Thursday, August 30, 2007

i hate making people cry

- I made two moms cry today - I didn't mean to - I was doing my job - I can't break the law.......even if they cry....

but man


I


hate


making


people


cry...


however - they both have the power to change their situation - I hope that they will take the steps they need to do so!

Now, in other news - the Astros beat the Cards again tonight - Go 'Stros!!!!!

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

preferences

What a day!!!!! Even though the preschooler we had scheduled to evaluate this morning stood us up, I was busy every second of the day...then I come home to some controversy on one of my news lists. What caused the controversy is not that important - just call it preferences ...what matters to me is that one of my friends was hurt by it, hard feelings were stirred up by it, and it is just unnecessary. Even more unnecessary was that my co-mom on the list is dealing with the illness of a close family member and really doesn't need this sort hassle on the list and in her inbox. It hurts my heart when something like this happens on a list, and then people start trying to stir the pot. I think it hurts my Heavenly Father's heart, too.

As a Christian woman, I believe that I am accountable for my words and actions - even though you reading this probably do not know me personally, it is up to me to let Christ show through my actions. I just pray that in my REactions to this situation today, that I did that. I didn't want to...to be honest, my humanity and flesh just wanted to jump up in someone's face...but by God's grace I didn't. That's one of those things I also have to credit my husband for being part of. When something like this happens and I have to deal with it in an administrative capacity, after venting at my computer a minute, I settle down and pray about it. I formulate my response, reread it, pray over it, and then, when I am wise, ask my husband to read it.

I thank God for my Godly, beautiful husband. His kindness and thoughtfulness has tempered my impetuosity more than once and kept me out of deep dog doo (weren't expecting that, were ya?).

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Astros....changes - finally!

I like Phil Garner.....*really* I do - I admired him as a player, and like his personality and style...but as a manager, sometimes I had a really hard time understanding him....And don't even get me started on Tim Purpura....oy.

Morgan Ensberg would start getting a hot bat - he'd sit him down....what's up with that? And when Morgan struggled, they eventually ended up getting rid of him, and he got two homeruns in ONE game (however I do believe this move was God's will for the Ensberg family - the interview I heard him in he sounded so excited about going back *home* - they are such a sweet Christian couple, though; his wife has been a guest host on the local Christian radio station here in Houston - you can listen to it on the web, by the way - ksbj.org - AWESOME station!).

It got so that for a while you couldn't count on the line-up looking anything like it did the day before ....now, there's shaking things up, and then there's making people so insecure that they cannot do their jobs - creating tension...unfortunately, I think this was a by-product of some of the management decisions that were made. I do know this....the new management team has a hard row to hoe...but really, when you're in the cellar, there is only one direction that counts, at least - and that's up. I still have confidence that they can at *least* haul themselves out of the cellar before the end of the year! It will take more time, however, to build our minor league feeders into strong potential major league players.

(And whether they do, or not - I will still remain an Astros fan!)

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Garrett really seemed to like his card. Kari caught on real fast that I had bought that set just for the tractor...for Garrett. He's such a sweetie.

I promised some time back (I went back and read my own blog...) that I would share what we made at stamp club this month...I always try very hard to keep my promises. It used to drive Katie crazy (my youngest, almost 20 year old beautiful daughter -
Maid of Honor in her sissy's wedding in 2 months 2 weeks and 1 day) because she'd ask me to *promise* to do something and if I was not sure I *could* promise that, I'd always tell her I didn't know if I could, but I would try... because, you see, if I promised her I would do something, she would NEVER forget that I had promised...

it's important to keep your promises....even if it's *just* to share art work.....

SO, here is what we made!



Scrapbook page is Garden Green, Summer Sun and Pumpkin pie...lots of punches and lots of fun...do you know how HARD it is to do a buggy page with my girls???????


This is one of my favorite cards ever....got the idea for the punch art bug from a couple of folks, but changed it to make it ALL punchart (yes - I *am* the punchart queen, lol - don't ask how many punches I own...you really do NOT wanna know!). We used the slit punch to make the border the ladybug is flying over. Another idea I used with the extra kits I made up to replenish my card supply - Curvy Verses and the StampAMaJig also work to make a lovely curvy trail....ink CV with the black Stampin Write, one phrase at a time, and use the SAMJ to place it - it turned out really cute!!!!!


I like this one a lot, too - one of my favorite color combos - Bashful Blue, So Saffron and Certainly Celery. The Priceless stamp set is so cute! We used the Cropadile to set those eyelets - way easy!


Kari found this design on SplitCoastStampers by a gal whose name eludes us...I'll be glad to give her credit when I find her name again! It uses Carte Postale and French Flair stamp sets...

We also used a very cool tool - the SCOR-PAL (http://www.scor-pal.com) - to score all these cards....we made over 200 invitations...it took a while, but the S-P made the scoring an accurate job since we didn't have to measure and remeasure to score the pieces... can you tell I really like this tool?

Here's the inside... no offense, but not knowing who may run across my little boring blog, I expunged the names and locations...

Whew - I'm tired...tomorrow's the first day with kids, and I've been fighting migraine all weekend, so I'm quitting for the night. Y'all have a wonderful, blessed week, and, as someone challenged me to do:

make a difference in someone's life this week, will ya?


Saturday, August 25, 2007

Garrett's Bday card

OK, finished the bday card for my SIL2b...


I'm pleased with how it turned out - it got a wow from Bo, so that works :)

I appreciate the girls at SUDEMOSONLY, my Castaway group and KraftingKarensStampCamps for their color suggestions...I went with Wild Wasabi for the base, Green Galore for the tractor and darker square, and Yoyo yellow for the yellow....a little punch here, a little snip there...voila! John Deere, look out!


(the inside - made a little pocket in the pocket so the money would be accessible...)


(Happy Birthday, Garrett! Love ya, son!)

I love Saturday!

WOW - have *I* been bad or what! It's been days - almost WEEKS since I last was here...hmmm, wonder if school starting could have anything to do with that!

I got my office moved back to my old school (hurrah!) and have already had 3 IEP meetings... yep, hit the decks running.... And the other diags have all already had more of those than I have (but they didn't have 3 and 4 year olds to test, come to think of it, lol - I *love* the little ones!!!).

sorry - Garrett (SIL2B) just dropped off keys to Bo's truck...

I'm fixing to work on some stamping and some prom scrapbook pages for a gal. Since my blog is largely undiscovered, lol, I'll share some of the stamping in a bit...can't share the prom pics as they aren't my kids :) Gotta make my future SIL a birthday card - tomorrow's his day! Hope Bo remembers he's supposed to get him something while he's out....hate to call him *again* as he is getting certain personal products for his cranky wife...and likely needs a break from her (me)...

I called him...walked out into the garage to check and see how many diet cokes there were at *his* request - don't you love a man who SHOPS...he also COOKS, VACUUMS, PUTS GAS IN MY CAR *and* he remembered that I was almost out of Diet Coke! I know...I know - I am SO spoiled...but I digress...the garage door was up and I thought G had left it that way...I turn around and Bo is talking to me on the phone and is *right behind me* - nearly scared the peewadoodling out of me, lol...

back in a minute...now the laundry is calling....

ok - I now have clean undies put away for the next week or two or three...I hate doing laundry, but gotta have clean undies!!!!!

well, *now* it's the phone....I give up....maybe I'll catch ya later!

Friday, August 10, 2007

Today, part C

Forgot one really, REALLY important thing....

Astros won AGAIN last night

(get out the brooms, we swept 'em! - now - to take on the Brewers!)

SU stuff

Today, part B

so, I am sitting here, procrastinating...I have my stamping club on Saturday, and (thank God!) am off tomorrow so can get ready for Saturday. Usually - I hate to confess this - I always told my daughters NOT to procrastinate - but usually, I stay up til about 2:00 on Saturday morning finishing cutting cardstock and getting the little kits of stuff together....but

you


won't


believe


this...


I have TWO projects designed and cut - it's THURSDAY, people!!!!!!

and once I clean off my work table a little, plan to head to bed...leaving only 2 more projects to finish getting ready tomorrow - surely that won't take me til 2:00 a.m. THIS time!!!!!!

{I'll show you what I made....later!}

Thursday, August 9, 2007

ah...i love my job

Alarm went off at 4:20 yesterday and today. See, my hubby has this thing about me being TOTALLY awake before I head out of town on 290 to Waller... go figure. Guess he loves me or something, lol!

So, my alarm goes off - don't remember if I've mentioned, but I'm pretty hearing impaired...I have an estimated 75% loss in left ear and 70% in right ear...so without my bionic ears {well, ok - hearing aids} - you may as well not bother talking to me! Anyway - my alarm goes off - this wonderful invention called The Sonic Boom (hearingsystemsinc.com) - it has what is called a bed shaker [get your mind out of the gutter, would ya?] - a disk about 4 inches across and an inch or so thick that fits under the mattress and literally shakes the bed (think small earthquake :)....meanwhile, the light flashes and the alarm sounds - it is pitch adjustable so I have it set to a pitch I can hear if I am not laying on my left ear (for some reason I discriminate sound better on the left - have to do with being left-handed? I wonder...). I hit snooze ONCE yesterday - a couple of times today....hopped in the shower, then dressed and went and made my morning double latte (only Starbucks coffee goes in my espresso machine ;). By the time the latte is made and I sit down and check my email (I am on some very high-volume groups with other chatty crafters!)...i manage to wake up enough to go dry my hair and apply some make-up - then hit the road. I was so proud - managed to be the FIRST one at Special Services yesterday, and at my campus today (go, me!). Hope I can keep up the trend of being EARLY for work...If I leave on time (normally that will be 7:15-7:20), that will be great!

Anyway - after visiting both my campuses yesterday and finding neither principal there...I was told at BOTH campuses that my office (from last year) had been given to someone else (hello? testing kids...where? holding IEP meetings...where??? keeping confidential student records....WHERE??????). I was royally POed when I headed home yesterday - blessedly it was massage day (that's another story)...so I was in decent enough mood when Bo got home from church - I was running late and got home after church had already started...

So...this morning, get to my (new) main campus - well, new OLD main campus - I used to be counselor there and they like me for some odd reason...at 6:45....finally, around 8:00 heard other signs of life, and about 8:30, my principal arrived from having a conference with Transportation...and we talked. I'm no longer office-less - but I did get to be the one to call my speech path and tell him he couldn't have my office....however, since he's a good guy (most of the time :), he approved of where I had recommended he be moved, since they took over his room for a mini computer lab....I told him he could have either one - my office or the other larger room with the WINDOW (wish I had a window!) and built-in bookshelves and cabinets! It all worked out - God has a way of doing that....but my stress level last night - well, let's just say there was a great reason why I didn't post then!

Have a good one - be a good one!

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Back to work!

OK, so there's good news and bad news...I *thought* I had to go back to work last Monday (the 6th) - GOOD NEWS - not til Wednesday (the 8th)......BUT (didn't you hear that coming???) I have to be there at 7 in the morning - I am SO not a morning person!!!!!

So, right now, when I finish today's blog, I'm going to finish packaging a wish gift for someone on one of my groups, then work on the maps for Kari's wedding invitations, watch the Astros (we won last night, Go 'Stros!), and hit the sack early! Oh, and I need to repack my work cart so I can actually LIFT it into and out of my car, lol! Right now it holds the stuff from all my summer workshops, plus the office supplies I bought to replenish my school stash, and such...I think I'll have to have an extra box to get it all there tomorrow...

I found out that I will now have an additional campus. My boss is super and assured me that if my testing becomes overwhelming that she'll secure reinforcements for me (I do all the preschool and all the bilingual assessments for my district - since I have little or no control over these things, I could have a dozen due in one week, or one due in a dozen weeks, KWIM???). Good news of this, though, is that this is really a TINY change for me, because the campus added to my caseload is my original campus - they know me there, and most days, LIKE me, lol!

SO, not sure what my schedule looks like, but if it is like in the past, I'll have some control over that, and can decide where I need to spend time and when...since I do all the bilingual assessments, that means I hit all the campuses at some point more or less...

Still praying about Bo's work - he did the alternative certification for teaching and passed his tests with flying colors - now just to find a job - our little church is really struggling and he needs to go bivocational at least for a time to help out.... some people are having a hard time with this and the rumours are flying, but, I can't help that. People will gossip and stretch the truth until it no longer resembles itself! The truth really is (in case you care) - we have no intentions of leaving our church at this point - God has not given us permission to do so yet...so we are in it until we know we have to go!

Saturday, August 4, 2007

GO Astros!!!!

Wow - my Astros are on a ROLL!!!!!!! After a 14 inning marathon game last night in which a PITCHER (who got shelled in the first inning of the last game he pitched), pinch-hit the winning run in....Go Jennings!!!!!!!

While they were marathon-ing, so was I....I managed to print all the pink pieces for Kari & Garrett's wedding invitations last night - took for-EV-er! I am using Stampin Up cardstock ( the highest quality available, in my humble opinion), and it is thick enough that occasionally my printer got a little tired and had to be cajoled into grabbing it and feeding it through to print it! Of course, we have had this printer several years...my first HP-PSC - I have now bought, um....three of them - since I am on two different campuses for the majority of my school job, I have one at each school. At least my district provides the ink, which is nice!

Read this carefully: I LOVE MY JOB! I really do! I can't imagine anything I'd rather be doing right now! Actually, I pretty much love ALL my jobs, lol - pastor's wife, church worship leader, Educational Diagnostician.....and Stampin Up demo! Of course, the last one is therapy when I get stressed over the other ones, lol!

Anyway - I hope you are doing something you enjoy as much as I enjoy the things I do.

Be blessed!

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

I loathe spam!

Whether it's email spam, snail mail spam, or the kind you eat....can't stand the stuff. So, imagine my dismay when I get a notice from Google that my blog may be a spam blog!

I am no spamblogger....I won't even eat a spamBURGER!

Anyway, enough of that! We are home again - ah - NO place like home....looks like my Astros feel the same way. Poor Wandy Rodriguez - gave up 7 runs in the first inning.....Phil...Tim...can we talk? Wandy is NOT feeling the love!

Worked on Kari's wedding invitations some tonight...placed a huge SU order for myself - preordered some goodies from the new catalog...but you'll have to wait and see what when I get them! Let's just say: fun stamps, beautiful paper and RIBBON!!!!!!

Ribbon is to cards and layouts like cheese is to a casserole - if it's there, it's really good!

Night all, and God bless our troops!