Back to work for Jools!

I am really excited about a job that I got for this fall. I will be teaching a small class of 3-year olds at my church. They run a weekday preschool for 2-4 year olds and I have gotten the great opportunity to teach there. Not only do I get to teach there, I get to bring Cole with me and he will be in their two-year-old class for next to nothing per month! I start August 30 with pre-planning then I get students Sept 7. Unfortunately, I can only teach there until December because I will start student teaching in January. I have not heard where I am student teaching at but it will either be Mountain View High School, Mill Creek High School, or Collins Hill High School.

I am very thankful for this opportunity to be able to get some "practice" teaching before going into student teaching. I am sure any teacher out there would agree - it is nerve racking to think about getting up in that class for the first time. Yikes!! So, hopefully this will allow me to get my feet wet before January. Then, in May - I WILL BE DONE! YAY! I have applied for May 2011 graduation. I am taking the GACE in Special Ed this Saturday - so wish me luck! :/

Rut-Row Shaggy...

As you can see Cole-man's hair was a tad long in the front. I realized that. But, I loved it! I like it long in the front. But, I knew that it was starting to bug him. But, I also knew if I tried to trim up the front I would screw it up! Last night as I was getting the kids bath ready I thought to myself, just cut his hair and get it over with. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I WAS THINKING THAT?!?! A screaming, flailing two year + 1 pair of scissors = Cole looking like he could star in Dumb and Dumber. :(

Here are the pics...starts with before I got a hold of him, then what I did to the poor boy, lastly what the wonderful people at Pigtails and Crew cuts did to fix it.

Ellie's first day of Pre-K

I am so proud of my "baby". Not so much a baby anymore - and I am not sure when that happened. I can remember rocking Ellie in my recliner the day we brought her home thinking "I hope she is this small forever." Well, she did not stay that small. She has grown into a sweet, caring, and mature little girl. She is now going to school from 8:10 am till 3:00pm. It has been a big change for us all I think. A good one, though. Even if its only been 3 days, I find myself having more patience with both of the kids. I guess because just having one during the day is a BREEZE compared to two. I am thankful for the time I get just Cole and I too. Ellie had just mommy for 2 years so to give just mommy is nice.

Ellie loves school!! She is SO tired when she gets home. When we got in the car after the first day I asked her how her first day was. She replied "I had a GREAT day mommy" and in the middle of that short sentence she let out a big yawn. I thought to myself - job well done to her teachers! :)

My little hyper man...

Today, after bootcamp Tim, Ellie, Cole, and I went to home depot to get some things for Cole's room (that STILL did not get finished...I need to stop coming up with ideas :/) Before we went to home depot we stopped at Arby's to grab some lunch. Tim got Sobe energy drink from the fountain machine...and of course - Cole wanted some. I guess without even thinking Tim gave him some. Within 10 minutes Cole was acting like he had been replaced with the Tasmanian Devil. The kid was BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS! He could not stop laughing - which if you are a mom or dad you know once your kids get going...you can't help but join in too. I had tears running down my face from laughing so hard. He was jumping, singing, and laughing...and he was loving it! But, I think we will just try to stay away from the energy drinks next time... :)

PS- Ellie goes to her first day of Pre-K Monday...check back to see the pictures! YIKES!

What's been going on the summer...

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the summer and the stories behind them...in no particular order...

I may be biased, but I have some of the BEST friends. On my birthday, I was at the beach all week. Once I got back home I realized there was nothing going on in the 'hood the next weekend (all of my pals are neighbors too!) So, I decided to host a wine and cheese party for the gals. So, I sent out the invitation for Saturday night once me and my friend, April, got back from seeing Eclipse. Little did I know, that April had asked me to go to the movies as a plan to surprise me for my birthday. So, I hear there was a little bit of scrambling through email b/c they did not want to ruin the surprise by all saying no to my invitation. At 7:30 on the dot (which was the time of the wine and cheese party) my doorbell rang and all of my gal pals were standing at my front door with a cake in hand. I was SO SURPRISED! They had arranged for one of the girl's hubbies to drive us to Big Creek Tavern on Lake Lanier for dinner! I truly appreciate these awesome ladies making me feel so special! That is something I was always remember!

This makes me laugh because if you know once thing about Katie in this picture - I would not even have to explain her expression. Katie is PREGNANT!! She was in this picture too (not feeling in the best of humor)! She is planning to have a c-section Feb 28ish. I really, really hope it is a girl. I want a girl that I can do all my favorite girly things with, but not have to discipline the girl attitude! I would be just as happy with a boy - but if I had a choice...it would for sure be a girl! Katie is not feeling great. Both her and I have terrible all-day sickness. Hers lasted until 18 weeks with Luke so we are hoping for a shorter span of feeling icky.

Jill moved. She moved! She packed all of their stuff and went to NC! Ha Ha - I love giving her a hard time. I am really happy for them though...this is a dream and they are fortunate enough to live it out. Joe is the perfect match for a coach - smart, athletic, and has a good heart - so we are expecting big things (no pressure)! We miss Jill - well not really...I only talk to her 2 hours a day now!! We chat on webcam for hours throughout the day. We sit at our own houses with our computers and fold our laundry, clean the kitchen, make dinner, etc and just chat. So, I think we talk more now than before!
My favorite loves. Nobody could have ever warned me about the love I feel for these three people. Until you have kids - you don't even REALLY know how your own parents feel about you. My dad always says the best part about his kids having kids is that we understand the love that our parents have for us. It is pretty cool. We had such a good time at the beach this year. They get more and more fun each year! Cole-man could sit in the sand and drive his trains and cars all day! Ellie was really into the "wabes (waves)" this year.

In the middle of July, my Dad had a partial knee replacement done on his left knee. We are so excited that he finally had it done. He never complained about the pain - but he didn't have to...it was written all over his face. He has had knee problems since playing college football. This was his 4th knee surgery and hopefully his last! We knew he was in GREAT hands with our friend, Dr. Gary Levengood. Dad is still rehabing now - but he walks on it better than he did before the surgery. Mom has been a wonderful nurse to my dad. She has been with him pretty much non-stop since his surgery. I think we were all a little nervous about the surgery - but now that it is over we are all so happy for Dad! His ultimate goal is to play me in tennis - but he has a bionic knee...so if he beats me that is why!! ;)
If you know one thing about me - it is my choice in music. I LOVE country music. I always have. A lot of people put my choice in music down and tell me it is not good. But, frankly I really could care less. So, some of my lovely semi-country fan friends went with me to the Rascal Flatts concert. It was so much fun! I could sit there and listen to that type of music all day. It really is good for the soul! Mine...at least!

Love. I don't know what it is about this picture...but I LOVE it! There is nothing better than seeing your child have fun with a big smile on their face. My mom always said when I was growing up "if you're happy...I'm happy." Now I get it. To see that smile on his face makes me literally sit here and smile.

I think this is the same as the picture above. It captures the essence of summer and that beautiful smile!

Well, that was about the main points from this summer. Hopefully I will be posting more than I have been :/

Jill and Joe are moving...WHAT!?!

That is right...they are moving! Can you believe it? None of the "Elliott's" have ever lived further than 1 hour away from each other! But, Joe got an EXCELLENT opportunity with Wake Forest to be a Graduate Assistant with their football team. We are so excited for them both! Joe leaves in 2 weeks and Jill will have to stay behind and work out her contract. Until then, they have put their house on the market (anyone interested?!?! :) ) I know Joe will be a fabulous coach and Jill will adapt well. We will miss them though!

What's been going on...

Hello! I thought I would catch up on what has been going on the past month! I cannot believe it has been that long since I posted last!

Everything is going well around here...relatively speaking. Yesterday, I had a little 12 hr stomach bug which knocked me out for the day. Luckily, Tim stepped in and totally took over! For the past week or so Ellie has been "talking" to her ears. Yes, a little strange, I know! But, at first I just brushed it off. She would say stuff like "ears, be quiet!" and "ears, shhhhh..." Finally, I really started to keep track of it and she was doing it a lot. Then, Sunday when she was yawning in the back seat I looked back and her tonsils were HUGE, and RED. So, I decided it was time for the doc! Tim took both the kids yesterday so I could rest (thank you Tim!) and turns out she has a double ear infection and strep! Poor thing! I felt so bad. It is so hard to know when kids are really sick and when they are trying to get attention. I am glad I finally took note! oopss...

Cole-Man is doing GREAT! He said his first sentence the other day. He said "I want more juice" I just cannot believe he will be 2 this June! It seems like yesterday when I told my mom and sister that two weeks (until my due date) was FOREVER away...now he is almost two! Crazy! Cole is such a lovey...I don't know if it is just because he is a boy or what...but Ellie never cuddled like my Cole-Man does! I am TRYING to not make him a momma's boy...but it is not looking good ;)

Ellie has a big birthday coming up! She will be 4 on March 26th! That is nuts too! She is having a princess party at my parents house. Cinderella is making a SURPRISE appearance! She will be so excited!

Tim and I are taking a little R and R down at the beach house in early March. It will be nice to get away. We have never been away by ourselves...we did not even take a honeymoon since we did not know our employment situation and wanted to save all the money we could. So, we are really excited about going and being able to go to dinner, lunch, play tennis, lay on the beach, without having to worry about the kids. Thanks for Grammie and Pop Pop for keeping them!

We are also going on lots of other family and friend vacations too this Spring/Summer. We are going to the beach with the fam over spring break, then Tim's brother is getting married in Charleston at the end of April, then we go to NY in May, beach for another wedding at the end of May, friends beach trip in June, and then our annual family beach trip over the 4th! I am so excited about getting the kids to the beach. This year will be the first year where they can ALL enjoy it. Last year, they were ok but the boys were still a little young. I cannot wait to take them and see how much fun they have!

Speaking of the beach house...mom and dad added a room to the house this winter. We have grown a little in size since 2000 and we just plain needed more room. Well, as they were making other repairs (water damage) to the house the worker's discovered that the main beam in the garage was almost GONE! Yes, rodents and water damage had left the house a mess. They are fixing it as we speak so hopefully the house will be all fixed up for all of our trips! What a mess!

Oh - good news!! I passed all of my education exams and am certified to teach...I should graduate with my Master's in December...now my mission is a job for the fall! Lets just hope Gwinnett Co starts hiring soon! :)

That is all for now...

If they were this tired...they should have been in my shoes!

Yesterday, my sisters, mom, and I took the kids to the little park in my parents neighborhood. We *thought* it was a good idea to walk there. It was great for calories burned...but not so great for my hammies and hiney! OUCH! There are MANY BIG hills at Sugarloaf. The hills are bearable when you are just walking it alone...but pushing 120+ lbs of kids and stroller is a different story. But, we made it...sore...but made it! The kids were so tired after the park that on the way back this is how it ended...

My Little Super Woman!

The other day I went to the Carter's store at Discover Mills and they were having a HUGE fleece footed PJ sale. I ended up getting each pair for $4.32. Anyway, they had these cute boys pj's that looked like a super hero outfit. It was SO FREAKIN' cute! I love those pj's on Cole. He has a racer one, police officer, and a cowboy set. So, since the fleece-pj-wearing will be over before we know it, I bought all 4T's for Cole to wear next year. Well, Ellie went through the bag and got the super hero set out and wanted to wear them to bed...so I let her...I mean if she wants to wear them...why not! SHE LOVES THEM! She got home from school today she wanted to put them back on...so...she did. She calls herself "super ziggy"....what a weirdo!! LOVE HER! Here is the picture of super ziggy!

Feeling better and Cole-Man Appointment

Well, I can tell you I feel much better than I did the last time I posted. I have a lot more movement in my back today. I went to see Dr. Levengood Friday and I have inflamed lower facets in my back. Your facets are what holds your vertebras together. He gave me a back brace, and despite the hellacious muffin top it gives me, it really has helped me. He gave me a steroid and gave me PT time. I have not done the PT yet, and I am not sure when I will be able to get there this week so we will see how that pans out... :) But, I am on my way to recovery...I think. The inflamed facets could have been caused by an injury or arthritis. I am hoping it is an injury b/c I have psoriasis as well and arthritis goes hand and hand with psoriasis. I thought I had pretty much avoided the arthritis part...so let's just say for positive thinking sake that it was just an injury! ;)

Cole-Man had his 18 month appt Friday as well. He is in perfect health! Everything looked good...he was 33 1/4 inches tall (85%) and 26.5 lbs (52%). We should get his blood work back today to find out about his anemia. I am thinking he is ok with that too...again thinking positive.

Saturday night we had a surprise 30th birthday party for my sister, Katie. I cannot BELIEVE she will be 30 on Sunday! CRAZY! I remember living in our house on Cricket Ridge when we would make up dances to Paula Abdul. But, don't put it past us to still make up a routine...even though we might both end up going to see Dr. Levengood! LOL!

Until next time...

I have landed flat on my back

Ouch...is all I have to say. Last night after bootcamp I came home and my back hurt worse than it ever has. When I was pregnant with Cole I had all sorts of pains below the belt, if you will. I had bad varicosities, a Hernia, and horrible tailbone pain when sitting and standing. The first two went away pretty much as soon as Cole was delivered. But, the tailbone pain was worsened after delivery. My OB/GYN told me it would go away within a year and it was just sciatic nerve pain. So, I put my big girl pants on and just dealt with it. Then about a year ago it started moving into my lower back. It was off and on pain and I passed it off as just having kids and working out trying to get the last 10 lbs from Cole off. But, last night after bootcamp it was a whole different ballgame. I had a hard time even moving. My sleep was horrible and when I woke up it was not any better. I have taken two rounds of two Aleve, which usually knocks out any pain imaginable...but it really just takes a little edge off. So, I am off to see our friend Dr. Levengood tomorrow to see what the heck is going on. Today has been interesting with me being laid up with the kids running around. Both are still in the PJ's...it's 1 pm! I feel like a horrible mother...but I honestly cannot bend over to change them. Cole had a "soiled" diaper and I was in tears on the floor changing him. Hopefully it is just something muscular and can be fixed with a few pills and rest. I will keep you updated...I wish he was in the office now so I could get some relief!

BTW...Cole goes for his 18 month appt tomorrow. Mom is going to help me get there and help me with him so I should be good. I am anxious to see how he is doing. We will have to check his iron levels again to see how his anemia is doing...hopefully better!

Luke Evan Trice

Today, I have a new second cousin/nephew. I call myself "aunt" to Caroline which is my first - second cousin so I will call myself "aunt" to Luke Trice as well. Luke Evan Trice was named after my cousin, Evan, who was tragically killed 4 years ago on his college campus. I know that Evan would be so proud of Caroline and Luke and all the "Elliott/Luke" grandkids. I will posts pics as soon as I get them. Welcome to the world baby Luke! Hold on to your pants...it's going to be one heck of a ride!! PS - he was 7 lbs 9 oz...I think!

How do you contain two toddlers while their sister/cousin does her nastics?

Like that...nothing a little Dora can't handle! These two boys LOVE Dora!

The Georgia Aquarium

Today, we went to the Georgia Aquarium with the kids. This is the first time we all went inside the actual Aquarium. When I was pregnant with Ellie, Tim and I went...but the kids have never been. Well, Jill got married there...but we did not go into the exhibits.

Both of the kids loved it! Cole really took a liking to the fish...shocker right...he must be his father's son! Ellie was a little scared at first but she warmed up very quick!

Tim knows a few guys that works at the Aquarium and we ran into one of his old buddies which offered to take us up to the place where all the action happens. It was neat to see just how big the whale shark tank really is. It was really cool to see that!

Here are some pics from our adventure!

New Year's Resolution

I was thinking today that I really never gave myself some resolutions for this year...so I thought about it and this is what they are for 2010:

1. Continue to maintain my weightloss...3 years ago I started losing weight and lost a total of 76 lbs so far...I could lose 5-10 more...but ahhh...

2. Try to get as much stress out of my life as much as possible. I have had stress in my life where really there should never be stress and I am over it and ready to stress about important things like school, getting a job, or the kids!

3. Finish school this year a GET A J-O-B!!! Eeeekkkk...I am already nervous about interviewing!

4. Be a better house cleaner/picker upper! Yeah, not good at that...ask Tim!

5. Spend as much time with the kids and giving them lots of great experiences before Ellie starts Pre-K...yes...that's right...Ellie starts Ga Pre-K in the fall! Where did the time go?

Well, that is a good start...we will see how the year goes! What are your resolutions?

Dad's Video

I hope everyone had a great New Year's! We did, we had a small get together with our neighbors which turned out to be a blast as usual! This year Dad got a new video camera before Christmas and he was nice enough to tape our entire Christmas for us. He made a video that captures the entire Christmas season this year. It is really nice to have, thanks Pops!

Here it is...