Dear Santa

Every once in awhile you come across an article in a magazine that is worth holding onto. This is just such an article. I cut it out of a Family Circle many, many years ago. When Oldest Child was a mere babe. Every Christmas, amid the hustle and bustle that has become the holiday, I pull it out and reflect. And remember. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Dear Santa, by David Chartrand

My five-year-old boy scribbled out his Christmas list. It's there by the fireplace. The Coke and chocolates are from him. In case you're hungry. You know 5-year-olds these days. The Cheez-Its are from me.

Santa, if you don't mind, I thought I'd go ahead and leave my list, too. It's long, but do what you can. It's all I want for Christmas.

* Santa, let my little boy grow up still believing that he has the funniest dad in the neighborhood.
* Give him many close friends, both boys and girls. May they fill his days with adventure, security and dirty fingernails.
* Leave his mom and me some magic dust that will keep him just the size he is now. We'd just as soon he stayed 5 years old and 3 feet 4 inches.
* If he must grow up, Santa, make sure he still wants to sit on my lap at bedtime and read The Frog & Toad Together.
* If you can help it, Santa, never let him be sent into war. His mother and I love our country, but we love our 5-year-old boy more.
* While you're at it, give our world leaders a copy of The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara's retelling of the Battle of Gettysburg. May it remind them that too many moms and dads have wept at Christmas for soldiers who died in battles that needn't have been fought.
* Let our house always be filled with slamming doors and toilet seats, which are the official sounds of little boys.
* Break it to him gently, Santa, that his dad won't always be able to carry him to bed at night or brush his teeth for him. Teach him courage in the face of such change.
* Let him understand that no matter how nice you are to everyone, the world will sometimes break your heart. As you know, Santa, a child's feelings are as fragile as moth wings.
* Let him become a piano player, a soccer star or a clergyman. Or all three. Anything but a politician.
* Give him a hunger for books, music and geography. May he be the first kid in kindergarten to be able to find Madagascar on a map.
* The kid's a born artist, Santa, so send more crayons. May our kitchen window and refrigerator doors be every plastered with his sketches of surreal rainbows and horses with big ears.
* Steer him oh so carefully to that little girl destined to be his bride. Let his mother and me still be around when he walks her down the aisle. If there is a just God, let her daddy be obscenely rich.
* Grant him a heart that will cherish what his parents did right, and forgive us for the mistakes we surely will have made over a lifetime of raising him.
* Let him not hold it against us that he was born with my chin and his mother's ears. Time will teach him that these are God's ways of girding him for life's adversities.
* Hold him steady on the day that he learns the truth about you and the Easter Bunny. May he take the news better than I did.
* While you're flying around the heavens, Santa, make sure God has heard our prayer for this child: Lead our little boy not into temptation; deliver him from evil.

Be careful out there, Santa. And close the flue on your way up.

Tis the Season

Ever hear a song that you know was speaking directly to you? They sang this song in church this morning. Talk about powerful; talk about moving. Talk about speaking directly to me.

Oh, Blogland How I've Missed You

Missed me? Yeah, I thought so! I can't even get into why I've been away so long right now. Let's just say we have been have ISP issues and many, many, oh too many dealings with customer-no-service. You have to realize I live in a house with five people who need the computer. And when we're down to one computer connected to a wall...well, blogging doesn't take a backseat. It gets tied to the roof like a luggage carrier.

I can't wait to sit down tonight and watch an on-demand movie and blog, blog, blog. I may surface again in two or three weeks. I can't wait to catch up on all the blogs I've missed. I bet I've even missed some great, super-fantastic giveaways that I know I would have won.

Well...the wireless has been hooked up for a whole ten minutes and it still works. Here's hoping we made a good choice with our new ISP. The mood I'm in, for their sake...I sure hope so!

Sad but True

This Ain't New York: Dear Uncle Sam,

Melanie is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite bloggers. I can't post new material because I'm too busy repeating hers...too good not to read!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

This weekend has been an extremely busy one for me. It is only Saturday night and I am so tired I can hardly hold my head up. Last night we went to our high school's playoff game. I am so totally addicted to high school football. When I taught in the other county, and the new high school opened, I had every intention of going to their football games. You know what they say about good intentions. When we moved to the country, and they opened the new state-of-the-art-stadium for the old high school, we wanted to become season ticket holders. See sentence above about good intentions.

But now that Oldest Child is in high school, oh, my word, she has to be at the football games. And I can't let her go alone, so we turned it into family night. So every home football game this year, we have cheered out team to victory. At the beginning of the season, we were predicted to be 5-5 at best. When we ended the season 9-1, everyone was shocked. So we had home-field advantage for the first round. Our high school hasn't been to the playoffs since 1991 and now we have home-field advantage! (I wasn't even married in 1991!)

All week long, they've been predicting rain for Friday night. All week long, I've been gathering up all of our camping rain gear. Coats. Check. Blankets. Check. Towels. Check. Gloves. Check. By watching us walk into the stadium, you'd of thought we were spending the weekend there. But we are serious about our football. And it only drizzled and misted (and fog-ed...if that's a word).

And our team looked really good. And they played good ball. And we cheered very loudly. For the first three and a half quarters. At the end of the third quarter, we had a 21-12 lead. Then DH had to leave to go to work. Then the other team started coming back. And they scored. And they intercepted. And they scored. And they scored again. And no one will ever convince me that it's not his fault we won't be playing football next Friday night. He's in the stands, we are winning. He leaves to go make money, we start losing. I see a connection. But the final, heartbreaking score: 27-21.

And then this morning, Oldest Child had her first high school swim meet. She thought she stunk; I thought she rocked. She wants to be the best and gets frustrated when she's not. Even when I explained to her she was swimming against seniors and has only been back in the pool just over 2 weeks and her times were strong enough to put her in the top third of the heats...that wasn't good enough. She swam her heart out.

I'm ready for a nice, quiet, sit-at-home-in-your-pj's kind of weekend!

Thank You

Red, White and You

Have you hugged a veteran today?

If you don't know one to hug, take a minute to pray for them, thank God for their courage. They are honored once, maybe twice a year for their sacrifice. The rest of the year, we tend to forget them while we enjoy the freedoms they've so unselfishly provided.

And while you're at it, take a moment to watch a flag wave. Watch as it freely unfolds in the air we breath. Those colors represent so much of our great nation's history.

Give pause. Give thanks.

I was trying to link directly to this post, but I'm also trying to figure out my new computer and this whole new Vista thing and I'm tired and it's not working like I think it should. But you really do need to go over to thisaintnewyork.blogspot.com for some other fabulous reading. She has some good, thought provoking food for thought.

So thank you, Dude, for giving unselfishly. Thank you, Dude, for doing what you do so well. Thank you, Dude, for being you. You rock!

She Said I'm Cool

And I had to blog about it before she changed her mind. Oldest Child is a typical teenager. She wants more than she has; nothing is good enough for her, her parents don't know anything, and we are oh, so totally embarrassing to her.

But I didn't let that deter me. I kept trying. I kept nagging. I kept inviting her friends over. And they came. Kinda like "If you build it they will come." So last week was intersession in our county. Most of the county gets a week off, some are in school half days for remediation or enrichment. I was off. OC and her peeps hung out together all week. They took turns going to different houses watching horror movies. One day they wanted to come over here, did I mind? DID I MIND??? YOU ACTUALLY WANT YOUR FRIENDS IN THE SAME HOUSE AS ME??? OF COURSE I DON'T MIND! So I did what any normal mother would do in such an instance. I went and picked up Taco Bell for everyone. Feed them, they have to come back, right?

Right! Friday was cold, rainy, dreary, yucky. They wanted to come over and watch a movie. Not sure if it had more to do with the fact that they liked our house or the fact that I was the only parent home on a Friday afternoon and having a parent home was one of the criteria for going to the house. Either way, they came back. And I just happened to be baking brownies. They were to take to the Nascar race, but how do they know I don't bake brownies every Friday afternoon. I'm sure if you look hard enough and long enough, you will see the pearls and heels I wear every time I enter the kitchen...just like June Cleaver. Anyway, I digress. The first batch of brownies went to the kids and I baked another batch for the race.

Then the leader of her Thursday Night Bible Study group called and asked could we meet at our house on Thursday and have a fire in the fire pit and roast hot dogs and make s'mores. Am I hearing things?? MORE friends want to come over to our house and hang out?? I must have died and gone to Heaven and haven't realized it yet. OF COURSE you can come over and meet at our house Thursday night. Usually they meet at the leader's house and I take OC there, kill an hour and a half at the public library because it is too far to drive to come back and then go pick her up, and we usually get home about 9:45. OF COURSE you can meet at our house where I don't have to drive anywhere!

So as I was showing them where everything was before I came in the house to leave them to their meeting, OC came up to me, (don't tell anyone, but she) kissed me on the cheek, and told me that DH and I were actually COOL PARENTS. She never realized it until last week, but we really are fun. The scene from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer where he leaps through the air when he finds out Clairece thinks he's cute..."I'm cute...I'm cute...SHE THINKS I'M CUTE" - immediately popped in my brain.

WE'RE COOL. WE'RE COOL. SHE THINKS WE'RE COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Tale of Two Plants

I love violets. Violets are comforting for me. As a child, my grandmother always had a violet in her kitchen window and her bedroom dresser. That was one of the constants of my childhood. I have attempted to always have a violet somewhere in my house. I should have done a "before and after" picture, but you know what they say about hindsight. But use your imagination and picture these two plants in the blue pot...together...overgrown.

But I was afraid to seperate them because I was afraid of killing them. Then one day, I had a temporary moment of insanity and took the plunge. They are now two normal sized violets instead of one giant one. I have to find a place in my house that the other pot will grow and not die.

I hope the girls will pick up on this and want violets in their home when they go out on their own.

Meet Claire A. Belle

Yes, I admit I'm crazy. But we have another pet at our house. For those of you keeping score, that is 3 black Labs (yes, three; yes, all living in the house), Reggie the cat (who now spends the majority of his time outside my house), and Claire. I can be bought for a price. And when I am considering buying, I always take into consideration what the payoff is worth to me. Welcome, Claire.

Reggie the cat is a sweet, loving cat. But Reggie the cat is a boy. And Reggie the cat love to go around my house marking his territory. It is a favorite game around our house to see who can be the first to find out what needs to be (a) washed or (b) thrown away because it has been marked by Reggie. That game got real old, real quick. After many trips to the vet, much expensive special cat food, we finally convinced (or bribed) YC that Reggie would be happy outside and he could still come in the house to sleep at night.

We tried this about this time last year. Except DH decided to put him out without telling YC. And Reggie got mad and decided not to come home...until we got a call in late January telling us he had our cat - about a half mile from where we live. So we gave him the benefit of the doubt and decided he had been reformed (Reggie the cat, not DH). Wrong.

Then The Dude decided not to stop Reggie when he ventured onto the deck last week. Oh, my word, the havoc that was reaped when YC found him on the deck and brought him back in. So being the smart mother/educator/briber that I am, I decided to ask YC if she'd like to have a new kitten. A kitten that would be all her very own; she could name it and play with it and wrap it up in baby blankets, etc., etc. But the only catch was, Reggie had to be an outside cat.

Welcome Claire. May you be smart in your young age. May you not claw my leather furniture. May you quickly learn where the litter box is...and what it's for. May you curl up with the dogs on cold winter nights. And realize Spencer is just kidding when he chases you down the hall. May you know that you can lead the life of Riley...as long as you follow my rules and leave my carpet unmarked.

Happy Birthday, Midnight

(Midnight is in the middle, Spencer is on the right, Montana is in the back)

Saturday, our beloved black Lab turned 16. Yes, count them...sixteen years old. We have had her longer than we've had our children. She was my present to DH the first Christmas we were married. Keep in mind we lived in a tiny duplex on a main road in metro Atlanta. And he wants a Lab for Christmas. He won...and we won. Midnight has been there through all the highlights and low-lights of our married life. She was with me when DH had to work during Snowstorm '93. She was the one stable thing The Dude had to come back to when his mother moved him eight hours away from us. Every time we would talk on the phone, he would ask about the dog. One of my favorite baby pictures with OC is DH rocking OC in the recliner and Midnight lying on the couch, her head resting on the arm, looking over at DH and OC. Always the protector. When YC came home from the hospital and didn't sleep (another post for another day...oh, my, yes it is...), Midnight could be found many a-nights, lying by her cradle and then her baby bed, keeping watch, so DH and I could get some much-needed sleep.

We found out in July that Midnight has a fast-growing tumor entwined around an upper molar in her mouth. I love our vet; our vet rocks. She gave us some literature and told us we would know when the time was right to have her put to sleep. Since we found out about the tumor, she's had a couple of infections, causing her whole face to swell. Friday night, we came home and her whole head was swollen. DH and I both thought the time had come. I always thought I'd be ready to let her go when the time came; I thought wrong. Everyone in my house was in tears Friday night, loving around Midnight. But alas, our wonderful vet told us it is probably another infection, treat it with antibiotics and warm compresses and we'll look at it on Monday.

I am happy to say, she is bouncing back once again. She did her usual "exercise" walking around the house yesterday. Her tail wags when she sees us. She still gets excited and shows emotion; I'm so glad we got to celebrate her sixteenth birthday. Not many animals live sixteen years. Sixteen good years. So happy birthday, Midnight. And in honor of your sixteenth birthday, we brought home Claire A. Belle the kitten.

Sad but True

It has taken a mimi to get me back among the blogging. Although I am still a faithful reader and commenter, I haven't posted in oh, so very long. But rest assured, inter-peeps, I have two in the works as soon as I get my laptop with my Cannon software on it back from the And Babies Make Six Hospital.

Ten Years Ago
1. I was a stay-home-mommy
2. Had a 4-year-old and an 18-month old
3. Only had one pet (Midnight)
4. Actually worked out regularly
5. Hated sitting down to pay bills

Five Things of Today's To-Do List
1. Go get a new kitten (done)
2. Pay bills (see #5 above)
3. Laundary (never caught up)
4. Clean the kitchen (a never-ending job)
5. Fix chili for dinner (done)

Five Snacks I Enjoy
1. Bruster's Oreo waffle cone
2. Oreos and milk
3. Homemake peanut butter cookies
4. Mini-reese's cups
5. Fountain Coke

Five Things I'd Do If I Were a Millionaire

1. Pay off my house (Dave Ramsey would be proud!)

2. Buy a motorhome and park it permanently at the beach

3. Travel to all the Nascar tracks

4. Buy a cabin in the mountains

5. Build our dream house on our land in the north Georgia mountains

Five Places I've Lived

1. West Virginia

a. home

b. college

c. friend's house

2. Duplex when I moved to GA

3. First apartment with DH

4. First house with DH

5. Present house (I don't like to move very much)

Five Jobs I've Had

1. Dairy Queen

2. switchboard operator in college

3. Administrative Assistant for Russell Athletic

4. Stay-Home Mommy

5. Teacher

And now, the fun part...I tag Lynne, Scott at Honey, I Fed the Kids, and Queen B

Enjoy the Swing

Today was an enjoyable day for me. I got to take a trip down memory lane. As many of you know, Lynne over at And Babies Make Six and I are good friends. Great friends, actually. Well, her husband is in the hospital so she needed someone to pick the kids up from preschool so she could stay with him. Since I was home "sick" today, I was glad to help.

So when we got home, it was a beautiful fall day out, they just got a new swing last week for their birthday, and the first words out of Austin's mouth were, "Can we play outside today?" And who am I to be a spoil sport. Of course, we can play outside, Austin! So outside we went.

And we swang, and we played in the sand, and we played on the Little Tikes climby thing, and Tyler and John "hiked" through the woods (I mean shrubs...), and we swang some more. And as we were swinging, and the boys were calling to me from the top of the fort, my mind wondered.

It seems like only yesterday that Youngest Child and I were swinging in our backyard waiting for OC to get off the bus. It seems like only yesterday that I took YC to the park for the first time to feed the ducks and play on the baby slide that was way too big for her. It seems like I have only blinked a couple of times since the girls used to love to go out in the backyard and play in the sandbox together. Now, getting them to do anything together is quite an accomplishment. One of YC's favorite things to do was wait in the driveway for the school bus. We would go out extra early so she could get in plenty of bike-riding time before OC got off the bus.

So as the babies were swinging, and Austin was saving the world, I was walking down memory lane. How quickly I've gone from "Will my girls remember this?" to "I hope my girls forget about this one". Where have those days gone? The carefree days of play dates (for moms as well as the kids), spending mornings at the park feeding the ducks, story time at the library...far be it from me not to have the most well-educated child on the block.

When did it get to be school/homework/dinner/bed - and wake up tomorrow so you can do it all over again? Where has all the time gone? The girls have gotten older, but I certainly haven't. So enjoy the swing. Swing them high, swing them low. But by all means, swing them. For you, too, will blink your eyes only once or twice and they will be in high school and middle school, you will be the dumbest person on the planet, and they will need your help for nothing other than driving them somewhere to do something with someone they like.

Enjoy the swing, babies...and happy birthday! (Maybe by the time you're 30, I'll quit calling you babies!)

100 for 100

This post has been a long time in the making...just over a year, actually. But one hundred little-known, boring facts about yours truly. I promise it will be boring, so if you want to stop reading now, I'll understand. If you're nosy like me and just like to know "stuff", keep reading.

1. I've been married to Dear Husband for 16 years
2. It has been a wonderful sixteen years
3. I am married to my best friend
4. Oldest Child is 14, Youngest Child is 11, The Dude is 23
5. I teach fourth grade in a public school
6. I love teaching fourth grade in a public school
7. I worked as a secretary for a major athletic company for 7 years right out of college
8. I was a stay home mommy after Youngest Child was born
9. I wasn't a very good stay home mommy
10. Being a stay home mommy is, by far, the hardest job I've ever had
11. Midnight, the black Lab, will be sixteen on October 18th
12. Midnight was DH's Christmas gift the first Christmas we were married
13. Montana, the black Lab, is seven
14. We got Montana to lessen the blow because we knew Midnight wouldn't live forever
15. Midnight may very well outlive Montana
16. Spencer, the black Lab, is 4
17. We rescued Spencer from an abusive relationship
18. When Spencer first came to live with us, he wouldn't go near DH
19. Spencer has come to love his life of luxury and his unfortunate beginning is far, far removed from his brain
20. Reggie the cat is 5ish.
21. Youngest Child used to have trouble substituting "W" for "R"
22. Youngest Child began speech therapy in kindergarten
23. Reggie the cat is quite happy YC started speech therapy at such an early age
24. I don't remember a time in my life when I didn't believe in God
25. My mom died when I was four years old
26. You never truly get over #25
27. My favorite sport is Nascar
28. My favorite driver is Dale, Jr.
29. I lived in the same house the first 20 years of my life
30. I only went to one elementary school
31. I love to go camping
32. My students think its "cool" that I have a dirt bike and a 4-wheeler
33. I love living in the country
34. It's not really "country"; its not in a subdivision. It's off the beaten path
35. I've actually borrowed a cup of sugar from my neighbor
36. I wish I was in better shape
37. I have good intentions of walking 30 minutes daily
38. You know what they way about good intentions
39. I love my mother-in-law
40. I was sad when she moved two hours away
41. I like high school football games
42. Karen Kingsbury is one of the best authors I've ever read
43. I'll be sad when her last series comes to an end
44. Could this list get any more random than it already is?!
45. I am a good friend to others
46. I put up a wall around myself that hinders me from letting others be a good friend to me
47. It's hard loving with everything you have
48. You get hurt a lot when you practice #47
49. Sometimes it's hard to forgive
50. It's always hard to forget
51. One of my biggest college regrets is not joining a soriority
52. I didn't think I needed #51
53. I hope OC and YC join a soriority
54. I hope they choose a good one
55. I would love to live at the beach
56. I hate airplanes
57. If I never fly again, it will be one day too soon
58. I have vertigo
59. I think #56 and #58 are connected
60. My vertigo is triggered by stress
61. I'm a control freak
62. Blogging relaxes me
63. Painting rooms relaxes me
64. I have repainted almost every room in my house
65. I love sitting by the fireplace on a cold, rainy evening
66. I hate snow
67. I could never go back living where it's really cold
68. I could eat out every night of the week
69. I would have to be independently wealthy to do #68
70. I am not independently wealthy
71. Financial Peace University was one of the most beneficial classes I ever took
72. I used to be able to water ski
73. I still like riding the boat and watching people water ski
74. I can't water ski anymore
75. I enjoy the challenge of keeping indoor plants alive
76. I have one of the biggest (real) violets I've ever seen. I'm tempted to seperate it, but I'm afraid I'll kill it...so it continues to be overgrown.
77. My grandmother always had a violet in her kitchen window when I was growing up
78. We go with that which is familiar
79. Sometimes, familiar is not so good
80. I learned my multiplication tables when I was in 4th grade.
81. My fourth graders don't believe #80
82. They also don't believe all the tears it took to make me memorize my multiplication tables 83. Some things you learn in school are good for you
84. 9th grade math is too hard for me
85. I showed up to take the Praxis (teaher certification test) with the wrong calculator
86. I failed the test
87. I got certified anyway
88. I'm glad I got certified anyway
89. I love teaching
90. My perfect dream day includes sand, the ocean, a cold beverage, a comfy chair, and a Karen Kingsbury book
91. I love homemade macaroni and cheese
92. I have a goal of reading the Bible from cover to cover
93. I hope I have lots of time left to complete #92
94. I drive a truck that is paid for and hope to never have a 5-year-truck payment again!
95. I hate paying bills
96. Paying bills, the physical act of paying bills - not the stress of is the money there, causes me stress
97. Refer back to #58 and #60
98. Antivert is a wonder-drug
99. I hope you have enjoyed reading this
100. I have enjoyed writing this; it made me relax, reflect, and remember. Sometimes that is a good thing.

Alas...

You don't honestly think I went through the whole ordeal of painting my living room and now I'm not going to get credit for it, do you?! I think not! Although I have to admit that I didn't get to the organizing the kitchen cabinets. But hey, I've still got...let me do the math...a few more days to get it done. And I actually bought the bins I need to clean out the cabinets. And the dogs actually broke the lock on the pantry and we've been trying to find one that's black-Lab-proof so I can, hmmm, use the pantry. As opposed to coming home the its contents strewn all through my kitchen. And, as an added bonus, I may actually have something, the perfect something, on my mantel.



And, as another added bonus, you'll have to come right back here tomorrow, because as of this post, it is now time for me to post my famous 100th post and I know you wouldn't want to miss that one!

That Mom

I was that mom. The mom who went anxiously to Open House the year Oldest Child started kindergarten. And a few years later, when YC followed in her footsteps. I was the mom who waited for the bus each afternoon to see what she learned during the day away from me. I was the mom who had homemade Rice Crispy Treats ready after school. Who was eager to sit down with homework because it was "fun". Who went to every practice of every sport the precious cherubs ever played...and cheered. And even COACHED one season. I was the mom who made sure we ate dinner at the dinner table every night because I would warp my children if we didn't. Who made sure that the meals were well-rounded and healthy because I didn't want them growing up obese. And the park. Oh, my goodness, the park. We had to be there at every opportunity. We walked, we fed the ducks, we rode bikes,we swang. We played. A lot.


And now, I'm not. I'm the mom who hates homework with a passion. I'm the mom who wants homework done as soon as possible, so we can get on with our evenings. I'm the mom who maybe gets one homecooked meal prepared a week. I'm the mom who feeds her children "whatever" for dinner. Just eat so you don't go to bed hungry. I'm the mom who worries about OC getting her learner's permit in March (this March!). She doesn't even know how to put gas in the car - much less pay for it. She doesn't know directions to our house...how will she ever get home? I'm the mom who worried if she did enough during the early years. Is she fundamentally grounded? Does she pick good friends? Does she know that noone will ever love her more that God and me? Did I lay the groundwork I was supposed to lay? Did I do what I was supposed to do during those early, formative years? Because if the years we are going through now are "formative", God help us all!

And Youngest Child, oh, my goodness. Middle School is rocking our world. We have spent the past eleven years getting ready for this. She is so ill prepared. What could I have done differently? How could I have helped more? What did I need to do and didn't? What did I do that I shouldn't have?

I think we all go through this life trying to do better than our parents did. I think I should be reimbursed, because the hospital forgot to give me the owner's manual when I brought them home. We do the best we can, and let God do the rest. We learned that with The Dude. He moved to Tennessee with his mother when he was five. The middle of Tennessee. A long way from Atlanta in Tennessee. So we did the best we could. And he turned out fine. Great, actually. A fine young man I would proudly set up with your daughters. So I need to learn to let go and let God. I'm not raising a couple of ax murderers. The Dude turned out ok. The girls will, too.

Date Night

Last night DH and I went on a date. An honest-to-goodness-go-out-to-dinner-and-then-do-something-fun-before-going-home-and-crashing-in-bed date. We had a great time. Way back at the beginning of the summer, I was playing on my laptop looking at stuff (as I may or may not be known to do from time to time). And by a fluke, I decided to see when/if Charlie Daniels was coming to the Atlanta area. And sure enough, he was coming to town on August 15. I asked DH if I bought tickets if he would take me. Back when I bought the tickets, August 15th seemed like a long way off. He was at a new venue that we hadn't been to before and Shooter Jennings and The Outlaws were there with him. Sounded like fun. So I clicked on "best seats" when I bought the tickets, printed them, and put them in the drawer until August 14th.

Yesterday I ended up staying at school longer than anticipated. This year, my goal was to leave everyday by 4-4:15. Not happenin, my friend; not happenin! The concert started at 8:00 and it was on the other side of town. If you know anything about Atlanta traffic, especially on Friday evening, it can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours and 45 minutes to get to the other side of town. So by the time I got home, I had just enough time to put on my sassy outfit, run a brush through my hair, and walk out the door. Because I am such a planner, and I was hungry, we decided to eat dinner on this side of town because if we waited, there would be long waiting lines at every restaurant we wanted to eat at. So we went to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants.

After feasting on fajitas, we were off to face the traffic to get to the concert. Keep in mind that DH drives downtown in traffic every day. I, on the other hand, drive seven minutes to school and consider it a traffic jam if there are two cars stopped at the 4-way stop. You would see me on the nightly news under "road rage" if I had to drive in actual traffic. So I left the driving to DH. We get there in plenty of time to park (in the pre-arranged, FREE parking lot). The amphitheater was awesome. Clean. Nice workers. Relatively calm crowd.

I knew our seats were in the pit area, row EEE. We start walking. And we keep walking towards the front. And we keep walking. And finally stop. Fifth row, center stage we finally stop walking. We were so close, I could almost see the colors of their eyes! DH couldn't believe I got such awesome seats just by "playing" on the computer. I told him to just sit back and enjoy.

Shooter Jennings was terrific. Didn't put the puzzle pieces together until today that his is Waylon Jennings' son. Duh! The Outlaws were awesome. They knew how to put on a show. Once I got over the fact that one of their guitarists looks exactly like my ex-brother-in-law, only with hair down to his waist, I was able to really enjoy their performance. Finally about two hours after the start of the concert, Charlie came out. He's still got it, internets. He's still got it!

I think what I liked best about his performance was he is turning towards the religious side. And patriotic. Oh, my goodness, the man is patriotic. He played The Star Spangled Banner on his fiddle and had the entire arena on their feet with our hats off and our hands over our hearts. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Why, you ask, am I not posting pictures of my fifth row, center stage, so-close-you-can-almost-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes concert? Oldest child took my camera out of my purse without telling me. Thanks, OC!

A Fitting End to a Crazy-Hazy Day

I am killing time waiting for Oldest Child to get home from church with her friend. I'm learning the hard way I have to be very literal with OC. I've known this since she was an infant...why is it taking me this long to get it right?? She wanted to go to visit evening church with a friend who was doing a presentation on a mission trip to Romania she went on this summer (the friend, not OC). OK, if we're home from the going away party at the State Park on the hottest day of the year, you can go. We just made it in the nick of time. I dropped her off, the friend's mom was going to bring her home. That was at 6:30. It is now after 10:00 and I'm still waiting. Of course there was a "get together" at the youth minister's house after church. One last hoo-rah before school starts. I know, I know...I should be glad she's at a church function with her church friends and she is making good choices, etc., etc. And I am. I am. I promise I am. But that doesn't bring her home any quicker when I'm tired and want to go to bed and have to get up for school tomorrow and I turn into a pumpkin at precisely at 9:30 every night. But if I hadn't been up, I wouldn't have been checking out blogs. And if I hadn't been checking out blogs, I wouldn't have found this.





This song has been one of my favorites since the first time I heard it on the radio. But today has been a day. I found out in Sunday School this morning that a dear, sweet friend has been admitted to a treatment center for anorexia. She has a husband and two small children at home.

Then on the way to the going away party, my assistant principal called me and told me that one of the teachers new to my school this year had been shot and killed by her brother Friday night. Impossible. I just met her Friday morning. Impossible. She was in my small group for our activity. Impossible. She has a husband and four children at home. Impossible. She is so young, so full of life. Impossible. These things happen to other people, not people I know.

So say extra prayers tonight for these two special friends. And go hug your babies just a little tighter when you tuck them in tonight.

** Edited to add...I should have known...as I was finishing up this post, just as I was publishing it...OC came home and had a great time. I'm going to bed; good night!

My Summer of Accomplishments - A Recap

The sun was beautiful; the sand was refreshing; the airplane ride was horrendous; the painting was long; the book was exciting; the water was wonderful. That, in a nutshell, sums up my summer. Hard to believe I start back to school tomorrow. I had so many plans for the summer. I had so much I wanted to accomplish this summer. I accomplished some of the "to do" list; others will remain on the list until, oh, probably Christmas vacation.

The beach trip was great. I could live at the beach and be a bum. Period.

"Leaving on a Jet Plane" is not my theme song. My feet are meant to stay on the ground. But once I got there, I had a great time. Las Vegas was very glad to see me leave, thankyouverymuch.

My living room is completely painted and looks great. Now I'm just trying to find the right finishing touches for my mantel. If you have something in your garage you'd like to send, feel free.

Didn't quite read as many books as I'd have liked to. I tried. I really, really tried. But every time I sat down to read, I had a problem...and woke up fifteen or ninety minutes later. But if I try really, really hard today and tonight, I can finish my first book by the time I start back to school.

Stay tuned. Pictures of the living room and trip to Las Vegas coming soon...promise!

I'm Home : )

If you came here looking for pictures and details about my weekend in Vagas, check back in...oh...six months or so. I may be caught up on my sleep by then. If you want an instant version, go here. It's obvious that Lynne doesn't require as much sleep as I do, as her highlights are already up and running.

We had a great time, the weather was great, the company was great, Dramimine is my new BFF and I'm still tired.

Christmas in July

With the uttering of one single sentence, my entire Christmas shopping list was completed...and it's only July. "We're going to Orlando...on New Year's...to the Capitol One Bowl!" Only Oldest Child had a few more explanation points in there; and I think possibly her's could have been written in all caps; possibly with a quotation mark or two thrown in for good measure.



Perhaps you will recall the OC is the typical, driven, oldest offspring. She can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. I merely sit back and hang on for the ride, not afraid to tighten the reins when necessary. I stopped asking, "How bad can it be?" long, long ago with OC...because she will set out to show me. Another phrase I refuse to use: "What are the odds?" What were the odds a freshman would make the high school dance team?? What are the odds that said dance team will finish in the top three at dance camp this week? Because the top three teams get a "chance" to compete at the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando on New Year's Day (perhaps, could it be, that my ALL CAPS button isn't working...hmmm...). Notice I used the word "chance". As opposed, to...oh, say, "all expense paid trip to the Orange Bowl".



So now my Christmas list is made. Gas cards will fit so nicely into the stockings hung by the chimney with care. Hotel vouchers will be quite heavy if I put them in a box with a couple of rocks. And I will look so nice in a bathing suit on NEW YEARS! Wanna hear the real kicker?? OC thought I was joking when I said we were turning this into a family vacation! Merry Christmas to all. And to all a good night.

I Really Do Need To Get Our More

I'm trying to get my ducks in a row so I can pack what I need to take to Las Vegas this weekend. I'm trying to figure out what I can take that will be stylish yet cool, because it's supposed to be 187 degrees in Las Vegas this weekend. And in doing this, I'm realizing that I am totally out of my league.

I have been on a plane exactly twice in my entire 42 years of existence...once from West Virginia to Atlanta and then back again. I got up close and personal with the throw-up bags both times. Part of me thinks it has to do with being a control freak; if I can't drive my car there, I don't need to be there. Part of me thinks it has to be with my dreaded vertigo.

Lynne keeps checking on me making sure (1) I'm doing OK and (2)yes, I'm still going. I keep promising her I'll try not to do anything to embarrass her in the security lines. You don't have security lines at the campground. You don't have checked baggage vs. carry-on baggage at the campground...throw it all in the camper and off you go.

I went to the store this week to get Coke and snacks I know I can eat when I start to feel vertigo coming on. Can't take 'em. I keep changing my mind as to what carry-on bag I'm taking on the plane. Can't decide. There are too many decisions to make when flying.

I promise, promise, promise, I'm trying not to embarrass anyone, but this trip is sure to be a case of The Clampets Come to Town.

Short but Sweet

I saw this over at Melanie's and it sounded like fun. But one-word responses are very difficult for me, so I may have to break the rules.

1. Where is your cell phone? Truck
2. Your significant other? Amazing
3. Your hair? Curly
4. Your mother? Deceased
5. Your father? Deceased
6. Your favorite thing? Beach
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your favorite drink? Coke
9. Your dream/goal? Beachhouse
10. The room you’re in? Living
11. Your church? Amazing
12. Your fear? Fire
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here
14. Where were you last night? Fireworks
15. What you’re not? Fake
16. Muffins? Absolutely
17. One of your wish list items? Demdaco
18. Where you grew up? West Virginia
19. The last thing you did? Hang pictures
20. What are you wearing? Shorts
21. Your TV? Nascar
22. Your pets? Many
23. Your computer? Lap
24. Your life? Comfortable
25. Your mood? Depends
26. Missing someone? #6
27. Your car? Blue
28. Something you’re not wearing? Make-up
29. Favorite store? Target
30. Your summer? Short
31. Like(love) someone? Hubs
32. Your favorite color? Purple
33. Last time you laughed? Yesterday
34. Last time you cried? Thursday
35. Who will repost this? Amy

She's a Maniac

Just a quick update of the BooMama challenge...the painting is done. Looks good. Great actually. But when I got the new paint on, the baseboards looked shabby. So I had to paint them. When I got the baseboards painted, the door facings looked shabby. So I had to paint them. When the living room trim was painted, the hall trim looked shabby. So I had to paint it. Will it ever end?

On the agenda today? Finish the baseboards and door facings in the hall and put the pictures back up on the wall. Wish me luck!

The Calendar...

...it's a terrible thing to waste. That noise you heard last night around 10:00ish Atlanta time was me screaming...in Lynne's ear nonetheless. We've had this trip to Las Vegas planned for her "big" birthday for awhile now. We toyed with several dates trying to get three couples together for the weekend. But between lining up babysitting, schedules, etc., it ended up only DH, me and the birthday couple were going to be able to go. Bummer.

When I turned my calendar from May to June, I realized I had written the wrong date. I had penciled in June 19th as our departure date. I knew that couldn't be right because we were leaving in July. So I rescheduled it for the third week in July - depart on the 17th, return on the 20th...happy birthday Lynne. Had babysitting all lined up; DH had vacation all lined up. Taking it easy until time to pack.

Last night, Lynne and I met at the park to walk (or play...). She called when she got home and got the crabby four in the bed. The best laid plans went a-rye when their neighbor was outside when she got home and they talked in the driveway until 9:30...which just happens to be an hour and a half past the babies' bedtime. Oopsie!

So we're talking on the phone and she's telling me about her neighbor having to transfer to Ohio because of work and he has to be there on July 14th, which is the day after we get back from Las Vegas. "No, it's the Monday before we leave for Las Vegas," I reply. "NO, it's the Monday AFTER WE GET BACK FROM LAS VEGAS!" "NO, WE LEAVE THURSDAY THE 17th". "UH NO..."

It took us a couple minutes to realize that neither of us was kidding. Oh, brother. DH is sitting on the couch listening. Then he realizes what I've done...planned around THE WRONG DATE! But the real kicker...there is no way, no how, notta, nuttin doing he can get off work next week. It's the one week his plant is shut down and he works doubles all week fixing all the machinery that breaks during the year. Geez. Panic starts to set in.

Of course, he's fine with me going without him...go, have a good time...see ya when you get home. But there's a little issue of a plane ticket with his name on it that he's not going to be able to use. Having flown ONCE in my entire 42 years of existence, you know why I didn't make the arrangements. So Lynne and I start racking our feeble little brains trying to figure out who can be the fourth person to go on the trip. Juju immediately comes to mind. Juju is the wife of the third couple we were trying to get to go with us. Their only hold-up was getting babysitting for four days. If she goes and hubs stays home, she only has to find babysitting for two days. Hello? Oldest Child? What are you doing on Thursday and Friday of next week? Yes, the day after you return from DANCE CAMP...Have I mentioned lately that I have been carting you back and forth to dance team practice this whole summer? And I provide a roof over your head 365 days a year? And I will pay you handsomely if you go move in Juju's house and babysit for me (I mean her...) for two days...great, I knew you would!

So guess what I've been doing today! Rearranging babysitting for OC and YC. Starting to think a little more seriously about what to pack because I got a week cut off my plan time. And, of course, charging the batteries in my palm pilot and making sure the calendar is up-to-date.

Caught Up In The Moment

As many of you know, Lynne at And Babies Make Six and I are good friends. Great friends, actually. Such great friends that we are getting ready to spend the weekend in Vegas (Las Vegas, not Chevrolet Vegas...but I digress...) to celebrate her "big" birthday. We talk several times a day on the phone, see each other numerous times throughout the week, etc., etc.

Today she called in desperation...hubby out of town, kids crabby, yadda, yadda. So being the planner/problem solver I am, I came up with the idea of "tricking" the kids by getting her to come to the great walking park near my house that has the playground hidden in the back of the property. Thus, we get in a great walk before all eight eagle eyes spot the playground. It's a win/win situation.

This park just happens to be the park where Oldest Child and her BFF Maggie ride their unicycles. OC has been wanting to meet Maggie up there and ride. Maggie also happens to be Lynne's daughter's BFF - every time we go over there, she wants to know where Maggie is; we have to be very careful not to mention that name unless, of course, Maggie is in the car on the way to their house. Stop here and imagine four kids, ages 4 and 2, all in bad moods, all wanting something different from Mommy RIGHT NOW, and think of the noise level in the house. So I was explaining to Lynne that OC and YC would be with me and we may even invite M-A-G-G-I-E to go with us. As soon as I had spelled the word, we both burst out laughing. Her kids couldn't hear my end of the conversation; my kids (hopefully) can spell...guess you could say I was feeling her pain : )

Now I'm off to walk with four crabby kids and two (potentially crabby) teenagers.

Note to Self

When using years old paint, make sure to only paint one wall at a time...as opposed to starting in the middle of the wall...you may save yourself some time.

I am diligently working on painting my living room. I had it all mapped out, and all was going according to schedule. I was even impressed when I went to the Home Fix It Up store and the nice helper-man said that yes, my paint was still good and I only had to buy two more gallons of the lighter color...because I either (a) gave two gallons away to someone and don't remember or (b) paint thieves came and stole it during the night. So I'm getting off pretty cheap for painting an entire large room, complete with high ceilings.

The accent wall was first and it looks amazing. 'Cept now, I have to add another "to do" to my list because my mantel looks totally bare and I have to fix that. But being the "smart" home improvement queen that I am, I knew to start with the old paint first. It is, afterall, OLD. Save the new...who knows, maybe in three or thirteen years, I'll want to paint this color again. So I trimmed out everything and started painting the "picture" wall. Then I painted beside the entertainment center. Then I painted over by the door. Then I ran out of paint and opened a new can. Then I noticed a spot I missed, so I went back to the picture wall. Silly me thought that the only reason the "touch up" spot was lighter was because it was wet paint and the other paint was dry. Imagine my surprise eight hours later when the touch up spot was still lighter.

In desperation, I called DH and explained my brilliance. He tried and tried to come up with solutions so it wouldn't be "noticeable". This is also the same DH who suggested I didn't need to move the big, humongous, tall, heavy entertainment center and paint behind it. Afterall...no one was going to see back there.

So I would be finished with project #1 and ready to move on to project #2 except for the small, tiny, minute problem of two different color paints. My only solution - repaint THE ENTIRE THREE WALLS the lighter color. So instead of one nice, smooth coat that covered everything...my walls now have two coats of fresh, new paint. Except of course, for behind the entertainment center...I'm waiting for DH and The Dude to be in the same house at the same time so they can take pity on me and move it for me.

But as a side note, I did happen to notice at the paint store a nice long edger-trimmer thingy...so I added painting the baseboards without trashing the carpet while I was at it. I think that should count as a project in and of itself.

Now I Have To

BooMama has issued the call, and I must heed "the call". Well, and I've only been going to do the to do list since Christmas vacation. Now I'll definitely get it done because BooMama told me to and who am I not to rise to a challenge?! Well that, and I like to use my Christmas holiday and summer holiday to do something productive since I'm pretty busy the other 190 days of the year.

On my "to do" list? At the top is painting the living room. And I actually figured out a way this week to do it so I wouldn't be so overwhelmed. Completely paint one wall before moving on to the next. That way, it's finished, out of the way, complete and then I move on to the next. I've even had the paint for a VERY. LONG. TIME. So long, in fact, I have to take it back to the Home Fix It Up store to get them to mix it again to see if it's still good. So long, in fact, that I've changed my mind about how I'm going to paint the LR since I bought the paint (DH is thanking his lucky stars I just changed my mind on the WAY I was going to paint, now the COLORS I was going to paint!). Originally, the plan was to paint the darker color on the bottom of the wall up to chair rail level, then paint the top the lighter color. But now, I'm painting the wall with the fireplace a chocolate-y color and the other three walls a cream color. And don'tcha like the cup and feathers on the mantel? YC thinks the mantel is a catch-all. And see those lovely pictures of Oldest Child and Youngest Child up there on the wall? They're really cute; 'cept OC and YC are now in high school and middle school. Oopsie!

Then I'm going to move on to the kitchen cabinets because I have so many cabinets I've just shoved junk in them. I have the absolutely biggest kitchen in the history of the world. That would be a good thing if, you know, I liked to cook! You would think a humongous kitchen would inspire me. Notsomuch. But I do have lots of "stuff" stuffed in lots of cabinets (doesn't everyone store old birthday cards in the kitchen cabinet?). But BooMama told me to clean them out, so I am. By July 25th.

And both of those are indoor activities, which won't require me to be out in the sweltering 198 degree heat that is Atlanta in the summer. I still have paint the trim on the outside of the house on the "list", but that will be done on a weekend in the fall (provided that there isn't a good college football game or Nascar race on TV!).

Serious Decisions

You'd be surprised how much clearer you can think while on vacation! With the toughest decision made all day being (1) whether to lie by the pool or on the beach and (2) whether we were grilling or eating out. Those two decisions made, that left many, many, many hours to contemplate the meaning of life and the like.

My favorite place in the whole world is the beach. I love the beach and the waves and the wind and the sand and the smell and the sea gulls and the everything else that accompanies the beach. In the time that DH and I have dated/been married, we have only missed vacationing at the beach on a couple of occasions. I have always said when I win $1 million, I will buy a house on the beach.

But then you have to decide what beach, house or condo, what kind of house, and all of the other tough questions associated with house-buying. I don't want a block away from the beach, I don't want in a beach city...I want to walk out my front door and be on the beach. I'm picky like that.

DH then proceeds to tell me the 1,000 reasons why, even if we could afford it, buying a house on the beach would be a bad idea. Insurance and hurricanes were at the top of the list...he is, after all, the practical one of the two.

This is our second year in a row vacationing at Camping on the Gulf in Destin. And yes, we have already booked next year's vacation. And this year, our major beach-house buying dilemma was solved. We won't buy a house on the beach when we win $1 million...we'll buy a top-of-the-line motor coach and park in on the front slot at Camping on the Gulf. Problem solved.

Why the change of heart? Think about it, dear internets. I won't have to buy homeowner's insurance for "beach property" because it won't be on the beach in case of a hurricane. I don't have to pick my favorite beach because I can park it at various and sundry beaches. I won't have to worry about hurting people's feelings when I tell them they can't stay at my beach house. When I retire because I'm a millionaire, I can also take my "beach house" around the country to all the Nascar cities I've wanted to visit. It's a win/ win situation. This dilemma checked off the list, there's no telling what world-wide problem I'll be able to solve while sitting on the beach next summer. I know...dream on, Alice; Wonderland is two doors down.

WOW!

Back to the real world. I'll post about my week and getting the precious cherubs back home safe and sound and how I came crashing back to reality at 11:00 this morning and spent the majority of the day in the car retrieving the cherubs and the washer hasn't stopped since 11:00 this morning... all of that will come tomorrow.

But now, you have to go here. Rocks in My Dryer is having a giveaway and I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't tell you about it. She is giving away the WOW Online 1 CD and the artists/songs looks awesome - I can totally see myself singing totally outloud if I win!

No Title

The break from our normal life has done my heart so good this week. It was too hot to even think about painting outside. We are having late July/August weather and we're barely into June. So I have spent the past three days doing absolutely W-H-A-T-E-V-E-R.

I've gone walking two days in a row; tomorrow I'm shooting for 3. Laundry is caught up. I'm getting the camper ready to take to the beach next week. Crossing things off the "to do" list left and right. Not making much progress on my book, but working lots and lots of Sudoku puzzles.

Yes, I have sent both girls e-mails almost each day. I log on to look at pictures from church camp daily. Oldest child looks like she's having a ball! But the break, it is oh, so nice!

D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S

No, Paula Deen isn't dangerous, but remember back in May when I told you my girlfriend took me to have lunch with Paula Deen for my birthday. And remember yesterday when I told you that Oldest Child and Youngest Child were both away at camp this week and I wouldn't know what to do with myself for a whole, entire, uninterrupted week?? LOOK!! I posted a picture on my blog! (All by myself, I might add. My IT support is tied up at the present time...). I am so proud of myself - you just don't even know!

Over the past 24 hours, I have decided that having the house to myself is nice for awhile, but I couldn't do it all the time...it's too quiet here (geez, I never thought those words would appear on my blog!). What have I done, you ask?? Yesterday DH and I went on a date when he got home (fun!). Then we paid bills when we got home (NOT fun!). This morning I went walking at 7:45, finished up some laundry, went to WalMart, worked some Sudoku puzzles, read some of my book, worked on my blog. Getting ready to go meet a friend for dinner. Actually, she's having her hair done over by my house and I'm going to go sit and talk to her and take Chick-fil-a so we can have dinner and visit.

And you know what the best part of the whole picture thing is?? I learned it just in time to take it to the beach next week! You may very well see 1,000 pictures of the beach on my blog next week just because I know how to do it now!!

Home Alone

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

I have just, in the last few days, discovered the fun over at One Plus You Quizzes. I may do nothing all week long except take quizzes. Perhaps I should have taken this quiz on a day that (a) we actually had groceries in the house and (b) weren't preparing for vacation. Then maybe we would survive longer.

The Excitement - It's Too Much!

I remember a conversation that took place over fourteen years ago very vividly. A girlfriend (who already had children) called on the Saturday before Oldest Child was to be born to check in and see how I was doing. She asked what I was doing and my response: "Cleaning house. I want everything to be in order when Oldest Child comes home." Her reply: "Your last free weekend for the next eighteen YEARS and you're CLEANING HOUSE?!" Didn't realize it then, but she was on to something! I should have been sitting on the couch eating bon-bons watching a movie. But the house, it was clean!

Fast forward fourteen years to present times. Yesterday I took Oldest Child to church camp in north Georgia. She loves camp and would live there permanently if they would let her. She already knows she wants to be a counselor as soon as she's old enough, and she will make an excellent one when she does.

I am counting the hours (2 hours, 48 minutes thankyouverymuch!) until I drop Youngest Child off at 4-H camp. FOR FIVE LOVELY, QUIET, PEACEFUL DAYS WITH NO RESPONSIBILITY - AT ALL - PERIOD - END OF DISCUSSION.

I didn't plan for this to happen. OC picked her week at camp; 4-H is only offered one week. But oh, my word, when I looked at the calendar and realized what had happened...that loud noise you heard at your house was probably me trying to contain my excitement!

What am I going to do, you ask? I was going to paint the white trim on the outside of the house and garage. That is, until I watched Weather Man and realized it was going to be 325 degrees this week. I don't paint when it's much above 70. So I am making a list of little "to do's" around the house that require inside attention. They may get done, or on Friday I may be able to give you reviews on 3 or 27 books I've read this week. Guess you'll just have to stay tuned.

But don't call the house - I may or may not answer the phone. Depends on whether or not my mouth is full of bon-bons!

It's True!

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets


It is nearly 10:00 (AM) as I type this on a Saturday morning. DH is talking to his mom on the phone so I decided to check in with the bloggy world. So far this morning, I have already (a) done two loads of laundry and (b) finished up cutting the grass. I am only on my second cup of coffee so the little test, by my calculations, is pretty accurate. Thanks, Queen B, for sharing!

I was "moderate", chipper and perky. DH, however, was "high"...highly excitable. I could be a long day at the mayor's house today!

At Last!

Someone who says it better than I ever could...This Ain't New York has the perfect idea! Parents, both in my class and around town, ask what I, as a teacher, like to receive as a gift. And it has taken me a long time to learn to give an honest answer...if they didn't really want to know, they wouldn't have asked. So let me take this opportunity to chime in and give you some hints from a teacher on what we like and what we don't like.

First of all, back away from the apples and apple-related items. We have enough of everything apple-y. And along those lines, leave the "World's Greatest Teacher" everything. If your child thinks their teacher is, indeed, the world's greatest, have him/her make a card for the teacher.

Next, gift cards are always a plus. We can get what we want, when we want. Wal-Mart, Target, Borders...always a hit. Starbucks, Kohl's - who doesn't love 'em?? Gas cards...tacky? I think not! Be creative.

A plant or seeds, garden gloves, cute pot painted by the child, water bucket.

This year, Youngest Child gave her teacher a cute plastic pitcher (from WalMart!), matching glasses and Crystal Light drink mix.

A nice quick-read book and bookmark.

A beach towel and bottle of sunscreen and a current magazine - Good Housekeeping, People, etc.

Note cards or stamps to create cards and a book of stamps to mail them. Teachers still write thank you notes and what child doesn't love to get mail addressed to them?

A handwritten note from both the parent and child telling her/him how much they've meant to them. This year, one of my most precious gifts was a note from a mother of a struggling child thanking me for helping him score so high on his standardized test. Nothing monetary - but precious because I know it came from the heart.

When buying for a teacher, just remember it doesn't have to be expensive; it doesn't have to be big. Make it thoughtful and practical and you will go down in history as a parent every teacher wants to have!