Burned Out!

I guess it's just "that time of the year". I think I'm officially burned out. We have five weeks left of school and the kids have "checked out" so to speak. They are physically there, but not mentally. We have our state exams next week and I know that after that discipline will go up and averages will go down. There is just not much that I can do about that. It's frustrating because we are expected to fail only so many students, but like I have said in the past, I refuse to pass a student who doesn't deserve to pass. With all this being said, if anyone has any ideas on how to motivate seventh and eighth graders the last month of school give me a shout!

I've got the lake itch really bad. I'm ready to go! Natalie is walking now, which will make my summer a lot easier for the most part. Tonight we played in the backyard and I didn't have to carry her anywhere! She played all by herself. Awesomeness. She's only taking one bottle, at night. I love giving it to her and it's me that's not letting go. We are not going to have anymore children so I'm holding to the last parts of her being a baby. She has a beauty pageant coming up this Sunday that I'm really excited about, so wish us luck with that!

Noah is also doing well. He's been fully potty trained now for a little over a month. He loves school so I'm going to let him keep going this summer. He's gotten so easy and it really makes me look forward to the future. Last summer was just really hard for us.

Well, I think I need to fold some laundry or do something productive...

Easter!

We had a great Easter! It was Natalie's first. She was actually kind of fussy so you'll see some paci action in some of these pictures. Natalie was walking some on Sunday, but today she really took off! Noah also started walking on April 14th two years ago. Weird huh? You can also tell her hair is really thickening up...I'm out of energy to write a good blog. I hope everyone has a great rest of the week!

My Mom, Noah, and I

Natalie's First Letter

Princess Natalie,

It was just a few days away from Thanksgiving. Your father and I sat in the waiting room anxiously waiting to be called back. We were finally going to find out if we were going to have a boy or a girl.
I didn’t have to ask myself whether or not I would love you. It didn’t matter what you were, I knew that I would love you without doubts, questions, or expectations. The sonogram technician rolled over my stomach several times before she finally asked “Do you want to know what you are having?”
I said “Well, of course!”
When she said we were having a girl I could immediately feel myself holding back tears, tears of joy. I’m not much to cry in front of others. Well, try as I might it wasn’t happening, tears seemed to spring from my eyes. I was already so full of love for your brother, but at that very moment my heart expanded.
Five months later, you were finally placed in my arms. Your perfection was literally breath-taking. You were, and still are, an amazing baby, always so content.
Within a few months your dark eyes shifted into the clearest, purest, blue that I have ever seen. I immediately became infatuated with them, and they still have me hypnotized today. To me your beauty is indescribable.
Of course another perk to having you is the shopping. I’ve actually gotten in a lot of trouble over the money that I’ve spent on you. Every beautiful dress, crazy bow, cute shoes, and adorable outfit just has to belong to you! We have many of those days to come, just don’t tell your father!
If you ask the people I work with, they will tell you that I cannot wait to get home from work and see you. My heart aches when I’m not with you. Natalie, I love you so much and I’m so VERY proud to be your mother. You have changed my life for the better and I thank God for you everyday. I’m looking forward to the year to come. I’m so excited that I get to be a part of your life. Happy first birthday my princess.

Love,

Mom

I wrote this letter to Noah for his third birthday, but it's been on my Mom's computer and I just haven't gotten around to going over there and getting it to put on here! Anyway, here it is:

My Prince Noah, February 22, 2009

I don’t know if anyone will ever be able to put into words what love truly is. Shortly after your second birthday your sister joined us. There were many times that I wondered how I would be able to love both of you as much as I do now. Within a short period of time I just realized that God had the ability to stretch my heart to fit my love for the both of you. In a way I guess he was showing me how much he loves us. Who knew it would expand even more?
Yesterday morning your father left you and me in bed together when he left for work. I woke up about 8:15, surprised that your sister was letting us sleep in so late! I rolled over and put my arms around you. I was sure that you were dead asleep, but you softly spoke. You whispered, “I love you Mommy, very much.”
I’m sure that my heart grew at least twice its size! It’s not that you had never told me that you loved me, it’s just the way you said it! Then you rolled over, blinked several times, smiled, and exclaimed “It’s Saturday!”
I guess you saw that it was daylight out and I wasn’t leaving for work. We got up, got ready, and Lauren and I took you for your favorite meal at Yamagata’s.
Over this past year you have done so many things that are so memorable. I wish I had enough time and ink to write them all down. All of these things have shown me how fast you are going to grow up right before my very eyes. One thing you need to realize is that no matter how old you get you will always, always, be my baby boy. So, go ahead and grow up, but don’t forget that I will always expect you to be as lovable as you are on this very day.
In a few weeks you will be turning three and I’m excited to see the changes that will come for you, my Prince, in the following year.
Love,
Mom

It's Really Been Three Weeks?

I can't believe it's been three weeks since I have written! Jeff and I were out of pocket for almost ten days. We celebrated our ten-year anniversary by taking a cruise in the Caribbean. It was unbelievable, but I'm really tired. I missed my kids too!

Below I have posted some pictures from Natalie's one-year-old photo shoot. I am really impressed with her pictures. Her actual birthday is on April first. Well, I'm off to bed. I have to catch up on some sleep!

Noah's Turns Three!

This one is my favorite!

Natalie really wasn't supposed to be getting her pictures made. Her's are next weekend.

Crawling away.

I wasn't supposed to be in any! I didn't even have any lipstick on.

Fight Raiders Fight! He almost knows the whole fight song!

My All-American Boy!

Crack me up!

Noah had his three-year-old pictures made yesterday. He will be three on March tenth. Time has gone by so fast. Natalie was asleep most of the time, but when she woke up a few shots ended up in her direction. Then some how I got stuck in the way too. Oh well. Her actual pictures are next weekend and I just can't wait. Amber Kirk is just awesome.

Should We Let Them Fail?

I always despised my peers that copied off of each other in college. What if those same people went on to be my doctor one day, or even worse one of my kids' doctors? I would hate to think that they cheated their way through med school. What if they did just enough to get by and the professors just passed them?

Educators are faced with many controversial topics. One of them is passing students on when they don't deserve it. I personally feel that a student should get the grade they deserve. If they got a 65 for the year, I'm sorry, but they have failed and they deserve to complete the grade over. When a student is in the fifth and eight grades they are supposed to pass a state test before they can move on to the next grade. They have three chances to pass it. Very few are actually held back. The students have figured out the system and many of them literally do not care if they pass their classes, because they know that if they go to three weeks of summer school, just show up, they will be passed on.

Some of the teachers give them the seventy because they know that failing them isn't going to make a difference anyway. I'm not a cold hearted woman, I do pass students who have 69s in my class, and sometimes even a 68 will get bumped up if I have observed that the student was really trying.

As a parent I want to know what my child's real grade is. I don't want Noah and Natalie to be passed just because...I want to know what their real grades are.

I just hope that my doctors, veterinarians, engineers, teachers, nurses, pharmacists, and so on were not just passed just because...

I'm done with my soap box for today....