Looming

So the new hurricane is brewing out in the Carribean right now and we're all gearing up for another big one. My family from New Orleans are making arrangements to evacuate when the time comes, some of them going to Mississippi and others coming here to Houston. The models are showing about a 300 mile length of the Gulf Coast that could possibly hit and they say we'll know more this weekend. This weekend I will be filling up the car and making sure we have batteries and groceries in the house. We NEVER get prepared for storms but I have a bad feeling about this one. I don't want to be caught off guard.

So far so good

So I'm back to work and school and everything is flowing good so far. The first day of Kinder is such a trip. The kids come in so excited about starting school but terribly nervous and missing their moms. By day 2, they're a little more confident but totally physically exhausted from the day before. We'll see today how day 3 goes. It's such a long day for those little guys and without a nap.

My classes are going good so far. I feel a little overwhelmed but like I said before, if I stay organized, I should do OK. We'll see!

Getting organized

So, I'm back to work and it's not so bad. I've been working really hard to get myself organized and prepared for the school year. Not only am I working full time but I'm taking 12 hours this semester so anything I can do to make my life easier will help to keep me sane. We have decided that we want to try to eat at home every night for at least 2 weeks. We need to save some money and some calories! I made a menu for 2 weeks worth of dinners and so far so good. I've also made a chore list for the kids so they know exactly what to do when they get done with their homework.

There are also a couple of small things I'm going to do to try to save some time and keep myself sane.
1. Have kids pack their own lunch at night (with supervision from a list I put on the fridge about what to pack. What can I say.... I'm a control freak about what they eat!)
2. Make the coffee at night
3. Pick what I'm going to wear the night before
4. Shower and blow dry my hair at night so I don't have to mess with it in the morning, therefore saving some time.
5. Do one chore after school like mop, vacuum, or run a load of laundry. I don't want to wait until the weekend.

I hope that I will be able to manage work and school but since this program is for working aides that want to become teachers, I assume it will be OK.

Want to Laugh?

I have been hysterical, with tears streaming down my face for the last 30 minutes. Check out Cake Wrecks. You'll pee in your pants.

Blah

This is the hardest day about being a teacher. Having to go back to work after 3 months off. Wish me luck!

Sleep Over

We celebrated my youngest son's 9th birthday this weekend and had a relatively manageable sleep over with 3 additional boys. We took them to the pool, had pizza, made their own sundaes, and they spent the rest of the evening playing video games and watching movies. I really enjoy low key parties where I don't have to spend a million dollars to celebrate. Don't they look like they're having fun?

Wow....

I have to be very careful how I choose my words when talking about something that is really bothering me, so forgive me if I'm vague. Last night we went to dinner for my son's birthday and had a bunch of family members meet us. My husband's parents were there and his dad didn't say a word to me (or anyone else for that matter.) He gave the kids the cold shoulder and basically acted like he didn't want to be there. My MIL talked to my husband the whole time and said about 2 words to me. They haven't seen our kids in 3 months but said that they wanted to come back to our house for cake and ice cream so they could see our puppy (they LOVE her), because they haven't seen her in a long time. How can you give a crap about seeing a dog but don't make an effort to see your own grandchildren when they live 4 miles away. I don't want to alienate them from my life because I truly love his parents but I refuse to have people snub my family or give me the cold shoulder and then want to walk into my house to see a fucking dog. I wish they'd come out and tell us what the problem is.

More vacation pics

An active volcano
The Waipi'o Valley. One of the prettiest sights I've ever seen.
Gorgeous flowers everywhere!
Our resort, the Marriott Waikoloa.
Jamie and I sitting on the lava rocks on the beach.

We're Back!

After all of the anxiety, nerves, cold sore, and stomach cramps....the trip was amazing! We has such a great time and saw some awesome sights. I'm so glad that I didn't let my fears take control. I'll post more about the trip tomorrow when I'm not totally exhausted. Here's a picture to wet your appetite for a tropical vacation!