Friends

So school has been going well. I love my class and I have great parents. It's been weird because as much as I love teaching, I really felt like I was supposed to go into administration, and that just isn't happening . I know i have to be patient and things will work out in God's time, so that's what I'm trying to do. T's job is going well too- we both just still really wish he could find a job here instead of commuting so far.

Life's been weird lately, but good at the same time. I've learned some hard lessons about friendship that I was pretty sure I had already learned years and years ago, but apparently, I'm always learning. You know that saying about friends coming into your life for a reason, season, or lifetime? Well, it's funny how friends you think are only going to be there for a reason, end up being in your life for a season or a lifetime. And friends you think are lifetime friends, actually turn out to be otherwise. Sigh. But, being a forever optimist, I look for the positives. I drew my husband even closer to me, and count my true friends as even bigger blessings. One day, someone will look back and realize the mistakes they made, but it will be too late. Friends just don't come that easily. Not real ones anyway.

Kids are doing great and make me so proud everyday. They are so smart, cute, outgoing, lovable, energetic, fun kids..... :-)

It's time...or is it?

After 17 years, I believe it's time to put my sweet kitty to sleep. For the last 2 months or so, she has been forgetting where the litter box is. She will wander around and meow until I pick her up and take her to it. Last week, she started sneezing blood. I already have to give her pills twice a day for her thyroid, so it just seems like her quality of life is declining. I'm so sad about it, and just very torn about whether this is the right decision. With people, this is not an issue, so I am left wondering why I am given the power to make this decision with my pet. Shouldn't she just go naturally as well? Am I assuming a power that God should have? I'm just so torn and sad.......

Let's try again....

I blink and six months has gone by. I'm not sure how that happens. I don't like it! I try to be one of those people that lives in the moment and enjoys every day, but still somehow, the days disappear.

So, tomorrow is my 2 year anniversary. Thought it would be a good time to update.

I am still teaching, although this year, I'm taking the leap from first grade to 2nd grade. I'm looping with my class, keeping all of the same students. I truly loved my class and was super sad (for about 5 minutes) on the last day of school. As much as I love the lazier days of summer, I am looking forward to seeing them all again. Many of their parents have become friends, so I've gotten to see many of them over the summer, but I miss them all the same. I would still love to get an AP job someday, but I know that has to happen in someone else's timeframe, not mine, so I'm trying to be patient.

Tony is still working in DC, still getting up at 3 am every day. I miss him so much over the summer when I'm home. I love keeping things straight and going around here though so he can rest when he's at home. During the school year, he definitely doesn't get to do that enough. He works so hard and I'm so thankful and blessed.

We are celebrating our two year anniversary tomorrow! We aren't going to do much though because we are currently planning (and paying for) a trip to Dallas in December. We are going to see the Cowboys play in their new stadium, and have 10 others going with us. I'm soooo excited!

Kids are awesome- they both just finished a 4 day run of a play, a musical adaptation of Pinocchio. Mason was Gepetto and Abbie played a child and a donkey.
:-) They did an amazing job and I got all teary every time I watched it. I can't believe Abbie is starting 5th grade, her last year at work with me! :-( She is into soccer and about to start flag football, but don't let that fool you- she's as girly as they come. Nails, hair, and anything girly--- loves it all. Mason is still in band, and is the only bari sax player in his band. He made all-district band, first chair, and loves theatre as well. He's really social these days...I guess that's what being a teenager is all about. He's always got a friend over, or he's at a friend's house. Lots of fun, and never a dull moment.

All in all, life is just really good. Sure, we have our stressers day to day, but at the end of the day, I am just truly blessed.

Gosh time flies!

It's been so long since I updated. One day recently, I wrote an update on everyone, and when I hit "publish", it disappeared! I couldn't bring myself to type it all again. So, I'll attempt it again now!

Tony is still working in DC, and I'd be lying if I said it hasn't been a strain on our family. He gets very little sleep, as he gets up at 3 am every day to go to work. He gets home about 5:30 or 6 pm, and after dinner, and time with the kids, a little time for me, and a little time for himself, he's rarely in bed before 11. More than anything, I wish (and he wishes) he could find a job here, but there is no market here at the moment for what he does. DC is where all the jobs are, and his phone is ringing every day with job offers for up there! I offered to move to Fredericksburg and have done so repeatedly, but he just doesn't want to. I am hoping that 2010 will be the year he can find something here. He has a lot to look forward to this year- he will graduate in May from VCU with his Masters, and is going to Poland for a week before that to culminate his program. I am very happy for him, and proud of how hard he works to provide for us.

I am plugging along. With the recent budget announced, I am glad that I didn't get one of those AP jobs I applied for, as it looks like the last 4 APs hired may lose their jobs. I have more free time now than I have ever had, and am looking for the "next thing" I want to work on or accomplish. For right now, it's exercise, specifically running. I am trying very hard to get back into it as I would love to lose about 20 lbs. I really need to do it.

Mason is doing great in school and likes it more than he did last year. He auditioned for the school play and didn't get a great part, but he's happy to have gotten a part at all. He is so smart and I'm so proud of him. He is doing great on the sax and his teacher tells me all the time how talented he is. He is very excited about a Spring trip to Tennessee for a competition.

Abbie is also doing well....she just got contacts and looks so much older to me. I call her my shadow because she is around me all of the time. I love it. I keep telling myself she won't do so for much longer! She is all signed up for soccer and can't wait to play again. She's also very into music right now and art and can draw just about anything!

I'm hoping this is going to be a great year. We are going to the beach for a week in the Spring, and hopefully getting back out to Vegas at some point. Tony has a big birthday this year (30!!!) too so that will be fun to plan for.

SO that's where we are in a nutshell. Hopefully it won't be 6 months before I update again!

Where has the time gone???

I can't believe I haven't written anything on here since July 29th. Where did the time go? I guess I post my updates on Facebook now instead. I also wonder sometimes since very few people read this, why do I even write it? It's not like I don't know what's goin on in my own life! :-) But, I'll do it anyway. Maybe one day I will want to look back and this and remember what was going on.

Kids are great. They are both doing really well in school. They are learning a lot and getting good grades. I have to say, I've been pleasantly surprised by the middle school. I've discovered it gets a bad "rep", I think mainly because it's not as new and shiny as the other middle schools, but we've had a good experience. I worry ALL THE TIME about Mason and his grades though. He always ends up with As or Bs, but man, it's a fight. He's so forgetful and unorganized, and at his age, I feel like I can't hand hold so much anymore. I know parents that still do, but I feel like he is smart enough to know what to do and how to do it, and he has to want to get the grades, and realize the consequences if he doesn't. It's super stressful though. Abbie is just my little social butterfly, happy as she can be, and smart as well. She's doing great, and seems to have a lot of friends. She's still a vegetarian, which I've gotten used to, but it's frustrating because she's also super picky about veggies. We are running out of options. I am having to force her to try a lot of new things, with not much success.

Tony is still working on his Masters- one semester to go- which culminates in May with a trip to Poland, which I'm not allowed to go on. I wish I could- what an opportunity. He is working in DC and I won't lie- it's super stressful on our family. He gets up at 3 am, and gets home about 5:30, very, very tired. WIth me working too, it's tough. I try my hardest to manage as much of the housework and kids stuff as possible, and sometimes I feel like a single mom again. He tries very hard to pitch in, but I know he's tired. He would love a job here, but there is just no market here for what he does. I totally envision us moving to the DC area once the kids are out of high school or in college. One day.....

I'm good- trying desperately to motivate myself to get back in the gym. I have managed to gain back all 10 pounds I had lost. I haven't been running, and football season means lots of beer and munchies for us, and all day on Sundays watching football. I have definitely brought this on myself, but it is really surprising to me sometimes how down I can get on myself over 10 lbs. I have less energy and find myself just really sad about how I look. But then I don't work out. So I feel like I can't complain. I made it 2 times this week to the gym to run, so that's a start. Hopefully I can keep it up. Work is going great- good class- excellent class actually.

I am hoping to get back here again.....soon!

Well, it's been almost a year. This time last year, I was actually pretty relaxed. Everything was pretty much done and I was just waiting!I was 2 days away from the rehearsal dinner and 3 days from the wedding. I soooo wish I could do it again. I loved it so much more this time around. I did things exactly how I wanted, regardless of what anyone else thought or what I "should" have done.

Also this time last year, we were getting ready for a trip to Jamaica. We were going to go to Jamaica again this year, but the economy kept us from going, and the 3-4 other couples cancelled as well. I'm ok with that. I LOVED Jamaica, but if I'm going to travel out of the country, I'd like to go somewhere I haven't been. Instead, we took the money we had put down as a deposit and got the entire trip to Vegas instead. Tony's never been, so I'm excited to share that with him. We paid for it awhile back, thankfully, because otherwise, we probably wouldn't be going. We are hoping to rent a car while we are there and just ride around- I want to show him Red Rock Canyon and Hoover Dam and a few things to see other than the casinos.

It's been a year of ups and downs, but I'd marry that man all over again. He makes me very happy and I love the family we've made together. I'm sure we have many adventures ahead.

A few notes on a few Richmond sites...

So, the other night, my friend and I decide to have a girls night out. It was quite eventful, and speaks volumes to some of the reasons why Shockoe Bottom is nosediving. At the end of the night, i was chatting with one of the bartenders, and telling him my comments, and at his suggestion, I'm putting it out there in blog form!

We started our night right here by our houses. Except for the good ol Riverbound Cafe, there really isn't anywhere to go. And as great as RBC is, they aren't known for their happy hours. It's really a more family kind of place. So, we decided to venture downtown.

We started at The Hard Shell. Great place to start because they validate parking and parking is a major issue down there. We had a glass of wine and a few appetizers. Everything was amazing, except for the service was a little.....hmmmm..... unpersonable? The guy was there to take our order, write it down, turn it in, and deliver it. That was it. No small talk. No witty comments.

We left and headed up to Tobacco Company. YUCK. Cheesy music playing (live) and smoke so thick you can't breathe. And it's still early. I can only imagine what it would have been like later. Seriously, I know it's the "tobacco" company, but that doesn't mean the place has to smell like an ashtray. We were in, and out, and never sat down.

Walk back down the cobblestones to Cha Cha's Cantina. I've been here many times and always had fun, but I haven't been there in a year or so. We go in and instantly feel like we are in Mexico, but not in a good way. Either the AC was broken, or they were seriously going for the Mexican feel. It was soooo hot. We decided to sit at the bar and have a drink, just to cool down from the walk from Tobacco. Granted, I know we were at a Mexican place, so we probably should have had tequila/margaritas, or a Corona, but we wanted wine. They had it on the menu, so figured we should be safe. We both order a Pinot Grigio, and as I take my 2nd sip, I see that there is some nasty dried brown stuff all over the stem and base of the glass. I'm guessing it was refried beans??? vomit. I point it out to the bartender chick, and she says "Oh it's just from hitting the sdfih asdf (don't know what that word was)... and it's fine". Fine for you maybe. I'm not drinking out of that. So, I tell her I don't want it, and she says ok, and hands us the check. The check?! Are you kidding me? Despite feeling like I definitely shouldn't pay for that, we do, and we leave.

We go next to Stool Pigeons. Another place I really used to like. We walk in, lots of AC going, and have a seat at the bar under their really cool fans. We even tell the bartender what just happened. We order Pinot again, and ask him if we can just get a bottle. He pours one glass, and goes off to ask if he can sell us a bottle. Apparently this is not a place where people order bottles as opposed to glasses. While he's gone, I go to take a sip of wine, and smell cheeseburgers. I pause and look around to see if the people around me ordered cheeseburgers, but there is no one around! I put the glass back up to my lips and again smell cheeseburgers. I quickly realized it is the wine, but for some reason, took a sip anyway. If my manners were not what they are, I would have spit it back in the glass. It was sooo disgusting. I swallowed it, just as my friend was taking her glass to her lips. I didn't stop her in time, and she just about got sick. Who knows how long this wine had been open, but lets just say it had taken in just about every food smell possible. About this time, the bartender comes back to tell us he can sell us the bottle, to which he ends up saying to our backs as we walk out. It was so disgusting, and I am not sure I can ever step foot in there. What kind of bar manager doesn't keep an eye on things like that?

We decide that we are going back to Hard Shell, but before we do, decide to try one last place, The Lucky Buddha. I'm so glad we did. Not only was the food great, but the wine was freshly opened for us to sample. The bartender (Jimmy) was full of personality and took care of us all night, even as the restaurant turned into a club, complete with an awesome dj. We spent the evening chatting and having a great time. I highly recommend this place if you are into that type of food. (Sushi, asian, etc)

It will be awhile before another girls night, but we'll likely end up there again!

I'm so not ready....

My son asked a girl to go to Busch Gardens with us tomorrow. I'm so not ready!!!

My Orlando Trip

So, I'm home. I'm soooo glad to be home. I feel like Dorothy..."There's no place like home".

When I travel, I always try to picture myself living in that place. Look at some neighborhoods. Check out teacher salaries. That kind of thing. When we went to Chicago, I decided I could live there, but it's way too cold. I may be able to get over that though. Savannah? Could definitely live there. Valencia, CA? Loved it. Waikiki? We both seriously loved it and were ready to move. But Orlando? No offense to anyone that lives there, but there is NO WAY I could live there. It was tooooo hot, too humid, too rainy. The people outside of Disney were not that nice. Traffic was horrible. I kept trying, really hard, to find something awesome about it, and I just couldn't! And the huge monopoly Disney seems to have on everything really started to bug me. I couldn't even find a Starbucks in the immediate area.

Anyway, the conference was AWESOME and I learned so much. I can't wait to put it to practice. I am soooo thankful for the award that I won that let me go!

I met a very interesting girl while there named Stephanie, and got to see first hand, how foolish some people look when they are toasted. She tried to pay her bar tab 3 times and the cute bartender (Marco) was super sweet when explaining that she had already paid it, and tried to pay it again multiple times. She was totally sloshed and it was so hilarious. It's not nearly as funny typing it as it was experiencing it.

My family joined me on Thursday and I was sooooo ready for them to come. I had been there since Sunday night by myself. As much as I enjoyed the book I read at night and the "me" time, it was kinda boring after a few days. I watched a lot of "judge" shows (People's court, Judy Judy, etc) which I LOVE. LOL I spent my evenings having dinner at the bar with my book in hand, and I did a lot of shopping for Kagan stuff, which I'm anxiously awaiting the delivery of. (My award also paid for all of this- even better- shopping with someone else's money!) Sadly, i was ready again for some "me" time by the time we got home. I know this doesn't make me mother of the year, but I lost that title 11 years ago, so I'm good! :-)

Shopping

I thought I'd write about something MUCH lighter today. :-)

I've been gearing up for this trip to Orlando for awhile now, and realized early on that I have NO shorts. Since I gained this extra 20 lbs or so over the last few years, I just stopped wearing them. I'll wear capris or skirts but shorts just look hideous on me. They are either too short or too expensive or just don't look good on me. Well, I realized I can't go to Orlando with no shorts. Thankfully, my friend Jenny brought over a bag of clothes she didn't want anymore and there were two pairs of shorts in there that actually fit me, and I didn't hate them! (Thanks Jenny!!!) So, this led me to go out and try to find some.
I went to Williamsburg the other day and looked at the outlets and didn't find a single pair. Tried Target. Nothing. I saw a sign in Old Navy's window, so went in there, and found 3 pairs for $10 each! SCORE! I NEVER shop there because the last time I did, nothing fit me right, but this time, they worked out! Must be that extra 20 pounds. So, at least I have 4-5 pairs to take with me.

I'm so ready to go! I feel bad, but I'm excited to be alone! I love my kids and husband SOOOOOOO much, but I have to admit that the thought of sitting by the pool with a book and drink, all by myself, for as long as I want, sounds heavenly. Granted, I have to get through a day of class before I can get outside, but I'm just so excited. Pangs of guilt enter my mind now and then, but I have managed to brush them away. The kids will be at my dad's having a blast, and I know my husband is looking forward to being a bachelor for a week- xbox, takeout, and sitting around in his underwear. :-)

Judging

I rarely (if ever) toot my own horn. It's just not something I do. I love nice things, probably to a fault, and love being a woman, but seriously put my family and friends before myself. But, in the last few days, I have realized something about myself that I am very proud of. I have realized that I am not judgemental of people that I don't know or know anything about. I don't criticize people for their life choices, etc.

This Michael Jackson stuff has really thrown me for a loop. I had NO idea that there were so many people out there that think they are really "in the know" about his life. I mean, I was a fan of him my entire life, and I would NEVER go on the record to say "he was innocent" or "he was guilty". Never. Why? Because the media is not a reliable source of information, and money makes people do some very strange things. It boggles my mind that people are so convinced to the point of judging the man. Wishing a dead person to "rot in hell" for something that he may or may not have done. He may very well have abused some children. Maybe he didn't. I don't know, and will never know, so why spend time being negative and spewing hate? I'd rather focus on his music, and how it makes me feel happy, and the laughter that ensues when my husband imitates his dancing, and my kids newfound excitement over the music that I enjoyed at their age. It makes me much happier than the alternative.

Anyway, it makes me happy that despite some of the things that my parents did wrong with me, they managed to raise a person that is an independent thinker and open-minded, and non-judgemental. Maybe it's because I'm so imperfect myself. I just can't bring myself to assume I know all the facts about a person's private life. I guess I can cast those stones when I get myself sin-free.

Waiting.........

Well, I got an interview. I had that yesterday. Today was so.....weird. I knew they were interviewing people allllllllll day, and while I was working, I kept thinking about the other interviews and wondering how they were going. I don't wish anyone else bad luck, but geez.... I have to admit I was hoping no one did that well. :-) I really hope I hear something tomorrow. I hope they let me know either way, but I just want to hear good news. I want to get a call back. I know if they liked me, there is one, and quite possibly two, more interviews.

I've played this out both ways. I know if I get it, I'm just gonna be on cloud 9, and although the job won't start for quite awhile, I will want to start tomorrow! If I don't get it, I'm going to be very, very sad. I've been praying and just asking God to help me be accepting of whatever His will is, and I've asked my closest friends to pray for me as well. So, thank you friends. I want to be one of those people that is just still, quiet, and patient. I'm a work in progress for sure.

On an unrelated note, my hubby and I have been doing this book called "the Love Dare". Although we already had a strong marriage, this has been so fun to do. We are both so busy that sometimes it is hard to find time to "connect" and this has been really cool. Basically, you get a challenge every day that you have to complete. Although we know what the other is doing for the day, it's still been fun to see how it plays out. It's definitely kept us close in a very stressful time.

One more week of school........ so bittersweet!!! I have such nice kids this year. I look at them sometimes and think "this could be my last class if I get this job!". What an odd thought. I love them.... Such a joy to be able to spend my days with them.

Wow, I did it.

I applied for a new job today. Crazy. I was sick to my stomach turning in the application packet. Now I get to hold my breath and wait. I have about 10-12 days to wait for any idea of feedback I'm guessing. It's a long shot, but I felt my heart telling me I needed to apply. Fifteen years in one place is a very long time, and I'm ready to be challenged in a new way. We shall see!!

Mothers Day

Today is Mothers Day, and it's been such a nice day. I woke up very briefly this morning as our live in alarm clock, Abbie, tiptoed in about 7 to wake up my husband. Apparently this was pre-planned. He got up, donned his G-town baseball cap and track pants to head to Starbucks. He came home with coffee, a Sunday paper, and two big bouquets of tulips - one for Mason to give me, and one for Abbie to give me. The kids then made b'fast with Tony's help- and it was so yummy. Bacon, eggs, biscuits, waffles, oj. YUM.

I stayed in bed and caught up with my Tivo- Oprah from all week- and then showered. We went to the cemetary to see my mom and the nicest man that worked there came up to us and gave me a flower. So sweet. We left there and went to hit golf balls, then out for ice cream. As I type, Tony is grilling yummy steaks for dinner. It couldn't have been a better day, unless I could have had my mom around. I've missed her a lot lately. If she was here, we would have gone by her house to give her her gift, which would have been something to use around the pool or yard this summer. I miss her so much. I seriously can't put into words how much I miss her. I talked to my sister, like I usually do on holidays, and we talked about what she'd be doing if she was here. We laughed about a few funny stories and ended with a sigh because we both know the other knows exactly how we feel. I thank God I have her because if I didn't, no one would truly get how I feel.

I hope all my mom friends had a fabulous day, full of love, children's laughter and smiles, and a few indulgences.

Where have I been?

Wow. It's been a long time since I posted. Where in the world have I been and what have I been doing? Where did the time go???

Today was a tough day for a few reasons. None of them are worth going into really. One was my husbands fault, and he apologized early in the day (he's a smart man. The other was just sort of a smack in the face, and in the long run, it made me ponder a few things, which isn't always a bad thing. Anyway, I came home, did homework with Abbie, waited for Mason, went for my first run in 3 weeks, and it made me feel so much better.

Nothing much is going on. We cancelled our trip to Jamaica. Everyone else we were going with backed out, so we decided rather than go back to Jamaica, we will pick somewhere we've never been instead. I'm supposed to go to that Kagan thing in July, so it will be a busy summer! I haven't had time to sit down and research where we wanna go. All I know is sand. hot. drinks. sunsets. rest. In no particular order.

Dorsey is retiring. That has been hard to come to terms with. He's been a part of my life for 10 years. Yes, I'm that old. LOL I will miss him so much. Since the wedding, we have gotten so close, and I feel like I am actually getting to know him. It will be hard to see him go. I think we will stay in touch, especially as I go down this administration road.

Kids are good- they are soooo ready for summer, as am I! Abbie is into soccer right now and is having so much fun with it. Mason is playing the mandolin now, which is pretty cool. My dad gave him an old mandolin of his, and mason is teaching himself. He's so smart with music.

Tony is loving his masters program, and I'm loving that I'm almost done with mine. I'm ready for the next challenge. Do I want to work on a doctorate?? I have always said no,but if the right program came along, I just may.... shhhhh don't tell my husband. LOL

College?

Yikes.
My son is in 6th grade, and we spent almost a hour tonight talking about colleges, his career choices, looking at websites of colleges, and talking about how important it is to get the best grades he can, make good choices, be a good citizen, and make sure he can live with the consequences of every one of his choices throughout high school!
(How's that for a long, run-on sentence??)

So, after our discussion, he has decided to look at (in no particular order):
MIT
Georgia Tech
Embry Riddle

I hope the boy gets some scholarships. I'm just sayin.........

An update on our chaos

I started to update, and sat here for a minute thinking "what can i say?". Life hasn't changed much from my last update, so I guess I'll just basically repeat the same stuff!
1. Annie is over.... it was soooo cute and the kids did an amazing job. I think Mason is happy for some down time, and I know I'd like some!

2. Abbie's play is this weekend. She has "tech week", AKA "Hell week" in adult circles because of the late night practices until they get it right. It's in Petersburg, 45 minutes away, so needless to say, it's a strain sometimes. But it will be so worth it! I'm so excited to see her on the stage. This will be her first play. I think she got jealous of big brother getting all the "acting" attention!

3. Tony's classes are underway and he is LOVING it. This is such a change because he really DID NOT enjoy his undergrad classes. He is really bonding with the guys in his group and is loving the learning! He talks about it all the time and I'm really seeing professional growth in him. I can't wait to see what professional opportunities this brings him. It all culminates with a international trip, and I've already told him I'm SOOO going with him! He amazes me how he gets up at 3 am everyday, goes to work in DC, gets home at 5:30 or so, and then manages to take Abbie to play practice.

4. I am LOVING my internship. I love teaching, but this stuff is just so exciting! I guess it's just so cool to me to be doing this stuff after 15 years in the classroom. I seriously love every bit of it, even the boring paperwork. It's a lot of work and it's very, very challenging mentally for me. I really feel challenged and it makes the day go by so quickly. Again, I'm very excited to see what the future holds for me professionally!

5. I am super excited about April being pregnant. I found out today if she is having a girl, she wants to name her Evelyn, which just makes me teary to think about.

6. And on a side note, I can't wait for spring break so I can deeeeeep clean my house. With all of the above going on, the house is getting cleaned, but not de-cluttered. Watch out kiddos and hubby- if you want to keep it, you better find a place for it, because I'm about to attack. Goodwill and AmVets are gonna love me.

What a great song....

I just found my all-time favorite Christian song on YouTube. I wasn't an AI follower last season, so I never knew they did this....but it's a great performance. This song was my "go to" song the entire time I was going through my cancer. I remember just going to the grocery store, to Target, or anywhere....just to be alone and blast this song in my car. It ALWAYS made me feel better......

www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6G0U8Vg6nY

Off to look for more.....

Finally Friday....

Why did this seem like such a long week, when I only worked 1 1/2 days? Seriously. Any teacher can tell you that half days feel longer than regular days. I guess that's what it was. I am plum worn out. Looking forward to dinner out tonight. It's a teacher from school's b'day and she asked us to join them for dinner.... it'll be nice to go somewhere different than we usually go and just relax.

Tomorrow, I'm getting my hair cut and highlighted. I always get nervous right before a haircut. Inevitably, I start to hate my hair, thus I make an appt. Then, right before the haircut, I start liking the way it looks or the way it's doing, and I have this appt that I feel compelled to keep. So, hopefully, it'll turn out well and I'll still like it afterwards. :-) I want to have the nerve to do something a little more drastic with the highlights- we shall see! If you don't see me for awhile, you'll know I hate it. :-)

I am so excited about the warm weather this weekend. The doctor told me this week that I have a Vitamin D defieciency. I think I just need some more sun time..... maybe I should go back to Hawaii. Couldn't hurt, right???

My quiet spot....

We are on snow day number 2. They have been fun, relaxing, and have allowed me to get some closets cleaned out and tackle some tasks I probably wouldn't have until Spring Break! That being said, I'm a dork, and I'm bummed that I missed a few meetings and administration stuff that I was going to take care of yesterday and today. How sad is that????

I got up early this morning, fixed myself a cup of coffee, and sat in my living room, and looked out the window. Over the years, this has become my favorite spot to just "be". The small room is filled with furniture....I'm sure some decorator person would tell me it's too full.....and it is..... but I love it. Every piece in there was my mom's. Her formal sofa, her piano, her end tables, her chair, her coffee table, and her pictures. The sofa needs to be reupholstered to really "go" with the room, but I don't want to do it. It still sort of smells like her house, and it brings me great comfort and peace to sit there, and look out the window, and just be still. My mom's life was never "rush, rush"....she spent a lot of time just being, and looking out the window, talking to friends over coffee or over the phone, and talking to us kids. I feel more like her when I allow myself those moments. It's hard for me to do it for long periods of time because inevitably my husband or a child comes and joins me, but that's ok too. Still very peaceful. If my mom could sit there with me, it'd be perfect.