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August 30 Panic mode has set in....When I signed up to be a Girl Scout leader, I had in mind a troop of 6-8 girls, maybe ten, no big deal. Nice cozy group, right??
So far I have nineteen.
Earlier this morning a Brownie leader in our area called me and said she had eight Junior age girls register at her signup event and she wanted to send their registration information to me. Quick adding there - that makes TWENTY SEVEN girls. That's not a troop, that's a large classroom! I did tell her about another junior leader in our town, but said that if she can't find out who she is I will take them and make do.
Oh boy.
I don't think the meeting room is big enough for 27 girls and parents! August 27 I am so proud of us!My husband's car is in the repair shop. (Why are they never open on weekends???)
So this morning we had to all ride together. Take Emma to school, him to work, then me to work. This was simple when he and I worked off the same exit and I went to work half an hour after he did. Now, I go to work 30 minutes earlier than he does, and work 30 minutes from home in the opposite direction!
We got up extra early this morning, and were ALL ready ON TIME! Emma was at school at 7:10, he was almost all the way to work by 7:20 (coworker was meeting him to go the rest of the way so that helped a lot) and I made it to work before 8:00! I even remembered to give the cat her shot, Emma had her lunch and all her supplies, and all of us had everything we needed for the day!
All the animals even were fed.
I think the fish got fed.... August 26 Race for the Cure Part 2Since this is a fundraiser, I thought I'd post the link for donations just in case anyone wanted to help support this worthwhile cause. If you don't have them, you have a mom/sister/niece/aunt/daughter/friend/wife/whoever that has them - we want to keep them! You can make donations here, just put my name in the search. If you would like to donate and do not know my last name... leave me a comment and I will tell you. And for those who do donate, thank you for your help and support! August 22 Race for the CureThis will be interesting.
I am not a runner. At all. Hate it.
I am doing the Race for the Cure for the Komen Foundation this fall.
Untimed.
I can walk all day!
It will be good for me, though. Lots of exercise.
Hope I survive!  Yum. I know this has no importance, but it was so good I have to talk about it.
I just met my mother and grandmother for lunch,and the restaurant had a portobello swiss burger as their lunch special. Now I am not a burger fan, but this was delicious!
Now I am so full I wouldn't mind a little nap. I don't think that would go over very well, though, considering I am at work.
Anyway - yum. A fiasco!Monday night was the parent sign-up night for Girl Scouts at Emma's school. Last week someone with the council office went to the school to talk with the girls and give out flyers. The principal forgot he had scheduled her and she wasn't allowed to speak with them, but left the flyers to go home with the kids. So Monday I was there, along with two other leaders, the service unit manager, and a troop mom. No one else showed up. No one. I got home, disappointed but glad to have met other leaders, and checked Emma's Monday Folder. No flyer. Nothing pertaining to scouts at all.
But at least Emma's teacher seems supportive of Scouts. She still gave out the flyers in class yesterday, and told Emma she would hand out something about our troop if I sent in something. Last night I made a nice flyer on my computer and sent it in with her. I sure hope we get some troop members soon! As of now, it is only Emma and me. August 16 We interrupt this blog for an important announcement... Not an announcement, really, but that sounds good.
I don't get political very often, but I do have political thoughts. Since next year is election year, I'm going to play a game.
Ready? It's called "Design your Own Presidential Candidate"
I know some of my ideas are "controversial" so I'll explain at the end.
My ideal president:
pro-choice
for gay marriage
tougher on illegal immigrants
against gun control
spend more on education
will have a realistic, affordable healthcare system for everyone
will leave some military protection here in our own country so we are not vulnerable to attack
will stop giving billions of dollars to "fix" problems in other countries when we have the same problems here.
Now I know a lot of people disagree with my ideas, and that is fine. You have that right. Here is why I want these qualites:
Pro-choice - My own opinion if abortion is right or wrong is irrelevant. I think the government has no right to regulate a woman's personal decision. Also, history has shown that illegalizing abortions do NOT stop them, but instead force women to turn to dangerous, and often deadly, "black market" abortion doctors.
Gay marriage - really, people, what's the big deal?? How does the fact that two people of the same sex threaten in any way the institution of marriage? If two people are in love and want to be married, what's it to you?? It doesn't affect anyone else's marriage AT ALL. GET OVER IT.
Immigration - I am all for immigrants coming to this country. I come from an immigrant family. Legally. And if they are not here legally, then DO NOT give them "free" health care, welfare, and housing. It is not really free, of course, since we are paying for it with our taxes. I can't afford my own health insurance, much less someone esle's! It really burns me that here in Tennessee, my mother, who was paying every month for her state health insurance, was forced off of it but illegal immigrants in the state get it for free.
Gun control - if political groups get their way and guns are taken away from civilians, I think crime will increase. Laws do not stop criminals now, why would a law telling them they can't buy a gun be any different? They will still get them. And they know that the house they are breaking in to, the home of Mr and Mrs Law Abiding Citizens with their little citizenettes, will have no way to defend themselves. HOWEVER, I don't think just anyone needs a gun, either. I like the idea of waiting periods, liscenses, and most importantly safety education. For all ages. And be smart and keep your gun away from kids' access if you have one. Just a thought to ponder, though: More kids die from drowning in their family's pool than from gun accidents each year.
Spending in other countries - I do not agree at all with giving (yes, giving, not lending) billions of dollars every year to countries all over the globe to fight AIDS, build homes for those who don't have them, and give medical care to those who cannot afford it while we have millions of citizens right here in America that have AIDS and other diseases, are homeless, hungry, and sick and can't afford medical treatment. Where is the logic in that?
I think healthcare and military are pretty self-explanitory.
So, in what alternate reality do you think I'll actually find my candidate??
August 15 How funnyHere is my horoscope for today, directly copied and pasted, no alterations:
"With all that's been weighing on your mind, you may be getting tired." To borrow one of my daughter's favourite lines...
"Ya think?"
August 14 I need your help!I heard somewhere once that the first step in accomplishing your goal is to tell someone. I decided to put my goals here, so that you can see them and ask me about my progress, encourage, question, whatever - just to keep me going! I have been trying to do everything myself. I give up. I am not Superwoman, it turns out. So here goes:
1. Clean up SOMETHING for 15 minutes every day (thanks Flylady for the 15 min ideas)
2. Track my food and exercise on Sparkpeople EVERY day
3. Drink 8 glasses of water each day.
4. Have a "system" to keep Girl Scouts, PTO, bills, and life in general organized.
5. Write SOMETHING every day.
Ok I think that's enough. Like I said, I'm not Superwoman.
But shhh don't tell anyone! Yawn.Could this day go ANY slower??
My goodness, I need something to do!! Or at least let me go home, I have plenty to do there!
Hopefully things will pick up this afternoon.
  August 13 I love weekends... I never fully appreciated the value of the weekend until this summer when I have not been working every one of them. Every weekend for the past four or five weeks, we have done something special together as a family. We've seen movies, gone to the park, or just played a game. This Saturday we got up fairly early (for a Saturday), had a good breakfast (that I made!), and got started. First we met a wonderful lady who had posted some shoes on Freecycle that were in Emma's size. She is only 9, but is over 5 feet tall and wears a ladies' 8 1/2 shoe. I was only expecting a few, but there were 25 pair in a huge bag! Two of them I could wear, and three she didn't like, and one was too small so her best friend took them home. All in all, she ended up with 19 "new" pairs of shoes! She had been making do with 1 pair of flip-flops and one pair of tennis shoes. Now she has sandles, lots of flip-flops, dress shoes, and casual shoes.
After that we went to an aquarium that is really a huge store but is so big and has so many exotic fish that it is fun to look through. We saw 1 1/2 foot long sharks, huge puffer fish, lots of "Nemo characters," and so many species of coral and tropical fish it was amazing. No simple goldfish at this store! They even had different species of shrimp - all sorts of animals to go in your saltwater aquarium.
After a stop for lunch, we went to the museum at the University of Tennessee. They are having a dinosaur egg exhibit where kids can "dig" up fossilized eggs in gridded-off archaelogical boxes and then identify what species of eggs they are from things they have learned in the exhibit. We toured the rest of the museum, too, and had a really good time.
After the museum, we only had one more stop to make - PetSmart. Emma has been pleading for a year for a pet gerbil, and has been fulfilling her obligation to get one: keep her room clean consistently. Not just clean it up and get one, but KEEP it clean every day. Last weekend on our outing we had stopped by the store to look around (one of her favourite things to do) and she found this albino gerbil and simply fell in love with him. I called Saturday morning and they still had him, and took him out of the display so no one else would buy him before we got there. His name is Sparky, and he is a little ball of energy! He has a ball to run on the floor in, and once he figured out how to get it going, he is unstoppable! He will require a little bit more responsibiliby on her part than the dog, cats, and fish, too, which will be good for her. I fell in love last night His name is Charlie. He is a bit smaller than I am used to, but makes up for it in snuggles and love. He has been neutered and has all his shots. Charlie is a wire haired terrier mix our vet has for adoption. I wanted to take him home so badly! However, we've already promised Emma a gerbil this weekend, after a year of begging and pleading. We just can't get two new pets in the same week. I am so tempted though!
Charlie weighs 15 lbs, is tan and white, and has the cutest little whiskers and a bit of hair that stands up on top of his head. He is good with cats, dogs, and people, has not been mistreated, and is housebroken and leash trained. And adorable! We can't take him now, but if you are in the greater Knoxville area and interested let me know and I will give you the vet's information!
He is so worth it. August 08 "Wife and Mother" I've been exploring other spaces this morning, and something kept jumping out at me. So many people reference other women as "a wife and mother," as in "this wife and mother," "another wife and mother,' "a fellow wife and mother."
I happen to be both of these things myself, but why do we let that identify us? Why can't women who are married and have a child or children be identified as 'a fabulous writer,' "a talented humourist," "a smart lady," or something else that may apply to them. Why must we be known simply as "a wife and mother?"
I may be a wife and mother, but that's not all there is to Me. I love my husband and daughter and will do almost anything for them, but they don't define Me.
So how do I see myself? Very virgo. Organized. Quick. Smart. Sarcastic. Soft-hearted. Earth-conscious. Health-conscious. Reasonable. Logical. Tired. Frustrated. Quiet. Reserved.
So what's wrong with that?
If you are a wife and mother, do you define yourself that way? How do you see yourself? Just have to get this out....I wanna go to Hogwarts! I want a magic wand that will do cool stuff for me! I'm over 17; I can use it to clean my house, help with the cooking, bring things I can't reach, and do repair work. Can you imagine how much a wand would save in cleaning bills, salon visits, and dr visits?
As much as I love reading, and I do, and read often, I have never had a book or series of books make me want to live in their world so much like the Harry Potter books do! Not just the magic wand, I want to visit Hogsmead and Diagon Alley, travel by Floo powder, and have a beautiful owl for company and mail delivery. Imagine, no stamps or lost letters! And, sad to say, I also want the close friendship that Ron, Harry, and Hermione have. I would love to have a friend I could call in the middle of the night when something bad happens, that will help me plan (and execute) all kinds of schemes, and would always be there to help me or support me. Or knock me around if I need it. And that I would do the same for.
And it would be cool to fly on a broomstick  Back to School!Today was Emma's first day back to school. She starts fourth grade today, her last year at this school. She's had her outfit picked out for a week. Her backpack has been ready to go out the door for a week and a half. She went to bed on time, and I packed her lunch last night. I set out my own clothes last night, and got up 30 minutes early. All set for a smooth first day of school, right??
Wrong.
She gets up fine, no problems there. Then wears the dress (cute as it is) that she wore all day Monday and off and on a few times this weekend. I haven't done laundry yet. Then when she changes, she puts on a new t-shirt (fine) and tight, faded, stained, old capris. I explained that these were now play clothes, and she needed to change. That was the beginning of the downfall! The crying, whining, and yelling ensued. I went into her room with her and got three cute, clean capris or shorts out of her closet for her. After five minutes I went back to her room to ask what she wanted for breakfast - and she was still wearing the old ones! Then when she heard we didn't have enough milk left for both a glass of milk and milk on her cereal, the drama got worse. You'd think I'd just grounded her for a year the way she acted! Luckily Daddy stepped in and got her calmed down and fed, and by the time I left for work myself (late now) she was happy and laughing and joking.
If she had been unhappy about going back to school, or dreading it, or anything like that I could understand. But she's been excited about it! She enjoys school, and loves to see her friends. She mostly enjoys the class work, is an A student, and LOVES her teacher. She was especially excited because her teacher from third grade moved up to fourth grade, and every child in the class chose to stay with her. I have no idea what the problem was this morning...
Gotta love the school mornings! August 06 This should be good.I have been debating this for a while, and I finally decided for certain today to become a Girl Scout leader. I talked to the lady at the council office who is in charge of all that, and to another leader, and to my own friends and family members, and today I printed off the application and filled it out. I need to get my reference forms filled out by three different people and send it in, and then I will be set! Now to find a place to hold the meetings... That will be my biggest challenge in starting, I think. I have a few places in mind, but need to get the contact information for them and see if they will allow us to meet there. I was concerned about finding girls for the troop, besides my own daughter, of course, but have been reassured on that front, as well. Now all I have to do is find three people who know me well enough to fill out the forms!
On another note, I picked up several books on writing this weekend, and actually sat down today and tried writing something, It is exhilirating! I had trouble getting started, but once I did the words just kept coming and I didn't want to stop to go back towork! It is the same as when I was in school and had to write a paper - once I make myself start writing ANYTHING the rest seems to take a life of its own! I am excited to continue on with it and see where this leads. August 05 Can I do it?Okay, now that I no longer want to work in retail, I have been struggling to figure out what exactly I want to be when I "grow up" - I do officially grow up next year, you know  . It is very hard to change careers, I have found out. While I have years of college and years of experience in one field, in another I have nothing to show. While I may KNOW that I can do something and probably would be quite good at it, I have nothing on paper - as in my resume. And it seems that however much I may know I can do something, companies are going to go with the person with lots on paper. So anyway, I have been thinking about my options, searching job sites and newspaper listings, and trying to find something that not only would pay the bills but that I would enjoy. Somehow I keep going back to something I've wanted to do since I was a kid - write. I used to be very good at it, you know. I was an excellent high school journalist, even won state awards! But who cares about high school, right? Still nothing on my resume. Yesterday we took a huge pile of books to a used book store, and since the trade offer was twice the cash offer, we bought books . I love books! I wandered over to the writing section, and picked up several on getting started writing. I think I may give this a try. And, it's something I can do around a normal job, so that I am not pressured to get on with it to make ends meet. I have lots of ideas, and I hope the books I got will help me begin to get them all down on paper. We will see, I suppose.And just so you know, my "writing" is better than my blogging  . I see blogging as a conversation with my friends and family, whoever may read this. I write in here like I talk, as if I am having a conversation. Thus Conversations With Christine. The words come onto the screen as they come into my head. |
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