in celebration....

i am celebrating...
that it's friday.
this week has been something. (mainly 2 different trips to the dentist, to have 2 different root canals, on 2 different teeth...sick, i know!)
i'm glad it's the weekend. (only 2 days of work this week...because of 2 snow days) the number 2 is a little out of control here.
on tap for tonight....
a red box movie, or two,
grocery store fried chicken,
and a splash of wine.
~chat soon!

wednesday.

today is wednesday.
the 11th of january.
again, this first month of the year has proven to be soooo s.l.o.w.
but it's good.
things are starting to pick up with our schedule so that will help get us to february a little quicker, maybe.
doubtful.

a couple things i realized today....
never, under any circumstances take katherine elizabeth to the undergarment section in target.
never.  i mean it.
she has never been our quiet one.
now that she is 4...it seems she is louder.
she says.  OH MOMMA THESE BOOBIES ARE  BIG!  as she grabs the largest cup size bra off the shelf and throws around in the air.
Mom...
Yes Kate.
Are you going to get the CHEETAH PANTIES?
um, no!
well, maybe, they are just in this pack of ....
why in the WORLD am i explaining this to her??????????????????

i quickly picked my plain old lady undies and bolted.
THEN i came upon the most beautiful red clutch purse on the clearance rack and thought...
WHY NOT....when you shop with kate....sometimes you need a band aid!
hahahahhaha
hope your wednesday was wonderful!
and you got to go with a 4 year old to the underwear department at target!
~chat soon!

a good read.

sometimes things just fall into your lap, don't they?
you didn't even know you were thinking or feeling a certain way and then you come across ssomething and you say OHMYGOSH that was written for me.

well, here it is.  

my favorites were....#1, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27...what are yours?

it is perfectly perfect for anyone and everyone i think.
read it.  use it.  i think it is a great direction for this first month of the new year!

~chat soon!

hello...new year!

whew!
that's all i have for today.
today is quiet.  a good quiet.
anne went back to school, which means the girls are fighting, or teasing, or squealing or....
the decorations are down and packed up.
the house has regained its normal look.
report cards are done.
lesson plans are waiting to be written.
some drawers and closets have been cleaned out.  it's always hysterical to me how much i get done in the last 36 hours of the break...i have only had 14 days to do it. 
i'm ready to get back into the swing of things.
adam has had a cold/flu for a couple days.
when that happens.
katy bar the door.
everything gets out of whack.

 this video is just a peek at what our house looks like when the 'man cold' hits! :) 
i think today he is better.  so like i said.  it's a good kind of quiet.
in the past i always had a 'word for the year'.  i think i have a couple for this year, but i haven't decided for sure that i will share.  i might.  still thinking about that.
well, the truth is, i have a couple.  that defeats the purpose.  so after i figure out what word it will be...maybe i will tell.  maybe.
it's a cold, sunny, january day.  the kind that makes you take a deep breath in and say...
i've got this! (i think...)
~chat soon!

a real nail biter.

So yesterday, was the first Girl Scout meeting for our troop.
You would have thought I was going in front of a firing squad.
I even cried a little while organizing my stuff the other night.
Don't fret about that, I only have one emotion.
Crying.
Well maybe two.
I laugh hard and loud-a lot. :)
This meeting was informational for the parents and busy work for the girls.
There are eight girls in the troop.
Perfect size.
The parents are all familiar to me. 6 from Anne's class. whew!
All were eager to help, and to make it a good experience for the girls.
I got there 15 minutes early and got everything ready.
(big deal-early is not in my vocab!)
Parents showed up.
Girls entered.
Directions were given.
Meeting was held.
We all went home.
I didn't even sweat. (is that an emotion, if so, I have THREE emotions! HA!)
I think this is going to be a good thing.
I can breathe again.
Isn't that the stupidest thing, that I thought it wouldn't be a good thing?
BUT, I was out of my box.
It was weird for me.
But, my new motto is-what doesn't kill you, makes you STRONGER! :)
This didn't kill me, so I guess I'm getting stronger.
(until cookie selling time!)
Happy Hump Day!
~Chat soon!

p.s. our JDRF walk team total update-$2,750.94 WOOOO HOOOO!
I'm turning in more cash donations tomorrow-we will be above $3,000 by walk day! OH MY GOODNESS!

Clutter

that is what is in my head right now.
clutter.
I have to admit, I don’t do well with clutter.
it makes me crazy.
even though at times, you would walk in my house and not believe me for a second! :)

it is the change in everything that is driving me crazy. the uncertainty. the new life of school with Anne, (I promise I’ll drop that excuse from my list very soon…) changes at school with a new boss, and then already talk about ‘changes for next year’ (really, necessary talk in September???!) things are just un-nerving.

Adam has been going through an audit with his business. it has frankly been, well, hell. nothing life changing, or illegal going on, just the sheer thought that someone is ‘watching, looking, snooping…’ is enough to drive the sanest man nuts. and that my friend, is close to what is happening to my poor husband. he has not been himself. at all. snappy, tired, irritable, and dare I say-irrational. luckily, the past few days he has kind of become at peace about it. could be the insane amount of praying I have been doing, maybe he is just starting to realize that it is a semi normal thing, and we will survive, none the less, I’m very thankful that calmness has covered him, but I’m BEAT. I have been cheering him on, calming him down, and trying to keep everyone from getting in his way for over six weeks now, if I can be honest, it can wear the strongest chick down to just a pile of feathers! I’m not looking for pity, just stating the facts!

I’m not real sure why I felt the need to say all this, just needed to get it off my chest I guess.
back to the normal happy go lucky format of Well That’s Just Us, real soon! ;)

~Chat soon!

it was fun.

so as of monday, july 26th, i am facebook free.
weird. maybe.
but for my family and i, it was necessary.
i loved reconnecting with a lot of people that i have missed through the years.
college roommates, highschool besties (i don't like that word-besties, it's gross!), coworkers, youth group leaders. ;) it was fun.
it was also, dare i say, cult.
it sucked me in. i admit. it did.
i looked at it often. i looked at pictures of families, i chatted with friends, and just killed time. lots and lots of time.
so i have deactivated my account.
the time, the drama, it was fun. but not productive, and at times, not positive.
not a place, i need to be.
the amount of time i'm spending on facebook, needs to be spent fulfilling hobbies, crafting, volunteering, relxing, being with my family.
i didn't say i wouldn't peek back once my life becomes calm and boring...but for now, i'm passing.
~chat soon!

*disclaimer-don't take my antifacebook rant as an insult to current facebook users, its good for some, just not for me, right now!*

fillin' buckets...

I'm always looking for new ideas in my classroom. The past few years, I've not done well with finding new things. Just felt blah.

A co-workers daughter turned me onto this book.

It's teaching kids, er people, the idea that being nice goes a LONG way.

I have had my fair share, as most, of people that just aren't nice.

My personality lends itself to the sensitive side. So I spend a decent amount of time trying to 'fix' the idea that they aren't nice.

Are they not nice because they don't like ME?

Because I did something wrong?

Because someone did something to them?

BLECK! It's a time suck.

I read this book and thought...VIOLA! This is what my students need to hear. At age 8. They must know that a smile is an amazing thing. A genuine look in the eye. Even a vague compliment. WOWSERS!

I admit, I think I can overdo on the bucket filling, but it hasn't killed me yet!

The book is so simple yet so true.

It's unreal. Very poignant.

I read it to the fam today.

Now Anne is running around double checking that everyone's buckets are full. :)

If you get a chance, and have 7 bucks to blow. BUY IT!

For no other reason but...NICE MATTERS!

~Chat soon!

Sharp As Tacks...

So tonight was any random Thursday…and then this…
I was working on a project for a little friend of Anne and Kate’s. Minding my own business.
The girls were occupied.
Adam was hanging out.
We were chatting.
Out of nowhere, Anne comes flying around the corner…very upset.
Here is how it panned out…

A-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
M-Sewing…
A-YOU KNOW WHAT? I’M TIRED OF THIS. YOU SEW 100 DRESSES FOR EVERYONE AND NEVER ONE FOR ME
M-That isn’t true
A-WHY CAN’T YOU MAKE ME ANYTHING??????
M-I make you things all the time
A-I’M SO TIRED OF ALL OF THE SEWING

All the while Anne looks extremely mean. She has this ability to screw with her eye brows. They look as if there is thread pulled through them and someone is yanking them up at very odd angles.
Her tongue was sharp…as if edged in tacks.
Terrible to endure.
Adam turned his back to us, he said he ‘felt sorry’ for me.
I think he was either a)afraid of her turning on him, or b) fighting tears himself.

My eyes for some reason produced LARGE HOT TEARS.
Totally unexpected.
Tears that you get when your mother is so mad she is speechless…you know that look that they give, half laid with guilt the other half anger…ew…just an ugly combo. She then softened her look and said…
YOU KNOW WHAT?
YOU MADE ME CRY TOO and sobbed into a huge puddle on my lap…Eventually she calmed down, and happily went ‘shopping’ in the book order her teacher sent home with her today…
I have made approximately FOUR DRESSES in about 5 months time.
REALLY? What the….
She had me up against a wall. Her look, her tone, everything screamed prepubescent. PLUS it had a side dish of my personality...which when pressed, can be feisty. I don’t put up with a lot junk. And if crossed one too many times, I will eventually CRACK. Apparently, she has inherited that trait of mine!
So if anyone was thinking that we sit around every night singing nursery rhymes and playing bored games…FORGET IT!
I’m hoping a good night’s sleep will cure all tacky-tongues!
Luckily, the wounds are only flesh deep, nothing a glass of wine can’t cure. Now I’m stewing of what is to come, say 10 years from now…
~Chat soon!