Spring has been "sprung" on us

Spencer and I are a lot alike

{this is not always a good thing}

One of the ways we are probably most alike is-

When we wake up, we hit the floor running

We are definitely morning people!

This morning, the first words out of Spencer's mouth were-

We only have 2 and a half months left until summer break

{Where did 6th grade go?}

Panic sunk in as my mind was racing and naming the months until summer break

Spring has been "sprung" on us

All of a sudden, we have a million things going on

Baseball Sign up was Saturday
{as soon as KS dries out, we'll be at our home away from home}

A science fair project needs completed

Solo/Ensemble is less than a month away

I was asked to be in charge of teacher appreciation gifts for 46 staff members in May

I feel like I should get Easter basket goodies before their all pick over
Parker is preparing for talent show tryouts
and
The Science Fair

One of the most exciting things we are preparing for
is something we have been waiting for a very long time
We will be tearing off our old deck and putting up a new 38 foot deck
{38 feet! - That's a whole lot space to enjoy the sun}
I couldn't sleep last night
I don't know if it was the excitement because it's finally going to happen
or the dollar signs keeping me awake
It's going to be A LOT of work but it will be well worth it
{I'll post pictures as we make progress}


Today it's supposed to be in the 50's
We might open some windows and get some fresh air

SPRING where are you? {and a rant}

Waking up to snow makes me want to scream

SPRING, where are you?

We're all getting a little bit irritable around here

When it's this cold, it's hard to believe that spring break starts next week

Why in the world does the school district think we need a vacation when it's too cold to do anything
Maybe they have the money to go somewhere warm

While I'm on this rant: The school district just passed the calendar for next year

We are starting school August 14th!

I'm thinking about taking the boys and going on strike until the following week

First of all: 

The hubby delivers farm chemicals and can't take any vacation from April-June/July

This leaves part of July and the first 2 weeks in August

Second of all:

We play ball until the second week of July

Yes the boys could miss some games but they signed up to be on a team 

We won't leave the team hanging and we are die-hards

Third:

 Does the school district not remember how hot it gets in August

So... we'll just have an early out every day and make it a pain for working parents

This is it:

Teachers may enjoy their breaks {Spring and Christmas} 

but they will spend more time reprogramming and teaching these children when they go back

I think we're headed for year round school

I'm only speaking for our family but I know there are a lot of unhappy parents

Back to the topic of SPRING

I have some fun things planned for spring break next week,
I just hope the boys think they're fun

I've seen some adorable Easter decor pinned on Pinterest

I'm hoping my little craft nut {Parker} will help me over break


Now if we could just have green grass

He's 12!

We celebrated Spencer's 12th birthday on his actual birthday {2/22}

Mom and her birthday boy

We had a snowboarding themed party

Fit for his new love of snowboarding and the last couple days of the Winter Olympics in Sochi

Spencer requested: 

BBQ pork sandwiches, grandma's baked beans, chips, lemon fruit fluff and a veggie tray

For desert:

Grandma's chocolate pie

Grandma also made this AMAZING cake

 because she thinks every child needs a cake even if they really want pie

To top it off, it was Neapolitan flavored

Our family spoiled Spencer rotten

What do you give a 12 year old? Money and gift cards
Taking this boy shopping nearly killed me
It was his money and I had to remind myself of that many times
He bought:

Snowboarding goggles, a new scooter

Under Armour sandals and UGLY socks

I will not be seen with this kid this summer
He claims socks and sandals are the thing to wear
What do I know?
At this age, parents are stupid and kids know it all

We're having a BIRTHDAY {Spencer}

I can't believe this boy is celebrating another birthday already

Wasn't he just 4?

The boy we thought would never weigh 50 pounds,
 now weighs in at a whopping 90+ pounds

Call me over protective but he can now legally ride in the front seat
{If you don't believe me, read the WARNING on the visor in your vehicle}

A few weeks ago, we were following a car that was swerving all over the road
I saw the driver of the car, reach back and hit his child several times
In shock, I said - Oh my gosh, that guy is beating his kid!
The guy reached back and hit his child again and ran the stop sign
I had to make light of the situation and told Spencer I could hit him easier if he sat in the front seat
I was just kidding
I can't tell you the last time I laid a hand on my children other than to love on them

Even though Spencer is still a child and we still have to direct and discipline,
we are definitely seeing a side of him that is maturing

He has taken on a lot of responsibility this year being in middle school
{6 classes, mac book, violin,cell phone, braces ....}
Spence has always done well in school and seems to really enjoy school
I honestly think he got some of my ADD/ADHD and functions better when stimulated
Give this boy too much down time and he will drive you absolutely crazy
His first semester grades came home and this mama was lovin on her 4.0 student
His language arts teacher tells him that he lights up the room
Spencer's always smiling and ALWAYS has something to say {which isn't always a good thing}

Another quality we love about Spencer is his determination
The boy can and will do anything he puts his mind to
Last month Cloud 9 {Snowboard movie} premiered
The next day, Spencer begged us to take him snowboarding
I tried to tell him there wouldn't be enough snow but there was no telling the kid he couldn't do it
{He would have gone down down the hill in the grass just to prove a point}
Dad took him and sure enough, the boy was snowboarding
They came back home and Spencer picked out a new snowboard for his birthday
and has been on a snowboarding kick since

As excited as I am to see what's in store for this kiddo,
 it's hard to watch him turn another year older

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Although it looks more like Christmas outside,

we're decked out in red and pink today

I posted earlier this month about our 14 days of Valentine's Day

Here's the run down

Day 1: You Melt My Heart- White chocolate hot chocolate

Day 2: You Make Me Smile- Tooth paste and tooth brush

Day 3: You're My Main Squeeze- Dole Squish'ems

Day 4: I'm Nuts About You- Planters peanuts

Day 5: I Have A Crush On You- Crush Drink Mix

Day 6: You're One In A Million, Don't Ever Change- $

Day 7: I'm Hog Wild About You- Pig boxes with cowboy cookies

Day 8: You're My Stud Muffin- Muffins

Day 9: I Think You're Just Write- Pencils

Day 10: Donut You Know How Much I Love You- Donuts

Day 11: I Think You're Soda Amazing- Pop

Day 12: You Make My Heart Pop- Cheddar popcorn

Day 13: You're So Charming! I'm Lucky To Have You- Lucky Charms

Day 14: Will You Be My Valentine- Conversation hearts

The boys LOVED their surprises!


We have no Valentine plans
Restaurants are too crazy and now that it's snowing, I think we'll stay put


Happy Valentine's Day!

Some hard/forced decisions

I've spent the last 15 years doing what I love

I started cosmetology school in August of 1999 and graduated a year later

The first 7 years I worked at a Regis owned salon

Those were some of the worst years of my life

They don't care whether you have a family, all they care about is the money you make for them

I also had what I would call a bipolar boss

Happy one minute, Ready to kill the next

I knew that I LOVED what I was doing but knew I couldn't continue down that road

I came home more days than not- in tears

I knew it was going to take "that one day"  when I just couldn't take it any longer
That day came!

I was told about a part time job, interviewed and got the job the next day and gave my 2 week notice

A month after leaving the salon, I opened my own salon and never looked back

I see my clients more than I see most of my family

99.9% of my clients are amazing

There are still some cons to owning my own business but for the most part, I LOVE it

But.... it's time to make some hard and forced decisions

I injured my shoulder last July and it has become excruciating
{to the point that the pain makes me nauseous}

I'll be seeing an orthopedic doctor in Davenport this afternoon and I'm scared to death

I have no idea what the outcome will be

Either way, surgery or no surgery, I'm not sure I can continue in this line of work

It breaks my heart that I may have to give up something I LOVE

I'm saying lots of prayers this morning!

February

Who in the world thought it was a good idea to include the month of January in the calendar year

It's such a cold boring month 

We're excited that February is finally here

While I'm not looking forward to my first born being another year older,

I am looking forward to Valentine's Day and hopefully some signs of Spring

Growing up, Valentine's Day wasn't a big deal
We got the usual box of Valentines to give our class and that's about it

My children know they're loved but I want them to know what I love about them
and February is the perfect month for this
Each day leading up to Valentine's Day,
I leave a heart on the boys door telling them what I LOVE about them

 Spencer would never tell you that he enjoyed this
but
Parker LOVES it!

I am also doing 14 days of Valentines for the boys this year

We're on day 3 and so far here is what they've received

                                 Day 1: You Melt My Heart- White Chocolate Hot Chocolate

                                 Day 2: You Make Me Smile- Tooth brushes and tooth paste

                                 Day 3: You're My Main Squeeze- Dole Squish'ems

On Valentines Day or shortly after, I'll post what I gave them for all 14 days 

I rigged up some of these Valentine buntings for our living room windows

I'm hoping to get some other Valentine decor made but we'll see if time allows
We're supposed to be getting dumped on again tomorrow
Maybe we can get some fun stuff made


Happy February!