Cowboy Bob

Everytime I think I have it all figured out.....it changes again. Sooooooo....I was supposed to substitute teach and then continue to take my teaching tests and hope to be a "full-fledged" teacher sometime this next school year. Well now I got a great offer for a job working downtown with the AVID program and the counselors. I am soooo excited! I LOVE AVID and truly this job is so much more in my comfort zone than teaching. Teaching hasn't been thrown out the window entirely but for now it is on the back-burner. Ever since I got this new job I have just felt so much better. I feel like the pressure is off and I feel like I have so much to look forward to. I know I am going to LOVE this job. And, the funny thing is I don't start until September 1st. I thought it was crazy I had a month off before...well now that month turned into more like 6 weeks. It is so strange to be off. I don't know what to do with myself but I am really enjoying spending time with the kids. Tomorrow we are going to the library so that should be fun. I think Bryson really enjoys me being home. When my mom comes over he eyes her like "my mom is NOT leaving me with you, she is staying here with me forever!" He loves my mom so much but he is a mama's boy all the way. Oh, and there is one more person he loves just as much as me......Kory. It is hilarious. He WILL NOT leave Kory alone. He screams for him to pick him up and play with him and he beats on his bedroom door. It is driving Kory NUTS! Good birth control if you ask me! Riley starts football practice soon too so that will keep us busy and school starts August 22nd so THAT will really keep us busy. I am excited! I love the Fall. I am soooooo ready for football games and crisp, cool weather...great holidays coming up. I love all of it! For the first time in a very long time I feel really good. These past two years have been really rough....Bryson's stuff would be enough to deal with, but then I lose my job and then the school and test dissapointment and not knowing what I was going to do. Not to mention that we moved into a new house in January and I lost my job on March 1st. I mean SERIOUSLY!?!?!? But I know I am sooo truly blessed with so many things but it is nice when it all comes together sometimes. We will see how long that lasts, right? Haa,haa! Oh well, that is what prayer is for! :)
Oh and just so you know here is a list of Bryson's nicknames. I have to share them because it is so funny because he has SO MANY and let me tell you that we call him by these different names literally every day. I would not be surprised if the kid did not know his real name but the good thing is....he answers to anything.
Bryson
B
Beeson (I know it sounds silly but I started it and honestly me and Mark and my mom call him this all the time! LOL)
B Money
Mr. B
B dog
little man
Cowboy Bob
stinky
B man
I think that is all for now. He picked up Cowboy Bob today because he likes to wear this cheesy cowboy hat that used to belong to the boys and he wears it all over the house. It is so funny! And also, today I took him to the church nursery at a new church for the first time and he ran in all excited to play with the toys and I was so surprised. He seemed like he was going to do great. Then I come back and the lady in the nursery says immediately, "he cried the whole time!" OOPS! I felt so bad for him. I had no idea. Then I turn to him and say, "Beeson, why did you cry the whole time?" and he turns and points to this sweet, little girl.....as if it was all her fault. So cute! As soon as we walked out of the room he yelled, "BYE!" like nothing ever happened. He is so funny!

July!

Well I am officially done with school and at home for a MONTH. Crazy, right? I have never been off for four weeks consecutively unless I was at a hospital with my son. I am not sure what to do with myself. I am, of course, planning to get everything I need done in the first few days. That is just me. One thing I AM NOT is a procrastinator. I can't stand things "hanging over my head". I have registered Riley for school and football, signed myself up for my subbing and next is Kory's registration. Tonight we are going to the circus so I hope to have some good pictures that I can post. Life has been chaotic but FUN chaotic. I love it! I had lunch with Riley and Bryson yesterday and I have some great video of Bryson eating. I will try to put them on here, so funny! Mark and Kory were working, which they remind me of everyday. They LOVE to point out that "they" have jobs and I don't. They think they are so cute!!:)
Riley is doing great. Just being super helpful around the house and with the baby. He is going to be such a great dad! He is ready for football and school. He met his teacher today and was really excited and football starts really early this year so he will get to meet all of his new friends before school starts. He cracks me up reading the calories and fat and protein on EVERYTHING he eats or drinks. Not that he doesn't eat it because of that, but he is "checking" it out. When we signed him up for football they have all the boys weights listed and he weighs TWICE what all the other boys weigh. He has bigger feet than me, and he is TEN. This kid is going to be HUGE!
Kory is great too. He has been working all summer and making some good money (and spending it too!) But, really, he has been giving me money out of each check to put in savings and I didn't even ask. He even asked me if he could go ahead and set up a 401K. He is so funny! He has his entire life planned out. He is a planner, just like his mom. He works on his music all the time and stays busy just doing his own thing.
Bryson.....Bryson is a tiny, baby turd! That kid! He is sooooooo busy! He is turning two for sure! He throws fits all the time and throws things. I remember at the hospital I told the nurses I would NEVER spank him. He sure needs a spanking! LOL! He is so funny and he plays with his toys like nobody's business. He is starting to talk a lot and he lets you know what he wants. He is a HEFTY eater. He thinks that our kitchen is open 24/7 for his benefit and he can reach many of the drawers and cabinets and he can open the fridge too. Yesterday he got out the food coloring and got red food coloring all over the floor (thank goodness it was wood, fake wood) and then he said, "oh no, oh no!" I need all of our family members here to help me keep up with him!!!! He will be two in about two months. It is hard to believe! NO medical problems whatsoever except some allergies. It's crazy! Well, he is in the cookie decorating drawer and pouring and licking sprinkles off of the floor (seriously, he is!) So, I gotta go!!!

Changes!

Well summer has changed somewhat but I don't know if you call it "for the better" or not. In some ways it is.
I realize after much reflecting that I have GOT to stop measuring myself by my work. I have worked since I was 16 years old and I had the same job for almost 20 and I had a lot of seniority there and felt very secure and worthy. I hate to say I judged myself by my performance at work, sometimes solely on that. I realize now that I don't have to be that person. I drive myself crazy about these things, no one else. No one is saying I have to be the smartest or most driven person out there, except me. I am in the middle of raising three AMAZING kids and that needs to be what is most important right now. The rest can simply wait! God sure is putting a lot of questions and challenges on me right now, it seems he has been for the past two years. I am trying to listen but sometimes it is hard....as we all know. SOOOOO after this next Friday I am off for a WHOLE MONTH. No school, no work, no nothing. That is except for school registrations, football registrations, driving tests, and all that fun stuff. But that I can handle. In the midst of it all I plan on doing some fun road trips and such too. I'm thinking Oklahoma and Houston, the beach, who knows!?!?!? Either way I am going to let go, and give it to God and live for my kids, my husband, my family!!! It's time! Love you all and I hope to be blogging a lot more and have some super great pics! :)
Who knows, maybe I can go back to "funny" posts with colorful stories and such. I need some laughter!

This isn't the summer I signed up for!!!

So sorry for the lack up updates but I am in the thick of school right now and it is kicking my booty! Not to mention all the other stuff going on. I guess I just assumed LIFE would be nice and quiet for me while I went to school. Well, not so much! Bryson got a virus and a throat infection together and landed himself in the hospital for 24 hours. IT SUCKED! He is officially not a good patient. I told him that we were both lucky he had his long hospital stay at the beginning of his life versus now! He told me that if I would just supply him with the same meds as before he would be fine! LOL! Oh and after the 24 hour hospital stay he was STILL sick and got a shot in the leg for the third time. Well, that one turned out to be a doosey and he didn't sleep for a week straight because of the pain in his leg. It turned black and blue and had a huge knot. NIGHTMARE! Then I got food poisoning. I swear, I feel like both Bryson and I get sick all the time. I never used to get sick. I really think it is stress.
Anyway, I took my big test but I don't have the results back yet but I should know soon and I will be sure and update the blog and let you know. And....Riley is at John and Linda's for a few weeks visiting with his cousin. He is having so much fun swimming and riding around in the golf cart. I miss him though!
As far as the rest, I'm just hoping for school to hurry up and end, for me to pass my test and for us to all stay well for a while!!!! This chick needs a break man!!!!
Hope everyone is well! Miss ya and love ya!