Goodbye January

January had some definite highlights. Starting with a visit from Vanessa and her family.
There was a lot of this....

Kim & Dallin

and this...

Snow!!!

and this...

Jaden took this...my budding photographer

Ashley also had her first piano recital. (I need Jesse to edit the filming because I let Jaden do it, but then I'll post it.) However, Ashley and I went on a Mother Daughter Date and she got to ice skate for the first time. I recorded this with my new Bloggie camera Jesse gave me for Christmas (he really is the best gift-giver!).

Despite the great fun we had in January, it was with a happy heart that I turned the page on my calendar this weekend. I was quite ready to say goodbye to January as it was not only busy and fun but dark. The past few days I've been looking at the clock when it starts to get dark and can't help but give a little leap of joy! The longer the light stays each day the springier I feel. Yay!

As for how busy the month got, I was surprised when I found out how much EMT's need to know. Guess I was more than a little naive to think just some basic CPR and toss 'em in the ambulance and off we go! So the classes (and mostly the tests) are taking a lot out of me.

Sadly January held some all-time-lows for me. I seem to recall telling my son that he might not have a brain and the other one that he's a mean bully. I know, it is not pretty here when mom is freaking out! :o) Don't worry though. We made it through and I have readjusted my expectations.

On a good note... Jesse is one sexy mister mom!! When I get home late at night he's just relaxing in bed like the night is smooth sailing. And surprisingly, it is! Maybe I need to be calm about bedtime instead of barking out the command, run get ready for bed and a little faster please.

So now on to February...

Ashley reads a lot, so when I found out last week that she's behind on her AR points I was surprised. Turns out she had no idea she could test for all the books she's read in her spare time. I spent hours making a list of all the books she's read and wants to read along with their AR points and test numbers. The school looked over the list and I am happy to say every single one of them has a test. I quickly got on her kindle and bought a couple of the ones she wants to read. Imagine my disappointment when the lead teacher calls me this morning and tells me she can't have a kindle at school. I am embarrassed to say I cried. Yep! I am that overwhelmed.

I saw this on Pinterest and had to repin it....

Pinterest: Schooling

Things like this make me miss homeschooling. I miss reading books with the children, doing hands on math, visiting dad at work for lunch and most of all, watching my kids learn. I feel so excluded from my childrens' education right now. They leave early and come home late. The extent of my involvement is supervising homework and signing papers. My greatest comfort is that they have wonderful teachers. I am especially fond of Mrs. Judd because I know how hard Jaden can be to teach and she is doing it so well. Ashley was easy to homeschool and probably easier in the classroom since she has the social aspect of her pre-teen life fulfilled.

Well, Dallin is waiting to go to story time and he and Owen are fighting about "poo poo chest" vs "treasure chest" so it's time to be the mommy referee.