Wish me luck

Our second trimester has come and gone, I have the stack of papers from yesterday's exams to prove it. I will be teaching two totally new, never seen by me subjects before, during this final term.  This weekend I have a TON of last minute touches to put on EVERYTHING for this new term.  Everything seems to be "almost" done. And I have to do it as a single mom.

Remember how I said "Here is where I fall in love with the fire department"? I still stand by that. But, this is the moment when I lose my mind because of the firefighter's schedule.  


Last weekend J worked a 48.  He switched with one of the guys on the red shift, in order to be able to stay home with the girls during our H1N1 micro-pandemic.  He also had a city-owed trade that he is paying back PLUS the teacher in him caused him to HAVE to go on an over night field trip to the EAA.  This was the trip he was in charge of for 10 years.  So here is our schedule over the course of 2 weeks:

• Last week - Saturday, Sunday -  on.  Monday off.  Tuesday/Wednesday EAA trip in Oshkosh, Thursday off, Friday on.
• This week - Saturday off - our niece's birthday party in Manitowoc.  Sunday, Monday- on.  Tuesday off, Wednesday,  Thursday - on.  Friday resume some form of normalcy.

Light at the end of the tunnel - After these CRAZY stretch, I am one week away from Spring Break - which J is home for the WHOLE time!  YEAH!  And the icing on the cake - I am home for St. Patrick's Day which is also the opening day of March Madness.  BONUS!  Indeed the luck o' the Irish is upon me this year! We have made arrangements for the kids so we can go out on St. Paddy's - something silly I have always wanted to do, but always had to work.  

AND...we have been totally in UNDIES with Obabya since we came home from the hospital.  No Pull-ups, except at night.  And every Pull-up has been dry in the morning. (Don't ask me about the ONE time I get brave and leave her in undies at night, however.)  Never thought I would be discussing undies in such a manner.  So funny how Mommyhood changes things!


So, I take a deep breath today - listening to the chaos break out upstairs along with the dawn.  My firefighter will be home in a few hours and our 24 hours together will begin with our fasting blood draw for his insurance - and may I say, I AM STARVING!  Followed by an hour and  a half trip up north for a fun party with family.  He leaves for a 48 tomorrow and I need to finish correcting some papers that were "forgotten" about by my seniors, along with yesterday's exams, finish writing my curriculum map and syllabus for my new sophomore class, shore up my second go round with this junior class for their part-deux  (They have missed me so much since November, that I have not been able to get them out of my room all week!  Think it will last?)  and figure out what the heck I am going to do with the little teeny-tiny 7th graders they sent my way this term.  


Peace, love and Coco Puffs from the loony-bin!  


Enjoy your weekend, kiss your firefighters, hug your kids and thank your teachers.

Teachers and the Unions

Okay - I have kept quiet on this issue long enough.  This is an issue that is dividing families and friends.  You should have read some of the horrible emails and FB messages I have gotten - from both sides of this discussion.  So here is my stance...well, it is more of a request.  PLEASE STOP BASHING TEACHERS!  Yes, I know. We only work 10 months out of the year, have all of our holidays off and we are done at 3pm and yada yada yada.  I KNOW!

Please also note that the teachers are PEOPLE!  These are people who hold the lives and futures in the very palms of their hands NOW.  What they do today, impacts your child FOREVER!  You have no kids?  Guess, what we do will impact your caregivers, and therefore your life -  forever!

I am no longer in the public world.  I am teaching for a much reduced salary in a private school in order to afford private school education for my 4 kids. (Ironic all the way around, isn't it!)  It is a trade off the has been wonderful so far.  My class sizes run from 11-27. My boys are in true 15 student classes, as opposed to the 30:2 classes SAGE provided.   Last year, my classes at MHSA were 40-48, with the exception of my AP class which "only" had 16.  We did not have enough books, ever, in the 12 years I taught in MPS, to allow all kids to take a book back and forth.  That meant I had to create assignments that did not rely on the text or the internet - because not all kids have regular access to the web, either.   Aside from those restrictions, we were limited to ONE case of paper per day for 45 staff members and 950 students, in order to cut costs.  SO, no textbook or textbook created materials were used - unless we provided our own paper.  And from what I have heard, copies are being limited, regardless of who bought the paper.  For instructional purposes, I have almost always created ALL my own materials.  I have 2 flash drives FULL of PowerPoints, projects, assignments, rubrics - all created by ME - during the wee hours of the morning when my house is finally quiet enough to work or while sitting on the deck during the summer watching my kids play in the backyard.  I don't get paid for that.

Especially in urban districts, the teachers are often the only advocates for the children, sadly.  Breakfast commonly consists of Flamin' Hots and Hawaiian Punch, with maybe a Honey Bun to boot.  We buy clothes and supplies for our kids, students, as well as our classrooms.  I created a "SmartBoard" out of a Wii Mote, a Bluetooth dongle and an IR pen.  I created a document camera out of a ring stand and old camcorder.  We know how to make do with little to no supplies.  Many of our kids are written off by society - forgotten or left for hopeless.  I have lost 18 kids in 13 years - YES, EIGHTEEN!  I have gone to 15 of their funerals.  My  heart has broken with each and every one of those losses.  The guilt is enormous.  What could I have done differently?  What didn't I see?  Why didn't I suggest something different? I have been called Mom by more kids than I can ever count - sometimes by accident and sometimes by affection.  I am touched deeply by that compliment.  These are MY KIDS.  I am here in spite of all the issues, because of the kids. Don't you dare tell me that I am in this for the money!

As for the issues being debated, we in the education world know that there are sacrifices that must be made.  WE GET THAT!  Please don't lecture us about the private world, we understand that as well.  But when Gov. Walker wants to dissolve the unions, there are bigger issues at hand.  We have - for years - forgone pay raises in order to keep our health insurance, so we have indeed made sacrifices all along.  We began paying into our insurance several years ago and knew that trend would continue.  Now, we as teachers know that there are more cuts to be made and are okay with that - believe it or not.  But you have to realize that there are work conditions that the union ensures are safe and productive.


I have a student I can think of at this very moment - from 1999.  (At 150-200+ kids per year, you can do the math on how many kids ago that was.) I can picture him and remember his name just as clear as though it was yesterday.  BB had "that look" in his eyes, a ticking time bomb.  One day in my social studies class, he got upset because I would not give him my colored pencils during my instructional time.  He literally threw a table at me.  Kicker to this - I was 5 1/2 months pregnant.  The school board required me to keep him.  It was part of his disability - I needed to be more understanding.  The union stepped in and had him removed from my classroom.  They also ensure that we have something as simple as adequate parking, security guards for our halls and comp time when we stay until 9pm to ensure all parents have the opportunity to speak with us regarding their children's progress (after coming in to teach a zero hour class - FOR FREE at 6:50 AM). The positives of the union definitely outweigh the negatives.  I can go on and on.

I am not a Union Lackey.  I think there are some teachers who should not be in this profession and are protected by the union simply because they have put in three years and achieved tenure.  BUT, had administration, college education faculty or mentors stepped in during the early years of their education/careers, perhaps these sub-par teachers could have gotten the guidance they needed - either to improve their teaching  and/or classroom management style or to continue looking for their true vocations.  Unions, aside from negotiating our salaries and benefits, also ensure our working conditions are safe and secure.

Until you have spent any amount of time in the classroom, please don't bash teachers.  Most of us work long and hard to make sure our kids are educated - both academically and socially.  We work with little to no supplies or support - sometimes from homes, administration or the community at large.  We are



N.B - Didja know that teachers in the public schools often only get paid for 9 of the 10 days of their pay period?  This allows a paycheck to be sent to us on our breaks.  The days are "banked" for us and distributed over Winter and Spring Breaks, etc.

Says it all, doncha think?

Sign number 364 that you are cub

When there is a massive snow storm hitting the city....

and everyone else's car looks like this...

and this...

and your car looks like this...

    while you are doing this.

Welcome to the Picky Eaters Club

I have got the pickiest eaters in the world.  My husband does not each cheese.  My youngest is not a fan of bread or starches - much preferring plain old meat, in any form.  My princess would be happy eating PB&J for all of eternity.  Me, I fit in to this bunch as well.  I inherited my father's taste (or lack there of) for veggies and have a weird texture aversion - don't ask, I have no idea.  We are impossible to cook for.  If it isn't breakfast, not everyone agrees on the meal plan.

I am looking for help with food ideas.  Dishes that can be made on Sunday, frozen and thrown in the oven on Wednesday.  Sounds easy, right.  I also need to have the muppets eat them.  Ahhhh, that is where things get tricky!  I am not against making two - one with cheese and one without, for example.  I have been doing that for the last 14 years, I have grown comfortable with it. Life is getting crazy and during the week, especially when my hubby is pulling a 48, I need things as streamlines as possible.  I bought two casserole recipe books off of Amazon, I have scoured the web looking for ideas and I am continuing to search.   I am looking for your "kid tested, mother approved" suggestions and recipes.

So, I will start, although this is not something I have found a way to do ahead of time - sooo yummy.

Sherry Apple Pork Chops - Serves 6

Ingredients

• 7-1/4 pork chops
• 3-1/2 large apples - peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons and 1-1/4 teaspoons butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons dry sherry

• Directions

  This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 5 to 6 servings.
  1. In a large skillet, brown chops, about 2 minutes each side; reserve.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  3. Arrange apple slices in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Dot with butter or margarine. Top with browned pork chops and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sherry over all, cover and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until tender and internal temperature of pork has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Must Be the Blue Shift

But, lo and behold, it is not.  It is indeed the Red Shift.  But, none-the-less, Jeff is working to make up one of the days he took off to help me with the girls.  So, what does that mean?  Snow of course.  

Forecast: 3 to 5 inches of snow before noon

Updated: Feb. 20, 2011 9:56 a.m. | The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for all of southeastern Wisconsin from 8 a.m. Sunday through 6 p.m. Monday, but the snowfall will be especially heavy this morning, according to WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) meteorologist Lance Hill.

And we are double booked today - David Seebach and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at 2pm - with the three stooges, followed by a jaunt up to Sheboygan  to Blue Harbor Resort for the Boys to hang out with J's Uncle and his grandson.  I can't disappoint the boys, but this is going to royally suck.  I was planning on hanging out with Desi in the Splash pad for a bit, but with the roads as bad as they will be, I think I will be simply dropping them off.  I may also swing by my dad's and drop off D - since he will already have Obabia.  I prefer to have as few children in the car as possible.


Happy Sunday.  Wish me luck.  Ughhhh, and I still have one final yet to write tonight!  Gotta love it!

The Visit We Hope We Never Receive

As I was perusing the boards at FireWives.com, I came  a posting from menagirl.

"I am so sad about the death of Los Angeles Fire Dept. Firefighter Glenn Allen today...does anybody on this board know of, or know how to get in touch with his wife...I know she must need support...even if we dont know her, can you imagine if that call was for you? I cant."

The next posting said there were seven firefighter/police deaths in the last two days.  My heart  just sank.  We all know that knock could be coming at any time.  None of us want to think about it, but we all do in the quiet dark of night.  The "what ifs" creep in when the distractions and chaos of the day have come to rest.  We all take a deep breath and push those thoughts from our minds.  And, in reality, these tragic deaths don't occur "all that often."

But now there is a family that can't.  They can no longer dismiss those thoughts as silly.  They can no longer take a deep breath or check on their kids and know that everything is just fine.  Life will never be the same.  There is a baby about to join the family.  Even though it is a joyous occasion, no matter what, it will be veiled in the fact that a Grandfather is not there to welcome his first grandchild.  Life will go on, but it will never be the same.  Grandpa will be a collection of stories, a helmet on the mantle, a picture, a hero.

My Graffiti on my FF's helmet.

Please take a moment and say a prayer for  Firefighter Glenn L. Allen and his family - both at home and at LAFD Station 97.  If you know the family, please also let the know that there are other fire wives and fire families mourning their loss.  We are all here for support - both near and far.  Just an email or board post away.  If you are part of a fire family, be sure to kiss your firefighter as they leave for every shift.  It is a noble, heroic, thankless occupation that carries a very real and very frightening possibility of loss, no matter how infrequent.  Also know that you and your family are never alone.  We are all here for one another.

My turn

I swear to you...we all got our flu vaccines.  Truly we did.  There are 3 different school buildings, a home daycare and whatever myriad of creepy crawlies my husband brings home.  And yet, here we are.  Liv was hospitalized, her big sister did not want to miss out on the fun, and now it is my turn.  



Today was Superhero Day at work.  There is a  spirit week to celebrate the winter formal this weekend.  I dressed, you guessed it, as a firefighter.  Complete with that heavy helmet.  Mind you, I left the bunker gear at home and there is no way I am sticking my feet in J's boots, so truthfully - I wore his polo and grabbed his helmet.  Anyway, there was a point here, one of my seniors was being funny about the helmet and touched my neck.  He complained that I was HOT!  I began to scold him, again, for this senior has a bit of a MILF complex going on - complete with flowers being brought to my class everyday for 3 months.  He protested and said, "No, Mrs. H.  I mean you are really hot - you are burning up."  Hmmmm, I feel fine - then the light goes on.  Oh no!  Not again!


So, I talk to J on the way home.  He decides it is time to call the doc, even though it is after hours.  By the time I get home, he is waiting for a call back from the on-call doc.  I check my temp 102.1, not good.  Phone rings, it is Dr. Hill, who say she is not surprised to her from me.  She does not like my fever.  I run 97.3 like clockwork, so 102.1 = 103.4 for everyone else.  As we are chatting I bark in her ear, again not good.  I tell her, but I feel fine.  Her response, "And when J has to work this whole weekend to make up for this week, what happens when you no longer feel 'fine'?"  Touché, Dr. Hill, touché .  How did she know about the Blue Shift??


So, J is off to Walgreen's to grab my Tamiflu and coughdrops.

Our Valentine's Day

I officially HATE the Blue Shift.  It is known as the holiday shift - it seems to hit a disproportionate number of holidays, regardless of the year.  Aside from the interruptions of festivities, it seems as though my family waits for things to happen on the Blue Shift.  On my last post from Sunday, I told you O was sick - some stomach bug.  By the time that 4 in the afternoon rolled around she developed a croupy cough, her fever was back - creeping up to nearly 105, her vomiting has worsened and  I felt we needed to get into the ER.  

I got everyone, including myself, dressed.  The boys and D were already good to go, but due to the issues of  the day, O and I were still in our jammies.  I called my dad, asked him to take the three stooges, while I took O in to the ER.  She looked so sad and pitiful with her bucket in her lap.  After my eldest muppets were hanging out with Grandpa, I had to try and get in touch with Jeff.  His phone was turned off and I had not transfered the number for E2 to my new phone - that'll teach me!  So, I called 411 - after convincing Sprint's operator that this was NOT a 911 emergency, I got the main number, since he is house at the main office, telling me to call back Monday during normal business hours.  Through the rationalization of MFD's numbering system, I figured out the number to the office.  When I got in contact with someone, I found out that the engine was out on a run - OF COURSE!  I left a message, letting the Lt. know we were headed to Children's, if he would be so kind as to let my firefighter know.

   

For the first time in my 11 years experience as a parent, we need did not get brushed off by the ER at Children's, but that is a tale for another day.  We were taken straight to triage and into a room.  At first you could see that the tired, overloaded resident was not in to mood to be bothered by a mere virus.  That was all that it was, give her some juice and send her home.  That was our first round.  Then he felt it might have been pneumonia, until we had a clear chest x-ray.  Perhaps there is something with her stomach, so we did an x-ray of her tummy, just to find out the obvious - she had to poop, but was too pooped to poop.  After some Zofran, they were going to send us on our way.  We took a few sips of some juice, headed off to the bathroom to leave a sample for a u/a, so they could check her sugars and see if she was spilling proteins - just to have her puke up the Zofran and apple juice.  This is 7pm.  Liv is now SICK of EVERYONE - even sniping at me, which NEVER happens.

Hanging out in the ER
Playing with the pony from the
x-ray tech.

Finally, they have a pow-wow to discuss my little trooper.  They still believe it is one of the myriad of viruses, probably combined with Influenza-A.  They hang a bag of fluids  and discuss what to do next.  While the nurses are getting her IV in, I point out the obvious - she's cyanotic.  We get a pulse/ox monitor on her and lo and behold, her O2 sats are in 70s and 80s.  I know I am just a mommy, but I am not an easily freaked out mom.  I was not going to have my girl blown off.  They give her a steroid to reduce the swelling in her throat, thereby reducing the cough and increasing her O2 sats.  Her fever was NOT going down, her nausea and vomiting was NOT subsiding and she was dehydrated.  She was obviously really sick, and if they did not treat her now, we would simply be back and I would be a bear to deal with at that point.

Around 9pm they decide Liv needed to be their guest and by 1:45am we were on our way to her room, after meeting with the ER attending and the 1st year intern that would be on her case.  We had a lovely, albeit chatty, night nurse to get us settled.  Liv did not agree that we should be sticking "pipe cleaners" up her nose - flu test or not.  She was done with nurses "hugging her leg", done with things being stuck in her armpits - she was just plain done.  Her pitiful cry was hoarse and she wanted to go home.  Liv did not want Mommy, she did not want to drink, she just wanted to go home.


Daddy stopped in on his way home - around 8am.  He hung out for a bit, then rescued Grandpa from the stooges.  When he came back, Liv was nibbling on her breakfast and looking quasi human.  I requested to be part of the rounds when they came to our room, which was a nice experience.  It was a bit like Grey's Anatomy and I had to squash a giggle when the attending pointed out an obvious oversight on the intern who bugged me a bit the night before.  I was glad that we got to be part and have a say in her medical plan.

As the day, went on, she slept, nibbled on her dinner for 2 hours, still refusing to drink.  Later one of her residents comes in to chat, we find O has H1N1.  Even after the vaccines.  GREAT!

Daddy brought D in for a visit, as she was whoa-fully missing her Babiya.  So, D came in, as the center of the universe with a mask and all. :D Our little patient lit up when she saw her big sister.  I, even though it was for the best, found myself a bit crestfallen when they said they wanted to keep her another night.

Daddy working to change
around shifts

Here is where I fall in love with the fire department.  We have to keep O home for the rest of the week after she is released from the hospital.  My firefighter was able to shift everything around and make it happen that I do not have to miss more than this past Monday to care for our sick little gal.  This is especially good, seeing as D has now developed a 102 fever.  When Daddy took O in to the doc, he had her look at D.  She too, is more than likely infected with H1N1, especially considering how close they are.  So, D will also have to stay home for the rest of the week.  His new Capt. helped him get a city-owed trade and one of the guys on the red shift took his other shift this week - clearing up Daddy's schedule for the remainder of the week.  The cherry on the sundae - his Captain called yesterday, just to check.  To check on O, to see how I was doing with all of the chaos and reminded us that we are indeed family now.  That is the first time I have truly seen it.  In all of our years of education, never once has a principal called to check on us - not once.  Now, just six months in, with a captain that has worked with my husband for only a few shifts, he calls on his off day, just to check on us.  It was such a nice feeling.


So, I have still yet to get my Valentine's Day dinner.  If he thinks me running down to the hospital cafeteria for a burger to bring up counts, he has another thing coming.  But, my girls are home.  And that is the only Valentine I truly need.

The Valentine's delivered to O's room throughout the day.

Not Just a Hallmark Holiday

I was always the one grumbling about Valentine's Day and Sweetest Day.  My poor boyfriends, always trying to impress me - nothing ever quite did.  But now, all these years (and boyfriends later - hehe) I have seen the light.

Today is the Blue Shift, so my Firefighter is off keeping the city safe and healthy.  And, because it is indeed the Blue Shift, his own poor house is a mess of germs.  It seems that we only get to go a few days without someone being sick - and those seem to be the days that Daddy is home.  Our children are gracious enough to spare him the stress of sick children, and I think that is just so sweet!  As we speak - O came out of her bedroom, threw up all over the floor and returned to her bed.  I am gracious that it is on hardwood versus her bed - I hate changing puke soaked linens!  But none-the-less, it is the dreaded Blue Shift.  J is home tomorrow and then gone the next 48 hours.  He traded with one of the guys so he could go on the overnight field trip to the EAA with his former students the following week.  I knew he couldn't truly stay away from the classroom.

Which means tomorrow, Valentine's Day is the only day we will have to spend together for 96 hours.  J has a nice dinner planned for us after the kids go to bed.  He is also planning on being gracious and doing the grocery shopping for me tomorrow.  Notice I say planning.  Liv being sick, will most assuredly place that duty back on my shoulders.

But, sick kids and everything, Valentine's Day does serve a purpose.  Aside from lining the pockets of the candy, flower and card industries' executives, it reminds us to spend time with our loved ones and to enjoy those moments.  For moms and dads to stop being parents and return for a brief moment to being a couple.  For friends to remember how grateful they really are to have each other, even when there is no significant other at that moment.  For families to remember that love really does start at home.  Valentine's Day reminds us to love each other and appreciate and be open to that love.

So, I will leave you with that.  Go back to my sick little gal, hopefully find her sleeping and anxiously await the passing of time until my firefighter is home to cuddle his Littlest Love and enjoy our few moments as a couple at the ends of the day.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A Fire Early in the Morning...

Click for the raw video.

Metal and carbon

Metal and Carbon.  That is all it is.  J has been telling me that for years.  The hunk of metal and carbon on my left hand, as well as his, is just a symbol it is nothing more than that.  But why does its absence bug me?  Ahh, wedding rings.

I am not too girly about much, but this is definitely an issue that brings me in touch with my inner-femininity. I am all mushy and gushy about those rings.  Mine NEVER comes off.  I even got sappy when J wanted to buy me a bigger diamond for my engagement ring.  I don't set it on the night stand, take it off to shower or ANYTHING.  It comes off for surgery and for inspections and that is it!!  J on the other hand, can take it or leave it.  He tells me he knows he's married, his guys know he's married, so the ring is not that important.    And I KNOW he can't wear it while he works.  So, that doesn't bother me - much.

But when he comes home, he never thinks of it.  It sits, right where he left it, looking so sad and lonely.  I would feel so naked! It usually sits where he left it, until I break down and take it to him.  And it bothers me.  Ah well - this is officially the small stuff, as in "Don't sweat the..." and I will indeed get over it.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.  They must be felt within the heart.

~Helen Keller~

A Night to Be...Me

Travis Robinson is an awesome music teacher.  My boys LOVE his class and he moves heaven and earth to make things work for kids in our school, even when the schedule does not necessarily allow for it.  When he came around with invitations to a gig with a new band he joined - The Affordables, I thought it was time for us to support him.  So, I dragged Miss DeVe with me, so I would have someone to talk to.  Racine is a little out of my comfort zone.  The bar took me back to my poorer college days. The concert was good.  The bar was small, the crowd was young, and I was not Mommy.  I did not have to worry about listening for one of the girls to cry and then puke, as I have done since Tuesday.  No worrying about mediating any disagreements between the boys.  Not having to make sure Curly makes it out before he settles in for the night.  Just me being me and hanging out.  Some days I think I forget that.  I get too caught up in being Mrs. H at work and Momma and Hoooneeyy?? at home.  Just Trina for the night.

 The Affordables are a Billy Joel and Elton John cover band.  Which is kind of funny considering I don't think anyone in the group is on this side of 30.  Lisa, knew none of the songs - which left be feeling a bit old, but eh - she just needs to expand her horizons!  Being my usual sweet self got us a free pizza and couple of rounds. We even got our own roll of paper towel with the pizza, which did not make everyone else happy.  :D VIP - all the way.  What can I say?  :*D  Nice to know I am not THAT old, yet!

I was glad to be home, even if my girls did crawl into bed with me the moment I got there myself.  Their next gig, I think I'll grab my husband and find a sitter.  And now I am back to the puke filled world of mommyhood - at least this past week.

Tonight is the long awaited Super Bowl.  We were supposed to go to my Dad's - have all the kids hang out, but D has got the bug she brought home Tuesday back from O.  So, my wonderful firefighter is going to stay with the girls, while the boys  and I go to Grandpa's.  He is awesome and I love him.

Let's Get The Party Started...Go PACKERS!¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Here We Go ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸☺ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪PACKERS ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸☺ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Here We Go ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸☻ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪... ¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Here We Go ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸☺ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪PACKERS ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸☺ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Here We Go ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸☻ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪... ¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Here We Go ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸☺ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪PACKERS ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸☺ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Here We Go ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸☻ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪... ¸.•*¨*•♫♪

I found my new favorite blog

All based on one post.  I am like that. My favorites change with the wind.  I have one group of 8th graders amongst my big burly juniors and seniors and they always want to know which among them is my favorite.  The PC answer of  "I have no favorites" is far too old and overused for my liking.  So, I simply have my favorites change - sometimes by the day, sometimes by the minute. I am like that - with music, with food and why not with blogs, as well.

This blogger won me over with one post, but I was a bit creeped out.  Was she spying on me?  This post was MY FAMILY.  Yikes!  It was a "Top 10" list - entitled,    "Why Having a Toddler is Like Being at a Frat Party."  So I ask you, sound familiar to you??

10. There are half-full, brightly-colored plastic cups on the floor in every room. Three are in the bathtub.

9. There's always that one girl, bawling her eyes out in a corner.

8. It's best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function.

7. You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone's going to start banging on the door.

6. Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.

5. You've got someone in your face at 3 a.m. looking for a drink.

4. There's definitely going to be a fight.

3. You're not sure whether anything you're doing is right, you just hope it won't get you arrested.

2. There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.

1. You wake up wondering exactly how and when the person in bed with you got there.

It is official - my house was the inspiration for Animal House because that describes this very domicile.  Brenna - thanks for making me laugh!  It was very much needed.  And the antics from Animal House are easier to laugh at that the projectile vomit of The Exorcist  that has taken over my house since Tuesday!

Happy Saturday!  Remember to root for my Packers tomorrow in the Super Bowl! GO PACK GO!!

Support Firefighterwives.net

A fellow FF Wife blogger is celebrating her birthday by bringing attention to a page that allows spouses and significant others of firefighters to show their pride - firefighterwives.net.  Especially as a new firefighter wife, I have found so much support in the blogs of women in the same place I am.  I expected to find new friends in the spouses of my husband's class and co-workers, but to my surprise I have found them all over the country.  On the nights J is working, there is another FF wife whose husband is on the same shift.  It is nice to have someone to chat with as opposed to sitting in the quiet of our house after all the muppets have gone to bed.  Reading through the blogs and board postings, you begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel and realize that this can and will work.

Please take a look at Val's blog as well as the Fire Fighter Wives page.  These are just two of the many sites that are out there to help the spouses and families of one of the most heroic, but also most stressful occupations.   Please show your support!

The Day After the Snow Day

Is another Snow  Day.  How cool is that!?!   Yesterday was the messy, pukey, cleaning up everything, waiting to see if Daddy can make it home from the station kind of day and today is a freebie.  So AWESOME!  No one was sick last night, J was home so I got to sleep, there is no mountains of snow to move with my bare hands.  Ahh, now I can go back to my childhood.

So, on the docket for today.  Obviously, you can't have a snow day without playing in the snow.  I expect there so be several rounds of that - if it warms up to above zero.  A bit of work to be done - Daddy gets to dig out my car so we don'g have any craziness to deal with tomorrow when we all go back to reality and he goes back to work.  And some baking to be done.

Monday, I went to the store, knowing we would be off Wednesday.  My kids LOVE to bake and cook, especially my girls.  I have a hard time keeping them out of my teeny tiny kitchen.  So, I bought cool cookie and bread mixes for us to make Wednesday.  We never got to it yesterday, so today is the perfect opportunity.

Now, in theory - I should also schedule some time to grade papers, but you know.  The weekend is just around the corner.   I can get to it then.  :D

So, today, is for family fun.  I think we might sneak in a game night.  Tomorrow we'll head to the library, since they have been closed the last two days.  I will be sure to post pictures of the hi-jinx that ensues.

Have a great day!  Kiss your kids.

Blizzard of 2011 - When My Girls Learned to Share

I teach at a school 54 miles from home.  It is usually not a bad thing.  Nice time to unwind, plan dinner, decompress as much as you can with 2 boys in the back seat.  Unless there is a Blizzard coming.  Then it is messy and nerve wracking at moments.

I have discovered God does not really like the Blue shift.  All of our major snows have come on the Blue.  It is know as the holiday shift - year after year, they get the holidays.  But this time, there was an added perk - puking girls.

At first, again being foolhardy, I thought I had beaten this.  D got sick at school - threw up her morning snack all over.  Poor Miss Bradley. All the patience in the world is needed to work with 4 year-olds, but when they look like they are trying out for Linda Blair, I shiver.   BUT, my Dad had a dentist appt. yesterday.  So, when the school called him, he could easily grab my sick little princess.  I did not have to come home any earlier than planned.  She hung out with grandpa watching TV, napping.  Life was good.  I made dinner at my dad's and before the winds got to be too bad, we were home.  My boys got the girls in bed and fed the dogs, so I could clear the snow.  After a little more than an hour, I came back in to warm up and settle in.  Foolish lady.

At about 10pm, there was a blood curdling scream from the girls' room.  I run upstairs and O is screaming that her tummy hurt.  D said the same thing yesterday morning.  I run in and grab her to take her to the bathroom - just to have her puke down my back.  EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

I know NOBODY enjoys vomit, but spending 4 pregnancies puking the whole time, I REALLY can't handle it.  But, like a dutiful fire wife, I cleaned us and the floor up.  And brought her down with me.  She snuggled in for a bit, then began whimpering.  Luckily, she has learned how to use the puke bucket and we had minimal clean up.    We had 4 more rounds of this throughout the night.  J called at 4:15 to tell me he had been snowblowing since 3am.  I told him to send in the National Guard - or at least come home.  It is 9:32 AM - still no relief in sight.  :(

The highways have been deemed in passable, the side streets have yet to be plowed.  I should go out and clear the snow, but I just can't get there yet.  I can open my back door a whopping 6 inches to let the K9s out.   I thought I loved snow.  I think I may have changed my mind along with this career change.  I am not going to push J to come home, just silently hope he can soon and safely.  I am certain it will make its way through the remaining 3 of us.  I don't know if I can handle our oldest puking, along with the other kids, by myself.  Wish us luck.  I will get pictures on in a bit.

In Preparation for the Storm of the Decade

I live in Wisconsin.  Snow is a part of life.  It may slow us done, but it does not stop us.  Monday, after work, I dropped the boys off at home (knowing Daddy was only five minutes behind me with the girls) and headed to the store.  I am wholly convinced the storm did not hit until late Tuesday night because I took this step.  Had I told myself, "Eh - I can go tomorrow."  the  heavens would have opened up and we would have an additional 6 feet of snow.  I took my reusable grocery bags and headed off to Woodman's - my new love.

Now, once you get over the sheer magnitude of the the place, Woodman's is awesome.  I can now run-in and grab what I need, without having to stop and ask for directions or use an atlas.  I have fallen in love.  Monday was a rare treat - yes, going to the grocery store was a treat! Why might you ask?  Simple, I did it without children.  It was a pleasant 45 minutes, as I am a power shopper.  Even with 4 phone calls from Daddy or one of his evil minions.  I did not have to worry about who was grabbing what, who was touching whom, who needed to go potty when it is a 10 minute walk to the bathroom.  It was nice! 

Now, I realized how sad this was when a gentleman stopped my on my way back from the frozen food section.  He asked why I was so happy.  After a puzzled look, he explained.  I guess I was  either singing along to the elevator music or laughing at the kids who were calling for their Daddy to have me pick up something he wanted - every time he passed me.  I think he was going one way down the aisles and I was going the other.   He couldn't understand how I could be happy with the roads as messy as they already were, the impending blizzard and the mere fact that I was doing the tedious chore of grocery shopping. I simply replied, "I have four children and they are at home with my husband."  He smiled and we exchanged some pleasantries and on our way we went.

After that discussion, I realized a simple fact of life.  My life is no longer my own.  I no longer have time away from the house without at least one child.  I used to have at least part of my drive to school without any kids - that is gone for the next 14 years.  If I run to the store, I usually have all four muppets, or at least Olivia.  So, to be away from them for a mere 45 minutes, was a treat.  Not to say that I don't love my children, just that I like me, and should find a way to spend more time with - me.

Be safe today.