Great Kit Giveaway!

Did you see that Val Fowler was giving away a free kit for commenting on her blog?
Her new kit is called Falling Over. Run and check it out!

It's an awesome kit that is getting ya into the fall mood. Those warm fallish colors and the great journal and grid paper are really cool. You can enter for Val's free kit givaway here on her blog

I have used it already and I'll share it with you now.

Crazy busy!

I'm getting really bad about updating my blog. It's just something I don't know that I want to make a mandatory, daily event. I'm enjoying being able to come home, fix dinner (yes you read that right) and enjoy just doing whatever I want. One night this week I was so hot from being at school all day that I did a quick foil dinner to throw on the grill and washed my car. I never wash my car but somehow just being close to the cold water from the hose helped cool me down.

I've got a doozy of a class this year. I can't say much publically but a lot of them are nice kids and want to learn. I've even gotten a pretty note from one girl telling me I was the best teacher in the world, and a coloring book page that a boy took his time and colored for me. On the other hand, I have some kids who need to realize that school is about learning and not fighting. One boy brought a squirt gun to school and took it out to recess without me knowing about it and was suspended for 3 days. I've had two boys who are working well together inside of class as partners but yesterday they were fighting on the playground after school. UGH, even the custodian told me last night that he's heard that my class is the worst in the school. I know he was joking around with me, but I've got to try really hard to not let that happen. Another incident yesterday had one boy writing with blue marker on another kid's shirt because a third kid use the non-writing end of his pen to act like he was drawing on the kid's back. Needless to say when he got punished he cried like a baby begging me not to send a note home. Then at the end of the day when I wrote the note, he begged and pleaded and cried again.

So between all of the all of these little "fires" that need putting out, I have a boy who has bad behavior and will also shut down and not work. The heat of my room, which is about 85 degrees by 9:00 am and the beginning of the year pretesting I'm coming home exhausted.

I've also undertaken a HUGE project at school. I've decided to put library pockets into ALL of my books, then look up their Lexile level or reading level, put notecards into the pockets,which involves writing the title of each book, then putting colored dots onto them so my kids are reading books at the correct level for them. I only got about 35 book pockets, and cards done yesterday. I looked up about 10 book levels but none of the books got dots. I can tell this is going to be a long term project because I probably have close 400-500 books. I wish I had a parent helper who could come in and do some for me.

Other than that, Doug's shoulder is hurting again so he's coming home monday night for an appointment with a new orthopedic surgeon. Don's been busy getting ready for another Uhaul auction, and Brian is going to tryout for the volleyball club again tomorrow.

Hope you are having a great weekend. I'm working on taking pictures for ebay listings and working on stuff for Val Fowler's creative team!

It's been a few days

I know it's been a few days since I've updated my blog. Bad, bad blogger. I've just been a little busy. School started and not only am I trying to adjust to going back to work, but I'm also trying to still get the room put together. That and juggling having one gone to school and the other trying to get on track with school too.

I've not really been doing much more that that. I come home and practically pass out from the heat. It was sooooooooo hot in my room yesterday. It was so hot that I really thought about having ice cream for dinner.

This weekend I've decided to do a little cookout. It will just be both boys, Don, and my mom and dad. If things change my sister and bil might try to stop by. An easy meal of something on the grill, corn on the cob, pasta salad, and some desert.

We're all fighting itch mite bites and I'll tell you they're so much worse than mosquito bites. They are big, red, blotchy spots that don't go away too quickly; two weeks minimal. I've also heard they won't go away until the first frost.

Ok, it is a long weekend coming up so make the most of it. Enjoy and don't labor too much. Our weather should be surpurb!

Did you see Val's CT is having a contest???

Did ya...huh...huh..huh???
Come play join the contest and have a chance to win one of these two sets of Val Fowler's quick pages.

They are so easy to get a couple of pages done!

I'm here to report...

I only cried a little bit when we took Doug to college today. We were rushed because since tomorrow is the official move in day they wanted the routes cleared from cars starting at 5:00. I did help get a couple things in his closet so he could put away his clothes tonight and we got his bed totally made. We got him the cables he needed to hook up his computer and his tele. We took a fan and bought him a second one. He's on the 5th floor, no elevator, no airconditioning.

While I was there I felt he was going to be ok. He told his dad he really had a lot on his mind which I'm interpreting into nerves. I made him a list of about 5 essential things I wanted him to try to get done in a week. You know, pick up books, give the bursar some information, drop off immunization records, put the late night ride service number into your cell phone, those types of important things.

I took pictures and Don took his own pictures. I can't wait to start to use them on a couple of scrapbook pages.

Ok it's been 5 days of training and 2 more to go. I went to school after training yesterday and tried to get my bulletin boards done but it seemed to be 1 step forward and two steps back. I got my alphabet up with the border strips on that board. I got the borders on 3 more bulletin boards. I still have to get up the calendar and the important information on that board and the border too. I also have to unpack the shelves and get the new books in order. Rearrange the desks and tables, put up a welcome bulletin board with all the students' names, make name tags and put them on desks, and then probably a ton more. I've got 3 afternoons left, I don't know when I'll stay and get it all done. I'd stay all three days but it's been so hot and humid and the sweat just pours off me. One window, no airconditioning, second floor.

On other things going on...Brian is registered for school and if his schedule is rearranged like I think the counselor was telling me, he'll only have to make up one semester at summer school next summer. That will be 3 weeks and then he'll have caught up on all the missed credits. Please pray for a successful year!

I also don't think that I've mentioned that I've accepted a digtal scrapbooking creative team position with Valerie Fowler. Val sells at here at The Digi Chick. She's really wonderful and I think you need to check out her store. She's also got some great stuff being added to the store tomorrow. Again, check it out!

Well I think that's all for right now. I'm feeling much less emotional and stressed now that we've got Doug out at school and we've missed the rush of move in day by taking him out a day early.

I've got to scoot and download AIM so that I'll be able to communicate with Doug when needed. I want that up and running in case he needs something in the next couple of days.

As Brian says, "Toodles".

How do you get rid of a bag full of baseball cards

yep you read right...baseball cards. I have tried looking up the value of some of them. You're thinking how much??? Well not too much, really. But there has got to be someone who loves the thrill of the hunt. There are some rookie cards in there, some famous people who I'm sure aren't worth as much as they think they are, and some people whose 15 minutes of fame are up.

I'm also trying to decide if I should sell my driveway...yep my driveway. I live a block or less from the highschool and the older kids who drive pay to park in local driveways. My mom has a prime spot...you know location, location, location. For the first in years my mom is going to sell a side two. Know how much her neighbor across the street gets....$350...CASH!!! If I can get out of the house early enough, I could actually sell two spots. That would be a helpful chunk of change for the tuition payments. I've got to decide in the next day or two. Doug's friends are already calling or emailing him about a parking spot.

I have been staying up way too late and getting up way too late. That has got to stop tonight. Early to bed and early to rise. I've got a week to get myself into the groove before school starts, and only one more morning before the drudgery of 7 days of training before school starts.

So here is one thing I worked on last night...way too late. This will go into my all about me album one day.




all of the credits can be seen here.

A busy blogger

I know I've not updated this site for a while, but I've been just a tad bit busy. Not only have I been trying to relax and enjoy the last few days of my vacation, but I've been trying to get my older son ready for college, and I've had some extra doctors' appointments and a surgical procedure. I found out today that all things were good and the test results were good from my procedure and after a few weeks of healing time I should be as good as new.

I've been relaxing and trying to decide when I should go into school to set up my classroom. I've decided that since I have 7 days of training that I'll go and spend an extra hour or two there a couple days next week. Either that or get up really early and get in there for about an hour before my training starts. That might actually be the very best because I have a classroom with one window and no air conditioning.

I have decided to apply for a couple of new design teams. I was then asked to join Valerie Fowler's creative team too. I've got to do a couple things with her stuff. I have been creating a few pages for Scrapquick.com My newer pages are not up yet but there is a cute girl and boy birthday page. Creating pages for Christine Smith's website is so different than creating my own pages. I do enjoy the idea of creating for someone else, and wondering...do other people enjoy what I create?

Ok, I offically have 2 more days of vacation. I need to have my dryer fixed,(yes this is the Maytag Neptune double dryer that I got when I was on Oprah) and yes it's only 2 years old! We are running low on clean clothes so I have to make a decision whether or not to dry at my mom's or at the laundry mat.

Ok chinese carry-out is here so I'm ending this post. Toodles as Brian says!

An Archiver's Day

Yesterday I wasn't online at all. I decided that I would take a day to myself and head to Archivers (the scrapbook store) to work on a project for a friend. I have made these little folder books before and I love the small project. It allows me to focus on something small enough to get done quickly and lets me use a bunch of my stash. I made this as a way to tell my friend Chris how great of a friend she is and how much I admire her as a collegue, friend, and sister in Christ.

Happy Birthday Big D

Big D is what we call my oldest son. Today he turned 18! Was that a gasp you just let out? I know you can't believe that I'm old enough to have an 18 year old son. Sometimes I can't believe it. Where did that time go? We're counting down the days until he leaves for Northern. He's excited, but also is hesitant because he's not too excited when I drag him places to look for dorm schtuff.

Here's to your life and to your future! You've got so much to experience. Make it exciting and worthwhile. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride.
Happy Birthday Son!

The not so busy life

It seems that it's either feast or famine in my life. Either it's so crazy busy that your head spins or there's nothing. It seems that my life is about to go into famine, here's why.

I'm finished with school. I won't have any weekly classes or homework. I do have the certification tests to take but other than that, nothing classwork related.

My oldest son is leaving for college in about 3 weeks so there won't be too much stuff for him. I think I might go out to a football game or something but he's now on his own.

My youngest is 15. He's always on the go skateboarding or something. He still needs his taxi driver, so that won't end for another year or more but things slow down a bit more with him when school starts. I bet we'll be running to volleyball tournaments and practices, but that's not unusual.

My creative time seems to be changing too. I've been on three really great digital scrapbooking creative teams. About a month ago, Cindy Simon decided that she wanted to spend more time on family things and decided to stop designing for a while. I envy her for that. She's got her priorities straight, wtg Cindy!


Christine Smith another awesome designer stopped selling her stuff at The DigiChick. She's putting her existing digital designs for sale on her own site. She's focusing her efforts on her amazingly creative storeScrapquick! I am so lucky to be a page creator or artist there for the sensational designers who associate their kits with Scrapquick so that the page artists, like me, can design unique pre-made pages for the ease of digital scrapbooking.

Then I just heard that my third creative team was disbanding.
Tracy Rivera has been busy with life and now her design team members have no requirements any longer.

I'm sad and I was thinking of applying for Jennilyn designscreative team call but was gone almost all day yesterday and missed the call. Darn!

So I'm free to create for me and my family now. I'll miss working with some very talented designers and very talented, creative, and inspiring creative team members. I think I'd like to be on some creative teams as guest designers. Fun and short term committments with a bunch of very talented people. If anyone is looking for guest creative team members here is the link to my digital gallery at The Digichick.

So for now, I'll try to be happy living the not so busy life. How does one learn to go from a hectic, go...go...go lifestyle to a little more slow and a little mundane lifestyle? If you know, or if you've done it let me know how you learn to adapt.

Happy Monday everyone!

From trash to treasure

I told you I found a cute little chair in the garbage at someone's house. Well it wasn't really "garbage" because the people didn't put a "garbage sticker" on it for the garbage man to take. So I picked it up, found some funky fabric at Ikea, and my mom and I recovered it. It even has the spots in the legs for casters. I'm going to pick up some replacements and take this little baby to school to roll around on.

Here it is before:


and here is the after:



So what do you think? Was it a good grab to save it from the garbage man? Every time I've done that, I usually wind up keeping it for a long time or selling it. I remember picking up an easel from the neighbor's who used to live across the street. I had been painting something else blue so I painted the easel blue. Then I sold it at a garage sale for $15. They came to the garage sale and didn't even recognize the easel.

You know my chair, my sister was at my mom's today and saw the seat and asked if that was the chair she saw when she came to the graduation party. It was and it sat out on the curb for 4 days before I picked it up. She was going to pick it up but I got it first!

739 pages....

Done!

That's right I finally finished reading HP. It took less than a week, I know many people sat up and read, read, read; but life and my ability to stay awake at times interrupted that.

It brought tears to my eyes several times. there were a few surprises thrown in there at times, but as I was reading, and thinking about the foreshadowing back from the other books, I figured out some of the subplots.

I'm really sad about a few of the deaths. Knowing my son has met the Phelps brothers, it's going to be hard to watch movie seven. There is a spoiler in there, hope you don't figure it out if you're not finished reading.

Don got my sink fixed. I guess my garbage disposal and brocolli don't work too well together. Thankfully it is fix.

I'm feeling a bit like finishing projects. I feel like I'm known for starting projects and not finishing them. I have a puzzle swap I started, got all my sent away pieces back, but never did my own. I wrote a grant for my final project, got it back and thought I should make a couple corrections and mail it and I never have. I've still got time, I'll get it into the mail on Monday, PROMISE!

So today I've 3 things I want to accomplish: finish HP...Done, clean the kitchen because of the stopped drain I couldn't, and recover the chair.

What's on your weekend list?

splurged on myself

Today I got up and got some of my jobs done. I decided to take my boys to the mall after Brian got home from school. I should say I decided on going to the mall and the boys took me...Doug drove! But we couldn't get to the mall without picking up friends. 4 teenage boys and me, I'm sure it was a sight driving down the road.

I mainly wanted to go to look in Coldwater Creek. They were having a sale so I thought I was in luck. No luck, I couldn't find anything to spend my gc on. It seems a little too "formal" for me although they are not really formal.

I decided to go into Bath and Body Works to get some bodywash and foaming handsoap. I gotta say, I love that the manufacturers have created foamy hand soap. Well I was a bit disappointed when I found my favorite scent,White tea and Ginger, has been discontinued...WHAAAAAAAAAAAA

So I only got foamy handsoap and some lip gloss. I went on the advice of my cousin who was up for the graduation party who said, "B&BW has the best lip gloss." I'm really not a lipstick/lipgloss kinda girl, but decided to give it a try.


This is the Mentha-lip gloss. I loved that it was infused or made with peppermint oil. I'm so the peppermint girl. I HATE spearamint...only peppermint for me. Not only does it give me a little lip tint, it is very thick and glossy, smells good, and has a yummy flavor.

Of course, since this mall has 4 Starbucks within a half-mile radius, I had to get my caffine boost. My drink of choice there is a No-whip, chai cream frappachino. Quite the mouthful but it's my favorite.

We stopped in at Lenscrafters to see what could be done with Doug's glasses. He's got a pair of frameless Ray-Bans with transitions lenses. Well the lenses have started to seperate and crack. I hoped we could just replace the lenses. I found out that when you have the mounts drilled for frameless lenses that the frames should really only be used once. Well the manager walks over and picks up a new pair of frames, just like the ones Doug has. I asked if they needed his glasses or something and she said she'd send the new frame in. I said oh then you'll switch out the lenses when it comes back. She said, "No, he's getting a brand new pair of frames and lenses." I asked about the price and she said, "Free!" Obviously the problem is with the lenses and it's their problem, and nothing Doug has done. What an awesome relief that I don't have to pay for Doug to get new glasses before the college tuition bills start rolling in!

Then, after leaving the mall, I told them to take me to Best Buy. Today was the day I upgraded to this...



My new pink nano. It's name is officially "mom's pink pod" but we'll just call it mom's ipod. I've had Brian help me understand the whole..download music, set playlists, and docking it. I managed to buy 1 song tonight. I've grabbed some songs from Doug's library, got some from some cd's I had loaded onto my old computer and will raid Brian's i-tunes library tomorrow. I also have a Bonnie Raitt and 10,000 maniacs cds that I'll load into my i-tunes library. I'm sure there are a ton of songs I'd love to own. My brother is the king of i-tunes songs. He's got over 10,000 songs and I'll tell him to bring his laptop next time we meet up. That's one music library I can't wait to raid! ;)~

Ok I need to get ready for bed. I'm just having fun sitting here listening to my lil pinky while typing here. If you got any good itunes "gotta have" songs let me know, ok?

I'm not here...

because I'm in here!



Got a start on this 739 page beast on Sunday. Today I'm to chapter 13. I'm actually turning pages faster than I normally seem to read. I'm hoping to be finished before the end of the week.

I've got party stuff to talk about but not today. I'm not here...this is my away message!

Some fun projects

Believe it or not, I got out my paper, scissors, and glue and did some fun little altered projects.

I DID IT!!!

I DID IT! It took 3 lonnnnnnnggggggg years but I turned in my final project and received my letter stating that I have finished all the courses and all of the requirements to receive my Master's Degree from Northern Illinois University.

Although the grade for this class and the degree won't be posted for about a month onto my transcript, I'm finished and as far as I consider it...I've got a Master's degree! I won't receive my actual diploma until the graduation ceremony until December. By then I'll have already had my pay increase for 3 months, but I can wait for the diploma. It's the paper saying I'm degreed again, the knowledge is already in my head and they can't take that away!

Tomorrow is the BIG day!

Tomorrow is my LAST day of Graduate school!!! It has been three long, I mean Loooooongggggggg years but tomorrow is the last day and the last assignment.

No formal graduation until December; they say too many people faint because of the heat in August. Hey the pay goes through before the diploma is in my hands and that is all I care about at this point.

I have about 5 weeks before I have to start school stuff with seven days of training so I intend to make the most of it! I do have a big party coming up. I scheduled Doug's graduation party after I was finished so I could have some down time and a little celebration myself.

I'm so glad tomorrow is almost here! It's a day I thought would never come!

A quick post of my pages for my friend Ursula

Hey, I know I owe a major update and redecorating of my blog but I've been busy with loads of things. I literally have 2 more master's classes. Two Tuesdays and I'm done!!! I've been running Brian back and forth across town to summer school. 1st semester final is next Friday; please say some prayers! Last weekend I went to a weekend scrapbook crop. I actually did 25 pages with paper, scissors, and glue! We also had college freshmen orientation. Hard, hard day there! More about that later.

While at the crop, I put at the top of my list to get my friend Ursula's baby pages done for her. Each of us in my Tipster's group signed up for a 2 page layout. It was to be pink and girly. A bit challenging...I don't do pink and girly.

Anyway here is the pages, I know she's dying to see them. They went postal yesterday. They are for the 7th and 8th month...isn't Harper about that age now??? Sorry so late Urs!

Crossing off things on your to do list feels so good!

Today I made myself get a few things on my to do list done. They weren't the hardest or the most fun, but when I teach all year long, some things just get put off. Also when you have a husband who has been working buku hours and had a seizure that affected a bit of memory, things get just get lost in the shuffle.

Each summer I make a to do list. I start with things I want/need to get done and then as I do other things that weren't on the list I add them and immediately cross them off. I save the list on my computer because then I always have access to it. I also put things back on my list that I didn't get done from the previous summer. Sometimes those are just the frivoulous things that sound fun or aren't the most necessary. For three lists now I've had "make daring dice of transformation" on there. See I found these kewl dice by Keri Smith and could just print off this page onto some cardstock but for some reason I have it in my head that I need to make them out of wood and paint them myself. I don't know why, I guess I could print these out and modge podge them onto my wood blocks but somehow I feel that is settling for less.

I also am quite the procrastinator. I owe my darling friend Ursula two baby pages and because I've not been scrapbooking with paper, glue and scissors I just haven't gotten my stuff out. Well next weekend I go on a scrapbook retreat and I've added it to my list that I'll get them done. You know, all sorts of things and projects that procrastinators never get done. I swear if I finished all the projects I want to get done or that I've started I'll be amazed. I'll also have crossed off a bunch on that to do list. Right now there are 39 things on that list and about 6 are crossed off. That's good considering I've been on vacation for 4 days and these have been put off for weeks and months, some even years.

Well 2 entries in one day is amazing, but I must go and cook dinner. See that is another thing on my list...make dinner more often. Toodles!

I've been avoiding my blog

But I've been reading those of others. I've even been trying to leave a few comments.

I've been avoiding this because I've wanted to update with graduation pictures and they're still sitting on the disk in the digital camera. I've not wanted to dl them because I want to have time to edit them first. Today I've got plans, the bank, the post office, the accountant, and I should get some homework done today.

Tonight Doug is hosting a bonfire. The goal is to burn their Advanced U.S. History books. It was even mentioned by the speaker at graduation that this is a time of change and you have to keep some thing and make changes about others and they said get rid of Degler. So that is what the kids are going to do tonight, come and burn their Degler books.

I promise I'll upload some graduation pictures before the weekend is over.

goofing around

I've got the knack for digital scrapbooking but I've felt very lacking in my photo editing. I've surveyed a couple of my good friends for what they do when they photo edit. Ursula Page who does some great photography has given me some editing tips. But I guess without sitting down and actually trying them consistantly, I've just not gotten that good at it.

As I begin to plan out my summer, I want to really get my photos edited and organized. The only problem is that my computer isn't reading my cd/dv-r's. Hmmmmm I really need to back up photos badly too!

Well today I found Everyday Digital Scrapbooking website. They had a photo editing tutorial with a link to a website for a free effect. I tried it and really seemed to understand what I need to start doing with my own photo editing.

Well after I finished with their tutorial, I started playing a bit.
This was the original


It took several different photo correction steps, I think I remember them
1. Adjust Levels
2. Adjust Brightness and Contrast
3. Remove Noise (
4. High Pass Filter radius set to 10
5. Layer Pallet set to hard light
6. Opacity slider suggested between 20 and 70) mine was 59
7. Applied a mid-tone sharpening that was a freebie offered at this website, lonestar digital
8. Then I was continuing to read the lonestar site and saw their unsharpen mask, fade tutorial but PSE4 doesn't have fade so then I was looking for some filter that may be like fade and found Halftone Pattern
9. Then I selected (I think, this is when I was goofing around) underpainting.

Anyway, this was the outcome.

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.

Countdown clarification

I know my blog has been totally neglicated, but until I get all the work done for this darn class I have to cut out some stuff and the bloggie is it. Believe me, I'd much rather be updating my blog, scrapbooking, exercising, and other fun things that "normal" people do. By normal I mean everyone who does fun activities in their free time, not overconsumed with homework. I'll be so glad to be back among the "normal" people soon.

Now today I came to calculate how many more days were left until the last grad class. I got out the calendar and counted 74 days. YIKES how did it go from 60 to 74??? Then I went back and recalculated. I thought it should be only 54. Believe me 54 sounds so much better than 74. How did the number jump to 74 you ask? Well I did not count weekends. I guess I figured when the lady who is retiring at work only counts weekdays and days with students, I guess I originally decided to only count weekdays. So today I'll clarify how I'm counting. I'm only counting weekdays, not weekends.

Therefore...there are only 54 more days until the last day of grad class. YIPEE!

Just updating

60 days!

What a weekend

The weather has been fantastic! Yesterday about 77, today 80. Today is a bit more windy, gusty you'd say. The winds of change are blowing. We are predicted to have thunderstorms tonight. Hey I'm enjoying today for today.

Church, wake, musical, now an assignment. Nothing new in that respect; just another typical day in my world. I'll be so happy to rejoin the ranks of the "what normal people do" after school is out.

Today was the final day of the musical. The kids all seemed so much more relaxed today. After they tear down the set, there is another cast party. Doug's gotten home the past couple nights after 1:00 am. It's no wonder he didn't want to get up yesterday morning, or this morning. I hope he's having the time of his life. He's got approximately 30 more school days until he graduates.

With that it means I have about 30 more school days. I'll get that official update tomorrow from a co-worker who is retiring and has been counting down since last year. He also needs to make up his mind who he will ask to prom. The theme is something James Bond..007. Great theme I think considering they are graduating in 07! I actually think he's got 2 extra days off this week because the seniors don't attend school while the juniors take their state assessments. Lucky guy!

Just a reminder...61 more days until grad school is officially FINISHED!!

Ok off to make a decision about what's for dinner. I also need to go buy some dog food. Oh...that assignment too. Well it's almost over.

ahhhhhhhh TGIF

It's late and it's almost Friday...payday Friday to be exact.
This has been the first week back and a crazy one.
My students were selected to perform at the district fine art's fair. I couldn't go because Brian had a volleyball game and today was the opening night of Doug's highschool musical Music Man.

Today one of my students was a bit out of control today and I asked his father to come in. That helped a bit. Tomorrow should be better.

Yesterday I got my rough draft back and it has a lot of edits. I'm not sure I trust the guy proofing it because he's had articles published and there are mistakes that stick out like a sore thumb in the published article. Anyay there are A LOT of things he wants me to work on and I have another project due on Tuesday as well.

I also had another nice suprise today. Someone brought a guest to my room. Not really a guest, a visitor. It was the university supervisor who was in charge of my student teacher. He gave me a paper that allows me to take a 3 semester grad class for free.

Yeah...don't even say it...I'm counting down the number of days until my Master's degree is finished, 64 more, and I'm thinking about taking another class. This is the way teacher's make more money...take more classes.

Want to shout out to my good friend Adri who I'd love to have a mini vacation to come and say hi!
Congrats to Ursula and Chris on 10 years of marriage.
And to Doug...you did a great job tonight!

update...

66 more days today!

Update on the countdown

Today was the first day back after "spring" break. I put spring in quotes for the mere fact that we had snow and temps in the 20's and 30's. Therefore it was more like a winter break do-over. I am a bit glad the weather was horrible because I was inside working on my paper for so long. I had a hard enough time concentrating as it was without gorgeous weather.

Tomorrow is parent-teacher conference day. I really feel this is one of the worst days of the year. I really dread having to continually tell parents..well you know when your child does not do their homework, they aren't getting enough practice and therefore that is why his/her grade isn't really good. You'd think that parents would start to give a hoot. Some do and then there is those who don't. Nice example for your kids to live up to.

Ok today there is 67 more days until the last day of grad school and a teacher at work says there are 38 more school days...only 35 with kids. This teacher has had the countdown going since the first day of LAST year. she's retiring...can you tell she's ready??

Still haven't gotten back my edited version of my paper. Hopefully soon because I know it still needs work.

I also have a paraprofessional project to do. Maybe tomorrow after conferences. It's just too nice looking outside to sit behind my computer all night. That and I want a night off. I can sit, watch tv and grade papers. That's another part of the job I hate.

Counting down

68 days until July 12, 2007!

Thought you might like to know!

Just the countdown

69 days until grad school is over!

Ever feel lucky on Friday the 13th??

Well I do!! Today was the day I've fought and fought for. Today was the day the school finally decided that Brian should have an IEP. He has definitely qualified for a while, but they've finally decided that he's had enough F's that he needs something. I was exhausted fighting this fight. I almost gave up many times. I can't count the number of times I've thrown my hands up and said I can't do this anymore.

Well today I finally feel like we've won! I'm so glad I didn't give up. I'm so glad I didn't just let my kid fail without fighting for him. I really hope that my son can see that I've fought and fought and now he's got to become his own advocate and fight too. He's got to get in gear and be successful. We've just got some things in place that should help him do that. My comments to the people last week was you know he qualifies, what is the worst that will happen by giving him an IEP? My answer to them was the worst that would happen is that he'll be successful. I truly feel that's true because without one we've already been experiencing the worst, he is failing. So in my opinion what's the worst is already happening so how could it be worse.

Ok it's been a rotten weather for spring break. We had snow on Wednesday and Thursday. Today is sunny! Now I have to work on this paper, the rough draft is due to be emailed today. GRrrrrrrrrr

My friend Chris, who is on vacation in North Carolina and her paper is due next week, had a dream that the professor died! Yikes but someone said he's more like Cybil and you never know who is going to show up and instruct the class. Notice I didn't say "teach"???? He's really taught us nothing. Good think I am not paying for this master's degree!

Ok...I've started the count down...there are 70 days until the last day of the last master's class!

Wow...powerful words

I've been reading all day for my lit review and I finally came across something that is powerful and thought provoking, although of no use to me in my writing.

"Even under the most horrendous conditions, one has the power to choose one's own attitude."

Mosaic of Thought

I was supposed to get a facial and pedicure but apparently the girl called in sick and they failed to call me before my appointment. Bummer, but I have read 147 pages and taken notes on the book "Mosaic of Thought" I also have about 8 journal articles to read and I want to finish the book "Better Answers." I can't say that I'd recommend any of them for light, enjoyable reading but for an educator...Mosaic of Thought is quite interesting.

SPRING BREAK!!!!

It's finally here!! I'm on spring break. Albeit alone, my kids were off 2 weeks ago but for all the homework I have due on Friday, alone/quiet may be a blessing.
I've got about 3 weeks left of this class and one final class to finish over the summer before my master's degree is finished. FINALLY THE END IS IN SIGHT!!
The problem is that half of the final assignments coming due are BIT, REALLY BIG and they carry over to the summer semester for the second part of the grade. Right now I have about 25 pages of an action research project due on Friday. It's the rough draft, but the other half of the class is due a week from Friday. Bummer being in the A-M half of the alphabet. Therefore I'm frantically scanning tons of research and articles for the largest part of the literature review. Unfortunately, the topic my students struggle with is a topic that is not clearly defined and written about. I have to use a bunch of different types of research articles and pull a lot of ideas into my topic. It is definetly not what I had in mind, but I really think this topic will be useful to me for future classes and with the darn state testing.

OK other plans for the week: buy the musical tickets for the Music Man that Doug's school choir is performing, today is a badly needed cut and color, run to take the vacuum cleaner in, update a college library card, mail off the boxtops and soup labels for the school and hopefully watch Brian play in his first volleyball match of the highschool season. He's been inelligible due to grades but for the first time all year there are NO F's!!!! Friday is the meeting which he'll hopefully qualify for an IEP.

Ok rambling finished. I do have a cool new digital scrapbook project that I'm secretly working on. I'll do some posting after I continue testing out what I'm doing to see if everything is working perfectally!

If your weather is beautiful...will you please send me some...it's 30's here and gloomy gray. I need a little warmth and sunshine to make it really feel like spring, not to mention spring break!

What's in a name???

Oh man I saw this on Christy Lyle's blog and new I had to copy it and find out all my new names.

Please feel free to add this to your own blog too!

1. Your real name:
Laura
2. Your Gangsta Name: (first 4 letters of real name plus izzle:}
Laurizzle
3. Your Detective Name: (fav color and fav animal)
Green Giraffe
4. Your Soap Opera Name: (middle name, and childhood street)
Elizabeth Carilla
5. Your Star Wars Name: (the last 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of mom’s maiden name)
Gerlaboh Oh my it certainly does sound Starwarish
6. Your Super Hero Name: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
Golden Chai Frap
7. Your Witness Protection Program Name: (grandmother/grandfather’s first name and Jones)
Mildred Jones
8. Your Goth name: (black, and the name of one your pets).
Black Emmie

These are so funny! Love my Star Wars name and my superhero name!
I can't wait to see your cool new names!

Spring updating

I've been trying to decide what to do with my bathroom since we've moved in a little over a year ago. I've never really found a shower curtain that's really caught my eye, until today. Most won't believe my new shower curtain, but I think it's fun and whimsical! I need some fun and whimsy in my life with all the stress that is coming sooner than I care to deal with.

I found out last week that my last day of my master's program is July 12, 2007!!!!!
Between finishing all of the work involved between my current class, my action research project, the next class projects, and updating my teaching philosophy and finishing a few more portfolio projects, that is daily stress.

There are also about 40ish days until the last day of school, which is also the same day as Doug's graduation. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I can't believe it's been 13 years already since that very first day of kindergarten and the principal said, "Parents I give you the class of 2007."

While shopping today, I asked Don if he ever missed having a little kid around. Can you guess his response???? He said, "NO!" I tear up every time I think of graduation and how fast the past years have literally flown by. Forty is just a new chapter in my life. I'm only 2 months into my 40's and I've still got a lot to experience.

Anyway, I'll share a photo of myself with my new glasses. I get comments about them all the time. They are my hip glasses. I guess it's part of the am I accepting being 40 syndrome.

And just because it's spring, I had to brighten up my dining room with 3 bunches of mauve tulips. Enjoy!

Just back to post another

I've really had a bit of creativity lately and I'm so glad. I've finally got some mojo back.

Here's the newest one.

Credits can be found here

104 posts and counting

I must have a change in attitude since it feels like spring is here. I feel happier and I think exercising is giving me a lot more energy. I've seriously been neglecting this blog. I'm sorry. I think that being a wife, mom, teacher, grad student, daughter, friend, and on 3 creative teams is stretching myself a bit, but alas the end of grad school inches ever closer as the Tuesday's pass by. We find out this Tuesday afternoon, exactly when our classes end. It will be somewhere in the vacinity of July 15. Somewhere between June 8 and July 30 there will be a hellacious graduation party. Actually make it a double! Doug graduated on June 8...and me well not officially until the winter graduation ceremony, but I'll officially have a master's degree before that. At least my pay raise will go through for the entire school year for next year.


Ok...I'll stop rambling and just come for what I originally dropped by for...to post a third scrapbook page I completed. The kit is from Jen Wilson, About a Boy I think, the template is from Rachael Giallongo, Challenge 25 I believe at The Digichick.



This is my senior! I found all of these on this computer. He's got the first one on his myspace and I saw it there. I seriously about pooped my pants when I saw it the first time, but the more I continue to look at these photos, I can truly see although he's growing up, there is still a little boy who loves to play and have fun. This kid wants to fly...this proves it, this and how high he gets when jumping on the trampoline.

Love ya Big D!

2 in a row!

Hmmmmmmm does that mean posts or digital layouts??? You decide! ;)

For me it means that I've been at the computer all morning instead of doing things like laundry, grading papers, cleaning bathrooms, exercising. You know! Well it does mean that my digital creative team committments for this wonderful double-up kit by Christine Smith and Jenn Howland is finished...finally. I was lacking for a bit of creativity.

Anyway this adorable little princess is my friend Ursula Page's daughter. She's such a cutie. Ursula let me use this photo because I don't have any little girl pictures. I don't even have any baby pictures. So I told her I'd give her photography business a bit of a plug. You can see her wonderful photos here at her blog.

Ursula I hope you like this little girly page. Using pink is not as easy for me as some. I only have boys, so I use a lot of other colors, not pink.

Enjoy your weekend, I need to make some dessert for church group tonight. Hmmmmm I have no clue what to make.

A bit of creativity

After a long week I'm so glad it's Friday. I've been to the Y 3 times this week. My workouts are getting a bit longer and longer. I really am finally not feeling blahhhhhhhhh and I'm more motivated to keep going, even if going alone.

This is the first weekend in a long time that I don't feel bogged down with work. I do have some small homework things to do, and think of a research question to start on for the action research project for the summer. I also have lesson plans, a few papers to grade, a ton of laundry, and have to make desert for our small church group tomorrow night. Looking for a yummy recipe...anyone have one??

I'm also trying to catch up on design team work. Here is my newest layout. All the elements are from Christine Smith and Jenn Howland. It is a double-up kit called Delightly Diverse. It is available at The Digichick

So here are some photos from Miraval.

Another week

And it's been crazy. This week was ISAT testing at school. You know..Illinois Standard Acheivement Test. The test they base our annual yearly progress upon. The one that determines if you are meeting the NCLB (no child left behind) requirements. Please don't get me started on how rediculous that NCLB is.


So besides the upside down schedule at school, testing, missing planning periods and such, Brian had a volleyball, parent required, meet the team night dinner and I thought it was next week. I walked in the door as the dinner delivery driver pulled in right behind me with our hot dinner and I thought ahhhhhhhhhhhh time to eat and relax. NOOOOOOOOOO, me in a skirt and it was warm when I left and became overly windy and cold by the time I got home. Get back into the car, drag a case of water with to the dinner. I was actually a bit sad to go because instead of having both the boys playing one year of high school volleyball together, Doug wasn't there. It was so heartbreaking to see all these kids he's played with for so long standing there in their new windsuits and a sophmore on the team standing where Doug should have been. I'm glad he made his decision for himself, I just hope it is something he doesn't regret for the rest of his life.



On a happier note, Doug spoke up at the musical practice and took another part. It's little, him and another boy have to bring in a desk but it's another part. That is some initiative for him, and he says he's having fun with it. That somewhat makes up for my own volleyball blues.



My clinical student from a local university will be teaching her second lesson this week. Another "teachers must be flexible" schedule change. She thinks this week will be her last week. She's calculated that she has all of her hours in. She's been a tremendous help with grading tons of papers for me. This week grades are due and the third quarter ended on Friday. I've got teachers at school counting the days until the end of the year. Last week sometime, there were 53 school days left. Spring break, yes it is so badly needed, is still 3 weeks away. Arrrrrrrrrrghhhh it feels like it will be forever before it gets here.

Anyway I have a huge project due for class this week and I think Brian's first volleyball game is the same night. Since this is a group project, I think I'll let the other two take the assignment in and I'll skip out for the volleyball game. That is if he's eligible to play. Still battling the grade thing here. The new medicine seems to be working much better though. Hopefully this is the incentive he needs to pull those grades up. If not, he's working on the 5-year plan.

Ok, I'll end this by showing you a new scrapbook layout I just whipped together with Cindy Simon's new template and her St. Patrick's Day kit. Both are available at www.elementalscraps.com



Anyway...Happy St. Patrick's Day. I hope the leprechaun finds you and leaves a bit o'luck and a piece of gold for ya. Here's a pinch for you without your green on!

New layouts

I've been able to create a couple new layouts this week since I finally got one major assignment finished. Another is due soon, but there isn't class next week so we will use the usual classtime to work on it. It's major too! I hate these huge assignments :{

Anyway, these two layouts are using kits by Cindy Simon available at Elemental Scraps.

This is a kit called Lucky You. You can purchase it at at Elemental Scraps. Full credits can be found here. Right now there is a great deal on this kit. If you purchase the kit, you get the cool shamrock pin alpha for free! Of course it also come with the super easy to use pin action. I thought the pins were awesome!


The second layout is of my friend Shellie's daughter Kiana from her Libby Lu makeover day.

Thanks for the photo Shellie!



Full credits can be found here. Cindy Simon's Kit Rebecca can be purchased at Elemental Scraps.
Other than this and school and class my life's been pretty "normal." For those who know me well, "normal" is like walking up hill, backwards in a windstorm.

I do have great news though...I've lost 10 pounds! I'm beginning to have more energy. I'll keep working with my personal trainer for a few more weeks and need to get to the Y more often than I do. At least the weather is getting nice for a few outdoor walks. Since the days will be getting longer, I'm sure the dogs will love the walks.

Keep on keeping on!

a new look!

Yep I'm trying the new glasses thing again. This time I made sure the lenses were the absolute lightest ones I could find. You have to pay for a good thing and yikes these were significantly more than I usually pay. But hey...I'm worth it. I even got a "hey sexy" from my husband! They must look pretty good.





So I've decided to post a picture of just the glasses...not me in them yet, just the glasses to see what people's comments are. After that I'll snap a picture when my hair is done and I have on some makeup. Today it was quick shower and left to pick them up with wet hair.