Summer Time

I know it has been a long time. But I have holed up in my house long enough. What am I up to? Not much... I go for a walk with our dog everyday at 7pm. I attend local inservices on technology I can use in the classroom. I really wish UofA had required a course on technology in education. but I'm learning a lot and am going to have much more time in the computer lab next year. I've been reading and watching films. I worked on some scrapbook pages and I've been researching Master degree programs. So please use the 'comment' feature and tell me what you are doing this summer.

Sascha Leon

Another pet... Yes, we love animals and have a lot of love to offer. We did our research and found a trainer who rescues German Sheperd dogs from animal shelters on d-day. She trains them, provides vet and basic health records, and then adopts them out after meeting with you. She even trains you and your family with what the dog has learned.

We love our new dog, Sascha Leon, and she is perfect for us. She is a calm dog and is responding to training very well. The kids adore her and she is keeping me plenty of company. We looked at another dog but it became apparent that he was to attention needy and I'd never be able to get any work done with him around. As I'm typing, Sascha is laying down on the floor quite content.

Of course she wasn't like that last night- she was so excited with the new house and anxious about her new family that she kept pacing and exploring. Josh stayed up with her until 2:30 when he finally put her in the garage. See- he had given her a bone and she was eagerly chewing it down into splinters, sounding like a grinder and keeping him awake. It took her most of the morning but she is calmed down and looks happy now and her ears are perky.

I'll post a picture as soon as possible.

Love to all!

Cameron

Cameron- yup that is the name of our newest family member- a snake.

Anthony wanted a pet for his birthday present. He suggested a hamster and when I told him hamsters poop everywhere he offered up guinea pig. Same problem of course and as I heard my boy's eager voice all I could think about was allergies and the mess these critters leave. So I racked my brain and thought of a creature that would not be messy or bother anybodys allergies. Yes, yes me, I suggested a snake. I can promise you up until this time I can recall touching only three snakes in my life. I am not a snake fan.

So yesterday- after Josh and me discussed it, we went all in. Cameron is a Ball Python, and while we are calling him a boy we really don't know what sex the snake is. He is in a terriarium in my son's room and is enjoying his home very well. For that mattter I even held the snake for a long time and have handled him several times so Anthony or Shanee can hold him.

I thought I wanted a little gardner snake or corn snake but I learned they move very quickly. Just what I need, my little boy can't hold onto a mover. But the Ball Python is a docile slower moving snake.

At the store we discovered Cameron and as the other snake was not a nice snake we decided it better to buy the right tempermant pet now rather then try to purchase a good snake at the last minute.

So now our home is full of critters- four fish, three baby turtles, and a snake. Oh and the Easter Bunny brought two coupons for ducklings. They will stay in a box or the bathtub until we can release them outside. I'll let you know about them when the store gets a new shipment of baby ducks.

Love you all!

Prayers are answered in time

Well my prayers are answered- time heals everything. Don't know yet how this problem will resolve itself but I feel confident that we'll be fine. My heart is full and my nerves are calm. See I'm offering to fork over the dough to change the plane tickets and I imagine that Mike will eventually agree. Otherwise he'll be getting a letter that informs him the children will not fly with him and I will drive them at the end of June. So whether he makes it easy or complicated is up to him, but I will not be pushed around. He called this morning and left a message that he wanted to talk about the summer visitation so that is a good sign when the past two weeks have consisted of him hanging up on me and ignoring reasonable suggestions. I am avoiding calling him back because we call in the evening and not during the day. Otherwise he expects me to be home 24/7 and he really doesn't need to know what my schedule is. So we should have this wrapped up soon enough.

My Mom is visting us here this week and we'll be picking her up at the airport on Friday. I am anxious as we've not had an family here yet. So we are getting spring cleaning done in honor of her arrival. I would have put it off until May otherwise. I'm glad that I'm getting it knocked out now. The kids put on my stockpile of hand-me-down clothes and they are set for shorts and sandals. All we have to worry about is the rest.

Josh is still looking for work and is discouraged as the local police departments aren't hiring at the moment. One of the departments will start going through their applications in May and he probably has a job in another field come April 1. So we are crossing our fingers and are praying that it pans out.

God keeps watching out for us though as my after school class is finished this month and I can get paid for it in my next check so Josh being out of work won't hurt us too much.

I'm taking the summer off- I thought about teaching a summer class. I even sent in my application but decided I needed some down time. I have to get caught up on my reading for my courses and this leaves me free to take inservice oppurtunities this summer.

Hope this finds you well. God Bless you all!

The Tragedy of Othello

I took my senior students to see a Shakespeare play and while most of them behaved themselves, I am amazed by how similiar our youth are to Shakespeare's audience. The audience for the play was composed of seniors, honors 11th and 10th graders and still they talked through the entire play, hooted and whistled because the characters were attractive and laughed at inappropiate moments. I had to block out laughing as a character mourned the death of another character. If our youth is really this corse then I imagine that we are in for a world of hurt. It scares me that students can't figure out how to behave in this world and have zero self restraint. Fortanetly I will be and am an optimist if we don't try to change the situation then it falls back on our shoulders. As for the parents that are raising these kids well god help them. The method of letting kids make decisions and being sweet and positive discipline turns them into spoiled rotten self centered children who grow up to be spoiled rottten self centered adults. What an eye-opener!!

God Grant me Peace!

I keep praying to God for patience and courage but yet again my patience and courage are being tested. The kids father in AZ is taking actions that require hiring a lawyer again. He is taking the kids for 9 weeks when he is only allowed 5 weeks this summer. So I need a court order to force him to make the change as he has refused to change the plane ticckets. Or I can refuse to let the children board the plane.

Please pray for me as I battle this and move forward protecting my children from what is wrong and protecting myself from being taken advantage of and victimized by someone that I don't want in my life or want to allow to control my emotions or happiness. I know that I will have to communicate with him so he cna know his children but I do not have to let him abuse me or abuse my children's happiness.

When they came home last year they were not my children, they came back spoiled and talking back. They mistakenly thought they were adults and could demand things of me and their Dad (step). It took nearly a month to get our world back in order. I cannot allow them to be gone so long- they wouldn't have any opportunity to have summer fun with Mom.

Frankly, I just can't imagine my kids being happy about being away from their home for so long. Just pray...

God said to turn the other cheek but he also spoke up and said why do you strike me I have done nothing to you. It is this thought that keeps me going and gives me the power and belief that I can and should fight for my children's best interest and not allow someone to walk all over us.

Valentine Dance

When you scrimp and save for years in college it takes awhile to get used to the idea you don't have to cut every corner in your pocketbook. Josh and I went out on Friday, the church held a couples Valentines dinner and dance. We had a lovely dinner, met some very interesting people, and boggied down to some great oldie tunes.

My favorite part of the evening was the 'twist.' Everybody can do that dance and WOW did it wear me out. It felt great to get out and have a real date. We go out plenty but it sure felt great to have a night of fun.

Sunday we went to dinner with some friends of ours. We plan on goinng out again but without the kids next time.

It feels great to have a social life and good friends. Try doing without a social life for several years and see how wonderful you feel getting out of the house again.

I'm looking forward to the weather warming up and taking the kids out hiking and out for picnics. There is a good place to feed ducks nearby that we haven't visited yet. We've talked about fishing too- that might be around the corner.

What is your favorite weekend get away?