Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.
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Homemade Gift Baskets for Christmas
5 years ago
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Random Dozen
This looked fun, so I thought I'd join in!
1. How do you feel about the marshmallow Easter Peeps? I loved them as a kid, but they're too sweet for me now. I especially don't like them when a mom sends them in for snack for my preschool class along with donut holes!!! This combo equals 14 3-year-olds bouncing off the wall!
2. Chickens are notoriously nervous creatures. When you are nervous, what is the best way to calm down? Praying, taking deep breaths, drinking water and picturing Jesus standing behind me with his hands on my shoulders.
3. People say, "April showers bring May flowers." Do you enjoy Spring rains? Sometimes...like when you wake up on a Saturday morning hearing a soft rain coming down. It's very soothing.
4. When I was randomly flipping through TV channels this week, I saw a show in which tattoo parlor employees received tattoos of a co-worker's face on their bodies. I can't imagine having a portrait of a colleague tattooed on me. But if someone forced you to receive a portrait tattoo (face only) of anyone, who would it be? Why? Barb because we've had some "Lucy & Ethel" times!
5. Would you rather have a tattoo (any kind) or a nose ring? A tattoo in a non-obvious place.
6. Do you have any special plans for Easter? Singing at our Good Friday service and at both Easter services.
7. Cadbury Eggs or Reese Eggs? Oh, definitely Reese. I enjoyed one earlier this evening from my secret stash. At least I'm sharing with my husband this year!
8. What was the last thing/person you took a picture of? My students in my 3-year-old class just today. I needed their photos for a bulletin board.
9. What book are you reading now, or what was the last one? Miracle Run
10. What do you think is the most difficult task when it comes to Spring cleaning? Just getting motivated! Cleaning the fans and window air conditioners.
11. How many pairs of flip-flops do you own? 5
12. Which color makes you happiest? My favorite color is red, but I have no idea which color makes me the happiest.
Pop on over to Linda's blog at 2nd Cup of Coffee and following her instructions if you'd like to join in!
"I Get To" Tuesdays
The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)." However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.
On Wednesday night, I'll get to go to choir practice. It will be our last one prior to our Good Friday and Easter services. This means it will probably be a long rehearsal. I know I'll be anxious to get out of there because I'll have the next 5 days off from work. Plus, based on the different personalities of our choir members, I won't be surprised if some tension is felt if practice goes on too long. However, I do think that this rehearsal will help me to focus on what this week really means to Christians.
Not only will the choir sing at the 10:30 AM Easter service, we get to be up bright and early to sing at the 8 AM service, too!! I don't do the early service very well! I need to look at this as an opportunity to bless others with our music. Most likely there will be people in attendance who don't go to church on a regular basis. It will be one of the few times they hear the Gospel.
I only have to work three days this week. Since it's the last week of the month, I need to get my classroom changed over from March to April. Due to the short week, I get to do this in 3 afternoons rather than 5. At least it will be all done when I get back from our Easter break!
I get to start going to school next week. I wasn't planning on doing this until the fall, but I found out last week that I need to begin in April. I'm not thrilled with school overlapping with work, but I'm glad I should be able to earn my master's under the current certification requirements. I am also thankful that my husband is being so supportive of me returning to school!
Well, that is my "I Get To" list for this week. Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!
On Wednesday night, I'll get to go to choir practice. It will be our last one prior to our Good Friday and Easter services. This means it will probably be a long rehearsal. I know I'll be anxious to get out of there because I'll have the next 5 days off from work. Plus, based on the different personalities of our choir members, I won't be surprised if some tension is felt if practice goes on too long. However, I do think that this rehearsal will help me to focus on what this week really means to Christians.
Not only will the choir sing at the 10:30 AM Easter service, we get to be up bright and early to sing at the 8 AM service, too!! I don't do the early service very well! I need to look at this as an opportunity to bless others with our music. Most likely there will be people in attendance who don't go to church on a regular basis. It will be one of the few times they hear the Gospel.
I only have to work three days this week. Since it's the last week of the month, I need to get my classroom changed over from March to April. Due to the short week, I get to do this in 3 afternoons rather than 5. At least it will be all done when I get back from our Easter break!
I get to start going to school next week. I wasn't planning on doing this until the fall, but I found out last week that I need to begin in April. I'm not thrilled with school overlapping with work, but I'm glad I should be able to earn my master's under the current certification requirements. I am also thankful that my husband is being so supportive of me returning to school!
Well, that is my "I Get To" list for this week. Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Something to Ponder
What does it mean when your husband gives you flowers for your 20th wedding anniversary and there is a sticker on them that says "Freedom"? Hhmmm.....
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The title for this post just came to me as I clicked on "new post". I think maybe it sums up the past 6 weeks.
First, the good. I've decided to return to school. Something I never imagined I would do at 45. I am going for my masters in special education. Over the years, I have become fascinated with kids who are autistic or have Asperger's Syndrome. I would just love to get inside their minds and figure out how they think and how I can help them adapt to living a "normal" life. (What is normal anyway? I dislike that word!)
This school year I have so many special needs students that I've been drawn into their world even further. So I made the big decision to go back to school. If I'm going to do it, now is the best time. For one thing, I should be done before Sam goes to college. Plus, I feel that the future of our type of preschool is questionable, and therefore, I should prepare now for a new job. Also, if I feel led in the direction of working with special needs kids, then I think I should follow my interests, my heart and most of all, God's calling on my life.
Thankfully, I have Eric's full support in this! Especially since I gave my resignation at work, effective the end of this school year. I know I wouldn't do a good job balancing school, work, and parenting. Something had to go and obviously it had to be my job. I will terribly miss being with the little ones and my coworkers, but I know it's for a good reason.
Next, the bad. Almost a month ago, I was in bed for two days with an awful headache, nausea and dizziness. Since then I have felt off balance and slightly dizzy. Looking at the TV or computer screen bother me sometimes and riding in a car can make me dizzy. In fact, poor Eric had to be my chauffeur for three weeks! After seeing my doctor, an ENT and having a CAT scan of my sinuses done, we think we have a diagnosis. The ENT believes I have Meniere's Disease, which is an inner ear disorder. I have 3 out of the 4 symptoms. You can read about Meniere's here.
It's not a fatal condition, but there isn't a cure. For some people it can become very debilitating. In fact, I could eventually lose my hearing in my right ear. The ENT prescribed something for my dizziness, and he told me to go on a low sodium diet. This will reduce my body's fluid retention and decrease the fluid in my inner ear. I have to see my ENT again in about 3 weeks. If I do have Meniere's Disease, then I can look forward to "attacks" of vertigo for the rest of my life. Swell.
Now, for the ugly. And when I say ugly, I mean UGLY! Just prior to the "bad" I came down with this horrible looking, itchy, scaly rash on my face and one side of my neck. In fact, my neck looked and felt like I had a really bad sunburn. I had to put an ice pack on it one day. I had this for about a week. Then it went away when my doctor prescribed a steroid for me, only to return as soon as I finished the medication. I ended up seeing a dermatologist. He thought that I came into physical contact with something that caused an allergic reaction. What that something was we don't know. I've ended up changing all of my hair and facial products and am now using all allergy free products. Some of them I can't even get in stores and have to order them online instead. Expensive and a pain!
I have pictures of the "ugliness", but I'm not so sure I want to share them. I had to go for days without using makeup or hairspray. I keep wondering if God was trying to humble me for some reason. I'm not a real "girly" girl, but I do like to have my face on and my hair in place. I didn't want to go out looking like I did because I was embarrassed and because I didn't want to creep people out. Thankfully this all happened around the time that we had several snow days, so I didn't have to miss too much work. I did end up taking a couple of days off because I didn't want to scare my students or their parents.
So there you have it...the good, the bad and the ugly of me (minus hideous photos)...or why I've been MIA lately. I'd like to definitely say that I'm back, however, for the next two months work and school will be overlapping. I have to take one class beginning right after Easter in order to finish my master's in time to be considered under the current state certification requirements. (They're getting ready to change them!) I also may have to take a class this summer. So if you see a pile of papers sitting around in the near future, lift it up to see if I'm buried underneath!
First, the good. I've decided to return to school. Something I never imagined I would do at 45. I am going for my masters in special education. Over the years, I have become fascinated with kids who are autistic or have Asperger's Syndrome. I would just love to get inside their minds and figure out how they think and how I can help them adapt to living a "normal" life. (What is normal anyway? I dislike that word!)
This school year I have so many special needs students that I've been drawn into their world even further. So I made the big decision to go back to school. If I'm going to do it, now is the best time. For one thing, I should be done before Sam goes to college. Plus, I feel that the future of our type of preschool is questionable, and therefore, I should prepare now for a new job. Also, if I feel led in the direction of working with special needs kids, then I think I should follow my interests, my heart and most of all, God's calling on my life.
Thankfully, I have Eric's full support in this! Especially since I gave my resignation at work, effective the end of this school year. I know I wouldn't do a good job balancing school, work, and parenting. Something had to go and obviously it had to be my job. I will terribly miss being with the little ones and my coworkers, but I know it's for a good reason.
Next, the bad. Almost a month ago, I was in bed for two days with an awful headache, nausea and dizziness. Since then I have felt off balance and slightly dizzy. Looking at the TV or computer screen bother me sometimes and riding in a car can make me dizzy. In fact, poor Eric had to be my chauffeur for three weeks! After seeing my doctor, an ENT and having a CAT scan of my sinuses done, we think we have a diagnosis. The ENT believes I have Meniere's Disease, which is an inner ear disorder. I have 3 out of the 4 symptoms. You can read about Meniere's here.
It's not a fatal condition, but there isn't a cure. For some people it can become very debilitating. In fact, I could eventually lose my hearing in my right ear. The ENT prescribed something for my dizziness, and he told me to go on a low sodium diet. This will reduce my body's fluid retention and decrease the fluid in my inner ear. I have to see my ENT again in about 3 weeks. If I do have Meniere's Disease, then I can look forward to "attacks" of vertigo for the rest of my life. Swell.
Now, for the ugly. And when I say ugly, I mean UGLY! Just prior to the "bad" I came down with this horrible looking, itchy, scaly rash on my face and one side of my neck. In fact, my neck looked and felt like I had a really bad sunburn. I had to put an ice pack on it one day. I had this for about a week. Then it went away when my doctor prescribed a steroid for me, only to return as soon as I finished the medication. I ended up seeing a dermatologist. He thought that I came into physical contact with something that caused an allergic reaction. What that something was we don't know. I've ended up changing all of my hair and facial products and am now using all allergy free products. Some of them I can't even get in stores and have to order them online instead. Expensive and a pain!
I have pictures of the "ugliness", but I'm not so sure I want to share them. I had to go for days without using makeup or hairspray. I keep wondering if God was trying to humble me for some reason. I'm not a real "girly" girl, but I do like to have my face on and my hair in place. I didn't want to go out looking like I did because I was embarrassed and because I didn't want to creep people out. Thankfully this all happened around the time that we had several snow days, so I didn't have to miss too much work. I did end up taking a couple of days off because I didn't want to scare my students or their parents.
So there you have it...the good, the bad and the ugly of me (minus hideous photos)...or why I've been MIA lately. I'd like to definitely say that I'm back, however, for the next two months work and school will be overlapping. I have to take one class beginning right after Easter in order to finish my master's in time to be considered under the current state certification requirements. (They're getting ready to change them!) I also may have to take a class this summer. So if you see a pile of papers sitting around in the near future, lift it up to see if I'm buried underneath!
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