Remember the cow album I mentioned?

Well Friday night I got the urge to pack up a bunch of my stash and head out for a Friday night crop. I still had the urge yesterday too, so I went and spent the day by myself working again on that album. Had to leave when they closed and I still had the urge so I discussed dragging all my stuff out with Don and we decided that the coffee table in the living room would work for a bit. Now that I've sorted out stuff and have packed and unpacked twice I'm getting good. It won't take much time at all to get ready to scrapbook.

So that cow album...it is 7x5. Each cow has it's own page. It will have the cow number and the title the artist gave it. Each page will have a little tab at the top that sticks out. The tin that is holding all of the pages will have some fun little cluster of something on the front, but I'm not altering the can too much. Hey cows don't need an altered album, they are altered! Here are a few pictures of the pages. They may not be completely finished but I decided to give you a sneak peak.



Now I should go clean up the sb table and get going on some homework I have to do. I also got this sinus infection almost overnight. UGH I can't be sick the last 9 days of school, too much going on. I also bought plants so I have some planting to do. We also roped off the section where we are going to be putting down paver stones for a small little patio. Don has these stones at work that they haven't used for years so we are getting them. Big project that needs done before the graduation party.

The weekend

Today I got some little urge to start looking for the outside or the container for my Cow album. Not just any cow album, but all the Chicago cows from Cows on Parade. These were cows that were painted, decorated or exquisitely covered with all different themes. I've had these photos for quite a few years now. I had thought that I wanted this dinner break tin and still might have to break down and order it and have it shipped because I can't find it around here. In the mean time I found a new sb store and Don just happened to have to drive right by it and picked up what I think I might use instead. I got this one because it had a clear front.
They also had this one, called Jack, on sale and I thought it might work too. I just hope that either of the two Don picked up will be the size I need. The Maya Road one will hold a 5x7 album.

So now that I've got my container on the way, I've decided not to put these in an album. I'm going to leave the pages loose like you would get files out of a drawer or something.

I'm going to really try to clean out a bunch of my scrapbook stash. I'm finding that I'm much happier creating when I do pages digitally. I love there is no mess and things don't need to be left out. I really do have a lot on my plate lately and just don't know how soon I'll be able to work on this album.

I have two really important sets of papers to grade before Thursday. On Friday we have our institute day to split up classes. This is happy but yet painful day. Happy to know you are sending kids off, especially the ones who just happen to drive you a bit batty. Painful because you've bonded with them and you want them to take what you've helped them learn and grow up. I always wonder did you really learn everything I've tried to teach you, are you ready for this? But on a happier note, the year is almost over. I've got tons to do before then. I have to finish my action research, plan and video tape me teaching a professional development lesson, finish my next portfolio before Tuesday and class again starts on Tuesday.

I got my 2007-2008 assignment yesterday and I'm staying put. I'll be teaching English, 4th grade next year at the same school. I don't know yet if I'll have to change classrooms or not, but if it's to a room with more windows than I have now, I might just be happier. That means though that everything will need packed up moved and unpacked.

I just can't wait until I start having free time again. Time that I don't have to worry about the pressures of homework and deadlines. Time for a walk, to read, or crafts. Time to update my blog a little more often.

Well my laundry is about to be finished and I need to get another load going. I should get up, get dressed and wash off the patio furniture too. Bunko group meets tonight and tomorrow my friend Mary Beth is having a southern living party.

A Cicada Invasion is about to Happen

It happens every 17 years, like clockwork. How do they know when it's been 17 years, heck I don't even remember everything that's happened in the past 17 years. What I do know is that it is predicted that on May 22, the cicadas will arrive just like they did 17 years ago.


I used to work in a old town. By that I mean an old established town with big, old trees. It seems the more trees, the more cicadas. Well it's almost like experiencing them again for the first time. See my oldest son is 17 and will be 18 on August 1. The last time they arrived, he wasn't old enough to know what the heck they were, he wasn't even 1 yet. I guess we tried to keep him away from them as much as possible. I do remember going for walks at lunch and the only things you would hear is the cicada sounds, which are actually locust sounds, and the crunch, crunch, crunch you heard with each and every step. You couldn't help but crunch their shells. They were everywhere.


Fastforward 17 years and here we are in 2007. Now I live in an older house with big old trees. Guess what I'm expecting??? CICADAS. Those big green bugs with red beady eyes. They still have 9 days before their predicted arrival, but obviously some don't understand the concept of the mass emergence. Some are digging the big holes and getting an early start. We moved the trampoline and the basketball hoop and we found these. All four of us were truly mesmorized by them.
















These two are out with their dried shells. They will grow and crack out or molt out of their shell and will become these huge flying creatures.















Finding these two were truly more interesting because they are clear/white and they are trying to get themselves out of their holes. It looks quite laborous. They move and stop and move and stop. There are holes all around there and when most emerge, there is a huge clod of dirt all mounded up with a hole through it. It is like they create a cave and bring the cave out with them. I have no idea how an insect can sleep for 17 years and still know when to come out. Heck I hope they don't strip our leaves completely from the trees. I want my shady yard to enjoy this year.

I'll try to capture some of the beady-eyed monsters when we see more of them.

Mother's Day let down

and today is just not a happy day. I went to church with Brian. He went to the student group and I sat in a crowded church alone. How can I say alone when I have friends there and they had to set up extra chairs...well I truly felt alone. Don wouldn't go. He's doubting his faith. Now when things are happening when I truly need God, and have been turning to him, my husband doubts his faith.

I started folding laundry and Brian comes and asks if he could help. I politely say, I've got it and that it had been sitting there for a week. I got it. I put it away and take the basket into my room to start sorting laundry and Don is like did you see your cards? No, we'll apparently they were sitting on my computer, along with a bunch of other stuff. I'm supposed to find my cards. I break down crying saying that no one wants to spend time with me and it's clear how upset I am and he couldn't even put his arms around me to say he was sorry he'd been working so much. So I'm working around the house. Don's working around the house. Brian's doing homework, Doug's doing a thesis paper that was assigned 2 months ago and he's still not finished and it's due tomorrow. So on a day in which I should be enjoying my family, I'm walking around alone in my house full of family.

I hope this is far from the joy and love you are experiencing. I know so many people have lost mothers and mothers' who have lost a child and today is probably a sorrowful day. I hope that all mothers can find some happiness today. I wish I could find a bit of happiness, but I'm truly expecting nothing more than what I have already. Some days I doubt my usefulness as a mother. I have self-doubt that my children appreciate what I've tried to give them and do for them. My own self-absorption in school and work I'm sure is part of the reason my kids feel neglected. I guess if they feel that way, then there should be no reason that I feel neglected on Mother's Day.

Finally back around the blog scene

I've made it through the end of the class. I've started collecting data and journaling for my action research project. I made it through the prom weekend and now I find out I'm going to have to have someone video tape me doing one of the big projects for next semester. I'm dreading it starting because I have loads and loads of stuff to do.



You know the end of a school year is almost worse than the beginning of one for a teacher. Files to organize and maintain, post tests, end of the year stuff, packing up, all that good stuff. I guess we are also finding out our placements in 10 days. I can't think that far ahead, I can only go day by day since there is so much to do.



I thought I'd come by and calculate how many more days until the last day of grad school...47 weekdays.



I also thought I might add a few prom pictures for your viewing pleasure.



I can't believe this kid is going to graduate soon. The announcements went postal yesterday.