So you had a bad day

It started off okay. While I was ironing the pants I set out for work I noticed there was a hole by the pocket. Oh well. My shirt was long enough to cover it.

I arrive to work. The power is off. Dark, very dark. We navigate the hallway and Libby is safely delivered to kindergarten.

I find my lantern. I spend another five minutes looking for batteries. I find them. 4 D batteries produce a small led light. I notice a note on my desk. I need to see my boss.

I try to get the room ready. I am told I need to see my boss again. I go down. I am then reprimanded for not shutting one of my windows the day before. Several times, several ways.

I go back to my room. I can not find the letter B papers that we are to do for the day.

Kids come in. I notice one of shoes smell like cat pee. Nice, I have a hole in my pants and I smell like cat pee.

The kids are playing, no power still. We have a fire drill. We go to recess, they are hitting each other. I am the bad guy.

I turn in my sub folder. It is returned to me, bleeding with red ink. Mostly silly spelling corrections. I do not think the sub would mind, but now I have to do it again. Where/were.... jeez.

I get talked to about the window, again.

Today was just not my day. But, my window is shut!

Politics

My poor child has been indoctrinated....

One moment she is in her rhyming phase going through the house chanting "Obama is yo Momma" and the next moment she stating "we are republicans, and John McCain is a republican, so that is who we will vote for!"

Just to be clear none of this information was fed to her other than we are republicans, the rest she has came up with on her own.

And if anyone is worried, I do not know who I will vote for yet.

Mike, by the way... Happy Anniversary. We survived, 7 years and we are both still living! I love you.

She's only been is school for a month now...

Here are the pictures from Libby's first day of school. We have been having so much trouble with our computer I am about to throw it. The darn thing is only a year old and it gives us nothing but trouble.

On the porch before school

Showing off her Camp Rock lunch box.

In front of her school.

With her teacher Mrs. Raddatz.

At her desk.

We miss Mrs. Raddatz dearly. She was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly before the school year started. She had a mastectomy three weeks ago and is doing well healing at home. We have a nice sub, but you know it is just not the same :)

I will try to get some more up this week.

Inspired

I thought I would share a couple of my favorite recipies since everyone has been talking cooking lately.

This is a Paula Deen recipie that I have amended.

Pot Roast (and I am not a pot roast type of girl)

3 lb chuck roast

salt, pepper, and garlic powder

1/4 cup of veggie oil

3 bay leaves

1 onion sliced thinly

3-5 pressed or crushed cloves of garlic

1 or 2 beef boulin cubes (hers calls for more, it is way to salty)

I can cream of mushroom soup (I use the low fat cause we are a little chunky to begin with!)

1/2 cup chardonnay (I have used whatever white wine I have around)

Season roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and brown in the oil. Place in slow cooker. Put everything else on top. Cover with just enough water to cover all of it. Cook on low for 8 hours.

This makes a kick butt gravy to, and I am not big gravy fan either. I serve with roasted potatoes.

These are Mary E. and I's all time favorite cookie to make!

Jello cookies!

3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. butter USE REAL BUTTER
1 c. sugar
1 (3 oz.) pkg. Jello, any flavor THE SUGAR FREE JELLO RESULTS IN A MORE INTENSE FLAVOR
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla AGAIN, TRY THE REAL, it makes a difference.

Mix flour with baking powder. Cream butter, gradually add sugar and gelatin, beating well. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well. Force dough through cookie press onto ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with additional gelatin (same flavor). Decorate, if desired. Bake at 400 degrees about 8 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
If you do not have a cookie press roll into balls and flatten slightly with a fork. Green jellos brown more quickly than other colors.


Happy cooking!

Economics

Several words...

Adam Smith

An Inquiry Into The Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.

Invisible hand, etc.. etc...

I could go on and on, but I will save my fingers the pain.

Mike and I may be the smartest people we know! We have no retirement to lose. Just the jar over our sink! To quote London Tipton "Yea Me" (assuming you watch The Suite Life)

What a great time to be unemployed and in college.

By the way to celebrate the despair and downfall of American economics we are having a cookout October 11. Mike will be smoking meat, I will make butt burners, and cheap beer will be available. If things are really bad by then be prepaired to discuss the hippy comune idea, and be burning all mortgage notes, car and student loans, et al.

Library time.

Libby and I walked to the library this afternoon to return and restock.

Last month I read Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, and The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory. Both were very good. For this month I have two more Phillipa Gregory books, The Other Boleyn Girl, and The Constant Princess. (When I am not reading the heinous Sociology text that I should be.)

Libby has been into fiction a lot lately. Today we checked out Wind In the Willows, and the Tale of Peter Rabbit. She is reading on her own more now, mostly Dick and Jane, and the dreaded BOB books. She has also been reading a Scooby Doo phonics pack. My main complaint with the "character" themed reader packs is they often have huge words that are not appropriate for five and six year olds to sound out.

Apples, Apples, and more Apples

On Sunday we went to the Apple Orchard after church. One peck of apples was six dollars. We thought this was a good price. One peck is around 25 -30 apples. We have been making applesauce. This stuff is heavenly.

Crock pot Applesauce (borrowed from a fellow blogger)

10 apples peeled and sliced
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of water

Place all ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on low 8-10 hours, or on high 3-4 hours. Drain, I used our colander, put in bowl and mash. Place into containers refrigerate or freeze.

I used Cortland Apples, which the orchard guy referred to as utility apples. These proportions were right on for flavor. I would use less sugar for sweeter apples like McIntosh or Red Delicious and more sugar for Granny Smiths. Warning, it does turn brown, but it is the best applesauce we have ever had.

Enjoy!

11 years

Mike and I met 11 years ago in Athens on September 13. We walked along the Hocking River and went out to dinner at Bob Evans. I was 17 and he was 20. Thinking back to how young we were I am amazed at how we have grown up together. It was not love at first site, but a great friendship that grew into love, and has lasted now for all of these years. We have been together longer than some people that have already married and divorced.

We were talking the other night about our 7th anniversary in a couple of weeks and the "7 year itch". Is it from 6-7 that things are supposed to be bad or from 7-8? I hope it is 6-7 for us because this has been one heck of a year. All things relative it could always get worse but lets hope it does not.

Mike, I know you read this.... first let me thank you for putting up with my spoiled selfish ways, always encouraging me, and being my best friend, closest confidant, and my love. Thank you for always being yourself, being kind to others, and being the man that I love. We have seen how the loss of your love takes a toll on a life. I hope that we have many more years to grow, and grow older together. It may not always be that butterflies in the stomach kind of love, but love none the less. Always know that my heart belongs to you.

Busy, busy, times

I check my blog, and everyone elses daily, but I am just now finding the time to write. I would love to post some pictures as Libby is now without her two front teeth, but alas the computer is on the fritz and anything I try to plug into it rejects for various reasons.

Teaching is now in full swing. I have 11 students in my M/W class, and 17 in my T/Th class. On a whole M/W is a little more quiet easier to handle than the other, but that may change over time. I do have one student who is allergic to all nuts, eggs, and dairy, and my main concern is him not coming in contact with any thing he should not. I am able to check things, but since most things have one of those ingredients I have to be extra careful at snack time. We had applesauce and raisins today. SAFE.

I started school on Monday. It is a busy schedule. I am gone three nights a week. While I am sad that this latest job offer Mike received is not going to work for our family for a large number of reasons, I am glad that he is home with Libby on those nights. If he would have accepted she would have been with a sitter three nights a week. That is not how we work, and not what any of us would have wanted.

Some funny things I realized today. People with really long toe nails gross me out. There was a lady in front of at the Student Services desk today, and her toenails were longer than my finger nails, and pointy. It gave me the creeps. You must understand that I come from a ugly feet family. We called my mom eagle toes, but they were never that long, and that pointy. They were also pink. I was compelled to offer a stranger nail clippers.

Also, why is that smokers must run outside and light up for three minutes on class breaks. Granted I am not a smoker and I fully admit extreme bias, but seriously, can you not wait until class is over. Two times today I suffered sitting in close contact with people who smelled like a chimney.

Hope all is well with my blogging friends!

I think it is me.

After looking inward I have came to the conclusion that I expect to much from others.

My own husband has often accused me in the past of putting others first. Not intentionally, but many times when it has come down to former dance students, or classroom activities I will go above and beyond to satisfy the needs of others.

I try to live my life by treating others in the same way that you would want to be treated. In our world many people no longer live in this manner. We have shifted to "get ahead, at all costs" mode not caring who we throw under the train in our way.

This week I hope to always try to put others before myself. I want to set the example for my daughter, and for others. I may continue to get hurt in the process, but I am still fighting the good fight.

Fireflies and moonlit summer nights.

We have been very busy this summer doing not much of anything, the way a summer should be in my opinion.

We spent the 4th of July by watching the parade from the steps of St. John's in a light drizzle. The 4th in Lancaster is always a wonderful day, rain or not. We came home from the parade, took a mid afternoon nap, and the skies cleared for an explosive finish to the evening. We sat in are usual spot with good friends and took in the celebration. We do think often enough of how we got to this point in our history, and many Americans have forgot their eighth grade history lessons. Imagine the feelings of our framers on that first day of Independence.

We spent the next two weeks at the pool for swim lessons. Libby learned the American crawl, dolphin kick, basic diving, and the back stroke. As usual we did not see much progress during lessons, but now that it is the end of July she is doing very well mastering her skills.

We have participated in the Lancaster Festival. We started by doing some Italian Street Painting, we went to the Art Walk with some good friends, volunteered at Festival Fair Day, saw Circus Boy, Pirates, and a master yo-yo'er (is that how you spell that), Zoso-The Ultimate Led Zeppelin experience, and we rounded out the ten days with a Kenny Loggins concert underneath a beautiful sky last night.

God created magic in the clouds in the distance showing the awe of lighting through huge cumulonimbus clouds. Nature is full of surprises and beauty but it was breathtaking to watch the clouds light up.

Not to much else to report for the family. We continue to pray that suitable employment will become available for Mike soon.

Summer is over half way over... catch some fireflies, swing high with your eyes closed, and play after dark.

30 Days

I am a fan of Morgan Spurlock, and of his thirty days series. The most recent episode on gay parenting and gay adoption rights really struck a nerve with me.

Personally I attend a conservative church... yet nationally this church is attacked because of its openly gay bishop. I do not believe in legislating morals of the American people. Morals are a personal choice.

The opposition of the show, Kati, a Mormon from California really shocked me. People like Kati make me sad to be a Christian. I believe that God does not intend us to judge others, the judgement will be left when we meet him (or her for that matter). This married mom, who adopted her own two children does not believe that gay and lesbian families/couples/people should be allowed to adopt, or have children. She believes that God told her that this is wrong, and that children living in these homes will be prone to accepting homosexual tendencies.

I sit here in my quiet house and think about all the children world wide that need families, that need a parent, two parents, grandparents, any parents. How could someone keep children from having a family. As taboo as homosexuality still is for many, what gives us the right to judge.

Some feel that the American family is being attacked. I have news, the change has already occurred. Millions of children live with one parent, with extended family, and all of the children being raised in foster care. They need loving caring families, straight, gay, who cares a family is a family. In is not 1950 any more.

Kati if you are out there... I am sorry that you did not learn any thing from your thirty days. You just gave LDS a bad name in my eyes.

Struggling

I am struggling on many different levels.

I am struggling with my faith. I feel strongly that we need to attend to church as a family. We have found a nice church that I think we all enjoy attending. I went to church growing up and I think it was one of the best influences that kept me out of trouble during my teen years. The problem is that I struggle with God. For the longest time I was so angry with God because he made my mom sick, and he took her from me to soon. I then could not believe that a God that I believed in could make my mom so sick, and that she would suffer so long. I knew that it could not be him, but some other large universal force that rules our environment.

Now that Mike lost his job I am struggling again. I understand that things just happen. I have prayed to God each day that he guides us and that we are taken care of, and that Mike gets a job soon. It has been three weeks and I feel like we are going no where fast. I fall back in that pattern that nothing good is going to happen for us, ever. But, I know that it will. God provides for us.

I am thankful for...

My husband. He loves me, unconditionally, he is kind, thoughtful, funny, and even after eleven years my hand falls easily into his like it did the first time. I can not imagine walking through life with anyone but him.

My daughter. God has given us the most precious gift in the form of a beautiful, healthy, intelligent, and vibrant little girl. I thank him for her everyday.

Our life. We have a good life. I get wrapped up in material things I do not need, but I still have. Our house, our car, my coach purses, clothes, all these things I do not need, but I still have. It is so easy to be consumed by materialism in this global who's who world that I live in. Sometimes it is necessary to reflect on all that you have, and think about that many that have nothing at all.

So pray for me. Pray that I keep my faith with God, and that I find peace with all that I have, and to not want more than we need.

Busy Times

Summer is finally here and we have been busy.



Libby had dress rehearsal and her recital last week. She did an excellent job and was very cute up on stage.











We have been spending some time at the pool which has been fun. Libby remembered how to swim again after a few days and has been having fun with her pool friends. They are finally using the pool heater so the water is not ice cold.

She also got her first real haircut. We have had it trimmed several times a year since she is three, but in celebration of the Kit movie (American Girl) she decided that she wanted a Kit hair cut! It is very cute and will be great for summer. She looks so grown up.

In other news Mike's job search is going well and he has several good interviews. I have been very busy with school work, and the quarter is over on Friday. I can not wait for a week off.

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.