"My dog is usually pleased with what I do, because she is not infected with the concept of what I "should" be doing." Lonzo Idolswine

I will be posting pictures soon of the latest Truman escapade. Yep. I am pretty sure he is Marley in disguise. Let's just say there is purple pen on my carpet (thank goodness we are replacing it soon), there was some on the couch, and his paws were an interesting shade of purple - it is now beginning to fade, thankfully. So...yes...it was pretty much a pain in the butt.

We are at 13 more days of school left! Woo! That makes me super excited...and the kids. They are tired of each other and I am tired of the spring fever craziness. We have grandparent's day Friday, so we are trying to prepare a music program. They are not in the mood to learn the words or perform right now, that's for sure. Can you blame them?

I need some sleep this weekend. And the pollen count to lower. That would be so helpful to my runny nose right now...

*Achoo* Really, I sneezed. Anywho...have a lovely spring day!

"If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats." Lemony Snicket

My poor dog has allergies. He had them last year and they are back full force this year. Mr. S. will be calling th vet today to see if there is something we can do. We woke at 2am due to his hacking...I feel bad about going to work today because it makes me nervous with his coughing and hacking. He is really sweet right now because he doesn't feel well. Poor guy. He turns one and falls apart! His 1st bday was Sunday...aw! I will post pics later tonight or tomorrow morning of his pretty face.

It rained all day yesterday. Ick. I hope today is a prettier day. 

Swine flu = scary. We had to send a note home with our students because of it being a national epidemic. How scary is that?! I live in a college town, so that makes me a little more nervous because of spring break people that usually go to Mexico. There are none in my state yet though, so that is good. It seems like people are pretty on top of things right now though. Eek!

Alrighty, time to get ready for work. Weeee!

Don't quack like a duck.. soar like an eagle. - Ken Blanchard

What a great day today! It was 70 degrees at 8:30 this morning and I was on my way to a 5K. We did the 5K to raise money for classroom books at school. It was a great success for it being the first year. We had a great time and everyone finished within the hour! Even people with strollers, so it was awesome. I finished in like 37 minutes, which is great since I never run. Ever. Ick. It was a beautiful day running outside in the wind and sun. I would do that again, that's for sure.

Truman is at work with Mr. S. today. Thank goodness. I could use a break after getting little sleep last night. I need to clean the house, too. I really need to vacuum. But what I would really love to do is get rid of my rock garden and plant some plants. Maybe after the indoor work...and if it doesn't rain. Hmmm...motivation here I come! See what running 3 miles at 9am does for ya! Haha!

Have a lovely day, beautiful ladies!!

"Whatev."

2 posts in one day...very unlike me, but very much necessary. After phone call with meanie-parent I guess things are sorted out. More like, I am not dealing with it right now and I am done talking about it. Before I made the call she had already written a note on her midterm to send back to me. It was hateful and rude. Not that I expect anything different, but it was offensive. Who cares? That's how she is. Other than that, nothing else was said and no emails sent. It was awesome.

In other news, spring makes my contacts itchy and dry. Ouch.

Old Nacy makes me happy. Capris for $15...yes, $15. Now, I shouldn't really wear them because I have short legs and they don't help my case any. But the deal is...I am a teacher and I can't wear shorts. Ya know, life is hard. Capris are necessary. I would love a couple of cute skirts though...hmmm....and shoes.

I need a nap...and a margarita. Mmmm

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to. ~Author Unknown

Thanks for the positive thoughts on my last Debbie Downer post. I had to vent and my husband, my grade partner (who would understand me), and my roomie were all gone. I was so angry last night and so hurt. What I don't mind is being questioned or asked about what is going on with a child, but I don't like when it feels like an attack. And when someone goes over my head to my principal automatically and every single time, it makes me angry. It makes me feel vulnerable and attacked. I hate that more than anything. I hate questioning myself and my job. I love my students...I don't want to feel like I am doing the wrong job because I know I'm not. I know that I love my job. I just know that I have 3 weeks left and that I am not putting up with being stomped on by this parent anymore. I'm done.

On a brighter note....it is GORGEOUS here right now. Yesterday was the most beautiful 87 degree day. This morning I took Truman outside and it was beautiful. When I wake up and hear the birds chirping, it's a good day.

I could use some strength right now to continue my day. I need to get ready, but if I put it off...maybe I could stay home. No? Damn. Lord, give me strength to make it through the day. And chocolate. Amen.

OH! Have you seen these plants? You can plant them, pot and all. They are biodegradable. I love these!                

One part of my job that I can't stand is feeling like I am whittled down to nothing by parents. I'm sorry I didn't alert you to the grade problems your child was having. But it is midterm and this is the grade check. This is when you see where your child is. I wish that I could help you sooner with this, but between helping your child in my class, getting ready for standardized testing, grading papers, spending my Easter Sunday at school getting plans together, and sleeping...I just now got my grades in. Why do I have to be brought to tears over that? Why can't I enjoy my job? Why do I want to run away from it today?

"Either you define the moment or the moment defines you." -- Tin Cup

Some thoughts:

• I want to go on Dancing with the Stars...too bad you have to be a star...or at least do something in entertainment...because I am sure quite a few of these people are not "stars", if you will.

• I hate when my husband has to work late. Hate it. Tonight he is not getting home until like 9pm. This is getting old.
• Standardized testing is making my class nuts. Seriously nuts. I hate having testing before school is over because my kids are done and I am done. Bah.
• I drink too much Diet Pepsi. 'Nuff said. I need to drink water. Badly.

• 5K this weekend...guess who hasn't been training? Yep, this girl. Maybe I will walk with our principal and her baby. Yep...or just work the registration booth. Haha!
• I want to find the secret of the blog world and how all these people have like 20 comments a day. Wow! Outta control, blogger people! Just kidding...I *heart* you.
• I hit over 100 posts...woah! I should do something special. We'll see...
• Check out this woman...

She is a lawyer where I live...her hair = outta control. Her commercial is worse. Eek!

Have a lovely rest of the week!

If only we'd stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time. ~Edith Wharton

What a weekend...It was just a good, relaxing weekend. My mom came up to visit this Saturday which was awesome. I haven't seen her since Christmas due to busy weekends, her having her gallblader taken out, and weather. Her and I had a good visit and went shopping. She is very artsy and we went to Michael's so she could pick up some items for her alternative scrapbook...very cool idea, btw. Anyway, her stay was pretty short due to the drive back, but it was good for the time I got.

Mr. S. and I played some Guitar Hero on Saturday night...always fun. I like when we can just have a good Saturday night where we can chill out together. 

Sunday we had dinner at a friend's house and played Easter Egg Roulette. In case you don't know what that is...it is where you hard boil a bunch of eggs and leave 1 less than the people you have normal. So we had 6 people and left 5 not cooked. Then we picked randomly and tried to crack them on our foreheads. Yep, seriously. If you got one that was not cooked, it makes a mess and you are out. The person that ends up with no egg on their face, wins. My husband won last year. This year he was second out and I was in it until the end. My friend grabbed an egg, smashed it, nothing. There were two left, I grabbed one...nothing. I WON! Yay! No egg on my face this year! Some of the things we do....weird, I know.

My dog might be the biggest drool machine ever.

Last night Mr. S. woke up frantic, saying his ring had fallen off. He was searching everywhere and I was trying to wipe my hand over the bed to see if I felt it. So I told him to turn on the light. He did and walked over to me and guess what...his ring was still on his finger. Yep, he was dreaming and then woke up freaking out. He does that sometimes, especially when he is stressed out. Oh goodness...I wonder if he'll remember what happened when he wakes up this morning...haha!

My mom is coming up today to visit. Her and my step-dad raise cattle and then butcher in the spring. With that happening, they have decided to give me and my 2 step-sisters half of a cow's worth of beef. All we have to pay is the processing fee. She is bringing it up today...all 270lbs. of beef! Wow! We are going to be good to go for awhile, that's for sure!

If the dog does not stop barking this morning, I am going to scream. Seriously. 

"Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death." Earl Wilson

Scary moment in my day...

Walking the dog up the road, 2 dogs are seen and they start barking, they are not on leashes and there is no fence to keep them in, woman is calling to dogs, one is listening and one is not, dog 1 runs up to Truman, I hear woman calling another name, I walk around the side, there is ANOTHER dog, a huge Great Dane is standing tall and proud watching me and Truman, dog 1 is now in Truman's face, Truman is trying to ignore him and he is not backing down, dog 2 is still staring at Truman and walking slowly toward us, dog 1 leaves and I see the person in the garage across the street, I walk slowly towards the garage and tell him to put the doors down, he does and the woman gets the dogs, I walk home...OMG...OMG....OMG! I about peed my pants! Oh, and I was asking her how dangerous her dogs were and if I should be scared...she wouldn't answer. Thanks. A lot.

So I went to talk to the woman after I took Truman to walk at the park instead (ruining my car cleaning job, thank you very much!), and she did not answer the door. Thanks...I was really going to be nice. Then I went and told the woman across the street that I told her mentally handicapped son to put down the garage door in hopes of not being attacked and not because of anything else...she was very nice and she knows us and Truman.

What an afternoon. I am so over this day.

"Save it for a rainy day." Proverb

I am so tired...Mr. S. and I went to class this morning at the gym. I love having weekdays off. I am pretty sure I could be a stay-at-home wife at this point. Ya know, if we didn't have a mortgage payment and all! I love working out in the morning/early afternoon. It makes me more motivated, that's for sure. So yeah, we went to class and went to Subway for lunch. MMM!

Tomorrow is back to school. And we are starting the week with our standardized testing...yeah, a 5 day break and then testing. Awesome, right? Ick. No good. So this should be interesting. Trying to get my third graders back into the swing of things with testing beginning 30 minutes after they get back to school. One of the parents is bringing in fresh fruit for their snack tomorrow, yum!

My animals are all really cute right now. Truman has his head laying in my lap and he is napping and the cat is positioned on the arm of the couch with her eyes half-open. Awww...they are so cute (when they are sleeping!). 

Alrighty, enough mindless update for me. Have a wonderful rest of your Monday!

(Have you seen the Burger King commercial with the Baby Got Back song, but it is about square butts? Catchy, yet weird. Yeah.)

Hapy Easter

Happy Easter!

There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort. ~Jane Austen

I am going to work on a project throughout the weekend. I am taking wooden letters from Michael's (they will spell friends)

...and painting them black. Then I will outline them on scrapbook paper and modge podge that paper onto the front of them. So that the front will be paper and the rest will be black. I will take photos of the process. I am going to hang them upstairs when I am finished. Then around the word, I am going to hang pictures of Mr. S. and I with our friends. Very fun!

So I am on Easter break and still posting at 5:40am. I have been awake since 4:30. Partly due to the dog, but then I can't seem to get back to sleep because of allergies. My throat hurts and my head is so stuffy. Ick. Why do I have to feel rotten over my break? No fair. I'll probably nap later. Maybe in the next few minutes....

Have a great day ladies!

"Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten." BF Skinner

Half day today! *happy dance* Oh, I am so happy! My students are happy...it's really a day of happiness. Minus my stomach, which is not happy because it is hungry. I will have 5 1/2 days off. Yes...seriously! No snow days means we get our WHOLE break...which means I am in a lovely mood right now. Woo!

Biggest Loser last night...

Brown team - Really, that's enough with the pity party. Sometimes you have to buck up and take it. Everyone is playing for themselves now. No one is going to save you but you. So you better start putting the energy you are using hating people into busting your butt so you don't go below the line.

End Biggest Loser rant.

I'm hungry...and running behind...but I don't care because it is a half day. *sigh* 

"They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel."

One and a half days until Easter break! Sometimes being a teacher has its perks, that's for sure. I am going to need this break seeing as though this morning I woke up with watery eyes, runny nose, and icky stuff in my chest. Basically, I would like to just lie in bed and sleep the day away. Instead I am off to school to help my kiddos get ready for their standardized test next week. Boo.

So lately (ok, like the past week) I have been on Target.com. There is a place where you can make a wishlist. A wishlist! You don't have to be having a baby or getting married, you can just make a list of what you want. Then people can still access it, like for a birthday and Christmas, and buy things for you. I love this! 

So...right now I am working on my dream list for my upstairs bathroom. I think that I am going to work more on the upstairs family room though because I actually have some big ideas for it. I am getting realllllllllly antsy to get some stuff done up there. It is such a great room but it needs some assistance to be awesome! It is kind of that room that we put up there, but have done nothing with since we moved in a year ago. I need to get on it!

Welp, it's 30 degrees outside this morning...awesome...so I am going to go find the warmest clothes possible (when I should be wearing short sleeves and possibly capris) and get to work. 

"Love is what makes you smile when you are tired.' Anonymous

Oh, it's Monday. But that's okay...know why? Because it is only a 2.5 day work week for me!! Yay! Thank goodness for Easter break. I need it. Badly.

What a weekend! Friday night was the Body Jam launch. There was a question on my comments about this, here is the blog I wrote on it. Yes, it is something I am training to become an instructor for. I went through the training and now have to submit a tape by June 15 so they can judge it and decide if I should be a teacher. Fun fun!

The launch was awesome though! There were a ton of people and all of us were covered in hot pink and black.

This is basically the look. From the waist down it is black shorts with fishnets underneath. Hot.

The rest of the weekend I tried catching up on everything I didn't do throughout the week. I graded papers for 3 hours on Saturday...ick...and I still have more I could do. Sunday...nothing. I think I threw in one load of clothes and that's it. I was not motivated. I'm not feeling well though, so that is a good reason not to do anything.

It is 32 degrees here this morning. The high is like 37. In two days, the high is 63. That is how it's been every week here and I have had enough.  I am blaming my sore throat on the weather because it won't stay constant.

Alrighty, I need to get ready for work. Ta ta! Have a lovely Monday!

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. ~Kurt Vonnegut

Oh, what a week! I have been super busy and I have about 1 million papers to grade. Eeek! 

There is a new Body Jam launch this weekend. This means that it is a whole new CD and choreography. I love when this happens because it is always around the time that you get tired of doing the old one. The old one is the one that I have to do for my taping. Ick. A group of us newbies are going to do the new one at the launch, which is exciting! I didn't think I was going to do it and then I went on Monday and they worked me in and so now...I kinda feel like I have to be there and I really want to be a part of it. I am pretty pumped! You should see the outfits we have to wear...I will have to post pics as I am sure there will be some at the launch taken. 

• hot pink "going-out" top
• black shorts
• black fishnets
• black fishnet glove (as in, one)

Yes, this should be interesting...haha! It'll be fun.

My poor husband has hardly seen me this week. I feel bad, too, because I just come home and fall asleep. *yawn* I could fall asleep right now...probably the rain causing that to happen.

Alrighty, I am going to get ready and head out to go practice for tomorrow night. SEE YA!