Wow
I really haven't posted in awhile. Nothing really new going on though. This is my last week of school and the girls are out of town till June 23. It is weird not having them around but I know they are having fun. Since they are out of town Shawn and I are going to New York for the weekend. We leave Friday afternoon and come back Monday afternoon. I am really excited since I have never been there. We really don't have anything planned except for walking around but we did get reservations at Otto, which is Mario Batalis restaurant. That should be a blast. Then we come back to reality. Shawn's sister is getting married that week so it will be a wirlwind of family and gatherings.

Then Gabrielle's 5th bday. I can't believe she is turning five and will go the kindergarten next year. They are both getting so big and their personalities are really out there. In Milo's class there was a little boy who was in love with her and would follow her around. She wanted nothing to do with him so she would say "Benjamin, leave me alone!" Then turn around and tell him to bark like a dog and roll around. The sad thing is that he did. Hopefully this will continue like this in high school where she doesn't like boys but will just boss them around. I don't even want to think of my either one of them dating.

I am on Spring Break. All I have done so far is steam clean my main floor carpeting. All I can say is "Yuck". I vacuum almost every other day and to see the tank after I am done to be pitch black is gross. The sad thing is that I will probably do it again because I am sure that there is more yuck in there.

In other news Milo managed to rupture both ears. We didn't know until yellow guck came out of her ears. She had an ear infection but didn't complain or act different and they burst. She is on the recovery. She is also pretty much potty trained except for going poop. Half the time she will other times she will go in her pants and tell you. It surprises me since she hates messes. Hopefully soon she will be trained so we don't have to deal with diapers and she can move up to the next room in day care. It will save us 60 a month in day care and once Gabrielle goes to kindergarten we will save about 460 a month in day care. That is what is killing us every month. Day care expenses.

It also does help that we live in one of the most expensive counties. When we first moved to South Riding, Va. It was a fairly small community and if you went West of it there would be nothing but empty fields. If you still kept on going you would get into rolling hills and mountain views. It was gorgeous considering I grew up in Chicago where there was nothing but flat land. That was one of the things that I loved about here. However in the next year, within a one mile radius, we will have a Walmart, Super Target, Toys R Us, Best Buy, Kohls, Ross, Marshalls, Pet Smart and other strip mall galore. Within a two mile radius we have two Harris Teeter (grocery store), Giant, and a Bloom. It is getting to be too much. It is actually quite depressing to me. Shawn and I have been talking about where we will move to next. I like Northern Virginia because the schools are good here however there is no way we would be able to afford to buy a house here. We could afford a two bedroom condo but that is not ideal. We are planning on moving back to Chicago but not sure where. It is amusing in a sense since it seems that I am on complete sides of the spectrum for where to live. Part of me wants to live in the City where we can walk places, historical building and empty fields aren't being torn down to put up another Star Bucks. If we want to go somewhere all we have to do is jump on the El. There is diversity there. However the schools aren't that great.

However another part of me wants to live near my brother who owns about 40 acres of land on the Illinois/Wisconsin Border. If they want to go to town its about a half hour away. There neighbors aren't right on top of them and since there aren't too many people living there they are close to their neighbors. I would love to have a house with huge amount of land where I can have the girls run around till the late hours of the night and know they are safe. Have about three to four dogs and maybe a small vegetable garden. To walk outside my house and hear nothing. No Hummer driving down the street, no sound of cement trucks, no airplanes going over head. Nothing. To look outside my house and not see fifty houses that look the same. I am tired of the disposable, consumer driven lifestyle that I am around and honestly don't know how much I can live here. I know I give into much with the girls with it too, but I am changing it. It is hard though when they are around that at day care. One of the girls at Gabrielle's Pre K class had a High School Musical themed birthday party. It was a pajama party (till 9) where they did nails and other girlie things. For the gift bag it was a High school Musical back pack will books, pencils, and other things. Needless to say after that the girls became drawn to High School Musical. It is difficult to find that balance where they aren't complete outcasts at school but aren't part of the consumer culture.

Eh maybe I should just stop talking and find my hippie commune and move there.

I am lame

I am excited that I just bought a carpet steam cleaner.

I need to get out more.

I know I hardly post any more. Just too busy with work and life.

Things that are going in my life.

-My mom has beginning stages of emphysema. This is hard since this is what my grandmother died from. In addition she is having other health problems.

-Due to family health problems it is getting harder and harder to be away from my family.

-Milo is still being stubborn about the potty training. She takes one step forward to and three step back wards. for a few days she will be great then the next day she goes poop and potty in her pants. It is getting irritating...and messy.

-We have to register Gabrielle for kindergarten in a few months. I can't believe she starts "school" soon. She has made so many gains the last few years. It is refreshing.

-The economy is getting scary. Thankfully, my job is secure. However I will be taking a pay cut next year. Since Gabrielle will be only in part time day care this will off set this. We keep on reminding in two years we won't have to shell the huge day care payments any more. This will help us greatly to get ahead financially.

This basically sums up with what I have been busy with. Just looking forward to June 18th (last day of work)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/02/saturday-night-lives-olbe_n_140102.html



This makes me smile every time.

I am the one who carried my children for 40 weeks. I am the one who was there when they hurt themselves. I am the one who was up late at night for the feedings. I will be the one who is there for their many upsets and accomplishments in life.
So tell me again why you think the government should decide who my children can marry and what my daughters can do with their bodies?

So far 83 people agree
This makes me somewhat better

BRIGHT EYES LYRICS

"When The President Talks To God"


When the president talks to God
Are the conversations brief or long?
Does he ask to rape our women’s rights
And send poor farm kids off to die?
Does God suggest an oil hike
When the president talks to God?

When the president talks to God
Are the consonants all hard or soft?
Is he resolute all down the line?
Is every issue black or white?
Does what God say ever change his mind
When the president talks to God?

When the president talks to God
Does he fake that drawl or merely nod?
Agree which convicts should be killed?
Where prisons should be built and filled?
Which voter fraud must be concealed
When the president talks to God?

When the president talks to God
I wonder which one plays the better cop
We should find some jobs. the ghetto's broke
No, they're lazy, George, I say we don't
Just give 'em more liquor stores and dirty coke
That's what God recommends

When the president talks to God
Do they drink near beer and go play golf
While they pick which countries to invade
Which Muslim souls still can be saved?
I guess god just calls a spade a spade
When the president talks to God

When the president talks to God
Does he ever think that maybe he's not?
That that voice is just inside his head
When he kneels next to the presidential bed
Does he ever smell his own bullshit
When the president talks to God?

I doubt it

I doubt it

According to Wisniewski and Gargiulo (1997) special educators have been found to have higher attrition rates than general education teachers. Among newly hired special educators, yearly attrition rates average 10 percent each year for the first six years and 6 percent per year for the next 6 years. On average, special educators remain in the classroom for approximately 6 years (p. 327).


I am so there

My exciting moment for the week
The girls and I were shopping at Whole Foods and a lady walks up to us and asks for me to be a background shopper for the Emeril Green show. I had to walk behind him to look at the Salmon.
Later as we were checking out we got to be extras. He was at the register talking and the girls and I were right behind him looking at the yogurt and then walked behind him to get some juice.
Very exciting and he is very short.

In the last week I have read all four books in the Twilight Series. I started Twilight Monday afternoon and just finished Breaking Dawn. Yes there are far more important things I needed to do but no I don't care. I am sure my family will be glad to have me back in their lives since every moment I had free (which isn't a lot) was spent reading the books. Now back to reality and trying to stop the thoughts of moving to Upper Washington State.

Well my summer of Angela is closing to an end. I start working summer school next week. It is only for three weeks other wise I would not be doing it. The money is really good and will come in handy. However it has been nice doing nothing. After school let out in June I was in Chicago for a week visiting family and then Shawn and I went to Atlanta for 5 days. It was the longest we were away from the girls. It was hard but it was nice to have a break and sleep in till 9 or so. Plus the girls spent time with my parents and sister so it was a vacation for them. They got spoiled and had a blast with all their cousins (There are 7 kids under the age of 5 in my family).

We got back and the girls started their new preschool. They started going two days a week and will go full time once I start summer school. They love it. Gabrielle is in the Junior Kindergarten class. I am torn because she is the absolute youngest in the room and with her speech delay I hope she doesn't have a hard time making friends. However being around older kids will help her mature. Milo is loving her teachers and they adore her.
When they are in day care I have been doing errands, cleaning, homework and just vegging. When they are with me our usual routine is wake up, have breakfast, go to the pool for a few hours, lunch, nap, play outside till daddy comes home and then family time. It has been nice but alas it will come to an end next week.

I can't complain too much. School is only from 8-12 and ends August 8 and I will have two weeks after that till school starts up again. I love being a teacher.

Today was Gabrielle's tests. She did pretty good. For the ultrasound she screamed and did not like it. However we told her we were going to look at the food in her belly to see it dance like "There's a party in my belly," in Yo Gabba Gabba. (For those with kids you'll know what I am talking about). After that we did a VCUG. They put a mask on her to sedate her and she still struggled. She does have reflux but not that severe. They plan on putting her on antibiotic and most likely she will grow out of it.
I have to say the staff at Fairfax Hospital was great. They explained everything was was very patient with a difficult 4 year old. I am glad to know why she has gotten so many kidney infections. We just have to watch for Milo. It is hereditary. I had reflux and now Gabrielle so there is a chance that Milo may have problems. The joys of having kids. Well now they are sleeping I am off to empty the dishwasher which I have been putting off since yesterday.

Just a quick update

Gabrielle has had two kidney infections in two months. So tomorrow she is getting a VCUG and an ultrasound. We made the decision to have her sedated. She screamed and it took 4 people to hold her down to get a catherter at the doctor's office, so I know there is no way she would hold still for the procedures tomorrow. I am nervous but hopefully things will go well. The thing that sucks is that the procedures aren't till 1 and she can't eat before hand. Bleh.

I am done with school. (Yay). However I signed up to work summer school. It is only 3 weeks long though and we can use the extra money. Since Shawn was off today and I had to go to work for only a few minutes we went to see a movie. We saw the Hulk. It was pretty good. I am just looking forward to Batman coming out. There are other movies that interest me but since we hardly get to see movies any more so we have to be selective on what we see. Well Im off to get some sleep. I have a feeing it will be a long day tomorrow.

Woo hoo
I am going to a concert. I haven't been to one in a long time.

However I know I am getting old when I am excited about going to see Dan Zanes in concert.

I am home.
The surgery went well. Few complications but nothing major. I am home now and in slight discomfort. They gave me pain killers but aren't working that well. For the next week I am on clear liquids (Yay) and then after that mushie food i.e. soft chewy food. That will continue for a few weeks then back to normal food. I am sore and it is hard to move some so right now I am up at 3:30 am and watching Magnolia. Fun.

I have been off of work since Monday afternoon. I got a call Monday that Milo was sick so I left and then Tuesday morning I got sick with it. It got bad that I went to the ER for dehydration. Wednesday and today I still wasn't feeling 100% so I stayed home. I need to go back tomorrow. I am however dreading it.

I realize I do not like my job. It's hard to tell if it's my current job or my career in teaching. I really do not get that much satisfaction from it any more. I hate waking up at 5 in the morning and get the girls ready for day care. I am 90% sure that I am not returning to my current school. For one the department I am working in has all shades of grey and Im tired of it. Plus the county I work with is having lots of financial issues and are inteplementing a bunch of asinine programs that I do not agree with. Also I have to be at work at 7 in the morning and Gabrielle starts preschool next year, and most do not start till 7. I will be looking for a job in Loudon. Hopefully I can get a job with the handful of schools that are within a 10 minute drive from my house.

However I there's a part of me that thinks that I may need to leave teaching all together. I would love to work at a Whole Foods, or Borders. A job where I don't have to deal with government BS. A job where I don't have to think. Where I can wear jeans everyday. Im not saying I want to do that for the rest of my life but I feel I need a break. I am getting my Masters, taking care of the girls, taking care of the house. I just feel like Im spreading my self way to thin and honestly my least priority is my job at this moment.

I really wish we didn't need my income so bad and that would make things easier. Sigh.