Confessions of a Teacher & Mommy

When I woke up this morning it was raining. First thing in my mind? Indoor recess. These are the kinds of things you think about when you are a teacher & a mommy. At least that's what I think about. I know my days are not any different than any other teacher mommy out there, but today was so full I just decided to write them down for your comic relief. Enjoy on my behalf.

#1. When it rains that means that my kids and I get 20 mins to scarf down our lunch and get out of the cafeteria so the next group can come in to eat. It also means that from 12:10 to 2:55 all 23 of us are in one room together. My room was quite stinky and messy by 3:00. To add to tall that excitement I can tell you I did not sit down except for the 50 minutes I had at the end of the day filling out a survey with my co workers and I only got to pee once. For a lady who is 25 weeks pregnant, that takes talent.

#2. There are so many moments in my teaching career where a concept or strategy "clicked" with a kid and the light of inspiration came to their eyes, making all my song and dance worth it. Today was not one of those days. We learned how to do subtraction story problems, I could've taught the strategies while standing on my head with a clown nose on and I'm pretty sure I still would've gotten the blank stares I got today. No worries, we'll try again tomorrow.

#3. When I picked up my munchkin from the babysitter today, she screamed the entire 17 minutes home. Why you might ask? Oh she didn't like her car seat, she wanted to sit in the empty seat next to her. I turned up the radio and sang as loud as I could. Just incase you're curious -- I was singing along with Mariah Carey to "Oh Holy Night" because I love Christmas music.

#4. After dinner I decided I needed a few quiet minutes to myself to unwind from our indoor recess day. So I locked myself in the bathroom for a quick bath. During that time I played the "rhyme game" with Harper who sat outside the door shouting at me the entire time. I also listened to Elliette tell her dad "I pooped" and "get me wipes!" and "I no sit on the potty!" followed by Harper shouting to me through the door, "Elliette doesn't have any clothes on!" I drained the water and got right back out.

#5. Harper is loving to read, which makes my teacher heart SUPER happy! Why oh why must she become obsessed with the MOST boring books?! Yes I read them to her anyway, but seriously. I don't know how I'm going to read that poem book or color book one more time without pulling my hair out. I even pulled the "You Read to Me" trick, but the problem is that she too has the book memorized, so it doesn't get any better.

#6. While typing this post, I also listened to Jon try and explain to Harper that November is both Thanksgiving month AND deer hunting month. Two equally important holidays, oh my. She then proceeded to tell him that her cousin Nathan already told her all about deer hunting month.

The best part? I get to do it all over again tomorrow.

Reasons I think it's a Girl....

Tomorrow is a big day! It's our 20 week ultrasound, where we'll (hopefully!) get to find out if this little nugget - well if you've seen me lately probably more like a little basketball-  is a boy or a girl. In my humble opinion the ultrasound is just a formality because I've known for weeks it's a girl. So on the eve of the big reveal I thought I'd share with you the reasons I THINK it's a girl!

10. All three pregnancies have started the same. I started feeling queasy around week 6. With Harper I threw up until week 15, with Elliette until week 12. Didn't actually throw up with this one, but felt like it 100% of the time until week 9.

9. My sister has three boys, my brother has one of each, Jon and I could even the score with three girls. I like when things are symmetrical and even, ha!

8. Everything baby that we still own (which let's be honest isn't much) is Pink. Seriously.

7. Our toy room has pink polka dots and shaggy pink rugs, and totes of glitter (pink glitter).

6.  Everything happens in threes right? Why not three girls?

5. Jon is already being punished with three women in the house, why not make it 4? Put yourself in his shoes in about 10 years. You can provide him with comfort later.

4. I would be a total mess at changing a boy's diaper.

3. Mother's intuition?

2.  Remember my comment about liking things even and symmetrical? Well I needed to round out the list.

And the #1 reason I think it's a girl???

1. We haven't been able to come up with one single GIRL baby name!

Roots

"Deep roots provide comfort in times of tragedy" 

I first saw this quote (and I have no idea who to honor these words with) on the billboard of a church when Jon and I were traveling from Overland Park, KS to Dexter, MO last summer. That was the summer my cousin Jeff tragically passed away from a brain aneurism. I saw the words, but the reality of those words didn't hit home until the next morning. You see Jeff was living in Kansas City at the time of his death, but his hometown was Dexter. If you're not familiar with your Missouri Geography it's quite the distance apart. When I walked into his service the next morning in his hometown I was instantly brought to tears. The amount of flowers alone was unbelievable. I wish I had pictures to show you. Seriously I bet there were hundreds of arrangements. It was overwhelmingly beautiful and the words above instantly shot in my mind. Jeff had deep roots in a small community, and when tragedy struck our family those roots provided serious comfort.

Growing up in Jefferson City, the trend was in high school among friends was pretty consistent, "I'm not staying in Jeff". Most of us were searching for our tickets out of this town. We wanted to move on to bigger and better things. Some of us moved on, some of us didn't. Since then, some of us have come home. 

In the last month our family experienced another tragedy, one that wasn't nearly as tragic as Jeff's, but enough to rock our cores. And since Kurt's accident, I've been constantly reminded of the words above again. You see, our families have deep roots in this town, and when tragedy struck, you better believe those roots have provided serious comfort. The love and support shown to our sister and brother have been overwhelmingly beautiful. This IS a small town, but one with a huge heart and a great sense of community. 

Thank You to everyone who offers to lend a hand, offers a donation, lifts them up in prayer, and asks us about their recovery.  To those who moved on and found bigger dreams, I'm so happy for you, but remember where you came from and be proud. Jefferson City is our hometown, and I couldn't be prouder of our deep roots.

Crazy and Beautiful

Well the potty training post didn't happen, oops. I had great intentions, but I got carried away with life - as usual. It's really hard to maintain a blog and be a mommy and a teacher. What was I thinking? 

If you've ever taken the time to read the short "description" of my blog, I mention that this blog is supposed to create a snapshot of our crazy and beautiful life. Lately, that description fits our life perfectly. On Sunday, Aug. 11 my brother-in-law (Jon's sister's hubby) was helping a friend at his farm. He was in a tree stand approximately 12 feet up, when he lost his balance. As a result, he suffered a spinal cord injury changing life forever. That quick. Crazy. Tragic. Life changing. At this point you may be wondering, where's the beauty? Well, in this instance the beauty comes from within Kurt. It's been amazing to watch and hear stories of his attitude and determination during this entire week. The pain he's endured, the questions, the tears, the good news, the bad news, the tests. To be honest - I'm in awe. I could never imagine handling such a life changing event with such strength, and grace. Since surgery, he has had two therapy sessions. One which allowed him to sit up, and the other which allowed him to move from the bed to the wheel chair. He's doing an awesome job.

Kurt, my heart is broken for the loss that you've suffered this week. You should know that for every visitor that has walked through your door this week, there are 25 more people at home that can't wait to see your face and hug your neck. You should know that Jon and I have heard of people and churches praying for you all over the state. You should know that I am exceptionally proud of you. When my girls need a living example of determination, hard work and positive thinking, I'm so happy they have you to look up to. 

As an entire family, our reality has changed. It's crazy, and it's beautiful. 



**If you'd like to follow Kurt progress you can visit their Caring Bridge site - you will have to create a free account and login: http://caringbridge.org/visit/kurtsuthoff

Unexpected Miracles

Well folks, in true Kali fashion it's been quite some time since my computer and I have been together. Who can blame me? It's summer!! I've been holed up on my couch in my basement, or in my bed snuggling with my girls, or at the pool, etc. You get the picture. I usually update the blog more in the summer time, but I'm a slacker. What can I say?

Lots has been going down in the Binkley household. Most recently Elliette has started potty training. This will be another blog post entirely hopefully later this week, but let's just say it's been "messy" around here. The little stinker can't keep her diaper on to save her life!! We purchased a new potty which has big pink princess crowns and makes all kinds of royal noises when she does her business, but I promise to update on Potty Training later. 

Harper is ready for another year of Pre-K, but I'm super sad to say this is our LAST official preschool year. My baby girl will be 5 in December. That's just crazy! She's so bored with me at home, poor thing. She's so excited to get back to a routine and her classroom. Her only grumble is that she won't be able to wear her swimsuit/dress/sandals combination that's been her summer wardrobe staple. She'll get over it I'm sure.

Most importantly we have some big news to share with everyone. We were quite shocked to find out that our family is expanding by one more. Yep, re-read that sentence again. We are pregnant. Pretty crazy right? I thought so too. We were quite shocked. It's no secret to our friends and family that to get pregnant with BOTH of our girls, we had some kind of medical intervention/fertility. I am no stranger to the road of infertility so I know it's a HUGE blessing to be able to do this on our own. I am very thankful for the blessing we've been given, but I would be lying if I said I felt like celebrating! 10 weeks later I have adjusted to our new reality and I'm beginning to get excited. 

The good news -- our current OBGYN is choosing to not send us to the high risk doctor at the moment (another blessing!). She said my issues do not cause any harm to the baby, so there is no need to see a high risk doc. We will simply take this one day at a time and if pain/nausea meds are needed we will get those. She said worse case scenario, we'll hospitalize and give nutrition via IV until it's safe for baby to be here. We are praying it doesn't come to that. So far - I feel pretty good. I'm convinced this unexpected miracle is another girl (I feel the exactly the same way I did with both Harper and Ellie). But only time will tell. Baby B#3 is due Feb. 20.

Harper is beyond excited, I'll leave you with a little snippet of her finding out we are indeed pregnant. Enjoy.

Spring Break!

Well lots has happened since I've last had time to sit and write. You probably gave up on reading all together -- and I don't blame you! However there are lots of new and exciting events going on in the Binkley household so I will quickly attempt to catch you up! Since I've last blogged I've gotten a new phone (not the most exciting news for you, but SUPER exciting for me). Most of my pics are on the new phone and I'm still having "technical difficulties" with transferring them to the computer. So sorry that picture updates will have to wait! Without prolonging the inevitable any longer here they are...

Top 5 updates in the Binkley House:

5. Snow, Snow, and more Snow

If you don't live in mid-Missouri, you may not know about all the snow that we've been getting the last few weeks. From my last blog post (oh so long ago) you may already know I'm officially FINISHED with Winter, I'm ready for warmer temps, flip-flops, pedicures and not freezing at recess!! In true Missouri style we welcomed Spring with 6-10 inches of snow. Ew.  Thankfully the temps have been above freezing and the stuff is melting quickly. However, our Easter Egg hunts are looking more and more like they will be indoor hunts. I'm pretty sure I saw something cute on pinterest about putting glow sticks in plastic eggs and turning out the lights for an extra special indoor hunt. 

4. Elliette's cutest new words

Despite having her pacifier in her mouth 90% of the time, Elliette is talking more and more everyday. Her newest words which I find exceptionally adorable are "chalk-it nilk" (translation: chocolate milk), "I unt ore" (translation: I want more), and "wuv u" (translation: love you).  She is kinda a polly parrot these days and loves to sing and dance along to Sofia the First and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

3. Harper's growth rate

Despite being sick quite a bit this winter, Harper is still growing like crazy. I just happened to notice a week or so ago when it was warm for a small amount of time. I pulled out the clothes that were HUGE on her in the fall, and now they are too short and too tight! She tries to wear her "skirfs" (translation: skirts) from last summer and they are SUPER short. Looks like Mommy needs to go shopping! :)

2. Viva Las Vegas

For Jon's 30th birthday, we met some dear friends in Las Vegas for an extended weekend over President's weekend. This was mine and Jon's first time to Vegas, and I don't think we saw a quarter of it. We did have a nice relaxing weekend, full of sight seeing and being true "tourists". I was gawking - I'll admit it. Highlights would include a fabulous restaurant called China Publano (think noodles and tacos), the Bellagio fountains,and the Cirque du Soleil show called Zarkana.  I'm so glad we went -- it was a great weekend away. Plus we got to see Brandon & Jenn! Pictures coming soon!

1. Snow Day Remodel

On one of the days that we were all kept indoors due to snow, my wonderful do-it-yourself husband decided that the HORRIBLE carpet we had in our eating area had to go! So we picked out tile and scheduled for the install. Since the floors were being redone, we decided the wooden facade that was on the fireplace needed to be taken down so the tile could be laid against the brick of the fireplace. Once the fireplace facade was down, we realized the textured wallpaper had been painted a lighter shade of green since the facade was installed. So we took the opportunity to pull down the wallpaper on the fireplace wall. Which led to taking the wallpaper down in the adjoining kitchen, and the other three walls in the eating area. AND while we were at it - we scraped our popcorn ceilings too. So our new flooring snow day job has turned into an almost two month two room remodel. We now have wallpaper free freshly textured and painted walls and freshly textured and painted ceilings. New baseboards, new backsplash, new light fixtures and an updated fireplace. There was a small stint of time that we lived with a "kiving room" (a kitchen in our living room), and we are not yet finished with all the detail work (IT IS SERIOUSLY NEVER ENDING). But I hope to get curtains, a mantle and pictures soon! 

Until then I'm enjoying the next 5 days off from school to prep myself for the long haul of the end of the year. Even with snow on the ground I can sense spring/summer right around the corner. I'm so excited!! 

Winter Blues

I love cold weather. I know I'm strange, but I really love sweaters, snow, winter coats, scarves, Christmas, Valentine's Day, hot food, and of course snow days. If you were to ask me what my favorite season was, the answer would probably be fall, but winter comes a close second. 

This winter however, is for the birds! My girls are NEVER sick, seriously. NEVER. However, this winter we've been hit like a freight train, it's awful! I'm not sure if it's new germs from my school or Harper's but it's awful. To top it off - we haven't had a snow day yet! 

This last week was very rough. Harper got some sort of viral infection that cause the poor baby to have 100-101 fever for just over 8 days. Her little mouth was covered in blisters by the week's end. We are praying, crossing our fingers, holding our breath, and even knocking on wood that Elliette won't get it. To top it all off, it was parent teacher conference week. To my teaching friends, you need no further explanation. For my non teaching friends, let's just leave it at super. long. week. 

Suffice it to say I can't WAIT for spring to be here. Bring on the bright colors and sunshine, and if I wanted to get really excited - SUMMER break! 

Our excitement this winter? Jon and I are heading to Vegas to celebrate turning 30 this year. We're excited to get an extended weekend away, and to get to hang with some great friends who are meeting us there. Until then... 6 weeks until Spring Break!!