Up Against a Wall

Everyone must think I've been scrapping away lately, but most of these layouts I did at least a month ago or more. I am so tired with adjusting to working full time that I just haven't done much. It is almost 10:00. So proud of myself for making it this long today. Not looking forward to the morning routine I will start at 5 am. Love my job, but I am pooped by the time I get there. Between 5 and 7 am I wander the house realizing all the things I should have done the night before. Drag myself into the shower. Get out and wander around the house some more seeing more things I need to do. Get a crazy hair to fold laundry. Realize I need to leave in 30 minutes and wake the kids. This is where it really gets crazy. They are like chasing two wild baby squirrels. One is jumping off counters or anywhere he can get height onto our backs. The other is stomping around because I asked her to comb her hair. I mean...come on! How dare I ask such a thing? Then I am throwing granola bars or some other nutritious substance (like donuts) at them and herding them to the car. When we reach the car one of them insists I go back into the house for something important...like a toy they want to store in the car for the next week without touching once. Yeah, good times I tell ya!

Always Look Up

One of my favorite pictures of my daughter!

Serious Addiction

To the icicles. Used half my hoarded jar making this (which I lifted from Shannon Tidwell). Then my friend called and said they had icicles at Big Lots for a dollar a pack. Yeah...um....run don't walk! Let's just say my jar is full again.

Good Sunday Morning!!

Scenic Route is the August sponsor at CMK!! How awesome is that! Here is one of my projects for this month! We are off to Silver Dollar City with company in from Michigan. Can't wait to get there! Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

My Favorite Girls!

The colors didn't turn out that nice in the pic, but this is one of my favorite layouts.

Spring???

okay, it's not spring, but a girl can dream. It was 110 on the parking lot where I park yesterday. The air is out in my classroom, but it doesn't bother me too much. I'm glad I won't have the kids in there for awhile. I survived my first open house last night. I guess no one visits reading teachers on the first night. Today is my first official day. Hope your day is wonderful as well!

Smiles

I just wanted to thank everyone for your kind remarks and emails about our daycare trouble. I enrolled the little guy in the Early Childhood center at my school on Monday and it has been all smiles! He didn't even cry on his first day. He still has trouble letting go, but his teacher gives him important jobs and he's off. It will take some time before he leaves my leg voluntarily, but I believe it will happen this year. He even showed me around his classroom when I picked him up. They have a pet frog. Good Times! Such a burden off my heart as I start school.

Moments like this....

Are what I miss while I'm at school. I am loving my job, but there's always a trade off. I can't believe break is already over. It is so HOT here. It was 109 in the parking lot when I left school today. Seems like we should still be at home playing in the sprinkler.

BFF

I started work today. New teacher orientation was really fun. I met some new people and realized there are teachers just as goofy as me out there (and even in the same building!). Can't wait for the new friendships I will make this year. So speaking of friends....here is a pic I took of Lydie. I love this picture of her and I thought she might want to see it. She always hates pics of herself, but how could she hate this one??

Some layouts!

Using My Stash....

to make my sweet girl a t-shirt. She's been having some growing pains and a little tired of outgrowing all her clothes. I wanted to do something to cheer her up. I knew one day I'd use those Heidi Swapp iron ons!

My Sweet Kiddos!

The photo on page one isn't really crooked. Just a really bad photo of the layout!

A Little Layout Love

to make up for my sad post earlier!

I Cried a Little...

The day I brought my daughter home from the hospital she weighed just a little over 5 lbs. When I went back to work and she went to daycare she was about the size of most normal newborns. We were in a daycare home program run by the hospital. We had an excellent caretaker, but after a couple weeks her own child became very ill and I had to move our baby. There wasn't another opening, so each day the hospital would call and give me an address to a home that had an opening for that day. It was a devastating experience. I dropped my child off at a complete stranger's home and prayed they would take good care of her. One worker was so large she couldn't get off the couch and sent her 9 year to come and take the baby carrier from me. As a single parent I felt I didn't have much choice. While crying on the way to work one day I realized I wanted to teach. I felt I was a person who understood what it was like to have a little piece of yourself passed into the hand's of others. I knew I could make a difference in the life of a child. I can tell you the exact spot on the highway where I was when I felt this calling in my heart. Maybe I thought through some kind of karma if I was a good teacher, my daughter would be treated kindly by her teachers and others in her life. I believe one of the first laws of working with children is to greet every child with a smile and a kind word. So, this morning when I dropped my 3 year old son off at preschool and his teacher sat behind the table and did not even make eye contact with him, let alone speak, but managed to stare at me while he clung to my leg crying desperately, I cried a little. I guess a good reminder before I go back to school next week that I need to make sure every child needs to feel special and welcome in my classroom.

You Are Colorful

Been hoarding this one for awhile. Lovin' the 2 pagers lately!

Park Pictures

Pictures from a much needed trip to the park on Monday.

CHA Photos

There is so much I could say about this trip, but I don't even know where to begin. It was really fun to meet all the girls I talk to online. The people in the Creative Imaginations booth and Creative Cafe booth were wonderful. I didn't take all that many pics. The first one is myself with Cheryl Mezetti. She was way cool as I imagined she would be and had the most awesome accent. The second is Melody Langworthy filling with pocket with buttons from the Creative Cafe display. What a hoot!
The third is my girlfriend Lydie displaying our confusion with the map of Chicago. Does she look like a tourist or what?? Hee, Hee! She clung to that thing for dear life, but in the end we ended up lost anyway. The last is me in taking a break outside the convention center. That's all for now. I'll post a couple more later. I'm off to work today!

I'm Back!

I'm home safe and sound. So tired and lots of workshops for school this week. Hopefully I can get some pics on of all the good times tomorrow!

I'm Outta Here!

Off to CHA! So excited! Hee, Hee! I'm not really going on this. Just riding the rides at the Amusement Park last night. This is my favorite! See you when I get back!

Art Warehouse Stamps!

I little Bare Elements frame I altered with Art Warehouse stamps.