Wait Wha?

I found myself asking that question,

"Wait Wha?"

Followed by,

"School starts August 11th ?" 

And then followed by a rebellious,

"Oh Hell No!!" 

Put your seat belt on you are in for a wild ride rant, by yours truly. Starting school in August is just wrong!! Cuss. Cuss. @$%*&;@!! Bleep.  Bleep. It's wrong on so many levels, but the first of which I will say is the weather is too damn HOT for any student, or teacher for that matter to even focus let alone learn! Can I get a witness? Also, August does not go well with my Apple theme that I like to pull out once September rolls around.  August is NOT apple season and so therefore school should not start in August. I'm not sure the Washoe County school district really cares about holiday/monthly decor but dammit that should. 
And one more final thought I will leave you with before I stop this rant is that I feel like I have been robbed when school starts back up in August. Robbed of summer memories. Robbed of Island time. Robbed of family time. Ok, I believe I'm done with my rant you can take your seat belt off now,  or not  if you feel safer that way.
Does anyone else have thoughts on starting school in August?
What's your rant been about lately? I've heard several rants about the whole Ice Bucket challenge. I was challenged twice. I chose to decline.  But, that's a rant for another day.
Rant.
√
Rave...
 

Coming To A Close

Hello There Beloved Reader. As we are wrapping up the school year over here I'm doing that thing that I do when I get all sentimental and stuff.
Are there anymore participants that would like to join me on this little journey down sentimental lane? O.k. grab a box of kleenex and let's go!

When we began the school year this year my Fab 4 were the "new kids" as we had just moved back from Seattle WA, to Reno NV. We started the year with one in H.S. two in Middle School and one in Elementary school. That's three schools full of strangers. And just so we are clear,   that's three drop offs and three pick ups  everyday.
The first few days of school in August were quite emotional for them all because they headed into the unknown without each other, and without  a single, solitary friend. Not one single person who knew them. When we moved to WA almost 5 years ago they were all at the same elementary school.  I believe with all my heart that was a gift from God. Emma was in 6th grade, Chloe in 4th, Solomon in 2nd and Isaiah had just started Kindergarten.
I was SO grateful at that time that even though no one else knew them, they had each other.
To be known is a treasure that cannot be overrated.
Coming back here though they were all spread out, and seemingly alone. I remember the first week, needles to say, there were lots of tears shed as they came home to describe a school environment that was quite different than the one they had known in Washington. We managed to push through to the sunny side of the street, and they all are stronger for it, but as the momma bear, I'm not gonna lie,  it was hard to watch sometimes.
There were some mornings that I felt just like it did when they let go with their teeny tiny hand and headed off to the big bad world of kindergarten. You know that moment when you hold your breath and once again trust that this life won't break them? I relied heavily upon this scripture;
"Fear not for I am with you even to the end of the age."
Even to High School. Even to Middle School. Even to the 4th grade.
My two "middles" as I call them, tugged at my heart strings more than any other.  They were the ones that wanted to stay in Washington. They were the ones who LOVED where we lived. They are the ones who are a tad bit more on the introverted side. And  They are the ones who shed the most tears that first week. I can honestly say they are my heroes.  I can' t even imagine starting middle school as the newbies.
When I read the quote below the other day it made me think of them.

“Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow.”  Mary Anne Radmacher
For that is exactly what they did.  They kept getting up day after day and making their way through halls where no one called out there name or greeted them at the door. I'm beyond proud of them as you can clearly hear in my writing, but more than pride I feel grateful. They are their own people. I can't take credit for the behavior that they exhibit or who God created them to be. So, more than pride I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude.
Gratitude for  who they have been, who they will become  and  who they are.
Also I'm a tad bit excited and grateful that  SCHOOLS OUT!!! Let the fun summer memories begin.  

I don't have anything really substantial to say, but I want to say something anyway. So here it goes.

School is in it's 4th week of full force for my kids. They are all doing great. I have to say I am a little jealous of their lives. They get the normal routine of getting up, going to school, coming home, doing homework, doing their individual extra curriculum activities, and then going to bed. How funny is it that when you are child all you can do is wait for the day when no one is telling you what to do, and when you are an adult you wish you had the simplicity of childhood?


At this time, I would like to point out that my oldest daughter has the best self management skills I have ever seen! Truly, she is a wonder to me. She has since the time she was a little girl put herself to bed long before the bed time bell rings and it just astounds me. My daughter Chloe and I on the other hand will be burning the midnight oil until the day I die. Total opposites those girls are. It just makes me giggle to think of them. Same DNA, Same Parents, Even Same birthday month... yet so completely opposite!

Anyway where was I, oh yeah back to my kids back to school routine. SO they are back doing great and I am jealous of their simple lives. When we went shopping for school supplies I of course bought some for myself just to feel apart of the busy. Every time I do back to school shopping I think about the movie You've got Mail where Tom Hanks says, "I would like to buy you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils". That movie is an all time favorite for me because I can so relate to Meg and Tom's characters love of school supplies.

Moving on... SO fall is my favorite. I have told you that before. There is just something about this season that makes my heart go pitter patter. The leaves on all the trees around here are showing little signs of the change that is coming. One of my favorite children's stories of all time is a story called "Frederick". I am sure I have blogged about this book before, but it's about a field mouse who when all the other mice are scurrying about to get ready for winter, collecting nuts, preparing their homes for hibernation, Frederick is just sitting there. Seeming to do nothing the other mice get frustrated with him, but later they realize he was taking it ALL in. When it gets dark and there is no longer any color left in nature Frederick starts sharing about the colors he was storing in his mind so that he could tell stories about it later. IN the dead of winter he paints the pictures of summer and shares his poetry. That's what I feel like sometimes when I catch myself just soaking it all up before the leaves fall off and the trees go barren.

I just realized that Fall is nature way of saying that things are dying. It makes me awe in wonder at the God I serve that right before death we get such beauty! Isn't that true in life. Right before the elderly pass, we get such beauty if only we have eyes wide open to see it. This Fall my eyes are wide open to see the beauty. My ears are wide open to hear the beauty. And my heart is full of gratitude for the changing of seasons.

NO JOKE .....

Back To School Shopping for 4 kids

144 No. 2 Pencils
10 Pink Pearl Erasers(which the town of Redmond has a shortage of)
8 boxes of kleenex
20 glue sticks
4 bottle of Hand Sanitizer
48 crayons or 2 boxes
4 packs of colored pencils
4 scissors
6 red correcting pens (don't teachers use these, I am a teacher and I have to buy my own supplies)
23 notebooks
35 personal folders
2 gallon size Ziploc bags (boys only, I have 2)
2 sandwich size Ziploc bags (girls only, I have 2)
1 very expensive calculator
4 binders all specific sizes (had to search high and low for a 2" binder, what the crap!!)
3 pencil plastic boxes
Disinfectant wipes
Diaper wipes , REALLY ? !!


I haven't even gotten half way through but you get the idea....

1 bottle of wine (instead of the useless, but ever so funny EASY button from STAPLES)

I was tempted to buy the button instead of the bottle but it was more expensive.

Oh and Mom, in case you are reading this I LOVE YOU and thank you, thank you, thank you for doing this 5 times over!

Checking In with some Random Thoughts

-I am almost finished with this semester of school and I have to say that I am so ready to be done. Not that you didn't already know that but just in case you didn't I thought I would let you know.

*Total Random note for the day- We have doves. They make strange noises but I kinda like the sound that comes from them at all hours of the day.

Okay back to school, I have decided to finish out the rest of my classes online except the one Math class that I need to graduate. Online works so well for me and is so easy. I also realized this semester that when I am in school I am not as focused here at home as I would like to be, that combined with working again is not a good combo for me. So as much as I would like to take a bunch of classes in the next few semester and be done..... I am not going to.

For the sake of my family I think this is a wise choice. I don't want to look back on this time when I could be playing with my kids and regret the time I was on the computer getting a piece of paper I can hang on a wall and that's about all it will change. I have made a decision about this degree thing. I think it's funny how since I graduated high school I have been taking classes. Some I have really enjoyed and have learned a lot from and some I could have done with out but all these classes and I still don't have what they think is a degree in Early Childhood Education. Come ON PEOPLE!! 

-On to another topic that has really been intriguing me lately. Men and Women, are we really that different or is it more our personalities that are so different in life? As I am watching my kids grow I am realizing that some of these things we deem man vs. woman differences really just are personality differences. It's interesting to me and I would like to investigate it further.

I was thinking about when Mo and I first got married we were reading through a book, Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus. I bought that book hook, line, and sinker. Now after having been married and with my hubby for coming on 14 years and 15 years together, I think I would like to take a second look at it.

- I can't wait to do two summertime things. Camp and read for pleasure. I am so looking forward to reading some great books that have been sitting on my self just calling my name and I think I start my book review again just for my own fun and entertainment.

-Finally there are some really entertaining things going on in my neighborhood these days.

 Aside from the burners who are generally low key and mellow now, the Adult group home that is literally just a few houses down has provided for some recent entertainment and has been quite interesting. They go out for a walk at least 4 to 5 times a day. The patients don't talk to strangers or so much as make eye contact and a while back one of them asked me for a ride. I gave her one. She just stared at me the whole time.  I think I might blog more about this later. We have a dog that comes and literally loves to get my dogs in a big tizzy. We have construction from every angle keeping me from parking in my driveway most days. Houses selling for less than dirt. Neighborhoods are interesting, don't ya think?

And now....I should be getting back to finishing up this semester.

Relief never felt so sweet

A huge weight was lifted for me tonight. Finishing my Health and Nutrition class , (the only science class I have to take for my degree) was like relieving 35% of a panic attack for this seriously stressed out girl. 

One class down , two more to go. 

Tomorrow wraps up another class and then I have until Sunday to finish my other online course. 

I have already registered for next semester and just thinking about it makes my stomach hurt. I was talking to a friend the other day about what it feels like to be in school in this stage in life and I have to say that it is best described as the feeling of heightened awareness you have with a newborn baby. Like you are constantly going in and checking on them to see if they are still breathing. This is like that, you are ever aware of the fact that whatever free time you have really isn't real free time , you should be doing something. Studying, writing, submitting, etc....OR Mothering, cleaning, cleaning, Cooking, did I mention cleaning. I can't wait to deep clean my house.

All I can say is that this winter break is so needed and I think I might just look forward to cleaning my house for the first time EVER!!

I can hardly wait to get back to blogging. Some of the topics that have been rolling around in my head-

-Busy work, for example the government workers who ripped up my whole sidewalk only to replace a few pipes in a few places but managed to inconvenience all 20 of my neighbors for 2 weeks.

-Pets(enough said)

-Careers why we choose certain life paths over others

-Life as a normal "lay" person, what is that anyway? Seriously!!

-Why in all the years I have been married to my husband did I never realize how accommodating he is, marriage at this stage, and life ahead

-Books, my book, your book, and what book I should read next ( for enjoyment that is)

-Kids(enough said)

-Needs versus Wants- What I am and am not willing to live without at this stage in life.

Those are just the tip of the iceberg for my blog topics so get ready for some good Christmas reading at least on my blog site  :0 

My Rosie Pic and WE CAN DO IT!!

Almost done with school. Just a few weeks left.... to all my other friends in the same boat, we can do it!! WE CAN DO IT!!

Laura

Lolita

Jessica

Shontell

WE CAN DO IT!!

Blowing off some steam

I am supposed to be writing a 5 to 7 page observation for one of my ECE classes today. I started it yesterday and as I was typing I got completely irritated because I can't even begin to tell you how many of these I have already done and will have to do to get my degree. The only good thing about where I am at right now is that I can make up my observations where as when I get closer to being done with my degree I have to give away many free hours of time to prove I am ready to work with children. Wait...what?? Yes, this is where my frustration came in yesterday. I have been in school( off and on mind you ) since 1993. That's right I graduated high school spring of 93 and that fall I started taking college classes at WNCC(so there Laura another person who survived WNCC). My frustration is that I should have a bazillion degrees by now. They don't give out degrees for being the mother of 4 children or for working at so many preschools, day cares, latch keys, and or sunday schools that you can't even count them on two hands. Nope, no degree for real life experience. They still want your free work and your countless observations to know that you know for the bazillinenth time that you know the difference between a large motor skill and a small one.

Thanks for listening to me rant and rave I am off to go write my paper now.

Some more Random Thoughts

I think I am finally getting the hang of this family, working, school thing and getting into some what of a groove. I keep reminding myself that it is only for a few more weeks that I will constantly have the feeling of an ulcer forming in my stomach, feel guilty for blogging or any other Internet thing I do other than school and homework, and  in the back of my head always have  my grades that are looming.

It will get better and I will pass all of these classes and be one step closer to getting the hell out of the school system, at least in this way.

Tonight my baseball team gave it up to Tampa Bay. I have to say that I was so proud of them the other night when they came back from the dead and tonight...well.....I will admit I knew from the start that Tampa Bay wanted it real bad this season. SO now on to the playoffs which aren't nearly as fun without my team but I will be rooting for the Phillie's. Not sure exactly why that is except for that I can't exactly root for the team that beat my boys. It was a great season for the Bo Sox's anyways and as long as we have the Yankees beat we are good as far as I am concerned.

I experienced the most embarrassing moment of my parenting career this week. It was so embarrassing that I am not sure I want to share it here with you all except to say that can you guess who was the culprit??

We took the family into Scheels today and if you haven't gone into this Mega mini mall of a store yet I suggest you make the trip. It is well worth it. I thought for sure it would be boring , what could I possibly find entertaining in a sporting goods store but it is so much more. If just for the scenery make the trip over there. It is pretty cool, Farris wheel and all.

Well, I hope you all had a great weekend. I will be thinking of a topic soon to actually blog about other than my thoughts that are oh so random.

My S.O.S.

I am completely swamped with school, work, and not to mention the life I had before all this business of getting a job and going back to school began. How do people do this seriously? Oh yeah that's right they don't have a social life. Well, sorry life is just too short and there are some things I am not willing got give up and my social life is one of them. What is life for if not for the social aspect of it ? But, this is what happens when you don't give that up,Every time I sit down I go into what I like to call a coma-like slumber, drool and all. My refigerator has never looked so barren cause I just don't have time to make a big grocery store trip, my back yard looks like a bomb went off because no one is even aware in this family that we have a back yard, let's not even get into the laundry situation going on around here. So this would be what's known as an SOS , HELP!! I feel as though I am drowning and there is no life vest in sight. 

Hey what does SOS stand for??

Our Back to School Week(In a nutshell or a blog)

I have had to drop a class, add a class, go to the book store several times, got the wrong book, got the right book, found that I registered at the wrong campus for one class , and found that the right campus has a very boring instructor and that's all just in real life. I won't even go into the issues I am having online now that I have an Apple computer which IS better....when you know how to use it. I don't know how to use it that well. I am frustrated by that but learning  about it more and more and will conquer my lack of knowledge by making several telephone calls to the tech support on staff at TMCC.

The kids back to school week has been good. Already in full swing with homework and math problems in Emma's class that I can still understand which is a good sign. Chloe was the only one who got emotional for the first few days and I almost joined in but then thought if I did we both might not come back from our emotional trip down memory lane and grieving the end of one great summer. Solomon has a new/old buddy to play with at school. Having Dylan at the kids school has been awesome and seeing my friend Lolita every day has been great as well.

Isaiah and I have been enjoying having our own preschool here at home although, it was a bit of an adjustment for this already stubborn little guy he is doing better and I bribe him alot so that helps.

I am not as happy about being in school this time around as I have been in years past and I am still trying to figure out why that is. Normally, I love taking classes but this time I just was really feeling discouraged like I wish that I was already done. I need to stop that train of thought because I have some years ahead to finish up this silly thing they call an education.

Anyway, we made it through the first week of back to school madness and I have to say I am so glad it is Friday and that we have a three day weekend ahead. Yay, for Labor Day!!  Hope everyone has a great weekend.

I am going back with a vengance

I registered for my fall classes this morning and I will be taking a very full load of 4 classes. Yikes!! I only have 7 classes total that I need to graduate from TMCC and then on to UNR for thier ECE program. Hopefully if all goes well and I pass all these last 7 classes I will be graduated this time next year. I am excited about that but I know it's a long road ahead with lots of papers, reading, studying with interruptions, time away from social things I would rather be doing and just general stuff that you sacrifice to be a student. The pay off is worth it. I am going to need the money being as how my kids are entering double digit numbers rather quickly and soon to be eating us out of house and home.
I will enjoy this summer so much more knowing what I have ahead and how much work next year will entail. I am glad that although I am registered and set to go I have a few months still of leisurely living.

New Year at New School

Today I had to register my kids at a different elementary school than the one that they have been attending for the past few years since we have lived here. When we moved here 2 and half years ago we didn't know anything about the many elementary schools in our neighborhood but we did know some friends and so we took our kids where we knew they would have guaranteed friends. This year there was a re-zoning that brought in so many new kids to this school that they could longer grant variances to any children but they were hoping that our family could stay so we waited until all the new registrations came through,kinda like waiting for stand-by on a plane ride. Today we got the news that they couldn't keep all our kids and with the Scofield's it's an all or nothing deal!! So we headed over to the new school. This is where the story begins because much to my surprise everyone there was wonderful and even the building itself was better than I thought it would be. When we first moved here we had heard some negative things about the school, the principal and that many of their good teachers were leaving. Come to find out none of these things were true. So the moral of the story , Don't believe everything that you hear!!

Semester coming to a close

I can hardly begin to explain the joy I feel knowing that I am almost done with this semester of school. I love school but this semester was unusually difficult for me, not because the classes were hard, they weren't, but because the timing of these classes got sandwiched in between a very, very busy season of life for me. There was also a little issue with one of my instructors that has been very hard to navigate through without getting bitter or discouraged about school in general, but today I took my final online exam with that instructor's course and I WILL NEVER take another course from her again in the future. I am so glad that I am finished with that chapter of my life. The words of my freind Mindy ran through my head all week, "Finish Well!!" she said it in passing but those words have encouraged me so much in the last few weeks that I thought I would just give a shout out to her and tell her, Thank you! Also, I just wanted to thank my best friend for helping me so much and for just being the incredible Giant of a person that he is. WHOO HOO!!

Wow, that went by fast

My break is over and it's back to hitting the books for me. Boo-hoo!! I can't believe I actually inflicted this upon myself. Ya know, when you cause something to happen yourself you really can't complain to much about it ...which I am not complaining that I get to go back to school I am just saying that my break went by way too fast. I don't think I will be taking summer school although.... I have to say that the idea of getting done a little bit sooner is really tempting now that the end is so clearly in sight(at least at TMCC)

Oh yeah, I also finished reading the Velvet Elvis book over my break and I give it a5 *****+ rating. A must read for all human beings who are faith seekers. Truly if you regret reading it afterward you can come hunt me down and .....force me to eat seafood(which I hate and may barf on you afterward but still I will eat it if you don't learn something interesting from this book).

Spring Break

My kids spring break began this week and we got off to a very interesting start. Really it was like we were awakened to a war zone is a better way to put it. The week got better as we reigned them back in to the way we do things around here and as of last night I am officially on my own spring break. I have never longed for a break so much in my life!! Whoo hoo.

My first essay of this semester

I turned in my first essay of the semester tonight and I think I started to get a panic attack in class. Not really, but I was a little nervous to turn this one in. My teacher is really great and I think I will do fine but something about writing is like baring a little piece of your soul out there for the world to see. I shouldn't be so nervous because I do that everyday or almost everyday here on my blogspot but this is different.
Our first topic to write about was a day that changed your life forever and what you learned from it. Can anyone guess what I might have written about? Prizes will be given to the winners :)
Now I am going to go listen to some Billie Holiday and relax, pat myself on the back and relax some more.

Surprise!!!

Today was full of surprises. Not only did I find out that my financial aid did come through for my classes in time for me to still be enrolled in school this semester, but then my darling hubby brought home the long awaited Ford Expedition that has been gone from sight for 8 very long months .Wow, what a treat!! Two big surprises in one day not sure I can handle all this good change. Yeah, ya, I think I can... I think I can..... I think I can. Changes good or bad are still tough for me but these kinds of changes I think I could get used to.Now back to my online classes.

Last English Essay

I finished my last English essay this evening titled , "The Importance of Preschool" and although it is much less controversial than my first attempt at writing on Same Sex marriage it is soooooooooooooooooooooo boring. Not at all an argument really and I am wondering if my teacher is going to catch on to the fact that I don't really like to argue.
It's really lame even by my standards and so I revisited the old paper and I am wondering if it would be against college English protocol to turn them both in?? What do ya think ??

My final English Essay

My final English essay for this semester has to be an argument, and in case you haven't already noticed I really don't like to argue nor do I care to write a whole 4 page essay based on an argument. I could so easily hand this over to the giant who should've become a lawyer he is so convincing, but I fear she will not recognize the decisive tone of the paper and also not to mention the fact that would be cheating.
I gave every idea possible to other students who were struggling for ideas on what to argue about and yet when I try to think about what I want to argue about, I Got Nothing!!!
I started to get something about the hot topic of same sex marriages but then it got all muddy and now, now here I sit needing to write a paper but instead choosing to blog because I am once again avoiding an argument.
Oh did I mention that we have to read these in class? That should be argued as cruel and unusual punishment.