Updates!!

1. I received a call about my contest. I WON!!! Wahoo! Thank you so much for everyone that voted!! Millions and millions of thanks to everyone who spent their time for my benefit! Thanks! The dentist is calling me with the next step and what I will have to do. I can't wait!!


2. Rylee Rose's surgery is now scheduled for July 10th at 8:00 a.m. We are on the waiting list for a date earlier in the summer but will only be called if someone cancels. I don't foresee that happening but you never know! I hope that someone does cancel since Rylee can't go in the pool for two weeks after the surgery (since she is a BIG fan!) and that would waste all of July! :o(


3. I have completed packing up and moving the entire fourth grade classroom OUT!!! The classroom is EMPTY and I am praying that my new classroom is ready to go August 12th!! I hope, I hope, I hope. I am going to try and find a before picture of my classroom so you can all see the amazing difference it makes to have NOTHING left. (And how much work!) I am thinking that next time I need to pack up a house, I am just going to have a field trip for the fourth graders and they can pack away and help move it! 24 amazing helpers made this not too bad. They are AWESOME!

Ten on Tuesday

1. I think I won my contest. I have not officially gotten a call about winning but the website is still up and running so I am a little confused. Hopefully we can have a "Wahoo I Won!" Post tomorrow!

2. We took Rylee Rose swimming yesterday up at Paul's Mom and Dad's house. It was her first time in the pool and although it took her about a minute to get used to it....she loved it after that! We were there for about 15 minutes! FUN times there! She's too cute! (Even when she looks a little like Gilligan!)

This was the first picture! :o)

This one was after she realized that she can kick her feet and move around!

And this one was taken after she saw Daddy blowing bubbles in the water and wanted to try and do the same! TOO cute!

3. We ended up not going to Flagstaff this weekend, which I am really bummed about. We decided to go to Ikea and Costco Home. At Ikea, Paul got one of those chairs that you always see at Ikea in which they are pounding away at to see how many times you can sit in it without breaking. Just what we need....more furniture in our tiny house. At Costco Home we walked around the entire place 3 times to find out that they no longer have our "heaven" couches! So sad! They were the most comfortable couches EVER! I guess we should wait anyway till Rylee Rose is done being such a "happy spitter!"

4. After hearing the news story about Mike Tyson's 4 year old daughter getting her neck wrapped around the cord of a treadmill and is currently in extremely critical condition at St. Joe's Hospital, I don't think we will be picking up my mom's treadmill to add to our Arizona Room. Paul will just have to run outside in the 100 degree weather.

5. Rylee Rose is a CRAWLER! I don't know why parents are so anxious for their kids to reach all these milestones. Gone are the days where I could lay her on her playmat, take a shower, dry my hair and then go find Rylee Rose laying EXACTLY where I left her! Not anymore! One of us has to be in the room with her at all times because she is DETERMINED to crawl to Paul's new chair (which I think she thinks is for her now) and try to pull herself up to stand. She will fall over and over again, bump her little head and continue to try again. She is so determined and will NOT give up. She doesn't even cry when she bumps her head. Most kids cry when they catch there parents looking at them, Rylee Rose thinks it time to cry when we are NOT looking at her! Stinker! I think she will be walking very soon....which just means more trips to Babies R Us for more baby proofing the house materials!

6. I received a call from the surgeon's office sometime last week and never bothered to listen to the message until Rylee was playing with the phone one day this weekend, pushed the message button on the phone, along with the speaker button and out came the message that the OR is closed on July 3rd and we need to reschedule Rylee's surgery for another day. SO glad she wanted us to hear that! I don't think I would have ever played that message because I didn't recognize the number so I just figured it was a message I didn't need to hear. So smart that Rylee Rose is! She is going to be smart like Paul I think! :o)

7. I wanted a Wii Fit for a long time! Paul searched high and low weeks and weeks before Christmas to get me one. (Some how I always choose the "hot" item for Christmas) He found one, surprised me with one and I still have yet to use it. SAD! But don't worry! Someone in our house is getting some use of it! It hasn't gone to complete waste!! :o)




8. It is 9:00 in the morning and I still don't know what to do with Rylee Rose after school today. Paul doesn't know if he can get her. I can take her to my mom's work but I don't know how to put the base for the car seat in without the latch system. I could take her to dinner with the teachers and I but I am sure that's not what they think of a relaxing dinner after school. Oh what to do!

9. I did not cheat on this Ten on Tuesday post! SO proud of myself!

10. What am I going to have to post about in the summer!?! I have never sat home with a six month old before and not worked. People ask me what I am going to do all summer and I really have NO idea. (Miss the extra money for one thing!) I am sure at the rate Rylee is crawling and pulling herself up....she will keep me PLENTY busy!! :o) Maybe I can go find my to do list from Spring Break and get working on that!

Ten on Tuesday

1. Don't forget to vote for me! Find every computer at your workplace, go into Apple stores and use their computers (thanks Lauren!), find schools with classroom sets of computers, and pass on my email to everyone you know! The link is below to vote for Katie! It really only takes a second out of your day!

2. Let's review Paul's adventurous past couple of days. Went wakeboarding on Thursday and then went to San Diego Friday, Saturday and Sunday! Once again...oh the life of Paul! I bet his blog would be much more exciting than mine! Maybe we could call it "Paul Thomson: Adventure Seeker that also attempts to garden!" HA! (By the way, all I hear is how everything is dead in his garden and that there is one green tomato that is the size of a skittle!)

3. We had Rylee's surgeon appointment last Wednesday, which was the same day I found out I was in the final 5 for my contest so it was a little overshadowed. The doctor said everything looked good and we scheduled the second, and hopefully the last surgery for her nevus sebaceous. The doctor thought she could get it all in one more surgery so we are hoping for the best! It is scheduled for July 3. We figured since Rylee really isn't a fan of the loud noises we wouldn't be attending any fireworks so this day would work just fine!

4. Only two more weeks of school left for me! Wahoo! I cannot WAIT till Summer!

5. Yay for the Howell family finding a new adobe to live in! I am so excited about the pool! Wahoo! I will be coming over LOTS!

6. I have blown the whole no eating out in the month of May thing! I think I am up to 10 times for cheating! It's SO hard!! I am just trying to stick with trying not to eat out as much. I obviously didn't succeed with NO eating out so I guess I will just have to try with not eating out as much! Oh well. I might give it a shot again next Lent.

7. We have the opportunity to go to Flagstaff this weekend. I thought we were going for sure but then I just found out that Costco Home is closing in Tempe so I have a dilemma. Costco Home to see if the best, most comfortable couches are on clearance or to Flagstaff where it is a good 30 degrees cooler than Phoenix?!? Oh the dilemma!

8. My principal wants the kids to spend their time tomorrow during computer day voting for me in my contest. How do I explain to kids' parents that I had them sit and vote on Johnjay and Rich . com? How do that I tie that in to a fourth grade curriculum? Hmm....?

9. I have to pack up my WHOLE entire classroom in two weeks since it is going to be turned into the future office. The kindergarten room will then move to the office and then I move to the old Kindergarten room. I was dreading this whole move but I started yesterday and it's not as bad as I thought. So far I have found another Dolce Spa and Salon gift card and a ten dollar Starbucks gift card! WAHOO. I have only been in this classroom 5 years and I never thought I would have so much trash collected. Or such WONDERFUL things to find?!?!

10. I am hoping my number 1 on my Ten on Tuesday next week is "Wahoo! I WON!" :o)

CONTEST!!

So it's time to start the voting. The website is up and running. I am hoping so bad that I win and this would mean the world to me. I want to smile big in pictures with Rylee Rose instead of checking them to see how my teeth look! I want to teach with more confidence! I want to stop being embarrassed when talking to strangers. I want them to be looking at me, and not my teeth. So please, I am asking that you ask everyone you work with, everyone you know, everyone they know...to vote for me. You can put the websites link up on your facebook, myspace, and blogs because I figured this really is the only way I am going to win!

I have a 40% chance which is HUGE but every time I think that then I always come back to..."well there has to be three losers too." I don't want that to be me. I will be fine if it is. It is a contest and I know my odds...but please if I have all of your help too....it can only make my odds better! The more votes the better. The people at the radio station said that hundreds of people entered and a guy from Wisconsin even flew in for it (did not make it to the final five). I know I have gotten far so I am happy about that!

Do not judge me in the video...I was SO nervous! (As of now, I don't even see the video up so let's hope it stays that way! HA!)

It looks like it is once per computer so get every computer you can and click on the link! Maybe it will be once a day per computer....I can only hope! :o)
www.1047kissfm.com/pages/promo/central-dental-care/pimpmygrill.html

A 40% chance!!

I went to film a video today and I am putting all my embarrassment aside! I don't care who sees my teeth....I want EVERYONE to vote for me. I am feeling good about my chances since they have been moved up from 20% to 40%!!!! Dr. Espinoza is giving 2 winners a new grill(movie star smile)!! We got to film with the dentist, Johnjay and Rich and all the other contestants!

I am so anxious, excited and nervous all at once! The video and pictures will be up on a site starting Monday and I am going to ask you to post the site on your myspaces, facebooks, and blogs so everyone can vote for me. Make sure you tell them to vote for Katie Thomson!! This would be unbelievable! You will be able to see the before and what would be the "after" shot. Remarkable is all I have to say! So stay tuned and prepare yourself for this video......

Getting ready to enjoy my mommy and daughter weekend!

VOTE FOR ME!!!

Well it's official, I am a finalist in my WONDERFUL contest. Are you all ready to hear what it is? Are you all wondering on why this will be embarrassing for people to vote for me? Are you all wondering why this would be the most phenomenal thing EVER? Okay here it is. (The website is down so I will just explain...)
I get to have a chance to win the most amazing prize! A $25,000 "grill" makeover! A complete, whole new set of shiny, white, movie star teeth! The before and after shots are AMAZING and I would really appreciate it if everyone voted for me! Please. Just ignore all the other contestants and focus on me! I will update once the voting site is up. I have to go to the radio station, 104.7 with Johnjay and Rich in the morning at 9:30 tomorrow! Can't wait! So nervous!

Contest Update!

I went for my "interview" yesterday for my contest and was told that I am in the final five! WAHOO!! I will blog tomorrow about what the contest is and you will all have to vote for me, a million times (even though it will be embarrassing for me)! I hope the decider doesn't change his mind and I am really a final five!! I should be getting a call tonight and might have to go on the radio tomorrow! HOW EXCITING!! Things like this NEVER happen to me so I am just SO thrilled! I am getting goosebumps just thinking about what the end result would mean for me! It would be PHENOMENAL!

Wordless Wednesday

Ten on Tuesday

1. I had a spectacular mother's day. I know last year was my "first" one but this year was my other first one since Rylee Rose was here to celebrate with us. We had everyone over for a spectacular potluck brunch that was SO delicious. Then my mom and I went to the casino where we both left with more money than we came in with!! YAY! Then I headed home to hang out with Rylee and Paul and then had Arby's for dinner.

2. I have officially cheated four times on my no eating out month. Olive Garden, Pedro's, Barro's Pizza and Arby's. Not too bad I don't think! I have also been trying not to double meals that I have already eaten this month as well. That's going good so far...although it's only been 12 days :o) I am going to list them all at the end of the month so if something sounds good, let me know so I can type up the recipe for you! I think we should do a Food Frenzy Friday or something like that where we type up a recipe of a favorite for everyone to see. We could all get new ideas every week. So fun I think! I think I might try it and see if it catches on! Wouldn't everyone like a little variety from their 5 go to meals that they always make?!? I know Paul wouldn't object! HA!

3. If any of you readers out there get the Sunday paper and still have it and have my address, there is a coupon for Similac formula in there for $2.00 off. Would you please send me this if you have a stamp lying around? I am trying Rylee on a new formula and this formula is more expensive than the other special one she is on so anything will help! (Thanks!)

4. I really do feel bad that I didn't breastfeed Rylee but I seriously did try! (A lady even came and manhandled my boobs a few times!) Now I am feeling bad that I am not making her solid foods from scratch! Am I just sending chemicals into her body that aren't good? Or am I just smart and preparing her for all the McDonald's and Peter Piper Pizza she is going to eat in the future?! Because we all know that those places ingredients are "peas and water, squash and water, etc, etc. :0) (By NO means am I saying these two places serve BAD food for kids, they were just my example because I KNOW Rylee is going to be eating plenty of it!)

5. I LOVE that you can go into Old Navy with receipts from the prior 14 days and they will give you money BACK if the prices on the items have gone down! AWESOME. Oh wait there is a catch....you have to go INTO the store to do this. Here is my downfall. The cashier gives me $16.00 in CASH back for all my price adjustments so I turn around and go back into the store to do MORE shopping. DUH! Of course they are going to give you money back while you are in the store....suckers like me are just going to turn around and spend more than that while they are in there!! Ugh....Old Navy and I have a Love/Hate relationship!

6. 12 days and 2 hours left of school for the year! Wahoo. Now my dilemma is how do I get Little Miss Smiley Rylee to sleep past 5 a.m. now that I don't need her to wake up at 5 a.m.? She is always in there half unswaddled with a big happy smile ready to go! I am betting that she is not going to want to be re-swaddled and rocked back to sleep.....NOPE! She is ready to P-A-R-T-Y!

7. Yesterday, Rylee had a different babysitter/nanny (still haven't come to a conclusion on this debate yet). Although she did so well and Amy just had a WONDERFUL time with her, I was still nervous all day. This had NOTHING to do with the fact that WHO she was with, it was all about Rylee. Will Amy know her schedule? Will she know what her cry means? Will she know how she likes to be fed? Amy would definitely be my second choice if Inez ever couldn't watch her and I am now glad I have a back-up, but I just sat and worried all day. I wonder if Rylee is really SO good for all these people too or if they just don't want to tell me? Paul and I think she is the greatest thing since sliced bread but is it really to good to be true that all these other people think so too?

8. It makes me so happy that SO many people are willing to watch Rylee for me. I LOVE that she is so flexible and will be good for ANYONE(so i am told)! She is just SO loved!

9. I entered a FABULOUS contest and find out Friday if I am a finalist! I would be SO, SO, SO happy if I won!! I will keep you updated but for now, say a little prayer that I am one of the five finalists!!

10. As much as we have to complain about, I love to just sit back and realize that I am completely happy with my life! Yes I might not love my house, but at least I have a house to live in! Yes, I might not like the location, but at least it's where we are literally surrounded by our families. Yes, co-pays and doctors might be expensive but at least we have jobs that provide insurance to help! (Could you imagine what it would be withOUT it?!?) Yes, Rylee might have a scar on her head, but at least she is here to play, laugh and giggle with us! (And give her a few years and I predict some long, curly, strawberry blond locks to flow right over that scar! Yup...you heard right...I am going with RED and CURLY!) :o)

I guess some days it just hits you and you realize that the little things don't really matter! You always have home and families to come back to!

Blogging FUN!

Getting to know me A-Z

A - Age: 27
B - Birthday: April 23, 1982
C - Chore you hate: Folding Laundry
D - Dad's Name: James
E - Essential start your day item: A snooze button at least twice!
F - Favorite Food: Sushi. I can't believe just a couple years ago I used to hate it or wouldn't even try it. Now I have to have it at least once a month.
G - Gold or Silver: Silver
H - Height: 5'4
I - Instruments you play(ed): Piano (That is played)
J - Job Title: Fourth Grade Teacher/Mom to Rylee Rose (I wish that order was reversed but I don't get paid for the second one, except in the cutest giggles and smiles, so I listed my paying one first!)
K - Kid(s): 1 five month old baby girl, Rylee Rose
L - Living Arrangements: A three bedroom, 2 bath house that I am not so crazy about. It's a good house, just not in the location I would love to be.
M - Mom's Name: Roberta. Although I like to call her Grandma Bobbee :o)
N - Nicknames: My mom named us so we didn't have nicknames but then Karissa came along and Kate came with her! :o) And to much people's surprise, Katie is not short for anything!
O - Overnight hospital stay: Once when I was born and the second was when Rylee Rose was born. 3 fun filled nights there!
P - Pet Peeve: If I only have to choose one....it would be when people drive in the carpool lane and should NOT be there!
Q - Quote you like: "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."-Albert Einstein
R - Right or left handed: Right
S - Siblings: 1 sister, Colleen
T - Time you wake up: 5:00 am
U - Undying love for: All my family and friends! (Of course I would add my love for Fajitas (the restaurant) as well!)
V - Vegetable you dislike: Not a big fan of green, yellow or red peppers
W - Ways you run late: Letting Rylee sleep a little longer than planned and then that pushes us back and end up running late :o( I try to be on time though!
X -X-rays you've had: When I was 4 and broke my arm and of course those great dental x-rays where they try to shove that HUGE piece of plastic in your tiny little mouth! HATE those!
Y - Yummy food you make: My yummy enchiladas and guacamole!
Z - Zodiac: Taurus. A bull. Stubborn!

Wordless Wednesday

Ten on Tuesday

1. Yup. I cheated this week. Along with Karissa, I have to start my Ten on Tuesday posts early. I just don't have that much to say all on one day. So it is 9:55 on Sunday morning and I am starting my Tuesday post. (I should be cleaning instead...but so not in the mood)

2. Paul has FINALLY gotten the actual plants for this salsa garden so maybe in 4 months we can actually have this salsa to eat. Would have been better if we could have had some of this yummy salsa on Cinco de Mayo.

3. It is Cinco de Mayo today. YAY!! I was planning on making a whole Mexican Fiesta for dinner but realized I had a doctors appointment at 4 and I need a little more time to make the whole dinner. So Thursday will be our Fiesta night at the Casa de Thomson.

4. Yes I ate out at Olive Garden on Saturday night but as listed in a previous post, I was aware of this but how do you say no to your Grandma's Eightieth Birthday Party?! I couldn't! (And yes, I ate lunch out at Costco on Saturday afternoon)

5. This whole not eating out thing didn't come from seeing if I could make dinner every night for my family. It actually came from an Oprah episode where this lady(Suze Orman) gave the top three tips on how to save money.

1. Do not spend any money one day a week.
2. Do not charge for a month
3. Do not eat out for a month

I thought that number 1 was pretty easy since now all I want to do is come home right after work and not stop anywhere on the way home. I should challenge myself to that one for a weekend day!
The second one is pretty easy since we don't charge a whole lot in our lives.
And the third one is the real challenge for me. We don't eat out a whole lot but it is more a convenience thing for us. As in, we both get home from work, feed and bathe Rylee, and by the time that is all done....either one of us wants to cook. Who DOES?

But my question really is....Is it cheaper to cook at home? These days my real mailbox and email mailbox is FILLED with deals on eating out. I can find many places that Paul and I could both eat for about $10.00. (And be full!) And if you have children that eat at restaurants, oh the restaurants that are doing "Kids eat Free"!! Even if your kids don't eat the whole meal...just think of the left overs that you could take for lunch the next day and save yourself 10 minutes in the morning of making lunches!

6. I thought getting Rylee's hospital bill "reduced" would be easy. I would just call the hospital, cry on the phone about how I cannot possibly pay this amount and cannot afford it. (which is not a lie) Well not with St. Joe's. Such a great hospital and we had an awesome experience there (not just the cafeteria) and we are supposedly going back in about 2 months. (We find out May 13th what the next step is.) But St. Joe's does not just want your tears...OH NO....they want all of the following...

1. Proof of identity. (Copy of SS, licence, other photo ID)
2. Proof of Monetary Assets. (If I had any I wouldn't be filling this paper out!)
This includes stocks, bonds, etc. (Do people have any money in stocks anymore?)
3. A rent receipt or your utility bill.
4. An application with two sides filled out.
5. Proof of income.
This includes a copy of prior year tax return, including W-2 and check copies or check stubs from each of the prior three months.

(That's just for us. There are six other things they want but do not apply to us.)

Now this wouldn't be as hard as I thought, but I don't save my pay stubs. I usually just rip them up and throw them out. So now this will bring me to June until I can mail all this in. People must just see the process and say "Forget it, I will just pay the bill." But not me! I am hoping they will see my efforts and give me some type of break. But you can bet I will be saving all this information for Surgery #2. I believe I should get some type of break! I think they are going see that I have proof of income and turn me down. But a girl can try...right?

7. I bet if I had broken #5 and #6 into two posts each I would be so much further to number 10 then I am now. :o(

8. I eventually got into the cleaning mood on Sunday and transformed half of our Arizona Room into a play room for Rylee.

9. I spent Sunday morning (prior to starting this post) organizing my coupons. I have been wanting to do this for SO long but never had the right method. I am going to try this method out and see if it helps. I used to just keep them in an envelope and then would have to search through it until I found the coupon I was looking for.....NO MORE! I transformed it into this well organized system. YAY ME!! Well so much for "YAY me." I left for the grocery store about 3:30 on Sunday afternoon, about 8 hours after finishing my great project, and FORGOT the coupons on the counter! So much for my plan of saving us millions of dollars a year with coupons! Ugh!!

10. I believe that Gerber has discontinued the Biter Biscuits and the Zwieback Toast that is helpful for children when they are teething. Now why would they do such a silly thing!?! What is this mom of a teething child supposed to do now? Gerber? Anyone?

5 Months

Rylee Rose is 5 Months old today! She is such a "go-go" baby that I am beginning to miss my "baby" girl. She rarely likes to be held anymore and wants to either be in her exersaucer or in on the floor rolling around. She must be getting some teeth because she is very drooly and LOVES to chew on things! We have made it through all the vegetables and we now move on to the fruit and puffs! Oh the excitement in Ryleeland. So obviously not too much to report. We go for a sixth month check up in a month so updates then. :o) Still never went for professional pictures at 4 months so my goal is a professional 6 month picture. Hopefully that happens!