Busy, busy, busy...

This weekend was a lot of fun. On Saturday, we went down to visit family. First, we hung out with my parents for awhile, and showed off Mason's circus trick of walking around. He gets so excited when he walks. He toddles, hands up near his face, giggling and heading towards some destination like it's the most interesting thing ever. Of course the cheers from his audience just encourage his happiness. It's so darned cute. Anyways, then we went over to my husband's sister's house for a surprise party for his aunt. She left today for Uganda, Africa for like 2 or 3 years, for a Christian mission through the Salvation Army. It was a good yet bittersweet time. His aunt was very surprised and so happy to see everyone. We all helped make a scrapbook for her, each of us making a page of sentiments and pictures for her to read when she's homesick. We put Mason's hand and footprints on a page along with some pictures of him. If that doesn't melt her heart, nothing will. Then yesterday we spent some more time with my parents before heading back home. It was a nice trip.

Today was not so relaxing and joyful. The other aide in the 6th grade had an aunt pass away last week, so she'll be out until next Monday. The Powers That Be knew this on Friday of last week. I asked TWICE what the plan was. I was told there wasn't a plan. Big surprise. This morning, I asked again. Again, I was given an unsure answer, but they said they thought one of the preschool teachers was supposed to cover in there. The next thing I know, I run into the principal in the hall, and she is informing me that it's my job to cover in there when the other aide isn't there. That's funny, since no one told me that. Big surprise again. That really pissed off the special ed teacher, because that means I can't do Resource. How frustrating. And I have no clue how we're going to do our lunches tomorrow, since it mixes up the plan. I guess we'll figure it out when it happens, as everything else goes at that place.

Oh well. The school year's almost over, right?

Just like the weather around here...

If you don't like the way things are going at the school I'm at, wait 5 minutes and it will change. Yesterday was crazy. And I mean insane. A little lightbulb finally went off inside our lovely principal's head and she realized that perhaps the 6th graders shouldn't be in the smallest room in the school. Gee, she's a genius! How come no one else thought of that? Oh wait, they did. So yeah, even though those kids were moved in and stuffed into the smallest room in the building just a few short months ago, they were uprooted once again and moved back into their original room. Although I think this was a long overdue, well deserved move, I certainly think it could have been planned a teensy bit better. The plan was that were wasn't a plan. Deja vu of when they moved out of that room. Just like the first move, there were people scattered and wandering all over the place, trying to figure out what to do with everything and who should do what. Not to mention, yesterday the 6th graders were wound up like it was the last day of school. Luckily because most of them are just dying for an opportunity to help and feel important, a lot of them were recruited to carry stuff back and forth to the 2 rooms. That sure helped. I just about fainted when I heard the principal had actually hired two real movers to relocate all the big furniture. That was a huge burden off the staff's shoulders, including mine. I had assumed I would have to help with this move as I had the first time, but thank the Lord I was wrong. So it was fun being an observer during this whole fiasco. Today though, you wouldn't even know they just moved back in yesterday. It looks like a classroom and the kids are at work. Pretty impressive.

Also yesterday, I found out I'm getting backpay for the Learn and Serve Grant, since we hadn't seen a cent since it started months ago. That will be nice. And on another note, I get to be with the 3rd grader for an hour and a half every day, BY MYSELF, while the other aide is off working one-on-one with some of the slower learners. Yeah, that's not good news. Some of those kids are such tyrants. I am really not looking forward to that. And the other interesting event from yesterday: one of the 6th graders turned in a report on Iraq to me (two weeks late, mind you), which was WORD FOR WORD from his internet resources. The weird thing was that his Rough Draft was only partially like that. But when he typed up his Final, he decided to just copy his resources. Did he really think I wouldn't notice? I'm pretty sure a 6th grader wouldn't have near the vocabulary of the intellect that typed up that website. After much debate with the principal, the student is getting an opportunity to rewrite it. It was suggested that he get a "C" for effort, which I completely disagree with. I had some "A" papers that were turned in almost as late, and they got a "D". I don't think he should get a "C" for a late paper that wasn't even in his own writing!! The special ed teacher is going to work with him until it gets done.

Mason fingerpainted last night. We did his handprints and footprints for his great Aunt that is moving to Africa for 2 or 3 years in just a few weeks, and then we let him have at the paint. At first, he didn't know what to do. Then, he reveled in the gooeyness and smeared it all over the place. Thank God it's non-toxic, because he of course had to taste test it.

What a day.

Sunday nights are always a bummer

When Sunday evenings come along, I always get that "uggh" feeling. You know, when you realize that your weekend is just about over and you didn't get to have as much fun or rest as much as you had wanted. It just goes too quickly. Especially when you're sick. Well, I have felt better today, but still. I took some Nighttime Sinus stuff last night, which worked like a charm. Today, I'm still a little stuffy, but not as bad as yesterday. In fact, I even managed to take Mason on a stroller trip through the mall. The stores obviously conspired together and had grand sales today. I walked out of the Gap Outlet store with two shirts and two pairs of socks for Mason, even though he didn't really need them. I also got some cute stuff for my cousin who's having a baby in July. While there, I saw two of my 6th graders (who just adore Mason, so they oohhed and aahhed at him), one of the fellow aides at my school, and the aide that left early on in the year because she was pregnant (remember her? she was the one who just stopped coming and we were worried for awhile). She had the baby like a week ago, and had the little guy already out and about at the mall. I just don't get that. I mean, maybe I've become a paranoid germaphobe since becoming a mom, but I just don't see a reason to expose a newborn baby to the nasty germs and bacteria, especially during RSV season. I see mothers with babies that couldn't be more than a week or two old out at Target or Walmart or the grocery store and I just don't get it. It's one thing if you're a single mom who has no one else to get you diapers or formula, so you have to go. But, to just go sauntering around the mall or store because you want to go shopping with a 10 day old, just isn't right. That poor thing has a weak immune system as it is. Why would you want to jeopardize their health? Maybe that's just me.

On another note, I didn't tell you: Mason's trying to walk!! He's taken like 5 steps at a time, before he gets overly excited and leaps face forward towards you. We're so proud. I don't think it will be long before he is running at full speed.

P.S. Mason likes yogurt. A lot. And he likes to wear it.

All right germies, you've had your fun...

Just when I think, "hey, I actually feel pretty healthy," BAM!! there goes another nasty bug, invading my immune system. I had a scratchy throat yesterday and was a little congested. Today though, yowza. I'm as down for the count as I can be with a toddler (that's still weird to say. I want to call him a baby, but he's trying to walk, and he eat real people food, so I guess he's not) in the house. I'm sneezing like I'm allergic to air, my face feels like some WWF guy punched me, my teeth and ears ache, I have no energy, kinda feverish and basically feel like doody. Yippee. Luckily, Mason took a decent nap this morning, which gave me some time to bury myself in blankets on the couch and nap a little myself. My husband should be home from work soon, so that's a good thing. Anyways, Mason is not having the fact that I'm sitting here typing and he's ALL the way down there on the floor, trying to entertain himself. So, bye.

Is it winter or spring? I'm confused...

So it started out not too cold but grey out this morning. Then it cleared up and the sky was, well, sky blue. Then, clouds rushed in and it snowed. Yes, snowed. And it snowed like it was the beginning of a blizzard. The wind blew, the sky was a blanket of white-grey and it was freakin' freezing, Mr. Bigglesworth! The 3rd graders were nutjobs. They kept leaping out of their seats and shouting, "It's snowing!! Do you see the snow? Oh my gosh, look at the snow! Can we go play in the snow?" It was a bit crazy. And the classroom doesn't have blinds, so you can't hide the snow from the loopy children. Yeah, so then it cleared up and the clouds drifted and it was clear as a summer day out there. No summer temperatures, but still clear. The kids relaxed and somewhat returned to work. Then, as they were being released at the end of the day, guess what? The snow was back!! They were ecstatic! Of course there were excited comments and predictions of a Snow Day tomorrow. Yeah right. None of the on-again-off-again snow was sticking. And to cap off the day, by the time I was heading home at 4:15, the snow was gone and the sun was out and there were no signs of winter. Good lord, what in the tarnation is going on around here? If it's gonna snow, just snow!! We get excited that it finally snowed around here and then it stops. Mother Nature is such a tease...

Whee!!!

So, this past weekend we were very brave and took Mason on a 4 hour trip to see his grandparents. It went rather smoothly, considering. He lost his patience about 2/2.5 hours into it, but we were able to keep him pretty distracted and entertained with snacks, a sippee cup of juice, toys, books and making funny faces at him. And of course, there's the beloved binky. Without it, I think our lives would cease to exist. Or at least our sanity.

It was a nice time, relaxing and visiting with my husband's parents. They of course love to have us visit, since it pretty much never happens. And Mason was doted on and loved on like there's no tomorrow. The house was filled with fun, new temptations and things to grab at. A baby's playground. We went to a local park (where the picture was taken), went to lunch, played video poker at their house, played Cranium, and my husband and I were even able to sneak in a date night. We went to the movie theater and saw "Hoodwinked", which was cute, but not worth $8.50 a piece!! We also ate at one of my favorite restaurants, Romano's Macaroni Grill. I just love that they give you crayons and a paper tablecloth to draw. And their bread is pretty addicting too. Anyways, a very good, relaxing, fun weekend overall. We were kinda melancholy to leave yesterday, but it had to happen. Now, it's back to our regular lives and Mason only has us to give him attention!! Poor baby!!

Ugghh...

I hate being sick. It seems to be a common occurence around here. If I'm not sick, then my husband is. He's been pretty yucky the last couple of days, and last night I started feeling like doody. This morning, I woke up with achy legs, stuffed up nose and a sore throat. Yippee. Now, I'm still somewhat congested, achy and just generally drained. Gotta love it. My husband's on his way home from Safeway, bringing me some soup. So, hopefully it will help regenerate me to some degree and I can tackle the last few hours of work.

Speaking of work, my boss now knows that I may not be there next year. I'm not trying to deceive her, I'm just afraid to burn bridges. I told her I'm getting my certification and may return to middle school, where I can teach only English and to older kids. She offered me the 6th grade for next year (the teacher is moving), with a decent pay package. It's tempting, but it's really not much more than what I can make in public school. I'm not for sure about what I'm doing, but I'm still leaning towards returning to what I know.

Well, the dog needs to go out and I don't feel like typing anymore. Ta ta.

Changes

We went to this special church service last night. They only hold it once a month, and it's quite different than the regular Sunday morning service. They have it at this other building and it's much more youth-oriented. There's live (very loud) music, this little movie (a mini-series of sorts, very modern. Basically about how easily people can be deceived and get off the right path) and then the youth pastor speaks. The funny thing is, I went to high school with the guy. He was a bad boy then--into drugs, parties, drinking and hanging with the wrong kids. I guess somewhere between then and now, he found God, married his high school sweetheart, had two kids (another funny thing--his daughter is in 1st grade at the school I work at) and now ministers at the church. His sermon was about how Adam and Eve lost their way and were deceived, and how easily people can think they're making the right decisions, when really they are being blinded by false pleasures. I was rather moved by the whole thing. I've considered myself a Christian my entire life, but it hasn't been until my later adult years that I have really established a relationship with God. Then, Mason's babysitter invited us to her church and we've been trying to go as much as possible. Their entire family is such a wonderful influence in our lives. But the service last night just got through to me on a whole new level. I even got a bit teary-eyed. It was a nice feeling--a wake up call to remind me that I need to strengthen that relationship with God. So, that's my newfound goal...

Another (much less major) change: I got my haircut today. I needed to at least get a trim, but I decided to refresh myself and get some inches off. It's pretty short, but much healthier. It's just long enough to get most of it pulled up.

And change #3: Today is my husband's last day (hopefully forever) from Target. He has 2.5 hours to go, and I'm sure he's chomping at the bit. It will be so nice to have him home every night and hopefully less disgruntled. If he can make up the extra hours at his main job, he won't have to return at all. I think that shall be on my prayer list...

So, a new year and new changes. I think they will all be for the better. If only I can stick with the watching what I eat thing, we'll be all set...

It's Friday, right?

My boss really thinks I'm returning next year. I never said I was, because she's never asked my plan. She's just assuming I want to work in that nuthouse past May. Yeah, I don't think so. Even if she could promise me 6th grade, I wouldn't stay. I've listed the reasons before, so I shall not repeat myself. But apparently there really isn't anyone else to take over the Special Education department of the school next year, because the current head of the department is pregnant and due in August and the main aide will only be part time next year. So guess who's in line to take over? That would be me. I've heard "Princess Lionhead will do it" more than once come out of my principal's mouth, when talking to someone besides myself. She has never cleared that with me. I suppose she just thinks because I have the education, training and experience that I absolutely love working there and would have no problem taking over those responsibilities. I know I should be upfront with her, and just admit that I have plans to pursue "other endeavors", but I'm real afraid to burn bridges. What if I can't get a middle school English teaching position next year? That's definitely possible, especially in such a small town. I'm hopeful though, since I should be applying sometime in the spring. That should help me keep my options open. Or at least I hope so. This is why I am fearful of giving my principal a definite letter of resignation this early on. As scary as it sounds, I'd rather teach there than take a 2nd grade job somewhere else. At least where I'm at now, I'd have 2 aides if I took a regular ed position. I don't know. I just wish I already had a job lined up in a public school, so I could go ahead and tell her, "yeah, I'm not coming back next year. So, if you could just give me a good reference, that'd be great..."

Back to the grind

It was back to work today. Blah. I dragged my feet waking up this morning, and I continued to drag all day. I just couldn't get back into the swing of things. When I get off of a schedule, it's really hard for me to get back on. Especially when my routine for the past two weeks only consisted of Mason's routine. I didn't have appointments or a certain plan to follow. That's why today was hard. I really could have used another week off, but then again, at the end of that week, I would have been even more resistant to go back.

My husband and I got rid of the Christmas goodies, junk food, desserts and crap that was laying around the house as of last night. I took some to work and the rest went in the trash. No more fudge, cookies, rice krispy treats, M & M's, Hershey's Kisses, chocolate covered pretzels, among other things. It's all gone. We allowed ourselves the weakness of the holidays (pretty much since Halloween), but knew we had to put a stop to it before our jeans wouldn't button. So, it's back to no junk and actually eating the serving size. And no soda. That's a biggie. Not so much for me, but my husband. And hopefully it will be semi decent outside, and I can start walking again like I did last spring and summer. If not, chasing after Mason should help. He's faster than a monkey on crack with the crawling and cruising all over the house!! Sitting down around him is a luxury. I guess he's doing his part to help us lose those holiday pounds.

Woo, Woo, Party, Party!!

I tell ya, my painting of the town will be so outrageous and memorable that it will be published in newspapers all over the world and will be talked about for decades to come!! Or maybe not.

We have no parties or social gatherings to go to. We weren't even invited anywhere. It's a little depressing. I know having a baby means that you can't exactly go gallavanting off till the wee hours of the morning, but still. We weren't even asked to come over for dinner by anyone. I guess it's really not that big of a deal. I'm not a college girl anymore, who went out every weekend and stayed out til 3 or 4 in the morning. And I don't want to be like that again, trust me. I've lived the drunken haze and lazy weekends, and I filled that part of my life. I just wish we had somewhat of a social circle to get together with for New Year's.

Instead, we're staying home, ordering Papa John's and planning on playing Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture Edition. We might catch some of the "New Year's Rockin' Eve" show on tv, but if it doesn't start until 11, that's highly unlikely. Besides, I don't even know most of the bands and performers that they would have on there.

I guess I'm growing up and have different priorities. I don't need to be out at the bars and clubs to have a good time. But it would be nice to have at least a social half circle to hang out with tonight.

Is it already the 29th??

I can't believe Christmas and Mason's first birthday have come and gone. What a whirlwind! To catch you up, after my last post, we headed down to my parents' house. On the way, we hit some bad traffic, near an area where there had been a nasty accident. Of course everyone has to stop and rubber neck. Here it was Christmas Eve, and while we're sitting still in traffic, a guy walks by, apparently to check out how far down the traffic is stopped. I notice he has a cigarette in his hand. On his way back, I read his t-shirt: "I smoke, so F--- off!" Nice, huh? What a festive and appropriate shirt for Christmas!! Anyways, we finally made it to their house, in time to eat a nice dinner of roast beast and lots of other good stuff and then go to church. We went to my parents' church, which is very contemporary. So much so, that the first half of the service was a skit put on by adult members of the church. Not your typical Jesus' birth, either. It was cute but very much not the traditional thing you expect. We opened presents that night from my sister and her family. Real nice stuff. Mason got these tunnels that hook onto each other and then fold up when you're not using them. Cute. The next morning we opened presents from my parents and relaxed. Mason got a stuffed pony that whinnies and neighs, but he's not real enthused about it quite yet. Later, we went over to my sister-in-law's house, and met up with the whole famiy from my husband's side. It was nice, but very, very overwhelming. There were lots of people, Mason was tired (because he refused to nap, for fear he might miss something, I suppose) and there were presents and wrapping everywhere!! He made out like a bandit. There was so much stuff that we had a heck of a time stuffing it all into the car on our way back home the next day! Mason ate his birthday cake too, of course! What a mess! I'm kinda glad the first birthday only comes once! The next morning was Mason's actual birthday, and he opened presents at my parent's house and had MORE cake. That boy was so filled with goodies that now he's not real interested in real food. Ah well, he had a good time. Yeah, so my parents got him a tricycle. It is supposedly age appropriate for 1 1/2 years and up, but we'll see. Either way, he's not ready for it yet. When we were ready to head back home, my husband started feeling lousy. His stomach was churning and he had chills. By the time we were home, he was in bed and very much a sickling. I unloaded the car, entertained Mason and tried to nurse my hubby back to health. He really didn't feel 100% better until yesterday. I woke up a little yucky this morning, but it has passed.

So overall, a very pleasant Holiday, but exhausting. Mason's toy collection has probably quadrupled and our apartment is getting smaller by the day!! Oh well, we didn't need furniture anyways, right?

'Tis the season to be jolly...

Fa la la la la la la la la! Merry Christmas to all!! We are heading down to see all the family in a few hours (when my husband gets off work--Target is mean like that). We've got presents wrapped and packed in the car and we're as mentally prepared as we can be for Family Time. :) Hope everyone has a fantastic holiday and takes lots of pictures. We always do! Now, if it's still Christmas and you're reading this, get off the gosh darn computer and enjoy your friends and family!! Happy Holidays!!

I'm dreaming of a WHITE Christmas...

It's not going to snow here for Christmas. Not even close. It won't even be jacket weather. Grrr. It's currently 65 freaking degrees, and it will be 80 when we get to my parents' house tomorrow!! That is not okay. I don't expect snow on Christmas, but shouldn't it at least feel like it's December, for Pete's sake?! Mason has a cute Christmas sweater with a snowman on it (you can kinda see it in the picture) and he can't even wear it!! He'll be roasting!! My husband even plans on wearing shorts while we're visiting the family!! In December--the end of December, it feels like spring!! This is not cool. Actually, it's unseasonably warm. Eh heh heh.

In the jungle, the lion sleeps tonight...

We bought a new bed!! I can't contain my excitement, because the only bed we've had during our married life has been a hand-me-down many times over. Long story short, the bed we currently have has been my parents', my sister and brother-in-law's and his parents. Yeah, kinda gross, huh? Not to mention the fact that Max has "christened" it many times over. Yuck. When we bought new sheets about a month or so ago we decided that Max was prohibited from our room. I was so tired of finding pee stains on the comforter and washing it over and over again. That was enough to want a new bed, and also the fact that since the mattress is so old, the support and comfort ain't what it used to be. We deserve a new bed. Most of our furniture has been passed down to us. And we certainly aren't complaining or ungrateful, but it's nice to own something and know that you're the first to use it. Oh yeah, and we've been sleeping on a Full size and it's a wee bit cramped. So, today we found ourselves a nice, pretty, pillowtop Queen for a reasonable price and decided not to shop around. We laid down on it in the showroom and were sold. They're delivering it Friday and we're psyched!

And the other reference to the subject line of this blog entry: we saw "Chronicles of Narnia" today. We'd heard a lot of great things about it, but you don't get the concept until you see it yourself. It's pretty moving. If you haven't heard, there's a very strong biblical reference to the story. I won't give away the details, but the basic idea is that these kids find this magical world and the "king" Aslan (the lion) is the Jesus figure. Go see it, and you'll see. Just remember to bring tissues, or you'll end up wiping away your tears with a buttered popcorn covered napkin like we did.

Well, I'm in the midst of mopping the floor (I was letting it dry so I can scrub it some more), so I should skedaddle. Merry Christmas!!

5 days till Christmas!!

I still can't believe it. Every day it gets a day closer to Mason's first Christmas and the next day his FIRST BIRTHDAY. That's inconceivable to me. This time last year I was very, very, very uncomfortable, fat, anxious, without a bladder and did I mention uncomfortable? This past year has zoomed by in a bit of a blur. I have forgotten what it's like to not be a mommy. It consumes so much of my life now (not that it's a bad thing, I'm just saying) that I can't remember life before.

He has grown so much and changed so much in the past 12 months. I remember when we carried him and passed him off to people like he was going to break or explode--"be careful of his head", "don't wake him", "careful!!" I remember when he rolled over and we celebrated like he had just won the Pulitzer Prize. I remember when he got his first tooth and we thought it was the cutest thing (now he has three on the bottom, and it's still adorable). I remember when he didn't fit in 0-3 month clothes anymore, and I almost cried. I remember when I refused to believe he didn't fit in his first pair of overalls anymore, and tried to cram him in them when he was 8 months old, even though they were size 3-6 months. Thank God for digital cameras, because we haven't missed a moment or memory (and if you are on my email list, you're well aware of that fact!).

I am so excited for his first Christmas. He's gonna be so excited to play with the bows and ribbons and he always loves all the lovin' he gets from family. And between the two families and the two holidays, he'll be set. I just have no freaking clue how we're going to get everything in the car and bring it back home. Oh well. We'll just take out our bed, couch, tv, dresser and kitchen table and fill the entire house with books, toys and gadgets. Such fun...

What is this "sleep in" you speak of?

I try not to laugh when friends or famiy call me at 8 or 9 or 10 in the morning and say, "Did I wake you?" I realize there was a time in my life when I was capable of sleeping well into late day and sometimes even afternoon!! But those days are long, long gone, my friend! "Sleeping in" nowadays means that I'm awake after the sun is up. If I'm still in bed after 7, I count my blessings. Babies do that to you. When Mason was an infant and I was up with him every couple of hours, I used to sit in the glider in his room, struggling to breastfeed, and hating the rest of the world. Although I know that there are millions of mothers around the world and there were probably half that were up at the same time I was, I couldn't see that. I was the only one up at midnight, 2, 4 and 6 with a screaming banshee. So, these days, I thank my lucky stars that Mason sleeps through the night, and has since he was about 2 months old. (Other mothers scowl viciously at me when I tell them that little tidbit) I am very much appreciative of that. But, he is normally wide awake somewhere between 5:30 and 6:30 every morning. He goes down for a nap a few hours later, which is nice. I have to say that I get more accomplished before 10 on a weekend than most people do all day (or at least those who do not have kids). Take this morning for example: it's barely reaching 10 a.m., and already today I have fed Mason a bottle, played on the floor with him for awhile, gave him breakfast, changed his diaper (3 times, I might add!!), wrapped 3 Christmas and 1 birthday present, did 3 loads of laundry, put the sheets on Mason's bed (and if you have children, you know how tricky a fitted sheet for a crib can be!!), somewhere in there snuck in some breakfast for myself and put Mason down for his morning nap. Now would be a good time to take a shower, now that I think about it. I have to scatter those throughout the week, whenever I have 15 minutes or so to spare. Now, I know most families have more than 1 child (and in a few years, we will too), but I still take pride in my accomplishments. So, to those of you who just rolled out of bed, are still in your pj's at 10 and may plan to just lay around all day, I say you don't know what you're missing. :)

Stir Crazy

If you don't know me that well, then you may not know that I can't stand things staying the same too long. Sooooo, that's why my blog looks different, AGAIN. I wanted one that was wintry or Christmasy, but no such luck. So, this one was white and the little blue pine cone looking thing in the upper right corner was as good as I could get.

Have I mentioned that tomrrow's the last day that I have to forge the insanity at work for 2 whole weeks??? (this is the part where angels from the heavens would be singing their delightful "Hallelujah" song...) YIPPEEE!!!

A Blessing in Disguise

Today started out okay and normal--worked with my two groups in Resource (and actually everyone worked and got done early, which was just fine with me). Then I went with the Special Ed teacher to pick up the pizzas and other junk for their party today. I started feeling a headache and even though I know better and have plenty of experience with life-altering migraines, I didn't take anything. I helped out with the pizza party and my head started throbbing. Afterwards, I went back to 3rd grade, took a Motrin, and by that point my head was aching like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it and my patience and tolerance was paper thin. Everything the kids said or did grated on my nerves. After feeling hot, dizzy and overtaken by the headache, I decided to go home 2 hours early. I took a well needed nap, then picked up Mason from the babysitter. I made an executive decision to stay home tomorrow. I may feel better by then, but I don't want to risk it and I need a day off. I know Christmas Break is just 3 days away, but oh well. Besides, tomorrow is my husband's day off, so I can get help with Mason. So, even though I wanted my mommy when my head was ready to propel into space today, at least I get tomorrow off. It all works out in the end...

One More Day Down...

Sorry about my last post. I was tired and just wanted to vent, short and sweetly. Things aren't THAT bad I guess. I am just tired of being treated like a doormat and being pulled in a million directions all the time. I just try to keep in mind that this job is not at all permanent and that I only have to make it until May. I have no idea what I'm going to do for the summer, but that's a whole other stress altogether. So, I'm taking it one day at a time, praying and trying to make the best of it. We'll see how that works out for me...

Yes, that's my cutie in the picture, checking out the candy canes on the tree. He spends a lot of time examining the tree, and the other day he noticed these really cool red and white hooked thingies that crinkle when you grab them. Thankfully, he hasn't realized that they're edible yet. He just takes the candy cane off the tree, shakes it, switches hands, shakes it again, then puts it back on the tree. Eventually though, our dog Max snatches the candy cane and chomps down on it. So much for Mason's toy. Ah well, there are plenty more where they come from.

Back to the work situation, this week is going by in a flash already. Today was a normal schedule for me, but the rest of the week will be filled with movies, candy, cookies and two pizza parties. Being in 3 different rooms means I get 3 different parties, and they're all on different days!! Woo-Hoo!! Tomorrow after Resource, we're having a party with them. We're having pizza and watching a movie. Wednesday, well, I don't know what the plan is for Wednesday. Thursday is the party in the 3rd grade. We're eating pizza and having cookies. Yum!! THEN, Friday I'll be with the 6th graders (YEAH!!!!!) , and they're having a party. Goodies, movies, candy, oh my!! I am psyched!! I am so glad the day before Christmas Break I will be in the 6th grade not 3rd. Those 3rd graders are out of control and so rowdy, I cannot even begin to imagine what that day is going to look like (loads of 8 year olds passed out from a sugar high, food wrappers all over the floor, lights hanging desperately from their fixtures, sticky, chocolate handprints smeared down the walls...)!! Granted, I'm sure the 6th graders won't be angels or even close, at least they're controllable.

By the way, Mason's getting more and more independent. He loves walking around the room, hanging on to furniture and trying to reach things and eat them. His favorite cuisine is cat and dog food, which keeps me and my husband always up, chasing him down and fishing it out of his mouth. Needless to say, he makes a pouty face and whimpers a little. How horrible of a mother I am for taking away his snack!! He also waves, high 5's, holds his own bottle, feeds himself finger foods, drinks from a sippy cup and fusses when he doesn't get his way. Overall rewarding, but very frustrating at times.

Speaking of which, he's standing underneath my chair wanting up, so I should go for now. Merry Christmas, Ramadan, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Rosh Hoshonnah, Arbor Day, Tuba Day, whatever!!!