Battle of the Bulge

In a previous post I stated that I had started a diet. I am still working on that diet and things are progressing...kind of. It's common knowledge that I LOVE my food and having it limited hasn't been easy. For me, it didn't help that SmartyPants had a birthday with an outdoor BBQ type of party or that we had JUST had July 4th or that it was just about 'that time of the month.' Hamburgers, pasta salad, chips, salsa, chocolate cake, smores and just plain chocolate!
My work environment hasn't been very helpful, either. Every night they do a food run to either Chinese or sandwich shop. I am always asked if I want to order anything and I always say no. Of course, when someone offers me something, I have a hard time saying no....especially when it is an offer of a ham puff or gravy fries. I am weak when it comes to food, what can I say? If it's not there, I won't eat it, but put it in front of me and I have a hard time saying no. While I will readily admit to indulging some cravings, I can honestly say that I don't OVER indulge. I have a smaller portion than I might have had before...or just a taste...and that's usually enough for me. So when offered to split an order of steamed dumplings from the Chinese place, I'll have two dumplings out of the 8 dumpling order. Sure, I shouldn't be having dumplings at ALL, but fewer is better.
During my weekly weigh-ins I had leveled out for the past few weeks. I was glad that I wasn't GAINING weight, which I had worried about. But I wasn't LOSING weight, either. So, I amped up my water intake and cut out the candybars (oh yeah, I said candybar...I NEEDED my chocolate!) and just paid a little more attention to my points.
I stepped on the scale for my weigh in and over the past week I lost 2 more pounds, making my total weight loss to date 14 pounds. I am starting to notice a little difference in my clothes and THAT is very satisfying for me. I had bought a brand new belt within days of arriving here back at the very beginning of June. I had to buy an x-tra large and extend it a few holes. I am now at the smallest hole and need to buy another belt...one size smaller.
So, while I may not be following the diet as strictly as I should be, but I am continuing to lose weight and am learning how to eat better and, in the long run, I think it will work for me.

Same Window, Different View

After completing my previous post, the meme about high school, and reading the same posts by my friends and old classmates, Kimmy, Aimee and T, I have come to an OBVIOUS yet interesting realization.
It's such a cliche, this realization. The fact that everybody is different and has a different perspective on things. Well, duh, of course! What I found so interesting about it this time is that it was literally just laid out in black and white. Four females in the same place, at the same time for the same purpose....doing all of the same things! Yet the stories and experiences we chose to relay in our posts were all completely different in every way.
Sure this isn't anything PROFOUND, but I suppose it fascinates me to see the differing views of our time in high school. Apparantly, I had a better experience than my closest friends who would all choose to never go back again. I was always a little bit separate from those friends because of the fact that they were in all honors classes and I was in the regular ol' everyday joe classes. I had all different teachers than they did and all different classroom material and all different classmates throughout the day. Our free periods during the day didn't often coincide, either. I often felt like the outsider where they were concerned. The 'not so smart one' - of course, most people in my everyday classes didn't understand why I WASN'T in honors classes...so in their eyes I was 'the smart one.' (Which begs the question, is it better to be the stupid kid in the smart classes or the smart kid in the stupid classes? That's a whole other post!)
I'm thankful that through it all....through the dark periods...through the different arguments....through the good times...through the differences....through long gaps of little to no communication....through thousands of miles in between....through all of it we are still friends. All of us who started out in First Grade together. Maybe we weren't ALL the best of friends while IN first grade, but never forget we all started at St. Cat's in first grade together. That's 25 years, ladies. A quarter of a century.
I couldn't think of a better group of people to spend a lifetime knowing.
Now we all have our OWN windows to look out of and isn't the view just wonderful?

Oh Alma Mater

I've been tagged by Aimee to rehash my high school days in this cute meme below!


1. Who was your best friend?
I can't pick just one, that's not fair. During different portions of high school there were different people who I hung out with for different things. Mainly, my best friends were Kimmy and Aimee. Because I wasn't in the same classes as they were I had a whole other group of friends...though I don't think I would ever consider them BEST friends.


2. Did you play any sports?
I did NOT play sports....I did/do not LIKE sports. I did gym class...sometimes...ok, so maybe I constantly forgot my clothes...so sue me!

3. What kind of car did you drive?
I was in the same boat as Aimee...someone else's boat, that is! I didn't drive until I was 20 years old. Other people had to cart my butt around! (Thanks Kimmy!)

4. It's Friday night. Where were you?
I was at home or on my way to the shore with my parents. Wow, sounds groovy, huh?

5. Were you a party animal?
If there were parties, I had no clue of their existence.

6. Were you considered a flirt?
Uhm...heh....yeah, I suppose I was.

7. Were you in the band, orchestra or choir?
Choir all the way! I did some percussion in band for a year or something. I don't think it was ever official or anything, but I got in the band picture in the yearbook for it. However, choir I did all four years and got my letter in it. Unlike Aimee, I DID got my white sweater and sported my letterman sweater with the best of them! WE EARNED THOSE LETTERS, AIMEE!!!

8. Were you a nerd?
I wasn't a NERD, they had their own group. I wasn't one of the COOL kids...they had their own group, too. I floated somewhere in the middle, but was definitely known to be weird.

9. Were you ever suspended or expelled?
Nah. I had a detention ONCE for no gym clothes all the time, but that was it.

10. Can you sing the fight song?
Funny, after I read Aimee's version of this blog I thought about it and YES I CAN still sing the Alma Mater

We love thee, Alma Mater, dear old Central High. Within your walls, may it be said, that hidden treasures lie. So we will keep on seeking them, til strength we have no more, but we will keep you on the top: Excelsior! Oh Alma Mater, we will fight, through thick and thin, for the red and the white! Because on you we can rely, all hail to Central Catholic High!


11. Who was your favorite teacher?
Hard to say. I like Mrs Sichler(i think that's how her name was spelled), my Spanish teacher, and I loved our music teacher, Mr Scollick. (most people didn't care for him too much, but that man is a musical wiz!) I also liked Mrs Pollins, the art teacher!

12. What was your school mascot?
The mighty Cardinal.

13. Did you go to the Prom?
Yes. I went with a junior when I was a sophomore and I also went to my senior prom.

14. If you could go back, would you?
Uhm...I don't know. I had a good time in high school for the most part....and it was so easy compared to life today. Generally, though, I suppose it's best left where it is...in the past.

15. What do you remember most about graduation?
Receiving the Achievement in Music award. I didn't expect to win ANY rewards, let alone THAT one!

16. Where were you on Senior Skip Day?
We didn't do Senior Skip Day.

17. Did you have a job your senior year?
I don't know....I don't think so...maybe....maybe not.

18. Where did you go most often for lunch?
The caf. We weren't allowed to leave school grounds without a note from Mommy


19. Have you gained weight since then?
Ok, when I graduated high school I weighed 108. There are two kids and 14 years between now and then....what do YOU think?


20. What did you do after graduation?
Went on a cruise to Bermuda then went to college.

21. What year did you graduate?
1993

22. Who was your Senior Prom Date?
I went with a guy who I had met at Diocesan Chorus. He played the piano and sang like no one's business. We dated for a little bit but we WEREN'T dating when he took me to my prom. It was just too late for him to back out when he did break up with me. We never danced the entire night. As a matter of fact, he spent a portion of the evening out on the landing at the top of the stairs playing their piano while I sat there and tried not to cry. The best part of the entire experience was buffet style breakfast at Aimee's place!

23. Are you going/did you go to your 10 year reunion?
I was living in Florida and couldn't make it back up for the reunion. I'll do the 15 if they have one, and OF COURSE, the 20. Until then, we'll just have our OWN private reunions!


24. Who was your homeroom teacher?
Freshman year - Sr Joachim
Sophomore year - Sr Janice
Junior year - I had two different ones because of some teacher switching and ended up with Mr Pettijohn
Senior year - Mrs Pollins


25. Who will repost this after you?
Aimee already did it, and she tagged T....so I suppose I'm all done...unless we can FINALLY convince Kimmy to start a blog!

A REAL Hoofer!

For those who don't know, I'm a HUGE animal lover. Dogs, cats, birds, rats, horses, ferrets, snakes, lizards. I also enjoy animal involved sports. These days there are any number of different sports that are televised involving our furry friends. The other day I saw one of the 20 ESPN channels was showing a hunting dog competition. They don't use real animals for hunting, just decoys. Regardless, these dogs were impressive and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to watch that!
Also being shown are more equestrian sports, such as Dressage. A friend recently posted the following video clip and I just HAD to share it! Maybe I'm just a huge dork thinking this is awesome, (ok, no maybe about it, I'm a huge dork) but I've got a feeling it is something that some of you can appreciate with me.




After watching that I was reminded of the dog dancing competitions. There was one video, in particular, of a woman and her dog dancing to a song from 'Grease.' This is a REAL competition, folks! Remember that whole huge dork thing? Yeah, well, as if to cement it, I would LOVE to be able to train a dog to do these things with me! Watch below:




Now who's the huge dork!?

Ok, yeah, but it was still cool, wasn't it?

An Entire Decade

My little girl went into the double digits today. She's run circles round me so fast I never even saw it coming...and now she's 10 year old.
It was a wonderful day. Most people thought it was a bit hot out. We did well all things considered though...there was a nice little breeze going.
My cousin came over, my Uncle came (the first I've seen him since we've been here) His first words to me were 'Welcome Home.' I've really missed him. Step relatives came by. We had burgers and hot dogs on the grill. Wayne went all out with the burgers making an Asian type of blend, a mesquite cinnamon blend and just regular ol salt and pepper. They kicked butt! Then it came time for the cake.
it was a 4 day project that SmartyPants had input it and helped with and i made everything by hand. It was a labor of love and oh so worth the time that it took. I was worried it wouldn't taste as good as it looked, but in the end, even though it looks sinfully (almost sickeningly) sweet, everyone made a point to say that they were surprised to find that it WASN'T at all too sweet...and oh was it moist. It was devil's food cake and strawberry cake alternating layers with a yogurt and whipped cream and strawberry sauce between each layer. It was as yummy as it looked!
She got a necklace, some coloring books, money and.....a telescope! She has a wonderful Uncle who loves to spoil his goddaughter.
When it got dark out and the neighbor (who's birthday it happened to be as well) was over and we started a fire in the outside fireplace and made smores.
All in all it was a wonderful day. The food was good, the family was hangin', the kids all had a good time and SmartyPants had a good birthday.
I included pics of the cake, before the fairies and ponies and AFTER the fairies and ponies. I was quite proud of my first time efforts!

More FOLK Than Festival!

After my first full week of work we decided it was time to get out and do something as a family, my mom and stepdad included. This weekend was the beginning of the Kutztown Folk Festival (actually called the Kutztown Pennsylvania German Festival, but you get the drift) and I had been only once in my life, the rest of the family had NEVER been before. So we decided we would have family fun at the folk festival. (try saying THAT five times fast!) It also allowed me to show my children the very college where my husband and I had first met. All in all it SOUNDED like a great day! The reality was a bit different.
The ad in the paper and online states that there are things for the kids to enjoy. Sure, there were puppet shows, if you were at the stage at the appointed time, or were willing to sit there forever waiting to see when the show is going to start and trying to keep your child entertained until the show starts. There may have even been a craft or two. But all in all, if your child is between the ages of 4 and 7 (WiseGuy is 5) they will have a hard time staying entertained and/or happy. Don't get me wrong, all of the craftsman and artisans had the most BEAUTIFUL wares to behold and it was great fun to watch them create their masterpieces right before your very eyes. SmartyPants would immediately go over to the person who ran each stand to watch what they were doing and every time said person was MORE than happy to explain how they were doing what they were doing, much to SmartyPants' delight. WiseGuy, on the other hand, was most interested in eating and drinking and going home. We grownups wanted to take in all the sights and crafts and such but WiseGuy wanted nothing to do with it. Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for Wayne, Wayne hoisted WiseGuy up on his shoulders and tried to keep him busy while the rest of us looked around. This tactic only worked for so long. WiseGuy was MORE than over all of this hullabaloo and quite ready to go home. Along the way we ran into another young man who felt the exact same way.
I heard SOMEONE calling my name and began to look around. To my surprise there stood Aimee and her crew! I had yet to go see them since my return to PA and was ecstatic to run into them! Older Girl was just where I would want to be, relaxing on the stroller. Baby Girl was perched on Aimee's hip, not wanting to sit in the stroller like her big sister. The Boy was also sitting in the stroller but loudly voicing his opinion that he was ready to go home! Ah another soul that WiseGuy could commiserate with. The boys were quite ready to go home. Aimee and I chatted for a few minutes. Her family stood staunchly behind her as we did a quick catch up with the fams, but mine slowly trickled away. First my mom and stepdad went to watch the glassblowing. Wayne wanted to take WiseGuy but WiseGuy was SURE that glass blowing meant the glass was actually BLOWING UP and he HATES loud noises of any kind and immediately started crying. Eventually, after Wayne talked to him for a few minutes, the two disappeared in the glassblowing demonstration, as well. SmartyPants, however, being the consummate busybody, was more than happy to stay and listen to each and every word we spoke. She is, and always will be, attached to my hip. Quite soon, The Boy was very ready to go, as was my family, so Aimee and I said our goodbyes with promises of an actual get together sometime after they return from their well deserved vacation.
We all decided that we had almost had enough. There were wall to wall people making it a little difficult to make it all the way up to each table to see what was being displayed, WiseGuy was being more vocal about going home and it was getting pretty hot out in the midday sun. So we decided to make our way back to the front gate and head home. There were a few purchases we wanted to make prior to leaving, so we dispersed to our separate areas to make those purchases and converged at the front gate and made our way back to our cars.

It was a nice day...it really was...no...really!

You've Got Questions, We've Got Answers

I stopped by over at Aimee's blog, as I usually do, and saw this cute meme. Considering I don't have much else to post I thought I might take a few minutes to fill it out.

Were you named after anyone? My middle name, Theresa, is after my great-grandmother, but otherwise, no, my name was picked out of a book.

When was the last time you cried? Last week....stresses of moving and no money and such.

Do you like your handwriting? Oh HECK no! I have ALWAYS had horrible penmanship.

What is your favorite lunch meat? Roast Beef

Do you have kids? Two lovely lil rugrats

If you were another person, would you be friends with yourself? I suppose so, although I really suck at making and returning phone calls.

Do you use sarcasm a lot? Almost always.

Do you still have your tonsils? Yes, but my son doesn't

Would you bungee jump? Not on your life!

What is your favorite cereal? Favorite cereal....hmmm...this is tricky because I like a lot of different ones. I love Special K Red Berries but I also love Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch!

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Not if I can help it....of course, I curse myself next time I have to put them on because I have to untie them first.

What is your favorite ice cream? Anything by Turkey Hill

What do you notice first about people? Eyes

Red or pink? I'm not into the whole 'Pink is the new black' thing...so Red

What is your least favorite thing about yourself? Do you have a few years?

What is the last thing you ate? A bowl of Special K Chocolatey Delight

What color pant and shoes are you wearing? I'm not wearing pants or shoes. I'm wearing my nightgown. (direct quote from Aimee's blog....which just so happens to apply to moi!)

What are you listening to right now? The whir of the fan behind me and the kids in the other room

What are your favorite smells? lilacs, brownies or cookies baking, cedar, patchouli mixed with amber

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? Wayne

What are your favorite sports to watch? ice hockey and any sort of dog sport

What is your hair color? brown....oh, wait, let me see if I can remember what was on that box...Deep Burgandy Brown...yeah, that's it!

What is your eye color? blue

Do you wear contacts? No, the eye doctor says I can't wear them anymore (poo on him!) So I'm stuck with my glasses until I can afford Lasik. Even then I think I'll be too chicken to go under the laser.

Scary movie or happy ending? 9 times out of 10 I'd choose scary movie. I just can't get into the schmaltzy stuff.

What is your favorite food? Seafood. More specifically, steamed clams dipped in drawn butter

What was the last movie you saw? Uh...hmmm. Well, in the theaters we took the kids to see Bridge to Terabithia (that movie was NOT what I expected it to be, so before taking kids to see it, make sure you know the actual plot of the movie!) But that last actual movie I saw was Sunday night when we watched The Fifth Element, one of our FAVORITE scifi flicks EVER, on HDTV!

What color shirt are you wearing? A pastel green with purple flowered nightshirt

Summer or winter? I would say winter hands down because I haven't experienced a winter in 7 years. On the OTHER hand, our entire family has birthdays over the summer. SmartyPants is in July and me, Wayne and WiseGuy all have birthdays within a 9 day time frame in August.

Hugs or kisses? I have to pick one?!?! I refuse!

What is your favorite dessert? This is hard....I LOVE me some dessert. Uhm....oh....sheesh. Let's see...ok, cannoli....NO! Cheesecake. Oh, no, wait! Wayne's Apricot Amaretto Torte!

What are you reading? Weird Hauntings:True Tales of Ghostly Places by Joanne Austin

What is on your mouse pad? A kitty sleeping in a tree. Altogether now 'AWWWWW!!!'

What did you watch on TV last night? Nothing, I was at work til 1AM

Rolling Stones or The Beatles? The Beatles

What is the farthest you've been from home? I'm not sure which is farther, Arizona or Bermuda

Where were you born? Reading, Pennsylvania

There you have it. Questions and answers as interpreted by ME!
I never tag anyone because I have fewer than 5 readers, but let me know if any of those 5 of you do this because I'll come and check it out!

My Trip to Gettysburg

Summer Giveaway!

When I think of summer, I most definitely think of ice cream! How awesome would it be to be able to make your OWN ice cream at home!? Well, just enter for a chance to win your own ice cream maker over at 5 Minutes for Mom.com

Click on the button below to enter!
I already have!

Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen

While both my children seem to be natural born performers, Wiseguy showed that he has a knack for the spoken word. He proved this more than ever on Father's Day. We were visiting my dad and stepmother (AKA Opop and Omom) and remembered that SmartyPants had her recorder in the van. Since Omom and Opop had never heard her play in person she wanted to perform a few songs for them and did so quite well, as per usual. Of course, WiseGuy wasn't going to be left out of the spotlight and stood beside her providing percussion throughout her performance. While it was funny to watch him try to muscle in on her performance I was also surprised that his percussion accompaniment was on beat and fit perfectly with her playing. When SmartyPants had completed her songs WiseGuy decided to sing for us. At least that's what he said. Instead he took on the role of MC and explained many things to us about what was going on 'up there on stage.' He gave out 'prizes' to us all. I was the lucky winner of a pink car and ONE HUNDRED MILLION THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!! WOOOOOOO!!!! We each received our share of the world's money and our own cars. After much talking and introduction he decided to introduce his sister again and this time she would sing. It took about 10 minutes to get him off 'the stage' at which time he informed us all that he would be going to 'the other stage' while she performed her songs. As she started singing we all suddenly heard, from the other side of the room, 'Well hello everybody!' There was WiseGuy doing his shtick on on the other stage. SmartyPants finished the 'It's Saturday!' review (the musical she had a role in at school this past year) and WiseGuy returned to do some standup, telling jokes that just WEREN'T jokes, but you HAVE to laugh for him, anyway. My dad said it was Andy Kaufman-esque and would probably entertain a number of people if we really did put him on stage. He had us almost in tears for about 45 minutes. It was priceless, to say the least.
Now, what I wonder is, would he do this in front of a GROUP of people? Or did he only do it because he was in front of family? I suppose only time will tell. All I know is that I am glad he does it for me.

Sharing the Past

Ok, so it turns out that the scale I weighed myself on was a little off....and NOT in my favor. But, on the upside of that, I actually HAVE lost the nine pounds I claimed to have lost a week ago. It just happened in TWO weeks instead of one. That sounds a little more like it to me, anyway ;)

I have yet to find a job, people. More because I have no one to watch the kids than anything else, though. I've put out apps and resumes and such, so I just need to get one of these high school girls to watch the rugrats and I'll be home free...I hope. Since I've been home all this time I decided to take the kids to few places I went as a kid that were COMPLETELY unlike the Florida they were used to. We ventured up to the Pagoda and WiseGuy loved every hairpin turn on the way. SmartPants couldn't get over how high up we were and the gorgeous view. Today we went for a hike around Antietam Lake. They were both unsure of going 'into the forest' but once there, they had a blast. We took the dog, as well, who was thoroughly enjoying the unfamiliar terrain. They played by the creek, skipped stones on the water, saw worms in the dirt and crayfish under rocks. They even BOTH slipped on the rocks and got the shoes all soaking wet. All in all THEY LOVED IT! As did I. Right now everyone is resting up after the hike....including the dog who is snoring at my feet as I type this.

It's very satisfying for me to share these things with my children. I almost feel like they are babies again....but this time they can walk and talk, WOOHOO!

Maybe next we will head out to Gring's Mill and the Gruber Wagon Works....a favorite spot of my Girl Scout troop, right T?? ;)

Pound for Pound

I've started a weight loss program. Yes, I've jumped on the Weight Watchers bandwagon! My mom has been doing Weight Watchers since January and has lost 30 lbs so far. Another dear friend of mine has been on Weight Watchers just as long and has gotten down over 30 lbs! So, with all that success around me, how I could I resist? Of course, it helps a LOT that I am currently LIVING with my mother. I just eat what she eats and drink a lot of water. I've been doing it for a little less than a week now and I've lost *drumroll please* 9 POUNDS!!! Can you believe it?? I couldn't! I still can't. I'm just assuming that my mom's scale is wrong. Once my clothes start to hang on me I think I'll start believing it more. I suppose I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but it's kind of hard when I still want to EAT the horse! Yeah, I'm a hungry girl most of the time. It's taken a lot of will power to not just pop open the fridge and snack all day long. I'm home with the kids by myself all day so it would be so easy to just cheat and cheat and cheat. Of course, who would I be cheating but myself. It's been getting a little easier. I'm not as hungry as they first few days, but I'm hungry nonetheless. It's all good though. If the weight loss continues I guess it will all be worth it, right?
I've added a ticker on the right to show my progress. Not to brag or anything, but so that I have something tangible to look at. So anyone that is doing any weight loss programs and needs someone to commiserate with, err I mean, needs some support, I'm there for ya, babe!

Right Back Where I Started From

Well, I've made it. I'm back in Pennsylvania. Our flight was very good, and WiseGuy behaved VERY well. The drive for Wayne and SmartyPants and the dog and rats went well, too. They made it here by Friday at dinner time, as expected. The trouble started when we had to unload the Uhaul. Wayne and I backed the Uhaul to the storage facility just as it began to rain. We thought ourselves fortunate that the Uhaul could fit prefectly in the large doorway and kept us out of the inclement weather. Soon enough, though, the rain began coming down HARD and the lightning and thunder began. I kid you not when I say that there were lightning strikes happening all around us. Our friend Jake arrived to help us unload. We all walked to back to see the size of our facility. To our dismay it didn't look large enough to accomodate all of our things, but we thought if we played a little Tetris we could manage it all in. So we began to unload and haul loads back down the little hallway towards our storage closet at the other end of the facility. With the thunder still booming and the lightning strikes still coming on strong and the three of us unloading one handtruck full of boxes the entire facility went black. Oh yes, gentle readers, the power went out. We made our way towards the light at the end of the tunnel...yes the LITERAL tunnel and decided to take a short break, hoping that the lights would come back on in that time. They never did. So, I found a flashlight in one of our boxes. The juice was running low, as the light was a dull brown color, but it was enough to light our way towards the back and illuminate our closet to pack in more and more of our possessions. Finally, we decided to call it a night. 75% of our belongings were packed tightly into the storage closet and the other 25% were strewn out behind the truck. We packed it back into the truck and headed towards my mom's house. We still had a few days left on our truck rental, so there were no penalties. We found another storage facility elsewhere to store the rest of our things and returned our truck. The man at the rental place told us the lights never did come back on before closing.
It was an adventure to say the least. Nothing and no one got broken in the transport and for that I am truly thankful.
Wayne already has a job working with my stepfather and now it is my turn to find one once I find someone trustworthy to watch the kids during the day. Either that or I have to find an evening job....oh FUN!
I'm finding that this is going to take more adjustment than I realized, but I don't mind so much....I just know that I'm home.

2 More Days

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

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.

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!!!

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!!!

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.

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!

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!

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!