Plum Crazy Millers...where purple, passion and peace reside.

...sometimes life just happens. I thought I'd have all this free time this summer to sit, play on my 'puter and catch up. Yeah..well, let's start from the beginning shall we?

School ended in May for me. It was a bittersweet time. We have a pre-kindergarten graduation as that is the last "class" if you will, to pass through our school before they all part ways going to different schools for Kindergarten. Let me tell you, I have not a clue how I will make it through this May when J-man #2 goes through it...let alone my class. Yes, I've been gradumated up to the 5 day Pre-K Lead Teacher role. Hmmmm.....no pressure!

Then I get this brilliant idea to teach a camp. The more kids the more $. $900 to be exact for 12-15 kids. Well that was all fine and dandy until I realized it wasn't going to start until the 2nd session...I had a week off to prepare I 'spose and then get started. I was doing a camp on Space. Sun activities planned for Monday, Moon on Tuesday, Stars on Wed, Planets on Thursday and Review on Friday.

Well, we had the camp in my classroom that comfortably fits 10 or 11 kids..I had 14. It rained on Monday. So we switched to Thurday's plans which had no build up so they really didn't get the concepts. Tuesday, it rained. So we did moon activities and made crater cakes with no astronauts because I couldn't find them in time. We had cute little flags though. I also had this bright idea that we should make our camp shirts using buttons to make planets. My assistant (H) was there the first day...we did great. The second day her daughter was getting an award so she asked if I minded if she were an hour late. No problem we'll just switch out activity time and play outside. It rained.

Then next day I walked in to find her crying hysterically to my Director and then she disappeared. Come to find out, her whole family lives in little cottage-like houses on her grandparents farm. She walked out her front door to see an ambulance across the road at her aunt's house, her nephew had committed suicide some time during the early morning.

Yikes. Needless to say H did not come back for the rest of the week and we were scrambling to find someone to help while at the same time setting up a schedule to help get a couple of dinner's together for H's family. Not a fun week.

The year all in all was a great one though. I have never been in a job where I couldn't wait to get out of bed in the morning and get started. Here's to another great year!!

Internet's fixed, my page is back and everyone thinks I've dropped dead...might be a good thing. ;0)

Having computer issues. I'm back from vacation but something is still up with my wireless card...be back soon!

Know why? Because you, my secret friends, get to hear my deepest, darkest, thoughts, fears and general bitchings. Lucky you. I'm a talker by nature and I have learned to control the spew that comes into my head and (originally) out my mouth. "Think before you speak." My mother always said. Little did I know how right she was.

I would say dumb ass things like "Do you still have curly hair?" to my friend who had straightened her hair.

Or "Wow! You've lost a ton of weight!" Ummm...thanks? Yeah...not always the brightest crayon in the box, but I meant well.

Like I said, I've learned to curb my voice. Say things in a manner that I get information I need without making a complete fool of myself or hurting anyone's feelings. Here, I don't always do that. Especially if I know the person doesn't even know this place exists. It's my dumping ground if you will. Most things come into my brain and linger there a while and continue on their merry little way, but recently, they've stuck there like gum to my shoe.

For example, my previous diatribe with the boyscout-carpooling-friend. She's baaaack! I have a friend visiting from up North for the week. We spent the morning with a teacher friend of mine figuring out a schedule for our kids. We are tutoring 6 kids including our own in 2nd grade curriculum. Basically to give some the catch up time they need and other's an introduction/head start kinda deal.

Anywho, we went over to my friends house to give her the dates. In the middle of my conversation, out of the blue she asks:

What are your plans tomorrow?
Ummm...(think fast) "I think we're going shopping why?"
"Well, Princess has allergy testing , and I would have to drop the Prince off at 7:30 a.m."
Oh gosh, I'm so sorry we're going to be gone most of the day.. and damn that's early!

Not "Would you mind watching him, he'll be bored out of his skull." No consideration for the fact that I had company AND as she continued on after my decline mentioned that she and her daughter were going out for luch after ward...she had NO INTENTION of coming back for her son! That would've put him at my house from 7:30 until 1 or 2 pm at the earliest! Not anywhere close to the 2-3 hour aforementioned time period!

I'm still reeling from this realization. I'm going shopping now.

I'm the kind of person who doesn't really tolerate laziness, stupidity (for those who know better) and plain rudeness. I don't get people who complain all the time about things they can control, or who have children that don't behave in public or expect the world to owe them something when they just sit around all day and do nothing to deserve it.

I have a friend. And she is still my friend because she does all of these things and really has no clue that she's doing it. Otherwise I'm just the biggest idiot when it comes to choosing people to have relationships/friendships with.

This week we were asked to carpool to boyscout camp. We agreed about 2 weeks before camp started that I would drive in the a.m. she would pick up in the p.m. 5 days of this. Camp is 1/2 hour from my house. K. No problem.

Thurs before camp starts there's a knock on my door. "So what's the plan for next week? Are you driving on Monday? Are you staying all day? I'd really like to go so can I just follow you? T's having some really Mommy separation things going on and he's really fragile right now. I'm just not sure how he's going to take the whole thing and I want to be there if he gets nervous."

Mmmmk....we talked about this maybe he's just a little uneasy being away at camp for 8 hours without mom...works for me.

"Well there's not sense in you driving too if we're both going. Why don't you just ride along with me and you can drive and pick up on Tues."

"Cool, thanks you're the best!"

Fast forward to Saturday and I get this email

Do you want to carpool on Monday to the day camp? Or at least, can I follow you, because I've never been there, and don't really know
where I'm going yet.

Ummm..hello? Did we not just have this conversation two days
ago?

Sunday night. I have a house full of dinner guests...Father's day...phone rings and the Hubs answers "Honey? Who's driving tomorrow? You or Jane?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? Driving where?" It couldn't possibly be Jane...It was. "Yes! Tell her I'll be there at 7:15..I'm dropping J-man#2 off at my mom's and we're supposed to be there early. 8a.m. to get shirts, hats, confirm registration etc." ACCCCKKK!!

Day #1. 6:15 a.m. (my alarm is set to go off at 6:30) The phone rings. Guess who?
"I checked the website last night and it says that camp runs from 9 to 3."
"Yawn...yes, but the letter says it's 8:30 -4. We are supposed to get there early to do paperwork stuff." Am I awake?
"What letter? I didn't get a letter?"

We spent the day traimpsing around the wilderness having a great day. Wait...rephrase...I did that...she spend the day hovering. Whatever.

Day #2 I ended up going back to the original plan of driving in the mornings and she picking up in the afternoon because someone whined at me on the way home saying she was sooooo tired and really wished she could sleep in....I should have SUCCCCKKKAAAA tatooed on me forehead.

End of the day..."T has been chosen for a the all-star team and he has one practice tomorrow night. It's really a long day for him so I'm going to pick up the boys around noon so T can get some rest."

Not..."Do you want me to get J-man too." or "Can we switch driving so you don't have to drive twice." or ANYTHING!!!!!

"Umm...no thanks. There's no reason for J-man to leave early, I'll just go get him."

Is this really happening?

All week things like this happened... did she mean it? No. Is she clueless? Yup. Selfish, mmm not so much. Oblivious? Yes.

Why am I friends with this woman? Good question.


My neighbor claims she's this way because she's not a stay at home Mom..never was...doesn't get the whole reciprocity-think-of-other-people thing.

I have no explanation.

Okay, so about 3 or 4 years ago I discovered this cool new invention called TiVo. An incredibly innovative device made just for mother's. I'm convinced of this. It not only allows you to record your favorite shows, like a VCR but it also enables you to pause live t.v. Great for being in the middle of watching something and the phone rings 10,000 times, some little person needs you do something or you just have to pee and don't want to miss anything.

I'm an avid t.v. watcher. I admit it. I have approximately 22 shows planned to record at various times and seasons programmed into this puppy and I sit down (usually for the first time during the day) after the kids are in bed and watch about 3 hours worth of shows in an hour and a half. How's that for commercialism? Beautiful! Wind down time for Mom and work time for Dad, puuuuurrrrfect!

Bloop...bloop...I click through the various listings and bloop.. bloop...I'm fast forwarding through the commercials (which are always louder than whatever it is you're watching..ever notice that?) bloop...bloop...deleted and more room for the next recording. What's that? Missed something? Bloop...bloop, rewind...watch it again. Great for sports fans! Your very own instant replay...

So I was driving down the road the other day...alone with my thoughts, jammin' to the classic rock tunes on the radio then the news comes on. News? I actually get to LISTEN to it due to the missing bodies in my back seat (minus children..not dead people). I was listening to some story..can't remember what it was about... and I missed part of it. I found myself unconsciously holding my invisible remote....

trying to rewind what was just said.....on the radio.

Yeah, blonde moment. Some days are just like that.

Aside from the fact that I need to lose about 15 pounds!! The kids are already at each other's throats and saying they're bored. I spent the days with about 300 boyscouts at daycamp today. I learned all about BB guns and how to shoot them, how to save someone 100 pounds heavier than you from drowning using a back pack and a rope, that I am left eye dominant eventhough I'm right handed and that I am not the only overactive mother out there. It was a lot of fun and brought back memories.

I was a girl scout..way back when...we never got to do cool stuff like archery and BB gun shooting, but we did learn how to cook a full meal in a tin foil pouch stuffed in a bunch of coals and some boating techniques that actually came in pretty handy a few summers ago. We had been canoeing down the James River and came up on a rock just below the surface. Our boat hit it just right and flipped us over. We managed to upright ourselves after spending a few terrifying moments on the underside of the canoe breathing while being pulled down stream by the current into a pool about 100 yards away.
Back then we were still allowed to go camping with our class in school, then of course, someone had to go and put an eye out and that ended that.

I also learned that we are so spoiled by our airconditioned cars and homes. What a bunch of whiners I heard today...not in our group ;0) It reached about 90 today but there was a great breeze and we had swimming at the end of the day. Our guys were real troopers and drank lots of water. It made a big difference.

J-man is being a big man about the whole thing. I'm driving him and his buddy out tomorrow and dropping them off for the day and will continue 'til Friday. He's having a great time and spreading his wings a little more and more each day. I'm so proud of the boy he is growing into... he was actually GOOD today with me there! Usually we end up at each others throats within the first hour...he turns into a two year old and won't leave my side.

Okay I'm rambling. Long day. Glad to be back to normal ;0)

Food for thought...

What's your worst fear? Has it changed since becoming a parent? Or living on your own?

When I was little, I always had dreams of being left in the car alone. Someone would hop in that was not my mother and force me to drive or the car would mysteriously start and then drive away with me. This of course, stemming frome the fact that I was anxious about not being in control seeing that I was 5 and couldn't drive yet. No, my mother never left me in the car alone, if she did I don't remember it, but regardless not the root of this particular fear.

As I grew older and finally learned to steer and how to make the big metal box on wheels go, I began to have other dreams and visions. For instance, driving head-on into a tractor trailer truck or telephone pole. What if I couldn't swerve out of someone else's way? Again, situations beyond my control and as I became a more experienced maniac..ummm...driver these fears again began to dissipate.

When I became a parent, my main worry was other people hitting me. If someone hit my in the side my youngest would be squashed, the other side my oldest or worse yet me and which then meant leaving two lovely boys without a mother. Nice huh?

Well my biggest, unfounded fear of late has been getting hit by a train. We cross two sets of railroad tracks on our way to work and school everyday. This means we cross them 4 times a day. Trains run right by the school and everyone has to yell "Train! Train!" each and every time it goes by. The engineer blares his horn leaving the kids squealing and jumping up and down.

As fate would have it, this fear was about to be tested. I pulled out of the parking lot of the church and turned left. While doing so, a utility truck of some sort pulled out in front of me from the opposite side of the street. He continued at a very slow pace, confusing at best...and stopped just on the other side of the tracks....as I was following behind him... and wouldn't you know it? I heard the dreaded sound you never want to hear when sitting on the railroad tracks with your children...the blare of the train whistle.

The lights started to flash the arms began to lower themselves and there I was, stuck behind this IDIOT. I turned to my left to see the train coming full speed in the distance and did what any freaked out woman driver would do...screamed and floored it!

Somehow by the grace of God, I managed to clear the truck in front of me by inches and not have the railroad arm come crashing down on my van. The kids had no clue what was happening til after it was all over.

J-man #2 then yelled "Train!"

Yeah, thanks hon.

OOPS! I really planned on coming back ..I swear! Life just happened! So here I am...we'll spend the next couple of days catching up but right now I'm going to tell you about right now. I'm teaching a preschool camp called Out of This World!! It's a day camp themed around space...I'm finding my science roots again!! Can I just tell you all how much I LOVE my job????? And I'm good at it too!

In a nutshell I'll be teaching 5 day pre-K next year and my Director wants me to sliiiiiide into the role of lead teacher. I guess I did well this past year! I'm not one to do anything half-assed and I 'spose it paid off. The only problem is...I don't want to step on anyone's toes, nor make any enemies . The teacher that I wanted J-man #2 to have is extremely moody and has pretty much told me she wants to do her own thing next year. My director had said she's hoping I will pull everyone onto the same page...okay no pressure or anything!

I've decided to just let her put him where she feels he'll do best. Both of my boys have grown so much in just the past couple of months it's hard to believe it! J-man turned 7 in April and is going to be in second grade. J-man #2 will be 4 in August and is reading already. Which leads me into my present day issue that is completely ridiculous and unfounded but I can't help feeling like this.

I'll be 40 in a year and a 1/2. My best friend just turned 40. We went out for a girls night into D.C. And had a blast. We stayed out til 3 a.m. and had a family party the next day here. A high school friend and her husband just came back from Russia and adopting a little boy...scary story there, suffice it to say you're lucky to be living in America. Their little boy is the cutest thing...extremely underdeveloped and pale...but alert and healthy otherwise. The party ended with us watching a video from my friends 30th birthday. The next weekend was a blistful getaway to Berkeley Springs WV and my first pedicure ever! As I entered the spa looking for a workerbee to let them know I was there, I turned to face the largest woman (shemale) I had ever encountered! She stood 6'4" at the shortest and scared the bejeezus out of me...turned out to be a really nice woman...I was lookin' for the adam's apple folks...I swear it had to be a shemale...she had man hands for Pete sakes!! Sausage fingers...broad shoulders..no hips...very real boobies but no Adam's Apple...oh well to each his/her own right?

Great weekend in the woods..left at 12 noonish on Sunday while the rest of the gal pals went to the outlets in Hagarstown...cried the whole way home. Who knows why??? Maybe it's the gray hairs in my temples, or the crows feet around my eyes, or the c-section pooch that will never go away no matter how many sit-ups I do. Maybe it's that my babies are growing up so fast...who knows. I love my life my family and my state of being...I don't care about 40 in the real sense..it's just a number..you're as young as you feel. An emotional time of year I guess. I'll get over it.

The hubs is home for a while. I'm done with everything on Friday. I'll work backwards from here.

Missed you all!! Thanks for keeping in touch! It was a nice break but I need the outlet ;0)

HELLLLLLOOOOOO! Anybody home? Remember me? I used to live here? I'm alive and kickin'...lots to tell. I have one more thing to get through today and I'll be back for good. I'm helping one of the classes make a quilt for their teachers end of the year gift. A teacher who, by the way, hates me and I have to work with next year. Should be fun.

Be back soon!!

Okay.... I've made up my mind to take a break. It's not good-bye forever, just for a couple of months until school's out. I'm finding I have way too much to accomplish in the next few weeks, months even and Spring sports are starting for both my boys, I just can't keep up. I'll be by to visit though and if you'd like me to let you know when I'm back shoot me your email and I'll drop you a note when I'm back in full swing. Have a fabulous Spring and I'll see you all soon!!

Peace.

"I can't believe they cancelled on my birthday party just to go to hers." said H.
"Mine has been planned for over a month and S just wanted to steal everyone and be the best. I'm just sick about it."

"Well it's mostly just a girl's thing isn't it? We're doing manicures and pedicures and gettin' some good vino right?"

"Yeah, but S is doing a Pamper Yourself Party too...just to make me mad!"

"I think it'll be fun. Just us hangin' out, drinkin', smokin', and shootin' the sh*&. It's not about you H, it's her need to feel loved and wanted and all that crap."

"I just can't believe she would do this to ME! I can't wait for Karen's visit to be over just so I can get through it!"


THIS was a conversation I had today! Hello? How old are we? 14? 16? No, 38!! Oh my Lord! I am so over people like this. This is supposed to be a fun girl's night out and birthday party for our friend H. Apparently there's a lot of history ...blah...blah...blah....and this particular woman wants to have a party too...not come to ours with the same people. One is Saturday and one is Friday and the women that are having to choose can only get out one night that weekend.

Oy...I'm tired of talking about it already. I just couldn't believe I was actually having the conversation. Just thought I'd share.

~~~~~~~~

Can I just say how sick I am of seeing this?

The decision has been made about our elementary school. The smaller school's teachers are staying where they are and vice versa. As of Fall of next year, we will be in our brand spankin' new school with the same teachers just all mixed up. The good news is that J-man #2 will be able to have #1 son's Kindergarten teacher. Yay! #1 son's teacher this year, who is absolutely fabulous, will now be teaching 4th grade, so the possibility of him getting him again is great. There will also be a male teacher teaching 5th grade. Again another phenomenal teacher. Of course with the Ying there is always a Yang. I will remain PTO President at least for the next year...BECAUSE this will ensure that the absolutely horrific 1st grade teacher some unfortunate students have had this year will be a 2nd rate 2nd grade teacher next year. This will not be my child's teacher if it means pulling him out and home schooling him. Now, to me, THAT would be torture so now you know the lengths to which I will go for my children.

That being said, my letter apparently got to the right people. As did a bunch of others, I'm sure, but we ended up with a full time librarian, full time Music teacher, full time Art and GT teacher (same person..2 halves make a whole!) and they've added 2 hours onto the P.E. position making it a part time postion as well. Yay! We will also have a Math Lab and a Computer Lab. Bringing us quickly into the 21st century. As our Principal said, "I asked for the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. I got the Sun and the Moon." and I replied, "And we'll reach for the Stars." It'll be a year or two of growing pains, certainly, but hopefully all will go well. Everyone seems really excited and with the prospect of the powers that be fixing our town's water (which is crap by the way...we have two house filters and a water softener and we still drink bottled water!) we should get some new neighborhoods in here. More houses mean more kids, and in this state that means more $ per student! Local politics are amazing. If people would just be honest and stop trying to make excuses....bleh.

I ended up with a Pre-K position in my preschool for next year so I will be working 5 days a week next year. I'm bummed only because this one day off a week is when I get all my errands run, doctor's visited and hair's cut. My house will be a wreck I'm sure of it! Or no one will ever be here and it'll stay clean....yeah right! I love my job though...even now so all is well.

I'm spending the day scrapbooking tomorrow, 9a.m-10a.m. One of my artsy hobbies that I have no time to do unless I lock myself away in a hotel somewhere for 12 hours and work. I haven't worked on anything since last month when I did the same thing.

In other news...I feel old...I just got an invitation to my 20 year High School Reunion in September...not sure how I feel about this one yet, but I'm going with a lot of people who feel the same way so how bad can it be? ;0)

Happy Weekend!

I didn't even realize how long it's been since I've actually sat down to my computer to put thoughts other than work into it. I just haven't felt like it. By the time I get home, get some laundry or house stuff done, email checked, PTO stuff handled, #1 son is home from school with homework and dinner, scouts, base ball etc. The Hubs was gone for 2 weeks and with a sick kid it was hard to get everything done. Wah..wah I know but them's the facts!

We went to the zoo on Saturday and I would have to say in the 25+ years I've been going to the National Zoo this was the best trip ever!! The animals were ALL active and they had an interactive festival type thing going on where the kids could make wildlife journals, play with mud and trowels to build fake rocks and trees, touch animal skins and skulls. One nature center even brought fake poop to match up with animal skulls. I thought it was disgusting, but my son loved it! We spent almost an hour looking at tarantulas and looking at bugs under the microscope in Amazonia. He and his friend also asked some really great questions. I love 1st graders!! We were able to see the new baby panda Tai Shan and even the snakes were moving around. We swore they were all on remote controls.

Other than that, life is kinda blah. Just waiting for warmer weather and trying to lose these winter 10 by osmosis...think it'll work? More pensive thoughts to come. My, but they've been sporadic at best...who wants to listen to me apologize and whine? No one...don't blame you. I'm thinking about taking a hiatus til the end of the school year and starting fresh with the sunshine and warmth of VA Spring. Gnorm is supposed to come visit soon...hmmm. I'll let you know.

Peace.

..why the English language is so hard to learn. See if you can read them correctly the FIRST time through ;0) 1) The bandage was wound around the wound. 2) The farm was used to produce produce. 3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse. 4) We must polish the Polish furniture. 5) He could lead if he would get the lead out. 6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert. 7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present. 8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum. 9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes. 10) I did not object to the object. 11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid. 12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row. 13) They were too close to the door to close it. I think I need to go back to school!! Other Thirteeners I've read today. Nat Kelly Denise

I have been in my house for 5 days straight!! It's been beautiful weather outside, but fevers and chills inside. Little man woke up FINALLY this morning with a normal temp. Just a virus apparently, but he was miserable. I, however, got more done in the past couple of days than I have in two months!! On Saturday I managed to get 16 people to hand me $10 for a coach gift as it was the last day of basketball season. Dad's are mostly here with their kids and just don't think of stuff like that I guess ;0) I cleaned my completely disgusting van out and vaccuumed it thoroughly. Now I just need to wash the carpets, but that can wait til Spring. Late Sat night the fever hit...we went to church and dropped J-man off at Sunday school and the headed to the Dr. Of course they didn't open until 12. So I called. "I'm sorry Maam, but the earliest we can see him is 5 p.m." Well, since 22 of the 89 kids at our school were out with Strep on Friday...we took what we could get.

I spent most of Sunday putting away Christmas..ahem...I mean "Winter" decorations and washing windows in the living room. I also vaccuumed out the fireplace and...ready for this? DUSTED! Yup...uh-huh..that's right...a not so well know fact..I don't dust. Oh well, okay. I dust a couple of times a year. I did it at Christmas and just the other day. ;0) Next time will probably when we have a pool party of some sort.

I washed windows inside and out. Pulled all the dead stuff out of my flower beds and cleaned them out. I also started a cross stitch! I now remember why I don't do cross stiching...I think I've ripped everything I've done at least once. Now I'm determined to finish....

Okay...so everything is all sparkly and clean. I even started to put away things that have been lying around because I haven't figured out what to do with them yet like my son's soon to be novella of papers that he brings home from school everyday, candy left over from Christmas that no one has eaten and a lovely little apple shaped dish with accompanying apple crisp kit. Pretty cool little present I received this Christmas when we had our cookie party. I just haven't hade the opportunity to make it yet...not really sure what I want to do with it...picked it up to stick it in my cabinet and noticed a very small, almost indicernible piece of tape with wrapping paper stuck to it.

I've been the victim of a re-gift!!! I was horrified! Shocked! Bewildered!

Okay not really. It made me chuckle a bit though. I actually really appreciated and liked the gift. Most re-gifts, to me at least, should be worth re-gifting. They are usually things that I wouldn't be embarrassed about giving someone, or that should end up in Salvation Army box or go back from whence they came. Now if it's something I just won't use...I'll be happy to find another home for it. I love giving stuff away anywho...especially at garage sales. It's fun to watch people buy stuff for "a steal". I like to think I have cool stuff...I just like to buy more cool stuff and so eventually some of it has to go.

So...do you re-gift? Would you ever tell someone you don't like or couldn't use something they gave to you? Are you telling the truth? ;0)

"Mom, we can't bring brownies in the car."

Why not?

Because they'll melt.

No, they won't.

Yes, they will.

Why do you think the brownies will melt?

Because....

Silence..

"They're made of chocolate..and chocolate melts when it gets hot so we can't take brownies in the car because chocolate melts in the car and the brownies will melt. SO...we have to make them at Ms. Maryann's house instead!"

Guess I can't argue with him there now can I?

So am I the only one that doesn't let my child jump on other people's furniture? Run around Chuck E. Cheese and steal other kid's token's or pizza?
Who pays attention to where my child and other children who are with me are? Who tells my kid it's not okay to take things that don't belong to you?
Who thinks that picking your nose in public is completely gross and disgusting?
Who makes my kids wash their hands before eating and after going to the bathroom?
Who doesn't give my children everything they ask for?
Who limits tv watching and encourages reading or playing a game together? Who doesn't let my child speak for me by calling a neighbor and asking if they can spend the night or if I can babysit them?
Who actually misses my husband when he's gone for an extended period of time and realizes that the kids will act differently for the same reasons?
Who worries why a 3 year old little girl is wandering around Walmart by herself?
Who thinks that leaving your toys in the middle of the road and in other people's yards is rude?
Who thinks their dog should be trained to stay in my own yard or put up a fence to keep them there. NOT to let them wander the neighborhood where they can get hurt or hurt someone else?
Who wants my business to stay my business unless I choose to share it and if I do share it and ask you not to...I expect you to do as you say and NOT SHARE IT????

I'm just wondering...am I the only one?

Thirteen Reasons I haven't written anything since last Thursday. 1. Last Friday I spent the day at the zoo (original reason was to go pick up a Wildlife Explorer kit for the 1st grade) with a friend and my youngest kidlet. 2. Ended up buying a new car on the way home. 3. We picked it up Friday evening. 4. Saturday we went to show the parental units our new car and invited ourselves to lunch...we also celebrated Grandpa's birthday...left with enough time to make brownies to take ... 5. ...to a friend's house for dinner and to play Dominos and didn't get home til almost 2 a.m. 6. Spent Sunday a.m at church then came home and took a nap and planned for this week at school and spent time with the hubs as he is out of town for the next two weeks. 7. Got up Monday a.m. and went to work and the kids, mine, theirs and everyone's were crazy insane!! Completely not connected and not listening. 8. I'm PMSing...this is not a good week for this state of mind. 9. Had PTO meeting Monday evening that I had to plan for Monday afternoon but couldn't right away because... 10. I had to find another babysitter for my kids. My neighbor backed out at the last minute because her son had strep. Of course, I didn't know this until I called Monday afternoon when I got home from work and saw her van in the driveway and was curious as to why she was home so early..."Oh we've been home all day, T had a Dr.'s appointment this a.m and we were all tested for Strep. He's the only one who tested positive." I said, "So, you won't be able to watch my kids then, obviously." "Oh, no. That won't work. Sorry." Umm....hello? When exactly were you going to tell me???? ARRRGGGHHH!! 11. I got another neighbor to watch them but Little Man ended up having a meltdown before we went over there. I ran home so he wouldn't see me. I wrote my agenda on a school computer at 6:15. The meeting started at 6:30. 12. I spent the whole meeting listening to the Principal not answer and defensively convince everyone that the school WILL be done next year, we WILL have a great staff and she WILL fight for the best teachers. I know she's lying and I'm scared to death of what's going to happen to my child's education. Thank God I'm a teacher. Positive.Positive. Positive. That's my thought process right now. 13. Yesterday all the children in the world were on crack because they were completely crazy, nuts, wacky, weird and whatever other freaked out word you can think to describe children who are disconnected, wired and spacey. Needless to say...I was just plain tired and vegged in front of the tv. See you Friday...really!!

Wow. What a beautiful time we had. My nephew looked fabulous and couldn't have been more calm and happy. It almost made us forget he has to leave again. We spent most of Sat and Sunday hanging out at my SIL's house talking to my nephew and his experiences over seas. Some pretty scary stuff I must say. We all know that bad things happen, bombs are planted everywhere, ambushes happen everyday at all hours and there is no such thing as "friendly fire", but we have a tendency to put it all into this little box called Surrealism. Hearing about it first hand, well, let's just say, I spent most of my pretending it was someone else. I held it together through this ...the picture to the right is my sister in law who cried the entire time...see the rather large white circle over her head? Well for those of you that believe in loved ones coming back to visit, they supposedly show up in the form of orbs in photos. This one could possible be my Mother in law who passed about two years ago. This picture was taken right after she told my husband the reason they picked Amazing Grace for the Parent Entrance Song was because it was the first song she (my MIL) ever taught my nephew. I have two more pictures just like this in succession and the orb is not there. Here are a few more pictures where they are there but have moved...I also have two photos from other angles from another camera and the orbs are there as well. Believe it or not...it was a very special moment.

I also made it through this moment with no tears shed..it was a small, candlelit, black and white wedding. Simple and beautiful. My brother-in-law is Assistant Pastor at this church and said the blessing at the end...he broke down and the Pastor had to jump in and finish. I managed not to cry here either. Not like me, I know, but there ya go.

It wasn't until we got here to the West Manor House in Forest, VA, an old southern plantation home from the early 1800's, that I lost it. We met the owner who had bought the house and it's 1900 acres with her husband back in 1978. The have recently built another house further back on the property and now use the Manor as a Bed and Breakfast. She said they had little privacy and with 5 children, it became a real issue. The house was absolutely gorgeous inside and out as were the lands that surrounded it. We got there early and we were able to tour the entire house. The ballroom had been added onto the back of the house to accompany large parties and this is where the wedding party was finally introduced. It was here that the bride's father asked us all to bow our heads in prayer before the meal. It was here that he began to speak of the bravery his new son in law possessed that enabled us all to be here this evening. That he put himself in harm's way everyday so that we have the freedom for these indulgences and witnessings. It was here the tears began to flow. I don't think there was a dry eye in the room. You never saw so much pride beaming from a parent as I saw at that very moment. We are truly blessed to have such a beautiful and caring addition to our family.

After that we ate, enjoyed our freinds and family and decided to drive the 3 1/2 hours home to sleep in our own beds. We all took the next day off, nursed the colds J-man and I caught somewhere along the way and prayed that our soldier will make it through the next 7 months in Iraq and will return to us safely to enjoy his new life, new bride and new home.