From Beanie Weenies to an Appendectomy

Oh my! Have we been busy here in the Spa City. We are finally in our new home. And by in the home I mean most of my belongings are in the garage, but "in the house" it is. As if moving isn't enough, my appendix decided to fill with fluid. Lovely!

On the 18th I awoke at 1:30 with what I thought was just cramps and by 6:30 decided I might have appendicitis. I called my assistant principal at 5:30 to secure a sub and Seth called at 7:00 to let his principal know he was taking me to the doctor. We went to a walk-in clinic at around 8:30 and they did some testing. They tested my white blood count. A normal wbc is around 11 thousand. Mine was 21 thousand. They then decided I needed a CT scan, but they couldn't schedule this until 11:30. At 10:00 they wheel me over the the CT waiting room where I politely drank the delicious beverage that would coat my stomach so the technician could get a better picture of my abdomen. Luckily I did not have to sit there for 1 1/2 hours in pain to have yet another needle jammed into my arm so that some iodine could make me feel as if I was wetting myself. The very nice technician listened to my sob story about how everyone has a hard time getting an IV in my veins. She was kind enough to put in a more permanent IV that could stay in in the event that my appendix would have to be removed. She is now my best friend because she saved me an additional painful needle wiggling, fist clenching stab. My CT scan showed that my appendix was fluid filled. I believe the nurse said my appendix was aggravated not angry. She obviously knew I needed a fourth grade explanation!

By 2:30 I was admitted to the hospital and by 5:00ish a morphine pump was attached to my IV! Heaven! At 7:15 I was taken to surgery and awoke to three comical nurses applying attractive support hose to my legs to prevent blood clots. Had I known we were going to get so personal I would have shaved my legs! I think I even said that to them, you know what anesthesia can do to a person! I am now fine and was released by the doctor today to "do whatever". I was only banned from lifting so I guess I can go lift some of the aforementioned boxes and unpack them in the house.

While decorating for Christmas, Drew and I found his cup and plate to leave out for Santa. We discussed how Santa would need a snack after carrying all Drew's presents down the chimney. Drew said he'd leave cookies and beanie weenies. I think the convo went like this:
Me: We will make some cookies and leave them out for Santa.
D: I'll share with Santa. He like beanie weenies, Mommy?
Me: I'm not sure. Let's ask Daddy.
D: Daddy, Santa like beanie weenies?
S: Sure, I bet Santa would eat beanie weenies.
D: Good. Milk, cookies, beanie weenies.

Now doesn't that make you want to hurl?

One for the record books

Drew was having a hard time minding this morning. So when we got in the car to go to school, I told him that God could see everything he was doing. That we wanted to make God happy and that when we don't obey, it makes God sad. I told him that God could see everyone at the same time. We then preceded to list all the people we know.

Drew then says, "He's a big, big boy!"

"Yes, God is a big, big boy!"

"And I'm a big boy!"

I knew if I didn't write this down, that I'd forget it one day.

Out of the mouth of babes...

Anyone who knows my husband, knows his love for all things Yankee Baseball! Because of this Drew now also shares his dad's love for the Yankees. Tonight at dinner Drew told me the Yankees were playing baseball today. Two games! (I actually think that's right!) I then asked him if he knew anyone who played for the Yankees. His reply:

"Arod!"

Now, how many two year olds know that!

Another Drew story! (Just grin and bear it, folks. You are reading MY blog!)

My parents came to visit yesterday and went back home today. While preparing for their visit, I was making sure the sheets on the bed were clean and the room was somewhat picked up! I sat down on the bed and Drew told me that was his stage and that he was a rockstar! He then preceded to sing "Deep and Wide" cause, "We sing that at school!" Too cute!

When I picked Drew up from school on Thursday his teacher told me she wanted me to have 17 Drews and bring them all to their school. She told me about how well behaved he was and that he was a good napper and didn't cry and .... I have to admit, it made this Momma a little proud! Drew is a really good boy, but I didn't know how he would react to being in a daycare and not just someone's house. He has done great! He can now sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" "Twinkle, Twinkle..." and he brought home his first "paper". It had the words to "I had a little turtle, his name was Tiny Tim..." and he drew a "turtle" on it! It hangs proudly on my fridge! I am so thankful that he has done so well through this whole move! God has really been watching over him!

I'll leave you with a few pictures of the little man from this summer.

I almost forgot this sad/funny story from school last week. Let me set the scene: We are working on map skills. The students have been given a map of the United States with only 10 or so states labeled. Across the center of the map in ALL caps it says: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Keep in mind I teach 4th graders. They're 10!

Student: Where's the United States?

Me: That's what is on this map. You're looking at it!

Student: You mean Oklahoma is one of the United States!!!!

Me: Yes (but thinking: Are you serious!)

Said student turns in the paper and when asked: What country is south of the United States? The student answers: Oklahoma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember that I told you THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA was written across the center of the map? Oklahoma was written SOUTH of that title!!!

Drew's Room

Finally, I am posting pictures of our house. Well not our house, but our temporary house. I'm starting with Drew's room cause it's the cutest and the room that looks the most complete. We are only going to be living here for a few months so things aren't as they will be, but will suffice for now. This first picture is just a group of stuff on the top of his dresser. Keeping with the school staring theme I chose books that seemed fitting to display.

Because we put his train table in his room it seems rather small. So, his dresser and changing table are pushed side by side.

Nothing too exciting here. Drew's faux big boy bed.

And my favorite part: his bookshelf. The boy has books everywhere. I didn't even unpack all of them either.

I'll leave you will a final picture to make you laugh. Seth will kill me!

We're in the Spa City!

So we've been in Hot Springs for a week and a half and my house is in somewhat of an order and my classroom is on the verge of being complete! July was a whirlwind of a month! I don't even feel like I had a Summer Break!!! When I find my camera I will take pictures of our rent house and my classroom. Can I brag about my classroom? Of course I can, it's my blog and I'll brag if I want to! I am teaching fourth grade Science and Social Studies. In Lake Hamilton Schools this is considered Intermediate School. The building is brand new, the teachers moved in in January. And the building cost like $7 million. Holy Cow! There are 11 fourth grade teachers and about 290 fourth grade students! Yikes! I will only have 84. Man that is a lot of 10 yr. old attitude, and even more tests to grade!!! Anyway, my classroom has a projector that everything is connected to: tv, ELMO, DVD, VCR. And it's all controlled by a touch pad! Say What? The 3"x5" touch pad controls everything. How cool is that! There is even a basketball gym in this building for 4th and 5th graders. And it's huge! The teacher's lounge is the size of a classroom with washer and dryer hook ups, bathroom, and shower facilities. I could just live at the school! Ok, so it will be better when you can see it, so I'll look for the camera soon!

God has been so good through this whole season of our life and I know He will continue to bless us!

Goodbye

Today was packed with activity! I had an interview at Lake Hamilton at 11:15. That went really well! I should know something soon. We then went to the bank to get a pre-qualification letter so we could move into the rent house and they could start building our home. We met Suzzi, our realtor, for lunch (@ On the Border) and she had contracts for us to sign!!! (Exciting!) She told us the model home had just sold. WHAT??? This was the house we were supposed to move into! Never fear, Suzzi is here! There is another house in the subdivision that we can rent and it's right across the street from our lot!!! Now we can watch the progress everyday!!!

When we left, I asked Seth if I could drive so I'd be familiar with the road because I'd probably be driving it alone at times. (Alone meaning with Drew, but he's not much help when it comes to driving!) However, I chose to drive when a huge thunderstorm was a-brewin'. We even had to pull off the side of the road for a few minutes!!! Needless to say, we made it home in one piece but it took us 3 hours!!!

When we got home I had enough time to change clothes, freshen up, make a short (3 items) shopping list before meeting my former colleagues for dinner. Tracy, my teaching partner, orchestrated a farewell dinner for me at Goodson's. We were able to use their back room to eat and socialize, but mostly eat! Let's get our priorities in order! We had the best time getting to talk to each other and visit. Let's face it, we don't often get a chance to do this at work! I enjoyed getting to see a table full of friendly faces and a chance to say goodbye. I thought I was going to cry when my principal made me stand up while she said very kind words to me. Prior to my employment at Euper Lane, I babysat for my Principal's two boys. Of course, she brought this up as well, which made me a little teary eyed. It has been wonderful to work with a group of ladies who are not afraid to tell you about their latest Bible study or discuss the obvious plans God has for our lives in Hot Springs. I only hope to work with colleagues half this wonderful in the future.

As I write this I am exhausted and think I will retire to the bedroom where I have a date with the second half of New Moon. I'm missing Edward in this one!

Update on the Move!

Last Thursday we headed to The Spa City so Seth could meet the rest of the Junior High coaching staff and some of the kids. Our realtor, Suzzi, met Drew and I at the house we wanted to buy and had made an offer on. I wanted another look around and the family was out of town. We found out while we were there that the husband's company was going to buy the house for more than we were willing to pay to prevent them from losing too much money on their move to Pine Bluff. When I picked Seth up from school, we decided to just drive around realizing that we were going to have to find somewhere else to live. We happened upon a new subdivision and decided to just look in some windows. We liked what we saw so we called up our realtor, Suzzi, and she met us along with the realtor for the subdivision, Melissa.

Time out:
Having a husband as a coach definitely has its ups and downs. This was by all means and "up."

Time in:
Melissa, who is the realtor for the subdivision, brought her son and his friend with her and they happened to have on Lake Hamilton shirts. Seth mentioned that he was the new coach just hired at Lake Hamilton and it was like she was ready to roll out the red carpet. She asked what I did and I told her that I was hoping to get a job teaching 4th grade. She said she was the PTO president at the intermediate school this past year and she'd email some 4th grade teachers and mention my name. I told her that my dad's cousin was the superintendent and she called him by name, Steve. Her oldest son is the same age as Steve's son. Weird!!!!

When we decided on a floor plan she asked if we had housing plans until the house was built and we said that we'd just find an apartment or duplex until the house was done. She and Suzzi, our realtor, both said they knew people who owned some properties and they'd ask for us. Fast forward to Friday afternoon: Suzzi calls and tells us that we can rent the subdivision's model home! This is great! Now we don't have to move that far when our house is built and we can walk to the house in the evenings to check on the progress of construction! This has all been such smooth sailing, we know God's Hand is in this 110%.

Several people have asked how I've felt through this whole process and I have been unexpectedly upbeat about it. Things have gone so well that I haven't had time to sit on the couch and feel sorry for myself! I'm sure I'll be sad once we get to Hot Springs and move in and everyone leaves us there. But until then I've remained mostly tear free through this experience! God is good!


On a side note, I just started the Twilight series last week and oh my gosh! How much do I love Edward Cullen!!!! I know I'm totally behind the times, but when you read kids books all year long at school, you just don't want to overload! Plus I stayed up until 12:30 last night to finish the book! Then, Seth rented the movie for me today! (sigh) Enough said!

God is Good!

Yesterday Seth and I drove to Hot Springs to have breakfast with college friends and look at houses. One of our goals for the day was to find a daycare. We drove past a huge billboard and I had Seth put the number in his phone. He called today and spoke with a lady about a spot for Drew. She said she had a place but that it couldn't be held. She'd talk to her husband and have him call to see if it was ok that a place be held for us until August.

Seth and I were catching up on 3 days of DOOL (ok, I was catching up and he was just in the room) and his phone rang. He said it was the daycare. This was Seth's end of the convo:

"This is he." "Hey man, how are ya?" "Oh my gosh, I can't believe this!"

Ok, so the owner is from...wait for it...MOUNTAIN VIEW! Seth went to high school with this guy and played baseball with him!!! Are you freaking out, I am! How cool is this! God works in mysterious ways! No way was this just a coincidence, God has truly been in control of our lives the past few months!

God is Good, All the Time!

House Pictures~Part 2

My red dining room. For as long as I can remember I have wanted a red dining room. And I love it! The valances above the windows were created specifically for these windows. The previous owners had them stored in the attic, so we dragged them down and my Granny covered them with this fabric I bought at Walmart.

This is looking in the kitchen from the dining room. These built in shelves are great for displaying a variety of items.

This is looking back toward the dining room.

The door on the left is the pantry. The small door in the middle used to be the ironing board, but the previous owners put shelves in it for spices. And you can see the laundry room. There are pictures of that in a previous post.

More storage!

Not my choice of window treatment, but the previous owners had these up, and in four years I've never gotten around to changing them.

The stove is to the left, pantry to the right. There is another storage room directly across from the brown shelf. It houses small appliances, tupperware, Swiffer, ironing board, etc. It's quite large!

I'll post bedrooms and bathrooms later! Let me know if you're interested!

House Pictures~Part 1

For those of you interested in our house here are lots of pictures. And for those of you that aren't interested in the house, here's your chance to snoop around.

This is your view of the house as you walk in the front door. This is the living room to the left, dining room to the right, and kitchen in the background.

Looking back at the front door.

Both of the above picture are of the entry.

These are picture of the living room. I love the how deep the mantle is. It's great at Christmas so I can fit more than just stockings on it.

This is what we call the sitting room. It has lots of light and would be a great playroom or office.

These built in cabinets and shelves are great for "stuff". There's an outlet behind that mirror so you could put a small lamp there.

More later! If you're interested please let me know!

Randomness

Here are some random pictures of Drew. He is really focusing on this task.

Drew is drawing on his MagnaDoodle. Look how hard he is working!

So cute and working really hard and a wonderful drawing!

Cheese!

I love this picture! Except that he needs a haircut! Hope you enjoyed my random photos.

A Trip to the View

Mountain View that is. We arrived at my in-laws around 8:30ish Thursday evening. Drew was so excited! So excited he didn't go to sleep until around midnight. The next day we (Seth, Drew, Pat {mom in law}, and I) headed into town to meet Seth's dad, Bob, for lunch. We then walked around the square and looked in a few little shops. The first shop was Cornerstone. During my last summer's visit to this store I left with a new pair of Yellow Box sandals and Reef sandals. Score! This year was not much different. My mother in law lead me upstairs to see the shoes. My eyes immediatley darted to this lovely...



so I obviously tried them on and they fit like a glove. Pat told me she'd buy them for me as an early birthday present. And by early I mean 2 months! Sweet! We then walked down to another store called Marty's. During my last visit to Marty's I got these cute little rhinestone peace symbol earrings. They had a matching necklace but I wasn't buying at the time so I passed. This time, I had my heart set on that necklace. It was sitting in the very spot it was in a month ago, so I know it was meant to be! Pat also bought me a Life is Good t-shirt to complete my birthday gifts.


That morning before shopping spree 09 began, the Today show had a lady discussing colors for the summer season. She claims that Pink is the color for summer. Thinking like the girly girl I am, I quickly told Seth that I needed a pink purse. I explained to him that the color for fall and early winter was purple and that I was totally going to be out of season carrying my purple purse when clearly pink was the new top dog! My oh so sweet husband to loves me dearly said, "You already have one. No!" Ok, so I probably do somewhere but you never know unless you try right? This reminded my mother in law, Pat, that she had bought a purse that she wasn't crazy about and that I could have it if I wanted.

The purse is Kathy Van Zealand and the only reason I know that name is because during my in-laws last visit to the Fort, Pat was looking for one at Dillard's. The purse is similar to this but instead of white is more creamy shimmery-ish. And instead of silver the details are all gold. It is soooooo cute. It also holds all of my crap and has an outer pocket for my phone so I'm not digging at the bottom of my purse when someone calls.

I always enjoy my time in Mountain View, but I have to say, I did Good! Thanks, Pat and Bob!

Picnik, In-laws, and Skin Care

I love the website http://www.picnik.com/. If you haven't played with it yet, you MUST! I have played this this before, but due to my Digital Photography workshop on Thursday, I was able to actually take some photos. This first picture was taken on my in-laws back porch/deck. I just thought it was the neatest collection of items. I really like the weeds/grass growing out of the pot on the left. That is a saucer that you place under a pot sitting on top of the pot.

This picture was taken in my in-laws front yard. I love the old rusty jug and the American flag. My favorite part is the star banner hanging in the window. I uploaded this to Picnik and rounded the edges and added the text. Cool, huh?

Who loves a compliment? All of us, right? I am soooo thankful that my mom didn't skimp on skin care for my sister and myself. Since we were young, we've always used Clinique skin care and make-up. Because of Clinique, and good genes, I've received several compliments on my skin. I don't do anything out of the ordinary. But I will admit a few things my mom would cringe over. First, I have rosacea. Lovely! I didn't really notice it until about a year and a half ago. At my yearly dermatologist appt. I purposefully didn't wear make-up so he could have a good look at my face. He asked if anyone in my family had it. And yes, my dad does. He also asked if anything triggered it like spicy foods, temperature, sun exposure, pregnancy. Ding, ding, ding! I had had Drew about 6 months prior to noticing the red splotches.

So he gave me this prescription and told me to stay out of the sun, not to eat spicy foods, and not to blah, blah, blah. So I went to the Clinique counter in search of a cleanser that would meet these requirements the dr. told me to stay away from. Found one...

Ok, so I know some of y'all are going, "If she's used Clinique forever, didn't she already know about this?" Yes, I did however, I was not aware that there was an Extra Mild formula, perfect for my skin. (I just can't find a picture of it.)

I use this everytime I step foot in the shower. Here comes my biggest secret...I don't wash my face before bed. I know, I know...I should really take off my make-up because it clogs my pores and yadda yadda yadda. But, I don't!

After finishing the lovely cream the dr. prescribed I went back to the Clinique counter in search of there new Redness Solutions line. I found this creamy, lightweight lotion that I love.

The worst part, it's about $50 with tax. OUCH! I love it though. I bought this in March-ish and haven't even used a 1/4 of it. I'm hoping I can get away with only buying it during a free gift time. Let's all cross our fingers!

I know that most of you could not care less about my skin care regime, but you chose to read this..haha! Now it's your turn. What's your skin care routine? Do you have any secrets? Tell us all about it!

I'm still here!

So not much has changed in our lives since my last post. Except...there is only one day of school remaining! Can I get an AMEN? Here's an update on all things "Reeves":

• Drew has been on a waiting list for a local daycare since February. I was told that I'd know whether they had a spot for him around mid-April. Mid-April came and no phone call. So I made one. The response: "I'm working on it, but am going out of town. Can I let you know next Friday?" Next Friday came and again no phone call. The following Monday, I called. "No, we don't have a spot for Drew." Thanks a lot lady! I was told by two different people that his chances were good. So I didn't put him on any other waiting lists!(That cost money!!!) While looking for other daycare centers, this lovely daycare we had been waiting on called to let us know that there was a spot available. The ugly side of me wanted to say: "Lady, you didn't even have the decency to call me to tell me that you didn't have a spot for my son. You really want me to send him to you to care for during the work day? Let's think about this..." My good Southern Baptist girl response was, "I am still interested. Let me talk with my husband and I'll let you know tomorrow." I let her know today that I would NOT be allowing her the pleasure of watching my adorable, gifted, talented, well spoken, (fill in the blank with the best adjective you can think of) two year old. We are headed to Grace Place Preschool in the Fall! Yay!
• My school is being painted this summer and having new carpet installed. How exciting! Except...every stinkin' thing has to come off the walls. I don't know about secondary teachers, but in elementary school we use the trusty hot glue gun to attach everything to the walls. This has been a pain! Also, because of the carpet being laid, everything has to be removed from shelves, etc. Another pain! This is horrible for me because for the last few years I have prepared my room for the upcoming school year during the last week of school. UGH! Not this year. Oh well, freshly painted walls plus the brand new carpet will make me feel like I have a brand new room!
• Seth still needs a job! Please continue to pray that God opens the right doors and guides Seth in making the right career choices!

Sorry no picture!

Please Pray

On Friday, Seth got called into the principal's office (probably felt naturally, cause I'm sure he wasn't an angel in school!) and told that his contract was not being renewed. Allow me to step on my soapbox! (Step up)
"Private school politics SUCK!" (Yes, mom, I said it!) My husband is a wonderful coach who happens to teach in a school where there are only around 230 students total in grades 7-9. His football team plays schools that have anywhere from 600-900+ students. Fair? I think not! You can figure out what I assume happened!" (Step down)
Seth had been unhappy and had already started looking for jobs in Rogers, Springdale, etc. so he had plans to leave anyway, just not on these terms.

Needless, to say, Seth needs a job. And although we'd LOVE to stay in this area, A job is a job is a job! We know that God will provide and take care of us like He says in Jeremiah 29:11, it's the fear of the unknown! So please pray for us as we go through this time of uncertainty.

Design on a Dime

This picture's purpose is only to show you the laundry room in the background. Notice the rather long shelf/cart the microwave is placed on. And the pile of junk that has accumulated itself around and one the cart. This was not a very happy place to do laundry.

This is a happy place to do laundry.

I traded the "too long" shelf/cart for a shorter one and turned the cart sideways, which will actually allow oneself to stand in front of the washing machine while loading it! Wow!

Here's a closer view. The laundry sign on the wall is a bulletin board covered with fabric that was once used as a table cloth in our master bedroom. I hot glued everything together and pray that is lasts!

I moved a small lamp from another room to make this room more "homey." And yes I know how tacky it is that our appliances don't match, but if it really bothers you, feel free to make a donation.

This utility caddy was a cheapo $1 gift from our "wedding pounding" from our church choir. It was filled with wonderful cleaning supplies, etc. about 5 years ago, but today it got re-purposed. I happened to have a can of red spray paint and that cute red gingham ribbon. No, the ribbon does not wrap around the caddy, just the front. The best part...wait for it...I thought I'd have to hot glue it, but because the paint was still a little tacky feeling the ribbon held. For now at least!

The basket's contents are as follows: laundry detergent, fabric softener sheets, Shout, bleach, a red and white mug for change, and air freshener beads. The only thing I actually purchased for the redo: The red bordered runner on the floor. Red quickly became the accent color for the room, when I found the table cloth and red spray paint. Total cost: $19.89!!!!

This might even make me want to start doing the majority of laundry. This is a task Seth took on when we got married, but I just might give him a break. I think I'll enjoy this room now! I'll keep you posted!

The Mind of a 2 Year Old!

Over Spring Break, the Ice Cream truck/van drove down our street. Seth made a big deal about it to Drew. Unfortunately, we had no cash on hand. Meme, Seth's mom, sent Drew ice cream money in the mail the next week. Thanks, Meme! The following week was back to work so we didn't see the Ice Cream man. Yesterday, Seth, Drew, and I picked my mom up from the airport and took her home. As she was dishing out gifts, Seth heard the Ice Cream truck and told Drew. Drew and I quickly ran outside to track him down. On a side note, Drew had taken his fake Crocs off and put them back on, only on the wrong feet. Back to the story...The Ice Cream man saw us and Drew yelled, "Come Back!" My thoughts: Where did he learn "come back" and I can't believe he used it appropriately. The truck turned around and Drew picked out a Batman Popsicle. Yummy!

Last night in the bathtub, while I was washing Drew's hair, he made another statement I didn't know he knew. I have one of those cups that has a soft plastic side that forms to the child's head to prevent water from getting in their eyes. The only problem is that the child must raise their head in the process and keep it raised. Drew has mastered raising the head, until you actually begin to pour the water out. Thus, negating the actual purpose of the cup. So...I just pour the water over his whole head. Last night, during this process he says, "No more, Mom!" Yes, yes, I know the boy knows how to say No and I know he knows More, but again the kid used them together in a sentence and used them appropriately. I'm amazed at the things he learns and how quickly he learns them. He's a smart cookie! (I am his mom, though, I'm supposed to think that!)

What does your kid say that surprises you?

Easter

Easter Sunday in Fort Smith was lovely. And by lovely, I mean rainy, gloomy, and depressing. Luckily, the reason we celebrate Easter is enough to clear the rainy, dreary skies and brought people in droves to GABC. Easter began at our house with a visit from the Easter Bunny. He brought Drew 2 books, 3 movies, bubbles, Whoppers (for mom, he must have known!), and those capsules you put in warm water that "grow" into a dinosaur shape, for example.


This was Drew's reaction to his Easter Basket! Priceless!

Drew and his Mommy!

Drew and his Daddy!