?

Enlarged the font. any easier to read?

tee hee

This was in the Sound Off comments today. It's funny because it is so close to the majority of the comments published by the paper. " Yeah! Down with education! Teachers are the worst. They are the most evil people on the planet. They are the ones who caused the economic downturn that caused banks to fail and people to lose their jobs. It wasn't greedy people on Wall Street, it was teachers. I lost my job because of teachers. I did not get a raise because of teachers. My life did not turn out the way I wanted because of teachers. I am a disappointment because of teachers. Down with education. Our country would be just fine if no one went to school. We would still have the strongest economy. You don't need to go to school to be an engineer or a doctor. You don't need an education to be a computer software developer or to design the jet fighters that keep our country safe. Education is so overrated. They should fire all the teachers and replace them with random people off the street. You would not even notice a difference. You don't need special training to teach kids with learning disabilities how to read or do physics. I heard that Osama bin Laden is really the head of the teacher's union. Don't get me started on unions. All unions are evil. Companies like Wall Mart don't allow unions and look how well they treat their workers. Who needs a middle class anyway? There should just be rich and poor people. "

Of all the cool presents Isaac got for his birthday...

It's been the fart putty that has had us in stiches all afternoon.

What can I say? We're easily amused.

not exactly pristine...

I've noticed a disturbing trend on some blogs lately. It seems that many mommies in blog lands mysteriously have kitchens that look like this:

Source

Or this....

Source

Not even a dirty mug and some bagel crumbs on the counter, let alone stray underwear, crayons, rollerskates, briefcase, school projects, unopened mail that are magnetically drawn to all surfaces in my kitchen.

If you only saw kitchens like the ones above all day, you might start to feel pretty bad about yourself.

Let me lift your self esteem...

And let me introduce you to my floor...

Bad to worse...

I was home from school today.

Did some cooking and baking for the week.

And I made a big mess.

I wish I was not the kind of person who struggles with things like getting up early, tidying up after myself, staying on top of things...

I'm trying though, to be better.

Swirl, Tap, Buff -- random smatterings

So I'm a sucker for a good informercial. Have you ever seen the Bare Escentuals Mineral Makeup informercials? (I tried to embed the video, but every time I tried it made my browser crash. Like, seriously, five times.) I've been wanting to get a good foundation but I am scared of liquid ones. I feel like I can't apply them without looking ridiculous. Anyways, I had to go to King of Prussia to go the ATT head quarters to swap out my phone and since I was there I figured I may as well go to the mall and since I was at the mall I may as well go to a makeup counter and have someone help me find a decent foundation. Then I walked by the Bare Escentuals store and saw the huge counter with make up artists doing girls' faces and I couldn't help it. As PT Barnum said, "There's a sucker born every minute" and I am so often that sucker. Anyways, I walked out with their starter kit for 63 bucks, which I think is actually a pretty good deal. You get the foundation powder, the bronzing powder, and the setting powder, three brushes and a huge thing of brush cleaner for that price, which I thought was pretty decent. Three good brushes alone can cost you that much. I also spent a fair amount of time playing around with their blushes, but at 16 bucks a pop, I decided to pass. Which worked out: I had a covergirl coupon which I combined with a good sale and got Covergirl blush at the grocery store for about 1.50. Oh, and I also got a free sample of facial moisturizer and a cute black and pink reuseable fabric bag. And I have to say, I am satisfied so far. The coverage is good and yet the foundation doesn't feel heavy. The brushes are super soft. Anyways, my dad helped me get my taxes squared away tonight. As per our support agreement, Isaac's dad and I take turns claiming our offspring for tax purposes and this is his year. It's also my first year as head of household and not being in school, etc. I was pretty concerned for a while that I was going to owe tons of money. It looks like I will squeak by in the black with a very modest refund. Phew! Great blog post. It's a pretty concise summary of why our education system is in desperate need of reform. Teachers have been really taking the heat locally (the school district I work for, as well as several other local ones are in a gridlock of contract negotiations) and nationally with this mess in Wisconsin. It's easy to make teachers a scapegoat, but we are working within a hopelessly flawed system. I am really thinking I may head down to Washington in July for the march.

So Friday was Isaac's birthday. He ended up being extremely sick all last week. Barfed Saturday, and cough and high fever Sunday. I kept him home from school Monday and Tuesday. He made it through Wednesday but then Thursday he was sent home after throwing up in class. I ended up keeping him home Friday just to make sure we were in the clear. My mom kept Isaac most of the week (because she ROCKS!!!!!) but I decided to take a sick day Friday and we stayed home together, which was lovely. I didn't touch my sick time my first two years, so I have plenty of it piled up. This year I don't feel guilty about using it.

The exchange with Daddy went very well (hurray!). My parents had bought Isaac a ticket to the circus as a Christmas present and this was the weekend to use them. He and his Dad seemed to have a really wonderful time there. His dad also had a little party on Saturday. Next weekend the celebrations will continue when his dad is joining us and my brothers for a Sixers game (Isaac's big present). I'm definitely looking forward to that. The next day will be his party at Monkey Joe's for his school and church friends, which I am not looking forward to at all as much. I've managed to avoid a birthday party up until now by flatly refusing year after year. He brought out the big guns this year though and had my mother appeal to me on his behalf.

If you know me at all you know that I would pretty much rather rip out my own fingernails than go to a child's birthday party at a Chuck E Cheese-like establishment on a Saturday. When Isaac brings home invitations from other kids I put them straight in the trash.

However, since it is February and thus we can't do a cheap/free outdoor type venue, and since I am certainly NOT about to have a million five years olds over to the house and be responsible for amusing them for several hours, Monkey Joe's all inclusive party package began to look better and better. Anyways, I will be relieved when that part is over and done with.

Anyways, that's about it for now. I guess I should get to bed. Have a lovely week all!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

(yes, this video is ridiculously long. It was hard to whittle it any shorter though; so many pictures are favorites!)

Dear Isaac,

Happy birthday! This year your birthday falls on the Friday before President's Day, as it did the year you were born. You have your dad's brown eyes and your mom's stubborn grit. You have a sweet personality, a loving disposition and a wicked sense of humor.

Here are some things you love as you are turning six:

• Sweets of all kinds. Also, apples and applesauce.
• Reading and writing. You are always making lists, and writing things down. You can read so many words. I often find you reading books to Grandma.
• America's Funniest Home Videos or "Funny Bideos" as you call it.
• Scrabble Junior and checkers. I stopped letting you win a long time ago.
• Sports. You love to play football, baseball, basketball and soccer. I often find you playing soccer and football with the big boys when I pick you up from the Y program after school.

You are such a joy to me and I love you more and more each passing day.

Love, Mom

100th Day

Blah. Sorry I haven't updated el blogo lately. I've bit a bit overwhelmed with a high stress situation at work and it seems to have consumed me lately. I'm up all night worrying about it. I'm working long hours trying to complete a neverending list of to-dos. Anyways, I've given myself some of my own to dos as far as making myself more marketable and getting resume and whatnot together. Hopefully I will be able to manage my time and stress better and get back on course again and leave work at work. But in the mean time, I don't have much else to blog about. Here's what we spent a great deal of time working a little bit each night since we got the assignment tonight doing:

I had so many good intentions for super adorable projects that I have seen my students turn in over the years or on teacher blogs.

But it just didn't happen.

I've been so insanely busy had to resist the urge to "borrow" one of my student's projects for a while, as our 100th day was last week.

How are things in your neck of the woods?