The plot thickens.....

So......after 3 months of no communication, my mom emailed me. She wanted me to know that her glaucoma has worsened over the summer and she will have to have surgery on October 10 (I think that's the date, I was still in shock that she e-mailed!). At the end of the e-mail she asked if she could call Grayson for her birthday which is about 2 months away now. I must say I am torn. She sounded so down.
I'll be thinking out loud below, so if you feel one of the following options is better, then please reply, or I'm open to other options too.
1) Part of me wants to not reply. I mean they did say no communication. Is this only "speak if you are spoken to?"
2) Shoot out a nasty reply denying her a phone call. I mean it's only a phone call. Grayson probably doesn't remember who Nana is because she is 2 years and almost 10 months and she can barely remember yesterday let alone her Nana who visited in March.
3) Send a short succinct reply saying it's okay to call and we'll be praying for ya.

I might be making a mountain out of a mole hill, but I think if I let her call that is signaling the door is open. Open for communication and possibly more manipulation or attempted manipulation that I don't want to be a part of.
The last few months without them hasn't been that hard. We had our anniversary and their anniversary and I thought about sending a card with the new pictures of the kids, but I resisted because they said no communication unless there was an emergency. I wanted to talk to them when my job was up in the air because that's something that you want to talk to your parents about since they have more life experience.
I had made up my mind that we wouldn't accept presents from them for birthdays and not send any for them for the holidays. I still want to stick to that, but then feel like that might be a little hard-ass. Then I start to remember all the times they have hurt me and pulled this crap and I'm like "NO, they are lucky you acknowledge their existence at all!" Okay, that last sentence seems pretty dramatic, but I am a thespian, so what can I say.
Anyway, I was hoping by blogging about this I would be closer to an answer, and now it feels like I am further away from one. But I know that you all will help me focus and come up with a good solution. So....what do you think I should do?
In other news I must confess a slight crush on one of our grocery store checker/bag boys. There was a period of time in August when I was "forgetting" things so I could go to the store when he worked. He's just so cute.....he has blonde hair, a great tan, and tight abs, biceps, and calves. He seems very outdoorsy and probably hasn't a clue that I like staring at him. Me being an almost middle-aged, still nursing with 15 lbs. of baby weight on me mom. The reason I am confessing is because the other day he came over to finishing bagging my groceries as I was paying and I BLUSHED!!! and couldn't find the words to answer the sentence that the checker had asked me as I was cashing out. Sad isn't it, but it makes me look forward to the dreaded deed of grocery shopping. Now THAT'S motivation!!

A string of good luck?

I guess I must be living right. Over the past few weeks I have; found $85, gotten a free dinner and wine at a nice restaurant, and scored tickets to the Panthers vs. the Steelers for my husband - all within like 3 days of each other. So I commented that I must be livin right (it's an expression down here in case you have not heard it). And I couldn't believe that one of the people in the dinner party said "So we must be living wrong?" Ummmm, no, I just seem to have really bad luck. Usually just one bad thing will happen and then it will snowball into a string of them and I begin to wonder when it will end. You know, kind of like the sexual harassment the first day of my new job. Maybe my fortune has turned and now I will continue to have a string of good things happening. At least, that's what I'm hoping.

Happy 9 months!

Remember this guy? It's hard to believe that my little guy has now been out in the world as long as he was inside me. He has his "official" 9 month check up tomorrow, so I will update on all his data then. But when we went to the dr. to check his ears he weighed 21.5 lbs.! And he has his first ear infection. But he looks amazingly happy in these pictures.

Plus the blog hasn't had any pictures on it as of late. So what better than a beautiful baby boy to brighten a blog. ( and add a bunch of alliteration! )

His hair doesn't really look like Eddie Munster's that much in real-life. Don't ya just want to kiss those cheeks?!
Edited to add his stats: 21 lbs. and 28.5 in.

Looking forward to tomorrow

Thinking back on a year ago, I can honestly say I am looking forward to this school year. Being a teacher is like running a marathon. There are two big hills to get over. The first is the long stretch from Sept. to Nov. without a break. We have to do this because down here when there are snow days (which may start in Jan. and end in April) school is usually called off. If it is REALLY cold and doesn't melt then you miss another day because the school buses will not go down impassible roads. Anywho, I digress. The final is at the end of the year when all the state tests are administered. My original post was about how I am looking forward to this year. And then...... on Saturday morning......my son awakes with



a fever.


He was blazin' hot too. Not just a slight thing, but one that only subsides with a sizable dose of ibuprofen. This now poses a conundrum because he is not to go to daycare with a fever. But it's the FIRST DAY! I will feel SO bad if I can't be there. They give you all the important info. and expectations and I will miss it. Normally that would be a welcomed break, but I am at a new school and you just can't miss the first day. I have Open House on Wednesday!!! My room is NOT unpacked. There are still scheduling decisions to be made. I feel so unprepared.
We'll hopefully get a walk-in appointment between 1 and 3 at the doctor later. I'm hoping it is just his 4 top teeth trying to come in, but in case it isn't then maybe we can get some medicine in him and get that fever down.
But still, I am looking forward to this school year.

A run-in with a homeless man

Unfortunately our town has had many layoffs and there seems to be a growing number of homeless. Or maybe I should say there is a growing number of people who will stand on a median or interstate exit with a sign requesting help. Tonight I return from getting diapers at Target and I am faced with this decision. You see I don't talk about it much on my blog but I do believe in God and I very strongly believe in Matt. 25:40 about "whatever you do unto the least of these you have done unto me." This verse hits me in the face when I see people with a sign requesting help. While I am certainly by no means rich financially I feel obligated to show that I am not just a reader of the Word so to speak, but also a do-er. I have also seen a car in front of me give someone money and then in turn see the "homeless" person in the store buying beer. Sometimes I say a prayer for them. This feels safer to me because it has no direct contact, other than the uncomfortable feeling that lasts as you try to figure out where to place your eyes for the duration of the red light. I have bought them food and brought it to them, but tonight was different. I'm not quite sure what to learn from it.
I am sitting at the light which of course is a long one and the man can barely keep his head up. I had just spent my money on dinner and did not have cash, but there was a water sitting on the passenger seat. His sign read "homeless, any help will do." The water had been in the car all day and alas it has been mighty hot here, quite possibly a preview of hell! I roll down my window and say "Sir, I have a water - it's hot but you are welcome to it." Evidently he did not hear the "It's hot" part because he comes over and grabs it and yells "It's hot!". Then he throws it in the bushes beside him. I just shook my head and thankfully the light turned green so I could drive away in dismay. I guess I'm back to just sitting in my car and praying until I get the bad taste out of my mouth from this one.

We have a winner!

Is what my husband yells out from the bathroom tonight as he is preparing to bathe our daughter. He pops his head out from the doorway with a smile and exclaims - "In the skid-mark race!" Apparently the speedy or lack of wiping has caught up with our daughter and made a mark in her underpants. I'm wondering - is this something babybook worthy? LOL. I mean there is the first tooth, first birthday, first skidmark? She might laugh later on when she can read it.

Last dance

I'm noticing many of my titles have song references. I guess that is the musician in me! I can't get Donna Summer's song out of my head as I type this.
Anyway tomorrow is my last day of summer vacation and I can't believe it. To celebrate or perhaps mourn the loss of freedom for the next 10 months I have done a few special things for myself. I know so often as women my friends and I do for others, but not ourselves. Yesterday I had my hair cut and colored. This morning I had a somewhat religious experience as I had an HOUR massage! I have NEVER had a massage let alone for an hour. I now know what I will do with my birthday money EVERY year. Oh don't worry, you didn't miss it, it was back in February and since I have a hard time making decisions it just takes me this long to use it. Actually, as I filled in my calendar the other day I realized it is just under 18 months until I turn 40! Later today I will use a gift certificate from my student teacher and get a "mani and pedi" as they call it in the business. That would mean I was getting my fingernails and toenails painted and not having to do it myself. I get to eat lunch with my hubby tomorrow and dinner with a good old friend. Saturday I eat with some colleagues (oops, need to make the reservation!) and Monday it is back to work. I feel refreshed and generally oblivious to the deluge of parents, paperwork, and unpacking about to hit me. I'm not really even feeling guilty about the money I've spent. yet.

Maybe it runs in the family?

Besides the lovely snoring the first thing I heard this morning was my cell phone ringing in the kitchen. I peep at the clock across the room which is my husband's and I can't figure out what time it is because he has it set at like some ungodly time fast. Most people set theirs in 5 min. increments like 5, 10, or 15 minutes fast, but he has his somewhere like 42 minutes fast. So I peer at my little clock which is difficult to read in the dark and without glasses and it says 7:38. Ummmm, he's supposed to be at work by 7:20. The next thing I do is get up and go see who called (I had an idea anyway) and notice a very bad smell. I stand and sniff to see if perhaps it is I who smell. So I leave the room, but alas it is not me who offends. I walk back in the kitchen and notice that one of the burner knobs is not in the upright position. DH HAD LEFT A BURNER ON WITH THE EMPTY FRYING PAN PERCHED ON IT!!!!!! Maybe it's something about this house that we can't control the stove. Or maybe it's just stupidity!

Burning down the house

I actually almost did it! I was multi-tasking, but paying attention to the clock so I thought it would be all right. I left the kitchen with the apples for some babyfood steaming. I went to check and see how much money was in my bank account, pay a bill, and then head over to see what some of my friends at the birth club I frequent on Babycenter were up to. ONLY 10 minutes out of the 12 recommended in the recipe had gone by and I am sitting at our computer which is in the room beside the kitchen and I start to smell something that is definitely NOT apples. It's more smokey.....Oh My God. It must be the pan! I'm thinking the water must have boiled away and now the pan is going to melt on to the eye of the stove. I rush to the kitchen where smoke is pouring out the top of the pan and in one swift motion quickly shut it off and turn the fan over the stove on. Luckily there was a small pot of water on the back burner and I pour it into the pan with the apples. Time passes........pan cools.......and the science teacher in me HAS to investigate. I remove the steamer and toss the apples in a trash bag. The bottom of the pan is black and bubbly. However the bubbles are sort of crystally and pretty. Scrubbing and scraping ensues. I'm reminded how cool the element Carbon is. I remove what I believe to be part of the teflon coating layer. Now I wonder if I should use the pot again - if it's safe? I mean we cooked without teflon when I was little. I actually can't see any rips or tears in the teflon that could come off while I cook and pose as a choking hazard. This pot is the mac n' cheese pot. It's the tomato soup pot. I don't think I can throw her out. What's a girl to do? At least the house is still in tact for a few more hours and my family is none the wiser!

He don't know his greens

So we were having lasagne last night and what goes better with lasagne than a salad and garlic bread? It's practically a standard. So instead of braving the grocery store with a tempermental toddler and a not-so-solid sitting up 8 month old during the busy part of the shopping day I asked my husband to bring home a head of lettuce. NOT the bagged stuff because well, it is getting SO expensive even when it is on sale and a head of iceberg is 1/3 the cost so we agreed that this would be a way for us to save a few bucks easily. I prepare the Stouffer's lasagne and garlic bread - all I need is the lettuce to whip up a quick salad and dinner is ready. Husband arrives home with something green. I must explain that this is not the best time of night for our children. Grant is tired and teething and Grayson is sporting a summer cold complete with revolving low-grade fever and bad attitude and so I wasn't really paying close attention to what the green thing was.(which is another reason I did not want to go to the store). The usual chaos of daddy arriving home ensues and I go to prepare the salad. Alas, he brought home CABBAGE. Now, I must say he has lived on his own, cooked at a restaurant briefly, and is 32 years old but did not know what a head of lettuce looks like when it hasn't been chopped and placed in a salad bag! Well, I tried. I suppose we'll just add that night on to the others where there isn't something green on the plate.

The wind knocked out of me

Remember as a child playing football and getting tackled so hard that it felt like your lungs collapsed and you couldn't breathe? Well, I have had two events recently in my life that caused me to feel that. First, this past week I was informed after moving 4 truck loads of stuff from a school that I loved that my position at the new school was being cut. I suddenly felt like a small child in a big department store who had walked away from his or her mom and was lost. And then (second) I realized that for all intents and purposes I have lost my mom. So, it's been hard to write. Plus, my husband has this Warcraft game he likes to play at night after the kids go to bed (which has been REALLY late some nights, like 10 p.m.) and I have not received my work computer yet, SO we've had to share a computer. Which basically means he gets to use the computer at night. I'll get the airport hooked up ASAP after getting it and then we'll be in touch more!

What is this world coming to?

Oh, I thought as a teacher I had heard it all, but watch the video in the link by clicking the title of the thread and then I think it will be close. I am about in tears. I guess I will be locking my doors at all times now.

Welcome Home

Since I am actually not teaching, attending workshops, or having to review new curriculum or text books, I have been looking at houses. We have only lived here almost 2 years, but the house does not yet feel ours. For example, 2 bedrooms still have the depressing gray paint that the previous owners must have gotten a deal on because 2/3 of the house was painted that shade. I vow to rid the last 2 rooms of that shade this summer. However, my immediate attention has turned to our mini-front porch. It isn't large enough to put a swing or chair. But I realized that my little entry area is not so inviting. Now I have gifts of singing and teaching but not decorating. I KNOW that many of you do and thought, why not ask for help. So far I know I want to paint the front door - perhaps a lovely shade of purple (my favorite color) or red. I'd like to have some plants and maybe a new light, new house numbers. What else? Here's a few pictures to help your imagination.
First close and then further away.

Whatcha Readin'?

Summer is my favorite time to read. Even as a child and teen I would voraciously devour at least a book a week. Since my job is changing and I have NO idea what I will be doing, I feel motivated to submerge myself in various subgroups of fiction and nonfiction. I just might sit on the couch all day and partake decadently in a Harry Potter novel as I did in the days before children. Below is a list of books I might get to read all the way through ( oh yes, I have started many a book in the last 2.5 years only to have it become covered in dust and the bookmark removed so that I have to start all the way over again.)
Also, if you have suggestions, I would LOVE to hear them. And now, in no particular order, my summer reading list-ish:
Harry Potter # 5, 6 & 7 (YEAH RIGHT! If I get through 5 I'll be happy!)
Confessions of a Slacker Mom
Scream-Free Parenting
How to Have A Mary Heart in a Martha World
God is Closer Than You Think
The Secret Lives of Girls
Hoot
The Freedom Writers

I will probably add and subtract as I receive responses or change my mind. What's on your list or coffee table?

Don't call us, we WON'T call you.

I am officially the WORST daughter. My dad called to tell me so tonight. He doesn't EVER call. I guess you could look it up in the dictionary and see my picture or something. And to some degree it is true. I have been WAY overloaded at work and neglecting e-mails, children , spouse, and housework for at least the last 3 weeks. The end of the school year is just like that. So I do claim responsibility for part of my actions. But I do believe it takes two to tango and my mom was sending me snarky/provoking e-mails and I was trying to politely say nothing. The result is that we are not talking. And see here comes why I am the worst, I felt a little sad when he told me not to call, but mostly I felt


relief.


Relief that I don't have to act like nothing is wrong when there is something HUGELY wrong. Relief that I won't have to endure 12 hours of travel with an active toddler and 7 month old for a few days of pretending to know one another and enjoy each other's company.
Relief that I won't have to go through the family actions of calling or e-mailing without the family value of unconditional love.
Unfortunately when they do call, I know that it means something is REALLY wrong, like maybe my Grandma died, or my dad had a heartattack.
I feel like this might be a good thing. You see the only way I feel like I can preserve myself and the few shards of self-esteem or dignity I have left is to put up my shield to deflect the negativity, hurt, crazy, and superficiality. It's almost freeing.
I'm not sure how to proceed so that my children will know their Grandpa and Nana without the interference of this huge chasm between their parents and grandparents. You see, my husband is quite upset that my dad told me not to call or write. He feels that I shouldn't talk to them until I get an apology. And knowing my parents, I'm sure they are waiting for me to apologize first.
All I ask is that you pray we'll get a peaceful resolution and wisdom for me to know what to say and do. Of course, I've been praying for that for years.

What's in a Name?

Asked Shakespeare. Well, I felt like the name of the blog didn't really fit any longer. Then when someone on a bulletin board I frequent commented on the low number of posts by listing the few other names and then "Heather at night" it made me think of a talk show. But, I liked it well enough to change the name here. I do usually post at night anyway, so it is fitting. Now all I need is some catchy theme music!

BIG boy

Grant had his 6 month check up Friday(almost a month late thanks to the busy-ness at the end of the school year) and here are his stats:
Height = 27 inches.
Weight = 19.9 pounds.
OMG No wonder my arms are getting tight and tired! And because I can't resist him, here is a recent pic. of that sweet boy.

A budding photographer

Ahh, summer. So Greg was dancing with Grayson and I wanted to get a picture. After I got the picture Grayson went looking for her camera and wanted to take some pictures. Of course we couldn't find it, so I let her use mine (with great delight I might add!) Below is the first (of I'm sure many to come) photo exhibit. I personally like the one of me at the end. What's your favorite?
This is part of the lazy boy chair. Next we have the computer chair (I'm sure you're starting to see her theme....)
Then she branches out to the foot stool I like to rest my feet on under the computer. She also got a little bit of her finger.
Then she moves further out and gets one of the whole room ( no judgments on Sun. about the cleanliness please....)
And then me.....








A little out of focus perhaps and missing a head, but still me. LOL
Happy Father's Day everyone.

Blogging and full-time employment

Just don't go together. I mean, it's 10:15 and I should be in bed, but yet it's been almost a month and I have so much I want to write about?!?! Is there a way I can blog and get paid to do it?! LOL. Okay, I'll post more in the next few days as there are only 3 weeks of school left and I have lessons written. Oh, did I mention I'll be switching jobs next year? Hope it will be good. I've been watching too much Food Network and now need a snack. Am I the only person that happens to?

The Lost

No, it's not a t.v. show. It's a waste of time because I have LOST too many things in the past week. I'd like to chock it up to mommy brain, but jeez. First on Tuesday I *thought* I left my classroom with the key. On Wednesday when I went to enter, I realized I did not have the key. The whole day finding the key was on my mind. In fact, I don't think I got but a few things done because I was trying to retrace my steps mentally. Luckily on Wednesday my student teacher had it on her desk! Thank goodness because there is a $50 fee for replacement and God knows I don't have that kind of money. Then on Friday I went to get our babysitter some cash....only to discover that my debit card is gone. I decided NOT to report it because I could have put it in my jacket pocket and I'm cheap (did I mention that?) and wanted to hunt some more unsuccessfully before surrendering. Did I also mention that I hate wasting time looking for things that did not make it to their properly allocated space?! ( that sentence sounds horribly anal when I just reread it!) Alas, by Sunday I had exhausted all areas and gave in. The new card will be here within 3 - 5 business days. The pisser is that I can't access my bank account online because the login is tied to your card number.....which I don't know since it hasn't arrived. I NEVER (I'm talking like before children) used to lose things. I already lost one classroom key this year (that's just karma trying to tell the rest of the school that I shouldn't be in 6th grade IMO) I think there is a secret blackhole in the cosmos that holds all my missing stuff, including all those single socks in the dryer. A Bermuda triangle if you will. Maybe when I die I'll have access to that Bermuda triangle and find all that I've lost.