You're still in love with Dylan!!!

YES - finally we know the name of Sammy's father - you know, Kelly's son - Sammy - on 90210! Finally Brenda spilled the beans in last night's show. So, I've been waiting and waiting to find out who Sammy's father was and what the deal is. I know I'm only really watching because I want to see what happened to the ORIGINAL CLASS. Brenda is just in the way, honestly - I'm so over Brenda Walsh - have been over her since oh she left the show! Brief mention of Donna last night too - she has a baby. I'm assuming it's with David. Interesting stuff huh? Well, it is to me. Although the new class is not impressing me much. Drew Tyler Bell showed up in this episode and I'm not sure if I like him. He reminds me of Robert Pattinson. But I know him from his Bold and the Beautiful days - and he was a little cuter as a younger kid - he's a bit too skinny now. Anyway - the show is ok. Just ok. I'm not at all happy with Naomi - her nostrils flare a lot and that's weird.



Anyway - on to other things - I've subbed three days this week. I was asked to be on a committee that will look at the Language Arts program the school uses, review other programs and see what needs to be changed/tweaked. I'll be the parent rep from Trace Crossings! WOO HOO - that's just one more part of me in the door. I really want to work there.

I have tons of scrappy things to post - well not tons, but my halloween album (which I still haven't journaled in, but it's ok without it for now) and I made a fun little organizer the other night out of a file folder - just something to carry in my purse. Now I'm really wanting a new purse. I tried to find one at Target last night and liked a few, but they were more than I was willing to spend. Jason said 'just get it' and I couldn't - strange huh? :) Anyway, I also have started working on my Halloween ATC's for a swap at Scrap Etc. and I made some really cute little Halloween tags - not sure what I'm going to do with them yet - but they are cute! Polka dots + glitter + transparencies = halloween happies!!

Maybe I'll give one or two away. I only made 6 - hmmmm - I'll take some pictures and post soon and then do a giveaway. Speaking of giveaways - I have two people I owe goodies too - so I need to whip up something for them ASAP (hey Linh and Melita - it's coming). I sent a lovely package to Mandy yesterday too - with a super cute thing I made and DID NOT take a picture of before I packed it up. So, that means I need to make another for me!! :) (Which was already in my plans hee hee)

I went to a meeting Tuesday night about Wrappers Delight - and wow - if you are a scrapbooker - check it out - it's going to be great. This is the first time the store has done a holiday event and I'm so excited about it. Like, so excited, that I'm already trying to remember where I packed my Minnie Mouse Santa Hat!! I'm ready to wear it! and It's cute!! Anyway - check out the blog and all the updated details here >>> Wrappers Delight <<< There's a referral program!! So you and your friends can all sign up and be rewarded for coming as a group of friends!! How fun is that? And the post before that one gives you some details about what to expect. We're also doing a Secret Santa Swap and I've got to get a package ready to send to my Secret Santa Sister!! I wish we'd named it something else though - Like the Secret Ho Swap - or something like that. I mean, Christmas is really the only time of year you can refer to Ho in any way and it's okay!! My granddaddy used to come home from work, or anywhere actually, and the first thing he did was close the door behind him and say 'ho ho ho' - not like Santa but in a tired-and-I'm-finally-home kind of way. It was always something I loved to hear because I knew he was home - even if it was only because he'd run to the store to get something for my Granny. Good Memories - I wish I had more of them. Anyway - this is the point in the post where I would go back and link up everything that I could possible have a link for (like blogs of friends) but it's time to go through the car pool line. Then I'm back home to wash this gray right out of my hair and plug in the flat iron. It feels like a good day for straight hair!! And I need to watch FRINGE!!! Cole just hollared down from upstairs to tell me that Nick Jr is on and 'This track is slammin' - where does he get it? The other night, we drove the McDonald's on the way to church and got him a happy meal. He opened the box and said 'Come to PaPa' - referring to his chicken!! Then he took one bite and said 'this is the best chicken mcnugget i've ever had' - can you tell we laugh A LOT around this kid?? Have a great day! lisa

check out the new look

I had tons of brushes and images saved on our old computer and just haven't made the time to get them to this computer. I did it this afternoon and made a new banner and some other goodies for my blog. I really wish I could do a whole background, but I'm not sure how to do that - the whole HTML thing. Anyway................I should have been making bracelets (Mandy, don't hate me) or tshirts or one of the million of other things I've got on my TO-DO list!! So this evening, I'll be bracelet making and tomorrow hopefully tshirt making.

Bad news - the long term sub position I was hoping for got filled. That really stinks. Good news - a school I interviewed with last year has an opening this year - and I think my interview went rather well, even though I obviously didn't get the job (I was the last person he interviewed) so I'm hoping he'll recognize the name and see my application and call me!! It's down the street from my granny's old house. I need a job, badly. SO if I don't get a position - I'm between a rock and a hard place. If I get a 'real' job that isn't a teaching job, we'll have to pay for after school care. So I'd have to make enough money to cover that. If I keep subbing, I won't be in a 'permanent' position so my income won't be looked at when we're ready to buy a house. So here's ME - between a rock and a hard place!!

So, that's all for me - wow - two posts in a day!! Off to work on one of a million things............

lisa

Hello there May

WOW - it's May - like the 5th month of the year and the last month of the school year. You know, I knew forever that I should be a school teacher because I've never really gotten away from my 'year' being a school year. I've always based my concept of time and the calendar on the school year. Strange? Possibly, but hey, this is me we're talking about.

So since the school year is winding down to an end I'll probably have more free time. Most teachers don't miss this close to the end of the school year since there is so much they have to do. My long term position ends in just 6 short hours. I'm excited so have some free time to myself, to not have to get up quite as early - and to be all alone at home. I haven't been home alone since we moved except for one night when Cole spent the night with Grammy and Granddaddy and then the morning I left for Nashville. I'm so used to having some time alone that I think I've been pretty grouchy lately when it comes to getting things done. I'd rather just ignore the laundry and sit in my sitting room and read - all by myself!! And the sackers at Publix must think I'm rude - I never let them help me out with my groceries. Sometimes those five minutes are the last ones I'll have alone for days - so it's ok that I do it myself. Am I the only person who longs for time alone? I hope not. I hope someone gets this and doesn't think I'm just selfish and want to be by myself all the time - I don't - not all the time. But occasionally it's nice to just go get your nails done with your son and his Nintendo DS.

Speaking on Nintendo DS - Cole was grounded from his last night because he stuck his tongue out at me and made an ugly face in the grocery store because I wouldn't let him look at the toys. I told him if he did it again, he'd get a spanking right in the middle of the store. The bad things is there were two teachers from the school in the store - one on the next aisle - so when Cole did it again I just felt like I couldn't pick him up out of the buggy and spank him in public. I really did not think he would do it again. He usually doesn't repeat behavior he gets in trouble for. He said to me - I was only doing this (insert the exact same face again) and I guess he thought it was ok to do it again that way. It wasn't. So instead of him getting spanked on the bread aisle - I told him we weren't baking the cookies he picked out and he couldnt' play on his DS tonight. This works much better than a spanking. He's been known to say "I'll just do it myself" and spat himself on the bottom any time we mention a spanking. Usually that's all we have to do is mention it and he's ok. But take away the DS and he's beside himself. He apologized 20 times and promised he would never ever do it again and that was while we were still on the bread aisle. He continued this at home last night. When he saw the neighbor kids out playing he wanted to go ride his bike and talk to them. We hated to say no because he hates riding his bike and since he actually wanted to do it - that meant something. But we stuck with it and said no since he'd been ugly to me. He stood in his room and watched out the window - even knocking to see if the kids would hear him and look up at his window. AWWWW - but still - he made ugly faces and he has to learn that's not a good decision. Maybe this weekend he'll get to ride his bike - if it isn't raining the entire time.

I hate when it rains and I'm going scrapbooking - I don't want to risk any of my things getting wet!!! But tonight, I'm going to scrapbook at Scrap Etc. - tomorrow is National Scrapbook Day. So I'm hoping to get a layout or two done and really work on some of the things from the event, work on my wedding album (8 years later) and a few other fun things. I'm going to do an altered project because I'm thinking about trying out for a design team and want to have a cool new project to use as my entry. I'm excited about that. I've been on one design team before. It was the for the store in Mobile, but the store had already closed. We have kept the message boards up and running and were trying this whole online community thing but it's really just remained a place where the girls from the store still chat and post their layouts, etc. We tried challenges and stuff like that, but everyone involved was so busy with real life that our Design Team is sort of non-existent in a way. And since I'm not there anymore, I don't get to see them anyway :( So, I'm trying for this other Design Team. I really love their online community and am loving the girls there and seeing all their layouts has been inspirational to me. I've never tried out for a Design Team like this - so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll make it. I would be so very excited!!!

In other news, I'm having some serious Edward/Bella withdrawals. If you don't know what I'm talking about - walk NO RUN to your nearest bookstore/target/walmart and find the book Twilight. It's fabulous. It's written by Stephenie Meyer and it's a young adult story. Don't let that fool you - don't think oh I'm a grown adult, not a young adult - it's a wonderfully written story - drags you in so that you have to read it - you can't wait until tomorrow to read more - you have to know right this very minute what will happen next. Well, I've read all three books in the series - Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse. I checked them out from the library the first time but love them so much I'm re-reading them and just buying them so I'll have them forever. Here's the background - small town community, daughter of the police chief moves in with him because her mom got remarried and is on the road, she starts to get to know people in the high school and is drawn to this guy (isn't this how it always happens??). Well it turns out that they fall for each other - but he's a (wait for it...........) VAMPIRE!!! Yes, you read it here (but also on the book cover so I'm not giving anything away here). She has another guy friend who tries to warn her to stay away from the vampire. Do you think she listens? hmmmm Well that's all I'm giving away here - but just know that they are the best books I've read since Harry Potter - seriously. I'm hoping to run in Barnes and Noble this evening and get the second book so I can re-read it, too. These books are wildly popular. The fourth and sadly final book will be out in 91 days, 14 hours, and 37 minutes. I feel as though the release of that book will be similar to the late night celebrations at Barnes and Noble when HP is released. At least I hope it'll be like that. I would love to go if it is. There's a website that has tshirts for the characters - they are so cool. I'm thinking of making my own though - I'm not sure yet. I would love one. I love the story so much, I want to wear it on my shirt - and spread the Twilight LOVE. We're even doing a ATC swap at Scrap Etc for the first book.

Ok Ok - enough rambling from me huh? So this weekend its supposed to rain - we had plans for Alabama Adventure, but now I think Jason and Cole are going to the pool at UAB to swim. Cole loves it and has been asking if he can go back every weekend, pretty much. Jason is officially out of school so things can get a little more normal at home. OH - we've sat down at the dining room table and had dinner together four nights in a row. Seriously - isn't that wonderful. This never happens and Cole didn't really know what to think. But it's something that will happen until August at least when Jason goes back to school. Oh that's sad - I'm going to love having him home every night and hate it when he goes back to leaving us!! Oh well, it's all in the name of higher education. Speaking of higher education - my brother in law graduates from college (again) this next weekend. He's just finished his MBA so we're heading to Mobile next Friday for his graduation. Fun times!!! I'm very proud of him for sticking with it - I know it's hard work. It'll be fun to get to celebrate with them. It's Mother's Day weekend too - I don't think my mom realizes that we won't be here for Mother's day - and that stinks. I hate to not see her on Mother's Day. And Jason and his brother have already planned a golf game for the day - that's not traditionally how things go on Mother's Day. He'll owe me for that. Maybe me and Jamie can get away and go to the movies or something while the boys do their thing. We've been to the movies on Mother's Day a couple of times I think - at least once and we all went - Grandma, Maw Maw, Jamie, me and Amanda. And we saw Monster-in-law - fun way to spend Mother's Day huh? It was really funny!

Ok - so seriously, now I'm done rambling - I guess.
later, lisa

Happy Monday

Good Morning. Hope it is nice and sunny where ever you are. It's not here - gloomy and cloudy - an Eeyore kind of day. These are Cole's favorite though - he loves cloudy days.

We had a really busy and fun weekend - lots of visiting and lots of accomplished at home. I got loads and loads of laundry done - not fun, but always feels good when it's done, right? Sadly, there's always more waiting around the corner - you never catch up on laundry.

All our visiting this weekend was great. We saw Jason's aunt and uncle and their five girls. The youngest is just over a year old and just adorable. She's the cutest thing - took lots of pictures of her too, but sadly none of anyone else while they were there. Shame on me. Speaking of picture taking, I can't find my charger or replacement battery for the camera. My battery is getting low and I have no idea where it got packed. I remember the last time I used it and what bag it was in, but have no clue where that bag actually is - well, that's not entirely true - it's in a box, I just don't know which one!! Hopefully I will locate that very soon. I need to take some pictures of Cole now that we're in a house that actually has windows and great natural light pouring in. Our dungeon of an apartment was not the place to take indoor pictures without a flash.

We also went to a cookout last night with our small group from church. A good time was had by all. Jason met some guys - which is a plus since he hasnt' met many people here yet. And he got to meet a few of the scrapping girls I know so that was cool. Cole got to hang out with his girlfriends - Alyssa and Alayna - and now he counts Marissa in the girlfriend role call. He's added an older women too - Savannah. She's in 7th grade and is really great with kids. She's also pretty great with adults - I really enjoyed talking to her and listening to her talk about school and DisneyWorld - she knows a lot of DisneyWorld. We were surrounded by Disney fans last night - and as much as we love it and know about it - we don't know much compared to them. It just made me more excited about our trip!! I cannot wait to go!!

We also talked with one couple there (Savannah's mom and dad) about Cole and St. Jude and our whole cancer experience. We really always enjoy talking about it - even though it was such an ordeal. I think we're far enough away from it that talking about it is easy. I'm not saying I could stand up and talk to loads of people about it, like some families we know, but having a conversation with people, I can handle. And the big thing is we have a happy ending - it's good stuff. Some stories aren't - some stories haven't ended yet as the kids are still fighting. But it's so good to talk about Cole and all he went through and what a great place St. Jude is. We can't talk about how wonderful they are enough.

I also got lots of boxes that were in the way put away or emptied. The empty boxes are piling up in the garage. We need to break them down, bundle them up and store them away. That's what we did in the apartment, so we're hoping to do the same thing again. We have company coming in less than two weeks, so I have lots to do. Jason's brother, his wife and our nephew are coming, along with another couple and possibly another friend. We're all planning on heading to Tuscaloosa for the A-Day game later in April. We cannot wait. I have NO Alabama shirt to wear though - I have a long sleeve, but I need a short sleeve shirt. Just can't go to a game without your game gear on. I also need to get my 'bama princess' sticker on my car!! So the houseful is coming and we'll have tons of fun while they are here, but I still have lots to do to get ready for them. I'm hoping this weekend I can actually get the kitchen unpacked. Then there wont' be much left at all!!

Alrighty - I've been typing this post forever, thank goodness for the autosave feature. It's almost time for lunch and a team meeting, so I've got to run! (This post started last night - should it take this long to blog?)

Lisa