Funny Girl

2 funny things that Jillian said today...

1. She had on the Crocs below (the kind with the insulation)....and she told me that she didn't like the crust on her Crocs. She wanted me to take the crust off.

2. She just told me, "Mom, you are the sweetest mommy in the whole wide world of this life." I think that about sums it up, don't you?

Brittney and Britney

Well this has just been the birthday that won't stop!!! It started out with Britney Spears. Then I got a fun actual birthday with my little family, and a birthday dinner with Seth and my best girl Carolyn (which I have NO pictures from...Carolyn send me your pictures!!!) Then the next day,we had a family party with all my family (minus Aunt K)!!!! I have really had the greatest birthday this year and I feel so loved!!!! :)

So...it started out with the Britney concert. Ms. Spears did NOT disappoint. Seth and I started the evening out with a trip to The Keg...one of our favorite restaurants. We ate good and even had a bottle of wine sent over from my parents, who were also dining there that night! (No we did not know they would be there!!!!) Thanks Mom and Dad!!!! Then we headed down to the concert. The crowd was so different from the 1999 concert! There were FEW children (thank God!) and mostly 20-somethings in WAY TOO tight clothes and WAY TOO high shoes. Surprisingly, there were lots of men too...with their wives and girlfriends. So, needless to say, Seth did not feel out of place. There were plenty of supportive men that showed up...just like my man!

Seth got us the cheap tickets...which is totally what I wanted him to do. But when we got up to our seats, they had roped off several sections up top. We got moved down to the Platinum Level of the AAC...with better seats and better drinks! Seth and I are never this lucky...but our night was just one great surprise after another!

Jordin Sparks opened from Britney, and she sang several good songs. And then there was Britney! She looked awesome...totally has her pre-baby body back...and her dancing and outfits were truly amazing! I sang every song...like the good little 29-year-old girl that I am. Seth also really enjoyed the concert. Along with her Circus theme, there were plenty of cool stunts and acts...so that kept him entertained (along with the little costumes, I am sure! HA HA HA!). I am not a big concert person, but this one was definitely worth it to me! I am so glad we went and I think I totally have the best husband for taking me. Especially since he has been getting nothing but crap for it at work for the last couple weeks!!!! :)

Seth and I pre-dinner. We used to look cute taking pictures of ourselves in college. Not so much anymore!

Bout to head out for the date. Yes, my house is a mess in the background. This is what 2 little girls can do to your house in NO TIME!

US at the concert

Miss Jordin Sparks

She looked way skinnier than I thought she was!

Probably about to pee my pants here...kidding MOM!!!!

The stage

Ms. Spears

I took tons of pictures, but it is just so hard to get a good one at a concert! Plus I wanted to enjoy myself more than concentrate on picture-taking!




So, on my actual birthday, Jillian had a birthday party to go to. Her little BFF (besides Emmy) turned 3 and had a Big Party at Sweet and Sassy. The little girls all got to get fingernails painted, makeup done, hair done, and put on a dress up outfit for a fashion show! It was too cute!

Violet, Jilly, and Emmy

Emmy and Jilly in their matching outfits from Mimi. We should have taken this before the party...because afterwards, Sum and I got NO cooperation from these girls!

Me at the family party

Being cool at 29 years old. And yes I have the same shirt on that I did at the concert. I was totally not thinking about my blog when I over-wore that shirt! OOPS!!!

My mom and Dad...aren't they precious!

Happy Birthday To ME!!!

Okay that is it...no more talk of this birthday, I swear! I feel like I have been talking about it for weeks or something! :) My last year in my 20's!!! I feel like it is going to be a good one!

Guess What I Am Doing Tonight....

Seth surprised me with tickets for my birthday and I am SOOOOOOOOO excited!!!!!!! He got a babysitter AND he is going with me! What a great husband!!!!

Now...what am I going to wear???? I sure wish I could fit into the hot pink pants that I wore to her concert in 1999!!!! HA!

Raising My Girls Right

Jillian INSISTS on wearing a bow at all times...always has really. As soon as she gets up everyday she wants a bow in her hair. In fact, at preschool yesterday, her teacher passed around a mirror and had all the kids look at themselves and pick out the one thing they liked most about themselves. Jillian picked her bow...and this made her teacher laugh. This makes me proud because bows are important to me. :) I have invested a lot of our (read: Seth's) hard-earned money into bows!

Well, Jules, as a baby, was the complete opposite. She would rip her bows out always, and this got very frustrating. Well, in the last couple of weeks, she has started loving bows like Jillian! I knew she would come around!!!! :) She now wants a bow in her hair and points to her bows in the morning. Well, my new favorite bow story is that this morning, I had on my work out clothes...which were Under Armour. Jules looked at the symbol on my shirt and said..."bow? bow?" I am a proud mommy!

Jillian Goes to the Dentist

Jillian just recently had her first trip to the dentist. I thought for sure that she would have a hard time sitting in the chair and letting someone work in her mouth, but I was pleasantly surprised! She did REALLY great! This pediatric dentist and staff that we went to was amazing and new exactly how to warm up to Jillian and get her to let them do their job. She did not want to even sit in the chair at first, so they let her pick out her toothbrush first. She changed her mind a good five times between all the different princesses, but finally settled on Snow White. They were patient enough to let her keep picking. Then she was so fine to just hop up into the chair! It was great!!! They started by counting her teeth, which she thought was fun...and then onto the cleaning and flossing. She LOVED the flossing. She pretty much wants to floss all the time right now...which is a great habit to have! The staff even loved on Jules who was dropping Cheerios all over the floors. ( I had to think quick on what snack to take for Jules to a dentist office without the dentist judging me on too sugary and bad for the teeth. I settled on the cheerios as the best choice.) Anyways, here is Jilly at the dentist...

Jillian's first visit

Getting her teeth cleaned





Getting in the far back of the mouth...not bad!

FLOSSING...our new favorite thing!

more flossing

So happy about the Snow White toothbrush...princesses and blue (her favorite color) all in one is too good to be true!

Jules was DYING to get in the chair! They even gave her a toothbrush too...which she loved!

Big girl

Jillian's prize for being such a big girl was a ride on the horse in the waiting room!

That Was Then...

This is Now!!!

Take a look at Jillian's first day of school last year (09-2008) to this year (09-2009).

What a difference a year makes!

front 2008

front 2009

back 2008

back 2009

Check out other first day of school pics in previous post.

Gotta Go Back....Back....Back To School Again

Well, school started on Tuesday and all 3 of us Patterson girls have started our new life. I have to admit I am still struggling with Jules being in school when she does NOT have to be. I am sad about it and feel she is young, but since I am teaching, obviously there is no choice. I am also really struggling with my choice to take the job...but hopefully I will feel better about that sooner rather than later. I actually CRIED leaving for the first day of school because I had to go early and be in my class. That meant that I couldn't even take Jules to her first day. Seth and my Mom got to do it. So, I could hardly look at Jules that morning as I left and I cried all the way to school. But, as soon as I got there, I had plenty to take my attention off of that fact.

I think both girls had a REALLY great first day. They said Jules was such a happy baby and even napped...which to me is a HUGE shocker. Jillian had a great day too because she has a great teacher AND she got to see me all throughout the day, and I think that really made her feel at ease.

As for myself...well, it will take some getting used to. I have some REALLY nice kids in my class and then a couple others too. I just have to work through these first few weeks and hopefully we will fall into a great rhythm. I honestly took this job for my girls alone. I wanted to really be plugged in at their school and know what was going on for them. I also wanted to see them often and for them to see me. So, I hope that I will be doing them this favor. I also really love the teachers up there that I work with...they are so fun! So, stay tuned for school updates!

Anyways, here are some pictures of the girls on their first day!

Having blueberry muffins before school

My sweet baby looks too old here...sad she is in school already!

Jillian always looking old these days!

Jillian and Jules ready for school

The back..always have to get a good back shot


Jillian - 3 years old

the back

Jules - 16 months old

the back


Daddy walking the girls into school. Too bad their Mommy didn't show up!

They ran into Cousin Emmy!!! The 3 girls all go to the same school in different classes...boo hoo.

Emmy and Jilly's back packs

Isn't it sad that these 2 girls are only 4 months apart in age and can't be in the same class due to that pesky September 1st deadline????

They are REALLY sad about it...


Daddy dropping Jules off in her class

Jules looks a little unsure about what is about to go down

Daddy dropping Jilly off in Ms. Cheryl's class.

HI Ms. Cheryl!!! (She reads our blog)

Now...onto pictures of my room. I have spent MANY MANY MANY hours in the last month up at the school and at home getting things ready for my room. I don't think these pictures do it justice, but I will say that I am pretty pleased with the way it turned out. When I went to buy stuff for bulletin boards, I found a polka-dot themed line and just went with it. I mean, I love polka-dots all the time, so why not in school too. I ended up making TONS of signs in polka dots and I think it all came together really cute. And anyone who is a teacher out there....I am ADDICTED to the laminator!!!! Seth laughs because I come home every time I am there with more things laminated that need to be cut out! Pretty soon, I am just going to laminate family pictures and hang them on the wall!!! Ha! Ok, here is the room...

Circle Time Board

Circle Time Stand...Thingy (technical term)

My Tables. The Back is my Water & Sand Center and My Literacy Center. The table on the far right is for my art center. The bulletin board will pretty soon be filled with work that my kids have done. The board in the back belongs to church and is not mine.

The far left of this picture is the real play center, then manipulative center, then block center. Again, the lighting is bad because our class is really bright and fun.

Ribbons hanging from the ceiling for art work. Polka dot ribbon of course!

Our room from the back end.