Getting into the holiday spirit

comes easily when you have kids. We hope this video helps you to get in the spirit (or atleast makes you smile). xo

Yes we are!

We are definitely in the Christmas spirit! We've been busy with Christmas decorations, crafts, and cooking. Tonight we made and decorated train cakes - it was a messy, sugary blast! Each kid had a train to decorate and Mom and Dad helped them. By the time we were finished decorating, we were much too sick (and the kids were much too sugar-buzzed) to try the cakes, so we get to admire their beauty for another day.

Does anyone know what happened

to November? Wow - it's been a month since my last post?! Let's see if I can remember what happened in the past month...
Jayden spent much of November in the doctor's office &/or urgent care. He had strep, a rash, peeling skin, a fever, lung problems, another rash, etc. The poor little guy hasn't slowed down much with everything that's going on, and continues to grow up in front of our eyes. He is being treated for asthma, although he wasn't diagnosed...the doc wants his lungs to be strong for the cold/flu season. One Sunday he was wheezing so badly it came out as a whistle and reminded me of my brother Jake when he was young. It was very scary. Jayden gets better at talking every day. He definitely speaks in sentences, but it's hard to understand much of what he's saying. He has learned a Christmas song, which I'll record and put up here.
Kailey has been testing her limits a little bit lately, but it's been pretty mild. I have a funny story from the other night - she snuck into the cookie sprinkles and ate some, which turned her lips green. I asked her why her lips were green and she said, "I don't want you to get mad." (Keep in mind I was worried about poison or something). So I said, I won't be mad, but I need to know what happened. She immediately admitted that she snuck into the cabinet for the sprinkles, and she was clearly worried about the consequences. I was so relieved that's all it was and so proud that she told me the truth, I couldn't help but smile. I told her I was not mad and I thanked her for telling the truth, but said she'd have to tell Kris. When she told him what she did and he asked what I did, she said, "Mommy just laughed and told me she's glad I told the truth." Oops.
Kris and I have both been busy with work, house, and fun. We celebrated Mema's 90th birthday in mid-November and it was a lovely, emotional party. It was just the 4 of us on Thanksgiving Thursday which was really nice. We then joined the Schmidt side of Kris' family on Friday for Thanksgiving dinner. We did not do any Black Friday shopping this year and instead hung around the house and spent time with friends. I'll be back before the end of 2008, I swear. xo

I am so disappointed

by the results of the Presidential election, but I will continue to remain hopeful for the future. Besides prayer, I think hope is all we can rely on at this point.

On a bright note, the Tates celebrated Halloween in style! Kailey was a hot pink Supergirl, Jayden was Spiderman, Kris was Captain America in jeans, and I was Batgirl in jeans. Kris brought the kids to my school to join our Halloween party. Then in the evening, we trick-or-treated in our neighborhood and returned home to hand out candy. I was shocked when we had only 5 pieces left and it wasn't even 9 pm! We ended up turning our lights out and vowing to buy more candy (thought $20 worth would be enough!) next year. The kids LOVED trick-or-treating!

The next evening, Aunt Brenda came over so Kris and I could attend the Marine Corps Birthday Ball (ooh rah). It was a blast! The ceremony was at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center, where we also stayed the night. The ceremony itself seemed slightly botched because there was little light, the Chicken Florentine was dry and rather tasteless, but the cake was yummy and the refreshments were cold. The dj also rocked, which totally made the night. As soon as the music started, we never left the dance floor (except to get on stage, dance on the tables, and get more refreshments, of course.). This birthday ball is one of the best times (out of the 11) I've had.

Now more than ever, we need to remember those who sacrificed for our freedom - thank them, appreciate them, acknowledge them. Let's cherish our freedom now, because we never know how long it will last. xo

'Tis the season for politics!

On Friday, Kailey, Jayden and I were three of 20,000 people in attendance at Bass Pro Shop to hear Sarah Palin speak to Springfield. Despite the weather (temp in the 40s), it was a fantastic experience. We arrived around 9:30 and joined the line for people who had tickets (my friend's husband got us VIP tickets...he rocks). The atmosphere was that of comraderie and anticipation. As a side note, when we entered the line, there were 2 protesters. We waited in line for about 30 minutes before entering the security zone. By this time, the protesters had grown to a whopping 7 people. This provided material for many jokes about Democrats among the crowd.

Getting through security was pretty much like getting on an airplane, except we got to keep our shoes on. As soon as we got through security I showed our tickets to someone and they directed me to a guy who escorted us to the VIP bleachers...fancy. I found my friend Kristy on the bleachers and we settled in. The program was due to start at 11, but Palin wouldn't arrive until noon. The GOP officials had warned everyone not to bring signs, which I thought was kind of strange. Shortly after we sat down, GOP workers passed out homemade and McCain/Palin signs to the crowds. We also got red, white and blue pom-poms. Did I mention it was cold?

For the next hour, we listened to music and talked with the people around us, waving our pompoms every time the sun peeked through the clouds. As 11:00 neared, the electricity of the crowd increased. Pierce Arrow (Branson singers) came out on stage and sang for us. They began the show with an emotional rendition of the Star Spangled Banner while we saluted the enormous flag on top of Bass Pro. Several state and local Republicans also spoke to the crowd. Next thing we knew, a guy animatedly introduced...Naomi Judd!! The crowd was literally silent for a few seconds while we processed that. Then we loudly welcomed her onstage. She talked about being a working mom, what America meant to her, and the goals of John Mc Cain and Sarah Palin. Then she introduced Sarah Palin.

The crowd erupted.

It was exciting and exhilerating. Governor Palin brought her daughters with her and talked about how the weather and Bass Pro Shop reminded her of home. (Another side note: my friend's husband drove the youngest daughter in the motorcade and she sang "all the mavericks in the house put your hands up" from SNL...how cool is that?) She began by thanking our troops, she reminded us that only one man in the race had fought for our country and he didn't plan to stop, she talked about how Joe the Plumber was able to accomplish what the Republican party has been trying to do for months, she discussed their education plan (allowing parents to choose the school their children attend), she reminded us of her accomplishments in the state of Alaska, she promised to remember she was working for us, she declared her love for our country (several times), and she attempted to renew our hope for the future. After the rally, she spent a good 30-45 minutes signing autographs, talking with people, holding babies, etc.

The biggest emotion I experienced from Sarah Palin and the entire rally was that of patriotism. I left the rally with pride for my country and hope for the future.

What great fall weather

we've been having! With the exception of a couple days, our weather has been a sunny 70-80 degrees by day with a cool 50s at night. It has provided us several opportunities for fall family fun. We enjoyed an evening at the Dick Clark American Bandstand Theatre drive-in movie and even though the movie wasn't super, it was a great time. We also went to a farm/park in Springfield where the kids got to play, make crafts, observe farm animals, jump in a bunch of hay, have their faces painted, etc. The farm also offers hay rides, a corn maze, and a pumpkin patch, but we decided to save those activities for a cooler day. We've done our share to cheer on Nixa's football team (both the kids love to go to the games so they can run around with their friends), we played kickball against my students, and we also attended the annual chili supper at my school. Kris and the kids are regulars at the Springfield Nature Center where they hike trails every week. I have been working a lot with my regular teaching duties, the committees I'm on (Care team and Characterplus Leadership team), my evening program, and homeschooling one of my students who just had a baby.

Kailey loves to write and practice spelling words. She asks me to give her a word, then she tries to spell it, and finally she asks me how to really spell it. It's so cool! She has a journal that she writes & draws in daily. Starting next week, Kailey will be attending preschool 2 days a week as a peer tutor. She is working on her back walkover and back handspring in gymnastics (yes it makes me nervous) and never ceases to amaze me.

Jayden is talking like crazy and it's so much fun! He speaks in sentences, and he is getting easier and easier to understand. He loves motorcycles (well, he loves any type of vehicle) and loves to play Mario Cart on the Wii. Jayden is also working on potty training. He finally decided to stop fighting us on the issue and is progressing nicely. I can almost see a shopping trip without buying diapers...

We made monster cookies

today and they turned out great! The pictures show Kailey and Jayden eating the cookies that inspired us, and then the ones we made.

We've been keeping busy this fall with all kinds of different activities: bowling, Wii, drive-in movie, Branson, friends, musicals, wedding, parties, basement, and work of course. Believe it or not, Jayden's bowled a strike his first time bowling! How cool is that?

This week, Kailey and I went with her friend Isaac to see a local production of High School Musical and it was great! Kailey loved it even though "they weren't the real HSM people." She sang the whole ride home (well, until we got ice cream). Last night, the four of us went to a drive-in movie in Branson. It was supposed to be Back to the Future, but turned out to be some other movie. The movie wasn't great, but it was fun hanging out in the back of the SUV, snuggling and eating candy. We are slowly, but surely moving into the basement. For the most part, it is finished; we now need to tend to the minor details and organize our stuff. Well, tomorrow begins another busy work-week, so I better get to bed. Good night! xoxo

Kailey and I flew to Florida

last weekend to visit our new niece/cousin, Ciera Nicole. She is beautiful! She has the best hair - way more hair than Kailey even had at a year! She is a great baby, eats well, and sleeps a lot. I forgot how much fun (and work) newborns are. Jake and Steph are great parents - involved, loving, proud. Although our trip was short, we got to see all the family on the east coast of Florida, and Kailey even got to swim. Kailey had an upset stomach the night we arrived in Florida and we found a worm in her pants on the flight home(yes, seriously...it was an inchworm and it was gross), but overall it was a great trip. Oh yeah, and a Haygood was on our plane from KC to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to KC. Kailey waved at him, but was too shy to talk to him. Another post (very) soon...xoxo

Kris and I swore we wouldn't

buy video games for our kids, but last week we succumbed, folded, gave up, gave in. That's right, we broke down and bought a Wii. That's why I haven't written in the past 2 weeks...been too busy playing video games. Ok, not really, but we've been having a bunch of fun with it. Kailey and Jayden are pretty good at the bowling and I am working hard to master Mario Kart. It all started at Uli and Jeena's when we spent half the night playing. On the ride home, Kris and I decided it might be a good gift from Santa, so we pledged to start looking for one immediately. Next thing I knew, I walked in from work to a gift that read "Wii love you!" Of course we set it up that night, created our Miis, and the rest is history. Check back for pictures/videos. xoxo

School is going well

so far this year. Our new principal fits right in with the rest of us and the atmosphere is so much different from the past few years. I've been busy with our night school, but I have a great group of kids who are there for the right reasons, and are willing to work for their diploma. I started working out again and have been slightly sore for the past couple weeks, but it feels good. So far no lung problems. Outside of work, we've been busy with swap meets (Kris), birthday parties (the kids), bachelorette party (me), baby shower (me & Kailey), and just hanging with friends. We went to Uli and Jeena's last night and had a blast playing with their Wii (definitely on our Christmas list). We always have a good time with them, and the kids get along great too. The rest of Labor Day weekend will involve some fun mixed with painting and installing doors and trim. Hopefully after tomorrow we will be using the basement...yay! Happy Labor Day!

xoxo

Kailey rode her bike

with no training wheels this evening! YES! We haven't been able to get her to practice very often this summer, so when she coasted down the driveway and then pedalled down the street, we laughed, yelled, clapped, etc. There were several neighbors outside who watched and clapped for her as well. It was very cool...a great surprise to end our weekend! Along the same note, Jayden has also recently figured out how to pedal his tricycle, as he tries to keep up with big sister.

Last night we attended the Springfield Cardinals baseball game with all the other local Marines (and other fans, of course). Last night was 3/24 Marines night and they all marched on the field before the game, which was a very powerful sight. It was a fun game and I think we won.

At home, I have a couple painting projects to tackle this week, and we're getting carpet in the basement (finally!). The GED program begins this week, so I will be busy with that. I also get to resume working out if my arm cooperates. Life is good...

xoxo

Tomorrow is the first day of school

with students and I am excited to see my students, new and old. I spent this week preparing my room and my lessons (when I wasn't in meetings or watching sexual harrassment videos). The best news about tomorrow being the first day of school is that it's also Friday! Kind of weird, but it works for me.

Oh, I have a niece! Ciera Nicole Glaser was born at 7:54 on August 12, 2008. She was 20.5 inches long and 7 lbs, 13 oz. She has a bunch of thick black hair, just like Jake did. I've only seen her in picture, but she is beautiful and I can't wait to hold her! Kailey's been holding her baby doll a lot lately so she can "practice for Baby Ciera."

I've been to the doctor every day this week to deal with an infection in my arm and tomorrow is the last day I have to go - yes! The girls at the front desk jokingly said it's pretty bad when they know me by name. I better get to bed, so until next time...

xoxo

Summer is officially over

as of Monday. I am excited for the new year with a new principal and new reponsibilities. I've met my new principal; in fact, we attended a conference together for 2 days, and it seems like she will be a good fit in our school. My new responsibilities include teaching a new class (English 3 - American Lit) and coordinating our evening GED school (Missouri Option).

For her birthday, Kailey had a pool party with 10 friends. It went by quickly, but everyone had a great time and she got so many great gifts!

We celebrated Kris's birthday on the 5th - complete with car cakes, made and decorated by us. The kids and I had a blast decorating them (and eating the goodies!). I had to go to the hospital for a lung function test that day, so we made the most of it and finished it off with a kid-free lunch.

In the meantime, we are waiting on the arrival of my niece, Ciera. She is due today, but will likely arrive the 12th. Until next time...
xoxo

Kailey turns 5

tomorrow and I can't believe it! It seems like just yesterday she was a baby. I remember her 1st birthday, Kris was in Iraq and we were in Florida, when she went in the pool for the very first time. She was a very good baby and she continues to be a good girl. I don't know how many times I've said it, but she makes me look good. :) To celebrate, I took Kailey to her first concert last night. We saw Mark Chapman Band (a local fave) in Springfield and she loved it. The highlight of the night was when Mark stopped and talked to us, posed for a picture with Kailey, and told her she looked pretty (she did of course). It was very cool. She will wake up to 5 purple (her favorite color) balloons, we will spend the day doing some of the things she loves to do and we will have her favorite cake (chocolate on chocolate) for dessert.

We are very blessed

to have so many wonderful family and friends. There are moments in our life when we reflect upon how fortunate we are to have such people in our life. This week has been one of those times. We are praying for and mourning the loss of one of Kris's crewmates and best friends, Billy. Kris and Billy transferred to Station 1 at the same time when they were promoted to rescue specialists, and they've been friends ever since. Billy was a great friend to us, always there for us no matter what was going on in his own life. Kris is devastated and has been with his crew and Billy's family all week working through the details. We are shocked and saddened. Please pray for Billy, his wife, kids, and the rest of his family and friends. Thanks.

My stupid lung

collapsed while we were in Florida on vacation. I went to the emergency room (Thursday 6/12/08) and within an hour they were inserting my chest tube. I had a thorocospy on Monday the 16th, got out of ICU on Wednesday, and was discharged from the hospital on Saturday evening. I had to stay in Florida for a follow-up with the cardio-thoracic surgeon and we finally got home on Friday, June 27. It was rather taxing, and we couldn't have done it without my family. (So, if you're reading this...THANKS & WE LOVE YOU!!).
Why did my lung collapse? Well that's a blog in itself, so I'll wait for another day.

Needless to say we survived it and we've been enjoying July. The kids are growing quickly, keeping active, keeping me active. They are so much fun (most of the time)! Kailey and I spent the last week getting ready for her 5th birthday party which is at a pool. We thought it would be appropriate since she taught herself how to swim while I was in the hospital. She wanted a princess theme and we designed a cake with princesses, a castle, and a real tiara...how exciting. She really wanted a Hannah Montana AND princess party, but mean mom made her choose. Jayden is...well...Jayden. He is a bundle of energy and determination. He loves choo choo trains, tractors, helicopters, motorcycles...really anything that moves. His vocabulary has grown so much inthe past couple months and his articulation is even getting better (either that or we're just getting better at guessing). More later...
xoxo

Summer is almost over

and I decided to start a blog before I go back to school (work) because hopefully I will be in the habit by the time I go back. This week is my last full week before I go to Care Team training on August 6 and to a conference on the 7th and 8th. Teachers start the 11th and kids start the 15th. Wow. My summer began with Jayden turning 2! We had a fun birthday party at Godfather's Pizza. It was supposed to be at the park, but with rain threatening, we changed it at the last minute. On May 31, we attended Kailey's soccer banquet and then hit the road for Ellijay, GA, for the first annual family vacation. What a blast!! It was a rockin' time - for adults and kids - and a great opportunity to spend time with extended family. After Georgia, we went down to Florida for a week...which turned into 3 weeks. More details later...