Sensitive Little Thing

I'm never going to burn down my house. Well...I should say that I'm never going to burn down my house without knowing it. I won't because I have the most sensitive little smoke detector ever!

Now, most of you have read my tales of cooking. I'm not really great at it even though I really like cooking. I'm used to a few curls of smoke and maybe a few scraping off a few patches of burnt, but I love to cook and experiment in the kitchen.

Until lately.

Oh I still like the idea of cooking, but a few things have put a damper on it for me. One...the vent fan thingy above the oven went out. Some might argue it wore itself out sucking all that smoke out of the air. Anyway, it's out of commission. I still open it but the suckage isn't there so it doesn't really provide the desired result. Two...did I mention these really sensitive smoke detectors that I have? They go off all the time. They go off when the food is just done...not burned...just done. I'm waiting of the day when they go off when I pour milk on my cheerios. Three...I hate electric stoves. I can never get the tempature right. I'm sure that contributes to the burnt factor. I usually get things too hot.

Anyway, I'm going to try the toaster oven...can't really burn stuff up in there...can you? So, if you see a big cloud of black down in the south don't panic. It's probably not a wild fire or anything like that. I'm probably just trying my hand at cooking!

Mrs. Hildabrant

I'm kind of tired tonight (oh fine...I am tired but mostly I'm engrossed in Grey's Anatomy) so I'll just leave you with this little gem from class today. I have some big lemons with my house, but I'll blog those later.

Today a little boy came up to my desk. He was overwhelmed by the assignment to "be creative!" (The assignment was to invent their own calendar.)

Student: "Mrs. Hildabrant, I don't know how to be creative!"
Miss Stewart: "What's my name?"
Student: (as he pauses to think...he looks up and put his hand to his chin...totally adorable!) "Oh...Miss Hildabrant, I can't be creative!"
Miss Stewart: "Who am I?"
Student: (I swear a light bulb came on over his head) "Oh...Miss Stewart. I might get confused again and call you Mrs. Hildabrant. She was my teacher last year. I don't think she asked us to be creative."

It might have lost something in translation, but it was just one of those moments where my heart melted. I have awesome kids!

Productivity

Sometimes I sit back at the end of a long hard day and think to myself, "Today was a productive day." Then sometimes I sit back and wonder what exactly happened. I had hours to get things accomplished and I achieved absolutely nothing. And then, there are days like today. A delightful mix of both. A day when at the end, absolutely no goals were met but where so many productive things were accomplished.

My parents are coming for a visit in about three weeks. I've made great strides in making sure my home looked more homey than the last time they were here. Unfortunately, I still have strides to make. After putting in my time at school, I come home and I'm ready to sit down and relax in the easy chair and spend quality time with my tv. Weekends are reserved for the heavy lifting and house fixing. The few of you who have been around from the beginning know about and roll your eyes at my love affair with making lists. Every Friday afternoon I make the weekend to do list. This weekend's list was long with no room for getting off track.

1. Sort laundry
2. Do laundry
3. Put up dishes off of drainboard
4. Vacuum
5. Clean bathroom
6. Fix two meals for leftovers during the week
7. Unpack kitchen box
8. Hang up pictures and shelves in bedroom
9. Organize school crate to take back to school
10. Organize spare bedroom
11. Iron wrinkled clothes
12. Finish open scrapbook projects

As you can see, and I am now reminded of, I had a busy weekend planned. Yep...that verb was had. Somewhere between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning my plans went completely off track. This is what did happen:

1. Slept late and then read in bed for an hour
2. Agreed to a spur of the moment shopping spree with a friend that needed a little company
3. Waited a ridiculously long amount of time in line for my tall shot of heaven from Starbucks
4. Looked at five apartment complexes with said friend who is in the process of making a major life change and moving out on her own
5. Bought four pairs of shoes, a new handbag, and spent less than $85
6. Found an absolutely adorable shower gift
7. Picked up the last case of "summer" water in my favorite flavor (spearmint)
8. Decided to have a Halloween party
9. Learned a new recipe that I can't wait to try out
10. Brought some comfort to a lady from work who is going through something horrible right now
11. Managed to spend less than $100 at Walmart
12. Watched one of my all time favorite movies (Beaches) and cried at all the right parts

As I crawled into bed at midnight I thought back over my day. There were things I needed to do that I'll attack with my very Scarlet-esc attitude of "that's another day" tomorrow. Oh, the average Joe that wonders by might argue that I accomplished nothing that I set out to accomplish and therefore today was a very unproductive day. But I'm discovering that there are a lot of degrees of productivity.

And for me...today...was a very productive day.

First Year 'Itis

More tales from the classroom...can you believe it? These days I can't seem to blog anything that isn't wrapped up in second gradeness. I'm kind of blah about that. Anyway, on with the educational recap...

Funniest things my kids said this week:

"Miss Stewart we're out of vanilla paper." (This came from one sweet little girl that likes to copy me. I was saying manila paper and I guess she translated that to vanilla paper. I've tried like crazy to correct them, but it is going around...everyone wants vanilla paper to draw on!)

"Don't forget she went to college. Give her a hard one like 100-10=!" (Today we were playing a math relay game. My kids are terrible sports so we play games where it's the teacher against the class or where everyone is a winner. I disagree with this policy but when the councilor says to not promote competition then I'm going to listen. Anyway, today it was all those little kids against me. I made up a math problem for them and they made one up for me. It's hard to purposely loose! They were thrilled to have beaten me...considering, as one boy put it, "she did go to college!")

So...this itis thing I've caught. Sunday night I noticed that my throat was sore. It could have been the screaming at Schlitterbahn or maybe a combination of the cool weather and rain and being wet. Perhaps I picked up some bug at school from my nineteen little darlings. By Monday morning it felt like I was swallowing glass. I'll skip all my pain and angus but Wednesday was completely miserable. I was coughing (the deep in the chest kind), running a little fever, breathing even though it hurt, and fighting off a killer headache. So, I came home and went to bed. I slept, albeit fitfully, for about 12 hours that night. I called in sick and got a sub for Thursday. I also got into the doctor and came away with a couple of prescriptions and a diagnosis of bronchitis. I was back to school this morning...still a a little under the weather but getting better. It totally warms my heart when my little darlings come up and hug me and tell me that they missed me. That was the best!

Well, anyway I was told not to worry. I've got my first dose of first year itis...where I catch everything that comes my way. Oh goodie...

Other than that, I'm going to spend a little time tomorrow hanging up wall art, a little time shopping with a new friend, and a lot of time catching up on grading.

Hope your weekend is relaxing...however you choose to spend it!

Because I Like It And Don't Want To Forget It

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter won't mind.

Hittin' The Highways

Oh my little blog...kiss kiss...I've missed you! Have you been okay by yourself these last several days...smother smother...it's okay...mommy's back now.

Ahem...sorry. I didn't realize I had an audience. What...like you aren't attached to your blog?

The last few weekends I've been off gallivanting around central Texas. Labor Day weekend I went to visit my family (the first since school started...it had been about a month since I'd seen my parents) and this past weekend I went to Schlitterbahn with friends.

These aren't really big things unless you knew me really well. I had to drive to these places...on roads I've never traveled before....with my total lack of map skills. I've seen more new places on the roads than I ever thought. And guess what...I didn't get lost!!! Okay there was a little moment that I thought I'd gotten off course but I managed to get back on track without much backtracking.

Anyway, a few of the really neat things I've seen was the birthplace of Texas (Washington on the Brazos), Mustang Ridge (a really neat small town where there were horse farms on each side of the road), and a little store called Weird Stuff (outside of Anderson, TX). All this traveling time has really gotten my travel bug all worked up. I wonder where I'll travel next?

Now, for Schlitterbahn report. I had a blast with my friends. With our group it's hard to not have a fun time together. And that is a good thing because all the water levels were LOW at the water park and in the Comal river. Did you know that it is not easy to float in only a foot of water? I've got the scrapes on my elbow to prove it. So, the park experience wasn't all that, but the time spent with friends was wonderful. Can't wait for next year!!

Now, if you'll excuse me...I have to go and pick out something suitable to wear for picture day.

40/60

It was pointed out to me recently that I live in a 40/60 world...forty percent reality and sixty percent bubble. I have to admit that at first I was highly offended, but upon a little closer reflection it caused me to stop and wonder. Do I have a skewed reality because I grew up middle class, have a college education, and was always surrounded by love from parents, family, and friends? Have I missed some critical element that makes the world go round because I don't have first hand knowledge about war, starving children, having to live on the street and dance in seedy dives to put food on the table?

Well, okay. I admit it...I've been very blessed. I have two parents that are married and that love each other and love me. I grew up in a nice house, I always had clothes to wear, and my mom always managed to put a good meal on the table at dinner time. I got to take trips (Washington DC in seventh grade for example) and I never was short on presents at Christmas and my birthday. Sounds just about perfect right?

Yeah, but I got spankings...a lot...for misbehaving. I wasn't allowed to talk back to my parents, I was taught the value of hard work, the importance of managing money, and to not look down on others who weren't as fortunate as I was.

I do not apologize for my background. It isn't something that I take for granted. After reflection, I don't think that I look down on people or have a loose grasp on reality because of my background. You can't please everyone. There will always be people who feel that I can't truly understand or appreciate reality (whatever that is) because I haven't been down and out. That seems like their problem instead of mine.

I was at a seminar today about teaching children in poverty. It was really interesting to learn about the hidden rules and core beliefs that govern the class systems in America. It sort of reminded me about the whole reality versus bubble thing. I agree that I can't identify with some of the circumstances surrounding poverty, but I can be tackful and sympathetic to my students and their needs. The presenter made an interesting comment about how we can still be effective educators even to people outside of our own sphere of understanding. Yes, that is regarding education, but I think it can apply to almost any "spherical" situation.

Anyway, while I really think the percentage is off, I do admit that I have a nice comfortable bubble. Sure, it can be roomy, but I'll gain new perspectives with age and experience. My background is not a handicap but is something that enriches my life.

What is your opinion...is there a correlation between background and one's view of what reality is?

October Baby

A friend sent this to me in an email. I was shocked at how closely this fit my personality. I'd say it's 95% true. Strange....

OCTOBER BABY

Loves to chat.

Loves those who love them.

Loves to takes things at the center.

Inner and physical beauty.

Lies but doesn't pretend.

Gets angry often.

Treats friends importantly.

Brave and fearless.

Always making friends.

Easily hurt but recovers easily too.

Daydreamer.

Opinionated.

Does not care to control emotions.

Unpredictable.

Extremely smart

but definitely the hottest AND sexiest of them all.

Living With The Aftermath

Today is the anniversary of Katrina and I, like a lot of people probably, am reflecting back on the past year. Well, that is not entirely true. I'm really thinking back to those few days at the end of last August and early September.

I felt bad for all those people who were living down there and watching their city and homes destroyed. It was pretty easy to sit back in my comfy dry house and feel sorry for them. And I did. Please don't misunderstand. My thoughts were sincere and I did feel bad for all the human life lost and the unbelievable damage left in Katrina's wake. I didn't personally know people that lived there but I knew people who did. It was one of those things that touches you even though it doesn't truly touch you.

Anyway, I'll admit that while I did sympathize and feel sorry for the whole region, I pretty much went back to my life and being wrapped up in me. Unfortunately, I think that is what a lot of people did. I said it in respect to 9/11 and I'll say it again. I think our country has a very short memory. We do feel bad at the moment but it doesn't last.

I live closer to the coast now so I pay attention when I hear anything about hurricanes or tropical storms. And also, living closer to the coast I've met some people that are Katrina and Rita victims still trying to rebuild their lives. For them, it is still as real today as it was a year ago.

I also saw an article in the Houston Chronicle about an IMAX movie that was supposed to premier today. I don't know if it did or not, but the article talked about how this production company was shooting a film on the disappearing wetlands in Louisiana. When Katrina hit they went back to film the aftermath and destruction. They even bragged about being able to gain access to restricted areas by using a borrowed helicopter from the set of Miami Vice which had Police written on it. To me that is just horrible! When true police and emergency medical people were needing to get in, here was this Hollywood production team getting access. That just seemed wrong. Anyway, while this movie about the aftermath of Katrina's fury (Hurricane on the Bayou) will bring in profits none of those profits go to Katrina relief. The proceeds will be split between educational programs and producing conservation films. Is it just me or is there something wrong with cashing in on the devestation and agony of Katrina and then not donating even a portion of the proceeds to the victims?

Anyway, my heart goes out to those people who are still rebuilding their lives and putting their cities back together.

From The Mouths Of Babes...

There are a ton of things that are great about teaching, but one of the best are listening to the little gems that come from these little kids' though process. Also, I know a teacher shouldn't have favorites, but I think one little guy has wedged himself into my heart. He's totally adorable and a pretty smart cookie to boot.

Friday was the wrap up of our unit in Social Studies. We've been talking and learning about communities. Earlier in the week the class had discussed the difference between urban, suburb, and rural areas. We made a graphic organizer (a chart for those of you old school readers) and drew an illustration about where we'd chose to live if we could. I have some talented students!

Well, anyway, Friday was the assessment (we don't call them tests anymore). I had my kids divide into groups and work together to make a brochure (second graders do not have a concept of the word brochure) about the community that was assigned to them. I learned a few things while assessing what they had learned:

• students need a lot more practice working in groups
• anything involving drawing is going to go over well
• don't laugh at the students when they come to the front of the room to share their work

That laughing part sounds cruel but wait till you hear my side of the story. The little boy that has become one of my favorites was up at the front of the room. And, as is his normal, he was dominating the conversation. His poor group members kept looking at him like can we talk please. One of the things they had to include in their brochure was what I could do for fun in their community. Since he hadn't covered that, I asked the group to explain what I could do for fun in an urban area. We'd talked extensively about museums, parks, zoos, etc. that are found in urban areas. So imagine my shock and yes...amusement when this little boy said (in a very put out voice) "We did draw a motel Miss Stewart."

I'm still not sure what he was referring to, but I can only imagine! Funny things are said on a daily basis so I don't want to bore you with them so I'll keep the mouths of babes posts to only the funniest.

Chalk It Up To Peer Pressure

I'm stupid. No...don't try and make me feel better. Just listen to what I signed myself up for at work. I'm in charge of the yearbook. Okay...I'm co-in charge of the yearbook. A (another first year teacher) and myself were sitting in our team meeting the other day and on the agenda were groups that needed a sponsor. A thought yearbook sounded fun. I thought student council would be fun. At this point I just thought that they were looking for some teachers to help out. Little did we know that they were looking for teachers to head up these projects.

Well, A mentioned that she really wanted to work on yearbook. Our mentor teacher (who is usually so helpful) said that it would be great for two friends to co-head together. We were so wrapped up in our new teacher happy feelings that we just agreed that we'd do it. A has a photography degree and I'm an avid scrapbooker so what two better people to head up yearbook? Again...I'm stupid.

After the initial high wore off, A and I looked at each other and said..."What did we just agree to do?" Yeah that's right...we've agree to be the solely responsible for the school yearbook. Pause while I laugh hysterically. Okay..done.

So, bottom line is that in addition to all the first year struggles and responsibilities we've gladly taken on yearbook.

Yeah...this year is going to be fun.

Daddy Would Be Proud

If some of you couldn't guess, I am a daddy's girl. And being the only daughter, I was used to a lot of "pampering" while I lived at home. He used to kill the bugs, take out the trash, clean up the after-effects of the stomach bug, check the oil in the car, you know...all those things that girls should know how to do but guys usually do.

Well, now that I'm living alone 400 miles away from my daddy I'm appreciating all those things even more.

Take for instance this morning's little mishap that normally I would have asked my dad to help me with. I have a front porch but it doesn't attach to my trailer so there is a little 2-3 inch gap. I'd been grocery shopping so I had my hands full with bags and while fumbling with the keys and the bags, the keys ended up falling in that gap. Just great.

I have a lot of bushes and plants along the front of the house so venturing under the porch to get the keys was like going on a jungle safari. But, no guy to do this for me. So, I looked under the porch and saw that there were spider webs and since it rained yesterday lots of muddy places. I started to panic...I should have listened when he told me to get an extra key made.

Well, there was no point in whining now. I needed my keys to get in my house. I searched my yard for a really big stick and went back up to try and reach my keys and drag them to the edge of the porch. But I dropped the stick down the hole too.

There was no other alternative to getting the keys than to get another stick and go into the jungle and get my keys. Finally, I reached the keys and pulled them over to where I could grab them. Yes! Keys in my hand without having too much dirt and bugs on me.

My father would be so proud of me!!! Maybe I still get squirmy when I have to kill a bug (like the huge water cockroach that was feet up in my tub the other morning, or the spider that crawled out of the closet yesterday) or when I gag at the smell when I have to take my trash to the dumpster, or when I have to check the dipstick for the oil level but I'm learning.

I had it good at home with my dad, but I'm glad he raised me to be resourceful (that stick idea...brillant today) and not too squirmy. I'd like to think I'm doing my daddy proud!

Tell Someone

Okay, for any sensitive readers, I'm about to go off on a rant that could be perceived as self-righteous and judgmental. There...that's your warning.

I'm so sick of those commercials about how living with your STD is manageable and darn right easy with the help of a little pill. But the one that really infuriates me is the one that has all the women saying that they want to tell someone (usually their friend, their daughter, their niece, their whatever female) about the link between cervical cancer and a common virus. HPV is the "common" virus that can be linked to cervical cancer.

Well, guess what? HPV isn't a common virus. The flu is a common virus. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease. There are 100 different types of HPV but the ones that are linked to cervical cancer are the sexually transmitted types. Perhaps they mean common as in 20 million Americans have HPV. I'm not one of them because I'm picky when it comes to my sexual partners. Apparently, there are a lot of people out there who aren't. And, while that isn't the way I chose to lead my life, I'm not judging those who do handle their health in such a frivolous manner. But if someone is going to make a commercial educating me on the dangers of cervical cancer and HPV then I'd appreciate being told that HPV is a sexually transmitted disease. That way I don't have to worry if I've been exposed and if my cervical health is in jeopardy.

Oh, and while I think it's a good idea to "tell someone" about the link between cervical cancer and HPV, I think it's even more important to educate those young women about HPV and how to avoid it. I think as a generation, STDs have become so common place that no one thinks twice about trying to educate people on how to avoid them. It's much easier to just help them deal with living with STDs.

All information was provided by http://tell-someone.hpv.com .

Thanks for telling me.

The First Days Of School

Well, those first first days have come and gone. And, I'm not running to the human resources department asking about information on early retirement. I'm feeling good...really good.

Thursday I was a mass of nerves. Parents started bringing in their kiddos about 7:30am and it was a mad swirl of activity. When my conference period came I was glad to sit down and catch my breath. About that time it hit me....I am the teacher. I'm not the sub, I'm not just filling in, I'm not observing...I'm in charge. I am the teacher! It didn't bring tears to my eyes but I was pretty excited.

The first day was a little hectic but Friday went a lot smoother. Wanna know why? I made a list. Yep...a list. Those things are so helpful for me. I plan to make a lot more!

My kids are really great. I have a few talkers but I was a talker so this is probably payback. And to prove that point, my talkiest talkers are sitting next to each other. If I pause to take a breath then they are there to fill in the void. I foresee a lot of parent conferences...lol.

Everyone told me that the first year is the hardest year. Now I know why...you don't have anything planned. I've spent the last few hours getting a lesson plan in order for next week. Nothing is copied and waiting, all extras will have to be prepared in the here and now, and it is all new. Hopefully I can get ahead soon.

Anyway, there is the update. It's all going well!

Meet The Teacher...That's Me!

Okay, first before I start in about Meet The Teacher night, let me tell you about a little food adventure I had recently. I'm one of those people that likes to try new things at restaurants. I've been out numerous times with others that never have to look at the menu because they order the same thing every single time they go somewhere. (Okay...I can't be too hard because I always eat the same thing at Chili's...it's all about the grilled chicken Caesar pita.) Well Monday at lunch a group of teachers when out to eat at this Mexican restaurant. I decided to be daring and try something besides safe choices like enchiladas or nachos. I ordered a stuffed avocado. I love avocado and it was stuffed with fajita beef and cheese. Who wouldn't love something stuffed with beef and cheese? Well, imagine my surprise when a big brown deep fried thing came out! They stuffed my avocado alright and then deep fried it. Fried avocado isn't....good. The meat was good, the cheese was yummy, and the beans were to die for, but the avocado...yeah not so good. I left more than half of my meal on my plate. But nothing ventured nothing gained. So if you're ever in my neck of the woods and we're eating at said Mexican restaurant just take my advice and don't order the stuffed avocado.

Okay...meet the teacher night. For you to fully understand the night I should describe my afternoon. Or maybe even my last week. Anyway, I've had a hard time getting my room in order. I had a lot of crap...err I mean learning materials and the classroom that I moved into was previously inhabited by the team leader of second grade so she left a ton of stuff too. Organizing it has been an adventure to say the least. Well, up until this afternoon about 4:30pm there were boxes and papers sitting all over the room. It was NOT ready for parents and students. But, it is amazing what a few cabinets will hide. By the time parents and students came in it looked good. It'll look better after I spend all day tomorrow in there too.

Ah...parents. God, what a mess some of them are! Most picked up on the fact that I didn't seem like the seasoned teacher and flat out asked if this was my first year. Or in a friendlier way inquired about how long I'd been teaching. While I wasn't advertising the fact that I was a first year teacher I wasn't going to hide it either. Most were very supportive and as enthusiastic about the year as I was, but one just looked me over (I felt like a bug under a microscope) and said "Well this ought to be an interesting year." I felt compelled to point out all the fun things we'd be doing and learning but she just smiled at me (like she didn't want to leave her child's learning up to me) and said "Like I said, it'll be interesting." That just makes me want to go out and show her just what I'm capable of doing. They didn't give me a degree for nothing.

Anyway, at the end of the day I'm still thrilled to be teaching and ready for whatever comes next!

Pooped Out

It was brought to my attention that my posts have been lacking something lately...namely consistency. And the question was posed if my move kicked my ass...and the answer is abso-freakin'-lutely!

Well, to be fair and lay the blame at as many doorsteps as possible, it has been a combination of things that have me pooped out. I didn't plan very well with my timeline. I should have moved the week before I actually did and then spent the next week setting up my classroom. I don't know how people do it when they only have themselves to rely on. I just wish my parents could have stayed a little longer.

Okay enough with the whining. My classroom is beginning to look like a classroom rather than a school supply store. I'm excited to meet the kids and begin the year. Plus, there is a really cool theme for the school this year....WILD about learning. I've been having jungle fever for days now...lol.

I wish that I had something more interesting to blog about, but this is pretty much it. Sorry fellow blogger...my ass has been kicked. It needs a little break and then I'll be back to regular posting.

Home Sweet Home

Oh it's good to be back! I can't believe how much I actually missed blogging. And while I was in the process of moving, I missed my first anniversary of blogging. Last late July, I began blogging after a couple of friends kept talking about all the fun they had with theirs. It doesn't seem like one year has passed...time keeps getting away from me these days. Anyway, happy (late) anniversary to me!

Now down to the dirt...moving is HARD work people! And I'm fairly new in the world so I can only imagine what it would be like to move if you'd had time to accumulate a bunch of stuff. And while I'm on this subject I just want to give a lot of mention to my parents. There is NO WAY that I could have done this on my own. Also, a lot of thanks and love to A for coming and helping to unload and paint my wall. My living room looks spectacular thanks to this chick!! So, for all you that helped me....THANK YOU AND LOVE YOU LOTS!!!

A few people have asked that I post pictures and I will (as soon as my digital camera computer stuff arrive....a casualty of moving...left stuff) as soon as I can.

I'm sure that I had a typical move in experience. It poured the day we arrived so we couldn't unload the U-Haul. My parents stayed on the air bed and A and I took off for a hotel room. Monday morning we got started bright and early (9am is early right?) and thankfully got things unloaded without any problems. I did discover or rather it was brought to my attention that I have a lot of stuff...even for a person just starting out. The living room accent wall was painted (we were all over Extreme Home Makeover!) and I got the kitchen mostly unpacked. And at some point that day we discovered that I had no hot water. Par for the course I was assured.

Tuesday we went grocery shopping and again got to unload in the rain. I've been told that it doesn't normally rain this much but I'm beginning to doubt this theory. I think that day we had plumbers, telephone people (yeah...when the new carpet was put in the wires to the jacks were cut), and the handyman over to work on something or other.

Wednesday through Sunday was an endless time of unpacking and hanging stuff up or putting it in it's right place. And there were a good deal of "projects" that my dad worked on with tools. I even discovered that I like electric drills and screwdrivers. Those things are fun to use...I even asked for an electric screwdriver for my birthday.

Anyway, there are so many details that I couldn't tell them all (but I will give the highlights because I'm planning on posting room pictures with the highlights of that room included) and honestly I'm afraid I'd lose my audience.

So, I do have about four boxes left to unpack and did I mention that school starts in 8 days? I'm just a busy gal these days! But I did want to take time to get a post up and spend a few minutes catching up on other blogs. Thanks for all the well wishes that were sent my way. I appreciated them!

Cardboard And Bubble Wrap

Moving...it's become a dreaded word. Oh, don't get me wrong...I'm super excited about the move and all it represents for me, but gosh darn it...I'm so sick of packing and dusting and packing.

It's official...I have way too much crap. Hey...that should have been the title of this post. LOL. At least I'm still laughing at the boxes and not ranting and raving at them. I'm sure that will come when I manage to haul my butt to bed in a few minutes and stub my toe. I have several boxes lined up around the perimeter of my bedroom and they are just sitting there waiting for packing tape.

Anyway, while things are slowly coming together, I just wanted to pass along a few updates. I probably won't have time to post much for the next week or so. I thought about asking for another guest poster, but everyone seems to be busy these days. And the last time...well I wasn't ready for the blog world to know about my fixation with Pee Wee Herman. So, my blog will sit untouched. Feel free to come back several times and touch it. It likes being touched.

Okay where was I...oh yes. Updates:

Jake: He looks so much better. I guess we didn't realize how sick he was because once he got started on antibiotics he has become a bundle of energy. He goes back tomorrow morning for his check up. His eye still looks deformed but we're already so in love with him that even if he was completely blind we'd still want him! He's going to be making the trip with us for the move. He's still too little to stay alone. Anyway, here is to hoping he doesn't get car sick :)

Packing: Did I mention that I hate it? How come boxes only come in squares???

Ummm well I guess there wasn't a lot to update about. Well, consider yourselves lucky...as someone pointed out the other day I have a habit of NOT "making a long story short".

Y'all take care while I'm away!

Garage Selling

Garage sales. Is there any other form of torture that is witnessed by so many (or in our case on Saturday...so few) people? Okay...the next time I say I'm going to have a garage sale or I even hint at possibly toying with the idea of having a garage sale someone...anyone please slap me silly and direct me to read this post!

When I moved home from college last year, my mom had to find a place for all her stuff that had taken over my room. A lot went to storage and then a lot went to a garage sale pile. Well, when I was packing up for that move I had a lot of stuff for storage and then some garage sale stuff. At Christmas, my mom decided that we had an abundance of stuff so again....more stuff for the garage sale pile. That was growing daily it seemed so we talked about having a garage sale in the spring. Those of you that live in Texas or any place down south know that Spring is only about 15 minutes long so our window of opportunity was small. Unfortunately, my great grandmother had a massive heart attack and the ensuing craziness of that prevented us from having a garage sale.

After much discussion (where in the end I convinced my mom that a garage sale was a good idea) a date was set, an ad bought, and all that was left was to wag out that pile of crap and price it. Setting a date...easy. Buying an ad...costly but relatively easy. Dragging out crap...dirty and hot and not so easy. Pricing...confusing. You want the stuff to sell but you also want to make a profit...it's a fine line people! Setting it up...not too bad. Instead of doing it in the middle of the day on Thursday we did it late that night. And I mean 9pm kind of late. Anyway, the stuff was out and covered and we were going to be ready Friday morning.

Let me stop here....why do people come to a garage sale earlier than what the ad says? Are they hoping they'll be the first to pick through our junk? Is there some "first in line!" prize out there that I don't know about? The ad clearly said 8am. We had people driving by and attempting to stop at 7:15am. One guy even had the nerve to ask..."Are you going to get this show on the road anytime soon?" So, fine...we bowed to the masses (or at least that guy) and opened up. We had several shoppers Friday, but by noon we were hot, sweaty, and ready to come in for lunch. I taped up closed until tomorrow signs and we came in. The only sad thing was that we had to repeat the whole process again the next morning. And there came the rub. While we had a decent showing for a Friday I was really expecting the people to pour in on Saturday. They didn't. And about 11:30am we discovered why....every third Saturday of the month the little historical town outside of my town has it's citywide flea market. Everyone was there! So, while we had traffic coming through we didn't sale a lot. I was kinda disappointed. Here I'd worked my bum off trying to get everything together, priced, put out, and the showing was small.

At least we made enough money to pay for the gas to get me moved, I had a little bowling money, and a friend's sister came and hauled away the remains. And I learned two important lessons...don't have garage sales when it's triple digits outside and well....don't have garage sales!

Bubba Jake

We have a new addition to the family!

Jake

Sunday night our neighbor knocked on the door and let us know that we had a baby kitten crying in our backyard. He thought he might be hurt so I went out to investigate. This tiny furr ball was wondering around the backyard crying. He was covered in stickers and his eyes were matted with leaves and goo. We brought him in and it was pretty much love at first sight...first pitiful sight. After a little warm washcloth bath, a quick call to a friend that knows about babies, a little warm milk, and a bunch of warm towels Jake was ready for bed. He settled amazingly well. He slept in my room so I could get up if he needed anymore syringe feedings, but he did well. He slept through the night...probably worn out from his adventure of getting lost from his mama.

Our next big thing was finding a name for this little guy. My mom wanted to name him Bubba. I was horrified! I hate that name...I always think of rednecks that call their brothers and sisters Bubba and Sissy. So, she came up with Jake and we all thought it fit. So now we have little Jake. He's still adjusting to life in our home. His eyes aren't all the way open so he stumbles around like a little lush. It's totally cute to watch! He's been allowed to explore the livingroom, but we have a ton of places where he could crawl into and we'd lose him. He is tiny! So, we have to watch him pretty close. He's finally found one corner where he likes to hide.

This is a lot different from the time when we brought Morty and Dex home. They were already 12 weeks old and we think Jake is less than ten days because his eyes aren't completely open yet. It's been an experience but we're loving it!

Also, if anyone has any tips for introducing a new kitten into a household with another older cat please share! Dex sniffs around at Jake and then smacks him around with his paw. We're having to watch them extra closely. Thankfully, Dex hasn't attacked but he sure watches him closely. We just want it to be a smooth transition because Jake is part of the family now!