First Field Trip

On Friday, Joshy went on his first field trip as an elementary school child......his first ride on a school bus and my first time on a field trip as a chaperone/Mommy.

We had a fabulous time at Lowry Park Zoo, but oh was it crowded. There were 17 elementary schools there. I think that I saw more friends/former co-workers and former students than animals actually. The kids were very well behaved and truly enjoyed the experience. My only complaint is that we were literally RUNNING thru the zoo to get to see as much as we could before having to race back to the front of the zoo in time to get back on the bus. When we got back to school, we had lunch in the kindergarten classroom and then they rested....truthfully, the majority of them CRASHED and had to be woken up to get ready for dismissal. They were wiped out!!
I got some gr-8 photos that I can NOT wait to order prints of and scrap. Soooo cute.

I had hoped to get some scrapping done yesterday,, but instead, I spent about 2+ hours in my scraproom cleaning up the MESS of albums that had crashed onto the floor last weekend. I organized them all and put completed pages into their appropriate album. It felt good to get that all accomplished.

Monday morning and back to it this week. Hoping NOT to have quite so much going on this week. No car rider duty(hoooray), no conference night and all I have on my agenda today is getting lil J signed up for soccer at the YMCA.

Life is Good

Busy as usual, but good. NO complaints at all.

We had a fabulous visit with half of our Colorado family a few weeks ago. We spent a nice weekend with my sister, niece and oldest nephew. Dh and Ds had tons of fun with Brian and Lil J was quite the baseball star at his game that weekend.
We even did some exploring and despite the chilly rain, we spent a great afternoon at Rainbow River State Park. I can't wait to go back when the weather is a bit more cooperative. I am not sure that I have ever seen water that crystal clear.

The crop at O'leno was one of the BEST that I have ever attended. Super great group of women and so much FUN. I re-connected with some long-time scrappers from the original Florida Scrapper days and did NOT freeze my tush off!! Lemme tell you, down comforter, heating pad and leader cabin=perfection. Helen and I did lots of chatting and if you can believe this-I stayed up later than she did TWO out of THREE nights!! Helen has always been our night owl, but I was in the crop room until 2 am all three nights.
What fun we had and a very special shout out to Lydia who went out on Thursday evening and bought cigars to smoke in Daddy's honor. I was soooo touched. I miss that man and his stinky cigars. I also got 26 pages completed!! Now if I would just get unpacked and put things away where they belong.

Valentine's day was pretty laid back here. We don't do a whole lot of celebrating, but I did get luv from my special lil man(and he is turning into just that-a man, not my baby anymore). I cooked heart shaped everything for dinner(burgers, cookies, salad and red soda).

I can't believe that Feb. is nearly half over already. Walk MS is right around the corner. Hope to grow my team even more and get some volunteers recruited SOON.

Have a fantastic day. Wish there was something more exciting to share, but life is just that....life, not exciting.

Sad day yesterday

Lorry had to put Lil Baylee down yesterday!! What a terribly sad day. That pup~a~kid was so much more than just a doggie from day ONE. She was born on CG's tummy, June 15th when I lived on Orange Grove(several lifetime's ago). She was the biggest of the pups, most playful and of course, she became the pick of the litter.

My heart broke in August that year when she left Tpa to begin her reign as the Island Princess on Williams Island. My daddy would call daily(and sometimes more than once) to say, "I luv my puppy" and promptly hang up. He lived an xtra two years because of that "magnificent beast". She was spoiled rotten, luved to bits for those two years and hung her head in sadness for nearly six weeks after he left us all........

Now, moving on to Lorry.......she is NOT what anyone would call an animal lover. She conceeded to getting the puppy by repeating LOUDLY that she "wasn't walking her, feeding her, bathing her.............." none of it. HE would do it all.

Well, nine and a half years later, our Island Princess has left us to be with her/our Daddy. While our hearts are heavy and empty, I KNOW for a fact that there is one VERY happy Tinsky up in heaven.
I can hear him oh so clearly, "She is MY puppy and you have had her LONG enough".

Baylee, hope that you are enjoying lobster up there and don't forget, give him LOTS of kisses all over his FACE!!

You are truly the BEST pup and we miss you already here in Tampa!!

the REASON for the season

Despite the fact that admittedly I have spoiled(luved) my child a whole lot-yes, there is very little that my boy wants for, he has learned the REASON for the holiday season this year.

After trying hard to put away the TON of awesome gifts that he got for his birthday party and that he purchased with birthday $$ while at the Lego Store in Downtown Disney, I realized that he had received a couple of items that he already had or had already outgrown.......

We have talked about the fact that there are children who don't have much, etc etc, but it is inconceivable for my six year old. He lives in a loving home with both parents, yada yada yada.
Well, by golly, he GOT it.
We re-gifted and wrapped up a set of Hot Wheels cars to give to someone that we know who has a little guy who will adore them. Joshua RANNNNN to Aunt Sue's car a couple of weeks ago and the first thing out of his mouth was about how warm his heart felt because he had done this!!

Last night we took two shopping bags of items to the Toys For Tots box at Publix and he proceeded to place each one of the things from the bags into the box and told me again that his heart felt "100% good".

Yes, I admit, he is well luved/spoiled, and I don't deny-indulged, but he is one of the kindest little guys that I know and it makes MY heart feel incredible to know that he now understands the REASON for the season.

Happy Holidays!!

What a difference a couple of months can make!!

Things have really settled into a new routine and "things" are soooo much better, which in turn means, life is a much happier place.

My lil guy has gone from having his fingers having to be pried off the doorframe to go to school to being the October Star Student in his classroom for showing initiative!! I am not certain who is prouder-this Mommy of him, or my lil guy of himself. I KNOW that I could NOT be any prouder.
He is reading now, writing like mad and doing math that makes me know he ain't MY kid. LOL.

Tonite is report card p/u which means a VERY long day for me......I am still recuperating from the Fall Festival at school Friday night. We had perfect weather and an absolutely incredible turn out. The raffle baskets were awesome!! Waiting on the final tally of $$ raised, but I luv being the fundrasing VP for our PTA. It is really "neat" to be involved again with PTA, but as a parent. DH even grilled and sold a gazillion hot dogs with the Dad's Club. This may seem trivial, but 9 years ago, neither one of us would have ever suspected that we would have our own child.

Preparing now for said child's 6th birthday party-how is that possible? YIKES. I swear he grew a FOOT overnight Sunday.
I am going to actually get to scrap this weekend and I can NOT wait.

Off to report card check.

Have a fabulous Tuesday and enjoy this incredible weather.

CRAZY but it's all GOOD

So, thanks to the class size ammendment, I was able to move to a new grade level.

Although, it was a whirlwind, found out for sure on a Weds, packed and moved classrooms(AGAIN!!), unpacked, set up room, got a new partner on Thursday and yet another new partner on Friday and Monday I started teaching reading and writing again.

Hooray to it all. NOT easy to start over on day 25+ of the school year, but I am beyond delighted to have Tammy back and as my partner and to be back in a classroom that I spent many years in.

Everything does truly work out the way it is supposed to!! Sometimes it just requires a "test" or two of our patience. But, it does all work out.

TOday begins the first day of the 2nd nine weeks and although I still feel like I am learning about my new babes, I have 15 third graders, a new/old classroom, a new/old partner and I am one happy camper.
We also got a classroom pet-guinea pig named Field Goal thanks to a grant for pets in the classroom AND my lil guy is on some great meds for his ADHD.

It has been a trial and error getting dosage correct, but so far sooooooooooo much better.

Bring on some Fall weather as our Fall Festival is next Friday and I am ready for it.

Happy Monday!!

Holding Pattern

Life is still in a holding pattern for me. There are some xcting changes in the forefront that I can't share just yet, but it promises to be good.

J started on ADHD meds this week-BOO HISS on them. Did NOT work at all. Changing to med #2 tomorrow and hoping for some ability for him to focus on them with far fewer side effects.

Relaxing weekend with nothing xciting on the agenda. That is a good thing.

Have a great one and storms, please stay away.