Have you voted?!?!

LAST WEEK TO VOTE FOR REAGAN!

1) Click on this link Vote Here

2) "Like" the picture on Facebook

3) And share it with your friends and family. 

**There is a share link above the picture. **

Thanks to all of you who have already voted! We are up to 140 something-- but we still have a long way to go!! If each my followers voted we would be rocking and rolling!! 

Thanks a million!! 

Sunday Social

Today I am linking up with Neely for her Sunday Social!

The questions this week are all about music- so fun! 

What is your all-time favorite song? 

Our first wedding dance was to Kenny Chesney's "Me and You". Love it.

I also love Edwin McCain's "I'll Be". 

It's on our wedding dvd and it always makes me tear up!

What is your favorite singer/band?

My all time favorites are 

Garth Brooks, 

Michael Jackson, 

Whitney Houston, 

NSync,

and Lady Gaga.

Every one of them brings back such great memories!

What is your theme song/song that best describes your life?

I always thought Jessica Simpson's "With You" reminded me of my life.

But now with Reagan I totally think of Billy Dean's "Let them be Little"

What songs put you in a good mood?

Anything by Britney Spears

Justin Beiber "Baby"

Call Me Maybe

What is your favorite road-trip music?

Nicki Minaj "Super Bass"

Lady Gaga "Bad Romance"

Rihanna "Umbrella"

Nelly "Ride Wit Me"

What song are you embarrassed to admit you love?

I'm really not too embarrassed of any music I love! 

I have weird taste that is seriously all over the place.  

Someone you might be surprised to know I love is Lionel Richie.

I've had a weird obsession with him for years.

24 Weeks Pregnancy Update

We are officially at 6 months people!

How crazy is that?

(I know, I know.. I've worn this dress in a pregnancy update already! I never claimed to be a fashion blogger!)

How far along are you? 

I am 24 weeks.

Total weight gain? 

I definitely feel much, much bigger! Like a house to be exact.

 I've gained back 8 pounds of the 10 I  lost during that horrible first trimester!

How big are the babies? 

I go to the doctor in 2 weeks, so I don't know exactly.

Babycenter.com says that the babies weigh just over a pound and are about as long as an ear of corn each. 

Maternity clothes? 

If I'm leaving the house I pretty much only wear maternity now- unless it's a dress like above.  But if I'm home I will just lounge in tee shirts and work out shorts. So again- it depends! I've been really fortunate this pregnancy because two of my girlfriends  gave me a ton of maternity clothes, so I haven't had to buy any clothes other than 2 maternity tanks yet! 

Stretch marks?

Yes. (As my mother so kindly pointed out the other day.) 

I have vertical line on the left side of my belly. 

Awesome.

Sleep?

Still sleeping pretty well. But I guess this is the time I'm letting all my stress out! I went to the dentist yesterday and was told I am clenching my teeth so badly at night that 4 of my molars are loose! My jaw has been really sore and this explains it! So, I need to go get fitted for a night mouth guard- yep . $500. Awesome, as if I don't have 2 new babies to be saving for! Anyways, hopefully once I get this I will sleep better and not destroy my teeth anymore.  We all knew I was a stress case- but this takes it to a new level.

Best moment ?

Feeling Hudson have hiccups for the first time.

Reagan felt it too and laughed so hard! :)

Movement?

The babies tend do go crazy during the evening. Starting about 8pm every night they both kick, elbow, and shake a ton.  Its fun to lie in bed with Nick at night after Reagan has gone to sleep, watch TV, and feel the babies together.

The babies also must love Reagan and my weekly movie dates. Because every Friday during our movie, the both go wild.  I think they must like the loud sounds and music.

Food cravings?

No real cravings! But I'm thirsty all the time.

Food aversions?

No food aversions.

Labor signs?

No

Belly button in or out?

It's still in, but very stretched! 

What I miss?

I miss shopping and running errands like I used to.  I seriously get exhausted doing the littlest thing.  The way the babies lie, I get really short of breath and feel faint often.  

My doctor is having me try new prenatal vitamins because she doesn't think I'm taking care enough of myself.  So this package , the Thera-Natal Complete, is what the doctor has ordered. We'll see!

What I'm looking forward to?

I'm looking forward to spending time with my family up north next week! 

I'm a little overwhelmed with how much we still have to do for the babies- so I'm making a little to-do list.  Since I'm putting it on the blog, maybe I will be more motivated to getting it done.  I can no longer be in denial about the twins' arrival!

* Paint the nursery

* Order the 2nd crib

* Order the nursery decor

*Figure out the car situation/ buy a mini-van?

*Pull out Reagan's baby boy clothes for Hudson/wash

*Borrow Charlotte's baby girl clothes for Harper/wash

*Figure out what other clothes are still needed

*Organize closet and dresser

*Read the stack of Twin books on my nightstand

*Finish registering

*Find Reagan's bottles and see what else is needed

*Make baby shower guest list

*Finish and turn in short term disability paperwork

I'm sure there is a ton more, but these have been bubbling around my brain today! 

Anything really important you think I am missing?! Let me know! 

Can I have your vote, pretty please?!?!

As some of you may know, I entered Reagan into the Lakeshore Learning Photo Contest.

The contest ends next week!

I have had 123 friends and family members vote which seems like a great amount to me!

But there are some photos with like 400 votes- holy smokes! 

The 5 photos with the most votes will win $1,000 gift card to Lakeshore Learning.

And you know how much this Mama could use that!

(Remember I taking time off of teaching (my passion) to stay home with Reagan and our twins. Paying for 3 kids in daycare is more than my teacher's salary. Sad. Right? Did I get your pity vote? Hehe!) But I digress. I would love to have this money to help teach Reagan and the little ones all I can while I am at home.  I would also be able to save up and use it for when I do go back into the  classroom.

So anyway. All I need for you to do is:

1) Click on this link Vote Here

2) "Like" the picture on Facebook

3) And share it with your friends and family. 

**There is a share link above the picture. **

Thanks to Raven who has already voted and let me know and MJ who has voted and spread the word via Twitter. Both of these girls have always been great supporters and friends.

I would for you to comment and let me know if you voted so I can thank you! 

Thanks a million!! 

Getting ready for school.....

As you know Reagan and I are on summer vacation.

I didn't want his learning to end even though I took him out of his daycare this summer.

So I was thrilled when Lakeshore Learning contacted me to try some of their fabulous products.

We've been doing "school mornings" which include singing, abc's, counting, flash cards, puzzles, art, etc.  And today I threw in some of these awesome Lakeshore Learning products.

Below were two of the products they sent Reagan.

(1)

Sequencing Ready-To-Go Learning Pack

This pack was awesome!

As a first grade teacher I know how important the skill of sequencing is.  And I know that at age 3, Reagan would be able to start the process of sequencing. The set comes with 64 sequencing cards with scenarios that children would understand and have prior knowledge with. The cards fit into a sturdy carrying case for little hands. 

We started with the "making peanut butter and jelly sandwich" card.

Something Reagan has recently become very familiar!

He did great and felt very proud of his work.

Another cool thing about this product is that everything fits perfectly inside the pocket on the back. No big box to have to deal with!

 It was a quick clean-up and will be an easy pack for our summer vacation!

(2)

Getting Ready to Print Practice Books

These practice books were a huge hit at our house!

The set came with 2 books that get more difficult with each page. The pages are write and wipe pages so that your child can practice again and again. The first book has many pages of practice for children to hold their dry-erase marker in the correct position and practice left-to-right directionality.  It also gets children to practice the pre-writing strokes that are so important to writing. Once your child has mastered the line/stroke practice pages, they will be ready to move on to letter formation.

Reagan really loved these practice pages. It was neat for him to see his own progression as he got better with each line. He definitely improved with the practice and even asked to do more pages when he woke up from his nap. With practice like this, he will be ready to write his letters in the second book with success! Aside from seeing how much he loved this product, I love how easy it is to clean and use again and again! 

Thanks to Lakeshore Learning for allowing us to get ready for school! 

If any of my readers are looking for summer activities to help get their little ones ready for school, I would definitely check out the links on this page and get some for yourself! 

We've officially named the twins!

And the names are.....

Baby A is now:

Baby B is now:

So excited to meet these little ones!

Do you remember these ducks from when I first told Nick we were pregnant?

Click here to read it

Well, Reagan has been carrying them all around the house lately and referring to them by name. It is so stinking adorable.  He will talk to them and about them, tuck them in, give them baths, etc.

I think somebody is excited to be a big brother!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

My life this week has been a total whirlwind combination of good, bad, and ugly.... Please don't mind me while I unload. Thanks.

Swimming Lessons

The good - He graduated from the "Sea Babies" class today- Praise the Lord! We weren't sure because of his behavior lately. (see below)

The bad- It's been a rough 2 weeks of classes. He loves being in the water and loves doing the activities but couldn't stand doing anything with the teachers. He would completely shut down when they came near. Awesome.

The ugly- Tuesday was a new low. Reagan wouldn't get out of the pool. Picture this. The part of the pool where we have lessons doesn't have steps.  The kids are supposed to get in and out by using the side. And thus the mommies for the "Sea Babies" class have to get in and out the same way. NBD- if I was a normal mom.  Not the almost 6 months beached whale I am... but I digress. So Reagan thought it would be wildly funny to climb out of the pool, watch me gracefully awkwardly climb out, and then jump back in.  This game lasted a few times before two of the teachers/lifeguards offered to help. Wow. I felt awesome.

Other Reagan News 

The good- Potty training is going really, really well (knock on wood I didn't just jinx myself).  We are in week 3 and the little man has been accident free and so independent.  This morning he woke up and came into our bedroom to report that he had just peed  and poo-ed in the toilet. What on earth?  This needed a huge potty dance celebration, but I was far to exhausted. He's been awesome in public places and he is totally doing it. Guess that means I owe him that toy. Yes. I bribe my child.

The bad - Nap times have been rough.  Every day around Reagan's nap time I hit a major wall. I  need this nap. Big time. But the little man thinks it's oh-so-hilarious to get out of bed and run laps through the house. Yes. I've tried the baby gate. Yes. He climbs it and knocks it over. All the while yelling , "Super Reagan!"

The ugly - Tantrums of a 3 year old are far, far worse than those of a 2 year old. Holy smokes friends. You weren't kidding. Let's see. Not only does he have tantrums now, but he is also defiant. I swear, I don't know where he gets this stuff. He is big into saying " Me no have to." "Me no need to listen to you."  (Yes- I know. My child speaks like a mix between Cookie Monster and an ELL student). I spank him and he laughs. I put him in time out and he becomes destructive. What devil spawn has entered my child? The other day I had a complete meltdown - heart was racing, blood pressure through the roof, etc. I didn't know how to deal and just ended up crying on the floor with him looking at me like I was an alien from space.  Then came the wooden spoon. I have resorted to the wooden spoon friends. Well, twice. He has gotten two good spankings from my new friend and it seems to be a nice consequence. This phase shall pass. I just know it. It has to. Or I won't be around to meet these new babies. It may just kill me.


TV


The good - I'm loving The Bachelorette this season. Yes, Emily is a little boring but she is so darn pretty and classy I could watch her daily. And the boys are a real trip too. I mean some of them are soo weird. Quality TV people.


The bad - I have so much freaking stuff on my DVR I can't catch up. I can still remember the good 'ol days before Nick Jr. and Disney came into my life.


The ugly - How bad is RHNY this season? I think I might actually quit this show and that would be a first. The women seem really old and annoying this season. Boo. Bring back the good old days with Bethenny and Scary Island. The show was so good then.

WILW

Today I'm linking up with one of my favorite bloggers, Jamie, 

for her weekly "What I'm Loving Wednesday" 

Today I'm loving old friends.

Megan is one of my oldest and sweetest friends.

Since elementary school we have been through it all.

(At my senior year cotillion ball- Megan is in the back in blue)

(Us at Megan's wedding)

And now our little boys are great friends.

I love it.

(Our boys when we met up at Disneyland in October.)

Today we visited the splash pad with another of our friends and her little boy. They played their hearts out and then we went to enjoy some frozen yogurt.

Here's to many more years of friendship with us all! 

Blog Star: Hi, I'm Mandy!

Hi to all my newest readers and welcome back to my regular followers!

I decided to link up with Mrs. Monologues today for her Blog Star link-up.

Here is a little bit about me:

My name is Mandy.

I'm 30 years old and have been married for 6 years to Nick.

We have a 3 year old son, Reagan, 

and I'm almost 6 months pregnant with twins (boy and girl).

We live in Scottsdale, Arizona and I have lived here all my life.

I have been a first grade teacher for the last 7 years but I'm going to be taking the year off to focus on my three little ones.  It's going to be a new adventure for me but I'm excited!

Here are some links to some older posts that might help you learn more about me!

Enjoy!!

True Life Post

Our Love Story

2011 in Review

Decade in Review

Sunday Social

I've had so much fun reading so many of your answers with Ashley and Neely's  first link-up for Sunday Social.  So, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and answer some questions as well!! 

This weeks Questions:

How did you come up with your blog name?

Thinking of a name was pretty tricky for me.  I couldn't think of anything cute and finally decided that because my favorite color is pink  I would do "Tickled Pink". It doesn't really tell anything about me or my blog, but it works! 

What is your favorite thing about blogging? 

There are lots of favorite things. I love the sweet girls I've met through blogging and keep in touch with via blogs, Twitter, and Facebook.  I love the teaching ideas and resources I have found from teacher blogs.  I love the party inspirations I find through blogging as well as the parenting advice and support I get from other mommies out there! I love looking back through my old blog posts and seeing how little Reagan was!  I also love knowing that I can inspire and help others who read my blog! The blogging community has really become one of my favorite things!

What is one thing you have discovered because of blogging and now cant live without? 

(1) My Erin Condren planner. I remember reading about it on many blogs last year and I got myself one for this year and I love it! (2) Pinterest. What an awesome thing to learn new teaching ideas, recipes, quotes, etc. I'm slightly addicted. 

Facebook or Twitter? and why? 

I like both but I think I prefer Facebook. I love seeing the day to days of my friends and family.  Plus I love picture stalking.  I like Twitter as well, but I'm not as addicted to it as I am to Facebook! 

If one celeb read your blog who would you want it to be? 

Reese Witherspoon or Jessica Simpson. I think I could totally be friends with either. :) 

What is something you want people to know about your blog?

I am not a "serious" writer, I am not teacher of the year, I am not the best mom that every lived. But I'm doing my best each day and trying to live my own happily every after. 

Make sure you link up! I'd love to read your answers!

Happy Sunday!

Friday's Letters

Today I'm linking up for my first Friday's Letters.

Dear ant that bit me, You are making my life hell.  I'm as a bad as a kid and can't stop itching.

Dear pool time, I'm loving being in you with Reagan but what I wouldn't give for a raft and a book and some quality alone time. How I miss those days of "laying out" with a good book or magazine without being squirted with toys or asked to play. 

Dear Mandy, you better start getting your butt into gear with these babies.  You need to start planning and working on their nursery or else they will be here without anything. I know sometimes you'd rather just think you will be pregnant forever, but they will be out eventually. 

Dear Reagan, you had better start staying in your room at night or I will start locking you in. (FYI we've put up the baby gate and he just stands there and screams at us for an hour. 3 years old is an awesome age.)

Dear Hunter (our big dog), why must you insist on barking at nothing every morning at 4 am. I don't understand you and kind of want to bust out the shock collar. Yes. We have one of those.

Dear Potty Training, Keep working. We pulled out the rugs last night and I'd really rather not be cleaning up accidents off of  them in the near future. Reagan- make it to the potty!

Dear Target, Why do I always pick the slowest line? Like always.  

Dear Pregnancy, Thank you for making it acceptable to take a nap with Reagan every afternoon. I've always been a napper, but this is a fabulous excuse!

Summer Time Pool Fun

We are absolutely loving summer vacation!

(Sorry for those of you in school still, hopefully you are almost done!)

We have been spending every day in the pool and some days even twice a day!

Reagan is taking swim lessons every morning at our local city pool. The sessions are 2 weeks long and we hope he can move out of this class and into the next class after next week. (He took this class last summer and didn't pass it. To pass it, he needs to be independent enough to swim without me with him.)

In the afternoons we have been going to my mom's house to swim some more. He is obsessed with the water and is at a really fun age to play with water toys.

Here are some pictures of my little water baby in action! 

 Playing with toys in his "boat".

 Trying to float with Mommy. Pretty hilarious.

 Riding his "galligator".

 My sweet niece Charlotte.

 Cousins

 Goggles crack me up.

 Friends having a pool party.

We love summer! 

Lakeshore Summer Learning Contest

Remember when I told you about that awesome Lakeshore Summer Learning Contest 

I entered Reagan in?

Click here and "like" Reagan's picture to vote for us!

Here is your chance to enter your child as well!

Here is all you have to do:

1) ‘Like’ Lakeshore’s Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/lakeshorelearning)

2) Click on the Entry form and submit a picture of your child participating in their favorite summer learning activity! From a visit to the local zoo, to nature walks to fun family road trips and everything in between!

3) Spread the word by encouraging family and friends to ‘Like’ the submitted photo

***The top photos with the most ‘Likes’ --WIN!***

 Winners: 5 lucky fans will be awarded with a $1,000 e-gift card! PLUS everyone who enters will receive a special discount coupon as a thank you for their participation.

Time Frame: Begins June 4^th-June 30^th and Winners will be announced on July 2^nd

^{Good luck and have fun!}