things heard at our house recently....

"now bring us some piggy pudding, now bring us some piggy pudding...and bring it my dear"

"wow, daddy, look i made a lot of poo-poos" (and in response) "please, just sit down. sit down"

"i bonk my hair"

" 'scuse me, bo-bo"

"mommy, why did you say you really need a beard?" (beer)

hope things are as entertaining at your place.

the most wonderful time of the year....

negligence is easy when there is so much else to do!

we have been feverishly preparing for christmas at the here in the household these past few weeks. we went to the christmas parade in downtown. we went to see santa. we went to look at christmas lights in the car (several times). we mailed the cards....baked the cookies....decorated said cookies...wrapped and wrapped and wrapped gifts. set up the tree, hung the lights....well, you get the idea. exactly what you have been doing the past two weeks too.

needless to say, i am one tired mama. but i would (and will) do it again every year over and over. it is still so fun to hear the boy burst into the living room and announce "miss-miss ree" every morning, (like it would go away overnight?) and then demand "on-on-on-on" until the tree is lit.

or to come in and find that the boy has "rearragned" all the gifts under the tree to the middle of the floor, and is in the process of removing the bows of said gifts. again.

or when little mama uses the calendar to count down the days to christmas.

its so worth it. all the shopping, all the baking, all the decorating.....they are having fun, just like little kids should. so its all worth it.

its also much easier to be optimistic about how worth it everything is when there are only two days left...in case you think i have lost my mind, had you asked me two weeks ago, i probably would have shouted at you about the entire holiday!

merry christmas!

chex mix

chex mix is like crack.

seriously.

at least, it is in our house. and i don't mean the kind from a bag. i mean the good, hommade kind that is terrible for you and really spicy (thanks to extra tobasco thrown it!)

so i always make some for hubby this time of year (oh, i like it too) but i usually go to sams and buy the holiday three pack, with a pack each of corn, rice and wheat chex. and then i always start out following the recipie (at least, the amounts of chex and pretzels and peanuts to add) but then you wind up caught in the chex conspiracy.

i am not kidding. okay, first, like i said, the stuff is addictive. but then, once you have the boxes, you are hooked in. and not because you have no self control. the three bags are packed by weight. ok. but they give you more wheat chex than corn OR rice. really. so when you make two batches of chex mix up following the recipie on the box, you are out of rice and corn chex. but you still have almost half a bag of the wheat chex.

sooo....who eats plain wheat chex? nobody. in fact, if we are truly honest with ourselves, you know that if given a bowl of chex, you eat everything but the wheat if no one is looking.

back to the store. buy the other two kinds. buy more pretzels. then, you have extra of other ingredients.....and the cylcle begins again.

and if it weren't soooo delicious.....

turkey day

so we celebrated a less than traditional thanksgiving this year with my family. (totally traditional at the mcanally house) we decided to take the family (only eight total, including the two kids) out to the gaylord resort in grapevine for brunch and then went to the ice exhibit they have out there each year. it was great.

i know. you are thinking that i am probably crazy, taking a two year old and a three year old (on a holiday) to a VERY upscale hotel for brunch (which really isn't a meal...) and asking them to not only dress-up, sit still, and eat with some semblance of manners....but also to go down for a nap at a later time. yup. crazy is a great description. BUT....(and for the record, i am the first to admit when my children are hellions....) they were wonderful!!! we had a great time. everyone ate and ate and ate and ate. i swear the boy ate a pound of ham all by himself. and little mama ate one of everything she could get her hands on...including one of everything from both the white and dark chocolate fountains. (which were enormously popular with ALL the children...and quite messy!) and the ice exhibit was fun too. it was cold...cold...cold (9 degrees) but fun. and pretty amazing. the slide looked like a good time. i didn't try it, of course, but everyone else did. and the boy somehow managed to not only stop himself, mid-slide, but also to get stuck, and then have to inchworm down the slide at his own (very slow) place. it was funny. not to the guy running that part of the slide....who was close to freaking out...but that's okay.

but. i guess if you expect the worst...sometimes what really happens dosen't seem so bad!

after a nice long nap (for mommy and the kids) and the first half of the cowboys game...we headed to dinner with the hubby's side of the family. it was fun, as it usually is when we all get together. but it was more traditional....and lasted forever. i mean, we streched out all the celebrating to last all night. (heehee) and the kids (the siblings) all decided NOT to exchange gifts this year...just to buy for the kids, and then we will all bring 10 bucks in lotto tickets and play a tripoli tournament...

winner gets the tickets!!! whoo-hooo! that is such a fun idea....(way to go, em!)

thanksgiving...

so tomorrow will be a busy day. but today was BUSIER. i LITERALLY cooked for almost 8 hours...and we aren't even hosting!!! but that's okay. things always take longer when you have a lot of "help". but both pies got baked...pecan and pumpkin. (interesting side note...i wasn't intending at all to make a pumpkin pie, but little mama informed me that she learned at school that you always have pumpkin pie on thanksgiving, so i caved quickly) cornbread and sausage stuffing. oh, and sausage-cheese ball appetizers (cause the in-laws say we'll eat at five...and by seven we are gnawing our own arms off).oh, and a pot of mac'n'cheese for the babies, in case none of the other sides that are planned go over well. whew!!!

but thanksgiving....like Christmas....but without the stress of gifts. and shopping. and cards. not that i hate the holiday season...but thanksgiving is everything good about Christmas....without the worry of presents and all. its just more relaxed. BUT that being said, i wouldn't trade watching my kiddos on Christmast morning for anything. ever.

this thanksgiving little mama is greatful for (in this order) ponies, and her mom and dad.
the boy doesn't understand the question.
i am thankful for (in no order) my family (especially my husband), our health, our friends, still having a job, the children's schools (who take such good care of my kids while i work), and the fact that all the adult siblings on the hub's side have decided NOT to exchange gifts this year!!!!

i know. i am awful.

ahhh....a whole week.....

woooo-hooooo!!!!

a whole week off of work. a whole week.

and....monday and tuesday the kids can go to daycare. and...husband has already promised to take thanksgiving day off!!! so i am really really looking forward to this week.

monday....manicure (thanks monica!) and an appointment with my baby-dr.
tuesday...shopping and flu mist for the kids...
wednesday...prepping for thanksgiving...me and the kids at the store and in the kitchen all day!
thursday...you don't even want to know how crazy..
friday...SHOPPING, SHOPPING, SHOPPING....black friday...here i come!!! (also, check out www.blackfriday.info for the black friday ads posted as they are released!) seriously, there are some good deals on things that were already on my list to buy...and since hubby will be home, i do intend to be one of the phychos out at 5am. maybe i can get some folks crossed off the master list!
and then on sauturday and sunday, i fully intend to rest and pig out on leftovers!!!

hope you have a fun and busy week too!!!

3 - 0

3-0 . Thirty. Three decades. Almost a third of the way to 100. arg.

i won't say "old". but lets say that this has not been my favorite birthday. i think its the whole milestone thing. I was okay with 21 (duh). I had a little trouble with 25...only because it put me in the mid-twenties. but 30 is a little harder. nobody says (when you are 30) "oh, don't worry, you're still young, there's plenty of time to....." (fill in the blank....go to college, switch careers, etc.) you are supposed to have it all figured out by 30...right?

i guess 30 just seems "Grown Up" to me. not that the house, the husband, the two kids and one on the way, the closing in on a decade in the classroom, blah, blah, blah, don't feel grown up....i don't know. i guess i am not explaining myself well.

and i found that i have the starts of wrinkles between my eyebrows. i am sure it is from constantly giving students a look that plainly states "what the hell?". i guess i gotta stop that.

oh well....i gotta go clean the house

husbands greatest day EVER....

ok. so i can be hard on husband. i'll admit, i do expect alot from him....but then, he is also a really good husband. i mean it. i rarely have to ask for much help with the kids, and when he is home, he does help with the domestic side of life. and he puts up with me.

so like i said, he's a good guy.

and every once in awhile, its nice for him to get (or do) something he really wants. up until recently, he hunted. mostly deer, but really, anything that moved...and was in season (usually...haha) and was in range was also in danger! hunting is out of the question for now....and so husband turned to a new interest. talking me into letting him have a kegerator at the house.

really.

so he approaches me, about how i haven't sold the extra fridge yet....and how much space it wastes in our tiny garage. and how really, having a keg (that would last up to four months) would actually save money, since it is cheaper by the ounce...compared to a six pack. and how he is just "looking" online to see how much a kit costs. and i knew i was in trouble when i heard him telling me..."i am even looking on craig's list to see if i can find a used kit or something". he was in full sell mode. arg.

so i gave up, and gave in. "yes, just get it, order it all...." that was on a saturday. he was the happiest guy on the block by halloween....

ahhh...the first draw......so happy....

trick or treat....

halloween. i hate to say it, but i almost dread it next year. this year, we got off pretty easy.

i mean, the kids had fun, but they are still little enough that eight or so houses on our block was enough walking (in those giant costumes) and seemed like a ton of candy (i will admit, they are pretty candy deprived children....) so we were able to head back to the house by 7:30, and then we all passed out candy till about nine.....

next year will be a different story (i fear). something tells me that one block won't be enough...and passing out candy will probably not be seen as fun as trick or treating....

here are the kids getting ready to go....(yes, you are seeing that right...little mama is french fries and the boy is a hamburger) thanks to aunt e for helping us find our (wonderful) costumes!!!!

the very best part about the whole experience was watching the boy fall down. i know, i am a terrible mom, but when he would flop over in his costume...well, he looked alot like a frustrated turtle...and he would holler "stuck, stuck, stuck"....

not okay

okay husband...

i get it. i get that you need some me time. i even get that you want to watch the football game(S) all alone, without interruption.

i even get the need to close the door to drown out the noise of two children and a wife busily cooking a (ahem, delicious) dinner for you.

BUT

giving the kids musical instruments, showing the boy how to make a drum, and then going into the bedroom to watch football while your wife cooks dinner, while being seranaded by this....





and then shutting the door to enjoy the game?

not. okay.

(he knows i am kidding, but that really is what happened at our house tonight. the video is a whopping 30 seconds. the singing along with their own music actually lasted closer to 30 minutes.)

i am out. i am going to lay down to get rid of this headache.

not RIF'd...but still chaos!!!

well, i survived. the RIF, that is.

unfortuantley, one of my friends, colleagues and teammate did not. she taught second grade math.

now i do. i got "transferred" to teach math and science (at my own campus). and i had to move into her classroom, even as she was still moving out. that wasn't awkward or uncomfortable at all.

so here i am, ten weeks into school, and starting over. i guess one positive is that i already know the kids, but i am still moving, unpacking, and learning to teach a new math curriculum (in two days...with no notice!)

things are still a little chaotic as we all adjust. but lets face folks, that 30 million dollars in "saved" salaries...thanks to the feds...that isn't gonna happen. they aren't gonna grant us special waivers because we are incompetent. and NOR SHOULD THEY. so when the next round of layoffs...my guess to the tune of 300 more teachers/instructional coaches/specialists occurs...yours truly may not be so lucky.

in fact, with Christmas past (at that point), a baby due in two months, and a three-month salary for quitting....yours truly might just volunteer to sign those papers!

happy birthday boys!

both the boys in my life had birthday celebrations this weekend.



on friday night, i actually planned ahead....and with a little help (and some babysitting grandparents) we went out on the town! i took husband to morton's steakhouse ( i know...we even had a small table in the bar on texas-ou weekend!) and to the stars season opener against the blue jackets! dinner was great (if you go...i cannot suggest the mac n'cheese enough!) and the game was a lot of fun. we had some great seats, just to the side of turco....and even though the stars lost, it was still a lot of fun! we thought about staying for the concert after the game, but it was crazy in victory park with all the fans....so we headed home.



saturday was a crazy fun day....we had family and friends over for the boy and husbands party that evening....stretching into night....but it was also a great time. it is so hard for me to believe my little boy will be two this week. (ok, not hard to believe, given his propensity for temper tantrums...but hard to accept.) we had a pinata, and a cake...and later hot wings, dominos and this bizzare dance.....

you just never know what will wind up hapening after (most) of the kids are asleep.

happy birthday daddy and "matman"!

the fair

ok...so life isn't all tragic and doom and gloom.

we have been to the state fair of texas twice now in two weeks. daddy and i went all alone on friday, and then the next thursday we took the kids (even the boy) with us in the evening. we had a really good time. and both of the kids were sooooo much better behaved than i could have guessed. it was a great evening, with the execption of the boy's fit about getting his own corny dog (which , really, i can understand...just not afford!)

and yes....we tried some of the new and exciting fair food. we had the standard corny dogs, pizza, lemonade and fried pickles. BUT we also tried the fried grilled cheese sandwhich (it was so good), a fried praline (husband loved it), and waffle balls (strawberries, dipped in chocolate, coated in funnel cake batter and fried, served covered in powedered sugar...on a stick) and they were wonderful. we stayed away from the chicken-fried bacon....but we heard from some who loved it. and others who hated it. certianly not worth five bucks or so to find out!

and yes, that is husband on a mini-nascar ride with the boy can't ride, and he hates to ride alone or with little mama! isn't he a great daddy!!!!

no news yet

hey

i know there are a lot of people out there pulling for me. pulling for me to keep my job. pulling for me to stay at my school. and just sending good thoughts and prayers my way. i really appreciate it. it helps to know that people care about you, and how you are doing.

there has been no news yet. we went for our sonogram the last time my boss called a meeting. the gist of the meeting is that we won't know anything before oct. 15th, and everything will be said by the 17th. so it stretches on.

BUT the good news is that baby # 3 is a girl...or a boy...hahaha....and it is perfectly healthy, and has everything where it should...so thank God for that. Children are truly a miracle and husband and I are very blessed. i will post when i learn something new, but if i am "quiet" on the blog...its mostly because i am doing everything anyone can think of to keep myself busy, my mind occupied, and my negative thoughts to myself. cause they don't help anyone or anything.

so if i am not back for a week or so, i hope you will forgive me

RIF

(cue the scary music!!!)

Yes, its true. DISD has (within the last few hours) approved a large RIF (reduction in force) of teachers and other school-based, contract staff.

So what does this mean? I am not really sure, still. I mean, since this budget shortfall story broke, teachers have been having fits. First it was 64 million short, and it looked like campuses would have to cut budgets by 10%. Then, the shortfall (whoops) was actually 84 million dollars....and the sup. decided one sure way to save was to cut teachers back to "staffing formulas" (in elementary 1:24 and middle/high school 1:125) levels. But the board postponed...twice...and so life contiuned for two weeks, teachers taught, students learned, and of course, people gave credence to EVERY rumor that passed via blog, email, or word-of-mouth! And the teachers (all teachers) were stressed.

So today, it looks likt 650 teachers/counselors, etc. will lose their jobs. And they won't begin to find out who it is until NEXT FRIDAY at the earliest, and THE FRIDAY AFTER at the latest. So we are back in turmoil. I am on the block. I don't know to what degree, because the "plan" that will be followed is vague, and no one has really come forward with it. So I don't know how worried to be. But, then neither does anyone else. And it really dosen't matter.

I am not callous when I say this. I know that every campus in the district WILL be impacted by this decision. I know that some (maybe even me) will lose their jobs, due to another persons incompetence. I know that for those left standing when the dust begins to settle, they have a long road ahead of them. We will have to shift children, re-make classrooms, teach additional subjects, and say goodbye. The children have now had six weeks with us, and they will need to begin their school year again....getting used to new, different teachers....or just getting over saying goodbye.

So really, in the end, I might lose my job, and that is sad. But my students (even if I get to stay) are the real losers in this situation, because it will affect them the most!

writers block

has that ever happened to you?
i mean, i will be in the most random places, and i will think, "wow, i am so going to blog about that." and i can start thinking of links, and pictures and on, and on.

and then like, three minutes goes by, and that thought has been replaced (or moved) by 20 more thoughts (like dinner, and picking up kids...etc.) and then POOF! gone. never to return.

and it bothers me. a lot. because later i sit down, and pull up my blog, and can't remember anything except that i had a really good/political/funny/interesting thing to discuss and then....NOTHING.

it is really frustrating. and as much as i would love to blame all this on pregnant head...let's face it. two kids (plus pregnant), a job, a husband, a house to run....are you kidding? those thoughts are never coming back. and i sometimes just feel lucky to still GET the random thoughts, those that are apart from my ever growing and ever updated mental to-do list.

whew!

last week was a busy week. i know, no excuses, but still.

i started back to school with kids. not enough kids (only 39 students across three sections) but we still got started. what will happen to me, and my job, remains to be seen! maybe, no one in the big d district will notice, and i will get to stay in my fabulous situation. hope for me. or send in job leads!!!

other things have been happening in the past week. little mama started pre-school! she is so big. i didn't sleep for three nights prior to the big day! so, of course, all that stress was for nothing! she loves it. she loves her teacher. she loves her new friends (although she can't seem to remember any names!) she loves that they get to paint at school, and play outside. she loves her new "cool bed" for nap time. (its a cot!) i hear random details about mixed-up days at random times. but everything she tells me is good. some of the things i have learned about preschool:

first day!

"today we had red soup. it was just right and delicious. the put in goldfish crackers and i mixed it all up. i only made two new polka-nots on my dress!"


"miss b. says that if we get thumbs up, we did a good job. thumbs down is a bad job. i don't get tumbs down. some of the boys do."

"the girls bathroom is right by my room and the gym. the boys bathroom is on the other side. i went into the boys bathroom, but miss b. said it was no big deal. it looked like my bathroom but there were boys inside." (i have heard this about three times, so i think she was not pleased she went in the boys room on accident)


"i got to paint today. i got to paint today. i made a yellow picture of my house and my family and my friends. we got to paint on our table mommy!"


sooo, things seem to be going well up there. and the boy is adjusting to not having his sister around full time. he's not to thrilled to leave her some mornings.....

oh, and today was the first day of ballet lessons at her school. i will post the pic now, and try to get a movie of her new moves to post later tonight!

ready for our first day of ballet!

so tired....

ok. so i made it. the first day of school is done. i had eleven (yes, thats right...only eleven) students show up for my homeroom this morning. second class....twelve students. third class...sixteen. folks, these are some seriously low numbers for a public school. you really can't get teacher-to-students ratios like this even in some of the BEST private schools in dallas.


of course, there is always a downside. as with every year....you have a couple of darlings who have been advanced to the next grade under questionable circumstances. which leads your coworkers to accost you at your break with statements like "how did this child get to my class? they can't read anything?" to which you reply...i did try to hold this kid back. or...well, you should see the one i failed. or...now that they are on meds...give them a chance... anyways, you get my drift. it was a long day...lots and lots of talking. lots and lots of practicing things like going to your locker quitely, or raising your hand and then waiting to be called on before telling me about how the sprinkles on your poptart melted this morning in the microwave. (i wish i was joking)


but, thats enough. but for sure i am stressed about those numbers. texas state law says we must stay at a 22-1 raito in the Pk-3 classrooms. so if someone decided to split my class up in to the other two sections (those teachers have more seniority than i) then you would have two homerooms of 20 students each. that is not good news for me. also not good, all the english gen. ed classes are low. only our bilingual classes are on the full side. that doesn't look good for me to stay at my school this year. i won't know anymore until levelling..sometime after sept. 3rd.


arg. cause, you know lots of pricipals are happy to inherit cast-off pregnant teachers!!!


oh, and here are some pics of my room before and after the two days of work in there!

before








and after....

watch for a milestone post tomorrow afternoon. little mama moves from her sitter (where she has been since 2mos old) to a pre-school for three days a week. did i mention i am stressed out????!!!??

not winnin' any awards tonight...

man. i. am. grumpy.

seriously.

just a grouch. could be because both my 3 and 1 year old have decided to say "no" to everything (with varying degrees of defiance) for the last three days. could be because i am a raging ball of hormones. could be because i have to go back to work (school) on monday. could be because i am extra-tired today. could be because...well, i think you get the picture.

i almost feel sorry for my kids. almost. had i not started to apologize and then heard "no" (just teasing!)

so i gave up the regimen tonight. not supermom right now. the kids are eating dinner, and the backyardigans are on. yup. that's right. tv on during mealtime. a habit we are not cultivating, and yet, it is working so well to keep them occupied...and the manners are good right now...i wonder why not? (i know....it's terrible)

and the boy has learned a new word. (he is actually learning a ton of words right now, but this one is extra-amusing!) he was getting his diaper changed..and i was talking with him about his socks, and his stinky pants...and then he grabbed his shirt and said....clear as day..."sh!t"

seriously. so i laughed. (oops) guess who has a new favorite word?

if you like pina colodas....

...and getting caught in the rain....

or as daddy so kindly put it (as the rain poured down and we were as far away from our house as we were going to get on this little walk) "gee, everyone say, great idea mama!"

to which i kindly replied "you are the one who noticed how dark it was getting, and did not stop us from going"

so we wound up walking most of the way home in the drenching rain. oh well. we'll dry. and it was nice and cool. and kinda funny...now that we are home and dry.

then again, its august, in texas...so we will take any rain, any time!

the end of summer....

...is sooo depressing.

husband says that he can't believe i chose to be a teacher. he remembers the week before he went back to school as the most depressing weeks of his life. as he says "it was over, and you knew it was over, and all you could do was wait for school to start" and now, he tells me i am crazy to have a job that brings on those feelings every year. and it does. until i am actually back at school...and then the craziness and the anticipation set in. so in a way, this week is depressing to me. it is the end of summer. end of playing in jammies all day. the end of sleeping in (even the boy sleeps till eight!). the end of big breakfasts and going for walks. the end of swimming all afternoon. and, the end of just doing nothing all afternoon. all of this is compounded by the need to wrap up loose ends before monday, so i can go back to work "ready" (whatever that means..but it is a really strong feeling!) things like school supply shopping for little mama's preschool. things like buying ballet shoes. and getting soccer cleats. stocking up on supplies...and easy to make foods...so i don't have to go anywhere afterschool...getting those last few things so i am ready to "put together" my classroom for the year. (which i am planning to post b4 and after pics)

so its a busy, expensive depressing week...but by monday morning, i will be over it. i will turn into a lesson-planning, bulletin-board making, poster-laminating, whirling dervish that will drive my family crazy until the second or third day of school. and then it's back to the grind...for nine more months.

been really busy!

sorry i have been negligent....again. its really easy to remember to blog during the school year, since i have some time to myself in between school and picking up the kids. but during the summer, there aren't as many breaks! actually....no breaks, really. ok, i do get tuesday off from the kids, but little mama has managed to be sick the last two tuesdays... (i know, whine, whine, whine!)

anyways, here is what has been happening

first off, i wasn't kidding about the pool we've been hanging out in....was i?

and then, our much-loved uncle r came in to visit us, and we had a great time. had all the family over one night...and an uncle over the next, but it was a lot of fun. the kids had a great time getting to know uncle r. and little mama was quite confused by giving up her room. she kept asking me "r dosen't have a house?" and "what happened to r's house?" i tried showing her on a map that the house was far, far away, but that didn't help much. i guess that's a little above her level now, huh?

and, in the midst of all those things, we also decided to learn to roller skate in the driveway (had to wait until almost 9 pm for the weather to cool off...you know, a moderate 95 degrees) and, for whatever reason, the kids decided that it was a great time to get out the hot, full body, dinosaur costumes from halloween. so they wore those for the better part of a day.

who knows? and, little mama has been sick....first with strep throat, and then yesterday, a stomach virus. thankfully, it was a 24hr bug. but you know me....my first thought goes to...OMG she has CRYPTO. which, of course, she doesn't. cause she is fine today. but that is some crazy, scary junk. and icky...the more you think about transmission and stuff...which i am done thinking about .

oh, and also, now that everyone i can think of knows...we are expecting our third child this winter! woo-hoo (?) no, really, i am excited. and i did always want three. but after finding out that we were going to have the third, i experienced several days of "what was i thinking?" as my children behaved in such a way that i didn't know if i wanted to keep them, much less add to the chaos. but things are leveling out again, and i (and the family) are adjusting to the idea. i am not sure where we will physically put this baby when it comes (in our room at first, but eventually, it will have to share a room), and the idea of trying to get three people and myself ready to leave the house...and, for anyone that knows the boy...trying to nurse a baby with that child around...well, i guess things will just have to work themselves out. and the boy will have to be a better listener.

and we aren't finding out what the sex of the baby is this time. we have plenty of junk for either gender. but if you have name suggestions, i would love to hear them...since i had the worst time naming both little mama and the boy...and i knew what gender they would both be! now i have to choose a name for each! ack! so please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments.

and no, i am still not considering either ronald or veronica! (hahahaha)

really, already?

okay. i know i might be a bit biased. but really, back to school crap already?

we still have a month and a few days until the TEACHERS report. its still 100 degrees daily. why, why, why does the retail industry insist on filling the last half of my summer with worries of stocking up on my needed supplies already? i am not ready to worry about getting my folders 10/$1. i mean, i am cheap, so i am worried, but arg. i have to do this alreay? (actually, i already did...but see, i shouldn't be thinking about school yet. i probaby also shouldnt have to by my own supplies to give to the students, but that is another post for another time.)

yes, target and walmart and everyone else are already promoting the back to school blitz. they are offering the cheapest prices now, so that if (and when) you forget something on the list, you have to pay alot for it the night before school begins.

arg.

its just to soon...and yet, it has already begun!!!

keepin' busy

wow. we have been so busy...and yet, not really! and its great. sorry for neglecting to blog sooner, but geez, i have the kids everyday (but tuesday), husband is working all the time, and the computer is rarely at home when he is working. so its been difficult to find the time. but, i have some catching up to do, so here goes:

the fourth

was really fun. we watched fireworks from my moms house, and then the next night, from a hill overlooking white rock lake. it was just right, and little mama loved it. sunday we went to dads to shoot off fireworks. that was a hit with the boy but little mama hated it. (too loud?)

this past week, and all summer, we have been attending class at the museum of nature and science. which has been really fun. little mama is learning a lot about dinosaurs, and starting this week, bugs. (we are not fans of bugs, so the success of the class past this week remains to be seen!)

(here little mama is exploding her volcano, that she and daddy made. i think we have used almost an entire box of baking soda exploding the volcano since we brought it home!)

other than that, we have been playing outside, going to birthday parties, and just hanging out.

we have been spending lots of time gardening and "camping" in our living room.

the baby borrowers

have you seen this show???

(click here for a link to a two-minute glimpse of the show!)
for those of you who have missed this prime-time reality tv show...let me summarize...

five couples from around the country who are ranging in age between 18-20 (and have been dating for more than a year) agree to move in to a house together to experience the different stages of parenthood by...ta-da...borrowing other people's children for a set period of time. the first two episodes have so far focused on borrowing infants, between 6-9 mos old, for three days. BUT the parents of the children are in a house nearby, watching every move...as is a nanny who is on site all the time to make sure the child is never in danger. AND the parents left manuals for their children.

these couples all have different reasons for agreeing to participate, including
-prove not all young people are irresponsible
-see if they are "compatible" for being a family
-to prove to the other partner having children isn't all that hard....or its way too hard...
-to see if they can do this before deciding to marry and/or procreate at such a young age.


huh.

so i watched. in fact, much like a bad haircut...i found it hard to look away. some couples did well. one of the guys really rose to the challenge when his sig. other crapped out on him. others proved just how irresponsible and selfish kids this age tend to be...and were poster children for passing out condoms in college. (sorry, but its true!!)

but on the other hand....i guess if kids (25 and younger...hahaha) see this, and identify strongly with someone, and realize that parenting is really difficult, and there is so much more involved than anyone could ever tell you about...and that life as you know basically ends....and they decide..."hey, maybe i am not ready for this. maybe i should wait...or use a (insert favorite contraceptive here!)" maybe? seems a long shot to me. i don't think many kids will want to see themselves in the more selfish and immature kids on the show. nobody thinks they are that guy.

on the other hand, i no longer feel so guilty when i tell my kids to quit acting like an advertisement for birth control!!! (yes, i have really said this. judge me after you have two kids that are 18 mos apart!)

what do you think?


oh, and one last thing...i was thinking about how this was obviously very unrealistic. BUT also, i think that for all the selfishness displayed (especially by some of the young ladies) they aren't given the "pregnancy curve". you know, quitting most of your vices, slowly losing control of your body....your figure and sometimes, your hormones (and emotions), and of course, just the slowing down of life in general as you become roughly the size of a vw bug, and can no longer manuver and enjoy alot of the things you used to do. just a thought. and of course, the husband/s.o. suffers these things....too.

kickin' it old school...

circa 1993. almost middle school! haha.

wow.
we've been busy--sorry to have neglected the blog!

husband and i went to the stone temple pilots concert sunday night. it was wonderful--and thought-provoking. first, the acutal event...then the thoughts! dropped the kids off at nana's...went out to nice dinner...no rushing...no kids menus...we even sat in the bar. talked. wow. then over to nokia for the concert. we were in no hurry (didn't really want to see the scrub bands) but then, neither was anyone else. got to the show...lots of folks. lots of guys. (stp appeals to the boys?) anyways, the concert was great. every song you could have wanted to hear from them...and some you loved and had forgotten about! husband and i really enjoyed ourselves.

now...some of the thoughts (some of which are funny, and some of which made me feel old!)

1) first thing husband said as we sat down was....(looking toward the pit area) "hey...weren't there seats over there when we saw elmo here?" i had to crack up. then i wondered, (as i surveyed the crowd) i bet we aren't the only people who were just here for sesame street live.

2) before arriving at the show, i had thought that husband and i might be among the oldest in the crowd. i thought, "geez, we're gonna be those old folks that we made fun of when we were teens" not that i cared, but it was a funny thought. nope. wrong. i would say that husband and i were on the YOUNG end of the audience age, unless you counted the teens that were rocking out with their parents. (quite a few of those)

3) the pit. ahhh, a mosh pit. b.i.t.d. (back in the day)....husband and i both took trips down memory lane after the show. the pit at stp was quite calm. no moshing. a couple crowd surfers...but they were not very well received. and few were successful. b.i.t.d. when we were young and dumb (and i mean young....16 ish? 18?) we were the idiots in the pit. i was the idiot crowd surfing (sorry mom!) we were the goobers rushing the stage from the lawn at what was then starplex. we went to all-day concerts in july...with just enough money for a t-shirt and gas on the way home. this show? yea, i was content to have a seat with a good-view, and a cup-holder. man, how times change!!!! husband was grateful that he could sit too. when did we get old? (smarter? nah!)

but, we had a great night out...great music and an uninterrupted night's sleep! does it get much better?

Air Hogs

i know. you are like..."what the heck is an air hog?"

me too. i don't know what else it is, but it is an independent professional baseball team in grand prarie! we went to see the game last night. it was really fun. just right for families. even with young kids! they have a large playground area, a nice clean facility (with lots of bathrooms, including families!) and plenty of space! we had a really fun time!

well, we had a great time except for the air hog mascot, which terrified both of the children.

but, the game was fun. its cheap. playground, good concessions, lots of bathrooms. shaded. cheap. oh, and they do fireworks every saturday night. (that was a big hit with both kids. scared to death of the mascot....no problems with the crazy loud booms of the fireworks. odd.)

annnd....(we haven't done this yet, but soon) DOLLAR BEER THURSDAY!!! every thursday.

sooo...anyone finds themselves free on a thursday, call husband and i...we would love to go too!!!

indulgence....

....thy name is grandpa!!

today is father's day. we had a really nice day.

this morning we just hung out. then i took the kids over to my fathers house in ft worth. all the family was there. and then begins the indulgence....

grandma and grandpa rented a little train for the kids to ride on....and as, it turns out, adults are allowed too! little mama really enjoyed it. the boy liked it IF i rode with him, and IF he was held in my lap. no other adult would do, but he would happily sit in the train car and play until the guy started the "engine" up. then he would scream and scramble out as fast as he could!

but it was a nice time. and the kids loved it. and it was really hot. which worked out well, because in order to "soften the blow" of the train having to pack up and go.....it was all you can eat ice cream sundae time. the boy shared a little with me....and little mama ate a bowl of whipped cream with sprinkles. oh well...not everyday is an example of good nutrition!

so after a nice, quiet ride home from ft. worth (both kids slept almost the entire way) we went home and did fathers day again for husbands side of the family. brisket, home-made potato salad, home-made beans, fruit salad....and to top it all off, made-from-scratch blueberry cobbler, with berries fresh off the bush!!! it was very delicious. and fun. the boys played dominoes. little mama and the boy interrupted dominoes....everyone had a nice time.

it is such a blessing to be surrounded by family that loves you, and you enjoy spending time with. our family is very blessed in this respect. almost everyone we cherish lives within a hundred miles. only a couple of our favorites live far away, but email helps to close those gaps!

hope you had a happy fathers day too!!!

some stuff that is funny

these are a few things i have been meaning to post....(and i finally went and got a new camera cord!)

the first two are movies of the kids dancing at a fish fry....they boogied all night.

and i guess you could call this last one "little mama's first tattoo"

one of our friends came over for a bit, and she has a fish tattoo. and daddy had tattoos, and so do various aunts and uncles....so here is what happened when little mama found herself alone, and with a pen, and five extra minutes!

you can see the fish, and the water, can't you!!!!

update on the resolutions...

1. okay. doing good...making progress....learning new things....

#1 stay out of target....doing pretty good...only been ONCE in the month of may and june!!!
#2 haven't started the lesson plans yet.....lotsa summer left!
#3 grad school...putting that one off for now, i'll think about that a little bit later!
#4 sort and donate toys...this was a hard sell. i cleaned out THREE trash bags full of toys today.
and little mama found them, and started saving them. daddy and i tried to explain that we
are lucky to have lots of toys, so we are giving some to little kids who don't have any. nope.
didn't work....apparently, charity might start at home, but not with toddlers! we are still
giving them away! (and now everything fits in our various toy storage thingies!)
#5 clean out the closets...not yet.
#6 spend 30+ minutes outside each day...been doing really good with this one! we have been
playing outside alot (especially in the evening, or going swimming!)
#7 limit tv time. hmmmm...not yet. how do you think i have been getting the others done?
#8 sneaky-chefing....not happening. the boy and little mama are in the mood to try new things this month, so
its not needed at this point (growth spurt?)
#9 cook all the meals at home....really doing a lot better at this. we are eating at home, unless
it is truly planned (like we are spending the day at the mall, and chick-fil-a is a part of that)
#10 excercise daily. not the best at this, yet. i did mow the lawn tonight, and we have been
swimming alot, which is hard with two little ones. but, i am still trying.


oh, and i learned all about dry drowning (very scary...mommies and daddies take note. like we didn't have enough to worry about!!!! AND i learned how to use the weed-eater today. which explains the lawn, if you happen to drive by. that certainly wasn't husbands doing. he WAS a very patient teacher....and i think my struggle to learn amused him. thats okay. i am sure it was funny.

almost as funny as the HUGE bruise developing on my inner ankle as we speak. i dropped a frozen brisket on it. of all things. its already swollen and turning purple. husband was concerned i broke it. i don't think so....but it hurts like s#!t!!!!

summertime!

summertime...and the livin's easy....

written by someone without children, obviously.

school got out on thursday of last week, so i have only been off work for four days.

and it is truly amazing how quickly you (and the children) slide right out of daily routine, and into summer! we have been busy. i don't know if i can keep this up all summer. on fridays both the kids go to little gym, one after the other. it wears them out, so after lunch, both kids will nap.
saturday we went to a crawfish boil (thanks for having us, J and E...and thanks for the shoe!) and a birthday party that streched well past the end time, and i didn't walk the kids home until well after nine! (they slept very well!) and then sunday, a wonderful neighbor with a wonderful pool had all the neighbors over for swimming and grilling....and we stayed there almost four hours! it was so fun...and again, the kids slept well.

today we have a check up at the dr. and then i am going to try to take the kids to lunch solo. hubby didn't get home from work until about six am (he read the a.m. paper before coming to bed) so he needs to sleep until at least naptime is over.

not much else planned this week, but i am sure that will change! man, it is so great to be a teacher in june! (hee, hee)

home schooling:the great debate

taken from Parade Magazine (a supplement to our sunday paper):

"In February, a California state appeals court ruled that unless parents have recognized teaching credentials, they must send their children to school. The judge, citing a state education law, said that “parents do not have a constitutional right to home-school their children.” Parents and politicians were outraged, and the court will rehear the case this month.At stake is the education of the 166,000 California children who currently are home-schooled. But the court decision also could influence laws across the country. Nationwide, up to 2 million children are taught at home. Experts estimate that the number is increasing 7% to 12% a year. “If upheld, the California ruling will send shock waves nationwide,” says Richard Kahlenberg, the author of a number of books on education. He says the case “pits those who believe parental rights are paramount against those who place a premium on well-educated citizens.” Right now, only six states have strict regulations for home-schooling, usually requiring parents to have their curriculum approved, to show test scores and, in some places, to submit to home visits. Fourteen states, including California, mandate only that parents notify the state of their decision to home-school."

hom-schooling is an option that quite a few sahm's choose for their kids in my east dallas 'hood. private schools (that aren't catholic) are many here, but they are pricey. public schools are decent, but, many parents are hesitant to place their child at the neighborhood elementary school. ( i am too, and i teach there...) its not a bad place, but it might not be the best place. (hard to explain) anyways, so in between those two choices, some moms decide to teach the kids themselves.

i have to wonder how well that works. i am a certified educator in texas, and i just don't know about trying to teach all things to my own children. first, yes, parents are their childs first (and most important) teacher. i get all that. BUT, in my personal experience as an educator (who has now officially taught 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th and 9-12th grade children) there were MANY times i had to learn what i was supposed to teach!!! i know, terrible. but, it has been awhile since i learned spelling rules, and how to segment phonemes! so i probably study as much as my students do, so i am well-equipped to teach those skills the next day. do i always succeed? no, i don't. that is why the second day is spent re-teaching if needed!! (not that it occurs all to often...) and, part of knowing how to re-teach is accepting that whatever you did yesterday didn't work, so what else can you do? and knowing the alternate ways to teach something (like addition...there are MANY ways to teach that) is part of the reason you want a professional educator.

and speaking from only my own experience...HOW CAN YOU TEACH YOUR OWN ALL DAY???gack. seriously, gack. i love my babies to death. i adore them. i brag on them endlessly. i can't help it. but really, trying to get my child to do something as simple as use a fork some days is a huge fight. which makes no sense, i know. but....that is just a fork, and eventually social pressures will prevail, and they will not try to slurp spaghetti. BUT READING? i can think of no better way than to kill a wonderful thing than to have mom not only teach it, but then to FORCE practice of it, like i do for my students daily? they listen to me because i am their teacher, i am not mom, and i am a neutral party there to force them to do seemingly random things like learn to add, alphabetize and recite state capitols. and, they are stuck with me every day for eight hours, and there is NO playtime with me if they don't comply. (yea, i am kinda mean!) but i have all those tools, plus some, at my disposal. mom has things like time out, and spankings etc. i already do plenty for my two...i don't feel the need to personally educate them throughout their school careers. i do feel the need to find them a strong, nurturing environment in which to learn....FROM OTHER PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS. enough said.

odds n'ends

sorry that i have been neglegent! things are just crazy right now. school will be out in FOUR DAYS!!! woo-hoo! and with the close of school, comes much cleaning, prepping and moving!





also, things just stay hectic as i try to keep my twenty-three first graders engaged and learning to the bitter end!! i know, i know, you are thinking "ease up...let them have some fun, school is almost out!" you would think so, wouldn't you? BUT NO!!! they are sooo excited for summer, and sooo ready to just play and play and play...that i have to stay on them like white on rice! but, i am planning fun lessons for them. we are learning about cool, off topic things like nutrition and the food pyramid. and we have just finished reading the book Babe by Dick King-Smith. It took almost four weeks, so now we will watch the movie and compare the book and the movie on a giant diagram. so see, a little fun, but still learning!!! (also, if you do plan to read Babe with children, it is an english-english book, and they use the phrase "collie bitch" alot to talk about the dog fly.....this book would not be a good group reading assignment. i definitley suggest a read-aloud on this one!!!)





okay, other than that: my own kids have started with the summer fun. we have gone swimming, to the spraygrounds and other fun stuff.

so that's where i've been.

oh, and an update to the "summer resolutions".

• i have been walking or to the gym three out of four days (with time scheduled for today)
• i have only been to target one time
• we have gone out to eat much less since that post, but there is room for improvement!

so, if i don't post again until thursday, you know what is happening!

not to say i told you so....

but....i told you so. apparently i am not the only one considering the state of higher-education and goal setting among the majority of students. one of our local columnists (whom i happen to agree with frequently) addressed the topic of college TODAY in our sunday paper. read rod's take on students who aren't quite college material~just click on the link!

"what if they aren't smart enough?" from the dallas morning news

i'll post more later....we are getting ready to head over to matt's for lunch to celebrate papa's birthday!

summer goals

for those of you not lucky enough to live with or be really close to a teacher, you might not get this. so i'll explain. teachers live by a different clock and calendar. for the general public, resolutions for a better life are made each year on jan 1. and broken by february, maybe march (if you are super stubborn!). not so with educators. we resolve to do things on the day before the last day of school. that is when we have a (almost) three month break in which to focus on whatever, and so our thoughts turn to self-improvement.



naturally, it is much easier to resolve to exercise, home-cook, turn off the tv, when you have three months away from your job, and you can focus only on those things! of course, i do still have two major distractions from those goals, but hey, i love em!

so i am changing one of my lists on the side....in a little while, i will post a list of my "summer resolutions". as my friend monica says, if you go public with your goals, you are held to them. and since i don't do too well with any type of failure, that will be a big motivator. who knows, i might even post what exercise i did, just to hold myself even more responsible. we'll see.

did ya' check out my widget over there --->

its pretty cool, huh? i hope that shelf will be super full by the end of the summer. i am a nerd. i am okay with that.

and yes, i can hear the snickering about the "strong-willed child". we all gotta have help sometimes.....

"college ready"

"college ready" huh. interesting term. who among us is really ready for college when we start anyways?

i work for a large urban school district in texas. i mean huge. and i don't even work in a "difficult" school, with many challenged students. sure, my kids have got some issues, but comparatively, i am really in a pretty good school.

one of the missions of this school district (we have many missions!) is to have all students graduate ready to be competitive in college. or, in other words, we are striving to make all students college ready. okay. i get that. its a lofty goal, it sounds great, etc.

here's what i don't understand....why are we (in the education field) so down on vocational education?

yes, going to college is a good thing. it will get you a degree, and lead to higher education. it is quite a bit of hard work, and most definitely a lot of fun. it does allow you a little more time to decide what to do in life. and, in many cases, it will help you on the road to whatever you would like to become, in addition to making you a more educated and well-rounded person. i appreciate that. BUT college is not for everyone. its not. and i am not speaking financially, because these days, where there is a will, there is a way to pay!

i mean, there are tons of students who are bright, and talented, who don't want to continue in to higher education. there are others who are not as bright (gasp! did a teacher actually say that?!?), who might be lacking support, or who need a little direction in life. those kids (and many others) can really benefit from a strong vocation. a way to earn a productive living, and get training, while finishing out high school. (i also understand that taking body shop will probably not improve the chances of passing TAKS (that's another upcoming post!), which may have everything to do with this!)

so here's the deal. stop a minute. ask yourself who provides MOST of your daily life services for you. who is it? do you really spend that much time in the company of doctors, lawyers, or MBA's? (outside of work?) what about your mechanic, your heating guy? your plumber? your bank teller? your dry cleaner? how about your pest control person? your lawn service? the manager at your grocery store? how about all the truck drivers, who get those goods where they need to go? mailman? sales associates at the stores you like to shop? see my point? those people could be college educated...or not. either way, will a degree make your plumber more effective?

without those hard working people in the various vocations....life would surely (and quickly) come to a screeching halt. and yes, many of those jobs are made possible by behind-the-scenes work from someone who probably did have to go to college....but he's not the one bringing your package to you, is he?

so college ready is an admirable goal. but lets give these kids some choices. they aren't all going on to a university. and they don't all want to leave high school and get a job for minimum wage with little opportunity for advancement. BUT teach a kid a trade (bodywork, HVAC, plumbing, electrician, etc) spark their interest, help them to find the apprenticeship programs to go into after school, and you may just have changed that student's life.

but de-valuing this type of work, because it doesn't require a college degree, discouraging vocations and promoting all academics is not only unrealistic, it is just wrong. our economy (and our daily life) is based on this type of work. and no one should devalue any one who is working hard and training to learn a skill that can support someones family.

just my two cents. (actually, my high-school educated husband's two cents....he is our big moneymaker...and my check is spent, haha)

oh, and one last point...really, you want to pay the price increase for your college educated mechanic? you want to pay more to cover your plumbers student loans? the degree your electrician holds means he can demand a higher price....doesn't it? isn't that the thinking? i don't know about y'all, but i know that when we need those services, i will happily pay what is needed, but man, its not inexpensive. i pay for their knowledge, even if it didn't come from a university!

some stuff

okay. first thing. the stars lost last night. it was not a pretty game. i mean, letting a goal in during the first three minutes? arg. and the score of four to none at the end of the second was just sad. AND then, a goal, and new life in the team. who knows? had the stars shown that sense of urgency throughout the game, instead of waiting until the third, we could be gearing up for another game! arg. but, at least turco got over his "can't win at the joe" issue, and maybe, just maybe things will be better next year!

now, The Contract. man, i really thought i would get in to that movie. jon cusack and morgan freeman? seemed like a hit. not so much. in fact, another friend up the street called, asked if i wanted to come up and have a drink and chat for a little while, so i ditched poor hubby to finish it up all alone. had a nice time chattingn with the girls though. and hubby said the movie had a good plot, but not fast enough for his liking. he finished it though, and sent it right back.

oh, and we are now REALLY counting those days down. i mean really. i only have TEN days of school left (plus, really, only nine, cause i took this friday off!) so what could be better?

oh, and on the topic of education....oh wait, i will save that post for another time. probably later tonight, since husband is at home, and the good computer is there.

friday night

good times.

at home with the family. hanging out.

kids are finally in bed (knock on wood)

starting a movie with hubby now.

the contract?

i'll let you know how it goes.

whew!

okay. whew.

there are only two days left in this week. and then there are only two weeks, and three days of school left. and one of those days is a holiday. and i am taking off one of those fridays, cause the kids sitter is off. so really, for me, there are only THIRTEEN days of school left.

i am soooo waiting for summer. lotsa this planned:

okay, i know. but a girl can dream. maybe more like this:

but that's okay. the drinks are much cheaper (and stronger) at the second one!!!

and...

GO STARS!

we love you marty! we believe!

too true

i can't resist posting this....and its only funny if you have worked with us....


http://www.dallas.org/node/424

its a must-read!!!! (even the comments are great...i hope my canoe-effectiveness-index is this great)

new happenings...

there is a lot going on right now....and then there isn't!

things are in that endless lull between spring break and summer. that time of year when children act wilder and sillier each day, and the weather gets nicer and nicer....and if you aren't careful, recess starts to stretch.....

so we are now five mondays out from the end of school. five more. five more. its becoming my mantra. and there is plenty to keep a person busy between now and then, but, quite frankly, i am getting as restless as my first graders.

mothers day is coming up. (B....DONT FORGET YOUR MOM) so is memorial day, which is a monday off, but i don't think we have any plans.

but we are up for any invitations.....i will pause while the invites pour in....

oh, hey, yoplait has a freebie offer....follow the link, fill it out, and a coupon for free yogurt! woo-hoo

http://www.yoplait.com/products_yoplaitkids.aspx

(hahahaha)

many hats....only one head....

many hats, only one head....and not nearly enough brain these days. i used to be soooo on top of things. i mean, organized, house cleaned, time to go to the gym...homemade dinners. just call me mini-martha. then i had kids. two of them. in less than two years. and then husband got a new (much better, much more demanding job). and then i got "demoted" from fourth grade to first grade teacher. so for eight hours (or more, if i have to tutor...but that will be another post) i also care for 24 first graders.


yes, that means my total time, alone, without my (or anyone else's) children is LITERALLY about two and a half hours each day. which flies by. and 20 of that is back and forth to school and daycare! and an hour and 15 minutes of that is my planning and lunch.....so working to escape the kids is not working! (ha)

none of which would be a problem if i could keep my big mouth shut. "sure, i'll host that", "no problem, sponsor a club", "what? someone needs what? you got it..." you see, i need to help. i don't know what is wrong with me. but, if you know the cure.....

here goes nothin'

okay...so i am trying blogging. we'll see. i am nervous about my ability to keep up.
probably no one will read this...so it will be okay. if anyone does read this, and you have tips...please lemme know.

okay. and i am behind the times on games and stuff...but i follwed a link from who-knows-where and came across this game called typeracer . it is ridiculous. you are a little car, and the faster you type the sentence, the faster your little car goes. and you are doing this all while racing random people like yourself (who generally type much faster!) the first couple of times i did it, it was goofy. and then addicting. and then you find yourself actually caring about wether or not you beat someone named born2hack while typing sentances from Juno and other great movies.