Slumber Party

Last minute check before bedtime...

Something I Hadn't Thought About..

So, if you are an actual reader of my thoughts, you will notice that I changed the title of this little venue. I did this after one of my friends pointed out that if you were searching "enjoy yourself", you might come up with less than stellar sites. EWWW. Totally NOT my intention. In fact, I was thinking of one of my favorite Todd Snider songs when I picked Enjoy Yourself. If you read through the lyrics, you will become familiar with one of my mantras-so to speak. As I've said before, this is a crazy world. It's so easy to get caught up in kid activities, work, friends, families, movies, worry, yardwork, laundry, what's for dinner?, bedtimes, should we sell the house?, school tardies, beer (wait, that's a good one), guilt, when will the grass grow?, potty training, master schedules-sometimes it's easy to forget about the life and the love that goes into it. It's so easy to schedule and plan and look to the future for the "next thing". Sometimes when you do that, you forget to look around and realize that you're already in your life. You had better live it.

So, in the spirit of that-I have a new theme song chosen, and thus a new title for my virtual scrapbook. I really am Happy to Be Here .

Families Celebrate

That's what they do. Todd's family is the best at this. Saturday we had 3, count 'em THREE, parties in one day.

Grandmother's Birthday:

Baby Shower (mom-to-be seen here getting tatt'ed by my eldest):

Proud to be an American-send off of one of our own to Afghanistan (doubled with congrats on elopement):

Now, while I won't deny the WHUPPIN' the day was, when you stand back and look at it, it's amazing. Here is a family that has grown so big with great grandchildren, cousins, new wives and husbands, and yet still makes the time to get together to celebrate each person's accomplishments (and if we can't, then we put 'em all together). Growing up all over, my extended family was a yearly visit-if that; I envied other families that had such familiarity with eachother-such daily companionship. Now family is family-mostly you don't get to choose, but when you hit gold like this, it's something worth noting. I hope when I'm the great grandmother, the family I've raised will realize the importance of eachother and the importance of us, and take a time out to just be.

no matter how many great grandchildren. (this pic is missing 3 others-one on the way making 4 more!)

The Ivy Continues

I have the Ivy again. FYI-you can get as many coritzone shots as you need in a year. I was afraid I was using up all my chances. The doctor eased my concerns, even if he didn't give me a take home kit.

New Friends. Great Times!

If you ask Todd, he'll tell you that meet your best friends in kindergarten (if not before). We've had this conversation with so many people-so many times. It's funny to hear his take on friendship, and then the irony of who we hang out with-people Todd went to kindergarten with! I have friends through different stages in my life-being a military brat, I don't have the benefit of living in the same town with my kindergarten buddies. Naturally, I take the opposite side during these conversations. Most recently, we've stumbled into a few new friendships that might just make Todd change his philosophy-or at least add to it. :) This goal of ours-to live, work, and play in the same town-it's come true! It's almost a dream...and, I think it's funny how some people come into your life at just the right moment. It's funny how an acquaintance can become a trusted friend before you know it. Personally, I think it can happen even if you didn't share snacktime together.

Where a Kid can be a Kid!

We celebrated Tanner's 5th birthday over the weekend. Todd took him to see Speedracer on Friday (took off work and everything!). We had a little family fun with pizza and presents that night, and Tanner went to bed with a full belly. Yesterday, we had his official party at Chuck E. Cheese. I was so glad to his best friends celebrate the day with him. Everyone had so much fun playing games, eating pizza and cake. Even the grown-ups participated in a game here and there.

I just can't believe it's been five years since we brought home that little boy bundle. Five years since we invested in that double stroller, and invested in double time parenting! Five years. He's going to start kindergarten in the fall. KINDERGARTEN. Somehow I was ready for Madison to grow up and be on her own, but to see Tanner pack his backpack and pick out his school clothes makes me a little sad. I'm always a little annoyed when people say "it goes by fast; enjoy it", as I'm struggling with time-outs and poop.

But it really does.

Young Lady

Yesterday, I was casually talking with the principal here about a possible job next year. The position is for science and social studies. He was going on and on about how I would be perfect for the position. I joked that I visited with another applicant in the office a few days ago, and she seemed perfect too! He noted that he would need to get her correctly certified before moving ahead with the interview process. Now, I'm not certified to teach social studies (nor would I ever want to be!), and so I pointed this out to him. In reply he said, "you're a bright young lady, we'd figure it out."

So, my question of the day is (other than how you "figure out" correct certification)...when do you stop being a young lady? and will I notice when that happens? and if I do notice, will it bother me? or will I finally feel like a grown up? My first year teaching, it took me all year to adjust to being "Mrs. Scroggins". Eventually, I adapted, but I also remember when some pizza guy called me Ma'am; I didn't like it, but I went on with it. So now it seems I'm a "young lady Ma'am", whatever that is.

Off Task Behavior

So the school uses MACS instead of PCs. There's a camera on the monitor and some kind of fun program to play with the pics!!! I got distracted. Totally appropriate for the last month of school I'm sure.


I felt it was necessary to laugh at myself while focusing on practicing the TEACHER LOOK.

Caught in the Middle

So here I am-3rd week into the gig. Now that I have my bearings, I feel more effective. I feel like I haven't lost my skills anyway. It's weird, though, being a sub-everyone has their own daily grind, and this outsider doesn't really have a part of that. I feel myself looking at the clock a lot, but I'm not sure if that's entirely from my pull towards home, or just this particular Language Arts situation. I have to pull myself away from the house in the morning because I get sidetracked with all the things to do there, and in the afternoons I do the same here. I remember coming to the realization my third year teaching that it would never all get done-there was always tomorrow-but in my "cross things off my list world" I REALLY like things to get done. It's a hard thing this juggle-I'm not sure where my identity lies anymore. The past five years I've put my heart into mommyland, and the five before that I put my heart into teaching. People who teach-that's who they are, it's not what they do. That's how it is for me anyway-this is a part of me, and now I have to figure out how all those parts fit together-for the next five years.

Business Proposition

So today when we got home from the school/work/preschool/babysitter situation, Madison informed me that she was opening a daycare business and needed to make signs. She plans to advertise and "keep kids" after school everyday and on the weekend, you know, when she's not at her actual job-school. I obliged and provided the proper supplies for advertising which she then posted on our mailbox. Being such a wonderful follower, Tanner also brainstormed his own daycare business. He plans to keep only boys and they will reside in the playroom. While Madison has planned crafts, snack, naptime, and outside play, Tanner has planned Wii centers and Diego centers.

Think 'mommy back to work' has had any kind of impact?

Language Arts Wanna Be

ok, so I'm on my 5th day of 'back to school.' There are so many thoughts and feelings running through me it's hard for me to focus on any one for an extended amount of time-especially enough time to sit and write a coherent thought about it. For now, I'll just narrate the stream of events.

Tuesday-First Day. I arrive at school at 8:00 after a 7:00 phone call. No roll sheets. No seating charts. No lesson plans for that day. No lesson plans for the rest of the year. To quote a dear friend, "Did she not know she was pregnant? Like those people that have babies in bathrooms after 9 months of nothing? Cause really that would be the only reason to leave nothing." I'm just sayin'. Despite early morning stress, I made it through that first day ok. Thank goodness for silent reading. Who knew?? By the end of the day I was offered a 6th grade science position for next year. I must have covered my panic attack well.

Wednesday-Second Day. I kind of stalked the teacher next door for ideas to fill the day. She gave me some reading material & questions and spelling words. How the heck do you teach spelling anyway? There's not exactly anything to explaing there-no stories-no lab. Sheesh. Thank goodness for the TAKS test-again, who knew??

Thursday-Third Day. Science TAKS Test. I began the day in a 6th grade Language Arts Classroom while a "trained teacher" administered the test. I was down with that-the kids were watching Tuck Everlasting after having read the book. I remember wanting to see that movie but I think we had to see Mission Impossible or some such nonesense. Totally cute movie with way cute girl from the Traveling Pants movie? It's ok, laugh. I'm really a 12 year old girl. Anyway, I switched to my 'normal classroom' after the TAKS. and then I entered a BLACK HOLE. The plan of the day was to hold the kids until everyone was done with the test. They had to sit there and do nothing!! Even I was a little nutso by the end of the day. This is where "little kids and big kids" differ. At the Junior High/High School level, testing days do not involve babysitting. Note to self: no subbing on TAKS days.

Friday-Fourth Day. Normal Schedule for the First Time. This was actually a great day. I made a real lesson plan where I got to TEACH. I taught subject-verb agreement, and a writing lesson on adjectives. We read poetry, brainstormed ideas, and then wrote. Can I just say how difficult it is to get kids to write and DESCRIBE something? whew--I was whupped by the end of the day. I was pulling the words from their pencils and delicately placing them on their paper. Hopefully I made a difference. I want to make a difference. Otherwise, what's the point?

I'm not sure this has been the most positive back to school experience, but it's definitely been a learning experience. I miss the boys and our little routine, but I think this 'test drive' has more twists ahead that will only prepare me for my next step-whatever that might be.

All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth!!

Madison lost both front teeth in the last week. She's amazed at her newfound lack of pronunciation skills. I'm amazed how what a big kid she is. Tanner is amazed that the tooth fairy brought TWO DOLLARS. Todd is amazed the tooth fairy went up since he was little. Grady-not really that amazed. Diego's on!!!