Hi Ya

I haven't posted in a long while, but I'm taking a technology class that is introducing me to all kinds of fun programs to use in the classroom, so here I am. 

Chuck and Carson are in Colorado this weekend, so Sarah and I are having a girls weekend.  Bring on the naps and nail polish!  Once I finish my homework, its girl time!

School!

I've decided to go back to school and finish my bachelor's degree.  Early Childhood Education.  Just waiting on FHSU to get my transcript so I can enroll.  I really hope I can get in some classes this semester, even though it's already started.  I can do all my classes online.  I'm ready.  I'm ready.  I'm ready.

I need to learn to say "no"

After spending 7 hours (with many volunteers) sorting Spirit Cups this weekend, I think I need to rethink my ability to say yes.  I run fundraisers because I know how to do it.  But man, this one really took over my life.  I'm just tired.  I want it to be done.  Wa.  Wa.  Wa.

Next year's garden

I've been planning my next year's garden in my head.  Beets, peas, carrots.  Sarah wants more eggplant.  Probably no tomatoes.  Sweet potatoes.  Onions.  Gold potatoes.  I'm ready!

I want tamales!

I looked up how to make tamales today on the internet. It doesn't look that difficult. Many steps involved, but none of them look painful. You have to cook all your meat first, then make the masa with the broth from the meat, soak the husks & put it all together. Easy peasy, but definitely a weekend project.

We always had fantastic homemade tamales at school when I was growing up. Our cooks were Hispanic and didn't speak much English, but they could cook. Interesting. I'll bet most of the kids in Kansas don't even know what a tamale is, and we had them a couple of times a month for school lunch. Texas vs. Kansas. Private vs. public.

It's 9:30, and I'm hungry

I hate being hungry right before I go to bed. It doesn't help that I've had 2 snacks since dinner. Ugh.

I've had a 5 day weekend, and I got a ton of stuff done. Sarah's room is re-done and touched up. I started drawing her name on the wall tonight, and will hopefully finish tomorrow. I cleaned and did about a million chores, had some great naps, and exercised my butt off.

Speaking of exercise, I'm trying to burn 300 calories 4x a week. Hopefully, some of my rear will start to disappear.

On an unrelated note, how gross is Dog the Bounty Hunter. Seriously dude. Lose the mullet.

Why I Need a Peek

I'm entering a contest to win a Peek portable email device. Too freakin' cool! You all know how much I hate the phone, and this little beauty would allow me to continue my hate affair by keeping in contact with YOU at all times by email! Yeehaw! Plus, it's bright pink, which would mix nicely with my apple green purse.

Think good thoughts! Learn more about this contest at:

http://www.musingsofahousewife.com/2009/02/black-cherry-peek.html

Music I like....and hate

I hate:

The Carpenters
Any barbershop-style crap
The Beach Boys
Any "artist" whose name spells something (IceT, Lud-a-cris)

I love:

Otis Redding
Sam & Dave
Sammy Haggar
Al Greene
Def Leppard
Annie Lennox
Joe Cocker

Just thought I'd share.
Stevie Wonder

Yes, well, ummmmmm

No excuses. I'm lazy.

Check this out:


http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/today/index.ssf/2008/12/holland_township_family_angry.html

Those kids are named Adolph Hitler, Himmler, etc. I hope they all grow up to be gay, lesbian, NPR-listening, PFLAG membership-holding, tree hugging, tofu eating, minority-marrying, Martin Luther King-loving adults.

What a shame. Hooray for Costco!

This is my day

Feed kids
Feed dogs
Coffee
Get kids dressed
Shower
Get me ready
Boy to school
Girl to orthodontist
Girl back to school
Me to 1st job
Me to 2nd job
Pick up kids
Home
Let dogs out (such a production)
Find something to cook for dinner
Help with homework
Do dishes
Start dinner
Feed family
Try to squeeze in some fundraiser tallying
Exercise
PTO
More fundraiser tallying
TV?
Collapse

Somewhere in there will be hosing the kids down to stop their fighting, eating lunch, driving, phone calls, checking email, cleaning something, and my wonderful husband.

I'm going back to bed.

Hey stranger, come here often?

Just reading over at Without Wax about what age kids should be allowed to call eachother. Tough call. You catch that pun? Chortle chortle.

Boy had a girl call him last school year REPEATEDLY. Thankfully, she always called when we weren't here. The few calls he does get now are from boys, and they talk about 3.4 seconds and laugh about 13 minutes.

Girl doesn't get calls, which I think is a little strange. When I was her age, I was calling my friends to chat & stuff. Several of her friends have cell phones, which is ridiculous. What does a 10 yo need a cell phone for? What Barbie emergency will they have that will require the use of a cell? Can you say over-indulged?

There's no school today, so we are home. Boy is being a beast. Him need nap. Must go clean, for that is my mission.

God is Good!

BIL's spots have gotten smaller! This is good. However, his attitude is low. He says they are "just buying time". I don't know anything about cancer, let alone brain cancer, but I do know that a positive attitude can go a long way in beating any illness.

I guess it's hard to be positive when you have cancer in your head. I know it would be for me.

We must weather the weather

Why does the weather always change when an outside event is scheduled? We haven't had rain in ages, and since boy has a field trip to the zoo scheduled for today, it's raining. Not hard, just a cold sprinkle with a lot of wind.

Don't get me wrong, I love weather. I love changing weather. I get a kick out of watching the seasons change. I have The Weather Channel bookmarked in my Favorites. But I'm more of a let's-watch-the-rain-from-the-window-with-a-cup-of-coffee-type. Not big on being out in it.

Still no word on BIL. He's going through some very heavy fatigue, the source of which can't be traced. But he's still with us, and we're still praying. Right now, I guess that's the best we can get.

How great is this?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081001/wl_uk_afp/britainhealthtobaccocancer

I love it. I grew up with an inconsiderate smoker, one who's idea of rolling down the car window so we could breath involved moving the glass about 1/8". If we tried to roll down our window, we were yelled at.

Working in a school, I smell the kids who come from smoking homes, and I cringe at the thought of how we smelled. The odor gets into everything - hair, backpacks, clothes. Given the lack of laundry-doing in my childhood home, I'm sure our aroma was a mix of dog, smoke, unwashed child and dirty laundry.

How is drawing smoke into your lungs appealing? I can only hope that these photos will deter people from picking up the habit.

I have a suggestion for another way to deter smoking - put the would-be smokers in the back seat of a 1964 Ford Fury station wagon (no seat belts, of course), pack them in four across the seat, and put a smoker at the wheel with his window rolled down .2386". See how much they like it, old style. Worked for me.

No news yet

So Fred went to the doctor last week, only to find out that he has to wait 2 more weeks to get his MRI read. What a psych! Can you imagine having 7 big ol' tumors on your brain, then waiting 4 weeks to find out whether they have grown, and then be told, "uh, sorry, you have to keep waiting". I think I'd be a little upset. Yeah. That's it. Upset.

The New Epileptic Barbie

I just saw a commercial for a new Bratz doll that you can make "dance". Or move thier head and upper body in this twitchy way. I swear it looks like they are having a seizure. I'm sure young girls will think this is so cool. Personally, I don't want my 9 yo shaking her goodies like that.

Girl loves her Barbies and Bratz, but only for the clothes and hair. She spends hours changing outfits and making new 'dos. They sometimes go shopping, or hang out in Barbie's townhouse. That Barbie has a groovy pad, you know.

Why are we asking our girls to grow up so fast? Why are we encouraging them to be tramps? My day will be made when Amish Barbie hits the shelves. Her accessories will be a basket of cookies, flat shoes, a box of thank you notes and a bra.

Dare to dream?

We still don't know

The BIL never called yesterday with test results. I can only think this means bad news. Yikes.

On a lighter note, I disabled the requirement that you be a "member" to post comments to my blog. Now any old shmoo can say whatever he or she wants.

My cat is biting my arm. It's gonna be one of those days.

Time to hit your knees.

My BIL finds out tomorrow if his 7 brain tumors were helped by chemo. We're all praying for good news. Please send your prayers, good energy, happy thoughts, small amounts of cash, what ever you can spare, because he needs it. Pray for guidance for the doctors and medical staff.

This is scary stuff.

How true is this?

http://www.parents.com/dgroups/persona.jsp?userId=c3e4f3100d632bf98d849ba36532e9b1&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3ac3e4f3100d632bf98d849ba36532e9b1Post%3ac6ce8a20-2f4a-464c-a0d1-93fbbc0ab15d

I know someone who has two nerdy sons who are always well-slicked, tucked and belted. These poor boys have hair so well-shellacked that it's still shiny at the end of the day. The mom is probably the type who won't let them sit on their beds after she makes them in the morning.

This mom also ALWAYS has fresh-baked cookies waiting for her two playground targets when they get home. After she picks them up from school in her minivan. She puts the cookies in the oven. Picks up the kids. And.....PRESTO! The cookies are done when they get home. Can you imagine how long it took to get that timing down?

This person makes me sad. She has absolutely no life other than waiting on her family. She doesn't work outside the home. She smiles and bakes cookies and makes beds.

What would she do if her husband were to die? What skills could she use to support her family? I fear that she is so wrapped up in her little perfect world that this scenario hasn't been considered.

I guess she's probably too busy baking cookies.

Yeah, yeah, yeah

OK, so I'm a big fat liar and I haven't posted for a LONG time. Life got in the way of life. School fundraiser and cheerleading and dogs and work.

Today is the Fall Festival parade. Both kids are in it. Girl is riding the cheerleading float, and boy is riding the soccer float. Each has a bag of 200 dum dums to throw. Hope that is enough.

I've realized that I'm a very bad friend. I missed a good friend's birthday on the 14th. I had a present and everything, I just totally spaced it off. I could give lots of reasons, but I just forgot. How to make it up to her? Can I? Time will tell.

Must get ready for the parade. Yeehaw.