Question and Answer time

I was tagged to answer these fun questions by some blogger friends and I'm finally getting around to it, a few days later! :-)


Four names that people call me, other than my real name:

• Mama:  The girls still call me mama, and so does Lee when he's talking about me to the girls. Raya tends to say it at least 5 times in a row so I hear it plenty! lol
• That's it haha. My name and Mama. I can't think of anything else---I have no nicknames that have ever "stuck"

Four jobs I have had: 

• Babysitter/nanny:  I babysat at least a couple weekends a month, and all summer long, through middle school and most of high school
• Cashier at gas station:  I worked about 3 days a week (2 evenings 4-10pm and then Sundays 8-4pm) at a gas station right next to my college. My brother worked the evening and weekend shifts opposite me. It was actually really fun because it was a small gas station with only 1person working at a time. I could drink free cappuccino and read books etc. haha.
• Youth Counselor at treatment center:  In college I worked as a youth counselor at a residential treatment center for troubled kids. That was my favorite job ever and I would have stayed there if it paid more than minimum wage lol
• School Psychologist:  Worked as a school psych for 4 years before being a SAHM, and now I'm in my 1st year back at it again :-) 

Four movies I’ve watched more than once:

• Dirty Dancing
• Armageddon 
• Little Mermaid 
• Reality Bites

Four books I’d recommend:

• 50 Shades of Grey (mindless fun) 
• Hunger Games (I like the first book in the series best)
• Anything by Jodi Picoult
• Another Place at the Table:  Interesting read about foster care

Four places I have lived: (don't really want to put the town names for the small towns ;-)

• X, Iowa:  My hometown and where I grew up until I left for college.
• X, Iowa:  Where I went to college and where I live now
• Cedar Falls, Iowa:  Where I went to graduate school and where I met Lee
• Denver, Iowa:  Our first home we bought.

Four places I have been:

• Orlando, FL:  Band trip in high school
• Germany:  High school trip
• England:  One month class abroad in college
• Yellowstone:  My family went when I was in middle school and we went again for our honeymoon. One of my favorite places to travel too!

Four places I would rather be right now:

• Shopping: With someone else's money 
• Camping:  We are getting excited to buy an RV and be regular campers next year!
• Bed:  The girls woke me up too early for a saturday
• vacation:  not sure where I'd want to go though!

Four things I won’t eat:

• Raw fish:  yuck
• Cherries:  Never eaten them, never will. The thought makes me gag.
• Liver:  Just looks disgusting 
• Olives

Four of my favorite foods:

• Apples
• Sweet Potato casserole (only the kind my mom makes)
• Cooked cabbage and potatoes
• Sweets--all of it!

Four TV shows that I watch: 

• The Voice:  An all time favorite!
• 19 Kids and Counting:  Intrigued by them!
• The Little Couple:  I just love them!
• Animal Cops

Four things I am looking forward to this year:

• December :  Christmas tree hunting, Elf on the Shelf, holiday lights, and Santa!
• Christmas Vacation:  2 weeks off, yay! Although I wish I didn't have the girls home that whole time too :-P  LOL
• Getting my house all clean:  Maybe someday!
• Lee getting home:  It's hunting season so I'm a widow

Four things I’m always saying:

• "Don't say eyeball"  Brielle thinks eyeball is a hilarious insult. She is constantly calling people an eyeball and laughing lol. Or using it in basically any way other than to describe her actual eye :-P
• "You don't have a wedgie." Both girls are sensitive about their underwear and picking imaginary wedgies
• "I love you"  Lots of love around here!
• "Just ignore her."  I should play it on repeat.

Four people I tag: 

• Since I'm late to the game I'm sure most people interested have already played, but if you haven't please do! :-)

Life Lately, Epic Update!

So much to update the blog on! First off, of course the reason my little blog is being neglected is because I'm back to work...been 3 months back to work so far and LOVING IT! Seriously, I can honestly say I don't miss staying at home---and no offense to the girls lol. But I was definitely ready for a change and I am loving the structure we all have now. Work is crazy---lots of referrals, drama with teachers and parents, tons of paperwork and meetings, trainings, etc....but I love feeling productive and it makes the days fly by! Which in some ways is bad because the girls grow to fast as it is, but it's good because the days were really dragging at home that last year lol. So all things considered the work front is good!

Adding to that, my photography business is doing so so well too! I try to limit myself to a couple weekends a month of photos but I'm getting in a good 8+ sessions a weekend sometimes, especially the last couple months with all the pretty fall leaves and everyone wanting Christmas card photos! Some people question my sanity of working all week and then doing photos on the weekend but I really enjoy it---and let me tell ya, between my new job and the photography I'm feeling a little rich and famous haha. Sadly though (or perhaps it's a good thing!) I can't do much shopping because I'm too busy hehe :-)

School is going so well for Raya. She's even reading now! I mean, nothing extravagant but she can read books with word families....so like "I like my cat. My cat has a hat. My cat is fat. The rat and the cat sat on the mat."  :-) She has some good friends and loves going to school. She had a great conference recently and the teacher confirmed that she's a goodie 2 shoes who pretty much is the ideal student. I'm so proud of her!

Daycare and preschool is going great for Brielle too. The first couple weeks back in August we had a lot of crying at drop off (they said it didn't last more than a minute or two though). But since then she LOVES it. She loves the teachers and they are obsessed with her of course. I've had so many teachers corner me asking about her clothes too haha ;-) She continues to be a little stinker at home but at school they tell me she is quiet and well behaved, go figure! Happy to hear she can turn off the divaness for school though. She still isn't super interested in academics but she has learned a few things since starting preschool. She can copy her name and trace letters, etc. She has an amazing memory and memorizes songs so easily. She's always coming home singing me new songs they learned at school!

Hmm, what else? Oh, for a health update my arthritis continues to have ups and downs. I've definitely been able to determine that certain things I eat cause my arthritis to flare at times, but my paleo diet was never able to completely stop my symptoms. I ended up getting everything lined up and approved to start an IV treatment that I'd go in for once a month, but haven't started it quite yet. It's still a last resort because of serious side effect possibilities, but it's ready to go if  needed. For now I'm trying to stick to my diet (most of the time!)

If you follow me on instagram "nopaparazziplease" I still post over there multiple times a day usually! lol. So although I now suck at blogging I rock at instagram haha. But hopefully this update is good enough for now lol

And how about some pictures?!?!

We took a roadtrip a couple weeks ago and I had a lot of fun taking pics of the girls (and Lee even took some pics of me...he didn't do too shabby! ;-)

 

 


 

 


Recently I also took pics of my parents and the grandkids! :-)










As much as we love pro pics, we also love selfies! This was on national cat day hehe


This was Brielle's very first school picture!


Halloween was f-ing FREEZING, but we worked it out and were out getting candy for a good 2 hours lol






Lee does a lot of craft projects with the girls while I edit photos...recently he was helping them make pilgrims and Raya insisted hers have this pose and outfit HAHA


Here's a family picture that Raya's teacher took at open house and posted on the class blog


I just love my little family! Any time someone suggests us having more babies (which often happens because I love taking pictures of them! haha) I just think how I have room on my lap for two, when we walk they each get a hand, and our family dynamic is just so awesome right now. Two girls who are bffs, no third wheel, and we finally have sweet sweet freedom from the high maintenance babies and time intensive busy toddlers haha. Yes, yes I think we'll stop with this fierce foursome family <3


However, speaking of babies, I do love taking their pics! I have many baby planners that I get to see every 3 months, and recently had a couple new ones join. I love getting baby cuddles for an hour or two and then sending them back home hehe.
 Here are a couple fav shots of late!
























So much more I could share but I better get to bed!

Does anyone still even read my blog? lol. If so, is there anything in particular you want me to do an update on or write about?! :-)