The other "New Year"

Every January 1 is the ultimate in New Year's Resolutions!! But when you are a student OR a teacher there is another "new year" and it starts in August when school starts!!! Everyone thinks that kids are only ones with new expectations for their new grade level and they are the only ones that need school clothes and supplies and they are the only ones that need haircuts!! Excuse me...but I'm a school teacher and I'm the oversized student!! I love to go and find a few new outfits, maybe a pair of shoes, get my hair cut/colored the week before inservice, go to mardels and buy lots of stuff for my classroom and finally I absolutely LOVE getting my room ready for the 1st day!!!! I have done this now for 36 years...it started when I was 5!! So, this is my New Year's!! So, since you have to make resolutions for the Jan. 1 new year....I also revisit those resolutions when August hits. I have actually done a terrible job of keeping my last resolutions....I did great til April....and then haven't given them a thought til now. Oh well!!! So, I suppose since I have a new start and new schedule and all...I should at least attempt to pull off some of those resolutions. I have no idea how this schedule will unfold. I'm taking Ryan to High School....:( every morning, he will be dropped off to me in the afternoons by a sweet friend, and then we'll be coming home. This is where things get a little fuzzy....should I then drop the kids off at home and then go to the rec center to work out? Or...should I find a nice little routine that involves walking around my 'hood and biking too? That would be the cheaper fix....but I have found that if I pay for gym memberships, then I go and workout. Something about paying!! Anyway...the eating right thing falls into place when school starts...b/c I take my lunch. I take the normal turkey sandwich, fat free pringles, weight watcher yogurt and some purple grapes!! I'll be shedding a good 3 pounds the first couple of weeks.....
Oh well...I'm looking forward to an awesome school year!! Ryan will have lots to talk about daily!! Christen will be in the 7th grade with all her peeps and Kaylyn will be at the south campus. Lots of changes...but God is good and He is my strength always!!

Thinking in Print

I've always heard of people "thinking out loud"...so instead of rambling audibly, I am choosing to "think in print".
I've done a lousy, and I truly mean LOUSY, job of watching my weight this summer. Actually my weight really hasn't gone up...rather what is unacceptable is that all the work I did to tone up all last year, has disappeared. I have been hit/miss to the gym and more miss than hit. I've given in to cravings and such in the food area too. I always tell my family that "tomorrow" I'm going to start that new workout routine and such....hasn't happened all summer.
I really want to get my classroom all together so I can feel like I'm a little more free. I have some little chores that I'd like to get done before school starts. Things like getting my carpets cleaned and going through my closet!!
The architect came a couple of weeks ago to tell us what we can or can't do in the way of building onto our house. We've talked and talked about building on to our house...but never what are options were. He hasn't called us back yet....he said it would be a little while longer...he's rather busy. So, as we patiently wait for him to show us what he's drawn, Kevin and I have talked about time frames of when to begin, etc. Of course the kids are also anxious...this means the girls won't have to share their bedroom anymore....which makes me a little sad. I know they each deserve their own space and they are truly excited about re-decorating their "new" rooms...but they have many memories of sharing their room. I was talking to my brother about all of this and his advice was not to build on...I asked him why and he said because the bigger the house, the more it hinders closeness in the family. I've thought alot about that lately. Do we want bigger houses to have more space away from the ones we love the most? because we're out to show off? or to adequately accomodate all members?? I really never thought that a big house would hinder our tightness I enjoy so much as a family.
I think my brain in now empty....
If you have any insights or comments...I want to read them!!!!

Cool Deal!!

I have been faithfully working on my NEW classroom lately. I really enjoy being in my classroom and trying to figure out where to put furniture, where to put all of my wall decor, and just trying to figure out how I see my year unfolding. It's really really fun!! It's also a little expensive...because I like to buy stuff for my room every July! This July has been no different. Last year, I think I figured I spent well over $600 in July just for my classroom...and it was my 19th year to teach. That was a little over the top...but Ineeded things: desk chair that wasn't embarrassing, new blinds for my windows...and I splurged on the faux wood kind, instead of the cheapo deapo kind, a nice big plushy red rug, and a table/lamp combo to sit with my rocker. Anyway, I wanted to stay more reasonable this summer and I think I have....to date I think I've spent about half of what I spent last summer. But the deal that I got today at Walmart was a cool deal....it's called 2 saucer chairs for my reading area for $38...together!!! I had been looking online for about a week now for seating. I was going back and forth on the bean bags vs. something from Lakeshore (which is very pricey). And when I saw these saucer chairs, it was just meant to be!! I can't wait to place them in their places tomorrow when I return to try to finish my masterpiece of a classroom!!

Vacation is over...

Our family vacation has come and gone already!! We did something completely different this year...we didn't go to the beach. We went to Michigan. Why?? Well...we thought doing something different and going back to the country where Kevin and his family are from would be a great thing for the kids. The weather there was cooler than the weather here..which was good. But...can I say it??? It wasn't the BEACH!!! We are beach-lovers...always have been and always will be!!! We had fun in Michigan...but it was a different kind of fun. It was the kind of fun that was family fun. My sister-in-law and 2 of her kiddos came along as well as Kevin's folks. We enjoyed being together as a family. We ate meals together, shopped together, and enjoyed some sights together. That was fun!!

Kevin now thinks that we should go to Colorado for our next family vacation....so I have exactly 11 months to try to convince him that the rest of us would really really really enjoy another BEACH vacation!!!!

What in the world???

Every 6 months I enjoy the privilege of taking my 3 kiddos to the dentist for their checkups. And every 6 months I get to read the literature provided by the office while I wait for 1 hour for all 3 to cycle through!! Well, this week was the week to do that again. So, I picked up I think 2 or 3 different People magazines and was sickened as to the content. There was a little survey in one of them about the Hollywood Star's view of Gay marriages....and all 5 or 6 that were surveyed were in complete agreement on how if 2 people love each other and are committed to each other than the fact that they may be a same sex couple shouldn't be an issue. Judge not lest you be judged sort of thinking. These stars have shows that my kids like to watch on Disney. Miley Cyrus was one that really popped...can't remember the others cause I didn't know them. Anyway...what in the world is going on??? I would rather not go into ALL the many reasons why being a homosexual is against God's Word...His word speaks for itself!!!!! What in the world are people thinking??? Why am I being completely bombarded with this nastiness?? It's on every single primetime show it seems, every single soap opera now has a story with a gay couple, and now in print. I'm seriously appalled...and I just wonder if anyone else feels the same way? Why is it not politically correct to oppose homosexuality? Why are straight people shunned for feeling that gayness is wrong??? And why is it that you automatically know when you either see someone or hear someone talk that they are gay?? Why do gay guys want to look like women and gay women want to look like guys?? Does anyone else see this as very odd?? And if you'd like to stretch your brain a little....it's not even natural to be gay. I'm talking about the act here. How can 2 people of the same sex enjoy the act when the parts don't exactly match up?? Gross!!!!!!!
I love that God created us for HIS purpose. HIS ways are always right and pure!!!!! And there are alot of rewards to this life when we follow HIS plan for our lives. I'm learning that for my sake and the sake of my children, that I'm going to have to be alot more conscious of the viewing decisions we make concerning TV. It's a shame that a company like Disney does so much to support the gay/lesbian community. I'm afraid that God's disgust and utter anger towards the way our country has leaned to make the gay community more accepted is not going to be pretty. And one more thing....has there ever been a homosexual that has "woke up and smelled the coffee" that what they were doing was totally wrong in God's eyes and then changed because they were convicted to change?? You never hear about those stories...however, there has to be at least one.....sure would like to hear that story.