Our Dog Whisperer

MK has a way with her grandparents' dogs, especially Gracie. Gracie
allows MK to handle her in a way that no one else can. However, Buddy
gets jealous and always wants to be a part of the action.

It's 3 a.m., I must be....

Awake! Ugh.

I have a bittersweet relationship with sleep. I really like it, yet
it eludes me. This morning at 3:00, our fire alarm went off. It is
the one that is hard-wired in the house, but not the one that is
monitored by the alarm company. I shot out of bed with the Big Man
close behind me. Instantly wide awake, we checked every room, the
attic, outside and the roof. Nothing seemed amiss. It sounded a few
more times, now it's been silent for awhile. However, I am still
awake at 4:15, and I have to be up at 5:00. There's hardly any point
in sleeping now.

So, I hope you're feeling rested. I'm sure I'll catch up one day.

Perspective

One of my roommates from my sophomore year of college posted this picture on her Facebook page.

















I commented on it, and she said that if I didn't like it, she would remove it. I considered it for about .2 seconds. But that's what I looked like then. It's who I was and part of who I am.

When I see that picture, I cringe a little. I'm wearing a snowflake sweater and holding (possibly wearing) Christmas tree lights. It's just a little too precious, possibly even cute. And if you know me, I don't really view "cute" as a compliment. When I looked at it, all I could find were negatives...the hair, the lack of makeup, the hideous sweater...had I never heard of tweezers? I could go on. One thing though...I've "filled out" in other areas...but the chin remains!

I digress.

I emailed the picture to the Big Man. This picture was likely taken the month we were engaged. He didn't see the things that bother me at all. He named several good things that he saw.

Perspective is a funny thing.

So here is a recent picture that I don't hate. I'm curious how I'll feel about it in twenty years.

Ty and his "Buddy"

The Big Man's parents are in town. MK and T. Willy spent the day at
their "Florida" house. MK came home to sleep, but T. Willy is
spending the night with his grandparents and their dogs. T. gets
along especially well with "Buddy," so here is a picture of them
together.

My dad participated in thehonorrun.org yesterday. He and some friends
rode their motorcycles from Delaware to Cambridge, Ohio yesterday and
came home today. They encountered a lot of rain, but it sounds like
he enjoyed himself.

Hope you had a great night!

Wake up!

Since I get up at 5:00 a.m. these days, staying up until 10:30 last
night felt like a big deal. Due to the Thursday night football game, I
was up later then. I was really looking forward to sleeping in this
morning. I use 3 alarms in the morning to make sure I don't
oversleep. I checked them last night to make sure they wouldn't go
off. I was set.

What I didn't expect was T. Willy trying to go outside and forgetting
that the security alarm was still on. It was 7:00. I shot right out
of bed and turned it off. He was surprised and scared and crying. So
I sat with him and then out walked MK and then the Big Man (who got
home from work at 2:45.) I guess compared to 5:00, we did get to
sleep in.

Hopefully the Big Man will be able to go back to sleep, because he has
to work today. I'm not sure what I'll do. Laundry and cleaning are
calling. We'll see.

MK's hair

MK had her hair done last week. I love it! Here are some pictures:

Pictures of our night

What's happening.

Tonight is the first football game for MK. It is raining, but so far there is no thundering or lightning, so the game should go on!

MK and her friend stopped in my room to do homework until it was time to leave. Here is a picture of them working hard.

















And I'm off to get my hair cut. Ugh...there is not much to do with my hair, but it needs a change. I doubt it will be drastic, but it's always nice to have something new. Hope you have a great night!

Pebbles, is that you?

MK had her hair cut and colored on Saturday. She likes it, but with
the shorter bangs finds it hard to put it all up and away from her
face. This is how she has resolved that.

Can't sleep...may as well blog

Last night I stopped by band practice a little early, because MK
wanted me to watch her practice. They were working on going from the
field into the stands. The band is huge, but their director seems to
have pretty good control of them. I snapped a couple of pictures for
the Big Man. He is going to miss the first game due to work. So T.
Willy and I will cheer on the Bulldogs and MK tomorrow night.

More great days!

We all had good days at school again. T. Willy's had a shaky start.
When the Big Man works early, T. goes to his former preschool for
morning care. I really thought that would be easier than riding the
bus, but it wasn't. He shed a few tears, but they must have been
short-lived, because he said he had a great day! MK continues to like
high school. I'm actially posting while watching her wrap up her
color guard practice. Their first game is Thursday night (it will
usually be Friday) and I think they're all excited about it.

I separated T. Willy's bunk beds recently, but he hasn't had any
coordinating bedspreads. I bought him a set tonight. They were
reasonably priced, so I'm pretty happy about them. And they are
tonight's picture.

Tonight....

I asked T. Willy what the best thing about his day was. He said,
"Well, at first I didn't know Marcus, and then I did." So I'm happy
that he made a new friend. Sounds like a good day to me!

Pictures of today.

She had a great day!

MK

Here is MK walking out the door on her first day of high school!

It's official

From the time that I found out that I was pregnant with T. Willy and did the math regarding his due date, I've known that MK would start high school the same year that he started Kindergarten. That happens tomorrow.

I can't describe how I feel tonight. Emotional, sure...but not weepy, "I wish they were still babies" emotional. I'm thrilled that they have made it this far. T. Willy is so ready for Kindergarten. He reads and does math. Academically, I know he'll do fine. We don't have too many kids his age around us, so I'm eager for him to make new friends. His teacher is great; we are thrilled to have her. It's just one of life's milestones. It makes you stop and think.

MK is having another milestone: high school. This is it. Four years from now, we'll likely be taking her to college. Four short years. But for now, we'll continue to enjoy her. She makes us proud in so many ways. We are blessed.

Tomorrow is a milestone for me too: my first day teaching at MK's high school. I won't have her in class, but it's very comforting to know that we'll be in the same place.

The Big Man will be here in the morning to put T. Willy on the school bus for the first time. Please pray that it goes smoothly. Our neighbor's daughter is in 2nd grade, and she said that she will sit with him on the bus. I know the Big Man is dreading it, because he's afraid T. is going to cry. But he seems excited about it, so I'm very hopeful that he'll get right on with a smile on his face. I've asked him to take lots of pictures, and I'll post all that I can.

T. Willy and I went to the library yesterday. We picked out a special book to read tonight: Curious George and the First Day of School. MK read it to him, and I sat and listened and was able to snap a picture of it too.

Where's MK?

Start counting tubas from your right. She is to the right of the
fourth tuba. One day I'll take an actual camera so I can zoom in. I
usually forget and rely on my phone.

Go Dawgs

Meet the Bulldogs

Last week we met the band; this week we're meeting the Bulldogs. The
football team is having its jamboree tonight, and the band is
performing, so we're back at the field. While we wait, the middle
school football team is playing. It's MK's team from last year...that
already seems like a long time ago.

T. Willy

Open house for T. Willy was today. Since I was at my own open house,
the Big Man went with T. He sent this picture. It doesn't look like
he's happy to be there, but he actually liked it. He told me that his
teacher was wearing pink and that one of his friends from preschool is
in his class.

One more day

Today was "Bulldog Camp" for MK. I was able to see her a couple of times throughout the day. She was so happy to see friends that she hasn't seen all summer, and overall, she had a really good time. The Big Man did stop by, but we just saw him for a few minutes. He was able to see my room and didn't think the purple was bad.

The Big Man and I were able to meet T. Willy's teacher tonight. She is exactly what we would hope for in a Kindergarten teacher. I think T. Willy is going to love her. He will get a chance to meet her tomorrow with the Big Man. I'll be at my own open house, so I'll miss it, but I know they'll have a great time. I'm eager to hear what he thinks about it. MK went to his school from 2nd grade on, and we always loved it.

Today I got quite a shock at school. As a rookie teacher, I knew I might get some of the not so desirable assignments...was I ever right! Another teacher and I have been asked to be student council advisors! This means that we are in charge of the Homecoming parade and dance. In this town, the Homecoming parade is a BIG deal...which means this is a lot of pressure. However, this used to be a one person job, and now it's divided between two of us. I had a study hall to oversee, and they've changed it to student council, so that should give us some extra time to plan. Plus, Homecoming is in November this year: unusually late. The former teacher has offered a lot of help, so I'm optimistic!

Today's pictures are of T. Willy's hands. He used to watch "Oobi" when he was a toddler. He loved that show, and we were all tired of it. But he has recently discovered it again. If you've seen this show, it's simply hands with plastic eyeballs talking. So, T. was playing Oobi, and I was able to get some shots of it.

Poor Kitty

T. Willy has learned to pick up Callie. He loves it; she tolerates it.


















Things are winding up in the school preparations. MK has "Bulldog Camp" tomorrow. It's basically an orientation. It gets the freshmen used to the school and teaches them some things along the way. Breakfast for the teachers is being catered by the Big Man's restaurant, and he may actually be there in the morning. T. Willy is coming with me for a little while, and my friend is going to pick him up there. So for just a little while we'll all be there at the same time. My room is essentially ready. It will take some time to personalize it, but it's ready for students.

So that's about it for tonight. I hope you have a great one!

Hit the ground running.

Wow...I went from a life of leisure to a life of busy! I wouldn't change a thing, though! Today I went to work, then I left early to go to fill our paperwork at the personnel office. Then I picked MK up on my way back into town to take her to a uniform fitting at the high school. I left her there, came home for about 45 minutes, then I went back to the high school for a band chaperone meeting. I am home now, and it's time for bed! But it's great to be busy for these reasons! This job is an answer to prayer and a dream come true!

So, here is a picture of MK fixing herself a snack after band. She didn't get a chance to eat dinner. We'll have to work on that. Tomorrow I have nothing planned after school. MK doesn't have guard practice, and it's the Big Man's last night of vacation. Hopefully we'll be able to eat dinner as a family and get to bed early!

What a day!

It was a great day! Things fell into place very easily. People were friendlier and more helpful than I could have asked them to be. My room still needs a lot of work, but I'm ready to get back in there and finish it. I have learned a lot already, but I still have so much more to learn about the school and what's expected of me. I have to make a trip to the personnel office tomorrow to fill out the official paperwork. Thanks to all of you who sent me good wishes and prayed for a great day!

Tropical Storm Claudette came through this morning. We had a good bit of rain, but as far as I know, nothing serious. I was on the road at 6:15, and it was raining, but I didn't notice any big winds. We're thankful it wasn't anything more.

We went shopping after work. MK has her school supplies now, and I was able to get some things for my room. We also stocked up on staples for school lunches. Then we went out to dinner. It was a lot of fun. I really am going to cook again one day, but the Big Man wanted to take us out to celebrate my first day, and I really appreciated that!

Now it's 8:00, and I'm exhausted. That's a sign that I'm working. I'm usually just getting started at 8:00. It feels so good to be working, and I'm so thrilled to be at my dream school. I'll leave you with a picture of my room as it was when I first walked in. The walls are lavender! The window blinds are purple, and a big closet door is darker purple. I'd like to paint, but for now I'm just going to concentrate on cleaning and getting organized. The classroom isn't huge, but that's okay, because the classes that I'll teach are generally small so that the students can get more individual attention.

Diving and driving

We went to the USA National Diving Championships this morning at FSU.
It was a blast! We're anticipating Tropical Storm Claudette, but that
brought some relief to us sitting outside watching diving. It was
breezy and overcast, and that is not typical for mid-August. We had a
great time watching and predicting the judge's scores.

We came home, and the weather has been clear so far. We'll see how it
goes tonight. I'm hoping we don't lose power, because I start work
tomorrow. Even though I have backup alarms, I cannot be late my first
day! I'll be sure to report how the day goes. Good night!

FSU Aquatic Center

Our day

Although my previous posts may tell you otherwise, we've done more
than eat in Tallahassee. We have driven by the FSU campus and shopped
at a mall much bigger than we have near our house. MK, T. Willy and I
have new school clothes, and we had a really good time.

Tomorrow we are planning to go to the FSU campus to watch some diving
championships. They've built a new aquatic center, and we're eager to
see it.

So that's an update from us. I hope you've had a great day too!

The Red Elephant

My friend, Brittany, went to FSU. We asked her to recommend a place
to eat dinner, and she said the Red Elephant was good, and it was!!!
I had the BBQ quesadilla, and if you go there, you must get it!!!

Cupcakes!

He put forth a valiant effort.

Pizza as big as your head

At Momo's in Tallahassee. MK may have trouble finishing this.

Meet the band and fun with the girls

We watched the band perform tonight, and then met up with friends to
eat afterwards. The band was great...we are really proud of the work
they've done!! MK and her friends had a blast, and there was a lot of
giggling.

Meet the Band

We went to the high school this morning to pick up MK's schedule and
to get her locker assignment. She is very pleased with her schedule.
They had to make one change to it, but it was remarkably easy to do,
and then we were able to explore the school and find all of her
classes. So here is a picture of her trying her locker combination.

This is high on my to do list

I read this book last year, and I've been following the movie release date nearly as long. It opens today!!! It's being heavily promoted, and I want to see it before I hear too much about it. It looks beautiful...I really can't wait!

From shaggy to chic.

T. Willy was in serious need of a haircut. With my impending start
date at work, all of my luxurious hours of free time are dwindling, so
I've been trying to get errands taken care of. I took him today for a
haircut. Here are before and after pictures. I cannot get him to
pose normally for a picture, so I just take what I can get.

So here's this....

Remember the job I didn't get? Well, I really didn't get it. However, the woman that was offered the reading job lived in another city. She was then offered a job in her city, so she didn't take the job. And apparently I was the second choice, because the principal called me this morning and offered me the job!!! I am beyond happy and thankful and excited! I report for duty early Monday morning, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll have a lot to learn, but I'm ready for it.

I'll leave you with a picture of the school. Now MK and I are both bulldogs!

There's a reason they're called "Cold Springs"

They are cold! MK brought CJ with her, and we all had a great time!
CJ and the Big Man were the bravest, but the rest of us did attempt
the water. The weather was beautiful, but we are driving home and
there are dark skies ahead.