I can't believe my first year is already over....

My inaugural preschool year is over. How in the world is it already over? There is some serious truth to the old adage that says time moves faster when you are doing something you love and enjoy. I was all kinds of cheesy and cliche today....tearing up over sweet notes from parents, tearing up when I said goodbye to my babies at the end of the day, tearing up when I sent my own children off for their first "last day of school." I have been thinking about this all afternoon and realized there are quite a few things that I seriously love about my job....things that will carry me throughout the summer until the regular school year starts again.....

• I love the relationships I built with parents in my class. I lucked out BIG time this year in regards to my parents. I got some of the sweetest notes today from parents, notes that made me feel truly appreciated. I have had parents ask me for my opinion regarding their child and genuinely care about my answer. I had parents tear up today when they picked up their babies, just as I teared up when they left. And at the end of the day, I am all mushy-gooshy thinking about my first set of "preschool parents" and not ready to let the love fest end. Would it be weird to email them this summer just to say "hey!!!".....probably.....right?
• I get to see my own babies whenever I want. I get to see them working in their class, eating with their friends, playing with their friends....I was able to attend all of their big events this year, join them for spontaneous lunch dates in their classroom and grab a hug and kiss from Matthew whenever I wanted. Nothing beats that. Nothing. 
• I got to watch the kids in my class truly learn. Some of them came to me unable to name one letter by sight. And when they left, they knew the whole alphabet. That is pretty amazing. I know I taught my 8th graders some great things, and they always did awesome on their state tests, but there is something about watching a 3 year old learn things they will utilize every single day, for the rest of their lives......
• My co-workers. I freaking love them. I doubt my co-teacher even reads this, but if you do....Jenn, you are amazing. I hope you know how much you taught me this year and how much I cherish our friendship. And you should read my blog more.

Those are just some of them. Obviously, there are so many more, but we are teetering on a pretty lame, boring post, so I have to stop somewhere.

It has been fun to think about how far we (the Ley family) have come this year at school. When we started, Matthew was only 8 months old....he refused bottles, barfed all over his teachers, screamed during nap time...he was basically awesome. Now he refuses real food, screams during nap time and tries to escape their planned activities.....basically just as awesome as before. Jonathan was 2 and a half....he started out as the class clown, went through a weird "I am a space cadet" phase thanks, in part, to his Singular prescription, and ended the year back as the class clown.....but a very smart class clown. I like to think he is the smartest in the class. Obviously. And me....when I started teaching, I was a hot mess. I was FREAKING out about decorating my classroom, had no idea what size label to use for name tags (and I mean, you can NOT mess that up!), literally had no idea what to teach.....y'all should have seen me trying to lead my first circle time....oh. my. goodness. I just kept looking at Jenn with pleading eyes, "HELP ME!" And help me, she sure did. I am leaving this year so much more confident. I love teaching these kids. 

I apologize for this somewhat over dramatic review of our year. I just want to always remember how much I enjoyed this year, how much my boys enjoyed this year and how seriously thankful I am for the opportunity.

Time for another installment of "things that make Katy weird...."

So, I am two days back into my blogging routine and already, I am out of stuff to talk about. And when the world fails to provide you with enough blog material, you can always fall back on a good "confession" post. So here you go :)

1. With almost anything, I prefer the crumbs at the bottom to the whole pieces at the top. I will always dig to the bottom to find the good crumbs of chips, cereal, crackers, cookies etc...I have found there is a much better flavor/bread ratio with crumbs. The better flavor is well worth the awful scene I make trying to shove crumbs in my mouth....

2. We are officially on a strict budget now to help offset the expenses coming our way. I have always been pretty cheap, but that was always because I wanted to be. Being FORCED into being cheap is not nearly as fun. However, I found a loophole. Today, I had to take something back to Lowes. $6.00 back on my credit card, yay! I then promptly turned around and went to Target where I spent $40 on "essentials," but it was okay because I had just put money back on our card.....see how that works?

3. I got tired of fighting Jonathan to eat lunch today, so I eventually let him up from the table. About 10 minutes later, I looked over and he was sitting on the couch with 3 fish sticks in his hand. And instead of yelling at him to get back to the table, I took a picture. (I love that he couldn't even be bothered to look at the camera....) And then I realized that he had shared a fish stick with Matthew, who was now walking around the room with it in his hand. Mom of the year for so many reasons here....

4. I give my kids fish sticks. 

5. I think Sam's Club has the best Coke Zero fountain drink in all the world. I will fight the traffic, the parking lot, my screaming kids, the crowds....just to get one. And the fact that it is only .89 cents means it is in my new budget. So couple that with the free cookie my kids get from the bakery, it is a legit outing that actually saves me money since I don't have to provide their snack for the afternoon out of my own pocket. 

6. I use Goldfish to smooth over all major issues in the house.

7. Sometimes, especially on rainy days, I let the boys climb all over the furniture. That's cool....right? I mean, I cover it up by saying "we are building a fort!" but I think we all know it just means, "mommy is really tired and there is nothing else to do, so she gives up."

I guess that's it for now.I can't focus anymore, now that Reba is on for the next two hours and the boys are napping :) Priorities, you know....

And, I'm back! (with a pretty boring, lame post...)

Yeah, yeah, yeah....it's been a while. I got it.

To be honest, things haven't really been that much crazier than normal around here....it's just been....life. So, let me try to catch y'all up on where things stand in the Ley household. 

The boys are so old. I mean, holy cow....they are just so old. They are both about to finish their first year of "school" and it has been so wonderful for both of them. They have learned so much this year. To say we have been blessed with amazing teachers is such an understatement. Jonathan dominated his spring musical performance last week by knocking some innocent girls off the stage while he was dancing, Matthew got sent to "baby jail" for trying to escape down the hallway too many times, they both run around First Steps Preschool like they own the place (they do own it though....let's be real.) Jonathan even went to his first book fair a few weeks ago.....a BOOK FAIR. Are you freaking kidding me? Those are for like 3rd graders....when did he get old enough to go to a book fair? He even made me go back with him later so he could show me the books he wanted. 3 years old and already knows how to make a "wish list." Not a good sign. I will write a longer post about their school year later, but for now, we are excited to celebrate the end of the year and all of their amazing accomplishments. 

We have had a lot of fun the past few months visiting friends and family, spending time with Zack (whose work schedule has FINALLY died down a little) and celebrating Easter, Mother's Day and my 30th birthday. In March, Jonathan and I were blessed by my sister-in-law with tickets to go see her in Midland. Jonathan has flown a couple of times before, but this was the first time that he was actually aware of what was happening....and oh.my.word.....dude LOVED flying. Now, I will say that the Midland/Odessa area is seriously lacking, but we loved being able to visit with Aunt Katie! (Yes, we share a name. Yes, our names are both Katy/Katie Ley. Yes, it is annoying.) A few weeks later, my parents took both boys for a few days so that Zack and I could relax and just be generally lazy. It was awesome. Seriously.We spent the weekend up in The Woodlands, shopping, sleeping and eating.  Man, I love eating. It's basically my biggest downfall. ....uh, moving on...My 30th birthday fell on Mother's Day this year, so my parents came in and helped us celebrate! My parents always go out of their way to make my birthday special. They are pretty awesome in this area. (I also still get a Christmas stocking and an Easter basket....yeah, my parents pretty much dominate in the holiday arena...) This year, my dad watched the boys so that my Mom and I could go shopping and eat lunch. It was so nice to go shopping without my little nuggets yelling from the stroller that they just "HAVE TO HAVE A COOKIE!!!!" or "If I don't get to play on the playground I will be SO sad." (obviously with a very good puppy dog face attached...) The rest of the weekend was spent eating, doing whatever I wanted and sleeping late. And of course, celebrating my beautiful Mama and Mother-in-law. 

The only crappy stuff that has been going on lately has been with our house. We recently decided to have the trim work replaced with hardiplank siding. Expense #1. Then I had a contractor come and look at our master bath shower because it is leaking and generally gross looking due to some mold issues. Turns out there is moisture behind the tile which is growing some kind of disgusting mold which may or may not be killing us. Expense #2. Finally, we realized that the HUGE tree on the side of our house has roots jacking up our driveway. Upon further investigation, there are a few pretty big roots making a beeline for our foundation. Tree must be removed. Expense #3. So yeah, that is all super awesome.

Other than the draining of our bank account, it has been a wonderful spring. I am still absolutely LOVING my job and all my sweet kiddos. In fact, I love it enough that I agreed to teach summer school! For the first time in my 8 years of teaching, I am willing to come into work over my summer vacation! That says a lot :) I even have some of the same kids in my summer school class that were in my class this year. That makes it even more fun!

And now, picture evidence of the past few months...

So excited to be on the airplane! Note to self, the car seat was unnecessary. And so stinking heavy.

I swear, Katie and Jonathan are soul mates. (Sorry Katie....you are soul mates with a 3 year old...)

Waiting patiently for their first big Easter egg hunt!

I have finally jumped on the "dress your kids in adorable matching pajamas" bandwagon....and I am so glad I did. How cute are they!?

On Being Content

I'm about to get real serious on y'all. 

Lately, I have been hearing about a lot of pretty crappy things happening to a lot of my friends and family. I have friends who are literally desperate to have children and keep enduring loss after loss. I have one best friend who is losing her dear mother in law to a painful cancer. Another best friend just started the foreclosure process on her house because, after 2 years on the market, they just can't carry a mortgage and rent anymore. A sweet family member is dealing with a totally crazy illness which has sent her to the hospital for weeks at a time and she is only 16 years old. Another friend from high school had to watch her young baby go into open heart surgery recently. I mean, these people are going through some heart wrenching stuff. And some of them are going through it over and over and over again.

And yet.....

I have the nerve to ask my accountability group to pray for the discontent in my heart. I was feeling jealousy towards those who have things I want. A new car. A new home. Nicer clothes. A better looking booty. 

What the hell is wrong with me?

I asked my closest friends to pray that God would help me be content with what I have. Not just content, but to know and feel truly blessed by the things He has provided. And y'all....it worked. These are some serious prayer warriors in my accountability group. For real. Even for such a selfish, vain, disgusting request.

Over the past few weeks, I feel like the Lord has used story after story to slap me in the face and say, "look at what these people are dealing with. THEY have reason to be discontent....now, shut your mouth and love on your babies." So I have.

Would I like a newer car. Sure. Does my car work, keep me and my babies safe, allow me to get to work and home? Yes. 

Would I like a newer home with room for a game room and not as many projects on the to-do list? Yes. Does my home have a roof to keep us warm and safe at night? Do I get the honor of hearing my babies laugh and play in the back yard? Do I have a kitchen which allows me to make meals to nourish my babies? Yes.

Do I wish I could lose a little weight, look a little more toned, and have the newest clothes? Of course. Is my body strong and healthy? Does it allow me to take care of my babies? Does my husband think I am a hottie? Yes.

Are my kids a little loud, a little crazy, a little frustrating? Yes. Have I been given the biggest blessing that God can hand down? Are these little boys, MY little boys? Was I blessed to conceive them on my own and without medical intervention? Are the healthy? YES.

So, I am going to shut my mouth, accept these amazing blessings and praise God every.single.day. for them. 

A Day in the Life

I have been seeing these posts floating around the blogosphere a lot lately and, after a little debate, decided that it would be a fun way to document a day in our everyday lives. This is a pretty accurate description of a Monday or Friday at our house. We have school Tuesday-Thursday, so those days are their own type of crazy busy. But Monday and Friday are for relaxing, playing and running errands! So here you go, a day in the life of the Ley family!

6:45 am....Daniel Tiger and sippy cups of milk! Those creepy eyes behind them belong to their new Thomas tent....and it is just as creepy when it is open.

7:15....Our daily battle with food begins. Jonathan refused to eat his waffle (which was covered in honey) and blueberries...Seriously, who refuses a waffle?

8:05...I thought Jonathan's dentist appointment was at 11:00....when I called to confirm at 8:00, I learned the appointment was at 8:15. Awesome. So I literally threw the boys in the car without brushing their hair or teeth. We made it :)

9:15...hitting the gym!

11:00....playtime with Jonathan's new sand box and baseball bat. Who knew those two went together so well?

12:15....a quick walk. Notice that Jonathan doesn't have shoes on....this kid HATES wearing shoes. In fact, now that I think about it, they both hate shoes.

12:30....I can never get Matthew to eat anything....unless it's taco meat. Look how excited he is to be eating tacos....what a weird kid. And yes, I realize that looks like dog food....but I promise, it's legit.

1:30....TONS of laundry while the boys are napping.

3:00....quality time with Jonathan since he woke up before Matthew. So easily amused, this one.

4:00....snack time outside! Don't be fooled, he didn't eat that hummus. He just liked dipping his hand in it.

6:00....time for a rest and a show while Mommy makes dinner. I would say he was a little tired....

6:01....apparently, he found some energy.

6:30....They are actually eating!! YAY! Tortilla soup (just the chicken and corn) and brown rice. I think Matthew just likes anything seasoned with chili powder and cumin.

7:00.....bath time!

7:30....Daddy is home!! I hate that this one turned out so blurry....it is such a perfect representation of how they greet Zack every night! And for the record, my entryway isn't bright, lemon yellow. 

7:45....bedtime! I put Matthew down while Zack hung out with Jonathan. Once Zack has successfully riled him up, he attempts to put him to sleep. Isn't that what all Dads do??

So there you have it! A day in our crazy, hectic lives. This day was actually really nice and relaxing. The weather was beautiful, so we just hung out outside a whole lot. We did make a trip to Sams, Garden Ridge and Hobby Lobby, but that was it. And the dentist.....oh, the dentist. There was lots of stress there. For all of us. But all in all, a beautiful, blessed day!

A Full Fledged Preschooler....

Jonathan no longer falls under the toddler category. It is no longer acceptable to call him my baby boy. He is a real deal, full fledged, big boy 3 year old. And he doesn't hesitate to tell everybody who asks. Oh, and give him about 5 minutes and he can show you that he is 3 with his fingers....poor kid can't seem to work that pinky finger....

We haven't actually had his birthday party yet (that's this weekend) but we did do lots of celebrating on his real birthday. In fact, he has been celebrating since last Thursday when he took cookies to his friends at school. And while we are on that, I had a serious emotional moment when we went to pick out his treats for his class. I couldn't believe we were already at that point. Out of all the things we did for his birthday, this hit me the hardest. I just can't figure out when he got so big. Big enough to need treats for his class. He was so excited to be allowed to pick them out himself.....and he ended up with bright pink cookies with lots of sprinkles. Not Zack's favorite choice, but Jonathan was thrilled :)

We spent the weekend doing lots of fun things with our sweet little guy. Pancakes for breakfast, the big rodeo parade, lots of outside time and then a trip to the rodeo to see all his favorite animals. After all of that, his favorite thing was riding the ferris wheel at the end of the night....he said he was as high as an airplane and couldn't have been happier. He had the biggest smile on his face and waved to Daddy and Brother every time we came back around :)

Watching the Parade with Daddy!

Enjoying some yummy rodeo food and watching the horses!

These days, Jonathan can be a handful ...Just this morning he spilled an entire bottle of bubbles on the kitchen floor....but man, is he amazing. He is so, so smart. It has been such a joy to watch him learn over the past year. He just craves information and you can almost see his little brain working when he is figuring out new things. He truly loves his brother and gets so excited when Matthew comes in his room in the morning. Sometimes he is too rough with him, but not on purpose (most of the time) and they have so much fun together.

This was Jonathan's handiwork in the bath the other day....luckily, Matthew is pretty patient!

A few things about my boy at 3....

- He rarely eats. Anything. But little man LOVES whole milk. When he does eat, his favorites are hot dogs, cereal with milk, waffles, yogurt and chicken nuggets.

- He still takes about a 2 hour nap in the afternoon and sleeps like a champ at night!

- Potty trained during the day, VERY far from being potty trained while asleep.

- Favorite shows are Daniel Tiger, Thomas, Barney and Fireman Sam

- He LOVES to be outside....swinging, riding his bike, running, playing at the park etc...

- He knows all his shapes, colors, letters and numbers 1-20 by sight. He can even count backwards from 10! He knows his colors and numbers 1-10 in Spanish too. He loves reading letters out loud and points them out while we are driving :)

- His favorite books are Curious George, books about trucks/tractors/trains, Bible stories (Jonah and the Whale is his current favorite) and Thomas the Train books.

- He loves driving around and really loves going "really high!" on the overpasses. He even tells me to change things up sometimes and "go a different way!" 

It has been a true blessing to be this boys Mommy. I couldn't have asked for sweeter, more fun boys. Thank you Lord, for 3 glorious years with Jonathan Zachary Ley!

Things I used to say before becoming a mom....

Me? Judgmental? Never! 

Me, thinking I could do things better than others when I had kids of my own? Yes.

I realize how awful that sounds, but let's be honest.....you ALL thought/think the same thing. And then you had your kids. And maybe, just maybe, you are Super Mom and you followed through with all your prior thoughts and decisions about raising your kids. But, alas, I am not. And it became glaringly clear today when Jonathan peed in the bushes at the park (again.) Here are a few of the things I said I would/wouldn't do when I had kids.

1. "I will not let my kids eat hot dogs, juice, chicken nuggets or any other processed meal until it is absolutely necessary." Turns out, "absolutely necessary" comes a whole lot faster than I anticipated.

2. "I will always wipe down any surface before my kids touch it." This was thrown out the window the day both boys peed their pants at the playground in the mall. I figure, I could wipe down that table, but my little wipe isn't going to get rid of the hidden gems the kids before them left behind. I just pray it wasn't pee.

3. "I will not let my kids watch more than 15 minutes of TV a day." Oh, poor, naive, little Katy. 

4. "My kids will have a protein  veggie, and fruit at every meal!" I am lucky if they eat ANYTHING at a meal. Now a days, I bribe Jonathan to eat his chicken nuggets by offering him chips. #Momoftheyear.

5. "I will never have THAT kid in the store....if mine starts screaming, I will put a stop to it right away!" Sure, I do this. If by "put a stop to it right away," I meant "pick up anything edible with sugar in it and stuff it in their mouth so they stop being obnoxious."

6. "As soon as my kids start acting up, they will get a spanking and time out!" If I did this every time my boys acted up......whew. My hand would hurt. As it is, I am pretty bad about saying "oh, he didn't really mean to throw that ball at Matthew's head and make him cry all because Matthew took the ball away from him 3 days ago and he is still mad. It was an accident......I can't spank him for an accident."

7. "If my kid ever makes too much noise in a restaurant  I will immediately take him outside and give him a talking to!" Screaming kid? What screaming kid? All I hear is my little angel talking quietly to his bowl of chips and queso. No issues here.....

Those are just the few I can think of now. In all seriousness, I think it is hilarious how we all think we will be these amazing, perfect parents. We will do everything right, nothing too controversial, follow the rules that all the books spell out for us...and then, we have our kids and realize that those things just don't work sometimes. At the end of the day, we all love our babies. We want the very best for them and most of the time, we don't care how we achieve that. I wish that all of us would look around, pat each other on the back and say "good work Mama!" Even if you don't agree with everything that Mama is doing....they are doing their best. Give them some mad props for it.

So, shout out to all my Mama friends! You guys are doing an amazing job! Keep proudly sneaking your kiddos those juice boxes and chicken nuggets....no judgement here!! :)