Recent Pics

Also want to take a second to post some semi-recent pictures. Enjoy!

First, I have Emily and Matthew dressed for Christmas. Awwww! (And, yes ... he's really that much taller than she is.)















Then it's just a quickie shot while riding in the van. My "twins."








Finally, Em and I share a moment at Boulder Field, in the Poconos.














--End--

Vader Rocks

OK, probably everyone has already seen this on Yahoo. But, just in case ... check out DJ Darth Vader, scratchin' to the Imperial March. Cracks me up!



--End--

It Has Begun ...

I now have over 4500 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in may garage. Hopefully most of the moms stop by today and take their shares. I'm hoping to get at least one car back under cover by tomorrow.

--End--

Actual Snow!

It started very lightly yesterday afternoon ... and then actually continued very lightly all night. OK, so yeah ... I can still see grass and leaves poking through it. But, it's honest-to-goodness snow!

Of course, it's snow with a lovely layer of still-accumulating freezing rain on top. Joy.

--End--

Snarky Comics Critiques

This site is one I check in with daily. I don't get a local newspaper, and don't get a chance to read the comics everyday. Particularly when there are so many. So, I just keep up with whatever gems Josh comes up with. The commentary cracks me up.

--End--

One More Thing

Yeah, I know "everyone" is talking about it, but I can't help it. I'm putting in a plug for Ugly Betty. It's funny, offbeat, and clever. It's not everyone's thing. But, it's mine.

--End--

Taking Over My Life

By the way ... as of next Monday ... my garage will be filled with 375 cases (@12 boxes each) of Girl Scout cookies. Caramel Delites, Peanut Butter Patties, Shortbread, Peanut Butter sandwiches, Reduced Fat Cartwheels, Thanks-a-Lots, Lemonades. And, of course my favorite ... Thin Mints.

Anyone want me to save / ship them any? "Only" $3.50 per box.

--End--

Such a Tease

Well, it sleeted last night. And the temperature actually dipped below freezing for a few nights in a row. But, all in all ... this has been the lamest winter ever. EVER. This light dusting of snow (yeah, it was actual snow in a few towns west of us) had people at school today saying, "OK, enough winter, already. We're ready for spring."

WHA? Are you kidding me? We've had temps in the 60s and even the 70s this whole season. How can you be ready for spring when we've essentially had spring straight through since fall? (last week I even saw some forsythia and crabapples starting to bloom)

--End--

Clean and Simple

So every week Joe and I are going to spend several hours simplifying and cleaning up our lives. We're going to pitch, donate and store most of our clutter. The plan is to mentally begin to prepare our house for sale/moving (within the next 12-18 months). We don't want to show the house in this state, nor do we want to move it all.

We start on Friday afternoon. I don't know why I'm really thinking about it right now, actually.

Today went better at work. I think I'll be in a nice easy routine in just a couple more days.

--End--

Day One

Today was the first day of my new job. It went pretty well, I think. I am the reading teacher for 8 first graders and 12 second graders at a small elementary school in rural New Jersey (not an oxymoron). I meet with the lower of the two second-grade groups, then the first-grade (high level) group, then the higher-level second-grade group.

Pros
It's a foot in the door at a new school district.
The kids seem pretty well-behaved.
I have some autonomy with my reading groups.
The hours are good.

Cons
One of the teachers I have to work with seems a bit tetchy.
The reading program is scripted, so there's really not a lot of me in my teaching.
Half-day work isn't going to further our life goals much, if at all.

All in all, I think it's going to be good. One thing is certain, I need to pick up the pace with my first two groups. Familiarity will breed comfort and efficiency. So, it should be flowing smoothly along in a week or so. Then the principal will give me some more to do in my remaining time.

In other news, one of my best friends nearly set Bacon School (where I used to teach) on fire. The sun was refracting just so through a glass fishbowl on her desk. She melted half a tape dispenser before she discovered the problem. It was one of those "Do you smell something funny?" "Yeah, like maybe something burning." sorts of things. The plastic was smoking and smoldering pretty badly when she found it. Good thing it had been blocking the nearby box of tissues from the solar death ray. Of course, if it'd happened on a Friday afternoon or when she was otherwise in a hurry to get out of the building ... my guess is they'd all be having a few days off while they dealt with the water and smoke damage.

--End--

Not Enough Nerve

OK, if I were younger, nervier and into defacing stop signs ... I would totally get these.

Actually, I like a lot of stuff they sell.

Check out the tv recaps on Television Without Pity, while you're at it.

--End--

Scrapbooking Made Simple

I just love scrapbooking. Really! (I know I'm dorky)

But, every now and then even the most-loved hobbies kind of become tedious and uninteresting. I'm kind of scrapbooked-out at the moment (well, I have been on quite a tear lately ... ever since I attended the Creating Keepsakes Convention in Valley Forge in late July I've gone crazy with it). So, it was with great delight I received the second shipment of an album kit series I'm getting from QVC.

I finished the first one awhile ago, "All About Me." It was actually kind of hard doing a scrapbook all about me, myself. Not for the least reason that I have very few pictures of myself, let alone scrapbook-worthy ones. And, it was difficult at first to talk about myself and express my own hopes and dreams, etc.

This second edition has gone much faster. I've been really looking forward to this one. It's "All About You." The you in this case being Joe, of course. I've had a good time singing his praises, recalling old memories and digging through pictures of him. (and I don't have that many good pictures of him, either, oddly ... I guess my photography is generally focused on the kids ... mental note to remedy that in the future)

I'm very happy right now. I really love working on a project and seeing steady progress on it. And I know he's going to be surprised and pleased with the finished product (although he's usually quite blase' about my creations).

--Heidi

ps. In other news, I gathered a bunch of stuff for my new job starting Monday. I'm trying to start small so I can get a feel for the kids and my (extremely limited) space at the school. I'm really hoping this goes well. I'm ready to go back to work and really contribute more (financially) to the family.

So rude!

I have hardly been the most conscientious blogger, have I? Well, I need more reflection, introspection and just plain working out words to put down. So, I really am going to make a conscious effort to post something on a far more regular basis than previously.

Even if it's just train of consciousness nonsense and crappy memes and questionnaires. Just to get the ball rolling, the juices flowing, and other metaphors.

So, here goes ... apparently facial recognition software has determined I look like these people (though I'm hardly taking this seriously, the first photo I uploaded came through with a much higher percentage match to none other than Daniel Radcliffe. Yes, evidently I could be Harry Potter's big sister. Yeesh!) Granted, I have very few (if any) really decent pictures of myself. That what you get from being behind the camera the vast majority of the time. Plus, I'm overweight and never happy with the way I look in photos. And, I have this gigantic toothy grin which I guess looks pleasant enough in person, but when still-frozen-in-time-forever looks garish.

Every now and then ... It's just a Good Day

Elements of Good came together today to make this a Good Day.

I woke up slowly this morning ... one of those undeniably luxurious summer mornings where you just take it slow and simple. As I'm stretching I realize I can't really move my left arm. Brief flash of anxiety ... are my car accident injuries acting up again? Nope, it's warm, snuggly Matthew smooshed up next to me. As I move around, he rolls over and gives me a kiss, "Good morning, Mommy," and pulls my arms back around him.

Much later we meet my Aunt Deb at the Erie Library for a juggling show. Kevin the Juggling Guy. Funny, somewhat offbeat in that frequently-entertaining-children sort of way. Decent juggling. Good patter. Turns out I can spin a plate on a stick.

Quick car ride via Subway to the Dock (I don't care how long they push it as Dobbins Landing). We meet Captain Norm of the Erie Aquabus service. He was one of those nautical types with leathery skin and white hair. Not overly chatty or anything. Kind of thought he had barely noticed us. At one point he did a quick swoop around in a circle and got out his boat hook. After several attempts, reverses and additional swerves, he manages to hook a plastic beach shovel out of the waves. He tosses it back to the kids, "Now you'll have something to play with at the beach." Not long after, he dropped us over on Presque Isle.

We picnicked in the sun (the breeze was a bit chill), and had a nice time ... Mom, Aunt Deb, the kids and me. It was a good, simple meal. We tidied up and walked over to the beach.

I'd brought the kids' swimsuits, but had already decided, after the shivering on the ferry ride, that we'd be wading at best. So, I rolled up their shorts and let them run in the wet sand and surf. It was a glorious day. Breezy, bright blue sky, teal green water. Few people. The kids just raced back and forth. Every now and then one of them would stop and analyze the wave action. Emily would wiggle her toes in the wet sand and watch little mini puddles form. Matthew would smack at the water with a stick and then throw his head back and laugh out loud. I snapped picture after picture. I liked the light. I liked the mood. I loved seeing my kids so gleeful.

Of course, when we made to leave and Emily realized she would really not be swimming, she threw a bit of a hissy fit. They were soggy to their waists and covered in wet sand. A good 40 minutes at the playground dried them off well enough for the ferry ride back. I remember lying back on a picnic table bench, a rolled beach towel under my neck, gazing up at the blue sky through a canopy of quaking poplars.

It was a Good Day.

Piano Party #1

Emily had her first "Piano Party" tonight. Her piano teacher does these sort of family get-togethers where the kids each play one or two songs for everyone (less nervousness and vomiting than the big ol' formal end-of-the-year recitals). Em goofed a few times (OK, quite a few times), but she was darn cute playing alongside Mr. Raudenbush in their duet.

--End--

Not Sure What to Title This One

Had a rough day at school today, but I'm not sure how to really categorize it. I mean ... no one got seriously hurt. Nothing was broken. And, at least a modicum of learning occured. But, I had a raging headache at the end of the day, and I felt crummy for not getting the relationship between pennies and nickels through to these kids.

They just don't get it.

And they insist on counting out tally marks one-by-one.

I'm sure it didn't help that we did arts and crafts for the first hour and a half of the day. And my aide wasn't there to help keep things in line. And, Tyrell decided to be a crazy lunatic for awhile.

I mean, what sort of kid comes into class flapping his arms like wings?
"Go back out and try coming into the class the right way, Tyrell."

Reenters skipping.
"Go back out and try it again, Tyrell."

Reenters walking backward.
"Go back out and try it again, Tyrell."

Reenters stomping, smile gone from his face.
(I decide to let it slide a bit, since he seems to be actually heading for his desk and starting his day with some semblance of normalcy.)

Then at Morning Meeting, he's all elbows and knees and sly comments.
"Go back to your seat and think about how you should behave at Morning Meeting."
"I can't."
"What? Why not?"
"Because I tied my shoes together."

You've got to be kidding me. I point. He goes. Big show of "tripping" and "stumbling."

I move his name to red on the behavior chart.
"Yay! I'm on red! Finally! Look, everyone...red! Whooo!"

I point out the door to the Bench Outside the Principal's Office. My room is blissfully quite and cooperative for a full hour. :)

But after lunch they were crazy. And loud.

I'm sure Crazy Hat Day had something to do with it. It's awfully hard to take anyone seriously when she has a cake on her head. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6568758415&category=35842)

Or maybe they were really able to focus on lessons and ignore the hat. Maybe.

A pirate in my classroom

My substitute teacher is a bit off-beat. I haven't seen him this year, but last year he wore his hair in a mohawk and occasionally dressed like a pirate. Apparently, he does some sort of piratical reenactment or somesuch now and then. He even taught the kids a pirate song, which they sang for me today. Cracked me up ... picture fifteen 6-year olds belting out "What do you do with a scurvy pirate? What do you do with a scruvy pirate? What do you do with a scurvy pirate earl-eye in the morning!"

Off to Brownies now with Emily. And then, you know what? I may just spend the next hour at home on the couch reading a book. See if I don't.

--End--

It turns out, I'm funny ...

Just spent the weekend at a Digital Crafts (mostly scrapbooking) convention in Valley Forge. Hung out all weekend with my sis-in-law, Kristin, as well as, for a large part, a new friend Alix ("al-leeks").

Had a fabulous time. And, though I know fatigue and ennui had more than a little to do with it ... I had 'em really laughing a few times. We were busy playing the parts of the disenfranchised not-caring-but-really-caring-so-much-it-hurts unpopular girls. It's complete bizzare how the same clique-y stuff goes on with adult women as it does with girls in school. And, Kristin, Alix and I ... definitely not in the "in" crowd. *sigh*

But, what's funny is that we formed our own little clique. I mean, don't get me wrong ... anyone who wanted to could join us on our hunk of carpeting at the back of the room. But, we had a good time kind of disdaining the cute "in" girls (sorry, sometimes women shouldn't be called women ... sometimes it's "girls"), kind of scorning the mismanaged, disorganized chaos of the convention.

Though, I had a great time and really enjoyed having some adult conversation for a nice long block of time. And, I always enjoy getting together with Kristin.

In fact, it's because of the convention that I'm blogging in the first place. I'm going to try to do more journaling of all sorts ... my teaching reflections journal, and this personal blog. Going to store memories, moments, thoughts, quotes from my kids. All that stuff that slips through the cracks, otherwise.

Now, I just have to go wake-up Joe (who chaperoned a sleep-over with the kids and their two friends last night), so we can go get a pizza.

--End--

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Honestly forgot all about this file for awhile. Need to put a shortcut on my desktop so I remember to write. So much has changed since last I wrote, it’s not even worth trying to play catch up.

Where are things now? Well, we’re still here in South Jersey, really starting to make friends and feel at home. We’re still working on debt, but I feel like we’re starting to make real headway and get serious about it. I was working part-time, but that didn’t work out … mostly my fault, really, but there’s more they could have done to help me know what to do and when to do it, etc. Emily is 4, now, and definitely knows everything. She’s starting to learn how to read and is on Pediasure and an appetite enhancer because she only gained 3 lbs. since her last birthday. Matthew outweighs her now, but is still a bit shorter. He’s talking quite a bit, making sentences and connections pretty well. Two smart kids on our hands, oh dear!

Can’t wait for the weather to really get nice and stay nice. It was in the 80s earlier this week, and it was SO nice to open up the house and let the breezes in. With my recent efforts, I’m even fairly happy with the way I look in shorts. Better than I have in years, that’s for sure. I want to get back out and on my bike for even more improvements!

The biggest upcoming event we have right now is our Second Honeymoon cruise in about a month. It’s so huge and we’re SO excited about it. I hope it lives up to half of our expectations. Joe’s mom will have the kids and even be taking them to Erin’s wedding. I’m bummed about missing Emily’s second run as a flower girl, but wouldn’t give up this vacation with Joe for hardly anything.

My June 2001 Playgroup Message Board has undergone a bunch of changes recently and is still undergoing quite a bit of emotional upheaval. We’re currently running our own self-governed Board and are electing Board leaders. I’m in the running, but I don’t know if I really have a shot. Heck, I don’t know how much I even really want it.

Have I mentioned how worried, ticked, frustrated I am that Joe hasn’t gone to the doctor about his cholesterol, feet and general well-being? I don’t know what I’m going to do about that. I’m very concerned and he knows it, but I can’t make him do it.

Speaking of doctors, I recently underwent a medical “scare.” Had to have a couple of lumps removed from my left breast. They’re simple cysts, and nothing to worry about, but at the time…who knew? The general anesthesia was the scariest part. I’m pretty much recovered now and even the scar is becoming less noticeable.

Well, guess that’s it for now. Joe is upstairs working. He said he’ll have to work a lot this weekend. But, I think it’s time to interrupt and spend a little time together. Maybe a movie. –END—

Baby Steps

Well, today is the first day of our Intensive Potty Training. Joe and I have decided that enough is enough. Emily is old enough to be out of diapers. She understand the entire process and just has to make up her mind to do it.

So, today I bought plastic pants and a couple more pairs of cotton training pants for her. And, Emily picked out the big girl pants she wants. So, ever since we got back from Wal-Mart, she’s been in doubled-up cotton training pants with a (way too large for her) plastic cover over them. And no pants. Trying to keep it easy for her. So, I turned up the heat in the house today and I think it’s going to dry my skin all up until it just flakes off and blows away. Yuck. But, it’s for her. I can’t have those skinny little legs freezing, now can I?

Today is another one of Joe’s loooong days. He went in early this morning to judge a high school science and math fair. He’s excited about being asked to do it, but when he doesn’t get done teaching until 9pm, it’s a loooong day. And, he went out to the movies last night, so I haven’t seen that much of him lately.

Matthew is doing a lot more lately, too. He pulls up on everything now, and has even tried climbing up some steps (not good!). He waved at people starting yesterday. Very cute!

I started doing some research for preschools for Emily. And, frankly, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I get no support at all in this regard from my mother. She thinks I’m a kook. She keeps saying that it’s too much time in school. Well, that’s how it’s done now. So, what am I supposed to do? I want Emily to have extensive time with other kids, and I want some time one on one with Matthew. And, since I will most likely be returning to work in the near-ish future to help us get out of debt, it would be nice to have Emily in a free (thanks to the New Jersey Department of Education Abbot Program) preschool, so I only have to pay for Matthew’s childcare.

Both kids are napping at the moment. I’ve been pushing through Emily’s naps lately, to help her go to bed better at bedtime. But, I need the break today. Plus with the potty training stresses that we’re both going to be going through in the next few weeks….she probably needs the break, too.

But, she’s been up there for awhile now. I don’t want her to sleep too long.

I’m lonely today. Talked to my mom, but she just wants me to fly up for Lisa’s shower. Like I have nothing better to do than drag my kids 500 miles to help her host a party. I mean, it’ll be fun and all, but I’ll be exhausted. Joe is stressed out and overworked, I have to try to keep my head screwed on right. And, she thinks I’m way off base on this whole preschool concept. It was a very terse conversation just now.

I love visiting my folks, but no one seems to understand the amount of work it is to have two little, little ones away from home for any period of time. Joe thinks it’s a big vacation when I go up there. I would love to have him watch the kids by himself somewhere away from home for even one night, let alone a week. He’d go nuts. Joe complains that I foist the kids off onto him all the time when he’s home, and it’s probably true. But, he doesn’t seem to realize what a major difference it would mean to me if he volunteered to give me a break. If he let me go, rather than me having to pull away, it’d be so much more of a break. Instead, I creep away and feel guilty and don’t even relax.

I put my first item up on eBay. I’m trying to earn some money to help pay bills and to save up for the Shore. But, nobody has bid on my item yet. Wonder if anyone even will. I’d feel like a dud if no one even bids on my first eBay item. I mean, my mom made $36 on her cookbooks. Well, I have a bunch more stuff to sell, and some of it will be really popular. I know my breastpump will go for $150+, for example.

Joe hasn’t shown any interest in me in awhile. Is it just stress?

I need to go up and get some clothes down out of the attic. Well, actually I guess I can wait until it’s time to change over to summer clothes. Should only be another month or so. I feel like my current clothes are getting loose, but when I tried on clothes on Sunday for church, they were all too tight. So, I don’t know what size I am. I haven’t been keeping strict track of points in a million years, but I’ve really been trying to be “good” as far as portion sizes, etc. go. And, I’ve been trying to boost my activity level. Every little bit, right? Well, then why does it feel like it’s really helping only a little?

Well….better get some stuff done before the kiddos get up. ---END---