Fa La La Laaaaa

Before I got married, I used to think, "what possesses people to marry and then separate out stuff?" Separate beds, separate cars, separate bank accounts...I did not understand the point of marrying someone to just "draw the line" down the middle of the room.

Ten Years Later.......
Fact: Libby jolts out of bed in the middle of the night as though our house has just been in the midst of an invasion in the Middle East. Steven moves to the guestroom with her about 3 am. Someone has to get sleep. The more that do, the better. No one understands what it is like to have a kid that doesn't ever get soundly to sleep. Then, to be a mom that has to have still and quiet to hopefully get back to sleep because she gets her day started around 5 a.m. NEVER tell me to get her in her own bed until you live about 3 days in this life. Preferably the Monday 13 degree car duty at 7:10 days. Therefore, lots of times, the last two hours of our sleep life is in separate beds. I get it. I may not want it. But, I get it.

Fact: I downloaded lots of my favorite songs for the Christmas Season to my IPod. Notice the word "my". I decided to play some of the songs as we were out and about yesterday. I've never seen someone cringe as much as Steven did. He said the artists I chose did a terrible injustice to the songs, not to mention disservice as they left out verses. He said it nicely, but he said it. Ugh. My IPod. Miiiiine. I could imagine riding in separate cars. :) Add to that fact: I drove us around yesterday evening because he forgot his wallet at home. It was funny because I just pulled off the road when I felt like it and got a slushy. It was hilarious not to have to have a preface and 5 reasons to stop. I just did it. See, if we just rode separately......I may never arrive. LOL

Fact: We don't have enough money to have separate bank accounts, but if we did, I bet we would. I can't buy him a gift without a Purchase Order and a money trace on it.

Fact: My getting dressed routine takes on a life of it's own that leaves clothes in the crossfire. We've got separate closets. And. I. Like. It. And. He's. Good. With. It.

Off to Perry, Georiga to finish our Christmas shopping----in one car, with one ATM card, ****and he's frantically searching for his wallet****. :) "Fa La La Laaaaa", sings Leann Rimes on my IPod.

Dedicated to Sanna

My sister Sanna has to work today. She likes to read my blog while she is at lunch. She can't find the time in any other part of her day to give a rip about my boring ongoings. So, because I know she is working today and I am not, I decided to write a post just for her so she'd have something to read at lunch. Today, Steven, Libby and I are contemplating a trip to Perry, Georgia tomorrow. It is a 3 hour drive. We have a list of things to pick up at a store there. Libby has pretended to swim in the floor because she is so bored. She created a swimming pool in her bathroom. We asked her what she wanted for Chrimstas and she replied: a Scooby Doo doll, Charlie Brown toys, a firetruck, a helicopter and a white guitar like the guy at church. We asked her what we should buy Kaylee and she repeated her Christmas list and added that she'd giver her the flower shower curtain from her bathroom because she wants a monkey shower curtain. So giving...NOT. Steven decided to get into some mass project with downloading all of the pictures I've taken from the old camera, the new camera and the cell phones. So, Sanna, we are at home....all dressed up, no where to go. We can't even agree on lunch today. I want hamburger and feta cheese pizza from the pizza place downtown and he wants one of 3 items he eats: chicken fingers (yuck, the title is just gross), Taco Bell (in Murray County for the chilito), or Chinese food. There's our blah of a day. Have a great day! Oh, I plan to work on some school stuff Sunday and to get the pumpkins off this blog and change it to Christmas. It's harder than it looks because I have to import the blog roll. Anyway, have a good one!

You Say "No", I Say "School".

After today, no school for a few days. I am rather excited to have time off with Libby, see family and enjoy the yummy things of Thanksgiving that kick off the Holiday Season. Hopefully, I will get some recent pics taken and downloaded to post. I hope to also get a research project done and several other things from my to do list. We'll see. You say, "No", I Say "School".

Ugly Truths About Me

I wonder how many times I start a blog with "Okay" or "Well"? Probably too many, which is precisely the reason I started out with the first two words of this entry.

Here's the deal, the "ugly truth". Just say those two words with an echo. U-G-L-Y T-R-U-T-H.

I haven't written an entry because I haven't had time, I haven't really had anything to motivate me to write, and I sometimes feel like people really don't care. I know that's dumb, but hey, honesty is what this blog is about.

Sometimes, people think that I seem like I try to be "perfect". That couldn't be farther from the truth. I care what people think of me only in the sense that I hope to inspire, help or model doing what's good or right. As I've worn in the 30 year age range (go ahead and hold that thought at 32, at least for a few more weeks), I've become clear on the fact that being "perfect" isn't as important as just being you. Just being.

Since, a couple of readers (yes, it's dropped from 5 to 2, hahaaaa), wanted to know what's up with me, I decided to megaphone out some ugly truths. These ugly truths are truly what's up. They will all be taken care of soon because I'll snap out of my blur of a run in life as time off is near. :) I must say that an ugly truth, however, is that I really love to work. I love the people I work with a lot. They are awesome. What they do on a daily basis with a tough to teach population is so insirational. I suppose much of the reason I have ugly truths is I take pride in working myself to the bone for the profession that inspires me so much. Hey, if you've ever thought about being a teacher. Do it. It is amazing. I'd do it without pay if I could afford to. I just love figuring out how to teach kids to think. It's a cool process. Ooppsy, major side track, there. My ugly truths, mmmmkay, here goes:

Here're some ugly truths that lurk right inside 2010 Rolling Hills Way:

1) I have a crockpot, some bowls and spoons in a picnic basket sitting in my garage from Tuesday of last week. They have dried up remnants of a luncheon from work. I plan on washing them, but the dishwasher needs to be emptied and I'm tired.
2) I have a dryer of towels that need to be folded.
3) I have stroller in my trunk that I was tired of hitting my foot on when I walked to the other side of the car, so I just put it in my trunk to keep from having to think of what to do with it.
4) I have storm shelter underground behind my house with a glass paned door?? Go figure.
5) I have a TV with no clue where the remote is in the sitting room.
6) I could eat pasta 3 meals a day and not care.
7) I have a load of laundry in the washer that could have to be re-washed because it's been in the washer for a bit.
8) I have used my CitiBank credit card for breakfast all week because I can't find the little stash of cash I'm supposed to manage.
9) I despise laziness. Are my ugly truths a sign of laziness? hmm
10) I let my kid watch "Word Girl" and "SuperWhy" more than she should just so she'll be still for a few minutes so I can get things done.
11) I have all the intentions in the world of making stuff perfect, and fast. I try.
12) The door on our mailbox stays open because it has lost some latch thing that we can't seem to get fixed and it gets on our nerves---bad.
13) I think our mailman sorts our mail and delivers it in the following pattern: Monday: Junk Mail, Tuesday: Bills, Wednesday: Utilities, Thursday: Nothing, Friday: Cards, Personal Type Mail, and Saturday: Sales Ads. Seriously. He could be a blog entry of his own. He ran into us at the local BBQ place, recognized we were in his mailing area because of our car and proceeded to counsel us about debt. Yeaaa, kinda cooky in a weird way.
14) I have a land line, but don't see a need for it. I can't keep my cell charged for the life of me.
15) The 7 on our cordless basically doesn't work. You have to dial a 7 for all local numbers. Our cordless sucks.
16) I say a swear word here and there when I get upet, not in front of Libby. I pinky promise. But, I do. I say a swear word with my teeth clenched. I have a favorite one, too. Ugly truth...
17) My shampoo has been sitting upside down in the shower because I'm pretty much out and I haven't gotten around to getting more. It hurts the palm of my hand every morning because I refuse to use Steven's store bought shampoo on my dye job.
18) Our shower, yuck.
19) My sunglasses only have one temple because the screw came out and I haven't taken time to do anything about it.
20) I have a gym membership I haven't used in.............since..........gosh, June? July?
21) I have 4 dead trees in my yard that look like firewood ready to happen.
22) I hate to sleep.
23) I really feel embarrassed at what organized religion has done to some people. I really do. I hate to say that. It's an ugly truth for me, however. I fight that feeling a lot.
24) I like FaceBook. I like it during meetings. I like it during times when I should be listening to others and can choose to just social network in a "blackberry prayer" pose.
25) I'm not ambitious enough to enjoy cooking, but I love to eat. Ugly truth.
26) I like TV. I'm not one of those, "who has time for TV". Nope. I watch it. And I like it.
27) I think mean kids are interesting. I think it's intriguing to figure out what makes them tick.
28) I hate collections of things. I think there's enough unique stuff in the world that you don't need to collect items of sameness.
29) I don't like the number four. I love the "fiveness". The number five is cool.
30) I don't like people who don't keep promises. Life is so short and people are so precious that you should do what you promise and promise only what you'll do.
31) I hate $5 bills? I know. I love 5's, but not $5 bills. They seem just wrong. I love $10 bills.
32) Orgami. I can't stand it.
33) I miss people. I miss people that I don't even know well, but am accustomed to seeing.
34) Once someone has disappointed me, I can pretty much look past them, though. I can move on after the disappointment and not worry about them anymore.
35) I worry about stuff. Not as bad as I used to, but I worry. I don't worry about what people think of me, but if people think of me.

Ugly truths. No pictures needed. Do you have ugly truths?

Sicker Than A Dawg

Well, I've managed to get a case of the Dalton crud at the usual time of the year. I feel like dungwholio. That is dung-who-leo. I made that up. I think it's a derivation of a word from Beevis and Butthead. I never watched that show. But, because Steven did, it was quoted frequently during our dating years---and usually met with an eyeroll from me. Libby is doing well. Steven is doing fine. Maybe, I'll post a nice update sometime this week so you don't have to read a gripe or complaint from me. I'll spare you from me posting my real thoughts today. I think it best to keep them to myself. Later.

What Happens Here, Stays Here

Obviously, that title is a total joke. What happens here SO does not stay here. Let me just say that today, I am going to gripe and solicit advice. I'm putting it all out there.

When I was younger, my Nanny Ree would tell me not to complain, to "be thankful". If I was having trouble getting my hair to look like I wanted it to and whined about it, she'd say, "be thankful, you could be bald." That used to make me so ill. It's not that it's not true, but for crying out loud, in this pollyanna world, can't we just b*tch every once in a while? Don't get me wrong. I am thankful for so much. If you don't want to hear me gripe, just don't read this one. I'm okay with that. It's really more about me just getting it out than actually thinking there could be a solution. I imagine this era to be a tunnel with a light at the end, however the light is probably just a lighted sign that reads, "Out of Order". You can see I didn't have my dose of optimism this morning.

First, my dear sweet child is in a stage of repeatedly asking questions......especially "why" questions that just don't even warrant an answer short of a possible thesis for someone's graduate school paper. It's driving me batty. I need headphones with white noise. For about the first 500 questions, I tried to answer them. I tried to "sieze that teachable moment" and not just say, "because it does". Now, I am to the point of just trying to tune it out over my audible cry for peace. If she isn't asking why questions, she's just repeating questions OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER................................................

Secondly, the whining. Dear heavens, please, please give me relief from the high maintenance whining. My stars. Does it ever end? It's absurd. I can't even watch "Jon & Kate Plus 8" anymore because their kids whine and I feel like I get enough of that at home.

There are literally points of time at home that I think if I could just run, I would. I mean literally Forrest Gump run until I was completely unkempt, but away. It's absolutely wearing me thin. For those of you that have kids, do you have these same issues? Do they end? What do you do for relief? I love my kid to pieces, for some reason, however, her latest stage is tiring.