When's it due?

Apparently my loose fitting clothing is giving people who haven't known me before this year the WRONG impression - one that I am with child.
Now, I thought the first time I would let it pass. I was wearing a dress and my tummy did feel a little more jiggly than usual, so I guess one could assume I am of childbearing age and possibly carrying one.
Then, again, I was asked. This time I could not ignore that I must still look pregnant even though I delivered almost one year ago. I was dumbfounded both times and could not figure out what to say. Here are a few thoughts:

Mind your own business
I just miscarried
Dec. 1........2006 (which was really his due date)

What are your ideas on how to respond?
I guess I'm taking it as reminders to stop eating so much junk and exercise more. Although it does hurt my feelings.
I told my husband because when we married I was a size 6. I have kept just a few items when I was cleaning out the closet before we moved to remind me how small I used to be. I am now not a size 6. I am a 12 on a good day. Does that mean that I am twice as large?
I haven't actually measured myself nor do we have a scale for me to go by. I do know that the clothes I bought to wear when I went back to work after having Grant seem to be a little tight. Which means that I have GAINED weight since January.
Perhaps this is hard for me because I have been small all my life and have always been able to eat whatever I want. I did not gain much weight with either of my pregnancies - 23 pounds with Grayson and 18 with Grant.
I have always known that if I did gain too much weight I would have a hard time losing it.
And that seems to be holding true. Which is why I get asked - when's it due?

Quiet = bad

Since I will be spending larger amounts of time in math(courtesy o' my principal) my brain is thinking in different ways. What was once a twisted trail (ah, yes, alliteration) of words is now *sometimes* straight-forward and logical. Go figure! (no pun intended)

The new equation is: Quiet = bad.

This applies to children. I especially think it applies to those children under the age of 5. This weekend my husband and I both had many tasks which we needed to complete. I will tell you on a regular weekend when this happens it usually works out that we talk about what needs to get done and then I watch the kids after he returns from work so that he can do what is on his list. Never is the childwatching returned so that I may work on my list accomplished. I have to fight my way through one-handed to finish anything. Most things get started, and are then interrupted by little people who can't go to the bathroom by themselves or feed themselves. I digress.....back to Quiet = bad.

I guess the severe lack of uninterrupted sleep has caused my mother's intuition to be defunct because normally I can ward off some evil. Not this weekend.
will be by with her white glove. Grayson has gotten particularly good at going to the bathroom when she needs to. She doesn't tell us, just heads to the bathroom. This makes me oh-so happy to not have to change or spend money on diapers. She still has a few things to work on, such as wiping and washing hands afterword, but the pee-pee is in the potty 99% of the time. It is because of this that I did not suspect anything. I had a million things on my list I needed to do because next weekend is the family birthday party for my little people and super-perfect SMIL will be around with the white glove. ANYWHO, Grayson entered the bathroom and I got busy in various parts of the house and then realized



it's quiet.


Oh NO - TOO LATE. The first time it happened she had gotten in to her new Princess toothpaste -("Mommy it comes out like a heart") and had sucked a good portion straight out of the tube in addition to smearing a heavy dose on the bathroom counter because "It needed to brush its teeth too". When dh saw it and was amused, I told him he could clean it up if he thought it was so funny.
The next incident occurred during the hurried dinner making fiasco time.
ONCE AGAIN under the guise of going to the bathroom she disappears. In the meantime I am checking peas, listening for timers to go off, and then


it's quiet.


OH CRAP not again! She had emptied these shaped soap flakes; a few in the tub, the rest on the floor and her brother was scurrying to taste them.

So remember, in the future, if you are a new parent, a parent to be, or not yet a parent.

Quiet = bad. It could save you unnecessary cleaning up.

In case you haven't tried it....

Sierra Mist has cranberry splash back - you know, just in time for the holidays. I remember seeing it advertised and not being able to find it last year. Well, just like with the orange-filled oreos for Halloween, one must strike early. Dh found this in the store and brought some home.(NOT DIET! this was the only picture I could find) It was delightful and as Grayson would say de-wicious. Pick some up if you can. The cranberry is not overpowering. Just a splash as its title would suggest.

Some things they just don't understand

For example - daylight savings time. Or is that what we just ended? I never can keep it straight. I just know to fall back in the Fall and spring forward in the Spring.
Anywho. Although we kept the little people up an hour or so later last night, their internal clocks have not yet adjusted leaving us(oops I mean me, dh is still sleeping) up at their "normal" time which was one hour earlier today. Hopefully, I'll get a nap later. (Yeah right with football on?!)

My principal + a problem = solution (me)

My once seemingly well-balanced plate at work has simply runneth over this past week. I don't think I've explained my job as it is a new position and we are somewhat ironing out the kinks while I work. I am a certified ( and certifiable!!) Middle School teacher. I have 4 areas of certification which one might say is overzealous.(yes, English is one of the areas) Someone else might say it is smart because that means I will never be out of a job. ( come on, I live in NC, we're CONSTANTLY short teachers - why do you think I moved here?!?!) But a third person could say is stupid to have that many areas because that means you will be switched every year.....which I mostly am, but I digress.
This year I get a fancy title - AIG facilitator. And since education is noted for its acronyms I will tell you that AIG = Academically/Intellectually Gifted.
That's right. As I comprehend from my interview last April I am to assist with the program AND (here comes my favorite part!) I get to teach WHATEVER I WANT!!!! That's right. Every Wednesday the top 5% of the school comes to my room to be "enriched". These kids are amazing. It makes my week. I don't feel worthy to teach them.
SO back to the story at hand (which is getting quite lengthy I might add). Besides teaching the STARS ( Students That Are Really Smart ) on Wednesdays I am supposed to be able to assist teachers by planning and/or executing lessons for the classes that they have AIG kids in. I was making my own schedule for the most part and coordinating with the 3 grade levels of teachers.
It appears my "services" are needed now in whatever classroom they receive the most parent complaints from. Doesn't matter if there are AIG kids in the room or not. Not that I have to exclusively ONLY teach gifted kids. I have taught all levels of students up until this year, so it is no skin off my nose. The problem was that by being in these other classes I was not able to "my work" which includes maintaining accurate files (close to 225) and I had a big report due yesterday.
I am being ping-ponged between two main classes - 6th grade math and 8th grade English. The 8th graders' teacher is on maternity leave and they need to be ready for Honors Freshman English next year. Having a substitute who just writes the assignments on the board will not do it. The 6th grade teacher is entering teaching from another position. This is his first ever teaching gig. Teaching my friends is not for the faint-hearted. This gentleman is mathematically sound, but has not refined his discipline or teaching techniques because this is his first teaching gig. Which is where I enter the picture. I thought I had raised him up enough in the six weeks I was going in there so I exited to handle the English because the two class times clash. However in the 2 weeks I was out of math the parents raised enough of a stink that I am now back in math


for the whole year.

My principal and I had a chat after I visited the director of Gifted Services for our county and attempted to set up a schedule.
My principal explained that this (probably meaning the parents who were complaining) is problem. While there were other solutions such as changing students' schedules he was not willing to do that. Which means that I am his solution ( which is what I said to him). SO the new math is
principal + problem = solution (me)

The other facilitators at my school are aware of the problem and so we joke that if they have any problems, I might be able to solve them since I am the solution.
Just let me know if you have any problems, I might be the solution to them too.

Only a man

The leaves are finally changing colors here in the Southeast. This requires men to pull out the heavy artillery - jet pack leaf blowers. I was somewhat startled by the sudden whirr outside my classroom window today, so I leapt to the window to see the custodian
with his jet-pack leaf blower on
blowing
one
leaf
all
the
way
down
the
covered
walkway.
And thus the title of tonight's post.

Lunch is not the same

After almost 2 months of school I have come to the conclusion that lunch is not the same without Oreo cookies. I have sampled other cookies just to give them a fighting chance, but truly lunch is not the same. I bought Chips aHoy when they were on sale, but as soon as I could, I purchased some Oreos leaving the previous cookies in the pantry for anyone to eat. I think the family probably thought I was being nice. You see, I don't like to share two things. One is ice cream and the other is Oreos. In fact, I have various hiding places to conceal this luscious treat just for myself. I'm not going to post them because on the off chance my husband takes the time to read this, then I will no longer have Oreos for myself. A week or so ago I lucked up and found some of the Halloween oreos with orange icing. My husband found the hidden location of said Oreos, ate more than his fair share and then demanded I purchase more. I searched 4 stores for more, alas, we are doomed to traditional double stuff.
My affair with Oreos is a long one. My dad used to eat his for breakfast. I just realized that my mom used to hide them from me, and maybe that is why I do the same now! I like to make up desserts using my beloved cookie. My favorite involves ice cream, hot fudge, and Cool Whip. I didn't say it was healthy!
Not even the blonde oreos would do. While still an Oreo, it is the chocolate cream combination I crave. There's nothing like it. I might even trade a homemade chocolate chip cookie for an Oreo. It's milk's favorite cookie and it's mine too.

More weird things about me

After the success of last weeks' weird things about me post, I found out I wasn't so weird! In fact, who would have thought that more people don't like to breathe other people's breath while they are sleeping? Here are a few more tantalizing tidbits:
1) I like to eat all of one food on my plate before I start another.
2) I don't like the different foods on my plate to touch.
3) I like to cook or bake, but don't like to do the dishes. I also like to eat what I've made and critique it for how I would fix it the next time.
4) I like a little bit of butter underneath the peanut butter on my PB & J sandwich. This one comes from my Grandma. She said it helps to keep the sandwich from sticking to the top of your mouth.
5) I only shave my legs if I'm going to the doctor, or it is time to wear tights. I have very blonde leg hair and you can barely see it because it is so fine.
6) I hate/ can't shave my legs in the shower, I have to do it in the bathtub because I'm a perfectionist.

Can't wait to hear the comments from this week's installment.

From bad to worse

So we started the day sleep deprived and grumpy and we are ending it well, sleep deprived, grumpy, and lacking daycare. That's right I arrived to be told that we have two weeks for something miraculous to happen and our name to come up on one of the many lists that we have been on for years. What hurts a little more is that we have been friends with this person and she is aware of the fact that we don't have family nearby. I could go in to more detail about how we have paid her in full and appreciated her when no one else was and this is how we are repaid!?
Hope the rest of the week isn't this bad! Sheesh.

A Case of the Mondays

Some of you may be familiar with this line from one of my favorite movies "Office Space". In case you have been sleeping under a rock and haven't seen this movie here is a quick explanation. The co-workers in the office repeat that line over and over to a particular worker because of his behavior on Monday. It becomes irritating because he doesn't feel like anything is wrong. However, it applies today because we just TOTALLY got off to a bad start.
I awoke suddenly at 3:30ish because I heard Grant crying. I figured he was probably cold and hungry. He didn't eat very much dinner and wouldn't keep the blanket on when I tried to put one on him. He was NOT going back to sleep after he ate on one side, so I switched him to the other hoping to hear those sweet little breath sounds change to slow ones which means he is asleep and I can lay him back in the crib. At about 4 his sister wakes up crying - after a record 17 days without an accident, she wet the bed. Greg pops his head in Grant's room and says she will need dry jammies. (Her dresser is in the closet of his room because I got tired of her pulling all her clothes out of the drawers and leaving them on the floor when it was in her room). Grant thinks this means it is time to play, but is heartbroken when I return him to his crib. I go next door to help take care of the pee-pee situation since daddy doesn't know where anything is.(like dry sheets, etc.) I start rocking her while he attempts to mop up the effected area on the bed. After 20 or more minutes of work we decide to make her a bed on the floor to finish the night out. It is now just about 5 a.m. when I return to sleep or rather bed because it was too long to be up and I have a hard time going to sleep.
This time that we were awake affected the kids too. Not only did WE not want to get up (ya know, the responsible adults, HA!) They didn't want to get up, Grayson couldn't make the simplest decision and changed her mind 20 times about shoes,pocketbook, and breakfast.
Needless to say this caused me to be 20 minutes late for work and have a case of the Mondays. Maybe if I could go to Chotchskies and get a cup of coffee my day would be better? Or perhaps I could beat the printer with a baseball bat? I definitely don't have enough flair. I do have a meeting later, but not with the Bob's. Anyway, that was a bunch of references to the movie. You should really see it if you haven't. I bet watching it would help my case of the Mondays!

An artist at work

In addition to the picnic, swinging, and wagon ride, Grayson wanted to paint the sidewalk. We changed her clothes in to something that it didn't matter if the paint stained and set to work. I'm not exactly sure what these are, but here they are.

BEE-utiful day

Grayson is in love with her Halloween costume. She likes it so much, she wouldn't even let me clip the price tag off! Not only that, it has been a beautiful day. We've gone for a wagon ride, had a picnic, swung on the swings and will head to a Fall Festival with jumping things to wear out energetic almost three year olds at a local church.
In addition to it being bee-utiful, the boy turned 11 months on Thursday and so I must show you his big boy look.
Such a happy boy! I forgot to mention that the Fall Festival is free and I got some good shots of Grayson painting the driveway and herself that I will have to post for you l8tr! Man, every time I see how big his noggin is, I am almost thankful I had a c-section!

Dry Spell Over!!

I imagine that is what the newspapers will say. You see for the first time in about 6 weeks we had measurable rain! I was actually excited about it. I rushed out of the bathroom and awoke my snoring husband to share the good news. ALL our plants look sooo sad. And while I was preparing for my day in the bathroom I started thinking about how my life has dry spells too. (I'm sure my husband thinks of our sex dry spell almost daily!Doh!Poor fella.)
I'm kind of in a spiritual dry spell. It's very hard for me to get motivated to rush and dress the family and then get buckled in the car, and then unbuckle and attempt to carry Grant with one arm while carrying the diaper bag, my pocketbook, and hopefully Grayson's hand through the parking lot and down the long hall to the nursery. Once the children are settled I attempt to worship while waiting on pins and needles until my number comes up indicating it is time for me to assist the nursery with my crying/upset son. This usually occurs right as the message is about to start causing me to miss it or right near the end so I miss the final points. Also, tonight is Bible study. I don't even know where the book is, so how could I read to be prepared? It's a couples Bible study, so we're supposed to be "sharing" the book. I can just tell you that ain't happening. Is it ironic that the book is about being closer to God and yet I feel more distant than ever? I know it is my own doing, I just don't know how to un-do it.
I read on one of the many church signposts that I travel by each day this saying:
"Pray for rain and then carry an umbrella."

I'm still trying to figure that one out in relation to my life. What do you think it means?

Grant's First Haircut

After daycare called yesterday afternoon to say that she would be closed again today (this is costing me $100 a day by the way!) I decided it was time for drastic measures. I have always loved little boys with those soft buzz-cut heads and so I thought when Grant turned one (which I don't know why the rule is to not cut their hair until they are one anyway - who made this rule and why am I expected to follow it?!) I would get him a little buzz. Well, the sitter's doctor recommended we do it.
So we did.
She also suggested that we get our kids on this powerful medication that helps them to resist the lice. I am not going that far. I believe I did a thorough treatment the first time and just did one yesterday to humor her. ANYWAY, I digress (what would my blog be without some of those?!?)
So the hairstylist called at about 3 to say she had a cancellation at 4:15 and was I interested? Heck ya! So we got both kids hair cut. Now that it is over, I can't help but miss his hair. I mean it is only hair and it will grow back, but I still miss how he used to wake up with "horns" because it was sticking up. Yeah, it will grow back. I also can't help but feel he looks a little like a cancer patient. It makes me sad. But, it will grow back right? He's a little cranky today. I don't blame him. Here are a few pictures to commemorate the event.
Before:
That's chocolate juice dripping off his mouth.
This next one makes me flash to the future if he should join the Armed Services.


And the final outcome:
And now, just so his sister has equal blog-time (which I noticed she did not have any pictures!) Here is one that makes me laugh because the delay on the camera is just long enough that instead of catching her standing on the stool and being told to get down, it caught her falling.
And last but not least, her new jammies and hair.
She matches her wall!

I'm gonna get you sucka

So I guess I must have SUCKER tattoed on my forehead. I have a gut feeling about things. For example over the summer when I lost my job and then they found money and reinstated me. I had a gut feeling it would work out. But last night's gut feeling was that this is wrong.
Going back to my beliefs as a Christian, I think everyone deserves a second chance. And that we should help other people. Okay now that you know two of my basic philosophies I'll tell the rest of the story ( as Paul Harvey would say ).
I was approached in the driveway by a guy that I recognized as living in my neighborhood. Usually he is pushing a mower and offering to mow yards, but since we haven't had any measurable rain in 2 months, nobody needs their yard mowed. (Not that we ever allowed him. He's also tried to get gas for his mower from us and I had to be rude to get him to leave, but still he returns.) SO I guess he was trying to cook up a different way to get some cash. He and his "nephew" aka a young school age kid were working the neighborhood trying to "raise money" for the local school fundraiser. I have been with this system 10 years and know that for 2 of the schools I've worked at checks for fundraisers were made out directly to the PTO. This guy wanted me to make it out the boy for $3 more than the item I was buying and I would get the difference a week from Fri. when he delivered my product. So my gut was telling me - NO WAY. But then my head starts in telling me "Maybe the school has to cover a lot of bounced checks and they add the cost to make sure it clears." Well, I should have gone with my gut. I called the school this morning. Then I called the bank and put a stop payment on the check. Now I will be religiously checking the account online to make sure he isn't check washing or doing something else with our little bit of savings.
If I could just say NO then this would not be a problem. Is this a reminder not to trust people or that I need to be stronger? Some day I'll learn.

They're baaaaack!

The lice that is. Did I tell you Grayson had a big bad case of it about a month ago and I had to stay home like almost 3 weeks ago and treat her head with petroleum jelly because it hadn't been 10 days and we couldn't use the chemical one again? Forgive me if I left out those details,on to the story at hand.......I picked my sweet baby boy up this afternoon and noticed something black on his head. I scratch at it and it moves. UGH!!!!! So I do a little more searching. :-( There were more little "friends".
He doesn't have it real bad, but the nits are smaller than the comb and he is WAY more wiggly than his sister. How my mother kept us from getting this is beyond me. And both of the daycare providers' girls seem to have it. She's taking them to the dr. and then stripping the house tomorrow. Which means I have an added day off with the kids and will be checking/treating Grayson and doing a multitude of laundry. Fun times......

Dear....

Dear highway,
We would like to thank you for the wonderful commerce you have brought our county. However, we were wondering if you had to do it so loudly?! Our house is over 1 mile from you and we can still hear your heavy traffic at all hours of the night. I wonder what it will be like when the leaves are off the trees? I'm sure the birds and other animals don't appreciate your noise either.
We know the rumble strips along the edge are supposed to assist drowsy drivers, however we find this too annoying.
Can we reach a compromise?


Dear back-yard neighbor,
Hi, it's us, the family with loud little kids. We just wanted to tell you that the super-bright floodlights you have on either because you were taking out the trash or want to protect your property are in fact annoying the hell out of us. You might have noticed some lovely furniture we purchased over the summer on our patio? In fact now that the nights are cooler we would like to utilize it for some adult conversation, but when we have to squint to talk to one another it really kills the mood. Could we have a "lights out" policy from say 9 p.m. until 6 a.m.? You see it also shines on the bedrooms and little kids think it is time to wake up when they see light. Thanks for your courteous light usage.
The fam

Weird things about me

There are probably too many to list, but here is a start.
1) I HATE to pay full price for ice cream,toilet paper, paper towels, or washing powder.
2) I do not like to sleep with my face facing someone ( that would be my husband ) so that I breathe or inhale his exhalation.
3) I like a thin layer of butter underneath my peanut butter on mt PB & J's.
4) I lived in Northern Cal. from my 5th birthday until I was almost 13. Maybe that's why I am weird?!
5) Except for one year about 12 years ago, I have only used Macintosh/Apple computers. I heart them.

What's weird about you?

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

So we had a great day. It started off kind of rough because we couldn't decide what we wanted for breakfast (uh hem I mean daddy couldn't decide) so it was 10 o'clock and 1 trip to the grocery store later before we ate. Then we played on the swingset ( note to self, upload some pics of the new swingset). Grant took a nap and then we were off.
On the way to the family reunion yesterday we saw a sign for a pumpkin patch. Being the Halloween aficionado that he is dh spied it and made note. We travel out in the country (lazily I might add) with the windows down, babies in the backseat chatting to one another admiring horseys, looking for cows and any other livestock. We reach the corner where we saw the big sign posted and look for directions, but it says "Oct. 15 - Nov.1". Oh MAN! We decided to drive the 5 miles up the country road just to see what we could see. We arrive and dh hops out of the car excitedly to go see if they will at least let us take some pictures, but they say they are ready. Out of the car we go. We were greeted by this.
Surprisingly, Grayson was not afraid. She's been talking a lot about spiders and being scared lately. Then it was time to set out and find the perfect pumpkin.
There were plenty to choose from, which is probably why it took so long. Grayson started with the little-ish ones.
p.s. her shirt reads "Ghoul power". we love a play on words!!!!
Grant kind of liked the bigger ones. (p.s. he started walking unassisted Monday!)
They had some cute photo op places set up, so mommy went a little crazy and was taking so many pictures you would have thought she was a from daddy's side of the family.
Me-ow. Here's the Grantster. Don'tcha know he's my little pumpkin!
We concluded our time by taking the long way home by way of Cook Out for some shakes and snacks. Grayson fell asleep in the car and did not want to go back to sleep before the birthday party this afternoon.
All in all a good day.

To dream, to sleep

Remember how night time is supposed to be for sleep? Well, at our house it is mostly just a battle of wits. So far, I think the adults are losing. I understand why sleep deprivation is a form of torture. I have trouble thinking of simple words some days. It's getting to be ridiculous. But that is not really what this blog was supposed to be about. This blog is supposed to be about how I miss dreaming. I have always had an elaborate imagination - which can be really bad when you are a mom and tend to lean to the pessimistic side so I envision mostly dramatically tragic things happening to her. The other thing about the dreams was I could always recall the details very well. Now, I think I don't get to stay asleep long enough without interruption to get to the dreaming stage - which makes me really sad. However, I did have this one weird one. I'm not exactly sure if I was dreaming because I had a VERY bad headache and wasn't sure I was asleep, but here goes. I was e-mailing or writing a letter to Julia Roberts. In the dream I felt keenly connected to her because her twins are a week older than my daughter. Then her second pregnancy produced a son just like mine did. Anyway, through this letter we became friends(she called me!) and the best part was that after a while she paid off my debt and got me in to a couple of movies. Pretty neat huh? Now, do I actually attempt the letter.....