Saturday, January 31, 2009

25 Things

When you are "tagged" on facebook, you are suppose to write 25 random things about yourself. I have been waiting to be "tagged", but apparently I am not all that interesting... So, here is what I would write.
1. I sleep with white noise. I have to sleep with my air purifier. I absolutely love it. I have gone through three in the last sixteen years.
2. I do not like any professional sports. Yep, hate 'em all. I have no interest in it what so ever. I would rather watch paint dry. Watching paint dry with a coors light would be even better.
3. I know it's not "politically correct", but I have NO interest in politics. NONE. I find it mind numbingly boring. I think if it effects me directly, I am more interested, but otherwise- not so much. GW affected me with No Child Left Behind, so that interested me. When people want to know my views I feel like an idiot because I know nothing about "candidates" or policies. However, I do lean very much to the conservative side.
4. I really believe parents should have to pass a test that they repeat yearly to keep their children. Bad parenting is my biggest "issue". If you are not going to take care of them , put them up for adoption, there are tons of loving couples who would love the child to pieces. Parents need to put their child's needs first. Read to them, talk to them, turn off the TV and teach them about good character, follow through with consequences, make them be respectful and responsible. You are not your child's friend, it's been a long time (hopefully) since you needed a child as a friend- they will find friends, but can never find another parent.
5. That said, it amazes me how much I love my children. I never thought I could love someone so completely. That is the true definition of unconditional love. The moment Noah was born, it popped into my head, "this is why I was put on Earth".
6. Some days, I secretly want another baby, but then I remember how my babies never sleep and how toddlers are so I go see Julie's baby Lilly. I can give her back and she doesn't affect my sleep.
7. I absolutely LOVE to sleep. It is the best of both worlds, you are unconscious yet still alive!
8. The person I have always been close to the longest is my best friend.
9. With first impressions, I am 90% correct, always have been as proven by when my BFF, Stacy, sent her ping-pong picture to my table in Kindergarten and we have been best friends since.
10. If it would be acceptable, I'd wear my flannel jammies all day long.
11. I love to read. I always have. I wonder if that's the reason my corneas gave out.
12. A perfect summer day would be 80 degrees at the lake with the boys and a six pack of beer.
13. A perfect winter day would be cuddled in my bed reading a good book.
14. I really like to shop for groceries on-line and have CashWise deliver it to me. It is only 5.00 and I think 5.00 is SOO worth my time spent shopping in the cold. Well the real reason is, I feel like a dork trying to push a cart full of groceries through the snow to my car. No it's not, it's the convenience. My husband gets ticked when I do it because it's "a waste of money"- I see it as money well spent. I never eat out for lunch, so that 5.00 could be my monthly lunch allowance.
15. I have never liked dogs, until I got Abby. I spent my entire life being afraid of dogs. When Scott's husky died four years ago, I thought 'thank God! I HATE dogs! Now we are done with that!' Three years ago, Scott had to talk me into getting Abby, we researched to find the best breed for our family, and I finally agreed. Since then I fell in LOVE with Abby, got Max to keep her company, and then got a broken liquor store dog and who knows what breed he really is. I never thought I'd have three dogs and I'd be the one who wants them.
16. I love the ages my kids are. If I could freeze time and keep them this age, I would. They are independent, yet still want to be with me, and still do funny things.
17.I love to watch Earl and the Office. I could watch them all day long.
18. If I had three wishes, they would be 1) my mom would be alive and healthy. 2) my kids would have a relationship with my dad. 3) It wouldn't be so hard to just be happy.
19. If I had three hopes, they would be 1) I hope my children outlive me. 2) my house doesn't smell like dog pee forever. 3) My dad and I have a relationship again someday.

21) I loved being pregnant. I loved the feeling of the baby moving and knowing this is the only time you can control where he is and if everyone is being nice to him.
22) I don't like coffee. I like the smell, but I don't understand why people would drink the stuff.
23) I LOTHE incompetence,- not not incontinence, but people who don't do their job. I also hate when people think they are better than someone. It drives me crazy- especially when they claim they hate people who think they are better everyone else- "Pot, this is kettle, YOUR BLACK!"
24) I can respect someone, but not like them. I can not like someone I don't respect- I've tried, but I can't.
25) My favorite non-brand pop is orange.

I can keep going!
26) I HATE when people say, "are you getting your period soon?"
27) I hate when people tell me what to do when I haven't asked for advice. Except my boss, he can tell me what to do because yes, he is "the boss of me".
28) I can't stand the whole, "donate money to the starving children in Africa". There are starving children in the US who are not being taken care of. When are we going to worry about our own people and our own country? How about donate birth control to women in Africa?
29) I think if a person who was brought over here by Lutheran Services is convicted of a crime, they should be sent directly back to their country. They came here for a new start, a better life. They committed a crime, which affects the people here, you lose your second chance at a better life. The end- not up for debate or appeals.
30) I am very pro-death penalty and yes I did see the Green Mile.
31) I have very mixed feelings about abortion. When I wanted to adopt a baby, I was very pro-life, I was all 'give me your baby!!' However, now that I have taught longer, I see the result of a pregnancy where the mom drank, did drugs and other bad things to her body. The mom doesn't care enough to take care of her body when it is responsible for another human, do you think she'll be responsible enough to take care of a special needs kid? NO- it will become society and the school's problem. Should that mom have had the baby?
32) I used to believe that nurture (how you are raised) determines the way a person is, rather than nature (where you come from). As I get older I think they are equal. There are a lot of people, including me, who by all means should be totally screwed up, but they aren't. There are a lot of people who should not be screwed up, but because of where they came from they are. You can put a golden ballgown on garbage, but all you get is fancy looking trash.
33) My taste in music and my handwriting changes about every-other year. Weird, huh?
34) One of my pet peeves is bad breath. Really, people can smell your breath, stop breathing through your mouth, or take the piece of gum I am offering to you.
35) I know I should exercise more. I would look better, and feel healthier. But I HATE to sweat, and be out of breath.
36) My New Year's Resolution was to stop biting my nails. My nails are shorter than ever. Turns out I am NOT a grow-up and it was not time to stop biting my nails.
37) Sometimes I ask my students what they want to be when they grow up, just to get some fresh ideas.
38) I have not said "I love you" to many people because I only say it when I really mean it. I had a boyfriend in High School who said he loved me on the third date, I laughed and said, "You do not! You don't even really know me!" Probably not the response he was expecting.
39) I would LOVE to live in Hawaii if the school system was better. Hawaii really is paradise on Earth.
40) I am scared of my boys growing up and not wanting to hang out with mommy.
41) I sort and eat my m&m's in this order, green (cuz you know about the green ones), yellow, orange, red, brown and blue
42) I am not OCD, as you may think after reading number 41.
43) I met the members of Arosmith. They opened a door for me. Steven Taylor said, "hey". I met Prince. He is super short and boring.
44) My most embarrassing moment is when I dropped a puppy at a packed pet store.
45) I love the smell of gasoline and fresh cut grass, but not together.
46) I like teaching third grade. Third grade is education's best kept secret.
47) I wish I could eat a brownie with ice cream and hot fudge every day.
48) If I had to live off of one food for the rest of my life, it would be cereal.
49) If it were possible, I would marry any man on Westeria lane (even the gay ones) and be a Desperate Housewife.
50) The first, and last thing I do (because it's right before brushing my teeth) each day is pick at or bite my nails.
51) It is almost my birthday, but I am WAY younger than that number you get when you subtract my birth year from 2009. Hey this year my birthday is 2-9 of 2009 and I will be 29! WEIRD.......
52) I love when people make me laugh, and to make people laugh. That is probably why I get along so well with Stacy, we have the EXACT same sense of humor. Stuff we say and do isn't funny to others, but wet-your-pants hilarious to us.

Scott went into work so I better go order my groceries on line quick! Heee heee.... Shhhhhhhh

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Chick Flicks

The past two nights I watched "chick flicks" on T-VO. I bet I haven't watched a chick flick for at least six months. I watched 27 Dresses and PS I Love You. Neither movie is particularly sad- well, except for the girl who takes care of everyone else but won't let anyone take care of her because her mom died when she was young, and the girl who lost the love of her life and he keeps sending her letters. Anyway, I cried the entire time during both movies. Big tears just rolling constantly. You probably know me well enough to know it takes a lot to make me cry, so this is really odd. Do I need to be re-conditioned back into watching chick flicks? Do I need to work my way up? I could watch a half of one a week at a time until I build up to a full movie.
Thoughts that I think: I think I am suppose to be Irish. Why you ask? Well, I like beer. I think last names that start with an O followed by an apostrophe are really cool. I like the word brogue. I've seen Ireland on TV and I think it is beautiful. Also, I don't think snakes live in Ireland. I should learn an Iris accent and start using it!

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Vacation is Over

Ethan eats snow. No wonder he never eats food. He is much too full from eating non-food items. At least it's not yellow snow. I looked outside to check on the kids and Noah was shoveling the deck and Ethan was standing there poking his tongue into the snow. It's snowing big fluffy flakes as big as a dinner plate. Well, Christmas break is officially over. I cleaned the house, did laundry and took down the Christmas stuff. School starts again on Monday. I think the threat of going back to work makes me use my time more wisely. I had 12 days off. I did not get around to putting away the laundry, the Christmas stuff or real cleaning until today. Actually the only thing I cleaned off was the cookie plate Stacy brought, and that was pretty well polished off by New Years. I am eager to get back to school. I hope the kids didn't forget what they learned during break. I'm not sure if it's because it was the holidays, or because Paul was home, or because I had to spend time with the wicked step-mother, or just because I had idle time on my hands (no school OR masters!), but I've been thinking a lot about my mom lately. I was 18 when she had a brain aneurysm. She was never the same after that. She was on so much medication she did not know who she was most of the time, and her anxiety level was past the ceiling. When I had Noah she kept asking me in the hospital who the baby was and why I was in the hospital. This is not how I want to remember her, but because I was a self-centered teen-ager the last time she was herself, I have a really hard time remembering her 'normal'. I remember she cried the day I moved to college and she never cried. I miss her. She died of lung cancer ten years after her brain aneurysm. We watched her suffer from the brain aneurysm, anxiety, and lung disease for ten years.

SOMEONE wants me off of the computer (at least when I did my masters I could waste time on the computer!) so I'm going to go do laundry. Ethan's dead snail has been resurrected! I thought for the last four days he was dead, but it turns out right now he is sucking on the side of the aquarium! Guess when a snail floats it's not dead. Way to live Sheldon!!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Welcome 2009

It is now a whole new year. A chance for me to become a better person. Do you think that will happen? Probably not. I don't do well with change. However, I have decided I have some resolutions- we'll see how long I'll keep them.
1. I will stop biting my nails. I am a grown-up and I do not need to bite my nails anymore. I have stopped before, but then one rips and I fall off the wagon.
2. I will lose 12 pounds. I say 12 because 15 seems unattainable without changing my exercise and eating habits dramatically, but I want to lose more than 10.
3. I will be less sarcastic.
We all know THAT one ain't gonna happen!- I just said it to be sarcastic!! hee heee. It is 9:16 and I haven't eaten anything yet today, including my nails!
Yesterday Ethan was "teaching" his webkinz how to draw. He had them lined up on the bed and he was at his easel. I actually took a picture, but can I find the cord to connect to the camera to download it onto the computer? NO. Maybe number 3 should be "be more organized"- ha we all know that ain't gonna happen either. Anyway, his arrangement of his "students" reminded me of my students. Only about four were facing him, one fell off the bed (or out of his chair), three were laying down, two were facing the wrong way and several were facing each other (probably talking). However, like his mother, Ethan just keep teaching. Maybe he does take after me.