Dogs!

Since you last heard, things have changed rapidly. Instead of having the run of the property day and night, our beloved puppies are kenneled 24/7 unless out walking, leashed, with us. This extreme change is entirely brought about by their newest talent: Jumping The Six Foot Fence. Being incredibly intelligent and motivated, they have developed a cunning way of running at the corner, bouncing off one side while simultaneously pushing off the diagonal bar, and launching themselves to freedom. This provides them with access to their favorite of all things: RABBITS! Once outside, both dogs proceed to run frantically back and forth across the vacant lot across the road, chasing anything that moves, until they are exhausted. No amount of calling or offering of cookies can convince them to come close, we just have to follow them until they are too tired to run away.

Since this is not something we enjoy doing, they have been confined to quarters for most of the past week. We toyed with the idea of putting hot wire around the fence, but have decided that we would like to try some training first. We have a trainer coming next weekend to consult with us. I have talked with her at length on the phone and I am very excited about her ideas. Basically, we are going to make them work (sit,stay,down,heel,come) so that they are already too tired to go hunting. They are walked three times a day right now and we have started working on sit, stay, and down with them. I can tell that a walk full of commands is more tiring to them than a walk full of running and sniffing, so I have hope for this program.



I have my work cut out for me, though. Trooper is eager to follow directions, but not really smart enough to catch on quickly. It takes many repetitions before he understands what I am asking of him. Once he does get it, he responds fairly well. Mia, on the other hand, is stubborn like you wouldn't believe. She knows exactly what I want, but will often refuse to make eye contact with me in an effort to pretend she can't hear me. It is going to take awhile before she accepts that I am the alpha dog around her. It's a good thing she is so darn sweet!

My Heart

Some pics from my trip home in April for Grandma's memorial...

This was my first real visit with Baby Richie. He is one of the most even-tempered babies I have ever met. He was friendly and open and calm. He has the greatest smile! The only time he ever even fussed was when he was hungry, and then he would mostly just pull you over to the highchair. Of course, this happened about every 10 and 1/2 seconds. That boy can EAT!


Here's my baby brother, the football star, with my niece. He was eating cake, so forgive the funny expression. Although, come to think of it, he always has some kind of funny expression on his face!


Here's my other brother with the two older kiddos. I truly loved seeing him interact with them. He's very patient and calm. I just wish that smile actually reached his eyes.


And one of my favorite pics from the trip: Lex, Mikey, and myself. Aren't we ADORABLE?

School News

School continues to take up much of my time. My kids are suffering under the delusion that they are already middle schoolers. I am learning to deal with the Drama (yes, with a capital D!) of pre-teen emotions and relationships without taking anything too personally. My students and I are carefully navigating the new balance between what they want/need and what I want/need in our room. It is more of a challenge to get them to cooperate, but it is more amazing and enjoyable when it happens. I must admit that I am relieved to hear that dismissal bell on some days, though.

That being said, I must give my students their props. We are smack dab in the middle of our state testing now, and I am proud to be able to say that all of my kids seem to be doing their very best. I don't care what their scores are as long as they are really putting their best effort into it. We have worked hard this year, and I am proud of my kiddos. While I continue to feel that we are asking too much of them and pushing them too far, this group seems to be handling the pressure well. They know that it is important to show what they have learned, but none of them are taking it so seriously that they let it cripple them.

To help them with this, I have upped the level of humor and relaxation in the afternoons. We are spending more time playing games (reviewing concepts, but still fun), working on high interest projects (Mothers' Day! Talent Show!), and burning some of the Spring Fever energy that builds up every time the sun peeks through the haze. There has been a plethora of jokes and laughter, making school a much more relaxing place than the previous month. We are all enjoying that.

Can't Talk Now

Much Too Busy!

Good grief! This "end of the school year" thing is insane. If it weren't for the promise of summer and sleeping in 8 weeks in a row, I would be tempted to forego it completely and just keep this year continuing indefinitely. Between Colonial Daze Days, Open House, a second field trip, upcoming Promotion Ceremonies, State testing, District testing, and the general "high" that kids get this time of year, it is all I can do to keep up with it. My weekends are filled with a frantic (and, let's face it, foolish) attempt to catch up with the grading that has piled up all week and my weeks are filled with CHAOS (see aforementioned list).
This past week I was at school by 7:30 Monday through Thursday due to tutoring and meetings. This means that I have to leave home by 6:45. This means that I have to get up by 5:45. This means that I am drooling into the couch cushions by about 7:45 each evening.
As if things weren't crazy enough* with all these meetings and projects and events, we have been presented with a further challenge. Can you teach without making any copies? Yes, our copy numbers have been limited to 2 copies per student per day. Let me do some quick calculating here...field trip permission slips...math homework...test review activities...grading sheets for the colonial project...and the book report...and the persuasive essay... Yep. I think I am going to be going slightly over that. And I am not counting the number of things I have to replace after someone stuffs it under the backseat in the car and loses it. THREE TIMES. ugh.
On the home front, things are much calmer. The dogs are being schooled by the cats - through the window, of course. The trees are leafing out very nicely. The husband is working hard (when he isn't playing hard). The car treats me as well as can be expected when gas costs $3.26/gal. I am counting down the weeks before I get to spend my time lounging in the hammock, rather than rshing frantically from one end of school to the other.

It's Foggy Out

And I have a grey kitty on my lap. :)

I don't have anything to say...just wanted to post something new. Hmmm...

Today is my last day of vacation. Time to head back to work. I think I have recharged enough for the final push to the end of the year.

Yesterday I was lying in the hammock and Mia climbed right in with me. We would have been very happy floating in the sunshine together if it weren't for poor Trooper deciding he wanted to join us. Three in the hammock is just too much.

Speaking of dogs, I am trying to teach them that the cats are off-limits. Yesterday, I kenneled the dogs and then opened the window to the cat-run. Only Bonsai was brave enough to venture out in the face of a barking black dog, but I think we are making some progress. This morning Troop spent quite a bit of time watching the cats through the window without actually jumping at them. He kept looking at me like "Is this what you want? I don't get it, but I'm trying." Hopefully, we can get to the point that the cats can be in their cat-run while the dogs are in the yard and everyone leaves everyone else alone. That may just be wishful thinking on my part, though.

We have everything we need for the garden fence now. Provided that it doesn't rain today, we will be finishing that up and putting the seedlings outside. I bought some plastic to cover them if it gets too chilly, but I am hoping that we've gotten frost out of our system here for awhile. It was beautiful yesterday and warm enough so that I went out in shorts for several hours.

Busy Girl

I love it when I get things done.

(Weird...while I was typing that last sentence, my internal voice read it just like the journal entries at the end of Doogie Howser, MD were always read...wierd.)

Anyway. Like I was saying, getting things done makes me feel good. Perhaps this is because I spend a remarkable amount of time not accomplishing anything. If it's not something that is going to affect someone else (work, an appointment, etc.) it just doesn't get done. Proof of this is taking up space in our garage in the form of gutter pieces that STILL aren't attached to the house.

Vacation time is the worst as far as accomplishing things because I am really good at convincing myself that I have "earned" the right to sit and do nothing (ie: read, watch tv, play video games) while the chores go undone. Not this time. Well, okay. Not in the last 48 hours. Recently, I have worked on the fencing to our garden, cleaned the kitchen, worked on our taxes (nothing like the last minute!), cleaned the entire garage, washed and folded several loads of laundry, planned for school up to the second to last week, AND played more hours of Animal Crossing that is good for me. I've been busy!

Speaking of the garden. It is almost ready for me to bring the seedlings out. It is silly to call them seedlings though, most of them have refused to come out. So far, I have one spindly little bean (I'm talking two leaves, about 4 inches tall), several very short beans, a bunch of super skinny broccoli, 3 corn plants, and a plethora of seeds that have sprouted (I can see the bumps in the soil dirt sand) but refuse to poke their heads above ground. I'm hoping that sticking them outside will inspire them to sally forth. (Hence the fence - I don't want the rabbits to eat these seedlings I can't get to grow! I am afraid my garden is going to be quite pathetic this year.

Where was I? Oh, yeah. We worked hard on Tuesday morning to put up half the fence. Wednesday, it rained so hard I thought the roof was going to cave in and then hailed hard enough to completely cover the yard with pellets of ice. We're talking completely white and still clumped all over the yard this morning when I went walking with the dogs. What is with this weather? It's like every time I start to think about gardening I get punished by the Weather Witches. You think it's SPRING? HA! I'll show you! cackle cackle

I refuse to be cowed this time. Tomorrow, we are getting more posts for the fencing and by the time I go back to school that garden will be contained. The planties are heading out of doors for reals. Take THAT, you weather witches!

Gone and Back Again

I'm home!

What? You didn't know I was gone? I guess that is my fault. I am updating way too infrequently these days.

Regardless, I am back from my little jaunt to the midwest, feeling as though I have added some super glue to a few of my most important bonds. Although the impetus for the trip wasn't the most cheerful (memorial for grandma), I crammed as much visiting into the few short days that I possibly could.

I spent two of those days up to my elbows in niece and nephews. That was the best. I worry that they are going to forget about me when it gets so long in between visits and the last time I saw them was their mother's wedding - they were a little preoccupied. This time, I got to play Uno and tell jokes and wrestle and snuggle and read and bask in the sheer energy of them. They are growing up so, so fast. L is already reading quite well and blew me away with her logical and organized thinking. She's got a pile of brains, she does. D is adding and subtracting ("Give me a plus up to 30, Auntie Solee!") He has the sweetest way of saying my name that just makes my heart melt. For such a little pistol, he is awfully charming. Little R is the easiest, snuggliest baby I have ever met. This was the first time he was really old enough to understand who I was and he gave me one of those baby hugs where they wrap their arms around your neck and smoosh their soft cheeks up against yours. Aaah. I think my place as Most Revered Auntie is once again safe.

I also got to see my baby brother (He's almost 20!!) and meet his girlfriend. He looks like he is thriving on college and football and love. He's a happy camper these days and I am thrilled to see it. I can't believe this is the same kid I used to wrestle to the floor where I would tickle him until he cried. I coudn't wrestle him to the floor if my life depended on it now!

My other brother also made an appearance. I am always so torn up when I see him. Part of me is just so happy to be with him, able to hug him for myself and see that he's still around. Another part of me wants to smack him for scaring me so much all the time. It leaves me awkward and tongue-tied around him. I don't want to tick him off with my big sister lecturing and I don't want to embarrass him with my gushing. I think I need to get him out here for a week of "just us" time. Give us time to talk but not pressure him by cramming it all into one evening. I did love seeing how he put up with the kiddos crawling all over him. They love him and he loves them. You can see that plain as day.

My mom and I got to spend several hours talking together, something we haven't done in a while. Sunday morning, we went through tons of photos of grandma and grandpa and us kids as, well, kids. We found lots of beautiful pictures of grandma and made a couple of posters to have up for the memorial. I learned quite a bit of family history that morning. The actual memorial was very laid back and pleasant. I think grandma would have been pleased.

Things with mom's husband were going fairly well too. I still get the distinct feeling that he would rather not have me around, but I feel like I tried to be polite and friendly. Mom thought things went smoothly, for the most part, and that is what really matters. I don't want to be adding any negativity to her life.

All in all, it was a very nice trip and I am grateful that I got the chance to take it. My only regret is not being able to see the northern WI members of the clan. I promise, it will happen soon.

Ponderance

Why do I hate the repetative chores at my house so very much (dishes, kitty litter, toilets, laundry) while my favorite video games pretty much boil down to making someone do repetative chores (Sims-dishes,cleaning,etc. Animal Crossing-fishing,gathering shells,picking fruit Harvest Moon-gardening,caring for animals)? Why can I spend hours gathering cherries and selling them to the Farmer's Market? It's the same 30 second action OVER and OVER and OVER again. At least doing the dishes gives some physical reward. I dunno.

It's SPRING

At the very least, it is my spring break. It doesn't feel real yet, but tomorrow, when I don't have to get ready to go to work and I can lounge around all day, it will be wonderful! Two whole weeks to myself. Ahhh.

Finally

After a month and a half of hoping for someone to give the puppies, Trooper and Mia, a wonderful home, the waiting is over. The new owners are patient and loving. They are childless, giving much of their attention to their pets. Their home is on a couple of acres, all nicely fenced in, with lots of room to run and dig. They are planning to build a special kennel for the dogs to sleep in at night, complete with protection from winter rain and summer sun. The husband is home during the day to give them attention if necessary and the wife is willing to work on training them. They will have someone to walk with twice a day. The dogs will be well-fed, well-cared for, and well-loved. We have found the perfect place for them.

Where?

With us, of course. My puppies are finally, officially, MY puppies. When I walk out the back door and hollar, "Where's mah dogs?" I am not just pretending. :)

I have to thank Mikey for agreeing to this, despite his misgivings. I will make it work.

Letting Go

When I was born, my grandmother showed up, as grandmothers are wont to do upon the birth of their first grandchild, at my parents' doorstep, to help with the daily household chores as my mother got used to being, well, my mother. As the story has been told to me, she ended up being my first babysitter whenever my mom needed to grab a few minutes of that precious parental commodity - sleep. Being a bit preoccupied with this new thing called "life", I can't pass judgement on her ability to cook, clean, or make conversation during that trip, but the last 27 (yipes, nearly 28) years has been a tribute to the bond that we made during those first few weeks.

Despite having half a continent between us for a majority of those years, we have remained as close as ever. Annual visits to her home in Washington were a favored vacation when I was young. While I was in high school, there were a few brief years when I could see her on a daily basis, often staying at her house overnight after a dance or popping by for dinner before theater rehearsal. In college, I could count on her to send me a monthly gift - often just what I needed to keep my checkbook in the black or keep myself stocked with Ramen soup and peanut butter. We eventually traded places - Grandma in the midwest and myself on the West Coast - but continued to keep in touch with monthly, and eventually weekly, phone calls. No amount of distance could prevent us from sharing the events of our lives.

I have often battled with a sense of guilt despite this closeness. As the eldest grandchild, I grew up with a sense of obligation. My grandmother was there for my first days. In my innocent youth, unable to conceive of a life outside of my immediate family, I made a commitment to myself. When grandma needed someone to be there for her, when she could no longer handle things on her own, I would be the one to care for her. We would share her cozy little house by the park, and I would make sure her last days were as comfortable and supported as she made my first. At some point I realized that my life was changing. I had a boyfriend, then a husband. A job. A home of my own. Suddenly, the day arrived when she needed help and I was thousands of miles away. My childhood commitment went unfulfilled.

A while back, my grandmother moved from her home to an assisted living apartment and finally into a nursing home. Her confusion and general weakness made it unsafe for her to be unsupervised. Although she was frustrated by the betrayal of her own body and mind, she seemed to adjust well to her new surroundings.

Early this afternoon, my grandmother died. The relationship that started as she held the infant me to her chest reached its physical end today. I will never again hug her frail frame or hear her wavery laughter over the phone. My memory of her weathered face, white curls, and sparkling eyes at my sister's wedding this past summer will be my last. But there is no distance, earthly or not, that can change the closeness we have. I will feel her courage and strength with me every time I speak up for someone without a voice. I will be echoing her dedication to my grandfather every time Mike and I celebrate an anniversary. I will hear her whisper "Honey, I am just SO proud of you!" with every accomplishment.

Goodbye, Grandma. I hope you are happy and comfortable wherever you are now. I hope that you are once again strong and healthy, celebrating with those you have missed for so many years now. I will see you again some day. In the meantime - I will think of you often and love you always and forever.

Peace be with you.

2 Feet, Easily!

It has been snowing all day, so despite the above freezing temps, we still have 2 feet of snow in our yard. The dogs have been bounding around in it, thoroughly enjoying themselves. I have been alternating between the cozy warmth of my living room and the windy excitement of my winter wonderland. I thought I would share some pictures:

First, you can see what it looked like yesterday shortly after the snow started. When I left for work in the morning things were brown and dusty like usual. Mike said that nothing was really sticking to the ground until the afternoon.



Then it started snowing like it meant it.



This morning, everything was covered with a thick, heavy blanket of white. The dog kennel looked particularly pretty.



The redshank bushes were all bowed under the weight of all that sticky snow. The whole place looked different. We finally realized that it was because we could see over the bushes in places we normally can't. I am somewhat concerned that we are going to have lots of broken branches when this is over, but I guess that isn't the end of the world.



Since there are some things you never outgrow, I immediately felt the need to make a snowangel. Trooper was eager to "help".



I knew the cats would be facinated by the snow, so I brought some in for them to explore. Mostly, they just glared at it from across the room. Ollie was the brave one. He dug into it a little and chased the mini-snowballs I threw for him.



In the afternoon, I decided to make a snowman. It was so much fun that I built him a snowdog to take for a walk. The real dogs were quite confused by my interest in this particular patch of snow and took to licking the snow creatures. I had to repair the snowdog's nose after Mia took a nibble off of it!



I am so glad that I have kept my flannel-lined jeans, Steeger mukluks, and choppers handy despite the SoCal location. I am putting them to good use this year!

Holy Cow!

I hoped that there would be snow left this morning to play in, but I had no idea there would be this much! The snow is more than a foot deep out there - I watched Mia run past and you can't see her legs! It is about 30 degrees right now and you can tell be the way that the Redshank brush is sagging that that snow is HEAVY. It is still coming down fast and steady. I guess we won't be going anywhere this weekend! California doesn't have the resources to get her roads cleared off the way Minnesota does. Not that I mind. I'm liking the excuse to sit in my warm house, sipping hot cocoa, and reading my book. In fact, I think I will start that right now. See ya!

Grandma News

My mother's mother had a stroke yesterday at about lunch time. She exhibited the classic signs: slurred speech, drooping facial features, and inhibited motor movements on the left side. My mom and the doctor decided to try a newer drug which basically dissolves blood clots. It can be somewhat risky, since it doesn't differentiate between dangerous clots and beneficial ones. Within a few minutes of administration, grandma was looking better and by last night she was back to raising trouble for the nursing home staff. I have been told that she is still in some danger (injuries unable to clot for a day or so, blood vessels in her brain which were injured could simply give way), she is pretty much recovered from it. Since I didn't hear anything today, I am assuming the best for her. Please keep her in your thoughts.

The Return

It is snowing again! This evening, I drove the last 2 miles to the house through rain, slush, and finally actual standing snow. Cresting the hill to see the entire valley covered in a blanket of white was a beautiful way to start my weekend. I am hoping it is still around tomorrow, so I can go play in it!

The Classic Combo of Werewolves and Pudding

Driving home I had several thoughts and I jotted down reminders about them, so here I am remembering them!

1. I was listening to a great station (I'm still not sure what it is called, but they have some awesome programming) and their news update came on. The tidbits went something like this:

blah blah protesters being doused with flammable liquid in country Y blah blah government taking away civil rights in country X blah blah blah new diseases found to be destroying animal N blah blah blah study shows risk of cancer Z is up blah blah blah air pollution rating in city W at all time high blah blah blah bus filled with children and old people attacked by people irrate over the change in time of their favorite sitcom blah blah blah

Okay. I admit I made up that last one, but the rest are all based on fact. There was not ONE single piece of good news reported. This place is going to hell in a rocket powered handbasket. And yet, I don't just give up and crawl into the mountains to die. I credit the 10 year olds.

2. You know how those low-rider jeans are really short from crotch to waist? And you know how some people think they look sexy when they wear them, when in fact their butts just look twice as wide? Well, tonight I was driving behind a truck that looked just like that. I know those people thought their mega-wide truck made them look cool, but they just looked twice as dumb.

3. International Women's Day. Today is our day. I would like to thank the women in my life who are a constant inspiration to me. For Mom, Kathy, Verena, Shanta, Lexi, Sue, Julie, Nicole, Gramma Jeanne, Gramma Ann, Gramma Lorraine, Gramma Mary, Kate, Lynn, Raya, Amy, Sandy, Tori, Sarah, Amber, Maria, Julia, Kakey, Cindy, Ann, Patty, Kathy, Kelly, Pam, and all the other women who touch my life in unknown ways every day:
Thank you for your strength, your fragility, your pride, your fears, your confidence, your concern, your comfort, your love, your anger, your cooperation, and your serenity.

More Games to Play at Home

As I mentioned before, we have a surprising number of food items in our cupboard that are a mystery to me. How did they get there? If I bought them, WHY?? And what the heck are we going to do with them? Play a game, of course!

Each night we are drawing the name of one of these items from a hat. That item must be featured in the evening meal in some fashion. We may not buy non-essential food items until these things are used up. Some foods on our list:

* 4 boxes of pudding
* cous-cous
* slightly shriveled potatoes
* a package of some noodle stroganoff thing
* two different bread crumb items, one of which is Japanese
* a small bag of dried, refried beans
* wheat bran
* stuffing from a box
* two different flavors of rice-a-roni
* wild rice (I like it, but it takes FOREVER to cook)
* Cream of Wheat (only edible in the form of dumplings)

We should be having some interesting meals in the near future!

Question

I have made a mistake with the training of the dogs that I am currently trying to rectify. When they were jumping on me or the door or the fence, I told them to "Get Down". They are starting to get it, which would be great except that (as my recent research into training has taught me) now I have nothing left for telling them to Lie Down. I should have been saying "Get Off", making "Off" the important word. This morning when I tried to get Trooper to "Lie Down" he got totally confused and thought he was in trouble. He would sit fine, but when I asked him to "Lie Down" using the internet approved training method (have him sit, lower the cookie in front of him until in a lying position) he would lower his head, but raise his hind end. I physically got him into a lying position a couple of times, but that is when he starts thinking he's being punished.

So my question kind of has two prongs...

1. Do you have any suggestions on wording I can use to teach him to Lie Down without using the word down?

2. Or, if I am going to have to reteach this word, do you have any strategies for teaching him to keep his butt on the ground and actually lie prone?

Really, I shouldn't be trying for Lie Down yet, since he only has a tentative grasp of Off, Sit, and Stay. He is very good at coming when he is called, though. Or when Mia is called. Or when the neighbor's dog is called! :)

Life in Haikus

6 a.m.

glowing coral clouds,
cheeks ruddy with winter chill
shades of morning red

---

Peaceful

I wake with the sun.
The world blinks sleep from its eyes.
So starts a new day.

---

Training Trooper

He's calm by my side,
loyal, his collar jangles
softly - No! Get down!

---

Oliver

Cat in the window,
sleep peacefully in the sun.
Puff up! There's a dog.

---

evanescence

frost turns all to white
my name etched in the window
its melting away

---

Why?

war, pain, dispair, greed,
so much anger. i place my
hope in 10 year olds.

So Much to Say, So Little Time

I have had oodles of interesting thoughts lately, but all of my time has been consumed by testing and grading and writing out report cards. The end of second trimester is just about my least favorite time of year, especially since district officials, in their infinite wisdom, keep adding new tests and new BS paperwork. I might not have made it through Wednesday if it weren't for that amazing, caffinated rice crispie bar that arrived at my classroom door just before 9 a.m. (a thousand thank yous!!) At this point, I am just about done and things are returning to normal, but on Tuesday I was frighteningly close to a nervous breakdown. You know, the kind of close where you either have to laugh yourself out of it or actually have the damn thing. Needless to say (but I'm going to say it anyway, so there!), I don't really remember all the interesting thoughts, but I'm going to try for a recap here.

-------

The other day my pal, "A", gave me a barking collar so I can make an attempt at curbing Troopers early morning reminders that "It's time to let me out of this cage, Woman!" I happened to be holding it as I picked up my class for the morning. (On a totally, utterly unrelated sidenote - I have about 5 students who don't even stop making noise to take a breath.) One of my students saw the collar and innocently asked, "Is someone going to wear that?" I would be lying if I said I didn't have the briefest of lovely visions of a quiet classroom, before I explained that it was for the dog.

------

I have been listening to a couple of Indigo Girls albums obsessively in the car lately. I am pretty sure I am supposed to be getting an important message, either for myself or to pass on, but I am not sure what it is supposed to be. If you are expecting a message from the universe regarding relationships, give me a buzz...I may have intercepted it accidentally.

------

The dogs are still here. I am enjoying them.

------

Our cupboards are filled with food items that I bought when I was hungry. This means that when I look at them now, I often think "What the hell???" As of today, all the food I like is gone and we still have enough food in the house to feed a small...well, medium sized...army of locusts. It is rediculous. I am tempted to make myself finish off all the crap floating around before I go food shopping again, but that just doesn't sound appetizing. And it wouldn't be fair to Mike.

-----

I know that the above stories don't really illustrate it well, but I have been having interesting thoughts. It's just that my brain is tired and useless by the time I am able to sit down to the computer. My most abject apologies!

Mmmm...tastes like chicken!

My favorite thing about teaching is the variety of conversations that happen. There is never a dull moment, especially with hormone-ridden pre-teens. The other day my class and I were talking about the first years of the English colony called Jamestown. The whole discussion was fun: comparing Disney movies to reality, discussing the cultural differences of the colonists and the Powhatan tribe, explaining how challenging life was at that time. The most interesting part, by far, was trying to make a bunch of well-fed, comfortable 5th graders understand why the starving, freezing colonists were willing to eat dogs, cats, shoes, and even those who had already died during that horrible winter and how it didn't make them bad people, just desperate ones.

I'm worried that some of them were too convinced and are know envisioning their tablemates as giant roasted turkeys like in the cartoons! :)

My Kind of Shopping

We ventured into Temecula today. We could do that because I, like much of the country, am enjoying a three day weekend. In my humble opinion, all weekends should consist of three days: one for cleaning house, one for catching up on grading, and one for being lazy. Two days just doesn't cut it. Something always gets left out and unfortunately, it's usually the lazy day.

Anyway. The trip to Temecula. We had some shopping to do.

First, we stopped at Kohl's. They were having a President's Day sale and I was hoping to find something to spice up my wardrobe. I'm not much for clothes shopping, but every once in a while I get tired of wearing the same old leftovers day after day. It's time to add a little somethin'-somethin' to the closet. No luck. Everything was overpriced even AFTER the 30-50% discounts. Or too ugly. Sheesh. I did manage to find a nice serving bowl the matches my dishes and a fun t-shirt. The best part? I had a gift certificate left over from Christmas so I didn't spend a penny. I even have a balance left over for the next time I go. Whoot.

Next, we went to CostCo. We piled thing willy-nilly into our cart: video games, vegetables in bulk, yummy breads, treats. It was quite busy there and I think the thrill of our free Kohl's shopping had really gotten us in the mood for buying. Lucky for us, we also had a gift certificate for CostCo. We walked out, cart nicely loaded (if poorly aligned), without paying a dime.

For lunch, we got a table at Macaroni Grill where we built our own pasta dishes. Be warned that the M.G. idea of "pesto" is nothing like real pesto, although it is tasty. Two loaves of bread and much whispered giggling later, we paid the bill with...can you guess? Yep. A gift certificate. The tip was cash, but that was it. And they say there's no such thing as a free lunch!

Our final stop was Albertson's for groceries. I wish I could say that was prepaid as well, but it wasn't. Any gift certificate we got for Albertson's would be gone immediately. It was hard to mind paying for food, though, when the day had gone so well.

Bit o' Rambling

~ The garden is nearly turned over. The seeds will be planted this afternoon, and hopefully they will be ready for planting in March when the weather starts to cooperate again. (Kathy, did you notice how I was punished for my bragging?)

~ Mia caught a mouse today. She found the hole and either made a lucky guess or heard it moving around underground. She dug into the hole until she found the poor little thing and then carried it around the yard proudly. Yikes. At least, not being a cat, she didn't feel the need to give it to me as a present. She kept it all for herself.

~ My knees are killing me. This isn't really anything new, but this time I can't say it is because I have been lazy. I've been on my feet constantly at school, and the dogs have had me out walking twice a day on off days. This concerns me some as I feel I am a bit young to have arthritic type symptoms showing up every time the weather changes.

~ Last week my class took a states and capitals test. With the exception of about 6 of them, they all failed it. I lectured profusely on the need to actually STUDY since this was one of those things you just have to memorize. I told them on no uncertain terms that they WOULD BE PASSING the retake or THERE WOULD BE CONSEQUENCES. I graded the retakes today. With the exception of about 6, they all passed with flying colors. Much better.

~ Just finished reading Stephen King's IT for the 284th time. It remains one of my favorite stories. I get so enthralled in the character development. Each time I read it I make some new connection or notice another well crafted passage. Of course, each time I read it my disliking of the ending is renewed as well. What is it with King and spider creatures from outer space?

~ Ollie is adorable. See?

SNOW!!!

Woke up this morning to a wintery wonderland outside the front door. Had to get out and take some pictures quickly before it all melted away...









The dogs enjoyed it, too...

White President's Day?

It snowed! Not much, really. Just a light dusting last night that melted away shortly after sunrise and a flurry today at noon that didn't even reach the ground, but enough that I can say it really snowed. The dogs got a little damp (it also sleeted and rained - not nearly as blogworthy), but they didn't seem to mind too much. We are letting them go in the garage to get out of the weather. Not sure whether that is a good idea.

WHAT did you just say?

My class and I often joke about my "Laser Eyes", the ones that I inherited from my great-grandmother and only come out when I am upset at someone. They never really knew what they were until today. Today, right in the middle of class, one of my students decided to have a Battle of Wills with me. I asked him to do something and he first gave excuses and then flat out refused to do what I had asked. I could actually feel a click as I transitioned from my "I'm irritated that we are taking class time to deal with this" face to my "Think hard before you say another word" face. Everyone else in the room froze - not a twitch out of them - while they waited to see how I would react. My whole body went cold with fury. I gave him alternative directions, ones that required him to complete the task I was asking of him, but in a way that avoided the aspect that was causing him to balk. I warned the rest of the class that I was in a dangerous mood and it would be risky to push my buttons and then we moved on. I then avoided interacting with him for the rest of the lesson so that I woundn't say or do something I would later regret.

At recess we had a talk. Since I was over my anger at his utter disrespect for me and my expectations, I was able to approach the matter in a way that focused on the important issues. I didn't want him to think that it was me versus him. That kind of battle of wills never solves anything, usually just increasing the animosity and frustration on both ends. Instead, I explained to him the importance of my authority in the classroom - that I needed to be someone the students could trust and follow because of my responsibilities as a teacher. I commended him for not just following rules because they are rules and for wanting to change a rule that didn't work correctly, but I explained that there are ways of doing that that won't undermine the authority of the classroom. I asked him to come up with a solution that would cover both of our needs, which he did quite quickly. We came to a comfortable agreement, I thanked him, and he headed out for recess.

I am glad that I managed to defuse the situation without sacrificing my classroom expectations. I am glad that I had the chance to model self-control to my students. I am glad that I was able to encourage this student to question authority in a productive way, while discouraging the kind of disrespectful, impulsive behavior that would get him in so much trouble in middle school next year. Mostly, I am glad that I didn't say a naughty word in front of my class. :)

Random Ramblings

~ Ollie freaked out while sitting on my lap (again) and scratched the crap out of my arm. I am getting a little tired of all the bleeding I have done lately. Gotta get some Neosporin on these slash marks soon...they are burnin'.

~ We made stops at all kinds of plant related places today. The Pipe and Supply place provided, well, pipe. And supplies. We actually got everything we need to set our little orchard up with a drip system for the summer. At the nursery we bought tons of seeds - onions, scallions, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes (red, yellow, and roma), bell peppers, two types of corn, a variety bean pack, eggplant, cucumbers, acorn squash (one of the few squashes that I like), spinach, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme*, oregano, many types of lettuce, and probably some stuff that I am not remembering. We also got some bigger pots for the long-suffering houseplants. Our final stop at Home Depot landed us enough chicken wire to fence the perimeter of the garden, poles to hold up the chicken wire, two new hoses, and some of those little biodegradable pots that you start seeds in. So, now our trees will be happy, our garden will be happy, and our bellies will be happy (in a few months).

~ We made the mistake of leaving the drip line supplies outside after we went in. The dogs thought they made great toys. I spent several minutes as the sun was going down searching the yard for miniscule connector pieces. Poor Mia was so upset by my grumbling that she was afraid to come near me. That girl is SO sensitive. Had to go out later to play with her so she would know that I wasn't mad.

* Come on, admit it. You sang along. You know you did.

Thought you might want to see some pictures of our four legged guests:


As you can see, they look mostly black lab. Which is interesting because their mother was a yellow lab that looked almost white. All the puppies came out black, though. Not sure who the daddy is, but we're guessing that he was some kind of pitbull or bulldog type dog because of the broad face and stocky shoulders they have.



This is Mia. She is such a love. Wants to make you happy and is very sensitive to critisism. She is the leader of the pair. Here she is showing us how sad it made her to be kenneled all day. Now that she is able to run the 2 acres all day (kenneled only at night) she is much smilier.



And here is Trooper. He's quite a bit taller and heavier than Mia, with more of the stockiness to him. Looks like he was built to play football! He would follow Mia to the ends of the earth, but isn't much of an idea man himself. He wishes he could be a lap dog, which has caused some training problems for me. I cannot get him to stay on the ground! But look at that face...so hard to be tough with him.



This is Mia again. Isn't she a pretty doggie?



And here's Trooper being naughty. They aren't allowed on the front steps because if they see a cat through the window they lunge, scaring the cat and scratching the window frames. Trooper is a slow learner.


The End. :) ha!

Spring has Sprung

It has been warm, high 40's at night and breaking into the 70's during the day. Thanks to the dogs, I have been spending much more time outside enjoying this springtime weather. Neither of the dogs understands the concept of "fetch" so most of our time together involves walking the perimeter of the fence (have to keep all the holes filled or Mia the Brainiac figures out how to escape) and checking on my orchard.

There's good news and bad news in that area. The bad news: something bit or broke off all the branches of the pomegranite. It was by far the shrimpiest of our trees, but I am still disappointed. I'm still watching it with the hopes that it will manage to come back from it, but I am not going to bet the house on it. The good news is that we have seen evidence of growth from some of the other trees. The cherry has the slightest stripe of green on one bud, as does the mulberry (that one might be my overactive imagination). All four of the lilacs are definitely budding and one was showing signs of leafing this morning. Very exciting!

I have been somewhat inspired by the warm weather and the newly extended outside time. Yesterday I hand turned the beginnings of my garden. I only got about three rows done before my back was aching and my blisters raising, but it is a start. I plan to do a row or two each day. When it is done (maybe next weekend?) I will stop by Home Depot and stock up on seeds and starter plants. I know, Home Depot is an evil corporation and all that, but the local nursery doesn't do seedlings, only trees and shrubs. Sorry.

Doggy Update #2

The dogs are doing well. So far there has been no digging or chewing or unmanagable behavior. They get SUPER excited at the thought of being with us, and then they start jumping and climbing on us. Not sure how to cure them of that, but we're working on it. They don't like being locked in the cat/dog run at night so they have started barking some in the early morning. It doesn't really bother me, but Mikey notices it more. I'm sure the neighbors aren't crazy about it either, but since they have barking dogs as well, I don't worry too much. They continue to be very sweet and lovable. When it is time to get locked in for the night, they don't balk or make me chase them. They come when they are called no matter where they are on the property and they spend most of their time looking for pets and praise. The female reacts to scolding in a way that suggests she may have been smacked in the past, cowering and the like. She is a very good listener about most things - only had to tell her once to stay off the front steps - and very eager to please. The male is a muscle head. He just wants everyone to love him and play with him. He is not a quick learner, but not out of bad intentions. He's just not that bright. He would love to be a lap dog, a bit of a challenge since he's 60-some pounds! I am going to miss them when they go. Speaking of which, they will probably be interviewing new owners next weekend at the Animal Rescue place nearby. I sincerely hope we find someone who deserves them and who will give them the life they deserve.

Adios Mi Amigo

My little red car, the car that brought me home from college so faithfully, the car that moved my belongings safely to California, the car that worked without a single complaint for over 5 years, is now part of a new family. She is now the errand car for a family of 10. They travel in a large van when they go together, but now Mom can drive a more efficient car when she runs to the grocery store. They were so excited about the spacious trunk (esp. with the back seats folded down) and the 35 miles to the gallon. I'm sad to see that little car go - you never want to give up a well-behaved car* - but I am glad that she's going to a good home where she will get to feel like the "sporty" vehicle. :) Go in Peace, little red car. Drive safely.

*It's especially hard to give up a well behaved car when you don't know what kind of manners your new car has. The Jetta and I are still getting aquainted. BTW - the notorized lein release arrived in the mail today. Tomorrow the Jetta and I are taking a second trip to the DMV. Wish us all kinds of registration luck!

Groundhog's Day

I know, it was a few days ago. Today we had our First Annual Groundhog's Day Party. We invited over our wonderful friends, whipped up some delicious lasagna, and searched high and low for groundhog shadows (construction paper groundhogs hidden about the house and property). A splendid time was had by all and I am already looking forward to next year.

Doggy Update

Mia (Mee-ah) and Trooper are settled into the "dog" run and they are doing just fine, although they are not at all what I was expecting. I thought I would be dealing with jumping and pawing and digging and chewing and actively trying to escape the fencing. Nope. They are quite mild, eager to give puppy kisses, but not jumping up to do it. Their leash manners are not great, but some time with the choker collar should fix that. They are very sweet, leaning up against up as if to say "Thank you for giving us a chance." My friend "A" is quite relieved to see them safe and sound.

Pet News

Item the First:
Sunset (or Harvey, depending on who you ask) the Fish is not doing well. There were "fish lice" in his tank recently and although we seem to have gotten rid of them, he hasn't been able to bounce back. The sites Mikey has read say that once a fish has a problem with their swim bladder they aren't likely to recover. So he has been miserably flopping around the tank - more recently, around the bottom of the tank - and although I know the humane thing would be to put him out of his misery, I just can't bring myself to do it. I know that he is dying, but somehow the idea of taking him out of water and making him die is just too awful. It isn't my job to decide when things die. On the other hand, I can't help but think that it is just plain selfish of me to refuse to stop his pain. Aaaugh. This is why there will be no more fish in our house. EVER.

Item the Second:
Yesterday, I was picking Ollie up off of my lap when he lost his freakin' mind and turned into a whirling ball of teeth and claws. I suspect that he was less than confident in my ability to keep him from falling and was only trying to protect himself. However, the end result was not pretty. I have two slash marks on my arm, a gash across the top of my right thumb and a puncture wound on the fleshy part of my thumb (just under the knuckle on the palm side) that is looking a little too red for my liking. The whole thumb is slightly swollen and more than slightly bruised, making it difficult to do, well, just about anything involving my right hand. Hopefully, it will heal up quickly. Good news - Ollie and I have already made up. Neither of us is holding a grudge, but I don't think I will be trying to pick him up any time soon.

Item the Final:
My good friend "A" was giving away a batch of puppies a couple of years ago and two of them were adopted by another friend and her family. This week, that family decided that they couldn't handle the dogs (both lab mixes, good sized, poorly trained and socialized), who were getting out of their fence, knocking people over, and generally acting like untrained dogs. They decided to take them to the pound where it was decided that they would have to be put down. As "A" was telling me about this, all I could think about was our large, completely fenced, 2 acre lot. I called my loving and lovable husband who agreed that it would be rediculous for us to let these dogs die when they could be fostered at our place until a suitable home was found for them. So, tomorrow afternoon, we are going to have our cat-run* reinforced so that it can contain 2 largish, very active dogs. "A" is going to continue to look for a home for them (I promised Mikey that the only way we would keep them would be if HE couldn't bear to let them go and that isn't likely to happen.), and in the meantime, we are going to try to give them some love and some training. We'll be doggy foster parents. Wish us luck!

*Please note that the kitties are not being kicked out of the cat-run, nor are they being asked to share it. They have been banned from it since Bonsai figured out how to climb onto the garage roof. Once the dogs have moved on, we will kitty proof it again and they can reclaim their territory.

Colonial Daze

We are going to be studying the colonial period of American history for the next couple of months. My kids will be researching and becoming important people (complete with costumes). They will be learning about Jamestown, colonial/native american relationships, Ben Franklin and his pals, the Revolutionary War, and so much more. The best part, though, is that I get to teach them about colonial manners. They have to stand when adults come into the room, call me Tutor Hommel, and rise from their seats with hands clasped in front of them to answer a question. Ha! That is fun. The principal has already said she will pop in from time to time to see them stand for her. The hard part is that I have to be ready to answer all kinds of questions about a period in time that I pretty much ignored while I was in school. I'm doing all kinds of reading and scrambling to keep ahead of them.

We're In Trouble Now

Our Bonsai has this facination with drinking water from the sink. Any sink. He has learned over time that the water comes out when we turn that round thing nearby. Lacking opposable thumbs, he is forced to proclaim his need for running water loudly and with much repetition, especially during the middle of the night. Until last night. Last night, he accidentally (I hope) managed to turn on the fan in the bathroom. I am terrified that he will make the connection between the running fan (or...gasp...lights!) and the rising of human bodies from the bed. This could be bad.

Good News

First, I had an observation today for a training thing I am part of at school. This observation had been previously scheduled and cancelled earlier in the year and this time I didn't stress nearly as much or "dog and pony" nearly as hard. Surprise, they liked my lesson anyway. I did just the kind of thing I do anyway and got rave reviews. Whooda thunkit?

Second, I got home to find that the title for our old car has arrived. This means we can finally go through with the sale we have had pending for a few weeks. One less thing to deal with.

Third, many of the pals I invited for my Groundhog's Day party have said they will be able to come. I did some deep cleaning last weekend, so all I have to do Saturday is the surface straightening up and then the making of the lasagna. I am excited!

Finally, I wandered around and send happy vibes to the new trees this morning. They are all looking fine, although they are all still in Sleep Mode. Not too much longer until they start sending out buds and such, though.

Snuggle Cat

Ollie has decided that when my butt is in my computer chair it means that I have nothing better to do than love on him. He stands in front of my monitor so that I can see his handsome stripes and elegantly tapered tail. He lays on my papers to keep them in place, twitching his dangle paws in irritation whenever I have to use the "delete" button. He edits my work with long, drawnout footsteps. "iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijjjjjjjjjjjsssssssssssssslllllllllllll"
He climbs onto my lap, kneeding his claws relentlessly into my arm while he purrs his satisfaction to the world. If I should stop petting him, he reaches a paw towards my face in gentle reminder. To fend off boredom, he bats at the pendant around my neck, tickling me with his warm kitty breath and long kitty whiskers. He makes every computer project take twice as long as it needs to. He is a pain in the behind and I love him dearly. He is my sturdy little snuggle cat.

Planted

All of our loverly little plants are nestled snuggly in the ground. The apples, pear, almond, cherry, and pomegranate are spread out along the hill to the water pump. The mulberry is positioned to give wonderful shade to the hammock when it grows up. The lilac was split into two and spread around in front of the house, and the raspberries are over near the soon-to-be garden plot.

We dug 13 holes today, and my shoulders are feeling it. I am a little afraid of what my back and arms are going to be feeling come tomorrow morning. It will all be worth it when we are watching those plants bloom and grow and give fruit.

Tooty Frooty

Today is the beginning of Home Improvement Job #3.

(In case you are new or have trouble with your short term memory:
HIJ#1 = Building the cat run from scratch
STATUS = done, but temporarily out of use due to Bonsai's newfound ability to climb the wire and wander the garage roof.
NEXT STEP = Bonsai proof it!
HIJ#2 = Putting up gutters
STATUS = garage is done, house yet to be started because we had to return the borrowed second ladder.
NEXT STEP = buy second ladder and get the house done)

Yesterday, we went to Lizzie Ann's Garden Center in Anza (supporting our small town business!) and purchased the following:

1 large President Lincoln lilac - I have always enjoyed the fragrance of lilacs. This one is big enough that we can divide it into 4 separate plants. They will be planted between the house and the driveway that curves around in front.

2 Fuji apple trees - This is Mikey's favorite flavor of apple. We will plant them on the hill and hopefully we will have apples for snacks and pies and dipping in caramel and so on.

1 Stella cherry tree - Got this one on a whim. I am a big fan of fresh cherries but I have never grown a cherry tree. I was warned that the birds would eat most of them if I didn't net the tree, but I think I am okay with that. I will have birds in the yard AND I will avoid feeling too guilty about my complete lack of canning ability!

3 unknown type of raspberry bushes - We joked about getting enough to put around the whole property. That would stop those dogs from digging under our fence! We will probably put them near the kitchen garden in the middle of the front yard. I can't wait until we have enough for raspberry pancakes!

1 Pakistan Fruiting Mulberry - Another spur of the moment purchase. Now all we need is a monkey and a weasle. They say that mulberry fruits are tasty and good for all kinds of treats. I wouldn't mind learning to make mulberry fruit leather. My grandpa used to make fruit leather that was just de-LISH!

1 Sweet Pomegranate - Pomigranites are a great favorite out here in SoCal. Kids bring them to school for morning snack and come back to class with fuchsia fingers. Despite the horrendous mess (I was wiping up pomegranate juice for weeks after the last one), they are quite enjoyable with their sweet/tart taste and their satisfying crunch.

1 All-in-One Almond - Mikey lobbied for this one and I am glad he did, even though harvesting nuts involves more work then harvesting fruit. All that shelling! :) I am looking forward to having toasted almonds to add to my homemade spinach and pomegranate salad (doesn't that sound yummy?).

1 Bartlett Pear - Pears are the most perfect fruit and Bartletts are the most perfect pear. I have this great baked pear recipe that I will have to try out after we are getting fruit from this tree. Ooh! And I can garnish it with toasted almonds!

There you have it. We are going to have fruit and nuts coming out our ears in a few years. They said we might even get some fruit this year, but I am not going to get me hopes up too far. Today we are going to go out and plant things. Then we will have to figure out how to get our driplines in place before the summer heat comes.

I am quite excited to be growing our own food. Between the trees and the garden, we'll be doing pretty well. Nothing tastes quite so good as a meal made from homegrown goodies!

Conspiracy

I know this post won't contain any big surprises for those of you who have dealth with medical insurance companies on any kind of regular basis...but I don't...so it's news to me.

I have discovered the conspiracy that keeps our medical system going. It's like this. I go to the doctor for a routine exam, something that will hopefully prevent me from having problems in the future AND which is covered by my insurance. I pay my ever rising co-pay like a good girl and go on my merry way, happy that the test results were all as expected, glad that it is over until the next year.

Not so.

First, I get the notice from the lab saying that I am past due on my account. Hmm. I call the insurance company to verify that the tests were, in fact, covered. Yep. So, I call the lab to tell them so. They haven't received payment. I call the insurance company back and tell them this (because it is apparently MY job to make these calls and handle the billing/payment for these companies), to which they reply that they have not received a bill from said lab. Okay. I can see the problem and an easy solution. I call the lab, AGAIN, and inform them that the bill wasn't received. They agree to send another bill to the insurance company. I get to hang up feeling as though I have accomplished something and go on with my day.

(I know. This is where all of you who are experienced in this sort of thing get a good laugh. You're welcome. They say laughter is the best medicine. I hope so because actual medicine is too damn expensive and frustrating to deal with.)

Two months later, I open a letter from the lab. It says basically the same things, only this time there is more red highlighting. They are helping me out by making the important words like "$60.00" and "past due" easier to spot. I go through the same rigamorole that I did the last time. Multiple phone calls later we have once again determined that my tests were covered by the insurance, that the bill wasn't received and so it wasn't paid. I am again told that the lab would send out the bill. This time I hang up warily only after writing down names and confirmation numbers and all kinds of important information. (See, I am a quick learner!)

Repeat this procedure every other month until this week. This time the letter has the words "FINAL NOTICE" in a big red box. It contains threatening language about collection agencies and adversely affected credit. I am left with two choices - continue to fight this losing battle or just pay the damn bill. I pay $90 a month (I know, that isn't much compared to some, but it is a lot for us) to these insurance company incompetents. I paid my co-pay when I went to the doctor. For the last year I have spend valuable time dealing with these two companies that refuse to talk to each other. And I am STILL going to end up paying for something for which I shouldn't be responsible. The clinic gets their money. The insurance company gets theirs. And I get screwed.

Dammit.

Blah dee blah

I don't really have anything to say, but this just popped into my head...

The radio station I listen to plays quite a bit of 80's and 90's music, mixing Prince with Nirvana with Elton John with the Dresden Dolls with all kinds of things. Consequently, I am often hearing songs that I haven't heard in a long time. This is fun, except that I am realizing that all my favorite lover's ballads from that era are filled with misogynistic bullcrap. Jesse's Girl. When a Man Loves a Woman. So many songs talking about the cruelties of women or objectifying them. Some of them, I can't even listen to anymore. Others I just enjoy as throwbacks from an era that is thankfully over. Most of the time I try to remember that they were written by people who were either recently heartbroken or recently fallen in love - neither of which are times when you can be trusted to make a lot of sense.

Happy Monday

I settled in behind my front door before the sun settled down behind the mountain this afternoon. Awesome.

My team and I spend 1/2 the day planning and dealing with the little stuff that needed to be dealt with. While I was out of the classroom, my kids were cooperative with the sub. Awesome.

Someone asked me if I have been loosing weight. I haven't, but I have been fitting into my clothing better, so something good is happening. Awesome.

I got to talk to several members of my family last night and a dear friend (off teaching at a new school now) this afternoon. Awesome.

It's been a good day. Have a nice night.

Whining - but in a fun way.

My inky-flinky-double stinky (yes - I just made that up...like it?) knee is acting up again. Only this time it isn't a dull ache under the lowest edge of my kneecap. This time it is an ice-pick right in the middle of my kneecap. Fun. Thankfully, it doesn't hurt all the time, only when I do something silly like trying to pick something up off the floor or walk across the room. Stupid knee. Stupid, floopid, inky-flinky-double stinky, razz-a-flazzen knee.

Rate of Maturity

Fifth grade is an age of vast differences in maturity levels. I see this every day in a variety of interesting ways, but none has struck me quite as profoundly as hearing the responses to a writing prompt the other day. I presented them with the following quote:

"It takes sunshine and rain to make a rainbow."

and asked them to fill 1/2 of a page with their thoughts, feelings, etc. The responses encompassed a Grand Canyon of interpretations, everything from (I am paraphrasing here)

"I don't know what it means." (meaning "I don't give a rat's behind what it means, I just want to get home to my video games")

to

"It means that to get a rainbow you have to have sunshine and rain drops." (this was the most common response)

to

"In your life you will have good days (the sunshine) and bad days (the rain) and they will blend together to the golden days of your retirement (the rainbow)." (I'm not exaggerating here - someone in my class actually wrote these words)

Some of these kids could take over the class if I were to fail to show up. And others have trouble keeping their own shoes tied. Fifth grade is a hard grade to teach, but from what I have seen this year, it's even harder to live.

Good Stuff

The following is nothing more than a list of things I really like. Just for fun. Well, to be honest, just to avoid doing my grading (see #12)

1 Lay's Potato Chips
2 M&Ms
3 kitty snuggles
4 Buffy the Vampire Slayer
5 fictional courtroom dramas
6 the sun
7 my bloglist
8 vulgar, inappropriate music
9 witty bumperstickers
10 laughter
11 sharing knowledge
12 procrastination
13 knitting
14 Converse sneakers
15 fresh baked French bread
16 labels
17 Scope mouthwash
18 Chapstick
19 my down comforter
20 8 hours of sleep
21 sappy lyrics
22 hip-hugger cords
23 bargain shopping at Kohl's
24 Siggy's dinner salad with extra bleu cheese
25 kickboxing
26 being able to come up with 25 things I really like within 5 minutes

Okay. I'm off to to my grading...or finish my courtroom drama...or watch Buffy! :) Have a great night.

All Hail the Orb of Heat

For the first day in months, I got home before the sun finished going behind the mountain. It was light out as I stepped into my house. I am so grateful to be on this side of the Solstice! :)

Old Pics

We had a loverly little Solstice tree this year.

In daylight it looked like this:



And at night, it looked like this:

Second Job

Since I may or may not have a teaching position next year it is time for me to start thinking outside the box. At the moment, my only other marketable talent is knitting. Not that I will ever be able to make a living at it, but it might make working for Burger King* a little more bearable, no? You have seen my scarves. Now you get to see the hats! Yep, I have been branching out.

First, here is a scarf/hat set that I made for my brother and his girl. They are both going to Moorhead State and he's on the football team. At one point, I jokingly said I would make him a scarf with his school colors. Well, I suspect he is a little too manly to wear a fringed scarf, but maybe his girlfriend would be interested and then he can wear the hat and they can be a matched set. Isn't that just sickeningly sweet? You haven't heard the best part - if I can find out what his jersey number is, I am going to stitch it onto the scarf. Then she can wear it to the football games and cheer him on! Aaaawwwwww!!



I had so much fun making the hat for the set that I made a couple more. I am going to add a tassle or something fun to the top of each of them, but otherwise they are finished. I'm particularly enjoying putting together the colors and seeing what happens. I may make another rainbow one with white instead of black for the alternating stripes.



So here's the deal. I am going to set up an official page, but you are getting the advanced sale! If you are interested in either of these hats (or one like it with colors/stripes of your choice!) let me know. The hats are nice and toasty and mostly one size fits all. The scarves can either be winter warm or dressy cool depending on the yarn used. They make great gifts!

Current pricing is: $15 for the hats, $25 for a scarf.
Discounts available if you buy the yarn and send it to me (this also ensures that your idea of rust and mine are the same!)

If all else fails, I can always start selling cats**. Who wouldn't want an adorable little furball like this?



Or this?




* I'm kidding. I am not going to have to work for Burger King. I hope.

** Again with the kidding. I am not going to have to sell the cats. I hope! :)

Taking Control

I am grateful that this weekend is a long one (Thanks, Mr. King!) because the extra day is helping me to take back some control in a life that is feeling decidedly tailspin-ish. Yesterday I was able to get a large amount of grading done. Today I will be doing more of the same, but I have also completed some work (granted a miniscule amount) on my masters program. Tomorrow, I will do even more grading and get this house whipped into some sort of order. What the heck. I might even try to work on my masters homework some more.

There is truly nothing that helps those feelings of helplessness and lack of control like taking some control over things. Wish me luck!

Frustrations

OR
Ways In Which Other People Are Controlling My Life

1. I went to register the new car the other day. Later than the 21 days required because we were waiting for some documentation. The guy told us he would issue another bill of sale for the day we got the required paperwork, but somehow that didn't happen. Anyway. I rush away from school so that I can stand around at the DMV waiting for my number to be called (apparently our DMV office only offers appointments in the middle of the freakin' weekday - something I can't accomplish) only to be told that the paperwork he provided did not actually do what it was supposed to do. So I wrote a check for $1,600 and got nothing in return. Well, nothing except the job of attempting to track this guy down and get the papers that we actually need. As of this moment, he hasn't returned our phone call or replied to our email. Bastard. Oh! And I get to make another exciting trip to the DMV. Whoo hoo! And, of course, since the vehicle isn't registered, I can't drive it. :(

2. In our district we are working under an expired contract while our district officials and union reps try to hash out the details of the new contract. The district is being decidedly pig-headed about the amount of money they have available. No. That isn't true. I am sure they really have the amount they say they do, but that is mostly because they spend the money that comes in as fast as they can to avoid having to give it to us. If I were a parent in this district I would be concerned about the corner cutting and worse that happens in the name of "economy". Many of the teachers in our district responded to the crapstounding offer we received on Thursday morning by having a sick-out on Friday. Two of our highschools had to send their students home at 10:30 because none of the teachers showed up. Somehow they managed to keep them long enough to get it to count towards a half day, though. Thousands of students being crammed into the gym and "monitored" by the few subs who didn't know better than to take the jobs all for the sake of a half-day's worth of attendance money. I shudder at the thought of what might have happened. So the district is currently holding my raise hostage, the union is (rightly, I think) holding out for a better offer that may or may not come, possibly resulting in more work-to-rule or worse, and I am stuck in the middle just hoping that no matter what happens I can manage to eek through the downsizing and keep my job for next year. It's enough to make my head hurt.

3. (This one is really my fault, but I am going to whine anyway. Sorry.) We found a nice couple with a bunch of highschool aged kids who are interested in buying the Escort. We were getting it all ready for the final transaction when we looked at the registration and realized that it said "non-transferable". Suddenly, I remembered how I had registered the car without a title when I first came to CA because I was waiting for a duplicate title from WI. I was supposed to go in and fix things when it arrived. Since it didn't prevent me from driving the car (only selling it), I somehow never got around to it and eventually forgot all about it. Argh. Fortunately, the aforementioned couple is quite patient and understanding. I will be making yet another trip to the DMV to remedy this little error and they are going to buy it next weekend.

Sexy or Sick?

Last night, I watched Secretary. For those who haven't heard of it, this is a movie about a woman, recently released from a mental hospital where they tried to teach her not to cut on herself when life got rough, and a lawyer who looses all his secretaries after he spanks them. When the masochist in her meets the sadist in him...well, it's like a match made in heaven. Or it would be if they weren't so caught up in feeling guilty and wrong for their feelings. I watched it a saw a very romantic love story with an extra layer of kinky to make it more interesting. Mikey was a little more disturbed by the whole thing.

I understand where he's coming from...in another situation she would be an abused woman and he would be an abusing man. But they are both getting exactly what they want from the relationship. Not only that, but they are both more capable of living the rest of their lives in a wholesome, mental-healthy kind of way when their partner provides what is needed to keep balanced. At least that is how I saw it. Like I said, others disagreed. I would be interested in hearing what you thought if you have seen it (or see it in the near future).

Organized!

We have completely reorganized and cleaned the office today. Mikey is working on a new "Getting Things Done" system and I am just a neat freak. We went through all the filing and everything. Amazing folks, we are. It looks so nice and new in here. Whoo hoo!

Shoulda

Things I shoulda done today:
*finish cleaning the house
*finish putting up the gutters
*start the backlog of grading
*planned the next few weeks of school
*written thank you notes

Things I actually did today:
*slept in
*worked out
*did laundry (good girl!)
*played Zoo Tycoon
*started knitting a hat

I am slightly disturbed by the fact that I have not done the work I need to do to prepare for tomorrow's return to school. I can only justify it by saying that I work WAY more than my expected hours on the days that I am actually working. I am not going to give up one of my vacation days to do the same. Or something like that. Just call me the High Priestess of the Order of Procrastinators.

2005 in 24

Idea snagged from The Mayfly Project

Here's my year in 24 words...

2005
anza. home improvements. open space.
teach. fifth grade. mature but fragile. challenging.
healing. aunt. dad. brother. cousin.
growing. family. patience. hope. love. peace.
me.


And my previous years (Have they changed the word number or was I just oblivious the last two years? Don't know, but I only did 20 words for these.)...

2004
Things coming together. Family. Friends. Life.
Accidental balance. Coincidental joy.
Finding Peace within. Fighting Hate without.
Hope. Love. Growth. Bonsai.

2003
Husband. Love. Laughter.
Teach. Overwhelmed. Growth. Capable. Joy.
War. Anger. Sorrow. Vegetarian.
Family. Distance. Tears.
Cats. Housework. Inner Calm. Perfect.

I would be quite interested in hearing your 24 word summation. Put it (or a link) in the comments if you're interested in sharing.

For Grandma

While talking to my grandma recently, she mentioned that she was looking for the pictures of my house that I posted when we moved in. For some strange reason, the permanent link to that post is being, well, less than permanent. Here's what you need to do to see those pictures...

1. Find the "Archives" in the right sidebar of my blog.
2. Click on the one that says "July 2005".
3. Scroll until you find July 20th and a post entitled "Now That the House has Been Warmed".

Please note that I have since rearranged the living room and dining room areas. New pictures will be posted when (and if) I get around to taking them. Enjoy!

A Very Very Very Fine House

When I am working, I leave home at 7 am (or earlier) and return sometime after 5 pm. I spend my time at home grading papers, doing chores, or sleeping. There is very little time left over for anything else, but I am pretty okay with that. I like my job and find it rewarding enough to keep on keeping on, mostly because it provides me with ample vacation time for rejuvination.

When I am on vacation, I like to stay at home. I sometimes go days without setting foot outside. Within these walls are all the things I need - food, comfort, entertainment, and Mikey. If my cupboards are stocked and my bookshelves filled, I am perfectly content.

Of course, the main reason I can be so happy within these 1800 square feet is that my time here is so limited. And so I look forward to my return to school, partly because it means I am that much closer to the next time I can curl up in my chair, crank up the music, and read until my butt is numb!

Making Space for the New Year

Is there anyone else out there who feels compelled to clean around the New Year? Every New Year's Day finds me scrubbing floors and dusting shelves and cleaning out corners of my house to which I normally turn a blind eye. There is something about starting the year off neat and tidy that feels right to me.

Speaking of the new year, the other day I was thinking that it would be a good practice to choose something you would like to have more of or improve on in the new year and make sure you are doing that thing as the clock ticks over to 12:01 on January first. I just had the feeling that the powers that be are watching and seeing what you find important at such a powerful time. Of course, I then forgot that I had thought that and found myself driving when 2006 made its big debut. I'm not really crazy about the thought of more driving - although the Jetta does make it more enjoyable.

Finally, New Year's is the time for goals and resolutions. I have yet to formally write them out, but my goals definitely include finishing (or making good progress on) my masters program, making sure that I am working in a job that makes me happy (there is potential for change at my school that will require that I think carefully before making any decisions), and continuing to work on home improvements - including, but not limited to building a garden, planting fruit trees, completing the gutter work, and doing something about the nasty ruts in our driveway.

What about you? What are your plans for 2006?

Christmas surprise

My hubby is the bestest. Seriously. And I lucked out this year when he picked my name from the exchange hat!

My gift consisted of several small packages. Inside the first one was a paperdoll who looked remarkably like me (even down to the kidney scar!), designed, printed, and painstakingly cut out by my dearest.

A letter informed me that in order to receive the next package, I would have to identify which "Me" the doll represented. The first outfit was a shirt and skirt trimmed with apple decals, glasses, and a helper monkey. She was "Teacher Solee" of course! I got to open the next item!

Inside were some bumper stickers - "Honor Teachers", "children know everything", and "INFORMATION IS POWER" - a Cowboy Junkies cd (to listen to on my way to work) and a new outfit.
This time, I dressed my paper Solee in ratty, gross sweatpants, a tanktop, and a Harry Potter book. This, of course, was "I'm Going To Sit Here And Read And You Can't Make Me Do Anything Else Solee". Poor Mikey actually has to look at me in that outfit on a regular basis. Yech.

Anyway, I finally figured out which Solee this was and was given the next package to open. Contents = one previously unheard of Stephen King mystery, another bumper sticker - "READ BANNED BOOKS"- and a button reading "IMAGINE". And of course, a new outfit!
Now, Solee was wearing a Star Trek shirt, a Batman skirt, SuperGirl shoes and socks with monkeys on them (that I really have!), thick rimmed glasses and holding what looks very much like an Atari controller. Who else could this be but "Geek Solee"?

Her package, when opened, revealed a copy of the Hebrew Hammer (a cult classic if you ask me!), a button saying "The geeks shall inherit the Earth" and another bumper sticker - "All Your Base Are Belong To Us". And...You guessed it! Another outfit.
The new outfit was a puzzler...a white suit with blue stripes on the arms and legs, a sailor type hat, shaded glasses, and a word bubble saying "@#*!&@!!". Hmm. With a little help from Mikey I figured out that this was "Curse Like a Sailor Solee".

Sailor Solee got a couple of bumperstickers that she couldn't read aloud when she opened them - "F*** All Prejudice", "F*** Censorship" (oh, the irony!) - a button that reads "Do I look like a motherf***ing role model?", and a Stephen Lynch album. Needless to say, the parental figures found this one slightly disturbing, but I loved it. Also needless to say - there was yet another outfit!
The final outfit consisted of an ankle length skirt, a tie-dyed tank with a peace sign emblazoned across the front, sandals, a flower circle for my head, and rose-colored glasses. You know who this is..."Hippie Solee"!

For identifying this last representation of myself I was allowed to open a small wrapped box. Inside there were more bumperstickers - "SAVE THE HUMANS", "Pacifism Kicks A**", "TREEHUGGER", and "Where are we going? And why am I in this handbasket?" - along with a button that reads "Discover the Earth" and a Flying Spaghetti Monster decal. Among all the clutter, I also found a keyring, complete with key. A key that had that adorable little VW symbol on it. A key that was sitting atop a PICTURE OF A JETTA!!!!

Yes, all of the Solees now have a new car. Teacher Solee can get to school more efficiently, Slovenly Solee has a new place to throw her junk, Geek Solee gets to say she drives a European car, Cursing Solee has new tires to kick, and Hippie Solee will soon be able to announce that she is getting around using the power of corn oil! Whoot! It was quite an unwrapping, I tell you! When the sun comes up tomorrow, I will get some pictures of the actual thing.




Not sure if you can read them in the picture above, but I had previously gotten myself some bumperstickers for the car I hoped to get "someday". They are "Your Silence Will Not Protect You", "If evolution is outlawed only outlaws will evolve", "Plug Into Renewable Energy", "Question Authority", and "WILL WORK FOR PEACE". Now I just have to decide which ones get to go on the car and which have to find places elsewhere...

Happy Holidays

Since Mikey and I are never HOME on Christmas (and since this has been difficult on me in the past), we have decided to have our own holiday celebration this year. With all the bruehaha over which holidays it is okay to mention and how these days, we've decided to have our winter celebration on Dec. 21. Yep - our traditional celebration is now going to be the Winter Solstice. After all, we would way rather be celebrating the Earth and it's gifts to us than the consumerism and rediculousness that have become so tied to Christmas. Not that we aren't doing the Christmas thing for our families...but the Solstice is going to be OURS. Hope YOURS is just as joyful!

Land of the Living

I have returned. Or at least, I am on my way home! I was a little worried yesterday evening when I couldn't get my fever down from 101 even with drugs, but Mikey pointed out that I WANTED the fever - it was a sign that my body was kicking bug butt. I am in no way interested in doing that again any time soon. Bleh.

I knew I was feeling better today when I started sweeping and doing laundry. A healthy Sol is a cleaning Sol! A long round of Zoo Tycoon provided some restful entertainment and soon it will be nap time.

Oh - and just in case anyone was wondering how dedicated I am to spreading the holiday cheer - I managed to pack and mail (well, get Mikey to mail) the Christmas presents yesterday despite that nasty bug. Or maybe that was a fever induced hallucination? I guess we'll find out in a week or so when my wonderful family members either get their gifts...or not. :)

Just call me Rover

Cause I am sick as a dog.

Fever, headache, congestion, sinus pain, watery eyes, cough, aches and pains all over, inability to focus, lying around all day in that not quite asleep but not quite awake haze.

Ugh.

Story #2

Again, some background info:
1) I have an amazing ability to fight off just about any bug out there until a non-work day.
2) I have been fighting off a bug (or possibly a combination of the many my students have been carrying) for the last two weeks.

Early Sunday morning, I woke up with a scratchy throat and a slight headache. This was not entirely unexpected since it was the first day of my vacation. Obviously the baby cold that I had experienced the weekend before was back for more. By ten, I was feeling badly enough to uninvite myself from the cookie party I had planned to attend. By noon, I was starting a 2 hour nap. And by three o'clock, I was lying on the living room floor trying to distract myself from the aches and pains by watching a movie. At 7:30, I was being tucked under the down comforter with a thermometer in my mouth. Normally, I tend to run cold. It is not unusual for me to have a temperature of 97 degrees. Last night, I came in at a toasty 101.7! No wonder I was shaking like a leaf. Fortunately, some tylenol and a cool rag were enough to help me drop off to sleep. At about 1:30 this morning, I woke up drenched in sweat and feeling MUCH, MUCH better. If I could just shake this cough and stop my nose from leaking, I would be back to my regular ol' self.

So, I have two questions for you.
First - is 98.6 your norm? Or are you a freak like me?
Second - can you explain why my body feels the need to fight like crazy to keep my going to work, but caves at the first sign of a bug when I am on vacation?

Story #1

Friday was the last day of school before the Winter Break. The plan was something like this:
Do something creative.
Go to Library.
Do something artsy.
Go to Recess.
Open presents.
Go to Lunch.
Have a party.
Go home.

Definitely the kind of day I want to be a part of. More importantly, the kind of day I have to be a part of. The plans were all in my head and subs hate having to read minds to get through the day. Never-the-less, I almost missed it.

First, some background information.
1) One of the conditions on our purchase of this house was that all the exposed water pipes be wrapped. I had heard how cold it can get here in Anza.
2) When I went to bed Thursday night it was exactly 32 F outside.
3) As of Thursday night we had not yet turned on the heat in our house. Daylight sunlight through south facing windows and excellent insulation had kept things bearable so far.

So. I woke up Friday morning and immediately checked the temperature. 22 F. Sure glad those pipes are wrapped! I thought. Riiight. It was Pajama Day at school, so I gathered my most school appropriate pjs and headed for the shower. The water felt hotter than normal, but I attributed it to the fact that the air was colder than it had been yet - probably about 50 degrees. I had just finished soaping my head when it happened.

The water stopped. Just like that. One minute it was full blast, the next it was a pathetic little dribble. My still somewhat sleepy brain tried to process this turn of events as I stood, dripping and covered with soap. It didn't take long to realize that my pipes, thought to be warmly wrapped and protected, were, in fact, frozen. Damn.

At this point, two thoughts started a shouting match in my head. "I can't go to school like this." "I can't have a sub cover this day." "But, I can't go to school like this." "But, I can't have a sub cover this day." If it weren't for Mikey, I might have frozen solid waiting for an answer to come. He wisely suggested that I get the bottled water from the fridge, heat it up, and use it to rinse my head. This is why I keep him around, for emergencies. :)

2 hours later, I was sitting in my warm, dry classroom regaling my students with the tale of my morning. My hair, lacking its usual dose of conditioner wasn't at its best, especially after 20 minutes of de-snarling with a brush, but I let everyone think it was part of my Pajama Day costume. That evening, we turned on the heat (another adventure in and of itself - who knew pilot lights were so tricky?) and our pipes have been fine since. I am somewhat concerned because all the exposed pipes we can find are wrapped per the purchase agreement. The only other pipes I can think might be exposed are in the crawl space under the house and I am NOT going in there. There are things LIVING in there.

Long Time, No See

Sorry for the long spaces between posts. The limited amount of time in my day, coupled with the frustration of dial-up internets, just is not condusive to lots of blogging. Luckily, I am on my Winter Break for the next two weeks. With any amount of luck (or perhaps effort would work better?) I will get some of my thoughts down in cyberspace.

I have 2 big stories for you, but those will have their own posts. This is just the little stuff...

* I have made good progress at defeating the Holiday Blues. We got a little Christmas tree (really little - about 18 inches tall) and decorated it. We put lights up around the window and started wrapping gifts. I handed out presents to my well-deserving friends at school. It's hard to feel Grinchy when you are making people smile! Mikey and I also made some important decisions about how we are going to celebrate. Perhaps I will elaborate further another time. For now, I just want to say that I am in a much happier place and I am glad of it.

* You know those peanut butter cookies that have the chocolate kisses smooched into the middle? They are SO yummy. And they are SO easy to make. But 8 minutes really is long enough for the baking.

* Mikey has been spending all his time breeding fish. No, not real ones. He has a new computer game in which you breed fish, trying to find each different combination possible - including some magical fish. He has charts and anything. He laughed at me when I charted my progress in Geneforge!

* Just about all of our gifts this year are homemade. I am enjoying that quite a lot, although I am worried about the reactions of certain people. Those people are just looking for a reason to be insulted though, so I am not going to worry too much.

* One of the other 5th grade teachers has her kids working on a poetry unit. One of the assignments was to write about their 4th grade teacher. She has 6 of my students from last year, so on Thursday last week I was presented with a very touching poem about myself from the perspective of said students. I am going to frame it and put it in my classroom.

* Despite the absolute terrors my students have been since the Christmas bug bit them all on the butt, we managed to have a very pleasant last day on Friday. We played games and opened presents (teachers get THE BEST loot!) and generally enjoyed being together. It gives me hope for the second half of the year! :)

A Blue Christmas

I never thought I would say this, but after several years of ample evidence, I am compelled to come clean.

My name is Soleil and I get depressed around Christmas time.

I know. I bet you were like me, thinking that the only people who are sad at Christmas are pathetic, lonely people whose parents beat them as children or who have Gremlins-type memories of parents disappearing only to be found in the chimney. Holiday depression should come from bad things, things that inspire horrible memories.

Well, I can tell you that the exact opposite is also true. My childhood Christmases were some of the best anyone has ever had. Christmas was a season of peace and love, when everyone in the house did their best to remain calm and joyous. Sharing and caring, everyday occurances, appeared ten-fold amongst siblings and parents alike. There were books to be shared and ornaments to be hung and traditions around every corner. Although I am sure they were there, I can't think of a single bad Christmas memory. And I think that is the problem.

These days Christmas is different for me. For one thing, it is 60+ degrees outside with bright sunshine and nary a snowflake to be seen. For another, I know that I will be required to pack a bag and travel to a distant house to wake up in a strange bed on Christmas morning. While this is not the worst thing in the world...it does add a thin varnish of "company manners" over my holiday when what I really want is to be albe to skip brushing my hair and getting dressed, getting right to the monkey bread and new novels. Worst of all is the absence of tradition. At least the traditions that hold such prevelant places in my mind. The hunt for the tree, the Poinsetta Punch, the homemade eggnog and toffee. The reading of The Nutcracker as the music of the Sugarplum Fairy plays in the background. Mom's piano carols. The draping of my brother in blue lights that so perfectly match his hair. The fireplace. The togetherness. The CHRISTMAS of it all.

The problem is that the key members of those memories are spreading to the wind. My parents are split up. My siblings are growing and moving and marrying. I am stuck in a pattern of summer visits and winter separations. The things that once made the Christmas season what it was are not only missing from my day, but they are no longer happening at all. I'm sure that each household carries on the bits and pieces that are most important to them, but the whole of it is gone.

I have tried to convince myself that I am making my own traditions, but it is hard to do that in the shadow of perfection. My decorations are quite as memorable. My cds don't have quite the right versions of the songs. Our plans aren't quite what I am wishing for. Consequently, I end up cranky and irritable and sad during a time when all I want is peace, calm, and joy.

I guess I am slowing coming to terms with it. After all, admitting that there is a problem is the first step to solving it, right? So, I will continue to search for my own traditions to replace those that have drifted away. But it will never be the same. And sometimes what I really want is for everything to just be the same.

How do I know that I have good people in my family? My hubby is comfortable disagreeing with them in a way he would never try with his own. They are open minded enough to hear different opinions. Or at least I hope so. If not, we've gotten ourselves into trouble on a family members blog. :)

It's been a busy week - a series of 7:30 - 5:00 days and skipped lunches. It is horribly chaotic in my room due to the magic that is "Holiday Fever". I just managed to avoid a cold by going to bed VERY VERY early a couple nights ago. Did the trick, though. That pesky sore throat went on its way without a peep.

I would love to say more, but its past my bedtime and I can't think clearly. One more week and I am free to lounge around the internet all I want. See you then.

PS - It's freakin' cold in this house. It's not yet cold enough, consistently enough to justify the propane it would take to turn on the heat, but it is cold enough to make it slightly unpleasant to attempt anything that requires you to get out from under the covers. Like waking up in the morning. Brrr.