A Quiet Christmas

Well it was a pretty quiet Christmas around here. We all went to Austin on the 20th and came home on the 23rd. Mom and dad went too. It was nothing like the Griswald's Christmas Vacation. No loose squirrels, obnoxious lights, or cousin Eddie. Mom did get a new puppy for Christmas though - that was lots of fun!

I guess the kids were good this year as Santa brought them their number 1 wishes on their lists. C-man wanted a shiatsu message chair - yes, you read that right (not sure if I spelled it right!) - and M wanted a teddy bear hamster. Santa did mess up on the hamster and got 2 dwarf Chinese hamsters which were a bit of a disappointment so I had to return them and get 2 teddy bear hamsters the day after Christmas. Who knew there was such a difference in hamsters? I kind of had the thought that a rat is a rat is a rat. Not so. I have to admit these are fun little pets. The kids put them in there exercise balls and they have races down the hall. Very cute . . . kind of like Rhino in the movie Bolt.

The other big and exciting gift was Rock Band. Yes, we have moved up from Guitar Hero that only one of us could play at a time to a full band of guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. It is a full family affair - and quite a sight!

It's funny, since going back to work full-time, Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks have felt more like a vacation than they have in years. Lots of sleep, lounging, and shopping - things I usually have no time for.

Hope you too had a peaceful Christmas!

Flying by the seat of my pants!

So, I have obviously been a little busy, but that has definitely broken my computer addiction. I just don't have time to get on at all! I am loving the new job. Hating the new wake up time. My typical weekday starts between 5 or 5:30 in the morning and literally doesn't even start to slow down until 9:30 or 10:00 at night. And I am just crazy enough to try and keep my little part-time retail gig going for right now which means weekends are generally pretty packed with soccer, church, and work too! I don't know how long I can burn the candle at both ends, but it seems to have helped with the whole anxiety issue. Odd, I know.

I am not the only one who has been up to a lot lately. M's girl scouts is in full swing, we are taking a break from horseback riding right now, but we have filled that spot with choir and a slightly heavier homework load. I was informed by a boy in her class just the other day that she is the 2nd smartest kid in the 4th grade. I didn't ask who was 1st, I just thought it strange that he would say she is specifically the 2nd. But it still made me pretty proud . . . especially since just moments before she asked me what does f*** mean. Yes, the "mother" of all bad words. I was shocked to hear the word come out of my sweet baby's mouth. I asked her where she heard it and she said she hadn't, but that it was scratched into the side of the slide. I told her that it was just an ugly word that only really dumb people use and that we do not ever say it. She was mad that someone defaced her school's playground equipment with it so she took a rock and scratched it out. So, I have the 2nd smartest child in 4th grade who thankfully does not know what f*** means . . . I think I am doing something right!

C-man scored two awesome goals in his soccer game this morning. That was quite exciting. He is very quiet and reserved out in public so to see him score, then hoot and holler and wave his hands in the air while running up to chest-bump his buddy is pretty bold - a big confidence builder! I was concerned with him starting 2nd grade - when they get REAL grades - that he would not be as academically conscientious as his sister but after 6 weeks of school, he has proven otherwise. I know you shouldn't compare your kids with each other, but it is hard to stop them from doing it. It seems the older they get the more aware they are of their own strengths and weaknesses.

Larry and I just celebrated our 13th anniversary this past Tuesday. We woke that morning to up to a couple of kids who crawled into our bed sometime that night - which gets a little crowded when they are 9 and 7 - a great reminder of the great family we have created over the years. Later we dined on a romantic dinner of cheez-its and capri sun at C-man's soccer game. The weather was beautiful and our team won, so it was a pretty good night.

Well, it may be another month before I update again so as C-man would say . . . peace out!

Oops, I don't "stick" at this, I "stink" at this. Good thing I'm not teaching typing ; )

I stick at this!

Hi Y'all!

I have been really bad about keeping this blog up . . . sorry!

When I was scrapbooking, I started not only taking pictures with a page plan in mind but planning events just to get the photos! Sad, I know.

Well, the first week of school went great for everyone - kiddos and mom. M is having some adjustments to her teachers but she got one of her good friends in her class, so that made not getting the teachers she wanted a little easier.

The hardest part so far has getting up at a rather painful 5:30 in the morning. But everybody has made efforts to make the new morning routine run smoothly - what troopers!!

Keeping the early waking hour in mind, I am going to bed (it is 10:00 and 5:30 comes along really quickly) and watch the rest of the Republican National Convention. I know, it is an exciting life, but sombody's got to live it!

Back in the Saddle Again

Let me just say I have been unbelievably busy.

Tomorrow starts the school year - not only for the kids but for me too! Yes, I am a full time working woman again.

I am teaching the "at risk" kiddos at an awesome elementary school in Allen. Not a classroom full of them. Just one on one or in small groups. No lesson plans, no discipline issues, no parents, no ARDs, none of the stuff that had kept me home a year longer than I should have been. I think this is an answer to many many prayers. I am still learning the ropes but am soooo excited. I am ready for this. I think I have been ready for this. I have needed this.

I had so many hesitations about going back to work full time after being home for 10 years. I mean how do I get everything done and meet everyone's needs and work a 40 hour week? But this was meant to be. My fears and hesitations had kept me from fulling pursuing a full-time position as seriously as I needed to. But this was meant to be. Thursday week before last, the principal got my name from a friend and asked if I could come in to talk to her and the person who is head of this particular department on Friday. I did and left there feeling like things went pretty well. Then I got the phone call on Sunday offering the job and could I be there for inservice on Monday.

How's that for fly by the seat of your pants?

This has actually worked out for the best. If I had too much time to think about it all I would psych myself out of it and be a nervous wreck. Which, by the way, is what I think is the source of all my health problems and panic attacks. My nerves are just shot. Odd to think that adding something else to my "to do" list would be what I actually needed.

I'll let you know how I survive the first day of school.

is this what they mean by the 'tween years?

I have already confessed to being a Guitar Hero family and we are sitting here at 9:55 am and it is 95 degrees outside so guess what we are doing? Yep, playing Guitar Hero. Not for much longer, we are about to go to the library. But while M was sitting there rocking out to Stevie Ray Vaughn's Pride and Joy she tells me we have to hurry up and get to the library so that she can get the Pooh Bear book she wants before someone else does. Is it just me or does that seem odd? Is this what they mean when they talk about the 'tween years? Trying to grow up, but still hanging on to being a little kid. I'm not ready for the grown up part - she is only starting 4th grade in a month. Well, she decided she is done so it is off to get some new books . . . apparently Pooh Bear books!

The Simple Life?

So my clothes dryer started making this really bad burning smell about two weeks ago and my house has become a virtual clothesline. There are clothes hanging in doorways and on the shower rod. It's kinda funny, reminds me of the old Honeymooners shows where they would have clothes hanging across a line strung through the dining room or something. I have spent several days disassembling the dern thing to figure out what is wrong. It is not the belt (it's not a rubbery kind of burning smell and the tub doesn't slip when it is turned on), it is not the lint (I've removed the hose and completely vacuumed out the line), so I thought for sure it would be the heating element as it only smells when it is on a cycle with heat. "Air fluff" still works fine (so I know it is not the motor) but it would take hours to dry a load on "air fluff"! Finally yesterday, I got the heating element out and I didn't see any signs of damage or a problem. UGH! I don't know if I should spend $80 take a chance on replacing the heating element and have it possible still smell, spend $200-300 on a repair guy, or bite the bullet and spend $450-550 a new dryer. None of the options are really in the budget right now.

Drying the clothes by hanging them hasn't been a big deal, but sheets and towels ... that's a different story! So yesterday I washed the sheets, packed up the kids, three root beers, and a pack of UNO cards and off we went to the local "Coin Laundry" to dry our sheets. I was ready for all kinds of complaining from the kids, but they didn't complain at all. Apparently, root beer and UNO can make any kind of waiting fun. It's the simple things that make life's bumps a little easier to take. My friends think I'm nuts for not just going out and financing a new dryer. I haven't convinced them that a dryer is actually a luxury that our lifestyles have turned into necessity. (I live in a very material world - but I try not to be a material girl!) We haven't financed anything in over 5 years and I have no intentions of starting now. So for now, I'll change my perspective and take pride in the fact that my personal carbon footprint just shrunk a little (at least for now) and try to focus on the fun stuff like UNO and root beer and living the simple life.