Updates

Cravings...there's nothing like fulfilling a food/drink craving you've had for several hours or several days.  Unless you can't figure out what you're craving.  That's me.  I just don't like eating/drinking right now because nothing is satisfying, and everything leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Normal?  I don't remember this, so I don't know.  I craved root beer with Lovely (and gained about 35 lbs) and I craved Sunkist with Snugglebug (only gained 23 lbs--go figure).  This one?  Who knows!  Other than cheese (yes, I do like a good Colby Jack cheese right now), I'm craving...something...If you can tell me what it is, I'll clean your house for you.  Well, I'll think about cleaning your house for you, if my house is any indication of my cleaning prowess.  

Time, Time, Time

I just realized I haven't posted in a while.  I've had these perfect pictures in my head to match all that's been going on in my life, but the problem is I keep forgetting to take these pictures.  Thus, my words will have to do as record. 

First, Lovely finally lost her first tooth.  She was super excited and refused to take it out at home--she wanted to take it out at school so everyone could see and so she could bring it home in a little container.  This happened Feb. 2 and it was one of her bottom teeth.  You may say this is rather late for a seven yr old to lose her first tooth, but I recently found out I still have one of my baby teeth (Lovely cringed when I told her this and refused to believe me).  Let's just say my teeth were/are slow to leave, and I hope they stay that way! 

We also worked on a desert habitat for Lovely.  It turned out really cool, with background pics from AZ.  In addition, we celebrated 100 Days of School, so I volunteered to help do centers in Lovely's class.  Word to the wise:  when building towers out of 100 cups, use regular, drink-size cups instead of those little snack cups.  Just sayin'. 

Next, I visited Build-a-Bear with Snugglebug, and realized I couldn't ever work here.  We apparently entered Barney land unbeknownst to me.  "Rub your bears' hearts, boys and girls, so they're filled with love.  Now touch your muscles with them, boys and girls, so your bears are big and strong.  Now, touch your heads with them, boys and girls, so your bears and smart.  Now touch your legs with them, boys and girls, so your bears can run fast in your dreams, etc., etc., etc."  And each and every one of those kids are special, dontcha know.  Then, we had to listen to 22 choruses of "Stuff your bear (insert child's name), stuff your bear.  Stuff, stuff, stuff your bear (insert name again), stuff your bear."  However, it was a cute field trip and after the bake sale (which I helped out with and we raised $420 in 2 days!!!), the trip w/ the bear only cost $3/student.  Then, I made Snugglebug work to earn money for clothes.  She chose a bride outfit.  What am I going to do with her?! 

To top off everything, S has been sick.  Like, willing to go to the doctor sick.  He's NEVER like that.  So, he had strep and got a Z-pac, only to find he's one of those rare cases of people who has extreme stomach pain, etc. from taking it.  He finished the dosage, but he hasn't eaten or slept right in a few days now.  Let's see if I get him to the doctor ever again....

Hope your February has been all that and a bag of chips.  Yes, I just said "bag of chips."  What am I, getting old and corny?  Maybe...

I Hate Being a Vegetarian

All I can say is kudos to all vegetarians out there.  I've been trying to "juice" today, which means I've only eaten veggies and fruits.  I went ahead and made the "Mean Green Juice" from Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead--and let me just say, I don't even like the smell!  Hubs of course said he really liked it.  MMMhmmm. 

Anywho, I don't know how long it will last, but I thought one good day of cleansing would be a good idea considering what I ate in Tucson.  Amazingly, I only gained 3 lbs. on vaca, despite the abundance of cheese crisps :D 

I will post vaca pics soon, and more pics of our adorable new family member, Twixy.  She's a lab mix with gorgeous tan markings. 

FALLing Fast

Whooosh...that is the sound of fall speedily transitioning into winter.  It is also the sound my mind makes as it is boggled by the lack of time around here. 

Lovely is now taking violin lessons and she is playing basketball.  Perhaps I am pushing my childhood desires for extracurricular activities off on her, but she seems to be enjoying it.  I had always read that extra activities such as this can boost self-esteem, so let's see how it works.  Snugglebug is in basketball as well, but because of her age, she won't start playing until the actual games begin in December. 

My first three classes at a real university are swiftly coming to an end.  I still love teaching; I'm just disappointed to only have one scheduled for this spring.  Because of this, I'm once more desperately on the job search.  And because of this, if I get a job with a conflicting schedule, I will be forced to take the job that pays more.  (sigh).  I've been subbing an the girls' school as much as possible lately-- seven days this month alone, and this is during a month with a holiday break.  Also, I am only available 3 days/week, so I only have the possibility of subbing 12 days max. 

Needless to say, my house is atrocious.  Seriously, horrendous.  And I want to decorate for the holidays.  However, it is difficult to reason decorating a house when the house is so dirty I've lost the dust spray.  Yes, it's that bad.  Any cleaning volunteers? 

I've also been thinking of starting a new blog-ish site that I can use for my CV, but I'm wondering where I can dig up the time.  Also, I'd like to design some writing classes at the community center for this spring--one for homeschoolers and one for adults.  Oh, and did I mention I need to work on getting published myself?  Every time I see my culminating project on my flash drive, guilt shoots directly from my eyes through my body to my toes, which are buried under the mass of papers, clothes, and other debris inhabiting my house. 

Maybe I just need a clone?  What do you think?  If you could clone yourself for one day, and one day only, what would you have your clone do? 

Out Sick

Just a quick note to let you know I'm still alive...barely. 

I've been sick.  For two weeks.  TWO WEEKS.  Yeah, not fun.  I've been sounding like all the patients combined in an old-fashioned TB sanatorium.  Iron lung, anyone? 

So, I finally got to the "Express Care" yesterday and stopped at Meijer for some meds.  Did I mention how much I HATE Meijer now?  Twenty minutes turned into thirty, which turned into fifty.  Fifty minutes to fill my prescription.  Yeah, I coughed on everything I could find in a passive-aggressive rebellion, so make sure to wash your hands the next time you visit that store. 

Now, during my slow demise and even slower return to the land of the living, I've had some very interesting (and strange) thoughts run through my mind:

1.  What does the cough of a mute person sound like? 

2.  Why is the pharmacy usually located at the back of a store?  Are the stores really equipped with medical personnel to resuscitate local TB patients?  Next time you head to the pharmacy, take the most indirect route--someone may have coughed all over everything. 

3.  Is milk really necessary for cereal?  I mean, it's usually at the back of the store, too .

4.  What can really be classified as dinner?  If you serve your children healthy fruit, can that be a meal?

5.  A vaporizer that quits working right after you replace the filter, fill the tank with water, plug it in, and climb in bed should be smashed into tiny pieces and the manufacturer should receive individual pieces in the mail every year, delivered directly to their home address, until their backyard looks like a scene from Narnia's icy kingdom. 

6.  Do people really notice how many days you wear the same outfit?  I mean, I usually can't remember what I wore yesterday, except for the strewn remnants across my bedroom floor. 

7.  I really don't have a number 7.  I just don't like the number 6. 

Have a cough-free day, everyone!

The Perfect Post

I just noticed the date of my last post.  I...just...didn't see it until now?

Ok, I avoided looking until now.  Why, you ask?  Because I want to write the perfect post, of course.  You know.  The side-splitting, laughter inducing sentences with a contemplative undertone. 

Problem is, those just don't come out of my little (big) mouth...nor are they formed from the tiny keys overwhelmed by the pressure by my fingers.  Bumm-er. 

So, instead of prolific prose or giggly zingers, I'm going to make a to-do list for this week.  How many of you make to-do lists?  I make them, and then I realize everything I left off of them.  Then I make a new one.  Then I forget where I placed both of them (old-timers strikes again).

Here's my list for the weekend (that is, until Tuesday because that's when I'm actually required to wear clothing that half-way matches as I speak coherently (hahahaha) in front of 40-some college freshmen.

Source:  vi.sualize.us

1. Rework syllabi calendars--obviously, I thought I had no life when I planned the originals.  Oh, wait.  I don't. Ok, maybe I just want to sleep more.
2. Grade essays.  Grade essays.  Grade essays. 
3. Wash, iron, hang, & tag clothing/toys for a kids' sale. 
4. Call about a couple more job opportunities (how many others can I infect with my grammar par-tic-u-larities?)
5. Write some lesson plans.  Yep, I actually write this stuff down before it spews out of my mouth.  
6. Clean the bathroom.  I'm waiting on my gas mask and commercial-grade plastic suit to come in, which is a perfectly good excuse for shutting the door and ignoring what may be growing inside (ewwwwwww).  
7. Re-design my daughters' doll house before they redecorate the entire thing with colored markers, tiny pieces of toilet paper, and chewed-up straws.  As we all know, one person's trash is my daughters' treasure.  

What's on your to-do list this week?  

Source:  free-avatars.com

 

Weekly Happenings

Hello.  It's nice to see you again.  My last post was meant to help and show the craftier side of me, but at the same time, it seemed so much more impersonal than some of my other posts.  So, today I get a little personal (but not too much!). 

Yesterday, I finally dropped off my culminating project for my MA degree.  I handed it over and was told, "Congratulations."  I had no idea such a small word would make such a huge emotional impact.  I replied, "Thank you.  Thank you very much," (minus the Elvis tone), turned around, and walked out the door, all the while with eyes misting up.  Walking out of that office reminded me of all the struggles I've been through (personally, financially, academically, spiritually), all the work I've done, all the insurmountable stress I was under...for years.  I've dealt with feelings of guilt from leaving my girls and leaving the house a mess, and regret for not getting finished with school earlier.  However, everything has its time and its season.  I know. 

I've been a wife, a mother, a part-time (and full-time) worker, a full-time student, my husband's business assistant, a Christian, and now I can't believe I'm finished juggling grad school.  Graduate school was a hundred times harder than undergrad--perhaps because I was older, perhaps because my children were older--but I sincerely believe the work required was also much more demanding.  I still have a conversation with my readers next Friday regarding my CP, but I believe all will be well.  Then, it will really be over.  I have no idea if I'll stay dry-eyed when I pick up my degree; I'm not an overtly sappy person normally.  Sure, I bawl at the occassional movie or book (I think I was the only crier in the class when we read Uncle Tom's Cabin), but I tend to keep my emotions underwraps unless I'm in the comfort of my own home (which is where I read Uncle Tom's Cabin).

And now I must plan for my classes.  I already have a "suggested" assignment in my teacher's manual that I completely disagree with, so I'll have to scout out a replacement.  I'm wondering how my class will like me.  I'm wondering how differently I'll teach now that I know more about teaching writing.  Let the new adventure begin.

Kid's Room Chaos

Every feel like a change?  I've always felt like that when it came to furniture arrangement.  However, the small rooms in my home are extremely restrictive...I guess even houses resist change!

Here's what's going on:  I decided to clean out under the girls' bed in order to give them more storage for toys, etc.  I had a bunch of old baby stuff under there and it doesn't look like we're having any more babies, so it's (past) time to clean house.  But once I got started, I found this terrible smell...so I had to borrow my mom's carpet cleaner and get to work.  Now, I'm debating what on earth to do with this mess.  Any ideas?

The bed is full-size and was used by me, my sister, and my aunt.  It matches a corner table, a dresser, two nightstands (that we're using in the livingroom as a joint tv stand), a chair (that's being used in the dining room), and a desk with a bookcase (which is being used at my mom's house).  I don't want to get rid of the solid old furniture, but my rooms are considerably smaller than my parents' and grandparents' houses.

On a positive note, here are some projects I created last summer for the room that I'm still partial to:

No, they aren't L and S, as you've guessed.  I took these letters and let the girls pick which colors they wanted, painted various designs, glossed them, and stapled a pink ribbon on the back for hanging purposes. 

I found three hooks like these at Hobby Lobby and hung them above the bed lentghwise.  They are used for bathrobes and one cute purse in the middle.

Last but not least is my hair center creation.  I couldn't figure out what to do with all the girls' hairstuff, so I took a summer-y metal half-bucket and glued some whimsy purple ribbon to it.  The ribbon is perfect for barrettes and clips.  The flower on the front hold those little pronged clippies, the basket holds ponytail bands, and headbands rest nicely over the edge.  It's not fixed nicely like back when I first made it, but it's lasted really well, I think. 

Now, I just need to figure out what to do with the rest of the furniture in the girls' room, including a guinea pig & her cage.  Wish me luck!

Skipping Out

Yikes!  Sorry for skipping out on you all!  I didn't realize it has been that long since I've last posted.

I'm procrastinating right now, just a little more, before I begin working on my culminating project once again.  It's due August 1 to the actual readers, so I'm getting quite worried about it.  I have all sorts of crazy thoughts running through my mind right now, about how I need to finish, but how I might not really want to work anyway--but I think that's just a self-defense reaction due to my nervousness about teaching new students.  I'm always nervous when I start teaching a new class, but I love the feeling I get when I have a good session/class--when participation is high, I feel like I've driven points home, and I've actually contributed to the world by helping others and by being an example. 

Honestly, my CP is driving me nuts.  I haven't been able to sleep (I normally sleep like a rock), but I've been up every hour or so during the last week at night.  Not to mention the wombats doing cartwheels in my stomach--thud, thud, thud!  The problem is, as soon as this is over, I have to start planning the three classes I'm teaching this fall!  I want to get that out of the way as well because I'm a perfectionist.  I literally plan out every 10 minutes of class in a typed lesson-plan that is way more detailed than any others I've seen.  I know it will all be all right, I have faith, but I'm still feeling a bit rattled! 

Meanwhile, my house is a disaster, I feel like I need to go through/get rid of so much STUFF, and I would love to move to where I have no neighbors...but I must put all those thoughts on the back burner for now!

Ok, I'll be sane soon....maybe...meanwhile, enjoy your summer!  I've already begun buying school supplies and can't believe how fast time is flying!

A Bit of a Repreive...or Work

I know I haven't finished my vacation posts, but the calendar was finally forced in front of my face and I realized:  I have a culminating project (in order to receive my MA degree) due Aug. 1.  However, I still need to make time for revising, etc. and reading turnaround time with my advisor. Long story short:  I probably won't be posting for a few days.  So, sorry for the lack of pics, but this is what's been going on in my life:

1.  Made a guinea pig cage.  Bought gp supplies.  Realized gp can get kinda pricey.
2.  Adopted a gp from a gp rescue lady.
3.  Noticed a green/black mark on my wrist from my watch--perhaps I'm lacking in iron? 
4.  Switched out the shower curtain--I read somewhere that plastic ones are made with materials (obesogens) that leak out during steamy showers and can add to cellulite/weight gain.  No wait, that was on Dr. Oz.  Silly me.  Well, it looks nice anyway.
5.  Took Lovely to Strings in June, a 4-day, 1.5 hrs per day plus a concert, orchestra workshop.  Laughed at Lovely's fake/pre-performance at home.
6.  Signed Lovely up for violin lessons.  She better like it!
7.  Attempted to pick-up my teaching materials for next fall only to find out they weren't in yet, but I got to laugh at Lovely as she ran/sashayed down the college halls.  Have I ever mentioned she runs like Phoebe off of Friends?  She's not that bad anymore, but well...there's still a resemblance.
8.  I found Lovely, fully clothed, taking a bath...in our bathroom sink the other day.  She claimed, "I never took a bath before!"  Hmmm.

Ok, off to write now...

Crazy Dayz

Last week was Spirit Week at Lovely's school, so we decided to get in the spirit!  These are pictures of Crazy Day, where the kids were supposed to dress as crazy as they could (within reason, of course!).  I tried, I really tried, to find something crazy for Lovely to wear, but she just ended up more cute than crazy...maybe I should shoot for crazy everyday?

 Even her hair turned out really cute, and it stayed in all day! 

While other grad students are either studying or having fun, I find myself sorting through children's clothes, digging through laundry, reminding Lovely to practice handwriting, and prodding Snugglebug to count.  Tantrums are common.  Snot is constant.  Hugs are all-encompassing.  Kisses are calming.  Stress is at an all-time high and yet, I love my Lovely and my Snugglebug and cherish each moment...

(Ok, not the AHHHHH...she hit me!  She kicked me!  She took my orange pig!  I can't find my other shoe!  I can't get my socks on!  Waaahhhh!  I want candy!  Knock, knock...who's there?  Me?  Me who?  Me big truck....knock, knock...who's there? [repeat 17 times] You just don't love me! Mom, she's licking me again!  Mommy, she broke your doll!  Ahh!  She's naked!) 

So, how crazy are your days?