No use for a title.

So, anywho... not a whole lot to share these days. Things are going. Talked to Jeremy yesterday. They were hanging out in Norway... BRRRRR... he said it was 10 degrees out. No thank you friend.

This weekend I have my final exams for my two fall classes and the Christmas Craft Show at church. Been super busy getting my jewelry ready for it so mom doesn't have to do much but sit there and smile and SELL SELL SELL while I'm taking my exams. (What a nice mommy I have.)

SOOO after I take these 2 exams, I've got 2 classes left...one that starts in January and one that starts in May...and then I'm taking a WELL-DESERVED break from school for a while. I don't think I'm going to get my Master's right now. I have too much else to focus on...like LIFE. I've been missing out on it for quite some time now. (And I'm thinking of going into another field...so, I'm going to carefully plan out my next adventure... Mental Health Counseling...possible Child Psychotherapy...)

well...Grey's Anatomy is on...and I'm actually fully awake to watch it this week!! HOORAY!!

In celebration

In celebration of finishing my project before 9pm...I made cookies!! And ate half a dozen!! I deserved it. GO ME! 1 more project to do before the 22nd.

Dude...

...has it really been since the summer that I've posted to this thing?? Man, I'm slacking!! I apologize. I will do my best to correct the lack of time situation as soon as possible. In lieu of a post, here's some recent pics of my Little Man...

He's ready for his driver's license!! :)
We met Goldberg at the NAS Oceana Air Show
Yum, mac and cheese!!

Well, Karen asked for new pics... so, here you go!!!

...I even included a video...how nice of me. :)

He was looking for something under the sofa... I have no idea what he was looking for.

He has on his Poppy's ear protection from his days of working on airplanes.

"Doh...this is a SILLY song, Mommy!"

Speedy Gonzalez...

So, in the course of 5 weeks, I have managed to cut nearly 5 minutes off my mile!!! HOW FREAKIN AWESOME IS THAT?!?!? So, I started the last week in June running a 13:30...and now I'm down to 8:18. I feel freakin' fabulous, I'm losing weight, and by golly, I look pretty hott too. I only have 19 pounds to go til I'm where I was in May 2006...just before I got pregnant. Now that summer school is over today, I'll be hitting the gym every morning when I take Evan to school. Then, I'll come home, clean like a mad woman, and then go get him after his nap.

I would love to travel during the month of August, HOWEVER, I don't have the funds to spend on $1000 plane tickets to my destinations of choice. And I was looking, its not any cheaper to book MONTHS in advance...so, my thinking is... just save the money and then when I'm ready to go, it will be there and I can spend it!

I just scarfed down a SmartOnes 3 cheese ziti with marinara...and it was so gooooooooood. I love cheese. I think I loved it too much and thats why I have to bust my butt at the gym. I will definitely make better, more healthy choices with the next baby...but he won't be born for at least 3-4 more years... yes, I said HE... i don't think I'd know what to do with a girl, so I've got my fingers crossed for another boy already. And hey, if I have 2 boys, and Karen has 2 girls.....do I smell ARRANGED MARRIAGES???

I...

...am a mommy.
...think that when you're happy, nothing else matters.
...believe that my son is the coolest kid in the world!
...can't wait to get my Master's.
...wish I had time and money to travel.
...enjoy sitting on the couch watching movies.
...wish I had a housekeeper.
...know that my life is manageable.
...love Law & Order:SVU. (Secretly, I long to be a detective.)
...feel like I'm always waiting for things to happen.
...can't imagine life without my son.
...am what I am because of the choices I have made.
...love my job (most days).
...am silly, sweet, and loveable.

One of my new faves....

I love to watch So You Think You Can Dance... this is one of my most favorite dances, and one of my new favorite songs... I hope you enjoy it as much as I do/did.

just keep on going

one day at a time... one foot in front of the other, keep on going...

It's been a while

Things have just been crazy for the past 2 months... I feel like the time has just flown by because I have been so busy.
-finished up my 2nd year of teaching
-took an accelerated graduate class
-started teaching summer school
among other things, i have managed to take pictures of the most awesomest kid i could ever have...

he's such a stinker. he's learning lots of words. i love spending time with him. he makes me smile every day.

A day in the life...

A day in the life of a pair of Dockers - http://www.dockersstore.com/home/index.jsp

6am - I wake up when her alarm goes off. I straighten myself out, hoping she picks me out of the closet today.
615 am- She’s looking all of us over. I really hope she picks me.
616 am- Today is my day!!! I can’t believe it. I hope she picks green shirt too! I have the biggest crush on green shirt!
620 am- We get the little person out of bed. She dresses him.
630 am- She gets herself ready to go.
650 am- BRRRR!! It’s cold. Hopefully putting all this stuff in the car will keep me warm.
700 am- Here we go. I get buckled in and off we go!
715 am- The little person has a runny nose. EWWW!! Don’t stick that nasty thing in me! I can not STAND IT when she put those dirty tissues in me, just throw it away!
730 am- AHHHH…. Starbucks. Every pant should get the opportunity to come to Starbucks.
745 am- Here we are at her work. I remember last time, work is filled with LOTS of kids with sticky hands, runny noses, and messes. I hope I don’t have to go to Art today…. I just know I’d get dirty.
800 am- I think I’ll take a nap while she sits here doing reading groups.
1100 am- Oh man, what a great nap. I think today is pizza day. I hope she doesn’t drop any sauce on me. I’d cry.
1200 pm- Whew, no sauce… just some ice. I’m still sleepy though. Where are we going?
1205 pm- Oh. A meeting. I think this calls for another nap.
300 pm- All the kids are gone for the day. I’ve made it so far without getting any grime on me. WHEW. Now its time to go get her little person.
330 pm- We have the little person, and he’s grimy from playing outside.
400 pm- We are home. And now she wants to put her jammies on, so I think I’ll go to sleep in the hamper.


You too can enter into the Dockers contest. Create your own stories about their pants and submit these stories as videos to the Dockers TV Commercial Contest (www.nbc.com/Dockers)

Dockers - http://www.dockersstore.com/home/index.jsp

Cinco de Nuthin

1. I finished my class last night. No more class for 15 days.
2. I had a pomegranate berry wine cooler for the first time. They're actually yummy.
3. I want to cut my hair really short, but don't want to have to style it myself.
4. I need a pedicure REALLY bad.
5. Somedays I wish I could go back to HS and start all over.

Make your own Dockers Commercial

So, there is a Dockers contest to make the next Dockers commercial. My favorite one is the one called "Historically" by scotthduke. Its the second in the list of 5 videos on the site. It's a pretty cool video. I like the third one too, "Define Pants", which is also by scotthduke, but "Historically" is my favorite.

Whoever wins will get their ad shown during the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I think its a great opportunity for indie-film people trying to get their break into the business. I actually have a friend from college out in CA right now doing just that, so I hope he's reading this!!

So... now go watch it!! So, watch the two I've mentioned, as well as the others, and leave me a comment as to which one is YOUR personal favorite... k?

...and if you are so inclined (to even know where to begin on how to make a video)...enter to win!! I haven't been able to figure out how to do it yet, so even if I do figure out how to make a video between now and May 29, mine probably wouldn't win...such is my luck. But, good luck wishes go out to everyone else who will make AWESOME videos. :)

Dockers contest

Dockers

Mother's Day

Don't forget: Mother's Day is NEXT Sunday... Have you gotten your mommy a gift yet? Check out my site and place an order and I can have it to you by Saturday, May 10. :)

Here's some ideas for you....

A family bracelet... A mother's bracelet...
A personalized bracelet for the new mommy... Let me know what you think!!

:(

I'm not the cheerful girl I used to be. And I hate it.

Un = Not

UnHappy I Loathe My Job day!

...this is what, the 4th or 5th time this school year??? I think something is not right. I should love my job. I play with kids all day. Well, not quite play...hmm, maybe that's it. Oh, I don't know.

Who's more attractive??

I just read an article on Why Women Marry Less Attractive Men. Okay, I'm no Ginger, but I think I'm pretty attractive. And I'm sure there are some out there who do too. But, I also don't think Jeremy is the Skipper. He's probably along the lines of the Professor.

So, heres our family...

The Professor, Mary Ann, and their baby... Gilligan Jr.

Gobbly Gobbly

I bought some ground turkey tonight (well, not SOME, 6 pounds...) at WalMart...and it was actually cheaper than some less lean ground beef! WOOHOO for saving money. And I hear ground turkey is healthier. Healthy and cheap, great combo. And I bought some yummy looking kiwi, some yummy naveloranges, and a cantelope. YUM! Oh yeah, and cheese. Can't forget the cheese!!

Here's a cute pic of my kiddo! (Eating baked beans...yum.)

Memory Lane

I wrote this short story when I was in second grade. How cool is that?

PS- my writing has improved greatly since 1992. I'll post more memories soon.

in case of emergency

Well, we've refinanced one car, now all we have left is the other car and maybe the house... We're finally jumping out of debt, thanks to the wonderful IRS, State of NC, and Commonwealth of VA. I can't wait to get the stimulus check in the mail. Once all the cards are paid off, I am going to bury them in the backyard and only use them for EMERGENCIES ONLY! Yeah...we'll see about that.

Evan's in bed, but I can tell he's sitting up playing with his bears because I can hear him talking to them. Well, its not quite talking, but more groaning and giggling. "Ahhhh daa ahhhh da." And Jeremy is playing Final Fantasy... I guess Guitar Hero III CAN get old after a while.

Happy Summer

I was thinking about having an end of the school year/ Happy Summer party. So, I was shopping around online for a great deal on photo invitations. Well, I stumbled across this website that does Custom Photo Cards! They have pretty good pricing. And its professional looking too!! So, I picked my card (I found it in the Photo Christmas Cards section, you don't have to use the Christmas lingo, you can personalize it to match whatever the occasion.). I decided on the borderless full color photo card...

I was thinking of using this picture as the front...

And on the inside, where the "Preview Picture" shows Season's Greetings... I was thinking of having "Come on out, summer is finally here!" with all the party details underneath. What do you think? I couldn't find a better site with great prices! Not only do they have Christmas Cards, they have Anniversary cards (hmm, mom and dad will celebrate #34 this year...I could put their wedding picture on the front of a party invitation!) as well as all the other holidays too. I'm a big card sender, and I think I may have found my new best friend (well, CARD best friend...) They have $5 shipping, as well as 4 lines of free personalization. Oh, and they do wedding invitations too!! I'll have to mention that to the girl at work who just got engaged. I bet she'd be the talk of the town if she had photo wedding invitations. How cool would that be? So much more hi-tech than the ones that I printed off the computer 4 years ago.

I'm glad that I found Cards Direct because now I can have pretty photo greeting cards all year long.

oh blah dee oh blah da.

blah. i'm having another one of those "do i really want to teach?" days. it too will pass.... it always has in the past. blahblahblah. wish i could stay home and get paid. ANYBODY WANNA HIRE ME TO STAY HOME?!?!

WHEW!

I sent the yearbook to the publisher about 20 minutes ago... do you know what a relief that is??? OMG- it's like a weigh has been lifted off my shoulders.

Now, all I have left to do is...

oh, I won't bore you with the gobs of things I have left to do.

Hope you have a Magnificent Monday evening...and a Terrific Tuesday!

Writing papers...ugh.

I just LOVE writing papers!! Especially the night before they are due. (Can you hear the sarcasm in my voice???) Good grief, my mother should have made my middle name Procrastination. (if not that, then Messy would have been a good one too.) Jeremy will be home sometime this week, and as far as I'm concerned, my house is a disaster, no matter how much I pick up, throw away, or put away. It seems like a never-ending battle. I need a maid. BADLY!

Blackhawk Holsters

My uncle is a State Trooper. I think he would like Blackhawk holsters from LA Police Gear. Now, personally, I'm a lover, not a fighter. But, I have shot guns before (at paper bad guys). I think if, in my next life, I was a cop, Blackhawk holsters would be nice to have.

Here's some details on the holster...

*Unique thigh platform mold itself to the size of the user's leg
*Y-harness leg straps with articulating quick-release buckles won't impeded movement or bind
*Picatinny Rail Accessory System allows mounting/changing accessories to platform in just seconds
*Auto Lock: Pistol is secured immediately upon reholstering, no snaps, straps or hoods to come open

So, basically, these are some of the best holsters on the market.

Teacher by Day

Jeweler by Night... HA! At this very moment, I'm thinking, Sleeper by Night. SOOOOOOOON though, I will be able to continue on my quest to be the bestest jewelry maker in the world.

Until then, don't forget to order your very own personalized bracelet from me!! (And even if you don't purchase yet...give me a BuzzFuse comment at the bottom...)

And with that, I leave you with a cute pic of my kiddo.

He likes to crawl up on the hearth and "sleep" until I notice him.

You can tell that it's Spring!

I semi-mowed the yard. I bought a new seat for my bike so that Evan and I can take rides together. I planted plants. My windows are open.

ahhhhh....I love spring!

Here's my cutie dressed up for church...

Painted Ladies

Mom and I are going to the Painted Lady for tea. How posh... I love it. They have this really cool gift shop upstairs that I LOVE to browse. I wish I had room in my house for a tea pot collection. One of these days I will. She'll be here in about 10 minutes, so I better finish getting all gussied up. :) hehe. I even straightened my hair this morning.

You need a title...company.

I can remember when Jeremy and I bought our first house, we had NO CLUE what we were getting ourselves into. Our first title company seemed okay. We didn't know that we had a choice with who we could go with. Our realtor was just like, "This is the company that we use." So, we said OK.


Our second house title company experience was just about the same. Our realtor said, "This is the company that we use." So, we said OK. BUT this company was FABULOUS!! I just checked NerabyTitle.com and found the company that we used...and I'm so glad they are on there because they deserve to be found. They were friendly and I liked that.

If you're looking to find a title company near you, you should definitely check it out and Find a Title Company Near Your Home. All you have to do is search by address, state, or if you live in a BIG city, like Denver or Memphis, you can click on the links provided! It's really a user-friendly site, and when you click on a company name, it gives you a list that looks like this:

Website:
Extended Description:
Facilities:
Amenities:
Licences:
Associations:
Awards:
Press Links:

...all of which are important in deciding who to choose.

It's due!

Tomorrow is the day I have been dreading and looking forward to all at the same time. I have to hand over the final copy of the yearbook to the BIG BOSS tomorrow for her approval. YAY!! But, I'm hardly done with it...I'm such a perfectionist when it comes to artsyfartsy things that I am spending WAYYYYY too much time on this thing. Oh well, I'll pull an all nighter if it means I am done tomorrow!! :) So, I am trying to find things to do in the meantime while I wait for my pictures to upload 10 at a time....

Not my kid...

but almost as cute!!

Check it out!

Hey, don't forget to check out my jewelry! Mother's Day is coming up!! (And, if you're local, I might be able to get you a bracelet by Easter!)

SPRING BREAK

Evan is better now. I got the stomach thing for one day.... and then it was over.



Now I'm in superhuman mode trying to meet all my deadlines for Friday... SPRING BREAK STARTS AT 3:20 PM!!!

YAY!

Evan is better now. I got the stomach thing for one day.... and then it was over.

Now I'm in superhuman mode trying to meet all my deadlines for Friday... SPRING BREAK STARTS AT 3:20 PM!!!

Poor lil guy

Poor Evan is miserable. He doesn't feel good. I wish I could make him feel better. :( That's stinky that kids have to get sick.

Indebted...to almost everybody.

So, we're using our tax return to pay off our credit card debt. I'm really excited, and I'm really bummed because I'd rather put the tax return money in the savings account...because, as I've mentioned previously, a second story addition costs LOTS of money.

In looking for alternate ways to lower our credit card debt, I found consumer credit debtIt's a website devoted strictly to helping people find ways to get rid of their credit card and other types of debt.

Our Credit Card Debt Solution
-Lower your interest rate
-Clean up your credit history and credit report
-Improve your credit rating and credit score
-Help you become debt free, for good!

They understand that its hard to manage your debt alone. They will work with you and your creditors to achieve financial freedom. I wish I had contacted them before I just paid off our credit cards. But- its not too late for you to contact them. Go check out Consumer Credit Debt!!

Utterly exhausted

I am the busiest person I know. I am on the go from the moment I jump out of bed until its time to go to bed. There is always something to be done...and I feel like I can never slow down.

I hope this Spring Break I will be able to...

I met him online.

No, really, I did. I was dating someone else at the time, and we just met in a chatroom. From then on we hit it off...talking every day for at least 4 hours a day. We met each other in person 8 months later. 5 days after that, he proposed to me, and we got married 3 months later. Fast forward 4 years, we've got an awesome son, a really cool turtle, and a house to call our very own.

I could have gone to MyFutureSpouse.com, signed up, and started looking for my "Mister Right". MyFutureSpouse.com is a safe and secure meeting place for responsible singles interested in serious relationships that lead to marriage. All members are paid subscribers. Unlike other dating sites, they don't allow fake profiles. Anybody can join their site with the assurance of meeting REAL people. Their Dating Interview process helps members know if another member is right for them or not. All members answer 16 Dating Interview questions during the registration process, and the answers to these questions are displayed on the member's profile. (So, honesty is the best policy, because, let's face it, you're PAYING money to this site to help you find your "Mr/Mrs. Right".) They are thorough. They'll check your picture to make sure its recent, they let people looking at your page know how many times you've changed your "About My Ideal Spouse" section, and overall they just want you to be happy. And, unlike those other sites, they won't renew your subscription without your permission. So, if you've not been as lucky with the whole spouse-search on your own, give MyFutureSpouse.com!
They would love to help you find your "Mr/Mrs. Right"!!

DEADlines.

There must be a reason why the word DEADLINE has the word DEAD in it...

here's what I've got going.... for work.
Yearbook- due to my boss by Friday
IEP- due to my other boss before the 31st-ish.
IEP (x2) - due to aforementioned boss before April 15th-ish.

That's not to mention all the stuff I have for my class due before the last week in April. UGH.

The Wiz

I had a dream last night that the Wizard of Oz was written by Dr. Seuss. Jeremy and I were in it. Along with some of his friends from the boat. I remember seeing my parents in the audience. And during intermission we were talking to some people, and Jeremy realized he had only lived in our house one night....all the rest of the time, I had lived there. It was strange, but kind of true... I have spent more nights in this house than Jeremy has (because of his work schedule.) But that will change next year when he starts shore duty. YAY!

Mr. Tax Man

Thankfully Jeremy and I have never had to pay the IRS. I am EXTREMELY thankful. However, I do know people who have to pay every year because they didn’t pay enough throughout the year from their paychecks. (You shall remain anonymous…you know who you are…) Good thing most of them are able to pay their Tax debt to the IRS at tax time… (PS- don’t forget, April 15 is right around the corner!) It is VERY important to pay your tax debt. If you don’t, the government will send you nasty-grams asking for their money, so you should pay up. If you don’t you’ll end up like someone I know who didn’t pay for 8 or 9 years, and then owe 10s of thousands of dollars!!! EEK! The government needs the money so they can do cool stuff for America. If you don’t pay, it negatively affects your credit rating, not to mention the fact that you get further and further in debt the longer you put off paying the IRS. ReduceIRSTaxDebt.com helps people improve their credit rating and get IRS debt relief. If you owe money, you should check them out to help you reduce your tax debt.

New pictures

Isn't he the cutest kid you've ever seen??? I think I'll keep him.

He's discovered he can stand ON TOP of this thing... little stinker. He can also stand IN his tractor. I think we may have to move some of the ride-on toys outside. I can't wait for the weather to get warmer where we can play outside without bundling up! Oh and sunscreen, I LOVE the smell of SUNSCREEN!!! (SPF 50 please...)

A second floor...maybe.

Jeremy and I are looking to refinance our home…maybe to cash out some equity to add on a second floor to the house. (It would be easier than packing everything up and moving.) But that’s very expensive, and we don’t have thousands of dollars just laying around the house, or the bank account for that matter. In my research of the best options, I found this mortgage refinance site. I played with almost every single calculator on the site. (I’m secretly a numbers nerd…) The site even lets you compare rates right in your area; just put in the type of loan you want, the state you live in, the kind of property you have, and your credit rating. How easy is that??? Super Easy! Soo- be on the lookout for pictures of the second floor addition coming as soon as possible!

Evan

Evan was cute today. He crawled over to me and just sat in my lap to drink his juice while we watched some TeenyBopper show on the Disney channel. I think he still doesn't feel good... I hope he didn't get that icky tummy bug that's going around his school. I feel like I should put him in a bubble. (Remember the movie Bubble Boy?? WHAT A GREAT MOVIE!!) Then he'd stay healthy. It would be wonderful.

I need Money...FAST!

I could totally use some Fast Cash Loans right now. We're a little in debt due to credit cards. (Who isn't???) With a Fast Cash Loan we'd be able to pay our bills that our due before payday, while being afforded the chance to have payment plans, 100% secure forms and overnight deposits. And what's great about Fast Cash Loans is that there are no hidden fees. Sounds like a good idea, eh? I checked their website, in a few simple steps, you can get up to $1500 cash very quickly!! Check them out!

KABOOM!

So---I totally saw a transformer blow up today... well, I didnt actually SEE it, I heard it and then saw the aftermath. It was pretty cool. The green box had a hole the size of a baseball (or maybe a softball) in the side of it where the flames shot out! So, alas, my parents and half the people in their court are without power tonight... and it will probably take the power company all night to fix it. The fire department showed up, then the power company (in 4 big trucks). All in all, it made for a pretty eventful night. :)

Printer Problems

I wish that I had found this dell coupon sooner. We just bought a new computer and it would have come in SO handy. But- I will definitely be using WebbyPlanet in the future. I can't believe the great deals this place has!! I looked at the dell coupon and am thinking about purchasing the Dell 968W All-in-One Wireless3 Printer for $189 after $30 instant savings. The all-in-one we have right now doesn't work with our new computer...stupid software. So, thanks CrappyPrinterManufacturerWhoseSoftwareDoesn'tWorkWithVista! $189 is a pretty good deal... and if I hadn't found this dell coupon I could be paying A LOT more...

Teacher by Day, Jeweler by Night

I really think you should check out my jewelry site. Mother's Day is right around the corner, and what mother wouldn't want a special bracelet to remember her children by??

Get a buzz!

So- I'm always trying to get more traffic to my blog, which will in turn, get more traffic to my jewelry site... right? Well, I found this site Buzzfuse.com. It was SUPER easy to sign up and right away was able to start using. They even sent me an email right away telling me that if I was one of the first 1000 people to sign up, they'd give me a FREE premium upgrade. So- I'm really stoked to be able to use such a powerful marketing tool. I'm really excited because I really want to market my jewelry business, and this is one way that I can do it with little to no hassle at all. HOORAY FOR Buzzfuse.com!! Sign up today!!

Jeremy's home...

for the day.

They leave again tomorrow. But hey, at least he got to see Evan walking and I don't have to feel bad about him missing out.

I only yelled once, and that was this morning, only because we were running late for church. Otherwise, it's been a nice visit... lol, I say visit like this isn't even his house. He DOES live here, I swear!

I'll miss him, but its only for a few more weeks. :)

Find Free Space on your Mac!

I remember back in Elementary school using Macs before they were so popular. When I started college, I went off to VCU in Richmond, VA. (It is a HUGE art school.) Almost everyone I knew had a Mac. My neighbors had Macs, my roommate had a Mac. I was literally surrounded by Mac users so much, I actually started liking them, the Macs not necessarily the people who owned them. HA! And one thing that I LOVE about Macs is that they don’t get viruses. Why doesn’t everyone have one?
For all the Mac users I went to college with, this tool is awesome. You will literally be able to find Free Space on your Macintosh. This website, Wheres the Free Space will analyze your Mac OS X hard drive. When its done its job, it will tell you how much free space you have, where your really big files are, and print summary reports of your hard drive. AND- if you have multiple users on your computer, it will tell you who is using up the most space. (So, if your roommate is using WAY more space than you…you can totally tell them to get their stuff off your computer and actually have proof!!) HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?

You can download the free 30-day trial from their site. OR- if you know that it is just the thing you need, you can go ahead and purchase it for only $29.95. You can download the software directly from the site, or you can have them send you a copy through the mail ( I LOVE TANGIBLE SOFTWARE…it makes me feel better to have it in my hands once I’ve purchased it, rather than just seeing it in my Programs list.)

“There is no other program that is comparable to Where's The Free Space.” –quote from the site

*This is a sponsored post

DST!!

Happy Daylight Savings time!! :)

Saturday night, once again

Well folks, its Saturday night... and I'm at home. AGAIN.

Evan and I went to get our hair cut this morning. He got a trim first and then my mom took him home. I got a hi-light and cut. It's pretty, but I'm not feeling pretty enough to take a picture right now, I'm a bit wind blown.

After I got back from my hair appointment, mom and I went to the new Ross, the new Target, Walmart, and DressBarn before coming home. I then rushed off with Evan to see Jeremy at the boat for dinner. However, that got cut short because the wind was blowing the water up and over the sub, so they had to close the hatch, and once they do that, they don't open it for nobody. So, I had to eat quickly, because we had like 20 minutes. It was CRAZY windy all day long!! I need to go get my car doors adjusted now because they are all out of whack. And in the morning, I have to go pick Jeremy up from the boat... whee fun. no sleeping in tomorrow. oh and by the way, its daylight savings time tomorrow.

Black Friday flashbacks

So, rather than stand in line at 5am with a 10 month old baby on black friday, I decided to use a website to do my deal-spotting. And, oh myg oodness, Walmart is on there! BlackFriday.info has ads from EVERYWHERE (Best Buy, Overstock, Office Depot).

Everyone knows about Wal-Mart; they sell nearly EVERYTHING imaginable. For Christmas this year, I was looking to buy some toys for Evan at some good deals. So, I went there and found amazing deals in the toy section. If Evan was a little bit older, I would have been able to score an AWESOME deal on an inflatable bounce room. HOW COOL OF A MOM WOULD I BE?!!? I also was looking to find unique CD's for my dad to listen to. I checked out the music section and found out that I could make a custom CD of random tracks for my dad.

I’m also a big fan of Overstock. They are an awesome site, and by checking out BlackFriday.info, I was able to see what the awesome deals they had going on. I only wish I had enough money in the bank to afford all of the cool stuff I found!

If I had been a crazy woman who stood in line at 5am, I probably wouldn't have spotted these deals. Thanks to the internet, we can now spend black friday in our jammies!

Organizing 101

I seriously need to take a class, it could either be Organizing 101 or Decluttering Basics... either one, I need it.

So, in my journeys of surfing the web, I stumbled upon some tidbits... and I'd like to share them with you, because frankly, I have nothing better to do with my time on a rainy Friday night.

"What Being Disorganized Costs.

A moderately disorganized person loses about two hours every day due to disorder. If your income is $100,000 per year, based on a 40-hour week, you're costing the company about $25,000 every year. When you enlist the help of others to help you find something, the cost goes up. " (Thanks Peggy Duncan!)

So, even if you're not a company, you're probably losing two hours every day if your house is a WRECK... it's not costing you money, but it's probably costing valuable time with your family. And goodness knows, we don't have enough time with family as it is...

Scan what you can...I think is going to be my new motto (once I can get my scanner to work properly.) If I scan all of my loose papers and save them into a folder on my computer, they are all there, at my fingertips (except when the computer goes on the fritz...)

Okay, I think I'm going to go make some jewelry now. PS- I have coupons to the florist if you want one.

Conscious Discipline

We do Conscious Discipline at our school, which involves class meetings and problem resolution skill training. So, I find myself incorporating this philosophy into my parenting now. Like this afternoon, Evan was pinching and scratching me while I was changing his diaper. I found myself taking his hands and saying, "I don't like it when you scratch and pinch me." (All the while he's got the cutest grin on his face and it takes all that is in me to not bust a gut.) But- he's so stinkin' cute that its hard to tell him NO. And I don't want that to be a word he learns right away, so I figure if I phrase NO in the right way, he'll have a bigger vocabulary and he'll be able to express himself to others when they do something to him that he doesn't like (Mommy and Daddy included.)

I want a DVD camcorder.

I'm looking to buy a DVD camcorder. I want to be able to record Evan doing cute stuff when Jeremy is out to sea so I can mail him DVDs to watch. Since we're on a submarine, we don't get the luxury of video conferencing and phone calls and pictures like the surface ships do. I could gripe about how stinky that is, but it wouldn't get me anywhere. So, being resourceful, I checked out this site Comp-U-Plus. They have got an AWESOME list of deals from camcorders, to LCD TVs, to handheld GPS receivers. They scour the internet looking to give YOU the consumer the best deal possible. What I like about them is that they have been selling on the internet since before the internet was cool...way back in 1993. AND- they've had over 2 million satisfied customers. They must be doing something right, eh? And if I don't like the DVD camcorder I order, they provide a 30 day money back guarantee.

Hopefully, I'll be able to afford a DVD camcorder soon (when the tax money comes??) and I will definitely check out Comp-U-Plus before I make my purchase!

*This is a sponsored post

Tonight was a good night! I got Zero's right after school since it was CASH-O-LA night for our school. I had a tuna sub. YUM-O. Then, I went and picked Evan up from his school. We came home, played, ate a snack, played some more, ate dinner, had a bath, played, and went to bed. YAY! There was lots of playing going on tonight. I got another baby gate from my mom's house in order to keep Evan out of the kitchen completely. He was already locked out of the kitchen from his playroom, but now, I can block off the other doorway that leads to the kitchen.


I'm slowly kid-proofing my house. I started with the electrical outlets in the playroom, now I'm up to gates. Pretty soon the whole house will be kid-proof. at least thats the plan...)

Tomorrow is Friday... and that means its BINGO day for my reading groups!! I heart BINGO day!!

Blog... and get paid for it!?!?!?

So, I just got approved for an awesome opportunity. PayPerPost is a website that allows me to blog about stuff I find on the internet AND get paid for it. I'm so excited because 1) I love to blog. It gives me a feeling that I am writing meaningful stuff that people would want to read. 2) It gives me an opportunity to "talk" when I'm the only one in the house that is available to listen. 3) I can do it when Evan goes to bed... I mean, heck, I already spend most of my time on the computer when he goes to bed anyways, why not make a few bucks here and there for my time, right?

So, anyways, if you notice me talking about random things here and there, its because I am so excited about my new "job" as a writer. One thing I have already learned is that I need to expand my writing skills. I am trying to write my “Please let me into your master’s program” paper right now, too, and its got a word minimum of 400 words. When writing about stuff, I know that there’s a minimum I’ve gotta make, OR ELSE I DON’T GET PAID.

What am I going to do with all of this cash?? S-A-V-E Save it! Oh my goodness, I want to put a second story on the house...and that kind of takes money. ALOT of money, so this will go towards that (and maybe a new pair of shoes here and there.)

I can only imagine...

So, this song came on the radio tonight. Every time I hear it, it brings tears to my eyes, sending memories back to simpler times. Jeremy sang this song to me over the phone (I remember it so clearly) and it was at that moment that I was sure he was "the one". I knew he was special long before that moment, but when he sang that song to me, something in my heart skipped a beat, and I knew I'd never be without him in my life again. And even though we have our moments of grumpiness, somehow we always comes back and refocus... I love him with all of my heart, like I've never loved before. He's a great guy, and is a great daddy to our son.

...and with that, I leave you with Mercy Me...

This is a tribute to you stay-at-home mommies...

You have WAAAAY more energy than I could even fathom up for a half-a-day of staying home. I don't know how you do it. You've gotta be doped up on Starbucks or something. I often dream of staying at home, but its probably like running a marathon, you have to be physically prepared for it. I stayed home for 11 weeks when I had Evan. Then went back to work for 9. Then stayed home for 10. Then went back and today is the first day that wasn't a weekend or holiday break that I stayed home from work. I guess once you get out of a routine, its hard to start somewhere new really quick. I'm usually VERY on-the-go on the weekends, so it's not so exhausting to me. What makes me tired is watching Evan run around the house... his energy exhausts me. I WISH I HAD THAT MUCH ENERGY.

but, I enjoyed every minute that I got to spend with Evan today. I love my beautiful boy. He's wonderful, and I honestly can't remember what life was like without him in my life.

So yea, my job

I almost quit yesterday. But that's not the first time I've thought about doing it. There have been multiple times this year where I've said "I CAN'T TAKE THE PAPERWORK ANYMORE!!! I JUST WANT TO TEACH!!!" and then I meet my deadline and all is well, until another IEP creeps up. sneaky little buggers

I really do love my job. I love the kids. I love learning. But, I signed up to teach, not to push paper, and thats what I feel like I do. I think that school should be more developmental than it is. Have classes based on ability, not age. In my world, that's how it would be. It wouldn't matter that you were 9 and in the first grade, if thats what stage you're at, you're there. (Yes, I know there are other factors to take into account, but folks, this is my world we're talking about right now, not yours.)

So, instead of going to work, taking off to get Evan from school and go to his Dr. appt, I decided to relax today. I started the morning off (after I got home from taking Evan to school) by cleaning up the house. I took out all the trash, disinfected the trash cans, opened up the windows, turned on the fans, scrubbed the kitchen floor, and did a random load of laundry. Oh yeah, I vaccuumed too. I loathe vaccuuming, especially because I feel like my hardwood floors collect the most CRAP on them that I have ever seen! (NOTE TO SELF: Do not put hardwood floors throughout the entire house ever again.) They're pretty, but I don't know what I was thinking. THEN... here's the best part... I TOOK A NAP ON THE COUCH!!! I haven't done that in gosh knows how long. It was wonderful.

I think my crescent rolls are done baking. I'm going to eat all 8 of them.

*update: i DID eat all 8 of them. they were very tasty!

Day Off!

I took today off. The WHOLE day. Evan has a dr's appt in the middle of the day, so it would be silly for me to be at work for a short time, leave to get him, go to the dr, and then come home. so- I'm about to take him to school, then come home and do some hard core tidying, and then go pick him up and go to the dr. It's his ear re-re-check. The re-check AFTER the last re-check. This kid's got ear infections like its his job, but you'd never know it because they don't bother him. The doctor said she would possibly be concerned about Conductive Hearing Loss if he keeps getting them. I'm not concerned though. He's "speaking" and imitating sounds, so I think his little listeners are doing just fine.

I almost quit yesterday...more on that a little later.

....for your reading pleasure...
"Conductive hearing loss is caused by an interference in the transmission of sound to the inner ear. Infants and young children frequently develop conductive hearing loss due to ear infections. This loss is usually mild, temporary, and treatable with medicine or surgery. "(Thanks KidsHealth!)

Happy Sunday!

I love it when I can wake up and take my time getting ready. Heck, I woke up at 7:00 and don't have to be out of the house til 10:15. THAT'S 3 WHOLE HOURS!! 3x more than I get during the week. I'm lovin' it! I took a shower and put jammies on, simply because I don't want to get all gussied up for church just yet.

Evan's taking a nap, I'm doing laundry (an extra load that I forgot about last night...oops!), and pondering what I'm going to wear today.

Yes, Evan is taking a nap... something he does rarely at school. I don't know why he doesn't like to nap. I'd nap all day if I got the chance. But- thankfully he's not a hard-and-fast routine kinda kid, so he naps on the weekends at least once a day. Love it!

I hope my tax return comes soon. I'd kinda like to see all that extra cash flood my bank account (only to see it disappear to pay off debts...) I checked irs.gov and they told me to wait another week, sign back in, and MAYBE it would be on its way, that really, it could take 6 whole weeks to get me my money!! I'm so techno-savvy, and yet, I didn't e-file. (BANG HEAD HERE)


I found this video on my computer. It came pre-loaded on it... I think its a pretty butterfly. Don't you? Thank you HP for the nice video.

Wireless

So, I am actually sitting and relaxing in my big comfy computer chair, rather than hunched over peering at the 19" monitor...(don't know why, but thats usually how I surf... hunched over, kills my back, but I do.) So- thankfully, I have a wireless keyboard, that until this very moment, has sat on the keyboard tray, and acted as though it had wires. Not tonight, boy... I'm feeling lazy and so, it's taken a field trip to my lap. If the bed behind me was cleared off, I'd lay on it and type.

I think the final load count on laundry was 7 today. Evan needed clean socks so I figured I could do a load of his clothes and a load of mine and be done. OH NO- the cleaning bug got me and I did the sheets, the comforter, the mattress pad, and the towels. (And Evan and I shared an extra load too... so that's 7, right?) I also ran the dishwasher, went grocery shopping, and hung out at my parents for a bit. So, it seems to me that bedtime is coming sooner than I think. But, thankfully the sheets and stuff are all back on the bed so I can crawl in and SLEEEEP. The living room needs to be tidied, but that can be done tomorrow, right?

Look what I found when after I put the sheets on the bed! He saw me and started laughing!

PS- Have I mentioned that my awesome kid is cute?!?!

Snake-a-phobic

I knew that I wasn't the only one afraid of snakes!!! A researcher at UVA has discovered that humans are genetically hard wired to be afraid of snakes. So, what that means is... if you're not afraid of snakes, you're a mutant!

In other completely unrelated news, I had some bizarre dreams last night. I don't know why I dream what I dream. Some parts of my dreams I wish would happen in real life (OH MY!), others not so much (like walking down a snowy NC mountainous road, not so much a fan of walking in snow.)

Evan and I are going to clean the house today!! Well, I am, he's gonna watch Baby Einstein movies and Popeye cartoons and probably some VeggieTales too.

Off I go... into the messy abyss.

Spam Myself?

I just checked my SPAM box. And, apparently I have started to send myself SPAMmail, why else would my inbox say "me" as the name?? (No, I'm not an idiot...I know its a spammer who's the idiot...but I wonder how many people would actually open an email that said it was from "me"??)

In other news, I saw an idiot on the road this morning...and another idiot (who probably just thought he was being a good samaritan) helping. The guy breaks down on the road, just past a highway on ramp, not 100 feet from a Rite Aid parking lot. HE STOPPED HIS CAR IN THE FREAKING ROAD to fix a flat!!! Why in the world would you risk your life, instead of driving on the flat 100 more feet and fixing it in the safety of a parking lot?? I just don't know about some people.

In other LESS BIZARRE news... I'm losing weight and my wedding rings are getting big on me! YAY!

ps- my kid is awesome and cute.

OnStar Ready

So- I totally thought hubby has been calling me for days now with an UNKNOWN number...but sadly, it was just OnStar conducting a survey...poopheads. I don't want to answer your stupid poophead onstar survey questions! You dashed my hopes of Jeremy calling me, but also made me happy that I hadn't missed his calls, but I also had to talk to Timmy who sounded all of 12 starting puberty!

I love my OnStar...HOWEVER... I did not love my conversation with Timmy.

Bored.

Evan is finally in bed. That boy will fight sleep just to stay awake. He has really started to make me chuckle. He's such a great kid! I just can't stand it! He cute, funny, and there's just something about the way he smiles at me when I get him up in the mornings that melts my heart. :) I have an awesome kid!

brrr shivers

I AM FREEEEEZING...

I just finished my IEP that I brought home to work on... and now I'm just lounging in my jammies, waiting for the heat to kick in. My rings are loose right now and its driving me bonkers. They're trying to be all spinny and such...

k, off to read mswobblybitsblog.com now.

Spoon!

So... he ate wonderfully last night...and tonight, all he wants to do is play with the stupid spoon! He doesn't want a waffle, he doesn't want peas, he doesn't want fruit...all he wants is that spoon! kids. one is enough.

Dream a little dream

I've been having strange dreams lately. I don't know why?? Maybe because I eat oatmeal for dinner? Last night, I dreamed that this guy I knew was going to a "fight" and his armor/protection, was a body covering made out of straws! And I left my socks at his house. And I forgot to lock my front door, so the whole time I at his house, I'm thinking someone's going to break into my house.

Weirdo.

Bills, Bills, Bills

Don't the American Home Shield people know that if I had received the bill, I would have paid it? Idiots. They'll get their money on the 14th day from the letter, I'm not giving it to them any sooner. (Plus its the 1st business day after payday...)

Hey, check out my new site! And buy my stuff!! Mother's Day is coming up!! I have all of my original creations down at Seashore Florist. I've sold a couple pieces there. It's a pretty sweet deal. The jewelry doesn't have to sit in my house and collect dust until the next show I go to, and now I have a really awesome florist friend! (So, PS- order your flowers from there now!) I'm going to work on getting the pictures of the ORIGINAL pieces I've done up as soon as I can... but when you've only got a few hours a day to relax...relaxing comes first.

so, with that...I'm off to relax...in my bed.

Happy Sunday!

Went to church today and then to my mom's... that seems to be the routine. I feel so much less stress when I'm at her house...an extra pair of hands is always welcome.

Jewelry maker

Hooray!!! The Valentine's Season came and went, and I have sold some jewelry at the shop! I'm so excited! I can hardly stand it. Hopefully more business will come through again sooooon!!

HAPPY SUNDAY MORNING!

Evan just ate blueberry and streusel muffins, fruit loops, and a graham cracker. And some juice, out of a big boy cup! He made a honkin' mess, but its okay, cuz he's eating real people food now!!!!

I still need to shower, get myself ready, get Evan ready, and get his lunch box ready....all in the next 1:30.

I need to go BACK to walmart, because I didn't realize that I was out of Raisin and Spice oatmeal!! I actually had to eat plain this morning!! EWW.

In other news, Jeremy comes home tomorrow...for a day or two. Then who knows how long he'll be gone.

So yeah, my this is my feeble attempt at getting back in the habit of blogging, however lame this post might truly be.

The Big 4

Happy Anniversary to me... Jeremy and I made it to #4!!

I'm slacking...

I made it my New Year's resolution (or something) to blog again.

And here it is... Feb 8, and I've only written 1 other post besides this one.

...J left today...for who knows how long. So I REALLY get to be supermommy now. Welcome to the rollercoaster that is my life. BUT- he applied for shore duty orders the other day, and it looks like we'll be staying around here for at least another 3 years, or more if I get my way. (which I probably will.)

So- I guess I should go feed my kid or something.

Hard to believe

I have actually almost made it to Evan's 1st birthday! YAY! Take that Mr. Evil Stress!!

In 1 year, I have...

sold and bought a new house
packed up a house
bought a new car
went back to work
hired contractors to renovate my new house (SuperMommy can't do it all...)
unpacked a house
packed up a classroom
spent an entire summer doing NOTHING, but still getting paid...
set up a new classroom at a new school
started teaching again
played plumber
played electrician
played carpenter
played interior designer
donated GOBS of stuff to charity
had Thanksgiving at my house for the first time
survived Evan's first Christmas
spent WAAAAYY too much on after-Christmas treasures
went to bed at 10 on New Years Eve
had New Years dinner at my house for the first time
had the most stressful work day ever (and i don't ever want to have another one)
...and now i've nearly finished decorating the office

i have a sore throat...thank goodness my milkshake is here now.