BCC Montessori Strikes Again...

TJ definitely just finished singing "God Bless America" at the dinner table.  I was a little shocked and confused, until I looked at the schedule on the refrigerator and realized that this week's theme in their toddler classroom was "America the Beautiful".  Good ol' BCC Montessori...

On a Roll

After not blogging for 3 weeks, two blogs in one night!  Sarah tagged me, hope you enjoy!

8 Things I am looking forward to:
1. My off Friday at work aka "my personal holiday".  (I work every other Friday.)
2. Olivia sleeping through the night like her brother

3.  Finishing folding the pile of laundry that is on a chair in the living room

4.  Going to sleep

5.  Meeting up with Donna and Lindsay for a spa day next month

6.  My girls weekend in Charleston with Valencia at the end of the summer (haven't seen her in 4 years!)

7.  Fall semester when the increased employee discount takes effect on the kids' weekly school tuition

8.  Star's bridal shower and wedding!

8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Drove with the kids up to my parents house

2. Saw my grandma :)

3.  Had a fun "Girls Night Out" dinner with some friends from high school

4.  Gave the kids their first showers.  (Olivia - thumbs down;  TJ- two thumbs up!)

5.  Went out and about to scope out some Father's Day gifts...ended up with NADA!

6.  Took a nap

7.  Had a wonderful conversation with my good friend Holly who is 21 weeks pregnant!  I haven't spoken to her in ages!!!!

8.  Saw an old high school classmate in Michael's.  Haven't seen him since high school.  

8 Things I wish I could do:
1. Go on a vacation with my husband

2. Find more time to work out

3. Work part time so I could spend more time with my kids

4.  Braid Olivia's hair so my mom wouldn't have to do it

5.  Hire Candice Olsen to decorate my entire house

6.  Tolerate flying so I could visit more friends 

7.  Learn how to swim

8.  Find a private swimming instructor for my kids or a 2-year old class that doesn't require a parent per child in the water. 

8 Shows I watch:
1. So You Think You Can Dance

2. Divine Design

3.  Real Housewives of Orange County/New Jersey/Atlanta

4.  Jon & Kate Plus 8

5.  Run's House

6.  Say Yes To the Dress

7.  House Hunters

8.  All Cartoons on Noggin (Yo Gabba Gabba, Backyardigans, Wonder Pets, Ni Hao Kailan, etc)

8 of my Favorite Foods:
1. Yoplait Yogurt Light

2.  Bear Naked Granola

3.  Kilwin's Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

4.  Ben & Jerry's Coconut 7-layer bar Ice Cream

5.  Mango Magic Smoothie from Tropical Smoothie (substitute the pineapple for peaches)

6.  Grands Homestyle Biscuits

7.  Turkey Burgers

8. Sweet Potatoes

8 Places I have traveled: 

1. Vienna, Austria (high school)

2. Salzburg, Austria (high school)

3.  Cancun, Mexico (high school)

4.  Bahamas (honeymoon cruise)

5.  Key West (honeymoon cruise)

6.  New York City (college)

7.  St. Louis, Missouri (Final Four)

8.  Indianapolis, Indiana (Final Four)

8 Places I would like to travel: (This is a problem since I have learned to hate flying...)
1. Hawaii
2. Baton Rouge to visit Kamilah

3. Chicago

4.  Maryland to visit Valencia, Lindsay and Tonya

5.  Las Vegas

6.  California

7.  New York City to see Broadway shows

8.  Indianapolis (to the next Final Four)

People I tag: 
Whoever is reading this blog and has not done this already!

Father's Day and more...

So apparently it's been awhile since I've posted a blog.  I must say that it's not because of a lack of material!  My kids have been extra cute these last few weeks, but everytime they did something blog-worthy  I was just not able to stop for long enough to get a blog in.   For those of you who are going through Parks twins withdrawal (I'm not naming any names...), here we go...

Since I last blogged I have turned the big 3-0!  Yay!  Unfortunately that week my kids also decided to catch the Round 1 of the "mysterious daycare virus".  I ended up leaving work early on my birthday to pick them up from daycare and they proceeded to spend three days at home (Terry and I each stayed home from work a 1/2 day each day) recovering from fever/diarrhea.  No fun, but they seemed to get better and were ready to get back to school on Thursday.  

That weekend some good friends of ours, Jen and Jason, came down to accompany us on our first beach trip of the summer.  We had a really good time although it was REALLY hot!  Here are some pics from our beach trip.   

That evening of the beach trip, however, we noticed that TJ was getting yet another fever...and thus began Round 2 of the "mysterious daycare virus".  Both TJ and Olivia ended up having pretty high fevers and stayed home all week from daycare.  We took them to the doctor just to verify that it was, in fact, viral and we were right.  Unfortunately you just have to be patient and let the virus run its course.  One good thing about that week was that we got to spend a lot of quality time together, which gave me time to sit back and observe just how much they've grown up.  By Friday everyone was fine and they were ready to return to school on Monday:)

Last week marked the kids' 1 year anniversary at the Montessori school.  It is just AMAZING how much they have developed into self sufficient little people.  We could not be happier with the staff, curriculum and location of the school.  It is absolutely perfect.  I was looking at the video that I posted after their first day of school last year and it just amazing how far they've come in a year.  It seems like overnight they have started "reading" books and speaking in complete sentences.  We can hold normal (simple) conversations with them and can see them processing what we're saying.  What a feeling!  Here is a video of them reading their favorite books...Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?  and  The Monster at the End of This Book.  (Please excuse the random recliner in the background.  We had just gotten our carpets cleaned and it hadn't made its way back into the living room yet...)

 

Don't you love it!  I especially love that Olivia cannot say "looking at me" when she reads/sings her Brown Bear book.  She says "ah-oo-wa me".  So cute...

This past weekend we celebrated Father's Day.  The kids and I traveled to DeBary to spend the weekend with my family while Terry stayed behind to work.   An added bonus to this trip was that my grandmother traveled down from the panhandle so the kids and I were able to spend time with her.  I cherish every opportunity that I am able to spend time with 4 generations of my family under one roof.  Unfortunately my grandmother HATES taking pictures so I was unable to capture the moment, but hopefully we'll get to see her again before she heads back home and I can convince her to take one.  I didn't get any pictures of her, but I did capture some kodak moments before the we came back home.  

Happy Father's Day to my two favorite Dads!!!!!  

Good night!