Gin and Bear It

GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES:
My dad gave the girls a giant bear for Christmas.
I too had a giant bear as a child.
There is half full bottle of gin in the cabinet from a party.
We got a new camera for Christmas.

THE DILEMMA:
What to do with your time on a Saturday night when all of these items are at your fingertips?

I give you our solution.  What you are about to witness is not for young viewers.  No bears were harmed in the shooting of this documentary. Dialogue seemed trite and awkward.  I've instead provided a mock-up of each scene.

Bear breaks up with girlfriend.  Buddy consoles him.

Bear turns to the bottle.

Bear struggles with calling said girlfriend.

Gin catches up with Bear.

Bear collapses in drunken fit.

"Don't ask."

This is not the last you'll see of the bears.  I just need more time to flesh out my concept.  Trust me, we have enough stuffed animals in this house for more characters.

Decision Points

Nothing gets me more charged than political season.  These crazy primaries have made me nostalgic for elections past.  I've spent the past several weeks delving in to the 2008 election.  I thought I'd revisit the beginning of last decade this time and read Decision Points by George W. Bush.

Admittedly, I was as down on the president at the end of his tenure as just about everyone else in the country.  But time heals all wounds and provides so much insight.  I found this book to be very interesting and well-written.

The structure is unique.  Instead of taking his presidency year by year, event by event, Bush focuses on critical decisions he was forced to make.  Each chapter focuses on a different decision.  Therefore, the book is technically not in chronological order.  But any fool knows the order of events since 2000 (or am I being too presumptuous?)  The first chapter discusses his choice to stop drinking and how it has shaped the rest of his life.  He then discusses the 2000 election, 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, the economic crisis, and other key topics.  I think its very easy for the armchair warriors to criticize choices any president makes.  It is mind blowing that the safety and integrity of our country rests in the outcome of decisions made by the president.  But he doesn't act without counsel.  The president has a team of advisers and is privy to intelligence briefings.  That being said, Bush takes complete ownership of all his decisions and admits that in some cases, he got it wrong.

I was not aware that Bush is as faithful and reverent as he is.  He reads the Bible every morning.  He wanted to make federal funding for faith-based organizations a part of his platform, but all his early ideas took the back burner after Sept. 11th.  I hadn't really thought about it until I read this book, but Bush had a very eventful 8 years in office.  You'd almost have to be a believer to get though all that without losing your sanity.

I found it very touching that he wrote personal letters to every family who lost a soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan.  While time consuming, I should think that's the very least he could do.  He concedes that his decision is what put the men and women in harms way to begin with.

The book also offers a glimpse into the daily life and traditions of the president.  For instance, every outgoing president writes a letter to the new one and leaves it on the desk in the Oval Office.  Bush left one for Obama after meeting with him in depth to discuss the economic fallout.  The peaceful change of power in our country really is something to marvel at.

Bush ends by stating that he knows all his decisions weren't popular, but that he made every one with the best intentions for the country.  I'm glad I read the book.  I'm also glad that I read it 4 years after the end of his presidency.   It gave me more perspective.  It will be interesting to see how he is perceived 20 years from now.

Truth or Dare

Madonna's Truth or Dare is on Palladia right now, and it's like crack to me. Ah...to be in 1991 again. How did I never watch this in its entirety before tonight? She looks so different, but then again, so do I. I completely forgot that Madonna dated Warren Beatty.

This totally makes me nostalgic. I can mark so many milestones of my life through Madonna's songs. My Fifth grade cheerleeding dance was to Lucky Star. I specifically remember sitting in class my Sophomore year of high school discussing Justify My Love. She provided a soundtrack to my life from elementary school to college.

Will any artist today have longevity? I feel like singers and bands today are fleeting. Will my daughters be able to name influential artists when they are I their (late) thirties?

I Know This About Myself

If you've read any of my blog entries, you know I'm a reader.  I like to fancy myself connoisseur of fine pieces of literature, but let's be honest.  Those types are better left for audio when an excellent voice actor can read it to me.  During the school year, when my brain is fried, I need quick, mindless, chick lit.

And I mean quick.  Like read-it-in-less-than-3-days quick.  After that, I'm over it.  I read reviews stating the common phrase "I stayed up all night to finish it.  I just couldn't put it down."  My nightly wine consumption prohibits me from achieving this.  I have to get all my reading done during the day.  We all have our priorities.

Cue choir of angels because I found the perfect book to meet my needs.....

This was "laugh out loud" and "read specific lines aloud to anyone who'll listen" funny.  As the title suggests, the main character, Babe, is a narcissistic rich girl who really doesn't have many problems.  Still she makes the case that her "white girl problems" are indeed real.  It really is such a hindrance that she hates the appearance of her vagina, and it's so unfortunate that her alter ego, Babette, emerges whenever she begins to feel strongly for a man.  It's supposed to be a memoir and is based on a Twitter feed.  As I read, I kept Googling  names and pictures and could find no matches.  Events and dialogue became more outrageous (e.g. grandmother mauled by lion in Africa while wearing zebra print, personal trainer who promotes strength and  flexibility through sex IN THE GYM), so I kept investigating.  Now, don't you think for one minute that I wasn't loving every delicious syllable of this book.  Just after turning that last page, I came across this article that FINALLY answered my questions.  Babe Walker is a fictional character invented by three friends!

Thank God!  Now I don't have to hate myself for wanting to be her best friend.  The writing is so clever.  It's really what makes the book.  If you enjoy sarcastic wit and well-placed dialogue, read the book.

Now I'm on to my other favorite snarky, bitchy writer....Jen Lancaster.

Finally!!!!

I have found a book that makes me want to drop everything and read.  It is Austenland by Shannon Hale.  I needed a quick and easy read, and this is it!  I just started today, and I'm already halfway through.  The downside is that I have not written the first lesson plan yet.  Ah well....  It's being made into a movie.  I highly recommend it!

http://www.amazon.com/Austenland-Novel-Shannon-Hale/dp/B001P3OMY6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328567717&sr=1-1

Bookin' it...or not!

I am in such a reading slump right now.  The past two years, I have set reading goals for myself.  In 2011, I read or listened to 58 books.  Typically, I read every day.  In addition to the book I'm reading, I listen to one on audio while I get ready for work and in the car.

These past two weeks, my mind is all over the place.  I simply cannot focus.  I have started and stopped 4 books.  I want to stop listening to The Book Thief, but I'm doing it for a book club.  I mean, it's an award winning bestseller, but I just cannot be bothered.   I have got to get it together.

I have a Goodreads account  and love reviewing books.  Once I get my groove back, I will also add my reviews to my blog.  This way I may actually make regular posts.  Here's to hoping I get it together.

Mixed Emotions

Well, actually not even mixed.  I'm pretty clear on my emotions, and I'm not ashamed to say that I'm behaving pretty selfishly right now.

I left LHS to move to a PJPII to be with my girls and work part-time.  It really is the ideal job for me:  3 days a week, I see my children, the little ones are eager, minimal behavior problems...the list goes on.   In the past several months, I had been having feelings of regret over leaving the high school, especially while rehearsing for a Christmas play at the new school.

These kids have never really been introduced to a real theatrical experience; and certainly not my method.  It was frustrating because, at this time, the middle school students just don't have the maturity to handle what I'd like them to do.  We just had our performance, and it turned out pretty well.  Everyone seemed impressed.  I am encouraged that with more training, they will eventually rise to a certain level.  I miss working with high school students in that respect.  It is a different sort of fulfillment.  I don't miss the high school classroom, but I do miss high school theatre.  The exact opposite is true at PJPII.  I enjoy the classroom, but the theatre is difficult.

I had a whole day to enjoy the apparent success of my show.  My former Thespians competed in their District competition the same weekend.  I've not been in contact with them this semester, but I felt compelled to wish them "to break a leg."  This opened the flood gate of texts.  Saturday night, I learned they were awarded a Superior rating for their one-act play and will represent the District at the State festival.  This is an honor I received twice, but has alluded me since 2005.

This is where the "mixed" emotions part comes into play.  So many thoughts are swirling around in my head.  I don't even know if its worth trying to organize them into paragraph form.  So, I'll just list thoughts as bullet points.  Don't forget that I know I'm being childish and selfish.

• I wish I could have received that Superior!  I also wish I could share in their jubilation.  That is one of the best feelings in the world.  I worked really hard in years past and feel that we were judged rather unfairly, especially last year.
• I love the thrill of competition!  I miss that.  It doesn't last long...not much longer than the weekend. But it is sweet while it lasts.
• I can't help feeling that they're thinking that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea for me to leave.  The new director can take them places I couldn't.  Is she better than me?  Is her method of directing better? I guess what it boils down to is that I'm just jealous.
• Their play dealt with autism.  The director has an autistic son, so the topic is special and dear to her.  That sort of topic, when done well, is also a sure winner.  It reminds me of my Boys Next Door in 2005.
• I know the actors were superb.  I never doubted their talent.  I have to tell myself that I had a little something to do with that.
• A part of me feels that maybe I lost my edge during my time off from teaching. 
• They're putting on the play for the community this Saturday.  They've asked me to come.  I want to see it, and I want to support them.  But it will be really hard.  I really just want to avoid it.  Every time I read a Facebook post, it makes me sad.  How will it feel being there?
• I was ready to can the thought of more productions at PJPII.  I have a fire now to push those kids.  I am goal oriented, so this is my mission.  Maybe one day, we'll be ready to enter into a Junior Thespian competition.    

The LHS students who were texting me the results wrote some really nice things:  We miss you, We love you.  That was nice.  But still, I am a little down.

The Western Caribbean- A Pictorial Review (Better late than never!)

In late July, I went on a week-long cruise with my mom and Nana to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and Grand Cayman.  Sherry kept the girls because Chad had to work all week.  It was a nice getaway for me and a great three-generational bonding experience.  I've neglected both my blog and digital pictures of late, but in an effort to make amends, here they are:

We set off from Tampa.  This is a view from our balcony over the Florida Aquarium. 

Nana chillin' out on our balcony. 

This is the life!  I felt a little ridiculous carrying around this bucket of super-sized beer to the lifeboat drill. 

Bye bye, Tampa! 

Under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.  Full speed ahead.  P.S.  I'm buzzed by now.

The view from our balcony.  Couldn't be more ideal, except for a lot of swaying.  Had to invest in wrist bands that hit pressure points to help with nausea.  They work really well.  

At dinner one night.  Nana moves  pretty well for 96!  

Glad I was filming and didn't have to participate. 

I had the worst night's sleep...woke up about 5:30am and laid there.  Finally, I got up, had some breakfast, 
and went for a walk on deck.  This was the sun coming up over Cozumel.  That was a really peaceful time on the ship. 

As close as I got to Belize. I couldn't be bothered to go ashore. The ship tenders from really far out.

This image might outweigh the nausea. 

The port at Roatan, Honduras.  This was our favorite stop!  (and unfortunately, the shortest)

Getting off the ship at Roatan. 

A resort at West End Village, Roatan. We felt very safe and welcome here. 

Horseback riding along the beach. 

Excellent Honduran beer! We enjoyed a boozy lunch at Fat Tuesdays. 

Absolutely no excuse for missing  your call when the ship is this close to the port.  This was a really good day.  

And we continued our fun on the ship after our 3pm sail.  Some of us "rested" during dinner.

At port in Cayman Islands.  Our ship in the background. This port tenders. 

One of 2 shipwrecks we saw on a glass bottom boat at Grand Cayman. 

From a beach at Grand Cayman. It threatened rain all day, but never affected us. This place looks and feels very similar to Key West. 

We stopped by a turtle farm.  There were some there that were almost 100 years old.  P.S. Turtle soup is very good!

Nana holding a turtle.  Caption actually unnecessary. 

Room service at it's finest. The entire staff of the cruise was phenomenal. 

Melanie and Belle appreciated their souvenirs. $12 (each!) well spent on blowfish pina coladas. 

It was a fun trip, and I'm glad we went.  A week is a little long for me to be at sea, but we enjoyed ourselves.

Heather Dawe, This Post is for You!

I GOTTA FEELING!....or not

I've made several major life decisions based on gut instincts. One that pops out at me was my freshman year in college. I left FSU and enrolled at HCC. I chose the Brandon campus because it was closest to home. I went to my first day of classes and had this anxious feeling come over me. All I saw were Armwood grads. It was the 13th grade! Maybe I was embarrassed that I couldn't cut it at Florida State. Maybe I wanted to start fresh and leave high school drama behind. All I know is that I left that campus after my last class, drove straight to the Ybor campus and enrolled there. That was the best choice I could have made. I had great classes and professors and it gave me the confidence to give FSU another try.

I just had another feeling this morning. I'm not sure I'll act on this one, though. This one's more nostalgic than life altering. After dropping the kids off at school, I went to Dunkin' Donuts for a much needed coffee. I turned out of the parking lot on auto pilot taking my usual route home from LHS. It was a deja vu sort of moment. All of a sudden, I missed LHS and doubted my decision to leave.

This is not actually a new thing for me. I've been pondering this a lot lately. There are a million reasons why working at Pope John Paul is the best thing for me. Here are a few:

• My kids go there and love it.
• I only work 3 days a week.
• I only see the students once or twice a week and don't have a homeroom to deal with.
• The school has a wonderful sense of community.

Here are reasons why I should never regret leaving LHS:

• High school students' attitudes seem to be getting worse every year.
• Class sizes in electives are ridiculously large.
• Teacher moral is at an all time low.
• I couldn't keep up with all that teaching Drama entails and spend time with my own kids.

All that said, I still miss it. I hated it the last year I was there, but I guess the grass is always greener. I had a sense of belonging there that I don't get yet at PJP. I felt at home in the halls. I loved making my rounds in the office. I made a lot of good teacher friends. But, quite possibly the best feeling was being in the auditorium alone.

I think I may be nostalgic for another time, though. Seeing Miles in Footloose (blog post on this coming soon!) brought back a lot of good memories. I think I may be confusing those with more recent ones. 2003-2006 were some of the best years of my life, but that's over. I'm where I need to be now. I know that. Hopefully that feeling with kick in soon, because I am one who acts on feelings.

I'm an Awful Blogger

5/30/11

Why can't I do this properly? Lord knows I've got so many comments on a variety of topics. I'm anti-Facebook. I use Twitter solely for knowing the latest moves of certain celebrities. So, blogging should be my thing.

Dammit, I'm going to make this happen! It was a year ago that I started this blog. I was off for the summer and had the time. Well, it's summer again, so I vow to write.

I've chosen not to change the title of my blog. 37 Sense just doesn't have the same ring. Plus, I'm not particularly fond of the number.

I've got a lot of catching up to do. I'll do that in a future post.

I'm back....

For my faithful followers (all 6 or 7), I've chosen to return to the blogging scene. I've been away for 2 reasons:

1. I've been completely swamped since the school year started and have had literally no free time.
2. I've been so bitter and angry lately that I was afraid any post I made would turn off whatever readers I had.

So, here I am. Four months later. Slightly less bitter. I have a week off from school for Thanksgiving, and by God, we're gonna get some blogging done!

For my first post since my absence, I will re-examine my original blogging goals:

1. Spend quality time with my children every day. (I really do try. I'm less stressed out in the mornings because now I don't have to be to work til 9am. So, that helps. We can sit together and enjoy breakfast. On the weekends, we try to do fun things as a family.)
   
2. Average reading a book a week. (Now this, I'm very good about. Reading has become one of my only outlets. And depending on the length of the book, I AM averaging about one a week. So, you're wondering..."You can read, but not blog?" And the answer is an emphatic, "YES!")
   
3. Stick to my new workout schedule. (Ummm...not so much. I certainly work out on the weekends, but I'm lucky if I get one workout in during the week. It should be easier in a couple of weeks once all my plays are over with. No more after school rehearsals...yay!)
   
4. Write on this blog at least once a week. (Well, you know the answer to that one. I will try to do better, though, for the reason listed below.)

So, I'm human....shoot me.

If you've followed my blog from the beginning, you know that I would like to be able to work from home. The online school thing still isn't happening for me. But, due to all my reading, I've become very passionate about reading and writing. I'm way more critical and analytical than I've ever been. I've actually found quite a few jobs for at-home writers. The problem is, they all want a writing sample. Aside, from this blog and college papers (for which I'd have to search to find hard copies in the garage), I don't have any samples. I'd like to create 2 samples, one creative writing, the other more editorial. Any suggestions?

A Day in the Life of Melanie

When I picked the girls up from school today, Melanie and I went into Belle's room to get her. Her class was on the playground. She looks around and says:

"Where is Belle? Where's my freakin' sister?"

The teacher walked in on the end of the conversation as I was telling her that Mommy and Daddy sometimes say words that little girls shouldn't say. I'm expecting my Mother of the Year plaque in the mail any day now.

At least she used the word properly in the sentence.

As I was laying down with Melanie tonight she let one rip. I pinched my nose and coughed. She says:

"Does it smell like rotten eggs?"

Me: "Yes"

"No, It doesn't. My heiny is beautiful."

Then she was feeling a little love of country.


Play ball!

Tori and Beth, BFF

Not by a long shot...but it got your attention.

So, Abby and I went to the Tori Spelling book signing at the Barnes and Noble on Dale Mabry last night (7/20). I watch her reality show occasionally and read bits and pieces of her first book. I thought, "What the hell?" I mean, it's a book signing, which is cool in and of itself. And come on...Donna Martin?!? Of course, I'm going.

I put some thought into my wardrobe. I settled on a dress that Chad bought for me. I hadn't worn it yet. I feel a little ridiculous for caring so much.

When Chad got home from work, I asked him, "Do I look stupid? I feel like I'm trying too hard."

"No, you don't look stupid. What's stupid is that you're going to see Tori Spelling."

Standard heterosexual male response. Most of the guys there last night were gay.

We left as early as we could for Tampa. I had to wait for Chad to get home to watch the girls. She wasn't set to arrive until 7:30pm, but the store started handing out wrist bands at 2:30pm. Our feeling was, "Whatever...if we see her, we see her. If not, hey, night out."

We get there at about 5:45. Not many people. I'm surprised. We went in to get bands. We're told that ours are the 2nd set of bands given out (the green ones), which didn't guarantee anything. I'm #1037. I'm not optimistic at this point. Around 7:15, the flood gates open and in come the PURPLE wrist bands.

They called for numbers 1-50. Oh boy, this is going to be a long night.

She's running late. I'm thinking, typical Tori. But apparently, she'd been live on HSN in St. Pete until 7pm. Forgiven.

We sat down at the cafe and waited. I knew she'd arrived when I heard peals of screams. I did some scouting and found a spot in the fiction aisle where we could catch a glimpse. We got a couple of pics. They then call for numbers 51-60. Come on!

"It's 9 o'clock. Let's eat."

At 10pm we swing back by to see if progress has been made. She was only slated for 7:30-9:30pm. They're on number 200 or so. I find another photo op spot and snap away. I felt a little dirty, like paparazzi. I mean, she's about 10 feet from me (on another side of a barricade) and I'm filming her every move. She seemed really cool and was taking a lot of time with each person...talking to them and taking pictures. Yeah, she's not making it to #1037.

A super fan was standing next to me. She sees my green wrist band and remarks, "I heard they're probably going to end up kicking you guys out."

REALITY CHECK, bitch.
a. This event is not going to make or break me, I'll live. (I know that statement probably goes against most of what I've already written, especially the bit about all the pictures.) and
b. They won't have to kick me out because my ass will be long gone. It's way past my bedtime. I got my book and my pictures.


We left shortly thereafter. I read today on her Twitter that she signed until 2:20am. So, we missed her. I actually have a lot of respect for that. She was live on air on HSN from 2-4am early Tuesday morning. Then live again from 5-7pm. Then at the book signing from 7:45pm-2:20am.

Two questions top my list:
1. How did she keep her makeup looking fresh? and
2. Did she have to go the bathroom, and if she did, she use the same one as the rest of us peons?

It was a fun time, nonetheless. I started reading the book, Uncharted TerriTORI. It's good. She's actually a decent writer. [EDIT:  I never finished the book.  I got caught up in the hype.]

As US Weekly Magazine would report: "She's Just Like Us."














Don't Judge Me.

I'm a Star, Bitches!

Or, my former student is.

Miles Teller, LHS 2005 grad and former student of yours truly, has just been cast as "Willard" in the remake of Footloose. Why is this significant? Because I was the GENIUS who originally cast him in this part in 2003. He even says as much:

"You, my dear, are a casting director in waiting, and I can't wait for the story of how all of this happened to come out! Who would've guessed that one little musical could've completely changed my direction in life and jump-started what I believe to be a long road of success." -Miles Teller, 6/22/2010

He's been very kind about crediting me with getting him started. But to watch his recent work, you'd know that he is naturally gifted and an honest actor. It gives me goosebumps to think I had even a morsel to do with all this.

He stays loyal and always informs me personally of his roles. We're still waiting for the indy-film, Rabbit Hole, to come out maybe sometime this Fall. That one stars Nicole Kidman.

Footloose is set to hit theaters in Spring 2011.

Here is an article and press release.

I won't embarrass him with a picture of his original portrayal.

Simple Cause and Effect

This



















causes this,















which, in turn, leads to this.



















Time for a new couch.

Well, Ain't That Some Shit?

So, we went to the girls' first swim lesson last night. It started at 7pm at Bicentennial Pool. We got there early and were the first to arrive. As we walked up to the gate, we were greeted with a sign that read the pool was closed due to "contamination." We actually already knew the situation because a lifeguard told us in the parking lot. Another lady and her two children walked up right behind us. She was Hispanic and spoke broken English. A swim instructor walked over to us and tried to explain gingerly what the problem was. Lady wasn't getting it. Finally the instructor stops dancing around the topic and blurts, "someone pooped in the pool."

Well, that sent my girls over the edge. They laughed like it was the most hilarious thing they'd ever heard. Melanie is repeating "somebody pooped in the pool." Belle is pulling one of her favorite tricks: she's bent over at the waist, hands behind her back, making farting sounds. Melanie joins in. More people are walking up at this point. Everyone is crystal clear on the situation now as my girls are providing illustrations.

Melanie wouldn't shut up about poop in the pool the entire ride home. Why is poop talk so funny to a 4-year-old?


I told Chad, "See, I did everyone at Adventure Island a favor by not reporting my incident. Nobody missed out on the fun."

Shameless Plug

Since I know that you, my many (if many can be defined as more than 3) followers are literate and enjoy reading, I thought I'd throw you a tip.

Start reading the Rizzoli and Isles Thrillers by Tess Gerritsen. I started with The Surgeon, which is the first in the series. I downloaded it to my Kindle because it was only $1.99 and sounded interesting. I couldn't put it down. Then I read The Apprentice, which was just as good. Now I'm on The Sinner. There are 8 in the series.

Jane Rizzoli is the only woman Homicide Detective in the Boston Police Department. Maura Isles is a medical examiner. They work together on cases. Rizzoli is tough as nails and puts up a macho front. Isles is well put together and no nonsense. Other recurring characters are the members of the Homicide unit. Every book has a different murder mystery. Isles isn't in the first book. She is introduced in the second, but doesn't play a major role until the third. I get the feeling that the author didn't originally intend to write a series, but kept on writing because the characters were so popular. The books have crime, suspense, thrill, forensics, romance, but best of all, really solid characters. They're like crack. I'm hooked.

The series is being made into a drama on TNT called Rizzoli and Isles starting this July. Here is a conversation with Tess Gerritsen about the series.



This is her website.

When I read a really good book, I want others to read it too so we can talk about it. I'd loan it out, but that's the one downside of a Kindle.

Enjoy!

5 am. Oh, How I Hate Thee.

Belle has a nasty habit of climbing into our bed somewhere between 3-5am. We've been lazy about curtailing this because of work. Now, that I'm off, this has to stop. When Chad gets up for work, she's up and wants her "ceweeal." Translation = I'm up at 5am on my "summer break."

Melanie got up unusually early this morning as well.

Aside from being tired, I don't mind getting up really early. I can usually do some reading and hop on the internet while they watch their morning programs.

This morning, however, was go time.

A transcript of my dialogue with Melanie:

I'm on the computer.

“Hi, Mommy. Can I stand here by you?”

“Sure, baby. What is that smell? Is that my….? BELLE! Melanie, why didn’t you tell me?” Probably because she helped. Belle is covered head-to-toe in lotion.

“Mommy! Belle has makeup!

“Thank you for telling me, baby.” I lock everyone, including myself, out of my bathroom.

“Mommy! Belle has a marker!”

“Mommy! Belle has Chapstick! I told on her 3 times.” I hate that f'ing kitchen drawer. It’s an abyss of shit toddlers should never touch.

“Mommy! Belle has nail polish!”

“Mommy! Belle has nail polish again!” Benny Hill music should be playing. We're all repeating the same cyclical motions. Belle goes into her bathroom; hauls said item out to the living room. I walk over to her. She hands me said item. I put it out of reach ( I think.)

“Mommy! Belle has more lotion!” I lock us all out of their bathroom. I’ll pick both bathroom locks later.

Time is now 6:45 am.

I hear a chair being dragged across the tile. This means she wants something completely (or so I think) out of reach.

Oh no you didn’t! She’s messing with my Kindle.

Looks like we’re going to school early today.

How can you be mad at this face, though?

Just When You Want to Kill Them...

They go and do something sweet and angelic. 

Mayhem

This week's events:

Melanie slathered body lotion in Belle's hair.

Which was followed by their favorite pastime, rifling through my drawers.

Yes, that's a tampon.

No, it has not been used.

Yes, I was here when this happened.

Belle also flushed a 3 inch hard fishing lure down my toilet. In a slow motion "NOOOOOOOOOO," I fished in after it (pardon the pun). Away it swirled.

A few days ago, they'd gone into the refrigerator, taken out the ham for dinner, hauled it into my bedroom, and were jumping on it.

Yesterday morning, they kept getting into the freezer. I found Melanie with a tub of ice cream in the living room. They each helped themselves to a popsicle. The coup de grace was a bag of frozen chicken on the living room carpet.

My solution.

Their response.

I'm thinking of full-time preschool during the summer.

Isn't it Ironic?

Literally a few hours after I finally signed my contract for next school year (the Teamsters would have been proud of my 3-week holdout), I got another job offer. I don't think I'm going to accept.

It's a tutor coordinator for an SES tutoring company. I'd be in charge of student and tutor recruitment in 3 counties, including Citrus. The work is from home, which is good. The biggest negative is that the pay isn't consistent. It's based on the number of students enrolled. If I were to leave my current job, I'd need to be guaranteed a certain salary with a set number of hours.

I'm still waiting to hear if my request to work 3/4 time will be approved. Things don't look optimistic. I'd take a pay cut, but wouldn't report to work until 9:00am. I'd teach the same number of classes, but with no planning period. The Union has issues with that. If I didn't sign the contract soon, it was going to expire. I may have been out of a job altogether.

I feel like the only way I could justify leaving is if a full-time virtual teaching position came my way.

The mornings aren't getting any easier, though. Even going in 30 minutes later (students are gone), we had a meltdown over socks, or something insignificant like that. Yesterday, I asked Melanie why she was crying. She said she didn't know. I don't either. At least she's honest.

At any rate, today was my last day. I don't report back (maybe) until August 2.