Happies and Crappies 5/5/09

Happies

• I locked in my mortgage rate today-- 4.5% which is exciting check on my list of Things to Do Before I Move. We had projected my interest rate being a bit higher, so my mortage payment will be about 50 bucks less a month than I originally budgeted. That is a HUGE happy.
• We had a meeting today at school in which we discussed next year's rosters and caseloads. It seems that I will still have a job (hurray!) and that I will even be keeping my current assignment (double hurray!). Since I am a first year teacher, it is not a given that my contract will be renewed. It is still ironic to me that I ended up being a kindergarten and first grade teacher at all, much less that I am thrilled to do it again. Historically, as a day to day sub, I avoided kindergarten and first grade at all costs.
• The inside of the new house is getting painted and trimmed and flooring should be in. Hopefully I can schedule a walkthrough this week. The outside has been slowed down a bit because of the rain. The sidewalks and driveway have not been poured yet.

• I was peed on today by a student at school. This is under happies because my mom was home and willing to run me up a pair of workpants. Yay for moms!

• I have decided to dive into reading for pleasure again. I picked up a few from the library including Water for Elephants and Breaking Dawn. I have started in on A Girl Called Zippy, which so far is all right. My mom brought me home The Potentially Sane Mother's Guide for Raising Young Children from Deseret Book when she was out west for my sister's graduation. I have been keeping it in my purse and reading it a few pages at a time. It is pretty good. Finally, I have been reading What Good Teacher's Do Differently for my book club at school. So lots of good reads.

• My brother Tom came home for the weekend and, as he almost always does, generously helped with with my car. The mechanics at Oaks Automotive had done their part to get it up and running but they didn't fix the knocked off mirror and the dent that prevented my passenger side door from opening. Both of those items are now fixed for less than 15 bucks after my first ever trip to the junk yard. Talk about an enviroment where I am COMPLETELY and TOTALLY out of my element. I had my brother document on his Iphone.

For your own future reference, there is a rule at the junk yard about no open toed shoes. I think that it is a very good rule.

Crappies

• Crappy is pretty much the only way to describe Isaac's behavior as of late. It seems like everything out of his mouth is a rudely phrased demand and it is generally SHOUTED at the top of his lungs. He is also in a vicious sleep cycle. For some reason when Isaac goes to bed late, he tends to wake up earlier than usual. He has been getting up insanely early (4:30 am has been our earliest wake up as of late) which causes him to nap at school, which makes him not at all tired when it is time for bed at night... I am sure this is part of what is contributing to his generally atrocious behavior.

• Money - there is just never enough. And, as I have blogged about before, the house purchase and move is making me obsessed with things I need and want to buy and that makes me feel materialistic and selfish. I am trying to keep my head on straight.

What's new with all of you?

Over the past month or so I have come to realize...

I really, really dislike being by myself. Like physically by myself in an empty house. Isaac is gone to his dad's. As usual, my parents are gone to Lancaster. TV blaring just so the house doesn't feel so cavernous.... Nothing to do.... All night... No one to talk to... Before I thought that I would love it. But actually I hate it. I hope I don't become a depressed heap when I move.

Help me understand....

Why every summer do 298279873 Mormons descend on the Philadelphia area selling pest control and security systems?? Why security systems? Why are they all LDS? Do they make good money (because my impression is the hours are not the best). Do they go other places in the country or is Philadelphia just like a hub where thousands of them gather?

For real this time

After haggling and haggling over the price... and then more haggling over the closing date, I am pretty sure it is official. And the best part is I won't even be homeless! Their closing date will definitely be after mine. Whew!

Happies and Crappies 4/21

Quickly... Happies

• Isaac has been very adorable and charming lately. He crawled into bed with me the other night. I told him he had to sleep in his own bed, and he said "But I need someone to cuddle with". Awwwww
• My mom and dad did not accept the offer made on our house. This goes under Happies because if they accepted the offer they would have to be out of this house before my house would have been done. This will make my move less pressured and an easier transition (hopefully).
• I found a fabulous TV console at the Pottery Barn Outlet for dirt cheap. It's an outcast from Williams and Sonoma home that retailed for over 1200 initially. I didn't pay anywhere near that. =)
• I really enjoy the fact that it is no longer dark when I am getting up and off to work in the morning. It is not nearly as painful to drag myself out of bed when the sun is shining.

Crappies

• It has been raining forever now... I miss outdoor recess. I am over the rain!
• Work is really stressful right now, mostly because of one isolated student/situation. Sadly, it does not seem like the situation will be resolved before the end of the year. *Sigh* Six more weeks...
• My parents are going out of town for a few days for my sister's graduation and my cousin's sealing. It is always a little bit stressful/lonely when they are gone but now I have the added stress of keeping the house ready to show at any moment.
• I am becoming so obsessed with everything I need/want for my move. It is making me feel materialistic and selfish. I don't like it.
• This morning I was driving to work. There is a small concrete bridge about two blocks from my house. It is pretty narrow-- technically two cars can go across at once, but I wouldn't try to go across it when a bus was coming the other way. Well I was a litte too close to the side today and I scraped the whole side of my car against it and ripped a huge hole in my tire. Oh, and I also have no mirror. Fortuneatly AAA came promptly and helped me get on the road, and I was only even a few minutes late to work. Tomorrow I will hear how much the whole episode has damaged my wallet. And now I get to drive around a car with a big scrape on the side. Man...

The two cutest kids on the planet finally meet...

I love the fact that you can print unlimited coupons for a free game of bowling Mon-Thursday good for up to five people. If you only play one game, it's just three bucks to rent shoes. (and is it sad that I go bowling so often I am considering buying shoes??). Budget friendly outing! So we asked my friend Becca and her sweet nephew Noah to join us. Noah and Isaac have been trying to get together for literally about three years and it just never happens. But finally the planets aligned and their playdate worked out. And, Isaac tied me at 101. Yikes...

Signs he has been here...

Random railroad pieces in the sink....