Twice as Nice

Ever encounter someone or something that makes you go "hmmm?" I realize that twins, triplets, and the like share a very special bond that us singletons can never hope to understand. I have a set of twin cousins and have known many multiples over the years. I am not talking about the Mary Kate and Ashley Oleson kind of twins either. Well, there is a set of twins that live in my community that bring new meaning to the word Doublemint Twins. However, they are not the buxom blondes that you might expect though. They are never without the other. My guess is that they are in their later teens or thereabouts. They both have long, wavy, reddish-brown hair that they usually keep in single ponytails. They dress in identical outfits most of the time or a variation of the same outfit, complete with their signature tennis shoes and ever present backpacks. I usually see them walking around the neighborhood together in perfect stride with one another. Their ponytails swing in perfect unison as well, which is the freakiest part. It is the most fascinating thing to watch as they do this fast-paced stomping throughout the neighborhood with such unified precision. You really have to see them to believe it.

I met them up close once about a year or two ago, when they came running into the park after a young disabled girl that they were babysitting. They sat down for a few minutes and chatted, but then took off to another part of the park. The strange thing about their approach was how they would follow their young charge like her shadow...literally and in unison. If she ran here, they ran there. If she went down the slide, they were both right behind her with incredible energy and pep. When I see them out and about nowadays, they now have two kids to look after, also seemingly disabled. They usally each are holding and swing the hands of the children they babysit. I believe they are homeschooled if I remember correctly, so they are around quite often in our area. I have no clue how these identical twins manage to mirror each other's movements so seamlessly in every aspect. I mentioned them to hubby and he said he noticed them too and thought how odd the whole scenario with them seemed. They appear to be very sweet and such, they just seem like an anomaly in the twin world. To understand more about the connection between twins, check out this book at...http://www.twinconnections.com/book.htm.

I remember this set of triplets in a kindergarten that I worked in a few years back. They weren't quite as unusual as this pair, but they did share a unique language and something extra that caused them to play together a lot. Their mother wanted them to remain close and so she refused to put them in separate classes. It was tough on their individual identity development. I enjoy watching Jon and Kate Plus 8 as the Gosselins struggle to care for their huge brood. In case you haven't see the show on Monday nights on TLC, Jon and Kate are raising a set of twins and sextuplets. They focus on their misadventures in raising their little ones and the lengths to which they'll go to make sure they each become their own person and get one-on-one time. The dynamics between the kids are adorable to watch. Anyhow, the telepathic conversations that transpire in the womb and continue on in real life are a foreign language to the rest of us.

Bring back the ten!

As I sit here and watch the compulsory competition for the Beijing Summer Olympics, I am flooded with memories. Though I have followed gymnastics my whole life (even had a poster of Olga Korbut on my wall as a little girl and Nadia is still one of my idols), my favorite time can be traced back to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. I loved watching the showdown between Ekaterina Szabo and Mary Lou Retton. It was unforgettable to watch all of that unfold...but I digress. Back to tonight's competition...

The frontrunners, China and USA, both have had a precarious night. Team USA in particular, has had a rough go of it. No one seems immune from mistakes and they are down with two injuries. I am really rooting for Nastia Liukin, daughter of the great Valeri Liukin, to do well. What I love about her is how she strays far from the normal cookie cutter routines. She is especially stunning on the bars and balance beam (which also happen to be my favorite events). It's too bad she took a tumble on her bar landing, but hopefully her difficulty level will help qualify her for the even finals. You just never know.

Gymnastics is a sentimental favorite of mine as I once swung around the uneven bars myself and did roundoffs from the end of the beam. I remember as a kid learning how to sprint down the runway to do a somersault on the vault. It was the scariest event in my eyes when I was training in gymnastics. I lasted about 5 years, but just didn't have the stamina to continue on to the next level of the sport. Though I learned few dazzling tricks, I wasn't brave enough to do backsprings, a signature move in the sport. I think the most complicated trick I learned was the back and front walkovers. The most complicated move I can to this day though is the backbend. Instead of becoming a competitor, I instead began watching the competitions on TV. I have been following the sport heavily since before I can remember. It's fun to research and watch older competitions to see how everything has changed.

For instance, if you look back to a typical ladies vault from the late sixties to early seventies, it usually consisted of a woman running and doing a single flip over it. No pizzazz or fancy tricks, just a simple body going over the vault. As time wore on, you noticed how gymnasts tried to set the bar higher each time. Even the vault itself has evolved in shape and dynamics. For an amazing example of a challenging vault, check out Olesia Dudnik at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up3oPgNrKHUbe.com/watch?v=Up3oPgNrKHU. You'll also notice how body styles have evolved. Men seem to stay pretty consistent in their builds, but the ladies have gone from having very womanly shapes to very girlish to somewhere in between. Nowadays, you see stocky, muscular gals to more very lean, almost birdlike like bodies.

Each apparatus also has had its ups and downs in terms of talented performances by gymnasts. I'm not sure which women's event is considered the flagship, but balance beam is widely considered to be the hardest due to the balancing elements involved. The high bar is clearly the premier event for the men. The high-flying tricks never fail to get the crowd excited. The women compete in just four, while the men compete in six events. I've never understood why the men have more routines to perform, but I always figured because men are expected to be extraordinarily strong while the woman exhibit their flexibility and artistry.

What has become a staple of all competitions though has been the scoring system. All gymnasts aspire to earn a perfect ten, reminiscent of Nadia. We all know that she won the not only won the 1976 Olympic All-Around, but she also scored the world's first perfect ten in competition. People still talk about it as thought it happened yesterday. We all remember Mary Lou's amazing vault performance back in 1984 when she also clinched the gold with a perfect ten. It is interesting to note how mesmerizing these moments are at the time and how they withstand the test of time. What I can't fathom is how the powers that be decided to do away with the traditional system and replace it with a new one that seems to stretch to a 17 scale. I'm still trying to figure out how it works. All's I know is that I don't really like and think that they should bring back the ten. Even the US announcers made comments about how they ought to bring it back. It is part of our history now and who knows what will transpire as we move forward. Bela Karolyi was interviewed and he let his feelings be known. He pulled no punches and would like to see the perfect ten return, no shock there. I tend to agree though.

Can't wait to see the team finals!

Which is the right path?

For those of you who have followed my foray into teaching know how challenging the process has been for me. The path to finding a job had been almost as rocky a road. Upon graduating from my teaching program, I thought that I would have no problem getting hired in the district I had worked for the last three years. All of my references and contacts gave me glowing reviews, but that did nothing for me in terms of securing a job, let alone interviews. It was a rude awakening for me to say the least. I learned quickly that I was going to have to branch out if I had any hopes of finding a position. The interviews were slowly trickling in over the course of the summer, but it wasn't until early August that I finally found a school willing to give me a chance. Most of the other places liked me well enough, but felt that I lacked experience (they were right about that) and that cost me many positions. I have a uncanny knack for coming in second for many of the jobs. My thought at that time was "how does one gain experience if no one will provide you a place to get it?" Yes, I was naive and still wet behind the ears in the education world. My previous years of experience in social services meant very little in this new world that felt I still needed to pay my dues.

After completing my first year of teaching, both hubby and I wholeheartedly believed that this time things would be different in my job search. After all, I finally had that coveted experience that I had lacked last year. My last position was only a one year temporary contract, so I was back to square one. Unfortunately, the road to finding a job hunting process was even more challenging this time around. The various HR people kept telling me that it was an amazingly competitive year (just my luck) and that for every position posted, about 100-300 people would apply (depending on the district). I had a handful of interviews out of the myriad of places I applied to. I lost count a long time ago on exactly how many jobs I applied for, but it's safe to say it's a lot. Again, I faced the same problem as last year. I could come close, but no cigar so to speak.

Then I got a series of interviews all within a three day span. It definitely seemed as though my luck was changing for the better. I had two interviews (for one job) in one noteworthy district and another interview for a private school. Well, I found out rather quickly that I was their second choice (deju vu), but this spot wouldn't work out...however they wanted me to interview for another position they were posting. I didn't hold my breath as a week went by and I heard nothing. I got a call from the private school. The director offered me the position and I leaped at the chance. She told me in a meeting that I was selected out of some 80 applicants. They felt I would fit in well with their staff and loved my passion for language arts (the focus of the job).

My joy was short-lived when I got another call to come interview for the district that had just turned me down. The superintendent liked me and wanted to get me in somehow. I agreed to come to another interview and the stress of what might happen set in. Now I realize that I don't have another offer on the table yet and I tend to overanalyze things, but I knew I needed to strongly consider the pros and cons of both jobs, should an offer be made available. Here I had this great job offer (which I already accepted) at a private language immersion school to teach English. Language Arts is my area of strength and my favorite subject to teach (along with Social Studies). I really like friendly staff and the fact that I'll be teaching several grades. It will be a fantastic opportunity to learn and grow as a teacher in a position I am sure to love. If this district interview had only come a week earlier. It has been stressing me out in a good way I guess. Then this morning I got another interview request for nearby district. A principal from last year that interviewed me twice for two different spots last summer, wanted to see me again. Maybe third time would be the charm. It's not like I have two solid offers from either district yet, but it still is food for thought.

On the one hand, the district jobs would provide a good salary, great benefits, and the potential for longevity. We want to eventually live in the district in which I'll work at, so the kids and I have the same school schedule. The only con I can honestly think of is that I would have to teach all subjects, juggling task that I am still learning to do. I know I would get my groove though and do fine. Then there is the private school position that I am already committed to. I have not signed an official contract yet, but there is a verbal agreement in place. The benefits and pay aren't good as the district jobs. The commute would be a challenge, but hubby and I could commute together to save gas. My days would be longer though to fit his hours. It would be an amazing place to work though, that I'm sure of. Not only are the staff very welcoming, but they are an international mix of professionals. People hail from England, Japan, China, Latin America, and many other places. The position is very rare and unique, so that is where my biggest dilemma lies. The school offers language full immersion tracks in three languages. I would be teaching English to small groups of students of all grade levels. I would collaborate with a team, so I wouldn't be left in the wind on my own like last year. Yet, there would be lots of autonomy to create lessons on my own as I see fit. My mom suggested I consider what regrets I would have if I didn't take this opportunity now. She said regardless of the timing, the districts would be there in the future. I am inclined to agree with her. In case you were wondering, I am writing this blog as it helping me sort out my own thoughts on the matter. It would be hard to say no to a district position if one were to come my way (part of me doesn't want to deal with the possibility), but I am already feeling a loyalty to this job. That says something to me.

Stranger Than Fiction

I was watching a documentary tonight on TLC that reminded me of an episode I had once seen on Law and Order: SVU. The story was truly disturbing and heartbreaking all at once. It was was called Born a Boy, Raised a Girl. It was about a psychologist from Johns Hopkins University named John Money (aka John Colapinto), who went to great lengths to prove his theory that in the battle that is nature vs. nurture, nurture is the winner. He sought to experiment with real human beings to test his hypothesis. When a family came along with twin boys, he saw his chance. One of the boys suffered through a botched circumcision surgery on his genitals that destroyed his penis, so the good doctor told the parents that it was in his best interests to be raised as a girl. The parents naively took his word as gospel and followed his recommendations. After his sex was reassigned through surgical, hormonal, and psychological interventions, the young child's odyssey began. The young boy's name was changed from Bruce to Brenda. He was treated like a girl in every way. Until the age of seven, it seemed as though he his experiment was successful. His research became famous and the case came to be known as John/Joan.

The twins met with the doctor for annually for seven years. The girl began to struggle with her gender identity. So the doctor took it upon himself to use unorthodox and extreme methods to treat Brenda and her twin brother deal with their unique situation. In addition to being forced to look at pornographic photos, the siblings were encouraged to experiment with each other in front of the doctor. Needless to say, this was very traumatizing for them both. Neither child knew that Brenda was really a boy. Brenda was brought up to believe that she was a girl, despite her genital issues. It wasn't until they were thirteen and Brenda became suicidal, that their parents finally owned up to the terrible truth. Brenda was relieved and decided to make things right. He renamed himself David and never looked back. His twin brother, Brian, took things much harder and never fully recovered. It was believed that the therapy traumas coupled with shocking revelations about his brother, drove him mad. He became schizophrenic and eventually died an untimely death from drugs and alcohol.

David tried to move on from his childhood traumas and make a life for himself. He was sterile, so he could never father children of his own. However, he found love with a mother of three and all was well in his life for a time. The doctor published his findings as successful, even though it was all a big lie. When his twin brother died, David was pushed to the edge as well. After a series of events, he ended up committing suicide at age 38.

The tragic end to this tale truly shocked me. It such a stranger than fiction story that was true. The doctor was held partially responsible for the twin boys' demise, though I'm not sure what became of him. He was widely discredited for his scandalous techniques to simply prove a theory. It was sad that he couldn't just let the boys alone. The sad truth is that parents should've sought a second opinion before making such a drastic decision to raise their son as a boy. I saw another documentary on transgender children that exhibit a preference for all things not associated with their actual sex. I can understand that sort of situation to a point, but David/Brenda was a boy through and through, just an unfortunate surgical error put him in this predicament. It is sad that they suffered so much pain. I think the doctor should've just learned what the rest of us already pretty much know...nature and nurture work hand in hand to shape us as human beings. You can read more about David's story at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Reimer.

Trannies, Soda Jerks, and Elves

So today was a perfect example of a how a day can be split down the middle in terms of good and bad. It began as any other day as I get the kids up and gave them breakfast. I dropped them off at the babysitter so that I could take the car into get the transmission serviced. The mechanic called me out to the shop to show me the pan to show me the metal chunks and scrapings that were in it. That coupled with the strange sounds my car has been making for the last month are signs that the tranny is going south. He said I was going to need to get it rebuilt very soon. Unfortunately, the warranty doesn't cover one that "is going" only ones that are "already dead." Nice, huh? I had them finish the service and went on my merry way. We are going to look into trading it in for a new car in the very near future.

The morning was full of lousy news about my car, but things started looking up around lunchtime. I got a call for another job interview. I accepted it and now find myself in a pickle. If I am offered this position, I'll have to choose between a great school district job with all the trimmings and the position that I recently said yes to that would enable me to teach my favorite subject to all elementary grade levels in a private school. It's definitely one of those situations that I'll have to make list of the pros and cons for. However, hubby is right in telling me not to count my chickens before they hatch. Anyhow, I picked up the kids and headed home for about an hour and a half to rest.

In the afternoon, I dropped N off for his art class and took K to the downtown fountain to play in the water. A bunch of kids from the Boys and Girls Club showed up and mass chaos ensued. It was difficult to keep track of K with all the children running around, but she held her own with the bigger ones. I sat and read a book, while she had a blast getting soaked. After melting in the sun for over an hour, K and I walked around a bit downtown to a nearby shop to get a fountain drink at an ol' fashioned soda shop. It was fun splitting a blackberry milkshake with her as we sat on stools. It even had a collection of classic Coca Cola memorabilia lining the shelves to give it that nostalgic feel. The only thing the place was missing was a soda jerk. It was still a charming little shop and I'll definitely be back with the kids for treats. We saved some for N when we picked up from his class. He drank it in about two minutes. When we got home, the kids ran amok in the driveway on their scooters. I collapsed in a chair, feeling quite drained. Unfortunately, I didn't get to sit for long as the kids were getting hungry for dinner. It was already after 5 o'clock.

After getting the kids and myself some dinner, I watched a rerun of Friends. Hubby came home in a very giddy mood. He told me that he had submitted his name in some sort of raffle thingie through the makers of World of Warcraft. He got a confirmation today that he was one a handful of people selected to be a beta tester for the newest expansion pack for WoW called "Wrath of the Lich King." It's kind of like being a Neilsen family that rates TV shows as a sampling of what people are watching. He was excited not only because he won this great thing, but also because he'll be one of the first people to play this new addition to WoW. A few months ago, this wouldn't have been a big deal to me. Now that I've played this addictive game for awhile now, I get can understand his excitement. My hubby is one of those people who love standing in line forever to see a big action flick on opening night, just to be one of the first ones to do so. Anyway, I probably won't see much of him this weekend as he'll be sucked even deeper into WoW realm of elves, orcs, and gnomes. Go figure.

It's all in a name!

People have all kinds of interesting hobbies. I have a number of them myself including but not limited to, scrapbooking, reading, writing (blogging), playing WOW, and touring open houses. Another hobby I used to have before I was a mother myself, was making baby name lists. I think every young girl who dreams of having children one day has at some point done this. If a name was deemed to off the wall or cutesy, I would keep it around for a possible pet's name (i.e. Gypsy, Riley). Anyhow, now that I have named my two munchkins...I have moved onto just being a spectator as celebs introduce their little bundles of joy with fascinating name choices. Most everybody knows that celebs are notorious for choosing unique and/or crazy names for their offspring. It's as if they forget that their child will be the one carrying around their moniker in the years to come. Some names look great in print, but don't always roll off the tongue. Let me give you some examples of the good, the bad, and the ugly of celeb baby names past and present. You'll find some of them to be easily within the confines of what we deem normal, while others will definitely stretch the boundaries of your imagination and make you go "what were they thinking?!"

Here is a sample list compiled from Listology.com and Infoplease.com:

• Rumer Glenn, Tallulah Belle and Scout LaRue (daughters of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore)
• Jett (son of John Travolta and Kelly Preston)
• Moxie Crimefighter (Penn Jillette)
• Diezel and Denim (sons of Toni Braxton and Keri Lewis)
• Speck Wildhorse and Hud (sons of John Mellencamp and Elaine Irwin)
• Pilot Inspektor (son of Jason Lee and Beth Riesgraf)
• Tu Morrow (daughter of Rob Morrow and Debbon Ayre)
• Audio Science (son of Shannyn Sossamon and Dallas Clayton)
• Moon Unit, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan, Dweezil, and Diva (children of Frank Zappa)
• Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily, Fifi Trixibelle, Peaches Honeyblossom, and Pixie (daughters of the late Paula Yates (Tiger Lily's dad is the late Michael Hutchence; Bob Geldof is father to the other three))
• Zowie (son of David Bowie -- he later changed his name to Joe before settling on Duncan);
• Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q (son of Bono)
• Chastity and Elijah Blue (daughter of Cher and Sonny Bono, son of Cher)
• Banjo (son of Rachel Griffiths)
• Jaz (daughter of Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf),
• Romeo and Brooklyn (sons of Victoria and David Beckham),
• Aurelius (son of Elle Macpherson),
• Lyric and Zephyr (daughter and son of Robby Benson),
• Hopper (son of Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn),
• Kyd (son of David Duchovny and Tea Leoni)
• Reignbeau and Freedom (daughter and son of Ving Rhames)
• Jermajesty (son of Jermaine Jackson).
• Kal-el Coppola Cage (son of Nicolas Cage and Alice Kim )
• Sailor Lee (daughter of Christie Brinkley)
• Apple Blythe Alison and Moses Bruce Anthony (daughter and son of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin)
• Maddox Chivan, Pax Thien, Zahara Marley, Shiloh Nouvelle, Vivienne Marcheline, and Knox Leon (many children of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt)
• Phinneus and Hazel (twins of Julia Roberts)
• Sunday Rose (daughter of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban)
• Suri (daughter of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise)
• Bogart Che Peyote and Rocco Kokopelli (sons of David "Puck" Rainey of Mtv's Real World)
• Rocket, Racer, Rebel, Rogue, and Rhiannon (sons and daughter of Robert Rodriguez)
• Sage Moonblood, Seargeoh, Sophia Rose, Sistine Rose, Scarlet Rose (sons and daughter of Sylvester Stallone)
• Piper Maru (daughter of Gillian Anderson)
• Dusti Raine and Keelee Breeze (daughters of Robert Van Winkle aka Vanilla Ice)
• Poppy Honey and Daisy Boo (daughters of Jamie Oliver of Food Network)
• Coco Riley (daughter of Courtney Cox and David Arquette)
• Bluebell Madonna (Geri Halliwell aka Ginger Spice)
• Kingston James MacGregor (son of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale)
• Calico and Sonora Rose (daughters of Alice Cooper)
• Jeffrey, Mackenzie, Chynna, Tamerlane, and Bijou (son and daughters of John Phillips)

*I especially like the sound of Coco Riley, Harlow Winter Kate and Sunday Rose (so their parents' did well in my book. So I'm wierd, so what!).

There is another trend that is more acceptable in my book. The first name is fairly normal, but the middle name strays from the norm and borders on silly. Frances Bean Cobain is a great example of this. Her middle name doesn't have to be used, so she could simply go by Frances Cobain if she felt like it. However, the media rarely lets us forget and insists on listing celeb children by their full names when possible. Britney Spears and K-Fed's kids always go by Sean Preston and Jayden James (pretty decent names actually) in the media. Why not just Sean and Jayden? Just an observation on my part.

Then there are the children who carry on their parents' names. There is Michael Jackson's two boys, Prince Michael and Prince Michael II (aka Blanket). That is just plain self-indulgent and creepy to do. Yet the Prince of Pop isn't the worst offender of this tradition. George Forman sired ten children. All five of his sons are named George: George Jr., George III, George IV, George V, and George VI. He is able to distinguish one from another by the use of nicknames such as "Monk", "Big Wheel" and "Little George". His daughters all bear "normal" names. I like how Will Smith and his lady loves went about their choices. Will's first son from his first wife is named Willard Christopher III (goes by Trey) after his proud papa. Will and his second wife, Jada Pinkett, named their two children Jaden Christopher Syre and Willow Camille Reign. They allowed their kids to carry on their namesakes in a creative and tasteful manner.

All in all, I would agree with the notion that naming one's child is an intimate process for the parents and is one of the fun parts of having a baby of your own. While I say to each their own, I always remember the cardinal rule that my own mother instilled in me while I was growing up. She took note of some of the names on my personal list and said simply..."remember that the child is the one who has to wear the name throughout their life and deal with its consequences...at least until they can legally change it at eighteen." It helped me temper many of my more offbeat choices. Though I believe my choies were pretty sedate in comparison to what we see out there nowadays. If I had any more children, I would be more adventurous with their middle names, but stick with slightly obscure, but not crazy first names.

Just for fun, here are some of the early names that I considered over the years (some complete with middle names and others that I just couldn't settle on one):

Girls:

• Olivia Jude (thought it flowed well)
• Carol Anne (yes, from Poltergeist, would've called her Carrie)
• Alicia Beth or Alicia Rose (always loved the name of my childhood best friend, Elisha)
• Kyra Rose (still love this one!)
• Marianna
• Nadya (for the gymnast and my an idol of mine)
• Alison Satomi (thought of during my time as an exchange student in Japan)
• Samantha LaVonne (middle name is my mom's)
• Madison Lee (from Splash)
• Maile Rose (Hawaiian name, long before Miley Cyrus fame)
• Emma (from Terms of Endearment)
• Tija Rose or Tija Elizabeth (pronounced Tee-ah and from Escape from Witch Mountain)
• Kaya Rose
• Amelia Jade
• Nina (from Young and the Restless)
• Melody and Marissa (wanted twins very badly)
• Rhianna (a variation of the Stevie Nicks' song Rhiannon)
• Nara (for the Japanese city)
• Lindsay (from a family friend)
• Arlina (liked it from the movie Switched at Birth)
• Taryn (loved the name of this former coworker)
• Ariel (from children's cartoon, Thundarr the Barbarian and The Little Mermaid)
• Davalee (a gal I went to school with)
• Cassidy or Cassandra (wanted to call her Cassie)
• Martina (wanted to call her Marty or Tina)
• Malerie (for Mallory of Family Ties)
• Charlene (pronounced Shar-leen)
• Aurelia (pronounced Ah-ray-lee-ah, for a Romanian gymnast)
• Thea
• Dulcinea (pronounced Dul-sin-e-ah, gal from high school)
• Marisol (love how this one sounds for some reason)
• Isabella (variation of Isabel from Fools Rush In)
• Aquinnah Jade (pronounced Ah-keen-ah, liked the first name from one Michael J. Fox's twin daughters)
• Avery Grace (loved it how it sounded and is Angie Harmon's {from Law and Order} daughter's name)
  

Note: Yes, I know I overused Rose as a middle name. I loved the flower and was also for Rose Wilder Lane, daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I didn't stress too much as my plan was to choose a family name or one of a few simple ones from a short list. Also, I realize how many girls names are listed vs. the boys. That's because boys names were easy for me to settle one, girls were much more challenging to choose from for me.

Boys:

• Alan (from Splash and for my dad's middle name)
• Aidan James
• Alex (not Alexander, for Alex P. Keaton)
• Liam
• Brandon
• Sean
• Ethan (of MI movies)
• Tristan (from Legends of the Fall)
• Kyle (from a childhood friend)
• Andrew
• Hayden
• Owen (youngest son from Party of Five)
• Tobias (would've gone by Toby, but again too cutesy)
• Albert (from Little House on the Prairie, yes I'm glad I didn't choose this either)
• Lucas
  

Note: Middle names would've simply been a family name, so omitted from list.

Yes, I was heavily influenced by names found in the movies or on tv shows. Since my dream is still to one day write a book or screenplay, they played a powerful role in my name choices. I could literally go on and on about this topic. However, since I just realized I've been typing for quite awhile, I think I'll stop. If you managed to get through this marathon blog, my hat's off to you. Feel free to share some of your personal name faves, I'd love to hear about them! For the those of you who care, I settled on Nicholas Allan and Kirsten Marie (whom I always refer to as N and K in this blog) for my children's names.

The ants go marching one by one...

Another busy week has come and well, it isn't quite gone I guess. I'm just trying to keep up with this blog. Saturday started off with hubby bringing me breakfast in bed. I thought that was especially sweet. Then I carted the kids off to spend time with some friends to celebrate their little boys' birthdays (turning three and seven). It was held at the home of the parents of my friend Rosalee. They held a BBQ and the kids got to swim in the pool or play on the slip 'n slide. It was a great day as I got to hang out with good friends, some of whom I don't get to see all that often.

On Sunday, hubby took the kids and I to Arby's for lunch. We all had some curly fries with our meals, something I am quickly becoming addicted too I think. We then shopped at Costco for some necessities and splurged on a new digital camera that we can't afford. In our defense, the other one went belly up on Saturday. It began taking pictures that resembled a melted Picasso painting. It was like it became possessed all of a sudden, very strange. One minute the pictures would be fine and then become all wierd-looking. Anyhow, I love taking pics too much to go without, so we decided on pretty good one I think.

We also spent part of Sunday dealing with another ant invasion. They somehow discovered a way in and took over the kitchen counters. They were everywhere. We had accidentally left out some breadsticks and they all came a running. You can imagine my neurotic nature taking over as I tried desperately not to freak out. I was very proud of myself and didn't overreact to the situation. Hubby stayed with me the whole time as we cleaned that kitchen from top to bottom. I still have some parts of the fridge and pantry to get to, but overall the kitchen looks immaculate. All week I have been keeping it spotless as the ants keep trying to come back. One day they invade the dishwasher and the next they come out of the outlet. They seem to be finding every nook and cranny to crawl through. I must thank them though, whenever they pay us a visit...I go into my cleaning frenzy. Does a dirty house good! Anyhow, I love nice and organized the kitchen looks now. It finally gave me the kick I'd been needing to attack the rest of the house. Bit by bit I've been tackling various parts of our home. Slowly but surely, it's becoming less cluttered and more classy.

I did get another interview. It went well I thought, but will see what happens. Mostly, I spent this week running a bunch of errands and taking the kids to and from their classes. Today, hubby stayed home sick. I should've stayed home and worked on my daughter's room as it has been struck by the tornado that is K, but instead I packed up the kids and we went berry-picking again. We had gone through the last of the last batch, and were craving some more. I want take advantage of the great prices while they are still in season. This time we picked a bunch of Siskiyou Blackberries and what was left of their Willamette Raspberries. The blackberries were so easy as they were plentiful and came right off the vine. We had planned to pick Boysenberries too, but K was really tired and cranky. I bought some of their pre-picked blueberries also to make some yummy pancakes this weekend. I was fairly drained myself, so I ended up taking a much needed nap.

Anyhow, the week is drawing to a close and I will hopefully make a dent in K's room tomorrow. If I feel ambitious, the kids and I might have a little picnic at the nearby park the next neighborhood over. I also have a hearing test at the audiologist's in the late afternoon. It's been almost two years since my last one, and I can tell it's long overdue for this one. Here's hoping for good things on the horizon and keeping those pesky ants at bay.

A berry good day

This particular TGIF takes on a whole new meaning. It has been a very crazy and super busy week around here. The week started off slow, with only not much going on. I spent most of the day applying for jobs and such. Tuesday and Wednesday I ran errands and took the kids to their classes and going to the park and/or library. Wednesday-Friday morning I went to three interviews in a row, so that was a bit nerve-wracking. On Thursday after my interview, I went to the pharmacy to pick up something for hubby, went to my MIL's to pick up some things from her, went to a friend's house to let their dog out (they were gone camping), and then finally made it home to pick up the kids at the sitter's. When I arrived home, I found a bunch of ants crawling all over my living room floor. They had come in with some dog food bags that had been left outside for a short time. Anyway, I spent the next several hours getting rid of them and cleaning up my downstairs. Anyone who knows me well can attest to my neorosis about ants. Hubby often jokes that if he wants the house clean, he just has to mention ants and it sends me into a cleaning frenzy. The bright side is that my downstairs looks far better than before and the dog food is safe once more.


On another note, I have also been dealing with stressors regarding another weekend's plans that seems to be hitting every roadblock possible in our efforts to arrange it. This whole other blog, so we'll leave it at that for now. Then today after my last interview, I changed clothes and picked up the kids. While we were out and about, I got another dreaded rejection call, but the silver lining was that I was their second choice (yet again) and they wanted to invite me back to interview for another position that had just opened up. Will try for it, but not holding my breath...but I digress.

Anyway, at this point I was feeling a bit low and discouraged as I had actually thought I might get this job. I took a moment to just breathe. Then I decided to take the day off from all the stress drove out to a local berry farm with my kids. I'd never actually gone berry-picking before and neither had they, so it was a lot of fun for all of us. I was thoroughly impressed with how careful the kids were. K in particular had a keen eye when it came to picking out just the right ones. N did really well too, he was just having more fun scanning the rows and humming along to himself, then getting in there to grab them off of the vine. They've both helped my MIL in her garden a lot, so they already kind of knew what to do. We talked about the differences in color and ripeness, concepts they quickly caught onto. After we filled our three buckets with both raspberries and marionberries, we decided it was time to go eat lunch and get of the hot sun.

We let my friend's dog out again and ran a quick errand. Then the kids voted on having Arby's. It'd been ages since my last time eating there, so it was especially yummy. The kids had ham and cheese sandwiches, I had their signature french dip, and we all had some seasoned curly fries. After our bellies thanked us for filling them up, we started to head home. However, the kids happened to see the county fair and pleaded with me to stop in. I was tired, but got a second wind after lunch, so I agreed to go there for a little bit. I warned them we were only staying for a short while. Well, you can probably guess that notion went out the window the minute they saw the rides. The kids rode the big and little roller coasters, slid down the super slide, drove bumper cars, whirled around in the swings, and raced on carousel horses. We skipped the carnival booths, but we caught a wild west rope trickster show as the kids enjoyed snow cones. I also had them sit down with a caricaturist for a keepsake picture. We made a quick pass through the animals section to look at the draft horses, cattle, sheep, and alpacas. On our way out, we had to walk by the 4-H pig show and wow was that a powerful odor.

By the time we made it home, it was dinnertime already. Hubby was out with his buddy to go see The Dark Knight, so we were on our own for the evening. I was in no mood to cook, so it was a cereal night (lunch was plentiful enough). I washed all the berries and dished up some for the kids with a little sugar sprinkled on top for their dessert. All in all it was a really amazing day we had. I love having times cherish like this with them, which is why I love being home with them in the summertime. They were so tired, they crashed early and I am not far behind. My legs are jello from all the walking, so I am ready to prop them up and go lay in bed with a good book or watch some TV. I'm gonna go enjoy a few berries myself first and go from there. As Strawberry Shortcake herself would say, we had a berry good day!

Clutterbug Be Gone

A disorganized household has always been my nemesis. Some of you know exactly what this feels like. I've always envied those moms that are totally together and run their home like a well-oiled machine and everything has its place. I aspire to that sort of greatness. I generally keep things clean, but I am such a clutterbug that it tends to overwhelm me at times. I try to keep up on keeping the kids' rooms fairly organized and other areas that are easily messed up. Every couple of months, I do a clean sweep of various areas of the house to get rid of and sort through clutter.

The areas where I am a repeat offender include the laundry and important papers. It's not that I mind doing laundry, it's just that I can't keep up with it. We're only a family of four, so I couldn't imagine what larger families go through. This is why I know I was done after two children. As much as I'd love another baby, I would drown in the laundry pile alone. I have a basket next to my bed that holds the umpteen thousand single pairs of socks. Once in a blue moon, I dump it onto my bed in hopes of reuniting long lost pairs and do so with some success. This is when I make the executive decision to let go of the singles that have wiled away their final hours alone for far too long. Then as soon as I do that, I usually find their twin. It never fails.

The other area that I am really bad at organizing is our papers. We have a file cabinet that was organized at one time, but is dire need of rearranging. It's amazing how hard I work to keep my files in order when I am on the job, but can't at home to save my life. Now I am trying to bring that anal-retentive nature home so that I might magically get our stuff sorted out. My coffee and kitchen tables have become vortexes that until now I just turned a blind eye too. The other night I got fed up with the mess and just piled every random paper or piece of mail into one pile on the floor. I figured if I could see the wood again, I could start from scratch. When it is all spread out, it's too much for me. When it is in a stack, I can go through each item and discard or keep. It's the ongoing keep pile that I need to actually stick into the file cabinet and get that organized as well. It's a haphazard system that I am trying to perfect, so it's a when I'm really-in-the-mood kind of project.

I found a great website that gives some valuable tips on how to get organized. While I don't plan to use them all, some of them were really useful. Go to http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/how-to-get-organized. Ever since I was pregnant with my firstborn, I've learned to be content with accomplishing at least one great task a day and working towards the next one another day. Today I finally made a bunch of phone calls to make appointments for the dentist, the car, and such. Now I think I'll tackle the dog hair that has accumulated on the stairs. Maybe I'll make a huge checklist of what I'd like to accomplish and that way I can enjoy the feeling of crossing items off of it. Will keep you posted on my progress.

The Colors of Costco

This is gonna sound really strange, but read on. As I was sitting with my kids in the food court at Costco, waiting for hubby to bring us our hot dogs, something very wonderful struck me. My kids were jabbering away as I glanced at the many families surrounding us. I first noticed the family next to us. There was a black man with his white wife and their two beautiful toddler boys. Then my eyes wandered around and saw an elderly white gentleman in a suit, learning how to say some words in Spanish from the Latino family sitting at the table next to him. Next, I saw about three or four families of varying Asian descents. About four tables over, I noticed another interracial family. The husband was white and the wife appeared to be Filipino and they were busy admiring the cute kids of the first family I mentioned. Across several more tables, I saw one of my former Latino students with his family, who spoke only minimal English. He had moved here with them when he was a 3rd grader. Why does any of this matter? It matters only because Martin Luther King, Jr. suddenly popped into my head as I sat there people-watching. His dream was for people of all creeds and colors to be okay with one another and this day was an example that dream finally coming to fruition. Maybe it was a naive observation on my part and I don't know if other people notice things like this, but it definitely put a smile on my face. I pointed it out to my husband and he thought it was pretty cool too. We got to talking how it would've been amazing if MLK had lived to see such a thing. At least his wife, Coretta, was able too. It's especially poignant considering his first grandbaby was born earlier this year. Anyhow, I guess it was just one of those profound moments when you take time to smell the roses and take it all in. And that's a good thing in my book.

Freedom Writers

Awhile back, I got a great deal on some DVD's at a nearby video store. It was a buy two get two free deal. I picked up Dreamer and The Last Mimzy for the kids, while I got Ocean's Thirteen and Freedom Writers for hubby and I. It took me forever to finally sit down and watch Freedom Writers. I had heard so many wonderful things about this movie and was expecting greatness. I knew it would be intense, so I had to be in the mood to watch it. Finally, I did see it the other night. It truly lived up to the hype and is really an inspirational film. It follows the story of Erin Gruwell, a first-time teacher that finds herself teaching language arts to a newly integrated high school in the heart of LA in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict. The LA riots left the city in ruins and the kids reeling from racial tensions. Erin, in all her enthusiasm and idealism, sets out to buck an uncaring system and make a real difference in these kids lives. She takes Luanne Johnson's methods from Dangerous Minds to a whole new level. She works two extra jobs to pay for incredible field trips and to provide unique learning opportunities for her students in and out of the classroom. She is met with resistance from her students at first, but soon they realize this class is the place where they can truly become a family. Erin Gruwell give them an opportunity to give a voice to their experiences. This film was based on a true story and told from the students' perspectives from The Freedom Writers' Diary. I was impressed, inspired, and appalled at what these children lived through. Anyhow, it is definitely a must-see film and will move you. As a teacher, this is the kind of movie I love for obvious reasons, but also because it helps me aspire to be as good as Erin.

Around the Bend

We had a long and busy weekend as I drove the kids and myself to Bend for a visit. Hubby had to work, so he didn't go. Just outside of Sandy was a traveling exhibit for veterans. It was a ton of American flags planted in the ground, just waving in the wind. We stopped and paid our respects as both my grandfathers' fought in WWII. IT was truly an amazing sight and you could feel the history behind the flags.

We stayed for about five days with my folks, since we hadn't seen the whole family since Christmastime. We tried to drive through Warm Springs, but got detoured about an hour out of the way (up through Maupin to hwy 97) due to a fire burning over the ridge above town. The smoke was pretty thick and you could even see the flames. Made for a longer trip, but exciting I suppose. The kids were very tired by the time we arrived though. We were supposed to go to Munch 'n Music (concerts in the park) with my folks in downtown Bend, but ended up missing that due to the detour.

Friday was fairly eventful. My dad took the kids and I to the park to feed the ducks and explore a little bit. They always have a grand time when we go to Drake Park. It is quite expansive and reknowned for the duck, geese, and the occasional swan that inhabit Mirror Pond (for which Mirror Pond Pale Ale is named). We also had lunch at Dairy Queen. The kids each had their first Dilly Bar. =)

Then my cousin Tereasa drove us (they were trying to help me conserve gas for the trip home) to their (my cousin Ron too) place to see the progress on their home they've been building for almost year. The kids got to ride their horses bareback. It was K's first time ever on a horse and Nicky's second time. Tereasa led K around the corale (sp?) and N's horse just followed along like they were on any old trail. They were so cute and had such a great time with that. I think it was the highlight of the trip for them. Tereasa was fearless as she stomped through manure and antpiles in her sandals to lead the horses around. The kids were enjoying themselves so much and didn't wanna leave.

On Saturday, my mom and I got up very early to go to the Sisters Outdoor Quiltshow. It's an annual event that my mom has been going to for years, but it was my first time. We got there in time to get a shady spot right in town. Guess my mom gets that same spot pretty much every year. As the day wore on, people had to park way out of town and walk quite a ways, so we were lucky. We immediately went to find my mom's quilt submission entitled, "Moon Over Mountain." Her quilt pattern was simple and beautiful. I loved the colors and fabrics she selected. It really stood out in a good way in the sea of more traditional pinwheels, rings, and such. We ate hot dogs for lunch and soon called it a day. After about 3 or 4 hours of walking around, we were both tired. Since we still had to go to a birthday party that afternoon, we decided to go to Walmart to kill some time.

That afternoon, we went to a park in Redmond for my cousin Val's daughter's one year birthday celebration. Her husband, Isaac, arrived to find that their reserved spot was occupied. Since he paid for the spot, he was entitled to ask them to move. Let's just say that the other people were not budging for anything or anyone. Val arrived with the paperwork to prove it was reserved and the police had to come to get the other party to move to another location. It was crazy and just plain drama as these people raised a big stink about it all. I felt so sorry for Isaac as he was not feeling well to begin with and just wanted his daughter's birthday to be fun. Anyway, the party finally got under way and a good time was had by all. Both sides of Val and Isaac's family were there, so we were well-fed. We ate good BBQ and cupcakes for desert. My mom left early due to her not feeling well either. After spending all day in the sun, I was feeling a little baked (not in the herbal way) and just wanted to go vege at the house.

By Sunday, I was feeling very mellow and tired. We had planned to go up to the lake to swim, but that didn't work out. I wanted to do something fun for the kids, but couldn't decide on what. Finally, my dad took us downtown to the summer festival. The kids played in the hands-on children's museum booths, ate lunch, and waded in the river. N kept climbing on the rocks and tempting the current. It has a bad undertow and since didn't have a life jacket, he wasn't allowed to swim. He wouldn't listen to my warnings to stay near the shore and be careful. Just as I was about to take him out of the water, he slipped and fell. He wasn't hurt, just got his clothes all wet. I couldn't help but laugh and tell him "I told you so." Not very nice of me, but he got over it pretty quickly. He definitely learned his lesson the hard way and didn't like the feeling of wet underwear. We BBQ'd that night (yes I felt like I was Od'ing on BBQ) and visited with more family.

On Monday, we packed up to leave. I agreed to drive my niece, M, home to her mom's. First though, we met my best friend from high school at a nearby park. We hadn't seen each other in years (not since N was under 2) and so it was great to catch up. The kids played together and it was great catching up with Jen. Poor M waited around for us to gab for about an hour. I made it up to her later though. We finally go on our way, only for the kids to complain about needing to go potty in the middle of nowhere. Well, we stopped at lovely viewpoint of the Three Sisters Mountains and tried to get K to squat in the brush. That didn't work out, but N was successful. Yes, not at all classy, but when you gotta go you gotta go. We finally got to Sisters and K did her business at last. We made a pitstop at the Candy Bin (much to M's delight) to stock up on a few goodies for the trip back. I dropped her off in Salem with her mom and then made it home.

It was another crazy busy time, but made more memories that will need scrapbooking. I also got a phone call from a school district that wants to interview me, so it put a smile on my face for the remainder of the drive home. I am now home and facing mounds of housework and projects that need to get underway. It's amazing how fast the summer days go by. I was in awe that Target is already stocking up for back to school supplies. Where does the time go?

Ahoy Matey!

I can now officially cross something off of my bucket list. Thanks to my best friend and her father, I was able to swim with dolphins at long last and go on a sea cruise to boot. I've been home for a bit now and feel caught up with my family, so I thought I'd blog about the trip for those of you who care. :)

Tuesday

I dropped the kids off with their Grandma Jeanne on Tuesday night. It was easier than scrambling around with them the next day and was one less thing to do. They were ecstatic to stay with her and I knew they'd be so busy with her that they'd have plenty to keep them happy. Hubby picked me up and we spent the evening together. It was nice having it just be us.

Wednesday

Early Wednesday morning, Hubby drove me to the airport as it is fairly close to his work. It was nice not having to take the train for once. We said our goodbyes and I was off to Texas. The plane ride was pretty smooth all the way to Houston.

Once I touched down in Houston, Shelley and her dad picked me up at the airport. We then proceeded to drive the scenic route (as my dad likes to call it) to Outback for dinner. For some reason, we had a lot of trouble finding it and Shelley's husband had the patience of a saint as he waited for us at the restaurant for us. It was worth the wait though as dinner was GOOD. Shelley and I stayed up visiting for awhile, but then decided to get some rest as we had a long day ahead of us.

Thursday

Shelley's dad picked us up and took us to breakfast at Denny's on our way down to Galveston. We made a pitstop at Target for some last minute supplies and then finally we off to the port. We bid farewell to Shelley's dad and thanked him for his many kindnesses. Then we spent the next few hours "getting processed" and boarded the cruise ship Carnival Ecstasy. They were busy cleaning staterooms, so we had to wait on the Lido Deck (so very Love Boat) as we took in our home for the next four days. Shelley and I got sick of that area so we found a nook on the side of the ship and just sat there for a long time as we waited to leave port. We marveled at the the polluted water and oil rigs across the bay from us. It was really cool when we finally pulled out of Galveston and were at sea at last. As we made our way into the Gulf of Mexico, the water became a vibrant blue and we knew our vacation had a officially started.

We explored the ship and unpacked our stuff in our stateroom. We also discovered that our seating time for dinner wasn't until 8:15, so we went to the early revue show. This consisted of dancers, singers, and a band in the Blue Sapphire lounge. I grew to love the sparkly curtain in this place for some off reason. When we finally sat down for dinner, we were famished. We met two of our tablemates and learned that they were on there celebrating an anniversary and were from the same area as Shelley. After a disastrous time learning how to order properly and from whom to do this, I dug into a really delicious meal. I had Cornfed Chicken, veggies, and chocolate melting cake (sinful treat). After dinner, we went up to the deck and looked out the blackness of the night at sea. It was soooooo windy! We decided to make it a nightly ritual so that we took time to appreciate everything around us. The day had been long and so we retired to our stateroom.

Friday

Since we were at sea all day, we found a host activities to keep us busy. The day began with Shelley and I splurging for mini-massages and facials at the spa. The only appointments available were at 8am, so we rolled out of bed and enjoyed a lovely morning treat. It was my first ever facial, so that was extra nice. We grabbed some breakfast and returned to our room to sleep a bit more as were both fatigued. I was still recovering from a lingering cold and Shelley was starting to drag (turned out she was starting to get the early stages of a cold). After some rest, we checked out a number on board games and activities. We enjoyed Name That Tune and even won the Digital Scavenger Hunt. The latter was when you had to take pictures of a bunch of items on a list and the things were scattered around the ship. We won golden plastic ship trophies and were very proud of this. Hey, not much to do aboard a ship. =)

After running amok the ship for the scavenger hunt, we realized we how tired we'd gotten. Since there was plenty of time before dinner, we thought we'd rest a little bit. It was elegant night, so we had to dress up for dinner. Again, we caught the early revue before heading to dinner. This meal went much more smoothly and our waiters seemed to be loosening up a bit. Sadly, I can't remember all that we did after that, but enjoyed an R-rated comedy show at midnight with Roman. I think we decided to come back to our room early. We knew that the next day was going to be a big one, so we hit the hay.

Saturday

I woke up pretty early as I just was too wound up to sleep. We docked in Cozumel at 9:30ish. There was a big crunch of people as we left the ship and waited for our shore excursion group to depart. Once we arrived in separate taxis at the Dolphinaris. It was almost a two hour process from the time we left our spot to the time we actually got in the water, which only made the anticipation all the more great. During our wait time, we got to know an awesome young girl named Kinzey and her stepmom. Kinsey dreamed of being a dolphin trainer someday, so it was cool to see the experience through her eyes as well. Her stepmom wasn't going in the water, so Kinsey stuck close to Shelley and I throughout.

Once we got in the water, we were on cloud nine. We got to learn different hand signals to encourage the dolphins to do little tricks such as wave and stuff. They allowed us to hold out our hands so that the two dolphins in our group could swim by and we could feel their bodies. Then we took turns getting to shake hands and receive dolphin kisses for photo opps. Then we each got a little ride on the dolphin's bellies. The finale was getting to watch our dolphins do several leaps into the air and do a little dance. It was amazing time that went way too fast. I would so do it again in a heartbeat. This experience was the highlight of the whole trip.

Shelley and I spent the rest of our time in Cozumel exploring the streets and shopping for souvenirs. We ate at a great little open-air cafe. We were even serenaded. While everyone else in town was living it up at Senor Frog's, we opted to keep it low key, though we did take a few obligatory photos with Senor Frog himself. It was terribly difficult to tear ourselves away from the myriad of shops as I kept finding last minute bargains along the way. With about 10 minutes to spare, we made it back to the ship, though we had to wait on the gangway for another half hour just to get through security. We were fried in every sense of the word. We skipped the formal dinner and just grabbed a quick bite on the Lido deck. We decided to sing a little karaoke as well. Shelley and I did a wonderful rendition of 9 to 5 (at least it was music to our ears anyway).

Sunday

This was another day spent at sea. We did a variety of activities on this final full day aboard the ship. We each bought a Carribbean-themed scrapbook and Shelley cleaned up at clearance sale in the gift shop. We enjoyed one final revue and dinner with our tablemates. I dragged an exhausted Shelley to another evening of karaoke (just listened this time) and comedy. This comedy show brought me to tears, I laughed that hard. Shelley was really starting to feel the effects of her cold and was a real trooper for going to all these things with me. We made sure to say good night to the sea one last time before turning in for the night. Had to get our luggage packed and set outside our rooms before midnight, so that reduced the clutter in our room.

Monday

Monday morning was spent primarily waiting to get off the ship and waiting in lines to get through customs. Shelley and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and reminisced about the memories we'd just made. When we finally left port, Shelley's husband picked us up. We made a pitstop at Sonic for some chow. I'm sorry, but Sonic has the best onion rings and milkshake, except for maybe Burgerville. :)

When we finally made it back to Shelley's place, we decided to take a break and nap before heading back out. At about 5 o'clock, Shelley and I went to our little beignet cafe, known as Crescent City Diner. We each had some red beans and rice with beignets for dessert. We then went to see Sex in the City. That movie was so worth the wait and I am definitely getting it on video! Shelley and I were both pretty exhausted and a little on the snippy side, so we suffered through and survived our first-ever fight. Neither of us slept too well that night.

Tuesday

We both got up at the butt crack of dawn to make my plane. We said our goodbyes and that was that. I ate a quick breakfast at one of the airport cafes and waited to board the plane. The great thing about traveling back through the time difference, is that I got back pretty early. In fact, my husband decided at the last minute to pick me up at the airport and take me to lunch (something we rarely get to do together on a workday) at a TexMex restaurant of all places (oh the irony). It felt so good to see him again. I was pretty emotional, so he was really my rock as I pulled myself together. He dropped me off at the train station and I rode it back to Beaverton where my MIL met me with the kids. I then drove the kids the rest of the way home. We got home just in time to turn around and head over to his art class that started at 3pm. It was a busy day to say the least.

As it turns out, seeing Shelley is always a carthartic experience in everyway. With the exception of that one blip, we had a fantastic voyage! Shelley made my dream of swimming with dolphins come true and I will forever be grateful to her for just being the most amazing friend a person could have. She knows how much I love her and I am proud to say that I am the lucky one to have her in my life. I will try to post additional pictures soon, including those from the dolphin swim!

Treading Water

So I finally finished work and think the decompression process has begun. I am feeling some distance between the craziness of last week and the business of getting ready for the cruise with my best friend. In approximately two days we'll be at sea at this time. In the interim, I will need to finish a lot of laundry and packing. I accept that the house will just not be ship-shape as there just isn't enough time, but I can at least make an attempt to get some things in order.

Today was very productive and odd. I started out the morning by getting some pictures ordered through Costco, but never got around to picking up...so that's on tomorrow's agenda. Then I drove downtown to take N to his art class. I got some bad directions and ended up walking about 5 blocks extra to get to the right building. So we practically run to get there in time only to find out that the class had been canceled due to not enough participants. If they called to tell me, I never got the message. The were having some admin issues, so they redirected me to the local pool where I had orignially signed N up for his class. So we walk the 5 blocks back to the car and drive over to the pool. The front desk people spent the next 15 minutes trying to figure out how to straighten everything out and get N into another class. Finally, we got the matter settled and had to fork more moolah for the new class til the city fathers refund the original amount.

Then we went over to the library to check out some books for the kids to read and to play at the nearby park. Next, we went over to the nail place so I could get my nails done. I've been having solar overlay own nails for the last few months (as opposed to fake add-ons) and I'm gonna go back to my own next month (too spendy on the upkeep)...but I digress. So after that, I dropped the kids off at the babysitter's so I could get ready for a job interview. I drove out to McMinnville, which is about 45 minutes from where I live. The interview went well and so I treated myself to some curly fries from Arby's on the way home. I picked up the kids and plopped in my chair to blog about all this. Tedious details about my day, but at least I'm finally blogging more consistently!

I feel as though I've gone from diving into the deep end of the pool (first year of teaching), feeling like I'm drowning (again...first year of teaching), to floating (figuring things out), to simply treading water (waiting for the trip to begin). Now I'm gonna be setting sail...okay this metaphor is wearing out...I think you get my point though. Though I have to gush though about how excited I am for this trip of a lifetime with my best friend. She is treating me to a cruise to Cozumel so that I can swim with the dolphins, a dream of mine. Will miss the kids and hubby, but I truly can't wait for this adventure to begin! I'll post some pics after I get back.

Need to count sheep now

Okay, I think I must be losing it. After a very busy final few weeks of work, my job has finally ended. In addition to packing up my classroom, I completed report cards, CIM and CUM files, finished the-end-of-year slideshow, volunteered for the closing gala and country fair carnival, and took care of a ton of graduation and final field trip activities for my graduating 6th graders. That final day of seeing my baby birds leave the nest for middle school was emotional enough. Oh, and did I mention I did all of this while nursing a cold? I may be a lot of things, but a slacker is not one of them. Though I guess could change a little now that summer is upon us. Why do I mention all of this? Well, read on...

The hardest part of all of this during the last couple of weeks hasn't been so much the workload, but the lack of sleep. I get a case of insomnia almost every night. I slept like a rock last night since I took some medication for this cold. Tonight I forgot to and here I am blogging at 5am. I am stressing over whether or not I should return some items that I purchased yesterday. It seems to be a clear cut case of shopper's remorse. I need the items, but I don't. It's that simple. Also, I rememembered that a certain student of mine needed something mailed out with his report card, so I emailed the school secretary about it since I am officially no longer employed there. My one year temporary status as a teacher is now on hiatus until I find another job. I went out to lunch with a coworker/friend and we commiserated on the past year. We agreed to keep in touch.

This is all why I think I'm losing it. I feel as though I am absorbing too much stress and it is taking a toll on my dreams. I dream about the oddest things. In one, I was wandering aimlessly through the halls of a nearby high school as I searched in vain for a restroom to use. Never did find it. Another time, I dreamed about watching circular chicken-like hamburgers on a conveyer belt like an old sushi bar I once ate at. Make any sense? Didn't to me at the time either. I guess that's what the mind and our subconscious are good at. If there are hidden meanings or more layers to these thoughts and dreams, I haven't figured them out yet.

My guess is that I just haven't fully decompressed from the whole experience. To those of you who know me well, know that this job was tough from the getgo for a variety of reasons that I will not bore you with now. Suffice it say though that I won't miss everyone or everything about the school. The cloud of negativity will hopefully follow certain people and free us all of their gloominess. However, I did make some really nice friendships and connections with some amazing staff and children though and that is what I will miss and treasure. The school will be torn down and that is bittersweet. It's an old, rundown building that holds a lot of memories for a lot of people. The new school can start fresh and has brand new everything. It will be interesting to see how the next school year unfolds as the new school gets its legs and starts to grow.

In the meantime, I am hopeful that the upcoming trip with my best friend to Cozumel will rejuvenate me in every way so that I can be at 100% once more. I want to let the stress and petty things roll off of my back more and a dose of my Shelley is always a surefire cure of any blues I might have. Somehow, I will find a way to sleep. I just hope my body clock stops waking me up at dawn. Seriously, I wake up almost every morning between 4 and 5am. I am super happy though that my own kids and I will get to spend a lot more time together now. A fellow teacher reminded me of something yesterday that really gave me pause to think. She said that even though I learned to teach 6th grade pretty well in the end, she asked at what cost to my own family? She said that I had given so much of myself to my students that I wasn't able to devote some of that energy to my little ones. It really hit me that she was so right.

My students are definitely in the "have not" category, so I think tried to go above and beyond for them whenever possible. While that's good that I cared deeply for my students and made some positive connections with them, I also believe now that I am meant to move onto something less consuming. I often felt like their mom and nurtured them as such. Teaching is challenging and rewarding, but I don't want to let it take over my life. I need to remember that my kids need their mother as well. N and K have a summer full of fun activities ahead of them and we'll be making many more memories in the coming months. I did get to bring my daughter with me to work one day and she got to see what mommy does all day. They also came after school on occasion, so they at least there on some level. Anyhow, I need to stop rambling and get back to sleep. Can't wait for summer to seep into my soul and I can get on with the business of living life and all that good stuff.