New Blog Site

So, after stalking some blogs I found this one that makes me LOL...many times. It is not for the squeamish and you will need to read the disclaimer. Enjoy!

http://itsababynotbrainsurgery.blogspot.com/

The Fish in the Pool

Today was the second day of swimming lessons. CJ really enjoys the pool, water, goggles and just swimming. This year he has been in many friends' pools...thanks to Stevie, Cole, Broen and Kyran! He is quite the fish this year! He is learning to do his breathing correctly with the freestyle stroke, he is diving off the side of the pool correctly and is showing to be a strong swimmer. I am so proud of him! He is watching me blog and so he has a few words to say...

CJ: Swimming is great. I have had fun these first two days. I have seen a friend who I have not seen in a long time. I have made new friends and met a new teacher. The thing I like most about swimming is you get to learn new stuff everyday. Swimming lessons is a great opportunity for you to learn how to swim and to just swim, even if you have already gone there. It is one of my favorite things to do in the summer. Swimming is a great sport.

Tangleboxing!

What is Tangleboxing you say? Well, it is a scavenger hunt in our county parks, complete with book, stamps and tons of fun. There is a little book, a passport, with a map and some clues as to where the Tanglebox is located in the park. Once you have found the box there is a stamp to stamp your passport and a guestbook to sign your name (or ink your thumbprint/stamp). Then you re-hide the box, usually under brush/twigs/moss/treehole/dirt and go to the next park or call it a day!

This year CJ went out with the Ryan boys to two parks. Carlos and Steve took the boys out at dusk and had a really fun time. They said the boxes were very easy to find this year. Then I took CJ and Stevie out with the DeYoung girls and Bill to Lafayette Locks and Roger's Landing...those too were fairly easy to find. Then Carlos took CJ, Stevie and Jake out to three parks last Saturday...here are the pictures from that day. They had fun and got all their passports stamped! We only have one more park to go! I think this is the first year (in three) that we are done this yearly. It is a fun-family-filled day...take a picnic and have fun. You can get your passports at Kraemer's here in Mac.

WOW...more than I wanted to know!

This morning I checked out GERD (acid reflux) for pregnant women on the Internet. There is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more information than I ever wanted to know. I don't recommend going to medical sites when you are not a doctor and if you are a bit queasy. What prompted this?

So, for the second time during this wonderful third trimester of my pregnancy, I woke up with GERD (acid reflux). I know what I did, ate garlic, ate too much and ate lots of sweets...in a short amount of time. (Ask Allison and Bethany, they were there too, but since they are not pg, I bet they had no worries at 1:00 AM like me). So...what woke me up? (queasy stomachs read no further) Vurping! That is right, no little, "oh, I don't feel well", it was a full on v-burp and it was gross, it hurt and it made me have to walk around our house for a good 40 mins then (try to sleep) sitting up for another hour. Well, after finally getting back to sleep and feeling better (I love antacids) I was fine and dandy, no worries. The best part...my oh-so-sympathetic-husband, ie. the father of my child.

Paige: Wow, I feel a lot better. I really had bad heartburn last night.
Carlos: Yeah, I know. I heard you walking around.
Paige: (waiting for some sympathy with a pregnant pause...hee hee, couldn't resist)
Paige: Well, I didn't like it. What is up with that? (I was fishing for some sympathy and of course it backfired)
Carlos: What do you expect? I saw what you ate.

If I wasn't so tired, unable to move quickly and a little moritfied I would have hauled off and punched him in the nose (with a pillow of course)! Repeat after me..."I love my husband. I am carrying his child. I love my husband. I am carrying his child...."

A whole week...and what?

Well, about a whole week has gone by and what has happened? I think this is the lull, that lull you get after you buy your first diary and then you don't write in it for a very long time then you think, "why write now, nothing has happened" and then months go by and you realize that your writing has completely stopped and you are no longer keeping a diary. Since this blog is my current "diary" I have hit my lull. I know what I need to do: take pictures, write even though I really have nothing to say and move forward, but really I do want to be inspired to write. (I know how my kids in my class feel right now!) So, in a last ditch effort to capture the life of the Lomas' I will recap the last week...if my pregnant memory will allow me! There were some tennis lessons for CJ, a few naps, some grocery shopping, a jewelry party, some laundry, dinner at the Steve and Bethany's a few times, lots of errands around town, dog to the vet, ultrasound to see if Zac is head down (he is) and watching a movie with my boys...hmmm, for my sake (and yours) I will get over this lull and start blogging for reals!

My Peeps

Here we all are at Neskowin Beach...enjoying life. Who are "My Peeps"...just 6 fabulous teachers! We all taught at Newby (at one time) and totally bonded! We love our time together, just a few times a year to laugh, giggle, chuckle, totally crack-up and seriously LOL! I laugh more in a 72 hour period with these ladies than I do sometimes in 72 days! I told them that I would not mention names, but I can tell you...
top left: 1st grade teacher extraordinaire, she taught me everything I know about teaching young children!
top center: bilingual teacher "fabulosa" and ballerina, she is my mentor and one who taught be about "controlled chaos" in the classroom!
top right: me and my unborn child, Zac!
middle left: former kinder teacher, who decided to leave the profession but we still accept her and love her! (even though she is still in her 20's)
middle: this is what we really do...read trashy mags!
middle right: college adjunct prof who has a heart and soul for teaching all ages, and she has had the lucky "opportunity" to work side-by-side with two of us over the years! I think we are lucky!
bottom left: 2nd grade teacher "who taught me how to be organized" and everything else about 2nd grade and who I can call any moment during the day and get the best answer!
bottom center and bottom right: kinder teacher who is modeling a cartwheel with the setting sun! And we became fast friends forever the very first day we were hired!

I love "My Peeps"!!!!!

A HUGE Milestone for Us

Well, today is the day that Carlos no longer works in Hillsboro...that means he is no longer commuting! After many years, much discussion and paying off some major bills we are ready for Carlos to be a part-time worker here in McMinnville and a part-time Mr. Mom to new baby! We are thrilled! He will work for a close family friend full-time until I go back to work in December then he will be part-time at home. It is a huge change in our family and we are very excited, nervous, scared and hoping that this is what will work for us for a few years. So...tonight my mom threw a "let's-have-a-party-for-Carlos" at her house...complete with BBQ, all the kids and many kid-made signs decorating her house. It was very thoughtful and much appreciated. Carlos even got a bit teared up at times. Here is Carlos and I enjoying our time together and realizing that he is going to be around a lot more...yeah! :) Kari took the pictures...in the background (this is what you would hear) my brother informing me that it is good to only have two chins showing instead of three, my sister poising as to how I should hold my head, my mom telling me to fix my necklace, the kids laughing and playing in the backyard...but hey, isn't that what family is all about? (maybe that explains the look on our faces in the 2nd pix??? Or Carlos is just checking me out? hee hee )