Where does it all go???

Since school is out for the summer, and we have not been paying $185 a week for daycare, I have been wondering where in the heck our money has gone.

I figured we could be putting over $700 in savings each month this summer

...since we were not paying for day care.

There are many things I wanted to accomplish this summer,

...all of which cost money to take care of.

First, we have to worry about getting a roof fixed or replaced.

Also, we were trying to get pregnant

...for us that cost about $2,000 for medicine).

There were also numerous other household projects that needed to be done

...since I wanted to put the house up for sale.

But each time I would bring these topics up for conversation,
my dear husband would bring up the

...we don't have the money for it routine.

I would say we do, we just need to prioritize our spending

...he would insist again that we don't.

He and I would argue about whether or not to keep our once a month cleaning guy

...that cost us $125.

But, the straw that broke the camel's back
was when I told him we needed to purchase tickets for an outside concert
that we had given as a Christmas gift to friends.

The tickets did not go on sale until the summer,
but we told the friends at Christmas that we owe them a night out
for the concert of their choice.

Brian said we didn't have the money,

...we should just tell them that we can't do it.

I was fuming.
You don't just go and take a gift away from someone.
And, we have the money
...or at least we should!!

So, I got online into our banking account

...to see just where all of this money is going.

I added up all restaurant totals

...including if we just stopped at Wendy's for a Frosty.

I was shocked and disgusted at the total.

In just the month of July
...which is not even over I might add,
we spent
$709.13
on food!!!!!

Who does that?

I am so glad I looked. Now we can really take a look at where our money is going and we don't have to say that we don't have the money for something, unless we really don't.

A Letter To My Ovaries

Dear Ovaries,
I usually do not write to my reproductive organs, but after this last appointment, the doctor said it couldn't hurt, so here goes.
You need to get off your butt (or butts) and start working. You have spent much too long just sitting around wasting time. Oh, sure, about five years ago you threw us a bone. Finally you grew some follicles, released an egg (after taking your own sweet time I might add) and you gave us our girl.

Don't get me wrong. She is our everything. We couldn't ask for a more special girl who makes us laugh, is so smart and has such an independent spirit. But, we want a sister or brother for her. Is that really too much to ask? I only need one. That is it...just ONE. I know what you are thinking. You are pissed off at me for all of those years of birth control pills that forced you to do your jobs. I can relate. I don't like being told what to do either. Well, you can only go so long being selfish. After this, you can retire. I don't care if you shrivel up into little raisins, head out to Florida or travel the world. Just give us this one more chance and you are free from our reins forever.
Take some cues from the organ about a foot away from you and have a heart. You could make some people very happy. You could be my hero!!!
With all my love and encouragement,
Me

What the...???

Lori over at
Mommy's Take On Things
is thinking of starting a weekly interactive blog entitled
"What The...???

I didn't know if I would be able to come across anything to do a weekly WT...???

but, Facebook did not let me down.

The most recent poll I have come across is

"SHOULD MICHAEL JACKSON HAVE HIS OWN NATIONAL HOLIDAY??

What the....????

In my opinion,

the guy was a great musician and entertainer,

but come on people

....really?
Is he truly the person we want
the kids of the world to reflect on his special day?
Hmmm....freaky behavior,
accusations of child molestation (more than once)?
That got me to thinking
about other people we have national holidays for...
Martin Luther King Jr., Presidents....is there anyone else???
I am all for supporting all of the arts,
but a national holiday?
What the...???

It's Just Like Riding a Bike

As I am typing this, I have sweat dripping down my face and back...and I am sweating in places you may not be interested in knowing about.
After almost ten years, I have gone on a bike ride.
Last weekend my husband bought himself a bike. He wanted to find a way to exercise and thought that riding a bike to work would be a good idea. I have yet to get my bike, so I decided to use his to return some books to the library this evening.
Truly, I was PUMPED UP for this excursion. After dinner I gathered the books, donned the bike helmet, and set off with "be careful" warnings from my husband. Riding down the slight hill of my court was delightful. The breeze not rushing through my hair (darn helmet) but rushing into my face felt amazing. Once I rounded the curve however, reality set in...this is harder than I remember.
When I was living in Bowling Green, especially before I had a car, I rode my bike everywhere. I could even balance a HUGE duffel bag of laundry on the handle bars and pedal my way to the laundromat. It never seemed like exercise. This didn't really seem like exercise either...but it sure felt like it.
It took me only about fifteen minutes to reach my destination. I dropped off the books and hopped back on the bike for what I felt would be an excruciating ride back. I came to realize that it really wasn't too bad.
I am really excited to get my own bike so we can ride as a family. Luckily, Claire will be able to keep up with me.
It seems I may have finally found a way to get my big old butt off the couch and start moving.

Still A Novice...

I have decided...
that I have not explored all that I can do with my blog.
So...
I want to see the simple things that might make my blog look a bit nicer.
Like...
COLOR
And...
Some Different Fonts To Try Out
As well as some...
different sized texts
My dear friend Lori
at Mommy's Take On Things
has impressed me quite a bit...what an inspiration!

Hopefully I will be able to really have some fun with my blog by learning more and more this summer...until then...

Happy Blogging Everyone!!!!

Swap Stuff

Just got my package from by blog swap buddy. This is the second time I have done a Mamarazzi swap. They are SO MUCH FUN!



Here is my loot!


Tammy, from One Frustrated Momma, hooked me up with some Fourth of July Decorations including candle of the red, white and blue variety, wooden firecracker decorations, a red, white and blue bandana, festive star dishcloths, a flag clip, socks, and a red star candy bowl. There were a few vintage Fourth of July tags and a Women's Day magazine. She also sent a silver necklace with a flag, heart and peace sign...Claire has already got that one on!

Here are a couple of close up pics!
These are the wooden firecracker decorations:


These are the vintage looking Fourth of July tags:



This is the cute necklace that Claire has been wearing (I scammed it to wear on the 4th though :-)


Thank you for sending the package my way Tammy.

You can check out her blog here!

Thanks to Mammarazzi for hosting a fun swap. Looking forward to the next!!!

What's The Buzz????

Notice anything interesting in this picture?



Well, if you look a little closer....



If you look a little closer still...



Brian was working on trimming our tree when he suddenly had to stop. What do you do with something like this? While we were standing there, bees were just flying back and forth. I thought I would hear some buzzing, but I couldn't really hear anything. Brian thought he might get some wasp spray and attack! I told him he might just get swarmed and stung. Still not sure what to do.

Here is one last picture to give a size comparison...



If anyone has any suggestions for what we can do with this thing, it would be greatly appreciated.

To get up close and personal with the little buggers, double click on the pic!

Only One Cousin Over This Time

And now a word from our sponsor...uhhh...I mean nephew...

Take it away Ethan!

I had a great night with the one and only cousin Clarie! I hope you had a great night Clarie. See ya!

Starting to feel anxious

When Brian and I were trying to get pregnant with Claire, I was OBSESSED! We struggled for about a year and a half. We were SO lucky that all it took was clomid (five rounds) to get our girl, but considering what we are going through, that was a piece of cake. That being said, there was so much more pressure. I was constantly online reading information about infertility....so many books. I found a wonderfully supportive forum for women TTC. It became my lifeline. No one really understands infertility unless they have gone through it. These women's stories were my stories. When I finally saw the positive pregnancy test, I was not even sure I could believe it. For weeks I worried that it wouldn't last. But, of course, we got our girl. I have always known how lucky we were to even get pregnant. We figured we got our blessing. Another baby would be the bonus.
But, since Claire was one, we have been hoping for another. I always knew I wanted a sibling for Claire. At first it was important to me that the kids were not too far apart in age. I wanted them to be able to play together. Well, five years later, I see that is not going to be the case. Now I just know that I want Claire to have a sibling "for the future". I want her to have someone to talk to that will understand her and be there for her.
So we decided to go ahead with a stronger fertility medication. It does worry us that we might have more than one baby, but we are willing to do it. So that is a bit where mt anxiety lies. Another point is that...the likelihood of it working the first time is not in our favor. We did try one round of fertility meds a couple of years ago and it didn't work. We had to stop midcycle since my body was not responding. It really devastated me. It took us two years to make the decision to try again. So, I guess this isn't the first round :-) My luck just went up.
We should start with the medication sometime early next week. I am scared, but hopeful.
Our family deserves this and I am ready!!!

The Cousins Are Over

My niece and nephew were over so I had them contribute to my blog about their sleepover. Ethan is 9, Sydney is 11 1/2. Claire, as you can see, was not interested.



From Ethan's Point of View:
It was a great night in the toddler bed that Claire has, but I couldn't fall asleep in it because it was too small! I mean, seriously small. The next day I had fun riding a pony named Sugarscoop. He pulled us in a cart and that is about it today. See you later folks.

From Sydney's Point of View:
Last night (June 24) I kept trying to pull the blankets back from Miss Claire who was trying to steal them from me!!! In the morning I got up and was petting Fletcher who was laying on the end the bed. Then we had pancakes and bacon in the morning. Then we rode a pony (Sugerscoop) and he pulled us in a cart. In the afternoon we played in Clarie's pool for awhile and kept jumping in. Later we were all in shock that Michael Jackson had died Thursday June 25 around noon. Then Ethan went to our grandma's house and I slept over at Auntie Jen's, Uncle Brian's, and Claire's house again. Clarie and I watched the first part of Over The Hedge. Today I am super super super excited for COMFEST!!!!!!!!!!!
Yea!!!

From Claire's Point of View:
I don't want to do a blog because it is no fun.

Eight Years Ago today...

he went off the market...

For a long time I waited...
I was the eternal optimist. I knew there was someone out there for me. Occasionally I would get discouraged, maybe feel a bit lonely, but somewhere in my heart, I knew he was out there for me.
Brian and I met the fall of my sophomore year at a friend's apartment. My friends and I would go there many Fridays. Brian and John went to high school together and Brian came to Bowling Green to party. When I first met him, he was stair diving *he has smartened up quite a bit since then*. We were acquaintances first, then friends. We might see each other when "the group" got together but that was about it.
Then, one May ten years ago at a friend's wedding, he kissed me. He was not in his right mind and I was not pleased. He was a friend of mine...what was he thinking?? One month later, we were at a housewarming party sitting close on the couch. I started feeling it a bit, but nothing happened...just some flutters of hmmmmm????????? The following month *July* we saw each other again at a friend's house for a cookout. When I asked who was showing up, John said..your kissy boy (truly I had no idea that he was talking about Brian-I had put that kiss out of my head) but it put something back into my head. I began to wonder what if. I felt a bit awkward that night when I saw him (which was only for about a half hour), but he stopped by my apartment on his way back to Columbus. We went for pizza and played a trivia game. (I won:-), but he was great competition. That is when I really started thinking about him. I thought about him so much that when my friend and I returned from vacation a month later, I was trying to discreetly invite him to dinner the night we got back. I stopped at his place, but he was at a concert. I left him a note telling him to call me when he was up in Toledo the following week.
About a week later I was sweeping the floors at ChiChis at closing time when I heard a knock on the window. It was him! I felt so giddy inside. He stopped in and I had him head to my place to wait for me to finish so we could go get a beer. That was the first night of the rest of my life...my life with Brian.
Ups, downs...laughs, cries...he is my best friend. He loves me for who I am, faults and all. I am blessed that I have someone in my life that loves me so much and would do anything for me.
Thank you, God, for finally bringing him to me. I knew it would be worth the wait.

Strawberry Day

Today we went with some friends to go strawberry picking. I have never been (in my 37 years) and I can't believe what I was missing out on. It was a blast! I got such a jolt when I would find the perfect strawberry. The smell was amazing! Claire really enjoyed herself, which I am glad for since we WILL be heading back before the season is over!
Of course, our strawberry picking day would not be complete without some yummy strawberry shortcake. This is how I like it...pound cake or short cake, mashed strawberries (with a smidge of sugar), vanilla bean ice cream, and whipped cream on top!
Since I forgot my camera for the strawberry picking pictures, I made sure that I took a picture of the most important part after dinner.

Ten Things I Love About Summer

Got this blog idea from Mamarazzi-Thought I could steal an idea from her. No pictures, like her post, but I would LOVE to hear what you love about summer!!!

1. Hanging my clothes on the line to dry.
2. Laying in the hammock.
3. Big Brother
4. Sleeping with the windows open
5. More time to read books (for pleasure, not for work)
6. Watching my sister's kids.
7. Sleeping in!
8. Not having to grade papers!!
9. Picnic with the Pops!
10. Spending the day with my girl!!!!

Party Segregation

We had a double graduation party this weekend. My friend, Sarah, and I laughed, cried and stressed through our masters together and decided that we definitely deserved a party. She got her family and friends together, I got my family and friends together, and our work friends came too. To tell the truth, it was a great party. Good food (notice what I put first), great beverages (awesome sangria made my our dear Dianna), fun tunes (party mix cleverly compiled by Brian), and the best weather.
One thing to work on...party segregation. The first to arrive were the parents. The congregated together under the big canopy, started to have a couple drinks and eat some food. They seemed to be getting along fine.

Then friends and work buddies started showing up. Work buddies got together under the other tent to catch up (yeah, we hadn't seen each other since the day before)

and other Columbus friends got in their groups.

At one point, Brian said he was going to make everyone move three seats to the right. It was difficult spreading myself to all of the groups. I didn't want to spend too much time with one group, but I also wanted to make sure that I spent some time with friends that I don't see very often.
That being said, I believe everyone had a great time. If I didn't think I would go insane, I would consider going for my PhD (haha) just for the party.
I also came to another conclusion...I love to have parties! They are a lot of work, but really fun!
The kids also got into the fun (thanks for letting us borrow the water slide Tiffany and Ryan-it was a bit hit!)


This post is in honor of my dear friend, Terri, who I can't believe I forgot to send an invitation to! Please forgive me, my dear friend. I do love you!

New Swap

It is time for another blog swap!

Mamarazzi has an awesome swap going on! I participated in a previous swap and it was oh so much fun! Check her out and see if you qualify to participate.

A Claire Funny

I have been sooo negligent about blogging lately. Claire has said a couple funnies lately so I thought I would share...

*Today in the car I asked her what she would do if someone came up to her and asked her what her name was but she didn't know them and mama or daddy weren't around...I would say NO and run to the police. OK...good enough answer. Then I asked her what she would do if the person said they lost their dog and wanted her help finding it or had a horse she could see...what would she do then. No response. I asked here again what she thought. Her reply (in a teenagery annoyed exasperated whine)....Do I have to answer these questions? They are freaking me out?!
God love her!!

I need to blog more frequently because she is constantly saying these things that crack me up.

More to come...summer is almost here. That means, more time for blogging!

In due time

We have been getting our house ready to sell over the past week or so. Because the bedrooms in our house are pretty small, one thing we decided to do was get some of the bigger beds out of the smaller rooms. Claire's room is the smallest and we had a full size bed in there. We moved that to the spare room and put the queen bed that was in there in storage. We put Claire's old toddler bed (that she probably slept in a total of 1 week) in her room. We figured she would sleep in her bed in the spare room for the time being.
Well, she was so excited about that toddler bed that she is sleeping in there now! Who would have thought. She is a little big, but she fits and is comfortable. I am glad we can get some use out of it. Here is a picture of her in her "new bed".


Now that we have moved some of the bigger furniture into storage, our rooms really do look bigger. We are not close, but we are getting there!!!

What's Been Going On

I have been out of the writing thing for a bit now. I thought I would share a few things to update:
FISH...
We got some. Claire was trying really hard to have nice hands at school. We had planned on getting an aquarium for her, but she was having these bad days at school so we figured we would wait until she had a good hands day at school. The day arrived...about $80 later we had an aquarium, gravel, a Buddha statue, some fake greenery, a couple of bottles of beta water and two Mollies. About a week later, the Dalmatian Molly had passed and a few days after that the Black Molly sunk...definitely NOT the unsinkable Molly. Claire was devastated. She had a hard time sleeping that night and wanted a new fish right away.
We consulted the pet shop people who figured we needed some sacrificial fish...those who would help balance the water in the tank, but probably would not live. Claire took that all pretty well. I said these are not pets...they are workers. Their job is to clean the tank and they probably won't live for more than a week (Will PETA be on me for this?) Now watch, those Zebra Danios will live FOREVER!!!
Here is a picture of her tank and her first two fish...RIP.


PLAY THERAPY
As you read above, Claire was having trouble keeping her hands to herself and was really lashing out at home physically. We thought we would look into play therapy to see if that might help with some of the aggression. Claire met with Maura who showed Claire a tabletop sandbox with some red sand. Then she opened a cupboard with a million toys (Claire of course gravitated to the horse figures-there were at least 20). She played for an hour! Maura ocassionally would ask her questions, but for the most part, Claire led the playing and loved it! At times she showed a bit of being uncomfortable with the questions, but also that she was OK with it. She was excited to go back tonight (ummm, yeah....I wrote the wrong time down and was an hour late for the appt so we have to reschedule). But overall the experience was very positive for her. And...she has been doing SOOOOO well with her relationships with her classmates and with us. She has taken control of her behavior in such a wonderful way. We have three more sessions over the month, and I am sure we will see even more interesting improvements.

So cute...Claire and I were racing to the car after our appointment that didn't happen, and she got to the car first and said, "I won!" Then in the next breath, she said, "But good try Mama." I love that she is able to look at the other person and build them up. It is a big step for her.
Here is a pic of my cutie!!!

I saw her out of the bedroom window. She took her horse and book to her table and enjoyed reading in the beautiful weather. Made my heart smile.

Blog Swap

Better late than never!!!

I participated in an awesome swap at Mamarazzi Blog Swap.




I was partnered with craftymoosecrafts.Check her blog out here...she is so crafty!!!

http://craftymoosecrafts.blogspot.com

I had so much fun shopping for my swap buddy!
When I got my package on the same day I mailed mine, I was stoked! She sent such fun things. Each was numbered, and she also included a little note about everything.
If you haven't been over to check out her spot, click here to get there:-)
I believe mamarazzi is also going to be doing another swap soon, so make sure you check her out too!!!!
Here is a picture of my loot!!!



She, being the crafty lady that she is, made a fabric fortune cookie *to signify her love for Chinese take-out*, yummy dark chocoate, a puzzle of the New York Skyline, her favorite tea, a book by her favorite author (who I also love) and a DVD of Fiddler on the Roof (LOVE THAT MOVIE). She also made a suncatcher with a teacher theme. THANK YOU DEBBIE, MISS CRAFTYMOOSECRAFTS!!!!

Finding Friends

I have joined the world of Facebook and one of the things I have loved more than anything about it is reconnecting with old friends. Imagine my surprise today when I was able to do this the old fashion way...I bumped into my first roomie from college at a conference! I guess this does still happen, but after not seeing someone for over five years and then seeing them sitting in the same room that you--well, it just seems a bit surreal.
So here is the scene...
I sit down and get ready to hear a lecture on struggling readers when I glance over and think...is that Fee? Not being so sure (which I am embarrassed that I had trouble being sure), I decided to play it cool. So I creepily kept looking at her. I figured that if I keep looking her way, she will eventually look my way and I can give her a smile. Well, that happened, but when I smiled, her smile back was one of those not of recognition, but more so of a pleasant, "Ok, I will smile back to this weird woman looking at me." I decided that it had to be a look alike person. Surely she would know me (What is the logic in that? I was not sure it was her!). I kept looking her way for the hour or so of the lecture. Then, I spy a ski tag on her coat. Hey, Fee skis! It HAS to be her! I tell the friend I am with that I am just going to yell her name at the end of the lecture and see if she turns around. If it isn't, oh well. I can deal with that. Turns out, when the lecture was over, I was talking with my friend and see her looking at me out of the corner of my eye. I decide it has to be her. I look and say, "Get over here! I knew that was you!"
After hugs and "how are things", we exchanged numbers and vowed to call. And I will.
When I got home I found a video of our last week at school together that we made with our other dorm friends. I laughed so hard that I decided I need to have a BG get together this summer. I am going to arrange it and am so excited at the possibility of seeing these friends of mine that, for the most part, I have lost touch with but were such an important part of my life for 2-4 years.
Here is to finding old friends (however you do so).

Even though...

Even though I can complain a lot,
I really am happy most of the time.
Even though I procrastinate,
I feel so much better when things are done.
Even though it has been hard getting that second child,
I am so blessed to have such a fun, fantastic four year old.
Even though said four year old tries my patience daily,
she give the best run-hugs ever and makes my heart smile daily.
Even though I am getting my masters,
I feel like I have not given it my all.
Even though I really want to be healthy,
I still head to McDonalds for that darn Sausage McMuffin goodness.
Even though I am a teacher,
I am a human being who makes mistakes with the best of them.
Even though I usually forget to send my friends cards on their birthday,
I usually think about them at least once on their special day.
Even though I would love to write a children's book,
I still fear rejection too much to finish it.
Even though I don't tell my family enough how much they mean to me,
they are responsible for helping shape who I am and I am so grateful.
Even though TV rots my brain,
I can't turn it off.
Even though I tell my students to be organized,
I have to tell them NOT to look at my desk.
Even though I have lived thirty-seven years,
I still have not really lived.

The Terrible Fours??

Oh my....what to do with a daughter who hits? We have been battling this for a short while and I am at my wits end with it. She is so quick to anger...when something does not go her way. We talk calmly with her, we do time outs. We do not spank. Looking into some behavioral therapy for her before she heads to kindergarten...is this necessary? I don't know. I do know that I do not want things to get worse. I was wondering if it was a situation that she was unable to control...too impulsive. But, she does not hit at school or in other situations...just us.
It does not help that she comes from two parents who like to have control. How much do we let up? Where does the line fall between giving in because it is not really a big deal and sticking to your guns so she does not have the sense that, "Hey, I "got away with it last time", let's try it again.

IT IS SO HARD BEING A PARENT!!!!

New Blog for me to follow....

How did I remain out of the blogging world for so long when there is so much cool stuff out there. Check out this giveaway!
Have a great one everybody!

A recipe to share...

While making dinner tonight, I realized that a lot of people might really like this dish. It is the dish I make when someone has a baby, someone in the family as been in the hospital, etc. It is based on a recipe I saw with the coupons for some sort of enchilada sauce. It was called something like Cheesy Enchilada Stack. I decided that it was easier to make it into a casserole. Here is the recipe:
You need:
1 lb ground beef 1 lg can of enchilada sauce
1 or 2 small cans of green chilis 2 cups of shredded cheddar
1 can of refried beans 8-10 tortillas

First cook the ground beef in a skillet. Drain grease. Stir in about 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce. Let it simmer for a mere minute or so. I put a very small amount of ench sauce in the rectangular casserole dish. Then place two tortillas on the bottom of the dish. Place half of the beef mixture on top of the tortillas and sprinkle about 1/2 cup of cheese on top. On top of that place two more tortillas and spread the beans on top. Ladle about 1/2 cup of ench sauce on top and spread some of the green chilis on top of that. Sprinkle more cheese on top of that (the idea is to have some cheese left over for the top). Place 2 more tortillas on top of the bean mixture and repeat the steps. The top layer will be ench sauce and cheese. Try to keep the tops pretty wet so the edges of the tortillas don't crisp. Cover the casserole and put it in the oven (350) for about 3o minutes. The last five minutes you might want to take the foil off to get the cheese all bubbly. Let it cool for a few minutes before cutting like lasagna.

I serve it with sour cream and tortilla chips (and Tastefully Simple Fiesta Party Dip).

In attempts to make it a bit healthier, I have used low fat cheese, ground turkey and whole grain torts, and it still tastes pretty good. But lets face it...it is going to taste better with the good stuff.
Let me know if you try it out!

Please help me

After this round of conferences, I have made some mental notes about what to make sure I do (and do not do) at a parent teacher conference.
1. I won't sit back during the conference and tell my daughter, "Go ahead, I said I was going to stay quiet tonight."
2. I won't reply passive-aggressively to try to make a point to the teachers in the room.
3. I will be supportive of the teacher. If I disagree with something, I will have a private conversation to better understand the situation and work toward an agreement. I will not discuss my anger, annoyance or disapproval of the teacher to my child.
4. If my child says to the teachers, "You guys just sometimes annoy me," I won't just sit there and let my child think it is ok to talk to someone that way.

There are so many more, but I am spent!

Please, God, while I know I can make mistakes as a parent, help me do my best to help my child be successful in school rather than allow her to make excuses for behavior that is less than what it should be.

It's Swappin' Time

Anyone here interested in a swap??
Mamarazzi has got one going on and from what I hear it is a fun one!
All interested hit her blog and follow the directions. I am STOKED about it!
Just click on the link below and get to it!!!

when does it go away?

My daughter has found a passion...horses! She loves them. I told someone who was trying to think of something to get Claire for Christmas that if she drew a picture of a horse and gave it to Claire, she would think it was the greatest thing. Today when we were driving home from school, we drove by the backyard that has two bouncy hobby horses. Excitedly Claire shouted, "Horses!" as she does each time we drive by.
When does it happen that those little things in life stop bringing us such excitement and joy? I can find joy in simple things pretty easily. Show me a sweet sleeping baby and I am a goner. But real excitement? Finding excitement in the simple things does not come as easily.
Except tonight....when I got home I saw a package on my porch. The jewelry I ordered when I "hosted" a Lia Sophia party had finally arrived! Claire and I were ecstatic! We were kids in a candy store looking through all of the jewelry. Claire was excited because she got her first real ring. But, the real excitement was there for this thirty-seven year old. Here is to finding excitement and pure joy in the little things.

Where have all the flowers gone?

The flowers being a metaphor for sunshine, positivity and optimism.

I don't know what has happened, but something has changed. I used to be a pretty positive person. Not much really got me down. I could find the silver lining in most situations and even if something did get me down, it was short-lived. My husband thinks he knows the answer...I have spent too much time with him.

These days I feel like I am constantly complaining. If something could go wrong, I find it. Even if I wake up saying that today will be better, once I get to work I feel the heavy, overwhelming load of my job.

Now I don't feel this way during the weekend while I am at home. Perhaps it is job related. But, as a teacher, I can't be grumpy all the time. It is not good for me, or the students...who wants a grumpy teacher??

I am working on finding the joy in the little things. Perhaps I will jot something great (let's start with good) that happens at school each night (or reserving the end of the day at school for celebrating something positive with my students). In any event, something must change!

I will keep you updated on my positivity practice:-)

Snow Days

It is not news to many people that snow days bring screams of joy to young (and older) kids. The reality is, teachers, truly, are the ones who are more excited. Looking at the TV or checking online is maddening. Each time a new district comes on the list, you hope and pray that yours will be too. You get irritated when it is not, and the "it's not fairs" come flying. Then, when you get the call or see it on TV, you are the one with screams of joy.
Before becoming a mom I loved snow days...for different reasons. I got to stay in my pjs all day, sleep in, watch junkie TV. Now, I love telling my girl that today is a stay home day. We love it. We might still stay in our pjs all day and sleep in. Junkie TV is replaced with doing puzzles, crafts (she is into cutting paper into bits right now) and watching her favorite movie (anything to do with horses). It is also such a night rejuvenator for coming back. An unexpected rest has occured and things are good again.
Enjoy the snow everyone. I will end with a haiku:

White Beauty

Snow is falling down.
The ground is a white blanket.
Flakes tickle my nose.

Weight Loss

So I joined Weight Watchers for the....hmmmm...fifth time a couple of weeks ago. I was supposed to have my second weigh in last Wednesday, but the meeting was canceled due to crazy snow weather (darn). So, while I knew I could not stay for the meeting tonight, I knew I had to go. So, figuring I gained a couple of pounds, I went. Stood on the scale...lost 6.8 pounds (in two weeks). Now, before you go thinking that's wonderful and that WW must be the best plan in the world, here is the real story...
Less than an hour before I went to the first weigh in, I had a pretty hefty dinner at Tres Potrillos (local Mexican restaurant). Then, for the past couple of weeks, I have not kept track of my food intake, nor have I tried really hard to make good food choices. I didn't exercise either. So what gives?
Well, here's the thing. That 6.8 pounds was enough to motivate me to make sure I pay attention to what I eat this week. I want that 10 pound ribbon. That is my first goal. Goal number two: lose 5 % of my weight. Goal number three: lose 20 pounds. Goal number four: lose 10 % of my weight. I can't think beyond that, but I will remember something I have heard my sister say before: Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. I am going to modify that quote a bit: Nothing tastes as good as being healthy, being able to chase my daughter without a break, and being able to feel good about myself.

I will keep you posted!

A Day of Sledding

Well, it was about thirty minutes of sledding. It was about all the girl could take. We had never taken her sledding before and since she was feeling better we decided that the weather was perfect. We found a decent hill by a church. Brian bought some flimsy (but workable) mats for sled. I had no desire to go really. Being cold and wet is not my idea of fun. But I figured that if I did not go, I would say I would grade papers, but whoever knows me would know the truth...on the couch watching cooking shows or on the computer for no good reason.
I was worried that she might be afraid to go down the hill by herself, but she was not at all. She showed no fear going down. She loved it.
I am so glad that I went. I would not want to have missed that experience with her. Thank you, Brian, for the great idea! It was a blast!

Facebook

The cult that is Facebook has taken over our school, and I am not talking about the kids. In the past couple of weeks, so many teachers have joined this addictive forum, and I LOVE IT. It is not enough that we see each other every day, and on the occasional week night or weekend, we feel the need to update each other on what we are up to when we are together. It cracks me up. It makes me feel kind of like a narcissistic voyeur. I believe that people want to know that I am wasting my time on the computer when I should be grading papers (as they probably should be as well:-) or that I have nothing to wear to school tomorrow since I did not do the laundry. On the other side of the wall is the fact that I really am interested in knowing what my friends are doing.
What I have really loved about Facebook is that is has reconnected me with friends that I have, for whatever reason, lost touch with. Does this mean that we are instantly "friends" again? No, but it is great to catch up, see pictures of kids, and see how they are doing.
So, great Facebook creator, whoever you are...thank you!!! This is fun!

Claire funny

This morning Claire and I were driving to school when she asked me where food goes after we eat it. The conversation follows:
Claire: Where does food go after we eat it?
Me: Well, why don't you tell me what you think, and then I will tell you what I think.
Claire: After you chew your food it goes to your stomach.
Me: Where does it go first?
Claire: It goes in your esophagus.
Me: Then where?
Claire: Then it goes in the stomach and then the small intestines and then the large intestines.
Me: So where does it go after that?
No response.
Me: Do you think it stays in your large intestines?
Claire: No.
Me: Well, what do you think?
Claire: Mama it happens to everyone.
Me: laughing....that is true.
Claire: It comes out the butt.
Me: Yes, it is called your anus.
Claire: Oh, yeah, the anus (as if she already knew this--who knows, maybe she did)

She makes me laugh daily.

These people are the same age I am

We went out to celebrate a friend's thirtieth birthday last night. After a great dinner at Gordon Birsch (great food, by the way), we decided to head to a bar that was pretty close by to hang out. Well, we got there pretty early, so things started out fine. About twenty minutes after we got there, they turned the music up...and the music wasn't even that great. Now, if Come On Eileen were playing, things would have been fine, but that was not the case. A couple of hours into the night, I looked around and thought, you know, these people are my age. Ummmmm, no! They were in their twenties, and as my husband would say...I am pushing forty. Now I just turned 37, so I would have to disagree with him about that, but I am definitely closer to 40 than my twenties.
When will I feel as old as I really am?