Two Days Late and More Than a Few Dollars Short

Sunday came and went faster than I could get anything done.

Last week I
-Wrote a new poem
-Took a break from potty training (Ick's not remotely interested. Tips?)
-Did NOT get placed for my observation
-Found out my car is falling to pieces
-Practiced my handwriting

This week I
-Will be taking 4 tests in school (!!!)
-Will get organized for all assignments, short and long term
-Will write at least one new poem
-Will get back to potty training
-Will visit at least 2 schools to ask for observation placement
-Will be taking my car in on Thursday to get "fixed" (don't ask)
-Will NOT go insane. (I hope.)


Nothing really new or exciting except the weather. I know I keep mentioning it, but it's so nice out all the time! Rainy today which is perfect for movies and popcorn for Ick and homework and coffee for me! I'm looking forward to getting a lot of stuff done so I can play some EQ2. It's been too long and my paid subscription is up on the 21st. After that I won't be able to use my high level gear lol because my account will be free to play. What was that? You don't know what EQ2 is? We're not friends anymore. ;o)

Is there anything new going on with you this week?

Note: In the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing some recipes that were originally found on Peace, Love and Low Carb on Facebook, but that my sister has adjusted and made her own. I'll post the recipes and link PL&LC's original recipe as well.

Lord, I'm Tired

I go to sleep tired and I wake up tired. Maybe I'm sick. Maybe I'm just really tired! And maybe this is when the college coursework crunch begins. The first three weeks were smooth sailing with very few assignments. Coming up are tests, big assignments and long term projects. I'm nervous, tired, very unsure about how to start a lot of it and just plain stressed out.

Do you see a trend?

I know I’m smart enough to do all the work, and I’m capable of doing all of it. My major weakness is time management. How do I fit in all this work with quality time with Ick? I find myself saying, “Mama has to do schoolwork,” so often that I’m sick of hearing it. I’m terrified of missing so much during these next three years of Ick’s life because of college even though I know beyond any doubt that I’m doing the right thing.

There are also the “normal” life stresses like car and money problems to deal with on an almost daily basis. It’s a lot all at once and a lot of it will be taken care of in about a month. Until then, I guess I only have one choice:

Put on my big girl panties and deal with it!

Have any tips for me?

Note: Title is from the song "Tired" by Toby Keith.

1,000 Views!

Today I reached 1,000 all time views on my blog! I'm so excited! Thank you to everyone for reading even when I went months without posting, posted really depressing things, English essays, and pictures of my little boy. I never promised interesting, only variation! I think I've kept up my end of the bargain.

As much as I'd *love* to do a giveaway, I'm too small (and too varied!) to get sponsored and I'm WAY too poor to buy something decent to give away. However, I'd be happy to spotlight someone else (guest post?) or write a post for someone else. I'll also accept donations for the giveaway. ;o)

At the very least you all have my sincere and enthusiastic thanks and internet hugs! Those are always good, right?

Thank you so much for sticking around and reading. I hope to see another thousand views soon!

"Keep moving forward." -Walt Disney

Never Forget 9/11/01

If you don't remember what happened on September 11th, 2001, you probably aren't old enough. No one who was old enough to be aware of what was going on has forgotten. But how many of you remember the people  who chose to jump to their deaths instead of burn in the flames? Do you remember the faces of those who sifted through the rubble to find survivors? Do you remember where you were, who you were with and what your first reaction was?

"Never Forget" is a great motto for today because while it will always be impossible for us to truly forget the events of that day, it may be difficult for us to tell our children what happened and how we felt about it. It's imperative that we keep those horrific things in mind especially on this day so that we can prevent something similar from happening either to us or to other nations. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.

We have Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, 4th of July and all those other days where we talk about our troops and all they have done for us.

Today, September 11th is a day to remember every day citizens who also gave their lives in the effort to save the lives of their fellow civilians. Firefighters, police officers and other men and women off the street. And not just those who died, but those who LIVED.

((Tough Times Don't Last But) Tough People Do by Trace Adkins)

Today is a day to remember everyone involved in Flight 93, the Pentagon as well as the Twin Towers. 

Through blurred eyes...

Today is when we celebrate the heroism of people just like you and me and their commendable actions in the face of terrifying violence and adversity.

Today is when we celebrate the solidity of our United States.

Today is when we celebrate so that those who did die will not have died in vain.

United we stand, divided we fall.

New This Week...

     Well! This past week was anti-climactic to say the least! The principal of the school I chose for my observation hasn’t called me back and I called her last Tuesday. So I’ll be calling her back. I mean, I know the first week of school is busy and all, but I have stuff to do, too! :P In fact, my first observation assignment is due next week! Other than that, everything went along as I’d planned.

Last week I:

-Found an amazing article for my education class. It’s on neuroscience and how teachers can use what we know about it to teach more effectively. I like to think that Susan Niebur (aka @whymommy) would be proud.

-Wrote 3 new poems and even started a new blog for them! You won’t see any links from here, though, because I want to keep it relatively anonymous. I also found my old poetry and I did post that to my poetry group. Let them read my angst from my teen years, hah!

-Practiced my handwriting a little bit every day. It’s slow goings and I haven’t noticed a change yet. But I know that practice makes perfect and eventually my writing will be the way I want it to be!

-Had to cancel Ick’s birthday picnic at the park! It rained for almost 3 days straight so I cancelled the trip to the beach only to have the weather be absolutely perfect and gorgeous. Of course. So it’s for next Sunday and I hope it all works out!

This coming week isn’t really much different except that, well, the weather is changing. Fall is creeping in the way it does on golden velvet feet. Chilly, crisp mornings and bright warm days that turn the leaves yellow, orange and red. Fall is my favorite time of year, even over Christmas! And I do love Christmas! So as I make my way from class to class on campus, and spend the late afternoons out front with Ick, I’ll be watching the leaves and enjoying the shortest season of the year.

This week I:

-WILL get the classroom observation situation clarified

-Will keep up with the potty training.

“Do you need to pee?”

“No!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

“Do you want to try anyway?”

“I don’t wanna try anyway!”

“Okay, well, let’s go pee!”

“Okay!”

You’d think I’d have learned by now to skip the first three questions, but I think it’s important to get him tuned into his body when it tells him he needs to pee!

-Will do better than last week with my homework. It is after 1 o’clock in the morning and I have only just finished my two assignments that are always due on Monday mornings. Since I technically have this post due every Sunday as well, that’s three things that always need to be done by Sunday night. This past week I really put it all off and I shouldn’t have. My bedtime is 10pm, y’all. Sometimes I make it in there at 8pm so I can read my Xanth novels!

What’s new for your family this week? Do you have any activities that are fall-related? What’s your favorite part about this time of year?

Water Bug!

Dunking his head in the water is a relatively new development. He loves the water more than ever now which makes me extremely happy! See also: screaming.

He's also learning to blow bubbles in the water with his mouth as a beginning activity before learning how to swim. That we'll attempt next summer.

He loves to build things and there's nothing wrong with that!

Ick is enjoying the end of the warm weather the best way he knows how: getting soaking wet in the kiddie pool and the water table. He loves to splash the water out of both so that I have to refill it with the hose. He loves that because I always spray him down. :o) He says, "It's raining on me!"

Labor Day Weekend

So I didn't post about the week on Sunday because I was too busy ignoring any and all responsibilities! Ick and I played with Play-Doh, built train tracks on the train table his aunt and uncle handed down to him from his cousin, and I played EverQuest 2! It's a double-XP weekend, how could I not? Last week was pretty much business as usual. School was school, Ick's still trying to use the toilet instead of his underwear (ew), and well, that's my life right now! Hah... I did, however, watch some clips by a handwriting expert on how to improve your handwriting. I'm trying to get my handwriting under control as far as uniform size and neatness. Oh, and I joined the Education Club at school! They've got some great events this semester and I'm really looking forward to them. But this upcoming week...

-I have to pick an article from a "scholarly journal" for my education class and get it approved by tomorrow! (Yipe!) I'm having a hard time finding anything, so advice is welcome.

-I have to contact an elementary school this week to see about getting placed into a class to observe. I'm really nervous about that!

-I've got a poem to re-write for my poetry group and I still haven't even attempted it!

-Potty training continues! lol

-I'm still practicing my handwriting on a small whiteboard in my bedroom and in a notebook.

I have a lot of school work to do including the article paper, a book report on an educational book written by a teacher, a paper every week for English and my weekly observations of the elementary class. I'm excited, nervous and scared. I'd appreciate good thoughts, good vibes and some prayers sent my way!

I want to say that I'm so thankful that now my stress is coming from school work and potty training rather than from lack of funds just to get by from day to day.

Final note: I will add the handwriting link to my Resources for Teaching page in case you are interested!