Cranky Baby

Here is a hodge podge of the week so far:

Fall Cleaning Project: Crap still in my living room, but the spare room is vacuumed, furniture arranged, bathroom scrubbed and smells fresh. I'm going to deviate from the plan and move all this crap back into the room but in sections so I can organize in there. I can't stand this crap in my living room!

Funny Kid Quotes: I'm beginning to wonder if these kids are as funny as my group last year. Maybe I just need to listen harder?!

Teacher: (whose back was turned to the board, writing) "Oh, who said evaporation?"
Student: "Uhh, no one Ms. Stewart. I think you're hearing things!"

Teacher: (who has some natural curl and when I'm in a rush I just spritz it with my curl vamp stuff and my hair has this total bed-head quality...the head band normally tames it a little, but it's the whole mess look)
Student: "Ms. Stewart did you forget to comb your hair today?"

Health Stuff: Last week I got some water in my ear during my shower. I tried to shake it out, but with little success. Anyway, now I hear like I have cotton in my ear. It's just been annoying, but not it is starting to hurt. I was one "cranky baby" this afternoon. I've got an appointment with my doctor on Thursday afternoon, but I'm willing to try shoving my key in my ear. Anything to pop that bubble!

My Co-Captain-ness: My friend Niners and I are co-captains for our school's Relay For Life team. Tonight was our first meeting and I have to admit that I'm a little overwhelmed by it all. Our theme this year is Monopoly. Each site will be a place on the board. We're not going for the popular ones (Boardwalk and Park Place) so we're looking for one with creative possibilities. Any ideas?!

Venting Update: After speaking to another teacher and my mom (who is my absolute calming center!) I realized that I might be over-reacting just a little and letting some personal issues cloud my judgement. Oh, the principal is still disorganized and horrible at communicating, but I'll give her that it might be because her plate is as full as mine is. Being swamped with meetings and paperwork is tough on all...the administrator and the teacher.

So, that about sums up the week so far. Normally the days go by fast, but I feel like this commercial I saw:

"I feel like I woke up this morning and thought it was Thursday, but it's only Wednesday."
"Dude, it's Tuesday."

So much to do, and so little time to get it all done in!

Saturday Project

Today has been the best kind of day! To begin with it is Saturday and that in and of itself is enough to make one happy. Also, I spent a very enjoyable morning in bed. I slept late, enjoyed some happy texting, got caught up on some tv I'd missed this week, and finished up a book. I only budged from my cozy place of sanctuary for those necessary bathroom and breakfast trips. Who knew a girl could waste half a day just being ridiculously lazy in bed?! Too, after the week I'd had I thought a little pampering in bed was just my due.

Once I did manage to wiggle out from the covers, I decided to take on a project. There is nothing like getting those batteries charged to make me productive. I'm taking on my spare bedroom. This was supposed to start out as my scrapbook and craft room. Right now it's just the catch all. Go ahead...take a peek for yourself.




I'm sort of embarrassed to post this on the internet...now all you people know my worst kept secret. I'm messy! Though to be honest, sometimes life just isn't worth it if there isn't a little mess involved. You're not buying that either huh? Well, that's my story.

Anyway, I thought if I took a picture of that disaster area and put it on my blog I'd feel compelled to get it in some semblance of order and then re-post showing off my new scrapbook haven. I have to admit that I'm not feeling very compelled at the moment but I'm sure that will come. Being the listy that I am (my term for my obsessive need to have lists in my life) I've made a list of the stages of organization.

1. Shame yourself into cleaning that room by posting horrible pictures on the internet....check

2. Move entire mess to living room and hope that you have no unexpected visitors for the next few weeks.....semi-check (I've got a lot left to haul into the living room)

3. Separate mess into smaller, but just as messy, piles of like mess

4. Organize (and by that I mean toss the stuff you don't want)

5. Put stuff I do want in cute containers and label

6. Arrange furniture pieces in spare bedroom to get the maximum amount of space out of that tiny room

7. Put newly organized and labeled stuff back in the room

8. Take pictures of your accomplishment and post on blog to redeem yourself from step 1

See...there is a method to my madness. Unfortunately, with my schedule I think my madness might take a week or two to get fully completed. I'm doing this all in the hopes that my desire to scrapbook will return. I know...my creativity has taken a vacation and finding her has been a challenge. To quote my friend Valerie...she's probably slutting around at someone else's house. Maybe she'll come home once she sees all the hard work I went to for her!

So, there you go. This is my current home project. Maybe I should have titled this SaturdayS (as in plural Saturdays) Project?!

Something For The Classroom

In between laundry and packing (yep...again), I got a little creative and crafty this afternoon. I made an altered clipboard for the classroom! Well, actually for right outside the door. Currently, each classroom has this plastic thing with pictures from clip art on it to tell where we are exactly when we leave the classroom. And last year, it didn't even have my name on it. I had to put a little post-it note with my name on it because it still had the last teacher's name at the top. Anyway, I thought this was a much better alternative. Plus, it's a whole lot cuter too!

I'm Such A Scraplifter

One of my resolutions this year was to scrapbook something every month. I was starting to think that this would be the first resolution to be broken! But, after getting a little inspiration from Valerie (I loved the stacking pictures!) I decided that now was as good a time as any to get something done.

Now, this could perhaps be considered cheating, but I found a layout that had been started a while ago, and just needed the pictures put down and the journaling written. These are some pictures from my New York City trip and the Staten Island/Statue of Liberty experience. It felt good to be looking at photos and scrapbook elements. I love the final look of this layout!

These pictures really don't do justice to it, but I'm having a little trouble getting my camera to focus and figuring out how to get the lighting right. Everything is so dark. Anyway, at least it'll look good in the album.

Thanks for the inspiration Valerie! I'm the one in the purple cap...I don't know if you can see me since the pictures turned out dark. The other chick is one of my best buds, Deniece.

What A Faker

I'm a faker people! I'm not just faking a little...nope I'm faking all over the place. And I'm probably faking the worst type of thing...a friendship.

There is this woman. The first time I met her, I thought "Gosh I hope I never have to work with her!" so I was relieved when I found out she wasn't even in my grade level. Now, she's the freaking team leader of second grade due to brown-nosing. And did I mention...she's annoying as hell. She has this fake personality. She loves to clasp her hands in front of her and blink her eyes at you in way that screams "Hurry up...what you have to say is not as important as what I have to say." Not only is this person the team leader...she's my mentor. Grrr. Anyway, about five weeks ago, the other new teacher and I (the very disappointed mentees) went to the councilor and expressed some concerns we had. And the concerns were valid: 1. She's never taught second grade...great insight there. 2. Did I mention the annoyingly sweet personality? 3. She never talks to us...ever. If we need help we have to ask...she never meets us half way.

Well, when she found out we'd talked about her to someone in administration she was furious. She yelled and then later apologized. Trying to make the best of a not so good situation we agreed to try to make it work. Well, for me...that meant faking it. Now, she thinks we're friends. I wouldn't consider us friends but apparently she does. I do feel guilty about it because while she's not my favorite person and I want to run every time I see her I keep acting friendly. For example, when I had my Halloween party and invited all the second grade teachers I had to invite her because it would have seemed awkward if I didn't. She came...the nerve. So, when she invited me to a party at her house I felt compelled to go. At my party she noticed my scrapbook hobby. Guess what her hobby is? So, the day after her party she brought her scrapbook for me to look at it. It was good...I won't begrudge her a great scrapbook, but then today she invited me to a scrapbooking party at her house Friday. If you knew me you'd know I had a scrapbooking weakness...I said yes. (I'm screaming aaahhh and covering my head with my hands.) I'm such a faker!

So, the dilemma...what is the polite way to go back to just being acquaintances and not being friends? And am I a horrible person for not liking her but giving the impression that I do?

Altered

This is my latest crafty project. I took a class on making altered clipboards several weeks ago. I made one for a friend that had just come back from Cozumel. This one is for a friend that is going to Tahiti. Anyway, they are totally cheap (those friends that got them don't take that the wrong way!) and I like making them!

The saying says "The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings."