"OMG" and Me

Before 2014 is over with, I will turn 50.  Truthfully, on some days my body does feel as if I'm old enough to join AARP, but in my mind, I'm still 21.  Yes, that's it; a wiser & more mature 21.  Except when it comes to all the techno gadgets and their effect on society.

When I first graduated from college and began working, I remember how annoying I found fax machines to be.  Someone from the corporate office could fax you information, and BOOM, you instantly had more work to do.  I can't imagine being in an office today and being bombarded with email, texts, tweets, Facebook updates AND faxes!

I resisted Facebook for a very long time (and my husband still does).  I finally caved 3 1/2 years ago when my great-niece was born.  I knew I would see photos of her much faster if I was on Facebook, and I was correct.  The reason behind my resistance was that I wasn't very sure I wanted each and every person from my past to be able to reconnect with me.  I think it took me almost 3 years before I got to 100 "friends".  However, I must admit that I find Facebook to be a fun way to communicate with people whom I can't see on a daily basis and with those whom I never thought I'd hear from again.  I never dreamed I'd see or hear from an elementary school friend who moved out of state when we were in 5th grade!  Or that I'd be "friends" with people whom I've met through blogging!

Twitter...I've never tweeted.  I don't really understand the point of it for someone like me; although, I can see how it is a useful tool if you own a business or have a product to sell.

Then there's texting.  I didn't begin this form of communication until about 2 years ago.  Why?  Because I can't stand what it has done to the written English language.  LOL, LMAO (ugh), IDK, JK, WTF (bigger ugh) and my personal favorite (NOT!), OMG.  In my old fashioned school of thought, this text talk is just bad spelling!

So let's talk about my personal favorite (again, NOT!); OMG.  Now some people may say it can mean "oh my goodness" or "oh my gosh", but I think we all know it really means "oh my God".  I am a Christian and do not use that phrase.  In the Bible, the third commandment is, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." (KJV)  I give my husband and teenagers a hard time if I hear them use the phrase.  And it's definitely not something I want to hear coming out of my 2-year-old's mouth!

About a month ago, the almost 50-year-old in me was compelled to send an email to PBS regarding one of their new children's shows.  I was watching the program with my little guy and enjoying it because it is both cute and educational.  This particular episode featured some teenage characters.  I was stunned when I heard them say, "O...M...G!"  I immediately went online to find out how I could contact the people responsible for the show.  It seemed the best way to do this was to email them, so that's what I did.  My message was brief and respectful; I just expressed my concern over the use of OMG in a PBS children's program.  I pointed out that preschoolers mimic everything they see and hear.  It took a few weeks, but I did get the following response back from them:

A goal of this series is to get children engaged in the content, and build the math skills taught in each episode, by making the program feel relevant and relatable to today’s children.  To that end, the producers have the three older girls, known as “The Teens,” display exaggerated behavior often associated with adolescents, such as loving pizza, texting and using contemporary slang including “O.M.G.,” which the producers felt could also mean “Oh, my gosh.”

 

We are sorry to learn that you are disappointed with this material and have shared your comments with the PBS KIDS staff and the creative team responsible for (name of show here). The response of viewers – both positive and negative – is an important guide for determining future programming decisions.

 

Your interest in our content is greatly appreciated.  We hope you continue to watch and enjoy your local PBS station.

 

I appreciate the fact that someone did get back to me, and that they were respectful and professional in their response.  I have to say though that I don't agree with the producers over what OMG could stand for.  I think we all know what it really stands for.  And I think our Lord knows what it stands for as well.

 

So, do I abbreviate, use acronyms, or simply shorten words when I text?  I didn't at first out of principle.  However, my almost 50-year-old fingers and thumbs began to protest, so I do use such things as "u" for "you" or "ur" for "your" or "btwn" for "between".  I still don't LOL and definitely won't WTF.  And OMG?  Well...hmmm...maybe...since it could mean "oh my gosh"; HAHAHA...JK!

"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.

I'm posting this later than usual just because I'm a mom! If you're a mom, you know that your schedule has to revolve around everyone else's day! This week my "I Get To" list includes the following:

I got to take my oldest son to the dentist for a check-up today and pay out of pocket for the appointment...no dental insurance. But at least we're able to pay for this, even if it does hurt the checking account a bit. Plus, he didn't have any cavities!

I get to be a single parent for the next two nights, and Daniel usually is not a happy camper in the evenings. On the flip side, I get to go do something fun with friends on Thursday night! I'm blessed that my hubby is willing to share the child-rearing duties.

We will be "springing" the clocks forward this Saturday night! YAY! On Sunday morning I need to be at church 1 1/2 hours earlier than usual. BOO!

Last night, I got to spend the evening doing our grocery shopping. Ugh...food prices are killing me!! However, I did get some deals like free milk and free oranges! Since CVS is right next door to our grocery store, I went in there first. I actually made $2 buying a bottle of Olay Body Wash! I had a coupon to get the body wash free if I bought an Olay cleanser. Well, I needed cleanser & it was on sale. If you're familiar with CVS's extra bucks, you may have noticed that this week you can earn $2 extra bucks if you buy Olay Body Wash. Even though I had the coupon to get it free, I still technically bought it, so I got the $2 extra bucks too! WOO HOO!! After I went to the grocery store, I went back to CVS and used my $2 extra bucks to buy a 24 pack of water bottles. I only had to pay 44 cents for them! I also made a penny a box on three boxes of tissues due to coupons...go me!

Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"! Please feel free to post your own "I Get To" list and link up here. I would love to hear how you're being "blessed" this week!

My New Blog

Well, I'm probably crazy, but I've begun writing a third blog!! My Sonshines Three & Me is where I'll write about being an older "new" mom while mothering two teenagers...the humorous side and the struggles. Please come over and visit!

I Want to Hear Some Happy News

This has been a week full of sad news. Everywhere I turn I'm bombarded with the news of someone's death. And no, I'm not referring to Whitney Houston. (Her story is sad but has received more publicity than necessary.)

My friend's friend was killed in a car accident on Valentine's Day. Her dog died also in the wreck. From what I understand, she leaves behind 2 young daughters. Her husband was driving their vehicle and for some reason ran off the highway. Since the accident, her husband has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and it was probably what caused him to lose control of the truck.

Yesterday, I heard about a school bus accident while watching our local news. An 11-year-old girl was killed and three other children are in critical condition. Two of those kids are her sisters....they were triplets.

I went for little over a year without blogging. This week I've been trying to catch up with people whom I follow. Tonight I checked in with Gitz only to find that she passed away in September.

Even though I never knew any of these people, I'm heartbroken for them and their families. It has made me count my blessings...both big and small.

Please, someone just give me some happy news!

A New Normal

A new normal...that has been the story of my life for almost a year now. Our family has had to make several adjustments since last April. On Palm Sunday, I discovered I was pregnant again. This news was met with mixed emotions by my husband and I and our two teenage sons. We feared another miscarriage, and there was much trepidation about what a new baby would mean for our household.

Don't worry, this story has a happy ending, but getting there was a challenge and resulted in our future (the one we had planned anyway) being rewritten. (I know it's what God had planned for us all along.)

I've been wanting to continue with this blog, but for several reasons, I was unable to write any posts while pregnant. Since giving birth, I've just been too busy and tired, but now I'm finally ready to give it a try. I'm also toying with the idea of starting a third blog but thought I should first ease my way back into writing on this blog.

I know I need to update some things on here in addition to posting and am hoping to start doing that over the next few weeks. I'll also fill you in on my pregnancy and the changes we've had to make around here. I've missed writing and blogging and hope you'll join me as I muddle through my new normal!

Daniel Finn

Musings from Mayhem

Mayhem is what life has felt like for the past six months. Not that things here are awful or I'm unhappy. I just feel like I'm looking at things while upside down. I quit my job to return to school, and I haven't been able to get into a rhythm yet in my new "normal". My kids love to tell me now that I'm lazy because I don't have a job anymore. In fact, this morning after I told my family once again that I'm not the maid around here, my oldest asked, "Well, if you're not the maid and you don't work, then what do you do?" (He was kidding around, so no, he didn't get into trouble for that comment!)

I feel as if all I do is read text books and write papers. Therefore, reading your blogs and updating my own blogs haven't been a priority or even enticing to be honest. My down time seems to consist of doing mindless things like watching TV or playing solitaire (with actual cards, not on the computer). Sadly, I've even considered doing the dishes as down time because I really don't have to think!!

I'm enjoying my classes, but I really do miss teaching preschool. Preschoolers are just the right anecdote when you're raising teenagers! I still sub occasionally at my old school. I love doing that because I get to play without all the responsibilities of being a head teacher! Still, I do think to myself, "What have I done? Why did I quit a job that I loved and was quite comfortable with? And one that was so family friendly?"

I've been watching Joyce Meyer on TV recently. She's been talking about how she was in a ministry for 5 years and had a difficult time obeying God when He told her it was time to leave and do something else. She liked what she was doing, was comfortable, and was "somebody". I can relate! Joyce says, "If you can't conceive in your mind that God can do something with you then you will never take even the first step toward a better life than what you have right now." Just like a woman cannot become pregnant unless she is able to conceive, we can't move forward in our lives if we can't conceive that God will show us where he wants us to be and what He wants us to do.

FreeFoto.com

I've been mulling this over for the past few days. I know God was calling me to move on, and I'm sure I'm moving in the right direction. It's just hard to leave the old things behind. If you go to Joyce's website, you can watch this series at your convenience. It is entitled What do You Want Out of Life?

Around Here

Yes, I dropped out of the blogosphere for a while again. I can't believe I didn't lose any followers! Thank you my dear friends for sticking around! As always, just pure busyness has kept me away.

I finished up my school year on June 3rd. It was a bittersweet ending as it was the toughest school year I've ever had as a teacher and because it was the last one at the preschool I've taught at for the past 7 years. I gave my notice back in March so that my boss would know in plenty of time that I won't be returning in the fall. I've decided to try to get my master's in special education. I just completed my first 12 week course and will begin a 6 week course next week. Between these two classes I have to earn 3.0 GPA to officially be accepted into the program. (Because I didn't have a 3.0 when I graduated from college 22 years ago! Boys were more interesting than school was back then. Just being honest! Actually, I earned two degrees simultaneously back then....a BBA and an MRS!) Hence, homework has kept me very busy, especially when being a teacher and a student overlapped for two months!

I know it may seem odd that I quit my teaching job in order to earn a master's in teaching, but I knew I couldn't juggle work, school and my family. Since my kids aren't going anywhere in the near future, work had to go! And I think my whole family is happy about my decision! Even though I have homework, I'm much more relaxed.

Of course, I'm getting little jabs from my boys. My oldest likes to tell me that I'm lazy since I quit my job, and my youngest's comment was, "Good, now you can clean the house!" Nice, huh?! Even one of my classmates said, "So, you're going to do nothing?" Oh to be 23 and naive! Okay, so for the last two weeks I haven't gotten out of bed before 9 AM, but I have been cleaning!! I even took the curtains down in our living room and hand washed them in the bathtub! Come on, give me some credit!

Living on one income again is an adventure. I've definitely been cooking and baking a lot more. However, I have found that it is cheaper to buy a brownie mix than it is to make them from scratch. We didn't join the pool this summer because we didn't feel we got our money's worth the last two summers. Naturally, one of our vehicles has had issues since I stopped working. It sounds like a rocket and will go even if your foot isn't on the gas pedal! And our mechanic can't figure out what's wrong with it. The kids have been good about waiting for movies to hit our local cheap theater. You can't beat $3 matinees and $5 evening shows! Even the snacks are cheap.

Then there's the dog. I've been dreading having to take him to his yearly vet appointment this summer because it's always so expensive. Rather than doing that yet, we've had other vet bills because poor Otto has actually been sick! He's six years old and this is the first time he's been ill like this. Apparently he picked up a parasite from somewhere, and we are now shopping for new carpeting! As they say, when it rains, it pours.

This post kind of sounds like a downer, but I'm actually pretty happy. Like I said, I'm more relaxed now and I'm getting to spend a lot of time with my family. My kids are excited because I'm baking for THEM rather than my students. I even made my very first cheesecake for Father's Day. It was delicious! Thanks to our friends who own a beach house, we will get to take our yearly trip to the Outer Banks this month. We just won't be able to stay as long since I can't miss class.

I hope life is slowing down for all of you this summer so that you can enjoy just being with your families! I'll check back again soon!

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!