The Ticker Don't Lie!!!

Holy Crap! 3 days left until "Summer Freedom" and I am in denial. I can't believe, even though I really can if I stop and think for 5 seconds, that this week is it. Two of my cherubs left on Friday due to family vacations. It was bittersweet since I really enjoyed having them in class. Monday will mark the other 20 leaving me forever....forever.....forever. Wow, that just sounds so permanent. Like I said, bittersweet. I will miss them, and it has been an interesting year, but to think that they are on their own from now on is humbling. I hope I served them well. I hope they have all the tools they need for the next grade. I hope I see them again even though I will be at a different building. Luckily, I will be able to check up on most of them returning to 5th grade in our building. The others though, I wish them good luck and farewell. I hope they make me proud somewhere along the way. One of my kids I have had for two consecutive years now. I will miss seeing her next year the most. Man, she isn't even mine, and I feel like she is leaving for college or something. I am not looking forward to that moment in 17 years, let me tell you!!!!

Well, two missions today.... 1. Kitchen clean up. I still have things out of place from our Memorial Day BBQ. That coupled with the fact that we have ANTS EVERYWHERE! I can't stand it anymore. I am spraying TODAY! If that doesn't work, we are calling a pest control company. Having a toddler is not helping the cause to rid the house of ants either. We can't keep up with him while he eats. Food just lands on the floor.

Second mission....2. Start looking at the garage. Cleaning is a must! Now that my classroom is in there, I need to really prioritize some space. My classroom junk will be gone on Tuesday or Wednesday. We can't even get our bikes or strollers out right now hardly at all. It would take some work.

Okay, lastly the Sauter family is currently taking donations. I'm joking, but we found out how much our adoption finalization and citizenship costs are going to be. We are looking at $1,600. I about crapped and fell off my chair yesterday. This whole thing has been such a financial undertaking. This is like the icing on the cake of debt. Please don't get me wrong. We have been ultimately blessed and am so glad that we took this path. I wouldn't have it any other way. However, it does dent the bank account and that hurts from month to month. We were really talking about starting the process over again, until we realized yesterday, that isn't possible yet. The "new homestudy" would cost $2,000. Now we need to concentrate all of our funds on our finalization, not a start up. That is okay, but I just hope that we can start again in the next couple years. Right now I just want a SSN so we can have a legal DEPENDENT and our adoption tax credit next year. That should replenish $10-12K in our account. Thank God the government pays for almost half of this process.

Have a great weekend!

Peace be with you Parkersburg.....

and may you never see this degree of destruction ever again. Last night at 5:00 a major tornado ripped through this innocent Iowa town located near Cedar Falls. It took the lives of 7 people and injured dozens of others. It even destroyed the high school there.

This situation makes you realize that we are mortal. Our homes are cable of being destroyed. All of our belongings could be vanished in a matter of seconds. What would you do if this were you? All the citizens were carted out of Parkersburg last night to stay at a facility with cots and food. The citizens were able to pack what they could. This makes me question what items I would take with me if, God forbid, this ever happened to our town. It is such a horrible thought it almost makes me sick as I type this. The displacement alone would be horrible enough. I would feel ultimately blessed if I had all of our household members still standing.

I guess what it boils down to is that life is fragile, belongings are meaningless, and like Ecclesiasties 3 states...there is "A Time to Rebuild." I pray that all of the people of Parkersburg rebuild and have all of their needs met in the coming months.

If you are curious to see pictures of the aftermath they can be located on our local news channel's website:
www.whotv13.com

Our Critique So Far...

Olympics......SUCKS! Don't waste your time. It gives you a headache.

Lego Star Wars......Would be good if all you wanted to do was read and or get lost. I can see where kids would find it cute, but overall it stinks.

Tiger Woods Golf.....My new favorite video game next to Guitar Hero! WOW what a fun game! Much better than the Wii Sports golf game. There are endless possibilities with play. You could literally spend hours, even days, playing this game. Jamie and I are tied 1-1. I am getting the hang of it now and am a force to be reckoned with! (ha ha)

Party Games....They would be fun if you had a group of friends over and had a couple drinks, but I prefer the real thing when it comes to air hockey, darts, shuffleboard, etc.

Brunswick Bowling......Really good too. A must have if you own a Wii. Like Tiger Woods Golf, there are many possibilities for play. Wii Sports bowling is good, but this is quite a bit better.

Well, got to go. We need to eat so we can continue our weekend free trial of this thing. I also want to go back to school and get the power cord for my PS2 since I accidentally left it. I feel like a little Guitar Hero tonight.....Still by far the COOLEST game ever invented!

To Wii or not to Wii That is the Question

Well, we borrowed Karen and John's Wii last night for the weekend. Being the "techy" person that I am, I want to see what all the buzz is about. Well, after having it for one evening I can say that Jamie's Wii age is 49 and mine is 62. Jamie has found SOMETHING (game/software) that he is good at....Wii Golf. It is cute to watch him play it and he even gives me pointers. (This from a man that can barely get through the easiest song on Guitar Hero.)

Today we rented some new games. Karen and John's choices didn't really impress us. They are interesting, but we need more games suited to our tastes. We definitely aren't "Resident Evil" fans. That game scared the crap out of me last night. I am not good at shooting people and there is a ton of gore to it as well. We rented Bowling, Tiger Woods Golf, Lego Star Wars, Party Pack, and Olympic game between Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog.

I will rate the games for all of you later. Have a happy Saturday. If you are in Iowa stay warm and dry! Nothing like an Arctic blast to get you through a "Start of Summer" weekend!

TGIFF!

Well, tomorrow will mark my second to last Friday at my current building. After this week I am counting it as a huge blessing. This has been an odd week, full of ups and downs, good and bad. I can't wait for tomorrow for more than several reasons. The biggest being that my husband is going to be HOME! That's right, I said it...HOME!!! He can help pick up the house and take Mr. T to the doctor. For some strange reason I think he has ear infection again. I don't want it to escalate over the holiday weekend.

So, this week I have been packing like crazy. My whole world is in disarray. My house is a freaking mess, my classroom is 1/4 in boxes in my classroom, 1/2 in boxes in my garage, and 1/4 scattered around my room. The kids are doing a good job packing and loading my truck everyday. Only 5 and a half more school days left! I have to be out June 3rd. I get to move into my new room across town on the 4th.

Our vacation is set for June 25-27th in Chicago. We are taking T to a Cubs game at Wrigley. We are also going to visit Koreatown. This should be quite the experience for all of us. We have never traveled with a toddler before. We are actually staying in Skokie which is closer to the stadium and Koreatown. We will take the subway to the game. I hope he doesn't freak out on us.

Well, I need to keep cleaning. Happy Friday to you.


P.S. I talked to Justice's new owners this week. She has eaten 5 pairs of flip flops, a baseball glove, and most of the flowers they have planted this year........AAAAHHHHHHH, It wasn't just us!!! She is going to start her training this week for them. I know she will do good. They also said that when the 3 kids go to school she just goes from window to window looking for them as they get on the bus. (This would be the type of loving behavior that I miss greatly, just not the destruction part.)

Supper....

Mmmmmm.....Pizza and beer. What a delectable combination. It comforts me after another day of craziness.

What A Weekend!

I am happy to report that I survived the 5K and the 1 Mile events on Saturday morning. I wasn't last and had a really good time. My in-laws were here on Sunday. We got to grill frozen hamburgers....ooops. Teegan was a ham and very social.

Today I realized more than ever that the countdown is on for the end of the year. My kids are checking out left and right. I am struggling to keep them engaged. I also have many boxes to pack and move home. :-(

I need to keep it short tonight. I have to get checking papers so I can record them tomorrow. Have a great day!

Ali

What's Up?

Okay, I am fooling myself. There is no way I can do this 5K on Saturday morning, let alone a dog walk that afternoon. I went out on my nightly 2-mile stroll. I tried to run off and on and just can't do it. I get this awful pain in my lower left side. It sucks. I want to push through it but it gets worse and worse. Jamie has volunteered to walk-jog with me on Saturday morning now that he doesn't have to work with the state setting up some mobile emergency thing. He may end up taking Glory on the dog walk. I have tried to compile an upbeat iPod playlist. I hope it helps!

I am so tired. Last night we had Pilates class and then did the 2-mile stroll. I was awake all night last night. I had so much adrenalin and endorphins running around my head I couldn't sleep. I have been tired all day too. :-( I also need to go grocery shopping before I go to bed. Oh, and those benchmark tests aren't going to correct themselves, just like the bedroom isn't going to miraculously be clean by morning. UG, I need a personal assistant! The money is great but I can't wait until Jamie becomes a member of our family again in July.

On a funnier note, I gave Tee a bath tonight. He felt the need to eat the bubbles in the tub and got the coolest bubble beard and moustache you have ever seen. He looked like Burl Ives as the snowman in the Rudolph special. I think it is his eyes. I sent the picture to a couple people and they agreed. He loves his bath time. When I ask him to get out he shakes his head and says, "No!" Then he pushes my arms away. We are working on teaching him the word "Yes."

Tomorrow night I have to go to my new school for an open house. All the elementary schools are open for an hour or so. Since we are building a new building and they redistricted the lines, kids are moving all over the place. This will give them the chance to see their new school and meet the possibilities for their teachers next year. I wonder what the turnout will be?? The nice thing is that I will be able to walk to my destination!!

Well kids, I need to cut this short and start checking benchmark assessments. I won't even tell you how many I have to do. :-( Again, personal assistant?!?!?!

Later

Greetings Again....

It has been a week since my last update. First of all, Justice continues to do well with her new family. The 3 kids have all come to school raving about their new dog. Supposedly she is not really eating too well yet, but is starting to eat more and more. I have to tell you that it was nice today not to have to take care of her. It rained all day and the other dogs were easy to get in and out and entertain themselves in the basement today.

Second, I was in an accident yesterday. My car is damaged to the tune of approx. $1500. It was my fault and I got a $100 ticket. I was backing out of my driveway and there was a car in my blind-spot. The other driver is 15 and doesn't have a license, only a school permit. She has driven twice by herself and has been in an accident both times. (Hmmmm what do you think that means?!) For me to be backing out of my driveway at approx. 5mph I have a lot of damage to my car. I am not thinking that she was going the speed limit by any means.

This week at work I attended another technology class at the AEA. It is part of an 8 day class that the district is sending me to. To my surprise, the district is sending me another training on Monday. We are purchasing the program Infinite Campus. I am the elementary representative for the whole district. I was shocked that they chose me to go and very happy too.

On Monday I started Pilates class with my friends Jeff and Erin. However, Jeff is actually my husband while we are in class since his name is "Jamie" on the roster. The teacher welcomed us as husband and wife the other night when we walked in late. He is the only guy in the class. Jeffrey ditched us on Wednesday night because he had an emergency art project to finish. We endured the pain without him. I hurt myself on one of the moves. I got this awful cramp in my upper arm that wouldn't go away. For two days I had numbness and tingling down my arm. Fortunately, I am recovered. I will just watch what I am doing next week. Jeff and I are taking Boot Camp next month together. That ought to be equally as interesting! By the way, Pilates makes you want to fart non-stop. Hopefully I will get toned with both classes. I am gaining weight left and right.

Well, it is Mother's Day weekend and it is my first one. On Friday night after school a group of us went and got manicures and pedicures. Then we had a 9-5 movie party at another friend's house. It was awesome. We laughed and laughed at the one-liners. You can tell that the work world is so different now with political correctness and sexual harassment, not to mention technology!. One of my favorite parts is where Mr. Hart is wooing Doralee and he apologizes for the convention weekend in San Francisco. She then says, "Mr. Hart, it's not your fault. I just need to check and make sure there is actually a convention next time." Funny stuff. Marie the alcoholic still tops my list of favorite one-liners though when she says, "Atta girl!"

So, right now it is 12:30 at night. I have the downstairs picked up. I have prepared a roast with carrots and potatoes in the crockpot. I have an angelfood cake baking in the oven. Now I need to take this party upstairs and start cleaning the disaster area I call our bedroom. It looks like Hurricane Katrina stopped by for a visit up there in every room. Tomorrow I have a 12 inch stack of papers to grade or record. This will be our last week of grades so I can get report cards done. The year is drastically coming to a close.

Next Saturday I am running a 5K and then walking another one in that afternoon at the 1st annual WOOF Walk. Glory will be joining me now that Justice is gone. I will take pictures.

Until I type again......

Ali

Bittersweet....Tears and Joy

As I get ready for bed tonight I have mixed emotions. It has been a very interesting weekend to say the least. On Saturday I had the opportunity to have Justice, our littlest golden retriever, go spend the afternoon with a family who is really wanting a dog. They live on a acreage, have two boys and a girl all in elementary school, and are very nice people. Well, they LOVE her and have decided to keep her.

We acquired Justice after she was given to us from the breeder where we got our oldest dog, Liberty. She was failing to thrive due to an abcess on the top of her head. She was involved in a fight within the litter. Another pup scratched her head and she got a nasty infection. They had to drain it several times. Then she wouldn't eat and didn't gain weight. The breeder was going to put her down and I just couldn't stand for that. She was too cute and perfect for that. So, we ended up with a 3rd dog that we never anticipated. 

Over the past year an a half she has grown and developed. She topped out at 36 pounds which is tiny for a golden. She had loads and loads of energy and kept the other two dogs on their toes. There was also a destructive side to her. She had her way of getting into mischief. However, when you found out the things she was doing, she had this look about her that just made you shake your head and smile. 

Ever since Teegan got home in September we have felt that we just have too many "people" living in our house. We just lost all of our "dog time" after he arrived. I feel really guilty about that. In fact, it eats at me constantly. The older two are okay because they got the intensive love and training from us before we became parents. Justice on the other hand has missed out on a lot of TLC.  We knew that something had to be done. When this couple talked with me about wanting a dog and I suggested they try out Justice I knew it was the right thing. 

I am thrilled, absolutely thrilled, that she is at a home where she is the center of attention and has a lot of room to run. I am however very saddened by her absence. When I woke up this morning I felt like a piece of my heart was missing and also had a pit in my stomach. Tears have rolled down my cheeks several times today, Jamie's too. 

She was my "Bitsy-Baby" and got me through the agonizing wait for our adoption to come through. In fact, she was our baby for a year before Teegan arrived. I don't know how I would've gotten through that wait without her. After Teegan arrived though there just wasn't enough time in the day to meet everyone's needs. Unfortunately, that meant that the dogs, especially Justice, had to go without attention. This led to Justice being very naughty and having too much stored energy. 

Ug, it is amazing how a creature, such as a dog, can get into our hearts as deep as they do. You may not be a dog lover, perhaps a cat lover, and can relate. I know what we did is what is best for Justice and for us. I just wish that it was easier, and that hole in my heart would seal over. Hopefully it will in the coming days or weeks. 

Godspeed Justice. I hope that your new life holds everything that we couldn't give you. May your days be long and happy with your new family. We loved you enough to save your life after you were born with all of your trauma and drama in your litter. Now we are giving you a better life with your new family. 

Papers....We've Got Papers!

Yay! What a way to start the weekend. We got our son's official adoption papers in the mail. We can now finalize his adoption. This makes me feel so good. Soon he will legally be able to use his given name instead of his birth name.

Today I am cleaning, cleaning, cleaning! In fact, I even have a babysitter coming over to play with Teegan while I can work some more. This is new for us. I am a little nervous, but I know it will be okay. She is a really good kid and Tee loves to play with everyone.

By the way...I found this article and thought it was very interesting. Click here to view article. It pains me to go to the gas pump and drop over 40 bucks. We could have it worse though. At the end of the article it looks like we could have it a lot better too. I wish I lived in a country where it was 12 cents a gallon!!!!!

Happy weekend!

Electricity....EEEElectricity!

We're on the last lap in my science class. Only one more concept to go! That chapter is on electricity. I was inspired by my childhood again today when the lyrics to Schoolhouse Rock's "Electricity" song popped into my head. Have a listen.....

Have a great Friday!