Thursday, September 27, 2007

September Hostess Club Card #1


Wow! Who would have thought that having a first-year teacher in the house would make me as tired as, well, a first-year teacher, lol! Actually, that, plus the doubling of my case load at school (but honestly, I know my boss appreciates me - she's awesome!), plus the Wedding, the mall-hopping and The Cold That Won't Quit.

ANYWAY... some of our cards this month use acetate from the office store, stazon inks, and more fun...here's the first...spreading them out over several days - just because I can (actually - can I be honest with you? Just because I'm really too tired to stay up any longer and one is all i have in me to share - they're all scanned - but I'm too pooped to upload them all here, lol!) G'night!!!!

Oh...and may I just say -

GO ASTROS - swept the Reds - WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!!!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

I didn't go to ONE mall today....


I went to *T*H*R*E*E* of them!


However, in case either of my daughters ever discovers that I blog and reads this - I have to be honest and say, it wasn't so bad....really! Quit laughing - it really wasn't !!! (Notice the lack of ominous music???)

Went to Dillard's at The Galleria - second dress Kate tried on - that was it! There *was* a moment when I was afraid it was going south fast in the shoe department, but we managed past that, and went on to the second place...to pick up Kari's wedding dress.(Of course we managed to stop and eat at Macaroni Grill before picking up the dress). Kari looks bee-yoo-teeeee-ful in it (the dress, I mean, not necessarily Macaroni Grill...)! And if you'd seen her you'd say so, too!

Actually, we went into the mall, Willowbrook Mall this time, between eating and getting the dress. Parked at the wrong end of the mall and walked all the way down to Victoria's Secret to get Kari a good bra, only to be unable to get anyone to wait on us [sigh - I really do not like Victoria's Secret]...so we took our disposable income elsewhere...

After lunch, second mall, wedding dress....we went over to Starbucks...then, hopped back on the Beltway so Kari and I could go the the third mall and Katie could head back to College Station by way of Bo's school. We also tried unsuccessfully to go to a school supply store for Bo to get him some calendar goodies, but alas, the one by the third mall had closed...so we went into Northwest Mall (the mall I went to as a teenager, back in the dark ages...and yes, we had electricity, gasoline powered automobiles and malls back then), and found the pink champagne glasses Kari has been wanting for she and Garrett - they have a set of 4 pink glasses and a tribute to breast cancer survivors on a lovely card inside - $25 bucks - awesome price, and a great cause (sez I - the daughter and grand-daughter of breast cancer survivors).

Finally, Kari and I ran by Garrett's work and got the receipt for the wedding bands they bought earlier this week....went to pick them up, and they talked me into getting my rings dipped (If Kari were reading this, she'd say HA - who talked who into what???)...anyway - my rings are now white gold, thank you - very sparkly and pretty!

Anyway - we all made it back home on the same day we left... the Astros won last night, and are ahead of St. Louis at the moment...I'm tired, but almost over my cold, Bo, Katie and Kari are all sick.... I guess you can't win them ALL! (Keep them in your prayers, would ya?)

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Well, my WHOO HOO *did* wake Bo up, but that's OK....his whoo hoo when he was offered not one job...but two jobs was so faint I couldn't have heard it if I had been standing right by him and *not* been deaf, lol...he was in a state of shock for, well...I'm not sure he isn't still a little shocky! He is such a brilliant, competent, caring person - it amazes me that he is so surprised when other people recognize that! Of COURSE both principals wanted him - they'd be foolish not to! I think he will be an awesome special education teacher!

Glad we got that whoo hoo - not much Astros activity to whoo hoo about - although as I type they are tied with Milwaukee...won't help us any - we're firmly cellar dwellers...but it might open a door for, say, Chicago, to have a firmer grasp on first place in the NL Central Division...

In other news...well, tomorrow is the day - back to the dreaded....dare I even say it? Nah - you know where I am headed with my girls...keep me in your thoughts will ya? And just say a little prayer for me - NOT FOR PATIENCE - oh, no, PLEASE not that....but that my daughters would LIKE one another tomorrow, and that I would like both of them and they me, at the end of the day! And that maybe......just maybe - we will find the perfect dress for Kate, and get the rest of the errands done we need to!

Shopping at the Mall is like being pecked to death by ducks!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

ASTROS WIN in 11

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Astros win in 11 innings! WTG Luke Scott and Brad Lidge, along with the rest of the team.

WHAT a game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I'm so excited and Bo is already asleep (that is, if my WHOOOOO HOOOOO didn't wake him up, lol)

GO 'STROS!

Jobs

I am SO excited!!!! Bo went for a job interview last week in a local school district, for an elementary lifeskills classroom - seems the teacher was resigning, but still considering whether or not she *really* wanted to or not. She took off Monday through Wednesday of this week...

So Friday night, during the Astros game, he gets a phone call on his cell - from another principal...who asked him to come in for an interview on Monday after he finished subbing. Since the 1st position was 'iffy', after discussing it with the principal he agreed...he talked to the first principal on Monday and told her and was pleased that she told him OF COURSE he had to go for that interview!

It was a good interview.

He was offered the job...on the spot!

But the way it works, is he isn't really offered the job until HR calls...which they did today...while he was subbing...obviously since he was in charge of children at the time he didn't take the call, but called back later...and accepted!

So now, I have a first year teacher in the house! Me, who've been teaching for 28 years! (well, working in education that long - been out of the classroom for 16 years!)

Suddenly I feel the urge to make a bulletin board! I'm SO proud!!!!!

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Showers of the Bridal sort

So yesterday was the church shower for Kari. Would have been just great, except that Kari, Katie and I were 15 minutes late.

Why? You may well ask. Since the three of us were together, we decided that it would be good to go find Katie a dress for the wedding (she's the Maid of Honor). So we hopped in my car and headed to The Mall (Ominous music here).

Katie is a dream to shop with for me - my kind of shopper - get in, find the item, and get out! Easy peasy, right????

WRONG!

Since we were in a bit of a hurry, of course we found nothing suitable... however, hope springs eternal, yes? There are more stores out there....more territory to cover, more dresses to browse and more gowns to try on....

I can hardly wait (lol)...another trip to...

aw, I can't say it again...

you know where!



Thursday, September 6, 2007

I'm pooped! I mean it - really, REALLY tired!!!!!

My foot hurts! and I am cranky (!!!) - didn't even get to watch baseball tonight - Astros had a night off (not altogether a BAD thing after last night's game - poor 'Stros - but I am still and shall always be a Fan!)...

Did I tell you the foot story? About the same foot I broke 10 years ago (well - 3 out of 5 toes of it anyway, lol) racing Bo to his recliner on Easter Sunday when we still lived in Iola....I, um, won, I guess you could say, because I collapsed into it crying after we all heard an ominous cracking sound. The x-ray revealed two breaks and a probable crack in my 2-3-4 toes on my left foot. He told me to wear the surgical shoe for 6 weeks....then two more weeks.....then two more weeks.....close to 4 months in all....ugh! LOVELY SHOE!!!!!

Well, on Labor Day, I was a laboring...putting dishes away (trying to beat Bo to it, lol) - and once again - catastrophe strikes! The cutting board (acrylic, about 3/4 inch thick, 12x12, heavier than it looks) slipped out of my damp fingers to make a two point landing on my poor left foot. It looks like - - well - -bad!

SO, I have walked on it every day at school (and my choices are????) because we had preschoolers scheduled for evaluations, and I don't like changing people's schedules - when I say I'll do it, by gum, I *mean* it! Then, tonight, my beautiful getting-married daughter and I went to The Mall (insert ominous music here). I hate The Mall (insert ominous music here). Really - I know we aren't supposed to hate...but I choose to think that God didn't mean that about....The Mall (insert ominous music here).

Her first bridal shower is Saturday...{after which we need to go find a dress for Katie - my other beautiful daughter who will be the Maid of Honour at....The Mall (insert ominous music here)}. We have no Bridal Book in which to write gifts and for attendees to sign....so, we had to find one....at.....

The Mall (insert ominous music here).

It really wasn't too bad - managed to buy her a Christmas present (told her not to remember it - but really - with the wedding and all, that really won't be much of an issue, lol) AND a shower present, and, yes....a lovely Bridal book....at Hallmark (who told her on the phone they had none of those!).

And you know - the company was excellent, we even stopped at Starbucks after - probably because I behaved so well, lol - that trip really wasn't so bad...

even if it was to...

The Mall (insert ominous music here).

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Stampin Up stuff for September!

SPECIAL FOR SEPTEMBER:

Fall Frenzy Promotion
Spend $30 in regular priced merchandise and qualify to purchase one of
each of the six promotional stamp sets at 30 percent off!
Item Page # Description Discounted Price Regular Price
105355 26 Bitty Boos Too $12.57 17.95
109284 29 Haunting Halloween $13.27 18.95
107383 30 Thoroughly Thankful $16.07 22.95
109373 108 Autumn Fest $16.77 23.95
109421 91 Elementary Essentials $19.57 27.95
110366 17 Stem Silhouettes* $22.37 31.95
*Holiday Mini Collection 2007

OCTOBER SPECIAL:
As an added incentive for your new and existing customers to attend your World Card Making Day events, ONLY from October 4-8, you can order all Simply Sent card kits for 20 percent off their regular price!

Holler at me if you have questions :)

Saturday, September 1, 2007

It's a God thing...

I am SO excited....it is just totally a wonderful thing!

You know, educators as a rule are grossly underpaid.

Now, you may disagree here - but it's my blog, and my opinion....and, of course, as my friend Cyndi says - opinions are like belly buttons - we all got 'em (well, except for this little boy named Freddie that I taught one year, but I digress)...

I got a raise this year....everyone did...but I calculated mine out...

and

like God does...
you know the verse
"good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over" (Luke 6:38)

my raise is more than twice what I prayed for...

that's God for ya!

I don't deserve it - I mean - I work hard - everyone in my profession does - we take work home, we stay late working (teachers/educators do not get paid overtime) we obsess over making appropriate recommendations for the kids we evaluate as diagnosticians - I mean, after all - these are LIFE-AFFECTING decisions we make - there are NO do-overs, no UNDELETE button, no UNDO key combo (CTRL+Z on the computer, if you didn't know), no REWIND - you screw up with a kid, you can't get that time back....you can't unaffect them (if that's a word) - but I don't deserve it more than anyone else does....honest!

But I appreciate it... BOY, do I appreciate it!


It just reminds me - that's how God works...God's system is GRACE (God's riches at Christ's expense...) - for me! The unmerited favor of God - and I so totally do not deserve it!

It's just, well....a God thing!