Snow Excursion (what?!?)...

So our darling daughter, Abby, came out one evening last week, informing us that she was, in fact, ready to go to the snow.

And she was.

Well, almost...you see, she had almost all of the appropriate attire for snow weather: warm fuzzy hat, sweater, and mittens...and of course, pink, fuzzy slippers ;)

What she was missing was pants (which, when prompted to go get some pants on as well, she came out with these hot, pink shorts- at least they matched!) and of course, snow...

How do you explain to a 2.5 year old that we are in the middle of a SCORCHING summer, and we are in the middle of a desert? Thankfully, due to the minute length of a 2.5 year old's attention span, we were spared any tears or arguments as she quickly moved on to something else ;)

Please Pray...

I am so sorry to have to even post this, but I believe prayer works and it works in numbers. I am asking anyone who reads this post to please pray for my cousin Dana, her husband Rene, big brother Noah, but most importantly, their twin boys, Liam and Reed, 4 weeks old. Both boys have been hospitalized recently with an unknown cause (last information I received) and they believe that Reed may have had a stroke, because he shows no movement on his left side.

No one could even begin to imagine the nightmare they are going through right now. I'm just asking with everyone to keep these little boys in your prayers...thanks.

What to do on a rainy evening...

What? It rains here? Believe it or not, yep...then it gets humid ;)

So Monday proved to be a bit spontaneous in the Dosil household. My dear hubby is not what I would call a 'baker', although I'm sure he would disagree and tell you that his cookies from a tube are highly qualified enough to be considered real baking ;)

Shortly after he came home from work and finished dinner, I observed him milling around the kitchen. Not sure what he was doing, I figured he wasn't making any noise, or a mess, so I let him be ;) Then he started to ask me where things were. Things that belonged in cookies. So I went in to investigate.

Sure enough I saw that he had a collection of ingredients on the counter (although when he asked me what the difference in our two flours were, I noticed he had taken out the whole wheat kind and swiftly replaced it with the regular, white kind). I also noticed he had mentioned using our Smart Balance spread instead of checking for butter in the freezer...oh boy.

My darling husband, Kyle, getting it all together...

I moved in. So did Abby once she heard the word 'cookie'.

Abby and Daddy once she took her place in the kitchen ;)

Once she took her position on the counter (thanks Melynda!), she began helping Daddy make yummy, chocolate chip cookies. Since I was, of course, photographing the event, which it was (an event, that is) , I was not paying attention to Kyle's method of mixing ingredients- which is "Throw everything in the bowl at once, regardless of directions, and have at it." I made him scoop as much flour as possible out and follow the directions.

Mixing some of the ingredients together...

She's just too precious...

Rolling the dough into balls- a daddy habit ;)

Getting ready for the oven...

Licking the dough off her hands ;)

Man, oh man, guys don't like following directions, or being told to follow the directions- even in the kitchen ;)

Abby and Daddy's 1st homemade batch of cookies- YUM!



Intermission- getting ready for bed

Despite some minor recipe directions infractions, the cookies were saved and I must say, it really looked like he and Abby were having a good time! They turned out very yummy and it was an utter joy watching this fun Daddy/Daughter evening ;) Especially tasting their goodies!

Ready, set, COOKIES!!!

Umm...good ;)


Finishing every, last bite!

I love my family.

Happenings In Our Household...

My darling husband and I have been living in our home for almost 4 years (Abby joined us almost a year after we moved in!) and in short, simple words, my dad has so eloquently named our house, "The Money Pit"- if you've ever seen the movie, you'd understand ;)

When we bought our home, we tore into right away, thinking we had lots of time (and $$$). Then we found out we were having a baby- YEA!!! Hmmm, I wonder if this is why I want to start finishing some of our many unfinished projects...disclaimer: the following statement is one borrowed from another Blogger friend- I.W.A.N. (I Want A Newborn). Can't help it...it's finally hitting me after almost 4 years ;) You can read her blog from my link, Life. Find it, she says it perfectly (thanks Shawni!).

Anywho...here's the list of projects either begun and not finished or ones that I just prefer to be done before we have any more cherubs joining us in the Dosil Domain:

1. Finish painting our master bath (completed 8/21/09)

2. Lay quarter round by the fireplace (completed 8/22/09)

3. Lay quarter round by the kitchen cabinets- only because I can't get new ones anytime soon...that's one of our last To Do's on the 'list' (completed 8/22/09)

4. Lay baseboards and hang a doorframe in the AZ room.

5. Hang a doorframe, and paint it, on our french doors.

6. Lay baseboards in all 3 bedrooms.

7. Caulk all the new baseboards.

8. Hang a closet door in the master bedroom- this one requires help.

9. Switch electrical in our laundry room to another wall- another one that requires help.

10. Take out a wall in our laundry to open it up, then repair the drywall.

11. Paint the laundry room.

12. Lay flooring in the laundry room.

13. Install shelving or cabinets (or both) in the laundry room/pantry.

14. Texture living/family room ceilings- again, another one that needs assistance.

15. Paint the above mentioned ceilings.

16. Tile master bathroom shower.

17. Tile master bathroom floor.

18. Install recessed lighting- paying someone to do that!

*19. Get new carpet in bedrooms- paying someone to that too!

*20. Laying pavers in the backyard- paying someone to do that as well!

*21. Getting new kitchen cabinets- we can probably do this ourselves (my uncle is a master carpenter), but it costs a lot, so it's officially last on the 'list'.

* items will likely not be done before anymore subsequent children. I'd be 45 before I got to have anymore if that were the case ;)

WHEW! I'm tired just typing this list out! Is it possible that this list going to change and evolve? Most likely ;) But, rest assured, while it seems as though we have a lot to do...I really just break things down into each step something requires because I feel MUCH more successful when I can physically cross something off my list. I do that with cleaning too. Doesn't it feel so much better to cross off, like, 10 things from a list of what you cleaned, rather than just "clean the house"? Um, I think so! I know it's all mental, but, well, I don't care ;)

Here are just a couple of pictures as we begin our many "fun" family projects. Enjoy and cheer us on!

Abby is helping us measure the base of the cabinets.

Here daddy is, checking Abby's work...

Abby gave up actually doing any work and moved on to supervising.

Not sure how she feels about it, but it seems as though she disapproves...

Weary...

Today I attended the funeral of a student that used to attend our school. He wasn't my former student, but he was one of our "Big Buddies" in one of the 6th grade teacher's class. I remember him as a kid who just loved to have fun, and he was amazing with his little buddy- always engaging and playing on his little buddy's level.

His dad spoke the most today, and I must say, he did an amazing job sharing his son's life and legacy with us. It was really what we already knew about him- he loved life, loved to have fun, loved to laugh, loved to be a boy, and what his dad really stressed- he loved Jesus...at a time in a young boy's life when that might not be the 'cool' thing to do, this boy did. Wow.

As I sat through the celebration of this young boy's life, crying all the while, his dad talked about their family's struggle with the "Whys" of how this all happened. He said that all they could take comfort in right now was that their son is with God and somehow, someway, this would touch other people's lives in the most meaningful way.

All I wanted to do was go home and snuggle with Abby and drink her in...I believe for me, that is what memorials and celebrations of life remind me of- that I DO have Abby and Kyle at home and they are healthy and happy and beautiful. Sure, Abby's a stinker of sorts at times, but man, in the grand scheme of life and love, does any of that really matter?

What a heart heavy way to remind me of my wonderful life blessings. I've been told that as a teacher that there will be a time when I will attend a funeral, memorial, celebration of life, whatever you'd like to call it, of a student/s of mine...I cannot even imagine. There is nothing in all of the education you can receive that will ever prepare you for this. Nothing.

To you Logan, may you continue to make people smile from above...

I'm Back to Work...

So it's official...as of last Monday, August 10th, I went back to work with some pretty awesome 5 year olds, diving head first into the new year. While I was a bit saddened at the thought of leaving my little girl with her new sitter instead of being home with me, just the thought of her making new friends and starting preschool brought me right back into the land of HAPPY ;)

One of the best things (in my 'highly valued' opinion- this is my opinion of my opinion) about being a teacher is that we have a definitive work year. We only have a limited amount of time with our students to do something with them, what a great challenge to embrace. And I don't just mean get them to pass the tests, meet benchmark goals, master grade level standards, and everything else we 'work' for...no, I mean we only have one year to make a lasting impact on their lives. Are the choices I make going to make it a good one, or not? I choose to push for the former ;)

I face every year (and really, everyday) with the question riding in the back of my mind,

"How will they remember me?"

I know that times have changed and curriculum has been pushed up to an even younger age (which I really don't argue, because I do believe young children can handle and even embrace it), but some of my most fond memories of kindergarten with Mrs. Kropen were the simple things like:

*playing in the kitchen center (check),

*reading stories in the library (check),

*recess with my friends (check),

*parent helpers (especially my dad and pumpkin pies) helping out (check),

*and having our 6th grade buddies come in to our class to read and do fun projects with us (check that too!).

I love my job (not just teaching, but KINDERGARTEN) and I have often told my principal that he will have to pull me 'kicking and screaming' out of it before I go to a different grade (have I learned that from my students?). But seriously, I'm just not done in Kindergarten yet, we have too much to do! ;)

Think back, what were some of your best Kindergarten memories?

Please share them with me, I love to try new things! Just think of how your great memory could impact some cool, little kid in my class ;) I'll even invite you in for a spin!

Taking it for granted...

If any of you are paying attention to the time that this is posted, you'll notice that I'm awake and blogging at 1:30am. Sometimes things just can't wait. I waited too long to write in my pregnancy journal (which is probably why there are only about 4 entries!) and I often wait too long to say the things I want to say- usually out of fear that I may embarrass myself, or that people won't understand why I feel the sudden urge to say things to them.

I am blessed. Is my life what I thought it would be? No. When I was 5, I was going to be a firefighter. When I was 12, I was going to be an OB/GYN (who saw that one coming?). When I was 16, I had no clue what I was going to be. When I got to college, well, the rest is history...

Life evolves, sometimes into things we don't, and will never, understand, but it does. And it doesn't slow down and wait for us to understand. Nope, it just keeps going. But there are times, and I do believe in the mayhem and chaos that we create for ourselves, they are few, but nevertheless, there are times when we hit the pause button and reflect on ourselves. Tonight was one of those nights. Though I suspect it has been building for a couple of days now.

A week ago, I watched a dance choreographed to a remarkable song, titled This Woman's Work (So You Think You Can Dance). A flood of memories came back to the movie that inspired that song...and I realized something (it all came together after rushing out tonight to rent the movie). I take so much of my blessed life for granted.

• my husband, who is as resolved as steel and hardly ever falters, supporting me every single step of my crazy ways
• my mom, who is right around the corner, literally and figuratively, to help me in any way she can (even if it's to make chicken noodle soup late on a Tuesday night)
• my dad, who has never doubted me and has made me live up to who he knew I could be
• my step mom, who judges no one and does her best to be the best she can for us
• my in-laws, for taking me in and loving me as one of their own
• my sister, who, Lord knows, struggled with me growing up, but has become one of the very best friends I have ever had- I love you!
• my girlfriends, who have seen me through all of my ugliness and heyday and stood by me through it all: boyfriends, breakups, makeups, weddings, baby, you name it!
• my guy friends, who have also seen the ugliest sides to me and still love me no matter what: boyfriends, breakups, makeups, weddings (and rehearsals!), baby, you name it!
• my health and those of the people I love...what more can I say?
• my everyday heroes (Bob, Greg, Mike, Edward, Zach and all the others out there trying to make a difference in the world) who put their lives on the line everyday to protect us. I take it for granted that they have come home everyday after their shift is up. Thank you God.
• my family, who is crazy, in love, spirit, and faults, for making me who I am today
• my job and the families I meet, who let me in and let me create in their children something new
• my friends who are far away, that still manage to reach me and let me know I'm important to them
• my God, who gives me everything

I dabble with the idea that I am strong and know what I am doing with my life, and I'm sure in many instances I am and I do. But reflectively, I don't think I'm there yet or have faced whatever it is that I am supposed to face before I can really say I'm there. Sure, I get through my daily struggles and pay our bills and take care of a (sometimes difficult) two and a half year old. But honestly, God has been really, really good to me. I read a blog, almost daily, of a 5 year old who has struggled with brain cancer since she was 4. 4. She (and her family) is an inspiration to me. I have never even met this little girl or her parents, but I hope one day I get to. She has seen more in her little, fragile life than any of us could ever imagine in a lifetime and I thank God daily that she has come so far.

Not exactly sure where my ramblings are going...but how can one song lead to so many memories and so many thoughts? Not sure, and I don't know if I want to know. I like when things take me by surprise like that.

I guess that for whomever is reading this, you are a special part of my life. And I just wanted you to know...

God Bless! "I thank my God every time I remember you." Phil. 1:3