Problem. Solved.

Darren and I were driving home from picking Zach up at the YMCA Saturday night, and we had an interesting conversation. It was 11:00, and we had had a full evening. First, we went to eat (and drink beer) at a new pub, then walked over to the movie theater to see The Pursuit of Happyness (excellent movie, btw), then drove over to Market Street to have dessert at Truffles, which is a chocolate cafe. Needless to say, we were sated and drowsy by the the time we drove back to pick up our child.

I don't remember exactly how the conversation headed in this direction, but we began talking about "the starving children in Africa". Now, if you went to Catholic school, surely you remember them. They were the reason we had to finish our carton of warm milk each day, and try to choke down every last morsel that the cafeteria ladies had lovingly prepared for us that day, even though the peanut butter smelled suspicious, you could bounce the hot dogs across the table, and occasionally there were bits of wire in the lasagna. I always wondered, but was too shy to ask, why didn't we just send the food we didn't want to those poor, starving children, so they wouldn't be hungry anymore? I was a very picky eater, and didn't mind sharing what I had. It just didn't make sense to me why we would let the children in Africa continue to starve, when we had a way to do something about their plight.

Of course, I am also the child who wanted to know what "tar" was when my mother said she was going to beat the tar out of me. I asked her one time if it was like blood. I was honestly curious about that. Then, I probably got the ever-popular response of "Don't be such a smartass." Did she really want me to be a dumbass? My mouth NEVER got me in trouble. Nuh-uh. I am so glad that I found a husband who can appreciate (and outdo me) in sarcasm.

Can't Think of One

You know, I have a lot of things rolling around in my head right now that I want to post on here, but there just never seems to be enough time to sit down, gather those things into one coherent story, and post it. If I could only quit my job, there would be so much more free time. Yeah, right. I've got a while until Darren gets home, and besides, who wants to do laundry anyway?

Let's see, I promised to post about my MS 150 training and fundraising. So far, I am doing all right with training. I am taking an hour-long class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to help with speed. It's at a health club, and we take our bikes and trainers. It's a lot of fun to ride with other people, and since it has been cold and rainy for almost a month now, it's nice to be warm and dry indoors. I've also ridden some on Saturday mornings, and need to add longer rides, along with Sundays. I would like to do some core strengthening exercises, because that would really help me out. So much to do, so little time! I joined The Woodlands Cycling Club, and it's nice to have a new group of friends. We ride together in the class and on the weekends, and Darren and I hung out with them for the Saints-Bears game. About that game, don't go there. it would have been wonderful to see them in the Superbowl, but it wasn't meant to be. I do not care about the Superbowl now; we are going to go to the Houston Auto Show on Sunday. I just want the Bears to lose. I'm not a Colts fan, though.

My fundraiser is going well, so far. I think I have raised almost $200. We are required to raise $400, and I still plan to put up an envelope at school for my co-workers to hopefully donate. My students have started to give me their spare change, so I hope I make it! If anyone is actually reading this, and wants to contribute to my cause, there is a link in the sidebar. Even $5 would help!

About the job thing, I have decided that fifth grade is no longer the place for me, and will try very hard to make the move to elementary next year. I want to only have one class of kids, and get to know them better. The attitudes this year are hard to deal with, and I just need a change. I looked into buying a Kumon franchise, but after looking at their financial information, i don't understand how you can possibly make money with it. I would have to take off so many days this spring to go to Chicago for training, and there were just too many hoops to jump through in their process. The idea of owning my own business again was very appealing, but it seemed like there would be long hours for very little (if any) profit.

Zach is thriving in his new class. He seems to be getting in trouble a whole lot less, and comes home so much more enthusiastic about school. There sure is a lot more homework, though.

We went to Dallas this past weekend for my cousin's wedding. My parents left Friday morning, and we drove up Friday night after work. The three-hour drive up I-45 sure is boring! Our hotel room was really nice, and we got up Saturday morning, ate lunch in the hotel restaurant, and set off for some sight-seeing. We went to Dealey Plaza and explored that area, then toured the Sixth Floor exhibit, all about JFK's assassination. That is one of my dad's favorite mysteries, and Darren enjoyed himself, as well. Zach was most excited about all the trains that ran behind the parking lot. Why can't Houston get on the ball with a commuter rail system?

After the museum, we drove to Fort Worth and walked around Sundance Square for a bit. Being the responsible parents that we are, we took Zachary to a pub called the Flying Saucer for a beer (he opted for a vanilla shake from Starbucks). The wedding was at 3:30, so we headed back to the hotel to get ready after that.

The wedding was at a cathedral in downtown Dallas, and since it was a Saturday afternoon, there was a full Mass. The priest went to high school with my cousin, so that was a nice touch. It turns out that the bride used to work with me at Bombay in Baton Rouge in 1999/2000. Small world. The reception was at a catering hall that was nice, but dark. The DJ came in from the big city of Eunice, Louisiana for the occasion, and it was fun. What was odd was that the wedding party didn't dance or mingle much. They just sat at the tables while the older people danced. We enjoyed getting to catch up with my cousins, and Zach had a blast running circles around the dance floor.

After the reception, we went back to the hotel, and tried to decide what to do for the evening. We thought about walking around the West End area, but it was cold and windy. My cousin called, and we went and met a few people at their hotel bar. It was nice getting to catch up with Colette and Michelle. I used to visit them every summer during high school, and we'd see each other from time to time in college. I think the last time I saw them was at Colette's wedding in 1999. No one has died or gotten married since then, so there has been no reason to get together. They are so nice, and I miss talking to them. Our other cousin, Robin, was MIA that evening.

Sunday, we ate breakfast, packed up the car, and drove to Bedford to see my friend Jenny from high school. She and I were inseparable in high school, then parted ways during college. We were in each other's weddings, but she moved to Dallas in 1997, and we've only seen each other a couple of times since then. She has a son named Brice, and he and Zach hit it off immediately. What's so funny is that she e-mailed me Saturday to say they were sick and couldn't get together with us, but i didn't get the e-mail. Jenny was a gracious host, though, and if she didn't want us there, she hid it well. I can't wait to spend more time with Jenny and Brice in a couple of weeks, when we both head to Lafayette for Mardi Gras.

Well, I need to go heat up dinner and work on laundry. Until next time.

Settling in to the new year

Well, the year is a week old now, and things are settling back down into the less frenetic pace that I tend to live after the holidays. Work is going fairly well, which is always a nice thing. Everyone on my team seems to have some sort of sickness, so we're taking turns taking off. The students have been behaving, and report cards went home without incident, so I guess I can't complain. Zach loves his new teacher, and has come home happy every day. His old teacher was good as well, but I think there are less difficult students in his new class.

I have been feeling alternately lazy and wanting to do something wildly productive. I finished cleaning out the office, and now have a really nice space to scrapbook. I am just waiting for the four months' worth of pictures that I ordered from Snapfish last week to arrive. I am having a crop at my house next Monday, since I am off work, and I am hoping to sell enough product to make my quota for this quarter. I have three confirmed guests so far, and I hope to have two to three more.

I took my test Friday, and I don't know yet how I did. The math part was hard, and I studied for two weeks. I am not sure that making this career move is the right choice right now; I still haven't gotten to experience teaching elementary, which is what I've always wanted to do. I ended up in fifth grade 6 years ago, and it's hard to make that change. I have leads on two different elementary jobs for next school year, and would really like to try that out before I close the door on teaching altogether. I also don't want to take any more time off work until I fully understand the financial aspect of what I'd be getting into. If I decide to do this, there would be four days of training in Chicago in March, and four in May. I only have one and a half days of paid leave left, so it would cost me upward of $200 per day to take off. I have a lot to think about!

I am really enjoying the new friends that Zach is making in our neighborhood. There are three boys who he has played with a couple of times in the past week, and another boy who lives two streets away. We've made friends with his family, and have been to a party at their house, but they are not good about returning phone calls. It's just so nice to have friends Zach's age who live nearby, and their moms are really nice, as well. I was hoping this would happen when Zach started school! There are four other boys fairly close to his age who live nearby, but one is always out of town, one is not too nice to Zach (makes fun of him about his glasses), one takes naps late in the afternoon, and one is being treated for cancer and can't play too much. Zach is so lonely at times, he needs other kids to play with. I guess he could use a younger sibling, but that is another issue altogether...

We lazed around most of the weekend, but did manage to get all of the Christmas decorations put away yesterday. The house seems so bare without the tree, but it is nice that I won't have to worry about the dog eating my 20+ years old Hallmark ornaments anymore. I will miss the lights on the front of the house, because our yard is so dark.

We have a couple of free weekends ahead of us, and Zach decided to quit gymnastics. I will enjoy having less commitments to worry about, and not having to rush around to go places. I am sure we'll find ways to fill the time, though. We have a wedding in Dallas on the 27th to go to, then are planning to go to Lafayette for Mardi Gras weekend. My child asked me what Mardi Gras was the other day, and I thought my heart would break! It's time for him to experience the fun of catching cheap plastic beads!

Year-End Wrap-Up

Well, 2006 is officially coming to a close, and blogging sounds like more fun that finishing my grand office cleaning project. I do need to start getting ready for our party later, though.

Anyway, I was thinking about our year, and what we've accomplished/where we've been. It's not a huge list, and there are still some things that I had hoped to do, like lose a massive amount of weight, that haven't happened. There's always next year, right?

Here's my quick and dirty list:

Places I Went This Year:

--New Orleans, LA in March and June
--Austin, TX in April and June
--Newport, RI (new place for me) in May
--Boston, MA in May
--New Braunfels/San Marcos, Gruene, TX in July and September (new places for me)
--Chicago, IL in August
--Columbia, SC in October
--Baton Rouge, LA in August
--Lafayette, LA many times

So, no place exotic, and two of the trips were for weddings, but they were all fun. In the next year, I anticipate going to Dallas in January for a wedding, South Carolina for a baby shower or birth, and maybe Chicago twice in the spring for some training. Still no trip to Europe in my future. I will be riding to Austin on a bicycle in April. Scary.

Stuff I Accomplished (in no particular order):

--made some new friends
--cleaned out the garage, office, pantry, laundry room, our bathroom
--got a dog
--bought a new bike/found a hobby that Darren and I could enjoy together
--made some friends with kids Zach's age
--took a trip alone (very weird feeling to be without Zach)
--reconnected with an old friend from high school
--got contact lenses
--got caught up on uploading pictures/ordering prints (TODAY)
--took tap dancing lessons

Well, uh, I guess that's about it. Not such an impressive list, but that's all right.

Goals for the future are:

--Lose weight
--Get pregnant (hmm. could counteract lose weight)
--Make it to Austin on my bike
--Get caught up on my photo albums
--Get two cars in the garage
--Buy a Honda Pilot
--Buy a Nintendo Wii (we don't have any video games, and have decided to buy this as a reward for finishing the MS 150)
--Make a career change/get a new teaching position in art or elementary school
--Clean out my closet

OK, time to shower. Have a great night, and don't drink as much as I plan to.

Merry Christmas!

OK, Christmas technically ended almost half an hour ago, but I'm still awake, so it should count...

We have had a great time the past few days. It's been nice being home with my boys, trying to relax and enjoy each other's company. Zach and I did some mommy-son things this week, and I even enjoyed myself. If we do any more things together here, though, I will need to invest in some black exercise pants to wear out and about. Paired with an oversize t-shirt and visible panty line, they seem to be de riguer for outings in The Woodlands. I know I am not a fashion plate, but I do try to make an effort to look nice when I leave the house every day. Exercise pants, in my opinion, belong at the gym, or when you don't plan to leave the house.

Anyway, this week, Zach and I took a friend to Pump it Up, which is this indoor inflatable playplace. I am not big on outings with lots of other mommy-types, but I took a book and read while Zach and his friend jumped around for an hour. They both had a great time, and with lots of coaxing from me, managed to leave willingly before the session ended. Another day, I took Zach to see Santa Claus, and there was a huge area of "snow" right outside of Santa's house. We had to wait in line for 40 minutes, and Zach was very patient about waiting. He played in the snow for about 1 minute after having his picture taken with Santa, and decided that it was too cold and wet. We also saw some real reindeer, and Zach got to sit in an Old West stagecoach. We baked cookies together this week, and drove around to see Christmas lights a couple of times. I am so glad we have another week until we go back to school. I really like this slow pace that we are living.

Yesterday, Darren spent the entire day washing and folding laundry (that was a Christmas present in itself), and I spent the day in the kitchen. I made a chocolate bread pudding cake with eggnog sauce for today (YUM), and gumbo for dinner last night. It took all day to chop the veggies and cook the gumbo, but it was well worth it. Sitting down to dinner last night withe Darren and Zachary, I couldn't help but wonder how many families in South Louisiana were having the same thing for dinner. After we ate, we took Zach and Roux riding to see some Christmas lights in The Woodlands. We came home, put Zach to bed, then began the arduous task of setting out the Santa Claus presents. One Santa from our family ended up having to dash to a convenience store at 11:45 to get batteries for the Piston Cup race track, which was a huge hit today.

We crashed around 1:00, and I woke up at 7:30, wondering why no one had woken me up yet. I checked on Zachary, then went downstairs and let the dog out and started breakfast. By then, Darren was awake, so went in Zach's room, turned off his noise machine, and just stood there until he woke up (maybe a whole minute later). Thus commenced an hour of playing with Santa presents, then we ate breakfast and unwrapped gifts. Around 11:45, we started getting dressed and preparing for our trip to Galveston, to Darren's dad's house. We arrived there around 1:45, (not much traffic on I-45 today), and Sean and Jamie got there about five minutes later. We sat around and drank wine, then Mike and Tracie came over around 3:00. We drank more wine, then gorged ourselves on Christmas dinner around 5:00. Afterwards, we opened presents, and it was like a whirlwind of activity in that one room. There were 9 adults and 5 kids, and everyone was opening something at once. I didn't even get to see my nieces and nephews opening gifts, but everyone seemed to be excited about their presents.

We hung out and talked until 10:00, then drove home. Zach fell asleep in the car, and Darren and I tried to clean up as much of the present carnage as we could before we got too tired. Now, it is time for bed. We are going to go to the Houston Museum of Natural Science tomorrow to see a Ben Franklin exhibit, then to REI to spend our Christmas gift certificates on bike gear.

Update

Things are going much better today, even though Darren stayed home sick. I finished (and mailed) the last of my 49 Christmas cards, finished my baking (the biscotti is in the oven, and the haystacks and oriental crunch mix are cooling), and Darren called his dad to tell him that we will go there for Christmas Day. Zach is going stir-crazy by staying inside all day, so we'll have to plan something fun for tomorrow. We have a vet appointment in the morning; does that count as our outing for the day? I just don't want to go anywhere right now. I like being at home, and have lots of things to keep me occupied. It's good for our bank account!

On the job front, I had my phone interview today, after I listened to a recorded message. Things are progressing pretty fast with this, but I guess they have to. I have to drive to Katy (the other side of the world to me) on January 5th, use one of the precious few personal days I have left for this school year, and take a reading and math test. The reading part won't be a problem; it's the math I'm concerned about. My last math class was the fall of 1992, and I didn't go to class a whole lot. I got a study guide from the library, and actually enjoyed working math problems last night. Call me a nerd...

After I pass the tests, I have to have another interview and register for the training cycle by January 15th. I will then fly to Chicago in March and May for training, costing me 8 days of time off. One and a half of those will be paid, but not the rest. At over $200 docked pay for each day, this could get expensive. I will sign the franchise agreement in early June, and be open by mid-July. At least I'll get paid by the school district until August 15th.

There is still a lot of information to find out, like the earning potential, and all of the exact details involved, but I am excited about this. VERY nervous and apprehensive, but excited.

6 more days until Christmas! The 5-year-old whirlwind can't wait to tear into his gifts, and I hope the dog doesn't help him do it ahead of time. I'm keeping a close eye on those two. I've already learned the lesson of putting bows on presents this year. Apparently they're quite tasty. The one good thing about the dog is that the cat isn't sleeping and shedding on the tree skirt.

Off to clean the kitchen. AGAIN.

Christmas Rush

Friday was our last day of school until January 4th. It was also the end of the nine weeks, day of the teacher talent show, and day that my parents came in to celebrate Christmas with us. Because of those things, I had to get my baking done for friends at my school and Zachary's teachers, as well as presents wrapped to send to South Carolina with my parents. No pressure, right? It seems like every time I try to do something to simplify my life, something else comes up to complicate it. Why is that?

As far as Christmas is concerned, I still need to finish and mail my Christmas cards, which I vow to cut back on every year. It seems like I send more, but receive less each year. Darren has such a large family, and rarely do we get cards from anyone in his family. I know it's the thought that counts, but it would be nice if there was some reciprocation. I am done with my shopping, but still have some gift wrapping to do, as well as baking for the neighbors and Darren's co-workers. I think it's all doable, considering the fact that we are staying home for Christmas, and not having any company. This is the first time EVER that I will spend Christmas away from my parents, and it feels really weird. I know we have to start new traditions, but I have such a small family, and we've spent every Christmas with my parents and sister. I think my sister has missed once or twice, because she lives so far away, and her in-laws live a few hours away from her. We'll go to Galveston to see Darren's dad Christmas afternoon, so that will be fun. I am sure that Zach will get to see several cousins, and run around and be loud with them. I hope the weather is decent; it snowed two years ago for Christmas. I am sure it will be shorts weather this year. We are not having a New Year's Eve party this year, for the first time in a while, and it feels weird. We have a friend who is having a small game night, but she hasn't said too much more, so maybe it's not going to happen. We have been invited to a party with some of Darren's co-workers, and that sounds like a lot of fun. If we find a babysitter, it may work out. I don't want to be on the couch at home that night, nor do I want to have a party and have to prepare lots of food, clean my house twice, and go back to work January 2nd.

As a teacher, it seems like I put off all projects around the house for Christmas and summer breaks. The two main things I want to accomplish over this break are to clean out my closet, and clean out our office. I did both this summer, but they have fallen by the wayside. My scrapbooking supplies, which don't seem to be selling faster than I am getting them in, are taking over our office. I made this nice little area this summer to sit and work, but it has become a dumping ground, and there is no room to sit and scrap. I want to do something about that, since it doesn't seem that I will be having any more Friday night crops over here. They are too much work for little profit, and I really do want to quit selling Creative Memories. I just have to figure out how to do that...

Remember how I was talking about changing jobs? Well, an opportunity for an almost entirely new career path has come my way this weekend. My dad and I were talking on Saturday morning, and he is going to help me buy a franchise. I won't elaborate too much just yet, but I would get to continue working with children, would have more flexible hours, and would be my own boss. It seems too good to be true right now, so I don't want to get my hopes up. I do have a phone interview with the company tomorrow afternoon, so we'll see what happens...

Five More Days of School!

I am so excited about the holidays this year! Zach is at such a fun age, where everything is magical and fun to him. I want to start all sorts of family traditions, but I'm just not that motivated. We put our tree and lights up the weekend after Thanksgiving, and all of my cards have been addressed and mailed. I've done a lot of shopping, but no wrapping yet, and I am getting together with some friends tonight to do the baking. I still have grand plans of decorating a gingerbread house with Zach; we'll see if that happens!

School ends next Friday for the semester. I am hoping to get some teaching done this week, but between the kids' excitement and all of the holiday programs and concerts, there isn't much class time available. My plan is just to keep them busy and quiet. Let's see if I accomplish that...

Zach and I are flying to South Carolina next Friday, to attend my sister's graduation party next Saturday. I am so proud of her, and couldn't have done what she has. For the past two and a half years, she has worked a full day, then driven over an hour to class one or two nights per week. Granted, I don't want a master's in middle school math education, but that takes a whole lot of dedication. I have no motivation to get my master's; our district doesn't pay enough for me to have to worry about leaving Zach in the evenings, then finding time to do the homework.

We are heading to Louisiana for three and a half days to celebrate Christmas with my family. My sister and her husband are driving down from South Carolina, and this will be our first Christmas all together in Mom and Dad's new house. We'll have to leave Zach's big gift behind, and come up with a clever way to give it to him. I'm thinking of having Santa leave him a picture of his new art desk in his stocking, with a note. We've been watching the Polar Express over and over, so maybe it will work...We have an engagement party for Natalie's best friend the night we get to Lafayette, and besides church and Christmas lights on Christmas eve, we don't have any plans. I can't wait!

For the third year in a row, Darren and I are having a New Year's Eve party. Neither of us really wanted to have one, but we also didn't want to be stuck at home that night with nothing to do. We also wanted to be able to have Zach with us, and not worry about a sitter. I'm asking people to bring their own alcohol and an appetizer or dessert, and we'll play games and have a good time. It won't be all that exciting, but I go back to work on the 2nd, and a hangover wouldn't be fun. I still think of New Year's Eve 1999-2000, and shudder. Darren and I made plans with our friends Kenny and Lorraine and another couple to spend the evening in New Orleans at a Cowboy Mouth concert. The tickets were $100 apiece, but that included unlimited alcohol and dinner. We took a cab from Kenny and Lorraine's house to Tipitina's Ruins, which was near the Convention Center. We started drinking as soon as we got there; if you ordered a beer, the bartender would give you a six-pack. By midnight, none of us was standing very well, and the concert ended shortly after. We took a cab back to Kenny and Lorraine's and we all sat on the couch. Lorraine and I started eating crackers, and the next thing I know, it's 6am and I am still on the couch. Darren and I left their house around noon, but were feeling too bad to drive back to Baton Rouge. We drove around New Orleans for a few hours, went and had coffee, and finally drove home and went to bed. I had to work the next day, and it was absolutely miserable. I think I was hungover for three days afterward. So, I don't want to repeat that. We didn't have a kid then, so I can't imagine doing that with one!

Well, I'm off to clean the nasty house and get everyone ready for our day of fun!

I Didn't Make the Mess

"Mommy, can you clean up the Play-Doh?"

"I didn't make the mess, so I'm not cleaning it up."

"Daddy, can you come clean up the purple circles?"

"Alana, why aren't you watching him?"

Thus goes the story of my life. During the school year, I'm paid to clean up after fifth-graders. The rest of my life is spent cleaning up after a three-year-old. It's not very satisfying, because inevitably, there will be a worse mess to clean up in the next few minutes. I just want the house to stay clean for one whole day! Is that too much to ask?

So, I come from a long line of anal women. We take pride in cleanliness, and have been known to clean up before the housekeepers come, so "they won't think we're messy people". We are also very blunt women. God skipped over me when He was passing out tact, and the things that are on my mind seem to come flying out of my mouth before I can edit them. It presents a sticky situation sometimes, considering I also am unable to lie. It would be so nice sometimes to be able to at least tell a harmless little white lie, but no, I come out with the plain, unvarnished truth. Perhaps that is why my careers in sales and in waitressing didn't exactly flourish?