New look to surprise Daddy... oh, and one other little thing!

The girls are being surprised by their Daddy tonite, but Donny will also get a big surprise.  Sarah got a haircut today and she looks adorable!!  Here are some shots  ~ Before and After~

Sarah and Molly trying to look at the camera... but the sun was just "in our eyes"!

Sarah waiting her turn.  Wide eyed excitement on her face! Molly loving on "ellie"!

She wanted to see how long her hair was, so we snapped this picture!  Crazy long!

                         Still smiling!

Not so much now, but only because she couldn't watch the cartoon on the screen in front of her!!

                A quick blow dry and ...

We are right back where we started... with the "sun STILL in our eyes" but loving the new haircut!  Ready for Daddy,  but they have no idea he is coming home!!

By the way, did you happen to read this?  Here are some shots of what happened after that trip to "camp"!

Say hello to WHISKERS... the hamster who lives with us now!

He joins the dog, Bronson and the fish... Suckky, Spotty and Swimmy!

Sarah just loves him!  Wait till Daddy sees this!!

HOORAY!

MY DONNY COMES HOME

- FOR GOOD -

TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!

After what has been the LONGEST summer of my life, my hubby is returning home to be a stay at home daddy to my girls, a partner in crime to me, and a permanent fixture at my house. I've started back at school with 26 first graders - Love it, but am SOOOOO tired each day! It is such a blessing that Don will be home so that I don't have to ask my mom's permission to go out (she's my ONLY babysitter), nor will I be the only parent at home! It'll be great to go home and maybe sit for a few minutes without having to break up a fight or screaming match. It will be super to have an adult to talk to! It will be wonderful to leave my sleeping children in their cozy beds instead of ripping their tired bodies out from under warm covers at 6 in the morning. Not to mention, when my dang dog runs away, Don can chase him. Don can take the garbage out, Don can mow the lawn (since I've broken the lawnmower twice...), and Don can give me hugs each day! Can you tell I'm just over the moon? I love that man!

Need a little advice, please!

Okay, so after a summer full of trips to the zoo, swimming at the pool, and running our buns off, the Walton girls are pretty pooped out. I am also switching grade levels this year, so I've had to re-create a fun classroom atmosphere for first graders while also learning a new curriculum. Needless to say, I'm going into this school year a little exhausted and the craziness hasn't even begun yet. So, here's where I'm in trouble. My husband is forever telling me that I don't know how to relax and do nothing. I thought he was just being silly, until TODAY. I set out this morning to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING today. No plans, nowhere to go, nothing to do. My goal was to rest up because school starts this week. I know that after meeting my 27 little first graders on Wednesday and explaining school policies and classroom rules, I am going to be ready for bed as soon as I get home. And I'm even more concerned because I don't have Don to lean on if there happens to be a day that I actually need to go right to bed! (It still boggles my mind how single parents survive!)
Back to my "DO NOTHING DAY."
The girls woke me up around 8:00 where I convinced them to stay in my bed to watch cartoons while I caught a few more zzzz's, (operation "DO NOTHING" in full effect).
We finally rolled out of bed to feed the starving fish at 9. We made our way downstairs to eat a nice breakfast together (Plan still in effect).
Then I remembered that I had put laundry in the washing machine last night, so, because I HATE the moldy smell of soaking wet laundry, I ran down to put the clothes in the dryer. This reminded me that the heaping pile of dirty clothes should probably be washed before my crazy week. (Operation "DO NOTHING" is slightly off track...)
After sorting and starting laundry, I head upstairs and remember that I have to print my schedule for my principal by tomorrow. So I head back to the computer where one things leads to another, and I end up doing school work until lunch time (Operation "DO NOTHING" has failed for the morning). I'm feeling dejected.
So, I re-assess and start over. Lunch time. We make mac and cheese, grapes, and teddy grahams for lunch and all sit together to eat. After lunch its my favorite time of day...nap time! Surely this cannot fail!
Ah, but it does. The girls head off dream land and I head down to my new comfy couch with my favorite snuggle pillow. Turn on the tv for some background noise distraction and try to sleep. Out of nowhere, my allergies kick up and I can't stop sneezing. I spend the next 2 hours of blissful sleep time sneezing and rubbing my puffy eyes until I hear the dreaded sound of Molly's feet on the steps (only dreaded because that means nap time is OVER). Operation Do Nothing is wishful thinking at the point. Here is where you come in and I need some advice!
When Don is home, we spend every Sunday afternoon at his parents house. I had told the girls that maybe we would go this afternoon. They don't really remember, but my guilt of not taking them over there and putting Don's parents on the back burner makes my stomach hurt. But, I haven't stopped sneezing, I still have laundry to do, and I have yet to DO NOTHING! Do I fight for my sanity and try to sit and do nothing for the rest of the day? Or do I just call it quits since I haven't been successful so far and head out of the house for a visit? HELP! How can I sit and DO NOTHING without physically stapling my butt to the couch or feeling guilty about doing nothing??

I may be back...

Okay, so I realize that it has been months since I've blogged, but let me tell you, I have been going through some major changes and challenges this summer. Initially, I stopped blogging because I was just too busy, and let's face it, Meme covers all the exciting happenings with my girls better anyways. Then, things in my life started to change and challenge me, and I realized that maybe I didn't want people to know what I was going through. I tend to hibernate when I experience new things or when I am being tested, and this summer has been nothing but tests. However, a new school year is beginning, which in my life has always signified more of the "new year" than January 1st, so I decided its time to stop hiding and get back on the blogging wagon. I can't promise that I won't be too busy to blog some days, but I will do better than I've been doing!

For those of you who know me, you know that Don is an extremely dedicated and talented electrician. Unfortunatly, with the current economy, he was off of work beginning in November of 2008 up until around my last post. Then my most dreaded senario happened. With no prospects of work around here, unemployment and healthcare running out, Donny had to find work. For him, it came in the form of a middle school in Ithaca, New York. So, my husband, the father of my children, set out to provide for his family and live in New York on June 28th. At the time, the job was to run through Labor Day. We had no idea if he'd be home on weekends, or if we'd have to visit him. He rented a studio apartment and set off, leaving the Walton girls to fend for themselves.

Some of you may be thinking, perfect timing- at least it was summer, and you could stay home with the girls. True, but that also meant that after working all year and looking forward to a summer break with the family (husband included), I would be a single parent for the entire summer. While I consider myself very self sufficient, there were a few things that I had to learn this summer. Here are just a few of the things that I had to learn to do because Don took such good care of us while he was here that I never had to think about them.

I learned that Wednesday is garbage day and that yes, I do need to take the cans to the front lawn; the garbage men will not walk around behind my house to get them.
I learned that the grass needs to be cut.
I learned that it takes an average of 7 pulls for me to start the dang lawn mower.
I learned that bedtime sucks with only one parent.
I learned that the mess around the house isn't always Don's mess.
I learned that those five minutes of sitting down and letting your other half take over are priceless and seriously overlooked!
I learned that my children are troopers and can do a lot more than I ever imagined.
I learned that kids can clearly sense anxiety, stress, and sadness.
I learned that Don is my soul mate, and I'll never love anyone the way I love him.
I learned who my real friends are; who will still hang out with the single mom who has to bring along her kids.
I learned to always put wings on the kids before heading out to the pool.
I learned that running with both girls in a stroller is an excellent way to wind down and de-stress.
I learned that every moment is a teachable moment, even for me.
I learned to depend on myself, believe in myself, and trust in my decisions.
I learned that a messy house is sometimes best left messy.
I learned that I can be totally and completely refreshed from my daughters' hugs.
I learned that I can do this, even though I don't like it.

I think this is enough for today...I'd like to update you on my kids, but this post was exhausting, and I have to get dinner started, shower, bathe the girls, and prepare for school tomorrow. Hopefully you'll be seeing more of me soon. Thank you to everyone who has helped me this summer. Countdown to Labor Day! I miss my boy!

Sarah's New Bike!

Saturday morning, Sarah woke me up suggesting that we get a new bike, "or a scooter, mom. You just put one foot on, and push the other foot. IT IS SO FUN!" So, I thought about it for a bit, talked it over with Donny, and we decided it was time for a big girl bike! Sarah came with me to the store and we picked out the perfect one. We came home and Sarah set to work helping Daddy put her new bike together.
So Serious!

Here she is on her new bike! After a few fumbles in learning how to master the pedals,

She took right off, and kept going, and going, and going!

After all of that riding, she needed to just relax in the shade.

Ah, WHAT AN EXCITING DAY!

Molly is almost 2!

After writing the last post about Sarah, and searching through pictures to find her early school shots (of course, I couldn't find my very favorite of her first day of school EVER), I started reminiscing about my baby Molly and coming to grips with the fact that in just a little over a month she will be turning the big TWO! Here's a picture trip down memory lane...

I can't believe this is my BABY!!!

Sarah's Last Day as a Sunshine!

So, today was Sarah's last day as a Sunshine at Best Beginnings Preschool. This was especially hard on me because she started at 2 1/2 and has been with the same teachers for two years. We have come to love and adore Miss Chris, Miss Gail, and Miss JoAnne! Each teacher brought out something different in my Sarah, and we will miss them next year! 

Here are some before and after shots!