Too Scary for Words

Okay, Here's My Deal...

I came home early from school today becasue I felt crappy. When I got home, I called my husband to tell him I had come home and he told me that there was all kinds of excitement going on at the hotel where he works. There was a drug raid!!

Come to find out, earlier in the morning the police were at a department store here in town investigating a shoplifter. They found drugs on him during the search and that gave them probable cause to search their vehicle. There they found a traveling meth lab. The store was closed down for the day and workers sent home. The suspects told them they were staying at the hotel and had cooked some in thier room the night before.

The drug task force called the hotel and told them to not allow anyone in or out of the room. They came and taped it off with the caution tape and everything while they waited for a warrant to search the room. They had indeed been cooking in the room and the hotel was told that the entire room would have to be gutted before it could be rented again.

When my husband came home, he was on the phone with his manager who had been talking to the owner. After he got done talking to him and hung up, he told me that he had changed his tune. I asked why and he said that they saw a side of him they had not seen before. The owner had suggested and the manager had agreed that instead of hiring a professional company to come in to clean and gut the room that he would do it!!!!!!!!!! After all, the firemen and police had been in there with just gloves and masks on so it couldn't be that bad.

Well, my husband said absolutely not and they could fire him if they wanted, but he'd have them in court. I mean the people from the state said that the room could not be rented and that the stuff they were cooking was called Red P...I guess it is made with phosphorus instead of anhydrous amoinia. They said some guy had been on a call once and that he got some on his hands and he didn't know it and he came home and was petting his dog. The next morning the dog was dead just from that little exposure!!!!!!!!! I guess after the manager talked more with the owner, they decided that maybe a professional company would be best. Ya Think?!?!?

Once Every Few Weeks Is Enough For Me

Okay, Here's My Deal...

I forgot to tell about this. I am a middle school teacher. Not a fan of high school, been there done that early in my career--Hated it. But, if I had to, I could probably do it with 17 years under my belt now. Not a fan of elementary school, I like small kids, just not en masse for long periods of time.

So, when the director for children's ministry in our church asked if my husband and I would mind doing nursery duty once every few weeks, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my ears could not believe what my mouth was saying: "Sure, that would be okay."

WHAT?! Are you crazy?!?! Who are you?! My brain was screaming at me.

This past Sunday was our first turn. Our nursery is from birth to 3 years old. We got there and of course had our two, the oldest of which would go to Sunday school class after about half an hour. Then, came the 14 month old girl. Followed by the 2 year old boy and a 3 year old boy and a 4 year old boy who would just be there until Sunday School began. All is going well. I think it is going to be a nice exprience after all.

Then came the visiting 2 year old and her baby brother--still asleep in his carseat. As soon as their parents left, the girl began wailing. Everyone else was playing fine. Then came a 2 1/2 year old boy...not happy, but he just stood in the corner quiet but sad. The older boys left for Sunday school and things were good except for the wailing girl that my husband was trying to get calmed down.

Finally, here came the 2 maybe 2 1/2 year old girl and her brother, maybe 18 months. They were both crying and clinging to mom. She left and I took the girl and rocked with her, while my husband picked up the boy and had both he and the first wailing girl. Then, the boy in the car seat woke up and I got him and put him in a pack-n-play. Our 9 month old son got a little crabby then, so I took the boy from my husband and he got ours...to be followed by the boy in the pack-n-play crying because he had spit up. My husband put ours down and got the spit up boy out and cleaned while still holding the wailing girl...and I was still rocking the brother and sister crying team and ours was on the floor crying.

For about 15 minutes, the five of them cried and cried. Slowly, one by one, they got settled down except for one and his mom eventually came and got him.

I had a whole new appreciation for my babysitter when we were done. We were only at it for 2 and a hlf hours and there were two of us--she does it alone all day long.

The next time we are scheduled is March. Don't get me wrong, I am glad I can help and we have certainly depended on others for the years we have been using hte nursery, but I couldn't do it more often than once every few weeks. Ugh-ungh.

Caaaaaaaaaap-UH-cino

Okay, Here's My Deal...

I am not a coffee person...unless I add tons of milk and sugar. Hot tea is my game. But, I do like Burger King's Mocha Joe Iced Coffee and I do like cappucino, or as one of my summer school students a bjillion years ago called it, caaaaaaaaaap-UH-cino, but lately, I have found myself a new hot beverage called a steamer--which I like because there is no caffiene, a plus since I am nursing, although a little of the caff is okay. My favorite, well, thoe only kind I've had, is caramel...with a splash of half-and-half in it to cool it a little. Today is a good day for it. Cold, windy, snowy. But, I am about to go get my boys from the sitter and I don't want to haul in anything extra, so I will just haveto wait for another day. Perhaps tomorrow on the way to school I can get one. We will most ikely have a later start due to the cold, harsh wind chills they are predicting tomorrow. We got out early today due to an approaching storm with not much snow, but wind chills and whiteout conditions. Better safe than sorry and besides, we went most of the day and will not need to make this up at the end of the school year.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Okay, Here's My Deal...

Today I had a date--with my oldest son, who will be 4 in May. All four of us loaded into the van and went to the mall. My husband and the youngest went their way and my oldest and I went to see a movie. We went to see Veggietales: The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. Between the two of us, we ate an entire large popcorn, drank a large lemonadeand ate a box of gummy Jolly Ranchers.

It was a fun time. I did not go to a lot of movies growing up until I went to college, but the few I went to hold fond memories for me.

• My parents and I went to see Benji. I cried for him and also had a crush on the bad guy.My dad took me and a friend to see E.T. I had a crush on Elliot's brother.
• My mom and I went to see two movies together: Grease, after we went out to have supper, and Porkey's--that was a little weird...we obviously did not know it was going to be like it was.
• All four of us, including my younger brother, went to see a rerelease of Bambi. My brother cried.
• My grandma took me to a movie once, but I don't know what it was--I just remember that they showed a nature film first instead of a cartoon and I was pi$$ed.
• A friend and I went to see Amityville Horror. I had a hard time climbing my stairs to go to bed that night, afraid I would fall into a bunch of blood.
• My mom, brother and I went to see Gremlins. I remember a lot of people walking out because it was so gross for some of the litter kids...it was not long after that movie PG-13 ratings began.
• The three of us also went to see Pee Wee's Big Adventure. There were two other people in the theater and I laughed the loudest of everyone in there.
• My first date was to a movie. I was a freshman in college (I was a late bloomer) and I went sort of as a pity date for this poor guy. I had a good attitude until his friend showed up in a pickup with a topper...my date and I rode in the back--in the winter--on the truck bed. The movie was Pretty in Pink. I had a huge crush on Andrew McCarthy and wished I were on the date with him. I was so upset about being there I didn't remember any of the movie. It was years later wehn I rented it that I finally actually saw it.
• Finally, this was in college, too--a friend and I went to see Dead Poet's Society (one of my all-time favorites ever) and snuck in a pint of ice cream each and beer. Thanks to my grandpa's old trench coat I wore for a semester.

Anyway, there you have it. Cinematic memories. Good times.

Another Thing I Could Not Do

Okay, Here's My Deal...

Every once in a while you do things that help out others and you feel good about doing that, but it just serves to reinforce that you are right not to do something else with your life.

For three years now, I have suspended teaching my gifted ed classes for a three week window to help out special education teachers with our standardized testing. See, according to the geniuses on capitol hill that wrote and passed the No Child Left Behind legislation, all students will be tested at grade level or the tests don't count...which is fine for those students who read on grade level and have no learning diabilities. However, that means that special ed students who have reading disabilities and only read at a 3rd grade level even though they are in 8th grade must take the 8th grade level test and are expected to make yealry growth. So, we are doing everything in our power to help those students do better including:

They get longer to take the tests and are not timed like non special ed kids are.

They can have all of the tests read aloud to them except the reading comprehension tests.

They can be tested one on one instead of in small or large groups.

So, I volunteer my room as another quiet testing area and I volunteer to read tests or proctor them. Anyway, today I worked with a young man in the sixth grade. In two testing periods that were half an hour each, with a break in between, we got 9 questions answered on the social studies test. One question took him 10 minutes to answer. Part of it was his thinking...part of it was his spacing off with his head in the clouds due to his ADD...part of it was that he was tired right after eating lunch.

But regardless, I am glad that I was able to help out, but it just confirmed for me that I could not solely teach learning disabled kids--I have had them in my classes before when I taught in the regular classroom and I am fine iwth making modifications and accomodations for thier work...but to work with just that kind of kid all day long would drive me nuts. God bless the ones who do--they are awesome!!

To Go or Not to Go

Okay, Here's My Deal...

Did you ever have to make a decision where you knew in your gut--even though others tried to reassure you otherwise--that no matter what choice you make, it won't be the right one? Yeah, that is me right now.

I have done all of the things that I have told others to do in this same situation:

1. get all the facts
2. make a pro and con list
3. talk to others
4. pray over it
5. sleep on it
6. stop thinking for a while

and nothing has helped. Here I sit, decisionless. No matter what i do, I will feel like i ahve either let my in-laws down, my husband down, my kids down or myself down. Sometimes thinking you would do what is best in the long run risks upsetting those around you in the here and now. It is so tough.

Star of Fame

Okay, Here's My Deal...

Every so often, teachers in my district have to be formally evaluated by an adminstrator. Yesterday was one for me. I never tell my students beforehand that I am going to be evaluated because I don't want them to think they need to be any different than usual. And, I never really get too flustered about being evaluated either when planned before like this was or out of the blue with no notice--I figure if I have to worry about it or plan something extravagant to wow them, then I am not doing my job in the first place.

Anyway, I had been planning on dividing the kids into groups to do a test review and have the kids help each other through the problems and then help if I needed to. Teachers usually pick the groups specifically or have the kids number off or draw numbers. I thought I would do somethinga little different. I bought some Jolly Ranchers and divided them into groups according to the number of kids I have in class. Then I had the kids draw them and divide them into the flavors: grape, green apple, watermelon, blue raspberry and cherry. As they were drawing their candies, one girl said, "I like this!" I asked why and she said, "I've never had a teacher divide me into flavors before!!" I thought that was just perfect for my principal to hear. Sort of like a gold star or something. Plus, even if he had not been there, it was something that was nice for me to hear--good feedback and encouragement.

Penguin Weather

Okay, Here's My Deal...

Yes, I know I live in Iowa and I know that winters here can be tough, but today it is just down right COLD. I mean single digits before wind chill. Now, I know I should not complain as my parents, about 2 and a 1/2 hours north, are having single digits below ZERO where they are. We were going up to see them to celebrate Christmas on my side of the family, but a couple of days ago my parents called to say let's wait until another time--they were supposed to get 4-8 inches of snow the next day with 20-30 mile an hour winds--because they didn't want us to risk getting the boys out in the cold weather and somehting happen to the van and we'd be stuck.

So, we have been homebodies and if it is this cold tomorrow, we might not even get out to go to church--it is 20 miles away to the south. We have been doing some cleaning and tidying of the house, something that is overdue. No one is dressed in "real" clothes--it is a PJ day all the way. Everyone needs to have one of those every once in a while. Better go...the clothes are ready for the dryer and I think there is another load to go in the washer. If we don't turn into peoplecicles, I am sure I will be back soon.

And the Chase is On!

Okay, Here's My Deal...

Last night we entered a new era with our boys. The oldest, 3 1/2, was pushing around one of his trucks and going around the house--there is a big circle he can run that starts in the living room through the kitchen into one bedroom through the bathroom out a second bedroom back into the living room--anyway, he can get going pretty fast.

After about two laps, his little brother, 8 months, decided he wanted in on the action, so he began to crawl as fastas he could to try and keep up. Of course, his brother lapped him about 3 times before he completed one circuit, but he was having a hey day while he did it. They went on like that for quite a while. It was fun for both of them...but the poor little guy has callouses on his knees even though he was wearing pants.

This is just the beginning of things to come. It will be nuts around this house in about 6-8 months when the youngest has fully mastered walking!!

Shove and Park

Okay, Here's My Deal...

I think I have witnessed a lot of silly things in my life, but yesterday at Wal-Mart took the cake. Actually, we were in the parking lot and not the store. We had pulled in and were looking for a spot to park. We turned down one of the parking isles and saw a van sort of turned like it might be wanting to park there, except it was not moving.

I aked my husband, "What is the deal with the van?" and he said, "Don't know." and I said, "Oh, part of the cart return thing is in their way."

Just then, a herd of people--okay, three or four--jumped out ofthe van and started to try and shove the cart return thing out of the way. Now, mind you, there were many other spots to park close by, but boy howdy they must have really wanted THAT spot.

We laughed at them and wondered how long it would be before they either moved it or just gave up. Some people are just determined...and weird.

Bag Lady

Okay, Here's My Deal...

Ladies, you will understand this. I wanted to find a purse today. Next to shopping for clothes (I am a chunky lady) this can be the most frustrating thing for me to select and buy.

Well, I looked and looked and looked then looked some more at Wal-Mart and finally found one that I thought would work and was within the price range I am willing to pay (I am also frugal...well, honestly, cheap!)

Then, we went to Target for something my husband needed and just for gits and shiggles, I thought I would look at their purses. Lo and behold, there was one that I really liked and was just $2 more than what I had paid for the one I felt like I had settled on. I went ahead and bought it and will just take the other one back tomorrow after church when we make our Sunday Wal-Mart run.

Anyway, I thought this was blog worthy because this purse is HUGE. Like twice the size of what I normally carry. When my husband saw it he said, "Good God!" and then when we checked out, he said, "Don't forget to put your suitcase up here." And, it is also a little bit girly-girl for me.

So, tonight, it is the switching of the purses...a deal in and of itself, right ladies? Can I get an Amen?

Why?

Okay, Here's My Deal...

We have entered the "WHY?" stage with our 3 1/2 year old. Those of you who are parents or caregivers of preschoolers know what I am talking about. It goes much like this:

"Oh, sweetie, look at the clouds."

"What are those clouds doing?"

"Just floating in the sky."

"Why?"

"Because that is what clouds do."

"Why?"

Because God made them that way."

"Why?"

"So we can have something pretty to look at."

"Oh, okay."

Then we go on about our business and a while later there is another conversation:

"Where am I going?"

"To the babysitter."

"Why?"

"Because Daddy and Mama have to go to work."

"Why?"

"To make money."

"Why?"

"So we can buy you tings like food and toys and clothes."

"Oh, I see."

I don't mind it...really, I think it is good to question things. But, this is also exactly why I don't teach elementary school--I could not deal with more than one asking me "Why?" at once. I would just go batty and have to hurt somebody and that is bad for a teacher to do.

Ironic Twist

Okay, Here's My Deal...

ironic, [ahy-ron-ik] , adjective: characterized by often poignant difference or incongruity between what is expected and what actually is; "madness, an ironic fate for such a clear thinker"; "it was ironical that the well-planned scheme failed so completely"

I know that sometimes people use the word ironic to describe things that truly are not ironic. I think the situation that I am about to describe is ironic, but maybe not. Either way, I think it is humorous. Well, not the situation exactly, but my husband's reaction to it, rather.

We have been together almost 12 years and married almost 10 and 1/2. We live in Iowa and of course it snows here quite a bit in the winter. Well, my husband has held off for 10 winters to buy a "real" snow shovel--he usually borrowed one from his place of work and took it back the next day and just used an old broom or one of those scoops designed more to push the snow rather than lift and toss it. He was so glad he got it and used it once or twice before we went to NC for Christmas.

While we were gone, our babysitter offered to come over and check in on the cat and scoop her box. The morning we were getting ready to leave, she called to tell us that we had gotten about 10 inches of snow while we were gone. She said she came one day with her shovel but saw ours out so she used it. The next time she came, there were footprints up to our steps and the shovel was gone!! I told him and he said, "WHAT?!?!" He was pi$$ed off. "I wait ten years to buy a shovel and somebody steals it!!!!!"

It is not that it was something valuable and expensive, but the fact of his waiting so long to get one and then POOF it is stolen. I think that it is ironic. When he tells people about it he gets all hot and bothered and I just giggle at his reaction. Of course, he had to replace it before we got home because we knew there would be snow in our driveway. That is another twist of irony, I think--we did not have any bad weather for the drive, which is about 14-16 hours each way without the potty and eating breaks, until we reached our driveway which had ten inches of snow in it and we got stuck and slid.

Well, that is it for now, I guess. More later.

Back in the Saddle, Err Minivan

Okay, Here's My Deal...

It is the morning of our departure back to Iowa from NC. It is sad, honestly, but also honestly, like any trip, it will be good to be back home again.

The boys have had great fun and they have been great fun for the grandparents and aunts/uncles, too. My husband and I have had fun, too. Well, there is one night I hated, but it is over now. Enough said.

We even got two, count them TWO dates nights out without the boys. It was nice for both of us to eat with both hands at the same time!!

Packing has begun and I know that the tearfest will begin long before we get on the road. I think it will be especially hard on the 3 1/2 year old this year...particualarly after we get home and he starts to miss everyone.

Better go and help pack. Will update when were are back in Iowa and in the snow and cold...brrr.

Home-In-Law for the Holidays

Okay, Here's My Deal...

I am not at my home computer and I don't want to change the Java or cookie settings for the computer I am using, so I am emailing myself blog entries to post later, so there will be a lot of posts on the same day when I return, but, hey, that is okay.

We are in NC visiting my husband's family for the holidays...and by holidays, I specifically mean CHRISTmas and New Year's...I mean, I do acknowledge that there are other holidays around this time and I am all for them and the people to whom they are important, but wanted to be clear. End of my soapbox--moving on.

Anyway, we drove. Yes, from Iowa. It actually was not that bad except the left turn we should have taken at Albequerque or rather, the wrong exit in Beavercreek (AKA Dayton, OH) that added an extra hour to our trip. But, it was worth it as we got to see our friends and have some laughs. Good times--especially at the Cheesecake Factory. Including: (a) the broken penguin (b) the flying ketchup (c) the bumped head (d) and the lost/left baby blanket.

We thought borrowing the DVD players from another friend would make the trip better for the boys and we brought many movies to pop in for thier enjoyment. But, alas, all we saw (well, the boys saw, we heard) was the Veggietales movie, "Lord of the Beans," over and over and over. Oh, we asked if he wanted to watch other movies..."no, Veggies please." Grreeeaaaattttt.

Of course, the first few days were hectic trying to fit in my MIL, stepFIL, SIL and might-as-well-beBIL with my FIL, stepMIL and a variety of other family from the FIL side on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and finishing up shopping before that. Now we have sort of settled in and are relaxing and enjoying the time with family.

I even had a first today. For the very first time since I have been coming here over the past 12 years, I drove. Not only that, but by myself. It was impressive...at least for me. You know, big city vs small town girl.

Well, that is it for now. We have a week left, so I am sure there will be at least one more update before we leave and another when we return.