Thinking Out Loud

Eleven Days Later...

2012-01-30T14:33:00.001-06:00

It has been ELEVEN days since my surgery. I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. Last week I found out that it was NOT recommended that I go back to work with my foot still in the splint. So, another week off until I get into the boot. I go back on Friday and I should be in the boot at that point.

Before all of this started, I had some major concerns. I think I can safely say I have tackled these head on and they aren't as bad as I thought they were. I've pasted them below, in blue.

#1 -- It's going to be incredibly difficult to get around. At school, the nurse has told me that I can use the wheelchair we have in her office. That will be good, I guess.

Getting around is still a bit of a challenge sometimes. If I have to go too far on the crutches, it still wears me out, but I have to say I am definitely getting better at it. I actually took my first trip out on Saturday. My nephew had his birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's and we went. It was a complete mad house! It made me nervous to crutch around in there and it absolutely wore me out. But it was nice to get out of the house -- cabin fever was setting in!

Last week I did have a grand idea about how to get around. The picture below is my simple yet effective solution to getting around. I can roll myself anywhere I want to go, but my family has been great about rolling me around. Actually, I think my girls kind of like it. lol So very grateful for this rolling office chair. :)

#2 -- I'm also a bit worried about bathing. I know I can throw my leg over the side of the tub. I'm really not worried about getting in the tub. It's the getting out that has me stumped. I can't get my foot wet or put weight on it. It will be a challenge figuring that out, and I am SO GLAD that I won't have an audience watching the circus of me getting out of the tub. (Please get that picture out of your head...I'm getting embarrassed... hehe)

Bathing has gotten increasingly easier and faster. I have a system all figured out, and it works really well for me. All I need help with at this point is wrapping my leg from the knee down so it doesn't get wet. Yay me!

#3 -- When I FINALLY get to drive again, it might be interesting getting in and out of my Expedition. It is not super high, but there's a running board to step on before you step into the truck. I'm kind of wondering how that's going to work out... Allison said she'd help me get in. That might be interesting too. lol I don't think getting out will be a problem. I'll just slide out and land on my good foot. :)

Well, I'm not driving yet, but I have been a passenger. I can easily put my "bad foot" knee on the edge of the floor board and then step up into my Expedition. Works like and charm and doesn't affect my foot one bit. :) As far as getting out of the vehicle, the sliding out strategy seems to be working well.

#4 -- How bad is the surgery going to hurt? Is it going to hurt so bad that I am going to want to throw up. I hate throwing up. And I'm really not fond of pain. I hope they give me some hellacious pain meds. I have a feeling I'll need them...

Well, I didn't throw up from the pain. Thank goodness. I was on pain meds from Thursday until early Tuesday morning. Then, after I didn't really need anything other than Advil or Alleve. The past 2-3 days I haven't really hurt much at all. Mostly, I just get uncomfortable. I guess I didn't need the pain meds as badly as I thought I would need them.

All in all, this has been harder than I thought it would be, but only because it takes a while to get to feeling good again after surgery. I sure didn't count on that. Now that I am feeling better I am trying to stay busy...sort of... I'm doing a lot of reading and LOTS of tv watching. I now have some new favorite shows. :) Dr. appointment on Friday. I'll be back later to update everyone on my progress!

A Week Later...

2012-01-27T17:43:00.000-06:00

Let me first start by saying that this has been A LOT HARDER than I ever thought it would be. We really take for granted what we can do independently until we can no longer do those things. Lucky for me, I have a wonderful family and amazing friends. Mike has been wonderful to me. He has made sure I am comfortable and helps me do a lot of things. The girls have been helpful as well. It's nice to know that I have them here. My friends really overwhelmed me as well. I could not believe what they did for me. Not only did they collect money for us to use for meals, but some of them also brought over dinners so that Mike wouldn't have to worry about cooking. You never realize how incredibly helpful that is until you are on the receiving end. I have felt completely loved this past week. I count myself as very blessed in the family and friends department. :) To my family and friends... thank you and I love you!

Right after surgery

The day after surgery

Well, it has been a full week since my surgery. The first coule of days I don't remember much. Pain pills have a way of knocking me out and making me loopy. By about Saturday, I started to become a little more lucid...I think. I don't really know. Ask my family. lol

I think the pain meds were messing up my stomach and making me feel bad. I took my last pain pill Tuesday morning at 4:30. After that one, I decided that I was done with those. I'd stick to Advil or Alleve. So far those have been working for me. It took until Wednesday before I started feeling better. I got up Wednesday morning and still didn't feel too great, but I had to get ready for my first post-op doctor's appointment.

We left the house in the pouring rain. I was worried about getting drenched but somehow I managed to stay pretty dry. Mike was able to borrow a wheelchair from the doc's office to wheel me around. That was pretty cool. It made my life quite a bit easier. lol

After cutting the bandages off my foot this is what I saw. I was completely unaware that I had a pin sticking out of the side of my foot. It kind of freaked me out, but then again, it was kind of cool. So, I took pics. In this picture, my foot looks like it is crooked. That was a concern to me, but my doctor assured me that it wasn't crooked. Apparently, that's just the way it hangs naturally.

This next picture shows the incision for the tendon that has caused me trouble. I was lucky that it wasn't torn or anything. Actually, he said the membrane surrounding my tendon was full of fluid and needed to be emptied. I'm not exactly sure what all the purple markings are above my incision. Part of the reason for this surgery was that I no longer had an arch. If you notice in this picture...it's back! Yay!!! That was nice to see.

This picture is the "gross" picture. When Lori, my doc's nurse was removing the bandages, she covered this side up when I said something about it. I guess people get weirded out about this kind of stuff sometimes. It doesn't really bother me. I thought it was kind of cool. This is pretty swollen in the picture. The middle purple mark is actually the incision. This is the side where the bone graft was added. The pin is in my foot to help hold the bone graft in place until it heals. This is the side of my foot that actually hurts. I should be getting the pin out in week 4 of this after surgery ordeal. That means it'll come out around Valentine's Day. That would be a lovely Valentine's Day gift from my doctor. :)

Beginning last night I started getting some feeling back in my foot, and it has continued today. It is nice to get the feeling back, but at the same time, it is a little weird. Parts of my foot are still numb. Half of my pinky toe is numb and the top of my foot is numb towards the outer side. (pin side)

You can probably see in these pictures that parts of my foot and toes are a little on the orange side. That's from the iodine wash they use to sterilize the surgery site. I was looking at my toes today. I need to get one of the girls, probably Allison, to clean my toenails off for me tonight. (I can't turn my foot to reach my toes too easily.) I thought the orange stuff would wear off, but it hasn't. I am tired of my toes looking like I've been eating Cheetoh's with my feet.

I'll keep updating my blog with the progress I am making in my journey to a "normal" foot. Until then, I need to get my dowel stick and do a little scratching. This leg is starting to get itchy!

A Case of the Butterflies...

2012-01-18T21:30:00.000-06:00

I wanted to blog last night, but I couldn't quite get the words down right. Don't know if I will tonight. However, I want to say that I am NERVOUS as HELL about my surgery tomorrow.

I've had surgery before, but honestly, I don't remember much about it. It was when I got really sick with my gall bladder and they put me in the hospital for 9 days. I was pretty much drugged up for a couple days before surgery so I don't remember it.

This is different. I've been "preparing" for this for 2 weeks. And, thus, getting nervous for the past two weeks. This surgery is outpatient surgery. However, my doctor said it was a "big surgery". Yay... Still, it's surgery.

At my pre-op appointment, they showed me the list of the procedures that my doc will do. He is basically doing four different procedures on my foot. I can't even begin to tell you what they all are - they weren't written in normal people terms. Long story short, they are basically rebuilding the arch in my foot. I am glad about that, but so WAY nervous about the recovery part. I'll survive though. It will just take some getting use to.

So, nervous stomach ache and all, I think I am ready for this. I have lots of help lined up and I know I am in good hands. And, I've decided I'll just give it all to God. That's the easiest and smartest thing to do. Wish me luck and say a little prayer tomorrow at 10:15!

The Ride's About to Begin...

2012-01-12T19:29:00.001-06:00

Today I picked up my crutches. The first pair I have ever had in my life. I got them early because my doctor's nurse suggested I practice with them for a few days before the surgery. (I've already discovered that is a good idea.) They are super short just for me. As a matter of fact, they are adjusted as short as possible. My children think that is so funny. I have heard many short jokes tonight, and I am sure I'll hear a lot more before this whole thing is over.

I unwrapped them and adjusted the handles. Apparently, my arms are short too. I had to adjust them up as far as possible. Go figure. Once I had them adjusted just right it made a world of difference in my using them. So much easier when the pads aren't jammed in your armpits.

I'm beginning to feel anxious about this. I'm glad that my foot will finally be on the road to getting back to "normal", but I have some things I'm worried about.

#1 -- It's going to be incredibly difficult to get around. At school, the nurse has told me that I can use the wheelchair we have in her office. That will be good, I guess.

#2 -- I'm also a bit worried about bathing. I know I can throw my leg over the side of the tub. I'm really not worried about getting in the tub. It's the getting out that has me stumped. I can't get my foot wet or put weight on it. It will be a challenge figuring that out, and I am SO GLAD that I won't have an audience watching the circus of me getting out of the tub. (Please get that picture out of your head...I'm getting embarrassed... hehe)

#3 -- When I FINALLY get to drive again, it might be interesting getting in and out of my Expedition. It is not super high, but there's a running board to step on before you step into the truck. I'm kind of wondering how that's going to work out... Allison said she'd help me get in. That might be interesting too. lol I don't think getting out will be a problem. I'll just slide out and land on my good foot. :)

#4 -- How bad is the surgery going to hurt? Is it going to hurt so bad that I am going to want to throw up. I hate throwing up. And I'm really not fond of pain. I hope they give me some hellacious pain meds. I have a feeling I'll need them...

For now, I'll just start practicing on the crutches. I need to bling them up too. I'm thinking some patterned duct tape would be pretty cute. I'll have to see what my girls have in their bedrooms. Could be a fun mommy daughter project! ;)

I'm back...

2012-01-08T21:23:00.000-06:00

It has been about 2 months since I last blogged. I really didn't intend to wait so long to blog. It just happened. Honestly, I think we all go through periods of time where we just feel blah...I think that's where I have been. Some days I'd have all sorts of energy and feel the need to be creative, but by the time I got home from work and running the kids places, I was just beat. Then, there were days that I just felt defeated for one reason or another. Neither of these were reasons to not write. They were actually reasons I SHOULD have been writing. For me, writing is a little like therapy.

Lots has been going on in our lives the past two months. Nothing horrible or super life changing has been going on here, but there are times when stress sometimes gets the best of you. I won't get into all the details, but I will tell you this. I am very thankful that I have my faith in God. He has been my saving grace on days that I just want to crawl in bed and go to sleep. Instead, he gets me going with my day and shows me little rays of sunlight through my students, my friends, my fur babies, my children, and my husband. I am so thankful that He is there for me to talk to when I need Him.

Since my last blog entry, we have had Thanksgiving and Christmas. My parents came for both holidays, but my sister and her family were also able to come for Christmas. It was incredibly nice to have them all here for the holidays. I really enjoyed spending time with my sister. She and I live way too far apart and when we get together we really try to make it quality time. She and I have grown very close over the past several years. It is nice to know that I have her to lean on, confide in, laugh with, and share my life with. I have to admit, she's pretty okay... (I would have NEVER said that 20 years ago! lol) While she was here she got me hooked on Vampire Diaries. I have a lot of catching up to do. I am only on episode 10 from season 1. I know I need to watch the rest of the series before I start watching this season so that it makes sense. I seriously need to get Netflix hooked back up here at the house. (That's on the "To do" list...)

Over the past couple of months, my foot/ankle have really started hurting me more and more. All this started with my infamous fall back in May. My arch has fallen completely. Because of this, my ankle is turning a bit inward, which is causing the bones in my feet to shift outward, and my entire foot to hurt all the way up my leg. Sometimes I can't get my foot comfortable and some nights it hurts so bad that the covers on my bed are too much to be on it. The side of my foot has been swelling and I finally had enough and decided to make an appointment. I went to see Dr. Witt last Friday. After looking at the pics I took on my iPhone of the swelling I had a couple nights before, looking at my foot, and asking me to stand on my toes (which I could not do) he determined that we had exhausted all the avenues for "fixing" my foot. We were at the last resort. He recommended surgery to repair the injured tendons and basically rebuild the arch in my foot. He said it would only get worse and the main tendon that I injured is just as important as the Achilles tendon. It needs to be fixed. I told him I really didn't care as long as it made it quit hurting.

For those of you that don't know, when your feet hurt, your entire body hurts. I have limped around enough that my right hip and leg hurt. Because my hip hurts, my back is sore. With that comes sore shoulders and a headache every now and then. It just sets off lots of other things that you would never think a hurt foot could affect.

Anyway, I am ready to get on with this. My surgery is tentatively set for Thursday, January 19th. I will get confirmation of my surgery time and date tomorrow. I am nervous about it, but I am also relieved to know that FINALLY I will get some relief. Not being able to walk sure puts a damper on the things that I want and need to do... He told me that I'd be in a splint for the first 2 weeks to allow my foot to swell and begin to heal. After that I'd be in a cast or boot for 5-6 weeks. (I'll be in a boot. I think I'm slightly clauster phobic so he said I could do the boot if I promised not to put and weight on it. I quickly agreed.) So, I'll spend the next 6-8 weeks on crutches, which I plan to bling out with duct tape. Sounds fun, right? haha... I'm sure I'll have plenty to say about it as I get used to using the crutches. I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot of complaining... I hope you don't mind listening to it! hehe

Really???

2011-11-09T20:50:00.000-06:00

If something is going to happen to a person it will happen to me. I think I attract strange people and accidents. Or accidents and strange people...I don't know what the order is...

Strange people -- I think I must have a look about me that says, "Hey...you should come tell me some random stuff that I really don't care about." This often happens to me in the bathroom of public places. Really? Who wants to talk to a stranger in the bathroom?????

Or, I have kids in my class that like to talk to me about random stuff...

Today's conversation:
Kiddo: (who is reading a book about diseases - what kid does that?) "Mrs. Lackey, I found a disease that can't be cured."
Me: "Really? What is it?"
Kiddo: He shows me his book. "It's like two diseases in one. HIV and Aids. There isn't a cure for it."
Me: "You're right. There is no cure."
Kiddo: "Have you ever had it before Mrs. Lackey?"
Me: "Uh...nope. That's not curable. I'm not sick and I'm still here."
Kiddo: "Oh. Okay." And then he walks back to his seat.

Accidents - We all know about the dog pee accident I had in May. Since May, I have been accident free until yesterday. As I was walking down the hall, a kid flicked a magnet right in my path just as I was taking a step. I stepped right on that dang magnet and it caused me to kind of twist my ankle and I FELL DOWN. In front of ALL THE KIDS! I was embarrassed and mad all at the same time. I was ready to explode, but it was truly an accident. When I fell down, I landed on my left knee. The left knee that is connected to the left ankle/foot that spent the summer in a nice hot black orthopedic boot. It hurt like CRAP!

Some of the kids that were with me could obviously tell I was upset. One of them said, "Mrs. Lackey, you sure are pretty." I said, "Thank you. Did I look pretty when I fell down?" She just grinned at me. Another kiddo said, "I sure do like your hair. How do you get it all spikey in the back?" I told her with "lots of hair junk". She seemed to like that answer. Funny how kids try to fix a situation sometimes and they don't realize they even do it.

Well, my knee still hurts. As the day went on today, my body slowly but surely got a little more sore than it was this morning. My lower back and legs have ached like I worked out. (I guess that's what a fall will do for you.) My ankle and foot have hurt today as well. I'm wondering if I did something to it when I fell. I guess I'll just have to keep my eye on it over the next few days.

This morning the kiddo that was playing with the infamous "make Mrs. Lackey fall" magnet, sent me a note asking me to forgive him for what happened. I wrote him back and told him I truly knew it was an accident and I was in no way upset with him. I also told him that I was just embarrassed about falling. That is not something I like to do often. When I took him the note, I asked his teachers which room he was in so I could give it to him. As I turned around and saw him, his face had a "deer in headlights" look. He obviously didn't know what to think about me coming to his classroom looking for him. I hope my note to him made him feel better just as his made me feel better.

I am positive that I will continue to run into "bathroom talkers", crazy kids at school (they make my day) and will continue to find the accident waiting to happen. My life wouldn't be quite right if these things weren't a part of it. I think it'd be pretty boring. Don't you? :)

This girl...

2011-11-07T21:17:00.001-06:00

This girl makes me crazy. This girl frustrates me. This girl teaches me. This girls makes me smile. This girl makes me laugh. This girl is my mini-me. This girl is my Ally...

Ally has always been "my" girl. She really hasn't been a Daddy's girl too much in her 12 years. She's always been a Momma's girl. I kinda like it that way. :)

When I say she is a mini-me, I mean that. From the time that she was really little, she always seemed to have the same interests as me and always wanted to do what I was doing. To some extent, she even wanted to eat the same stuff as me. She and I have several similarities, the most obvious of those being her creative side. This kid likes to create stuff. Not just any kind of "stuff", but artistic "stuff". When she was little, I would give her scrappy supplies to use while I was scrapping. It was funny how often she would watch me to decide what it was that she was going to do. Even now, she does this. She truly has a creative soul. I kinda like that. It's pretty cool to see some of the things that she comes up with. (You should see what she does with duct tape!)

One way that we are complete opposites is when it comes to reading. As a kid, I couldn't read enough. I would hide under my covers to read, and after getting caught doing that several times, I found a better place...in my closet with the light on and the door closed. I could stay up all night reading a book. Still can. I can finish a thick book in a matter of just a few days. I LOVE to read. Allison, not so much. If you asked her, she'd say, "I HATE reading." Well, that makes me kinda sad. I get such enjoyment from reading. I wish that she did. Maybe one of these days she will learn to appreciate it and not think of it as "work". I'll keep trying.

Tonight I had the pleasure of spending some time with my big girl. After her swim practice it was just me and her because Whit and Daddy had an end of season soccer party to attend. So, Ally and I enjoyed eating dinner together. We had been on her case for the past month about her grades and attitude. Both have needed improving. (Does this happen with all 12 year olds???) I really wanted to spend some time with her, and I needed to let her know that all her hard work over the past 2 weeks to get her grades back up hadn't gone unnoticed. It was past time to let her know we were proud of the hard work she had been doing. I think she really enjoyed herself. It was nice to spend some time with her by myself.

For my big girl, I wish this:

*to continue to work hard and strive to always do your absolute best
*to have a heart for others - a tender place that lets others know that you are a person they can trust and depend on
*to continue to work on appreciating your sister (I know sibling rivalry is "normal", but my wish is that you'll see Whit as your best friend and confidant at some point in the future.)
*to continue to learn about God and share him through your words and actions with others

Ally, I love you more than you could even imagine. I hope that when you see this, you'll see that you are a very important part of my life and our family. You are an amazing young lady. DO NOT ever forget that! I love you!!!

A Chicken story...Dishonest People SUCK!

2011-10-27T20:04:00.000-05:00

You know the old saying "Don't count your chickens before they hatch"? Good idea to heed that warning... Well, it's a good idea to keep them separated too. Just sayin...

Yesterday (Wednesday) was stressful. It didn't start off that way though. It actually started off pretty good...until I checked my bank account around 7:00 a.m. I am SO GLAD that I didn't follow my normal routine this one time. God certainly spoke to me because I can't explain why I chose to get on the computer and look at my account. Glad he talked to me though...

Around 7:00 yesterday morning, I looked at my bank account to find out that all my money was g...o...n...e... What the heck??? I had just been paid a couple days earlier and we don't normally even use that account other than to pay bills with my check. I knew we hadn't used that money. Bills hadn't been paid yet.

After "investigating" the charges, it quickly became clear that somebody had hacked into my account and had themselves a party. They did a balance inquiry in my savings account to see what was there, and transferred it to my checking account. With four swipes of a "clone card" (neither of us had lost our cards) our money was gone by the end of the day Monday. HOLY CRAP!!!

I called the 1-800 number on the back of my card to report my findings. Victor, the guy that helped me was very nice. He said the charges originated out of Atlanta, GA. He was very helpful getting the charges disputed and let me know that their would be a "provisional" credit to my account in 1-10 business days. It has to be investigated first. He faxed the papers that needed to be filled out and signed to my bank. I left school to get them signed so they could be notarized and faxed back immediately. That wasn't as easy as it sounds though.

Since the fraud happened using Mike's card, he was the one that had to fill out the paperwork and and sign it. I had to drive all the way across town to his work to get the papers taken care of. Then, back to the bank. This whole process took about 45 minutes. Once I got back, it was time to fax it. Just my luck, the fax was having trouble connecting. So, I sat and talked with Mike's cousin Amy, who works at the bank. (She was doing the faxing for me.) It was nice to chat with her. :) Finally, the papers went through. YIPPEE!!!!!

Now, it's just time to sit and wait...and hope they catch the guy (or girl) that did this. Crossing my fingers that the investigation the bank does turns up some information that lets them prosecute the freakin' thieves...

So, are you wondering about the chicken comment I made at the beginning of this blog post? Well, it's the first thing I thought of after this happened. You can NEVER count on things (or chickens) to always be there. Kinda like my money. I knew it was there, but look what happened. And, one thing I have learned from this is that it is ALWAYS a good idea to NOT keep all your money (or your chickens) in just one place. Lesson learned...

To the creep(s) that violated me and my family I just have one thing to say to you...

May the fleas of 1000 camels infest your crotch and may your arms be too short to scratch...

To everybody else, I hope you have a good weekend. I know we will. :)

Word of the Week... INSPIRED...

2011-09-25T21:39:00.000-05:00

Each week when I go to work I know that I have lots of hats to wear. I don't want to get into how I have to be the kids' mom, nurse, counselor, etc. I just want to talk to you about the teacher part. Sort of....

Each week I give my kiddos a vocabulary list. It typically goes with the story of the week. This past week we read the story "Weslandia". It is about a boy named Wesley that is a bit of an outcast in his town and school. He invents his own civilization and calls it Weslandia. It's a pretty fun story that teaches the kids to respect each other's differences and to really be creative in their thinking. One of the vocabulary words was INSPIRED. I told the kids that I absolutely love that word. It is a powerful word that basically means motivated by something or somebody else to do something GOOD.

While trying to help the kids understand the meaning of the word, I kept giving them examples of things that inspire me - art, colors, writing, people, etc. I also tried to explain what I do when I am inspired by one of the things I told them about. It is a hard word to really truly understand. You have to feel it in your soul when you are truly inspired. It is something that pushes you from the inside. It is an amazing feeling. And it got me to thinking...Who inspires me right now?

This is my Aunt Peggy. She has been inspiring me lately. She is a teacher that absolutely LOVES what she does and has a "pay it forward" attitude that I want to adopt. See the pretty pink splint on her arm? She recently began wearing that splint after spending nearly 7 weeks in a cast as a result of a bicycle accident that severely injured her wrist and arm. Well, it should be the reason for her to be down in the dumps and crabby. Now, I know that she gets down. I know that she gets frustrated. That's human nature. But, she doesn't let that emotion take over. She has an amazing way of getting past the "stuff" that brings us down and get to the "stuff" that makes us see the bright side of life.

In addition to writing about her injury and the progress she is making in her recovery, she also writes about her Bucket List on her blog. Through her I have learned that I need to be grateful for each day and to live life to the fullest. Don't take the "little things" in life for granted. I need to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to me. It's all about perspective. My prayer for her is that she continues to heal and gain use of her arm and wrist again and that she continues to live her life to the fullest. I also pray that she continues to inspire others, at school, through her blog, and in her life in general.

Aunt Peggy, you inspire me and remind me each time I read your blog just how lucky I am to have you as an inspiration in my life. Not only are you good school teacher, but you are also a great life teacher. I thank you and love you bunches!

What dog pee will cost you...

2011-09-08T21:57:00.000-05:00

It has been approximately 4 months since I slipped in dog pee and hurt my ankle. (That still cracks me up... It could only happen to me... If you haven't heard the story, check it out. It's titled Stoking the Fire or Getting the Boot. It's quite amusing...)

Since I learned my falling trick I have been back and forth to the foot doc. I spent the majority of my summer wearing the ortho boot. It was quite miserable in 100 degree heat and not exactly the most comfortable thing to wear. On July 26th, I got the wonderful news that I didn't have to wear it any longer, but since it still wasn't completely healed, I needed to get an MRI to see if there was damage that was a little more severe than originally thought. There wasn't... So, off to do some physical therapy to strengthen my foot and ankle.

This has been the most interesting of journeys. Physical therapy actually wasn't completely bad. Sort of... The therapists decided that I was a prime candidate for dry needling. Basically, they use acupuncture type needles in the areas of my muscle (that is connected to the injured tendon) to relieve some of my pressure points to help with the pain. I had NO IDEA that the muscle connected to my injured tendon was so tender, but it really was. Dry needling is the WEIRDEST thing I have ever had done medically. The therapist, David, finds the pressure point and works the needle up and down in one spot in my muscle. Like he sticks the needle in and moves it up and down without taking it out. One side effect of this is that my muscles twitch involuntarily - kinda like when you go to the chiropractor and they use those electrodes on your muscles. Not only do your muscles twitch, but they kinda burn too. Weird thing about it is that it works. It makes my muscle WAY LESS tense and tender. That was cool.

I also did something called Graston. They rub a cream on your affected area and use metal tools to basically give you a deep tissue massage. It is supposed to help the fibers in your muscles realign themselves so that the pressure points don't form. Neat idea. Hurts like HELL when they do it and for at least a day or two afterwards. The last time they did it I ended up with a few bruises. Looked like I had been in a fight.

After the dry needling and Graston, I had gym time. As out of shape as I am, I still enjoy working out once I get started. I think I kinda surprised a couple of them with how strong this big girl is. I did some weight lifting and they very quickly realized that this big girl needed bigger weights. Sister don't play. (haha! I have always had super strong legs. Still do even though I haven't worked them out like I should in a long time.) In addition to the weight lifting, I did some lunges, squats, balancing exercises, toe lifts, calf stretches, etc. You get the picture.

I worked on this from August 10 until August 31. I went twice a week and honestly saw improvement. At my Aug. 31 reevaluation appointment, my therapist saw a big improvement with my pain. I could tell it was working too. Not 100% yet, but getting there. Yay!!!

On Sept. 1st, my insurance deductible started over at $0. (School insurance kinda follows the school calender.) Yesterday was my first PT appointment since it started over. I already knew going into it that I was responsible for 100% of the charges up to $750. I also knew that they wanted me to continue coming twice a week for the next 3 weeks. We all felt that would be best. EVEN ME... Well, long story short, I asked when I got to PT what my charges would be for the day. All I was going to do was exercise in the gym with a therapist assistant telling what my next "thing" would be. After looking at the fee schedule the receptionist informs me that each session will only be $260. WHAT!!!! My response was, "Are you talking about for all of them or just one." Her reply was "Just one." HOLY COW!!! I quickly informed her that wouldn't work. Not even one time. She was really nice about it. We decided to just e-mail the therapist and have her put together a home plan for me to follow. Made complete sense to me. Everything I had been doing in the gym, with the exception of about 2-3 exercises were things I could do at home. I haven't heard back what my home plan will be. Hopefully tomorrow or Monday I'll have an answer.

So, I am writing this all to say, that while I have a great funny story on how I learned a new trick with dog pee, I did learn a lot about insurance. I pay a lot for it each month and it absolutely STINKS!!! It doesn't cover a whole heck of a lot. It's really a shame... I can say this though. I am still improving. While I'm frustrated that I kinda have a setback on the therapy I feel pretty confident that if I can keep exercising it then it will get better. Cross your fingers peeps! (And stay away from the dog pee!)

The Struggle's Over...

2011-08-25T21:42:00.000-05:00

And I'm back! This has been a good week. Although it is not over I can honestly say that I have learned a lot. God has been busy working on me this week!

I have learned not to "sweat the small stuff". Let's look at the big picture here. Because, really, is the "little stuff" all that important in the big scheme of things? Not really. So, I just decided to get over the dress code issue. I can't change it so why stew about it? Once I decided that, I had a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. :)

Ssshhhhh.... Don't tell Mike I said this, but it has felt good going to bed early. Like actually not crashing on the couch, but going and crawling into bed. I have formed a bad habit of falling asleep on the couch and not actually going to bed until I wake up between 11:00-1:00. The past couple nights I have had really good sleep. So thankful!

I am very thankful for the students I have been given this year. So far, knock on wood, they are a pretty good bunch of kids. Some are chatty, some don't listen, and some demand our attention, but I really think I already love this bunch. I know that the Lord knows my heart and he must know that while some are trying my patience a bit, I needed a group of kids like these to rejuvenate my love of teaching. I am excited to be with them. That is a good feeling. :)

I was also reminded just how important it is to pray for others. It is POWERFUL! My friend Karessa began a blog called The Prayer Project. (Click on the name to check it out!) Each day she chooses somebody specific to pray for. What an amazing thing to do! Today, she chose to pray for ME. Wow! She texted me that today she was praying specifically for me. I couldn't wait to get home from school to read her prayer for me. It made my day before I had even read the blog. Somebody was thinking about me and blessing me. Karessa, I can honestly say that you know me girl! I feel lucky to have her as a friend and even luckier to know that she met the prayer needs that I did not even realize I needed.

Our God has been working on my girls as well. For that I am most thankful. I am blessed that this week he has helped both of them get enough rest so that we are not fussing at each other in the mornings. I pray that this continues for us! The two of them have been amazing in the mornings this week! Girls, I love you both so very much!

I am sure that God has been working in my husband's life as well. He has seen that I have been tired and has picked up my slack for me this week. It has been much appreciated. When I told my coworker about it, she said, "You know you are one lucky girl. He's a good guy." You know what? She is right. :)

Tomorrow is Friday and while I look forward to spending time with my school kiddos, I am looking forward to 3:30 pm. I am still human and I am ready for the weekend! Not sure what we will be doing, but I look forward to whatever it may be!

Tomorrow's a New Day...

2011-08-21T23:02:00.000-05:00

I have been struggling the past couple days. My attitude was completely out of whack over a situation I had absolutely NO control over. For whatever reason, I had my feathers COMPLETELY ruffled. That is really out of character for me, and I really do not like the way it makes me feel...

So, I have decided that tomorrow is a new day. A new attitude. I am determined not to let anyone or anything ruffle my feathers. I am going to be the "good ol' me" again. After all, I don't have it as bad as some people.

I am fortunate enough to have a loving caring family that understands that Mommy is indeed human. My husband is supportive and went with me to find new shoes. He actually shopped for shoes with me. He didn't just sit there and wait - he was looking too. For that I am thankful. Love you babe. :)

I am also fortunate enough to be able to afford to get my new shoes. There will be children who come to me this week that come from families that are financially unable to get many new things for them. I need to remember how God has blessed my family. Often, we take all we have for granted. I needed to step back and remember that today.

This weekend was busy and it was good. It reminded me how lucky I am each day. I enjoyed being with my family as we bustled around getting ready to go back to school. It is funny how close we can be when we are so busy. I pray that as we end the chapter that was summer 2011 we begin the next chapter in our lives with lots of love, laughter, and success.

Bent Out of Shape...

2011-08-20T23:57:00.000-05:00

Anybody that knows me knows that I am pretty dang laid back and I roll with the punches. I am pretty flexible and open minded. Basically, I think I'm pretty easy to be around and work with. It takes A LOT to get my feathers ruffled. Usually...

This past week we received our employee dress code. It changed a little, but at first I was okay with it because I didn't think that what I owned would be affected by it. Little did I know....

On Friday, we were in a meeting and had a couple items on the dress code "clarified" for us. By the time my principals were finished, I was completely bent out of shape. I was angry/upset for the entire day and I just could not change my attitude about it. This is very unusual for me. Please note that I was not upset with my principals. They were just the messengers. Not their fault at all....

Our dress code states that we may not wear shower shoes/beach shoes/flip flops. In my mind I am thinking we are talking about the rubber flip flops that you pay $2 for at Old Navy. I agree that those are completely inappropriate at school. The flops that I own are thicker soled and "blinged out" in some way. Definitely not shoes I'd wear in either the shower or at the beach. They are either covered in some sort of animal print "fur" material or they are covered in crystals. Shoes I wear to church. They are super comfy and they have enough "sparkly junk" on them that I could wear them with a formal. Should be good for school if they're good for church or a formal, right? Apparently not... :( We were informed that if we had flip flops we could not wear them if they floated or had a foam or rubber sole. Well, people, that is all I OWN! All my "blinged out" flops have such a sole. I have spent lots of money on these flips! All I could think of is that now I had NO shoes to wear to school. :(

The other item that really got me was that teachers could no longer wear leggings. Seriously??? Our student dress code became more lenient on leggings this year (Outer garments can be as much as 5 inches above the knee instead of 3 inches as long as leggings were worn underneath.) Teachers are banned completely. Somebody really did not think this through. I am a "big girl" that does like to wear cute dresses from time to time. I have a couple knee length dresses that completely meet dress code. It is acceptable for me to wear them to school. However, being a big girl I feel a bit exposed in those knee length dresses so I like to wear leggings under them. I am sure some of my coworkers appreciate me covering them up too. lol I am covered up with them and feel less self-conscience when I wear them. Plus I don't have to worry about some 5th or 6th grade boy looking up my dress as I walk up the stairs at school. Has anybody thought about these things??? I think NOT!!!

So I stewed all day long yesterday. These two things completely ruined my day. Now, I know that I let them ruin my day, but I was really frustrated for a few reasons:

#1 - I work my butt off at my job. I give my heart and soul to those kids while I am there, and sometimes, when I am not there. I dress professionally and act professionally. I have a good relationship with my colleagues, admin, students, and parents. Why, then, do certain people feel the need to take away a couple of my "creature comforts"? Is it really that important? Will it seriously change the way I conduct my business from day to day?

#2 - We received the dress code approximately a week before school started but only clarification on such items on Friday. That left me the weekend to correct my wardrobe. On tax free weekend no less. I really did NOT want to fight the crowds.

#3 - I have issues with my feet. In the past few years it has become increasingly difficult for me to find school shoes that don't make my feet hurt so bad it feels like that are being gnawed off. For some reason the flips work for me. Dress shoes are stiff, have a hard sole, and are just plain uncomfortable. Plus, they are expensive. Flips have a cushy sole, are not binding, and while I do spend up to $50 on a pair, they are still less expensive than dress shoes. Have you priced good dress shoes lately?

#4 - We were given the dress code just a few days before school started. Had they told us earlier in the summer I (and other people I have talked to) would not have spent good money on shoes I/we couldn't wear. Why weren't we given this information earlier? When we were buying school clothes throughout the summer we were following the dress code that had always been acceptable. Now, it is too late to take back those items and most people probably don't have the money to go shopping again.

If I could write a letter to the people who made the dress code, it might say something like this:

Dear Dress Code Makers,

In order to comply with your wishes I spent $239 out of my savings account today on 3 pairs of dress shoes. Because I am on my feet all day I was not able to get "cheap" shoes. I MUST have shoes with some level of comfort in them. Apparently, if you want/need comfort, you must pay for it. I thank you for that.

My dresses will no longer be worn to school. Without my leggings under them, I feel very exposed and unprofessional. But, mostly, I do not want to give 5th and 6th grade boys the opportunity to look up my dress as I walk up the stairs. I will retire those items to my closet only to be worn to church on Sundays.

I have no problem following your dress code. I think it is important But, please consider your teachers' reasons for changing these things back to the way they were in the past. I believe you are asking us to be professional. LOOK professional. Your request is not out of line. But, I can honestly say that on my campus, there isn't a day that goes by that my colleagues don't look and act professional. Knowing the type of people that are employed by my district, I am sure that the same can be said for the other campuses as well. We employ great people and in turn have a great district.

Thank you for your time.

Brandy

Friends, thanks for letting me vent. I am not a complainer, and I rarely ask for anything. I am actually pretty open-minded and have a ton of patience. Sometimes, though, things just rub a girl the wrong way and she's got to let it out. Thanks for being my sounding board and know that while I am upset now, I will be back to the "good ol' me" by Monday.

Out With the Old, In With the New, and Other Random Stuff...

2011-08-11T20:07:00.000-05:00

Welcome Back to School! It's that time of the year. Summer is over and I officially say adios to my crop of kiddos from last year. New kiddos are on my roll sheets and in my grade book. My room has once again been rearranged so that I can make the most out of my space and hopefully give my kiddos a comfortable place to learn. I have lots of ideas running through my head, and even though I am NOT ready for my summer to be over, I am getting more motivated each day. I have a couple weeks of lesson plans completed, to-do lists ready to go, and lots of organizing and meetings in the works. I think I'll be ready to meet my new kiddos on Thursday of next week. Cross your fingers they are ready to meet me too! :)

On another note, I started something new. I created a Facebook page for my Creative Soul photography, frames, and accessories. I am a little nervous about it. What if people look at my stuff and don't like it? What if they think, "I can do that." I hope that doesn't go through their heads, but the little devil on my shoulder just has to give me his two cents worth. I need to find a way to shut him up. lol My Facebook page currently has mostly my photography on it. I have a couple frames and I have several more to load to the page. I think I'll stretch it out a bit so I can get them on there a few at a time and keep the page fresh. I have already had some people ask me about my photography, and I have received a couple frame orders. That is exciting to me! I am so looking forward to creating the frames, and I am REALLY looking forward to shooting some pictures. If you would like to "Like" my Creative Soul Facebook page, just go to the following link to get there. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Creative-Soul/203339773055702

I went to my first physical therapy appointment for my ankle and foot yesterday. I saw 2 therapists and they both said that I had great mobility in my joints and that was really good. They also did some "testing" on my calf to see if I had tender spots. Turns out I do and didn't even know it! Apparently, the tendon that I hurt is connected to the muscle that runs up the inside of our calf muscles. It is tender and sore and I didn't even realize it until they started messing with it. Compared to my other leg, it is extremely tender. I guess we humans compensate for our pain by "stressing" other parts that are connected to the injured area to help compensate for the injury. In my case the calf hurts.

They decided to do 15 minutes of needling and 45 minutes of gym time. Needling consists of using acupuncture needles placed in very tender spots in the muscle to relieve the tenderness and pain. This is also good for plantar fasciaitis, which I have, so I am pretty excited that I will have help with that. I am not 100% sure what the gym time will incorporate. One of the therapists mentioned picking up items with my toes to help strengthen the muscles in my feet so they can help ultimately help support my tendon. I was nervous going in to the appointment as I didn't know what to expect, but now I am a bit excited since I know what we are doing, and we will FINALLY be able to make things better and back to normal. I'll keep you updated on my progress. We are shooting to have this completed by August 31st! Cross your fingers and say a prayer for me!

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest...

2011-08-06T16:59:00.000-05:00

Or in our case, it just flew all over the bathroom. And it was pretty funny. At least now it is... :)

This is Miley. (In drag apparently. My girls like to dress her up in doll clothes and do photo shoots. I don't think she enjoys the "attention" all that much...)

Miley is quite the hunter. I guess she is like many other cats and prowls and hunts from time to time. She just likes to bring it to her "room" - AKA the bathroom - to "play" with her captured treasures. So far, other than the 4 grass snakes and one baby bird that she has caught I have been the one that has taken care of all her prized possessions. So glad today was different.

This morning, Miley dashed through the doggy door and Mike immediately heard screeching and saw wings a-flappin' from her mouth. She dashed straight the bathroom. Mike chased after her and yelled at both Dixie and Miley. Miley let go of the bird and it started flying all around the bathroom. We got the cat and the dogs away from the bathroom and then we (he) had to figure out how to catch the mockingbird she brought in.

We had some empty tubs with lids in the garage so Mike took one into the bathroom. I helped by shutting the bathroom door and making sure there was no excitement in the hall outside the bathroom. :D It took a few minutes of him talking softly to settle the bird down. He was finally able to corner the dang bird and catch it.

We (Mike) took the bird out to the backyard and opened the tub up by our peach tree. I think he figured it might go in the tree to hide. Instead, it hauled feathers to the back fence and the trees behind it.

I have to make this disclaimer. I am VERY GLAD Mike was home when this happened. To be quite honest, if this had happened when he was not home it is VERY likely that mockingbird would have been flying around in my bathroom all day long until Mike got home.

Life is good.... :D

And the verdict is...

2011-08-06T13:17:00.000-05:00

Well, it took a few days before I could make this post. Crazy busy week. And school hasn't even started yet. Sheesh...

Well, my trip to see Dr. Witt on Wednesday had results I certainly didn't expect. He starts off by tell me, "I have good news and bad news."

Good news = There are NO rips or tears in my ankle tendon. Yay!!!
Bad news = There is fluid surrounding my tendon. Not sure why. So, he thinks I need to strengthen the tendon. He'd like me to go to physical therapy 2-3 times a week for the next 4 weeks. Oh, and each session is about an hour long.

Ummmm.... hello! School is starting! How am I going to find time to do this? I don't know, but I guess I will. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I go back to see him in 5-6 weeks to see if things are better. If things are not better then he will have to do exploratory surgery.

All I know is that I am ready for this to be over. It has gone on long enough! I can't believe I'm about to type this, but I think I hear my treadmill calling me! hehe

Is We or Ain't We...

2011-08-02T22:50:00.000-05:00

If my first and second grade teacher read the title to this post I think I'd be in trouble... She couldn't stand for her kiddos to use the word ain't....because it ain't a word. I agree with her....somewhat....but I still like to use it from time to time... Sorry Mrs. Dobson. Although I don't use it often, sometimes it just feels.....appropriate. :)

Tomorrow will be a somewhat busy day. In the morning I have a photo shoot in Kilgore. I am shooting pics of Mike's cousin's daughter. She is a middle school cheerleader and I am looking forward to shooting pics of her in her uniform. I'll post them when I get them edited and ready. I'm excited!

After the photo shoot I am hoping to get my question answered. Is we or ain't we? That's the question. Everybody that has listened to me gripe about my foot and ankle has told me that I'll probably "have surgery". My reply has been "shut it" every time they tell me that. I haven't been willing to admit that they might just be right.

I figured we'll just cross that bridge when we get there. Well, I see the bridge ahead and I'm a little anxious. What will my doc say that he saw on the MRI? Will it be something easy to fix or not? Will I be walking or hobbling around when school starts? Will I have to miss some of the inservice days of school before the kids actually start? Lots of questions I want answered... Hmmmm....... The next 12 hours might be kinda long. Hope I can sleep some of them away tonight! Update tomorrow...

Waiting...

2011-07-31T22:17:00.000-05:00

This past Monday I saw my doctor and had my foot and ankle rechecked. Not a lot of progress... :( Boo!!! While he did tell me that I could choose to wear my boot or my tennis shoes, whichever is more comfortable on my foot and ankle, I was disappointed. I kinda knew that he'd tell me it wasn't healed since I have been having pain even in the boot. He said I needed an MRI in order to see what was going on. Maybe some small tears??? Sheesh!

Thursday finally got here and I went to the MRI place. I was expecting the MRI to be quick and easy. That's how it always looks on TV. I soon found out that wasn't going to be the case...

I learned that the MRI is done using a very strong magnet and it flips the protons in the area of the body it is scanning. So strong that it literally pulled the technician's earring out of her ear when she got too close to it. I often wear 2 small bobby pins in my hair and it lifted them up! Crazy! But cool...

I got on the table - that seemed about 2 inches wide - on my back first. Talk about uncomfortable! I only had to go into the MRI machine up to my waist. I marked that I was NOT claustrophobic, but honestly, I think I may be slightly to moderately claustrophobic. I was very relieved that I didn't have to go all the way in the machine. This last about 25-30 minutes. The machine was loud, I was super uncomfortable, and I had to stay as still as possible. Not easy. Very soon after we got started I wished I had asked her to turn on the radio. When I finally got finished with that I had to flip over and do it all over again. This time I was more comfortable and had the radio on. It seemed to go by much much faster.

While I was in there Allison was hanging out in the waiting room. I later saw a post she made on Facebook that cracked me up. It read...

"how funm is it to sit in the docters office for a long time and play on ur phone and ipod and listen to a 40 year old lady talk about all the things that are wrong with her and talk about her family while ur mom is getting a mri"

I cracked up later when I saw this on facebook. I can just see her sitting in the waiting room listening to this conversation.

A little less than an hour and a half after my appointment time I was finally done! I was really surprised that it lasted that long! I hoped to hear my results the next day, but Friday came and went and I am still waiting. Crossing my fingers that I will hear something tomorrow. I am anxious to know what the plan will be for getting my ankle and foot to the point that it doesn't hurt after I have been on it for less than 30 minutes. Cross your fingers I hear tomorrow!

Souvenir Cups, $4 Hot Dogs, and a Hot Bus Ride...

2011-07-26T21:13:00.000-05:00

Last week Ally attended the week long "band camp" for her Junior High band. It wasn't mandatory, but any kiddo that came to practice earned a trip to see the Rangers play on Friday. I had the "opportunity" to chaperone about sixty 7th and 8th graders on this trip. Talk about an eye opening experience! haha

We left for Arlington at about 3:30ish. Besides myself, 60 kiddos, and the band director, there were about 4-5 other parents on the bus. I found myself a seat at the back of the bus across from another kiddo's mom and dad. (They were pretty nice people.) VERY SOON after we were on the bus, I began contemplating driving my own car because it was SO HOT! I figured that the bus hadn't been on long and that once we got going it would cool off. Well, that was not the case. It. never. cooled. off.... By the time we made the 2 1/2 hour trip to the Ballpark I was drenched with sweat. It felt awful! Not to mention that I am not 100% sure the bus even had shocks. It felt like I was riding the Texas Giant roller coaster. (For those of you that don't know - The Texas Giant is a wooden roller coaster that is an extremely rough ride. It WILL make you sore after you have taken a spin on it!) I was so happy when we finally got off the bus. The ride was quite miserable.

Once in the Ballpark, we trekked up the ramp to the top of the Ballpark. It was way difficult to get up there wearing my ortho boot, but I did it. Allison held my hand the entire way up. Not once was she worried about one of her peers seeing her and making fun. :) Once at the top I saw that there was an elevator that I could have easily ridden to the top if I had only seen it when we got there. :( (I did make sure to ride it down though.)

Allison and I found our seats and she was super excited. I was excited to be there with her. Her friend Anna sat with us. Those two girls talked quite a bit and I got so tickled at them. They had a good time. :)

During the national anthem about 200 season ticket holders unrolled a huge flag across the field. It was really touching and beautiful. This picture really doesn't do it justice, but it makes a really great memory.

It has been so hot here for what seems like forever. This is the temp at the stadium around 7:00. We were in the shade and high enough up in the stands that we got a nice breeze. Thank God for wind!

While I know that the Rangers played and beat the Toronto Blue Jays 12-2, I can't tell you a lot about the game. I watched Allison and her friend a majority of the game. When the crowd cheered, they cheered. When the crowd booed, they booed. (When I asked Ally why she was booing all she could say was, "I don't know. They did something bad?" Then she giggled. So did I...) I met some nice parents there also. The game ended and we were lucky enough to see the fireworks after the game. They were spectacular! I took some pics, but they aren't nearly as pretty as the "real thing".

We finally got back on the hot bus and headed home. It was another LONG ride. I could see that the front of the bus, which was full of 7th graders, was pretty quiet. The back of the bus, where I was sitting drove me CRAZY!!! The seats in front of me and the other parents were filled with 8th graders that talked incessantly...about everything...even some things that I am sure were pretty inappropriate. (But had I said something, I think they would have played it off as "innocent" chit chat. I didn't want to get that started...)

By 12:30 I was itching to get home and apparently Whitney was itching for me to get home too. I wish I knew how to put of copy of the voicemail she left me on here. It went something like this: "Mommy, please hurry and come home. I'm starting to get worried. Love you. Bye..." (Mike had already told her we would not be home until almost 2:00 am.) That voicemail is priceless! I don't think I will ever erase it!

At 1:30 we finally pulled into the Junior High parking lot. I was so exhausted and hot and glad to be there. I quickly got off the bus, rounded up Ally, and jumped into the Expedition. We were so tired of being hot we had the A/C on full blast all the way home.

This trip really made me realize just how much my firstborn has grown up. I have a lot of mixed feelings about that. On one hand, I am really proud of how independent she has become, but then again, I am sad because I just don't know how much longer she'll want to keep holding my hand.

My Swimmer...

2011-07-21T13:32:00.000-05:00

This is Allison at one of her swim meets. She was resting before her next event. I have to say that I am VERY PROUD of her! Her swimming has come quite a long way from her first meet. Then, she swam a 100 free and it took her over two minutes. Now, she swims so much faster and her form and strokes are WAY more graceful than when she started. Her 50 free is just 33 seconds now. I love going to her swim meets. :)

This is the start of one of her events. I think she was swimming the 50 free in this one. This summer she swam at the CHAMPS meet in Lufkin. If she place in the top 16 of her age/event she would be eligible for the All Stars meet. Well, I can say the competition in her age division is FIERCE!!! She missed the top 16 in the 50 free by just a couple tenths of a second! The same happened for her 50 backstroke, and she was 17th in her 100 IM. She was disappointed, but I was still proud. There were approximately 45 kids competing in these events so placing where she did was pretty good. Finally, she swam her best event, 50 fly. Her swim was pretty good, but it took FOREVER to get the results posted! Right before we left they posted the results and she was 14th overall. That meant she qualified for the All Star meet! She was so excited! So were we! :)

The All Star meet is the best of the best in the ETSSL (East Texas Summer Swim League). There are kids from several towns that compete in this league. This would be her first time at the All Star meet. The kids were fast and she did a great job keeping up with them. She wasn't in the top places, but she gave her all and both her dad and I are very proud of what she accomplished. :)

The summer swim league season is over now and, her practices are a bit less demanding. Well, unless you are playing sharks and minnows and happen to be a minnow trying to stay away from the shark. ;) I am so thankful that she has found something that she loves to do so much. I look forward to seeing her have many more successes in the future!!!

Hanging with my Whitters...

2011-07-05T19:52:00.001-05:00

Today I got to hang out with Whitney. She and I decided we needed to float in the pool for a bit. After getting the music going, she and I solved all the problems of the world while we floated - well, except for what sport she wants to play at the moment. She's jumped around from soccer (her favorite sport) to swimming, and now to gymnastics. We're still trying to solve this "problem". It was kinda nice. :)

After a bit, we got out so we could read while we sunbathed. I don't think Whitney actually ever read. She stayed busy setting up an umbrella to sit under and then decided she was hungry. She made us lunch - peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with twisted Cheeto puffs. It was the perfect lunch. :)

Whitney and I don't get enough days like this. It was nice getting to just be us - no arguing, nothing that had to be done, and no place we had to be. I loved spending time with her. I hope we get to do it again real soon! Love this kid so much!

A New Look...A Birthday...and Fireworks...

2011-07-04T22:09:00.000-05:00

I started to post tonight, but when I got to my blog I was like "Ugh"... I just wasn't feeling it. It wasn't inspiring me. I needed something summer-y-ish. I wanted something bright and refreshing. Found this blog background at The Cutest Blog on the Block. I really like that site. There are tons of free backgrounds, banners, and stuff. I always find something I like on there. Check them out if you want to "bling" up your blog. :)

In the past week or so I have been BUSY! The girls left for church camp on June 27th. They were gone from that Monday until Thursday the 30th. While they were gone I decided that it would be fun to redo Allison's room to surprise her. I worked my tail off!

The first thing I needed to do was remove what remained of the brown paper bags that had been wallpapered to one of her walls. We had picked at it over the past several months and removed some of the bigger pieces. BUT, some of it was so stubborn that I thought we'd NEVER get it off. Luckily, I have a friend that offered to let me borrow her wallpaper steamer. It took nearly an entire day, but that thing worked! I was so stoked!

After getting that mess off the walls, I started painting. I cut in around the ceiling, baseboards, doors, and window. When Mike got home, he helped me get everything else filled in. Her lime green room seemed to glow, but it looks so much better than before. The color is bright, but it is just perfect for Ally. Once the walls were done, the carpet got cleaned and I was ready to get everything back in the room.

The week before camp, I spent time painting her furniture. I bought it at a garage sale last year and finally got it all painted. I don't think Mike thought I would actually ever get it done, but I did. I was determined to get it done. When we started getting it in her room I really liked how the white contrasted with the lime green walls. It was pretty exciting!

I spent Thursday getting little things finished and her stuff back in her room. There are still a few things left to do. I want to put a shelf along the top of two of her walls and I still need to make her curtains and get them hung up. The last thing to do is get the last 3 knobs for her vanity. I bought all they had at Hobby Lobby and I'm waiting on them to get them back in so I can pick them up.

Allison's face when she saw her room was priceless! She was so excited! I was so glad that I did this for her! Next is Whit's room...if we can ever get rid of some of her stuff so we can see the floor! lol

Today is my sister's birthday. When she was little, she truly believed everybody celebrated her birthday because there were always fireworks every year. I am sure she was disappointed when she learned the truth, but I honestly think she still like to "believe" the fireworks are just for her. We'll let her believe that if it makes her feel better. Even at the ripe old age of 34. :) Happy birthday to my little sister, Mandy! I love you and miss you bunches!!!!!

Speaking of fireworks... We planned on taking the girls to see the fireworks display tonight. Well, our plans got derailed due to weather. It rained for a bit, but what convinced us to stay home was the thunder AND lightning that was flashing in our windows. We just didn't want to be out in that kind of weather. So, we watched it on TV. NBC had a pretty good show. Allison seemed to enjoy it. I think Whit was more interested in doing whatever Whit does most of the time - hang out in her room. I don't think she had as much interest in watching fireworks as Allison. Neither did Mike. He went to bed about 15-20 minutes into it. Needless to say, other than a little thunder and lightning, we had a pretty uneventful night.

Hope the rest of the week is peaceful too. Goodnight! Talk to you soon!

Aggie Swim Camp

2011-06-24T15:22:00.000-05:00

Allison went to Aggie Swim Camp for the first time this year. It was an amazing experience for her. It was worth every penny we spent to send her to this camp.

I was able to watch her last practice session on Thursday, June 16th. I had never been in the A&M Nautitorium before. Let me just say that place is amazing! It is a really nice facility. I wish Allison could swim there all the time. Maybe when she gets to college. ;)

While watching Allison's practice I realized that each lane had a coach. That was really cool. I guess I didn't expect that. They did several drills and then practiced going off the blocks. I really enjoy watching my kiddo swim. She is getting really great at it too.

After I picked up Allison from camp, I was excited to hear what she had to say about it. The first thing she told me was that her butterfly stroke was easier and she got way less tired doing it because of what they taught her at camp. She proved that this past weekend when she dropped 10 seconds off her 50 fly during a swim meet. She swam that one in 40.44 seconds! Wow!!! Guess Aggie Swim Camp paid off!

We'd love to send her again next year. She had such a great experience. One thing they did was video tape the kiddos while they were swimming. They videoed them above and below the water. The coaches made comments for them to work on so they'd know what they needed to improve. It really clicked with Allison.

Allison also met kids from all over the place. She said she really had a good time with them. I am so glad, but it makes me slightly sad that she is old enough to do this kind of thing. But, I am super proud of her!

I got the boot...again...

2011-06-23T21:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to the doctor to let him check my ankle. Before I even got there I had a feeling he wasn't going to let me take off my lovely boot. It gets sore when I am on my feet too long and it has swelled a couple times. So I wasn't surprised when he told me I needed to keep wearing it. He pushed on the tendon that I pulled and based on where I told him it was still tender, he did say it had improved. But, it is still tender right at its weakest point, just below my ankle bone where the tendon connects to the foot. He was glad to see improvement. So was I...especially after he said that if it hadn't improved I would have ended up on crutches or in a wheelchair to immobilize it more. Thank you Lord for letting it begin to heal! I figured at this point that he'd tell me to keep wearing the boot and come back in a couple weeks. I was surprised when he told me to come back in 4-5 weeks. I wasn't sure I heard him right at first, but I did. 4-5 more weeks in this hot boot. 28-35 more days... All in all, he said it takes about 6-7 weeks for this tendon to heal properly. Guess I'll have to tough it out... I'm thinking I need to "bling" the thing up. It might as well be cute if I have to wear it. Not to mention I am sure that I am paying a pretty penny for it too. (Insurance is great, isn't it?) Got any ideas?

It's Me Again, Margaret...

2011-06-22T22:14:00.000-05:00

I haven't written since before our trip to Bryan / College Station. It was a GREAT trip, but I was super tired when I got back. I needed rest!

Our trip was a lot of fun, but I wasn't sure it would be once we started driving that way. About 20 minutes into our trip Ally told me that she thought was getting a migraine. I gave her some of her migraine medicine and hoped it would kick in soon. It didn't seem to though. Actually, she seemed to get worse. At one point she even asked if we could just go home. My response to her was, "Let's just see what happens when we get to Bryan." I kept praying that she'd feel better. I was actually worried that something was really wrong with her. Not only did her head hurt, but so did her stomach. The question, "Will I be able to take her to swim camp?" kept going through my head. I hoped that she would be able to make it. I had paid a lot of money for it and I knew in my heart that she'd learn from it. Finally, about half way there she told me she needed to throw up so I pulled over and the heaving started. It was gross... It was her Chick-fil-a breakfast and it smelled awful. The kind of smell when you eat something that is not good. Needless to say, once she finished throwing up she felt better and had color in her face again. (Did I mention she was white as a ghost?) We continued to Bryan and mile by mile she felt better.

Once we got to Bryan I went straight to my friend Mary's house. Ally decided to lay down for a while. After about an hour and a half, she felt good enough to ask if we could go eat at Wings-n-More. I wasn't sure if she should eat there, but we went anyway. Once we finished eating, my friend Mary, her husband Joe, Whit, and I took Ally to Swim Camp. She stayed in a dorm that was a suite. She had a roommate and two suite mates. She was so excited! As we were getting Ally all settled in we were able to meet the other girls parents. After a bit, I realized these people probably thought we were in some weird relationship and I felt it was necessary to let them know we weren't sister wives or anything strange like that. It was kind of funny. The people we were talking to looked a little relieved when I told them I was the mom and Mary and Joe were family friends that were helping get Ally situated since Mike had to work. Yep, it was funny.... :)

Whit and I stayed with Mary and Joe for the week. Joe's one house rule for us staying was that we make ourselves at home. Let me say, that was easy to do. They are great people and I felt right at home in their house. So did Whit. She enjoyed entertaining, or being entertained by Mary and Joe's 16 year old son. I haven't been around too many 16 year old boys, but he is a trip. We laughed at him so many different times I can't even count. Thanks Travis!

There were lots of things I was looking forward to during the week. I couldn't wait to meet up with my "Swim Cliche' Crew" (Mary, Jeannie, & Kellie - my very best friends. We became close friends when we sat at our kids' swim practice. I think we all compliment each other very well.) I also looked forward to going to a few different places I miss since we don't have them here in East Texas.

During the week I was able to do lots of things and see several friends. We decided to go out to Lake Bryan on Sunday. Joe brought the tube and convinced Whit to give it a try. She only agreed if he promised to go slow. That didn't last too long. After a bit she was telling him to speed it up! She is a little daredevil! We stopped after a while and swam for a bit and then headed back to shore and home. Later that night we heard on the news that somebody had drowned out there at 9:30 in the morning. We had no idea while we were out there. Apparently, this guy was in the swimming area and got out too far (where it dropped off) and since he couldn't swim, wasn't able to get back to the swimming area. And, according to the news he was pretty drunk when that happened. That definitely didn't help matters. It was kinda creepy to know we were out there just a short time after it had happened. Felt really bad for the guy and his family too.

Monday was spent with Whit. We ate at Chuy's and just hung out. We went to a "real mall" (Whit's words) and found plenty of stuff we "needed" to get. :) I also made a trip to Bed Bath & Beyond. I miss that store! They have everything! I would have loved buying a lot more than I bought, but I tried to control myself. hehe I did get a couple new pots and a large cutting board, both of which we really needed. I also spurged on some insulated cups that I have been wanting for some time.

On Tuesday night Mary invited a lot of people from Bowen, my old school, to her house to come see me. Several people showed up and it felt so good to see them. It really made me miss working there. They are great people. Miss them terribly!!!

Wednesday night is Kid Eat Free Night at Wings-n-More. Yippee!!!!! Before going to eat at Wings, I got to spend the day with Mary and Jeannie. We got pedis and then decided we were going to cut Jeannie's hair. It was fairly long and always seems to be in a clip piled on top of her head. Before Jeannie could protest Mary had an appointment scheduled for her that afternoon. By 3:30, sister girl had hair almost as short as mine. It frames her face and is SUPER cute on her! Later, I really enjoyed eating at Wings-n-More. My "Swim Cliche'" crew and our friends Erin and David Provacek and 3 of their 4 kiddos decided to meet there. I had the best time with all of them. I also got to see one of my former students there. I taught Braden music as a kindergartner and 1st grader and then I got the privilege of teaching him in 3rd grade. LOVE that kid! I told his mom I'd be there and found out they would be there too. I knew I'd get to see him, but his mom didn't tell him I'd be there. When he saw me I got the biggest hug ever! He also informed me that he wants me to move back and teach middle school now that he would be a 6th grader. Braden, I'd totally do that if I got to have you in class again!

Thursday was Ally's last day of swim camp. Before picking her up I was able to watch her last practice session. Other than having to walk what seemed like 5 miles to get to the A&M Nautitorium I enjoyed being there. I did sit at the top for a bit so nobody could see how sweaty I was from the walk, but soon I was cooled down and ready to take pictures. I met her back at the dorms at 11:00 to get her stuff and check her out. I couldn't wait to hear how it went. One of the first things she told me about was that she figured out how to make her butterfly stroke easier and less tiring. Cool! We went to eat and she told me lots about camp. By the time we ate dinner that night she was exhausted! She could hardly keep her eyes open. It must have been pretty great to be that tired!

Friday rolled around and we needed to get ready to head home. We made one last pit stop at Wings-n-More since I promised Allison I'd take her there before we left. I also promised Mike I'd bring home some Super Caliente wings and some pickle chips. (He was like a kid at Christmas when I gave the wings and pickle chips to him!) After our pit stop, it was time to hit the road!

Our trip was so much fun. I needed this trip. I learned that as much as I say I miss that place, I really don't admit just HOW MUCH I miss that place. We will definitely be back there again someday. It just feels like home! And, the people we have there are like family and miss us just as much as we miss them. That's a pretty good feeling...

Swimming Smackdown - KLTV 7 News Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville |

2011-06-10T19:58:00.000-05:00

This is the swim team story I mentioned in an earlier post. Two of our CAT swimmers raced two of the KLTV sportscasters. It was way fun to watch! A bit funny too! :)

Swimming Smackdown - KLTV 7 News Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville |

Momma, I'm coming home!

2011-06-10T10:27:00.000-05:00

Today will be a busy day once the little chickies wake up. We will be getting things ready to head to Bryan/College Station in the morning. I am looking forward to this so much! Ally is excited to get to swim camp. She started packing her "stuff" yesterday. I need to go back through it and make sure she has the stuff she really needs. :) Whitney is looking forward to going as well. She wants to see a couple of her friends and go to some of our favorite places. I'm hoping to get some pics taken of her and Allison while we are there. They have some really cool places for pictures. I'm really looking forward to seeing my friends as well. They make me smile, laugh, and just plain happy. And, maybe I'll be able to find some cool Aggie stuff we don't have here. We'll just have to see.

In addition to getting stuff ready to go, I have a few errands to run today and I've been working on getting my scrap room cleaned out and organized. There is a lot of trash in there from the girls sneaking in to work on their own projects. I have found a few things that have been fun to look through and several things that I just plain need to send to the trash. I am hoping that I can have the room organized by the end of the month so I can paint it and really start using it. It is a great room and I feel inspired when I go in there. Hopefully, it will be full functional soon.

This morning I made some blueberry pastry things for breakfast. They turned out pretty good. I took fresh blueberries, rinsed, and added a few dashes of lemon juice and a few sprinkles of sugar. Then, I took the dough for 2 crescent rolls, joined them together so I'd have a big rectangle. I put the blueberries on one side of the dough, sprinkled on a little more sugar, folded the dough over and crimped the edges together. (It was more like folding the edges over.) I then used spray butter to coat the top of the blueberry pouch, sprinkled a little more sugar on top and then baked at 375 until they were golden brown. (I think I actually baked a tad too long. Blueberry juice started running out of them.) Once they came out of the oven, I sprinkled powdered sugar on top. They were delish! I am pretty proud of how they turned out. Now, if my two rugrats would just wake up so they could try them out and let me know what they think. :)

Well, I guess I better start marking things off my to do list. I have plenty to do and plenty to get ready for the next week. Have a great Friday! :)

Stoking the Fire or Getting the Boot?

2011-06-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

Anybody that knows me knows that I always, as my Aunt Peggy says, have irons in the fire. Multiple irons. Too many at times, but it makes me feel good to be able to say that things are done and I can move on to the next thing to be completed. It is really hard for me to stop and take time for myself when I get my mind set on "stoking the fire". As scatterbrained as I can be sometimes, I like order. No comments from those of you who know me well. :) Seeing things in their places and getting rid of the stuff that fills our lives is very freeing and it just makes me feel good.

Summer break is usually the time of year that I try to tackle as many projects as possible. This year is no exception. Cleaned the leaves out of the garage, cut a piece of wood to make a shelf, then painted & distressed it. Looks awesome! Got it hung up tonight. By MYSELF....(well, almost. I needed Mike to hold it up so I could screw the brackets into the wall.) Did a little more laundry (that never ends), and cooked dinner. I did stop for a couple hours to hang out in the pool with the girlies. It was quite relaxing.

While I did all of this, I did NOT wear my ortho boot for my ankle. I know I am supposed to wear it all the time, but when you are sanding, painting, sanding (again), and cleaning out a garage, the boot just doesn't work for a couple reasons. #1 - It is hot as hell! #2 - All the dust, dirt, and leaves would inevitably be stuck to my boot and that would be one more thing that I'd have to clean up. That just wasn't on my list today. I case you are wondering about the boot. Here's a pic...

Now, how did I end up with this lovely thing on my foot? Want the good story or the truth? The good story would go something like this... I was wearing my cape and tiara while saving the world from "the bad guys". I was on a mission for good and somehow "mysteriously" hurt my foot and ankle. Yea...I like that so far. What else can I add... The real story, though, is almost as good. At least I think its pretty funny.

About a month ago we had some stormy weather that blessed us with plenty of rain. Dixie and Deuce, the furbabies, don't like to be outside when it's wet. They don't realize they are not human and think it is totally below them to get their feet wet. Whatever... We caught a break in the weather one night and stuck the pups outside to go to the bathroom before they went to bed. After they came in, Dixie went to bed with Allison, and Deuce went to bed with the grown-ups. The next morning Mike let them both out of the bedrooms and headed them toward the door. Well, it was no longer raining but the ground was still wet. Needless to say, I don't think the babies went outside, let alone pottied, for long. At about 5:45, I heard Mike saying something about how one of the dogs had peed in front of the love seat. Being the good wife I am, I decided that I'd go clean it up so he could get to work. As soon as I walked out of our bedroom, I slipped and busted my ass. I hear Mike call from the kitchen, "Did you just fall?" I'm thinking, NO SHIT! Didn't you just hear my ass land on the ground??? Once I picked my pride (and ass) up off the floor I noticed that it wasn't just wet in front of my bedroom door, it was wet all the way down the hall and into the living room. (Thank God we have laminate floors and not carpet in these areas.) There were also little wet spots through the sun room going toward the door. I could not believe how wet the floors were, but I knew it wasn't a leak. Well, at least not a rain leak. It was a dog pee leak...and I landed right in it. UGH! GROSS! I think I spent the next 10-15 minutes mopping up the wet mess and then actually mopping. It was a grand way to start my day. I pretty much came to the conclusion that Dixie, who NEVER uses the bathroom in the house, must have held it as long as she possibly could and just started peeing on her way to the back door that morning. Several people have asked me if the dog is still living after that incident. Yea, she is. I couldn't be mad at her. I wouldn't want my feet wet either. Plus, she's pretty darn cute.

Dixie in Miley the Cat's bed

I wasn't sore right away, but over the course of the next 3-4 weeks, my foot and ankle started hurting more and more each day. Then the inside of my foot started swelling. I finally got in to see my foot doctor last Friday. Basically, I have pulled the tendon on the inside of my ankle. It control about 95 % of the movement in your foot and is just as important as the Achilles tendon. When Dr. Witt told me that and said it was a pretty serious injury I was dumbfounded. I wasn't expecting it to be serious. He said that it was just pulled now, but it could tear or rupture if we didn't treat it aggressively. He gave me prescriptions for 2 different anti-inflammatories and stuck me in the boot. I get to wear it until June 22nd when I go back to see him. This is the point that I should really start complaining about it, but honestly, despite the fact that it's hot, my ankle really does feel better when I have the boot on. It got pretty sore today. Should have worked with it on, but I didn't want to get it dirty. I hope that by the time I go back to see him, it has progressed enough to take off the boot. Keep your fingers crossed for that one!

Chalkin' it up to a pretty good day...

2011-06-07T20:09:00.000-05:00

Today has been a pretty good, productive day. While I didn't get to everything I wanted to do today, I feel pretty good about what I did do. :)

*Grocery shopping done - without having to buy somebody else's food stamps (see prior post)
*Pantry cabinets cleaned out
*Medicine "bucket" cleaned out and organized
*A little laundry done
*New blind hung up in the kitchen - This one gave me a workout since it was the window over the sink. I am too short to reach the top so I had to get up on the counter and sink to be able to reach the top of the window. It was killer on my knees, back, and arms. Needless to say, an hour and a half later, I had a new blind up in my window. I even shortened it to the right length. And, it looks pretty dang good. :)

Allison had swim practice again tonight. KLTV, the local tv station, came out and two of the sportscasters "raced" two of our CAT (Champion Aquatic Team) swimmers. It was quite amusing. I don't think the sportscasters realized how good some of our kiddos swim. It was pretty fun. The story should be on the news Thursday after the Mavs game. Can't wait to see the coverage. I'm curious what their take on the experience will be. If I can find a link to the footage, I'll post a link to it here.

Finishing my day lounging on the couch with the family watching a little tv. Today has been good. Thank the Lord! Night night peeps! ;)

Food Stamps are NOT For Sale!!!

2011-06-07T11:57:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it. I went to Wal-Mart again today. I was there by 8:00 this morning with my list of groceries in hand. I did a little price matching and use a whopping 3 coupons to save myself $23.03. No extreme couponing going on here, but I wouldn't mind figuring out how to save a little more money on groceries. I guess, all in all, not a bad start.

While shopping this random guy comes up to me and asks me if I want to buy some food stamps. "It'll save you a ton of money." He really caught me off guard - I politely declined and as quick as he was there he was gone. As soon as he disappeared, the sirens started going off in my head. Did he seriously just ask me to buy his food stamps? SERIOUSLY??? I guess I've heard that people sell them, but reality hit home today. It DOES happen. I found somebody that was working there and told them about the guy. He seemed a little surprised too. Needless to say, it was an interesting trip to the store.

Making some progress on the house already. After groceries were put away I cleaned out the pantry cabinets. It is hard to believe how much stuff we had in there that just needed to go. Now I have lots of room for more stuff. But, I am NOT going back to Wal-Mart to get anything else. Think I'll give that store a break for a few days....

Monday, Monday...

2011-06-06T12:09:00.000-05:00

Today is my first official Monday of summer break. I'm kinda enjoying it so far. I've been to the hell they call Wal-Mart already this morning. I went really early, and I must admit, it wasn't at hellish as it is in the afternoon. I could actually walk through the place without bumping into people and I found the things I was looking for. All in all, my Wal-Mart trip wasn't too bad.

Now, what to do with the rest of my day.... I need to work on the house a bit. I would like to get a few things organized and I plan to clean out THE FRIDGE... I loathe doing that, but it really needs to be done. We are going to defrost the entire thing tonight. Should be loads of fun. I'd really like a new fridge. The one we have would make an amazing drink fridge. :)

Allison has swim practice today. She is counting down the days until Aggie Swim Camp. She gets checked in on Saturday and will stay until Thursday. I am looking forward to it too. I get to see my best friends. Sounds like there might be some plans already in the works for when I get there. Can't wait! These girls make me laugh, they make me smile, and they make me happy. I love them!

I am also looking forward to my eating at my FAVORITE place in the entire world....Wings-n-More!

I don't know what it is about this place, but it makes me happy. When we lived in BCS we ate here at least once a week - Wednesdays - Kids EAT FREE! I don't know. It's just a comfortable place to be and the food was never lacking. Especially the pickle chips. Wish I had a good pic of them on the computer. They are amazing!

My Aunt Peggy has started her 3rd day of the BAK (Bike Across Kansas) today. She was a bit discouraged last night after battling crosswinds as she rode and 90+ degree weather. I have to say, that she is amazing. I don't know how she does it. Please pray for her to be safe and to find the strength to get through this amazing journey that I know she desperately wants to finish. She is my inspiration this summer. If she can do something like this for herself, then I can do some things for myself as well. You have to do for you so that you are able to do for others. Aunt Peggy, I am behind you 150%! Ride Peggy! Ride!

Well, I probably need to get a few things done around here. Laundry is calling and so are the drawers and closets that need organized. I hope you all have a wonderful Monday! :)

Summer Break 2011...What are my plans???

2011-06-03T23:28:00.000-05:00

Today is the second day of my summer break. I am really glad to be at this point. This has been a tough year with kiddos that just absolutely CAN'T get along on a DAILY basis. I think...no, I know, I earned this break this year. :)

My Aunt Peggy is inspiring me this summer. She has decided to ride her bike in the BAK. (Bike Across Kansas) She is doing it for a few different reasons, but the one that stands out most to me is that she is doing it for her. What a novel idea. I like that so I am channeling her this summer and I am making sure that I do some things just for me. I deserve it.

So, now I need to decide what to do. What's important to me? That's a hard question to answer sometimes when you are always taking care of others and worrying about the next thing that needs to be done (whether that thing is absolutely necessary or not). After considering lot of ideas, this is what I came up with.

#1 - READ READ READ!!!!! I love to read! I finally got some glasses so now I can see. (What a wonderful thing!) And I am can't wait to absorb as many stories as I can. :)

#2 - CREATE! I want to be creative. I think my creative side has been "squashed" for a bit and I can feel it bubbling up inside. Creating makes me feel so good and very alive. I like that feeling.

#3 - Spend QUALITY TIME with each of my girls. One on one time. We don't get to do that enough. I'm not talking about going shopping. I'm talking about just hanging out together. Talking and enjoying each other's company. (Whitney actually talked to me about that today. She thought it'd be fun to just hang out together. Great idea from a 10 year old. I need to think like a kid more often.)

#4 - PHOTOGRAPHY - This has been an interest of mine since high school. I have found several websites that I hope to learn from. The plan is to set aside time each day or two to do work through some of the tutorials I have found online to learn to improve my photography skills. I have a lot to learn and am ready to do so.

This is a pretty short list of just "me" stuff. There are other projects I'd like to accomplish as well - mostly things that have to do with the house. LOTS of painting I want to do. Little girls' rooms I want to decorate just for them. Drawers and closets to clean out and organize. I know I probably won't be able to do all the things I need and want to do, but maybe, just maybe, if I have a list I can mark items off my list and feel pretty good about doing it. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

The two weeks I have been waiting for...

2010-12-20T11:15:00.000-06:00

ARE FINALLY HERE!!!!! Yippe!!! I have so looked forward to having some time off. :) I LOVE my job, but honestly, it is so nice to be able to chill out at home and do whatever I want. And I get to do that for 2 weeks. Life is pretty grand right now.

My sis and her family made it to my house on Friday and stayed until Sunday. We are the halfway point between her house in Florida and Mom & Dad's house in Oklahoma. It was nice to see them. We get to see them again next weekend for Christmas. Then, they are staying at our house for a couple days before she ventures back home.

Mike surprised me with my Christmas present. He knew exactly what he wanted to get me, but was having trouble deciding "which one", so off to Best Buy we went last night. He took me in and stopped in front of the cameras and told me to pick one. I was completely stunned! I have wanted a badass camera for quite some time. And, apparently, now was the time to get it. After lots of looking and talking to the sales guy, I chose the Canon D60. It is still in the box, but let me tell you, look out later! I am all over it and you never know when your gonna be the subject of my pictures! :)

Well, I guess I need to post some pics. So, here goes... a few of my favorites:

Me and my girls - one of my favorite pics of us together :)

Favorite pic of me and Mike - <3 him

My very best friends - Me, Kelli, Mary, & Jeannie - aka "The Swim Cliche"

It's a Gulfarium...Not an aquarium...

2010-07-25T19:51:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd start this post with pretty cool pic...At least I think it's cool. I had to leave my "mark" and represent. It didn't last long though...The time came in soon after I took the picture. I tried at least...

The Florida vaca started out pretty rainy. We decided not to let it get us down and spent one of the rainy days at the Florida Gulfarium. Before I get into this or post pics I have to tell you that you CANNOT call it an aquarium down there. If you do, you WILL be corrected. I really don't know what the difference is, but apparently there is a difference. And we know better than to screw the name up again... :)

This place was pretty neat. They had a lot of different tanks and shows. The seating for them was pretty good too. You were never too far back so you could see and take pictures. The girls LOVED seeing the dolphins.

Allison decided on that day that she might want to be a dolphin trainer and decided to ask the trainer what she would have to do to become a trainer herself. Apparently you need a degree in sociology so you can learn to train the dolphins using behavior training. Never thought of that before, but it makes sense. She also found out that she'd have to do a lot of internships, even some that don't pay. I don't know that she completely understood that she wouldn't get money for it. I don't think her 11 year old brain quite comprehends that yet...

This is from the multi species show. This sea lion was pretty cool! In the second picture, there was also a dolphin that jumped up and touched a buoy in the air. I wish I had gotten a picture of the dolphin too!

This is after the sea lion show. These 3 sea lions were too funny. They danced, clapped, and "asked" for applause every chance they got. I guess they wore themselves out!

These sharks almost looked like they were fake. They really didn't move much. Every now and then you'd see one of them shift just slightly. The picture doesn't really show how big they were. They weren't huge, but they definitely weren't small either. I'd be scared to death to be in there with them!

Overall, the Gulfarium was a lot of fun. Even for the grown-ups. :) I'd definitely go there again! :)

Vacation...becoming Beach Bums

2010-07-15T19:23:00.007-05:00

The past month has been busy! June ended with a round of VBS for the girls. They attended VBS at Mobberly Baptist Church and absolutely loved it. Dennis Lee, a ventriloquist, opened and ended each night and was really quite entertaining. I even giggled at some of his jokes. :) Truly a guy with gifts. (Click on his name to check out his website.) The girls seemed to really listen to the lessons at church and talked nonstop about how fun it was for them. Mobberly is a huge church that offers tons of stuff for the kiddos. I was very impressed!

A couple days after VBS ended, we drove 10 1/2 hours to Fort Walton Beach, Florida to visit my sister and her family. We left out on Sat., July 3rd and stayed until Friday the 9th. We spent the 4th at the beach. It was a lot of fun! It was also my sister's birthday. (She always thought the fireworks were for her...Ha!)

The girls had a blast at the beach. I think it was one of the things they looked forward to the most. The last time they were at the beach was in 2001. I think Allison was 2 1/2 and Whit was about 7 months old. I can't believe how long it had been...

The boat in the background of this picture is a dolphin cruise boat. Basically, you ride around on the boat and watch the dophins that swim around the boat. We went on one in 2001. It was pretty cool. I was amazed at the number of dolphins that swam around the boat. We didn't have time to go on it this trip, but we'll definitely try next trip. :)

These are a couple of my favorite pictures of the girls on the beach.

Allison and Whitney spent a lot of time looking for shells - both broken and unbroken shells. I can't tell you how many we brought home...it was a lot, mostly broken ones though. They also tried to catch small crabs and fish that were coming up with the tide. Watching them hop like deer and dive on what they were trying to catch was quite entertaining to say the least. They never did catch any...

Mike finally got a little R&R. He needed it desperately. He has been swamped at work and needed some time away. He hasn't had a real vacation in at least 3 years. It was a much needed brain break for him. It was good to see him relax a bit. And, quite frankly, it was fun to hang out with him. He's an okay kind of guy. I think I'll keep him. ;)

Got a cute pic of me and Ally on the beach. She is growing up and maturing pretty quickly. It was fun to watch her still be a kid. Especially when she hunted for see shells. Each new shell proved to be an amazing find to her. :)

One of the last pics we took that day. The day was a bit overcast and cloudy so when I saw the light shining through the clouds as the sun set, I had to get this picture. I absolutely love how beautiful the sky looked that night. Perfect ending to a great day.

Enough pictures for tonight. I'll post more manana!

Hugs!

Monday...Monday...

2010-06-14T09:25:00.004-05:00

It's finally Monday. I never thought I'd be glad to see a Monday, but today I am glad! We had a very busy weekend.

Allison swam in her first swim meet with her new swim team, Champion Aquatic Team - CAT. She had not been in a meet since February 2009, so it had been nearly a year and a half since she last competed. And, this competition was in a long course pool instead of a short course pool. That basically means it was 50 meters from end to end instead of 25 meters. She has always practiced and competed in a 25 meter pool so she was a bit nervous about being in a longer pool. Once she realized that she would not have to do as many flip turns she was pretty excited.

This is what a long course pool looks like. The length can be pretty daunting!

The meet she competed in was in Shreveport. It started on Friday and ended on Sunday. She competed on Saturday and Sunday. We had to drive to Shreveport and have Ally ready to get in the pool by 7:25 in the morning. That meant we had to get up around 4:30 and leave by 5:45ish. BOTH DAYS!!! It was so hard to get up! Totally worth it though. :)

On Saturday, Allison competed in the 100 backstroke, 100 freestyle, and the 50 butterfly. She said her goal was "to not be last" and I have to say she was pretty successful! haha Her first event was the 100 back. She just recently got that stroke and turn down so she was nervous, but after she realized she wasn't the last person in her heat she got rid of her butterflies. Next, she swam the 1oo free. She did really well again and finished 5th in her heat. The last event she competed in was the one that made me most nervous - 50 fly. This is such a hard stroke and so tiring! Even though it was just a 50, it made me nervous. She totally rocked that one though. As hard as that stroke is, she gave it her all and finshed 5th again. I was so proud of her!

When Sunday rolled around, she competed in the 50 free and the 50 back. In the 50 free she was 4th in her heat and she was 2nd in her 50 back heat. I was so shocked and surprised by her 50 back! You would not believe the change in her backstroke from Saturday to Sunday. On Saturday, she had slower arms and her kick wasn't quite as strong. Then, on Sunday, Coach Clark told her to have fast arms and kick! So, she did! She was in 3rd and as she approached the wall, she just beat out the girl ahead of her to get 2nd in her heat. Wow! So proud of her and she couldn't believe that she did that. She beamed from ear to ear.

After her meet on Sunday, we headed back to Longview. Mike's grandma turned 85 on Friday and she had a birthday party on Sunday complete with BBQ and cake. The food was yummy and when we got home, we all crashed out on the couch. It felt goooooood to be home!

Today will be a kinda lazy day. I don't plan on going anywhere really and I want to clean up the house. Got started on it last week and I want to get it finished today or tomorrow. Wish me luck on that....

Hope everybody has a good Monday!

Hugs!

B-

TGIF!

2010-06-11T21:53:00.003-05:00

This has been my second week of summer vacation. It has flown by so fast! And, I feel like I haven't accomplished all the things I thought I would have by now. Oh, well... At least my laundry is getting caught up. I can hardly believe that we have so much laundry all the time, but then I look at the many different outfits Whit wears each day and I realize where it all comes from... Oh, and when she cleaned up her room yesterday, she had about 6 towels in her room. I hadn't seen them in there before then so I am wondering where she was hiding them. Probably under her bed. ***Mental note - look for dirty towels and clothes under Whit's bed more often.***

Tomorrow is a big day for Allison. It is her first swim meet with her swim team here in Longview. She has been to meets with her old team in Bryan, but this is her first meet with her Longview team. They are competing in a long course pool. It is twice as long as the pool she practices in. She is really excited and nervous. I can't wait to watch her swim. She has been working really hard at practice and has been very good about eating healthy lately. I am very proud of her. :) I'll update everyone on Ally's swim meet this weekend.

Hope everyone has a good weekend! Enjoy this nice weather!

B-

Good morning!

2010-06-02T09:33:00.003-05:00

Good morning world! Today is my 2nd official day of summer break. (I'm not counting the long weekend. We would have had that built into any school schedule.) It is beautiful outside today too. I feel like opening all the windows in the house and letting the sun shine in!

Today is my father-in-laws birthday. Happy birthday Johnny! Hope its a great day!

For the past year and a half I have completely put my scrapping on the back burner. Not because I didn't like it longer. I still love it. More like I just needed to step back and take a break. Over the past few days, I have been looking online to get inspiration. There is SO MUCH out there! Wow! I am motivated! One thing I found while looking on the internet is that there are several sites that I always visited that are no longer there. Kinda surprised to see that so many had disappeared. So, I am on the hunt for some new places to find inspiration. I am feeling REALLY creative lately. Can't wait to get my scrap room in order so I can get busy!

The girls are going to be surprised today. They have wanted a cat for quite some time. Like over a year. We kept putting it off, but after meeting the little kitty that wondered up to Mike's uncle's house over the weekend, I think we all fell for the little thing. Especially Allison. She is head over heels for this kitty. It is so tame and all it wants to do is love on whoever will give it attention. It is not super small, but it isn't full grown yet either. I am going to go get it today and surprise the girls. We will have to get the furbabies used to it, but from what I read online, it can be done. I really think that Deuce will lose interest in it after a while. Dixie, on the other hand, will be excited to have a friend to play with....or just to pester. Either way, this cat has been around the uncle's dogs and is pretty good about standing its ground. I think it will do the same here. We are going to try it out and see how it goes. I hope it goes well, so cross your fingers for us!

Time to get my day going and the windows opened up to let the sun shine in! Have a great hump day everyone! Love loves!

Finally summer...

2010-05-31T20:37:00.002-05:00

It is finally summer here in East Texas! Woo! Hoo! I absolutely love summertime. I feel so free this time of year. No school, no kids (other than my own) needing something from me, time to get things accomplished, and a little time for me. I have LOTS of plans for this summer. I hope that I have time to accomplish them. :)

Just a few things I want to do:

*Finish the kitchen
*Paint the girls' bathroom
*Decorate the girls' bedrooms -- I have tons of ideas for their rooms. :)
*Decorate and organize my scrap room
*READ, READ, READ!
*Float in my pool

Mike and I are also going to start landscaping around the pool. I have some sago palms and some ponytail palms to get us started. It will be a big job and will probably be an ongoing project for a while, but I feel positive it will be completely worth it. We already updated our pool area with a new pool liner earlier this month. It is amazing how different - and new - our pool looks now. I love it. :)

The girls are glad school is out now too. It is hard for me to believe they are going to be in 4th and 6th grade next year. They are growing up so fast. Both of them did exceptionally well on their TAKS tests. Allison was commended on her math test and missed being commended on her science test by one question. Whit took her first ever TAKS tests this year. She made an 85 on her math test and missed having a perfect score on her reading test by one question. We are so proud of them both!

Hope everybody has had a great Memorial Day weekend. Happy summer everyone!
Loves!

I'm still here...

2009-07-08T09:00:00.003-05:00

Hello! It has been quite some time since I last blogged. Since March, lots has changed. And some of those changes are why I haven't blogged. I am hoping to get back on the blog wagon and stay up with it better now that things are getting settled down.

Back around spring break we decided to move back to Longview. Basically, we needed to be back here to be around our family and Mike's job. The job he had in Bryan was almost over and his company wanted to send him to work in Plano after the Bryan job ended. He'd be staying in Plano during the week and home on weekends. I wasn't too keen on being a "single mom" during the week and he wasn't too keen on staying in hotels. So, as it turns out, the place he worked in Longview when we lived here before needed another project manager and when they found out we were moving back they wanted him to come back. He was excited about it too. He really enjoyed working there. That was pretty much a done deal as soon as they talked about it too. So, plans were made and we needed to get them set in motion.

I started applying for jobs in April. I contacted my principal from Kilgore and also applied at Pine Tree ISD. (I had worked for Pine Tree my 1st 4 years of teaching.) I actually got the Kilgore job and accepted it when I got a call from Pine Tree. I really really wanted to work in Pine Tree at their new schools and have the girls attend school there so I decided to go to the interview. I was up front and honest about the Kilgore job, but a few days later the Pine Tree principal offered me a job. I was ecstatic. Things were falling into place.

During all of this, Mike and I decided to try to buy a house. We weren't sure if we'd be able to buy a house with all that is going on with the housing market, especially since we had decided to use his VA eligibiltiy to get the house. It was such a stressful time! We found the house we wanted immediately. We just knew it was the one. I looked at it on the internet every day. I even had the MLS number memorized -- 122910. :) Getting this house seemed so surreal. It seemed like it was just in sight but not quite in our reach. As we went through the process we were dreaming about all that we could do to it to make it ours, all along waiting for that elusive final approval from the mortgage gods. We literally lived with upset stomachs for about a solid month. I can not begin to tell you the weight that was lifted off our shoulders when we got the e-mail with the approval. We were absolutely elated. The best part of it all was the looks on the girls faces when we told them that we had our own house. Smiles beamed from ear to ear. That's a great part of parenting. Makes it all worthwhile.

Mike and I started packing the house up in April for the move that would take place at the end of May. We were determined to have everything in a box. Sounds so easy, right? Once you get down to the "little things" it seems to get hard. Here we were labeling everything so we'd be able to find things and then we had "leftover" stuff. How do you label that? I finally made the executive decision (brought on by just being tired of all the packing) to just start dumping into boxes and sorting it out later. I can honestly say that this is the first time that we didn't have a lot of loose stuff to throw on the moving truck. We did a great job. And, we moved ourselves with very little help. Our friend, David, helped load the piano on the truck, but Mike did most of the loading himself. I helped when I got off work and then we were off ot Longview.

We moved to Longview on May 29th. We got here late and slept at his parents' house. The next morning his brother, uncle, and parents showed up and helped us unload stuff. So nice since we were still tired from the day before. Over the past few weeks, I have been getting things in order. I still have plenty to take care of, but it will get there.

I have also taken on the task of "redoing" the kitchen. I decided that I wanted to have barn red cabinets. Not the bright red, but a deep dark red. I have been working on that for a few weeks now. It is a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. I have to paint the cabinets with a dark brown before I can paint the red or the red just doesn't cover. Needless to say, painting the cabinets with multiple coats of paint takes time since everything has to dry. I am currently working on the upper cabinet doors. I painted them red yesterday and hope they are dry enough to hang later today. Then, it's on to the bottom cabinets. Can't wait until they are done. Then, I'll paint my kitchen dining room walls. They are currently red and clash horribly with my new red cabinets.

I have lots of projects to tackle in this house. I want to do the girls rooms to match their bedding, paint the girls bathroom, and last but not least, organize and decorate my scrap room! Yep, I finally got myself a scrap room! I am super excited and totally inspired. :)

Mike has lots of projects to tackle outside of this house. We have pool and it is wonderful! It has been frustrating at times because we just didn't know a lot of about it. But I have to give kuddos to Mike. He is amazing at learning new things and troubleshooting problems. I like my pool boy. :) He also wants to do some landscaping in the backyard. He has so many ideas and they are all really great. Now, we just need to get them in motion.

All of these changes really seem to be good for us. We are happy and finally feel settled. That's a great feeling... Pictures coming later!

Much love-
B

Drum Roll Please...

2009-03-22T20:54:00.002-05:00

This past week we got our preliminary TAKS Reading results back. No scores, just pass/fails... And the results were...

They passed! Woo! Hoo! What a weight lifted off my shoulders!

Spring break ends today. I am sad. I wish I had some more time off. I spent a lot of my time working on the house. It is nice to have a clean house though. I have enjoyed sitting in it. haha :) On Friday, we headed to Kilgore for the weekend. It was a nice trip. The girls enjoyed being around their cousins. Last night we went to Big Pines Lodge at Lake Caddo. It was a nice night. We had to wait a while, like you always do when you do there, but it was nice. The girls had never seen whole fried catfish and were just amazed by the bones. They were kinda funny. I had to finally tell Whit that she couldn't walk around with the fish skeleton. When we left Whit went with Nana and Papaw while Ally went with Uncle Don and Aunt Claudia. She ended up spending the night at their house since Bailey, her cousin, and a friend were staying the night. I was really happy to hear they all got along and had a good time. Ally definitely enjoyed herself.

Overall, we had a good spring break. I am a little refreshed and ready to tackle work tomorrow, but I am still counting down until the next break!

Much love!

B-

Spring Break is here!

2009-03-13T21:57:00.002-05:00

Spring break officially started for me today at 3:00. I couldn't have been happier to see arrive as I was today. I so need a break from the daily grind. Sometimes that just wears a girl out. That and stupid people. I won't get into that though. It's a long, boring story that involves too many people.... Just note -- I am tired of stupidity. I wish people would think just a little before they do things... Enough of that... On to the next topic...

I have a few goals for spring break. I am making my official list here.

GOALS:

*Work out -- we have boot camp only on Wednesday. I think I'll take advantage of the free week at Snap and work out there too. Kelly is prolly going to do it too so it should be fun.

*Work on the house -- these wood floors need some TLC, plenty of laundry to catch up on, and a little spring cleaning.... OH! And I am officially cleaning Whit's room. She's not going to have much left when I get done....hopefully it won't look like a tornado scene anymore if she doesn't have as much to string out.

*Create something -- not sure what yet. I'll have to see what mood hits me....

*Take a couple of naps -- right now I am so tired that just sounds really nice!

I think I am getting sick. I hate being sick. It sucks. Hopefully, I won't be sick the entire spring break. I think right now it is just a head cold though. I need to get some medicine in me so it will clear up.

Tomorrow is Ally's birthday party. She has invited 5 friends to U Paint It to paint ceramic stuff. Not sure what they'll paint yet, but she is excited. One friend is spending the night tonight. Harper and Allison are like 2 Peas in a Pod. I'll get some pictures tomorrow and upload them as soon as I can.

Now, let's talk about dog pee. I am tired of it. Every time it rains my dogs don't want to go outside. What the hell????? Are they retarded? No. They actually think they are human and neither one likes to be outside in the weather. They are going to have to get over this or they will be in doggy jail for a very long time....

Not a lot of news in the Lackey household this week. Allison's steri-strips and dermabond came off this week and her forehead looks pretty good. As a matter of fact, it kinda looks like a scratch. Should heel up nicely. She also had her 4th grade program last night. She had several speaking parts, a dancing part, and was a song leader....gasp! She was so cute. She kept "posing" for me whenever she'd see me trying to get a picture. I'll have to post pictures of that too.

I am going to bed now. It is late and I am exhausted. This week was the longest week ever. And, today was the longest day in history. That and its cold and rainy... What a way to start spring break!

Photo Post

2009-03-07T18:48:00.005-06:00

Okay, so last post I said I'd get some pictures up here. Here they are...

The first two pictures were taken by the girls. I really like them. I have been wanting some with the girls and this was on my birthday. We left school early and went home to wait on Mike to get home so we could go to Wings. These pics are the result! :)

This is a picture of my hair. I put the red streaks in my hair on Valentine's Day. I really like the results. Needless to say, I'll prolly get them again when these fade out. They are fun... I think they fit my personality... :)

Me and Kelly. She is way fun! We had a lot of fun this night. It was nice to get out and do something with friends.

I don't think this picture needs a lot of explanation. This is Whitney. She has an 8 year old attitude. The end...

Me and Ally cheesin' together. She is a crack-up. She LOVES to pose for pictures. Or just get in them....

Mike prolly wouldn't like it if he knew I put this picture of him on here. I like it though. And I think this is a kinda cool picture. We were in the Katy Mall after Ally's swim meet in Jan. The place in the background was like a 50's soda shop. They had hamburgers and stuff. The food wasn't all that great but it was fun.

This is Ally's arm. At meets, the kids get their heat number and lane number written on their arms so they can keep up with when they swim. It also helps the swim officials get them where they need to go. She thought this was really cool.

Allison and Ryan. This is my friend Kelly's daughter. (She's in the picture with me a couple pictures above this one.) They both swam in the 50 freestyle at the January meet. They actually don't compete against each other because they are in different age brackets. (They are only a year apart in school and age though.) They were both nervous, but they were so cute. They buddied up that day.

This has been a busy week. We had our Reading TAKS test at school this past Tuesday. That day alone is enough to wear a girl out. My kids were really good. I can't wait to see their scores. Wednesday was my birthday. Ate at Wings-N-More with the Provacek's. Thursday was a pretty normal day and Friday was fun day at school so the kids got to watch a movie and play games. They had fun but it seemed like a long day! Glad that the weekend is here....

More later. Much love!

B-

Hello! Remember me????

2009-02-21T21:24:00.002-06:00

It has been an awfully long time since I last blogged. I have been busy and uninspired, but lately I have been finding myself again. It is so nice too! I re-evaluated what I wanted in my life and let go of something that just seemed to be weighing on my shoulders. I quit my (scrapbooking) design team. I had a hard time staying motivated and didn't have enough time to devote to the message board. I really felt disconnected from that group of girls. I guess that I had just outgrown it. Since I quit, I have taken time off from scrapbooking. I think it has helped me find my mojo again. I have been feeling really inspired lately. Inspired to do lots of different things. I want to create art again... That hasn't happened in a while... It is kinda nice to have that feeling again.... :)

I also found something to get involved in that makes me feel GOOD. I started a fitness boot camp. It was so time to take care of me. Snap Fitness came to school and a group of us worked out -- more like let them kick our asses -- every week. It was awesome having the support of my friends there with me. I have never had that before... We were sore, aching, and some days barely walking, but I can tell you that it was a great experience. Duce and Julie were great cheerleaders. When I was ready to quit, they always were able to push me just a little farther than I thought I could go. Thanks Duce and Julie! But, PLEASE, no more leap frog! hehe Boot Camp II starts in a week! Can't wait for the pain -- bring it on!

Since making these changes I feel liberated. Is that the right word? Don't know, but it sounds good. hehe I have set some goals that I hope to meet in the next few months. Maybe if I put them on here I'll stick to them. :)

I have had a hard time wanting to blog because I just hated the way my blog was looking. I tried my hand at creating my own background and stuff, but it just stunk. I visit lots of blogs and Ginnifer Maloney has a background from thecutestblogontheblock.com. I stopped by there and found this background. I really like it. It just seemed fun. :) Now, I just need to update some of my links. So, one of my goals is to update this thing more often. Maybe then, people will actually come visit it every so often. Visitors.....wouldn't that be nice!

I am trying to take more pictures. I lost the want for that over that last few months too. I think that kinda went along with losing my mojo. I am trying to take pictures weekly so that I can do a project with them. I am calling it: Project 52. A Year in the life..... I have the pics started. Should prolly start the project...

I have another goal of living a healthier life. I am doing another boot camp and trying to eat better. We are cooking at home more often and that helps. I am trying to make better choices for snacks and even meals. So far I think I am doing pretty good. I found out about a site called thedailyplate.com. I am still figuring that out, but it is pretty neat. A friend of mine swears by it and she has lost weight and is looking great. Definitely want to learn more about it.

Since I have been feeling inspired lately, I decided I wanted to look how I feel. My hair was already short and I decided to make the back have the kind of messy/spikey look and I added red highlights to my hair. I look like a rock star now! hehehe Well, maybe not, but I LOVE my hair. It is fun and "artsy" -- kinda how I have felt lately. I surprised a lot of people at school. The kids told me right away whether or not they liked it. Most of them did. A lot of adults did too, but some were kinda funny. They would look at me and do a double take and then act like it wasn't there. That cracked me up. I have to say that I did like it when a few people told me they liked my rockstar hair. That was pretty cool.

Now that I am feeling motivated to create some art, I need to get to it! I would really like to get an etsy store or some sort of business selling my stuff. That would be awesome! I have started selling my frames and that has just been by word of mouth. I need to get in touch with Micah and get them in her gift shop soon. That's a start!

The last goal I have is to get more organized. I have been going through & getting rid of things. That in itself is pretty freeing. We took a load to Goodwill not long ago. So glad to get those boxes out of here. We have lots more to go through, especially in the girls' rooms, but we are slowly getting there. Hopefully in the next couple of months we'll have put a good dent in it.

A few goals written down... Although I have already started working on them it makes them more real to read them, you know? Keep me honest -- Ask me about them!

I'll be back in a day or two to post some pictures. It is definitely time for that. I have lots of them to post! Talk to you soon!

Much love!
B-

I am sick.....ish...

2008-11-11T08:38:00.002-06:00

I am home from school today. Not really sick though. Mental health day. Gotta have one of those every once in a while. I definitely needed one today. Actually, it is long overdue. I am doing stuff for me today. Not anybody else. It feels good too.

On my To Do list today:

1. Wash some laundry (Okay, maybe it benefits others, but it is for me too. The laundry is piling up and driving me crazy.)

2. Scrap. I haven't been able to do this for the past week or two and I need my creative fix.

3. Play with Dixie and Deuce. Right now my furry friends are being so cute. They are both on the back of the couch looking out the window. Ahhhh.....

4. Eat lunch with Mike. Just me and him. That doesn't happen a lot.

5. Sew. I got a canvas bag from a fundraiser thing at school. I am not crazy about the "teachery" apple stuff on the front so I want to cover the bag and make myself a new purse. I will definitely take before and after pics once I get this going. I am actually a bit excited about it. I love the fabric I am going to use.

Well, if I am going to spend time with me then I better get off here and get busy. If I don't my day will waste away before I know it! Have a great Tuesday!

Two Posts in a Day! Woo! Hoo!

2008-11-05T21:43:00.002-06:00

Came across this picture of me and Mike from July4th. I really like this picture so I thought I'd share it. I think I'll scrap it soon. I don't like too many pics of myself, but this one I actually like. And, Mike is even sorta smiling. (Anybody who knows him knows that he doesn't smile at all for pictures. He sometimes looks mad. I wish he smiled more. He's a handsome guy!) I'll get more pics up soon! Have a great Thursday friends! Later!

What a ride!

2008-11-05T21:05:00.002-06:00

I haven't updated in quite a while. Once I got back from our family reunion in Kansas I had to really get on the ball and get my room ready for school. That done, I had to really get ready for school! Wow! I had a lot to do!

School started well. I really am glad that I am back at Bowen. I really love working at that school. The kids there are great and the people I work with are easy to get along with as well. I have a lot of work and extremely high expectations, but it is all worth it in the end if my kids in class are successful. That is such a great feeling -- to have successful kids in your class. I really love seeing their eyes light up when they understand or get excited about learning. Makes what I do all worthwhile...

Allison is in 4th grade this year. She is doing well except that she is having trouble with this thing called "HOMEWORK". For some reason she really doesn't like doing it. Go figure. We have our weekly arguements about why we have to do it. I usually win. :) She is learning the hard way that her momma and daddy mean business! She has started swimming on a swim team in addition to playing soccer. It has been a really positive thing for her. She LOVES to swim and it has made her feel so good about herself. I have enjoyed watching her. She is actually pretty good at swimming. Her coach is great too. She says Allison has the shoulders and kick of a butterflier. Wow! Thanks Coach Allison!

Whitney is in 2nd grade this year. She really likes her teacher. When she started the year her teacher came to me after school on many occasions to tell me funny stories about what Whitney had done. They cracked me up, but I couldn't let Whit know they were funny. For example, she told a sub that she went to the Olympics but didn't have any pictures because her mom forgot her camera. Ummm.....yea, right.... Well, I don't hear too manay Whitney stories any more. I am now getting really good reports about what a hard worker she is. That really makes me feel good. She is still playing soccer -- she is so super fast! She loves getting out there and taking control of the ball. She is pretty good at it too. I enjoy watching her play. In addition to soccer, she is doing gymnastics once a week. She really likes that too. She is still awkward looking when she does the exercises in gym class, but she just started a couple months ago so I guess that is to be expected.

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving break. It will be nice to just relax for a few days. I so need that. I am ALWAYS on the run and it can be overwhelming and exhausting. As a matter of fact, last Saturday I actually napped twice. The girls thought I must not feel good, and I let them think that, so they behaved abnormally well. It was a nice break for me. I enjoyed just laying in bed all day. I think I need to do that again sometime. Mental Health time.

I need to post some pics on here. I just don't have them ready to go today. I'll work on getting some picked out and posted. I am thinking this weekend might be a good day for pictures. We'll see. I also promise to do a better job of posting. Busy or not, I'll make time for blogging. It's a good thing.....

2008-07-23T10:09:00.007-05:00

This month at AC Bailey Designs I played with some papers from companies I had never used before and I loved them!

These first two pictures are using the Daisy Bucket Playlist papers. I also used the Prima Dude rubons and chipboard letters. They matched really well and I love how these turned out! The Aggie Fan layout was so fun to do. It just came together for me. I needed that to happen to help pump up my mojo too! hehe Actually, it helped a lot that I love this picture of Allison. She is such a Fightin' Texas Aggie fan! We had a blast at the Aggie vs. Texas Longhorn baseball game. She was a lot of fun to watch -- so glad I got this picture of her! Then next thing I need to scrap from that game are the pictures I got of Whit and her Daddy. They are pretty darn cute! The card & envelope were made using the same supplies. I made it for my sister's birthday. And get this.....it even got mailed! (I am notorious for making the card but not mailing it.)

This little mini album is one of the Bo Bunny word books. This is the I love you album. I used the Pink Paislee Office Ling papers on it. I totally have a crush on this company. So far I have loved everything I have seen from them. I am loving how this book turned out. I also used some Maya Road chipboard flowers and hearts. I worked on this when my best friend Aubrey came and stayed for about 3 days. I stole some glitter from her (okay she gave it to me) and blinged this album up a bit. I also discovered how to use gloss medium. Can I just say WAY FUN! And it looks pretty cool too!

Well, my sister, her kids, and my parents are at my house. Tomorrow the girls and I will be leaving for Oklahoma. We will be there for a few days and then head to Kansas for our family reunion. We'll be gone for about a week and a half.

When I get back I will need to get back in my classroom. It is a total wreck right now. I have things all over the place. This is what it looked like before the tornado (my 2 girls and myself) hit the classroom:

I'll have to post some of the classroom tornado pictures later. When I get back I'll take a few and post them. You have NO idea how back it is in there! Talk to you later!

Much love!

B-

2008-07-16T21:53:00.002-05:00

I need to post an update on here. We have been busy. Seems like so much has been going on.

Went to Oklahoma. Went to Kilgore. Those two trips were back to back weekends and we were worn out from all the driving. Fun, but glad to be back home.

I have also been working on my classroom trying to get things in order. First I had to pick a theme -- it took a while. I was having a brain block so I decided to steal my sister's idea and do monkeys. I really like how it is turning out so far. Way cute stuff at the teacher supply store. I also found some great stuff at Target. I {heart} that store. I have a lot of work to do still but it will get there.

The girls have been doing swimming lessons every morning at 8:00 these past two weeks. Friday is their last day. They have really enjoyed it.

On Saturday the 19th Mike's sister and kids will come to town for a wedding. They'll stay with usthat night. Then, on Monday the 21st, my parents, sister and her kids will be here to get me and the girls. We are following them to Oklahoma and then to Kansas for our first family reunion on my mom's side. I'm pretty excited about the reunion. Allison is too. She really enjoys visiting the Kansas family.

I have pictures to upload from the camera. I have some pictures from the 4th that I really like. Some fun family pictures. I also have some of the girls. They are such hams! Every time that camera is out Ally is posing! She is such a crack up!

Well, I didn't mean to ramble tonight. I'll do a better update tomorrow. And, I might even change the blog color. I think the pink is working my nerves. Got any color combo suggestions?

More later!
B-

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T11:25:00.001-05:00

And, Happy Birthday to my little sis! She is 31 today! Yay! I am going to try to find some old pics of her and post them here. hehe She'll just love that... (Can you see my evil sneer?)

Hope you have a great day Mandy! Have fun at the beach!

Check me out!

2008-06-24T12:56:00.002-05:00

Okay, I have been wanting a new look for the blog for some time now. Just wasn't really sure how to go about doing it. I have been downloading digi kits for a while now -- everytime I see one I like -- with hopes of figuring out how to use them to spice up the blog. Well, today, I just decided I was going to figure it all out. And, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be! Yay! Now I'll be able to change the look up when I want. So happy about that! I know this isn't fancy yet, but I'm working on it! :) I still need to update my sidebar with new links and such. I'll get that done in the next few days. I have come across lots of scrappy goodness I'd like to share with you! Oh, and I'll get some pics and projects posted soon too!

Much love!
B-

I've not been a good blogger...

2008-06-08T12:05:00.007-05:00

It has been quite a while since my last post. Lots has happened but there just hasn't been time to post. I know my legions of fans, all two of them -- hi Mom and Mandy!-- have missed my blog entries. :D

Well, school ended on May 30th. Thank goodness! I was so ready for summer break. I got all my stuff packed up and loaded in the Jeep. It was full from top to bottom. There was just enough room for me and Allison when we headed to Bryan. Don't worry. I didn't leave Whit behind. She rode with Mike. ;) He had the truck and trailer loaded up too. The girls and I had more at his parents house than we thought. Even though I tried to bring things home on our weekend trips to Bryan I didn't do a very good job. We were seriously loaded down! On Sunday, June 1st we finally made it home after 2 months apart. Talk about a good feeling!

In the past few weeks we tried to do some fun family stuff. We got to go to an Aggie baseball game against Texas. It was fun and we won! Whoop! Here are some pictures from our little outing.

I love these pictures. We had so much fun at the game. It was hot as heck but once the sun went down a bit it wasn't too bad. Mike took the girls to the concession stand got these HUGE snowcones. Allison's was really good. I don't know what she picked but it was good. Now, Whitney, she got the reddest snowcone she could get and it was SO SOUR! I don't kow how that child actually finished her snowcone. I think Mike helped her out some. When she came back to our seats with this red snowcone and white shirt I was wandering what in the world Mike was thinking when he let her get RED. Well, she did a pretty good job of keeping in her mouth and off her shirt. Just one little red spot. (And it washed out!) But, her little face was evidence that she definately liked it!

A week later we took the girls to see this:

It was at Reed Arena on the A&M campus. We told the girls that Daddy had to meet somebody up there about a job he was doing. They bought that story hook, line, and sinker. As we walked up to Reed, there was a booth selling High School Musical programs. Ally had a cow when she realized that HSM on Ice was here. I wish you could have seen the look on her face! She couldn't believe it was actually here! Mike told her he'd buy her a program. (It was only $20! ACK! Oh, but it sings when you open it.) We go inside and there are venders selling HSM stuff everywhere! When she saw all that stuff she looked like somebody had just run over her. She still thought we were there to check on one of Daddy's jobs. We found our section and our seats -- 10 rows from the ice. Even after sitting down Allison still thought she wasn't going to get to see the show. When we handed her the ticket she just looked at it for a minute before it sank in what it was. Talk about some happy squealing! Whitney, on the other hand, had other things running through her little head once we told her we got to see the show. Once it started she leaned over and said to me, "Mommy, did Daddy help build this?" I told her no and kinda giggled at her. About 10 -15 minutes later she leaned over again and said, "Mommy, was Daddy helping Troy and Gabriella?" Once again, I told her no and got super tickled at her. She just couldn't let go of the Daddy's work thing. They were both pretty cute. After about 2 1/2 hours, a $15 HSM snowcone, a $12 HSM lemonade, and 2 $5 lukewarm lemonades we finally left with 2 happy girls.

Later that night we headed to the A&M vs. Stanford Super Regional Softball game. It was awesome! I wish I had brought my camera along. Can't believe I forgot it. We were squeezed into the stands like sardines and it was pretty warm, but it was so much fun. I think probably more fun than the baseball game a week earlier. There was a lot more action, 3 homeruns, and the Sugar Daddies were pretty fun to watch too. We really had a good time. I have watched softball since. Especially the Aggies. They beat out top ranked Florida for a spot in the finals. I wish I could report a national championship but Arizona State kicked some major booty. I was disappointed but I had fun watching and cheering or yelling at the tv.

Got my hair cut a couple weeks ago. It is pretty short but I really like it. I got the lady who has done my hair for years to cut it. I think it is pretty cute and sassy. Now, I just have to find somebody here to keep it up for me. Here's a pic of it:

Allison took this picture of me for one of my scrapbooking websites, AC Bailey Designs. She did a pretty good job, don't ya think? She really is funny when I let her take pictures with my camera. She likes to tell you how she thinks you should pose and stuff. Like mommy, like daughter I guess. :D

Now that we are finally moved in, I am working hard to get the house in order. Got quite a bit accomplished earlier this week, but I have a lot more to do. Good thing I have all summer. hehe I actually hope to be almost done by next weekend. That would be a great feeling. Since this house is smaller than the last I am really trying to go through and get rid of stuff that we really and truly don't need anymore. I am even going to go through some of my crafty stuff. I think we'll just have a garage sale. Anything left over can be put out to the curb or taken to Goodwill. I hope we get rid of lots of stuff! It's actually pretty freeing knowing you have a little extra room here and there!

Well, I hope to be a better blogger in the near future now that our lives are getting back to normal. Talk to you soon!

Much love!

B-

It's Picture Day!

2008-04-18T14:15:00.014-05:00

Wanted to add some pictures today. Thought I'd show you what our new house looks like. I don't have inside pics yet. Way too many boxes in there. Mike has been here for a week now and so far I think he likes it except that he said the A/C is a little loud when it kicks on. Not anything we can't get past though. Deuce and Dixie seem to like it. I think Deuce was a little confused at first but Mike said that he has pretty much chilled out. Dixie likes the back yard. She is constantly chasing "things" in the landscaping rocks. I am pretty sure she is after geckos. I don't think she has ever seen one before. Needless to say, she really likes it and he has a hard time getting her in the house.

This next pic is the fam on Easter Sunday. even though we are all looking in the sun squinting adn I am not too terribly crazy about the way I look, I still like this picture. It was chilly but a lot of fun. The girls hunted Easter eggs at Uncle Don's house. They ended up bringing home lots of eggs. Way too many to get eaten!

These next pictures are layouts that I have done recently. This first one was fun because I got to use my Glimmer Mist to make the blue paper. It was white cardstock to start off. I sprayed it down and really like the effect I got. And, it matches my papers really well. I couldn't believe my luck. When I bought the Glimmer Mist I wasn't even thinking about these papers, just that I liked the color of it. This picture of Whitney really captures her personality. She is such a free spirit and a definate DIVA! This layout is for a scraplift challenge at AC Bailey Designs. I used the layout on the cover of Simple Scrapbooks (by Erin Sweeney) as my inspiration. I'm kinda diggin' how this one turned out!

These next 2 pics are DT layouts that I am having trouble getting uploaded to the AC Bailey website. Not having my computer is really hard! I don't have any of the software I need to get it cropped and uploaded the way I need it and when I want to get it up! Very frustrating!

Anyway, this is Allison on her 1st day of school. I thought she looked so pretty in the outfit and she definately thought she looked pretty. I really love these papers by Urban Lily. Bright fun papers and the Bazzill scalloped cardstock is pretty cute too!

This last layout is one of my favorites right now. I love the pic! My best friend Aubrey took this picture of my girls with her daughter this past summer at a softball tournament. I just had to scrap this one because my girls really love Taylor. She is so good to Allison and Whitney. I also enjoyed using these Dream Street papers. The color combination was different from what I am used to using so it was a lot of fun. My favorite part though is the title. :)

You can find the papers for all 3 of these layouts in the AC Bailey store. Go check them out!

Well, it is Friday, my favorite day of the week, and I am ready for the weekend. Mike will be in tonight and I am really ready to see him. So are the girls! I will talk to you all later peeps!

Much love...

B-

Even when there are clouds, the sun still shines...

2008-04-12T08:52:00.006-05:00

The last two weeks have been crazy. Our lives have changed dramatically! You wouldn't believe the things our family has been through.

The weekend of March 29th was crazy. While we were in Bryan/College Station looking for a house there was a terrible storm in Kilgore. It ripped apart our neighborhood and left our house a mess. While we didn't have any trees on top or through our house like some others, we did have extensive flooding. Bad enough that we couldn't stay there. The owners of the house came in from Florida on Tuesday and by Wednesday had completely made the house unlivable. He and his wife really made if difficult on us too. I won't get into the crappy stunts they pulled on us but after asking us 2 other times earlier in the year to end the lease early, they made sure we had no other choice but to end the lease. I can honestly say that I was/am very hurt by what these people put my family through, especially my girls. And, the kicker is that they have children close to my girls ages. I have never in my life met such ruthless people. I hope to never encounter them again. They make my stomach hurt....

After the first week in a hotel, with the help of our family, we packed up our house completely, and moved everything we owned to Bryan where our new house is. Mike and I drove down and got it unloaded and headed back to Kilgore the following day. We were so glad to see our girls! This all happened a week before we even needed to move anything. It was an unexpected move but in retrospect, I think it was a good thing that we got it over with.

Mike finished his last week at work and this past weekend we officially "moved" him and the fur babies into our Bryan house. We got the beds set up and some things unpacked. We didn't finish but it felt good to get a little accomplished. It was hard to leave him there on Sunday and head back to East Texas. The girls were upset, especially Allison. She cried off and on the entire 3 hour trip back. I felt so sorry for her. Nothing I said could make it better either.

In the middle of this big mess I was able to interview for a job at my old school. Today was the last day it had to be posted as available and I am hoping for a phone call tomorrow or the next day. Cross your fingers peeps! I am excited about this one!

Mike started his new job yesterday. While he was pretty tired he said he really enjoyed it. That made me feel so good. I know he was nervous and I just truly hoped this job would be a good fit for Mike. I think it might be. He was happy with it again today. He said the only thing that would make this all better would be to get the school year over so the girls and I could get down there. He misses us and we really miss him.

The girls and I are staying at Mike's parents house. Even though we are living out of suitcases, so far it has been working out well. It is not home but it is comfy. The girls like spending the night at Nana's house. :) They have gone to bed with her every night so far. It is nice for me too. Mike's mom is a great cook so I get that added benefit a couple times a week. Even leftovers are good!

This week we are all finally feeling a little more normal. I know that until all of us are once again under the same roof it won't feel completely normal, but with any luck the next 6 weeks will go by quickly. When it does, all the rain, sweat, and tears we have had over the last few weeks won't even matter because even when things look cloudy you can still see the sun shine.

News, Contests, Birthdays, and Easter Eggs...

2008-03-23T09:22:00.008-05:00

It has been a month since I last blogged. I have sat down at this computer SEVERAL times to update and have either been interrupted or the computer isn't running great. (Read that as definately not the energizer bunny -- more like slow as molasses.) I think Mike figured out what to do yesterday because it is back up to speed. Thank goodness.

We have a new DT over at AC Bailey Designs. I really like the girls we have. They are full of energy and ideas and are really sweet. They are a lot of fun too! Meet them on our Design Team page. They are really great! You also need to check out the fun contest we will have going on from mid-April to mid-June. Scrap Scouts will be a fun way to get lots of scrapping done and a great way to win some cool prizes as well! Come on over and join the fun! We'd love to have you there!

We also have some news on the job front. Mike interviewed for a job in College Station on Feb. 22nd. It took a couple of weeks but he got a call back. We weren't sure if they would offer what we needed them to offer and they actually offered him more. That was such a surprise! And, a much needed one! He accepted the offer and will start on April 14th. We have already started looking for a place to live there. Actually found one but I haven't been able to talk to the real estate lady. Maybe I can get in touch with her this week. Cross your fingers. We have already started packing up nonessential stuff. That is a good feeling. :D Mike starts his new job on April 14th. The girls and I will stay here until the end of the school year and then head that way. They are beyond excited. There are so many things there that they love. (Us too!) We can't wait to get there!

On March 2nd Allison turned 9. She is nearly as tall as me and getting so grown up! I can't believe how fast time flies. We had her birthday party at The Mud Hut. All the kids got to paint pottery of their choice. They had a lot of fun and the pottery pieces were so cute when they finished! I had the store paint Ally a 9th b-day plate. It is SO stinkin' cute! Each person at her party got to sign the back of the plate. Allison loved it! She also got her hand painted and stamped on the party wall with her name under it. She thought that was way cool too. Now her hand will be up there for a long time!

I had my 34th b-day a couple days later. It was a nice day even though I had to work. Mike and the girls got me a new Cricut cartridge and when I got home from work I found a bag hanging on the door. It was from Mike's Uncle Don and Aunt Claudia. It had 2 packs of Cricut crayons in it. I was so excited and I certainly wasn't expecting to get those! It made me feel good that they remembered my b-day. (Not one person at work remembered.) We went out to eat Mexican food at Posado's. It was so yummy! I was stuffed by the time we made it home!

We dyed Easter eggs last night. I chose not to get the egg dye kits that you can buy. I just used the good old fashioned food coloring recipe you can get on the food coloring box. We used neon food coloring for the eggs and they turned out great! We dyed 48 eggs and they look so pretty and bright. Mike and I agreed that we haven't had Easter eggs this pretty in a long time. I took pictures and will upload them after I get all my Easter pics taken today.

I hope everyone has a great Easter Sunday. Enjoy your time with family today!

Design Team Call and Weekend Ramblings...

2008-02-17T08:18:00.006-06:00

We are still accepting applications for our design team call over at AC Bailey Designs. This is a fun site to be a part of and designing for Erica is a lot of fun. She does a great job keeping the store stocked with up to date supplies. If you are interested check out this link to find out more about the design team positions available. We'd love to see you over at the boards!

I got a kick out of Allison when I saw her wearing these 3D glasses from the Hannah Montana concert movie she went to at the beginning of February. After she got home she wore them to watch tv. She thought they were pretty cool. I can't wait until she gets older. :D

The weather was rainy all day yesterday so we just stayed at home and didn't do much but watch tv and nap. Today, however, is just beautiful. The sun is out and it is actually not as wet as I expected it to be. The girls and the fur babies have been outside playing a lot today. It's nice to get them out running off some extra energy. We worked on getting the house straightened up. After some tears (Ally) and a little work the house looks much better. I even swept and mopped the floors. Now, we're just working on laundry.

I took this last picture of Allison on Friday night. She fell asleep on the couch so I just left her there when I went to bed. I got up at about 12:30 and found her on the couch like this. I just couldn't resist taking a picture of her. How can this possibly be comfortable?!?! I left her like this for a little while and then got Mike to get her to her bed. It was funny watching him carry her. She is nearly as tall as me! I don't think she has seen this picture. She may not be happy it is on here! Oops! Sorry Ally!

We all have a four day week this week. No, we don't get President's Day off. We are actually all taking Friday off to go to Bryan. Mike has an interview with a company and the girls and I are going along for the ride. It will be nice to be back there again. I am hoping and praying that the right job opportunity will come along for him. Keep your fingers crossed for us! It would be so nice to be living where we feel at home again! We miss Aggieland a lot!

Well, enough rambling for now. I will check in with you later peeps! Have a great Sunday!

Long time, no blog...

2008-02-09T08:48:00.000-06:00

What can I say? Life has been busy! :D Time to catch up....

Nothing earthshattering has happened here. Basically just the normal day to day stuff. Whit and Ally were supposed to spend the night with a friend last night and Whit ended up coming home at 11:45 last night because she didn't feel good. Well, she is quite perky today. You wouldn't know that she felt bad last night at all if it weren't for her eyes. They are red and puffy. I really hope she isn't getting pink eye or anything like that. We'll be doing some warm compresses on them this weekend and I think I'll get some eye drops as well. I'll call the doc on Monday and get something called in. Why does this kind of stuff always seem to happen on the weekend????

Mike has an interview with a company in Bryan/College Station in a couple of weeks.He has a friend that works there and from what he has said it sounds like they are really interested in Mike. I hope they make him a good offer. We want to move back so bad! I am really sick of living here. There just isn't anything here for us. No job opportunities that are better than what we have and the opportunities for the girls are really limited as well. I want to give them the world and here I can only give them the oilfield. It just won't cut it for me.

This past week at work has been hectic and quite honestly, kinda shitty. The kids haven't really even been the problem. They are just kids an you get past their antics and silliness and just love them. The problem is the grown ups. Let me just preface this by saying that I have never had a problem with anyone I have taught with in the 10 years I have been teaching. I pretty much get along with everybody and just go with the flow. And, most of the time things just don't bother me. This year I teach across the hall from a 2nd year teacher. She and I talk off and on and have had a pretty decent relationship. For quite some time though, whenever I mention that I have had a rough day she chimes in with things like, "Yeah, your kids are so bad!" or something to that effect. Usually, I am not the only other person in the conversation, there are other people around. Apparently she has done it with other people too. I have kinda just brushed it off to her not knowing, or being inexperienced, that you just really don't say that kind of thing to another teacher. It comes across as "You have no control over your kids." Well, I happen to think I have a pretty good class and those random comments, that she doesn't ever realize she is making, have bothered me. I wish I had told her on one of these occasions that that I didn't appreciate her comments but I haven't. She is someone who can make your life hell because of who she is so I have just left it alone.

Then on Monday, after I finished tutoring at 4:30 she tells one of my little girls from class that her skirt is too short and she can't wear it to school anymore. She did this in front of other kids and me too! There was no discretion whatsoever. That did not set well with me at all. I mean, I would NEVER tell one of her kids something like that. It is not my business. If it hasn't been and won't be an issue, then leave it alone. Plus, she is only 8 years old -- not a teenager. I really thought that crossed the line. When she asked me if I told her it was too short I just replied, "No. It hasn't been a problem all day." She just kinda gave me a look.

Even after sleeping on it I was still aggravated and asked one of my teaching partners what to do about all of it. We ended up talking to the assistant principal and I asked her for help. I told her that I didn't want to get the teacher in trouble or be a tattle tail or anything like that. I just think somebody needs to tell her that there are boundaries and lines that you don't cross and you need to be careful about that. My assistant principal agreed. She said that maybe she didn't realize that since she was only in her 2nd year of teaching. I made myself clear that I didn't want my name brought up in this because I didn't want things to be uncomfortable. She said she understood and told me she would think about what to do.

Well, let me tell you what the woman did. She betrayed my trust. She broke confidentiality and told the principal, who happens to be good friends with this teacher because both their husbands coach together in the district. The principal calls this teacher down to the office and tells her the entire story! And, not only tells her what I said but even twists it around -- she tells her I said she was coming into my room. I NEVER said that.

At 4:30 when I finished tutoring on Thursday, this 2nd year teacher comes back up to school to confront me and wants to know what she did to offend me. I had to explain myself. I tried to get the point across that really and truly I wasn't completely offended even though what she said was hurtful. My main concern was that maybe she doesn't know what the boundaries are for making her comments. Yada, yada, yada. I even tried to make the example of when your personal child was acting poorly and somebody tells you your child is bad. It is basically the same thing. The kids in class are MY kids when they are with me. And, you know what? She kept saying that she didn't get it. It didn't make sense to her. It seemed so high school! And maybe it is, but that comment really pissed me off! Sheesh! Hello! Common courtesy...ever hear of it? Basically, I was having to tell her what my boss should have told her. Instead, my boss told her what she should do to approach me about it. I was pissed. You know, I didn't feel like it was my place to tell her how to behave. I felt like I had a legitimate concern. So did my teaching partner, the 2nd grade level chair, and the 3rd grade level chair. I brought my concern to one of my bosses on their advice. My assistant principal betrayed my trust. And, now, things are very awkward and I look like I don't know how to handle my business. That sucks. I work way too hard.

This is the worst school district I have ever worked in. I don't even have teacher books for all the subjects I teach, there is no set math curriculum, and they supply you with hardly anything. We are responsible for buying supplies like tape, staples, dry erase markers, overheads, etc. It is not only frustrating, but it is expensive! If I didn't have to buy this stuff myself I would be able to buy more things for my kids to use and actually learn from. This town and this district are so political. It is all about who you are and who you know. They are not organized well and when they have an extra $6 million somewhere in the school budget, guess what they do. They don't put it into academics. They build an indoor practice field for the high school football team. Can you tell where their loyalities lie? Don't worry that the teachers don't have what they need to teach. But they still expect me to be able to get all my kids to the point of passing the state mandated TAKS test before going to 4th grade. Gee, thanks for all the help, right?

Well, enough of my school bashing. But, I needed to get that off my chest. This will be the only year I work there. Hopefully we will be moving back to Bryan soon. Cross your fingers and say a prayer for us. I think that is exactly what we need! Next time I post, I promise it won't be a rant and I'll include some pics!

Design Team Call for AC Bailey Designs!

2008-01-31T14:38:00.000-06:00

Design Team Call at AC Bailey Designs! AC Bailey Designs is an online community and store, PLUS a growing Direct Sales Company. Currently we have a 300 member online forum and gallery that needs a little TLC and motivation! We need your help to encourage ALL of our members to start participating, contributing and having fun in this fantastic hobby of ours! If you think this is something you can do, read on…We are looking to add 6 talented, motivated, enthusiastic Designers. We would like 3 who are, or are willing to become, Consultants (or Hobbyists), who will be selling product and promoting the direct sales side of our company in addition to their Design Team Member responsibilities, 2 Traditional Design Team members, and because we are adding some fantastic New Digital software programs to our product line, 1 Digital or Hybrid Design Team Member. There will be different compensation and responsibility structures for each type of Member, each will be described in detail in your contract, but below is a basic outline.Traditional Design Team Members and Digital Design Team Member- 3 LO’s a month, 1 must be a 12”x12” LO, other’s can be as small as 8”x8” or 2 LO’s and 1 small project- Regular forum participation with daily scrapbook related posting- Participation in the weekly rotation of SQOTD, QOTD, Inspiration Corner, Sketch and Ad Challenge, DT ChallengeConsultant Design Team Members- All of regular DT responsibilities listed above- Participation in a weekly rotation of, Business related news, Business tips, Advertising sources for consultants, Advertising the businessConsultant Design Team Member Coordinator- All of the Traditional DT Member and Consultant DT Member responsibilities- Coordinate the weekly rotation of the business forum - Admin management of the public business forums and the private consultant forumWhat are we looking in our new Members? Here is a breakdown:- Traditional DT Member: You must be scrapbooker, paper crafter or stamper who is not afraid to use the latest products. You must be an enthusiastic, dedicated, positive, team player and be willing to promote and encourage the growth of our site, forum, company and of our other Team members.- Digital DT Member: All of the above PLUS, you must have a working knowledge of the digital scrapbooking world. - Consultant DT Member: All of the above, PLUS you must be or be willing to become a Consultant or Hobbyist for AC Bailey. You will be required to meet all the business requirements, as well as your DT responsibilities. This will be a time consuming position.- Consultant DT Member Coordinator: All of the above, plus you must be published a minimum of 3 times and have a background in leadership and/or previous experience on a DT. This will also be a time consuming position.We also require that you belong to only one other Design Team during your term with us.What will you get in exchange?- Traditional DT Members: $25 in free product a month and a 25% discount to the store to use whenever you want!- Digi DT Member: 1 of the 2 new Digital Software Programs, $10 to spend at DigitalScrapbookPlace.com and 25% discount to the store to use as often as you like!- Consultant DT Member: $25 in free product a month and a FREE KOTM!- Consultant DT Member Coordinator: $40 in free product and a FREE KOTM!Each of you will also get the recognition of being on a Design Team, personal promotion on our site and promotion in our monthly newsletter that goes out to over 500 subscribers. You will get your own personal gallery and a section all about you on our DT page. Each member selected will have the opportunity to read the contract before accepting and will be signed for a 6 month term. So, ready to apply?Just upload 4 projects into our online Gallery at http://www.ACBaileyLtd.com/gallery. These must include 1 layout about yourself showcasing your personality and scrap style, 2 other layouts and at least 1 other project of your choice. You must also be a registered member of our forum with an average of 25 posts a week started with the date you apply.Also submit the following to erica@acbaileyltd.com:- name and full contact information- list of current DT memberships, links to any online galleries that you submit to and message boards or communities that you are active in (please include your board name)- if you have an online gallery, please provide the link.- list of any or all publications (when and where)And answers to the following questions:- How long have you been scrapping?- What product can you not live without?- How would you describe your scrap style?- Are you afraid to step out of your box?- What would you like to get out of this experience?- How is your scrap space? Messy or organized?- What can you bring to our store, community and customers?Our Call will run from Feb. 1st thru March 1st. Decisions will be made by March 7th, with the new Team Members announced March 10th. (All dates are tentative based on response.)Thank you! Good Luck! And we look forward to hearing from you!PS... Spread the word!

The Perfect Tree mini book

2008-01-17T21:11:00.001-06:00

Monday, Monday...

2008-01-07T18:15:00.000-06:00

Went back to work today after having 2 weeks off. Boy am I tired! My school kids were pretty good. Must have still been asleep from the holiday break. I pray that it lasts for a while! hehe Actually, it was good to see them. They were excited to tell me about their Christmas break. Allison and Whitney got up pretty good this morning. I was really expecting some griping and complaining from tired worn out girls but they did well. I think their tiredness is catching up though. They are wound up and pinging off the walls as I type. You know, kinda the crazy wild way kids act when they are tired. I hope they crash pretty soon. I need some peace and quiet! :)

Our weather has been really nice the past couple of days. We had a high of about 74 today. It was super nice when I took the kids to recess. I really don't mind this weather even though it doesn't feel like winter weather. It keeps my heating bill down and that is great with me! It has actually been a bit refreshing after the super cold weather we had last week.

I have decided to cut WAY down on the Diet Cokes. I will allow myself one a day as long as I get 3 bottles of water as well. I think that is so much healthier. It will also be a great tool to use as I try to lose weight. I am following the Weight Watchers plan. I am not joining but I have the stuff from when I joined in the past and I am going to use it. Found out that there some other ladies doing it at school so that could be a good thing for me. After my run after Dixie the other day I was convinced that the extra fluff wasn't for me anymore. Oh, and I weighed myself at school today too. I think the scale must have been broken because there is no way I could weigh what it said! (Can you see the look of shock on my face?) I need a lifestyle change. Time to get healthy. I grocery shopped after school today and I think I did pretty good. I see lots of chicken, lean meat, and salads in our future. Good thing I like that kind of stuff! I'll try to update my progress on here. I really want to do well!

Happy Birthday Whitney!

2008-01-06T20:42:00.001-06:00

Whitney is so excited to be 7 years old! She just couldn't wait. Last night she was so excited that she didn't get to bed until 1:00 in the morning! She kept saying that she would finally be a big girl when she was 7 years old. Today, she asked if she was really 7 because it just didn't feel like she was. I got tickled when she asked that. :) She had a big day today. We went to Chuck E. Cheese's for lunch -- her pick, not ours. :) Her Nana and Papaw and Aunt Kim, Uncle Mason and her cousins Maty and Ren met us there. They had so much fun playing and she was glad they were there. They brought her presents and before we even knew it she was tearing into them! She got a really cute puppy in its own purse from Nana and Papaw. It has all kinds of accesories with it. She has already brushed its hair to make it look perfect! From her Aunt Kim, Uncle Mason, Macy, Maty, & Ren she got a Nintendo DS game. Now, my baby girls LOVES WWE wrestling. She watches it every chance she gets and when she found out that there was a game she was just dying to get it. I jokingly told her there was absolutely no way she could have it. She must have taken me seriously! When she opened up the Ninetendo game she was beyond excited to see what it was! I am so glad I got a picture of her face! It was just priceless! I love you Whitney baby!

My new shoes don't make me run faster...

2008-01-04T16:18:00.000-06:00

This is two post day. It has to be because of my darling Dixie. I found out today that my new shoes don't make me run faster. What's up with that? When my Whitney gets new shoes she says it makes her run fast as lightning. Why didn't lightning strike today?

Today, the trash truck was picking up trash. This is not the usual trash day so I didn't have the trash out. I took it out and Allison went out with me. When Allison tried to get back in Dixie ran OUT! Well, little buddies, the chase was on!

Allison and I chased her down the street. The trash man even tried to help out a couple of times. He almost had her twice and she got away. Off I went again. The couple at the end of the street tried to help out too. Dixie just refused to come to anybody. Ally went home to get some dog treats. By the time she got back out we were already on the other side of the block. I chased her through 3 backyards before she decided she wanted to check out the street side again. My heart was pounding! She is still a puppy and she will never be very big so I was scared to death a car wouldn't see her and she'd be gone. Luckily, where she decided to come out at the street was an older woman checking her mail. Dixie checked her out but wouldn't get close enough to catch. I asked the lady if she had a piece of bread I could coax her with and she went in to get some. At the same time Dixie saw a couple of guys down the street and started heading for them. By this time I was exhausted. I had run my fat ass all over the neighborhood. (Pretty picture, huh?) It is not a good thing to be out of shape. Guess God was sending me a message... Anyway, I hollered at the guys to PLEASE try to grab her. She ran from the 1st guy but ran straight to the 2nd guy. THANK YOU LORD! He held her until I finally caught up. Wow! It only took me 45 minutes to catch her! Needless to say I was not happy having to carry her the rest of the way home. Although, it wasn't that far. By this point we had gone almost all the way around the block. She got a spanking and had to stay in jail for a while. I was laid out on the couch for a while trying to recouperate. I hope she doesn't do that to me again. I think I just might die if she does!

Did you survive the New Year?

2008-01-04T11:18:00.000-06:00

We ended up at Mike's aunt and uncle's house on New Year's eve. I had a horrible tension headache that would not quit. I hate those things...... But we saw in the New Year and it was nice. The girls stayed up and saw it in too. But, just as soon as it was here Whitney put herself to bed and wasn't having anything else to do with all the hoopla. She was tired! Now, Allison is a different story. She was tired but too excited to go to bed. I think it was around 2:00 in the morning when she finally gave in to sleep. Needless to say she slept late the next day. And, I let her. :D

We go back to school on Monday, Jan. 7th. I am not ready to go back. I am enjoying my time off. I wish the breaks we get didn't go by so quickly.........

Whitney turns 7 on Sunday. It is hard to believe that 7 years ago I was still pregnant with her! She has grown up so fast. And, although she still needs me for some things, she is so independent! It just kills me! My baby is no longer a baby and that is hard to swallow. We are planning on taking her to any restaurant she wants to eat at on Sunday. I have a bad feeling that she will want to go to Chuck E. Cheese's. But, if that's what she wants...... She wants to have a slumber party the following weekend. It will be her first. I think we are inviting all the girls in her class -- which is about 11-- and I am not sure how all this will work but I think pizza, a movie, and cake will be good. She said she wants to play dress-up princess with them all. We'll see. We still have lots of planning to do! Mike has already made it clear that he ***thinks*** he will be gone that night. Thanks Baby! I'll have to take lots of pictures of this! I can't wait!

It's a beautiful sunny day today. I think sidewalk chalk is in order. Can't wait to play with my girls! Talk to you soon!

Wasn't It Merry?

2007-12-29T19:44:00.000-06:00

Hope everybody had a great Christmas! We did! The girls made out like bandits -- Santa brought so much stuff! Thanks Santa!

I stayed busy right up until Christmas Eve. I have never waited this late to get thing finished for Christmas. I am usually done a couple weeks before. Not this year! It just crept up on me! I was still getting things ready to go when it was time to head out to visit with the family and exchange gifts. It was nice to finally slow down to enjoy the night!

We started off at Mike's parents' house. It was fun watching the kids rip open their packages. My youngest nephew got a drum set. I sure am glad it didn't come home with me. :D Although, Whit did bring home a working microphone that plays songs she can sing and a noise making guitar. Not the real kind but one that she loves anyway. She still feels like a rockstar when she plays with it! Ally got Hannah Montana stuff. She is crazy about HM. I have never seen anything like it.... Sometimes it drives me crazy but I can be happy that she is crazy about a pretty good role model. I hope HM doesn't turn out to be like the Spears girls. That is another entry though.

Once we finished at Mike's parents' house we headed to his aunt and uncle's house. We started off by playing Dirty Santa with $5 gifts from the liquor store. Do you know what you can get at the liquor store for $5? Nothing really great, I can tell you that! By the end of the game you had to take at least one drink of what you ended up with.

I ended up with Hot Damn! as my "prize". At least it didn't taste horrible! Some of the things they brought were NASTY! The two worst ones were these: Arrogant Bastard Ale, and Rattlesnake shots. All I can say is: Dis-gust-ing! The Rattlesnake shots were awful. I couldn't even tell you what was in it. It was two different liquors that tasted like rubbing alcohol. Definately pukester drinks.

The next picture is Mike and his Uncle Don discussing how to steal from somebody else. I think they were strategizing. They both were eyeballing something they wanted.........

Can you guess by the last picture that Mike got what he wanted! :D He likes to try different dark beers and this was no exception. Only this one was so dark it looked like black coffee when we finally poured it down the sink. It was super strong and quite bitter! We kept the bottle though. It was pretty cool. There is a neat story/warning on the back of it that tells you that it is pretty stout and disgusting. It also tells how/why they started making the crap. I think they should quit making it and just make the cool bottles. Although, it does make a pretty good gag gift......

We had a good time on Christmas Day too. We ate BBQ with Mike's parents and relaxed at home in front of the good ol' tv while the girls and played. It was nice to put our responsibilities aside for the day and just enjoy our family! I hope you all enjoyed your holiday as well! I hope you have a great New Year!

Today was pretty cool...

2007-12-12T21:05:00.001-06:00

I made this frame last night for the Creative Christmas Countdown we have going on at AC Bailey Designs. I am really pleased with how it turned out too. I took it to school today just to show a couple of people. Harmless enough, right? Well, I got to talking to a teacher friend of mine and told her about the etsy stores for crafters. (Etsy is like an online store/site for crafters to sell their goodies.) Anyway, we were talking about what something like this should cost and we finally decided on something we both thought was reasonable. She had some of the same thoughts and ideas as me and I think I really needed to have somebody else tell me. Know what I mean? Anyway, I thought I'd "test" it out by showing this frame to some people at school and tell them a price. I NEVER dreamed anybody would actually WANT one. But, within about 10 minutes I had 7 orders for picture frames! How cool is that! I couldn't believe it! I am so excited though. I only showed a few people -- maybe 10 -- and got a really great response! I think I may need to push this a little more. It could be quite equitable for me... :D (Love it!)

I have been pretty busy lately. School has been hectic and stressful. We have so much to do to get the kids ready for the TAKS math and reading tests. The reading test is in March. They have to pass this test to go on to 4th grade in TX. That is a lot of stress not only on the kids, but also on the teacher! Eek! (See the sweat bullets beginning to form?) And this week and next are going to be rough since the kiddos are ready for Christmas break. If the truth be known, their teacher is probably more ready than they are. I need a break!

My sister and mom can relate to the stress. They both teach 4th grade. Mom in Oklahoma, Mandy in Florida. I am glad that I can call and vent to them and they totally get it. It is nice to have somebody understan exactly where I am coming from. Mike can sympathize but he can't empathize. Ya know? I usually call my mom. She has taught longer than ever. I am not even sure just how many years she has taught. Mom, you need to leave me a comment and let me know. :D I can call my mom for anything. It is nice to be able to call her and know that I can count on her and Dad for anything. I hope they know just how much I appreciate all they do for us. I have great parents. I am a lucky girl. Thanks for being there for me Mom and Dad..... Love you lots! XOXOXOXO

I need to get the girls situated in bed. We are a little late getting there tonight. I guess they will be fine though. After all, Christmas break is only 7 days away! Talk to you soon gang!

Just Call Me Grace...

2007-12-11T17:59:00.000-06:00

That should be my middle name. I seem to do the most graceful things at the worst possible moments. Or at least in front of too many people.

Today's situation:

I really needed to hang some things from the ceiling in the hall at school today. Okay, didn't NEED to but WANTED to. The kids made some cute ornaments and I thought I'd hang up for everyone to see. So, I do the most logical thing a gal of 5'2" can do. I get one of the kids' chairs and decide to use it. I pull it out into the hall and climb on up. Not for long though. The chair starts to feel like it is sliding on the tile and lo and behold it is! Two legs of the chair are totally coming out from under the chair! Well, being the graceful swan that I am I totally bust my a$$ right in front of the kids that were in my class because of course I start right smack dab in front of my door. I hit the floor with a nice smack! (I later found out that the gal that teaches next door to me heard it. She just didn 't know what the sound was! Lucky me!) Anyway, this was the conversation that followed my graceful decent:

Colby (my 9 year old student): Are you okay?
Me: Yes, I'm okay.
Colby: You don't look okay.
(I think, 'Thanks kid!')
Me: I promise I am okay. I think I just bruised my pride more than anything else.
Colby: Okay. If you say so.

I love that I can be so graceful under fire. Lucky for me there weren't any classes in my hallway at that time. Usually our hallway is pretty busy. I lucked out. I hope I get lucky the next time I fall. Oh, yeah, this wasn't my first time. I took down a table earlier in the year. I just leaned up against it....with my hand! Like I said, just call me Grace!

Whoever is sending the message...... I GOT IT! I need to lose a little of my fluff! I promise to start working harder on it! :) (Just gotta get through the holidays! Can you say YUMMO?)hehe

Got any stories like this one? I'd love to hear them so I know that I'm not the only one in this boat! Later!

Kids, Candy, and Trees

2007-12-07T16:46:00.000-06:00

This had been a long week for me. So much to do, so little time. Story of my life! Not to mention that I have had to deal with kids misbehaving all week long. I'm not sure what has been in the water this week but it seems to be one thing after another! WOW! I have talked to more parents this week than I can count on my hands! I hope the next two weeks of school are better!

I have been busy working on some projects for my design team at AC Bailey Designs. I had so much fun with these papers! I have a hard time scrapping certain holidays -- ie. Halloween! But the Scenic Route Salem line was so much fun it was easy to scrap these pics! I also used the My Minds Eye Confetti paper collection on the pictures of Whitney. They just seemed to match! I also liked how they worked with Whit's "Rockstar" poses!I also doodled on this one. I summoned my inner Aubrey and just went for it! (For those of you who don't know Aubrey -- She's my mega talented best friend and the most artsy farts gal I know!) Then there are the cards. I have been on a card kick. I am really enjoying making cards at the moment. They can be a challenge sometimes but I have fun with them. :D I have a few more projects that I am working on this month. They are just taking a little longer because they are altered projects. As soon as I get them finished I will post them here.

We still don't know anything about the situation on our house. The owners still want to move back and I don't blame them. They are in the same situation we are in. We are thinking that we really would like to move back to Bryan. I already know I really like the district and Mike has a couple of job leads. Plus, there are plenty more places for him to look. The girls really miss it there too. They miss all their friends. We have really give this a lot of thought and don't know for sure what we will be doing but we have been leaning towards moving back. I think it would be beneficial to our family. We all want to be there and I think that being some place that you are happy to be takes a lot of the stress out of our lives. Know what I mean? I am sure that we will get it all figured out soon. Just say a little prayer for us!
We got the tree up this week. The girls helped get it decorated. We cut it down at the tree farm. The girls had a blast trying to pick one out! They were running all over looking at trees! Well, we got us a crooked tree but the girls think it is the most beautiful one ever! I'm glad they like it! I'll post pics of all that in the next day or two.

Not much going on this weekend. Probably cleaning the house and hopefully scrapping a little. I hope you all have a great weekend! Later!

2007-11-28T18:32:00.000-06:00

Love this picture of Allison and my mutt, Dixie. This was the same day that Dixie got groomed. She looked so cute all shaved and fixed up! Allison enjoyed snuggling with Dixie after she got home. It was pretty cute how she was being a mother hen!

Well, things are a little rocky again on the homefront. The people that own the house we are renting have decided once again that they want to move back into it before the end of the school year. That puts us out Jan. 15th. The realtor that manages the house is trying to get the lease extended until May 31st. I don't look for them to sign the extension. So, we will probably be moving in the next couple of months. It sucks too. We are just really unsure what to do. We have thought about moving down towards Austin or Houston. There are jobs out the wazoo for Mikedown there. He figures he'd make a little more than he makes here but without the company truck and the benefits of having that truck. So, I guess either way you look at it he's making out about the same. We won't have the truck payment or gas bill if he stays at this job. I think he figured that saved about $8,500 per year. That's quite a lot! But, at another job he'd get better benefits. It's really a toss up. We just don't know what to do and we are really putting a lot of pressure on ourselves. We also figure that if we stay here we wouldn't need our personal truck. If we sold that we'd be able to pay some things off. So, the question is.....What do we do? Well, we're not sure. Maybe this house thing is a blessing in disguise and God's way of telling us what we need to do and where we need to be. I hope that we make a decision soon. I have felt like I have been in limbo for quite some time. So has Mike. I hope we can make a decision soon!

In the teaching world, I have decided that sometimes when you reinvent the wheel it can be a good thing or a bad thing. If I am the one reinventing the wheel that I can't complain about it later. I can deal with that because I did it to myself. But, on the other hand, it really irks me when somebody reinvents the wheel for me. Long story short.....

We have a lady at work that is the TAKS coach. She gets stuff together for us to teach during our Power Hour time. (This is about a 35 minute time period when we work with our ability grouped kids on specific skills and concepts.) Almost all of the time she gets us our materials at the last minute or even late. It sucks to have to plan this stuff at the last minute. That's beside the point though. Well, today, she basically told us to chunk our plans for the rest of the week. We would be doing a TAKS reading passage. And then got upset when we questioned if we could wait until next week to start. Now, for those of you who don't know, it takes about 30 -45 minutes to do a passage if the kids use all the strategies they are taught to answer the questions to the passage. Well, I gave the test and of course my kiddos didn't finish. I didn't expect them to. They'll finish tomorrow. I guess my frustration lies in the fact that we don't have a plan. Or at least one that makes sense to me. (I am not the only one who feels that way either!) I feel like we are spinning our wheels and not getting a lot accomplished. We will meet as a grade level on Monday. I hope we get some of this resolved. I am sure so. I just hope it goes well! ;)

I'll keep you updated as I get things figured out. Cross your fingers for me and say a little prayer! Later guys!

Sunday Nights...

2007-11-25T22:19:00.001-06:00

Get here too quickly in my opinion. I know I have been off for a week. Actually, 9 days if want to know the truth. But, Sunday comes and GOES way too quickly for me. I enjoy my time off but when it gets later on Sunday I start to dread Monday. I know that means that I have lots of responsibilities to face 1st thing in the morning. Lots of little kids that depend on me. I don't mind having the responsibility at all. I love my job. It's just that I love the mindlessness that weekends and time off tend to bring with them. It is pretty sweet sometimes to be able to do whatever the heck I feel like doing. For example, I stayed in my jammies ALL day yesterday except when we went to McDonald's for lunch. After we got home from McD's I was back in my jammies lounging on the couch watching movies all day long. That was pretty nice. I just gave my body and my mind a break. It is important to let it all go and just sink into yourself sometimes.......I think we need to do that more often. Too bad Sundays roll around like clockwork each week! :D Hope you have a good Monday!

Goals for the week

2007-11-18T10:21:00.000-06:00

So, I am trying out a new background on my blog. I was really tired of the whole polka dot thing. I would really like to learn how to customize my backgrounds and colors. Maybe I'll be able to figure it out over the Thanksgiving break. I know that it is probably fairly simple but I just need to figure out where to start.

I also want to scrap my butt off this week. I have so many projects that I want to work on and complete. I need to get some things finished for AC Bailey Designs. I have some great papers and supplies to work with this month. I also have a few personal things I want to get done. Maybe even a few Christmas gifts..... :D

I want to take the girls out and do a photo shoot with them for my Christmas cards that I send out every year. I bought the papers for them yesterday. I really like what I bought. Much different from the past couple of years. I also need to do a photo shoot with Allison still. She has asked when it would be her turn. I think this week will be the perfect time to do that.

I plan on getting this house straightened back up. It isn't just a wreck yet so I think I can get it back in shape pretty quickly. Then I want to enjoy it!

My scrap stuff needs to be cleaned up and organized. Definately need to get that done so I can be more productive. It certainly helps!

I will have some scrappy goodness to post in the next couple of days. I have been in card making mode and want to get them up and posted.

More later! I'll post pics next time! Promise! Later gators!

Is this week over yet?

2007-11-08T20:41:00.000-06:00

This feels like it has been the longest week EVER! I am so ready for the weekend. I plan on doing some ME stuff and just being a little lazy. I really need that.

My schedule at school has had to change due to some of my kiddos getting pulled out of class for extra help. It's a good thing, I know. Just a little hard to adjust to only have a handful of kids in my class for nearly an hour. Then when the pull outs get back I have to quickly reteach them and get them caught up. I hope that by changing my schedule I'll be a little less stressed about this in the next few weeks. I am sure it will all work out. It just needs to happen soon!

Mom and Dad traveled back to Kansas today. They were there about a week ago and this time they plan on staying through next week. I am glad that Mom is able to go be with her brother. I think Uncle Mike is really glad she is there as well. I am going to leave him a message on his Care Page. This is a webpage set up by my cousin Jessica, his daughter. The address is www.carepages.com. His page is called larrymscott. He has recieved lots and lots of messages. I think it makes him feel good to get to read all of them. Jess has also posted some pictures on the site as well. It is nice to be able to see these.

Well, I am pooped. I think I will go lay down for a while and watch tv. I will probably fall asleep pretty quickly and not actually see any shows! Talk to you later!

Hidden Messages...

2007-11-04T21:36:00.001-06:00

Today I helped a man with no arms. He was in a wheelchair and his arms were prosthetic extensions with hooks on the end. (I know that is not the politically correct way to describe them but I am at a loss as to what they should be called. I apologize.) I noticed him as soon as I turned down the aisle he was on at Wal-Mart today. My first thought was, "Dear Lord, please don't let my girls stare at this man." But that would not be the case. You see, this man asked for help. And, I am so glad that he did. He had a gentle kind voice and a nice smile. It made me feel good to be doing something for somebody else. Well, God didn't answer my prayer....He had a different plan. He wanted my girls to see him. Or, maybe he wanted ME to see him. When I say that God wanted me to see him, I mean that God wanted me to face the reality of a situation that I didn't really and truly know how to deal with. It was like a metaphor for several things that I haven't truly dealt with in my life.

I have a terrible time dealing with death. Or the prospect of death. You see, Mike and I lost our very best friends, a great couple, in a horrible accident 4 years ago. Mike grieved right away. I thought that I was being strong for him but I later realized that I was just avoiding dealing with a difficult circumstance. I finally began to deal with it nearly 2 years later when I started dreaming about them. More recently was the death of my grandmother. She has been gone for a little over a month and I don't know that I have yet completely dealt with that. It really bothers me though. I can picture her at the funeral. I can feel her. Yet, in my mind I still see her smile, smell her sweater, hear her voice, and feel her soft kiss on my cheek. I miss her.

Now, I am trying to wrap my brain around the fact that my Uncle Mike was recently diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gherig's disease. He is a big strong man. He is funny. And yet, here he is with this terrible disease. It is in its advanced state and there is absolutely no chance of getting better. In my mind, I know all this, but I can't picture him any other way than what I saw as a child. I know that has a lot to do with the fact that we live in TX and he lives in Kansas. But even when I saw him just over a month ago I still saw him like I did as a kid despite the oxygen tank that he was hooked up too. I know that my aunts and uncles and his wife and kids are having a difficult time dealing with this. You know, it is a helpless feeling when you can't be there to help or to comfort. Am I dealing with this yet? I don't know. I do know that I think of him multiple times each day. I think of all these people. Life is definately tough sometimes, but one way or another we all manage to make it through one day at a time.

That's my little RoCk STaR!!!

2007-11-03T14:34:00.001-05:00

These pics are from our day off from school. Both girls had a destist appointment so we just made a day out of it! I took Whit downtown and we just looked around the old buildings and in the alleyways to find some cool backgrounds. We had a lot of fun and Whit got really good at striking her "Rock Star" pose! I am stoked about how these pics turned out!

That's my Goalie Girl!

2007-10-21T07:47:00.001-05:00

Whitney played in a three game soccer tourney yesterday. She has just started learning how to play goalie. Even though they didn't win their games in the tournament, she stopped lots of goals. She is just learning how to "fall on the ball" and did a great job stopping balls that she was close enough to grab. Although she is tall, she is a bit disadvantaged in the height department! At six years old, you just can't get up to the top part of the big goal when the other teams kicks one up in the air over your head. I know that it frustrated her to be scored on but really and truly she did a great job and had a good attitude about it. I really thought she might get mad but she just took it in stride. She even did a little dance every now and then. For those of you who know her I am sure you can just picture that in your head! My goofy girl!
The first pic is Whit watching the ball when it was at the center line of the field. She really did a good job paying
attention to where the ball was at.

The second pic is her throwing the ball back just after she saved a goal. :D Sister girl can throw the ball back too! She gets it out there for the girls!

The third pic is Whit just before she saved a goal. If you can, get a good look at her face! I love it! You can see her excitement and adrenaline pumping!

The last pic is Whit missing a shot. She would be mad at me if she knew I put this on here. The ball was a hard one to catch. The girl in yellow crossed it and buried it in the corner of the goal. Those are had to stop sometimes!

Although soccer takes up the majority of our Saturdays, I really do love watching my girls play. Especially when it makes them happy and feel good about themselves. :D

2007-10-07T08:53:00.000-05:00

Good Sunday Morning! How is everybody doing today? Good, I hope!

I posted these pics of the girls this morning because it has been a while since I posted and I meant to post these a while back. These are their 1st day of school pics. I take them every year. I really love how these turned out. I took these in our front yard. Both the girls were so excited about school this year. So far, they are both having a great year. No checks in their behavior calendars and their grades look pretty good too! I am proud of them!

On the homefront, we are looking for a new place to live. We are leasing this house until Jan. 15th. The people that own it live in Florida. From what I understand the house sat empty for about 3 years before we moved into it. The couple that own it would just come stay in it from time to time when they had bad weather where they lived or just to get away for a while. Well, last Wednesday I got a call from the real estate company that is managing the house. They told me that the couple want to move back and would we move out early. I was in complete shock! In this town there are nearly ZERO rentals and the ones that are open don't accept pets. So, I think we are looking into buying a house. We are supposed to go look at one today. Mike sent off for a certificate of eligibility for a VA loan. I hope it gets here soon so we can get the process of getting a house going. Cross your fingers for us! Gotta run! More later!

2007-09-19T18:01:00.001-05:00

Wow! It has been quite a while since my last post. I didn't realize just how long it had been! Let me catch you up. :)

School started on Aug. 27th. I love my class! I have some really sweet kiddos. It took me a while to settle into my schedule but I am into my routine now. It really feels great to be in the classroom again!

Our computer was sick for about a week and a half. We had to send it to the hospital to get fixed. It was pure torture not having it at the house. I was in total withdrawal! So glad this baby is back!

We started our new softball season last week. We were moved up to the next division since we had done so well the past two seasons. That made me a little nervous but we actually did well. We won 7-2. I have really enjoyed playing ball. It feels really good. And, I am happy to say that I am actually starting to run FASTER! I know. My family's jaws have dropped on that one. Just remember that I said faster. I did not mean with deer like swiftness here. :) But, you can call me Lightning if you want. :)

Soccer season started at the beginning of Sept. They have had 2 games each so far. Both of them still enjoy playing. Allison is on the Flash. It is written on the back of her uniform. That's kinda funny to me. You see, she takes after her momma in the running dept. She's just not super fast so flash on the back of her uniform just makes me giggle. Whit is on the Pink Panic. She loves her bubble gum pink uniform. I do too. Pretty darn cute. ;)

The girls have had a great start to the school year. I am really proud of them. They are not only doing well on their work, but they are also getting no marks for behavior. Anyone who knows my girls will know that is GREAT! They are such little chatters!

Since the computer crashed I haven't uploaded any pics. I have a couple pics of the girls that I just love! I always take 1st day of school pics and these are just precious. I can't believe how grown up my girls look in the pictures I took. As soon as I get them uploaded I'll post them.

I'll try to do a better job of updating. Now that I have settled into my school schedule I hope to be online a little more. I love to read comments so please be sure to leave one when you stop by!

Amy Winehouse=Rehab

2007-08-25T21:16:00.001-05:00

I love this song! It's my new fave! I love it's retro sound! Pretty groovy, huh? :D Enjoy!

Pics, Finally!

2007-08-24T17:28:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my classroom! I finally got some pics of my room up for all of you that have been asking for them! I am sorry it took so long but it has been hectic the last three weeks. Up until a few days ago I wasn't sure how I was ever going to get everything done. But, magically, it all came together and this is the end result. :) I still have a couple of things I'd like to do but they can wait for now. I just wanted to get my room teachable and I am pretty happy with it now!

This is the outside of my door. Our school theme this year is "We're wild about learning!" and we kinda have a jungle theme going on throughout the school. This is my contribution. I decided it would be fun to have a "jungle-y" palm tree on the outside of my door. I am going to try to decorate it for different holidays throughout the year. I hope I can figure out how to do that! It was a ton of fun to make. I ripped paper for the trunk and chalked the leaves. Then I hot glued it all to my door!

Inside of my door. It's pretty simple. I chalked the words on there and after I get pics of the kids on the 1st day I'll put them on there. I like how the chalk looks. And, it was fun to do too!

This is near my Reading table. The door is to the right. See my cute cow? When you open his head he moos!

This is from my desk to my door. I added the garland above the door and the white board and the zebra print fabric to the overhead table to get some of the "jungle" theme in my room.

This is my reading nook. Doesn't it look cozy!

This is the view of my desk from my door. I have more behind my desk that I thought! I didn't realize that I didn't get pics of the backpack racks I made and had Mike hang up. I'll take pics on Monday and get them uploaded!

***NEWS FLASH***

I have some exciting news to share! AC Bailey designs (http://www.thescrapbooksupplystore.com/) will be having their one year anniversary celebration during the month of September! I can't wait to get it started! We will have mini crops every Friday, lots of games, and plenty of challenges to keep those creative juices flowing! It should be a ton of fun! Make sure to stop by and have a great time!
Later peeps! Have a great Saturday!

2007-08-24T17:01:00.000-05:00

I can't wait...

2007-08-13T23:55:00.001-05:00

I get to have my hair done on Thursday. ***FINALLY*** I was so disappointed when I moved back here to East Texas and found out the lady who had always done my hair here had retired. I just didn't know where I should go. I tried one girl and I liked her okay, but it just wasn't the same. Know what I mean? Well, I ran into Sherron, my old hair lady, at Wal-Mart one day and told her I was so disappointed she retired. I talked to her for a bit and then she gave me her number and told me to call her if I wanted to get my hair done. WOO! HOO! I got in touch with her today and we got it all set up. I so can not wait to have her do my hair. She is just awesome! I can't remember one time she has done something to my hair that I did not like. She's a dream hair girl! Seriously. I can literally go in and tell her that I don't care what she does to my hair. Just fix it up for me. And, she always has something in mind that I like. Scratch that. Something that I love! I can't wait! I'll post pics after I get my hair done. (That is if I can get the girls to take a pic of me without cutting off my head!)

Worked in my classroom today. I don't feel like I accomplished much today. I got some laminating cut out. (That seems to take forever!) Got some more stuff laminated. Put up some posters on the wall. Put some bulletin boards up. Made a list of things to do manana. I hope to get a lot done tomorrow -- including putting my desks where I want them. Cross your fingers for me that I don't end up cleaning up a lot of my girls' messes and can actually accomplish everything on my list. They have been doing a lot of art in my room and they are definately their mother's children. They create like I do -- they make a beautiful mess! Now, if I could just get them to clean it up!

Well, I really need to get off the computer and get to bed. I'd like to get up a little bit early tomorrow so I can get a jump start on some things. Pics to come in the next few days!

Joke of the day...

2007-08-10T23:03:00.000-05:00

QUESTION: What's black and white and red all over?

ANSWER: My classroom!

HA! HA! This might not be as funny to you as it is to me. After all, it is late and I am exhausted tonight. I thought it up all on my own as I was just sitting here on the computer telling myself that I really needed to go to bed. I have worked so hard in my classroom this week. And still have quite a bit to do. It's getting there though. I'll take pics of my progress on Monday and post them for you later so that you can laugh at my joke too.

Well, peeps, I'm off to bed. My brain is tired. Good night!

14 Years and Counting...

2007-08-08T09:21:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update here. Yesterday was our 14th anniversary. Allison took this pic of us before we wentout to eat at Texas Roadhouse. We had a pretty nice night. I actually had free meal tokens for the girls and our rockin' waitress let us use them and then gave them back to us. How incredibly cool was that?!?! Needless to say, she got a nice tip! Anyway, after dinner we came home and watched America's Got Talent and then LA Ink. Maybe in the next week or two we will go on a real date without the girls. That would be fun. We haven't done that in a while....

On the scrappy front, I am considering entering the American Crafts DT call. I know there will be A LOT of people entering but I figure that if I don't enter I won't have a shot. So, what the heck. And, I have a couple of things I know I want to turn in. I think it would be pretty awesome to be on a manufacturer DT -- I know I would learn a lot too. Plus, it is pretty inspiring to work with other talented women.

Speaking of scrap goodnes, I thought I'd upload a couple of pics of some stuff I have done recently. I have had a lot of creative juice running through my veins and I actually have lots of ideas that I want to work on. But until then, I'll leave you with what I have done recently.

I found the inpiration for this on the Maya Road blog. Lisa Pace created something very similar to this using all six pages of the accordian album. It was stinkin' adorable and I knew right away that I would have to give it a shot. This is my version of her idea. I am in love with how it turned out. I think I had the most fun coming up with all the hairdos! I am going to put it in my classroom for now.

I'm really happy with the way this turned out. I gave drawing and handcutting out the title a shot and I really like how it looks. Whit really likes this one too. She just loved playing for Coach Steve!

I hope to work on some more stuff in the next couple of days. When I get more done I'll upload some pics. I'm off to work in my classroom now! Pics of that coming soon too!

What a night!

2007-07-24T22:44:00.000-05:00

Last night was just horrible! Let me give you some back story so that last night makes sense. We practice softball every Sunday. And, we practice hard. Not because we have to. Because we want to. It just feels good. Sometimes, though, I think we practice too hard. This past Sunday definately no exception.

Mike came home from work yesterday and said he was hurting. I thought he just had a crick in his neck/shoulder. You know, kinda like when you sleep on it the wrong way. But, as the night went on it just got worse. And worse. And worse. Turns out he had a HUGE knot next to his shoulder blade that was hurting all the way up his neck, across his shoulder, and down his right arm. He was nearly writhing in pain. And, there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. When he would lay down he could do nothing but toss and turn. When he was up all he could do was pace the house.

He felt horrible and I couldn't fix it. (That is an awful feeling.)

I even asked several times if he wanted me to take him to the emergency room. He wouldn't go. I think he probably would have gone if I had insisted. But, that didn't happen. I couldn't go to sleep with him feeling bad last night either. I was worried about him. I had NEVER seen him in so much pain like this. When he moved, I moved. We spent most of the night in the living room on the couches. Finally between 4:00 & 5:00 am I think we both dozed off for a while. I heard the alarm going off at 6:15, got up turned it off and came back into the living room. He said he was still hurting.

By 8:00 he was calling into work. He NEVER misses work. That says a lot there. I called the dr.'s office and they got him in right away. He had been in pain for so long that his blood pressure had risen pretty high. So, his doctor gave him a prescription for blood pressure pills (which he needed), anti-inflammatory pills, pain pills, and muscle relaxant pills. And, come to find out, the doc said he probably pulled the muscle in his back when he was throwing a softball at practice.

I guess between my hurt knee and his hurt back we need to remember that even though we are not "old", we are not as "spritely" as we once were. But, it sure feels good rockin' the hell outta some softball! Most of the time....

Funny Pic of the day...

2007-07-22T17:07:00.000-05:00

Okay gang... This pic totally cracks me up! I totally ganked it from an e-mail my dad sent to me. Can you just imagine seeing this go down the road? You definately wouldn't forget this company if you ever needed a plumber!

It has been hot as heck here. Actually, it has been humid. Now that I have somewhat recovered from my marathon running on Thursday night I have to get out to the ball park and sore myself back up since we have softball practice tonight @ 6:00. I hope the wind is blowing even if it is just a little. I don't mind being hot and sweaty as long as I can find a way to cool off a bit.

Guess I better get off here so I can rest up for about 30 minutes or so before practice! Later peeps!

P.S. Got my Harry Potter book and started reading today. Not too far into it yet but it already looks like a good one!

A Bite in the Buttocks

2007-07-21T20:28:00.000-05:00

I had a softball game on Thursday and it was quite a game. We played a team that we had beat before but they made it quite clear that they had it out for us. We were trailing by 8 in the last inning, but as luck would have it we were home team and got to bat last. And, they switched pitchers on us. Too bad for them he wasn't a great pitcher. :D He walked several of us and a few of us hit so we did get some runs. Just enough to tie them. When we finally made our 3rd out we had to start another inning since we were tied. We were so pumped! 3 up 3 down! Back up to bat! I was up to bat first and walked. Yay me! Then, my brother-in-law came up behind me. I was a little scared about that! He can hit and RUN! I had to run all the way from 1st to 3rd and as some of you may know I am not, I repeat NOT, a runner. Poor Mason was running behind me yelling, "Run, Brandy, run!". All I could do was holler back, "I'm trying! I'm trying!" So I round 2nd and the ball is coming in just as I am a few feet from 3rd and then (to quote Forest Gump) "something jumped up and bit me in the buttocks." Actually, I got pegged right square in the left side of my arse! I have one heck of a bruise too! To end this neverending story, the next ball that was hit was overthrown at 1st so I snuck home to win the game! Yay me! :D I love games like this! But, I think I may be crippled for a few days from running so dang much!

Design Team Call!!!

2007-07-15T15:10:00.000-05:00

We are having a design team call at AC Bailey Designs. If you have ever wanted to join a fun team with an awesome owner (Erica), then this is the team for you! Here are the details, and we would love to see you apply! And please note that this Design Team position is for the online community and store. You are not required to become a consultant with our Direct Sales company to apply or participate. Good luck everyone!

AC Bailey Designs (http://www.acbaileydesigns.com/) is adding to its Design Team again! We want 1, maybe 2, talented, motivated, enthusiastic designers. We are looking for scrapbookers who are not afraid to use the latest products and techniques and are willing to share their expertise and knowledge in the craft.

What are we looking for?

Talented, motivated, enthusiastic scrapbookers, stampers and paper craft designers. Those individuals who are willing to share new ideas and techniques with our customers and subscribers. Positive and outgoing personalities. Those who are willing to help promote and grow our online community and store and direct sales business.

What will you do?
You will be asked for a 6 month commitment and agree to submit projects by the 1st of every month following the shipment date.

You will be required to create two layouts no smaller than 8"x8" and one other small project of your choice per month using supplies we provide and upload it to our online gallery (additional projects encouraged!)

For each project you create you will be required to submit basic instructions and a complete supply list that can be used in the project section of our monthly newsletter and on the project page of our site at our discretion. (You will always be credited for all projects and designs)
You will be required to promote AC Bailey Designs and include our DT membership and link information in your signature line of all the online communities and galleries you are active in where allowed.

You will be required to be visible and active on our message board and be willing to post a daily assignment on the board in rotation with the other DT members.
If selected you will be required to provide a picture and short bio for our DT member page on our website.

You agree that AC Bailey Designs will have exclusive rights to all projects for one month.
All projects submitted for contests and publication will credit AC Bailey Designs as the supply sponsor.

What you get! (The good stuff!)
You will be provided with a $30 gift certificate to the store to purchase whatever supplies you want to create the required layout and projects each month during your DT term. Anything you don't use is yours to keep!

You will get a 25% store discount that can be used anytime and as often as you like!
You will get credit for all your designs, projects and work submitted to us!
Your work will be publicized in our newsletter, on our site, and in advertising for our company and community.

Your photo and bio will be featured on our DT page of our site and you will have your own gallery in our online community.

How to Apply

Please upload 4-5 projects into our online Gallery at http://www.scrapbookforum.net./ These must include 1 layout about yourself showcasing your personality and scrap style, 2 other layouts and at least 1 other project of your choice.You must also be a registered member of our forum with an average of 25 posts a week started with the date you apply.

Also submit the following to erica@acbaileyltd.com:

*name and full contact information

*list of current DT memberships

*links to any online galleries that you submit to

* message boards or communities that you are active in (please include your board name)

*if you have an online gallery, please provide the link.

List of any or all publications (when and where) and answers to the following questions:

How long have you been scrapping?

What product can you not live without?

How would you describe your scrap style?

Are you afraid to step out of your box?

What would you like to get out of this experience?

How is your scrap space? Messy or organized?

What can you bring to our store, community and customers?

Call will run from July 16th thru August 10th. Decisions will be made by August 13th, with your first shipment of supplies being sent Aug. 25th. You first assignments will then be due Oct. 1st. (All dates are tentative based on response.) Thank you! Good Luck! And we look forward to hearing from you!

TGIF!

2007-07-13T18:37:00.000-05:00

School's out and it is summer for me and I shouldn't say TGIF! but I can't help it. I love Fridays. Even summertime Fridays. That means that Mike is off for the weekend and we get to do whatever we feel like doing. Kinda nice. :D The girls are going to spend the night at their Nana's house tonight so we are going to have to figure out what to do. Maybe a date night? Maybe not. We had a LATE softball game last night, didn't get to bed until about 1:00 am and Mike is currently knocked out on the couch. Has been since he got home from work at 5:30. I don't blame him though. I was really tired today as well.

Well, the girls and I spent a little over a week at my parents' house. My sister and her kids got there about halfway through our visit. The girls got along marvelously this time too! Whit and Megan, my 4 year old niece, paired up and played while Ally and Devin, my 11 year old niece, acted cool together. It worked out really well..... While we were there we got some school shopping done. Bought a few clothes and school supplies including back packs. Ally is really excited about some of her stuff. She got some High School Musical school supplies. Her back pack says, "I love Troy!". She thinks that is funny because "Daddy is the only boy I like!" She even teased him about it. Pretty funny. I hope it stays that way for quite a while! But, she's a 3rd grader now so you never know.....

While at my parents my precious 6 year old decided to do something that I never expected her to do. Let alone know about at 6 years old. One night after everyone had gone to bed she decided to get up and roll (toilet paper) part of the dining room and part of the living room. Next morning we woke up to quite a surprise.....and mess. I have to admit, though, it was pretty funny! That kid is something else. I think she is the female Dennis the Menace. Always on the go, funny as can be, and you just never know what she will say or do next! A couple of years ago I took her to an open casting call for kids. It was a thing for models, acting, etc. I think mostly for print and televised commercials. She got a call back and I went to the meeting for it. It was actually an invitation to a huge open audition in Los Angeles. At the time she was just 4 years old and I didn't think I wanted to go that far with her. (I didn't realize it was a national casting call. I thought it was more of a local thing.) So, we didn't go. Looking back now I really wish we had gone. I think it would have been a great experience for her. She is such a little performer and always seems to be putting on a show for somebody. Maybe when she is a little older I'll see if she wants to do that. It has to be her decision though.

I have done a lot of scrapping lately. I will try to get some of it posted here in the next few days. Be sure to check back and see my new creations!

Totally Tagged!

2007-07-05T09:24:00.000-05:00

Well, my friend Kim tagged everyone who read her last blog post so now I have to come up with 7 random facts about *ME*! Well, here goes...

#1 -- I have one tattoo, but I wish I had more. I am lovin' the ink and I am in love with tattoo art. I wish I had a Kat von D tattoo. Maybe someday.....

#2 -- I love the singer Pink. If I could be anybody else I think I'd be her. I love her bad%ssness (I know that is so NOT a word!). She totally rocks!

#3 -- I love to read blogs! (Keep updatin' them peeps! :D)

#4 -- I played varsity softball and swam on the swim team in high school. I loved it too. I just recently started playing coed softball with my husband and our family/friends. It is tough to just jump back into something like that after NOT doing it for 15 years! But, a TON of fun!

#5 -- I went to a Kid Rock concert about 6 years ago. It was a blast even though some guy peed right behind me and it splashed up on my leg! Totally disgusting!

#6 -- I have always wanted a Jeep Wrangler.

#7 -- I like old vintage stuff for my house. Junking is a hobby of mine. The older the better. That kind of stuff has great character!

Okay, it's your turn now peeps! If you read it, consider yourself tagged! Post a comment so I know to go read your blog!

Happy Birthday Mandy!

2007-07-04T09:09:00.000-05:00

Happy 30th b-day sis! How does it feel to be 30? I know that when I turned 30 Mike said I was 1/3 dead so I want to know how you feel about that! Ally and Whit can now officially say that you are older than dirt! Either way, 1/3 dead or older than dirt, I hope you can have a great day! Love you!

Stars and Stripes Forever!

2007-07-02T20:41:00.000-05:00

Okay. As some of you know I love to have my toes done. Can't stand to have me some funky feet! Anyway, I have always loved having them painted and in the last year I really liked a flower or two and maybe a crystal on my big toe. Well, recently I discovered nail art. And not just the simple flowers I had grown to love. Now, I want works of art on my feet! A little shop in our town does the toe art and I am completely hooked! I started off with a Burberry plaid painted on my toenails a few weeks ago. After a while my nails grew out and it just didn't look as fresh so off came the paint. (I hated that too! It was so stinkin' cute!) My toenails had been naked for about 2 weeks when I decided that I needed to get something on them today. So, off to Sally Beauty Supply this morning and here we go! I hadn't painted my own toenails in years so I had to really take my time. It is a lot harder to bend over your own feet as opposed to somebody else's feet! Anyway, it took a while but I got them done. And in the spirit of the 4th! I really do like how they turned out and I do think I will be doing it again!

The Lazy Days of Summer...

2007-07-01T20:58:00.001-05:00

So what did you do on this wonderful Sunday? I can honestly say that I did not really do a thing. And, it felt pretty good. I even took a nap for a bit. (You can do that when you are visiting your parents and your mom has your kids occupied. :D)

Mike went back home today since he has to work this week so it is just me and the girls at Mom & Dad's house. I will definately enjoy the down time here. Don't get me wrong though. I will help Mom around the house and keep it picked up. It is just different when it is NOT your house. The girls have thoroughly enjoyed themselves and so far have made mud pies and helped Grandma in the yard. Especially Ally. She raked and picked up leaves and branches that my mom trimmed off the bushes and loaded them up in the wagon to be thrown away. Whit on the other hand had to have several breaks. Apparently it was just making her "so tired". Yea, right!

I have my scrap stuff out and ready to work on. If I don't get to it tonight I will definately work on it manana. I have several ideas that I want to bring to fruition. But for tonight I am feeling like being lazy. And that just feels good!

Inconsiderate or Just Plain Stupid?

2007-06-29T00:46:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been really excited about something just to have somebody completely blow the steam out of it? Well, I have. Today. And it sucks -- completely hurt my feelings. I wish people would think about things before they speak. Sometimes I think we get so involved in what WE feel about something that we forget to think about the other person's feelings. Or sometimes we are just being stupid. I don't know which. But, I digress.... Either way, it sucks.

My Best Friend is talented...

2007-06-27T19:41:00.000-05:00

But some of you already know that. She is an amazing scrapper. I love to watch her create and I love to see the end results after working her mojo in a scrapping marathon. I'm sure you'd love it too. But, that's not what I am talking about. She is talented in other ways too. And, I have evidence. Oh yes, Aubrey. That's right. I am posting the pics. :D My best friend can stand on her head. And not fall down. For a while. All 6 feet of her! (That's right. I said 6 feet. You should see the two of us together! We look like Mutt and Jeff!) Here's the proof!

I laughed my butt off when she was doing this!!! Whitney had been standing on her head balancing against the couch and Aubrey decided to show her how to do it without the couch! I cracked up! I had NO IDEA she had this hidden talent! Who woulda thunk it?!?! What talent....hhmmm....do I see a trip to America's Got Talent in the future? :D

Backyard visitor...

2007-06-21T11:08:00.000-05:00

This little guy visited us yesterday afternoon and had Deuce all worked up. He was barking he head off! He just couldn't stand it! Allison went outside to see what got Deuce's feathers ruffled and came running back in to tell me Deuce had found a turtle! She was so excited and her blue eyes were just as big as could be! I was so tickled at her!

No gym time today. :( My knee hurt me most of last night and finally this morning it feels better. A couple of Aleve works wonders! ;) I think I need to not go today so that it doesn't hurt tonight when we play softball. Kinda bummed about it....

Aubrey and Taylor are coming today. I am excited. I really miss having Aubrey around to chat and hang out with. Before they get here I need to get the laundry folded and the house straightened up. It's not too bad but it definately needs to be picked up. The girls helped out a bit yesterday.

I have to brag on Ally a bit. She is really trying to earn the extra $50 she needs to get an iPod. So, she came in and took everything out of her bathroom and then mopped and cleaned it! Without being asked. I am so proud of her. She is trying to be responsible. My little girl is growing up much faster than I'd like!

At it again!

2007-06-20T15:45:00.001-05:00

Went to the gym again today. I took the girls to the "Time Out" room to watch tv while I walked on the treadmill and the track. It wasn't as tough today. But, I soon realized my legs were a bit sore from yesterday. Not too bad once I got them going and warmed up though. I got tired/bored on the treadmill and decided to hit the track. I walked most of the way around it each time. A few times I did a little jog thing on the far side when nobody was looking. :D My right knee has been sore off and on for the past couple of weeks. (I think I hurt it or pulled it playing coed softball.) It was pretty sore today. I hope that it feels better soon. I don't like the way it feels. And, I have a softball game tomorrow night. I don't really need it to be hurting me when I am kneeling behind home plate. Cross your fingers it feels better by then!

On the weight loss front I am looking at doing something I haven't done before. I have seen this on TV a few times and have been pretty impressed with it. So I am looking at really doing it. It is Bob Greene's The Best Life Diet. http://thebestlife.com It is really more of a lifestyle change. It also helps you to change the way you are thinking about things so that you can be more successful. I am pretty interested in this. Plus, they give you meal plans that don't seem to have any crazy ingredients and a weekly shopping list! I think that is the coolest! I have trouble with this part of dieting because I just don't always know how to change my mindset and know what is really and truly a healthier alternative. I have found that a lot of the things that we think of as healthier alternatives aren't really all that great a choice. Know what I mean? So, I am going to look into Bob Greene's plan a bit more and I'll let you know if I choose to do it!

Against my will...

2007-06-19T21:50:00.000-05:00

Well, not really. I went to the gym today. I finally made it at 4:15. It was hard to work myself up to go. I got up from a nap and was groggy and not in the mood. I wanted to go tan. But, my kidlets really wanted to go to the gym and convinced me I needed to go. So, needless to say we went. I rode the bike for a while and then walked the track. I even ran (actually jogged) when I got to places where nobody could see me. hehe! It felt good to go to the gym. I am ready for tomorrow. I plan on going sometime before lunch so that I can get a good workout and then take the girls down to the pool area to swim for a bit. They are VERY excited about that and absolutely can't wait. It will be fun to get in the pool with them. And, as hot as I was today when I got finished I am sure it will feel amazing!

Later peeps! Have a good night!

I see SUNSHINE!

2007-06-19T10:41:00.000-05:00

It is just beautiful out today! I can't believe the sun is shining after so many days of rain. We had so much rain this past weekend it knocked the electricity out for a couple hours. Allison wanted to get on the computer and couldn't figure out why it wasn't working until I reminded her the electricity was out. She had this look like "DUH!" when I told her. It was cute. She was aggravated. She wanted to look at Hannah Montana stuff.

I am trying to get motivated to go to the gym. But, I am having a really hard time. I have so many other things I'd rather be doing. Plus, I slept later than I had planned today. I wanted to get up around 8:00 and I didn't wake up until 9:00. That kinda set my day off. I thought I'd get up and go to the gym early. Didn't happen. I think I will go this afternoon though. I have to get back into it. I feel so much better when I am working out. Plus, the clothes fit better. That's always a GOOD thing! I'll keep you posted on how the workout stuff is going. Hopefully, I will be able to post lots of "I've been to the gym!" type of posts! Cross your fingers for me! :D

Rain rain go away!

2007-06-12T21:02:00.000-05:00

Today was a beautiful day -- sunshine and blue skies. The girls went swimming at Uncle Don and Aunt Claudia's house while I helped Aunt Claudia on a scrapbook. They swam, played well, and had fun. Until the skies began to rumble. We weren't sure it was thunder at first, but the clouds soon moved in and ended the swim party for Ally and Whit. I got them out of the pool about 20 minutes before the bottom fell out of the skies. You wouldn't believe the amount of rain that fell! The street in front of the house was flooded up to and over the curbs. I haven't seen it rain/flood like that here is a very long time! I really wish I had been able to take some pics of it. I was just too afraid to get my baby (aka my camera) wet. The girls thought it was pretty cool though.

***Good Puppy!***
Dixie has been a sweet sweet girl as of the last few days. We have given her free reign of the front part of the house by blocking off the door to the hallway and bedrooms. She loves it. She and Deuce have been buddies playing and wrestling quite a bit. It is wearing her out too. She is super tired at night. That means Momma gets some sleep!

***BrOkeN RecOrD!!!***
I broke a record of sorts today. I usually take anywhere from 2-5 hours to finish a scrappy layout. Today I scrapped for about 4-4.5 hours. And guess what????? I basically finished 5 layouts! Woo! Hoo! I have a few things to add to each page but nothing major. Simple things like a ribbon here or a brad there. You know, the finishing touch kind of things. I have a couple of things I want to work on tonight too. Maybe I'll be able to get them done lightning fast as well!

***Blog Times***
On the blog front, I am trying to learn as much as I can about blogging and getting my site personalized. Today, I figured out how to get my slide show added on the side instead of as a post and I put a clock on my site. I'm starting to like the look of my blog a little better. :)

Jail Time...

2007-06-08T19:23:00.000-05:00

Well, my poor Dixie has made her way to doggie jail. That's right! I kenneled her little butt up! She was being an absolute terror!!! I took her outside to go to the bathroom. It was thundering pretty good -- no rain -- and she decided she really didn't want to go. She'd rather make me chase her all over the backyard making sure she hit every wet and muddy spot possible. And did she ever go. Well, NO! As soon as I get her back in the house she decides that my rug in the living room looks pretty inviting and decides to dump down right there. Yep...On my rug. Before God and everybody! Mike was kind enough to let me know my puppy was pooping on my rug. Thanks Baby! So, she is in time out for now!

Well, it has been a while since I last blogged. I don't really have a good excuse. I have just been lazy. Well, once the school year ended. The first week of summer break I had to go to 3 different workshops, but really and truly I don't have an excuse for this week. I have done as little as possible. My excuse was that it was hot in the house and I didn't want to get any hotter by doing anything. But, then the A/C guy came on Wed. Now, I don't have any other excuse.

Lots of things have happened since I last blogged. Let's see if I can remember all of them!!! (In no particular order!)

Whitney graduated from Kindergarten on May 22. She even wore the cap and gown. She looked really cute and I had a hard time believing my baby was old enough to go to 1st grade. She will be at my school next year! :D They also did class awards that day. My dear sweet girl recieved the Funniest Frog Award. Basically, she is a class clown. My heart is just bursting with pride! LOL (Can you just see my red face as she got the award?)

I found out where my classroom will be next year. It is right next door to Ginger Riley, Ally's 2nd grade teacher this year. She is pretty nice & seems easy to get along with. I still haven't taken my stuff up to school but I think I will start working on that next week.

Got some really cute scrappy stuff made. I gave the girls teachers frames as end of the year presents. I really like how they turned out & they were lots of fun to make! I hope they enjoy them!

I also went to an amazing auction with Mike's cousin, Valerie. I had so much fun just looking at all the things that this woman had up for sale, including the house. She was an antiques dealer and had a hord of stuff in her HUGE house. Her house was 20,000 square feet under roof, 14,000 of it being living space. It was something else. And, there were only 2 people that lived in that house -- the lady who owned it and her 17 year old son. The house was 3 full stories and her son had the 3rd floor all to himself. We were able to walk through the house and look around at all the things that were going to be auctioned off. The lady and her son were there. It had to be really weird watching strangers walk through your house. The mom was acting like she was hosting a party or something. Very strange. Anyway, I had never been to a auction before and I must say that I am HOOKED!!! Oh my! And you should have seen the amount of $ people were paying for things! HOLY COW!!! I know that some people were dealers but some of them weren't. I bet that some of the personal buyers spent a few thousand dollars on the stuff they bought. I had fun just watching them! But, I did get in on the action when they had some small baker's racks up for auction. They had Texas stars on them and I just really liked them. So, I jumped in on the bidding. (That's what's addicting!) Got the highest bid too! This is what it looks like. I have it all decorated now. I have my cook books on it, some vintage quilt pieces, and some miscellaneous stuff. I love it. Mike likes it too. :D

Last weekend Aubrey and Taylor came to stay with me. Taylor had a fastpitch tourney in Longview. I love watching that girl play. She is so dedicated to what she does. And, she is really good too. All of that and just 14 years old. Aubrey and I didn't get to scrap any. Not enough time. I hope we have time when they come back to stay on the weekend of June 22nd. Got my fingers crossed!

I thought I'd share this picture of Allison and Dixie. I think it is pretty cute. Allison has been doing a pretty good job of acting like a big girl lately. She hasn't been arguing with her sister as much and has been trying to be more helpful. She has learned to bathe Dixie and that is a HUGE help to me! Not to mention that she does a good job of it! She and I have had to go clothes shopping in the last couple of weeks since she has completely outgrown some of her clothes! (Can you believe she is almost as tall as me???) Anyway, she is a bargain shopper! She knows how to check the sales racks! LOL And, when I tell her no to something she really likes she has done a pretty good job accepting that answer. I'm pretty proud of her lately. She is such a good girl!

Well, gang, I'm outta here. I'll try to do a better job of posting! Later!

2007-05-20T23:57:00.000-05:00

This has been a busy weekend. I am tired tonight but I can't seem to turn my brain off. Lovely isn't it? I have nights like that sometimes. I think I just get overly tired. I haven't been sleeping too great lately. You know, waking up about a gazillion times a night. I hate that. Maybe tonight will be different.

My puppy has no idea how late it is. She is playing nonstop in the kennel. And being loud as she does it. She is even barking at her toys. Dixie is a mess -- totally rotten! Love her to death though!

The girls have only 4 days of school left. So far this week I am only working tomorrow. (I'll be tired....) Whit graduates on Tues. so I won't work then and I am not completely sure I want to work on the last 2 days of school. It will be wild!

Well, since I have to go to work in the morning I had better try to get some sleep. I'll update more in the next couple of days. Night peeps!