The First Week

The first week of school has come and gone. Things are so different when it's not your first year. I really like that. I'm not having to learn all over again like I had the previous two years. Tomorrow I finally get to start seeing some kids!!! Yay for me!! As I special education teacher, I have been helping out with lunch duty. You can't imagine how much help those sweet little kindergarteners need. I have also been getting paperwork out to the classroom teachers and working on my scheduling, which is going to be a little tricky. Right now I have 29 kids on my caseload. I'm really only supposed to have 25, but will do the best I can until I get some help.

We've had an unexpected blessing in that hubby has already subbed 3 1/2 days. The first three days of school he worked with kindergarten so the teachers could screen the kids and get them divided into classes. He enjoyed it, but came home pretty tired. Hopefully, he will be able to stay busy subbing while going to school this year and not get too overwhelmed.

I have also started both of my graduate classes. One is Special Ed. Law and it is completely online. I can work at my own pace, so I want to get it finished as soon as possible. Finishing by the end of October would be really nice. My other class is Leadership Ehtics and meets in person sometimes and online other times. I think I'll enjoy it. It is going to force me to do some deep thinking, if that's possible!

The weather has finally cooled down massively, which was much needed. We are in the 80's instead of being close to 100. This cooler weather is giving me the football itch.

New Blog Name

About a month ago, I changed the name of my blog without any explanation.  I just wasn't ready to talk about it yet and there were some things that weren't completely official.  My blog used to be called "Journal of an Army Wife."  I created this blog when hubby was in the Army and preparing to leave for Officer Candidate School.  I wanted it to be an outlet for the thoughts and feelings that I would be dealing with while he was away.  That didn't exactly go as planned and he had to come home early without completing the course.

Our next plan was for him to become an officer by going through the ROTC program while going to school to get his master's degree.  At the same time, he would remain in the National Guard.  Then, the Guard threw a kink in that plan.  They wanted to send hubby off for some additional training that would cause him to be out of school for another year.  That just wasn't an option that hubby was willing to accept.  Instead, he asked to be released from his contract.  They granted the request and discharged him and left him the option of rejoining at a later time.

Hubby really wanted us to be able to get on with out lives, which he felt would have to be put off even further if he didn't begin school immediately.  I understand this now and agree with the decision he made.  At the time, however, I wasn't quite sure how I felt.  I was so proud of him for giving of himself to serve our country and I couldn't see how he could change his mind so easily.  I saw it as being a little selfish.  Now I realize it wasn't selfish at all.  He was trying to look out for our family. We have been discussing when the time would be right for us to have a baby.  With the path that we were on, it would have never been the right time because after finally finishing school and all his training, he would have been facing a deployment.

God gave him the wisdom to look ahead and think about our baby who may or may not have had the opportunity to bond with their father as an infant.  I know the right decision was made for our family at this time.  The door is still open for whatever hubby chooses to do in the future.  I am so blessed to have a husband and a God that look out for me and are able to help me plan for the future.  I could not ask for a life more blessed than the one I have.

Kittens!

Last week the cat, Cindy Lou, that adopted us in June had babies of her own. When she started hanging around, we didn't realize she was expecting. After a few weeks, we started noticing that she was growing and growing. Last week she gave us six little ones. They are so adorable! Take a peek!

They will be ready for adoption around the first of October.  Let me know if you would like one as your own.

Such a Great Book!!

Recently I read this book:

I highly recommend that everyone read this book.  It is about a 5th grader named Melody.  She is brilliant.  The problem is that nobody knows it.  Melody also has Cerebral Palsy.  She has never spoken a word or had friends.  The book talks about her journey to become a "regular" kid and letting everyone know what is truly going on insider her.  

This book should be read by all kids, parents, teachers, and anyone else that is interested in knowing what it is like to have be different from what is considered the norm.  There are so many things I would never have thought about that Melody faces.  I teach special education and I now realize no matter how much I know about a particular disability, I don't really know what life is like for that child.

This book encourages people to not assume anything and to empathize with people with a disability, but don't have pity on them.  My job should be to help them to reach their fullest potential and offer them the support they need to be as independent as possible.  I should also empathize with parents and help them find the support and resources they need.

I'll be quiet now, but I could go on and on about this book.  It touched me so deeply.  I laughed, cried, cheered, and got angry while reading this book.  It showed me the true nature of so many people.  It made me want to be a better woman and teacher.  

Men Are From.....

I absolutely love my hubby and wouldn't trade him for anything.  Most of the time!  If you had asked me to trade him on Thursday, I probably would have.  I really wanted to wring his neck.

We spent last weekend in Fayetteville.  On Monday, mom and hubby headed back to Central Arkansas.  I stayed in Fayetteville.  I had inservice on Monday and Tuesday, and a conference Thursday so I stayed behind.  I did get quality time working in my classroom.  Thursday after my conference I headed on down for one last time before I head back to work.

I was excited to get back.  I was ready to see hubby and hang out with mom!  The excitement ended the moment I waled in the door.  I wouldn't go so far as to say the house was a disaster, but it definitely was in the condition I like.  The cooler used to transport food was still sitting in the kitchen floor.  I mentioned this and the conversation went like this:

Hubby: "I don't know where it goes."

Me:  "Why do you think is sits in the kitchen?  Has it been here all summer?"  (Hubby does know that we store our traveling paraphernalia in the spare bedroom.)

Hubby: "No, but I didn't see where you got it from before we left."  (Our house isn't that big, so we don't have that many options of places to put things.)

After that conversation, I went about straightening and putting up what I had brought with me.  I then noticed the bathroom.  He didn't seem to think that it needed to be cleaned because all he did was take showers in there.  Anyway, we know guys do a lot more than just shower in their.  Yuck!

Later, I got in the fridge to get out the milk.  Guess what, there wasn't any.  Usually not a big deal, but he did tell me the day before we were out and that he was going to go buy some.  I had bought some in Fayetteville that I could have brought with me, IF someone had told me we needed it.

The list could conversations could go on and on, but I really wonder sometimes what planet men are really from.  I know it's not the same one that women are!  In the end, everything was fine.  I got the house back into the shape I can live with, at least until the next time I leave hubby at home alone!

Semi-Wordless Wednesday

I seriously need help!  I spend way too much time playing this game on facebook.  I'm addicted and can't stop.  Tips for giving up this addiction are welcome!  Or, if you play, I'll try to help you win!  Like I said, I'm addicted!!

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Those are the only words I can use to describe the weather this week.  I came back to Fayetteville this week for some inservice.  I expected it to be the 5-10 degrees cooler than Central Arkansas that it normally is.  Well, that notion flew out the window on the first day.  It has been right around 100 all week.  That is just too hot and it is expected to continue at least through tomorrow!  Yuck!  My plan for survival is to avoid the great outdoors as much as possible and to get from a building to the car as super quick as possible and vice versa.  I have move my exercising indoors so that I don't die from heat exhaustion/stroke/or any other heat related problem.  In case you can't tell, I hate it being so hot.  Really not a fan!

Also, my friend, Shannon, is hosting a giveaway on her blog this week.  It is a $60 gift card to CSNStores.com .  Head on over to It's Trickey to check it out!

Wedding Memories

We have attended a wedding each of the past two weekends.  I love weddings.  They always bring back such good memories for me.  I think back to that day in June of 2007 when hubby and I exchanged our vows. I start thinking of the ceremony, the dresses, the flowers, the food, the cake, and on and on.  To me, that was the most perfect day of my life.  It was also the most perfect wedding I have ever been to.

I don't say that to put down other people's weddings that I have attended. I have immensely enjoyed all of them.  It is an honor to be awitness to the sacred union that is being formed.   I feel everyone should remember their own wedding as perfect.  It is a happy and joyous thing to marry the person you love, your best friend.

Things aren't always easy for hubby and I, but when I stop and think back to that day where we promised to stick by each other, for better or for worse, I know we can make it through anything together.  Seeing other people make that same promise to each other reminds me of how deeply I meant it and will forever mean it. Weddings are a time of reflection for other married couples, and a celebration of a couple's new marriage.