ARGH!

I know I haven't written in a LONG TIME, but that is why I changed the title to The Non-Blogger Blog :)  Things have been busy around the house.  Ryan and I have both been working (summer school for me) and Balin has been enjoying the summer camp themes at Kindercare.  I have also been busy taking pictures with my friend Rachel for our photography business SandS Photography, we are really enjoying taking pictures.

This weekend, we took Balin to the Blackbeard Pirate Festival.  First we went on Friday evening, it was NOT fun.  But we decided to give it another go on Sunday afternoon.  We got to tour a pirate ship, see a battle between the pirates and the royal navy, and even got to talk to a parrot (who did not talk back very much).  I will try to do a better job posting, but no promises :)

More blue at our house!

It's a boy!

ooops!

I haven't blogged on here in awhile.  We have been super busy with school, having fun with Balin, taking pictures with SandS photography, and getting ready for summer.  We have also had a lot of excitement at our house because I am currently 17 and half weeks pregnant.  We can't wait to find out if it is a boy or a girl on June 21.

Balin's First Road Race

Those of you that don't know me may not know that Ryan and I both ran in college. (and high school)  When we got married, we got married at FMU (where we attended college) in the infield of the track.  So we were very excited to find a race for Balin to run this past weekend.  He ran the Shamrock Children's Marathon.  Here are some pictures.

Balin is doing great!

For those of you that are wondering how Balin is doing at the new daycare, he couldn't be happier.  He is excited to go everyday and learn something new.  They are doing a unit on the Earth right now.  Also, the going to bed issue that I blogged about a couple of weeks ago, is going much better now.  So all in all he is doing pretty good, for a three year old :)

An Excellent Excuse

I have an excellent excuse for skipping a week!  My little photography business venture had a big shooting weekend last week and we have another big day tomorrow.  So without further ado....Balin's 2010 Easter Pictures!

More pictures from 3 year old photo shoot!

Here are some more pictures from Balin's 3 year old photo shoot:

Week ending February 21st

A very small preview of Balin's third birthday pictures.

Late with Pictures

I know I am running late with the pictures from last week!  But I did take some.  I actually took Balin out to the park and finally took his 3 year pictures on Saturday.  However, I am nowhere near done editing the pictures.  I will go ahead and post a couple that I fininshed already tonight.

On another note, Balin started his new daycare today.  It is 11:40 and I haven't had a phone call yet, so I am hoping that is a good note.  He was excited that they had a playground and I am sure they will go out today since it isn't raining and it isn't freezing.  Let's see how long it takes him to get comfortable enough to throw a tantrum at daycare.....any bets?  I am hoping this place will be a much better fit for him so there will be no need for tantrums.  On the tantrum note.....all of the sudden in the past couple of weeks my wonderful kid that would go to bed with no fuss has started crying and sometimes screaming about going to bed.  I am not sure why, I tried asking him why he didn't want to go to bed and his answer was that he wanted to watch tv, which is what he has been doing right before bed to wind down.  I think starting tonight the last thing we will do before bed is get in the bed and read a book.  That way he is already in his room, in his bed, so hopefully when I say time to go to sleep he won't flip out.  I will report back on how that goes later.

Wonderful....we have an IDIOT for a Governor

http://www.bobmcdonnell.com/index.php/issues/issue_education

“I want Virginia to have the most innovative incentives to create the best school system in America.”

- Former Attorney General Bob McDonnell


Please tell me why Mr. Governor Bob McDonnell is going back on his word (see above, he said that).  Oh yeah, he is a politician.  If you click on the link above, it will take you to Gov. McDonnell's website.  On this website there is a section about education in which he goes on and on about how important education is for our young people.  However, he is now proposing approximately $731 million dollars in cuts for our public school system.  Seriously, I think he has lost his mind~ 


It is bad enough that my particular school system had already decided to cut approximately 150 TEACHING positions for next year, but now with these new cuts I am not sure what will happen.  I know that the system really needs to start looking at the administration level.  I am not sure why we need so many people sitting pretty at the admin building.  People that don't help students on a daily basis.  I know they will say that what they do effects children in a "trickle down" way.  Whatever!  I cannot think of a ton of examples of people from the admin building doing much that has ever helped out the kids in my classroom.  So we shall see if this budget passes at the state level.  If it does, the youth of the state of Virginia is in serious jeopardy.

The Longest Week Ever

Just wanted to go on record by saying this has been the LONGEST week ever!  We are looking forward to the weekend and a birthday party for a good friend.  On a good note, I found out today that I get to go to Chicago for work the last week of April.  I also got to eat homemade doughnuts from Smithfield this morning at work, so it hasn't been a bad day, just a long week.

Another bit of good news is that Balin now has a new daycare.  He will be starting on Monday.  Fingers crossed that this one will be a better fit than the last one!

Thank you Dr. Galloway!

Today I am not feeling like the worst mother in the world.  Thank goodness!  Balin and I took a trip to see his pediatrician.  I love her and absolutely wanted her input on Balin's recent possession by demon melt down at school.  She gave him a clean bill of health (which I expected) and said there is NOTHING wrong with him.  He is very much a three year old boy.  LOUD, excitable, very interested in trains, loves to hear stories, DOES NOT like to sit and do worksheets or participate in boring activities....like learning your colors for 3 months or coloring the number one yellow to learn to count...etc.  Evidently he also does not enjoy being the only kid in class that gets sent to time out 24/7.  Who would like that?  So she suggested that we find a nice, hands on, CHILD FRIENDLY daycare.  No every daycare is not child friendly.  So we are looking for a place that allows a child to be a child, to act like a child, and learn like a child.  A place that isn't going to try to force my baby boy into the mold that they have decided that every three year old should fit in....not sure where we are going to find such a place, but we are certainly looking.  Until such place is found, grandma has graciously offered to let him come hang at her house.  THANK GOODNESS!

Worst Mother in the WORLD award!

This one doesn't have a picture to go with it....ugh!  I am appointing myself as the worst mother in the world right now.  Some of you know what I am talking about....let me fill you in.  My son (who is adorable) is three years old....some of you know what is coming next....and he throws some terrible tantrums.  I have witnessed some of them personally, but mostly he does it at pre school.  Mostly teachers don't like that kid that screams no when you tell them to go to time out, even if they are adorable and say sorry when they are done.  So he got kicked out of pre school today.  I didn't even know you could get kicked out of pre school, but you can.  He had a rough week last week, as did the whole family because we went through a very bad medical thing last week.  And today he just lost it at school and threw the tantrum to end all tantrums.  So we are currently seeking new daycare arrangements.  Yippeee!  And that is why I deserve the Worst Mother in the WORLD award!  I have managed to screw up my three year old enough that he is a juvenile delinquent.....at age three! That MUST be a new record.

Oh yeah!  And for those of you out there that have perfect kids, DON'T bother to comment.

More Happy Valentine's Day

Some more pictures of our Happy Valentine's Day.  We had heart shaped hamburgers for dinner.  Then Balin got to hear the story "Guess How Much I Love You" with Daddy as the narrator.

Week ending February 14th

So much joy over a lollipop :)

Week ending February 7th

I know I am late posting these pictures for last week, but we have had our hands full around here lately.  These pictures are from Balin's third birthday party.  How did he get so old so quick?

January 31

THE LAST DAY OF JANUARY!  I will be going week by week now.  People that post a new picture 365 days in a row have way more time to kill than I, maybe they just don't have an almost three year old :)  Here are some snow pictures to round out the month!

January 30

Thanks goodness we got about 12 inches of snow to help me round out the month with pictures!

January 29

I totally fell asleep last night before getting to post the pictures for Friday!  He was trying to count :)

January 28

Long day....here is a picture.  It is B's sweet foot while he was sitting on the potty this evening.  He is sick and so there wasn't a lot of opportunity for taking pictures.  I decided to continue with last night's theme.

January 27

Cute parts of my baby boy.