Saturday, September 26, 2009

Birthday blogging

Today is my 39th birthday. Can I get a woot woot?

What did I do today? Did I have a raucous good time? Not so much, but I am totally okay with that. I like my quiet little life. It beats the miserable one I had when I was married to the wasband.

Yesterday we had my birthday lunch at work. I had requested homemade meatballs and sauce on sub rolls and a homemade almond chocolate cheesecake. Yummo! After that I received a flower and teddy bear delivery from my sister. Then at the end of the day I drove home and read some more Dan Brown and took a little nap.

Today was quiet again but busy with little errands. I started out the day doing laundry which I desperately needed to do for days, got my hair cut, returned overdue library books, went to the bank, off to Burger King for a cherry icee, and then on to the grocery store. I put the groceries away on the table and once again hit the bed with Dan Brown. (Sounds naughty, doesn't it?)

After the nap I checked Facebook and read lots of happy birthday wishes. (Thanks everyone!) I put away the clean laundry, changed the bedding, shredded some mail, and vacuumed the living room. Talked to my best pals today too. My what a busy girl I have been...

Tomorrow is more of my birthday extravaganza as my parents are coming over with some gifts. Then we are off to see "The Informant" and on to the local Chinese buffet. Can you picture some delicious crab rangoon and coconut shrimp? Double yummo.

I don't need a big party or lots of gifts. I just need to be on the right side of the dirt.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

So sorry ...

I'm so sorry but if you can believe it, I forgot all about the blog recently. I have been so busy and somewhat productive with school and that has been taking over my life.

This past weekend I slept my Saturday away and woke up when most people were getting ready for dinner. I know, you can hate me for being so lazy but I have no one counting on me for anything so I can cuddle up with my Dan Brown novel, my little Franklin the wonder cat and my comfy bed.

Sunday was a pleasant day with me sleeping until 10:30 a.m. and then thrusting myself into the shower so I could meet up with my parents for a fun lunch out. We went to Rudy's which is closing for the season soon and offers up all sorts of yummies like fish sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, fries and such. It's right on the shore of Lake Ontario and you just *have* to go at least once during the summer. You just have to watch out for the sneaky and subversive seagulls that are just waiting to steal your food away.

Yep, I totally had no cares in this world about ye olde blog and writing something profound, or more likely, more drivel. I hope you accept my apology. I didn't mean to ignore all of you!

Weebs (who will be turning 39 this weekend!)

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Tidbits

School is going smashingly well. I adore my little fifth graders and the year is off to a great start. I know I have been neglecting ye olde blog and its readers but I beg your forgiveness.

I have a Tysabri treatment tomorrow and next month will be one year on Ty. I really think this stuff is working for me. Yippee.

A *huge* shout out to B.J.M. who bought and brought me the new Dan Brown novel. Another yippee!

Wishing everyone a fab September,
Weebs

Thursday, September 10, 2009

School bites

I have survived the meetings and the last minute set up of my classroom. I have made it through the first day and now the second. Yahoo. Today we actually did some learning and I did some teaching.

I am getting used to the SMART board in my room which is a fantastic piece of technology. My neighbor teacher has been kind enough to show me lots of things that I needed to know to use it. Today we played with freeflour.com during our snack time and the kiddos loved it. It's a game much like freerice.com except this one asks Social Studies questions and for each question correct a spoonful a flour is donated to people in need. In ten spoonfuls there is enough flour to make a bun. We played long enough to make two buns. Tomorrow we'll play freerice.com.

My class has only been there for two days but this seems like a group that I could really enjoy. What a difference from last year both in kiddos and in myself. I was actually enjoying what I was doing with them today. I feel much better than I did at this time last year. What a difference a year makes.

Monday, September 7, 2009

< than 48 hours

Anyone remember that the symbol < means less than in math? If you do then good for you. I have less than 48 hours before I really start teaching again. Yikes! I was so nervous last night but I did a tiny amount of prep work today so I am feeling a little calmer.

I typed up a new class list, a new schedule, a word search with everyone's name on it, and printed out our classroom rules. I still need to go through the September folders to see what else might be useful for the first day and first week.

I am also calmer because I had a nice nap today after getting out to the grocery store and buying a little bag of delicious Paula Reds. Yummo. I also got some milk so I can have my cereal, blueberry muffin shredded mini-wheats, for breakfast.

Tomorrow is meetings and last minute room preparations. Wednesday is the really early real deal with students and everything.

Argggggggggggh! (Charlie Brown yell there to get the nervousness out.)

Saturday, September 5, 2009

The last hurrah

It's almost time to start work for real. Meetings start on Tuesday and kiddos come on Wednesday of next week. There's no turning back now!

I worked on my room on Thursday by myself, unpacking lots of boxes. Then on Friday I worked with a coworker/friend from 9-2:30 and we got the room into school-worthy shape. The new room looks great and clean. My SMART board isn't hooked up to the projector so I haven't been able to play with it yet. I really hope I can do some of that on Tuesday.

If I say so myself, the room is really ready for kids to come in. I have a few things left to do like put up some fabric on a small bulletin board and putting name tags on desks and the classroom door. I do not have any major bulletin boards in the room and none outside my room. That means a lot less upkeep for me. I guess the end room does have some advantages!

I have done the shopping at Wal-Mart and purchased a lot of crayons, scissors, white board markers, pens, and writing paper. I have purchased no folders or notebooks yet. I'll see what the kids need when they get there and go out and buy them after. I did buy a football for the kids and a new kickball. I also bought two Rubik's cubes and a go fish game. I am on the lookout for more Sudoku and word search books. I already have lots of books for free reading and silent reading in the room.

My eating has been fairly decent until today when I sabotaged myself by not eating breakfast and then going shopping at Wal-Mart during lunch time while I was buying food for back to school. That was a not so smart move. I came home and fell face first into Combos and Ho-Hos.

I think I may go to the fruit stand tomorrow and buy some more apples and corn. I need my fiber! I have also discovered that I like an apple called Paula Red. I am breaking out of my Macintosh rut.

So this is my last hurrah, the last weekend before work really starts. I hope all the teachers out there are enjoying this long weekend, especially those who have been back to work already.

Wish me luck!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

The big comfy bed and other tidbits...

I had a lovely time on Tuesday checking out the Hobby Lobby craft store. I even purchased some things for school: fabric for bulletin boards, border for the boards, some Rubik's cubes to stump the early finishers, a little teacher's plaque for my room, and two new display boards in light blue and purple. It just happened that everything I bought was for school; it certainly wasn't intentional.

After that we went to lunch and my friend paid the tab (How nice!) while I forced her to take some money for the tip. We had these great sandwiches at the Chicago Grill. They had turkey, bacon, and melted swiss on them and they were divine. The weather was also fully cooperative as it was a perfect time for me and my MS: 70s, sunny, and with a gentle breeze.


**Off topic ( not that there was one)**

Is anyone else besides me excited for Dan Brown's new novel to come out? September 14th or 15th I think is when it's expected to hit the shelves. I believe it's entitled "The Lost Symbol". I am so psyched that I may just run right out, or at least try and walk quickly, to the local bookstore to pick it up.


**Returning to my previous train of thought**

So Tuesday was a nice day with actual face time with a friend. I came home and took a nap with the wonder cat joining me on the big comfy bed. I kid you not when I type the big comfy bed because that is what I actually call it. It's a queen size bed for me and one feline. When I first got hired at the job I currently have I went out and bought two pieces of furniture- a couch and a bed.

When I had first left my wasband I had no furniture except a kitchen table and some chairs. I also had a computer, a TV, my clothes and some other whatnots that were actually mine. Other than that, I had nada. I first slept on the floor and watched TV with my kitchen chair. Thankfully, my trusty friend BJM and her sister-in-law helped move my pathetic amount of belongings and they brought me stuff to use like a couch and a bed. I will be forever grateful to them for that.

But when I knew I was going to be paid a real salary instead of the paltry Catholic school wages I was making, I had to go buy me some furniture. I picked out a couch rather quickly. I sat on all the ones I liked, bypassing the butt ugly one my wasband had bought, and found one that was girly and comfortable. The sleigh bed frame came second in my purchases. Then it was mattress time. I tried out mattresses for about 45 minutes narrowing the crop down to the final and winning mattress. I'd just walk from one to the others and push on them and then climb up on them and lay down. I feel that I have picked out the right one for me, not too hard or soft, and it has served me well for nine years now.

When I say I love my bed, I mean it. I spend a lot of time sleeping, reading, and napping on it. If my bed was a man, I'd marry him. I know he'd be a perfect fit.

PS: I simply must go to work tomorrow to unpack and start to organize my classroom. I was a total lollygagger today and slept and read until almost 1 p.m. I must get my body up when the alarm goes off. I'll let you know how that goes.