Thursday Thirteen

13 Things I Associate with Spring...

1. Baseball

2. Birds

3. Butterflies



http://www.howdididoit.com/home-garden/plant-a-butterfly-garden/



4. Easter

5. Flowers

6. Green Grass

7. Kites

http://members.cox.net/kiter/hkf/hamm.html

8. Leafy Trees

9. Love

10. Mother’s Day

11. Picnics

12. Salad Dinners

13. Spring Break

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Wonderful Weekend!

The hubs and I were kid-free this weekend!  My ex moved out of state, so he can't pick them up on weekends, and my step-daughter's mom never sees her daughters (long story), so everyone is always here.  The two of us haven't had a weekend alone since the first of August.  Wow!

We started with dinner and drinks at one of our favorite restaurants, Carabba's Italian Grill.  We then went home and enjoyed some more drinks, and truly enjoyed each other's company.

Saturday, he had to work a while which allowed me to sleep late, one of my favorite things to do. We went to a late, late lunch/early dinner at Gringo's.  Love my Tex-Mex.  Then we went to my step-son's house for a crawfish boil.  Yes, we ate first because neither of us likes crawfish (crayfish, mud bugs, craw-deds, or whatever you want to call them).

Not a great photo, but you get the idea... a baby pool filled with icky, crawling, crawfish!  Saturday evening, we did some shopping together (Hobby Lobby and Bed, Bath & Beyond, then we watched a movie together. 

On Sunday, we had to get back to business.  Laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping.  Oh, and don't forget golf for him and a pedicure for me!  My first professional pedicure in... who knows how long?  Plus, I got to scrapbook a little bit.  The hubs grilled burgers for dinner once the kids got home, and we had a nice relaxing evening.  Best weekend I've had in a long, long time!

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Friday Confessional

Join Mamarazzi and Glamazon for some good, old-fashioned confession!

I confess...

Since my husband's been out of town this week, I have gotten a lot more done than usual, like taking all of our donated items and dropping them off, cleaning out the tupperware cabinet, hand washing clothes, ironing clothes, taking the kids to a movie, working on a scrapbook page, and so much more.

But... I confess...

I will be so glad when he gets home tonight! It will be easier to eat healthy when he is here. Plus I "kinda" miss him. Like, a lot!

And... I confess...

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's basketball game so I can watch my fave Rocket play.

(Image Credit)

Have a great weekend!

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Friday Confessional

Join Mamarazzi and Glamazon for some good, old-fashioned confession!

I confess...

I was secretly relieved when the teacher/counselor told my son he couldn't sign up for pre-Advanced Placement chemistry (he'll have to take "regular" chemistry) next year since he wasn't also enrolling in preAP Algebra 2 at the same time. I'm proud that he wants to take a tougher class, but I did NOT want to deal with a huge science fair project, and I didn't want to see him struggle.

I confess...

I think one of the reasons I hate grocery shopping is the way they sack my groceries.

YES! I want my milk in a bag.

YES! I want my gatorade in a bag.

YES! I want my paper towels in a bag.

Why do they have to ask that? Or worse, they don't ask, and it just gets thrown back into the basket which makes it hard to get it in the house. And

NO! I don't want something heavy in the bag with my bread! It always seems to get crushed.

Oh, I feel better now!

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Thursday Thirteen

I've been filling out course selection cards for my soon-to-be sophomore twins. When I was in high school (I know... back in the "dark" ages) we could choose typing, psychology, sociology, journalism, homemaking, shop class, agriculture, accounting, and that was just about it. I wish they'd had more of these courses I would have liked to take!

1. American Sign Language - I'm glad our state has finally recognized this as an actual language. My daughter will take her second year next fall, and she loves it!

2. Architectural Design - They actually get to learn how to use AutoCAD programs!

3. Audio-Video Production

4. Ceramics

5. Creative Writing - I had to wait until my sophomore year of college to take a class like this.

6. Digital and Interactive Multi-Media

7. Fashion Design

8. Fashion Marketing

9. Forensic Science

10. Medical Terminology - My senior daughter took this last year and loved it.

11. Media Literacy Film Criticism

12. Web Technologies

13. World Heath Research

I probably would have enjoyed any of these electives! My, how things have changed! What was your favorite elective in high school? Click here for more Thursday 13!

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Friday Confessional

Confession is good for the soul! Join Mamarazzi and Glamazon for Friday Confessional.

I confess...

I HATE to grocery shop! I don't know why, I just do. I dread going to the grocery store to stock up on groceries every weekend. Yes, I want to have food for my family to eat, but I wish my husband would let me order from Alice.com. Even if he did, he would still insist we get certain things at the grocery store.

I don't look forward to driving to the store, parking, going up and down the aisles, checking out, loading the car, and unloading the car at home. I don't mind planning meals, making a grocery list, and I don't even mind putting the groceries away when we get home. But... I would rather scrub the toilets than actually do the grocery shopping!

I confess...

I will not give up my beverage of choice... Classic Coca-Cola! I have lowered my fat intake drastically in an effort to improve my cholesterol, and I have been carefully monitoring my calorie intake, but the one things I WILL NOT GIVE UP is my Coke! I have cut down to two a day, but it is not going to get any better than that. That's just the way it is!

Whew! It feels good to confess!

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Friday Confessional

Need to get something off your chest? They say confession is good for the soul. Please join Mamarazzi and Glamazon for Friday Confessional!

I confess...

I. AM. WAY. BEHIND!

I'm behind on my blog reading and commenting. I'm behind on grading papers. I'm behind on my "wifely" ... well, nevermind. I'm behind on a presentation I have to give next week. I'm behind on my reading to keep up with my daughter. I'm behind on paying bills... not late, just behind my intended schedule. And behind on reading mail. I'm even behind on the few TV shows I enjoy.

I feel like I will never catch up!

Friday Confessional

Friday Confessional - Confession is good for the soul.

Hosted by Mamarazzi at Our Dandelion Wishes and Glamazon from Glammy Info.

I confess...

I am annoyed when I go to a blog that has automatic music playing. I don't mind a playlist that I can click on if I want to listen, but the ones where it plays no matter what... that bothers me.

I confess...

I get annoyed with word verification. It hates me. Half the time, I can't see the letters at all. If I can, it doesn't always "take." Frustrates me to no end. And what's the purpose? I get an email when a comment is left, and I can delete it if I don't want it. Blogger has a pretty good system of weeding out spam comments, too, and you can set your blog to notify you if someone tries to comment on an older post. So... I don't use word verification or "visible after approval" anymore.

And I confess...

I am addicted to Frontierville on Facebook (Forgetfulone hangs her head in shame.) I love that game! There's no rhyme nor reason to it. I used to play a lot of games, but this one has taken over my FB time. I still play scrabble occasionally, but I am totally addicted to Frontierville. There! Admission is the first step, right?

Won't you join the confessional?

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Thursday Thirteen

I will be glad when Friday at 4:00 rolls around! Why, you ask? Read on!

1. This has been a long, busy week!

2. I had textbook hearings for 3 1/2 hours after work one evening.

3. I had a killer migraine Monday, and the remnants have followed me into the rest of the week.

4. It's been a difficult week in the US. I can't even talk about Arizona right now.

5. My husband has been sick for a week.

6. My son is also sick.

7. I took off work to take my son to the doctor. He has the flu, confirmed by lab test.

8. Which has led to an unusual amount of laundry.

9. We had problems with our new insurance not showing that we were covered.

10. It's cold! Brrrrr. Should warm up over the weekend.

11. We found out my husband's uncle has another tumor. The prognosis is not good.

12.I haven't had any time to scrapbook lately...

and the biggest reason I can't wait for 4:00 Friday (when my weekend starts)

13..THREE DAY WEEKEND!!!! (We are off Monday in honor of the late Martin Luther King, Jr.)

UPDATE - Another long night with my son and a migraine today. NOOOOO!

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Friday Confessional

Everyone needs to confess a little every now and then, right? Friday Confessional is hosted by Our Dandelion Wishes and Glammy Info.

I confess...

I am tired of teaching. I'm just feeling too old for it these days. I've put in 22 years now, and I guess I'm getting burned out. Don't get me wrong... I love the kids! They are why I am there, and I love seeing them and teaching them every day.

What bothers me is the lack of supportive administration in the district, the numerous state and federal laws that tie our hands so we can't address issues that need to be addressed, state testing that takes up so much instruction time, and the general bad attitude many students and parents have toward educators these days. It's stressful sometimes. And I'm tired. Just plain tired.

I confess...

I participated in a meme not too long ago (last month), visited many of the other participants and left comments, left a comment on the original post, and did not receive one reciprocal comment. Not one. That hurts. Face it, we all want to know someone out there is reading and relating to us.

That is all I am confessing for now. I'm tired!

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Mean Girls

My daughter had her first experience with a "mean girl" last week. My poor baby! It breaks my heart. She's one of the sweetest girls I know, and I'm not just saying that. Oh, sure, she and I butt heads often, but I'm just so lucky to have her! She's got a smile that can light up a room, she's sensitive, kind, and she's a little shy. I'm so angry with that stupid mean girl!

High school! What a complex roller-coaster ride. Same thing with college. These were some of the best, most cherished times in my life, but the good memories will always be tainted with nightmares about mean girls (and sometimes boys) who made it their mission to make some of us miserable.

There was the remark about my rear, that hitting the diving board with my butt (like we were all doing on purpose) wouldn't hurt me because I had so much padding.

For putting me on "weight probation" my sophomore year in drill (dance) team, then letting girls much bigger than I make the drill team the following year with no restriction. Was that humiliation necessary? I wasn't even fat then! I only wish I was that size again!

For those who commented on my weight, height, choice of friends, choice of boyfriend, personal choices, character, etc. here's to you, mean kids!

To the girl who tried to smother me with my pillow as a way of making fun of me for sleeping with the pillow over my head - what is your problem? (I'm serious. She was supposed to be my "sorrority sister" too!)

For the girls who laughed at me in a variety of situations. And for the ones who ostracized me becaue I wasn't rich enough, pretty enough, good enough, whatever enough.

And to the girl I knew growing up who ended up at my university, what did you accomplish by calling me B***h in front of all of my friends? And so many, many other things that I could probably go on forever.

Yes, here's to you Shannon, Tricia, Tammy, Chanda, Stephanie, Christie, Sherrie, and all the rest. (Yep, I went there - naming names!) And don't let me forget the professor who sponsored the college dance team who told me that I was one of the worst dancers on the team. Thanks. Guess my years of dance lessons were a waste.

People don't realize how much their derogatory comments hurt and how they last. There are things I will absolutely never forget no matter how hard I try. I'm grown with kids of my own, and their remarks still bother me. Maybe I'm too sensitive, but I just can't forget! And now my daughter is going to have scars, and I can't fix it.

Tag!

Jenn from My Kids are my World tagged me for a meme, and it's going to be fun to play along. I just answer the four questions she gave me. Then I get to tag four people and ask them four questions of my own. Fun! Thanks for thinking of me, Jenn!

1. If you could be anyone besides yourself for an entire day, who would it be and why?

This one is hard! I have to choose someone skinny, because I've always wondered what that was like. But do I want to be famous, even for one day? Hmmm. Oh, I know! Faith Hill. Thin, beautiful, talented, and the best part? Married to Tim McGraw! Yup! She's the one I'd want to trade with for a day.

2. What is your favorite day of the week, and why?

Easy one. Saturday! I can sleep late and I don't have to go to work, and I can stay up late being my normal night-owl self.

3. If you could change your name, what would it be, and why?

Another hard one! Let me think... (A while later) Kimberly. That's what my mom wanted to name me, but my dad always thought of Kimberly Clark (toilet paper company), so he wouldn't let her name me that. Then again, it might be more fun to have a name like Trixie!

4. What is your favorite song?

I have so many of these! I love the song "Mayberry" by Rascall Flats. It reminds me of my dad. And I love the silly lyrics of "Blinded by the Light" by Manfred Mann. Oh, and "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Chon and "God Bless Texas" by Lonestar. Let's not forget "The Boys are Back in Town" by Thin Lizzy. "Linger" by the Cranberries.

But the song that NEVER fails to make me feel good is "Love Train" by the O'Jays.



I am tagging Queen Sized Funny Bone, Myya Says, Calico Contemplations, and LuLu's Petals. I hope you'll all play along!

The four questions I want to ask are...
1. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
2. You're in a time machine? Where are you going?

3. What is your favorite store?
4. What is your favorite movie ever?

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It's Election Day!

Just a reminder to...

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I Must be a Sucker!

Most of us are familiar with direct selling companies such as Pampered Chef, PartyLite, Southern Living, and so on. When one of my friends hosts a show or party, I try to go. And I always order something, whether I go or not! But, every time I try to do a party or show, I can hardly get any orders!

I did a 31 Gifts catalog party, and I only had one or two orders. Granted, they are slightly pricey. Right now, I'm really loving Scentsy, which is reasonably priced, so I'm doing a "basket" party. (I have a basket with products and fragrances, and I've offered to take it to my friends and let them see the catalog and smell the products).

I am shocked by how many people just flat out won't order anything! Nothing! No reason. Just, "No." Not even a $6 item. I don't understand how they could not love this stuff (electric fragrance warmers, car fresheners, room spray)! And some of them simply won't respond to my message. Luckily, my out of town friends can order via the Internet from my Scentsy party and have the product sent directly to them.

If a coworker or a friend is having a catalog or home party, I place an order! Does that make me a sucker?

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Anyone?

If you didn't see my post on thinning hair, I'd love for you to take a look at it and offer any suggestions you have.

Also, if you haven't had a chance to check out my six truths and one lie, hope you can take a look at that, too.

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Paintball

Tomorrow is the first Monday of my summer. I'm taking 10 teenage boys to play paintball. What are you doing?

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Wednesday Rant

I'm so disheartened by some things I've seen in the local news lately. First, there was an incident at a high school in which a young man tore down the flag of another country and threw it in the trash. He says that it's because this flag was hanging higher than the American flag, but I think it was just hatred. And spite.

What disheartens me is not just that this happened, it's the reaction of some of the media who are calling him a hero! Yes! They are calling him brave for standing up for his beliefs. I call it cowardly. He just happened to be caught on security cameras, so he had to have an excuse for his actions. He claims he was "offended" by the flag. His mother said the school administration wouldn't remove it, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. I usually agree with certain news commentators and talk show hosts, but not this time. The student did not handle this correctly, and he deserves the three days' suspension he received, maybe more.

He is not a hero. One local talk show host even wants to establish a college fund for this boy because he comes from a single parent household. What? What about all of the other rule-abiding students who come from single parent households who don't tear down flags and throw them in the trash? This makes me angry, in case you couldn't tell.

Another sickening situation is the story that came out today about a "teacher" who "beat" a 13 year old student at a charter school. First of all, the teacher in question is not an educator. Charter schools are not required to hire certified, degreed professionals. Second, this charter school is for students who are habitual behavior problems, not that there is ever an excuse to lift a hand to a student. Third, the so-called teacher is dressed like a hoodlum and does not appear to be a professional in any sense of the word.

The incident was recorded by another student on a cell phone. Other students are heard plainly in the background laughing and the video pans to the other students at the end where the viewer can see them standing there simply looking on as if nothing were amiss. I watched the video, and I believe it is fake. It doesn't look like the teacher is actually hitting the student. At one point, the teacher gets into a karate-like stance. The student is almost smiling and doesn't appear to defend himself whatsoever. It looks completely staged. I don't know what gimmick they have going on, but I would bet my college degree that they are trying to use this "incident" for financial gain of some sort.

And that's my Wednesday rant. Anyone else want to post a Wednesday rant? Leave your link in the comments so I can come commisserate with you.

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The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

First the good:

1. My daughter was selected as student of the week.

2. I didn't have to cook dinner Tuesday night.

3. I'm loving my new planner.

4. Got to wear some new, cute capris today.

5. Attended my daughter's UIL band competition. Great scores!

6. Only worked half a day today.

7. I've been visiting blogs for the Ultimate Blog Party sponsored by 5 Minutes for Mom.

8. I've been able to take part in Home Sanctuary these past two months.

And on to the bad:

9. I have to put up with my testing group for an extra half hour every day until state testing is over.

10. The mowers blew leaves all over my patio, and I dont feel like sweeping them.

11. I'm not enjoying Witch and Wizard as much as I usually enjoy James Patterson's books.

Last, the ugly:

12. The orthodontist tortured me today during what was supposed to be a quick, routine visit. I'm not kidding! My mouth bled for what seemed like ever. My teeth are killing me and I have a horrible headache.

13. My favorite uncle died, and I won't be able to drive to Arkansas for the funeral. It's too far, and I'd have to take too many days of work, and that makes me very sad. I will miss you Uncle Bill.

Visit more Thursday 13!

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Heads or Tails

Thanks, Barb, for hosting Heads or Tails, a meme where she gives us a topic and we create a post with our own, unique interpretation of the topic.

This week's topic is RUMOR.

One thing I can't stand is forwarded emails claiming that I can get CASH from Microsoft, Nike, Gap, Coca-Cola, Outback Steakhouse, well, you get the picture. By simply forwarding this email to ten (12, 20, 50) of my friends, the company will send me CASH! Baloney, people! Use your common sense. This is the greatest of all RUMORS.

Here's the straight talk. You aren't going to receive money, prizes, trips, free meals, or anything from any of these people! They didn't create the email, and there is not such thing as an Internet tracing program. The company can't track your forwards, but there is no company behind it anyway. It's just another RUMOR or scam. And I hate to tell you, but the "Please help our sick child" emails are also RUMORS. Check it out at Snopes before you send a forward.

The first RUMOR of this type was back in 1997. Bill Gates was supposedly promising $1,000 to each person once the email reached 1,000 people. I bet he'd have liked to know he was giving free money!

Forwarded email, particularly when it is a RUMOR, is one of my biggest pet peeves. I'm impatient and have no time for this junk filling by inbox.

Now, to all of my email-forwarding-friends, please visit this link to watch a short, funny video that sums it all up better than I can.

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Heads or Tails

The theme/prompt for THIS week, February 9, is:
HEADS - "Chain"
Make any kind of post using any form of the word "Chain"


A CHAIN is only as strong as its weakest link.
A team is only as strong as its weakest player.
A group is only as strong as its weakest member.

This expression can be useful when building a foundation for success. It can be used to encourage everyone to be strong and to try their best. It applies to the human component of an organization or team, but it also applies to the communication and technical aspects of a well-run group. If communication becomes a weak link, the entire “chain” will suffer.

Just my two cents.

Check out the Heads or Tails homepage!

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