Thursday, April 30, 2009

It has been a very long week. I am so glad tomorrow is Friday.

April 29, 2009

It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of good teachers, will bring us to Him. We must not use the Bible as a sort of encyclopedia out of which texts can be taken for use as weapons.
-C.S. Lewis

April 28, 2009

I learned today that my students' last day is June 3rd, not June 4th. I am very happy about that. I guess I was wrong about how many days the students had been in school. Somewhere along the line an extra day was added to the calendar so we don't have to make up any snow days. The last day for teachers is June 4th, but I don't mind going in a day with no students. Just 25 more student days left.

April 27, 2009

Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harms we do, we do to ourselves.

-Mitch Albom

April 26, 2009

Today was pretty much a normal Sunday. We went to church, went to Denny's and came home.

I've been doing laundry most of the day. I wish I'd started yesterday so I could have gone to help Michael at the apartment. He went up to take out the carpet. I want to help as much as I can during the renovations.

The kids played outside today. They even ran through the sprinkler with the next door neighbor's grand daughter for a while. It was hot again today. It's supposed to be cooler the rest of the week.

We made grilled chicken, cheesy potatoes, stuffing and string beans for supper. It was really good. The kids played outside after supper. Michael and his dad went up to the apartment to do some more work. I did more laundry.

I also battled some spy ware on my lap top today. I think I won. I had to down load some spy ware removal soft ware onto my flash drive from the PC to get it to my laptop because the spy ware kept hijacking my browser. It took me about two hours, but now everything seems to be back to normal now. I have Spy Doctor and Registry Mechanic on my laptop now.

April 25, 2009

Today was a very busy day for us. Michael had to take Caleb to his boy scout regatta thing. They build a pine wood boat and then had to race them in rain gutters. I guess not many people showed up for it. Caleb had a hard time getting the hang of it and came in 3rd out of three. But, he got a ribbon anyway.

I took Abby to the groomers at 8:30 this morning. I had to stop at the grocery store on the way back to get something to take to the cook out this afternoon. I got cole slaw and chocolate wafer cookies.

Michaela and I left the house about the same time as Michael and Caleb. We went to Circle K to get drinks and then we were going to go pick up our April Shower bags. But, the groomer called to tell us that Abby was ready. So, we went and got her and took her home first. Then, it was off to pick up April Shower bags.

I was really disappointed. We had about 23 houses on our route and only one house left a bag out for us. We saw Vicky as we were leaving the neighborhood. It seems no one left bags on that route, either. That just kind of sucks.

Michaela and I went to the dollar store and picked up a bunch of stuff to add to the donations before we went to school. We also stopped at Walgreen's to get a couple Sharpies. We needed them to mark through UPC codes.

When we got to the school there were a lot of people there already. It did not take long to get everything sorted. Then, we had to count it all and with everyone working together, again it did not take long. After that it was time to take the donations to the food pantry.

Taylor rode with Michaela and me. We went by our house first and picked up Caleb and then went out to the food pantry. It didn't take long to get unloaded, there either. I think the girls really did a good job taking responsibility for most of the work. I was proud of them.

After that it was time to go to the cook out. So, we went to the park. Taylor rode with us again. There was so much food there. It was all very tasty and I enjoyed visiting with some of the other mom's. I really like the mom's in our troop a lot. They are just a really cool group of ladies.

It was really hot today but I am not complaining. I am so ready for summer weather. The kids went and played on the play ground for a while. Around 2:00 pm it was time to come home. I was getting really tired and the pollen was breaking through my Alavert barrier.

I napped for a couple hours this afternoon. I should have started laundry, but I just could not stay awake.

Tonight, Michael, the kids and I went to Trailhead for supper. There were all kinds of kids down on Main Street and the river front getting pictures taken. They were all dressed up for prom. I loved prom when I was in high school. I have some really good memories of prom and homecoming.

After we ate we went to Walmart. I think they are almost finished renovating there. Most of it looks nice, but I am really not a fan of the bright blue/white walls. I think the outside looks much nicer with the now neutral colors.

April 24, 2009

Another Friday is here. I have six weeks of work left until Summer Break. I really cannot wait until it is here. I'm so ready to not have to think about anything that has to do with my job for a while, unless I decide I want to, which I usually do at some point during the summer. I am ready to be able to just be with my own two kids all day every day for a few weeks.

Tonight, I have been very tired. My allergies are really taking a toll on me this spring. So, I sent Michael to Arby's and we ate here at home. Other than that we didn't do anything. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.

April 23, 2009

My allergies are kicking my butt today. Those darned oak trees have started spreading pollen everywhere and it's driving my nose and eyes crazy. I should have taken some Alavert with me to work today, but I forgot. I got pretty miserable because they had the doors open at school today. Tomorrow I take some with me.

April 22, 2009

Today was the BEST day!!!!! Al Hrabosky and Fred Bird came to our school to do assemblies that were aimed at keeping kids off drugs. The assembly was so much fun. I just love Fred Bird, I always have. He's so much fun.

I got to talk to Al Hrabosky a little bit one on one. That was so cool. He really seems like a nice guy. He was very willing to talk to anyone who wanted to talk to him and really showed interest in who he was talking to. I got my picture taken with him, too. I'm not usually someone who gets "star struck," but yeah, I kinda did today. It was fun, though. I was able to get my pictures sent to Walgreen's online so I could pick them up on the way home.

I wanted to have them to show to Stacey, Melissa and Marlene tonight. We all went to The Melting Pot for Ladies Night. I love it when we do that. It's just a lot of fun. We get so goofy and silly. Being away from kids and husbands for a while is very therapeutic.

Our waiter's name was Chris so Melissa told him we had to change it for the night. We ended up calling him George. Then, after we heard other waiters saying the same things ours did we started calling them all George. It was fun. We decided the managers were Philipe.

I really needed a day like today. I made my year!

April 21, 2009

Our calendar for the next school year is out. I'm really not happy about it. They have us off the whole week of Thanksgiving. This means that I do not get out of school for two and a half weeks after my kids get out of school next May/June. There is no reason for us to have that whole week off. It's just stupid.

We also have 5 PD days instead of three. We get two weeks off for Winter Break again. My Spring Break will be a week before my kids' break again. I would rather us have the same week off for that. Actually, I'd rather they do away with Spring Break. I'd rather get out of school in May and not go into June the way we do.

There has been some discussion about PT conferences, too. The calendar makes it look like we have conferences for three nights and half a day on Friday in October, then for three nights and half a day on the Thursday before Easter. But, some have been saying that it's not like that. Supposedly, the high school, middle school and elementary schools all have separate nights for PT conferences and then everyone has it on Friday/Thursday morning. I hope that's right.

April 20, 2009

My cousin called m tonight. It has been quite a while since I've talked to her. It was great to hear from her. I enjoyed our conversation very much. I really need to make more of an effort to keep in touch with her. Her daughter is going to be in St. Charles this summer for an internship. I hope I get to see her some while she's here.

April 19, 2009

Our renters moved out. The side that is now empty had continuous renters in it for the past 10 years. Not much has been done as far as improvements in those 10 years, so we've got our work cut out for us to get it ready for new renters.

We went up to do a preliminary assessment this afternoon. It needs a lot of work but it's not as bad as it could be. I will be glad to get to work on it. I'll be even more glad when it's finished. We need to do this as quickly as possible so we can get renters back in it as soon as possible. We cannot afford to go without renters for very long.

It's going to be expensive, but it'll be in so much better shape when we're finished. I usually hate to paint, but I'm really itching to pick up a paint brush now. We're going to have to replace all the flooring, too. And, we're going to have to redo most of the kitchen and bathroom. It's basically just from wear and tear. It really does not look like they were neglectful or abusive to the property.

We are also going to have to replace windows. They are original to the building. We are probably going to just replace the windows all the way around on both sides, if we can get a good enough deal on them. I'm not looking forward to spending the money, but I am looking forward to having an updated property. Hopefully, once it's done it won't take us long to find renters again.

April 18, 2009

Michaela and I had to distribute her bags for April Showers this morning. It was not as chilly as last year when we did this, but it was cloudy and drizzly again. But, it wasn't too bad. We had a neighborhood that is very nice. I love that part of town and would love to live there, but I don't think we'll ever be able to afford to buy a house over there.

Most of the day I spent doing laundry. Michaela and Caleb did their jobs then went outside. Michael worked outside most of the day. He changed the breaks on his truck and then worked in the yard. It wasn't as warm as yesterday and was cloudy most of the day, but it did not rain as much as we thought it would.

Tonight Caleb is spending the night with my mom. Michael, Michaela and I went to Pasta House Company for supper. We like that place a lot. We have a frequent diner card there and tonight we earned a gift certificate because we had enough points. That's always a good thing.

After we ate we went to Home Depot and wandered around. We have a lot of projects we want/need to work on this summer and fall. Hopefully we'll get most of them accomplished. We also wandered around Target for a while. I ended up buying the sound track to Mama Mia. Michaela got the sound track to Camp Rock. We looked at televisions, too. Our television in our living room is dying so it we need to replace it.

Michael and I watched 40 Year Old Virgin when we got home. Michaela wanted to watch Sound of Music so she watched that by herself. I really didn't find a whole lot of humor in the movie Michael and I watched but he laughed a lot. It was fun to watch him enjoy it. It did have a sweet story line, though. I just don't get that kind of humor.

April 17, 2009

I'm really glad it's Friday. I only have 5 Fridays left of the school year. It makes it seem not so long when you look at it that way. I always look forward to the end of the school year, but this year it's not just looking forward to it, it's a necessity that it end. I really hope next year is a better year.

I lost another student today. It's actually a good and bad thing. I am going to miss her a lot. She was someone that made me smile a lot. She could be a stinker, but she really has a great personality and really loved being at school.

She and her mom have been living in a shelter all of the school year, but now they are in permanent housing. But, this housing is in a different district so she'll be at another school come Monday. I know a lot of her classmates are going to miss her terribly, too. I hope this is just the first step up for her family.

April 16, 2009

I had my scheduled formal observation today. I think it went well. It seemed to go well. Most of it went smoothly except that I forgot to prepare enough of one paper for all my small groups. But, it was not something that took long to get ready once I realized I needed another one.
My lesson was on counting sets of coins using pennies, nickels and dimes.

This is not an easy concept for first graders. They have difficulty understanding the value contained in different coins and then remembering to count/add by how much each coin is worth.

This year, though my class seems to be understanding it more than in the past. I have tried a couple of different things thanks to our new math series. Today's lesson was fun for me because the students really got into it. They were all very engaged and seemed to enjoy it. They had to work in groups to count given sets of coins. Then, they had to make sets of coins to show the value on a given price tag.

I probably won't get feedback until next week, but I am not upset with how it all went.

April 15, 2009

After going through all the pictures I took over the weekend, I want to learn real photography even more. I love taking pictures and editing them. I've also finished Michaela's photo book. I made it about her first 5 years in school, kindergarten through 4th grade. I would have waited until school was out to finish it, but I had to have it ordered by today in order to get it free. I think it turned out pretty good. I'm anxious to see it completed. In any case, I just wish I had time to take a photography class or two.

April 14, 2009

Thirty-six more days of work for this school year.

I had a very strange dream right before waking up this morning. I was in my classroom teaching. We were in the middle of a really involved lesson. There was a visitor in our room, but I cannot remember who it was, except that he seemed to be enjoying his visit.

Then, all of a sudden, a man (I think he was supposed to be a substitute teacher) came into my room and started going through drawers. The drawers in my dream do not even really exist in my classroom, but he was just going through them like crazy.

I said, "excuse me, may I help you?" about three times before he answered me over his shoulder, "I'm just looking for something." Before I could tell him he had no right to come into my room and just go through things, I woke up. It was very strange.

April 13, 2009

Today was the last day of my four day weekend. It's also the last time I have a weekday off until Memorial Day. We have 8 weeks of school left until the year is over. That's 37 days of school left.

When I look at it that way I get nervous about getting everything done I want to get done with my students. But, I will be relieved when this year is over. I just really need this summer in more ways than one. Besides it being a very stressful school year, it's been a long cold winter. The summer will do me good, though. It always does. I always feel like I'm ready to take on everything my job entails once I've had my summer break. However, for now I need to focus on what needs to be done for the rest of the school year.

I've made pretty good progress with that already. I've managed to keep up with my grade book since 4th quarter started. I really hope I am able to keep that up because it'll make doing report cards SO MUCH EASIER, if I can keep up with it. Also, I've got the next three weeks of lesson plans complete and a good start on the lesson plans for the rest of the year.

Michaela got her evaluation back from her gymnastics instructor tonight. She has moved up to level 1 and is really happy about that. It means she's no longer at any type of beginner stage. She was so cute tonight when she was showing me and her daddy her evaluation.

Easter Sunday 2009

It is April 12, 2009 and it is Easter! I love Easter, it just always feels like a new beginning. I even love the hymns more during Easter than I do at Christmas time.

The kids got to get into their Easter baskets around 8:00 a.m. That's the soonest we could get Michael out of bed. They loved their baskets and hunting for eggs.

After church we went to Michael's parents' house. We took some pictures in front of their fire place because I just think it's beautiful and a better back drop than anything we have in our house. Michaela kept her dress on until Jenessa got there because she wanted her cousin to see her dress. She's very proud of it.

We ate lunch and sat around and visited for a few hours. It was a nice time. I enjoyed it a lot and the kids had fun together. Papa hid eggs outside for them once and then they all took turns hiding eggs in the house for each other. It was so cool watching all four of them together. They even got Jeremy Jr involved some.

At 3:00 we went to my mom's house. We just sat around snacking, drinking mimosas and talking most of the afternoon. I really enjoyed it there, too. My mom's friend was there and so were Brandon and Karen. We stayed until about 8:00 pm. I think it was one of the best Easters we've had in a long time.

April 11, 2009 part 2

Today I took the kids out in their Easter clothes and took pictures of them. It was a lot of fun. We went to the lake at the apartments that Michael and I lived in when we first got married. Then, we went to St. Peters City Hall park. They have a beautiful park there and that's where we took most of the pictures.

On the way home we stopped for a few more pictures at Lindenwood University. I took both my camera and Michael's camera. I wish I'd have gotten us all motivated earlier so the sun wouldn't have been so harsh, but I think we still ended up with some really good pictures.

The park at St. Peters City Hall was fun. I think we're going to go back there this summer some time when it's hot outside because they have a place where water runs down over rocks and I think it would be fun to get pictures where the kids can get their feet wet.

There were two couples there with professional photographers and two other families there doing Easter pictures while we were there. I really enjoyed the couple hours that the kids and I spent together and they seemed to enjoy it too. They loved climbing on the rocks and being around the lake.

April 11, 2009

OMG! Last night was so much fun! It's been a long time since we've been to a hockey game and even longer since we've been to one that exciting. The crowd was so pumped up for the game before we even got into the building. We all wanted playoffs so badly this year.

The Blues played a great game, too. Caleb was in heaven getting to see Oshie play. I got several pictures of him for Caleb. It was just a lot of fun. We even stayed afterwards and watched the players give the jersey's off their backs to those people who won. The guy that won Mason's jersey was so happy you'd have thought they were handing him about $10 million dollars.

By the time we got out of there, got back to the car, weaved through downtown traffic and got home it was almost midnight. The kids fell asleep in the truck on the way home. They both really enjoyed themselves. I'm so glad we went!

April 10, 2009

I had the day off by myself today. I went to Wal-mart right after I dropped the kids off at school. The Easter Bunny had not done any shopping yet. So, I got that accomplished and everything is ready to just sit out tomorrow night.

I also worked some more on Michaela's photo book. I need to get it finished because the coupon for it is going to expire soon. Hopefully on Monday I can get it finished.

Tonight we're going to the Blues game. I'm very excited about it. It's been a LONG time since we've been to a game. If they win tonight and Nashville loses then we're going to the playoffs for the first time in four years. That would be so cool.

Caleb is really looking forward to it. When he got home from school he was already trying to change into his Blues shirt and telling Sissy what she should wear. He's my little sports nut. I just love that about him.

April 9, 2009

Today was my last day of work for the week. We have a four day weekend. They call it Spring Weekend, but it's really so we can have off Good Friday and Easter Monday. I'm not complaining. Although if we didn't have these two days off we could get out two days earlier in June. In any case, I get a couple days to myself because my kids have to go to school both days. I'm looking forward to the whole weekend.

Tomorrow night we go to The Blues game. It's their last home game and if they win they will go to the playoffs. Saturday I'm hoping to take the kids out to take pictures of them in their Easter clothes. Sunday is Easter and we have plans with both sides of the family. Monday I'll probably be finishing up laundry.

April 8, 2009

Tonight was girl scout night. Our troop had visitors tonight. The Brownie troop from Coverdell came to participate in our meeting. The girls made jewelry at our meeting tonight. They made bracelets with beads and stones. They made necklaces with jingle bells and paper. And, they made their own little jewelry boxes. I think everyone had fun. It was an amazingly quiet meeting. Everyone seemed very calm and content. It was a good night at girl scouts.

April 7, 2009

I have been listening to an audio book during my drive to and from work. It's called In the Company of the Courtesan. It is written by Sarah Dunant. I cannot decide if I like it or not. It's keeping me interested mostly, but I'm having a hard time empathising with the main characters. The language is a bit vulgar, too, but that should be expected considering the subject matter. For some reason it's bothering me. Also, the man who is reading the book has a very annoying voice so maybe it's not the writer's voice that is distracting me from enjoyment, but the voice of the reader.

April 6, 2009

It's a four day week for me. We have what is called Spring Weekend off this weekend. This means we have Good Friday off and Easter Monday next Monday off for a four day weekend. It will be our last time having an extra day off until Memorial Day.

It was COLD today. I'm really tired of the cold. It also snowed like crazy. Thankfully, the ground is too warm for it to stick. Everything just got wet. I would love to skip to June right now, for more reasons than one. I'm SO READY for summer.

Tonight was Michaela's gymnastics night. While she was at gymnastics I went to the mall. I had to get her a sweater to wear with her Easter dress because Easter dresses are always designed without sleeves. I also went to Claire's and got her some hair stuff that will match her dress. I think she's all set for Easter Sunday now.

I want to take both kids to St. Peters City Hall some time to get pictures of them in their Easter Clothes. They've got great outdoor space for taking pictures. I would have done that last weekend, except we didn't buy Michaela's dress until Saturday. There were people there taking pictures when we went by on our way to the Mall. It was such a beautiful morning. I hope we have another one on a weekend sometime soon. I've got some really cool ideas. I might take them to Lindenwood for some pictures, too. That is if both of my kids cooperate.

April 5, 2009

I enjoyed today. It was nothing out of the ordinary. We went to church. Then we went to Pantera's Pizza with Michael's parents. I did laundry most of the afternoon and the kids did their chores. But, it was nice to just have an ordinary day.

Last night the kids and I went to see "Bedtime Stories" at the dollar show. It was a really cute movie. It was classic Disney. We all really enjoyed it. It was fun to spend that time with them, too.

April 4, 2009

It was a non-stop morning for us. Michael and Caleb went out to Michael's allergy doctor so Michael could get his shot and then came home to work in the yard. Michael also had to wait for my mom to call and let him know when they were going to go rent the tiller.

Michaela and I left and went to Target. We were on the hunt for her Easter Dress. She tried one on there and it was really cute, but she decided she wanted to keep looking. Our next stop was TJ Max. They had nothing left except size 6X. So, we headed out to the mall.

We went into JC Penny. Michaela tried on about 8 dresses, I think, and found one she REALLY loved. The problem was, it was a snug fitting dress and you could see the outline of her belly button and other parts through it. She needed a full slip if she was going to wear it. It is VERY difficult to find a full slip for a girl that is size 10/12.

We went around the whole mall very fast because we thought there was only one of those dresses left in her size. We finally found a full slip for her at Dillard's. It's a good thing they had one because they were our last hope. The thing is if we'd headed in that direction to begin with it would have been our first stop. Then, when we got back to JC Penny, we realized there were actually three dresses like that in Michaela's size so we went full speed ahead for no reason. But, we got a work out!

When we were leaving JC Penny with dress in hand I realized it was 11:35 already. So, Michaela and I stopped at Jack In The Box and got lunch to bring home.

After lunch, Michaela and I were off again. We went up to my mom's to take her new full slip up there so my mom can hem it some as it's a little too long. Thank goodness for Nana and her sewing machine. Michael, Caleb and Lloyd showed up there with the truck so they could go get the tiller.

Michaela and I went to Wal-mart. While we were there I realized I forgot to get her a sweater to wear over her Easter dress when we were at JC Penny. I'll go back and get her one while she's at gymnastics on Monday night.

This evening we're going to take the kids to the dollar show to see Bedtime Stories. So, I need to get them inside and showered before we go to eat supper because they won't be able to after the movie since it starts at 7:00 pm.

April 3, 2009

It was so nice out today. Just a little cool, but with long sleeves you could get away without having to have a jacket. The sun was out and the air still fresh from the rain this week. I love spring time.

We had parent teacher conferences at work today. It was from 8:00 a.m. until noon. So, I got to leave work at noon today. I was able to get a few things accomplished while waiting between parents.

I decided to stop at Trailhead and eat lunch on the way home. I had my Terry Goodkind book with me, so it was nice to just sit at a table by myself and read and have lunch. I got half a club sandwich and a bowl of french onion soup. I love their french onion soup. That's why I went there.

I needed to go to the credit union, but I didn't do that until I picked up the kids. I felt a little nervous about going right after work because when I had my accident there on Halloween it was after getting off work at noon during a parent teacher conference day. It was a Friday AND I had on the same outfit I'd had on the day I had my accident. So, I went later in different clothes and did not go through the drive through. I've not gone through that drive through since my accident. Yes, I am scared to do so.

The kids played outside most of the afternoon and evening. Anikca came over to play with them. She ate supper with us, too. It was good for them to be outside like that and I know Michaela loved having Anikca over here. I'm very happy for her that her best friend lives so close to us.

April 2, 2009

Michaela stayed with Grammy and Papa again today. She really was not feeling well this morning at all. I did leave a message at school asking her teacher to send work home for her with Caleb. She needs to do something so she's not too far behind.

Gale and Lloyd picked Caleb up from Guppy this afternoon. I had Parent Teacher conferences tonight. Michael picked the kids up and took them to White Castle for supper.

I had to be at work until 7:30 which meant I did not get home until 8:00 p.m. It seemed like the longest three hours. I had four parents show up which is more than I had total last year for third quarter PT conferences. Of course they were all four parents that I did not need to see. But, at least they showed up.

I am watching Supernatural at the moment. It is my winding down time. When it's over I will shower and go to bed.

April 1, 2009

I got my principal GOOD today. I wish I could have taken a picture of his face during the joke and after. It was priceless.

I went into his office this morning all serious like and even shut the door behind me, telling him I needed to talk to him. He knows that Michael's company is in the crap hole, so I started out with ... You know my husband's company has been going down the tubes.... and this is where I went from there...

Well, one of his customers has taken a liking to him and has offered him a job..... in Flagstaff. It's almost twice what he's making now. We're leaving at the end of April.

I even managed to tear up and have to wipe at my eyes. I don't know where the tears came from, but hey it worked. My hands were shaking, too because I was nervous. I usually cannot pull things off like that because I start grinning and laughing. He tried so hard to play the poker face, but I could see the "OH SHIT" in his face.

Then, I looked at him with my teary eyes and said, "You know what the worst part is?" He asked, "What?"

I said, "It's April Fool's Day."

ROTFLMBO

He said he wanted to choke me. Hehehehehehehehehehehehe My father would be so proud!

In other news, Michaela stayed with her Grammy and Papa today. She's still sick. I think she'll be going back to school tomorrow.