Oh the Phrases!

OK...you know how 2 year olds pick up EVERYTHING they hear? Well, because I'm both a mom and a teacher, I really do understand the importance of "listening". And while I love and appreciate the fact that my 2 year old has a very expansive vocabulary, can I just for one moment say how it can sometimes make me CRAZY!!!

I guess the most difficult part is that these "phrases" are so darn cute!!
Let me give you some examples...

"Look out Below!" is what she yells at the top of her lungs while dumping the entire bucket of kitchen "play" food all over everything.

"Not Quite Mom" is what she says in her sweet innocent voice when I ask her if she is ready for bed each night.

"That grosses me out"...I'm pretty sure she picked this one up from me and she says this at just the right time when she doesn't want to eat something, touch something, etc.

"Megan"...yes she calls me by my name...this happens because she is a Daddy's girl and she has heard Ben try to pity her while I'm in the middle of disciplining her! Yeah...gotta get this one under control right away! :)

"That's ridiculous"...this one just randomly pops out at times of her choosing, but always at the most convenient time (sarcasm)!

"Hold your panties on"...this one is my mom's fault. She used to tease her with this saying when she was younger. Funny thing is...she uses it only on my mom!!

"Ayudame"...ok this is spanish. It means "help me" and we can thank Dora or Diego for this one. She uses this quite frequently and I think she's figured out that we tend to actually "help" her more when she says it in Spanish as opposed to English because we think its funny!

"Son of a gun"...this one is all her father's fault! I highly encouraged him not to say this in front of her, but of course...and she knows EXACTLY when to use it in just the right tone of voice!


Well...the list goes on and on. I'll try to post some updates as she continues to add new phrases to her repertoire. Of course there will be many more!

Honestly, I couldn't be prouder!! While I may sometimes feel like pulling may hair out, I am blessed with the most adorable, intelligent, and loving little girl! She's growing up too fast and one day soon I will miss all of those "annoying" little phrases! :) At least I'll have Josie to remind me of them again in just a short while!

Days Go By...

Could the days really go by any faster?

I've been thinking of how quickly life happens and I finally understand why our elders tell us to just enjoy being a kid while we can!!

Let's see...all of the following has happened or will be happening within the next 6 months...time flies!!!

* Ben and I will celebrate our 4 year anniversary
* It will be 4 years since we purchased our house in Brighton
* Josie will turn 1 year old
* Macie will turn 3 years old
* It's been 5 years since I've graduated college and...
* 9 years ago at this time I was moving in to the Greenville College dorms
* I'll be two...yes two years away from the age of 30

So does everyone remember those all too familiar sayings that you dreaded hearing over and over when you were so eager to grow up???

Sayings like..."enjoy your freedom while you can"..."with age comes responsibility"..."you have your whole life ahead of you"...

Well...I now have a completely different understanding of those warnings. As a teenager I remember feeling like they were sending me the message that its not "fun" to grow up. I figured all of the talk about responsibility and losing freedom, etc. was just to make us think that growing up was a "negative" thing.

However, I now think they were really just helping us to treasure and value our time. All of that growing up IS fun and it's NOT negative at all. With all of the responsibility and lack of freedom comes happiness...like marriage, children, family, life long friends, memories, experiences, etc. It's not that growing up is such negative thing...it's just that our elders knew and had already experienced something that we had not. They had seen firsthand how fast life moves and were trying to instill in us the idea of treasuring our time.

Its so much more obvious now because I can see daily changes in my kids. They are still so young, but I know that it won't be long until they are not so "little" anymore! So...now I've realized that in just a few years I'll be repeating those same sayings to my own kids in an effort to help them appreciate and enjoy life and all it has to offer!! My goal now is to live, love, enjoy and appreciate the life I've been blessed with! So, thank you to each of you! Because if you are reading this then you have contributed to my happiness in some way throughout the years!! Have a great day!!

Our Weekend

This past weekend was a pretty busy one for us, but so well worth it. After dragging the girls around there might have been a few tears and a few grumpy faces along the way, but they had so much fun!!

The theme for Saturday was FAMILY!! We visited Gma and Gpa Tyler's house in the morning and had a great visit with them and Papa Mark and Grandma Melanie. They were in town visiting from Branson. Saturday evening we headed to my parents and the girls had a great time visiting with my aunts and uncles and cousins. I of course hardly saw Macie the entire time because she was off being entertained by her "friend" Emily. (that's what she calls her) Macie and Josie don't really have any other little ones on my side of the family because I was so much older and am the only one into the marriage/children stage of life. But, I don't think they will have any complaints. They are pretty darn spoiled and love the attention!! It's really nice spending time with family and I'm just glad that we are fortunate enough to have a close knit family and we can spend time with.

Sunday's theme was FRIENDS!! We started out the morning by visiting Troy UMC. It was fun to see the Price family who I miss so much. Tim shared a good message and Kenny shared some of his original songs for worship and the service was great! Afterwards we headed to lunch with the Jamison family. Kenlea and Macie were just a little...hmmm...outgoing!! I believe I remember Kenny asking the waitress if they had a separate room...maybe even with padded walls!! Those two girls are great friends, but boy can they cause some mischief when they want to!! They are just too darn smart and adorable which as I've said is a very, very bad combination!! After we survived the restaurant experience we headed to Aly's apartment to visit with her, Ryan and Kristin. Ryan was in town so we wanted to make a visit to say hello and Kristin has been gone for a long time and will leave again next month so it was great to see her too! And of course, we wanted to see Aly as well!! Aly and I realized this week that we've now been friends for 9 years!! That just seems like a really long time and has to make us OLD!! Thinking back to freshman year at Greenville is just crazy! I couldn't ask for a better friend! Thinking about everything we've experienced and the years of living together...well she put up with me so that either makes her crazy or a true friend!

So...basically we are just really lucky!! We have an amazing family and some great friends! I'm thankful for having all of those people in my life, but even more it's reassuring to know that our girls have people who love them like crazy!! And will continue to love them unconditionally! Isn't that what any parent would want? Just for their kids to grow up knowing they are loved? It's nice to know without a doubt that my kids will always feel that and know that.

By the way...if you are waiting for updated pictures, they will come soon!! I've ditched my camera and use my phone for most of our random pics so now that my phone is functioning again, I will get some new ones on here soon!! For now...I posted a semi-recent one of Macie swinging Josie at the park and one of Kenlea and Macie smiling after all of their mischief at the restaurant...of course their holding hads as usual!!

New Start...

Alright...I'm attempting to start this blog off again with a new start! I've been re-inspired by a friend who does an amazing job of blogging! I also feel its the perfect time because lots of exciting changes are happening in the life of the Tylers right now!

The summer has flown by so quickly! I've come to really enjoy being at home with my girls and so that brings about the first change. I made the decision to go from full-time teaching to part-time. I was offered a great opportunity to teach reading part time at St. Mary's in Alton. The timing couldn't have been more perfect and so I have a pretty good feeling that while I was deliberating over what I was going to do...someone else had a plan in mind all along! I also have to thank my husband because if it hadn't been for his job change, it wouldn't have been possible for me to go part-time. Ben took the Director of Nursing position at Eunice Smith recently which is a great change for us. He will have evenings, weekends, and holidays off and the promotion will allow me to go to part-time. However, change brings a little frustration and the need for a whole lot of patience! Some of those perks of the job haven't really set in yet because there's a heck of a lot of work to be done. Eventually, the nights, weekends, LONG hours, and stress will subside and then it will all be worth it!! We will also be welcoming a new little one into our household!! TAKE A DEEP BREATH! Not one of our own!! Little Miss Kenlea Jamison will be spending a few days a week with us this school year. Macie is ecstatic about this! They are already good friends and it's going to be very fun having her around!

We've had a load of fun this summer with little trips here and there! Let's see...we've made it to the Zoo (a few times), Grant's Farm, Rend Lake, Branson (more than a few times), Six Flags, Raging Rivers...and you would think we would be tired!! I could travel my whole life and not get tired of it! However, we need to choose some new sites. I love seeing new places. I've also had a few friends who've inspired me to travel more! Some of the pictures of the sites they've seen are incredible! So...I'm already in the process of setting things up for next summer!!

Now about the kids...

Josie just blows my mind!! She went from being too stubborn to even want to crawl to practically walking all in a weeks time. She's extremely mobile and pulls herself up on everything! She also tries to eat everything in her path! Not so fun! She is so adorable, but has learned how to give us what we call "the look". I have to take responsibility for this eye rolling scowl because I encouraged it at first because it was just so darling!

Macie is her own person...and that's an understatement!! She's too cute and too darn smart which makes her momma proud, but is a horrible combination when it comes to discipline!! She listens to EVERYTHING!! You can't get anything passed her and she tells it how it is. My favorite line of hers usually happens while adults are discussing something. She pipes in with her little voice and says, "Hold on...I have a question for you." Oh what a joy she is!!

Well...there's the update! I WILL blog again soon! I'm making it a priority because I think it will be fun for us to look back on later in life! One thing is for sure...life happens and it happens fast! So long for now!!

My Girls

I'm not doing a very good job of keeping up with this! Ben refuses to write because he's not really into blogging and he hates writing in general. The real reason though is that he thinks I could be making better use of my time doing things around the house! :)

Josie is fast asleep! She's an ANGEL! She starts to rub her little eyes and that's my signal to get her blankie and lay her in her crib and she's fast asleep in minutes!!! It's amazing! Macie on the other hand LOVES TO TALK!! She begs for stories each night! I made the mistake of letting her contribute to the story once and I think she realizes now that if she continues to interrupt then the story will be longer! It amazes me at how observant and inquisitive she is!! 2 years old is wonderful! I can understand why it's called the "terrible twos", but I love this age because she is learning every single moment of the day. She's talking like crazy, actually communicates in full sentences to tell us what she wants or what she is thinking, is constantly reading her books (making up her own words), sings at the top of her lungs, absolutely loves to dance to dance exercise videos, walks around in her princess attire (tiara, high heels, necklace, earrings, wand, dress, and more)...and the list goes on and on.

Each day is something different and that's what makes things fun!! I'm excited for Spring. Our family may have some new opportunities on the horizon which I can elaborate on later! I'm just excited to be able to spend some time this summer with Ben and my girls. Sometimes it's just so easy to get wrapped up in the motions of life. It's easier to just be content with how things are, but I've always had trouble with that. I usually have a new idea or plan before I'm even finished with the task at hand. I'm a big geek, but I can't help that I love organization and planning. It's very satisfying and I get excited about it! This is why I drive Ben crazy by rearranging things or planning things out to every small detail. It's kind of a joke between us now. As soon as I start to talk about something, Ben tells me to get my notebook so I can start making my list!! We've begun to realize lately just how opposite we are!! But, it works! He helps me to relax a little and I help him take things just a bit more seriously! :)

Well, I'm tired and have an early morning meeting tomorrow! Oh the joys of teaching! I'm kind of burnt out! If I could show up and teach my kiddos everyday then life would be great! But, meetings...meetings...meetings!! Oh well! Goodnight everyone!

Getting Older!

My last post was titled "Growing Up" because celebrating Macie's 2nd birthday makes me realize how fast time flies. But, it's also made me realize that I'm getting older! I know...I know...I'm only 27. But, when I think back to my teenage years, it seems like it was forever ago!!
Anyway, I didn't think there would be a time where I would feel happy to be getting older. However, I've been reminiscing of the past lately and it is really humorous to think about my perception of life back in those days.
I'm sure my husband will enjoy this post because for the first time I can honestly (and openly) admit that I am extremely happy about being "wrong" about many things. Back then I thought I had everything figured out. While my "plan" didn't change much (go to college, get a job, get married, have chidren, etc.), it definitely came with a few suprises.
And at this moment, I am thankful for those surprises. I feel fortunate that things didn't work out exactly how I "thought" they should. If you ask some of my best friends at the time, I'm sure they can easily remember certain instances where my "plan" wasn't working like I thought it should!! Things usually happen when you least expect it. And again, these are the moments that I am most thankful for. I am extremely blessed to be the daughter of loving and supportive parents, the sister of a very talented brother, the wife of an incredibly giving husband, the mother of two very beautiful little girls, and the teacher of many very precious and deserving children! So...getting older isn't too bad!! :)

By the way, the girls are great. Josie is going to sleep completely on her own in her crib!!! (Thanks goodness) However, Macie has turned into a night owl and has become more clingy lately!! It works out well though. I am taking advantage of the mommy time while Ben is at work!

I'll try to get my husband to post every once in awhile so you all can be spared of my rambling!! :)

Growing Up!!

This past week has been very eventful. Our little Macie turned 2 years old!! I can't believe how fast kids grow! We are so blessed to have beautiful, healthy little girls.

We had a great time celebrating her birthday with our family and friends. Again, we are blessed to have such a loving and supportive family. Our girls are spoiled rotten because of all the grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins! But, oh well! I'm fine with them being spoiled because they are surrounded by so many people who love them!! We also have some incredible friends!! I'm very happy to be able to stay in contact with my college friends. They are like family and I'm pretty sure they'll be called "aunts"! Just more to add to the family. Although, I don't think Macie understood exactly what we were celebrating, she did enjoy it very much!! She's still talking about some of her favorite things...

Playing with Kenlea and her birthday balloons, riding the kiddie car and airplane, opening her presents, and how she is going to spend her birthday money!! Funny story...We took Macie to the store yesterday and she wanted to pick out a new doll. Ben asked her if she was going to use her birthday money from Uncle Joshy...Macie said, "No, I want to use daddy's money!!" She's learning early!! :)

Today we are relaxing. We've switched some rooms around at our house. Macie and Josie are now sleeping in the same room. The toys were getting out of control! We now have a playroom so hopefully we can keep the mess a little more contained! Yeah right!

Josie has been sleeping through the night for a few months now and she slept the whole night in her crib last night!! Macie made it most of the way, but woke up early crying. She's excited that she gets to sleep with her sissy, so hopefully she'll stay in bed a bit more! She's getting a brand new bed in a few weeks! She picked it out herself! She's pretty excited about that too.

Ben is working tonight, so I'll be hanging out with the girls. I think their Ma and Pa and Uncle Joshy may drop by to see the new playroom! I'm sure they'll have their hands full. Macie has been in there dusting with her cleaning cart! It looks nice and clean. We'll see how long that lasts! :)

Thank you again to everyone who celebrated Macie's birthday! We love you all!|