Tuesday, December 30, 2008

O Christmas Tree

This is a little late, but we've been busy around my household. Here is the Christmas tree as it looked Christmas morning before Quincy tore into anything under it:

It looks pretty much the same today without the pretty paper.:) We're lazy people around here. Okay, I am a lazy person. I will eventually remove all my gifts from under the tree and relocate them to somewhere in the bedroom, where they'll sit until February. My husband will tell me to put them away and I will, maybe. Happens every year.

By the way, my husband had all his stuff put away by Christmas night..

I don't know about every one else's Christmas, but this one was exciting since Quincy is 4. He finally seemed to get it. Santa Claus. Presents. The whole bit. Maybe a little too well. When he was finished opening all his gifts, he said, "Aren't there more for me? I want more!" He really should have been happy that he even got gifts. He opened almost everything under the tree December 22. There were only 8 gifts and he opened 7. Most of those were for my husband so he wasn't very surprised Christmas Day. I got to rewrap everything (like that's a privilege. It resulted in a major backache.)

It's almost New Year's Eve. I will celebrate with my annual tradition of falling asleep by 11 while watching TV with my 4 year old. :)

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Does It All Equal Out?

Just read a post over at Girl's Gone Child , "Pictures of the Gone World" and it reminded me of several things that have been on my mind lately. The post that is linked to in it over at Dad Gone Mad made me think even more.

I met my husband at work, in a world totally removed from who he was socially or, in some respects, as a person, at least to the extent that a uniform erases personalities. I got to know him while we dated and he was a great person for me to date. A great person for the grad school student that I was to hang out with. I always worked from 4:00 p.m. until around 10:00 p.m. so my schedule pretty much consisted of getting up around noon and going to bed around 2 a.m. That meshed well with who he was and is--a person who pretty much always stays up until at least 4 a.m. and would sleep until 2 if left alone.

From the beginning, there were obvious differences. His friends went to lots of music shows and festivals, drank, and stayed out until the sun came up on a regular basis. Mine hung out in coffeehouses, reading Proust, and discussing Postmodernism. A lot of his friends were intellectuals who just happened to enjoy live music. Where am I going with this?

4 years later, his friends are exactly the same. Some have full-time jobs. Some simply work enough to earn the money to go out. My friends are all working at some sort of full-time job. One is working in the music industry in Nashville; many are teachers in various locations around the country. None of those routinely stay out all night. Few of them have children.

When we had our son, I was the one who gave up staying out all night. I was never much of a partier anyway. I don't drink or smoke so I always sat back and observed. 4 years later, my husband still stays up until 4 a.m. even when he has to get up early the next day to be responsible and watch our child. He still goes to shows and comes home as the sun is coming up. At 29, he reminds me of myself at 19. I wonder when it all equals out or if it ever does?

Friday, December 19, 2008

The Santa Pic

I've had this picture uploaded on my computer for a week, but then Monday happened and there was a dentist's appointment and work. Tuesday was the pinkeye day and another doctor's appointment. Wednesday, we tried to Christmas shop. Anyway, here's the pic:



In case you can't tell, Quincy loved Santa this year. He told him all about what he wanted for Christmas and about the train that they had nearby. And there was no crying or screaming. It was awesome!

However, I can't help but think about the fact that pinkeye has a 3 day incubation period and this picture was taken Saturday. Quincy came down with it on Tuesday. You see my line of thought? Of course, he probably got it from me.:)

Okay, now back to cross stitching, laundry, and making buckeyes!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Gotta be Spontaneous

I got up this morning at 5:15 with my eyes still goopy from the pinkeye I've had for almost a week and switched on the TV. It was supposed to reach freezing sometime around midnight last night and then the rain would switch to freezing rain. Apparently, the weatherman was right.

Schools delayed two hours, said the TV. I called my mom, told her the news, reset the alarm for a one hour later wake up time, and crawled back under the covers. It was still warm. I love my flannel sheets!

8:30. The alarm goes off. I go to wake Quincy for school and he will. not. wake. up. He finally moved after ten minutes and rubbed an eye. Guess what he came down with? Pinkeye!

So, no school for him, no subbing for me. Off we went to the pediatrician's and then to the pharmacy. Drops for him.

It's okay. It's actually a good day to be inside. It's still 37 and raining outdoors.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Varied and Sundry

Now that I am teaching the same class every day, what I teach tends to change often. Of course, I am still certified in English and would prefer to sub in that. It isn't always possible though. English teachers just don't seem to get sick all that often or people snatch up the jobs before me. That happens a lot. So many people don't care about where or for who they sub, just that they do. I often check to see what subject or grade level the teacher teaches.

In the past week, I have taught Spectrum, Middle School Geography, and Kindergarten. I always thought that the Spectrum kids would be like high school Honors students--more interested in what they were learning, more enthusiastic, better behaved. That's not necessarily true. They were interested, but I also had to try hard to keep them on task. The Geography was something I was kind of thinking would involve the students mostly reading. It did, except they really weren't getting it by just reading it. I didn't figure that out until the end of the day though. By the last class, I was giving a mini-lecture before they read the material. I thought that the Kindergartners might be easy. I really thought that after the teacher told me that I just had to do coloring, nap time, a DVD, and get them to their buses on time. They were the hardest of all and I was only there 2 and a half hours. It was crazy. Oh, and they kept hugging me, which was sweet until I heard about the vicious stomach virus that had been sweeping the school. I was especially not too thrilled when one little girl told me, "I feel like I might throwed up." She didn't, but still. I could never teach Kindergarten full-time.

I picked up a great case of pinkeye from somewhere this week. I assume it was Quincy's preschool, but who knows. I am not sure what the incubation period is on pinkeye. I just know that it started Wednesday night in one eye and then I woke up this morning with it in the other one, too. Today was a snow day. That was a sucky way to start it.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Quincy's Observations

Driving home tonight, we passed some apartments. Now, we always pass these same apartments, but I normally just say they are buildings that a lot of people live in. Tonight, I said, "Look at those apartments!"

Quincy said, "Do those apartments have stairses?"

Well, yes.

Quincy said, "Do those apartments have a doorman?"

Umm, no.

Then he said, "Do those apartments have a dachshund?"

We watch way too much Curious George.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Ugh Ugh Ugh

I spent the morning agonizing over whether or not I wanted to pursue the only two Language Arts positions open in my county. Once I decided that, yes, I should try, then I had to call the schools because the job postings clearly said, "Call school for interview." Usually, that means that someone will call you back with an interview time or even give you one right then and there. I hate calling schools. Even the secretaries make me nervous. Also, the remote possibility that I might speak to a principal practically makes me shake like a leaf.

Well, I took a deep breathe and I called. Both of them said to email or fax my resume. So much for worrying about who I would talk to on the phone. Emailing a resume means I need a cover letter of some sort because you can't just email an attachment with a blank message, you know? That would be unprofessional. So I wrote a great cover letter, highlighting my familiarity with teaching writing, and sent it. I cut and pasted the same letter, with a few tweaks, to the second principal.

Now I kind of hope they don't call. Principals make me nervous, which makes me seem unprofessional at interviews I think. I mean, it's bad when you are visibly shaken by the interview, right? I lose my train of thought. I forget all that I know. In one interview, I forgot what Student Performance Indicators are. In my last interview, I kept my mouth shut, for the most part, and I got the job. I read somewhere that you shouldn't talk too much in interviews. You might reveal something that they didn't ask you and that they see as a negative.

I really kind of hope no one calls me this afternoon.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Stuck, Stuck, Stuck

That title makes me want to scream, "Don't leave me guys, Don't leave me!" Bonus points to anyone who gets that reference.

It's the day after Thanksgiving. Quincy's constant running to the bathroom to poop has stopped, but this morning I realized that he had not peed in a long time. I had to threaten IV, then explain what an IV is, to get him to go pee. Now, I am like a drill sergeant. Every few minutes, I say, "Drink, Quincy, drink." I wonder how long until he starts pooping again?

Under dubious accomplishments for today, I did manage to make a Christmas list for my husband, Quincy, and myself. At least people will know what we want now!

In reference to the title, I am stuck here at the house when I have several things to do outisde the house because Quincy was so sick yesterday. I had planned on taking him with me, but my mom thinks he doesn't need to be out. My husband went to do his stuff, then I get to go do mine. By the time he gets back, it will be time for me to go to work. *sigh*

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Free Time on the Long Weekend!

Well, my interim position has ended. I am somewhat relieved as progress reports were coming up and now I don't have to chase anyone down for missing work, but I will miss those kids. I will also miss having a regular place to go every day. With subbing, I never know where I'll end up each day or what age group I'll have or how they'll behave.

The day before my position ended, the washer broke. It is the motor, which can be replaced. It's a 12 year old washing machine and I don't honestly know whether we should replace the motor or just buy a new one. It will be about a hundred dollars more to buy a new one though.

I am currently sitting around the house with a flatulent toddler who sometimes has diarrhea. It's awesome! We went to the pediatrician today and she said he was perfect. Of course, at that point in the day, he had not yet pooped. I thought the stomach thing was all fixed. Boy, was I wrong! Still, he isn't as bad as when he first came down with it. So there's that.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

My baby is 4!!!

4 years ago at 10:53 a.m., roughly 5 hours after arriving at the hospital, my son was born. My sister Sarah was there. She gave him his first bath, which he hated. He screamed and cried. He was tongue-tied and jaundiced. Somehow, we made it through that first year. It's amazing really, because he fell off the bed once. He also tried to climb the high chair and failed. That little fall resulted in a bitten tongue and a freaked out Mommy.

2nd year, I went back to work full-time and Daddy took over child care some days. My sister Sarah was Aunt Rara by this time. There was also "Granmudder." This was the year he spent a lot of time at the doctor's. Quincy had an x-ray around 16 months. Baby's first x-ray. It's not the milestone you'd think. I came home from work and Quincy was napping. My husband casually mentioned that he had cried earlier and then hadn't walked all afternoon and had, instead, opted to take a nap. I woke him up and discovered that he couldn't walk. He just cried. He had a small bruise on the top of his foot where he had attempted to climb the baby gate. The x-ray revealed no fractures. he was walking again in a few days. Around 18 months, he had coxsackie virus. I gave it to him and had no fever. He developed sores all in his mouth and ran 104 degree temperature and above. He pretty much cried for four days. It was horrible. He also went to preschool for the first time two days a week when he was two. It was a good place for him to spread his germs! We still lived in the little house with the yellow bedroom that we brought him home to. That summer, we moved from the little house to the larger house in the country. Quincy gained more room, but he lost his paved driveway. At first, all he talked about was his old house and going back there.


His 3rd year was when I started teaching full-time and was gone a lot and then busy when I was home. He managed to not get sick too much during the last year, which made it easier for me. I hate leaving him when he's sick and he needs his mommy. He did have a nasty cough last winter where he gagged and threw-up at least once a day. That was the worst. This last year saw him getting much more independent. Still, he cries when my husband leaves him at preschool because he "wants Daddy to stay all day too!" That just started recently. Also, this year he became potty-trained. We thought it would never happen, but it did. He stays dry all day, but still sleeps in a pull-up. Sometimes he slips up, but that has gotten more and more rare.

My baby is a big boy today. He tells me that every time I call him a baby. Still, sometimes he wants me to hold him just like I did that first day.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

I need sleep...and other stories

This week was the most tiring one of this Interim position. It was report card week. I hate report card week because, inevitably, there will be a few children who have slacked off since progress report time and then end up with a D or an F. They think that the A they had at the middle of the six weeks will just be there at the end and then their parents call or email and dealing with both whining kids and complaining parents is exhausting. Plus all the kids were crazy this week. I hope they are more settled next week, but they know that Thanksgiving break is coming up so most likely they won't be. I had to deal with assistant principals over something a kid had done about 5 times this week and that was 5 times too many. Also, on Friday, one boy got suspended. So, for this coming week, I'm really hoping for snow one day!

Let's see. The beginning of last week was the time right after my sister's wedding, which I need some good pictures of to post. I have a few, but I need more. Last Saturday, which was the day of the wedding, was very tiring. It went well. Everyone looked nice. Quincy even put on his tux with no fuss. He went potty before the ceremony and had no accidents. He walked up the aisle like he was supposed to, but refused to carry his ringbearer pillow. He only stayed onstage for about 5 minutes, before loudly exclaiming, "I want some fruit snacks." That part is on video. He went to the back of the church to see his Daddy mid-ceremony. My husband filmed the whole thing so he was where the best view was. Quincy stayed back there a while, but then decided to come back up front. At that point, he came down the aisle walking on his knees. He was still wearing his tux and he stopped every few pews to grin at the person on the end. I watched it all from the stage, helpless. All in all, it went pretty well.

Oh, Quincy was also pinkeye-free for the ceremony. It finally went away. Now, he has a cough or maybe a cold. He picked this one up at preschool last week. He says that he got it from holding hands with a girl there! He could be lying. He has no fever or anything, just a cough. I think it could be just the heat drying him out and the fact that the high for the last few days has been in the 40's. It may be time to break out the humidifier!

Quincy's 4th birthday is Tuesday. I will be trying to get birthday stuff done tomorrow night before the big day since I'll be at school all day on Tuesday. I can't believe he's going to be 4.:)

Friday, November 07, 2008

Not as cute as Mickey Mouse

This week was pretty uneventful on the school front. Lots of grading, but that was about it. I am almost done with grades for this six weeks. Yay!

The most exciting event of my week happened Wednesday morning and it was not really exciting so much as it scared the crap out of me. I walked in the kitchen around 6:30 a.m.. I had planned on going out the back door and turning on the car to warm up. It has been kind of cold here lately and I hate driving to school cold. As I rounded the corner of the living room and headed into the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of the dog's water water bowl. It looked like there was something in it. I was about 6 or so feet away so I could not be sure what it was. I walked closer, got about 4 feet away from it, and realized that it was a mouse treading water and swimming in circles. I quickly ran back to the bedroom and woke up my husband and shrieked something about a mouse in a decibel I do not normally speak in. Once he understood, he walked in, picked up the water bowl, opened the back door, and slung the contents to the left of the door. I waited about five minutes to be sure that our visitor has run away and out I went. There was no mouse outside. It really did run away!

Fast forward to this morning, when I still naively believe that this was one isolated mouse who maybe came in the back door to get out of the cold. I heard a scuffling in the laundry room while making my lunch this morning. I woke up my husband (second time before 7 a.m. this week--he was not happy) and mentioned the noise. He told me that he had heard it and was convinced that we have mice (not one mouse---mice, plural) in the walls. Yeah, still, I thought maybe they (!) were in the garage.

Tonight, my sweet little son informed me that he had seen a mouse run across the kitchen floor. Since this was the first I had heard of it, and he is known to make things up, I called the hubby. He confirmed the story, although he did not witness this mouse first hand. I am now afraid to walk in my kitchen and I think every noise that I hear must be a mouse. I will be on the couch all night with my feet up. I am not going in the kitchen for anything. Oh, and maybe we should get a cat.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Stuck in grading hell...and Quincy

The end of the grading period is Friday. I have projects that were due yesterday to finish grading and, on top of that, I took it upon myself to give out a second progress report so students would know what their grade will be when reports cards go out (ie. "you are missing all this work--turn it in!") At the beginning of yesterday, I was all caught up on grading. At the end of the day, however, I had a stack of makeup work on my desk that was pretty large. I got that all done and brought home yesterday's classwork to grade and fell asleep. So it's 6:20 a.m. and I am heading to school to grade.:)

Quincy's pinkeye seemed to have cleared up by Monday and then got worse on Tuesday. He has a lot of itching now that he didn't have before and the itching irritates his eyes and then they get goopy from the irritation. His pediatrician thinks he might have gotten sensitive to the Polymyxin drops so we have to back off on those and use artificial tears some in the hopes that it will just wash on out. He has preschool color pictures today and I just looked at his eyes. They are glued together in the inner corners, but not all over. That's an improvement from yesterday!

Well, time to go to sneak out before Quincy wakes up (shhhhhh!!!) :)

Friday, October 31, 2008

I got what I deserved I guess.

So I'm really clueless at this Mom thing sometimes. I know Quincy is going through a Daddy phase. He has fun with Daddy because Daddy plays with him and puts him on his shoulders and stuff. And he has been crying for him almost every night that he has not been here for the past two weeks.

Naturally, I thought that last night's ill mood and overdramatic reactions were because he missed Daddy. I mean, he said that he missed Daddy. He also cried at the drop of a hat and his cheeks looked a little flushed. That did not register with me at all. He slept an exceptionally long time last night. That also meant nothing to me apparently. The fact that he was napping when I got home around 4 o'clock this afternoon worried me and rightly so, because my child never naps...unless he's sick.

Yes, that's right. He's sick. He had a slight fever this afternoon. That's not the worst of it though. His eyes were swollen and oozing yellow goop when I got home. They were so goopy he couldn't open them. There was dried goop all over his face. Daddy thought his eyes looked a little weird before he went to sleep because he was tired. I took one look at him and said, "Pinkeye." We took him to the doctor and it's pinkeye, which he has never had before and which requires drops four times a day. Have you ever tried to put drops in a three year old's eye? It's kind of hard to do. I've been bribing him with Halloween candy! :)

Thursday, October 30, 2008

What the Hell...Spawn of Satan

My three year old has suddenly turned into the toddler from hell. I think it's just that he got up at 6:30 this morning and only took an hour nap this afternoon. Still, was that any reason to spit lemonade on my floor and then throw his cup when I said he had to clean it up? Let me add that he broke two blinds when he threw the cup. I don't know if this is a reaction to my being gone at school all day or what. He cried some about my not being here a few weeks ago. Now, he's used to it and he seems to not want me around.

Last night, I needed him to take a bath. He was filthy and it was 8:30. I started bath watter, which usually brings him running. He ran away instead and I had to chase him and then carry 35+ pounds of kicking, screaming, toddler in there. I had to hold with one hand while he struggled like a wildcat as I stripped off his clothes. After much wrestling, I got him in the tub and he was not crying anymore. He was pissed. He started throwing handfuls of water at me. When I was thoroughly soaked, he laughed and then cried for Daddy. How is this rational behavior?

Last night was not the first time he has cried for Daddy when I am here at night. I've heard, "Where is Daddy? Make him come home" along with "Why did Daddy go to work?" and "I want Daddy!!!!!!" It's been a little bit heart-breaking because he's always been a mama's boy and suddenly, he's not. He'll be four in three weeks and he doesn't even want me around. I was already upset because, "OMG, my baby is going to be four." The Daddy thing just makes me want to go cry into my pillow.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Not Monday, Tuesday

I know that yesterday was Monday and all and it went really well. Today, on the other hand, not so much. I got up about a half hour later than I meant to, which made very little difference because I was pretty quick getting ready today. A little too quick, maybe. I put a pantyliner in my panties this morning, because, why not? I kept feeling like maybe it was a little crooked or something on the way to school, so I went to the restroom and checked when I got there. It was not so much crooked as not completely stuck, as in, part of the adhesive was facing me and not my underwear. Ouch! That's how my day began.

Also, I was in such a hurry today because a child needed to make up a test. I got to school. No child in sight. He never showed up!

There was a period this afternoon where everything came together and I got all my grades so far entered in the computer. That was awesome.

Now, I am home for five minutes and then I get to go sling pizzas and talk to jerks on the phone.

That's my cheery take on Tuesday. Hope yours is better!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Differences Galore

I am still very, very busy--between the teaching and the working at night and on weekends and the being a mom and a wife and the sleeping. So far, the only things that I am missing out on is being able to keep up with my TV shows and my blogs. I have no time to read blogs, but that's only until Thanksgiving. The TV thing, I do have time for, but only once Quincy is asleep and, by then, I am usually asleep, too. Oh, plus the DVR messed up and didn't tape "House" on Tuesday, so I am behind now anyway. It posts online this Wednesday so I didn't miss anything really, I guess.

Speaking of Quincy, he's amazing. His language skills. His potty skills. Everything is incredible. And he will be four in a little less than a month. I can't believe he's so big. I do wish he would go to sleep earlier. It's 10:02 and he is still awake, watching Thomas.

There is a huge difference between the kids I taught last year and the ones I have now. I used to come home feeling pretty much hopeless, like I had no classroom management skills at all, like I was learning nothing about how to handle those kids. I think it was just that I really should be teaching middle school. I still have challenging days, but I never feel hopeless or defeated. If I tell my kids to sit down and be quiet, they sit down and be quiet. You don't know how satisfying that is after last year.

One thing that has not changed is the absolute exhaustion that I feel at the end of some days. There's this lull between the time I get home and time to cook dinner when I almost fall asleep and then I feel out of it for the rest of the night. All those 13 year olds are tiring!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Shiny happy people

(This post is brought to you by the Excedrin I had to take for the headache I had when I got home from school today. No more headache. Not sleepy)

Quincy has a cough. It has been panic-inducing to be at school all day while my baby coughs at home. Never mind that it sounds like a post-nasal drip cough. Never mind that he has no fever and feels fine. I am still worrying all day. He does not seem distressed in the least. He has played all night. He hid all of his Thomas the Tank Engine engines (wow, that was redundant) under boxes in the living room. He gave the bathroom a bath while he took one. I had to dry off the floor and the toilet before he got out tonight.

He certainly makes a lot of mess for a small person with a lingering cough. Oh, and he is not coughing at all at night. But, last night, I thought the refrigerator was being especially loud and I got up to check. It was not the refrigerator. It was Quincy sleeping on his tummy and breathing. Wow.

He does not look sick. Here's his best grin.

See, he looks really happy. This is partially because he's a ham and partially because he has control of the big TV right now and is watching his favorite show of the night.

It's Thomas! After two hours, I am sick of Thomas. It's Monday and he's too shiny happy.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Life limped along at subsonic speeds

So I intended on answering this meme from Sammanthia at The Edge of Insanity on Wednesday night, but then I fell asleep by 9. It's amazing how tiring 60 or so 13 year olds and their drama can be.

Here goes. This is the "four things" meme.

Four places I go over and over:
1) Domino's--I work there quite a bit, but sometimes I am even there when not working. Not as much as I was before I had Quincy though. I'm not as pathetic as I used to be. Yay.
2) Walmart--I'm cheap and it's where I grocery shop. I could go to Publix, which is more expensive and has better produce, but, like I said, I'm cheap.
3) Barnes & Nobles--I love books. I love to browse books. I love to find books that I want for Christmas. :)
4) Jersey Mike's--It's a sub shop here. I am addicted to thier Chipotle Cheese Steak. Steak cooked in Tabasco with chipotle with peppers and onions and topped with chipotle mayo. Yum.

Four places I'd rather be right now:
1) Some place where I have all my papers graded and all school stuff organized. Not sure where that would be.
2) Bed--It's cold in here. It's supposed to be in the 30's tonight. I will be wrapped in blankets before long.
3) On a date with my husband because I never see him.
4) Living somewhere besides Tennessee. This weather kills me. It's 70 during the day, in the 30's at night, and 40-something when I leave for school. The next day, it might be 80 or 60. At night, it might be 60 or 40. Can't it be Fall already???

Four TV shows I watch:
1) Grey's Anatomy---I love this show, but sometimes I skip the end where Meredith is narrating or I watch it with the captions on and turn it way down.
2) Greek--This is such a great show. It's on AMC Family, which my husband finds hilarious. He continually asks me why the family channel has a show about frats. I don't know, but I like it.
3) ER---I have watched this since it began and, now that it's the last season, I watch it every week. I cannot tell you how many times I've seen the episode where Mark Green dies and cried.
4) Cold Case--I love to watch the reruns of this show because I always forget to watch the new ones.

Four things I eat for breakfast:
1) A banana---This is what I eat on school mornings, usually with a Dr. Pepper, sometimes with coffee.
2) Hardee's sausage and biscuit--This is what I eat on weekends.
3) Chocolate--only sometimes though.
4) Oreos--Only on mornings where I am home and I sleep until 10 a.m. so it's already lunch-time anyway.

Four animals I like best:
1) Mini schnauzer's---I now this is a dog breed. I love them. I love their little beards and eyebrows and the way they dance when they're happy. It makes me happy.
2) Goats--There are some goats in a pen as you enter my subdivision. I think they're cute, too. I know that they eat everything so I'm not sure I want one.
3) Guinea pigs--My sister has one named Moe. He's very sweet and cute.
4) Deer--When they are standing very still in a misty field, like the one I saw Friday morning, they are very beautiful.

Four beaches I've been to:
1) Myrtle Beach
2) Kiawah Island
3) The man-made beach at Callaway Gardens in Georgia
4) Clearwater Beach in Florida

Four people I am tagging:
1) Just B at Mile 17
2) Marilyn at Slackermama
3) Bejewell at The Bean
4) Wendy at Notes from the Sleep Deprived

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Busy Busy Busy

Sorry I'm MIA and this time it is not because I am off reading all of the Twilight saga.:) I'll be teaching adverbs and irony today. I taught irony yesterday, too. Isn't that ironic? (Sorry..had to make a bad irony joke)

I have Hall Duty today. I'm not sure what that means exactly. I'm thinking that I have to stand in my appointed place in the hall, but when and for how long? I don't know.

I came home yesterday to Quincy sitting on the couch watching TV and acting kind of pitiful. He was burning up! Apparently I am the only one who checks for things like fevers. He had over 103, but every time he has needed ibuprofen since then it's only been a little over 101 so whatever it is may not last long. That would be good. He was up from 4 a.m. until 6:30 this morning. The ibuprofen kicked in and he felt good. He's sleeping with Daddy now.

I have a meme to answer from Sammanthia over at The Edge of Insanity. I plan on doing that this afternoon. Oh, and Amalah is having her baby today!

Off to school!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Soooooo Tired

I have a pretty easy schedule at my new teaching job, but I am still exhausted at the moment. I just want to sit on the couch and eat chips. I have no papers to grade tonight so yay for that. I'm sure that will change in the next day or two. It's been pretty sweet so far.:) I had forgotten how tiring dealing with kids all day is. That's all.

It won't help that I am working my second job also because the county pays kind of weird. I teach all this month, but I get paid mid-November and mid-December. The December check will be pretty huge and will be right before Christmas. Maybe then we can buy our pantsless child some new pants?? Oh, and my sister is getting married next month and, OMG, I am in the wedding. Final dress fitting is Friday I think.

I'm so tired I can't even think. I had this great post worked out in my head this morning, but it was almost 7 a.m. and I was not dressed yet!

More tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Frustration and Idiocy

I used to love my second job. It's the job I go to where I rarely have to think. I can do it in my sleep, literally. I mean, it's pizza, it's food service, it's not hard. I just smile and nod, smile and nod. I can pretty much pick my hours and my days off. If I say I'd rather not work with someone, then I don't all that often. It's pretty sweet. Except for the customers, sometimes they suck.

Lately, though, it's gotten frustrating. I don't know if it's that there are people there that really, truly, rub me the wrong way or what. (and I'm not talking about Richard--he doesn't bother me all that much lately. As a side note, I've discovered that he's only an ass when there's an audience. One on one, he's intelligent and sometimes interesting. Odd though and I'm probably somehow deluded.) Anyway, I honestly cannot believe that steam has not literally come out of my ears or that the top of my head hasn't blown off. My blood pressure must be through the roof when I am there. The sheer idiocy of my co-workers astounds me sometimes.

I am so glad that I am teaching again, even if it is only for a few weeks. It's a great school with wonderful kids. Plus I love my co-workers there.

On a completely unrelated note, I wish my last two Stephenie Meyer books would come while I have time to read them.:)

Monday, October 06, 2008

Fall Break

It's my last week to sleep late for a while. Also, my last week to get anything done I guess. After this week, I'll be at school from 7:00 a.m. ish until 3:30 Monday- Friday and then at my other job from 5:00 to 9:00 four or five nights a week. The teacher that I am interiming for is coming back sometime around Thanksgiving I think. There's a permanent teaching position opening in January at one of the other schools and I am planning on sending a resume over about that one soon. I don't know when I would interview though!

This is going to be fun, except for the lack of sleep and the getting up early five days a week. That will suck. And I'll have to make a grocery list on the weekends, but probably will not have time to go myself so my husband will have to go. It will have to be a very specific grocery list or who knows what he'll come back with. That may also suck.

It does not feel very much like Fall here. Well, maybe at night, but it was 88 today. The disparity between the morning temperatures and the afternoon ones are messing with my head. There's at least a 30 degree difference between the two. It would be nice if it at least looked like Fall. None of the leaves are changing here yet! Also, my allergies are being kicked up by something. I don't know what. Leaves? Leaf mold? Grass? Dog hair? All of the above? I just know that my eyes are red and itchy. Yuck!

I keep thinking that somewhere it's probably snowing already. That would be kind of fun. All the pollen would be killed. No more sneezing or rubbing my eyes! I could deal with a little more cold.:)

Is it Fallish where you are??

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Oh the vampires!

I spent the last two days with my nose buried in the first two novels of the Twilight Saga. Now, I need the last two. It's Fall Break this week and I have grading to do. I need to find a good worksheet on irony and print it out. But, really, all I care about is what has happened to Edward and Bella.:)

Just a quick note to say that I am still alive. In my time not spent reading, I have worked. I am about to go work the last 9 hours of my 33 for this weekend. Next, I will sleep.:)

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Thursday, October 02, 2008

I think we're alone now!

Okay, really, I know we're alone now. I just wanted to work a song title into a post title.:) My husband is on his way to Johnson City, TN. He has no more minutes left on his phone so he has cruelly turned it off. I'm not freaking out though. The thought of being alone with my three year old until late Sunday night doesn't scare me at all. I am such a liar.

It is not the being alone with the three year old as his sole caregiver for days (except when my mother has him) that scares me. It is the being here late at night at our house in the country where there are no street lights and my parents are about a half an hour away. And did I mention that my husband won't answer his phone?? Oh, and that I'm a big baby who doesn't like the quiet late at night??

So, you, Internet, are the only one (?) I have to tell about my day. I had my orientation for my interim position today. It was at an employment agency and was really a waste of my afternoon, except for the part where I filled out my W-4. One good thing though--I did not have to be re-fingerprinted since I had my fingerprinting done less than a year ago. So I saved the $48 that I would have had to pay for that. Yay!

I also got to go by my school and meet the other teachers in my mini-school. They were really fun and nice and the kids were all pretty well-behaved for the end of the day. All in all, I think this position will be pretty awesome. Also, I was not sure when the position would end. I thought it would last through mid-November or so, but the teacher is not coming back until mid-December so it's a month longer than I thought. That means more money. Yay, again!

Going to watch the debate. Alone. With no one to discuss it with unless I get back online. *sigh* Yeah, I kinda miss my husband.:(

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Anybody want a cat?? Free!!!!!


See, she's even cute. You might recall from previous posts a while back though that she is evil. Her looks are deceptive. Her most recent meanness resulted in my mother having to get a tetanus shot and antibiotics.

Sunday morning, early, Quincy and I went to my parents so that he could go to church with them. It was a big deal. His first trip to church in big boy underwear. My mother was running around, getting everything together and ready to go. The cat, Abby, got disturbed by all the movement and came from out of nowhere and bit/scratched the back of my mother's ankle. It looked minor so she went on to church. Quincy did okay. He made it into the bathroom, but not to the potty. He told me later that he made a puddle of pee on the bathroom floor.

Monday morning, my mother's ankle was swollen and red. She went to the doctor, hence the tetanus shot and antibiotics. The cat bite/scratch had gotten infected. Last night, the back of her ankle was swollen about twice the normal size and red. She stayed home from teaching preschool yesterday and today. She says that she's okay, but every time I talk to her, she sounds very groggy. Last night, she was having trouble getting around because it hurt to walk.

This is at least the second time the cat has done this. My parents are going to check and see is the Humane Society takes house cats. They didn't used to. If not, anyone want an antisocial cat??

Friday, September 26, 2008

Moo, Moo, Meow, Meow, Quack, Quack, Neigh

Those are sounds I hear all the time around my house, although not as much as I used to since I "lost" the animals that go in the Old McDonald singing tractor. My son loves to make animal sounds. He especially enjoys a good, loud "neigh" just when you are getting comfortable on the couch, usually in a ear. He uses "Meow,Meow" as a greeting, not just at home, but at preschool, too. If he see a cow while riding in the car, then he throws out a "moo" and, when the ducks still lived at our subdivision entrance, "quacks" were frequent as we turned in.

I also hear a lot about monkeys around here. My son recently learned the words to the Monkeys jumping on a bed song. He likes to sing it while jumping on my bed. How's that for toddler irony? Gee, maybe it's a good idea to sing a song about monkeys jumping on a bed and falling off while I jump on a bed. That doesn't seem like a bad idea at all! Also, you know how monkeys throw things? My son throws all types of food at the dog, even some that the dog won't eat, like grapes, pretzels, and peanuts. I can see where he would get confused since the dog will eat most anything. I do get sick of cleaning under the couch and finding so much food there. And the sheer volume of food contained within the couch is kind of scary. There are entire meals of toddler finger food down there! Goldfish crackers, popcorn, cheetos, grapes, cheerios, kix, all types of nuts. Those are just a few things that I have found. My couch is a snacker's dream! Sometimes you can even find an m&m or two.

The noise level around here also sometimes makes me feel like I live at the zoo. Just this afternoon, when the principal of the school that my new job is at called to offer it to me, I could barely hear him because of the toddler screaming at me. I had to go into another room and I still had trouble hearing him. It's worse in the afternoons than any other time of day. I think that's when my toddler's energy is highest or when he is most fighting the need to crash. I know that he is loudest from 3-7 p.m. Sometimes it's like being around a pack of hyenas, especially when he cracks himself up!

If you like zoo animals, go check out Generation Next's new program for teaching your child to read called iKnow Animals, Letters, and Sounds. For more posts about zoo-like life with children, go to the PBN blog and check out the list of this weekend's blog blast posts.

I hope I don't jinx this...

but I got a job. An honest to goodness teaching job. I start sometime next week, probably Tuesday. It depends on how fast the paperwork gets done. I'll be teaching 8th grade Language Arts. It's almost the exact grade I would like to teach. I would like to go a little younger than 8th grade, maybe 6th or 7th.

The only crap thing about it is this--It's for 6 or 7 weeks. I do get full-time teacher pay for that time period, but the payroll in this county runs kind of weird. If I start in September, I'll get a paycheck October 20. If I start in October, I'll get the first one November 20. November 20 is about when the position will end. I will get two paychecks though since I'll get paid for November in December so I'll have that money for Christmas. Yay!!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

My "friend" has come to visit!!

The pregnancy tests were all right. I'm not pregnant, just late. Weird since I was two days early the last two months, but whatever. This just supports my claims to my husband that even if we halfway try to get pregnant by keeping track of ovulation and all that, still nothing happens. I think it will be a while before we have another child just because of that, if we ever do. We definitely got lucky with Quincy.

Quincy did tell me last night that if he had a baby brother or sister then he would turn on his night light so it would not get scared, cover it with a blanket, hug it and love it, and share his toys "to" it (as he says). I thought that everything he said was very sweet.

I do hope this is the end of drama in my life for the month. Now back to the business of finding a day job. There only seem to be jobs in Nashville, which requires driving about half an hour. I know that is not far, but I would like to find something around here if possible. Going to look now.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

One Day Late

Still no period. Still do not feel pregnant. Aren't I supposed to feel pregnant?

Kinda freaked out last night and cried a lot because I have always wanted two kids, but, now, that we have Quincy, I just am not sure that it is fair to him to have another. He's always been our only baby. I feel like it takes both of us to be amazing parents to him. It takes our full attention to just keep him happy and alive. I'm not sure we could do that with two.

A little scared right now.

Update:
Sorry about that emotional outburst up there. I took a two hour nap and feel much better (except why is this still bold?? I turned bold off. This is bold, right?).
Anyway, another pregnancy test was negative so maybe I am just late. I was 4 days late last October (that really was the last time) and then I had a 10 day period that I am convinced was an early miscarriage because I don't have 10 day periods, ever.

Okay, well, I can do nothing about the bold, so I am going to watch "Curious George" and hang out with Quincy.:)

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

I don't know what to think

So, I did not get my period today. It's been kind of off for the last few months, a few days early here and there and maybe a day late once. Still, I took a pregnancy test because I want to know. Never mind that I was supposed to start today and am not late until tomorrow. This is what the test said:


That's a really dark negative line there and not even a hint of a positive one. It was a little early when I tested with Quincy and the positive line was pretty noticeable anyway.

Still no cramping. I had some cramping Sunday afternoon. I even took some ibuprofen because it hurt so much. I had a little blood then so I naturally thought I would have a lot more by now. I don't feel pregnant. I felt pregnant right away with Quincy. I was bloated, nauseous, exhausted, and my boobs hurt. Well, my boobs hurt and that's pretty much it. Oh, and I'm in the bathroom to pee a ridiculous amount of times, but I do that before my period also.

I guess I should test again tomorrow??
(if you are my sister reading this, I am sure it's nothing..still keep your mouth shut)

Monday, September 22, 2008

Quincy's freedom of expression

Normally when I have to leave before Quincy is dressed, I lay out an outfit. Sometimes I forget though and then the mix'n'match ensues. Not only is my husband color blind, but he also thinks that some colors match that do not. This almost always annoys my mother, who likes it if Quincy is dressed cute. I do, too, although the cuter the clothes, the more quickly he gets them dirty.:)

I remember one day last Spring. I did not leave any clothes out so my husband picked out his own outfit for Quincy. Quincy had these cute little yellow, blue, and red plaid shorts and I always paired a little yellow golf shirt with them. He'd look so cute. My husband picked out those shorts, then decided that since they had red and blue in them, a red and blue shirt would match. Quincy arrived at my mom's in his plaid shirts and red and blue Elmo shirt. I could actually see the logic behind this outfit, but still, my mother did not. I think he looked kind of alternative. He was dressed like a lot of the teenagers I taught last year. Then there was the green shirt with orange shorts incident. I think he picked that outfit out himself.

Quincy has an artistic and musical side that I lack. I can barely draw a stick figure and I am tone deaf. He plays keyboards, drums, and guitar. Since he is a toddler with a lot of energy, sometimes he needs help positively getting that energy out. To do this, we take him over the practice space my husband's band uses and let him drum to his heart's content. He likes to use the drumsticks and hit the cymbals. He has way better rhythm than I do.He also likes to draw and paint. Both are good alternatives to messing up the house, so we encourage his expressing himself in these ways.

As he gets older, I don't know whether he will be very rebellious are not, but we certainly hope to curb some of that by encouraging him to express himself through his clothes and hair. If he wants to be the kid with the purple mohawk, then that will be fine by me. He can even dress in all black if he wants. I did that for years. Tattoos? Sure, if he is really certain he wants one and not just getting it to be cool. I have ten so it is okay by me. We hope that as he grows, he will continue to be artistic and musical and not outgrow the whimsical ways in which he expresses himself now.

If your child likes to mix'n'match outfits, maybe the Polly Pocket Pop 'n Swap at Toysrus.com would be for them. Check out other posts on this subject at Parents Bloggers Network !

Thursday, September 18, 2008

I'm not a simple girl

I like to think that I am. My husband is far more simple than me as far as not needing a lot to survive. He doesn't even need a bed or a house. He'd be happy sleeping in a tent in the woods with a sleeping bag or none. I want my soft bed with my pillows and blankets. That's just essential to me. He's been trying to convince me for a while to go live in an RV. He's way more relaxed than I am. He's happy waking up whenever. I need my alarm clock. I need my schedule, whether it's one I have typed online or written down.

My husband will also eat almost anything, while he says I have the taste of a Midwestern. I like BLT's, mashed potatoes, meatloaf, and the only vegetables I eat regularly are the potato and corn. I have branched out over the years to eating Chinese food, though I still only eat two dishes. Even Quincy is a more adventurous eater than I am. I mean, I make Old El Paso tacos once a week, almost every week. I'm a little boring maybe.:)

My dad is a bicyclist. He rides miles and miles for fun. I mean hundreds of miles. He has ridden across the U.S from Washington State to Maryland. He has ridden from Mexico to Canada. He has ridden across Tennessee,Georgia, and Arkansas that I know of. He doesn't need gas or a car. I have not ridden a bicycle more than a mile in at least 8 years. I need my car, which has air conditioning, and I need gas. I drive 45 miles some weekdays just taking Quincy to preschool, going home, and going back to pick him up. Now, I could do that with a bicycle and a Burley, but it would take much longer. My car is necessary.

Television is important to me, too. I cannot go to sleep without the TV on. It's just too quiet, especially if my husband is out of town. It's creepy. Plus Quincy has shows that he sometimes has to see. They are DVR'ed. The DVR is another essential. Without it, I could not show Quincy "Thomas the Tank Engine" anytime he wanted to watch it. He would be stuck getting up on Saturday morning to see it since that is the only time it actually airs here. On, and I would *have* to stay up late some nights to watch my own TV addictions--"Greek," "Cold Case," and "C.S.I. Miami."

This post is for a blog blast sponsored by Yoplait and Parent Bloggers Network.

I feel funky

WARNING--This post may contain TMI. Sorry.:)

My body is messing with my head again. I have had the same PMS symptoms for the last year or so. As soon as I ovulate, my boobs begin to hurt and it is even painful to wear a bra until I get my period. I also get bloating, back pain (sometimes sciatic), fatigue, frequent peeing, and appetite increase. This lead to my thinking I was pregnant a few months in a row until I caught on.

Now, though, I know what to expect so I have none of those symptoms this month. Not a one. Nothing hurts that is not a result of working a lot at a place with concrete floors and no chairs. I am not overly tired in any way that can't be accounted for. No headaches even. What is up??

My period is due next Tuesday. It has been a couple days early the last two months so I guess it could be Sunday. I normally start cramping a few days before starting also. I have had none of that either. I've had fairly mild periods the past few months with not too much cramping and only lasting 4 days or so. I am worried that this months is going to be horrible, like bed-ridden horrible. I am not looking forward to it, not that I ever do. I just hate for things to change on me when I have finally gotten used to my symptoms. I don't like them, but at least they indicate clearly that my period is coming.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Afternoon freak-out

I had my interview today. I guess it was good. I can never tell with these things. Principals are notoriously hard to read. I pretty much panicked on the way there. I should have left earlier. I hate to run late because ti leads to me thinking up all kinds of silly things. As far as the interview goes, all I can think is that I finally did not say anything stupid during it. That's a first.

Here's my whole afternoon:

12:27--Start worrying about whether I can get there from here by 1:00
12:28--Turn right off the highway
12:30--"This road never seemed this long. Was I supposed to turn somewhere else already? Did I miss a turn?"
12:32--I did not miss a turn. Turn onto proper road.
12:32 and a half--Turn onto next road. I've been on it a million times. Knew where it went.
12:36--Get to South Church Street. Turn right. Begin to look for school.
12:37--"Is the school not one block after this turn? Guess not. No school yet."
12:39--On road out of town. Road begins to look deserted. "Did I pass the school and not notice? Am I almost to the next county?" (now this line of thinking was really illogical because (a) there are two schools--a middle and an elementary and I could not possibly have passed both-- there would have been school zones at least and (b) the next county is at least half an hour from where I turned onto South Church)
12:41--I see a school zone signal hanging over the road!!!!
12:42--There's the school. It's on the right. It was just over a hill.
12:43--Phew!! I'm here.
12:45--I talk to the secretary and start waiting on principal.
12:55--Principal calls me back.
12:55--1:13--Interview. I am asked 3 questions. "Where did I go to high school?", "Can I start by the end of the month?", and "What's the best way to contact me?"
1:15--In car again. Think I can get home before the hubby leaves to pick up Quincy from preschool. I get to go pick up Quincy!! Yay!!
1:15--1:27--Drive towards home. No freaking out this time, but more speeding.:)
1:27--I turn onto the highway that goes to my house. Hurrying.
1:30--Pass hubby on highway. He is going the opposite direction (towards preschool). Wave frantically. I think he sees me and keep heading home, figuring he'll u-turn and meet me.
1:35--Arrive home. Call hubby to make sure he's on the way. He did not see me. He is further away. He turns around while I change out of my suit.
1:45--In the car again on the way to pick up the toddler.:)

I really had myself in a panic on the way there. I really thought I had passed the school at one point. I forgot that the area it is in is really very rural. Oooops.:)

Monday, September 15, 2008

Trying to psych myself up

So....another interview tomorrow. For an Interim position. 8th grade Language Arts. I keep thinking about it and taking deep breaths. Trying to think happy, positive thoughts, while Quincy shouts demands at me every five minutes.

Thinking about what to say and what not to say in an interview. I tend to be verbose and give every answer possible to each question, thereby revealing more about myself than is probably necessary. (does this surprise anyone?) I know that I need to be more concise and clear, less wandering and meandering in the conversation. That is easier said than done.

I interviewed with this principal before and thought it was a great interview, a very positive one. I'm tired of being wrong about that. I take that back. I'm sick of being wrong about that. Yeah, sick and tired about sums it up.

Sorry to be such a downer. Maybe if I get it all out I can be all sunshine and smiles tomorrow. Here's hoping.:)

Friday, September 12, 2008

Shock and awe

Listening to hurricane coverage, where they are saying pieces of the roadway are floating by and people could be hit by flying debris. They said a minute ago that it's 350 miles wide, but you don't need me to report what MSNBC is reporting.

I am just amazed at the size of this thing. One of my friends used to live in Brownsville and his old house washed away in the last storm. He moved here a while ago and I'm glad, but he has family there still.

It has already effected (affected? two of the only words I get mixed up as an English teacher. I know. Sad.) gas prices around here. When I went to work at 5 p.m., the gas station across the street from Domino's had about 20 cars lined up. They were out of unleaded by then. They quickly were down to only Super and there were still cars lined up. There was even a hit and run there because there were so many cars. When I went to work, regular unleaded was $3.59 a gallon. On the way home, a mere 5 hours later, gas was anywhere from $3.79 a gallon for regular to $4.49 a gallon. Both Kroger stations by my parents were out of gas at 9:15. I passed several stations on my 12 mile trip home that has cut off their lights and closed because they had no more gas. Keep in mind that I am in Middle Tennessee.

They just said something about 40% of the people stayed on Galveston Island? I thought that I heard this morning that they evacuated that area? I will be thinking happy thoughts and praying tonight for those people who remained. Hurricane junkie that I am, I'll probably be up really late.:)

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Awash in a Sea of Pee

I don't know what to do about this problem we're having. Quincy was a late potty trainer, like 2 months ago late. He'll be 4 in November. He still wears pull-ups at night and I'm fine with that. I understand if he has occasional accidents. He doesn't have it all down yet, but he does know when he needs to go. He just gets up and goes at school. He has come home both times he's been there in the same clothes that he arrived in. My husband says this is because we told him that no one would like him if he smelled like pee and poop all the time. I don't think so.

So what's up with the peeing in my floor and in my mother's floor? I have two wet pairs of training pants from my mom's tonight and he was only there about 4 and a half hours. He peed twice in the same spot, after she told him to go to the potty and try. And that doesn't hold a candle to last night.

Last night was my night off. My one night to spend with Quincy. My one supposedly pleasant night. I'm sick. It kind of sucked. That's not the only reason though. He peed three times in my floor. Three! I even left his training pants off so he would just have to run to the potty and sit down or stand up and go. He even peed yesterday while we were out shopping at Sam's in the bathroom there, so he had a good day until about 5 p.m. That was when all the accidents started. Two of them were genuine accidents. He was playing, he started for the potty, got distracted, and didn't get there in time. Once though, I looked up because I heard the telltale splash on my wood floor and there he was with his shirt pulled up so he would not pee on it, moving himself back and forth so as to cover the largest area (I guess). That one did not look like an accident to me.

I'm not sure what to do about this except to backtrack and take him to the potty and make him sit down and try at set times. I have to be more vigilant about making him clean up his accidents also. I feel like he's old enough for that. Any suggestions?

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Thinking back

This time last year, I was a new teacher. All of my classes were set and I basically had every kid that I would have for the rest of the year. I miss those kids, but, also, I don't.

I've been reading Sleep is for the Weak. It was my anniversary gift. If you haven't read this book, it's hilarious. But this is not a book review. There is one vintage Amalah post in there that made me laugh until tears rolled down my face. I remember reading it online when she wrote it and laughing then, too. First time I read it, I was struggling as a new mom, just trying to get out of the house once a day with the baby. Sometimes, we never made it anywhere. Re-reading the post printed in book form, there's a line that so completely reminds me of last year that I might embroider it so I can keep it on my desk.

"DO NOT LOOK TEENAGERS DIRECTLY IN THE EYES. IT CHALLENGES THEM."

That could have been my mantra while I was teaching, especially during certain periods of the day. No teacher should have classes that they dread, but I did. I had classes that I prayed would get cancelled because of this or that. Just one less day with that class.

I hate that I am still looking for a job, but it's more about the insurance and lack of money than any desire to stay with my kids another year. There are a few that truly made my day every day and I will go to graduation in May just to see them and I will probably cry. But, mostly, I would have hated being there another year. I want to be happy to go work. I don't expect every day to be all sunshine and roses, but I'd like it to be something I look forward to at least a little.

Monday, September 08, 2008

No school tomorrow

Quincy is sick. He started out with no fever and a runny nose. Then he had a little fever yesterday and a little tonight. I think it is a cold because he's all sneezy and snotty. We are covered in snot at this house.:) He's developed a cough, too, but it seems to just be because he has so much snot. I just plugged in the humidifier. Hoping it helps.

Anyone know anything about echinacea tea and toddlers? I told him that it might help get rid of his cold, but I'm going to have to google whether he can have it or not. I normally don't give him anything medicine-wise when he has cold symptoms. Anytime I have, it has just made it worse. He is always better in 3 or 4 days, so we have a couple more days of fever and then another few of snot.

I'm looking at a long night here. Have to check his temperature later and give more ibuprofen if he has any. I'll be up wiping his nose and then putting more vaseline under it to help with the chapping. It's very red.:) He kind of looks like Rudolph.:)

His preschool does not like for you to bring in children who have had any fever in the last 24 hours, so he'll miss his school tomorrow. It makes him sad when he misses because he doesn't get to see his friends. It's sweet how attached he is to the children he's been in preschool with for the last two years.

Think of me. I'll be wiping his nose and amusing him. :)

Is this funny???

Okay, so you guys need to judge this. Here's what happened: There's this guy at work who is always picking on people and me. Last night, he made some comment about my being on the phone that escalated into a comment about calling my mom to check on my son. From there, he said something like, "Oh, mom, did he poop?" (in imitation of me). Then he said something like, "Are you going to bronze this poop? Oh, it's so much more formed than it used to be (again, imitating me). Let's compare it to his bronzed newborn poop. Oh, it's so much more runny..."

He was laughing the whole time. I got really angry.

He went on a delivery and promptly forgot what he said. When he got back, I made a few angry remarks to him. He tried to tell me that he didn't say anything. I told him that he was a butt (only I used another word with 3 letters). I think he was kind of mad. We were busy so he was gone most of the rest of the time that I was there. I told him bye and he ignored me.

Sounds like high school, doesn't it?

Anyway, I called my husband last night and he asked me why I was so mad and what Richard said. I was so irritated that I couldn't remember then. I remembered it all this morning and told him about it. He laughed! He thought it was funny!

So do I owe this guy some kind of apology? Is it funny? Am I being hypersensitive?

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Something smells funny around here

Quincy always learns something new when he stays at my parents. I hear stories about video games and cartoons. All kinds of things. Last night, he learned to poot on command. What a great talent for a 3 year old!

That's not the only thing he learned. While eating lunch, he pooted, then looked at his rear end and said, "Fresh as a flower!" I called my mother. No one present would admit to teaching him this. My sister, Sarah, was not in the room though. I think we know who the culprit is.:)

Hope he doesn't show off this new phrase at preschool. I cannot help but laugh and I know that only encourages him, but it's really quite funny!

Friday, September 05, 2008

The Fortress of Solitude

Apparently, my shower is covered in some kind of impenetrable forcefield. Never mind that I can hear everything going on outside of it. No one can hear what I say from inside of it. Even if I shout.

Keep in mind that I have not taken an uninterrupted shower in over three years. It's not a shower without a little face peaking in and being asked what I am doing over and over and over. Oh, and I hear, "Are you done yet?" a lot also. Sometimes I hear weird noises in my bathroom and think Quincy is in there doing something. He normally is. He likes to unroll all the toilet paper while I shower. I never know what he's doing because my glasses are over on the counter and I am blind.

Getting back to the soundproofed shower, Quincy popped his head in today and said, "I pooped in the potty." I told him to go find Daddy. Judging by the noises I heard, he went nowhere. I heard my brush being moved around and toys being played with. I'm thinking the whole time about his naked, poopy butt that no one is wiping. Naturally, I start yelling for my husband. No answer. I heard Quincy leave the room. Then, I really yelled because yesterday he sat on the couch before telling anyone he'd pooped. I had to wash the couch cover. Did not want to strip it again. I yelled a little more. Still no response. Quincy returned and I asked if he'd found Daddy. Nope. I hurried up and got out. Went and found him myself.

He was in the kitchen washing dishes. He hadn't heard anything. Quincy never said he'd done anything. I checked both potties. Nothing. Completely clean and empty. I had been had by a 3 year old. My child lies. I already knew that though.

Still, it would be nice if someone could hear my shouts from the shower. What if I actually needed something?

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Mr. Independent

Way back when Quincy was almost 2, he started preschool. He had to be pulled off me for about 6 weeks and cried for the first 15 minutes for most of those first three months. He cried a little the following Spring, but not as much. It broke my heart every time I left him there crying.

Last year, he was almost 3 when school started. His daddy took him and there was a little crying at first. Sometimes he wanted his daddy to stay. Mostly he was okay, but he still wanted to be carried in sometimes. I called and checked on him during my planning period around 10 a.m. He was always fine by then.

Today, I took him for his first day again. He's almost 4. He has a new teacher this year. He had the same teachers the last 2 years, because his birthday is so late. When we got there this morning, he did not want to be carried. He did not even want to hold my hand. I know. I asked. He just got out of the car, walked right to the door, opened it for me, and went to his class. He's so independent. He didn't even look up when I said goodbye.

This is his first day with no diapers and no pull-ups. He was wearing training pants under his khaki shorts when I left. Who knows what he'll be wearing when I go back!

Update
I picked him up and he was still wearing his khaki shorts and training pants. His teacher said he peed and pooped in the potty without her asking him. He just got up and went in there and did it. Of course, we were home for five minutes and he was playing in the yard and he peed his pants. :) He's not so good with coming in to go yet.

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Home Alone--Wednesday Edition

This will be mostly whining. I'm warning you before you read any further!

It's Wednesday night. I am home alone with the toddler as I am every night. My husband works five nights a week. He always closes, which means he gets home between 2 and 4 a.m. The other two nights of the week, he has band practice, which means he gets home around 2 a.m. This leaves me here...alone.

Because he gets in so late, he doesn't get up until after noon. I am up whenever Quincy gets up. He spends the afternoon with us sometimes, when there is not a car or computer to fix. The key word there is "us." Last night, he spent some time with me but I had to stay up until after 1 a.m. to get that.

The endless stream of Caillou, Curious George, Dora, Max & Ruby, Wonderpets, and Wubbzy Wubbzy Wu is trying my nerves. The constant noise with no break except a shower (maybe) leaves me wanting to crawl back into bed every morning and hide under the pillow. I may not have a day job, but I know everything about all of the above shows. I have seen every episode.:)

In an ideal world, someone would hire me for a teaching position and my husband could take a night off. He'd have to be up with Quincy, but we would also get to see each other. Even then, there'd be band obligations. This week, that means that he'll be in Cincinnati on Friday and Louisville on Saturday. Guess who will be here alone??

Last night was supposed to be an early night since they played an early show. It wasn't. He got home at 1 a.m. or so. He said something about hanging out with his friends. I yelled at him about never getting to see my friends. That was a great start to together time, which consisted of watching "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and "Cold Case."

I don't really have a point. I'm just tired of sitting by myself at night. I'm also sick of the toddler not going to sleep by 9 p.m. That's a whole 'nother post though.:)

Monday, September 01, 2008

"I didn't mean to......."


Look at the sweet, innocent, little face! Doesn't he look cute?

Now, read the title of this post. I hear that at least 15 times a day. It often comes out as, "I didn't mean to. It was an accident." It's usually an excuse for something that obviously was not an accident. For example, five minutes ago in the kitchen, this took place:

I told my son to stop messing with the stool while I got him some milk. The stool was hurled at me.

Me: "You did that on purpose!"

Quincy: "Yes"

Me: "Well, at least you were honest about it this time."

Quincy: "I didn't mean to. It was an accident."

Uh huh. I still got him his milk and nuts.

Sometimes these lovely sentences are followed by phrases like:

"I peed on your floor"

"I split your water"

"I dropped my lunch"

"I flushed a small car down the potty"

The excuse making starts early, doesn't it????

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Watching.....Waiting....

I am so absorbed in all of the Hurricane Gustav coverage. It's all I've been watching when not working. We have a friend who was living in New Orleans, but he came back several days ago in anticipation of this storm. I don't think he plans to move back even when it has passed.

My grandmother and uncle live on the Gulf Coast of Florida so I always watch these things closely. They are near Tampa. From what I've seen, that area is south of the area under a Tornado Watch until tomorrow morning. I'm guessing they will just get lots of rain.

Tropical Storm Hanna is just behind this thing and may hit the East Coast. At least, that is what CNN said. My family vacations on an island outside Charleston, South Carolina each year so I will probably watch coverage of that storm also.

I am kind of a weather junkie. I always watch these things. I worry about my family and friends that are in the path of such storms. I'm not the only one, right?

Friday, August 29, 2008

It's That Day Again

My anniversary. It rains every year on my anniversary. It rained on my wedding day, but not for long and not during the ceremony. We had an outdoor wedding at a state park about an hour from here. One of our best friends got ordained so that he could marry us. People came from Florida and Pennsylvania and Oak Ridge, TN and it was just awesome. Couldn't have asked for a better day, except for the heat and humidity. Didn't hurt the food any though. The main wedding cake was a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. It held up well, although there was little left. I sweated, but you can't tell in the pictures and that's what counts.

My father speed-walked me down the aisle to the strains of "Jessica" by the Allman Brothers being played on acoustic guitar. We wrote our own vows and the wedding itself was pretty short. Having everyone with us was wonderful. We got married in a clearing in a grove across from two waterfalls. You could hear the rush of the water the entire time.

I made it through the whole ceremony without crying and almost lost it walking back down the aisle with my husband. It was that sweet!

4 years ago today.:)


Here I am stepping through the hedge. In August of 2004, it did nothing but rain in Tennessee everyday so it was muddy. I was trying to be careful not to slip.:)


I love the looks on my husband's face in our wedding pictures.:)


That's my sister in the pink and our friend Mike in the green with yellow Croc's.:)


This picture really highlights the fact that I was 7 months pregnant, but I like it anyway. He's putting the ring on my finger.


I had to crop someone's hand out of this one. It's one of my favorites.


Again, the look on my husband's face kills me.:) I'm trying not to cry in this one.:)

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Tennessee state of mind

I don't do change well. I get into grooves and I like to stick with them. For example, I drive exactly the same route to work everyday and home again. I've had the same job for years despite being qualified to do other things. I wish someone would hire me away from there. I keep thinking that if, and when, we move away things will be different. I do not plan to move many hours away from here and still work at Domino's after all!

It is nice to know I have that to fall back on.:) Yay for job skills, I guess.

I was looking at pictures last night of places I've lived at different points in my life. Of things I've lost. Of things I still have. Getting all melancholy. It's amazing how different my life has become over the years. This town has not changed much though. Murfreesboro is still pretty much the same. Yes, it is bigger and has more people and all that stuff, but it has the same feel to it. Tennessee is the same as it has ever been. It made me realize that no matter where we go, Tennessee will always be the same. It is a state of mind thing I guess.

One of my friends wrote a song that says it best for me. I am not typing in the whole thing though. Here's some excerpts:

"Smoky Mountains stretchin' forth/But they don't look the same to me
That old highway reaching forth/Goes a little too far for me....
From the Mississippi up to Cherokee/It'll always be our home...

Well it's hard out on our own/We don't know which way to go,
But she tells me it's all right/There's some things you don't need to know anyway,
But I can hear the river call to me/I hear the catfish jump in my head,
The closest that I get to Tennessee/is when I'm lying with her in bed.

So I hold her tight, like a Kudzu vine
Climbing higher up the tree,
This morning, I woke up in New Hampshire,
Fell asleep in Tennessee"
("Fell Asleep in Tennessee"--Mike LaBo)

The whole song is amazing. Actually, all of his music is incredibly touching to me. If you want to hear it, click here to go to his MySpace music page because I could not figure out how to embed music in a post. :)