22 little blessings

Today starts the second week of 4th grade... our first FULL week.

I have some amazing kids in my class, and also some challenges.  Any teacher will tell you that sounds lie every single class they ever had.

I found myself getting frustrated today, but I had to stop and remind myself, that these are 22 blessings for me.

Several weeks ago, we started looking at our bank account, to see if it was possible to jump right in with our home study and down payment as soon as we are approved, or if we needed to wait a bit to save up some more cash.

It was going to be tight.

We could do it, but it would have drained a lot of our savings, and we kinda have gotten used to the cushion (our 'emergency fund' for you Dave Ramsey followers).

Trav mentioned how helpful it would be if I could sub a lot, just to help build it up, but if anyone has subbed, you are kinda at the mercy of the school system and what their needs are.

We prayed about it for a few weeks, together and separate, and low and behold, God delivered a long term sub position for a maternity leave.  Since I'm a certified teacher, I max out the pay scale for the daily rate, which starts on my 11th day of being in the same class (September 2nd). 

Would any of you be surprised to find out that my total pay for this assignment is within a hundred dollars of our down payment...

meaning, we won't have to pull ANYTHING out of savings...

So, though I don't *love* fourth grade... they are part of my adoption blessing.

(however-it's really hard to remember that when you are writing your first office referral on the 5th day of school!)

ugh...

Holy freaking cow.


I'm exhausted.

I'm teaching a long term 4th grade assignment.

Today was the first day of school.

By lunch, I knew WITHOUT.A.DOUBT. that I will never teach 4th grade full time.

This is for 8 weeks...

I can deal with anything for 8 weeks....

And, since I've got my teaching degree, I 'max' out the pay scale....

HELLO DOWN PAYMENT FOR OUR BABY!!!
(otherwise known as the fee for our agency to get into the 'match book')

Oh, and I'm taking college courses.

Yesterdays brought on a mild panic attack. 

It was a graduate level course that should be taken right before you write your thesis.

It has a 40 page paper that is the 'jump-off spot' for your thesis.

I haven't even applied to the master's program....

(Yes, I'm one of those people that just randomly takes classes....grad level or not!)

So... to find a new class to replace that one... and I'll be good....

Now where is my wine?

Waiting

Found out today, that they received the last document they were waiting on.

We have officially completed "Packet II".  It has been passed on to review committee.

Now we wait.

I'm not so good at that....  and I already painted my living room.

Side note, got picked up for a long term subbing assignment that starts soon (I only have to do half of the 'before school' teacher things like the trainings).  School officially starts the 24th, so that will give me something to do I suppose.

The printed wait time is 4-6 weeks.  I wonder how long that really means, because for the Packet I, it was 2-4 weeks, and it came back in three days...

Damn them, they set me up for failure, because now I expect everything to go faster then expected.

So- "here's to the next 4-6 weeks"

Wisconsin

I have many more pictures from our trip, but they sorta need a full write up.

However, this one we took at the park.  The bride and groom went there after the wedding for some pictures, and since my father in law was one of the photographers (he's awesome), we had to go along (he was our ride).  While he was taking the couples pictures my mother in law (who's not so bad her self behind a camera) took a few of us.  We don't have any 'nice' photos of us... we haven't had 'professional' ones taken since our wedding, and all the others are at events and such.   She took this one and I truly love it!!!  I think it will be the front cover of our match book, unless one that my father in law took turns out better (which would surprise me, because I think this one is great). 

Do I not have THE MOST handsome husband!

double check

I'm exhausted... I'm ready for summer to be over... I want to sleep a FULL week in my own bed, with no one else in our house but me and my love. 

We have been constantly on the go since the beginning of July.  This past weekend we went to Wisconsin for my husbands cousin's wedding.  It was great, I got to meet a lot of his Aunt's and Uncle's that I had never met before.  But... we drove 9 hours on Friday, Wedding was Saturday, we recovered from the reception Sunday, and drove 9 hours home on Monday...

Worked Tuesday and Wednesday.

Went to my in-laws (an hour away) to babysit on Thursday (was supposed to be Friday too).

Found out Thursday that I could get a long term substituting position if I could get back home by Friday morning.... so went home Thursday night.

Did the 'training' with the classroom teacher all day Friday, who is about to go on maternity leave.

Friday at 4:00 got done with training, and within the hour was packed and on our way to where our agency is located.  We got in after dark, checked into the hotel and went and got Panda Express (one of my favorite restaurants), took it back to the hotel, ate, and slept.

Today we sat through 256 powerpoint slides.  It was all important information, but it was flippen TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX SLIDES!!!! 

We left and came home, have been home for about an hour and found out my in laws are coming to spend the night!  WHOHOO!  Really, I love them, all of them, and I even invited them but damn I'm tired.

I'll post pictures soon of all of the above.... but for now, I'm not.  :)

Oh, since this whole post was about our 'double check', we can check off two more things.  We were waiting for one last thing to get mailed (by someone else) to the agency, and had to do this training... check and double check!

Next up... infant CPR class this Thursday.

cards

So... Travis is not so much of a card person, birthdays, anniversaries, hates them. One time I got him a birthday card, he saw it before I singed it, and said "Thanks, now we can take it back". I refused, so he returned his OWN birthday card to Wal Mart.... no joke.


Because of this, after six years, I try not to get my hope up whenever a 'card occasion' comes along.


This is what I woke up to this morning:

So another birthday has arrived for my love. I hope that you will be comforted in knowing that it was 27 years ago today, God had a unique plan for you. 27 years ago, He said to a couple named Jim and Barbara "I want to give you a gift, a gift so special that only you two are special enough to raise her. A little girl that you will make pancakes for every morning on her birthday. She will be a girl that will sit and collect tadpoles in a pond out in her yard and then catch lightning bugs in a jar on the beach. No I've mad this girl to be someone who has such an explosive creative side that she can make a wreath out of a box of red Christmas ornaments or a bag of coffee filters. A woman who will pour out everything she has into something or someone, and when she has no more, will give jus a little more. Then.... on day, I'm going to have someone else take over my special daughter. A guy that can try and tame that explosiveness, a man who will care for her and do his best to make her happy. Who will give her his heart and promise to be there for her. And continue each year, like her father, to make her pancakes for her on her birthday."

Honey I know this isn't how you'd think to spend your 27th birthday, but if its any consolation, I'm so glad that we'll be together, and who knows, maybe we can even dance to a song or two at the wedding. I love you and thank you for being a part of my life and letting me be a part of yours.


In all my love, Happy Birthday!


Ya, he's a keeper... now I have to go eat my pancakes, and pack to start our 10 hour trip North to his cousins wedding!

Balls to the wall...

Ok, in my previous job (not substitute teaching), I worked with clients on a daily basis.  I got things done, and if I didn't it was my head on the wall.  I guess because so much was expected of me, I've in turn turned that around.  My balls were always held to the wall... so in turn, I hold others to the wall.

Unfortunately, our agency is the one against the wall.

They lost two (TWO!) of our reference letters, and are sending me snotty e-mails about still needing them... um our friends already jumped through hoops to get you the first round, its not going to magically happen in a day for the second time around.  They both work opposite shifts of their spouses so to get it notarized requires some juggling. 

The second issue is dealing with something in my past.  I needed court documents, but there was an error on it, but the administrative assistant can't seem to get past the error, even though the lawyer, the city and the highway patrol now have everything fixed.... to top it all of, she thinks that I should spend ANOTHER $52.00 dollars to get my fingerprints re done, so she has another piece of paper to loose....

I'm a bit frustrated.

To top it off, before I even got home to this wonderful email... I was driving around and heard a loud boom, then smelt the offending object.

Note to self:

When your husband and step daughter tell you they have emptied everything after the family trip to Sam's Club, go double check.... because on a day when its 107* (heat index) and you drive home, the bottle of wine they forgot about will explode....

So, I spent the first hour after I got home outside cleaning out my trunk.  It was fucking hot (see the above mentioned temperature of 107*).  Travis got home about an hour after I started the steam cleaning and ended up pulling out the liner of my trunk and hosed it down. I'm not sure if it will work, it's not cloth, its not felt, it somewhere in between....

I'd say this is a wine night... but the bottle I bought this weekend... well, you know....