Harper (the asthma doctor) for respiratory trouble, but just the thought that this office is closer and that they will check his blood ox when we go in is comforting.
There are 6 actual doctors in the office. The practice we were in only had 2 doctors and a bunch of nurse practitioners. Not that the nurses weren't good, because they were, I also like the fact that when we go in we will see a doctor. They do not have Saturday hours, but are starting to extend their hours due to growth and she said that Saturday's are something they have been talking about. Their last appointment is at 4, but they will see a sick child after that if they cannot get him/her in before.
I filled out the paperwork to have Owen's records sent over and hope I am making a good decision. Austin said that it didn't matter to him who Owen saw, just so he received treatment if he was sick. Our first scheduled appointment is Oct. 28th for his 2 year well baby exam.

Yesterday's News

2008-07-04T10:36:00.002-04:00

Austin came home Wednesday and told me that he was selected to do an escort on Thursday and had to report to the captain's office. I didn't ask a lot of questions, knowing he would tell me about it when he got home. He was home early yesterday and told me that we needed to watch the news. The U.S. Transportation Secretary was in Charleston and that is who Austin was helping to escort. He was standing almost directly behind her while she made her press statement. Here is a link to the news segment: http://www.live5news.com/global/story.asp?s=8617337 . Click on the red camera beside the words Safety on the Roads this Fourth. Austin is behind Joe Riley, the city of Charleston's mayor, which is to the left of Mary Peters (the transportation secretary). I am so proud!

Virus

2008-07-03T09:46:00.002-04:00

I took Owen to the doctor yesterday and once again he has a "virus." When he woke up he felt warm and I took his temperature. It was 101.3. I gave him Tylenol. All he wanted to do was lay around. He did not want to play, he did not want to eat. All he wanted to do was sleep. This is very unusual. I called the doctor. When the doctor saw Owen, his temperature was 103.2. Owen's ears looked good, but his throat looked red. The doctor did a step culture and it came back negative. He took blood for a white cell count and that came back good. He told me it was a virus and to give it time. He said that if Owen was still running a fever in three days, Saturday, to take him back. When we left, I called the asthma doctor. With every virus Owen has he has asthma trouble. That doctor put Owen on Pulmicort twice a day. Pulmicort is a maintenance drug and hopefully it will prevent any asthma trouble Owen may have. I put Owen in the bed with us when I went to bed last night. Knowing that temperature rise at night I wanted to make sure we could keep a close check on him. He had a low fever at 1:00 and so we gave him more Tylenol. When Owen woke up this morning he was feeling much better. He has laughed, danced and today. So far, so good. :)

Little Boys and Great Big Potties

2008-07-01T08:58:00.000-04:00

Sunday, at church, Owen let me know many times that he had to go potty. The first three times, I got wet. He peed on my legs and on my shoes (I am thankful I wore sandles and did not have on pantyhose) and all over the floor. I asked a very nice lady in nursery (who has a son and grandsons) how to prevent it. She told me that if you turn a boy around backwards on the big potty he won't pee all over. If he does pee out of the potty, it will hit the back of the tank and not you. I did this and it works! I back Owen up to the front of the potty and then he can lean on my legs if he needs to. He doesn't though because he is too busy watching the pee-pee, which makes him lean forward and TA-DA he pees in the pot and not out onto the floor. We have successfully used the potty at Andolini's Pizza, Target and the water park... and I did NOT get wet!

SCSLC

2008-06-28T06:59:00.000-04:00

The SC student loan corporation is ridiculously stupid! 100% of my next payment goes to interest and absolutely NOTHING goes to principal... Can they do this?

Bloggin' in the Middle of the Night

2008-06-27T03:09:00.000-04:00

Yes, it is 3 am, and yes, I am writing a blog. I took 2 Excederin for a headache around 10 tonight and when it passed I fell asleep. Well... I guess the caffiene decided to also kick in. It just did so about an hour ago and I CANNOT sleep! It has been so very long since I have written a blog, so why not now?

We have had an extremely busy month. Some things that have happened have been very good and others have been very bad. Here is a rundown of the past 3 weeks:

Good...

1. We got to spend time with Austin's family. Mrs. Deborah and Mr. Chuck were able to come down the first of the month and spend a few days each taking care of Owen while I was in class. It was good that Owen got to spend time alone with his grandparents, it doesn't happen very often. We also took a trip to Rockingham to see Austin's grandparents. We had a very nice visit and Owen was on his best behavior. :)

2. Owen decided it was time to start using the potty. We are not forcing him, but when he says "Pee-pee," we run. The only embaressing time is at the waterpark because he cannot distinguish between his swimmy being wet from the water and wet from tinkle. I bought pull-ups today. My hope is that they feel different from a diaper and he will still want to go potty.

3. Austin's new job is working out well. If he is "owed" time, he gets it without having to go in and ask if it is okay for him to come in late or get off early. They approach him about it.

4. I got a new phone. It is a Blackberry Pearl. We went into Suncom to get a phone for Austin and somehow came out with one for me. My husband is the greatest... now, if I can only figure out how to use it!

5. I now have a new beautifully monogrammed Vera Bradley purse per Aunt Gwen. :) I love VB stuff!

6. We have been decluttering and are much closer to having Owen a playroom! Yay!!!

7. My crock-pot cooking is getting much better! With it being close to 100 degrees everyday I cannot justify heating up the house with the oven.

8. Austin is learning to can vegetables. The ones we have eaten have been very good and are perfect side dishes for my crock-pot food.

9. Did I mention that Owen is starting to go potty???

10. I still have another 6 weeks before I go back to work!

Bad (only 2 things)...

1. Andrew is gone. (I really hope Kristin doesn't read this, she will KILL me.) Kristin will get through this and will be a better person in the end. Enough said.

2. Austin is now working night shift. My phone ringer has been turned off and I have missed many phone calls.

Here are some random pics that I should have put in as I wrote, but it is 3:30 and nobody thinks clearly at 3:30.

Eating grapes... yummy!

Loves the phone... not sure where he got that trait from.

Playing with Trenton

Owen and Great-Papa

Owen and Great-Grandmother

A Boy and His Dog

My Big Boy

Potty!

2008-06-16T20:47:00.000-04:00

Today, Owen went potty, twice, on his brand new potty chair! We are so proud of him!!!!

Teacher Salary

2008-06-11T15:46:00.000-04:00

I read this and found it funny! I thought I would share, the sad part about it is that it is true.

Teachers' hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do--baby sit!

We can get that for less than minimum wage. That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked, not any of that silly planning time. That would be $19.50 a day (7:00 AM to 3:30 (or so) PM with just 25 min. off for lunch). Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby- sit their children.

NOW... How many do they teach in a class, 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day. However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! We're not going to pay them for any vacations. LET'S SEE.... That's $585 x 180= $105,300 per year.

What about those special teachers and the ones with master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage, and just to be fair, round it off to $7.00 an hour.That would be $7 x 6 1/2 hours x 30 children x 180 > days = $245,700 per year.

Wait a minute--there' s something wrong here! Average teacher salary $50,000/180 days = $277/per day/30 students = $9.23/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student.
A very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even try - with your help - to EDUCATE your kids!

WHAT A DEAL.... And the parents don't even have to buy us pizza!

Make a teacher smile; send this to someone else who appreciates teachers...

First Real Day Off

2008-06-09T16:13:00.001-04:00

Today was my first real day out of school and I loved it! Owen let me sleep until 7. I am in class all this week and wondering what I have gotten myself into with the NBPTS stuff. Next school year will be busy and it will start with a TON of reading this summer, but we will make it and it will be worth it... every penny of it! :) We are looking forward to our visit with Grandma (Deborah) tonight and then later this week with Pop-Pop (Chuck). Please keep Kristin in your prayers, she needs a lot right now.

2008-06-04T19:02:00.001-04:00

1/2 day left with the children!!!!! YAY, I made it!!!! :)

Kiss

2008-05-29T16:31:00.000-04:00

I have been trying for three days to get a kiss from Owen. He will kiss Austin, but has not wanted to give me one. Yesterday morning, he was sitting in his high-chair. I asked if mommy could have a kiss and he turned his cheek and said "me." I gave him a kiss and asked again. He did the same thing, he turned his cheek and said "me." I gave him another kiss. When I asked a third time he flat out told me "no." I left it alone. Last night at bedtime, he gave Austin a "nigh-nigh" kiss, but told me "no." I finally got my kiss this morning. When I dropped Owen off at daycare he immediately started to play. When the worker told him to kiss mommy bye he ran over and gave me a kiss. He usually blows kisses, but today I got the real deal. He can be so sweet!

I am looking forward to the time we will have together this summer. The best part of teaching is the summers, weekends and holidays... some teachers will tell you the kids, but they are lying. I can't wait to be able to feed him three meals a day instead of one and put him down for a nap myself. I can't wait to go to the water park and to take him outside and just play. I only have 5 days left and Owen only has 6... let the countdown continue! :)

Days and Shoes

2008-05-28T17:19:00.000-04:00

I only have 6 days of school left and Owen only has 7 days of daycare!!!

Yesterday afternoon, I called the water park again. I asked them to look in their lost and found again for my shoes. Guess what??? They found them!!! I am very thankful. I went today and picked them up. They are very WET and will need to dry out. I am certain they will dry just fine and I will be able to wear them soon. :)

Countdown

2008-05-27T16:27:00.001-04:00

There are only 7 days of school left!!!!! Owen only has 8 days of daycare left!!!! YAY!!!

I got a report that Owen was very good today! He napped for close to 3 hours and woke up in a great mood. He has not tried to bite in a few WEEKS now. When we were getting ready to leave he wanted to wear a leopard print beanie cap home, but thankfully decided to give it back to Mrs. Barbara. He is so silly!

Shoes

2008-05-26T19:11:00.001-04:00

It's official... they are gone... I bought another pair this afternoon. :( If I wear those to the water park I am going to chain them to my chair!

Water Park

2008-05-26T12:52:00.001-04:00

Owen and I went to the water park today and had a blast! This was the first time that I took him and he enjoyed it. He wasn't afraid at all. As soon as we put our stuff down he took off for the water. He ran and splashed and went under the water. He even decided to go in the deep end... it was only 18 inches deep! :) I tried really hard to get pictures of his face, but couldn't. Owen was on the go and would not stop long enough for a good picture. We had a wonderful time playing. However, we left a little disappointed. When we were getting dressed I realized that my Rainbow flip-flops were gone. I checked lost and found and they were not there. I am going to call later today to see if somebody turned them in. I want to believe that somebody accidentally picked them up and that they are not stolen.

Here are a few pictures of Owen playing in the water:

Austin's Graduation

2008-05-17T16:19:00.000-04:00

Yay!!!! Austin finally graduated from the academy, is finally a commissioned police officer again and is finally home!!!! The ceremony was nice. It opened with all of the "trooper trainees" marching in and chanting a cadence. It made me chuckle a little when they all said, "I like it here. I love it here. I've finally found my home away from home!" If you have heard Austin talk, you know that is not quite the truth. :) The keynote speaker was pretty good and it felt great to see Austin walk across the stage and receive his certificate and his hat.

Owen was just busy during the ceremony. Before it all began he kept people entertained by running around the aisle. At one point, he tried to climb the stage. My daddy spent the time chasing him. During the presentation of the colors he got antsy. He was tired of sitting still and really didn't want to be quiet. Dad took him outside and played with him. After the ceremony was over, he still wanted to run. He ran right into a circle of important people talking. They just looked at him and smiled, some of them talked to him. Austin moved VERY quickly to catch him that time.

I wasn't able to take any pictures. My camera was in the diaper bag, which was in the stroller, which my dad had outside with Owen. Mrs. Deborah took these pictures and emailed them today. Enjoy!

A family picture after the ceremony. If you notice, Owen really wanted down so that he could run!
This is our proud State Trooper and his car!

Mrs. Deborah said, "This is Billy, a retired HP officer. He gave Austin a belt buckle that he designed at their 50 year anniversary in 1980 and the HP still uses to this day. He was a neighbor of ours when Austin was born."

Police Week

2008-05-13T18:30:00.000-04:00

This was a bulletin posted on myspace that I wanted to copy and share.

Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week is an observance in the United States that pays tribute to the local, state, and federal law enforcement officers. The Memorial takes place on May 15, and Police Week is the calendar week in which the Memorial falls.

The holiday was created on 1 October 1961 when Congress asked the president to designate 15 May to honor law enforcement officers. John F. Kennedy signed the bill into law on October 1, 1962. According to a proclamation by George W. Bush in 2002, "Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week pay tribute to the local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers who serve and protect us with courage and dedication. These observances also remind us of the ongoing need to be vigilant against all forms of crime, especially to acts of extreme violence and terrorism." Much of the holiday centers around the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall in Washington, D.C., whose walls feature the names of the more than 17,000 law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty.

On May 15th, fly your flags at half staff. This is in remembrance of our fallen officers - 2007 was a very bloody year for LEOs. And if you see a cop, just tell him or her thank you for what they do.

More Park Pictures

2008-05-03T18:53:00.001-04:00

I am not sure what Owen was looking at, but chances are whatever he saw was small and creeped around.

Owen followed Austin for the longest time.

He had to look and "read" the sign just like daddy!

Just Owen and mom.

He had a blast!

(We stopped by Walmart on the way home... that was pretty fun too!)

Family Day

2008-05-03T18:48:00.000-04:00

Today we had a family day. We got up, went to lunch and then to Old Santee Canal Park. The weather was absolutely beautiful and Owen was in the best mood. We were able to walk along the walking trails. Most of the time we pushed Owen in the stroller, but we let him run around on the trails a little. The best part of all is that we did not see a single snake!

The New Karate Kid

2008-05-03T18:42:00.000-04:00

This morning Austin and Owen decided to learn a new skill... Kung Fu Fighting! They were so funny in their headbands!

Shots!

2008-04-29T17:54:00.000-04:00

I am writing my first blog with wonderful news to share. Owen doesn't have to get any more shots until he is 4! I know that may sound like something little, but it is getting extremely hard to hold his hands and keep him from rolling off of the table when the nurse sticks him. He did very well today and only cried for a little bit. Even though he was a good boy, I am still very happy we can go for such a long time without any more... well, minus the flu shot. He is now 26 lbs. and 4 oz. and is 32 in. long. I can't believe how much he has grown! :)