Thursday, March 31, 2011

Do You Ever Hear What I Say?

I can be somewhat anal about a few things. One of my pet peeves is when I am talking and the person to whom I’m speaking is not listening. I know. That sounds sorta diva-ish, doesn’t it? Next thing you know I’ll be requiring that the space heater in my office be turned on prior to my arrival at work and that my morning mug of coffee, with 1 tsp. each of Splenda Blend and milk, is smiling at me from the coaster on my desk. Luckily, I’m not a diva and there are only a few things which really bug me.


My husband is great at many things. He is hard working with not even the tiniest smidgen of laziness, active in the community, an excellent teacher, a fabulous historian and storyteller, and ABOVE ALL a terrific father. He is, however, the absolute worst listener on this rock!


Remember how I asked him for a specific bottle of perfume for Christmas? Yep, turns out he didn’t pay attention TWICE and got it wrong. I had asked for a bottle of Irresistible by Givenchy “just like Debbie wears.” When he couldn’t remember the name – he thought I had said Invisible- he went and asked her what she wore. She explained that there were different fragrances in that line and that she always buys the purple bottle. I ended up with the pink.


This past Tuesday afternoon we travelled a couple hours down the road to pick up a little Craigslist find. It was cheap enough so I didn’t mind the drive. In preparing to go I asked my husband to take care of two things. Two. Dos. Deuce. Stop by the ATM and get some cash and pack the tarp, as I warned it might rain. I would meet him at my parents after dropping off Ren and we would go from there.



To make a long story short, he neither had the money or the tarp so we ended up spending 30 minutes exiting off the interstate to go into a town and find a bank and then, less than a minute after getting back on the interstate, it started to rain. So, we had to spend another 30 minutes getting off at the next exit and going into the next town to find a place that sold tarpaulins.


Sitting in the passenger side of a somewhat cramped Ford truck, driving around looking for a hardware store (we weren’t in a one horse town, but I thought finding one was going to be somewhat of a challenge), an old Far Side came to mind. It was actually my very favorite of all the Far Side comics.

A woman and her husband are trapped in their bomb shelter after a nuclear explosion, surrounded by hundreds of canned goods .


... "How many times did I say it, Harold? How many times? Make sure that bomb shelter's got a can opener -- ain't much good without a can opener, I said!"...



Friday, March 25, 2011

We is Friends

Me and you is friends!

You smile, I smile...

You laugh, I laugh...

You hurt, I hurt...

You cry, I cry...

You jump off a bridge...


I gonna miss you.


Have a great weekend, ya'll!



P.S. The above poem was given to me by a co-worker at my last school. I kept it attached to a filing cabinet while working there. When I left it came with me and now occupies a spot inside my current desk. I see it every time I open the drawer and it always brings a smile to my face. Thanks, Shelia D.


P.S.S. You know what would make the weekend even better? Winning $100 to spend on a gift card from Gift Card Rescue. For more details check out the always fabulous Miss Mustard Seed.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

On the Job with a Five-Year-Old

John-Heath with his idol, my assistant principal. His other school building idols would be one of the janitors or a cafeteria worker.
What can I say? He is a Jack-of-all-trades.

I have written so often about John-Heath's after school employment that I thought I would take a picture of him on the job so you will now have a mental picture of what he looks like while doing it.

In his eyes the requirements to be a middle school assistant principal are as follows...
1. A tie
No self-respecting administrator would be seen without one.
2. A whistle to blow as each bus pulls up
The one he has on here actually belongs to his dad.
3. A state-of-the-art walkie-talkie
He was given one at first that didn't really work but soon caught on and now, on days when he stays on "green" in his classroom, he is allowed to use Ms. Rhonda's real one. The walkie-talkie comes in handy when he needs to inform the high school that a bus is on its way.
4. Patient and understanding superiors.
Reeaally patient and understanding.

P.S. The tie and his walkie-talkie are stored in the AP's desk drawer. John-Heath knows right where they are and beats a path every afternoon to go in and get dressed for work.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Reading...a Lucrative Business

(John-Heath with nickels he earned playing a word game)
In our family we reward effort with many things. Stickers, hugs, high fives, trips for ice-cream after school and surprises (which end up usually being kisses) to name a few. If our children do well academically in school, behave well, and help out around the house they are somehow compensated.

Also, John-Heath, on days he remains on "green card" at his school, is treated by the AP at my school to a snack and drink from the concession stand set up each afternoon during bus duty (he usually picks a Yoo-hoo and peanut M&Ms). If he has received a yellow card during the school day he may still wear his tie and blow his whistle calling students to their buses but he is not allowed to carry the real walkie-talkie and he receives no snack. Amazingly, on days when he receives a yellow card (like today) he is not that hungry in the afternoon. You've heard, "It takes a village to raise a child." Well, that is certainly the case with my son.



In addition to the above mentioned prizes for good work and behavior, we also, on occasion, pay our children money. Now I realize there are some out there who may have strong feelings against this but here are a couple reasons why I tend to think it can be a good thing.

1. I am regularly paid for my job, as are all working adults. We stress to Ren (a sophomore in HS) that her job is that of a student. Of course, we want her to enjoy school and have fun along the way with her friends, but while she is in the classroom and when assignments are due her number one priority is being the best student she can be and doing the best job on her assignments she can do. No, she doesn't always heed our advice but when she does I feel she deserves to be paid for that effort.



Don't you just love how easily Spiderman blends with Buzz and Woody? I hope I'm not the only one with kids in mismatched pj's.

2. Now, while payment doesn't necessarily need to be in a monetary form, I find paying my children cash instills in them the value of a job well done and also fiscal responsibility.
From time to time there are "wants" my children have (not to be confused with "needs"). Those new pieces of track needed for Thomas and friends or more tunes for an iPod are more readily available if they have been saving those dimes and quarters and dollars. And you know what? Sometimes, they've decided that an item they've just been dying for is not really worth parting with their hard earned money. Okay, let me clarify something - Ren has made decisions in the past to refrain from spending her money to buy certain things. John-Heath is still a work in progress.
The trunk in the background is the one I bought at the school carnival. It was made in his kindergarten class and is painted with the handprints of all his little classmates. His is the green one that is visible.

Of course, even with the money and the hugs and the stickers and the Yoo-hoos we, above all, teach our children to be good and do good because it is the right thing to do. So far, so good.


Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Spring Break Cometh and Goeth

Hello, again. My spring break is now officially over. Actually, it was officially over yesterday but between after-school tutoring, continued work staining our pool deck and watching a rented movie (which we’ve had since Saturday) there was little time left over for writing.

Even though the weather started out a little dreary we had a nice time off from work. Not a great time, but a nice time. Great would be the word to describe the spring break had by a bunch of our co-workers who took a cruise to celebrate their week off. We had the chance to go as it was a school trip, but two things stood in our way...

1.) We’re still paying off the pool and deck. Who knew a round tank and a little lumber would amount to such a chunk of change! We John refuses to do anything else until that bill is no more. Luckily, we’re almost at that point.

2.) John-Heath. There is NO WAY on GGE that I would climb aboard a ship with him at this stage in his life. Yes, I know people take five-year-olds on cruises all the time. And yes, I know they have sitter services available. But sorry. No can do. You may not know this about me but I can be a little overly protective concerning my children. True, some have also called it being paranoid. But to them I say, “Better paranoid than sorry.”

When Ren was little, so fearful was I that she would walk off and get kidnapped or something, I kept her on a pretty tight leash. And when I say leash I am speaking in the most literal sense of the word - not to be confused with those cute little velcro-strapped bungee cords or stuffed animal harnesses. When I couldn’t find "cute" in time for a trip to Niagra Falls a dog leash from K-Mart did the trick just fine. I will admit, though, the time I took her to see Beauty and the Beast on Ice and kept her near and dear with a chain found in one of our barns may have been a bit overkill. But, again...better paranoid than sorry.

Ren with her Aunt Sissy and Uncle T just outside Niagara on the Lake
1998

Anyway, back to John-Heath being the number two reason I wasn’t shopping in the basket district last week. As cautious as I was with Ren (who was actually a very good child and rarely gave us problems) there is just no way I would be able to take my adventurous, constantly climbing, knows no stranger son on a cruise and be able to enjoy my own self while there. In short, I would have been a nervous wreck the whole trip.

Of course, the upshot to this is that after my group of friends had already set sail, certain family members mentioned they would have gladly kept him for us so we could have gone. Volunteering to watch him for 3 hours for the hubby and me to have dinner and a show is a stretch but a whole week was doable. Yeah. Not really buying into that one.

But even though we weren’t sailing the high seas with endless buffets at hand, we did have an enjoyable time off together. We took care of some things around the house and spent some quality time with our kids. I have to say, John and I are so fortunate to have jobs within the same school system our children attend.

Now, the countdown to the end of this school year begins and, as always, the next couple months will be very busy ones indeed.

Have a great first week of spring!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Spring Break Begins

Tomorrow is our first day of spring break. And guess what? It's cold and rainy and, I kid you not, was spitting snow earlier this evening. We will be off all through next week and I certainly hope the weather is somewhat springish. Yes, there are no less than 247 things I could work on on the inside but it would surely be nice to enjoy doing some things on the outside, too.

Many of our friends and our daughter's friends will be heading out to sail the high seas. Insert sigh - a big one. I've never been on a cruise but it is one of the items on my list of "things to do when we are no longer spending an arm and a leg on children each month." By that time, though, I will probably qualify for a discount through AARP.

Again, I do have much to keep me busy. I wasn't kidding about those 247 projects. I recently typed up a list, organized by rooms in my house, of things I would like to do and it was FIVE PAGES. Size 12 font, too.

So, I'm signing off for a few days to enjoy our little mini vacation and when I return maybe I'll have lots to tell. Until then, have a wonderful weekend and upcoming week.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Two Perks of Blogging

Two neat things have recently happened to me via blogging and I thought I’d start this week off by giving you guys the scoop.

First, a few weeks ago I entered a giveaway sponsored by Cindy over at My Dream Sample Box and, as Gomer Pyle would say, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!”, I won. Then just before Valentine’s Day a pretty little box arrived in the mail full of all kinds of goodies. I wish I had taken a picture of it but I didn’t have my camera on hand when it arrived. It was packaged so pretty, too. Anyway, tucked away in the box were homemade candies, soaps, candles and candle melts, a cute little polka dotted ribbon headband (I don’t have a little girl anymore so I’ll have to pass it along to someone else), hand cream, and a Boo Boo puppy.

The Boo Boo Puppy was my favorite. I will definitely be using it with John-Heath. He is all boy and, as such, is ALWAYS getting scrapes and bruises. Basically, a Boo Boo Puppy is a washcloth that has been folded and stitched in the shape of a puppy and has wiggly eyes, tiny pom pom nose and a pacifier in its mouth. Mine is a girl because she’s wearing a yellow bow. It comes with this little saying

If a boo boo has you feeling crummy,
Stick an ice cube in my tummy.
Hold it to your boo boo tight,
Soon everything will be all right!

How cute is that!

Be sure you check out Cindy’s page where you can purchase your own sample box. She has new ones for each season and holiday.

Finally, last night I found out I was one of the recipients of an award given by a fellow blogger. Amy over at Sitting At Our Kitchen Table has bestowed upon me The Stylish Blogger award. Stylish is not a word I often use to describe myself but I was none the less blown away at such a thoughtful gesture and I had a big smile on my face to prove it. If you get the chance stop by and take a peek at Amy’s blog. I would recommend the post she did on her take of the Oscars ;) It was too cute!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

And These Are a Few of Her Favorite Things

Tonight, it was Ren's turn for a mini interview. I had to make sure to do this, as she sometimes feels a little left out by my posts. Does anyone else with a blog and multiple children ever find yourself writing about one child more than the others?

Cross my heart I don't set out to do this on purpose. It's just that small children lend themselves more toward easily being featured in posts. I do wish this blogging thing had been around when Ren was small. Oh, the stories I could have written. Just now, the time at my grandfather's burial, when she straddled the top of a nearby gravestone that was shaped like a truck and proceeded to loudly blow an imaginary horn, comes to mind. She was four and it was priceless, though I was somewhat mortified.

Favorite color:
purple
Favorite Song:
"Here Comes the Sun"
(She is a waayyy big Fab Four fan)
Favorite song from childhood:
"Beauty and the Beast"
Favorite Food:
Cheeseburger. Plain. Mayonaise only.
Favorite Current T.V. Show:
Desperate Housewives
Favorite T.V. Show as a child:
Little House on the Prairie
(she has the whole series on DVD and also watched it in syndication)
Favorite Movie:
Gone With the Wind
Favorite Season:
Summer
Favorite current class at school:
English 10
Favorite Class in Grade School:
P.E.
Favorite game played in PE:
Jedi, PacMan, free play days
Well, there you have it. Some of my eldest child's favorites.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

These Are a Few of His Favorite Things

Tonight, during commercial breaks as he sat in my lap watching A Bug's Life, John-Heath and I started talking about our favorite things. I would ask him what his favorite so-and-so was and he would answer and then say, "Now what are you going to ask me?", and I'd ask another until it was time to unmute the t.v. and return to watching Hopper get eaten by a bunch of hungry baby birds.

Speaking of commercials, my most favorite button on the remote has to be "mute". I detest listening to most commercials and get particularly perturbed at the ones that insist on being several decibels higher than the actual show.

Tomorrow night I'll have to post Ren's answers to these questions but for tonight, here are John-Heath's.

Favorite color
Yellow
("because I like the sun")
Favorite song
"I'll Fly Away"
Favorite Food
cookies
(he is his grandfather's grandson)
Favorite show or movie
Spongebob
Favorite season
summer and snow days
Favorite class at school
art and muskit (music)
Favorite game to play in PE
PacMan
(it's a game of tag in which you are chased by "ghosts")
Least favorite game to play
ball
(he doesn't think he's good at throwing and catching. So, he probably won't be an athlete. That's okay. I doubt Bill Gates lettered in anything ;)

Friday, March 4, 2011

Unless You Like Being Publicly Dressed Down...

...you probably shouldn't go and tick off a kindergartner, especially one wearing a tie who thinks he's on the payroll.

This post is here only to serve as a reminder to me, in years to come, of a most hilarious confrontation my five-year-old had with someone yesterday afternoon at my school. Ohhhh, how I wish I could tell you. My fingers are just aching to type out the words. Alas, I can't. Maybe one day we can meet in person and then I'll be glad to tell it all.

It is really amazing how observant children are, even when you may think they're not paying attention.

John-Heath, you and your sister are always good for the laugh in a "Live, Love, Laugh" world.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Seussabration!

John-Heath pointing out a plain Sneetch, a "plain ol' Sneetch with no star on thars." He was already familiar with this story so I think they may have read it today.

Today, we celebrated the 107th birthday of Theodor Geisel, better known to anyone and everyone who ever attended school as Dr. Seuss. As is our custom, now in its 2nd year, John-Heath and I ended our evening with bedtime stories from the master of non-sense rhyming words.

This year, our reading selection included The Sneetches and Other Stories and, to my amazement, I realized that Dr. Seuss had written a story based on my own children. But, Tyla. Hadn't Dr. Seuss already passed away before either of your children had been born? Well, yes. But that's just a technicality. If you have ever read The Zax you will surely realize it is a written account of what goes on in the back seat of my family's car on any given day in which we travel with both offspring in tow. Seriously, read it - or at least Google it. The stubborn, arguing North-going Zax and South-going Zax are just code for "John-Heath" and "Ren".

For school today I sent a bag of Dr. Seuss buttons for John-Heath to share with his classmates. I had a few left over and I'm thinking of offering them to Ren to take and share with her friends tomorrow. Sophomores still think Dr. Seuss is cool. Don't they? ;)

And now, a little librarian's trivia for you...

It appears we may have been mispronouncing the name of our beloved author these past many years. According to Geisel's former collaborator Alexander Liang...

You’re wrong as the deuce
And you shouldn’t rejoice
If you’re calling him Seuss.
He pronounces it Soice.

Seems his name originally rhymed with "voice" until he decided to switch to the anglicized pronunciation most people were already using when speaking of him.

Have a great rest of the week, my friends. We're over the hump and on the countdown to the weekend.

P.S. As you can tell by the blue paint on the wall and the bedcoverings, I have yet to redo his room. All in good time. You know me, or you should by now. Procrastination is my middle name.