I'M BACK???

I'm a little bit back. Here's a grocery list of what's been going on around here, and why I have been MIA lately!

New job--check
Working 2 jobs now--check
Sinus Infection--check
Pneumonia (from working 2 jobs?)--check
Strep throat (from working with germy little people?)--check
Shuttle driver for kids in sports, etc.--check
Holidays upon us--check

Soooooo, I am going to try to incorporate blogging back into my crazy life, I miss it oh, so much! If anyone is still out there that I used to blog-stalk, I promise I'm really trying to come and read your posts...probably on the weekends! I'm so glad to be back in the classroom, and I know these precious little people that I am in charge of all day will provide me hours of funny blogging stories for you!

WAS THAT THE WEEKEND I JUST SAW WHIZZING BY?

Well, the weekend has come and all but gone. There's just not enough Saturday and Sunday to go around, what with all of the house-cleaning, neighbor-visiting, clothes-washing, kid-playing, and fun-having that happens! I am definitely voting in the next election to extend the weekends by a day. Just think of all the fun we could have! Holy cow! Why didn't someone think of this earlier? Why do we work 5 days and only have 2 days off, anyway (traditionally speaking, I mean...and schools, you know, the traditional ones)? What kind of raw deal was that? Clearly, 3 to 4 would've been a much happier ratio. Someone didn't have their thinking cap on when that one was decided.

Well, off to bed to gear up for another 5 day work week! Only 5 days until next weekend!


p.s. Speaking of calendar type things, this site has lots of cool calendar freebies for your computer, to print out, and even for your blog!

BIG BIRD EXPLODED IN MY WASHER! (OR, "WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO LATELY INSTEAD OF BLOGGING")

I will be back over the weekend, God willing, but until then, this is what's been happening here...this used to be my favorite black tee shirt. It is covered in the dying efforts of a favorite yellow blanket (that has been washed about a thousand times without issue). I had to vacuum out my washing machine. 3 times. It was bad. Really bad. Have a super Friday, and I'll be back soon!
Oh look! My other favorite black tee shirt...

JEN LANCASTER AND HER FUNNY BOOKS

I'd like to share a new author friend with you! She and I have never actually met, but I feel that we would totally be BFF's if she knew I existed. Not that I'd stalk her or anything, that would be wrong. Here's a video clip she made discussing her new book, "Such a Pretty Fat". Her website is here. The book that I just finished is called "Bitter is the New Black", and tells her story from dot.com money-making wench to unemployed, humbled lover of dogs. There were so many funny one-liners in this book, I found myself grabbing for a tissue to dab at the Diet Coke running from my nose on more than one occasion. Now with school starting, there will be less time for reading, but I'll definitely make time for these books!

FROM JUNKY TO FUNKY!

For all of you who are really done looking at my dog's boy parts (I didn't even clear that photo that I used in my last post with him first, how rude), I thought I'd post something different. This table has been with us since my husband and I were married 14 years ago. It has seen many things: Cherrios, sippy cups, craft projects, building blocks, and the occasional magazine. It was well loved by crayons, feet, and sometimes bottoms. It used to sport a fashionable (not) padded bumper around its perimeter to keep little heads from smooshing when they ran into it. It had that weathered look without spending even one day in the sun. But still, I knew it had potential beyond what it had already given to us. So I give you the transformation: from COFFEE TABLE to GAME TABLE!


The kids and I sanded, painted, and then painted and sanded some more, and it was a fun family project! Hubby even got in on the action--he marked off the squares for us to paint The checkers and chess pieces will be stored in the drawer in the front, and my next project is to find (or make) comfy floor cushions for sitting on while playing. I'm going to check out some after-summer clearance sales on outdoor cushions at Pier One or World Market. Does anyone know when summer officially ends here in Arizona?!

FOR THE LADIES OF THE 80'S!

NOBODY PUTS BABY IN THE CORNER!

If you don't get this, click here: Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze
because you're really young.

ONE OF THOSE DAYS...

I've had one of those days.

Do you know how sometimes you DRIVE somewhere that you've been

a MILLION times,

and when you arrive and get out of the car you

AREN'T QUITE SURE HOW YOU GOT THERE?

You don't remember anything significant about the drive? It's almost a little EERIE. That was today for me. I did the usual stuff around the house, did some work, and ?? I can't even remember. It was an insignificant day. Now I know what you're thinking--there's no such thing. And you're right. I hate that today passed me by. I was here, alive and well in all the moments that today's 24 hours had to offer, and I feel like I blew it. But tomorrow's another day, and I resolve to be grateful, thankful, happy, and present in it.

I LOVE DO-OVERS!