Monday, January 31, 2011

Snow Day!!!

Or Cold Day, whichever you prefer. I really don't care which one you'd like to use, just as long as I can stay in my jammies and sleep past 5:15 am. Tomorrow we have a day off due to weather. Shockingly, our district was the FIRST to cancel school for tomorrow (a record, I'm sure!) and I am NOT complaining! At this point, we haven't gotten all that much snow, but the windchill tomorrow is supposed to stay at a steady 25 degrees below zero. Can you say insane??? I guess I'll take the day or so of bitter cold... it's much better than what Wisconsin and my parents are getting in the next couple of days - almost 2 feet of snow. Yuck! I don't miss that in any way, shape, or form. I am quite happy knowing that just days from now, the weather here will have rebounded back into the mid 40s and what little snow we currently have will disappear rather quickly. Anyway, tomorrow the kids and I will happily stay ensconced in our home, with the heat cranked up. Oh, happy, happy joyfulness!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Forty

K turned forty on Friday. It's hard to believe that we are entering that decade. It really doesn't seem possible. But I guess we have to get older if our kids are continuing to get older. K is having a hard time with this one. I really can't say much, as I have 2 more years to go before I hit that age, but I remember 30 being tough for me. I always thought 30 was so old. Live and learn.
We spent the weekend semi-low key, although there were a few surprises along the way. Friday night, K's dad surprised him by showing up at our house all the way from Mississippi. K's genuine surprise and delight was very evident (if you know him well) and he really enjoyed having the company. On Saturday, we had a few people over to celebrate with us - which was supposed to be a surprise, as well. Unfortunately for me, K decided to check JADs cell phone and saw a text to one of K's employees who was conspiring with me. Bummer! Still, I think K had an okay time, even if he did know about everything.
K had asked for Barnes and Noble gift cards for his birthday and was able to buy a Nook Color with the combined gifts he received. He is really quite pleased with his purchase and I'm very happy that he was able to buy something that he really truly wanted. The nice thing is, he still has some gift cards left over and will be able to shop for electronic books whenever he wants.
Happy Birthday, K. I love you very very much.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Saturday, January 15, 2011

A Midsummer's Night Dream

K and I received a phone call this week. MED has been asked to be in the CS Music Conservatory's production of A Midsummer's Night Dream. Here's the really exciting part: out of all the novice students (around 20), MED was one of three picked to be in this production! How exciting and honoring is that! Today she is heading to the conservatory to meet the producer. Who is being flown in from New York. So, my little MED is bathed, dressed and ready to go. Mommy and Daddy are so very proud of her!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Love

Today K and I went to 'check out' a washer and dryer pair that was being sold. One of K's employee's recently bought a new house and the front loading washer/dryer set that his wife painstakingly researched and picked out doesn't fit in their new laundry room. Very disappointing for them. Really good for me! My washer and dryer have slowly been dying on me - the washer needs something replaced as it is leaking water from somewhere (yes, I'm very technical, as you can see) and my dryer has been the bane of my existence - sometimes taking up to four complete cycles to dry one load. I have really, really, really high hopes for my new washer and dryer. K was very kind and moved the old set out and new one in as soon as we got home. I am currently marveling at the quietness of the new washer and I can't wait to see how quickly my dryer dries a load of towels. I was able to fit 12 towels, 8 washcloths, and 1 handtowel in one load. That's just amazing!!! Here's to less time doing laundry!

Aren't they just PRETTY???

Thursday, January 6, 2011

A Whole New Era

Tonight I had a good talk with CEDs indoor coach. We talked about her team - the good and bad - and then the talk turned to JAD. Why JAD, you ask? He's actually trying to RECRUIT my eighth grader for high school next year (oh my gosh - my kid's going to be in high school next year!!!). Coach D is the head boys coach for one of the local high schools that apparently has a phenomenal soccer program. The school is very '21st' century as well; every student receives a laptop and all textbooks are on the computer. Sounds pretty cool, doesn't it? Well, it just gets better (yes, I am bragging and I can because this is my blog!). Coach D believes that JAD, at the latest, could make varsity by his sophomore year. Varsity by sophomore? That's amazing! He says that JAD is very sound technically and just needs to gain some confidence one-on-one. It's nice for JAD to hear it from someone other than his parents once in a while. Maybe he'll take us seriously now. Apparently, Coach D also went to our club owner and questioned why JAD wasn't on the premier team. The club owner didn't know how to answer that. All good, good things. JAD was feeling pretty 'on top of the world' tonight; hopefully this will be some of the boost to his confidence that he needs. Meanwhile, K and I have a lot to talk about. We've got a kid to register for high school!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Nothing Related

Today I started back at school and I'm pretty sure my negative attitude was apparent to most everyone. I probably should get my act together before my students show up tomorrow. I'm not particularly happy at my current school - to the point that I don't really care for teaching anymore. It's not that I don't want to be a teacher, I don't want to be a teacher at this particular school and in this particular district anymore. Over Christmas Break I updated my resume and will soon begin posting it on the websites of various districts that surround me. Hopefully I can find a job where I can be happy. At this point, I think anywhere else I go will make me happy. But here's to a better second half! (Cough, cough)
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The kids go back to school tomorrow - thank goodness! They need to go back before they kill each other. I think I live with 5 Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hydes. They can be laughing, joking, and living it up one minute and on the floor trying to pummel each other to death the next minute. It's exhausting just being in the same room with them sometimes.
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Scenario at dinner tonight: JAD and MAD were throwing a latex glove at each other (don't ask). MAD hit the jackpot and it glanced off JADs chicken noodle soup, so JAD plopped it down in MADs bowl and covered it with soup. Ensuing hysterics. Five minutes later? MAD is at it again, this time with her bread, throwing little pieces into everyone else's bowls of soup. And they wonder why K and I don't take them out to eat more often.
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I am NOT, I repeat NOT, making any resolutions this year. I think they are pointless. People generally do really well with resolutions for the first month and then just forget about them. However, I am going to get control of my weight again. Stress and life have taken over and, well, let's just say the picture is not pretty. But today was step one. Hopefully I'll have better news on this end to report later on.
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Another player on CEDs outdoor soccer team has quit. Awesome. Now we are down to 11 players, which means no subs. On Sundays, we have a player that won't play at all - because that's totally convenient when you are playing a TEAM sport. I won't get started, because I get all raged up when I start to talk about the lack of commitment from people who spend $1000 a year for their child to play a competitive team sport. Moving on...
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I think it's very strange that it's 2011. I still remember all the craziness at the end of 1999 when people thought everything would fall apart January 1, 2000. Y2K. And here we still are eleven years later. But, then again, the world is supposed to end next year anyway, right? Ah, good times, good times....
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I pet the mouse today. Yes, I did. I'm trying to be brave and put up a good front for my children. Lightning is very, very soft and she very happily sniffed my finger as I put it close to her nose. Of course, I was terrified that she would bite me as my hand got close (irrational fears, I know!), but she sniffed and moved on. All in all, it was a pleasant experience. No, I don't plan on holding her anytime soon. But I'll look through the wires of her cage and watch her happily burrow in the bedding. The End.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

I Have Lost It

My mind, that is. We have added another pet to our repertoire - Lightning. The fish have died, so I now have an empty tank sitting on my breakfast bar awaiting the arrival of piranhas. This is what K has now determined that needs to live in the tank. Yay. But I guess that's better than the other pet he wants - a baby ball python. A girl's gotta draw the line somewhere, doesn't she? But I digress... the newest pet, Lightning. Lightning is CEDs pet. She has saved up birthday and Christmas money for this pet, so it's not like I had to contribute to the purchasing of this furry little creature. The Latin name for this animal is Mus Musculus. The common name for it is mouse. Yes, a mouse. A mouse in my house. A mouse that our cat could very happily consume. So I now have 2 dogs, a cat, gecko (with its various crickets and mealworms), and a mouse. And we are looking for piranhas, apparently. And maybe a python. I might soon move out. That may make more room for the zoo we are accumulating.