Bone tired

Did you ever hear someone say that they were "Bone Tired". I'm not sure I knew what it meant but I think I feel it.

After a year in which I worked 3 jobs (Mom, Teacher, Grad Student) I just can't wait for it to end. I have 5 more days of work and they stretch out like an endless country road. The end seems invisible and the scenery is nothing but miles and miles of the same corn I've already seen for 100 miles!

I don't even have the energy to waste time by updating this blog meaningfully. I can only write crap that no one cares about. And click... I can click on a million blogs/sites a day. But I can't post because that requires multiple fingers and brain cells.

Maybe tomorrow will be better. I doubt it though because I'm home alone with the kiddo's tonight... which means either hours and hours of cartoons during which I berate myself for being a lazy parent.... or hours of stressful monitoring and balancing.

Hell, what's one more night of TV... I'll do better this summer Bri, I promise.

50 little things about me

Taken from the lovely and talented Whoorl, and Via my sister

1. What curse word do you use the most? Shit!

2. Do you own an iPod? No but I would like one.

3. Who on your MySpace “Top 8” do you talk to the most? I loathe My Space, it is playground opediphileses.

4. What time is your alarm clock set for? 4:15 am. But I snooze until a little after 5:00.

5. What color is your room? Mossy Green, which I totally regret.

6. Flip-flops or sneakers? Flip Flops, itheirer cute and not trashy.

7. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture? Take it.

8. What's the last movie you watched? (If you discount my daughter's movies) The Princess Bride, a personal favorite.

9. Do any of your friends have children? Not as many as I'd like.

10. Has anyone ever called you lazy? Yes antheirer usually right.

11. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster? No

12. What CD is currently in your CD player? Dixie Chicks, I just bought it Friday.

13. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? I only drink chocolate.

14. Has anyone told you a secret this week? No.

15. Have you ever given someone a hickey? No.

16. Who was the last person to call you? My mom.

17. Do you think people talk about you behind your back? I'm positive they do.

18. Did you watch cartoons as a child? Yes

19. How many siblings do you have? 1 younger sister

20. Are you shy around the opposite sex? Yes - unless I find them physically/emotionally uninteresting.

21. What movie do you know every line to? The Princess Bride, Cinderella, Pretty in Pink.

22. Do you own any band t-shirts? Yes, but they are country singers from the early 90's... pretty lame!

23. What is your favorite salad dressing? I don't use salad dressing.

24. Do you read for fun? Yes, as much as I can.

25. Do you cry a lot? Yes.

26. Who was the last person to text message you? I don't text message!

27. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop? Desktop

28. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoo? No Tattoos, but I would consider a belly button ring if I lost all the weight.

29. What is the weather like? Humid, hot, and sunny.

30. Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos? With a couple tattoos, probably. Covered it them..Probablyly not.

31. Is sex before marriage wrong? Not wrong, but definitely something to think twice about. Once you go there with someone, you can never, ever go back. (Thanks for the perfect words Jamie!)

32. When was the last time you slept on the floor? Last fall when Brianna was sick.

33. How many hours of sleep do you need to function? I have learned to go on about 4, I much prefer 6 or more.

34. Are you in love or lust? Yes.

35. Are your days full and fast-paced? Part of my day is always full and/or fast paced. I have two children.

36. Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages? Not lately but I really should.

37. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 30

38. Are you picky about spelling and grammar? Not like you'd expect from a teacher, but still more than some people.

39. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Yes'm. Six Flags Great America in scenic Gurnee, IL.

40. Do you get along better with the same or opposite sex? Same.

41. Do you like cottage cheese? NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!

42. Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back? Stomach, until my back hurts then I sleep on my side, usually my left side.

43. Have you ever bid for something on eBay? Yes, and thank the LORD I got it!

44. Do you enjoy giving hugs? Depends on the person doling them out.

45. What song did you last sing out loud? "I'm Not Ready to Back Down" by the Dixie Chicks.

46. What is your favorite TV show? CSI, but I'm sort oaddicteded to Deal or No Deal

47. Which celebrity, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with? I totally agree with Jamie, I want Reese Witherspoon to be my new best friend! I think we would have SO much to talk about.

48. Last time you had butterflies in your stomach? Everytime my kids do something cool and new.

49. What one thing do you wish you had? Enough money to stay home, and a job flexible enough that I could work part time... but Jamie's answer of "A soda fountain of Diet Coke in my apartment." works for me too.

50. Favorite lyrics? Lately- SaraBeth by Rascal Flatts

THANK YOU!

Big Thanks to my sister for adding some of my favorite blogs to my sidebar! I know less than nothing about how this stuff works. I can point and click but draw the line at figuring out the coded language of creating websites!

A student no more

Yesterday I presented my graduate research for my masters degree. I choose to investigate why teachers choose to join committees, or not join committees. I was very impressed that 7 of my friends from class came to see my presentation. More importantly, BOTH of my building principals came, and actually listened, and seemed interested in what I had to say. My graduate professor who was monitoring me for the past 2 years also seemed impressed. He even asked my permission to tell future graduate students about my research so they could piggy-back off of it and extend it. I was flattered, and thrilled, and of course said yes.

Today, I took the word student from my sidebar. Student is not a word I will use to describe myself anymore... well at least not until my kids are older, and my husband can hear the word doctorate without attempting to strangle me.

Pre-occupied

I have so many things I could post today, for a change. Brianna saw Dora Live last night... Grant learned to pull himself to sitting... We had a fabulous weekend... but I can't post any of that today because I am hell-a-distracted!

Today at 3:00 central standard time, I will present 2 years worth of graduate research. This is the LAST thing I need to do to complete my Masters Degree. Tomorrow morning, I plan on taking the word "student" out of my sidebar comments, and I will have a mini-me-party while doing it.

I can't get a darn thing done today. I am SOOOOOOO focused on 3:00. Did I mention my presentation is at 3:00. At 3:00 I will begin telling my school principals that they have tons of bad feeling circling around and will tell my grad professor that I ran a crappy research study.

Pray for 3:45.... I need 3:45....

I have nothing good to say...

So I'll post pictures!!!!

Like Grant giving us a GREAT BIG SMILE,
Brianna recieving her special Doctor kit after giving up Binky,
And GG (Great Grandma) hugging both kids on Mothers Day.

I'm counting my chickens

Last night was SOOOOOO much better. Brianna still asked for the binky but only whined for about 20 minutes! We've had worse nights than that with the binky.

Brianna LOVED her doctor kit. We played doctor all evening. We even had to take the stethoscope with us to dinner! She is crazy about it, she was the doctor and the patient at one point. Her baby doll got more shots than a heroin addict.

I'm so glad we didn't give in!
Do it people!!!
BAN THE BINKY!

My First Ponytail!

What Supernanny doesn't show you

We have been gearing up for some time to try the "Binky Fairy" technique as seen on ABC's Supernanny! Now, as a somewhat capable parent, I love to watch Jo Frost deal with the crazy people they dig up for that show! I do occasionally see a technique I like. This "Binky Fairy" technique involves gathering all the pacifiers in the house and putting them outside in a bag for the binky fairy to come and take to little kids that need them. In return the binky fairy leaves a special present for the newly binky free child. Sounded pretty good to me.

Last night, we took our one remaining binky and put it in a large gift bag and set it out on the front porch. We left a little note asking the binky fairy to take it and leave a special toy (and a sucker, Brianna wanted a sucker). Tonight, we will check the bag and the Binky Fairy will have left a very special doctor kit with a real working stethoscope and a blood pressure cuff! And a sucker!

This all sounds well and good... and we thought a nice thing to try.... but here is what Supernanny doesn't tell you...

She doesn't warn you that your precious daughter will cry for over an hour and a half because she is used to going to sleep with the binky. She doesn't warn you that your heart will break and your only thoughts will be of giving her back the binky because it's a school night and you all have to get up in a little over 6 hours.

I was only saved from the hazards of giving in by one simple fact... the same fact that made us finally choose Sunday May 14, 2006 as the Binky Fairy date... the one and only remaining binky had fallen in an un-flushed toilet that day. The ONLY, I repeat O.N.L.Y. thing stopping me from giving in last night was the thought of my precious daughter sucking on something that had recently been in her own pee. No amount of boiling and sterilizing could have made me do that!

Perhaps tonight will be a better night because now that I've jumped off the cliff, I'm going all the way to the bottom.

The Decline of our Society

When we were kids, my sister and I would see who could hit the other on target with the straw wrapper when we went out to eat. Sometimes my dad would join in and my mom would just shake her head at us. More fun was had aiming for heads and noses and glasses of coke during the first five minutes of the meal than for the rest of the evening.

Recently I tried to teach Brianna how to blow the straw wrapper off. I wanted to corrupt her just a little rather than letting Jamie have all the fun. (More about the ways Jamie has corrupted Bri on another day!)

Straw wrappers these days just aren't the same. You can't just blow one end and expect it to fly with ease toward your target of your husband's forehead! You have to pull it slightly off, or even halfway off, and line up carefully because the weight is uneven and it will fly slightly to the left or right depending on which side the seam is on. By then, who cares because your husband knows it's coming and he is giving you that look that says "What are you DOING?" and "Are you really going to teach her that?". And it's just not fun anymore!

My only graduation photos

This past weekend, I graduated with my Masters in Educational Leadership. This means that in a few years, when I'm feeling crazy again, I can become a principal! I was very pleased to have my family there to watch me. My parents, sister, aunt/godmother, husband and children all came to watch. There were a number of camera's there to record it for posterity. I brought our camera, but my dear husband, who was there under some degree of protest, did not take any pictures.

What follows is the only pictures I have from graduation day... Brianna after graduation.

Still sleeping....

Bed time

Adam takes Brianna and puts her to bed most nights. This started because when I was nursing, Grant always seemed to want eat at exactly her bedtime. It has sort of continued because it works for us. They have worked out a little routine with how many books to read and what little rituals need to be done. He likes to talk to her about her day and what will happen tomorrow.

Some night, I take Bri to bed. We have a slightly different ritual. I like to tell her all the ways I love her and say prayers.

Last night as Adam was trying to get her up to bed, she started crying for me. This, in itself, is not unusual. But, last night she had already had her hugs and kisses from me and we'd said good night. She wanted her prayers. She climbed back up in my lap, cuddled into my neck and I said the prayers. She is trying to memorize them so every now and then I pause and let her insert the next word. At the end we say Amen together and give a big hug. I love that she loves it!

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the lord my soul to sleep.
Angels watch me through the night,
wake me with the morning light.
God Bless mommy and daddy,
Brianna and Grant,
Grandma and Grandpa's,
Aunts and Uncles and Cousins,
God Bless Everyone,
Amen.

"Funny Noises"

It was pointed out to me this weekend by my loving sister Jamie, that I have a tendency to blow my nose rather loudly. I have had a cold or some spring allergies or something recently and so find myself blowing my nose quite often.

This morning, I blew my nose while waiting at a stop light. Brianna began laughing her head off! She said to me, "Mommy, I want to make funny noises". I pretended to not know what she was talking about, this is not by any stretch of the imagination the first time she has heard me blow my nose... I knew I was sunk though when she asked for a tissue and began blowing loudly through her mouth. Then it was my turn to laugh hysterically. What a great kid!

PS- I tried to turn this into a lesson on how to blow your nose, but no dice, still to young I guess.
Always a teacher...

Happy Mothers Day to ME!

Yesterday we had the nicest little mothers day party at Brianna's "school". Yes, I know MD is 11 days away but for a variety of reasons, yesterday was a good day for it. The kids put on a little show for us where they danced along to little songs. (I call these hokey pokey songs... They words tell you what to do and you just listen and follow along). Then we ate a lovely snack of cheese nips and danishes accompanied by our choice of apple juice, ice tea, or water.

The culmination of the big party was when each child presented their mother with a gift they had made. (Brianna thought the gift was FOR her, not FROM her!) It was a lovely (cardboard) jewelry box on which someone claiming to be Brianna had hot-glued little gems. (Please GOD tell me that they didn't let my 2 year old anywhere near a hot glue gun!) Inside the jewelry box was a scarf (dollar-store bandana) as a gift from the teachers. Mine was white with blue polka-dots. Bri's teachers said to me... "I thought you'd like it, you wear a lot of blue".

People... If you discount blue jeans....I OWN NOTHING BLUE!

On the serious plus side, There was a very nice card with a poem the teachers had written and a drawing by the real Brianna. There was coupons for extra hugs and kisses from Brianna. And there was a nice lily (That will probably die in my car today because I forgot to take it out).

I love the thought, and they say that's what really counts.