Goodbye 2010

Wow! This has been an incredible year! I have been blessed with the birth of my grandson, Robby. He is just the greatest blessing of our lives. Robby is so sweet and loving. Kelsey has become such a good mother. He is so very happy.
My 365 only made it to about 183 or so. In 2011, I hope to make it closer to 200 or 300. Maybe I should go for 52 - one picture a week. I also plan on continuing my journalling with prompts from Your Life Spelled Out.
Happy New Year All!

Left Cali

We've been in California for Christmas. It has been great seeing all our extended family. We are all getting older.
We left Tuesday evening because there was a snow front going through out route home. We kept driving until we were too tired to drive anymore. Unfortunately, the front passed us and we had to drive through the snow storm. Once we got to El Paso, we drove through a dust storm. We had tumble weeds rolling across I-10 and hitting us. Also got hit by a dead bird who hit one of the big rigs in front of us. Tried to walk the dog but she wanted no part of the wind.
Daisy dog did have a great time visiting the family. My sil has two rescued dachshunds, one who is also named Daisy. The two daisies became great friends. They loved to play chase. My Daisy is about twice the size of the other Daisy.
The drive home was really horrible because of the weather. I think it rained more than 50% of our time in Cali. Robby had a great time with his cousins. The girls enjoyed him. Actually, Maddie & Cami enjoyed him. Brie ignored him for the most part. She did teach him to cruise the furniture and while he isn't as stable as she is, he keeps on trying. He turned nine months on Christmas Day.
Your Life Spelled Out starts again on January 1st. There is a facebook and blogger page for the journal prompts. It is an awesome resource for journalling. I also joined Ali Edwards' course on Big Picture Classes 'One Little Word.' I think my word will be wisdom. I need to gain wisdom to help understand my adult children. Their choices confuse me at times but I need to gain the wisdom to let go. They are adults and I have to let go more. I have always over mothered everyone as it is.
My spring conference for Grace is coming together. I have four months to go and I have 2 speakers confirmed. Need at least one to two more professional women. Ideally, they will have gone to Jay. I will probably lead the dream boards section. The girls really enjoy the dream boards.
I hope that I can unkink my back after the long car trip. My back is really hurting from the ride. I am going to try a new doctor for my back this spring. I am looking into decompression of my disks. I have an extreme fear of surgery, so I am hoping that this will be a good alternative. It was recommended by a friend who got great results from it.
I forgot to take my contacts out before they dried out and thought for awhile I wasn't going to be able to get them out. Wearing my glasses for the last part of the trip. I wanted to try the dailies but they only go up to -7. My prescription is a -9. My vision is so bad that they don't have a laser big enough for me. I have to get the surgery that implants a lens into the eye. It costs about $7,000 an eye, so I will remain blind as a bat for awhile.

Christmas Firsts

Merry Christmas! We are also celebrating Robby's first word on his ninth month day. He called Gerry "BopBop". He was up at 1 this morning and has been a bit cranky ever since. We have a Wii bowling game and a chickenfoot game going on. Later we are going over to Bryan & Jeni's for dinner.

What an adventure

Today, I woke up to a small crisis. But really not sure if I actually woke. I didn't get much sleep. Last night, the boy had problems sleeping. So about 3am, he came and slept on the floor in our room. He kept hearing a ticking sound and a blue glowing light. Seems, Uncle Jim has a small robot that glows blue at night. He is taller than me now but he still is just a kid. Yesterday he had so much fun playing with his cousins. The girls just adore him. Just like Robby does. Seems that Tim's charm works on all small children.
After the boy woke us up, I was kept up by the dog. My dog was scratching again. I think she may be getting other food than the hypo-allergic (Sp?) stuff I paid $40 for. Or it could be the stress of hanging out with two other dogs. They are very close dogs and my Daisy thinks she is human. So, she prefers her humans to the other dogs.

12/21/2010

Today is the first day of Winter. In my family, all of my relatives have the unfortunate habit of passing away on holidays. I know they really don't have any control over the event but I am starting to run out of holidays without sad memories attached.
Today is the date that I lost my mom. 12/21/2001. It has been 9 years today and the pain is still there. I know that she is now out of pain and is happier than she was on Earth. But I miss her. In the 9 years she has been gone so much has changed.

Poor Puppy!

My poor puppy is now having food allergies. She is very itchy and has bald spots. Gerry is appalled at the cost of her food. She wasn't very thrilled with it at first but she did eat some of it. Now she is scouring the floor looking for scraps. She is also taking steroids. So, her portly size may get even bigger. She is 27lbs. The doc also suggested that we get her stairs to get on the bed.

So excited!

One little word is going to be explored in a class at Big Picture! I am so very excited. This year was my first year of focusing on one word to encourage me for the year. My word was COMPLETE. It has been a great word for me this year. I have already chosen my word for 2011. My Aunt Becky inspired me. She said we should pray for wisdom and that resonated with me so deeply that I knew it would be my word for next year. I really think wisdom is something that would help me.
On a more serious note, I started new hormones today. I am the first female in 5 generations of my maternal line to go through menopause, so I don't know much about how it will go. I'm in perimenopause which can last up to ten years. I am going with hormone therapy for now because of my age. I'm am very young to start this stage. I have been going through this for a year but I haven't talked about it because I don't want to believe I am old. I don't feel old.
So wisdom is excepting the bad and the good.

Call for Donations & Speakers

Some of you know that I teach at a very inner city school. We are a title one school which means that over 40% of our students receive free lunch. I work with a group of ladies who have started a club for young ladies called Grace. It stands for girls reaching for academics, confidence and excellence. We have a conference each spring. This year, our theme is "College We Can; College We Will."
For centerpieces, I would love to use those souvenir megaphones that you can get at college bookstores. They are about 7 to 8 inches tall. They have the college name and or mascot on them. If you would like to donate a megaphone to my club I would really appreciate it. Just send me a message on my blog or facebook if you could donate one from a college in your area. We have a drawing for the girls to get to keep the centerpieces and I know they will be so thrilled with the megaphones. I plan on picking up some during my Christmas break.
Also if you know of a professional woman who would be interested in speaking to my girls and are in the San Antonio area please let me know. I have one speaker who has committed already. I am so excited to have a former Jay HS graduate and the first female police captain in San Antonio as a speaker. I also tentatively have an Ob/Gyn who hopes to be able to speak. Her schedule is sometimes quite erratic. Babies have their own schedule.
Working with these young ladies is incredibly rewarding and I get so attached to my girls. I sometimes feel like I have about 50 little sisters/daughters that I get to see 5 days a week.
Many of these girls come from families who have never even considered college as an option and my mission is to inspire them to believe they can attend college.
Also pray for my conference to be successful and for me to have wisdom in the coming months.
Last year, I had such trouble of deciding on my word for the year and it seems one word is staring me right in the face. Wisdom will be my word for 2011!

Black Friday

I made Gerry go with me to Target and Kohls today. We didn't get up early, but it was still pretty crazy. Target was the most organized. We got what we wanted and got out in about 10 minutes. But I should have known that was too good to be true. We went to Kohls and the lines were terrible. We did save over $100 and got $10 in Kohls cash but we were in line for 45 minutes - Gerry timed it. I think they really need to work on the wait time.
We set up the Christmas tree today. I want it up for Robby. We got the nativity set up and the stockings hung. The girls then decided to clean the closet under the stairs. We found several things we had misplaced and quite a few things to donate to Goodwill. The family room is still a bit of a mess but I hope they aren't done yet.
Enjoy the beginning of the holiday season!!

Sixteen years together

Wow, Gerry and I have been together for 16 years tomorrow. Many people thought we wouldn't last.
A good friend of mine just shared with me that she is getting married in the spring. I am so excited for her - she deserves a great guy finally!
I love my family.
I am planning on putting up the Christmas tree on Friday. I really want Robby to have a great first Christmas. He is such an awesome addition to our family.
Gerry is going fishing on Friday. It is time to start filling the freezer with crappie. The kids love the fish. We broil it with lemon pepper and butter.
Holly is doing well at UIW but she really misses home cooking. We made my Aunt Bettye Jo's Potato Soup for dinner tonight. We usually don't have any leftovers on soup night.
Kelsey and Holly have their schedules for the spring. Kelsey is only taking 7 hours but they are very tough. She is taking Chemistry and Ant. & Phsy. Both science courses are very tough and she will have to take the second halves next semester. She has about 12 hours after spring semester before she applies to nursing school.
We got Kelsey's eyes checked & she is happy to have new contacts. Tim got his temporary crown today. I think he may have TMJ like his mom. After getting his mouth worked on he is having trouble opening his mouth. He does grind his teeth like I do.
Journal your Christmas starts on Dec 1st and I can't wait!

One more day...

If you know me, you know that teachers are often more excited about the holidays that students. And that is so the case this week. Every year there is that one class that drives you nuts. Or something has changed in your environment. Or you are just getting older.
I don't know the reason this year but I am very ready for the holiday break. I really love my students, but I need a break from the grind. Maybe I am feeling this way because I have been so sick lately. I don't know. I really want to get out of this funk I am in.
Today is the Culinary Class's luncheon. I am finally broke down and bought a ticket. Two of my students are in the class and they are really excited that I will be there. One is quite the accomplished chef and I see him going to the Culinary Institute. If he can get the scholarships. But I play to help him with applying for those next year!
I am trying to get back in the cooking mode, and last night I made a simple mac and cheese recipe. Tonight will probably be spaggetti, but I just use Prego. I tried for a while to make my own sauce but I really didn't think it was any good. My mother would have added sugar to my recipe, but I hope to be a bit healthier than that. And my family would probably prefer hot sauce anyway. I did find a shrimp and beer dip recipe on HEB.com. Its secret ingredient is Shiner Bock Beer.
Please keep Kelsey in your prayers today, she is very sick with a cold. She is having a really rough time with it and the timing. She had a test last night that she got her teacher to email her and a presentation on Tuesday night. Next semester she is taking Chemistry and Anatomy & Phys. She has about 20 hrs to go before she transfers to the Health Science Center.
Holly has also registered for the Spring Semester. She changed her major from pre-Med to English. She wants to teach English at the college level. That is going to be a hard one.
Did I mention that I am a provisional editor over at Rebel Tales? Rebel Tales is a new Ezine with fresh fiction - including paranormal, sci fi, fantasy and suspense. I am really excited to be working with these exciting authors and editors. We are hoping for a March/April release. If you write - check them out. Holly Lisle is the publisher and I am sure you have read one of her books. They are really good.
Last night I finished book 5 of the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. Wow, what a great book. I fear that it may be the last book of the series, it really ended well. But maybe there are a couple of strings not tied up. I can only hope for another one.
I am not going to make my goal for reading 144 books this year. I think I will be about 20 or so short. I have read 115 as of today. But, hey, maybe next year.
The jury is still out on the haircut. I can't seem to get it to look like Laura made it look. It has flippy ends that are just going crazy.

Weekend....

One week until Thanksgiving Break. I am really looking forward to a week off. I have an appointment for me booked on Monday and Kelsey on Tuesday. I went on Thursday to the eye doctor and got a new contact prescription. We had to switch eye doctors because of the new insurance and I had been delaying. We tried an eye doctor on DeZavala for Holly and I hated them. They didn't respect my time, and lost my business. Which in a house of 5 who all wear glasses - could be a pretty penny! The new doctor was able to see me early and apologize for a 15 minute wait. Bandera Vision was where I went. And I am booking all the family members....
Brie should be allowed home today. What a trooper! She is such a sweet little baby. Maddie, Cami and Grandma Gail are sewing cases for cheer today in Elk Grove.
We are going to California for Christmas. The downside is that with Gerry's parents getting older this could be our last Christmas with them. We have been blessed with many years with them and the kids just adore them. I wish my mother was still around. I miss her a lot at Christmas because that is when we lost her. 12/21/2001.
I am getting my December Daily/Journal your Christmas album together. I really enjoy Shimelle Laine's daily prompts for Christmas. It would be so easy for me to let my missing my mother over take my Christmas Spirit. I think that even though we are going to California, we still need to get the tree set up for Robby. I want him to enjoy the season. I am also pushing my self to complete my Christmas Cards this year. I haven't sent many cards out for the last 4 years.

Brie's surgery is done

And she made it through and is in ICU. They are giving her medication for the pain. From what I understand from the surgery, the real test of the surgery will be after the swelling goes down. The spinal cord was trapped in tissue at the base of the spine. If there was damage from the trapped area the damage may heal because she is so young. Hopefully, the damage is slight and she won't remember all of this when she is older.
I went and had my vision checked for new contacts. Same prescription as the one last August. So my vision has stabilized again after the dip the previous April. The blood sugar was ruled out as the reason. The MRI cleared any brain disfunction. So we have no clue as to why my vision got so bad. My hormones are dropping again. I hate getting old!

Gratitude Journal and eating right

I am working on two things right now.
Today is my second day of eating better at lunch. Yesterday, I had a frozen steamer dinner and today was a soup and sandwich frozen combo. Both were under 400 calories. If only I can continue the experiment. I have a bad habit of eating fast food for lunch!
The second experiment is encouraging my students to think about the holiday and what they are grateful for. We have had two days so far.
Cases for Cheer will be posting a video on Utube on how to make their pillowcases. I will finally be able to sew some cases for them! Cases for Cheer is a non-profit started by my great niece, Maddie. She makes pillow cases for people going through chemo to cheer them up! She started the charity when she was 10!

Praying for health for all

I have had a bout with bronchitis which lasted for about two weeks. Today I had Robby for the morning and then we went to Outback for dinner. It was a nice evening with Gerry, Kelsey, Tim &Robby. I am coughing a lot tonight but it should calm down after I rest a bit.
Next week, my niece will be having spinal surgery on 11/11. The little bit is barely a year and weighs less than 20 lbs.
Gerry's ear is taking a long time to heal. It was a huge cut.
Another friend's step-daughter had brain surgery and we are praying for her recovery.

Another scrapbook class...

I am taking another of Shimelle's scrapbooking classes. I just love her on-line classes. Today's prompt (2nd day) is about numbers and letters.  I am still composing my ABCs but I jotted down some numbers that I am looking at right now:
250 - tissues with aloe that I am blowing my nose with
158 - my weight today
105 - how many books I have read this year
77 - students I have in my classes
37 - pages left in my book to read
10 - the size that is getting a bit tight!
6 - peanut butter cracker to tide me until 6th lunch!
3 - children
1 - grandchild who gave me the sniffles
1 - awesome husband who I adore!

Almost Friday

This week has felt like a week and a half. Monday started out with a training which really wasn't designed for high school teachers. It was research- based but somewhat flawed due to the fact it was based on Bloom's Taxonmy which isn't research based. I know that I think too much. ::sigh::
I am looking forward to watching the boy play football tomorrow. His school is playing my school. My loyalty is divided a bit.
I taught some adjectives for the short time I had my kids in class. We decorated some cards and described ourselves. We are going to display them in those clear over the door shoe organizer. My kids just live art projects that I sneak grammar in.
It is supposed to be the coldest evening of the season with a low of 47. My quilt top is half done. Maybe I will finish it before it gets to cold.

10-10-10

What did you do on 10-10-10?
We bought a new mattress set. We had thought we were going to get a king size but then decided not to spend that much. We would have to get new bed linens and quilts. I am still going to need a few new linens but not too many.
I watched a bit of Tony Danza as an English teacher. I know I am much better than he is as an English teacher in a rough school. He really would cry in my class. Heck, sometimes I cry because of my 8th. Just sayin....
My goal is to finish my quilt before November. I am going to attempt the circle quilt with reproduction 1930's flour sack prints. I already have one quilt made of the retro prints but puppy chewed a bit of a hole in it.
Speaking of puppy: Daisy had a good report from the vet. She is a tad heavier than the doc would like but ok. She isn't as heavy as my in-laws Annie though! That poor dog weighs more than Daisy and Daisy is about 2 inches taller and 3 inches longer. No tarter on her teeth! The one thing I am excited about is the new 6 month heart worm shot. Much more convient than the monthly pill. I always forget it.
Gerry took me out to Salslito's for dinner. I had the Steak Ranchero with borraco (sp?) beans and rice. And a huge margarita. Gerry was my designated driver and I stopped at one!
I got my bedside table cleaned today. Now only 12 pieces of furniture left before my room is ready for the new bed. I have to go through a lot of clothes. I have to give up the dream of being a size 8. It just isn't happening! Size 10 isn't so bad!!
Have a beautiful week!!

September 30

I can't believe September is already over. Robby is six months old which is also unbelievable to me. Another milestone is that we have finished the six weeks grading period.

Finally bought it

Becky Higgins Project life is on sale for $10 off and I finally broke down and bought it. Even though I dropped the ball on my 365 project. But I can start up again, right? Tomorrow Robby will be six months old! Woowhooo!!!

Tim has such a deep soul

Just had a sweet talk with my son. He is very upset about a friend of his who killed herself. Her name was Amanda and she was a freshman at another school. (the school he was supposed to go to but instead got a transfer to his Dad's high school.) He was thinking of his friend, Jesse, who was closer to the girl. Tim is only 15 & this is his third friend to die in two years. Last summer, he lost his best friend Micah. Then, his friend Kira passed away from cancer. She was such a doll and she just adored Tim. She was so in love with him.
He said Amanda had issues but he still didn't think she should have hurt herself. He thinks she might have been abused. It is so sad what kids have to face these days. Please say a prayer for the girl's soul and for peace for Tim's heart.

Just a note about a new community for writers and readers!!!

Please check out this new writing community!!
Quote from Holly Lisle:
"So no matter whether you're a prospective editor, a writer hoping to place stories at Rebel Tales, or a reader looking for something wonderful to read, please take a moment and invite any passionate readers you know to come to:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=NEURE&m=1ZGgzJxwgG.TgP&b=6foTQjVA6quzi0MjqOvP5A
I haven't created an open community since Forward Motion---but there's no charge to join Rebel Tales. We want a lively, passionate group of fiction lovers discussing everything from what makes a book great to why there are so few worthwhile stories finding readers...
or is it that what's currently being published is the best there is?"



Ideas matter. Words matter. Rebels cherish both.

Revisiting Toxic Relationships

Today's prompt at Your Life Spelled Out is revisiting Toxic Relationships. And it comes at a good time, because my toxic relationship person is trying to revisit me! My problem is that the toxic person won't leave us alone. She is trying to sneak back into my life through other family members. She tries to tell anyone that will listen that I am just being mean. I am ungrateful and horrid.
I can't have this woman in my life. She damages my relationships with my children, she damages my self-esteem, and she never has a nice word to say about any one! She even critized my grandson - a 3 month old baby!! (Her great-grandson.) She doesn't critize her child. Even though he is supposedly homeschooling his 10 year old son. I say supposedly because the poor child is being taught by his mother who has a sixth grade education who will just throw a worksheet at him occasionly. This poor boy is told that "he isn't funny; he is just strange" so many times that he repeats it to others! They are having their 3rd child. I must say that finally the man has a job but it isn't going to last. The man has had easily 5 jobs in 5 years and major stints of unemployment because he thinks he is smarter than the rest of the world. Oh, and he told my daughter that her newborn son had jaundice because he was fed too much sweet potatoes. Duh? Newborn jaundice is cause by an immature liver, moron!

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What's your style?

Your life spelled out has another great prompt today. What is your style? So, I started thinking about what my style is. I am not sure what it would be classified. I am not a diva, country or tomboy. What would you say my style is?
The big thing in my life is casual. And comfortable. Also right now, many of my clothes are loose fitting. It seems that I have finally stepped off of the plateau of size 10. Everything is hanging off of me. I think this fall I will need to buy some new khakis in size 8. woowhoo! I wear mostly khakis because they are easy to wear and comfortable. I don't wear a great deal of skirt because they are a bit difficult in my school setting. lol, you never know when you will need to get on the floor or climb on something. My students can be quite a handful.
At home my clothing choices are made with the idea of comfort. Most of my clothes are yoga pants and tops in purples and blues. For shoes -- sandals and flipflops. Casual footwear is a must for me.

Loving Summer Break

I am loving summer break, but we are already planning for Christmas Break. We are planning to go back to California again for Christmas because Gerry's mom is in declining health. It is hard for Gerry to be so far away but he says that their relationship is better than it was when he lived in Elk Grove. We have thought of moving to CA but the economy would make it impossible. The cost of living is so much higher than it is here in San Antonio. Teaching in CA is also less stable than here in TX. We have been teaching for 13 years (Gerry) and 10 years (me) in our school district which means that we don't have to worry about layoffs or cutbacks. We are in the middle of the salary scale and have contributed to retirement for 13 years in Texas. Texas has its own retirement state fund for teachers, and we are not sure how it would transfer financially to CA. We would probably loose a lot. We both have about 15 years or so before we are eligible to retire. If I retire at the first opportunity, I would only be 55. I doubt that I will retire before 60 just because I like being active. Summer is enough lazying around for me.
Yesterday's prompt on Your Life Spelled Out was about the effect of technology in your life. I know that I really adore my iPhone. I am fond of saying "there's an app for that". I have really started enjoying reading books on my phone. I am going to get an ereader this summer. I am trying to decide between the kindle or the nook. I have played with a nook so it is in the front right now. I would really like to try out a kindle. Target is selling them in Florida now and is expected to have them in all of their stores soon. There is also rumors that there is a Kindle 3 in the works and a Nook Lite. But the big thing going on now is an offer for a $50 gift card with purchase of a nook. If I do that, I have to get my nook before the end of the month. ::sigh:: So many decisions!
We picked up a swing for Robby at a yard sale yesterday and he is loving it. His momma loves it too. Kelsey has been tied to him for a bit and she likes being able to do things without holding the baby all the time. We also got an exersaucer for when he is a bit older. He is a bit young for it now.
Lola has been having some stomach problems. I am worried about the pooch. I may take her to the vet. She is eating something she shouldn't but I don't have a clue where she is getting it. Daisy is chewing her nails again. That dog is so neurotic! Gerry went fishing today with a friend and she had a cow when the unknown person was in the house. She had met Patrick before but she was not thrilled with him in the house in the middle of the night. She is a good watch dog, no one could ever sneak into the house with that dog! My 2 labs really could care less until the person attempted to get their food.

Oh FUN, not!

I spent four hours in the dentist's chair. We finished up my root canal and cut down my two teeth for the crown mounts. I have TMJ and it was very painful. They use bite blocks to hold open my jaw, but my muscles started cramping anyway. We had to take a few breaks. Now, I am trying to recover with some pain meds. My gums are also inflamed with all their poking. During the whole thing, I kept thinking that my tattoo was less painful. I had novicaine but it really wasn't very effective.
Enough complaining. I am going to relax for a bit. I am a little down because of some stuff going on but I don't know enough about it. I know just enough to be upset. I have tried to get a toxic person out of my life but she keeps worming her way back in. I wish that I could move very far away. I so tired of the drama. Why does she think she can hurt people and never be accountable for it? She lies, she betrays and she pits people against each other. Just for her amusement. I just have to protect myself and I will.
I think the pain is depressing my moods or maybe it is just everything from the weekend. Sigh. Maybe I will do some scrapbooking or reading to cheer myself up.

Big Week

This was an incredible week.

On Monday, Jay HS Class of 2010 graduated. The blue gowns are graduating from Jay while white gowns are graduating from the Science Academy at Jay.

On Thursday, O'Connor HS Class of 2010 graduated. Holly was number 17 in her graduating class.

On Saturday, Gerry, Tim and I headed to Lake Amistad in Del Rio. Tim caught 3 fish and Gerry caught a limit.

This week, we have  Football Power Camp with workouts 4 days a week until the middle of July. Tomorrow, I have my more crown work on my teeth. yeah, fun! ;)

Toxic Relationships - Just say NO!!

The prompt from Your Life Spelled Out. today is on Toxic Relationships. My husband and I  were in a toxic relationship with my first mother-in-law and finally had to tell her that we would not have a relationship. Her actions were causing terrible problems with our relationship with my daughters. My husband and I finally stopped the damage by breaking off the relationship. We, as my daughter has explained, divorced from our relationship with my daughters' grandmother. And this divorce has made me so much happier in my life. I am so much happier that everyone has complimented me on the changes in me. I have always been a happy person but now I am truely happy. I have lost weight, my complexion looks better. All of this is due to letting go of the baggage. It isn't healthy for a person to be in a toxic relationship; it really hurts your health.
It is very hard when there is someone trying to influence your children with ideas that don't agree with your personal values. It is very hard when they talk about you negatively to your children about you. I have been torn apart by words by a person that really doesn't have the same values that I have and I want my children to have.
I value education. Education is the only way for anyone to succeed in this world. My husband and I both have a master's degree and my husband is working on his second master's degree. I believe all of my children should go to college to be successful.
I value independence. A woman should not rely on a man for support. They may not always be there. A woman needs to be able to take care of herself first. When she can do that; she is better prepared for taking care of her family and her children.
I value postitive relationships. If a man is negative and demeaning to you; he doesn't really love you. Women have so much negativity focused at them - they don't need any extra. A man who supports you and encourages you is the type of man that you should marry. Men who don't like women should not be allowed in your life. They will try to tear you down because they are too insecure to be happy with and for you.

My last day of school

Today is the offical last day of school for me. I have to finish cleaning my classroom and packing up for the year. I have boxes packed and pushed in the corner. My desks need to be packed up and I need to commit to what I can part with (throw away! lol).
I got some good and bad news yesterday. I don't get to be in CMC/CR next year. :(  I have 6 classes of LC English next year. I really enjoyed having a light teaching load. The good thing is that I am teaching all of the LC English and I don't have to lose my students. I will be teaching all of them next year. My classes are getting much smaller because we are pushing all of the students into regular English, which is going to fail. Some of my students can't read well enough to survive in a regular English class. My students read at a 4th/5th grade level. They can't cope in a regular English class and they will get lost. I can just hope for my babies to survive long enough for the pendulum to swing back. Because it will, it always does.  Nothing in education is really new, it just gets introduced with new titles.
Well, I better go to the meeting and get my last signatures on my clearance sheet. Then I will be cleaning the rest of the day.
Have a wonderful day!!

My one little word for 2010 is complete

I had a really hard time figuring out my word for the year, but I finally settled on COMPLETE. Mainly because I am so bad at follow through and getting it done! I need to work on completing things in my life.
I blame it on my ADHD. I am very distractible, I just can't help it. I get started on something and get half way through. When I put it down, I forget about it for a while. And it never gets finished.
Today I am completing something today. Today is the last day of school. I have been at Jay for a full year! Woo-Whoo! I love this school and my students. I have some great students that I just adore. My year has been awesome and I am so glad to be here.

My Personal Dictionary

Justice – the bad are punished and the good rewarded.


Love - the immense feeling of warmth and happiness when you see your child feeding her child

Faith – the belief that there is something more than just you

Hope – believing that you can handle all that life throws at you because it will get better

Temperance – tolerance and patience for those who drive me nuts

Character – the ability to do what is right

Charity – helping out those who need a little help

Virtues – believing there are things that you can do, should do and better not do.

Sad Thoughts

I just wish I could change things.
Homeschooling for some is a great endeavor. I have friends who home school so well that their children earned scholarships to the university. But there are some people who do nothing. People who are mean and tell their child they are just annoying. I am seriously considering calling Child Protective Services. But what can I say?

Baby Book Upload 1

Here is a photo of my first layout for Robby's Baby Book. I have a ton of photos but tried not to overwhelm the pages with them. I cropped the photos to 4 inch squares and then arranged them in a square. The retangles are great accents.

Terrible cough

I woke up several times last night coughing. I felt horrible. I am going to rest today and hopefully get better. If I don't feel better, I need to go to the MedClinic tomorrow. I just need to rest.
I love my grandson but I think he gave me this cold!! lol. :)

The Journey

Life is a walk. Each day we take steps. Our tomorrow is determined by the steps we take today. -Stormie Omartian


I know that my walk has been very convoluted. I started out on the road to college, and then found a detour in marrying my first husband Bobby. It was a wild ride there! In four years, I became mother of two and widow at 24. I got back on the college trail and became a teacher. The four years in college were interesting too. Not only did I find a second husband and another child, but a career that I really love. Now, as I look back on that walk, I see a lot of fun and happiness mixed in with the sadness. Gerry is an incredible husband, and I so blessed to have him in my life. He is the best husband in the world. He is awesome with the kids. He has a great relationship with all three of our children. He is so helpful with Robby.
Robby had his first round of shots yesterday. They made him very cranky. He had a rough night. His little legs just ached, I am sure. The doctor suggested that we start juice to help him with his constipation. We are going to introduce apple juice first. He will love it, I am sure. He loves to taste things other than his formula. He loves the taste of the Tylenol and gas drops. He just smacked his lips with the oral vaccine yesterday. The nurse hadn’t seen a baby enjoy it so much. He made us all laugh. He is in the 49% for his height and weight. He weighs 11lbs 6 oz. He has made all the milestones for a three month old, so I guess we are doing something right. He has great head control and a lot of upper body strength. I think he will be turning over early with the way he throws himself around. When holding him you really have to hold on tight. He will try to move if he doesn’t like the position. Lol, that boy has a mind of his own already.
Another boy who has a mind of his own is Tim. We are getting the paperwork all ready for Tim to play football next year. Yes, we are going to let him play football even though he broke his arm last year playing football. I am still hoping that he will switch to golf team, but I don’t think he will. We have to shave his head as soon as school ends. It is the only way that the football helmet will fit. Right now, he looks like a shaggy dog. I don’t think arguing with him about his hair is very important. In a few years he will bald and there won’t be any hair to worry about. So, I tend to let him grow it however he wants. It won’t be there long….
Holly’s graduation is June 10th at the Alamodome at 4:00 pm. We offered to save seats for Holly’s boyfriend’s parents. We will be there early because we are helping line the kids up. I really love seeing all the students I have taught dressed in their cap and gown. I feel like I have helped them on an important journey. Just got to love it!

Wow, only 5 days of school left....

Some of you have taken Big Picture Scrapbooking classes; so I thought I would let you know about 2 of the self-paced classes that I am considering taking. One was mentioned in Stacy Julian’s blog. Stacey is giving a $5 off coupon and that makes the course only $5. The class is Saving Your Sanity. I think I am going to look at it more seriously. The other class is only $5 and it is called Help with Heartache.


Most people know that I lost my first husband when I was 24. My mother passed away eight years later with my grandmother passing away 2 years after that. I don’t let the losses rule my life and I have worked hard on dealing with it but I always think that it is good to continue to work on it. That is why I follow Susan’s blog “Your Life Spelled Out” which has great prompts to help you work on your life. I think it is important to work on your personal mindset. I think it helps me.

On a more exciting note for me, I found a new pair of sandals that I want. They are very similar to ones that I had a few years ago. The old ones were “Mootsie Tootsies” and I just loved them. The new ones are at Dress Barn and just flats, not a very supportive foot bed. But they have little flowers decorating the thong part of the sandal. They also have a very pretty 1930’s style dress that I want. I need a dress to wear for graduation and I haven’t gotten a new dress for graduation in several years. Gerry needs a new suit too. I don’t know if he will get it now or not. We saw some suit separates at Kohl’s earlier this week and he agreed he needed a new suit. He wears his suit to Prom, Graduation and any funerals we have to attend. This year has been full of funerals. We have had our former principal die, two former students committed suicide, and one former student and one current student were killed in car crashes. That has all been since January 28th. I am looking forward to a relaxing and revitalizing summer. I want good things! I want peace! I want life!

With only five days left in the school year, I am happy with the year. It was a very good year on the whole. I have decided that I am happy with my classes and my students and their successes. I have done well with my change to Jay. I really enjoy my school.

Questions from My Life Spelled Out

1. If you had a free day that you could do whatever you wanted, what would that day look like? I would probably spend time with my grandson and my dog. I would also scrapbook with my stash. I love creating. I think I might do some digital scrapbooking too.


2. If you could go anywhere in the world for a week vacation, where would that be and why? If it was my husband’s ideal vacation it would be to a lake, maybe Amistad. I would like to go to a resort. Somewhere I could relax and not do anything for awhile but bask in the sun and read a book.

3. What is your favorite piece of clothing that you own? My favorite clothes would probably my yoga pants and tanks. They are nice and comfortable.

4. What is your favorite room in your house or apartment? Why? My bedroom probably is my favorite. It is a sanctuary.

5. Do you have a hobby? If yes, what is it? I love to read, creative writing and scrapbooking.

6. Is there something that you would like to learn to do or learn to do better? I would love to learn to use more advanced photo shop techniques.

7. What do you believe about God and how does that reflect in your life? I believe in God but I don’t believe much in religion right now. We are looking for a church home again. I hope that we can find one that we can enjoy and agree with.

Great Note from a Student

One of my sweet students wrote me a thank you note and gave it to me today. I just get a chuckle out of it. My favorite quotes are:

thank you for teaching us and never stopping

thank you for smiling all the time and never stopping

I really enjoy these kids!

Tim's Birthday Weekend

It was Tim's Birthday Weekend. He turned 15 on the 15th. Yesterday, he went to the Barnes and Noble for a book signing by Rick Riordan. He has a signed copy of The Red Pyramid. Today, we had a water balloon fight, wiffle ball game, and Wii Bowling to go along with his dinner choices and Birthday Cake. Holly's BF, Robert, was invited. Next weekend we get to meet his parents. I had his older brother in class a few years ago and brother swears I was his favorite teacher. I usually am, I get to be the fun one. When I was out in the portables we could get away with raising all kinds of heck. lol.

We are all watching the Survivor finale up in our bedroom. I am going for Sandra even though she has already won once. lol, the fun place to be. Then we get to switch over to the Celebrity Apprentice finale over on NBC. I am rooting for Sharon Osborne on that show.

Only 13 days of school to go. 2 weeks of full days followed by 3 half-days. I am going to miss these kids, this year has been a blast. I think this is the best year I have had in 12 years of teaching. I have some great kids. I adore them!!

New Paper Journal

May 12, 2010
I had to create a new journal because I have misplaced my other journal. I am so upset that I can’t find it. So, anyway, it is a work in progress. The new journal is decorated with papers from the Fashionista line. I love the retro look to the papers.
I started my 34th book last night. I just started Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris. It is a Sookie Stackhouse novel. I am also looking forward to the third season of True Blood that starts in June. It is a series on HBO based on the books. It and Eureka are my favorite summer series. My goal is to read 144 books this year. I am not on track to make it. Though, I do read more in the summer than during the school year.
The baby had a rough day yesterday. He was very cranky and we just couldn’t get him happy. Gerry and I were very tired and went to bed at 9 pm. It is hard helping with the baby and working full time. We were just exhausted. Gerry also hit his head with a low hanging branch. His head was killing him last night.
I am about to earn my next level on Virgin Healthmiles. I am going to use them to buy a book reader. Borders just came out with one that is only $159. But it isn’t wifi capable. I think I am going with the Nook. I like the touch screen on it, the lending of the book and downloading free books while at the book store. That way I can sample books while I am there. I don’t like that I will need a light for reading at night, but it won’t be worse than a book. Gerry says that I turn the pages too loud and wake him up. But I feel my books are still quieter than his snoring. But I am just saying.
The journal prompt on Your Life Spelled Out was about leaving a legacy. I faced this early in life with my first husband’s death when I was 24. I knew that he loved me and that he died doing something he loved. He died saving two of his soldiers’ lives. I have talked with them in the years since and they have made the most of their lives. I am also very verbal with telling my family that I love them. When my mother died in 2001, it was very sudden. But I know that she knew that I loved her very much.

18 days until school is out

The school year is winding down quickly. There are only 18 days left of school not counting weekends. I am going to miss these kids; they are very sweet. I will really miss my juniors. They go to another teacher for senior English. I have decided to shake things up for next year and to have my unit on Goals in August. I am getting a smart board for my classroom and these clickers which will record student responses. I have a training on Thursday to learn how to use the software. I am looking forward to it. My goal is to adapt my goals unit to use the smart board.
Next Wednesday we are having our much delayed Grace Conference. I have been nominated as the MC of the event. I am very excited that we are going to be creating Dream Boards (aka Vision Boards or Treasure Maps) with the girls in the afternoon. I have been going through my magazines and getting pictures out for them. I have catagories such as: Transportation, Pets, Houses, Family, Colleges, and my personal favorite Pretty Pictures and Phrases. lol. It takes a lot of time to go through magazines and to give the girls the most time to play with creation of their boards. I love working with the girls on visualizing their future.
We went to Build-A-Bear on Saturday and built Robby's first bear. We made the "Champ Bear." They also had an autograph graduation dog that we bought for Holly. She loves to have autographs of her friends. Band banquet was Saturday. Holly and Robert went together. They also went to Prom in April. They are a cute couple. Another sign that this is a small town, Robert's older brother, Billy, was in my class. He was a sweet boy and of course claims that I was his favorite teacher. I swear I didn't pay him for that. ;) Holly is hosting a Graduation Party for a few of her friends. The theme is Star Wars and she is going to make snacks from her Star Wars Cookbook and watch the Star Wars Movies.
Kelsey has completed her college semester. We don't get to register for fall until the middle of June. Holly is going to be going to her orientation in June and they auto-enroll the freshman. She completes a form and they will register her for her classes. She will most likely live on campus. Today we have Tim's IEP meeting for transistion to high school. He will be going to O'Connor with Gerry. I have a half day sub today. Gerry is going to try to get someone to watch his last class so that he can attend also.

Another funeral and a graduation

Going to another funeral tonight. This is the third of the year. I just hope this is the last for awhile. I find myself getting so sad right now. Funerals are difficult for me. It brings up lots of baggage that I usually have well controlled.
I really hate it when it is a young kid with everything before him. He was supposed to graduate next month with my daughter. He was an inexperienced driver who was on a very challenging road. He was just unlucky.
It makes me worry more about my girls and boy. I know we are very protective of the kids, probably more so than most. But I worry.
Holly is going to live on campus next year. I think it will be good for her. I am surprised that we can swing it, but with her grades we are going to be able to. She is going to a private Catholic school here in San Antonio. It is Incarnate World University. The dean of the Honor College would like her to be in the Honor's program. She is getting emails of recruitment. She wants to double major in Biology and Nursing. She was going Pre-Med until the health care bill. She may go on and become a nurse practioner eventually but she wants to be a nurse for awhile. My Great Aunt Frances would be proud that she is going to be a nurse. My aunt became a nurse during the Great Depression and for our small town in Kentucky that was quite an accomplishment. My aunt was my hero for most of my life, though I always knew my brother was her favorite. Lee was the fair haired boy. My son Tim reminds me of my little brother. Lee could do create anything, and so can Tim. Tim is very creative and inquiring.
Robby is growing strong. He is hitting the milestones quickly. He is almost 9 pounds. (though I think he is really closer to 10 by now). Kelsey has almost finished her semester. I think she has one more paper. We have to figure out what to take in the fall.
Say a prayer for Holly for the next couple of weeks. She starts her AP tests tomorrow. She is taking 5. He ISM project is also due soon. We need a few prayers for that too.
Have a beautiful week my friends!

Kindle vs Nook

I love reading books on my iPhone and now I hope to get a ebook reader this summer. I have to figure out if I want a Kindle or a Nook. Kindle has way more free books, it is lighter. Nook has a colored menu with the bookcovers. Kindle has a key board, while Nook is touch screen. Kindle has more updates and it is the 3rd version. Nook just came out in November and still has bugs in it. Anyone have any suggestions or recomendations?

A boring day in the neighborhood...

Today, my group of kiddos are not testing. So, I have to entertain them for the day. I have movies and games that I brought from home. This is crazy just shutting down the school for the whole week. Tomorrow is Science and Friday is Social Studies. I am going to make it through... I hope....

Robby is growing big. He gained 2 pounds in his first month. I am very excited that he is doing so well. He grew 1 1/4 inch. He also got his 2nd hep B shot. Next month he gets 5 shots. Poor baby!!!

25 days left of school, not including weekends and holidays.... I can't wait for summer!!!

Documenting your Life

I found a new kit for documenting my life. I am looking at We are Memory Keepers Document your life. I really like this kit. I like it better than the Becky Higgins kit on Amazon and it is seriously cheaper. The amazon kit is $50 and the Memory Keepers is only $17.

Baby's First Bath - sorta

His little cord still hasn't fallen off so we had to give Robby G a sponge bath. Seems Grandpa was falling down on the job during a diaper change. Have you seen that Huggies comercial? Yeah, well, Robby didn't have the distance but he peed all over himself, the changing table and those of us who were trying to help Grandpa. lol. Gerry kinda gave up on it.... ;)

The Vintage Pearl: it's friday! { a giveaway! }

The Vintage Pearl: it's friday! { a giveaway! }
I follow this wonderful blog by the owner/designer of the Vintage Pearl. She creates wonderful custom charms. I just love it. Well, today's giveaway contest is to talk about the mothers in your life.
I am always conflicted about Mother's Day. It always reminds me that my mother is gone. She passed away on December 21, 2001. I miss her every day. There is so much that I wish I could say to her and I wish she could experience. My relationship with my mother was very complicated. She suffered from Bipolar disorder and serious back pain. She wasn't diagnosised until her late 30s and that is when she really had difficulties. I will always remember when she tried to overdose and I had to drive her to the emergancy room because my dad thought she was over reacting. She tried to kill herself over 20 times from when I was 16 to 26. Then she was severely injured in one of many car accidents and the pain pills took over. When my mother was depressed it was like a black cloud hung over her. She couldn't be interested in anything. When she was manic, it was all fun and games until she wrecked a car. One car accident was so spectacular that it made the evening news and I could tell it was her by her shoes. She split her Mustang in half with a fire hydrant. The water gushing into the air really did look good on camera. But for all the drama, she was my mother, I loved her and I miss her.
This year is exciting for me because it will be my daughter's first Mother's Day. This journey for her has been very difficult. First, the father denied that the baby was his. He hasn't supported this child at all. Then the morning sickness began and she was sick for 5 months. And then, she developed toxemia and the baby had to be induced. That was scary! Now we have an adorable grandson and I just hope everything can calm down. I would like to make this a good Mother's Day for her. I am thinking a charm from Vintage Pearl might help..... ;)

Friday at last

The work week is getting longer it seems as it gets closer to summer break. I enjoy spending all my spare time with my new grandson. I can't wait until this summer when we can spend all our time together!

We think Robby is having a bout with colic. Gerry picked up some mlyicon (sp?) drops to help with gas. Robby is really hard to burp, so we are hoping that this will help.

Holly bought her ticket to band banquet. Prom is also coming up at the end of this month.

What is the color of your soul?

Marcus Aurelius said, "The sould becomes dyed with the color of it's thoughts."

My thoughts are bright colors. Because they are usually happy, busy and energetic. My sould should be yellow or orange which are both happy colors.

Rambling....

Boy, this is rough. Having a newborn in the house is much harder than I remember. But then I am 20 years older than I was the first time and I am trying to work full-time and help my daughter care for him. He was really cranky yesterday, so I took him early so she could get a rest. Usually, we take him from 8pm to 2am so Momma can get a good 6 hours of sleep. We want to prevent any possibility of her getting postpartum depression. We have been very worried about that because she doesn’t really have anyone to share this with but us.
This morning was really a great lesson with my first period. My first period is my most challenging class. They are very disruptive and quite a handful. But today was a really good day. I complimented them on their behavior.
We are having a prom dress exchange here at Jay. I brought two dresses but then decided one would be perfect for one of my girls in eighth period, so I just gave it straight to her. She will look stunning in it. I still have a navy blue tea length dress to contribute. It is a great way to help out the kids.
I haven’t been able to keep up with my blog or my journal well this month; I hope to have more responses this month than last. I did really well in January. I am doing well with my 365 project.
Tonight for dinner it is Salsa Chicken, Black Beans and Honey Cornbread.

Baby is 5 days old

My grandson Robby G is 5 days old today. Last night we had a good sleep. I still feel groggy though. This week Gerry and I are alternating days off. I took of Monday and Wednesday and Gerry is off on Tuesday and Thursday. Friday is a school holiday, so we are all off on Friday for Good Friday. Kandra, Kelsey's best friend, will arrive on Friday and stay for 2 weeks. Thursday the baby is going for an appointment and Momma goes on Friday.

Baby is here!

My grandson made his appearance on March 25 at 10:24. Kelsey had start to develop toxemia so the doctor sent us from her office to the hospital. She was induced starting Wednesday evening. She surprised everyone by progressing quickly. The doctor didn't expect little Robby to be here until today. She is still in labor and delivery until her blood pressure drops. The cure for toxemia is having the baby but somtimes it gets worse before it gets better. She is getting magnessium in her IV to prevent seizures. Right now she has me, the mean gramma, keeping her resting and not playing with baby. We have to get the blood pressure down!!! Resting she is still looking at 166 over 90. Please says some prayers for her, I am scared.
He is a blessing. We are so thrilled to have him in our lives. Though I keep getting all the poopy diapers to change.

Week In My Life

April 19 - 25 is Ali Edwards' Week In My Life. It is a week that you document your life and how it is different. I am not sure if I am going to do a separate album for it since I am also doing Becky Higgin's Project Life. I wasn't able to order her Project Life kit on Amazon. It is currently unavailable but it being printed. I did order some of the divided 12 x 12 album pages and just use an American Crafts Album. I have several at home. This way I can use papers that I like a little more than her kit papers.
Spring Break is next week. Yeah!
We have blood tests this week and she had a test for Hep B. At the appointment on Wednesday (which I didn't get to go to because of jury duty) the doctor was surprised at how much the baby had dropped. She was checked and her cervix is softening and effacing. She is barely starting to dilate. I would like Robby to make his appearance over Spring Break... ;)

Dream Board 2

Dream Board 2
Originally uploaded by cluelessapple

This is the second version. I covered up the palm tree and add a baby. lol. This represents things are important to me.

Dream Board

Dream Board
Originally uploaded by cluelessapple

My students and I have been working on Dream Boards. We started last Thursday and have them almost done. I keep changing mine but hear is a photo of my first draft.

Jury Duty

Jury duty is one of the tasks of a responsible citzen. We all need to do it. But it is so boring. I am down at the courthouse today doing my civic duty. I have a sub for my classes. I bet they miss me! Tomorrow when I get back, I have to spend half the day in training. That is going to be more boring than this.
Next week is Spring Break. Holly is getting her wisdom teeth removed. Kelsey will start weekly doctor appointments next week also. She is 35 weeks now. Soon we will have a new baby in our house. I need to make some emergancy sub plans for the exciting event. We should have our workbooks by then and I won't need to make the countless copies. I have loved the new books and now having consumable workbooks is going to be great. The next story is about Magic Johnson, how cool is that?

Sad news

I heard so disturbing news yesterday and I am still trying to process it. Gerry heard that one of his former students had killed himself. Gerry had him in class for 2 years, in Pre-Ap Chemistry and AP Chemistry 2. Adam was the same age as Kelsey. They went to high school and middle school together and even played soccer against each other when they were 4. I just can’t understand what could be so horrible that a young man would kill himself. He was so smart! He was very happy go lucky. I just can’t imagine someone that young making such horrible choice. One friend of mine said that her son saw a movie with him on Friday and thought everything was normal and fine. This must have been something well thought out, right? I am at a loss on how to work through this in my brain. My daughter is pregnant and unmarried but she at least felt the support enough to come to us, tell us and let us help her. Was there no one that he could talk with? Was the pressure too much? What are we doing to our children if this is happening? Gerry and I have both lost students before in car accidents and such, but never has one taken his own life. How despondent does one become before the decision is made?

365 Project

Wow, another month of keeping up with my photo a day. I haven't been as good with my journal and I need to get back into that. Hopefully I can get myself to remember to journal. lol. But at least I am taking my photos! One out of two isn't bad.

I really want

I would really love the Becky Higgin's project life binder at Amazon.com. It is so cool to put my 365 project in. I would just love to own it. But it is $50 though, and hard for me to justify it. lol. There is a digital version also available at Becky Higgin's web site..... :) Check it out!!

OMGosh! I have 3 pages of Apps on my iPhone

Let me just say that the iPhone is the best thing to happen to phones. I just love my phone. Some people probably think it is wrong to be this attached to a phone, but it can do so much.
I have a google reader app so that I can read all the blogs I follow without having to be attached to my computer. I thought google reader was cool on the computer because it puts all the blogs in the same place. But the app on my phone is easier for me to comment on the blogs. The only problem is if someone has their blog print in white, I can't really read it. You know white on white just doesn't work. Journal revolution just has to be shared with others also. Check that one out. I have their book with the forward from Rosie O'Donnell. Great book, btw!
I have facebook of course. I can't be too far from my peeps. Some of the things y'all say!
I have Bejewelled 2 which is the most addictive game ever! I play it so much that I can't play with a mouse anymore.
I also have TMZ app. Gotta know what star has been arrested or is in rehab.
I also have Blogwriter which will update your blog from your phone. I can type really fast with the touch screen. It works for all blog providers.
I just started playing words with friends free (user name winter 41 if you want to play) which is basically a scrabble game. I am not very good at this and everyone gets tired of beating me by 100 to 200 points, but it is fun.
The only thing I do want to do is get a kindle. I love kindle for iPhone but the screen is so small and I read too fast. Gerry is going to help me with getting the kindle. He is giving me his first $100 in gift cards from our Virgin Health Miles. That is another thing I love, my pedometer, but that is for another post.

Manic Monday

Today has been a crazy day. I am ready to go home and sleep it off. I graded papers from when I was sick. Exciting grading, I discovered that almost all of my students think the sun rising in the west is a certainity. I can only grade for so long before getting really depressed.

Sunday & I feel good

Thanks to the Zpack I am feeling much better. I am going to print some work for the kids tomorrow, so that I can hit the copier as soon as I get to work. We have the ELA taks on March 3. Just a few more days for them to practice.
Kelsey got her grades for her midterms. Her grades are much better now. She has a focus now. She did stress her self out too much. I hope we can get her to relax a bit. We have a doctor appointment on Wednesday.

New google reader app

I got a google reader app for my phone. Now I can read all my blogs on the go. I love it. It is much easier to comment.
Feeling much better now. The zpack worked well. My voice is back to normal.

Friday Five

1. Fishing tourney on Saturday for Gerry.
2. Baby Shower Invites almost completed. Just need to add the elephants.
3. Zpacks always mess up my stomach. Enough said.
4. Major math homework this week for Tim. End of the six weeks is next Friday!
5. Grateful for my I phone. This thing rocks!

How white trash is this?

The problem person who is always stirring the pot is trying to do it again. Yes, believe it. The funniest part though is that my girls are now seeing through it. And making fun of it. Seems she called today to share "great news" about her perfect son. Seems his wife is pregnant which is interesting cause she had an IUD. So this is her third child. She doesn't work. Father lost his job many months ago. Mother has a sixth grade education and is homeschooling the children. Boy is 10 and can't read. Or do math. Or act normal. Sounds to me like they are going to be living in the living room of his parent's house, again. Well, my ex mil may hate me but I have a job and a home.
But of course she wasn't just calling to share the good news but try to cause trouble. She starts telling Kels how her parents are trying to run her life and to stand up to us. Kels just told us about it and we all made fun of her and her whole white trash family. She also is the one who wants to take Kels in her ninth month to a concert. Also she suggested they go camping while in the ninth month. Or the great advice that anything that we say is wrong and evil. She is about to be totally knocked out of our lives by her own behavior. But then again, she isn't the brightest. She was at one time owned by a member of a gang and has been married as much as Liz Talor (but her exes aren't as high class). Sorry to be so negative but I just have to vent.

Why do people expect you to sit still in inservices?

The irony is that this is a workshop about differentating instruction and using movement. And I have been sitting for three hours so far. Of course, when I noticed spelling mistakes in his PowerPoint I was totally turned off.
My iPhone is all that is keeping me sane. I have no idea how I'm survive this.
This afternoon we are going to work on our list of credit retrieval students.
We have been watching the Olympics this weekend. Apollo Ono was great this weekend in the short track. I love watching the games. Olsen is on the bobsled team. Many people know he is from San Antonio, but he also went to O'Connor HS. He was a tight end on the football team. And of course Gerry knew him. We will definately be watching bobsled this year.
The kids are home enjoying the day off. Tim is enjoying having my friend's kids over. Holly is babysitting the boys.
Kelsey is getting really big, bless her heart. She is starting her 32nd week. We are getting her hospital bags ready. We have child birth classes on the 27th. The time is getting closer.
We are going to have a baby in the house again soon. I am nervous about the addition but we are going to make it. We will get Kelsey through college. It is going to be hard but she will get through
Holly is excited about next weekend. It is an overnight at IWU with the honor's program. She is pretty much decided on Incarnate Word for college. She is planning on majoring in biology with the idea of going to med school.
Tim starts high school next year. We are transferring him to O'Connor to be with Gerry. Gerry is also teaching Tim to play golf. Tim is really enjoying learning the game.

Baby Shower Plans

We went and looked at the hospitality room at our aunt's church last night. It will be perfect for the baby shower. I am punching out little elephants to put on the invitations. I am going to print them out today and decorate this weekend. Hopefully, I can deliver many of them Monday and mail the others on Tuesday.
In other areas, I have mucho paperwork to work on today, so I won't be up to much but work. My students are researching an Olympic event today and they completed a great web quest earlier this week (courtesy of my buddy Mike M).
Looking forward to a weekend and Monday with no kids. Wish it was a holiday rather than a work day.

Monday Musings

Spent the weekend at a memorial service and funeral. It was sad and moving. Adam Carrillo, an alumuni of O'Connor, played the saxophone at the funeral. While in high school, he was the number 1 sax player in Texas. After 3 years at the university, he is even better than before. In a few years, he will be giving Kenny G a run for his money. It was so soothing to listen to his music. The churches were spectacluar settings. Mr. Martin had two beautiful send offs.

I am starting a book of Why. It is a downloadable class at Big Picture Scrapbooking. It is a book to remind you why you do things and value things. I have the categories of mom, teach, write, wife, create, and learn. It is making me think. I am working more on the journalling right now than the layouts.

Weekend Plans

I have a busy weekend planned. I am going to be going nonstop.

Tonight we have the visitation for Larry. It is going to be over about 8 or 8:30. We are going to go out to dinner afterward with some of our friends who are also going to be there. Tomorrow we have the funeral. I need to get more tissues.

My laundry is piling up so that is a priority. Cleaning the bathroom is another priority. I want to finish the 8x8 album that is sitting on my bedside table. I have a second kit that I can't decide if I want to make it an 8x8 album or 6 12x12 pages. I need to get some adhesive for my project completions. I might stop at the new Scrapbook Heaven on my way home for just a second.

Sunday doesn't have anything planned except catching up on chores. So, it will be a rest before back to work. Gerry's birthday is on the 9th. He will be 47.

Saddness

I have had a tough time writing this week. Last night we went to the library dedication for my former principal, Larry Martin. He recently lost his battle with thyroid cancer. His visitation is Friday evening and funeral is Saturday. He was a great man and wonderful leader.

Another sad thing is the news. Tuesday night the news was full of a woman who had stabbed and killed her two boys (ages 3 & 1). This senseless loss of life is so distressing for me. I just can't understand it.

The situation in Hati is not improving. People still do not have food and shelter.

The weather hasn't helped. It has been cold and rainy for the last week.

The only good thing has been Girl Scout cookies. I adore thin mints. There goes my diet....

January Photo A Day

February is here already

I am very proud that I have kept up with my journal and photo a day project. I am really excited for my upcoming events. We are going to our childbirth classes on the 27th. We are planning the shower for March 13th.
I woke up very cranky today and I think it would be good for me to go back to bed.

Added an App for Blogging

I am trying a new app for my blogging. I think it will help me keep up with it. I wish 365 project had an I phone app. Right now, I also use shuttercal for my photo a day project.
Last night my former principal, Larry Martin passed away. He had cancer. He fought a good fight. He was a wonderful and caring man. My children all adored him. On Wednesday, the O'Connor HS library will be named for him.
Yesterday we had a baby scare. Little Robbie was not moving as much as he had been. We had a rush to the doctor to make sure everything was ok. The baby is fine. We really appricate our doctor. She has an old fashioned practice of just her and a nurse but she really makes Kelsey feel comfortable. Sunday will start week 30.
This weekend I hope to finalize the details for the shower. I think we will just have it at our house. Maybe make it like an open house where there is a window for people to come and go. I have a list of about 30 people to invite and so does Kelsey. Maybe we should have two showers? I don't know.

Making my Bucket List

Today's prompt is to make a bucket list or 100 things to do before I kick the bucket. I only have 4 so far. Any suggestions?

1. Write a novel.
2. Grow my hair out.
3. Weign 135 lbs and stay that way.
4. Create the best homemade pasta sauce. (it is good, but needs to be great!)

10 Chapters of my Life

If my life was a book with 10 chapters, the chapters would be:

1. The Early Years
2. The Teenangst Years
3. The Bobby Years
4. After the Rockslide
5. College Years with Small Children
6. Teaching - A Job to Love
7. Grad School with Teenagers
8. Jay Time
9. Grandmotherhood

My Achievements so far....

Today's prompt on Your Life Spelled Out is about your achievements. I know that I have achieved a great deal, but there are still things I want to do. My achievements so far are:

• Gave birth to three wonderful children and raised them to be caring, loving individuals
• Found and married my best friend Gerry
• Raised my girls after my first husband died and held myself together as I healed
• Finished my bachelors degree after losing my first husband
• Graduated with my masters degree in Autism

And the list is still growing!!! :)

My word

My word for 2010 is complete. I need to be more complete. I need to complete more projects. I need:
complete -
1. having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full:
2. finished; ended; concluded: a complete orbit.
3. having all the required or customary characteristics, skills, or the like; consummate; perfect in kind or quality: a complete scholar.
4. thorough; entire; total; undivided, uncompromised, or unmodified: a complete victory; a complete mess.
9. (of persons) accomplished; skilled; expert.
11. to make whole or entire: I need three more words to complete the puzzle.
12. to make perfect: His parting look of impotent rage completed my revenge.
13. to bring to an end; finish: Has he completed his new novel yet?
14. to consummate.

Journalling Prompts

I am following a blog here on Blogger called Your Life Spelled Out. It has some really good prompts if you are interested in going along. I have been completing most of my prompts in my comp book, but I am thinking of adding them to my blog.

Today's prompt is to write about something you are passionate about. The subject that I am most passionate about is autism. I have a masters degree in Autism from Our Lady of the Lake University, so you could say that I am interested in the subject. At work, more and more students with autism are getting on my case load or are in my classes. I am also a parent/home trainer for the school district in the evenings.

The really scary thing about autism is new research into the prevelance. When I graduated last year the number was 1 in 144. New numbers came out in December with some stats as 1 in 100. I also heard that it is 1 in 84 boys. I am not sure of the accuracy of these numbers, I am waiting for more collaboration on the subject. But it is thought provoking.

Post #101

I totally missed that my last post was my 100th post. I should have noticed! lol. I watching the news and the talk about being able to claim your pets on you income tax return. I have 3 cats, 3 dogs and 3 fish. I spend quite a bit on the dogs and cats, not really much more than the cost of chemicals and food on the fish. How do you think they will identify the animals. Will we have to send in a picture or get them social security numbers? What happens when one of your pets eats the other? (My cats really like fresh fish, and I can't figure out how they get into the fish tank...)

This whole cold front is really disappointing. I live in South Texas. I can usually wear flip flops in December and January. I don't like this!

Holly got her ACT scores last night. She has a 32 composite. The score puts her in contention for more scholarships at Texas Tech. She has enough scholarships and GI bill to afford Texas Tech and living on campus or going to Incarnate Word and living at home. Both colleges are offering her mucho scholarships, and have honor colleges. She is a great kid, and I think she has a great future on the horzion. One thing that Texas Tech has is Zach. Zach has been her best buddy since middle school. His mother and I taught together for several years. She is one of my best buddies. It would be good for them to have each other for support.

3/365

I am not really using a special program, except that I use my photo shop to add the overlay to my photos. There is a lot of chatter on the scrapbooking blogs. There is even a web site! 365 Project and I joined it. My site is http://365project.org/kimwin/365 please join me there!!

I already posted my photo to my Facebook account and the 365 page, but here it is again. The sewer backed up in front of our house.

365 - January 2 photo

My January 2 photo of my Daisy dog. I am using the Ali Edwards 365 photo overlay which was released today at Designer Digitals.

365 Photo - #1

January 1, 2o10

A photo snapped from my IPhone on our trip back from CA. We were going from San Jose towards LA. Tim said that the hills looked so pretty that they didn't look real. I thought that was very insightful for my 14 year old son. The rest of the trip home paled in contrast.

New Year Thoughts

There are many things going on around the scrapbooking world. I have my memory log book started and ready to record my year. Another thing that I am trying to do is take a picture a day to record my year. Ali Edward's have a word of the year. What do you think would be a good word of the year for me?

patience?

challenge?