Workshop Day

What's the best part about going to a workshop? An hour and a half long lunch and getting to pee whenever I want to!

What's a girl to do?

The relationship between a girl and her mailman is a very tenuous and important one.

I've just realized how much so.

There's something going on between me and mine.

He leaves the box open when it rains so my mail gets wet.

He wads up magazines and newspaper ads so they are crumpled and torn when I retrieve them.

The other day, he stuffed a package in there and I almost couldn't get it out.

I question myself - did I do something? Did I antagonize him in any way? Whenever I've seen him, I THINK I've been politely friendly. I mean, I've never baked him cookies, but to tell you the truth - my cookies aren't that great, so maybe that's a good thing...right?

Should I leave a note in the box? Stickers? A McDonald's gift card? Lotion? Those polyester uniforms must certainly chafe the skin.

Have any of you gone through this turmoil? It's killing me inside to think that someone I don't know very well could have this animosity towards me. If it was someone who knew me, I could understand - I'm cute & funny & have cool glasses.

But that's a whole other post.

Injury time-out

The other night Stan, Stumpy, & Caden went to the A&M Consolidated football game. Nana & I stayed home. When they got home, Caden put his football helmet on and began running around the room, tackling Nana & throwing his football.

He then laid down on his back, hiked his pants leg up and yelled, "I hurt my knee! Someone needs to come look at it!"

Obviously the kid watches too much football. He even re-enacts the injuries.

It's never dull!

Last night the whole family went to Macy's to get some fancy britches for Stan. We're walking around the men's department upstairs and they have tons of mannequins that are only from the waist down, showcasing their collection of slacks.

We were shopping and Caden was running and playing, but then Stan & I got distracted. Caden had been quiet for a minute (& that's never good) and when we looked up, he was standing on the little platform gripping the mannequin tightly just below the waist.

I said, "Caden, get off of that."

And he said - or yelled - "NO, THAT'S MY DADDY!!!!"

I informed him that it most certainly was NOT his daddy & he needed to let go RIGHT NOW.

I cannot make this stuff up.

Feeling a little sad

Last night I went to my first Varsity Consolidated football game. Those of you who know me may think it's weird that it took me this long to go, but I really had no desire to. I don't know ANY of the kids playing. I have one Bengal Belle & 2 sophomore cheerleaders, but that's it.

And as the band played, I teared up because I remember the last few years being eager to be at the games so I could take pictures of my kids, hurriedly get them developed at Walgreens and then take them to school Monday morning so I could have them up on the wall before the kids came in.

I remember Adolfo, my incredibly mature, sweet-natured kid who led the drum line in band but played football too so he would get out there and march during halftime in his uniform. But he did it barefoot because he said it was easier to march that way.

I missed Dino, one of my alltime favorite students (I know as a teacher I'm not supposed to say that, but it's true!). I watched him mature from a little sophomore all the way to a self confident senior. It was so much fun watching him grow and I loved snapping pictures because he has 'that face' and it's so expressive.

I missed watching Danny get so frustrated on the sidelines when things weren't going their way. He'd stand with his hands on his hips and then shake his head in disgust when a play didn't go as planned.

I missed watching James, Cordrick, and Jared laugh and goof off when the team was on and the game was good. As a teacher, getting to see them in their element was exciting and I tried to bring football into the classroom more because of them.

I missed watching Coach Tuck get so irate that his bald head would turn red as a beet and he would have those big macho players quaking in their cleats. Whenever I had trouble with football players in class, all I had to do was email Tuck. Problem solved.

I missed seeing all of my sweet babies in the stands. I love seeing students outside the classroom. It reminds both of us that we're people and we're not just 'student' and 'teacher'.

I missed seeing Bethany & Jill in their cheerleader outfits, catching my eye so I could take their picture.

I missed working the gate and seeing former students come back to the game, or have them sneak up behind me to give me a bearhug and tell me they missed me.

I will forever miss bringing Caden to school one day and having the star quarterback come by my room on his 'aide' period, hold out his arms to Caden and Caden jumping to him, and then both of them walking around the school for half an hour. I didn't worry about Caden at all because I knew he was with Brian and he was safe.

All of this is running through my mind - as the band is playing and the game is getting started - like a slideshow. I didn't have my camera with me. I hadn't even thought about bringing it.

I know this is part of being somewhere new - and especially someplace so incredibly huge as Consolidated, but I'm still struggling because I miss my kids. I miss my kids. What makes me love teaching is what made the decision to leave Cameron so heartwrenching.

So please pardon the melancholy nature of this post. I promise not to wallow. But for one night at one football game, the memories were just too much.

The gas factor

I got gas today.

Now, normally that wouldn't be blog worthy. I used to fill up my car every 3 days.

Today was the first day I got gas since AUGUST 20!

That's right - I made it from August 20 until September 28 on one tank!!!!!

So, last year at this time, I would've already paid $420 purchasing gas (or more with all of the fluctuations) for my car & right now...since the beginning of the school year (really a week before), I've paid a total of $42!

Not quite so separated

Yesterday I showed up at school, stepped out of my car, and inexplicably heard the sounds of drums and guitars. I looked over at the front of the school and there was a band, all set up, singing their hearts out - about Jesus!

Wow! What a way to start my day. It was awfully early, but the kids were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed - and they sounded good!

Way cool.

Oxford Street

I am sooo sad that Oxford Street has closed down! Stan & I went there on our 1st date, well, our first official date. We also ate there the night of our wedding. My family had a celebratory lunch there when I graduated from A&M. Stan & I celebrated our 11th anniversary there.

I get so sentimental about dumb stuff, but this was a really special place to me. If Stan & I had to pick our restaurant, this would've been it - not the place we went to all of the time, but the place we reserved for the special occasions. We always had good food, good service, and I loved the atmosphere.

In the grand scheme of things, this is not a tragedy - far from it. But it's one of the little things that meant a great deal to me and I'm sad it's gone.

Mama & Caden's Day. of. Fun!!*

So school is out today to house evacuees from Hurricane Ike and Caden's school is closed b/c CSISD is so we have had a super fun day!

I (stupidly) stayed up late reading b/c I didn't have to go to school today. Oh wait - I have a 3-year-old who has decided to get up at 6:30 every morning now!!! Oh, the joy. But he was super sweet and let me bribe him with Spongebob Squarepants and Dora while I slept. I told him I would get up after Dora and when I did, he said, "No - I want to watch another one" so I got to sleep until 8:30! He watched TV and played with his new trash truck in our bed. So sweet.

When I woke up, he told me that it was not raining and we could go to the park this morning. (He remembered me saying that last night.) So we got up, got ready, and went to McDonald's for breakfast. We sat on the same side in the booth - so fun. Then we went and got my car inspected. Not so fun, but one of those life necessities. But it was cute listening to Caden try to say 'inspected'.

I was going to take him to Tanglewood Park (so he could put rocks in his new trash truck) but when we drove by the park at South Knoll Elementary, he decided he wanted to go there. There were plenty of rocks and also plenty of sun so I cajoled him in to going to the mall and playing at that playground.

We had fun. Caden was very shy and withdrawn at first. I really hope I don't project my social phobias on to him. After a bit, he started running around with the best of them. I think he's too passive at times. There was this little girl who made the most inhuman noises as she ran every kid off of whatever they were playing with. Her and her little friends then picked up the little frogs & bees and repositioned them so they could play with them exclusively. I just figured this out (I'm not the typical playground mama) - if you're wondering who the 'playground bully' belongs to, 98% of the time it's going to be the parent who is paying absolutely NO attention to her child. Seriously, I wanted to spank the girl. And her mother.

We then traipsed back to Macy's where Caden wanted to ride the escalators. He did fine on the way up. As we're walking to the down side, he stuck his tongue out and grinned at the cleaning lady. We stepped on. Caden stepped off. I kept going. And Caden begins screaming and crying. The sweet cleaning lady ran around the corner and picked him up and carried him down for me. I felt horrible. One more reason to get in shape - to run UP the down escalator!

I asked him if he was OK & he looked at me with big ol eyes and crocodile tears running down his face and said, "I cried for you!" Gah! Knife to the heart right there.

So we came home and in a guilt-induced fit I gave him candy. Yeah, I know - lesson learned. He was bouncing off the walls (literally one time!) for hours. I'm just hoping he stays in bed tonight.

*You have to read this as Janice from Friends. If you're not familiar with this, then it's really not that funny & I'm sorry.

Funny Caden

We drove by my school this afternoon and saw the football players. Caden asked what they were doing & I said they were practicing. He asked why and I told him so they could get better.

A little later we drove by a park and there was a trainer there with several people he was working out. Caden looked at me and said, "They're practicing so they can get better."

Yes, Caden. Yes they are.

That hasn't happened before!

I just ran to Kroger & I saw one of my students there! I guess now that I'm teaching in town, that's going to happen more often!

Poo on the library

I tried to renew some items last night & the system wouldn't let me do it for 2 books b/c I'd already done it once already. OK, I'll just go up to the library, turn them in, & then recheck them out. Right?

Wrong.

I have to leave them there for 24 hours to give someone else a chance. Pardon me for being a selfish cranky pants, but if someone wanted them, they could've requested them online like I did.

So I came home & immediately put the request in - that the desk guy told me I couldn't do - and they'll probably be ready for pickup this evening.

If everyone would just play by the rules of Aalbersland, life would be sooo much sweeter!