Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Back to work!

Was back at work today but it was an out of the ordinary day. It was kindergarten screening day! I had a substitute to teach my current kindergartners while I went to the library and met and tested the incoming kindergarten students. What a nice way to ease back into the work week especially with all that we have coming up. On the one hand I feel guilty not being in the classroom teaching but on the other hand it is nice to have a day that is different and fresh.

Tomorrow is actually another out of the day classroom. I am my schools representative for a curriculum development team for our new district (many changes ahead for us at school) and I get to go work with other teachers for the day and begin looking at our two districts' curricula and work out if and how we might go about merging them. Speaking of which I actually need to get to my research done on the other districts writing program so I have something intelligent to say about it! Not too shabby for a week that's short already!

(HEY I posted on a Tuesday- I guess I didn't need to do a Marvelous Monday post after all) :-)

Monday, May 25, 2009

Marvelous Monday (In leiu of Terrific Tuesday)

Today was a marvelous day. Not sure what's been up this month but DH and I have had absolutely perfect weekends. Each one busy but each one happy, relaxing, enjoyable and terrific for our relationship. This afternoon coming home we just grinned at each other glad for some more wonderful time together. (I am making myself a little sick with all this happiness right now, but I can't help it!)

Today we woke up and took the dogs to the park. We enjoyed a nice breakfast of strawberry pancakes and then went to see some of my students and one of DH's friends in a parade. It was really lots of fun. It's been too many years since I've gone to a parade and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We spent the rest of the day riding around town with the top and doors off the Jeep. At 74* it doesn't get much better than that! We are now both sunburned but what a day. DH is cooking dinnre on the grill as I relax and we are both looking forward to a quick week. June 2 is DH's surgery so we've been lucky to have such great weekends this month.... June may be bringing us another story.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

The pleasures of not drinking

Not that I drank much before in my nonpregnant life but I have re embraced my sobriety and this may be a reclamation of a lifestyle for me.

Last night DH and I went out with another couple friends- let's call them "Frebbie". All three of them were indulging in some tasty Sake creations. I quietly sipped my water with lemon and just enjoyed the evening. They all got a little silly and I just enjoyed the evening with no worries about saying something that I'd later reconsider. I didn't miss the silly warm feeling I get, and this morning I especially didn't miss the little headache (I can't handle ANY alcohol) or the cottony mouth feeling....

Goober has been a catalyst for lifestyle changes all over the place! :-) I may still enjoy the occasional glass of wine with dinner after G is born, but margaritas currently feel like a thing of the past.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Busy May!

We have had an incredibly fun and busy month this month. It was originally looking like this long weekend would be low key, around the house, yard work and the like but nope! I have always been a real home body and I can't quite believe we've been gone or out every weekend this month so far, but shockingly, I am looking forward to our adventures this weekend as well. Perhaps it is the school year winding down, or many of my responsibilities ending. Perhaps it is the re balancing and refocusing on my home life I've done. Whatever it is, I am looking forward to another busy weekend with friends!

Tonight we went to the local minor league (they are the baby Red Sox) baseball game. Tomorrow we will be going out with Dh's best friend and his girlfriend who is just wonderful. Looking forward to an evening with just the grownups. Sunday, BBQs around town and Monday seeing the nephews and yard/house work. It may not sound like much but I am looking forward to the various adventures around town. :-) (but am being careful not to over do it-no more 16 hour days) What are YOU up to this Memorial Day weekend?

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Too Much Boston (pg mentioned)

As you can tell I am not at the second graduation today, that is because of what happened in Boston.

The day started out extremely lovely. Nice weather, great friends, wonderful family. Everything was going great. 1st day of the 2nd trimester and it seemed everyone was right, I had a better attitude, I didn't want to throw up every 10 minutes and I had some energy! Yahoo! By 3:00 it was time to start heading to SIL's graduation (which was to begin at 6) and the reception beforehand. Turns out BU isn't so much a campus as it is a suburb of Boston and required a lot of walking. I am in pretty good shape but after wandering the streets for 4 1/2 hours prior, I was getting tired and both Goober and I were hungry.

We made it through the festivities, headed back on the T and as soon as we got to our stop, I was forced to stop. I had a sharp pain right in the baby grower. I didn't want to alarm anyone so I pulled DH aside to tell him what was up (it is 9:00 at this point in the evening and we haven't had dinner yet). We agreed to go to dinner with everyone then head home right after. There was no spotting thank God but I just sat with my feet up while we waited for our table to come available.

Finally home at about 2, still not feeling great and really crampy (but not normal growing cramps... weird cramps). Still no spotting. Slept through the night ok, woke up this morning with a dull cramp, NOTHING like last night and am now on DH and mom (my mother) imposed bed rest for the day. 14 hours on your feet in Boston plue 4 hours travel time is not really what hte doctor ordered and now I am paying hte price. Will go to the doctor tomorrow (or immediately if there is any blood) but I hope that I am just exhasuted and Goober wants me to take a time out.

To be honest, I am really scared but I don't want to be THAT patient. My mom and DH seem to think that everything will be ok if I rest and as long as there is no spotting... I will feel better when my doctor confirms that first thing in the morning.

So much for making a point about family this weekend. Now I need a plan to repair the upset that will come from my other SIL for going to one graduation and not hers.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Exhasuted by the weekend arelady!

This weekend both of DH's sisters are graduating. One is graduating from graduate school and one is graduating with her nursing degree. I feel the stark differences between our two families strongly when there are major events like this...

I graduated with my master's degree a year ago. It was a big deal but NO ONE in DH's family could make the 2 hour drive to either one of my ceremonies. They sent e-mail congrats but couldn't make it. My immediate family came in addition to a grand-mother and an aunt. It was a big deal for my family and they made it really special for me.

This year with both his sister's graduating it was NO question that we'd be making the 3 hour drive to see one of them graduate tomorrow and spend all day Sunday watching the other one graduate. It's family, that's what you do. It comes out tonight that DH doesn't want to go to either graduation and he doesn't see the purpose. We are the only people besides his mother who said we'd go and support them. Not only do I feel obligated that SOMEONE cheer them on but like I said, it's FAMILY THAT'S WHAT YOU DO!!!!!

Just venting right now as DH is on his way home and I already know he's going to begin complaining about the drive tomorrow and sitting through two graduations. Grrrrr. I am determined to stay positive through the weekend and support them even though they did not support me.... I am going to set an example of how family works. I hope it's not for nothing.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Penelope versus my toes

DH has long said that my toes are creepy. They are a bit off. On each foot I have 4 long toes (like fingers really) and one stubby hardly there toe (thanks mom). DH is not impressed by feet in general and steers clear of my little piggies whenever possible.

Penelope, as always, is on team DH, and tonight at dinner Penelope decided to take on my toes. We had dinner in the living room (a practice we are trying to get out of). We were finished eating but the leftovers were still on the coffee table. I had my legs crossed and one foot dangling in the air near the food. Penelope thought it was a rival and tried to attack my foot. I know she's about the same size as one of my feet and they are both at ground level but come on- do you see a mouth on them!? Penelope has not relaxed all evening near my little piggies, I am trying not to wiggle them as I do not want my new pedicure ruined. Tonight the score is Penelope 1 My toes 0 (they are running in fear). I am not sure how she's going to react when I try to go up to bed. I may have DH kennel her first.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Teacher Appreciation

This week was teacher appreciation week. To all of you out there who are teachers, Happy Teacher Week! I hope you felt appreciated and enjoyed your kiddos this week.

My school PTO usually does quite a bit for teacher week. One day they cook us lunch, they usually have raffles with EXCELLENT prizes, they have some kind of snack, treat, or prize every single day. The fun never stops. This year was different- lower key but we still were celebrated in big ways. Today though, I got the best appreciation of all...

One of my students (I teach K mind you) wrote me a letter. It said "Dear Mrs. G, Thank you for being a great teacher. You are nice. Thank you for giving me the *ook in wookie. I appreciate all that you do."

In tears I thanked him, it was such a nice gesture that his parents had him write me a note. They actually wrote one of their own that also reduced me to tears (damn hormones). His parents insisted they didn't help him with his message, they only helped him spell a couple of the tricky words. Amazing.

As teachers we know (and hope) in our hearts that our work is valuable and that we are good at it, but rarely do we get recognized and thanked. I have every thank you note I've ever received from a parent (except one that my dog chewed that had been on my refrigerator for 4 years). It's so nice to know that your hours both in and outside of the classroom do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. I felt extremely appreciated this week and I hope that you all did too. With all that we deal with as women it's nice to know someone thinks we do a good job.

*The ook in wookie means when we were doing the ook chunk the other day I gave him a challenge of a work with ook in the middle- he's a HUGE Star Wars fan like my husband.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Terrific Tuesdays

Yes folks, Terrific Tuesdays are back! Did ya miss it? I did!!

Today was terrific because:
There are 30 days left in the school year.
I got TONS of work done today.
DH took me out to dinner tonight for teacher appreciation week.
I had no meetings today, before or after school.
There was nothing pressing I had to deal with today... it was just a nice regular day.
(Those are MUCH appreciated in my world!)

Did YOU have a terrific Tuesday?

Monday, May 4, 2009

Surgery Appointment

This morning we are going to meet with the surgeon who will be operating on my husband. His pain from the beginning of March has still not gone away so they are doing exploratory surgery when they go in to fix his hernia. I am hopeful that the surgeon will give us some direction and a plan of attack because so much of what we've been planning for the next couple of months is contingent on this operation...

It's a little selfish (OK probably a lot selfish) but I am hoping we can schedule it for the week after I get out of school which is also the week before I begin teaching summer school. It's just that I've already taken so much time off this year and we can't afford my maternity leave unpaid (or for me to miss the money I can make at summer school).... I hate to have DH in pain for an entire month still though. I guess we will see what the surgeon says in a couple more hours...

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Casino Fun

The part of the story DH and I agree on:
My husband runs a bus company that takes regular runs up to the casino here. It is $15 to go and they give you a free buffet and $10 in slot play plus your bus ride! Not a bad gig. Since the weather man predicted rain today we decided to see what it was about. About halfway there I realized I forgot my ID and we almost got off the bus but decided to trek on anyway figuring the worst that could happen was we'd spend the day shopping at the mall....

My version of the story:
So I had the casino's $10 in slot play and our friend Ed SWORE he knew a machine that paid out. We were hanging around in that area and the machine came open, as well as one two seats down from it. I politiely asked him if he'd like to take the winning machine and he didn't even respond so I said "I call the one on the end" and DH settled into the other machine. About 7 pulls of the handle later (just when I was quitting) I hit the jackpot. On the penny machines I won a jackpot. Just UNDER the ammount I could claim without my ID.

DH's version of the story: (and everyone else including the security lady and the video tape)
So there we were at the casino and my lovely wife and myself were waiting for a penny machine to open. The one that MY friend Ed predicted as the winner came available. I went to make a move for it when my bossy wife ran ahead of me and pushed me out of the way. Just a couple pulls later she won over a jackpot and she only offered to buy me 2 tires. That money could have all been mine and I could have had all the tires I needed for my jeep.

Either way we both agree it was a successful day at the slots. DH will get a couple of the tires he's been saving up for ($200 a piece give me a break!) and I will be able to get a pedicure and put more money into the savings account. We had a great day and came out WAY ahead of the house. :-)