A Food Free Post (Maybe)

I just realized how much time I waste on Facebook when I could be crafting or blogging or reading or exercising. Does that mean I am going to change? Who knows, but I thought it was time for some of my random thoughts to hit the blog page.

Other than the computer, what else has been taking up my time? Let see:

1. School started over a month ago. We are well into the swing of things. There are still some school provided programs not in place yet, but I make do with what I have. My students are sweet, generally well behaved kids. It takes many of them much longer to learn things than the kids I taught last year. I am learning how to help them. When they make certain mistakes in math, it makes my head swirl because it is so beyond me how you couldn't get it after a week of daily tutoring and a week of lessons and teacher's aide coming around to help them individually whenever they are stuck. My coworker said, "You must have asked God to give you patience." I must have.
2. Caitlin's dance season started even before school began. We go every Monday and Wednesday. I like the Mondays because we are home relatively early. Wednesdays, although late, are good because we don't leave until 6:30 so there is time to cook and rest (read as going on Facebook) before it is time to go. I like that I just crawl into bed when we get home. Today she had solo practice and then went to work a dance booster club bake sale at Wal-Mart. (In case you are wondering , this is her first solo rehearsal for this year.)
   
   
3. Caitlin is also in band. It seems that eighth grade band is taking up more time this year than I remember from previous years. She attended a football game with the high school students and performed on the field with them. That was a fun experience. The next weekend, she participated in a day called Spirit Spectacular where all the bands from the district and the flag corps, drill team, cheerleaders and football team gather at the stadium to perform and cheer and show the parents and community what's in store for the year. She will be attending one more football game with the band in two weeks. The funny thing about the football game gatherings is they only keep the junior high kids until after half-time. At that point they are released to go to their parents. That means I get to go to the games, too. That's fine though because Texas Friday Night Football is an experience that one will never forget. (See the tiny red arrow?? Sorry it's so blurry.)
4. James has started school - kindergarten - this year. He attends the school where I teach. I loved when Caitlin came to my school. She loved it, too. I am not sure about James yet. He is smart and funny and that "smart and funny" is going to land him in a world of hurt. They use a color system to monitor behavior where you stay on green if everything is good and move towards red if you are having problems. It goes green, blue, yellow, red. The first week he stayed on green. After that the color green was as hard to find as a four leaf clover. He has been on blue for most of the time. We have seen yellow two or three times. He is very honest about what happens. I suppose that is the positive in it all. His teacher is very sweet about it all, saying that he is just still learning about social skills. I am thinking, "What was he learning all that time in his private daycare that I was paying all that money for these past 5 years?"
5. My mother and her sister live here - not together thankfully. Mom is a stay to herself kind of person. She is very independent and likes to go off to the mall or appointments without any company. He sister is always saying, "You should have called me. I would have come along." They don't always see eye to eye, so I spend every afternoon on the speakerphone on my way home listening to my mother's encounters with her sister.
6. Finally, we are preparing for the departure of my husband. His job has asked him (read as do this or lose your job) to relocate to Missouri. For the longest time we thought it would be Indiana. I really looked forward to that, planned, poured over pages of internet information, etc. in preparation for Indiana. So I was really disappointed when they changed the location to Kansas City, Missouri. Not that there is anything in particular wrong with Missouri. I just had my mind and research set on Indiana. I have until June before my teaching contract is up. Caitlin is very involved in her dance team. We have a house to prepare for selling, and so on. Once my husband is in Missouri for about a month, he will be flying off to the Philippines
7. Since Gary is getting to leave, he has been focused on having a few last hurrahs with some football watching buddies, leaving me to entertain the "troops," a.k.a the kids. My main goal is to maintain peace between the two warring factions: Older Sister vs Younger brother. It is an ongoing battle with periodic truces in between. During those times I smile when I hear the little one tell the older that he loves her or when the older one is helping the younger one play a game of checkers.
8. Lastly, since coming back from Norway, I have been trying to look my health and fitness level. I still don't walk like I should, but I am very mindful of what I eat as evidenced in previous posts. I am starting a new meal plan this week. I will let you know how it goes. I have a coworker who heard about my plans from her nosy neighbor and asked if I wanted a partner. I do, so I am looking forward to this even though it will add to my shopping and cooking time. It will be worth it. --- Yes I know I said Finally and Lastly....Don't know how to rearrange the paragraphs, so it is staying this way.
   

I think about everything that keeps me busy, but then I think I wouldn't have it any other way...Except the moving business. I could leave that.