Christmas Show

Last night was our rink's annual Christmas show.  Belle has participated in almost every show since she started skating.  The only years she didn't were the 2 years she was at Junior Nationals during the show, so for obvious reasons couldn't.  It has always been one of our most favorite parts of the holiday season.  Many rinks plan a production for this time of year, like Nutcracker on Ice.  Our rink, however, allows the skaters to choose a favorite Christmas song and create a performance.  This means that you get to see a huge variety when you come to our show.  It is always a unique experience. 

One special "rite of passage" has remained consistent.  Each year one skater, typically a senior who will be graduating and moving on, performs to "My Grown Up Christmas List".  This year it was Belle's turn.  She has already performed this for a couple of exhibitions at the outdoor rink in our area, but this was different.  This was her home ice and what could be the last Christmas show she skates in.  Hopefully she will be back in years to come, but since who knows what life will bring we both realized this might be the last one.  I wasn't going to cry, but I didn't even make it through her introduction.  So, when you watch the video and wonder why the camera is shaking, now you know.  I should have remembered the tripod, I never do! 

Anyway, on this last Sunday before Christmas I present to you Belle.

Wal Mart Today

Why did I pick today to go into Wal Mart?!  I should have know when the parking lot was full what I was in for.  Did it stop me, NO!  I proceeded in to get my blank tapes for the camcorder (Belle has her Christmas show at the rink today) without hesitation.  I was determined to get the tapes and get out.  I didn't even get a cart so I wouldn't be tempted to browse.  $67 later I was out.  I only got a few extra things.  I found a couple of stocking stuffers, a skating snowman cup (Peter Pan will tell you I have an obsession with cups, plates, salt and pepper shakers, etc. that have any sort of skating theme), and 3 DVD's (I NEED Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and Charlie Brown Christmas.)  It only took me 1/2 hour.  Most of that was standing in line to pay.  I vow not to return to Wal Mart until next year!  Ask me tomorrow if that worked.

Enough Already!

The floors are finally in, well except for 4 transitions that won't arrive until after the new year.  The house is a wreck!  We managed to mess up the cable, that meant a dreaded wait for the Cox repair guy.  He was actually very prompt, very helpful and we are back up and running.  So, I am trying desperately to clean and put things back where they belong.  The floors really look amazing, but my house ins not in any state of order.

Belle and I went to Boston sunday to look at Boston University and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.  We had a really fun trip and even got to have dinner with Peter Pan's sister while we were there.  Belle says she is the cool, fun Aunt who teaches you how to make jello shots (wait, that is my sister, actually Belle and Moose have 2 really cool, fun Aunts!)  I was hoping that Belle would hate the schools in Boston, but no such luck.  She really liked them and now she is torn about where she wants to go and why.  Her choices are all very different from one another.  In my mind that makes money the deciding factor, Belle wants no part of that discussion.  She really wants to be able to decide solely on the merits of each choice. I truly hope she gets that opportunity.

I returned from Boston to a pile of school work, grad school application pieces I need to finish up, several pieces of business for this weeks skating exhibition at Mac on Ice, and a huge mix up with the competition application that I sent off for a sanction.  I have a lot of work to do tonight to correct all the mistakes.  That is of course why I am blogging, I have soooooo much extra time.  I am also trying to clean and decorate for Christmas, and play Secret Santa at work. 

I spent a couple hours decorating tonight and I did get the tree up (not decorated completely) and the mantle decorated.  I just got frustrated with the way it was all going and as much as I love the new floors Christmas tree bulbs SHATTER when they hit it.  Reason one that carpet is better.  However, it looks really nice.  Hopefully it will stay standing and I won't break anymore ornaments. 

This isn't a great time of year to be so overwhelmed.  I am just swamped under paper work and other junk.  As of now, I have officially had enough!  Just saying, okay!

Cleaning and Tossing

Okay we made it through this week and now I am supposed to relax and refresh on my day of right.  Not a chance.  Today I get to pack all the book shelves, closets, etc. downstairs so the flooring install can happen Monday.  This is a pain in my,  well you know where.  I didn't realize how much junk can accumulate in just a few years.  I have found magazines from 2005, skating related, but still what was I saving them for, textbooks from college (mine not Moose's) and a variety of old PTA directories and phone books.  Why did I feel the need to keep all of that? 

I can tell you why, I might need it someday.  In fact I am fairly certain that just after Peter Pan takes it all to the dump I will need it!!!  Well, maybe not, but that is my fear.  What if I really need a phone number from that directory?  What if that skating magazine had an article I need to refer back to?  What if I need to look back into that outdated textbook for some crucial piece of job saving information?  Now I realize the chances are pretty slim that will happen, but it would be just my luck.  So I am throwing the stuff out, but it is stressing me big time.  I keep telling myself that it is out of date, I don't think my college chemistry book from 1985 will be useful to anyone.  I'm not sure it was useful to me back in 1985.  I do feel a certain kinship with those people who end up on "Hoarding" .  It is hard to let go of things.

So what am I keeping?  Yearbooks, baby books and calendars,  stuff the kids made (I found the cutest little book Belle made in Kindergarten!)  I am not ready to part with that stuff yet.  Hopefully when I am ready Belle and Moose will be ready to accept it.  It is sort of sad though, all the things that just get tossed.  They were important at one point in time.

So Saturday morning clean and pitch, here I come!!!  If you hear wailing that is just me being frustrated with the whole process.  But call me next week when everything is done and see if I am not happier without all the clutter!

Good Idea?!

It seemed like such a great idea this morning.  My class is working on counting (the chapter in our Kindergarten math book is actually counting 0-5),  My class is way ahead of the curve though,  so, what could be better than making Holiday count down chains.  You remember them, alternating red and green paper loops that make a chain.  That would be perfect.  We would all have to count to 24 and make a pattern with our loops.  Fun, engaging, perfect math lesson... NOT!

My para-educator suggested that we have them write the numbers on the strips of paper.  Wow, she is good.  What a fantastic way to tie it all together.  So there we were at math time.  2 experienced Kindergarten educators, pulling our hair out. First of all, getting the paper strips sorted into patterns stopped some of my class.  They had green and red paper strips everywhere.  When we finally got to the part where they were supposed to be writing the numbers they started doing crazy stuff.  No one was listening, no one got what we wanted them to do, and mostly it was just a HUGE mess.  I could hear her at the next table redirecting her group.  "Everyone get a red strip of paper.  Now write the number 1 on it.  No write a 1, on the red strip.  No just on the red strip.  No not on all the red strips..." 

I was faring no  better with my group.  "Make sure you have red, then green, then red, then green.  Remember a b a b patterns from a couple weeks ago.  No not a a b b, just a b a b.  No you don't need a stack of all the red and all the green.  Now turn them like this (I showed them to turn them horizontally) and write a 1.  No, only on the top strip.  No not vertically (we have actually worked on the words horizontal and vertical!)  No don't write 1 on all of them.  Your pieces are all over the floor."

We decided to give up on writing the numbers and just start gluing.  That didn't go well either.  Making the loop and holding it long enough for it to stick was painfully difficult for these five year olds.  We looked across the hall at the perfect chains hanging outside another Kindergarten class and wondered how exactly they had done it.  Finally, we both sort of gave up and said, just make a chain and put it in your mailbox!  So much for a great idea!!!! Tomorrow I am making handprint reindeer, they should be really cute...

Advice for Middle School Parents

I have only a short time to write this morning.  I didn't get much sleep last night so as a result I overslept this morning.  I am trying to jumpstart with some coffee but so far no luck.  The root of this poor sleep, having a senior in the house!  Looming scholarship deadlines, essays, college applications, senior trips, college visits...  The list goes on and on and on.  I spent the evening (well, after a wonderful time with my awesome Waters Edge Community Group!) helping Belle finish some scholarship essays.  This was not a wonderful, bonding moment.  It was stressful and painful for us both.  We approach writing very differently and this leads to many confrontations.  By the final essay and at almost 10:00 PM we were both in the just write anything mode.  That isn't really where you need or want to be.  So, my friends with middle schoolers, just start now!

Sofa Saga

I love my new furniture.  It is soft and comfortable and it doesn't smell like a dog, yet.  In an effort to keep this furniture nicer we are trying to keep the dogs off of it.  Haha, good joke said the dogs.  They don't seem to get this.  We have procured a lovely dog bed  for them, and they do like it.  They just like the sofa better.  Fenway seems to be processing it all a little quicker, or maybe she is just a lot more chicken than Bella.  She has had a few attempts to get on the sofa.  Bella, has been incredibly persisitent.  She will get on the sofa when we leave the room, if she thinks we are leaving the room and even if we are on it.  Saturday I was watching TV and all the sudden she was on my lap.  I don't even know where she came from.  Last night she snuck up and onto it at least 5 times.  We take her off, we yell, we fuss, we scream.  She looks puzzled, waits till we turn around and you guessed it, jumps right back up.  I don't know if she is dumb or just really persistent but it is annoying.  When the kids were little they loved to watch "Courage the Cowardly Dog", remember the old man, "Stupid dog!"  That is how I feel.
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Painting....

I am having some coffee before I go back upstairs and get back to paiting Moose's room.  We have decided to let Belle move into Moose's old room (it is bigger, thus more desirable).  moose was agreeable because he was bribed promised a new TV if he switched rooms.  Actually we are turning his room into a "man cave" of sorts for both he and Peter Pan.  Moose is only here 2 months a year or so anyway.  The biggest issue was that Belle's old room was pink.  Not soft pink, pepto bismol pink.  This picture doesn't do it justice but you can sort of tell.  The wall color was bright.  At night if you were outside it glowed.

So the biggest thing that had to happen was a paint job.  Pink is not a color for any self respecting  man cave.  Moose at first said he wanted 4 colors (are you kidding me?)   He wanted a Patriots blue wall, Celtics green, Red Sox red and Bruins yellow.   Now I am adventurous with paint.  Belle's new room has 3 purple walls and one navy blue wall.  But 4 colors in a room?  I don't think so.  Not to mention that this is the smallest room (well except the bathrooms) in our house.  I can't even imagine how hideous it would be.  I finally convinced him that he wanted a light wall color and then he could add pictures, art, etc.  So we are going with a light blue (almost the same as his last room color.)

Now any of you have painted know what is going on.  Light blue over almost neon pink...  I have already used almost a gallon on the first 2 walls.  Before you ask, we got the Behr paint and primer in one.  No I didn't put primer on, it is in the paint and it is supposed to be 1 coat coverage!  It's not!  To be fair I don't think it had a chance.  The pink was just too bright. 

So, I am going to finish my coffee and start in again.  I did the easy walls last night, they didn't have windows or doors that needed much cutting in.  Belle and Moose wanted to help but I couldn't take the help.  Again to be fair, it wasn't that they were not painting well.  The room is small.  Moose only can use 1 arm (he is still recovering from his surgery.)  He is huge anyway.  The three of us in a really small space with paint just sort of overwhelmed me.  Then Peter Pan decided to give us all advice from the door and that was when I lost it!  I would just rather do it alone.  Well, I would like someone to refill my brush when I am cutting in at the ceiling so I don't have to climb up and down...

Dear Coach...

So take this for what it is, venting!  I was in the shower this morning and all these thoughts started running through my head (this is the issue with having a day off, I think way too much!)  I was really remembering a Thanksgiving vacation we took many years ago after Hurricane Isabel and the resulting sports fiasco.  I am still not over it, and it sort set me off this morning.  In any case, I am writing a letter to a composite of several coaches my kids have had throughout their athletic careers, no one coach, and aside from that vacation incident there really isn't one incident.  And , if you think it is just about my children, I have seen this same thing with so many other children.  Take it with a grain of salt.  I am recovering from Thanksgiving food overdose and midnight madness at the outlet mall. 

Dear Coach,
     While everyone else is "thankful" and "joyful" right now I am not.  I don't appreciate your attitude and consitent overlooking of my child and many others on your team.  I realize my athlete isn't the most talented on the field, but any top athlete will tell you that it isn't all about talent.  My athlete has a heart the size of Texas and more passion for sport than you will ever see.  Sadly, you have never and will never see that part of my child.  You are too busy marking statistics in a notebook to see the intangible greatness of your team.  It isn't always the best player who contributes the most.  Watch for a few minutes and see who is cheering the team on and leading the team.  Who is pushing the whole team to their best.  Who is spending their summer working and training to be ready for the fall season.  Take a few minutes and find out what each player really wants from their pursuit and your eyes will be opened.  You look at my athlete and see no potential.  How sad for you.  You have missed an opportunity to foster and create and push someone further than even they knew they could go.  Maybe it never was about being the best athlete, the star of the team.  Maybe it was just about bettering themselves. 
                                                                                             Sincerely,
          
                                                                                              Insane Sports Mom

Now, before it seems like I have never liked a coach or never seen any positives the majority of coaches that have worked with my kids have been amazing, wonderrul people who have seen the potential and the real value of my children.  To those coaches the following:

Dear Coach,
     Thank you for continuing to believe in my child and to help him/her achieve what not even he/she believed possible.  Thank you for supporting him/her on and off the field and for seeing the amazing person growing in front of you both athletically and personally.  Thank you for making my child feel good about working hard even when he/she isn't the star of team.  Thank you for seeing the little things that make my child a special and wonderful person and for seeing his/her gifts even if they aren't always sports related.  You will never know how much you have contributed to my child.
                                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                                ISM                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

I'm Blessed

On this day of Thanksgiving I wanted to take a moment and be thankful myself.  I so often joke about my family and the situations we find ourselves in or I complain about things, but today I wanted everyone to know that I do truly appreciate my life.  I have so many things to be thankful for and there are so many people who are not as blessed as I am.  Thank you God for the bountiful blessings you have given me.   May I truly appreciate them each and every day.   Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Senior Cross Country Banquet

Monday night we went to Belle's last country banquet.  It was certainly a bittersweet experience in so many ways.  You already know that this wasn't the senior season she hoped for personally, but the team overall had a fantastic season winning their district, region and placing 5th in the state.  While Belle wasn't one of the top runners she certainly contributed in her own way.  She was a superb teammate and always supported her team.  She pushed her faster teammates to do there best all the time and encouraged her slower teammates as well.  While I may be an insane sports mom, I do realize that high school sports is about much, much more than athletics.  It is about being part of something bigger than yourself and learning how to balance school and sport.  It is about belonging in a way that only being a part of a school group or team allows you to belong.  Most of all it is about achieving your personal best.

 So as Belle moves on I reflect on cross country and hope she learned life lessons from it.  We do have a couple more milestones this senior year, but the clock is ticking and soon my last bird will fly away.  I will have to cultivate new obsessions since there will be no daily sports fix here at home.  I am working on my application for grad. school.  At least it will keep me busy.  Life moves on.

We Really Tried

Today we were blessed with new living room furniture.  It has been a while coming and we really needed it (more on that in a minute) so Peter Pan and I were extremely excited.  Our old sofa/sectional was too big for our room.  It always had been and we should have returned it as soon as we bought it, however we don't really think through problems that way.   In any case it was too big and now it has become sort of stinky and stained.  I could get it clean if I really scrubbed it, but to be honest it was sort of an eyesore.  It also wasn't really comfortable.  Even the recliner was a bit bumpy.  I think the killer moment was when poor Fenway had her urinary tract infection and, you guessed it, peed all over it.  I never really could get it back to normal after that.  Since we are getting new floors (another story and thank you broken dishwasher!) we decided it was time to get rid of our old furniture.

Peter Pan called the Salvation Army and made an appointment for them to come and get the old sofa.  I couldn't wait to get home from school to see my empty room, ready for new furniture.  I arrived home, having spent my day on the coldest and wettest field trip in the history of Kindergarten, to see Belle sitting on our old sofa reading.  "What are you doing?' I exclaimed.  "Reading" she answered back sarcastically not realizing that the sofa was supposed to be gone.  "I know that, but why are you on the sofa?"  Now she was totally confused and answered with something about where else should she sit.  Through this whole conversation there was no sign of Peter Pnn.  I tried (sort of lamely) to explain to Belle that I was trying to figure out the sofa situation and set off in search of Peter Pan.

He was in bed (which was where I wanted to be, I was freezing!)  "I tripped on your shoe when I was bringing the laundry up.  I hurt my back."  So it was my fault, whatever, I asked about the sofa.  "Oh, yeah, the Salvation Army came and they won't take it."  Huh?  Won't take a free sofa.  Nope, it had too many stains.  In other words my sofa was too disgusting for even the Salvation Army to take it.  As we were talking the furniture store called to confirm our delivery.  "No, no, no.  You can't bring it tomorrow.  Yes, I know we scheduled it, but we have had an emergency.  We'll reschedule," was my sort of paniced response.  Peter Pan asked why I said we had an emergency and I told him it  was the first thing that popped into my head and I just sort of blurted it out.  So we were back to square one.

Yesterday he called ReStore and set up a pick up for our old sofa.  We were a little anxious.  Would they take it?   Would it be too dirty?  This morning they called and unfortunately there were no drivers available.  They wanted to know if we could bring it down.  Well sure, but will you take it.  Turns out that NO they don't want our yucky sofa either.  So Peter Pan and I had to make 2 trips to the dump to get rid of the sofa.  This really bothered me because with a little TLC it could have been usable. 

It turns out we were not the only sofa pitchers today.  There were several people at the dump discarding sofas and some of them looked pretty good (the sofas I mean).  I was really bothered now.  Americans waste a lot of stuff.  It is a shame.  I just want to state for the record that we really did try to find a new home for our old sofa.  Not hard enough I guess.

The best part of the story:  while we were driving to the dump the second time Peter Pan says (and I am not making this up), "This is sort of fun, like we are on a date!"  Are you kidding me?  The dump?  No, it isn't really sort of fun.  No, this in no way qualifies as a date!   Peter Pan needs some retraining!  In any case, our new sofa, love seat and chair arrived this afternoon and although we had to do some rearranging our living room looks great.  Now if we can just keep the dogs off of them.....

This is Not What I Planned On

So it is November and I am not having the Fall I had planned.  I was anticipating going to a lot of VMI games, home and away, watching Grafton Cross Country, and going to regionals with Belle.  None of that has happened.  Injuries have stolen it away from Belle and Moose.  So here I sit on November 18 thinking about would/could or even should have been.  It is a little bit depressing.

Moose has definitely had it the worst.  He has just finished having surgery on his preseason injury.  Peter Pan and I went to Roanoke to take care of him and bring him home for a couple days of recovery and pampering.  He tore his sub-scapularis tendon and had to have it repaired.  The doctor said it looked "shredded" but he also felt like the repair went well.  He had to go back to VMI pretty quickly and I hated to let him go.  I just wanted him home where I could take care of him and make sure he was comfortable (comfort and VMI really don't fit together.)  He has made the best of it.  While he can't do much with his arm, he is really working his legs and when I talked to him last night he was in an ice bath because his leg workout was so intense.  He is trying to actually lose some weight and has been pretty successful at that as well.   Making up class work has been harder and he had to drop a class because of the surgery.  Hopefully the rest will be okay, but we will see.

Belle finally got to run the last 2 district races of the season, but of course she wasn't really in shape.  She didn't have great times and wasn't even in her own teams top 10.  That wasn't how she wanted to finish her senior year.  And of course she had decided not to even attempt skating at regionals.  She hadn't jumped for most of the summer so she know that she wouldn't be ready.  Financially I was glad, the regionals trip is always really expensive, but it just wasn't what I planned for her last fall at home.  I am hopeful that she will have a better track season than ever this year, having not overtrained through the fall, but she is fighting bronchitis and it just isn't going away so I am hoping that indoor track won't be off to a rotten start as well.  She and I are planning a quick trip to Boston to look at some schools.  The stress of planning for next year is difficult for her.  She has a lot of options and doesn't want to make the wrong choice.   I don't think there is a "wrong" choice, but I have a lot of hind sight  (I have a lot of "hind" in general.) 

So onward we go, and I guess hope springs eternal because I am already planning for next fall when I will be juggling VMI football and whatever Belle chooses.  Life keeps moving forward, regardless of setbacks so you just travel with it.  Now if I could get my house together before the holidays I would be in business, but that is a whole different blog!

I Can Finally Talk About It

So now that it is starting to recede into the background I can start to talk about that horrible night last week.  It actually started off at the beginning of September.  First it was one loss, then another and suddenly a 9 game wild card lead was gone.  If you haven't figured it out yet I am talking about the horrible, history making slide of the Red Sox.  

I can't believe it even now.  It seemed like such a sure thing only to be gone in a gut wrenching, infuriating lack of playing.  So who is to blame for this awful mess.  The first casualty is already gone and I am sorry to see Terry Francona go.  Even if he looked more like a librarian than baseball manager I really liked his style.  He was cool. 

On paper the Sox should be at the top of the heap, but paper doesn't win games.  Heart, soul and effort win games.  So did they give up?  Who knows.  I know it was painful to watch.  I also know that somewhere there are lessons to be learned.   It isn't always about having the best players or the highest payroll.  At some point pure desire and drive play a big role.  This is a good lesson for every athlete competing in any sport.  Keep playing and trying, keep improving, victory is there for the taking.  

Okay, so maybe the victory is not always the World Series.  Maybe it is finishing the race, playing the game, completing the event.  There is victory to be had in that as well.  I may be an insane sports mom, but I actually do know the true value of sports!  Sadly the Red Sox don't seem to!

The Most Expensive Gum Ever

Last week was "Back to School" night at school.  This is a great chance to see my students and their parents and enjoy a chance to get to know them.  I had planned to work through until the PTA meeting and back to school night.  I had several things to take care of and this was a great time to do it.  I actually had a great evening and headed home tired, but satisfied.

When I got home Belle and Peter Pan wanted to order Domino's, which was fine.  Belle was just walking in the door as well, she had just gotten a haircut.  So, since it was late and we were tired we got a pizza, watched some TV and enjoyed some conversation.  About the time I finished my pizza I looked at the coffee table and noticed that 2 packs of sugar free gum I had left there were missing. 

Of course neither Belle or Peter Pan had any idea where they were, and a quick look didn't provide any clues.  Fenway quickly solved the mystery by throwing up in her crate (she is really good about going to her crate if she is sick).  I knew as soon as I walked in the room that she was the gum thief.  You could smell the peppermint.  I cleaned it up and made an annoyed comment on my facebook only to find out that Xylitol (the sugar alcohol that makes it sugar free) is incredibly dangerous to dogs. 

So, at 8:45 on a Tuesday night Fenway and I were off to the Emergency Vet.  I was there till after 11:00 and Fenway got to spend 24 hours there.  Poor baby had to have her blood sugar monitored (that seems to be a theme at our house these days) and her liver function checked as well.  She had to have an IV for at least 24 hours.   Who knew that gum could be so dangerous!!!!!

Tomorrow she goes to our family vet for one more check of her liver function.  The final total for the 2 packs of gum- $1.75 for the gum, $612 to the E vet, $150 to our for follow up, for a total of about $764.  I don't think I can afford to chew gum at that price!

I'm Back

So, I know I have been absent for the last few weeks.  There has been a LOT going on.  I will get to all of it in time but the brief version is, school started, I got sick, the kids are still busy with sports, and the dogs are causing issues. 

The main reason for my absence has been getting back into the swing of teaching Kindergarten.  I always forget how draining the start of school can be.  Plus we are making some curriculum switches this year to try and make the children more successful so I have really been working my tail off to stay caught up.  Fortunately I once again have an amazing class.  They are really cute, sweet and fantastically well behaved.  It helps a ton to have a class like that. 

On the fifth day of school I went home with what I thought was a stomach virus on steroids.  It was not a stomach virus, and my years of self neglect have taken a toll.  My blood sugar was through the roof so I have officially been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  No more self neglect.  I am embarking on eating right and exercising.  I no longer have a choice.  Fortunately Belle can drive herself to practice now so I don't need to be a taxi service which allows me more free time.  I am struggling with this new lifestyle, but I already feel much better and hope that it continues.  I will keep you all updated as I progress.  The exercise will be the hardest part for me, it has been a long time since I did anything but warm the benches, but I can't wait to see where this will take me in the next year.  Well, that, and I really already miss a couple of things like funnel cake and caramel apples.  Life goes on though.

Belle and Moose are working hard at school and sports.  Both seem to be doing well.  Moose is struggling behind several scholarship players and is frustrated at a lack of playing time, but he is working on extra conditioning to hopefully help him improve for next year.  He is studying and trying to get a job in the mess hall to earn some extra cash.  Belle is finally healthy enough to run and will hopefully break into the top ten for her school at the next race.  She is starting back on her Ice Dancing as well and has signed up to be part of US Figure Skating National Solo Dance Series next year. 

Peter Pan is still job hunting and is now looking at going back to school to maybe broaden the hiring opportunities.  It is not a great time to be looking for a job, but I know the right one is out there.

So, that is where we all are.  I have a great dog story, but it will have to wait for another blog.  I am not sure I have the energy tonight to relate  it all.  Let me just say that it was quite the learning experience and you won't want to miss it.

Hurricane Irene

I am completely bored!  We have been "locked" in the house all day waiting for the worst of Irene to hit Southeastern Virginia!  There have been some big gusts of wind, enough to knock down a lot of branches and a mystery item from our roof (that will be fun to figure out.)  It has rained most of the day, but not all day, so we have had a few breaks.  Best of all we still have power (I hope I don't curse myself with that!)

So what is my issue, well like I said I am bored.  I am tired of hurrican coverage on TV, and yet I don't really want to get anything out to occupy myself.  I am being completely lazy.

Belle says that storms give her the munchies so she has occupied herself with lots of snacks.  She did make a great pasta dinner for us.  I can tell she is bored too and also doesn't want to start anything. 

So here we sit, bored and lazy, praying the power will stay on!

End of Summer Blues (or Back to Work with Earth, Wind and Fire)

Well, the dreaded day has arrived.  I have officially returned to work and left my summer time life of leisure behind me.  Right now it is the calm before the storm, literally and figuratively, but more on that in a minute.  I am excited about being back in Kindergarten, getting to know our new principal, and making some big changes to how I teach. 

Having said that, this year is off to a really wierd start.  I am in another new classroom and it is not fitting together for me yet.  I have moved furniture in and out, moved bulletin boards and alphabet letters (mostly due to my inept measuring) and it still doesn't feel right!  That is just the least of it though.  Sunday (the day before "D-Day") it was so smoky here from a swamp fire that you really couldn't even leave the house.  It did get better, but we are still getting smoke off and on.  Monday I worked from 7:30 AM to about 7:00 PM.  Tuesday was all meetings, not normally exciting but we did have an earthquake in the middle of one.  Since I live on the East Coast it was quite the event.  I felt like my chair was on a big bowl of jello and someone was jumping on it.   It really ended quickly, but it was still bizarre.  Also Bella had another seizure right about the same time as the earthquake.  Luckily Belle and Peter Pan had to deal with that.  Now we are all watching to see what Hurricane Irene is going to do.  I am sure there is some reason why we are afflicted with a swamp fire, earthquake and hurricane all in one week, but it is rather disturbing. 

So now I am trying to speed up my classroom prep, just in case we are not able to get in there on Monday.  Today I managed to burn both my hands with the hot glue gun (this is actually an annual back to schoool event for me, just not usually both hands at once!)  It isn't serious, just annoying and painful.  I did tell Peter Pan that I certainly couldn't wash dishes with this injury!  Belle is working on a "hurricane emergency kit" that would include all the staples we need.  Peter Pan isn't really worried at all.  I just hope that this is all the wierdness for the year, but I doubt it.  I got a preliminary look at my class list today and I have more than twice as many boys than girls, looks like a really "active" year headed my way!

Random Nonsense

I often have random "stuff" floating around in my head, and most of the time it is nonsense.  It doesn't relate to anything in particular, it is just there.  I have a friend who gets rid of his random nonsense by blogging, he calls it a mind dump.  That seems like a great idea, but I really can't steal his on the mark name, so I will just call mine random nonsense.

• Which part of "don't buy anything else at ITunes" was confusing to my child?  $3.98 again today.  This child says that it is old stuff just now coming through.  Does anyone else know if ITunes holds off on billing?  I'm curious.
• What provokes our dog Satan to bark randomly?  Today she has done this several times.  I can't see any squirrels, birds, or even bugs.  She has been barking while standing in the middle of the floor, laying on the sofa, and even sitting in my lap.  As I type she is barking at a truck out on the street.
• Speaking of Satan, never tell anyone at the vet's office you call your dog Satan.  They bring out a muzzle.
• My computer is running exceedingly slow and this causes me to start randomly clicking all over the screen while I am impatiently waiting for the page to load.  This results in me ending up at entirely different web pages than I wanted to.  I guess patience is a virtue, I just am not that virtuous!
• Arby's Angus Cool Deli sandwich is amazing!  I tried one the other night and it was delicious.  I am afraid to look up the nutrition information because I am sure it is not a healthy choice, but YUM!
• As long as I am talking about food I think I may be addicted to hummus.  I can't get enough of it all the sudden.  Again, I am not really looking at the nutrition info before I eat it.  It is made of a vegetable after all, how bad can it be?
• I am EXTREMELY glad the NFL strike is over.  Of course I love football, but mostly I didn't want to hear anymore about it, and I need something to occupy Peter Pan on Sunday afternoons so I can nap!
• July is coming to an end.  That means that I need to start gearing up for school.  I will be heading in next week to start working on my classroom.  Summer is almost over.
• I will miss my vacation time, but I won't miss this heat.  It is killing me!  Especially since Peter Pan wants to keep the thermostat set at 78.  I keep turning it down to 75 (heaven help us, I might start an ice age in the house).
• It's okay soon it will be cold out and Peter Pan will insist that the heat not go above 62.  I will be cold and happy!

So I really don't think about much I guess, but it is summer break after all.  Soon enough I will have to return to the real world.  For now I will continue to bask in the last golden days of my summer vacation.

Update

"It's all good news." said the doctor.  Belle's bone scan showed that there is no recent stress fracture in her back.  She may have an old stress fracture, but the only way to tell would be a Cat scan and the doctor doesn't feel like she needs to have one since it wouldn't change how he would treat her.  Basically it is rest and physical therapy.  She can do limited activity, but no running.  She is not supposed to arch her back, so no layback spins, and jumping is pretty much out.  So, while it is good news, it still is going to limit her right now. 

Where do we go from here?  Well, I don't think we will be doing regionals this year.  Hopefully the cross country coaches will allow her on the team even though she can't run until at least the end of August.  Hopefully she will be able to come back strong, post some good times and keep getting some calls from college coaches.

I am actually hopeful that at the end of this road we will find some renewed success on the ice and on the road so to speak.  I hope that a true rest will help her skate better, run faster, and most of all feel good while she is doing it.

How is Belle taking it?  She seems upbeat right now.  She got some good news from our rink, she is going to be the recipient of both a skaters and a coaches scholarship to help her fund some training.  We are not sure exactly how she will spend them, but she will be able to take some classes, pay for some training and improve her professional skills with a seminar or 2.  That really helped her feel better during this process.  She probably won't be able to do skating camp in August, but will still be able to skate in the summer show.  Hopefully she will feel up to a couple of private lessons with the guest coaches.  And of course the fact that she got to go by herself to visit Grandmom and my sister and her family has helped her mood as well.  Today she went kayaking on the Rio Grande, hiked up a "mountain" (really more of hill in terms of New Mexico mountains) and was making her aunt and uncle a birthday dinner.  She is going to visit NMSU and UNM.  Hopefully she will skate some in Albuquerque. 

In the end, it really was pretty good news.  Not the best news, which would be a clean bill of health, but still not so bad after all.  Hopefully she will get that clean bill of health next month.

Level Playing Field

I just finished reading a disturbing article in ESPN.  It was all about the equity in sports.  It shook me a little.  I have always known that Figure Skating isn't a level playing field (or rink as the case may be.)  It is expensive and it isn't always the most talented that end up on top, but often a combination of talent and money that make the top skaters.  With lesson cost ranging from $50 to $150 an hour, ice time at $11 to $20 an hour, boots and blades upwards or $1200, well you do the math.  The skaters you see on TV probably spend $60,000 to $75,000 a year on training costs.  Obviously most people can't afford that.  What disturbed me about this article was the fact that it apparently isn't just in figure skating. 

2 sociologists studied the background of NBA players.  This was a revealing glimpse into the background of most players.  I think most people have the perception that the NBA is a ticket out of the inner-city and into a better life.  It was at one point, but that was in the late 60's and early 70's.  Now low income African American players are 33% less likely to get into the NBA and low income white players are 77% less likely to make it.    Having only one parent in the home also reduced the odds!  So according to this study the field isn't level.  There are still athletes at a disadvantage even if they have the talent and drive. 

What is the solution?  I don't know.  I do know that if you look at societies who do level the playing field they produce amazing athletes.  Think back to the Soviet Sports Machine.  They started looking at athletes in nursery school, plucking out the ones who showed the most promise and providing the training.  They dominated in many sports for many years.  Another example is China, where the government may be spending $400 million or more to support talented athletes.  Of course China is not without controversy.  There have been claims of abuse of young athletes, violations of age policies (both gymnasts and skaters have been found to have been ineligible due to age), and most recently former athletes found begging on the street.  This seems the wrong approach as well.  I have to think that my children would have been passed over by these systems and yet both have done well in sports.

I do know that I have always felt like money would have made a difference to my athletes.  We are not poor, not even close.  However, like the majority of my friends our living expenses have impacted our ability to pay for training.  So I understand the frustration of talented athletes who show promise but lack resources.  I don't have an answer, but I think this is something that needs to be reexamined.  We do want our best and brightest to have equal opportunity don't we?

Bone Scan

Today Belle had a bone scan on her spine to see if she has a stress fracture.  If you have never had a bone scan then you really don't know what you are missing.  It starts with an IV injection of radioactive dye.  Then you get to wait for 3 hours while the dye circulates.  Finally you go back and get the scan.  Belle had one previously for a stress fracture in her foot.  It took 30 minutes.  When you get one on your spine it takes a lot longer.  We were in the room for about 2 hours. 

At least CHKD (where we had it done) has video capability and Belle was entertained, but it was a long, painful process anyway.  She had to stay still in a somewhat awkward position for a really long time.  She was a trooper none the less and did manage to stay still.  We also got to go out to breakfast and then grab lunch at Doumar's, our favorite greasy burger dive.

Now it is time to wait and see.  We go back to the doctor on Thursday for results.  I know Belle wants an answer, but I want her to be okay.  No better than okay, I want her to be good!  I am praying that all works out well!

Toddlers and Tiaras and Judges (Or is Figure Skating Really a Sport)

I needed a self esteem boost last night so I watched Toddlers and Tiaras.  I always feel better about my parenting when I watch.  I have never cajloled    bribed my child to get on stage/practice/perform by feeding her cheetos and "dance candy" (sugar cubes).  I haven't spray tanned her, plucked her eyebrows, or any of the other crazy things I see on that show.  Last night's episode was particulary interesting in that none of the 3 featured girls won any of the big prizes.  It really was sad for the little girls.  I felt bad for them, and of the 3, only 1 mom said she was done with pageants.  She figured it out, any time your child is judged they can come up short.

It set me to thinking of the old argument Peter Pan and I have over figure skating.  He (like many people  men) refuses to see figure skating as a sport because of the judges.  His argument is simple, there is no accounting for personal preference and judges are inherently biased.  Football, basketball, baseball, track, swimming, golf and many other sports have definable parameters for winning.  You score more, run faster, hit the ball harder (i.e. home runs) etc.   To his eye there is no definite parameter for winning a skating competition.  And of course over the years he has sometimes been proven right.  Before you vilify Peter Pan for this opinion let me make it clear that he acknowledges the athleticism of figure skaters, in fact he can see that they are often amazing athletes.  He just feels like the entire "sport" is more of an art than athletic event.

Sure IJS is supposed to prevent that by providing a scoring structure (elements are worth a certain value and then judged on performance).  It has helped, but judges are still people and they have personal preferences.  Does a skater have a Russian coach and thus a more Russian style of jumping?  I have seen (and heard) judges take off points or criticize that.  I have looked at Belle's protocols at a competition and seen judges line up by geographic areas (northern vs. southern).  I have observed poor skating by a normally strong skater rated higher than fair skating by a new or unknown skater.  The judges are still people with personal preferences after all.  To be fair, I have never met a judge who was intent on doing wrong.  They are volunteers who take their judging jobs very seriously.  And who is to say that personal preference is a bad thing.

My argument back to Peter Pan has always been that there is a certain amount of judgement in any sport.  Umpires and referees make questionable, even bad calls.  In fact many of their calls are JUDGEMENTS of a particular set of events.  It can and does impact games!  He holds firm that there are still more definite ways of seeing a score (touchdowns, baskets, etc.) and thus it is not all judgement and we are back to  figure skating is not a sport!

I always thought that as Belle progressed Peter Pan would change his opinion and realize it is a sport.  Nope, he did see how dedicated figure skaters are, but if anything he more than ever remains critical of the judged aspects.   He has seen Belle passed over, underscored, and hurt by the whole thing.  Of course, this doesn't always happen, she has certainly had her successes, but I agree, it is hard to tell whether it was the actual skating or maybe just preference.  I am not talking about times when she got exactly what she earned but those times when we were surprised by the low scores or placement.

At the end of the day, I think that sometimes I have been like those moms on Toddlers and Tiaras.  No I haven't bribed my 3 year old with sugar ( I do see a lot of junk food in those hotel rooms at pageants!)  But I have allowed my child to put it out there and be judged.  I have criticized when I thought the judges were wrong (of course they were wrong, my child was definitely the best one!!)  Belle says she hates it when I start "getting all conspiracy theory"!  I of course don't see rationally about my own child, most parents don't.  I am trying to grow up, but I really do have a blind spot about my own kids! 

And for the record, I can sometimes see that figure skating is more an art than a sport, but I love it all the same!

Dog Days

Dog Days- (from the Latin diēs caniculārēs ) refer to the hottest, most sultry days of summer.  It is sort of appropriate at our house right now.  It is definitely hot and sultry outside, but inside we are still dealing with dog days.  Yep, since Belle and Moose are both gone, I have resigned myself to dealing with the dogs.  Interestingly they are keeping me fairly busy right now.

First of all you have to know our dogs.  Fenway is the sweetest, most loving Fox Red Lab.  Technically she is a yellow lab, but her actual color is much closer to a golden retriever.  She has both yellow and chocolate labs in her family tree.  She follows me everywhere, in fact sometimes I just walk from room to room in circles while she follows me.  Sadly Peter Pan and I get great entertainment out of that- this is what our lives have come to.  She also thinks she is little (probably because she grew up with a dachshund sister) and will try to sit in my lap if I sit down.  She is a good, good dog although we have not really trained her so much so she has a few bad habits (like jumping up on people and she won't stay!).

Bella (or Satan) is a whole different element.  She is a half wire haired, half smooth haired miniature dachshund.  Peter Pan and Moose say she is ugly cute, and she is a little different looking.  Belle and I sort of got conned when we bought her I think.  In any case we love her.  Unlike labs, dachsies are much more dominating.  I call it "Napoleon Syndrome" but Bella can be extremely aggressive with other dogs.  She is also very protective and territorial and like all dachshunds believes that everything she surveys is hers!  She also has an annoyingly high pierced bark, which we hear most of the day.  The worst thing is that her house training is just sort of guideline and if no one responds to her need to go out quickly, she goes wherever she pleases.  Again, I blame us because we haven't really spent enough time or energy training her.

Since Peter Pan and I are both home right now we have been trying to walk them regularly.  This is always and adventure.  You never know what they will do, find, or get into.  I usually take the little one, and Peter Pan takes Fenway.  They each have their own walking issues.  Fenway is just desperate to see, smell, and explore EVERYTHING!  She has to wear a harness to cut down on the pulling and still Peter Pan has had a sore shoulder since we started.  Bella wants to bark at everything and attack any dog, bike or jogger who comes near.  So much for pleasant walks.

Both the dogs have had health issues for the last few months.  They have both had seizures, puncture wounds, and now Fenway has an ear infection.  I hate when something is wrong with them.  They can't tell you what is happening.  They are so helpless.  Most of all, I am a poor judge of when something is really serious or just a nuisance that will pass.  Fortunately my sister is a vet, she doesn't live near us, but I can text or call anytime for advice.  When she visited she took care of some strange wound on Bella and helped me clean Fenway's ears, plus she cut both of their nails.  It was awesome!

So, since I have no kids at home, no sports to obsess over, and no work right now, I am officially a crazy dog lady.  They are so sweet and cute, how could I not be!

Are You Ready for Some Football?!

Yes, Yes, Yes!  I am ready for football season!  This summer seems to be dragging on forever waiting for football to actually begin.  I am not talking about practice.  I want to go to a game at VMI.   I am ready to tailgate, see the Corps of Cadets enter the stadium, hear the cannon roar when the team takes the field or scores, watch the rats do pushups after each score, and hear the team sing the VMI Doxology.  There is nothing quite like the pageantry and excitement of a VMI home game!  52 days and counting!

VMI glee club singing the Doxology, Shenandoah, and Fight Song:

http://www.vmi.edu/show.aspx?tid=36565&id=15943

And a little music to get pumped up:

http://youtu.be/rcdJCAKMPuU

Build a Bridge and Get Over It!

I have a tendency to hold on to old hurts and recycle them at random times.  This is not a good thing!  It really does nothing productive, and it hurts everyone around me and mostly me!  It is damaging to relationships because I can't see past my hurt/frustration to deal with what is at hand.  I pull random hurt out add bad times and throw it back into the middle of life (i.e. arguments) and justify current behavior with it.

But it isn't justified.  Bad behavior is bad behavior, and yes I sometimes behave badly (I am an insane sports mom after all!)  So where does this leave me? 

I know what I need to do, build a bridge and get over it!  It is just that so often something will remind me of perceived wrong doing by another and I will get riled up once again.  I am still angry and bewildered by the behavior of a football coach in 2003.  Now really what relevance does this have anymore?  Moose is successful at what he does.  He doesn't care!  Why do I?  Now to be honest I don't think of this very often, but sometimes I will be reminded of what that coach did and I just get furious all over again!  In the end this only hurts me!  I bet money that coach doesn't even remember me, although he does remember Moose, Peter Pan ran into him this Spring and he knew Moose was at VMI! 

Of course that is just 1 example.  I do it with other situations as well.  Upon reflection I tend to hold on the longest when it involves Belle or Moose.  So I guess part of it is just the pain any mother feels when her child hurts!  Still, they are tired of me doing it.  My refusal to let go means that they have to also keep reliving whatever the situation was that hurt them.  Both of them have told me to stop.  I really hate it when my kids are smarter than me!

So my goal is to actually build that bridge, go to the top of it, throw all this crap over the edge, and get over it!!!  Wish me luck, this will be hard.

Anxiety

It has been a relatively peaceful week and I am anticipating another peaceful week to come.  Moose did well on his first test (at least he thinks he did, but since he said the questions on the test were the same as the practice test he took right before I trust him!)  He had a great week at football conditioning and is really enjoying having more of the team back for this summer session.  Belle is doing pretty well and was in a good mood for the week.  She is packing up to go to church camp tomorrow and is very excited about that.  So it will just be Peter Pan and I next week.  Talk about quiet and calm!   Why then do I have this huge sense of anxiety?

I think it is because it will be just Peter Pan and I and we will actually have to find something non kid related to occupy our time!  No one will complain about the food or the TV show.  We won't know what to do with ourselves.

Oh and I will have ZERO control over what my children are actually doing!  I hate that!  So I am praying that I will actually be peaceful and enjoy my week, that God will protect my children (from car crashes, mean people and themselves) and that they come home safely at the end of the week!

I Miss Going to the Rink

So now that Belle has her license she doesn't want me at the rink anymore.  This initially seemed like a golden opportunity, I could actually sleep past 4:00 AM.  We are in our 3rd week of this new life and I don't think I love it so much.  I really miss all my morning ice friends!  I miss watching her practice.  I even miss the free coffee from the ice rink!

It just made me think that often when you think something will be really good it turns out not to be so good after all.  There are so many times in my life when I wish for something to be done, or to change.  Maybe I should appreciate what I have! 

There are a lot of things that I miss if I really think about it.  I miss rec league football and cheerleading.  Sure it took up all of August-November, but we had a blast as an entire family.  I miss gymnastics- both Belle and Moose did it for a while although not together, Moose stopped when he was 4 (I thought it would make him more coordinated, I'm not sure it did.)  It was low key and fun to watch and they really enjoyed it, even if we did catch chicken pox there.  I miss dance and the recitals we attended.  I miss little league baseball. I miss rec league basketball.  I really miss that it was low key and fun!

If you really put it all together I think I miss my kids being little!  They needed Peter Pan and I in such a different way than they do now.  Of course I am proud of their achievments and success and how they are growing into amazing adults.  It just all happened so darn fast.  

I'm Done With Nicknames

Okay, I can't actually keep it all straight in my aging brain.  I keep mixing up real names and nicknames in my blog so I think I should just do away with the nicknames all together. 

What do you think?

Fourth of July

When I was growing up my Dad wasn't a really big into holidays.  Don't get me wrong, we did something for all the holidays but Dad really only loved a couple.  As a veteran he loved Memorial Day and Veteran's Day, and he loved July 4th.  He was a true patriot in every sense of the word.  July 4th meant a small family cookout, maybe homemade ice cream (if we were really lucky), sparklers and snakes (does anyone else remember those), and watching the Boston Pops and fireworks on TV.  We didn't really go anywhere to watch fireworks.  It didn't matter.  It was a really fun and laid back day. 

My husband grew up in Boston.  He actually went to the Esplanade, or somewhere to watch live fireworks.  So he always wanted to take the kids somewhere and do that on July 4th.  For many years we went down to the Coast Guard base and watched the fireworks show from the pier.  Then we would go back to his office and watch movies in one of the classrooms until the traffic died down.  As the kids got older they ran in the annual 5K every July 4th.  We would watch the parade (which is sort of cool since the Revolutionary War ended here in Yorktown). 

So now I am left with 2 traditions.  Which do I choose this year?  Home!  Hands down.  I loved taking the kids to see the fireworks, but it was always hot, sticky, and a very late evening.  They both have plans to go somewhere away from us tomorrow night.  I am perfectly happy to find fireworks on TV and watch them from the air conditioned comfort of my living room.  This (and the box of Revlon #50 waiting upstairs for me) is how I know I am getting old!  I don't care at all, I will love my little cookout that Peter Pan and I have here at home with all our favorite foods.  No one will say "Ewww, I don't like the rice casserole!" or "Why can't we have hot dogs instead of steak tips".  We can have all the great food to ourselves and even have left overs! 

Will I miss Moose and Belle?  Of course I will, but this is the way it is supposed to be.  I raised them to be independent and self sufficient and confindent.  I understand why my Mom was okay with us going out and doing something else.  There is a peace to having a semi-empty nest.  I am not sure what I will do when they are gone for good, but I will find something to occupy myself.  Life goes on!

Commonwealth Games and Family Visit

Well, we all made it through the weekend.  Between the test session, the competition and preparing for my sister to visit I felt as if a truck had run over me. I know the other board members did as well.  Having said that it was a fantastic competition and we got a lot of positive feedback.  The judges we had were wonderful and they seemed to be very fair to me.  Belle skated 3 tests and 2 events at the competition.  The testing wasn't great, although she did pass her bronze dance test.  Her moves and freeskate will have to be retested, hopefully at our session in August (there is more there, but I will save it for another post).  She did win her Junior Ladies short program which was a surprise to both of us, but a happy one and I think she deserved it!  She didn't do as well on her free, and she got 2nd of 2. 

So all in all the Commonwealth Games were a success! 

My next summer event was my sister coming for a visit.  We had an amazing time with her and my 2 nephews.  We didn't get to see them long but even a little visit was fun.  We also went up to VMI to see Moose.  I was so glad they got to see his school and mostly get a little time with him.  We went out to breakfast with him.  He has decided he is a coffee drinker.  He ordered a coffee and then proceeded to add 5 creams and 5 sugars.  I commented on his choice of adding coffee to his cream and sugar and suggested he drink soda if he really wanted caffeine.  He informed me (while he was scarfing down bacon, grits, and biscuits and gravy) that soda is unhealthy. 

"Soda isn't good for your cardiovascular system" he said.

"I think your coffee has surpassed the soda risk with all that cream in there."  I answered not mentioning the baconalia on his plate.

"No, coffee is better."  Whatever, he is at least starting to think about what he eats.

We also got to take my sister and nephews to see the stadium and the parade ground and they went shopping in the bookstore.  I think they had fun, I know Moose did.  At the end of our morning together Moose had to go to class and we had to go meet my brother in law to drop off his family.  I told Moose he should move his car, but he assured me it would be fine where it was (okay Moose, we will see).  I got some great pictures and we headed out.

Off we headed towards Charlottesville.  About 10 minutes north of VMI on I-81 we hit a huge traffic jam.  It was totally stopped.  It turns out they were blasting up ahead (I am not sure what they were blowing up?) and the highway was closed.  Off went the car, down went the windows.  We had been sitting there for about 10 or 15 minutes when I noticed a foul odor.  I looked around and realized we were stopped next to a dead deer.  It was disgusting!  I tried to get the car forward but we were as close to the car in front of us as we could be.  Up went the windows, on went the car.  I smelled rotting deer for the rest of the afternoon! 

We finally met my brother in law, and said goodbye.  Belle and I made our way home and she promptly left the house.  It was really quiet.  You would think I would be excited, but no it was sort of depressing.  I had to watch Toddlers and Tiaras to regain some sense of happiness.  I always feel like a better mother when I watch that show!

Oh, and Moose called, he got a parking ticket!  I could have told him......

Summer Time and the Living's Easy

Well, I am officially done with another school year.  I didn't think I would get everything done, but all my records are updated, my room is packed, moved and put away, and I have turned in my keys.  It was a long haul the last few weeks, but now I am ...  EXHAUSTED!

I did get my room moved, but everything is just shoved into cabinets so in August I will have to start back early to get it all organized and put away.  I still have a ton of stuff in the garage that needs to go back so that will also need to get done. 

No worries, now I can focus on the next two big events:  the TFSC test session and Commonwealth Games competition, and my sister and her family coming for a short (much too short) visit.  I have a lot to do for both events, so that will necessitate some work. My plan is to clean this house first then I will do prep for the big skating event. 

Then it is easy street....

Spider! Aaaaaah!

I just overheard the following conversation.

Belle said, "There is a spider in the bathroom!"

Peter Pan said, "I'll take care of it," as he picked up the broom (it was apparently up high.)

Belle said, "Don't use the broom, I have to touch that to sweep in a minute!"

Peter Pan (somewhat incredulously) said, "Okay, I will use something else!"

Really, are there spider gut germs that travel up the broom?  Will they be spread about the house?  Why can't Peter Pan kill the spider with the broom?  I know, spider ghosts!  If you kill the spider with the broom the ghost will attach to the broom and haunt the user!  We will need Jennifer Love Hewitt to help the spider ghost cross over to the big web in the sky!  By the way, and this is really unrelated, does anyone else think that the ghost's popping up out of the ground in the opening credites of Ghost Whisperer look like a wierd, haunted Whack-A-Mole game?

Now, I will admit that I do not love bugs or spiders.  They creep me out!  Crickets are the worst, they jump at you and scare the snot out of you.  Spiders are so unpredictable, they move so fast and get into little corners where you can't get to them.  I am going to have nightmares about camel spiders (I found this picture while looking for a spider picture)  ewwwwww!  And yes, from what I could research they are real.  They are found in the Middle East (thankfully, and yet another justification for hazardous duty pay!)

Bugs in the classroom are a major nuisance!  The entire class gets wound up.  Some love them, some hate them, but they are all screaming for one reason or another!  Once when I was teaching Kindergarten there was a bee in the classroom  I had to evacuate the class, literally.  They were all screaming and running around.  I sent a note to the office to tell them I needed help getting the bee out and they couldn't understand why I didn't just handle it!  Well, between the screaming children and the insane bee I sort of lost it. 

By the way, can you tell where my children (yes, Moose hates bugs too, especially spiders!) get their bug phobia?  You got it!  They inherited it from me!  So, while I can laugh at Belle and Peter Pan I am laughing from the safety of another room!