Hopefully I didn't bite off more than I can chew

So I deleted deactivated my Facebook account a couple minutes ago and already feel some sense of relief. It will definitely take some getting used to not hearing my phone ding at every new comment or tagged photo but I think I will get used to it.

I have found something else to occupy my time for at least the next month or so...
At the beginning of the school year, Mykayla's elementary school PTA sends out the volunteer form for the year to which I faithfully (Ok, only for 3 years now) sign up for the same three events: Holiday Craft Night, the Scholastic Book Fair and Teacher Appreciation week. As I am filling in my volunteer choices for this year, I notice that the Holiday Craft Night needs a co-chair. So I email the gal in charge "just asking" some questions. Some of you may already know that this means "I have just volunteered myself for the co-chairing position" : ) She wastes no time emailing me back thanking me for co-chairing and being in charge of the 10 or so crafters for the night. Now while I knew this was probably what would happen, I suddenly realized maybe I bit off more than I can chew. For the past two years, I have simply come up with a craft, created kits for 50-70 kids to make the craft and then showed up the night of and manned a table of elementary age crafters. (My first year, I was 9 months pregnant with Michael. I was induced the next morning. What was I thinking?!?!)  That year I made JOY banners and last year I made 4x4 mini albums. I got a chance to talk to the gal in charge tonight at the PTA meeting and she was able to put my mind at some ease. I am looking forward to taking on this position and hopefully get some fun crafters to work with. Who knows, maybe this will be my contribution for the next several years (Which I would be ok with!) Michael will be in Kindergarten when Mykayla is in 5th grade. Hmmm, that means 8 more years or so...I think I will go year by year for now : )

Closing a chapter...

For the past 3 years, I have been on Facebook daily. I have enjoyed changing my status, posting pictures of my kids, catching up with old friends and classmates and seeing what goes on in everyones lives. I have grieved with people, celebrated with people and laughed with people on Facebook. I am sad, yet excited to start another chapter in my life without Facebook! I have made the decision to delete my Facebook page and concentrate on my family, friends and "real-life" relationships. I have tossed the idea around several times but have only in the last 24 hours thought very seriously about it. I tossed around defriending people, hiding people or just keeping a certain few but then those I would keep, I see and can catch up then. I will miss the funny quote statuses, the great pictures and the constant way of knowing what is going on in others lives. I will not miss the drama, the watching what I say in my status or the hurt it has caused people I know and love.

Now with all that being said, I am going to concentrate on keeping my blog updated (hopefully) daily and I hope you all will continue to follow me. I love keeping in touch with distant family and friends and this will be my way of doing it. May even do a daily "status update" on my blog : ) I also still have the same email that I have had for years and can always be reached at maemae_k@yahoo.com

Learning from them, laughing with them and loving them more everyday!!

Yep! I am talking about my kids!! What a blessing they are to Adam and I! I was looking at my cell phone pics earlier this evening and found some great pictures that depict the relationship Mykayla and Michael have. Mykayla is an amazing big sister to Michael and he looks up to her so much.



Seriously slacking....

I have been seriously slacking on the blog posting front. Guess life gets in the way sometimes and that would be my excuse and I am sticking to it :)I am actually doing this post on my phone at soccer practice. See what I mean about life? Yeah, too many things to name but enjoying all of them even if they keep me from blogging. Maybe one of these days I will do a "catch up" post of everything. I say maybe : ) I do know that the next couple months have so many great events and things to blog about that I will be sure to be back up at it again. Just to name a few...Halloween, a big 2nd birthday and the holidays! My favorite time of year!!!

Also I have been having so much fun in my classroom lately, been debating doing another teaching/classroom ideas blog. What do you think? Let me know!

Doin' the Puyallup

This past Saturday, we (the Pawlaks plus Julian and Christian, the Brannons and the Crocketts) headed to closing weekend of the Puyallup Fair. Our total count for the day-6 adults, 7 kids and total craziness keeping track of eachother! But we had a GREAT time!! We started out on the rides. Each family bought a 120 ticket card which I was sure we would never burn through. That is until I saw that the first kid ride was 7 tickets per rider! Yeah, it didn't take long to use them and what was left was quickly used on games at 6 tickets a piece! I am pretty sure we could have went on a mini vacation for what we spent : ) When it started to get dark, we headed over to the exhibits and browsed for a bit. Of course, we had to get a small token to remember our trip to the fair. After wandering back through all the exhibits to find that one booth, going back out to the ATM and then sending Uncle Adam to purchase them, we had 3 happy little kids with these...





22 months-Just 2 months shy of 2 years old!

Ok, so I am a day late with this post as Michael's 22 month birthday was yesterday and I realized as I was looking at 2nd birthday party ideas that he is just 2 months shy of 2 years old : ( Where did the last 22 months go? He is getting so big, so handsome, so mischievous and yet so sweet!

The above photo shows Michael's newest love for a children's character-Elmo. Now he has not sat down long enough to watch Elmo but has a few Elmo items and when he says it, it is the cutest thing. Mykayla and I love to walk through stores with him and say "Michael, who's that?" and he replies in the sweetest voice "El-mo". Like any other mommy whose child falls in love with something, I of course pick up every little Elmo thing I find like this hooded towel or Elmo books.

Michael has added some more words to his vocabulary too! Elmo-of course! My other favorite word he is saying right now is airplane (only the way he says it is much cuter). He points to the sky and says it even if he can't see it behind the clouds, but can hear it. We are going with airplanes for his 2nd birthday party theme and I can't wait to start planning, have found some cute ideas!  He also says apple and nana (banana). Any fruit round in shape is an apple and the rest are nana's. Last week at school, he said his buddy Leo's name. Sounds a little like hello but you can still get the idea : )

Finally, Michael likes to "Throw his hands up in the air sometimes" Had a cute video to show but Blogger or the laptop is again having issues and I don't have the patience right now to wait : )

I am so grateful for the joy that Michael has brought us! Love you Little Man!

My thoughts on this day after 9/11

Yesterday being the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I read several wonderful blog posts and Facebook statuses and yet throughout the day, I never mentioned it myself, just liked a post here and there. On Friday night, my dad and I were talking about what we were going to do on Sunday, which also happened to be Grandparents Day this year.  I mentioned that I knew I didn't want to sit around and watch 9/11 coverage because it would just be depressing.  Buy yet when I couldn't sleep and woke up at 7 am yesterday morning, I immediately turned on the news and watched the memorials while it was still quiet in my house. I listened to several of the names of victims being read, watched family members etching their loved ones names from the memorial and listened to Amazing Grace and the Battle Hymn of the Republic. I am SO GLAD I did indeed tune in and watch some of the coverage.  All though sad at times, it was amazing to watch!  We did not spend the day watching TV but instead went out, had breakfast, did some thrift shopping and enjoyed each others company. I was lucky enough to hang out with my dad, my children's grandpa, my family member while others were not because of this awful act. I could not imagine what it would have been like to lose someone on that day and I pray that those who have not found comfort yet will.
With all that being said, I guess I hadn't thought much about the impact 9/11 had on my life. I personally do not know any of the victims of 9/11 or know anyone who does but know that thousands of Americans did and were deeply impacted by it. I have been thinking today and really my life was impacted by 9/11 and currently is impacted by 9/11...
Adam and I got engaged in February of 2001 and were planning our wedding for March of 2002. We were going to take our honeymoon to Walt Disney World, Florida. I was so looking forward to it even though I have a terrible fear of flying. I was determined to do it since it was something I had wanted to do for a long time.  The events of September 11 changed our honeymoon plans quickly, I was NOT getting on a plane anytime soon. We drove to Disneyland instead. While this may seem somewhat petty now, I am sure I am not the only person who would not fly for several months. Thus impacting several vacation plans, plans to see families and celebrate or mourn with them.
When the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan started, I had some family members in the military or that joined the military after September 11. I am SO PROUD to say that I have 2 brother in laws and 2 cousins who all served in our military and went to Irag or Afghanistan. My family members serving and protecting our country and searching for those who took part in this terrible act on American soil.
Kevin, Scott, Keith and Eric-THANK YOU for your sacrifice! I am proud to call you family!
Fast forward about 7 years from 9/11; Adam was hired on with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department in October 2008 and graduated from Law Enforcement Academy in May 2009.  Until yesterday, it did not hit me that Adam is a first responder, those men and women who are the first to respond to accidents, tragedy and yes, acts of terror. Being the wife of a law enforcement officer is nerve racking at its best. I hope and pray that Adam will never have to respond to a tragedy of this magnitude but if he does, I know he will do everything he can to help even if it means not coming home to us for days. Each call that Adam responds to makes me more and more proud!!

These are the two pictures that always stick out in my mind when thinking about 9/11.

NEVER FORGET!