Happy Birthday Kyle!!

Happy Birthday to my sister Kyle!!!

Kyle ~ I hope your Birthday has been a great one!! I feel so blessed that not only are you my sister but my best friend. You are an amazing woman and you deserve all the amazing things that come your way!! Enjoy your day!

I love you!!

Yes and No

YES I am still blogging!

YES we were on vacation last week for a whole week in California!

NO I did not miss my job...well maybe the kids a little (I lie - I missed my job and the kids a ton!)

YES I also missed my amazing family and friends!!

YES I will post pictures of our vacation..

NO I do not know when - I am still working on the getting back to reality thing.

YES I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNT AGAIN!!!

and

YES things are so good and NO there are no complaints!

and

YES GOD IS GOOD!!!

It Has Been Too Long...

Since I last updated!!

Not TOO much has been going on around here. The weather is starting to get nicer, but it seems whenever we have a warm day the wind likes to be present. Today it was nearly 90 but the wind was so strong we had no desire to be out in it.

For the summer I am going to be working with 2 year-olds, young 2 year-olds. It looks like I will be spending my summer potty training! I have never done this before, but I am eager to take on the challenge of a new room with a new class. I am sad to be leaving the kids I have had since October, but this is the life of working with kids. Everyone must move on. The best part is that Nathan (my nephew) will be in my class for the next couple of weeks. I think we are both excited for this, I just show it more than he does!

Ryan and I are both extremely excited because in 2 weeks we are headed to Southern California for a vacation!! We have not been on a vacation since 2006 when we went on our honeymoon to Florida. We are flying in on June 5th and come back home on June 11th. We will be experiencing a first as a couple - going to the beach!! Ryan and I are sooo excited and I will absolutely be sharing pictures when we get back.

I think that is all the news I have to share for now - no pictures this time, mostly because I keep forgetting to charge our camera battery.

Spring!!

This picture is from our trip to Disney World 4 years ago, I just LOVE how beautiful the flowers are!

Ahhh Spring! One of my favorite times of the year. To be honest I say this for every season - I love them all for their own wonderful reasons. I need to have all four seasons, I like the anticipation of the coming season. For some reason though, I am loving Spring this year!

It has been gorgeous here today. Ryan and I spent the morning running errands - grocery store, Target, and Kohl's. Right now he is putting away the groceries (he is amazing like that) and then we are headed outside to enjoy the weather and grill!! We bought a football on clearance so we're going to toss around the old pigskin. Actually, it's not a "real" football because I need a smaller one so it's not truly made out of a pig's skin. Which makes me wonder: are "real" footballs really made out of pig's skin? Maybe they used to be...

Anyways...we are dressed in our Spring gear. Ryan in shorts, me in Bermuda shorts and we are ready to go! I hope you all are enjoying the beautiful weather as much as we are!! Have a great weekend!

And The Answers Are...

Here are what the kids were REALLY saying (the answers to this post):

E: mitt mitty i mittu toooe mut = Ms. Mikki I missed you soooo much

S: you su aw swawing stwipes serts = you two are wearing striped shirts

A: can you swip me? = can you zip me?

J: i'm tuk!!! = I'm stuck!! (I hear this multiple times a day when they can't get unzip the bottom of their zipper on their coats.)

The Results: Matt and Kyle tied getting 3/4 right. You both did a GREAT job!! Sorry it took so long to get the answers, thank you for participating!! We'll play again soon.

What Are They Saying??

So it's understood!!! I work with a FUN bunch of kiddos, but did you know how difficult it can be to understand what a 2/3 year-old is trying to communicate?? (if you're a parent I'm sure you do!!) I actually love this part of my job - often guessing over and over what the little one is trying to tell me. I love that they are still learning how to speak, especially in complete sentences. They each have their own "language" that I have come to understand like their own Mom, but at night when I think about what is actually coming out of their mouths it makes me smile. So let's play a game - can you figure out what the child is saying??? Have fun!!

E: mitt mitty i mittu toooe mut

S: you su aw swawing stwipes serts

A: can you swip me?

J: i'm tuk!!!

Answers to come soon!!! (Try this: Ryan had no clue until I had him say them out loud - he then got 1/4 - can you beat his score???)

And because this conversation has kept me giggling and puzzled all day:

I was talking to one of my 2 1/2 year olds and he was telling me what he had for dinner last night.

He told me he had pigs feet (ewww!!).

I, of course, had to get more information about his dinner and asked him who made it.

Dad did.

How did Dad make it??

In the pressure cooker. :o) (Recipe coming soon - or NOT!)

Goodnight!!

This Made Me Laugh

At lunch today (at work with my 2/3 year olds) a boy who typically doesn't eat lunch with us was there. He chose to sit at my table and his Mom had packed him a lunch. His name has been changed, but the story has not:

So you get the real effect there were six children at my table, he was the only one with a packed lunch and was holding a banana.

Stephen: I'm Stephen

Me: I know!!

Stephen: I'm right here.

Me: Ok! (I was trying to serve the other five children their lunch at this point)

Stephen (while holding his banana): The one over here.

Me: Ok (acknowledging him by giving him a smile)

Stephen: Stephen is the one with the banana.

Me: Oh! There you are!!

:o)

Out of the Mouth of....Me???

As some of you may know I work with children. Young children. I teach 2 1/2 and 3 year-olds. They are at such a fun age and I love each of these kids dearly. I LOVE going to work every day and think about these children at ALL hours of the day. I tell Ryan at least once a week "Who gets to go to a job where they are hugged as they come in the door??" Well I do and it makes my heart swell every day.

However...I have a unique bunch. This group of little ones is like none other I've taught before. And I have taught many at many ages. They make me happy but at the same time they challenge me. I love being challenged. They make me think differently and react differently. That being said...

I think it is time for me to blog about my job. I'm not going to gloat (did i mention I LOVE my job!!) and I'm not going to complain. Instead, I'm going to share some things that have been said by me and my coworkers in the last three months. I've always said it would be funny to hear what we say to these children without knowing the situation. These one-liners are going to be taken out of context and you can take them as they are: (I will not use names of the children, but just the 1st initial of the child's 1st name)

Me: "E, stop eating L's hair!!"

B (my coworker): "L, stop riding B" (she was riding on his back as he was crawling)

Me: "C, he is not going to eat you all gone!!!"

Me: "We do not put rocks up our noses!! It is NOT ok!"

Me: "I do not want to see you hitting your balls across the room"

Me: "Ew!! When you lick windows it makes me sad!"

Me: "Your words make my ears sad" (I don't know where I come up with this stuff!) Can ears BE sad?? To a 3-year-old they CAN!! You should have seen her face after I said this...I gave her extra hugs that afternoon.

Me: "Do NOT lick the slide - you will be sad if your tongue sticks to it!!" (it had frost on it, I thought about A Christmas Story as I said it....I really don't think your tongue can stick to a plastic slide....OR CAN IT???)

Me: "We do not eat food off of the floor, it is yucky and will make you sick!" (I have learned this is not true - kids can eat anything from anywhere and they will not get sick...)

My job is so fun (yet extremely challenging). I love it!! Stay tuned for more "out of the mouth of..."!!!

Paula

In light of her birthday last Tuesday, this post is dedicated to THE Paula Deen. I'm kind of a fan, ok in truth, I LOVE her and try to channel her as often as possible. Around here I call her my BFF - even though she doesn't know it!! In the last two months I have tried many of her recipes, googled her countless times, visited her website more than I will ever admit, watched her on the Food Network, and bought a book of hers. I have also gotten my Mom (who NEVER cooks) on the Paula Deen band wagon with me!!! She keeps talking about buying a Paula Deen cookbook - I can't remember the last cookbook she decidedly bought! Don't be intimidated by her love of butter - every recipe I've tried I've lessened the amount and it has still turned out AMAZING!! One thing I plan to do each week with my blog is to share recipes I love, especially Paula Deen one's. (Speaking of blogs with recipes: Check out my sister's blog where she plans out delicious, simple, money-saving meals for a whole week for you - how much easier can it get???) So for a week I have sifted through my Paula recipes and have decided to share her recipe for:

Paula Deen's Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/2 cup frozen green peas

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 cup chicken broth

Salt and pepper, optional

1 1/2 cups instant biscuit mix

1 cup milk

1 stick melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a greased 2-quart casserole, layer the chicken, eggs, carrots, and peas. Mix the soup, chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour over the layers. Stir together the biscuit mix and milk, and pour this over the casserole. Drizzle butter over the topping. Bake until the topping is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

I did make some changes:

For the chicken I used a store-bought already cooked rotisserie chicken.

I used NO eggs - the thought of the texture grossed me out. I did use two potatoes I had. I microwaved them to get them a little soft and put them in lieu of the eggs.

I added frozen corn, because Ryan and I LOVE corn. The added crunch helped too!

I used half a stick of butter instead of a whole stick. It was still delicious and I will continue to make it this way in the future.

I sprinkled some garlic salt on the biscuit mixture before I put it in the oven for some added flavor. We love garlic!

*I really don't think you can mess up this recipe. Experiment to your taste!!*

*Ryan specifically said I should put this recipe on here because he LOVED it and "craves it all the time"*

ENJOY!!! Happy Birthday Paula!!

My new love..

I will be the first to admit I'm not a makeup girl. I have no idea what foundation does or how to apply eye liner. I have made many failed attempts at buying what I call "color by number" eye shadow - they literally label which color goes where and I still can't seem to get it right. Luckily, for some reason I have the genes that don't require me to know these things. Thank goodness!! However...I love mascara, not sure why, but I have always loved it. I swore by a brand for many years because they made a brown/black color - black always seemed harsh for my fair (read: pale) skin tone. Well, come to find out other brands make a brown/black mascara as well. I was reading a blog, not sure which one, but the author swore by this...

On my most recent Target expedition, I bought it, on a whim. Ok, not so much on a whim, I actually referred to my list (have I mentioned I'm a crazy list maker??) which reminded me about mascara to go from the book section down a couple aisles to the dreaded makeup aisles (perhaps I or Ryan will blog later about his eye-opening experience in the endless makeup choices!!). And there it was, Maybelline Mascara - it reminded me of Seventeen magazine and my Mom when I was 9. But I tried it - AND I LOVE IT!!! With a cheap eyelash curler this mascara is AMAZING!! I bought the brownish black waterproof mascara. Again, I know nothing about makeup and I truly LOVE this find!!

Just wanted you to know...

What to Blog?

I read many MANY blogs. I'm obsessed - like A LOT!! And I have come to find there are three popular things to blog about: kids, crafts, and food.

Well...I have no kids. I have a nephew and I "have" 17 two/three year-olds I work with five days a week. I spend approximately 20-40 hours a week with each of them, but they are not MINE. I have no true child of my own. So I will blog about my nephew and I will blog about my school kids, but I will not (for the time being) keep you coming back with photos of my own child. AND I AM OK WITH THAT!!! I really am.

I don't do crafts, you can't find me on etsy, although I do aspire to someday make a pillowcase dress for a niece or daughter, and I love walking around Michael's. I have been trying to cross-stitch for four years with no avail. I have a beginner's knitting kit that has never been opened (that scarf and matching hat will be adorable when I get around to it).

So there's food. I love food (duh!) and I love to cook. And I vow to post and review recipes, I will share triumphs and tribulations in my own cooking experiences, and I will share links to recipes that sound or taste wonderful.

And there it is - what should I blog about? I have spent, I hate to admit, many EARLY mornings and LATE nights trying to decide what it is I have to put out there for people to read. I'm still not sure. Maybe thoughts like these. Maybe just my thoughts on kids, crafts, and food??? Stick with me and we'll find out where it goes from here.

This was written to not offend anyone who blogs about these three things because I do LOVE to read all types of blogs. These are just my thoughts, and my thoughts lead me to blog about things that are not typical (as I see it) in the "blog world". . . .

Playing Mom and Dad...

As a treat, Ryan and I took our nephew Nathan on a Wednesday morning to the Children's Museum in Denver while Matt and Kyle took time to get caught up on household duties and work on their soon-to-be finished basement. We had previously babysat Nathan together on a Saturday night and then (I) decided we could venture out with him alone. So that day we played Mom and Dad. Are we ready for kids of our own?? We think NO!! I work with 2 1/2 year olds and even I was exhausted after a morning out with Nathan. I had no idea all that goes into taking a kid out. I was really happy I didn't have to change his diaper in a public restroom!! Seriously though, we had such a great time with our nephew and can't wait to make more memories with him!!

Here are some pictures of our fun day out:

I gave Ryan a hard time about his driving. I have

NEVER seen him drive so white-knuckled and cautious.

It was ADORABLE!!!

He's laughing because I was making fun of him - beyond cautious!!

Such a Daddy in the making :o)

Nathan eating a snack and watching Elmo!

Here he is "shopping". At the beginning he would

put items in one at a time, once he was more

comfortable he was taking things 4 at a time!

Playing in the "forest". Nathan had just walked on

a bridge that makes noises when you step on

it and didn't really like it.

Crawling in the ant hill!! So many places to go!

Nathan the fireman!!

I thought he looked so cute from behind!

Painting! It looks like he'll be able to help finish

the basement. :0)

Nathan found an acorn in the nest!!

Ryan and I had so much fun with Nathan. He is a smart, adorable boy who melts my heart! We love him beyond words and are blessed to be his Aunt and Uncle.

Bad Blogger

Hi my name is Mikki and I've been a bad blogger. I apologize for my laziness, but now it's time for a brief update of what I've been up to for the last five months. I promise this will not be too long. (I don't know why this is underlined and a link but I can't fix it!)

August:

Ryan and I celebrated our 4th Anniversary by going to see Cirque du Soleil's Kooza. We had a wonderful evening together. We went on opening night in Denver so we were given the "red carpet treatment" - ok not really, but we did get some special perks like free popcorn and soda!!

September:

To my knowledge nothing really notable happened in September.

October:

I GOT A JOB!!! I am working at the preschool where my nephew goes here in Castle Rock. I am working as a teacher in the 2 1/2 - 3 year-old room. I'm enjoying it for the time being, the kids are so fun!! It's also a good perk that I've lost 20 pounds working there! I'm still continuing to look for a teaching job in an elementary school, but feel a lot better doing that with a job.

November:

The morning of Thanksgiving Ryan and I participated in the Turkey Trot 5K here in Castle Rock. It is a tradition we're trying to do every year. We enjoy doing it together and it doesn't hurt that we don't feel as guilty for having that extra helping of mashed potatoes! We spent Thanksgiving with Ryan's Mom and Step-Dad at their house. His Grandmother, half brother and his friend were also there. We enjoyed good company and good food!

On the Friday after Thanksgiving we made our way to Boulder to watch the Nebraska - Colorado football game. We had awesome seats on the 50 yard line. I had a nasty cold so we only made it until half-time but we still had a blast. Nebraska of course won - Go Big Red!!

This man made me smile - he had glued both teams stats on

a piece of cardboard and kept referring to it throughout the

game. Love the hat too!!

The last weekend of November Ryan and I headed to downtown Denver for a weekend in the city. This was our Christmas gift to each other. The atmosphere there during the holidays is so neat - Christmas music and lights everywhere! We had an amazing time!

December:

Christmas was spent at my parent's house with my Mom and Dad, sister Kyle, brother-in- law Matt, and nephew Nathan. We had a relaxing day opening gifts, playing Wii, watching movies, eating and enjoying time together. Here are some pictures from Christmas:

Ryan and Nathan on Christmas Eve with the yule log on TV.

Ryan, Matt, and my Dad Christmas morning.

Nathan getting into his car :o) I love this boy!!

Action shot of Kyle and Matt boxing in our Wii competition.

I ended up winning the boxing event!!

Merry Christmas 2009!!

2010:

I am beyond excited that it is a new year! We had some rough times in 2009 and are both determined to make 2010 a great year! One of my resolutions is to be better about blogging - so keep coming back for updates!