Goin' to GA

We leave in the morning.  Heading down for a few days.  We'll be back by New Year's, so I'll be making black eyed peas and collards at home.  So, to everyone who does read- I'll be back in 2009! 

Packing List:

In Touch magazine ( I know, trashy)

Cosmo (I have to hide the covers now- Helen can read too well)

Remember Me?- Sophie Kinsella

MP3 player (Loaded with new stuff- thanks David)

DVDs- I Love Lucy- Season One; Sound of Music; Office Space; Family Guy

 ALSO- any car sickness tips??- Zachary gets sick in the car (weirdly enogh, NEVER when I drive).  We usually travel with a bucket and trash bags, but I'd like to prevent sickness.......

songs....

talk about inappropriate, but I was laughing so hard.  This is what my 8 year old was singing in the car, to the tune of Little Drummer Boy

"I have some gifts for you, they're up in my bum.

It looks like fudge, but it's not, it's from my bum bum bum bum"

Maybe she's really Peter Griffin..... (no, she is NOT allowed to watch Family Guy)

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Merry Christmas!

elf family

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Dear ****

Yes, I'm boring everyone again with a letter to you which you will never read.  But I really need to know why you felt you had to accept charity gifts for your children this year.  What sad sob story did you give?  Did you leave out that you have a decent job and salary?  That you haven't had to pay a single bill all year?  That your only expense is 1/2 of day care?  That your child takes horseback lessons at $400 a month?  Let me tell you something about the poor.  They don't live in a nice home with all their expenses covered by the husband they threw out.  They don't eat smoked salmon on Christmas Eve.  They don't take horseback riding lessons at an expensive stable.  You have a roof over your head and food in your pantry.  You have a car to get you where you need to go.  You have Verizon FIOS.  You really ought to be ashamed of yourself.  If you are low on cash at Christmas, you cut back- give smaller meaningful gifts.  Your children will still be happy.  Your daughter was embarrassed, and I don't blame her.  The people you scammed thought they were buying gifts for children who would otherwise get nothing.  You have never been poor and you have no idea what a struggle is.  A struggle is when you lose what is literally your last $10 in Walmart and sit on the floor to cry.  Struggle is to try to pay for $15 dollars of groceries and not have the money in the bank.  Struggle is scraping up all the change you can find to go buy a box of mac and cheese from the gas station across the street.  Or walking 19 blocks to work because if you take the bus you can't eat lunch.  or washing your clothes in the bath tub because you don't have  the money for the washer.  There are real people who don't know where they will find the money to feed their babies.  They are drowning in bills and never feel a minute of peace or comfort.   They hide from the repo man.  They are about to lose their home.  You HAVE money, you HAVE family, you HAVE resources.  The man you had the police remove from you home would have given you the gifts he has bought the children rather than have charity.  If I had not lost my last shred of respect for you by now, this would have done it.  I really hope I never have to see you again as long as I live.  Ignorant disrespectful bitch.  Your life is a slap in the face to the real abused abandoned women and starving children.

Helen's Christmas card

Here is Helen's card for her class.   Plus she had little bags of candy canes, marshmallows and cocoa.  They were really cute- I didn't get pictures of those or the cute reindeer boxes I made for Zachary's class.  The memory card was not in her camera and I didn't take the time to put it back- sorry.  The teacher's gift turned out fine, too.  I found popcorn "boxes" in the Dollar Spot at Target.  I filled it with some shredded paper, bags of microwave popcorn and Blockbuster cards.  I think they were appreciated.  On another note, I always give the "specials" teachers a gift.  Did the same even though my kids are in the school where I work.  I, on the other hand, teach several kids who have a parent working at the school and got nothing.  I wasn't expecting anything, but I figured if anyone else understood, it would be another teacher.  No one teaches for the prizes, but a thoughtful note goes a long way.  The best gift I got this year- a piece of notebook paper signed by the 6th grade.  They didn't do it in class because it was the ENTIRE 6th grade.  They must have done it at recess or lunch.  It is hanging on my bulletin board in my office.  Kindergarten thinks I am beautiful, the sixth grade loves me and the fifth grade thinks I talk funny (they should have heard my accent 13 years ago, lol).

Now I am rambling again- must be the drugs.

I didn't die.......

but I tried.  I'll leave it as if anyone wants to kill me, morphine will do it and you won't need much.  Surgery went well.  As they wheeled me out they asked if I had any pain.  I answered "a little crampy" so they gave me morphine.  Hell, my periods are worse than that (hence the surgery, duh).  A Tylenol would have been enough.  So apparently morphine does not agree with me and I had about 15 Bradycardia  incidents and couldn't wake up.  I think it scared David.  They were even talking about transferring me to the hospital to be monitored while I slept it off.  What brought me back was remembering Zach had play practice.  If he misses the practice he can't be in the play- so I forced myself to talk.  I am just about in a freakin' coma and worrying about a five year old's play.  Any way, it woke me up.  The 3 bags of fluid they forced to flush me out helped, too.  And I had to pee about a gallon every hour last night......

I am feeling better today, even though absolutely no one called to check on me last night.  I feel so loved.  We are going to a reindeer farm today and breakfast with Santa is tomorrow after the play (Zachary is a German boy- he gets to wear his lederhosen and is very happy about it).

so tired....

I am very tired.  I wish my kids had somewhere to go be loud, other than in the same room with me.  I did get everything done for Zachary's class- he had his party today.  Helen's class is having theirs tomorrow.  She needs to sign her cards.  I need iron Zach's shirt for tomorrow and get all the clothes together.

I am having surgery tomorrow after their Christmas program.  I am nervous and hope it all goes well.  I plan to straighten up "my" bedroom and have the dvd player, etc at my disposal.  Clean sheets would be nice, and the laundry needs to be put away, too.  And I still haven't gone to Blockbuster to buy the stupid cards for teachers yet.  At least they are open til midnight.

My thoughts are as scattered as this post and I need coffee or something to wake myself up.  Plus a gag for my son.  There are days when I just get sick of his voice.  He talks weird and makes all these noises and it drives me crazy.  Then I feel guilty.

Zachary's Christmas Card

This is Zachary's Christmas card this year.  His class party is tomorrow and I still need to make reindeer food.  But his cute cards are done.  And he has a sinus infection.  Two hours of Patient First and Target- he did not stop talking the ENTIRE time........... I don't know why this is all underlined.....

And yeah, me...

I am getting to close the library the first week of January.  I have started entering the books into the new system. I am at 437.   That is one week of work.  I have about 3500 to 4000 books to enter.  If I can have 20 (I actually plan to do more) hours to work instead of about 4 in a week, I could make a dent. I will have to teach 6th grade, but no one else (their schedule doesn't permit them to miss- they won't have anywhere to go).  So that is good news for me.  I also have a bunch of books that will need to be processed, too.  That means school stamps, spine labels, bar codes, due date sticker and any protective covering.  I will hopefully have a volunteer for that.  After this is done, I will be able to use the computer to check out books rather than write everything down on a piece of paper.  So that is my boring life and job.  I move dusty books around and try to get kids who have been plugged into video games and computers all their lives to read.  And use something besides Wikipedia for research.

Most people I know don't read.  I've only been involved with one guy that was a reader.  That was kinda neat- we'd each get a book from the used book store, read and trade, then go back.  That was actually fun for a dork like me.  David has read pretty much no books in his adult life.  Not that he isn't smart- he just has other interests.  If it was abook about how to make something, he'd read it.

idiot........

Who would name their child Hitler?  And then be offended that no one in the bakery wanted to imprint his name in frosting?  There are just some names one should avoid....typically mass murderers, serial killers and fascists should be avoided.  Dumb ass.

randomness

I know that I was raised a long time ago and things are very different now. I do get that. BUT, things were also different when you compare my parents childhood to mine- that is how it goes. That said, these kids these days really are clueless. Maybe being raised by parents who had first hand knowledge of WWII and the Depression makes me think differently from these kids who have never know being poor, wearing unstylish clothes, saving useful items, etc.

I really frustrates me when rather than getting the point of a move set in 1940, they make fun of the names and the clothes. And the cars. They just don't seem to "get" any other time frame. I was a weird kid- I loved Little House on the Prairie, I watched old movies and tv shows. I read "vintage" books that I found at the library and at my Aunt's house. I found unusual things in antique stores and asked what they were for. I understood that many people were poor and my own mom grew up sharing a bedroom with 5 sisters and no running water. I actually liked all the museum junk I got dragged to on vacations. I saw Gone with the Wind for the first time when I was 8 and designed antebellum dresses for Barbie. I was weird and I know that, but I JUST DON'T GET these kids. And if I had my way, the X Box, computer and TV would not be in my house. I am rambling and also at work, so I shouldn't be writing, but I had to.

And totally off subject- we have found a way to punish Zach. No Candy. Give Helen a piece and tell him "NO". He is on no candy, no tv, no xbox, no computer until I decide he can have them back. Also, bed at 7:45. He has been awful and we need to "nip it".

Merry, Merry.....

If you get Christmas cards from me, don't peek......

Helen & Zachary   Christmas 2008

(their feet are discreetly hidden due to Helen's bright pink sneakers)

Yeah, Friday.....

After I dropped off children, I drove to Annapolis (about 20 miles from the school) to see an ent (alas, not Dr. Hottie).  He confirmed that I do have an infection and sent me away to the pharmacy.  Then I went to Trader Joe's where I purchased Garden Burger "riblets", kettle corn, cheese, soy yogurt and some ciabatta bread.  After running in my house to put my goodies in the fridge, I went 20 miles the other way to get my haircut.  I also bought some junk for Helen (hair things, an outfit), Christmas ornaments or the kids, Barbie and Indiana Jones.  And I dropped off my film and library books

When I went to get the kids, another teacher commented on my boots (black lace up DocMarten knockoffs from Target), which I wore with jeans that I rolled up slightly (more to keep my jean cuffs dry than to be stylish).  Any way, she told me how put together I always am and what great style I have.  Hee, hee- I needed to hear that today.  In fact, that teacher is one that I always think she looks great, so that was an extra nice compliment.  If she only knew I usually feel half- done and fat.  Any way, it makes up for the fact the fifth graders make fun of me.

satisfaction level......

 

I am usually pretty happy with my life.  But not today.  It has been raining for two whole days, I have a sinus infection, David is out of town, my kids are not listening at all and the school kids are being difficult because it is almost Christmas break.  I have a million things to do and not enough time or energy to do them.  I work in a basement away from everyone and feel like I have no new friends to fill the void of the ones I never get to see any more.  And no one ever returns my phone calls.  I haven't talked to my sister in weeks and even Erin is too busy to talk or get together.  I am feeling sad and isolated with no one but my (monster) children.  Even the dog is staying in the basement all the time.  Wahhhhhh.

Dear Santa......

Dear Santa,

I have been very good.  Or at least I tried.  This year I would like:

five minutes of quiet in the middle of the afternoon
a new wardrobe
my 28 year old body back (this is when I as the most comfortable with myself)
20/20 vision
kids who listen and do what they are told the first time
arms that don't keep waving after I stop
my mp3 player to be filled with all the songs I love and none of David's crap
no regrets
a full night's sleep with nothing waking me up

Thank you for considering my list- I'd be happy with anything you can give me.

Susan 

Still to do....

1. get film developed
   
2. buy gifts for mom, sister, brother in law, parents in law, David
   
3. choose picture for Christmas card
   
4. order cards (WILL BE DELIVERED BY FRIDAY), get them mailed
   
5. put up tree & decorate
   
6. wrap presents
   
7. buy stocking stuffers
   
8. return library books
   
9. buy birthday gift for party this weekend
   
10. pick up portraits at mall
    
11. make gingerbread houses
    
12. bake cookies (streamlining this year- sugar, white chocolate cherry, macaroons)
    
13. make teacher gifts (we're doing popcorn and Blockbuster cards this year) and buy gift cards
    
14. make cards for co-workers
    
15. help Helen and Zach design their class cards, print them and have kids sign them
    
16. make reindeer food for Zachary's class 
    
17. make cocoa bags for Helen's class
18. send notices for 3rd grade party
19. mail March craft fair applications

bold indicates done  italics indicates can do when school gets out

My kids are so freakin' smart.....

OK, everyone brags about their kids in their blogs.  I am no exception.  So here's the latest-

Helen made straight A's on her report card

Zachary just read 3 level one readers to me, with very little help (he wanted to read more)

Helen is being placed in the fourth grade reading group (she tested high 4th grade)

Helen is doing fourth grade math and simple algebra

Zachary is just wicked scary smart.  This is the conversation we had today.

Z- (looking at a quarter) this quarter is 8 years old.

S- How do you know?

Z- It was made in 2000.  That's the year Helen was born.  It's the same age as Helen.  And three years older than me.

S- That's pretty smart of you.

Z- yes and I have 62 cents in my hand.  (AND HE WAS RIGHT!  No one else was in the car to tell him)  I can spell December ...D-e-c-e-m-b-e-r.

My kitchen

Next step in the home overhaul- the kitchen.  I have "new-ish" appliances, but the rest is looking  a bit old.  I don't know what to do in there.  I am thinking of a neutral wall color- like a few shades lighter than the living room (chocolate).   The cabinets look sad- I might try to put a darker stain on them.  After that, I don't know.  I don't have a lot of space in there, but I want to use some things that are important to me- a red bowl, a ceramic rooster, a red pitcher and some tins with apples on them.  Don't know where I will put them.  Plus I wanted to use more green, not red.  SO, I don't know how to incorporate the red without having to use a bunch of red.  And I saw a bread box just like the one we had when I was a kid, except it was orange not avocado.  I want it......  Or maybe the green one I saw.  I don't know.  I just want a bread box.

Weekend Update

We went to New York this weekend. We stayed near Times Square, walked to Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, American Girl Store, New York Public library...... We got a bucket full of chocolate at the Hershey store (Zachary was in heaven). We ate Croatian food for dinner, and giant pretzels and knish for lunch. 

We attended (part of) mass at St. Patrick's. I was really irritated by the rude people with their big fur coats and cups of Starbucks parading through as if people weren't trying to worship and then depositing their cups all over the place inside the cathedral. Don't these people have any respect?  St. Patrick's is beautiful and I understand wanting to see inside, but if people are worshiping, show some respect to them and their faith and their church.

Here are some stats:

Number of times Zachary threw up- 3 (car sick)

number of times Helen had attitude- 2

rolls of film used- 10

number of firetrucks seen tying to get through town- 5

number of times woken up in hotel Saturday night- it felt like 23 (once was because of the people next door- they were noisy and I'm not sure which was more embarrassing- that we could hear it, or how pathetically short it was)

I forgot the backpack with my wallet, phone and allergy meds.  I really needed the Nasonex- city air and forced heat really does me in.  I realized that I am NOT a city kind of girl.  I like to visit, but I like clean air and quiet too much to live in a big city.

phones, phones, phones.....

I was informed last night that we need to give up our land line.  True enough.  Anyone who calls David calls his cell (except anyone he doesn't really want to talk to).  Anyone who calls the home line wants me.  I also have a cell.  I guess I don't need both.  I just don't want to be accessible all the time.  I am picky about who has my cell number and most every number that calls is already in my address book.  If we do this I will need a new actual phone, plus some kind of hands free device- you can't DO anything holding a tiny cell phone (ie fold laundry- try it if you don't believe me). AND, I have the coolest phone number (I won't give it out here, duh, but just know that people usually laugh or don't think it is real and I've had it for 12 years).  I guess I can transfer it to the new cell.  I'm already pretty good about ignoring my phone, I am just worried about the stupid calls during things like karate- I guess I'll have to remember to leave it in the car.....

On a different note, I survived the twins birthday party.  Their mother and I are not on friendly terms and I was worried about the awkwardness.  I just stayed out of the way and talked less than ever in my life.  I realized I had not missed her at all and she annoyed me.  

Gettin rid of junky paper

Sick of phone books?  Opt out here.....  Who really needs them any way?  

It's Official.....

>>>>I am a doormat.  Maybe not so much #'s 8, 9 & 10, but certainly some fo the others.  I need to work on that.  I just don't want any one to get mad...

Weekend update

Today we went to church and to the Boy Scout breakfast.  It was kinda cute having my students fetching me coffee, lol.  When we got home, I got started on the laundry pile.  I am now on load number 4.  I have about 2 more to go.  I hate it when laundry gets behind like that, but I was too busy Wednesday (craft fair, cooking), Thursday (cooking, company), Friday (craft fair, kids) and Saturday (craft fair) to get much done.  So, now I pay.....  Speaking of laundry- here's a tip.  If you have funky laundry like I do (IE- the towels smell weird, you have a bed wetter, potty trainer, dog. stinky man shirts, etc) white vinegar is awesome.  

You put it in the rinse and it gets rid of odor and makes things soft.  I can never remember to go to the dungeon the put it in the rinse cycle, so I put the vinegar in the Downy ball.  Perfect.  

Now Zachary's cats and the towels

 smell lovely. 

I also spent 2 HOURS cleaning Helen's room.  That will not happen again.  "Maid" service will come in every Friday to change sheets, dust and vacuum.  So, Thursday night rooms will be picked up or I will do it with the infamous black trash bag.  Period.  

Then Helen and I went to the mall.  We got a package of socks, some "bras" for her, some lotion from Bath and Body Works (blueberry) and some nail polish.  She doesn't have many "girly" moments, so I take advantage when I can.  She is starting to be interested in clothes, but her taste is weird.  So that is my Sunday.  Now I need to fold more clothes and do my lesson plans.

Craft Fair #4 is OVER

I have chaired this event since March 2007 (there are March and November shows).  This one went relatively smoothly.  I had a few people that were difficult and made my morning miserable, but everyone else seemed happy.  Our $ totals for the day:

$295- bake sale

  500- kitchen sales

 3300- booth sales

-550  less expenses  =    $3545 (since I cannot do math in my head that sounds pretty good.  Do that twice per year, I raise about $7000 for the school each year.  Not too shabby.  I have been up since 4 AM and arrived at school around 5:30.  It is now 5:21 PM.  I just got home.  I am exhausted and have a huge mound of laundry (AKA Mt. Washmore) to deal with.  I will not get to that until tomorrow.  I just want to take a shower and relax.  But I bought homemade dog biscuits, 2 headbands for Helen, a necklace for Helen, a tooth fairy pillow for Zachary, a "goodie bag" for each child, a "leash" for the DS Helen is getting for Christmas (it is beaded with her name on it and it tethers the stylus to the game unit), some awesome handmade soap (this guy makes soap and beer, what a combo, but he smells SOOOOOOO good).  I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of stuff.  A local artist does pen and ink drawings and he made water colored print of the Mary statue from the back of the church for Helen.  I am going to frame it before I give it to her.  She crowned the statue during the May Day procession this year and he saw it in the paper.  He gave it to me today- that was a nice surprise.

I am wiped out and I am going to go eat my leftover dressing and sweet potatoes and have a beer (Dogfish Head).  We went to this pub on our honeymoon and have been back on many occasions since.  Good beer, good food.......  They also make their own "beach beer", sort of a cross between root beer and birch beer.  

If you have any sinus problems, get this.  It is SO gross, but boy does it work!  I am currently on Singulair, Allegra, and Nasonex, but I am still blowing blood.  The sinus rinse helps with that more than anything else.  I just hope I am not developing new cysts.......  I think it is just a combination of the heat running and my job (librarian in a basement is not the best job for someone who is allergic to dust, mold and mildew).

More "confessions"

I like movies.  Ok, so every body knew that, but my secret passion are those made for tv movies, especially those that are Christmassy and involve some kind of angel teaching everyone the true meaning of love and Christmas.  You know, cheesy.  Ranks right up there with crappy horror movies (you know the kind- lots of silly screaming, terrible effects).  Ok, there it is, off my chest.  Sadly, no one else in the house shares my feelings and I never get to watch them.

I also really like old tv shows and movies.  I guess growing up near Atlanta when Ted Turner owned a small UHF channel and could only afford to show I Love Lucy and Leave it to Beaver reruns had an effect on me.  When I lived in Summerville, SC, I could see the tv from my kitchen and I watched the Andy Griffith show while I cooked. (Here is  some nostalgia- I wasn't the best cook, but I remember making a mac and cheese casserole a lot- and fondue.  And you know you're poor when you stretch Lipton noodles by adding a box of spaghetti- AKA "fetta-sketti")  Again, no one shares my appreciation for old tv shows, cheesy movies and musicals.  So, I frequently sneak away and watch alone while I iron (at least I can claim to be productive rather than just doing nothing).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Everyone has something to be thankful for.  Go be happy.  Eat lots of veggies!

UPDATE:  Oh. My. God.  That was the best dressing I have had in 3 years.  I followed Paula Deen's recipe, using Earth Balance and veg. broth as subs.   Everything else was divine also- but that dressing was awesome (as I pat myself on the back).  Even David had to say "It didn't suck"- high praises from him, ;0)

Dear ****

You don't send emails via your lawyer changing Thansgiving plans at 2 pm on Wednesday.  All I have to say is you are an inconsiderate witch.  You say it has nothing to do with any of us- please explain to Helen why her cousins aren't going to be here now when she has been looking forward to it for a week.  What is your daughter going to say when you tell her she isn't having dinner at my house after all?  I cannot post the words I'd love to share with you right now.

Susan

Advent Conspiracy

Watch this.  It will make you think.  Whether you are religious, or not, you can do more for the world than you realize.  

Which brings me to another thought.  Why is it that people think that liberal still equals "progressive" and "free"?  I am not extreme right wing, not even close, but I just wonder.  Why is it in a capitalist society, where "small business" used to be the back bone, we are forced to give our hard earned money to bail out failing BIG businesses, who quite obviously still don't know how to budget or manage money?  Why can;t failing companies just fail, like in the old days.  The market crashed in 1929.  It sucked, people were scared.  Our country suffered.  But we recovered and thrived.   Our government will have spent much money to save failing businesses, while the "little guys" continue to struggle.  

And, government cannot mandate morals, folks.  Do we all need laws to do the right thing?  Or do we need to just turn over everything to someone else, let them tell us what is right?  Even in the last 10 years, the changes in schools are scary.  Children are no longer individuals.  They are a "standard".  Being gifted is a bad thing.  Too busy trying to water down the curriculum so that no one gets left behind to challenge the smart ones.  Where is the balance?  We are trying to force little bodies to sit in desks and learn what the tests require, no matter what their learning style or abilities.  Too few children are appreciated for who they are.  Hell, too few of anyone is these days.  You must guard every word that is spoken or written because you might offend (censorship, or sensitivity, you tell me?).  Unless of course you are insulting Southerners, fat people or Christians, then they are fair game.  "Stupid fat redneck Biblethumper...."  see, that is OK.  

I am rambling and I need to get ready for work, but I had to rant a bit this morning.

Does it ever end?

Guess what, doing what we were told is messing stuff up........The article  here says that driving less, buying more efficient cars, etc. is going to hurt roads and research for alternative sources.  I know my sister and I had a conversation about how when gas prices finally go down, people will go back to their bad habits.  This is kind of in keeping.  I actually agreed with what BO said in the article.  We do need to realize that this crisis can and will happen again if we, as a country, ignore it.  As my mama says- there are too many smart people in this world for them not to find another source of fuel.  I suggested poop, which seems to be in abundance in my neighborhood (no on picks up at the playground), but I was laughed at.  Maybe we can get those cool garbage cars like in Back to the Future.......

As far as the roads are concerned- the old saying goes- don't count your chickens before they hatch.  Don't count on unlimited funds from bad habits to fund the world.  Case in point, cigarettes cost SO much that people have stopped smoking.  Now the tax money from smokey sales are drying up and     everyone is in a panic in Maryland.  Well, don't fund your schools on the vices (slot machines, smoking, lottery tickets) of adults. I'm just saying........

Why I don't Eat Meat & other Notions

I have been on again/off again for several phases of my life. The most recent transformation came about 3 years ago while trying to figure out what was wrong with my child.  And I  recently had someone challenge me and it made me think about some things.  Namely, what I feel I am doing right, plus what I need to do better.  I have gotten a little lax about some issues.

Once again, here is the list:

1. Factory farming is wrong- it is abusive to the animals and the landscape.

2. You can a live a long healthy life without consuming animals.

3. If everyone went without meat one day per week, the world would be much nicer- I am picking up the slack for 6 other people.

4. I could no longer live with the guilt of eating a living critter.

As for my "green-ness"-

1. I don't really recycle. I do save all the paper to take to the bin at school. We are paid per pound.

2. I don't buy juice boxes and other single serving food items. Bulk is cheaper, less packaging and less garbage.  My children rarely eat school lunch because a) the food is cheap and processed and b) there is much waste involved with the paper goods and such.  They use a great lunchbox.

3. I own an SUV. It was the compromise. It was also the one that got the best MPG in our price range. I combine trips, regulate tire pressure, etc. to decrease consumption. Not as good as my old Honda (42 highway, TYVM), but better than my old Ford Taurus wagon.

4.  I make drinks from concentrate and/or powders in my own pitcher and everyone has a SIGG.  I prefer my own tap water.  I almost always take my own coffee.

5.  We try to keep energy use down, we changed the hot water heater,  bought a new fridge, changed to florescent bulbs, turn off and unplug what is practical.

6.  My kids are the ones walking around picking up trash on beaches and campsites.  Cool.

7. I buy local and in season as much as possible.

Social justice-

1.  I donate regularly to my church and the school.

2.  We give to the local food bank, Birth Right, Goodwill, Value Village, the county pound (every year on Ozzy's birthday) and various missions.  David gives blood monthly (platelets).  

3.  My children make bag lunches for the homeless every month (they shop, make sandwiches, decorate the bags); they make Christmas boxes for Samaritan's Purse every Christmas (not the best organization, but the children love making the boxes).

4.  The children's outgrown snow boots, hats, gloves, etc. are sent to the Appalachian region every winter.

5.  My clothes are given to a battered women's shelter.

6. Helen has participated in the Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics since she was 4.  This past January was Zachary's first year.

7.  We believe that it is our responsibility to take care of those in need.

What I need to do different:

1. I need to spend less money on stuff I don't need.

2.  I need to reduce the amount of things that go into the garbage.

3.  I need to completely eliminate dairy from my diet again.

4.  I need to be more prudent in purchases of health/beauty items that are tested on animals and packed in wasteful packaging.

So thank you, friend, for making me think.  I get pretty set in my ways, it is good to have a challenge.  I am trying to raise good children to become good adults.  My faith is strong, stronger than I realized.  Some may look down on the Catholic faith, but I think it does more good than harm (no priest jokes, please).   All religions have had a share of ills; no one thing is truly perfect.  If my life circumstances had been different, I think I would have ended up in a hut somewhere raising goats for the poorest of the poor and teaching them to read.  I just always had too much to walk away from- too many responsibilities and relationships.  Maybe when I'm 60.

Sunday Night

Sitting here on my new couch acting as if I have nothing to do.  I need to :

1. correct some grades in the computer

2. do some laundry and make sure the kids have uniforms for tomorrow

3. pack up food for the food drive at school

4. watch my very guilty and secret pleasure "Rock of Love Charm School", AKA "How not to be a Skank".  I'm sorry I love this show, I don't care what anyone thinks of me for it......

At least I don't have to make lunches tomorrow- it's pancake day at school......  I just spent 20 minutes looking for Zachary's "other cat".   He 

has two Beanie Baby cats that he holds in his hand to fall asleep.  He has to have both.  Without both, there must be a substitute and no cats.  All candidates for substitution must be floppy and fit in his hand.  When shaken, it must flop and wobble.  Weird.  Very weird.  Any way, after searching all over for it and trying to find an acceptable sub, I opened the pants drawer of his dresser and TA DA- there it is.  This is what "Luci" looked like new- the other cat is orange and is named "Fred".  I never said my son was original in picking names.  He picked them out in the grocery store when he was two.  The pink bow was immediately removed.  The cat has been washed quite a few times and is no longer shiny and silky looking- more like dull and nappy.  It is funny that my weapon loving, soldier man Ninja is all about the cute little kitty.  No wonder the ladies love him.

Thanksgiving...

Just got back from the store.  I still didn't get Brussels sprouts.  They were the HUGE ones and $2.99 for the very small container.  I'll have to go somewhere else to get those.   BTW- I had no idea what they looked like on the stalk until I saw them at Whole Foods a few years ago.  Pretty weird, huh?  See photo, right.

Here is our menu:

Appetizers- mushroom canapes, spinach dip, squirt cheese (started as a joke one year, kids expect it now), cranberry martinis (I will no doubt need one by noon)

Turducken (gag)

Cornbread dressing

Brussels Sprout

Green bean casserole (gag)(from Grandma)

Sweet potatoes (Aunt Jackie's recipe)

Grandpa's carrots

REAL mac n cheese (no blue box today)

Peas (for Zachary)

Pumpkin pie

Apple pie (my famous one, for Grandpa)

Spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (for Helen, who hates pie)

Now, if I only knew who was coming.  I have no idea if my brother in law and his kids will be here.  He may or may not have the kids.  Since his wife cannot make a decision without lawyers and chaos, I probably won't know until Wednesday.  But this doesn't affect anyone but her and Mark.  It doesn't affect the rest of the family (according to her).  

According to this article , fast food commercials are making kids fat.  Silly me, I though actually EATING the food and then sitting around on your RUMPUS made you fat........  What was I THINKING?

Weekend update

1.  Bought sofa (above) and went for sushi on Friday (one cool thing about not working on Friday and the kids are at school- sometimes David and I get a mini-date).

2.  Picked up sofa and picked out paint.  Good thing I didn't buy paint before we got the sofa in here.  The first color I had picked was exactly the same color as the sofa.  We changed it to "fudge bar"  instead of Arab Sand.  Sofa actually looks good with the red chair.  

3. Started painting.  Mostly done- will finish tomorrow.

4.  Now  I need new curtains, carpet and a coffee table.  Since the red chair looks fine  we aren't going to buy the love seat.   I am looking for large floor cushions for the kids.  Beanbags are much more expensive than I realized!

So that is where we are today.  I am very cold and tired.  It is in the low twenties outside and only about 64 in the house.  Our furnace really isn't doing its job these days and will most likely need to be replaced soon.  

Update- Nov. 16

I am watching Ruby on the Style Network.  This lady weighs about 500 pounds.  She also seems to be one of the most generous, loving and caring person I've seen on reality TV.  She is very brave to allow this kind of footage of herself on television.  I couldn't do it.  

More updates:

1. My laptop is messed up.  The USB ports are damaged.  Most likely due to children dropping it with things plugged into the ports.  Plus now Internet Explorer doesn't want to work, so I have switched to Google Chrome (which I am liking very much).  But every once in a while, the computer will shut itself down for no reason.  I think it is overheating.  SO, since the ports are messed up I cannot download pictures to the computer- bummer.

2.  David decided he hates our sofa, so he dragged it to the dump.  He was going to bring the old nasty sofa from the basement (this sofa was his parents, we acquired it 9 years ago and it has not been sat on, cleaned or dusted since).  As we were bringing it around he says "it looks a lot dirtier in the sunlight".  He started hemming and hawing about whether to bring it in the house or load it in the car.  I was NOT going to let him pin it on me that we didn't use this old, nasty, dirty, dusty sofa, so I said "just take it in the house".  He lifted it and yelled "oh, God, cat pee- take it to the car".  HAHAHAHAHA  Yeah Fred (the cat I HATED that ran away 18 months ago must have marked this lovely sofa- hooray).  So I am delighted that we are sofa-less and using the cushions off the old sofa.  Zachary, on the other hand is crying because we don't have a sofa.  He doesn't understand I have a plan.  Paint the walls, get new carpet and sofa.  I plan to get bean bag chairs for the children and maybe a coffee table.  

3.  I am taking back my living room.  Zachy took all his toys to his room.  I told him he was a big kindergarten boy now and didn't need a pile of toys in the living room.  He can have one basket in the dining room like Helen.  Also, the "green thing" cabinet has been cleaned out.  I packed up most of the things in there, except the big serving platter and some vases.  That leaves the top self open for the board games.  So- games are out of sight, toys are gone, there is one basket for some books.  It will look so different in here.  My babies are growing up and it needs to be a family friendly room, not a baby zone.  I think they are also old enough to not ruin carpet and furniture, so it is time to get something nicer.

4.  Kindergarten is going so well.  He is the devil after school, but so was Helen.  He is so good at school and he is doing great.  I think he will be reading by the end of the school year.  He is mush more motivated than Helen.  He acts like the first born.  Maybe because they are opposite sex?  

5.  Today is our anniversary.  David and I have been married 12 years.  Wow.  Hard to believe.  We have been in this house 11 years.  We have had 9 cars.  We have lost a baby.  We have two healthy, beautiful children.  We have buried 3 cats, and had one run away (devil cat).  We have  great dog.  I have been unemployed 9 of those 12 years, and David is very spoiled.  We have been to every state on the east coast, and to Canada, twice.  I really need to have our marriage blessed by the church, but I am afraid to get that ball rolling.  I am afraid to discover that my annulment was never filed, and then have to go through that again.

I need to get ready to sofa shop- YEAH!!!!!  Maybe we can find something without fighting (yeah, right).

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I have started the Christmas shopping.  On the wish list this year:

Helen

Nintendo ds and games

Bison Webkinz

Books (mostly Mary-Kate and Ashley)

Polly Pockets

Zachary

Xbox and leapster games

books

Batman's Batcave

Neft Long Shot.

Gerbil & cage (he is actually not getting the gerbil ON Christmas- just the gear and a gift card)

 They are each getting a new boom box that will also play their "IHOPS"

It's over.....

Obama wins.  Give it year people, and see if if King Obama really fixes everything.  Of course, you'll be too snowed to see that he hasn't.  No one president can fix all the problems in this world.  I bet gas is still over $2.00 a gallon, I bet people are still losing their homes, I bet we will still be in Iraq.  He is not the cure for what ails us.  I am very afraid for what is going to happen.  We have elected a motivational speaker, not a leader.

Clark's Elioak Farm

We made trip to the farm today. I love this place and I love the fact that they have acquired the items from The Enchanted Forest. This was the first "theme" park and was the big thing back in the 1950's. It closed in the late 80's and the Forest sat decaying. Clark's Farm was told "if you take it, you can have it" and they have been working for about 4 years to fix everything. It is pretty amazing. If you ever saw the movie Cry Baby (if you watch the clip, the forest is at about 3:16), the park featured was The Enchanted Forest. So the kids like it that we see the animals at the petting farm and I dig the Enchanted Forest stuff. Kinda reminds me of Rock City, on a much smaller scale.

This was Zachary's class field trip. He picked out a pumpkin that was green. He spotted it before the hay ride stopped and ran straight to it. It was so stinkin' cold, though. I am glad I dug out the hats, gloves and coats this morning. It was just cold enough to be uncomfortable. But, he had fun, and that is what matters most.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

The cute little stray in the move was really a stray...... cool. I love stories like that. Bet that owner feels stupid now. Just like I wish Ozzy's original owners knew what a great dog he turned out to be........ SOOOOOOOOO, if you are looking fora pet, go to the shelters first, please. All dogs deserve love and a home.

Weekend update

I will do better. Soccer is over and David's month of traveling is also over. So I will be better at posting this week.

I had my evaluation on Tuesday. I got excellent on everything, except Catholic identity. It wasn't a lesson that I could have easily put it in and I knew when I wrote my plans that would be the one that I didn't get checked off (it was merely marked not observed, not "poor"). I also need to make a religious board of some kind, which I already knew. The library doesn't have a bulletin board, though, so I am going to have to get creative. I also need to find some statues and pictures, that sort of thing. But most teacher buy that sort of stuff for themselves and they carry it to their next classroom, or leave it all when they "retire".

So, there you have it.

Weekend plans.....

The kids are karate make up classes. It wasn't easy getting them out this AM. I didn't realize how late it was and didn't have them in uniforms until it was time to walk out. Helen doesn't respond well to that and she cried. David got mad and yelled. At everyone. Even me. I hate it when he yells at them like that and I hate it when he treats me like one of them. I had told him they had karate and silly me, thinking that since he was gone all last week, will be gone all next week and I had surgery yesterday that he could take them. Well, he didn't get out of bed until 9. Plus if he takes them I will spend the next 11/2 hours changing sheets, vacuuming, doing the laundry, etc. (This is a short beak while I am making coffee). He will spend 11/2 hours sitting on the couch, playing X box or downloading stuff onto his new sandisk. Then I will come home from wasting time at karate to housework and "bored" kids.

So, here is my list:

catch up on grades

lesson plans for next week (I have evaluation on Tuesday, too)

laundry

ironing

clean house

do something fun with kids (?)

go get stuff to make Helen's costume

finish Zachary's costume (he wants a map and pretend matches to go in his Indiana Jones satchel- not really needed for the costume, but I'll do it any way)

Craft fair junk (floor plan, next mailing, etc.)

Caramel apples -we didn't get to it this past weekend

Clean bedrooms & change sheets on kids' beds

Goody bags for kids' Halloween party at school (that's my "fun" time- I love that stuff)

I had one of those weeks

Work is driving me nuts. In order for the students to check out books, I have to write every title on a piece of paper. That is 14 classes, of 15-25 kids each. In other words, a lot of books. Doing this takes a good bit of time. During this time, the kids have too much "social" time. This is not a good thing, but what can I do? I can't have them writing everything down themselves. Most of them can't or won't do it correctly and that will take even longer.

I can't look up a book. "Do you have any ghost stories?" I don't know. "Where are the math books?" I thought we had one, but is it checked out? Actually, I have exactly the one you asked for, but it is in a box in my office because I can't enter the data into the computer and I don't want the book checked out without the data entered.

The IT people come once a month. Last week the guy spent 30 minutes (not all day as one admin claimed) trying to remove the crashed hard drive from the computer so it could be shipped to a place that will try to recover the data. He couldn't get it out because he needed some tool. So the computer sits in the library, useless. My new computer with new updated hardware sits next to it, also useless. I will have to wait until November now just to have the hard drive removed for mailing. I am ready to drive the computer to its destination myself. I have over 1000 books to process. I need to work on the collection, weed the unwanted, order new, get the library to a place where it can be used by the middle schoolers. It is an impossible task because the existing catalog is on the computer which crashed. I am at a stand still. I can teach, sort of, but I am not as effective because I don't know what we have in the library. So, that said, I was in the office today and said "I need to come up with a better way to do this- the kids are having too much wasted time while I check out books and I don't like it". Mrs. X said "You need to take care of that. When I was a girl, there were cards in the backs of the books and we'd fill out the card, blah blah blah". Well, yeah, instead of fixing the problem and utilizing the expensive new system I have already, let me spend time creating forking cards for every book. Maybe while I am at it I can recreate the paper card catalog, too. And most of the books don't even have that archaic card and envelope set up anymore. There are these fancy little thingers called bar codes. That is it, nothing more, in the back of the book. Here's a thought, why don't we get more proactive about fixing what is broken instead of creating a new system????????! I seriously felt like quitting today, dang it. I need to get volunteers in the library, but I don't want to get hem in there not knowing what to do. I guess that really is the best way, though. Get volunteers in there and let them see first hand how difficult it is. Maybe then I can get a volunteer to write everything down so I can manage crowd and help the kids find what they need. I swear, if the computer used to track who has paid tuition went up, it would get fixed PRONTO.

Weekend Recap

Not too exciting.

Friday- sparring (karate- Helen did really well, scored two points against a red belt- that is good if you didn't know, lol), neighbor child had a sleep over, made grilled chicken sandwiches and French fries.

Saturday- laundry and ironing, cleaning my room- watched last half of Hairspray and Ocean's 13 while doing so; went to Vince's and got apples, cider, Halloween doodads and pansies, did yard work while kids played; Helen went to the "haunted" trail at the other neighbor child's house and had a sleep over there.

Sunday- church; Dunkin Donuts; Uncle Mark's house for burgers and pumpkin painting; stopped by David's baseball game.

That's it. Too short and I didn't get grades done or my lesson plans. Will do that this morning. I know what I am doing, I just need to write it down. And the grades need to get in the computer, pronto..... David is gone all week, so I will be going in early this week. Two kids, four soccer games, simultaneously on two different fields this week. And there is only me.....

Planning the weekend already.....

1. Laundry Saturday (I get several loads knocked out early)

2. Clear off front porch

3. Sweep porch

4. Plant some flowers

5. Put out some fall & Halloween decorations

I think I will make scarecrows with the kids and make caramel apples. That is my fantasy any way. We will see what actually happens..... David is playing in a baseball tournament this weekend, so we will try to go to at least one game.

I have the ENT (AKA Dr. Hottie) on Friday, and I need to schedule a mammogram and an ultrasound. It is in the same building, so maybe I can get everything done Friday. I also need to get blood work done before next Wednesday. I have a D & C scheduled for the 17th. After this I will have a Depo-Prevera shot. 6 weeks after that I will have the ablation done. So, no more periods. Yippy.

ALSO, I am asking for prayers. A coworker (also my daughter's beloved first grade teacher) was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer. I don't know much else, except that she goes to the doctor tomorrow and will begin treatment very soon. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

A Movie Review.....

Helen and I went to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua Friday night. Some girl bonding at the mall, popcorn and SweetTarts for dinner and a cute dog. What more can a mom ask? At first, I was ready to get mad- Disney has a way of doing that to me- because of the dog fighting aspect, but it quickly moved away from that and the movie was pretty nice. Of course, I had to take Miss Thang to the bathroom twice, so I am not sure what I might have missed. It had a nice message and in the end, the "under dog", Poppy, won the girl's heart. Gotta love that......

crapspackle

I am in a weird mood. My ears are hot. I am hungry and could eat most of that pizza I ordered, but that would be wrong. And fattening. I cannot eat salad when I am cold. Except my ears, which are hot. If I could put ice packs on my ears I would. If I google "hot ears" I get nothing. I want to go to bed, but can't because the kids are still up. So now I am just rambling on about junk.

But, I did get to ramble on about animals today. A coworker asked why I was a vegetarian. I was happy to share. I don't think I changed their lives, but there was enlightenment. I'll spare you all the lecture.

i want...

some pie.

UPDATE- when i got to work today, we had a spread from costco, with PUMPKIN PIE..... followed by the most boring teacher convention i have ever been to......... followed by a soccer game featuring 5-6 year olds following a ball like a flock of lemmings........ zachy made 2 saves and almost (but not quite) knocked the ball into his own goal....... helen's games are much more interesting......

Confessions

I didn't wash my son's nap mat last week- I just Febreezed it.

I really did eat the last cupcake.

I didn't really forget to sign my car payment check in 1991- I did it on purpose.

I do know what happened to your favorite shirt. It is at Goodwill.

Dear ****,

Why?
Why did you call MY husband to ask how he and the kids (pointedly leaving me out) are doing? (do you think he wants to talk to you-he took my side)
Why did you file criminal charges against your husband for taking things that belong to him?
Why did you tell the neighbors he abandoned you and doesn't pay the bills? (why do you still have a car and a house)
Why did you take away the cell phone your husband bought for your daughter as punishment for her being disrespectful to you? Wouldn't it make more sense to take away something YOU gave her, rather than her only communication to her father? (taking the other parent away is piss-poor discipline)
Shouldn't your child's chores be age appropriate rather than the tasks you could never seem to get done in the past twelve years that I have known you (scrubbing the kitchen floor??!)?
Once again, you're an idiot. I can't stand the thought of you. Are you going to ruin my birthday again this year?
Sincerely, Susan

I am shocked.....

Clay Aiken is gay. Didn't he come out already? More to the point, did he really need to? Add that to the list of celebs that "came out". although no one was surprised- Carey Grant, Michael Stype (of band REM), Rosie, Ellen........ Truly, what is the point, any way. He said he could raise his child with a lie, but is it a lie? He never said one way or the other. Now, Mr. Jackson- he's a liar...

Thursday......

New season of The Office! I am living for Thursday.............

I thought Friday was my day off

So far I have only had one. Last Friday I had to set up for he book fair. The Friday before that I subbed for another teacher. This Friday I have to pack up the book fair...... Next Friday I start painting the living room. After that I am going to try to talk David into new carpet. Maybe I'll "kick over" a can of paint in the middle of the room. "Whoops- is it on the sofa, too? Right where you sit, hon? I don't know how that happened." It was installed in Jan. of 1998. So 10 years old with 2 kids, 3 cats, a dog, a nasty man and MANY, MANY spills (not just children, either) it is no longer green. It is more a very weird grey. And the sofa has seen better days. I would love to make over the room. I saw an ad in a magazine- the walls were yellow, the sofa was black and the chairs were a b & w check. I loved it, until I thought about black sofa + silver, black and white Husky= fur covered sofa. So I guess I need to stick to a multi floral.... Or brown. That can hide dirt. Solids are OUT. And I am the pickiest sofa person: no loose cushions on the back, no really big arms, no weird head rest thingies, no leather, no "snaggy" fabric, no light colors..... If I ever have more than 10 minutes, I will post pics of the bathroom. I also need to paint the kitchen. Which will just make my floor and counter tops look worse.....

well.....

I finally finished painting the bathroom cabinet (it only took 4 months, lol). Now I need to clean the bathroom so I can post a picture- it's really not that bad, I just want to get a "stylist" shot to avoid the "why did I post of picture with a box of tampons on the counter?" afterthought.

Soccer has started, and to my surprise, it has not been stressful. Gone are the days where I am struggling to put shin guards and tight socks on a wriggly, screaming 5 year old who doesn't want to play, but won't quit, either. Gone is the 4 year old who decides he wants to be on the playground rather than goalkeeping. Helen actually stays on the field kicking the ball around during half-time break, rather than coming over to complain. She has definitely improved skill-wise since 1st grade (we took last year off). She is definitely defense rather than the big goal getter, but that is fine, too. Her dad was a lacrosse goalie and I always did better at defense positions, no matter what sport. I told her last night that if she keeps making saves like that (she has about 5 saves), I don't care if she never makes a goal.

I just feel like I am always telling her to do something and I feel like a nag. If I could just give her a list and tell her to get it done, I would. But she is still unable to manage her time (I guess most 8 year olds are that way). Zachary says his homework is boring. I have to admit, he has been doing the dinky worksheet material since he was 2 1/2 and wanted to do Helen's homework. I bought him a workbook then. The resource teacher is giving me a first grade book so he can get some extra at home. He was the first child in class to count to 100. They get to write their name on a poster when they count to 100 (this is to prepare for 110th day, which is a big deal in K and 1st grade).

So that is the update at my house. I will post pictures of my bathroom tomorrow......

Can it get any crazier?

It is Thursday. Which is my Friday. So far this week, I have had:

1 very long meeting

Girl Scouts

3 karate classes

2 soccer practices

1 soccer game

10 library classes taught

1 dead computer (which holds the data on the entire library catalog)

1 pair of lost glasses

1 staph infection (which we originally thought was MRSA)

I have a stack of things I need to mail, karate and a soccer game tonight, phone calls to return, a filthy house.....

I haven't gotten the knack of being working mom yet, plus David has been away and I've had to shoulder everything myself. If I didn't have him, there is no way we'd be doing much of anything besides school/work. I've always said, some help is better than no help. Having David means one less bath I have to give, a little help loading the dish washer and picking up toys at the end of the day. It means both kids don't have to be dragged to everything that another one of us must do (it was 10:00 by the time we got home last night). It means I can run to the store and grab milk after the kids are in bed. Those little things are such a help. Plus I just don't feel so alone. I still have to do pretty much everything, but at least I get a little bit of help. So, to those moms that say their husbands don't do anything- how true is that really? Mine doesn't do much MORE than nothing, but it is SOMETHING. If he didn't, I'd probably have to set the sofa on fire.

Open Letter to ****

Dear ****,

Grow up. Mature people do not place their children in the middle of their problems. Your kid is still a kid, who loves the people you have decided to hate. It is not to spite you and you will not turn her against anyone but yourself. Why can't you be happy that she has so many who love her? Do you really think that because YOU and only YOU labored for 30 hours to bring her into this world, YOU and only YOU are allowed to care about her, give her a birthday gift or make her a cake? Well, OK, then no one else can do anything for my son because I am the one who went into preterm labor, took about 427 shots of insulin, checked my blood sugar 1120 times, sat through 20 biophysical profiles, two amnios, a c-section and 7 days on life support. Oh, don't forget the twice daily meds for the past 5 years. I am the only one who did that, so no one can look at him. Or talk to him. He's mine. See how fucking stupid that is? Grow up.

Susan

Birthday WIshlist

1. Adam & the Ants- Kings of the Wild Frontier cd
2. $ to go buy some pants or a long sleeved dress (or two)
3. An interesting silver pendant on a long chain
4. Cupcake cookbook from Target
5. Season 2 of The Office
6. a couple of "fun" t shirts to go with jeans

And a key lime pie. No cake this year. My birthday was marred by a very inconsiderate person last year, so I have to make up for it this year.

Song Lyrics according to Helen and Zachary

Trading sorrows- "yes Lloyd, yes Lloyd, yes yes Lloyd..."

Sweet Home Alabama- "Sweet Home Hamma Hamma"

Leavin' (Jesse McCartney)- "I wanna take you out on a panty raid" and "you're too fat, too fat"

Holla Back Girl- "I ain't no hollow fat girl"

Party Started-' "potty started"

Paradise City- "take me down to the very next city"

There are many, many more- but that is all I can remember tonight........ And for those of you who listen to Kid Rock- has anyone else noticed that the male back up singer sounds like those beer commercials "here's to you, Mr. Rolling Cooler Guy"......

too busy

I am single mom again this week. And I had two kids take karate lessons yesterday, didn't get home until 6:30. Today it was girl scouts til 4:30, followed by soccer practice at 5:45. I had to talk to another parent/teacher (she is also the school's IT chick) about my computer problem (the main computer with all the library data will not even power up). Then we head to McDonald's. Arrive home at 7:25 and still haven't touched homework. On top of all this, I have a soccer game tomorrow, immediately followed by a HSA (Catholic PTA) meeting, that I still need to prepare for. Thankfully another parent is picking up some slack for me (thank GOD!). I also need to take care of my house and tie up some craft fair business, plus mail birthday cards and thank you notes to people (part of my secretary position). YIKES!!!!! Times like this I really need David to help me. I guess I really appreciate him most when he isn't here. Late night for me tonight......... I am hoping he is home early enough to come to the school and get the kids so they can go to bed. We are skipping karate tomorrow and making up on Saturday...

our fodder...

"our fodder, who aren't in heaven
Howard be thy name
thy kingdom come
thy will be fun
on Earth as it is in heaven......"
Zachary, age 5

Interesting point.....

Just read this article about the recent escalation in natural disasters. In a nut shell, it indicates that perhaps it isn't global warming that is causing this. There aren't really more disasters than there were 100 years ago. Humans are just flocking to water and living crowded into flimsy houses. So, that is driving the cost and impact of a storm to increase. Actually the worst storm in history was in 1926 and by today's standards could have cost around $157 BILLION in damage. Katrina "only" cost $1oo billion. So you have it, there are not more storms. There are not stronger storms. Simply more people living closer together in a risky location. Ta da. As my son likes to say, "Al Gore is an idiot."

Yuck

My 8 year old has BO. Her shirt from yesterday about knocked me down. And she is not the only one. That group of third graders I had on Wednesday afternoon come to me straight from recess and boy, were they ever R-I-P-E! Must be the age. So, now Bean has some Tom's of Maine deodorant (apricot scented) in her locker. That way I can remind her to put it on. She also informed me that she scrubbed all her "stinky parts" in the shower and used Dad's soap last night. BTW, do you know how hard it is to find just deodorant, not anti-perspirant that is not MANLY scented? Hence, the choice of Tom's of Maine. But at Target, it was about the same price as the Teen Spirit.....

She is still putting up a bit of a fuss about the karate, but not as bad, especially when we "ground" her until her day's boxes are checked off. Grounding at our house means no TV, no friends, no games, no computer, no music, no outside. Actually, I won't even talk to her. Not having me to argue with takes the fun out of not listening, it seems. Eventually she gets bored enough to get up and do whatever it is we asked. So, she can choose to be grounded for 15 minutes or three (or more) days, until she gets her work completed- this applies to homework, cleaning her room, etc. and has, so far, been effective- but we've only been grounding for a couple of weeks. We'll see.