I had good intentions this last weekend.  I really did but did not really think it through.  Last Saturday was Lonnie’s birthday. You know the last one before senility steps in (he turned 49). I had this wonderful idea of going to Fort Worth with the grandkids, their parents, Brad and Amanda, and my friends. We could hang out downtown, go to the zoo, shop, and just be together.  Did I mention I wanted to take the kids? Why did anyone not try to stop me?  It turned out to be just Lonnie and I and the kids and no zoo. Well, not a real zoo with real animals.  Just our modified version of having two small kids in a small hotel room.

My husband only complained once.  And I think that was in the middle of the night when the boys were playing wake up tag. You parents know what that is: one child wakes up screaming and wakes the other one up.  The worst part of my selfish his-birthday agenda was when he dropped me off to get a pedicure with one of my best friends and he took off in a strange town with two crying, overly tired, hungry children in the hopes of keeping them entertained at a McDonalds.

I can only imagine what my birthday is going to be like.

Well, I used to be computer literate in the day but that day has long since passed.  I have not been able to get back on this thing to write a post. Since I am learning how to type on my new laptop (hate it) I decided to conquer this website. Ha-ha stupid laptop. I won this round.

Well, I finally got a job.  I am an ELL teacher at Saegert Elementary in Killeen. Best school ever with the best staff.  It has been awesome. I am finally learning my job, my classroom is coming together and I am making some good friends.  AND I learned to fully trust in God. He had this planned all along and I started giving up and looking elsewhere. But when He allowed this land in my lap (the Friday before teachers went back to work), it all fell into place. We have a new principal that started a few days before I was hired and He just had to make me wait until she started. We hit if off immediately and talked for 45 minutes.  ME IS TEECHR!

Bryan has left and ventured up north to northeast.  Getting the power back on to places that were devastated by Mr. Ike. I assumed that they would start in Houston but they know what they are doing and I wasn’t asked for my input.  Don’t know how long they will be gone but I know Jessica already misses him.  And if Brayden has his way, he will be walking by the time his dad gets back home.

It is nice to be earning a paycheck and get caught up on bills.  We are going to have a good Christmas.

I have used muscles I forgot I had in the last week.  These children are giving me a workout like no fitness trainer would ever put me through.  Last week I was told I was going to be thrown through the window (by a 5 year old with muscles) and this week, she showed me she meant it when she said NO by raising her leg high up and slamming her foot down on my foot. However, the pain was forgotten when a little tyke tried to rupture my spleen by kicking me.  It is really not as bad as I am making it out to be.  Well, maybe it is.  Some of the children have more needs than the others but they all have their special characteristics.  I have only been there a week and already have fallen in love with the kiddos.  The positive thing is that I am getting more limber and crawling around the floor more than I was when I started. So who knows what is next….I may start actually working out with my new Richard Simmons Sweatin to the Oldies.

I am now working as an aide in an inclusion pre-k classroom at Bethune Elementary.  I took it because it is a long term sub position that will probably last until May.  After my interview at Pirtle and the decision had been made that it was not me, the principal called me to let me know how tough the decision was and told me three times that she would have openings in Feb/March and please get my application to her ASAP when those openings first appear on Belton’s website.  She thought I would make an excellent first grade teacher but needed someone with more special ed background. Now that I am in this inclusion classroom, I understand more.  It has only been two days but I am really beginning to love being with these kiddos.  And someday will have a paycheck!  Our road to financial recovery has begun…….just in time for our new baby which will be here way before February 17th.  Maybe this week!

I had my interview with Pirtle yesterday. I immediately replayed it over and over on the way home, criticizing everything I said and did not say. Started sounding like Homer Simpson (not related to Jessica Simpson or maybe he is). “Why did I say that? DOHH! And why did I forget to say this? DOHH!” And it went on and on until I found myself at Target. I walked the aisles talking to one of my best friends, with this knot in my stomach and wanting to cry. Don’t know if it was the let down from the nerves now that the interview was over or if I really did bad. And then hello Satan. And what if I got the job. Can I be a successful teacher? Maybe I should get an office job. I stayed up until after three this morning because I was so keyed up that I could not lay down. I almost woke up Lonnie to take me to the ER because my heart was racing so fast I thought it would explode. Part of this panic attack could have been due to the fact that I ate dark chocolate covered almonds and washed it down with a diet coke. Can you say Caffeine Overload?

I thought that today would be the day I hear about a job. School is back in session today at the schools I am interested in. I do have an interview set for tomorrow at an elementary school as a permanent sub. Yuck. The principal asked me if I was interested in an aide position. Double Yuck. I informed her that I have my degree now and I really want to teach. She brought me back to reality by saying at least you would have your foot in the door. But I really don’t want Temple schools. We are looking for our 5th superintendent in 4 years. Does that tell you something? But a job right now is a job.

Amanda (my d-i-l) got me hooked on this so I could keep up with the comings and goings of Jackson so I decided to make my own blog.  This has been the looooooongest holiday of my entire life.  I know that next year I will be enjoying this time off but now I am going stir crazy.  I have applied for teaching positions in Temple, Belton, and Killeen and two parent liaison positions in Killeen.  Problem is – the loooooooooooong holiday.  So everyone should be back tomorrow and hopefully the job offers will be coming in.  I have my heart set on 1st grade teaching job in Belton. So say a prayer for me and say a bigger one for the little ones whose life’s I will be changing forever.