Backyard Blooms

Our flowers and bushes are finally starting to bloom in the backyard. I wish you could add smell to a blog, because this is the one time of year our yard smells glorious.

Mike got me the Lilacs for an Easter present the first year that we were in the house. My how they have grown... I will miss them when we eventually move.

These other two are kind of funny. When we first moved in it was November, and when spring came things that appeared to be weeds sprouted up everywhere. Finally after a year of mowing plants down the neighbors clued us in that they were actually nice perennials.

This is our peony, no smell, but pretty pink blossoms.

This last one is an Old Fashioned Rose. It only blooms once a year in late May/early June, and it only lasts for two weeks, but oh my.... it smells heavenly. One of the best parts is that the petals are heart shaped. We try and dry some every year. If I could bottle the smell and sell it I would. It is a pure rose smell....

Today was my last teaching day for the year. As much as I love to teach and love the kids, I am glad the year is done. Because of our situation I may have to get a summer job, but I am going to enjoy the next few days off.

What are we teaching our children?

Last night during the t ball game a child from the other team called Mike big and fat during the game. Now with all do honesty Mike is a big guy, that is a fact, but in the same breath a child of five or six years age should know that it is not okay to call people names. Earlier this week I had a daycare child from Libby's school tell me that I was fat when I was dropping some papers off to a fellow teacher. I brush these thing off as the brutal truth from the mouths of babes. Mike and I could stand to lose a few pounds. We gently corrected both children telling them it is not nice to call names and left it at that.

I just do not think it is okay to encourage labeling and name calling. It causes nothing but problems and hurt feelings. There were several larger children on the other team... what if that little girl tells them they are big and fat too. How is that going to make those kids feel. We have became a society focused on outward appearance, and less concerend with what is on the inside. I guess we can only start change from within our homes.

Random Ramblings

It has been such a busy week. Mike's job search is going well, and I have been doing some local networking for him. Sometimes it is truly about who you know. He had a phone interview on Wednesday, and he also has one Tuesday morning. We are both hoping that more calls start to come in after the holiday weekend.

Although I am not a fanatical Christian I do believe that God will take of us and provide for us. We are truly not given tasks that we can not handle. So keep those prayers and good vibes coming our way. I just do not think unemployment will cover the bills!

On Monday we had dance pictures. I adore Libby's costume this year, she looks like a little diva in it. I also am so very proud of her. She really "gets" dance and the routine this year and is one of the leaders in the class.

On Tuesday my students had their preschool graduation. They were very cute and did a good job. It was nice seeing all of the parents and getting to mingle afterwords at the cookie reception.

On Wednesday we had dance class and a t ball game. We were really wiped out by the end of the day. Our t ball team is doing well.

On Thursday Libby had her Pre K graduation. They did a good job for the first thirty minutes... when they started handing out the diplomas things started falling apart. If it would not ended when it did I think they would have been sword fighting with the diplomas. It is a really cute program about how they were a promise and how they could grow up to be anything. I still can not believe we are going to kindy this fall.

This last one is Libby and her dear friend Kayla. They had a mock sleepover last weekend and had such fun. It is neat to see them make good friends at this age!

We are working tomorrow. A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to HAILEY! Sorry we can not make it over guys. I hope the party goes great.

On Sunday Maia and Christopher are coming to play while Mike's brother and his wife celebrate their anniversary. I am hoping it is warm enough to head out to the pool.

It was the best, no scratch that, it was the worst of times and they march on and on...

For those of you who know me in real life you know that for the most part the last five years of our life have been good years, overshadowed with very miserable things.

Today marks the two year point of the last time my mom really felt good. We were arriving in Hilton Head, and although she was tired, we had a good time. Weeks after we came home the cancer that had spread to her brain started to take over.

Last spring she passed away. I really thought this was to the low point for our family. Things could only get better from there, right?

Mike has known that there was a possibility of his office closing, and has been looking on and off for a job for over a year. What he has been offered he has been over qualified for, and it has not paid at least what he is making now.

The new dilemma is two weeks from yesterday, Mike is officially unemployed. I have to believe that everything will be okay. Unfortunately reality is a much more frightening world that I would rather not be living in.

So pray, chant, light a candle, what ever your choice of bringing on goodness may be for us. I really did not think things could get worse.

(And, thanks for reading my little Saturday morning ode to self pity.)

Mother's Day

Yesterday was a pleasant and quite day. I did not feel that well, and I actually feel worse today.

Mike made me an everything bagel with garden vegetable cream cheese for breakfast, and he and Libby served me, and even allowed me to choose what we were going to watch.

We hung out for the rest of the day. Libby was scheduled to have a T ball game, but it was raining, and generally miserable all day. I loafed around and watched TV until four, and then we ran to the store.

Mike planned a wonderful dinner for me, fillet Mignon, grilled vegetable kabobs with mushrooms, zucchini, yellow peppers, and onions, and green bean casserole. He also made brownies for dessert. It was all very yummy.

Libby and Mike got me a purple ipod shuffle, but I knew on Saturday. Poor Lib could not help herself, and told me while I was doing her hair. Mike also took one of my mom's rings and had it sized for me. My dad gave it to my mom for a twenty fifth anniversary gift, and we also found out that we were having Libby. I am looking forward to wearing it.

I hope that all the mommies out there had a wonderful and relaxing day!

Kindergarten

Well as hard as it for me to believe my little girl starts kindy this fall. It seem like just yesterday she was born, and not soon after that we signed her up for preschool. Time really does fly, like my blog, a blink of time.

We have made the decision to send her to kindergarten at the school that she is currently at for preschool. They have a wonderful small kindergarten class, and the best teacher. It is from 8:30-2:30 every day. I do feel very guilty for sending her all day every day, but I have to commute to Athens to finish up my classes.

Our other choices were public kindy at the neighborhood school one block from our house, or to home school. The public school does not work, we would have to arrange transportation to and from school, and she would need to stay with a sitter on Monday and Wednesday when I go to school. I am just not ready for someone else to be taking her to school. The teachers their are also old, I had one of them for first grade. I just think that she would not be challenged enough. She is currently reading Dick and Jane books, and some other easy readers independently, and she has been doing some basic addition problems for the last few months. The entry skills for public kindy are what she was doing at when she turned four (colors, shapes, number and letter recognition, self responsibility).

I would love to drop everything, and home school her. I think that she could learn so much more at home, with us. I do not know if I would home school through high school, but I think during these early years it would be more stimulating educationally. I do worry though about the socialization factor. She is a very social kid, and I worry that by being home with me would hamper that. I know lots of home schooled children who are very social. Maybe it is the going against the grain that scares me. On a selfish note I really want and need to finish my education. I am so close, I only need 41 hours to graduate. I can finally see the light at the end. If I home school, I would need to take a break.

So, my baby starts real school this fall. I can remember my mom crying my first day, and me telling her it would be okay, that I would see her in a little bit. Bittersweet as that memory is, I can only imagine how she felt by the time I graduated high school. Time passes by to quickly. I wish I could bottle every ounce of five year old giddiness and optimism that bounces through our house each day.

AHA!

On Wednesday I went to Aha, the new children's museum in town with Lib and her class on their spring field trip. The museum is very nice (it would be nicer if they would have hired me instead of the lady with her master's to run it) and very much like the space for young children at Cosi.

I am sad though, the mother that had been giving us some problems before choose to not let her daughter go. They think the museum is "stupid" and the mom actually attempted to plan a field trip to the zoo on the same day. I feel bad for the little girl, the kids had so much fun just being together. I did however find out that the mom has been telling other parents in the class that Lib is a bad influence. I know that she is not, so I try not to worry about it too much. I really feel more badly for them. If she is doing this in Pre K what are the rest of their school years going to be like.

I have been working on school work a lot. I am currently creating a multimedia project for ninth graders covering the development of World War Two. They will have three compulsory assignments that must be completed, and three assignment of their choice to complete too. There will be over 15 things for them to choose from as learning activities. I just chuckle to think that I never will be able to do something like this when I finally have a job. In my other class I have to reflect on cultural diversity. I tend to be a fairly judgemental person, so this has been very enlightening for me.

If you are ever board search the paper clip project. Good things still happen in schools!