Pictures Galore!

Well nothing too exciting to report. That's kind of a good thing though. Things are good right now so big changes can wait a couple more months. However, something I am really looking forward to in the next couple of weeks is the new study our bible study group is starting. It's called Conversation Peace and let me just groan (ughhhhhhhhhh) right now because it's going to be a doozy.

Here is the synopsis: Mary masterfully presents seven biblical principles to help women revolutionize their speech habits and positively avoid sharing gossip, throwing negative barbs, or snapping sarcastic replies throughout everyday life. Discover how you can improve your relationships by allowing God's Word to transform your heart.

I will be completely honest, I am guilty of all those things. I am human after all and a woman! I do not know a single lady that hasn't gossiped or been negative or been sarcastic. I am so excited for this because I could use a more positive attitude in life! It's not going to be easy--our studies never are--but I know there is work to be done on myself! I'm also really blessed to be apart of this group of women. We have such fun together and we often cry, laugh, and/or tell embarrassing stories that we wouldn't dare repeat. Sometimes all three in the same morning. If any of my Tehachapi friends wants to give it a try I encourage you to do so. Just e-mail or call me and I will give you the info.

So, onto the part you really read my blog for. My children.....oh goodness, they are firecrackers. We try not to dumb down our vocabularies for our kids because if we want them to speak well we need to set the example. So, every evening when Audrey is trying to put off bedtime we tell her to quit procrastinating and get in bed. This morning I made a comment about needing to make my coffee and she pipes up with this little comment, "Mom, stop procrastinating and make your coffee!" Audrey-1 Me-0

Audrey's preschool "graduation" is tonight so it should be fun watching their little skit they have been working so hard on. She is moving from the Duckling classroom to the Bears classroom in the fall. I can't believe next year she will be in kindergarten. But the even more daunting thought is I have no idea where she will go! Who knows where Paul's career/my schooling will take us in a year's time? We are both fully aware that Tehachapi isn't going to be forever but it's scary/exciting/nerve wracking to think about what is going to happen next Spring. Paul wants me to take the Spring off from school since I will be done with BC (before I transfer to a university) so we can make some big decisions about where we will/want to go. I haven't agreed yet because I'm so determined to finish my degree but we'll see what happens!

Pardon Audrey's messy room. Personally, this doesn't look like the most comfortable way to watch a movie to me.

Eww. I made the most delicious homemade teriyaki sauce for chicken and broccoli and she decided to pour her whole cup of milk in it. Then continued eating.

Peyton is talking up a storm! When I give her something like a snack she says, "Please, thank you, your welcome," in one line. When she is on the swing at the park her favorite word to scream is "Higher! Higher!" She is counting to 10 and starting to recognize some colors. She knows where her ears, eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, head, hair and other body parts are. She loves to learn! Her new favorite habit which is good and bad is reading while we take walks. The catch is, she holds the book in her lap flipping pages but I must look through the clear window on the stroller to read to her. Let's just hope I don't run into anything while doing it. Books are her favorite. She will sit on my lap and read 10 books in a row if we have the time.

 

Audrey's artwork is amazing! This is my blog so I can brag about my kids, right? Seriously though, she is writing her name and drawing the most interesting pictures. Her drawing this morning was of a butterfly eating corn on the cob and yes, you could actually see what she was talking about. All the art she brings home from school makes me so proud. She really takes her time and makes things the way she wants it. Her teacher was telling me how polite Audrey is and that she almost always says please and thank you. I love knowing my baby girl listens even when I think she isn't. 

A Princess and her pony

Audrey had an amazing birthday party. While I do admit, I went a teensy bit overboard for a fourth birthday party, it was totally worth it. Even better, I only paid for 1 pony and they ended up bringing two! The company had a huge event right before our party so the extra one was already in the trailor and ready to go. I was really worried because the weather forcast was looking terrible for the day of her party. Even at 1pm, two hours before go-time, the wind was howling and the skies were dark. Then right around 2 the wind died down and even though it was still overcast it wasn't miserable looking. Here are just a few of the many pictures from the party.

My beautiful princess and "cupcake" the pony.

All the kids thoroughly enjoyed the cupcake decorating (even if the parents did not!)

The adorable outfit made by my Grandma Duthie (or GG as Audrey calls her)

Can you tell she loved the pony ride?

Audrey and her buddy Carson. She told me just this morning how much she loves Carson (uh oh!)

Lots of animals in the petting zoo.

We are so happy that lots of her friends were able to join us for the celebration. Audrey was thrilled that her friend Ceinwen came up from Bakersfield and Uncle Steven came from LA. Thank you to everyone! For the rest of the pictures you can check them out on my facebook or send me an email and I will get them to you.

Time is flying by...

It has been way too long since my last post. Things are moving along in the Waller household. I finished my Spring semester with all A's a week or two ago. My next set of classes begin next Tuesday so ready or not, here they come! I'm taking two this semester because the college I am going through only allows seven credits over the summer and most classes are three credits. However, this means in the fall I will be going full time in order to finish my associate degree in Decemeber so I can transfer to a university in the Spring. That's right, I'm going to be a stay at home mom and wife full time with two children while taking four classes...yikes. I know it's crazy but this is something that is so important to me and I will persevere. I know that later on when I am a full time college professor it will make every hardship worth it.

Paul is doing great. He is in a funk at work but that can be explained by his terrible students. You know when one of them has the nickname Captain Crash it has nightmare written all over it. He has been through hell with these three guys but he always comes home and switches right into Husband and Dad mode. He is such an amazing man to be able to let go of work problems and focus on his three girls while he is home. We are going to miss him this weekend because he will be gone Fri-Sun to get some night flights in. Luckily, my mom and Dean decided to come stay for the weekend so I will have some help. It will be a fun weekend getting to spend time with them.

Audrey is giving us a run for our money right now! I thought terrible twos were bad....piece of cake compared to the fighting fours. Oh my goodness...I once had a textbook for an english class titled Everything's an Argument. That is Audrey's motto. I ask what she wants for lunch and she says a turkey, cheese and mustard sandwhich. I repeat it directly back and she reprimands me saying no it's mustard, cheese and turkey! Oh, I thought that was the same thing. Silly me. Or, If I ask her to get dressed because it's time to leave for school she will give me this response, "Just chill mom, let me do what I do." That one earns a big sigh from me everytime. There are so many more that I can't even recall at the moment. I should keep a notepad close by to write this stuff down in the future. She turns 4 on Saturday and we are really excited for her to open her present. We decided she is ready for a bicycle so we bought a cute little pink one with training wheels. We aren't sure if she is going to want to ride it or not though. She is the most cautious kid I know and would never enter a pool without testing the water. This is the area where she and Peyton are completely opposites. Audrey is really scared to try new things and Peyton dives in head first. For her birthday party I got a great deal on a having a pony and petting zoo brought to our house. So Paul and I are betting on whether she will even go near the pony or wait to see other kids ride it first. I will definitely be posting pictures of the adorable outfit my Grandma Duthie made for her. It is fabulous!

Peyton is definitely a handful in her own way as well. The girl has no fear whatsoever. Paul makes fun of me everytime we take the girls to the park for being a hovercraft. I can't help it if I'm worried that our daredevil daughter is going to jump off a 15 foot play structure! Paul's theory is that if she does it, she'll learn not to do it again. I can see his wisdom but I can also see the bill from the hospital afterwards. I think it's good though that we are a little opposite in regards to that because I reel him in and he loosens me up.

The girls still fight like crazy. They are learning exactly how to press eachother's buttons and do so nonstop.  I am getting better at fighting my refereee instincts to break them up and try to let them fight it out. All-in-all though, our girls are amazing and they light up our life. When all four of us sit on the couch and cuddle while we read some books together it makes every single temper tantrum and screaming match worth it. We are trying to enjoy the "now" instead of constantly stressing over the future. Although I won't lie, it's always on our minds. I can feel some of our goals so close but its going to take faith and patience to see them through.

The perfect example of their different personalities.



Where did all the unbiased Professors go?!

Goodness gracious! I am so fed up with my left-wing lunatic Professor it makes me sick. For his World Civilizations class we have to participate in discussions every week, which for the record I think is great. It would be even better however, if the discussion questions weren't dripping with conservative disdain. He makes it quite clear how he feels on the subject in the question alone. I thought at the college level we were supposed to have Professors that encourage us to have our own opinions instead of trying to cram their own down our throats. At first I tried to stay neutral during the discussions to preserve my straight A's but I will stay silent no longer. Here are some of the recent questions along with my responses:

Have the lessons of Vietnam been forgotten… and are we learning those lessons again in Iraq? Did America forget the lessons of its own Revolutionary War in Vietnam?


At first this discussion just angered me. Then I sat down and thought about the lessons our nation learned from Vietnam and which ones we might have forgotten. I think we learned that the media has a direct influence on war and some are forgetting that. By showing all the protestors and giving them airtime they are just giving them a louder voice. I personally just ignore them because I try not to be swayed by biased ranting but most people can’t do that. I read an article written by a Marine that served during Vietnam and one thing he mentioned was how offensive it is to hear someone say, “I support our troops but not the war.” If you really feel that way, put down your picket or microphone and take the time to send a care package or letter to the troops you “support”. Our leaders are elected by us, so if you don’t agree with their decisions, get rid of them in four years. It’s what I plan to do in 2012.

The enormous sums that we waste on foreign bases, wars, and weapons do not enable us to respond to smallpox, suitcase nukes, and exploding shoes. Are terrorists a bona-fide enemy… or are they are a symptom of the inequity founded in the economic misery that our foreign policy symbolizes and the insult that it conveys? If the United States wishes to win its war against terrorism, should it redirect its defense budget into global humanitarian endeavors, trusting that as the Third World becomes wealthier, better educated, and more sophisticated, its people will increasingly demand the institutions that grant them the political and economic means to interact with the world as equals?


So are we supposed to take care of the entire world? If we drop our defenses we are all dead. Sure, humanitarian work is great and I’m all for it but killers are breeding everyday. They are giving kids automatic weapons and teaching them to kill mercilessly. I personally wouldn’t want a friend or family member in the military to try and give that kid a book and be rewarded with a bullet. We can only help them so much. In the end they have to want change for themselves, only then can we help them become wealthier, better educated and more sophisticated.

Adolf Hitler is reported to have said, “If you’re going to tell a lie, tell a big lie.” Perhaps this is how he managed to bamboozle so many—with respect to Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Russia--with his false assurances of peaceful intentions; nobody could have imagined that anyone could lie so audaciously. Has George Bush lied to the American people about his reasons for going to war in Iraq, and about the prospects for getting out? Was he re-elected because the American people refuse to believe that their government would lie to them?


Wow, touchy subject. Let me see if I can tread lightly and not step on too many toes. As a supporter of President Bush I think he did what was necessary at the time. Of course as you all know, he couldn’t have just ordered it without Approval! So obviously he wasn’t the only one saying lets get them back. We elected him and therefore put our trust in him. If people didn’t like how he handled our country they wouldn’t have reelected him! That is the beautiful thing about our country, the right to vote for the leader which we believe has our country’s best interests at heart. He did. Getting Saddam Hussein out of power justified the means. Yes our government lies, all governments lie. To say otherwise is ignorant. You just have to hope that in the end something good comes from it. We, the people, put our leaders in office so if we don’t like how they handle it, there is no one to blame but ourselves.

Why, throughout the 20th century, did communism appeal to the poorest people? Are there tenets of socialism and communism that might still hold merit for modern man? Is a purely capitalist system better than a socialist system in which the state manages much of the economy?


A socialist system or big government that manages much of the economy is a huge mistake. Of course a purely capitalist system is better! Look at Obamacare and what a mistake that is. Our insurance was amazing (For example we didn’t even have to pay a premium!) up until his healthcare bill went into effect. The increase in costs which directly correlates to his changes has caused our price to go up substantially. So no, it was not helpful, it was a mistake. People may falsely believe that socialism or communism will be better because of government control but in the end they will realize that it only hurts a society and hinders it from its full potential.

My friends and family, this is just a taste of the biased questions coming from this Professor. The other ones include damning the United States for how we treated the Native Americans and the Hawaiins and pretty much ruined the world.

Well that is my rant for the day. If you didn't know my political thoughts before, you certainly do now!

Absolute Favorite Holiday!!

Blowing kisses!

Look at those blue eyes!

As you can tell by the title, St. Patrick's Day is my favorite day of the year. I know everyone else loves Christmas or Thanksgiving but yesterday is the day I love. I love that Spring is almost here and flowers will start to bloom. There is no stress on St. Patty's day unlike any other holiday. You don't have to cook a giant meal for 30 people. You don't have to make travel plans or stress about which side of the family you will spend it with. It's just a day to relax and be happy. I'm really jealous because my brother-in-law is studying abroad in Ireland right now. Can you imagine being in Dublin walking down Temple Bar yesterday?! I hope he is living it up because some day when the kids are older Paul and I definitely have plans to experience it. I was horrified yesterday morning when I looked in my closet and realized I didn't have any green shirts. For some reason they keep getting ruined from one thing or another. At least the girls looked adorable though.

A lesson taught by my little girls

I want to "write" this down even though it is something I will remember for the rest of my life. From all my other posts you know how busy I am and how exhausting it gets. A couple days ago, I was having a rough afternoon. Paul was working late again, the weather wasn't good enough to send the kids outside so they were going stir crazy, my house was a complete mess from having a play date earlier and to top it all off I had a test to finish that I couldn't get done during nap time because Audrey wouldn't stay in her room for quiet time. All in all I was a run down, unhappy Mommy. I went in the kitchen to figure out what to cook and a couple of minutes later Audrey comes running up saying, "Mommy come look, come look and see what we did." At this point I'm about to cry because I'm thinking oh no, what now?! She takes me into Peyton's room and I burst into tears. Happy tears. She took it upon herself (and a little help from Peyton) with no prompting from me to completely clean Peyton's room spotlessly, down to the last piece of play food put nicely in it's spot in the play kitchen. Moments like these are rare and precious and every time I'm feeling overwhelmed I am going to think about my sweet babies and how they made me feel that night. Paul and I have so many ambitious goals that we want to achieve but I also need to slow down and appreciate the now. I need to balance keeping my eyes on the prize and enjoying my babies while they are still small. I'm going to have to work on not always striving for perfection because I will always be lacking. Who would have thought such a huge life lesson would be taught to me by my almost 4 year old and 16 month old little girls?

Who needs a pool when you have a perfectly good sink?!

Also note the fabulous outfit of the day that Audrey chose-zebra striped pants, pink shirt, 4 different necklaces and a yellow head band.

Princess Handbook

A funny thing Audrey has started doing lately that makes me want to roll my eyes (Who am I kidding? I do roll my eyes.) is referring to herself as princess. For example: "Princess doesn't want to go to bed." or "Beautiful princess wants to go to the park" you get the picture. So we are all sitting at the dinner tables a couple days ago and Audrey says, "Princess doesn't want to eat dinner." Paul without even blinking an eye responds, "Chapter 4 in the 2011 How to be a Princess Handbook says you have to eat all your dinner." The best part about this, she quietly sat and finished her dinner.

Peyton is a little Houdini. Our house looks like a jungle gym right now because we cannot put our chairs near the table. All four chairs are scattered around the dining area because if they are within range of the table Peyton will be up there in no-time. Forgetting to do this the other morning, I turned around after pouring a bowl of cereal and she is smiling at me standing up in the center of the table. Where was my camera?!

Good news for Paul, his lazy student is finally done so he can move on to the next ones. This guy made every excuse in the book not to fly because his check-ride was coming up and he didn't want to do it. Paul is very happy to be switching students after this one. He is studying like crazy for his ATP which he is going to schedule for the end of the month. I'm really excited for him because its such a great accomplishment to add to his resume.

I'm cruising along in my classes. Lots to do this week for some of my major assignments coming up. I'm finishing my term paper on In Harm's Way by Doug Stanton. If you haven't read it, I really recommend it. It's an emotional rollercoaster but the journey is worth it. No other novel has haunted my dreams like this one. I'm also finally scheduling my appointment to get my California driver's license. I have put it off for long enough and I need to suck it up and do it. I think part of me doesn't want to give up my last piece of Arizona. Or maybe its because I detest California. Probably the latter of the two. Well my ten minutes of free time is up so until another day....

For those of you that don't have facebook, this is how I have found Audrey during naptime a couple times now. Sleeping in a doll crib does not look very comfortable!

Audrey and her fabulous self. She loves to choose her outfit and accessorize.