Well, folks, it's crunch time. Pretty much everything is done but it still seems as though there is a lot more to do. We replaced a door that needed replacing, replaced some vertical blinds, Wayne is painting a few rooms, 90% of our things are packed. Even with all of that done I still feel as though I should be doing something, but, to be honest, there's not much I can do. The things left over are clothes and toiletries that we may need. There are also a few pots and pans that we have been using. Then there are the odds and ends. I make periodic perimeter sweeps and toss the random objects that are laying around in a box. When the box is full I go through it to determine if the objects are keepers, tossers or we need to keep it outers. Now, even though I don't feel right doing it, I am sitting here with almost nothing to do. That sounds like a good thing, but I just feel....WRONG. Ah well, I suppose I should thank my lucky stars that I'm not scrambling around to get things done, yes?
SmartyPants has been a pretty good help with the moving. She gets irritated when we ask her to do stuff, but she does it regardless. WiseGuy, on the other hand, has been a hinderance ;) I didn't expect any less, honestly. How could I? He's 5 years old and wants to play with his toys that are boxed up. We're going to wait and pack up the Xbox at the very last minute because, as much as I hate to admit it, that has been our saving grace with him. It keeps him in one spot and keeps his attention away from the various toys of his that we are throwing away or donating.
2 more days
2 more days
2 more days
Monday, May 28, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Sibling Rivalry
Only two days into summer vacation and already the kids are at each other. WiseGuy walks by SmartyPants and smacks her in the back of the head, SmartyPants retaliates by grabbing his foot and tripping him and he responds by attempting to bite her all the while emitting an awful piercing shriek. That boy can call dogs from two miles away and communicate with dolphins, I swear it!
I've told them to go ahead and hurt each other because eventually they'll knock each other unconscious and I won't have to listen to them anymore. SmartyPants looked at me as if I had lost my marbles and WiseGuy had a twinkle in his eye. Of course, I retracted that statement and told them that if they kept it up I would tie the two of them together so they couldn't get away from one another.
They quickly dispersed.
I've told them to go ahead and hurt each other because eventually they'll knock each other unconscious and I won't have to listen to them anymore. SmartyPants looked at me as if I had lost my marbles and WiseGuy had a twinkle in his eye. Of course, I retracted that statement and told them that if they kept it up I would tie the two of them together so they couldn't get away from one another.
They quickly dispersed.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Toys, Back Pain and Report Cards
Can I just tell you that my house looks as though a hurricane has blown through it? I speak from experience people! I've got half full boxes littering each room of the house, packed and taped boxes stack against a wall in what used to be our dining room and TOYS TOYS TOYS still scattered amongst it all. Today that all changes.
Yesterday was my last day of work and the kids' last day of school. Today I have to buckle down and fill as many boxes as possible and get them stacked in the dining room. This will include a majority of the toys, much to WiseGuy's chagrin. I'll be leaving some choice cars and trains out for him but the rest have GOT TO GO! This weekend we have to vacate our storage facility and we need somewhere to put all the stuff that we couldn't fit into our house (yeah, they were in storage for a REASON) and so that is my task for the next few days....to turn our itty bitty apartment into a storage facility....NO, I mean, to make room for all of our lovely things . Why must we vacate this weekend rather than just load everything directly into our moving van like normal people? Well, maybe because we aren't normal, HELLO! No, actually, because the billing cycle starts on the 26th of each month, so if we stay past the 26th we will have to pay for an entire month that we just won't be using and that's a waste of a valuable resource (AKA money!) Yes, I realize that I am sitting at the computer versus doing all of these things that I am typing about, but I am giving myself some time each morning to wake up and let my back stretch itself out. For those who don't know, I've had some major back issues as of late but that is slowly getting resolved with the help of a Cortisone shot to the rear, some anti-inflammatories and some real good pain meds. So, I'm giving myself until 9am to sit, check out some blogs, some email and some of my regular websites, let my pain meds kick in and psyche myself up for THE BIG PACK UP!
Send those good vibes and many prayers, my friends! The good Lord knows I'll need them!
_________________________________________________________________
I wanted to add a little to this post and let everyone know how SUPER PROUD I am of my wee ones and their report cards!
I never worry about SmartyPants. The girl is gifted and amazes me all the time. Even before she was diagnosed with ADD she was getting A's and B's. Now that we know what was going on with her in school and have the right tools to deal with her ADD she gets straight A's every time. This entire year her report card has been loaded with A's....not a B on the paper! There have been several areas in the other subjects where she has been sort of lacking....you now the subject I mean...the ones where you get E for excellent, G for good, S for satisfactory and N for need improvement. She used to get N or S for her handwriting. Yesh folks, it was that bad. This year she spent the first three grading periods with a G and was VERY happy with that because it showed me she was trying. Well, for the very first time my girl got an E in handwriting! It shows me she is developing the discipline to slow down and take the time to write her answers neatly! She used to breeze through tests thinking that it meant she was smarter and better because she was done first. I've always told her that it doesn't matter if your answers are correct if no one can READ them. Seems she has taken this to heart and is taking her time to make her papers presentable and I am very proud of her for that! And of course she was promoted to the Fifth grade!
Now....as for WiseGuy....well...folks, I'm proud of his academic abilities, but his behavior leaves a lot to be desired. Here's the thing....he was actually 4 years old when he started school this year. He turned 5 a week after. He did meet the cut off date and had been in Pre K so we thought he was generally ready for school. But oh my goodness! Notes home from the teacher constantly were a reminder that he ws younger and let mature than his classmates. I will type out his report card below for all four grading periods and you'll see what I mean
Performance scale: S- Satisfactory N-Needs Improvement (that's all they get in Kindergarten)
Grading Period -----------1 2 3 4
Language Arts -----------S S S S
Mathematics -------------S S S S
Social Studies
----Participates by listening and following directions ---S S S S
Science/Health
----Participates by listening and following directions --N N N N
Phys Ed
----Listens and follows directions ----------------------S S N N
----Demonstrates Knowledge--------------------------S S S S
Music
----Listens and follows directions ---------------------S N N N
----Demonstrates Knowledge-------------------------S S S S
Art
----Listens and follows directions-------------------- N N N N
----Demonstrates Knowledge -----------------------S S S S
(Ok, so far can you see what I mean? He has the knowledge but he DOESN'T LISTEN!)
SCHOOL BEHAVIOR/PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Takes pride in work ---------N N S- S-
Makes wise use of time------N N S- S
Listens attentively ----------N N S- S-
Follows directions -----------S S S S
Respects rights and property of others----S S S S
Works and plays cooperatively ------N S- S- N
Works Independantly
Respects Authority
Completes Class Assignments
Returns books, forms, etc. on time --All of the above S S S S
The rest of the report card just shows what skills he has and he has them all, which is great. But I worry. He really is a smart kid but he is ALL OVER THE PLACE. We are hoping he gains some maturity over the summer and maybe calms down a bit. I certainly wouldn't change my little man for anything, but I just want to be sure he gets the best education possible....and how can you soak up the knowledge when you are busy jumping off of chairs and making animal noises (both things he has been routinely guilty of throughout the year)
Regardless, I am very proud of both of my children. The both received several awards. SmartyPants got straight A honor roll, perfect attendance and the Math Drill award. WiseGuy received S honor roll and a Math Drill award.
YAY FOR MY BABIES!!!
Yesterday was my last day of work and the kids' last day of school. Today I have to buckle down and fill as many boxes as possible and get them stacked in the dining room. This will include a majority of the toys, much to WiseGuy's chagrin. I'll be leaving some choice cars and trains out for him but the rest have GOT TO GO! This weekend we have to vacate our storage facility and we need somewhere to put all the stuff that we couldn't fit into our house (yeah, they were in storage for a REASON) and so that is my task for the next few days....to turn our itty bitty apartment into a storage facility....NO, I mean, to make room for all of our lovely things . Why must we vacate this weekend rather than just load everything directly into our moving van like normal people? Well, maybe because we aren't normal, HELLO! No, actually, because the billing cycle starts on the 26th of each month, so if we stay past the 26th we will have to pay for an entire month that we just won't be using and that's a waste of a valuable resource (AKA money!) Yes, I realize that I am sitting at the computer versus doing all of these things that I am typing about, but I am giving myself some time each morning to wake up and let my back stretch itself out. For those who don't know, I've had some major back issues as of late but that is slowly getting resolved with the help of a Cortisone shot to the rear, some anti-inflammatories and some real good pain meds. So, I'm giving myself until 9am to sit, check out some blogs, some email and some of my regular websites, let my pain meds kick in and psyche myself up for THE BIG PACK UP!
Send those good vibes and many prayers, my friends! The good Lord knows I'll need them!
_________________________________________________________________
I wanted to add a little to this post and let everyone know how SUPER PROUD I am of my wee ones and their report cards!
I never worry about SmartyPants. The girl is gifted and amazes me all the time. Even before she was diagnosed with ADD she was getting A's and B's. Now that we know what was going on with her in school and have the right tools to deal with her ADD she gets straight A's every time. This entire year her report card has been loaded with A's....not a B on the paper! There have been several areas in the other subjects where she has been sort of lacking....you now the subject I mean...the ones where you get E for excellent, G for good, S for satisfactory and N for need improvement. She used to get N or S for her handwriting. Yesh folks, it was that bad. This year she spent the first three grading periods with a G and was VERY happy with that because it showed me she was trying. Well, for the very first time my girl got an E in handwriting! It shows me she is developing the discipline to slow down and take the time to write her answers neatly! She used to breeze through tests thinking that it meant she was smarter and better because she was done first. I've always told her that it doesn't matter if your answers are correct if no one can READ them. Seems she has taken this to heart and is taking her time to make her papers presentable and I am very proud of her for that! And of course she was promoted to the Fifth grade!
Now....as for WiseGuy....well...folks, I'm proud of his academic abilities, but his behavior leaves a lot to be desired. Here's the thing....he was actually 4 years old when he started school this year. He turned 5 a week after. He did meet the cut off date and had been in Pre K so we thought he was generally ready for school. But oh my goodness! Notes home from the teacher constantly were a reminder that he ws younger and let mature than his classmates. I will type out his report card below for all four grading periods and you'll see what I mean
Performance scale: S- Satisfactory N-Needs Improvement (that's all they get in Kindergarten)
Grading Period -----------1 2 3 4
Language Arts -----------S S S S
Mathematics -------------S S S S
Social Studies
----Participates by listening and following directions ---S S S S
Science/Health
----Participates by listening and following directions --N N N N
Phys Ed
----Listens and follows directions ----------------------S S N N
----Demonstrates Knowledge--------------------------S S S S
Music
----Listens and follows directions ---------------------S N N N
----Demonstrates Knowledge-------------------------S S S S
Art
----Listens and follows directions-------------------- N N N N
----Demonstrates Knowledge -----------------------S S S S
(Ok, so far can you see what I mean? He has the knowledge but he DOESN'T LISTEN!)
SCHOOL BEHAVIOR/PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Takes pride in work ---------N N S- S-
Makes wise use of time------N N S- S
Listens attentively ----------N N S- S-
Follows directions -----------S S S S
Respects rights and property of others----S S S S
Works and plays cooperatively ------N S- S- N
Works Independantly
Respects Authority
Completes Class Assignments
Returns books, forms, etc. on time --All of the above S S S S
The rest of the report card just shows what skills he has and he has them all, which is great. But I worry. He really is a smart kid but he is ALL OVER THE PLACE. We are hoping he gains some maturity over the summer and maybe calms down a bit. I certainly wouldn't change my little man for anything, but I just want to be sure he gets the best education possible....and how can you soak up the knowledge when you are busy jumping off of chairs and making animal noises (both things he has been routinely guilty of throughout the year)
Regardless, I am very proud of both of my children. The both received several awards. SmartyPants got straight A honor roll, perfect attendance and the Math Drill award. WiseGuy received S honor roll and a Math Drill award.
YAY FOR MY BABIES!!!
Monday, May 14, 2007
So Much Done, So Much To Do
16 days and counting, my friends, until I return to the state of my birth. Just a little over two weeks. I've already put the cancellation in for the electric and the cable, Wayne is going to take care of the water (I hope.) I've gone through the kids' toys, downsizing from 5 huge Tupperware bins down to 2 huge Tupperware bins...of course there are plenty of straggler toys, but that's what the extra bins are for! I've packed up the dining room, sifting through the craft boxes and junk drawers. I've taken down the pictures on the walls and packed them away. I'm still collecting boxes from work for the rest of our things. This is my last full week of work and the kids last full week of school.
I feel like I've done SO MUCH already, yet I look around and realize I still have SO MUCH to do. I need to go through all of our clothes and donate the outfits that we have long outgrown (by WE I mean the kids AND Wayne and I....you know those clothes....the ones that you look at and tell yourself that you will loose weight and fit into them one day...yeah, uh huh...those) or things that we haven't worn in over 6 months. I have our bedroom closet to go through, our desk to go through another computer desk to clear off, pots, pans, dishes and glasses to pack and a storage facility to sort through yet. I'm sure I've got enough time, it's just such a daunting task and I would SO like to get it done before the kids are out of school, but I know that I will have more time when I am finished with work and so I will just suck it up and press forward.
Time seemed to drag on up to this point and now it's starting to speed up towards moving day.
Pennsylvania, HERE I COME!!!
I feel like I've done SO MUCH already, yet I look around and realize I still have SO MUCH to do. I need to go through all of our clothes and donate the outfits that we have long outgrown (by WE I mean the kids AND Wayne and I....you know those clothes....the ones that you look at and tell yourself that you will loose weight and fit into them one day...yeah, uh huh...those) or things that we haven't worn in over 6 months. I have our bedroom closet to go through, our desk to go through another computer desk to clear off, pots, pans, dishes and glasses to pack and a storage facility to sort through yet. I'm sure I've got enough time, it's just such a daunting task and I would SO like to get it done before the kids are out of school, but I know that I will have more time when I am finished with work and so I will just suck it up and press forward.
Time seemed to drag on up to this point and now it's starting to speed up towards moving day.
Pennsylvania, HERE I COME!!!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Happy Mother's Day
As per usual, the kids made Mother's Day gifts in school to bring home for me. WiseGuy's teacher had a form that she filled in after asking the kids questions. WiseGuy's answers made me laugh and cry. I've posted it below. The phrases in pink were the answers given by WiseGuy.
I love that little man of mine!
Hope all of the mom's out there have a wonderful Mother's Day!
My mother is the most wonderful mom in the whole world!
She's as pretty as a boat. (that's a compliment from a five year old boy, to be sure!)
She weighs 33 lbs. (I WISH!)
She is 16 feet tall. (Combine that with my weight and I'm a STICK!)
Her favorite food is salad. (Not quite, but it SOUNDS great)
I think my Mom looks funny when she tells jokes. (And here I thought I only SOUNDED funny)
But I know she is really angry when she tells me to clean up. (Naturally!)
I wish Mom would go to the movies with me every day. (I would have to get a second job to afford THAT these days)
My Mom's best friend is [SmartyPants] and me. (Of course!)
Her favorite TV show is Funniest Animals. (Who can resist funny animals?!)
She can cook noodles the best. (I'm a noodle QUEEN!)
I would like to buy her a golden star. (AWWWW!!!)
I wouldn't trade my Mom for a diamond. (THAT line made me CRY!)
I love that little man of mine!
Hope all of the mom's out there have a wonderful Mother's Day!
Monday, May 07, 2007
Tag I'M It!
Wheeee!!! I was just tagged by Aimee to do the 7 Things meme. I need to come up with 7 facts/habits about myself and put them here. I don't know that I've ever thought about this sort of stuff so this could take a little bit to come up....but here goes!
1. I have rats for pets. Yes, you read that correctly....rats. Working in a pet shop I've learned a lot of things about a lot of different animals. One of those thing is that rats make awesome pets. Now, I'm not talking about rats that you've picked up out of the sewer or anything, here. These were bred and raised at our store. I was lucky enough to have seen the birth of both our girls and handled them from day one. They are smart little buggers, they come when you call their name and easily learn tricks. They are like little dogs! Most people just shudder when I tell them...and a year ago I probably would've done the same. Nowadays I just wish I had more room to get more rats. They never bite, they are great with the kids and easy to take care of.
2. I want to be a pastry chef. You know, like the ones on The Food Network who do the different cake challenges and build The Coliseum out of rice krispie treats!
3. I sleep with approximately 9 pillows on my bed....and I use them all to make a nest of sorts when I sleep.
4. I have a 'thing' about how my house and clothes smell. I burn candles to make the house smell good and use Gain Apple Mango Tango detergent so that my clothes smell AWESOME!
5. I don't like using the same shampoo and conditioner every day. At any given time if you look into my shower you will see two or three different brands of shampoo and conditioner. They say that using the same one causes buildup on the hair....and who wants that?
6. I love how my son's head smells. Especially right by his temple. I don't know what is it, but I could snuggle him and smell his head ALL DAY!!!
7. I prefer email to phone calls. I don't know why, but I just never have been one to call people. If someone calls ME I'll talk forever, but if I need to make the first communication I'll send an email if at all possible.
Well....I'm one strange bird, eh? Yes, well, aren't we all?
I'm supposed to tag 7 people but I don't think that many people even read my blog so I'll just leave it to whoever wants to do it! Just let me know in my comments that you've done it and I'll go check it out!
1. I have rats for pets. Yes, you read that correctly....rats. Working in a pet shop I've learned a lot of things about a lot of different animals. One of those thing is that rats make awesome pets. Now, I'm not talking about rats that you've picked up out of the sewer or anything, here. These were bred and raised at our store. I was lucky enough to have seen the birth of both our girls and handled them from day one. They are smart little buggers, they come when you call their name and easily learn tricks. They are like little dogs! Most people just shudder when I tell them...and a year ago I probably would've done the same. Nowadays I just wish I had more room to get more rats. They never bite, they are great with the kids and easy to take care of.
2. I want to be a pastry chef. You know, like the ones on The Food Network who do the different cake challenges and build The Coliseum out of rice krispie treats!
3. I sleep with approximately 9 pillows on my bed....and I use them all to make a nest of sorts when I sleep.
4. I have a 'thing' about how my house and clothes smell. I burn candles to make the house smell good and use Gain Apple Mango Tango detergent so that my clothes smell AWESOME!
5. I don't like using the same shampoo and conditioner every day. At any given time if you look into my shower you will see two or three different brands of shampoo and conditioner. They say that using the same one causes buildup on the hair....and who wants that?
6. I love how my son's head smells. Especially right by his temple. I don't know what is it, but I could snuggle him and smell his head ALL DAY!!!
7. I prefer email to phone calls. I don't know why, but I just never have been one to call people. If someone calls ME I'll talk forever, but if I need to make the first communication I'll send an email if at all possible.
Well....I'm one strange bird, eh? Yes, well, aren't we all?
I'm supposed to tag 7 people but I don't think that many people even read my blog so I'll just leave it to whoever wants to do it! Just let me know in my comments that you've done it and I'll go check it out!
I'm A SLogger
It's been a little bit since I've done a blog so I figured I would make a post just to keep up with things and not feel like such a slacker blogger...or SLOGGER (I think I just invented a new word!)
Anyway! Things with the move are moving along nicely (pun totally intended.) WiseGuy and I will be flying up together on May 31st. SmartyPants and Wayne will be driving in the moving truck and towing the soccer mom van behind them. They will also be accompanied by our 75 lbs shepherd mix, Petey, and our two sweet rodent pals, Addie and Gloria. This ended up being the best alternative as we weren't quite sure where everyone would fit and I don't think WiseGuy would appreciate the two day drive up the coast.
I've given my notice at work, which went much better than I anticipated. I work in a pet shop and I love my job, most of my coworkers and, most of all, my employers. They have been wonderful to me over the past year that I have worked for them. We have been pretty short staffed as of late and I felt awful telling them I was leaving them. As it stands now the manager and I are pretty much in charge of the rest of the crew. I get to be in charge on the manager's days off. So between the two of us we work the most hours. I hate leaving them in such a situation but, thankfully, they understood. They knew the day would come that I would be returning to PA and said they were happy for me....only after telling me I wasn't allowed to leave and I had to find and train my own replacement before I could leave ;) There were even a few tears shed. When all was said and done, though, they told me that if I ever came back to Florida I would always have a job with them no matter what. See what I mean??? Aren't they awesome?!? My last day is May 22nd and it will certainly be bittersweet. I know it just a step closer to going back home, but I will be leaving some good friends and a job I truly enjoy.
So....what else is there to talk about? My if this isn't a rather random post! I've got several other things I wanted to write but I'm not sure if I should smash it all into one blog or make others to keep things a little organized. Are there blog rules?? Ah well, I should be heading to bed anyway. I've got work in the morning and the kids have their school Spring Showcase tomorrow. SmartyPants is in chorus and they are doing a short musical play in which SmartyPants has some lines and a solo!!! She is a Nervous Nellie, but I know she'll do great! The Kindergarten is also singing a song so WiseGuy is super excited, too. It should be a very full day for us all!
Ok, enough rambling! Time for bed!
Anyway! Things with the move are moving along nicely (pun totally intended.) WiseGuy and I will be flying up together on May 31st. SmartyPants and Wayne will be driving in the moving truck and towing the soccer mom van behind them. They will also be accompanied by our 75 lbs shepherd mix, Petey, and our two sweet rodent pals, Addie and Gloria. This ended up being the best alternative as we weren't quite sure where everyone would fit and I don't think WiseGuy would appreciate the two day drive up the coast.
I've given my notice at work, which went much better than I anticipated. I work in a pet shop and I love my job, most of my coworkers and, most of all, my employers. They have been wonderful to me over the past year that I have worked for them. We have been pretty short staffed as of late and I felt awful telling them I was leaving them. As it stands now the manager and I are pretty much in charge of the rest of the crew. I get to be in charge on the manager's days off. So between the two of us we work the most hours. I hate leaving them in such a situation but, thankfully, they understood. They knew the day would come that I would be returning to PA and said they were happy for me....only after telling me I wasn't allowed to leave and I had to find and train my own replacement before I could leave ;) There were even a few tears shed. When all was said and done, though, they told me that if I ever came back to Florida I would always have a job with them no matter what. See what I mean??? Aren't they awesome?!? My last day is May 22nd and it will certainly be bittersweet. I know it just a step closer to going back home, but I will be leaving some good friends and a job I truly enjoy.
So....what else is there to talk about? My if this isn't a rather random post! I've got several other things I wanted to write but I'm not sure if I should smash it all into one blog or make others to keep things a little organized. Are there blog rules?? Ah well, I should be heading to bed anyway. I've got work in the morning and the kids have their school Spring Showcase tomorrow. SmartyPants is in chorus and they are doing a short musical play in which SmartyPants has some lines and a solo!!! She is a Nervous Nellie, but I know she'll do great! The Kindergarten is also singing a song so WiseGuy is super excited, too. It should be a very full day for us all!
Ok, enough rambling! Time for bed!
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