Bloglist

Blogger has recently released a new page element called "Blog List" and so far it's a feature I love! This handy little element keeps a real time account of blogs as they are updated and even shows a snippet of the most recent posts if you set up that feature. It's a pretty cool way to stay current on the blogs I read regularly.

In other news, it's a lovely day here today, sunny and about 80ish. I just finished mowing the grass and now the yard looks like green velvet carpet. I'm still losing horribly in my battle against the weeds, but I try to ignore them as much as possible. As I type I can hear the birds chirping happily as they spill the food we recently gave them all over the porch. I have math homework to do and a big test for which I need to study, but other than that, the rest of my day is yet unclaimed...

I'm currently reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert for a new book club one of my friends has organized. At first the book wasn't doing a whole lot for me, but now it's gotten much better. I'm almost finished with it, a full week in advance of our first book club meeting. What a nerd!

I'll Play Along

This is silly...but why not?!

Garden Growth Spurt

We've had lots of strong thunder storms here over the past several weeks and the garden is just bursting to life! I finally had some time to get myself outside to shoot a few pictures today. I can't seem to get that one perfect shot of the whole garden because the angles are always a little odd, but hopefully the individual shots will give at least an idea. The weeds are currently winning the war I've waged upon them. This time of year it's almost impossible to keep up with them, especially because I'm really trying to avoid chemical warfare.

Out With the Old

At long last this ancient washing machine that's been in our basement for probably 32ish years will be going to the place washing machines go after they die. It's had a good run - I think it probably is original to the house, which was built in 1975. We've lived here since 2001, and up until this past September we couldn't complain.



But nine months is a LONG time to live without a washing machine! We've been carting clothes to the laundry mat or a family members house all this time and I am just ready to be done with that whole fiasco. After Michael and I did some shopping around this past week, I went to Home Depot this morning and made the coveted purchase of a new washing machine. The one I got is nothing super fancy, but it will do the trick, which is all that matters! I must say, I now have a whole new respect for people who live their lives between visits to the laundry mat!

Just a little fun

I found this on Tracey's blog and I thought it was cute...I'm killing time until Michael gets home so what the heck!!

i am: loving the sound of the rain
i think: chocolate chip cookies are yummy
i know: the rest of this summer is going to fly by
i want: to grow a family
i have: two of the sweetest dogs on the planet
i wish: toilets cleaned themselves.
i hate: bills
i miss: Mum
i fear: losing the ones I love
i feel: like I'm about to die of heat exhaustion
i hear: there's that rain again
i smell: cookies in the oven
i crave: see above answer
i search: for the answers to all the big questions...what's it all about?
i wonder: what we will name our baby
i regret: nothing...the mistakes have shaped who I am and led me to here
i love: my dear, sweet husband
i care: about our environment
i always: brush my teeth in the morning
i am not: mean
i believe: there must be some reason
i dance: like a dork
i sing: whenever I have the opportunity
i cry: rarely in front of others
i don’t always: tell people how I really feel
i write: passionately
i lose: my temper...but only on occasion
i never: intentionally hurt animals
i listen: to awesome music
i can usually be found: near my computer
i am scared: of a failed adoption
i need: to feel valued and appreciated
i am happy about: beginning the next chapter of our lives

Stress Relief X 2

I guess anyone who is walking through the mall with three children (two of whom are in a double stroller) automatically looks pretty stressed. Still...I had to giggle yesterday when I was at the mall with Owen, Ava, and Becca, and two different sales people from the same booth went out of their way to provide me with a free sample of "stress relief vanilla lotion" as I walked by. These are the kiosks all down the center of the mall, where people generally try to throw sales pitches at you as you walk by. These two gentlemen didn't even TRY to sell to me...they simply wanted to give me a little relief from the (apparently obvious) stress I was under. I didn't complain!

The last couple days around here have been rainy and muggy...the kind of weather that makes mosquitoes very happy. It's supposed to be in the 90's for the next several days and we're going to try to make it through without the A.C. We'll see how it goes, I have my doubts.

Registration Frustration

I've been trying to get myself registered for fall classes since Friday night. The task is finally complete, but not without a significant amount of frustration on my part. I even had a full blown temper tantrum at one point, and I shoved a huge stack of books onto the floor. Luckily no one other than our dogs was here to witness my childish outburst.

It's been one thing after another. First I couldn't get connected and then when I finally did I discovered that ALL of the sections for the two early childhood education classes I need are CLOSED. And this is a full three months before classes start...it's not like I'm procrastinating! So...fine...I decided to change my schedule to M/W instead of the T/Th set up I've had for the past several years. I was annoyed but I got over it. Still there was no way to make it work. I finally called the department of teacher ed and they said they were opening up some additional classes so I should be OK. Fine, so immediately when I got home after that phone call I jumped online to register. NOPE! The only classes they added were a direct conflict to the one remaining time frame of the co-requisite class I need. So...still no luck. I did everything, I even emailed the instructor and very nicely asked her for an override, which was promptly denied.

So...to make a long story short...I switched back to my T/Th preferred days and re-arranged my entire schedule. I decided to change my fall 2008 classes for my winter 2009 classes. This is not at all what I was expecting, but at least it does work. I shouldn't have nearly as many issues registering for winter classes when that time comes because I'm already in the college of ed and I'm an independent senior so I can register first. This is all just so annoying! How can they possibly think it's OK to only offer two sections of a given class when there are hundreds of people who need to take it each semester?

This coming semester is going to be HECTIC! I've got 16 credit hours, which includes a field experience class that will require me to visit schools on a regular basis. That plus caring for Ava the other three days of the week...my head hurts just thinking about it! But...I have to do what I have to do, and at some point I WILL finish all of these requirements and be able to move on with my life. Someday!

Here's my schedule for fall:

• Field Experience II for Elementary - Online with field experience
• Early Literacy Reading - T/R 11:00 am to 12:15 pm
• Curriculum & Methods for Elementary - T/R 2:00 to 3:15
• American Government - T/R 3:30 pm to 4:45
• Schools for a Diverse/Democratic Society - T 5:30 to 8:0 p.m.
• Educating Students w/ Exceptionalities - R 5:30 to 9:00 p.m.