Hulk Has Left the Building

What an extremely busy week we had last week. [Oh bless our hearts for having to go back to the real world. Shut it. It's been rough.] We had two fabulous days of school on Thursday and Friday. And, of course, our week ended with football Friday night!! [I would have added "Fabulous Football Friday Night" but we lost miserably so it was more like "Frightful Football Friday Night". It was one of those nights that I was trying to pawn that coach I love so much off on others for fear he was going to be down in the dumps. He was cool so I let him come home.]

Then early Saturday morning we wrangled the entire Short clan into the Short Mobile and headed to the mountains to see my sweet Molly run. Of course, just past Tryon, NC [a quaint little town off of I-26] the smallest Shortie says, "Daddy I have to pee."
"Ok buddy. I will stop in a minute."
[Exactly 10.45 seconds later....]
"Daddy, I really have to pee."
"Gabe there isn't anywhere to stop."
[Exactly 1.67 seconds later....] "DADDY, I have to PEE!"
[Mom intervenes...] "Just pull the car over and let him go."
"But there isn't a place near the woods."
[Exactly .83 seconds later....] "I HAVE TO PEE BAD!!!"
"Woods are not necessary Craig and if you don't pull over soon he's not going to have to pee any longer."
[Exactly .009 of a second later....] "Ahhhh....now the snakes will have disgusting pee grass to crawl through. They like disgusting things."
We did make it to Hendersonville to see Molly's race. She finished beautifully and we celebrated by eating too much at Cracker Barrel on the way home.

We were hoping to catch a late afternoon nap but the smallest Shorties had different plans. I took Gabe into the bedroom to see if he would sleep on the bed but that didn't happen. I did doze off for a half a second only to wake up to Craig shouting something about a hotel. [What?] It was one of those moments where I sat straight up on the bed and tried to be a part of the conversation but only ended up looking like an idiot. "What? You have to go to a hotel? Right now? Why? What happened? Who is there?" What Craig really said was that in order to get any rest he should go to a hotel. By then we were all awake [well Gabe and Emma had never really been asleep], Craig was really ill, and I figured rolling over to sleep [because I could sleep through an atomic bomb] would not be kosher with the Short so we all got up. [Yeah...one big happy family....]

Emma decided Sunday afternoon that she was going to change the water in the fish bowl [well not really a bowl but more like a fish rectangle]. She and Gabe both have beta fish - hers is named Slicky Ricky and Gabe's is named Hulk. She started off well by putting the new water in the cups then putting the fish in the cups to change the water and clean the rocks then it happened: She put Gabe's fish back into the rocks without enough water to cover him completely. [Now I'm no fish doctor but I am to assume that the water deprivation, if only for a few (30 or so) seconds, might not be good for Mr. Beta Fish.] Later that night we had a fish catastrophe...Hulk departed this life for a nice aquarium in the sky [via the KM sewage system] but we didn't tell Gabe. [Not sure why but we're new at this hey-Gabe-your-pet-fish-died kind of thing. Remember - we don't do pets.] I had to tell him today when he wanted to know what happened to Hulk. He just assumed that a sharp rock stabbed him and went on about his business. Call it loneliness or the mourning of Hulk's sudden passing, but Slicky Ricky's looking a little sad tonight....I guess we'll be heading to the pet store for replacement fish [that would be TWO] very soon.

I am asking for some prayers for a few foks tonight. One is for an old friend, recently diagnosed with cancer, who is facing chemo treatments in the coming weeks. Another is for a new friend from church who will be going to the doctor tomorrow with both reservation and anticipation. [I know that seems sort of opposite but it makes perfect sense in my head.] I know that my God is holding both of these situations in His mighty hands. One of my favorite songs by Finding Favour says it best:

I am the comfort when you are afraid
I am the refuge when you call my name
I was, I’ll be, I am
I am the future, I am the past
I am the first, and I am the last

I was, I'll be, I am.

As always, life as a Short couldn't get any better :)

Mercy Filter Revisted

Let me begin by clarifying my post from last night about a person with an "elitist" attitude. I didn't use my mercy filter [apparently I failed to even pull it out of my pocketbook] and I apologize. I could go in and delete the post but that doesn't mean I didn't say it and so many have read it by now so I can't deny it either. Honestly, I really shouldn't worry about it and I probably should have kept it to myself. The entire point in even bringing it up was to discuss me making better choices in how I feel when put in those situations. If this person doesn't like me then that is their business.

I promise to practice filtering my words more carefully before speaking [or typing] in the future. I love high school football games at KM and watching my favorite coach and that should be what matters most anyway :)

Choosing

Football Friday Nights are back!!! Woooo hoooo!!! I absolutely love watching my favorite coach do his thing on the sidelines. [Like messing with his hat and getting upset over a busted play or totally excited over an awesome play.] EXCEPT...he's in the pressbox this year [or on top of the pressbox or what resembles a pressbox] and I can't see him anymore! [Well I could but I would probably get super strange looks from the folks near me wondering why I'm watching the sky while everyone else is watching the field.] He has moved from defense to offense this year and decided he wanted to try something new. He likes it so I'm cool with it. [I guess.]

We won the season opener. It was an ugly game but we won. [And there's not an asterisk next to the "W" that says sloppy game so we're good.] Being the first game of the season I'm guessing it gives the coaches a chance to see what works, what doesn't, and what they should change. The team is young this season but I thought they played pretty well considering some "forced" changes on both sides of the ball. We had fun and the weather was perfect :)

It's funny to me that some people, like at football games, try to act as if they don't know you...like they've never seen you before....like you are the black plague. [Which, incidentally, was carried by the fleas on the rats through Europe. These little nuggets of info are free to you - You are welcome!!] I laughed [out loud] when I saw someone walk in front of me at the game last night, look right at me, and ignore me. I was ready to speak, actually had my hand in front of me to wave, and they turned their head - not once, but twice. Was I offended? Nah...consider the source. It's just funny that people will hide behind their computers on Facebook or even their own children and "pretend" to be interested or friendly but when the rubber meets the road they are only in it for themselves. Should I be surprised? Not really. I just find it comical that some folks have such an "elitist" attitude. A while back I would have been totally upset and worried that I did something wrong but now [that I've come to my senses, have confidence, and simply do not have the time deal with hateful people] it makes me laugh.

I guess we can make so many choices nowadays that it can be overwhelming. For instance, at the ball game, Gabe could not decide on the candy he wanted from the concession stand. [Tough choices like Reese's, M&M's, Airheads, Skittles - Do you want sugar coated chocolate, chocolate coated peanut buttery sugar, sticky, chewy sugar, or sugar rolled into a gooey, flat stick?] Today I had to pick the milkshake I wanted from Tony's. [Something with chocolate and you can't go wrong]. Molly had to decide to steal home or not. [Unfortunately, she needs to decide quicker because she got tagged out.] Life is full of choices. Here lately, through some personal reflection, I've decided that choosing to be happy, to live happily, and to cut worrying to a minimum [I would say not worry at all but then that would simply be a laughable, flat-out lie.] Another great example from said football game [great...my life revolves around football....again] was the fact that a man sittinng just behind me complained ALL night about the game. He complained about the coaches [they lack time management skills...we should've punted....tell him to block] then he complained about the kids [Peyton Manning runs the clock all the way down before snapping the ball....he should've caught that ball....that boy doesn't run hard] and finally the refs [that was clearly pass interference....that was a bad spot....refs don't take water breaks]. In the past [as in last football season] I probably would've lost my cool and said something to him, something along the lines of this:
1. My husband is a coach who puts in countless hours, gets paid like a buck o'five an hour, and misses time with his family to work with this group of boys that are anywhere from 14 to 18. If you believe for even half a second that you can coach any better than get yourself an UA Kings Mountain shirt and by all means, have a go at it.
2. In case you haven't noticed, Peyton Manning is a seasoned quarterback, a Heisman trophy nominee [FYI...I have boycotted the Heisman since then and will continue], and comes from a FAMILY of fantastic high school, college, and NFL quarterbacks. The young man at quarterback is young, he's a leader, and he's trying. He is going to make mistakes but if he learns from these mistakes [since this is the FIRST game of the season and non-conference at that] then he will continue to improve.
3. The refs do take water breaks per a new rule from the refs association in NC and they could care less what you think about them. [Neither do I.]

But, I kept my mouth shut. I actually didn't even get upset. Really. I didn't turn around and say anything. I didn't make an obnoxious and very loud comment for him to hear. And I sure didn't let it ruin my evening. In the past, that stuff would eat at me and then I would be a nervous wreck or upset. But I chose to ignore it and not worry about this man. I can't change what he said but I can change my reaction to him. Why allow him to steal my happiness? It just wasn't worth it. I am looking forward to football season and all of those people that doubt everything that the coaches are working hard to accomplish really have zero clue what coaching is all about anyway. Choosing to just ignore it and not worry about him made me a happy girl :)

I am looking forward to an amazing Sunday worship service at FBC-KM and then an amazing afternoon with my Shorties. As always, life is good :)

Keeper of the Roly Poly

Today was a long day in my classroom. I finally [heck, I've only had all summer] started unpacking boxes and putting things away. I guess, since I've put all that crap up, that I have to go back to work. [Well that and the fact that I have little habits like wanting to eat and have a roof over my head.] Speaking of crap, [don't hear that much do ya?] I have a ton of it. I have carried around a large bag of popcorn kernels and some pink wire since I taught fourth grade over 8 years ago. For what reason? [I was really hoping you could tell me.] I just can't part with it...even though I do not teach electricity or the science of popcorn. Again, there's a ton of crap that I could part with but what if I need it?

Today was a fun day with the babies. I took Emma and Gabe with me to work in my room so that Molly and Cooper could sleep a little bit. [Actually, I left them a list of chores to do and I knew if Emma and Gabe were at home then they wouldn't get anything done.] While we were in my classroom they played principal and secretary. Of course, [because we are completely stereotypical here at the Short house] Emma was the nurse and Gabe was the principal. Emma was Nurse Caldwell and Gabe was Principal Fort. Emma pretended to call every student to the office to give them a flu shot while Gabe pretended to take care of kids that were acting up. Just listening to them made putting up all of my crap so much easier and way more fun.

Craig bought me some beautiful hanging baskets for Mother's Day. They were some kind of petunia hybrid. They were gorgeous until...they began to smell like manure. You heard it right folks, manure. Straight up stink. [I have no green thumbs so I was super proud of these until they started stinking then I blamed it on Craig for buying them. Pass the buck. It works.] Cooper and I took them to the dump, along with some other stuff, and Gabe asked to ride with us. In his tiny, dirty little fingers he held a roly poly. "We find these all the time at daycare. I love them." Coop took a look at it and said, "Ummm....I think that one is a asleep permanently Gabe." [You know, dead. Geez....] Gabe's response? "Cooper I think I know alot about them and they always look like this when you hold them. They make a ball and I know." Self proclaimed king of the roly poly right here in my house - who knew?

Molly is working on tolerance and would appreciate your prayers [or at the very least stop doing things that irritate her so much]. She is JUST LIKE HER DADDY! It is scary. [Of course, my legacies are Cooper and Emma so I can't say a thing.] She has one plan in her head [HER plan] and when things don't go her way then she's "annoyed" or "irritated" or "everything is stupid." Tolerance. I tell her, "Everyone ain't like you sister." [That annoys her.] I tell Craig the same thing [but I don't call him sister] and he's working on it. I know I'm not perfect ['bout time you folks were privy to that little news nugget] and there are lots of things I have to work on [and Craig frequently reminds me of that] and I am trying as well. Apparently, after Craig's little workshop today he has pegged me as the classic right brain learner ~ random, disorganized, creative, not punctual, and spontaneous ~ I hate it when he's right about me. [He probably organized and alphabetized all those words before he read them to me. Left brain people are boring.] So what if I am not quite sure which drawers of my dresser hold work-out clothes, tshirts, or pajamas? It's my stuff. I don't worry that your stuff isn't disorganized so don't worry about mine. Glad we had this discussion.

We had a guest minister this past Sunday and he discussed having a "mercy filter" when you are talking to others that might "grate" at your nerves [hint, hint Molly]. We are all guilty because we are human. In fact, it really stepped on my toes. It also made me think about lots of situations and how I have handled them and how I could have shown mercy but I didn't. Craig's been dealing with some issues and struggling with some decisions and this message was timely for him as well. He and I had a long discussion tonight about some "gossip" pertaining to him and he really was upset. I found myself saying [outloud] "Mercy filter!" I told him that we cannot change what people say only how we react to their words. Besides, God's got bigger plans for him and that is where he needs to put his focus. I love my favorite coach but I also know that God's desire isn't for us to be comfortable but to find comfort in Him. Prayers are appreciated :)

Tomorrow begins a new year at school. I would be telling a lie if I said I was super excited because I am not. [Honesty is always best isn't it?] I think it's just the anxiety of getting my room ready - that is just stressful. I love teaching science. I simply love teaching. Once I get my crap out and where I want it, then it will feel more like my home away from home and all will be good.

As always, life as a Short, is really awesome :)

Is it Possible to Get Paid to Do Nothing?

I am singing the blues. [Honestly, if I sing, you will be blue. More than likely, you will be gone. Yep, it's that bad.] The End of Summer blues. The I Gotta Go Back to Work blues. The I Gotta Ton of Crap to Unpack in my Classroom Blues. Right about now some of you sucked your teeth and said, "Girl, get over it. Get a real job and work all summer. Bless your heart nothing...." and my response [thought you'd never ask] is me sticking out my tongue. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you had every opportunity to got to college to earn your degree and Master's to get an underpaying job with the summer's off just like me. Don't hate - appreciate. [I know. That was really bad.]

I am not ready to return to school. I'm just not in that working mood at the moment. Actually, I was pondering if I could get a job just doing nothing. Can I get paid to sit at home and read craft blogs and do nothing? [Seriously. You think I'm kidding?] I mean yes, there are merits to working with kids every day and teaching something I love ['cause I'm a geek and one day we will rule the world] and being able to interact with middle schoolers [no, I did not smoke crack before saying that...they are kind of cool in their weird sort of way]. But how cool would it be if I just got paid to do zip all day? I should win the lottery. I should start playing the lottery - that would greatly improve my chances of winning - I think.

Gabe knows how to use the DVR. What a cruel twist of fate - I don't even know how to use the DVR yet my four year old records every show he can. Today he was on a Phenius and Ferb kick [which by the way is a sort of cool show for Disney because some of their shows are just dumb] but usually he is recording MAD TV ['cause that's an appropriate show to be watching at four...] or something really random. He doesn't like missing his shows to do things like eat or use the restroom so he either hits pause or record. Again, I don't know how to use the futuristic remote thingy so how can he?

The other day Craig made [yes, he twisted all of our arms and tied us to the couch] us watch some dumb show called Fantasy Factory [this dude gets paid to do NOTHING!!!] about Rob Dyrdek [apparently a skateboarder...paid to do NOTHING!!!!]. His cousin, named Drama, seems to have an apparent "affinity" for the crash test dummy used in the factory. Not really but Rob makes it look that way by putting the dummy outside the bathroom or next to Drama's computer or in his car. As the show was ending, Rob throws the dummy off the roof to Drama to which Gabe says, "Does this mean their relationship is over?" What? How did he get relationship out of that fiasco called TV? What four year old says relationship? [What parents let their four year old watch Fantasy Factory?]

Emma went to art camp last week with Craig's high school art teacher. She had an absolute blast. [I would post pictures but I lost my camera battery charger somewhere between Calgary and here so until the budget Nazi lets me purchase another the pictures will be few.] Every day there was a new adventure and she was so excited. This Thursday we get to head to the Arts Council for an art show featuring work from the summer camps. She loves art. [She's just preparing for that tattoo job in Vegas in the future :)]

Cooper embarks on a new adventure this week with his inaugural middle school football practice on Wednesday. It's like a rite of passage for him. No more small time, Saturday football. He'll be wearing a snazzy uniform and hitting the same field that his pops coaches on every Friday night. I can't wait to see him. [I just hope he gets to play at least some of the time and doesn't just ride the pine.] He is super excited.

Molly is embarking on her Sophomore year in high school. Wow....I've said it before, but where did all the time go? She's driving much better [as long as she is with me because Craig makes her nervous...he talks too much] and gaining more confidence behind the wheel. [There are only those occasional "ooops" moments now instead of daily ones.] She'll be driving my dad's 1997 Honda Accord so she'll have to learn to drive a stick shift [say that three times fast] so we've got to get the car and let her practice [Yeah]. She's had the time of her life this summer and I am so happy because she deserves it :)

From our house [getting into back-to-reality mode] to yours may God's blessings be many and your worries be few. As always, life as a Short is just awesome :)

Faith

http://amycaldwellbixby.blogspot.com/

If you don't do anything else tonight I am asking that you take the time to read the above blog. I came across this posted on a friend's wall on Facebook tonight. This is sad and amazing at the same time. This is the kind of faith I want and need. We all need it. I am praying for this woman, her family, and for all of those in this world dealing with catastrophic disease, illness, and circumstances. My petty little "problems" are just that - petty. God has so much more He wants from me than what I am giving Him and it is sad it takes a dying woman to show me that.

Please read this tonight. And pray.

Feed Them and They Will Come

So I solicited help to rid my room of the attack of the killer rainbow from a few of Molly's biffles. Our adventure started several weeks ago with an all out assault on the stripes and some spiffing up of the ancient [seriously ancient] lone storage I have in the room. This week we tackled the room [and if you saw the floor you would think it was more like paint wrestling - like with midgets (Craig would NOT be in attendance) and rednecks] and we successfully painted every square inch of cinder block wall....THE WRONG FLIPPIN' COLOR! That is right...you read that correctly...we managed to finish the room in record time and it is painted the wrong color :) [Not on purpose. I mean, I didn't intend to grab the wrong five gallon can of paint. I didn't purposefully NOT read the top of the can that said "trim". Attention to detail is not my forte.] Actually, when I poured the first pan of paint I found it a strange, sort of taupe color [which should have been my first clue] that looked very different than the pain in the room. Thinking nothing of it [thank you Captain Obvious] I said [actually outloud] "Oh well" and proceeded to paint away. About halfway through, on a random errand [aka get me outta this room for a minute] I ended up in the AP's office and much to my surprise the trim around her door was the same color as my room. So I decided to check that paint can and in LARGE, BOLD letters were the words "2nd story trim" and, for a brief [when I say brief I mean like a 1,000,000th of a second] moment I contemplated repainting the whole blasted room. Instead, I said [outloud, again] "Keep Calm and Carry On." I did [as any coward who has made this kind of mistake] email my principal and tell him what happened and all was forgiven.

Tomorrow I have the task of cleaning all the paint out of the floor. My laborers were AWESOME and they worked very hard but neatness was not an option for us. There is paint in the floor but with some elbow grease and a lot of persuasion from Mr. Paint Thinner I think we can strike a deal. [And if not? Lots and lots of furniture in random places to hide the paint. I've done this before people...]

I knew that I had to do something to entice the young folks to help me so I fed them pizza. Last time we went to Swooger's but the budget's squeaking a little so I decided to opt for something with a little more bang for my buck. [Plus, I doubted they wanted pretzels, Spaghettios, and BBQ chips with water for lunch.] Lunch was fun and there was food aplenty. I was very appreciative that they were willing to give up two days, of the last few they have, to help me paint. The job went very quickly [plus Craig did not have to paint because he hates painting as much as he hates rats and midgets] and we had fun [and there is paint on everything to prove it].

Tonight I took Emma and Gabe letterboxing while Molly was at softball practice at the Abbey. The first box was hidden in the cemetery near a large depiction of the Christ on the cross. Gabe was simply fascinated and in awe. He had lots of questions about how Jesus was crucified and why he was crucified. What an awesome experience as a parent to be able to share Jesus in such a powerful way.

Then....we saw a monk. [Not uncommon at a monastery but not everyone lives near a monestery.] Of course, when we saw him, the window in my car was down. And, of course, [some of you know where I'm going with this one] Gabe had to say something:

Gabe: What in the world does that man have on? [Window wide open]

Me: He is a monk and that is his robe.

Gabe [Window still wide open]: Well you know what they say about men in costumes.....

Where does he get this stuff? This morning he told Cooper to get away from him because Cooper is his, and I quote, "Arch Nimpisis" aka "Arch Nemisis". To beat it all, his "girlfriend" spent the night with Molly [of course she is older] and he told her yesterday that she was fantastically hot [to which Craig gave the fist pump]. This morning he went in talk to her and he licked his finger and smoothed his hair before walking in to visit. [You know, forget important hygiene details like washing his face or brushing his teeth as long as the hair is looking Rico Suave.] The boy is a mess and that is what makes him Gabe.

And football has begun, school will be starting soon, cross country started for Molly, Cooper starts football on Monday, Emma wants to take dance, and I am in serious need of a fitness makeover [an overall makeover in general...I'm feeling old and SUPER fat these days]. So goes life as a Short....awesome :)

The Summer's {ALMOST} Out of Reach

OK....I've been busy. [It takes a lot of time to sleep until 10am everyday then lay around the house...just sayin'] Really, besides laying around and sleeping until 10am, I have been doing other things like...umm...let's see....let me get back to you on that one ok?

Actually, Craig and I had the privilege to visit Calgary on a mission trip for the second year in a row. We flew up there [our arms sure were tired *du dump ching*] two Saturdays ago and spent the entire week partnering with Southwinds Church and Tim and Andrea Whitesides, along with a team from Wyoming, to help with Upward basketball camp, kids fun days, and block parties. Calgary is a beautiful city and the outskirts are even more beautiful. The weather was perfect [and we picked a good week considering it was hotter than 50 barrells of H-E-double hockey sticks here] and as always, God was alive and present. This year, for the first time, basketball camp was held indoors! We didn't have to put up and tear down every single day, there was plenty of room, and no cleaning up the court. When God closes one door he opens up a better door if we only listen to the knocking.

Craig had an AMAZING encounter with one of our players [Yes, Craig and I coached together. Can you believe I survived? Can you believe he put up with me?] and there is no doubt that bother were put together for a reason. She has Downs syndrome and was, to put it mildly, very headstrong [See, he's had tons of practice living with me all these years so it was no sweat] and sure of her abilities. She LOVED Craig to death [he does have good qualities every now and then that supercede his turd-like qualities] and he loved her as well. She told him on the first day, as our team went through the

stations, that she didn't need to learn all this because she knew how to play :) She loved dribbling the ball and shooting, no matter if it was her turn or not. It was so great watching him work with her and seeing how much fun both were having together. At the end of the week, she and her family to the last fun day of the year and she told Craig she loved him...and he loves her. There are no accidental or chance meetings - God's got it all figured out if we just listen.

Our week was filled with other fun adventures and blessings. We were able to, once again, see the beauty of God's handiwork at Moraine Lake and in the stunning Canadian Rockies. We visited Banff [which is a very cool little town] and went inside the Banff Springs Hotel. All I can say is WOW! This place is gorgeous, swanky, and a little creepy. In fact, I told Eddie that it reminded me of the hotel from The Shining [all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. I actually looked for little girls on tricycles and axes while we were inside]. When I say swanky, I do mean SWANKY. You could tell the folks that were stayin' there were not from our tribe.

Our biggest animal sighting was that of a grizzery bear. [I know, it is grizzly, but there is a story here so stay with me.] Riding along the highway into Banff National Forest it is very likely you will spot an animal that one might not see normally. In fact, so many animals rome the roads that there are fences and animal crosswalks over the highway. [The local squirrels, skunks, and deer could really take a lesson here and stop running out in front of us.] We pulled over when Craig spotted a grizzly bear near the fence...and several more cars pulled over too. Craig overheard this conversation from an Asian family:

Dad: Uh...is it a grizzery bear or a bracka bear?

Son [obviously embarassed by his dad's lack of bear knowledge]: It's a griZZLY bear Dad!

Now some of you will not find the humor in that at all but imagine this little, tiny Asian man saying this with his Asian accent. We thought it was funny.

Back to the bear, it was so cute. [Cute in a thank-goodness-there-is-distance-and-a-fence-between-me-and-you kinda way.] He [I am assuming it was a he but I failed to ask] sort of posed for us, standing on his back legs, then wandered off into the woods like we were boring him. It was really neat so the rest of the trip we stayed glued to the windows to see if we could spot other wildlife but this was are only big find. We had fun just the same.

Each night was had the opportunity to Skype with the kids instead of calling them. [Last year's trip put us in the hole about $250 because, even with the Canada plan, the calls were incredibly overpriced.] The first two nights Emma just cried [as she said she would before we left] and Gabe was more interested in watching himself in the small screen on his computer. Cooper [acting every bit of his 12 years old] would either dance in the background or stealthily insert his head so that the webcam would pick him up. The only ones with any sense were Molly and Lacey. [Not a shocker I know.] Gabe even did the robot for us one night. His only conversation topics were if we were bringing him something and to tell us some random bits about his day. We certainly enjoyed getting to see them every night [and the budget Nazi rested easy knowing we were not breaking the bank to speak to our children].

I cannot believe that the summer is almost gone. [Some of you are eye-rolling right now and mumbling something about teachers having summers off and stop complaining and blah, blah, blah. Shut it.] Hence my reference to the Boys of Summer song from Don Henley [for those of you that did pick up on that]. I have so much to do to prepare for school like finishing painting my room, putting up all my crap, figuring out how I am going to get there on time [since I live the closest of ANYONE in the building], and all that other nonsense that comes along with going back to work. I am hoping the painting goes by quickly so I can focus on actually doing the school stuff. We will see...hopefully if I feed them they will come and paint :)

Football practice has started. I love football season. I love football. [Yes, I am cool like that.] I especially love college football. Notre Dame is coming to Winston-Salem this year to play Wake Forest and I think we are going to take the kiddos. College football is the best because they are playing for the pure excitement of playing and not for money [not that we know of anyway]. Yeah for football season!

I promise not to wait so long between posts this time [of course, that will cut into my sleeping and laying around the house all day] and I will find some more pics of Canada to share. As always, life is amazingly awesome :)