Simplify

At the start of the new year I felt a great need to simplify. Many areas of my life have become cluttered, confused and bogged down by stuff. I would be an extremely rich woman if wealth was measured in excess amounts of clutter!



I kicked the new year off {literally the very first day} with the goal of filling 40 bags in 40 days. This is a task often taken on during Lent but I couldn't wait that long! I breezed by the 40 bags challenge within days. Yes, I have that much stuff! I've donated, recycled, and thrown out more than I care to admit. My husband thinks I may qualify for the Hoarders show. He's just kidding ... sort of!



The next task was to detox my thoughts, feelings and focus of my life. After the horrible tragedy of Sandy Hook I've lost a lot of faith in mankind. I read on a blog, shortly after the incident, that while this was an unthinkable event, we should focus on the good things in our lives and the world. Well, I can't. By doing so we simply desensitize ourselves and emotions. This is quickly becoming an epidemic that is spreading with vicious speed. The timing of You Version's soul detox in my inbox was perfect and just what I needed. It last for 35 days and the readings each day are very manageable.



Over the holiday, I was confronted with a health scare {why do these things always come up when you have absolutely no spare time deal with them?} that really jolted me. It was time for a major health overhaul. We've always eaten healthy, for the most part, and exercised when it fit into our schedule. After many hours of research, we are eating clean. This is a new path for us and I have a lot to learn. Cooking and baking are a true source of joy for me. It's actually my way of decompressing after a long day at work. My goal is to simply transform this into a healthier version. I have to admit that I feel so much better on this path and when I do fall off the wagon I really feel the effects! I've lost 10 pounds and have so much extra energy! Once I've perfected a few recipes, I'll share them with you.



Lastly, I'm trying {really hard} to observe the Sabbath during the Lenten season. Our pastor spoke a few weeks ago about "taking on" rather than "giving up" for Lent. He suggested acts of kindness, giving to others, and volunteering during the 40 days. He also expressed the need to observe the Sabbath. I've always looked at Saturday and Sunday as my catch up days to prepare the busy weekdays. The thought of giving up one of the days was just short of terrifying for me. I know that sounds ridiculous but it's true! Who knew it would be so hard not to do anything! With two weeks in, I think I'm doing rather well, with plenty of room for improvement. I've enjoyed some quiet unscheduled time with my husband, long talks with my son, and time just being in the moment!

Leave A Comment

Overwhelmed

This one word sums up how I've been feeling the past few weeks. I'm in hyper-drive the minute my feet hit the ground each morning.

Here are a few reasons why ...

Our lower patio is under reconstruction. A new drainage system is being put in place to alleviate water in the basement during heavy downpours. 

The second family room in the basement is in the midst of being remolded. The carpet was ripped up after the great flood of 2012 and new tile is being laid. I think it will look lovely once it's completed.

Our contractor, known as my husband, is doing all the work. His talents are impressive but his *real* job has been keeping him hopping so the home projects aren't coming along as quickly as desired.

Just keeping it real here ...

Our cook {aka Me!} decided to try out new recipes for our party that required the use of every single pot, pan, appliance and utensil in the kitchen! It's blurry but you get the gist.

In every day life, I'm crazy busy at school. I have a very challenging classroom this year. It's going to be a very fast past school year with lots of activity.

For my so called *free time* I'm taking a class, more on that later, this semester. I'm really enjoying it but the additional time and work load demands have required me to pull energy from other areas.

This past week I was dealt a health scare that has me going in for more testing. I'm concerned and nervous which isn't mixing well with everything else that's whirling around in my life.

Oh, how could I forget, this weekend we are having nearly 70 people in our home for our annual Oktoberfest party and our home looks like a bomb just exploded!

Leave A Comment

Weekend Routine

We began a weekly tradition of Friday night pizza when my son began elementary school. It was often enjoyed in conjunction with a movie. When we lived in Michigan, we had a group of great friends that gathered at the end of each week. It was something to look forward to and kicked off the weekend. I cherish those memories.

Friday night was greeted with homemade pizza. I love the flavors of Greek pizza ~ yum! To appease those that feel the need to have meat on their pizza, I made a spicy sausage pie.

Saturday morning brought my normal run around routine. I'm really feeling like my weekends are in a rut if you will. I spend the better part of the day dashing from one store to the other preparing for the upcoming week. This particular Saturday was no different. I donned my new favorite boyfriend jeans and flats. It's really beginning to feel like spring {for the north} around here. Yay!




Since I'm out and about for several hours, I need a snack {lunch} to keep up my stamina.

 


I do allow myself a little reward for all my hard work keeping my family healthy and home in order :) Yes, I'll say just about anything to justify spending almost $5. on coffee. 
It's ridiculous!


It was the perfect weather to break in my Christmas gift from my son. It was warm(ish) with a light rain. I thought I'd snap a quick photo to send off to Nicholas modeling my jacket he gave me. Why is it that something that should be so SIMPLE turns into a major project for me?! Ugh! I will admit that when I went through these photos, they provided a good laugh. There were many more but I'll spare you the pain :)


Thanks Nicholas!
I love my jacket and you're right ... it's exactly what I needed ;)
 

After visiting many stores, shops, and markets ... why can't someone invent a one stop shopping mart that carries everything I need? ... I returned home with my goodies. My favorite purchase were the flowers from Trader Joe's! Not only is their selection fabulous but the prices are amazing!
 

Feeling a little crafty and desiring some bright colors with some seasonal changes, I made a new front door basket and a sign for St. Patrick's Day.


 




I do try to keep up with my home during the week but, it never fails, by the weekend it too needs my attention. 


I took this one quickly as I was walking out the door. No, we don't keep the ottoman in the middle of floor but Bentley prefers it in this spot and moves it when we're not looking. He's a tricky one!

 


He looks innocent enough but don't be fooled! :) 


I had to laugh at his "smile" when I snapped this photo of him. I think he was really begging me to take him with me on my weekly tour of the city.





The new week is in full swing and I'm off and running. How do you streamline your weekends? I'm open for suggestions!


Hope yours is going to a be a great one!

Leave A Comment

Back from the DARK

It has been a l o n g 7 and a half days (whose counting!) of living on the Prairie, but we are back and enjoying ELECTRICITY!

Let me just tell you that flushing a toilet has become a luxury and once power was restored, it was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. I will never take this for granted again. Most of us not living in the "city" have wells. Once the power goes ... so do they! Ugh, double ugh!!!

I have much to share, but will have to wait a day or two until we are back to normal. Thankfully our home is fine but we lost several large branches and our yard is a sea of leaves, small branches and debris.

However, I didn't want to wait to thank those that have emailed me, called or text over the past several days. Sadly, we lost a lot of tower strength and my communication was very limited.

With giddy delight, I introduce my new besties ... the power guys! They are from all over the United States. They are gift giving gentlemen that are working 16 hour shifts far from their families. A big thank you for their hard work and their families for sharing them when our state needs them so desperately. We were told that without outside help, we wouldn't have power for 3~4 months. That should give you an idea of how hard Connecticut was hit by Irene.

When they arrived in our sub division I wanted to kiss them! In fact, I think my husband wanted to kiss them. Actually, there was booth set up and a very long line to show such gratitude! This little *adventure* took its tole on us and taught me a few lessons. I'll share those next.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!
Enjoy those around you ~ that's what's most important.

Leave A Comment

I'm still here ...

{Garden Party Arrangement}

 

I have so much to share with you but no time to get the pictures uploaded or a post prepared.The past three weeks have been crazy busy and the end isn’t insight until next week.

For those of you already enjoying summer vacation, I’m wishing you sunny skies, relaxed schedules, and fun family times! I’m almost there as the light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible :)

A few highlights of what’s been going on in my corner of the world...

~ The Child and Family Agency Wine Tasting and Auction was a HUGE success! We had a sold out event with fun for everyone. On top of that, we raised a record amount for our cause which will be greatly appreciated and go to very good use.

~ An evening of celebration was enjoyed at the Coast Guard Academy to honor a few fellow teachers in their amazing accomplishments ~ these women are so dedicated and have hearts of gold!

~ It only took me a solid week but I finally distributed the 5 yards of dirt and 8 yards of mulch around our yard {this isn’t including the original 8 yards that were already laid} that were delivered the week of solid rain. This was an incredible workout/ weight loss plan but next time I’m hiring someone to take on this task.

~ My garden is planted despite the torrential rains and now record heat ~ I’m ready for some normal weather.

~ The Garden Party I hosted in my home for my sweet friend was not only fabulous but we actually surprised her! You have no idea the difficulty behind this task ~ a  true miracle

~ The end of the year is here and over the next 2 weeks I’ll be busy with those activities. We are kicking off the fun with Field Day tomorrow. I’m happy to report that the sky will be blue and the sun will be out in all its glory ~ the recipe for a fun filled day at play!

Leave A Comment

Life in Progress

When my son was in first grade I quickly realized that May was going to be the busiest month of the year ~ December didn't have a fighting chance even with all the holiday hoopla and prep. Well, once again May hasn't let me down. I feel like my body and mind are being stretched as thin as possible and going  in all directions.

The weather here in Eastern Connecticut has been ... challenging. Yea, we'll go with that since it's a little nicer than what I'd really like to say. Soon I'll have to move into my own personal ark if this nonsense keeps up. Yes, it has rained that much AGAIN this year. I wish I were kidding but sadly I'm not. However, a sweet friend reminded me, when I had to take the morning off to pump water out of my basement, that I have a home to return to at the end of the day. Thank you for keeping my whining in perspective. With that said, I really have nothing to complain about!

The ground is SO wet that my poor plants have been living in a continuous spa treatment which is causing them to soak themselves into an unhealthy state. The weather is turning warmer this week {accompanied by showers} so I rescued them and began the laborious project of planting. Why does this step always take ten times longer than I anticipate?!

The window boxes are completed ~ one check off my list!

A little refresher after working hard in the yard and basement. My favorite ~ lemon and lime.

I have been waiting {not so patiently} for these to arrive. They are the reason I have not shared my kitchen remodel. It's a little naked without the back splash. Long ago I saved a picture of this tile in my inspiration binder. I was knew EXACTLY what I wanted when it came time to choose the tile for our kitchen. Done! Or not so fast ~ I didn't have a name or style and no tile place around here ~ from Greenwich to Providence ~ recognized the image in my picture. I knew I would have great regrets if I settled for something else knowing what I was looking for was out there ... somewhere.  After many hours of research on the web I finally found what I was looking for. They are all handmade which means extra turn around time. When they arrived one of the three boxes was damaged so I've had to unwrap each individually wrapped tile to make sure they aren't broken or chipped.

Source unknown

I'm hosting a garden party in a few weeks to celebrate a very dear friend. Keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that our wetlands will dry up and my yard will have a chance to bloom.

The other morning I had to laugh at myself as I was spreading mulch at 5 am before getting ready to head off to my classroom. Why ? Because it was the only window of time with no rain in the forecast!


I'm ready for summer break!

Leave A Comment

What a Week

It's been an eventful week here in my little life. Each day provided a new entry for the Winner of the Week Award.


The entries ...


** my cold that won't go away ~ it's been lingering for the past couple of weeks
** sneezed on, coughed on, sneezed on, coughed on, for the past few weeks by sick students
** vomited on by very sick child at school {almost the winner}
** Bentley went lame with yet another round of tick borne disease ~ trip to Vet before school
** field mouse moved into the wall of master bedroom ~I'm in denial, there are probably more than one.
** husband is away; of course
** house is in total disarray from on going projects 
** family room is half primed because I can only work on it in the evenings


In true Hollywood style, the best was saved for last ...


After a  L   O   N    G  week I was so glad to finally have Friday behind me with the promise of a relaxing weekend on the horizon. I had plans to meet friends for dinner and the rest of the weekend was for finishing up my painting project and getting the rest of our home back in order ~ it's all been affected by our home projects.




Well, that's not exactly what LIFE had planned for Friday evening.


I arrived home to a beeping noise. The kind that a dying battery in a smoke alarm makes. After letting the dogs out of their kennels, I went upstairs to access the situation. The smoke alarm was fine. The Carbon Monoxide Detector however wasn't. Yep, it was beeping and flashing. Great, just what I needed for the final entry into my Winner of the Week contest.


Ladies and gentlemen, we have a WINNER!


After grabbing the phone, getting Bentley and Bozley, I called 911 and let them know the situation.

They arrived in style and promptly went to work. Due to the potential seriousness of the situation, they donned all their protective gear and meters.

Just before setting off to assess my home, I felt compelled to apologize for the condition of our home. Yes, I AM that neurotic! After a quick low down of our projects which have caused such havoc in our home, I felt better. Seriously, I didn't want them to think we were such slobs.



My neighbor was politely laughing at me during this "prep" time.




Bringing the detectors out from our home to have them tested.

Reviewing the equipment from our home ~ me standing numb.

 

The whole time they were in my home, I was trying to come up with a plan ... where does one go with 2 dogs, a husband away? We have a plan for just about everything but not this type of situation. I do not like being unprepared or surprised by the unknown.

In the end, all this commotion was caused by a faulty carbon monoxide detector.



Thankfully, all is well and life is back to {chaotic} normal.


I was very grateful and relieved with the news. I'll be adding a new detector to my list of things to buy this weekend.

Leave A Comment

Good News!

Our prayers have been answered!
I so appreciate your kind hearts and giving spirits.

 Thank you for all your prayers, sweet comments and emails. I am beyond thrilled to share with you that our school family is safe and in a few days will be making their way home to the United States. I wish I could share more details with you regarding the condition and state of families in Japan, but at this time, we aren't aware of any. I hope to hear firsthand once they return and any possible suggestions of how we can additionally help. My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to all those in Japan.

Leave A Comment

Prayer Request and a Thank You

Prayer request ~


There is a wonderful family in my school that is currently visiting their family in Japan. I wish I could share a photo of this sweet 4 year old ~ he is always bubbling over with happiness and has a smile that just melts your heart! He and his family have been in Japan a couple of weeks and we are not certain where they are staying.  Numerous attempts to contact this family have been made and each one has returned silent. We are all hoping and praying this is simply due to lack of ability to communicate in the current state of chaos. If you have a few minutes, would you please lift them up in prayer for their safety and well-being, as well as all the others, during this time of turmoil and devastation. Thank you, I know the family would appreciate your prayers.




Thank you ~

Thank you SO much for your kind words and prayers. Nicholas is doing much better each day and most importantly, he is owning his success through the process. While I haven't shared all the details, they are too personal, of his bumps on the road of life; I have shared how important it is for him to work through this using his tools that we've taught him for so many years. We, as his parents, have offered him support, guidance and an abundance of love along the way. I am SO proud to say that while the struggle is very difficult, he is rising to the occasion and proving to himself a strength he didn't realize he possessed. We knew he had it all along but he had to go down this road to find it for himself. He is becoming aware of who he is as a young man and ultimately building his self-esteem to a level that can only be achieved by hard work. This my sweet son is called LIFE! As we all know, he will be faced with additional challenges as he ages. Thankfully, he will be able to draw upon this experience and apply his confidence to the next set of hurdles that is in store.

Leave A Comment

Holiday funk

Just when I think I'm in the game ... wham!


I'm feel stressed, running in all directions, and getting little accomplished. I feel like one of those hamsters on an exercise wheel going around and around and around but never getting anywhere. Christmas is only two weeks away and I'm beginning to fear {still have loads of shopping, wrapping and baking} its arrival.


Our home is dressed in its holiday finest. Most of the decorations are out, the tree is up and looks lovely, the candles are in the windows, the wreath on the door but I just can't seem to really get into the spirit this year. I'm on auto pilot and my hearts not really in it.

I'm waking up earlier to try and get a few things checked off my list before heading to my classroom and I'm going to bed later in hopes of being more prepared for the day ahead. It's not working. I constantly feel like I'm running and rushing and not really enjoying all that this season promises to offer.


I'm slowing drowning in holiday cheer. My calendar is packed with fun but it's stressing me out. If I didn't have to worry about laundry, cleaning, meals and work I'd be all set. Speaking of my job, that's a whole load of additional cheer to be spread. I'm in charge of the Mitten and Hat tree and the staff Christmas breakfast. Again, I enjoy these projects but I'm missing something this year. It more of an effort than joy.

This weekend is my annual Cookie Exchange. I look forward to it every year. It's a fabulous afternoon with my girlfriends and we all enjoy our trays of Christmas cookies. We eat, drink and enjoy some merry girl time. Guess what ... I'm stressing over this one too! I have appetizers to make, six dozen cookies to bake, the house to clean, gift bags to assemble. I need to rent an elf to help!

Perhaps I need a holly jolly attitude adjustment.

Am I the only one feeling this way?
Please tell me I'm not alone.

I'm done whining :)

Leave A Comment

Lacking

Do you ever get so busy and yet having nothing to say about what's keeping you going at such a hectic pace?

That's how I feel this week.

I'm crazy busy but I've got nothing {interesting} to share with you.

The end of the school year has arrived.

I only have 17more days of school. It's bittersweet ~ I'm looking forward to slower paced days, visiting family, afternoons on the beach, lunch dates with friends, and dinners on the patio. However, I'm really going to miss those sweet smiles, the *a ha* moments when the lesson clicks, the excited greetings each morning, and sharing my day with the children.

Hope you're all having a great week!

Leave A Comment

Grew up Green

I'm not sure how or when this realization popped into my head but, I've come to learn that my parents were GREEN long before it was the in thing to do!

I'm becoming more and more concerned about my family using plastic for food storage. Even more alarming is heating any type of food in this form of container.

Due to my form of lunch hour {Ha, I don't get an hour. More often than not, I'm eating with a student or inhaling my lunch so I can attend a meeting.} I always bring my lunch with me from home. It is often leftovers from the night before, soup or, a salad.

Last weekend I bought several of these pieces from Crate and Barrel. I love them! The seal is fabulous  and have been personally tested as they have traveled to and from my classroom.

I'll be adding more to our home now that I know they travel and work so well.

My mother always went to the Farmers Market with her own bags. They were loosely knitted  that expanded as the items multiplied.

When at the grocery market she would recycle by bringing back the paper bags from the previous week.

I my Whole Foods and Trader Joe's bags that can be purchased in their stores. Some of the markets in my area are giving back .5-.10 per bag when you bring your own.

Not to sound snobby but please understand these acts weren't based on my parents income, rather their upbringing. My grandmother was from the depression era so there was no wasting allowed. Yes, she was the one who washed out bread bags to be reused, washed aluminum foil to be reused, darned nylons ... you get the picture.

Growing up, my brother and I always brought our drinks to school in a thermos. At home,

 we had our own glasses that weren't allowed to leave the kitchen ~ no drinks allowed in the formal living areas.

Today I bring my water to school in my Klean Kanteen{of course it's pink!} and if I bring coffee, it's made at home and travels with me in my pink Starbucks travel mug. Except for Wednesday when I meet the ladies for coffee at 7am. Whole Foods has a wonderful selection of Klean Kanteens to choose from. I just read about another bottle in this month's issue of Clean Eating.

Both of my parents enjoyed gardening. We had a vegetable garden, flower garden and herb beds. It was a nightly chore to carry the vegetable and fruit peels from our meal out to the compost pile. All the yard matter went into this pile as well which was then turned into rich wonderful dirt for our yard.

I've been composting for many years now and love what it does for our plants.While I was there, I picked up this great compost pail at Crate and Barrel. I bought the larger one for our home.

Childhood memories, ahhh ;)

Leave A Comment

Storage options

Have you ever had a Monday that started off better than you could ever imagine?

You wake up before the alarm, get ready in record time, and even have a little extra time to indulge yourself with before it's time to leave for work?

Ya, me too but today wasn't one of those days!

Instead I spent my morning one step behind and rushing ~ not a good way to start off the week.

It took a turn for the worse when I went out to the garage

clicked the remote to unlock the doors ~ nothing

finally opened the car door and no lights came one ~ this isn't going to be good

put key in ignition, and turned ~ absolutely NOTHING!

Yep, dead, not even a groan of life ~ ugh, double ugh!

Due to the security of my husband's office, they have no phones. It's a series of hoops I have to jump through to get a hold of him.

The stars were aligned and I was able to get hold of him in record time.

He came home and confirmed what I already knew ~ the battery was dead.

Really, who knew!

He jumped it and got it started. I told him maybe he should check the fuses {my mechanical input} but he chalked it up to the fact that he had replaced the headlight the night before and must have left the lights on by mistake.

He insisted that I take his car to work "just in case." Such a gentleman!

The Denali ran like a charm all day!

He even took care of my emissions testing while he was out at lunch ~ thanks a ton, you really are so sweet!

He went out to the garage this evening "just to make sure" all was well and it would start up for me tomorrow morning.

Nothing ~ dead, not even a groan!

Again, I offer my suggestion ~ check the fuses {my response for any and all car trouble}

And this is what he found ...

Apparently, a Yukon XL Denali fuse box is just the right size for a colony {my version} of mice to store their food for the winter!

The thistle seed that my husband keeps for his birds has been stolen and relocated for the long winter ahead.

We have no idea what else these little guys have been up to {or where} so he is going to take the truck in "just to make sure" this week.

If you happen to read about a women in Connecticut driving down 95 and suddenly, without warning, begins to drive erratically, you'll know it's me. I've discovered a passenger {or many} that wasn't invited!

Honey, want to take my truck to work tomorrow "just to make sure" it's OK?

Please, pretty please?

Leave A Comment

Ahhhhh

It's been a long, long day!

It's been raining all day and it's cold. The damp cold that gets into your bones.

{do I sound like I'm 80?}

I ran a few errands after school ~ not a good choice! The stores are insanely busy. I only needed a few items and it took twice as long as normal to check out.

Right on cue, it began down pouring as I left the store.

I, of course, left my umbrella in my SUV.

I finally arrived home after 6pm to find my husband laying on the couch.

Upon the initial gaze, I knew this wasn't a good sign.

When I found out he had been home since 4pm I knew we were doomed.

My husband has never seen the inside of our home at that time on a work day.

He's got "the cold"

I'm the one being blamed ~ he's probably right, we have a germfest going on in my school.

I know you're all jealous!

I made the only logical choice:I poured myself a glass of Merlot and changed into my pajamas!

Once the necessities were taken care of, I began dinner.

I whipped up Chicken breasts with portabella mushrooms, petite diced tomatoes, garlic with a gorgonzola sauce on top. This was served over Trader Joe's perline pasta.

Just what the doctor ordered on a chilly damp New England night.

I'm heading off to the family room to read my Traditional Home magazine that just arrived in front of the fire.

Hope you're enjoying a cozy evening!

Leave A Comment

The Silent One

The past few weeks have been extremely long and over loaded with LIFE.

I've had large issues to deal with, choices that have been made for me that I wouldn't have chosen, and directions I don't agree with.

However, I've not been alone during this time. There is no one near me or next to me but I feel a presence.

As I go along with my daily tasks, I feel unexplainably comforted.

When random thoughts pop into my head, they are acknowledged.

The unspoken questions within the quiet of my thoughts, are answered.

Uneasy feelings, are calmed.

Uncertainties, given strength.

The unknown or grey areas, are shed light.

I know through life experience that these days shall pass but for now,
the Silent One has become my confidant, my co~pilot, my new friend.

Leave A Comment

Cleaning out ~ Free fun!

This little guy adores my son. He lives across the street and literally waits for Nick to come home. When he does, the greeting is sweet and filled with such admiration and excitement.

When Nick came home from college this summer it was our little neighborhood town crier that announced the arrival of Nick's 4Runner in the subdivision. He sat in his front yard on a landscaping rock for the longest time just waiting to spy Nick's red truck. After getting permission from his mom, he hopped on his bike and was in our driveway in a matter of 1 second to greet his buddy.

Whenever he sees Nick in the yard, he yells over to him. He always manages to find something that they both have in common. Today it was their short hair cuts ~ now they look alike ~ how sweet is that!

He has even asked if Nick could babysit him ~ awwwh.

This afternoon Nick was getting a few things out of the garage attic. Next thing we knew, Julian was right beside him helping. Not long after his arrival, a pile of "treasures" was being set aside for Julian to take home. I, of course, thought this was a fabulous idea ~ sharing our wealth {aka cleaning out the "treasures" that couldn't possibly be thrown away so we stored them and now they are just taking up space in our attic} I'm sure his mother was just as happy as I (her receiving and my giving) when we had to help him across the street with his new found fun!

Bozley managed to get a new red ball out of the deal and join in the fun of squirt guns.

Half the fun of having an older neighbor boy to look up to is getting some of their cool stuff. It was so fun to watch the look on Julian's face as they went through the boxes and pulled out Nick's history as a boy.

When Nick was a little boy, he looked up to Pete. Thanks to Claudia {Pete's mother} Nick came home many a times with passed on treasures!

Fran, you can thank me later for the bike ramp.

We only visited the ER once ~ honestly! : )

Leave A Comment

Attention Getter

If you happen to be going to a gathering in the near future and want to quickly gain the attention of others in the room try this line out ~ I promise you heads will turn!

My morning started like this:

Bell rang, students entered my classroom, I was trying to quickly get attendance, lunch count, and reading logs check before we headed of to Art (which is only 10 minutes after the bell rings), child approached my desk says the following ....

Mrs. (insert my last name) I think I have Chicken Pox.

I'm really itchy all over and have bumps on my back

and arms!

Oh yeah, I immediately stop what I'm doing, look up only to see the look of horror on my aides face, and that of another teachers' that has just entered my classroom. As calmly as possible she is taken to the school nurse.

Thankfully, it was just a false alarm. Our school nurse assured us all that it is merely a bad case of dry skin ~ poor thing.

Let me know the reactions you get if you decide to try it out in a crowded room :)

Leave A Comment

Ready, Set, ...

Go!

My week hasn't even started (we had Monday off) and I'm tired. We have something going on in our household every night this week. Just the thought makes me tired. I really can't complain as I am the one that scheduled most of the activities(after consulting with my husbands schedule). I can't even say that there something that I don't want to go to since I'm really looking forward to it all. My husband and I usually sit down sometime on Sunday to review our weekly schedules. This helps me as there are many times he'll have a late afternoon meeting so I automatically know to either plan a later dinner or feed the children first and, I'll have dinner with him when he gets home. He didn't even bat an eye when a friend invited us out to dinner on Saturday night. It was our only free night ~ not any more! It's actually going to be a lot of fun but, I'm tired just thinking about it all.

You know what I'm talking about ~ how am I going to squeeze in the laundry, cleaning, meal planning, market shopping, cooking, pop up errands, and attend my full time job, oh yea, and sleep when I'm not home much this week?

You also know what I'm about to say at this point

... I need to figure this out on my own because

I'll be doing it on my own. Apparently no one else in my home

is concerned about the lack of time or man power this week.

Do you think I could leave a "to do" list for our dog, Bozley?

Yea, I know the answer to that one too! I was just trying out

my creative thinking. :)

Leave A Comment

Thankful Thursday

As I was going about my normal routine this morning, it struck me how lucky I am.

In these times of uncertainty, I have so much to be thankful for. We have a lovely home, healthy food in our refrigerator and on our pantry shelves, clothes that keep us warm against the cold winter winds(and as fashionable as a "mom" can be in the eyes of her teenagers), our health, wonderful family and friends that go above and beyond, and jobs we enjoy. In my book, this constitutes being rich!

This is only a brief list as I'm only on my first cup of coffee. I don't know about you, but I often feel as though I'm rushing off to jump the next hurdle in life in order to get ahead. For me, I need to stop more often and realize just how fortunate I am and enjoy being where I am at the time.

Leave A Comment

Unsettled return

Getting back into the school routine has been difficult.

Wouldn't you know, Sunday afternoon I started not feeling well.

By Sunday night I felt horrible. The stomach bug had been going around, but

I thought we were fine since no one showed any signs of being sick. Oh not so true!

My son was really sick most of Sunday, then I got a little of the bug and my daughter was

sick on Monday. What a fabulous way to start the new year!

I went to school Monday not feeling my best, but struggled through.

I was in bed for the night at 7pm. I felt so much better when I woke on Tuesday.

Off to school I went for my half day as I had to take the afternoon off for my son's root canal ~not a fun way to start his new year. He broke his front tooth a few years ago fooling around and just "being a boy." We knew this day was coming at some point. The dentist was hoping to make it until he had completed his final growth spurt (this child has just keeps getting taller and taller) before she did the procedure. However, his tooth had other plans. It's been causing him a little pain so during his annual teeth cleaning last month, she decided it was best to take care of the root canal now rather than have something happen in North Carolina (where he attends college) and need to see a dentist that had no prior knowledge of his mouth.

Everything went very well. We have an awesome dentist. She is absolutely fabulous! Her personality and mannerisms fit our family to a T. I went back to see how things were going and with a giggle, she said they had to pull out the powerful stuff because his front tooth is so big. He really does have large teeth and they are beautiful. I was crushed when he first broke his tooth. By choice, Nick watched most of the procedure (yuck, I think it's a boy thing) and feels confident that he could perform this procedure on family and friends if necessary ~ thanks Nick, but I think we'll keep our dental insurance just to be on the safe side! :)

Due to the weather this morning ~ ice and freezing rain ~ we have a delay.

What an unsettled week to start off our new year.

Maybe tomorrow will be a normal day!

This is just a random picture that I took with my new camera. I was rather impressed with the green of the tree in the forefront and the black and white of the bare branches and clock in the background.

I also didn't think you wanted to see any of the pictures that I took of Nick during his dental outing!

Leave A Comment