Softly Call the Muster

Tonight we attended Aggie Muster in Decatur-one of the 300 ceremonies around the world. We took Madison and Tanner to the ceremony, and I have to admit, it wasn't terrible! I was a little nervous since it is a solemn ceremony, but when roll call began, both kids looked around and were marveling at everyone answering "here". We stood towards the end to sing The Spirit of Aggieland and sap that I am-I teared up when both kids sang it word for word. This tradition is one that ebraces what being an Aggie is all about. and I do love being an Aggie.

"From the outside looking in you don't understand it; from the inside looking out you can't describe it."

Big Breath

I'll exhale in about six weeks. I took the sub position. I checked into the childcare offered by the school district, and it's not too many dollars-not enough to totally cancel out what I will make with the whole deal anyway. My mother-in-law is also going to help here and there. Maybe more here than there. Anyway, I'm nervous-but excited? It will be fun to get back into the classroom, and test drive what life will be back when the return-to-work phase is permenant. I know I will be a little sad too though; it's just what I do. I'm the most sentimental person in the history of ever.

Guess I need to grow up too?

SUB?

I was called today for a long term sub position. A teacher is going on maternity leave until the end of the year. I've been frantically trying to decide-frantically trying to figure out what to do with the boys! and frantically just being frantic. I don't necessarily want to turn it down because I'd like to get my foot in the door and make a good impression in the school district. On the other hand, Tanner starts school in the fall-the days with me are precious and numbered. On the third hand, there is the summer...and it's only for 7 weeks probably. See??

I'm going to go have some chocolate now.

take your pick...

1-poison ivy

2-stomach virus

3-head cold with bonus coughing up lung status

we got 'em all in this house.

The Ivy

We live in a poison ivy forest. I discovered this last weekend when the telltale rash appeared on my left forearm. I have got to have the WORST REACTION TO POISON IVY EVER. If you want to kill me, put me in this forest from hell and my skin will turn on me-in the way drunk people turn on sober people in a social gathering. Only worse. Luckily, my skin did not revolt as usual, and let my immune system do some the necessary work to heal. Unfortunately, I still have what looks to be a touch of Necrotizing fasciitis (a.k.a flesh eating bacteria). My skin sucks. But I digress-back to the issue of the poison ivy forest. There is one grove of trees that is INFESTED with the ivy-any green leaf in the area is the devil. I declared war on the ivy yesterday with some poison of my own (in the form of roundup-poison ivy version). I'll keep you posted on the battles. In the meantime, the ivy isn't just in that grove in the backyard, it's in my every waking thought. I think it's out to get me.

I feel it is my duty to perform a public service announcement on this topic and post a picture of the wretched plant.

BEWARE!!!

Wii Fun!

So, this last weekend our friends Natalie and Chad made the roadtrip from Houston for a visit...

Natalie and I were college roommates, strangers at first and now friends for life. God definitely knew what he was doing when he let us share a bathroom in the Fall of 1993. How smart of Him! We have shared the college experience, the husband experience, the teaching experience, and now the mom experience. You could even say they are family since we named them Grady's Godparents. We are both home with our kids now, and I constantly wish Houston was just a little closer so we could hang out more often.

We didn't have any major plans while they were here. We cooked meals and drank Sangria. And then Todd brought out the Wii. I have to admit, while video games usually drive

me insane-this one is great for family fun. In the old game system days I would walk in to see Todd (and/or Tanner) zombied in front of the TV incapable of answering yes or no questions. In the new improved days of the Wii, there is much jumping, sweating, laughing (and crying), and yes or no questions are a little easier to answer. It's a small victory-but a victory nonetheless. So, we played the Wii, drank the rest of the Sangria and talked about old times before there were 5 children running around
trying to be the boss of us. I'm sure 10 years from now we'll be drinking Sangria, playing a new game system that allows people to answer questions involving REAL answers, and talking about the old times when all we had to worry about was potty training and sharing.