Great Stuff

Having visitors is the best thing ever!  One, because we don't see our far away family and friends near as often as we would like.  And two, because it is when we take the time to explore all the fun things to do in the Denver area.  And we found a lot to do this weekend when Chad's parents came to visit.  It was a GREAT weekend!

We went to the zoo.  We LOVE a good zoo and the Denver Zoo did not disappoint.  I was a little bummed that they charge an extra $10 to see the elephants.  We have a special "elephants" song that Jordyn watches on Barney over and over, and we did not even get to see them.  Still, it was wonderful day at the zoo-z-zoo (another song from Barney).

We went down to Colorado Springs and checked out the Cave of the Winds.  We experienced a whole new level of dark.  Jordyn got a little antsy when we turned off the lights.  She is super independent these days and just wanted to walk by herself all weekend.  She would hold grandpa's hand, but that is about all the control she was willing to give up.  Knowing this, I felt she did pretty good walking around a dark, twisty and squishy cave.

We also went to the Museum of Nature and Science in Denver. The last time we went the museum was so crowded we did not get to see half of the exhibits. This time is was almost empty which was fantastic. We watched a movie in the planitarium. Jordyn was so entriqued she did not say a word, just watched and even dozed off for a moment.

As we walked out of the museum, we found a little splash pad there and let Jordyn have some impromptu fun.

There was much more we did that I did not get pictures of.  If there is one thing I have learned about the Bartons since I joined the family, it is that they do not waste time!  They cram in as much fun as possible!  We went to the pool.  We went to the park a couple times.  Jordyn LOVES slides.  We ate... a lot.  We played kinect and games.  We talked and laughed and as always Jordyn got a lot of attention.  As we dropped grandma and grandpa off at the airport, Jordyn cried and cried.  She knew what was going on the second we stopped the car and they hopped out and she stayed in.  She cried "no bye-bye" as we drove away. 

Happy Mother's Day!

This is the card I sent our moms.  I thought it was funny.  I took Jordyn outside last week to try and get a cute picture.  I had this whole idea of her holding her arms out to the side and I was going to type "I love you this much!"  We practiced all morning how to hold her arms out.  When we got outside, she just bawled cause she didn't want to do it.  So, this is the picture I got.  I thought it was more fitting anyway!  Plus, it was Wednesday and I was running out of time!

Happy Mother's Day!

Plan C

I feel like I blog all the time lately.  Like, more than once a week.  Is that lame?  I am pretty sure it is.   

So, Plan A was tutoring.  Plan B was and still is Junebug Jane.  Plan C is Summer Literacy Program!  I went down to Chad's office one afternoon and told him that I had had this plan on my mind for a couple days and I was pretty sure I was going to go through with it.   His response..."You really are just looking for stuff to do, aren't you?"  Yes.  Yes I am.  I have too much time on my hands.  So here is Plan C.  I don't even know if any of my Castle Rock friends look at this blog, but I figured I might as well advertise here too.

Haircut

I gave Jordyn her first haircut this week.   I.  Me.  I cut her hair.  I was so scared!  I have waited so long for her to have hair to actually cut, so that made me even more nervous.  She has gotten past the mullet stage, but things were looking pretty straggly and mousy.  So I decided to give it a shot.  I didn't cut much off.  I just tried to even things out a bit.  Either I cut more off on her right side, or her hair is just thinner on that side.  Rating my beauty school skills, I give myself a 6.  Her hair is not pink, but it is not real straight either!

Also, I am slightly ashamed at my own beauty in these pictures.  Not my finest moment!

Cry

Back when we were dating, Chad asked me straight up if I was a crier.  I think he wanted to know what he was getting himself into.  I honestly replied "no".  He asked me how many times I remember crying in my adult life.  I thought about it and gave a rediculously low estimate.  It was an honest attempt.  I really thought "crier" was not a description that fit me.  Later, during our first year of marriage, Chad called me out as a liar!  His estimate claimed that I cry about once a week.  I was shocked!  I think that his estimate is little over the top, but I now see that my mine was much too conservative.  Don't misjudge me.  I don't just lay around weaping tears of sorrow every day.  There are just some times when I get a little over emotional.  The emotions are varying.  Sometimes saddness, sometimes frustration, sometimes spiritual, sometimes anxiety, sometimes pity.  Come on, I am a woman with hormones, and I have a right to let it out if it makes me feel better! 

This may seem like a random topic, but it came to me today as I finished reading The Book Thief.  Book club is tonight and I hadn't finished the book yet.  And as luck would have it, forewarning signs of a migraine came this morning.  Luckily it has been mild and I was able to finish the book.  I only had a couple chapters left.  I bawled my eyes out!  It was just page after page of tears.  I kept thinking, "Oh geez.  Make it stop.  Make the saddness stop!"  This was not a few silent tears.  It was vocal, out loud, crying!  I thought to myself, "I am just emotional today because of the migraine."  I made up other excuses, like, "This is just a really sad book." Or, "I am just tired cause I haven't slept well all week (we have had the cold/flu of the century go through our house this week).  See... excuses.  Then I remembered last month's book club, and how I had cried then.  And the month before that.  And in comparison to The Book Thief, those were not even very sad books.  It is time for me just to admit....I am a crier.  It is who I am.  "Crier" is now a word that describes me. 

Side note: You should read The Book Thief.  The devistaing tears are worth it.  And I have not spoiled it for you.  You know from the first chapter that you will cry.  Its a given.  Read it, and afterward just give in and admit you are a crier too.

Junebug Jane

My esty shop Junebug Jane is up and running!  You wanna know the hardest part of getting it all together...the name!  Everything I came up with had been used.  I bet I tried 30 names before I found one that was not already taken.  Geez!  I sometimes think I am crazy for attempting to do this, but so far I am not out too much.  I have not posted a lot, but I hope to soon.  You can visit my shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/junebugjane

I hope you like it!

Being Brave

This is one of those posts that even as I type it I wonder, "Why am I telling this to all the world?"

I was up forever last night.  Jordyn let out a scream at about 12:30, something she kind of does a lot.  I think she has nightmares cause usually she doesn't wake up, she just yells out.  Anyway, it woke me up and I laid there with my mind racing for about 2.5 hours. 

Since I stopped teaching, I have felt quite lost.  I feel like I have to be doing something that connects me to the world outside of my home.  I know that taking care of my family is an important thing and I am so grateful I get the opportunity to do so.  But I feel like I need to be doing something more.  I wish I did not feel this way, but I do.  I have thought and thought about what I need to do to get that feeling of satisfaction that I have been lacking.  I have thought about teaching again next year, but the timing is just bad.  We want to have another baby and I am hesitant to start in a new state, new curriculum, new school and most likely a new grade level with the knowledge that I will probably have to take a 6 week maternity leave during the year.  It feels overwhelming thinking about it.  So, I thought maybe I could tutor.  I really, really tried to be brave and put myself out there.  It took a lot of courage for me to advertise myself.  I took fliers around to all the schools.  I put an add on craigslist.  I signed up with a company that connects tutors to students.  After 4 months, still nothing has come of it.  Frustrating.

So I am coming up with a plan B, and again I have to be brave and put myself out there.  Since we moved into our house, I have been a sewing maniac.  I sew as often as Jordyn will allow me too.  I have tried so many new things and really branched out with what I have created.  I have finally come around the the idea that was originally Chad's.  I want to try selling some of  my stuff.  It is more terrifying to put myself out there this way than it was to attempt tutoring.   My confidence in education completely outweighs my confidence in sewing.  Education: Master's Degree, Sewing: A few home-ec classes in high school.  So really, even to blog about it is scaring me to death.  I am not quite ready to post all of what I would like to sell.  I plan to sell most of it through etsy and as soon as I figure out how too, I will post some stuff here as well as on facebook.  Hopefully others will think it is cute, cause I do!  

I was taking some pictures of a dress I made, using Jordyn as a model.  And although this pic does not showcase the dress at all, I just love these cheeks and these baby blues!