Jacobson Wedding

Kenny and I went to our friend's wedding last month in Portage. We had a great time despite me still getting over that nasty sinus infection. We really did have fun though. The first picture is us, Kenny AS USUAL being goofy. Then the bride and groom (blurry), and then us dancing. I don't know what the look is on Kenny's face.....he was seriously cutting up the floor dancing! I asked him what the look was all about, and he didn't know. Anyway, we danced forever and had a great time. Kenny flung his Joseph Abboud tie around and then it disappeared. Ooopps!! Bet he won't do that again! He's always the life of the party:)

Celebrate

Thanks to all those who have given their lives for our country, to those who have fought and come home safe, and those families who have lost a loved one or supported a loved one fighting for our country. I hope EVERYONE has a restful, peaceful day today, whatever you are doing. And cheers to a 4 day week!!

Soul Patrol Soul Patrol Soul Patrol!!

Yay Taylor!!!!!! Congratulations on winning American Idol!

Pistons vs Heat

DEEEEEE-TROOOIIIT-BASKET-BAAAALL!!!!

Click here to hear the real thing!

Who will it be??

As much as I hate to admit it, I'm into American Idol this season. I didn't watch it from the beginning, only for about a month now, but nevertheless, I'm hooked. I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope Taylor wins because he isn't the typical American Idol. He's kinda goofy looking but he can move and sing and he's entertaining as anything! Katherine McPhee has the look, but not the talent, and she most definitley CANNOT dance. Usually the chic wins because she has the "look," but maybe this time it won't be like that. What do you think?

Be Kind To You

I stumbled across this quote today:

"Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." —Eleanor Roosevelt

I think it fits just perfectly. There's SO much truth to it. If someone says something that makes you feel like crap, there's a chance you've already judged yourself. Be kind to you...sometimes, no one else will.

Twenty-one things

I received this email (forward) today and even though everyone sends these things constantly, I really think this one is worth reading again. Here it is:

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

I can honestly say that I do many of these things, and when I think about it, it HAS made me a better person, and more importantly, a loving person.

One Half

I've just about wrapped up teaching fractions to my second graders, and I pulled out the old Judy clock today to see how much they could tell me about telling time. I'm counting the hours and moving the big hand around the face of the clock, all the usual stuff you do when you first introduce telling time. They seemed to get telling time on the hour, so I showed them the half hour concept, and one of the girls says (after she raises her hand politely, of course), "That's like one half!! I get it! When you say the 'hour' and then 'thirty,' it's like a half of a circle, that's why it's called a half hour!" I had to wipe the tears away. No really, it was cool. These moments don't happen too often this year, as it's been a tough bunch of kiddos, but when they do happen, I savor every second of it and go home feeling like I did something right.

Yet another tale from the classroom...

This one is classic. Every day I invite a student or two to "lunch with the teacher." These kids have been good and earned it. So they bring their lunches and we sit in a cozy room next to the cafeteria together for the 7.5 minutes we are given to scarf our food. Nice, eh? Anyway, one of the boys today asked me if I was ever a baby. It went like this:

Student: Miss L, you were a baby once?
Me: Yes, I was a baby. I was born just like you, and I grew up just like you are doing right now.
Student: How did you get to school?
Me: What do you mean?
Student: Who took you?
Me: Well, my parents took me to school, just like your mom brings you to school.
Student: YOU HAD PARENTS?!?!?!??!?!

The conversation went on, but I won't bore you with the rest of it. This was the best part. I've heard stories about how teachers were asked questions like this, but I never expected to really hear it. Do I have parents? Wait till the kid gets to health class in 6th grade. He'll really be in for a surprise when he finds out how HE got here.

What's a Michigan Spring Like??

This is a poem that a kid wrote (not one of mine). This kid MUST be from Michigan. Note the quick change in weather:)

Spring, Almost

The sunshine gleams so bright and warm,
The sky is blue and clear.
I run outdoors without a coat,
And spring is almost here.
Then before I know it,
Small clouds have blown together,
Till the sun just can't get through them,
And again, it's mitten weather.

Proof that spring is here (other than my allergies)

Here are a couple pictures snapped while I was getting my weekly massage. Kenny took the camera outside the office and captured these cuties at my request. He then took one of me after my massage just before he got his. He's always being so sneaky/creative with the picture-through-the-plant thing and all. I look SO disgusted with him. But I really wasn't.

Out Driving Around

KAL and I were tooling around the countryside (suburbia) a few days ago enjoying the sunshine, and we came across something interesting. To build condos, an old, large building was torn down. The crazy thing is that the FACE of the building was left standing and it appears that it will be used as the front of the offices for the condo complex. What a sight!

Bye Bye Boys

I'm sad. I recently found out that my favorite band EVER, Aerosmith (you can stop laughing now), has canceled the rest of their tour. Steve Tyler's voice gave out after 40+ years of screeching. I think Kenny and I have been to 4 Aerosmith concerts and I've met everyone except Tyler, and Kenny has met all including Tyler. I'm still getting over the fact that he went to their hotel in December WHILE I WAS STILL AT WORK. Ugh. I forgave him though because had he not gone while I was working, he never would have got to meet Steve Tyler, so I got over it quickly. Kenny pulled his truck up to the curb, got out with his camera and there was Tyler doing a photo shoot in the middle of a minor snow storm. Kenny snapped a shot of Tyler and then the real photographer yelled at him. Tyler told the photographer to shut up and invited Kenny to take a couple more shots. As if that wasn't enough, after the photo shoot, Tyler came up to Kenny's truck and knocked on the window (he touched MY window!) and asked him if he wanted to take more pictures of him. I think I will always be jealous of Kenny's experience. Anyway, th picture that Kenny took are the ones with snow, and the other two are just a couple of my favorite from their sites. Since Aerosmith may never tour again, I will treasure these pictures always. ***sigh***

Home + Clutter = Allergies

I hate clutter. I always have. That's not to say that it doesn't exist here where I live. It's here, but I still can't stand it. Since I've been feeling better, I've started to de-clutter my place. There are no longer things on top of things. And I plan on it staying that way. I accidentally came across this article and it made me feel very good about de-cluttering because the article says that clutter can lead to aggrivated allergies. That is the best reason I've ever heard to THROW THINGS AWAY!!! Read it for yourself at http://www.clickondetroit.com/seenon4/8489091/detail.html. GO SPRING CLEAN YOUR PLACE!

Waaaaahhhhh....

Today is the last week day of my spring break. And because of my sinus issues, I stayed home THE WHOLE TIME driving Kenny crazy. I had all these fun things planned for my break: spring cleaning, car cleaning, sewing, scrapbooking, spring clothes shopping, and lunching with friends. Since I didn't start feeling better until Wednesday, I didn't get a whole lot done. I know I shouldn't complain and just be grateful that I got the time off, I know, I know. But I can't help thinking that I GOT JIPT for this break. I'll get over it tomorrow. And of course, thank you Kenny for taking care of me. I love you.

Men and Women (the difference)

I found this picture today on another blog. I thought it was perfect.

This is SO TRUE.

Easter Memories

I have tons of fun Easter memories....the most vivid are the ones where Mark and I found our colored Easter eggs where the "Easter Bunny" hid them in the woods behind our house. It was always chilly in the morning, but Mark and I bundled up and walked with Dad out to the woods to find the eggs. Mom got to sleep in! Dad always seemed to know where the last few eggs were when Mark and I were sure we had them all. Hmmm, I wonder why:) And then there was the Easter when I was obsessed with New Kids on the Block, (aka NKOTB) and the Easter bunny knew just what NKOTB T-shirt I wanted in my Easter basket. I believe that T-shirt still exists in my mom's blanket chest. Once we went to Minnesota to my Aunt Charlotte's house for Easter and the night before, my cousins and I were getting ready to go to bed and my Dad told us to look out the window. We did, and we saw the real Easter bunny! A more recent memory was about 6 years ago when Dad and I left the Osborn Easter festivities early so he could drive me back to K-zoo to the dorms. Once there, we spent about 2 hours in a stuffy dorm room disassembling a loft that Amanda and I bought to use the next year. Dad is such a trooper! Anyway, there are many more stories I could tell, but I won't bore you. This year, Kenny and I are going to church and then spending the day with his brother. I hope you make special spring memories with your family. Happy Easter!

VERY Belated Party Pictures

My birthday was in December, but it's taken me this long to get my act together with downloading the pictures to this site! Bad bad me! Here are a couple fun ones! You won't see all these people in the pictures, but along for festivities were Bethy, Amanda, Danielle, Bryan, and of course, Kenny. We went to Lucky's which is like an adult Chucky Cheese place with slot machines and a dance floor. Thanks for the pictures Bethy!

Nano

April 9th marked six months that my aunt Nano has been gone. She passed away on October 9th, 2005, just a week after her 42nd birthday. She lived with and fought cancer for almost 10 years before deciding enough was enough. It was about this time last spring when she decided to stop the treatments and have hospice take care of her at her home. Through the spring and summer, she and Uncle JR graciously left their doors open constantly for family and friends to come and share stories, laugh, cry, and just BE with Nano. Along with a lifetime of memories with my Aunt Nano, those months were precious. So precious. (Thank you Uncle JR for the pictures)

VACATION?

As this week started, I was so EXCITED because we had kids until Wednesday, then an inservice (professional development) on Thursday, and then SPRING BREAK!! To me, spring break is more exciting than Christmas vacation. Why? Because there's only 1 holiday to worry about, it's time for spring cleaning and spring clothes shopping (which is another topic for another day in itself), and summer vacation is just around the corner. So, needless to say, I was looking forward to a short work week and beautiful weather! After sending the students packing on Wednesday with their VERY THICK homework packets ("Aw, Miss O, do we have to do it all?"), Thursday was sure to go by speedy quick. When I woke up, my throat hurt a little, but I figured it was because I slept with the window open. I dressed in my favorite "dress down day" joggin suit and drove the 25 miles to work on a natural high, along with a double-double from Tim Horton's. Yeah!

I spent 2 hours in my classroom getting things cleaned and ready for when we come back. I chatted happily (chirped, as Kenny would say) with co-workers, then we went upstairs to the meeting. As the day progressed, my throat got worse, and I started to ache. Not the ache that means you're just tired, the one that means you need to get to a doctor for antibiotics. I declined a lunch date with a couple other teachers and spent the hour and a half at my desk trying not to sleep. The rest of the afternoon I nodded off so many times during the meeting that I lost count. I felt miserable, worse with every hour. I went straight home and straight to the couch with Tylenol and water, and of course Kenny insisted on giving me tea too. I felt like it could be allergies, a bad cold, or a sinus infection. Friday morning, the first day of my VACATION, I felt 10 times worse and went to the doctor. By 3pm I was in Kenny's truck going to pick up my meds...it was a sinus infection. The rest of Friday was a blur between sleeping, sneezing, taking meds, kicking the covers off or complaining that I didn't have enough on. Poor Kenny, he didn't know whether my moods were coming or going. But he was awesome and got me through the worst part of it. I woke this morning feeling slightly better, less pressure on my head but still REALLY tired and congested. I hope to feel well enough for us to go to church tomorrow on Easter Sunday.

I've had a sinus infection before, and it's no trip down pleasant lane. At least this time I know what to expect. I'm just bummed that the first part of my vacation will be spent recooperating from a sickness, when I should be recooperating from the kids! Oh well, either way, I'm on the couch at home in my sweats. That's still a vacation, isn't it???

Early Easter

We celebrated Easter with my mom yesterday at her house and talk about beautiful weather!! It was sunny and kind of warm, the best spring day yet! My cousins, grandma, aunts, and Mark were all there. It was so nice outside that Mark got out the 4-wheeler and we tooled around the yard.

A day in the life of....

Just about every day something crazy happens in my classroom. Today, there were a few crazy things to say the least. One of my students (keep in mind they are 7 years old) was leading the class through the daily news routine. This particular student, we'll call him Mike, reminds me of PigPen, you know, Charlie Brown's buddy. Mike walks around all the time with his shirt mis-buttoned, fuzz in his hair, wader pants with holes in the knees, shoes untied, shirt dingy and untucked (they wear uniforms). So today I asked him to fix himself because "a leader needs to look like a leader." He takes a look at himself and just doesn't see the problem. Sitting on the floor in front of him is one of my naughtiest students, we'll call him Jason. Jason is very quiety leaning over his criss-crossed legs tying Mike's shoes for him. This actually took my breath away. None of us even noticed Jason tying Mike's shoes and then I noticed it and when Jason realized I saw what he was doing, he froze, like I was going to yell at him or something. Mike thanked Jason and the routine went on, but just that little act of kindness from Mike (this was a HUGE deal for him to do someone a favor) made me smile and remember why I do what I do.

This next paragraph will remind me why my job drives me nuts. I picked the kids up from music and when we entered our classroom, one of my girls puked all over her desk. Lovely. I quickly call maintenance and then as I'm trying to call her mother, I'm faintly aware of 2 other girls whining and tapping me and calling my name. Well, as all teachers know, I have learned to ignore this action. Not 2 seconds later both of these girls wet their pants. As if I don't already have enough drama for the moment. A puker and 2 pee-ers. What next?

Once again, never a dull moment.

Getting to know you....

Every so often I get one of these forwards. Sometimes I like filling them out, and sometimes I delete them. I know lots of people get annoyed with them, so if you are one of those people, stop reading!! I think these survey things are fun!!

Welcome to the 2006 edition of getting to know your friends.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 4:30am
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? King Kong (not my choice!)
4. What is your favorite TV show? Desperate Housewive
5. What did you have for breakfast? low fat muffin
6. What is your middle name? Marie
7. What is your favorite cuisine? spaghetti
8. What foods do you dislike? Fish or anything out of water
9. Your favorite potato chip? Regular Baked Lays
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Kelly Clarkson
11. What kind of car do you drive? Saturn Ion
12. Favorite sandwich? BMT from Subway, without the ham
13. What characteristics do you despise? Laziness
14. Favorite item of clothing? Jeans and Detroit Hard Rock sweatshirt
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would> you go? Ireland
16. What color is your bathroom? Apartment Beige & Hunter Green
17. Favorite brand of clothing? I'm changing this to FAVORITE BRAND OF PURSES? It will be a Coach when I actually throw the loot, but currently Nine West
18. Where would you want to retire to? Waterfront
19. Favorite time of day? When my key hits the lock on my door
20. Where were you born? Adrian, Michigan
21. Favorite sport to watch? Baseball
22. Who do you least expect to send this back? Kenny
23. Person you expect to send it back first? Amanda or Bethy
24. What laundry detergent do you use? The one on sale!
25. Coke or Pepsi? Diet Coke....on ice
26. Are you a morning person or night owl? Morning person
27. Do you have any pets? 1 Hamster, Rusty
28. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? I bought a new vacuum!
29. What did you want to be when you were little? Anything but a teacher
30. Favorite candy? Reeses cups
31. What is your best childhood memory? Playing night time hide 'n' seek on the farm with the neighbors and Mark, and also camping with the Osborn Clan
32. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Babysitter, Dishwasher at the Brass Lantern (for like a week), Hostess at Big Boy (for another week), House Cleaner, Craft consultant (Ben Franklin Crafts), Substitute Teacher and now 2nd Grade Teacher (oh yeah, I worked in a food wagon one summer...talk about hell!!)
33. What color underwear are you wearing? Who cares
34. Piercing? Ears now, used to have my tongue pierced in college
35. Eye color? Blue
36. Ever been to Africa? No
37. Ever been toilet papering? Of course!
38. Ever been in love so much it made you cry? Yes
39. Been in a car accident? Yes
40. Croutons or bacon bits? Croutons
41. Favorite day of the week? Thursday
42. Favorite restaurant? Outback
43. Favorite flower? Lilac
44. Favorite ice cream? Strawberry Cheescake
45. Disney or Warner Brothers? Disney
46. Favorite fast food restaurant? Wendy's
47. What color is your bedroom carpet? Apartment Beige
48. How many times did you fail your driver's test? None...my dad is an instructor and my best friend's dad gave me the test!
49. Before this one, from whom did you get your last email from? Kenny
50. What store would you max out your credit card in? Coach, Von Maur or Target
51. What do you do most often when you are bored? Laundry or something crafty
52. Bedtime? Between 11:00 and 12:00
53. Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire? Mom
54. What are you listening to right now? The furnace
55. What is your favorite color? It changes daily, but probably purple
56. Lake, Ocean or River? Ocean
57. How many tattoos do you have? 1
58. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The big guy upstairs is the only one who knows the answer
59. How many people are you sending this email to? EVERYONE!!

Where is the end of late fees???

It seems as if everywhere I go I have acquired late fees. While Kenny was in Indiana I thought it would be a great time to catch up on some movie watching, the chic flick kind. I go to Blockbuster....we owe $15 there. Ugh. Instead of paying it, (since it's probably not my fault anyway...yeah right!) I go across the street to Family Video. We owe $25 there! It looks like I'm not gettin out of this one. I decided to wait until Kenny came home to deal! For those prices, I might as well go to the bargain bin at Target and pick out a couple of $5 movies to BUY! Which is exactly what I did. Then a few days later I go to the library to pick out some books for my classroom. I have about 20 books all ready to check out, and BAM! Late fees again! At the library I owe $25 for 2 books lost! Ugh! So I hand them my credit card to pay the fees since I NEVER carry cash and the lady politely tells me that they only accept cash or checks. I don't have my check book with me, and my ATM card broke a few days prior and I won't get my new one for 7 to 10 business days! WHAH! So, brokenheartedly, I leave the books on the counter and pout all the way to the car. I returned to the library with Kenny's library card yesterday because he doesn't have any late fees. I pick out even more books this time, plus 3 videos to go along with the unit in science that I'm teaching, and when I get to the counter, I hold my breath just waiting for the same lady to tell me Kenny has late fees......and he does!! He owes $5 (which were my books anyway)!!! UGH! I write a check for the $5 (I brought the checkbook just in case since I still don't have a working ATM card yet) and take my books and videos before the lady changes her mind about me using Kenny's card. Will I ever learn??

Funny Stuff

This happened in my classroom today for real:

Student: (whispering) "Miss O....I passed gas....I'm sorry!"

Me: (also whispering) "No big deal. Everyone does it. Open the window."

Student: (not whispering) "No way. Then everyone'll think it was me. Can you open the window?"

Me: "No way. Then everyone'll think it's me."

I'm not trying to be gross, but I just wanted to pass on a little bit of the daily humor that comes from the mouths of 7 year olds.

Hehehehehehehehe

Top Ten Reasons Dick Cheney Won't Resign

10. Trying to fix up Condi Rice with his daughter
9. Turns out when you shoot somebody, if you're not vice president, you gotta do time
8. Bush leaves at two every day and then it's margaritas and Fritos
7. Set the solitare high score on his office computer
6. Wants to see if he can help Bush get his approval rating under ten
5. Too hard to give up Vice Presidential Discount at D.C. area Sam Goody stores
4. Wants to stay on the job until every country in the world hates us
3. Extra-zappy White House defibrillators (my personal favorite!!)
2. Undisclosed location has foosball and women
1. Why quit when things are going so well?

Crazy Monday

So have you ever been to a convention that your job sent you on? Where you have to go and take notes and try to better yourself for your job? I know teachers have! Our entire staff spent our last professional development day at a convention. I always stupidly think that I'm going to get sooooooooo much out of these presentations, but it just never happens. My mom told me a long time ago that I'll be lucky to get one *good* new idea from each convention. She's right. I had to choose four presentations to listen to, and I did my best to weed out the awful sounding ones. The first one was promising at first, then a bore.....nothing new to learn! The second one was awful, like I was sitting in a lecture hall as a first semester freshman again (SCARY!!). The third one was after lunch and I was sleepy after walking downtown to eat with coworkers in the bitter cold and then walk back. Needless to say, I forced myself to stay awake for nothing, and when it was over, or supposed to be over, there were other people outside the room waiting for us to leave so they could come in and our presenter screams "I HAVE FIVE MORE MINUTES!" and then someone sitting a few rows up politely says "No, it's time." Thank goodness for that small voice!! The instructor was disgusted but gave in and we left immediatly. One more class to go! This one had potential, but then took a turn for the worst. What's new. Overall, the presentations did not match their descriptions in the book we chose from, and as always, we were disappointed. But I can't knock the whole thing. There's always the free stuff at conventions that make up for the hours of boredom. And did we ever get loaded up with free stuff!! That was cool. I was home by 2:30pm, which is unheard of, and contently napping by 4pm, right after watching Dr. Phil. Afternoon naps are a treat. Kenny makes fun of me and says that all I do is sleep. Not true. I stay up way late during the week so I only get about 4 hours of sleep a night. After dealing with children all day, I'm exhausted when I get home. And sometimes, I admit, I used to nap in the afternoon. But not anymore. Not with these masters classes. No time for that! Anyway, my point is that when you don't sleep more than 4 hours a night, a nap is acceptable. Just ask my dad. He'll tell ya. All in all, Monday was "crazily" productive (yes, I just made up that word!). A convention of free stuff, a yummy afternoon nap, and then six straight hours of masters work. Gotta love that!!

Grandma O's (and Kathleen too) Birthday #1

We met last week at Zanzibar's to celebrate Grandma Osborn's birthday, and also Kathleen's birthday. Everyone knows the story of my dad hoping Kathleen would be born on March 5th, the same day as his mother, so he could remember Kathleen's birthday. And she was! Happy Birthday Grandma and Kathleen!!

Grandma O's (and Kathleen too) Birthday #2

Lucky Charms

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Finally, this great celebrating holiday is on a Friday and I can enjoy it by going out!! This morning I was listening to the radio and they were talking about lucky charms....THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT ONES! People were calling in left and right to shout out their prized lucky charm on the air. Shoes, purses, coins, teddy bears, pens, sweatshirts, bras, hats....the list goes on. Do I have a lcuky charm? Uuuuuummmmm YES! I DO! It's my birthstone ring. I know it's not original to say that a ring is lucky, but it truly is. Not only is it beautiful, but it's like I'm wearing a little circle of safety on my hand. I love it. So, yes, my lucky charm is my ring.

We Miss You

Bad news always travels fast....but sometimes not fast enough. With the passing of a lifelong friend's mother, the last week has been one of deep thoughts. I didn't find out until it was too late to say goodbye, and I would have really cherished that goodbye. I know that we don't usually get that luxury, but I would have wanted to tell Kay's mother that I have millions of memories stock piled in my heart from her home as a child. I spend hours and hours there, playing and talking and 4-wheeling and swimming. We played our trumpets on the deck and sat in the hottub (bright turquoise, I might add) until we were pruned. Her mom was the only person who even successfully got me to taste SPAM. Yuck. If I slept over on a Friday night, I was included in the cleaning rituals on Saturday morning because I wasn't considered a guest....I was part of the family. I could go on and on and on with my memories of Kay and I at her parents' house when we were younger. At the luncheon following the funeral, I was sitting with good friends, and we were talking about Kay's mom and laughing because no matter how many times you called their house, no matter what time of day, she always answered by screaming their last name into the phone....even if she knew it was you. Kay's mom was only 50 years old when she passed away last week. FIFTY YEARS OLD. Not nearly enough time here with loved ones. But as I've learned in the last year, cancer strikes and it strikes hard, and there's nothing we can do about it except fight it the best you can and LIVE EVERY DAY. Kay's mom was diagnosed 5 weeks prior to her death, and the blow was no different. So I will dedicate this entry to Kay's mother. Wherever you are Kay's Mom, we are really missing you.

Sleep or Work??

Have you ever felt like you had so much work to do that you couldn't go to sleep? Have you ever felt like the days aren't long enough to work AND sleep? Have you ever felt like you should be doing your work but you can't because your eyes are swimming because you have been looking at the computer screen too long and you need a break but can't take one? Okay, well, this is the spot that I am in right now. I shouldn't be updating this blog, I shouldn't be listening to the Academy Awards on TV....the TV shouldn't even be on! I should be TRYING to complete more of the longest assignment of my life. But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I created this blog with its title So Much To Do..... because I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO!

When I was in college for my bachelors degree, I didn't have a full time job. I had a part time job, time for my hobbies (too much time for them because I worked at a craft store), and LOTS of time for hangin' with friends. My point here is that school wasn't such a burden. There were times when I felt like I had a lot of work to do, but nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING compares to the amount of work I have to do now for this masters degree. After working with 21 little runny-nosed, loving babies every day (which I love doing!), I want to come home and relax, not force myself to be focused on MY schoolwork. I know, I know, I chose to be a teacher, and I chose to go back to school for this masters degree, and I have no one here to blame but myself for my busyness. I also know that everyone is busy. But I love what I do, and this masters degree helps me do my job even better.

I guess all my babbling boils down to one question:

What is more important? Getting a decent amount of sleep or getting my work done?

I think the red words in this post give me my answer. Darn it.