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Showing posts from September, 2010

Busy life - love it!

Wow. . .I'm sitting here at school during a free period, trying to catch my breath!  Literally, there is NO TIME and although I love being busy, it's not so good for my husband and family. . .but with this *great* weather, consistent job at the HS for another week, my YMCA obligations, soccer, swimming, tennis, book fair, unfinished projects. . .we are out of balance for sure. *Frederick had swimming Friday from 4-445, then soccer for Frederick, Marie, and Thomas from 5-7 p.m.  Luckily that is all in one location.  We headed out to eat together after that. . .since it was a school day we left the house at 7:15 a.m. and didn't get back home until 8:30 p.m.  Can't complain about the ability to get out and get moving though!!! *Saturday our neighbors moved.  They've had their house on the market for 3 years (put it up just as everything was slowing down) so they were happy to finally have a buyer I know.  The kids and I had put together a little going-away gift for

Company Girl Coffee 9.17

 Good Morning Company Girls ! I have a cup of hot chocolate here next to me (I know, it's supposed to be 80+ degrees today but it's my standard morning fare) and have just a couple minutes before I head off to school.  Do you remember last week that I was sitting here, typing apprehensively about an assignment I had at the high school?  Well, I *loved* it and it happened to be the first day of a maternity leave I was covering until they found someone. . .that "someone" ended up being me!!!  I can't tell you how much I love the assignment :)  It won't last long because the teacher is only planning on taking 6 weeks' leave and two of those weeks will be Fall Break. . .but. . .I'm really happy to not only be someplace steady, but someplace that I *really* want to be!!! The assignment??  Culinary Arts, of all things!!!  What an opportunity our high school students have to be offered such diversity in high school and lucky me, to get to fill in here! 

Happy Birthday Tom!!!

My favorite day of the year is September 14th. . .because I am no longer older than my husband. . .well, that is, until February :) In all seriousness, it's fun to celebrate your best friend's birthday!!  He got his gift from me a couple of weeks ago -- a new television for the bedroom.  We don't have television service (except our local PBS station) but we do watch many videos together.  The kids got a great brand-new television for Christmas and it was time we had something nice for us too :)  His other gift, from all of our parents and his sister, was a new grill!!! He and his dad got it put together in record time. . .I think that was part of the gift. . .putting it together!  He loves a good project :) Nice looking grill, huh?  His other one was 14 years old. . .it had served its time well. The kids got him the grill cover. . .that's what we wrapped and took out to eat with us. . .when he opened the cover he knew what his "big" gift was -- ha!  (I t

What a Day!

I had a day today yesterday that I could *never* have predicted. Like I mentioned in my previous post , I finally decided to "try out" a substitute teaching assignment a high school in another county.  Mind you, I haven't stepped foot into a high school in 20 years (except to visit a friend who works in my former school) and I was. . .scared.  Scared of the parking lot.  Scared of the size of the building.  Scared of (gulp!) the students.  I'm not kidding. . .just no confidence at all.  But, well, the call came at 5:45 this morning and I said "what the heck" and accepted the job.  BTW, this particular county is on an automated system.  When a teacher enters in an assignment, a computer starts calling available subs on the list.  So, when the call comes, I answer, knowing it is a computer.  They ask you to verify that it's you, tell you which school the assignment is at, ask if you want more information, then gives you the teacher name and subject and

Company Girls 9.10.10

Good Morning Company Girls (and anyone else who stopped by!)  I am off to substitute teach this morning so this will be short-and-sweet. . .I have been putting off subbing at the HS for a long time now. . .I'm 38 and *scared* of doing it -- ha!  I met a HS teacher in class last night and she has given me the courage to say "yes" to an assignment there. . .so here I go!  It's culinary arts -- at least it sounds like an interesting class. . .although many times as a substitute teacher I'm just a babysitter -- I hate that. This was last Saturday --  we spent the day at Dollywood to celebrate Frederick's 7th birthday.  There he is, front and center! I blogged about our Sunday. . .just a great day together as a family. Monday morning was Labor Day -- I had to work at the YMCA from 830-12 then we meet friends at their house for a BBQ.  It was just a beautiful, perfect weekend!  Well, until we got home and Marie had to finish her report on a famous Tennessean --

Tom & His Mini-Me

When we got home from church yesterday I was given an opportunity to take a nap.  So I did :)  Tom even made lunch for the kids!  And when I got up I wandered outside into the bright, beautiful, warm sunshine to find this. . . The men, Tom and Thomas, were hard at work on the boat trailer.  We haven't been able to go to the lake the last couple weeks because something was broken/wrong. . .something with the breaks.  Anyway, Frederick and Tom hauled the boat home early that morning before church and now here the "Toms" were, fixing together. Notice how they're dressed?  Tom told me later that after Thomas saw what he was wearing, he went upstairs and put on the exact same outfit.  I love that.  (See that chair in the background?  I had been standing around watching them work when Thomas went and got a chair and set it up for me.  Isn't that great?!?  Aren't I a pampered mommy and wife?) This is one of the first times Thomas has shown any real interest in lea

Frederick is 7!!!

Wow, how time flies!!!!  I can't believe my "baby" is 7 today.  This birthday is really hitting me hard, but I don't know why.  I think because being 7 means that he's really "old". . .and, since he's my last, that makes me "done" with that season.  There's almost always sadness in finishing something good, even though there is so much to look forward to. Thomas and Frederick this morning.  Thomas told me to take a picture and when I put it on the computer to call it "Frederick and his taxi".  Here you go Thomas :) Each year we take a chair picture.  It started when Thomas (11 1/2) was one month old.  This was the chair my Aunt Susie gave me for my baby shower and we propped Thomas up and sent the picture out.  My mom said "you should do that every month". . .and. . .we did!!! Then every birthday.  Then every month of the first year of all of our children.  Yes, it's the one thing that I haven't let slip of

My (Mostly) Clean House

There are few things in life that make me as happy as a clean house!!!  I think most people can say that. . .there's just something about having everything in it's place, clean, and happy.  There's a difference between "perfect" and "clean" in my book. . .like the title says, it's *mostly* clean.  Meaning, the kids didn't clean under their beds.  All the trashes haven't been taken out.  There are still piles.  We LIVE here.  But yesterday, home alone, I was happy to be surrounded by peace and quiet and the idea that I have a clean house :)  With that in mind, I took some pictures because I truly love my house and want my kids to remember where they lived during elementary school. It's funny how different the lighting is in all three of these pictures. . .and they were taken all within one minute of one another!  (Yep, still using the kids' camera. . .)   I want to remember the "little" things. . . Marie (9) is