Voicethread

I'm very new at this.  I only found voicethread this afternoon, but it so cool!  I can't wait to find out more about it!  Try it!  

New Shoes

On a superficial note, one of the things that I have been enjoying most about being a teacher rather than a waitress (well, I'm still waitressing on the weekends...) is that I don't have to wear that ugly uniform!

Since it had been so long since I'd worn anything but the uniform, my closet was pretty bare.

I went to Macy's one day after waitressing and picked out a butt-load of clothes. I am basically a clearance shopper, and I was lucky enough to find lots of deals. When I got to the cashier, she told me that if I donated $12 to a charity that buys books for kids, Macy's would give me $10 off my order. She did this the maximum number of times it was allowed for my purchase price, bringing my $160 total down to $75. I'm not sure how it worked out that way; it didn't seem right, so I practically ran out of the store before she realized she'd made a mistake! (actually, I don't think it was a mistake, but it really did seem like it was too good to be true!) Since all of the things I had purchased were on clearance, I got about $650 worth of clothes for $75.

Next, I went to Payless and got 4 new pairs of shoes with their BOGO sale. Target was also having clearance on shoes. Jackpot! I've enjoyed dressing up everyday! I've looked very cute, from my jewelry (I've already had a collection of cute jewelry since that is the only bit of personality that I've been able to wear with my uniforms) to my clothes, to my shoes!

Until Wednesday...Wednesday a huge blister showed up on my left pinky-toe. I had already had some blisters on my heels from the new shoes, but they weren't bad enough to really hurt me. The toe-blister, however, was not good. When I was getting dressed for school on Wednesday, I ended up changing my whole outfit so I could wear more comfortable shoes. Thursday, I picked out my outfit based on comfy shoes. By Friday, I had thought I was ready for heels again. My toe hurt, but not as badly as it had been. The heels I had picked out were comfy ones, so I didn't think much about it...

Then in my first class, I decided that I couldn't wear my shoes anymore because my pinky was all red and sore. No problem, I just took my shoes off. The problem came when I tried to put the shoes back on... My left foot was so swollen that I could hardly get it on! Since our school consists of two buildings, and I needed to take the kids to the other building (across the hot black-top parking lot), this really was a problem. I hobbled throughout the day this way, keeping my shoe off as much as possible.

By the end of the day, my foot was swollen and the whole foot was red rather than just the toe. There were red streaks all the way to my ankle bone. I decided I needed to stop at the clinic. I stopped at CVS's minute clinic, thinking she'd give me a prescription for an antibiotic and I'd be on my way. She looked at my foot and freaked out. She said it was too severe for her to take care of and that I needed to go to a different clinic right away.

Turns out that I needed an antibiotic shot. The doctor told me that if it got any worse by this morning, it meant that they hadn't given me the shot fast enough and that I needed to go to the emergency room. Whoa. It is better now, but I still can't walk on it. I have to keep it raised, and I obviously didn't go to work (waitressing) today. I kind of feel like a queen, making everyone bring me stuff and what-not. I should relish it today since tomorrow I'll be back to being the one being bossed.

Moral of the story-don't buy cute new shoes? Naw, that couldn't be it.

The First Week of School

Whew.  I feel like my week has consisted of waking up before dawn, running around like crazy, then sleeping (dreaming of running around like crazy) for 5 minutes, and then starting all over again by waking up before dawn!

I started my new teaching position last Monday with inservices, which also included reading a whole lot of books about Garner's Multiple Intelligences.  Then, this week was the first week that the kids came to school.  It has been a wonderful week.  I love my students.  I love only having 16 of them in a class!  I'm overwhelmed with trying to do all of my lesson plans MI style, but I'm sure I'll get it down... eventually. 

Night also started school for the first time this week!  Actually, he went for half a day one day the previous week, but the actual first day was the same as mine.  I was very sad that I couldn't be here, but such is life!  I do have the pictures to post, but they are on my phone, and I'm not sure how to get them onto the computer!  Night insisted on riding the school bus rather than being taken to school.  To me, riding the bus seems scary, but what do I know?

So, we've all been trying to adjust to our new schedules.  We all went for so long doing the same thing over and over that we had grown accustomed to our monotony.  Then all of the sudden, EVERYTHING CHANGED at once.  Josh is adjusting to waking up early and getting Night off to school.  The bus stop is at our corner, so luckily he doesn't have to wake up Keira.  I think she usually wakes up before the bus arrives, though.  I think the first day the two of them were alone in the house, they just sat and stared at each other!

Thursday night, Night had his open house, which just happened to be the same night of MY open house.  Great timing!  I got to Night's open house, though, with about 5 minutes to spare.  Josh was there for the whole thing, though.  I did get to see Night's classroom, which by the way is about 5 times bigger than my own classroom.  I have bigger kids with less space.

1 week of school down, about 40 to go!

Time for a New JOB

Well, I guess it is time to update my header! I'm a teacher...again.

A couple of months ago, I went through a little bit of financial stress, which in turn became panic. I told Josh that I wasn't making enough money at my 2 waitressing jobs (working a total of 5 days at the time) and that we would be poor forever and that life sucked. After feeling sorry for myself (ourselves), we came to the conclusion that I needed a little break, so Josh got a job.

Josh got a fairly good paying job as a security officer. He hated the job, and he was working horrible shifts. It didn't allow for me to quit work-it just allowed for us to both be tired from working all the time--he'd work work the midnight shift; come home; then I'd go to work; then I'd come home; then he'd work second shift etc. We didn't want to put the kids in daycare, but we weren't making it well watching them ourselves either.

It was at this point that I decided I should look for something more stable than waiting tables, something a little more...um, stable. Since I have a teaching degree, and it is summer, typically when teachers get hired, I filled out some applications and sent out some resumes. At first, it was a means to an end--not have to be a slave to those old hags who would just leave me a dollar tip after running my ass off for them, no I'm not bitter. The more I answered why I am a good teacher and why I enjoy teaching, the more adamant I became about getting a job. I discovered that I really miss teaching.

Well, I interviewed at a nearby middle school for a Math position. I love Math, so this would be perfect. I have to tell ya'll that I rocked that interview. The principal told me that she would be deciding by the end of the week. Whoo hoo! Then, she didn't call. And didn't call. In fact, she never called. She didn't even tell me that I didn't have the job! I left several messages, I just wanted closure.

When the principal never called, I decided that it wasn't meant to be this year. By this time, we had decided that both Josh and I working was NOT working, so I picked up more waitressing shifts and told Josh to quit his awful job. It was less stressful for both of us if I was working 7 days a week with him watching the kids full time than if we tried sharing both kid-duty and work-duty.

Then, I got a call from an AWESOME private school offering me an interview for a part-time position teaching Science. Well, Science is not my favorite, and part-time isn't ideal, but it would work-I'd still get to teach. I would be able to supplement my income with waiting tables, so the part-time position would get my foot in the door, and I could hope for full-time next year. So, I went to the interview; however, I had NO time to prepare myself. I had to go straight after work one day, and I didn't have time to get into "teacher mode."

I pretty much bombed this interview. I didn't even bother following up with a phone call for that one--I spent the whole drive home wondering why I answered some of the questions the way I did. I didn't lie in my interview or anything, but think I came across as a dolt.

I went back to waitressing, and I changed my attitude around. Tips have improved as of late, and by working 7 days a week, our income has gone up steadily. I truly believe that attitude is everything, because I was happily going to work 7 days a week whereas a few months before I could hardly survive my 5 days.

This brings us to this previous Monday. At the end of my shift, I checked my voicemail, and the second principal (awesome private school) called and asked if I would be interested in interviewing for a full-time Math position. WOULD I? I love Math! I love full-time! So, I called her on my way home, and she OFFERED ME THE POSITION RIGHT OVER THE PHONE!

Whoa! Talk about whirlwind! I drove home, and told my family that I had a new job--even though I had stopped trying to get one, and it was for a perfect school for the perfect position! (Yes, I realize I am insane because I love teaching middle schoolers!) After work on Tuesday, I stopped by the school and SIGNED MY CONTRACT. The principal asked me to start the next day because they were doing a technology-training inservice. Well, considering I hadn't quit my 7 day a week job yet, I couldn't. She said I could start this next Monday instead, and there you have it. I'm a teacher again.

My awesome private school is based on Howard Garner's Multiple Intelligences, which is amazing, but overwhelming because I have a lot of familiarizing to do before those kids show up next week! So if you need me, I'll be reading and lesson planning and studying. I am not giving up my weekend gig, either, so stop by the "other" restaurant and say howdy!

Night Wants to Go to Bed?

Last night, as I was lying in bed reading around 10:00ish. Night's bedtime is around 9:00, but Josh and Night were distracted by their video game, so time apparently got away from them.

Suddenly, Josh had an idea. From the bedroom, I hear, "Hey, let me pull out your tooth." Night's tooth has been loose for about a month.
"Ok.... Wait! It hurts!"
"I'll be done in a minute."
"Ouch! Ouch!"
"Hold on." Josh goes and gets pliers and a paper towel. (because that's not scary!)
A minute later, a panic-stricken Night says, "IT IS LATE. I SHOULD BE IN BED. I'M TIRED. "
Josh says, "Fine, but if you get out of bed tonight, I'm pulling that tooth!"

I guess Night stayed in bed, because all his teeth seem to be intact today!

A Ladies Man

Yesterday, Night told me that he had an idea for getting a girlfriend. He said that he needed to chew gum. It makes his cheeks go up and down. Apparently the girls really go for that.

Today, he told me he had another idea about getting a girl to like him-show them his manly muscles, the ones on his arms and under his shirt.

He starts Kindergarten in a few weeks. I think he's got big plans...

I Have a Famous Stalker!

When I was about 10 years old, my parents took my sister and I on "vacation" to Florida. We stayed in a really fancy hotel, only because my parents were having a convention there. There were about 3 pools and a shopping mall, all in the basement of this fancy hotel.

One of the speakers at the convention was Terry Bradshaw. I remember that he was a speaker because I rode downstairs in the elevator with him and his entourage. I think he patted me on my head, but I may be getting him confused with another celebrity that I rode with in an elevator in my formative years-Robert Young. I was on my way to the pool of course, and he was on his way to a meeting.

Now, 21 years later, who should walk into my restaurant today? Yep. Terry Bradshaw.

Too Sexy for my Skirt

I went to TARGET yesterday and found some fantastic clearance deals. I bought a cute little mini-skirt for $2.98!

I laid it on the counter after I got home, and Josh saw it. I asked if he liked it, and he said that he was having dirty thoughts. Intrigued, I went to try it on.

It was about 2 sizes too small! As I tried to wrestle it over my hips, I called Keira in and told her to push my butt into my skirt for me. We both tugged and pulled and pushed! I looked up at Josh and asked if I looked as hot as he had imagined.

He didn't answer...

I guess that is better than the answer he could've given!!

I did get the skirt on-all the way even, but I think I may wait a few months before I wear it out of the house! For now, I will just hang it outside of the closet where I can see it every morning, providing inspiration to get myself out of bed to workout!

Another Nose Story

I don't know why I like to talk about noses, but here I go again...

A few weeks ago, my friend at work told me an interesting (and gross) nose story that I would love to share with ya'll. About 20 years ago when my friend's daughter was just 2 or 3 years old, she started having a distinctive, disgusting smell radiate from her. My friend bathed her and scrubbed her, trying to get rid of the odor. She kept changing clothes and soaps to no avail. Then she thought that maybe it was just all in her head. She was a single mom, so she didn't have anyone else to smell her daughter for her; she just figured it was nothing.

Until the babysitter mentioned the smell! Uh oh. It wasn't all in her head, but she still didn't know what it was. Then, one day, my friend saw her daughter sticking a pencil up her nose. It turns out that there was a little toy in front of the pencil, and the daughter was using the pencil to RAM the toy further up into her sinus cavity!

There were all kinds of things up this child's nose! The smell was most likely coming from the food that had more than likely been up there for months! She took the baby to the doctor, where he had to take a rod and pull everything out of the kid's nose! My friend said it seemed like hours that she had to hold her, screaming, having the doctor pull little toy soldiers and peas out of her nose.

The smell was gone, though!

Now, imagine my horror when yesterday morning, I saw Keira sticking a little tiny Lego up her nose!! It was the kind that just has one little dot-I'm talking tiny! It was so far up in her nose that I couldn't see it. I took my tweezers and grasped at everything (which seemed to be nothing) up her nose as my daughter wriggled on the floor. I finally saw the little red bit of plastic, but I couldn't get it out. I pushed on the outside and pulled on the inside, the whole time imagining a trip to the hospital. By this time, I was sitting on her body and holding down her head with one hand and picking her nose with the other, all through screams of terror. I'm not sure if those were my screams or Keira's.

I did finally get it out. Keira told me she would never do that again because it hurt, but she then politely asked me to clean it off. She still wanted to play with the Lego.

Is the Sun Up Yet?

Keira has decided that she doesn't like sleeping anymore. It works out perfectly since I've been meaning to stop being so lazy. I mean, really, who needs to spend 6 hours at night in bed? I can be doing so many other productive things during this time--watching infomercials for example. Or cartoons. Thank you for saving me, Keira.

Happy Mattress Sale Day

This morning, Night was in the living room watching TV, and I was (of course) playing on-line poker in the den. Excitedly, Night came running into the den this morning. "Mom! It is 4th of July!"

"I know! Happy Fourth of July!"

"But, it is like a double Fourth of July!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Serta is having a mattress sale FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY! Isn't that exciting?"

"Um, yep. Honey, you don't even need a mattress." (He sleeps on the couch because we only have 2 bedrooms, and he wakes up his sister if he sleeps in his room, so we took away the bed.)

"I KNOW! But, I could get one if I wanted-it is on SALE. TODAY!"

"You are right. Super exciting."




I didn't see the commercial, but whoever wrote it must've done a great job-marketing to kids. That's an angle I would've never came up with on my own. Maybe that's why I'm not in advertising...

Too Much Mortal Kombat?*

This morning, Night told me that when he pees, he puts his knuckle-fists up behind his back just in case someone comes in to attack him. Always be prepared.






*No, my five year old does NOT play Mortal Kombat. I was just trying to be humorous. I actually think he got his neurosis from his father, who always checks the doors about five times to make sure they are locked.

5 Ingredients or Less

Shannon is sponsoring a themed Works for Me Wednesday this week-5 ingredients or less.

I have a yummy, healthy pancake recipe-full of protein and low in fat. They are made of ingredients that you wouldn't expect to be good together, but they are DELICIOUS. We eat them every week. Actually, we eat them pretty much everyday. I mix up the batter and store it in the fridge.

I LOVE this recipe!

12 egg whites
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups oatmeal (dry cooking oats-regular kind, not instant)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp (or a little more!) of cinnamon

(I also recommend some splenda-but I don't want to go over the 5 limit. Consider it part of the recipe, though, really.)
This makes a double batch, so you might want to half everything when you make it the first time. You'll probably double it every time after that-if you eat them as much as we do!)

Just pop all the ingredients in the blender until they are batter consistency. I spray the pan (or griddle) and cook on medium. You can eat them plain with butter and syrup (we use "spray butter" and sugar free syrup) or add some blueberries or strawberries when they are on the griddle. You can also put sugar-free jelly on them. Yummy!

Check out other simple recipes at ROCKS IN MY DRYER!

Making Pancakes!

Time to Move On??

It is with reservation that I post this RANT because the last time I went off in a huff, it caused some ruckus; however, this is my blog and I'll cry if I want to...

I know that times are getting tighter here in the USA, so I understand why I am not making as much money at work as I have previously. People are not going out to eat as often because there are more important things on which to spend their money. I get that. What I DON'T get it why, when people do go out to eat, they think that it is acceptable to leave shitty tips.

I used to love waiting tables. It is easy work, I get paid cash daily, the environment is fun and laid back, there isn't baggage to bring home, I get to talk to a lot of people if I want to-I don't have to talk to a lot of people if I don't want to. Even though some people may look down on serving as a lowly career, it can be a lot of work to coordinate all the tables in a timely manner; a job that I am very good at doing. I would also say that I'm quite personable, so waitressing has been a nice job for me thus far.

Now, on for the rant...
I have been getting really crappy tips lately. I would say on average, my tips used to be an average of about 20% of my sales, sometimes 18%, sometimes 22%. From that income, I have to tip out to my helpers-hostess, busser, bartender (even if I don't have any liquor sales) etc. about 2% of my sales (no matter what the actual income is from tips, I pay out 2% of the sales). Tips in the last couple of months have gone down SIGNIFICANTLY, and I really don't think that my service has been lacking.

I just think that people are holding a tighter reign on their money. The problem with this is that since fewer people are coming into the restaurants AND the ones that do come in are leaving less money, I get hit with a double whammy that is really hurting my family.

For instance, yesterday, I had a table with three women. Those three women sat at my table for over 3 hours during the lunch rush. The bill was about $9.00 for one of them; $10.00 for another; and exactly $15.54 for the other one. How do I remember exactly? Because the third woman left me a total of $17.00 (the other two's tip equaled about $4 combined). The third woman left me $1.46 for THREE HOURS of service, less than ten percent. Of that tip, $0.16 went to the hostess. How in the world could that be acceptable? If they would have sat for a reasonable hour, I would've been less upset, but THREE HOURS DURING THE RUSH? They were sitting at an 8-top table, so it could've been $20 or more that I miss out on--in order to get her $1.30.

I had someone today completely stiff me, so that it actually COST me money to wait on him because I had to tip out even though I had no tip. This gentlemen was angry at me, though, so I guess it is justified.... Oh wait, he was angry at me because he didn't read the menu, so maybe it isn't justified. Let me tell you my side of the story...

The couple was sitting at the table, with their menus pushed to the side when I got to the table (maybe a minute after they sat down-I saw them sit, and I went straight to the kitchen and got them water). Thinking they must be "regulars" and already know what they want, I asked them what I could get them. They both wanted eggs benedict with no english muffin. Alright! I put in there order, and someone else took them their food. I passed by them a couple of times while they were eating, and they seemed content. When I stopped to see if they needed anything, the man asked me, "Isn't there something else I can get instead of the breakfast potatoes?" I told him that there was, but that there was an upcharge. I listed some things; he asked the price; I told him I didn't know exactly (the prices are already in the computer, so I don't know exact, but I gave an estimate), but then I pointed out that he already has the potatoes. Now, I don't think I said this in a rude manner, but he did already have the potatoes, so it wouldn't really be instead of the potatoes anyway, would it? The man then proceeded to YELL at me because I should've read his mind when he ordered. This is what he said, "Well, since I ordered no bread, you should've obviously have assumed that I am on a diet, so you shouldn't have brought me the potatoes!" (Oh, really, I wrongly assumed that since you didn't want the english muffin with your eggs benedict, you just didn't want an english muffin with your eggs benedict...) I apologized and offered to bring him something, and he said no. The wife (who is obviously also on the diet) then asked me to bring her more HALF and HALF for her coffee. (what diet lets you have HOLLANDAISE SAUCE?)

This would've been easily solved if the man would've read the menu, where it states that the breakfast comes with the potatoes and that if he wants something else, he could get it if he pays more. OR if when the server brought him his food, he said, "Oh, I don't want those potatoes, is there something else that I can get for them?" The server would have changed them out, and I could've just charged him the difference. OR one of the times I walked by before he had devoured all of his food, he could have asked me and I would have probably still swapped his potatoes for something else. OR if I would have just read his mind to begin with. Of course, if I were the mind-reader type, I probably would have noticed that he wasn't going to tip me, and I wouldn't have brought him any food to begin with...

Anyway, this has turned into a longer post than expected. I guess he made me a little angry. So, as I was saying, the tips are getting slim for me and for all of my little server friends. I don't blame people for watching their money more closely, but if they can't afford the tip, then they shouldn't go out to eat. I can't afford to keep paying my hostess and bartender when I'm not getting paid.

Thanks for listening. I feel better.

Oh, and if, the next time you go out to eat, you can afford to leave your server an extra dollar, do it. You would be surprised how much difference that dollar makes.

Wish Me Luck

The library books are due today. Here we go again!

I am taking my purse this time-with a diaper in it. Night has already locked himself in the bathroom once today (at Charlie's vet), so hopefully we won't have anymore bathroom incidences...

Mario Kart

I just want to let ya'll know that even though I am horrible at my new Mario Kart for the Wii, it does not mean I am a bad driver.

It just takes practice with the little wheel thing.

And, I can still *usually* beat Night when we are playing, so I can't be that bad at it, right?!

To the Woman at the Gas Station

Dear Woman in the van at the gas station,

What is the purpose of your "Jesus First" license plate?

Is it to let me know that you are putting Jesus first? Is it to show me that you are following his principles and making this world a better place because of it? If so, I really don't think that Jesus appreciated your cutting off this heathen. That definitely is following the golden rule. Cutting me off from the pump when I was obviously there first DID NOT make my world a better place. It pissed me off.

OR

Is it to remind yourself that you need to put Jesus first? If so, you really need to put it somewhere INSIDE your van so you can see it.



Irritated,

Mari

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

Look what I got!!


Last year, my family got me the Nintendo Wii. This year, I got the Mario Kart to go with it.

I think my husband has turned me into a nerd.

Our Trip to the Library

Otherwise known as "WHY OUR FAMILY SHOULD NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE PART TWO"

We live about a block from the library. Since it has been so beautiful out lately, I decided to take the kids to the library. The plan was for me to find my ONE book then go downstairs to the children's area where we could play with puzzles.

Here is how the plan played out. While I was looking for my book, the kids were at the end of my aisle looking out the window. They were standing about 2o feet from me. Loudly (or at least it seemed loud-we were in the LIBRARY), Night said, "I think Keira is pooping."

(I should have prefaced this by saying that Keira, who is potty training, was wearing underwear.)

I absently said, "Okay," without thinking about it. I then looked over to them, and sure enough, Keira was holding her butt...

I ran over and scooped her up. She yelled, "I'm not pooping! I'm not pooping!"
"It's okay, honey, we'll just check, okay?"
"NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not pooping. I'm not pooping!"
(I whisper, "Sorry" to the lady studying at the table and the man looking for his books.)
Night piped in, "She is pooping. She is pooping," in his loud 5 year old voice.
"NO! NO POOPING"
"You aren't? Okay. Well, let's go to the bathroom anyway."
Of course, being the veteran mother than I am, I DID NOT bring a backup pair of pants or panties or diaper or anything. She usually does so well when we aren't at home. It is when we are at home that she's been having the problems.

Once we FINALLY got into the bathroom, I checked her butt,and sure enough, she had pooped. Great. I plopped her onto the toiled while I tried to clean her up to the best of my ability. The whole time she is sitting, I told her to try to poop more while sitting on the toilet. "I can't. I'm done." So, I cleaned her up, and we returned to the same aisle (much to my chagrin) so I could find my book.

TWO minutes later, Night yelled, "Keira is pooping!"

Whatever. I just let her poop. Her underwear was already dirty... Where is my damn book?

THREE minutes later, Night yelled, "I have to poop."

Great. Oh! There is my book!! At least I had something to read this time. Off we all went to the bathroom, for the second time within four minutes, talking about poop the whole way.

And, of course, we couldn't skip the puzzle play time all because Keira had poop in her pants. That would be crazy. We played for ten minutes then rushed home to clean her up.


Do you ever feel like a redneck or white trash? If you are white trashy, you know it, don't you? I'm beginning to suspect that I am...