Is it asking too much to find a pair of pants that actually fit without hemming them? I buy petites and they are still 3 inches too long, I buy capris and they come to my ankles, I buy bermuda shorts and they come below my knee...bottom line my legs are short, stubby, little things and I'm tired of trying on khaki pants that DO NOT fit properly!! So if you see me walking around town wearing thread barren khaki pants, you will know why!
And for the record, having a child in Middle School is NOT fun! OMG! Can you say E-MO-TION-AL ROLLER COASTER? DRAMA? Note to self: Call Dr. to increase meds, stock liquor cabinet, insert earplugs!
Let's add to the mix a 5th grader with Middle Child Syndrome who thinks I "DON'T UNDERSTAND" anything she tells me and everyone "IS MEAN TO HER" and doesn't want to do anything because of above items. THUD! THUD! THUD! (that's me banging my head against the wall as she sits on the couch pouting)
Then we have Monster Man...I don't even know where to begin with this one! I'll limit it to this evening's happenings thus far. Picked him up from after school care, he was mad because he "WASN'T READY TO GO HOME, YET!" and threw a stomping, fussing, back-pack swinging fit in front of children I teach and teachers I work with. I can't forget to mention the sting on my back when he hit me with his T-shirt. (picture my head spinning on my shoulders and flames shooting out the top of my head as I shuffled him into the van while counting to two million!) THEN...He runs in the door, directly to the video games. Wait a minute MISTER, don't you have homework? "Homework can wait until I'm done, MAMA!" WHAT!?! (again, head spinning, flames shooting) I somehow mustered enough strength to calmly ask him to come downstairs for a "chat". Which was followed by ANOTHER stomping, fussing, kick the bathroom door as I walk by fit which was NOT in front of students or co-workers. Needless to say he sat right down and did his homework!
I have a feeling it will be an early to bed kind of night for all! And have I mentioned that I haven't seen sun in like THREE DAYS? Good for the vegetation, not so much for my mood!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
The JETS?! and other ramblings...
The Jets? For real? The JETS?! A New York team?
I have been bred over the past 12 years to be a die hard Packer fan. I have found that over the past few weeks of "off season" that I am more like a "Fan of the Favre" than a fan of the Packers. Over the years, I watched this man lead his team to the Super Bowl and win, I watched this man suffer the loss of his father, and I watched this man stand by his wife as she fought off breast cancer. Not once did he falter in his dedication to the Packers, the man has started every game for the past 16 years, he's played through injury and hardship, he's made the Packers what they are today. So why treat him the way they have over the past few weeks? One word sums it up...UNBELIEVABLE!
I'm still out of sorts with the Packers, but after watching Brett's news conference last night and seeing the relief on his face makes it all sit a little better. The kicker was the pictures posted on the Packers website last night of Favre running down the sideline with his new team mates with a BIG smile on his face! GO FAVRE! GO JETS! I'll be watching this season...
Now that I have that off my chest....
Today brings an end to my first week back to work...if you can call it that at this time. We started the week with a reatreat, followed by meetings, updates, handbooks, curriculum updates, blood born pathogens video, budget updates, enrollment, calendar, and a whole lot of manual labor in cleaning out rooms and preparing for the first day of school which is closing in all too quickly! As it stands right now, I should be able to finish my classroom today. I just need to wrap up my ADD style of cleaning. At one point yesterday, you couldn't walk in the door of my classroom if you needed to. I had about 25 things going at once...closet, desk, posters, boxes of stuff, supplies...all piled/dumped in the middle of the floor because in my deranged mind the only way to sort and clean stuff properly is to pull it out/ dump it out and put away only those things you want to keep. The rest either gets pitched or put in the up for grabs pile.
One thing I learned this summer is that I keep WAY too much CRAP that I don't need and will never use and just because it is FREE doesn't mean that I need to accept it...there is a reason someone else doesn't want it! I learned to say THANKS BUT NO THANKS! I must say that my house looked much like my classroom did for most of the summer, but my drawers are clean, my cabinets are clean, my pantry is clean, my closets are clean, my garbage man is wondering why our weekly dump has doubled for the past two months, and I feel SOOOOOO much better not having all that JUNK in my house and falling on me every time I open a door! Now cleaning and putting things away are so much easier!
See, my ADD just derailed me....back to school...once I get my classroom in order, I will be spending next week getting the Science Lab in working order. Our maintenance man has been out sick this week and last (possibly pneumonia) which leave a lot of cleaning and stuff we normally wouldn't have to do on our shoulders to take care of (small school, one class per grade, one maintenance man). It was apparently painted this summer and there is paint spatter all over my lab stations and counter tops. Which due to extreme dust or heat wipes right off. I still have a gianormous fish tank to set back up too. Then books to pull out...oh my...anxiety is kicking in.
And then there are 100 locker combinations for me to change and test...OK! I better stop here. I'm starting to get a bit freaked out! Inhale....exhale...inhale...exhale....
Breathe! It will all get done...it always does...no need to stress yet!
Have a great weekend!
I have been bred over the past 12 years to be a die hard Packer fan. I have found that over the past few weeks of "off season" that I am more like a "Fan of the Favre" than a fan of the Packers. Over the years, I watched this man lead his team to the Super Bowl and win, I watched this man suffer the loss of his father, and I watched this man stand by his wife as she fought off breast cancer. Not once did he falter in his dedication to the Packers, the man has started every game for the past 16 years, he's played through injury and hardship, he's made the Packers what they are today. So why treat him the way they have over the past few weeks? One word sums it up...UNBELIEVABLE!
I'm still out of sorts with the Packers, but after watching Brett's news conference last night and seeing the relief on his face makes it all sit a little better. The kicker was the pictures posted on the Packers website last night of Favre running down the sideline with his new team mates with a BIG smile on his face! GO FAVRE! GO JETS! I'll be watching this season...
Now that I have that off my chest....
Today brings an end to my first week back to work...if you can call it that at this time. We started the week with a reatreat, followed by meetings, updates, handbooks, curriculum updates, blood born pathogens video, budget updates, enrollment, calendar, and a whole lot of manual labor in cleaning out rooms and preparing for the first day of school which is closing in all too quickly! As it stands right now, I should be able to finish my classroom today. I just need to wrap up my ADD style of cleaning. At one point yesterday, you couldn't walk in the door of my classroom if you needed to. I had about 25 things going at once...closet, desk, posters, boxes of stuff, supplies...all piled/dumped in the middle of the floor because in my deranged mind the only way to sort and clean stuff properly is to pull it out/ dump it out and put away only those things you want to keep. The rest either gets pitched or put in the up for grabs pile.
One thing I learned this summer is that I keep WAY too much CRAP that I don't need and will never use and just because it is FREE doesn't mean that I need to accept it...there is a reason someone else doesn't want it! I learned to say THANKS BUT NO THANKS! I must say that my house looked much like my classroom did for most of the summer, but my drawers are clean, my cabinets are clean, my pantry is clean, my closets are clean, my garbage man is wondering why our weekly dump has doubled for the past two months, and I feel SOOOOOO much better not having all that JUNK in my house and falling on me every time I open a door! Now cleaning and putting things away are so much easier!
See, my ADD just derailed me....back to school...once I get my classroom in order, I will be spending next week getting the Science Lab in working order. Our maintenance man has been out sick this week and last (possibly pneumonia) which leave a lot of cleaning and stuff we normally wouldn't have to do on our shoulders to take care of (small school, one class per grade, one maintenance man). It was apparently painted this summer and there is paint spatter all over my lab stations and counter tops. Which due to extreme dust or heat wipes right off. I still have a gianormous fish tank to set back up too. Then books to pull out...oh my...anxiety is kicking in.
And then there are 100 locker combinations for me to change and test...OK! I better stop here. I'm starting to get a bit freaked out! Inhale....exhale...inhale...exhale....
Breathe! It will all get done...it always does...no need to stress yet!
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Cool news...
I am happy to report that Edouard has brought cooler temps to North Texas...THANK GOD! Compared to the 104-107 temps we've had for the past two weeks, this morning's cloud cover and cooler temperatures were graciously welcomed! It is currently, at 92, 10 degrees cooler right now than it was this time yesterday. I might have to bust out the sweatshirts at these temperatures...hee hee...I crack myself up!
I'm sure temps like this won't last long in August in Texas, so I am going to make the best of the gift I have been given this evening. I'm going to grill pork chops for dinner...outside! After dinner, I'm going to work on my wilting /half-dead flower garden...outside! An added bonus from these milder temps is that I can do those things without risk of immediate heat stroke when I open the door! :) All kidding aside, Monday evening I was out watering the front flowers at 9 pm. The outdoor temperature was still 100 degrees and it was dark and I had to constantly move around to keep my tootsies from burning.
I also hear there is a "cold front" moving our direction. Due here Fridayish...hopefully that will bring us some much needed rain!
I'm sure temps like this won't last long in August in Texas, so I am going to make the best of the gift I have been given this evening. I'm going to grill pork chops for dinner...outside! After dinner, I'm going to work on my wilting /half-dead flower garden...outside! An added bonus from these milder temps is that I can do those things without risk of immediate heat stroke when I open the door! :) All kidding aside, Monday evening I was out watering the front flowers at 9 pm. The outdoor temperature was still 100 degrees and it was dark and I had to constantly move around to keep my tootsies from burning.
I also hear there is a "cold front" moving our direction. Due here Fridayish...hopefully that will bring us some much needed rain!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
It's officially over...
Yes, my dear readers, my summer is officially over starting at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Although I am saddened by the fact that I can no longer sit around and do nothing all day, I'm excited about starting a new year with new faces.
I can tell that the time to return to work/school is near for I have had anxiety for a couple of weeks. Dreams/nightmares about not having a schedule or class list, not being able to find my classroom, kids coming in from every direction and I'm still in my Pjs...not fun stuff, I'm telling ya! Mr. Wonderful woke me up one night to see what was wrong...apparently I was thrashing about and yelling about something. Nothing more than the been off work nearly three months, now gearing up to go back paranoia...I'll be fine.
The kids bickering off and on, all day and night, for the past two weeks is another indication that IT IS TIME! OMG! I think I would go insane if I had to listen to that for much longer. I love my kids, but dang! Even Mr. Wonderful has been on them for bickering so much lately. Of course it has been 100+ for 14 of last 15 days (and no relief in sight...highs around 106/107) and they aren't getting outside much which only adds to their aggitation. I'm feeling that way too. I really haven't been outside since we've been back from vacation, 2 weeks ago, to do anything other than water my wilting flower garden and stuggling gourds. Mr. Wonderful said it was inhumane to try and grow ANYTHING in this heat because it was torture to go out and water it. He'd much rather be in a seasonal climate w/ cool, crisp fall days, snow, and climate "worthy" of growing stuff. I prefer the beach...maybe someday we can have the best of both worlds, we just haven't figured out where that would be yet.
Hopefully, I can still find time in my day to keep up with all my bloggy friends. If not, there is always the weekend for catching up while slaving away at Mt. Washmore and doing lesson plans.
I can tell that the time to return to work/school is near for I have had anxiety for a couple of weeks. Dreams/nightmares about not having a schedule or class list, not being able to find my classroom, kids coming in from every direction and I'm still in my Pjs...not fun stuff, I'm telling ya! Mr. Wonderful woke me up one night to see what was wrong...apparently I was thrashing about and yelling about something. Nothing more than the been off work nearly three months, now gearing up to go back paranoia...I'll be fine.
The kids bickering off and on, all day and night, for the past two weeks is another indication that IT IS TIME! OMG! I think I would go insane if I had to listen to that for much longer. I love my kids, but dang! Even Mr. Wonderful has been on them for bickering so much lately. Of course it has been 100+ for 14 of last 15 days (and no relief in sight...highs around 106/107) and they aren't getting outside much which only adds to their aggitation. I'm feeling that way too. I really haven't been outside since we've been back from vacation, 2 weeks ago, to do anything other than water my wilting flower garden and stuggling gourds. Mr. Wonderful said it was inhumane to try and grow ANYTHING in this heat because it was torture to go out and water it. He'd much rather be in a seasonal climate w/ cool, crisp fall days, snow, and climate "worthy" of growing stuff. I prefer the beach...maybe someday we can have the best of both worlds, we just haven't figured out where that would be yet.
Hopefully, I can still find time in my day to keep up with all my bloggy friends. If not, there is always the weekend for catching up while slaving away at Mt. Washmore and doing lesson plans.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
I wish...
...I was a fraction as "hot" as I was in that ring girl contest! Found some pictures while cleaning the other day...DANG! I looked good...what happened to me?
Friday, August 1, 2008
Hotter than...
Today in Texas it is hotter than...
A= 101 degrees, you just watched the weather! (my brainiac, takes everything literally)
B= hot tamales...tamales are hot, right? (my blond child, true blond at that, in every sense of the phrase)
H= a Texas fire! (said with an exaggerated, very slow...Tayks-ass fa-ar...my only true Texan)
Mr. Wonderful= 40 hells! (he's not diggin' the heat...at ALL)
Me=
... *bleep*! (and I mean the four letter *bleep*)
...than it needs to be! (because I've already showered twice today and a sweaty mess again)
...killer, heartburn chili we used to make in college. (if only my bowels could handle that degree of spice these days...YUM!)
...can it get any hotter? (good gawd, I don't know how...guess I'll find out over the next three days of 106-107 degree highs with humidity pushing 40%)
How would you finish this statement? It is hotter than...
You know...maybe I'll do a give away to the response that makes me laugh the hardest. I've got some garage sale stuff left. Second thought, wouldn't want to pawn off my junk on my faithful readers. Scrap that idea, but feel free to leave your response. I'll need all the laughs I can get until about next May when school is out!
A= 101 degrees, you just watched the weather! (my brainiac, takes everything literally)
B= hot tamales...tamales are hot, right? (my blond child, true blond at that, in every sense of the phrase)
H= a Texas fire! (said with an exaggerated, very slow...Tayks-ass fa-ar...my only true Texan)
Mr. Wonderful= 40 hells! (he's not diggin' the heat...at ALL)
Me=
... *bleep*! (and I mean the four letter *bleep*)
...than it needs to be! (because I've already showered twice today and a sweaty mess again)
...killer, heartburn chili we used to make in college. (if only my bowels could handle that degree of spice these days...YUM!)
...can it get any hotter? (good gawd, I don't know how...guess I'll find out over the next three days of 106-107 degree highs with humidity pushing 40%)
How would you finish this statement? It is hotter than...
You know...maybe I'll do a give away to the response that makes me laugh the hardest. I've got some garage sale stuff left. Second thought, wouldn't want to pawn off my junk on my faithful readers. Scrap that idea, but feel free to leave your response. I'll need all the laughs I can get until about next May when school is out!
Vacation
VACATION '08
As usual, Mr. Wonderful went out of his way to make sure his wonderful family had a GREAT vacation. We spent a week at Dauphin Island, AL taking in the sea and salty air. The name of our rental was "The Big Lazy", a quite appropriate name. Although we were nothing close to lazy. In fact, the increased activity that week resulted in a near 10 lb weightloss for me...woohoo!
Since I am still trying to figure out how all this blog stuff works, the pics are a bit out of order, but most things in my life are right now...and I like it that way!
This is the family...RMABH
Here we are on a ferry between Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines. It was about a 45 min ride one way. We were actually "stowaways"...cost per adult $5, but no one collected our dinero. We asked a couple of times and they told us someone would be around to collect, but they never did. Little Man said this was the worst part of the trip because it was "BO-RING"! I personally loved it...the salt air blowing in my face, pelicans diving, watching dolphins play! FUN!
And here we have yours truely way out in Mobile Bay in only ankle deep water picking up some really cool shells, of course I was more interested in the critters living inside them. In this case, thousands of hermit crabs lining the Bay. I was in 7th heaven, there were at least 3 different species of hermit crabs. Hairy scary ones, red ones, and some pale, near translucent ones. Our first trip down the beach, I picked up a really cool shell and it had some sort of little slimy snail like critter in it. I was oooohing and aaaaahing and telling the kids to come look and Mr. Wonderful said to me..."Can you just put the wildlife down for a few minutes and enjoy the fact that you are STANDING in the ocean?" I thought I was...: ( I tossed it down, "enjoyed" the fact that I was STANDING in the ocean and went back to picking up critters and digging in the sand!
This is one of my favorite pictures...Little Man in his piratre doo rag and Mr. Wonderful in his Go To Hell Hat. Aren't they cute?
This one, I like to call Gilligan and Skipper with the Catch of the Day...
Shrimp boat! OMG! We had the best shrimp ever while on vacation, fresh from the local seafood market. According to staff of fresh seafood market, all their seafood comes from the local fisherman on the boats we watched throw out nets and cruise the coast for days. I'm drooling just thinking about how yummy it was. And that is Meme in the water with the kids. CRAP!! Just accidentally deleted the picture...oh well.
The next picture is of a storm blowing in off Mobile Bay. I'm a sucker for taking pictures of storms and interesting clouds. One of these days I'm gonna have a really good camera and make an album of just cloud/sky/storm shots. I was actually trying to catch one of those knock your socks off shots of a lightening strike. Just wasn't meant to be, but I did get some cool pictures of the storm. I found it quite peaceful to sit on the back deck and watch the lightening show for about an hour. And my children who are terrified of storms sat in awe and watched it approach.
This sums it up...smiling faces! (and no bickering for a week) I soooooo need to move to a beach!
As usual, Mr. Wonderful went out of his way to make sure his wonderful family had a GREAT vacation. We spent a week at Dauphin Island, AL taking in the sea and salty air. The name of our rental was "The Big Lazy", a quite appropriate name. Although we were nothing close to lazy. In fact, the increased activity that week resulted in a near 10 lb weightloss for me...woohoo!
Since I am still trying to figure out how all this blog stuff works, the pics are a bit out of order, but most things in my life are right now...and I like it that way!
This is the family...RMABHHere we are on a ferry between Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines. It was about a 45 min ride one way. We were actually "stowaways"...cost per adult $5, but no one collected our dinero. We asked a couple of times and they told us someone would be around to collect, but they never did. Little Man said this was the worst part of the trip because it was "BO-RING"! I personally loved it...the salt air blowing in my face, pelicans diving, watching dolphins play! FUN!
And here we have yours truely way out in Mobile Bay in only ankle deep water picking up some really cool shells, of course I was more interested in the critters living inside them. In this case, thousands of hermit crabs lining the Bay. I was in 7th heaven, there were at least 3 different species of hermit crabs. Hairy scary ones, red ones, and some pale, near translucent ones. Our first trip down the beach, I picked up a really cool shell and it had some sort of little slimy snail like critter in it. I was oooohing and aaaaahing and telling the kids to come look and Mr. Wonderful said to me..."Can you just put the wildlife down for a few minutes and enjoy the fact that you are STANDING in the ocean?" I thought I was...: ( I tossed it down, "enjoyed" the fact that I was STANDING in the ocean and went back to picking up critters and digging in the sand!
This is one of my favorite pictures...Little Man in his piratre doo rag and Mr. Wonderful in his Go To Hell Hat. Aren't they cute?
This one, I like to call Gilligan and Skipper with the Catch of the Day...
Shrimp boat! OMG! We had the best shrimp ever while on vacation, fresh from the local seafood market. According to staff of fresh seafood market, all their seafood comes from the local fisherman on the boats we watched throw out nets and cruise the coast for days. I'm drooling just thinking about how yummy it was. And that is Meme in the water with the kids. CRAP!! Just accidentally deleted the picture...oh well.The next picture is of a storm blowing in off Mobile Bay. I'm a sucker for taking pictures of storms and interesting clouds. One of these days I'm gonna have a really good camera and make an album of just cloud/sky/storm shots. I was actually trying to catch one of those knock your socks off shots of a lightening strike. Just wasn't meant to be, but I did get some cool pictures of the storm. I found it quite peaceful to sit on the back deck and watch the lightening show for about an hour. And my children who are terrified of storms sat in awe and watched it approach.
This sums it up...smiling faces! (and no bickering for a week) I soooooo need to move to a beach!
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